95pt Santi Vigneti di Monteforte Soave Classico $11.95/ cs Outstanding Best Buy

Today we have for you another wine that is hot, hot, hot. We have a Best Buy Santi Soave Classico DOC Bigneti Monteforte 2011. 

This got a huge score as Decanter Magazine gave it 95 points:
"Part of the GIV group, this Valpolicella-based house sources fruit from a network of growers in the various Verones zones. Some 45,000 bottles of this wine are produced annually from tufa-based vineyards around Monteforte d'Alpone. Cryo-maceration and frequent battonage during several months on the fine less help extract the maximum from the fruit. Following fermentation, a small proportion of wine from the later-harvested, lightly dried grapes is added back to the mix to boost aroma and structure. Oenologist Luca De Palma claims the inspiration for this grew out of his familiarity with the ripasso process used for producing red wines locally."

"Waxy, bready, ripe and with some concentration. Lovely elegance and layers of complexity on the nose which bodes well. Spicy palate with lovely depth of flavour. Crisp finish with fresh minerality."

Just an outstanding Soave Classico and we have a great deal for you at $12.95 and $11.95 per bottle by the case. Great savings off the original release price of $16.99.

Santi traces its origins to 1843, when Carlo Santi established a wine cellar in the village of Illasi situated behind the Lessini Mountains, between the hills of Colognola and Lavagno. 

The original winery is situated in the heart of the most acclaimed wine growing zones in the Veneto near Lake Garda. Devoted to the production of Soave Classico, Pinot Grigio, Valpolicella and Amarone, Santi is an Italian winemaking success story. Santi wines are mainly crafted from estate fruit, or from long-standing relationships under the supervision of the Santi winemaking team. 

From the flagship Pinot Grigio “Sortesele” and crisp Soave “Vigneti di Monteforte” and Rosè “Infinito”, to Valpolicella Classico “Solane” and the classic Amarone, all of Santi’s wines show a well-balanced, polished international style. In addition to experimenting with the benefits of aging in new French oak barrels (barriques) for wines such as their single vineyard Trentino Chardonnay I Piovi, Santi emphasizes new techniques to improve the quality of their wines.

Huge Saturday Tasting Pete Stolpman In-Store and Orin Swift

This Saturday we have for you one of our Best Tastings of the year as we have Pete Stolpman of Stolpman Vineyards as well as wines from Orin Swift including the brand new release BlindFold. Tasting starts at 2pm this Saturday October 12. We hope to see you here. We will have sale prices on all Stolpman Vineyards and Orin Swift wines we will be tasting. One Day Special: Saturday only we will have an additional 10%off a case mix and match from these two great producers.  
 

Pete Stolpman of Stolpman Vineyards In-Store this Saturday 2-5pm

Stolpman has been garnering great praise from the critics for almost a decade now. They are one our favorite producers because of the high quality and unique wines they produce from the Santa Ynez Valley (Santa Barbara County). 

We will be tasting: 
Stolpman Rose 2012 Special and Unique Rose
Stolpman Golden Point 2011 Great Rhone Blend
Stolpman L'Avion 2010 Wine Advocate 92-94 Points
Stolpman Syrah Santa Barbara 2011 Antonio Galloni 93 Points
Stolpman Syrah Originals 2010 Tanzer 93 Points
Stolpman Syrah Hilltops 2011 Pete says "Best Hilltops Yet".

These incredible wines is made by one of the best winemakers in California right now in Sashi Moorman who not only produces for Stolpman but Evening Land, Sandhi, Piedrasassi, as well as other cult projects. 

Stolpman Vineyards
Throughout the 1990's, Stolpman Vineyards was the grape source for some of the most outstanding wine produced on the central coast, including Ojai Vineyards and highly rated wines from Sine Qua Non.  Eventually, Tom Stolpman  started keeping the best blocks for himself and today, in concert with winemaker Sashi Moorman; they continue to produce some of the central coast’s best wines. 

The vineyards at Stolpman were originally planted with the sole intention of selling the fruit to other great Central Coast wineries. Now, with our own estate wine program, we continue to provide fruit to other wineries but on a smaller, more selective scale. In many cases, producers choose to bottle wine from Stolpman fruit separately under a vineyard-designated label.

Situated on 3 finger-like ridges leading down from a 1600ft headland, the vineyard blocks have excellent drainage.  The defining element of the vineyard is only a thin layer of clay-shale above Limestone.  The limestone drains all water, and because Stolpman dry farms the vineyard, roots are forced to search deeper and deeper in pursuit of water.  The search is futile, and the roots suck dry minerality. 

The result: Some of the smallest, most concentrated, and perfectly balanced grapes in the entire region.

As one of the pioneers in Ballard Canyon, the Stolpmans had to experiment to find the perfect match to the micro-ecosystem.  Bordeaux varietals initially excelled on the vineyard, but slowly weakened due to the harsh soil  s and cool climate.  As soon as Syrah ripened for  the first time in 1996, every one involved saw something special and the area’s most esteemed producers began buying grapes from the vineyard:  Sine Qua Non, Ojai Vineyards, Qupe, Jaffurs, Kunin among many others.  Today Stolpman’s primary focus is Syrah along with Rhone Varietals Roussanne (L’Avion) and Grenache.  The Stolpmans also take great pride in their Sauvignon Blanc and Sangiovese projects.

Most unique to Stolpman’s methodology is the constant experimentation with vineyard plantings and farming in the pursuit of world-class wine. Organic Farming: No herbicides, fungicides, or pesticides are used in the vineyard.  The natural ecosystem is promoted through the establishment of natural habitats including Hawk Perches and Owl Boxes.  Bio-diversity is also aided by a 12 acre rotating crop of organic vegetables and 5 acres of Olive trees.

Stolpman Vineyards has the only “Cote Rotie” styled vineyard in all of California.  On the steepest hill in the property, there are 6000 vines planted so close together one can barely walk through, let alone fit tractors or machines.  Identical plant material to Domaine Rostaing (Cote Rotie) was used, and the vines are farmed in the same manner: head pruned and dry farmed.  In coming years, parallel tastings between Domaine Rostaing Cote Rotie and Stolpman’s new “Cote Rotie” block will be held to compare terroir with all other variables removed.

The Vineyard has several own-rooted blocks in pursuit of a purer terroir aspect and fruit profile.  These blocks are planted at varying densities: closer together where there is more topsoil present, and further apart where there is only Limestone.  

Orin Swift Cellars Tasting this Saturday 2-5pm

We will be tasting the Orin Swift Saldo 2011, Prisoner 2011, and the brand new release BlindFold 2012. One Day Special: Saturday only we will have an additional 10%off a case mix and match from these two great producers. 

Orin Swift Cellars was started by winemaker David Phinney. David has a long history of winemaking at high end wineries in the Napa Valley including Opus One, Whitehall, and Mondavi. He paid tribute to his parents with the name of this winery - Orin is his father's middle name and Swift is his mother's maiden name.

Orin Swift Cellars is the realization of a dream that began while studying abroad at the University of Florence in Florence, Italy. Like so many other college students David was at odds with what to do upon graduation. Fortunately his roommate at the time was from an old wine family in the Sonoma valley and he had a great suggestion: "Why not get into the wine business? You seem to like wine."

David started Orin Swift Cellars with two tons of purchased Zinfandel grapes and as his wife always notes, "with one pair of shoes".

Starting Orin Swift while still working for other wineries and as a result started small and worked part time. When you combine excellent wines with creative labeling you are bound to grow fast and now his full time job is with Orin Swift.