Lot 913 2021 Puglia, Italy Primitivo
Italian Primitivo with incredible power and elegance, sourced from producers with more than 100 years of family history in winemaking across multiple regions of Italy.
An iron fist in a velvet glove—that pretty much sums up the incredible balance of power and elegance that you’ll find in our Lot 913 2021 Puglia Primitivo from Italy. Primitivo, of course, is the cousin of Zinfandel, which thrives in the abundant sunlight and tempering Mediterranean ocean influences that Puglia has always enjoyed as a winegrowing region. It almost goes without saying that Zinfandel fans will absolutely want to try this release!
We sourced Lot 913 from a long-time CHW partner with more than 100 years of family history in winemaking across multiple regions of Italy. We can’t give too much away here, but their wines are regular Gold and Silver medal winners at various international wine competitions, so we were particularly excited when this lot became available.
If you like your reds bold, spicy, fruity, expressive, and dark, then Lot 913 is absolutely for you. All the classic Zin/Primitivo markers are here in abundance, like white pepper and coffee spiciness, jammy and plummy black fruit flavor, and an ultra-smooth, generous mouthfeel. All the while, there’s earthy complexity and surprising structure, too—enough so that this Primitivo will match up to almost any hearty, red meat dish you could throw at it during your next dinner party. You could also just toss a few burgers on the grill and pour a big glass of this big red alongside. At this price, why not do both?
Watch as Katy Long, Director of International Wines for VWE walks us through a tasting.
Topics Include:
- 00:00 Intro to Lot 913 Puglia Primitivo
- 00:12 About Puglia, Italy and Primitivo Grapes and Wine
- 00:46 Color and Legs of Italian Primitivo wine
- 00:56 An Every Day Sipper
- 01:13 The Nose of Primitivo
- 01:36 The Taste of Lot 913 Primitivo
- 02:00 Aperitif and/or Food Pairing
Tasting Panel Somms Taste Lot 884 Atlas Peak Petit Verdot
Taste Lot 884, an award-winning wine from Atlas Peak. We were thrilled when a sample of this powerhouse Petit Verdot arrived at our office late last year and after just one sip (there was no spitting this one back out), we quickly scooped up all 180 cases this very well-known producer had available. When you take your first sip, you’ll see why.
Watch as Chris Lafleur, Sommeliers Creed for Cameron Hughes, and Katy Long, Director of International Wines for VWE, walk us through a tasting of Lot 884 and discuss this exciting release.
Video Highlights:
00:00 Intro
00:25 About Petit Verdot
01:00 Color and Legs
01:27 The Nose
02:08 The Taste
03:04 Age
04:44 Pairing
05:25 Decant or Wait?
LOT 884 ATLAS PEAK PETIT VERDOT
Small production crowd-pleaser from one of Atlas Peak’s best vintages
Deep ruby-purple color. Knockout aromas of inky dark fruit, savory wild herbs and flourishes of toasted cedar. Voluptuous on entry, overflowing with rich blackberry and red berry fruit compote, warm baking spices, dark chocolate, and dried sage and thyme. Firm tannins build with power as compelling acidity brings everything into focus. A lengthy finish is punctuated by white pepper, chocolate laced with cinnamon, and a touch of toasty oak.
Lot 908 2019 Russian River Valley Chardonnay
Russian River Valley Chardonnay produced in a rich, buttery style for Lot 908 from the 2019 vintage.
If California has an ideal template for rich, textured, creamy Chardonnay, it’s undoubtedly Montrachet (or “Le Montrachet”): the coveted Grand Cru of Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune, where France has set the world’s standard for heady, oak-influenced whites. And if California has its own “Montrachet,” it’s undoubtedly Sonoma’s Russian River Valley.
Situated just over 50 miles north of San Francisco, the Russian River is now synonymous with award-winning, critically-acclaimed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, just like France’s fabled Burgundy itself. It’s always a treat to find the kind of hedonistic, creamy Chardonnay there that gets a lot of CH Wine aficionados swooning, and find one we did in Lot 908 2019 Russian River Valley Chardonnay.
We peeled this deliciously decadent Lot off from a higher-end producer who—luckily for us—didn’t end up needing a full allocation. After one taste, we grabbed it without hesitation so that we could offer you another rich, buttery-style Russian River Valley delight (at a gobsmackingly affordable price).
Fans of the style are going to want to stock up on Lot 908 before we run out of this delectable nectar. Waves of tropical fruit, ripe citrus, flower blossoms, peaches, apples, and toasty oak keep coming and coming in this Chardonnay, arriving like the tide with each sniff and sip. Speaking of seaside comparisons, you can almost feel your toes in the sand and the sun shining down on your face when this buttery, bold beauty hits your lips.
Watch as Chris Lafleur, Sommeliers Creed for Cameron Hughes walks us through a tasting.
Topics Include:
- 00:00 Introduction to the Tasting Panel, Sommelier, and Lot 908
- 00:15 About Chardonnay Grape and Varietal, and the Russian River Valley
- 00:37 Limited Production / Small Batch aspect of Lot 908
- 00:52 On the Nose of this Russian River Chardonnay
- 01:28 Lot 908 Chardonnay Taste
- 02:17 Where does it fit in your cellar? What food to pair this Chardonnay with?
Lot 910 2022 Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc
A Jaunty Summer Sipper at an Almost Unbelievable Price
We just have to say we’ve outdone ourselves with Lot 910 2022 Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc—and we hope you’ll forgive a bit of self-congratulation because, in short order, you too will be congratulating yourself with such a smart pick-up.
Of course, long-time CH Wine fans already know Washington’s Columbia Valley as a place for fantastic fine wine bargains, and Lot 910 certainly fits that bill. But there’s more going on than successful bargain hunting regarding this Lot. Like France’s Bordeaux region, Columbia Valley is renowned for its excellent Cabernet Sauvignon. And like Bordeaux, the same conditions that favor the growth of excellent Cabernet also make it a prime spot for premium Sauvignon Blanc.
While it says Columbia Valley on the label, our Lot 910 is primarily sourced from one of the best spots in that valley—the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, which is home to Lady Hawk, Chateau Ste. Michelle Canoe Ridge Estate, and Quilceda Creek, to name a few.
Harvested in the early morning hours and fermented exclusively in stainless steel, Lot 910 captures the assertive, jaunty acidity and energy for which Sauvignon Blanc is famous, making this white evocatively fresh from start to finish. Fully captured are Sauvignon Blanc’s big herbal aromatics and flinty minerality. At the same time, eastern Washington’s legendarily sunny growing season ensured that this is also fleshy and fruity, with exotic tropical fruit flavors, hints of lime zest, and shades of tangy lemon meringue. Simply stated, this Lot is as irresistible as it is affordable.
This Sauvignon Blanc is a balanced, zesty offering that has “house white” for the summer written all over it. With our price, you can easily grab multiple cases of this delicious lot to have at the ready—for dinner prep, taking in longer sunlight hours, or decompressing after a long day.
Watch as Katy Long, Director of International Wines for VWE walks us through a tasting.
Wine Video Topics Include:
- 00:00 Introduction to The Tasting Panel and Katy
- 00:20 About Sauvignon Blanc, Washington wines, Horse Heaven Hills
- 00:51 Color and Legs of Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc
- 00:58 The Nose of Lot 910 Sauvignon Blanc
- 01:18 The Palate of Lot 910
- 01:49 Aperitif / Pairing of this Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc
5 Questions for Chris Lafleur About Pairing Wine and Food
From salt, acid, fat, and sweets in your favorite cuisines, to the wines that pair best with dishes that include those ingredients, Certified Sommelier and CHW Tasting Panel guru Chris Lafleur offers sound advice on pairing wine and food. By CHW Team By now, if you haven’t seen…
Lemon Bars: A Perfect Pairing for Prosecco
Lemon Bars by CH Wine Elevate your Prosecco experience with our irresistible lemon bar recipe, a delightful pairing to complement Prosecco’s exquisite flavors. Download Lemon Bar Recipe (pdf) Servings: 4 (16 individual bars) Prep Time: 45 minutes Difficulty: Easy Rating: ★★★★★ INGREDIENTS Curd: 2 Lemons, zested and juiced…
Lot 902 2020 Moon Mountain Cabernet Franc
Moon Mountain Cab Franc… We’ll cut right to the chase – this might just be the best value Cabernet Franc we’ve ever sourced.
Today’s release Lot 902 2020 Moon Mountain Cabernet Franc comes from a high-end producer in the Mayacamas Mountain range—also home to the iconic Monte Rosso vineyard (source of some of Sonoma’s most legendary and long-lived red wines over the past several decades). Moon Mountain’s vineyards enjoy southwest exposure, basking in plenty of afternoon sun tempered by crosswinds from the Pacific Ocean and San Pablo Bay. Add in the area’s dizzying elevations (reaching up to 2,200 feet above sea level) plus a huge variation in volcanic vineyard soils and you’ve got a formula for growing perfect Cabernet Franc grapes that exude impressive depth and plenty of mouthwatering acidity. If you were to look for a Cabernet Franc bottling like this from our source’s Moon Mountain compatriots (think Repris, Kamen, Stone Edge Farm, and Pangloss) you’d be shelling out anywhere from $75 to $175+ per bottle. At a mere fraction of those high-end prices, Lot 902 is simply a can’t-miss opportunity for any Cab Francophile at just $20.
Dominated by Sonoma’s signature fruit-forward style, the core of Lot 902 is fresh and ripe with a mixture of sour red cherry, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, and black raspberry compote on the nose. On the palate, that deep fruit core is backed by French oak, red and green pepper, and a tantalizingly tannic finish. Although drinking beautifully now, that big structure makes this a fantastic candidate to throw in the cellar for the warmer summer months and break out around the holidays.
Watch as Chris Lafleur, Sommeliers Creed for Cameron Hughes walks us through a tasting.
Wine Tasting Video Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction to The Tasting Panel and Chris Lafleur
- 00:16 Moon Mountain Appellation and Cabernet Franc
- 01:08 Color and Legs of Moon Mountain Cab Franc
- 01:36 On the Nose with Lot 902
- 02:26 On the Palate with Lot 902
- 03:25 Where does Moon Mountain Cab Franc fit in your cellar?
