July 2010  
Case of the Month $102

And they're off! These days it seems most customers run in, grab something, and are off; to a BBQ, a picnic, the coast, you name it. All the more reason to grab a case like this to have at the ready. No messing around at the last minute trying to decide what to buy, standing in line when you could be kicking back with your feet up, glass in hand. These wines are battle-tested, ready to serve. Enjoy!

FYI: The case contains 1 bottle each of the 12 selections at a discounted price. You are also welcome to purchase the wines individually, as part of a custom mixed case (10% discount), or by the whole case (20% discount). 

Gilbert Cellars Columbia Valley '06
A steady mover for us at just over $20, the distributor offered us the last of it at half its original price. With 60% Syrah, 22% Grenache, and 18% Mourvedre, black fruit flavors dominate, taut and precise yet rich and long on the palate. Offering a northern Rhône meatiness mixed with pretty herbal and floral spice aromatics, it is one of the best examples we can think of which tastes both of the old world and the new. Awfully serious wine for only $11.99.

Eugene Carrel Jongieux 2009
The hills are alive with the sound of music...no wait, wrong country. Hailing from the Savoie region, not far from the Alps, this French white has a purity and charm that made me think of innocent Maria singing to the mountains, a burst of enthusiastic intensity in an otherwise barren landscape. The flavors here have an immediacy that seem at odds with their subtlety; floral honey aromatics, sweet melon, fresh hay and lemon zest are lively and vivid yet delicate and fleeting. Suggestive of a short growing season, this seems to urge the drinker to enjoy the summer while you can. $10.99

DuBoeuf Macon-Villages 2008
Even though they make a gazillon cases, you can't knock the quality at this give-away price. The '07 was a bona fide hit last summer and this new arrival should be as well. Crisp light and dry with just enough creaminess, toasted nuts and apple notes to keep it interesting. Today, only $6.50.

Lezaun Rosado 2009
Consistent as ever, this Spanish pink is a hit every year and how can it not be at this price? 100% Garnacha, this is full of plump strawberry fruit, roundly dry and gently flavorful with a little kick of spice on the finish. Not weird, not insipid, just tasty and cheap. $7.99

Paul Etienne Beaujolais-Villages '09
2009 is supposed to be the best vintage in Beaujolais since...like...ever. It's like Halley's comet or a total eclipse of the sun or something. Kidding aside, this is awfully tasty, delivering all the charm Beaujolais has to offer for a great price. Bright and fragrant, the texture is medium-weight juicy and smooth, and the boysenberry fruit sappy and tangy. Chill it down ever so slightly, relax, and enjoy. $9.99

Cucao "PX" Pedro Ximemez 2009
This Spanish sherry varietal is transformed into something wholly new and exciting in Chile's Elqui Valley: a dry full-flavored white full of floral notes, tropical fruit, lemon zest and a briny spiciness. Typically used to produce the Chilean distilled spirit pisco, a dry white version is a real rarity whose deliciousness makes it worth drinking beyond its uniqueness. $11.50

Condesa de Leganza Tempranillo '05
Surprisingly polished and well put-together without abandoning its Spanish roots, this is a terrific bargain. We sold plenty years ago (we used its wood boxes to build displays [it still comes that way]) before it disappeared from the market. It's back, it's good, and it's a silly price. Modern in style, the fresh blackberry fruit is clean and dare I say luscious, with occasional vanilla oaky notes popping on the finish. No wild barnyard here, this is an easy-to-like red for only $6.99.

Santo Cristo Garnacha 2008
If this had a cooler-looking label, it could have been the next "Fuego" (a similarly-priced Spanish Garnacha with a cheesy fire label that was all the rage a couple years back). With plenty of fleshy bright candied plum fruit and nose-tingling cinnamon spice, this offers much pleasure for a mere $7.99

Kato Sauvignon Blanc 2008
This Kiwi white is characteristically punchy and exuberant but also offers a nice toothsome fleshiness to balance the lime and gooseberry raciness. An all-around zesty summer crowd-pleaser, the price has bounced from $14 to $11 to $12, but we like this month's price best of all: $8.99.

Chateau Bournet Gaillac 2007
A cool closeout deal because as our distributor put it: "it is really good wine but nobody knows what the heck Gaillac is." Well, I'm here to tell you, Gaillac is a small isolated appellation southeast of Bordeaux and northwest of the Languedoc. Using a mix of indigenous, Bordeaux, and Languedoc varietals, flavors can vary wildly; this bottling has Duras, Braucol, Syrah, and Gamay (!) and tastes like a mix of Bordeaux, Languedoc and the Loire. A little wild and rustic yet pretty, violet aromatics lead to tangy cherry and raspberry fruit which is draped over a meaty peppery backbone and finishes with a mineral edge. Unique and compelling, this was $15, now $9.99.

Marchetti Montepulciano 2007
See Small Vineyards for details. $11.50

Castle Rock Petite Sirah 2007
Another goal is scored with this sultry red from the coveted Russian River area. Due to the valley's cooler climate, this has an elegance not often found in Petit Sirah. Juicy blackberry, tangy raspberry, and dusty black tea notes on the finish make for a delicious "cup". $8.99

Curious about wines we’ve included in previous Cases of the Month?
Click here to see our previous choices.