Hot Sheets
THE CELLAR DOOR'S 'GOD'S GIFT' WINESHEET
New Olim Bauda Gavi & Barbera
97-Point Oregon Pinot
Haut-Rian, Unicorn Albarino & more
97-Point Oregon Pinot
Haut-Rian, Unicorn Albarino & more
2021 OLIM BAUDA BARBERA D'ASTI
'LE ROCCHETTE'
$23.99 BTL./$143.94 - SIX PACK
'LE ROCCHETTE'
$23.99 BTL./$143.94 - SIX PACK
Last week we had the ever-loquacious Gianni Bertolino in for a tasting to show new releases from his family’s top-notch Asti estate. This Barbera, along with the Gavi below, are fantastic expressions.
Le Rocchette is from a single vineyard site of old vines and is a Barbera for the people. 2021 is an epic year in Piedmont and while this wine is very lovable now, it will also age for a long time. Plush, velvety, seamless plum, floral, licorice, cherry pit and earthy underpinnings. Beautifully expansive, ample fruit, crowd-pleasing appeal and very versatile. Enjoy it now with grilled meats, lasagna or sausages…or in five years with risotto with mushrooms, pasta with a meat ragu, slow roasted pork or lamb.
Le Rocchette is from a single vineyard site of old vines and is a Barbera for the people. 2021 is an epic year in Piedmont and while this wine is very lovable now, it will also age for a long time. Plush, velvety, seamless plum, floral, licorice, cherry pit and earthy underpinnings. Beautifully expansive, ample fruit, crowd-pleasing appeal and very versatile. Enjoy it now with grilled meats, lasagna or sausages…or in five years with risotto with mushrooms, pasta with a meat ragu, slow roasted pork or lamb.
2021 OLIM BAUDA GAVI
'COMUNE DI GAVI'
$19.99 BTL./$119.94 - SIX PACK
'COMUNE DI GAVI'
$19.99 BTL./$119.94 - SIX PACK
After tasting this on Friday and then enjoying a bottle with grilled swordfish with a salmoriglio sauce, it affirmed why we have been over the moon for the release of Olim Bauda’s 2024 Gavi.
Made with 100% Cortese in a classically cool grown in chalky soils with an underlay of clay, this 12.5% alcohol white reveals powdery citrus and blitzing mineral. Zippy, flavorful and a wine that coats and cleanses the entire palate. Open-knit and perfect for an aperitivo, swordfish, shellfish and green vegetables, alone or together.
Made with 100% Cortese in a classically cool grown in chalky soils with an underlay of clay, this 12.5% alcohol white reveals powdery citrus and blitzing mineral. Zippy, flavorful and a wine that coats and cleanses the entire palate. Open-knit and perfect for an aperitivo, swordfish, shellfish and green vegetables, alone or together.
2023 COUTEAU MORGON
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE
From Jonathan Pey who not only makes a single site Morgon from Belleville but also makes the very tasty Forager Pinot Noirs. Unlike the single vineyard version, this comes from plots throughout the entire Cru of Morgon.
2023, while warm, is not as extreme as 2022, thus better poise. A luminous presence of crème de framboise, smoked violet, anise and undertones of strawberry and cinnamon-stick enliven the glass. Resoundingly vivacious, this gem is a total eruption of flavors that cascade through the mouth. Finishes lengthy and full of spice but fills in beautifully with sultry fruit that coats the palate as it goes down. The classic pairing is roasted chicken with mushrooms, but we also recommend going outside the borders and having it with Indian or Moroccan cuisine as well as grilled fish.
2023, while warm, is not as extreme as 2022, thus better poise. A luminous presence of crème de framboise, smoked violet, anise and undertones of strawberry and cinnamon-stick enliven the glass. Resoundingly vivacious, this gem is a total eruption of flavors that cascade through the mouth. Finishes lengthy and full of spice but fills in beautifully with sultry fruit that coats the palate as it goes down. The classic pairing is roasted chicken with mushrooms, but we also recommend going outside the borders and having it with Indian or Moroccan cuisine as well as grilled fish.
2023 DOMAINE DE LA SOLITUDE
COTES-DU-RHONE
$13.99 BTL./$167.88 CASE
COTES-DU-RHONE
$13.99 BTL./$167.88 CASE
You can obtain this wine from us for $14, or you can go to the Big Z place and grab it for $23. Why pay less? Haha! But I digress. A leading Chateauneuf-du-Pape producer, Domaine de la Solitude makes a very refined Cotes-du-Rhone from 45% Grenache, 45% Syrah & 10% Mourvedre.
This friendly and affordable wine exhibits an elegance that we do not often encounter in wine at this price point. Dark chocolate, white pepper, red and black berries coat the mouth with roasted earth and deceptive structure adding a level of intrigue making this wonderful Cotes-du-Rhone value is hard to beat for the money.
This friendly and affordable wine exhibits an elegance that we do not often encounter in wine at this price point. Dark chocolate, white pepper, red and black berries coat the mouth with roasted earth and deceptive structure adding a level of intrigue making this wonderful Cotes-du-Rhone value is hard to beat for the money.
2020 HAUT-RIAN CADILLAC
COTES-DE-BORDEAUX ROUGE
$13.99 BTL./$167.88 CASE
COTES-DE-BORDEAUX ROUGE
$13.99 BTL./$167.88 CASE
Even though we are in the last stretch of summer, it is never too early to have autumn vibes, albeit without pumpkin spice. Instead of that miscreation, enjoy Chateau Haut-Rian’s classic red Bordeaux that is drinking oh so beautifully at age five.
2020 is classic in aromas and flavors and is prototype French Merlot (90%) with a ten percent addition of Cabernet Sauvignon. Sumptuous blueberry fruit leads the way followed by a mosaic of herbs and spices including tealeaf, dark chocolate and turned earth. A seductive attack with supple texture and brilliant mineral/earth detail, one knows this is Bordeaux. Very red and black cherry on the ringing, fine, deceptively long finish. Drink with chicken dishes, cheeseburgers, lentil soup and more.
2020 is classic in aromas and flavors and is prototype French Merlot (90%) with a ten percent addition of Cabernet Sauvignon. Sumptuous blueberry fruit leads the way followed by a mosaic of herbs and spices including tealeaf, dark chocolate and turned earth. A seductive attack with supple texture and brilliant mineral/earth detail, one knows this is Bordeaux. Very red and black cherry on the ringing, fine, deceptively long finish. Drink with chicken dishes, cheeseburgers, lentil soup and more.
2022 IDE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
SONOMA 'LAMPLIGHTER'
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE
SONOMA 'LAMPLIGHTER'
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE
94 Points – Decanter Magazine…From Sonoma, the Ide label folks strive to deliver wines from California that connect with people who want to uncork a nice bottle for not much money yet possess quality and can carry over to the table.
If you love Cabernet Sauvignon and want a wine that you can afford to drink from California on a regular basis, then this is the perfect wine for you. Notes of tobacco leaf, cassis, and spice on the nose. Packed full of even more cassis / mulberry fruit, dusty tannins, and good length in the mouth, it is impossible to overstate what a terrific value this is. Enjoy this with regular Cabernet fare. Steaks, lamb, burgers, etc.
If you love Cabernet Sauvignon and want a wine that you can afford to drink from California on a regular basis, then this is the perfect wine for you. Notes of tobacco leaf, cassis, and spice on the nose. Packed full of even more cassis / mulberry fruit, dusty tannins, and good length in the mouth, it is impossible to overstate what a terrific value this is. Enjoy this with regular Cabernet fare. Steaks, lamb, burgers, etc.
2023 KELLEY FOX PINOT NOIR
CARTER VINEYARD
$74.99 BTL./$449.94 - SIX PACK
CARTER VINEYARD
$74.99 BTL./$449.94 - SIX PACK
97 Points – Vinous…A new lower price on an old vine Pinot made by one of Oregon’s finest and most elusive producers. The Eola-Amity located Carter Vineyard is owned by Ken Wright and Kelley’s plots are Wadenswil and Pommard clones planted in 1983. Very collectible indeed with a huge accolade from Vinous.
‘The 2023 Pinot Noir Carter Vineyard opens with a sweet basil and lavender, mingling with stone dust and a hint of pine resin before giving way to dried strawberries as it evolves in the glass. Cooling acidity and silken wild berry fruits infused with nuances of Earl Grey glide across the palate, while a wave of tangerine zest invigorates the senses. The finish is gently tannic and incredibly long, leaving the cheeks puckered with tension and a resonance of licorice that slowly fades. Bury the Carter deep in the cellar.’ – 97 POINTS - VINOUS
‘The 2023 Pinot Noir Carter Vineyard opens with a sweet basil and lavender, mingling with stone dust and a hint of pine resin before giving way to dried strawberries as it evolves in the glass. Cooling acidity and silken wild berry fruits infused with nuances of Earl Grey glide across the palate, while a wave of tangerine zest invigorates the senses. The finish is gently tannic and incredibly long, leaving the cheeks puckered with tension and a resonance of licorice that slowly fades. Bury the Carter deep in the cellar.’ – 97 POINTS - VINOUS
2023 DO FERREIRO ALBARINO
'CEPAS VELLAS'
$74.99 BTL./$449.94 - SIX PACK
'CEPAS VELLAS'
$74.99 BTL./$449.94 - SIX PACK
Very Limited...From the Albarino king, Do Ferreiro, Cepas Vellas is the most complex, intense and mind-blowing Albarino you will ever try...period!
From a pre-phylloxera vineyard planted in the 1780s, swear words cannot begin to describe the greatness of this amazing Albarino. Penetrating, detailed, haunting scents of nectarine, seashore, granite, powdery citrus...and more salt and mineral. A palate-staining texture built around tense nervosity, brilliantly focused flavors keep building into a middle and finish that have supreme persistence. The end coats and cleans the palate for days. Drink over the next fifteen years with about any seafood however, this wine really loves crab and lobster. If we're going to hell, please put us on the escalator down with this brilliant Albarino!
From a pre-phylloxera vineyard planted in the 1780s, swear words cannot begin to describe the greatness of this amazing Albarino. Penetrating, detailed, haunting scents of nectarine, seashore, granite, powdery citrus...and more salt and mineral. A palate-staining texture built around tense nervosity, brilliantly focused flavors keep building into a middle and finish that have supreme persistence. The end coats and cleans the palate for days. Drink over the next fifteen years with about any seafood however, this wine really loves crab and lobster. If we're going to hell, please put us on the escalator down with this brilliant Albarino!
