Simon’s Pick: June, 2007
2005 Saumur Champigny, Domaine des Roches Neuves, Thierry Germain
Wine-savant Simon has done it again. Read a bit of his witty prose about his June pick, a Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley, then go pick up a bottle at Larchmont Wine and Spirits in LA. Someday soon maybe we’ll get smart enough to stock the wine ourselves, so out-of-towners can order it from us.
What red to pour at your local cemetery screening, pool soiree or al-fresco chow-down?
Everybody is touting roses at the moment (with good reason of course, but we’ll get to one of those next month), so for now we thought we’d introduce you to a fabulous red wine from the Loire Valley in western France.This lovely wine is made from 100% Cabernet Franc, farmed organically in the small appellation of Saumur-Champigny on the south bank of the Loire river.
The special combination of clay, limestone, flint and alluvial soils in this appellation help to produce wines with power and elegance at the same time. When cropped at low levels, as Thierry Germain does, these vines produce Cabernet Franc of wonderful purity, length and precision.
This wine, aged only in tank for 7 months, shows marvelous fresh, ripe dark fruits (black plum, blueberry) on the nose, with an underlying layer of minerals and sweet herbs. It is medium-bodied on the palate, with great concentration and lively acidity…just what you need to match with all sorts of grilled summertime fare…charcuterie, pork loin with wild mushrooms, marinated flank steak, lamb sausages and pretty much any cheese you can throw at it. $19.99 –SC
Leave a Reply
get your wine on
2008 “Bebame” Red, El Dorado County, California
Cabernet Franc (65%) and Gamay (35%) from - gasp - California! And only 13% ABV, pretty modest by California standards. If I tasted this blind I would probably have said it’s from the Loire Valley. It has pretty much nothing in common with the full bodied iterations of Cab Franc coming out of Napa. Juicy, light, delicious quaffing wine.$18 a bottle
2006 Telegramme Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge
Really balanced and smooth, this is a bargain of a Chateauneuf. Yeah, the 07s are lauded but what would I prefer to drink? This! It’s the second label of Vieux Telegraphe, from the same property but from younger vines. And it’s a deal at $33 a bottle.2006 or bust!
NV Barcino Cava: LA Times Wine of the Week!
Delicious and just in time for New Year’s Eve…this is the LA Times Wine of the Week, and we have plenty in stock. Order online, pick-up in-store!$14 a bottle!
Search
freshly pressed
3/8/10: First domaineLA Wine Tasting at Susan Feniger’s Street: 5 Wines, $15:
Just a quick note to let you know that a week from today, on Monday, March 8th, 2010, I’ll be hosting the first domaineLA wine tasting event at Susan Feniger’s Street, with the Manincor winery of Italy. The importer and winemaker will both be present to chat about the five wines being poured (including an unusual and delicious dry moscato), and the wines will be paired with light bites.
The best news is that the event will cost just $15 a person…a bargain! Swing by between 6PM and 8PM — I hope to see lots of you there!
Susan Feniger’s Street, 742 N. Highland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Oh, and you can buy tickets in advance, online by clicking here:
3/8/10: First domaineLA Wine Tasting at Susan Feniger’s Street: 5 Wines, $15
Wine Retail and Social Media: Yeah, I Should Be Blogging…
Free Corkage Alert! Umami Burger and domaineLA
wine jargon
Frizzante
From Wikipedia: Frizzante is an Italian wine term term for semi-sparkling wine (as opposed to Spumante, which is generally used for fully sparkling wines). Frizzante wines generally owe their bubbles to a partial secondary fermentation in tank. You might notice a light fizz or tingly sensation on the tongue with a Frizzante wine, compared to the more carbonated sensation that more fully sparkling wines yield.
Scorekage
Okay, so we made up this word yesterday after a great restaurant experience. We brought a bottle of wine with us, expecting to pay a corkage fee. But the restaurant either forgot to charge us the $15, or decided to be nice to us. We scored! Hence, “scorekage” has entered our lexicon. This can also refer to BYO friendly restaurants that don’t charge for corkage under any circumstances.
grapewise
DomaineLA Store Contact Info
If you’re looking for our brick and mortar shop, here’s where it can be found:
(323) 932-0280
Hours are 11AM to 8PM, Monday through Saturday and noon to 5PM on Sundays.
Read more…Fabulous & Frugal!
Our friends launched a new site and domaine547 is a featured wine columnist in their premiere edition! Go check out Fabulous & Frugal for some fantastic lifestyle tips for living the good life during what, for most of us, is an economically challenging time. There’s much more than wine there, and we’re thrilled to be a small part of the start of what will surely be a successful venture. Congrats to Brandi & Steph for their achievement!
DomaineLA Store Contact Info
Fabulous & Frugal!
domaine547 In the Blogosphere! Imbibe Magazine Unfiltered
