Every week, we select a wine from the store as our Insider's Pick. We send out tasting notes to our email customers the evening before, and have the wine open to taste at the store Thursday from 12:00 until closing. If you purchase the wine on the day it is tasted, you receive a 10% discount from the bottle price, and a 15% discount if the wine is part of a mixed case (no further discount on 1 item cases).  Below are the tasting notes from the most recent Insider's Picks.

May 22, 2008
2006 TREVOR JONES VIRGIN CHARDONNAY
(Wine Advocate 90 points)
$19.99, $16.99/case
This wine is a repeat offender in the Insider’s Pick, as it’s made an appearance in each of the previous 3 vintages. We can’t help ourselves, because this is one of the great ‘buck the trends’ styles of wines that makes Australia such a diverse source of wines. So much New World Chardonnay is made with a slavish devotion to the combination of new oak and heavy malolactic fermentation that the flavors of the two processes have become almost irretrievably combined into one sensation. It’s hard to tell where the creamy, soft fruit from malolactic begins and the toasty vanilla ends, and with many wines the combination is so overwhelming they tag team your palate to obliterate any sign of the natural flavors of the Chardonnay grape (you DID buy it to taste Chardonnay in your Chardonnay, didn’t you?). The term ‘virgin’ applies not only to the wine being untouched by oak barrels, but to the use of ‘free run’ Chardonnay juice, which comes from the ripest, juiciest outer layers of the grapes. When grapes are first placed in the larger presses, their natural weight squeezes the juice from these most succulent layers. Most wineries will usually take this juice and combine it back in with the rest of the juice once the pressing is done, but for this bottling the juice is separated out into its own wine. The resulting wine has a lusher, more concentrated feeling in the mouth which seems to intensify every flavor and feeling within the wine. Because malolactic fermentation is still employed, the citrus character is creamy and soft, very different from the crisp apple-y citrus of the unoaked white Burgundies and Chablis. In fact, most people that are New World Chardonnay fans will find plenty here to enjoy, even without the oak. Wonderful melon and lemon custard aromas fill the glass, beautifully unencumbered by the heavy vanilla character from oak, and just the slightest buttery notes from the malolactic. The fruit is very mouthfilling, packed with pear and juicy white fruit, but also brings some surprisingly bright lime-like citrus acidity on the back of the palate and on the finish, even showing a touch of grape skin tannin to bring in a little more firmness. On several occasions their reviews The Wine Advocate has remarked that this is one of the best unoaked Chardonnays produced outside of France. We hope that, because of its success, it will inspire more wineries to bring it more competition over the coming years.

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May 15, 2008
2004 FALL LINE WINERY RED HORSE HEAVEN HILLS
(Wine Advocate 90points)
$27.99.,$23.79/case
Both the winery and the wine presented here today represent the massive explosion the wine industry has been through over the last 10+ years. The Horse Heaven Hills district is a viticultural area established fairly recently along the banks of the Columbia River, in the area between Yakima and Walla Walla where most of Washington State’s wine is grown. As more and more vineyards are established throughout the Columbia Valley, qualitative differences in the grapes grown are emerging, leading to the identification of new sub-regions; Horse Heaven Hills is just one of 8 sub-regions in the Columbia Valley, ranging in size from the massive Yakima Valley AVA to the tiny Red Mountain AVA. As these areas become recognized for creating superior quality grapes, more and more wines are made featuring these areas, developing the name as a standard of excellence. And as more vines are planted in these AVAs, more grapes become available for new, ambitious small production wineries like Fall Line. Barely reaching production beyond 1,000 cases in combination for all three of their wines, Fall Line sources grapes from several top flight vineyards and produces wine in their small facility in Seattle. In only their second vintage, their 2004 Horse Heaven Hill bottling earned great praise from many wine reviewers, and are quickly becoming a name to watch in the wine scene. Four years after vintage and 2 full years in the bottle have helped this wine develop some elegance often missed in many wines from Washington, showing lots of smoky red fruits, subtle plum and spice aromas where rich sweet fruits would dominate in a younger bottling. Merlot is dominant in the blend (42%), which many of you may think means the wine will be wimpy and soft. One of the great things Washington does is create gutsy, ballsy Merlot with actual intensity and character, well removed from the washed out and wimpy image far too many California Merlots have created for this noble Bordeaux grape. This wine has some mouth-filling flesh and fruit to it, with hints of cocoa and earth on the back of your palate from the Cabernet Franc, and just enough firm tannins on the finish from the Cabernet Sauvignon to give the wine enough structure to evolve another 4-6 years. This is a powerful, flavorful wine that every red wine lover should be excited to try.


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May 08, 2008
2006 O'REILLY'S PINOT GRIS
$17.99, $15.29/case
Pinot Gris is one of Oregon’s more surprising wine successes, really taking off over the last few decades. The fruity fragrance balanced with bright acidity makes it a tasty sipping wine for those that don’t like oak, as well as a spectacular match with many of the citrusy, spicy dishes found in Pacific Rim cuisine. This bottling has been as store favorite over the last few vintages, and it isn’t because we’re suckers for wine labels with hounds on them, either. The O’Reilly’s label is the value line of wines from Owen Roe Winery, a winery as famous for their Irish themed artwork on their labels as the top flight wines inside the bottles. They are also one of the very best small wineries to work with vineyards on both sides of the Oregon/Washington border, creating Cabs and Merlots as well as Pinot Noir. At first pour, the pale straw color may make the wine seem fairly tame at first glance, looking almost innocuous. It’s when you first get your nose to the glass that your senses start perking up; rich tropical citrus, lemon curd, and honey, as well as a hint of zest in the background from the acidity that keeps the aromas from becoming cloying or sweet. In the mouth the fruit is very lush and mouthfilling, loading your palate with the tropical citrus in the aromas and an almost oily viscosity. The minerality picks up the longer the wine sits in your mouth, and leaves the finish with a very clean and lingering lemon/lime note. Unless you are an oaked wine fiend or abhor wine with even the slightest hints of sweet fruit, this is a great wine to get into over the summer.

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May 01,2008
2005 FINCA LUZON ALTOS DE LUZON JUMILLA
(IWC 90points, Wine Advocate 89points)
$18.99, $16.14/case
When you talk about the evolution of the wines of the ‘New Spain’ over the last few decades, no region has had as meteoric a rise from obscurity to the international stage as The Levant region, and Jumilla in particular. Throughout much of its history, the region has provided a heroic bounty of food: citrus, rice, seafood, and the historic birthplace of the most famous of Spanish dishes, Paella. Wine, however, was little more than an afterthought, geared primarily to mass production reds and fortified wines that were fine for gulping down in large quantities, but made little effort to enter the fine wine market. These wines were always considered too heavy and alcoholic to contend with the elegant and refined tastes of France and Italy. When international tastes became more accepting of these sorts of large scale wines (launched in large part by the success of Australian Shiraz), winemakers and importers from all over the world started looking anew at the Levant. The raw materials for top quality wine had always there; old vines, arid climate, plenty of sunshine. The mindset just needed to be adjusted. Now, from an area where even 20 years ago most important wine books scarcely bothered to comment on their products, The Levant provides many of the best reviewed value wines in Spain (if not all the world), as well as some of the top scoring and most heavily sought after cult bottlings that rival the best of the Rioja and the Duero. Wines like this are what the region are all about, showcasing the Monastrell grape (also called Mourvedre) and its balancing act of ultra ripe fruit and surprisingly fine acidity and tannins. Inky purple colored, the wine just oozes intensity in the glass before even putting your nose to the glass. The first whiffs are of intense plum and tarry black fruits, but with some swirling you can find more subtle earth, chocolate, and sweeter red fruit underneath. In the mouth the rich texture envelops your entire palate, but instead of being completely sappy and thick, the Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend seem to bring a bit of silky texture to this behemoth. Those of you that prefer a finer textured finish may find tannins on this a bit chunky, but it’s a small price to pay for a wine with such intense flavors and in-your-face enjoyment.

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April 24, 2008
2006 VINA GODEVAL GODELLO
$18.99, $16.14/case
The Vina Godeval vineyard and the Godello grape are and will forever be linked together, as this winery almost single-handedly rescued the grape from obscurity and certain extinction. The Valdeorras region is the most inland portion of the Galician part of Spain (also called ‘Green Spain’), bordering the Castillian region of Bierzo just to the North. For many centuries Godello was THE identity of the local wines, but after the phylloxera plague hit the region, growers took the opportunity to start introducing other outside varietals that were prized more for their quantity than their quality. By the mid-80s, there were only a few acres of Godello left, and the owners were feeling the pressure to follow the lead of their neighbors and tear them out. In 1987 Vina Godeval was created in the renovated ruins of a 12th century monastery, investing in state of the art equipment and dedicated to bring Godello into the modern age. They established about 40 acres of vineyards on their property, and over the course of the next decade started to bring their wine to an international audience, earning strong press from many of the most important reviewers. Other vineyards began following suit, and now Godello is firmly re-established in the region. This is probably the winery’s most successful vintage to date, as all the major reviewers (Wine Advocate, IWC, and Wine Spectator) came to a consensus and awarded it 90 points. Pale greenish-gold, the wine has a more herbal and citrus aroma than other grapes in the region, loaded with green apple and pepper. In the mouth the flavors are both round and refreshing, full of juicy apples and pears along with bright acidity that penetrates your palate and cheeks. The finish is brisk and refreshingly dry, leaving your mouth craving more. This is a great seafood companion, especially dishes that don’t use lots of butter and let the natural character of the sea shine through.

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April 17, 2008
2006 CHATEAU SOUCHERIE ANJOU BLANC
$14.99.99,$12.74/case
The weather is starting to get just right for dazzling white wines; unless of course you’re getting up before 7:00 the last few days and seeing the frost on the ground, at which point it’s anybody’s guess WHAT kind of wine it’s time for. As those of you that have been shopping with us for a long time know, we are absolute fiends when it comes to good Loire Chenin Blanc. If you are new to us and have not enjoyed the pleasures of Loire Chenin, be prepared for one of the wine world’s best kept secrets. So much is always made of Chenin’s sweeter expressions from Vouvray and the Coteau du Layon, but the dry versions are often overlooked. If you love wines with minerality and inherent natural complexity, then you need to be first in line for this. With 2006 being another great Loire vintage (about 4-5 in a row) there is more than enough ripe fruit to flesh the wine out for all but the most oak-and-malo-centric drinkers out there, loaded with white fruits and hints of honey in the nose, yet still allowing the cool wet stone through to prepare you for the bracing first sip. In the mouth, the wine is at first similar in many ways to Muscadets, with the crisp citrus and penetrating minerality. But what takes Chenin to the next level is the layers and density of flavors beyond that first hit; herbal notes, then the honeyed character again, then a nuttiness on the finish, all on a mouthful of wine that seems so crammed with flavor that it HAS to be sweet in there somewhere. Instead, it’s just Chenin being Chenin. When we first featured this wine in our October Select Six, it was just starting to show its form, but now the aromatic intensity is really starting to take form. This is also one of the more versatile white wines with food, able to pair with most any poultry dish or seafood, and can do well through to the fall months as well.

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April 10, 2008
2005 SAVIAH CELLARS ‘THE JACK’
$15.99, $13.59/case
The Merlot grape has come under attack over the last few years or so for being of low character and minimal flavor. Since the infamous 5 second rant in the movie ‘Sideways’ kicked things off, ‘Merlot’ and ‘Merlot drinkers’ have become buzz words for mild wines and people with very mild, unadventurous palates. But it’s not Merlot’s fault things have gotten to this point. The grape became trendy in the early 90s as people began looking to softer alternatives to Cabernet Sauvignon, and things became a bit formulaic over the years, to the point that there really seems to be very little difference from winery to winery any more. Merlot can actually make wines of considerable substance, given all the top flight wines from Pomerol and St Emilion in Bordeaux . In the United States, Washington is starting to take over the mantle of best source of Merlot, creating uniquely plump, full flavored wines at all price points. The long days of sunlight during the summer growing season give the grapes extra ripeness and intensity, and the quick transition to cooler evenings before harvest helps to introduce acidity and strengthens tannins. Though this wine is not labeled as a Merlot (in some vintages the dominant grapes can change) it is Merlot dominant at 88%, with the remainder divided among 3 other grapes, so Merlot is definitely the star of the show. Rich purple color and immediate aromas of black cherries, plums, and peppery spice let you know immediately this isn’t going to be some sort of wimpy industrial wine. The plummy fruit is fairly dominating in the mouth, which, for those that are used to the softer Californian style, can often be the make-or-break point for liking this type of wine. The tannins are still very smooth and silky, the rich texture absolutely over-delivers for its price point, and the finish is long and pleasurable. But the Merlot fans that I’ve tried to convert to the joys of Washington State that prefer the Californian style seem to get caught up by the plum character. If you ARE able to get past it, even enjoy it, the plum fruit will enhance the wine tremendously, and hopefully bring the Merlot grape back into your good graces. This is a great ‘pop and pour’ wine for parties and cookouts, as it shows lots of flavor very quickly out of the bottle.

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April 03, 2008
2005 DOMAINE SAINT-GERMAIN IN DE SAVOIE PINOT NOIR
$16.99, $14.44/case
I almost feel bad using this as an Insider’s Pick. There are several regular customers that consider this wine their own little hidden treasure in the store, and probably think we’re ‘outing’ it by featuring it in the Insider’s Pick. ‘Now everyone will know!’ Well, yeah, that’s the point. Once more and more people get the chance to taste a unique wine like this, we will have even more reason to corner the market on Pinot Noir form the Savoie. We’ll be industry giants! The Savoie region is better known for its white wines, coming from the cool mountains just across the border from Switzerland. But the near perfection of the 2005 vintage in the rest of France was extended to them as well, and the lean tart fruit that usually dominates the Pinot Noir was replaced by fully ripe, almost Burgundian quality flavors. Once it’s poured in the glass, there is little to distinguish it from most quality Bourgogne Rouges out there. Tart cherry and strawberry leaf aromas float lightly from the glass over hints of licorice and spice in the background, similar in many ways to the reds from Givry or Mercurey. The mouth is surprisingly filling considering the lightness of fragrance, full of cherry skin flavors that almost want to veer towards being fruity at times, but are buffered by the bright cool climate acidity and silky tannins that bring the wine to a tart and refreshing finish. Those of you looking for rich jammy fruit will be disappointed, perhaps finding the wine thin. If you are a fan of cru Beaujolais, on the other hand, this will be right in your wheelhouse.
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