Your September wines are here!

September is here and your wines are pretty awesome! We are featuring a varietal that we have never featured before. So sit back, relax, and pop some corks! But first…

2. We would like to thank Fred Ullrich from Fred Ullrich Fine Art Photography & Select Projects for hanging a few of his photographs in the bottle shop. It’s an honor to have them, as he has had many of his pieces displayed in galleries, museums, and even Sky Harbor Airport. Fred specializes not only in capturing amazing moments, but also in printing with different media and ink types. The pieces that we have in the shop are amazing originals and are also for sale. If you are looking for a one-of-a-kind gift or piece of art, please ask about the photos in his collection and pricing. Or you can visit his website to view his gallery albums.

3. Our Yoga and Wine event is back! And availability is very limited. Many of you joined us last year for yoga and wine on our building’s 19th floor. Now that the 19th floor has been rented, how can we top that location? Well, this Sunday, Sept. 17th, we’ll be downward doggin’ at The Monroe Abbey! Join us to take in the beauty of the building and all that has been preserved of its structure after a devastating fire in 1984. This historic Abbey dates back to 1903 and has been an iconic building in Phoenix ever since. Former Mayor of Phoenix & Attorney General of Arizona Terry Goddard and a group of amazing people came together to save this building from demolition. Their vision is to revive the property and reactivate the block. Trust us, this will be one of the coolest places to find your zen! Don’t wait to purchase your tickets – only 40 spots available!

And with that…

The first thing to point out is that Malbec, of origin, comes from France. Yep, France – not Argentina!  We know, mind blown. Present day, over 70% of the world’s Malbec does indeed come from Argentina. Its exact origin in France is not precise, but some suggest that the current varietal that we know came from Northern Burgundy. At one point Malbec was planted throughout nearly all of France and was used primarily as a blending varietal.  It is still an approved Bordeaux varietal today (one of six – 1. Cabernet Sauvignon; 2. Merlot; 3. Petit Verdot; 4. Cabernet Franc; 5. Carmenere; and 6. Malbec).

Malbec took a slight decline in popularity the mid-1900s when many of its plantings were exchanged for more “fashionable” varietals. However, the Southwest region of France remained a stronghold for Malbec and continues to produce Malbec-forward blends. Some areas of Southwest France require that blends contain at least 70% Malbec in order to represent the region on the label.

Today the Cahors region is the King of Malbec in France. Here, the locals call Malbec by the names “Cot” or “Auxerrois.” The blends coming from this region often contain Tannat and Merlot in addition to Malbec.

All this talk about Malbec is obviously going to lead to at least one selection of Malbec for Sept. But since this is its first appearance in the club, we decided to throw TWO selections of Malbec at you – with a twist!

Both selections come from the Cahors region. In fact, both are from the same estate! That estate is Château Lagrézette, which has a mere 500 years of historical significance. Château Lagrézette was founded in the 12th century as a medieval fortress. During the 15th century, the grounds of the fortress were rebuilt into the modern day Château that stands in Cahors today. The Château was built on the “petite grèze” (the hill) overlooking the River Lot.  This led to the name “Lagrézette.” The estate curates 90 hectares of vines and sources only from this estate for its namesake wines.

And September’s selections are…