This Week's News: Featured Instagram: 
"There's always a hidden gem in an empty wine cabinet" Very true, @mealdiva, very true. **P.S. If you would like to be featured, just tag us in an Instagram (yes, it's really that simple!)** 
Tomorrow, February 18th, from 12-4pm Peter Kelly will be joining us to taste and discuss five different, amazing Scotch Whiskies! 
Friday, February 24th, from 4-7:30pm Matt Hobbs, the younger brother of Paul Hobbs and the National Sales Manager, will be visiting Tewksbury Fine Wines! Please stay tuned for more information about the wines we will be tasting in upcoming emails Tonight's Lineup: 
2015 Yves Leccia Patrimonio Corsica Rosé $23.99 - Includes 20% off, no further discounts .jpg)  About the Winery Born into a family of winemakers, Yves Leccia never approached the topic of what he would do later in life. After studying enology in the 1980s, he took on the family estate back in 2004. With his wife Sandrine, the two created their own domaine, consisting of some of the vines from his father. The vines are sloped facing southwest on clay-limestone soils with shale at the foot of the mountain range. The microclimate of this region is heavily influenced by the Gulf St. Florent, which is conducive to good maturity for the fruit. With the vines averaging an age of twenty years, harvest is manual in order to pick grapes that are both ripe and healthy. The cellar is equipped with modern technologies, such as stainless steel tanks complete with temperature-controlled fermentation capabilities. Combine these technologies with a terrior driven juice and there is a freshness and minerality that has a lasting impression.
About the Wine His name, Leccia, is Corsican for Oak. The name is ironic if you look at Yves’ wines, given that he’s never had his wine touch a single oak barrel and has never allowed wood to enter his cellar. The name is less ironic if you look at Yves himself, with his stoic manner and understated personality. Yves is a firm believer in the idea that if you want something done right you need to do it yourself, and thus he tends to his vines alone and works the cellar by himself as well. He keeps his yields low, knows when to harvest, and knows how to let E Croce express itself in the wines. Not a single bottle comes out of the domaine that isn’t meticulously looked after from start to finish. Made from 80% Nielluciu and 20% Grenache, this wine comes from vineyards on the unique terroir of E Croce. Planted on slopes exposed to the southwest, they benefit from a microclimate due to the maritime influence of the Gulf of St Florent, very conducive to good maturity and remoteness of disease. Cultivated, plowed and loosened the traditional way, the vines roots are forced to dive into the ground to get the best. While the color is a brilliantly pale-pink color, on the nose there is a lovely floral aroma consisting of roses and newly picked flowers. The palate is fresh and aromatic, yet slightly spicy from the undertones of the soils. 2015 Clos La Roquète Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Blend $54.99 / $46.74  .jpg)
About the Winery In September 1986, René Laugier wanted to retire but had no successors to take over La Roquette (as it was then known), his domaine in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. When Daniel and Frédéric Brunier bought the domaine, it was a logical choice. The brothers had been proving their worth as rising young stars of the appellation, and the Brunier family, proprietor of Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe, had a long history of working tough soils—they farm the La Crau plateau, which boasts some of the most challenging vineyard terrain and most pedigreed soils of Châteauneuf. Daniel and Frédéric purchased twenty-nine hectares of vineyards at La Roquète. They have since added three additional hectares of Vin de Pays vines bordering the Rhône and seven more in the Ventoux appellation to the east, leading to the creation of the well-priced “Pigeoulet” and “Mégaphone” labels. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouge vineyards they acquired upon purchasing La Roquète now constitute the “Piedlong” and “Télégramme” bottlings (the latter of which primarily consists of young-vine fruit from La Crau). The brothers replanted the small Clos La Roquète to white in 1987; this is currently the only wine bottled under the La Roquète label. Along with “Le Pigeoulet,” “Mégaphone,” and “Piedlong” (see Vignobles Brunier), it is vinified and bottled at La Roquète. 
About the Wine Planted in 1987, grapes are sustainably farmed and harvested by hand. After, there are two rigorous sortings of grapes following the harvest. Then, the grapes are gently pressed by pneumatic press. The wine then ages in cuve and in barrel for 8 months before bottling. 40% Grenache Blanc, 30% Clairette, 30% Roussanne. The dirt here is part of the appellation that has a very sandy topsoil. In the subsoil is a layer of red clay, this time mixed with a friable stone called “pierre de Chateauneuf”. Bottled at 10 months, the La Roquete confers a highly distinctive freshness and elegance. It is best in the first flush of youth. 2015 Bodega Renacer Punto Final Clásico Mendoza Malbec $14.99 / $12.74   About the Winery After many years as a board member and shareholder at Viña San Pedro, Patricio Reich decided to start his own wine business. With the assistance of Alberto Antonini of the wine-focused consulting firm Matura Group, Patricio founded Bodegas y Viñedos Renacer in the Mendoza region of Argentina. The combination of Patricio’s passion for Mendoza’s wines and his extensive business experience has resulted in a modern and sophisticated winery that produces well-crafted, enjoyable wines that offer tremendous value. His wines have garnered praise from industry critics and publications worldwide, most notably Wine Spectator and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. Renacer’s vineyards are located in Perdriel, a unique zone in Mendoza, Argentina, where the soil, altitude, climate and water come together to create the perfect growing environment for Malbec. In addition to Renacer’s more than 35 hectares of Malbec vines, the winery also purchases grapes from local producers in order to take advantage of Mendoza’s many terroirs — those in the Uco Valley, Lujan de Cuyo and Medrano. Vineyards used for Renacer’s bottlings are more than 50 years old and have very low yields. 
About the Wine Punto Final, meaning “final period” or “full stop,” symbolizes the point at which the Bodega Renacer winemaking team has accomplished their common goal: a truly outstanding wine. Punto Final Malbec expresses the vast potential of Mendoza's terroir and represents a blend of Malbec grapes from different regions, altitudes, and climates. The wine is fermented in stainless steel to preserve the wonderful fruit aromas and flavors but aged with just a touch of French oak to add structure and complexity. Dark ruby red in color with violet tones, this Malbec has aromas of red currants, blackberries, and plums, with notes of pepper and clove. Flavors of black cherries, red and black currants, and juicy plums fill the mouth with hints of wood spice and vanilla on the finish. 2014 Lynmar Estate Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $52.99 / $45.04  
About the Winery Lynn Fritz first purchased Quail Hill Ranch and Vineyards in 1980, drawn to the maritime climate and the authenticity of the rolling Russian River vineyards. The property has some of the oldest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines planted in the Russian River Valley. The grapes from these early vines were bought by Tony Soter and Merry Edwards to make wines considered to be some of the best in the Russian River Valley. Lynmar began a small winemaking activity in the early 1990s and produced small amounts of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which were extremely well received. Over the next 35 years, Lynn purchased several contiguous properties, which have been amalgamated into a single stunning estate bordered by the Laguna de Santa Rosa watershed. 
About the Wine The winemaking team works hand-in-hand with the vineyard team to ensure that the best grapes arrive at the winery at their peak quality, a luxury their in-house farming allows them. Winemaker Shane Finley and Associate winemaker Pete Soergel walk the rows, seeking to capture the vintage as they balance the wines and learn from the vines. Each day, during harvest, they are able to pick exactly, directing the pickers to return two, three, even four times to a single block to bring the clusters in just as they want them. This attention to detail continues in the cellar, and all the way to your glass. This bottling captures the incredibly nuanced texture and vibrant aromatics of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Fruit is selected from three Russian River Valley vineyards, including estate properties, Quail Hill Vineyard and Susanna’s Vineyard. A bright, clear garnet in the glass, this vintage opens with beautiful red, ripe fruit aromas: pomegranate and red apple skin intertwine with cardamom and earthy, forest floor notes. On the palate, the red fruit tones lengthen into cherry and cranberry, joined by flavors of cola, baking spice and just a touch of pencil shaving on the structured mid palate. There is a nice weight to the textured, black-tea scented finish. Enjoy upon release or cellar through 2020. Aged ten months in French oak barrels, 53% new oak. Only 1,028 cases produced. * * * |
