Every two months our subscribers receive two hand-picked wines. On the back of our notes about the wine, winery and Winemaker they find recipes that showcase each wine selection. Here are the six wines selected for our three October shipments. These wines are now available in our online store – enjoy!
Miles Pinot Selections ($70/shipment)
"All pinot, all the time" Click Here to join.
"Miles Selection" #1) Barham Mendelsohn ’04 Pinot, $42
A nice blackberry note adds depth and complexity to this wine’s ample cherriosity. I love its aromatic suggestion of warm, moist country earth. This wine begs for lamb or mushrooms or anything with truffle oil, fresh herbs and a sauce that compliments its fruit. Juicy, balanced, full of ripe n’ lively fruit; it has an extended, creamy finish despite showing a tannic firmness that tells me it will age nicely for years to come. This wine is produced by famed Winemaker Jim Clendenen, of Au Bon Climat fame, and features the same clones used in his own Le Bon Climat pinot noir.
Food Pairing
This wine was paired with a recipe for grilled pork chops with dried cherries and pearl onions in a balsamic reduction. Serve beside truffle-oil mashed potatoes and happiness is near at hand. Want to receive our wine and recipes on a regular basis? Click Here to subscribe to Miles’ Pinot Selections!
"Miles Selection" #2) Imagine Wine, ’05 Reserve Pinot, Santa Rita Hills $35
This is a new winery for us, and one that has proven popular at the Tastes of the Valleys wine bar. This wine is their first pinot born of the esteemed Santa Rita Hills appelation, and it is true to type, with the elegant pinot characteristics one finds in this coolest of Santa Barbara appelations. SRH pinots tend to be complex, layered and prone to evolve over the course of the evening. Click Here to purchase.
Food Pairing
This wine was paired with a recipe for Veal Scallopine Marsala with Prosciutto. Want to receive our wine and recipes on a regular basis? Click Here to subscribe to Miles’ Pinot Selections!
Maya’s Selections ($50)
Subscribers receive one white and one red that reward cellaring, but are enjoyable now. Click Here to subscribe to the "Maya’s Selections" sampling program.
"Maya’s Selection" #1) William James 2004 Roussanne $24
Roussanne (roo SAHN), as with the other white varietals of the Rhône (Viognier and Marsanne), is similar to Chardonnay in only one way – they all tend to be full of body. A tad Zaftig, one might say. Rubenesque. This wine is no exception. Unlike Chardonnay, however, this wine reveals pear, honey and a hint of mango flavors in the mouth and nose that would turn your average chardonnay Verde with envy. Fermenting and aging in 100% French oak barrels and allowing complete malolactic fermentation adds to the rich and smooth mouthfeel. Click Here to purchase this wine.
Food Pairing
This lush white wine was paired with a chicken Caesar salad, whose sharp garlic is easily handled by this rich, complex wine. Want more wines and recipes? Click Here to subscribe to "Maya’s Selections" sampler program.
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"Maya’s Selection" #2) Clos Mimi 2005 Syrah "Petite Rousse" $22
I selected this wine knowing it would be controversial. It is different than most California Syrah – earthier, less bright fruit but with surprising depths of complexity. An amazing food wine (click here for info on great food wines) at a great price, but as a cocktail wine unlikely to dominate the discussion. Nonetheless, this is one of my favorite wines for the foods of fall. Just try a bottle, I think you’ll be back for more. Click Here to purchase.
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Food Pairing
I complimented the deep dark flavors of this wine with a tea-smoked duck recipe that you really should try at home! Want our wines and recipes on a regular basis? Click here to subscribe to Maya’s Selections.
"Jack’s Selections" ($30)
In the movie "Sideways", Jack was the character who enjoyed a wine’s social aspect more than its esoteric qualities. In that vein, the crowd-pleasing wines selected for this sampling program are meant for immediate enjoyment. Click Here to subscribe.
"Jack’s Selection" #1) Nada Roja 2006 Sauvignon Blanc $16 Fresh, inviting aromas of melon, grapefruit, and spring blossoms lured me to take a sip, and then my my taste buds were tantalized with flirtatious flavors of stone fruits and grapefruit. Its body is as lean as a supermodel (albeit a well-fed one), its crisp acidity making my mouth water for more. As one would expect, its finish is clean and crisp but not short, lingering fondly like the memory of an old friend after a short visit. Only 500 cases produced. Click Here to purchase.
Food Suggestions
Club members received this wine paired with a recipe for Shrimp, grapefruit and avocado salad. Also pairs well with Thanksgiving dinner. Want a regular dose of our wine and recipes? Click Here to subscribe to the "Jack’s Selections" sampling program.
Jack’s Selection #2) Turchi 2005 Syrah, Santa Barbara County $14
Ever hear of the “black fruit and smoky charms” of a Côtes du Rhone? This wine expresses it in spades, along with a healthy mouthful of minerality. This wine evolves over the course of the evening, and is definitely a food wine, not a cocktail wine. The first surprise this bottle offers is the extent of its deep, rich and smoky flavors (look for crushed blackberries & cherries, toasty earthiness and a hint of bacon-fat). Its second surprise is its most affordable tariff – just $15.
Food Suggestion
Club members received this wine paired with a recipe for Charred Eggplant Salad. Want more of our wine and recipe recommendations? Subscribe to Jack’s Selections here, and receive them every two months.
Cheers!
Dave Chambers, Wine Merchant
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