This Sunday’s Wine Tasting (1-5 pm): October Staff Picks, Part II
2012 Midsummer Cellars GMRV white blend, Napa, California (Robert)
2012 Alvarez de Toledo Godello, Bierzo, Spain (Jen & Jerry)
Reg. Price: $10.99
Mills Club Price: $9.89
Case Price: $8.79
This is an elegant dry white wine made 100% from the Godello grape. Lots of fruit but also very pleasant mineral notes. Great to be paired with salads, chicken dishes and pasta. If you typically like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc you should really try this Godello-and at this price point you can’t go wrong!
2012 Crow Vineyard Barbera Rose, Kent County, Maryland (Amy)
Reg. Price: $21.99
Mills Club Price: $19.79
Case Price: $17.59
2013 Gold Medal Winner Governer’s Cup Best in the Class Rose Wines
It was love at first site with this Barbera Rose. Compare any Cotes De Provence Rose with this marvelous wine from Maryland and you’ll be amazed. The 2011 Rose has a bright briar and bluerry attack with soft mouth feeling tannins. Their rose has well balanced oak that is well intergrated and accentuates the strawberry fruit components of this Barbera.
Spaghetti Red Table Wine, California (Mike)
Reg. Price: $10.00
Mills Club Price: $9.00
Case Price: $8.00
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, this is a delicious dry red table wine that goes great with spaghetti! Nuff said!
2012 Charles Smith Boom Boom Syrah, Washington State (Jen and Jerry)
Reg. Price: $21.99
Mills Club Price: $19.79
Case Price: $17.59
We have shared this explosive dry red with many friends who’ve loved it. Great rich cherry flavors with some earthiness, very smooth. Try with roast lamb!
2009 Las Rocas Spanish Red Blend, Calatayud, Spain (Pat)
Reg. Price: $14.99
Mills Club Price: $13.49
Case Price: $11.99
Great new blend of Garnacha, Tempranillo and Syrah from one of my favorite producers, Las Rocas. Enjoy this full-flavored dry red with all kinds of fare from fish paella to poultry and meat dishes.
Friday, October 11 (3-5 pm): Penfolds Wine Tasting with Jimmy Spithill, Captain of America’s Cup Winning Oracle Team
Meet Jimmy Spithill from approximately 3:15-4:30 pm at the tasting. He will be signing purchased Penfolds wine bottles. The first 40 people to purchase two bottles or more of Penfolds wines will receive an Oracle Team USA floating keychain—the perfect America’s Cup Oracle souvenir, especially for boaters!
The Wines:
1.2011 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Chardonnay
Reg. Price: $11.99/Mills Club: $10.79/ Case Price: $9.59
2. 2011 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon
Reg. Price: $11.99/Mills Club: $10.79/ Case Price: $9.59
3. 2010 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz
Reg. Price: $34.99/Mills Club: $31.49/Case Price: $27.99
92 points, The Wine Advocate
“Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2010 Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz presents lovely, expressive blueberry, black raspberry and black cherries notes highlighted by violets, toast, cinnamon stick and touch of mulberries. Full-bodied and rich, the concentrated fruit is framed by medium levels of rounded tannins, crisp acid and a long, classically-styled finish. Approachable now, it will drink to 2020+.”
4. 2010 Penfolds Bin 389
Reg. Price: $71.99/Mills Club: $64.79/Case Price: $57.59
From the winery: “Penfolds Bin 389 is often referred to as ‘Baby Grange’, in part because components of the wine are matured in the same barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange.”
92 points, The Wine Advocate
“Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2010 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz displays pure cassis and black cherry cordial aromas underlying notes of aniseed, violets, pepper and chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is voluptuous and wonderfully balanced between vibrant acid and a medium level of fine tannins. It finishes long and spicy and shows ageing potential. Drink it from 2014 to 2022+.”
91 points, Wine Spectator
Decanter World Wine Award Gold Medal, Red Blend (Sept.2013)
5. 2011 Penfolds Bin 8, a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Shiraz Reg. Price: $24.99/Mills Club: $22.49/Case Price: $19.99
We will travel “south of Rome” to Campania, Puglia, and Sicily to taste some new additions to our Italian section that are exceptional values. Come discover the wonderful world of wines from indigenous Italian grape varietals from Catarratto on the white side to Aglianico on the red side!
White Wines:
2012 Picco del Sole Falanghina, Beneventano, Campania
Reg. Price: $11.99/Mills Club: $10.79/ Case Price: $9.59
2012 Castellucci Miano Catarratto “Miano”, Sicily
From a fairly new winery, this wine made from 100% organically grown Catarratto, a white wine grape indigenous to Sicily, is our new favorite Italian white wine. This wine has delicious stone fruit flavors and good acidity to accompany a variety of food or to serve as an aperitif.
Reg. Price: $19.99/Mills Club $17.99/Case Price: $15.99
Red Wines:
2011 Picco del Sole Aglianico, Beneventano, Campania
Reg. Price: $11.99/Mills Club: $10.79/Case Price: $9.59
2010 Masseria Li Veli Primonero, Salento, Puglia
A deep, dark red blend of 85% Negroamaro and 15% Primitivo that has nice dark fruit flavors and some black pepper notes.
Reg. Price: $13.99/Mills Club: $12.59/Case Price: $11.19
2010 Duca Carlo Guarini Primitivo “Vigne Vecchie,” Puglia
Reg. Price: $22.99/Mills Club: $20.69/Case Price: $18.39
LIST OF SATURDAY TASTING WINES
White Wines
Red Wines
Dante Robino migrated to Mendoza, Argentina, in 1920 after selling his vineyards on Italy. Ninety-three years later his Mendoza vineyards continue to produce excellent wines like this medium-bodied Bonarda red with rich red fruit flavors and also a soft finesse–if you never tasted an Argentine Bonarda wine, this Dante Robino is the one to try! While the Bonarda grape is native to the Piedmont region of Italy (very little is still grown there), the grape migrated to Argentina where it is now the second most widely planted red wine grape after Malbec.
Taste the staff favorites for the month of November!
Sparkling:
NV Gerard Bertrand “Code Rouge” Cremant de Limoux, France (Robert)
An excellent brut Blanc de Blancs packaged in a cool red-tinted bottle from Limoux, the birthplace of sparkling wine. Serve with sushi, seafood, butternut squash soup, cream based dishes.
Regularly: $26.99
Mills Club: $24.29
Case Price: $21.59
White Wines:
2012 Meyer-Fonne Vielle Vignes Pinot Blanc, Alsace, France (Mary)
“I love this dry Alsace white from 100% old vine Pinot Blanc, a grape native to France, any time of the year but especially with Thanksgiving appetizers and turkey. This medium-bodied wine with a mix of pear, apricot, and apple flavors and some minerality is so versatile for food pairings. The French often pair this one with pork, ham, chicken, and fish dishes.”
Regularly: $19.99
Mills Club: $17.99
Case Price: $15.99
2012 Picco Del Sole Falanghina, Italy (Amy)
A delicious dry white wine from Italy. Pair with roasted tomato soup and crusty bread, or poached chicken atop a salad of greens, dried cranberries, cheese and balsamic vinegrate.
Regular Price: $11.99
Mills Club: $10.79
Case Price: $9.59
Red Wines:
2011 Fairview Pinotage, South Africa (Mary)
“Pinotage is a South African grape developed in the early 1900s by crossing Pinot Noir with Cinsault. This Fairview is one of my favorite Pinotages with a great balance of dark fruit and spice that lingers on the finish. It is a great red wine to discover this time of the year as it pairs well with both white and red meat dishes.” Regular Price: $15.99
Mills Club: $14.39
Case Price: $12.79
2011 Line 39 Petite Sirah, Central Coast, California (Amy)
This wine is an incredible value from our $10 wine program. Lots of delicious ripe red and black fruits, smooth finish and nice body. Great everyday dinner wine!
Regular Price: $10.00
Mills Club: $9.00
Case Price: $8.00
2010 Bogle Phantom, California (Jen & Jerry)
Seasonally appropriate with its brooding, dark label, but the contents delight with full fruit flavor and a lovely but not overwhelming level of spiciness. A blend of 51% Zinfandel, 47% Petite Sirah, 2% Mourvedre, consider this a great pairing with your roast beef, stews or steak, or as the perfect gift to bring when you are a guest to autumn dinner.
Regular Price: $25.99
Mills Club: $23.39
Case Price: $20.79
White Wines:
2011 Montenidoli Vernaccia di San Gimignano Tradizionale, Italy (Pat)
One of three Vernaccias produced by Montendidoli’s (Montedoli=”Mountain of Little Nests”) winemaker Elisabetta Fagioli, the Tradizionale stays longer on the lees, and thus is a richer and more concentrated effort. “Sono Montenidoli” indicates the grapes are solely from the estate. A lovely blossom aroma precedes full lemony fruit and mineral acidity with a slight undertone of pepperiness. This would be a great pairing with fettucini alfredo, pork tenderloin, minestrone, or a delicious white meat chili.
Regular Price: $19.99
Mills Club: $17.99
Case Price: $15.99
2011 J.M. Boillot Montagny 1er Cru, Burgundy, France (Mike)
One of our favorites and yours (a top seller at Mills), this Chardonnay from the Burgundy region of France shows apple, lemon, grapefruit and butter, pleasant minerality, medium body and a long finish. Try with scallops, poached salmon, lobster, or braised chicken thighs.
Regular Price: $29.99
Mills Club: $26.99
Case Price: $23.99
2012 Clos Fussay Reuilly, Loire Valley, France (Jen & Jerry)
A very dry but delicious Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley. We love the acidity, and the citrus, limestone and mineral flavors in this wine. We enjoyed this with Maine mussels and crusty bready the other night. I used the wine in cooking the mussels as well and the dipping juice was amazing!
Regular Price: $16.99
Mills Club: $15.29
Case Price: $13.59
2011 Joh Jos Prum Riesling Kabinett, Germany (Robert)
Rated 90 Points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, “From a mixture of Bernkastel and Graach sites plus a bit of Wehlen, the generic Prum 2011 Riesling Kabinett displays aromas already way above its station in complexity, featuring penetrating and metaphorically cooling scents of spearmint, apple blossom, fresh apple, cherry and lime, all of which – along with lusciously-dripping honeydew melon – then figure on a delicately refreshing, subtly spritzy palate that finishes with mouthwatering juiciness and impeccably-integrated, entirely discreet residual sugar. This fine value – whose May bottling, incidentally, was the estate’s first – will deliver delightful satisfaction for at least a dozen years.” April 2013
Try with seafood or some Thai food!
Regular Price: $28.99
Mills Club: $26.09
Case Price: $23.19
Red Wines:
2006 Terre de Trinci Montefalco Sagrantino, Italy (Pat)
This powerful red from the region of Umbria is a luscious, vibrant alternative to a brunello: amazing depth, complexity, and longevity are hallmarks of these wines. Aged for 30 months (one year in oak) before they are even released, these bottles can be cellared for years and should be decanted for a couple hours before enjoying. Full berry fruit, complex, firm tannins would complement a roasted beef dish perfectly- an amazing powerhouse Italian red value at this price point!
Regular Price: $25.99
Mills Club: $23.39
Case Price: $20.79
2012 Domaine Manoir du Carra Beaujolais-Villages, France (Mike)
Try this 100% Gamay grape from old vines in the Beaujolais region of Burgundy, France. This is an elegant red with a nice long finish, and would pair very well with Thanksgiving Turkey, pork, lamb chops, and meatloaf.
Regular Price: $12.99
Mills Club: $11.69
Case Price: $10.39
Come help us kick off the first of three, consecutive Saturday tastings featuring wines relevant to Thanksgiving holiday entertaining. This Saturday, we will explore the world of white Riesling wines: dry, off-dry, and dessert Rieslings, including two from New Zealand that are superb. These different styles pair well with Thanksgiving Turkey, appetizers, and a range of desserts, especially apple, pumpkin, and other fruit-based pastries. On the red wine side, we will have open Pinot Noir wines from France and Argentina that are especially nice with Thanksgiving turkey!
Riesling Wines:
2012 Domain Jean-Luc Mader Riesling, Alsace, France
Reg. Price $19.99
Mills Club Price: $17.99
Case Price: $15.99
2012 Weingut Schloss Saarstein Riesling, Mosel, Germany
Reg. Price: $19.99
Mills Club Price: $17.99
Case Price: $15.99
2012 Forrest Estate “The Doctors” Riesling, Marlborough, New Zealand
Reg. Price: $21.99
Mills Club Price: $19.79
Case Price: $17.59
Winery Tasting Notes: “Wow it’s like biting into a deliciously crisp Granny Smith apple, licking lime sherbet and eating your first of the season Central Otago apricot, all at one time! The 2012 Doctors’ Riesling is simply stunning, oh so easy to drink and at a modest 8.5% alcohol; who feels guilty having a second glass? It’s firmly established as New Zealand’s favorite Riesling; outselling any of our other, very fine, Rieslings ten to one. So chill a bottle and see for yourself what thousands of Kiwis are enjoying!”
89 points, Wine Spectator: “Features tangy overtones to the ripe peach, melon and pear flavors set on a smooth and fleshy body, showing a good balance of ripeness and acidity, with a Key lime pie finish.”
2011 Forrest Estate Botrytised Sweet Riesling, Marlborough, New Zealand (375 ml bottle)
Reg. Price: $26.99
Mills Club Price: $24.29
Case Price: $21.59
Pinot Noir Wines:
2009 Domaine Armelle et Bernard Rion Bourgogne Rouge « La Croix Blanche » Vielles Vignes, Burgundy , France
Reg Price : $23.99
Mills Club Price: $21.59
Case Price: $19.19
“Beautiful dark ruby. The nose reveals aromas of red fruit (cherry), evolving towards notes of aging undergrowth. The palate is elegant, sleek with good balance, tannins and a long finish. A bottle that can be drunk young enough to enjoy the fruit or after a few years to be more mature….”
2010 Las Perdices Pinot Noir Reserva, Mendoza, Argentina
Reg. Price: $19.99
Mills Club Price: $17.99
Case Price: $15.99
“Aromas of red and black fruits like cherry, strawberry, raspberry, morello cherry and red currant, tinged with elegant oak notes. On the palate it is delicate and smooth; the oak adds notes of vanilla and smokiness. Perfect with game, white meats, pastas with cream sauce and fish.”
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Mills is teaming with Ken’s Creative Kitchen to host the second in a series of Wine Dinner experiences. The dinner is scheduled for Tuesday, November 12 from 7-10pm. Special guest Mr. Gus Kalaris, owner of Constantine Wines and creator of Axios wines and Kalaris Estate Wines, will be presenting an excellent variety of wines from his portfolio, representing the journey from his Greek American roots to his success in winemaking in California. Ken Upton created a four-course Greek inspired menu to pair with the seven featured wines.
The price is $125 per person. Call 410-263-2888 for reservations.
Vintage Sparkling Wine
2009 Hansen Lauer Riesling Brut (Sekt), Mosel Valley, Germany: 100% Riesling
– Wine Enthusiast (February 2014), 91 pts + Editor’s Choice
– Wine & Spirits Magazine (December 2013), 90 pts + BEST BUY
“Production techniques: the Sekt is bottle fermented, stayed on the lees for 12 months, thus giving it very fine bubbles along with a very nice fruit and minerality. The total production is around 110 cases annually. The vineyard sites are Bernkasteler Graben, Bernkasteler Badstube, Bernkasteler Bratenhöfchen, Graacher Himmelreich.”
Light Red Wine
2013 Domaine du Carra Beaujolais Villages Nouveau, Beaujolais, France
“Just barely three weeks old, this fresh fruity red from the granite hills of Beaujolais comes entirely from Gamay grapes. Beaujolais Nouveau day is November 21th this year and is a celebration of harvest and a festive event. This bistro style wine should be consumed in copious quantities in the first full year of its life.”
Dry White Wine with Turkey Dinner
Wolfberger Edelzwicker, Alsace, France (1 liter bottle): a blend of 40 % Pinot Blanc, 30% Riesling, 15% Gewurztraminer and 15 % Muscat.
“Each grape variety is harvested individually in early or mid-October on the most suitable date for each vineyard. Edelzwicker has a nose of grilled almonds and walnuts, with a light floral hint following. The first sip shows its true character: fresh and lemony with vegetal, herbaceous flavor. It is round and easy drinking, not overpowering and finishes clean. It is a good companion for food without ever dominating it.”
Off-Dry White Wine with Dessert (or with the main Turkey Dinner!)
2011 Erbach Riesling Rheinghau, Germany (1 liter bottle)
“Round and refreshing wine with light touches of lemon and lime on the nose. Slightly sweet mouthfeel, with juicy and fruity flavors.”
Non-Vintage (N.V.) Port Wines
N.V. Romariz Fine Ruby Port (750ml bottle)
“Ruby port (made from the grapes Toriga Francesca, Toriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Barrocca, and Tinto Cao) is a bright, deep red-colored wine….. Fruit and pepper character, well balanced, and ample body. You should expect your glass to be brimming with red cherry and fresh plum flavors……”
N.V. Romariz 10 year old Tawny Port (750ml bottle)
“Fragrant nose, velvety nutty flavors, rich dried fruit characteristics, powerful, and heady tawny.”