An Early Autumn Favorite Emerges A Winner

This time of year is always exciting. Late August and early autumn herald the release of many new vintages of red wines, replete with nuances from the previous year's weather conditions as well as any changes in winemaking techniques.

This is one of the reasons why wine is so captivating and thrilling. It's always changing and dynamic, with many variations from vintage to vintage, especially evident in the smaller production, more artisanal wines in which we specialize. Now, there's nothing wrong with "commodity" wines which purposefully strive to taste the same year after year (think Kendall Jackson Chardonnay, for example). There is a definite place for these consistently quaffable wines and we do carry some of them, but they aren't the fuel which propels our jets.

Case in point. A few days ago we were advising some clients on the selection of a mixed case of wine. They both remarked how much they LOVE our store and our wine selection. We asked if they were local and they replied, "No, we're from Cambridge but we visit here in the summer. We just wish you had a store in Cambridge!!!"

This piqued our interest. "Hmmm, why in the world is that? You must have great local wine shops in Cambridge."

"Yes, but they stock the same wines year after year and it just gets boring. They don't work as hard as you do. You're always improving your selection and finding exciting new wines for us to try. We love it here."

We're so happy when people appreciate our efforts and understand our mission as wine merchants. It makes it all worthwhile. After all, a wine merchant should never rest on its laurels.

Having said that, there are a handful of wines we keep in stock vintage after vintage due to the high quality and gorgeous appeal of the wine across every category. Today's wine is one of those beauties. We first stocked this wine in 2011 and we haven't stopped carrying it since. Why go to such bother? One reason.

We honestly wouldn't want to live without it.

Twenty two cases of the new vintage arrived in the state. It didn't take long for us to pounce on this shipment and this was before we read the screaming hot review of this vintage (which was merely the icing on the cake for us, but it's absolutely BRILLIANT news for you!).

There is a possibility of another small round of this wine arriving later in the fall, so we'll keep a waiting list if this wine sells out, but for now all you need to know is we're in possession of a good chunk of the 22 cases allocated to MA.

So, let's place the cards on the table.

Today's offering is a Chianti and what's not to love about Chianti? It's one of our very favorite "go to" reds, especially in early autumn.

Today's offering is an outstanding value from the smallest subzone in Chianti. It's called Chianti Rufina and it sells for less than $20/bottle.

This is such good news for you Chianti fans! Yay, Autumn!!!

Chianti from the subzone of Rufina is distinct, with a very clear personality. It's elegant with soft and smooth tannins, a lovely backbone of acidity and a complex nose of berries and spice. Excellent!

With early Autumn right around the corner, we can let you in on a little secret. This wine screams for falling leaves. The minute golden light washes through the trees onto our deck in the early evening, we know the time is right.

Boom! It's Chianti time.

Drink this wine on its own, down it with a pizza, sip it alongside pasta with marinara sauce made with ripe tomatoes lingering in the September garden, or grill a burger once football season starts and this beauty will quickly become your burger's BFF.

Selvapiana Chianti Rufina 2013

"Elegant and fragrant, this opens with aromas of pressed rose, crushed violet, wild berry and a whiff of baking spice. The vibrant, focused palate delivers juicy red cherry, raspberry, white pepper, cinnamon and dried herb. It's well balanced, with supple tannins and bright acidity. Drink through 2018." (Wine Enthusiast)

Wine Enthusiast: 93 points

Wine Enthusiast: Editors' choice

At less than $15/bottle we strongly encourage you to take the plunge on this wine. Of course, you can always grab a bottle or two as part of a mixed case of wine and still receive the remarkable price of $13.59/bottle, but this wine really deserves a more prominent place in your home.

If you want to reserve Selvapiana's Chianti Rufina simply press reply to this email and let us know how much you want. We'll do our best to fill all orders on a first come-first served basis.

Thanks for reading!

* Wine & Spirit Education Trust Certified *

Town Center Wine & Spirits Cape Cod's Most Trusted Wine Merchant

Location 4550 State Highway North Eastham, MA 02651 (Next to the Royal Thai Restaurant in the Town Center Plaza) Tel: 508 255 3660 Fax: 508 255 6736

Late Summer Hours Mon-Thurs: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fri-Sat: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m.. to 9 p.m.   We're open year round. Closed only on Memorial Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.