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 2007
CHATEAU BIANCA PINOT GRIS WILLAMETTE VALLEY
There is a LOT to enjoy with Pinot Gris from Oregon’s
Willamette Valley. Technically it’s the same grape as Pinot
Grigio, but calling it Pinot Gris pays homage to the wine styles
of Alsace, where Pinot Gris reaches its most intense and succulent
best. When grown in the Grand Cru site and made by the hands of
the top producers, Pinot Gris makes the weightiest and most intensive
wines in Alsace, capable of even pairing with fatty red meat courses.
Few if any Oregon versions have reached that plateau just yet,
but they have shown tremendous popularity matching with rich oily
salmon meat dishes as well as the popular Pacific Rim fusion style
dishes. The key is to find the balance of just enough weight and
fruit to give the wine some flesh and still maintain enough acidity
to avoid being sweet and cumbersome. For this price point, very
few walk that tightrope as well as this. Aromas are full of ripe
pear and kiwi, and on first sip the mouthfeel is juicy and slightly
honeyed, but on repeated sips the underlying acidity brings out
more and more lime citrus and highlights the wine’s surprisingly
dry nature. A perfect wine for warmer weather, or matched with
slightly spicy dishes and appetizers.
Regular price $14.99, $12.74/case
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2008 BODEGAS ILURCE RIOJA 'SOLNIA'
The juicy and fruit first side of Tempranillo has helped many
consumers discover this important Spanish grape varietal over
the last decade or so, with lots of ripe red berry flavors and
reduced acidity for immediate pleasure. Traditionalists may yearn
for the more old school bottlings of classic Rioja, drier fruits
and more acidity and firm tannins to give the wine a Bordeaux
–like attitude and aging potential, even for the less expensive
bottlings. This wine touches on both preferences, thanks to the
strong presence of a grape usually blended in a Rioja in very
small amounts. Graciano is rarely featured in Rioja wines as it
generally very tannic and tart, but is small amounts is very important
to bringing much of Rioja’s aging potential, dusty brick
color when aged, and higher toned red fruit flavors. In 2008 the
wine Gods smiled on Graciano, allowing it to ripen so well that
it is being used in a wine like this at a 50/50 split with Tempranillo,
almost unheard of in a wine meant for shorter tem consumption.
Deep red color in the glass, but not the saturated purple of the
fruiter styled Tempranillos, and loaded with cherry skins and
blood orange aromas when first poured, with red fruits getting
more intensive as it opens up. In the mouth the Graciano is even
more present, cutting through the plum and black fruits with tart
strawberries, as well as bringing a longer tannin and acid influenced
finish. A lot more serious than your usual Spanish fruit bomb,
with loads of personality for even the most jaded palate.
Regular price $10.99, $9.34/case
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2007 FREDERIC REVERDY COTES DU RHONE
Since the wines began being bottles, the 2007 vintage in the Southern
Rhone has had a world of hype and publicity surrounding it. Reviewer
Robert Parker spearheaded much of the attention, hailing it as
one of the finest vintages experienced by ANY of the world’s
top winemaking regions. At the highest price range of the region,
primarily the wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, there is always room
for contrary points of view, and some other reviewers are more
reserved in their praise, citing overly alcoholic and thickly
extracted wines and an overall sense of too-much-ness. At the
value range, however, there is very little debate over the great
success of these wines, and the constant swarm of fleshy, spicy,
and sometimes gamey little beauties like this one that come through
our doors is a testament to that. Ripe ruddy color in the glass
with aromas of warm raspberries, black cherry, and Provencal herbs.
The weight in the mouth is moderate, spicy on the tongue but fairly
silky, and no signs of hard edges. Hyped or not, this wine has
loads of pleasure for the price.
Regular price $12.99, $11.04/case |
2008 DOMAINE DE l'HORTUS BERGERIE CLASSIQUE BLANC
One of the more popular Californian white wines over the last
decade or two has been Caymus Conundrum. The lightly sweet and
oaked blend of several grapes exemplified Californian cocktail
drinking white wine, blatantly embracing the sweeter elements
that their Chardonnays often attempt to hide behind more intensive
oak treatment. This wine could be seen as the French interpretation
of the Conundrum, though it doesn’t see the oak treatment
and is very versatile with food. Farmed from the rugged mountain
terrain of Pic Saint Loup in the Languedoc, l’Hortus shares
several grapes in its blend with Conundrum (Chardonnay, Sauvignon
Blanc, and Viognier), and the warm Mediterranean climate gives
the wine a similar softness of acidity to the Californian, but
that’s about where the similarities end. The other two grapes
in the l’Hortus blend, Sauvignon Gris and Roussanne, bring
more of the Southern Rhone dry citrus notes into the wine and
give the wine a sense of zest on the palate that is unexpected
considering the aromatics. Vibrant white flowers, peaches, pears
flow from the glass with a slight herbal mintiness hinting somewhere
in the background. The fruit in the mouth is lush with an almost
oily character to how it coats the palate while it’s in
your mouth, but finishes surprisingly clean. A great wine to use
with seafood when you really want to mix things up and try something
unexpected.
Regular price $17.99, $15.29/case
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2006 FITZ-RITTER RIESLING PFALZ
Rieslings from all over the world tend to make
a lot of appearances in our Select Six collections, but we just
can’t help ourselves. We constantly are finding fun, flavorful
little wines that destroy the common public opinion that Riesling
is always sweet and boring, and we are ALL about busting stereotypes
here. On release, a basic wine like this from a good small producer
is usually fairly juicy and forward tasting with soft pear and
white fruit flavors, and any sweetness present will be more pronounced.
Having a bit of extra time in the bottle has reduced the immediate
presence of those fruits, and while there is a touch of a honey
aroma, surprising new characters are coming through as well. Tart
lime and grapefruits are more present, and an almost seashell-y
salinity that almost seems like it could come from Muscadet in
the Loire. The residual sugar is present in the mouth as texture
only, giving the racy white fruit some body and depth. A surprisingly
refreshing and uniquely complex fun wine for warm weather dishes.
Regular price $9.99, $8.49/case |
2007 CHARLES & CHARLES 'VOLUME II' RED WINE COLUMBIA VALLEY
Washington State winemaker Charles Smith has been the man with
the golden touch the last few years, and he doesn’t seem
to show any signs of letting up. The former rock tour promoter
was voted Wine and Spirits magazine’s winemaker of the year
in 2009, based primarily on his iconic small production Syrahs
but with success all across his different projects and their signature
monochromatic labels. This project is in partnership with Charles
Bieler, whose line of Three Thieves wines are well known for their
tremendous value. ‘Volume I’ was a Rose release, but
with ‘Volume II’ things really get rolling. An even
blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine shows loads of
classic Washington State flesh and rich plummy and meaty character,
but avoid descending into the realm of ‘sweet’ flavors,
maintaining nice acidity and tannin throughout. A great wine to
line up for barbecue season coming up.
Regular price $13.99, $11.89/case
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