August Manager Selections

See Our Managers’ Selections From August Tasting:

Great Falls

McLean

Vienna

Thank you to everyone who were able to attend our Managers’ Favorites Tasting! Just in case you were busy, we have you covered with clips from the tasting on our YouTube channel. Many of these wines will be in our stores for months to come, so if you happen to pick up a bottle, learn more about it at your convenience! Our collection is available above, and see below for more information on our store selections.

From Great Falls and manager Patrick, we showed two expertly crafted Pinot Noirs from the Sonoma Coast in California. The first, Rivers Marie’s 2018 “Summa Vineyard” Pinot Noir, is from world-renowned winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown along with his partner Genevieve Marie Welsh. Their Pinot carries light notes of raspberry, strawberry, and bright red cherries, but it also has layers of complexity sitting beneath its more fruit forward surface. Through light use of new French oak, the wine has hints of sandalwood, clove, and vanilla, and the structure of the wine suggests a long cellar life. One wouldn’t expect anything less from Thomas Rivers Brown, as he has been on the cover of Wine Spectator and was named winemaker of the year by Food & Wine in 2010. As a fantastic follow-up, Anthill Farms’s Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, created just a few miles south and east of Rivers Marie, boasts an amazing blend of Pinot Noir from two locations in the southern part of the Sonoma Coast AVA. Winemakers Webster Marquez, David Low, and Anthony Filiberti gained extensive experience crafting wine at Williams Seylem. The exudes fresh red fruits with hints of spice and an extremely long finish. We cannot recommend this wine enough as a sub-$30 option that outperforms its price point.

From McLean and manager Jon, we are headed to France, and, more specifically, the northern part of Pinot Noir’s home region: Burgundy. Both wines are from famed producer Joseph Roty who not only has gained a cult following of Pinot drinker, but the producer has been a force in the Cote de Nuits for over 300 years. Roty’s Marsannay Rosé was up first, but this is no ordinary rosé. Domaine Joseph Roty always hold their wines, sometimes for years, until the winemaker feels as though they are ready for public consumption. Believe it or not, the Marsannay Rosé is a 2017 and that is the current release! The extra time in bottle has allowed more herbal and even meaty notes to complement the classic strawberry, cherry, and melon notes one gets from the Pinot Noir rosé. Even if you don’t gravitate towards rosé, this is a must try. To follow, Roty’s Bourgogne Rouge Cuvee de Presonnier (batch of the Presonnier family) is from the village of Gevrey-Chambertin but listed as a regional Burgundy. This makes the wine an outstanding value! This wine has layers of flavor that will evolve over time. The fruit profile is more restrained than the previously mentioned Pinot Noirs from California, and it shows earthier and herbal tones that represents the sense of place in Northern Burgundy.

From Vienna and manager Lisa, we are shifting our grape focus to Sauvignon: Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Jermann Wines from Silvio Jermann comes from generations of winemakers in the Fruili-Venezia Giulia region of Italy, right on the border of Slovenia and Austria. The geographic location even comes through in his wines, which shows notes of fresh-cut grass and white pepper, stereotypical of Gruner Veltliner from Austria. Aside from these notes, Lisa describes how the Sauvignon Blanc stylistically sits between New Zealand and Californian Sauv. Blancs offering flavors for all crisp white wine drinkers. Heading back over the pond to California, specifically Lake County, Lisa took us through the 2017 Brassfield Estate Cabernet. Influenced by the nearby lake and ocean influenced, this Cabernet retains a mouth-pleasing balance between acid and tannin and a fresh fruit profile. Filled with blackberries, red current, plum, blueberry, and dark cherry the wine is a very balanced Cab. that drinks well above its $19.99 price point. Look for hints of nutmeg and vanilla on the finish, and pair this wine with you favorite burger or roast beef sandwich!

Thanks very much again to all who came to our tasting, find clips from the tasting here, and see you at our next event. Cheers!