Staff Picks - What to Drink this Week
Try these special, staff-selected libations!
2018 Chereau Carre le Sillon des Braudieres Clisson Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine - $38.99
It's Mother's Day weekend and in a perfect world, I would be eating oysters and sipping on this delicious Muscadet. The Chéreau Carré winery is run by the family's second generation father and daughter team of Bernard Chéreau, and Louise Chéreau, the third. Their family origins in the region reach back to the 11th century. The founder of the winery, Bernard Chéreau, Sr., was the first to age Muscadet wines on lees, a method that became an integral part of the appellation in 1977. Both father and son pioneered bottle-aged Muscadet, meant to improve with time in the cellar, and they were the first in the region to emphasize this quality. Louise Chéreau is carrying that vision into the future, continuing the family philosophy of focusing on Muscadet Crus Communaux, single vineyards, long aging, and absolute quality. Le Sillon des Braudière is a single vineyard in the zone of Clisson, part of the Muscadet Crus Communaux designation. Aged for over three years on the lees, this is exactly what a good, aged Muscadet should be!
-Angie
2019 Maxime Laurent, IL Fait Soif, Cotes du Rhone - $31.99
Under the umbrella of his family's Domain Gramenon, Maxime-Francois Laurent has produced this lighter refreshing Cotes du Rhone. Laurent is harvesting his grapes from his organically farmed vineyards in the northern, rolling hills, region of the Southern Rhone. Along with cooler climate grapes, Laurent employs Carbonic Maceration for the syrah grapes that make up part of the blend for this vintage. 70% is Grenache with the rest being Syrah and Cinsault. Whole cluster fermentation is with indigenous yeasts and the wine is not filtered or fined, and sees no added sulfites. Aging is a crisp six months in stainless steel. Bright red blossoms and fruit aromas lead to a lifted juicy palate touched with light spice. Il Fait Soif means "It's thirsty weather"- Laurent is paying homage to a Rhone tradition of workers enjoying wine as a refreshing thirst quencher. And the result here is a deliciously quaffable red wine to be enjoyed now and satisfy any thirst, especially lightly chilled!
-Patrick
2021 Domaine des Terres de Chatenay Vire’-Clesse’ $23.99
The tiny appellation of Vire’-Clesse’, formally part of the larger Macon appellation, is the wine d’jour for bargain white Burgundy. Situated in the North of the Macon, just south of the Cote Chalonnaise, the wines here tend toward fresh, fruity and crisp with a healthy dollop of the indescribable Burgundian elegance. Domaine des Terres de Chatenay is a gem within a gem. A small family operation, they produce only 400 cases a year. The wines are hand picked and carefully hand made with a combination of stainless and neutral-oak fermentation. This wine is an affordable labor of love. Expect slightly young wine that, with gentle coaxing displays delicate ripe fruit and floral aromas. The wine starts off airy and grows in intensity toward the mid palate without showing any heaviness. The finish is moderately long with pronounced
minerality and salinity.
-Dave
2021 Newfound 'Gravels' California Red Wine $41.99
My favorite new wine in the shop is one that evokes a great deal of pride and emotion. Sixteen years ago my friend and retail wine colleague Matt Naumann moved to California to work for the legendary Bruce Neyers. He was eventually recruited by Ehren Jordan of Failla wines to manage his ranch on the Sonoma Coast learning best farming practices and honing his winemaking skills for the next decade. This experience culminated in the founding of Newfound in 2016. Matt and his partner, Audra Chapman, purchased 40 acres of prime vineyard land in the Sierra Foothills complete with a small winery. The existing vineyards were replanted and while the vines on the property mature they work with well known established vineyards sites farmed by diligent growers who share their convictions. Gravels is the perfect gateway into the ethos of Newfound wines. This blend is composed of vineyard sites that are planted on gravelly soil. It is a blend of mainly Grenache, a varietal that Newfound champions, with a small portion of Counoise and Syrah. This is my favorite vintage of this always delicious medium bodied wine showing pretty red fruit notes with minerality. The small portion of Counoise lifts the aromatics and gives the wine some energy. This bottle of wine encapsulates the future of Californian wine and puts Newfound in the forefront of the conversation of the great producers of Grenache and Mediteranean inspired varietals.
-Rob
Venn Brewing; Golf Beer - $12.99
I'm not great at golf. Okay, that's a lie. I'm pretty awful at golf. But golf is still a blast if you go with good friends and some great beer. The pinnacle of golfing beer is, not coincidentally, named "Golf Beer". Golf Beer comes from Venn Brewing, and starts as a refreshing wheat beer. To this they add lemon and black tea, making for what is essentially a fancy (and delicious) Arnold Palmer. The black tea isn't just flavoring, either. The caffeine in this beer will keep your energy high enough to go five shots over par on every hole (if you're me). Even if you're not golfing, give this local brew a try during your next sweltering summer activity.
-Nick N
