The PRIMA Vini VINE Monday, November 18th
The PRIMA Vini VINE
Monday, November 18th
PRIMA Vini Dublin- 6890 Village Parkway, Dublin, CA 94568, 925-945-1800
Mondays, 10- 5, Tuesday through Saturday, 10–6,
Friday Nights Until 8 PM
SPECIAL Holiday Hours
NOW OPEN SUNDAYS, Noon-5pm!
(Come see Brandon, Tadd & Teddy)
Open 24-7 at www.primavini.com
Wine’s capacity to defy logic and quantification never ceases to amaze me. My close friend Eric grabbed from his cellar a bottle of 1996 Felsina I Sistri and brought it to drink with dinner Saturday night. This Tuscan Chardonnay was certainly delicious back in its heyday. I remember it well. It was nicely oaked and had a lot of character and I Sistri was known as a sort of trailblazer for Tuscan whites. But I also remember thinking, in around 2002 or so, that it was well past its prime. I remember Frank telling me about opening a bottle for a customer in the restaurant and complaining it was too old. In fact, I think we closed out the wine in an ‘end of bin’ sale at around its cost over 20 years ago. Needless to say, my hopes for Eric’s bottle weren’t very high. But, as soon as the cork came out, we knew we were about to be very surprised. The color was bright and fresh, without a single trace of oxidation. The nose followed suit- and while the oak hadn’t really gone anywhere, the Asian pear, dried honey, Chardonnay vanilla and spice and mineral aromas were spot on. On the palate, it was a perfectly mature wine; round and palate-filling but still lively and fresh for the entire time it took us to drink it. (Not long) 28-year old Tuscan Chardonnay? Really? Eric and I could only shake our heads in disbelief. So then, also from his cellar, we opened a 1995 Givry Blanc from Jean-Marc Boillot: A white village Burgundy from the Cote Chalonnaise from a warm vintage that should have been, by all rights, long, long gone. It wasn’t. It was gorgeous. Better even than the I Sistri! We were, by then, pinching ourselves. Of course, while the Wine Gods giveth, they also take away. The 2005 Dry River Pinot Noir that came next- usually one of the world’s very best Pinot Noirs and a wine that should have been incredible this night, was so badly corked it went directly down the kitchen sink. Very, very sad. Wine’s chimeric, often unpredictable behavior keeps me, even after 35 years in the business, very humble and continuously enthralled. We hope the same for you. Keep drinkin’!
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Without our even realizing it, holiday gift giving season is upon us! Thanksgiving is coming so late this year, we know it’s going to be a mad sprint to Christmas. As always, we are here for you! We have, in addition to the perfect wine (we hope!), a great collection of spirits, aperitivi and digestivi, olive oil (the 3-liter cans of Sagra are back), gorgeous, framed 3-dimensional maps of the Barbaresco and Barolo regions, Durand wine openers and lots. lots more. Call for a guided tour or come on in and browse our shelves in person with a glass of something good in hand. And please shop early so we can give you and your gift-giving list all the attention it deserves.
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Tickets are selling briskly for early December’s Champagne Extravaganza. And why not? Frank has assembled a Murderer’s Row of magnificent bubbles with which to tantalize you and we guarantee a good time will be had by all. You won’t want to miss it. We have some new names, some famous names that we haven’t seen for a few years and new wines from old favorite producers on tap for you. In fact, we just tasted Danville’s own Alexandra Sainz’s Champagne Pinot Noir Brut Natural yesterday. This is a totally new wine for this wonderful cellar and we were blown away by its elegance and verve. Something to look forward to…. The pre-tasting seminar is nearly sold out and Frank should have the information for the Zoom contingent settled sometime this week so if you’re interested in forming your own posse and doing the tasting from the comfort of your own living room, let us know.
*SPECIAL DELIVERY- WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27th*
WHITE TRUFFLES DIRECT FROM ITALY
$265 per ounce, must be ordered in whole ounces and are subject to the actual size and weight of the truffles delivered
E-mail john@primawine.com to order- Order must be placed before noon Friday, November 22nd
They say when the weather is bad for wine grapes, it’s good for truffles. If that axiom is to hold true, this is going to be a spectacular year for our favorite fungus! But can there be too much of a good thing? That was the general consensus when I was in Italy a month ago and it was raining incessantly. The fear was water-logged truffles that would be heavy without flavor. Nature worked another miracle, though, and spectacular weather returned to Piemonte, drying out the ground a bit but still leaving the soils loose enough for the truffles to grow. The result, according to the man on the scene we call ‘Deep Truffle,’ is that 2024 is the best season for white truffles in four years. I have decided to air-freight in one shipment this year and that will be for delivery here on Wednesday, November 27th. If you’d like some wonderful truffles to enjoy with your turkey or for a very special Thanksgiving weekend dinner, please let me know as soon as possible. Orders must be in whole ounces and are subject to the actual size of the truffles we get.
ON THE PRIMA Vini Calendar
Saturday, December 7th-
PRIMA’s 37th Annual Champagne Extravaganza
The highlight of PRIMA’s social calendar is not that far off! Save the date and use the links below to grab your tickets. They’re selling out fast.
*A Sit-Down Seminar entitled ‘Champagne- The Elements of Style’
focused on the amazing diversity of Champagne with a panel of experts and six fabulous Champagnes
12 PM- 1 PM, Limited to only 18 attendees
$125 per attendee, plus tax (includes access to the Grand Tasting that follows)
https://primavini.com/sit-down-seminar-primas-37th-annual-champagne-extravaganza-entitled-champagne-the-elements-of-style/
Can’t make it in person? The seminar will be available on Zoom (including all the seminar wines). E-mail frank@primavini.com for more information
*PRIMA’s Famous Walk-Around Grand Tasting
THIS JUST IN!
OYSTERS ARE BACK! Our friends from CaliCrab will be on hand during the tasting with plenty of your favorite bivalves to accompany your bubbles.
1:30 - 3:30 pm
Bubbles as far as the eye can see and, of course, great nibbles too.
$75 per attendee, plus tax
https://primavini.com/walk-around-grand-tasting-primas-37th-annual-champagne-extravaganza/
This year featuring multiple cuvees of:
Gaston Chiquet
Marc Hebrart
Charles Heidsieck
Gosset
Bruno Paillard
Henri Giraud
Colcombet
Alexandra Sainz
Philipponnat
Duval Leroy
Explore the fascinating cheeses and wines from the Austrian, Italian, and French Alps
through a tasting experience for the ages.
December 12th - 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
This class is at The Cheese Parlor in Livermore
Just 8 tickets left!
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ANY TIME WE’RE OPEN
COME SEE WHAT WE’RE POURING IN THE PRIMA Vini WINE BAR!
We change the wines we pour by the glass week frequently so there’s always something interesting and fun open. Or pick a bottle up off our shelf, wine fridge or Enoteca! If it’s under $50 on the shelf, there’s only a $15 corkage and if it’s over $50, hey, we’ll waive it! Or do what the ‘Back to School Moms’ did last week and bring your own group, a bunch of your favorite fixins’ from one of our fine local restaurants and take over the place!
PRIMA LOVES YOU
I’m sure you knew that, but we wanted to tell you anyway. Thank you for having supported PRIMA and spending 47 years of great wines and spirits with us. Not only do your shopping dollars help keep small family businesses like ours alive, you are also supporting the small family-owned vineyards about which we are so passionate.
We would like to put these in your holiday stocking…
- $10 off on your purchase of $100 or more before tax. Expires on December 31, 2024. Enter promotion code CHEERS2024 at our on-line checkout – www.primavini.com or mention it if you order by e-mail and we’ll do it for you.
- Enjoy our Giant California Cabernet Blowout - Big names, bold flavors at unbeatable prices including the very popular 2022 Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles for only $49.99 with ground shipping included on 6 bottles or more - https://primavini.com/california-cabernet-blowout/?in_stock=1
Let the holidays begin! CHEERS.
The PRIMA family
PRIMA’s Wines Of The Week
Any of these would look great sitting next to that turkey next Thursday…just sayin’
2023 Vevey Marziano Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle, Vallee d’Aoste
Solid Value at $24.99
The name of this obscure, off-the-beaten path appellation in Italy actually takes longer to say than to drive through but, trust me, once you’ve had a glass or two, ‘Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle’ will just roll off your tongue. The wine comes from the adjoining appellations of Morgex (more-djay) and la Salle, two steep hillsides that roll like a curtain deep in the alpine foothills of the northernmost part of Vallee d’Aoste; just a few kilometers from the Mont Blanc tunnel to Chamonix, France. These vineyards sit on the Roman road and were planted literally 2000 years ago. Hannibal’s elephants likely marched right by these craggy pergola-d terraces now being painstakingly restored by the few hearty souls that farm them. The singular grape variety planted here is an ancient cultivar called Prie Blanc, named as such because, the old timers say, the local priests (called prier) of the time preferred to use the local white for their communions, as opposed to a red wine that might stain their white hassocks. The vines are, and have always been, self-rooted, as the phylloxera root louse found the temperatures up here too cold to thrive and they’ve never needed to be replanted. The extreme climate and the rocky, virtually non-existent soil makes for very low yields of intensely flavored, very perfumed white wine with a waxy, honeyed sort of sneaky richness and piquant, totally unique flavors. The Prie Blanc is, indeed, an authentic taste of Vallee d’Aoste- a breathtaking expanse of bright, clean mountain air surrounded by the jagged snow-capped teeth of the French and Swiss alps. There are only five commercial producers of Morgex et de la Salle and, because we dig these wines so much, we manage to stock three of them! Marziano Vevey, with just 7000 square meters of vines scattered on hard-to-farm parcels scattered around the Morgex village, has vines aged well over 100 years, most planted at over 1200 meters altitude. He dry farms them organically on the traditional pergolas that allow the grapes to absorb what heat they can from the rocks below. It’s a tough life up here, and Vevey’s production of barely 10,000 bottles barely justifies it. There’s a reason, though, we stock three of the five producers from this remote part of Italy. It’s because the wines can be sensational! Predictably for something grown in one of the highest spots in Europe, the acidity is amazingly vibrant and frames a lifted nose of citrus peel, quince, white flowers, mountain honey and freshly picked green tea. Sneakily rich, I love sitting outside in the warm backyard with an ice cold glass of Blanc de Morgex. But, make no mistake about it, Vevey’s Prie Blanc truly shines with food. It performs marvelously with a wide variety of dishes; from salty, briny fresh seafood and fish from the local cold mountain streams, all the way to frito misto, sausages, dumplings and all kinds of poultry and pork dishes. And with the local Fontina cheese of Vallee d’Aoste? It’s a natural! Very highly recommended for current drinking or over the next three or four years.
2022 Domaine Gaëlle & Jerome Meunier Bourgogne Cote-d’Or Chardonnay
Underpriced at $34.99 per bottle
Bourgogne Blanc, even if it’s from the so- called ‘elevated’ level Bourgogne Cotes d’Or appellation, can be a real catch-all as far as style goes, and it’s important to know the producer. We taste a lot around here and they can range from the lean, bland and uninteresting to some of the very best values in white Burgundy you’ll ever find. Let’s call this the latter! This tiny mom and pop producer is based in Mercurey in the Cotes Chalonnaise and focuses the majority of their production there and in nearby Rully, but they also organically farm several parcels on the other side of the hill in Puligny-Montrachet. They bottle two wines with Bourgogne Blanc designations, one from their Chalon fruit labeled simply Bourgogne and the other, a wine with much more gravitas, from two parcels of vines in greater Puligny, a one-hectare site called Les Champs Perrier on the border with Meursault and other in a parcel that borders Puligny’s Houlieres lieu dit planted in 1980. The older Chardonnay vines in this latter parcel add considerable oomph to a wine that’s otherwise really long on finesse and elegance. The younger vines are fermented in steel and the older in wood and then they’re blended together to create what Frank and I thought might be the nicest wine from this designation we’ve tasted this year. We loved its really beautiful lemongrass and spice nose and light-on-its-feet texture. But there was also a sneaky bit of horsepower and a dash of well-placed wood. Lots of wines in this designation claim to be ‘Baby Puligny, Baby Meursault or Baby Chassagne but, when they do, I can tell you this, they never cost under $40 a bottle! Like I said, class, distinction AND value. What a nice new producer to have found. Only 4000 bottles were produced.
Everyone’s favorite martyr returns! Poor Saint Damien, dead since 287, is now known as the patron saint of doctors, and his visage graces the label of one of the most exciting wineries in the southern Rhone Valley……..
2022 Domaine Saint-Damien Cotes du Rhone Villages ‘Plan de Dieu’ Vieilles Vignes’
$21.99
80% Grenache, 15% Carignan, 5% Mourvèdre. Domaine Saint-Damien is in Gigondas, and is owned by the Saurel family who farm 24 hectares, half of which are in Gigondas proper. In addition to making a stable of really great, meticulously crafted Gigondas cuvees, they make several cuvees of really delicious, quite serious Cotes du Rhone too. All of the wines here are real old school efforts that rely on ripe (but not over-ripe) fruit fermented and aged in old casks and concrete tanks. There’s no screwing about with new wood, high alcohols or flashy winemaking technique. 2022 is another classic vintage that produced classic wines and, at a property like this, they are classics indeed! The vintage brought with it beautifully defined fruit, great levels of natural acidity and rich, robust tannins. Mature vines made particularly intense wines. The Plan de Dieu is sourced particularly old vines from the lower terraces of a single vineyard in the commune of Violès and brings forth lifted aromatics that are packed with black Provencal olives, fresh black truffle, bitter chocolate, white pepper and some clove-y spice to go along with a mouthful of hoisin sauce, plum jam, black cherry and garrigue-tinged earthy, herbs and spices. It’s a Cotes du Rhone Villages that drinks like a Gigondas; a bottle now to serve with that Thanksgiving turkey, beef or lamb dishes or, better still, you can hide a few bottles deep in a dark cool place and let it do its thing for a few more years. Very highly recommended.
2021 Domenico Clerico ‘Arte’ Langhe Rosso
$51.99
with shipping included on 4 bottles or more
The story goes that the late, great Domenico Clerico, back in 1981, created the first Arte quite by mistake, accidentally racking a barrel of Barbera into a barrel of Nebbiolo. But that story seemed to change every time he told it. He also told me once, while pontificating on the subject of blending wine, that Arte was 100% volitionary, a desire to show just how synergistic these two grapes could be together, especially when aged in the small French oak barrels that were so novel in the Langhe at the time. I personally think it was in imitation of his good friend and winemaking mentor Giorgio Rivetti who was bottling his own version of these two grapes (and, depending on who you ask, a few others as well) called ‘Pin.’ Or did Rivetti create Pin because of Domenico’s Arte? I’ve heard that too. You could never tell with those two Merry Pranksters who was telling the truth and who was just gaslighting. In any event, the terrific 2021 Clerico Arte celebrates 40 years as one of the Langhe’s most intriguing and unique wines. Despite where you land in the Modernist versus Traditionalist argument, one cannot deny that Arte, in its guise as the first ‘Super Piemontese’ red, was truly a dynamic trendsetter and remains as savory, seamless and delicious as it was when it was first created. Still aged in 225-liter barriques, Clerico’s successor, winemaker Oscar Arrivabene, has gradually scaled back the percentage of barrels that are new and tweaked the percentages of each grape variety in order to achieve a greater degree of finesse and improve the balance in these days of warmer harvests. What was once 90% Nebbiolo is now only 60 in order to maximize the fresh acidity and fruity drive of Barbera. What remains constant, though, is that the Nebbiolo always comes from a dedicated one-hectare parcel in the Ginestra MGA near the old Clerico winery and that the Barbera is always chosen from the best fruit harvested in any given vintage. Arte also remains a powerhouse wine that wears its nearly 15% alcohol effortlessly while, at the same time, preserving so much of the aromatic complexity and subtlety that Nebbiolo provides.
The 2021 Arte comes from an amazing harvest and drinks beautifully with plenty of nicely ripened dark, dusky black and purple plum fruit, a dash of smoky, almost curry-like spice that really does, at once, evoke the characters of both these grapes. While I would be hard-pressed to call it elegant, it is quite silky and smooth on the palate and not at all ponderous or awkward, even in its youth. I think the balance is well-neigh perfect! Drink tonight with richer pasta or meat preparations or hold it in the cellar for up to another decade. Of the roughly 500 cases produced, I got just a couple...
Wine Advocate: A blend of 60% Nebbiolo and 40% Barbera, the Domenico Clerico 2021 Langhe Arte offers a hybrid of flavors from the playlist of both Piedmont native grapes. Aged in new and neutral oak, the wine has the wild, delicate aromas of Nebbiolo along with the thicker fiber and black fruit aromas that come with Barbera. There is some sweet spice on the close, and the wine concludes with a strong 15% alcohol content. You get a lot of food-pairing versatility with this wine. This is a 6,000-bottle release. 93 points