Well there are very few Fridays throughout the year that I (Carl, WineDepot Mgr) miss. This one is being filled in with some extra help from the other side of the store. One of our absolute favorite supplier reps Brian Purdy will be joined by Courtney and Jayne more commonly seen on the grocery side of the world in here. The wines this week are great… Lowest price of the year on Hess, Substance and Ferrari-Carano, along with a favorite from my trips to California a red blend from Gundlach Bundschu.
Come on by and grab a flight for $5!
Featured Wines:
2017 Hess Select Sauvignon Blanc – North Coast, California; $9.99
This is the lowest price we have ever seen the white wines from Hess… Always a winery worth supporting, their original plantings in Napa date back to the mid 70s and the winery continues to be family owned and operated today. The Hess Select series utilizes their many industry connection to source excellent quality fruit to deliver a wine at a much more reasonable every day price point. The one comes from their growing partners in Lake and Mendocino Counties just north of Napa. Expect a little less grapefruit that some other Sauvignon Blancs, but still loads of citrus flavors. Crisp and oh so refreshing. - $1.00 Sample
2016 Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay – Sonoma County, California; $17.99
This is an extremely complex Chardonnay, blended from over 60 individual lots coming from vineyards in Alexander Valley, Dry Creek, Russian River and Carneros. It is barrel fermented and aged on the lies stirring every two weeks for the first six months of production. The final wine bursts with “…aromas of pear, white peach, orange blossom, vanilla, graham cracker and buttercream, perfectly balanced by flavors of Fuji apple, cinnamon, apricot, quince and hazelnut. Lingering creamy and toasted oak notes round out the finish.” - $1.50 Sample
2017 Gundlach Bundschu Mountain Cuvee – Sonoma County, California; $19.99
This is a totally classic winery. Gun Bun is the oldest family run winery in California, founded in 1858. The impact that the Bundschu family has had on the history of the wine industry will last forever. They were the first to graft their European vines onto American rootstock to protect against Phylloxera in the 1870s along with still currently managing some of the oldest white grape vines in the United States including their Gewurztraminer planted in 1969. The winery is currently run by siblings Jeff, Katie and Rob Bundschu the sixth generation.
The Mountain Cuvee is a very robust blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Bright, fresh aromas of black cherries and blackberries with vanilla and warm baking spices. On the palate the wine does have some slight earthiness, but mainly shows that dense dark fruit with a food friendly acidity. - $1.50 Sample
2017 Substance Cabernet Sauvignon – Columbia Valley, Washington; $14.99
This is one of those wines that we were able to secure at a lower price long term. Typically a good seller year round closer to $20 a bottle when we heard they were dropping it to $15 we just couldn't resist. These “Wines of Substance” are the current project of famed Washington winemaker Charles Smith. This is the fourth year in a row that his Cabernet has received a 90+ rating, this year getting 91 from Wine Spectator. A blend of 10 separate vineyard sites throughout Washington, whole berry fermented with an incredibly long 35 days on the skins, and then aged a full year in all French oak.
“Classic black and blue fruits, damp earth, violets, and tobacco notes all emerge from this medium to full-bodied effort that stays pure, impeccable balanced, and vibrant on the palate. It's the real deal, and if it was from Napa, it would sell for 3-4 times the price.” - $1.00 Sample