June 2010
Tres Bon Club $64.00 Tax and shipping not included.
Our Tres Bon Wine Club brings you 3 outstanding, premium wines from around the world. And the wines are exclusive to you, our valued Club member. Each month we send you an international selection of hard to find wines we feel are of exceptional quality and value. And, during the period of your monthly selection, you can purchase your favorites at the discounted Club member price, while supplies last. We look forward to sharing these wonderful, delicious and fun wines with you.
Wine club wines are available only for club members. They are not available in our regular inventory.
Foxen Chenin Blanc ‘Old Vines’ Ernesto Wickenden Vineyard Santa Maria Valley 2008 If you had a glass of white wine from California during the “Mad Men” years of President Kennedy’s Administration, it was most likely Chenin Blanc. This noble grape of France’s Loire Valley was also a major grape in California until the late 1960’s. What happened? Chardonnay happened, but that’s another story. Fortunately for us, a few committed growers have not uprooted their Chenin vines. Among the best of these producers is Foxen. Their label says “Old Vines” and they’re not kidding; the vines go back far enough that they’re actually on their own rootstock – something that became almost impossible in most of the world’s wine growing regions after the arrival of the vine louse phylloxera. This beauty was hand-harvested, and fermentation was 75% in stainless steel and 25% in new French oak. To provide added complexity, it was kept on its lees (sediment) for seven months in neutral barrels. The wine is dry, with mouthwatering acidity and notes of citrus fruit and spices. Try this with a chicken sauté with rice and mushrooms. list price$23.00 | arlequin regular price$20.00 | club member re-order price$18.00
Edmunds St. John Gamay Noir ‘Porphyry’ Barsotti Ranch El Dorado 2008 A founding member of the “Rhone Rangers,” winemaker Steve Edmunds has long looked to the Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre based wines of France’s Rhone Valley for inspiration. With this wine, he takes his cue from the French wine region of Beaujolais, where the Gamay grape reigns supreme. While he was interested in making a Beaujolais style wine, Steve was especially drawn to the perfect match of vineyard site and grape varietal that this wine represents – hence his use of the geological term “Porphyry” on the label. Porphyry is a variety of igneous rock consisting of large-grained crystals dispersed in a fine-grained matrix. The phenomenon is common in Beaujolais and in El Dorado’s Barsotti Ranch. This focus on “place” runs through all the Edmunds St. John wines and reflects his view that a wine of integrity could not come from anywhere, but rather must reflect a unique time and place. This is a moderately rich style of Gamay with bold flavors of plum and dark raspberry. The wine’s lively acidity begs for flavorful foods. If we listen closely, we can hear the wine telling us, “Hey, it’s summer – fire up the grill.” list price$24.00 | arlequin regular price$21.00 | club member re-order price $18.00
Damiano Ciolli ‘Silene’ Cesanese Olevano Romano DOC Lazio, Italy 2006 New life was breathed into this estate in 2001, when Damiano Ciolli began helping his father, Costantino, with the production of the wine. A family affair that goes back five generations, the Ciollis’ philosophy – like that of most eminent winemakers – is that heritage, terroir and good fruit give rise to proper aromatic expression without sacrificing tradition. Located in Olevano Romano, located about 40 km east of Rome at an altitude of 400 meters, their six hectares of Cesanese, part of which is 50 years old, is planted on volcanic soil. Damiano and Costantino are devoted to the vineyards, hiring only seasonal help to help with the harvest. The family is equally involved in their cellar. This ‘Silene’ bottling, which we have here, comes from vines that were planted in the mid 1980’s on red volcanic soil. The wine is fermented in stainless steel, then 30% is aged in barrel for one year. Finally, the wine is bottled and cellared for two years before release. This wine shows abundant aromatics, lovely floral tones as well as bergamot tea. On the palate, the wine is redolent of Mediterranean herbs and earth, with an astringent, slightly bitter finish. Any variety of cured meats would be a great pairing to enjoy with this wine. list price$25.00 | arlequin regular price$22.00 | club member re-order price $19.00
