Wines of the Week: 
2020 St. Michael Eppan Sanct Valentin Alto Adige Sauvignon Blanc Normally $49.99–$42.49 15% Off This Week ONLY! 2018 Chateau Lynch Bages Pauillac Grand Cru Bordeaux Blend Normally $219.99–$186.99 15% Off This Week ONLY! * * * About the Wines of the Week: 2020 St. Michael Eppan Sanct Valentin Alto Adige Sauvignon Blanc Normally $49.99–$42.49 15% Off This Week ONLY!  
About the Winery The foundation was first laid in 1989 for what is arguably the most famous white wine produced at St. Michael-Eppan Winery. The Sanct Valentin Sauvignon has found excellent conditions at the foot of the Mendel Massif in selected vineyards that have been carefully chosen over the course of the last 20 years, in order to produce a great vintage wine with impressive fruit, minerality and excellent persistence. This fine wine is not only the pride of the winery today and the most important wine of the Sanct Valentin line, but also one of Italy’s most award-winning white wines. 
About the Wine The 2020 Sanct Valentin Sauvignon comes from selected vineyard sites in St. Michael and Eppan/Berg between 1,476 and 1,968 feet above sea level. The vine age ranges from 10 to 28 years old, in limestone-gravel driven soils and exposed southeast. Harvested by hand in early to late September; the majority of grapes are fermented in steel tanks, inside which the wine is aged on the lees. The remainder is fermented and aged in wood. Yellow-green hues are matched with dense nose of yellow fruit, gooseberry, elderflower and ripe redcurrant aromas. On the palate expect to find crisp acidity, smooth body and an elegant fullness. Ageing potential of eight to ten years or more. Pairs well with fried fish such as ocean perch, sole or char on pepper cream or with full-flavored vegetable risotto. Ageability for eight to ten years or more. * * * 2018 Chateau Lynch Bages Pauillac Grand Cru Bordeaux Blend Normally $219.99–$186.99 15% Off This Week ONLY!  
About the Winery Daring, innovative and with a reputation for often being the last to harvest, Jean-Charles Cazes defined the style of Lynch-Bages in the 1930's. The wine's distinctive character has earned it a place amongst Pauillac's greatest. It combines structure, finesse and elegance, offering generous aromas in its youth and developing deeper complexities with bottle age. The estate’s reputation as a top quality wine producer took off in 1945 after a series of exceptional vintages. Since then, Lynch-Bages has continued to produce excellent wines, even during years considered difficult in the Bordeaux region. The wine’s deep color and tannic backbone have become part of its signature style. Jean-Michel Cazes, grandson of Jean-Charles, has worked hard to develop and refine the wine’s supple and smooth structure over the years. Vintage after vintage, the estate’s precise and excellent winemaking techniques have served to firmly establish Lynch-Bages reputation for consistent quality. 
About the Wine Following a particularly wet winter that recorded mixed temperatures, the wine season began with a slightly late bud break. However, it followed a normal pattern thanks to mild temperatures at the beginning of April. The 2018 vintage was then marked by two periods. The first saw relatively mild temperatures but heavy rainfall, from March to early July. The second period began mid-July with fine summer weather, hot temperatures and excessive sunshine. Full flowering occurred in line with the 20-year average. Thanks to ideal weather conditions, harvest started on 19 September with the Merlot and was followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot until 9 October. Upon arrival at the cellar, the sanitary state of the grapes was perfect, with rich sugar content and exceptional polyphenols. Alcoholic fermentation was straightforward and homogeneous and average vatting time was 21 days. During the runoff from 15 to 29 October, the vats produced juice yields that were below expectations. Then came the time for malolactic fermentation, one third of which took place in vats and two thirds in barrels. It was completed in November. The first blends were carried out in December. Lynch-Bages 2018 offers a seductive mouthfeel with powerful yet silky tannins. On the palate, there is a strong prelude of black chocolate, rosemary and spices on a fresh core leading to a long finish. The vines are situated on Garonne Gravel soils. Hand-picked and sorted at the vineyard. The wine is then aged in wooden barrels for 18 months (75% new oak). Blend: 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 6% Cabernet franc, 3% Petit Verdot 
Critical Acclaim "The 2018 Lynch Bages is made up of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot aging in 75% new barriques. Very deep purple-black in color, the nose is quite coy and restrained to begin, fanning out to offer pure, ripe blackcurrants, black cherries and preserved plums with wafts of red roses, cigar box, incense, cardamom and fenugreek with savory touches of black olives, Marmite toast and smoked meats. Full-bodied, the palate is built like a brick house, with a solid foundation of very firm, very ripe, grainy tannins and superb freshness supporting the generous black fruit layers, finishing long with provocative ferrous suggestions."–96-98 Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate “An utterly fabulous wine, the 2018 Lynch-Bages captures all of the richness and generosity that make the year so appealing, and yet doesn’t stray too far from its classic feel. Rose petal, lavender, spice, sweet red berry fruit and mint are all beautifully lifted in the glass. Racy and silky to the core, the 2018 is a real head-turner from the very first taste. All the elements fall into place effortlessly. Readers will have a very hard time keeping their hands off this jewel of a wine.”–96 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous * * * Also Tasting Today: 2017 Cordero di Montezemolo Monfalletto Barolo Nebbiolo $57.99  
About the Winery
In the post-war years, Paolo Cordero di Montezemolo produced a small quantity of “special” Barolo to share with those he deemed “deserving”. The concept of “deserving” was very simple: people who came in person to discover the places where the wine came from, spending hours talking and laughing with its creators, discussing everything and becoming friends. Sharing a lifestyle and a cult for the time, in which the clock and daily commitments seemed to “crystallise” for at least a day. Time was on their side, and they had the ability to block it if they wanted to. Over the years, everything became harder, more laborious and less suited to this kind of approach, and the production of this “special” Barolo gradually declined. By the time they reached the late 1990s, they realized that things had gotten out of hand, and today, in the new millennium, everything appears to prove us right. Today everything is fast, sometimes too fast. So, in 1998 the team decided to make a wine that could turn back the clock; to go back to that time before Barolo was just another wine to be made known to as many wine lovers as possible. The intention was to create a wine that would be an intimate and rare gift for those who, with a burning passion, wanted to discover more about its nature, to be almost accomplices, ambassadors, part of a territory that has something magical between its hills and their inhabitants. 
About the Wine
The company’s flag, its symbolic wine, the label that more than any other embodies the history, heritage, culture and essence that Cordero di Montezemolo aims to express through its work. A Barolo made from the unification of all the plots cultivated in La Morra, minus the small quantities of grapes selected from parts of them for the production of Barolo Gattera and Barolo Riserva Gorette. Barolo Monfalletto is our biggest production, thanks to the large extension of vineyards from which it originates, which cover an area of about 14 hectares. Each part of the hill is harvested separately, choosing the best moment for each one. Vinification and ageing in wood follow individual paths and the final blending of all the lots takes place only at the time of bottling. Its main characteristics are its pleasantness, delicacy and readiness to drink, making it a Barolo that can be enjoyed from an early age. * * * Cocktail Recipe of the Week: 
Nutty Irishman
Ingredients: FOR THE IRISH WHIPPED CREAM:
1 c. whipped cream
1 tbsp. powdered sugar
1/4 c. Five Farms Irish Cream FOR THE COCKTAIL:
1 1/2 oz. Five Farms Irish Cream
1 1/2 oz. Giffard Hazelnut
1/2 tbsp. crushed hazelnuts or graham crackers Directions:
FOR IRISH WHIPPED CREAM: In the bowl of a stand mixer or a medium bowl with a hand mixer, whisk together cream and powdered sugar. Whip on high until stiff peaks form, then slowly add the Irish cream. Transfer cream into a piping bag or plastic bag with a corner snipped off and chill. FOR COCKTAIL: In a shaker, add Irish cream and hazelnut liqueur then fill with ice. Shake until the shaker is frosty, then strain the drink into a coupe. Pipe over Irish whipped cream and garnish with hazelnuts. Cheers and Enjoy! * * * Snack of the Week: .jpg)
Murray's High Plains Cheddar
Sweeter than your typical cheddar, with a crumbly yet creamy consistency, Murray's High Plains cheddar represents generations of Midwestern cheesemaking, with milk from local, small family farms. The High Plains cheddar is a unique hybrid - an Alpine cheddar inspired by Swiss Mennonite roots. The resulting block is surprisingly sweet and nutty, balancing subtle grassy notes that linger on the palate. Approachable almondy tones are accented by a glass of Rose. * * * |
