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Stragglers
Nothing wrong with these grape jewels other than they are the last stragglers from a particular vintage and we want them gone to make way for exciting new wines.
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Saturday, October 27th — 2pm
Come by this Saturday when we will be pouring some tasty wines from Oregon and Washington. The Northwest is bursting with great wine and we’ve rounded up these examples that have great quality and are modestly priced. Come wet your whistle. Local oenophile Steven Brown will be on hand to tell you all about them.
2011 Anne Amie Pinot Gris $18
From Yamhill-Carlton and the Chehalem Mountains the grapes for Anne Amie’s showcase the heart of the Willamette Valley. The cooler 2011 vintage was great for white wines. Their Pinot Gris has intensely aromatic floral notes that give way to a palate of Asian pear, Meyer lemon and rose petal. The body is balanced and crisp,
2008 Vista Hills Winery, Treehouse Pinot Noir $20
Vista Hills is a 40 acre estate in Oregon’s Dundee hills that uses a consortium of winemakers. The 2009 Treehouse was produced by Dave Petterson at Panther Creek Cellars who also manages Vista Hills. The Treehouse Pinot Noir offers an earthy nose with notes of roasted coffee, dark chocolate, plum and nutmeg on the palate. Round tannins provide sturdy length and structure. It is a good example of Oregon Pinot at a great price.
2008 Cana’s Feast Brico Red $15
Located in Carlton Oregon, Cana’s Feast specializes in Italian varietals. The fruit for the Brico red comes from Coyote Canyon, Ciel du Cheval vineyards in Columbia Valley. This Sangiovese-predominant blend is a full-bodied and lively wine with zesty Old World appeal that is complemented with a rich and full palate more often expressed in the New World.
2008 St. Laurent Winery, Syrah $16
Fruit growers who expanded out into grapes and then wine, the folks at St Laurent make some tasty Washington wines at quite reasonable prices. The Syrah comes from their Wahluke Slope vineyard which they sustainably farm. Bright and flavorful, this Syrah has a juicy mouthful of dark blackberry and raspberry with hints of spice. It was barrel aged for 18 months mostly in French oak with 21% of that being new.
2008 Bunnell Family Cellars, Mourvedre $36
After winemaking at Chateau Ste. Michelle, Beringer and Kendall-Jackson, Ron Bunnell turned his hand to making his own wine. Bunnell specializes in small handmade lots of wine from Rhône Valley grape varieties. The Mourvedre, from Northridge Vineyard on Wahluke Slope, has aromas of white pepper and grapefruit pith, soft tannins, complex flavors of cassis and Rainier cherries, white pepper, star anise with a hint of grapefruit rind.
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2010 Sinister Hand $25
63% Grenache, 19% Syrah, 16% Mouvèdre, 2% Cinsault The story goes like this- Long ago, the O’Neills and O’Reillys two Irish clans held a rowing competition to settle the rights to some highly regarded land. The two agreed that the first to touch the land, after rowing across the lake, would become ruler of the land. O’Neill’s boat was falling behind so a member of the crew grabbed his own sword, cut off his hand and threw it ashore, winning the title to rule the land. This land still remains in the family. A dark story needs a dark wine, and this Châteauneuf-du-Pape inspired red suits the bill. Notes of spicy red hots, cinnamon and pine lead to a bursting mouth-feel of cassis, white pepper, berries and firm tannins.
2008 Mas Carlot Les Enfants Terribles $16
50% Mouvèdre, 50% Syrah Costières de Nîmes Apparently bad children make really good wine.
2011 Château d’Oupia Les Heretiques $10
Carignan blend Pays d’Hérault 40+ year old vines. Half of the wine is fermented in barrel with a maceration of 30 days. The other half is made by carbonic maceration.
Saturday, October 20th, 2pm
A few of the things we love in wine are small producers, older vines, sustainable practices, and great quality value. These all play second fiddle to pure hedonic pleasure, but there is no reason to not have it all. This Saturday we’re tasting some wonderful French wines that fill the whole bill. They come to us from Wine Traditions, a small but discerning importer who specializes in all the above. Come discover them for yourself.
2011 Château Magneau, Graves Blanc $14
45% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Semillion, 15% Muscadelle
Château Magneau has been run by the Ardurat family since before the reign of Henri IV. Its 30 year old Bordeaux vines are sustainably farmed without chemicals. Muscadelle used in a small proportion gives the wine an extroverted and inviting bouquet. Semillon offers both ripe stone fruit flavors and a rich texture on the palate. Sauvignon Blanc adds melon and citric flavors and provides a clean citric finish to the wine. The result is a full bodied wine with a nice progression of mixed fruit, clean citrus and rich texture.
2011 Domaine Les Grands Crays, Viré-Clessé $20
Clos du Chateau ,Chardonnay
In Viré-Clessé in the Haut-Maconnais, Dominique Terrier farms 20 hectares of vineyards, sending 25% of his crop to the local co-op and vinifing the rest himself. Clos du Chateau comes from the estate’s upper parcels (average age 40 years). The soils are very stony with some veins of flint and very little topsoil. Vinification is done using indigenous yeasts. The wine then rests sur lie until bottling. The Clos has a big voluptuous body with herbal and mineral notes throughout and a clean citrus core. It’s an amazing Burgundy for the money.
2009 Château Jouclary, Cabardès $12
Merlot, Syrah, Grenache
Cabardès gets influences from both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean creating a unique clime allowing it to grow these differently suited varietals. Merlot supplies the backbone of the wine, while the old vine Grenache and Syrah from the stony upper hillside contribute ripe flavors and warmth on the palate. The wine has fine mineral aromas and deep dark fruit.
2002 Chateau Guerosse, St. Emilion Grand Cru $30
85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc
Chateau Gueyrosse has slightly under 5 hectares vineyards of 40 year old vines that they farm without any chemicals. Yields are kept exceptionally low. It undergoes a long maceration of 3 to 5 weeks. The wine is aged in tank for 1 to 3 months and then in older barrels for 18 more. The 2002 is showing lovely fruity aromas, and a good full structured body with a long finish. It is aged and ready to drink.
2008 Loupiac- Gaudiet, Loupiac $16 / 500ml
80% Semilon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc
Château Loupiac-Gaudiet dates from the 15th century in the village of Loupiac directly across from the appellations of Barsac and Sauternes. Harvesting is done in stages to allow botrytis to fully affect the grapes and concentrate the sugars. The wine is one of delicate flavors and pristine balance. It is a lovely desert wine with good fruit and noble rot at a better price than a Sauterne.
Thursday, October 18th — 5:30 to 7:30
We’ve been open one year!!! To mark the occasion, this Thursday we’ll be sampling our selection of Kansas City Barbeque Sauces. Come find out which is your favorite – Arthur Bryant’s, Gates, or Bigg’s. We have the largest selection of Kansas Sauce in the city. To pair with those sauces we will be tasting some big red wines from Owen Roe. Stop by after work and help us celebrate.
2010 Sharecropper’s Cabernet Sauvignon $16
Bright red fruit aromas, such as plum and raspberry, mix with hints of white pepper, earth, green olive and dried cranberry. The Sharecropper’s cuts the sauce and sends you back for more.
2011 Abbot’s Table $26
45% Zinfandel, 33% Sangiovese, 15% Blaufränkisch, 4% Merlot, 3% Malbec
With a lower 13% alcohol level, the Abbot’s Table is laden with blackberry, black cherry and white pepper notes with a subtle finish of cedar and pepper and a balanced mouthfeel, as rich and delicious as slow roasted Que.
2010 Sinister Hand $25
63% Grenache, 19% Syrah, 16% Mouvèdre, 2% Cinsault
The story goes like this- Long ago, the O’Neills and O’Reillys two Irish clans held a rowing competition to settle the rights to some highly regarded land. The two agreed that the first to touch the land, after rowing across the lake, would become ruler of the land. O’Neill’s boat was falling behind so a member of the crew grabbed his own sword, cut off his hand and threw it ashore, winning the title to rule the land. This land still remains in the family. A dark story needs a dark wine, and this Châteauneuf-du-Pape inspired red suits the bill. Notes of spicy red hots, cinnamon and pine lead to a bursting mouth-feel of cassis, white pepper, berries and firm tannins. Try it with Arthur’s.
2010 Ex Umbris Syrah $30
Ex Umbris “from the shadows” was inspired one year when local fires accented the smoky nature of Syrah. And while there aren’t fires around the vineyards every year, the Ex Umbris still pulls out that smoky character. Its dark fruit notes mingle with hints of tobacco, bacon, earth and white pepper. What could be more perfect for barbeque?
Saturday, October 13th, 2pm
This Saturday we have a great line up of intense and intriguing wines from the diverse regions of Spain. Come get a taste of Cataluña, La Mancha and of course Rioja. They’re diverse and delicious.
Mas Fi, Cava, $10
40% xarel-lo, 35% Macabeo, 25% Parellada
Mas Fi is a family run estate winery in Vilafranca del Penedès. The Cava is an elegant and balanced sparkling wine. Undergoing second fermentation in this bottle, it is aged for 10 months providing its fine bubbles and complex and structured palate. There are notes of white flowers and citrus on the nose, with fresh stone fruits and pleasant creamy flavors in the mouth.
2011 Gramona, Gessami, $17
40% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Muscat Alexandria, 35% Muscat Frontignan, 10% Gewürztraminer
The Gessami is made for sustainably farmed 35 to 50 year old vines in Penedès by a family estate known for their Cava. This wild blended white has a very floral bouquet of roses, jasmine and spice, along with fennel, apricots and earthy forest notes.
2008 Bodegas Almanseñas, La Huella de Adaras $12
65% Grenacha, 30% Monastrell, 10% Syrah
This sustainably farmed, estate Bodegas in La Mancha sits at 25oo feet on the Almansa plateau. The wine is aged for 12 months in Stainless steel tanks followed by 6 months in oak barrels. The La Huella has notes of smoke and underbrush along with leathery dark fruit and a good finish.
2009 Celler Cal Pla, Black Slate Porrera, $20
60% Garnacha and 40% Carinena,
From Priorat, the Black Slate ages for two years in neutral oak barrels to soften and concentrate the wine. “Intense blackberry, cassis and licorice on the nose. Powerful and densely packed, with a structured impression to its dark cherry, black fruits and spices. Finishes weighty, sweet and long, with silky tannins and an echo of licorice.” — International Wine Cellar
2006 Orben, $35
97% Tempranillo & 3% Graciano
Orben’s high altitude vineyards are located in the Rioja Alavesa in scattered small parcels of slopes and micro valleys heavily influence by the Atlantic breezes. The vines average 60 years old and are organically farmed.. The wine is aged for 15 months in fine grain French barrels. “It offers up a superb kinky, sexy perfume of toasty oak, pencil lead, leather, black cherry, and blackberry. Rich and elegant on the palate, it has layers of succulent fruit, well-concealed tannins, impeccable balance and a 45-second finish. So loaded that it can be enjoyed now, it will nevertheless age effortlessly for 4-6 years and drink well through 2026.” – Wine Advocate 93pts.
Saturday, October 6th, 2pm
Crush is in full swing in Washington with the grapes coming in and starting their wonderful transformation into wine. To celebrate, this Saturday we’ll be pouring a fine line up of local juice, showing off just a little of the state’s depth and variety. Come have a toast to the Harvest.
Windfall Winery, Asian Pear Wine $14
Windfall Winery is the brainchild of San Juan Island-based Larry Soll who put his science background and love of making fruit wines into the creation of AP. The pear wine, at a mellow 12% alcohol, is aged in oak for two months. This gives AP a more wine-like taste and feel on the tongue. It retains some of the exotic flavors of its Asian pear origins, but has citrus notes and subtle oak overtones.
2010 ShootingStar, Aligoté $14
Shooting Star is the work of Sonoma winemaker Jed Steele, who seeing unique possibilities in Washington fruit, headed north. Aligoté is the fourth most planted wine grape variety in the world, but not widely known as itself. It is cold tolerant and in Washington State, where cold winters are a fact of life, it has found a happy home. The grapes for the ShootingStar come from a two acre vineyard in Sunnyside. The Aligoté is barrel fermented in older oak barrels. The wine is crisp and clean, a wine with a nice balance of fruit and acidity. Flinty, mineral elements mix with a light floral hint on the nose, followed with the suggestion of tart/sweet apple on the palette.
2011 Baer, Shard $18
Baer Winery, one of the early innovators of Woodinville, makes some complex and compelling wines. The cooler fall of 2011 was great for white wines, and the Shard is showing that to great advantage. All stainless with no oak contact and no malolactic fermentation, the Shard is an excellent food wine; the acid is balanced by creaminess, with notes of crisp pear and apple.
ShootingStar, Blue Franc $13
Lemberger
Blau Frankisch, literally blue grape from France is another name for our local Lemberger. The Blue Franc receives little, or no, oak aging. The wine is clean, crisp, and unpretentious with tons of fruit, including warm berry pie, complementing the traces of pepper, almond, cherry and cinnamon with soft tannins and a medium body.
2009 Baer, Arctos $45
64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Petit Verdot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot
A very serious Washington Bordeaux style blend, the Arctos sees 19 months in French oak barrels, 88% of which are new. Like the Shard, this is all single vineyard, Stillwater creek fruit. A blend to be reckoned with, the next evolution of Arctos is bolder than before. Structured, with lots of tannins it is concentrated and fleshy, the finish is plush and long carried on the nose by ripe blackberry and cassis, followed by espresso and roasted herb.
Saturday, September 29th, 2pm
Sangiovese at LeGode
This Saturday we’ll be pouring some very classic wines from Piedmont and Tuscany, the two best stables of Italian vino. Both areas make great and affordable table wines as well as the more thoroughbred Barolo and Brunello. We’ll be pouring some of both. Come savor their equine excellence.
2010 Giorgio Zaglia, Pinot Grigio $10
From Friuli, Zaglia uses methods that have a low impact on the environment does grape cultivation; grape harvest is strictly done by hand and winemaking favors refined physical methods rather than chemical ones. Tthe Zaglia Pinot Grigio has a bouquet of acacia flowers along with crisp dry fruit and a pleasingly bitter note.
2010 Franco Molino Dolcetto $12
Franco Molino is a small, family, all estate grown winery that somehow manages to produce classic Peidmontese wines at fantastic prices. Their Dolcetto is dark and dry with a velvety body and a whallop of good cherry fruit.
2008 Fattoria Mantellassi, Il Canneto Sangiovese $9
From a family estate winerery in Maremma, the Il Canneto is and all stainless steel raised Sangiovese that shows off the pure fruit. The 2009 has arrived at the distributor’s warehouse so we get the 2008 at a great price. Was $12 now $9
2006 Franco Molino, Barolo $30
Made with selected Nebbiolo grapes of the vineyards Bricco Zuncai and Bricco Rocca, the grapes for the Barolo are harvested by hand and carried in small chests to the winery where they are immediately pressed. The wine is ripened in big Slavonian oak casks (1.500 – 3.000 ltrs) for 24 months followed by 12 months in steel tanks before being bottled. The wine is layered with plum and leather notes mixed with the classic dried cherry and spice along with chewy tannins.
2005 Le Gode, Brunello di Montalcino $38
The best Sangiovese in the world is grown in Montalcino. The best of those grapes go into making Brunello. Situated noth of Montalcino on the hill of Montosoli, the Le Gode estate extends itself over about 16 hectares of which 6 are vineyards registered for production of Brunello. The Brunello ages of three years in Slavonian oak casks followed by 8 to 10 months in bottle before release. The Le Gode has an ample velvety bouquet of small red fruits, scents of the forest and spices and vanilla along with an lush body. According to the winemaker, “A glass is advisable before any important decision.”
Saturday, September 22nd at 2pm
The different vineyards of France are known for their distinct terroir, the taste of the soil, climate and place. Saturday we’ll be pouring a diverse and tasty selection of wines from the Loire, Languedoc, Gascogne, and the right back of Bordeaux, all uniquely different and distinctively French. It is a kaleidoscope of flavor concentrated into a pleasant little corner of the weekend. Come join us.
2009 Domaine du Margalleau, Vouvray Brut $18
Chenin Blanc
Winemaker Jean-Michel Pieaux reserves the best of his Chenin crop for this bountiful, dazzlingly fresh sparkling wine, performing a single disgorgement following a full year of aging on fine lees. The wine is impressively complex and rich on the tongue, with notes of warm honey, lemon curd and white flowers show on the nose; the mouth delivers flavors of almonds and citrus, with savory hints of graham cracker.
2011 Domaine Sainte Rose, Coquille d’oc blanc $12
Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat and Viognier
Domaine Sainte Rose is a family owned and run boutique winery near Servian in the Languedoc. The Coquille D’Oc White is a deliciously drinkable blend, fresh, zingy citrus fruit flavors and wonderfully peachy aromatics combine with a surprisingly rich finish.
2011 Chateau Pellehaut, Harmonie de Gascogne Rosé $10
Tannat, Merlot,
Pellehaut, from the roman pila haut (high point), is owned by the Béraut family. Gaston Béraut oversees the domaine, which also includes cattle, wheat and sunflowers. His Rosé is bled from the Les Marcottes cuvee. It is bright, fruity and clean, dry and light but full of big flavors of cherry and strawberry and pineapple with a subtle hint of spice.
2008 Domaine Sainte Rose, La Garrigue $13
Syrah, Grenache
The garrigue is the landscape of the Languedoc. It is a wild and arid yet fragrant and delicate mix of Mediterranean flora. The flavors and aromas of thewine are reminiscent of the garrigue. It is a wine of enormous character, which has inspired rather a cult following. Scents of the garrigue such as aromatic thyme and sage mingle with jammy, red fruit and spicy, black pepper.
2009 Chateau Mangot Saint Emilion $26
85% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc. 6% Cabernet Sauvignon
This is a new vintage of one of our stalwart favorites. The Mangot estate covers some 37 hectares in a single stretch in Saint Etienne De Lisse. Its hillside terraces face due south and are sustainably farmed. The wine is aged in separate batches for 14 months in French oak, 40% of which is new. The Mangot has full aromas of cedar, minerals, licorice and an earthy note, followed by dry tannins and lots of dark fruit flavors that are concentrated, rounded and full on the palate.
Thursday, Sept 20th from 5:30 to 7:30
Stop by after work on Thursday when we’ll be pouring a lineup of great wines from Spain. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to show off these great wines, so we fit in into the middle of the week. The wines are favorites of the critics and we like them as well. Drop in and have a bite of tapas, and check them out.
2011 Bodegas La Cana, Albarino $15
The La Cana comes from the most northern part of the Rias Baixas near the Atlantic Ocean. The vines are planted in the pergola system, traditional for this area, in Sandy soil. The wine is partially barrel fermented and rests sur lie. “Mineral, lemon zest, baking spices, and floral notes inform the nose of this round, smooth textured, savory white, with excellent volume and length.” WA 90pts”
2010 Bodegas Iluce, Rio Madre, Rioja, Graciano $10
Graciano is used in Rioja to add floral bouquet and complexity to their blends. Rarely is it used on its own. The Rio Madre lets the grape shine in its own right. From 20 year old vines, the wine is deep with exuberant aromas and luscious flavors of blackberries and cherries tell you this is not a Tempranillo. Not to be missed.
2010 Bodegas Atalaya, Laya $10
70% Grenache Tintoria, 30% Monastrell
From high altitude vines in Almansa comes this dark fruited , rich Spanish blend. Garnacha Tintorera is known for its deep color and here it coats the glass and imparts aromas of brooding black fruits, licorice, espresso, and pepper. Dense, savory, rich, round and succulent, it’s a lot of wine for the money.
2009 Bodegas Can Blau, Monsant $16
40% Carñena, 40% Syrah, 20% Garnacha
The Monsant appellation in Spain is shaped like a horseshoe surrounding Priorat. Can Blau’s estate there consists of acres of vineyards with an average age of 35 years. “Wood smoke, spice box, incense, lavender, black cherry and plum aromas are followed by a mouth-filling, round, dense wine with outstanding grip and length. It over-delivers in a big way.” WA 90pts
2007 Bodegas Muga, Rioja, Reserva $25
70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 10% Mazuelo and Graciano.
Muga was founded by Aurora Cano and her husband Isaac in 1932, although the family were growers and did not commence winemaking themselves until the 1960s. Under Aurora’s son, Isaac Jr. Muga fostered a reputation for high quality, classic Rioja wine sourced from an almost incalculable number of tiny parcels. The Reserva is a traditional styled Rioja, aged for 6 months in wooden vats before spending 2 years in 60% new French and American oak. It has rich layered fruit that is smooth-textured and concentrated with notes of smoked meats and tobacco. WA 92pts