APRIL 2008 NEWSLETTER

RED WINES

FRANCE – RED

2006 Domaine de la Mavette, Côtes du Rhône, Southern Rhône Valley, France 10.50/112.50
2006 is being hailed as a Southern Rhône vintage that brings us elegant, balanced, approachable and richly-fruited wines. This early offering from Domaine de la Mavette shows the delicious, up-front fruit of this delightful vintage at an everyday price. Primarily a blend of Grenache and Carignane, Mavette’s Côtes-du-Rhône is vinified traditionally and bottled without the influence of wood. The ’06 Mavette opens with a gorgeous deep plum-ruby color and an opulent bouquet of black raspberries, licorice, kirsch, tar and garrigue. The unusually complex nose yields to a lush, fruit-forward palate showing notes of crushed herbs, black cherries and plums. The Mavette’s velvety black fruit expression continues on the long finish and is joined by a lashing of old school tannins and hints of bitter chocolate. While the ’06 Mavette can be broached now, it will reward cellaring for five to seven years. Serve this lovely, affordable, traditionally styled Côtes du Rhône with a broad range of foods from ratatouille to grilled lamb, burgers, pork and roast duck.

2006 Cuvée Sélectionée par Kermit Lynch, Vin de Pays du Vaucluse, Southern Rhône Valley, France 11.50/123.00
Kermit Lynch is renowned for finding the most amazing wines from the most out-of-the way places. This signature cuvée, produced by the Leydier family of Domaine de Durban fame, shows all the honesty, distinctiveness and balance that makes Lynch’s portfolio the envy of the wine world. It offers young, grapey exuberance paired with a core of cinnamon, cloves, garrigue and tar that takes one immediately to the wilds of the Southern Rhône Valley. But what makes the wine sing is its brightness, its elegance, its lilt. This is a wine you just want to drink. And no reason to wait. Braise some rabbit, grill some lamb or eggplant, and pour yourself a heaping goblet of this treasure. It’s a most lovely cool weather, spring rouge that will have your lips smacking.

2006 Yves Cuilleron, Syrah, Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes, Northern Rhône Valley, France 19.99/213.50
The Collines Rhodaniennes is the region just outside the boundaries of the famous Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu appellations. Here many expansive Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu domaines are restoring the noble Syrah to this forgotten terroir. Cuilleron’s Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes opens with a classic black-plum robe followed by aromas of bacon fat, smoke and spicy loganberries. On the palate, the wine shows lush plum and black cherry notes that mingle with granite soil, smoke, lavender and dried herbs. The wine finishes bright and juicy, with vibrant acidity and just enough round tannins to keep the balance in check. A haunting note of whole vanilla bean emerges as the Cuilleron lingers on the palate. This is knockout Northern Rhône Syrah, polished enough to woo fans of New World renditions, yet authentic and soil-driven enough to please even the most ardent aficionados of old school Côte-Rôtie and St.-Joseph. Enjoy now and over the coming three years with grilled lamb, braised rabbit, eggplant casseroles and everyday fare like grilled burgers and pork loin.

2004 Château de Gaudou, Cahors Tradition, Southwestern France 9.50/101.50
Ideally located nearly equidistant from the Atlantic, the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean, Cahors fuses the Atlantic coolness of Bordeaux with the warmth of the Mediterranean and the rustic wildness of the Pyrenees. A blend of 80% Malbec and 20% Merlot and Tannat, Château de Gaudou’s Cahors Tradition opens with an opaque black-ruby robe and notes of blackberries, cassis and gravelly terroir. Supple and velvety on the approach, the Gaudou combines lush cassis and black plum fruit with fine, round tannins and a complex tarry center. Long and firm on the finish, the Cahors reprises its black fruit core with notes of cloves, tar, bitter chocolate and a note of clay soil. It’s amazing that one can still find a wine of this depth and character for such a modest tariff. Enjoy now and over the coming eight years with rib roast of beef, goose, duck, burgers and hearty eggplant preparations.

ITALY – RED

2006 Terre di Gioja, Marzemino, Trentino, Northeastern Italy 12.99/139.00
Marzemino is a hidden gem. In the Trentino’s dolomite soil, the ancient and nearly forgotten Marzemino grape ripens very late and yields deep, plum- and cherry-scented wines of great character. An outstanding introduction to the varietal, Terre di Gioja’s Marzemino casts a bright cherry color from the glass followed by deep scents of plum skin, violets, figs and sweet cherries. In the mouth, the Marzemino counters its deeply fruited core with firm tannins and an appetizing bitterness that ensures splendid versatility at the table. Showing amazing fruit, bright energy and a dusty limestone soil signature, the Terre di Gioja Marzemino is one of the most delicious and distinctive Italian red wines to grace our palates for a long time. Enjoy now to capture its bright kernel of sappy fruit and brisk acidity, served with just about anything but seafood.

2005 Fattoria Laila, Rosso Piceno, Marche, Italy 8.99/96.00
Fattoria Laila lies in the rolling hills of the Marche, overlooking the Adriatic Sea on the east coast of Italy. Laila’s 2005 Rosso Piceno is a spicy, peppery, plum-scented blend of Montepulciano and Sangiovese. Opaque black-ruby in the glass, the Laila Rosso Piceno expresses leathery, floral notes to complement its effusive core of sappy black cherry, blackberry and black plum fruit. Plump and round on the fore-palate, the Rosso Piceno tightens mid-palate with zippy food-friendly acidity before revealing fine-grained tannins and notes of cinnamon, tar and bay leaf on its long, fruit-saturated finish. A delicious, complex and totally compelling Italian red wine value, Laila’s Rosso Piceno is ready to drink now with pasta topped with a ragú, pizza, fagioli, grilled steaks, tomato-based casseroles, or sausages.

2006 Conti di Buscareto, Crimà, Marche IGT, Italy 12.99/139.00
We love the spicy, aromatic Lacrima Nera grape. The Buscareto’s deep plum-ruby Crimà IGT is fabulously aromatic with notes of rose petals, sandalwood, vanilla bean, potpourri and cinnamon. Fresh, fruity and lively on the palate, the spicy, transparent boysenberry-infused Lacrima fruit plays with the wine’s opulent floral and aromatic wood notes to create one of the world’s most delicious and distinctive red wines. Plentiful round tannins kick in on the wine’s backend and frame the Crimà’s opulent fruit and spice expressions. Designed for ebullient, early consumption, we recommend enjoying this delicious aromatic rosso now with sausages, salumi and egg-rich pasta dishes dressed with butter or olive oil white sauces.

2005 Fattoria di Petroio, Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy 11.99/128.00
The Fattoria di Petroio is already well established as an L&E favorite. Petroio continues the estate’s streak of successes with this deep, brooding, classic Sangiovese-driven Chianti. The 2005 is defined by its dense black-plum robe, crimson rim, and textbook Chianti Classico bouquet of tar, violets, bay leaf, field mushrooms and saddle leather. The Petroio Chianti Classico’s inky color stains the palate with tarry, leathery, saturated blackberry and black plum fruit. Restrained and elegant yet ripe, lively and transparent, the wine fuses deep, earthy Sangiovese fruit with notes of black cherries and firm, food-friendly tannins. The Petroio finishes long and earthy with complex notes of tar, leather and baker’s chocolate. It’s easy to state that this is the winery’s most brilliant and energetic Chianti Classico normale yet. Lovely now for hearty pastas, roasts and rustic tomato-zucchini-potato casseroles, the 2005 will also reward three to ten years’ patience in your cool cellar.

SPAIN – RED

2005 Cellar de Capçanes, Mas Donis Barrica, Old Vines, Montsant, Tarragona, Spain 13.99/149.50
Jay Miller, writing for The Wine Advocate, glows, “Mas Donis Barrica is a custom cuvée made for importer Eric Solomon using old-vine Garnacha (80+ years) and Syrah (30+ years). The 2005 Mas Donis Barrica is 85% Garnacha and 15% Syrah aged for 8 months in French and American oak before bottling without fining or filtration. It offers up an expressive nose of slate, mineral, licorice, violets, black cherry, and blueberry. Layered, long, and complex, this spicy, hedonistic effort has 2-3 years of aging potential but can be enjoyed now without guilt. It is a great value.” This is one heck of a bold, intense, liqueur-like red, and it’s the steal of the season!
Wine Advocate—91 points

NEW ZEALAND – RED

2006 Delta Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand 15.99/171.00
The Delta Vineyard sits at high altitude in the southern hills of New Zealand’s famous Marlborough district. Unlike the sandy soils that mark Marlborough’s incomparable Sauvignon Blancs, the Delta Vineyard’s soils are clay – ideal for Dijon clone Pinot Noir. And what a killer Pinot this is! Deep cherry colored and highly perfumed with scents of red raspberries, bergamot, cloves and smoke, the Delta Vineyard Pinot immediately identifies a sense of place. Spicy and vibrant on the attack, it fuses snappy red raspberry fruit with a perfumed soil signature somewhat reminiscent of a fine Sancerre rouge. Crunchy and loaded with red fruit character, this Pinot is going to wow fans of Willamette Valley Pinots while also offering a refreshing new twist. Like the Devil’s Corner Tasmanian Pinot we featured last fall, this is going to fly off the shelf and provide delicious, distinctive drinking now and over the coming two years with roast chicken, duck, pork and salmon.

WHITE WINES

ITALY – WHITE

2005 Fattoria Laila, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, Classico Superiore, Marche, Italy 9.50/101.50
Verdicchio is central Italy’s most distinctive white varietal. It reaches its apogee in the mineral-rich soils of the Castelli di Jesi zone just miles from the Adriatic Sea. A lovely complement to the Rosso Conero (above) and showing the a straw-gold color and the amazing clarity of the 2006 vintage, Fattoria Laila’s Verdicchio has captured the smoky mineral facets of this most complex and under-appreciated grape. Laila’s Verdicchio offers aromas of pine sap, sweet meadow flowers, fruitwood smoke and honeydew melon. On the palate, the Verdicchio combines a honeyed pear and acacia richness with a riveting, complex mineral core before yielding to a long, waxy finish highlighting notes of snap peas, green melon and chalky minerals. The wine finishes with a bittersweet almond note, classic for the grape and its zone of production. Serve now or over the coming year with light pork preparations, freshwater fish dishes, and recipes featuring zucchini and summer squash.

2005 Sella & Mosca, Vermentino di Sardegna, La Cala, Sardinia, Italy 10.99/117.50
Sella & Mosca’s “La Cala” Vermentino is named for a small, secluded cove fringed by violet-colored thistles on the edge of their Sardinian estate. You can almost smell the thistles and the salty sea air in this crisp, seafood-friendly southern bianco. A green-glinted straw color in the glass, the La Cala casts aromas of briny sea mist, wet straw and muskmelon. Crisp on the attack but broad in the mouth, the Vermentino adds suggestions of grapefruit pith, key lime, honeydew melon and perfumed soil. Juicy and clean on the finish, Sella & Mosca’s Vermentino begs to be paired with seafood of all shapes and sizes. We especially suggest enjoying this beside a whole roasted branzino, grilled baby octopus, fried calamari, and prawns sautéed in olive oil and garlic.

2006 Terredora Dipaolo, Falanghina, Irpinia IGT, Campania, Italy 13.99/149.50
Falanghina is one of southern Italy’s most historic and noble white wine grapes. Thanks to modern temperature-controlled fermentation, we can now capture and retain all of the Falanghina’s fragile, fresh floral and tropical fruit aromas and enjoy them in their full glory. Terredora’s commitment to quality is evident in this lovely green-gold colored Falanghina, which shows an especially beguiling fusion of ripe tropical fruits and smoky volcanic minerals. The 2006 begins with captivating aromas of gardenia blossoms, guava, mango and yellow peaches. The wine’s palate introduces a fresh, lime-driven citrus dimension that serves to balance the opulence of the wine’s tropical fruit profile. On the finish the Falanghina adds a wave of minerals to add further complexity, zestiness and food friendliness. Drink this superb Falanghina now with sushi, shellfish, vegetarian fare and seafood pasta dishes sporting lots of fresh extra virgin olive oil and fresh garlic.

2006 Alois Lageder, Chardonnay, Alto Adige, Italy 12.50/133.50
This is a superb rendition of Chardonnay from the Alto Adige. Lageder’s 2006 bottling displays a brilliant straw-gold color accented by glints of green. Swirl it to capture aromas of limestone minerals, hazelnuts and green melon. From attack through finish, the wine’s mouthfeel is crisp and juicy, spotlighting nuances of fresh lemons, flinty minerals and sappy hazelnuts. Finishing clean, fresh and bracing while adding notes of crisp green apples, Bartlett pears and mango, Lageder’s Chardonnay is a lovely spring and summer selection that drinks more like a Chablis or an Austrian federspiel than a butterball Chardonnay. It will pair nicely with Dover sole, brook trout, grilled zucchini and other light seasonal fare. Drink now or over the next two years. Fans of Chablis, Muscadet, Savoie Roussette and minerally Austrian whites, take special note.

2006 Cave du Vin Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle, Rayon, Vallée d’Aoste, Northwestern Italy 18.99/203.00
Abutting France and Switzerland, the Valle d’Aosta is Italy’s smallest and most northwestern province. Here in the cold, sub-Alpine climate are the highest vineyards in Europe, at over 3,500 feet. Most are microscopically small and worked by hand as a labor of love. Prié Blanc, one of the region’s many unique varietals, produces a crisp, clear, chamomile-scented bianco. Pale straw in the glass, the Rayon combines aromatic notes of white meadow flowers, limestone minerals and lemon zest. Fresh, crisp and zingy in the mouth, the wine merges its brisk and bracing citrus fruit expression with a deep kernel of dusty limestone. Clean, minerally and round on its finish, the Rayon adds hints of red apples, white currants and candied lemon peel. Serve the Rayon over the coming three years as a splendid apéritif or as a complement to sautéed green vegetables, frittatas, fresh goat cheese, and broiled or poached freshwater fish dishes.

2006 Primosic, Pinot Grigio, Friuli-Isonzo, Italy 9.50/101.50
Pinot Grigio has a long and storied history in Friuli’s Isonzo sub-region near the Slovenian border. Primosic has taken all of the varietal’s juicy, smoky fruit and fashioned a classic wine of depth, character and length. Pale straw with peach accents, Primosic’s Pinot Grigio opens with restrained notes of melon, figs and smoke. On the palate, the wine blossoms with elegant Mirabelle plum, pear and citrus fruit notes reined in by bracing acidity and an undercurrent of dissolved minerals. Smoky, long on the finish and with more depth and character that the price tag indicates, this is a stellar value in Italian Pinot Grigio that will more than hold its own against far higher priced examples. Enjoy now and over the coming two years with salmon, halibut, chicken, brook trout and grilled summer vegetables.

PORTUGAL – WHITE

2007 Casa Santos Lima, Portuga, Vinho Branco, Estramadura, Portugal 6.99/75.00
More and more, savvy wine lovers are looking to Portugal for delicious, aromatic white wines and hearty soulful reds. Combining sustainable viticulture and modern winemaking, Casa Santos Lima is a leading light in the Estramadura region, just thirty miles north of Lisbon. The winery’s Portuga bottling is a musky, aromatic blend of the Portuguese varietals Arinto, Fernão Pires and Vital. Arinto is unanimously considered one of Portugal’s elite white varietals, combining crisp acidity with suggestions of tropical fruits, lemon verbena, menthol and pine resin. The Fernão Pires, Portugal’s most widely planted white varietal, contributes the wine’s musky, white pepper overtones, while the Vital adds a dollop of pineapple and starfruit to the delicious blend. Together the trio makes for a terrific, aromatic white that knocks the socks off most aromatic whites at any price. Serve this as an apéritif at your next warm weather gathering, and we guarantee that it will invoke a myriad of compliments.

SPAIN – WHITE

2006 Can Feixes, Blanc Selecció, Penedès, Spain 12.99/139.00
The historic Can Feixes estate is situated on the graveled amphitheater-like slopes near Spain’s famous Montserrat pinnacle. Vineyard plantation at Can Feixes dates back to 1400, and the estate has been in continuous production since 1690. Only the estate’s finest high-altitude Montonec (a.k.a. Parellada), Macabeo and Chardonnay fruit go into Huguet’s Can Feixes Blanc Selecciò. In the glass, this crisp straw-colored, warm-weather white offers appetizing aromas of lemon oil, green apple and intense gravelly minerality. On the palate, the Blanc Selecciò’s spine-tingling acidity and bracing mineral-infused lemon lead to a clean finish marked by another lashing of flinty minerals. Enjoy this wine over the coming two years as a wonderful alternative to old-school French Chablis, Aligoté or Sancerre. Pair with oysters, white-fleshed fish selections or other seafood. This is superb, brisk white wine.

2005 Fillaboa, Albariño, Rías Baixas, Spain 12.99/139.00 reg. 17.99
With its dazzling aromatics, Albariño does often distinctly resemble Viognier, the famous Rhône varietal. Hailing from Galicia in far northwestern Spain, Albariño is enjoyed in its youth primarily in the restaurants and tapas bars of Spain. Fillaboa’s Albariño opens with a medium gold color and highly aromatic bouquet of pineapple, mango and honeydew melon. On the palate the Fillaboa is rich, honeyed and bursting with pineapple and grapefruit notes. As the Albariño transitions to its back-palate, crisp acidity and a lashing of minerals lifts and balances the wine’s tropical fruit expression. If you like Viognier or Arneis, or if you favor highly aromatic, food friendly white wines, Fillaboa’s Albariño is a wonderful choice for springtime sipping. Pair over the coming year with calamari, scallops, oysters or Dungeness crab, or enjoy all on its own as a crowd-pleasing apéritif.

WEB-ONLY SPECIALS: Complete reviews available online at www.linerandelsen.com

2006 Beaux Freres, Beaux Freres Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge, Oregon ... 74.99/800.00

2005 Woodward Canyon, Artists Series, Cabernet, Columbia Valley, Washington ... 39.99/427.00

2005 Domaine Drouhin Oregon, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon ... 41.99/448.50

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 Domaine de la Mavette Côtes du Rhône

2006 Cuvée Sélectionée par Kermit Lynch Vin de Pays du Vaucluse

2006 Yves Cuilleron Syrah

2004 Château de Gaudou Cahors Tradition

2005 Cellar de Capçanes Mas Donis Barrica Old Vines

2006 Terre di Gioja Marzemino

2005 Fattoria Laila Rosso Piceno

2006 Conti di Buscareto Crimà

2005 Fattoria di Petroio Chianti Classico

2006 Delta Vineyard Pinot Noir

WHITE WINES

2005 Fattoria Laila Verdicchio

2005 Sella & Mosca Vermentino di Sardegna

2006 Terredora Dipaolo Falanghina

2006 Alois Lageder Chardonnay

2006 Cave du Vin Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle Rayon

2006 Primosic Pinot Grigio

2007 Casa Santos Lima Portuga

2006 Can Feixes Blanc Selecció

2005 Fillaboa Albariño

Web-Only Specials:

2006 Beaux Freres The Vineyard Pinot Noir

2005 Woodward Canyon Artists Series Cabernet

2005 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir

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

April 4 Great California Chardonnays: Ch. Montelena, Heitz, Mayacamas, Kongsgaard, White Rock, and other notables.

April 18 Taste the Best of Sicily

May 2 Great Burgundies from Meursault

SATURDAY TASTINGS:
Weekly; Starts at noon, no fee

April 5 A stellar selection of Italian wines: Sella & Mosca Vermentino di Sardegna La Cala, Terredora Dipaolo Falanghina, Cave du Vin Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle Rayon, Conti di Buscareto Crimà, and Fattoria di Petroio Chianti Classico.

April 12 The L&E staff serves Kermit Lynch Vin de Pays du Vaucluse, Yves Cuilleron Syrah, Can Feixes Blanc, Cellar de Capçanes Mas Donis Barrica, and Casa Santos Lima Portuga.

April 19 Brian Fitzgerald from Grape Expectations will pour Fillaboa Albariño, Primosic Pinot Grigio, Ch. de Gaudou Cahors, and other fine selections. At table two: Delta Vineyard Pinot Noir, Alois Lageder Chardonnay, and Terri Dominici Terre di Gioja Marzemino.

April 26 Winemaker Thibaud Mandet of Willakenzie Winery will be on hand to offer their superb new wines. Plus: Mike DeMarte of Zancanella will pour Fattoria Laila Rosso Piceno, Fattoria Laila Verdicchio, and Dom. de la Mavette Côtes du Rhône.