Bargain Club - Sixth Allocation
This month, we present two great biodynamic Loire Valley wines, an sustainably farmed Anderson Valley Rosé of Pinot Noir, a tempranillo from Ribera Duero, a lovely Southern French blend and a deep and rich Portugese blend
 Francois Chidaine has been farming grapes and making wine in the Loire Valley for over 20 years, and is considered to be one of the best winemakers in the region. The grapes for his wines are grown using biodynamic farming and he practices a non-intervention wine-making style. His wines show a combination of finesse, minerality and power.
First off, there's his Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc, chock full of citrusy minerality that shows surprising length and complexity. Tons of ripe grapefruit with some chalky minerals, nice weight in the mouth with a very clean, ultra-refreshing finish.
 While primarily known as a white wine producer, Chidaine makes one red wine, a biodynamically estate farmed blend of Cot (AKA Malbec), Cabernet Franc and Pinot d'Aunis (aka Chenin Noir) - Touraine Rouge. This is a lighter styled red, a perfect food wine, meant to be drunk lightly chilled (as you would a Beaujolais), with a chalky mineral nose with white pepper, red fruits on the palate, nice concentration and length. Here's a red wine that will pair well with Salmon or Halibut, Chicken or lighter fare.
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5th Allocation - Bargain
 First off is Closerie de Lys Blanc - a wonderfully made crisp white wine from the Languedoc in France that is equal parts Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Blanc and Rolle (aka Vermentino). The domaine located fifty miles west of Carcassonne in a lovely, isolated mountain valley hidden in the Pyrenean foothill. The vineyard parcels start at the village but the majority climb the heights of the south-facing flanks, growing between 280 and 530 meters above sea level in meager limestone soils. Closerie des Lys Les Fruitières is equal parts Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Vermentino, and smells mouth-.wateringly of apple, grapefruit, pineapple, lemon zest, and mint. It clings impressively with resinous, saline notes accompanying its tart fruits, and finishes with ample refreshment and a slight, by no means unpleasant bitterness.
 Next, we've got Smoke Screen Chardonnay - a wildly popular wine full throttled old school Napa Chardonnay that has been flying out the door. We've come to the last of the vintage, and wanted to be sure that our beloved Bargain Clubbers got to get at least one bottle! The aptly named Smoke Screen Chardonnay is just that - a top five premium Napa Chardonnay producer had too much wine (several hundred cases too much), so he sold the already finished wine at fire sale prices to someone who rebranded it, bottled it with a screwcap closure, who sold it to us. We can't divulge the producer, but the same wine under its original name sells for $40+ per bottle in other shops. This is perfectly balanced Napa juice in an elegant California style - partially barrel fermented with a lovely bouquet, creamy mouthfeel, vibrant fruit, nice minerality and an oaky and buttery richness.
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April '10 Bargains
This month we're got more great Bargain wines for ya!
 Crnko Jarenincan (easy for you to say, Jeff!) This bright and lively Slovenian blend of Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay is about to become your everyday house wine. It's an extremely versatile wine, in a jumbo sized liter..., and the taste will be at once familiar as well as immediately appealing. Just slightly off-dry, this is made to be gulped down with food, pretty much ANY FOODS, but especially those that are highly spiced.
 Sorin Rosé Sorin is a much vaunted maker of Provence reds, Bandol in particular. And while this lovely is Grenache-based (as opposed to the much more expensive Mourvèdre-based Bandol Rosés), we love the bright fruit and high notes from this charmer. We'd drink this baby all year if it were only available!
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Bargain March
This month, we've got a great lineup, including a single vineyard Alexander Valley white wine blend, a Spanish red and white, a New Zealand Pinot Noir, an Italian blend, and a single vineyard Syrah.
Salneval Albariño is a perennial Best Buy from the Wine Enthusiast, and offers honey, pear and tropical fruit nose. It is racy and zesty with citrus and floral flavors in the mouth, yet is round and soft at the same time.
Perfect with fresh seafood and shellfish; is an ideal accompaniment to salty, spicy Asian cuisine; and is also great on its own as a cocktail wine.
Long Gamma White is a new project from our friends at Reynoso Vineyards, a small family owned winery in the northern part of Alexander Valley. Long Gamma white is a great springtime wine - a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, and Gewurztraminer that's perfect for an aperitif, with soups, salads, sandwiches and all lighter fare.
Hinton Central Otago Pinot Noir - is a bright and fruit forward New Zealand Pinot Tasting notes
Another rich ruby red vintage with silky tannins, good length and a generous aftertaste. Medium bodied with hints of oak and just a touch of spice. A very approachable Pinot Noir with sweet spicy aromas.
Tenuta Sant'Antonio Scaia IGT is 100% Corvina, aged in stainless steel made ba Tenuta Sant'Antonio, a producer of great Valpolicallas and Amarones. Scaia is an approachable food wine with bright cherry berry flavors, some earth and underbrush, and a nice bright finish. Pair with risottos, poultry, fish and light grills.
Opera Prima Tempranillo 100% Tempranillo from La Mancha/Tierra de la Castilla. Red fruits on the nose, medium bodied, zippy flavors and medium finish. On the palate it is smooth and rich with sour cherry,tobacco, plums and spicy flavors. A versatile wine for Pizzas, Burgers, Chicken.
PB Hein Trailblazer Syrah - Paul Hein is a fifth generation Napa native with roots into viticulture and winemaking dating back to 1879 when his three times great grandfather PJ Hein had 29,000 vines on Mount Veeder. Dark garnet color with youthful aromas of licorice, blackberry, leathery notes and dried fruit; Big, ripe, young, clean, slightly oaky, blackberry fruit flavors wrapped in a rich, medium to medium-full bodied mouthfeel. Good balance with firm tannins and a moderately long finish.
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Moulin de Ferrand Entre-Deux-Mers is a 60/40 blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, Pale yellow with hints of green, this is an aromatic wine with aromas of grapefruit that is both fresh and round on the palate. Great as an aperitif or with seafood, fish, salads or goat cheeses. The owner is Franck Brisson, owner of the Brisson fruit-packing firm in Ste Foy La Grande whose mother lives in the chateau. The technical management of the property is entrusted to Pascal Colle, who combines a very progressive outlook with being fundamentally a man of the soil. The vineyard is situated on the rolling hills behind the southern bank of the river Dordogne in the NE corner of the Bordeaux appellation. 
