7 Years Strong and Counting!

I can hardly believe that it is seven years! In this time we have sampled some 4500 wine during tastings and events, We have sold over 10,000,000 of products and serviced more than 20,000 customers.  But, what  I mean was when I opened the store with in one week we were in the middle of the 9/11 aftermath.  Then there was Northwest Highway being torn up. Year after year there seems to be one bad thing or another that we point to as a road marker of life.  This year will be no exception as the stock market teeters on the brink of depression many will say this was a turning point.  For many years I too have marked time with the bad things that have happened often over looking the good.  So I want to start a new way of looking at things, a more positive way of looking at things.  To mark our seventh anniversary I want to highlight all the great wines and times we have had here at The Wine Cellar. So here is a list of amazing wines that have just arrived. Please take a good look as many of this wines will not be here long and you will read about them in Wine Spectator or the Wine Advocate very soon.  We will give you the first opportunity to get them before the press makes them extinct.  Over all this time I want to thank the people that have made this journey a fantastic trip.  My sales people and suppliers, My wonderful and caring staff that have treated this store as their own,  my great family in Minnesota and my in-laws in Illinois everyone has always lent a helping hand.  To My wife without whom this could never have become what it is today, to my daughter who keeps me grounded when I think I know more then I do.  And to you, my customers that have offered your support and business over these past years and always continue to surprise and amaze me.  Thanks all of you for a great 7 years I look forward to many many more with all of you.

   ~Larry, Teresa, Dave and Brian

 

In Store Wine Tasting

Our 7^th Anniversary Tasting!!!

 Saturday September 20th 1pm-5pm

(A $5.00 Fee will be collect for this tasting)

 

PRE-ORDERS

~2005 Opus One $139.99

(This price is good thru 9/29 at 8pm then the price will be $169.99)

 

~2005 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia $174.99

(This price is good thru 9/29 at 8pm then the price will be $199.99)

 

Other Wines of Note

~2005 Anderson Conn Valley Eloge $84.99  96pts WA

The 2005 Eloge, essentially the same blend as the 2004, is even better. A terrific wine that has put on significant weight since I tasted it last year. It now reveals gorgeous incense, cedar, black currant, and cherry notes intermixed with some spice box, new saddle leather, and smoky, gamey notes. Full-bodied, dense, chewy, but gorgeously elegant, complex, and altogether perfectly balanced, this is a fabulous effort and is already drinkable, but promises to evolve and last for at least another 15-20 years.

 

~2006 Knights Valley Pinot Noir $39.99

Peter Michael's estate vineyards (founded in 1982) are what make his wines truly exceptional. Sugarloaf Ranch sits high above Knights Valley in eastern Sonoma County.Kinght Valley is Peter Michael’s Second Label. Rich and intense with dark berry fruit and underlying earthiness, this Pinot Noir is made entirely from Pisoni Vineyard fruit. Located in the Santa Lucia Highlands, the Pisoni Vineyard has long been considered one of the better California sites for growing Pinot Noir, and the fruit produced in the poor soils is highly sought-after. Seeing as Pisoni is the source for many 'cult' California Pinots, the Knights Valley, made with the same prized fruit, shines like de-classified Grand Cru Burgundy!

 

~2004 Kelly Flemming Cabernet $89.99

Kelly's vineyard is in choice Cabernet territory: benchland territory near Calistoga and neighboring "Eisele," "Kenefick," "Frediani" and others. The third vintage for Kelly Fleming, this is the first that we've carried. It's 100% Cab Sauv, aged in 80% new French oak and only 500 cases made by Celia Masyczek Wine maker of Scarecrow and resently name winemaker of the year!! Grapes are grown organically and tended by Jim Barbour. Yes, quite the team to make this special wine.  Left with half a bottle to taste over time, I loved the bigness and complexity. More black fruit driven for sure, but with a hint of briary red fruits to add dimension. Nice notes of cedar and Asian spice here. I like the explosion of wild, very ripe yet bright berry/cherry in here, especially after 45 minutes of air. This super-premium Cabernet is very good now with decanting and I think best come 2012.

 

~2004 Hoopes Oakville Cabernet  $59.99

the Oakville appellation may be the western hemisphere heaviest hitting single wine region in the. It is home to many of the highest scoring and highest priced wines in America, including Harlan Estate, Screaming Eagle, and Dalla Valle, to name just a few.  Oakville is ground zero for Napa Cabernet, and with good reason. Year over year it produces some of the most tremendous wines in the valley. It's hard to say that one particular area of Napa truly produces the best Cabernet, but it's also hard to find someplace that has more claim to that title than the Oakville AVA. Buy it, coddle it, or heck, name it if you want.  It will come into your home, behave itself and make you look like a mastermind with your Cab-loving friends who have never heard of it and would kill for a bottle.

 

~2005 Darioush Caravan Cabernet $34.99

Caravan is the second label from Napa Valley powerhouse Darioush. Winemaker Steve Devitt aims for a rounder, more fruit-forward wine here and a more moderate price point. The fruit comes from two estate vineyards to help achieve the softer palate. Ripe berries and cherries make up this wine's core, highlighted by hints of cola, coffee and chocolate. Substantial amounts of petit verdot (19%) add floral notes, while a splash of malbec (2%) adds blueberry flavors on the finish. Try with roast lamb or filet mignon or a grilled burger with stilton or gorgonzola and bacon.

 

~2007 Melville Inox Clone 76 $38.99

For Greg Brewer, the inspiration for this wine was born out of a pursuit to capture the essence of both the vineyard and varietal in their purest form. This stylistic direction mirrors that of some Japanese cuisine, where the utmost attention was given to the raw ingredients which must be handled with neither compromise nor flaw. Even the slightest deviation from this principle exhibits the shortcomings of the fisherman or chef, or in this case, the winemaker.  Intoxicating aromatics of Meyer lemon, lime blossom, tangerine skin, yuzu and wet jasmine spring from the glass while nuances of water crest, ocean mist, salt and lemon grass flirt in the background. Texturally, there is an intriguely broad array of fleshy nuances akin to Asian pear, honeydew and cherimoya. The wine has a noticeable energy and volume while remaining sharp and precise, finishing with a lasting presence.

 

~2006 Forth Vineyards Histoire Cabernet Chapter 1 $16.99

This is a new project from the Forth Family Vineyards.  For years they have been buying Sauvignon Blanc grape from tuck and Andy Beckstoffer.  They have always had an eye on the red fruit they have seen hanging in the Beckstoffer’s special vineyard in Anderson Valley.  Finally, They were able to persuade the Beckstoffer’s to sell them the fruit from this amazing vineyard.  With 89% cabernet ,7 % syrah and 4% merlot this is fantastic Cabernet that tastes like a 30 dollar of Napa and sell for a price you can enjoy everyday. One of the greatest wine I have had at this price.

 

~2006 Smith and Hook Cabernet $19.99

Rich in the glass and bright on the nose, the 2006 Smith & Hook Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon, opens with aromatics of dark fruit, black currant, cassis, clove, and cedar. Layered aromas of plum and cocoa develop into a rich blend of raspberry jam and ripe berry with a hint of vanilla. The substantial, well developed tannins are suspended through the finish with a finely integrated acidity

 

~2005 Monte Volpe Primo Rosso $12.99

I tasted this wine resently at a industry tasting and after hearing the grapes used in the blend I knew it was just our style.  Zinfandel based with about 8 other old world Italian grape veritals.  This wine has a dark purple-garnet color, with jammy aromas and flavors of ripe blackberries, raspberries and plums. Rich full flavors, ripe tannins and a seamless balance that carries through a long, lingering finish. This enticing wine is for immediate enjoyment or one that will reward the patience of cellaring.

 

~2006 Carmel Road Chardonnay $14.99

Carmel Road's Chardonnays are known for their rich flavors, firm acidity and brilliant varietal flavors. But it is their pronounced minerality that sets these wines apart from their peers throughout the Golden State. The 2006 is an overtly fruit-forward wine with a rich palate and crisp framework. Lemon sorbet/zest, pear, citrus blossom and sweet vanilla flavors lead to toasted baguette in the finish.

~2007 Mckinley Springs Confluence White $14.99

Just downstream from the "confluence" of the Snake, Yakima.and Columbia Rivers lays the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. This American Viticultural Area is known for it's ability to grow tremendously rich, flavorfull, ripe grapes, which make the elegant wines of the Horse Heaven. Like the joining of smaller streams to create a big river we have brought together %77 Chenin Blanc and %23 Viognier to create a wine that shows the attributes of both of the varietals. Great floral notes on the nose and ripe fruit with a little residual sugar make this wine a great summer sipper.

 

~2005 Ridge Home Ranch Chardonnay  $46.99

A long, cool growing season delayed harvest until early October. Flavor developed fully, and the extra time allowed the chardonnay's typically high acidity to drop. The fruit was of excellent quality, but meager quantity. Pressed as whole clusters, the lots were racked to air-dried american oak barrels. Primary natural- yeast fermentation took three months; the natural secondary progressed slowly—twenty months to completion. Lees were stirred weekly for the first ten months. In August, with secondary still in progress, we blind-tasted, choosing three small lots for the Home Ranch. These, including their lees, were racked to tank and kept at 68˚F to encourage fermentation to finish. At eighteen months, the wine was racked back to barrel for settling, then bottled without filtration. Extended barrel age has resulted in a fuller, more developed wine, enjoyable now

 

~2006 R Wines Boarding Pass Shiraz $19.99

You loved last years wine and now we have it back in stock new vintage same great flavor!!The Boarding Pass label is just that, a dead ringer for an airplane boarding pass. According to Dan Philips, it is like going on a trip to Australia without leaving home. The 2005 Boarding Pass Shiraz was aged in French and American oak for 12 months. Purple-colored, it is very expressive, with a nose of smoke, spice box, blackberry, and blueberry jam. Layered, supple-textured, sweet, and full-bodied, this seamless, crowd-pleasing wine offers a remarkably long finish for its humble price. Drink this awesome value over the next 6-8 years

 

~2005 Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay $44.99

An attractive colour of pale straw with lemon / lime hues. This Chardonnay shows attractive varietal expression and has lifted aromas of ripe peach, lychees, grapefruits, lemon sherbet and fruity esters. The broad spectrum is completed with vanillin spice, pistachio and hazelnut complexity from the French oak maturation. A crisp wine with a star fruit, lemon infused palate and a creamy mouth feel imparted by lees stirring in high quality oak barriques. Moderate alcohol combines with firm and citrus acidity, providing a long dry finish. An underlying textured element provides an oily edge and softness whilst the oak plays a supportive structural role offering complexity.

 

~2007 Chris Ringland Ebenezer Shiraz $19.99 93pts WA

For Shiraz fans, the great news is that there are 20,000 cases of the 2006 Chris Ringland Shiraz, sourced from Ringland’s favorite sub-region of Barossa, Ebenezer. It was aged for 20 months in seasoned French and American oak hogsheads. Purple/black, it delivers a brooding nose of cedar, tar, smoke, licorice, blueberry, and blackberry. Full-bodied and massive, particularly for a wine in this price category, it offers succulent, savory fruit, great depth, and a 60-second finish. Seamless and complete, it should have a 15 year lifespan. Smart consumers will load up on this amazing value

 

~2007 Vina Cobos El Felino Malbec $19.99

A sophisticated malbec yet.  It carries a deep magenta hue and aromas of dark berries and anise. On the palate, intense, pure flavors of just-picked raspberries, black plum and graphite unfold in velvety layers. Exotic notes of ginger and white pepper carry through the mid-palate to intermingle with firm tannins and notes of cedar on the finish.  Just a fantastic Malbec great with any meat you can bring to the grill.

 

~2007 Vina Cobos El Felino Cabernet $19.99

A great value from California winemaker extraordinaire, Paul Hobbs, this got 91 points last vintage from Parker, who had this to say: "Purple-colored, it offers a lovely bouquet of spice box, violets, and black currants. Full-bodied and layered, it has a supple texture, ripe flavors, excellent depth and a lengthy, fruit filled finish. It is an outstanding value.

 

~2007 Vina Quintay Clova Sauvignon Blanc $9.99

Tasted several times this year and it remains fresh and delicious. Floral, grapefruit rind, mineral, passion fruit aromas with a touch of lemon. Round, ripe, elegant and fresh with grapefruit, dried herbs, pepper, grassy, passion fruit and light asparagus flavours. Bright and fresh with finesse and balance. Terrific value at this price

 

~2006 Blanchet Pouilly Fume Vieilles Vignes $19.99

Here is your really reasonable and affordable Sauvignon Blanc. A refined effort, the almost gentle yet penetrating '06 Francis Blanchet Pouilly Fume Vieilles Vignes exhibits attractive citrus flavors with a hint of dried straw.

 

~2005 Mas Des Bressades Cabernet Syrah $12.99 90pts WA

This wine would be a great deal at it orginal price of $18.99 but at this price it needs to be grabbed up by the case.  The 2005 VdP Gard Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah possesses plenty of black fruit, licorice, mint, and earth characteristics offered in a medium to full-bodied, richly fruity style. It should age nicely for 5-6 years

 

~2007 Kurt Angerer Kies Gruner Veltliner $15.99

This wonderful value offers green apple aromas and flavors with fine spicy minerals. Fresh, fruity and juicy with good balance and spice on the palate. Highly animated on the palate, it's nearly impossible to not reach for another glass. A good all-round meal companion.

 

~2007 Drathen Piesporter Michelsberg Spatlese Riesling $9.99

A ridiculous value.  Great price and outstanding quality. 

 

Wine Bar Hours

Thursday 5pm-10pm

Friday 5pm-11pm

Saturday 6pm-11pm

 

The Wine Cellar

361 W Northwest Highway

Palatine, IL 60070

847-776-1000

www.thewinecellaronline.com

Mon-Sat 1030am-8pm Sunday 12N-5pm