Great Buy from a Premier Wine Region

Châteauneuf-du-Pape derives its name from a combination of the early Latin name for the region and the fact that two Pope's lived in nearby Avignon in the 14th century. The image below shows the remains of the Pope's castle, sitting above the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Today, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is synonymous with rich, well made and age-worthy wines. Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre are the primary grapes in the region, but there are 10 others that also may find their way into these outstanding Rhone wines. And the rules for producing Châteauneuf-du-Pape are more stringent than nearly any other region in France.

The vineyards of La Robe Rouge are situated at the southern end of the Rhône Valley, between the towns of Orange and Avignon on the left bank of the Rhône. A Mediterranean climate makes the Southern Rhône Valley one of the warmest wine growing regions in France.

A robust blend of grape varieties gives the wine depth and body, a strong color, sturdy character and long life. Consider cellaring this for up to 10 years. La Robe Rouge is made from Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault.

Serve at about 62° F with strong meat dishes, full wine sauces, and strong cheese. Only $24.99 in the Bottle Club®.

Under $10, rated 90 Points

Many wine shoppers prefer highly rated, value priced wines for everyday enjoyment. Whether it's the health benefits or the way that wine complements a meal, an excellent weekday wine find can be elusive. As always, Joe Canal's is here to help. Today, we introduce Château Le Grand Moulin Grand Reserve Cotes de Bordeaux Blaye 2010.

"The vineyard of Château Le Grand Moulin is perfectly located in Saint Aubin de Blaye, in the heart of the appellation known as “Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux”. We use traditional Bordeaux wine varieties to produce Blaye-Côtes de Bordeaux, Côtes de Bourg and Bordeaux wines."

"Merlot, planted on gravelly soils, bears a smooth and fruity wine with a slightly smoky accent. Cabernet gives the tannin, as well as aging capacity to our red wines. With Cabernet, planted on cool sandy-silty terroir, our wines obtain their entire aroma thanks to aromatic ripening which precedes physiological ripening."

This vintage is 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec. The Merlot and  Cabernet offer this wine a ruby ​​color and a nose of red fruit which is backed by the wooded roasted notes. A smooth entry follows a well structured palate, with silky tannins marked by wooded persistent finish.

The 2010 Château Le Grand Moulin Grand Reserve Cotes de Bordeaux Blaye rated 90 points from Wine Enthusiast. Their review: "A wine that’s straight down the line, firmly structured and with solid fruit for the future. There is weight and richness, a sense of power waiting to show in the future. With its density, anticipate aging this wine for at least 6–7 years."

Pair with grilled beef or cheese. Only $9.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Vive le France

We're celebrating France today, Bastille Day. Not only are some of the world's best wines produced in France, but some of the best values come from France as well.

We start our own Tour de France in Champagne. There are many styles of sparkling wine produced in France, but none match the quality of Champagne. We suggest the Duc de Romet Brut Champagne Prestige. This non-vintage sparkler scored an impressive 91 points from Wine Spectator. Their review: "A fine, creamy mousse defines this elegant version, underscored by a chalky note of minerality and offering subtle notes of patisserie apple, blanched almond, fresh ginger and a hint of crystallized honey."

At only $26.99 in the Bottle Club®, it's impossible to find a better Champagne in its price range.

Next, we move on to Bordeaux, where Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot dominate. Since it's a Monday, we'll recommend an every-day wine. The Barton & Guestier Les Charmes de Magnol Medoc is an outstanding choice.

Medoc is a Left Bank appellation, meaning that Cabernet is typically favored over Merlot. Both varietals are included in this wine.

Les Charmes de Magnol is a special selection made by the Barton & Guestier winemakers' team in the prestigious Médoc appellation. The Medoc parcels offer the perfect soil to the two famous Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Tasting notes for the Les Charmes: Deep purple red color. Intense and complex on the nose, developing ripe fruits, plums and spicy notes. When swirled, flattering tobacco and coffee hints appear. On the palate, the wine offers a velvety tannic structure with very ripe fruit aromas. The finish is long and elegant.

Only $11.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Naturally, we'll next explore the Burgundy region. Here, Gamay and Pinot Noir excel, as does Chardonnay. The Gamay is often overlooked because of the Beaujolais Nouveau, but in-the-know wine drinkers can grab some outstanding Gamay-based wines at incredible prices. One such wine is the Domaine Balandras Les Gravieres Macon Serriere.

It's an intense ruby red, with purple reflection. The nose is strawberry, spice and licorice. Soft tannins that still exhibit great length abound. The terroir influence had a surprising and very pleasant minerality to the great 100% Gamay. Mâcon-Serrières goes marvelously well with fine charcuterie, braised beef, burgers and tapas. This wine also has the ability to age up to 5 years.

Only $9.96 in the Bottle Club®.

There are some amazing wines produced in the Rhone region. From the simple (Cotes du Rhone) to the extraordinary (Chateauneuf-du-Pape), the Grenache and Syrah-based wines from the Rhone offer something for every palate.

We'll spotlight the Pierre Amadieu Cotes du Rhone Roulepierre, another wine made for daily enjoyment.

Bunches of Grenache and Syrah, grown on chalk and clay soils are strictly sorted to produce this cuvée.

Hand-made harvests and the traditional wine making process express a pleasant color together with red and black fruits scents (blackberry, plum). A sweet touch of licorice enhances the beautiful palate. A mouth filling wine in a pure Rhône style.

Enjoy this wine young, or up to about 5 years, with grilled poultry, or a roasted veal with an unctuous sauce. This is also only $9.96 in the Bottle Club®.

A mid-summer tribute to French wine has to include a Rosé. We recommend the Petit Rimauresq Rosé, from Provence. 

Rosé, with its surprising aromatic subtlety, will lead naturally to the Provencal cuisine. Try the experience of foie gras, or chicken with morels, and you will understand that there is something very different about a meal with a Rosé!

This wine is a rich, red fruited rose, offering flavors of orange, strawberry and spice with a fine mineral backbone and juicy red fruit note on the finish. Only $10.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Naturally, the meal and the day would not be complete without a beautiful dessert wine.  Many of the best French dessert wines, are made for aging, just like a fine Bordeaux or Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Since we want to celebrate now, we chose a wine that's ready to enjoy now.

Look for the 2011 vintage of Château Guiraud Petit Guiraud Sauternes, in a 375ML bottle. This Sauternes rated 90 points from Wine Spectator. "Solid, with a direct, open-knit core of apricot, toasted almond, piecrust and white peach flavors that meld through the creamy, ginger-tinged finish. Drink now through 2018."

And it's only $14.99 in the Bottle Club®.

That's our quick, wine-centric Tour de France to celebrate Bastille Day.  You can also toast the day with Cognac, or with a cocktail that includes Lillet or Grand Marnier if you prefer.

New Wine Wednesday

Maybe it's a Wine Wednesday, or maybe we just have a number of new items that we need to tell you about. Let's dive right into the new arrivals.

Domain Philippe Charlopin

Each store will only receive one case of two different wines from Domain Philippe Charlopin. The Morey Saint Denis rated 90-92 points, and the Marsannay en Montchenevoy rated 89-91 points, both from Wine Advocate. These Cote de Nuits wines are both from the 2010 vintage, with a winemaker that that delivers consistently high-quality efforts.

Bruichladdich Classic

Our selection of single-malt Scotch whisky is growing again. Bruichladdich makes some of the most compelling whisky on the market, with an unexpectedly large range of offerings. The latest, at one case per store, is the Classic Laddie, an unpeated Islay malt.

Smooth as pebbles in a pool, it’s clean, fresh and lively with both the oak and the grain in perfect harmony.

The bouquet is brilliant. Opening with barley sugar and a hint of mint before leading into the most wonderful notes of freshly cut wild flowers; buttercup, daisy, meadow-sweet, myrtle, primrose and cherry blossom. The cleanliness of the spirit is remarkable. As the seconds tick by, more aromas rise from the glass, little zephyrs of spindrift and sea pinks reminding you that this spirit is matured exclusively by the sea. After some four or five minutes and with the addition of a little water, caramelized fruits drift onto the scene; lemon drops and honey, tangerine and tablet.

The palate entry is so refined and refreshing, the sweet oak and the barley arriving together sending the taste buds into raptures. The fruits from distillation drift in on an Atlantic breeze and pop on the tongue like champagne bubbles. A combination of ripe green fruit, brown sugar and sweet malt bring closure. A taste back in time, a realization that not all single malts are equal and to achieve the absolute optimum, you must use barley that is grown in Scotland. Make this one the benchmark for all others you meet on your journey through the stills of Scotland.

More of the Pinot Project

The Pinot Project Pinot Noir has been a strong seller since we started carrying the brand. Now, we're adding two new wines from the Pinot Project team: the Pinot Project Pinot Grigio and the Chard Project Chardonnay.

Like any negociant, the Pinot Project team selects the best available wines to bring to market.  The Chardonnay is from California, and the Pinot Grigio is from Italy.

The CHARD PROJECT is hand-crafted from the finest California Chardonnay grapes; a majority of which come from Sonoma County. The wine is about half stainless steel fermented and half barrel fermented (30% of which are new). This combination gives The CHARD PROJECT a rich, lovely mouthfeel. Pure CHARD aromas and flavors – fresh apples and citrus kissed by oak and complimented by just the right amount of spice.

The Pinot Grigio is hand-crafted from the finest Italian Pinot grapes. Pure Pinot aromas and flavors - pears and citrus, unoaked to enhance the pure

fruit qualities. Extremely versatile with a host of your favorite dishes.

The items discussed on today's blog post are fewer than half of the new products that either have already arrived, or are due in within the next couple of days. Please don't hesitate to ask one of our team members to show you what's new at Joe Canal's!

So What's New With You?

Our thoughts are with our neighbors in Ewing and Jersey City, who have endured an awful lot this week.

Because it's important to get back to one's normal routine, today we'll talk about some of the new products at Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge.

Current vintage is 2012

We start off with a really special wine, the Domaine Balandras – Les Gravières Macôn- Serrières. The Mâconnais is the soul of southern Burgundy, celebrated by its native son, the poet Lamartine. It extends over some 40 km of the Côte Chalonnaise as far as the Rock of Solutré. Lying between the rivers Saône and Grosne, its valleys and hillsides seem to make the vines welcome. Indeed, vines have been grown here since Gallo-Roman times and their cultivation received a boost from the powerful Abbeys of Cluny and Tournus.

Intense ruby red, purple reflection. Nose of strawberry, spice and licorice. Soft tannins that still exhibit great length. The terroir influence had a surprising and very pleasant minerality to the great 100% Gamay. Mâcon-Serrières goes marvelously well with fine charcuterie (hams, terrines, pâtés)
whose meaty and mouth-filling texture is offset by his vivacity, matched also with more fibrous and subtle meats such as rabbit, and boiled or braised beef, burgers and tapas. This wine has the ability to age up to 5 years, and is only $9.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Another new wine, and another great value, is the 2008 Urbion Crianza. It rated 91 points from the Wine Advocate, who said, "It has a more -serious- bouquet with blackberry, a touch of burnt toast and Asian spices. The palate is very well-balanced with fine, supple tannins. It has superb purity and refinement with lovely blackberry and licorice towards the finish. Once again, this is unbeatable value. Drink now-2016." Did we mention great value? Only $11.96  in the Bottle Club®.

We're not forgetting about the interesting developments in the world of bourbon. Look for Jefferson’s Ocean: Aged at Sea. Inspired by the original Jefferson’s Ocean, which was new-filled bourbon barrels, the Jefferson’s Ocean: Aged at Sea takes older bourbon barrels and brings it around the world. Stopping in 5 different continents and crossing the equator 4 times, this bourbon truly is a world beater. It's allocated, which means it's only available in extremely limited quantities, and it's priced at $75.99.

At Joe Canal's, there's always something new on our shelves. Our helpful staff will be more than happy to help you find that perfect bottle.

Pinot Surprise

Saget La Perrière, the leading premium Loire Valley winery, is 9th Generation Family owned and managed. They are continuously exploring the best expression of Sauvignon Blanc, both Sancerre and Pouilly Fume. Quality and respect of nature have always been the philosophy of Saget La Perrièret. Brought up in the vineyards, the Saget brothers; Jean-Louis and Christian, learned from a very young age to love and respect the soil. Saget La Perrière sources two-thirds of the production in the Loire Valley from their estates with the remainder from long-term relationships with families of vine growers.

Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge already have some Saget wine on the shelf, particularly the Sancerre. But because we've had many requests for a French, non-Burgundy Pinot Noir, that's what we've just added from Saget La Perriere.

With a winemaking history dating back to 1790, the Saget  family today brings together crus and terroirs, vintages and cuvees, industry professionals and food and wine enthusiasts with the best wines from the Loire. With 890 acres of vines located in the finest appellations, six estates and long-term relations with families of vine growers, Saget La Perrière not only has extensive vineyards, but also creates and blends a wide range of wines from the Loire Valley.

La Petite Perrière Pinot Noir is dense, pretty ruby color with a slightly orange rim. Typical Pinot Noir fragrances on the nose, soft vanilla, laced with violet. Immediately vinous and concentrated on entry to the palate, this is a lovely big wine with a long finish with fruity, slightly camphor, notes. This wine can be enjoyed when young but will also age well for 2-3 years after the bottling date. And it's 100% Pinot Noir.

Beat The Snow!

Like everyone else, we've been seriously disrupted by the snowy, messy winter. Delivery schedules are off, the staff can't get to work some days, and can't get home on others. With all that going on, we've had some new products come in that we haven't even had time to talk about yet. So let's fix that now, before we get stuck in the house again.

Both the Lawrenceville and Woodbridge stores have the Jenna Sparr Cotes du Rhone Villages 2011 in stock. We last had the 2009 vintage of this wine, and it was a proven winner. This wine has earthy aromas of prunes, stewed fruit and licorice. It is full-bodied with plum, licorice and spicy flavors. At only $9.96 in the Bottle Club®, this Grenache-Syrah blend is a perfect anytime wine.

With the threat of a pretty major storm arriving during the night, some of our team like nothing better than to sit at the window at home and watch it snow while sipping on a serious single malt Scotch. If you're like us, then the just-added Glengoyne 18 year old Highland malt is for you.

The slowest distillation process in Scotland. Six years spent preparing the perfect oak casks before they receive their first drop of spirit. Barley dried by air, never peat. Glengoyne gives you pause to reflect that it's only by investing valuable time and infinite care that you can create something of real worth. Glengoyne - it's worth the wait.

This dram has spicy vanilla fruit, ripe apples and a rich, luxurious mouthfeel. This is the result of 18 long years and a generous proportion of first-fill sherry casks. And of the patience Glengoyne takes over the slowest distillation in Scotland. 43% ABV. Only $97.49 in the Bottle Club®.

We also find that red wine warms us on these cold nights, and a newly-arrived Italian red should do the trick. The Masseria Trajone Salice Salentino comes from Apuglia, in Southeastern Italy, and is a blend of Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera grapes. The wine is medium-bodied, with flavors of dark berries, allspice and raisins, with soft tannins partnering with notes of black pepper on the long finish. You'll find a touch of smokiness on the nose as well. This is also an everyday red, with a tasty price point of  $8.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Lastly, let's note the arrival of the Charles & Charles Red Cabernet Sauvignon Blend, vintage 2012. This wine scored 90 points from Wine Spectator. The Charles & Charles project is a collaboration between Charles Smith and Charles Bieler of Three Thieves, Bieler Père et Fils, and Sombra Mezcal. The aromas have the same signature blackberry, violet, currant and mocha that it's had in previous vintages but also takes on more of a cigar box component. The price? Only $9.69 in the Bottle Club®, making this another great option as an everyday red.  

Since the snow isn't supposed to start until after our regular closing time, we hope you'll take advantage of the weather window and take a bottle home with you. It'll make being snowed in tomorrow much more fun.
 

Just In Time!

Let us also remind you that Valentine's Day is coming up this Friday, so you  may want to finish your shopping before we close at 7pm tonight. That way, you can relax about it until Friday. We'll go ahead and suggest some wines for Valentine's Day.

For the casual approach, we think GumDrop wines offer excellent value. These are all well-made, California sweet wines, making the perfect as an aperitif, or for after dinner. We stock the GumDrop Moscato, Pink Moscato, and Sweet Red. All are priced at just $7.96 in the Bottle Club®.

GumDrop Moscato is fragrant, luscious and light-bodied. Bursting with bright fruit flavors of peach and honeydew melon with a long, lingering finish. GumDrop Pink Moscato is also fragrant, luscious and light-bodied, with just a kiss of red wine. Brimming with exotic notes of orange blossom, honeyed peach and sweet cherry, this wine is love at first blush! Serve chilled. GumDrop Sweet Red is a floral, rich and velvety red wine blend. Enticing aromas and flavors of berries balanced with a full mouth feel and natural sweetness for a smooth, easy-drinking finish. Serve this chilled as well.

Exclusively at our Woodbridge store, may we suggest the Vinos Sin Ley Monastrell 2011. VSL Monastrell is a bright, pure expression of Monastrell. Made in the high-elevation region of Yecla from 45+ year-old vines. The vines are head pruned in the traditional manner and the vineyards are dry farmed (no irrigation). Organic farming allows VSL Monastrell to reveal a greater sense of purity. Minimal oak aging allows VSL Monastrell to better emphasize the true identity of the Monastrell grape. This wine has such a ripe, red berry, floral and spice character, with succulent and juicy flavors, it will pair with a wide range of cuisines and foods. VSL Monastrell's sweet fruit is well balanced and its acidity will help it pair well with Asian, Indian, Cajun and southwestern Tex-Mex spices.

Priced at only $12.99 in the Bottle Club®, the Vinos Sin Ley Monastrell rated 92 points from Wine Advocate. From the review: "Another stunning value from Yecla, the 2011 Vinos Sin Ley Monastrell (100% Mourvedre from organic vineyards) possesses a dense purple color as well as a big, sweet bouquet of blueberries, blackberries, and chalky, earthy soil, and a heady, rich, full-bodied finish. It combines elegance with richness despite the fact that this area is known more for the rusticity of its wines than their finesse."

We'll wrap up today's suggestions with another wine that's available in both our Lawrenceville and Woodbridge stores. The Pierre Henri-Morel Cotes du Rhone Village Signargues 2011 shows aromas of very ripe black fruit. It is gourmand with liquorice aromas and a spicy finish. You'll find potent flavors of black tea, plum and raisin. Very silky and interesting. It keeps changing in the glass.

This scored 91 points from Wine Spectator. From their review: "An elegant style, with silky texture and pure, unadorned bitter plum, blood orange and singed alder notes all racing along through the rooibos tea-tinged finish, revealing a buried mineral accent." All that for only $13.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Someone on Twitter called Valentine's Day "Singles Awareness Day". We don't know about that, but we do know that Joe Canal's can help you find the perfect bottle of wine, spirits or beer for Valentine's Day, and every day of the year. This week, our Lawrenceville store has added a wine tasting on Wednesday night, 5-7pm, to further assist you in the selection process. In Woodbridge, the regular Friday night tasting will include a chocolate sampling, because that's another great combination. 

For more information about our wine tasting, please visit the Events Page on our web site. 

Greatest Hits

We routinely introduce you to new products. Given that some are available in limited quantities, we think it's important to get that information out as quickly as we can. That being said, we're also going to re-visit some of the items that we currently carry, as a reminder that we have the best variety and value in New Jersey!

With Valentine's Day coming up next Friday, a sparkling wine is a great place to start this review. We know that lots of sparkling wine will be opened on February 14, and we think you ought to start with a Champagne.

L. Aubry Fils Champagne has already established itself as a top seller, and it's a great value as well. This non-vintage Champagne rated 92 points from Wine Advocate, and is only $34.99 in the Bottle Club®. That great price point makes it one of our most affordable true Champagnes. Citrus and mineral notes take the lead with green apple and pear flavors in the background.  A slight ginger note takes hold on the finish.  Aubry has a dry, clean style that has a very attractive green apple juiciness that keeps you coming back for more.

From the Wine Advocate review: "This contains just one-quarter each Chardonnay and Pinot; 45% Meunier; and a mixture of Arbanne, Petit Meslier and Fromenteau (a.k.a. Pinot Gris). Nearly half of it is reserve wine, and more than half of that from a solera going back to 1998. If that sounds like a recipe for delivering complexity, you’re right and won’t be disappointed! Bittersweet perfume suggestive of gentian and iris mingles with intimations of fresh lime and sea breeze that in turn manifest themselves on a seductively silken palate in both juicy, vivacious exuberance and mouthwatering saliva-inducement. A scallop-like sweetly saline and mineral amalgam takes hold in a vibrant finish that leaves me caught between the urge to linger and the urge to take the next sip. This exceptional value by appellation standards is almost sure to prove worth following for several years, even if, sadly, few wine enthusiasts are likely to put that prediction to the test."  

A personal favorite is the Mocali Fossetti Rosso. As an everyday wine, this hits the intersection of quality, value and taste just about perfectly. This is 100% Sangiovese Grosso, the grape used to make Brunello.  This smells like a Brunello and even drinks like one, but the Bottle Club® price of $10.46 can’t be beat.

The 100% Sangiovese Grosso in fermented solely in stainless steel.  This is a deep hearty glass of Tuscan wine with wonderful freshness of fruit.  Made from all Montalcino fruit; it's an incredible value from this zone.  Sangiovese Grosso has thicker skins and smaller berries, yielding a more structured wine with deeper fruits, all that is present here with spiced aromas and dusty tannins.  A wonderful introduction to the wines of Montalcino.

Italian wines are all about Amore, and that's perfect for Valentine's Day.

Of course, the French know about love as well. If you want a very nice red wine for dinner, after the Aubry Champagne aperitif, the Pierre Henri-Morel Côtes du Rhône Villages Signargues is a great choice. Signargues is the furthest South of all the appellations in the

Côtes du Rhône, and consists of four communities.

This also scored 91 points from Wine Spectator, making it another great value at only $13.96 in the Bottle Club®. From their review: "An elegant style, with silky texture and pure, unadorned bitter plum, blood orange and singed alder notes all racing along through the rooibos tea-tinged finish, revealing a buried mineral accent. Drink now through 2016." Our team adds, "Very silky and interesting.  It keeps changing in the glass.  Enjoy with pork, chicken or beef stews."

Our posts haven't given enough love to our beer department, so we want to mention one of our newer beers, Miller Fortune. Chris Spicacci, the Beer Supervisor at our Woodbridge store, just enjoyed a 6-pack and had this to say: "Miller Fortune is a golden lager brewed in part with Cascade hops to give it a citrusy bite and caramel malt to impart an amber hue. The flavor is moderately bitter with hints of sweetness, resting somewhere between a full-flavored craft beer and a light lager. 6.9%ABV."

Miller Fortune is available in 12 ounce bottles, 6- or 12-packs, as well as 24 ounce cans. The 6-packs are priced at $6.99, the 12-packs at $13.49, and the cans are $1.79 each. Miller Fortune is about instigating whatever the night has in store.

We hope that our gentle reminder about Valentine's Day will be helpful. As always, if you have questions, please ask our store staff.

Worth the Effort

We've received a nice mix of new products recently, and we wanted to share that information. We think that these items are worth the effort of going out in this miserable weather. Some of these are available in very limited quantities, so grab your boots and stop in to Joe Canal's.

Based on requests, we have a small amount of Coho Headwaters Red, rated at 91 points by Wine Advocate. Normally, it's available by allocation only, so we suggest getting your bottle asap.

Coho Headwaters Napa Valley Red Wine is a "Bordeaux blend" of four varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon (56%); Merlot (38%); 5% Petite Verdot and 1 % Cabernet Franc. The majority (77%) of the vineyards for this wine are in the new "Coombsville" appellation of the Napa Valley. This rock strewn "terroir" provides deep and opaque red color, with supple red cherry/wild berry and cassis fruit aromas.

The same fruit tones and integrated oak nuances offer complex flavors and power on the palate. The supple tannins offer a silky fine-grained texture to the wine and a lingering, fruit-forward finish.

Headwaters is regularly priced at $44.99, but it's only $39.99 in the Bottle Club®. This definitely won't last long.

Another of Wine Spectator's 2013 Top 100 list is now available at Joe Canal's. The 2010 Chateau Doisy Daëne Barsac (94 points, #45 of the Top 100) is on our shelves, in limited quantities. From the WS review: A juicy, compact style, with tangerine, apricot, toasted almond and heather notes all rolled together at the core, waiting to unfurl fully through the unctuous, passion fruit-filled finish. Plenty remains in reserve, but this is hard to resist now. Drink now through 2030.   

The winemaker adds, "Doisy Daëne wine has a style of its own that privileges a bursting fruit concentrated by the "noble rot", strength, balance and subtlety of the flavors. The Doisy-Daëne style is all at once the expression of a great calcareous soil and a truly aesthetic family tradition, the one of distinguished white wines, of crystal-like purity, combining power and freshness, in an infinite youth."

Barsac, like most fine dessert wines, are challenging. The harvest is performed by experienced grape pickers in 3 to 6 successive selective pickings in order to collect at the ideal ripening stage, the grapes concentrated by the "noble rot". During three quarters of a century, oenological progress and sensible traditions have combined to create the characteristics of Doisy-Daëne's grapes. With this know-how an astonishingly simplified process has been elaborated. Extracted through slow pressings, the rich and pure juice ferments in oak barrels renewed by third. Aging then starts with 10 month in oak barrels, in the coolness of the cellars and is regulated by the weekly toping of the barrels and regular rackings. This is followed by 9 month in stainless steal tank before bottling.

The regular price of the Doisy Daëne Barsac is $69.99, but it's currently in the Bottle Club® for only $54.99/750ML bottle.

Also from France, also rated over 90 points, and also new to our stores is the 2010 Domaine Servin Chablis Vieilles Vignes Massale. This vineyard, situated in the area of Les Pargues, was replanted over 40 years ago using a technique of propagation whereby cuttings for the vines were selected from the best vines already in the vineyard and not from a clone. This rarely used technique is known as “Selection Massale”. These old uncloned vines produce extremely tiny yields and express a diversity of aromas from the Chablisien terroir.

100% Chardonnay, the nose is complex with mineral and white flower notes. The palate is rich, round and long with yellow fruits dominating. An incredible long finish with excellent balance. Scoring 92-93 points from Wine Advocate, this carries a regular price of $24.99, and is only $21.99 in the Bottle Club®.

A trio of wines well worth venturing out into the winter for.

Still the Wine Kept Comin'

We've talked before about the great new products that we have the opportunity to share with you, our loyal customers. Sometimes, we get an exceptional wine and we want to talk about it a bit more.

One of our wholesale suppliers specializes in finding smaller producers of higher quality wines. That can mean traveling widely, to meet those producers in their vineyards. One of their most recent discoveries is Domaine des Perelles.

Here's how the Domaine des Perelles Pouilly-Fuisse came to our shelves, as our wholesaler explained: "I travelled to Chanes, which is right next to Pouilly-Fuisse in Southern Burgundy to meet with producer Jean Yves Larochette. There are some absolutely delicious Chardonnays in Pouilly-Fuisse. Jean Yves is a third generation producer and the family vineyards are ideally situated, facing south-southwest and enjoying excellent drainage. Jean Yves is particularly proud of this concentrated and special vintage of delicious fruit that was produced on his old vines. He produces a small amount of his wine under his own label and sells the rest to a well-regarded negociant house".   

Upon opening the wine, you'll find an attractive bouquet of peach, pear, hazelnut, and Asian spice.  It's smooth, silky, and velvety textured  with nice mouth-watering fruit. Vivid and bright fruit including spiced pears, white peach, acacia flowers, and maple infused lychees, with just the right touch of limestone minerality, will enchant your palate. This wine has a particularly nice, clean finish.

This Pouilly-Fuisse is exclusive to our stores, as we acquired the entire (small) USA allotment for this vintage. Enjoy this now with fish, chicken or salads, and save a second bottle for summer, when a chilled white wine is perfect for the deck or pool.

The 2012 Domaine des Perelles Pouilly-Fuisse carries a regular retail price of $27.99, but is available for only $23.96 in the Bottle Club®. 

And if you know the musical homage in the title of this post, please leave your answer in the comments section.

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®. 

This Just In: Downton Abbey Wines!

While the staff is readying the stores for all of our Big Game promotions, the buyers are making sure that your requests are being fulfilled. And at the top of the request list right now are the Downton Abbey wines.

Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge are now carrying the Downton Abbey Claret (Bordeaux red) and Blanc (Bordeaux white). Fifth-generation winemaker Jean-Marc Dulong has created a collection of finely balanced, elegant wines that are eminently drinkable.

The Claret is an elegant, dry wine made with grapes from the renowned Entre-Deux-Mers (“between two seas”) region of Bordeaux, France. Here, sun-drenched vineyards on well-draining limestone and clay soils are situated between the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers. Warm days and cool evenings provide optimal growing conditions for the slow ripening of grapes and excellent flavor development.

Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec were blended together in crafting this wine. Fruit was sourced from premium vineyards in the eastern part of Entre-Deux-Mers, a terroir particularly well-suited to these varietals. The wine was made using traditional vinification practices: Each varietal was vinified separately including temperature-controlled macerations of 4-5 weeks for maximum extraction of flavor and color. The wines were then aged an additional nine months prior to final blending.

With a deep purple color, this wine reveals gorgeous scents of wild berries including blackberries, raspberries and black currants in the glass. Additional spicy notes and hints of violet are contributed by the Malbec. On the round, well-balanced palate, more ripe fruit flavors merge seamlessly with velvety tannins from the Merlot. Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend gives added freshness, backbone and age-worthiness to this authentic Bordeaux bottling.

The Blanc is an elegant, dry version made with grapes sourced from the famed Entre-Deux-Mers (“between two seas”) region of Bordeaux, France. Here, sun-drenched vineyards on well-draining limestone and clay soils are situated between the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers, creating ideal grape growing conditions featuring warm days tempered by the cool evenings.

A blend of Muscadelle and Semillion from the northern part of the region was used in crafting this wine. Grapes were harvested at the perfect moment of ripeness for maximum aromas and flavors. Ferments took place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks to harness even more bright fruit characters and freshness. Following fermentation, the juice underwent maturation on fine lees to add richness and complexity to the final blend.

The wine is a lovely pale yellow color. On the expressive nose, classic notes of tangerine lead to more citrusy notes and delicious flavors of apricots on a harmonious, crisp palate. The wine is perfectly balanced offering roundness on the palate complimented by a refreshing, lingering finish.

These great new wines are available for only $12.99 in the Bottle Club®.

Also new to our stores is the Nugan Third Generation Cabernet Sauvignon.

Our newest Australian red, Nugan is dense red in appearance with a youthful crimson hue. Sweet aromas of cherry and red berry fruit melded with mint and delicate allspice nuances. Sweet flavors of blood plum and mulberry with overtones of earth and spice tantalise the palate.

Nugan is perfect with red meat dishes. Try it with roast lamb or gourmet sausages.

Scoring 89 points from IWC makes the $8.99 Bottle Club® price even more impressive. This is a great value wine.

We already carry several wines from Four Vines. We've just added their 2010 Biker Zinfandel. 

Exceptional Zinfandel from Dusi and Preston vineyards + bold additions of Grenache (8%), Tannat (6%), Mourvedre (5%), Syrah (3%) and a splash of Petite Sirah (2%) keep this vintage storming through a gauntlet of aromas and flavors.

On the nose, legendary blackberry aromas mix with cherries, plums, menthol, white pepper, and a touch of meaty black olives. The palate follows with boysenberries and smoky char to balance the fruit. Four Vines didn't pull any punches here. And we like it that way. Biker rocks!  

The 2010 Biker scored 90 points from Wine Spectator: “Ripe and Zesty, with distinctive aromas of raspberry and smoky cracked pepper that lead to plush, briary flavors of black cherry, anise and sage. Drink now through 2016. 7,000 cases made.” - TF

Four Vines Biker is only $15.99 in the Bottle Club®.

Come & Get It!

As the wintery weather makes getting around New Jersey even more challenging than usual, we thought we'd give you a good reason to venture out to Joe Canal's by offering some great new wines.

First up is the 2009 Mauro Molino Barolo Gallinotto. We've carried Mauro Molino wines for some time, so this label should be somewhat familiar:

The 2009 vintage received 91 points from Robert Parker/Wine Advocate. From their review: "The 2009 Barolo Gallinotto shows a...personality that is rare to find in this warmer vintage. Underbrush, bramble, wild berry, mint, licorice and wet tobacco play supporting roles. The wine does an excellent job of showing the more delicate and nuanced side of Nebbiolo with a compact, streamlined feel in the mouth. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2022." Regularly priced at $41.99, it's on sale at $36.99 in the Bottle Club®.

Another acclaimed international wine is the Glenelly Grand Vin de Glenelly. This is a South African version of a Bordeaux blend, featuring Shiraz, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. And it also received 91 points from Robert Parker/Wine Advocate.

The wine has a deep, dark and rich color. The wine offers an elegant complex bouquet developing aromas of cassis and spicy plums with notes of toast in the background. The palate has a great intensity and concentration with fantastic freshness and fine elegant, but well structured tannins. This carries a regular price of $21.99, but it's only $18.99 in the Bottle Club®.

Of course, gift sets are always popular at this time of year. Our newest wine gift set is from Frescobaldi and it includes one bottle each of Remole, Castiglioni Chianit DOCG, and Nippozzano Riserva Chianti DOCG, Separately, these wines would cost about $50.00. The gift set is in the Bottle Club® for only $40.00.

Wines from Australia can show a depth and range that compare favorably to what's being produced anywhere. Wynns "Black Label" Cabernet Sauvignon proves that. The 2010 vintage ranked as #85 in the 2013 Wine Spectator Top 100, with 91 points, and also earned 90 points from Wine Advocate. 

First produced in 1954, and widely known as ‘Black Label’, Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon has established a reputation for displaying excellent varietal and regional characteristics. A wine of style and stature, and a perennial favorite in auction circles, the ‘Black Label’ is one of Australia’s most collectable wines and Australia’s benchmark Cabernet Sauvignon. This is regularly priced at $38.99, but it's $32.99 in the Bottle Club®.  

There's another familiar label returning to our shelves. Buoncristiani's OPC Napa 2009 received 91 points from Wine Advocate, and we have a very limited quantity available.

Cheese, breads, olives, olive oil, glasses, sunshine and scenery not included with your purchase

"Old Pa's Cuvee" includes Napa Cabernet Sauvignon with Syrah, while also folding in further complexity of texture and flavor with Napa Malbec and Merlot blenders. Lush aromas of black cherry, chocolate, and blueberry lead to a fleshy mid palate of juicy blackberry and exotic spices with a velvety smooth finish. You can find it on their web site for $50, but we have it on sale in the Bottle Club® for only $41.99. 

Some of the staff at Joe Canal's prefer Rhone wines to any other region. In terms of high quality wines, there are some great values in Cotes-du-Rhone Villages, such as the Pierre Henri-Morel Signargues. The 2011 vintage received 91 points from Wine Spectator, and was rated as a Top 100 Best Value wine. This is a classic Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre blend, offering ripe red cherries, blueberries and cranberries mixing with hints of garrigue flavors. The fresh fruit flavors continue in the mouth with fine tannins and very enjoyable structure making the wine a true pleasure to drink. We said it's a value: only $13.96 in the Bottle Club®. 

The winemaker is a protégé of the renowned Michel Chapoutier.  

One more? Ok, how about the 2009 Chateau de France Passac Leognan? Called the Vintage of a Lifetime, the 2009 Bordeaux wines sell quickly and score well; this one received 93 points from Wine Spectator!

There's a very deep garnet red color; delicate nose of light wood, toasted bread and berry jam ; on the palate, the aromas are reproduced with a perfect balance and freshness. Lovely long finish. The classic style of this elegant wine make it the perfect accompaniment of rich meats: red meats, lamb and roasted game meat. This will greatly enhance any holiday meal, priced at only $27.99 in the Bottle Club®.

So we had a very red wine day today. And while your mileage may vary, Red does out-sell White overall. We also post holiday specials on our Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, so please Friend us on FB and Follow us on Twitter. And if you have any questions or need assistance, any one of our friendly team members will be happy to help.