Flaio Primativo

*Rich’s Pick

"Great Wines Under $10" 

In my ongoing effort to deliver quality for value, I went back and visited an old friend in Flaio Primativo, and rediscovered how great this wine is. The best part is that it is still under $10. Primativo is a grape that is basically the equivalent to the American Zinfandel grape. This wine has all the big jammy fruit and spice, with a more in check 13.5% alcohol(some California Zins are hitting 16 and 17%). So as the warm weather approaches, and we get into barbeque and burger season, try this great Italian red. You wont be disapointed in the price or quality. 750ml

Baron Rothschild Pinot Noir

*Rich’s Pick

"Great Wines Under $10"

From the get go, with the Rothschild name on the bottle you know it's going to be good. From the prestigous Rothschild family comes this great value Pinot Noir. This Pinot is soft and smooth, with candied black cherry, licorice and a touch of earthiness, with faint tannins and soft acids. For under $10, this wine is an absolute steal. 750ml

Tolenus Rosso Piceno

*Ellyn's Pick

An excellent value from Central Italy, this offers a lot of wine for your dollar. A blend of Sangiovese and Montepulciano grapes, Tolenus has spice, berries, dried herb flavors amd a long, concentrated finish. It goes well with anything grilled or roasted and is a must-try for fans of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. 750ml

Aussieres Rouge

*Rich’s Pick

The Rothschild winemaking knowledge at work in this perfect marriage of Bordeaux and Langeudoc varietals. A blend of Merlot, Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Mouvedre, it has layers of flavor. Gaining density from the Cabernet, the Syrah adds spice, the Merlot give it fruit, the Mouvedre gives it richness, and the Cabernet Franc add a little depth. This is one of those wines that is so much better than it's price indicates. 750ml 

Blason d'Aussieres Corbieres

*Rich’s Pick

The "Cuvee of Excellence" from Chateau Aussieres. This wine is loaded with finesse. A dense wine that benefits from the cool terrior and late ripening of the region. Rich flavors of black fruit and white pepper lead to a very smooth finish. Definitely a wine hat exemplifies the Rothschild global standard of excellence and elegance. 750ml

Cline Cashmere

*Rich’s Pick

I love wines with a great story behind them, and this one has a good one. Cline Cashmere is a Rhone style blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mouvedre. It has a rich, lush mouthfeel that is like velvet on the palte. Flavors of blueberries and earth, with a touch of spice and cocoa linger on the palate. The cool story with this wine is that in addition to the wine being outstanding, a large portion of the proceeds from the sale of this wine are donated to Breast Cancer, which makes it even more worth every penny spent on it.  750ml

Pacific Rim Dry Riesling

Rich's Pick

This has always been one of my "go to" wines. This is a drier style Riesling as it has just a hint of sweetness to it. It has great tropical fruit and floral flavors with a nice refreshing acidity. It is an absolutely perfect wine to pair with sushi or any other Pacific Rim cuisine. What makes this one of my summer picks is for a limited time Pacific Rim is offering an unbelieveable rebate of $10 on the purchase of 2 bottles. At $9.99 a bottle, with $10 off a 2 botlle purchase, it's almost like getting 2 bottles for the price of 1. Thats an offer that's just too good to pass up.

Dom Fouassier Sancere

Ellyn's Pick
Available in the Shrewsbury store

From France's bucolic Loire Valley, this delicious and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc has more body than Sancere typically has. Gentle lemon-apple flavors with mineral undertones make this the perfect wine to pair with all types of seafood, pesto dishes or goat cheese.

Terlato & Chapoutier Shiraz-Viognier

Rich's Pick

This wine is collaboration of two great wine minds, Michael Chapoutier of the Rhone Valley and Andrew Terlato, a Napa Valley Vintner, working in the Victoria region of Australia to create this amazing bottle, based on the traditonal Cote-Rotie style. Spicy Shiraz from vineyards in Central Victoria are given a beautiful aromatic boost from the addition of Viognier, to create a full bodied and well balanced masterpiece. The previous vintage of this wine made Wine Spectator's top 100 wines of the year.This is the last few cases of this vintage, and I was able to get my hands on a very small amount at a great price, so grab it while you can before it is gone, because when the new vintage arrives, it will go back up to its deserving price at almost $30 a bottle.

Moulin De Gassac Le Mazet

Rich's Pick

Here is proof that you can still get a great bottle of wine, with old world character, for under $10. This wine has been a mainstay here at Austin Liquors(when we can keep it in stock) for quite some time, and I am disapointed in myself for taking so long to give it a try.  The Languedoc region of France, with its stony and sunny slopes, offers up many great value wines, but I have yet to taste one that offers so much for so little. Made from grapes grown on 25 to 50 year old vines, this robust wine is a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, and Cinsault. Immediately you get aromas of black fruit, spice, and the herbs of the French countryside. Flavors of black fruit and hints of black pepper, sit elegantly on the palate, and then finish soft and smooth. At under $10 a bottle, this wine could quickly become your everyday red, and when you have company, they will think you spent a whole lot more than you did. And with our 20% case discount, a 12 bottle case of this wine is less than $90!

Ch Pennautier Cabardes

RICH'S PICK

From the recently recognized AOC of Cabardes, this wine is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cot(Malbec), Grenache, and Syrah. It has an intensely dark color and an aroma of ripe fruit. This is a well structured wine that is loaded with intense red fruit, spice and earthiness. It will drink well over the next three years. 

Chateau Claud La Chappelle 2007 Cotes de Castillon

ELLYN'S PICK
Every now and then, we discover a wine that is so underpriced, we feel the need to herald its arrival. Well, sound the trumpets, Ch Claud La Chappelle is here! Its home is Bordeaux' Cotes de Castillon, a sub-region rich in history and great-value red wine. Here, next door to St Emiilion, Merlot vines are predominant, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc playing supporting roles. The wines of this area are similar to Saint Emillion, but tend to be lighter, smoother and considerably less expensive.
This 2007 is a top value of the vintage, featuring dense flavors of smoky oak, leather and mint overlaid with dark berries and tongue-coating tannins. From the originator of the "garage movement", Jean Luc Thunevin, this is a must try for Bordeaux enthusiasts or lovers of rich red wines.

2007 Santa Ema Reserve Merlot

RICH'S PICK 

This is an absolutely amazing bottle of wine for an even more amazing price. Once you taste it, it's not hard to figure out how it got a 90 point rating from the Wine Advocate.

"The 2007 Merlot Reserve is a glass-coating opaque purple. The nose offers up coffee, mocha, and cherry leading to a wine with no hard edges and plenty of character. If all Merlots offered this much pleasure, Pinot Noir would never have become so popular."

Salvalai Pinot Grigio

Permutation Pinot Noir

Ellyn's Pick

Victoria’s Yarra Valley is THE place for Australian Pinot Noir.  Here the cool climate allows Pinot to ripen slowly and evenly resulting in perfectly mature grapes.  Add all-star winemaker William Downie’s expertise,  and you end up with an elegant, smooth great value.   With its strawberry, smoky, slate aromas and gorgeous black cherry, herbs, spice and vanillin flavors, this will match well with chicken in red wine, salmon, tenderloin and pork dishes.

Santa Ema Sauvignon Blanc

RICH'S PICK

"GREAT WINES UNDER $10"

Every wine in the Santa Ema line up tastes like it should be more expensive. This Sauvignon Blanc has bright, clean flavors of citrus fruit and grassiness, with refreshing acidity and more body than most of its more expensive competitors.

Notro Sangiovese/Bonarda

EDDIE'S PICK

"Offers aromas of ripe, red berrries on the nose. Medium-bodied on the palate, with soft, supple tannins and plenty of juicy, red fruit flavors"

d'Arenberg Stump Jump Shiraz

RICH'S PICK 

Like all the d’Arenberg wines, this wine displays an incredible elegance and balance. It has a slightly creamy mouth feel that is packed with bright, ripe bery flavors, hints of white pepper, and a minerality that comes out on the finish. It’s no wonder that it got 90 points from Wine Spectator and made #82 on the magazine’s top 100 wines of the year.

d'Arenberg Stump Jump Red

RICH'S PICK 

A Rhone style blend of Grenache, Shiraz, and Mourvedre, it is soft and light in texture with fresh black fruit and spice flavors, balanced with a nice acidity and then finishes with soft tannins. It is easy to see why Wine Spectator just give this wine 90 points.

Santa Carolina Reserva Carmenere

RICH'S PICK

Carmenere is a grape that is on the cusp of seeing the same popularity as its cousin Malbec has in Argentina. This wine is full bodied and rich with bitter-sweet chocolate, dark berries, and a hint of bell pepper that finishes incredibly smooth. A perfect pairing with any sort of beef dish from elegant steaks to taco night.