Please join us this Saturday, July 31st, at Weygandt Wines, from 1PM until 4PM, for a tasting and discussion with Peter Weygandt. In addition, all of the wines poured will be on sale between 15-30% off! The Lineup:

Georg Mosbacher Forster Elster Riesling Kabinett Trocken 2007,  Regular Price $26.99, Sale Price $19.99 – Pfalz, Germany – 100% Riesling – 12% abv – Organic - “Rich, round and spicy, offering grapefruit, nutmeg and white pepper aromas and flavors, with a savory aftertaste. Nicely balanced and long. Drink now through 2015. 50 cases imported.” – Rated 90 Points, Wine Spectator.

Tement Sauvignon Blanc Steirische Klassik 2007, Regular Price $24.99, Sale Price $18.99 – Sytria, Austria – 100% Sauvignon Blanc – 12.5% abv – Organic - Southern Styria is a traditional production area which enjoys excellent growing conditions, especially for white grapes. For this reason, 95% of the vineyard area is devoted to white varieties and 5% to red wine grapes (Blauer Zweigelt). The Tement Estate lies on a narrow plateau, into which the slope of the Zieregg cru gently flattens. Tement’s ‘classic’ Sauvignon Blanc shows ripe tropical fruit flavors with sweet herbs in the finish.

Chateau Castigno Saint-Chinian Blanc 2007, Regular Price $25.99, Sale Price $19.99 – Languedoc, France – 90% Grenache Blanc, 10% Roussanne – 14% abv – Organic - With an average of 25 years for the vines, these grapes are grown on clay and limestone soils. Vinification is in 100% new oak barrels. The color is golden-yellow. The nose is of exotic fruits and an and impression of candied citrus. The palate is strong, round, well-balanced by firm acidity.

Domaine du Vissoux Beaujolais Rosé “Les Griottes” 2009, Regular Price $16.99, Sale Price $13.99 – Beaujolais, France – 100% Gamay – 12.5% abv – Organic - A light-bodied, cherry-scented rosé made from 100% Gamay. Domaine du Vissoux may just be the most perfect expression in my whole portfolio of what I seek, for the very ability to be natural and great, at once.

Giovanna Ciacci Rosso di Montalcino 2005, Regular Price $26.99, Sale price $22.99 – Tuscany, Italy – 100% Sangiovese – 14% abv – Organic - The Ciacci family has been growers in the area of Sant’Antimo for centuries. The estate dates back 800 years and once totaled 700 hectares (nearly 1700 acres) in size. It has been divided over the generations (there are several producers named Ciacci, now). Giovanna markets most of her production under another label, through another importer and the style there is fairly modern. But Giovanna is at heart a traditionalist and produces, under the name Giovanna Ciacci, a limited quantity of traditionally crafted wines. A perfect fit for us. The Rosso is younger vines, less ideally situated parcels of Brunello di Montalcino. The 2005 is beautifully balanced and long, and a value.

Chateau Castigno “Secret des Dieux” Saint-Chinian 2007, Regular Price $25.99, Sale price $19.99 – Languedoc, France – 50% Syrah, 30% Carignan, 25% Grenache, 5% Mourvedre – 13.5% abv – Organic - Secret des Dieux is grown on clay and limestone soils (mainly limestone for the Grenache). The average age of the vines here is 25 years (but for the Carignan the vines are 100 years old). Deeply saturated dark red color. The nose gives refined impressions of red fruit and garigue. The palate is rich and generous with well-integrated tannins.

Sale prices last through July 31st. No other offers may be applied.

Trip to the local butcher that only sells prime cuts? Check. Scrutinizing the perfect catch with the best fishmonger in town? Check. Farmer’s Market for fresh local produce? Check. Countless hours of prep, marinating, more prep and finally cooking and/or grilling? Check. We spend countless hours on making sure every last detail of our backyard bbqs is taken care of, but when it comes to what to serve with these carefully crafted culinary creations, we often fall short. So let us help you take on the sometimes daunting task of picking out the right wines for your next outdoor event. Whether you’re looking for something to sip on the porch, or what to serve with your freshly caught rockfish or even something to wash down a perfectly grilled hot dog, we’ve got you covered.

And on Saturday, June 12, from 1-4 pm, please join our importer, Peter Weygandt, in the shop to taste some of the perfect hot weather wines. All of these wines will be discounted 15% off their regular retail price for a single bottle and 20% off a mixed or matched case. In addition to the sale on the bottles that we are pouring tastes of, we are extending the special pricing to any of the wines of the producers that we are featuring. The entire portfolios of Bonnet-Huteau, Marof, Birgit Eichinger, Clos de l’Origine and Pascal et Nicolas Reverdy will be on sale. So stop by and taste some great summer sippers with Peter Weygandt! The Lineup:

Bonnet-Huteau Muscadet de Sevre et Maine Sur Lie La Levaudiere 2009, Regular Price $12.99, Sale Price $11.04 – Loire, France – 100% Muscadet – 12% abv – Biodynamic - Light, bright straw. Dusty minerals, quince and lemon zest on the nose, with a hint of white flowers adding complexity. Dry, sharply focused citrus and mineral flavors show a weightier aspect in the mid-palate and pick up a hint of musky herbs with air. Finishes clean and brisk. – Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar

Marof Renski Rizling, Regular Price $18.99, Sale Price $16.14 – Mackovci, Slovenia – 100% Riesling – 12% abv – Sustainable - Marof’s 2007 Renski Riesling is simply one of the ten or dozen finest Riesling wines I can recall tasting from outside of the greater Rhine basin or Austria. A gorgeous aromatic display of smoke-tinged apricot, Meyer lemon, apple blossom, and rowan leads to a silken-textured, infectiously juicy palate that makes a virtue of its relative looseness by conveying an airy elegance. Apricot kernel, lime zest, and an amazingly savory underlying sense of meat broth add complexity, and the interchange of flavors with which this wine finishes is positively vibratory. I suspect it will be best relished over the next 12-18 months, but there’s really no way of knowing absent any track record. – Rated 91 points, David Schildknecht, The Wine Advocate

Birgit Eichinger Grüner Veltliner Qualitätswein Trocken Kamptal Wechselberg 2008, Regular Price $22.99, Sale Price $19.54 – Kamptal, Austria – 100% Gruner Veltliner – 12.5% abv – Organic - Powerful, with concentrated grapefruit, Asian pear and gooseberry flavors that are supported by plenty of crisp acidity. Very vibrant and rich on the buttercream- and spice-filled finish. Drink now through 2015. 50 cases imported. – Rated 90 points, Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator

Clos de l’Origine Les Quilles Libres Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes Blanc 2007, Regular Price $23.99, Sale Price $20.39 – Roussillon, France – 80% Grenache Gris, 20% Grenache Blanc – 13% abv – Organic - The l’Origine 2007 Les Quilles Libres white is from Grenache Gris in both schist and chalk-clay terroirs of Maury (plus whatever bit of Grenache blanc may have been unavoidably harvested along with it), and was fermented for two months and aged in used barriques. An overlay of barrel-engendered lanolin and coconut in the nose segues into toasted nuts and grain and musky, narcissus-like scents. Firm and refreshing on the palate, it displays toasted nut, coconut, lanolin, lemon zest and brine, finishing long on piquant nuttiness, invigorating zest, but without the clarity or depth of the l’Original cuvee, and with an aura of oxidative evolution that some tasters may find slightly off-putting. This will demand careful pairing and I would advise exploring the options within the coming year. Inexperienced as I am with this estate I could easily end up being fooled by this wine’s potential. But given its low sulfur, it definitely requires vigilant, cool care. – Rated 88 points, David Schildknecht, The Wine Advocate

Pascal et Nicolas Reverdy Sancerre Terre de Maimbray Rose 2009, Regular Price $24.99, Sale Price $21.24 – Burgundy, France – 100% Pinot Noir – 13% abv – Organic - Medium red color. Mineral-driven aromas of redcurrant, strawberry and rose, with notes of orange peel and herbs adding complexity. Dry, focused and pure, with tangy red fruit flavors and good mineral bite. Impressive for its elegance and understatement; the finish is brisk and focused but just a touch dry. – Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar

The Roussillon region has been described (by Hugh Johnson) as perhaps potentially the most impressive part of the Languedoc. The wines of young Jean Gardies confirm Mr. Johnson’s confidence. A few years ago he took over the family domaine and has gradually increased the amount of the production which he is releasing in bottle. There are “super cuvees” of Syrah pure (Les Falaises), Mourvedre (La Torre) and Grenache Vieilles Vignes (we can’t get these yet, because of private customer demand), which were considered the top wines produced in the Roussillon in vintage 2000 by the Revue du Vin de France. Yet even his cuvee Les Milleres, with no barrique aging, shows Gardies’ great gift for making structured, concentrated, yet elegant wines.

Today and Friday, along with Monday-Friday next week, we’ll pour 2 whites, 3 reds and one dessert to give you a good idea of the style and range of this tremendously talented winemaker/producer. (This Saturday, we’ll interupt this tasting for a brief trip to the Piedmont.) The Lineup:

Domaine Gardies Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes Mas Las Cabes 2008, $14.99/btl – Roussillon, France – 70% Muscat, 15% Macabeo, 15% Grenache Blanc – 13.5% abv – This has a fruity aroma, with bright flavors of peach, honeysuckle, beeswax and mineral notes. The lush finish is broad and spicy. Muscat, Grenache and Maccabeo. Drink now. 200 cases imported. – WS 87 points – WS 87 points

Domaine Gardies Cotes du Roussillon Les Glaciaires 2007, $19.99/btl – Roussillon, France – 40% Roussanne, 40% Grenache Blanc, 20% Macabeo – 13% abv – This rich, exotic white shows ripe tropical fruit flavors of mango and pineapple, with notes of baked peach. The finish is spicy, with plenty of firm acidity and a juicy freshness. Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Macabeo. Drink now through 2012. 50 cases imported. – WS 88 points

From Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and Macabeu vinified in year-old barrels, the Gardies 2007 Cotes du Roussillon Les Glaciaires smells of lime zest, peach, pungent, musky flowers, white pepper, resin, lanolin, and spicy oak. A saline and distinctly peppery, Roussanne-dominated palate leads to a bright finish, with a tactile impression of peach fuzz and pineapple tartness, and just a bit of heat and overt oakiness. Jean Gardies – whom I did not have a chance to visit with last December – farms his family’s holdings in the chalk-clay soils of Vingrau and the black schist Espira de l’Agly sector along the Agly just outside Perpignan. – WA 87 points

Domaine Gardies Cotes du Roussillon Mas Las Cabes Rouge 2008, $16.99/btl – Roussillon, France – 60% Syrah, 30% Grenache Noir, 10% Carignan – 13.5% abv

Domaine Gardies Cotes du Roussillon Villages Les Milleres 2007, $19.99/btl – Roussillon, France – 40% Grenache Noir, 35% Syrah, 20% Carignan, 5% Mourvedre – 13.5% abv – Full-bodied, with powerful dark fruit flavors, including kirsch, plum and dark cherry, followed by intense notes of cocoa powder and Asian spice on the muscular finish. Best from 2010 through 2013. 200 cases imported. – WS 90 points

A blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan with a smidgeon of Mourvedre, Gardies’ 2007 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Les Milleres smells of lightly cooked red raspberry, grenadine, walnut husk, juniper, and subtly integrated vanilla and spice from the half of this cuvee that spends time in used barrels. With a vividly sappy concentration of tart red fruit, resin, and tar, with accents of cardamom and black pepper, this coats the palate and lingers with invigorating tartness and pungency, if also a trace of heat. I would not let its abundant, fine-grained tannin stand in the way of enjoying this wine over the next several years, particularly with red meats. A recent pair of additions to the Gardies line-up is labeled for the Mas Las Cabes property in the Espira de l’Agly. Jean Gardies – whom I did not have a chance to visit with last December – farms his family’s holdings in the chalk-clay soils of Vingrau and the black schist Espira de l’Agly sector along the Agly just outside Perpignan. – WA 89 points

Domaine Gardies Cotes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel Vieilles Vignes 2006, $29.99/btl – Roussillon, France – 70% Grenache Noire, 20% Syrah, 10% Carignan – 14% abv – This intense, powerful red from the south of France is filled with concentrated flavors of kirsch, dark chocolate and plum pudding. The rich finish of Christmas cake and mocha features plenty of grip. Drink now through 2014. 100 cases imported. – WS 91 points

Gardies’ 2006 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Vieilles Vignes Tautavel – a barrel-matured cuvee of Grenache with smaller amounts of Syrah, Carignan, and Mourvedre – offers a captivating and penetrating aroma of grilled meats, pungent cinnamon and nutmeg, cedar, ester-rich notes of kirsch, black pepper, and vanilla. Palpably dense, firm in texture, and suffused with fine-gained tannins, this nicely balances spice and resin with high-toned distilled cherry and purple plum, an underlying depth of bitter dark chocolate and chalk becoming more prominent in its long finish. I would anticipate it being worth cellaring for at least 5-6 years. Jean Gardies – whom I did not have a chance to visit with last December – farms his family’s holdings in the chalk-clay soils of Vingrau and the black schist Espira de l’Agly sector along the Agly just outside Perpignan. – WA 90 points

Domaine Gardies Muscat de Rivesaltes 2006 500ml, $24.99/btl – Roussillon, France – 100% Muscat – 15.5% abv – A zesty honeyed dessert wine from Rivesaltes.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by on Saturday to help us welcome Cecile Tremblay to the store. It was a good opportunity to taste some really special wines from Burgundy. Keep checking in as we hope to have regular visits by our winemakers which means more great wines to try. For free.

As for this week, we have another special event scheduled for Saturday (details to come), so this week’s lineup applies to Monday thru Friday, and as always, 4-7 pm:

Chateau Mourgues du Gres Costieres de Nimes Les Galtes Dores 2008, $14.99/btl – Rhone, France – 30% Grenache Blanc, 30% Roussanne, 30% Vermentino, 7% Marsanne,3% Clairette – 13% abv – The elegant white wine offering, the 2008 Les Galets Dores (nearly equal parts Grenache, Roussanne, Rolle, and tiny amounts of Marsanne and Clairette), offers notes of honeyed grapefruit and buttery citrus along with fresh acidity, medium body, plenty of flavor, and a dry, crisp finish. It should be drunk over the next year. – WA 88 points

Weingut Heymann-Lowenstein Riesling Schieferterrassen 2006, $19.99/btl – Mosel, Germany – 100% Riesling – There’s appealing flavors of peach, spice and slate, yet this seems a little slack, lacking the core of acidity to give all the components verve and snap. Drink now through 2012. 50 cases imported. – WS 88 points

Memo Sangiovese 2008, $10.99/btl – Tuscany, Italy – 100% Sangiovese – 13% abv – Strong ruby red color in the glass, with an intense and persistent nose. This fruity Tuscan wine has notes of cherries, prunes and vanilla. Medium bodied, slightly tannic, balanced and ready to drink. Cheap and cheerful!

Domaine La Bastide Syrah Les Genets Vieilles Vignes 2007, $12.99/btl – Languedoc, France – 100% Syrah – Medium-bodied, with dense red fruit flavors and tobacco leaf notes. There’s pepper and graphite on the finish. Drink now through 2012. 2,000 cases imported. – WS 86 points

Domaine de Ferrand Cotes du Rhone La Ferrande 2006, $21.99/btl – Rhone, France – 100% Syrah – 14% abv – As remarkable as 2007 is, there are 2006s that should not be forgotten. Domaine Ferrand (an excellent producer of Chateauneuf du Pape) has turned out a 100% Syrah cuvee, the 2006 Cotes du Rhone La Ferrand. Its opaque ruby/purple hue is followed by aromas of pepper, blackberries, licorice, incense, and earth. Dense and rich with surprising complexity and character for a southern Syrah, it should drink nicely for 2-3 years. – WA 90 points

Domaine la Berangeraie Les Caminoles Cahors Malbec 2007, $14.99/btl – Sudouest, France – 100% Malbec – 13% abv – In 1971 Andre Berenger came to Cahors from Provence with his wife Sylvie, who is originally from Champagne, and planted their vineyard near Grezels, on the red clay/iron stone soil known as Grezes. Their two children, Maurin and Juline not only joined them in the family business but so too have their respective spouses. Thus the three couples all work together and do everything in this twelve hectare domaine themselves – the pruning, the treatments of the all-organic vines and the harvesting all by hand (a disappearing practice in Cahors where harvesting is now done almost exclusively by machine). This is a lighter bodied Malbec from where the grape was originally grown. Malbec lovers should try this as a nice alternative to their standard powerhouses from Argentina.