Near Water
Oil Paintings by Suzanne Brooker
August 10th to September 11th
Water is an element of change. Unlike air, it has the appeal of visible weight and direction when it is bound to the ground and creates paths through the landscape. A trickster with many disguises, the dynamics of water is a constant challenge to render in paint from the dancing currents of fast water running downhill to the sculptural effects of the water course over rocky shores.
Who doesn’t love a mystery? Here’s what we can tell you:
99% of these wines are Red (there is 1 bottle of tawny port floating around in there somewhere).
They all have stained labels (some just a little, some quite a lot).
They all normally sell for between $13 to $20 a bottle (a couple even more).
None of them were made in Woodinville.
First come first served.
2 bottles for $16 (11–Two packs available)
6 bottles for $48 (13 – Six packs available)
You’ll have to sleuth the rest out for yourself.
A classic white to sip while you sit in the shade and try and calm the nerves from the loud planes overhead.
Champalou
The Champalous (Didier and Catherine) are masters of Loire Chenin Blanc, producing Vouvray in all styles. If you know Vouvray you love them them. If you don’t know Vouvray this is a great introduction.
2019 Champalou, Vouvray $24
Chenin Blanc
This still, dry rendition of Vouvray, aged in stainless steel, is gentle and refreshing on the palate, it boasts a delightful balance of stony minerality with luscious, almost honeyed fruit and flowery notes,
12.5% alcohol by volume
Ever feel like you are choosing the same wines over and over to drink. Well break out of the mold. Here are some very delicious and distinct whites that aren’t easily pigeonholed. A perfect exploration for any summer evening.
2020 Arzabro Harria Txakoli $15
Hondarrabi Zuri
Harria (‘stone’ in the Basque language). Not much fizz here but the flavor is intense, with varietal aromas, particularly of citrus fruit (limes, grapefruit) and apples and other white pulp fruit. Fresh and harmonious in the mouth, with that elegant bitter hint typical of the grape variety.
Was $19 Now $15
12.5% alcohol by volume
2020 Hild Elbling Trocken $18
The joy of Elbling is the uncompromising vigor and energy, the raucous and super-chalky acidity. This mineral aspect comes from the limestone soils (not slate!) that you find in the upper Mosel Valley It is here where the Elbling grape thrives & makes a delicious white wine. Organic
11.5% alcohol by volume
2021 Cor Cellars Alba Cor $19
55% Pinot Gris, 45% Gewurztraminer
A blend of two traditionally Alsatian varietals into one Columbia Gorge wine from the Celilo vineyard. Co-fermented in a concrete tank, the Alba shows notes of peach, melon and honeysuckle accentuated by spicy notes of pear and lychee.
13% alcohol by volume
2020 Leth Roter Veltliner Klassik $20
It is not Gruner. Subtle nose of red apple and sweet melon. A juicy, tropical fruit mix on the palate with a perfect balance of acid and a wisp of sweetness. Warm, creamy spice that lingers. Organic
12.5% alcohol by volume
Vincent Couche Vooulez Vous Couche Avec Moi? $42
65% Pinot Noir, 35 % Chardonnay
This wine is an unusual curiosity. From vineyards in Champagne with clay and limestone soils, this wine is aged for 2 years in clay amphora and oak barrels. It transports all the yeasty complexity of a champagne to a still white wine.
No sulphites, Organic
12.5% alcohol by volume
2021 Swick Wines The Hux $31
100% Huxelrebe
Willemette Valley
Huxelrebe [hooksal-reeba] is a crossing of Chasselas and Courtillier Musqué. This wine was destemmed and macerated on the skins for 30 days, plunged or foot-stomped twice daily. Umami is the predominant flavor here – like a lick of salt and damp earth. Organic
2020 Marginalia Amber Wine $30
Semillon
Semillon from Les Collines Vineyard on skins for two weeks before pressing to barrel; this is on the more structured end of the amber wine spectrum with a whole lot happening on the palate.
12.4% alcohol by volume
Get ’em while it’s hot. These two sizzling deals just arrived at the shop. Pick them up and chill out.
2018 Leone de Castris, Il Medaglione Negroamaro Rosé $10
Salento
This rosé, made with Negroamaro, has a rich cherry red color. The nose is very fresh, fruity and floral with aromas of rose, strawberry and cherry. On the palate it is well-structured and dry, with red fruit flavors, lively acidity and a persistent finish.
Was $15 now $10
2018 Henri Bourgeois, Sancerre Jeunes Vignes Rosé $18
Pinot Noir
This selection of grapes from young vines gives a fruity wine bursting with energy. Its freshness and acidity are clean and bright with berries.
Was $23 now $18
2003 Sordo, Ceretta di Perno Reserva Barolo $85
Nebbiolo
The bouquet is self-assured, intense, pervasive and broad-based. It tells of delicate hints of ripened fruit, cacao, fine woods, mint and sweet spices. The flavors are a blend of resolved tannins, cherry fruit and tobacco notes. Very limited.
Lambrusco is the name of a sparkling red wine from northern Italy, as well as the family of red grapes that go into lambrusco wines. The most common varieties are Lambrusco Salamino, Lambrusco Grasparossa, Lambrusco Maestri, Lambrusco Marani, Lambrusco di Sorbara. The wines are low alcohol, best served chilled and are a delight to drink on a hot afternoon and better than beer at a Barbeque. Here is what we stock at the moment.
Paltrinieri Sant Agata, Lambrusco di Sorbara Rosé $16
Sorbara
Sparkling rosé Lambrusco!!!! The nose is intense and elegant, with notes of forest fruits and a characteristic aroma of violet. The palate is fruity and dry, with refreshing acidity.
11% alcohol by volume
Cantina Coviolo, Lambrusco Biologico Secco $12
30% Salamino, 30%, Marani, 30% Maestri, 10%, Ancellotta
Ruby red color with a purplish highlight; fresh and fruity bouquet which reminds to soft fruits and black cherry. Dry, intense, full bodied and harmonic on the palate.
Organic
11% alcohol by volume
Bertolani,Lambrusco Rosso All’Antica $15
Salamino, Marani, Ancellotta
A good quality, traditional, dry Lambrusco offers aromas of ripe black plum, raspberry, sweet mint and river cobble; on the palate, black cherry mingles with a slightly bitter finish.
11.5% alcohol by volume
Cantina di Sorbara, Lambrusco Salamino $13
Made from Salamino grapes. Beautiful freshness here with freshly soaked blueberries, elderberries, spearmint and rosemary. Dry, balanced and medium-bodied, drawing on a fine thread of bubbles and precise, cutting acidity.
11% alcohol by volume
La Battagliola, Lambrusco 30 Dosage $16
Grasparossa
The wine pours an intense violet red with fruity aromas of currant, blackberry and cherry; in the palate it presents a mellow structure, with an acid-crisp making it fresh and lively.
12% alcohol by volume
Wondering what to drink with your dinner on a weeknight? Here are a pair of recent arrivals that are teaming up to fill the after work doldrums.
Domaine Couron is family-run estate that lies in the tiny hamlet of Saint Marcel d’Ardeche. Wine has been grown here since antiquity. Parcels are terraced at Couron, with one higher in elevation than the next. Using sustainable and practicing organic farming techniques, Jean-Luc and Marie-Lise Dorthe craft, with loving hands, wines on land once cultivated by the Romans.
2021 Domaine Couron Ardeche Rosé $10
100% Grenache
A bright, bountiful bouquet of fresh strawberries and watermelon with notes of citrus zest. Fresh, with great freshness and complexity. Full-flavored, but light-bodied mélange from light framboise and strawberry.
2019 Domaine Couron Maraselan $11
Marselan is a cross of Cab Sauv and Grenache and this one from the Ardeche is savory and layered with black plum, dark wild berries and sweet earth. It matches up with a wide range of food for everyday drinking.
This weekend we continue with a few more wines from the Northern Rhone. The vineyards are small and the prices can be as steep as the hillsides they are planted on. The Northern Rhone is much cooler than its Southern neighbor and the Syrah are truly distinct and the whites full and rich.
2020 Yves Cuilleron, Crozes-Hermitage Blanc, Les Rouses $33
100% Marsanne
Aromas of fresh citrus and orchard fruits are joined by minerals and florals. Round and velvety on the palate, offering ripe pear, orange and honey flavors that show very good clarity and floral lift. The pear and floral notes carry through the supple, clinging finish, which leaves a hint of fresh fig behind
2019 Domaine Belle, Crozes Hermitage, Les Pierrelles $25
Syrah
The Les Pierrelles comes from sandy, pebbly soils and spent 14 months in 2- to 5-year-old barrels. Saturated purple/ruby-colored, with beautiful notes of blackberries, pepper, ground herbs, and hints of minerality, it hits the palate with a rounded, supple, elegant texture that carries terrific depth and richness. It’s a beautiful Crozes that will keep for 7-8 years, probably longer
2020 Chevalier, Crozes-Hermitage, Les Voleyses $26
Syrah
The Voleyses Cuvée is made from younger vine fruit and aged in stainless steel. Fragrant nose of blackberries, plums, a hint of leather. Layers of fruit roll over the plate, very soft and appealing. Chewy texture, earthy finish.
2018 Domaine des Pierres Seches, Saint Joseph $46
Syrah
A stunning Saint-Joseph that captures the heart and soul of this appellation — indeed, it hails from villages that make up the southern part of Saint-Joseph, its original borders, where fruit is riper, earthy and very profound. Winemaker Sylvain Gauthier selects fruit from mostly older vines for this gem of a northern Syrah. Aromas of red and black fruit, licorice, soy, crushed stones, lots of peppery spice. Medium-bodied, juicy, fine-grained tannins. Very long
2019 Domaine Vincent Paris, Cornas Granit 30 $45
Syrah
This Cornas Granit 30 designation refers to the soil, the approximate age of the vines, and the slope on which they are planted. Aromas are a cloud of camphor, black pepper, lillies, gravel, roasted plums, smoked meat. It leads with pure dark fruit with a smoky mid-palate, and a savory, mineral finish. The tannins have a gentle grip. Prime northern Rhône Syrah with just enough force to reel you in. Organic, Biodyanmic.
2019 Francois & Fils, Cote Rotie $77
97% Syrah, 3% Viognier
This intense Côte-Rôtie has aromas of black fruits and violets. The tannins of great finesse offer a full and round substance to an already ample and tasty mouth. Ready to drink now or leave to evolve in the cellar.
2014 Jaboulet, Crozes Hermitage la Mule Blanche $20
50% Marsanne, 50% Roussanne
Aged in 15% new French oak, with the balance in stainless steel and concrete eggs. Offering up lots of buttered citrus, lychee nut and white flowers, it’s medium-bodied, fresh and lively, if not racy on the palate. Possessing solid fruit and the overriding elegance that’s become the hallmark of the estate. Biodynamic
Was $35 Now $20
