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For years I (DM) have been telling people that Chateauneuf du Pape with a little bottle age is a great way to go for Thanksgiving; unfortunately, in recent years, that has meant spending upwards of $80 in most cases. This year we have a great deal on one of the great estates of the Rhone, and the blow is further softened with it being a half bottle. This way you can serve the cheap stuff to the in-discriminant and hide this bottle under the table for you and favorite guests - oops, did I just start a new holiday feud?
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Free Tastings:
Tonight (Tuesday), 4:00 - 8:00:
Beer Tasting: Our standard Tuesday setup with 6 brews to try
Wine Tasting:
Gunderloch Riesling Kabinett "Jean Baptiste", Rheinhessen, Germany
Qupe Chardonnay, Santa Barbara, CA
Van Duzer "Homestead Block" Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR
Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape, Rhone, France
Wednesday 2:00 - 8:00
With Guest Pourers Chris Foster of Libation Project (4:00-8:00) and Corey Lahm (1:00-4:00):
Corey's Lineup:
Flor de Maio White, Portugal
Adro da Se Encruzado 2015, Portugal
Masut Pinot Noir 2014, Eagle Peak AVA, CA
Santa Cruz Mtn Estate Petite Sirah, CA
Udaca Dao, Portugal
Graziano Zinfandel, Mendocino, CA
Chris's Lineup will be a last minute surprise, but it is sure to include some real goodies.
Friday 4:00-8:00
With Guest Pourer Tom of New France Wines
Urban Riesling, Mosel, Germany
Secateurs Chenin Blanc, South Africa
Elk Cove Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR
GD Vajra Barbera D Alba, Piedmont, Italy
Camins Priorat, Spain
plus one more wine TBD (maybe a bubbly?)
Saturday's Free Wine Tasting 3:00-7:00
An assorted hodge-podge of new arrivals and great deals TBA
Holiday Hours:
We'll be open regular hours (9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.) this week, except we'll be closed on Thanksgiving Day. We'll also be open an hour early (8:00) on Wednesday morning to help with your last-minute shopping.
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New Arrivals, Deals and Great Wines:
Bubbly*********************************************************
JCB Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Rose #69, France, $29.99
"Light, clean and refreshing with bright berry notes and a fine, frothy bead. Dry but fruit-driven. This is great bubbly for heartier meals (yes, it would be perfect with turkey)." DM
Varnier Fanniere Champagne Brut Grand Cru NV, France, $71.99
"Always a blend of three different vintages and aged for three years on the lees, Varnier-Fannière's NV Brut Grand Cru is 100% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs. It opens with a clear and ripe, but (lemon) fresh fruit aroma intertwined with chalky brioche and nougat flavors. Highly elegant and delicate on the palate, this is an aromatic, charmingly round and lovely mineral Brut with a pretty long, pure and iodine finish. This is an absolutely stimulating crowd and wine-freak pleaser. Champagne drinkers of the world: unite and take over." 92pts WA
Goutorbe Champagne Brut Millesime 2006, France, $74.99
"Floral and chalk notes accent the flavors of baked pear, lemon curd and toasted brioche in this harmonious Champagne, whose vivid acidity keeps the creamy palate well-focused and plays off the rich hint of marzipan on the finish. Disgorged April 2014. Drink now through 2026. 30 cases imported." 92pts WS
Whites*********************************************************
Adro da Se Encruzado 2015, Dao, Portugal, $21.99
Taste this super-cool and unique white with us Wednesday afternoon.
Neyers Chardonnay "304" 2016, Sonoma, CA, $27.99
"This intriguing wine is stainlesssteel fermented and aged in stainless and concrete tanks. It deceives in its toasty undertones and its velvety, creamy texture, allowing for an edge of voluptuous body and weight. Fig, yellow apple and lemon peel provide flavor and depth, followed by a dry, focused and ultimately bright finish. Editors' Choice." 93pts WE
Mercouri Estate Foloi White 2014, Peloponnese, Greece, Reg. $16.99, Sale $13.99
A fascinating blend of Roditis and Viognier that sees no oak, it is highly-aromatic with a very fresh style.
Gunderloch Riesling "Jean Baptiste" Kabinett 2014, Rheinhessen, Germany, Reg. $23.99, Sale $19.99
Taste this with us Tonight!
Gunderloch Dry Riesling Nierstein 2014, Rheinhessen, Germany, Reg. $25.99, Sale $21.99
Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Sec (Dry) 2014, Loire, France, $38.99
"The nose indicates a very delicate, fresh and mineral wine of great finesse and beautifully clear white fruit flavors, which changes somewhere between young Chablis and Riesling from a limestone terroir. This is just gorgeous and provided with some smoky flavors of Speck or air-dried hamm (jamón serrano), along with lemon juice, chalk, carambola and some floral flavors. It is quite round and gentle on the first palate; it shows a great finesse, refined fruit elegance and enervating raciness that reminds me of the finest dry (German or Southern Palatinate) Rieslings, although the power and length seems even stronger towards the finish. I have rarely tasted a young Chenin that combines power, finesse, elegance and persistency in such a perfectly balanced way. This is surely a wine to buy, drink and store. The only error possible here is to buy too little of it. Drink 2015-2040." 94+pts WA
Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Demi-Sec (Half-Dry) 2015, Loire, France, Reg. $55.99, Sale $42.99
"The 2015 Vouvray Clos du Bourg Demi-Sec displays a well defined and complex bouquet of ripe and concentrated fruits intertwined with chalky flavors. Dense and elegant on the palate, with a mouth-filling fruit and a perfect sweetness that counterbalances the raciness and firm mineral structure, this is a finesse-full and powerful Chenin with lots of salt and tension. A gorgeous, precise and vivacious wine with great aging potential." 95pts WA
Reds***********************************************************
Juan Gil "Comoloco" 2016, Jumilla, Spain, $9.99
This will please the Nouveau crowd with its bold, bright, forward fruit, but the Monastrell also lends a touch of depth and complexity.
Carro Tinto 2014, Yecla, Spain, Reg. $13.99, Sale $10.99
"The 2014 Carro is a ridiculous value in a full-bodied, complex, rich and savory dry red wine. Dense ruby/purple with notes of blackberry and blueberry fruit, licorice and camphor, the wine is totally unoaked and naked. This is a beauty of purity and richness and just goes to show what one can buy if careful with researching importers. Drink it over the next several years." 90pts WA
Domaine Lafage "Cuvee Nicolas" Grenache 2014, Cotes Catalanes, France, $15.99
"Aged in 25% demi-muids, the 2014 Cotes Catalanes Nicolas comes all from the rolling hills and gravel soils in the Aspres region and is made from 100% Grenache. What should represent an incredible value, it boasts fabulous notes of black raspberry, licorice and crushed violets to go with medium+-bodied richness, fine tannin and a supple, pretty profile on the palate. This is far from an over-the-top fruit bomb and it has real class and elegance. Buy it by the case and drink it over the coming 2-3 years." 90-92pts WA
Mas Donis "Old Vines" Montsant 2014, Spain, $14.99
"The 2014 Mas Donis Old Vines is a custom cuvée for American importer Eric Solomon. It's a mini-Rhône blend of Garnacha with some 15% Syrah from old vines matured exclusively in concrete. The nose is like Garnacha cotton candy with red fruit and a touch of smoked meat. The tannins are soft and the texture is silky, ending with a very tasty note. Great value and produced in good volume. This is different from the Mas Donis Barrica. 67,000 bottles." 90pts WA
Noblaie "Le Temps des Cerises" Chinon 2014, Loire, France, Reg. $19.99, Sale $15.99
"The 2014 Chinon Le Temps des Cerises (formerly simply called Chinon) is pure and refreshing on the nose, delivering ripe, but fresh dark fruit aromas along with pencil-lead flavors. Light to to medium-bodied, with great finesse and vitality, this is an elegant, refreshing and perfectly balanced Cabernet Franc for late summer evenings and lunchtime. Easy drinking and a great drinking pleasure." WA
Landmark Pinot Noir "Overlook" 2015, Sonoma, CA, Reg. $27.99, Sale $22.99
J Christopher Pinot Noir 2013, Willamette Valley, OR, Reg. $31.99 , Sale $27.99
"Fragrant and generously fruity, this is a bowl of raspberries and cherries, with just the right acidity to keep it lively and fresh. Light suggestions of cola and nutmeg add further interest." 90pts WE
Ken Wright Pinot Noir Freedom Hill Vineyard 2014, Eola-Amity Hills, OR, $52.99
"Supple and expressive, with raspberry and clotted cream overtones to the currant and gentle smoke flavors, finishing with harmony and transparency. Best from 2018 through 2024. 1,091 cases made." 91pts WS
Adelsheim "Breaking Ground" Pinot Noir 2014, Chehalem Mountains, CA, $53.99
"Focused, bright and sleek, with juicy blackberry, currant and black tea flavors set on a lively frame. Nubby tannins rub against the finish as this sails on with presence. Best from 2017 through 2023." 91pts WS
Roche Bellene Savigny Les Beaune Vieilles Vignes 2014, Burgundy, France, Reg. $34.99, Sale $29.99
"Packed with cherry and strawberry flavors, this juicy red also evokes earthy, minerally and woodsy, spicy accents. Balanced, with a hint of Earl Grey tea on the finish. Drink now through 2023." 90pts WS
Guigal Cotes du Rhone 2013, Rhone, France, $18.99
"The 2013 Cotes du Rhone, which is scheduled to be bottled in November, is a bigger, richer wine than I remember and has tons of ripe Syrah characteristics. Black olives, smoked earth, pepper and plenty of dark fruit all emerge from this inky-colored, straight-up impressive Cotes du Rhone." 89-91pts WA
Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape "Le Crau" 2012, Rhone, France, (375ml), Reg. $47.99, Sale $32.99
"Rock-solid, with a hefty core of fig, blackberry and black cherry fruit, wrapped in chestnut and tobacco leaf notes and carrying through a lavender-and tar-framed finish. Dense and grippy, showing a slightly old-school shading. Should cellar well. Best from 2016 through 2030." 94pts WS
Pallieres Gigondas "Terrasse du Diable" 2013, Rhone, France, Reg. $53.99, Sale $45.99
"Offers a taut, slightly sinewy feel, with cedar-laced grip cutting through the core of dried cherry, red currant and raspberry flavors. Displays a lightly chalky spine on the finish, with an ample tobacco note. Best from 2016 through 2022." 90pts WS
Duckhorn Three Palms Vineyard Merlot 2014, Napa, CA, $117.99
"A powerful red, with concentrated flavors of red plum, cherry and boysenberry that are layered with plenty of rich spice and mineral accents. Touches of slate and cardamom make for a complex finish. Drink now through 2023." 95pts & #1 in Top 100 of 2017 -WS, Super-Limited; One bottle per customer; Good Luck!
Bordeaux Arrivals Part Deux************************************
These wines aren't listed with "Sale" prices, but they are all great values in their categories as they were ordered direct from the source with minimal middle-man markup!
Guiraud Blanc Sec (Dry White) 2014, $31.99
"The G de Guiraud 2014 has quite a complex bouquet with lively citrus fruit intermixed with sea cave scents. There is something almost marine-like here. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity, appreciable weight in the mouth with light green apple and spice notes emerging toward the finish. This is how to do dry white Sauternes." 90-91pts WA, also 91pts WS
Haut Queray 2016, $13.99
Couronne St Emilion Grand Cru 2014, $31.99
Same owner and winemaker as Chateau Palmer
Clos Marsalette Pessac Leognan 2014, $47.99
"This has lively pepper and bay streaks, along with a sanguine twinge, amid the core of cherry and red currant fruit. Abright iron note shows on the finish. Has length, refinement and purity." 91pts WS
D'Aiguilhe Cotes de Castillon 2014, $26.99
"Stephan von Neipperg of Château Canon la Gaffelière was an early proponent of Castillon vineyard potential and chose this property which is on the same ridge as Saint-Emilion. Fruity and ripe, this is a generous wine. Finely structured tannins back up the black-currant fruits and give the wine a texture that bodes well for the future. Drink from 2019." 91pts & Cellar Selection -WE, also 91pts WA
Chateau Picard St Estephe 2012, $39.99
Same owner and winemaker as Chateau Palmer
Le Hauts du Trintaudon Haut Medoc 2010, $18.99
Second wine of Chateau Larose Trintaudon, 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot
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Thanks for reading. We hope to see you soon.
Sincerely,
The North Loop Wine & Spirits Team
Key: WA=Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, WS=The Wine Spectator, V=Vinous, JS=James Suckling, WE=Wine Enthusiast; North Loop Staff: LI=Lisa, TD=Tony, DM=Darrin, PG=Patti, JB=Jon, MP=Madison, ER=Emily
North Loop Wine and Spirits
612.338.5393
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401
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