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Barter & Trade's Magnificent 2017 Merlot for $16.79!
Plus 94+ points for Argot Chardonnay...
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When the pop culture wine movie "Sideways" debuted fifteen years ago, the line heard around the wine world came from the movie's main character Miles who proclaimed, "I am not drinking any f&^king Merlot!" What followed was a dramatic fallout in Merlot consumption followed by Merlot grapes being torn out from vineyards up and down California in favor of less criticized varieties.
Today at Vin Chicago, Merlot is back in a big way with the new release of the 2017 "Volume Three" Columbia Valley Merlot from Barter & Trade - a magnificent Merlot that even Miles would be thrilled to get his hands on!
If you haven't had a bottle of Merlot in a while, this latest release of Barter & Trade, from winemaker Andrew Jones, needs to get into your glass tonight! A profound bottle of wine, it has great depth, tremendous purity of ripe and juicy dark fruit flavors, lavish and balanced oak spices, and an overall elegant profile. The fruit sourcing is the key here, but it must be kept a secret because we are told the source winery sells their Merlot for over $30 a bottle. Our price of $16.79 a bottle makes this the most exciting bottle of Merlot we've featured in ages!
Also, today, be sure to check out the 2014 Argot Wines "Simpatico Ranch" Sonoma Chardonnay. Produced by Oak Park native Justin Harmon, this full-bodied, oak-driven small-batch California Chardonnay earned an impressive 94+ points from the Wine Advocate and sells right in the sweet spot at $35.99. With only 250 cases produced, you'll want to put the Rombauer down and make room for this beauty while you can!
Scroll below for all the details on both of these wines
, then quickly
click the Big Yellow Button while shouting out loud, "I am drinking some f%&king Merlot tonight!"
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- Sign Up Now and Save -
Our Big Wine Tasting at
Seven Bridges in Woodridge is Coming Up!
Naperville area wine lovers, join us Friday, April 26th, for our Spring Fling tasting at Seven Bridges Golf Club in Woodridge! We'll pop the corks on over five dozen beautiful wines from around the globe, including Vin Chicago favorites and a load of new wines!
All this, plus a tasty selection of hors-d'oeuvres to keep your palate fresh!
Early bird tickets are available until March 31st for $35 per person. Round up some friends and sign up now!
When:
Where:
Cost: |
Friday, April 26th, 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Seven Bridges Golf Club, 1 Mulligan Drive, Woodridge
$50 per person (Early Bird tickets available until 3/31 for $35) |
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Columbia Valley, Washington
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As many of you know by now, Barter & Trade is the project of California winemaker Andrew Jones, the familiar face behind some of our favorite wines such as Wonderwall Pinot Noir and Field Recordings "Fiction" red blend. If you are not familiar, Andrew's day job is as a vine nurseryman, providing cuttings to some of the best growers up and down the West Coast of the United States.
He started the Barter & Trade project started back in 2015 when there was a severe supply shortage of Bordeaux varietals in California. Through his relationships, he went to one of his growers in Washington State's Red Mountain AVA and literally traded vines for Merlot grapes, thus the beginning of his Barter & Trade label.
This latest release, Volume Three, is off the charts delicious. A blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Syrah, with luxurious barrel aging in 65% new French oak and 35% seasoned (previously used) French oak, the wine explodes with ripe fruit flavors of black cherries and plum layered with a dash of black pepper, dark baking spices, vanilla and mocha. All this, and a long, complex, finish.
As we mentioned above, the vineyard source must be kept secret, but we are told that the source winery sells its own Merlot for over $30 a bottle. For Merlot drinkers, Cabernet drinkers and lovers of delicious red wine, this is a must-try!
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94+ Points for This Powerful Single-Vineyard Chardonnay
2014 Argot
"Simpatico Ranch" Chardonnay
Bennett Valley, Sonoma County, California
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Argot is a small producer founded by winemaker, and Chicago-area native, Justin Harmon. Justin's first leap into winemaking was right here in Oak Park from a home winemaking kit. Soon after, he took his passion to California and is now quietly turning out very small quantities of some serious, world-class wines. We're thrilled today to offer his highly rated 2014 "Simpatico Ranch" Chardonnay to wine lovers like you in his old stomping grounds!
Simpatico Ranch is a small, cool climate vineyard planted to volcanic soils in the relatively unknown Bennett Valley AVA, located on the valley floor at the foothills of Bennett Peak in Sonoma. Justin harvested the grapes by hand and pressed the juice directly into French oak barrels for fermentation. After going through 100% malolactic fermentation, the wine spent an additional 16 months in French oak (50% new) where it was aged on the lees with battonage (stirring of the lees) for the first 12 months. The result is a rich and buttery Chardonnay with a soft and creamy texture. Delicious and refreshing fruit flavors of Golden Delicious apple, Anjou pear, farm fresh peach and sweet citrus zest lead to complex oak-driven notes of honeysuckle, vanilla custard, toasted brioche, pie crust and hazelnuts.
Check out this dynamite 94+ Point review from the Wine Advocate....
"Produced from Old-Wente clone selection, the 2014 Chardonnay Simpatico Ranch is barrel fermented and uses 100% malolactic, with 19 months in French oak, 50% new. It has a pleasantly "wild" nose of baker's yeast and salt-crusted almonds with a core of grapefruit, white peaches and orange peel plus a waft of honeysuckle. The palate is tightly-knit and medium-bodied with plenty of intensity and savory / citrus layers, finishing long and yeasty. As an addendum, I just loved this wine and monitored its progress for several days. It is incredibly stable and in fact just got better and better! Drink Date: 2017 - 2024."
- 94+ Points, Wine Advocate (2/28/2017)
A mere 250 cases were produced of this absolute knock-out Chardonnay. The Wine Advocate quotes a release price of $50. As far as we can tell, we are the only ones in the country selling it, and our price is way less. If you love classically styled California Chardonnay, this is one to jump on today!
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