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Saturday, December 9, 2017

Torres Jaime I Familia Reserva Brandy





Torres Jaime I Familia Reserva Brandy....$104.99
Art and brandy
In the 18th century, the Torres family bought their first vineyard in the Penedès region. A century later, in 1870, the House of Torres, producer and exporter of wines was founded by Jaime Torres Vendrell. It was at this time that great works. The Casa Milá, known as "La Pedrera", currently owned by Fundació Catalunya, is the most representative building of that intensively creative period of modernism in Barcelona. In homage to the figure of Gaudí and of the innovative spirit of those men whose philosophy of a "job well done" was passed from father to son, the House of Torres created this old noblesse brandy which carries the founder’s name.

Noble dark mahogany in color. The nose offers aromas of dried fruit and nuts (toasted hazelnut) with hints of vanilla and toffee. Round and smooth on the palate. The spiced, sensual power imparted by oak aging distinguishes this very old brandy. Impressive persistence and balance.

Taittinger Folies de la Marquetterie Brut -- RARE



Taittinger 
Folies de la Marquetterie Brut...$89.99
The rare NV Folies de la Marquetterie Brut has clear, fresh and subtle yet intense and super noble bouquet of fresh Pinot Noir fruit (50%) paired with the freshness and finesse of Chardonnay (50%). It is a full-bodied, round, intense and creamy textured Brut with a serious, persistent structure and the purity, finesse and elegance of Taittinger. The base wines were partly fermented in oak (30%), and malolactic fermentation was not prevented. This beautifully vinous sample was bottled in 2013 and was disgorged in January 2017 with a dosage of nine grams per liter. A great, refined and perfectly balanced Champagne with good length for a still pretty reasonable price. Tasted in November 2017.
Rated 93/100 Wine Advocate
This single-vineyard cuvée is produced exclusively from grapes grown at Les Folies, a Taittinger-owned vineyard with a south/southwest exposure in the heart of the Champagne winegrowing region. A green harvest ensures that the final harvest has optimum sweetness and aromatic maturity. Only wines from the first pressing are used and each plot is vinified in small volumes, with certain lots in large, old oak casks. Slow aging for five years in bottles brings the flavors of this Champagne to perfect harmony.

Antinori Tignanello Super Tuscan




2014 Antinori Tignanello Super Tuscan...$79.99
Tignanello has this amazing ability of always being, well, Tignanello. Its very DNA makes it among the most distinctive and recognizable wines in the world. I'm happy to report that this is also the case for the 2014 Tignanello that faced very different growing conditions compared to most. The wine is beautiful and balanced with sweet tannins and a supporting oak texture that is neatly folded at the back. The wine is all about measure and proportion, and it aspires to these goals with an impressive sense of natural harmony. This is not an overtly powerful or muscular expression. Instead, it shows a tasty, almost savory form of elegance. This vintage was made with 75% Sangiovese, which means that the Cabernet presence is a tad bigger than normal. Ultimately, this wine is more finessed and delicate, and I appreciate the careful tannic management on display here.
Rated 93/100 Wine Advocate
A black currant thread winds through this dense, muscular red, with cherry, leather, earth, iron and mineral flavors. Firm and fleshy, with fine balance and a long, expansive finish. Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2020 through 2033. 5,000 cases imported.
Rated 93/100 Wine Spectator
Really pretty aromas of currants and roses follow through to a medium body, firm and silky tannins and a fresh finish. Very well done for 2014 and a wonderful Tignanello to drink now or later. Better in 2019.
Rated 94/100 James Suckling

2014 Black Slate Porrera Priorat


One of our favorites each year!!!
2014 Black Slate Porrera Priorat...$17.99
Part of the collection from different villages from Priorat, Cellar Cal Pla produced a 2014 Black Slate Porrera, which is a blend of 50% Garnacha with 40% Cariñena and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a village wine from 20- to 30-year-old vines on slate soils fermented in stainless steel and concrete vats and matured in 225- and 300-liter oak barrels (80% French oak, 20% Hungarian) for one year. The nose is beautiful, combining violets, a hint of beef blood, something ashy and an organic, soil note, developing a smoky bacon twist with time in the glass. The palate shows good integration of the oak, better than in the majority of wines from this winery. Beautiful flowers appear with time and made me go back to the glass again and again. There are 35,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in mid-June 2016.
Rated 92/100 The Wine Advocate

2015 Domaine de Marcoux CDPs - big scores



2015 Domaine de Marcoux Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc....$57.99
Vivid yellow. Intense orchard and pit fruits on the mineral-accented nose; vibrant orange zest, iodine and floral notes add urgency and lift. Sappy and penetrating on the palate, offering concentrated nectarine, pear and tangerine flavors that are given vibrancy by a core of juicy acidity. Impressively focused and nervy on the long, mineral- and floral-tinged finish, which shows outstanding clarity and thrust. There's something Chablis-like about this wine..
Rated 93/100 Vinous Media




2015 
Domaine de Marcoux Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge....$57.99
Raised mostly in concrete, the 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape features gentle strawberry-raspberry fruit and loads of subtle spice. It's medium to full-bodied, marked by silky tannins and a long finish. It's not the most powerful, concentrated wine, but it's certainly one of the most elegant. It's 85% Grenache, with the balance a mix of Mourvèdre, Syrah and Cinsault.
Rated 93/100 The Wine Advocate
Rated 92-94/100 Vinous Media



2015 
Domaine de Marcoux Chateauneuf du Pape V.V. Rouge...$139.99
The 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes (about 97% Grenache) was entirely destemmed. According to Sophie Armenier, its alcohol level is a whopping 16+%, but it was completely concealed by the wine's intricate spice complexities. Licorice, cola, cinnamon, clove and allspice all interweave with cherries to form a silky web that glides across the palate and into a long, long finish.
Rated 95/100 Wine Advocate
Rated 96-98/100 Vinous Media



Absolut Elyx Single Estate Vodka.


Absolut Elyx Single Estate Vodka....$32.99 / Liter
The world's first true luxury vodka.

Elyx is a luxury vodka with real character and integrity. Made from single estate winter wheat. Manually distilled in a 1921 copper column still. We call it liquid silk. Why? Because an “impossibly-smooth-double-gold-winning-best-in-show-at-the-world-spirits-competition-vodka” didn’t have the same ring to it.

Absolut Elyx has partnered with Water For People in their mission to provide sustainable water solutions where they are needed most. For every bottle of Elyx sold, we're donating a week's supply of safe water (140 liters) to those in need of it.

#1 Champagne in the NY Times!!!!

We have been out for 2 weeks waiting on a new batch from France!  Our customers have been waiting...the wait is over....

Rated #1 Champagne under $40 in the New York Times

This is an impressive feat - since they have no advertising budget!
This is based purely on TASTE!!!


A fresh load of the blue label just arrived!

Our regulars are really starting to switch to this GROWER Champagne!  
Hand made with care!





Joel Falmet Champagne Tradition....$39.99 / 750ml
Grower Champagne "RM" Récoltant-Manipulant
Only produces 1200 cases per year
Rated #1 Champagne under $40 in the New York Times

Plus, we tasted it blind with five big name Champagnes including the yellow box and Joel Falmet came out #1


The New York Times
Champagnes Below $40 Regain Pop
By ERIC ASIMOV
BETTER BUBBLES Champagnes under $40 show new finesse.


Tasting Report
In a tasting of 20 Champagnes, priced under $40 each, the wine panel was pleasantly surprised by the elegance that we found among our favorites.
1. JOËL FALMET Brut Tradition NV
2. LOUIS ROEDERER
3. AGRAPART AND FILS
4. HENRIOT
5. CHRISTIAN ETIENNE
6. GEORGES GARDET
7. TAITTINGER
8. MOUTARD
9. NICOLAS FEUILLATTE
10. POL ROGER

"So, here it is. If you can afford to spend $30 to $40 a bottle on Champagne, more or less the entry-level price nowadays, you may find yourself with some seriously good wine.
The Falmet Brut Tradition was our top-rated wine. We found it full of lively energy, with complex flavors of flowers, minerals, citrus and herbs, and with more finesse than you generally find in Champagnes dominated by the pinot noir grape." - New York Times


Domaine de Boede Le Pavillon

We are excited to introduce this wine to Missouri 

Chateau de la Negly 
2014 Domaine de Boede Le Pavillon...$14.99
Cinsault / Syrah Blend
Le Pavillon whose main grape variety is the Cinsault, is the only red IGP that we sell. It is supple, round and easy to drink in any situation.  Hand-harvested, Hand-selected at optimal ripeness. Dark ryby-red. On the nose, the wine shows a great complexity with notes of red ripe fruit, rasberry, cassis and a touch if spices, black pepper and cinnamon. The palate is round and generous, tannins are silky and perfectly balanced, with notes of licorice on a very long and elegant finish. 

"...are hard to find in the marketplace, but they're singular, world class efforts worth the extra effort to track down" -- Jeb Dunnuck, The Wine Advocate on Chateau de la Negly

Friday, December 8, 2017

The Six Isles Blended Scotch Whisky

Taste it tonight Dec 8 from 4-6 at Forsyth with Ed Kohl



The Six Isles Blended Scotch Whisky...$42.99
‘Island Whisky To The Max!” – Jim Murray, Malt Advocate 2003

A handful of Scottish islands produce single malt whiskies, but only one award-winning whisky brings together their full character, peaty flavour and natural colour.

With six full-bodied single malts in every bottle – Islay, Jura, Skye, Mull, Orkney and Arran – The Six Isles captures every distinctive style and flavour.

From the peaty and smoky malts of Islay to the soft, heathery, honey and iodine notes of Orkney, The Six Isles takes consumers on a sensory voyage around Scotland’s whisky-producing islands.

Bottled the traditional way, the spirit is natural in colour and unchillfiltered, while the distinctive embossed gift tin adds value and greater shelf presence.

"The best standard, non-deluxe vatted malt I have found in my lifetime." – Jim Murray, Whisky Bible 2004

Crane Brewing holiday ales...






Crane Brewing Festiweiss....$9.99 / 750ml
It's the season to celebrate family and friends, and we've brewed a very special beer. Tangy cranberry meets spicy ginger, making the holidays warm and bright. We look forward to sharing many more prosperous years with the rest of us.


Crane Brewing Crane de Noel....$5.99 / 375ml
Dark Sour with Plums and some ginger and nutmeg.

Beer Tasting Tonight

Beer Tasting Tonight

The Wine and Cheese Place - Forsyth location 4-6pm Tonight

  • Crooked Stave Baby Bear Golden Sour Ale With Lactose and Blueberries
  • Crooked Stave Petite Sour Reserva Marionberry
  • Founders Brewing Azacca IPA
  • Against The Grain & Stillwater Artisanal Collaborate On Found Word

Plus we have Montenegro Amaro
We have Ed Kohl coming tonight also from 4-6 to taste Bourbon and Single Malt Scotch.



Beinne Dubh The Black Single Malt Scotch.



Beinne Dubh The Black Single Malt Scotch...$49.99
Our whisky is matured in charred casks to produce a unique “ruby black” toasted whisky with a dark rich ruby colour and a unique chocolatey flavour. The casks used for finishing have been drained of any liquid prior to use and any changes in our spirit will therefore result from its interaction over time with the wood of the case.

Tasting Notes
“…Aromas of fresh fruits mingle with sultanas and black raisins that open up in layers, eventually revealing a deeper darker side. In the taste this darker side dominates at first, with currants and rich black chocolate being foremost. Then both bitterness and sweetness present themselves in equal proportions gradually fading into a long finish…” - Dr Jim Swan

2015 Bordeaux

A couple of 2015 Bordeaux Bargains
We have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of our 2015 Bordeaux Futures and are very excited to kick things off with a couple of exceptional bargains


2015 Chateau Cap de Faugeres Cotes de Castillon...$14.99
I tasted the 2015 Cap De Faugeres on three different occasions and it rated outstanding on two of the three showings. Offering lots of darker fruits, truffle, and leafy herbs aromas and flavors in a medium-bodied, rounded, forward and sexy style, it should impress for upwards of a decade.
Rated 90/100 Jeb Dunnuck

Rated 92-93/100 James Suckling




2015 Chateau La Pointe Pomerol....$47.99
This is really tannic and structured with loads of ripe tannins and fruit. Full body. Massive for this estate yet agile. Best ever. 84% merlot and 16% cabernet franc.
Rated 94-95/100 James Suckling

New Spey Single Malts

Taste them tonight from 4-6pm at Forsyth (Dec 8) with Ed Kohl along with others whisky. -- read more 



Spey Tenne Single Malt Scotch Aged in Port Casks...$39.99
Spey Fumare Single Malt Scotch Peated Barley...$47.99
Spey Trutina Single Malt Scotch in Bourbon Casks...$47.99











J.W. Kelly Old Milford Bourbon

New Bourbon - taste it tonight from 4-6pm with Ed Kohl (12/8 at Forsyth) See more info below


J.W. Kelly Old Milford Bourbon...$32.99
We have captured the spirit of J.W.Kelly's original bourbon by marrying 5-, 6-, and 8-year-old aged barrels of bourbon, hand selected by our JWK crew. Our Old Milford Straight Bourbon Whiskey is handcrafted in 3,000-gallon pot stills to give it bold and unique characteristics.

Old Milford Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a wonderful caramel color with spicy flavor notes of oak, white pepper, vanilla and English toffee. The unique blend teases your palate with honey, baking spice and nutmeg as well as hints of coffee and fine chocolate. The finish is long with cinnamon, white pepper, barrel char and a slow warming heat. This is an amazing drink that needs nothing added. Enjoy it straight up or with a cube of ice.

MASH BILL
75% CORN
20% MALTED RYE
5% BARLEY


Thursday, December 7, 2017

Alpine Beer Pure Hoppiness

Fresh batch arrived


Alpine Beer Pure Hoppiness...$14.99 / 6pk
A West Coast Double IPA So mega-hopped it will take you to hop heaven. We’ve used hops in the boil, more hops in the giant hopback, and added to that, an incredible amount of dry-hopping for that cutting-edge “hop bite.” Once you’ve tasted this unique beer, all others pale in comparison. 
8%ABV

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Laird's Straight Applejack 86 proof



Laird's Straight Applejack 86 proof...$21.99
Laird & Company, America's oldest family of distillers since 1780, is proud to announce Laird's Straight Applejack 86, its newest Applejack (Apple Brandy). At 86 proof, it revives the Laird family's Straight Applejack
produced prior to Prohibition. As with all Laird apple spirits,it is proudly made from apples exclusively grown in the US.

Pusser's Navy Rum 15 Year Old




Pusser's Navy Rum 15 Year Old...$52.99
Pusser’s 15 Year True Aged Rum is hand crafted in small batches. It is a superb, coveted and limited 15 year aged rum that continues to win awards and accolades amongst peers.  PUSSER’S Rum is a blend of rums from stills located in Guyana and Trinidad. The blend is heavily influenced by century-old wooden stills, an important ingredient in “navy rum”. Each rum is hand-selected for its individual smoothness, flavor, and mellow depth— creating the perfect balance of “esters” and “congeners”. The rim is then aged for fifteen years in oak wood barrels. The full, rich flavor is all natural, no flavoring agents are added.

Sensory Notes: Pusser’s 15 Year True Aged Rum has a rich chestnut mahogany color, crystal clear clarity with no sediment, and is luxuriously full bodied. The taste delivers what the complex aroma promises, beginning with a burst of classic Demerera brown sugar, molasses and caramel. Notes of leather, tobacco, dried sultanas, nutmeg, clove, cassia and soft oak follow. The finish is exceptionally smooth, complex and lingering.

New Belgium Imperial Frambozen





New Belgium Imperial Frambozen...$6.99 / 22oz
Frambozen, Flemish for “raspberry”, is our celebration of the ruby red fruit found in Belgium’s Framboise ales. The raspberry ale is fermented with real northwestern berries and incorporates a touch of vanilla. This year, our seasonal favorite features an irresistible update – the addition of single origin, 70 percent pure dark Ghana cocoa husks, locally roasted and ground by Nuance Chocolate in Fort Collins, Colorado.

New Belgium Sour Saison



New Belgium Sour Saison...$12.99 / 6pk
This intriguing Saison took years to perfect. Our Brewers worked tirelessly to brew an exquisite French-style Saison, while our industry leading Wood Cellar Team worked to mature the perfect Sour Golden Ale in large, French oak barrels called Foeders. The best of both worlds is brought-out with this Sour Saison – a traditional barrel-aged sour ale artfully blended with a rustic, champagne-like Farmhouse Ale. With over 20 years of barrel-aged sour experience and the largest Wood Cellar in the United States, we’re proud to offer Sour Saison as our first ever year-round, traditional sour ale that’s so uniquely New Belgium, it can’t be replicated.

Crooked Stave new releases




New CANS from Crooked Stave

Crooked Stave St. Bretta Citrus Saison...$8.99 / 4pk cans

Paying homage to our favorite yeast, St. Bretta is fermented with our house mixed-culture of Brettanomyces.  From its historic significance in old world beers to this, the new age of Brett, we embrace this yeast as a focal point in our artisan brewery.   A re-imagination of early farmhouse saisons brewed in Europe, St. Bretta combines fresh citrus characteristics with yeast-driven tropical fruit flavors and aromas.  Unfiltered and wild, we package each can with a small amount of yeast to maintain maximum freshness for wherever life's adventures take you. 

Crooked Stave Hop Savant Brett IPA...$8.99 / 4pk cans
Our brewers work tirelessly, deliberating over new ways to expand the flavors and aromas derived from hops while limiting the bitter components.  Fermented with our Bretanomyces mixed yeast culture.  HopSavant showcases unique characteristics only obtained trhough fermentation with wild yeast strains.  Unfiltered and naturally wild, we pack each can with a small amount of yeast to maintain maximum freshness for wherever life's adventures take you.

Crooked Stave Wild Sage Brett Saision...$8.99 / 4pk cans
We at Crooked Stave find solace playing in the Colorado mountains and possess a great pride fro the place we call home. Paying homage to our great state, we brewed Colorado WildSage, a Brett Saison incorporating fresh herbs, including white sage and lemongrass. Brewed with all Colarado ingredients in order to deliver a little bit of the high country to everyone who decides to share in this beer with us. Unfiltered and naturally wild, we package each can with a small amount of yeast to maintain maximum freshness for wherever life's adventures take you.





Some new beers from Crooked Stave

Crooked Stave Mama Bear's Sour Cherry Pie...$25.99 / 750ml
Burgundy Sour Ale Aged in Oak Barrels with Colorado Montmorency Cherries.   The result of blending carefully chosen batches of Origins with a heavy handed addition of Montmorency cherries sourced from orchards on the Colorado Western Slop, our Harvest 2016 release of Mama Bear's Sour Cherry Pie is a truly unique representation of the creativity, experimentation, and proven process that goes into each year's release.



Crooked Stave Baby Bear Golden Sour Ale...$20.99 / 750ml
With Lactose and Blueberries
In auspicious fashion, we christend our new brewhouse by brewing a celebratory beer for the birth of our first born son Terje, born January 29th, 2015.  This inaugural Baby Bear beer incorporates both our favorite brewing incredients and things that our newborn quickly acquired taste for.  Built upon a golden malt base, reminiscent of graham crackers, we layered our conception with a heavy dose of lactose before fermenting in our Baby foeder with our house mixed culture of yeast and bacteria.  We couldn't resist aging this beer with copious amounts of whole blueberries from our home away from home in northwest Washington, where my wife grew up.  Enjoy this beer for years to come, I know we will while we watch our son grow.

Crooked Stave Petite Sour Reserva Marionberry...$6.99 / 375ml
Wild Ale aged in oak with Marionberries
Every so often we find ourselves tasting exemplary batches that lend themselves perfectly to new and experimental fruits we don't often brew with.  Produced in small quantities, Petite Sour Reserva is our means to express these limited edition batches with flavors we are excited about.


Some returning beers at better prices now
Crooked Stave Surette Reserva Palisade Peach....$20.99 / 750 ml
Provision Sour Ale Aged in oak barrels with Colorado Peaches and Cherry skins.
We have hand picked each Surette Reserva from unique batches that develop with indefinable complexity.

Crooked Stave  L'brett d' Cherry....$20.99 / 750ml
We uphold the time honored traditions used to make spontaneous Belgian style lambic through embracing natural fermentation in oak with microflora native to our brewery.   We've selected unique barrels to balance the heavy handed addition of fresh cherries, expressing the Colorado western slope terroir from which our fruit is sourced, and a quality that reflects the skilled stewardship of our partner farmers.



Crooked Surette Reserva Blueberry...$20.99 / 750ml
We have hand picked each Surette Reserva from unique batches that develop with indefinable complexity.  Through embracing variation with our brewing seasons, each is an expression of the terroir from which our fruit is sources, the skilled stewardship of the farmers we work with, and the rustic beers we produce.