HAPPY SATURDAY. 

We had a great time at the Classic Cafe tasting Monday night.  We have tasted and loved each wine 3 times now, so thought you guys might be interested.  There is a link that will discuss the wines in more details.

Please scroll down for a couple of wine deals.  A highly rated Tempranillo and a great deal on an Oregon Pinot.

And if you are in the Dallas Metroplex, see the wine tasting offer at the bottom.

Have a great weekend!  Rex & Michele


CLASSIC CAFE~ITALIAN WINE TASTING - click here for more wine descriptions 
 
2015 Gradis'Ciutta Malvasia Collo, Friuli -Venezia Giulia
$26.50 per 5% off 6, 10% off 12 can mix ~~ Solid Boxes $22.50
Lively white with all the structure needed for spring grilling.

2014 Hauner Salina Rosso ITG, Salina, Sicily
$24.50 per 5% off 6, 10% off 12 can mix ~~ Solid Boxes $21.00
Just my opinion, Sicilian wines may be the most bang for the buck there is in today's wine market. R
 
2013 Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico Riserva, Toscana, DOCG, Toscana
$31.00 per 5% off 6, 10% off 12 can mix ~~ Solid Boxes $26.50
From some of the oldest vines in all of Chianti.
 
2007 Barone de Renzis Castello di Sonnino San Leone Toscana IGT (Merlot, Sangiovese, Petit Verdot) - ONLY 14 BOTTLES LEFT
$69.00 per 5% off 6, 10% off 12 can mix ~~ Solid Boxes $58.65 
A ten year old cellar aged Super Tuscan, sounds drinkable to me.
 
2012 Castello Monaci Artas Primitivo Salento IGT, Puglia
$41.50 per 5% off 6, 10% off 12 can mix ~~ Solid Boxes $35.50
For those who like highly extracted reds


Featured WEEKEND WINES

1.  2010 La Horra Ribera del Duero Corimbo 1  
$59.00 per 5% off 6, 10% off 12 can mix
If you are not familiar with this wine, it is 100 percent old vine Tempranillo and has a track record of critical acclaim vintage after vintage. 2010 is a heralded and sought after vintage. The wine arrived Friday and it is in fact the 2010 vintage. We let the wine rest until last night when we opened a bottle. The flavor profile is outrageous moving from red fruit to black fruit to blue then red again. Their are exotic spice components and chocolate components. Rarely do we see both chocolate and exotic spice characteristics in a wine, one or the other but not both. 
 
95 Points, Decanter Platinum Awards Spanish Wine of the Year over $20! Fresh and fruity with an expressive nose of caramelised citrus, red fruits and aromatic herbs. The palate is very rich and intense with vanilla, cloves, pepper and tobacco leaf mingling with strawberry, cranberry and orange zest. The finish is fresh and elegant with a substantial lingering length. - Decanter Magazine

94 points Peñín Guide to Spanish Wine: "(100% tinta del país). Colour: cherry, garnet rim. Nose: ripe fruit, spicy, creamy oak, complex. Palate: powerful, flavourful, toasty, round tannins, good structure, full. (2015)"

93 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "[$85 list; aged for 16 months in 80% French and 20% American oak]: Glass-staining ruby. Explosive aromas of black and blue fruits, Indian spices, potpourri and smoky minerals, with a mocha quality in the background. Fleshy, expansive and smooth, with excellent clarity and spicy lift to its cassis and boysenberry flavors. The blue fruit and spice notes carry through on the very long, sweet, sharply focused finish, which is framed by velvety tannins. (Sep 2014)"

93 points Wine & Spirits: "The team at Rioja's Bodegas Roda produces this from vines more than 40 years old, creating a Ribera wine that's expansive without being tiring. The tannin structure allows it to move gracefully through the mouth while the structure feels firm; the taut acidity keeps the cherry and chocolate flavors lively. It's sensuous and voluptuous. (Jun 2013)"
 
91+ Points!  The 2010 Corimbo fermented in oak vats and is pure Tempranillo with a similar profile to the 2011, but with the benefit of one extra year in bottle and a fresh, almost perfect growing season. The wine feels serious, a little austere, but perfectly proportioned with clean, focused flavors of ripe fruit, earthy minerality and licorice, and the wood perfectly and neatly folded into the wine. Drink 2014-2019.  Luis Gutierrez, The Wine Advocate #214, August 2014


2.  2014 Sokol Blossom Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills Oregon   
$28.50 per, no futher discounting 
We were just notified that there is an end of month deal on the 2014 Sokol Blosser  Dundee Hills Pinot Noir.  Michele and I showed it a few months back at a Classic Cafe tasting. This Pinot pops with both cherry and blueberry in an opulent Oregon Style with both smoke and mocha. Then it was $37.50 and that was preferred pricing. There are multiple 90 plus reviews cited below. Let me know if you would like them sourced. 8 cases available 

From the winery:  Our 2014 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir epitomizes everything Sokol Blosser has stood for in nearly 45 years of winegrowing in Oregon. Crafted to be a true expression of terroir from our hillside vines and Jory soil, this wine is made from a low yield crop that is dry-farmed for quality and comprised of grapes that are all from Dijon, Pommard and Wadensvil
clones.    
The pinot noir grape is highlighted in every bottle -- a reflection of our winemaking style, elegant wines that express the pureness of our fruit and terroir. What has resulted is a wine with dark color and great intensity. 

James Suckling -
"A red with plenty of cinnamon, plums and dried cherries. The palate is medium-bodied, delicate and polished with pretty fruit flavors. A little lean. Drink now." 91 points 

92 points Wine Enthusiast
90 points Wine Spectator

Rex & I have been asked to join a wine dinner with Sicilian Firriato Winery.  We have tasted the wines with the importer and are excited to take part in the tasting. 
 

Saturday May 6, 2017
6:30 pm
$78 per person

Rex Perry, 972-904-9917 rex@masutawineconsulting.com
Michele Mercy 214-906-5251  michele@masutawineconsulting.com
Francis Silmon 817-271-2720  francis@theclassiccafe.com