Stay Informed!

Get all the latest news on our boutique wines, food & trivia.
Sign up for the Wine Unleashed e-newsletter now!

email:

Our Club Selections

2009 Domaine Sigalas, Assyrtiko, Santorini, Greece

2009 Domaine Sigalas, Assyrtiko, Santorini, Greece

Stainless steel fermentation keeps this wine’s fruit bright and clean. Pear and citrus notes with some minerality on a refined crisp finish. Great structure and great acidity made me fall in love this wine. It is perfect to enjoy with or without food. If reaching for a pairing, go for fish and shellfish.

2005 Blue Rock, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, California

2005 Blue Rock, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, California

Enter into a deep berry forest. The supple tannins will surround you and take you on a journey. Rich in texture and drinking well now, this will also be a great addition to a cellar. Napa neighbors are charging $125 a bottle for very similar quality, so at $39, this is a steal.

2008 Le Cellier du Palais, Jacquère, Savoie, France

2008 Le Cellier du Palais, Jacquère, Savoie, France

Jacquère is indeed a type of grape grown exclusively in the Savoie region, located in the French Alps, neighboring Switzerland and Italy. The terrior is not what I thought it would be at first guess. When I first heard about this varietal, I immediately thought it was going to be extremely teeth-numbing, high acid country. I was wrong (ouch, that's hard to admit). The Savoie region is not considered a "cool climate," it's positioned just at the beginning of Southern France and most vines have a nice sunny exposure. It is also not at a high altitude, so snow is rarely found on these vines.

The winery is organic and produces, at most, 4,000 cases a year. The wine is hand-picked, undergos cold fermentation and is sur lies for 4 to 10 months. There is no malolactic fermentation or oak on this wine. The body and minerality is similar to a Muscadet, and the nose is very much like a Roussane with a floral note combined with a slight citrus edge. This wine is perfect to start the evening with. It will pair easily with many cheeses and shellfish. If you want to save it for warmer weather, it will be perfect for picnics. Personally, I am breaking out the Raclette and going for a superb pairing.

2009 Inacayal Vineyards, Pinot Grigio, Mendoza, Argentina

2009 Inacayal Vineyards, Pinot Grigio, Mendoza, Argentina

Some Pinot Grigios are flat and uninspired (of course, nothing WU would ever offer), but this one is quite the opposite. This wine is lean but also has some meat to it. It’s as if someone didn’t tell how she was supposed to act. It is very pretty and sincere its delivery. Inacayal’s vineyards are located in Tupuntago near Mendoza, Argentina and benefit from a temperature amplitude and an altitude of 3,117 feet above sea level. Both play an important role in the ripeness of the grapes, allowing natural acidity and fruit retention as they reach full maturity. Yield is kept very low and hand harvested at the end of February. The grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature in order to resemble the traditional Italian Pinot Grigio. Bottling takes place at the end of June after spontaneous clarification and stabilization. Inacayal’s Pinot Grigio displays a brilliant whitish color with delicate green tones. The perfect balance between sugar and acidity make this wine outstanding in its type. It is fresh and floral, with citric notes mixed with white fruits and delicate traces of licorice.

2007 Domaine Skouras, Aghiorghitiko, Saint George Nemea, Greece

2007 Domaine Skouras, Aghiorghitiko, Saint George Nemea, Greece

A little fruit, a little earth, it all creates a nicely balanced food wine. The grape featured here is Aghiorghitiko: fermented and macerated in stainless steel, aged in used French barriques for 12 months and six months in bottle. Smooth tannins, intense raspberry fruit and sweet spices.

2007 Broadside, Cabernet Sauvignon, Margarita Vineyard, California

2007 Broadside, Cabernet Sauvignon, Margarita Vineyard, California

One of the San Francisco Chronicle’s top wines for 2009. From limestone soils at the very southern edge of Paso Robles, this wine shows how Cabernet can still speak softly. Made by Chris Brockway of San Francisco's Broc Cellars with a native yeast fermentation and almost no new oak, it's full of fresh brambly berries, juniper and a pencil-lead bite atop dense tannins. An energetic single-vineyard Cabernet with no fat. 

Paso Robles is an area I would move to in a heartbeat. It’s also a wine area that still doesn’t get the props it deserves. This is an outstanding value Cab that is firm, yet hangs on to the velvet edge. To get this quality for under $20 is amazing.

TBD

The white wine for Company's Coming is to be determined.