JANUARY 2007

RED WINES

OREGON – RED:

2004 De Ponte Cellars, Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, Oregon 31.99/342.00
The delicacy and transparency of Oregon’s 2004 Pinot Noirs help place this vintage among the staff’s all-time favorites. This late release from De Ponte Cellars continues this trend of delicacy and transparency, but with a core of sweet red raspberry fruit that makes it among the most seductive offerings of the vintage. Surrounding the wine’s sweet kernel of fruit are hints of smoky volcanic soil, hazelnuts, fine tannins and crisp acidity. Medium weight on the palate yet bursting with fruit, the De Ponte elegantly walks the tightrope of balance between its sweet fruit expression and its lacy acid and tannin structure. Lovely soil notes emerge on the wine’s long finish. Elegant and refined, this wine can be enjoyed now and over the next 5 to 7 years with roast chicken, salmon, duck and gratin dauphinois.

2005 Kudos, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon 16.99/181.50
Laurent Montalieu’s 2004 Kudos was a big hit with our staff and customers alike. Kudos is Montalieu’s label for his delicious, affordable, ready-on-release Pinots. The 2005 is dialed up a notch, with greater depth and a bigger fruit expression. Sporting a deep ruby robe and dark Beaune-like aromas of blackberries, earth and leather, the ’05 Kudos offers terrific transparent blackberry fruit, velvety texture, fine acidity and melt-in-your-mouth tannins. The Kudo’s deftness, approachability and transparency yield greater drinkability and food-friendliness with no loss of intensity and character. That’s what Pinot Noir is all about! Enjoy this stellar effort now and over the coming three years with roast chicken, potato-based casseroles, light pork preparations and grilled salmon. (No worries about corkiness, as this wine is sealed with the new, progressive glass closure.) Kudos to Laurent.

CALIFORNIA – RED:

2003 Edmunds St. John, Rocks and Gravel, California 13.50/144.50
One of the original “Rhône Rangers,” Steve Edmunds is one of California’s most talented, honest and progressive winemakers. Edmunds’ Rocks and Gravel is his homage to the Southern Rhône Valley’s deep, lusty, affordably priced red wines. The name Rocks and Gravel derives from the rocky, stony varied soil types of the Southern Rhône Valley plus, we imagine, Steve’s love of an old Bob Dylan song. Steve’s most popular wine, Rocks and Gravel is a robust blend of 35% Grenache, 35% Syrah, and 30% Mourvèdre and opens with an opaque black-plum color and earthy aromas of tar and leather. Deep, brooding and palate-staining, the ’03 Rocks and Gravel adds notes of kirsch, eucalyptus and dried Southern French garrigue in the mouth. Long and dense on the finish, the ’03 Rocks and Gravel offers suggestions of wood spice and dried orange peel. This is knockout of a Southern Rhône clone, and sure to please fans of bold red wines and champions of California’s alternative wine movement. Enjoy now or over the next three years with roast beef, grilled lamb, ratatouille, sausages and burgers.

FRANCE – RED:

2001 Domaine de la Mavette, Gigondas, Rhône Valley, France 19.99/213.50
Unlike Mavette’s Côtes-du-Rhône, which has become an L&E staple, the estate’s Gigondas is rather more difficult to source. As longtime fans of the domaine, we’re thrilled to mark the début of Mavette’s Gigondas in these pages with this complex, aromatic 2001. An old-school Rhône lover’s vintage, 2001 was ripe yet restrained with elegance, balance and terroir expression. The Mavette Gigondas is a benchmark for this vintage and this appellation. A dark, opaque black-purple in the glass, the wine soars with aromas of garrigue, stony terroir and smoky plums. Mouth-coating fruit, suggestion of game, herbal notes, leather, and further hints of stony terroir greet the palate and segue to a long, saturated finish. Fans of old school Gigondas – think Pesquier and the Cayrons of yesteryear – should buy this by the case. Fans of fine, everyday Côtes-du-Rhônes should take the next step and discover why Gigondas is one of the two most hallowed terroirs in the southern Rhône. Pair now with roast leg of lamb, cassoulet or potato-based casseroles. Or better yet, lay down a case for enjoyment over the next twenty years. Fantastic wine!

2004 Domaine de la Mavette, Côtes-du-Rhône, Rhône Valley, France 9.50/101.50
Contrary to the freakish ripeness of 2003, vintage 2004 in the Southern Rhône Valley was a return to elegance and classical style. This lovely Côtes-du-Rhône from Domaine de la Mavette shows all the breed and balance of this special vintage at an everyday price. A blend of 65% Grenache, 25% Carignane, 5% Syrah and 5% Cinsault, the Mavette Côtes-du-Rhône is vinified traditionally in cement and bottled without the influence of wood. The wine has a beautiful deep ruby color and a ripe, spicy bouquet of cinnamon, plums, cloves, licorice and smoke. The unusually complex nose yields to a fruit- and soil-driven palate showing notes of wet stones, crushed herbs, boysenberries and black cherries. The wine’s stony terroir expression continues on its long finish where it’s joined by firm tannins and juicy acidity. This is truly classic Côtes-du-Rhône, reminiscent of old school Châteauneufs from the mid-80s. We suggest serving this delicious, affordably priced wine with a broad range of foods from ratatouille, grilled lamb, burgers, pork and roast chicken and duck. Drink now or over the next five years.

2000 Château Coucheroy, Pessac-Léognan, Graves, Bordeaux, France 13.99/149.50
The Pessac-Léognan sector of Bordeaux’s celebrated Graves district is by far its finest. Here’s where you’ll find Haut Brion, La Mission Haut Brion, Domaine de Chevalier and all the district’s most important estates. Here’s where you’ll also find the Château Coucheroy, roughly translated to the “castle where the king slept.” While the Coucheroy won’t offer the kind of complexity and ageability of, say, Haut Brion, it does deliver a lovely, honest dose of Pessac’s distinctive gravel and tobacco earthiness. A deep, translucent purple-ruby color in the glass, the Coucheroy fuses Cabernet Sauvignon’s (50%) cassis and cedary cigar box notes with Merlot’s (50%) plum and chocolate expressions. Elegant, round and ready-to-go, this is a lovely choice for stews, roasts of beef and mild cheeses, and a classy way to wow guests while your 2000 Bordeaux rest peacefully in your cellar. Enjoy now and over the coming five years.

ITALY – RED:

2003 Sella & Mosca, Cannonau di Sardegna, Riserva, Sardinia, Italy 9.50/101.50
Cannonau is Sardinian dialect for the varietal better known as Grenache in France and Garnacha in Spain. In Sardinia it achieves a very special expression that stays true to the grape yet offers a special cinnamon-tinged earthiness unique to the island. Sella & Mosca is Sardinia’s leading producer as well as its largest holder of vineyard land. The estate’s 2003 Riserva – issued in only the finest years – opens with a beautiful, translucent garnet-cinnamon color followed by a heady bouquet of vanilla, cinnamon, cherries and dried herbs. Rich and bold in the mouth, the Cannonau adds suggestions of sweet black cherries, violets and eucalyptus accented by a closing earthy note. The wine finishes long and soil-driven, showing fine tannins and delicious notes of cloves and tobacco. Lovers of southern French Grenache should try this wine to compare it with their favorites from Châteauneuf and Gigondas. Lovers of bold, earthy reds will find it a delight. Enjoy now or through 2008 with dishes featuring tomatoes, eggplant, lamb and game.

2001 Mauro Gozzelino, Barbera d’Asti Superiore, Sciorio, Piedmont, Italy 18.99/203.00
We continue our love affair with Piemontese Barbera with this lovely, plum-colored Barbera d’Asti from Mauro Gozzelino. Modern only in the sense that Barbera’s latent fruit expression is allowed to shine, Gozzelino’s Sciorio combines sweet, up-front plum and cherry fruit with background accents of tar, leather and nut skin. Barbera’s inherent acidity appears mid-palate as the Sciorio transitions from its sweet fruit attack to its earthy, structured back palate. Long and satisfying on the finish with further waves of ripe cherry and plum fruit, this fully mature, luscious Barbera should be paired with tagliatelli tossed with a butter and sage sauce, pizza, burgers, pot roast, stews and other hearty fare. Enjoy now and over the coming three years.

2004 Fattoria le Poggette, Colli Amerini Rosso, Superiore, Umbria, Italy 11.50/123.00
Hailing from the Amerini hills in the southern portion of Umbria, Fattoria le Poggette has issued a delicious, heady red that’s perfect for January nights. A blend of Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Montepulciano, Poggette’s Rosso Superiore offers a deep plum-ruby color and ripe aromas of plums, tobacco, leather and black cherries. In the mouth, the Poggette first offers a wave of ripe plummy fruit. The wine’s second wave transitions to suggestions of tar, leather and melted chocolate. As the wine evolves from its deep palate expression to its finish, it casts soil notes of its underlying clay-limestone terroir. Brimming with ripe fruit, subtle earthy notes and showing outstanding balance, this robust rosso belies its modest price. Enjoy now and over the coming four years with roasts of beef, lamb, pork and hearty casseroles.

WHITE WINES

FRANCE – WHITE:

2005 Beauvignac, Viognier, Vin de Pays d’Oc, Languedoc-Roussillon, France 7.99/85.50
The aromatic, beguiling Viognier grape has become a sensation over the past decade. Once confined to the tiny Condrieu region of the northern Rhône and carrying the price tag of a rare novelty, Viognier is now being planted with great success in many parts of the world. This 2005 Beauvignac captures all of Viognier’s exotic honeysuckle, gardenia and melon scents while maintaining acidity, focus and, above all, drinkability at a very affordable tariff. Straw-gold with green accents in the glass, the Beauvignac casts heady aromas of white peaches, honeysuckle blossoms and ripe kiwi fruit. Sweet on the attack, the Beauvignac counters its heady, floral nature with crisp acidity and precise balance. Tactile and clean on the finish, the Beauvignac is a textbook example of Viognier at a laughable price. Enjoy now as a lovely, perfumed apéritif or as a partner for delicate freshwater fish dishes.

2005 J. M. Raffault, Chinon Blanc, Loire Valley, France 13.99/149.50
Jean-Maurice Raffault issues fewer than 500 cases of this super-rare white Chinon, based exclusively on the noble Chenin Blanc grape. Like the stern, impossibly complex Savennières or the beguiling, floral Vouvray, this Chinon blanc offers yet another soil-driven expression of Chenin Blanc. Based on limestone and clay soils, Chinon blanc smells more overtly smoky and minerally. Casting a lovely honey-gold color in the glass, the Raffault Chinon blanc opens with an all-mineral bouquet. The clay, limestone, flint and gravel burst from the glass. Crisp and chalky on the palate, hints of citrus, gooseberry and ginger play with the wine’s overt mineral nature. Long on the finish, Chenin Blanc’s classic peach and honeydew melon notes appear. Raffault’s Chinon blanc is a stunning wine and yet another testament to Chenin’s chameleon-like complexity. Enjoy now or over the coming five years with poached white-fleshed fish preparations, chèvres, duck and light pork dishes.

ITALY – WHITE:

2004 Azienda Agricola Centorame, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, S. Michele, Abruzzi, Italy 9.99/107.00 reg. 14.99
This is one delicious, lip-smacking Trebbiano. Pale gold in the bowl and sporting beautiful aromas of honeydew melon, chamomile and minerals, Centorame’s Trebbiano takes the genre into new dimensions. Centorame’s Trebbiano hits the palate with a lush texture and notes of melon and honeysuckle. On the back-palate the wine gets serious with multiple lashings of crisp acidity and suggestions of dissolved minerals. The wine finishes clean and crisp and ready for your table. We think this might be one of the most versatile wines of the year for vegetable dishes (zucchini and fava beans come immediately to mind). Pescetarians can enjoy it with both rich shellfish like oysters and scallops, but also with halibut, sole and other white-fleshed fish dishes. Enjoy now or over the coming two years.

2005 ca’Rugate, Soave Classico, Monte Fiorentine, da Uve Garganega, Veneto, Italy 13.50/144.50
The words “da Uve Garganega” ensure that this special Soave comes exclusively from Garganega, the underrated white varietal from which the very finest Soaves are fashioned. A lovely, brilliant gold color in the glass, the ca’Rugate, grown on red volcanic soil, yields a smoky Soave with intense citrus character. Notes of flinty smoke, freshly-cut grass and grapefruit on the nose yield to a full-bodied Soave of unusual richness and flavor. Lemon, grapefruit, gooseberry, honey and almond mark the wine’s complex palate, while notes of chamomile, pineapple and mirabelle plum grace the wine’s long crisp and cleansing finish. This is Soave of unusual complexity and distinctiveness. Enjoy it over the coming year or two with rabbit, freshwater fish, chicken, sautéed vegetables and fresh cheeses.

2005 Dorigo, Pinot Grigio, Colli Orientali del Friuli, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy 13.50/144.50
Bordering Austria and Slovenia, Friuli is Italy’s most northeastern province. Unusual for most of Italy, the wines here are often bottled by varietal, and it is here on the calcareous marl hills that the popular Pinot Grigio reaches one of its greatest expressions. Girolamo Dorigo is one of the region’s undisputed superstars, and his Pinot Grigio is often the at the apogee of his exemplary portfolio. Straw gold with green glints, Dorigo’s Pinot Grigio casts smoky honey and mineral notes from the glass. Crisp and refreshing on the fore-palate, the Pinot Grigio broadens mid-palate to reveal suggestions of buttered hazelnuts, smoky, flinty minerals and melon-tinged fruit. Crisp, juicy and mouthwatering on the finish, Dorigo’s Pinot Grigio fuses its flinty mineral nature with its melon fruit expression to become one of the most drinkable and refreshing Pinot Grigios in recent memory. Enjoy now and over the coming two years with brook trout, halibut, grilled squashes and vegetables, braised rabbit and roast duck.

SPAIN – WHITE:

2005 Pirineos, Mesache Blanco, Somontano, Spain 9.50/101.50
As the label states, mesache means “youthful,” as in “drink this wine young.” We were charmed by this delightful, aromatic blend from Somontano, located in the foothills of the Pyrenees, and yes, we agree that you should drink it young to capture all of its dazzling aromatics. A blend of 35% old-vine Macabeo, 35% Gewürztraminer and 30% Chardonnay, the Macabeo gives the cuvée its waxy texture, the Gewürztraminer dominates the bouquet with exotic flower and litchi aromatics, and the Chardonnay adds buttery richness. The result is one of the most fun and simply enjoyable wines to drink we’ve encountered in a long, long time. No need to age this, no need to pair it with fancy food, no need to ponder its many facets: just pull the cork and pour a round for your guests and yourself. Pirineos’ Mesache will insure smiles and festive glee throughout the evening. Drink now by itself or with fish and vegetable courses.

202 NW 21st Ave.
Portland, Oregon
1-800-903-9463 (WINE)
503-241-9463 (WINE)

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:: Events & Tastings ::

Friday Tastings

Saturday Tastings

Special Events

:: Featured Wines ::

Sampler Case
2005 Austrian Sampler

Reds
2004 De Ponte Cellars Pinot Noir

2005 Kudos Pinot Noir

2003 Edmunds St. John Rocks and Gravel

2001 Dom. de la Mavette Gigondas

2004 Dom. de la Mavette Côtes-du-Rhône

2000 Ch. Coucheroy Graves

2003 Sella & Mosca Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva

2001 Mauro Gozzelino Barbera d’Asti Superiore

2004 Fattoria le Poggette Colli Amerini Rosso, Superiore

Whites
2005 Beauvignac Viognier

2005 J. M. Raffault Chinon Blanc

2004 Azienda Agricola Centorame Trebbiano d’Abruzzo

2005 ca’Rugate Soave Classico

2005 Dorigo Pinot Grigio

2005 Pirineos Mesache Blanco

Friday Tastings:
5:30-7:30, fee

Jan. 5 A Bounty of Oregon Wines

Jan. 19 2004 Red Burgundies

Feb. 2 Beautiful Wines from Montalcino: Altesino, Caprili, Gaja, and more.

Saturday Tastings:
from noon, no fee

Jan 6 Mike DeMarte from Zancanella Imports will pour Beauvignac Viognier, Fattoria le Poggette Colli Amerini Rosso, Mauro Gozzelino Barbera d’Asti Superiore Sciorio, plus other super selections.

Jan. 13 Great Whites: Pirineos Mesache Blanco, ca’Rugate Soave Classico, Centorame Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, and Dorigo Pinot Grigio.
Great Reds: Sella & Mosca Cannonau di Sardegna, Edmunds St. John Rocks and Gravel, Kudos Pinot Noir, and De Ponte Cellars Pinot Noir.

Jan. 20 Our great 2005 Austrian Sampler will be poured.

Jan 26 Join us and sample J. M. Raffault Chinon Blanc, Domaine de la Mavette Gigondas and Côtes-du-Rhône, and Château Coucheroy Pessac-Léognan.