Zachys has a rep for high prices, but when they have sales, there can
be some pretty good prices. This week I picked up $5 Barberas, $15 GC
Chablis, $15 '05 Volnay, $20 06 Barbaresco, etc. 2 got opened last
night.

I made a pepper/garlic/tomato sauce for some 3 cheese ravioli, and
opened the 1998 Casisano Colombaio Brunello di Montalcino, a $20
purchase. Very dark color that makes one wonder, but not so big on
palate. No more than medium acidity, light to medium tannins, black
cherry fruit with some saddle leather and violets. There's maybe a
hint of vanilla, but overall this comes across as fairly traditional,
except I'd have expected a bit more acid. Mature, but not tired. Not
bad, and I actually wish I had gotten a couple more to try over next
few years. A friend with a '98 child got 6, I'd suggest finishing by
HS graduation. B

Some of the deals were case buys, and I split with friends. One came
by for his allotment, so I offered a glass of the 2007 Domaine and
Selection "Les Blanchots" Chablis Grand Cru. D&S is a negociant that
seems to only exist as a private label for Zachys, sometimes winemaker
listed, sometimes not- in this case she is, Clotilde Davenne. At $15
my expectations are rather low, but in this case surpassed. Big pretty
Chablis, floral nose with chalky edge, sweet apple and citrus fruit,
nice length. This is not going to be mistaken for Raveneau and at $80
I'd have balked, but this is my Burgundy deal of the year so far. B+

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent
wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't
drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no
promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.

On 6/29/10 11:20 AM, DaleW wrote:
> Zachys has a rep for high prices, but when they have sales, there can
> be some pretty good prices. This week I picked up $5 Barberas, $15 GC
> Chablis, $15 '05 Volnay, $20 06 Barbaresco, etc. 2 got opened last
> night.

Yeah, I remember those sales being advertised in the NYT, but the trek
from Manhattan to Scarsdale sans auto always seemed too daunting to me
at the time. My bad: those are some scary-good prices.


> Some of the deals were case buys, and I split with friends. One came
> by for his allotment, so I offered a glass of the 2007 Domaine and
> Selection "Les Blanchots" Chablis Grand Cru. D&S is a negociant that
> seems to only exist as a private label for Zachys, sometimes winemaker
> listed, sometimes not- in this case she is, Clotilde Davenne. At $15
> my expectations are rather low, but in this case surpassed. Big pretty
> Chablis, floral nose with chalky edge, sweet apple and citrus fruit,
> nice length. This is not going to be mistaken for Raveneau and at $80
> I'd have balked, but this is my Burgundy deal of the year so far. B+

Wow, $15 for even a village-level Chablis is a great price. For GC,
it's absurdly good as long as the wine is competently made, especially
from a year like '07. I hope you got a lot of this, Dale.

Mark Lipton


--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.cwdjr.net

On Jun 29, 11:27*am, Mark Lipton > wrote:
> Yeah, I remember those sales being advertised in the NYT, but the trek
> from Manhattan to Scarsdale sans auto always seemed too daunting to me
> at the time. *My bad: those are some scary-good prices.
>
Well, their prices are generally high, so even their 17 or 20 percent
off sales only produce good prices (and some not so good!) as opposed
to steals. But if you are on one of their lists (it seems not everyone
gets every offer sometimes) there are occasionally outrageous deals
($5 Barolo halves or Roc de Cambes 750s, etc). But even in this list
there are some that are only average deals.

>
> Wow, $15 for even a village-level Chablis is a great price. *For GC,
> it's absurdly good as long as the wine is competently made, especially
> from a year like '07. *I hope you got a lot of this, Dale.
>
I only got a case, and split some with a friend at cost, so 6 left,
probably would have liked more but hey I like variety.