Over the past month, we have had the opportunity to bring in several new arrivals and releases from Italy. For the April case of the month, we're offering six stellar wines from Northern and Central Italy, as well as a mix of stand out staff picks from other parts of the globe.
Of particular note is a crisp bottle of bubbly from Italy's Emilia region, an incredible biodynamic French Gamay, and a super unique and tasty liter of white from Slovenia. We hope you enjoy this month's mix!
Sparkling
(Italy) NV Cantina Paltrinieri Bianco Secco Frizzante Sparkling
Grapes: Blend of Trebbiano and Sorbara
Notes: Great value bottle of bubbly from central Italy. Focused refreshing citrus on the palate, floral aromas, and a clean, zippy finish. Perfect for lite fare, salty cheeses, and simple pasta.
Rose
(Italy) 2019 Ercole Piemont D.O.C. Rosato
Grapes: 100% Barbera
Notes: Love the liter bottle of rose in Springtime- with a screwcap, no less! This is the perfect bottle of pink to bring to the park for your picnic—lovely ripe red fruit tones, well-rounded mouthfeel, supremely gulpable.
Whites
(Slovenia) 2019 Crnko Jarenincan
Grapes: Blend of Muller Thurgau, Chardonnay, and Laski Rizling
Notes: Liter #2 in this month's case- this time from the continental, alpine-influenced northern Slovenia climate. You will love this wine's fresh aromatics, spritzy acidity, touch o'tropical fruit and low alcohol. It's another stellar sunshine wine.
(California) 2019 Tablas Creek Vineyard' Patelin de Tablas Blanc'
Grapes: Blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier, Marsanne, Clairette Blanche
Notes: One of our favorite California producers- the bottle of white incorporates fruit from six top Rhone vineyards in Paso Robles. Each vineyard is selected for its quality.
Like many white wines from the Southern Rhône, it is based on the crisp acids and rich mouthfeel of Grenache Blanc, with Viognier for floral, tropical aromatics and rich texture, Roussanne and Marsanne for structure and spice, and a small addition of Clairette Blanche for freshness and minerality.
(Italy) 2019 Domaine Carrel Eugene ‘Jongieux’
Grapes: 100% Jacquere
Notes: Classic Bottle Shop staff pick from Savoie in Eastern France. Remarkably pleasant and easy drinking white table wine. Medium-bodied, balanced acidity, nice mouthfeel, super food-friendly.
(Italy) 2018 Pala ‘i fiori’ Bianco
Grapes: 100% Vermentino
Notes: We are super excited about this 'Tre Bichieri' award winner from Sardegna. Rich, broad mouthfeel, mineral driven with notes of granite, balanced acidity, and a subtle salinity in the finish. Delish.
Reds
(Italy) 2019 Le Vigne di Faraone Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Grapes: 100% Montepulciano
Notes: A lovely structured red from Central Italy. Lean on the palate, with tart red berry fruit and a fun balance of earthy tannins on the finish.
(France) 2019 Les Traverses de Fontanes Rouge
Grapes: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: Full-bodied, ripe blue fruit, pleasant wooded structure - great burger wine!
(Italy) 2018 Tolaini ‘Vallenuova’ Chianti Classico
Grapes: 100% Sangiovese
Notes: Another new arrival, and 'Tres Bichieri' winner from Tuscany. Open this wine or decant an hour before enjoying- this bottle needs a little time to reveal all of its' notes. You'll find this to be surprisingly fun and fruit-forward initially, with a nice mineral mid-palate and a ferric, earthy finish. So good!
(France) 2018 Domaine A. Pegaz Beaujolais Villages
Grapes: 100% Gamay
Notes: Easy drinking French table wine that checks all of the 'natural' wine boxes: organic, biodynamic, unfiltered, unfined, vegan and natural fermentation. It is easy going, light/medium-bodied, fruity, with a lightly wooded texture on the palate.
(Spain) 2017 Ludovicus Tinto
Grapes: 100% Garnacha
Notes: Full-bodied Spanish red. Dark blue and black fruit, dark cacao nib, nice density. Screams for charred red meat.
(Oregon) 2018 North Valley' Classic' Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir
Notes: One of the Bottle Shop's favorite local producers. This is Soter Vineyards' day to day' drinking Pinot Noir. Earthy on the palate with forest herbs and red and blue fruit. Fantastic!