Desert Wines and Spirits

Saturday, April 30, 2011
4 to 5:30 pm

$10.00 per person
$5.00 is credited against purchase of the featured wines below

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

The state of Washington is producing some very nice wines and more importantly some fine values. It is a good idea to touch bases with Chateau Ste. Michelle to see where the levels of quality and value are currently. Besides Chardonnay and Cabernet, it is worth noting that some really good Merlot is coming out of that state. I’m talking about Merlot with structure as well as flavor. We will be offering, too, a blended red wine that arrived recently that some of you have already been enjoying.

2009 Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Valley

List price 9.95; our price 7.99

This is a pleasurable, food-friendly Chardonnay. It is a fresh, soft style of Chardonnay with bright sweet apple/citrus fruit character and subtle spice and oak nuances. Chardonnay grapes are blended from vineyards all over Washington’s Columbia Valley to make this a complex, interesting wine. The sur lie aging gives it an appealing softness.

2008 Chateau Ste. Michelle, Chardonnay, Indian Wells, Columbia Valley

List price 17.99; our price 13.95

The warmth of the Wahluke Slope produces Chardonnay with an appealing tropical fruit character and rich texture. The Indian Wells Chardonnay delivers ripe tropical pineapple flavors and showcases the luscious opulence of Washington fruit. I like this wine with scallops, scampi or pasta with slightly richer sauces. It is smooth and fragrant, with cedar and peach pit overtones to the apple and stone fruit flavors, finishing with polish.

2007 Magnificent Wine Co. House Wine, Walla, Walla, Columbia Valley

List price 10.00; our price 8.99

This is a nice hearty blend that enjoys an 89-point rating from The Wine Spectator: “On the lighter side, showing lovely red berry and sweet red pepper flavors that settle gently onto a bed of silky tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon (32%), Syrah (31%), Merlot (30%), Malbec (3%), Zinfandel (2%), Cabernet Franc (1%) and Petit Verdot (1%). Drink now through 2014.” It comes off full, dense and chewy, all the while showing opulent, smooth, lavender flower and berry fruit.

2007 Chateau Ste. Michelle Merlot, Columbia Valley

List price 12.69; our price 10.99

This Merlot shows complexity while being approachable. It offers aromas of black cherry, leather and spice with layers of rich dark red fruit and cola flavors. This is a great “everyday red” to be served with beef, lamb, grilled salmon, hearty pastas, etc. The blend is 89% Merlot, 8% Syrah and 3% Malbec. The wine was aged 15 months in French and American oak, of which 31% was new.

2008 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley

List price 12.69; our price 10.99

This Columbia Valley Cabernet bottling serves to highlight concentrated Washington red fruit in an accessible style. It is an inviting Cab with plenty of complexity and structure yet with silky tannins. The blend is quite interesting, too: 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Syrah, 7% Merlot, 3% Mourvedre, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec, and 1% Grenache. It is a very versatile wine, especially with food. It was aged 16 months in American and French oak, 32% of which was new.

2006 Northstar Merlot, Walla Walla, Columbia Valley

List price 36.00; our price 29.99

This rich wine is concentrated and yet elegant, with aromas of cherry, plum, raspberry, and blackberry, finishing off with flavors of toasted oak, vanilla, coconut, mint, and toffee. Wine Spectator gave it a 91-point rating: “The 2006 Merlot Columbia Valley is composed of 76% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It was aged in French and American oak, 65% new, for 18 months. The fruit was sourced from 14 different vineyards making the wine a testament to the art of blending. Dark crimson-colored, it displays an alluring bouquet of cigar box, sage, clove, cinnamon, black cherry, and a hint of chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, round and elegant on the palate, it has solid depth and enough ripe tannin to support 2-3 years of additional cellaring. Drink this intensely flavored effort from 2011 to 2021″.

Saturday, April 23, 2011
4 to 5:30 pm

$10.00 per person
$5.00 is credited against purchase of the featured wines below

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

Throughout its golden age, Greek wine was widely known and exported throughout the Mediterranean basin in amphorae. The Greeks introduced the Vitis Vinifera vine to ancient Egypt and later made wine in their numerous colonies in what are now Italy, Sicily, southern France and Spain. Wine development was curtailed in Greece after seizure by the Ottoman Empire which lasted about 400 years. It is said that the Greek wine industry is about 10 years behind Spain. If that is the case then the growth curve in terms of quality and volume is on a rocket-like trajectory. Pricing will play a large part in the overall success of this growth pattern. Accordingly, we have selected some interesting new wines (to the US) that are quite affordable and delicious at that.

2009 Marras Assyrtiko, Peloponnesus

List price 14.00; our price 11.99

Assyrtiko is a white Greek wine grape indigenous to the island of Santorini. It is widely planted in the arid volcanic-ash-rich soil of Santorini and other Aegean islands, such as Paros, because, simply, it thrives there. It is planted as well on the Peloponnesus which is the source of this bottling. The flavor profile is floral with a fine mineral quality. The Peloponnesus produces a more robust version of the varietal, and just as flinty. It finishes bone dry. Serve this one with Taramosalata dip.

2009 Marras Chardonnay, Peloponnesus

List price 14.00; our price 11.99

The bouquet shows green apple, melon, citron and citrus blossoms. In the mouth it is fruity with apples at the fore. It is well balanced, fresh and crisp as you would expect of a wine from the dry semi-mountainous area of the Corinthian region. It finishes somewhat tart in the manner of a Chablis.

2009 Elios Mediterranean White, Peloponnesus

List price 11.99; our price 9.99

Elios White and its Red partner are innovative blends that capture the essence of freshness and purity at an affordable price. The White is a light, crisp and refreshing blend with complex citrus and floral aromas, which combines Chardonnay (30%) and the indigenous Mediterranean varietals of Moschofilero (50%), Roditis (10%) and Savatiano (10%). The wine opens with a fruity/floral character and proceeds through a mix of apples, citrus and melon notes.

2009 Boutari Moschofilero, Mantinía

List price 16.00; our price 12.99

The appellation of Mantinía is the site of the largest battle of the Peloponnesian War between the Spartans and the Athenians in 418 BC. This is now the site of the beautiful 15-35 year old vines producing the grapes for this wine. The old vines from this vineyard, located at 2,100 feet, have produced a crisp wine that erupts with aromas of honeydew, melon and a squirt of lemon juice followed by a very distinct floral aspect, like rose petals and lavender. Serve as an apéritif, or with Mediterranean, pan-Asian, or middle-eastern food. It is rated a “top value” by Wine & Spirits Magazine.

2007 Elios Mediterranean Red, Peloponnesus

List price 11.99; our price 9.99

The Elios wines are produced by the Boutari Winery which is recognized as one of the Mediterranean’s top producers. Two familiar grapes contribute to this blend; Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, each at 30%. The remaining 40% is Agiorgitiko, which translates as St. George. The experience here is one of blackberries, spices and chocolate. Tannins in the finish tame the fruitiness.

2007 Marras Cabernet Sauvignon, Peloponnesus

List price 15.00; our price 13.50

This Cab comes from mountainous vineyards located in the Corinthian region. The bouquet is of berries and black fruit jam with spices, cedar and nuts. The flavor profile is reminiscent of ripe red fruit integrated with a pleasing nuance of chocolate and refined tannins. It has a long lasting velvety finish.

Saturday, April 16, 2011
4 to 5:30 pm

$10.00 per person
$5.00 is credited against purchase of the featured wines below

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

It is once again time for our annual Opolo Vineyards wine tasting event. We will be highlighting some of the current wines in release including the newly released blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec called Serenade. As with last year, Cary Thrasher will be coming to the desert to re-acquaint us with this winery’s dazzling display of fine wines. For those of you that are to-date uninitiated, this tasting event will prove an eye-popping, mouth-watering encounter with richly flavored, high alcohol, sometimes bombastic varietals. This is truly one of our fun events of the year.

2009 Opolo Roussanne, Paso Robles

List price 21.00; our price 14.99

This white Rhone grape produces for Opolo a wine that has delicate honeysuckle floral aromas and fruit flavors of melon, apricot, and pear. It is balanced with some minerality and rounded by good acid with a creamy-rich mouthfeel. All-in-all, nicely balanced with a long and pleasing finish.

2008 Opolo Sangiovese, Paso Robles

List price 19.95; our price 17.99

This Tuscan varietal has an interesting expression here in Paso Robles. It is a medium-bodied wine featuring a bright, fruity nose with hints of spice which follow through to the finish. This versatile wine is easy to pair with nearly anything because its acidity is lively enough to stand up to some rather acidic food choices such as tomato-based sauces. It is ready to drink now, so extended cellaring isn’t recommended.

2008 Opolo Serenade, Paso Robles

List price 25.00; our price 22.50

This delightful blend of big, beautiful and intense Cabernet Sauvignon with lots of rich and creamy Malbec makes an absolutely elegant wine that is sure to deliver now and for years to come. Soft tannins and a bountiful bouquet of fruit, complemented by aging in both French and American oak barrels, have created an interesting marriage of the two great varietals.

2009 Opolo Zinfandel, Summit Creek, Paso Robles

List price 19.99; our price 16.99

This is a full-bodied red wine showcasing overt raspberry and black cherry fruit aromatics and flavors framed by soft tannins and balanced acidity. Subtle pepper and spice nuances further complement this wine which is ready to drink today, although the dark color and youthful fruitiness indicate that it will likely cellar well for a few years.

2009 Opolo Mountain Zinfandel, Paso Robles

List price 25.00; our price 19.99

This wine is from the “bigger-is-better” school of winemaking. Its bountiful bouquet of fruit captivates the nose with pomegranate, fig, and cranberry aromas. Raspberry jam dominates the mid-palate nuanced by savory butterscotch overtones. Vanilla, white and cayenne peppers, and cinnamon spice makes for a lively finish. Opolo likes to think of the Mountain Zinfandel as America’s most decadent red. Yes, there are degrees of decadence.

2006 Opolo Petite Sirah, Paso Robles

List price 22.50; our price 18.99

Impressively extracted, this inky, intense wine shows aromas of chocolate, blackberries, graham crackers with a touch of cinnamon. The palate explodes with gobs of dark, jammy fruit unfolding in waves of chocolate, spice, toasty oak and vanilla. The long lingering finish is soft and round with plenty of dry tannins to satisfy the big red wine drinker and collector. It pairs well with grilled meats and with cheeses; maybe even a chocolate bar.

2008 Opolo Muscat Canelli, Paso Robles

List price 14.00; our price 11.99

This wine gives off a bouquet of peach and honeysuckle with hints of citrus. It’s crisp and light on the palate with nice acidity making it an excellent sipping wine. It is off-dry so it’s not over powering on the sweet side. The concentration of citrus honey blossoms with accents of apricot is amazing. Enjoy it pool side, as an apéritif or with a lighter dessert at the end of a good meal. As the days get warmer, be an iconoclast and pour it over rocks.

Saturday, April 9, 2011
4 to 5:30 pm

$10.00 per person
$5.00 is credited against purchase of the featured wines below

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

STOP #1: RAYMOND BURR VINEYARDS. We have returned from Sonoma County where visits were made to friends at wineries and B&B’s. Our trunk was filled with wine from small producers that generally are not seen in Southern California. One of my favorites is Raymond Burr Vineyards on West Dry Creek Road, near Healdsburg. We owned a restaurant in Cloverdale during the eighties which was frequented by Raymond Burr and his good friend Robert Benevides. They loved our continental cuisine and extensive wine selection and spent many an evening with Zola, who hosted and was manager of our restaurant, Zola’s. Originally, their wines were produced at Pedroncelli Winery with1990 being their first vintage. After 18 months in French and American oak cooperage, the wine was bottled in November, 1992, and released in 1995. The vineyards are planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay. In addition, four Portuguese varietals are planted there because Bob and Raymond loved Port. The small rustic tasting room is a shrine to the Perry Mason character Raymond made famous and to the Ironsides role, as well. Raymond Burr didn’t want the vineyards named for him, but Bob felt this was a fitting memorial to his friend. The winemaker for these wines is the very talented Phyllis Zouzounis who spent years at Dry Creek Vineyards and Mazzocco Vineyards. She has her own brand, as well, and we will be pouring her Deux Amis Winery bottlings next week. Other Sonoma wines to be served, aptly supplement our selection.

2009 White Oak Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Valley

List price 14.99; our price 9.99

If you like Sauvignon Blanc, you should pay apt attention to this offering. Taste it and see if you agree that it is a fantastic buy at this price—not to be seen anywhere on the internet. Your experience begins with aromas of lichee, pear and orange zest with a hint of minerality. The flavors of this divine wine are lemon, Kiwi fruit, pear and Fuji apple. A hint of grapefruit and grassiness complete the wine. It finishes long with an enjoyable balance of acidity and fruit flavors.

2008 Raymond Burr Chardonnay, Dry Creek Valley

List price 28.00; our price 22.00

The bouquet opens with a green apple scents along with a bright floral character. Add an attractive baked apple aroma with a note of toasted oak and before you even taste you sense why this wine won a GOLD MEDAL at the Orange County Wine Competition. The first tasting sensation is a full body with a creamy mouth feel. After the voluptuous entry, an easy dryness spreads across the palate, beginning at the rear and moving forward with a bright acidity and soft white spiced-minerals. Flowers, minerals and spice coat the mouth while holding flavors for a long time. It is well balanced, has a long finish and a pleasant after-taste. Only 416 cases were produced. It was totally barrel fermented, then put through ML.

2008 W. H. Smith Wines Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

List price 26.00; our price 23.75

Friend and winemaker Helen Turley inspired in Bill & Joan Smith (owners of historic La Jota Vineyards) the desire to try his hand at Pinot Noir. In 1992, under a new W. H. Smith Wines label, the Smiths released their first vintage of Sonoma County Pinot Noir. The goal was to produce Pinot Noirs that are classically styled with intense flavors, supple texture, and moderate alcohol. The 2008 is comprised of Swan, Pommard and La Tâche clones from 4 Sonoma Coast vineyards. The nose is fragrant, delicate and spicy, and suggests rose petals and Bing cherries. The wine shows concentration, bright acidity and that heavenly Pinot Noir silkiness. The strawberry and delicate cherry fruit flavors are medium-bodied, ending with a subtle finesse.

2008 Raymond Burr Cabernet Franc, Dry Creek Valley

List price 38.00; our price 29.95

Like the gold medal winning 2007, the 2008 shows blackberry and chocolate in the nose with a hint of licorice. It is earthy and spicy in the mouth, has medium tannins and projects its lovely fruit to a dry, long finish. Phyllis Zouzounis does an amazing job with this varietal which simply does not get the recognition it deserves.

2008 Raymond Burr Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley

List price 38.00; our price 29.95

The bouquet is redolent with rich fruit scents expanding to a beautiful nose of blackberry and classic cassis. A touch of black cherry, with nuances of chocolate and blueberry rise above the concentrated fruit playing off of a hint of earthy overtones from the Dry Creek Valley terroir that Phyllis explores so well. It shows good structure, nice tannins, and a long finish encapsulated within a velvety texture.

2007 Kendall-Jackson Muscat Canelli, Santa Rosa

List price 14.00; our price 11.99

While in Santa Rosa we dropped in on the K-J tasting room at the former Chateau de Baun. This is a beautiful facility and an opportunity to try many amazing small-batch K-J wines that are not distributed. The Muscat Canelli displays a delightful mélange of citrus flavors such as tangerine and mandarin orange on the palate with notes of peach blossom, spices and pear. It is richly layered and balanced throughout. It has a pleasant off-dry and lingering finish.