Staff Picks - What to Drink This Week
Try these special, staff-selected libations!
2022 Jolie-Laide Melon de Bourgogne $34.99
Melon de Bourgogne is the grape of Muscadet in the Loire Valley in France and is the perfect pairing to shellfish of all kinds. Jolie-Laide makes some truly lovely Melon from the Chalone AVA in Monterey, a dramatic high desert site in the Gabilan Mountains neighboring Pinnacles National Park. South facing slope, 1800 ft elevation, situated just beneath an extinct volcano with decomposed granite and limestone soils. In the glass it's full of seaside minerals, lemon verbena and citrus blossom with mouthwatering acidity. It's a stunner!
-Angie
2019 Domaine du Petit Aout ‘La Memoire Neuve’ IGP Hautes-Alpes - $22.99
This exceedingly ripe and lively red wine is made from the obscure Mollard grape in the heart of the French alps. The fruit is hand-picked from a mix of vines from 5 to 55 years old then fermented and aged in fiberglass to retain freshness. The aroma and flavor are redolent of ripe cherry, dark fruit and a hint of spice and the body strikes a perfect balance between extracted richness and lively acidity. Very friendly and pleasant. I can't think of a reason not to drink a lot of this in the ‘in between days’ while we wait patiently for a lasting Spring warm up.
-Dave
2021 Scenic Valley Farms Chardonnay $23.99
Scenic Valley Farms has been practicing sustainable agriculture since its conception in 1970. Vineyard Manager Brian Zielinski and winemaker Gabriel Jangle practice organic viticulture, keep bees in the vineyards, utilize solar power, and even make oak barrels from fallen trees! I have not tasted any wines that use Oregon oak, but I must say the result on this wine is a harmonious marriage. This Chardonnay shows aromas of honeysuckle and tropical fruit and the palate shows ripe pear and apple with notes of baking spice and vanilla from the Oregon oak, resulting in a rich, balanced texture. This is an absolute knockout for the price. Try this richer white with roasted chicken thighs or baked garlic and Dijon salmon.
-Rob
Boodles Gin, 1 liter - $28.99
Now that the weather is slowly but surely beginning to warm up, it's time to start breaking out your lighter spirits (tequila, vodka, and gin, mainly). Whether you love gin, want to try it, love sipping it, or mostly want to make cocktails, Boodles is a pretty great option for all of the above. Style-wise, Boodles is a very solid London Dry gin, which means a great big helping of juniper. It's not at all overwhelming, but rather stylistically appropriate. I would argue that the greatest asset of this gin is its value. At $28.99 for a whole liter, this is a great "bang for your buck" kind of bottle. Whether you already love gin or want to love gin, Boodles is a stellar pick for a solid gin at a great price.
-Nick N
2021 Vina Maitia, Roto, Cabernet Sauvignon, Maule Valley - $17.99
After finishing University in France, winemaker David Marcel established his reputation for low intervention wine making in the Maule Valley of Chile. His Roto release is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon but blended with a little Syrah and a dash of intensely dark Alicante Bouchet. Employing organic viniculture, the blend is fermented with native yeasts and aged in a combination of old oak barrels and concrete. Aromas of plum, cassis, dusty earth and leather lead to a full bodied palate with smooth tannins wrapping a core of black cherry and plum. The finish is firm and lingering. Well under $20, this is a great value for an organic Cabernet Sauvignon from this beautiful part of the world.
-Patrick
