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MUST-HAVE WINES FOR SPRING SIPPING

by Nicholas Harary

How many times have you bought a bottle of wine in your local wine store, popped it open, and found it’s not at all what you expected? Unfortunately, it happens way too often.

Most wine shops buy anything and everything, stocking their shelves with no concern for quality or storage conditions (do you really need to walk into a shop and look at 30 different California Chardonnays priced within $5 of each other?). How do you know which one to buy? I wouldn’t know just by looking at them. My online store has the exact opposite approach. There, I do the dirty work, tasting those 30 Chardonnays and picking the best ones.

I also recently started a Nicholas Wines Seasonal Wine Club—offering an exclusive seasonal case, reserved and shipped four times per year. From the best rosé for spring to big, bold Napa Cabs in the winter, along with descriptions and suggested food pairings.

Some recent favorites:

Domaine de la Citadelle Le Châtaignier Rosé 2015

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Situated on the northern slopes of the Luberon mountains, 25 miles east of Avignon and the confluence of the Rhône and the Durance rivers, Domaine de la Citadelle has 99 acres of vines divided into 65 different parcels. The vineyard is planted with a total of 14 different grape varieties, each farmed organically. Wines of the domaine are generous and full-bodied, with complex aromas and great length. Citadelle’s rosé, Le Châtaignier, is terrific— fresh and fruity and perfectly bone-dry. It’s aromatically intense, too, so be sure to drink it in a big glass. The beauty of this wine is that it also goes with just about everything…spring asparagus, burgers, roasted poultry, and of course, boullibasse.

Juliana Layla Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay 2014

The foggy mornings and chilly evenings of the Santa Maria Valley make for slow and even development of aromas and flavors in Chardonnay grapes. Santa Maria Valley is far away from the Disney-like atmosphere of Napa and Sonoma, where very often marketing budgets for wineries are greater than their investments in the product. In Santa Maria Valley, it’s all about the vineyards—right on edge of where grapes get ripe, but in the right hands home to some of the most exciting examples of Chardonnay I ever tasted. Juliana Layla Chardonnay is a lively, cool-climate wine, loaded with crisp green apple and pear fruit, kissed with just a touch of new wood. Its rich fruit is balanced by a firm, mineral acidity that leaves a long finish. There’s more wine than last year, but hurry, it won’t be around long

Lake Sonoma Winery Zinfandel 2012

Lake Sonoma Winery works within the most celebrated of sub-appellations of the Sonoma Valley. For Zin, they source from old vines in the very best terroir in California for the variety: the Dry Creek Valley. Winemakers Kat Adams and David Marchesi produced a delicious 2012 Zin—full-flavored yet balanced, redolent of baking spices and dark chocolate, loaded with jammy fruit with a hint of spice. Full bodied, the finish is strong and persists long after it’s gone.

Fiancetto Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Loam 2013

Ry Richards refined his hand-crafted, complex, vibrant Cabernet Sauvignon under the tutelage of Phil Titus at Chappellet Vineyards. At Fiancetto (Ry’s new brand) the goal was the same…to craft lush Cabernet with fine tannin that speaks to its place of origin. The Gravelly Loam cuvee comes from two well-drained vineyards on the valley floor, loaded with pebbles and gravel. That loam is key here; roots dig deep in poor soil, bringing terrific minerality and freshness to the grapes. The vineyard’s position on that floor also guarantees excellent sun exposure, allowing for superb concentration. The result is a knock-out Napa Cabernet, loaded with fresh, juicy red fruit—perfect with grilled beef or with just a hunk of cheese.

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