European Wine Tasting
Saturday, October 7th
2pm - 4pm
The Best of France, Sicily and Northern Italy!
Call 256-964-7980 to Reserve!
European Wine Tasting
Le Petit Bijou
Saturday, October 7th
2pm - 4pm, $20
With Special Guest, Robert Gunn of Pinnacle Imports
Call 256-964-7980 to Reserve!
2021 Dagueneau Pouilly Fume, Loire Valley, France $29.99
Aromas of chamomile, honey, and stone fruit give way to a rich, full-bodied palate of ripe pear and fresh meyer lemon. The wine is balanced by a pronounced acidity and delineating mineral note - silex - that elevates this Sauvignon Blanc into a class of its own.
2022 Domaine de Courbissac 'L'Orange', Minervois, France $34.99
L'Orange is a skin contact blend from two sources. Most of the grapes comes from a 70-90 year old blanc and gris vines co-planted in the limestone soils of the Roc du Suzadou vineyard. The grapes are a mix of Terret Gris, Carignan Blanc, Macabeu, Marsanne, Muscat Blanc and Grenache Gris, and other rare indigenous varieties that haven't been identified.
Average age of vines: 70-90 years old
Vinification: L'Orange is naturally fermented in tank with whole bunches, and pressed after nine days of skin contact. It returns to tank and concrete to complete fermentation and ageing.
2022 Herve Villemade Cheverny Rouge, Loire Valley, France $25.99
(60% Pinot Noir, 40% Gamay grown on sandy clay and flint soils over limestone in Cellettes, Chitenay and Fougères sur Bièvre, AOC Cheverny; 15-day whole cluster fermentation, aged in old barrels) 2022 is another great vintage for this light and lovely Cheverny Rouge from Hervé Villemade, similar to 2018 and 2020 but perhaps a bit brighter, really lovelu! Slight reduction then very pretty aromas of plum, strawberry and blood orange with rose and white pepper; tart cherry and chalky raspberry/strawberry fruit on the palate, light but sappy and long with earthy citrus and berry fruits in the refreshing finish. This is a delightfully natural thirst-quenching red - serve cool with any chicken or pork dish, charcuterie and mild cheeses. DL
2021 La Stoppa Trebbiolo Rosso, Emilia Romagna, Italy $27.99
The La Stoppa Trebbiolo Rosso is 60% Barbera and 40% Croatina destemmed and fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel with a 20-day skin maceration. The wine is aged in stainless steel; no sulfur at any point in the process. Dark purple in color with wild, earthy yeastiness on the nose, hints of vanilla mixed with rustic sweet-leathery notes. Aromas of small berries, blackberries and myrtle. Dryish on palate, which is meaty, spicy, with refreshing acidity.
Estate History: La Stoppa is an old winery in Emilia Romagna originally founded by a wealthy lawyer in the late 1800's. Elena Pantaleoni's father purchased the vineyards back in the early 70's. Elena eventually took the estate over and in 1996 she and head wine maker Giulio Armani decided to replant the entire 32 hectare estate with traditional grape varieties: Barbera and Bonarda.
2020 Occhipinti Frappato, Sicily $47.99
Grapes for Occhipinti Il Frappato come come from organic/biodynamically-farmed 40 year-old plots with sandy/ calcareous soils, located 280 meters above sea level. The bunches are harvested by hand. The must macerates for 30 days with the skins and ferments with its own yeasts. The wine is aged for 14 months in large barrels (botti) of Slavonian oak, and remains one month in the bottle. Unfiltered.
On the nose, floral notes of violets, cherries and orange. Light on the palate, with juicy fruit. Acidity brings freshness to the persistent finish.
2020 Occhipinti Siccagno Nero d'Avola, Sicily $44.99
100% Nero d’Avola. Two parcels on white limestone soils go into Siccagno (local dialect for "good wine"), one being bush-trained, the other in double Guyot. The vines average 35 years old, are organically farmed and harvested by hand, generally in the first 10 days of October. The fruit is destemmed but the berries left whole; it is fermented with native yeasts and 20-25 days of maceration.The wine is aged for 2 years in 3000-liter Stockinger oak botti before being bottled unfiltered.