2011 Dominique Roger "Domaine du Carrou" Sancerre
Reg. $26.99
6 bottle Sale Price: $21.99 per bottle
Case (12+ bottles) Sale Price: $19.99 per bottle

Dominique Roger's family roots in the tiny village of Bué are deep, going back at least to the 1700s. The current Domaine du Carrou was started in 1950 by Dominique's father, Maurice, with a small but perfectly situated parcel of about 2.5 hectares in the heart of the famous vineyards surrounding the tiny town of Bué (population 348). By 1985, when Dominique took over the estate, Domaine du Carrou's vineyard holdings had increased to about 6.5 hectares. Since Dominique assumed responsibility, the estate has continued to expand and improve with the selective purchases of top parcels of vines, primarily in Bué. With the intelligent additions of the last 25 years, the estate is now nearly 10 hectares, almost all in Bué (with small parcels in Crezancy and Vinon).

The estate's vineyards are now the envy of almost every sauvignon blanc grower in the world. In addition to wonderful spots in some of the most sought-after locations in one of Sancerre's premier villages, Bué, Domaine du Carrou now has vineyard parcels with each of Sancerre's distinctive soil types including the famed Chailloux (or "Silex") flint soils that make the most mineral Sancerres, the chalky clay and limestone soils of fossilized shells that make the most aromatic Sancerres, and the heavier soils with limestone pebbles ("caillottes") that make the richest and fullest Sancerres.

Domaine du Carrou makes the best of their perfectly situated 25 year old vines, too. Their vineyard work throughout the year is famous-- they go above and beyond what other growers do to assure their vines are healthy and produce low yields of top quality grapes. They then hand-harvest the vines, meticulously selecting only optimally ripe bunches which are carried in small bins to the cellar (to avoid prematurely crushing the grapes). At the cellar, the grape selection is further refined on a sorting table.

The wine is fermented for three to four weeks in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeast, to give the wine the most complexity and distinct character possible. It does not undergo malolactic fermentation (allowing it to keep its natural fresh, bright flavors and giving it more acid structure for great aging potential). The wine remains on its lees until bottling in April (giving it more full body and richer, broader, creamier texture).

The top level vineyards, meticulous vineyard work, careful selection, and intelligent, quality-focused vinification all show in a wine that is bigger, riper, and broader than most Sancerres while still possessing Sancerre's classic minerality and bright, refreshing finish.

Here's how it tastes:
This Sancerre has a pale yellow color and rich, ripe aromas of quince, mango, yellow apples, and pear skin, along with subtle floral notes reminiscent of honeysuckle, and a touch of wet gravel minerality. Full and rich on the attack, this broadens and builds on the palate to plump gala apple flavors braced by citrus zest acidity and chalky clay minerality. Sancerre fans will love this today for its richness, freshness, and full body. But be sure to order enough to hold a few bottles and watch it blossom into a rich golden colored white that brings to mind a mineral-infused peach and apple cobbler. This is a Sancerre that will improve for at least a year and drink beautifully for many years.

To order please call 703-525-0990. We need your Visa of MasterCard information including expiration date. The Domaine du Carrou Sancerre arrives tomorrow, Friday, June 15th.

Jim Cutts

Bill Sanders First Fresh Extra Virgin Olive Oil Tasting
Friday June 15th
4 to 6 pm

Join Bill Sanders and taste his extra virgin olive oil:

"First Fresh is an exclusive custom blend of three olive varieties, arbequina, manzanilla and ascolano, produced near Corning, California from 19th, 20th and 21st century trees. Each variety lends something special: arbequina's extra fruity aroma; manzanilla's rich, velvety and buttery texture; and despite only 10% of the blend, the spicy, peppery finish from ascolano. This spicy freshness is packed full of heart-kickin' polyphenols/antioxidants and flavor. Adding a bottle of this nectar to your pantry and kitchen table will elevate any healthy lifestyle."

Friday Wine Down
Friday June 15th
5:30 to 7:30 pm

Join us Friday as Francisco Astudillo of Elite Wines Imports pours some top selections from their portfolio. Featured white wines will include a garnacha blanc from Spain and a full-flavored, textured chardonnay from California. Featured reds will include a bargain from France's Languedoc region and a robust barrel-aged value from Arrocal and the excellent 2009 vintage in Ribera del Duero. All the wines will be discounted during the tasting, so come ready to stock up on your favorites. Meet your friends at Arrowine and wind down at our Wine Down.


Saturday Wine Tasting
Saturday June 16th
1 to 4 pm

Please stop by Saturday to taste some great Italian wines with Alberto Panella, founder of Grappoli Imports. The top reasons Italy is number one in wine imports are variety, quality, and value and all of these will be apparent as Alberto pours highlights from his outstanding portfolio. Everything he pours will be discounted during the tasting, too, so it'll be a great opportunity to learn, enjoy, and save. There will be a great variety of wines and there's certain to be something you'll love. There will also be some special treats that would make great last-minute Father's Day gifts. Don't miss this tasting!

Hi Everybody,

It looks like we're going to have a local brewery-focused table this Saturday--well, for the most part, anyway. The only non-local beer this weekend will be the returning Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager! Arrowine is getting 30 more cases of this favorite on Thursday and if they make it to Saturday we'll taste it out. Considering our first 45 cases sold in just over a day, I don't expect that to happen. Our Door Buster deal is going to apply to this batch of Abita Strawberry as well, so take advantage and stock up!

Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager
Regular Price: $9.99/six-pack
Two six-packs $8.99
Case Price (four six-packs) $7.99/six-pack

Get it while you can! Arrives today.


Now let's take a look at Saturday's tasting lineup:

Arrowine Saturday Beer Tasting
June 16, 2012
1-4 PM

Port City Downright Pils, Alexandria, VA: 4.8% ABV, 43 IBU
New Port City beer! Staying close to traditional Pilsner brewing, the gang at Port City puts a twist on Downright Pils with some dry-hopping using Saaz hops. This extra hop hit gives Downright a classic mouthfeel and refreshing Pils character, with just the slightest extra bit of bite and floral hop flavor. Perfect for kicking back with on a long summer day, Downright Pils is a most welcome addition to this great local brewery's lineup.

DC Brau El Hefe Speaks! (Hefeweizen), Washington, DC: 5.3% ABV, 11 IBU
Bombers of DC Brau beers have finally been approved! El Hefe is a traditionally-styled Hefeweizen with classic notes of banana and clove on a refreshing palate with just enough spicy hop to bring needed acidity. El Hefe pours a cloudy golden yellow with the kind of carbonation that keeps a beer light on its feet.

DC Brau Penn Quarter Porter, Washington, DC: 5.5% ABV
Originally brewed as a draft-only specialty, Penn Quarter Porter strides the line between Porter and Stout. Having only gotten a chance to try this for the first time a couple of weeks ago, it's great that I don't have to wait as long as I thought to have Penn Quarter again. PQP is rich with chocolate malty notes but not too high in ABV or too heavy to have during the summer months. The DC Area produces yet another outstanding Porter!

Thanks as always for your support. Don't miss out on your Strawberry Lager! See you this weekend.

Cheers!

--Nick Anderson, your friendly neighborhood Beermonger

Tuesday June 19th
5:00 to 7:30 p.m.

We will have a special public tasting with winemaker Adi Badenhorst from South Africa. Adi is the man behind the popular "Secateurs" wines and he will be featuring their brand new rosé as well as their hit chenin blanc and red blend. He'll also have the exclusive and excellent Badenhorst Family Red and Badenhorst Family White. Make plans to come to Arrowine on Tuesday for this special event.

Thank you for your support of Arrowine and the work that we do.

Doug Rosen

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