What's Just Landed

  • Elio Sandri Barolo Release***SOLD OUT***

    "One of the things visitors will first see upon entering the winery is a table full of bottles opened over the last few days, weeks and months. As I have seen myself, these Barolos are pretty indestructible. If anything, they improve quite a bit with air.

    Sandri is a man of deeply held convictions, but he is also an intuitive winemaker. There are no rules. Except for patience. Sandri gives each wine what he thinks it needs, as readers will see from the accompanying reviews.

    These old-school Barolos are deep, powerful wines that require aeration.

    Tasting them so often feels like stepping back into the past, like looking at a black and white photograph rather than the sleek, perfect images we have become accustomed to today."

    There are only a handful of cases per bottling plus to make things more fun...these are 6 bottle cases.  

    2015 Sandri Perno Barolo - The 2015 Barolo Perno is the sort of wine you want to open and spend many hours with. Initially the tannins are searing, but over time the 2015 starts to come together. Scents of tobacco, cedar, dried cherry, mint and leather open gradually. On the palate, though, the wine is much less forthcoming. The 2015 is a Barolo of beguiling complexity and nuance that will give everything it has to offer on its own time schedule. 94 Points Vinous $71

    2012 Sandri Perno Barolo Riserva - The 2012 Barolo Riserva Perno is the most elegant of the three 2012 Barolos I tasted. Soaring aromatics convey an impression of elegance and nuance that these wines don't always show. Even so, there is plenty of the depth and power that are such signatures of these Barolos. Sweet tobacco, mint, spice, cedar and dried flowers are all laced throughout in this engaging, super-expressive Barolo from Elio Sandri.” 94 Points Vinous $77

    2013 Sandri Perno Barolo RiservaSandri's 2013 Barolo Riserva tastes like the wines my dad used to drink when I was a kid. Rigorous and classically austere, the 2013 is the sort of wine that just isn't made anymore. Today, it is all acid, tannin and brawn, while there is very little fruit. This is a style of Barolo that becomes majestic when the tannins soften and the wine's inner sweetness starts to emerge. That's the good news. The not so good news is that readers have to be patient. For those of you who want to know what Barolo was like decades ago when it was an insiders' wine, before it became coveted like it is now, well, this is it. 97 Points Vinous $77

    ETA for these wines is around the end of October.  If you'd like one of some, please contact me asap: santo@raincitywines.com. 

     

    Santo

     

     

  • 2021 September Daily White Wine Club

    The Daily White Wine Club
    2020 Honoro Vera BlancThe wine exudes intense aromas of white flowers and fresh fruit with exotic tropical notes infused with mouth-watering aromas of lemon curd. Beautifully focused and balanced on the palate with a lush mix of apple and pear.  Such a great daily sipper that needs a glass and some meat and cheese.  Blend of Verdejo & Sauvignon Blanc.
    2020 IL Cantico Pinot Grigio The Il Cantico Winery is located in the picturesque town of Fossalta, just northeast of Venice. It is located on the Eastern end of the Veneto, which is the best growing region in Italy for Pinot Grigio. Literally meaning “The Gate” it suggest the role a good white wine plays by opening the palate to a good meal. IGT means that the grapes do not all come from just one area, rather from different areas between Verona and Fossalta, or literally Indicazione Geografica Tipica (grapes typical of the region). This affords the winery the ability to find the best grapes from a larger area. After a brief skin maceration of two days, the fermentation occurs in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. There is no malolactic fermentation. This allows the wine to maintain the classic crisp structure. Pale, straw-yellow color, aromas of citrus and apple. Texture is crisp with bright acidity and just a hint of almonds in the finish. This makes a wonderful apéritif and goes well with all white meats, fish and light past dishes. 100% Pinot Grigio.
    Casa Santos Lima Lab Vinho Verde An exciting and refreshing wine that perfectly combines the  aromas of four of the most famous grape varieties of the region resulting in a very fresh and fruity wine, with a balanced acidity. Its great for pairing with salads, fish and seafood dishes or can be served on its own.  A blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Arinto & Fernao Pires.
  • September 2021 Rosé Club

    I know...all the grocery stores are putting their rosé wines on discount since they they think rosé season is over.  It is not!  Fall and Winter are the best times to drink rosé!  Smoke some pork, grill up some salmon or even try it with some meatloaf or soups!  This is one reason why we are going to continue the rosé club.  We need it!
    Here's what you're getting this month...
    2020 Le Galantin Bandol Rosé 

    Le Galantin came across as classic Provençal rosé with delightful lemony-citrusy notes, peach, and bing cherry, and a touch of pleasant bitterness that you might taste in nectarine skin. 

    One of the more sought-after wines in the shop as we get more of it than we do of Tempier rose but it always seems to run out before we know it.  I try to buy several cases at once it but it always runs out faster than we can bring it in.  If you like Bandol rosé...this is something you should have in your collection and hold as your yearly drinker.

    2020 Santa Giulietta Vin de Corse Rosé                                                           Rosé is a huge tradition in Corsica and at Santa Giulietta pink wine comprises 70% of total production, making it a focus for the winery. Niellucciu, Sciaccarellu, Grenache. Lively, with bright jicama and white cherry notes leading off, backed by a tingle of herb through the energetic finish.

    Domaine Santa Giulietta has been part of the Stefani family for many generations. Their 75 hectare domaine is situated on top of the Pianiccia plateau, in the Tallone region of the Eastern plain of Corsica. The vineyards are comprised mostly of red clay soils, with perfect sun exposure for maximum maturity of the vines. Additionally the vines also benefit from hot and windy days in the summer with cool nights thanks to their proximity to the island’s mountains.

    2020 Fratelli Cozza Figlia della Notte Pinot Grigio Ramato                                      A Ramato Pinot Grigio that straddles the line between white, rose, and orange wine. A delicious wine that has some nutty qualities while still having some citrus notes.  Great on its own on those relaxing chill days.  This wine is best when you can pour a glass, sit in the grass then take a picture of you doing nothing then post it own Instagram...so people know you're doing nothing.  In all fairness...I really do like this wine a lot!!!

     

    Enjoy

     

     

  • August 2021 Daily White Wine Club

    When there is heat...people drink white wines.  If you're like me, you tend to drink more white wines in the fall and winter months as I like more soups and lighter fish dishes but I've also been known to crack open a bottle of white in the summer as well.  I mean let's face it...sometimes an ice cold bottle of wine taste great after mowing the lawn.  Refreshing like an ice cold Corona.  Here's what you'll be getting this month boys and girls.
    2018 Latium Soave - In 1992 the Morini family bought an historic farmhouse in the Veneto that dated back to the early 1900s. Inspired by the quality of the wines produced by their neighbor, Romano del Forno, the seven brothers and cousins decided not to sell their grapes to the local coop but to produce their own wines instead. Since their first vintage in 2004, the rave reviews they have won would strongly suggest they made the right decision. The Soave is an 80/20 blend of Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave; it has a creamy palate that is full of white peach, passion fruit, hay and a note of crunchy dill while fresh acidity brightens the finish.
    2019 Branciforti Chardonnay - From the rows of the estate of Gelso Grande, after a soft pressing of the grapes best, comes a wine that can give hints refined and graceful elegance. Dedicated to the most demanding wine lovers Chardonnay Branciforti of Bordonaro, you grant to the nose with a bouquet of delicate intensity that declines happily towards fruity with hints of apricot and revalence of yellow peach. Perfect companion for a dinner by candlelight, with a preference for matching overture of crustaceans and fish main dishes of the Mediterranean.
    Straw yellow color with greenish tints; The most internationally well-known and appreciated white grape. A generous wine with an elegant and refined bouquet, expressing on the palate delicate and harmonic hints of exotic fruits that exalt its pleasantness.
    2017 Scacciadiavoli Grechetto Montefalco -  The wine shows a pale straw color. Apple, pear, grapefruit, lemon and slate all arrived on the crisp nose. Apple, pithy lemon, grapefruit, peach and slate followed on a palate brimming with ripe apple. The wine exhibits great acidity and balance, along with good structure and length. This wine would be an ideal aperitivo on a warm afternoon and would pair nicely with steamed mussels.  Personally....I've had it with everything from a bowl of Cheez-It's to a Totino's pizza that cost around $4!  This is the daily white you al have been looking for!
  • August 2021 Champagne Club Release

    As many of you know...I'm a Champagne whore!  I've never denied the fact that I have no problem cracking a bottle open to have with a nice steak or just to have it with Mac & Cheese out of the box.  To me, Champagne makes the day or night.  I don't open a bottle to impress people, I open a bottle cause I love Champagne and if you don't like it...that's fine.  Just sit there, shut up and drink it.  In no way will your attitude towards this fizzy delight make me unhappy for the fact that I love it.
    Champagne Thierry Triolet is something of a dream and the old vines is something of a serious one!

    The Champagne house of Thierry Triolet is located in the village of Bethon. The vineyards in Bethon are part of the Côtes de Sezanne region of Champagne which begins near the town of Sezanne and extends southward for about 20 miles. Geologically, this narrow band of hills with deep deposits of limestone, is a continuation of the more massive Côtes des Blancs. Traditionally, the Sezanne vineyards have been a source of excellent Chardonnay grapes for the large negociant Champagne houses to the north.

    The Triolets are one of a growing number of families who have begun estate bottling their champagne over the last three decades. They own 11 hectares in and around the village of Bethon and almost all their vineyards are planted to Chardonnay. Thierry Triolet farms in accordance with the principles of sustainability and is certified both as “Level 3” Haute Valeur Envirnmentale and Viticulture Durable en Champagne. He is committed to having low yields and prunes accordingly. The pressing is done slowly at low pressure in a modern bladder press. Fermentations are then carried out in a variety of tanks. No barrels are used in fermentation or aging.

    The Vieilles Vignes is a vintage Champagne produced only in the best years. It is made entirely from Chardonnay and is harvested from two parcels with vines that are between 25 and 60 years old. The Vieilles Vignes typically ages 4 years “sur lie” before disgorgement and evolves in the bottle for years afterwards.

    I know you Champagne nerds are going to love this as much as I do.  I tasted the 2016 this afternoon but opted to get the 2014 for you all.  A little more age will always do better.

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