 With Spring spring-ing everywhere around us, it's a good time to start seeking out some warmer weather value wines to enjoy during outside socializing with our friends and neighbors. Wines with a bit of fizz can be fun, but there is a LOT of generic efforts out there, as if throwing a little bubble in some boring juice somehow makes it better. Good fizz starts with good juice, plain and simple. This bottling comes to us from the Mary Taylor portfolio of wines, an importer that helps to source and create the wines they bring in so that they can have traditional, well priced wines that properly represent their various regions across Europe. The grapes here are Glera, the backbone of Prosecco, as well as Garganega, and though the fruit all comes from within the Prosecco region it falls outside the standards to use that name. Don't sweat the lack of a name, because what's in the bottle is delicious. A light fizzy froth on the pour quickly calms down and leaves pretty golden apple and fresh pear skin aromas that stay crisper the cooler the wine is. The palate has a bit of tickle to it that gives a lot of refreshing texture to the core of white fruits, and gets slightly off-dry feeling the more the fizz falls away. Keep the cap screwed on between pours to keep it as lively as possible, and this will be a crowd pleaser for many months to come.
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 It can be difficult to find a wine with both great flavor AND great purpose, but every once in a while a gem falls into our laps. Planet Oregon is a second label from Soter Vineyards, regarded as one of America's foremost proponents of Organic/Biodynamic winemaking. Their strict following of these principles is obvious in the quality of their single vineyard and estate bottlings, and are sought by collectors everywhere. This brand was created in 2009 because, in their own words, they "wanted (it) to have a purpose greater than what is in the bottle, and a reach beyond the confines of one property or a few wine collectors’ cellars." The fruit is sourced from local sustainable or organic vineyards, and as part of the 1% For The Planet initiative donate $1 for each bottle sold to the Oregon Environmental Council. Beyond their environmental do-gooding, the wine is great, a textbook Oregon Pinot in every positive sense. Dusty Bing cherry and tart raspberry aromas that get warmer as the wine opens up, but don't veer into the sweeter tones, always staying fresh and bright. The palate is equally energetic, juicy with a nice weight for the price point but shows lots of tang behind the fruit, finishing with super fine tannins and a hint of pepperiness. Impressively classy wine for the price that doesn't need any extra time in the bottle to really strut its stuff.
 Italy is a treasure trove of unique grape varieties for the adventurous wine drinker, full of regional specialties that are part of the local culture but rarely if ever get exposed beyond that. We found the rare Bellone grape through this winery several years back through their basic bottling. How unknown is it? The total of the entry for Bellone in the usually comprehensive Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes is "very juicy ancient grape grown near Rome." Not much to go on, but it's been an under-the-radar success for many vintages now. Anthium take the grape to the next level (arguably the best version of the grape in the market) featuring a single 60 year old vineyard on the family property. Both the regular Bellone and Anthium are vinified the same way, but the extra vine age definitively elevates the quality of the wine. Bright in the glass with some noticeable viscosity, the aromas are full of deep tropical fruits with pops of citrus zest, warming but still refreshing. The palate is next level rich and unctuous with no signs of sweetness, pulpy and mouth-filling with plenty of mineral laden fruit and notes of skin tannin on the lengthy finish. Excellent match with rich seafood and poultry dishes, the extra texture really helps it stand up to almost any level of intensity.
 Looks like Winter weather has FINALLY decided to skip working hard on a Thursday, so we're able to get an Insider's Pick out for you. White Rhone wines are getting fewer and farther between these days. The red grapes are easier to grow and a bit more profitable, so many new or replanted vineyards are converting mostly if not wholly away from the white varieties. The nice silver lining is that when you do find a standout, they tend to be really well done and usually have some nicely mature vines that stay consistent from vintage to vintage. Clos du Caillou is an historic estate with most of their Cotes du Rhone vineyards pressed right against the borders of Chateauneuf, and also are connected to the diversity of the region, making a broad spectrum of both red and white wines. The vines here are of very similar age to the ones making their white Chateauneuf, as well as a similar blend, with this being tank aged instead of barrique aged. The blend of White Grenache, Viognier and Clairette (some vintages will see a splash of Roussanne from their Chateauneuf vineyards) is classic, fresh and floral with a bit of unctuous texture. Initial flowery hits from the Viognier turn towards zesty green citrus and apple notes, with lots of natural weight on the palate at first, then picking up the citrusy minerality to give a juicy mouthwatering finish that lingers impressively. A wine begging for foods to help elevate, like Spring salads or delicate fish dishes.
 With such cold dreary forecasts ahead of us the next few days, it probably serves us well to have something open that brings a little warmth and comfort to the customers. So much of Chile's wine history has been with Bordeaux influence, especially around the city of Santiago and the Maipe Valley. More recent developments are going further and further afield and exploring different styles and climates, as well as rediscovering some older ones. Itata is on the Southern coast of Chile near the city of Conception, and brings about a sort of Sonoma-esque coastal vibe. Cooling ocean winds and fog, tall pines in the craggy hills, all makes for some temperate growing conditions. Though it was first established in the 1500s by Spanish conquistadores, it has been largely overlooked with all the money and attention focused around Santiago. The last few decades have brought a new wave of winemakers to the region, looking to take advantage of the older forgotten vineyards and establish a less invasive style of farming/winemaking in these remote nooks and crannies. This Syrah is a perfect example, taking up a very cool character Northern Rhone style for an excellent price. Savory, smoky aromas at first with some black cherry skin and peppery meats that get a little warmer with some time in the glass. The palate has lots of energy and bright acidity behind the smoky flavors and lightly dusty tannins, decently weighty but not thick or chewy, with a lingering peppery finish. This is begging for a savory stew or lentil soup, something meat-like if not actually meaty.
 The Virginia wine industry is still in its infancy, relatively speaking, as there is still a lot to be learned about what grape varieties will perform the best. It can take a decade or two to figure out what experiments work the best, and even longer for others to mimic that success and replicate it (imitation being the greatest form of flattery and all that). Viognier became one of the first grapes to follow that form after early success with it from wineries like Horton in the 90s. We say all this as a lead in to today's wine because this is a wine that deserves to be copied by others in our area. Roussanne is revered in both the Northern and Southern Rhone for its distinctive aromas, which is absolutely nailed here with the signature 'herbal tea' and combination of both orange and white citrus. The palate is also spot-on with an oily viscosity perked by both acidity and some skin texture, finishing with a lot of citrus zest and fine tannins. Aging the wine in multi-use barrels and terracotta amphora help this earn a lot of delicious mouthfeel without any unnecessary barrel flavor or tannin being added. This will do exceptionally well with your richer and more aromatically complex seafood dishes, or just be damn sexy and exciting on its own.
 When you look at a map of the Languedoc from above, the vastness of the region along the Mediterranean seems like a broad nondescript mass. For much of its history, that would also describe the wines made here; nondescript and a mass (the highest volume producing region in France). Recent history has seen more and more wineries looking to separate themselves out from that mass and carve out some pockets of distinction, developing new appellations that will help show how their estate wines stand out against the mass produced co-operatives. Terrasses du Larzac is one of the older of these modern areas, though it wasn't officially recognized for labeling until 2005. Mas de Daumas Gassac started producing high quality estate wines in the late 1970s, proclaiming the higher elevations, temperature variants and diversity of soils at the edges of the Larzac plateau worthy of a 'Grand Cru' status relative to the rest of the Languedoc. Wines like this are proof that their belief was well founded, as they have the quality of a Cotes du Rhone but something else that makes them singular. Primarily concrete aged Grenache with varying amounts of Syrah, Mourvdre and Carignan from year to year, this is a blend of parcels from around the town of St Jean de la Blaquiere. Lots of energetic red fruit aromas, hinting at cranberry and spice as well as dark cherry and raspberry. The palate has a lot of texture with fine tannins and fruit that drinks a little darker than the aromas, still picking up citrusy/orange clove notes that have to come from the soils of the Terrasses. A great way to break up your Cotes du Rhone habit while staying with familiar flavors, lots of expression and enjoyment for the money.
INSIDER'S PICK: 2023 THE FLEDGE & CO. SOUZAO 'NIWATORI NO HA' JIKKEN BARRELS KLEIN KAROO $18.991/16/2025  Souzao is primarily known as a background grape for blending Port in the Douro region. Even in its native land you rarely see it as the featured grape, much less from South Africa. We had to hit up our favorite local South African winemaker, Riaan, for the full history: much of South Africa's early winemaking was focused on fortified wine, and many vineyards were planted using rootstock from Portugal to parallel Port as well as possible. Even though Souzao was less emphasized in the blends there are still older parcels scattered across the country waiting to be repurposed in projects like this one. A bit of a minimalist, 'natural' winemaking hand takes the heavy rustic sting out of the Souzao variety, but still leaves plenty for your taste buds to hold onto. Somewhere between deep purple and jet black in the glass, the aromas are packed with savory blue and black fruits (I like their term 'hedgerow fruits') with some pepper and iron tones, dark but never fruity or sweet. The palate takes a complete 180 degree turn with almost Gamay Beaujolais-like fine tannins, still darkly flavored but with brightness on the palate, almost tart like an underripe blackberry off the vine. Durable and dark enough for rustic dishes but also chillable if you so desired.
 No better way to send off 2024 than with some great Champagne, especially when you can also call it a great value as well. Words you don't usually get to use together when describing Champagne, so when we get the chance we try to shout it from the highest rooftops. A family run producer based primarily in the village of Champillon just above the city of Epernay, Alain Vincey hooked up with a Virginia based importer to start bringing their wines over, and in the words of the importer "we felt like we had won the lottery". This is a killer price for what we love to call 'Farmer Fizz', as the esteemed Terry Theise called his grower Champagnes. An even blend of Chardonnay/Pinot Noir/Pinot Meunier without a lot of time on the lees before disgorgement, this is every reason why you shouldn't bother with the mass market names. Crisp, bright and distinctive white fruits with tell-tale Champagne acidity and nerve underneath, loads of energy on the palate with a dusty baked apple to the palate and a nice lingering richness. This isn't a Champagne that's just trying to cash in on the name, no phoning it in here. Distinctive and individual, and drinking waaaaay over the price point, a wine worthy of any celebration.
 One of our favorite (re)-discoveries this year has been with the wines from Lioco. Since an epic tasting with them earlier in the year we have been stuffing the aisles with their distinctly atypical Californian wines. They specialize in a 'minimalist' style of winemaking, preferring lower alcohol levels and less oak influence, using vineyards with as little intervention in them as possible ('dry-farming, older vines, and sustainable agriculture' as it says on their labels). Not surprisingly they pull a lot of fruit from vineyards in Mendocino County for their Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Rhone varietal wines. Even in a 'basic' bottling like this, you get a perfect look at their style as it features fruit from many of the featured vineyards in their lineup. Noticeably less thick and purple colored in the glass than your usual Cali Pinot, the nose is full of Bing cherry and vibrant red fruits, hints of pepper and cranberry, all very elegant and bright. The palate is equally vibrant, with lots of mouth-watering red fruit tones an elegant super-fine tannins that bring out the darker savory notes on the finish. This is a wine that revels in its dryness, in its subtlety, in its restraint, and fans of the style will be thrilled.
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The Best of the Best.We offering free tastings on these wines in the store every Thursday and Friday, and a 10% discount off the retail price through the duration of the day. Come on by and give them a try! Archives
February 2025
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