A boatload of wine
Non-Vintage J. Laurens Cremant de Limoux Brut Rose`… $17.
Bread dough, strawberries and oranges on the nose. Good acidity on the palate keeps it fresh with notes of strawberries and oranges. Solid bubbles and a clean citrus driven finish that lingers. (B)
2016 Antonio Arreaz Tinto (Spain)… $8.
Aromas of burnt wood, burnt marshmallows and underlying cherries and rose petal. Polished cherries on the palate with underlying burnt wood notes. Light tannins with a kiss of chocolate underneath. Fresh and light but finishes strong with notes of cherry skins and veggies that linger. Simple but good. 50% Tempranillo, 50% Monastrell (C/C+)
2016 Antonio Arraez Barraca (Valencia, Spain)… $8.
Fig and banana on the nose joined by notes of white flowers and wet stone with a touch of herbs and honey. Creamy notes of beeswax, melon and wet stone on the palate, joined by hits of herbs and tomato stem. Light acidity keeps it fresh. Beeswax and wet stone notes linger with a kiss of white pepper on the back-end. 100% Macabeo (C+/B-)
Non-Vintage Cava Bonaval Brut Rosado (Spain)… $11.
Very challenged on the nose with slight strawberry coming through. Cherries, grapefruit and a slight strawberry edge on the palate with a big fat kiss of bread dough and underlying minerality. Clean, yeasty finish with citrus notes hanging around. (B+)
Non-Vintage Cava Bonaval Brut (Spain)… $11.
Aromas of apples, pears and lemon. A little yeast action joins the apple and pear notes on the palate with hits of bread dough. Good acidity gives it a clean mouthfeel with lemon notes sneaking in on the back-end. Medium sized bubbles. (B-/B)
2016 La Cappuccina Soave (Italy)… $10.
Dusty stones, beeswax and lemon on the nose, with a touch of herbs and stainless steel in the background. Notes of beeswax, lemon and melon combine nicely on the palate backed by well-integrated acidity and dusty stone notes. Nice polished mouthfeel on the mid-palate with a kiss of beeswax. Finishes with white pepper notes joining the melon and lemon that lingers. (B+)
2016 Ensedune Marselan (Coteaux D’Enserune, France)… $9.
A touch of funk on the nose, joined by notes of dark cherries, tobacco and earth. Quite savory. Dark cherries, currants, tobacco and hints of bark front to finish on the palate with a kiss of white pepper on the backside. Meaty tannins with good acidity and a touch of grip action on the leathery finish. Nice old world wine for new world palates. Marselan is a hybrid cross of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. (B/B+)
2016 Foncalieu La Tannerie (Languedoc-Roussillon, France)… $10.
Aromas of smoke, bark, tobacco and black currants with a roasted meat edge and hints of soap. Plush fruit on the grippy tannins with a healthy dose of minerality. Tobacco and bark notes take over on the mid-palate into the finish where red flowers, currants and a splash of blackberry stems join the party with a little violet and rose action. Good structure and balance. 50% Cabernet Franc, 50% Merlot (B-/B)
2017 Rodney Strong Rose` of Pinot Noir (Russian River, CA)… $21.
Watermelon, strawberries and cherries on the nose with a little bubblegum action underneath. Dry on the palate with a tiny hit of spritz. Watermelon notes with a little rind action joining in, blended nicely with Rainier cherries and strawberries. Good acidity and balance with a decently long finish. (B/B+)
2016 Goncalieu Griset Sauvignon Gris (Pays D’OC, France)… $10.
Aromas of nuts and banana with hits of wet stone and apple. Fresh on the palate with good acidity. Notes of apple and melon come through on the palate, joined by wet stone front to finish. There is a white pepper hit on the back-end joined by notes of lemon. (B-/B)
2015 Antonio Sanguineti Cannonau Di Sardegna (Sardinia, Italy)… $11.
Aromas of wet pennies, red flowers and a hit of cherries and red raspberries. Plush fruit on the front of the palate with notes of dark cherries, currants and a touch of pomegranate. Minerality and spices lie underneath. There is a black raspberry hit on the mid-palate leading into a tobacco Pomegranate finish joined by a kiss of chocolate, white pepper, minerals and blueberry. Nice complexity, balance and structure for the money. (B/B+)
2015 Perazzeta Mercurio Rosso (Toscano, Italy)… $12.
Aromas of red flowers, earth, tobacco and a hit of blackberries. Tart cherry and blackberry notes on the palate, backed by notes of red flowers and tobacco with a spine of crushed rock. Underlying chocolate and white pepper notes sneak in on the back-end. A touch thin, but true to old world style with a little rust and blackberry stem sneaking in. A lot of stem action on the finish. (C+)
2017 Bodegas Illana “El Pico” Airen Sauvignon Blanc (Ribera del Jucar, Spain)… $10.
Aromas of quince, pears, melon and wet stone. Creamy mouthfeel with notes of quince and wet stone, backed by hits of white pepper and freshly cut grass. Good balance of acidity, minerals and fruit. (B-/B)
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
