November 2006
November 16, 2006
Thanksgiving for Charter Oak: The Great American Zinfandel
With one week to go, you're gearing up for the Thanksgiving holiday. The folding card-table has been dusted off for the kids, the turkey has been ordered, and uncle Bob has been reminded not to drink too much. Preparations are well under way.
The wine, however, needs to be selected. While I am busy collecting staff recommendations for your holiday table, today I want to offer a bottle Ive been waiting all year to recommend. We were confirmed on this wine today, just in time for Thanksgiving!
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Posted by Tristan Meador at 3:33 PM
November 15, 2006
Magnum Force: The Ultra-Rare 2005 J.J. Prum 1.5s
Due to your groundbreaking support of our �Riesling Futures� campaign and our corresponding support for some of Germany�s best vintners, we have secured some serious rarities that seldom see the American market.
It certainly helped that we were visiting these same winemakers this summer and was able to taste (and deal) while he was there.
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Posted by Tristan Meador at 3:43 PM
November 10, 2006
1990 Nicolas Joly Coulee de Serrant
Here are my (short) tasting notes:
Color: Mid->Dark apple juice yellow/brown.
Warmed up beautifully and needed the decant (the man knows what he's doing with those paper inserts that say "serve at X celsius and decant for a long time.")
Lovely sweet herbal aromatics and that classic Joly green-tea on the attack.
Excellent mid-palate of surprising freshness and acidity. While fun up-front, the real treat was the finish. LONG. Rich. Would have with a steak with it even at this age, or just enjoy on a cool November night with a lawn chair. Not for the faint of heart.
Posted by Tom Stephenson at 1:48 AM
November 9, 2006
Back Up the Truck #3: Baileyana Pinot Noir
We get an amazing number of requests for affordable New World Pinot Noir.
Despite our constant search, it is rare that we come across anything that is strong enough for us to recommend in the under-$40 price range. Case in point: It has been nearly 4 months since our last New World Pinot email (River Bend), and the re-order calls continue to roll in. (Note to all: regrettably, we are sold out.)
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Posted by Tristan Meador at 7:02 PM
November 2, 2006
Ragnaud-Sarbourin Cognac Paradis
Paradis Found
We've been helping you stock your cellar all year with a healthy mix of some of the most sought after wines in the world across the price spectrum. Now it's time to raise the "bar."
For those of you who are not familiar with Ragnaud-Sarbourin's Cognac Paradis, listen up. This small estate is the odd-man-out in a region better known for its monolithic commercial houses and the billions of bottles they churn out every year.
The fact is, the "big four" Cognac producers (Remy Martin, Courvoisier, Hennessey, and Martell) account for over 90% of the region's production. Ragnaud-Sarbourin couldn't be more different than the "big four." They own and farm their own small vineyard - "la Voute" - entirely themselves. You would too if you controlled some of the oldest vines in the entire World.
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Posted by Tristan Meador at 1:41 PM