First a correction: The Ken Forrester Sauvignon Blanc listed last week is $13.99, not $9.99. Now on to this week's news.
NEW WHITES:
Excelsior 2011 Chardonnay @ $8.99
a crisp, bright white sourced from the winery's three best Chardonnay blocks, with lively flavors of green apple, citrus and pineapple on a full, creamy palate
Cassagnoles 2011 Cotes du Gascogne @ $9.99
a blend of Colombard, Ugni Blanc, and Gros Manseng from just south of Bordeaux, with crisp acidity, citrus notes, and flavors of ripe stone fruit
(new vintage) Bacalhoa 2011 Catarina @ $10.99
a blend of Chardonnay with native Portuguese varietals Fernao Pires and Arinta, medium- to full-bodied, complex, with a lingering finish
(new vintage) Pascal Jolivet 2011 Sancerre @ $22.99
a fresh, clean Sauvignon Blanc, dry, elegant, and well balanced
(new vintage) Fevre 2010 Chablis @ $24.99
classic Chablis, combining great fruitiness with a pleasant freshness and that special mineral character of the region
Evening Land 2010 Chardonnay @ $25.99
from the Arroyo Grande Valley in California's Central Coast, barrel-fermented and -aged (but only 10% in new oak), a creamy wine with plenty of bright apple, lemon zest, mint and nutmeg aromas and flavors, crisp acidity and bracing minerality underneath
(new vintage) Neyers 2010 Chardonnay @ $27.99
fresh floral notes, with hints of apple, pear, spice, and light oak, full-bodied on the palate
Patz & Hall 2010 Chardonnay @ $34.99
a Chardonnay with impressive weight and minerality from James Hall, acknowledged master of the grape
Excelsior 2011 Chardonnay @ $8.99
a crisp, bright white sourced from the winery's three best Chardonnay blocks, with lively flavors of green apple, citrus and pineapple on a full, creamy palate
Cassagnoles 2011 Cotes du Gascogne @ $9.99
a blend of Colombard, Ugni Blanc, and Gros Manseng from just south of Bordeaux, with crisp acidity, citrus notes, and flavors of ripe stone fruit
(new vintage) Bacalhoa 2011 Catarina @ $10.99
a blend of Chardonnay with native Portuguese varietals Fernao Pires and Arinta, medium- to full-bodied, complex, with a lingering finish
(new vintage) Pascal Jolivet 2011 Sancerre @ $22.99
a fresh, clean Sauvignon Blanc, dry, elegant, and well balanced
(new vintage) Fevre 2010 Chablis @ $24.99
classic Chablis, combining great fruitiness with a pleasant freshness and that special mineral character of the region
Evening Land 2010 Chardonnay @ $25.99
from the Arroyo Grande Valley in California's Central Coast, barrel-fermented and -aged (but only 10% in new oak), a creamy wine with plenty of bright apple, lemon zest, mint and nutmeg aromas and flavors, crisp acidity and bracing minerality underneath
(new vintage) Neyers 2010 Chardonnay @ $27.99
fresh floral notes, with hints of apple, pear, spice, and light oak, full-bodied on the palate
Patz & Hall 2010 Chardonnay @ $34.99
a Chardonnay with impressive weight and minerality from James Hall, acknowledged master of the grape
NEW REDS:
(new vintage) Monte la Sardo 2010 Garnacha @ $11.99
a fresh, fruity, unoaked Grenache, medium-bodied with modest tannin and notes of blackberries, earthiness, dried spices and minerality
(new vintage) Monte la Sardo 2010 Tempranillo @ $11.99
aromas of spice box, incense, violets, and black cherry, savory and sweetly fruited on the palate
Monasterio de Corias 2010 Seis Octavos @ $14.99
from Asturias in northern Spain, a juicy, unoaked blend of several indigenous varieties, drinks like a cru Beaujolais but with an earthy Spanish finish
Furque 2007 Tres Cepas @ $15.99
a blend of Malbec, Merlot and Syrah, deep and dark with a deeply scented bouquet of raisins and roasted black fruits, rich and smooth on the palate
Oberto 2009 Dolcetto d'Alba Albarella @ $15.99
from a never-fail Dolcetto producer, a deep, dark red with aromas and flavors of currant/plum fruit at the core and notes of truffle, lavender, licorice root, and earth all making appearances
Philippe Colin 2009 Bourgogne @ $25.99
a seductive, fruit-forward Pinot from a very good red Burgundy year
(new vintage) Monte la Sardo 2010 Garnacha @ $11.99
a fresh, fruity, unoaked Grenache, medium-bodied with modest tannin and notes of blackberries, earthiness, dried spices and minerality
(new vintage) Monte la Sardo 2010 Tempranillo @ $11.99
aromas of spice box, incense, violets, and black cherry, savory and sweetly fruited on the palate
Monasterio de Corias 2010 Seis Octavos @ $14.99
from Asturias in northern Spain, a juicy, unoaked blend of several indigenous varieties, drinks like a cru Beaujolais but with an earthy Spanish finish
Furque 2007 Tres Cepas @ $15.99
a blend of Malbec, Merlot and Syrah, deep and dark with a deeply scented bouquet of raisins and roasted black fruits, rich and smooth on the palate
Oberto 2009 Dolcetto d'Alba Albarella @ $15.99
from a never-fail Dolcetto producer, a deep, dark red with aromas and flavors of currant/plum fruit at the core and notes of truffle, lavender, licorice root, and earth all making appearances
Philippe Colin 2009 Bourgogne @ $25.99
a seductive, fruit-forward Pinot from a very good red Burgundy year
NEW ROSES:
Lamargue 2011 Les Grandes Cabanes @ $9.99
from the west bank of the Rhone, a Syrah/Grenache blend with great roundness and length
Markowitsch 2011 Rose @ $13.99
an 80/20 blend of Blaufrankisch and Cabernet from Austria, with fresh aromas of strawberries and cherries, fresh and harmonious on the palate
Clapiere 2011 Cotes de Provence @ $14.99
from one of the nineteen cru classes in Provence, a classic blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah, with a nose of dried strawberries and roses, a lovely long berry palate, and bracing acidity that brings everything together
Lamargue 2011 Les Grandes Cabanes @ $9.99
from the west bank of the Rhone, a Syrah/Grenache blend with great roundness and length
Markowitsch 2011 Rose @ $13.99
an 80/20 blend of Blaufrankisch and Cabernet from Austria, with fresh aromas of strawberries and cherries, fresh and harmonious on the palate
Clapiere 2011 Cotes de Provence @ $14.99
from one of the nineteen cru classes in Provence, a classic blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah, with a nose of dried strawberries and roses, a lovely long berry palate, and bracing acidity that brings everything together
ALSO NEW AND NOTEWORTHY:
Finest Call Bloody Mary Mix @ $5.99
lots of tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, onion, garlic, lemon juice, horseradish, cracked black pepper, savory spices and much, much more
Combier Cassis Liqueur @ $22.99
essence of black currant, the perfect choice for a kir royale
Delaware Phoenix Blues Cat Absinthe @ $69.99
the third (and latest) version of absinthe from this upstate New York distillery, a cooperative venture of four different artisanal distillers, limited availability
Finest Call Bloody Mary Mix @ $5.99
lots of tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, onion, garlic, lemon juice, horseradish, cracked black pepper, savory spices and much, much more
Combier Cassis Liqueur @ $22.99
essence of black currant, the perfect choice for a kir royale
Delaware Phoenix Blues Cat Absinthe @ $69.99
the third (and latest) version of absinthe from this upstate New York distillery, a cooperative venture of four different artisanal distillers, limited availability