The thing about Old Wine Guys is – they don’t die… they don’t really even go away.  They just go to the dark side of the business and bug us!  Take Schmitty, for example – He said to me the other day, “Hey Todd – you know how I’ve been bothering you to buy more wine from me?  What do I have to do?”

Uh… Schmitty – if you don’t know that by now… 

Well, it turns out once he put his mind to it, he knew just what to do.  This time the subject line of the email was “91 pts, French and under $15.”  Phone calls were made, corks were pulled, we beat him up for an even better price (hey, you think he’s exempt?), and lo and behold, we have our wine of the week…

Gerard Bertrand, Minervois 2008 – 91 pts Wine Spectator – Reg. $15.99 (Deals to follow) – So, what does this Schmittified bottle of lovely French juice taste like?  Well, you know how it’s Labor Day coming up, and there’s lots of grilling to be done – meat, veggies, chicken… well, we can’t imagine a better accompaniment than this.  On the nose, black cherry and berry fruit burst out of the glass with terrific purity – but this isn’t a fruit bomb by any means.  It’s Syrah and Carignane – which means that in addition to all that fruit, you’ve got savory, smoky goodness surrounding and framing it, making your mind immediately turn toward fire-cooked stuff.  On the palate, more of that lush fruit, but again in a savory package that is beautifully balanced – there’s a chewy edge to the wild herb flavors that roll through the middle of the palate.  Finishes long and strong, with black pepper, anise and bitter chocolate all rounding things out.  In honor of Schmitty, I’m thinking lamb burgers… he’s got a recipe.  Feel free to email him – I give you permission…

“Pure, powerful and minerally tasting, with good snap to the raspberry and wild plum flavors, which feature notes of savory herb. The vibrant finish puts the accent on slate and white pepper. Drink now through 2018.” WS

The Deal – Like I said… we worked Schmitty over pretty good…

Grab a case and pay $10.99 per bottle – a 31% savings off regular price!

Six bottles will run you $11.99 per – 25% off.

Anything less? We’ll still knock 20% off - $12.79 per bottle.

Anyway you slice it, it’s quite a steal on a delicious little bottle of southern French goodness!