Hot Sheets

Hot Sheet of Exciting Wine Deals!

FLYING PENGUINS HOTSHEET

96 point Tuscan red, Champagne Special, 2012 Pinot & more




2012 BISCI ROSSO "FOGLIANO"
$16.99 BTL./$203.88 CASE


If you love Italian red wines, there has never been a better time to get some of this one to be your versatile dinner red that you can serve for an upscale Italian dinner or with a steaming bowl of spaghetti & meatballs. Well, what is it? Read on...

A blend of Montepulciano, Barbera, Cabernet Franc & Merlot from vines planted in 1978 in the Marche region of Italy, Bisci is most notably a great Verdicchio producer and this red shows that they are just a great wine producer, period. Loaded with scents and flavors of black cherry, blackberry, herbs, and black pepper, it is soft and silky in the mouth. This is a yummy-delicious red that pairs well with everything from pasta to roasted chicken yet is also one that can be served at more formal gatherings, too. Drink over the next 3-5 years. Versatility thy name is Bisci!



2012 J. CHRISTOPHER PINOT NOIR "WILLAMETTE VALLEY"
$25.99 BTL./$311.88 CASE


Excitement is surely abound from the many masses over Oregon's 2012 vintage and last week when Ronda (Mrs. J. Christopher) called and said that they had released their new 2012 and would I like to taste, the answer was an immediate yes. As we have stated in the past, this is one of Oregon's finest producers and recently and deservedly so, many accolades have come their way.

J. Christopher's 2012 Willamette Valley Pinot is a stunner. More akin to a Bolshoi ballerina than a wrestler, this pinot is sleek, stylish and possesses plenty of depth and expansion. Youthfully attractive and exuberant it manages to captivate you on the nose with scents of deep raspberry along with an undertow of red cherry, cedar, anise, and red earth. There is no shortage of showy fruit on the palate - notes of red fruits play off of the detailed earth and an ever-so-tender touch of oak and ride shotgun with the solid core of the wine. A Pinot Noir for Pinot-philes, not Pinot for Cabernet lovers and as is the case with many 2012s, this wine has immediate appeal and will have no problem aging for 7-9 more years as well.



2009 DOMAINE HAUVETTE COTES CATALAN ROUGE "PRELUDE"
$17.99 BTL./$215.88 CASE


Made by one of the mavens of Provence, Dominique Hauvette, this wine is from a recently acquired property in the French Catalan area which encompasses the Cotes-de-Roussillon. Whether it be her wines in the Les Baux de Provence area or this Catalan wine, Mme Hauvette is and has been one of Southern France's leading organic producers since she started in 1988.

Like her Provence wines, this wine epitomizes soul. Distinctly Catalan with its flare, this blend of very 85% Carignan and 15% Grenache is chock full of broad plum, cinnamon, licorice and serious wind-swept garrigue, but never fear, the distinct dance of the minerality never strays far in both aroma and taste-wise. Speaking of taste, the texture goes very deep with a full presence of black licorice fruit and underlying meaty aspects. Full-on flavors rule the day, but never veer into heaviness or thickness. Resounding white pepper explodes on the finish that possesses excellent persistence. Drink now through 2018.



2012 NIGL GRUNER VELTLINER "FREIHEIT"
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE


Gruner Veltliner is the wonder grape that goes with many foods that usually make wine taste weird. Martin Nigl produces extraordinarily transparent, mineral-drenched wines of mindboggling clarity that many wine lovers feel are among the absolute elite in Austria.

Gushing with mineral soaked lemon-lime, white peach aromas and flavors, the mineral intensity turns to a crisp and fresh mouth-feel that coats and cleanses the palate and simply doesn't quit. We adore white wines such as this and if you like fresh, intense and nervy wines, you will too. A superb effort to enjoy for these summery moments, try this delicious Gruner with everything from salad, artichokes, grilled asparagus to grilled pork chops with a fruit preparation.



2012 MATANE PRIMITIVO
$10.99 BTL./$131.88 CASE


It's no secret that there are many wine deals coming out of Southern Italy but few have the class of this over-achieving Puglian Primitivo.

Direct, lush and deliciously fun dark berry fruit and exotic spice dominate this ripe, full-flavored offering. In the mouth it offers up intense and juicy blackberry, brambly raspberry, vanilla and exotic spice. The finish is peppery, juicy and easy going. An authoritative, LeBron James slam dunk with anything from grilled burgers, pizza or pasta.



2012 DOMAINE LE ROC FRONTON ROUGE "LA FOLLE NOIRE D'AMBAT"
$13.99 BTL./$167.88 CASE


This has bistro wine written all over it! Southwest France is home to numerous appellations that feature quality wines made from a myriad of grape varietals. This wine hails from the Fronton appellation just outside of Toulouse and is made from 100% of the local Negrette grape.

A very forward and rather rich wine with notes of plums and cherries on the nose; in the mouth it is lush with smooth tannins along with an excellent mix of blackberry fruit, a touch of herbs, and refreshing acidity. Overall, the best way to articulate this wine is that it is a unique taste of France and can be enjoyed on its own or we would suggest with a simple dinner of meats and cheeses.



2012 PRIDE MOUNTAIN CHARDONNAY "NAPA VALLEY"
$36.99 BTL./$443.88 CASE


One of Napa Valley's most popular and exquisite properties, Pride Mountain Vineyards has been making top-drawer wines, especially their Chardonnay Cabernet & Merlot, for ages. Always a top-draw, Pride Mountain were ambassadors to the Classic Wine Auction a few years ago and the rapid pace that their wines sell is a given due to their impeccable high-quality.

The 2012 Chardonnay is all about the good things that can be done with Chardonnay in California. Full, generous ripe scents of orange, hazelnut, elegant spice, vanilla and mineral dominate the nose while creamy, refined and rich characteristics dominate the palate. Undercurrents of lemon are present and the wine is unapologetically California in its make-up yet given that it is only 25% new oak and 75% neutral barrels, it maintains class and character and never veers into the all-too-common baseball bat and a pound of butter style. The finish is very fine, tender and super-long and all-told, one of the class acts of Cali-Chard.



CHAMPAGNE A. MARGAINE "LE BRUT" PREMIER CRU
[reg. $52.99] SPECIAL PRICE - $37.99 BTL./$455.88 CASE


Given the recent small harvests, here's something we don't see very often at the moment, an excellent Champagne special that we can sell for under $40. Located in the Montagne de Reims region, Arnaud Margaine is a leader in the grower Champagne movement and one who consistently delivers fabulous fizz across the board including this gateway into his inspiring and delicious line-up.

Margaine's Le Brut really brings forth the finesse of having 90% Chardonnay but also has sneaky prowess that lets one know of its distinct Montagne de Reims qualities. Sensuous, friendly and utterly-likeable with sleek bubbles, pure apple fruit with lemon, subtle toastiness and discreet mineral aromas get it all started. Pleasurable and lingering in the mouth, this is a great way to start off a great meal, toast the start of the NFL season or have with shellfish. If you are a Champagne fiend like we are, get in on this deal, because possibilities are that we won't see it at this price very often.



2010 ISOLE E OLENA CEPPARELLO
$65.99 BTL./$395.94 –SIX PACK CASE


96 POINTS – ANTONIO GALLONI'S VINOUS
Have a child born or some sort of anniversary from 2010 and you're looking for a wine to uncork for a future celebration, and one that will live that long, then we have the perfect wine for you. Paolo de Marchi is one of the important figures in Tuscany and Chianti Classico and he is just as important to the Super Tuscan movement as well, especially the 2nd wave which highlighted Sangiovese over French varietals. Cepparello is classified as an IGT, is Isole e Olena's flagship red. At the time of its creation in the 1980s a wine comprising 100% sangiovese could not legally be labeled as Chianti thus Cepparello was born from the estate's great Barbarino Val D'Elsa vineyards was soon revered and sough-after the world wide. Having been working with this wine for 20+ years, the 2010 is one of the most impressive that I have seen. The following is Italian wine expert Antonio Galloni's huge take on it:

"Isole e Olena's 2010 Cepparello is magnificent. In particular, I admire the way the wine fleshes out in all directions, with seemingly endless layers of dark, mineral-infused berry, plum and pomegranate notes. A primal wine in need of significant cellaring, the 2010 is easily one of the highlights of the year. Bright, saline notes support the precise finish. Today, the 2010 is naturally quite backward and undeveloped, but it should be a gem in another 5-10 years. This is an especially dark, structured Cepparello built for the cellar. The 2010 brightens up with time in the glass, but it remains one of the darker, more brooding wines made in the estate's history. Drinking window 2020 – 2035. – 96 POINTS, ANTONIO GALLONI'S VINOUS"



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