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Staff Favorites - Alexandre Tweedie
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Reviews
2021 Oakridge "Henk Vineyard" Chardonnay Yarra Valley Victoria
Review Date: 12-03-2023
An opening nose of grounding, flinty minerality leads to beautiful scents of white peach skins and gentle gardenia petals, following with a palate of subtle marine salinity and richly composed golden apples. The mouthfeel is pleasantly waxy and round, with small dashes of vanilla bean to fully flesh out the palate's oak timbres - the wine finishes quite long, with lingering apple and white plum leading out gracefully - Oakridge's "Henk Vineyard" is pure Yarra for an absolutely unbeatable cost!
Top Value!
2020 Catena Malbec Lunlunta Mendoza
Review Date: 11-14-2023
First and foremost, Catena's Lunlunta department Malbec is one of the friendliest Uco Valley Malbec's I've had in quite a while, but don't confuse it's friendliness for a lack of seriousness! While being definitively fruit driven, with incredibly pure plums and deep purple fruits and soft baking spices on the palate, there is enough minerality shining through in this wine to prevent all of the fruit from falling into the "jammy" category. Being right off the Mendoza river, the alluvial riverbed soils provide a caliche (calcium carbonate) core of limestone to the wine, providing ample structure to hang the soft fruits of this wine off of. Perfectly accessible to people new to Argentinian wine, or a welcome break from some of the more "aggressive" wines from the region, Lunlunta is a soft, yet present bottle of lovely Malbec.
Rittenhouse "K&L Liquors Exclusive - 8063978" Bottled in Bond Single Barrel Kentucky Rye Whiskey (750ml)
Review Date: 11-14-2023
Ahh Rittenhouse, the absolute swiss-army-rye of my many years spent tending bar - comfortable and at home in just about any whisky cocktail, and confident enough to stand on its own neat, this Single Barrel K&L exclusive takes everything I love and respect about Rittenhouse, and carries it even further with more precision and care. A nose of crushed Honey Grahams & fruited caramels leads to a nod of cigar humidor and sticky summer air. On the palate, the "precision" that I mentioned is in full effect: standard Rittenhouse's note of dried cherries is now in the spotlight, revealing now not just dried fruits, but fresher and brighter red fruits all across the spectrum. If Rittenhouse is your at-home bartender's staple as it is mine, this Single Barrel is everything you've come to love, but just in much bigger handfuls.
Price:
$34.99
| Limit of 3 per customer |
2020 Domaine Belle "Roche Pierre" Crozes-Hermitage
Review Date: 10-02-2023
Pure, masculine, articulate - like a fountain pen that writes with cologne, this is a "stop you in your tracks" bottle of Syrah from an absolutely stellar Domaine. Direct handfuls of graphitic minerality frame a greater picture of tantalizing black fruit and spice - like eating exotic dark chocolates in the smoking section of an old opera. Opulent yet lithe, the fruit is massive but not at all fatty, showing incredible restraint in a very self-contained nature. This wine knows exactly what it wants you to experience, and that is simply the pure beauty of Croze-Hermitage done well.
2020 Domaine Belle "Cuvée Louis Belle" Crozes-Hermitage
Review Date: 10-02-2023
Like most wines from the North Rhone in 2020, Domaine Belle's "Cuvee Louise" has a level of aromatic intensity that I haven't experienced in quite a few years - A hyper-floral nose of freshly tanned leather, finely crushed white pepper dust, with a decidedly decadent finish of sweet tobacco and spiced red compote. The 2020 vintage is fresh, lifted, and incredibly present - a truly lovely bottle of wine from a truly lovely vintage.
2020 Chateau du Perry Malbec Cahors
Review Date: 10-02-2023
Dear Argentina,
did you forget who first grew the grapes that have brought you so much fame? Now days, if you ask anyone about Malbec, you're all they talk about....But me, little old Cahors, I have not forgotten Malbec's French lineage! I have all of the rich plums and enveloping spice that you so dearly love, but I have the one thing that some laud you for lacking - tannin and structure! My Malbec is intense, perfumed, serious, age worthy! Argentina, you are an old reliable friend, but would it kill you to mention me to your fans every once in a while? What a shame to forget the French!
Yours truly,
Cahors.
2017 Voyager Estate "Girt by Sea" Cabernet Merlot Margaret River Western Australia
Review Date: 09-26-2023
A terrific bottle of easy evening red - Gentle plum compote, sweet cigar wrap, and a meaningful core of graphite minerality all pull this blend together and elevate it far above its price point. Perfect for steak & claret, backyard burgers, or anything that calls for a little red !
Bardstown Bourbon Company "Discovery Series #9" Blended Whiskey (750ml)
Review Date: 08-07-2023
Bardstown Bourbon is back with the 9th iteration of their "discovery" series, and this might be my favorite of the bunch so far - confectionary tones direct the nose with flashes of tiramisu cream & ladyfinger cookies, held together by notes of kiln-dried wood and a central lift of gravely minerality. A whisky with this much Ontario Corn could be anticipated as "overly rich", but Bardstown are true craftsmen when it comes to blending, so the sweet-corn never becomes obnoxious or overstays its welcome, handsomely complimenting the deep barley tones waiting just below the surface. Leave it to Bardstown to help you Discover these new frontiers of Bourbon!
Price:
Hidden
2022 TWR (Te Whare Ra) Rosé Marlborough
Review Date: 07-31-2023
If the summer heat has been weighing you down, Te Whare Ra's 2022 Rosé is more than happy to remind you of cooler spring days. This Rosé is bracing and clean on the nose with tones of ripe bramble fruit and sundried strawberry, but what really gets me the most about this bottle is the sheer linear focus of fruit on the palate - immediately enlivening splashes of pure nectarine skins and sliced peaches, presenting fully dry and absolutely crisp. These orchard fruit timbres are all framed and encompassed by a cold limestone minerality, helping the fruit show itself consistently and accurately. TWR's '22 Rosé is unaltered spring freshness, and just so happens to be 100% organic as well!
2021 Cave de Florensac "Selection" Picpoul de Pinet
Review Date: 07-24-2023
Looking for an easy summer wine that has just a little bit... more? Cave De Florensac has the answer for you, and it's a lovely little bottle of Picpoul. With ten months of Lee aging, "Selection" enhances and deepens the normally "simplistic" citrus tones of Picpoul - a gentle roundness from the Lees softens the normally bright lightning acidity, likening its richer tone to a Meyer lemon yogurt, or fresh lime crema. Still sunny and bright ,just as picpoul should be, just not quite *staring* into the sun like others can feel like. For a little dose of complexity while still being absolutely easy, Florensac has summer wine covered.
Price:
$17.99
2019 Charles Baur "Fronenberg" Gewürztraminer Alsace
Review Date: 06-05-2023
Oh no! You've been relaxing at the beach, eating a juicy peach in the sun, when you accidentally dropped your snack into the sand! Hold on, wait a minute, this smells just like.....Gewurztraminer? Sure enough! Charles Baur's "Fronenberg" Alsatian Gewurzt has an undeniably pretty nose that reminds me of white peaches, a mineral tone that calls to mind the scent of hot sand, and a simply well-textured mouthfeel with flavors of tangerines and white flowers. Alsace can seem like a dauntingly serious place for serious wines, but who's to say there's nothing serious about peaches at the beach?
2021 Heaps Good Wine Co. "Skin Contact" Stajerska Slovenia (Orange/Natural Wine)
Review Date: 06-05-2023
Imagine if a Slovenian sous chef had a fever dream about the perfect way to prepare a fruit platter for a party of wine geeks in the depths of the Krokar Forest - that's this wine. Purely direct scents of forest air and a freshly cut fruit platter, with flavors of fruity little movie theatre candies and the ripest, freshest Cara Cara oranges you've ever tasted. Orange wine can be kind of.....weird sometimes, but Heaps Good Wine Company isn't like that at all - their wines are fresh, fruit forward, and sinfully accessible takes on a normally polarizing genre like Orange Wine. But yeah, Slovenian Fruit Fever Dream, that's the truth.
Price:
$21.99
2017 Green & Red "Tip Top Vineyard" Napa Valley Zinfandel
Review Date: 05-16-2023
Overlooking the Chiles and Pope Valleys at an awe-inspiring 1,500ft above the floor of Napa Valley, Green & Red are creating a truly special wine with an absolutely distinct sense of place and character. Surrounded by dusty loam soils filled with rusty-red chert stones, these zinfandel vines translate their difficult terroir into the bottle seamlessly. Framed by truly classic zinfandel spices, dusty mountain air lifts notes of cranberry reduction and gentle herbal touches of mint and dry forest air. At the ceiling of the Napa Valley, Green & Red is truly at the Tip-Top, and make their wines to express this as truly and purely as possible - amazing zinfandel from a vineyard above the clouds.
2019 Laberinto "Cenizas de Laberinto Mezcla" Tinta Maule Valley
Review Date: 05-12-2023
Like Chile as a country balancing the maritime influence of the Pacific against the impact of the Andean Mountains, this wine is a lesson in blending contrasting elements -
savory herbal tones of Oolong tea and dark-soil spearmint compliment dominant fruit tones of dark damson plum and gentle raspberry reduction. The normally softened spices of merlot are instead sharpened by elevation, and bring in a meaningful disposition of presence and importance, while smaller amount of Cabernet Franc reinsert a pleasant splash of greenery to differentiate the fruit tones. This isn't exactly your typical Right Bank style merlot, but its not far off the mark either. If you're looking for intrigue and balance, look no further than the Labyrinth of Chile.
2022 Laberinto "Cenizas de Laberinto" Sauvignon Blanc Maule Valley
Review Date: 05-09-2023
Starting with a down-right pretty nose of freshly picked white nectarine, with earthy traces of dry straw and hot pebbles, this Sauvignon Blanc truly is summer time crammed into a bottle, and it's actively trying to escape into your glass! A deeply electric level of acid seems like it could scream a little too loudly, but with eight months of Lees Contact, there is an a great balance between Lush and Lightning here. Truly a wonderful, if not slightly off the beaten path, bottle of Sauvignon Blanc made for *anyone* who loves Worldly Whites!
2021 Kalinda Anderson Valley Pinot Noir
Review Date: 04-24-2023
Kalida is back for another vintage of absolutely classic Anderson Valley Pinot - immediately accessible tones of dark cherries and strawberry preserve, with gentle pinning's of stony minerality and herbaceous savor that outline the greater profile of the fruit, in turn framing the wine with finesse and control. I can't say *who* is in the bottle, just know that the fruit sourced for this wine punches *far* above its price point!
Price:
$29.95
Torti Croatina Oltrepò Pavese
Review Date: 02-06-2023
Who says Italian wine has to be complicated? Not this bottle of Torti's Croatina - a generously accessible nose of warm pie spices leads to brightly ripe red fruits on the palate, all rooted in gentle notes of milk chocolate smoothness. Intended to be drank young and bountifully, Torti takes all of the guess work and digging out of the normal "Italian-aging" equation, leaving you with a fresh and fun bottle of red wine for any occasion!
Price:
Hidden
2022 TWR (Te Whare Ra) Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
Review Date: 01-17-2023
Te Whare Ra is Māori for "The House In The Sun" and I think this translation speaks directly to the contents of this sleek & vibrant bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc - like a warm sunrise waking up a cold house, a centered beam of bright acidity lifts up lustrous tones of peach skins and kiwi flesh that remind me of fruit from Menetou Salon in France, with the classic chalky mineral underpinnings normally reserved for fine Sancerre. Notes of white flowers and summer pollen add a savory roundness to the wine without polishing off the bright acidic edges that bring you back for a second sip - a true delight from the coastal heaven of Marlborough.
2016 Canon Chaigneau, Lalande de Pomerol
Review Date: 01-16-2023
Leading out of the glass with heavy perfumed notes of jet black cherries along smoked meats and toasted soil, while zesty timbres of field vegetation define the drier oriented tannins through the palate. Savory flavors of tapped maple spill onto the forests' floor, resulting in an immodest wine of savor, value, and presence!
Damien Hugot "Hommage 1921" Extra Brut Champagne
Review Date: 12-05-2022
Out of the glass, "Hommage 1921" leads with a bright & salted lemon timbre at the core of its nose, without coming off as austere or overtly sharp. Reduced bosc pear tones on the palate lead to gentle notes of holiday nuts by the fire and early mornings in a sleepy bakery - gentle brioche and warm croissants, this blanc de blanc is crisp, yet open enough to dive into further - a fantastic champagne for holiday cheers and summer sips!
Price:
$39.99
Wiston Estate Brut Rosé West Sussex England
Review Date: 11-01-2022
An illuminating and vibrant rosé from the land of heavy clouds and gloomy weather - a night & day expression of playful sparkling wine. Dancing notes of bright kirsch contrast with darker cassis fruit, balancing a full feeling body with lightly presenting spice and acid. With 15% pinot noir vinified red, this Rosé has an invitingly darker-pink hue, giving seductive tones of freshly baked rough puff pastry and cotton roses. Don't let the weather fool you, this English is bright, playful, and down right delectable. If you have never tried a sparkling wine from England, Winston's rosé is the perfect guide-stone to kick of a new wine journey!
Wiston Estate Brut West Sussex England
Review Date: 11-01-2022
Sparkling wine....from England...? Don't worry, I had the same question when I was sat with this glass of Winston Estate's Brut, and was happily surprised at the result! With an attractive nose of bright cereal grain, and a *sharp* slice of acid on the palate, my eyes were opened to the possibilities tucked away within the UK. An exciting and accessible way step out from the "comfort zone" of French Champagne, Winston Estate offers a glimpse into the shrouded world of English wine. Take a chance, cross The Channel, and Winston will welcome you with open arms.
Wiston Estate Brut Blanc de Blancs West Sussex England
Review Date: 11-01-2022
Flint, slate, chalk - these notes of minerality confidently lead this English sparkling out of the glass, paving the way for tart shamrock apples and a driven acidity. Made from 100% chardonnay in the classic Blanc de Blanc fashion, this statement stands tall across the English Channel, gazing into the distance at its French cousins - a distinctive take on sparkling, Winston brightly shines a light into the oft-forgotten world of English wine, inviting you to shift the way you think of sparkling, and broaden your horizons into new territories.
Lagavulin 8 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)
Review Date: 10-17-2022
Joyous, irresponsible, youthful, naïve - this 8 year statement from Lagavulin eschews their normal concentrations on balance and complexity, and instead opts for objective heat and energy. With the hue of sun-scorched straw, this whisky makes no attempt to hide behind convolution - up front and very assertive on the nose, like lemon peels being dredged through kerosene (in the most praise worthy way possible), an engaging tone of oiled leathers being lost to a house fire, all along side a massive wash of Hebridean salt air. With no exaggeration, this to me is my favorite scotch of all time; it is deeply honest with zero intention to fool you or hide behind any secondary notes, saying what many scotch's never want to hear "I am young, and I am damn proud of it".