Happy New
Year from Hi-Time Wine Cellars!
Please note that our next newsletter
will be February 2009-- so we invite you
to reflect back on the great wines of
2008!
AVALON 2005
NAPA VALLEY
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
$9.99 [#274730]
We’ve got
holiday cheer in a bottle to
cure those “economic
uncertainty” blues! Hi-Time
prides itself on bringing our
patrons great values each and
every month and December is no
different. Avalon goes from
strength to strength; their
California Cabernet (our July
2008 Wine of the Month) was one
of our best selling wines ever,
and this Napa Valley bottling
may rival that! Acclaimed wine
critic Robert M. Parker, Jr.
reviewed this wine in his “value
issue” of The Wine Advocate and
he even went so far to state:
“It has been at least twenty
years since I have had a Napa
Cabernet this good for under $15
a bottle..." We couldn’t have
said it any better ourselves!
Aged in a combination of French
and American oak, notes of
toast, vanilla and baker's
chocolate complement the
blueberry, plum, dark cherry and
black raspberry nuances on the
nose. Deep ruby in color, the
supple texture and forward fruit
flavors are balanced by velvety
tannins, and the finish seems to
sail on endlessly. This is one
Cabernet that won’t deplete your
401k.
VALERIE'S VINEYARD PINOT NOIR
$39.95 [#200003]
Valerie's Vineyard Pinot
Noir is hand-farmed in the famed Carneros
appellation, located in the southern Sonoma
Valley and is owned by Hi-Time's one and
only Chuck Hanson along with his two lovely
daughters. The three families of the
vineyard work together to ensure only the
best fruit of the vines make it to the
bottle. Enjoy this Burgundian styled wine
with a wide range of fine cuisine and finer
company.
Winery
of the Month
The Top California Cabs of 2008
Once again we take a look back over the
year, kind of a theme you'll see this
month, at the best wines-- in this case
Cabernet Sauvignon from California.
Yes, it's December already! We
think we've put together pretty
comprehensive lists regarding what was
released in the wine world this year and
believe you'll find the right stuff for
your holiday feasting and gift-giving
needs.
California SUMMERS
2005 “ANDRIANA’S CUVEE” NAPA VALLEY CABERNET
SAUVIGNON $17.95 [#275490]
This has become the most sought-after
category from our customers during the
holidays! The Summers family knows that
great wine comes from great vineyards, so
while they work long hours in the vineyards
along side winemaker Ignacio Blancas, they
also play and dine al fresco among the
vineyards! This year’s gift is 100% Cabernet
Sauvignon, blended from three select
vineyards in Napa Valley, aged in 50% French
oak for 20 months. It has a bright
ruby/garnet color, and a beautiful nose of
ripe bing cherries, currants, vanilla, and
gingersnaps. Flavors are loaded with plums,
red and black cherries, crème de cassis, and
boysenberry. The combination of the right
amount of oak flavors and firm tannins make
for a wine that is enjoyable while young,
but is a worthy candidate for the cellar!
Wine
Spectator’s Top 100 List (#11) this year Wine
Spectator 95 Points - We think Clerc Milon stands as
one of the most underrated wines of the 2005 Bordeaux vintage!
In fact, we think it’s better than Mouton! And it costs a lot
less! Parker threw some nice prose its way noting, “A stunning
Pauillac! Full-bodied with gorgeous depth and a multidimensional
mouthfeel.” But he only gave it 92 points. We thought it was
superb from the get-go and agree wholeheartedly with Wine
Spectator’s95 point, Highly Recommended
assessment! Suckling notes, “Offers fabulous aromas of currant,
tar, lead pencil and mineral. Full-bodied with super soft
tannins that caress the palate. Beautiful and impressive. A
fabulous wine. The best Clerc in a very long time!” Don’t miss
out on this superb 2005 Bordeaux wine that, dollar for dollar,
is one of the top smart buys of the vintage! There’s first
growth quality here at a fraction of the price!
France -
This “bits and
pieces” section essentially reconfigures
late arriving 2005 gems from Burgundy, Rhone
and Bordeaux that arrived this year. Good
prices here for great wines!
ALOXE-CORTON 2005 “VALOZIERES”
NICHOLAS POTEL $59.95 [#305910]
This late arriving red burgundy stands as
one of the nicest wines from Aloxe-Corton
we’ve ever encountered! It showcases superb
drinkability, yet there’s still a bit of
reserve to the wine that bodes well for
mid-term cellaring. A
91 point “Burghound
Best Buy,” Meadows notes, “An impressively
explosive nose jumps from the glass with
lovely red and black Pinot Noir fruit
complementing rich, delicious and solidly
mineral-infused flavors that are firmly
structured and serious. I quite like this!
Recommended for value!” Pinot noir lovers of
all ilk will enjoy this superb 2005 that
combines the best of tradition and
modernity.
GUY CHARLEMAGNE BRUT RESERVE BLANC DE
BLANCS $29.99 [#347552]
The Chardonnay grapes for this long-time
staff favorite are sourced from the famed
Grand Cru Villages of Mesnil-sur-Oger and
Oger. Originally rated 91 Points by the Wine
Spectator a few years back, this Brut has
matured beautifully on the cork. It has
developed pleasing notes of roasted nuts and
toast that are seamlessly joined to core of
vibrant lemon chiffon, apple, and mineral
flavors. Definitely one of the best value
plays of the year. Click here
to see this year's Top Champagnes
Other Sparkling wine:
American Sparkling
-
Champagne -
Other Sparkling
Click here for description of Champagne Houses
we stock.
World Wines
-
Germany,
Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain
celler cal pal 2005 MAS D'EN COMPTE
TINTO d.o. priorat $39.99 [#380456] Wine Advocate 94
Points -
A true superstar from the Priorat region,
Mas d'En Compte is the prodigy of the
Sangenis family, pioneers in this region
with Garnacha (Grenache) and Cariñena (Carignan)
vineyards that average 50 years old, with
some parcels over 100+ years in age. The
resulting wines from these outstanding
vineyards are brooding, powerful renditions
that rival any great reds produced in the
whole wide world. Again, we defer to The
Wine Advocate, who granted this effort a
lofty 94 Point score, for tasting notes:
"The 2005 Mas d'En Compte Tinto is 50%
Garnacha, 40% Cariñena, and 10% Cabernet
Sauvignon aged for 14 months in new French
and American oak. Deep crimson-colored, it
has an alluring nose of pain grille, slate,
wild blueberry and black cherry. This is
followed by a structured, muscular
expression of Priorat with outstanding
concentration, depth, and length..." Bring
on the $100.00-plus "Big Reds" of the world,
whether it's Napa Cabernets, Bordeaux or
Northern Rhone. This stellar Priorat will
deliver! Click here to see
this year's Top Spanish Wines
LUCA
2007 Uco valley Malbec $31.99
[#380278] Wine Spectator 93
Points -
Incredible color—could use in an inkwell!!
Loads of spicy red fruit and black cherry
cola aromas with notes of rose petal and
cocoa. The red berry and black cherry
flavors really pop on the palate as the wine
has both good depth and very lively acidity
that leads to an incredibly long finish. A
bottom note of black licorice keeps the
mouth watering, too! This one is a teeager
at the moment, and should age very well (and
won’t talk back when you don’t give it the
car keys!). Pairs well with foods such as
venison or wild game, steak, pork, all types
of lamb and medium cheeses. A very flexible
wine due to its concentration and balance.
Just in time for the holidays, Wine
Spectator’s James Molesworth has a review
from November 12, 2008: “Really goes for the
gusto, with dark fig sauce, melted purple
licorice, mocha, fruitcake and crushed
boysenberry and blueberry fruit, all gliding
along rich, velvety tannins. Long,
mouthfilling finish. Drink now through 2012.
1,700 cases made. 93 Points.” This wine is
also one of Wine Spectator’s TOP 100 Wines
of 2008. Click
here to see this year's Top South American
Wines
YALUMBA
2006 SHIRAZ “PATCHWORK” $12.98 [#378933]
This terrific new release from Yalumba
caught on like wildfire this past Fall and
we can’t keep it in stock. It’s normally
$16.98 but our friends at Negociants USA,
Yalumba’s import company, offered us this
sensational rollout price and we couldn’t be
happier. One of the best deals in the
cellar.
GIANNI DOGLIA 07 MOSCATO D’ASTI $13.98 [#302928]
An importer friend of ours introduced us to
Gianni Doglia this past April and we begged
for him to sell us this fantastic Moscato.
Thankfully, our wish came true.. Doglia
produces a mere 3,000 cases annually and
bottles to order to ensure that his wine is
as fresh as possible. This oustanding
sparkler is ideal as an apertif or as a
dessert wine and is perfect with fruit,
chocolate or lighter sweets. The perfect
holiday treat.
Spirits EL FOGONERO EXTRA AÑEJO [#167269]
SALE $59.99
Regularly $99.99
El Fogonero leads with soft vanilla, baked agave, clean damp earth and fresh
cut white oak, which is a really nice way to start. The flavors that show
through are rich, delicate agave honey, intricate baking spices and full
elegant dark oak tones. These tastes are carried in a pillowed, medium
weight mouth-feel that moves slowly to a lean clean finish that includes
flan, toasted nuts and light vanilla.
A fine gift pack
from Weihenstephan, the oldest brewery in
the world! This elegent gift pack includes
five 16.9oz (500ml) bottles of
Weihenstephan's classic Hefeweissbier, plus
a Weihenstephan weissbier glass,
specifically designed to capture the unique
nature of the Bavarian Weissbier.
By making a donation to SWRA
you will be participating in the only
national effort to overturn the
anti-consumer and protectionist law
that is in place to prevent you from
legally obtaining the wines you
want. No one but consumers and
retailers, together, will fight this
fight. It's not just about wine.
It's about our rights.
Gift Cards!
The perfect gift for a multitude of occasions...
now available online!
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Hi-Time Wine Cellars | 250 Ogle Street | Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Store Hours: Sunday 10am -7pm | Mon-Wed 9am-8pm | Thurs-Sat 9am-9pm
