DECEMBER 2011 NEWSLETTER

OREGON PINOT NOIR HOLIDAY SAMPLERS
Fort Knox Box … 375.00 (two of each selection) 2008 Brittan, Basalt 2009 Crowley, la Collina 2009 Eyrie, Estate 2010 Ayres, Perspective 2010 Bergstrom, Shea Vineyard 2008 Belle Pente, Murto Vineyard	Value Sampler … 199.00 (two of each selection) 2010 Ayres, Willamette Valley 2009 Matello, Whistling Ridge 2009 La Bête Noir, Croft Vineyard 2010 Broadley, Willamette Valley 2010 Freja, Chehelem Mountain 2007 720 Wine Cellars, Willamette Valley
Three Beauties Six-Pack … 99.99 (two of each selection) 2009 Belle Pente, Yamhill Carlton 2008 Freja, Chehelem Mountain 2010 Broadley, Willamette Valley	Perfect Pick Three-Pack … 59.99 (one of each selection) 2010 Ayres, Willamette Valley 2010 Evesham Wood, Willamette Valley 2009 Cameron, Reserve

 

 

RED WINES

OREGON – RED

2010 Ayres, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon ... 19.99/213.50
With their eighth Willamette Valley bottling, the Ayres Vineyard continues its successful streak of juicy, delicious, handcrafted Pinots offered at very sensible prices. The cool red fruit nature of the Willamette Valley’s 2010 vintage is on full display in this high-toned blend of Ayres’ Ribbon Ridge estate Pinot and old vine fruit from the Eola Hills. Brilliant ruby in the glass, Ayres 2010 Pinot unfurls with sweet and spicy loganberry fruit complemented by a floral hint of geranium. Sappy and trebly on the palate, the wine’s sweet black raspberry fruit core blossoms to release superfine buffered tannins, shimmering acidity and a dark earthy undercurrent. Long and lithe on the finish, the wine’s purity of fruit segues to brown spice suggestions of star anise, cloves and cinnamon bark. This is one heck of a $20 Oregon Pinot and will be a terrific match for broiled salmon, roast chicken, potatoes au gratin and pan-seared pork chops. Enjoy now and over the coming three years.

CALIFORNIA – RED

2009 Peterson Winery, Zero Manipulation Red, Tollini Vineyard, Mendocino County, California ... 13.99/149.50
“Zero manipulation” is the catch phrase for winemaking that adds nothing and takes nothing away. Peterson Winery’s tenth vintage of their Zero Manipulation red is a delicious and savory southern French blend of 80% old vine, head trained and dry farmed Carignane, 17% Petite Sirah and 3% Zinfandel. Inky black-plum in color, the Zero Manipulation red opens with aromas of freshly crushed blackberries and plums interlaced with black pepper, cloves and tobacco. Plump and velvety on the attack, the wine quickly reveals a wave of fine, peppery tannins and barrel notes of vanilla and mocha. Unusually deft and delicious, the intensity of the old-vine fruit meshes beautifully with the delicate, non-interventionist touch of winemaker Jamie Peterson. Here’s a good, honest and soul satisfying American red that casts our memories back fondly to the Golden Era of California reds from the ‘70s. We suggest pairing this unmistakably Californian beauty now and over the next five years with equally American fare such as burgers, mac ’n’ cheese, grilled strip steaks, even hot dogs!

FRANCE – RED

2009 Yves Cheron, Côtes du Rhône, Les Dentelles, Rhône Valley, France ... 11.50/123.00
Yves Cheron is gaining renown in the Southern Rhône Valley for bringing his gentle Burgundian winemaking techniques to the region and fashioning wines of elegance from gently-sloping hillside vineyards at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail mountain range. A classic blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah, Cheron’s Les Dentelles casts a plum-ruby color and sun-baked aromas of Provençal cherries, plums, sappy herbs and leather. Bright and lively on the palate, the balance of the 2009 vintage marries the perfect ripeness of red stone fruits with framing tannins and tangy acidity. Hints of black pepper, bay leaf and stony terroir enter the picture on the wine’s long, graceful finish. Cheron’s Burgundian touch and our most affordable price tag make this a wine for all seasons. Serve with everything from grilled or sautéed squashes to the heartiest of game dishes – just about everything that doesn’t swim or make water its habitat.

2009 Olivier Cousin, Pur Breton, Anjou, Loire Valley, France ... 18.99/203.00 reg. 22.99
It’s safe to say that this is about as natural and unfettered a wine as we’ve tasted in a long time. Deep translucent black-plum in color, the Pur Breton (the local name for Cabernet Franc) explodes with aromas of loamy soil, blackberries, jus de viande, and wild yeast funk. Chalky on the attack, the Pur Breton blossoms on the palate with freshly crushed blackberry and black currant fruit, mushroomy earth, cured meat, and plentiful food friendly tannins. Impressively palate staining and persistent, the mushroomy fruit lingers through the finish, which reprises the healthy dollop of wild yeast funk introduced in the bouquet. This wine needs hearty food to show its stuff — pair with braised hare, game, charcuterie, and dishes featuring chanterelle and porcini mushrooms. Limited.

ITALY – RED

2006 Antonelli, Montefalco Rosso, Umbria, Italy ... 16.99/181.50
Montefalco Rosso pays homage to Umbria’s two traditional red varietals, Sangiovese and Sagrantino, while also welcoming the nuance and complexity contributed by the great Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Antonelli’s Montefalco Rosso – a classic blend of Sangiovese (70%), Sagrantino (15%) and Merlot (15%) – offers a gorgeous, transparent black-ruby color in the glass and dark, earthy aromas of elderberries, black cherries and fine leather. On the palate, the wine seamlessly fuses the dark brooding, tannic nature of the Sagrantino with the high-toned cherry fruit of the Sangiovese and the plum and mocha notes of the Merlot. The wine finishes long, earthy and appetizingly tannic with further waves of blackberry fruit accented by complex notes of cedar, cigar box, tobacco and baker’s chocolate. Uncompromisingly authentic, Antonelli’s Montefalco Rosso is poised for a long evolution in your cool cellar, but will pair well now with richer fare like pork ribs, burgers, game and pasta dishes topped with Pecorino Romano.

2008 Agricola San Felice, Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy ... 13.50/144.50
The great San Felice estate is situated in Castelnuova Berardenga, the southernmost commune of Chianti Classico and considered by most experts to be the greatest of all. The finest Chiantis from Castelnuova Berardenga zone possess an elusive balance of power, intensity, elegance and ability to repay ageing. This 100% Sangiovese masterpiece from San Felice epitomizes all those traits while being approachable and delicious from the get-go. This is authoritative, aromatically complex and soil-driven Chianti Classico that delivers a mouthful of authentic cherry-fruited, tobacco-tinged Chianti for a song. Powerful yet seemingly weightless on the palate, the San Felice’s transparent kernel of cherry and raspberry fruit is complemented by suggestions of leafy underbrush, leather and stony soil. Gripping tannins segue the wine to its long, tobacco-tinged finish that assures itself a comfortable and confident home on your table with pastas, pizzas, grilled steaks, burgers, eggplant preparations and mushroom ragouts.

2008 Casalone, Barbera del Monferrato Superiore, Bricco Morlantino, Piedmont, Italy ... 15.99/171.00
The Monferrato hills to the east of Torino are frequently cited as the birthplace of the delicious and versatile Barbera grape. Established in 1734, the Casalone estate produces the full range of Piemontese varietals. This is their top-of-the-line Barbera from a vineyard featuring calcareous-clay soils at the top (bricco) of the Morlantino hill. This grand cru site, coupled with a full year’s repose in large, neutral casks, have bestowed this Barbera with complexity and poise rare at this price level. Opaque black-plum in the glass, the Bricco Morlantino opens with cinnamon-tinged cherry and plum fruit. Suave and velvety on the attack, the Bricco Morlantino continues with saturated plum and cassis fruit complicated by suggestions of leafy underbrush, leather and smoky soil. The core of sappy black fruits is propelled by nervy acidity and supple tannins. Suggestions of leather and mushrooms mark the wine’s long, lingering, soil-driven finish. This is top-shelf Barbera and a natural partner to everything Piemontese. It will also pair effortlessly with everyday fare like pizza, pastas, burgers and chops. Enjoy now and over the coming decade.

2006 Paitin di Pasquero-Elia, Barbaresco, Serra, Piedmont, Italy ... 23.99/256.00 reg. 26.99
Glorious transparent garnet color in the glass, Paitin’s Barbaresco Serra unfolds with gentle coaxing to reveal a classic bouquet of pie cherries, camphor, rose petals and Chinese five-spice. Brilliant Nebbiolo tannins are unleashed the moment the wine hits your palate, but they’re buffered and balanced by a ripe kernel of cherry and red currant fruit. Hints of leather and mushroomy underbrush segue the wine to a long, classic Barbaresco finish featuring hints of camphor, wood smoke, ginseng and Assam black tea. And, yes, there are tannins – fiery, spirited, old school Nebbiolo tannins – that need the richest fare or a decade’s patience to tame. We advise enjoying this wine young, decanted and served with the heartiest of northern Italian cuisine: osso buco comes immediately to mind. Or let this tiger mellow in your cellar for a decade and be rewarded with the complexity that only can be earned by patience. Limited.

SPAIN – RED

2005 Bodegas Faustino, Faustino V Reserva, Rioja, Spain ... 18.99/203.00
Oh, the beauty of honest, old-school Rioja Reserva! There’s nothing like it anywhere else, and year after year Bodegas Faustino’s Reserva exemplifies precisely what makes old-school red Rioja so special. Hot on the heels of our successful 2004 offering, we’re delighted to follow up with the deeper, more structured 2005 Reserva. Deep black cherry in color, the 2005 Faustino V offers complex aromas of Bing cherries, plums, leather, soy, tobacco and dusty earth. Brooding and intense, the wine begs for aeration before blossoming to reveal suggestions of earthy cherry and currant fruit backed by plentiful fine tannins, saddle leather, shiitake mushrooms and funky earth. Like the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove, the wine’s persistent fine tannins envelop an inner core of silky Tempranillo (90%) and Mazuelo fruit before segueing to a long, earthy, cedary, tobacco and mushroom-tinged finish. Sure to delight all fans of traditional Rioja, enjoy this Reserva now and over the coming twenty years with hearty meat dishes, potatoes sautéed in olive oil, hearty bean stews, braised duck, and hard sheep’s milk cheeses.

WHITE WINES

FRANCE – WHITE

2010 Cédrick Bardin, Sancerre, Loire Valley, France ... 18.99/203.00
There’s nothing like Sauvignon Blanc as expressed through the upper Loire valley’s varied soils, and this is a textbook example of Sancerre. Bardin’s Sancerre, from vines grown on silex soils, conveys the essence of Sauvignon Blanc from this special terroir. Pale lemon gold in the glass, the wine casts classic Sancerre aromas of grapefruit, breadfruit, malted barley and flint. Lemony on the attack, the Sauvignon’s grassiness emerges mid-palate along with expressions of grapefruit, basil, gooseberry, key limes and dusty minerals. Long and classically structured, the wine finishes clean and citrusy with reprises of flinty minerality. Enjoy this superb Sancerre now and over the coming five years with all raw oysters, pan roasted mussels, white-fleshed fish preparations, sautéed vegetables, and fresh chèvres.

2008 Maison Trimbach, Riesling, Alsace, France ... 15.99/171.00
The venerable Trimbach estate considers the noble Riesling the king of Alsatian grapes. 2008 was a classically-styled Alsatian vintage, one that will drink young with the region’s traditional fare, but will also amply repay aging. A brilliant green-tinged, lemon-gold color in the glass, Trimbach’s ’08 Riesling opens with a kaleidoscope of aromas including green apple, pine and honeyed green melon. Uncompromisingly dry on the attack, the wine awakens the palate with impressions of green citrus, gooseberries and dusty minerals. Notes of candied lemon and preserved ginger emerge on the back-palate and segue the wine to a long, mineral-driven finish. Clean, crystal clear, incisive and spine-tinglingly dry, this is the old-school Alsatian Riesling we’ve all been waiting for. Approachable now with shellfish and savory fare, one would ideally put a case in the cellar for enjoyment over the coming decade. Magnificent Riesling!

ITALY – WHITE

2010 Antonelli, Grechetto dei Colli Martani, Umbria, Italy ... 10.50/112.50
Grechetto, Umbria’s signature white varietal, finds its greatest expression in the Colli Martani zone of Perugia. The grape is widely believed to be of Greek origin – hence the name – and represents one of Italy’s most distinctive and underrated white wines. Antonelli’s 2010 Grechetto begins with a brilliant lemon-gold color and deep aromas of cracked wheat, Bartlett pears, chamomile and acacia. Crisp, intense and focused on the palate, the wine frames its juicy core of honeyed melon fruit with saline minerals and bristling acidity. The Antonelli Grechetto finishes long and lip-smacking with echoes of the wine’s juicy pear palate expression and added notes of sappy herbs, fresh hops, resin and honeycomb. With examples like this, there’s no wonder that the Grechetto is rightfully gaining serious attention as one of Italy’s premier white wines. Pair this distinctive central Italian bianco over the coming year with pan-fried trout, zucchini, seafood pastas and grilled halibut.

2010 Ronco Blanchis, Pinot Grigio, Collio, Friuli Venezia-Giulia, Italy ... 14.99/160.00
From high-altitude slopes in the prestigious Gorizia zone on Italy’s border with Slovenia, Ronco Blanchis is crafting exemplary wines. The special terroir upon which the grapes are grown includes sunny, high-altitude slopes that are sheltered by the nearby Alps to allow for long ripening and insistent minerality. Ronco Blanchis’ Pinot Grigio casts a lemon-gold hue from the bowl followed by aromas of pear, honeydew melon and gardenia blossoms. Fleshy on the attack but countered by riveting acidity and chalky minerality, the wine blossoms on the palate to reveal notes of Bartlett pear fruit, menthol, lemon zest and walnuts. Juicy and brisk with abundant citric acidity, the wine shows the zesty, food-friendly side of the Pinot Grigio grape, which is accented and amplified by the Vouvray-like limestone minerality of the vineyards’ soils. Enjoy this beauty now and over the coming two years with golden trout, medium chèvres, vegetable omelets and angel hair pasta dressed with lemon-cream sauce and plenty of fresh Dungeness crabmeat.

2010 Matteo Correggia, Roero Arneis, Piedmont, Italy ...14.99/160.00
A guiding light for the renaissance of quality in the Roero, the legacy of the late Matteo Correggia shines brightly with this reference-standard Arneis from sandy soils northwest of the Langhe. A limpid gold color in the bowl, Correggia’s Arneis bursts with aromas of bee pollen, jasmine, juicy peaches and tangerine. Vibrant on the palate with lively acidity, smoky soil and alternative waves of grapefruit, apricot and nectarines, the wine bristles with energy and floral top notes. The smoky soil signature reemerges on the wine’s long, fresh finish. Enjoy this young and with all things seafood, summer squashes, fresh cheeses and white-sauced pasta preparations. Superb Arneis!
Antonio Galloni (Parker) – 91 points

SPARKLING WINES

NV Vincent Girault, Clos de la Briderie, Crémant de Loire, Pureté de Silex, Brut, Loire Valley, France ... 14.99/160.00 reg. 16.99
To begin our annual holiday trio, Vincent Girault’s Pureté de Silex – from silica-rich soils in the Touraine-Mesland sector of the Loire – offers an amazingly delicious, complex and creamy mouthful of wine. Biodynamically farmed, hand-harvested and fermented on indigenous yeasts, this sparkler shows a sense of purity, character and harmony rare at this price point. Perfect for holiday toasts and celebrations, the Pureté de Silex is also quite versatile at the table, so be sure to try it with your Thanksgiving turkey with all the trimmings.

2005 Domaine Huet, Vouvray, Pétillant, Brut, Loire Valley, France ... 26.99/288.50
The Domaine Huet is the undisputed king in Vouvray. Known primarily for its incredible dry, off-dry and dessert wines, Huet also fashions a superb pétillant (sparkling wine) of extraordinary finesse, complexity and age-ability. 2005 was a phenomenal vintage for Vouvray, and Huet’s Pétillant casts pure, shining aromas of golden delicious apples, honeycomb, bee pollen and yellow tuffeau minerality. This is our choice as the finest sparkling wine outside of Champagne proper. Prepare to be amazed!

NV A. Margaine, Le Brut, Premier Cru, Villers-Marmery, Champagne, France ... 39.99/427.00
Based in the Pinot Noir-rich Montagne de Reims subregion, Margaine’s Brut Premier Cru is a remarkable 88% Chardonnay, and shows beautifully the extra precision and refinement that the difficult Chardonnay brings to Champagne’s wines. Thanks to a large portion of reserve wines in the blend, the racy chalkiness of the younger wines is balanced by lemon curd and buttery brioche richness imparted by the older wines. A great choice for the Thanksgiving table and throughout the holidays…and all year long!
–A Terry Theise selection

WEB-EXTRAS: Read the reviews online

2010 Tre Monti, Albana di Romagna Secco, Vigna Rocca, Emilia-Romagna, Italy ... 11.50/123.00

2010 Domaine Giachino, Roussette de Savoie, Altesse, Jura-Savoie, France ... 14.99/160.00 reg. 17.99


2010 Domaine Pascal Berthier, Mâcon-Chaintré, Vieilles Vignes, Burgundy, France ... 16.99/181.50

2009 Joseph Drouhin, Chorey-lès-Beaune, Burgundy, France ... 20.99/224.50

This symbol indicates a naturally farmed wine.