Cafe Mangal is favorite of mine. It’s a great BYO place in Wellesley. Everybody in town knows that their food is among the freshest and tastiest in greater Boston. The family that runs Cafe Mangal are a caring group of talented professionals. We had the whole place to ourselves! Can’t wait to go back.
2007 Basserman Riesling Trocken (Pfalz) Germany – Riesling grape
“Bassermann-Jordan 2007 Riesling trocken displays ripe quince, peach, musk melon and Comice pear; nut oil richness; wafting lilac floral notes; a satiny texture, and wet stone nuances amid sheer sappy finishing generosity help underscore its other virtues. I would not worry about holding some of this excellent value through 2011.” Rated 88 by The Wine Advocate
2008 Thea Sauvignon Blanc (Dry Creek Valley) California – Sauvignon Blanc grape
“Thea is unusual in Sonoma County because it specializes in Sauvignon Blanc, and that focus is why this is one of the best Sauvignon Blancs from the area. Proprietors Daniel Donahoe and Alexis Woods had access to some of the best vineyards in Dry Creek Valley. Woods’ father founded Clos du Bois and still has extensive vineyard holdings in the area. The vineyards are farmed using organic methods, and the wine is made by Bill Knuttel, who is head winemaker at well-known Dry Creek Vineyard. This is a fresh, crisp wine with flavors of grapefruit, pear and tropical fruit. It’s well-balanced and extremely refreshing — the perfect wine for a fall day. Have a glass as an aperitif, or enjoy it with all kinds of lighter food: salads, fish, shellfish, chilled pasta salad.” Rated 91 by Jonathan Newman/Mainline
2008 Shannon Ridge Chardonnay (Lake County) California – Chardonnay grape
“The grapes used to produce our 2008 Shannon Ridge Lake County Chardonnay were picked from several different blocks to help create an elegant multi-layered wine with great complexity. The wine was barrel fermented in American oak to help create the creamy vanilla flavors and rich mouth feel.” ShannonRidge.com
2008 Me Substance Merlot (Columbia Valley) Washington State – Merlot grape
“Substance is a new label created by Jason Huntley, owner of the outstanding Waters Winery in Walla Walla. The distinctive labels prominently show the abbreviation of the grape variety (they are 100% varietal). The wines are fruit-forward, uncomplicated, tasty examples of their particular type. There are only 5000 cases of this first release spread across 10 labels (3 of which I could not recommend) so distribution is fairly limited but will no doubt grow based upon demand. This price range hits the sweet spot for our difficult economy and the recommended wine are definitely worth trying.” Rated 87 by The Wine Advocate
2007 Kingsford Manor Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (Napa) California – Cabernet Sauvignon grape
“This Reserve Cab is a product of the outstanding 2007 vintage in Napa Valley. Slow, even ripening over a long growing season brought grapes that are perfectly balanced and loaded with complex flavors. After the wine was aged 20 months in oak barrels, the best lots were selected for this Reserve bottling. On the palate this wine shows bright cherry and strawberry fruit along with subtle vanilla notes. Supple and remarkably forward for so young a wine, it drinks beautifully now and should continue to over the next 2-5 years.” wineexpress.com
2008 Tortoise Creek Shiraz (Saint-Chinian/Languedoc) France – Syrah/Shiraz grape“Purplish, ruby red color. Aromas of black cherry and spice Ripe, round flavors of berry fruit, black currant and black cherry. Perfect for barbeques, stews, red meats and hard cheeses.” tortoisecreekwines.com