Newsletter - May 2007

REDS

OREGON – RED:

Pre-Arrival Offer:
2006 Ken Wright Cellars, Pinot Noir, Carter Vineyard, Cuvée L&E, Oregon 225.00 six pack/425.00 case
On our annual trip to Carlton, we once again found the Carter Vineyard to be one of the two most impressive wines in the Ken Wright stable (along with his sold-out Canary Hill Cuvée L&E). Classic Pommard clone aromas of earth, black cherry and game segue to a palate loaded with rich, succulent fruit, vanilla and spice, all wrapped in a velvety texture. Drink over the next five years. Payment confirms your order; magnums and three-liters available. Fall/Winter 2007 release. Very limited.

2003 Underwood Cellars, Pinot Noir, Oregon 13.99/149.50
Underwood Cellars is the personal project of Ryan Harms, former winemaker at Torii Mor and Rex Hill. His experience at these two marquee Oregon wineries has paid off: this is one blockbuster of a late-release 2003 Pinot. A lovely ruby color in the glass, the Underwood Pinot boasts deep aromas of ripe loganberries, cinnamon and cloves. The wine coats the palate with waves of red berry fruit accented by notes of smoke, caramel and wood spice. Long and lush one the back-palate, the Underwood finishes rich and satisfying far beyond its modest price tag. Oregon wine fans who long for the days of delicious $15 Pinots will want to buy the Underwood by the case. Enjoy this rare value now and over the next three years with grilled Chinook salmon, roast chicken, grilled vegetables or braised rabbit. Limited – only 22 cases available.

FRANCE – RED:

2002 Olga Raffault, Chinon, Les Picasses, Loire Valley, France 15.99/171.00
Olga Raffault is the grand matriarch of Chinon. Her estate’s flagship vineyard, Les Picasses, is a steep plot of alluvial clay, gravel, limestone and chalk. Raffault’s parcel of fifty-year-old Cabernet Franc vines produces a dense earthy, ruby-colored wine reminiscent of dark cherries, orange zest and minerals. While many vintages of Les Picasses need years in the bottle to strut their stuff, this 2002 is both delicious and approachable now, yet has the stuffing to repay a decade or more in your cellar. The bouquet of Les Picasses is redolent of ripe Bing cherries, gravelly terroir, cedar and black plums. Soft and discreet on the approach, the Picasses bursts on the mid-palate with plummy, black cherry fruit and a shimmering undercurrent of clay-gravel terroir. Long, complex and earthy on the finish, the wine balances its ripe fruit with firm acidity and fine-grained tannins. Drink now or over the coming ten years with roast shoulder of pork, chicken, duck or fresh chèvres.

2001 Domaine de Triennes, St. Auguste, Vin de Pays du Var, France 13.99/149.50
What happens when the owners of two of Burgundy’s most prestigious domaines, Romanée-Conti and Dujac, get a wild hair and found an estate in Provence? Using Burgundian techniques, Jacques Seysses and Aubert de Villaine have fashioned a splendid Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot-Syrah blend that captures the wild lustiness of Provence with the elegance and restraint of the Côte-de-Nuits. Dense black-purple in the glass, the St. Auguste fuses the ripe cassis and black cherry notes from the Cabernet Sauvignon, a lovely plum and bitter chocolate middle from the Merlot, and tar, black pepper and leather nuances from the Syrah. From start to finish, the wine shows a minerality true to its clay and chalk terroir. Aging twelve months in old barrels rounds out the wine, softens its tannins and gives it an aristocratic edge rarely found in wines from the Sud. Enjoy this Var-gundy now or over the next three years with burgers, grilled chicken, rosemary-encrusted lamb dishes and anything slathered with tapenade.

2005 E.A.R.L. Burle, Côtes-du-Rhône, Rhône Valley, France 9.50/101.50
Burle is a Portland legend. Year in and year out, their Côtes-du-Rhône, Vacqueyras and Gigondas are among the most lusty, rustic and best priced wines on the market. With the 2005, Burle has served up a rustic blockbuster: an authentic Côtes-du-Rhône packed with flavor, intensity and character. Burle has captured the warmth and elegance of the 2005 vintage with a wine that offers a wallop of brambly blackberry fruit balanced by firm tannins and brisk acidity. The wine’s deep purple-ruby color leads to aromas of garrigue, game, blackberries and tar. The Burle then saturates the palate with deep black cherry and boysenberry fruit before ripe, round tannins rein in the wine’s exuberant fruit expression and place it in splendid balance. The tannins segue to the Burle’s long finish, which offers further waves of dried herbs, black pepper, wet stones and chalky minerals. This is our vote for the most balanced, harmonious and flavor-packed Burle CdR yet. Drink now with lamb, game or grilled eggplant, or cellar three to seven years to allow the wine rusticity to transform into complexity.

ITALY – RED:

2005 Odino Vaona, Valpolicella Classico, Veneto, Italy 10.50/112.50
Welcome back, Vaona! We featured this delicious, authentic and affordable Valpolicella last November and sold every last bottle our supplier could allocate. We’re tickled pink that we’ve been able to reload and again feature this stellar wine. Vaona’s 2005 Valpolicella is one of the most deliciously perfumed, transparent, refreshing and absolutely drinkable Valpolicellas in recent memory. A classic blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara, Vaona’s 2005 is simply bursting with crunchy fruit aromas and Valpolicella’s clay-chalk dustiness. In the glass, the wine’s gorgeous transparent garnet color is followed by exuberant aromas and deep flavors of cherries, crushed rose petals, perfumed limestone, dried orange peel and fresh raspberries. Friends, this is what Valpolicella should smell and taste like. With so many producers trying to make their Valpolicellas resemble California Cabs, it’s a rare thrill to taste an example as honest and gutsy as this. Drink now or over the coming two years with just about anything that isn’t too spicy and doesn’t make its habitat in water.

2002 Benanti, Rossodiverzella, Etna Rosso DOC, Sicily 14.99/160.00
Giuseppe Benanti is widely credited for reviving Etna’s indigenous grape varieties and for raising the quality standard in this tradition-rich wine region. Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, two of Sicily’s traditional workhorse grape varietals, find their finest expressions when planted on Mt. Etna’s black, mineral-rich slopes. Based on a blend of 80% Nerello Mascalese and 20% Nerello Cappuccio, Benanti’s 2002 Rossodiverzella offers a lovely black-tinged garnet robe and warm, inviting aromas of mesquite smoke, baked plums and cherries. On the palate the Rossodiverzella transitions from a delicious, fruit filled approach to a mid-palate of tar, leather and tree bark to a back-palate filled with ripe tannins and smoky minerals. These minerals play with the ripe red fruit on the wine’s long, satisfying finish. This is a distinctive food wine that’s perfect for southern Italian dishes featuring rich tomato sauces, pine nuts, olive oil and fennel. Enjoy now or over the coming three years.

1999 E. Vallania, Vignetto della Terre Rosse, Petroso, Colli Bolognese, Emilia-Romagna, Italy 19.99/213.50 reg. 26.99
The visionary Enrico Vallania founded his estate on the outskirts of Bologna to realize the potential of the Bolognese hills for the production of world-class wines. The winery’s Petroso is a Pomerol-like blend of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon with a deep black-purple color and soaring aromas of plums, bitter chocolate and pencil lead. Black cherry and plum fruit are at the fore of the wine’s palate impression, only to be accented by notes of menthol, black tea and minerals. Ripe, round tannins emerge mid-palate and segue the Petroso from its delicious, plummy fore-palate to its structured, minerally back palate. We are only seeing the early hints of the promise this long and lingering wine offers. Enjoy this wine now with hearty roasts or hard cheeses, or, better yet, lay some down for five to ten years for the Petroso’s latent complexity to emerge.

2004 Antonelli, Montefalco Rosso, Umbria, Italy 13.99/149.50
Montefalco Rosso pays homage to Umbria’s two traditional red varietals, Sangiovese and Sagrantino, while also welcoming the nuance and complexity of the great Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Antonelli’s Montefalco Rosso offers a gorgeous, transparent black-ruby color in the glass and ripe aromas of plums, blackberries and currants. On the palate, the wine greets one with spicy notes of bay leaf and cinnamon before transitioning to fleshy fruit flavors of black cherries, cassis and orange peel. The wine finishes long and velvety with further waves of blackberry and cassis fruit accented by complex notes of cedar, vanilla, bittersweet chocolate and dried herbs. Bright and only modestly tannic, Antonelli’s Montefalco Rosso will pair well with pork ribs, burgers, game and pasta dishes topped with hard cheeses like pecorino Romano.

AUSTRALIA – RED

2001 Rosemount Estate, Mountain Blue, Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon, Mudgee, New South Wales, Australia 19.99/213.50 reg. 37.99
Mountain Blue, Rosemount’s Shiraz (60%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (40%) blend, is one of three flagship wines offered by this prestigious Australian estate. Opaque black-purple in the glass, the Mountain Blue opens with deep aromas of plums, black cherries, tar and vanilla. Suave, smooth and velvety, the Mountain Blue coats the palate with flavors of black currants, chocolate and eucalyptus and simultaneously caresses it with a texture of fine silk. Long, rich and peppery on its finish, the Mountain Blue adds a minerally note of pencil lead and woodsy notes of cedar and oak. This is truly one of Australia’s hallmark wines and it’s a great pleasure to offer it at such an affordable tariff. Enjoy this top-drawer Aussie blend now and over the coming decade with prime rib, roast leg of lamb and vegetarian fare featuring plenty of earthy mushrooms.

WHITES

OREGON – WHITE:

2006 Evesham Wood, Blanc du Puits Sec, Eola-Amity Hills, Oregon 13.99/149.50
So, when or where does Russ Raney cease his creativeness? To usher in the 2006 vintage, Evesham Wood owner-winemaker Raney has fashioned a delicious blanc that fuses the richness and nuttiness of Pinot Gris (85%) with the spicy aromatics of Gewurztraminer (15%). The result is a wine that will send most high end, so-called prestige Pinot Gris running for cover. The bright, spicy characters of Gewurztraminer lift the oily, nutty richness of the Pinot Gris to yield a wine of terrific balance and drinkability. Soft in the mouth but never sweet, the Blanc du Puits Sec opens with a pale straw-gold color and spicy aromas of lychee, muskmelon and tangerine before segueing to a rich palate of hazelnut oil, lemon curd, smoke and kiwi. Brisk acidity transitions the wine’s rich palate impression to its long hazelnut and walnut infused finish. Try this bright and versatile beauty now and over the coming year with pan-roasted halibut, grilled salmon and light pasta dishes.

AUSTRIA – WHITE

2005 Nigl, Grüner Veltliner, Kremser Frieheit, Kremstal, Austria 15.99/171.00
We would be hard pressed to come up with a better review for this wine than David Schildknecht delivered in the Wine Advocate: “The 2005 Grüner Veltliner Kremser Freiheit, with its overt green bean, snap pea, and floral aromas, is more overtly Grüner Veltliner-typical than the Gärtling [a more prestigious vineyard]. In the mouth, a rich peachy fruit and ore-like, savory sense of “the mineral” ally themselves to the flavors of legumes. Nutty, malty, rich low notes and bright lime citricity extend the range of expression, and this finishes with long, savory traces in all registers.” This wine is hardly modest: it’s classic, salty, mineral-driven Grüner Veltliner that delivers all the lentil, white pepper and snap pea character one can ask for at an extremely affordable price. Lovely for spring, pair this beauty as the weather warms with dishes featuring green beans, favas, asparagus and sweet peas.
Wine Advocate – 90 points

FRANCE – WHITE:

2004 Trimbach, Riesling, Alsace, France 13.50/144.50 reg. 16.99
Maison Trimbach continue their long string of superb releases with this lovely entry-level Riesling from the soil-driven 2004 vintage. Medium green-gold in color, the Trimbach Riesling jumps out of the glass with a powerful, minerally nose laden with aromas of lime, sandstone minerals, and menthol. The wine’s palate cuts with laser-sharp acidity infused with notes of grapefruit, lemon peel, petrol and salty earth. A long finish follows, laced with nuances of kiwi, honeydew melon, dusty/sandy minerals and smoke. The Trimbach estate never misses, and this 2004 Riesling captures the intense terroir expression of the vintage from this legendary winery. Drink now or over the next five years with grilled salmon, duck, choucroute garni, pork or hearty potato casseroles. Reminder: the great Alsatian wine ambassador, Hubert Trimbach, will join us for a tasting at L&E on Tues., May 22, 5:30-7:30.

2004 Bouchard Père et Fils, Bourgogne Blanc, France 14.99/160.00
Ever since its acquisition by the Henriot Champagne Group, the great Bouchard maison has reemerged as one of Burgundy’s most hallowed and revered names. Burgundy lovers are especially thrilled by the region’s 2004 white wines, as they have the uncanny ability to convey their underlying terroir. Bouchard’s 2004 Bourgogne blanc bursts with classic white Burgundy soil notes of crushed oyster shells and clay. A brilliant straw-gold in the glass, the Bouchard Bourgogne Blanc accents its unmistakable soil expression with aromas and palate impressions of lemon curd, white flowers and wet stones. The result is a wine that’s admirably transparent and especially refreshing on its finish. Enjoy now and over the next two years with delicate freshwater fish preparations, light pasta dishes with white sauces or a spinach and zucchini frittata.

2006 Domaine Sainte-Peyre Picpoul-de-Pinet Coteaux du Languedoc, France 7.99/85.50
Over the past decade, Picpoul-de-Pinet has become something of a summertime sensation. Picpoul, which translates to “lip stinger” in local dialect, is known traditionally for its crispness and eye-wincing acidity. Thanks to careful viticulture and modern vinification, this lovely Picpoul-de-Pinet from Domaine Sainte-Peyre shows the grape’s ripe, refreshing acidity but balances it with fully ripened fruit. A Chablis-like green-gold in color, the Sainte-Peyre Picpoul-de-Pinet casts aromatic notes of lemon, lime, grapefruit and jasmine from the glass. The crisp, enticing bouquet leads to a wonderfully juicy, full and rich palate that accentuates the citrus fruit theme but adds appetizing notes of gooseberries, crushed minerals and menthol. Enjoy this wonderful warm weather sipper by itself or with white-fleshed fish preparations, oysters, or green vegetable casseroles. Be sure to drink it young to capture all its verve and vibrancy.

GERMANY – WHITE

2005 Theo Minges, Riesling, Halbtrocken, Pfalz, Germany (1.0 liter) 13.99/149.50
Oh my goodness, this is delicious! Thank our benevolent Creator it comes in a full liter bottle; a mere 750ml would prove far too meager. Theo Minges is one of the rising stars of the Pfalz. He achieves a Mosel-like aesthetic with his wines, and he offers Rieslings of incomparable value and deliciousness. Mosel clone vines planted on chalky, stony terroir yield a Riesling with soaring aromatics of orange blossom, muskmelon and chalky minerals. On the palate, the wine is clear as a mountain stream, as lemon, grapefruit and bergamot citrus notes mingle with floral notes of jasmine and gardenia. The body of the wine balances Alsatian-Austrian dryness and richness with Mosel perfume to create a wine of incomparable refreshment and charm. Here, dear reader, is the perfect wine to ring in Spring. Enjoy it with seafood or vegetarian fare, or by itself.

ITALY – WHITE:

2005 Antonelli, Grechetto dei Colli Martani, Umbria, Italy 10.99/117.50
Grechetto is Umbria’s signature white varietal, and it finds its greatest expression in the Colli Martani zone of Perugia. It is widely believed to be of Greek origin (hence the name) and offers one of Italy’s most distinctive and underrated white wines. Antonelli’s Grechetto begins with a bright straw-yellow color and earthy aromas of straw, chamomile and acacia. Broad on the palate, the wine balances a nutty richness with crisp acidity and intense fruit flavors of pineapple, yellow plums and green apples. The finish is long and very distinctive, echoing the wine’s earthy aromatics and adding notes of fresh snap peas, lemon and almond skin. Grechetto is rightfully gaining serious attention as one of Italy’s premier white wines. It will make a nice add-on to this month’s Italian White Wine sampler and a lovely partner over the coming year to pan-fried trout, zucchini, seafood pastas and grilled halibut.

PORTUGAL - WHITE:

2006 Casa Santos Lima, Portuga, Vinho Branco, Estramadura, Portugal 6.99/75.00
Portugal continues to deliver terrific bang-for-the-buck 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. Casa Santos Lima’s Portuga bottling is a musky, aromatic blend of the Portuguese varietals Arinto, Fernão Pires and Vital. Arinto is one of Portugal’s finest white varietals, combining crisp acidity with powerful tropical and citrus aromas. The Fernão Pires, Portugal’s most widely planted white varietal, adds a musky, peppery overtone, while the Vital adds a measure of fruitiness to the blend. Together they make for a terrific, aromatic white that knocks the socks off most Viogniers, Muscats and Albariños at any price. Serve this as an apéritif at your first spring gathering and we guarantee that it will raise a few eyebrows and invoke a myriad of compliments.

Read about L&E
in Wine Press Oregon!

CLOSED: Memorial Day, Mon. May 28

Events & Tastings:

Friday Tastings

Saturday Tastings

Special Events

Featured Wines:

Sampler Case

Italian White Wine Sampler

Reds

2006 Ken Wright Cellars, Pinot Noir

2003 Underwood Cellars, Pinot Noir

2002 Olga Raffault, Chinon, Les Picasses

2001 Domaine de Triennes, St. Auguste

2005 E.A.R.L. Burle, Côtes-du-Rhône

2005 Odino Vaona, Valpolicella Classico

2002 Benanti, Rossodiverzella, Etna Rosso

1999 E. Vallania, Vignetto della Terre Rosse, Petroso

2004 Antonelli, Montefalco Rosso

2001 Rosemount Estate, Mountain Blue

Whites

2006 Evesham Wood, Blanc du Puits Sec

2005 Nigl, Grüner Veltliner, Kremser Frieheit

2004 Trimbach, Riesling

2004 Bouchard Père et Fils, Bourgogne Blanc

2006 Domaine Sainte-Peyre Picpoul-de-Pinet

2005 Theo Minges, Riesling, Halbtrocken

2005 Antonelli, Grechetto

2006 Casa Santos Lima, Portuga, Vinho Branco

Friday Tastings
5:30-7:30, fee

May 4 Join us for an extravaganza tasting of extraordinary Sakes. Bring some Sushi!

May 18 Great Pinot Noirs from California: Rochioli, Miner, Williams-Selyem, Etude, and more.

June 1 Brilliant Chenin-Blanc from the Loire Valley: Tijou, Joly, Baumard, Foreau, Ch. Fesles … and the list keeps growing.

Saturday Tastings
from noon, no fee

May 5 Mike DeMarte from Zancanella Imports will pour Dom. Sainte-Peyre Picpoul-de-Pinet, Odino Vaona Valpolicella Classico, and Benanti Rossodiverzella Etna Rosso. At table two: Our Italian White Wine Sampler.

May 12 The folks from Columbia Beverages will pour Antonelli Grechetto dei Colli Martani, Bouchard Bourgogne Blanc, Antonelli Montefalco Rosso, and Rosemount Estate Mountain Blue Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon.

May 19 The L&E staff offers great treats from Europe: Casa Santos Lima Portuga Vinho Branco, Trimbach Riesling, Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses, Burle Côtes-du-Rhône, Vallania Vignetto della Terre Rosse Petroso, and Dom. de Triennes St. Auguste.

May 26 Superlative wines from around the world: Oregon’s own Evesham Wood Blanc du Puits Sec and Underwood Cellars Pinot Noir, Austria’s Nigl Grüner Veltliner Kremser Frieheit, and Theo Minges Riesling Halbtrocken from Germany.

Special Events:

Weds. May 9 - Meet Mattieu Perrin from Château de Beaucastel and taste some of the Rhône Valley’s most celebrated wines. Glass fee: $10.

Thurs., May 17, 5:30-7:30 p.m. - THE FOUR AUSTRIAN WINEMAKERS TASTING: Michael Gross (Weingut Gross), Franz Hirtzberger (Weingut Franz Hirtzberger), Emmerich Knoll (Weingut Knoll) and Claus Preisinger (Weingut Claus Preisinger) pour several of their wonderful 2004 and 2005 offerings. Tasting fee: $15.

Mon., May 23, 5-7 p.m. - Meet the effervescent, delightful and urbane Hubert Trimbach and taste the wonderful Trimbach wines of Alsace, France. Glass fee: $10.

Special Tasting at L&E:

GRAND CRU BURGUNDY FROM CORTON - RED AND WHITE
Tues. May 15, 6:30 p.m.

Join the L&E staff for a tasting of great Grand Cru Burgundies from the village of Corton. Taste twelve of these most distinctive wines from a variety of vintages. The fee for this is event is $125.00 per person. Seating is limited. Prior payment will confirm your reservation.