Our friend Mary at Chocolat Celeste has some wines she would like to sell. These are half cases of wines she used in her tasting classes. I "Googled" them to get the background info. Wine-searcher shows them to be v. good values. The Muscat is fortified. ----- Forwarded message from "Mary Leonard, Chocolat Celeste" <mary(a)chocolatceleste.com> ----- Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2006 10:32:55 -0700 (PDT) From: "Mary Leonard, Chocolat Celeste" <mary(a)chocolatceleste.com> Reply-To: mary(a)chocolatceleste.com Subject: Hi-Wine To: louise Stich <louise.stich(a)mci.com>, Jim Ellingson <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> Hi, It has been so long since I've seen you both, I get so preoccupied with the business. I was wondering if you would know anyone that might be willing to buy some wines I bought for an event about a month ago. I can not return them to Sharrett's. The price was discounted to me. I am trying to turn them into cash since the summer is so slow. Here they are: 6 bottles of Domaine de Beaumalric 2000 - Muscat de Beaumes de Venise - $14.99 each $16.40 w/ tax 6 bottles of Santa Duc - Les Blovac Rasteau - Cote du Rhone 2002 - $19.99 each $21.90 w/ tax 1 bottle of Les Hauts de Montmirail 2003 Gigondas Domaine Brusset - $28.99 each $31.75 w/ tax Let me know. I also paid tax of 9.5% on them. ----- End forwarded message ----- Beaumes de Venise is a medieval village with grottos in the sandstone cliffs. The beauty of this magical name and the sweetness of the golden liquid with its magnificent Muscat aroma is the stuff dreams are made of. The vineyard extends to the foot of the � Dentelles de Montmirail � - and produces this shimmering nectar exploding with white fruits and the sweet aroma of Muscat. The impressive freshness of Beaumes de Venise with its lemony and flowery flavour makes it an ideal companion for sweet entr�es, foie gras or special shellfish dishes. Grape variety: Muscat RASTEAU A.C .LES BLOVAC. Vieilles Vignes - Roughly three kilometres to the west of Gigondas, Rasteau lies to the north adjoining Cairanne to the south. The vineyards lie on the edge of what is known as the Plan de Dieu (the Plain of God), which was formed by old riverbed deposits. The exposure here is south/south east. All of the fruit is harvested at vineyards owned by Yves Gras. cousin, and the yields are well below the 52 hecto/hectare allowed for the appellation of C�tes du Rh�ne Villages. The blend is 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre, with vines ranging between 30 and 60 years of age. The wine is big and rustic. A blend of 70% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, and 15% Syrah grown on Rasteau's steep hillsides, it reveals exuberant black cherry and blackberry fruit with a hint of espresso and chocolate. 2001 Domaine Santa Duc Rasteau Les Blovac, $24.99: Deep, dark garnet in color, with a very expressive, deep, dark black currant, blackberry and iodine nose, and a little menthol lurking in the background. Big flavors echo, with a streak of leather throughout and tannins that don't intrude on tonight's drinking pleasure, but it will certainly improve with 3-5 years in the cellar. It turns a bit earthy on the finish, where the tannins show the most. I really like this, and so does Kim; it turns more and more leathery with air, and that's fine with us! Imported by Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, D.C. Les Hauts de Montmirail 2003 Gigondas Domaine Brusset Daniel BRUSSET ***** Gigondas "Les Hauts de Montmirail" "A long time marginalized in Gigondas because of his insistence to use small new barrels at the property, Daniel Brusset is now well accepted by the local vine growers. His father starts "Les Hauts de Montmirail" in 1986 making vinification at the "chaix" located in Cairanne, and it was there another point of discord with the inhabitants of the village, for which Brusset were foreigners (Cairanne is located at a few kilometers only of Gigondas). The family quickly increases the property which passes thus from 7 ha to approximately 83 ha and now has the most spectacular vineyards in terrace of Gigondas: nested behind the extraordinary point of view of the "Dentelles de Montmirail", these high stone phalanges which point towards the sky, they give wines very marked by some touch of new and roasted oak and by rich flavours of red fruits which incontestably have much character - through restricted outputs, a very meticulous vinification and maturing, as well as bottling the less interventionist as possible. The potential ageing is 15 years approximately." Robert PARKER -- ------------------------------ * * Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *