Wines of the Week: 
2019 Domaine Thomas Labaille Cuvee Buster Monts Damnes Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc Normally $49.99–$42.49 15% Off This Week ONLY! 2017 Porter Bass Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Normally $74.99–$63.74 15% Off This Week ONLY! * * * About the Wines of the Week: 2019 Domaine Thomas Labaille Cuvee Buster Monts Damnes Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc Normally $49.99–$42.49 15% Off This Week ONLY!  
About the Winery "Years ago, we visited an old vigneron in Chavignol who had made fabulous Sancerre before his retirement, from old-vine vineyards in Monts Damnés (Sancerre's greatest vineyard site), with élèvage in old foudres and unfiltered bottlings. We asked him who continued to work in that style and he said "Cotat, and my friend Claude." One thing led to another and we were off to meet Claude Thomas, who was busy pruning his vines in the rain. His wife dragged him into his cellar where he stripped off mud-caked boots and served us several vintages. Thomas was then 73, and wished to retire, but he was holding on in the hope that his daughter and son-in-law would take over. This finally happened when Jean-Paul Labaille, his son-in-law, quit his civil servant job and became a full-time vigneron (for the previous ten vintages, he had taken his vacation during the harvest to be the assistant winemaker to Claude Thomas). Only minimal changes have occurred. The vineyards remain among the best in Chavignol, with a large proportion of old vines. The old barrels are not in use anymore, but the vineyard and cellar work still follow the same time-honored techniques. The Monts Damnés plot is too steep a slope to ever consider machine harvesting, which is now the norm in the appellation, and it requires intensive, non-mechanized vineyard work, but this site is worth the trouble: drainage and exposure are excellent and ensure the best ripeness for the vintage. Labaille has somewhat tidied up Thomas' facilities, which used to be in sharp contrast to most cellars in the area; instead of a hyper-hygienic room, with wall-to-wall tiled floors and stainless-steel vats, his was a Burgundian type of cellar. Some cuvées still age in large concrete vats, others in stainless steel, and the oak barrels have been replaced by newer ones, mostly second-hand, 2 to 3 years old, not in order to impart any oaky character to the wine, but to let it breathe and evolve slowly on its lees. The resulting wine is sensational: rich, fat, round, with layered aromas, a subtle nose and a long finish. Not a typical bistro Sancerre, but a graceful wine meant for aging and pleasure."–Jules Dressner, Importer
About the Wine This cuvée was first bottled in 1997 in homage to their importer, Joe Dressner's and Denyse Louis' dog Buster, and is bottled annually. The sustainably farmed estate vines lie entirely within Chavignol, noted for its rocky Kimmeridgian limestone soils and hilly vineyards. Coming from the infamous Monts Damnes (“damned hills”), the name is indicative of the difficulty in cultivating it; anything but manual harvest is impossible here on this steep, slippery slope. Monts Damnes’s southern exposure, drainage and red clay-limestone soils make for structured, complex and rich Sauvignon Blanc. Thomas-Labaille’s vines here average 30 years old, a number which belies the presence of much older vines in their holdings. The wines are aged on the lees for eight to nine months in two 600-liter foudres and bottled without filtration. Extremely limited production, Cuvee Buster is considered the best of the best. This wine remains true to the Thomas tradition of pure and expressive terroir wines without bells or whistles. 100% Sauvignon Blanc. * * * 2017 Porter Bass Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Normally $74.99–$63.74 15% Off This Week ONLY!  
About the Winery The Porter Bass Estate sits just up in the hills that overlook the small town of Guerneville, CA (below the fog line, 9 miles from the Pacific Ocean). The property is 25 acres, primarily planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with a 2 acre Zinfandel parcel named Dot’s Garden. The Estate dates back to the late 1800’s: planted to Zinfandel & Palomino (while the Palomino is long pulled up, some of the original Zinfandel vines still exist in Dot’s Garden). The Bass family found this run-down, century-old, vineyard in 1980 and began the arduous process of reviving the vines. Decades of farming-induced erosion had left the soil sustaining only poison oak and blackberries. They looked to Biodynamic and organic farming strategies to create life in the soil and renew the vineyard's vitality. This restoration requires time and patience and the rewards have come over generations rather than years. 
About the Wine The vines struggle to ripen each year, providing the perfect environment to make balanced expressions of Coastal Russian River Valley wines. For the winemaking, the human influence is limited as much as possible. When the grapes arrive at the winery they ferment with indigenous yeasts–this imparts a greater sense of place in the wine. The pinot noir grapes are not crushed, only the stems are removed, leaving the whole berries. This gives a slower start to the fermentation and results in a greater expression of freshness. As the wines age they gain complexity but do not suffer from the premature aging that comes with over-ripe fruit. Gentle handling of the wine, using gravity flow, and minimizing the use of machines in production helps to preserve the vitality of the wine. The amount of new oak is limited to less than 40 percent, the wine is aged in a neutral barrel for approximately 14 months. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. * * * Cocktail Recipe of the Week: 
Pear and Rosemary Gin Fizz Ingredients: 2 Ounces Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin
4 Ounces Chilled Pear Juice
Juice of 1 Lemon, Plus Lemon Slices, For Garnish
1 Rosemary Sprig
2 Ounces Chilled Club Soda Directions: Loosely fill the glass with ice, then pour over the gin and the pear juice. Add a good squeeze of lemon and swizzle enthusiastically with the rosemary sprig (cut stem down) and leave in the glass. Add a few slices of lemon and top with soda just before serving, Cheers and Enjoy! * * * Snack of the Week: 
Papa’s Best Batch Chipotle Lime Pistachios Papa's Best Batch all natural pistachios are creatively seasoned in small batches. Hand-smoked over local applewood in the heart of Hudson Valley, NY. Papa’s Chipotle Lime Smoked Pistachios are doused in a fresh lime juice and a spicy chipotle pepper marinade. They spend six hours in the smoker, drying to a salty, smokey, spicy perfection. With a hint of acid and the heat of spice, these Chipotle Lime Pistachios are the perfect counterpart to a cold beer, a white wine or a lemonade. All of Papa’s nuts are gluten free and contain no artificial ingredients. Papa is pleased to use only Non-GMO Pistachios. Ingredients: Pistachios, Fresh Lime Juice, Chipotle Pepper & Sea Salt.
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A Note on the COVID Resurgence
With the recent resurgence of COVID-19, the team at TFW wants to provide a safe and sanitary environment and ease everybody's concerns. We are asking our clients to show caution and follow CDC guidelines as the virus rears its ugly head once again. In such, please wear masks or face shields when entering the shoppe. Thank you for the understanding and support.
We have implemented the utmost precautionary measures in observance of notices by the CDC. These measures include: Max. 4 Clients inside A clean and dirty pen policy A sanitation station for your use as you enter and exit the shoppe Online / Phone Ordering 6 ft. delineation markers in the shoppe Curbside Pick-Up Deliveries ($300 order complimentary local delivery) Facemasks required by all team members and clients Continuously sanitizing and disinfecting We strongly encourage our clients to utilize curbside pickup, delivery, and pre-ordering during these times. You can do so by calling, emailing, or ordering through our website: (908)-439-0007 / andrea@tewksburyfinewine.com / www.tewksburyfinewine.com We hope you are all staying safe, healthy, and happy during these trying times. Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns! | 
