A Well-Liked Wine

Wines that are well reviewed by multiple sources often come with prices that match. At Joe Canal's we pride ourselves on finding outstanding products at everyday prices, and the 2010 Chateau Senejac Haut Medoc is another tremendous discovery by our buyers. With a score range that runs from a high of 93 to a low of 87, the reviewers either liked the wine, or loved the wine, and we think you will as well.

Le Chateau

This wine is a blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. The vines average 35 years of age. And here come the ratings:

Wine Enthusiast: 93 Points. "This chateau is under the same ownership as Saint-Julien’s Château Talbot. The wine is firm, fruity, rich and concentrated, showing all the best qualities of 2010. There is a complex array of black fruits which are sustained by the firm, solid tannins. Age for at least 6–7 years."

Wine Spectator: (89-92) Points. "Still compact, with a very briary, juicy core of plum, dark currant and braised fig, followed by a roasted tobacco edge on the finish. Offers lively acidity. Should unwind nicely."

Wine Advocate: (87-90) Points. "Pontet-Canet's brilliant proprietor, Alfred Tesseron, has begun to look after the wines of Senejac and the result is a tasty, elegant 2010 offering copious berry fruit notes intermixed with hints of cedarwood and spice. This cuvee should be drinkable upon release and evolve for a decade." (Sleeper of the Vintage).

Stephen Tanzer: 87 Points. "Dark red. Inviting aromas of redcurrant, coffee, brown spices and truffley underbrush. Supple, sweet and on the soft side, offering dark berry and light herbal flavors of moderate intensity. This midweight finishes with dusty tannins and decent persistence."

Available for only $18.99 in the Bottle Club®.

A European Vacation

The 2009 vintage in Bordeaux was one of the best in recent memory. All across the region, Left Bank or Right, wines fared well with both the ratings professionals (WS, WA et al) and consumers. So when we can get hold of an exceptional wine at a very competitive price, we make sure to bring it in.

Chateau Faugeres produces wines with a unique character which are constantly developing, becoming more and more elegant and attractive. The 2009 Saint Emilion Grand Cru consistently scored between 92 and 94 points.

This was the first harvest to be vinified entirely in the new cellar, designed by Mario Botta and known as the "cathedral of wine", using all the latest processing technology, such as cold storage rooms, visual sorting, gravity flow on three levels, pneumatic crushing and automatic density control.

The wines of this vintage are characterized by exceptional concentration, rarely equaled, and outstanding balance.

The fruit is excellent, rich, complex and dense on the palate, with velvety tannins displaying perfect ripeness, with a very long finish, both powerful and elegant. With thanks to Mother Nature.

James Suckling, 94 Points: "Aromas of smoke, meat, minerals, dried flowers and sandalwood with fruit. Full body, with round, velvety tannins and lots of juicy ripe fruit. Chewy and delicious. Needs at least four to five years to soften."

Wine Advocate, 93 points: "Full-bodied and dark ruby/purple, with a nose of graphite, pen ink, blueberries and black raspberries, the wine is deep, dense and pure, with a broad, savory texture and a long finish with no astringency.  Drink this beauty over the next 15-20 years."

Wine Spectator, 93 Points: "Dense in its layers of blackberry, linzer torte and plum sauce, but caressing in feel, with silky structure and a long finish that has a well-buried, chalky minerality. Almost approachable now, but the precision and balance are there for the cellar. Best from 2013 through 2025."

85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. $49.99 in the Bottle Club®.

Top Scores

Some of us never get tired of a nice Bordeaux wine. Others have their own "wine epiphany" with a Bordeaux, given their blends of classic varietals. And sometimes, a Bordeaux wine just awaits your discovery. That's what we have today, with Chateau Talbot.

Médoc Grand Cru Classé, Château Talbot comprises 107 hectares of vineyard cultivated in the heart of the Saint-Julien commune, an outstanding appellation, as it counts no fewer than 11 classified growths.

Ideally situated on the banks of the estuary of the Gironde on hilltops of alluvial gravel carried by the Dordogne River from the Massif Central and from the Pyrénées by the Garonne, Château Talbot’s terroir is exceptional.

The reds are dominated by the Cabernet Sauvignon variety (66% of the cultivated surface), the variety of choice in the Médoc, particularly in Saint Julien. This variety provides tannic structure and power. With 26% Merlot, the wines become rounder and more suave. Receptive to maturity, this variety brings more mellowness to the blending.

To improve this alchemy of varieties and terroirs, the Petit Verdot provides a delicate touch, like spices in fine cuisine. A difficult variety to tame, it can prove an asset in outstanding vintage years. It is particularly pampered at Talbot, as Nancy Bignon-Cordier has a weakness for this enfant terrible.

Everyone knew that 2009 was a vintage for the ages in Bordeaux. Château Talbot continued the superlatives with this 2010 vintage.

94 points from Wine Advocate: "One of the best Talbots over recent years, and possibly the best since the 1986 and 1982, this sexy juggernaut of a wine struts forth with an opaque plum/ruby/purple color and terrific notes of creme de cassis, licorice, roasted herbs and smoky barbecue. It is a brilliant effort, with full body, wonderful fruit, a savory, expansive mouthfeel, sensational texture and a long finish, but no hardness or astringency. This is a fabulous Talbot to drink over the next 20-25 years."

91 points from Wine Spectator. "This features a fairly plump core of crushed plum, blackberry and mulled boysenberry notes, coated with tar and driven by a strong graphite accent. An echo of pastis lingers on the finish, displaying good latent grip. Best from 2015 through 2027."

Available in limited quantities for the Bottle Club® price of $67.99.

From Bordeaux, Carrying 92 Points!

The 2010 Chateau Hanteillan Haut-Medoc is an excellent wine that rated 92 points from Wine Enthusiast and Cellar Selection. From WE: An extraordinary value following the tradition of the great wines from Haut-Medoc but at an awesome price. Ripe and dense, with great tannins; opulent, rich black fruit; and a fresh, juicy aftertaste.

 The estate, which dates to 1179, consists of 82 hectaires, planted to 50% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc.

After harvest, the grapes are de-stemmed and crushed. The alcoholic fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats, which are equipped with a thermal regulation system. The vats are then left 2 or 3 weeks for maceration before going forward with the running-off of the wine.

During the maceration and the running-off, Cellarmaster Béatrice Friquet takes a sample from each vat, and after many tastings, chooses the different vats, which are going to be blended together. Chateau Hanteillan's wines are aged traditionally in oak barrels for 18 to 24 months before bottling, which is done on-site.

And the end result is today's featured wine, available in the Bottle Club® for only $14.96

Please Allow Me To Introduce...

It's been a busy week back at the receiving dock. Let's unpack some of our newest products that are ready for you to enjoy.

In stock now, in both Lawrenceville and Woodbridge, is Beluga Noble Vodka (Beluga Gold should arrive within the next day or two). The Gold and Noble are available in very limited quantities, so act fast.

Beluga Noble was first produced in 2002, and its refined, rich taste is due to the malt spirit and pure water from Siberian artesianal wells. That helps smooth the taste. The vodka is triple filtered and aged for 30 days, softening the aromas and flavors.

Beluga Gold is made similarly, but is filtered five times. The packaging is also upgraded, with a wax seal, and a hammer/brush combo to clean the wax. Beluga Gold has been routinely special-ordered, and it's sure to sell out.

Over in the wine aisles, look for Chateau Jean Faux Bordeaux Superieur. Just outside the appellation limits of Castillon, this property is located on fairly steep slopes protected by pine trees. The 25 year old vines are planted on clay and limestone plateaus. The 2010 vintage is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.

"This is quite ripe, with almost flashy plum, raspberry and boysenberry flavors, but they stay focused and driven, with mouthwatering anise and apple wood notes that cut through the middle and extend the long, fleshy, polished finish. A latent minerality chimes in at the very end, boding well for the future. Drink now through 2020." - Wine Spectator 92 points. With a regular price of $26.99, the Chateau Jean Faux Bordeaux Superieur is only $23.99 in the Bottle Club®.

Looking at brown spirits, arriving soon will be Jim Beam® Single Barrel Bourbon, the Pride of the Rackhouse.

For those who take their bourbon a bit more seriously, there’s Jim Beam® Single Barrel.

The master distillers carefully select each barrel by hand—less than one percent are chosen for Jim Beam® Single Barrel—ensuring the highest quality and craft. No two barrels are the same, and each is individually bottled, labeled and hand-numbered so that its heritage is unquestionable.

Every glass is full-bodied and smooth, with attributes of oak, vanilla and caramel. Sip it neat or savor it on the rocks. After all, it’s some of the very best bourbon that the Beam family has ever produced. Only $33.99 in the Bottle Club®.

You can collect it, or drink it, or both: Three Olives® Elvis Presley™ Coconut Water Flavored Vodka. It's an incredible blend of imported English vodka and the natural taste of fresh coconut water. The one-liter bottle is priced at $19.99 in the Bottle Club®, and it is currently in stock.

Three Olives® Elvis Presley™ Coconut Water Flavored Vodka makes a spectacular base for easy and imaginative cocktails. Grab a few recipes here.

  

 

This Might Not Wait

We're giving fine wine enthusiasts a reason to stop in at Joe Canal's before the snow shuts New Jersey down. Since we've all grabbed our bread, eggs and milk, the next necessity is wine. And we have a great choice back in stock.

Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge will have a very limited quantity of Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere St. Emilion 2010, which was Wine Spectator's 2013 Top 100 wine #2. This beauty rated at 96 points on Wine Spectator, and 94 from Wine Advocate.

Château Canon La Gaffelière is a Grand Cru Classé of Saint-Emilion. Its 19.5 hectare vineyard is located on the southern part of the lower slopes surrounding the historical and picturesque town of Saint-Emilion. For the past twenty years it has produced some of the most admired wines of the region, sumptuous and yet elegant.

From the Wine Spectator review : "This takes the power of the vintage and puts it in its pocket for later, preferring instead to let mouthwatering briar, loganberry, mulberry and blackberry fruit strut its way forward, enlivened with roasted wood spice and supported by suavely but thoroughly embedded iron-tinged structure. Should cruise for two decades. Best from 2016 through 2035. 4,500 cases made."

The regular price of this Bordeaux is $144.99, but it's currently on sale at $124.99 in the Bottle Club®.