01/15/2025
🍷AWM+ Thursday Wine Tasting: Cru of Aragon Night!
Please join us this Thursday for Pensacola’s premier wine event, The Cru of Aragon Wine Club Tasting! We’ll have ELEVEN amazing wines for your enjoyment along with some light apps, some sweet treats and jams provided by Jeff Glickman. This event is free for Cru members and $10 for non-Cru members.
Here’s the wine-up:
Jan 2024 Cru Selections
1/16/25
SIlverado Vineyards “Borreo” Single-Vineyard Napa Zinfandel 2018 (PREMIUM)
Napa Valley, CA | $33 (NEW)
By the stats alone, looks to be a heavy-hitter of a Zin. Pricing online is all over the place, average price listed on wine-searcher.com of $49, another website selling it for $75 a bottle. I don’t think it’s worth that, but should be a great deal for the Cru anyways. The original release date of the 2018 vintage was in 2021, so it’s effectively been cellared for the past 3 years. Strangely enough, there’s not a lot of info available about this one, but it’s 100% Zinfandel, aged 14 months in French oak, 10% new with the other 90% only one-time use. Alcohol: 15.2%, expect spicy cola notes with a big midpalate of fig, ripe blackberry and pepper notes with a vanilla oak finish. The vineyard sits on the Borreo Ranch property that was founded by Felix Borreo, an Italian immigrant and Napa grocer who built a stone and redwood winery on the property in 1888.
Silverado Vineyards “Borreo” Single-Vineyard Napa Sangiovese 2018
Napa Valley, CA | $29 (NEW)
This wine is a great deal as a regular pick, at $29 retail value. I’m excited to have one of these Napa Sangioveses, a trend that started back in the 1980’s called the ‘Cal-Ital’ movement. I may have told this story to some of you, but my favorite wine I ever had was a 1994 vintage of Clos du Val Sangiovese out of Napa, that a friend of mine opened at his house sometime around 2004. At this point, it’s not the best wine I’ve ever had, or the most expensive, by far– but in everyone’s wine journey, there seems to be a wine that is an ‘ah-ha!’ moment, that sets your brain afire– something that you can’t describe because your palate is trying to form new neural pathways in your brain to make sense of the new sensory experience. Expect lighter crunchy red fruit aromas with some tomato leaf, giving way to delicate and succulent notes that offer a mix of bright fruit against a leathery texture, followed by a hint of blueberry pie with lots of tension and a touch of earthy tannins on the finish.
Chateau Puech Redon "Apparente" Cinsault 2020
Languedoc, FR | $23 (NEW)
A real unique and nerdy wine for the Cru, a ‘natty’ wine that is done correctly without tasting like a sour ale or a substitute for the red wine vinegar in your upper cabinet. This delicious wine is made from 85% Cinsault, 8% Mourvedre, and 7% Grenache from certified-organic estate vines just northwest of the ancient city of Nimes and just south of the Cévennes mountain range. All 52 hectares of vines are farmed organically. The three varieties are harvested at different times and thus vinified separately. Fermentation is spontaneous native yeast in concrete vats, then in March, the three grapes are blended and aged further in concrete, with no usage of SO2, bottled unfiltered and unfined. In the hands of Cyril Cuche and natural winemaking icon, Eric Texier, this is a pure, raw expression of the low tannin, high acid Cinsault grape. Ripe strawberry, stewed blueberry, lavender, spice, and lightly mossy notes, and will easily pair with any gamey dish.
Rio Madre Graciano 2021
Rioja, Spain | $15
Graciano has been best known as a blending grape used in Rioja to add color, depth and perfume to Tempranillo. It also thrives in the nearby region of Navarra and a few dedicated winemakers in California and Australia are making single varietal bottlings. Graciano’s black fruit and lush tannins make it a perfect pairing to grilled or smoked red meat, as well as game. Rio Madre Graciano shows the most jovial, tasty and fruity character of the variety. It is the result of the efforts of Jorge Ordóñez and Bodegas Ilurce to produce a 100% Graciano wine from D.O.C. Rioja. Very dark on the nose, with lots of raw spices, charcoal and some green peppercorns on top of the blackberries. Very full-bodied and spicy, with fine grain tannins. All of Jorge Ordonez wines are organic and dry-farmed.
Firestone Vineyard Red Blend 2017
Paso Robles, CA | $17
I was intrigued by the blend, the source, and especially the fact that it’s got some age on it, being a 2017 vintage. The 2017 is composed of 62% Petite Sirah, 20% Zinfandel, 12% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 2% Syrah. The Petite Sirah adds a hearty base of rich roasted plum with hints of blueberry while the Zinfandel and Merlot contribute lush preservative-like fruit characters. The Petit Verdot and Syrah add a hint of spice on the silky finish. Pair this versatile wine with anything from pasta and pizza to seafood, red meat or dessert.
Firestone Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019
Santa Barbara County, CA | $17
Another deal this month from Firestone, founded in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara county in 1972. The valley enjoys great diurnal shift, up to 50 degrees difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures, which is great for developing both ripeness and acidity within the grape. This light, easy-drinking Pinot Noir displaying classic raspberry, rhubarb and strawberry notes with a balanced finish.
Mont Gravet GSM 2023
Southern France | $10 (VALUE pick, get 2 for 1)
Deep ruby in color with a hint of purple. Intense aromas of ripe red and black fruits, followed by notes of earth and spice. A hint of cloves and pepper. The wine is very well structured, with a perfect balance of elegance and ripe and silky tannins. An unbelievable value, our favorite “cheap red”!
Schug Sonoma Coast Sauvignon Blanc 2021
Sonoma Coast, CA | $23 (NEW)
This well-balanced Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from cool-climate vineyards in the southern end of the Sonoma Coast AVA. The Grossi vineyard north of Petaluma contributes spice and bright, tangy acidity. The Leveroni vineyard south of Sonoma adds the unique floral character of the Sauvignon “musqué” clone. The resulting blend has a bouquet of lemon and grapefruit zest, leading to lush fruit flavors of white peach, passion fruit, and honeydew melon. It finishes with a refreshing minerality and vibrant acidity. 91 points, James Suckling.
Chateau Ste. Michelle “Eroica” Riesling 2022
Ancient Lakes and Yakima Valley, WA | $22
Launched in 1999, Eroica is a labor of love for two of the world’s great Riesling producers - one from the Old World, Ernie Loosen of the Loosen estate of Germany, and the other from the New World, Chateau Ste. Michelle of Washington state. Eroica is named for Beethoven’s Third Symphony. To protect flavor intensity, grapes were harvested at night when the vineyard temperatures were coldest. Berries went direct to press, avoiding the possible loss of freshness caused by a crusher / destemmer. A cool fermentation for 3 weeks with fruit-driven yeasts created a seamless integration of fruit, sugar and acid to heighten fruit flavors. 100% Riesling, 12.0% ABV, pH 2.90.
Joel Gott Central Coast Rosé 2022
Central Coast, CA | $15
For a large ‘mass market’ California producer, Joel Gott isn’t bad, it’s a good go-to grocery brand if you can’t find something more unique. This rosé was a deal for us most likely because of the vintage year, but it’s still drinking well and it’s an interesting mix: 76% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, 5% Carignan, 2% Albarino, 1% Counoise, 1% Cinsault. Get some extra bank for your buck for a great party wine, porch pounder, or maybe just pour over ice with some soda water, a splash of white vermouth and an orange peel for a nice holiday ‘low ABV’ cocktail.
Charles de Fere “Jean Louis” Blanc de Blancs
Tardenois, France - $13
Jean-Louis Denois, a sixth-generation Champenois, established his own operation in 1981 at Fere-en-Tardenois, just twenty miles outside of Champagne. Their Blanc de Blancs Reserve is produced methode traditionnelle and aged for a year in bottle before disgorgement. A perfect aperitif, with notes of green apple, lemon, apricot and pastry. Inventory is limited, so you can also choose the V***e de Vernay Classique Brut (black label bottle) from previous month’s tastings, if you think you like it over the de Fere.
-DISCOVER YOUR NEW FAVORITE-
As always, please let us know how we can serve you better. Looking for that special bottle that you just can’t find? Please feel free to call, email or stop by and let us research it for you!
☎️Call: (850) 433-9463
📧Email: [email protected]
🏡Visit: 27 South 9th Ave, Pensacola FL 32502 (Please enter through the back courtyard).
We look forward to sipping with ya, Cheers! 🥂🍷🍾
