The PRIMA Vini VINE Monday, December 23rd
The PRIMA Vini VINE
Monday, December 23rd
PRIMA Vini Dublin- 6890 Village Parkway, Dublin, CA 94568
925-945-1800
Mondays, 10- 5, Tuesday through Saturday, 10–6
Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve Hours 10-2
Closed Christmas Day and January 1- 5
Open 24-7 at www.primavini.com
Team PRIMA wishing you all the best!
Despite being a tight-knit crew, the PRIMA Vini team rarely has a chance to spend quality time together outside the store, so it was great fun to gather for a holiday toast this past Friday at Casa Rittmaster. I rummaged around in the home cellar and cobbled together a really fun selection of reds from the 1990 vintage to blind taste the gang. Leave it to Jade to nail the theme… The results, though, were pretty surprising! One thing I can say, this much ballyhooed vintage is living up to its initial promise as one of the top years of the twentieth century. Anyone who has any 1990 Chateau Lynch-Bages or Tignanello in their cellars, both those wines have finally turned the corner and blossomed into lovely, mature beauties. My big surprise of the evening was a 1990 Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir Reserve that drank at least two decades younger than its 34 years- a truly amazing wine! Anyway, more important than the wine, the chance to enjoy each other’s company was what made the evening so special. Brandon and I are truly fortunate to be surrounded by such smart, capable and fun colleagues who we can also call friends. We hope you too have the chance to reconnect with those most important to you over this holiday season. That’s really what it’s all about, right?
We close at around 2 PM tomorrow, so please get in early to find those last second gifts. We’ll be waiting for you! And we’ll see you again on the 26th and will be open regular hours until New Year’s Eve. After that, we are taking a few days off to recharge the ol’ batteries and prepare for what’s certain to be a very eventful 2025.
Cheers and thanks always from the entire PRIMA Vini Team.
John, Brandon, Frank, Jade, Louise, Fran, Anne, Teddy, Tadd, Bruno & Leslie
***
LAST CALL ON OUR BEST CHAMPAGNE PRICING OF THE YEAR
The Results Of Our 37th Annual Champagne Extravaganza
One of the most fun and distinctive lineups ever, our 37th Champagne Extravaganza was an amazing experience. If you can’t find a Champagne you like in this group, you’d better give up liking Champagne. Though my notes are below with Frank’s, I’m happy to elucidate further and guide you towards that perfect case of holiday bubbles!
Happy Holidays from all of us Champagne-lovers at PRIMA!
Normal Price;
Bottle Price: 1-11 Bottle Price, 12% off (the middle price);
Case Price : 12+ bottles (mix and match),18% off (the right hand price)
Shipping is extra
Complete List
https://primavini.com/our-
1.Nv Champagne Duval-Leroy Grand BrutNormal Price:$60.00 / 1-11 Bottle Price: $52.80/
Mix & Match 12+ Bottle Price :$49.20
2.Nv Champagne Philipponnat Royale Réserve BrutNormal Price:$74.00 / 1-11 Bottle Price: $62.12/
Mix & Match 12+ Bottle Price :$60.68
3. Nv Champagne Philipponnat Royale Réserve Brut Rosé
Normal Price:$114.00 / 1-11 Bottle Price: $100.32/
Mix & Match 12+ Bottle Price :$93.48
4. Nv Champagne Alexandra Sainz Brut Nature
Normal Price:$70.00 / 1-11 Bottle Price: $61.60/
Mix & Match 12+ Bottle Price :$57.40
5. Nv Champagne Alexandra Sainz Grand Cru Brut Héritage
Normal Price:$71.00 / 1-11 Bottle Price: $62.48/
Mix & Match 12+ Bottle Price :$58.22
6. 2014 Champagne Alexandra Sainz Millèsime Grand Cru
Normal Price:$79.00 / 1-11 Bottle Price: $69.52/
Mix & Match 12+ Bottle Price :$64.78
7. Nv Champagne Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Blancs
Normal Price:$105.00 / 1-11 Bottle Price: $92.40/
Mix & Match 12+ Bottle Price :$86.10
8. Nv Champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve
Normal Price:$61.00 / 1-11 Bottle Price: $53.68/
Mix & Match 12+ Bottle Price :$50.02
9. Nv Champagne Gosset Grande Réserve Brut
Normal Price:$64.00 / 1-11 Bottle Price: $59.32/
Mix & Match 12+ Bottle Price :$52.48
10.Nv Champagne Gosset Grand Brut Rosé
Normal Price:$108.00 / 1-11 Bottle Price: $95.04/
Mix & Match 12+ Bottle Price :$88.56
11. Nv Champagne Colcombet Réserve Privée Brut Éclat
Normal Price:$56.00 / 1-11 Bottle Price: $49.28/
Mix & Match 12+ Bottle Price :$45.92
12. Nv Champagne Colcombet Réserve Privée Brut Sabré
Normal Price:$56.00 / 1-11 Bottle Price: $49.28/
Mix & Match 12+ Bottle Price :$45.92
13.Nv Champagne Bruno Paillard Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs EB (Extra Brut)
Normal Price:$123.00 / 1-11 Bottle Price: $108.24/
Mix & Match 12+ Bottle Price :$100.86
14. Nv Champagne Bruno Paillard Rosé Première Cuvée EB
Normal Price:$108.00 / 1-11 Bottle Price: $95.04/
Mix & Match 12+ Bottle Price :$84.46
15. Nv Champagne Henri Giraud Esprit Nature Brut
Normal Price:$69.00 / 1-11 Bottle Price: $60.72/
Mix & Match 12+ Bottle Price :$56.58
17.Nv Champagne Gaston-Chiquet Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs
Normal Price:$67.00 / 1-11 Bottle Price: $58.96/
Mix & Match 12+ Bottle Price :$64.94
18. Nv Champagne Gaston-Chiquet Premier Cru Brut Tradition
Normal Price:$55.00 / 1-11 Bottle Price: $48.40/
Mix & Match 12+ Bottle Price :$45.10
19. Nv Champagne Marc Hebrart 1er Cru ‘Mes Favorites’ Vieilles Vignes
Normal Price:$89.00 / 1-11 Bottle Price: $78.32/
Mix & Match 12+ Bottle Price :$72.98
20. Nv Champagne Marc Hebrart 1er Cru Brut Rosé
Normal Price:$73.00 / 1-11 Bottle Price: $64.24/
Mix & Match 12+ Bottle Price :$59.86
PRIMA’s LAST MINUTE WINES AND SPIRITS OF THE SEASON
THE PRIMA ‘Our Mistake’ Negroni Sbagliato Kit
Botanica Spritvs Western Dry Gin
$34.99, 750 ml
Elena Vermouth di Torino
$36.99, 750 ml
Contratto Aperitif
$29.99, 1 Liter
Tenuta Bisol ‘Jeio’ Prosecco Brut
$14.99, 750 ml
One Bottle Of Each ‘Kit’
Price-Regularly $116.99, On Sale $104.99
All you need to make the perfect, lo-alc Negroni Spagliato ala PRIMA. Leave off the Prosecco and use equal parts of the Gin, Vermouth and Contratto and you’ve got a killer ‘regular’ Negroni too. I would love to see this nicely wrapped set of deliciousness under MY tree.
The PRIMA ‘Our Mistake’
50ml Botanica Spiritvs Western Dry Gin
50ml Contratto Aperitif
25ml Elena Vermouth di Torino
Top with 75ml Bisol Jeio Prosecco
Mix the first three ingredients in an iced container, stir well to combine and strain into the glass of your choice. Top with the Prosecco and garnish with an orange peel.
*A TRIP THROUGH THE PRIMA CELLAR REVEALED SOME TREASURES JUST WAITING TO FIND THEIR WAY UNDER YOUR TREE*
Or call for a guided tour of PRIMA’s enoteca of aged and birthyear gems.
2021 Domaine Dagueneau ‘XXI’ (the only wine made from this vintage. If you know, you know!)
2022 Veyder-Malberg Riesling, Elsaner-Ried Brandstatt (one of the world’s most exciting dry Rieslings)
2019 Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva Horizontal Set (one bottle of each of their 9 ultra-special single vineyard Riservas)
2022 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley (a PRIMA exclusive!)
2020 Domaine du Vieux Telegraph Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge (yes, we were restocked on this WS Wine of the Year finalist)
2022 Cayuse Syrah ‘Armada’, Walla Walla (rarer than hen’s teeth!)
2019 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, Special Selection, Napa Valley (needs no introduction here!)
2019 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon, Hillside Select, Napa Valley (ditto)
AND SOME HOLIDAY ‘BY THE CASE’ SAVINGS
Tenuta Bisol ‘Jeio’ Prosecco DOC
$14.99, SOLID CASE OF 12, $144/$12 per bottle
Bisol’s Jeio has been PRIMA’s ‘house’ Prosecco for going on ten years. Why? Because it’s really, really good! We could go on and tell you just how bad a lot of inexpensive Prosecco can be, but that would be ‘addition by subtraction’ meaning that Jeio would simply be the lesser of two evils. That’s not the case! It’s dry, obviously well-made, very savory and downright tasty. Not only is it great in a Negroni Sbagliatto, it’s a wonderful drink on its own- the perfect bubbles with which to please a crowd and toast something special. Grab a case and watch it disappear!
2023 Cieck Erbaluca di Caluso, Piemonte
$22.99, SOLID CASE OF 12, $240/$20 per bottle
A two-time veteran of PRIMA’s Wines Of The Year list, this gorgeous, crunch white probably needs no introduction here but, nonetheless, talking about the Erbaluce grape is something of which we’ll never tire. The mountainside vineyards of Caluso, right on the border between Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta in Italy’s far northwestern corner, seem to defy gravity, perilously clinging to terraces built during Roman times. It’s a stunning vista you almost have to see to believe- the snowy Shangri-La of Italy. This is the home to the local Erbaluce grape- a white cultivar that exudes all the alpine freshness you could possibly ask for, but with a pithy, exuberant presence and personality all its own. The Ciecks’ is one of the best we know. This breath of pure alpine air mixed with the essence of lime peel, saline-infused mineral and fresh cut peach, it’s a fabulous partner for all the wonderful cheeses they produce out there in them snow-capped mountains. It’s also great on its own. Really, a look in each and every one of our own wine fridges is all the validation you could need that it’s one of the best deals these poor wine merchants have seen in a while!
2022 Matteo Correggia Roero Arneis
$24.99, SOLID CASE OF 12, $264/$22 per bottle
We considers ourselves Arneis snobs, if such a thing were actually possible. But we get to taste so many, and there are have gotten to be so many that are so, well, average, out there. It’s wonderful to taste the best, though, and Correggia’s has been one of the benchmarks for the varieties since the late Matteo Correggia decided to concentrate on the grape now thirty years ago. We first tasted this 2022 with Matteo’s son, Giovanni, on a sunny patio overlooking the Alps surrounded by great friends, and it couldn’t have been a better wine at a better time! Light, fresh and crisp, there is still a solid underpinning of serious minerality and oomph lurking underneath. Trying it again recently (under more clinical conditions) I can say that the Correggia Arneis truly belongs on the short list of the best of the bunch. On the lighter, crisper side of the Arneis flavor and texture spectrum, yes, this is the ultimate in flexible, food friendly and really delicious northern Italian white! My wife says we have to get a case. You should too! Serving suggestion (as tested in the backyard of the Rittmasters): make a salad of fresh crisp chopped celery and celery leaves, mix in a handful of fresh tarragon and small bites of a slightly salty-tangy fresh cheese like feta or ricotta salata. Dress with fresh lemon juice, good olive oil and a bit of salt. Easy, fresh and fun! And GREAT with Correggia Arneis…..
2022 Az. Ag. Acconero Campomoro Barbera di Monferrato
$17.99, SOLID CASE OF 12, $180/$15 per bottle
OK. Our job each Friday is to present you with true value- at whatever price point that is. And this wine, quite honestly, is the kind of value that could make us broke! What I mean is that we would need to sell an awful lot of $15 Barbera to pay our rent here in Dublin. But a deal is a deal, and when one this good comes along, we need to share it! Acconero is one of the most important names in the Monferrato hills in the Asti zone of northern Piemonte. The Acconeros farm some 60 acres in the region around Vignale Monferrato, the heart of the region, and specialize in Barbera. In fact, the fruit for this amazing deal, the family’s ‘basic’ Barbera d’Asti called CampoMoro, gets an inordinate amount of attention at the winery for a wine that routinely sells for around $20. Fermented in steel but with a nice long maceration to extract the maximum amount of flavor, it ages for six months before bottling. Campomoro acts as a sort of business card for this four-generation farming family; it’s the first Acconero wine most people will try and they want it to leave an indelible impression. This does! Good Barbera needs to have great fruit and this truly does- dark and plummy with hints of florals, a whiff of blueberry and a dash of Kirsch in there as well. Light on its feet, it has plenty of Barbera’s hallmark acidity to frame it. Sitting on a middle weight frame, it’s the ultimate go-with-everything red wine that offers up considerably more interest than just about anything else we’ve tasted from anywhere for this price! Really, buy a case of this and you’ll find it open on the table alongside all manner of fare and, of course, all those the pasta dishes this variety loves so much. Very highly recommended. Put another way, it’s the best $180 you’ll spend on red wine today! Drink now or hold for the next few years to prolong your pleasure!
2023 Ca’ del Baio Langhe Nebbiolo ‘Red Label’
$22.99, Case of 12, $240/$20 per bottle
Unfortunately for us, Ca’ del Baio is no longer the best-kept secret in Barbaresco it once was. The news, thanks to their rave reviews, the annual visits of the PRIMA gang and the profiling of the Grasso sisters in Suzanne Hoffman’s excellent book ‘Labor of Love,’ is definitely out! But, no matter, the Grassos are still some of the nicest people in all of the Langhe and their wines among the region’s most compelling. With four generations of family knowhow and over 30 vintages behind it, Ca’ del Baio is no Johnny-come-lately to the Barbaresco scene, and with holdings in vineyards
like Asili and Pora 2019 Antonio Vallana Spanna, Colline Novaresi
$24.99, SOLID CASE OF 12, $264/$22 per bottle
It was my late brother-in-law Mike who first introduced me, nearly forty years ago, to the Vallana family’s iconic Spanna. His bottles, acquired a few at a time from his wine-collector father-in-law in Boston over a period of many years, were all tightly wrapped in plastic and had been around so long the neck labels with the vintage had dried up and fallen off. When we shared them, it almost didn’t matter if we knew or not what vintage we were drinking because no matter how old it was, every bottle we ever tried was simply perfect! And for the past thirty years spent working regularly with Piemontese wines, I’ve been lucky enough on several occasions – both here and in Italy- to try Vallanas dating back to the fifties that drank magnificently! I never really understood, though, why a bottle of simple Nebbiolo (locally called Spanna) bottled without any serious oak treatment or any other bells and whistles for that matter, could age so effortlessly. Then I finally visited the area and saw how achingly slowly the grapes ripened in these high-altitude vineyards and how chilly these cellars were in the winter. They mature at a glacier’s pace because there’s nothing to stop them! Anyway, as we all know, the key isn’t necessarily how long you can keep a wine, it’s how it tastes the moment when you decide to open it. And that’s what makes a Vallana Spanna so special…not only can it age for decades, it’ll taste good on whatever day in whatever year you want to drink it! Tonight even. And it’s one of the best deals you’ll ever find. Made from old vine Nebbiolo with a soupcon of the local Vespolina grape added for a bit of color and heft, these grapes are grown in the unique, mountainous terroir in the alpine foothills of the northernmost part of Piemonte. The Nebbiolo here is not endowed with the weight and muscle one sees further west in Barolo and Barbaresco,
but it does have every bit the spice and nuance, and a singular Pinot Noir-like elegance that makes Spanna a stellar food-pairing wine. It can ably handle lighter, more delicate fare like Vitello Tonnato and frito misto as well as classic Nebbiolo-friendly dishes making it not only a delicious wine to open any time, but a useful one too! And, really, you can’t beat the price! Discover the Nebbiolo you’ve never known at a price that will make you come back for more!