Wines of the Week: 
 2020 Domaine Huët Clos Du Bourg Demi Sec Vouvray Chenin Blanc Normally $59.99–$50.99 15% Off This Week ONLY! 2019 Domaine Jean Foillard Fleurie Beaujolais Gamay Normally $67.99–$57.79 15% Off This Week ONLY! * * * About the Wines of the Week: 2020 Domaine Huët Clos Du Bourg Demi Sec Vouvray Chenin Blanc Normally $59.99–$50.99 15% Off This Week ONLY!  
About the Winery Since its founding in 1928, Vouvray’s Domaine Huët has been the standard-bearer for great, ageworthy Chenin Blanc. And to this day, year after year, the estate produces some of the world’s most compelling white wines—and in a remarkable range that spans sparkling, dry, semi-dry, and breathtaking dessert styles. The domaine’s founder, Victor Huët, was a Parisian bistro owner. However, with lungs and nerves shattered by his experiences in WWI, Victor re-settled to the town of Vouvray in France’s beautiful Loire Valley. He soon purchased the first of his great vineyards, Le Haut-Lieu, in 1928, and Domaine Huët was born. Victor’s son Gaston (born 1910) worked with his father from the beginning, and assumed full charge by 1937. With an obsessive devotion to quality, and an engaging showman’s personality, Gaston built the Huët legacy over the next 55 years, despite spending five years in a German POW camp during WWII. Today, with Huet veteran Jean-Bernard Berthomé at the helm, coupled with the endless support and passion of second generation siblings Sarah & Hugo Hwang, Domaine Huet may be making its most consistently great wines. As was one of the earliest adopters of biodynamic practices, and with years of experience working with the appellation's greatest terroirs, Jean-Bernard and his team are achieving a fascinating level of transparency, purity, and knife-edged balance in the wines. 
About the Wine Gaston Huët believed this to be the greatest of all Vouvray vineyards. With the Première Côte’s poorest, shallowest, stoniest soils, Clos du Bourg wines often produces the most powerful wine in the lineup, synthesizing Le Mont’s intense minerality with Le Haut-Lieu’s generous texture. This Clos was acquired in 1953, seen as a meditative place par excellence, and is one of the oldest Vouvrillon vineyards. Located above the church of Vouvray and surrounded by an old stone wall dating from the 9th century, this six-hectare plot is one of the premier crus of the appellation. Its shallow soil is composed of clay and limestone and rests on a tufa subsoil. Clos du Bourg wines are deep and dense. Sewn for laying down, they also turn out to be excellent wines for immediate indulgence. .jpeg)
Critical Acclaim “Drinking the 2020 Clos du Bourg Demi-Sec is like taking your shoes off at the end of a long day of walking and soaking them in warm water: there's just satisfaction and relaxation. The 2020 has a sense of volume but not weight, filling the mouth with depths of pure fruit before the acid pours forth like a canal lock being opened. You can expect a hint of spice and crème caramel alongside apple and florals. I am utterly seduced. Drink Date: 2021-2035”–97 Points, Vinous “The 2020 Vouvray Clos du Bourg Demi-Sec is concentrated, deep and still somewhat untamed on the clear, fresh and lemon-fruity yet darker-toned nose compared to the Haut-Lieu. Round and refined yet still with a pretty firm tannin structure, this is a rich and powerful yet elegant and persistently salty Chenin with tension, grip and a sustainable, highly promising finish. The 2020 Clos du Bourg pairs juiciness with finesse and purity with complexity. Tasted as a tank sample shortly before bottling in April 2021. Drink Date: 2027-2055”–95 Points, The Wine Advocate * * * 2019 Domaine Jean Foillard Fleurie Beaujolais Gamay Normally $67.99–$57.79 15% Off This Week ONLY!  
About the Winery Jean and Agnès Foillard took over his father’s domaine in 1980, and soon thereafter began to make Kermit Lynch customers very happy. Most of their vineyards are planted on the Côte du Py, the famed slope outside the town of Villié-Morgon and the pride of Morgon. These granite and schist soils sit on an alluvial fan at the highest point above the town and impart great complexity. However, great real estate is not the only key to Foillard’s success. Early on, Jean began to follow the teachings of Jules Chauvet, a traditionalist who defied everything that the more commercial brands were touting in the region. Jean and three other local vignerons, Marcel Lapierre, Jean-Paul Thévenet, and Guy Breton, soon joined in on the movement. This Gang of Four, as Kermit christened them, called for a return to the old practices of viticulture and vinification: starting with old vines, never using synthetic herbicides or pesticides, harvesting late, rigorously sorting to remove all but the healthiest grapes, adding minimal doses of sulfur dioxide or none at all, and refusing both chaptalization and filtration. The end result allows Morgon to express itself naturally, as it should be without the bubblegum and banana aromas of so many other Beaujolais available today. Its rustic structure, spicy notes, and mineral-laden backbone are what real Morgon is all about. This estate comprises nearly fourteen hectares. Foillard’s Morgons are deep, structured, and complex, with a velvety lushness that makes them irresistible when young despite their aging potential. Jean raises his wines in older barrels sourced from top estates in Burgundy, a logical decision for someone crafting Gamay in a Burgundian style. It is the passion and dedication of vignerons like this that have brought pride back to the crus of the Beaujolais. 
About the Wine Coming from a single lieu-dit less than 2.5 acres, the 20-70 year old gamay vines are situated on pink sandstone. Organically farmed, the grapes are manually harvested. Afterwhich, traditional, whole cluster fermentation lasts from three to four weeks. The wine was then aged for six to nine months in used oak barrels. Deep and smoky, silky smooth—you’ll know how it feels to have your palate embraced by a taste of Fleurie. The lacy black undergarments on the label reveal this wine’s true purpose: to seduce. * * * 
Critical Acclaim “Dark, bright-rimmed ruby. Incisive, spice-accented red and blue fruit and allspice scents show excellent clarity and pick up floral and smoky mineral flourishes with air. Juicy and alluringly sweet, offering vibrant black raspberry, boysenberry and five-spice powder flavors that deepen through the midpalate. Shows impressive energy and finishes seamless and impressively long, with discreet tannins and a strong echo of juicy red fruit.”–94 Points, Vinous * * * Also Tasting Today: 
2021 Mas de Daumas Gassac Moulin de Gassac Guilhem Rosé $13.99 2020 Precision Wine Co Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $27.99 * * * About The Also Tasting Today Wines: 2021 Mas de Daumas Gassac Moulin de Gassac Guilhem Rosé $13.99  
About the Winery The historic Mas de Daumas Gassac was founded in 1974 by Aimé & Véronique Guibert. While the couple were keen on planting crops, they weren't certain which crops would thrive until a soil scientist from the University of Bordeaux tested the glacial limestone soils (akin to those in the Cote d'Or) and convinced them to plant grapes. Today, winemaker Samuel Guibert and his four brothers each manage different aspects of the family business. The valley, which benefits from the nearby sea and mountains, is dotted with a patchwork of small, forest-enclosed parcels that span over 40 different grape varieties. Several years back, the Guibert family began working with a neighboring cooperative in Sète to produce fun, full-flavored wines from the surrounding countryside and rocky hillsides. Organic farming is de rigueur and the vinification is closely overseen by the Guibert family. The results are splendidly aromatic wines that bring out the terroir of this Mediterranean region. The Moulin de Gassac wines are named after the patron saint of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, one of the most stunningly beautiful villages in Europe drawing people from all over the world. 
About the Wine Coming from vineyards in the area around the Thau Lagoon, near the village of Pinet (Languedoc); the 25-50 year old sustainably farmed vines are situated on clay and limestone soils. 100% destemmed and direct pressed in order to get those traditional pink, salmon hues. Aged for five to six months in stainless steel. Always one of the first rosés to hit the market, this traditional Southern Rhone blend boasts pleasant, yet animated aromas with strawberries and other bright red fruits. Crisp, with good body and structure, this rosé is a sure crowd-pleaser year after year. 50% Cinsault, 30% Carignan, 20% Grenache * * * 2020 Precision Wine Co Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $27.99 
About the Winery As the name suggests, Precision Wine Co. presents a distinguished and diverse collection of wines. Each wine is made with meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to quality; from harvesting the grapes in the vineyards to designing original packaging, every step of the winemaking process is handled with precision. These wines are made to showcase the complexity of flavor, diversity of terroir, and distinct characteristics of California’s appellations and wine regions. Proprietor and vintner Trevor Sheehan started his journey to create a top wine collection when he became a winemaker 10 years ago. His first wines were eight barrels of Chardonnay from the Beckstoffer Vineyard and Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain. Trevor carefully defined his own wine making style over the years drawing inspiration from fellow winemakers such as Nils Venge and Henri Jayer. 
About the Wine In 1542, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, a Spanish explorer, navigated the California coast. Commissioned by the Spanish empire, He became the first European to step foot on what is now considered California. Many California tributes are named after him to commemorate this achievement–such as this wine. When first poured expect a wine that is rich yet refined. Aromas of brambly raspberry and lavender are layered with barrel notes of vanilla and toffee. On the palate, juicy, ripe black plum and black cherry are at the forefront of a solid core of fruit that coats the mouth and lends to great mouthfeel. Underlying notes of mocha compliments the bold, firm texture and full body. Aged for ten months in 60% New Oak. 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot. * * * Cocktail Recipe of the Week: 
Blackberry Bourbon Sour Ingredients: 1 ½ ounces of Blade and Bow Bourbon Whiskey
1 ounce of lemon juice
½ ounce of simple syrup
5 blackberries plus more for garnish
½ cup of ice Directions: Fill cocktail shaker with bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup, blackberries, and ice.
Shake mixture, then strain into serving glass. Cheers and Enjoy! * * * Snack of the Week: .jpg)
Goat Aged Gouda In Holland, a country inundated with Gouda, this is probably the most unusual export. Younger pasteurized goat Gouda, only aged for several months, has a supple snow-white paste that’s mild and vaguely sweet with no typical goat-y flavors. This aged version is held for at least one year before release, resulting in a rough and stony wheel with a deep toffee-colored interior smattered with white patches of crystalline minerals. The milky sweetness of the younger version intensifies into a caramelized, burnt sugary treasure with a similarly crunchy texture to boot. The unapologetic butterscotch is well suited to giant, juicy Zinfandel. * * * |
