Desert Wines and Spirits

Saturday, February 27, 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 very much devoted to Zinfandel which no doubt explains why we have so many Zin events, or at least include samples in other tasting events.  Besides being a delicious wine, it has value power when compared to, let’s say, Cabernet Sauvignon.  You can figure on getting the same quality level on a mid thirty-something dollar Zin as a mid sixty-something Cab, with many good Zins beginning in the $10.00 range.  Most fans of the grape are acquainted with Four Vines of Paso Robles and some have heard of Mettler Family of Lodi, but who has heard of Oakridge Winery of Lodi; and did you know that Dante Dusi of Paso Robles’ Dusi Vineyard has his own label of Old Vine Zin?  Phil Molnar from Frank-Lin Distributors will be on hand to discuss and pour the wines.

2005 Oak Ridge Winery Zinfandel, Old Vine, Lodi

List price 15.00; our price 12.99

This family-owned and operated winery was founded in 1934 as a winemaking cooperative of local growers.  During the last 5 years the historic landmark has been transformed into a state-of-the-industry winery.  Some of the gnarled old vines on this property are over 120 years old, yielding small amounts of concentrated fruit.  The wine has a bright lovely fruit focused on full berry and spice flavors.  It unleashes a blast of wild berry, currant, pepper and chai tea flavors, wrapped into sturdy but fine tannins.  From the Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine: “As ripe as it is fruity, but sufficiently fixed on blackberries to stay on the varietal track, this broad, slightly viscous, full-bodied Zin fits the district style to a ‘T.”

2006 Four Vines Zinfandel, Old Vine Cuvée, California

List price 14.00; our price 11.50

This Old Vine Cuvée was selected from vineyards in the top Zinfandel appellations of California.  Old vine fruit lends increased depth and character to the blend.  Aged in small French and American oak barrels, the wine begins with silky layers of berry fruit and spice, then glides into a lingering oak finish.  You will find it jammy and juicy, with ripe cherry and toasty mocha aromas and easygoing blackberry and spice flavors.  It has enough tannins and structure to hold awhile.

2007 Mettler Family Vineyards Zinfandel, “Epicenter” Old Vine, Lodi

List price 22.00; our price 18.99

With their roots in the wine industry dating back to the 1770s, it’s no surprise that the Mettler Family is still growing grapes today.  After migrating to the U.S. in the late 1800’s, the Mettler family eventually settled in Lodi which is a true Mediterranean climate.  This is why early settlers from Europe chose to plant their vineyards here.  Intense and rich, the red berry fruit explodes in the mouth showing first its fine balancing acid, then moves on to the oak elements of earth and spice with some bacon notes.

2007 Dante Dusi Vineyard Zinfandel, Paso Robles

List price 32.00; our price 26.75

Janell Dusi remembers making wine with her grandfather in the basement using fruit from her family’s 100-acre, 80-year-old Paso Robles Vineyard  The high quality fruit from this vineyard is also sold to wineries like Turley, Four Vines and Tobin James.  Janell’s 2007 Zinfandel is purely hers.  Feminine in style, this Zin is bright and evocative of blueberries with judicious oak influence and nice acidity.  Some tea leaf spice emerges from the soft fruit mouth feel.  It is a special Zin from a fantastic vintage.

2005 Oakridge Winery Zinfandel, “Moss Roxx”, Ancient Vine, Lodi

List price 29.95; our price 26.99

Besides making their own find wines, Oakridge is a custom crush facility that produces wines for other companies and or vintners.  Moss Roxx is sourced from 8 distinctive ancient vine vineyards.  18 months in multiple cooperages accentuates the classic varietal spice and imparts vanilla aromatics, sweet, dark fruit notes and a clean, fresh mouth feel.  It shows Zin’s fine bramble character alongside oak spice nuances.  This rich elegant wine will also age wonderfully for 5-10 years.

2005 Four Vines Zinfandel Port, Paso Robles

List price 25.00; our price 21.99

The grapes were left on the vine until maximum ripeness, picked and fermented slowly until 10 Brix, where upon 2 year-old oak aged brandy was added to stop the fermentation.  The wine was aged in small French oak barrels for 20 months.  The dark ruby colored dessert wine opens with a ripe plum and spice like bouquet.  On the palate, it is full bodied, quite smooth, and balanced.  It is rich and concentrated with velvety-sweet, ripe red raspberry flavors and a hint of raisin on the back palate.   The finish is nice, smooth, and pleasant, with spice trailing into a silky caramel finish.

Saturday, February 20, 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

Thanks to all who attended the event last Saturday featuring Mike Grgich and his fine wines.  Mike was gratified by the number of fans who crowded in to meet with him and taste the wines currently in release.  Melanie did amazingly well keeping up with the pouring duties and discussing the provenance of the varietals.  Our apologies to you who got to the counter after we ran out of Fumé Blanc and Zinfandel; the matter is rectified with the arrival of both now in the store.In the meantime, new arrivals are available on our shelves and really ought to be part of our sampling schedule.  This Saturday’s event will feature imports from Argentina, Germany Italy and Spain.Next Saturday, the 27th we will concentrate on Zinfandels and the following Saturday, the 6th of March, we will present Argentine Malbecs for your discerning pleasure.

2008 Banfi Principessa Perlante Gavi, Piemonte, Italy

List price 17.50; our price 13.99

Principessa Perlante captures the fresh, fruit-forward bouquet and elegant structure of Gavi with a delicate natural effervescence.  As well as an elegant apéritif, it is also an ideal accompaniment to all shellfish, and marries well with fish, veal and grilled chicken.  Its combination of delicacy and flavor makes it a most appropriate accompaniment to the nuances of Asian cuisine in general and Japanese dishes in particular.  Also, you might try it with Italian food.

2008 Alamos Chardonnay, Mendoza, Argentina

List price 10.00; our price 8.99

Built up by the Catena family in Argentina, Alamos produces terrific value wines year in and year out.  The wine is full-bodied, with red apple and pear fruit filling the mouth.  Some bright yellow stone fruit and just a hint of toffee from brief oak aging add some richness and texture.  The wine has a truly fresh flavor profile, and would work well as a bridge wine for those who prefer crisper, brighter, Chardonnay while their companions perhaps favor richer, oakier flavors.  Delicious and versatile, this is a “smoking” good deal on Chardonnay!

2000 Bert Simon Serrig Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese, Mosel, Germany

List price 24.90; our price 19.99

In 1968, as a young enologist, Bert Simon acquired the Baron von Schorlemer vineyards Serriger Herrenberg and Serriger Würtzberg.  Both vineyard sites of about 40 acres are monopole sites of the estate and almost all the vines are planted on steeply sloping hillsides.  This is a cool climate Riesling with aromas of minerals and bright citrusy fruit, with floral nuances in the background.  I love the citrus and honeysuckle fruit flavors playing off of the minerals, with a bright, tingly acidity to support it all.

2003 Conde de Valdemar, Reserva, Rioja, Spain

List price 16.50; our price 12.95

The Martinez Bujanda family, producers of Valdemar wines, founded their original winery in 1889.  They own 820 acres of vineyards, which makes Valdemar one of the largest estates in the Rioja.  A new winery was built in 1984 to take advantage of modern technologies, integrating both new and time-honored traditions of winemaking.  A blend of 85% Tempranillo and 15% Mazuelo, the wine is clean and bright with complex aromas of stewed black berries and spicy touches of black pepper and mineral notes.  It has a fleshy ripe berry character with fine tannins extending throughout the long and very persistent finish.

2006 Monte Antico, Toscana, Italy

List price 14.00; our price 10.99

The wine is 75 percent Sangiovese, 15 percent Merlot and 10 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.  It is made from 25-year-old vines, mostly from Pisa, Maremma and Chianti Classico areas.  The quality of the 2006 vintage in Tuscany shines brilliantly through this wine.  The superb 2006 Sangiovese year has produced an aromatic wine with beautiful plums, berries and fresh acidity; #61 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2009.

2006 Masi Valpolicella “Campofiorin” Ripasso, Veneto, Italy

List price 15.00; our price 12.99

Masi’s 2006 Campofiorin reveals a soft, floral expression of red fruits framed by silky tannins.  This medium-bodied, restrained wine shows a lovely balance.  Campofiorin is essentially a Valpolicella made in the ripasso style which involves a secondary fermentation on the skins and stems of the estate’s Amarone.

Saturday, February 13, 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

Since the mid-1970s the Grgich name has been associated with some the best wines coming from California’s Napa Valley.  In March 2008, founder Mike Grgich was inducted into the Vintner Hall of Fame to honor his many contributions to the American wine business.  If you haven’t met Mike Grgich, the opportunity awaits you this Saturday.  Drop by and sample the winery’s offering while chatting with Mike and his area sales rep, Melanie Kemp Lewis.  In addition to the many years of excellence in winemaking at his Napa Valley property Mike will forever be immortalized as the man who made the 1973 Chardonnay for Chateau Montelena that shook up the wine world, and especially France, by taking first place in a California vs. France taste-off in 1976.  The French are still seething over that fiasco.

2007 Grgich Hills Estate Fumé Blanc, Napa

List price 29.95; our price 26.75

Pure aromas of tropical fruit, melon grapefruit and lemon grass are supported by a hint of minerality.  The full mouthfeel and concentrated flavors make it the ideal wine with a goat cheese salad, smoked salmon, sautéed mussels or by itself as an apéritif.

2007 Grgich Hills Estate Chardonnay, Napa

List price 42.00; our price 37.50

Following the classic style that Mike Grgich established when he began in 1977, the Chardonnay was not allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation, thereby creating a wine that is alive with balanced acidity.  This Biodynamically farmed Chardonnay is rich with aromas of ripe peach, mango and tropical flowers, plus a note of minerality.  Its elegance will show well with fresh seafood, roasted chicken, grilled pork, or creamy cheeses.

2005 Grgich Hills Estate Merlot, Napa

List price 42.00; our price 37.50

Estate grown means the grapes came entirely from the winery’s own vineyards, so that the winemaker can exercise total control of the quality from the vine to the bottle.  This is a full-bodied Merlot with rich aromas and flavors of ripe cherry and black berries with hints of cedar and spice.  A Cabernet lovers’ Merlot, the wine’s solid structure promises it will gain in complexity and silkiness with age.

2006 Grgich Hills Estate Zinfandel, Napa

List price 35.00; our price 31.50

The 2006 Zinfandel comes from the winery’s biodynamically farmed vineyards and is co-fermented with 5% Petite Sirah for added depth of flavor and structure.  Aged in large oak casks, this Zin has well-integrated oak nuance that doesn’t overpower the classic zinfandel aromas and flavors of red and black fruit and black pepper.  A great food wine, it would be the perfect accompaniment to pizza, or hamburgers, or hot dogs…or picnic fare of any kind.

2005 Grgich Hills Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa

List price 59.95; our price 53.50

The 2005 Grgich Cab comes from Mike’s carefully tended vines, predominantly from Yountville, though some Rutherford and Calistoga fruit balances out the blend.  The bottle packs a lot of class, with anise, black plum and currant fruit and a spike of peppery spice on the finish.  Acid, fruit and tannin are all in harmony here.  Wine Spectator gave the wine a 92-point rating: “Savory herb and ripe currant, berry and plum aromas are firm and intense.  Full-bodied and well-structured, with the tannins gaining traction on the finish.  Rustic but balanced. Best from 2010 through 2016.”

Saturday, February 6, 2010

4 to 6

$5.00 per person

      Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com

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

760-327-7701, 800-925-0030

2008 Loredona Viognier, Lodi

List price 11.95; our price 9.99

This wine is rather light on your tongue and is well balanced and flavorful without being heavy or oaky.  It shows pleasant honey and apricot flavors with a lovely citrus, peach, and tropical fruit character, as well.  This is your everyday pool-side sipping wine that would hold up over the rocks.

2007 Joel Gott Zinfandel, California

List price 14.95; our price 12.99

This wine is a blend of dry-farmed, old-head trained vines in Lodi and Amador Counties producing deeply-concentrated fruit while the Napa Valley harvest adds depth and complexity. Fruit from the cooler climate of Sonoma County offers spice typical of the varietal.  These diverse regions come together to produce a Zinfandel with aromas of currant, plum and sweet oak, and flavors of ripe cherry with a long, lush finish.

2006 Alexander Valley Vineyards Redemption Zin, Dry Creek Valley

List price 22.50; our price 17.99

AVV produces the well known Sin Zin, their signature Zin, Temptation Zin, a lighter style, and Redemption Zin, the wonderfully lush companion we will taste Saturday.  This wine exhibits a dark ruby color, good depth, plenty of currant, plum, licorice, and pepper characteristics, and a meaty, medium to full-bodied texture.  It shows substantial blackberry and plum flavors along with a healthy dose of black pepper and subtle notes of orange peel and glycerin.  It won a gold medal and “Best of Class” award at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair.

2006 Steele Wines Zinfandel, Catfish Vineyard, Lake County

List price 22.00; our price 17.99

Catfish Vineyard is truly an old-timer, planted in 1901.  The vineyard is located on the Bell Hill bench of Lake County just south of Kelseyville.  The vines are head pruned and stand on their own original roots.  Steele Wines purchased the vineyard in 2000 and has been working to rehabilitate the old vines since that time. Each year the vines are pruned back so that each vine has fewer shoots and therefore fewer bunches of grapes.  New vines have been planted where the 100-year-old vines have expired.  The flavor profile for this vineyard is ripe boysenberries and spices.

2006 Clos LaChance Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast

List price 19.95; our price 14.99

The 150-acre Clos LaChance Estate Vineyard in San Martin was planted in 1999-2000. Nearly 20 varietals were planted, along with 60 separate clones, providing Winemaker Stephen Tebb with a spice-rack of blending wines.  Hot sunny days throughout the growing season, coupled with cool ocean breezes in the evenings, allow for increased grape hang-time, and the further development of flavors and complexities.  This is a big Cabernet Sauvignon, with complexity showing from extensive barrel and bottle aging.  There are dark blackberry aromas with vanilla and classic Cabernet eucalyptus.  The flavors of cassis, plum and blackberries dominate throughout the palate and into the long, smooth finish.

2005 Bouchaine Chardonnay, “Bouche d’Or”, Carneros

List price 25.00; our price 19.95

Bouche d’Or, which translates to “Taste of Gold” (or is it “Gold Lips”?) refers to the rich amber color and luscious, sweet essence of this wine and its honey-apricot fragrance.  It works well as an apéritif to be enjoyed with liver pâté or smoked hors d’oeuvres.  To make this wine, harvesting was delayed on one acre of the estate vineyard Chardonnay grapes until November of the year, anticipating that the additional time would further concentrate the grape sugars.  The resulting wine recalls to mind honeyed apricots and ripe figs, yet is delicate in weight and smooth in texture.