Domaine South
European Wine Tasting
Featuring Grape Expectations
Special Guest, Kate McElvoy of Rush Wines
Friday, July 3rd, 4pm - 6pm
$20 per person
256-759-9952 to Reserve
We just received a shipment of some very special, exclusive new arrivals from France and Spain! Tavel Rosé, Gigondas, Rioja Reserva and more!
The Wines
NV Joseph Caittin Cremant D'Alsace Rose, Alsace, France $19.99
Steinbach, a mythical place for pinot noir production, is nicknamed the Steinbacher RÙta, which means Red of Steinbach. Those vines have a limited yield and produce, indeed, fruity and compelling nectar. The church and the chapel of the village are dedicated to St Morand, the patron saint of winemakers
since the 11th century. The legend says that one day Morand was greeting some guests while having an empty barrel. After making a cross sign, the barrel filled up itself without ever getting empty again!
Clear; elegant salmon pink appearance with an abundant and dynamic bubbles. Fruity on the nose, especially red fruits such as cherry and black currants. The palate is refreshing and creamy with fruity aromas such as strawberries and lemon. A clean and long lasting finish.
2025 Domaine Pelaquie Tavel Rose, Rhone Valley, France $17.99
The "First Rosé of France" and of the Cotes du Rhone, famous since the 10th century, Tavel wines were present on the Pope's table when the papacy was located in Avignon in the 14th century. This wine is produced with a number of wine varieties. Smooth, generous and fruity, with an amber-shaded color of incredible intensity, it shows hints of topaz-colored reflections on aging. Its connoisseurs appreciate it young and fresh, richly telling of all the scents and flavors of the southern French hills.
Cinsault and Grenache noir.
Ernest Hemingway famously drank a bottle of Tavel each day, but if everyone in the San Francisco Metro area consumed just one bottle of Tavel per year that would wipe out the appellation's total production!
Tavel is tiny.
Winemaking
Before the pressing, the hand-picked grapes are put in stainless tank for few hours of maceration. The free run juice and the press juice are blending together for a thermo regulated fermentation at 18° degree for 20 days.
Domaine Pelaquie's electric-pink hued flagship release. The calcerous slopes that Luc Pelaquie's vines root into provide an interesting saline/mineral component that sets Pelaquie Tavel apart from most of the wines in the category.
2023 Oisley et Thesee "O&T" Touraine Sauvignon Blanc, Loire Valley, France $14.99
Zesty acidity with a pale yellow color. Aromas often feature white flowers, lemon, grapefruit, and subtle grassy undertones. Because of its bright and zesty nature, this wine pairs perfectly with
Goat cheese (such as a classic Crottin de Chavignol)
Fresh seafood (oysters, grilled white fish)
Vegetable dishes (especially asparagus or fresh garden salads)
2024 Chateau de Pirouette Medoc Cru Borgeois, Bordeaux, France $13.99
90-92 Points, The Wine Independent
"Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 La Pirouette gallops out with energetic notes of crushed blackberries and fresh plums leading to hints of sassafras, mossy tree bark, and Sichuan pepper. The medium-bodied palate is bright and shiny, with vibrant black fruit and grainy tannins, finishing with lovely purity. The blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, June 2024
2022 Roucas de Saint Pierre Gigondas, Rhone Valley, France $26.99
Roucas de Saint Pierre's 2022 vintage flagship Gigondas bottling, an unfiltered and beautifully textured release that even Wine Advocate's Yohan Castaing called "seamless and enveloping," and Yohan Castaing hates Rhone wines! (Yohan, Bordelaise by birth, hates Rhone so much that the Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation recently threatened him with a defamation lawsuit which is hilarious)
Our most trusted Rhone voice (Jeb Dunnuck) was at the same time also gushing, calling Roucas de Saint Pierre a can't miss:
"Readers should jump on the 2022 Gigondas, a ripe, concentrated, medium to full-bodied Gigondas that does everything right. A blend of equal parts Grenache and Syrah, it has ripe red and black fruits, some peppery herb, licorice, and garrigue nuances, ripe tannins, and terrific balance. It's a classic, incredibly satisfying 2022 that should have an easy 10-12+ years of prime drinking. The tannin quality is really top-notch. 94 points (reviewed at $60)." - Jeb Dunnuck, 12/24
2016 Hermanos Hernaiz Rioja Alta Reserva, Rioja, Spain $49.99
The Hermanos Hernáiz ‘Finca La Emperatriz’ Tinto is a high-quality “classic Roja” red wine from Rioja Alta, Spain, crafted by brothers Eduardo and Víctor Hernáiz. The vineyard has a 40 cm layer of white river stones over sandy-loam subsoil. This provides excellent drainage and optimal sunlight for the bush-trained vines. The vines are aged 50 to 65 years and are grown at a low altitude of 570 meters above sea level. It is celebrated for its elegance, balance, and expression of the unique terroir.
Varietals: 70% Tempranillo, 28% Garnacha and 2% Viura
Elaboration: Sorting table. 100% destemmed and 40% crushed, the grapes (Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Viura) ferment in concrete tanks after a 5-day cold soak. Fermentation uses indigenous yeasts with daily pump-overs and lasts 20 days. Post-fermentation, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in barrels, aging for 18 months in 60% first-use French oak and 40% second-use American oak.
Tasting Notes: Deep ruby in color, this wine has an elegant aromatic profile with ripe black fruits, black pepper, and hints of cocoa and cinnamon. Full-bodied and well-structured, it balances power and polished tannins. The palate features a blend of red and black fruits, minerality, and a long, savory finish.
"The top red is the 2016 Finca la Emperatriz Gran Vino Tinto, the finest and most elegant red I remember tasting from the property. It's a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 28% Garnacha and 2% Viura, where Garnacha and the white Viura have an important role to provide some acidity and freshness, even in a cool year when the wines had more natural freshness than in previous vintages. It's a selection from the older vines on sand, gravel and boulder limestone soils from La Emperatriz estate, and it fermented destemmed with some 60% uncrushed grapes in concrete vats and matured in 60% new French barriques and the rest in used American oak barrels for 18 months. It's classical Rioja but with clean and precise aromas and flavors, still young. 41,876 bottles, 660 magnums and some large formats produced. It was bottled in June 2018. It should develop nicely in bottle. Drink 2019-2036. (reviewed at $60)." - Luis Gutierrez, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 6/19