This month we are presenting three wines on each club level. For our club members, if you desire to do your usual tasting for two people, please call ahead to schedule your tasting. And as usual, when you have completed your tasting, you are able to choose two bottles of your favorite wines from the club to take home with you. Of course you can always purchase more at your club discount. :-)
IF you would like to skip your tasting this month, you are able to take one of each of the three wines on your club level. We hope the extra bottle of wine will be a nice substitute for those who are unable to do their January tasting.
For the Gold Club wines, we have an Italian Pinot Grigio, a Malbec from Mendoza Argentina, and a Cabernet from Lodi, CA. When choosing to take the three bottle option, you will receive one of each of these wines for your club.
For the Platinum Club wines, we have a California Chardonnay, a Napa Cabernet, and a Rutherford, CA Red Blend. Like the Gold Club, if the deicsion is to skip the tasting this month, you will receive one of each of these Platinum level wines to take as your club wines.
So, with out further delay, here are your wines for the January Club:
Pinot Gris, likely many white varieties, enjoys an internationally-recognized profile and is found in virtually every winegrowing region in the world. With this pervasive nature comes a variety of renditions that change drastically depending on the climate and physical location of the growing site. While Alto Adige might be the most famous region for Pinot Gris (Grigio) in Italy, there are multiple regions that showcase it, including the larger Triveneto region. The Luchi Pinot Grigio is sourced from multiple plots in the area, giving it the IGT designation, but its proximity to the Adriatic Sea and the resultant Mediterranean climate make for a widely-acclaimed version of the ubiquitous grape. Pouring a delicate pale straw color, this wine offers aromas of citrus zest, salinity, and slight herbaceousness, while offering a delicate palate of lemongrass, lemon, kiwi, and hints of minerality. Much less robust than its Alto Adige counterparts, this is a wine deserved of the most delicate of seafood.
After a string of cooler, rain-wrought vintages in the mid-2010’s, Mendoza has experienced a string of stable, excellent growing years turning out delicious wines. Larger producers/importers of Malbec into the US have saturated the market with huge, heavily-oaked versions of the grape; but it has the potential to be much more graceful than that. The ALH is an excellent, affordable example of this style- as it showcases the potential of Malbec sans oak. It pours a lively violet-red color with purple hues and offers notes of plum, subtle savory baking spice, and mint. It is medium-bodied with medium acidity, offering floral but juicy red berries and plums accented by granite, black pepper, and cedar. Though this could go well with steak, grilled veggies with a heavy umami characteristic such as asparagus, eggplant, and mushrooms would be best.
You know it, you love it; it’s Lapis Luna. This Lodi-appellated Cab is a love letter to fans of rich, ripe, succulent California Cabs. Following 10 months in a blend of new and neutral French oak, this wine pours a dark ruby with purple hues, offering aromas of macerated red and blue berries, plum, vanilla, and sweet baking spice. The tannins on this one are soft and velvety, making for a Cab that showcases its ripe, juicy fruit profile accented by tertiary notes of subtle cinnamon and vanilla.
One of the true standouts in California Chardonnay - Neyers has consistently blended Old and New World features into its regularly-acclaimed wines. This wine incorporates native yeasts, French Oak and 100% malolactic fermentation. The result is a Chardonnay that pours a medium gold color with white, shimmering hues- offering luscious green pear, green apple, citrus zest, and subtle vanilla and cream notes. The palate is medium bodied with medium-plus acidity, offering pear, quince and rich herb notes to round out the palate. This with rich pork or lobster-based dishes would be amazing.
The Durant & Booth 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon is an exercise in decadence, being a 20-month-aged Cabernet Sauvignon during one of the hottest vintages in recent memory. The result is a rich, hyperbolic Cab with small amounts of Petit Verdot and Merlot. The wine pours a rich, dark ruby with violet hues- offering aromas of reduced cherry, currant, and raspberry. The palate is heavy-bodied with medium tannins and restrained acidity offering globs of bittersweet chocolate, vanilla, and a plethora of ripe red fruits. This is a huge wine, and needs a rich, red meat-based dish to counter.
Originating from Rutherford, an area long celebrated for its exceptional terroir and dusty tannins, this wine embodies many of the hallmarks that you find in Rutherford Cabernet. Scintillating aromas of fresh blackberries, tart red currants, cocoa powder and vanilla spice. The palate is dense, rich and powerful with a beautiful combination of bright red fruit characteristics that perfectly intertwine with deep black fruits including blueberry compote, crushed black raspberries, ripe red plum, baking spices and bittersweet chocolate. Intense and penetrating, this wine displays concentrated, powerful fruit with a gorgeous center core that finishes with a long, focused finish and slightly dusty tannins. Predominately Cabernet, heightened with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. A perfect wine to snuggle up next to a fire and enjoy with your friends.
January Wine Club wines will be availabe through February 5th for Tasting. To take advantage of the three bottle pick up, please make sure you stop in before February 5th. After that date we will be back to delivering the normal two bottles for the month.
Jan 7, 2021 at 12:08 PM
Permalink