Desert Wines and Spirits

Saturday, August 1, 2009

4 to 6 pm

$5.00 per person

Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com

611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 92264,

760-327-7701, 800-925-0030

This week we are pouring samples of wines that arrived within the last week or so. There continue to be excellent values on the market and we will keep you apprised of them. Most of these are in the $10.00 range and under and indicate the wide range of quality wines that serve for everyday use or for party fare. Much of the remainder of our summer program will reflect the value potential of this price range.

2007 Ventana Sauvignon Blanc, Arroyo Seco, MontereyList

price 12.95; our price 9.99

Ventana’s cool weather vines produce fruit which creates a wine with a slightly grassy and citrus nose. The Sauvignon Blanc displays wonderful flavors of white peach, grapefruit and a touch of honeydew. The wine is completely dry with rich rounded texture and a flinty crispness. This is not a Chardonnay “want-to-be”; it is made in the classic French style for the best accompaniment to food.

2007 Congress Springs Viognier, LodiList

price 7.95; our price 5.99

This Viognier may not offer much in the way of complexity, but the delight factor runs quite high. It is fruit laden with obvious floral peach and green apple fruit that extend far beyond the bouquet, through the mouth and on to the long crisp finish.

2007 Ventana Chardonnay, “Gold Stripe”, Arroyo Seco, Monterey

List price 14.00; our price 10.99

This wine has lively tropical fruit aromas of pineapple and mango, with intense flavors of Gala apple, pear and lemon. Oak aging adds an accent of vanilla and light honey tones. The perfect balance of fruit, oak and acidity makes this an exceptional food friendly wine. Its versatility makes it work well with shell fish, all the way to pork roasts. It won a gold medal at the Taster’s Guild Intl’ Wine Competition this year and several silver medals elsewhere, as well.

2007 Château d’Aqueria Rosé, Tavel, France

List price 14.99; our price 9.99

Here is your opportunity to try one of the benchmark Tavel rosés at the lowest price seen in recent years. This is a spectacular price, as is the wine. I doubt that this price will ever be seen again for a current release. The qualities of climate and soil followed by a controlled vinification and experienced assembly of each variety make Tavel unique among rosés in intensity of color, body and bouquet. Château d’Aqueria is the quintessential Tavel; vibrant salmon-pink in color, with a penetrating fruit fragrance offset by floral notes. Bone dry, full bodied and succulently fruity on the palate, its lush intensity and depth are balanced by an extraordinarily refreshing acidity carrying into a long, crisp finish with vibrant peppery nuances.

2006 Chateau Trocard, Bordeaux Superieur, France

List price 14.95; our price 9.99

The Trocard family traces its winemaking history back to the 16th Century. They remain located close to Pomerol and St. Emilion. The nose of this wine shows red fruit, strawberry and blackcurrant. The aromas show some complexity which increases upon aeration. Its silky attack, fineness and elegance and its supple tannins make this wine very harmonious and well-balanced in the mouth.

2006 Moon Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County

List price 16.00; our price 9.99

The rich, complex flavors of the 2006 Moon Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon reflect both the diversity and synergy of grapes grown in Sonoma’s soils and climatic regions. The expansive aromas and mouth-filling flavors of this wine are thick with dark cherry, cassis and smoky spices. The ripe dark fruit flavors, supported by velvety tannins, culminate in an elegant finish that lingers with bittersweet chocolate and spice nuances. Fine value!

Saturday, July 25, 2009
4 to 6 pm

$5.00 per person
Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 92264,
760-327-7701, 800-925-0030

Besides the fine wines being produced at Gallo Sonoma Winery, the parent company has purchased other California wineries and continues the tradition of making fine wines at these venerable properties, as well.  Most are recognizable, such as Louis Martini, Rancho Zabaco, MacMurray Ranch, Bridlewood Estate, Frei Brothers and Mirassou Winery.  We have received the latest vintages from these wineries and will be showing them off this Saturday.  Representing Gallo at our event will be Market Specialist, Debbie Pellkofer.  She is a font of information on all these properties and will cheerfully answer any questions while pouring some excellent examples of the winemaker’s art.

2006 Bridlewood Chardonnay, Monterey County
List price 11.99; our price 9.99
This aromatic Chardonnay displays ripe aromas and pure flavors of nectarine, Mandarin oranges and fresh apples.  Notes of vanilla and spice lead to a rich mid-palate structured with a lime and mineral finish.  Excellent value-priced wine.

2007 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Gris, Sonoma Coast
List price 18.95; our price 14.99
This Pinot Gris (or Pinot Grigio) possesses an expressive fruit-forward character, exhibiting rich aromas of fig and white peach.  The bright aromas and complex varietal characters of citrus and elements of spice add both weight and interest to the wine.  The flavors of peach, spicy pear and citrus are melded together in a rich core, resulting in a round mouthfeel which complements its crisp, clean finish.

2007 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir, Central Coast
List price 19.95; our price 14.99
Here is an affordable introduction to the cool-climate wonders of Central Coast Pinot Noir, specifically, the Santa Lucia Highlands.  It is a clean, red-fruited wine with hints of cola sweet spices that carry from the nose to the palate.  Also noticeable are elements of vanilla, clove, cherries and cranberries.  It is easy to drink and a bargain as well.

2006 Bridlewood Syrah, Central Coast
List price 14.99; our price 11.50
The wine opens with aromas of smoke, cedar, and chocolate leading to bright cherry fruit framed with spicy oak.  As it evolves, a nose of dark fruits and violet flowers gives way to dark chocolate.  On the palate, this wine shows rich flavors of blackberry, dark cherry and sweet brown spice with a hint of mocha.  It is full of soft, chewy tannins, proceeding through a long, clean finish.

2007 Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County
List price 14.95; our price 10.75
The nose is packed with layers of caramel, cinnamon, candy and hints of mint, with a prevalence of fruit over oak.  Also, there are sweet aromas of black currants, licorice, and cedar.  This is a spicy, full-flavored wine, with good body, fruit and firm tannins ending with an engaging, strong finish.

2005 Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa County
List price 21.95; our price 16.75
This fine Cab exhibits a deep garnet, color with intense aromas of cedary oak, currents and black cherries.  Concentrated flavors of ripe plums, chocolate and tobacco marry perfectly with the oak nuances.  It is a well structured wine that is balanced with firm, velvety tannins that culminate in a long, elegant finish.  It received a Double Gold at the 2009 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and a 91 point rating from Wine and Spirits Magazine.

2007 Rancho Zabaco Zinfandel, Sonoma Heritage Vines, Sonoma
List price 15.95; our price 11.99
Rancho Zabaco was one of the original Mexican land grants in Northern Sonoma.  This Zin specialist has produced a blend of 90.4% Zinfandel, 6.1% Petite Sirah and 2.5% Syrah that explodes with loads of ripe raspberry flavors; long and round in the aftertaste.  It delivers an abundance of black fruits and spice, demonstrating the classic and distinctive characteristics of Zinfandel.  The soft, plumy, and jammy flavors and textures make this wine not only approachable, but also versatile, allowing it to be paired with a wide range of foods.

2007 Rancho Zabaco Zinfandel Reserve, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma
List price 18.95; our price 15.50
This wonderful Zin has a richly fragrant nose of ripe, sweet spiced blackberries, concentrated cherries and sweet stony minerals.  It is mouth-filling, ripe, and full, with concentrated fruit and very good balance for such a ripe wine.  It has a very long, spicy, richly-fruited finish, with a bit of gravel making showing through at the end.  There is a fair amount of soft tannins to add a bit of structure.

Saturday, July 18, 2009
4 to 6 pm
$5.00 per person
      Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 92264
760-327-7701, 800-925-0030

The first Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon, the premium wine of 1987 that brought fame to the company, was concentrated and complex and became an immediate success.  This was the first ever premium Chilean export wine and it opened for Montes and for Chile, a path other wineries quickly followed.  In 1996 Montes developed the stately “M” (a classic Bordeaux style blend) the first ultra-premium wine of Chile.  An entry level line called the Classic Series was introduced in 1999.  The Alpha “M” was followed by another soon to become cult-wine, the Montes Folly in 2000 (100% Syrah), and finally, in 2003, the first Chilean Carmenère, the Purple Angel.  When Montes began (as Discover Wine Ltd.) there were only fourteen wineries exporting from Chile; today the Chilean central bank has over two hundred registered wine exporters.  Montes wines are mainly aimed at exports (94% of its entire production) to over seventy-five countries in five continents.

2008 Montes Sauvignon Blanc, Classic Series, Casablanca Valley
9.99
The wine was fermented in stainless steel allowing no oak contact.  It has attractive tropical fruits and grassy notes owing to the cool Casablanca climate.  It is a fresh, crispy light, wine to be enjoyed in its youth.

2008 Montes Chardonnay, Classic Series Curico Valley
9.99
This wine is fermented 60 % in casks and 40 % in stainless steel, with only half allowed to proceed through malolactic fermentation.  The process is carried out under controlled temperature conditions to maintain the fruity aromas.  Its aroma blends hints of butter and vanilla with tropical fruits including banana.  It is a fresh wine, fruity, with good body and balance, creamy and complex in mid palate, showing a nice elegant finish.

2007 Montes Alpha Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley
16.99
The wine was vinified as three different lots using three different strains of selected yeasts: “D”, Montrachet and native. Fermented and aged in French oak barrels for 1 year, 40% of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation.  The wine remained in its original cask for one year using a monthly batonage to enhance the complexity of buttery flavors and tropical fruit.  It is full bodied and creamy in the mid palate.  This is one of the few Chilean whites that is ageable.

2007 Montes Merlot, Classic Series, Colchagua Valley
9.99
Here is a young Merlot with six months of American oak ageing.  It is elegant and refined with a marked fruitiness and softness on the palate despite the spicy black pepper elements.  Aurelio Montes decided to blend 15% Cabernet Sauvignon with this Merlot, to better marry with the oak, and give structure and finesse.

2007 Montes Cabernet Sauvignon, Colchagua Valley
9.99
The nose is packed with layers of caramel, cinnamon, candy and hints of mint, with a prevalence of fruit over oak.  This is a spicy, full-flavored wine, with good body, fruit and firm tannins ending with an engaging, strong finish.

2006 Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon, Colchagua Valley
16.99
Considered one of the top Chilean Cabernets, it is aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. It is deep ruby in color with flavors of red fruits, blackcurrant, chocolate and cigar box, in balance with well-integrated oak, specifically, fine grained French Alliers.  It is complex in the mouth, full bodied and balanced with a lasting persistence leading to a long finish.  Although a superb wine as it is now, it may also be considered for cellaring.  The first (1987) version was recently selected among the best ten year old red wines (18th) in the world and the 1990 version was ranked 10th in the world, also by WINE magazine.

2006 Montes Alpha M, La Finca Estate, Apalta Valley, Colchagua
77.00
The wine is powerful and elegant with a deep dark red color.  Yet it has soft, round, solid tannins framing a distinguished character with aromas of red fruits, cassis and a touch of cedar and cinnamon.  It has delightful notes of vanilla and coffee, and a long, lingering finish with a pleasant and harmonious balance of fruit and oak.  The “M” is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (80%) for elegance, Merlot (5%) for softness, Cabernet Franc (10%) to add harmony and Petit Verdot (5%) for austerity.  The Petit Verdot adds an extra element of complexity by linking all the other grapes.  The structure of this wine will keep it for over 20 years.

2006 Montes Purple Angel, Apalta and Marchigue Vineyards
56.00
Carmenère was rediscovered in Chile only in 1993, after being believed extinct since phylloxera hit Bordeaux, its original home, around 1880.  The wine has a distinctive deep purple color with delicate hints of chocolate and cigar box aromas.  The wine is a blend of 92% Carmenère and 8% Petit Verdot from the Colchagua Valley.  The Carmenère from Apalta adds sophistication and subtlety to the blend, providing chocolate, vanilla and tobacco aromas, as well as the combination of dark fruit flavors and the spiciness typical of the variety.  The grapes from the Marchigue estate provide potency and color to the wine creating a fine balance of power and elegance.  The blend is ultimately enhanced with Petit Verdot to provide structure and at the same time flavors of wild black berries.  It is full bodied, with a generous amount of ripe tannins giving grip and depth to this lovely wine.

Saturday, July 11, 2009
4 to 6 pm

$5.00 per person
      Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 92264,
760-327-7701, 800-925-0030

Whether you are out by the pool on a hot summer day or at a restaurant that evening there is nothing more satisfying than a bottle of chilled dry rosé.  This style of wine serves well as an apèritif, it can be poured as a cooler over ice perhaps with a splash of soda and it is amazingly versatile with various foods.  The Europeans consume an enormous amount of rosé during the summer, not to mention dry sparkling rosés.  I, for one, choose to drink it year round because it simply is delicious.  For those of you who have a negative reaction to the word “rosé” or honestly don’t know why I’m waxing poetic over this style of wine, drop in on Saturday and give yourself an opportunity to experience this most charming expression of the grape.

2007 Gran Feudo Rosé, Navarra, Spain
Regular price 9.99; our price 7.99
This rosé is an outstanding example of the “fruity” style, made solely from Garnacha grapes, the ideal variety for rosé wines.  Picking takes place when the grapes have the ideal balance between acidity and ripeness.  This wine is made by the saignée method.  After the skins have been left in contact with the must for a short time, the juice is drawn off by gravity, without any pressing taking place.  It shows excellent balance between fruit and acidity.  It is fresh, soft and long on the palate, fruity and clean, with floral reminiscences.

2005 Chateau Saint-Florin Rosé, Bordeaux, France
Regular price 9.99; our price 7.99
This rosé comes from 100% Merlot grown in the Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux.  Saint-Florin allows the crushed grapes to sit for 24 hours before running off the free run juice and beginning fermentation.  Fermentation takes place at a low temperature over a period of three weeks.  The resulting wine is bone dry, with excellent strawberry/raspberry fruit and a hint of black currents.

2008 Mulderbosch Rosé, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Regular price 12.99; our price 9.99
Vinified from Cabernet Sauvignon, this rosé is vibrant and ripe with layered aromas of strawberry, red cherry, and raspberry with a hint of rose petal.  The palate is similarly fruit-forward with flavors of strawberry, pomegranate, and passion fruit.  Enjoy with Thai food, crab cakes, fruit-glazed pork chops, and fresh fruit.

2008 Match Book Rosé, Dunnigan Hills, California
Regular price 13.50; our price 9.99
This rosé is 100% Tempranillo from vines grown in the Matchbook Vineyard in the Dunnigan Hills.  These vines are from cuttings imported from the Pesquera region of Spain and produce classic Tempranillo aromas of black cherries, boysenberries and raspberry with a touch of chocolate mocha, and leather.  The flavor is crisp and lively with lots of citrus and peach and just a touch of sweetness.  It was made by removing a portion of the juice from the Tempranillo lots after sitting on the skins for 24 hours.  The juice was cold fermented naturally and slowly over a three-month period.  Serve chilled and pair with fresh fruit and brie.

2008 Chateau Saint-Pierre Rosé, Provence France
Regular price 16.50; our price 13.95
There are only a few wines as versatile with food or as refreshing and affordable as this Chateau Saint-Pierre.  It is 60% Cinsault and 40% Grenache from Provence with salmon-pink highlights.  It has a lovely nose of strawberry, white peach and guava.  It is full-flavored in the mouth with great character and excellent aromatic length.  It is perfect on its own or paired with a wide variety of foods: goat cheese, sandwiches, Mediterranean pasta, salads, fish and seafood.

2007 Schnaitmann Rosé, “Evoe” Wurttemberg, Germany
Regular price 19.95; our price 17.50
Showing flavors of dark cherries, cinnamon and herbs, this wine carefully blended from Pinot and Trollinger grapes, is a full bodied, serious example of rosé wine.  It has a bright salmon color and a Pinot Noir nose with strawberries and underlying earthy minerality.  It is layered on the pallet, with lots of strawberries interlaced with minerals.  It has richness, along with finesse and finishes long while refreshing.

Saturday, July 4, 2009
4 to 6 pm

$5.00 per person

      Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 92264,
760-327-7701, 800-925-0030

This being Independence Day, the appropriate wines to accompany a barbeque should be light and able to take a chill, especially when the temperature is over a hundred degrees.  Drop in for a casual sampling of wines that are lean in their pricing and rich in their level of quality.  I would be pleased to join you with a glass of wine to celebrate this most meaningful holiday.

Rocar Sparkling Wine, Extra Dry, California
Regular price 6.99; our price 4.99
This is a pleasant sparkler produced in the Charmat method whereby the secondary fermentation takes place before bottling.  It is light and dry which makes it a good mixer with liqueurs.  Enjoy by the pool in the heat of the day or with your favorite fruit juice for a morning treat.

2006 Brampton Sauvignon Blanc, South Africa
Regular price 9.99; our price 7.99
This Sauvignon Blanc has a whole lot going on and tastes way better than most $10 pours.  Right upfront you get a blast of fresh cut grass and zesty citrus on the nose.  Then the lemon-lime zinger gives way to a rounder palate bursting with soft, juicy honeydew, passion fruit and lychee.  It is super refreshing but also substantial and constantly changing as you swirl it over your tongue.  This wine makes a great warm weather quaffer and is also well suited for light seafood dishes and salads.

2006 Seven Terraces Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
Regular price 13.50; our price 7.99
This is an amazing value.  Very nice grassy aromas with lots of lemon curd on the palate.  Additionally, this medium straw colored wine is rich with grapefruit, mango and gooseberry flavors and aromas.  It has good weight, great acidity and good length on the finish; a classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

2006 Annie’s Lane Riesling, Clare Valley, Australia
Regular price 12.50; our price 7.99
The wine is pale straw in color with green hues.  The nose shows the classic, elegant characters of Clare Valley Riesling: dried lime rind, citrus and stone fruit.  The palate is tight and elegant, with lime flavors dominating throughout.  It can be enjoyed as an aperitif or as the perfect accompaniment to grilled seafood or chicken.  Its impressive length and natural acidity will allow for graceful aging for a couple of more years.

2005 Chateau Saint-Florin Rosé, Bordeaux, France
Regular price 13.00; our price 9.99
This rosé comes from 100% Merlot grown in the Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux.  Saint-Florin uses an interesting technique of allowing the crushed grapes to sit for 24 hours before running off the free run juice and beginning fermentation.  Fermentation takes place at a low temperature over a period of three weeks.  The resulting wine is bone dry, with excellent strawberry/raspberry fruit and a hint of black currents.

2007 Bodega Familia Schroeder Pinot Noir “Saurus”, Argentina
Regular price 12.99; our price 9.99
This wine from Patagonia offers red tones which become brick red as it ages.  The nose projects various flowers and red fruits such as raspberry and strawberry, in addition to fine notes of vanilla and cocoa due to the wood.  The mouth-feel is round and fruity with sweet tannins and moderate acidity.  This is a really good value for money Pinot Noir.  Feel free to give this wine a moderate chilling.