Featured Wines for June – 2012 Mont Gravet Cotes de Gascogne, France & 2011 Tortoise Creek “Les Oliviers” Pinot Noir, France

2012 Mont Gravet Cotes de Gascogne, Gascony, France $10

Mont Gravet is a delicious dry,  fruit forward wine made from Colombard grapes. It has beautiful fragrant aromas of fresh pears and peaches. The wine comes from superb vineyard sites in the Gascony region, near the city of Toulouse.  The name refers to the beautiful rocky hillside vineyards where the grapes are grown. Chilled to 50 degrees this wine is perfect as a summer aperitif or as a pairing with summer’s fresh seafood. Alcohol: 11.5%

2011 Tortoise Creek “Les Oliviers” Pinot Noir, Limoux, France  $14

This is a charming and elegant Pinot Noir that comes from the cooler wine region of Limoux, close to the Pyrenean Mountains in southwest France. It is deep in color and soft with lovely aromas of raspberries and cherries. This is less “jammy” than its Californian cousins. It is more Burgundian and delicate and is a gorgeous food wine. Works well with roast meats, tuna, salmon and cheeses. Alcohol: 13%