Great price on Antinori's Guado al Tasso "Il Bruciato" Bolgheri

2015 Guado al Tasso "Il Bruciato" Bolgheri Red...$17.98

Check out this amazing price!
Awesome value from Tuscan royalty the Antinori's. The family has 600 years of wine production under their belt, and is a leading innovator of Italian wines, especially with the so-called "Super Tuscan" movement. This Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah blend is the second label to the famed Gaudo al Tasso, which goes for 5 times as much! You don't need to spend a fortune to taste historic Bolgheri with "Il Bruciato".
This is dark but not brooding, with a burst of ripe black currant and black cherry fruit shaded by licorice, spice and mint. Features grip and a lingering finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Drink now through 2020. 15,000 cases imported.–BS

(Wine Spectator list price is $31!!)

Rated 92/100 The Wine Spectator 

Aromas of black currants, black berry and wet earth follow through to a full body, dark and juicy fruit and a long and flavorful finish. Layered and rich with a lovely ripe tannin mouthfeel. Shows the opulence of the outstanding 2015 vintage.
Rated 93/100 James Suckling

Rose - Summetime!

Rosé (from French: rosé also known as rosado in Portugal and Spanish-speaking countries or rosato in Italy) is a type of wine that incorporates some of the color from the grape skins, but not enough to qualify it as a red wine. There are 4 main methods for making a rose wine, below are a few or our favorites from each method.


1. Limited Maceration Method: Rosés can be produced in a variety of ways with the most common method being early pressing of red grape varieties after a very short period, usually 12-24 hours, of skin-contact (maceration). During maceration, phenolics such as the anthocyanins and tannins that contribute to color as well as many flavor components are leached from the skins, seeds and any stems left in contact with the must. In addition to adding color and flavor, these phenolics also serve as antioxidants, protecting the wine from degradation of oxygen exposure. While red wines will often have maceration last several days to even several weeks, the very limited maceration of rosés means that these wines will have less stable color, potential flavor components and oxygen protection.

via this method:
2016 Commanderie de Bargemone Rose $18.99
2016 Commanderie de Perassol Rose $21.99



2. Vin Gris Method: Unlike the maceration method which gives some, albeit very brief, time for the juice to be in contact with the skins vin gris are wines made from the immediate pressing of red skin grapes without any maceration time. Despite the name vin gris, the resulting juice is actually not gray but rather a very pale pink that is usually much lighter than traditionally made rosés using the limited maceration and saignee methods. Under French wine laws, wines labeled gris de gris must only be made from lightly tinted grape varieties such as Cinsault, Gamay and Grenache gris.

via this method:
2016 Villa des Anges Rose...$12.99*(My pick for best bang for your buck)
2016 Domaie Lafage Bastide Miraflor $14.99



3.Saignee Method:. The saignee (French for "bleed") method is the practice of removing ("bleeding off") some of the juice from the must in order to more deeply concentrate the phenolics, color and flavor the red wine. The Saignee method is used most often in regions famous for their red wine production, i.e. Burgundy, The Rhone Valley and Bordeaux.via this method:

2016 Chateau Lancyre Rose $16.99
2016 Le Cirque Rose Cotes de Catalan $13.99


4. Blending Method: This method is used almost exclusively in the production of Rose Champagne. In this method a small amount of still Red Wine is blended back in to the finished Champagne in order to achieve the Rose color. Many producers of Rose Champagne believe this method adds richness and enhances the age-ability of their Rose Champagnes.

via this method:
NV Jeam Louis Denois Brut Rose of Pinot Noir...$21.99
NV Joel Falmet Brut Rose Champagne...$49.99

4 Hands Brewing Typhon Saison

4 Hands Brewing Typhon Saison...$6.99 / 22oz

Typhon is a complex and refreshing Red Saison brewed with a large portion of rye malt and Belgian yeast. This combination lends subtle notes of spice and fruit to this crisp farmhouse saison.

Lagunitas Lag Lagunator Lager

Lagunitas Lag Lagunator Lager...$3.59 / 22oz

It’s a dry-hopped California Common with a massive malt character, rounded out by a bitter balance from some experimental hops from the Yakima Valley, this beer will leave you saying ‘I’ll be bock!’

Bells Quinannan Falls Dry-hopped Lager CANS

Bells Quinannan Falls Special Lager Beer...$9.99 / 6pk CANS

Dry-hopped Lager
Literally born in a dream: Larry Bell, president and founder of Bell’s Brewery, dreamt that he was at the mystically hidden retreat of Quinannan Falls, somewhere in the boreal north.

Neither Quinannan Falls nor the beer actually existed outside his imagination, but he remembered enough about it to sketch a recipe and label, which was put into full form by Michigan artist Kathleen Kalinowski, the following morning.

The end result is a dry-hopped lager that possesses a crisp, dry bitterness you would expect from a German pilsner, but the use of highly aromatic Simcoe hops from the Pacific Northwest, evoke the fragrant pine forests that inspired this beer.

Alcohol By Volume: 6.50%

Lagunitas Dark Swan Sour

Lagunitas Dark Swan Sour...$11.99 / 6pk

An experimentally hopped sour ale fermented with dark red wine grapes
Observers of yestercentury once doubted the existence of the Dark Swan, stating the fair-feathered fowl was the only color of its kind. Explorers eventually upended that theory, shocking the world and shining light on the Dark. This beer might just do the same. It’s a sour ale fermented with dark red wine grapes, giving it its uniquely deep and rich purple hue. Then it received the signature Lagunitas treatment with a healthy dose of experimental dry hops. This might just shock your taste buds!

There just really isn't anything else like the Dark Swan... it's a dark purple hybrid ale the takes our house yeast and feeds it some Petite Sirah grapes to munch on. It's smooth, slightly sour, and superbly strange. Give it a taste, if you dare!

4204 Main St. Afroman Malt Liquor

4204 Main St. Afroman Malt Liquor....$8.49 / 6pk

6% Malt Liquor brewed for singer/rapper Afroman

Prairie Artisan Ales Prairie Flare Gose in CANS

Prairie Artisan Ales Prairie Flare Gose...$8.99 / 4 pk cans

Ale brewed with orange and coriander

Prairie Flare! Flare (yes, that’s how we are spelling it) is our gose that we have added citrus fruit to. This beer is slightly tart, a little salty, and has a nice balance from the fruit and spices.

Boulevard Love Child Sour Ale No. 8

Boulevard Love Child Sour Ale No. 8...$16.99 / 750ml
Boulevard's Love Child Series of "wild" ales are barrel-aged with such boisterous cultures as Lactobacillus and Brettanomyces. These wayward offspring can prove so complex that we employ gauges on the label to convey the intensity of three key personality traits, Funk, Sour and Fruit, presenting a picture of the ale at the time it was released. It will change as it ages, but don't we all? A blend of wood-aged sour beer, Love Child No. 8 is composed of multiple vintages of a Flanders-style sour red ale and a sour Belgian-style golden. This release features soft lactic acidity punctuated with slight acetic notes and a tart, fruity flavor remiscent of sour cherries and green strawberries.

Side Project Merci

SOLD OUT

Our 35th Anniversary Blend

Side Project Merci #3....$29.99

Limit 6 bottles per person

Deadline to pick up is this Friday June 23 at 7pm

Here is the blend for #3 14% - Saison du Fermier that was fermented in French Oak with our Saison/local microflora mixed culture and then racked to and aged in a light toast American Oak Foedre for 6 months.

31% - Saison du Fermier that was fermented in and aged in a heavy toast American Oak Foedre for 4 months with our Saison/local microflora mixed culture.

46% - Missouri Wild Blond Ale that was aged a French Oak Foedre that we have been pulling solera-style pieces from for the past 4 years. Higher acid (base for Fuzzy).


9% - Missouri Wild Ale that was aged in Missouri Oak Chardonnay barrels (59 gallon) for 3 years. Was aged to become a thread in this beer or a Pulling Nails blend.

Ballwin Friday night tasting

The Wine and Cheese Place

14748 Clayton Road in BALLWIN

636-527-1144

Friday June 23 from 4-6pm

• Peacemaker Zamir Vodka...$28.99
• 2013 Cristia Les Garrigues Cotes du Rhone V.V....$17.99
• 2014 Bucci Verdichio dei Castelli di Jesi....$16.99
• 2014 Alain Grangeon Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Tradition
• Enrico Santini Campo Alla Casa Bolgheri Bianco

A few beers....

• Casey Brewing Biere de Garde Aged in Oak (not for sale, tasting only)
• Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale (not for sale, tasting only)
• Lazy Magnola Jeff Stout Sweet Potato  (not for sale, tasting only)
• plus a few more beers....

Bruno Giacosa - very rare and limited!

Very Exciting release from Piedmont Royalty!
These tiny production wines are some of the purest expressions of Nebbiolo in the world. Fewer than 36 bottles of each came into Missouri, call Aaron (314)727-8788 or email aaron@wineandcheeseplace.com to reserve.


2013 Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto...$199.99
This is incredibly powerful and structured with so much tannin backbone and ripe fruit. Aromas of plums and hazelnuts. Full-bodied and chewy. Fabulous finish. Needs three to four years to come together. Great wine. No Falleto was made in 2013. Only Le Rocche
Rated 97/100 James Suckling


2011 Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto Riserva....$359.99
This reminds me of the perfect 2000. Aromas of blackberries, violets, smoke and sliced plums. Subtle, classic beauty for the nose. Full-bodied yet tight and refined. It starts off very slowly, but the finish comes after one minute of tasting. Spellbinding wine. So savory and salty. Extraordinary..
Rated 100/100 James Suckling
Lowest on Wine-Searcher is $425, please ignore the Total Wine Listings which are really for the non-Riserva bottling (we double checked)


2014 Giacosa Barbaresco DOCG....$135.99
Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco has a red garnet color with light orange highlights. It offers an intense and complex bouquet with violets, spices and dried flower notes. On the palate, it is full, structured, dry and well-balanced.

2014 Walter Hansel

2014 Walter Hansel the wines are outstanding and the press is as well.
Always a favorite of The Wine and Cheese Place Walter Hansel continues to put out some of the most consistent Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from California's Russian River Valley, thankfully the prices haven't caught up with the praise.

2014s scheduled to arrive tomorrow!


2014 Walter Hansel Estate Chardonnay...$27.99
this outstanding Chardonnay that sells for a song. Notes of orange marmalade, honeysuckle and lemon oil jump from the glass of this crisp, light-straw, medium-bodied wine with outstanding concentration and density. This is a beauty that sees plenty of oak, but the wood is hidden because of the richness of the fruit. It should drink well for 3-4 years.
Rated 91/100 Robert Parker The Wine Advocate


2014 Walter Hansel Chardonnay Cuvee Alyce...$39.99
The top Chardonnay every year is named after Stephen Hansel’s mother. The 2014 Chardonnay Cuvée Alyce is a field blend of a Hyde and Hudson Old Wente. This vineyard always produces the smallest clusters and tiniest berries and, hence, the richest offering. It’s a stunner in 2014, with a light straw/gold color and terrific notes of pineapple, white peach, honeysuckle and citrus oil. Full-bodied and rich with great acidity, beautiful purity and subtle oak, this is a stunner to drink over the next 7-10 years.
Rated 95/100 Robert Parker The Wine Advocate


2014 Walter Hansel Estate Pinot Noir...$37.99
The 2014 Pinot Noir Estate is another realistically priced wine from Stephen Hansel and is a super value with its sweet cherry and raspberry fruit, allspice, subtle background oak and a medium to full body. It is a beautiful wine made mostly from Rochioli cuttings and a small amount of the Joseph Swan clone. Like most of these Pinot Noirs, it sees about 60% new French oak and the rest used barrels. All of these Pinot Noirs are bottled unfined and unfiltered just like the Chardonnays.
Rated 93/100 Robert Parker The Wine Advocate


2014 Walter Hansel Pinot Noir North Slope....$39.99
The 2014 Pinot Noir North Slope is fabulous, has a huge upside to it and probably will benefit from several years of bottle age. All of these were scheduled to be bottled in 2015. This is 100% clone 115 and Stephen Hansel says it’s the most fruit-forward of the wines. It is certainly seductive, hedonistic, with a dense ruby/purple color, beautiful black raspberry and black cherry fruit, a big medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, loads of glycerin and hedonism. It should turn out to be exceptional, but I do think it needs some time after it’s bottled to start its full potential.
Rated 92-94/100 Robert Parker The Wine Advocate

Plus a little left of this one! On sale
2013 Walter Hansel Chardonnay Cuvee Alyce...$34.98
Named after Steve Hansel’s mother and my favorite of his Chardonnays, the 2013 Chardonnay Cuvée Alyce is made from the Hyde and Hudson selections of the Old Wente clone blended with Clone 95. It sees 40% new oak, and comes across as the richest, most intense of the Hansel Chardonnays. Clean, pure, white peach, honeysuckle and crème brûlée notes are followed by a touch of brioche and subtle oak. This is a beautifully crafted, medium to full-bodied, rich, stunningly proportioned wine to enjoy over the next 7-8 years.

Rated 93/100 Robert Parker The Wine Advocate

Hansel 2013 Chard on sale - great score

2013 Walter Hansel Chardonnay Cuvee Alyce...$34.98
Named after Steve Hansel’s mother and my favorite of his Chardonnays, the 2013 Chardonnay Cuvée Alyce is made from the Hyde and Hudson selections of the Old Wente clone blended with Clone 95. It sees 40% new oak, and comes across as the richest, most intense of the Hansel Chardonnays. Clean, pure, white peach, honeysuckle and crème brûlée notes are followed by a touch of brioche and subtle oak. This is a beautifully crafted, medium to full-bodied, rich, stunningly proportioned wine to enjoy over the next 7-8 years.

Rated 93/100 Robert Parker The Wine Advocate

Clase Azul Mezcal

Clase Azul Mezcal...$219.99
Handcrafted for
Magical memories
Mezcal Clase Azul made from wild Cenizo Agave, grows wild in the State of Durango where the extreme climate, the rich minerals of its soil, and the source of natural springs in the area, give particular force and complexity to its notes, making it an entirely different mezcal than what is produced in the rest of Mexico.  They do not buy their juice, the own and produce it.

In addition, its unique and colorful top is hand-crafted by artisans belonging to the Wixarika or Huichol culture.  Each piece that a Huichol artisan creates, using beeswax, resin, a needle, and individually placed beads, in a special way represents their roots and their traditions that race back to ancient times.  In this instance, combining images that together reference the origins of mezcal.

Montelobos Mezcal Artisanal

Montelobos Mezcal Artisanal...$37.99

Montelobos is an artisanal mezcal made in Santiago Matatlán Oaxaca produced with 100% organically certified agave espadín. Our mezcal is meticulously crafted by world renowned agave expert Iván Saldaña. It is made according to his vision and passion for agave and artisanal mezcal with respect for traditional production methods, sustainability, and the quality of life in the communities and families who have produced mezcal for generations. Montelobos achieves extraordinary balance and complexity through a bold integration between agave, fermentation notes and smoke. Montelobos Mezcal is proudly produced by Casa Montelobos, a Mexican company based in Oaxaca and Mexico City. 

New Mezcal including a Pechuga "Chicken"

El Jolgorio Mezcal Tobala...$104.99

Bottles produced: 490

16 Year old Agave
Traditional pit-roasted, mule-drawn tahona-crushed, open fermented, double-distilled mezcal from 100% wild-harvested Agave Tobalá (Agave potatorum) harvested at 12 years of age, bottled at 47% ABV. Produced in Santiago Matatlan, Oaxaca, by mezcalero Gregorio Martinez Jarquin.
The wild agave Tobala is one of the most prized of all agaves. Growing wildly in high altitudes and in the shade of oak trees, its relatively tiny size yields limited quantities of intensely aromatic mezcal.

 Made with a chicken breast
El Jolgorio Pechuga Mezcal...$135.99

This Special Edition El Jolgorio Mezcal Pechuga is produced from 100% semi-wild Agave Espadín (Agave angustifolia) harvested at 10 years of age , in honor of the Day of the Virgen de los Remedios, in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca. Our Pechuga mezcal agaves are pit-roasted according to tradition, mule-drawn tahona-crushed, open fermented, and then twice distilled in a copper pot still with fruit and the breast of a guajolote - a creole turkey rooster of the region. bottled at 48% ABV. Produced in Santiago Matatlan, Oaxaca, by mezcaleros Valentín Cortes and Gregorio Martinez Jarquin.


How is Pechuga Mezcal made? 
"Artisanal agave spirits have burst onto the market over the past few years, but beyond single-barrel, vintage-dated tequilas and mezcals, there’s another agave-based spirit gaining cult momentum: pechuga. Stemming from an age-old tradition among mezcal producers throughout Mexico, pechuga varies from distillery to distillery and is typically only produced in tiny amounts for personal consumption. Crafted from closely guarded family recipes, it is made by redistilling a finished mezcal with a mix of wild, seasonal fruits, often grains and always a raw, skinless chicken breast—vegetarians, look the other way now.

As bizarre as it sounds, the results are astoundingly delicious. As the chicken breast is suspended by its ribcage over the percolating distillation, the steam cooks through the chicken within minutes. Common belief holds that the chicken’s fat and proteins help soften the blow of the smoky mezcal. The addition of a selection of wild fruit helps, too."

Imbibe Magazine

Del Maguey Mezcal

Del Maguey VIDA de San Luis del Rio...$31.99
Single Village Mezcal…Same As it Ever Was
VIDA de San Luis Del Rio® is an artisanal, Organic Mezcal from Del Maguey, at an entry-level price point and broader availability. Launched in 2010, it is highly mixable and has arrived to much anticipated industry acceptance and high bartender demand. Hand crafted, it is twice distilled, very slowly in small wood-fired, riverside copper stills to flavor specifications that underscore its versatility in cocktails. Another masterpiece out of San Luis del Rio, it has a nose of fruit aromatics, a hint of honey, vanilla and roast agave; the palate offers ginger, cinnamon, burnt sandalwood, banana and tangerine, with a long, soft finish. Viva VIDA!

“The fruit-forward, easy sipping Del Maguey VIDA is an approachable introduction to the spirit” – Wall Street Journal

“Beautifully crafted and wonderfully complex,it’s hard not to fall for the Mezcal Vida. Highly Recommended”. – Drink Spirits.com

Del Maguey Minero — Santa Catarina Minas...$57.99
Santa Catarina Minas
Our Minero from Santa Catarina Minas has a nose full of flower essence, vanilla and figs with a burnt honey flavor and a bit of lemon. Minero is deep and warm, sweet all the way to the finish. One hour beyond the village of Chichicapa and through a mountain pass, one arrives at Santa Catarina Minas. This pueblo has an arid semi-tropical microclimate and great water! Our palenqueros, Florencio Carlos Sarmiento and his sons Florencio Carlos Vasquez and Luis Carlos Vasquez, are true craftsmen. Their “palenque” (site of production) is the most well organized we have seen, including a cistern to cool and recycle the water used in the condensation process.The most unique facet of this pueblo that gives the fruitiness to Minero, is that the still is made of clay with bamboo tubing, rather than the usual copper stills and tubing.

Del Maguey Arroqueño – Vino de Mezcal...$84.99
100% Maguey Arroqueño – Santa Catarina Minas
This Special Edition of 360 bottles made from giant semi-wild, maguey Arroqueño is dedicated to Thor Heyerdahl, Biologist, Explorer and Great Human Being. The magueys were roasted in a conical pit over hot rocks, buried with earth for three days, fermented with nothing but airborne microbes for thirty days, then twice -distilled very slowly in an ancient clay still with bamboo tubing the original, centuries-old Oaxacan, hand-crafted way. Arroqueño has notes of luscious melon on the palate, like cantaloupe and a bit of baking chocolate in the background. It is very vegetal, reminiscent of fresh green beans, with savory medium to long finish.

Pierde Alma Mezcal

Pierde Almas Mezcal  Dobadaan...$73.99
Pierde Almas is first and foremost a Socially, Culturally and Environmentally Responsible Company.

Our labels are hand-printed on 100% acid-free, handmade paper derived from fibers that are indigenous to the region and have been in use since pre-Columbian times.

Behind each bottle of PIERDE ALMAS is a time-honored recipe kept alive with painstaking care by the family patriarch in each successive generation.

For Pierde Almas, Tradition is Contemporary. It is part of our LIFE…….. Jonathan Barbieri, founder.

We are Socially and Culturally Responsible
Pierde Almas’ commitment to the families that produce our Mezcal and their communities is as deep as it is long term. We have partnered on three levels that are crucial to the village life:

Deporte (sports): in every village across Oaxaca basketball has become an integral part of the culture. For the Fiesta of the Santo Patron of San Luis del Rio, Pierde Almas installed brand new fixtures as well as a new paint job.

Salud (health) Pierde Almas has been updating equipment and re-supplying crucial medicine. By early 2016 San Luis del Rio will have one of the best supplied public medicine in the State of Oaxaca.

Educación y lectura (education and reading): Pierde Almas has asked the village authorities to designate a space that we will convert to the first lending library ever in this remote pocket of the Sierra Madre Sur of Oaxaca.

We recognize that we are not alone in this endeavor and we extend our sincere appreciation and generous support of our sponsors to Medica Campestre, Penzi Bodas and Colegio Reims.

We are Environmentally Responsible
With our Wild Agave Reforestation Program, we are actively engaged in the re-forestation of wild species of Agave in those areas where their populations have been depleted. Pierde Almas begins each rainy season by invitating bartenders, chefs, restauranteurs and journalists to join us for our anual wild Tobalá planting. Now entering its fifth year, the Project has attracted volunteers from Mexico, Europe, the US and Canada.

Pierde Almas- Inovations
Pierde Almas is the first Brand to designate Agave species on its label. This has now become a common practice within the category and will soon be required by CRM, the industry’s regulatory council.

Pierde Almas is the first Brand in México to bring Mezcal out of the villages at its original proof. In 2008, when we came out with a 52% abv Do-ba-daán, the average abv across the industry was only 40%. Today, it is 48% and climbing. (Do-ba-daán is Jonathan Barbieri’s original phonetic spelling of the Zapotec name for A. Rhodacantha.)

Pierde Almas is the first Brand to use handmade paper for its labels. Our paper is made from 100% indigenous fibers from Oaxaca. Our paper has a low environmental impact, while its manufacture creates a source of income for members of the community of San Agustín Etla.

Martin Brothers Wildflower Dry Mead

Currently only in stock at our Ballwin location

From Herman Missouri

Martin Brothers Wildflower Dry Mead...$19.99
The Honey:  When bees create wildflower honey they are free to pollinate and gather nectar from whatever flowers they seek out to be premium enough for their queen and her young. The end result is a very rich blend of nectars from countless numbers and types of flowers with the familiar taste of wildflower honey.
The Method: Our Wildflower Dry Mead is a Traditional Mead crafted only from wildflower honey, and fermented to completion on smooth American oak.

The Essence:  Intensely citrus forward with strong notes of lemon, lemon zest, and a finish of roasted almonds, and subtle vanilla.