This Saturday we are pouring some special wines from Walla Walla and the Willamette that fit with the festive season.  These wines are fit for gifts, gourmet dinners or just toasting the season.

2010 Sleight of Hand Cellars, Modern Wine Project Chardonnay  $24 
From the cooler 2010 vintage MWP’s Chardonnay was aged 22 months in mostly new French oak for, and has been in bottle for the last year, undisturbed and waiting.  Full of ripe, tropical fruits, brioche, hazelnuts, and Meyer lemon, it has a wonderfully full, rich texture from the full ML treatment, yet maintains wonderful acidity to carry the finish.

2012 Patricia Green Pinot Noir Reserve $24
Patricia Green is known for her vineyard designated Oregon Pinots.  But her multi-vineyard blend is the real deal and the real bargain.  2012 was a good year in the Willamette, amidst a number of challenging ones.  The 2012 Reserve is fresh and mouthwatering with sweet black berry and cherry fruit flavors.  There’s a bit of very appealing field herbs and earth in the mix and a smooth silky finish.  

Turtulia Cellars, Redd Brand Grenache  $15
This non-vintage Grenache is a berry cocktail of strawberries, raspberries, black current, with ginger spice, rhubarb and a smooth finish.

2012 Sleight of Hand, The Conjurer  $30
42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Cabernet Franc, 24% Merlot
The 2012 Conjurer was aged for 11 months in 20% new French oak. It’s full-bodied and rich, with enough acidity to keep it bright and youthful.  The wine is brimming with fresh red fruits, like cherries and pomegranate, and has an herbal note from the Cabernet Franc. The lush finish carries the fruit on forever with well-integrated, fine tannins. 

2008 Rasa, QED Syrah  $40
83% Syrah, 10% Grenache, 5% Mourvèdre, 2% Viognier. 
Rasa Vineyards is the manifestation of a dream shared by two brothers, Pinto and Billo Naravane, avid wine enthusiasts and oenophiles who cashed in their day jobs and went pro.  QED comes from the Latin “quod erat demonstrandum” or “to be demonstrated.” The QED demonstrates what they are trying to achieve.  It has a seductive, complex bouquet with notes of grilled meats, blackberries, earth, herbes de provence, violet, and vanilla. The flavors are of blackberry, kirsch, white pepper, black truffle, earth, mineral, and smoked meats. Its voluptuous mouthfeel and cashmere textured tannins lead the palate to a resonating finish.

Ports are diverse and delicious. And as the cold weather hits they keep the chill away. Stop by on Sunday to sip some of these tasty delights from two old Port houses Kopke and Rocha. Local Port expert Sarah Timbrook-Nugent will be with us to talk about different styles of Port and the history of these venerable producers.

Porto Kopke Lágrima White Port — $18 for a 750ml bottle

Oak-aged for 5 years, the wine is produced from a variety of white grapes, including Malvasia Fina. So loved by the Portuguese as to be called “The Tears of Christ”, the wine has a wonderful, medium-sweet style with citrus and lemon verbena fruit that is balanced by good acidity. Serve slightly chilled as an aperitif with hot-spicy starters, with fruit salads, desserts or just let your imagination run wild

Porto Kopke 10 Year Old Tawny $15 – 375ml bottle , $30 – 750ml

Tawny ports are made from red grapes, but the ageing in barrel exposes them to oxidation. As a result, they gradually mellow to a golden-brown color and develop “nutty” flavors. Kopke’s 10 YO Tawney is so well developed that it has the quality of most 20 Year Olds. Kopke overshoots the required age of the wines in this blend by at least five years. So this would qualify as a 15 Year old if that labeling existed. Honey colored, with deep ambrosial flavors and mouth-filling richness. “Fine nose of toasted almonds with butterscotch & honey. Smooth, unctuous and very tasty…I liked this Kopke for the textural pleasure and pure nutty flavor that led to the persistent aftertaste.” 91 pts. Roy Hersh, For the Love of Port

2007 Porto Rocha Late Bottled Vintage Port $14 – 375ml bottle, $24 -750ml

This LBV is aged 4 to 6 years in cask before release to soften up and develop the wine. This “preview” of the Vintage Port, provides a smooth drinking, full-bodied, filtered port with exciting ripe fruit flavors of plum, black cherry and a touch of pepper.

This Saturday we’ll be Fizzing, Frothing and Effervescing with an array of sparkling wines from the Languedoc, Veneto, Traisental, the Loire and of course Champagne.  You don’t have to wait for New Years, bubbles are great for parties, with dinner, with breakfast.  In fact they may be the most versatile type of wine there is.  Add a little sparkle to the weekend. The corks come off at two.

Le Cris des Roches Blanc de Blanc Brut $12
This Cry of the Rocks in made from Ugni Blanc, Colombard, and a little Chardonnay from the southwest and Languedoc.  Secondary fermentation is done in closed vat.  This was created specifically for the local importer so it comes in at a good price. 

LaJara Prosecco Frizante Rosé $12
La Jara means” Pebbles” which cover the vineyards in abundance.  The property has belonged to the Marion family since 1891.  Although certified organic, increasingly biodynamic practices have been taken up, whilst the winery is a spotless cathedral of tiles, tanks and beams. The wine has fine and persistent bubbles with a beautiful smell of white flowers and an intense taste of fresh fruits.

Hurber Hugo Rosé  $18
Pinot Noir and Zweigelt
At the tender age of twenty-three, Markus Huber took over the task of making wine at his family’s winery in the Traisental region of Austria. The Huber family has been making wine from their land for five generations.   His Rosé has aromas of wild cherries, grapefruit, white pepper & roses.

Domaine de Pré Baron, Cremant de Loire Brut $18
Chardonnay, Orbois, Pinot Noir
Guy and Jean-Luc Mardon, a father and son team, have 35  hectares of vineyards in Oisly in the Loire.  The father works the vineyards, while the son has taken over the vinification.  Their Cemant is hand picked, uses the Champagne method of pressing, and is kept on its lees for more than one year. It’s a lively wine with delicate fragrance.

Zoémie de Sousa, Cuvée Brut Merveille $45
50% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier.  
The grapes for the Zoémie come from De Sousa’s 9.5 hectares estate which they farm organically. The Merveille is a blend of the three main Champagne grapes; Chardonnay imparts finesse and elegance, Pinot Noir provides structure and intensity and Pinot Meunier adds fruitiness. It ages on its lees for two years before disgorging.  It has a high degree of brilliance and a host of dainty bubbles.  It exudes aromas of stone fruits, that develop into candied and dried fruits flavors that are suave and ample on the palate, with notes of citrus and mineral overtones.

Ports for the Holidays

Sunday, December 8th, 1-3pm

Ports are diverse and delicious.  And as the cold weather hits they keep the chill away.  Stop by on Sunday to sip some of these tasty delights from two old Port houses Kopke and Rocha.  Local Port expert Sarah Timbrook-Nugent will be with us to talk about different styles of Port and the history of these venerable producers.

Sunday after Thanksgiving is all about left overs. And to go along with Turkey sandwiches or Turkey soup we’ll be pouring a couple of leftovers from the warehouse that are marked down while they last.

2011 Domaine Sainte Rose Le Marin Blanc $11
Marsanne Rousanne
White melon, pear drops and sweet vanilla. Good acidity and balance up front followed by rich, caramel flavors and a glycerol-smooth finish. Was $16 now $11

2008 Botromagno Nero di Troia             $12
Fruity aromas of bottled cherries, and spicy notes of vanilla and cinnamon, sage and mint, and tobacco leaf. Velvet smooth and full-flavored, with generous tannins. Was $20 now $12

In addition to these two dessert wines, we also have a selection of splits in red, white and bubbles to complete that stocking.

Recover from the stress of Black Friday, avoid the eye strain and carpal tunnel of Cyber Monday.  Come get some retail therapy that will do you good.  Saturday we are pouring some beautiful wines to take the stress out of the holidays.  We have some big, beautiful Bordeaux and some bright, bustling bubbles. Come find a wine that will make your season bright.

Paul Louis Martin, Champagne, Bouzy, Brut $32
70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay
Louis Martin is a small family grower Champagne producer in Montagne de Reims with 10 Hectares of vineyards.  The brute has a buttery aroma and grilled notes, chalky citrus flavors and a good balance between power and freshness.

2011 Domaine le Portail, Cheverny Blanc  $11
80% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Chardonnay 
Niether bubbles or Bordeaux this white comes from the Loire Valley but it is such an excellent value we had to throw it in.  The Chardonnay gives elevated fruit components and texture, while the Sauvignon lend terrific minerality and a clean citrusy finish.

2007 Chateau Marsau Côtes de Francs  $11
Merlot
Owner Jean-Marie Chadronnier is a firm believer in the pure expression of terroir. Situated on the highest slopes of the Cotes de Francs, Chateau Marsau enjoys a limestone-clay soil perfectly suited to Merlot which comprises 100% of the vineyard planting.  The 2007 vintage of Marsau is not a ripe as the 2005, but the structure is still there and the fruit is tasty if not massive.  An unbelievable deal at this price.

2010 Châteu Beaumont Haut Médoc  $21 
53% Cabernet, 46% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot
Positioned on the left bank of the Garonne, between Saint-Julien and Margaux, Château Beaumont draws its finesse and delicate qualities from the deep gravel of the best soils in the Haut-Médoc. A nice full Cab heavy Bordeaux that is rich and weighty with serious fruit and tannins.  Drink now or put down and watch it develop.

2009 Château La Tour de Mons Margaux  $32
34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 55% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot
Château La Tour de Mons is a single block vineyard in the northern part of the Margaux near the banks of the Garonne.  The wine is a big, full, classic Margaux.  The wine displays a great aromatic complexity on the nose with red fruits, blueberries, and delicate oaky notes. It offers on the palate the generosity, the opulence, the power and the density of this exceptional vintage. It is an elegant and distinguished wine with a long finish showing a rare aromatic complexity. 

While not Kosher wines, these two affordable Thanksgivukkah go equally as well with Latkes as Turkey. Come taste for yourselves.

2012 Saint Roch Les Vignes Rosé    ($15)
50% Cinsault, 50% Grenache
A lovely dry Provence Rosé with lots of peach and necterine notes. 13% alcohol by volume

2012 Lorelle Pinot Noir    ($15)
Willamette Valley
From renowned Oregon winemaker J. Albin, this lighter Oregon Pinot has fresh clean fruit flavors. Priced to go with the salmon burgers, not just the line caught King. 12.9% alcohol by volume