1. Smockshop Band Rose of Zinfandel 2018
$29.99
Kevin’s Notes: This is my FAVORITE Rose! This is a delicious dry fruit bomb with flavors of cranberry and blood orange backed with a tantalizing texture and long finish. This NOT white Zinfandel from the 80’ and 90’s. It’s a taste profile I have never experienced, but I should not be surprised as it’s a creation of winemaker/owner Nate Ready.
After receiving his Master Sommelier certification, Nate worked at Frasca in Boulder and the infamous French Laundry in Napa Valley. Once he realized winemaking was his dream and passion, Nate worked at wineries throughout Europe and the U.S before starting Hiyu and Smockshop. Hiyu wines come from Estate vineyards while Smockshop grapes are purchased.
His wines are organic and/or biodynamic. His rows of vines will commonly be a blend of mixed grape varieties and he co-ferments many grapes at the same time. This wine, like all of his wines, is very limited. This wine comes out of a 1.8 acre plot.
2. Moulin de Gassac Guilhem White 2016
Regular $12.99 Now $10.99
40% Grenache Blanc, 30% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Terret Blanc.
Mas de Daumas Gassac was founded in 1970 by Véronique and Aimé Guibert, and at the time they didn’t necessarily intend on planting vines and making wine. They had bought the property simply because they were enchanted by the beautiful Gassac Valley.
But when their friend, Bordeaux University geologist Henri Enjalbert, visited the estate he had no doubt: the cool micro-climate and perfectly drained gravelly terroir could produce world-class wines.
The land here was manually farmed for hundreds of years before the family settled in the valley, and the soil has never suffered from the destructive use of chemical fertilizers. The Guiberts have drawn on that ancient tradition, farming organically, harvesting by hand, and sparing no effort to respect nature.
Taste: A bright, lively wine with crisp acidity, and powerful, fruity aromatics. Medium bodied with flavors of apple, pear and a touch of minerality. Pairings: Linguine with pesto, chicken sandwiches, seared scallops, green salads.
3. Moulin de Gassac Guilhem Red 2016
Regular $12.99 Now $10.99
A Mediterranean blend of 40% Syrah, 30% Grenache, and 30% Carignan. 100% De-stemmed. All grape varieties mixed together for maceration and fermentation. Maceration for 10-12 days. Aged 6-7 months in stainless steel.
What is Maceration? Simply put maceration is the process of soaking crushed grapes, seeds, and stems in a wine must to extract color and aroma compounds as well as tannins. This is where red wines get their color and tannins and it is the lack of maceration that makes white wines so light in color and nearly tannin free.
Cold-soaking: When extended maceration is used on unfermented grape juice.
Extended Maceration: When extended maceration is used after the grapes have been fermented into wine.
Kevin’s Notes: These wines are incredible values and should be considered for case purchases as this cost is temporary.
4. Chateau Aney Haut-Medoc Bordeaux 2015
$29.99
Château Aney was built in 1850 by the family that gave it its name, just five years before the wine classification system was initiated in Bordeaux. The domaine thrived and earned Cru Bourgeois status, but by the mid-twentieth century the land was no longer being farmed and the château had fallen into disrepair. In 1972 Jean Raimond and his son, Pierre, bought the property, rehabilitated the vineyards, and refurbished the winery and cellars. This marked a new era for Château Aney; which fittingly achieved Cru Bourgeois status for a second time in 1978. Today Pierre runs the estate along with his son, David.
This left-bank château lies strategically between St-Julien and Margaux, at the epicenter of the great wines of the region where the terroir imparts exceptional quality and provides ideal growing conditions. The warm summer sun is tempered by the cool breezes of the Garonne River, and round, polished, gravelly, river stones cover the vineyard. Throughout the day the sun warms these stones, which gradually redistribute the heat to the vines, protecting them against springtime frosts and helping the grapes along towards full maturation in the autumn.
The final blend of the wine matches the proportions in which they are planted throughout the thirty hectares of vineyards: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. This traditional Haut Médoc is more like what you might remember of the classic Bordeaux styles of the 1960s and 1970s. Not at all cloaked in new wood or over-extracted tannins, Château Aney’s wines have finesse and balance. 2015 is considered an OUTSTANDING vintage!
