Vincent Girardin concentrates on the lesser-known appellations of the Côte de Beaune, which offer spectacular bargains, but in the past few years has added a stunning array of premier cru and grand cru wines from the most famous appellations in the Côte d'Or. Having grown up in the wine world, he started on his own with just 2 hectares of vines in 1982 and has since expanded to 25 hectares. He recently relocated to a new, state-of-the-art facility in Meursault. The grapes are 100% destemmed, and cuvaison lasts 27-30 days, followed by elevage in barrel, from 60-80% new oak for premiers crus to 100% for the grands crus. The wines are neither filtered nor fined, and have always been 100% estate bottled. Vincent Girardin's wines exhibit excellent ripe fruit, supple, velvet texture, concentration and vibrancy. From the excellent 2005 vintage, the rich fruit and fragrant toasty oak are beautifully balanced, creating elegant and complex Burgundies that will last a decade.

 

"Emotion de Terroirs" is a Burgundy Appellation Pinot Noir dressed up in a fancy label: Rather than use the more old-fashioned "Bourgogne" designation on the front label, there's a modern image of crushed earth with the name in elaborate script. Made from 100% purchased grapes from Cote de Nuits vineyards, this wine has a deep color, with lots of depth and class. On the nose, it's smoky and rustic while on the palate, there's black licorice and silky acidity. This one is very easy and grapey, very pure and elegant for a Bourgogne.

 

The Santenay Premier Cru Gravières offers a riper nose of forest floor and meaty bacon, with toasty, smoky fruit and some oak. It is juicy and intense, quite classy, with a beautifully balanced mint chocolate finish.

 

Lastly, the Volnay Premier Cru Santenots. This one offers minty and classy dark chocolate, sweet, luscious and very juicy fruit, with lots of lively acids. This wine has more power than the villages as well as more oak. There's bittersweet chocolate on the finish, with raisins covered in sugar and chocolate. Better than Raisinettes, to be sure.

Vincent Girardin "Emotion de Terroirs" 2005, Burgundy $23.97/750 ml (regularly: $27.95)

Vincent Girardin Santenay Premier Cru Gravieres 2005, Burgundy $36.97/750 ml (regularly: $44.95)

Vincent Girardin Volnay Premier Cru Santenots 2005, Burgundy $54.97/750 ml (regularly: $64.95)

We're thrilled to be able to offer this brand-new release from a new winery, Roberts + Rogers. Their vineyards are located on Howell Mountain, northeast of St. Helena, above the Silverado Trail, with the Napa Valley to the west and Pope Valley to the east. With its high elevations, the mountain avoids the influence of fog that blankets the valley floor beneath, creating a climate that is cooler than most of Napa Valley during the day, but warmer at night. Because of this, Howell Mountain grapes have a character distinct from those grown on the Napa Valley floor, and have led to the region being recognized in 1983 as Napa Valley's first sub-appellation. According to the winery, the wine has aromas of the classic Howell Mountain black cherry, blackberry and plum hints which are intertwined with subtle oak nuances. The tannins are long and velvety which are especially present in the wines mid-structure. As their winemaker Barry Gnekow states "This is a big wine to be enjoyed with only the heartiest of fare! Or, if you are like me, by itself with a nice sunset in front of you." And as Sterling says, "It was great." Now, while you might not trust our Wine Director, you've got to trust Roberts + Rogers' winemaker: he's been the winemaker for Calistoga Cellars since their beginnings, and we all know how consistently good their wines are. You're going to need a decanter for this one! This wine is best when it has breathed before being enjoyed.

Roberts + Rogers Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, Napa CAP $74.97/750 ml (regularly: $99.95)

Just in time for the fall weather, one of our favorite Cotes du Rhones has returned. This spicy Grenache-based red is big and full of rich raspberry backed with strong tannins. Known mostly for its Muscat dessert wines, this particular village is one of the up and coming producers in the Rhone today.

Chapelle Notre Dame Beaumes de Venise 2006, Cotes du Rhone $10.97/750 ml, $131.64/case (regularly: $13.95)

A big new Aussie treat on our shelves is Rick Burge's 2004 Clochemerle. Located in the Barossa Valley, this small family owned wine business was established in 1928 and makes estate grown wines from a 10 hectare vineyard. Focusing on low yielding, high quality crops, the resulting wines continue to receive critical acclaim within Australia and overseas, with demand constantly outstripping supply. Robert Parker gave this wine a whopping 93 points and said "The 2004 Clochemerle, an Australian version of Chateauneuf du Pape, is a blend of 48% Grenache, 38% Mourvedre, 12% Shiraz, and a dollop of Cabernet Sauvignon. This extraordinarily elegant, fruity, full-bodied red offers notes of sweet cherries, licorice, and strawberry jam. Light on its feet with tremendous definition and purity as well as striking finesse and harmony, it tips the scales at only 14% alcohol, which is low for the vintage and for this area of Barossa. Consume it over the next 7-8 years." Demand will definitely outstrip our limited supply, so please call or e-mail to request some today, mate!

Burge Family Clochemerle 2004, Australia $32.95/750 ml, $355.86/case (save 10%)

 Join us this Saturday as our weekly tasting becomes a fiesta! We'll be featuring Spanish wines poured by Robert Houde from Garnacha as well as Spanish cheeses and other delicious deli items. To keep us grounded, we'll also taste Zen Green Tea Liquer - made from green tea leaves from Kyoto, Japan. While we wouldn't exactly go so far as to call it a health drink at 20% alcohol, we really appreciated its delicate green color, aromatic nose, and subtle balance of flavors. Come see for yourself. We'll also be pouring a selection of some of our favorite whites and reds perfect for Fall weather. As always, the Saturday tastings take place 11:00-5:00 and are free. Hope to see you there!

Now's the time to sign up for our November class on Elegant Pairings - Food & Wine. This special Third Thursday class will feature an extensive multi-course snacking menu from our deli with fine wines to match. We'll also focus on just what to do when pairing food and wine for more complicated meals: do you serve different wines with each course or offer the same white and red throughout the entire meal; do you compliment or contrast the dominant flavors; do you aim for the wine to stand out more than the food or vice versa? Space will be extremely limited, so please call to sign up - (847) 673-5711. Payment in advance is required.

Thursday, November 15 from 6:30-7:45 p.m., CAP $25 ($30 non-CAP members). Call (847) 673-5711 to register.

That's all for this week. If we may be of any further service, please stop by our store at 9965 Gross Point Road in Skokie (for directions, click here), visit our website at http://www.schaefers.com, give us a call at 847-677-WINE (9463), 800-833-WINE (9463), or click here to contact us.