Staff Picks - What to Drink this Week
Try these special, staff-selected libations!
2020 Domaine Maurice Charleux Maranges Vieilles Vignes - $38.99
It's getting harder and harder to find Red Burgundy that hits the shelf for under $40 but this lovely Pinot Noir definitely is one of the best contenders I've found. Domaine Maurice Charleux is located in the picturesque village Dezize-les-Maranges; at the Southern tip of the Côte d’Or about 4 kilometers southwest of Santenay and is famous for producing red wines from the Maranges appellation. From a tiny 2 hectares of truly old vines planted in 1933 and 1937, which gives this cuvée some serious concentration and length. Aging takes place in 3rd and 4th use oak casks. This charming wine is fresh, aromatic and rich with aromas and flavors of fresh strawberries, red berries, earth and floral notes. It's a stunner!
-Angie
2019 Longridge Cabernet Sauvignon Stellenbosch, South Africa - $34.99
This hearty South African Cabernet has a ton of personality and some intriguing varietal characteristics. Biodynamically farmed on granite and clay soil, the palette reveals finely ripened tannins and a velvety texture. The fruit character leans toward red plum and tart cherry. The entire package is well framed in spicy oak with hints of aged tobacco. Cherry pit and spice persist on the long snappy finish. This is a great pop and pour Cab but will also improve for the next several years.
-Dave
Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel - $69.99
For the most part, allocated whiskey makes me roll my eyes. A bottle of bourbon should be something that makes your eyes light up for how delicious it is, not something you keep unopened on the shelf as a status symbol. Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel is definitely the former for me, and hopefully it will be for you as well. Compared to standard Elijah Craig Small Batch, Toasted Barrel goes heavier on the sweet and spicy notes and lighter on the oak. I would call the overall product "richer" than Small Batch. For you bourbon nuts, it's analogous to how Noah's Mill might be considered a "richer" counterpart to Rowan's Creek. For the time being, this normally allocated bottle is on the shelf! Grab one while it lasts and treat yourself!
-Nick N
2021 Ringbolt, Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River, Australia - $22.99
At the extreme Southwestern tip of Australia the cool winds off the Southern Ocean meet the warm waters of the Indian ocean. This seems like an odd area for world-class viniculture. While the potential in establishing vineyards here was being explored as early as the 1950s, it wasn't until legendary winemaker Robert Mondavi declared it a diamond in the rough in the early 1970s that the region really took off. Today, Ringbolt offers this high quality Cabernet Sauvignon at a true value price. Aromas of black currant, tobacco leaf, and cassis are mixed with a touch of spiced oak. The palate opens up to bright forest berries and dark chocolate with succulent tannins that continue through a long finish. Enjoy this wine now (decanted to breath) or cellar for 8 to 10 years. Black angus, grilled on the barbie and served with roasted sweet potatoes and onions will be a great pairing with this cab from Down Under!
-Patrick
2019 Domaine Pattes Loup Vent d'Ange Chablis - $59.99
This is one of the mot exceptional Chardonnays I have tried this year offering some mind bending depth and nuance. Winemaker Thomas Pico trained under the tutelage of legendary Chablis producers Alice and Olivier de Moor and gets mentioned nowadays in the same breath as the iconic producer Raveneau. The Vent d'Ange has aromas of white peach with honey and the palate delivers notes of apple butter and briny minerality with a lovely honeyed vinous texture. This doesn't have the cut and leanness of "traditional" Chablis but if this is what the future holds for modern Chablis I'm happy to embrace it. Try this stunner with roasted turkey or crab legs with butter.
-Rob
2021 Pittnauer 'Pitti' Osterreich - 22.99
This lovely red wine comes from the dedicated winemakers at Weingut Pittnauer in Burgenland, Austria. Gerhard Pittnauer and his wife spend time carefully tending to their vines by hand and responding to the grapes without rushing them. There were only 60,000 bottles of this 60% Zweigelt and 40% Blaufränkisch wine produced and it is an excellent expression of what Austrian wine can be. This light bodied wine has flavors of cherries and hints of pepper and can easily be paired with an assortment of holiday leftovers!
-Olivia
