[Cornell Wine] Cornell Wine Club August

[Michael Beard]

CORNELL WINE CLUB
AUGUST WINE SELECTIONS

Below are details of the August selections for our Wine Club.  These  
wines are available for pick-up by members from Tuesday, August 1.   
The wines will be available for all to taste on Saturday, August 12,  
Noon – 5:00PM.  Remember, members get a 15% discount on monthly  
selections, so SIGN-UP AND SAVE!

EARL and COUNTESS LEVEL

DOMAINE de la CHARRIÈRE 2004 JASNIÈRES CUVÉE CLOS SAINTE-JACQUES,  
LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE

One never stops learning about wine as there are an amazing number of  
many grape varietals and so many production areas in the world.  This  
week a distributor poured me a wine from an Appellation Controllée  
that was new to me – JASNIÈRES.  This is the most northern AC of  
FRANCE’S LOIRE VALLEY, north of TOURS and just south of LEMANS.  The  
white wines have to be 100% CHENIN BLANC and are a variation on the  
SAVENNIÈRE’S theme of dry, mineral-rich Chenins.  This wine by the  
region’s leading producer was fermented in stainless steel and then  
aged in used barrels, 50% being French oak and the rest being larger  
chestnut ones.  The aromas offer apples and flowers making one think  
the wine might be sweet, and then on the palate this impression is  
intermingled with minerals, iron and flint leading to a very dry  
finish.  A wine to contemplate and not quaff!

Regular Price: $18.00
Member Price: $15.30

DOMAINE des TOURELLES 2003 GIGONDAS, RHÔNE VALLEY, FRANCE

After the very wet 2002 vintage, the SOUTHERN RHÔNE in 2003 had a  
very hot vintage as did most of Europe.  Many wines had lovely ripe  
fruit, but some had coarse tannins.  On release this wine was a  
“little rough around the edges” but is now drinking beautifully.  A  
blend of 80% GRENACHE and small amounts of SYRAH, CINSAULT and  
MOURVÈDRE, the wine is very juicy, offering black raspberry fruit,  
spice, and some well-integrated tannins.  Lovely to drink now, the  
wine will age well for several years.

Regular Price: $24.00
Member Price: $20.40

Total Member Monthly Cost: $35.70

BARON and BARONESS LEVEL

REBULI PROSECCO di VALDOBBIADENE NV EXTRA DRY, VENETO, ITALY

PROSECCO is the quintessential northern Italian summer aperitif.   
While there are some serious PROSECCOS, even these are wines to  
celebrate the moment - usually the kind of moment you do not want to  
spoil by thinking too much.  These sparkling wines come from an area  
in VENETO around the communes of CONEGLIANO and VALDOBBIADENE and are  
made from a grape called PROSECCO.  Most, unless marked BRUT, are  
made in a soft style.  However wines from around VALDOBBIADENE tend  
to have more minerality and acidity than those from CONEGLIANO.  This  
wine is an EXTRA DRY with a touch of sweetness, but is not soft, and  
is almost serious enough to think about!

Regular Price: $15.00
Member Price: $12.75

VILLA PIGNA 2001 BRICCAIO, LE MARCHE, ITALY


VILLA PIGNA is a producer in the ROSSO PICENO Denominazione di  
Origine Controllata in the southern part of LE MARCHE bordering on  
ABBRUZZO.  ROSSO PICENO is allowed a maximum of 70% MONTEPULCIANO,  
but this wine is 100% MONTEPULCIANO and hence is “just” a MARCHE  
ROSSO.  The wine spent a few months in barriques, and the oak flavors  
are well integrated with the fruit.  This wine is much richer than  
many Montepulcianos from neighboring Abbruzzo, offering soft  
contoured, opulent black fruit with just a touch of rusticity which  
keeps the wine from being too soft.  The wine was awarded “two  
glasses” (out of three maximum) in Gambero Rosso, the Italian wine  
guide.

Regular Price: $13.50
Member Price: $11.48

Total Member Monthly Cost: $24.23

Cheers,

Mick Beard
Cornell Wine Company
(503) 531-3981
mick at cornellwine.com
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