Hot Sheets
"CHUCK NOLL" HOTSHEET
Dundee Hills Pinot, Chablis, Cool Chilean Sampler, 90 point, 12 buck Italian wine & more
2010 CANTELE SALICE SALENTINO RISERVA
$11.99 BTL./$143.88 CASE
90 POINTS – INTERNATIONAL WINE CELLAR
A perennial Southern Italian favorite 12 buck value returns and once again plenty of accolades come with it. First and foremost is the wine's very high ‘yum' factor which is off the charts!!
From Puglia, roasted aromas of cherry, leather, spice, tangy earth and licorice follow into a ripe, generous and plummy texture with tell-tale wild traits which marry up so well to classic tomato-based dishes. This mouth-filling, everyday red will also work well with roasted meats encrusted with herbs and spices
2011 AQUITANIA CABERNET SAUVIGNON
$16.00
From Penalolen in the Maipo Valley and grown at 2100 feet, one can bet that if this Cab were done in California or Washington it would easily be twice the price. Generous and explosive aromas of cassis, allspice, and subtle vanilla that are wrapped around a large frame of luscious, juicy fruit. A chewy and boisterous structure planes into a stylish and smooth and full-flavored finish, this wine is absolutely one of the stellar Cabernet deals that we've featured in recent memory.
2012 MAYU CARMENERE-SYRAH
$13
Two grapes that one would never think would go well in a blend but somehow it all comes together. 55% Carmenere, 45% Syrah grown at 1850 feet in the Elqui Valley, Chile's northernmost growing region. Old World in style with a little New World attitude, notes of pepper and ripe plums are joined by hints of rose and tea. Delightful tones of blueberry, boysenberry and earth evolve into a beautiful and lengthy dark chocolate, coffee and caramel finish. Try this with a juicy cheeseburger.
2012 AMAYNA SAUVIGNON BLANC
$20
Not far from the coast, this Sauvignon comes from Chile's San Antonio Valley and really shows why the small producers are cleaning New Zealand's clocks with this varietal at the moment. One smell and you will be hooked on this wine. Intense aromas of pink grapefruit, kiwi, and nectarine. Livewire in the mouth, with some well integrated herbs, hints of ginger-spice, and a long finish, this is utterly delicious and an absolute must for the Sauvignon Blanc fan!
2010 VON SIEBENTHAL PARACELA #7 RED BLEND
$20
Swiss-owned Aconcagua-Valley-based estate that thrives on blends, wines top-to-bottom from this estate are mighty impressive. 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Petit Verdot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 16% Merlot this beautifully proportioned red reveals blueberry, underlying cassis, dusty sage tones and smoked meat which shine on the nose. Virtually creamy, sultry and all about texture in the mouth it's well-poised with movement as well as being lingering with excellent substance on the back end. We simply can't believe just how stellar it is for its absurdly fair price.
2012 LOUIS MICHEL CHABLIS
$25.99 BTL./$311.88 CASE
Hypnotized and Naked. Damn, that would be a great title for a country music record but it could also be the title for just about any delicious unoaked Chablis. In this case with an artist on the level of Louis Michel, it would be akin to country music royalty like Johnny Cash.
Before I go any further, I must make a proclamation regarding Chablis. "Chablis is a region and village in France where Chardonnay is grown, not a jug wine!" We can thank the morons at Gallo for that. The merde they call Chablis has NOTHING to do with the small region which surrounds the VILLAGE of Chablis in France! One of the grand scale producers, Louis Michel's 2012 is nothing short of stunning. The old vine intensity is evident as soon as you put the glass to your nose, this is essence of Chablis, possessing scents of oyster shell, wet stone and gunflint abound as well as some subtle citrus scents. Rich and pronounced texture with excellent tension, laser-focus and grip. The finish is long, stylish and definitely a gift from the soil, this scintillating white Burgundy can be enjoyed with scallops or finesseful fish dishes but can also age nicely for 4-6 more years as well.
2010 STOLLER PINOT NOIR DUNDEE HILLS RESERVE
$39.99 BTL./$479.88 CASE
All of the hype and accolades are well-deserved and very real. No, not for 2012 Oregon Pinots but for 2010, a vintage of grandeur that none of us saw coming. Like the duckling that has grown into a beautiful swan, these wines are very ageworthy yet have early accessibility to them. One of the last to come out, the ever-popular Stoller and their Reserve from Dundee hills is quite mighty.
Stylish, very debonair and regal, the 2010 Stoller Reserve delivers astonishingly penetrating aromas of red earth, grilled strawberry spice and lavender, one can really see that there is some top-drawer fruit and love that has gone into this cuvée. Quite complex and showing its pedigree in a fine vintage, this is thoughtfully done, balanced and persistent. Given its pedigree, there is no doubt that this is a fine glass of Pinot Noir right now, it will also develop nicely for another 7-10 years as well.
2011 RENE ROSTAING "LES LEZARDES" ROUGE
$35.99 BTL./$431.88 CASE – VERY LIMITED!
Les Lezardes comes from 2 hectares of old Syrah vines that Rene Rostaing purchased just outside the appellation's northern border. In the 1980s, Cote Rotie's quality and demand took off and in order to fight against overproduction in the vineyards and wineries, the French wine governing body decided to reduce the appellation's boundaries. At this point, some of the vineyards that were once part of the Cote Rotie appellation no longer were included and this drove down their value but not their exceptional terroirs. Like a hawk, Rostaing took advantage scored excellent parcels that possessed Cote Rotie-like terroir, and that is where this wine comes from. This is Cote-Rotie in all but name and is a spectacular wine from old vines.
A true and alluring expression of French Syrah, this wine presents fragrant aromas of spice, tar and a suggestion of smoked bacon all which surround cool-toned berry fruit. The mouth-feel is layered, silky and full of plum and pepper with fine, ripe, integrated tannins. A layer of earth and savory meatiness as well as a lingering, drawn out finish of ground pepper and black olive add to the mystique of this outstanding underdog red. This wine is still hiding beneath itself and needs a little time, but the youthful raw material is very formidable. Drink 2015 – 2024.
