Wine Tasting at Savour, Sat. Jan. 28, 2 – 4 pm

THIS SATURDAY, January 28, 2 – 4 pm

COMPLIMENTARY

FINE WINE TASTING @ SAVOUR WITH GARY BALLARD OF MS WALKER

Founded in Boston in 1933, M.S. Walker is a 5th-generation, family-owned wine and spirits importer and distributor, a spirit bottler, and a national supplier. They serve restaurants and retail shops throughout the Northeast, with direct operations in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island and brokerage operations in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Gary Ballard of MS Walker has been with us many times and is always a favorite! He has many years of experience, first in the restaurant business and now in the wine business. He has travelled all over the world with the distribution companies he has represented, so feel free to ask questions! He is very knowledgeable and engaging.

WINES

Novellum Chardonnay, Rousillon, France

Varietal: Chardonnay Alc.13%

Chardonnay shows up in some remarkable places but few as breathtaking as the Roussillon, where the Pyrenees meet the Mediterranean. From vineyards just a stone’s throw from the beach and within view of the historic Mont Canigou, Eric Solomon and Jean-Marc Lafage have created Novellum, a refined, aromatic and elegant Chardonnay that is aged in tank and neutral French barrels. This is an area of Roussillon where Jean-Marc and Eliane Lafage have some Chardonnay planted near the Mediterranean that makes a remarkably complex and mineral version of the variety. A small percentage is aged in barrel – usually less than 30%. The remainder of the wine is aged in tank on the lees of Viognier. The 2020 Novellum Chardonnay has a medium gold hue as well as a rich, powerful bouquet of caramelized lemon, honeyed almonds, candle wax, and toasted bread. Rich, medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured, and balanced, it is one of the best values in Chardonnay that you can find.

Pairs well with seafood, roasted chicken and creamy polenta. $ 14.99

Merlin Mâcon la Roche Vineuse 2019, Burgundy, France

Varietal: Chardonnay Alc.14.5%

Olivier Merlin and his wife, Corinne, began in 1987 by renting 4.5 hectares. Since then, Olivier has been buying the property in stages as well as adding new vineyards such as those in St Véran. Olivier has established a reputation as one of the region’s most dynamic growers, a reference point for the Mâconnais. The whites demonstrate his exceptional winemaking talents, and the potential of “lowly” appellations. They are frequently taken for Côte d’Or wines if tasted blind. The single-vineyard wines, including Mâcon-La Roche Vineuse, get 18 months barrel-ageing with 30 to 50% new wood. This old-vine cuvée is fermented and aged for the first year in oak, before moving to tank to avoid drying out. The nose is surprisingly serious, with some spicy oak reduction. It’s quite peachy and rounded initially on the palate, before a pleasing salinity arrives and tightens up the finish. It’s best to drink from now until 2025.

Pairs well with sushi, shellfish, and grilled chicken. $ 25.99

Kloster Neustift Abbazia di Novacella, Alto Adige, Italy

We have two selections from this southern Tyrolian winery. As archaeological finds prove, viticulture has been practiced on the sheltered slopes of the Isarco Valley for well over 2500 years. The Kloster Neustift is one of the oldest active wineries in the world, producing wine since 1142. Through donations, foundations, purchases and exchanges, the monastery acquired a sizeable portfolio of vineyards over the centuries; to this day the monastery is surrounded by vineyards. However, since the monastery was temporarily dissolved at the beginning of the 19th century, not all the vineyards are owned by the monastery. But the growers still deliver most of their grapes to the monastery, where they are processed into expressive wines in the monastery’s own winery. White and red wines that come from their own vineyards, whose fermentation and subsequent maturation take place only in steel tanks, in order to maintain the characteristics of fragrance and freshness that have always distinguished the region.

Kloster Neustift Abbazia di Novacella Kerner

Varietal: KernerAlc. 13.5%

Kerner is grown as a frost-resistant grape variety especially at higher elevations in the Val Venosta and Isarco Valley. This cross between Schiava (Vernatsch) and Riesling owes its name to the German poet Julius Kerner. The sleek, spicy white also reveals itself to be poetic in the glass when its subtle tones of nutmeg emerge from the abundance of aromas and its fine, fruity bouquet reveals the great potential of this wine. The Novacella Kerner is greenish yellow in color. Peaches, apricots, and tones of tangerines are present on the nose. It is very lively, juicy, and sleek on the palate, with a mineral-rich finish.

Pairs well with fish, spicy dishes, and vegetable dishes. $24 .99

Kloster Neustift Abbazia di Novacella Pinot Nero

Varietal: Pinot Nero Alc.13%

The Pinot Noir or Nero grape is considered one of the noblest red grapes worldwide and is another variety that belongs to the so called “international” grapes of French origin, but widely cultivated around the world. Pinot Nero is a difficult grape to grow and wine to make, and it is a challenge for every winemaker with results varying from vintage to vintage and area to area. The Pinot Nero is a grape variety very sensitive to the terroir, producing different interpretations depending on where the grapes are grown and the land and soil characteristics. In Italy, the grape is cultivated in the north, mainly in Trentino Alto Adige. The Novacella Pinot Nero is brick-red in color. A nose with aromas of sour cherries, red berries, plums, and forest floor is followed by an elegant, velvety, and juicy palate.

Pairs well with charcuterie, salmon, and mushroom risotto. $ 25.99

Bodegas Mas Que Vinos, Ercavio Tempranillo Viñas de Meseta 2017, Toledo, Spain

Varietal: Cencibel (Tempranillo) Alc.14.5%

Some very impressive wines have been coming from Spain recently, such as the bottles coming out of Bodegas Mas Que Vinos – arguably one of the country’s hottest producers right now. Bodegas Mas Que Vinos beautifully demonstrates what great shape their country’s wine scene is in right now. The winery has been running since the 1850s with the Rodriguez family at the helm. However, the new millennium called for a serious update of the way the winery was run. So Gonzalo Rodriguez, along with two friends, set up a new Mas Que Vinos winery. The three established new vineyards and improved the old ones and are producing modern Spanish wine from the amazing native grape varietals that flourish on their sun-baked land. This Tempranillo is a lot more fruit driven than most, with silky tannins due to careful winemaking and no use of oak. On the nose it has aromas such as violets and fresh berries, hints of chocolate and white pepper spice. The palate is pure, soft and very well balanced with a touch of creamy texture followed by a spicy finish. It’s one of those wines that will be perfect on its own but will also match well with food.

Pairs well with roast beef, garlic chicken, and prosciutto. $14.99

La Rioja Alta Viña Alberdi Rioja Reserva 2018, Rioja, Spain

Varietals: Tempranillo Alc. 14.5%

One of the oldest wine collectives in Spain, five Basque and Rioja-based vine growers created “Sociedad Vinicola De La Rioja Alta ” in July of 1890. A year later the company changed names to La Rioja Alta, and they’ve been producing classic Spanish wines for over 120 years. Over a century of winemaking experience certainly teaches you something as La Rioja Alta is garnering some incredible press. Their young and fresh red 2018 Viña Alberdi, already a Reserva (Crianza in Spain), matured in oak barrel for two years, in new barrels for the first year and in aged barrels for the second year. 2018 was a year of lower alcohol and more freshness in the wines, and they thought the wines were not designed for the long haul; so, they didn’t produce any other wine; the only wine from 2018 is Viña Alberdi! It has a pretty nose of raspberries, cassis, fresh herbs, vanilla and sweet spices. It is medium-bodied with round tannins, a creamy and fruity-chocolatey character on the mid-palate, and a supple finish with excellent length. Tangy acidity. 100% Tempranillo. It has the potential to age.

Pairs well with cured meats, grilled chicken, and roasted lamb. $25.99

And don’t forget to check out what’s new in our beer case, including Rockport Brewing’s black lager, Steel Derrick.

Find out about new wine arrivals and other events at Savour by following us n Facebook and Instagram.

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Kathleen’s Price-Value Gems:

Unique to SAVOUR our three price-value collections, with

each category ($9.99ers – $14.99ers -$19.99ers) offering hundreds of wines.

at one price, personally curated by Kathleen, some have limited availability.

9.99ers…the quality is taste delivering above-price enjoyment …Value!

14.99ers…exhibiting qualities of complexity…Elevating the Experience!

19.99ers…value laden wines by innovative vintners…Expect Exceptional!

Adding to this Saturday’s wine tasting with Gary Ballard is Savour’s Everyday Tech Tastings at the North Shore’s Only Digital Wine Machine. Fun to use and enjoy! Taste up to 20 wines with new selections regularly added…& yes, complimentary. Kathleen welcomes your questions for food pairings.

Welcome Your Donation in any amount for Pathways for Children.

Thank You! …Kathleen

For Your Mobile Calendar – July

Savour Wine Tastings!

January 28 – Gary Ballard of M.S. Walker

Jan. 30 – Feb. 6 – Savour Closed for Winter Break

Feb. 11 – Gordon Alexander – Owner, Terroir Wines

Feb. 18 – Chris Hoffman of Oz Wines

Feb. 25 – Marc Bergeron of Masciarelli Wines

Continuing to offer a case discount 0f 10% on wines and all items purchased with the case to all customers. Wine Club members get 5% off on 6 bottles and all items purchased with the 6 bottles. Thanks again for your support!

We continue using our 5 Molekule high performance air purification units that clear the air of 99.9% of viruses, bacteria and allergens every hour, store wide.

We are pleased to continue curbside pickup service

Savour Wine & Cheese l 76 Prospect St. l Gloucester l 978. 282 .1455