WEIMAX
NEWSLETTER
Newsletter
One
of the greatest comments about wine was made by James Thurber:
It's a nave domestic
Burgundy
without any breeding, but I think you'll be amused by its presumption.
CLICK
HERE TO HAVE A LOOK AT THE NEWSLETTER
WEIMAX
BEST BUYS
Some
people seem surprised when we tell them we spend a lot of time and effort to
taste, evaluate and select the wines we bring in to the shop.
Apparently the surprise comes because most wine businesses don't bother,
relying on mysterious numerical scores or, apparently, a dart board to make
their selections.
We look for connoisseur-quality wines at everyday prices. You'll find
good value!
Gerald
Ellen
John
Abinav
HENRI
BOURGEOIS "Petit Bourgeois" SAUVIGNON BLANC $12.99 v
The Bourgeois family offer this outstanding Sauvignon from vineyards
in the Central Loire Valley of France.
It's crisp, zesty, lemony....think of it as a scaled down version of
Sancerre.
ATALAYA
"LAYA" SPANISH RED
SALE $7.99
Garnacha Tintorera is the main grape, along with Monastrell.
The resulting wine is dark in color, nicely berryish and remarkably full,
yet supple.
Don't miss this.
QUINTA DA AVELEDA $8.99 v
A
blend of Loureiro and Alvarinho, this is a fresh, crisp, faintly spritzy dry
white that's ideal as an aperitif, but it also pairs well with seafood...fried
calamari, grilled prawns, etc.
DOMAINE DUFFOUR GASCONY WHITE
$9.99
Colombard and Gros Manseng in this new bottling from Michel Duffour
& family...no oak to the crisp and light dry white.
Hints of citrus...This is a brilliant wine and one of the best Cotes de Gascogne
on the market.
If you enjoy non-wooded New Zealand Sauvignons, for example, or fresh Pinot
Grigio, do consider this.
It's a thoroughly delicious bottle which tastes great and nobody guesses it to
be $9.99.
Winemaker Michel Duffour...a Gascogne Meister!
ROQUEVALE COZINHA VELHA Sale $5.99
This is a terrific little red wine made in Portugal...
It's a blend of three varieties: Aragonez, Trincadeira and Castelão.
Medium bodied. No oak. Mild dark fruit notes. Fairly smooth
and dry.
BLISS Mendocino SAUVIGNON BLANC $10.99
When we looked to replace a California brand that had been swallowed up
by a big drinks company, we tasted a few candidates. One had greater
pedigree and would be easier to sell based on its label and the perceived value
of its more prestigious appellation, but we chose this because it is the higher
quality wine.
Mildly citrusy with good varietal character.
IL POGGIO SANGIOVESE SALE $7.99
This comes from vineyards in Emilia-Romagna and the vineyards are pushed
for quantity, producing a well-priced, light Sangiovese that's the definition of
a "Spaghetti Red." And from Emilia-Romagna, you'd have a
Bolognese sauce on that pasta.
FORAL "DOURO VALLEY" RED WINE Sale $5.99
The Wine Enthusiast publication listed this as costing $15 (and they
gave it a nice review)...not sure where they shop for wine, but if you come to
Weimax, this is a mere six bucks.
It's a medium-full bodied red with dark fruit notes and no oak.
Douro Valley red for this price is a remarkable value.
LE LOUP DANS LA BERGERIE French Red $11.99
From the Orliac family in France's Languedoc, this is a delightful
blend of Grenache, Syrah and Merlot. It
resembles many good Southern Rhone reds but the price is a bit more reasonable
than you'll generally find.
Berryish
and smooth...pairs well with roasted chicken to beef or lamb...
DR. L RIESLING Sale $10.99
From Germany's Mosel region comes this nice little entry-level Riesling.
Dr. Ernst Loosen makes many fancy wines and they cost a lot more, so this is his
idea to encourage people to discover Riesling and then "trade up."
MARITMA TUSCAN SANGIOVESE $8.99
The label depicts four old codgers sitting on a bench.
They're likely discussing the results of last nights calcio (soccer)
match, the latest skuttlebutt regarding Italy's political leadership or, more
likely, what they had for lunch earlier in the day.
This comes from southwest Toscana and it's a cherryish, fruity Sangiovese that's
young and intended for immediate drinking.
That's a good thing, because those old boys on the label no longer put wine in
the cellar to drink in another ten years.
UNDERWOOD Oregon PINOT NOIR Sale $9.99
We have been looking for a good, inexpensive Pinot Noir and Underwood
has now been our pick for several vintages. It's not fancy, but you can
take a sniff and easily peg this as being Pinot Noir.,
It's a medium-light bodied red, smooth and you.
DOMAINE DES GUIDOIRS MUSCADET SALE $10.99
We've had a good, entry level Muscadet in the shop for perhaps 25 to 30 vintages. It's well-priced and it's fresh, dry and a good entry-level
version of Melon de Bourgogne, the grape of the Muscadet appellation.
We routinely show this to people who want something light and crisp but they
typically misread the label.
"Muscadet? I don't want anything sweet." they say, misreading it
as Muscat.
"No, it's dry. Muscadet is made of Melon de Bourgogne."
"But I don't like Muscat. It's too sweet."
"No, it's not made of Muscat. It's Muscadet from the Loire Valley in
France!"
"Yes, but I don't want anything that's fruity like Muscat."
"Never mind."
DOMITIA PICPOUL DE PINET $13.99
Here's "the Muscadet of the South" of France.
The grape is called Picpoul or "lip stinger" in the local patois.
It's a bone dry, crisp little white that never sees an oak barrel.
There's a modest oyster industry not far from where these grapes are grown...a
fortuitous dynamic as the wine pairs handsomely with shellfish.
TAMELLINI SOAVE $14.99
Soave is not exactly the sort of wine that causes one to say
"Wow!"
The most famous wineries make perfectly "nice" wines but we've never
been blown away to the point of excitement.
We tasted this in Italy in April of 2017 and it was shockingly good.
And now that's it's arrived here we're delighted to say it's still remarkably
good.
We've opened several bottles and ordered one in a restaurant where it was also
damned good.
The wine is made entirely of the Garganega grape. The Tamellini brothers
don't water it down with Trebbiano.
No oak. Intense peach and melon-like fruit. Far more aromatic and
flavorful than a similarly-priced (or far more costly) Pinot Grigio.
CHÂTEAU LA CROIX CALENDREAU Sold Out Presently
The fellow who owns this estate is the proprietor of another vineyard
and he calls them both using the La Croix Calendreau name.
Sure, go ahead and confuse the hell out of people.
The expensive wine is made in the appellation of Saint Emilion.
The more affordable bottling, this one, comes from a smallish estate just
outside St. Emilion, so the wine carries the less-costly (typically)
"Bordeaux" appellation.
This one is designated as a Bordeaux Supérieur. That doesn't mean much,
other than the wine must be a minimum of 10.5% alcohol (as opposed to 10% for
basic Bordeaux), slightly older vines (is 10 years really that old?) and it must
be matured slightly longer.
Never mind these label intricacies, the thing is this is a nice, gentle, supple
red wine made entirely of Merlot.
It's not fancy, though some may be impressed by it's label, but it's nicely
drinkable and doesn't require cellaring.
DISTRICT 7 Monterey County PINOT NOIR $12.99
This is not a wine out of the movies called The Hunger Games.
District 7 refers to California's State Agriculture Department's regional
categories of which Monterey is Dictrict 7.
LA
CABOTTE COTES-DU-RHONE SALE $12.50
The Southern Rhone can be a treasure trove of good values.
Lots of dark fruit notes to this medium+-bodied Grenache-based red.
BADIA
DI MORRONA CHIANTI
SALE $12.99
Once
the site of a monastery, this delightful Chianti comes from a vineyard not too
far from Pisa.
Lots of cherryish Sangiovese to this medium-bodied, supple red.
VIU MANENT SAUVIGNON BLANC SALE $8.99
This wine displays more intense character of Sauvignon Blanc than many
$25 bottles from Napa.
That's because these guys treat the vines with more respect and still turn out a
wine with a modest price tag.
It's dry, citrusy and has lots of herbal Sauvignon character...too much for some
people, in fact.
FIRE ROAD New Zealand 2018 SAUVIGNON BLANC
$11.99
Lots of classic, citrusy, grapefruity Kiwi Sauvignon in this
"Best Buy" bottling.
This has all sorts of fragrances and flavors typical of New Zealand Sauvignon
except it's affordable.
TOPO Portuguese Red Blend $9.99
From Casa Santos Lima, a terrific value-driven
winery north of Lisbon comes this delightful blend featuring Castelão, Tinta Roriz,
Touriga Franca and Syrah.
They do a day of pre-fermentation "cold soaking" and then leave the
juice in contact with the skins following the fermentation to extract the
maximum color and character possible.
Some of the wine then goes into oak barrels and the resulting wine is big, dark
and impressively intense. There's dark fruit fragrances and flavors with
just a touch of oak. And it's just ten bucks!
CASE IBIDINI NERO D'AVOLA
SALE
$14.99
Sicily's Nero d'Avola is vinified in a light, snappy style without wood. Some
Nero wines are made especially for the American market...oaky, a touch of
sweetness, low acidity and no tannin.
This wine is made to be drinkable in its youth, whether your American or Italian
or Martian.
The wine is along the lines of a Beaujolais.
We chill this and put it on the dinner table in place of a Sangiovese.
Pizza...sausages...lasagna, etc.
CLOS DES LUMIÈRES CÔTES du RHÔNE BLANC $12.99
Most Southern Rhône whites are made primarily of Grenache Blanc, but
this one has a fair bit of Viognier.
It displays the peach and apricot notes of Viognier and is absolutely delicious.
CHARAMBA Reserva Douro RED SALE $7.99
We now have the "reserve" bottling of this remarkable
Portuguese value-priced wine.
Having sold the regular bottling for many years, we were skeptical as to whether
or not this was the same wine with just a new label and slightly higher price.
No, in fact, we found this to be a bit bigger and deeper and it's well worth the
modest price increase.
CHATEAU LESTRILLE CAPMARTIN Entre-Deux-Mers 12.99
This is a beautifully fresh, mildly citrusy white Bordeaux...dry and
crisp, it's primarily Sauvignon Blanc blended with a small amount of Muscadelle.
Perfect seafood white!
Estelle in the Cellar at Lestrille Capmartin...she's making some great wines
and they're sensibly priced...
FORNAS Italian PINOT GRIGIO
$9.99 v
The Bidoli family makes wine near the famous Prosciutto town of San
Daniele in Italy's Friuli.
Winemaker Arrigo Bidoli is quite proficient in the cellar and he and his sister
(Margherita) make wine for "wine drinkers," not collectors or wine
geeks.
The label is called "Fornas" these days as they bought an old brick
factory (a furnace) and converted it into a winery.
Fresh notes of apples and pears on the nose and the wine is dry and zesty on the
palate.
QUENARD CHIGNIN $16.99
Made entirely of the Jacquère grape, this comes from the French Alps
and it's a full-flavored, non-oaked dry white...a great aperitif white and it
partners handsomely with seafood.
Winemaker Jean-Francois Quénard in his tasting room in the village of
Chignin.
VILLA PILLO "BORGOFORTE" $11.99
v
Most Tuscan Sangiovese wines which are blended with Cabernet cost a
small fortune. This Super Tuscan has
long been a favorite and for good reason. It
tastes expensive!
The cellar at Villa Pillo...a beautiful vineyard and lovely winery!
LAMBLIN BOURGOGNE BLANC (CHARDONNAY) SALE
$15.99
From a smallish Chablis house, here's a crisp, tangy, non-oaked
Chardonnay. Zesty & lemony.
The 2019 arrived recently and it's delicious!
It seems a bit softer than the 2018...
BODEGAS LAN RIOJA Crianza
SALE
11.99
Spain's Tempranillo grape shines brightly in the Rioja region...a touch
of oak and nice red fruit.
Tasting at the Lan cellar in Rioja...
TRENTADUE "OLD PATCH RED" SALE
$11.99
From Sonoma's Alexander Valley we have a really good Zinfandel-based
blend (Geyserville area).
There's a bit of Carignane, Petite Sirah and Merlot in this year's bottling.
PEDRONCELLI
FRIENDS.RED SALE $9.99
Merlot, Zinfandel and Cabernet Franc...Sonoma fruit.
Very amiable, as it should be.
And they now have a Friends White Wine!
It's a nice little blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Gewurztraminer to giving it some fragrance and spice. Dry. Nice.
GOTA DE
ARENA TEMPRANILLO $8.99
This a terrific Spanish red.
It comes from head-trained vineyards and it's a smooth Tempranillo that's
matured in French and American oak...
There's a nice woodsy element here.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
.
..
AALTO KILLER SPANISH RED Sale
$54.99
We have had several vintages of Aalto, a remarkable Tempranillo from
Spain's Ribera del Duero. Made from
40 to 100 year old vines and aged in a high percentage of new French and
American oak barrels, this wine casts a shadow over many top Bordeaux and Napa
Cabernets. If you liked the 2010 or
2011, this will surely please. Black
fruits, cedar...it just needs a steak!
.
.
SOALHEIRO ALVARINHO
$24.99 v
One of the finest versions of the Alvarinho (Albariño in Spain),
Soalheiro's captures beautifully peachy notes with a mildly stony quality.
It's a stellar bottle to pair with seafood.
LA
RIOJA ALTA "VIÑA ALBERDI" Sale $19.99
Made entirely of Tempranillo, this nicely oaked Rioja
displays the classic notes of dill, cedar and vanilla bean in a medium-bodied
red that's ready to drink.
Their Ardanza (Sale $34.99) is from the 2012 vintage and is even more
exceptional.
I visited the winery a few months ago and the place is impressive.
But the wines are impressive, too, and they arrive here at remarkably attractive
prices.
GUIGAL ST. JOSEPH "Vignes de
L'Hospice" SALE $109.99
If you're looking for a special bottle that justifies its $100 price
tag, here it is. The vines range in age from 20 years on the young side to
80 on the other...Granite soils...The vineyard was previously owned by Grippat
and Vallouit, the former a legendary Syrah producer. A stylish Syrah
with nice oak and fruit. We've described this as "Bordeaux meets The
Rhone," as the nice oak here is certainly a feature of modern winemaking,
but there's a nice element of Syrah and its inherent complexities.
This wine normally retails for $135 and we're offering it at a near wholesale
price simply to say "thanks" to our regular customers.
SCHÄFER-FRÖHLICH 2011
BOCKENAUER RIESLING $31.99 v
From Germany's Nahe region, treat yourself to this when next visiting a Dim Sum
parlor...off dry and yet so crisp and fine. Ask Kareasa.
Tim Schäfer was tabbed "Winemaker of the Year" by the Gaullt-Millau
German Wine Guide in 2010.
We're betting he'll be the first to win this award twice, as his wines are the
epitome of finesse.
We love the snappy acidity of Schäfer-Frölich wines. Wine critics
sometimes describe a wine as "energetic." Taste one of these and
you'll understand what they mean!
BRŰNDLMAYER'S SEKT Sale $49.99
It comes from Austria, not France's Champagne district, but my, oh my!,
this is remarkable. It gives good
Champagne a run for the money.
I had tasted their bubbly some years ago...perfectly fine. Standard.
Good, but not compelling.
And then something has happened...
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as the base, with bits & pieces of Gruner
Veltliner, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris.
More time on the spent yeast accounts for a marvelously toasty quality in the
direction of Champagne, but with those other varieties you have a bit of a
twist.
It's complex and really good.
German wine authority Stuart Pigott is quoted as saying it's the best bubbly in
the German-speaking wine world.
TORRE DEL CONDE DE HERVIAS
2011 RIOJA $45.99 v
This is a small estate which has very old vines...vineyards which
were planted ages ago and, due to the very sandy soils, never had been hit by
the root louse, phylloxera. The "young" vines on this property
are 80 years old and the seniors are said to be 140 years of age!
I tasted a few wines of this vintner and liked the Torre del Conde de Hervias,
despite it being their "second" wine. I thought it tasted more
like a good Spanish red and it was well-priced for the quality. It's remarkably
intense and rather robust...aged in some new oak barrels.
Some French oak and some American. It's 90% Tempranillo with 10%
Graciano. Wow!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
GOOD VALUE BUBBLIES
VITTEAUT-ALBERTI Cuvee
Agnes
Cremant de Bourgogne $23.99 v
Made in Burgundy by a sparkling wine specialist, this, their top
cuvee, offers a marvelously toasty, creamy character.
That photo is of Agnes, whose name is on the family's top cuvee of bubbly.
We've enjoyed this wine on a number of occasions, but tasting it alongside of
bottles from Champagne, I've been surprised at how well this shows!
ALLIMANT LAUGNER
Cremant d'Alsace Brut Rose $19.99 v
With just a faintly pink color, this Pinot Noir-based bubbly outsells
our California bubblies and Prosecco's.
Monsieur Laugner is a fan of good Champagnes, so he's been making his own
bottle-fermented, dry bubbly for many years.
It remains reasonably priced and of good quality!
SORELLE
BRONCA PROSECCO Sale $18.99
Fresh, crisp, "white flowers" and dry.
The Bronca sisters (le sorelle) grow good grapes on the hills near the
winery in Colbertaldo. They process the fruit at harvest-time and keep it
chilled and ready to vinify. When our importer places his orders during
the course of the year, the ferment the juice and turn it into bubbly.
This explains why their wine is SO Good.
It retains the fragrance of white flowers highlighted with pear-like fruit.
Antonella's husband, Piero.
Yes...they actually work in the vineyards and cellar!!!
And they make really good Prosecco...lots of character and we sell their wines
at a sale price.
Antonella and her sister are also proponents of organic farming.
********************************************
SMITH-WOODHOUSE 2008 LBV PORTO
Sale $33.99
Bottled without being filtered, this wine resembles good
Vintage Port, but at a much more reasonable price.
It is best decanted. It's a
great match for Stilton cheese, chocolates or simply as a 'fireplace' wine.
Smith Woodhouse is made by the British Port Mafia, the Symington Family.
They also own a bunch of good brands, including Graham's, Warres, Dow's and the
recently-acquired Cockburns.
BACK
TO OUR HOME PAGE
