Asheville's best free wine tasting.

French Wines From Importer Neal Rosenthal - Saturday, September 29

Saturday, September 29th from 2-5pm – Join us to sample a great lineup of small grower/producer, French wines from importer Neal Rosenthal. Mike Tiano of the Haw River Wine Man and Joseph Frederick from Rosenthal Wine Merchant join us to pour the wines and tell the stories.

Asheville’s Best Wine Tasting – $5 to sample 8 wines – Just stop by, we’ve got plenty of free parking!

I had the chance to sit down and taste through 30 or so wines with Neal Rosenthal a few years back. Talk about an incredible experience! Neal is just as enthusiastic about his wines and his producers as he was when he founded his company back in 1977. His complete and continued commitment to small, family-owned, traditional and terroir-driven estates is 100% in line with Table Wine’s commitment to small growers and producers. I can’t wait to share his wines with you for this exciting tasting.

Join us as we pull the corks on 8 different wines from the Rosenthal portfolio. From Burgundy and Savoie to the Southern Rhone and Bordeaux, we’ll explore and taste a large variety of Neal’s selections. At the end of the day, you should get the full “Rosenthal Experience.” No RSVP is required for this one, and like I said, we’ve got plenty of free parking. And all of the featured tasting wines will be 20% off by the bottle on tasting day. Taste, learn, and save every Saturday at Table Wine.

All of the featured tasting wines are 20% off by the bottle on tasting day only.

1. 2016 Thevenet et Fils Macon Pierreclos (Burgundy, France): Jean-Claude Thevenet, his wife Helene, and his three sons consistently produce wines of honesty, purity, and tremendous value. Their Pierreclos comes from vines that average 45 years of age, and it is feremented in stainless steel, with some lees aging. Showing the bright and crisp side of Chardonnay, it shines with notes of apple, pear, lemon, and mineral.

2. 2016 Romaine Chamiot Apremont (Savoie, France) –The Chamiot family has owned vineyards in the picturesque Apremont appellation of the Savoie for several generations, and the young Romain has recently taken the reigns from his grandparents to continue the lineage. This is new addition to the Rosenthal portfolio, and a brilliant example of the Jacquere-based wines of the village. A pleasant and straightforward wine, it is clean and lively on the palate, with a bit of flesh brought about by a few grams of residual sugar.

3. 2017 Chateau la Rame Bordeaux Blanc (Bordeaux, France) –Situated 40 kilometers southeast of the city of Bordeaux, Chateau La Rame is among the oldest and most renowned properties in the Sainte Croix du Mont appellation. Their Bordeaux Blanc is 100% Sauvignon Blanc from 20+ year old vines situated on clay and limestone studded, hillside parcel. Fermented in stainless steel and aged on the lees for 6 months, it is a rather intense and relatively rich white wine showcasing aromas and flavors of apricot and tropical fruits, namely a lemon curd/lime combination. A ridiculous value!

4. 2017 Chateau Massiac Minervois “Cuvee Sentinelle” (Languedoc, France) – One of the great red wine values of Southern France, Chateau Massiac’s Cuvee Sentinelle is a blend of Syrah and Carignan. Ripe, open knit, and packed with plummy dark fruit, spice, and smoky mineral notes, it is ideal for consuming solo or with roasted meats, stews, or chili.

5. 2015 Domaine de la Chapelle des Bois Morgon “Les Rontay” (Beaujolais, France) – Chantal and Eric Coudert-Appert, the proprietors of the Domaine de la Chapelle des Bois, represent the seventh generation of this family line to work the vineyards of this estate. The Morgon is the most powerful and fruit-driven wine of the Coudert’s 2015s. The old vines, which enjoy ideal exposure, yield a wine of power and richness, but beneath the lushness is an attractive interplay of fruit and freshness that underlines unmistakably where the wine comes from.

6. 2016 Chateau le Puy “Duc des Nauves” Cotes de Bordeaux (Bordeaux, France) – This estate is situated on the same plateau as Saint Emilion and Pomerol and sits on the second highest point in the Gironde at 110 meters above sea level. All of the farming here is done according to the principles of biodynamics, and the resulting wine shows a freshness and brightness rarely encountered in Bordeaux these days. Mainly Merlot, with smaller portions of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, it is fermented entirely in cement. Showing a lovely “Parfum de Bordeaux,” along with a seamless and harmonious palate, it’s absolutely delicious.

7. Domaine de Fenouillet Beaumes de Venise Rouge “Terres Blanches” (Rhone Valley, France) – The brothers Soard, Patrick and Vincent, own and operate this impeccable domaine the cellars of which are situated in the village of Beaumes de Venise, in the shadows of Mont Ventoux and the Dentelles de Montmirail. A blend of 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre, the wine is bottled unfiltered after eleven months of aging in cement cuves. Showcasing classic Southern Rhone notes of ripe dark berries, garrigue, and spice, it is a soulful and powerful red to serve with grilled meats and autumnal fare.

8. 2014 Domaine Bois de Boursan Chateauneuf du Pape (Rhone Valley, France) – We’ll end the tasting with a big, luxurious, Grenache-based red from the most famed growing zone in Southern France. Full bodied, yet rich and round, this one is packed with notes of kirsch, dark cherry, peppery spice and herb. The slightly earthy nuance of the wine makes it a perfect partner to the root vegetables, roasts, and grilled meats.

Josh Spurling
Owner/Operator at Table Wine
828.505.8588
josh@tablewineasheville.com