starting 10/13/08
fall/winter hours
serving our dinner menu
tuesday thru saturday
at 5pm
pizza night
every sunday - all you
can eat pizza & salad
5pm to 9pm
sunday brunch
every sunday
10am to 2pm
Wine List
- Domestic Whites and Roses
- Imported Whites and Roses
- Domestic Reds
- The Wines of Linne Calodo
- Imported Reds
- Bubbles, Stickies, and Ports
rose, garretson "the celeidh"
paso robles 2004 - $36
rose, robert sinskey "vin gris of pinot noir"
carneros 2006 - $38
robert sinskey is one of my personal favorite producers of white wines. the 2006 vin gris of pinot noir has very light extraction and is so elegant. it has absolutely fantastic bright raspberries on the nose and palate and is super clean. quite simply an awesome rose.
alsacian blend, robert sinskey "abraxas"
vin de terroir, carneros 2005 - $48
another home run from robert sinkey. this wine is 100% organic and biodynamic and is a blend of gewurtztraminer, pinot blanc, pinot gris and riesling. this wine is an homage to the beautiful wines of alsace and is fermented bone dry with awesome minerality, wet granite, honeysuckle and citrus. a very special wine.
pinot grigio, echelon
california 2005 - $26
pinot gris, j wine company
russian river 2004 - $44
sauvignon blanc, waterbrook
columbia valley, washington 2004 - $20
sauvignon blanc, honig
napa 2005 - $28
i have been a huge fan of honig since i got into wine back in the 1990's. In my humble opinion, honig represents what sauvingnon blanc from napa is all about. great people and great wine!!
sauvignon blanc, castle rock
napa 2005 - $22
white blend, conundrum
california 2004 - $40
chenin blanc, vinum cellars "chard-no-way"
clarksburg 2005 - $26
i am completely crazy about chenin blanc and believe that when it is treated with the proper care and respect, it can create some of the best white wines in the world. this wine is fermented fully dry and quite simply is one of the best values on this list.
chenin blanc/viognier, pine ridge
napa 2005 - $34
roussanne, garretson "the limoid cior"
paso robles 2003 - $50
viognier, coeur d' alene cellars
idaho 2005 - $42
chardonnay, heron
california 2005 - $26
chardonnay, aquinas
napa 2005 - $30
chardonnay, grgich hills
napa 2003 - $64
chardonnay, sonoma cutrer "the cutrer"
sonoma 2004 - $58
jean-jacques vincent, the owner of chateau fuisse in pouilly fuisse in southern burgundy told me when i was tasting at his chateau that "sonoma cutrer is the only winemaker in california that understands how to use oak". sonoma cutrer does not feel like a californian chardonnay, it has the minerality of chablis, the mouthfeel of mersault and a raciness of puligny-montrachet.
chardonnay, littorai "charles heintz"
sonoma 2003- $80
chardonnay, littorai "thieriot vineyard"
sonoma 2003 - $82
littorai creates some really fantastic wines. the two wines we have are very different, but have the same elegance. the "charles heintz" is more of a round full californian style of chardonnay where as the "thieriot vineyard" is much leaner and racier in style.
chardonnay, kistler "les noisetiers"
sonoma coast 2005 - $88
kistler is an amazing producer whose wines are always very full, rich and round with fantastic minerality. one of the greatest parts of kistler is how long the wine lasts on the finish. this wine is exclusively produced for restaurants and is built to go with food.
chardonnay, clos du val
carneros 2004 - $48
chardonnay, laetitia
arroyo grande valley 2005 - $38
rose, domaine de fontsainte "gris de gris"
corbieres, france 2006 - $28
rose, chateau de trinquevedel
tavel, france 2006 - $36
white blend, goats do roam
south africa 2005 - $28
the goats do roam label is a play on the "cotes du rhone" appelation of southern france. they also raise goats and make some great cheese as well. puns and goats aside, this is a fantastic version of a classic white rhone. this wine drinks very well and is a great value!!
pinot blanc, kuentz-bas
alsace, france 2004 - $30
pinot grigio, ca' del sarto
friuli, italy 2005 - $26
alvarinho, arca nova
vinho verde, portugal 2005 - $22
arca nova is an awesome little first course wine and one of our all time favorite summertime white wines. it is super racy with amazing acidity, so much acid that it seems almost effervesent in the glass. this is a perfect way to start off a hot weather dinner.
riesling, dr. burklin wolf
pfalz, germany 2004 - $32
riesling spatlese, markus molitor
wehlener sonnenuhr, germany 2004 - $48
on a personal level, i think that riesling is the most noble of the white varietals. none the less, it is very hard to convince the majority of wine drinkers of rieslings virtues. riesling is just a dance between sugar and acidity and it is this dance which fasinates the fanatics. all of the rieslings on this list are wonderful, but the markus molitor really has my attention. great minerality with apricots and flowers and incredible structure. wine spectator gave it 95 points and there are only 500 cases in the whole world and we got one of them.
riesling kabinett, selbach "fish label"
mosel-saar-ruwer, germany 2004 - $38
gruner veltliner, loimer "lois"
austria 2005 - $28
gruner veltliner, loimer "langenlois"
austria 2004 - $42
gruner veltliner is a very neat varietal that is still somewhat unknown in the states, not to mention montana. think of a sauvignon blanc with hints of white pepper and you will be close. the main difference between the two is really about the length of finish and overall complexity. the lois is just a wonderful, light summertime wine. the langenlois is just much richer and complex with a rounder mouthfeel. both are staff favorites.
sauvignon blanc, kim crawford
marlborough, new zealand 2006 - $40
chenin blanc, barton & guestier
vouvray, france 2004 - $22
chardonnay, francine et olivet savary
chablis 2005 - $42
chardonnay, joseph drouhin
chablis 2003 - $42
if you have never tried a chablis, we highly recommend them. there has always been some confusion about them due to the widespread abuse of the name "chablis" on box wine the world over. the vines of chablis grow on a soil composed mainly of crushed old seashells and limestone which impart an intense minerality to the wine which smells like wet stones, especially granite. chablis is in a world all of its own and about as far from californian chardonnay as you can get. look for hints of citrus and flint.
chardonnay, verget
macon-villages 2004 - $38
chardonnay, kim crawford
marlborough, new zealand 2003 (unoaked) - $42
chardonnay, trevor jones "virgin chardonnay"
south australia, 2005 - $46
the story behind this wine is worth the price all by itself, but suffice to say trevor "boots" jones is a heck of a character. he has been making this wine for 20+ years and it is super consistent, super good and a super food wine. this is an unoaked chardonnay.
torrontes, crios de susana balbo
cafayate, argentina 2005 - $36
torrontes, la yunta
la rioja, argentina 2005 - $26
torrontes is another super cool varietal that is an unknown grape for most wine drinkers. the torrontes grape creates a very full bodied wine with floral hints and spice. it works wonderfully with our menu, especially with fish.
pinot noir, a to z
oregon 2005 - $40
pinot noir, elk cove
willamette valley, oregon 2005 - $52
elk cove was voted northwestern winery of the year for 2007 and with good reason. great pinot noirs are generally very expensive and if they were not so good, they would be grossly overpriced. then along comes elk cove producing awesome oregon pinots at very reasonable prices. this wine has the earth that marks great oregon pinots and really wonderful bright and expressive fruit.
pinot noir, cristom "marjorie vineyard"
willamette valley, oregon 2002 - $88
pinot noir, ken wright cellar "carter vineyard"
willamette valley, oregon 2005 - $86
willamette valley, oregon 2005 375 ml - $44
willamette valley, oregon 2005 5 liter - $480
as you might be able to guess we are big fans of ken wright and his whole philosophy of making wine. ken wright shows how good oregon pinots can really be and does it by letting the terroir really speak. we brought in all of the half bottles so that we could start teaching ourselves about the different vineyard sites of the willamette valley. the carter vineyard is one of my favorites. it is a firmer wine with some nice tannins but it is suprisingly soft and sexy and incredibly balanced. this is one of the royalities of oregon pinots.
pinot noir, ken wright cellars "canary hill vineyard"
willamette valley, oregon 2005 - $86
willamette valley, oregon 2005 375 ml - $44
canary hill is a little bit softer than the carter and a little more feminine. the wines from this vineyard are generally very forward with hints of cola and black cherry.
pinot noir, ken wright cellars "elton vineyard"
willamette valley, oregon 2005 375 ml - $44
elton vineyard will soon be unavailable as a corporate winery has taken control of the land, they say they will honor all leases and contracts on the property until they expire, but who knows? either way, soon they will keep all the grapes for themselves. the wines from this vineyard always have a pronounced candied cherries and firm structure.
pinot noir, ken wright cellars "savoya vineyard"
willamette valley, oregon 2005 375 ml - $44
the savoya vineyard is located in the yamhill-carlton district and was the first vineyard directly owned and developed by ken wright. this is an intense wine with deep black fruit, seared meat, cedar and anise.
pinot noir, ken wright cellars "abbot claim vineyard"
willamette valley, oregon 2005 375 ml - $44
the abbot claim vineyard lies in the yamhill-carlton district and has very deep rich soil. Wines from this vineyard tend to have deep color and are very dense and lush. the fruits tend to be darker such as cassis, plum and black cherry.
pinot noir, ken wright cellars "mccrone vineyard"
willamette valley, oregon 2005 375 ml - $44
the mccrone vineyard is also located in the yamhill-carlton district and has wonderful soil of old fossils that drains very well and promotes early ripening. the wines from this vineyard tend to be very intense, powerful and deeply colored with the fruits tending to be very dark, black cherries. cassis and minerals.
pinot noir, castle rock
sonoma coast, california 2005 - $24
pinot noir, j wine company "nicole's vineyard"
russian river 2004 - $78
this is the most feminine and elegant pinot produced in california. the wine is just sexy with light extraction and pronounced bing cherries and a super cool chinese five spice lingering on the palate. sweet spice, good tannins and cherries. super awesome!!
pinot noir, echelon
central coast 2004 - $34
pinot noir, siduri
santa rita hills, santa barbara 2004 - $46
siduri winery produces 21 different pinots every year, making it the single largest pinot focus of any californian winery. only in the last couple of years did i come to know these wines and i am amazed by the wine they are making and the press they are receiving. siduri makes big pinots, with deep spice, and earth in an oakey style that can stand up to serious cuisine.
pinot noir, seasmoke "ten" santa rita hills
santa barbara 2004 - $120
merlot, houge "genesis"
columbia valley, washington 2002 - $38
merlot, lapis luna
california 2003 - $24
merlot, pine ridge "crimson creek"
napa 2002 - $64
merlot, corte riva
napa 2003 - $92
corte riva is one of the awe inspiring, boot strap stories that make you believe that anything is possible. lawernce cortez and romel riva immigrated from the phillipines in the late 1970's and found their way to napa and over time have worked their way up to cellar master and assistant wine maker at pride mountain. with the help and advice of pride mountian's head winemaker, robert foley, they have begun to produce their own label to some fairly high praise and even higher scores. intense blackberry, black cherry and plum with deep flavors of vanilla and chocolate mocha. 600 cases produced with 92 wine advocate rating.
merlot, pahlmeyer, oakville
napa, california 2003 - $138
merlot, mutt lynch "merlot over and play dead"
sonoma 2003 - $52
merlot, rancho sisquoc "flood family vineyard"
santa barbara, california 2000 - $48
syrah, heron
california 2003 - $34
syrah, t-vine "duarte vineyard"
contra costa county 2002 - $86
syrah, qupe
central coast 2005 - $38
shiraz, echelon "esperanza vineyard"
clarksburg 2001 - $34
syrah/petite syrah/touriga/tannat, vina robles "huerhuero"
paso robles 2004 - $40
petite syrah, foppiano
russian river 2003 - $46
counoise, mccrea cellars "clos du cheval"
red mountain, washington 2004 - $64
susan mccrea is a great winemaker and a wonderful friend of livingston and the bistro. mccrea cellars is based on producing rhone varietal wines in washingston state. Counoise might be unknown in the states, but it is fundamental in the production of chateauneuf-du-pape wines and chateau la nerthe. couniose produces wines with a medium body and spicy character with flavors of anise, strawberries and blueberries.
merlot/syrah/cab, reininger, helix "pomatia"
washington 2003 - $42
cabernet/merlot/syrah, magnificent wine company "house wine"
columbia valley, washingston 2003 - $28
grenache/syrah/zin/mourvedre, quivira "steelhead red"
dry creek 2004 - $42
bordeaux blend, pahlmeyer "jayson"
oakville, napa 2003 - $92
claret, robert foley
howell mountain, napa 2003 - $170
charbono, robert foley
howell mountain, napa 2004 - $72
robert foley has been called the best winemaker in america and although it is hard to separate hyperbole from reality in the world of wine, he is without a doubt a true blue chip performer. his 2003 claret was a 100 point wine and considered by many to be the wine of the vintage. charbono is a super cool grape that few people play around with. it was imported into california in the 19th century and was used primarly as an intensifier for early napa cabernets. when crafted by a great winemaker, like bob foley, this grape produces a deep, inky, juicy wine that is profoundly expressive.
cab/sangiovese/petite syrah, bacio divino
napa 1999 - $80
i was introduced to bacio divino "the divine kiss" here in livingston and fell in love with it, especially the 1999 vintage. parker gave it 92 points and it has an amazing palate of blackfruit, leather, charcoal, and herbs. A hedonistic wine, multilayered and complex.
cab/sangiovese/petite syrah, bacio divino
napa 2000 - $80
cabernet/syrah, l'aventure "optimus"
paso robles 2004 - $74
cabernet/merlot/cab franc, zenaida cellars "zc red"
paso robles nv - $38
rhone blend, garretson "big sky cuvee"
central coast, california 2003 - $46
cabernet, andrew will "champoux vineyard"
washington 2000 - $68
cabernet, three rivers winery "champoux vineyard"
washington 2003 - $62
i became fasinated with the champoux vineyard years ago and it still holds a special place for me, i can almost always pick out a wine from the champoux vineyard, the place has terroir. while "terroir" in american winemaking is rarley more than a hollow marketing tool, the champoux vineyard has a signature or identity that really definies washington state cabernets.
cabernet, mount eden vineyards
santa cruz mountains 2002 - $70
cabernet, whitehall lane "reserve"
napa 2003 - $140
I am always amazed that more people don't know about whitehall lane. pound for pound, year for year they have received more 90+ point ratings than almost anyone else. super consistent, year after year. they are also pushing the envelope as far as bottle closures go, with thier new glass cork or "vino-seal", pretty cool stuff.
cabernet, corison
napa 2002 - $96
cathy corison has been making wine in napa valley for more than 25 years and her wines are always very, very consistent. she knows what she wants from her grapes and it is this vision in winemaking that has made her one of the most consistent winemakers in california through good and not so good vintages. she only deals with cabernet sauvignon and creates a signature wine that she describes as "walking a line between power and elegance". we are huge fans of cathy and her wines.
cabernet, st. clement
napa 1999 - $68
caberent, lewis
napa 2003 - $160
cabernet, long meadow ranch "ranch house red"
napa 2005 - $48
cabernet, clos du val
napa 2004 - $56
cabernet, chateau montelena
napa 2003 - $62
cabernet, jordan
sonoma 2002 - $70
cabernet, justin
paso robles 2004 - $54
paso robles is my personal favorite region in california, simply beacause I like so many of the wines and the people that come from there. Justin makes a super sexy cabernet, very easy to drink and pairs well with lots of cuisine.
cabernet, eberle "vineyard selection"
paso robles 2004 - $38
cabernet, barnwood "elevation 3200"
santa barbara county 2004 - $38
zinfandel, rosenblum "vintners cuvee xxvi"
california nv - $28
zinfandel, robert biale "pioneer series, grande"
napa 2003 - $80
zinfandel, robert biale "napa ranches"
napa 2004 - $64
zinfandel, mutt lynch "canis major"
dry creek, sonoma 2004 - $58
zinfandel, mazzocco
dry creek, sonoma 2001 - $28
zinfandel, carol shelton "wild thingold vines"
mendocino 2003 - $60
carol shelton's wines have won more medals at major tasting competitions than any other winemaker, leading her to be named "most awarded winemaker in america". so why has no one ever heard of her?? well, that is a good question. this wine is made from old vine zinfandel, planted in 1956 and is is not innoculated with commerical yeasts. the only yeasts used are naturally occuring on the grape skins. really cool stuff!!
although it would be hard to quantify, i would say that linne calodo is the bistro's favorite winery. there is something about the style of the wines (incredibly extracted and rich), the region (paso robles) and the people (obsessed and humble) that have drawn us to them for years. they are kind of on the fringes of the winemaking world and do their own thing, look at the names of the wines like "the outsider" or "sticks and stones" or "the problem child". the wines have very high alcohol, yet are completely integrated and smooth. pure and simple: great wine unlike the rest.
the contrarian
rousanne and viognier based wine from 2005 - $68
the problem child
zinfandel based wine from 2004 - $94
the problem child
zinfandel based wine from 2005 - $94
always explosive fruit, tempered with a little bit of syrah. one of the biggest zinfandels i have had the opportunity to drink in a long time.
the outsider
zinfandel based wine from 2004 - $88
made from grapes raised on a north facing slope in paso, with super deep soil and cooler temperatures, giving the wine less acid and more of a glycerin-like mouthfeel. the wine has a nice zinfandel spice without it getting overbearing.
leona's
zinfandel based wine from 2005 - $88
leona's zinfandel comes from the exact same vineyard as the outsider, except that it comes from the southern exposure and the outsider is from the northern exposure. it is amazing how different wines can be from each other when they are grown right next to each other. leona's is definately a spicier, bigger wine.
sticks and stones
grenache based wine from 2004 - $96
sticks and stones
grenache based wine from 2005
sticks and stones represents linne calado's commitment to rhone varietals and rhone wines. this is a grenache based wine that is bright and fruit forward with lots of raspberries and currants intermixed with tobacco.
the nemesis
syrah based wine from 2004 - $98
this is a journey to the dark side of linne calado and their answer to syrah. super extracted, rich and deep wine, with just a little mourvedre for earth and grenache for bright fruit. one of my personal favorite wines from linne calado.
pinotage, fleur du cap
south africa 2004 - $28
pinotage is a cross between pinot noir and cinsault that was created in 1925. cinsault was know as hermitage in south africa, hence the name. pinot is hard to grow but produces great wines, where cinsault is easy to grow but produces mediocre wines. the hope was that the best qualities of each would be realized in the cross, but as any parent knows, this is rarely the case and so for 70 years hardly anyone even played with this grape. but with the fall of apartheid many things changed and they figured out how to work with this unique varietal. the easiest way to describe the grape is a pinot noir on steroids, but that is overly simplistic. depending on who makes it, it can vary incredibly because there is no old world standard. this wine is deep and rich with lots of extraction, some cooked red fruit and a great velvety richness and good tannic structure.
merlot, heron, vin de pays
southern france 2003 - $26
barbera monferrato, marchesi di barolo "maraia"
piedmont, italy 2002 - $32
a wonderful old world, traditional style of barbera with hints of tar, rubber and wonderfully bright fruit with great acid.
barbera d' asti, villa giada "i suri"
piedmont, italy 2004 - $26
nebbiolo, barolo, cavallotto "vignolo"
piedmont 1997 - $96
nebbiolo, barolo, seghesio "la villa"
piedmont 1999 - $130
montepulciano d' abruzzo, masciarelli
abruzzi, italy 2002 - $24
montepulciano d' abruzzo, masciarelli
abruzzi, italy 2002 (1.5 liters!!) - $44
anyone who has spent much time at the bistro probabally knows this wine. it is one of our all time favorites and is super consistent year after year. it is definitely an old world wine with black fruit, old wood and earth. it is what i hope i would find traveling the countryside of italy: tasty, honest and cheap.
corvina/molinara/rondinella, cesari "mara" vino di ripasso
valpolicella, italy 2004 - $48
don't feel bad if you don't know these grapes, most people only have heard of the wine they produce: amarone and vino di ripasso. vino di ripasso is the "poor man's amarone" and this wine is just classic with berries, cassis and hints of mushrooms. soft and velvety with an amazingly long finish. quite simply a fantastic wine.
nero d' avola, planeta "la segreta"
sicily, italy 2003 - $36
tempranillo, palacios remondo "propiedad h. remondo"
rioja baja 2003 - $58
this is a small, family owned winery in rioja baja, that is being thrust into the international wine scene ever since they brought on the super star from the priorat named alvario palacios. this is super spainish juice, definitely not old school.
tempranillo/mazuelo, conde de valdemar "crianza"
rioja, spain 2002 - $30
tempranillo/mazuelo, conde de valdemar "reserva"
rioja, spain 2000 - $38
tempranillo/mazuelo, conde de valdemar "gran reserva"
rioja, spain 1997 - $54
if you want old world then this is the wine for you. this wine spent 44 months in oak, before it was bottled and has spent the last 6 years coming into its own. there is lots of leather, cedar, mushrooms, dark black fruit and silky tannins. we love this wine!!
tempranillo, valenciso, "reserva"
rioja, spain 2000 - $74
mencia, descendientes de j. palacios "petalos"
villa de corullon, bierzo, spain 2005 - $50
tempranillo, condado de haza
ribera del duero, spain 2003 - $52
this is a modern take on what is happening in spain right now. condado de haza is a project of alejandro fernandez that he began in the 1980's and has brought to fruition in the ribera del duero. This is not old world spain by a long shot, but is still classic spanish wine, made with the supremely noble tempranillo grape.
garnacha/carinena/cabernet, morlanda "crianca"
priorat, spain 2001 - $82
garnacha/cabernet/merlot, pasanau "la morera de montsant"
priorat, spain 2001 - $50
cabernet/garnacha, pasanau "finca la planeta"
priorat, spain 2002 - $62
the priorat is an amazing region geographically, politically and viticulturally. the vineyards are carved into sheer rock walls, some as steep as 50 degrees. the landscape is wind blown, harsh and primal. the nearest town, gratallops, literally means "where the wolves are howling". vines suffering in the howling wind. if one was to make wine from these grapes, they would first of all produce very little juice and what juice they did produce would be exceedingly concentrated and very minerally in character. these are very serious wines that demand to be decanted early.
moristel, alquezar
somontano, spain 2004 - $32
grenache blend, domaine les pallieres, gigondas
southern rhone 2003 - $64
this estate had been handed down father to son for over 600 years, until 1998 when they sold the estate. it kind of makes you wonder what was going on in livingston 600 years ago? anyway, the sale of the estate was a good thing, because the family had fallen on hard times and the wines they were producing were lagging. the brunier family and kermit lynch bought the estate and immediately started turning it around. the 2003 has a very evocative nose with masses of sweet smokey grenache fruit and confit.
grenache blend, domaine la bouissiere, gigondas
southern rhone 2003 - $68
super intense color and extraction with bright red fruit of cherries and blueberries with the classic southern rhone floral and herbal hints. 2003 may have been a hot year, but they have come into their own quickly and are drinking great right now!!
grenache blend, domaine le sang des cailloux, vacqueyras
southern rhone 2004 - $66
literally this wine means "blood of the stones" and is one of the most impressive of our southern rhones. super intense minerality, almost like the wine was filtered over stones, with wonderful hints of spice and bright fruit. this wine simply smells of provence.
grenache blend, domaine la milliere "reserve"
cote du rhone 2003 - $36
grenache blend, clos du caillou
cote du rhone 2003 - $42
grenache blend, chateau de mattes sabran "le viala"
les baux de provence, france 2003 - $32
grenache blend, mas de gourgonnier
les baux de provencefrance 2003 - $42
this estate, run by luc and luciene cartier has been farmed organically for decades as is well respected not only for their wine, but their olive oil is considered to be one of the finest in all of france. this wine combines the crystal clear expression of provencial soil with the intensity of a top rhone wine, and they do it all in a super cool, old school squat little bottle.
mourvedre blend, domaine tempier, bandol
southern france 2003 - $70
there is an air of aristocracy about domaine tempier, somehow mixed with the love of a grandmother. this combonation of excellence and comfort is somehow deeply imbedded in my mind about lulu and domaine tempier. maybe it is too many years of reading her wonderful cookbook and hearing stories about her like, how it is forbidden to prune or bottle in the presence of a new moon. always have been organic wines and they are always with more acid and less grenache-grapey fruit than the rhone wines.
mourvedre blend, domaine du gros nore, bandol
southern france 2003 - $58
bandol is all about mourvedre and with good reason. it is one of the few places that gets consistently hot enough for the mourvedre grape gets enough sunlight to rippen properly and lose that gamey character that sometimes people associate with southern french wines. this domaine is owned by alain pascal who is a true farmer, who has never even left provence. this wine scored 91 points on the vintage and was ranked as one of wine spectators top 100 wines of the year.
malbec, budini
mendoza, argentina 2004 - $24
another of our all time favorite bottles. this is an unfined and unfiltered malbec with deep, dark purple extraction and a very fleshy mouthfeel with tons of spicy, black fruit. quite simply an awesome little bottle of wine.
malbec, altos las hormigas
mendoza, argentina 2005 - $28
malbec, dona paula
mendoza, argentina 2005 - $34
this is probably the most refined of our malbecs (in a neck and neck tie with enrique foster's "reserva" malbec) and drinks like a bottle twice its price. it is very ripe and round and the oak supplies nice firm tannins that give the wine great soft structure and balance.
malbec, enrique foster "ique"
mendoza, argentina 2005 - $28
malbec, enrique foster "reserva"
mendoza, argentina 2003 - $52
bonarda/malbec, tikal "patriota"
mendoza, argentina 2003 - $54
bonarda, colonia las liebres
mendoza, argentina 2005 - $28
originally this grape hails from the piedmont of northern italy, but it has become the most widely planted grape varietal in argentina. there are a lot of questions as to the geneology of this grape; some say it is dolcetto and others say it is charbono from california ( i have seen no less than 10 possibilites). the simple fact about this wine is that it is simply a no-brainer with its wonderful value to price ratio. look for lots of big black fruit, soft tannins, roasted meats and alcohol. this wine is compelety unoaked, unfined and unfiltered
cabernet, de martino "legado reserva"
maipo valley, chile 2004 - $34
shiraz, blackbilly
mclaren vale, australia 2004 - $42
shiraz/viognier, d' arenberg "the laughing magpie"
mclaren vale, australia 2003 - $74
i cannot speak highly enough of d'arenberg and this wonderful wine. they take their inspiration for blending both the black shiraz with the white viognier (hence the magpie) from the rhone valley but put an aussie spin on it. the viognier adds the perfume of flowers, ginger and herbs to enhance the essential qualities of the shiraz grape, namely big black berry fruit.
rhone blend, fairview "goats do roam in villages"
south africa 2004 - $34
j wine company
russian river valley 2000 - $52
domaine meriwether, "cuvee william clark"
oregon 1999 - $32
gruet
albuquerque, new mexico nv - $34
gruet, blanc de blanc
albuquerque, new mexico 2000 - $46
seaview
australia nv - $26
perrier-jouet "fleur de champagne"
epernay, champagne 1996 - $150
moet & chandon "white star" champagne nv - $62
moet & chandon "brut imperial rose" champagne nv - $64
veuve clicquot ponsardin "yellow label" champagne nv - $68
veuve clicquot ponsardin "yellow label" champagne nv .375 - $34
sumarroca reserva brut, cava, penedes, spain nv - $20
prosecco, zardetto, conegliano, italy nv - $28
moscatel, flare "espumoso de moscatel" valencia, spain nv - $26
moscato d' asti, saracco
italy 2005 - $30
moscato d' asti, michele chiarlo "nivole"
italy 2004 .375 ml - $20
muscat canelli, eberle
paso robles 2005 - $28
eiswein, chateau bianca
oregon nv .375 ml - $30
chenin blanc, kiona "red mountain ice wine"
washington 2004 .375ml - $30
chardonnay/welschriesling, kracher "cuvee beerenauslese"
austria 2003 .375ml - $68
sauv blanc/sauv gris/viognier, carlos basso "vendimia tardia"
mendoza, argentina 2005 .500ml - $28
muscat, chateau du jau
france 1996 .375 ml - $26
muscat, bonny doon "vin de glaciere"
santa cruz 2003 .375 ml - $42
raspberries, bonny doon "framboise"
santa cruz nv .375ml - $28
late harvest zinfandel, rosenblum "rosie rabbit vineyard"
sonoma 2001 .375ml - $44
late harvest zinfandel, carol shelton "black magic"
sonoma 2003 .375ml - $40
late harvest monastrell, olivares
jumilla, spain 2001 .500ml - $48
bogle, petite syrah "port" .375ml - $44
grahams 6 grapes 8 gls
dow 10 year tawny 10 gls