As the saying goes, April showers bring new wines to our shelves. We have a lot of wine we’re really excited to talk to you about and we’re constantly updating our wine and beer list as things are always changing due to availability. Step out of your wine comfort zone and try one of these new additions below. Don’t forget, we offer a 10% discount on case, which can be mixed if you really feel in the sampling mood!
Jean Louis Chave Sélection
Jean Louis Chave Sélection is the négociant arm of Domaine Jean Louis Chave, an estate responsible for some of the most collectible wines of the northern Rhone. While some fruit is still purchased from nearby estates, an increasing proportion comes from the estate’s own vineyards in Saint-Joseph, which Jean Louis re-terraced and replanted in the 1990s. The same meticulous care goes into the cellar here, and the results are wines of real distinction at very welcome pricing, so we are very excited to be bringing these to the shelves at Now You’re Cooking.
L. Chave Sélection “Circa” Saint-Joseph Blanc 2018 | $31.99
A blend of old vine Rousanne that shows an enticing mixture of minerals, ginger, tropical fruit, and beeswax.
L. Chave Sélection “Offerus” Saint-Joseph Rouge 2018 | $35.99
More than 60% of this Syrah is from estate fruit. Deep, penetrating cassis, finely ground poivre, and deeply embedded herbal accents define this lush but firm wine.
L. Chave Sélection “Mon Coeur” Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge 2018 | $24.99 (also in 1.5L for $45.99)
A thrillingly serious Côtes-du-Rhône with a heavy dose of Syrah, showing off the blue fruits, violets, and dusty tannins of that varietal.
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Other New Wines of Note on our Shelves
Domaine Gour de Chaulé Gigondas Tradition 2017 | $39.99
The stewardship of this storied Gigondas estate has followed a matrilineal descent for the last three generations, down to the current proprietor Stephanie Fumoso. The 2017 is spectacularly perfumed and poised, with that magical balance of supple Grenache fruit (80%) and elegant floral-and-spice non-fruits, all poised on a frame of precisely tuned acidity.
Chateau Les Barraillots Margaux 2016 | $38.99
One of the very few independent estates remaining in the Margaux appellation, Chateau Les Barraillots was established in 1928 and is under the current stewardship of Yannick Martin. The 2016 is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot aged in 25% new French oak for 15-18 months. The result is a deeply satisfying and classic Margaux, exhibiting deep blue fruits and cassis laced with details of graphite and silky tannins.
Marc Deschamps Pouilly-Fumé Les Champs de Cri 2017 | $32.99
Marc Deschamps claims that Les Champs de Cri is his finest parcel of Sauvignon Blanc in Pouilly-Fumé, and one taste should convince anyone that he’s right: heady aromas of citrus oil and hazelnut are followed by suggestions of jasmine, Seville oranges, and subtle flint-stone.
Domaine de la Chevalerie Bourgueil Galichets 2014 | $29.99
This library-release shows clearly how impressively Cabernet Franc from Bourgueil (in the Loire Valley) can age. Going on seven years old, it is still primary and youthful, and is characteristically shy until it begins to get sufficient air. Then it unfurls with black fruit and fresh cut herbs, dried violets and stony minerals, and of course a bouquet that will keep your nose wandering back to the glass.
Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Felseneck Reisling Kabinett 2018 | $39.99
From a Grosse Lage site in Nahe, Schäfer-Fröhlich’s Kabinett is a powerhouse of depth and concentration, boasting a hugely complex profile of lime-pith and white peach-stone slathered in salty minerals. Somehow simultaneously dense and weightless, it is captivating on the nose and endless on the finish. While it is very impressive now, this is a Kabinett that has many years ahead of it.
Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz Weisser Burgunder Trocken 2019 | $26.99
From one of the iconic producers of the Pfalz, this Weisser Burgunder (Pinot Blanc) showcases classic white flowers and stone fruits, but combines them with the most intriguingly delicious textural qualities and tongue tingling minerals, finishing with savory and mouth-watering echoes of citrus zest and herbs.
Valdespino Manzanilla Deliciosa En Rama 375ml | $15.99
The En Rama is an unfiltered bottling of a limited amount of the Manzanilla, which comes out of the solera at an average age of 6 years old. Focused and bright, it has notes of dried quince, olive brine, and rising dough on a lithe frame with excellent tension and brilliant acid.
Poderi Cellario “È Grino!” Vino Rosso 1L | $18.99
Our early taste of warm weather is just begging for this Grignolino from Piedmont: thirst-quenchingly bright and racy, with brisk suggestions of pomegranate and surprisingly good spicy tannins from the pips of the grapes. Serve it with a light chill and enjoy it with charcuterie or simple grilled fare.
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Cavallotto Fratelli
Perhaps the first and most important thing to know about Cavallotto is that all of their wines come from the celebrated Bricco Boschis estate in Castiglione Falletto. This is arguably one of the most impressive grand cru sites in all of Barolo, so growing Dolcetto and Grignolino on these slopes would be like growing Gamay and Poulsard in Romanée-Conti. The least of these are wines of great distinction, and I am extremely excited to be bringing them into the state.
Cavallotto Dolcetto d’Alba Vigna Scot 2018 | $24.99
The classically purple color, black raspberries, and dusty violets that are the hallmark of the varietal are here transformed by the singular location of the vines, resulting in a seamless wine infused with faint suggestions of rose petals and a purity and mouth-feel that is downright Burgundian. This is easily one of the finest expressions of this grape.
Cavallotto Langhe Grign’ | $28.99
Another staggeringly delicious wine made from a grape that is rarely used to make anything serious. Cavallotto’s Grignolino has real firm substance and structure, the tannic presence expressing a complex mixture of fine earth, spice, and herbs, all infusing a fine raspberry fruit that lingers on the finish.
Cavallotto Langhe Nebbiolo | $41.99
Finally, we come to the Langhe Nebbiolo, a title that, while legally correct, hardly does justice to what is in the bottle. This is 100% cru Bricco Boschis Nebbiolo that does not make it into the Barolo, and the wine is generally as good or better than many a proper Barolo on the market. It spends 15-18 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, whereas the Bricco Boschis Barolo spends between 3 and 3.5 years in them. Deeply powerful and uncompromisingly structured, notes of cherry reduction, rose petals, and anise mingle here with deeper earth and spice notes. Plan on decanting this wine for at least an hour.