As you may know we have made it a practice for almost forty years to put small quantities of exceptional wines into "George's Cellar" immediately upon receiving them from the producer. There they lie at a perfect 55° for years and years. We do not promote our Cellar Wines, but instead have them available for our regular customers who may be looking for a special wine for a special occasion.

 

A rare opportunity has presented itself: While recently doing a physical inventory of our Cellar we (happily) discovered that we had duplicated a few wines. Bottom line, we have twice as many bottles as we intended - a cash flow nightmare! George has issued a mandate to price these overstocks to sell quickly. Watch this space over the next several weeks for George's Cellar Clearance. These exceptional wines are in limited supply and we reserve the right to limit quantities sold to any individual. A different wine will be offered each week.

 

Our first Cellar special: Chateau Haut Brion 1995. This exceptional Bordeaux received 96 points from Robert Parker with this review: "This wine has been brilliant on every occasion I have tasted it. More accessible and forward than the 1996, it possesses a saturated ruby/purple color, as well as a beautiful, knock-out set of aromatics, consisting of black fruits, vanillin, spice, and wood-fire smoke. Multidimensional and rich, with layers of ripe fruit, and beautifully integrated tannin and acidity, this medium to full-bodied wine is a graceful, seamless, exceptional Haut-Brion that should drink surprisingly well young. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2030." Wine Spectator just retasted the 1995 and 1996 Bordeauxs and gave it 95 points and said "Sweet tobacco, blackberries and violets on the nose. Subtle. Full-bodied and very tight, with fantastic tannins and a long caressing finish. Wonderful texture. All in reserve still. Give this time.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2010." Available at auctions for over $400, we're willing to part with it for only $299.97! This may just be the best price in the country!

 

CHATEAU HAUT BRION 1995, Bordeaux $299.97 (regularly $399.97)

These three wonderful French wines are now available, each unique in its own way and each worth a try! Described in order of increasing weight or depth, they are Bruno Clair's 2005 Marsannay, Vincent Dauvissat's 2006 Premier Cru Vaillons Chablis and Jean-Michel Parce's 2006 Banyuls 'Rimage'.

 

Bruno Clair Marsannay 2005 Clive Coates describes Bruno Clair as the "best cellar in the village" of Marsannay, which is located at the northernmost tip of the Côte de Nuits. The domaine is one of the finest in Burgundy, and this vigneron is one to watch in the future. His Marsannay Blanc is produced from equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Gris planted in 1978. It has a peachy nose, with flavors of nuts and bananas. It is ripe but not too ripe, very well-balanced. The finish is stony and mineral with some golden delicious apples at the end. 

 

 

Vincent Dauvissat Vaillons Chablis premier cru 2006 Dauvissat's Burgundies are true classics, with the steely bite characteristic of Chablis and, as Stephen Tanzer puts it, "intensely flavored, both accurate to [its] terroir and long on personality." Vincent Dauvissat and his father Rene farm almost 23 acres of Premier Cru vineyards in Chablis, with 4.5 in Vaillons. Tanzer gave this wine 90-92 points, saying it has "Pure, vibrant aromas of ginger, quinine, lemon and flowers. Dense, ripe and supple, with lovely intensity and cut to the flavors of citrus fruit, minerals and flowers. This has an exhilarating sugar/acid balance. The bracing, persistent finish features citrus zest and tangerine." 

 

Domaine du Mas Blanc Banyuls 'Rimage' 2006 Domaine du Mas Blanc consists of 18 acres and the Parcé family has been in the region since 1625. Famous for their intense, port-like Banyuls, they are located in the south of France, bordering the Mediterranean Sea and just north of the Spanish border, where terraces of schist rise high above the sea, reaching up to 1100 feet. The region is baked by the summer sun, but tempered by the mistral and tramontane winds. Like all of its appellation, their Banyuls must legally be 90% or more Grenache, and this one is labeled "Rimage" to signify early-bottling. The grapes are farmed following organic methods, and the wines are bottled without fining or filtering. This wonderful delicate dessert wine is France's answer to vintage port, with a toasty and nutty fragrance and typical flavors of gingerbread, very spicy, with dried cherry. It has a beautiful balance of tannins and acidity with some black pepper, chocolate and cherries on the finish. Robert Parker gave the previous vintage 92 points and said that the Banyuls of Domaine du Mas Blanc "must be tasted to be believed. These are true rarities, available only in limited quantities."

 

BRUNO CLAIR MARSANNAY 2005, France $29.97 (regularly $31.95)

VINCENT DAUVISSAT VAILLONS CHABLIS PREMIER CRU 2006, France $42.97 (regularly $49.95)

DOMAINE DU MAS BLANC BANYULS 'RIMAGE' 2006, France $21.97/375 ml (regularly $25.95)

Two things I should confess: first, I like gadgets, but second, I can be thrifty if not downright cheap about some things. Yes, corkscrews can vary tremendously, but I had been happy with my "rabbit-type" model until it broke. Further, I could never understand someone paying over $150 for a Laguiole waiter's corkscrew that wasn't even Teflon-coated. How much better (aside from its admittedly cool looks) could this Screwpull 400 be than the $25 - $50 lever corkscrews? But then Barbara brought home a sample and I tried it. And the cork came out so fast and so easily, I had to try it again. And then once more. This is one of the best devices I have in my home. I swear, every time I use it, I can't help smiling at how well it works. Synthetic corks (which broke my rabbit-style lever model), long corks, composite corks - they all pop out and then pop off the corkscrew when I want them to. But $129.97 for a corkscrew? Here's my view: First, this is the best price I've seen, including multiple websites. More important, what is wine, but something to enjoy? My goal is to enjoy each and every aspect of it, from opening it to the glasses I pour it into, as well as its flavor and the people I share it with. Starting with this engineering masterpiece (and I'm really not exaggerating) means I start with ease and elegance. Besides, amortized over the number of bottles we drink per year (I'll let you guess), it isn't that much per "pop". And what a satisfying "pop" it is! (Special guest product reviewer, Ben Rooks)

 

SCREWPULL LEVER MODEL 400 $129.97 (regularly $149.95)

This is a delightful Merlot from the Pays d'Oc region in the south of France. Dulong was founded in 1873 and has been a wine merchant and negociant for over 5 generations. They produce a range of wines, from big Bordeaux to easy-sipping and party-perfect, and this one, under their 'Jardinale' label, is really a find. The colorful label is their way of saying this one is a "sun-drenched" wine ready for easy enjoyment. It offers a rich and complex bouquet and loads of blackcurrant flavors with a well-balanced and soft, persistent finish.

 

There are so many great blue cheeses, more than just Stilton or Roquefort, the kings of the blues! From creamy to crumbly and tangy, we invite you to taste a wide range and see all the fun and interesting ways you can incorporate blues into some delicious recipes. Two of our favorite blues to be featured this Saturday are, shall we say, the Saints of the Blues!

 

St. Agur Blue ($22.97/lb Reg. $24.99) from France is trés delicieux, trés elegant, medium strong, creamy blue cheese, made from cow's milk in Auvergne, fabulous with big reds.

 

St. Pete's Blue ($11.97/lb Reg. $12.99) is an All-American. Legend holds that the first blue cheese was born in the natural caves of France where ideal humidity and temperature conditions allowed native blue green molds to flourish. That tradition lives on at Faribault Dairy Company, where every handmade batch of award winning St. Pete's Select™ blue cheese is aged in sandstone caves carved from the river bluffs overlooking Faribault, MN. Very cool! St. Pete's is really good blue cheese! Taste it this Saturday from 11-5 in our tasting room. (mary)

Join us on Thursday evening, April 3, for a free tasting of kosher wines, just in time for your Passover celebration. Kosher wine today means much more than Manischewitz - it's white and red, sweet and dry, and countries all over the world are making quality wines that just happen to be kosher. Stop by and try some!

 

4/3 THU- 5:30-7:30, FREE

Join us for a fun and creative cocktail tasting seminar led by accomplished mixologists. We'll show you how to make a variety of tasty springtime cocktails, including the French Riviera, Ginger Gimlet, Mango Margarita and Lemongrass Mojito. We'll use a variety of spirits, fruits and spices to help you mix it up as we move into warmer weather. Enjoy this opportunity to taste some new recipes and expand your cocktail repertoire!

 

4/24 THU 6:30 - 8 pm $25 per person CAP Members (regularly $35)

 

Get Into The Blues. There's so much more to great blue cheese than Stilton (one of the best!). From creamy to dried and tangy, we'll show you a wide range and different uses. Our wine selection today will also include several wines picked to pair with the blues. Beer with blue cheese? Sure! We show you how. Welcome back our friends from North Shore Distillery, sample their vodka and gin.

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.