Weekly Wine Specials

Fattoria di Basciano Chianti Rufina (Tuscany, Italy) $11.75
Domaine Lafage Miraflors Rose (Cotes du Roussillon) $15.11
Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara Pinot Noir (Central Coast, California) $19.31
Clendenen Family Viognier “Le Bon Climat” (Santa Maria Valley, California) $16.79

It’s fine to drink wine on St. Patrick’s day.
James Joyce did *
And not just on St. Patrick’s †

* He doted on the white Fendant wine from the Valais region of Switzerland.

†  [Joyce] was a stupendous drinker and included among his companions Ernest Hemingway, Samuel Beckett (who served as his secretary for a brief time), Ezra Pound and many other expatriate writers residing in Paris during the 1920s. Joyce drank mostly white wine and compared his favorite Swiss white wine to urine, an archduchess’s to be sure. He hardly drank spirits. He loathed red wine because to him it tasted of blood. Recounting his many drinking bouts with Joyce, Hemingway once remarked: “He was a nice man, but nasty, especially if anyone started talking about his writing. He was proud and very rude — especially to jerks.”

Clos des Fous 2014 Grillos Cantores Cabernet Sauvignon (Alto Cachapoal, Chile) $16.49
Capital Z Zinfandel (Lodi, California) $10.07
Summer Water Rose (Central Coast, California) $11.75

Frappato Terre Siciliane IGP (Sicily, Italy) $10.19
Corte Di Giso Irpinia Falanghina (Campania, Italy) $10.07
Malma Finca la Papay (Neuquen, Argentina) $7.55

Feudo Montoni ‘La Marza’ Terre Siciliane, Italy Nerello Mascalese $14.27
“Vigneti La Selvanella” Chianti Classico Riserva $18.47
Beaujalais Domaine Dupeuble, Kermit Lynch Importer $11.75

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Terrasses Chateau Pesquie $11.75
Cara Nord Conca de Barbera $13.43
Glenelly Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon $14.27
La Manina Manincor $15.11

Chateau de Paraza Minervois Cuvée Spéciale $10.67
Vigna Rocca Albana Secco $11.75
Ji Ji Ji Malbec Co2 Pinot Noir $14.27

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Chateau de Paraza Minervois Cuvée Spéciale (Languedoc, France)

40% Syrah – 40% Grenache noir – 20% Mourvèdre
Deep red garnet and bright. Cherry and raspberry compote notes are backed by red licorice undertones and juicy acidity in this medium-bodied red. Floral and mineral details weave together on the crisp finish. Pair with soft cheese, Marengo veal, beef stew with sweet potatoes.

Vigna Rocca Albana Secco (Romagna, Italy)
Bouquet Elegant fragrances of melon and apricot, of honey and wildflowers
Palate Mouthfilling, conveying ripe peach and plum; pleasant bitter almond on the finish
Pair with: Fried seafood and fish soup, risottos, roast poultry and veal

Ji Ji Ji Malbec Co2 Pinot Noir (Mendoza, Argentina)
50-50 Malbec and Pinot Noir. It’s all crunchy, tangy red berry fruit, a wine that is incredibly light on its feet and refreshing. Think good grower cru Beaujolais or even Anjou Gamay. With traces of Malbec’s violet floral quality combining with minerality and bracing, electrifying acidity, this is fascinating wine, sure to bring lots of new wine drinkers into the world of exciting new projects happening right now in Argentina.

ON SALE THIS WEEK:
Stones & Bones Portugal $8.39
Cune Rioja Crianz $10.07
X Bohigas Xarel-Lo $9.23

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Stones & Bones Portugal (Vinho Regional de Lisboa, Portugal)
A frequent Gold medal winner, Stones & Bones is so-called because it’s grown in a landscape littered with ancient boulders and dinosaur fossils. In the modern Portuguese tradition, the wine is a blend of local and international grapes. Touriga Nacional, the backbone of vintage port, joins forces with Syrah, Tinta Roriz and Alicante to produce truly mammoth, rich fruit flavours.

Cune Rioja Crianza (La Rioja Alta, Spain)
At the beginning a red ‘clarete’ wine was made as a
fine wine in the style of the Bordeaux “Claret” produced by the great chateaux of the Medoc. This wine, formerly known as ‘Tercer Año’ or ‘3rd year’, is today called ‘Crianza’. Bright cherry colour with some violet nuances. In the nose, red berries aromas remain over the oaky and balsamic notes from its ageing in wood. It shows an elegance in the mouth, yet very lively, with some spice back notes and a very balanced acidity.

X Bohigas Xarel-Lo (Catalonia, Spain)
This fleshy white shows pear and melon flavors, with depth and density. This is backed by firm acidity, featuring smoky and herbal notes on the finish. Not showy, but harmonious. Drink now. 7,000 cases made.87 Points Wine Spectator