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Bridlewood Reserve Central Coast Syrah

Bridlewood Reserve Syrah~ buy 6 bottles @ $17.99/btl, get 6 bottles of Bridlewood Central Coast Syrah for $1 each~ save $71.94 per case!
Bridlewood Reserve Syrah Tasting Notes:  Full bodied with soft but powerful tannins, The wine starts with blackberry jam, violets and plum. The fruit flavors of dark berries combine with mouth filling tannins form a long silky Mid-palate and ending with a clean lingering finish. While this wine is already balanced and drinking well, the moderate alcohol acidity and tannin structure will allow this wine to improve with additional cellaring and drink well for an additional five years. $17.99/btl

Bridlewood Central Coast Syrah:  The wine opens with aromas of smoke, cedar, and chocolate leading to bright cherry fruit framed with spicy oak. As it evolves, a nose of dark fruits and violates gives way to dark chocolate. On the palate, this wine shows rich flavors of blackberry, dark cherry and sweet brown spice with a hint of mocha. Full of soft, chewy tannins, this wine has a long, clean finish. $12.99/btl
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Buy 6 bottles of DaVinci Chianti Classico Reserva for $23.49/btl, get 6 bottles of Rancho Zabaco Dry Creek Zinfandel for $1 each
save $110.94 per case!

DaVinci ‘04 Chianti Classico Reserva: The Da Vinci Chianti Riserva is 100% Sangiovese. It is ruby red in color with distinct cherry aromas balanced by slight smoky oak. Color: Clear, purple-red
Bouquet: Spicy, cedary oak with aromas of black cherries and dark plum fruit.  Well balanced, medium to full bodied wine, ripe with flavors of plum, black cherries and dark fruit. A well structured wine that is ripe and elegant with a silky mouth-feel that lingers in a long earthy, peppery finish.  This Chianti Classico has enough structure to stand up to robust main courses like Lasagna, Chicken Cacciatore or Osso Bucco but is also excellent with firm and hard cheeses. Serve slightly below room temperature.  91 Points Wine Spectator $23.49/btl

Rancho Zabaco ‘04 Dry Creek Zinfandel: Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley is affectionately known by Zin aficionados as the “Zin Zone” because of its remarkable climate and history of making great wines. Zinfandel grapes need a long, warm and steady growing season to achieve full potential on the vine. The Dry Creek Valley, where much of Rancho Zabaco’s fruit is harvested, offers just that - year in and year out.Blend: 96% Zinfandel, 4% Petite Sirah.   This robust, full-bodied Zinfandel, pairs well with pomegranate braised lamb shank, wild boar medallions, venison loin, carne asada, grilled meats and savory cheeses. Lusciously dark chocolate is also a perfect match for this wine. $19.49/btl
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Buy 6 William Hill Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, Get 6 Bottles William Hill Napa Chardonnay $1 each~ Saves $92.94/per case!

William Hill Napa Cabernet Sauvignon:  The Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a supple wine, exhibiting aromas of cassis, currant and raspberry. A small percentage of grapes are whole berry fermented, contributing a softness in the tannin structure and an added richness, polished texture and earthy body. 
This wine pairs well with roasted meats, particularly when served with a berry or currant reduction sauce. Wild mushroom risotto or any dish featuring Portabello mushrooms would be a great match with the earthy characteristics of this wine. $21.49/btl

William Hill Napa Chardonnay:This wine is a classic “cool climate” Chardonnay - sourced primarily from the Carneros vineyard and the mountain vineyards of Atlas Peak. These cooler climate grapes retain a firm acid structure as they ripen, allowing for full malolactic fermentation while keeping a crisp, fruit-forward structure in the wine.
This Chardonnay is gently oak-aged and left on the lees, allowing the fruit to shine. Intense tropical fruit and buttery pear aromas overlay a smooth, creamy texture and a mouthful of bright citrus, Meyer lemon and mango. Medium-bodied, the wine is tantalizing on the palate with a crisp, clean finish.
Because of its crisp character, the Napa Valley Chardonnay is a particularly good food wine, especially when paired with seafood or lighter style cream-sauced pasta dishes $16.49/btl
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Buy 6 bottles Louis Martini Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, get 6 bottles Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc for $1 each ~ save $104.94 per case!
Louis Martini Napa ‘04 Cabernet Sauvignon: The Louis M. Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits a deep garnet, color with intense aromas of cedary oak, currents and black cherries. Concentrated flavors of ripe plums, chocolate and tobacco marry perfectly with the oak nuances. A well structured wine that is balanced with firm, velvety tannins that culminate in a long, elegant finish.  This wine is ready to enjoy now or can be aged 3-5 years. 93 point Wine News $22.49/btl

Whitehave

Whitehaven ‘07 Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand: A full flavoured, medium bodied wine, with an abundance of archetypal currant and gooseberry flavours, that linger on the dry, clean finish.
Pair well with summer salads, poultry and shellfish, such as Marlborough’s famous green shell mussels, as well as lobster and white fish. $18.49/btl
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Buy 6 Frei Brothers Merlot, Get 6 Frei Brothers Chardonnay for $1/btl ~ save $113.94 per case!

Frei Brothers ‘06 Dry Creek Valley Merlot: A medium-bodied wine that exhibits flavors of blackberry and cherry with hints of vanilla and spices from partial oak barrel aging.  Frei Brothers Reserve Merlot is produced in a gentle, traditional style enhanced by the use of modern techniques, to produce a wine that represents the Dry Creek Valley terroir.  The grapes are de-stemmed, but not crushed, to retain a significant portion of whole berries for fermentation. This technique produces more concentrated dark fruit flavors. $19.99/btl

Frei Brothers ‘06 Reserve Russian River Valley Chardonnay: Pale gold hue. Light apricot and peach aromas. Nectar-like sweetness with peach, vanilla and banana flavors. Clean, even close with a combination of drying minerals and ripe tropical fruit.  Nearly 100% of this Chardonnay is oak aged for an average of 3 months. The wine also completed malolactic fermentation, resulting in a lush texture and deep, layered flavors which express the Russian River Valley. $19.99/btl

Popularity: 3% [?]

Why does wine need to breathe?                         
Wine opens up to reveal its fullest flavor when it has had a while to breath before being consumed. This is because when wine comes into contact with oxygen, its chemical structure changes. This breathing process allows the flavors and aromas to marry into a smoother more enjoyable taste with less tannin bite. As a result, wine drinkers everywhere know that the best way to enjoy wine is decant the wine and let it breath for a while before you enjoy it.  However, if there is no time to decant…try the Wine Snorkel!

That`s why you will love the Wine Snorkel! Here is how it works?
The Wine Snorkel uses the same principle used in jet engines to instantly mix your wine with air. You will notice that wine poured through a Wine Snorkel exits more slowly and is full of bubbles. That is because as the wine passes through the Wine Snorkel, a change of internal atmospheric pressure causes air to be inducted into the Snorkel. Then, inside the Wine Snorkel internal turbine like blades mix the wine and oxygen which instantly accomplishes the much desired breathing process.

Take the Wine Snorkel Challenge -You will taste a distinct improvement in your wine
 Taste your wine without using the Wine Snorkel. Now pour the wine through the Wine Snorkel into another glass. - you and your guests will taste and smell the difference!  $15.99 each.

Popularity: 79% [?]

  Wow,

We have been searching around online and found these diverse comment about cork.  It is such a controversial debate in the wine world.  ….this is what people are saying…

Now…info for your next party…What is the deal with cork?

It is amazing how many people think the reason wineries are moving away from natural cork is due to a shortage of cork trees.  While there is somewhat of a shortage of high quality corks, this is mostly a myth, cork trees are abundant.  The real reason wineries are moving away from cork is the problem with tainted corks affecting the wine, making it taste like wetcardboard or even moldy.  Depending on how tainted the cork is, the wine can taste slightly off to really terrible.  Up to 10% of wine can be affected by this flaw, a big problem for the wineries.  While there is a big debate as to what to use to seal the wine instead of cork.  We like other types of closures (screw cap & synthetic corks) for short term cellaring.  We have found that most wines meant for long term cellaring still have cork closures.  I guess it is the risk one takes in long term cellaring.   Let us know what you think about cork vs. screw cap & synthetic corks.

*The cork is responsible for killing many otherwise good bottles of wine each year, but because of snobbery and pretension it’s use carries on. Nowhere else would such a poor tool be continually used with such a expensive, valuable contents. Many wine producers suffer up to 10% of their stock being damaged due to the cork, in any other industry this would be a disaster.

*I have to keep a watching eye on the vintage port as the high alcohol content rots the bloody things given enough time - getting the things out of a port bottle can be a challenge, which is why the well-equipped with the really expensive stuff use special tongs and remove the entire neck, cork intact!

*Those wierd plastic ones are good, I’ve never had a ruined bottle of wine with one of those in and you can still have the fulfilling ritual of removing them. I have to confess, it does appeal to the ritualistic vinyl-spinner in me

*Many of the Cape region vintners rate screwtops as superior to cork and are increasing their useage, but the association of screwtops with poor quality wine stands, at present.

*Cork is a unique substance and a long-proven closure for wine. No other stopper combines cork’s inert nature, impermeability to liquids, flexibility, sealing ability and resilience. It is the only stopper to be used successfully on “vintage” wines.

*It is also accepted that you have to re-cork a vintage wine /port.

*Wine/port should be stored at a constant 10-12 degrees C with no vibration. If it is stored like this, one could use synthetic cork. Screw cap could eventually rust causing leakage.

*Screw-capped wine is not made for long term storage and is no reflection on the quality of wine.

*Penfolds have commented in their “frequent buyer” magazine on the failure rate of cork stoppers and they ran some experiments with screw top wine bottles.

*It is a pity aboout the wild life implications of reducing the need for cork but reducing the wastage on wine (espcially after shipping it half way around the world) has other eco benefits.

*”Finding an alternative to cork has become imperative”, according to Don Tooth, managing director of Anglo-American Farms, which owns Vergelegen. “Our quality has improved tremendously, but these gains are diminished by the number of bottles spoilt by cork taint,” he said. “No industry could survive having 10 percent of its product regarded as defective.”  Source: Wine Spectator

*It it now becoming the rule not the exception to find NZ wines capped with a Stelvin closure.

*Even our best Pinot Noir brands are under screwcap now.

*That says everything to me about innovation and putting quality before snobbery and pretension.

*You can stick your nostalgia and yes, we had a cork taint problem of anything up to 15% among certain regions.

*Screwcap is here to stay and it will be fine Bordeaux that will finally hang on while the rest of the new world wine nations force the change along with the dumming down of the old world to keep pace with the new.

Popularity: 65% [?]

Luxury Wine Tasting ~ To benefit The American Cancer Society

Nosh is hosting a monthly wine tasting of 30-50 premium wines each month! This great tasting is the third Wednesday of the month.  Our first tasting will be Wednesday, July 16th, 5:30-8:00pm, $30 per person. We will be trying some delicious premium wines.  Feel good about tasting great wines, 100% of money raised goes to The American Cancer Society!  Free Off-Street Parking! Please call 634-6674 for tickets.  Check in for featured wines! 

Popularity: 62% [?]

Mixed Case Tasting Notes

All Whites

Juno Cape Maidens Chardonnay 2006 — Aromas and flavours of green apple and lime. Crisp apple and complex mineral tones presented in a pleasantly lingering finish. Lightly wooded and crisp Chardonnay.

Bohemian Highway Pinot Grigio 2007 — Pinot Grigio flavors can range from melon to pear and some even offer a subtle tropical or citrus fruit, often there is a honey or smoky flavor component as well.

Hughes Beaulieu 2006 Picpoul de Pinet — Picpoul de Pinet is known as the Muscadet of the south of France, and is one of the named crus of the Coteaux de Languedoc. Picpoul means “lip stinger,” which refers to the high acidity of its must. Great with oysters and seafood. 100% Picpoul grapes, also known as Folle Blanche or Gros Plant.

Famega Vinho Verde 2007 — Refreshing, crisp with a tingly sparkle taste of apple tartness. It has a delicate citrus flavor like the fragrance of a summer garden.

Diogenes 2006 Sauvignon Blanc - Concentrated aromas of grapefruit, key lime, peach, ripe fig, passion fruit, honey, melon and nice mineral tones evolve in the glass. The aromas follow through on the palate, the wine bursts with vibrant tropical fruit, citrus and melon, finishing with crisp minerality.

Dog House “Patch’s” Pinot Grigio — Beautiful pale straw color… aromas of honeysuckle and fresh citrus fruit… delicate flavors of melon, pear and peach.

Rhyme or Reason White Wine –  Rhyme or Reason White is a fun and enticing blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Semillon from California’s best growing districts. The flavors and richness of Chardonnay and Semillon work as ideal partners to the freshness of the Sauvignon Blanc. You don’t need a “Rhyme or Reason” to enjoy this super premium blend - just a corkscrew!

Shaw and Smith 2005 Sauvignon Blanc - Sauvignon Blanc is a regional speciality in the cooler Adelaide Hills. The wine is unoaked to maximize its fresh varietal character and overall tangy, zippy flavors. It has more middle palate and length than more herbaceous styles. A young refreshing wine with pure varietal flavors and lively acidity. A benchmark for Australian Sauvignon Blanc. *95pts. - Australian Wine Companion

Bohemian Highway Chardonnay 2005 — This lightly-oaked Chardonnay is full of honeysuckle, pear and apple aromas. The majority of the wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks, preserving the bright fruit flavors of lemons and granny smith apples. A touch of creaminess gives way to a tangy, clean finish.

Pine Crest 2005 Sauvignon Blanc - Tropical fruit and citrus aromas. Crisp lemony-grapefruit notes balanced with elements of guava and green peppers.

Mommy’s Time Out Garganega/Pinot Grigio 2006 — These wines are fresh and fruity with well balanced acidity. They come from some of the finest vineyards in Italy where the best grapes are vinified, resulting in a long lasting finish. They are a great complement to food, or may be served as an aperitif.

Popularity: 100% [?]

 It’s Molly Dooker season and many of these rich & extracted Australian wines will be in over the next few weeks.  Quantities are very limited so please call right away to reserve your bottles!

2006 The Scooter  Merlot

Awarded 91 points by Jay Miller at The Wine Advocate!

Named after Sparky’s scooter racing years, this Merlot has a fragrant, lifted nose of roses, sweet plum and cherries. It has a delicious texture with hints of toffee and oak, lovely savoury fruit cake flavours, and a smooth and elegant finish. $19.99/btl (2 bottle limit)

2006 Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz

The first vintage of this stunning Shiraz. Named after our own blue eyed boy, Luke, we think it will be the apple of your eye too.

Awarded 96 points by Jay Miller at The Wine Advocate & 92 points by Harvey Steiman at the Wine Spectator!

This remarkable, blockbuster Shiraz has a superbly concentrated nose of licorice, plum, raisin and raspberry fruit. Bursting with spice, blueberry and expresso flavours intermixed with toasty oak vanillan, this brilliant wine finishes smoothly with an unctuous texture and fine, silky tannins.

This wine is lovely to drink now, especially after a ‘Mollydooker Shake’. It will cellar, but why would you? We suggest you drink and enjoy it now, as we’ll make you another one next year!

The grapes for this wine come from three incredible vineyards: Scott and Cheryl Longbottom’s in Padthaway, Darren and Belinda Joppich’s in Langhorne Creek, and the incredible Gateway vineyard in McLaren Vale.

Drink: Now thru 2012

Pairs With: Savory full-flavored meats such as roasted lamb, beef short ribs or even spice-rubbed or barbequed chicken. Our Shiraz’s match very well with aged, hard cheeses from cow or goat’s milk such as sharp cheddar, parma or manchego. Especially delicious with dried cherries, salted marcona almonds and dark chocolate!$49.99/btl (limit 2 bottles)

Molly Dooker 2006 Enchanted Path 

Shiraz/Cabernet Blend

Awarded 94 points by Jay Miller at The Wine Advocate

& 93 points by Harvey Steiman at the Wine Spectator!

This beautiful Shiraz/Cabernet is one of our favourites. The two varieties synergistically blend to create a lovely leafy, rhubarb and plum fruit nose and chocolate, spice and blackberry flavours. Its opulence, elegance and incredible structure are amazing. It is seamless from beginning to end. $75.49/btl (1 bottle limit)

 To Request Mollydooker or other wines please call us 719-520-5733

Popularity: 84% [?]

   Ok, to be honest, there are more than 10 reasons to drink these wonderful wines, but I’ll start at the beginning.  This January a group of enthusiastic wine women took a trip to beautiful Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County wine regions.  Our mission was not only to visit wineries but to really understand the lay of the land; soil types, geographic influences & weather influences.  Wow, we had such a blast & really lucked out on fabulous weather!  In our group we had Ann Wallace, the Majestic Wine representative (she sells Kendall Jackson and all of their properties & imports).  We also had Tracy Carlson, owner of the Colorado Springs Melting Pot.  Brenda, an employee of Vintages & myself rounded out the group.  Each of us having unique experiences and palates. 

     Our journey started at Laeticia winery in Arroyo Grande Valley.  The western portion of this AVA where Laeticia is located is only four miles from the coast and has considerable influence from the ocean making it one of the coolest AVAs in California.  This very cool climate makes for beautiful Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc & sparkling wine.  Speaking with other wineries throughout the area,  we realized that Laeticia (originally Maison Deutz) is one of the first wineries in the region, starting originally in the late 19th century the first time around and rediscovered in the early 1980’s. Many of their protegee winemakers have since gone out on their own to start other wineries. 

   Moving up the coast, our next visit was to Baileyanna & Tangent in Edna Valley.  While Arroyo Grande Valley gets its cooling influence the ocean, Edna Valley gets its winds  from Morro bay.  The winds funnel up this valley around noon every day, making 11:30am the hottest time of the day.  Additionally, there are extinct volcanoes all around the area called the seven sisters, creating very interesting soil types including volcanic matter.  These soils and the proximity to the ocean (4 miles as a seagull flies) make for a very long growing season.  Warmer in Spring and cooler in Summer than most regions, the leaves appear on the vines up to two weeks earlier than in other areas and the ripening season is longer and harvest later.  All these factors create an opportunity for exceptional depth of flavor and wonderfully balanced acidity in the grapes.

     First we stopped at the tasting room for Baileyana & Tangent wineries.  This cute 99 year old school house is a great place to stop and have a picnic after tasting through the twelve different wines in their portfolio.  

     Starting with the bright white wines from Tangent winery, the newest project featuring all white wines from Edna Valley.  The entire Tangent portfolio of wines are great food friendly wines with nice acidity & minerality.  We loved the Tangent Sauvignon Blanc as well as the aromatic Tangent Ecclestone white blend.  “Each varietal brings something special to the final Ecclestone blend. Together the Pinot Gris and Riesling offer minerality and a pine-sap character; the Viognier and Pinot Blanc add hints of lychee and apricot; the Albariño shows its signature citrus and tangerine aromas and flavors; and of course the Muscat adds orange blossom notes.”  Christian Roguenant~ Winemaker for both Tangent & Baileyana

     Baileyana Winery features beautifully complex Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Syrah from Firepeak Vineyard as well as Estate wines and blends.  As we tasted through the wines each of us had different favorites.  I’m a big Pinot Noir fan and really loved the complexity of the Grand Firepeak Cuvee Pinot Noir.  Tracy loved the cool climate Grand Firepeak Cuvee Syrah.  We all loved the amazing complexity yet creamy Grand Firepeak Cuvee Chardonnay!  The estate wines were also lovely for the everyday price point. 

     After our stop at the tasting room, we enjoyed a tour of the custom crush and winery facility housing Baileyana, Tangent and a number of other wineries.  John Niven, grandson of John & Catharine, founder of the estate and pioneer winery in Edna Valley, gave us a great tour through the facility.    

     Our next stop was to a very innovative tasting room called Taste.  This cool place in San Louis Obispo has large cuvenees or machines that let you taste up to 80 wines~ one ounce at a time.  The San Louis Obispo County Vintner’s Association ownes the tasting room.  Eighty different wines are displayed on machines containing Nitrogen & Argon that displace the oxygen in the bottles of wine as wine is dispensed.  This allows the wine to opened for a few weeks and stay fresh. 

     Our trip continues to Santa Maria Valley where we tasted all the wonderful wines of Cambria Winery & Byron Winery.  The Chardonnay & Pinot Noir were exquisite at both places!  The Byron Pinot Noir has become one of our household staples! 

Popularity: 100% [?]

We are a full service wine shop celebrating our 13^th year in business.  Specializing in fine wine & everyday favorites, we have knowledgeable staff to help you find the perfect bottle.  We also have a complete selection of fine Single Malt Scotch, Cognac, Bourbon, Vodka & other spirits as well as beer.  We are known for our beautiful custom Gift Baskets with delivery available.  We have a wonderful Wine Club with many 10+ year members. Quarterly we offer wine tasting at no charge exclusively for our wine club members.  Voted “Best Wine Shop” 2002, 2003, 2004 & 2006 by The Gazette and accolades from The Colorado Springs Independent & Colorado Springs Business Journal, we are Downtown Colorado Springs’ premier Wine Shop!  Our goal is to find the perfect wine for every palate & price!

Popularity: 92% [?]

Each month we taste several hundred wines and select our favorite or most hard to get wines for Vintages Wine Club.  We customize our selection for individual likes, all red, all white or a mix of wines.  Additionally, we include information on the wines and wineries, menu pairings, and age-ability of each wines.  Quarterly we hold wine tastings exclusively for our wine club.  We can even deliver it to your door, making it a perfect gift.  Choose from 4 different options:  Platinum: 6/btl per month $150, Gold: 4/btl per month $75, Silver: 3 btl/month or Bronze: 2/btl per month.  

(Billed monthly to your card or prepay option available)

Popularity: 94% [?]