Dear Rene, The 2010 Entrada Malbec from Argentina is absolutely delicious. It's open for tasting so you can see for yourself, and our Door Buster Sale means it's as low as$5.99 per bottle this weekend at Arrowine (while supplies last). Other than that, there isn't much to say. We searched and searched and couldn't find a single rating or review in the press. We couldn't even find a website for the producer, so we have no details on exactly what part of Argentina it comes from or how it is made. What we know is this... It's an absolutely delicious Malbec. A group of wine professionals tasted it alongside several popular brands and well-rated Malbecs that sell from $10-$15. Entrada didn't just hold its own, it flat out beat some famous Malbecs with big names and (considerably) higher price tags. REMINDER: This is a "Door-Buster Sale" which means this special price is available only today (Friday, April 29th) and tomorrow (Saturday, April 30th). 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. We also have excellent tastings this weekend, so be sure to stop in. Tasting details are below. Jim Cutts
 2010 Entrada Malbec, Argentina Reg. $7.99 DOOR BUSTER Case special: $5.99 per bottle by the case
This delicious malbec will go great with just about any kind of food, from cheese and charcuterie, to grilled chicken, to pizza, to burgers, to steak. Even with no food at all it's absolutely delicious. It's a great buy at our regular price of $7.99, but once you try it you'll want a case (or maybe more) and you'll love being able to get it at just $5.99. It might just turn into your new house wine! It's smooth and lush and friendly, with none of the harsh tannins that show up in many malbecs. As it says right on the bottle: "Entrada Malbec is a full bodied, yet easy to drink example of what Argentinean winemaking is best known for. The wine has typical Malbec characteristics of berries and plums, mingling with a hint of warm spice flavors." REMINDER: This is a "Door-Buster" Sale which means this special price is available only today and tomorrow. This sale price is for in-store sales only and only while supplies last. Sorry, no phone or e-mail orders, and no combining with other offers. Thank you for reading. Jim Cutts | ||||
Friday, April 29, 2011
2010 Entrada Malbec, Argentina
Thursday, April 28, 2011
2009 Chateau Les Grands Maréchaux, Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux
Dear Rene, Though less than 1/4th of the 2009 Bordeaux reds have been released, one thing is becoming very clear from our tastings of these wines... The critics are right,there is something very very special about thisvintage. And have we got a 2009 Bordeaux find for you: the 2009 Chateau Les Grands Maréchaux, a full yet focused and pure wine from the Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux (hills of Bordeaux) that is already showing beautiful silky texture and soft tannins. Wine Spectator rated this up to 92 points, everyone at Arrowine loves it, and the price is amazing, as low as $16. In addition to the rating up to 92 points in the Wine Spectator, this estate-bottled, hand-harvested Bordeaux has also been a favorite of Robert Parker who has featured it in "Parker's Wine Bargains- The World's Best Wine Values Under $25" calling it"sensational" and writing that the wine is "Medium to full bodied, velvety textured, sumptuous, and long...". He's called Stephane Derenoncourt (who consults at the estate) "brilliant" and the estate was classified as "excellent". So, just how great is the 2009 vintage? "The finest vintage I have tasted in 32 years of covering Bordeaux!!!" - Robert M. Parker Jr. "In France's most famous wine region, Bordeaux, some people are touting the 2009 vintage as the mother of great modern vintages." - James Suckling, Wine Spectator Other critics have echoed his enthusiasm, and many are calling it THE Vintage of a Lifetime. And though it seems as if every 4 or 5 years there's another "greatest" vintage (remember 2005 and 2000?), it's clear that there is something truly special about the 2009s that was lacking in 2005 and 2000. All three vintages have great depth and concentration and delicious fruit. The tannic structure of the 2000s and 2005s, though, was very firm. The 2009s possess an element of freshness and lithesome texture that make them far more appealing to drink at a young age. And that's exactly what wines like the Chateau Les Grands Maréchaux are for-- they're perfect for drinking now and over the next 3-4 years (while your classified growths are aging). As the Washington Post's wine columnist Dave McIntyre wrote, these are "meant for the dinner table rather than the trophy case." We've tasted dozens of wines from this vintage and it is clear that this vintage truly has it all. It has concentration and ripeness and balance. In addition to our regular beer tasting this evening and Friday and Saturday wine tastings, we are having a very special wine tasting this evening from 5:30 - 7:45 p.m. with Kevin O'Connor, co-founder, owner, and winemaker of Lioco Wines, a high quality Califonia winery specializing in small lots of single vineyard and regional wines. Don't miss this special no-cost event and be sure to inform your wine-loving friends. Jim Cutts
 2009 Chateau Les Grands Maréchaux, Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux Regular: $19.99 SALE: 6+ Bottle Price: $17.99 per bottle 12+ Bottle (Case) Price: $15.99 per bottle We can't argue with the critics on this one bit; it isabsolutely delicious and one of the most gorgeously textured Bordeaux reds we've seen from incredible 2009 vintage. Of all the great 2009 Bordeaux we've tried to date, this is among the most focused and pure, while still having palate-caressing tannins that give the wine sensual texture. Already extremely enjoyable, this will continue to drink well until it is 5-7 years old. The importer provides the following information about the estate and the wine: Etienne Barre and Christophe Reboul-Salze bought this exceptional vineyard near the village of Gainiquet in 1997. The mature vines are planted in clay, limestone, and sandy soils. With the help of famed consultant Stephane Derenoncourt, pitcurd below, they've pushed the quality of the estate's wines to among the best of the Blaye area. The hand-harvested, hand-selected fruit (50% cabernet sauvignon and 50% merlot) is fermented as whole berries in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks with a long, slow 30-day maceration. The wine is then racked into French oak barrels (25% new) for aging before the wine is estate bottled. 2,500 cases were produced.  Here's the tasting note from the Wine Spectator's barrel tasting: "Licorice and tar on the nose. Full-bodied, with a lovely core of fruit and silky tannins. Focused and clear. Could be best ever from here. Score range: 89-92 points." -James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, 2010 If you've been waiting to try the 2009 Bordeaux reds, don't wait any longer. This is remarkably gorgeous wine that is already a joy to drink and promises to remain a favorite for several years to come. Fans of the Wine Spectator and those that like to predict which wines will make theirannual Top 100 list will note that a score up to 92 points for a Bordeaux under $25 is extremely rare. In fact, only one red Bordeaux made the the Top 100 list for 2010. It was rated 90 points and had a listed price of $30. Since the Wine Spectator considers both quality and value when making selections for their Top 100 list, the $20 (or less)2009 Chateau Les Grands Maréchaux with a score up to 92 points is a strong contender for the 2011 list (lower price and higher quality than last year's Bordeaux selection). Of course by the time the list is released, this wine will likely be sold out or far more expensive. Don't wait to get your supply. To order please call 703.525.0990. We need your Visa or MasterCard information including expiration date. The wine arrives tomorrow, Friday April 29th. Thank you for reading. Jim Cutts |
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
2006 "Claraval" from Bodegas y Vinedos Del Jalón, Calatayud, Spain
Dear Rene, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate has rated over one thousand wines from Spain from the 2006 vintage (1,080 to be exact). Guess how many of these wines earned a rating of 91 points or more and list a price under $11 per bottle? Zero. None. Zip. But today we've lowered the price of the 2006 Claraval from Bodegas y Vinedos Del Jalón to make it achieve this combination of price and quality criteria that not one other Spanish wine matched. And Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar has rated 774 Spanish wines from 2006. Guess how many list a price under $15 per bottle and a score of 92 points or higher? Exactly one. This one! Put another way, two of the most influential wine journals in the U.S. both rated this wine higher than ANY other Spanish wine from the vintage that can be purchased for $10.99 which is our special case price for phone orders on this wine! Don't wait though; highly rated wines tend to sell quickly. And they sell especially quickly when they're priced this low! Call Arrowine today to order. Perry has some very special items in his Tuesday Boucher at e-mail-only-prices. Please see below for details. Jim Cutts
 2006 "Claraval" from Bodegas y Vinedos Del Jalón, Calatayud, Spain Reg. $14.99 6 bottle sale price: $12.99 per bottle Case (12+ bottle) sale price: $10.99 per bottle Robert Parker's Wine Advocate wrote: "Bodegas y Vinedos del Jalon's current portfolio is first class from top to bottom." According to the Del Jalón website: "Bodegas y Viñedos del Jalón has 1000 hectares of vineyard, concentrated in the southern part of the Calatayud region. Our vineyards extend from the River Jalón to the north, deep into the Systema Ibérico mountain range to the south, and are centred on the river valleys of the Jiloca and the Perejiles. Our vineyards are situated at altitudes of between 600 and over 1000 metres (2000 - 3300 feet), with the higher sites dominated by Old-Vine Garnacha and the lower sites by Tempranillo. Of the more than 600 hectares of Garnacha that we have in production, more than half are Viñas Viejas, planted more than 40 years ago. These low yielding vineyards are our "jewel in the crown", providing consistently outstanding fruit, year after year, and forming the basis for many of our best wines." Here's what Robert Parker's Wine Advocate wrote about the 2006 Claraval: "The 2006 Claraval... was sourced from higher elevation vineyards. Opaque purple-colored, the wine coats the glass. It gives up an alluring aromatic array of wood smoke, mineral, scorched earth, black cherry, black raspberry, and violets. This leads to a medium to full-bodied, layered wine with loads of sweet, spicy dark fruit flavors, ripe tannin, good balance, and a long, pure finish. Give it 2-3 years to blossom and drink it through 2020. 91 points." Dr. Jay Miller, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (#175), February 2008. And here's what Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar had to say: "Deep, bright ruby-red. Sexy raspberry and blackberry preserve aromas are complicated by Asian spices, smoky minerals and fresh flowers. Suave and velvety, with deep, sweet flavors of red and dark berries, cherry-cola and candied rose. Supple tannins supply shape and gentle back-end grip. A very appealing wine: it would be no crime to drink this now. 92 points." Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Sep./Oct. 2008 To order please call 703.525.0990. We need your Visa or MasterCard information including expiration date. Wine arrives tomorrow, January 26th. Thank you for reading. Jim Cutts | ||||
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