Far away in the deep upper reaches of Ballard, Matt Gubitosa toils away in small carefully organized cellar, slowly crafting his wines. His preference for aging in neutral oak barrels accents each varietal’s unique characteristics. It is in a belief that less is more – less new oak means more of the grape show through and speaks for itself. ANIMALE is a very small winery with an annual production of just around 200 cases. We have long been fans of the wines and look forward to each new vintage. Come join us this Saturday when we’ll be trying the new wines from 2012.
2012 ANIMALE, Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton (Oregon) $28
After several consecutive trying vintages, the 2012 vintage in the Willamette Valley was just about perfect. Delicate and classic, with notes of cola and rose petals, and a not insubstantial finish, suitable for aging or pairing with flavorful cuisine (13.5% alc, 30 cases made, bottled 5/11/14).
2012 ANIMALE, Dolcetto, Columbia Valley.$25
The last ANIMALE Dolcetto vintage from the Gilbert family’s “24K” vineyard before the vines were ripped out. A full-bodied, food-friendly wine with flavors of fresh cherry and vibrant acidity (14.4% alc., 24 cases made, bottled 6/1/14).
2012 ANIMALE, Cabernet Franc, Yakima Valley $25
86% Cabernet Franc, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Carmenère, 1% Petit Verdot).
From the cool-climate McIntire vineyard near Sunnyside, this elegant wine exhibits aromas of herbs and spices and flavors of dried bing cherries (13.2% alc., 23 cases made, bottled 9/19/14).
2012 ANIMALE, Cabernet Sauvignon, Yakima Valley $25
91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot
ANIMALE returns to Cabernet Sauvignon for the first time since 2008. This wine is also from the old-vine, cool-climate Crawford vineyard near Prosser – and exhibits complex notes of spices and pimento, firm invigorating acidity, and a lingering tannic finish, suitable for considerable aging or accompanying flavorful food now (13.6% alc., 23 cases made, bottled 8/2/14).
2012 ANIMALE, Petit Verdot, Columbia Valley. $26
Petit Verdot returns for the first time since the 2009 vintage; from the Gilbert “Doc Stewart” vineyard south of Mattawa. This is the biggest and boldest of the ANIMALE 21012s. Full bodied with notes of exotic fruits and spices, deep dark color, and a long tannic finish (14.1% alc., 22 cases made, bottled 7/1/14).
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.