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Home , Beaujolais nouveau, Vouvray, Vouvray (wine)

Chateau Moncontour Vouvray Sparkling Brut

Winery Notes: Chateau Moncontour was established in the 4th Century for the bishop of . Charles the Seventh gave the property to his mistress in the 15th century. The house was burned in the French Revolution. In 1994, the Feray family took it over and begin overhauling the and making facilities.

Winemaker’s notes: Vouvray is made from the grape, the noble grape of the Valley. Here it makes outstanding dry , some stunning, long-lived sweet wines, and delicious sparkling wines, too. Some of Moncontour's Vouvray are sweet, some are dry, and some have just a hint of sweetness that works magic with the clean, mineral tartness of the wine. The result is a wine with some weight and character that is also refreshing and great with all kinds of food. It even smells like flowers. Because of its abundant acidity, Vouvray can age beautifully for quite some time. But a young, fresh Vouvray is delightful with a picnic of cold dishes and spicy foods alike. Just remember to bring along more Vouvray than you think you'll need.

Critical acclaim: Chenin Blanc makes delicious when the producer tames its high acidity. This wine has a fine, fresh, gala apple flavor, crisp but not overpowering acidity, and a layer of almonds. It has fresh citrus and mineral aromas and a rich mousse with excellent acidity. This elegant is a great aperitif or accompaniment to caramel, cream and fruit desserts, but it can also be served with sushi and other seafood. 88 Points Wine Enthusiast

“02-09-2009″ Les Vendanges du Domaine Rougie Viognier

Vin de Pays D’Oc

Winery notes: Châteaux de Rieux is a 30 hectare vineyard which has been in the De Soos family since 1870. In the past several years, present day owner Emmanuel de Soos has taken the domaine to new heights, producing a range of wines that are showcase beautifully the unique of the Midi.

Winemaker’s notes: Grapes for the “02-09-2009″ (the date of ) were harvested at night to ensure freshness. Grapes were then fermented at cool temperatures in both concrete tanks and new 500L barrels. Eight months of elevage and lees stirring ensure a rich wine, without sacrificing the inherent aromatic intensity of the . Open and expressive, with seamless integration of fruit, and acidity.

2009 Mischief and Mayhem Bourgogne

Winery notes: Mischief and Mayhem is the creation of Michael and Fiona Ragg and Michael Twelftree, three great friends whose passion for wine, and for in particular, inspired them to create the company in autumn 2004. Michael and Fiona had worked in the wine business in England, and Michael Twelftree is the co-founder of Two Hands.

Winemaker’s notes: Hard work in amongst the vines, terrific conditions and superb chardonnay vineyard sites with an average vine age of 40 years. Beautiful purity of fruit so typical in 2009, light barrel treatment and early bottling, all integrate to produce a wine of real fruit character, minerality and purity. This is a classic white burgundy and we really hope that you will enjoy it.

Critical acclaim:

Pale straw in colour with a touch of gold. Beautifuly clean, pure, mid-intensity nose of ripe melon, lemon zest, white peach, lychee and honeycomb, with traces of baked apple and shortbread. Lovely freshness in the mouth and excellent cleansing acidity with notes of pear, apple and lime with a beautiful soft, creamy finish. Excellent.

2010 Delas Cote du Ventoux

winery notes: Founded in 1835, but the Delas Freres name really began a turnaround in 1996. By investing heavily in equipment, technology, and people. The company has property throughout Rhone, especially in the north.

winemaker's notes: The color is a deep ruby red, showing garnet reflections while young. With its predominately berry-fruit bouquet, this wine shows the full aromatic power of these two fine grape varieties whilst retaining the freshness imparted by well-controlled . It pairs well with Provençale stews, cold cuts, mixed grills and small game.

80% , 20% Syarh

critical acclaim: "Delas Freres has produced two other outstanding sleepers of the vintage, and both wines dramatically over-deliver for their . The 2010 Cotes du Ventoux (80% Grenache and 20% ) ratchets up the levels of intensity and richness beyond what one can usually find at such an incredibly fair price. Deep ruby/purple, with loads of texture and density, red and black fruits, a salty sea breeze note, and the classic seaweed wrapper found in sushi restaurants (nori) are all present in this generously endowed, corpulent wine. Drink it over the next 4-5 years." 89 Points The Wine Advocate

"Aged exclusively in stainless steel tanks prior to bottling, this blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah is a chunky, medium-bodied red ideal for drinking over the next few years. Subtle plum and black cherry notes pick up hints of leather, earth and spice, with an ample dusting of tannin on the finish. “Best Buy” 89 Points Wine Enthusiast

2009 Chateau des Capitans Julienas by Georges Deboeuf

winery notes: Georges Duboeuf is the founder of one of the largest and best-known wine merchants in . The company is known especially for its popularization and production of Beaujolais wines, leading to Duboeuf's nicknames of le roi du Beaujolais (the king of Beaujolais) or sometimes pape du Beaujolais (Pope of Beaujolais).Duboeuf's business produces more than 2,5 million cases of wine annually. He is almost single-handedly responsible for popularizing the annual Beaujolais phenomenon, and has won awards for his wines. His wine labels are easily recognizable by their use of colorful flower images and the distinctive Duboeuf insignia.

winemaker's notes: An intense crimson color. A fine expression of this lovely 'Capitans' terroir, with highly complex aromas on the nose and palate – hints of flowers (peony), roasting, mocha and vanilla, fruit (blackberry), spices (pepper) and licorices. Remarkably rich on the palate with powerful tannins and an opulent fleshiness. A wine to lay down for many years.

critical acclaim: "Duboeuf's 2009 Julienas Chateau des Capitains – from the upper reaches of its – was, as usual, matured in small part in barrique. Boysenberry and cassis offer a seamless, engagingly, juicy, and less superficially sweet account of themselves than in the corresponding Seigneurie bottling. There is at most only a tiny bit of warmth in the finish, and that is more than offset by lip-smacking persistence of pure berry fruit and a shrimp shell-like sweet, saline savor. With the right richness of cuisine, this cool- weather cru should perform admirably. " 89 Points The Wine Advocate

"This is dry Beaujolais, boasting as much structure as fruit. The tannins are prominent, underpinning the spicy black berry fruits. The effect is rich, a wine that will age well over 2–3 years." 89 Points Wine Enthusiast

"This spice-driven red is framed by dusty tannins and ripe acidity, with flavors of kirsch and blackberry intertwined with clove, anise and smoke notes. An understated, elegant Juliénas. Drink now through 2012." 88 Points Wine Spectator 2007 Domaine Cosse Maisonneuve La Fage Cahors

Winery notes: The Domaine was born in 1999 when Matthieu Cosse and Catherine Maisonneuve took over a 5 hectares vineyard planted with old vines. They produced their first wine, “Les Laquets”, already following the principles of biodynamie. Since the Domaine has grown to approximately 15 hectares. Matthieu and Catherine produce separate “Cuvées” to reflect the identity of the different Of the estate.After several years of patience and hard work, Catherine and Matthieu are now recognised as one of the leaders of the appellation Cahors by professionals (, Restaurateurs and Journalists)

Cahors is a wine region in south-western France specializing in the production of intense, dark-colored red wines from the Malbec grape variety. AOC Cahors is the appellation under which most of these wines are sold.

Cahors wines have been famous for centuries for their inky 'black' color, and were once used to add depth to the lighter-colored wines from Bordeaux. This uniquely 'Cahors' characteristic is sometimes purposely emphasized by , where heat is used to extract maximum amounts of pigment from the Malbec grapes.

The key vineyard sites for Cahors wines are roughly divided into two categories. Those located on the limestone plateaux of the area (known as the Causses) produce more-tannic, longer-lived wines, while those positioned on the gravelly slopes between the plateaux and the rivers turn out more-approachable, fruiter wines.

As the main grape variety here, Malbec must constitute at least 70% of the blend in any wine that claims the appellation AOC Cahors. A combination of and Tannat must make up the remaining 30%, with Merlot being favored for softer wine styles and Tannat for those which are more tannic and robust. Until recently, the obscure variety Jurancon Noir was also permitted as a minimal proportion of the blend. Cahors is unusual among the appellations of the South West in not permitting the use of either or Sauvignon.

Cahors is equidistant from the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea (about 130 miles/210km), and is moderated to some extent by both. The winters are certainly co than in areas closer to the coast, such as Bordeaux or Bandol, but the sunshine levels summer temperatures are correspondingly high, providing an excellent ripening seaso highly concentrated wines.