2009 La Chapinière, Touraine, Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc & 2009 Pierre Gaillard Syrah (VdP Collines Rhodaniennes, Northern Rhone Valley, France

Dear Rene, Please take advantage of these two wines. They (one red, one white) set the standard for excellence in their respective appellations. Both are sold out at the winery and our allocations are nearly gone and both are now available for under $15 per bottle. Winemaker Florence Veilex has set a new standard for sauvignon blanc from Touraine. The great thing is that we now have the terrific 2009 vintage, one of the best vintages ever in the Loire Valley. The even greater thing is that it can still be had for as low as $13.99 per bottle, (matching our lowest sale price ever for this wine). Wine broker Thomas Calder and I discovered La Chapinière Sauvignon Blanc more than three years ago at the Salon des Vins de Loire wine show. We were captivated by the quality of the wine and by winemaker Florence Veilex. Her work is inspired. Winemaking at this level can't be taught, it has to be felt. Like creating any great work of art, it must come from the soul. I've often heard Touraine Sauvignon Blanc described as "poor man's Sancerre," as if it was an inferior substitute. This wine shows that Touraine sauvignon has its ownpersonality and charm and that it can actually be superior in quality to all but the very best of Sancerre. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate recently wrote (and underlined) "Touraine is a treasure trove of value" and this is "exhibit A" to prove his point. To find a wine with this much depth and character often means spending twice as much or more. Next we have a wonderful syrah from Pierre Gaillard, a "superstar" (as proclaimed by The Wine Advocate's Robert Parker), that will wow any devotee of Northern Rhone reds. Gaillard makes magnificent syrahs in Côte Rôtie that sell for $50 - $120 per bottle depending on the vineyard site and the vintage. Robert Parker wrote (in the Wine Advocate) "Pierre Gaillard has over two decades of experience, so he no longer qualifies as an 'up and coming' superstar as he has achieved that status."I've been selling Gaillard's wine for years and have visited his domaine numerous times, which is how I know about this little gem of syrah, only sold to friends and a few insiders in France and elsewhere. It's a steal for syrah from the Northern Rhone. It comes from the very first vineyard that he ever worked. A vineyard that Pierre's father bought him as a gift when he first showed an interest in making wine many years ago. It was from growing the grapes in this vineyard and making the wine that Pierre started his climb to superstardom. It's about eight miles north of Côte Rôtie, located near the village of Ternay. Pierre lavishes attention on this vineyard and makes the wine with the same attention he gives to his Côte Rôtie. One more great feature of this wine is that it is from 2009, a spectacular vintage in the Northern Rhone about which Parker recently wrote, "Where 2009 is great is in the northern Rhone. A number of producers who have been making wines for over thirty years claim it is the greatest vintage in their lifetime. I can say that without a doubt it is the finest overall vintage in the north since 1999, and probably since 1990. However, 2009 is different than either of those vintages as it is much more concentrated than 1999, and fresher and more delineated than 1990." Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Doug Rosen 2009 La Chapinière, Touraine, Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2009 La Chapinière, Touraine, Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc Regular Price $17.99 6 bottle Price: $15.99 per bottle Case Price $13.99 per bottle This delicious sauvignon blanc is a mirror image of the woman who made it. It is bright, complex, poetic, and full of life. Florence Veilex is a remarkable woman who never stopped dreaming. Even though she had a highly successful career with doctorates in mathematics and computer science that enabled her to rise to the highest ranks of the corporate world, she just wasn't satisfied. Florence wanted to make wine and the wine she makes is extraordinary. In 2003, after 20 years of dreaming, she turned her dream into reality. Florence and her husband, journalist and literary critic, Eric Yung, bought the small domaine of La Chapinière in Touraine in France's Loire Valley, not far from where Eric was raised. This is what makes Florence so special: As an adolescent she always wanted to work with the land. Florence worked in a botanical garden to help support herself while in University. Her father liked wine and encouraged Florence to explore the world of wine. For over a year and a half Florence returned to school to receive a Bachelor of Technical Science in viticulture. She's more proud of this degree then her Ph.D.s. She immersed herself in the culture of the area, talking at length with vignerons, gleaning what she could about farming, making wine and the business of wine. After seven vintages, Florence's passion for working the soil and making wine is stronger than ever. She is doing what she was meant to do. Here's what makes Florence's wine so special: The 7.5 hectares of sauvignon blanc are farmed organically. Her vines are up to 50 years old and create intense and complex grapes. She allows wild grasses to grow between the rows, eliminating the need for weed killers, reducing the vine's vigor to concentrate flavor in the grapes, andrecreating biodiversity in the vineyards, which allows the vineyards to achieve a natural balance. Florence pulls the excess foliage and grape clusters from the vines by hand toreduce yields and concentrate flavors in the grapes. No systemic chemicals are used. The grapes are harvested in the morning when they are cool, they are lightly pressed and the juice is cooled. The juice is then cold macerated for roughly 10 days, resulting in enhanced richness. The duration of the maceration period is determined by taste. The juice is allowed to settle and as the temperature begins to rise,fermentation begins using the natural, indigenous yeasts. The temperature of the juice is kept cool during fermentation to retain freshness. The wine is kept on fine lees for three months and then stored outside during the winter to stabilize naturally. The wine is bottled unfiltered with minimal use of sulphur. As Florence puts it, "We are always guided by love or passion and the desire to make wines that we will enjoy sharing with our friends and clients, because for us, pleasure and sharing are an integral part of the best job in the world - vigneronne!" This is what Domaine La Chapinière, Touraine sauvignon blanc tastes like: Ethereal aromas of lemon rind, tangerine, rose water and white gardenia. This is full-bodied, dry sauvignon, bursting with flavors of tangerine, lime, sweet pink grapefruit and fresh white flowers, elegantly presented with lush texture, remarkable depth, and surprising persistence. Serving this will heighten the experience of eating nearly any great preparation of fish or other seafood. It is also a wonderful aperitif served with creamy cheeses (like camembert) or tangy goat cheeses. For $13.99 (or $19.99, for that matter), you can't buy better sauvignon blanc. Buy some and be happy! To order, please call 703.525.0990. We need your Visa or MasterCard information, including expiration date. Wine is here now, ready for pickup. 2009 Pierre Gaillard Syrah (VdP Collines Rhodaniennes, Northern Rhone Valley, France) 2009 Pierre Gaillard Syrah (VdP Collines Rhodaniennes, Northern Rhone Valley, France) Reg. $14.99 Sale: Buy 6 bottles at $11.99 per bottle Case Sale: Buy 12+ bottles at $10.99 per bottle Pierre Gaillard, the superstar winemaker of Côte Rôtie, has a vineyard about eight miles north of Côte Rôtie, located near the village of Ternay. This excellent vineyard is planted on the hillsides of a glacial moraine facing south-west to take full advantage of the afternoon sun. The vineyard is also primarily on clay soil (ideal for syrah) and is covered with large rounded pebbles which hold the sun's heat well into the evening. Because of the southwest orientation and the pebble-covered clay soil, the location is especially warm and perfect for producing especially ripe grapes (just like in Côte Rôtie, the prestigious area just to the south that translates to "roasted slope"). Even though it's in a less-famous area, Gaillard cuts no corners with the grapes from this vineyard. The grapes are hand harvested and then further sorted by hand so that only perfect, clean, optimally ripe grapes are used. The grapes are then partially de-stemmed and crushed, and allowed to cold-macerate for about 5 days before fermentation. Just as in Côte Rôtie, the fermenting wine goes through a "punch down" ("pigeage") three times a day and a "pump over" ("remontage") at least once so that the deep color and expressive aromas and flavors can be extracted from the syrah. The wine is then aged for eight months, 2/3 in large casks, 1/3 in smaller used barrels. The result is a wonderfully expressive syrah with great freshness and a soft, pure palate of red and black syrah fruit and spice. Here's how it tastes: Beautiful garnet color. Pristine nose of dark red raspberry and stone dust. The palate is incredibly pure with delicious flavors of black raspberry, plum and spice that finish with a hint of violet very long and clean. This wine will help you get through winter's chill. To order please call 703.525.0990. We need your Visa or MasterCard information including expiration date. Wine is here now, ready for pickup. Thank you for your support of Arrowine and the work that we do. Doug Rosen

2007 Domaine Bart Bourgogne Rouge

Dear Rene, This note is about an estate making the prettiest red Burgundy at the best price, completely blowing away other Burgundies as well as pinots from California, Oregon, or New Zealand for value. The red Burgundies of Domaine Bart in Marsannay are just amazing. We've quietly been receiving and selling some of the wines of this estate for several years, but there has been so little wine available that a few customers and staff members have grabbed it all. We're getting more this year than ever before and I'm thrilled to be able to let more people know about this estate. In an excellent article for The Wine News Magazine called "Best-Value Red Burgundy Producers," Master of Wine and renowned author Clive Coates discussed dozens of domaines and appellations that are consistently, well, the best value red Burgundy producers. The very first "best value" Domaine he chose to mention was Domaine Bart in Marsannay.  Proprietor Martin Bart is a grandchild of the Clair family of Clair Dau fame (one of the most prestigious names in Burgundy) and he has everything a red Burgundy fan could want-- from the best single vineyard red Burgundies of the Marsannay appellation (at incredible prices) to top Grand Cru Cote de Nuits vineyards (like Clos de Beze and Bonnes Mares inherited from the Dau Domaine); he even has a dry Marsannay 100% Pinot Noir Rosé, one of the best around, that is in stock at Arrowine at just $14.99 per bottle ($13.49 by the case--the lowest price in the USA). The focus of today's e-mail feature, though, is his biggest bargain of all, the silky-soft, complex, and outstanding 2007 Bourgogne Rouge (100% pinot noir). I've visited Domaine Bart four times in recent trips to Burgundy. Having tasted this in Burgundy and then back here in Arlington, I'm convinced there just isn't a better pinot noir on the planet for the ridiculous price as low as $13.99 per bottle. This is such a bargain, we wanted to order 100 cases, but we were only able to get 40. This will sell out quickly, don't delay in ordering. And, as always, we have a lot going on here this weekend (we'll be closed the 4th): wine tastings, cheese tastings, beer tasting and marvelous cheese and charcuterie specials (look out for our July Cheese and Charcuterie Newsletter going out later today). Please come by. Doug Rosen 2007 Domaine Bart Bourgogne Rouge 2007 Domaine Bart Bourgogne Rouge Reg. $17.99 Six bottle price: $15.99 each Case (12 + bottles) price: Just $13.99 per bottle This is a truly beautiful wine. Martin Bart, pictured below, crafts some of the prettiest pinot noirs of any winemaker I know and he sells them for far less than comparable wines from other Burgundy producers. This Bourgogne is precise, terroir-driven, expressive, delicate and, above all, delicious. If you love honest, pure, pinot noir, not over-extracted or overoaked, or if you just love a great deal, order a case today. Martin Bart began Domaine Bart in the 1980s when Domaine Clair Dau (Bruno Clair) was divided between members of the family. He is one of the top growers and winemakers in Marsannay and has some of the top vineyards in the entire area. Dedicated, high-quality vineyard work is the foremost precept at Domaine Bart. Hisorganic vineyard practices, hand pruning, hand picking, working of the soil, and green harvesting lead to low yields and assure that Martin brings in the highest quality, cleanest grapes. In the 2007 vintage, the quality is truly outstanding. Simply put, Martin Bart grows better grapes than many of his neighbors and that is what allows him to make better wine. In the cellar, grapes are sorted by hand and vinified separately, vineyard by vineyard, lot by lot, depending on the specific parcel from which the grapes came.Fermentation is done slowly at a cool temperature to allow his high quality grapes to express their fullest character. Martin understands his different parcels and treats each lot of grapes differently to bring out the best of the unique fruit. Domaine Bart's wines are made with extreme care, and in a manner that is absolutely first class. His style is about expressive aromatics, terroir-driven flavors, and delicate silken texture, rather than about sheer weight, extraction, or oak tannin. Here's how this tastes: This pale garnet red Burgundy has an exquisite perfume more reminiscent of Chambolle than of regional Burgundy. The high toned aromas bring to mind red berries and cherries with floral accents and a touch of stone. The palate is pure and delicate with notes of wild strawberries, cherries, and herbs fusing into into pure silk. The finish is bright, classy, dry, and luscious. This is pretty and utterly charming as well as one of the best bargains I've experienced from anywhere in the region. To order please call 703.525.0990. We need your Visa or MasterCard information including expiration date. Wine arrives tomorrow, Friday July 2nd.

2008 Epifanio Ribera del Duero, Spain & 2009 Serge Batard "Hého Le Blanc", Loire Valley, France

Dear Rene, Arrowine is THE place to be this weekend! In addition to great tastings (details below), we have a DOUBLE Door Buster Sale featuring: 1. 2008 "Epifanio" Ribera del Duero, Spain: This is unequivocally the best Ribera del Duero we've had for the money! It was also the #1 top value recommendation in this week's Washington Post Wine article on tempranillo, the diverse and excellent signature red wine grape of Spain. Epifanio has been an Arrowine customer favorite since we introduced it with the 2005 vintage, but we've never sold a bottle for less than we will this weekend! The Post called it "Excellent" and a "Great Value" at $14.99per bottle. This weekend, while supplies last, it's as low as $10.99 at Arrowine. This is the fourth year we've worked with this outstanding red. We've never sold a bottle for less and we've never even seen a lower price ANYWHERE for this fine Spanish red. 2. 2009 Serge Batard "Hého Le Blanc", Loire Valley, France: This is a delicious summertime white, perfect for parties, beach trips, or refreshing sipping. It's a bargain at the regular price of $10.99. This weekend, due to popular demand, it is back at our Door Buster price as low as $7.99 per bottle. It comes from the premier grower in his famous French wine growing area and it is estate-bottled and grown carefully without the use of chemical fertilizers and weed killers. Load up for the hot weather that's coming! REMINDER: This is a "Door-Buster Sale" which means these special prices are available only today (Friday, April 30th) and tomorrow (Saturday, May 1st). This sale price is for in-store sales only and while supplies last only. Sorry, no phone or e-mail orders and no combining with other offers. Jim Cutts DOOR BUSTER #1 2008 Epifanio Ribera del Duero, Spain Reg. $14.99 Door Buster Sale: Buy a case (12+ bottles) at just $10.99 per bottle (6 bottle price: $12.99 per bottle) Open for tasting. $10.99 price is only on case sales of this wine (12+ bottles). No further discounts available on this wine and no combining with other offers. Sale is Friday and Saturday only and only while supplies last. In store sales only (sorry, no phone or e-mail orders). Reg. price is $14.99 per bottle. 120 cases are available. This has been a customer favorite since we introduced it to the region with the 2005 vintage. The only problem has been that so many people want it, we frequently can't keep it in stock. We've arranged for a big shipment and today we have it at an amazing price that matches our best e-mail sale price ever!  Epifanio is knockout Ribera del Duero at a price that you won't believe once you've tried the wine. Made from 100% tempranillo, Spain's signature red grape, this would be a fine value at double the price. This is made by the same winery and comes from the same vineyard as Erial (another great value), but it spends less time in oak and the price is considerably lower. The vineyards are perfectly situated in the heart of the Pesquera de Duero, right next to the famous (and famously expensive) Pingus. The outstanding wine spends just a few months in oak barrels, enough to smooth the wine, soften the tannins, and enhance the mouthfeel, but not enough to add oaky flavors. It is a made by famous winemaker Epifanio Rivera from a unique and special clone of Tinta Fina (Tempranillo) that was grafted from ancient pre-phyloxera vines. Some of the vines are over 80 years old. You have to try this. The character and complexity will amaze you. The Washington Post recommended it, rated it "Excellent" (2 stars out of 3) and awarded it their sought-after "Great Value" symbol at a price of $15 per bottle. The other three "Excellent" (2-star) wines were priced at $38, $19, and $23 per bottle. Here's what the Post's Dave McIntyre wrote about the 2008 Epifanio: There's a lot going on in the glass: minerally, stony character, and cherry and blackberry fruit perfumed with herbs such as mint. This is a very restless wine right now; I would expect it to calm down somewhat in a few months without losing its excitement. GREAT VALUE. 2 Stars "Excellent". $15. Again the best Ribera del Duero we've ever tasted at the price. It is the Post's best value among their recommended wines. It is one of our most popular Spanish wines ever. And it's the lowest price we've ever seen.  Thank you for reading and we look forward to seeing you at the store! DOOR BUSTER #2 2009 Serge Batard "Hého Le Blanc", Loire Valley, France Reg. $10.99 per bottle DOOR BUSTER SALE: Buy a case at just $7.99 per bottle (Save $3.00 per bottle!) Open for tasting. $7.99 price is only on case sales of this wine (12+ bottles). No further discounts available on this wine and no combining with other offers. Sale is Friday and Saturday only and only while supplies last. In store sales only (sorry, no phone or e-mail orders). Reg. price is $10.99 per bottle. 150 cases are available. This impressive white wine is made from 95% grolleau gris, an aromatic and refreshing white grape. 5% melon (the Muscadet grape) is added. The 15 year old vines grow inoutstanding sandy loam and limestone soils and are worked by hand without any chemical fertilizers or weed killers. Harvest is done entirely by hand before the aromatic and refreshing grapes are gently pressed and fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. This clean and cheerful white has aromas of green apples, yellow roses, and white pepper. The ripe citrus and green apple flavors are exhilarating and intense and lead to a long and zingy finish with nuances of white pepper and limestone minerality. Whether you serve this solo, with olives and fresh cheeses, or with your favorite shrimp dish you'll be thrilled with the refreshing quality of this 12% abv wine and amazed with the price. Take a case to the beach for a super-flavorful but not heavy sipper, or serve it nice and cold at any outdoor warm weather event. Come in and get this special white wine bargain for only $7.99 per bottle by the case while supplies last.  Thank you for reading. Jim Cutts