Friday, December 15th from 4-7pm – With Christmas less than two weeks away, join us to sample 6 premium West Coast wines! We’re pulling the corks on super special wines, and you’re invited!
Christmas comes but once per year, and if ever there were a holiday to splurge on wine(s), this is the one. Whether you need lavish reds for gift-giving or standing rib-roast, we got you covered. Need crisp whites for Feast of the Seven Fishes or the classic turkey/ham dinner? We got you there too. Trust me, we’re here to help during this busy time of the year. My staff, including myself, has over 40 years of combined wine experience. We love talking about wine, we love talking about food, and we invite you to stop by the store for live, passionate, and informed consultation. Cheers, Happy Holidays, and we’ll see you soon.
All of the featured tasting wines are being offered at 20% off by the bottle on tasting day only!
1. 2016 Rickshaw Sauvignon Blanc (North Coast, California) – I seriously struggle with California Sauvignon Blanc. They’re often uneventful and dull, to put it politely. But leave it to the fine folks at Banshee Wines to produce a great one at a great price. Rickshaw is their “second label,” and this is textbook Sauvignon Blanc. Possessing some of the bright and exotic fruit typically encountered in New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc combined with some of the richer, more perfumed nuance of top-flight California Sauvignon Blanc (think Merry Edwards), this is a ton of wine for the money.
2. 2014 Varner Chardonnay “El Camino Vineyard” (Santa Barbara County, California) – Brothers Jim and Bob Varner craft some of California’s top Chardonnays, and this is no-doubt their top value. “Despite its very reasonable price, the 2014 Chardonnay El Camino Vineyard delivers serious intensity, richness and nuance. Broad, ample and phenolic, the 2014 exudes all the classic Varner signatures, structure being the most obvious of these. Yellow orchard fruit, mint, candied lemon, chamomile and lightly honeyed notes are front and center. This is one of the most singular Santa Barbara Chardonnays readers will come across.” – Antonio Galloni – 92 points
3. 2014 Banshee Pinot Noir (Sonoma County, California) – I had a bottle of this recently and was amazed at the quality for the price ratio. Tasting like Pinots that often sell for $50+, this one is always good, but the 2014 is great. Medium bodied, silky, complex and possessing gobs of ripe red fruits, exotic spices, and rooty, earthy nuances, it is a wonderful Pinot at a wonderful price.
4. 2016 Syncline Wine Cellars Subduction Red (Columbia Valley, Washington) – This was the surprise hit at our big, free Thanksgiving tasting about a month ago. I understand why! A blend of 52% Syrah, 21% Mourvedre, 11% Grenache, and smaller bits and pieces of other classic Rhone varietals, it is drop-dead gorgeous. Beautifully balanced and integrated, it offers up rich, yet bright notes of spicy, brambly berries along with hints of smoked meat. Talk about a perfect wine for lamb!
5. 2011 Hill Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, California) – In addition to selling grapes to blue chips like Silver Oak, Pahlmeyer, Ramey, and Rombauer, this awesome family-run property makes some awesome wines. Vintage 2011 was declared “not-too-great” by many of the top wine writers, but I invite them to stop by the store to taste this one and say anything bad about it. It is scrumptious! Full-bodied and packed with classic Napa Cab notes of cassis, blackberry, black cherry, mocha, and spicy, toasty French oak, it’s the perfect red wine to sip by the fire or to serve with beef.
6. 2014 Vineyard 29 “Cru” Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, California) – This is a serious treat! Made by the very talented Kirk Venge, this Cabernet hits all the sweet spots and more! “The 2014 Cru has turned out every bit as strong as their 2013, which says something. Dense, opaque purple color, wonderfully sweet red and back fruits, an enticing fragrance, silky tannins and a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, with no heaviness or rusticity, are the kind of characteristics that consumers love and will certainly enjoy in this wine that should age effortlessly for at least a decade or more.” – Robert Parker – 93 points
Josh Spurling
Owner/Operator at Table Wine
828.505.8588
josh@tablewineasheville.com