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In This Newsletter...

2010 Karl Lawrence Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - $67.99/$57.79

This 2010 vintage for Napa Valley Cabernet of Karl Lawrence marks the last wine for the winery; partners Mike Trujillo and Bryan Henry are going their separate ways.  This is pretty sad news for us because their wines were some of the most compelling offerings at a not-crazy price, especially considering their incredible quality.  The fruit that goes into this Cabernet makes it one of the best Cabs at this price.  The 2010 is a blend of Morisoli Vineyard in Rutherford and Herb Lamb Vineyard on Howell Mountain.  Blended together, this is a full-bodied, well balanced rich Cabernet with tons of complexity.

One of the vineyard selections for the Karl Lawrence Cabernet is the Morisoli Vineyard on the valley floor near Rutherford. Fruit from this vineyard shows great Cabernet character and yields a well-rounded wine with intense aroma and flavor, and lends a rich smooth feel to the finished wine. Another vineyard selection is the Lamb Family Vineyard.  This hillside mountain vineyard on Howell Mountain produces a more intense and concentrated fruit that gives a big, rich, spicy character to the blended wine.  

The grapes are hand harvested at their optimum maturity and delivered to the winery. Crushed to open top fermenters where they undergo fermentation. After fermentation is complete the wine is then aged for twenty months in French oak barrels. The wines are then carefully blended to achieve optimum balance and expression. Shortly after blending the wine is bottled and then held for further aging in the bottle.  

For the seventh consecutive year the Karl Lawrence Cabernet Sauvignon is made from these two renowned vineyards. The combination and blending of the Morosoli grapes and the Lamb Family grapes define the unique Karl Lawrence Cabernet style. The grape combination produces a wine that is rich and full-bodied, well balanced, and enhanced fruit and spice characters. A wine to remember!

In addition to the Karl Lawrence Cab, we'll also be tasting these gems tonight:

2011 Gérard & Pierre Morin "Chene Marchand" Sancerre - $29.99/$25.49

Wine Advocate 92 Points

From tank, Morin’s 2011 Sancerre Chene Marchand adds to juicy, fruitful abundance such as exhibited by the corresponding Vieilles Vignes a more active and differentiated impression of mineral impingement and a yet more tactile dimension to its zesty, vibrant finish. There is the same sense of buoyancy and refreshment here as well, while a streak of salinity engenders welcome salivation, complementing the wine’s luscious honeydew melon and tart apple-rhubarb melange. “This was brought in on the first of September,” remarks Morin, “and at only 12.5% potential alcohol. I’ve learned over the years that in this site if you wait just a little too long, the acidity drops very quickly.” This beauty promises to not only outperform most of those from its vintage but also to display greater stamina in bottle, quite likely for half a dozen or more years.

2011 Passopisciaro Schinniri Sicilian Red Blend - $24.99/$21.24

Eight years after landing in Siena, where he established Tenuta di Trinoro, Andrea Franchetti acquired Passopisciaro ("Fisherman's Path"), an ancient vineyard and winery, on the slopes of Sicily's Mt. Etna. In the town of Castiglione, he planted 40 acres of vines on the north side of Etna, at an elevation that peaks at just over 1,000m. And while the lava-strewn slopes of Etna were a hot bed in the 1920′s, it is only in the last 10 years that vintners began to reexamine the area as ripe for quality wine production.  We absolutely fell in love with this wine and know you will too!

Cheese of the Week: Pecorino Tartufo

Pecorino Tartufo is an old style of Umbrian pressed sheep milk cheese.  The cheese's buttery, nutty flavor is enhanced with the addition of aromatic black truffles giving it a unique signiture.  The smooth toothsome texture gives the Pecorino Tartufo a long shelf life.  HOWEVER, the cheese is particularly addictive so it's usually consumed rather quickly.  The cheese is versatile pairing partner for many wines, from Sancerre to a big, beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Come by and taste this cheese with us tonight!

 
Happy Halloween!

-From all of us at Tewksbury Fine Wines