CLASSIC CLUB
Red 1 – 2018 Mas Blanch I Jové ‘Petit Saó’, Costers del Segre, Spain
Organic
A blend of 50% Tempranillo, 30% Garnacha, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Syrah, this is a high altitude ecological (Organic) wine with character and elegance from the Costers del Segre DO – in the northeast between Barcelona and Rioja. The main range of wines are called Saó, a word that speaks of the land and means “maturity, perfection and the optimum degree of moisture.” Looking for authenticity, Mas Blanch I Jové wines express the best of the place in which they are grown.
Petit Saó is aged for a short 8 months in 40% French and 80% American oak barrels this wine has aromas of ripe strawberries and cherries with subtle notes of violet flower. Clean, intense red berry flavors, medium bodied and elegant with a long finish.
Food pairing: Red meats grilled with fruity barbecue sauces and hearty pasta dishes.
Red 2 – 2016 Metrick Mourvedré, Futernick Vineyard, El Dorado AVA
Alex Jules, a former importer of rare Spanish grapes founded Metrick with the intention of making wines that represent their vineyard origins. He is also the author of articles about wine science and the nature of terroir. A true enologist!
The 2016 Mourvèdre is fresh and juicy and almost too easy to drink! A great reflection of Futernick Vineyard, an area in El Dorado county with volcanic soils at 2800 feet elevation. Using the Tablas Creek clone of Mourvedré the berries are dark with a little funk. Concrete aged, unfined and unfiltered. If you love Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvedré might just be your new jam.
Food Pairing: Pair it with the same things you enjoy with a Cabernet Sauvignon (like lamb & beef)
White 1 – 2017 Krater Cellars Chenin Blanc, Monterey AVA
Grown at 300 feet elevation in Oceano loamy sand, south of Monterey Bay and between the Gabilan and Santa Lucia coastal ranges. The Oceano loamy sand and the influence from the Pacific Ocean somehow combine to create a complex, acid & mineral Chenin. Native yeast and spontaneous complete malolactic fermentation. Aged for 10 months in neutral French oak. This wine feels grown-up, elegant and serious.
Aromas of sea breeze, white peach, nectarine, honeysuckle, citrus blossoms, lemon rind, crisp acidity with a sea shell minerality. The palate is lively with a great balance of texture, acid, and fruit. Rich yet crisp. Springtime in a glass!
Food Pairing: The mouthwatering acidity begs for food. Try goat cheese and vegetable dishes.
White 2 – 2019 Presinger Reinberger Roter Veltliner, Wagram, Austria
Preisinger-Reinberger is a family-owned and operated winery in the heart of the Wagram wine region, northwest of Vienna. They make the most well-known Austrian varietal Gruner Veltliner, but prefer to focus on typical Wagram varieties like Roter Veltliner, a white grape with reddish skin. The unique loess soil produces fruity and spicy wines.
Aromas of overripe pears, quinces, and orange blossom. Followed by hints of caramel and honey. This elegant wine surprises the palate with its complexity and richness of finesse. The finish is creamy and mild with ripe mango and spice which remain on the palate for a long time. A beguiling seducer.
Food Pairing: Pasta primavera, salads with green leafy veggies, cabbage, and dishes seasoned with fresh herbs, including dill, mint, parsley, and tarragon.
COLLECTORS CLUB
Red 1 – 2019 Tellurian Nero d’Avola, Heathcote, Australia
Certified Organic
Family owned and operated, Tellurian’s winery and vineyards are in the center of the Heathcote region of Victoria, Australia. The region is famous for its Shiraz production. Viticulturist Tim Brown also plants grapes he is passionate about and one of those is this Nero d’Avola. Grown extensively in Sicily, Italy, named for the city of Avola, this versatile variety is known for distinctive rustic tannin structure and great aging potential.
Hand picked grapes were de-stemmed and fermented cool in open fermenters with 20 days on skins. Hand plunged or pneumatic plunged 1-2 times per day. Wine pressed and matured in seasoned French oak barrels for 8 months prior to filtration and bottling. The wine is vibrant with flavors of black cherry, blackberry and herbs and a long finish.
Food Pairing: BBQ burgers with bacon. Vegetarians don’t worry, it's just as good with black lentils and shitake mushrooms.
Red 2 – 2018 LIOCO ‘Laguna’ Pinot Noir, Sonoma County
From a selection of premier Sonoma Coast vineyards including Teac Mor, Burnside and Bravo Toro. Pinot Noir clones Pommard, 777, 115 and 15 planted in gravelly loam soils known locally as Goldridge, in modest elevations of +/- 200 feet. Defining features of this complex region include the omnipresent Pacific Ocean, its coastal forests & the fog-catching Laguna de Santa Rosa watershed for which this cuvee is named.
Aromas of black pepper, rhubarb and morello cherry. Cranberry, black plum and spice box dominate the ethereal palate.
Food pairing: Duck cassoulet, birria tacos or sausage & peppers.
White – 2019 Walter Scott ‘La Combe Verte’ Chardonnay, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Founded in 2008 by Ken Pahlow and Erica Landon, Walter Scott focuses on small production Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that highlights the terroir of the Eola-Amity Hills.
Hailing from ‘La Combe Verte,’ otherwise known as Willamette Valley’s ‘Green Valley,’ this varietal Chardonnay (with 2% Aligote) is rich and round, yet maintains a striking acidity. Textured and aromatic, the wine is made with native yeasts and little batonnage in large barrels, bottled lightly fined and filtered. Dense and delicious, the wine shows notes of lemon skin & blossom, tangerine, peach, coarse salt, and rich stone fruit. In a blind tasting you might guess Burgundy Premier Cru – not a domestic Chardonnay from Oregon. It’s just that good!
Food pairing: Fried chicken, asparagus, aged Comte cheese
PINOT CLUB
Pinot 1 – 2018 Tyler Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County
Tyler is dedicated to producing wines of delicacy and balance, where structure and nuance are favored above all else. Young winemaker Justin Willett, a son of Santa Barbara, posses the regional mastery illustrated in this introductory Pinot Noir A. blend from exceptional vineyard sites throughout the Santa Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley.
Nuanced, aromatic, and fresh, this textured and earth-driven bottle proves just how elegant New World Pinot can be. Receiving critical acclaim, Antonio Galloni of Vinous gave this vintage 92 points saying, “The 2018 Pinot Noir (Santa Barbara County) is gorgeous. A rush of sweet floral and red berry notes makes a strong opening statement. Rose petal, red berry, blood orange, and mint are all laced together in a Pinot of exquisite harmony and total finesse.”
Food pairing: Goat cheese stuffed chicken or pulled pork with coleslaw.
Pinot 2 – 2018 LIOCO ‘Laguna’ Pinot Noir, Sonoma County
From a selection of premier Sonoma Coast vineyards including Teac Mor, Burnside and Bravo Toro. Pinot Noir clones Pommard, 777, 115 and 15 planted in gravelly loam soils known locally as Goldridge, in modest elevations of +/- 200 feet. Defining features of this complex region include the omnipresent Pacific Ocean, its coastal forests & the fog-catching Laguna de Santa Rosa watershed for which this cuvee is named.
Aromas of black pepper, rhubarb and morello cherry. Cranberry, black plum and spice box dominate the ethereal palate.
Food pairings: Duck cassoulet, birria tacos or sausage & peppers.
ORGANIC CLUB
Red 1 – 2017 Bodegas Burgo Viejo Graciano, Rioja, Spain
Six families of farmers founded Bodegas Burgo Viejo in 1987. Their main asset has always been the exquisite winemaking process of grapes collected from its own vineyards throughout the years. The Graciano is grown organically on a single vineyard in old quarry with a distinctive stony soil. Fermented in stainless steel and aged in concrete where it goes through malolactic fermentation, aged 3 months on the lees.
This wine is rustic and fruity. Aromas of blackberry and red fruits are accented with spice with hints of licorice and black pepper. Tart cherry and boysenberry flavors with a smoky mineral undertone, this full bodied wine has fine grain tannins and and a lively finish.
90 PTS - VINOUS
Food pairing: Red meat, pasta dishes, Spanish tapas, medium matured cheeses.
Red 1 – 2016 Coeur de Terre Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Coeur de Terre, “Heart of the Earth” is an organically farmed family-owned winery in Willamette Valley near McMinnville. The Oregon Pinot Noir bottling makes use of vibrant fruit from younger vines combined with more mature fruit from the oldest blocks for structure and balance. 50 to 60% of fruit from their own Estate Vineyard, the remaining fruit comes from the McMinnville AVA and Willamette Valley.
This vintage offers bright red color and lures you in with its signature Coeur de Terre earthy aromatics, dried herbs followed by notes of cherry and raspberry.
92 PTS - JAMES SUCKLING 91 PTS – WINE & SPIRITS
Food pairing: A great appetizer wine, pair it with a glass!
White – 2019 Casa d’Ambra Bianco, Ischia, Italy
The winery is located on the beautiful island of Ischia, off the coast of Campania, in the Bay of Naples. Founded in 1888, the Casa d'Ambra winery is family affair. Francesco d'Ambra, originally from Calabria, founded the estate, but it was his son, Mario, who established Casa d'Ambra as the authority on Ischian wines by cultivating its unique, native grapes.
This white is a blend of two of those native grapes, Biancolella and Forestera. It is broad and clean with bright expressive nose of brine, citrus and fresh wildflowers. The palate displays lime peel with a touch of herbs and intense minerality from the volcanic soils of nearby Mount Epomeo.
Food pairing: Oysters, seafood and boquerones – fresh cured anchovies.
NP SOMM CLUB
Red 1 – 2017 Bodega Abel Mendoza ‘Selección Personal’ Rioja, Spain
This small winery is owned by Abel Mendoza (vine growing) and Maite Fernández (winemaking), a husband and wife team based in San Vicente de la Sonsierra. Their wines are among the most interesting, rare and sought-after in Rioja. Established in 1988, the winery owns 17 hectares of organic vines in San Vicente and adjoining villages. They do not seek to stamp the wines with any particular style or mark of their own other than his respect for the very natural quality of the grapes and for the magical places that they were grown.
The best Tempranillo plot is selected each vintage to make Abel Mendoza Selección Personal. Fermented in steel tanks, the wine is matured in new French barrels for 13 months. A very classy and compelling wine, it has an intense bouquet of crushed fruits, spice and oak. Elegant oak aging enhances the wine’s complexity and class.
Food pairing: Ibérico ham, pork sausage, pasta with tomato sauce and mushrooms.
Red 2 – 2016 Bodegas Burgo Viejo LIcenciado Reserva Rioja DOC, Spain
Six families of farmers founded Bodegas Burgo Viejo in 1987. Their main asset has always been the exquisite winemaking process of grapes collected from its own vineyards throughout the years. This wine is a single vineyard 100% Tempranillo that is always produced from the same vineyard that is also used to make the Gran Reserva. Fermented in stainless steel tanks, Malolactic fermentation occurs in concrete tanks, then the wine is aged for 18 months in 225-liter French and American oak barriques. The wine is slightly filtered before bottling, you may find some sediment.
A classic Rioja with outstanding aromas of wild berries, vanilla, and spice tumble out of the glass. The palate is well-balanced, rounded, and elegant, and offers black pepper, ripe black fruits, and vanilla flavors. Its freshness, oak aging, and high extraction guarantee a longevity of at least 10 years.
95 PTS - DECANTER
Food pairing: Red meats and game dishes.
White – 2019 Bodegas del Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño, Rias Baixas, Spain
Year after year, local critics rate Albariño de Fefiñanes as one of the best, and Nadia certainly agrees. Housed inside a spectacular baronial palace, they were the first producer to bottle wine under the D.O. Rías Baixas denomination. The label design shows an engraving of the Fefiñanes Palace which dates back to 1928.
Grown in sand with limestone & clay, the grapes are fermented in stainless steel vats and bottled in its first year. Fresh fruit aromas of apricot and peach slices with notes of lemon and green apple. Pretty notes of honey and nutmeg, and the mouth is round, clean, and pleasant with baked apple, honey, and lemon. This classic Albariño is good young, but actually improves over two to three years and remains quite drinkable for up to five years.
Food pairing: Clams, lobster, fish, mussels, oysters and Asian cuisine.