Friday Sips
FRIDAY SIPS
Italy, Austrian Rosé, Burgundy Today August 2 from 1:30 - 6:30
Italy, Austrian Rosé, Burgundy Today August 2 from 1:30 - 6:30
Wines for those not on Summer Holiday
2017 STATTI GAGLIOPPO
CALABRIA ROSSO
$16.99 BTL./$203.88 CASE
CALABRIA ROSSO
$16.99 BTL./$203.88 CASE
Oh, shudder to think, the South has risen. No, not the one with stars and bars but the one that makes saporous wines with extroverted Italian personality. Something from Calabria that will be sure to please any adventurous Italian red wine lover! Made from 100% of the Gaglioppo grape which is originally of Greek origins and is thought to be introduced in Italy around the same time as Aglianico.
Statti is a leading producer in this area and there are values galore that emerge from this 100-acre estate.It is human nature to make comparisons and maybe the closest analogy that we come up with is that it may be likened to a warm climate Nebbiolo. Aged entirely in stainless steel tanks, Statti's version is chock full of roasted red plum, forest-floor, red licorice and rose petal aromas which follow into a warm, dry Italian texture that screams for tomato-based dishes.
Statti is a leading producer in this area and there are values galore that emerge from this 100-acre estate.It is human nature to make comparisons and maybe the closest analogy that we come up with is that it may be likened to a warm climate Nebbiolo. Aged entirely in stainless steel tanks, Statti's version is chock full of roasted red plum, forest-floor, red licorice and rose petal aromas which follow into a warm, dry Italian texture that screams for tomato-based dishes.
2017 STATTI GRECO
CALABRIA BIANCO
$16.99 BTL./$203.88 CASE
CALABRIA BIANCO
$16.99 BTL./$203.88 CASE
This ancient grape varietal was originally imported by the Greeks, It’s roots in the Avellino zone have been traced back to the 1st century by the discovery of a fresco in Pompeii with a poetic inscription apparently by a frustrated lover: ‘You are truly cold, Bytis, made of ice, if last night not even Greco wine could warm you up’. Back in the day, Greco might not have been the proper libation for enticing one's mate, but 2000 years later, we can definitely encourage you to use it as a lure. Now move over to Calabria where this wine is from and things get quite a bit more confusing. There is Greco as this wine is noted and there is Greco di Bianco, which is not named because it is white but named for the grape from the Calabrian town of Bianco and is usually made into a dessert wine. There are other synonyms (Malvasia di Lipari, Pecorello Bianco , Greco Bianco di Consenza, Greco Bianco di Rogliano)...and they are all disputed.
One thing we do know is that it is a very old grape and in this case made into a very dry wine. Mineral and terroir driven with a pronounced presence of lemongrass and firm juicy white peach notes. Dry, crisp and wonderfully refreshing with good intensity without any obtrusive oak. Pure focused and very lengthy with great fruit and an underlay of saline and almond paste. Enjoy with calamari or other shellfish in spaghetti with olive oil, green veggies and garlic.
One thing we do know is that it is a very old grape and in this case made into a very dry wine. Mineral and terroir driven with a pronounced presence of lemongrass and firm juicy white peach notes. Dry, crisp and wonderfully refreshing with good intensity without any obtrusive oak. Pure focused and very lengthy with great fruit and an underlay of saline and almond paste. Enjoy with calamari or other shellfish in spaghetti with olive oil, green veggies and garlic.
2018 JUDITH BECK
BURGENLAND ROSE 'PINK'
$12.99 BTL./$155.88 CASE
BURGENLAND ROSE 'PINK'
$12.99 BTL./$155.88 CASE
Located in Eastern Austria close to Lake Neudsiedl, a mere 9 miles from the Hungarian border and 18 north to Slovakia, this region is one of the warmest of Austria and lends itself to red wine production as well as white wine. Judith Beck’s estate is located on the east side of the lake and not only does she have a great touch with reds and whites, she also makes this sunning, 11.5% (if you believe the label) alcohol rose.
70% Zweigelt, 30% Blaufrankish from sandy/loamy soils. Watermelon, blossoms and strawberries spring from the glass! In the mouth, it is laden with fleshy, flavorful red fruits buffered by searing, mouth-watering, citrusy qualities that follow through to a cool, mineral finish. Have it with grilled fish or grilled chicken…or all by itself while relaxing on your porch.
70% Zweigelt, 30% Blaufrankish from sandy/loamy soils. Watermelon, blossoms and strawberries spring from the glass! In the mouth, it is laden with fleshy, flavorful red fruits buffered by searing, mouth-watering, citrusy qualities that follow through to a cool, mineral finish. Have it with grilled fish or grilled chicken…or all by itself while relaxing on your porch.
2016 PILLOT CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET
VIEILLES VIGNES ROUGE
$39.99 BTL./$479.88 CASE
VIEILLES VIGNES ROUGE
$39.99 BTL./$479.88 CASE
The village of Chassagne-Montrachet is home to some of the greatest white wines in the world; however, 40% of the wine that emerges from these vineyards is red and made from Pinot Noir. Many of you have consumed numerous bottles of Laurent Pillot’s top-level white and red wines over the many years that we have featured them and Laurent’s 2016s are stunning. Harvested from four small plots planted between 1959 and 1969 and aged in 20% new oak, this miniscule production red wine is a hair-raising Burgundy and Cotes-de-Beaune value.
Very little of this cuvee was produced in 2016 due to the frost that wiped out a bunch of grapes in the spring. What remained and combined with the season was extra special indeed. Darker-tinged than usual, with late-arriving griotte cherry aspects showing as the wine opens. Cool and detailed, aromatic with an underlay of nutmeg and pepper. Layered and penetrating from these old vines. Moves in waves and fills the entire palate then glides into a sensual finish that does clamp down. Not inaccessible now with aeration, however, give it until the end of 2020 and drink through 2028.
Very little of this cuvee was produced in 2016 due to the frost that wiped out a bunch of grapes in the spring. What remained and combined with the season was extra special indeed. Darker-tinged than usual, with late-arriving griotte cherry aspects showing as the wine opens. Cool and detailed, aromatic with an underlay of nutmeg and pepper. Layered and penetrating from these old vines. Moves in waves and fills the entire palate then glides into a sensual finish that does clamp down. Not inaccessible now with aeration, however, give it until the end of 2020 and drink through 2028.
