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Welcome
back to all our club members. We are extremely excited about
the wines in our second release. In this shipment, we take you
from Australia to South Africa to the European continent. These
wines will clearly exhibit the difference of "Old World"
versus "New World." Thad once told me that these terms,
used in wine geekdom, have absolutely no value other than to
bore our spouses. However when evaluating wines, we try to establish
criteria for constancy. We expect a certain style from France
to be different from its counterpart in California. With France,
Italy and Spain producing wine for over a thousand years, the
title of Old World rightfully belongs to this region where tradition
and history dominate. Moreover, the wines from this region tend
to show the terroir, or the soil. From Bordeaux to Burgundy to
Rioja to Barolo, the wines tend to have higher acid levels as
a result of less sun exposure on the vine. These higher acid
levels give the wine more structure and allow it to age.
On the other hand, "New World" denotes the newer wine
regions of the world such as the United States, Australia, South
Africa and South America. These regions share a common denominator,
sun. Warm growing conditions allow for ripe fruit and higher
sugar levels. As a result, wines from these regions generally
tend to be fruit forward, higher in alcohol and loaded with creamy
oak. They drink nicely young but don't show the ability to age
as well. Interestingly, we are beginning to see the New World
style of wine being made in Old World areas.
Once again, we are extremely excited about the future prospects
of the wine club as it grows. We thank you for your patience
as we smooth out all the kinks in our distribution of the wine.
The formula for the club remains the same, four to six bottles
of wine priced within the range of $79 to $99 plus shipping and
tax (in the state of California). Also, don't forget to refer
us family or friends and receive 10% off your next shipment for
each new club member.
If you have questions or need additional information, please
contact Robert at (707) 529-0158. You can also email Nicole at
ndellasantina@mindspring.com or send a fax to us at (707) 933-0737.
Tante
Salute!!!
Cabernet
Sauvignon, Greystone,"Margaret River, " Australia 1998
- $17
We think you're going to like this incredible value. This is
the perfect example of a "New World" wine Aussie style.
This region of Australia has incredibly rich soil, which combined
with a warm growing season, allows for high sugar levels in the
vineyard. It has big, ripe, fleshy fruit with lots of oak. The
nose on this wine has some eucalyptus with a blast of plum and
blueberry. Moreover, the acid is very balanced throughout the
wine allowing it not to become too heavy. This wine pairs well
with roasted meats, wild game and lamb.
Vacqueyras,
Domaine Le Sang Des Cailloux, France 1999 - $18
The Rhone region of France is one of the most exciting wine regions
in the world right now. With wines like Gigondas, Vacqueyras,
Cotes du Rhone and even Chatenuf du Pape, this area is loaded
with value. With the consistent great vintages of '98, '99 and
2000, we will probably be revisiting the Rhone frequently in
the next few months. The grape varietals that dominate the region
include, Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre, Cinsault for reds and Grenache
Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, and Rousanne for whites.
Le Sang Des Cailloux, which means the blood of the stones, is
for me, a perfect example of an Old World wine where we taste
the terroir or the soil. The nose of the wine is loaded with
spice, black pepper and the "the magical scent of the Provencale
Garrigue" or a barnyard smell. In the mouth, this wine exudes
blueberries, raspberries and a hint of anise. The finish is what
makes this wine interesting. The stony, gunflint finish comes
from the rainwater, which has been filtered by the stony soil
of the thirty-year-old vineyard.
This wine can be paired with a wide variety of foods from braised
meats to pasta. However, give the wine thirty to sixty minutes
to open up and expose all its nuances. Enjoy!
Palazzo
Della Torre, Allegrini, Veronese 1998 - $16
Welcome to the house that Allegrini built. This family winery
is a hot commodity these days in Italy's Veneto area. With its
blockbuster reds such as the Old World Amarone to the new age
Pojo, the Allegrini family has created a full portfolio of exotic
wines.
The Palazzo Della Torre is Allegrini's entry level red wine.
Coming from estate vineyards that range in age from fifteen to
thirty years in age, Palazzo is a combination of 70% Corvina
Veronese, 25% Rondinella and 5% Sangiovese. The wine sacrificed
its DOC status by replacing the Molinara grape with Sangiovese,
thus becoming an IGT(Indicazione Geografica Tipica) wine. Like
the Valpolicella Classico in the previous shipment, Palazzo is
made using the innovative ripasso style. Seventy percent of the
grapes are vinified immediately. The remaining thirty percent
are left to dry until the end of December when they are vinified
and then re - fermented with the wine from the fresh grapes.
The result is higher alcohol content, rounder style, lower acidity
and more extraction than a Valpolicella Classico. Moreover, the
forward flavors of dark cherries and anise or mellowed by the
hint of toasted wood from the Slovenian oak casks. This is a
relatively big red wine that matches up nicely with beef, heavy
sauces and even a nice spicy pasta dish.
Rioja,
Sierra Cantabria, Spain 1999 - $9
The Spanish have landed. We found another incredible hidden value
in Spain. This one hundred percent Tempranillo comes from the
foothills of the Sierra Cantabria Mountains. It seems to grow
nicely in the clay soil on this forty five-year-old estate founded
by the Eguren family.
The nose of this wine is packed with forward fruit while the
mouth explodes with plenty of fat, smoky, black cherry and plum
flavors. The finish of this Rioja exudes hints of vanilla and
anise. Moreover, the aging of the wine in French and American
oak barrels for six months softens it. The wine is a perfect
accompaniment to roasted meats or lamb.
Sauvignon
Blanc, Brampton, South Africa 2001 - $9
Big game hunters beware there's wine growing down there. The
quality of wines coming out of South Africa is quickly rising.
In fact, some of the wines being made from varietals such as
Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot and Pinotage are not only quite
good but also very expensive. Luckily for us, this is an incredible
value from South Africa's wine region. The heart of this fine
wine region of South Africa is centered around the towns of Stellenbosch
and Paarl in the western cape.
The Brampton Sauvignon Blanc is completely opposite the lean,
acidic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in our last shipment. This
wine is rich and tropical in style, with fig and kiwi notes and
lush herb and mineral tinged finish. Drink it with grilled fish
or even seafood pasta.
Gemola,
Vignalta,"Colli Euganei," Veneto 1997 - $28
We got it!! Another knock - out Italian wine from the '97 vintage.
Beginning in 1995 and continuing with the 1997 and 1998 vintages,
Gemola was awarded the very prestigious "Tre Bicchieri"
(Three Glasses) Award from the Gambero Rosso - the governing
body of Italian wines. In fact, they go on to state that "Gemola
makes Vignalta one of the Veneto's top producer's."
The winery is located in the Colli Euganei, which protrude out
of the Po Valley flatlands southwest of Padua and Venice. The
altitude and volcanic- calcareous soil of this area offers the
potential for obtaining well-structured cellarable red wines.
In the '97 Gemola, the opulence of Merlot, which represents 70%
of the blend is combined with the mineral quality of Cabernet
Franc. Its deep ruby color introduces a constantly evolving bouquet
with beautifully judged oak. The wine sees two years in small
French and American oak barriques. Enjoy this Bourdeaux-style
wine, I know you'll love it. Salute.
Re
- Order Form
Wine 4 bottles 6 bottles case
Gemola, Vignalta,"Colli Euganei," 1997 ‰ ‰
‰
Cabernet
Sauvignon, Greystone, Australia 1999 ‰ ‰ ‰
Sauvignon
Blanc, Brampton, South Africa 2000 ‰ ‰ ‰
Vacqueyras,
Domaine Le Sang Des Cailloux ‰ ‰ ‰
France 1999
Palazzo Della Torre, Allegrini, 1998 ‰ ‰ ‰
Rioja,
Sierra Cantabria, Spain 1999 ‰ ‰ ‰
Available
from First Shipment
Vina Alarba Grenache 99' ‰ ‰
Le
Ragose Valpolicella Classico Riserva 97' ‰ ‰ ‰
Omaka
Springs Sauvignon Blanc 00' ‰ ‰ ‰
Terre
di Don Peppe Primitivo di Manduria 97' ‰ ‰
Vincent
Dureuil - Janthial Rully Red Burgundy 98' ‰ ‰ ‰
Ben
Marco Malbec 99' ‰ ‰ ‰
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