A Call to Action

Making a living in retail might be an arduous task, a labor of love if you will, but the rules of retail are easy:

1.    Smile at people, say “Hello” when they walk in and “Thank you” when they buy something.
2.    Keep the place clean and neat.
3.    Understand your customers and offer for sale what they want to buy.

The first two rules are easy and the third one is too so long as you pay attention and operate without ulterior motives.  The third is also what makes wine retail so much fun, well for me anyway.  Its where you get to be creative and resourceful as a retailer and seek out more than the “low hanging fruit.”  That said, I’m understanding my customers and what I’m understanding is that you all are on a quest for $8-$15 bottles of wine that drink like $20 – $50 bottles.  If that pretty much sums you up then read on, if not . . . read on anyway because the wines on the rest of this blog are indeed a call to action!  When you’re ready to answer the call just stop in or call us at 504.483.6314.

The Spanish “Call to Action” Sale

The Short Version: We have a sextet of 90+ rated Spanish wines that are eye-rubbing values including two Robert Parker 90pt under $9.  Supplies limited, details below.

The Long Version: You can’t walk three feet in the wine business today without hearing about and seeing signs of the “R” word and I’d be fooling myself if I said I didn’t notice it as well.  More people are coming in and buying more “units” of product but spending way, way less than they did a year or three ago.  If I were selling Maserati’s or Patek Philippe watches I’d be worried, but I sell wine, and the one hard, incontrovertible truth in the wine business is that at any given time, someone, somewhere in the world is producing wines of TREMENDOUS quality at OUTRAGEOUS value pricing.  If that someone is doing so in Spain there’s a better chance than not that wine importer Eric Solomon is knocking on his door.

There is no greater joy in the wine business than the discovery of something new and exciting. I was in my first month of operation back in 2002 when someone brought me an empty bottle of wine and asked me to find it for them. Turns out the wine was a Spanish wine imported by Eric Solomon’s European Cellars and thus began a love affair between Cork & Bottle and hands down, no questions asked, one of the finest importers of Spanish and French wines in the business.  Just yesterday we got hold of the spring load of Eric Solomon’s Spanish wines and they are true to form: pure, driven exciting provoking wines that speak to the place they are made, hold form of the grape from which they are made and – most important – are UNREAL values.  Also, the wines are extremely well put together, as evidenced by the parallel praise by wine critics Stephen Tanzer and Robert Parker, two critics who are usually at opposite ends of the spectrum.

So, with limited supplies on some of these and special release pricing for a limited time on the whole lot, we can’t imagine these will last long so move now.  Wines this good at prices like this, well, it’s a call to action.

2006 Las Rocas Garnacha, $10.99 (reg $12.99)

RP 91 points – “Smooth-textured, round, and with no hard edges, this tasty effort is designed for immediate gratification. This is one worth buying by the case.”

Tanzer 89pts – “Smoky dark berry aromas pack serious punch and are supported by suave tannins. Finishes clean, lively and persistent. As usual, this is a great bargain.”

2006 Las Rocas Garnacha Old Vines, $16.99 (reg $19.99)

RP 91 pts – “layered fruit, savory flavors, excellent depth, and a fruit-filled finish. Drink it over the next 3-4 years.”

Tanzer 91 pts – “Glass-staining ruby. Powerfully aromatic . . . energized by juicy acidity and framed by supple tannins. Spicy notes build with air and carry through the long, silky finish. . . As usual, an amazing value.”

2005 Cellars Capcanes Mas Donis, $13.99 (reg $16.99)

RP 91pts – “85% Garnacha and 15% Syrah aged for 8 months in French and American oak before . . .Layered, long, and complex, this spicy, hedonistic effort has 2-3 years of aging potential but can be enjoyed now without guilt. It is a great value.”

ST 89 pts – “. . .broad dark berry flavors pack impressive flavor punch and offer excellent clarity. Pure and expansive on the finish, with the gentle vanilla quality repeating. Drinking very well now.”

2007 Castano Monastrell, $8.99 (reg $10.99)

RP – 90 pts. Parker has only posted a score on this one, no notes yet, but this Monastrell (Mourvedre) is a perennial “insane value  produced from three vineyard sites ranging in age from 40-60 years.” This wine is always one of the stars of the Solomon show.

Tanzer 88pts – “Inky ruby color. Exotically perfumed nose offers an attractive bouquet of dark berries and plum. Cherry-cola and blackberry flavors are straightforward and uncomplicated, with good back-end snap. . .”

2005 Castano Hecula, $12.99 (reg $14.99)

RP 90pts. Same deal here, only a score right now in advance of the tasting note, but this wine is also 100% Monastrell and is the more serious, more intense big brother of the Castano Monastrell

Tanzer 90pts – “Inky violet. . . Powerful dark fruit flavors are firmed by solid tannins and lifted by gentle minerality. Picks up smoked meat and anise notes on the long, chewy finish. This could be a Bandol. Is the average buyer at this price point ready for this? Another amazing value.”

2006 Alto Almanzora Este, $7.99 (reg $9.99)

RP 90pts – Mostly Monastrell with a healthy dose of Tempranillo and Syrah and a smattering of Garnacha, and some Bordeaux Varietals.  This wine is hands down, no questions asked the absolute star of this show. Made way down in Andalucía in southern Spain, this wine is “a bargain-priced, hedonistic effort that totally over-delivers. Buy it by the palette load and drink it over the next three years.”

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