Friday, February 21st & Saturday, February 22nd, 2020
1. County Line Anderson Valley Rosé of Pinot Noir
Cooper’s Price $21.99
Eric Sussman is an established winemaker in the North Coast, California. He studied agriculture at Cornell, spent several years working in Yakima Valley, and immersed himself in old-world traditions of France, working exceptional vintages in some of the most prestigious appellations in Bordeaux (Paulliac – Philippe de Rothschild) and Burgundy (Pommard, and Meursault).When he noticed that Anderson Valley Pinot Noir from Champagne clones, intended for sparkling wine, was going unsold, he decided that it would make a superb rosé…and he was correct!
A sophisticated bouquet of cherry skin, tangerine and a touch of chamomile, and jasmine flowers. A zesty, and intense palate with notes of grapefruit, kumquat, strawberry. Lovely depth and length. A notably complex and mouthwatering rosé.
2. White’s Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
Cooper’s Price $14.99
White’s Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc – An icon and leading region of New Zealand’s distinctive style of Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough has a unique terroir, making it ideal for high quality grape production. Despite some common generalizations, which could be fairly justified given that Marlborough is responsible for 90% of New Zealand’s Sauvignon blanc production, the wines from this region are actually anything but homogenous.
Comprised of 50% Awatere Valley fruit, with vineyards located on both sides of the river in three sub-regions. Fruit from these regions bring tension, minerality and structure. Wairau Valley sites in the Rapaura district and the Southern Valleys make up much of the rest of the blend. Fruit from these sites are often more tropical, with some ripe citrus characters. Vines are all managed with vertical shoot positioning and pruned to leave balanced bud numbers and crop levels consistent with individual site capacity. Picking decisions are made entirely on flavor. Skin-contact is minimized and cool fermentations with neutral yeast in stainless steel tanks preserve the crisp, fresh varietal nature of the fruit. Perfumed with nettle flower and green pepper, with a palate of limes, restrained minerality and a hint of tropical fruit. The wine is sappy, fresh, clean and a very easy drinking wine.
3. Envinate Migan Tinto 2017
Cooper’s Price $44.99
Envínate (“Wine Yourself”) is the brainchild of four friends who met while studying winegrowing at the University of Miguel Hernández in Alicante. Their work, both in the vineyard and winery, is focused on exploring the ancient, Atlantic-infused terruños of Ribeira Sacra and the Canary Islands, as well as exceptional vineyard plots across the Iberian Peninsula. The Envínate philosophy is simple: allow each parcel to fully express itself in the finished wine by utilizing old-fashioned farming and winemaking methods.
This wine is from just outside La Perdoma, on the northeast slopes of Pico del Teide, the mountain volcano on the island of Tenerife. The viticulture is very old-fashioned: untrained, soil worked by hand, and NO CHEMICALS. The island experiences a fairly temperate climate, enabling grapes to ripen at moderate alcohol levels while retaining bright acidity. The main challenges to viticulture are winds from the Atlantic and Africa and fluctuations in humidity.
Sourced from two very old parcels of cordon trenzado (braided vine) Listan Negro. 60% comes from the La Habanera plot on volcanic sand at the highest elevation in the area, and 40% comes from the older San Antonio plot, lower on the slope and with more clay. The plots were hand-harvested, foot-trodden and fermented separately (La Habanera with 100% whole clusters, San Antonio 15% whole cluster) in large concrete vats, then old French barrels for malolactic and aging for 11 months. Bottled without fining, filtration or any added SO2. Migan is a volcanic mountain wine, high-toned and vibrant, with smoky strawberry fruit balanced with fine tannins and refreshing acidity. Pair it with roasted meats and full-flavored seafood dishes.
4. Alfredo Maestro Almate Tempranillo
Cooper’s Price $16.99
Having grown up amongst the vines, Alfredo had a great interest in wine and started making his own in 1998. From the beginning he farmed organically, yet in the cellar he worked by the book, teaching himself enology from a textbook and using all the tricks to make a “correct” Ribera del Duero wine: cultured yeasts, acids, enzymes, tannins, color- enhancers, etc. He soon had a revelation: as an organic farmer, why should he use chemicals to adjust the finished wine? He wanted to work as naturally in the winery as he did in the vineyard. By 2003 he was making wine WITHOUT ANY ADDITIVES whatsoever, including sulfur.
Alfredo seeks out old, neglected, high elevation parcels around Castilla y León, and nearby Sierra de Gredos Mountains west of Madrid. He currently has several old-vine parcels of Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), as well as Garnacha, Garnacha Tintorera, and Albillo – varieties that were once embraced in the region but have fallen out of favor due to the fascination with 100% Tempranillo.
Viña Almate is named after the man himself (the first two letters of his three names) and is his highest production wine. This Tinto Fino cuvée is made from fruit sourced from various Duero zones, but mostly in Valtiendas (Segovia) and Nava de Roa (Burgos). Grapes were hand-harvested, destemmed and crushed into steel vat, fermented with native yeasts with 12-15 days of maceration, then raised over winter in vat and bottled in unfined, unfiltered, and without added SO2. The result is a very pure, full-bodied Duero vino tinto with notes of red & black fruits, rose petals, and minerals. Mouthwatering and rustic, with plum and berry compote finishing. A great wine to pair with grilled and roasted meats.
