“… wine is only sweet to happy men” – John Keats

New! – Just Released!

2007 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet

 The new 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is an especially full-bodied and complex wine, showing off this top vintage to full advantage. It has a generous nose of classic Napa Cabernet dark cassis. On the palate, the wine has a rich, full character that coats the mouth with dark plum and berry fruit and a lovely, long finish with smooth, well-integrated tannins. Outstanding now, with proper cellaring, it should give drinking pleasure for many years. We had a chance to taste this wine a few days ago in a “sneak preview” and were very impressed! This is certainly one of the finest Silver Oaks Napa bottlings in years! Well done, Silver Oak!

 $89.99 – in stock now

Click to order

Wine and life, the same, it’s true.

If a cup holds naught but insipid wine,

One sip is more than enough,

But if the taste be rare and fine,

Even a full glass will not do.

- David Clark

The ghost of Robert Burns meets the ghost of a Sung Dynasty poet over a cup of very old wine. Now, as then, five lines should be enough to say what matters.

2008 Ehlers

1886 Estate Cab

“The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon 1886 is a beautifully delineated wine with expressive aromatics and plenty of nuances. Blackberries, Chambord, spices, white flowers and licorice are some of the notes that emerge from this generous, fruit-driven Cabernet Sauvignon. This feminine, graceful Cabernet Sauvignon should continue to drink well for a decade or so. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2020.”

~ Antonio Galloni for Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Rated 93 Points

Organic/Biodynamic Farming

Here we go with a brand new, 2012, Wine Connection blog! Yay!

A delivery came rolling in the door a few minutes ago with a precious box of one of Walter Hansel’s latest treasures. If you’ve already tasted a Walter Hansel Pinot, you know why I call it a “treasure”. This cool-climate Russian River producer is crafting some of the finest Pinots in the region, at any price! If you have not yet had one of these beauties, do yourself a favor and pick up a bottle or two while they are around. They seem to release a new vineyard block every couple of months, but everything there is small production, so don’t wait too long! I’ve posted Robert Parker’s cogent review for your edification below.- Stay well! -Dave

2009 Walter Hansel  “South Slope” Pinot Noir

“An impressive Pinot, it exhibits a more full-bodied, intense style with lots of black cherry, raspberry, foresty, floral notes,

a sensational texture, a rich, concentrated, opulent mouthfeel, and a long, luxurious finish.

This stunning Pinot Noir is already providing plenty of pleasure and it should continue to do so for 7-8 years.”

Rated 92-94 Points ~ Robert Parker

What a great Pinot Noir for only $39.99!!

Last Saturday, Jay McInerney in the Wall Street Journal wrote a great wine article in which he likened the wines of Puligny-Montrachet to film star Grace Kelly. I enjoyed the piece, and I replied to Jay with the following letter. There has been no sign of it in the paper, so I’ll share it with you!

Letter to Jay McInerney

The Wall Street Journal

Re: “The Grace Kelly of Wines”

8/28/10

Jay,

I enjoyed your take on the wines of Puliny-Montrachet, I share your enthusiasm, it is my personal favorite source of great white Burgundy. I’ve been in the fine wine trade at the retail end of the deal for twenty-five years, it’s save to say I’ve had ‘em all. Nothing beats that bright minerality in the best of these wines. Sometimes one gets that whiff of summer rain on hot rocks, steaming minerality, combining with ethereal citrus and white stone fruits… wow!

I also liked your Grace Kelly simile, and have one of my own to offer. It concerns not a white but a red Burgundy. I am a member of a group of wine lovers who have been friends for many years. Even though some of us have moved all over the country, we get together every December, between Xmas and New Year’s and have a no-holds-bared Great Wines Dinner. Three years ago, one of our members managed to assemble several red Burgundies from the fabled 1962 vintage, including the astonishing ’62 La Tache.

Although at an advanced age, the La Tache was amazingly complex, revealing new elements of eastern spices, dried fruit, exotic flowers and fading scents and flavors that still have no name. What must have been a monumental wine in its’ youth was now fully developed and perhaps a bit beyond peak, and the delicacy of the fruit showed its’ age. Yet it still revealed profound secrets not to be found in youth, but only in great maturity. It was, we agreed, a Katherine Hepburn of a wine. Not young Kate of Bringing Up Baby, bursting with youthful energy, but the consummate senior pro of The Lion in Winter or perhaps even On Golden Pond, world wise yet still in love with life. Who wouldn’t give up a dinner invitation from some full-bodied young starlet of a California Pinot for the privilege of dinner with this Katherine Hepburn!

Yours,

David Clark

We have just received the first two wines from the new German 2009 vintage. It is an exciting year, with low-yield, high-concentration wines.

2009 Haart Piesporter Goldtröpchen

Spätlese “Erste Lager”

Theo Haart’s “First Growth” Goldtröpchen is the finest selection from the heart of one of Germany’s greatest vineyards. His plot is central in the original historical “Goldtröpchen” vineyard, so prized before the 1971 government mandated vineyard revisions changed the boundaries. Indeed, the base of the vineyard is a finely preserved archeological site, home to the largest ancient Roman wine pressing site north of the Alps!

Production in the 2009 vintage was down by a whopping 25%, yielding the most concentrated flavors, laser-like in focus and detail. The ‘09 shows ripe yellow peach & strawberry fruit, with the pinpoint mineral details that put the Goldtröpchen in a class of its’ own. Availability of this year’s wine is extremely limited, so don’t delay!

Only  $ 37.99

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2009 Schloss Lieser Estate Riesling

This wine is blend of the Graacher Himmelreich, Niederberg Helden and Lieser Schlossberg sites. It is very bright and juicy on the palate, with tangy peach flavors, and a hint of red raspberry. Displays excellent balance and structure and finishes quite dry. The fermentations of this blend were entirely natural, with no chaptalization used. Thomas Haag’s wines are particular favorites of many top international chefs and sommeliers, due to their outstanding food matching capacities. An amazing value in great Riesling!

An Unbelievable $ 15.99!

*********

We also have a small amount of the outstanding previous vintage from Theo Haart. This wine has been a consistent favorite with our customers and were able to get a bit more at the end of vintage.

2008 Haart Piesporter Goldtröpchen

Spätlese “Erste Lager”

“This haunting wine evokes violet, black currant and slate aromas and flavors, all defined by the taut, racy structure. Light-weight, lean and intense, with a kaleidoscope of flavors on the expansive finish. Best from 2014 through 2032. 200 cases made.” – Bruce Sanderson, The Wine Spectator, Rated 95 Points

The last few bottles for $ 39.99

Fontaine-Gagnard

2007 Chassagne-Montrachet

“Vielles Vignes” – Old Vines

____________________________________________________

”Richard Fontaine is a man absolutely at the peak of his form – this domaine is consistently producing some of the finest white Burgundies of the Côte d’Or.” – Richard Berkley-Matthews Clarion Wines, London

Here at The Wine Connection we purchase our wines from a number of sources, both large corporate distributors and small independent wine brokers and importers, and sometimes even directly from the winery. Over the years we have found that it is the small independents that often come up with the most interesting wines. These are the guys who actually go out themselves into the wine regions of the world and bring back the unique fine wines that our customers have come to expect from The Wine Connection.

One of these small broker/importers recently came to us with a special offer, a small quantity of very fine white burgundy from one of his top producers at a very special price. It is time for our supplier to go back to Europe on a buying trip, and to help fund that trip, he sold us his remaining inventory of the 2007 Fontaine -Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet Vieilles Vignes (Old Vines), at its’ original “landed price”. That is the price paid when he originally brought the wine into this country.

We’ve loved this wine from the first time we tasted it! 2007 was a wonderful vintage for the Chardonnay wines of Burgundy. So typical of this fine year, this wine the has full, complex aromas of zesty lemon and mineral notes, with lovely, bright layered flavors of citrus and white stone fruit, with a long, dry, clean, tangy and persistent finish.

It originally sold in our shop for $54.99. Because of this special purchase, we can offer it now for only $39.99 a bottle. This item also qualifies for a case discount, bringing the price down to $35.99 a bottle on a case purchase!

Our supply is quite limited, so if you love great Chardonnay, especially fine domaine bottled French White Burgundy, don’t delay!

Was $ 54.99 Now only $ 39.99

Case price $35.99 per bottle x 12 = $431.88

“There is little else that says summer to me like a lovely dry French Rosé.”
– Sheri Sauter Morano, Master of Wine,

Morewine and I have been enjoying what has now become an annual ritual, the tasting of the new French Rosés. Our suppliers who specialize in European imports have been beating down the doors to get us to taste these new releases, and I must say this year it has been a real pleasure! Some of the wines are among the best rosés I have ever tasted. They are so crisp, so lively, light yet full-flavored in a way so many French wines see to do so effortlessly.

Doing some research on them, I found this little tidbit on the fast growing popularity of rosés in the USA;

“French rosé is winning America‘s affection. U.S. retail sales of imported rosé wines grew by 28% in 2009, according to Nielsen Group research. Sales rose four times faster by value and 11 times faster by volume than the table wine market. Behind rosé’s swelling popularity are its dry, refreshing flavors and consumers’ casually elegant lifestyles. Rosé is crisp and dry, with red-grape character that brings out the best in food.”

The above quote came from a very nice website developed by the wineries of Provence. It has some terrific, in depth information on roses, their history, how they are made, how to serve them and a lot more. If you are interested, you should take a look at their site;

http://www.provencewineusa.com/index.cfm

A few of our favorites have already come into stock and are available now. Come in and check them out, or place your order online. Either way, don’t miss out on these wonderful summertime favorites!

St. Andre de Figuiere 2009 Cótes de Provence “Magali” 15.99

Saint André de Figuière is ideally situated between the Mediterranean Sea and the Massif of the Maures, between Toulon and Saint-Tropez. The Magali rosé is a blend of Cabernet, Syrah, Grenache & Cinsault. It has a flattering bouquet of citrus fruits and red fruit. Fresh and smooth on the palate, it evokes the juiciness of apricots and grapefruit. The finish is long and bright.

St. Andre de Figuiere 2009 Cótes de Provence “Old Vines” $19.99

This “old vine” rosé is a spectacular example all that is good in this type of wine. To quote from the original French of the winery’s website:

“A rosé in all its delicatesse! A pale and captivating limpid robe. A bouquet that breathes the Provence with a hint of citrus fruit and spice. Packed with elegance, finesse and roundness, with a silky smooth finish.”

De Pampelonne 2009 Cótes de Provence  $16.99

The Cótes de Provence is home to many of France’s finest rosé wines. These dry rosés are a study in delicacy and finesse, light and yet so flavorful. As many visitors to the region have discovered, these wines are the perfect sip for warm summer days and nights, and are especially well suited to cold salads, appetizers and fresh seafood.

Stay safe, drink smart and live long.

Dave

A few days ago, Morewine and I were at a trade tasting in Los Angeles. It was a grand affair, with dozens of wineries in attendance, each with their own table, wines arrayed and a wine maker or owner (sometimes both) on hand to pour and explain the wines. This is a great way to taste wine, any questions you may have get answered right away by someone who actually knows what they a talking about!

This set-up was working great until we reached a room on the second floor. There, surrounded by tables of busy owners pouring wine, was a lone table devoted to the Brown Estate wines, with four rows of bottles and no one to pour, no one to explain. Not even a winery brochure to give us a hint. Chaos!

The Brown Estate Table

Now, I was somewhat familiar with the Brown Estate. I have tasted and liked their wines in the past, we even carry one of their Zinfandels here in the shop. But here on the table was something new, something unknown, a wine labeled simply “Chaos Theory“.  Intrigued, I picked it up. Nothing on the back label gave a clue. It simply said “In Vino Veritas – In Chaos, Order“.  Okay… I poured a small sample in my glass. I took a sniff… lovely! I took a taste… ohhh… nice! It had a juicy mouth-feel, full of sweet black raspberry, pomegranate, and black currants.  A second sip revealed some lively complexities like sweet citron, cinnamon toast, and a deep, dark jaminess, intense and yet very well balanced .

What was it? It wasn’t too hard to figure out, really. Brown Estate grows and produces several juicy ripe Zinfandels and a full bodied, well-structured Cabernet. This Chaos wine was a blend of the two, and a very good one it was! It reminded me a bit of Orin Swift’s The Prisoner, another unconventional and exceptional Zin based blend. This hedonistic (yes, I’m stealing this term from Robert Parker, I’ll give it back when I’m done) wine is a perfect style for our time. Generous, complex and ready to drink. There was only one thing we could do… we placed an order right there on the spot. So you see, the back label was right, or nearly right. Perhaps it should be slightly amended to read, “In Vno Veritas – In Chaos, an Order“. Once you taste it, you may want to place an order too.

It’s in stock now @ $32.99.

Thanks for reading. See you soon.

Dave