Desert Wines and Spirits

Saturday, January 2, 2010

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

We are kicking off the New Year with more recent arrivals that feature well in the under-twenty dollar range.  Three are from California, and the other three hail from France, Spain and Argentina.  There is no rhyme or reason here; only the quest for very good wine at fabulous prices.  So if you have exited your recovery period and no longer consider alcoholic beverages a bad thing, do join us.  After all, we must do our part to support the wine industry.

2008 Domaine Laurier Chardonnay, Sonoma County

List price 9.95; our price 6.99

Laurier derives its name from the French word for the laurel trees that surround the founding winery in Sonoma County. Los Carneros - whose climate is moderated by the north end of the San Francisco Bay - is ideal for growing Chardonnay grapes.  The wine displays excellent fruit character and is balanced with a lively and crisp finish.  The flavors remind of ripe spicy pear, apple, citrus and light oak flavors.  Focused, it turns a bit leafy and earthy on the finish.

2007 Domaine Laurier Cabernet Sauvignon

List price 9.95; our price 6.99

This Cabernet contains clones selected from some of Alexander Valley’s best vineyards.  The preferred winemaking technique here combines European tradition with new technology to create a wine that is abundant with fruit character and silky texture.  Nuances of black cherry, plum, black olive and vanilla top the list of flavors.  Compatible entrees include roast leg of lamb, braised short ribs, grilled Portobello mushrooms and a variety of sharp cheeses.

Chateau de Saint Cosme “Little James’ Basket Press”, Gigondas, France

List price 14.95; our price 12.99

According to Robert Parker, this wine is created from a Solera system based on 50% from 2008, and the rest from older vintages.  It is always 100% Grenache and is finished with a screw cap.  It offers lots of spicy, peppery, black cherry, and even blacker fruits along with medium body, a tasty, satisfying style, and a remarkably low price.  Spicy and rich, with layers of kirsch, cassis and blackberry fruit and a commanding note of minerals and herbs, it screams Grenache.

2006 Bodegas Bilbaínas Viña Zaco Tempranillo, Rioja, Spain

List price 13.00; our price 11.50

Zaco is the rebellious new Rioja from Bodegas Bilbaínas, a Rioja with a contemporary twist. Zaco is not constrained by the rules of the traditional ageing process.  It is neither a Crianza nor a Reserva.  Zaco is simply ready when award-winning international winemaker Diego Pinilla believes the wine is reaching its full potential.  Every year Diego will identify the perfect moment to bottle Zaco.  This is a distinctive wine made in the international style with fresh fruity aromas.  Black cherry and blackberry flavors are framed by smoky chocolate oak in this taut and focused red.  Its firm tannins and bright acidity should keep it at its peak through 2012.  It scored 90 points in the Wine Spectator.

2008 Bodegas Gascón Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

List price 14.95; our price 11.99

The Don Miguel Gascón Malbec is a full-bodied wine, deep purple in color and layered with flavors of blackberry, blueberry, dark cherry and a hint of mocha.  The mid-palate shows a plumy fruit, finishing with pepper, chocolate, and smooth tannins (wine’s best feature).  It is attractively packaged as well as attractively priced.  The elegant, velvety mouthfeel and round tannins will pair well with grilled red meats, wild game, pasta dishes and chocolate desserts.

2005 Bridlewood Syrah Reserve, Central Coast

List price 22.50; our price 15.99

The aroma displays spice, blackberry, plumy and earthy notes which develop into dark berry and plum as the wine opens up.  You may also pick up hints of violets, chocolate and coffee. This is a full bodied wine with soft, but powerful tannins.  The wine flavors open with blackberry jam, violets and plum; dark berries combine with mouth filling tannins to form a long silky mid-palate and end with a clean lingering finish.  While this wine is already balanced and drinking well now, the moderate alcohol, acidity and tannin structure will allow this wine to improve with additional cellaring and will drink well for the next five years.

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Saturday, December 26, 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 Saturday we will be trying out some newly arrived white wines from France and some reds from California.  The three French whites are excellent examples from appellations along the long growing area of the Loire River.  The reds are a fine example of French varietals as grown in differing areas of California.  All are great value wines that compete against similar bottlings of higher price.  All are simply fun sipping wines to serve as an apéritif or with a meal.

2007 Chateau du Cleray Muscadet Sevre et Maine

List price 15.95; our price 11.99

Muscadet is also known as Melon de Bourgogne which is occasionally bottled by growers in California as Melon.  It is grown near the mouth of the Loire in the district of Nantes.  The short period of sur-lie aging results in a complex, soft and round wine that is bone-dry.  The flavors of citrus and melon rind are bright and lively, showing a taut freshness and clean, classically racy structure.  Wine and Spirits Magazine gave this wine a rating of 89/100.

2007 Sauvion Vouvray

List price 13.50; our price 9.99

Together with Muscadet, Vouvray is the most popular Loire wine in the USA. It is the perfect introduction to the Loire wines: easy to drink, fresh, soft, and “velvety”. It is grown in Touraine among the hundreds of romantic châteaux. Made from Chenin Blanc, this Vouvray is medium dry, complex, soft and round with honey and acacia on the nose.

2007 Sauvion Sancerre

List price 25.00; our price 19.95

This Sauvignon Blanc hails from the district of Centre, far inland where the Loire begins its southward journey.  Sancerre is situated on a hillside area across the Loire River from Pouilly-Fumé.  The wine is very aromatic with Jasmine and Acacia in evidence.  It is dry and full bodied with the usual herbaceous character one expects of the area.

2005 Pacific Oasis Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County

List price 14.95; our price 9.99

This wine was made by fine winemaker, Daniel Gehrs, who aged the Pinot sur lies for eight months prior to finishing and bottling.  The aromas are of black raspberry, black cherry, Oriental spices and smoky French oak.  Very light for a Santa Barbara County Pinot, it is made in the true Burgundian style: This is what a Pinot is supposed to be!  The taste consists of both sour black cherry and strawberry which is pronounced on the front to the mid of the palate.  The mid palate shows a hint of earthiness and cloves which continues to a long nice finish.

2004 Murphy-Goode Merlot, Alexander Valley

List price 14.95; our price 9.99

This wine is a classic, approachable Merlot, soft and juicy with expressive fruit.  Winemaker David Ready Jr. notes: “We use the Goode-Ready designation when working with younger vines in the Alexander Valley that produce exuberant, forward fruit flavors of Bing cherry and blackberry.”  This wine is luscious on the palate, with bright acidity balancing the plentiful, jammy fruit flavors and making this Merlot highly food friendly.  Oak barrel aging (40% new, 90% air-dried American) contributed toasty aromas of sweet smoke, toffee and cedar. The wine is enjoyable now and has the structure to improve with time.

2008 Rabbit Ridge Allure de Robles, Paso Robles

List price 8.99; our price 6.99

Allure de Robles is an estate grown wine that is produced in Cotes du Rhone style.  The clones of the grapes are predominantly from Tablas Creek Winery and Vineyard Nursery, meaning they are cuttings from both the Château Beaucastel in the famous Chateauneuf-du-Pape region of France and French Entav bud wood.  This wine is medium bodied with strawberry and cherry overtones from the Grenache, body from the Syrah and earthiness from the Mourvèdre.

Saturday, December 19, 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

Our annual Champagne event last week was a big hit and we are following it up with a Prosecco party.  This Saturday we will be visited by Kirsten York from Italy’s Mionetto Winery. The Mionetto family has been producing Prosecco wine in the very heart of Valdobbiadene since 1887.  The Prosecco zone, located in the Veneto, is comprised of an area between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.  This is the only place in the world where the Prosecco grape grows.  Mionetto makes a range of Prosecco styles, which would well accommodate year-end party needs at easy to manage pricing.  The best part is they are very festive, are under 12% alcohol and they taste really good.  Prosecco is an ideal accompaniment for a variety of cuisines and courses.  Whether served as an apèritif, or at the end of a meal, or any course in between, the natural acidity and fresh taste lightly compliments, but never over-powers, a meal.  Join us this Saturday to learn all about the famous grape that produces this wonderful wine, while sipping the lovely elixir.

Mionetto IL Prosecco, Veneto

List price 11.95; our price 9.99

This is a straw-colored wine with brilliant reflections. The aroma is fruity, reminiscent of pear and citrus with a slightly floral bouquet. The wine is fresh and crisp with apparent apple and peach flavors. This lightly sparkling (frizzante) wine typifies the traditional wine-maker’s Prosecco.

Mionetto Prosecco di Valdobbiadene

List price 18.00; our price 14.99

The Valdobbiadene winemaker’s art is full of long-standing traditions which the Mionetto Company has preserved, including the ancient custom of using string-tied corks, a rustic characteristic of the Valdobbiadene wines of the past lovingly maintained by Mionetto to this day.  The wine is slightly fruity and dry, with the perfume of golden apples.

Mionetto Prosecco Brut

List price 15.95; our price 11.99

This fully-sparkling wine is pale gold with greenish tints and a full and consistent perlage. Refined, light and delicate, it has a long-lasting aroma and fruity, crisp taste that recalls the freshness of golden apples.

Mionetto Sergio Spumante, Extra Dry

List price 24.00; our price 21.95

The blend in this sparkling wine is 70% Prosecco di Valdobbiadene DOC and the other 30% is a blend of Verdiso, Bianchetta and Chardonnay.  It honors the traditions of the Veneto winemaking region and the long history of the Mionetto family.  Contemporary master vintner Sergio Mionetto produces this wine based on a formula handed down by Francesco Mionetto, who founded the winery.  A touch of two old grape varieties, unique to the region, are blended with the area’s finest Prosecco grapes; the result is a superbly dry, slightly fruity wine with just a hint of acidic crispness.  Wine Enthusiast gave the wine a 92 point-rating.

Mionetto IL Rosato del Veneto

List price 11.95; our price 9.99

This well-balanced and fruity wine has lively notes of cherries with a long and dry finish. Its pleasing aroma recalls the elegant mix of roses, raspberries and peaches.  This wine is lovely on its own, as an apèritif or paired with cured meats, mild cheeses or shellfish.  It particularly comes alive as a complement to fresh water fish such as rainbow trout and carp.

Mionetto Sergio Rosé

List price 24.00; our price 21.95

This is a brilliant, raspberry colored Italian sparkler with pretty and well-defined aromas of cranberry juice, almonds and roses.  Interesting mineral nuances that recall chalk or white stone add a patina of elegance and femininity to a fun and informal wine otherwise characterized by red berry fruit, white cherry and flower petal.

Saturday, December 12, 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

It wouldn’t be a proper December without our annual Champagne event.  Lisa Wherry will be back discussing and pouring a selection of Champagne and other sparkling wines that should cover most celebratory needs.  So, if you have not begun your year-end celebrations, let us help you kick off the December bacchanal.  The following week, December the 19th, we will be visited by Kirsten York from Italy’s Mionetto Winery.  Mionetto is all about Prosecco, which functions well for year-end partying without breaking the budget.

Villa Sandi Prosecco, Veneto, Italy

List Price 12.95; our price 9.99

Villa Sandi is an exquisite Palladian-style villa dating back to 1622, located at the foot of the Marca Trevigiana hills, in the Veneto region and represents the combination of art and agriculture which has characterized the Venetian landscape for centuries.  This Prosecco is an ideal accompaniment for a variety of cuisines and courses.  Whether served as an apèritif, or at the end of a meal, or any course in between, the natural acidity and fresh taste lightly compliments, but never over-powers, a meal.  This elegant sparkler achieves a nice balance between sweet, fruit flavors and lively crispness.  Look for peach, pear, jasmine, grapefruit and stone that characterize the fruit with a bit of almond bitterness at the finish.

Bouvet Brut, Saumur, Loire Valley, France

List price 14.00; our price 11.95

This is a well-rounded, Champagne-like bubbly that makes a superb apéritif on its own before a meal and complements most meals as well.  It is a delicately fruity sparkling wine showing crisp citrus and white fruit flavors with a hint of toast refined by notes of Chardonnay ending in a fresh, lively finish.  Mostly Chenin, with 10% Chardonnay, this delicious bubbly mixes spicy yeast with clove and herb scents, inviting repeated sips.  Full-bodied fruit flavors follow, with a slightly candied appeal, and the finish wraps you in hints of vanilla and light toast.  88 Points Wine Enthusiast.

2006 Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs, Napa

List price 30.00; our price 26.95

Blanc de Blancs was the first wine Schramsberg produced in 1965 and was America’s first commercially produced Chardonnay-based sparkling wine.  Small lots of malolactic- and barrel-fermented wines are added for complexity.  The wine is aged on the yeast lees in the bottle for about two years prior to disgorgement.  It delivers aromas of key lime, freshly cut green apple and honeydew melon, followed by just a hint of pineapple upside-down cake. Upon entry, the palate is layered with flavors of citrus, ripe Anjou pear, dried pineapple and baked apple pie. With its vibrant, fruitful and crisp nature, this sparkling wine will maintain its freshness, structure and refined finish for many years, following release.

Taittinger Brut, Cuvée Prestige

List price 39.00; our price 32.50

Pale almond gold in color, this Champagne is punctuated by delicate strands of fine, persistent bubbles.  The full, aromatic Pinot fragrance of berries, toast and earth is allied to subtle notes of white Chardonnay fruit, both of which are confirmed on the generously full bodied palate.  In the mouth, the wine is marked by a smooth, round, creamy texture and elegant, toasty nuances of black Pinot grapes. The ample fruit dimension is offset by a clean, delicate acidity which carries into a warm, yeasty finish of exceptional refinement and breed.

2004 Iron Horse Russian Cuvée, Sonoma

List price 30.00; our price 27.00

This wonderfully rich and creamy wine is a classy blend of 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay, aged an average of four years on the yeast in the bottle.  It is finished with a rich dosage, which makes it more opulent, and slightly sweeter, heightening the fruit. This vintage was awarded 90 points by Wine & Spirits magazine. It was originally designed for the historic Reagan-Gorbachev Summit Meetings ending the Cold War.

Juve & Camps Brut Rosé Pinot Noir, Spain

List price 18.00; our price 14.99

Positively delicious; this juicy little number has a bright beam of ripe raspberries, vanilla and yeasty brioche right down the mid-palate.  Definitely balanced & fine, it appears to have been designed for heavier fish dishes where a crisp acidity is needed for balance.  It is produced from Pinot Noir grapes wherein the free run juice is allowed a brief maceration on the skins.  Long bottle aging has brought balance, length and weight while retaining freshness and vivacity; it has good legs!

Saturday, December 5, 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

We have a fondness for Italian wines and decided to squeeze in one more Italian wine event before the end of the year.  These wines arrived this week and will no doubt be your first opportunity to taste them.  Italy remains the number one wine producer in the world and reigns at the top with the most varietals under cultivation.  Winemakers there are not after “knocking your socks off”; rather they seek to balance all the elements of wine to harmonize with food.  You cannot sip their wines for long without desiring at least an antipasto, or pasta, or pizza.

2008 Umani Ronchi Verdicchio, Marche

List price 10.50; our price 8.99

The Bucci family has been involved in viticulture in the classic Castelli di Jesi zone of the Marche for over three centuries.  Today they tend some 21 hectares of vineyards, sited mainly around the village of Montecarotto, using wholly organic methods.  A combination of low yields in the vineyards and meticulous vinification, results in wines of memorable intensity and power. The bouquet is quite floral and the palate reflects ripe fruits which together display considerable finesse.

2008 Casale Mattia Frascati Superiori, “Terre del Casale”, Latium

List price 13.00; our price 11.75Frascati is one of the classic Roman appellations, a white wine that many (correctly) associate with open-air dining in the Eternal City.  Like many other Italian wines, it is a blend, and it must be at least 50% Malvasia Bianca di Candia.  That’s set, but winemakers have considerable latitude for the remaining 50%, typically mixing in Trebbiano and Greco.  The bouquet is bright, with fresh, rather pungent floral accents supported by clean bright fruit.  The palate, too, is bright, with lively minerality and clean citric acidity that flow into a lovely fruit finish with a hint of bitterness.

2007 Teruzzi & Puthod Terre di tufi, Tuscany

List price 19.95; our price 17.99

This super Tuscan from San Gimignano is a blend of Vernaccia, Chardonnay, Malvasia and Vermentino.  The aromas and flavors are of fresh pineapple, flowers and mineral.  It is medium-bodied and silky, with good, clean fruit and a lingering finish.

2007 Badiolo Chianti, Tuscany

List price 12.00; our price 9.99

Chiantis are based on the Sangiovese grape, which typically yields a medium-bodied wine with strawberry and cherry fruits that are accented with delicate notes of green herb, dusty soil, leather and spice.  While Chianti can be produced exclusively from Sangiovese, the vast majority of Chianti is blended with a small percentage of other grapes.  Traditional grapes like Mammolo, Colorino, and Canaiolo are used to add some flesh and aromatic complexity to the finished wine but always play second fiddle to Sangiovese.  Many producers now include some Merlot, adding fruit and richness, or Cabernet Sauvignon, which contributes power and dark fruit flavors, to their Chianti yielding a wine that is richer and chunkier than the wines of the past.  This bottling in straw-wrapping is known as a “fiasco” and is done in the light-to-medium straight forward Sangiovese style.

2008 Umani Ronchi Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Tuscany

List price 9.95; our price 8.99

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is one of the most widespread native varieties of Italy, mainly along the Adriatic coast.  It is appreciated for its full, mellow qualities and its aromatic persistence.  A careful selection of the grapes is followed by fermentation on the skins for 10 days.  After malolactic fermentation the wine is stabilized and matured in bottle before release. The resulting product is medium bodied and dry, with a finely textured structure and ripe, plumy fruit.  It pairs well with Provencal lamb with Mediterranean vegetables, lamb and red pepper kebabs, pasta with sun-dried tomatoes, olive and goat cheese or pork tenderloin with balsamic-cranberry sauce.  This blend is 90% Montepulciano and 10% Sangiovese.

2004 De Valier Valpolicella Ripasso, Veneto

List price 24.00; our price 19.95

The first contemporary Ripasso wine was produced in 1964 by applying the technique of a second fermentation of Valpolicella grapes (70% Corvina, 20% Molinara, and 10% Rondinella in this blend) on the skins and lees of the Amarone, transforming young fresh wine into rich full bodied wine suitable for aging in barrel and bottle. The nose is floral and full with fruity scents of cherry, blackberry and hints of vanilla.  The taste is medium bodied, well structured and balanced, harmonic with sweet tannins, and an elegant finish; an excellent example of the renowned Italian classic from Veneto.