25
Jul
2013
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Wines of the Week: July 22-28

Everyday: It’s getting harder every year to choose my favorite rosé of the summer. But Dragonit’s easy to award bonus points to a perennially swell bottling that kicks it up several notches. Like the 2012 Domaine du Dragon Cotes de Provence Cuvee Prestige Rosé ($17), which commences with a vibrant citrusy, spicy nose and then sends an array of red fruit across the palate. And what a clean, refreshing finish, the very definition of mouth-watering goodness. The other day, this played deftly with Wagyu tenderloin and Nicoise salad, so I’m hard-pressed to eliminate any pairing possibility.

Occasion: Here’s a quandary. This space always touts an over-$20 wine, but while the local retail Gavalasprice is $24, Wine Searcher indicates an average tariff of $17. No matter: The 2010 Gavalas Santorini is definitely a wine for any occasion, especially a nice one in summer. I have never been to Santorini (dagnabit!), but this lush, slate-like assyrtiko (with 10 percent aidani) makes it easy to visualize being there. Ripe and rich and sunny, with beams of tropical and citrus fruit, it has one of the longest finishes of any white I’ve tasted this year. Grilled seafood, lemon-oregano chicken and other traditional Greek dishes are ideal companions. Now I just need to find a way to enjoy it in its homeland.

 

2 Responses

  1. Bill Ward

    Markups at the retail level in Minnesota can be a bit high, but in many cases the wholesaler is charging more. In a system where there’s a winery, an importer, a wholesaler and a retail (like this one), that’s a lot of enterprises needing to make money. And in many cases, the importer here is a different one from the state where that Total Wine might be located.

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