Weekly Wine Tastings

Please join us for our FREE Wine and Beer Tastings  - Thursday from 3-7pm, Friday from 3-7 pm...Saturday 1-6; this week we are tasting:

4th-5th-6th of February, 2010

Spanish Wines from Jorge Ordoñez

WINE 

2008 Shaya "Habis", Bodegas Shaya
Rueda, Valladolid, Spain
For those of you who have tried the “normal” Shaya the best way to describe the 2008 Habis to you is that, to use the Spinal Tap reference, it’s the regular bottling on “11”. Habis shows a slightly deeper yellow/straw colour with an intense perfume of Kaffir lime, lemon pith, pineapple, mint and ginger, along with a subtle peppery undertone. Bracing and sharply focused, offering pure citrus and green apple flavors complemented by succulent herbs and spices. The wine finishes utterly flawless with dry and precise notes of the lime and ginger notes repeating. I wouldn’t have thought it possible to have improved upon the original, yet there’s no other way I can describe it. This is a wine made completely without conscience or compromise.
Bottle: $28.99  Special: $26.09  Case: $24.64 

2007 Atalaya, Bodegas Atalaya
Almansa, Spain
This is the first release of Atalaya. The 2007 Atalaya is a blend of Monastrell, Garnacha Tintorera, and other red grapes. The wine was aged for eight months in French and American oak. This purple-colored wine has an expressive bouquet of violets, spice box, leather, game, blueberry, and black cherry. On the palate it comes off as borderline kinky and definitely sexy with lots of easy-going flavor, superb depth, complexity, and a 45-second finish. Although it can be enjoyed now, it will evolve for another 2-3 years.91 Points Wine Advocate
Bottle: $15.99  Special: $14.39  Case: $13.59

2008 Vega Sindoa "El Chaparral", Bodegas Nekeas
Navarra, Spain
Made from 60-100 year old Grenache vines, cropped at measly yields of 1.25 tons per acre, and aged in a combination of French and American wood casks, the delicious peppery, medium to dark ruby-colored 2008 Vega Sindoa El Chaparral reveals a southern Rhone-like character in its kirsch liqueur, licorice, and pepper-scented bouquet. Medium-bodied with impressive fruit, tremendous freshness, and lively acidity, this is a tasty Spanish red to drink now and over the next 3-4 years. This is a terrific bargain.91pts Wine Advocate
Bottle: $14.99  Special: $13.49  Case: $12.74 

2004 Allende, Finca Allende
Rioja, Spain
The 2004 Allende, a 100% Tempranillo cuvee, was barrel fermented in a mix of new and used French oak, remained in barrel for 13 months, and was bottled unfiltered. The wine is inky purple-colored and has a superb nose of pain grille, mineral, violets, cranberry, and blueberry. The youthful palate reveals layers of fruit, ripe tannin, and excellent balance. The wine merits another 3-4 years of bottle age and should drink well through 2020. Kudos to Finca Allende for a magnificent set of 2004 Riojas!
92pts Wine Advocate
Bottle: $24.99  Special: $22.49  Case: $21.24

BEER

The “big game” is this weekend, and along with that, you will likely see more commercials for insipid, mass-marketed, industrially produced beer than at any other time this year. As an antidote to that assault on your better sensibilities, we offer three beers from Scotland’s Brewdog. 

“Punk” IPA
Brew Dog Brewery (Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland)
This 6% trans-atlantic fusion IPA is light golden in colour with tropical fruits and light caramel on the nose. The palate soon becomes assertive and resinous with the New Zealand hops balanced by the biscuit malt. The finish is aggressive and dry with the hops emerging over the warming alcohol. This fresh, full flavour natural beer is a tribute to the classic IPAs of yester-year. The post modern twist is the addition of amazing fruity hops giving an explosion of tropical fruit flavours and a sharp bitter finish.
$7.99 22oz. 

“Tokyo*” Imperial Stout
Brew Dog Brewery (Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland)
Tipping the scales at a jaw dropping 18.2% ABV (though shockingly enough this is only the second strongest beer Brewdog makes), this imperial stout is brewed with copious amounts of specialty malts, jasmine and cranberries. After fermentation the wort is then dry-hopped with Galena hops before carefully ageing the beer on toasted French oak chips.
$12.49 12oz. 

“Bashah” Double Black Belgian IPA
Brew Dog Brewery (Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland)
A double black Belgian IPA called bashah. What exactly is a double black Belgian IPA you ask? There are massive amounts of five different hops in the beer: Hercules, Magnum, Warrior, Centennial and Amarillo, a total of 7500kg in the brew kettle actually. The beer is brewed with X-Pale, Carafa, and a high proportion of Chocolate malts giving it a black/roasty color and flavor. Bold but it's not overpowering; it's complex, but the flavors balance out over time with each taste. At 8.6% ABV, the medium bodied beer is deliciously drinkable.
$6.99 12oz.

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