One of my favorite outings is going to The Fine Wine Source, my local wine shop and getting the two wine bottles that are the monthly wine club choices.  That is a great perk for the club members and for the shop.  For the club members, besides getting two wines that one may not just grab off the shelf, one also gets case discount on any purchase, even if just picking up a bottle for the moment. This was also a blessing for the shop, because they were able to survive during the “fifteen-day lockdown” and stay in business, because they were not deemed a “necessary” business.  For eighteen months they did business by phone and by delivery.  Proving that customer service is the proper way to do business.

The first selection for the month represents “The Old World.” Chateau La Gabarre Rosé Bordeaux 2020 and is in the commune of Galgon on the Right Bank, north west of Lalande-de-Pomerol. The estate has been in the Gabard family since the 1800’s and the present stewards are Stephane and Paola Gabard.  They use sustainable farming practices and the soil is gravel, clay and sand and the average age of the vines are between fifteen and thirty-five years.  Besides this wine they also produce a Bordeaux Blanc, and a Bordeaux Supereiur; and all three wine types are done both as Chateau La Gabarre and their label “La Gabarre.”   The wine is a blend of forty-five percent Merlot, thirty percent Cabernet Franc and twenty-five percent Cabernet Sauvignon.  They use a direct press method and then age the wine for nine months in Stainless Steel to keep the fruit and crispness and they produced eight-hundred-fifty cases of this wine.  The notes for this wine offer a nose of raspberry and strawberry, with a rich mid palate intensity and a long finish.  It sounds perfect for first courses or barbecues.

As always, the second wine selection represents The New World.  Luke Wines “The Companion” Red Blend Wahluke Slope AVA 2018 and Wahluke Slope AVA is a subset of the much larger Columbia Valley in Washington State.  “Luke” takes its name from the word “Wahluke” and is the native American term for “watering place” and the Wanapum are the native settlers of the land.  Most of the wines from the Wahluke Slope AVA are not single vineyard wines, and this wine is no exception as the fruit was harvested from the following vineyards; Weinbau, Wahluke Slope, King Fuji, Newhouse, Ravenscliff, Rosebud, Northridge, Clifton, Stone Tree and Clifton Hill.  The wine is a blend of sixty percent Cabernet Sauvignon, twenty percent Merlot and twenty percent Syrah.  It was aged using a mix of French and American Oak and twenty-eight-hundred cases were produced.  The tasting notes suggest the opulence of a Bordeaux blend with the special synergy that a dose of Syrah brings with it.  Dark fruits with notes of spices, coffee and chocolate, silky tannins with good acidity and a long lingering finish are from the technical notes.  I am sure that it will find the right meal.