Estrella Damm Inedit is a unique blend of barley and wheat malt, with a fine bouquet featuring corriander, orange peel and liquorice,

Estrella Damm Inedit was born from the awareness of the need for a beer to acommpany haute cuisine with maximum respect. That is its intention and its virtue and it is just that which makes it quite unique, different and special.

It was created jointly, by Damm’s master brewers, heirs to a most singular tradition and creators of some of our country’s most renowned beers and by Ferran Adria and the team of sommeliers at elBulli.

Tasting Notes:

High intensity and aromatic complexity. Its appearance is slightly cloudy. Fruity and floral to the nose, with a yeasty sensation and sweet spice reminiscences. Creamy, fresh texture, soft volume and delicately carbonic. Long aftertaste and pleasant memory.

Made to accompany the festival of flavours offered to us by modern cuisine. For Sommeliers, trying to accommodate different types of flavors has always been a nightmare... now there is a solution!

With its delicate, sophisticated bubbles, this beer can take acid, sweet and sour by the hand. The symphony of flavours in each dish is different, but there is a common thread capable of unifying them all, due to a sense of continuity meaning there is no need to switch drinks. This beer has a rich and highly adaptable bouquet. In other words, a unique personality: smooth yet complex.

Buy Now: Estrella Damm Inedit $9.99

Winery: Pascual Toso

How long has the winery been producing wine and how did your family start in the wine business?

Pascual Toso was an Italian immigrant who came from Piemonte, Italy. When Pascual Toso arrived in our country, he settled in Mendoza. As he had been closely involved in the development of his family wine business in Piedmont, he promptly saw the promising future for winemaking in the region and decided to use his expertise. Thus, in 1890, Pascual Toso established his first winery in San José, Guaymallén. At the beginning of the 20^th century, our founder decided to expand the business and acquired vineyards in Maipú. At his estate “Las Barrancas”, he built another winery, “Las Barrancas” (small Canyon) which is dedicated to producing and growing the finest grapes.

Bodegas Toso was acquired in 1995 by J.Llorente y Cía, a company that since 1909 has stood out because of its excellent and quality products and has maintained the same philosophy imposed by Pascual Toso. Since its foundation in 1890, Bodegas y Viñedos Pascual Toso have been characterized by their ongoing innovation. 

What would you say is the Pascual Toso style of winemaking?

Since 1890, Our mission is to produce high quality wines that express Argentina’terroir. 

What type of food goes best with your wines?

Argentinean barbecue, beef. Also pasta, chicken, lamb. White wines go excellent with fish, sea food and risotto

How have your wines evolved over the years and what has caused the change?

For Pascual Toso, the most important is our passion for the wines and the quality we try to achieve. Since 1890, Bodegas y Viñedos Pascual Toso is one of the most exciting and promising Argentine winery and remains faithful to its principles: Tradition, Authenticity, Innovation.

In 2001, the company hired Mr. Paul Hobbs as consultant wine maker for a new high quality wine project. The Project was intended to produce premium and super-premium wines from both old and new vineyard from our estate in Maipu.

We would say Pascual Toso produces wines of high quality under the most exigent procedures and rules. At the same time we have invested in an advanced technology for the production of our fine wines.

Can you describe what you think would be the perfect wine?

The perfect wine is the one YOU like the most. Wine is related to vivid experiences so the better the experiences the more aspects of that wines are going to be highlighted. Let’s pretend we are by the beach and 7 pm in a summer day and you are having a great glass of wine…you are more likely to think that wine is best wine you have had since the experience is also contributing to a great memory. 

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I like to meet friends and chat about wine, life and many others things I also spend quality time with my family since I travel a lot. Sharing my time with those who I love. And please let’s not forget about Argentine asados……

 What wines do you enjoy drinking when you're not drinking your own wines?

Petrus, Italian Barolo’s, French Cabernet and Californian Chard.

 What is your most memorable wine moment?

Can’t tell…all of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am a lucky man.

Do you think the wine industry is changing and how is it changing?

Yes, technology allows us to get better quality, global competition now is an important factor since all the top producing countries are very good at what they do. Information is more available now than it was before so now you click on a search engine and can have  tips about certain grapes or what to expect, recommendations etc. So social media is making everything possible. Although I love some traditional old fashions will always be there. Wine is a reflection of tradition, care, art put together in a bottle to be slow cooked by time and served at any place and seasoned with friends.

Wines From Pascual Toso Currently In-stock:

2010 Pascual Toso Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza ($11.99)

2010 Pascual Toso Malbec Mendoza ($11.49)

The winery is located in Petaluma Valley in Sonoma County a region know as the Petaluma Gap. Fruit from the Petaluma Gap is known to go into some of the finest Pinot on the market. ( Kosta Brown, A.P. Vin and Sojourn)

The 2009 Keller La Cruz Pinot has a deep red, with complex notes of tea, cinnamon, blackberry and rose petal. A full body Pinot that has layers of berry and spice intertwined to perfection with a lingering finish. So far everyone that has tried a bottle has been back to stock up. It has been one of our fasting selling Pinot's this year. So don't miss out and get yourself a bottle to try! 

93 Points Wine Spectator- Deep, with rich, well-defined blueberry and raspberry flavors that are floral-scented, spicy and layered, ending with fine-grained, black tea-laced tannins. Drink now through 2021.

2009 Keller Estate La Cruz Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($32.99)

Highly Recommended! The Keller Estate La Cruz Vineyard Pinot Noir is the wineries flagship Pinot Noir because of its quintessential balance of structure, fruit, and minerality from the estate. The 2009 Pinot Noir is all about balance, elegance and finesse. This is the best expression of the wineries estate’s terroir; red fruits, rose petals, spice, mineral and earth mingle in a richly textured wine.

The current Cuvee De Reserve Brut offers a wonderful minerality. The finish shows true quality as its presence lingers smoothly on the palate for some time.  The brut reserve offers great versatility, which can pair well with light appetizers or simply have a glass on its own while relaxing.  This wonderful producer has a knack for great consistency and has always produced a great and undervalued bottle of bubbly.  Charles Ellner has a rich family tradition that has always been appreciated amongst myself and my piers.

From what I consider to be one of the great values in California Chardonnay from a fairly small producer, the 2008 Olabisi Ceja Vineyard Carneros Chardonnay is once again very impressive!  I enjoyed the wine a few days ago along with my wife, with a light shrimp pasta and a fresh caesar salad.  The Chardonnay was the perfect compliment to a flavorful meal and a great day with the sun shining bright.  Serving the wine slightly chilled, it appearded in the glass as a beautiful golden-straw color and aromatics that left my mouth watering! Beautiful notes of white roses, key lime, and zesty lemon soon took over my senses.  On the palate the wine expressed great balance with a silky refined structure and depth that seemed endless.  The toasty Chardonnnay was extremely well layered and rich with a finish that lasted well into our evening.  Over the years I have enjoyed many great Chardonnays from all over the world, however, Olabisi has been a standout in my mind and has set the standard for California Chardonnay under $40.  Pick up a bottle for yourself and try it today, not only in the Spring, but all year-round! With a limited time offer from The Wine Stop, please redeem a special coupon code for Olabisi 2008 Ceja Carneros Chardonnay and save big!

Coupon Code: Ceja08       

Before leaving work yesterday I was handed a 2009 Thomas Fogarty Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir to try out. Once I was home I prepared a small plate of salami, cheese, Italian olives and bread to pair with my Pinot Noir. The 2009 growing season was noted as one of the top vintages for pinot noir to ever hit the state and they have been flying off our shelves. Thomas Fogarty has been one of my long time favorite producers in the Santa Cruz AVA. Excitingly, I poured myself a glass! The color was a beautiful garnet, the nose was deep cherry, fig, and hints of soft spices. On the palate the wine was rich, complex, fruit forward with mountain cherry and great balance on the finish. I was certain this pinot was in the $40 price point. When I arrived to work the next day the first thing on my mind was to see the price on the Fogarty pinot. In utter shock I couldn't believe my eyes the price tag read $23.99, one of the biggest steals I have seen for a pinot noir in a long time. If you are a Pinot Noir fan this is absolutely worth having a few bottles.

Every month is a battle among the staff to choose 10 of our best picks for the month. There are some real standouts for this month that are exceptional values. Philip Togni, formerly the wine maker at Chappellet who departed in 1981 to start Philip Togni Winery, has produced wines that have been some of our favorites and they over deliver every time. Switchback Merlot is a breathtaking wine that contains more of a cabernet profile rather than a merlot. When we talk about California chardonnay, very few producers can make a classic and well-rated chardonnay like the Varner brothers. One of the surprises in the line up is the Ch. Pesquie Quitessence with such vibrant fruit and depth, the wine will age beautifully.

2008 Santa Ema Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Maipo Valley ($9.99)

90 Points Robert Parker: "Fragrant aromas of /Asian spices, incense, pencil lead, blackcurrant; some complexity, lengthy."

Color is deep violet-ruby-red. Aromas are elegant, sophisticated, and complex, with fruity notes that blend cherries, prunes, tobacco, and roasted coffee. On the palate Well-rounded and very well structured, with ripe tannins and plenty of texture. Long finish.

2010 Evodia Garnacha Calatayud ($8.99)

90 Points Robert Parker: "Altovinum’s 2010 Evodia is 100% Garnacha sourced from the highest elevation vineyards of Garnacha of any DO in Spain. It offers up a slightly exotic nose of earthy minerality, mocha, black cherry, and black raspberry. Savory, concentrated, and with a forward personality, this great value will deliver pleasure over the next 3-4 years."

2010 Les Vignerons d'Estezargues Domain de Fees ($12.99)

90 Points Robert Parker: "The newest cuvee is from a single estate, located just to the west of Lirac, called Domaine des Fees. Bottled separately, there are 1,000 cases for the US market and this blend of equal parts Grenache and Syrah, aged completely in concrete tanks, is stunning. Gorgeous notes of roasted meats, Provencal herbs, sweet black cherry liqueur, and licorice as well as spice jump from the glass of this dense, ruby/purple-tinged wine. Fresh, full-bodied and juicy, with a velvety texture, it is a beauty that would be best drunk over the next 3-4 years. Think of it as a Chateauneuf du Pape wearing a Cotes du Rhone mask."

2009 Château Pesquié Quintessence Côtes du Ventoux ($21.99)

93 Points Robert Parker: "The 2010 Terrasses actually eclipses their top cuvee, the 2009 Quintessence, which has just been released. This is a serious wine on its own, and certainly capable of lasting a decade or more, but the vintage quality of 2010 has produced remarkable fruit, with the best concentration and purity of fruit that I have seen in the southern Rhone since 2007, which remains the single greatest vintage I have ever tasted from that region. This blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache, aged in barrels for 12 months (40% new and 60% two years old) and bottled unfined and unfiltered, has a dense purple color and deep licorice, graphite, black currant and black cherry notes with hints of earth and spice as well as some pepper and meat juice in a dense, medium to full-bodied, slightly more tannic style than the 2010 Terrasses. To reiterate, it should last for at least a decade."

2007 MacRostie Wildcat Mountain Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($28.99)

95 Points Wine Enthusiast: "MacRostie’s Pinots from this vineyard on the edge of the Sonoma side of Carneros always are big, ripe, powerful and ageable. This ’07 shows the fat, ripe character of the vintage, offering luscious raspberry, cherry, cola, red currant liqueur, bacon, anise, spice and sandalwood flavors. But it’s balanced enough to change in interesting ways over the next 5–7 years. Really a glamorous wine for your best meals. Editors’ Choice."

2009 Walter Hansel Cuvee Alyce Russian River Chardonnay ($38.99)

95+ Points Robert Parker: "A selection of the finest barrels, the 2009 Chardonnay Cuvee Alyce (named for Stephen Hansel’s mother) is fashioned from both the old Wente clone and the newer Dijon Clone 95. This Chardonnay possesses all the same characteristics as are found in The North Slope, but more structure, restraint and possibly more aging potential. This intense 2009 reveals that overwhelming elegance that is a hallmark of this vintage. The most backward of these estate Chardonnays, it should last for a decade."

2009 Varner Home Block Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay ($42.99)

95 Points Robert Parker: "The 2009 Chardonnay Home Block is fabulous. It is rather inward and reticent, but the wine’s personality is impossible to miss. Ash, minerals, earthiness are some of the notes that add complexity to the intense fruit. This is another sweeping, totally elegant wine from Varner. I find the Home Block a little less mineral than the Amphitheater. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2019."

2009 Philip Togni Tanbark Hill Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($38.95)

93 Points Robert Parker: "The 2009 Tanbark Hill is a rich, voluptuous wine graced with layers of expressive fruit, smoke and tobacco. It shows quite a bit of depth for this bottling. Licorice, crushed flowers, spices and mint wrap around the plush, inviting finish. This is all elegance and class. In 2009 one-third of the production was bottled as Tanbark Hill. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019." -Antonio Galloni

2009 Switchback Ridge Peterson Family Vineyard Napa Valley Merlot ($54.99)

A Wine Stop Favorite!!! This wine is brought to you by the talents of Robert Foley (Paloma, Pride Mountain, Hourglass, etc.)! Delicious raspberry and blackberry fruit. Sweet, rich mid-palate, with ripe fruit and espresso, leads to even, mouth-coating tannin. Densely packed and good grip in the finish. Very Cabernet-like.

2009 Achával Ferrer Finca Bella Vista Malbec Mendoza ($89.99)

98 Points Robert Parker: "The 2009 Finca Bella Vista was sourced from a vineyard planted in 1910 giving a miserly yield of 0.75 tons per acre. It displays slightly blacker fruit, a bit more depth and opulence, and a finish that seems endless. Give it 5-6 years of cellaring and enjoy it from 2016 to 2029+."

As many have heard the 2007 Vintage in California was another outstanding year for the growers and many compare the vintage to the 1997. The 2007 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($59.99) is the one of the best Silver Oak wines we have had in the last 5 years. The color is a dark ruby with magenta edges. As soon as you go in the fruit slams your nose with ripe blackberry, plum, and spice. The wine on the palate is much richer then the 2006 vintage with full bold flavors of blackberry pie, hints of cinnamon and vanilla, which is a common characteristic when using American oak barrels. The wine has fine tannins and fabulous finish that will hold up for another 15 years no problem.

If you have been a Silver Oak fan from the beginning you don't want to pass on this vintage.

Well worth the price tag for only $59.99   

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Morgan Twain-Peterson has been the new hot shot winemaker in Sonoma for the last two years his Bedrock wines have caught the attention of numerous critics. The name might sound familiar to some folks and that's because he comes from a background of great winemaking. His father is Joel Peterson who was the founder of Ravenswood.

The Shebang creates a bang on your palate of ripe plum, cherry and sweet chocolate tones. Showing phenomenal structure for wine in this price point. It pairs great with Summer BBQ or just taking it to your next picnic with some bread and cheese.

A Steal of a wine for only $11.99

Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyards at Chappellet

Some of our favorite wines for the last 5 years have been coming from Chappellet high up on Prichard Hill and next to one of the original cult producers in Napa Valley Bryant Family Vineyards. Perched up at 1,200 feet above the Napa Valley floor Don and Mary Chappellet have been creating world class wines since 1967 from their Pritchard Hill Estate. For the last two decades Phillip Titus has been making world class wines at Chappellet that have been constructed in a way to age gracefully.

During our visit to Chappellet this past fall we had a chance to walk through the vineyards and really observe the terroir and vines. The vines we walked through had clusters of Cabernet Sauvignon and were going to be picked any day. The 2010 growing season was a late harvest, Napa Valley was faced with showers in early October and then a heat wave rolled in towards the third week of the month. Looks like it will be a tough harvest to deal with espically following the 2009 which was superb year for Napa Valley but we are sure Phillip can handle just about anything.

Once we hit the tasting room we were eager to dive right in and try the wines. We started off with the 2009 Chardonnay which showed bright notes of orange zest and pear, a rich full body chardonnay that was very balanced. From their we moved into the 2008 Mountain Cuvee which always has been a great bang for the buck. ( The 2007 Mountain Cuvee had over 50% Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, also had 92 Points Wine Spectator) The 2008 Cuvee had some big shoes to fill following the 2007 but it held its ground. The blend was 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc. Notes of blackberry, sweet vanilla flew from the glass, on the palate the wine had great structure and complexity with a finish that lingered for a good 30 seconds. (Over Delivered Like Always) The next wine has been a Wine Stop favorite since the 1997 vintage it was the 2008 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon the color was dark magenta, the nose was loaded with dark cherry notes, toasted oak and hints of mocha. Wine was complex yet forward and ripe with firm tannins this wine would be a great wine to put away in the cellar and forget about for about five years. Like always the Signature Cabernet was a wine that we would put up with the likes of Caymus or Cakebread any given day. The last wine of the tasting is always a treat to try and that was the 2007 Prichard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon. It was ripe in your face mountain Cabernet with black cherry, blackberry and cola with notes of cinnamon and spice.

Our afternoon at Chappellet was wonderful and enjoyed our time trying the best wines of Chappellet. The two standout wines were the 2008 Mountain Cuvee and the 2008 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon.

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