2005 Bordeaux from Ed Addiss

Dear Rene, It's not surprising to me that Ed Addiss' 2005 Château Chabiran was singled out by Dave McIntyre of The Washington Post last Wednesday. Our phones have been ringing off the hook with people in search of this wine. I've secured as much as I could for your drinking pleasure. This delicious 2005 Bordeaux is only $10.99. Yes, that's right. This is not a typo. Ed Addiss has scored again! Email or call us right away! You'll be glad you did. We are finalizing our Empson pre-sale order of Barolos and Barbarescos. If you have not yet placed your order, please take a moment to read through our offerings and call us by Friday, March 6 at noon. Priority orders will be given to those received by noon Wednesday. Doug Rosen 2005 Bordeaux from Ed Addiss There's never been a vintage like 2005 in Bordeaux. Nearly all critics consider it the best ever; better than 2000, better than 1982, even better than 1961 or 1945. Maybe that explains why last Wednesday's Washington Post article, "Aim for These Bordeaux, and You Can't Miss," generated so much excitement. Dave McIntyre's article wasn't about $500+ classified growths; it was about 2005 Bordeaux for the rest of us. Great wines from a great region from a great vintage that are $20 or less per bottle. Of the recommended wines, only one was called "Gorgeous", "Excellent", and a "Great Value:" the 2005 Château Chabiran Bordeaux Superieur, which, not surprisingly, is imported by our good friend Ed Addiss of Wine Traditions.  Our email promotion allows you to get this excellent, under $20, 2005 for considerably less: Only $10.99 per bottle by the case. You know the drill: Ed brings this from the château to Arrowine. He cuts out a middleman or two and you save! 2005 Château Chabiran, Bordeaux Superieur National price: $14.99 per bottle, Usual local price: $13.99 Our regular price: $12.99 per bottle 6 bottle special: $11.99 per bottle 12 bottle special: $10.99 per bottle  Château Chabiran is located near the appellation of Fronsac. Year in and year out it is one of the best buys in Bordeaux. Luckily, production is too small to have ever been reviewed by Parker or The Wine Spectator, otherwise we'd never see any. But the estate has been noticed; it's a favorite of wine professionals and novices alike. The property was singled out by Michel Rolland (the world's most famous winemaker) as one of the greatest Bordeaux Superieur properties. Though it's good every year, in 2005 it's great! This is how Dave McIntyre described it in the Washington Post: Two Stars (Excellent). A great value. Low yields and densely planted vineyards give this wine tremendous concentration. It is modern in style, with plum, cherry, cocoa and a hint of clove in the flavor mix and soft, grippy tannins on the finish. Gorgeous. Don't wait. Order soon. This is a small Château and there is limited wine. As The Post said: "...in the under-$20 range, we don't have to worry about the drama. We just need to worry about availability, because these gems from 2005 will not be around much longer. If you haven't tried them, now's the time." To order please reply or call Arrowine at (703) 525-0990. We will need your name, phone number, and Visa or MasterCard information (with expiration date). Wine arrives Wednesday, March 4. Thank you for reading. Jim Cutts

2006 Le Clos du Caillou Cotes du Rhone

Dear Rene, Stop by Arrowine tomorrow, Wednesday November 26th for a special wine tasting to help you pick out Thanksgiving wines. Pinot noirs are especially suited for the Thanksgiving meal. Details are below. We will feature Oregon pinots by star producer Patricia Green and many others. But first, we have found a great, great deal from one of the truly excellent estates in the Rhone Valley, Le Clos du Caillou. Our price is BY FAR the lowest we've seen in the country on any wine by Le Clos du Caillou from the excellent 2006 vintage. We hope you and your family and friends have a Happy Thanksgiving, filled with good food, wine and cheer. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Arrowine! Doug Rosen Domaine du Caillou "...the efforts produced by Domaine du Caillou since 1998 rank among the most exciting I have ever tasted."- Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate The wines that my friend Sylvie Vacheron has crafted, in concert with winemaker Bruno Gaspard (pictured here) and consulting oenologist Philippe Cambie, not only rival those of her late husband Jean-Denis Vacheron, but surpass them. The wines are better balanced and far more elegant. Parker has noticed and says the estate has reached "brilliant heights" and that "Sylvie Vacheron is to be applauded for maintaining his vision of distinctive wines of world-class quality." Get today's wine before Parker reviews this specific offering and makes it disappear from the market and prices rise. 2006 Le Clos du Caillou Cotes du Rhone 2006 Le Clos du Caillou Cotes du Rhone (Rhone Valley, France) Common retail price: $18.99 Our reg.: $15.99 Super Sale: 6 bottle special: $13.99 per bottle Case (12 or more) bottles: $11.99 per bottle From one of the truly great estates in the Rhone Valley, this is a first class blend of 90% grenache, 5% syrah, 3% mourvedre, and 2% counoise that comes primarily from vines over 55 years of age. The price is absurd. It's way too low for wine of this quality coming from low-yielding, deep-rooted old vines.The price is by far the lowest in the USA. The wine shows everything that is excellent about great 2006 vintage thatParker rated 90 points and about which the International Wine Cellar said: "...this vintage offers plenty of wines defined by their up-front, supple and sweet fruit and their typically more pliant textures and harmonious tannins." - Josh Raynolds, IWC Jan/Feb 2008 Here's how it tastes: This violet-ruby colored Rhone has beautiful aromas of strawberries, raspberries, red plum, tropical flowers and spice. The palate has plenty of weight, but what it's really all about is elegance and balance. You get lots of fresh red raspberry fruit, subtle spice, nice concentration balanced with refreshing acidity, and a long, spicy, mouthwatering finish. Wine arrives Friday, November 28th. Only 100 cases are available. To order please call 703.525.0990. We need your Visa or MasterCard information including expiration date.

2007 Santa Barbara Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (Marche, Italy)

Dear Rene, Today we introduce a new candidate for BOTY (Bargain of the Year) from Italy's rugged Marche coast, the 2007 Santa Barbara Verdicchio. Verdicchio has long been one of my favorite white wine grapes for value. Verdicchios are wonderfully complex and intensely flavorful but they're still largely unknown throughout most of the world and they still have price tags far lower than than other wines that offer such high quality. Many verdicchios are great values, but I have NEVER tasted a Verdicchio THIS good for THIS low a price . Get all you can of the 2007 Santa Barbara Verdicchio. It's one of the best whites I've had under $10 in years. But don't be confused by the name. This small, family-run winery in Italy is named for the small nearby Italian village of Barbara and has no connection to the city or county in California. Jim Cutts 2007 Santa Barbara Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (Marche, Italy) 2007 Santa Barbara Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (Marche, Italy) Reg. $10.99 per bottle Six bottle price: $8.99 per bottle Case price: $7.99 per bottle Save over 25%! Verdicchio (vehr DEEK yoh) may be the best unknown white wine in the world. Though these wines receive critical praise, I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times in my seven plus years at Arrowine that I've been asked for these fabulous whites from the mountainous Marche region along the Adriatic, to the east of Tuscany and Umbria. Burton Anderson, the renowned Italian wine writer, calls verdicchio "one of Italy's most promising and most surprising white wines from a native variety", other critics have called verdicchio "Italy's most improving varietal" and "central Italy's most distinctive white grape". Verdicchio is terrific, but it is still an "insider's" grape. The grape makes fabulous wines, especially when its grown in the chalky clay hills of Castelli di Jesi, in the rugged mountains above Marche's port of Ancona on the Adriatic. The prices for verdicchios are, almost always, real bargains. You just don't get this much flavor, this much freshness, this long finish, and this elegance at such a low low price. One of my favorite Verdicchio producers is the small winery of Santa Barbara, run by Stefano Antonucci, pictured here. His wines are acclaimed by critics and have won top awards in Italy (including the prestigious "three glasses" award from Gambero Rosso). They have a trademark style of freshness and elegance, and yet they are still priced extremely affordably. The 2007 Santa Barbara Verdicchio is made from 100% verdicchio. (DOC rules allow the addition of up to 15% malvasia and trebbiano, but winemaker Stefano Antonucci only uses his prized grape, Verdicchio.) It is beautiful in the glass with a light pale straw color. The aromas are vivid and elegant and bring to mind peaches and green apple skins. The flavors are intense and rich, without being heavy or sweet, and are reminiscent of crisp peaches, fresh apples and pears, and just a touch of apple skin. The concentration of flavor, the length of the finish, the freshness and the elegance of the texture all suggest a considerably more expensive wine. The rich fresh flavors of this wine are perfect with any seafood or pasta, and equally enjoyable solo. Don't wait! To order, please call 703.525.0990. We need your Visa or MasterCard information including expiration date. Wine arrives tomorrow, Thursday, October 2nd. Thank you for reading. Jim Cutts