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2015 Domaine de la Mordoree La Reine Des Bois Lirac

Domaine de la Mordoree’s La Reine Des Bois Lirac is a wine that has  consistently been a go to since staple since the 2001 vintage. Back then, and with the 03, 04, 07 releases, and then again in the ’10-15 vintages, and even in 2016 when tasted in barrel, the wines have consistently shown to be an outperformer from the Rhone year after year.

In grand vintages like ’07 and ’16 putting the top Lirac cuvee against Chateauneuf du Papes is possible, and while the prices of the Mordorees have crept up, the Liracs have not seen the same jumps as their other side of the Rhone river siblings.

The Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre blend of which Syrah is 40 percent while the other two contribute 30 percent each, make this a prototypical GSM blend from the Rhone. But what makes this wine so special is the vines that are grown on galets, or loosely translated, cobblestones that cover the vineyard.

The inky reddish black purple colored wine is full of layered berry fruit. Rich and deep blackberry, blueberry and strawberry flavors, along with fresh spring violets and a slight toasted bread aroma makes this wine such a standout.

That’s why the 2015 Domaine de la Mordoree’s La Reine Des Bois Lirac is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day

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2016 Owen Roe Ex Umbris

I became a huge fan of the wines of Owen Roe when I started to spend time in Seatlle a few years back. As time went on I started to buy the Ex Umbis Syrah starting with the 2014 vintage.

Over the past few years the wine that are pretty much like drinking a Northern Rhone are some of the best values around from Washington State.

Think blueberry pie and grape jam. Think even more. In many ways the Ex Umbris is as close to a baby Cornas made in the USA that you’ll find.

That’s why the 2016 Owen Roe Ex Umbris is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day!!! 

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2017 Chotard Sancerre

There’s always something so inviting about a cool, crisp, bright glass of Sancerre. Maybe it’s simply the way Sauvignon Blanc is one of those refreshing white grapes. Or, perhaps it’s the grassy, herbaciousness that the wine has in principal no matter where it hails from.

Then again, maybe it’s simply that as the weather turns warmer, and as humidity returns to the air to signify the real end of winter, that the refreshing, clean and bright body found in a well made Sancerre just always hit the spot.

That’s the 2017 Chotard Sancerre to a T. 

It all starts with the pale yellow color of the wine and the flavors of lemons, ripe grapfruit and a hint of lime. The minerals from the Loire valley add some stoney and flinty notes to it, all tied together in a perfect finish.

That’s why the 2017 Chotard Sancerre is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day!!!

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2013 The Pairing Red

Ever since the first vintage of The Pairing found its way to my cellar I’ve been hooked. Dollar for dollar this is one of the very best value reds from anywhere, but especially California.

The Pairing is an offshoot of Jonata and Screaming Eagle. The rumor is that some leftover grapes from Screaming Eagle make their way into the “all California” blended red. If it isn’t true, it doesn’t matter as the 2013 again demonstrated.

A nice plum and cherry core, with some cedar notes that blend nicely with the creme de cocoa, chocolate and light tobacco flavors, the 2013 The Pairing is the seventh vintage I’ve enjoyed, with 2007 and 2009 really winning people over. So did the ’13.

The wine has style, structure and balance, and for a low $20’s price point it sure punches way above its weight.

Made from 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, the Bordeaux varietal blend is a real California wine.

The rich Cabernet and Merlot stands out, but based on the way the 13 tasted the Cab Franc is also putting its mark in the glass by adding some structure and restraint to the fruit forward nature of the Cabernet Sauvigon and Merlot.

That’s why the 2013 The Pairing is today’s WineSiders Wine of The Day!!! 

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2017 Domaine Magellan Le Fruit Defendu Rose

The 2018 Rose wines are slowly arriving in the USA, but by no means does this mean that the 2017s are any less desireable. In some cases they may be even more.

Take the 2017 Domaine Magellan Le Fruit Defendu Rose, made from 100 percent Cinsault that has its roots in Chateauneuf du Pape. Grown in the Languedoc in the gentle rolling hills around Pezenas, in the village of Magalas, the Bruno Lafon and Sylvie Legros made blushing pink wine is a delight as much as it is a bargain at $14.00 or so.

As a long time buyer of all wines Magellan that we can find in the USA, the wines from the small property are some of the freshest, fruit forward and most complex produced in the region. They are also amazing bargains in an era of where Rhone wine prices are skyrocketing.

The 2017 edition of the Defendu Rose offers up a lovely bright raspberry and blueberry bouquet and flavor, a hint of herbal garrigue spice, long, lush, almost never ending, thirst quenching berries, all the while not being sweet, cloying or even remotely heavy.

That’s why the 2017 Domaine Magellan Le Fruit Defendu Rose is today’s WineSider’s Wine of The Day!!

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2015 Barmes-Buecher Cremant d’Alsace Brut

Wines from Alsace offer incredible value and finesse. Often overlooked are the sparkling wines from the region that borders Germany in France’s northeast quadrant. 

The 2015 Barmes-Buecher Cremant d’Alsace Brut is pure joy any time of day or night. Serve it at brunch with gravlax or any smoked salmon or whitefish. Have it with a creamy French brie over lightly toasted bread or serve it with sushi or oysters, lobster, shrimp and mussels. Or better yet, just drink this zesty, light, toasty bubbly any time day or night. 

A blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Auxerrois, Riesling and Chardonnay, the light lime and lemon zest flavors are quickly backed up by  green apples and a rich and creamy melon flavor, all with a hint of almond spice. 

That’s why the 2015 Barmes-Buecher Cremant d’Alsace Brut is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of the Day!  

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2016 Comte Abbatucci Rouge Frais Imperial

The 2016 Abbatucci Rouge Frais Imperial is one of those wines from Corsica that you just can’t stop going back to.

Priced in the mid thirty dollar range, the Beaujolais weight red is a perfect spring and summer wine. Made from 100 percent Sciaccarellu, this bio-dynamic wine is all berries and cherries and spice. The Corsican wine offers lots of brambly wild cherry flavors, plus light strawberry and red plum notes.

Fans of Pinot Noir and Cote’s du Rhone reds will easily find a way to enjoy this silky and elegant wine, as will those who of course enjoy just about anything from Corsica.

That’s why the 2016 Abbatucci Rouge Frais Imperial is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day

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2016 Clos La Coutale Cahors

Cahors used to be the not so secret region that provided Merlot and Malbec to the Bordeaux producers. Then one day some producers started to their own wines.

That’s why the 2016 Clos La Coutale is one of the best value reds on the market today. It’s a juicy wine, where the Merlot’s cherry fruit and the tarry flavors of the Malbec, blend well together. 

The Clos La Coutale is a soft wine, something that the inky dark color hides nicely. Cherries,  black plums and blackberry pie flavors are all there, as is the ripe and rich raspberry appeal .

The Coutale is a wine that you can find in most places for less than $16, and that’s why it’s the WineSiders Wine of the Day.

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2016 Kaena Hapa Blanc

One of the big wine trends these days with millennials is their love of blends. And, for the most part, their interest in red blends goes more in the direction of Napa Bordeaux style Meritage wines or Sonoma County Zinfandel based field blends often with some Petite Sirah and Carignan in the blend.

Missed though are the white blends, many of which are Rhone white blends that are perfect with the warm weather in spring and summer here across the United States.

The 2016 Kaena Hapa Blanc is one of those mistakenly overlooked white blends that meets that criteria, and while partially Rhone grape varietal based with Roussanne, Viognier and Grenache Blanc, the addition of Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling gives the wine a bit more complexity and differentiation. 

Rich layers of honeysuckles, banana, ripe honeydew melon and canteloupe, a hit of petrol and some light grassy notes come through. The light cream base, and the bright lemon peel aroma makes this an ideal Sunday brunch charmer that should not be overlooked.

And that’s why the 2016 Kaena Hapa Blanc is today’s WineSiders Wine of The Day

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2018 Kaena Grenache Rose

2018 Kaena Grenache Rose

Mikael Sigouin has done it again. For the  third year in a row he’s produced a dead ringer of a Tavel Rose wine, the 2018 Kaena Grenache Rose.

Made in Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley by the region’s King of Grenache, the latest release from the boutique winery shows why Sigouin is such a master of his craft when it comes to getting the most out of the Grenache grape. 

Strawberry and blackberry aromas and flavors are evident from the first whiff and taste, while the cool, crisp and dry structure of the pink wine keeps things in perfect harmony.

That’s why the 2018 Kaena Grenache Rose is today’s WineSiders Wine of the Day.’

2018kaenarose
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