Southern Rhone Tasting at the Edge Steak and Bar

The flavor of wine is like delicate poetry.

Louis Pasteur

We are back in 2014 with our “Exploring the world of Wine” tastings at the Edge Steak and Bar in the Four Seasons Hotel on Brickell and at Cafe Maxx on Atlantic Boulevard in Pompano every other week!  These tastings for $35 and offer the best value in a wine tasting experience that you will find in South Florida.  Not only do you get to experience 8 different wines but you also get a taste of one of South Florida’s top restaurants.

But wait!  We still have two events to finish out the week, unfortunately our Mouton Rothschild event at Cafe Maxx is already sold out on Friday night but we still have some room for Taittinger Champagne at Wild Sea on Las Olas Saturday! 

Speaking of Champagne our first big Champagne tasting takes place on Friday, February 7th, the weekend before Valentine’s Day here at the store.  This is one of our biggest events that we host here and we will have over 30 different sparklers and Pinot Noirs available to taste this evening.

Check out the calendar of events for February as there are some incredible "Once in a Lifetime" tastings coming up- like Chateau D'Yquem back to 1901 and we still have 3 seats available!!

Southern Rhone Tasting at the Edge Steak and BarTuesday, February 4, 20147:00 PM

These tastings at the Edge Restaurant for $35 are the best value of any event that we do. You get to try 8 different wines at the same time, pre-poured so they have a chance to open up and so you can go back through the line-up to get a second and third look at everything. This is how you learn about wine and with master chef Aaron Brooks sending out a few small courses to accompany the wines, you get a taste of The Edge Restaurant and an education in wine all at the same time. A great way to spend happy hour.

Tonight we will feature an array of wines that will feature the Grenache and Syrah varietals and blends including up to 13 different varietals in Chateauneuf Du Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras and the best value in the southern Rhone- cotes Du Rhone. Chef Aaron Brooks will be sending out a few small courses to accompany the tasting wines.  This is a pre-poured sit down tasting and is limited to 25 tasters, the fee for this tasting is $35 + Gratuity + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Domaine Chantepierre Tavel Rose 2012                                               

Price: $15.00       Sale $13.20          Case $153

Bright rose wine - partridge-eye pink - topaz tints. Intense - melon - peach and cherry. Full bodied - dry and quite spicy with a good persistency

Chateau St. Cosme Cotes du Rhone 2012                                              

Price: $14.00       Sale $12.32          Case $143

(89 Points) A step up, the 2012 Cotes du Rhone is almost all Syrah that comes from higher elevation vineyards in Vinsobres and the Gard region (western side of the Rhone River). Offering big, bright berry fruits, pepper, olive and hints of meatiness, it is a medium-bodied, elegant and rock-solid Cotes du Rhone that has loads of character. It’s a serious value to drink over the coming 4-5 years.  eRobertParker.com #210, Dec 2013

Sang des Cailloux Vacqueyras Cuvee Floureto Rouge 2010                                     

Price: $36.00       Sale $31.68          Case $368

(87-90) Points) The 2010 Vacqueyras Cuvee Floureto exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as a lot of CO2, which should be gone by the time it is bottled. It possesses plenty of sweet black raspberry and black cherry fruit intermixed with licorice, barbecue smoke and garrigue. Medium to full-bodied with soft tannins and a luscious finish, it should drink well for 10+ years. Wine Advocate #197, Oct 2011

Janasse Terre d’Argile Cotes du Rhone 2011                                    

Price: $26.00       Sale $22.88          Cse $265

(91 Points) More serious and layered, the 2011 Cotes du Rhone Villages Terre d’Argile is a blend of equal parts Grenache, Carignan, Mourvedre, Syrah and Grenache, with the Grenache aged in foudre and everything else in 1-to-5-year-old barrels. Rock solid, with notes of spice-laced black and red fruits, licorice and background meatiness, this full-bodied beauty has a rich, textured mouthfeel, good freshness and loads of depth. Drink it over the coming 4-5 years. Drink now-2018.  Wine Advocate #209, Oct 2013

Domaine de Cayron Gigondas 2010

Price: $28.50       Sale $25.08          Case $291

(90 Points) Aged in foudres, the 2010 Gigondas is a blend of 70% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 14% Syrah and 1% Mourvedre that is bottled without fining or filtration. Exhibiting abundant aromas of licorice, smoked

meats, tapenade, and red as well as black fruits, it is a distinctive, complex red to drink over the next 8-10 years. Domaine du Cayron is run by the Farraud family, who owns 40 acres in Gigondas situated in a cool-climate, high altitude section of the appellation.  Wine Advocate #203, Oct 2012

Texier Roussanne Brezeme vineyard 2012

Price: $26.25       Sale $23.10          Case $268

Brézème is a small, and at one point nearly lost, viticulture area located near the town of Livron-sur-Drôme about 18 kilometers south of Valence. Like Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage, Brézème sits on the eastern side of the Rhône and produces both red and white wine.

Roussanne is an uncommon and difficult varietal that has recently seen a revival in the Northern and Southern Rhône. Roussanne is not as widely planted as other (more common) white varietals because of its tendency to suffer from powdery mildew, uneven yields and late maturity. However, when these problems are overcome Roussanne produces a wonderfully crisp, rich and complex white wine that has the ability to age for decades.

Perrin et Fils Chateauneuf du Pape les Sinards 2011

Price: $44.00       Sale $38.72          Case $449

(87-89 Points) The Perrin 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Sinards is fruity, medium-bodied, with plenty of garrigue, licorice and kirsch. It can be drunk over the next 6-7 years. Wine Advocate #203, Oct 2012

Perrin Cotes du Rhone Vinsobres 2010

Price: $22.50       Sale $19.80          Case $230

(89+ Points) The 2010 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Vinsobres Les Cornuds is dark ruby/purple, exhibiting loads of minerality, blue and black fruits, crisp acids and a cool climate, zesty, yet powerful mouthfeel. Wine Advocate #203, Oct 2012

This is a pre-poured sit down tasting and is limited to 25 tasters, the fee for this tasting is $35 + Gratuity + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Back to Back Southern Rhone Tastings!!

Southern Rhone Tasting at Cafe MaxxWednesday, February 5, 20146:30 PM

These tastings at the Cafe Maxx for $35 are the best value of any event that we do. You get to try 8 different wines at the same time, pre-poured so they have a chance to open up and so you can go back through the line-up to get a second and third look at everything. This is how you learn about wine and with master chef Oliver Saucy sending out a few small courses to accompany the wines, you get a taste of Cafe Maxx and an education in wine all at the same time. A great way to spend happy hour!

Tonight we will feature an array of wines that will feature the Grenache and Syrah varietals and blends including up to 13 different varietals in Chateauneuf Du Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras and the best value in the southern Rhone- cotes Du Rhone.  This is a pre-poured sit down tasting and is limited to 25 tasters, the fee for this tasting is $35 + Gratuity + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Chateau St. Cosme Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2012                 

Price: $20.00       Sale $17.60          Case $204

(89 Points) We finished the tasting with the whites. The 2012 Cotes du Rhone Blanc is a fresh, lively and honeyed blend of Picpoul, Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier. Loaded with stone fruits, ripe peach and honey blossom, this medium-bodied, delicious effort is perfect for drinking over the coming year or two. eRobertParker.com #210, Dec 2013

Domaine Roche Cotes-du-Rhone-Villages Cairanne 2011         

Price: $20.00       Sale $17.60          Case $204

(87-88 Points) The 2011 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Cairanne (70% Grenache and 30% Syrah, both aged in 600-liter demi-muids for 10 months) is a dense, rich, full-bodied, impressively constituted effort. This is a sensational new estate I discovered by while tasting through offerings from Philippe Cambie’s 74 different clients. Wine Advocate #203, Oct 2012

Domaine La Garrigue Vacqueyras 2011                         

Price: $25.00       Sale $22.00          Case $255

(89 Points) The 2011 Vacqueyras is a classic, traditional effort that gives up plenty of cedar, underbrush and spice-driven aromas and flavors, as well as medium-bodied richness and depth on the palate. Showing a kick of firm tannin, it should benefit from another year in the cellar.

This rock-solid estate is run by Maxime Bernard, who is also the president of the Syndicate of Vignerons in Vacqueyras. While he normally produces three (four if you include the white) cuvees from his estate, he also does a custom Cotes du Rhone cuvee for his importer, called “Cuvee Romaine”, that’s bottled earlier to preserve the fruit.  eRobertParker.com #210, Dec 2013

Roger Sabon Chappelle de Maillac Lirac 2007                 

Price: $26.00       Sale $22.88          Case $265

A blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre, 5% Cinsault.  Thanks to its terroir this wine is particularly spicy.  When young it can be characterised by flavours of red and black fruit; with age, it also develops aromas that suggest tobacco and pepper.

Vidal Fleury Cote Rhone Blanc 2012                        

Price: $15.75       Sale $13.86          Case $161

(88 Points) A blend of 40% Grenache Blanc, 40% Clairette and 20% Roussanne, the 2012 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc displays rich, rounded notes of poached pear, toasted almond and white currants to go with a medium-bodied, fresh and focused white that continues to gain richness in the glass. Seeing some batonnage and aging on lees, it has solid mid-palate texture and depth, yet the overall profile here is all about freshness. Drink now-2018.   Wine Advocate #209, Oct 2013

Chapoutier “Belleruche” Blanc 2012                      

Price: $11.25       Sale $9.90            Case $115

(87 Points) Along the same lines, yet with a touch more richness, the 2012 Belleruche Cotes du Rhone Blanc (Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Roussanne and Viognier) possesses, clean, vibrant notes of assorted golden fruits as well as excellent overall freshness and purity. It too is well worth checking out and is a rock-solid intro into the whites of the Southern Rhone. Drink now. Wine Advocate #209, Oct 2013

Colombo “Bartavelle” Chateauneuf Du Pape 2011               

Price: $51.75       Sale $45.54          Case $528

A blend of 45% Syrah - 35% Grenache - 20% Mourvèdre.  Round and flamboyant, Les Bartavelles (The Partridges) is grown on the rolled pebble terroir of Châteauneuf du Pape. This wine is velvety, with hints of figs and ripe strawberries.

Vidal Fleury Chateauneuf Du Pape  2010                      

Price: $50.75       Sale $44.66          Case $518

(88 Points) From the Southern Rhone, the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape is a well-made blend of 85% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre and 5% Syrah. Aged completely in foudre, it reveals lots of peppery notes intermixed with hints of bay leaf, garrigue, black currants and kirsch. Medium to full-bodied, ripe, evolved and already delicious, it should drink well for 7-8 years. Wine Advocate #204, Dec 2012

This is a pre-poured sit down tasting and is limited to 25 tasters, the fee for this tasting is $35 + Gratuity + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463.