Our Wine Wednesdays, include one *free sample from each of our hand selected fine wine features (up to four wines). New wines are chosen each week. This week we welcome Mike Tiano, partner at North Carolinas own, Haw River Wine Man. Haw River imports some of the greatest Italian wines we have ever tasted and also works with some the countries top wine Importers. Join us for a small sampling from around the world! These wines represent some of our all time best selling brands but with fresh vintages.

Ameztoi Txakolina Rubentis
50% Hondarribi Beltza and 50% Hondarribi Zuri. Vines planted from 1918 to 2008 grown on Limestone. Ameztoi Txakolina is one of the top producers of Getariako Txakolina. Ameztoi produces some of the tastiest, most representative and classic Txakoli: the delicious, bright, slightly petillant (fizzy), low alcohol wines that are consumed like water in Spanish Euskadi (Basque Country). Vineyards are a stone’s throw from the ocean, full of verdant, green cover throughout the year. Composed of Hondarribi Zuri and Hondarribi Beltza from 20- to 25-year-old vines, fermented in stainless. Briny and bright, the Rubentis refreshes with tangy light red fruit and citrus flavors. Delightful. Light brilliant pink. Incisive, mineral-accented citrus fruit and red berry scents, along with a suave floral nuance. Silky and sharply focused on the palate, showing juicy strawberry, orange zest and mineral qualities and a deeper suggestion of peach pit. Packs a lot of flavor but comes off lithe. The mineral and floral elements carry through a very long, precise, seamless finish.

Domaine François Capitain-Gagnerot Bourgogne Pinot Noir
The Domaine Gagnerot was established in 1802. After the second world war, Roger Capitain maintained the estate and passed the stewardship to his two sons, Patrice and Michel. Now in the hands of the ninth generation, Pierre-Francois and Delphine carry the family tradition. Over the last two hundred plus years, the family has meticulously acquired parcels in the Cotes de Beaune and Cotes de Nuits and the resulting Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are beautifull expressions of elegance and purity. “Buisson ”2. acres, at the northeastern base of the Corton hillside planted in 1952.Handpicked, entirely by hand. Crop is entirely destalked. Vat maturation for a 12 day period. Cap is punched twice daily, with one ‘pumping over’, whilst the temperature of fermentation is between 15 and 20°C. 10% matured in new oak, whilst the remainder matures in old oak. One of the greatest vintages of this wine produced in the last decade, 2016 is insane!

Cordero di Montezemolo Barbera
100% Barbera. The great wine, which many call a “work of art” is the work of nature, the work of the sun, the climate, the soil composition and so on; to use a cavalier and paradoxical term, it is an agrarian opera ~ Paolo Cordero di Montezemolo. Since 1340, 19 generations one after another, have managed the Monfalletto property in the town of La Morra, the center of the production of Barolo wine. Even today, the property is entirely family-run. Giovanni Cordero di Montezemolo and his children Elena and Alberto are the protagonists of this millennium. The historical single-body vineyard area of 28 hectares (69 acres), rare for the area, extends over all sides of the hill. The land has always been cultivated with the various local varieties, selected and distinctly planted according to sun exposure, type of soil and the altitude. Intense violet color. Mature fruit, cacao, prune, spicy, fragrant nose. Full and fresh mouth. Very soft tannins.

Château Belregard-Figeac Bordeaux “Tellus Vinea”
The Pueyo Family has owned Belregard Figeac since 1853. The estate has remained in the family and this continuous ownership is accompanied by the priceless and intimate knowledge of the best parcels of each vineyard gained through seasons of observation. This is the kind of understanding that no amount of time at university can replace. It shows through in the wine, a true example of the character of their particular corner of Saint Emilion. Jacques and Jean-Paul Pueyo, brothers, are the current generation in charge of all affairs at Belregard Figeac. They have recently been joined by Jacques’ son, Christophe. For our part, we have worked with the Pueyo family since the 1996 vintage having been introduced to this delightful and dedicated family from Libourne by Danielle Meunier, proprietor of our other Saint Emilion producer, Chateau Haut Segottes. The vineyards are situated on the slopes near the picturesque village of Saint Emilion but in the section that borders Libourne and Pomerol. Saint Emilion is a large appellation, with noticeable variation in soil types, over 17 different combinations of soil and subsoils are classified here, resulting in wines that can be very different from one another. At Belregard Figeac, the soil is a deep sand positioned on moderate slopes. Compared to the Médoc, the soils are richer. Vines are more vigorous and require wider spacing, with an average 5000 to 6000 vines per hectare as compared to 9000 to 10000 vines per hectare that is common in the Médoc. Merlot predominates at Belregard Figeac, comprising 68% of the vineyards. Cabernet Franc (25%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (7%) make up the rest. The vines are an average 35 years old (as of 2011). The majority of the holdings are situated on the plain of Figeac, certainly one of the most renowned of the various terroirs of St. Emilion, located on the border of Libourne and Pomerol. The Pueyo brothers use traditional vineyard management methods with limited use of chemicals. A team of workers goes through the vineyard in the summer to pull leaves for better aeration and exposure of the grapes. This time consuming task ensures better ripening and helps in disease prevention. The harvest is, of course, done manually. This estate produces two wines that we handle as exclusive importer for the USA. The classic Saint Emilion Grand Cru “Belregard Figeac” and a simple Bordeaux appellation “Tellus Vinea”.

 

 

 

*tasting free with purchase of $10 or more per guest