Special Holiday Treats

If you're still searching for something special, whether as a gift or as a keeper, here's a look at some products that are new to our shelves.

Canvasback Cabernet Sauvignon is the newest project from our friends at Duckhorn.

Home to some of Washington State’s most celebrated vineyards, Red Mountain is renowned for Cabernet Sauvignon. With ideal southwest-facing slopes and significant day and nighttime temperature swings, this small but highly prized area in Eastern Washington produces exceptional wines. Named for the Canvasback duck, which is native to the Pacific Flyway, this wine was crafted from grapes cultivated by some of Red Mountain’s finest growers. With Canvasback, the aim is to express and develop the depth, structure and sophistication that define wines from this young and exciting appellation.

Alluring aromas of blueberry, black cherry, plum and licorice rise from the glass supported by earthy minerality and hints of dry desert sage. While the entry is rich and juicy, the wine reveals its full structure and intensity on the mid-palate, where firm, fine-grained tannins support layers of lush fruit and earth, as well as notes of savory herbs and exotic spices.

85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot. Aged 16 months in 100% French oak; 64% new, 36% neutral. Limited availability, at $37.99.

Doña Paula Estate Malbec 2012 was rated at 93 points by James Suckling.

Intense violet color. In the nose, aromas of black fruits, violets and spices. Mineral and graphite notes. Great balance and freshness in the mouth, with good concentration and medium structure. Soft tannins and persistent finish.

Only $11.99 in the Bottle Club®.

Chateau du Busca XO Armagnac rated 90-95 points from Wine Enthusiast. "*Superb/Highly Recommended* Understated floral scents of jasmine and honeysuckle along with aromas of dried yellow fruit, buttered almonds and orange blossom are discovered in the nose. The palate entry is lusciously oily, semisweet and buttery while the midpalate stage highlights the oak, cocoa, black tea and walnut paste. Finishes gracefully, semisweet, and tightly structured."

Armagnac is a distinctive kind of brandy produced in the Armagnac region in Gascony, southwest France. It is distilled from wine usually made from a blend of grapes, typically including Baco 22A, Colombard, Folle blanche and Ugni blanc, traditionally using column stills rather than the pot stills used in the production of Cognac. The resulting spirit is then aged in oak barrels before release.

Very limited availability in Lawrenceville, with a couple of bottles due in at Woodbridge. $86.99.