Discover an Appellation

This week, our next installment of our "Discover an Appellation with Philippe's" presents one of the most prestigious names in the wine world, Côte-Rôtie.

It is located in the northern part of the Côtes-du-Rhône region, on the right bank of the river, about 30 miles south of Lyon. The wine is made with mostly Syrah with up to 20% Viognier being allowed in the mix. It is one of France's oldest vineyards and was greatly developed by the Romans. The first accurate written documents concerning Ampuis and Côte-Rôtie go back to the 6th century. Côte-Rôtie became an A.O.C. - Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée - in 1940. Legend has it that in the 16th century, Marquis Maugiron had two daughters, one blonde and the other brunette. Each received a dowry of half his vineyard slopes, and so the Côte Blonde and Côte Brune were born.

An extreme act of nature, Côte-Rôtie is characterized first and foremost by its steep slopes - some may exceed 60% - with terrasses. More than 100 winemakers produce wines in the appellation which spreads over three communes, Saint-Cyr sur Rhône, Ampuis, and Tupin-Semons.

A wine built to age, it is generally wise to keep your Côte-Rôtie between 5 and 15 years before opening it.

For the gourmets, a bottle of Côte-Rôtie will be perfect with a leg of lamb with chanterelle mushrooms, filet mignon, or roasted pheasant with truffles.

Wines offered today:

2001 Patrick Jasmin Côte-Rôtie

7-8% of Viognier was added to the blend. Well-delineated with floral and raspberry/cherry fruit components, this medium-bodied wine is not a blockbuster but will win you over with its delicacy and finesse.

Reg Price: $39.99 - Discovery Price: $34.00

2004 Patrick Jasmin Côte-Rôtie

Balanced, but lighter-bodied. It displays cherry notes complemented with hints of tea, spice, and sandalwood.

Reg Price: $39.99 - Discovery Price: $34.00

2006 Georges Vernay Côte-Rôtie Blonde du Seigneur

Finely etched red and dark berry, floral, herbal, and mineral aromas, plus a slow-building anise quality. Tangy and focused, offering sweet raspberry and blueberry flavors and showing no obvious tannins. Finishes lush and creamy, but with a jolt of zesty minerals adding vivacity and cut. Extremely fresh and delicious right now.

Reg Price: $64.99 - Discovery Price: $58.00

2004 René Rostaing Côte-Rôtie

Spicy, energetic red fruit aromas are precise, and mineral-driven. Juicy, open-knit raspberry and cherry flavors are supported by delicate tannins. This very pure wine drinks quite well right now.

Reg Price: $79.99 - Discovery Price: $71.00

2006 René Rostaing Côte-Rôtie

Deep red with a bright rim. Spicy raspberry and red licorice aromas are complicated by smoky minerals and fresh flowers. Sweet red and dark berry flavors possess very good depth and definition, with subtle anise, mineral, and candied floral qualities building with air. The clean finish offers a brisk bite of cracked pepper, along with repeated dark berry notes. Very seductive wine, with no gaminess and wonderful energy.

Reg Price: $64.99 - Discovery Price: $58.00

2006 Saint Cosme Côte-Rôtie

Raspberry, cherry, violets, and minerals in the nose, plus an undercurrent of smoky minerals. The smokiness repeats on the palate, adding complexity to the sweet red and dark berry flavors. Cracked pepper and sweet floral pastille notes linger on the finish, which is admirably pure and persistent. According to Barruol, this contains lots of "Côte Brune fruit."

Reg Price: $79.99 - Discovery Price: $70.00

2007 Saint Cosme Côte-Rôtie

Sexy aromas of Asian spice, blackberry, graphite, and cracked pepper. Silky in texture, with medium-bodied dark berry and cherry flavors and a kick of black pepper. Turns spicier on the focused, persistent finish with very good lift and minerality.

Reg Price: $79.99 - Discovery Price: $70.00

2009 Saint Cosme Côte-Rôtie

The dense 2009 possesses great acid, with loads of tapenade, black raspberry, and smoky lard/bacon fat notes. Its outstanding texture, full-bodied mouthfeel, and terrific finish all suggest a wine that should drink well for 10-15 years.

Reg Price: $70.99 - Discovery Price: $63.00

2007 Tardieu-Laurent Côte-Rôtie

Shows lots of leafy tobacco and olive aromas, along with supple black cherry, incense and humus notes. The slightly edgy finish has a roasted hint.

Reg Price: $94.99 - Discovery Price: $85.00

Please email christophe@philippeswinecellar.com if you wish to purchase any wine featured in this latest "Discover an Appellation."

Wine of the Week

If you would like to order this wine, please call our shop at (337) 991-9794 .

French Wine Tasting in honor of Bastille Day!

In honor of Bastille Day we will celebrate with a French wine tasting this

Friday evening 5-7pm. We will start with two Burgundies, a crisp and clean

Chardonnay and a soft and slightly earthy Pinot Noir from Domaine Faiveley.

Then we will continue with a great refreshing dry summer Rosé and

a full-bodied blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, and Grenache from Domaine de

Nizas out of the Languedoc region in the South of France.

And remember this event is FREE!

Just bring your own glass or you may purchase one from us for $10. Otherwise,

we will provide plastic cups for you.

90 Point Spanish Blend Special at Philippe's

Today, an old favorite of ours, here, at Philippe's. Highly recognizable thanks to its cross on the label, it may be one of yours as well and may have been forgotten. We all need a reminder sometimes.

2008 Can Blau

A blend of Carinena, Syrah, and Grenache. Inky purple in color, it showcases sexy aromas of blueberry and boysenberry compote that are complemented by cinnamon and mace, along with a subtle smoky undertone. Gains weight and richness with air, picking up notes of mocha and candied flowers. Extremely attractive right now, with almost no discernable tannins.

Rated 90pts by Stephen Tanzer.

Philippe's Everyday Price: $16.99 - Vintage Price: $15.00 or $14.50 if you purchase 6 bottles or more.

Email christophe@philippeswinecellar.com with your order!

Wines by David Sampedro

Today, we invite you to trust us and discover a new gem from the Rioja region in Spain.

Calma is made by up-and-coming winemaker David Sampedro from the Rioja Alta subregion for the Bodegas Don Sancho Londono. One of the most talented winemakers and coming from a renowned family, David Sampedro seems to be the man behind many of Rioja's highly-rated wines.

The man is also obsessed by the "forgotten grapes", as he calls them, these varietals that were pushed aside as Rioja became a global force. One of them is Graciano - which he uses in today's offer. Graciano is a fragrant black grape that used to be far more cultivated before Tempranillo took over. It fell by the wayside because of low yields and its being prone to downy mildew. However, it is a very worthy grape variety, rich in color, fragrant, with a nice bouquet and characterized by high acidity, complex aromas, and an inky color. By the way, David does make a 100% Graciano called Gra2 delivering a distinct and more subtle flavor than Tempranillo.

2008 Calma (90% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano)

Bright violet. Black cherry and bright violet scent are followed by cracked pepper. Tightly wound at first, it then opens up to offer chewy dark fruit flavors and a touch of mocha. Dusty tannins add grip to the finish, which leaves cassis and bitter cherry notes behind.

Philippe's Everyday Price: $16.99 - Vintage Price: $15.00 or $14.25 if you buy 6 bottles or more.

Also available, David Sampedro's 100% Graciano called Gra2

2008 Vinos Sin Ley Gra2 (100% Graciano)

Aged in stainless steel. Bright ruby with pungent aromas of cassis, raspberry, graphite, and potpourri. Fresh and spicy, with sweet red and dark berry flavors, and a strong mineral underpinning. Finishes with a strong jolt of candied flowers and lingering spiciness.

Philippe's Everyday Price: $14.99 - Vintage Price: $13.50 or $13.00 if bought in conjunction with Calma.

Interested in these wines? Please email christophe@philippeswinecellar.com.

Thank you.

Free Tasting from Tolosa Winery tomorrow night!

Good afternoon everyone,

we hope you can all join us tomorrow evening from 5pm to 7pm for our weekly FREE tasting event. We will feature the Tolosa Winery.

Located between Santa Barbara and Paso Robles, in the coastal hills of San Luis Obispo, Tolosa Winery farms their vineyards with sustainable techniques to make balanced wines, true to varietals' expressions. The three E's of sustainability are environmentally friendly, equitable socially, and economically feasible. They converted to solar power in 2009 and all waste is recycled.

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay make up 80% of the production at Tolosa. Tomorrow, we will sample their two expressions of the latter - unoaked and oaked. We will also sample their delicious Pinot Noir, and to complete the line-up, we invite you to discover their Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

Please bring your friends along as they are sure to be impressed by these wines.

See you tomorrow at 5pm!