MARCH 2008 NEWSLETTER

RED WINES

OREGON – RED

2006 Ponzi Vineyards, Pinot Noir, Tavola, Willamette Valley, Oregon 22.99/245.50
The clarity and transparency of Oregon’s 2006 vintage shines from start to finish in this outstanding new release. A lovely purple-garnet robe, the Ponzi Tavola begins with sweet raspberry fruit accented by notes of cloves, cinnamon bark and smoky soil. On the palate, the wine’s up-front fruit makes it irresistible, but its latent soft tannins and brisk acidity keep the wine in balance. The Tavola finishes with further waves of ripe raspberry fruit, while hints of ripe cranberries, caramel and smoky volcanic soil sneak in at the very end. This is superb value in Oregon Pinot and a great call for drinking now while your 2004 and 2005 single-vineyard and reserve selections rest peacefully in the cellar. Pair with salmon, roast chicken, pork and burgers.

CALIFORNIA – RED

2005 Robert Mondavi, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California 23.99/256.50
It’s nice to see the venerable Robert Mondavi winery back on track. For this is truly an impressive Napa Cab that delivers full-throttle Napa cassis and plum fruit accented by elegant notes of dark roasted coffee, olives and menthol. Opaque black-purple in the glass, the wine coats the palate with waves of lush, plump cassis and black plum fruit before allowing soft tannins and notes of bitter chocolate, creamy oak and baking spices to emerge. Long and lingering on the finish, the Mondavi Cab adds hints of vanilla, mocha and blackberries. Enjoyable as a sumptuous wine to savor by itself, the Mondavi Cab will also make a lovely partner for roasts of beef, leg of lamb and other hearty comfort foods. Enjoy now and through 2015.

FRANCE – RED

2005 Bouchard Père & Fils, Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Burgundy, France 19.99/213.50
Ever since its acquisition by the Henriot Champagne Group, the great Bouchard négociant has reemerged as one of Burgundy’s most important and revered names. The entire wine world is on fire for 2005 red Burgundies, and what’s most amazing is that the vintage’s quality and intensity are on full display in its modestly priced wines. Bouchard’s 2005 Bourgogne Pinot Noir reveals the vintage’s dark color and rare opacity. On the nose, the wine shows deep blueberry and blackberry aromas infused with perfumed limestone soil. The Bouchard’s rich fruit carries to the wine’s palate, where it is met by round tannins, lip-smacking acidity and an underlying rustic terroir expression rare for a regional wine. The wine finishes lush and balanced, its deep fruit kissed by the faintest hint of oak. Enjoy this authentic, affordable red Burgundy from a classic vintage now and over the coming five years with roast chicken, gratin dauphinois, duck, and other rustic recipes.

NV, Le Petit Vin d’Avril, Vin de Table de France 13.99/149.50
Paul Avril is a legend in Châteauneuf du Pape. Vintage after vintage, his Clos des Papes estate issues reference-standard red and white Châteauneufs. His introductory wine is this humble, gracious vin de table, and it’s stunningly delicious. Featuring Cabernet Sauvignon blended with the traditional Rhône varietals Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah, this Petit Vin offers “grand vin” aromas of sweet cherries, crushed herbs and tar. Effusive red and black fruits combine with firm, fine-grained tannins and brisk acidity to make for lusty bistro-style quaffing or savoring with rustic Provençal cuisine. At its humble price tag, one can enjoy this as one would at a bistro in Paris or Avignon and not worry about the tab. Pair over the next year or three with everything from pizza to chicken to pork to lamb to pasta to burgers: this wine was made for food.

2005 Château Clément Termes, Gaillac, Southwestern France 11.50/123.00
Employing Bordeaux and Rhône varietals blended with local specialties, Gaillac is one of the most exciting and dynamic regions in France. Château Clément Termes’ opaque black-purple Gaillac features the local delicacies Braucol (Fer Servadou) and Duras blended with the staples Merlot and Syrah. Fusing the rustic, tannic wildness of the Braucol and Duras with the suppleness of Merlot and leathery notes of the Syrah, we have the southern French wine sensation of the New Year. Rustic, hearty, yet transparent and totally soil driven, the Clément Termes begins with scents of plums mixed with wood and earth. The wine transitions with cassis fruit infused with perfumed soil, wood bark, smoke and leather. It finishes long and complex beyond its price point. Enjoy now and over the next five years with rustic roasts and grilled meats or hearty vegetarian fare featuring rosemary.

2003 Domaine Mouréou, Madiran, Southwestern France 12.99/128.00
Along with Cahors, Madiran is one the two legendary “black wines of France.” Based on the tannin-rich Tannat grape seasoned with dollops of Fer Servadou and Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc, Mouréou’s 2003 fuses the traditional intensity of Madiran with an abundance of ripe, layered fruit. All of Madiran’s black-purple opacity is here, but the wine is richer, more layered, and less fierce than in past decades. Mouréou’s offering boasts a brooding nose of tarry blackberry and black plum fruits. The initial palate impression yields earth, leather, and tar, followed on the mid-palate by smoky plum and blackberry fruit and firm tannins. The wine’s back-palate introduces a clay-limestone soil nuance that fuses seamlessly with the wine’s plentiful tannins and deep black-fruit expressions. Lovers of big, bold reds are especially advised to give this special wine a try. Enjoy now or over the coming ten years with magret de canard, rib roasts of beef and hearty eggplant-rich vegetarian casseroles.

NV Plan Pégau, Lot 2005 Sélectionée par Laurence Féraud, Vin de Table, Southern France 13.99/149.50
The Féraud family has been making wines in the Châteauneuf region since 1670. Laurence Féraud is the mastermind of this delicious, oh-so-satisfying “baby” Châteauneuf du Pape. Primarily a blend of Grenache and Syrah, this “house wine” of Domaine Pégau is earthy, smoky and spicy, offering all the notes of the great Châteauneufs from this esteemed estate but in an approachable style and affordable price. With its rich saturated color, and its red licorice and plum aromas and tastes, this wine pairs with grilled foods enhanced by Moroccan spices, seasoned pork loin, sausages, lamb, and eggplant dishes. Drink now and over the next three to five years.

ITALY – RED

2005 Ambra, Carmignano, Santa Cristina in Pilli, Tuscany, Italy 16.99/181.50
Carmignano is one of the most historic wine regions in all of Italy and also one of the first to blend Cabernet Sauvignon with the Sangiovese. Ambra’s Santa Cristina in Pilli offers deep aromas of pie cherries, red currants, cedar and spice. The Carmignano’s supple texture in the mouth is buttressed by round tannins and fresh acidity. Spicy, tarry and cedary on the finish, the wine’s tannins melt into the background to yield an underlying limestone soil signature. Some people point to Carmignano as the original “Super Tuscan,” but the region and its wines are far too much of their own identity to be lumped into such a nebulous category. Fans of firm, old-school Chianti and Brunello owe it to themselves to try this textbook Carmignano. Enjoy this now and over the next decade with egg pastas with rich ragù sauces, grilled porterhouse steaks, and eggplant-based vegetarian casseroles.

SPAIN – RED

2001 Bodegas Montecillo, Reserva, Rioja, Spain 18.99/203.00
The Bodegas Montecillo is one of Rioja’s oldest and most venerable estates. Montecillo’s Tempranillo Reserva receives a full eighteen months in small barriques and the remainder in bottle. Deep plum-ruby in color, the Montecillo Reserva sports aromas of ripe cherries and vanilla. The wine then caresses the palate with transparent, medium-bodied cherry and cassis fruit, bright acidity and a complex hint of earthiness. The wine is long and lingering on the finish, adding notes of black raspberries, smoke and tobacco, and leaving a lush, lingering impression rare in such an affordable Reserva. Delicious now, we suggest pairing this old-school, traditional Rioja Reserva with tapas, tomato- and potato- rich casseroles, mature cheeses such as year-old Manchego, and good ol’ burgers hot off the grill.

WHITE WINES

OREGON – WHITE

2006 J. Albin, Winery Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon 14.99/160.00
Another knockout Pinot Gris from the Killer J! Yes, John Albin’s back with his fourth successive newsletter-worthy Pinot Gris. Followers of Albin’s special touch with our state’s most beloved white varietal will remember the power of his ’03, the elegance of his ’04, and the supreme balance of his ‘05. Now he’s back with another splendid vintage. Albin’s ’06 Pinot Gris is a lovely pale gold in the glass and bursting with aromas of ripe pears, sweet Meyer lemon, honeydew melon and that textbook Pinot Gris smokiness. The wine greets the palate with zippy lemon fruit, then gains richness and texture. The finish returns to suggestion of buttery lemon curd and adds hints of menthol, star fruit and hay. While it drinks well now, it will flesh out and add complexity with another couple of months in bottle. Enjoy this reference-standard Oregon Pinot Gris with classic Northwest fare like cedar plank salmon, grilled halibut, roast chicken and grilled zucchini.

FRANCE – WHITE

2005 Château Les Lauriers de Boyrein, Graves Blanc, Bordeaux 12.50/133.50
With all the attention focused on the classified red wines, good Graves blanc doesn’t always get the respect it deserves. When it’s fresh, fruity, floral, refreshing and affordable – like this example from Château Les Lauriers de Boyrein – Graves blanc is worthy your attention. A lovely straw gold color in the glass, the Lauriers de Boyrein opens with ripe aromas of figs, mango, pineapple and melon. The wine’s fore-palate is fresh and juicy, with honeydew melon and fresh pineapple notes taking center stage. As the wine finishes, Graves’ inimitable gravel signature emerges and lifts the wine from being simply delicious to being very much of a regal terroir. This wine is ready to go, so enjoy it now an over the next year with freshwater fish preparations, fresh chèvres, omelettes or by itself as an attention-grabbing apéritif.

2006 Domaine des Malandes, Petit Chablis, Burgundy, France 13.99/149.50
Over the past few vintages, Burgundy’s Domaine des Malandes has come on strong and gathered much positive press for its impressive range of premier and grand cru Chablis. The sleeper wine from Malandes is this lovely and affordable Petit Chablis. A classic pale gold in the glass, Malandes’ Petit Chablis opens with soil-driven aromas of flinty limestone and freshly grated lemon zest. Thanks to superb vineyard work, the Malandes’ Petit Chablis is full and rich in texture and wonderfully infused with the flinty, perfumed Portlandien limestone for which Petit Chablis is designated. The wine finishes juicy, clean and bursting with citrus and dissolved limestone minerality. This is a superb choice for Chablis fans, and an excellent introduction to the noble Chardonnay as expressed in this unique terroir. Enjoy now or over the next three years with oysters, mussels, crab and broiled brook trout.

2006 J. Vidal-Fleury, Côtes-du-Rhône, Blanc, Rhône Valley, France 10.50/112.50
Let’s not pull any punches. This wine is 100% Viognier and as minerally and soil-driven an example of the varietal as we’ve tasted in a long, long time. Even Robert Parker was charmed: “Vidal Fleury’s 2006 Cotes du Rhone (Viognier) is a beauty. Crisp, with notes of honeysuckle and orange marmalade in a medium-bodied, richly fruity style, this is a heck of a Viognier at a very good price… Marcel Guigal, and his son Philippe are intent on getting this firm back into the top echelon of producers in the Rhone Valley.” Yes, it’s that Guigal, and yes, the wine is that good. This is a wine to buy by the case and enjoy now and over the next two years with white-fleshed freshwater fish preparations with a beurre blanc sauce, green vegetable omelettes and frittatas, or by itself to capture Viognier’s inimitable floral expression with a very special stony soil accent.

2005 Domaine des Forges, Savennières, Le Clos du Papillon, Loire Valley, France 18.99/203.00
In January we featured to great customer acclaim the Domaine des Forges’ Savennières Moulin du Gué. This month we’re delighted to feature the domaine’s Clos du Papillon from Savennières’ celebrated butterfly-shaped vineyard. This wine simply screams with the famous Clos du Papillon’s complex minerality. Straw in color and fiercely mineral on the nose, Forges’ Clos du Papillon impales the palate with incisive lemon fruit infused with more minerals per cubic centiliter than legally allowed. The wine dances on the palate with intense lemon, honey, quinine, smoke and menthol notes before leaving behind a salty film of dissolved minerals that will have fans of intensely mineral white wines singing arias. Enjoy now and over the next two decades with delicate white-fleshed fish dishes in a beurre blanc sauce, pork, veal, rabbit and roast chicken with herbs.

2006 Jean Sipp, Riesling Réserve, Alsace, France 14.99/160.00
Here’s what the world needs: an authentic, comfortably priced, dry Alsatian Riesling. Pale gold with green glints, Sipp’s Riesling Réserve opens with Riesling fruit punctuated by jasmine, honeysuckle and perfumed minerality. Bracing and dry on the attack, the Réserve broadens mid-palate to show ripe lemon and passion fruit inflections before focusing its mineral undercurrent on the long, incisive finish. With vineyards in Kirchberg and around the famous village of Ribeauvillé, Jean Sipp is consistently honored by Gault-Millau and the Guide Hachette. Catch this rising star while he’s still relatively unknown here in the States. Enjoy this fantastic value in mineral-driven Alsatian Riesling now and over the next decade with roast pork, charcouterie, pâtés, shellfish and grilled vegetables.

2005 Kientzler, Pinot Gris, Alsace, France 17.99/192.50
André Kientzler and his sons, Thierry and Eric, are producing delicious, character-filled wines from all of Alsace’s noble varieties. We were especially thrilled with the 2005 Pinot Gris, which offers classic Pinot Gris aromas of smoke, bitter orange peel, minerals and hazelnuts. In the mouth, the wine shows the textbook richness of fine Alsatian Pinot Gris balanced by crisp, lemon acidity and deft hints of apricot and lemongrass. Kientzler’s ’05 Pinot Gris finishes clean and weightless, brilliantly defying Pinot Gris’ too-often heaviness. With the prices of Alsatian wines skyrocketing, finding an affordable Pinot Gris that offers this much character and balance is a cause célèbre. Enjoy now and over the coming three years with spring salmon, halibut, duck, green vegetable soufflés and, of course, choucroute garni.

Web-Only Specials:

2004 Jean Philippe Fichet, Bourgogne Blanc, Burgundy, France
... was 24.99  21.99/235.00

2002 Eyrie, Pinot Noir, Reserve, Willamette Valley, Oregon ... 46.99/502.00

LINER & ELSEN
2222 NW Quimby St.
(off 22nd Ave.)
Portland, OR
800-903-9463 * 503-241-9463

Mon.-Sat. 10-6; closed Sundays

RED WINES

2006 Ponzi Vineyards Pinot Noir Tavola

2005 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon

2005 Bouchard Père & Fils Bourgogne Pinot Noir

NV Le Petit Vin d’Avril

2005 Château Clément Termes

2003 Domaine Mouréou

NV Plan Pégau, Lot 2005 Sélectionée par Laurence Féraud

2004 Paitin di Pasquero-Elia Barbera d’Alba

2004 Paitin di Pasquero-Elia Nebbiolo d’Alba Ca Veja

2006 Paitin di Pasquero-Elia Langhe Arneis Vigna Elisa

2001 Bodegas Montecillo Reserva Rioja

2005 Ambra Carmignano, Santa Cristina in Pilli, Tuscany, Italy 16.99/181.50

WHITE WINES

2006 J. Albin Winery Pinot Gris

2006 Domaine des Malandes Petit Chablis

2005 Domaine des Forges Savennières Le Clos du Papillon

2005 Château Les Lauriers de Boyrein Graves Blanc

2006 J. Vidal-Fleury Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc

2006 Jean Sipp Riesling Réserve

2005 Kientzler Pinot Gris

Web-Only Specials:

2004 Jean Philippe Fichet Bourgogne Blanc

2002 Eyrie Pinot Noir Reserve

FRIDAY TASTINGS:
First and third of the month
5:30-7:30, fee

March 7 Great wines from Montalcino: Brunellos and Rossos from Caprili, Lisini, Fuligini, La Gerla, and more.

March 21 Rhône Varietals from Washington: DeLille Cellars, K Vintners, Waters, Andrew Rich, Eisenhower, and more.

April 4 Great California Chardonnays: Ch. Montelena, Heitz, Mayacamas, Kongsgaard, and more.

SATURDAY TASTINGS:
Weekly; Starts at noon, no fee

March 1 Meet Johannes Selbach: Owner-winemaker of Selbach-Oster will pour a host of great German Rieslings.

March 8 All aboard with Doug Fairman from Admiralty: J. Vidal-Fleury Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc, Bodegas Montecillo Reserva Cumbrero Rioja. The grand finale – a trio of wines from Paitin di Pasquero-Elia: Arneis, Barbera, and Nebbiolo.

March 15 Ken Pahlow will blow you away with Kientzler Pinot Gris, Jean Sipp Riesling Réserve, Dom. des Forges Savennières Le Clos du Papillon, Fichet Bourgogne Blanc, and other great treats from Vin de Garde.

March 22 Great Wines of France: Ch. Les Lauriers de Boyrein Graves Blanc, Dom. des Malandes Petit Chablis, Bouchard Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Le Petit Vin d’Avril, Ch. Clément Termes, Plan Pégau, and Dom. Mouréou.

March 29 We’re pouring J.Albin Pinot Gris, Ponzi Pinot Noir Tavola, Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon, and Ambra Carmignano.