Staff Picks: What to Drink This Week
Things our staff thinks you should drink.
2018 MWC Pinot Noir, Victoria, Australia - $18.99
Many think of Shiraz (Syrah) when they are deciding to enjoy a red wine from Australia. We certainly have a number of Shiraz and other worthy varietals from Australia on hand at North Loop (my love for the Cabernet Sauvignons we have from the Margaret River region of Western Australia certainly comes to mind!). Pinot Noir, however, is not as common in Australia as other wines. The McPherson family's cool climate vineyards are in the Upper Goulburn wine region of Victoria, just north of Melbourne. The results of this vintage show aromas of intense plum, cherry, dried flowers, and lightly spicy oak. It is a medium bodied Pinot Noir, robust with dark fruits and cola on the palate. Retention of acidity and silky tannins help keep the wine nicely balanced. This will make a great match for grilled chicken breast with red potatoes.
-Patrick
Far North Spirits Solveig Gin "Anna's Garden" (Limited Bottling) - $35.99
Inspired by the distiller's great-grandmother, this gin is bright and refreshing. Though you can certainly detect the presence of juniper it is not as prominent as it is in most gins on the market. Citrus notes and angelica are forefront with a pleasant feeling on the tongue. Solveig "Anna's Garden" is perfect over ice with club soda or tonic. Add a slice of whatever citrus you have on hand. Try a slice of blood orange, you won't regret it.
-Todd
2020 Forlorn Hope Queen of the Sierra Rosé California - $21.99
A fair chunk of the new roses have hit the shelves. Afterall it is the season and new roses will continue to come in through June at least. With the flood of roses that pass our counters this time of year it can be difficult to differentiate one from the other but occasionally a wine shows up that grabs everyone's attention. The Queen of the Sierra Rose is such a wine. Produced in the same spirit as the light summer reds flowing from hip California wineries these days, it has a bit higher flavor impact than your average pink wine and a snappy refreshing style overall that makes it very compelling. The wine is a blend of Zin, Grenache and Tempranillo all from Forlorn Hope's high altitude estate vineyards in Sierra foothills. The grapes are dry farmed and fermented with little intervention or fining. That, combined with some time on the lees and natural malolactic fermentation create a pleasant weighty mid palate while preserving overall freshness.
-David
2018 Tantaka Txakoli Blanco Basque Country Spain - $23.99
Some quick background information. Txakoli means something like "village wine," "homemade wine," or "wine made by the people" in Euskara, the native Basque language. It is commonly made from Hondarabbi Zuri, but sometimes Folle Blanche, Corbu, Petit Manseng, and Gros Manseng make their way in to the blend. There are three designations of origin that can produce Txakoli; Getariako Txakolina, Biskaiko Txakolina, and Arabako Txakolina. These are all clustered around the Atlantic, though Arabako Txakolina is located further inland than the other two. Typical txakoli is known and loved for its high acid, low alcohol, a faint spritz, and innate ability to pair with seafood. I first got excited about this bottle when I realized that Juanjo Tellaetxte was making txakoli in Arabako. I've only ever seen Getariako Txakolina in our market, and I was curious to see how it Juanjo's differed. First off, Tantaka is not sparkling. Its also a weightier expression of Hondarabbi Zuri. Instead of tart flavors like lemon and lime zest and marked salinity, this bottle expresses riper orchard fruit like golden apple, pear, straw, pollen, and white flowers. This is likely because its inland location protects the fruit from harsh coastal winds, but also because the soil composition trends toward alluvial sand rather than clay and limestone. Sand tends to accentuate fruit in a wine, while limestone often drives acid and minerality. Lastly, Jaunjo allowed the 2018 bottling to rest on the lees for 5 months, offering a creamier, fuller body. If you like Loire Valley Chenin Blanc, give this a try.
-Claire
2018 Arnot Robets Pinot Noir Peter Martin Ray Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains - $73.99
Do you ever have a wine that just haunts your dreams.. Possesses all of your rationale.. A wine that has a deep animalistic hold over your very being!? Well, if you haven't, this Pinot Noir certainly will destroy your life in all of the best ways. Arnot-Roberts is a project headed by childhood friends Duncan Arnot Meyers and Nathan Lee Roberts. They started out with a single barrel of wine they made in their basement and have grown to one of the most sought after cult producers in California. The Peter Martin Ray Vineyard is on Mt. Eden in the Northeastern Santa Cruz Mountains, above the town of Saratoga. This site dates to the late 1800s, and was one of the first to be planted to Pinot Noir in California in the early 1940s. The vineyard is now of historical significance as many of today’s modern Pinot Noir plantings have been made with genetic material taken from it. This Pinot Noir has flavors and aromas of forest floor (dead leaves), tobacco, dried cranberry, wild strawberry and a hint of baked spice. This is a true Pinot Noir with a light body and delicate structure that rewards those looking for an intricate nuance of flavors. This wine couldn't be more perfect if it tried!
-Nick Z.
2016 Duc des Nauves CĂ´tes de Bordeaux - $33.99
Duc des Nauves is the second label of Château le Puy, in Bordeaux, France and we are so lucky to have some to share with you since the very existence of it is such an anomaly. Owned by the Amoreau family since 1610, who have always farmed organically and biodynamically, are producing some of the most distinctive, and sought after wines in Bordeaux. The estate's most recent endeavor was the acquisition in 2006 of a new estate in the Cotes de Bordeaux by the name of Duc des Nauves. This is not your average Bordeaux and even if you're like me and not usually a Bordeaux drinker, I expect this one might change your mind. This certified organic and biodynamic blend is Merlot dominant (70%) with Cabernet Franc (20%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%) to round it out. Fermented (spontaneously, of course) and aged in cement, and bottled without filtration after one year, this complex wine is a perfect balance of earth and fruit, medium bodied with elegant tannic backbone and a delicate 12.5% ABV. The 2016 vintage is knocking my socks off and is drinking beautifully! And if you really want to take advantage of our wine sale, we still (amazingly) have a bottle or two of the Chateau le Puy 'Emilien' ($64.99) if you want to have your mind blown!
-Angie
2018 Barone di Valforte Pecorino Abruzzo - $17.99
This bottle of Pecorino is proof that great wine doesn't have to come from basic/popularized grape varietals. You've heard of a Sauv Blanc, Chardonnay, but how often do you try something off the beaten path? This Pecorino has so much to offer any wine drinker looking to venture away from their "go-to bottle" for the week. If you're looking for a changeup, try this, or perhaps another Italian white you've never heard of before, because there is so much deliciousness to be had in Italy.
-Samuel Phillips
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