Dan's and Chris's Weekly Wine Picks:
PAZZO Napa Valley Red 2008
ARNOT ROBERTS Syrah, North Coast 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hello,
Me thinks we grabbed a tiger by the tail with the launch of Pinot Noir Fan Club of  Napa Valley. Last Thursday was the inaugural of this bi-monthly bring-a-bottle event. 35 Pinot Noirs lined the Back Room Wine Bar. Guests rank their top three Pinots of the night, and the top vote-getter was Vincent Girardin Pommard Premier Cru 2005, followed close behind by Patz & Hall Pinot "Chenoweth" 2009. The real winners were the 30 guests who, to a taster, had a fine time indeed.
Thanks to all for bringing in the good juice!
Next Pinot Noir Fan Club: Thursday, March 29 from
6 to 8 PM. More info.
This week's tasting events:
RIESLINGS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. This Thursday Feb 2, 5 to 8 PM. Austria, Alsace, Germany and Washington represented. Six wines. $15/tasting Artist Reception for Elizabeth Bush.  This Friday February 3, 5 to 8 PM. Elizabeth's work currently adorns the walls of
Back Room Wines. She will be here to tell you about her work and inspiration.We welcome you to come meet Elizabeth, enjoy her photos and check out our sparkling wine flight in the wine bar.
The first "Cab Alert" of the year was e-published last week. BLACK CORDON Napa Valley Cabernet 2008 is $65/bottle, outstanding, tiny-production, and our first Cab Alert wine for 2012. Here's that email.
If you are not receiving our Cab Alert newsletter and would like to, simply reply to this email with CAB ALERT in the subject line.
I've got wheels of polished steel. Dan |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Dan's Wine Pick for the Week
PAZZO Napa Valley Red Wine 2008 $28/bottle, $300/case You could call PAZZO a Cal-Italian red wine.
It's 80% Sangiovese (the grape of Chianti) then Merlot, Syrah, Viognier and Petite Sirah in that order.
The Sangio comes from Atlas Peak and Pope Valley-no doubt planted when Sangiovese was predicted to be "the next big thing." This didn't materialize, and now the grapes are excellent, the price is nice, and you're getting a fine value.
"Call me PAZZO (CRAZY), but I think folks will like this wine," states owner Claus Janzen. Right he is. Claus's flagship "luxury wine," Bacio Divino, is a deeply fruity, silky, sexy wine. We recommend it as well. Check out the Bacio.
As for PAZZO, it boasts sweet ripe strawberries and cherries, pie spice, licorice, black pepper and good acidity. This is an easy choice for most any casual occasion. Perhaps while watching a certain football game this Sunday? Red pasta sauce, full of garlic, herbs and spice, is really good with Pazzo. Gourmet sausages too-I have Bruce Aidell's habañero sausages at home. Pazzo will make a good companion to them.
Come in today through Sunday and try Pazzo in our "Wines Off The Grid" flight. Here's the current Off the Grid line-up.
Chris' W ine Pick of the Week
ARNOT ROBERTS Syrah North Coast 2010 $35/bottle, $378/case
Good guys finish first at Back Room Wines. For the second time in less than a year, I am pleased to feature a stellar wine from Duncan and Nathan of Arnot Roberts.Founded back in 2001, they are no longer a "New Kid on the Block," but their focus remains on very small lot wines from Northern Californian vineyards. Nathan (Arnot) still makes the barrels, and Duncan (Roberts) still makes the wines. Nathan is a second-generation cooper, and Duncan has made wine at Caymus, Groth, Acacia & Kongsgaard. They know what they're doing. The guys (much like us) enjoy cooler-climate
 | | Recognize these guys? |
vineyards for their Syrahs. This stunning 2010 is a terrific example of what Arnot Roberts is all about. It's perfectly ripe yet only 11.9% in alcohol, much like a great St. Joseph from the Northern Rhone. No new oak and partial carbonic maceration makes it very lively and "fresh-feeling." The berry-laden aromatics are spicy and floral, and the palate is quite long and intense. Taste oodles of dark red raspberries, bacon and lingering hints of pipe tobacco and black pepper. This wine demands food, and I am going with a rack of ribs. Who's with me? 270 cases made.
Four ways to purchase:Click the respective link above, reply to this email,
call us, toll-free, at 877-322-2576, or come on in.
We love to see you in the shop.
Thank you!
|
|
|
|
|
A good sign for the wine industry
| I'm happy to see an increase in good Napa Valley wine jobs the last two years. Wine jobs posted rose 18% in 2011 from 2010 numbers. And 2011 is up 57% from 2009. And a lot of the jobs are quality, good-paying: winemaking, sales, marketing, hospitality.
A happy, healthy Valley makes for a happy healthy wine merchant.
Here's the story.
Drink more Furmint.
Dan and Chris
Daniel Dawson, Chris Foster Back Room Wines Corner of First & Main Streets (First Street Entrance) Downtown Napa, California 94559 Phone: (707) 226-1378 Toll Free # is 877-322-2576
|
|
|
|
|
