Desert Wines and Spirits

Saturday, January 23, 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

My buddy, Mark Sullivan of Regal Wines, has agreed to fill in for me this Saturday and will be pouring some of his favorite California Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs and Zinfandels.  Mark is very personable and all to willing to expound upon some of the many fine wine companies he represents.  He is also known in the trade as a heavy pourer, so be sure to tell him when you have had enough.  I am joking, of course.  Really, there is the occasional sobriety check point in our area and I went through the last one recently.  I passed with flying colors, even though there was a six pack of beer in the seat next to me.  Honestly.  Please do guide yourselves accordingly.

I will return from vacation the next week and be here for yet another tasting event.

See you then.

2007 Cambria Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley, Katherine’s Vineyard

List price 19.50; our price 15.95

Connoisseur Guide lists this wine a “Good Value”:  “This one may be a few dollars less pricey than [others], but we like its more open, fruity style and its mix of Meyer lemon, vanilla and chalky notes.  Its flavors are delivered along with a pleasantly supple entry impression, and if the wine firms up a bit at the back, that is to its good as well in that it invites service with dishes ranging from the sweeter white fishes like Sole Amandine to baked chickens with pan gravies”.

2007 Byron Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley

List price 23.00; our price 17.95

Staying true to the consistent nature of Chardonnay from this cool coastal appellation, Byron’s Chardonnay combines vibrant fruit character with a rich texture and a silky finish. Aromas of orange blossom, Anjou pear and hazelnut are accented by hints of mineral and toasty oak.  On the palate, the wine is well balanced with traces of peach, mandarin orange and toasty brown spice with a long, lingering finish.

2006 Stonestreet Chardonnay, Alexander Valley

List price 27.00; our price 23.99

Wine Advocate gave this wine a 92 point rating: “The 2006 Chardonnay Alexander Valley is a beautiful wine that exhibits notes of honeysuckle, poached pear, and tropical fruit in a medium to full-bodied style, with crisp acidity and a long, very subtle, smoky oakiness.  Drink through 2010.”  We put aside some cases of this wine to let it evolve in the bottle and the payoff has arrived…delicious!

2008 Byron Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley

List price 24.00; our price 19.99

In 1964 Uriel Nielson planted Santa Barbara County’s first commercial vineyard, and the Byron estate is located on the same site as those original plantings.  All of the fruit for this Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir comes from that estate’s sandy loam soils.  A combination of older and younger vine fruit, the 2008 is concentrated yet bright, with cherry and plum character, hints of rose, smoke and cookie spices.  Earthier at its core than the nose would hint, the wine is still loaded with juicy cherry and plum fruit accented by smoke and spice and framed by fine tannins.

2006 Taft Street Zinfandel, Russian River Valley

List price 22.00; our price 17.99

The grapes for this wine were selected from the 100+ year old Cobblestone Vineyard in the Russian River Valley, located on the gentle rolling hills east of the town of Windsor.  This is amazingly good rich and plumy old vine Zinfandel for the price.

2007 Edmeades Vineyards Zinfandel, Shamrock V., Mendocino Co.

List price 32.50; our price 28.99

At 2,800 feet, Shamrock Vineyard is one of the highest elevation vineyard sites in Mendocino County, on the northern border of Humboldt County. The vineyard sits on a small 2.1-acre site perched high above the fog line and is a true mountain grown Zin.  Van Williamson has been the winemaker since 1994 and is preeminent on the subject of Zinfandel.  At first, the aromas hit you with mixed berries covered with a cherry liqueur with hints of floral, citrus and black pepper.  In the mouth you get chocolate, dried cherries, vanilla spice and notes of earthiness.

Saturday, January 16, 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

Next Saturday, the 16th, we will be joined by Sunny Grosso, California Sales Manager for Vine Connections, importers of fine sakes.  She will answer any questions you may have had regarding sake and its varied styles.  Tozai company has been crafting sake for 200 years, while family owned Kanbara was founded in 1880, andTakasago in 1899.  The process begins with a specific rice for the purpose.  It is milled down to roughly 70% of its size or even more depending on the quality level desired.  Natural spring water is drawn from a depth of 600 feet.  Sunny will happily explain all as she pours each of these fine products.  For starters, she will introduce a line of flavored drinks based on Junmai “pure rice” sake.

The following Saturday, the 23rd, Mark Sullivan of Regal Wines will be pouring some of his favorite California Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs and Zinfandels.

sake2me Sparkling Junmai

Single bottles $3.49; Four-pack $12.99 (ok to mix)

The latest cutting edge sake drink, saké2me, is a lightly sparkling, Japanese Junmai sake infused with all-natural Asian flavors.  Currently available in single-serve bottles, it is served chilled as a refreshing alternative to beer, wine or cocktails.

Yuzu Citrus

- lemony citrus with a hint of orange peel

Asian Pear

- crisp and ripe with a subtle spicy aroma

Green Tea

- intriguing with notes of lemongrass and wildflower honey

Ginger-Mango

- spicy fruit with a clean finish

Tozai “Living Jewel”, Junmai

List price 17.95; our price 15.50

This is produced in Kyoto’s ancient brewing town of Fushimi, known for its abundant supply of pure, pristine, and soft water from many nearby mountains.  The label image is a Japanese “koi” whose vibrant colors and shimmering scales have earned them the moniker “living jewels”. 30% of the rice grain is polished away.  The aromas of white grape, anise, and a hint of sweet rice are quite complex.  These same flavors come rushing through the medium-bodied palate which has a slightly creamy texture followed by a hint of white pepper and fresh herbal notes. The long, clean finish makes this a great sipping sake as well as a companion to a wide range of foods.  It earned 89 Points, Silver Medal, “Highly Recommended”, from the Beverage Tasting Institute

Tozai “Well of Wisdom”, Ginjo

List price 25.00; our price 21.95

This sake is crafted with pure, natural spring water from a family brewery nestled at the base of Osaka’s scenic Ikoma Mountain.  40% of the rice grain is polished away.  The aromas are of peach and powdered sugar.  On the palate, the flavors head toward apricot, peach skin, and a touch of anise.  This medium bodied sake presents a unique combination of dry, crisp sake that also has amazing complexity of flavor; great balance too.

Kanbara “Bride of the Fox”, Junmai Ginjo

List price 35.00; our price 29.99

This sake is named for the famous fox-bride festival held annually in Niigata to celebrate a local legend about mysterious lights that have appeared on nearby Mt. Kirin.  50% of the rice grain is polished away.  Here, are aromas of grilled nuts, pistachio, and a hint of white chocolate.  Flavors of nuts and ripe honeydew explode at the front but the sake finishes crisp with a hint of lingering sweetness.

Takasago Ginga Shizuku “Divine Droplets”, Junmai Daiginjo

List price 68.00; our price 62.00

“Shizuku” (drip pressed) sake, a rarity by itself, is the only sake in the world drip-pressed in an ice igloo which is rebuilt every year outside the main brewery building in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island.  50% of the rice grain is polished away.  Spice, minerality, and banana skin dominate the aroma profile of this shizuku- pressed sake.  Medium-bodied with a clean impact, the flavors run the gamut of a well-crafted junmai-daiginjo: melons, herbs, vanilla essence and concentrated mineral flavors that keep the sake focused well into its long, ethereal finish.  This is truly one of the ‘Rolls-Royces’ of sake.

Tozai “Snow Maiden”, Junmai Nigori

List price 17.95; our price 15.50

This sake is named Snow Maiden in homage to Japan’s most famous koi, “Hanako”, which lived 226 years in the icy waters at the foot of Japan’s Mt. Ontake.  30% of rice grain polished away.  This is fairly thick and chewy nigori (cloudy sake), but it is still surprisingly dry.  The aromas are bright and fresh and they show a lovely rice and fruit combination.  In the mouth, this sake has solid weight and gives the same flavors of fresh fruit and creamy fresh rice that your nose told you about.  The finish has a pleasant astringency and is nicely mellow, beckoning you for another mouthful.  You will rarely taste a classier nigori at this price, and this may be the ultimate food-friendly nigori.  91 Points, Gold Medal, “Best Buy” Beverage Tasting Institute.

Tozai “Blossom of Peace” Plum Sake

List price 17.95; our price 15.50

While most plum wine or sake is made with shochu, fermented plums, or grapes with plum flavors added, this is the only”ume-shu” crafted with premium Japanese sake and the region’s highest quality ripe green plums, or “shiro-kaga”.  The plums are soaked in sake for over three months to achieve a rich, sweet aroma and subtle plum flavors.  This is a semi-sweet sake with ample aromas of almond and marzipan, and with perfectly ripe plum flavors dominating the palate.

Saturday, January 9, 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 going ahead with the Ramazzotti Vineyards wine event even though we were unable to get Joe Ramazzotti here at this time.  This is a shame because Joe is a very personable man with a lifetime of vineyard management and wine making experience.  Recently he purchased the old Bandiera Winery in Cloverdale, northern Sonoma County, not far from his Geyserville area vineyards.  All wine making activity will proceed from this facility.  His style of winemaking bridges the Italian and California styles and is artful in the manner of blending.
Next Saturday, the 16th, we will be joined by Sunny Grosso, California Sales Manager for Vine Connections, importers of fine Sakes.  She will answer any questions you may have had regarding Sake.  Several styles will be poured including the “Divine Droplets”, a Daiginjo and the best Sake I’ve ever tasted.
The following Saturday, the 23rd, Mark Sullivan of Regal Wines will be pouring some of his favorite California Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs and Zinfandels.As I will be on vacation, there will be no further reminders.  Please make a note of any of the above events in which you are interested and, by-all-means, do attend.

2007 Ramazzotti Chardonnay, Dry Creek Valley

List price 16.50; our price 14.25

This Chardonnay is made exclusively from 25-year-old Wente Clone vines grown on the Smith Ranch in Dry Creek Valley and farmed by Joe Ramazzotti.  It was all barrel-fermented, unrefined and unfiltered.  You can really taste the fruit in this Chardonnay.  It has a fresh, pure apply quality that comes from not being over-handled.

2006 Ramazzotti Sangiovese, Dry Creek Valley

List price 19.50; our price 16.99

This wine has a wonderful black cherry smell, and is smooth and velvety to the taste.  It has a full-bodied taste with a lingering finish which goes well with any meal, but is especially delicious with pasta dishes.  Silver Medal Winner 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Competition.

2005 Ramazzotti Ricordo Zin Blend, Dry Creek Valley

List price 24.00; our price 21.50

The 2005 Ricordo, which means “remembering” in Italian, is made in the style of the old-time Italian Field Blends from five different grape varieties.  They are assembled on Walling Road in the Dry Creek Appellation from vineyards that are farmed by Joe.  The blend is made up of Zinfandel, of course, along with Petite Sirah, Syrah, Alicante Bouchet, Carignane and Chasselas Doré (also known as Golden Chasselas).

2005 Ramazzotti Regale Red Table Wine, Alexander Valley

List price 28.00; our price 24.25

The “Regale”, or “gift”, is a blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Syrah.  This wine is big, beautiful and fruity, with hints of chocolate and violets. It won a Silver Medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Competition.2007 Ramazzotti Raffinto Super Tuscan Style Red, Sonoma CountyList price 32.00; our price 28.50This is your ultimate feel-good bottle. Starting a journey composed of diverse delicious fruit flavors moving across the palate, this wine offers a clean nose with hints of raspberry and black cherry.  The Raffinto, “refined”, or “refinement”, is a blend of 60% Sangiovese, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 7% Syrah and 5% Cabernet Franc.