Saturday, December 15, 2012
4:00 to 5:30 pm

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

Home of: www.WineAndSpiritGifts.com
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 92264
760-327-7701, 800-925-0030
facebook.com/DesertWinesAndSpirits

As the holidays are upon us, this will be our last tasting event of the year, and as we vacation in January, this will be our last tasting event for a few weeks. E-mails will be sent out when we do resume. Lisa Wherry, of Chateau and Estates will be visiting us to assume hosting duties and pour some of her most excellent Champagnes and other sparkling wines. This is always a fun event and presents an excellent opportunity to taste the latest vintages before committing ones hard earned cash to gift purchases or to celebratory needs. For those of you who unhappily cannot attend…Happy Holidays!

JCB No. 21 Cremant Brut, Burgundy

LIST PRICE 20.00; OUR PRICE 15.99
Each JCB wine is known by a number. Number 21 is the French government’s “Department” number for the Cote d’Or of Burgundy. Wine Enthusiast gave the sparkler a 90-point rating: “Part of a range of wines created by Jean-Charles Boisset of Boisset Family Estates. This Cremant is crisply apple and lemon flavored, a bone-dry, textured wine that is destined for food. It finishes with elegant acidity.”

2008 Domaine Carneros Brut, Carneros

LIST PRICE 25.00; OUR PRICE 19.99
This vintage brut from Domaine Carneros is comprised of 57% Pinot Noir and 43% Chardonnay. It is the signature wine of the estate, which was founded by the Champagne house Taittinger in 1987. The grapes were completely sourced from certified organic estate vineyards in Carneros. The wine spent three years sur-lie before being disgorged. It is quite fragrant showing aromas of crème brûlée, honeycomb, melon, citrus zest, and hay before flavors of pear and golden apple. The cuvée features an elegant, round structure and a tantalizingly long finish.

2009 Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc, North Coast

LIST PRICE 30.00; OUR PRICE 26.99
The 2009 Blanc de Blancs offers bright aromas of fresh green apple and juicy pineapple, complemented by yeasty sweet bread dough. The aromas lead into an expressive and generous taste of white stone fruit, apple, pear and tart grapefruit. An undertone of salty minerality and a complex creamy palate are supported to the end with mouthwatering acidity.

It received 91 points from Wine Spectator: “Elegant and sleekly styled, with appealing aromas of green apple and almond brioche, featuring focused, layered flavors lemon curd, cinnamon and ginger.”

2005 Iron Horse Ocean Reserve, Green Valley

LIST PRICE 35.00; OUR PRICE 29.99
Ocean Reserve is a special, limited edition Sparkling Wine created in partnership with National Geographic to benefit the ocean. For every bottle you purchase, Iron Horse will donate $4 to establish marine protected areas and reduce overfishing around the world. The wine is a true Blanc de Blancs, 100% Chardonnay, aged four plus years. The finishing element, the dosage, makes it unique.

2008 Schramsberg Blanc de Noir, North Coast

LIST PRICE 35.00; OUR PRICE 29.99
This sparkling wine is a brut style made from Pinot Noir, with a touch of Chardonnay added for length on the palate. It has been handcrafted using select cool climate North Coast vineyards, barrel fermentation, and extended aging in Schramsberg’s historic hillside caves. The Blanc de Noirs is more roun

Taittinger LaFrancaise Brut, Reims

LIST PRICE 49.95; OUR PRICE 39.99
This is a rich, well balanced Champagne, beautifully elegant, touched by yellow fruits, apples and just the right amount of viscosity. There are final hints of toast, spice and lemon curd and cream, ending with a firm, minerally finish.
91 points Wine Enthusiast and 90 points Wine Spectator

Piper Heidsieck Cuvée Brut, Reims

LIST PRICE 35.00; OUR PRICE 29.99
Fact-of-life: Henri Piper married the widow of Christian Heidsieck in 1838, and the Heidsieck name was combined with the Piper name in October 1839. This wine is always bright and toasty, showing citrus, apple and chalky minerality.

2009 Schramsberg Rosé Brut, North Coast

LIST PRICE 35.00; OUR PRICE 29.99
​This rosé is flavorful, complex and dry, making it both versatile with food and delicious by itself as an apéritif. The character of the wine is most strongly influenced by bright, flavorful Pinot Noir grown in Carneros, Anderson Valley, and the Sonoma and Marin coastal areas. A few small lots of Pinot Noir are fermented in contact with their skins to add depth and subtle color to this unique sparkling wine. Chardonnay gives spice, structure and length on the palate.

Saturday, December 8, 2012
4:00 to 5:30 pm

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

Home of: www.WineAndSpiritGifts.com
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 92264
760-327-7701, 800-925-0030
facebook.com/DesertWinesAndSpirits

Organic certification means synthetic pesticides or fertilizers cannot be used in the vineyard. Biodynamic® practices were developed in the 1920s and, based on ancient farming techniques, are designed to promote and enhance biodiversity and biological activity in the soil. Special mineral and microbial treatments are applied to the vineyard at specific times of the year. Bonterra has been producing wine from 100% organically grown grapes since 1993. All of their grapes are grown using certified organic practices, such as composting, cover crops, and biodiversity. These organic practices produce grapes that offer a quality of fruit and vibrancy of taste creating wines that express the purity and intensity of each varietal’s unique character. Here is your opportunity to taste the resulting wines and chat with Amanda DeCicco, Southern California District Manager for Bonterra and Fetzer.

2010 Bonterra Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Mendocino Co.

LIST PRICE 12.99; OUR PRICE 11.99
Intense aromas of grapefruit, citrus, kiwi and fresh cut grass greet the nose. As you drink, the crisp acidity gives the wine a fresh vibrant feel with flavors of grapefruit, lime zest and grass. It closes with flavors of melon and a nice tart finish.

2010 Bonterra Vineyards Viognier, Mendocino Co.

LIST PRICE 12.99; OUR PRICE 11.99
Aromas of peaches and cream, citrus blossom and apricot greet you at the first inhalation. Fruit flavors of apricot and peach are accented with spice. The wine is crisp and rich with beautiful elegance and a very long finish.

2008 Bonterra Vineyards Roussanne, Mendocino Co.

LIST PRICE 17.95; OUR PRICE 14.99
The bright character of the blended wine marries hints of honey from the Marsanne, ripe harvest peaches from the Viognier and acidity from the Roussanne grape, which imparts aromas of fresh Granny Smith apples and Bartlett pears.

2010 Bonterra Vineyards Chardonnay, Mendocino Co.

LIST PRICE 12.99; OUR PRICE 11.99
Previously-used or neutral oak is used for minimal aging in order for the fresh fruit characteristics to shine through. New oak was used for just 16% of the wine to give this Chardonnay a nice vanilla note. An initial impression of rich, buttery cream turns to aromas of crème brûlée, lemon and spice. This wine’s rich, creamy character is balanced with a bright acidity and a nice long finish.

2009 Bonterra Vineyards Merlot, Mendocino, Co.

LIST PRICE 12.99; OUR PRICE 11.99
This wine has aromas of black plums, dark cherries and cranberries with flavors of dark berries, toasty oak and vanilla spice. In the mouth, this wine has an elegant and restrained style with nice structure and balance, soft tannins and a long finish. There are added touches of Syrah, Zinfandel, and Carignane in the blend. The wine was aged for eight months using a combination of French and American oak of which 40% was new.

2009 Bonterra Vineyards Zinfandel, Mendocino, Amador, Lake

LIST PRICE 12.99; OUR PRICE11.99
The wine has aromas of blueberry, black stone fruit and black pepper. Polished tannins and flavors of berries, vanilla, black pepper and toasty oak lead to an elegant, balanced, and a rich, long finish. A little Petite Sirah adds complexity.

2009 Bonterra Vineyards Syrah, Mendocino, Co.

LIST PRICE 12.99; OUR PRICE11.99
The newer biodynamically-farmed Butler Ranch, which ranges upwards to 1,600 feet above sea level produces a wine with heady aromas of dark black cherry, white and black pepper, cedar, and toasty oak. It is distinctive and unique with a more fruit-forward style. The tannins are nicely polished, providing a rich ripe mouthfeel, with flavors of dark fruit, and a long soft finish.

2009 Bonterra Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendocino, Lake

LIST PRICE 12.99; OUR PRICE11.99
​This Cab offers aromas of bright cherry, currant, and raspberry with notes of toasted oak and vanilla. In the glass, you will find flavors of cherry and currant and a lingering finish. Good structure, a moderate weight, polished tannins and a balanced acidity promise an ever more pleasing wine to come.