Wines of the Week: 
2019 Rafael Palacios As Sortes Val do Bibei Valdeorras Godello Normally $72.99–$62.04 15% Off This Week ONLY! 2018 Hacienda Monasterio Ribera del Duero Tempranillo Normally $69.99–$59.49 15% Off This Week ONLY! * * * About the Wines of the Week: 2019 Rafael Palacios As Sortes Val do Bibei Valdeorras Godello Normally $72.99–$62.04 15% Off This Week ONLY!  
About the Winery As quaffable and enjoyable as Godello can be from Valdeorras, it rarely reaches the level of richness, balance and complexity as it does in the hands of Rafael Palacios. Having left his family’s estate in Rioja in 2004, Rafa settled in the Val do Bibei, a rugged, weathered and off the beaten path sub-zone of Valdeorras. Bordering Ribera Sacra, the Val do Bibei is a tortured landscape of granitic, terraced slopes dotted with hard to reach and hard to farm vineyard plots. Whereas most of the rest of the DO is at lower elevation with limestone and schist soils, Rafa works exclusively with Godello planted on granitic soils at much higher elevations – so high that late Spring snow and frost are ever present dangers to his already low yields. Locally these plots are known as sorte, a word in the local dialect that refers to the practice of drawing lots to determine inheritance. Rafa has assembled 24.5 hectares of vines divided among 32 sorte. Some plots he owns outright, others are on long-term lease. The oldest vines, some nearing a century, are head pruned while the younger vines on more gentle slopes are trellised. The farming is minimalist since the sub-zone is blessed with free draining soils and warm, dry summers. 
About the Wine All the vineyard work is done by hand, including harvesting. As Sortes takes the selection process one step further by employing grapes from vines between 35 and 92 years old, Situated on sandy granite soils, from sortes situated in a natural amphitheater. After hand harvest, the wine then ferments with indigenous yeasts and ages in 500 liter French oak barrels (20% new) for seven to eight months. For many years this was the benchmark wine of Valdeorras, and arguably one of Spain’s best white wine, until it was unseated by Rafa’s newest cuvées: Sorte Antiga, Sorte Souto and Sorte O Soro. Certified organic and in conversion to biodynamic. * * * 2018 Hacienda Monasterio Ribera del Duero Tempranillo Normally $69.99–$59.49 15% Off This Week ONLY!  
About the Winery Having remained at the vanguard of the evolution of the DO of Ribera del Duero since the property’s founding in 1991, Hacienda Monasterio continues to innovate and seek new ways to make wines that embody the region’s potential for power combined with elegance and finesse. Guiding this evolution is Peter Sisseck, who joined the estate shortly after its inception, and while he has pushed the envelope in the DO with his own wine Pingus, he’s remained at the helm of Hacienda Monasterio: overseeing the purchase and planting of new vineyards, grafting over existing vines to the local Tempranillo, Tinto Fino, and incrementally improving vinifications by championing native fermentations, experimenting with whole clusters and employing larger 500L French oak barrels for aging. The results of these changes are evident in the wines. While retaining the complex aromatics that are a signature of this terroir – think orange peel and black olive tapenade, recent vintages have shown ever more elegance and precision. Wines that were once reticent and rewarding of some time in the cellar are immediately accessible and engaging. Recently Hacienda Monasterio has received some well earned praise from Luis Gutierrez who wrote in the Wine Advocate, “I tasted three breathtaking wines, starting with the 2011 Crianza which is, year in, year out, one of the best crianzas from Ribera del Duero.” It is a testament to the terroir of Hacienda Monasterio that throughout the evolution towards a more elegant style of winemaking, it still retains all of its power and intensity, deepened and enriched by greater finesse and complexity. 
About the Wine Certified Organic. A blend of Tempranillo with about 10-15% Cabernet Sauvignon and smaller portions of Merlot and Malbec from 15-30 year old vines in clay limestone at 730 meters. Hand harvested, strict selection, partially destemmed, whole berry fermentation with natural yeasts in-tank with 20 day maceration. Aged for 18 months in French oak barrels and 25% new. The trend in the cellar towards larger barrels and a decrease in total quantity of new oak, is matched by a change in winemaking that incorporates a portion of whole clusters, native yeast fermentations and a more gentle maceration. Taken together, the new approaches to fermentation and aging are yielding wines with greater aromatic complexity, more transparent flavors and subtler tannins.
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Critical Acclaim "The 2018 Hacienda Monasterio, the wine that was previously labeled as Crianza, is a blend of 80% Tinto Fino, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 2% Malbec selected from the 100 hectares of their organically certified vineyard in the west part of Ribera del Duero. It had a traditional fermentation, destemmed and in 8,000-liter stainless steel tanks (a change from the 20,000-liter vats used in 2016) with indigenous yeasts, and it matured for 18 months in French oak barrels, 25% new. This wine represents the character of the property, including all the grapes. It's still a little young, with a creamy twist, a little biscuity with hints of cereals, juicy and with tannins but with balance. This is a vintage that has great balance and freshness, but right now it's a little too oaky for me—but it should develop nicely in bottle. They are now in the process of replacing the Merlot with Malbec, because they think Malbec can work well in the Ribera del Duero. 220,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2020.”–94 Points, Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate, June 30, 2021 * * * Also Tasting Today: 2019 Capiaux Chimera Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
$37.99  
About the Winery
Sean Capiaux founded Capiaux Cellars in 1994, Capiaux Cellars is dedicated to producing single vineyard bottlings of Pinot Noir. Capiaux Cellars is dedicated to producing single-vineyard bottlings of Pinot Noir, blending traditional Burgundian techniques with a modern flair of knowledge. The philosophy is to produce wines that express the unique terroir from which they came and to have the inherent flavors of the grape and land be the leading attributes rather than new oak, unnatural additives, and influences. When the grapes arrive at the winery they are sorted by hand to remove everything but sound ripe clusters. They are then destemmed and transferred into custom stainless steel tanks. Depending on the vintage and/or the vineyard, stems, whole clusters, or saignée may be employed. .jpg)
About the Wine
Chimera is one of Sean’s earliest wines, the name taken from Greek mythology... "a monster comprised of three different animals" as is depicted on the label. Originally blended from three vineyards back in 2001, Sean now has access to several excellent Russian River vineyard sources that boosts its quality. With aromas of rose petals that give way to lush flavors of red cherry, cranberry and raspberry...like a mixed berry compote and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Medium weight tannins offer versatility as a sipping wine or paired with dinner. The wine is aged in 10% New French Oak (with the remaining oak being one to two years old) in 350L Barrels for eleven months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. This wine is crafted from blending several Northern California vineyard sites to create one comprehensive expression of elegant and opulent Pinot Noir.  Critical Acclaim “The 2019 Pinot Noir Chimera Vineyard, Capiaux's largest-production bottling, is delicious this vintage and a great value. Medium ruby, it's intensely scented of raspberry liqueur, blood orange, licorice, iron and earth. The full-bodied palate is plush, silky and open with generous, spicy fruits and a very long finish. It was aged 11 months in 10% new French oak. 1,500 cases produced. Drink Date: 2021-2028”–94 Points, Wine Advocate * * * Cocktail Recipe of the Week: 
Bourbon Spiked Hot Chocolate Ingredients: 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
a dash of salt
1/3 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups reduced fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons half and half (optional)
8 tablespoons Blade and Bow bourbon
1 cup mini marshmallows Directions: In a medium saucepan stir together the cocoa powder, sugar, and salt.
Stir in the boiling water until the sugar has dissolved and the cocoa isn't lumpy. Turn the burner to medium heat.
Stir in the milk. Let the milk heat up, stirring occasionally. Watch it carefully so it doesn't scorch!! Remember you aren't cooking the milk. Just warming it.
When the hot chocolate has reached your desired drinking temperature, remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla, half and half, and bourbon.
Divide the hot chocolate between 4 mugs, top each with marshmallows, and serve immediately. Cheers and Enjoy! * * * Snack of the Week: 
PrimOli Terra Di Barri Castel Del Monte Olio Extra Vergine Di Oliva Olive Oil The PrimOli Project began in 1988 thanks to an intuition: the extra virgin olive oil market was ready to welcome more refined consumers. Consumers aware that, as with wine, the organoleptic profile of a single-origin oil is rooted in a combination of agronomic factors that are part of local tradition and expertise, a concept known as “typicity”. A couple of decades ago those seeking to experience the delights of tasting an extra virgin olive oil, whose flavor reflects its “terroir”, had no alternative but to buy directly from local producers. Away from the production areas, all extra virgin olive oils on the market almost had the same taste, in particular those found in supermarkets, where the customer’s only choice was limited to “fruity”, “intense” or “delicate”. PrimOli seized this opportunity and decided to innovate the market with a large-scale launch of a new range of extra virgin olive oils produced and bottled in Italy’s finest olive-growing areas. A key step in the development of this Project was establishing direct and lasting relationships with a network of producers. Those relationships continue to be one of the company’s greatest assets. * * * |
