[Cornell Wine] Cornell Club February

[Michael Beard]

CORNELL WINE CLUB
FEBRUARY WINE SELECTIONS

Below are details of the January selections for our Wine Club.  Wines  
are available for pick-up by members from Saturday, February 2nd.   
All being well, the wines will be available for all to taste on  
Saturday, February 9th Noon – 5:00PM.  Remember, members get a 15%  
discount on monthly selections, so SIGN-UP AND SAVE!

EARL and COUNTESS LEVEL

LIONEL BUSSY 2005 CHABLIS VIEILLES VIGNES, BURGUNDY, FRANCE

Last month we offered a “Classic California Chardonnay”, and this  
month we offer a wine at the opposite end of the CHARDONNAY spectrum,  
a “Classic Chablis”.  CHABLIS is the most northerly Burgundy  
appellation, being only about110 miles from Paris.  In fact it is  
nearer to the Champagne region than to the rest of Burgundy.  Being  
this far north, the area often suffers from frost problems that  
result in widely varying annual production.  There are four levels of  
CHABLIS wines: PETIT CHABLIS, CHABLIS, PREMIER CRU and GRAND CRU.  To  
me, this OLD VINE CHABLIS is easily equal in quality to many 1er CRU  
wines.  Forget the tropical fruits, butter and oak of California  
Chardonnay, and discover the green apple, hay, stones and minerals of  
cool-climate Chardonnay grown on the limestone clay of the Chablis  
region.  If you have never had real Chablis before, the difference  
from most other Chardonnays will be a revelation.  You may come to  
believe, like I do, that Chablis is the greatest expression of the  
Chardonnay grape!

Regular Price: $26.00
Member Price: $22.10

CHÂTEAU FAMAEY 2004 CAHORS FÛT de CHÊNE, CAHORS, FRANCE

In the southwest of France, to the southeast of Bordeaux and north of  
Toulouse, is the town and appellation of CAHORS.  This is red wine  
country, and the major grape is MALBEC, locally known as CÔT.   
Current regulations state a minimum of 70% CÔT, most producers adding  
MERLOT to soften the wine.  The 2004 CHÂTEAU FAMAEY is a blend of 80%  
CÔT, 15% MERLOT and 5% TANNAT.  Often called Vin Noir because of  
their almost opaque dark color, these CAHORS wines are different from  
their cousins from Argentina.  Usually the wines have less intense  
fruit, more spice and often see no oak or just old oak.  However some  
producers, including CHÂTEAU FAMAEY, take a more “New World”  
approach, especially with regard to the use of oak.  This wine offers  
a lovely blend of black fruit and spice with some noticeable oak  
influence.

Regular Price: $21.75
Member Price: $18.49

Total Member Monthly Cost: $40.00


BARON and BARONESS LEVEL

GINI 2006 SOAVE CLASSICO, VENETO, ITALY

SOAVE is one of the Italian Denominazione di Origine that “shot  
itself in the foot” after initial success in the US market.  There  
was a push towards quantity not quality, the land covered by the DOC  
was vastly enlarged, and the rules changed to allow more productive  
grape varietals to be included.  With a few exceptions, Soave became  
a sea of mediocrity, and remains so today.  In 1999 one of the top  
producers, Anselmi, abandoned the Soave DOC altogether, choosing to  
label his well-known wines with an Indicazione Geografica Tipica  
designation.  Originally, Soave had to be mainly GARGANEGA and  
TREBBIANO di SOAVE.  Now the rules say a minimum of 70% GARGANEGA  
with CHARDONNAY, PINOT BIANCO, TREBBIANO di SOAVE and other less  
interesting Trebbiano such as TREBBIANO TOSCANO making up the  
balance.  GINI’s wines are 100% GARGANEGA, and the family’s vineyards  
include parcels on Monte Froscà and Monte Foscarino, the best  
regarded hillsides in the Classico zones.  Gambero Rosso says, “If we  
were to sum up the winery owned by brothers Claudio and Sandro Gini  
in a word, it would be dependability – the ability to repeat the same  
very high quality year after year without fail.”  GINI’S Soaves tend  
to have more weight and structure than most Soaves, a result of  
perfectly ripe fruit and low yields.  The flavors tend to be green  
melon and pear, with balancing acidity on a long finish.

Regular Price: $19.75
Member Price: $16.79


LEDGEWOOD CREEK 2006 PIC.NIQUE RED, SUISAN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA

Although the winery calls this wine PIC.NIQUE RED, I think it is very  
suitable for Oregon’s wet and cold winters.  A blend of 50% MERLOT,  
30% MOURVÈDRE and 20% CABERNET SAUVIGNON, the wine is easy drinking  
with lots of lush fruit.  What makes it more interesting than many  
red wines in this price category is the inclusion of MOURVÈDRE.  This  
gives the wine some spiciness and a touch of earthiness, making it  
more complex than most $10 wines.

Regular Price: $10.00
Member Price: $8.50

Total Member Monthly Cost: $25.00

Cheers,

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