Halloween is here, and besides bringing ghouls, ghosts and goblins, it also marks a shift in our thirsts towards richer, fuller wines. The meals get heartier and the wines need to stand up to them. Saturday we’re pouring wines to brace us for the shorter days and longer nights that lay ahead. We have a Pinot Gris from Oregon’s newest AVA, a complex Sauvignon Blanc from Sancere, an ancient grape from Alto Adige, a Petit Verdot that is anything but Petit, and a big bold red from Portugal.
2014 Brandborg, Pinot Gris $15
Brandboug is located in the Umpqua Valley in Elkton (Oregon’s newest AVA) on the main Umpqua River which flows through a valley opening to the Pacific only 36 miles away. This geography allows for a very strong marine influence with daily sea breezes and fog penetrating into the valley. This gives Elkton its unique climate – cool, maritime and temperate. The Pinot Gris has fresh fruit flavors; green mango, green apple and pineapple. The acidity keeps it fresh and crisp.
2014 Pierre Riffault, Sancere $20
Sauvignon Blanc
This Sancerre is vinified in tank with the lees being regularly stirred for more body, aroma and favors. A blend of two terroirs; the “caillottes” give fruit and freshness, while flinty soils lend minerality. The wine shows aromas of fern, hawthorn, flowers, white fruits, and grapefruit zest. The unctuous mouth feel has ripe fruit character with intermingling notes of citrus zest and minerals.
2010 Roeno, Enantio Terradeiforti DOC $15
Roeno is a family estate between Verona and Trento in the Alto Adige. The grape Enantio dates back in the area to at least the 1st century AD. The Roeno spends 15 months in oak barrels, 6 month in stainless steel tanks before bottling. The wine has a complex bouquet of red berries, spices with a soft tobacco and incense notes.
2012 Bonair, Petit Verdot $22
Bonair has been “quietly producing fine wines since 1985” in the town of Zilla in the Rattlesnake Hills AVA. This Petit Verdot is estate-grown. The vines produced a very small crop of highly concentrated fruit with cool nights allowing the grapes to retain great acidity. The wine was aged 2 years in new French barrels. Blackberry and cherry aromas greet the nose with layers of vanilla from the integrated French oak.
2012 Prats & Symington, Post Scriptum de Chryseia $26
45% Touriga Nacional, 54% Touriga Franc, 1% other
Chryseia, meaning “golden” in Greek, is crafted by the Symington family (Port producers since 1882) and Bruno Prats (former owner of Cos d’Estournel). The 2012 Post Scriptum de Chryseia is aged for 13 months 400-liter French oak. It has aromas of plums and attractive resinous notes. Lush and mouth-filling with satisfying pure and compact black fruits, displaying undertones of mineral and spice, underscored by fine acidity.
Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 4-5 selections on a theme every Saturday from 2 until the bottles run out and on Sunday we offer a mini-tasting of two wines all day from 11-5.