Aperitivo Cappelletti

$19.99 – SOLD OUT

Known locally as “Specialino,” the Aperitivo Cappelletti may be the oldest style of classic red bitter still in production. Made from a traditional wine base of predominately Trebbiano, Cappelletti is less sweet than its larger commercial rivals and has a delightfully dry finish with bitter citrus undertones perfect for mixing with sparkling wine. It still uses natural Carmine (Cochineal) for color, long prized in garments, food and drink. This beautifully deep crimson red is a great source of pride (and wealth) for the region.

The “Spritz” – a drink combination of red bitter with sparkling wine and a slice of orange, shares a history with Cappelletti in the Triveneto. Legend has it that the Emperor Franz Ferdinand had enjoyed the bitter and sour notes when combining citrus with certain wines. During WWI, soldiers of the Austrian Empire would order the Spritz to add depth to the local bubbly. Although locals would counter that the Austrians could not handle the local bitter aperitivi without some dilution.

Try it mixed with Cava VallDolina ($18.99) for a refreshing start to your next dinner party or while hanging out and watching old Fellini movies.

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Posted on 2014.02.21 in Aperitivi, Italy  |  Read more...

Quality and Value from Burgundy at Close-out Prices

Price: $33/bottle or special six-pack discount of $179 SOLD OUT

We’ve uncovered a very limited amount of 2011 Domaine Tupinier-Bautista Mercurey Vieilles Vignes (~375 cases annual production) and 2011 Domaine Tupinier-Bautista Mercurey Premier Cru Les Vellées (~130 cases annual production) and are offering them at close-out prices.

These wines cover both the quality and value aspects of Côte Chalonnaise as well as underscore the particulars of the vintage. The fruit for both wines is grown in clay and limestone, hand-harvested and hand-sorted before a 15 day tank vinification and 12 months of aging in oak barrels. Both show pretty cherry fruit and firm acidity on top a backbone of fine tannins. The main difference between the two is a slight increase in concentration and wood tannins in the Premier Cru, as one would expect given the choicer real estate.

The Tupinier family has been growing fruit in the vineyards of Mercurey since 1770. In 1997, Spanish-born Manu Bautista succeeded his stepfather, Jacques Tupinier, to continue producing Burgundy using traditional methods but with the spirit of a new generation.

The Côte-d’Or gets the honor of being the most significant region in Burgundy for good reason. But with prices rising due to a string of low-yielding vintages and high demand, Burgundy enthusiasts are wise to diversify their consumption to cover the entire region (including Beaujolais, but we’ll talk about that in another email).

Wines from Côte Chalonnaise are considered more rustic than those from their northern neighbors in the Côte d’Or, yet their early drinkability and generally lower prices make them extremely useful. Mercurey is, by far, the most important appellation in Côte Chalonnaise. And the consistency of the wines produced in Mercurey make them a good bet even in off years.

Not that 2011 is an off year. While not quite on the level of 2009, 2011 still ranks among the best vintages in Burgundy of the last decade. Most winemakers call it a “nice surprise”, producing red wines that have developed extra structure in barrel. The distinction of the 2011 is early-picked grapes yielding ripe, but not over-ripe flavors, for wines full of charm and mellow fruit. These are wines to drink and enjoy relatively young in most cases, with supple tannins and moderate concentration.

We suggest purchasing a six pack of each wine and drinking one or two Vieilles Vignes a year until gone and then starting in on the Les Vellées Premier Cru. Although both wines will also reward the impatient drinker, especially if there is a roast duck in the mix.

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Posted on 2014.02.05 in Burgundy  |  Read more...

More Deep Discounts on Uncommon Wine and A Spanish Saturday Sips

The build-out at our new location is progressing rapidly and we are eager to open the doors to an improved version of Elie Wine Company. But don’t fret, even with the shiny new location we’re going to maintain that cozy atmosphere and personal experience you’ve come to know.

We’re still digging deep into our inventory to offer wines, some at over 50% off, that we just don’t want to move from Royal Oak to Birmingham.

Frankly, we couldn’t be more pleased with how the close-out wines are drinking. This past Saturday we opened a 1996 Domaine Chatelain Pouilly-Fumé Prestige that was as alive as any Sauvignon Blanc we’ve ever tasted, with aromas of chamomile and hot stones, and a razor-sharp finish. We also have some great deals on bottles from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France that are hitting their prime drinking window right now, and all full of dark fruits. There’s nothing like a warm climate Mediterranean red wine to help ease the pain of sub-zero temperatures.

These close-out wines aren’t some random bottles forgotten in a storage room — we don’t even have a storage room. One of the many aspects that set Elie Wine Co. apart is that we hold onto wines that we know will develop with some age. You won’t come across many wine shops where you can find a properly stored wine that was kept in its original container since its arrival in the U.S.

And that point segues perfectly into our next Saturday Sips. We’ll be sampling two ambitious Spanish wines that were purchased on release and that we just pulled from their crates. 2005 Clos Figueres Priorat is a highly-rated Garnatxa, Carinyena, Syrah, and Mourvedre blend from northeastern Spain that should be drinking ideally now but will also develop in the cellar through the next decade. 2003 6 Vinyes de Laurona is from D.O. Montsant, which almost completely surrounds Priorat, and makes the argument that Monsant wines can be just as powerful as those from Priorat. This small production blend of old vine Garnatxa and Carinyena is still brimming with fruit and the structure to back it up.

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Posted on 2014.01.22 in Saturday Sips Wines, Priorat DOQ, Montsant  |  Read more...

The Rare and Obscure Fruit Liqueurs of Laurent Cazottes

$69/bottle – SOLD OUT

We just received a handful of Wild Quince, Citron, and Folle Noire sweet liqueurs from the tiny production distillery run by rock star distiller Laurent Cazottes. He is France’s leading producer of artisan liqueurs and eau-de-vie. Whether it’s grapes, greengage plums, quinces or pears, each fruit is painstakingly pampered by hand. Cazottes retains only the “noble” parts of the fruit – the skin and flesh; stalks, calyxes, pips, stones or scabs are taken out manually to keep the pure concentration and aroma of the fruit intact. Today, Michel Bras (of Michelin three star Restaurant Bras) orders his citron liqueur exclusively from him and the national forests office of France has assigned to him personally the wild blueberries from Mont Lozère.

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Posted on 2013.12.23 in France, French Rarities  |  Read more...

An Outstanding Second Wine from Château Montrose (Saint-Estèphe)

$64 per bottle or special 6-pack discount for $360 SOLD OUT

This time of year might find you spending some time sledding down a hill, hitting the pond for a little ice skating, or even just shoveling the snow off your driveway. There’s nothing quite like returning to a warm house after spending a little time in the cold, all ruddy-cheeked and primed for a beverage.

Hot chocolate is okay. Or plan ahead and have a hot beef roast and a bottle of Bordeaux waiting for you after coming in from the cold.

2010 was a stellar year in Saint-Estèphe and produced wines of exceptional balance. It was particularly dry and relatively hot with climate characteristics similar to the great Bordeaux vintages of 1929, 1945, 1947, 1959, 1961, and 1989. These are wines that will develop in the cellar for decades yet because the wines of Saint-Estèphe generally have a slightly higher percentage of Merlot in the blend, the hard, tannic edge of the Cabernet Sauvignon is somewhat mitigated in their youth. Point being – we wouldn’t chastise you for opening a bottle before 2030. We’ve certainly consumed a goodly share of 2010 Bordeaux ourselves already.

Stop by the shop this Saturday for a taste of 2010 La Dame de Montrose, the second label of the second growth classified estate of Château Montrose. Château Montrose is a 95-hectare vineyard in one single block, unusual in the Medoc. Its name derives from the pink hue of the flowering heather covering the hillside near its location on gentle slopes of well-exposed gravel next to the Gironde, a vast body of water that helps regulate the impact of frost and blazing summer heat on the vineyard.

2010 La Dame de Montrose represents 36% of the production of Château Montrose and is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon and 36% Merlot. The fruit is hand-picked and sorted both in the vineyard and in the cellar. A famous wine pundit you’ve probably heard of is close to awarding Château Montrose’s first label wine a perfect score for the 2010 vintage, thus putting it out of reach of most drinkers. But you can still enjoy their second label, made with the same standards as the first label but ready for drinking a bit earlier.

We’ll also uncork one or two other wines from the 2010 vintage of Saint-Estèphe for comparison.

We will be open this Sunday from 12-5pm to take care of your last minute holiday wine needs.

Cheers!

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Posted on 2013.12.20 in France, Bordeaux, Saturday Sips Wines  |  Read more...

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