I am back on track, it seems, with the weekly bulletin and with a fair amount of new wine to list this week. Happy to report that the dinner at Saul's is sold out. A reminder to check our web site calendar for news of in-store tastings. Also this week (and from here on in, whenever appropriate) I've added a section at the end called "As Far as I Can Tell," which lists new items in the realm of spirits, cordials, etc. (and since I don't usually drink them, it's "as far as I can tell")
NEW WHITES:
Monte Velho 2009 Branco @ $8.99
from the Alentejo region of Portugal, a medium-bodied white, round but with crisp acidity
Librandi 2009 Ciro Bianco @ $10.99
100% Greco Bianco from Calabria, crisp but not too steely, with lush apricot notes
(new vintage) Presle 2009 Touraine @ $10.99
New-World-styled Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire, with a zippy acidic structure and bright flavors
(new vintage) Emmolo 2009 Sauvignon Blanc @ $15.99
crisp, clean and elegant, with excellent balance between fruit-driven flavors, juicy acidity and minerality
(new vintage) Tohu 2009 Sauvignon Blanc @ $15.99
a pungent, complex Sauvignon Blanc from the first Maori-owned wine company
Elk Cove 2009 Pinot Gris @ $15.99
just released, an elegant, fresh Pinot Gris from the Willamette Valley
J 2009 Pinot Gris @ $15.99
combines warm climate ripeness with coastal acidity to produce a crisp wine with lime and spice flavors
(new vintage) Norton Ridge 2009 Chardonnay @ $17.99
a Napa Valley Chardonnay offering purity and focused minerality
Monte Velho 2009 Branco @ $8.99
from the Alentejo region of Portugal, a medium-bodied white, round but with crisp acidity
Librandi 2009 Ciro Bianco @ $10.99
100% Greco Bianco from Calabria, crisp but not too steely, with lush apricot notes
(new vintage) Presle 2009 Touraine @ $10.99
New-World-styled Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire, with a zippy acidic structure and bright flavors
(new vintage) Emmolo 2009 Sauvignon Blanc @ $15.99
crisp, clean and elegant, with excellent balance between fruit-driven flavors, juicy acidity and minerality
(new vintage) Tohu 2009 Sauvignon Blanc @ $15.99
a pungent, complex Sauvignon Blanc from the first Maori-owned wine company
Elk Cove 2009 Pinot Gris @ $15.99
just released, an elegant, fresh Pinot Gris from the Willamette Valley
J 2009 Pinot Gris @ $15.99
combines warm climate ripeness with coastal acidity to produce a crisp wine with lime and spice flavors
(new vintage) Norton Ridge 2009 Chardonnay @ $17.99
a Napa Valley Chardonnay offering purity and focused minerality
NEW REDS:
Monte Velho 2009 Tinto @ $8.99
from the Alentejo region of Portugal, a versatile food wine and a great value!
Il Molino di Grace 2004 Chianti Classico @ $10.99
an estate-bottled Chianti made from organically grown grapes, using sustainable agricultural practices
Red Knot 2007 Shiraz @ $10.99
a jammy, meaty, "monster" Shiraz from Australia's McLaren Vale
Li Veli 2008 Primitivo @ $10.99
from Puglia, a powerfyl, inky wine of great character and surprising elegance
First Drop 2009 The Red One @ $10.99
a six-grape blend from South Australia, with rich fruit, a focused structure, and a splash of spice
Chateau de Chatelard 2009 Moulin a Vent @ $10.99
a biodynamic estate in the Beaujolais making rich, artisanal versions of Gamay
Red Head Studios 2008 Yard Dog Red @ $10.99
a blend of Petit Verdot, Cab and Merlot from Australia's McLaren Vale, fresh, with a silky texture and no rough edges
Nieto 2009 Pinot Noir @ $10.99
a value-priced Pinot from Argentina with a medium body and smooth texture, very food friendly
(new vintage) Dow's 2007 Vale do Bonfim @ $11.99
a blend of classic Portuguese varietals, balanced and soft with appealing cherry vanilla flavors
Montebuena 2009 Rioja @ $12.99
produced by Bodegas Burgo Viejo, a winery founded in 1987 by six families of farmers, packed with ripe Tempranillo fruit, with outstanding concentration and impeccable balance
(new vintage) Guimaro 2009 Ribeira Sacra @ $12.99
From the steep hills of the Ribeira Sacra, a youthful wine filled with red fruit flavors and spice on the nose
Vina Berceo 2005 Rioja Crianza @ $13.99
the flagship line of Bodegas Gurpegui, a family-owned company since 1872, with light notes of vanilla and a tart cherry finish
(new vintage) Shooting Star 2008 Blue Franc @ $13.99
a Washington state red made from Blaufrankisch (Blue Franc, a.k.a. Lemberger), clean, crisp, and unpretentious with soft tannins and lots of fruit
Gran Familia 2007 Rioja @ $13.99
from the Castillo de Fuemayor winery, an elegant Rioja with a superb haromy of fruit, acidity, and tannin
Fumanelli 2008 Valpolicella @ $14.99
made in the heart of the Valpolicella Classico region, a ruby-red wine with hints of violets and a bouquet of ripe red fruits
Chateau Virgilie 2007 Costieres de Nimes Cuvee l'Eneide @ $15.99
a classic Rhone blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre made from some of the oldest (90 years+) vines on the state, intense dark fruit with hints of black peppe
Font de l'Olivier 2006 VdP des Cotes de Thongue @ $15.99
100% old vines (75 years plus) Carignan, unoaked, dense yet silky, with supple, ripe tannins
Old Parcel 2008 Zinfandel @ $15.99
a big, rich, luscious Zin from California's Central Valley
Domaine Camp Galhan 2008 VdP Duche d'Uzes @ $16.99
from a family domaine in the Languedoc that has been making wine since the early 1900s, a Syrah-Grenache blend with impressive richness and concentration
Domaine Maby 2008 Lirac @ $16.99
a family winery in Lirac in the Rhone, making wines that are fine-textured, generous in flavors and pure in style
Domaine Roche-Audran 2009 Visan @ $18.99
a Grenache-Syrah blend from 60-year-old vines, showing rich fruit and classic leather and spice notes
(new vintage) Earth, Zin and Fire 2008 Zinfandel @ $18.99
from Jessie'Grove Winery in Lodi, a Zin jam-packed with berry flavors, silky chocolate, and high notes of spice
Smith & Hook 2007 Cabernet @ $19.99
one of the Hahn Family wineries, located in Soledad and dedicated exclusively to making a version of Cabernet that is lush and textured, with gripping tannins, well-developed acidity and a lingering finish
Domaine Vico 2007 Corse Rouge @ $19.99
a red from Corsica made from two native varietals, Sciacarello and Nieluccio, with a perfume of herbs and berries, a medium body, and great acidity
Torbreck 2008 Woodcutter's Shiraz @ $21.99
a succulent and rich Shiraz, unusually complex and textured for a wine at this price point
Vina Berceo 2004 Rioja Reserva @ $23.99
in the flagship line of Bodegas Gurpegui, a family-owned company since 1872, a smooth, structured wine with soft tannins and a persistent finish
(new vintage) Domaine de la Tour du Bon 2007 Bandol @ $26.99
a classic Bandol blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Cinsault, powerful in youth but mellowing to a silky meatiness with age
Domaine Georg Rafael 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon @ $26.99
the latest venture of Georg Rafael, founder of the boutique hotel chain Rafael Group Hoteliers, a richly textured Napa Cabernet with a long smooth finish
Anne Amie 2007 Pinot Noir @ $27.99
from Anne Amie Vineyards where Pinot reigns supreme, a wine with seductive aromas of herbs and forest floor, with elegantly balanced acidity and fine-grained tannins
(new vintage) Owen Roe 2009 Abbot's Table @ $28.99
an ingenious blend of nine different grapes from the northwest's preeminent winemaker, with a velvety mouthfeel and just a hint of spice and white pepper
Domaine de Nalys 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape @ $34.99
a property with four centuries of history making classic CDP, energetic and spicy, with good mineral cut to the sweet red berry flavors
Monte Velho 2009 Tinto @ $8.99
from the Alentejo region of Portugal, a versatile food wine and a great value!
Il Molino di Grace 2004 Chianti Classico @ $10.99
an estate-bottled Chianti made from organically grown grapes, using sustainable agricultural practices
Red Knot 2007 Shiraz @ $10.99
a jammy, meaty, "monster" Shiraz from Australia's McLaren Vale
Li Veli 2008 Primitivo @ $10.99
from Puglia, a powerfyl, inky wine of great character and surprising elegance
First Drop 2009 The Red One @ $10.99
a six-grape blend from South Australia, with rich fruit, a focused structure, and a splash of spice
Chateau de Chatelard 2009 Moulin a Vent @ $10.99
a biodynamic estate in the Beaujolais making rich, artisanal versions of Gamay
Red Head Studios 2008 Yard Dog Red @ $10.99
a blend of Petit Verdot, Cab and Merlot from Australia's McLaren Vale, fresh, with a silky texture and no rough edges
Nieto 2009 Pinot Noir @ $10.99
a value-priced Pinot from Argentina with a medium body and smooth texture, very food friendly
(new vintage) Dow's 2007 Vale do Bonfim @ $11.99
a blend of classic Portuguese varietals, balanced and soft with appealing cherry vanilla flavors
Montebuena 2009 Rioja @ $12.99
produced by Bodegas Burgo Viejo, a winery founded in 1987 by six families of farmers, packed with ripe Tempranillo fruit, with outstanding concentration and impeccable balance
(new vintage) Guimaro 2009 Ribeira Sacra @ $12.99
From the steep hills of the Ribeira Sacra, a youthful wine filled with red fruit flavors and spice on the nose
Vina Berceo 2005 Rioja Crianza @ $13.99
the flagship line of Bodegas Gurpegui, a family-owned company since 1872, with light notes of vanilla and a tart cherry finish
(new vintage) Shooting Star 2008 Blue Franc @ $13.99
a Washington state red made from Blaufrankisch (Blue Franc, a.k.a. Lemberger), clean, crisp, and unpretentious with soft tannins and lots of fruit
Gran Familia 2007 Rioja @ $13.99
from the Castillo de Fuemayor winery, an elegant Rioja with a superb haromy of fruit, acidity, and tannin
Fumanelli 2008 Valpolicella @ $14.99
made in the heart of the Valpolicella Classico region, a ruby-red wine with hints of violets and a bouquet of ripe red fruits
Chateau Virgilie 2007 Costieres de Nimes Cuvee l'Eneide @ $15.99
a classic Rhone blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre made from some of the oldest (90 years+) vines on the state, intense dark fruit with hints of black peppe
Font de l'Olivier 2006 VdP des Cotes de Thongue @ $15.99
100% old vines (75 years plus) Carignan, unoaked, dense yet silky, with supple, ripe tannins
Old Parcel 2008 Zinfandel @ $15.99
a big, rich, luscious Zin from California's Central Valley
Domaine Camp Galhan 2008 VdP Duche d'Uzes @ $16.99
from a family domaine in the Languedoc that has been making wine since the early 1900s, a Syrah-Grenache blend with impressive richness and concentration
Domaine Maby 2008 Lirac @ $16.99
a family winery in Lirac in the Rhone, making wines that are fine-textured, generous in flavors and pure in style
Domaine Roche-Audran 2009 Visan @ $18.99
a Grenache-Syrah blend from 60-year-old vines, showing rich fruit and classic leather and spice notes
(new vintage) Earth, Zin and Fire 2008 Zinfandel @ $18.99
from Jessie'Grove Winery in Lodi, a Zin jam-packed with berry flavors, silky chocolate, and high notes of spice
Smith & Hook 2007 Cabernet @ $19.99
one of the Hahn Family wineries, located in Soledad and dedicated exclusively to making a version of Cabernet that is lush and textured, with gripping tannins, well-developed acidity and a lingering finish
Domaine Vico 2007 Corse Rouge @ $19.99
a red from Corsica made from two native varietals, Sciacarello and Nieluccio, with a perfume of herbs and berries, a medium body, and great acidity
Torbreck 2008 Woodcutter's Shiraz @ $21.99
a succulent and rich Shiraz, unusually complex and textured for a wine at this price point
Vina Berceo 2004 Rioja Reserva @ $23.99
in the flagship line of Bodegas Gurpegui, a family-owned company since 1872, a smooth, structured wine with soft tannins and a persistent finish
(new vintage) Domaine de la Tour du Bon 2007 Bandol @ $26.99
a classic Bandol blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Cinsault, powerful in youth but mellowing to a silky meatiness with age
Domaine Georg Rafael 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon @ $26.99
the latest venture of Georg Rafael, founder of the boutique hotel chain Rafael Group Hoteliers, a richly textured Napa Cabernet with a long smooth finish
Anne Amie 2007 Pinot Noir @ $27.99
from Anne Amie Vineyards where Pinot reigns supreme, a wine with seductive aromas of herbs and forest floor, with elegantly balanced acidity and fine-grained tannins
(new vintage) Owen Roe 2009 Abbot's Table @ $28.99
an ingenious blend of nine different grapes from the northwest's preeminent winemaker, with a velvety mouthfeel and just a hint of spice and white pepper
Domaine de Nalys 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape @ $34.99
a property with four centuries of history making classic CDP, energetic and spicy, with good mineral cut to the sweet red berry flavors
AS FAR AS I CAN TELL
Whistle Pig Farm Straight Rye @ $75.99
Regional Blanco Tequila @ $29.99
Regional Reposada Tequila @ $33.99
Mount Gay Extra Old Rum @ $48.99
Combier Orange Liqueur @ $35.99
Combier Roi Rene Cherry Liqueur @ $27.99
Royal Combier Liqueur @ $39.99
Berkshire Ethereal Gin @ $34.99
Berkshire Ragged Mountain Rum @ $31.99