February Classic Club
This month we've got a great line-up: a Torrontés from Argentina, a sparkling wine (Brut or Rosé from New Mexico), the Wine Enthusiast's 2009 Wine of the Year, and a well balanced Washington State red!
 Gruet Brut and Gruet Rosé- In 1983, the Gruet family was traveling through the Southwestern part of the United States, and while in New Mexico met a group of European winemakers who had successfully planted vineyards In Engle, near the town of Truth or Consequence, 170 miles south of Albuquerque. The land was inexpensive and the opportunity golden. In 1984, Gilbert Gruet, whose Champagne house, had produced fine Champagne since 1952, made the decision to plant an experimental vineyard, exclusively planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.
The Brut offers a crisp, and full-bodied sparkling wine, which has developed rich complexity and fine mousse. The allure of toasty finish from twenty-four months on tirage, is a complement to the sophisticated apple and citrus flavor. Winemaker's Note: Brilliant with ultra fine bubbles. A wonderful fine bouquet dominated by green apple and grapefruit flavors. A truly classic house style!
This nearly garnet Rose, like all our non-vintage sparkling wines, is aged 24 months en tirage. It has a lovely, bright floral bouquet with hints of strawberry, raspberry, and cherry. On the palate, it is rich and fruity in a dry, Brut style. The flavor of berries continues on the palate, revealing more strawberry, raspberry, cherry.
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January Classic Wine Selections
This month, we have one of my favorite Chardonnays, a high scoring Rhône, a Blaufranckisch from Austria and a Spanish Grenache. All of these wines will knock your socks off....
 First off is Héritiers de Comte Lafon Mâcon, 100% Chardonnay from one of the great producers in Burgundy. Lafon's Meursaults are legendary (and legendarily expensive!), so several years ago, the family purchased some land in the Southern Burgundy region of Macon.
Considered one of the finest winemakers in France, Dominique Lafon produces coveted white Burgundies from some of the greatest vineyards in the Cote de Beaune. Always hungry for new challenges, he purchased 14 hectares of vines in the Maconnais in 1999. He believes strongly in the potential of the region, but feels that too few vignerons have attempted to realize that potential. Thus, in the very same spirit he runs his renowned Meursault property, Dominique utilizes biodynamic viticulture, intense soil rejuvenation, tight yield control, and rigorous green harvesting to produce some of the most complex, vibrant and impressive wines the region has ever seen.
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December 09 Classic Club
This month, we've got a great selection of wines for you: a sparkling wine from the Loire Valley, a Chenin Blanc from the same region, a single vineyard Paso Robles Zinfandel and a southern French red blend that will knock your socks off.
 Baumard Cremant de Loire Carte Tourquoise is a fabulous sparkling wine with a creamy finish. A perennial staff and shop favorite, this non-vintage brut was given 90 points by the Wine Enthusiast. "A rich, complex blend of Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc made by one of the top producers in Anjou. The ripe fruits have kept their freshness, leaving a generous but crisp wine, with a delicate, elegant mousse."
All Baumard wines are terrific, and the Carte Turquoise is clean and dry with lots of pear and apple flavors. It has a soft enough demeanor to be an apéritif, but enough style to handle lightly sauced chicken. Crémant de Loire connotes a sparkle essentially halfway between a fully sparkling wine like a Champagne (the equivalent Italian term is spumante) and a lightly sparkling wine.
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Classic Club - November '09
This month we have a great lineup of wines - nicely suited for your Holiday Table.
 First off is Handley Pinot Gris, a dryer style Alsatian from the Anderson Valley, with aromas of orange blossom, a hint of peach and mandarin, with notes of honey. Although the wine is delicate, there is richness on the front palate followed by a nice dry finish. Flavors include stone fruits, bright citrus, and a slight mineral nuance.
Made by Milla Handley, one of our favorite winemakers, this Pinot Gris is a charming and versatile food pairing wine.
 Next up is Lioco Chardonnay, a naturally made, cool climate, unoaked Sonoma County Chardonnay. The fruit was hand harvested and sorted, then fermented in stainless steel tanks (no oak) using a wild yeast. Malolactic fermentation occurred naturally and finished completely. The wine remained in tank on fine-lees for five months and bottled without fining or filtration. Look for a nose of Kaffir Lime, red Grapefruit and Talc, with lemony honey, pears and wet stones on the palate. Winemaker Kevin Kelley was lauded as a Winemaker to Watch by the San Francisco Chronicle. Winemaker notes: 2008 will perhaps be remembered as the year North Coast fruit growers would just as soon forget. Record frosts, drought, and fires made it one of the more challenging harvests in California’s history. That said, quality was superb. Like 2007, we saw a very small crop of highly concentrated, beautifully balanced Chardonnay. This wine is lower in alcohol and higher in acidity that the 07. An orgy of orchard fruits—more specifically stone-fruit pits—meet with rock dust and dried lemon peels. Mouth watering.
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October Classic Club
October's array of four wines have arrived for your selection. This month we present two wines from my good friend Sara Floyd - Luli Chardonnay and Luli Pinot Noir, made by Jeff Pisoni from great Santa Lucia Highlands fruit. We also have Chad Melville's great Samsara Rosé, and a Sangiovese from the Tuscan seaside, Carandelle from Podere San Cristoforo.
 This is our second go round with Luli Chardonnay. Luli is a relatively new project owned by Sara Floyd, Master Sommelier and the Pisoni family, and was created to produce moderately priced wines of impeccable provenance and quality.
This year's vintage of Luli is produced from 100% Santa Lucia Highlands fruit, tank and neutral barrel fermented, with no malo-lactic fermentation carried out in the wine.
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