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"RLC" (Rock, Loam, Clay) is a deliciously approachable Cabernet Sauvignon from the team at Crocker & Starr. It has the depth and concentration we expect from fine Napa Cabernet, but with ripe, supple tannins and well-integrated oak. Producer notes - "Named for the variations of rock, loam, and clay soils found throughout the Crocker Vineyard, RLC is the embodiment of Crocker & Starr as a concept. RLC is the third distinctive estate Cabernet Sauvignon from our St. Helena based Crocker Estate.
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2021 Crocker & Starr "RLC" Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena, Napa Valley, California (750ml)
2021 Fattoria La Rivolta Coda di Volpe, Taburno Sannio DOP, Campania, Italy (750ml)
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Coda di Volpe is an ancient white grape varietal about which Pliny the Elder speaks in his "Naturalis Historia". Grown primarily in Campania, it takes its name from the Italian meaning ‘tail of the fox’, because the grape bunches, when fully ripe, grow long and narrow at the bottom, resembling a bushy fox tail.
2021 Fondo Antico Versi Bianco, Terre Sicilian IGT, Italy (750ml)
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Fun, young, this wine is a great aperitif expressing the varietals of three ancient Sicilian vines: Grillo, Insolia and Grecanico. On the nose the wine opens with notes of ripe white fruit given by Inzolia, together with fresher and more floral aromas given by Grillo, to finish with spicy notes coming from Grecanico. Even on the palate, Grillo gives structure and acidity, Inzolia sweetness and softness and Grecanico returns to the aroma with its typical spiciness.
2021 Hobo Wine Co. 'Edith and Ida' Chardonnay, Redwood Valley, Mendocino, California (750ml)
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Hobo Wine Company's Edith & Ida Chardonnay comes from Lolonis Vineyard in the Redwood Valley of Mendocino. Planted in 1944, Lolonis has one of the oldest Chardonnay vineyards in the state, and they are members of the Historic Vineyard Society. Lolonis has been certfied organic for many years - since well before it become a more wide-spread practice in the wine industry. Even today there are many growers and producers who are practicing organic, but reluctant to deal with the certification gauntlet. Barrel-fermented with whole clusters, native yeast and minimal SO2. Yellow apple, slightly hazy and a bit of "natural wine" funk.
2021 La Staffa Verdicchio Dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore, Marche, Italy (750ml)
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Much that is written about wine by producers and importers sounds like it has been cranked out of a souless marketing department (with apologies to those offended by this generalzation), but there are those whose prose is honest and genuinely descriptive of the wines referenced. Such is the case with Oliver McCrum, one of our favorite importers. We can't improve on what he has said about La Staffa Verdicchio, so we hand the podium to him: "I love Verdicchio, and the bright, distinctive, intense Verdicchio di Matelica from Colle Stefano has been a staple of our selection for more than ten years. To my taste, much Verdicchio from the neighboring Castelli di Jesi appellation is mealy by comparison. But just to see if there were exceptions, I tasted through a slew of Jesi bottlings at Vinitaly, and the wine from an estate called La Staffa stuck out: it was vibrant, direct, very flavorful, complex and delicious.
2021 Le Clos du Caillou 'VV Cuvee Unique' Cotes du Rhone Rouge, Rhone Valley, France (750ml)
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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
Le Clos du Caillou started out as a hunting preserve in 1895 when Élie Dussaud purchased the property at the northeastern edge of what eventually became the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, and built a small cellar. However, with his passing four years later, there were no real vineyards to speak of until 1955, when Claude Pouizin purchased the land and cleared some of the forest to plant vines. 1970 marked his first commercial vintage and his wife, Colette, spent the next 26 years as the sales ambassador, establishing Clos du Caillou as a quality Rhône Valley producer worthy of attention. Once Claude was ready to retire, he asked his youngest daughter, Sylvie, who was living in Sancerre with her husband, Jean-Denis Vacheron, to run things. The couple and their two young children left their life in the Loire Valley in 1996 to take Clos du Caillou into the 21st century. Jean-Denis was making the wines yet tragically died in 2002. With a heavy heart, Sylvie soldiered on and hired Rhône specialist, Bruno Gaspard, to take over in the cellar. Bruno has been the winemaker ever since and Sylvie is still in charge today, watching over the domaine's 54 hectares of biodynamically farmed vineyards, certified since 2010.
2021 Margerum Cinsault, Santa Barbara County, California (750ml)
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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
This Cinsault was estate grown on Margerum's organically farmed vineyard in the Los Olivos District of Santa Barbara County. It was co-fermented with a small amount of their estate grown Syrah. The grapes were pressed after fermentation and matured for 10 months in various seasoned and neutral casks, including large French oak foudre, puncheon and barrique.
2021 Mark Ryan ‘Dissident’ Bordeaux Blend, Columbia Valley, Washington (750ml)
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83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot. Mark Ryan started making wines in friends’ garages in 1999. Largely self-taught, he combined his own studies with advice of experienced wine producers. After 4 years of transient winemaking, he settled in Woodinville, Washington. Head winemaker Mike Macmorran made his first foray into wine while on a break from medical school. Instantly hooked, he decided to apply his deep knowledge of chemistry and biology to oenology instead. Building upon Mark’s foundation, Mike uses his skills to home in on the best barrels and yeast strains to craft their wines, while focusing on wines that reflect the characteristics of their vineyard sites.
2021 Pra Valpolicella "Morandina" Veneto, Italy (750ml)
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Graziano Pra is best known for his white wines from Soave, and the reds from Valpolicella have been a later - and much welcome - addition Located in the sub-zones of Mezzane and Tregnano at around 450 meters, the soils here were formed from glacial runoff and they contain a high percentage of active limestone. So while some wines from Valpolicella are about power, ripeness and brawn, especially the Amarone, Prà’s reds have a bright freshness and mineral core.
2021 Quinta do Gradil 1492 Tinto, Lisboa, Portugal (750ml)
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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
Plump and round with loads of blackberry, black plum and blueberry fruit with toasted notes and baking spices. The palate is gracefully balanced with a long, juicy finish and pleasantly gripping tannins.
2021 Red Stitch Pinot Noir, Rosella's Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, California (750ml)
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Red Stitch is a joint effort of Rich Aurelia (SF Giants) and Dave Roberts (Manager of the LA Dodgers). We are often cynical when approached by wineries with a celebrity tie-in because the wines too often seem to trade more on the fame than actual quality, but Red Stitch is a notable exception. The wines are first rate in every way.
2021 Rive Sud Pinot Noir, Pays d'Oc, Languedoc-Roussillon, France (750ml)
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Produced by the Cave Anne de Joyeuse established in 1929, this is a charming 100% Pinot Noir from the Pays d'Oc appellation in Limoux, southern France. The vineyards slope up the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains and at those higher elevations keep the sun exposed vines cool enough to retain acidity and not get over-ripe or sun-baked. Fresh aromas of red cherry and strawberry on the nose and loveely fruitt on the palate are balanced nicely by vibrant acidity. A very nice bottle of wine worthy of a permanent place in everyone's fridge (yes, it is delicious chilled). It's a favorite with our staff and wonderful regular guests alike.
2021 Robert Biale PARTY LINE Zinfandel, North Coast, California (750ml)
The Biale family has been growing Zinfandel along with other produce on their Napa Valley farm since 1937. They sold most of their grapes to Napa wineries but always reserved a smaller amount so Aldo Biale could make wine for his family and friends. This Zinfandel comes from old vine vineyards scattered throughout the North Coast. Bright fruit on the nose leads into juicy darker berry on the palate with dusty tannin. Great for barbecue and on its own!
2021 Rocky Pond '11 Dams' Red Blend, Columbia Valley, Washington (750ml)
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A Quarterly Red Cellar Trio Wine Club Selection
Black-red hue. Enticing aromas of dark plums and brambly berry compote, with a whiff of violets. The juicy palate is bold and fruit forward, showing primary flavors of ripe blackberry, blueberry and black currant with a touch of toffee and mocha. Decadent but not cloying, with super-fine, well integrated tannins and a long, luxurious finish.
2021 Ryme Vermentino 'Hers,' Las Brisas Vineyard, Carneros, California (750ml)
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Ryme is one of several producers making delicious, zesty Vermentino with fruit from Las Brisas Vineyard in Carneros at top of San Pablo Bay. We poured this wine as part of a recent Flight Night at Mission Bay and it was a big hit.
2021 Tenuta Grimaldi Verdicchio di Matelica DOC, Marche, Italy (750ml)
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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
Pale yellow with green flashes. Classic aromas of ripe peach, lemon curd and a soft floral note. The palate is tart and bright with flavors of yellow peach, apricot and Meyer lemon, mingled with green dandelion. Pure and focused, with a charming salinity on the long, lip-smacking finish.
2021 Weingut Niklas Lagrein, Sudtirol DOC-Alto Adige, Italy (750ml)
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Lagrein is an indigenous variety that is often made into a rosé, a dark, intense and tannic "reserve/age-worthy" style wine, or as is the case here, a lighter style medium-bodied young red wine meant to be consumed upon release. Young Lagrein can be a bit off putting with overwhelming tannins, but this Niklas is very friendly and drinkable with slightly chalky tannins on the finish. It has a light plummy fruit flavor as well as a savory quality that makes it a great pairing with braised meats and rich tomato based pastas, a platter of charcuterie, or a mushroom risotto. Completely overdelivers for the price point.
2021 Yves Leccia Patrimonio Blanc, Corsica, France (750ml)
Consistency is key for sixth-generation winemaker Yves Leccia, who year after year bottles some of the most chiseled, sumptuous Corsican whites with Burgundy-like precision. His Patrimonio blanc, from the stony E Croce plateau, is bright and luminous, with hints of white grapefruit, acacia flowers, and fragrant maquis herbs. You’ll taste the salty sea breeze in this wine, so seafood is an obvious pairing, but so are spring vegetables like white asparagus, fava beans, and watercress salad with peas and mint.