Featured Wines - January 2016

The 2009 Château Armandière Diamant Rouge Cahors is a rich, ripe, sophisticated version of Malbec that delivers the boldness and intensity of the finest Argentinean Malbecs along with the added complexity, refinement and sophistication of the best French wines. The 2009 Diamant Rouge sports a deep purple color, while its aroma evokes clean forest scents replete with wild berries, woodland violets, and subtle hints of cacao. With fine-grained...

The 2012 Château Ducasse Graves displays a deep purple robe to entice the eye, but it is this Graves’ classic aroma that truly seals the deal: a delightful array of berry fruit and supple earth tones immediately ingratiate themselves to the nose and thirsty palate. With 20-30 minutes of aeration in a glass or decanter this charming red Graves begins to unfold, offering layers of satisfying flavor. Dry, yet rich with the quintessential savor of...

Terra d’Oro Zinfandel is born on old vines that grow on the steep golden hills of Amador County, and Terra d’Oro’s 2013 Amador Zinfandel testifies to why Amador County has been the spiritual home of California Zinfandel since the Gold Rush. Rich, vibrant and beautifully balanced, the 2013 Terra d’Oro Zinfandel offers a deep garnet color, an enticing aroma of blackberry, plum, bramble and spice, and plenty of mouth-filling flavors to match the...

The 2014 Château Chanteloiseau Cuvée Jean Jules Graves possesses a delicate straw color, deep aromas of wild grasses, herbs and orchard fruits – peaches and apples – to delight the nose. In the mouth, the wine comes across as rich and textured from a preponderance of Semillon (60%), yet balanced with racy acidity thanks to a healthy dose of Sauvignon Blanc (40%). This stylish cuvee provides both a mouth-fulfilling glass of wine and a...

The 2014 Complicated Sonoma Coast Chardonnay makes a good first impression: it sparkles in the glass, offering an eye-appealing glint of sunshine and the desire to immediately stick one’s nose into the glass. What awaits the eager olfactory in this seductive Sonoma Chardonnay is a burst of opulent fruit aromas. Apple, apricot and peach aromas all come to fore as they meld with deft touches of French oak to delight the nose. In the mouth...

Grasso’s style of Barolo weds power to finesse, and in doing so Federico Grasso captures the ultimate expression of Barolo from La Morra. In the 2011 Silvio Grasso Barolo one receives a real taste of Grasso’s inimitable style. The 2011 Silvio Grasso Barolo offers up an amplifying bouquet of red fruits, plum, rose petal, and spice. And on the palate the wine comes across as supple, yet complex and expansive. In typical Grasso fashion, a...

The 2013 Maison Gille Rully Premier Cru Rabourcé offers a taste of classic white Burgundy with the power to invoke the elegance and charm of the pastoral Burgundian countryside. A radiant straw color greets the eye, while scents of acacia, privet and orchard fruits waft from the glass to greet the nose. In the mouth, the medium-bodied Maison Gille 1er Cru Rully Rabourcé reveals pure Chardonnay fruit flavors born of Rabourcé’s premier terroir.