It's NYE...and time to drink Champagne!

It's New Year's Eve and the perfect occasion to pop a bottle of bubbly. I’ve been on a bit of a Champagne kick recently, partially because I have a new job at the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant in San Francisco. Cheers to me!

To familiarize myself with our inventory, I've been trying lots of new Champagnes (tough job, I know!), but I haven't had enough time to write about each of them in detail. So here is a compilation of “tasting note tweets” in 140 characters (more or less) to help you pick out the perfect bottle of bubbles to ring in the new year. The following wines are all in stock at FPWM:

Monthuys Brut Reserve, NV ($33/bottle) is an excellent value! The nose offers a very pleasant perfume of crisp green fruit while the palate displays complex notes of caramelized pear, quince paste, and lightly browned butter. Absolutely delicious!

Philippe Gonet Grand Reserve Brut, NV ($69/bottle) is a gorgeous blend of 30% Chardonnay, 60% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier. It smells like white flowers and freshly roasted hazelnuts. The palate is rich and nutty with notes of juicy stone fruit and toast. It’s both sexy and simply scrumptious!

Pierre Moncuit Blanc de Blanc Brut, NV ($46/bottle) is very easy to drink with an elaborate flavor profile of hazelnut, Asian pear, white peach, and citrus. Mandarin orange lingers on the finish. I will definitely buy this wine again!

René Geoffroy Premier Cru Brut, NV ($50/bottle) is round and full-bodied; it smells a little like really ripe triple-cream cheese. One sip introduces flavors of almond skin, fresh-baked bread, and green apple. Finishes with a citrusy note.

Jose Dhondt Blancs de Blancs Brut, NV ($65/bottle) is decadent and well worth the price. This is the wine that I will be celebrating NYE with!

Check out more of my sparkling reviews of the sparkling wines we featured at last month’s wine seminar and tasting.

Whether you celebrate New Year’s Eve with Champagne or not, I hope it is a truly festive occasion. Cheers to a fabulous and wine-filled 2013!

Buccella Merlot, a wine fit for the holidays

If a bottle of Buccella Merlot went to a party solo, let’s just say that it would be the most revered guest. Everyone would be clamoring for an introduction! With its simple oval-shaped label, dark red wax seal, and broad shoulders, it’s a very handsome bottle. No one would dismiss this wine for being a Merlot and it would certainly leave a lasting impression on the other guests.     

With an elegant, gift-wrapped appeal, the 2009 Buccella Merlot ($90/bottle) has special occasion written all over it. And thus, perfectly appropriate for this time of year...whether you take it to a party or enjoy it at home!

 This wine opens with an attractive perfume of violets, plum, and dark berry fruit. The dark hue and concentration in the glass are telltale signs of its firm tannins and rich texture. Sure enough, the mouthfeel is powerful and complex, with layers of ripe fruit, spicy oak, and cocoa. Cherry cola, cassis, and a hint of blueberry harmonize on the palate, supported by a tight tannins and good acidity.

Yes, you read that right. It’s a Merlot that drinks like a Cabernet Sauvignon (in fact, 4% of the final blend is Cab from Yountville vineyards). I enjoyed it with friends and a perfectly prepared steak; it would also be terrific with pork roast, seared duck breast, or lamb. The Merlot grapes are sourced from Hyde Vineyard in Carneros and its aged for 20 months in 100% new French oak (no wonder!). Just over 300 cases produced.

Delicious wine. Super sexy packaging. Too good to pass up!

Available online at Stash Wines. The 2010 vintage is available from the Buccella website. Cheers!

Get your hands on this Guy, a delicious Napa Valley Cab

All of the wines served at the holiday party I went to last night were selected from Stash, an online wine retailer that offers super-limited releases from small producers around the world. There was a tasty Italian sparkler and many bottles of delicious red wines...

The one wine that really stood out was the 2007 Guy Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($60/bottle).

This Guy has a gorgeous scent; a heady mix of ripe blackberries and gentle notes of licorice and tobacco leaf. Black fruit dominates the palate of this wine and it finishes with a kiss of sweet oak. The firm tannins give this wine a sturdy backbone and a bold attitude, but this Guy isn’t Rico Suave. It’s a little rough around the edges, a little immature if you will (like a lot of guys out there, haha). 

This wine will cellar well for the next 3-5 years and will pair nicely with a filet mignon. But if you can’t keep your hands off this Guy, a plate of ribs would be a killer pairing. Decanting this wine would also help loosen up its tight tannins. 

As you can imagine, the name of this wine provided lots of jokes at the party. A few of the funny comments included:

“I want to spend all night with this Guy.”

“This Guy is so good.”

“I love this Guy!”

Only one barrel of this wine was produced; the fruit was sourced from the Godspeed Vineyard on Mt. Veeder and the Neal III Vineyard in St. Helena. Winemaker/owner Guy Riedel is also a movie producer, which includes two of my favorite movies of all time (“Office Space” and “Wedding Crashers”). He has been dabbling in the wine industry since 2005. Buy his wine here and get to know this great Guy!