Hot Sheets

Finding good Oregon Pinot Noir for 15 bucks is not the easiest task but finding one from a top-level producer is next to impossible. Perfect for the upcoming warmer months and for uncorking just about any time, Jay Somers really over-delivers with this one!!

Alluring, forward and inviting aromas of plum combined with cranberry and smoked herbs. Luscious and engaging all points of the palate, this wine is all about the finesse of 2011. The finish is deceptively long yet never becoming overdone and maintaining its fine Oregon detail. Not a big, giant-style Pinot but middleweight, yummy and emminently slurpable.

One of the more difficult olive oils to get your hands on is the Rocca di Montegrossi Olive Oil. Made with 90% Correggiolo olives and 10% Moraiolo, finesse, richness, complexity and balance are emphasized over sheer volume and hit-you-over-the-head spiciness. This unique zone in Chianti is one that is in the path of maritime winds, thus the chance for frost is minimal. Why is this important to this oil you ask?? In 1985, a killer frost killed off many old olive trees, but many of Marco's were spared. Organically produced, the flavors in this exquisite oil show the use of these old trees. Beautiful green color with intense judicious aromas that evoke ripe green character along with the essence of ripe fruit - rich and creamy with harmonious and attractive spiciness. Serious stuff that is excellent for dipping on high quality bread and paired with Montegrossi’s Chianti Classico (see below). Also fine with grilled vegetables or salads.

6 months ago when Marco Ricasoli visited, this wine had just arrived and while it was showing well, there certainly was more lurking beneath the surface. Well it is now Spring and this wine has taken off like something shot out of a rocket launcher!! 2010 absolutely is the next important vintage for the Chianti Classico region. Early offerings that we've seen combine the aromatics and structure of 2004 with the stylish fruit of something like 2001 or 2007. The 2010 Classico really sets it all off from the moment its poured into the glass.

Elusive and agile with wonderful morello cherry scents along with mineral, violet and kisses of truffle and wild spice. Harmonious, ample concentration without ever going outside of its borders to become burdensome. Virtually no hairs out of place, this debonair Chianti will develop and provide pleasure for 10-12 years.

We have been sampling many entry 2010s over the last 5-6 months and have found numerous terrific expressions, but after re-examining this one last week, I’m hard pressed not to say that this one may well be at the pinnacle of just about any of the Normale Chianti Classico wines we’ll sell for under 25 bucks!

One more medicated, peaceful moment in the Loire Valley. Tranquil as it may be, we suspect that psychiatrist-turned vigneron, François Pinon now prescribes numerous bottles of his fine Vouvray instead of prozac, valium or lithium and his 2010 is exceptional! Suave and smooth, gorgeous aromas of quince, ripe pear, wet stone and lemon.

On the palate, it notes its “sec tender” aspects by being slightly off-dry, mouth-coating, expansive and balanced out by assertive and tense crispness. The finish is very satin-like and staying. Beautiful now with Asian-inspired, ginger-laced seafood dishes however it will also age nicely for 7-10 years from vintage date.

A thrill-ride of an Albarino, this wine had me sporting a big, cheese-eating grin after having it last week. Made by Maior de Mendoza, this detonating, unoaked white will have you doing the same after just one sip. Rias Baixas is a rather large region and because of that not all Albarino are created the same mostly because of it being comprised of three regions all with various soil and climate differences. The northernmost of the three, Val Do Salnes is widely considered to possess the best terroir and often produces the finest (and sadly, the most spendy) examples. This wine at 14 bucks is a heist and my tasting notes for this wine described it as “a ballerina packing a machete”.

The Eleusis Albarino is about harmony, grace and complexity but with quite a bit of underlying attitude. Crushed granite-like minerality combines with lemon and nectarine tones on the nose and carries over into a very livewire texture that has fine depth and movement as well as alluring saline and briny aspects. This wine shouts out for clams, mussels or oysters.

Year in and year out, plenty of this wine is consumed both here at The Cellar Door and at our respective homes. I have been buying, selling and drinking this wine for over 20+ years and it still never disappoints. Even more impressive is that it seemingly stays the same price-wise.

60% Carignan, 30% Grenache & 10% Syrah Fontsainte's 2011 Corbieres is forward with room-filling aromas of ripe strawberry, anisette, garrigue and cocoa tones that mingle with cracked pepper and roasted earth. In the mouth its round, flavorful and soulfully French aspects move into the finish that is laden with cracked pepper and plenty of burst . A versatile red that carries nicely to the table and is quite nice with pasta bolognese, grilled fish, roasted chicken, braised pork loin and more.

From South Africa’s small Bot River Valley region of the Western Cape, Wildekrans is a relative new discovery for us. Even though South Africa is located in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s easy to want to compare this nation's wines to that of Chile or Australia, but truth be told, they have distinction and personality that is all of their own.

78% Cabernet Franc, 22% Merlot and revealing raspberry, underlying blue fruits, dusty clay tones and fine herbs shine on the nose and then becoming all about texture in the mouth. Sultry with lots of engagement and various complex earth aspects, it is drawn-out with fine substance on the back end. Enjoy it over the next 2-4 years.

One of our favorite devout Chateauneuf-du-Pape traditionalists, Clos des Brusquieres makes just one wine and a scant 2,500 cases of it. No, that’s not for the USA, that’s for the world!! Old vines which average 75 years old come from three lieu dits and are situated northwest of the village. Diverse terroirs are also what gives this wine its real credibility.

Broad, aromatic, stylish tones of grenadine, roasted earth, Thai spices and licorice dominate the nose. Flavor-wise, this is dense and old-vine rich but with lift and structure that is all about what 2010 gives. Pepper and spice fill the mouth to compliment the primary nuances with firm, youthful, vibrancy abound on the finish. This is an exquisite traditionally made Chateauneuf, that will undoubtedly turn into a delectable assault on the senses! With the right lamb or venison dish, this wine can be begrudgingly accessed now, but it will be best from 2016 – 2025+. If scores are your thing, this also has 93 from International Wine Cellar.