GOOD THINGS WE'VE BEEN DRINKING
ideas & suggestions to enjoy with this heat wave.
2014 Vignoble Brisebarre, 'Cuvee Millesimee' Brut, Vouvray - $24.99
We've made it through this cold snap so I think it's time to celebrate, and Vouvray is my go-to bubble. Philippe Brisebarre is a humble farmer that believes in Chenin's true aging ability. He and his family have been making wine in Vouvray for generations. Everything is done by hand, even the riddling and disgorgement of bottles. His cellar is a stone cave cut straight into a cliff of tuffeau, the soft limestone famous in the Loire Valley. The 2014 Brut spends 3-4 years "sur latte" before it is disgorged and finished which provide remarkably fine bubbles and yeasty brioche with a long, honeyed finish. Treat yourself!
-Angie
2016 Tchotiashvili, Mtsvane (amber Qvevri wine), Kakheti, Georgia Republic - $28.99
This is as "old school" as you can get in wine making traditions. Arguably the world's oldest history of viniculture is centered in the Kakheti, going back several thousand years. (If they really existed, Jason and the Argonauts may have partied on wine from this ancient region!)
The most famous white grape is the native Mtvsane. And the traditional wine making process is in Qvevri, clay amphora buried in the earth. Whole cluster, stems and all, and long skin contact makes for a rare ancient treat, that is very much alive in the Georgian Republic of the 21st Century. Earthy, savory, and yeasty flint and stone notes are wrapped in dried apricot, and orange peel. This is a great white wine to enjoy swordfish, or just by itself with almonds, cashews, hard mountain cheese and a rustic yeasty loaf of bread.
-Patrick
Hollyhock Lodge - Gamay Noir #09, Santa Barbara Cty - $24.99
Hollyhock Lodge is a newer project dedicated to Gamay led by Tim Fulnecky who is the Assistant winemaker at Field Recordings. This gamay is light-bodied with a silky texture. Showing aromas and flavors of black cherry, cinnamon and pepper. Beautiful on its own but easily paired with roast pork, or fowl.
-Nick
2016 Bodegas Lan Crianza Rioja - $18.99
Spanish wines continue to astonish the US market with their complexity, longevity, and overall value they provide consumers. Bodegas Lan is nearing their 50th year of existence in Spain's most renowned region: La Rioja. The Crianza is aged for over a year in hybrid oak barrels followed by nearly a year in bottle before releasing it to the market. This wine is meant to be a nice and easy daily drinker, and should provide some warmth to combat these colder days we've been seeing too much of.
-Samuel
2016 Clos Castelot, Saint-Emilion Bordeaux - $24.99
(62% Merlot, 25% Cab Franc, 10% Cab Sav, 3% Malbec)
When it takes a few minutes to un-pack and defrost yourself after a sortie outside, it’s time for roasted meats on a table and bold reds in the glass. This Bordeaux is wonderfully fragrant (herbs, black fruit and spices), earthy and ready to drink, though a few hours of air will greatly improve it. As the second wine of Chateau Guillemin La Gaffeliere it has exactly same varietal composition and made with same viticultural technics as Grand Cru wine, only at half-the-price. On the palate it’s supple, fruity and well-balanced, with plenty of structure. Plum, blackberry, a touch cassis and green tobacco will compliment your steak or roast-beef, game or lamb, might work as well with a berry pie or a chocolate desert.
-Alexei
2018 Weingut Theo Minges, Riesling Kabinett, Mosel - $23.99
Here's a fresh and modern Riesling from the excellent Skurnik import portfolio. Minges' estate is in the Pfalz growing region where the wines are generally richer, riper and rounder than their Mosel cousins. This wine exemplifies this with generous ripe apple, pear and tropical flavors. Minges also belong to the VDP group of vinters that requires them to hand harvest and submit to a tasting panel as well as other quality measures. Additionally, Minge employs all native yeast fermentation. The wine, while very ripe and slightly sweet, is exceedingly clean tasting with well defined flavors and aromas. When the finish comes around, it is zesty and fresh and leaves you wanting more. I imagine this would be great with steamed pork dumplings and chili oil but I finished the bottle before I could get to any food.
-David
Michter's Unblended American Whiskey - $42.99
Michter's is one of the most consistently quality producers in the crowded American whiskey market, producing excellent value bourbon, rye, and sour mash whiskies in their core line as well as a number of desirable limited releases. Of their core line, the Unblended American whiskey is definitely a sleeper hit. This is an unspecified American whiskey that is (unlike many others in the category) not blended with neutral spirits prior to bottling. The grain bill, unfortunately, is a guarded secret, aside from the note that it cannot be called a bourbon because it is aged in 2nd-fill bourbon barrels. This is an excellent introduction to the American whiskey category - approachable enough for those new to the bourbon world, just complex enough to intrigue those with a more seasoned palate, and just plain enjoyable for all. It has a particularly pleasing sweet caramel nose with a softness on the palate that supports hints of toasted baking spices and cherries. I particularly love this whiskey alongside a slice of cheesecake, but would also not hesitate to mix it into a classic Manhattan.
-Nick
