Midtown Wine & Spirits “Corkdork News” May 2006

• New Wines


• New Beers


• New Spirits


• Tasting Notes: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc & dry Rose


• Cool Summer Limoncello cocktail recipe


• Corkdork Pricebusters!


• Save the Date! Australian Torbreck wine tasting June 21st at Radius 10. More details to come…



New Wines: Shotfire Ridge Shiraz 2004: It’s baaaack! A staff favorite is back in stock! Deep red in color. Nose of plum and berry fruit complemented by chocolate, caramel and vanilla oak. The palate is full bodied with ripe berry fruit, creme Brule and dark chocolate. Soft tannins. 92 pts. Robert Parker $19.99 Norton Reserve Malbec 2003: Bright red fruit--raspberry and red currant--with floral and mineral notes as well. Nice creamy texture with a racy mineral underpinning as well. 90 pts Wine Spectator. $15.99 Spann Vineyards “MoZin” 2003: Peter & Betsy Spann make their wines in the traditional old-world style by hand picking, hand de-stemming & treading the grapes by foot. MoZin is a dark ruby blend of Zinfandel, Mourvedre and a smattering of Petite Sirah grapes. Espresso, dried cherries & raspberries, smoked meat & cocoa on the palate, this is an old-world style wine made in California. $19.99




Guntrum Dry Riesling 2004: A dry style Riesling with a vibrant lime color and bright, crisp acidity. Tart apples on the nose follow through on the palate along with a citrus zest and a long finish. To gain entry into the U.S. market, Guntrum decided to use estate grown grapes, therefore making this a Spatlese level wine at the price of a QbA. Translation? A superb value! $11.99 Dunham Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 VIII: Rich and vibrant black currants, anise and plum match well with the viscous black cherry and plum note on the palate. This wine would be wonderful with a peppercorn-crusted steak. 92 pts Wine Spectator $47.99 Zenato Lugana 2003: Made exclusively from Trebbiano grapes, this wine is a green-flecked straw yellow in appearance; marked by elegant fragrances, it shows a crisp dry, fruity palate that is supple and rounded as well. Recommended with light pasta and fish preparations. 88 pts Wine Spectator $16.99 Alvaro Palacios “Les Terrasses” Priorat 2003: Alvaro Palacios, Les Terrases, Priorat, Spain, 2003. Chock-full of tobacco, spice, red fruits, and a dry long finish. Great with steak or beef tenderloin. 90 pts Robert Parker. 92 pts Wine Spectator #65 Wine Spectator top 100 2005$29.99




Paul Hobbs (Mendoza, Argentina): In a joint venture with Vina Cobos vineyards in Mendoza, Paul Hobbs passion for single varietal wines is apparent in the Nativo collection… Cocodrilo Cabernet Sauvignon 2004: From Mendoza, this wine is a blast of ripe blackberry and currant, accented with mocha and spice. 87 pts Wine Spectator 97%cabernet sauvignon, 2% malbec, 1% merlot. $19.99 El Felino Malbec 2004: Also from Mendoza, this Malbec is rich and intense with a chewy core of raspberry and purple plum and a touch of minerality. Opulent but velvety tannins. 89 pts. Wine Spectator $19.99 La Garto Merlot 2004: This Merlot possesses richness and texture, with notes of minerals, ripe plum, raspberry, and bittersweet chocolate. $19.99 Cosentino Ol’ Red: A solera style wine-- meaning it’s a blend of several vintages. In this case, the vintages are from 1997-2003. Baked cherries and berries with sweet baking spices in the nose, a creamy mélange of red and black fruits with earthy complexities. Rich and medium-full in the mouth. $11.99




NEW BEERS: (higher alcohol) Great Divide Beers: We’ve brought in three beers from this Colorado brewer…. Hercules Double IPA: A hefty backbone of nutty, toffee-like malt character balances Hercules’ aggressive, punchy hop profile. 9.1% Alc. $6.29 750 ml Titan IPA: Piney hop aromas and citrus hop flavors finishing with a rich, malty sweetness that is carefully balanced with crisp hop bitterness 6.8% Alc. $11.99 6pk Yeti Imperial Stout: Yeti opens with a massive, roasty, chocolate, coffee malt flavor that eventually gives way to rich toffee and burnt caramel notes and a dry hoppy finish. 9.5% Alc. $5.99 750 ml Stone Russian Imperial Stout: As our pre-orders piled up, we realized that this beer attracts fanatics! Intensely aromatic (notes of anise, black currants, coffee, roasted nuts, and alcohol) and heavy on the palate, this brew goes where few can --- and fewer dare even try. Limited availability so if you’d like to try this one, don’t wait! 10.8% Alc. $6.49 750 ml NEW BEERS: (regular alcohol level sold in the beer/cigar store) Terrapin Rye Pale Ale: Made with five varieties of hops and a generous amount of specialty malts, it offers a complex flavor and aroma that is both aggressive and well balanced - a rare find among beers. Alc. 5.3% $7.49 4-pk




New Spirits: 10 Cane Rum: Made by the folks at Moet Hennessy, this rum is made from Trinidad sugar cane (most rum is made from molasses) and then aged in French oak barrels. The finished product is an excellent and very smooth white rum. Ladies and gentlemen, start your blenders! $36.99 750 ml, $43.99 1 Ltr




CORKDORK TASTING NOTES: In preparation for another hot Tennessee summer, this month we blind tasted New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and dry Rose. In the Sauvignon Blanc category, we tasted 2004 Thornbury, 2004 Geisen, 2004 Mak, 2004 Pheasant Grove, 2005 Drylands, 2005 Kim Crawford and a 2004 Allan Scott. All the bottles were covered with paper bags and numbered and here are the top three winners… #1 Kim Crawford 2005: Not surprisingly, this best seller came out on top with tropical stone fruits and floral on the nose, lemon-lime and passion fruit on the palate balanced by zippy acidity, round mouth-feel and a lingering finish. A great summer wine. $14.99 #2 Drylands 2005: Grapefruit, wet rock and peach aromas followed by passion fruit and tart citrus flavors and a short dry finish. $16.99 #3 Pheasant Grove 2004: Earthy and slightly vegetal on the nose, the palate was grapefruit, grassy and well balanced. $15.99




In the Rose category, we tasted 2004 Parallel 45 Cote du Rhone Rose, 2005 Crios Malbec Rose, 2005 Renaissance Vin D’Pays Rhone blend, 2004 Dom la Poujol, 2005 Toad Hollow Pinot Noir Rose, A to Z Pinot Noir Rose and 2004 Red Bicyclette Vin D’Pays Rose. With bottles covered and numbered, the winners were… #1 2005 Crios Malbec Rose: Beautiful pink in color, bright strawberry and candied fruit on the nose, rich dark cherry, spice and minerals on the palate balanced by a nice backbone of acid for an off-dry lingering finish. Perfect for summer salads and grilled chicken. $11.99 #2 2005 Renaissance Vin D’Pays Rhone blend: Pale ruby in color, dusty cordial cherry on the nose, wild strawberry, bing cherry, mineral and spice flavors followed. $13.99 #3 2005 A to Z Pinot Noir Rose: Green strawberry and slate-y on the nose--the palate was sweet candied fruits, cooking spice, strawberry and zippy acidity for a nice finish. $13.99 COOL SUMMER COCKTAIL RECIPE: Limoncello…When the weather gets hot, this lemony liqueur is the perfect antidote. Spike your lemonade, drizzle it over a pound cake or mix it with champagne. We carry two brands…Pallini and Caravella. Keep Limoncello in the freezer and serve ice cold for a refreshing summer drink. Here’s a recipe… Limon Bellini: Mix 3 oz. Peach nectar with 3 oz. Champagne and 1 oz of Limoncello…enjoy!




CORKDORK PRICEBUSTERS! Viader 2001: Reg. $89.99 Pricebuster $49.99 Chateau St. Michelle Indian Wells Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay and Riesling: Reg. $19.99 Pricebuster $16.99 Voga Pinot Grigio: Reg. $13.99 Pricebuster $9.99 Finca Las Moras (Argentina): Reg. $9.99 Pricebuster $7.99 Coppola Rosso and Blanco: Reg. $9.99 Pricebuster $7.99