Sparkling Wine

• Made exclusively of Pinot Noir from estate vineyard holdings in Penedes, this delicious 2005 Cava is from first press juice and spends two years in bottle before release. Medium pink color, with smoky raspberry and cherry on the nose and dusty mineral and musky undertones. Firm redcurrant and bitter cherry flavors possess good depth, with a refreshing note of bitter cherry skin adding grip. Finishes dry and persistent.
  
  

White Wines

• This 2007 Sauvignon Blanc from Yecla is made from very high-elevation vineyards (over 3000' above sea level). Harvested by hand, this wine is lighter in style but has a good acidic backbone. Color is brilliant straw with a touch of green apple. Lively and fresh on the palate, it offers lemon flavors, with a hint of peach and a touch of ripe melon on the finish. Elegant and fruity nose typical of Sauvignon Blanc with its citrus and floral aromas. Enjoy with sea scallops, fresh garden salads, and wild strawberries.
  

• This 2006 Rueda blend of 90% Verdejo and 10% Viura is fermented in stainless steel and bottled directly from the tanks. Light yellow in color, with spicy citrus and apple aromas complemented by dusty herbs and minerals. Fleshy orchard fruit flavors possess bright minerality and fan out on the back. Nicely combines energy and ripeness.
  
  

Red Wines

• Cariñena was one of Spain's earliest areas to be demarcated, in 1932. It has given its name to the grape of the same name, called the Mazuelo elsewhere in northern Spain and the Carignan in France. Extreme temperature fluctuations between day and night intensify the flavors of the grapes and ensures the unmistakable richness of this 2007 Garnacha. Vivid purple color with bright red rim. Raspberry, cherry fruit with earthy notes of spice, leather, vanilla and mocha on the nose. The palate is full-bodied with fine, soft tannins and well-balanced acidity leading to a finish of spice, raspberry and wild berry fruits.
  
  
• These wines are entirely estate grown. Soils are clay, limestone, and sandy-clay, farmed by the family without insecticides or herbicides, and with organic composts. Their organic viticultural practices mix with modern-style vinification to produce wines that look to the future while still suggesting Spain's winemaking heritage. This 2006 from Ribera del Duero is 100% Tempranillo aged for seven months in seasoned American oak. Purple-colored, it offers up an intriguing nose of fungus/mushroom, cedar, espresso, and blackberry. A medium- to full-bodied wine with concentrated, spicy, black fruit flavors, excellent depth, enough structure to evolve for 2-3 years, and a pure finish.
  
  
• Rioja is one of the best-known and most prestigious wine-producing regions in the world. The soils are ideal for quality viticulture: well balanced in structure (sand, limestone and clays), slightly alkaline, low in organic matter, and with a moderate supply of water in the summer. The 2006 vintage was very good in Rioja. A hot summer was followed by a very wet September. Harvest was delayed until mid-October, ensuring optimum ripeness of fruit. The Tempranillo grapes were hand-harvested, fermentation was in stainless steel, and aging was four months in American oak and four months in French oak prior to release. Deep cherry with garnet hues. Stewed fruit with fine wood and underlying spice on the nose. Elegant harmony of fruit, tannin and acidity with a balsamic base and a long finish.
  
  

Appetizer of the Week

Creamy Pesto Cheese Torte - $8

 

For more specific information on these great wines, or to taste for yourself, stop by the Tasting Room at Wines by Jennifer this week. We look forward to seeing you!