$21 a Bottle Chalone Vineyard Merlot…Special Monday March 15th…

BIN  221  2004  Chalone Vineyard Merlot Monterey County

Monday March 15^th

35% Off $21 per bottle!

(Regular Price $45 a bottle)

Who owns and operates what gets more and more complicated each day in the wine business.  Somehow the famous Lafite Rothschild name is actually accosiated with a seemingly small California winery Chalone.  The winery Chalone is located in the AVA district Chalone.  It is actually the only winery in the Chalone district.

The not so small company Chaolne Wine Group owns and operates the following wineries…

• Chalone in Monterey, California

• Acacia, in Carneros, California and

• Carmenet Vineyard in Sonoma, California

Chalone is also partners with Paragon Vineyard Co owning and operating several more vineyards in California and Washington State.  And YES Chalone is a recent new partner in one of Bordeaux’s most famous fourth growth estates Lafite Rothschild.  Interesting.

SWG Sommelier, Brett Clugston

Monday March 8th 35% Off $27 per Bottle!

Foris Pinot Noir Rogue Valley Oregon

Monday March 8^th

35% Off $27 per Bottle!

(Regular Price $42 a bottle)

The owners of Foris vineyards compare the climate of Oregon’s Rogue Valley (the AVA Foris is located in) to that of  Alsace, France. Both regions are influenced by what is called Diurnal temperature variation. “Diurnal temperature variation is a meteorological term that relates to the variation in temperature that occurs from the highs of the day to the cool of nights.” (Source: Wikipedia)

The Rogue Valley, located in the southern part of Oregon, is more elevated than its more famous counterpart the Willamette Valley.  The Willamette Valley is very wet compared to Rogues warm and dry region. That said combined with the unique effect from the Diurnal temperature, the Pinots (both red & white) from Foris are quite similar to the Alsatian style.  Alsatian Pinot Grigo’s generally have a brighter acidity and more crispness than Italian Pinot Grigio’s which are a lighter fruiter style.  The Alsatian as well as Rogue Valley Pinot Noirs have a concentrated fruit that is exuberant and poignant.  Stop by and see to see for yourself.  Ask to taste another one of our Pinot Noirs by the glass (not from the Rogue Valley) next to the Foris Pinot Noir for comparisons sake.

www.foriswine.com

$41 per Bottle Merriam Vinayards Merlot…Special

BIN  212  2001  Merriam Vineyards Merlot Russian River Valley

Monday March 1st  (and a snow day special wine)

35 % off $41 per bottle!

(Regular Price $64 a Bottle)

The architecture of a wine would be the structural composition that leads you through a staircase of flavors, climbing up Rich blackberry and cassis aromas taking a turn on a French oak path and then spiraling back down a long trip of a finish to a smooth and solid landing.

2001 is a fabulous vintage!

If you tend to like Pinot Noir more than Cabernet then try this Merlot!  Merlots tend to be more delicate like a Pinot Noir yet still posses the depth and body to stand up to hearty meat dishes.

Brett Clugston, SWG Sommelier

Merriam is a Sonoma winery that often gets outshined by the A list Napa Valley headliners.  Do not miss out on this gem!

2004 Cristom Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Jessie Vineyard 40% Off Monday February 22nd

Recently a customer ordered BIN 054 a 2006 Cristom Estate Pinot Gris from Eola-Amity Hills Oregon. To me, the in house sommelier it is a very impressive selection.  Reasonably priced at $40 a bottle Cristom is one of my favorite small boutique wineries.  It is not even that I necessity remember exactly what the wine inside the bottle tastes like (I could go back into the file cabinet containing a plethora of wine tasting notes and personal ratings) but I remember the experience the first time I tasted the wine.  I must admit the wine salesperson selling the wine and the appearance of the bottle do play a large part in adding a wine to your personal list of favorites.  And this wine had both.  Cristom is sold by Michael Skurnik Wines.  Skurnik has introduced me to everything but Cab and Chardonnay.  A Gruner Veltliner?  Biodynamic Farming?  Grower Champagne?  No need for advanced wine school just talk to the Skurnik salesperson.  Going to a Skurnik wine tasting (usually held at the Tribecca Grille in NYC) is a humbling event for a restaurant owner/ sommelier to be surrounded by wine intellectuals 100 times more knowledgeable then oneself.  But it is always incredibly inspiring.  OK a bit off on a tangent…but point being is that I am not sure that it is really what was in the bottle that made Cristom one of my favorite wines but the experience of being introduced to it that made it stick in my mind.  Also FYI Cristom wines are always in a very think glass bottle (much heavier than the average wine bottle) that give them an allure of sophistication.

The wine featured as these weeks “Wine Loft Special” is Cristom’s Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Jessie Vineyard, the 2004 vintage.  Most importantly I would like to point out that the best vintages for Pinot Noir in Oregon (courtesy of Robert Parker) are 1999, 2002, 2004, and 2005.  After that you have to go as far back as 1994 for a good Oregon vintage and I think the 2005 will be drinking much better for a Pinot Noir than a 94.  Take a look at the link below if you would like more tasting notes on this wine from Cristom’s website.  But you might simply want to take a chance on the sophisticated packaging to fuel your own amazing wine “experience” rather than read the tasting notes.  This wine is regularly priced at $75 per bottle and is being offered at 40% off for a priced of $45 per bottle on Monday February 22^nd only!

Brett Clugston, SWG Sommelier

Click here for wine tasting notes…

February 15th Wine Loft Monday Night Special

2004  B.R. Cohn Merlot Sonoma County California

Regular List Price $56.00 offered Monday February 15^th at 30% Off for $39.00

Moose was the BR Cohn winery’s mascot, beloved pet, and supporter of animal causes such as Pets Lifeline and Guide Dogs for the Blind.  If you ever visited California’s BR Cohn winery you were warmly greeted by Moose.  In honor of Moose, who passed away last January 2009, the Wine Loft Pick of the week is the 2004 BR Cohn Merlot.  Enjoy this wine in the Saltwater Grille’s BR Cohn room adorned with pictures of the winery on the wall.  Ask to sit at table #14 right next to Moose’s picture.

Brett Clugston, SWG Sommelier

Here is a list of wines soon to be featured at 30% to 50% off in the upcoming weeks…

2004  Cristom Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Jessie Vineyard

2005  Foris Pinot Noir Rogue Valley Oregon

2004  Chalone Vineyard Merlot Monterey County

2001  Merriam Vineyards Merlot Russian River Valley

2004  B.R. Cohn Merlot Sonoma County

2004  Merryvale Starmont Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

40% Off Wine Loft Special… A Rubiks Cube of Flavors…

Napa Valley is synonymous with big juicy box office hit Cabs.  Add Howell Mountain and the stellar 2001 vintage to the equation and you are guaranteed success.  The 2001 Buehler Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is regularly on the wine list at the Saltwater Grille for $69 a bottle.  On Monday January 11, 2010 I will be pulling this special collectors item from the wine loft to offer at a stunning 40% off…At $41 per bottle you will have the opportunity to taste a wine that was rated  Number 74 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines in 2004!  This is a wine that was made with the purpose of aging in the bottle for quite a few years before drinking.  The winery suggests drinking now through 2015.  Currently it is much smoother and more refined than its original release date in 2001.  I recommend decanting it and letting it breathe before drinking.  This wine will actually change over the course of the evening as you drink it!  A Rubiks cube of flavors and aromas changing from cherries to cola, vanilla to chocolate, and spiciness to mint nuances.

Brett Clugston, SWG Sommelier

Buehler Winery

50% Off Wine Loft Special

Monday, January 4^th 2010 we present 2003 Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State as our featured Wine Loft bottle selection at 50% off.  $36 per bottle (regular list price $72.00)

This first selection is one of my favorite boutique wines.  Customers always ask me what I mean by “boutique winery.”  Basically I just mean a small gem of a winery with very small production that has gained a very positive reputation by wine connoisseurs.  To put it into prospective Woodward Canyon produces about 17,000 cases a year and Kendall Jackson produces over 4 million. Woodward Canyon wines are what one would call “cellar worthy.”  Robert Parker rated the 2003 Washington State vintage year for Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah a 90T translating: “Outstanding, still tanic, youthful, or slow to mature.”  With almost seven years of aging in the bottle I would say this Cabernet is ready to drink beautifully and is at its peak.

Wine maker Kevin Mott at Woodward Canyon describes this Cabernet as medium to full bodied, spicy oak on the nose, chocolate and ripe fruit on the palate, with a long finish.  Chef Albert Clugston III at the Saltwater Grille suggests pairing this wine with a petite filet mignon and lobster tail duo.  Since this Cab is so balanced and smooth it will pair nicely with a delicate cut of Filet Mignon and will not overpower the light yet meaty lobster tail.  Some come on in to The Saltwater Grille and enjoy this collectors wine for ½ the price with some friends.

Brett Clugston, SWG Sommelier

Woodward Canyon Winery

VintageChart