August 5th and 6th Wine Tasting
La Dauphine, Albastrele, and Julia James, This Friday and Saturday!
2012 La Dauphine Fronsac, Bordeaux
The 2012 La Dauphine is certainly a head-turner. Rich, explosive and exotic, the 2012 possesses notable depth and concentration, with generous dark blue and black fruit and plenty of oak. Michel Rolland is the consultant. –Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
Kevin’s Notes: I took a bottle of this home top pair with a steak dinner. This wine is massive with generous black fruit and spice from the oak aging. While it’s a Bordeaux, it drinks more like a $50+ Napa Valley Red. If you like a big red wine, this wine is for you! Do not pair this wine with a filet steak as the filet like I did because the filet is too lean. This wine needs an outdoor grilled Ribeye accompanied with mushrooms and shallots.
Cooper’s Price – $27.99
Albastrele Pinot Grigio
This is NOT an Italian Pinot Grigio, it’s from MOLDOVA!
Codru in Moldova has a long, slow ripening season ideal for zesty fresh whites. A biting northerly wind not only tempers the summer heat there but helps keep pests at bay. Albastrele, named after the cornflowers that carpet the vineyards in spring, is made with hand picked grapes at the award winning Tvarditsa Estate. With flavors of pear, melon and spice, this zesty Pinot Grigio delivers impressive finesse for the money. It comes from an award winning winery in Moldova, a 2,000 year old wine region with ideal conditions for fresh, modern whites like this.
There are gazillion Pinot Grigios out there. Why? Because Americans love ‘em! Unfortunately, this high demand has led some wineries to make some bad Pinot Grigio. However, this is not the case here. Moldova has been making wine since Alexander the Great. It was considered one of the greatest winemaking areas even back then and it holds true today. I love this wine for its unique high standards of winemaking ad most of all for its wonderfully pleasant flavors.
Cooper’s Price – $12.99
Albastrele Blanc de Cabernet
~ Yes, this is a White Cabernet and it’s a BLAST! ~
FYI, all wine gets its color from the skins of the grapes as the juice ferments into wine. That’s correct, if you squish a bunch of Cabernet or Pinot Noir grapes in your hands, you would find yourself with clear grape juice running through your fingers.
This beauty is made in Moldova, one of the oldest winemaking regions in the world. Alexander the Great was known to be a big fan of Moldovia wine.
Passion fruit, grass and grapefruit flavors are abundant with a fresh and firm structure. The wine is bright, brilliant with its flavors and mouthfeel. It’s a wine for everyone from the wine geek to wine drinking newcomer. Take this to a party, chilled and in a brown bag for your friends and family. After they’ve each tasted it, remove the brown bag for them to discover a White Cabernet from Moldova! Who would’ve thought such a wonderfully unique wine existed? Cooper Wine and Spirits, that’s who!
Cooper’s Price – $13.99
Julia James Pinot Noir
Full of red fruit and spice, Julia James showcases Pinot Noir’s signature silky texture and food-friendliness. Ripe red raspberry and cherry fruit meld with earth and spice notes. The acidity is balanced and the fine tannins are ripe, yielding a long, smooth finish. Julia James Pinot Noir is medium in body and meant to be enjoyed on release.
Cooper’s Price – $12.99
