By the Glass at D&M

Two Tasty Viogniers from Napa

2010-08-18T01:45:00.000-07:00

Darioush 2009 Napa Valley Signature Viognier
$44.99

Bright and alluring fragrances of macadamia nut, guava and honeysuckle introduce the distinctive 2009 Signature Viognier. A notable crisp green apple acidity pleases the palate while delightful flavors of Asian pear, star fruit and white nectarine harmonize with a nuanced finish accented by orange zest, clove and toffee.

Winemaker's Comments
Our estate grown Viognier derives its unique style from a four-acre vineyard site in the Oak Knoll appellation. The cool micro-climate of the vineyard allows this temperamental varietal to slowly develop robust and concentrated floral and fruit characteristics. The fruit, and resulting wine, is minimally handled to express its pure and fragrant nature.

Seps Estate 2008 Napa Valley Viognier,
Organically Grown Grapes
$33.99

"Lovely aromas of white peaches, Bosc pears and honeysuckle are joined by hints of hardwoods in the rich and pulpy first impression. The wine is full bodied in weight and exceptionally well-balanced in spite of its evident viscosity. Its flavors are long and rich, pulpy and minerally, nicely on-point and promise to get better over time. Despite early charms, this one can be laid away for several years."
Score : 91 Points, Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine

About the Winery
Seps Estate is a part Storybook Mountain Vineyard. Storybook Mountain's sought-after estate wines are carefully hand-crafted from choice grapes grown in certified organic estate vineyards surrounding the winery. They are aged at least 12 months in the best French, Hungarian and American oak barrels, inside century-old caves dug deep into the mineral-rich volcanic rock underlying the hand-tended vineyard

Haamoni Shochu

2010-07-29T01:46:00.000-07:00

We are offering free ground shipping on
all Haamoni orders. A great way for folks
to save money while trying this tasty summer treat.

Refreshing White Wines that'll Beat The Heat

2010-07-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

Time to get out of your Chardonnay rut, open your palate to these alternative whites. Great on their own or pair with light fares such as salads, fish, shellfish and asian dishes. So unbelievably complex these wines are so darn tasty and refreshing you might just forget how hot it is outside.

Filippo Gallino 2008 Roero Arneis, Italy
$15.59
The Arneis grape can be found in the hills of Roero in the wine region of Piedmont.
Silvery straw color, the nose shows grapefruit and a touch of fresh herbs. Delicate and crisp on the palate with lots of ripe, juicy citrus fruit, nectarines, and fresh tarragon. The wine has good acidity and finishes with a touch of brown spice.

Vina Famatina 2007 Reserve Torrontés, Argentina
$16.99
Made from 100% Torrontes, the wine is silky gold colored, with an enticing nose composed of flowers, honeysuckle and lychee. Floral, pretty and delicate on the palate, with white fruit set in a flowery meadow. It finishes up with a light touch of white pepper.

Uriondo 2009 Bizkaiko Txakolina, Spain
$16.99
Made from 70% Mune Mahatsa and 30% Txori Mahatsa fermented in stainless steel. Silvery straw color, with citrus fruit and river stone on the nose. A mouthful of minerals, lime zest, tropical fruit, river stone, and sea salt. Amazing complexity, with intriguing flavors.

Rosès for Summer Sipping

2010-07-15T17:19:00.000-07:00

The other day I saw a bumper sticker that made me laugh, it read "Yes you can be a bad a** and still drink Rosé." I couldn't agree more, rosé wines are perhaps the most versatile, food-friendly and complex wines around. Many consumers mistake Rosé wines to be sweet (we can thank white Zin for this) and in the category of "starter wine." These pink wines fall into the definitively "dry" category, not sugary sweet, and they offer excellent value for the money. Not only are these great summer sippers they can also be enjoyed year round.

Etude 2009 Carneros Estate Pinot Noir Rosé
$17.99
Flavors of strawberry rhubarb and cherry persist on the palate and combine with a pleasing note of minerality.

Henry Natter 2009 Sancerre Rosé
$26.99
Crisp and bright this rosé shows lots of melon and yellow cherry fruit. Great acidity with minerals and white pepper round off the finish.

Le Rocher Des Violettes 2009 Rosé de Touraine
$14.99
Medium bodied in style this unique rosè shows off rose petals, melons, vanilla and has great chewy intensity.

Mas-Des-Dames 2009 Coteaux Du Languedoc Rosé
$15.99
Lots of citrus Mas-Des-Dames 2009 Coteaux Du Languedoc Roséfruit, grapefruit and lime. A touch of cinnamon and minerals adds to the complexity of this lovely wine.

June's American Whiskey Club

2010-06-03T22:27:00.000-07:00

For our June American Whiskey club selection we chose
RoughStock from Montana. Here's our tasting notes:
Distilled on 23 May 2009 and bottled 17 May 2010, this
RoughStock single barrel is 51 weeks old. The nose offers
up vanilla beans, fresh cooked barley sweetness and cinnamon
candy. The palate shows barley, salt water taffy, cinnamon
and pepper. Real spicy and rich. It doesn't show it, but it
is a strong dram at 124 proof. Enjoy!

Champagne Society June 2010

2010-05-29T16:32:00.000-07:00

It's official our champagne club members are getting
two bottles this month.The spectacular Laurent Perrier
Cuvee Brut Rose and Eric Rodez Brut Cuvee des Crayeres
all for a paltry sum of $106.99 what a bargain!
The Eric Rodez Brut, Cuvee des Crayère is 50% Chadonnay
and 50% Pinot Noir all Grand Cru grapes.
It is silvery straw in color with peachy fruit on the nose.
The mousse is lovely, with a creamy and juicy mouthfeel,
there is plenty of ripe citrus and notes of vanilla blossom
in the finish. The Laurent Perrier Cuvee Rose is orange-rose
in color the nose shows dried cherries with a touch of earth.
Medium bodied with lots of juicy strawberry fruit, toast, smoke
and white pepper on the finish.

Laurent Perrier Champagne is back!

2010-04-11T21:33:00.001-07:00

It has been two years since we've carried the full bottles of Laurent Perrier champagne, the reason for this is that their pricing dramatically increased. We believe that the consumer shouldn't have to suffer because of corporate greed so we refused to carry their products. It took some negotiating and now they're finally ready to play ball and have adjusted their pricing. So as of last week we now have these terrific bubblies back on the shelf and at these prices one of these bubblies just might show up on our upcoming Champagne Club. We revisited these bottles recently and they're as fantastic as we remember, the Laurent Perrier Rose is still just as beautiful as the first time we tried it.

Celebrating NYE D&M Style

2010-01-02T15:39:00.000-08:00

Every year we look forward to a line up of amazing champagnes that we get to open on New Years Eve. Our boss usually treats us to a spectacular rare bottle and then the staff dusts off something from their wine cellar to share.
Here's a list of what we tried:

Pierre Gimonnet & Fils 1982 Collection Les Cuvees de l'An 2000 1.5 Liters - Magnum
This is one of our favorite producers so we were ecstatic when our boss gave this to us, unfortunately this was corked- (not a good way to start our night)

Pierre Peters 2000 Les Chetillons Cuvee Speciale Brut Champagne
Such a decadent treat, this bubbly is is floral on the nose with lemon chiffon aromas. Creamy and biscuity with hazelnuts and a key lime pie note towards the finish.

Moet et Chandon Cuvee Dom Perignon 1980 Vintage Brut Champagne
This was made we think in a sweeter style, ripe citrus with a minerally finish.
Not as complex as the 1978 Vintage that we tried a week ago but it was still nice to try a Dom at this vintage.

Delamotte 1985 Blanc de Blanc Brut Champagne
Starts off with morel and white truffle aromas and showing strong minerality. The acidity is impressive. After a while orange zest, honeyed-pear and apricot display endless layers with brioche aromas and mineral notes. Towards the end, if patience is present, the wine grows to a subtle expression of lemon creme patissiere, voluptuous and refined.

New Faces for Fall

2009-11-10T14:28:00.000-08:00

We just brought in a ton of new champagne to get everyone in
gear for the holidays. Most of these bottles we're from the
Terry Theise Grower's tasting that we attended last week.
What a fantastic event!

Andre Clouet Grande Reserve Brut Champagne
Score:90 Points, The Wine Spectator, October 2008.

Aubry Premier Cru Brut Champagne
This champagne shows off tightly focused, steely fruit with a
little bit of pepper. It's citrusy and bright on the palate,
with a leafy, fresh herb character to it. Very nice and quite complex.

Chartogne - Taillet Sainte Anne Brut Champagne
Score: 89 Points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

H. Billiot Fils Brut Reserve Champagne
Big bold flavors, lots of richness with great red berry intensity
that lasts till the finish.

Pierre Gimonnet & Fils 1er Cru Blanc de Blanc Brut Champagne
Score: 92 Points Stephen Tanzer's, International Wine Cellar.

Pierre Peters Blanc de Blancs Cuvee de Reserve Champagne
Creamy and toasty with berries and melons on the palate.
Very pretty and delicate champagne.

Vintage Goodies

A.Margaine 2002 Blanc de Blanc Special Club Champagne
A mouth full of berries riding on a medium toasty and yeasty body.

Pierre Gimonnet & Fils 2000 Special Club Brut Champagne
Score:92 Points Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar.

Pierre Gimonnet 2004 Fleuron Brut Champagne
Score: 91 Points Stephen Tanzer, The International Wine Cellar.

Pierre Peters 2000 Les Chetillons Cuvee Speciale Brut Champagne
Creamy and biscuity with hazelnuts and a key lime pie note towards the finish.

Vilmart et Cie 1997 Coeur de Cuvee Brut, 1.5 Liter (Magnum)
The nose is welcomed with scents of flowers, fresh herbs and a touch
of earth and yeast. In the mouth the wine is creamy and oppulent,
there is juicy citrus with hazelnuts throughout.
A real treat especially from a magnum.

Visiting Kentucky

2009-10-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

Kyle's visiting Kentucky right now, here's some pics from Maker's Mark Distillery:
Stay tuned we have more infos to come, I think he might have found a new barrel for the American Whiskey Club!!!

Our Favorite Champagnes Are Back!!!

2009-08-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

The boat landed last week and in it were some tasty treats.
Now these aren't your well known Grand Marques but they are
very dear to us. We really would rather keep all of this to
our selves but our boss was against the idea.

Michel Loriot Blanc De Noirs Reserve Brut Champagne $33.99
The nose offers a nice, pretty light herb note. Steely and sleek
on the palate, the Champagne shows off spicy fruit dusted with
black pepper. All in all, it shows off a lot of power.

R.Renaudin Brut Reserve Champagne $32.99
The nose is big, toasty and bold and so is the palate.
This is a rich, hazelnut laced champagne, with lots of
juicy fruit. It comes across as very sexy in the Bollinger style.

R.Renaudin L'Espiegle Brut Rose Champagne $33.99
Light and delicate at first, opening to power, it shows off
floral fruit and a handful of nuts. There's great vibrancy
here and great finesse. It's creamy, with hints at pomegranate and lemon. Wow!

Voirin-Jumel Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru $48.99
The nose shows a bushel of fresh Bartlett pear fruit with flowers,
and a hint of green leaves. This is just alive in the mouth, the
mousse is so enthusiastic it wants to jump out of the glass.
Lush on the palate, with pear fruit and undertones of brioche.
It finishes up with the lightest, prettiest kiss of apple butter.

Tasting Notes from Last Friday the 7th

2009-08-09T17:15:00.000-07:00

Just a few things we that we really enjoyed at our tasting

Alpha Omega 06 Napa, Proprietary Red $61.00
A nose that shows caramel, tobacco, dry smoke and cedar.
On the palate, it's soft and integrated, with
dense black currant fruit and black pepper. There's a nice,
lacy tannic structure holding all together.
This is a serious and elegant red.

Grgich Hills 05 Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon $60
Tarry black wine with red fruit and a hint of fresh
green leaves to the nose. Rich and silky on the palate,
with currants and cassis and dark chocolate on the palate.
The finish hints at macadam. It holds your attention.

Tori Mor 07 Oregon/Washington Chardonnay $20
Bright straw colored wine with a lightly smoky nose. Light
bodied on entry, going creamier as it goes along.
This wine shows off some real Chardonnay fruit and isn't
afraid to show it naked, without a lot of oak to get in the way.
There's a nice snap to the finish. Well balanced
Chardonnay. Well done!

Uvaggio 08 Lodi, Vermentino $13
Green straw colored wine with fresh cut wood on the nose,
rather enticing, really. Tart on the palate, with lemon
and melon fruit that runs all the way through, leading
to a clean, snappy finish.

Wertzberger 06 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $18
A rich, red violet glass of wine showing eucalyptus and smoky
currants on the nose. Soft tannins on the palate hold tart
currant and berry fruit with a twist of the peppermill.
On the lighter end of Cabernet, but user friendly.

New Champagnes from Gonet-Medeville

2009-07-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

We just passed these tasty bubblies:

Gonet-Medeville Blanc des Noirs Champagne $47.99

Silvery golden bubbly with a spicy, toasty nose.
It comes across the palate with serious power--big, rich,
layered champagne with a steely focus.

Gonet-Medeville Brut Tradition Champagne $41.99

Very pale gold with very fine beads, the nose wafts
leafy and herbaceous from the glass. Light and
lively on the palate, with red fruit flavors on a
very soft mousse, showing nice length.

Tasting Notes from Last Week

2009-07-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

Alois Lageder 07 Pinot Grigio, Italy
Lemony gold colored wine with fresh hay and fruit wafting
from the nose. Very pleasantly creamy in texture while
remaining light. It has pretty, delicate fruit with a
lightly spicy note at the end.
Crisp at the end, showing good acidity.

Baileyana 06 Pinot Noir, Edna Valley
Red velvet colored wine with a nose composed of perfume
and lavender. Silky and soft on the palate, the wine
offers up red cherry fruit with real length and complexity.

Beaumont des Crayeres NV Brut, France (Champagne)
Pale gold with a fine bead. Cream, lemon and apples to
the nose. Sharp, tart fruit, lots of green apple and lemon.
Fresh, lively and zippy.

Ciacci Piccolomini 06 Toscana Rosso, Italy
Dense, black wine with a violet rim. The nose is composed
of smoke and salumi. On the palate it's velvety, with a
real depth of black fruit and some pleasant dust. Very well put together.

Duckhorn Decoy 07 Red Blend, Napa Valley
Rich, red garnet colored wine with a big, forward nose that
offers red fruit and graphite. Big and juicy on the palate,
with lots of cassis that calls to mind Bordeaux.
There are little hints of anise, cedar and even violets.
Lush, pretty wine.

Lombard NV Brut Champagne, France
Tawny gold color with a spicy, herbaceous nose showing
off some butter. Fat and rich, with creamy fruit and some
nice toast to the finish.

Macduff 90 Single Malt Scotch
Golden nut colored whisky with quick thick legs.
There's a coastal quality to the nose, a hint of
salted almonds. Full and soft on the palate it
starts out with sweet malt opening into smoke and a
nice hint of the sea. Real complexity to this whisky,
with a light touch of bacon to the finish.

A Glowing Review From John Hansell

2009-06-22T23:53:00.000-07:00

So we sent Malt Advocate's John Hansell a sample of one of our favorite Aficionado's bottling a few weeks ago and this is what he had to say:

Scapa, 19 year old, 1989 Vintage, 52.7%, $150

This single cask bottling of Scapa is a beauty! Brilliant gold color. Clean and fresh on the nose and palate, with complex bright fruit (peach, tangerine, Golden Delicious apple, honeydew melon, pineapple), spice (cinnamon, vanilla, subtle cocoa), appetizing brine, and beach pebbles, all on a bed of creamy, squeaky clean honeyed malt. Dynamic, appetizing, briny, dried spice finish. A delicious, superbly balanced whisky that makes a great aperitif, but I could drink this any time. (Bottled exclusively for D&M Aficionado’s Club.)

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 92

New Arrivals!

2009-06-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

We're ecstatic about all these champagnes that just came in. You folks better get some before we run out.

Billecart - Salmon 1997 Cuvee Nicholas Francois Brut Champagne
$89.99
Outpointing its middling reputation, this vintage of the Cuvee Nicolas Francois Billecart bubbly hits the mark smartly with yeasty, rich and ripe aromas that are this producer's hallmark. Except for an extra note of chalk in its aromas and flavors, the smells of vanilla, ripe cherries and sweet lemons could easily pass for something grown here in California. It is balanced, rich, creamy and well-bubbled.
Score: 2 Puffs, Connoisseurs' Guide

Bollinger 1985 RD Extra Brut Champagne
$279.99

Disgorged in 1997. Founded in 1829, Champagne Bollinger introduced the world to an instantly recognizable, dry, toasty style that connoisseurs around the globe covet. Six generations of the Bollinger family have maintained the trademark style of their namesake Champagne and it is one of a few remaining Grande Marque houses owned, controlled and managed by the same family since its founding. Bollinger relies on its own estate for more than 60 percent of its grape requirements, including the Pinot Noir that gives its Champagne much of its distinctive strength and structure. Bollinger is one of a select few houses that can control the quality of its grape supply so carefully. Bollinger is renowned for its use of traditional methods that include extensive use of Pinot Noir, individual vinification of each marc and cru, barrel fermentation and extra-aging of all of its Champagnes on the lees prior to disgorgement.

Bollinger 1990 RD Extra Brut Champagne
$259.99
Disgorged in 2002. A full-bodied, powerful Champagne featuring biscuit and ginger aromas and flavors, picking up a grilled nut character on the finish. Very firmly structured and dry, yet with the flavor intensity and fine texture to match, this is a tour de force. Endless finish. Drink now through 2020.
Score: 97 Points, Collectibles. The Wine Spectator.

Pierre Gimonnet et Fils 1998 Vieilles Vignes De Chardonnay 1.5 Liters - Magnum
$134.99
This is dry and brisk, yet with fine intensity to its lemon, bread dough and hazelnut notes. Balanced overall, it ends with a nice richness and length. An ideal food Champagne.
Score: 90 Points The Wine Spectator

Green-gold. Spicy, vibrant citrus zest aromas, with nervy mineral accents and a hint of white flowers. Pure and energetic, with wonderful lift and great clarity to the flavors of lime, Meyer lemon and ruby-red grapefruit. A brisk mineral note of talc dominates the finish, which is impressively long.
Score: 91 Points Stephen Tanzer's, International Wine Cellar,

June's American Whiskey Club

2009-05-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

Alright, y'all can move forward to the edge of your seats. The next American Whiskey Club bottling is going to be a 7 year old single barrel from Willett! Here's an advance of the insert that'll be going out with the bottle (minus the tasting notes as I've yet to locate where I stashed them).

Willett is a brand, albeit one whose name retains historical significance. It begins with the story of John David Willett who formed Moore, Willett & Frenke Distilling shortly after the Civil War (Mr. Moore being John David’s brother-in-law and Mr. Frenke being an interested party from Louisville). In 1876, John David Willett fell ill and sold his interests to Moore and Frenke. Lambert Willett, John David’s son, started working at the distillery at the age of 15. After learning the ropes in his family’s distillery, Lambert moved over to Max Selliger & Co. Distillery eventually becoming one-third owner and superintendent of the plant. A.L. “Thompson” Willett, Lambert’s son, joined him at the plant as assistant superintendent. Thompson eventually left to establish the Willett Distilling Company and in 1935 construction began on their distillery. Five years after the founding of Willett Distilling Company, Lambert too left Max Selliger & Co. Distillery and joined his son to oversee the distilling process at Willett Distillery. Distribution remained fairly localized. During the gasoline crisis of the 1970s, the Willett Distillery switched production from alcohol to gasohol fuel. However, they never got the chance to capitalize on this as the U.S. soon recovered from the crisis. The distillery closed down and the bourbon distilling equipment and machinery was sold off and scrapped, with only the gasohol equipment remaining within the distillery.

Fortunately the Willett’s story does not end here. Thompson Willett’s daughter married a man by the name of Even G. Kulsveen of Hamar, Norway. In 1984, Even purchased the property and has ever since strived towards bringing the Willett Distillery back to life. He began by bottling whiskey that remained from the distillery’s production and remarketing it, primarily to the Japanese and (secondarily) the European markets. The old Willett stock has since run dry, and Even has turned to buying whiskey from other distilleries and bottling it under his brands’ names. This is not as sinister as it might sound. Even Kulsveen is one of many people who do this and his ability to select and blend whiskey from other distilleries in order to attain the profile he is looking for is evidence of his skills. The original Willett Distillery is under construction in an attempt to restore it to its former state of whiskey production; they are in the final stages and we expect nothing less than great whiskey from them as they move to operating out of their own distillery. The Willett label is part of the line up from parent company Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, responsible for such whiskeys as Noah’s Mill, Rowan’s Creek, Vintage, Pure Kentucky, Johnny Drum and Old Bardstown among others.

Recently we have been seeing a fair amount independent single barrel bottlings under the Willett name. We’ve been impressed with every one that we’ve tried, all of them showing a distinctive profile that is at once recognizable as Willett but each with their own characteristics and nuances that set them apart. This selection is a 7 year old, barrel number 1572. The nose is ripe with orange blossoms, honey, lemon and brown sugar. The palate is light and lively, citrus driven with dough and nougat. This is a cask strength bottling and we recommend water (not just because of the proof). Water really opens up the palate on this whiskey. We got a lot fuller flavors and much more rye spice with just a couple drops of water. We’ve chosen this barrel in conference with a few bars and restaurants that will be splitting it with us.

.jake/obo.

The White Bowmore

2009-05-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

It came in just last Tuesday and only 3 retail stores in
Northern California have this legendary bottle.
John Hansell from Malt Advocate gave it 94 Points.
For all you wealthy Islaphiles we're offering a package deal,
$10,000 for the Black and the White Bowmore!

Here are some detailed infos about this bottle:

Distilld: 1964 New Limited Edition. 42.8% ABV. Northern California only received 3 Bottles.

On the 5th of November 1964 the Bowmore spirit was filled into six bourbon casks and left to quietly mature in the deep, dark Bowmore vaults. After more than forty three years, the bourbon oak wood has infused the Bowmore spirit with light luscious vanilla tones. The color is golden syrup, with amazing aromas of Gallia melon, mango and papaya.

Only 732 bottles were obtained from the casks, but the result is outstanding. It is rare indeed to find a single malt scotch whisky of this quality and calibre.

An Old Favorite is Back.

2009-05-11T23:29:00.000-07:00

Last Friday's tasting was just plain awful we tried 19 bottles and passed one.
The good news is the passer was a bottle of Champagne, Ruelle Pertois Premier Cru Blanc De Blancs.. We have been big fans of this bubbly for quite some time now and have been eagerly anticipating its return. We're just happy that this current blend is just as good as the previous bottles. Made with pure Chardonnay and is made mostly with the 2000 and 2001 vintages. Citrus, brioche and hazelnuts on the nose. Creamy and toasty brioche flavors, the mousse is very pretty.

This is a small, family run champagne producer located in the town of Moussy. Their various vineyard parcels total just under 15 acres, from which just over 4,000 cases of champagne are made a year.

Their Côtes de Blancs vineyards (comprising 50% of their holdings) are located in Cramant, Chouilly and Oiry, all considered 100% Grand Cru for Chardonnay. The other 50% of their vineyards are located in the Cote d'Epernay villages of Moussy, Pierry and Vinay. All three champagne varietals (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay) are planted there, with the majority being Pinot Meunier.

Tasting Notes Update.

2009-04-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

Here are the things that we liked from our staff tasting on Friday the 24th.

Aberlour Single Malt Scotch 11 year old, Duncan Taylor Bottling
Pale gold with a typical Aberlour nose composed of malt, fruit and
a hint of sherry. Light bodied, grassy and slightly sweet with some nice
spiciness.

Bernard Lonclas NV Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
White golden colored wine with very fine beads. The nose is
composed of flowers, pepper and toast. Soft and pretty on
the palate, it offers delicate toast along with cream and
flowers. Nice length to the toastiness of the finish.
Tres elegant bubbly.

Bowmore Single Malt Scotch 25 year old, Duncan Taylor Bottling
Red gold in color with a nose that says Bowmore--ozone, peat
and the sea. Spicy and rich on the palate, there's a perfume
element laced all through the smoke. The sea salt is there and
the ozone comes up for a bow on the finish.

Domaine des Cassagnoles 08 Cotes de Gascogne $9
White gold color with some spices and a hint of petrol to
the nose. Light with bright melon fruit.
Snappy and refreshing on the finish.

Glenesk 20 YO Single Malt Scotch, Duncan Taylor
Pale gold with a salty, Oceanic nose. Light body with
white pepper and lots of flavor and depth to it.
Dangerously easy to drink, especially at this proof.
There's interesting tequila like tang to the center of this one.

JAQK 2006 Merlot CA $ $27.00
Black velvet colored wine with rich blueberry fruit
dancing on the nose. This is exactly what it should
be in the glass--Silky and soft, with
chocolate covered cherry fruit. It's rich,
with complexity under the silk.

Johnny Drum Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Red walnut color with an enticing nose.
Soft and complex in the palate, this bourbon
just holds you attention with sweet molasses
teased by a peppery spiciness.
A very nicely built whiskey

Johnny Drum Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Greenish gold color with a lightly smoky nose that
shows off a little earth as well. Light bodied,
but offering chewy, cookie-dough like flavors,
with a little bit of spiciness to the finish.

Kentucky Vintage Bourbon,Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Nut brown whiskey with a honey, molasses and horehound
candy nose. Crisp and snappy on the palate, with a nice
sweetness, but never cloying. There’s an intriguing
note of rhubarb fruit hiding the center.

Lieff 08 Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc $20
Very pale lemon in the color, the nose shows off grass
on a bed of minerals. Light and spicy on the palate,
with gooseberry fruit and some nice
white pepper notes before a snappy finish.

Macrostie 07 Carneros Chardonnay $14
Rich gold color with a nose of smoke wrapped in vanilla
and cream. On the palate it's classic Macrostie--dried
apple slices simmered in cream, finished up with just
a touch of butter and vanilla.

Tamdhu Single Malt Scotch 34 year old
Pale gold with a nose composed of fresh mint and thyme.
Soft on the palate and on the lighter side, showing pretty
malt and great gentleness. This might be too gentle for some,
but it will have its fans. Very easy to like.

More American Whiskey

2009-04-27T16:15:00.000-07:00

It has almost become a mission to stock the store as so it has one of the best American Whiskey selections. Getting started is the easy part as their is plenty of good and well known whiskeys being made in the states. It starts getting a little bit more difficult when you reach the point that we're at now. We can always use suggestions. So, what would you like to see in the shop? Here are a few that we're thinking about; give us your thoughts on them.

Elijah Craig 12 Year Old
Vintage 23 Year Old Rye
Ezra Brooks
Hancock's Reserve
Pritchard's Double Barrel
Old Fitzgerald Very Special 12 Year Old

and some economically sensitive whiskey:
Ancient Age
Old Grand Dad
Fighting Cock
Old Crow 3 Year Old
Jim Beam Rye

Also, we're coming to a decision on our next bottle for the American Whiskey Club. It'll be a single barrel from Willett. I'll have more details for y'all soon. Stay tuned.

.jake/obo.

Good bubbly doesn't have to be expensive.

2009-04-22T00:02:00.000-07:00

These passed few days have been quite warm to say the least. To stay cool we've been on a bubbly sampling binge. We just passed 2 awesome sparkling wines both for under $12. Talk about recession wine, well here you have it and they're both from Charles Lafite. For those faithful to only Champagne we also passed Montaudon's Brut Rose we got a great deal on it. So, we're selling it for $29.99.

Charles Lafite NV Sparkling Rose Gulf of Lyon
Peachy pink color with candied rhubarb to the nose. Light,
with citrus and strawberry fruit notes all the way through
with a light touch of pepper to the finish.

Charles Lafite NV Sparkling Wine Gulf of Lyon
White gold color with fine beads, the nose is floral with hints
of orange zest. Juicy on the palate, with lots of citrus fruit,
along with minerals.

Tasting Notes from Thursday

2009-04-12T17:33:00.000-07:00

Lots of exciting things....

Cune 2005 Rioja, Crianza $21
Red robed garnet colored wine with a nose composed
of earth and tar. Definitely Old World in style, with a
velvety texture and restrained dark fruit along with a touch
of leather to the finish. Well built,
with everything kept in balance.

Cune Monopole 2007 Rioja Blanco $20
Lemony straw colored wine with a pretty, floral nose.
Citrusy, floral, soft, with light herbs laced through this
fascinating wine. Finish with a nice snap of citrus. Speaking of
snap, red snapper, anyone?

Londer 2007 Late Harvest Anderson Valley Gewurztraminer $23
Platinum colored wine with lychee, white pepper and flowers to
the enticing nose. Medium weight, with honeysuckle fruit and perfume
notes, along with limes and peaches. Quite complex, quite well made
and amazingly crisp for all its sweetness.

Montaudon Brut Rose, Champagne $30
Dusty rose color with fine beads in abundance. The nose shows
off toast, vanilla and strawberries. Soft and juicy on the
palate with lots of cherry fruit and a delicate, dry finish.

Temple Family Vineyard 05 Cabernet Sauvignon $52
Rich, garnet color with a nose composed of earth and cocoa.
Big and chewy on the palate, with dark cassis and currants
and a very firm tannic structure. There are hints of tobacco
and a dark minerality to the finish.

2009-03-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

Friday's tasting was much better than Thursday's. We found 2 bottles for our Champagne Club members.

D. Henriet-Bazin NV Brut Rose Champagne
Very pale pink with fine beads. The nose is very fresh, alive with
berry fruit. Light, delicate and pretty on the palate, with
strawberries embedded in a pinpoint mousse. There's just the
lightest kiss of smoke to the finish.

Eric Rodez NV Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne
Golden colored bubbly with a fine, the nose is quite spicy.
The palate follows through with a fistful of cinnamon spice
supporting lots of red fruit leading into a toasty center.
It finishes with a note of drying spices.

Honig 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $36.99
Black velvet with a violet rim, the nose is smoky and spicy.
Big and rich on the palate, with lots of cassis and real weight
to it. There's a little bit of pepper to it. Very well built classic,
California cabernet.

Melipal 2006 Argentina Malbec $20.99
A rich velvety garnet wine with dark fruit to the nose.
Big, thick, bold wine-smoky and dense. There's pepper, granite,
graphite and dark, dark, dark, dark fruit. It goes into a big,
bold spicy finish. Gigantic malbec, just find us a steak, please.

Stone House 2006 North Coast Zinfandel $13.99
Red velvet color with a minty berry nose.
Rich and pretty, with slightly sweet brambles and jam and just a little pepper.
A Charming little Zin.

Tasting Notes from Thursday

2009-03-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

The tasting was not as exciting as last week but we did find a few gems.

39 Degrees 2005 Lake County Petite Sirah $16.99
This is a dead black wine showing off a nose composed of dark berry fruit and iron shavings. Big, bold, teeth-staining wine of a high order. It coats the tongue with black fruit, dusted with black pepper. The finish is iron laced and spicy. A big, bold, manly wine that will have you scheduling a teeth-cleaning in no time.

D. Henriet-Bazin Grand Cru Villiers-Marmery Grand Cru Champagne $34.99
Silvery straw with a fine bead. The nose offers yeast, toast and Meyer lemon fruit. Racy on entry, the champagne shows off Meyer lemon fruit on a mineral laced backbone, and a big, yeasty finish. Not for the faint of heart, but tasty champagne.

Lyeth 06 Sonoma Pinot Noir $19.99
This is a ruby-tinged garnet wine with a spicy nose. On the palate it shows off its presence with dark, spicy fruit and just a hint of nettles to it. Big pinot, with nice complexity, some unsweetened chocolate notes and a long, pepper-laced finish.

Tyrconnell Irish Whiskey Port Cask Finish
Light reddish pine color with a sweet, floral nose. Viscous and rich on
the palate, with malt and spicy red wine notes. The whiskey has a nice, firm grip and a long, nutty finish.

The American Whiskey Club's First Selection Is Here!

2009-03-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

Our first selection for the American Whiskey Club landed this week past and we've been busying ourselves with getting them out to you. For those of you yet to pick it up, here's the scoop. It is a special bottling done by Stranahan's -- part of their Snowflake Series, in which they've been experimenting with different cask finishes. For the most part, the Snowflake Series has only been available at the distillery - or how we and I'm sure several other industry folks have tasted it, as a gift from the folks at Stranahan's. This particular batch was coined Grand Mesa, the significance of which immediately came apparent upon tasting.

We originally sat down with three different bottles from the Snowflake Series: a Cab Franc finish, a Port Finish and the mysteriously titled "Grand Mesa." We had no other details about these bottles at the time. We started out with the Cab Franc finish which showed a great amount of spice and berry fruit. The Port finish was really rich and almost dessert-like with its berry jam and rummed rainsin characteristics. Finally, we came to the mystery bottle. The nose gave us dusty, dry hay on top of cherry jam. The palate exploded with spices, riding alongside brandied cherries and cocoa powder. The finish was long and dry with the spice still persisting and ending with Braeburn apples. It immediately brought to mind the vast open outdoors; it tasted like the Grand Mesa. Our decision was easy. The other whiskies were great, but this was fantastic.

Jake Norris, the head distiller at Stranahan's gave us some details once we had picked out the Grand Mesa cask.

The Grand Mesa Cask Finished Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey is made from 100% malted barley, distilled twice and aged in new heavily charred white oak barrels for no less than 2 years. This whiskey was distilled on 6/10/06- there was a fruity odor to the mash. The second distillation ran longer than normal due to the presence of higher esters. I cut heads accordingly. The barrel rested in rackhouse B-level 2, row 2. As I tested the barrel I noted a deep and complex flavor. After careful consideration I decided that this barrel had such a strong foundation that it could handle another layer of flavor. I worked with a used barrel dealer and located a French White Oak barrel made by Siguin Moreau that had housed red table wine made from grapes grown facing the Grand Mesa in remote western Colorado. The combination of the light sweet fruit flavors conjured from the used wine cask matched perfectly with the vanilla, spice and caramel flavors of the new American oak. The whiskey was transferred to the Mesa barrel on 8/13/08. It was matured in the Mesa barrel for 3 months and 23 days until sampled and deemed ready for bottling- the whiskey is 100% Colorado and has the freshness of the Rockies. We hope to be able to provide whiskies of this quality in the future.

This bottle is available now for members of the American Whiskey Club. For those of you who would rather not sign up for the club, it'll be available at the beginning of April. Club members have the added incentive of getting the bottle at a discounted price. For those of you out there still wary but interested, head over to The Alembic -- a great whisk(e)y bar and restaurant at 1752 Haight Street. The cask has been split with them so feel free to have a taste or more over there before you decide to pick up a bottle of your own.

Those of you who would like to sign up can do so a number of different ways. Give us a call at (415)346-1325 or (800)637-0292. Sign up on our website: http://tinyurl.com/c2q9wl. Or, my favorite, write yourself a prescription.

Hope to hear from y'all soon.

.jake/oboe.

Catalog craziness and some Burgundies

2009-03-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

We're working on our Spring 24 pager at the moment but had some time to take a little break to sample some Burgundies and a white Rhone. Here's what we passed:

Bachelot Monnot 06 Maranges 1er Cru $36
Dark garnet wine with a clear rim. The nose is definitely Burgundy,
with earth and smoke, just a hint of a barnyard and red berry fruit.
On the palate, it's middleweight with a silky texture with lots
of red fruit. There's a brace of spices amidst the fruit and
excellent structure.

Bachelot Monnot 06 Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru La $97
This is polished gold wine with a smoky, oaky nose. On the palate
it is very tightly wound, with firm tart fruit on a bed of flint.
This one can
grow for decades.

Bachelot Monnot 06 Bourgogne Blanc (Declassified Puligny Montrachet)$24
Bright straw color with a spicy, smoky nose, red apples, a hint
of oak and a hint of clove. This is Puligny Montrachet made
from vines too young to make the classification. It's a lovely,
middleweight white, with steely fruit on a firm structure.
There's lovely fruit here, set in a grown-up

Muzard 06 Santenay Clos des Mouches $48
Dense garnet wine with a hint of mint along with other spices
on the nose. There's also berry fruit and a touch of earth there.
Absolutely huge on the palate, with dense, chewy fruit. There's a
lot of earth here, in balance with the fruit, lots of density
and serious structure. This one could age forever.

Saint Cosme 07 Cotes du Rhone Blanc $24
This bright gold wine has a nose that speaks of peaches and stones.
On the palate it's steely and sleek, with white peach fruit and spices
set into a mineral-laced bed. The texture is what grabs you here.

Its Napa Premier Week-end!

2009-02-20T14:41:00.000-08:00

We just arrived in Napa and tasting wine at Shafer.
The 2005 Hillside Select has rich velvety fruit.
Lush texture with a solid backbone and still drinking well now.
The 2007 Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay has flavors of papaya, mango and cream.
There is a kiss of oak but not overwhelming with good acidity.

Staff Tasting Favorites

2009-02-16T10:35:00.001-08:00

Our Thursday tasting was fantastic! Here are the bottles we passed.

Antano 07 Rioja
Thick and chewy, with black fruit, leather and serious minerality.
Big shouldered for Rioja, but darned tasty.

Lioco 07 "Charles Heintz" Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast)
Beautifully balanced, silky wine, with pear and apricot fruit set
into a creamy texture and a finish of astonishing length.

Il Follo NV Proseco Extra Dry
This is juicy bubbly, with a lovely texture, loaded with bright fruit.
It's just off dry enough to remind you that it's prosecco, not champagne.
There's a nice flinty note adding a dimension to the finish.

Lioco 07 Sonoma Coast, Carneros
Soft, silky and sexy wine, with cherry fruit and real delicacy.
This is classy wine.

Lioco 07 Sonoma, Chardonnay
Middleweight, with crisp apple fruit and a light kiss of cream at the end.
Lovely and balanced.

Mas de Daumas Gassac 07, White Wine Blend, Languedoc
White straw color with peaches and herbs, rosemary in particular, wafting
from the nose. Rich and spicy, laced with herbs and lovely fruit and
steely minerality. The wine shows amazing complexity and length.

Tandem 03 Red Blend, Navarre Spain
Supple and juicy, with lots of spice and black fruit,
along with black pepper. Complex and lovely.

Tuthilltown Distillery, Hudson, Manhattan Rye Whiskey
Red pine color with a very lively, very spicy nose. Crisp and snappy
on the palate, with a nice texture. The rye really gets to strut
its stuff in this beautiful whiskey.

Tuthilltown Distillery, Hudson, Four Grain Whiskey
Rich and soft, with creamy corn and a bit of spiciness laced through it.

Tuthilltown Distillery, Hudson, Baby Bourbon
Redwood color with a fresh, forward nose. Dry and soft on the palate, showing baked corn and just a twist of the peppermill. Tasty.

Voss 07, Napa Valley, Sauvignon Blanc
Crisp and light on the palate, with juicy fruit and some spiciness leading
into a crisp snappy finish.

American Whiskey Club Update

2009-01-28T11:15:00.000-08:00

With much anticipation -- on our part, at least -- the American Whiskey Club is falling into place and just about ready for launch. We've slowly been cultivating enthusiasts familiar with our discerning tastes. Others have understandably waited to sign up until they knew, at least, what our first offering would be. Well, we now have something more to tell you than the vague but truthful response of "We're searching out whiskeys that are going to be a bit more unusual, whether they be from smaller distilleries that might not be readily available due to distribution issues or they be unusual bottlings (like older offerings, additional cask enhancements, marriages, atypical mash bills, et cetera)." The idea was that we wanted to be able to offer you things that you couldn't just go your local spirits shop and pick up, but we were unsure how difficult finding these kinds of bottlings was going to be. Sometimes the choice is obvious.

Back at WhiskyFest 2008, the folks at Stranahan's sent a "thank-you" bottle in our direction. It was part of what they refer to as their Snowflake Batch - this particular one, was their Colorado Whiskey finished in Port pipes. Intrigued by the unusual and delicious flavors, we set out to see if they'd be interested in providing us with something of this nature for the American Whiskey Club that we were putting together. As it was the holidays and Stranahan's was receiving more and more press, they merely asked that we wait until after the holiday season so they could keep up with demand and get their whiskey out. So we waited with hope and anticipation for the holidays to end.

In the meantime, we busied ourselves with searching for additional and future options for the club. But as of the Monday, all that got put on the back burner: samples of multiple Stranahan's Snowflake Batch bottlings showed up! It was a tough choice choosing between them, but there was one in particular that stood out. And so, we can now tell you definitively our first American Whiskey Club offering. All the extensive details will be up soon, but be ready for Stranahan's Snowflake Batch. And sign up for the club to ensure yourself a bottle.

.jake/oboe.

Ardbeg Supernova

2009-01-27T22:07:00.000-08:00

We’ve been hearing from a lot of customers lately asking about the new Ardbeg Supernova. This is a super heavily peated Islay whisky, 100 parts per million. It’s being released to Ardbeg Committee members in Europe this month. There will be some 600 bottles released to the US later in the year, probably March or April. If you visit the Ardbeg website you will see that we are one of fourteen retailers in the US who will get some of this whisky, that promises to be amazing.

That said; let us say that’s all we know. We don’t know how many bottles we will get. We don’t know what the price is going to be. We don’t know how it’s going to be allotted. We are honored to be included among the Ardbeg Outposts, and we’re looking forward to getting the whisky. When we get it, we’ll let the world know. All we can suggest is that you keep checking back here. Of course, you might decide to pick up a bottle of the Ardbeg Uigeadail just to tide you over.

Tasting Some Scotch on a Lazy Sunday

2009-01-25T12:21:00.000-08:00

Robin from Glenrothes dropped off some samples and just made our day today! Here are the bottles we tried:

Glenrothes 1975 31 Year Old, Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($500):
Rich, amber colored whisky with ozone, red fruit, light spices and some citrus, almost tropical fruit notes, to the nose. Very luxurious in texture with lashings of malt, rich sherried nuttiness lots of butterscotch and some toasted almonds on the end.

Glenrothes 1979 26 Year Old Single Cask, Single Malt Scotch Whisky (1,500):
Dark varnished redwood color with malt, nuts, seabreeze and oloroso sherry to the nose (water opens up the maritime element). Very full bodied nutty and very sherried--probably Oloroso. Still big, fresh and rich with lots of power. Water softens the heat and lifts all the flavors.

Another bottle we tried dropped off by another rep was the Bowmore 1991 16 Year Old, Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($100):
Redwood colored whiky with a classic Bowmore nose--ozone, smoke and driftwood fires. Pretty and feisty at the same time on the palate. Spices, pepper, smoke, along with serious wine notes and fresh cut peat. Another winner in this series.

Staff Tasting Favorites

2009-01-23T11:49:00.000-08:00

Our staff tasting was a bit of a let down except for the super amazing 1999 Blanc de Blancs from Vranken Diamant Blanc (it was Heidsieck-Monopole Diamant Bleu in the past but they've changed labels)the Champagne was ripe golden colored with toast, coconut and smoke on the nose. Sleek, steely, big shouldered Champagne with lots of toast. A lovely mouth feel and real richness and great length to the finish.
We're going to try to work on pricing with them and see if they are willing to lower the price from $144 per bottle to maybe $120.

We also tried "The Season's of Pommery" (4 bottles representing each season) in the hopes of possibly finding a gem for our Champagne Club, but was disappointed with the bottles. We did however like the Extra Dry Pommery Fall Time.

Here's a list of what we passed this week:

Domaine des Lises Crozes Hermitage 2006 $32
Deep red garnet colored wine with smoky wood, maple and a peppery charcuterie note to the nose. Light in body but big in flavor, with raspberry fruit, wood smoke, iron and spices. Firmly structured with a lovely dry, long finish.

Saddleback Napa Merlot 2004 $36
Thick garnet colored wine with a loamy nose, along with some pretty berry fruit/ Rich, with soft blueberry fruit in a restrained structure, finishing up with silk and blueberries.

Tschida 2005 Austria Eiswein $36
Rich golden color with a pretty floral nose. Richly textured on the palate, laced through with flowers and pear fruit, opening into a wonderful complexity.

Yves Boyer Martenot 2006 Meursault "En l'Ormeau" $55
Greeny golden wine with a nose composed of river-washed stones, stone fruit and crisp apples. Rich and complex on the palate, the wine shows off firm fruit and an amazing structure, pretty fruit wrapped around a beam of steel.

Staff Tasting Favorites

2009-01-18T12:15:00.000-08:00

The staff tasting went very well this week. Here is the list of the bottles we passed:

Rocket Science 2005 Meritage $46.99
Red velvet color with a pretty perfumed nose. The wine is silky, with lots of chocolate and red fruit. This is a well built, flavorful wine decidedly in the California style.

Ch. Grand Village 2005 Bordeaux Superieur $24.99
Garnet colored wine with gravel, currants and oak on the nose. Strict and structured red wine-there's no mistaking where this one is from-it delivers firm currant fruit, dust and cedar on a strict tannic backbone.

Domaine Martin Sevre et Maine Muscadet $13.99
Shiny straw colored wine with honeysuckle and spices on the nose. Light and lemony on the palate, with a touch of oak at the very end and a lively spiciness. Well built.

La Fiorita Tuscan Red $24.99
Dark garnet wine with a clear rim. The nose speaks of Tuscan dustiness
along with anise and violets. Medium bodied red with a satiny texture carrying soft red fruit. The wine shows good grip and nice complexity and seems like it's calling out for a pasta with a red sauce.

Unti 2005 Dry Creek Grenache $37.99
Murky garnet color with fresh cut redwood and spices on the nose. Silky, with lots of plummy fruit and a real flesh-iness. The acids are firm, the wine is complex and there's a dusting of pepper to the finish.

Two Hands Australian Moscato (500ml) $19.99
This pure white colored wine offers pretty apricot fruit and flowers on the nose. Light and pretty on the palate, with true frizzante spritziness and lots of flavor. There's a wonderful grace note of pepper to the finish. This is a wine that will just make you smile.

A beautiful day for wine tasting...

2009-01-14T12:07:00.000-08:00

So I was at the North Berkeley wine tasting yesterday and found some really tasty wines. I started with the Andre Beaufort 1996 Champagne it had a beautiful creamy citrus note and still quite firm for its age, however at the price point ($262/per bottle) I wanted more wow factor and I did not get that. So here are some of the wines that really stood out for me and hopefully we can order some for the store as soon as possible:

Domaine- Boyer Martenot 2006 Meursault 1er Cru 'Les Charmes' Cuvee Unique
Ripe green apples,lemons, pears, minerals with a good acidity to it. The French does this so well!

Domaine Latour Penedesses- Faugeres 2007 Faugeres Montagne Noir (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre)
Rich, dark berries with great complexity, you can tell it gets warm here and it shows.

Domaine Latour Penedesses- Faugeres 2005 Clos de Magrignan Montee des Schistes (Syrah)The aromas of this wine is spectacular lots of lavender and vanilla. The flavors are astonishing dark chocolate, plums and vanilla. I love the texture.

Josetta Saffirio- Monforte d'Alba- 2004 Barolo 'Persiera'
I almost passed up this table because of the label which I had a hard time taking seriously, I'm so glad I didn't, this Barolo was exquisite and after speaking to the owners daughter I found my self liking the label because of the story behind it.

Domaine Arlaud Pere et Fils- Morey- St Denis (organic)
2007 Morey-St. Denis 1er Cru 'Les Ruchots' Vielle Vignes
Silky texture, earth, cherries, bold flavors of fruit but with the right amount of restraint.
Domaine Arlaud Pere et Fils- Morey- St Denis (organic)
2006 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Earthy, herbs, raspberries the finish lasts forever. I love this wine!

and now for California...
I'm so excited to have discovered this producer Lioco I want to order everything he was pouring.
His Chardonnays and Pinots were fantastic and I can't wait to bring the wines into our store.

D&M's American Whiskey Club

2008-11-01T17:55:00.000-07:00

We are in the midst of a Whisk(e)y revival. While this seems to be a worldwide phenomenon, American Whiskey distillers seem to be embracing it with extra zeal. New craft distilleries are opening, established distilleries are expanding, and everyone is experimenting – whether it be with mash bill, age, blending (marriage-ing) or additional cask finishing or enhancing. It would be foolish of us not to take advantage of the opportunities that American Whiskey distillers are presenting. With the aim of exploring a wide scope and searching out some of the best and the most interesting American Whiskey, the idea of D&M’s American Whiskey Club was born. We’re still working out the details, but here are the basics:

*The American Whiskey Club will go out quarterly. So we’ll have a new selection for you every three months.

*The price will top out at $100. Five times out of six, the price will be well below this mark, but we’d like to not catch you off guard when we find a particularly special bottle that costs a little more.

*Like our other clubs, we request a year commitment. This is so we can source an accurate amount of Whiskey for our club members, as we will be procuring spirit well in advance.

We hope that you’re as excited about our new project as we are! Give us a call, send us an email, or drop in the store to ask us any questions or let us know that you’re interested. And remember, we’re still working out the details, so if you have any input or suggestions, feel free to mention them.

.jake/oboe.

The Black Bowmore

2008-10-29T01:37:00.000-07:00

The third and last release. Only 827 Bottles, from this Olorosso Sherry Cask. Dark mahogany color with slow, thick legs. The nose offers classic Bowmore ozone and peat smoke with sherried sweetness behind it, quite complex. Thick, almost viscuous on the tongue, with carmamelized custard, peat smoke and a splash of sea salt to the flavors. It just slides down your throat, coating it with malt and sherry flavors.

John Hansell from Malt Advocate says...

In short, this is one of the most fascinating whiskies I have ever tasted! It’s better than the original Black Bowmore trio. ...What I think impresses me most is how the whisky evolves. On the nose and palate, this is a thick, viscous, whisky, with notes of sticky toffee, earthy oak, fig cake, roasted nuts, fallen fruit, pancake batter, black cherry, ripe peach, dark chocolate covered espresso bean, polished leather, tobacco, a hint of wild game and lingering, leafy damp kiln smoke. Flavors continue on the palate long after swallowing. This is what we all hope for (and dream of) in an older whisky! I have now tasted this whisky twice: last night before dinner with Iain McCallum, Bowmore’s whisky “nose”, and this morning, in my hotel room before posting this. My opinion is the same. My rating for this whisky, which will be published in the next issue of Malt Advocate magazine, is: 97. (That’s the highest rating I have ever given a whisky.)

Our Night at WhiskeyFest

2008-10-11T15:34:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing time at the WhiskyFest event! Our table was very popular and we got to meet so many interesting people, and saw some familiar faces as well. The whiskeys that we had the honor of sampling were out of this world and unforgettable. So many stellar whiskeys with so little time, how can one choose a favorite it just would not be fair. Glenlivet's table poured several different vintages all fantastic and one super special 1959 Vintage bottling, the cost $4,000 a bottle and is not available for sale. Springbank's table was one I frequented because I'm such a big fan of the Longrow 14 and the Hazelburn. The guys from Pappy Van Winkle poured their whole line including the 23 Year Old Bourbon, what an outstanding whiskey! We're already looking forward to next year's event!

BUILDING A COGNAC

2008-08-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

So there we are, most of the D&M staff, sitting around Mike and Karen’s dining room table with the semi-legendary Alain Royer. He’s the man who saved Fussigny Cognac for a while, at least, among many other things. We’re going to blend a Cognac for an upcoming club under his tutelage.

He has a kit, with a graduated cylinder just like you used in high school chemistry, and a bunch of miniature bottles of cognacs of various ages and provenance. First we pour each into a glass and pass them around. Everyone takes a sniff and mentions something about what they smell. It’s too soon to start tasting.

We build the Cognac from a base that is a blend of a 40 year old and a 45 year old brandy. You’ve got to start somewhere. The cylinder shows 50 cls. of volume. We put a little bit in a glass and taste that, so we know what we’re working with. Next we add 10 cls. of a Cognac from 1900. This dramatically adds to the aromatics.

We pass that blend around, and then add another ingredient, another Cognac that adds a pretty, fruity note, but we decide it needs something for backbone. Another little bottle comes out, and we put 10 cls. of that into it. At this point Karen announces “Allspice!”

The advantage to doing this at our proprietor’s home becomes clear right away. Karen runs to her spice shelf and produces a jar of allspice and passes it around. We confirm her judgment. And we’re having fun.

Of course, through all of this, Alain is keeping up a running commentary about how this is done, and how long he’s been doing this sort thing (close to 40 years). He is, it goes without saying, a charming Frenchman with a rich accent and a wealth of stories.

Now all of the cognacs we are using are at cask strength. Well, not exactly, because most of them have been out of cask for a while, and been stored in glass demi-johns, which is the custom in Cognac. If that 1900 Petite Champagne had been in a barrel all that time, it would only taste like wood. Still, the point is these are powerful brandies, all over 45% alcohol by volume. As we stack the brandies in the cylinder, even taking the tiny sips we take while blending, we’re noticing that. Once we’ve achieved the flavor profile we’ve chosen, Alain produces a tiny bottle of distilled water to lower the proof, just a little. After tasting that, one of us points to an earlier ingredient, the aromatic brandy. We add 5 cls. of that one, and we think we’ve gotten the job done.

“Of course,” Alain tells us, “when I go back home and put this blend together for you, I won’t be using water to bring down the strength.” He chuckles. “That would be silly. I’ll be using older Cognac of much lower proof.”

We all taste our finished product, and pronounce it good. We have a miniature of our blend sitting back in the office. In a month or so, Alain will send us a full bottle of what he’s put together in France, and we’ll compare it to what we composed on that foggy day in San Francisco. If we still like it (and I’m sure we will) it will become an exclusive bottling for our Cognac Inner Circle members. We can’t wait!

THINKING OVER A GLASS

2008-08-06T00:22:00.000-07:00

Last night, over a glass of Armagnac (Dartigalongue XO, if you must know—a sturdy, commercial Armagnac that represents real value) about my high school Latin. It was the famous first words of Julius Caesar’s Commentaries on the Gallic Wars--GALLIA est omnis divisa in partes tres—All Gaul is divided into three parts.

The line came back to me because Armagnac is divided into three parts. There’s Bas Armagnac, to the west, Tenareze, in the center and Haut Armagnac to the east. Two out of three of those regions wind up on the labels of a lot of bottles of brandy, of course. Bas Armagnac is probably considered the sexiest sub-region, because of its high concentration of sables fauves, or iron rich sand. This seems to produce the best grapes for distilling, although the boulbenes, sand with pieces of clay, is also good for long-lived spirits; Tenareze is blessed with a fair amount of that kind of soil. Haut Armagnac produces grapes for brandy, but they mostly go into blends offered by negociants.

Most of the vines that produce Armagnac come from the rolling hills where the Bas Armagnac meets Tenareze. This is picturesque country, dotted with bastides, walled villages dating back to the wars with the English in the Middle Ages. It’s pretty country, and good for agriculture, great for brandy; however, the industry seems to be dying. As we drove through the villages, you could see abandoned vineyards everywhere—gnarled, venerable vines suffering from neglect, just waiting to collapse back into the soil. Many of the healthiest looking vineyards, we were told, are not producing Armagnac, but wines from Gascony, which can be sold every year, without waiting for the long aging process that makes a profound spirit.

Maybe that’s why my rudimentary Latin came back to me over the glass. That language is long dead, but there are remnants still with us. It seems that Armagnac itself may be going that way. Certainly there’s enough to last a while, we saw chais holding row after row of barrels containing aging spirit, but it seems like it is fading fast. Maybe the Slow Food folk can put this stuff on their ark and save it. Meanwhile, I’ll sip mine slowly and ponder the lessons I learned long ago.

History In A Glass

2008-05-19T02:56:00.000-07:00

So it’s out last day in France after 10 days of covering most of the wine regions at a breakneck pace. That meant many wines and, it seemed like, even more food. We drove up from Cognac towards the Loire River. We are four weary, slightly smelly American males whose trip has outlasted their sock supply. We pull in, late, to the town of Saumur-Champigny. Charles Neal, our leader, translator and coordinator, calls Philippe Vatan on his cell phone asking where we should meet for lunch. We park next to a Gothic Cathedral and walk to the restaurant where Philippe treats us to lovely lunch.

Then we pile back into the green van and go up to look at the vineyards out of which Philippe produces his wonderful Chateau du Hureau (Hureau is the word in the local dialect for wild boar) Saumur-Champigny Cabernet Franc.

Now understand that the four of us have been traveling together for 10 days. We have looked at a lot of vineyards. We started at the end of March and it’s now early April. At this time of year, vineyards everywhere look about the same—gray, twisted stalks, tortuously stretched across various forms of trellises. They haven’t begun to bud yet, except deep in the south of France. The sky is gray. We drive down the hills, under that steely sky towards the broad river. We turn up to the beautiful Chateau that is home to both Philippe and the winery. It’s here that magic happens.

First, of course, we go into the limestone caves that burrow beneath the hills above us, where a modern, yet classic winery is tucked away. We taste current vintages from large, stainless steel tanks. Most of those wines were pretty darned good, and very interesting to us Americans, who don’t really understand Cabernet Franc as a grape. The Philippe starts talking, leading us back into the depths of his caves.

Much of this, he tells us, was blocked off during the war. We hid people here, he says, Allied Paratroopers, people escaping the Gestapo. I’m not sure how my parents and grandparents did it, except that the local SS commandant was a civilized man. He leads us deeper under the hill, behind all the tanks and the current winemaking equipment. There are bins and bins of bottles that look as old as time. He reaches into one of the darkest corners and pulls up a bottle, smiling as he shows it off.

“This is 1945. We can open it if you like!” Even four weary wine thugs know a treat when they see it. We nod enthusiastically.

We go back up into the chateau. Philippe produces glassware, and we taste some of the reds from the last vintage as we look across the broad expanse of the Loire River. Philippe tells us how he was cursing at Charles through the entire last vintage, since it was his idea that the vineyards be moved to organic methods. Still, he smiles as he says it, and tells us he loves the wines that were produced that way. We politely taste, spit, rinse and say nice things about the wines while we admire the view. Finally, Philippe decides 1945 has settled enough.

It is a 1945 Domaine du Hureau Saumur-Champigny Blanc Sec. In the middle of the century, most of the grapes in this region were white. The concentration was that favorite of the disco era, Chenin Blanc. This Sec started its life out slightly sweet. Philippe carefully removes the cork from the bottle and passes it around. Written on the cork are the numbers wand words “1945—Victoire.”

The wine is golden in our glasses. The nose is still amazingly fresh, alive with floral notes, hints of licorice and an abundance of fruit. We taste in silence for a moment or two. The range in ages in the room goes from Philippe—a few years my senior, through myself, in my fifties, Charles in forties, and Jon in his thirties. All of us are a bit overwhelmed by what we are drinking. Both Philippe and I reminisce a moment about our fathers, whose lives were changed by that war, and look in awe at this golden wine. It keeps changing and evolving in the glass. There is no question of spitting this out and moving on. We spent the better part of an hour with that wine, letting it change before our eyes and palates and noses. Finally it was finished.

As we were leaving Charles asked Philippe for a favor. Could Mark have the cork? It’s the only actual souvenir I have from France, and I can’t think of anything I would treasure more.

D&M's Champagne Tasting

2008-04-29T03:41:00.000-07:00

What an evening we just had, Champagne Taittinger really knows how to throw a party! Jerome Jeandin was the speaker of the event and he definitely kept everyone's attention with his charm and humorous nature. The real star of the show were the bubblies of course. The whole Taittinger line up was fantastic but we have to say that the Vintage 2002 was fascinating and the complexity and beauty of the 2003 Comte de Champagne Rosé was unforgettable. We can't wait till next year's tasting, this one is going to be tough to beat.

Sine Qua Non 2005 Atlantic 203

2008-04-10T01:29:00.000-07:00

Just last Friday we received our allotment of this sought after wine and within a few days it was sold out. Was it all a dream? The wine retailed for $264 and Parker gave it very high ratings.
So what is so special about this California Syrah?

This is what Parker had to say:

"The 2005 Atlantis Fe 203-1a is a blend of 93% Syrah, 5% Grenache, and 2% Viognier, with about 25% whole clusters (stems) utilized. The vineyard sources include the Eleven Confessions as well as White Hawk, Alban, and Bien Nacido. An inky/blue/black/purple hue is followed by sweet blackberry, charcoal, and chocolate aromas, graphite and blackberry flavors, full body, decent acidity, and a stunningly long finish. This terrific effort should turn out to be one of the most French-styled Syrahs Krankl has yet produced. It reveals the great intensity and purity of California fruit superimposed on a European structure and sense of harmony. To reiterate, it is a challenge to analyze these wines. I know they are distinctive, and I think I am beginning to understand why they are so much greater than just about every other Syrah or Grenache-based wine in California. In short, it is talent and incredibly meticulous hard work. No one works as hard or is as maniacal about a vineyard’s viticulture and winemaking as Manfred Krankl. Take that, add in exceptional talent, humility, top-notch vineyards, and I believe I understand the fundamentals of why these wines are so special."

D&M's Champagne Club

2008-04-03T01:01:00.000-07:00

Our Spring Champagne Club selection for April is going to be so exciting, it's coming from one of our favorite house Pertois Moriset. This family owned champagne house is located in the sacred southern Champagne site of Le Mesnil sur Oger. This is in our opinion the best place for the Chardonnay grape to grow. Our lucky club members get first pick of the vintage 2000 bottle and rose, the price for Champagne Club members only $87.98 for the two bottles. What a bargain!

PREMIERE NAPA VALLEY

2008-03-13T00:26:00.000-07:00

We’re not usually big ones for going to the fancy parties that get thrown in this business. Sure, we do WhiskyFest, and if there’s a big Champagne tasting we’re morally obligated to send someone there. But the big, glitzy galas, where people go to be seen, that’s not exactly us.

Except….

Except for this one event that takes place every February in the Napa Valley. This is called the Premiere Napa Valley Auction. The events run for a week, with wineries cleaning themselves up and having catered open houses and that sort of thing, which is always a lot of fun. However, we’re on the spoiled side, living here in San Francisco, we get to Napa more than most, and people treat us really well. So we usually just go up for the weekend.

This gives us a chance to meet the faces behind the wines, to see who the new, up and coming winemakers and wineries might be. It’s also a chance to have dinner with friends in that we don’t see often enough, and to see what’s new at some of our favorite wineries. It also gives us a chance to see what’s old, since some folks, like the lovely people at Shafer and Duckhorn, break out older vintages and great big bottles and everyone has a good time. If you need a break, Joel Gott hosts a taco and beer party at his Taylor’s Refresher.

The main event, of course, is the auction itself. This is where the participating wineries offer exclusive lots of special, one-time-only blends, to the trade. There were celebrities around (both William Shatner and Kevin Costner were spotted), but if you’re not in the business, you don’t get to bid.

(A little aside here: The Premiere Napa Valley Auction is for charity. It helps raise funds for the alliance of wine-growers trying to protect the land and reputation of the region. Did you know that only 4% of California wine comes from the Napa Valley? Still, some people find a way to put that magic appellation on their labels anyway. It is this sort of thing these wine-growers are trying to combat, as well as to preserve the beauty of the valley itself).

The auction is held at the Culinary Academy in the great old Greystone building. There are over 200 different barrels to taste. Like everyone, we do some homework and decide which ones we might be interested in, so that we can still trust ourselves with a bidding paddle.

Again, all of the lots sold at the Premiere Napa Valley Auction are unique. No one else will ever have what we buy.

A few years ago we were lucky enough to lay down the winning bid for a 2002 Oakville Ranch Lucinda’s Blend composed of 85% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Only five cases of this supple, floral, spicy red were made. We do still have a few bottles left, but don’t expect them to hang around forever.

This year we’re excited to say we managed to win the following two lots:

Livingston Moffett Wines – 2006 Aidan’s Blend: This lot is a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The Cabernet come from three famous appellations, Howell Mountain, Rutherford and St. Helena, and the Syrah vineyard is in the cooler Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley Appellation. All four of these vineyards are less than three acres in size and produce yields of 2.5 tons or less per acre. This lot was named after Trent and Colleens’ son Aidan.

And

Paoletti Estates 2006 Nero d’Avola: A rare and beautiful grape native of the village of Avola in Sicily. Apparently, we are blessed with the same microclimate as Avola. The vines are 15 years old. The wine is lush, rich, velvety, dark and fruity, a memorable experience.

Both of these wines were bottled over the last couple of weeks. They’re resting now, but they should available for sale in December of this year.

If you’d like to learn more about the event and the work of these Napa Valley Vintners, visit www.napavintners.com .

Charbay Tasting

2008-02-07T11:43:00.000-08:00

We just found out some exciting news from Charbay.
They will pouring their prized
DoubleBarrel Whiskey II! (not yet released)
this bottle retails for $325.00
and only 5 barrels were produced.
The tasting will be on June 11th check
our website for more information.

A Hidden Gem from the South of France

2008-01-23T01:25:00.000-08:00

We just love this new wine that we brought in!

This wildly herbaceous and mouth
wateringly
crisp Southern French blend, with a hint of anise
is a true organic gem!

WHAT’S RIGHT ABOUT WHITE

2008-01-12T23:12:00.000-08:00

So there we are, the younger and the older generation having a talk about Tequila around here. The younger fella had just come back from Mexico. The older guy was remembering being in Puerto Vallarta in the aftermath of a hurricane.

Still and naturally, the talk turned to Tequila. Our younger participant thought it was odd that it was hard to sell higher-end Blanco Tequila. The older guy tried to look wise, a little bit grizzled (pity that he shaved every morning).

“Back in my day,” he began, “when we rode our brontosauruses to the beach—they were great for carrying our surfboards—and Janis Joplin ruled the airwaves, white tequila was the cheap, raw stuff, the stuff that Jose Cuervo wanted to get rid of—it was awful. Even when we were kids, we ponied up for the gold.”

“Sure, but that was then, old man,” answered this impudent youth. “We have a different world now. You see this thing; it’s called a cell phone. Janis never had one of those.”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“But what! The world has changed; the world of tequila has changed.”

“I know, and I know you’re right. Back in my day (surfboards on dinosaurs, etc) I would bet you that all the quality tequila that we get now was dumped into a big vat and became Cuervo. That’s why it was so much better than.”

“No, it was better then because you’re looking back through rose-colored glasses.”

“Fair enough,” the older fellow concedes, even though he looks no wiser. “But I think white tequila is pretty spectacular right now.”

“Yeah, it’s the best, really,” says the young man, “It doesn’t try to be anything else. It doesn’t try to be too smooooth. It’s not all about a stupid barrel.”

“No, you’re right; it’s bright, lively, vibrant with the fresh fruit of the agave plant. Sometimes there’s a great licorice note running through the whole thing. Have you tried the Herencia Tequila Blanco—that stuff just jumps all over your tongue.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty good, but I’ll take that Corzo Blanco. Plus, it makes the best Margarita north of the Pecos.”

“Okay, mea culpa, my generation spoiled the image of Blanco tequila, but we didn’t ruin the drink.”

“That’s one thing you didn’t ruin.” The young man said.

“It’s not good to shave in the afternoon.”

“Why did you say that?”

“I don’t know. Someone says it in every Latin American novel I read.”

ABSINTHE FEVER

2007-12-27T14:10:00.000-08:00

The word on the street is that Absinthe doesn’t really cause madness, that it’s a rumor spread by French doctors a century ago. Well, you can’t prove it by us.

As you may have heard, Absinthe has recently been cleared for sale in the United States, and it has set off a frenzy. First there was the madness to get any at all, and then there were articles in the New York Times and the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle, touting the Absinthe that was going to be released by Alameda’s St. George Spirits. Nothing like a little publicity to get things stirred up.

The release date was announced as December 21^st and we were named as a retail source for this elixir. This is just what a retail store needs just before Christmas—a whole bunch of people calling up trying to buy something that isn’t for sale yet. We did what we could—we took names and numbers and promised to call people when it got to us. We got only 56 bottles from St. George and they were gone within 24 hours.

We did open one bottle for ourselves, and is a truly fascinating drink. We found that the St. George Spirits Absinthe Vert certainly didn’t need any help from a sugar cube, although water gave it the signature creamy louche and opened up the flavors. The herbs wafted from the glass, with anise and licorice leading (it was reminiscent of Good and Plenty candy, really, and one of our tasters kept wondering out loud, “Why am I thinking of my childhood?”). For all that, we didn’t drink enough to see any green fairies, although we had to be careful with this 120 proof cocktail.

We still have the French Lucid Absinthe in stock, and we’re looking forward to the next batch from St. George, due in February. Hopefully, the world will have calmed down just a bit by then.

2007-11-19T02:18:00.000-08:00

October was such a busy month for us, we had the Signatory Single Malt Scotch tasting and WhiskyFest the very next day. We had a marvelous time and had a chance to rub elbows with some of the top players of the Whisky world. We're already looking forward to next year's WhiskyFest!

BLINK AND YOU MISS ‘EM

2007-10-31T17:19:00.000-07:00

There are wines out there that are so sought after, you sometimes doubt if they really exist at all. Lord knows we think some highly touted wineries are the fictional creations of frustrated novelists posing as wine writers.

Some of these wines do actually exist, but arrive in such small amounts that even we don’t publicize them much. Take, for example the 2003 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon. If Napa Valley has first growths, this wine is surely one of them. We get a healthy allotment of this wine because we’ve been around a while, but even a healthy allotment is 12 to 18 bottles. Some customers try to get us to hold them for them, but we don’t, although we let those who ask know when it arrives. We don’t post it on our web site, we don’t put it in our catalog (by the time the catalog is in a customer’s hands, the wine will be long gone). It’s a $300 bottle of wine, but we know it’s going to vanish.

Shafer Hillside Select is one of the wines you have to keep an eye out for, you have to have an idea when it will be released (for future reference, it’s an October release), and then you have to get on the phone and give us a call. Because if you miss it, it’s gone for a year.

SOMETHING ABOUT MAVERICKS

2007-10-11T04:46:00.000-07:00

As Americans, we tend to love the maverick—you know, the slightly wacky, shoot from the hip type who forges their own destiny. The world of winemaking, beer-brewing and whiskey distilling are full of these sorts, and we genuinely enjoy their company.

Just to give you an example, we recently received a shipment of Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey and we noticed an odd thing on their labels. Each label is signed by the distiller or assistant distiller who bottled that particular batch of whiskey. The label also has a comments section, and one of them read “listening to Patsy Cline”. Another said “riding in Estes Park”. We wondered about this, so we wrote to the distillery to find out what was up with these labels. Here’s what they wrote back to us:

“Our head distiller, Jake Norris is an avid music fan, so he writes on the label what he was listening to while working in the distillery. His hope is that a consumer could put on the same music, pour a glass and they could share a moment together.

“David Nice, assistant distiller, is a wild man on a fixed gear mountain bike. He will write what he’s planning to ride while in the distillery or even take some labels on his adventures and describe what and where he was riding. Whoever purchases the Estes Park will have a bottle that’s already been on an adventure.”

We thought you might enjoy hearing about what these particular mavericks were thinking when they came out with their one of a kind labels.

Fall is Here!

2007-10-09T02:13:00.000-07:00

There is definitely a chill in the air and in a few weeks its time move our clocks back. This week-end we were in the mood for a little window decorating. We usually hire some one to perform this challenging task but we decided to tackle it ourselves, it only took us about 3 hours to do it (not bad for first timers) and we're pretty proud of the end result.

Reflections In A Glass of Whisky

2007-09-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

So I was sitting there with a dram of Aberfeldy 17 year old single malt Scotch whisky the other evening, looking at the bottle. This surprisingly intricate midlands single malt was bottled by Gordon and MacPhail, one of several independent bottlers involved in the whisky trade. I realized that most people don’t really understand what single malt Scotch whisky is for.

There are roughly 120 different single malt distilleries scattered around Scotland’s highlands, Midlands, Lowlands and assorted Islands only about half of which bottle what they produce under their own names. Many of these are owned by the same parent companies—Diageo, United Distillers, Allied-Domeqc, that sort of thing (and these companies keep buying and selling each other’s assets). Now most of these companies produce more than a few different brands of Blended Scotch whisky, your Cutty Sark, Chivas Regal, and Johnnie Walker blends to name the best known. Single malt whiskies exist to service these blends.

The flavor profile of the Johnnie Walker blends derives from the different single malts used as “top dressing”. The base of the whisky is single grain spirits, which is produced in column stills, usually in the Lowlands, from whatever grain is in surplus at the time. This makes for a cheaper base. The single malt scotch whiskies then come into play, to add flavors and dimensions to the blends. In the case of Johnnie Walker the most prominent single malts used are Clynelish, Talisker and Cardhu.

Wait a minute, you say, Cardhu? I thought that didn’t exist anymore. Aha, says I, the distillery does exist and it still produces single malt whisky, but it doesn’t produce enough to service the demand for the Johnnie Walker blends and still have some to bottle as a single. The parent company tried to get around this by bottling a vatted malt under the Cardhu name, but it created such an uproar in the whisky world that the plan was shelved.

Now this brings me back to my bottle of Aberfeldy. It was bottled at cask strength, 113 US proof, so I added a bit of water to it, and it was just lovely. The only way you’ll see Aberfeldy, or many other smaller producing single malt Scotches, here in the US is in an independent bottling. When there is a surplus of a malt, barrels are sold off, and there is a great trade in these. When there is a shortage, some rare malts will become harder to find. There are many distilleries (Rosebank, Dallas Dhu, Port Ellen and Brora, to mention the most deeply lamented) that have been torn down. However, there are even some casks of these gems floating around, and the only way we’ll see them is if an independent decides to put it in a bottle. Some of the leading bottlers are Cadenhead, Signatory, Murray McDavid, MacKillop’s Choice and the aforementioned Gordon and MacPhail. These folks provide a wonderful service of bringing drams to our glasses that we might otherwise never get to taste. We should raise a glass to them!

France's Hidden Jewels

2007-09-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

Sometimes our reputation precedes us. This can lead to an embarrassment of riches. Yesterday evening Denis Lesgourgues, the owner of the single largest estate in Armagnac, dropped by our store. Chateau de Laubade holds more land than any other vine grower in the region and has since 1974. They produce a lovely VSOP Armagnac bottled after 6 to 10 years which could legally qualify as an XO), and an XO Armagnac bottled between 15 and 25 years old. These are lovely, refined spirits, distilled predominately from Folle Blanche (although there is Bacco and Ugni Blanc as well). He also poured several single vintage Armagnacs (1982, 1977 and 1952). These older brandies were made mostly from Bacco, which they feel age better over the long term.

One thing that happened, while our visitor was here, was that this young Frenchman just marveled at our selection of Armagnacs. One thing that he pointed out is what tremendous value we’re offering, rather accidentally, on these lovely brandies. We made our purchases, for the most part, when the dollar was stronger, so our prices are much lower than, perhaps, they ought to be. This was certainly nice to hear.

About five minutes after the Monsieur Lesgourges left us, Herve Pellerin from the Calvados house of Lecompte stopped by. He had been prompted by our good friend Charles Neal, who told him he had to see our store. Before he started marveling at our Calvados selection, we told him about our previous visitor. “Denis was here? I must call him!” he said, breaking out his cell phone and tried to call him, but apparently was exiled right to voice-mail.

Herve poured his 2 year old Calvados, a brilliantly fresh and lively spirit that smelled like an apple orchard in early Fall. Sadly, his Calvados isn’t yet available in the US, but we can expect to see it sometime next month. We love Calvados around here, and we can’t wait until it turns up.

Good Ole Bolly

2007-09-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

Before I start telling you about other ways in which we get spoiled in this business, I do think you should know that it is hard work. We have the days when 200 cases of champagne drop on us. In this virtual world, one of the things we tend to forget is that wine, champagne, Scotch whisky, Armagnac, Cognac, Calvados, even vodka, have to get here physically. That means that a truck drives up to our warehouse or our street door, and it get unloaded, and we have to put these things away. That means lifting 50lb. cases (champagne), 40 lb cases (almost anything else) and sometimes building stacks that are taller than we are. You can break more than a sweat doing this sort of thing.

Feel sorry for me yet? Good.

Now, let me tell you about lunch yesterday.

Champagne Bollinger had sent their marketing director to town. 20 of the elite (ah, shucks) wine professionals in town were invited to lunch at a restaurant so hot as to not even have been reviewed. The lunch was lovely, with designer ravioli and a choice of albacore or duck (I’ll tell, I had the duck. I always do). The champagnes were as lovely, if not lovelier than the food.

Bollinger is, of course, a grande marquee champagne. That means it is one of the top houses, and has been for more than a century. They make a big, bold and powerful bubbly, with lots of yeast, toast and ripe red fruit on the nose, all inlaid on a backbone of steel. The reason for the steeliness and in general the size, of Bollinger Champagne is that the wine is based mostly on Pinot Noir.

Champagne Bollinger, immortalized in Britain’s “Absolutely Fabulous”, makes a brilliantly bold non-vintage known as Special Cuvee. Laced with bread dough and toast, along with hints of dark-hearted fruit, there are few other non-vintage champagnes that show off the power that “Bolly” brings.

We also got to taste the 1999 Grande Annee, the vintaged champagne that Bollinger puts out. Still tightly wound, it showed itself off like a snake, teasing you in with hissing toast and light apple fruit and then making a leap into the steel of the back palate. This was a lovely companion to the spearmint and seasonal green ravioli with a citrus based sauce. We also got to revisit the 1996 Bollinger R.D. which is just the 1996 Grande Annee that has been sitting on its lees for several more years. The depth and complexity of this wine was a lovely match for the duck.

Two lessons to take away here: We work hard, physically, and earn these occasional rewards. And Pinot Noir makes for a terrifically food-friendly champagne!

An Afternoon with Mr. Park

2007-09-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes this job is very nice. Yesterday afternoon, just after lunchtime, Dominic Park walked in the store. Mr. Park is the British owner of the Cognac house, Maison Park, and he brought something interesting for us to try.

He had a barrel sample of 1932 vintage Maison Park Cognac. This was at cask strength, which after all that time was only about 84 proof (42% abv), unadulterated with caramel coloring or boisé. It was a beautiful experience and a privilege to taste.

What’s interesting, though, is that Maison Park doesn't bottle this brandy by itself. It serves as a component part of their Vieille Grande Champagne Premier Cru bottling. Mr. Park didn't think there was enough acid or alcohol left for a balanced drink. We agreed, although reluctantly, after considering the beauty of the Premier Cru bottling.

It reminds me of another experience with another Cognac producer from Pierre Ferrand. They poured some 1914 vintage Cognac for us to try. It was history in a glass, and fascinating. But then they poured some of their Ancestrale blend, which was composed of brandies from 1928, 1929 and 1931. The difference was astonishing! The depth and complexity that the multi-vintage blend was just riveting.

What this leads us to believe is that a great deal of the art in Cognac is in knowing which brandies will marry together to offer the kind of experience that such a luxurious drink should offer.

Heidsieck-Monopole Champagne Tasting

2007-09-19T14:47:00.001-07:00

What a night, it was so great to see everyone. Our annual Champagne tasting was just fabulous!

Here are some pictures Karen took. We have to say that the 1996 Heidsieck Monopole was amazing and who can forget the 1998 Rose, tre elegance!