Wine Club Newsletter 5/20

A new month = new Club Wines!  But that’s not all. We have always delivered extra value with your membership.  And we see no reason to stop doing that just because the world is tOpsY-TuRvY. First of all, you’re “Stock-Up Days” discount, which used to be once a quarter, now occurs once a month.  For May, it’s Friday and Saturday, the 15th and 16th. As an added bonus,  we’ll be hosting virtual tastings of the Club Wines on Zoom!  These are open to all interested Members.  We’re tasting the Silver Level wines:Thursday, May 7, at 7:00 pm. The meeting i.d. is 730-1144-3632.  Password is 2njtBS. We taste the Gold Level wines: Friday, May 8, also at 7:00 pm. Meeting i.d. this time is 754-1837-4764.  Password is 6rTt0r.Obviously we’d rather see you in person for tasting, but we’re still excited about this virtual wine experience.  Co me get your wines and join us on Thursday and/or Friday! Okay, last piece of business before we get to the wines this month.  Our May winner of the free bottle is Cory Gregory.  Congrats! Now for the wines, Silver first.  This one will seem very familiar, because – and this has never happened before – it is the new vintage of a Club Wine from just last month!  We’re talking about the 2018 CS Cabernet from Washington.  91 points Jeb Dunnuck: “I loved the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Cs, which ranks with the finest releases to date for this cuvée. Classy cassis fruits, lead pencil, and tobacco notes all emerge from the glass, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with ripe tannin, integrated oak, and a great finish. It makes a mockery of just about every other Cabernet Sauvignon in this price range. Buy a case and enjoy over the coming 4-6 years, probably longer.” 2nd is the 2017 Andes Plateau “Cota 500” Cabernet from Chile’s Maipo Valley.  90 points Wine Advocate: “This feels very fruit-driven, with the oak perfectly integrated with the fruit, and it has classical notes of graphite. There is a stony sensation on the palate that is more a texture than a flavor.”  3% each Syrah and Carignan added. Now we’re going for Gold.  First we have the 2017 Hanzell Sebella Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast, 93 points Wine Spectator: “Delicate and fine-edged, with rose petal and forest floor notes to the savory flavors of dried red fruit and spice. Crushed stone and minerally details show on the finish. Drink now through 2023.” And we close with the 2018 Carlisle Syrah from Sonoma, 93 points Vinous: “The 2018 Syrah (Sonoma County) is fabulous. If I were going to focus on only one wine in this range, it might very well be the Sonoma County Syrah, as it offers extraordinary value. Black cherry, plum, gravel, spice, chocolate and leather infuse the 2018 with remarkable intensity and power… Quite frankly, the 2018 is a stunning wine.” These beauties are available now.  Of course, curbside pickup is available, as is delivery for most of North County.  760-653-9032. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU for your continued support, and please take excellent care of yourselves and your loved ones.  We’ll get through this!