August 2024 Newsletter
Romain Paire Cote Roannaise La Colline en Flamme 2022 $21
The Cote Roannaise is one of those off-Broadway French wine regions that’s particularly difficult to place on the map. It’s a region dedicated to Gamay just a stone’s throw away from Beaujolais but technically on the long and winding course of the Loire River. It’s tempting to think of it as Beaujolais-adjacent, but there are enough distinctions to make this a very different sort of wine. There’s a local clone called Gamay Saint-Romain that packs a little more punchy fruit than the stuff from Beaujolais. The soil here starts with sand and granite, but there are streaks of volcanic basalt that leaves Cote Roannaise wine with a rebellious streak of smoky minerality. Romaine Paire is among the leading lights of the region, and this cuvee’s name means The hills on fire, a nod to their volcanic roots. This wine shows a lush black cherry nose, with touches of clay, orange oil, and violets. The palate is surprisingly structured with long, silky tannins, flowers and dense-packed dark berry fruit flavors. A versatile wine for all sorts of meats, from poultry to sausage to delicate steaks.
Mas de Libian Vin de France Vin de Petanque 2023 $20
The Thibon family has lived in the village of Saint Marcel d’Ardèche since 1670, and they’ve kept a farm there for almost as long, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that Jean-Pierre Thibon elected to make wine the focus of the domaine. From the very beginning, no doubt influenced by his philosopher father Gustav Thibon, Jean-Pierre and his wife Jacqueline elected to farm their vineyards organically from the very start. The vineyards today are a prime example of biodiverse agriculture. No chemical treatments are used, cover crops are encouraged, and the plow team consists of two horses, Nestor and Bambi. Their Vin de Petanque is intended to accompany a casual backyard lawn game or other such easygoing settings. The blend includes Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Counoise, and Vaccarèse drawn from their young vines in clay-limestone soils. Aromas of leather-dried black cherry, rolled tobacco and smoky black earth lead to a surprisingly quaffable palate of inky black fruit, orange oil, and rich earth. The weight is somewhere between medium and full with delicate tannins and a lively, zesty finish. Serve with wings, dogs, brats, and other single syllable outdoor fare.
Fattoria Zerbina Romagna Albana Secco Bianco di Ceparano 2023 $20
Albana is a famously infamous grape from the hills outside the city of Ravenna, awarded one of Italy’s very first prestigious D.O.C.G. designations in 1987 and almost immediately scorned for it. Most Albana before 1987 was made into inoffensive bulk wine, and much of it still is, but somewhere beyond all the shouting, there are a few small family outfits like the Geminiani family, who have always sought high quality and low yields from their vineyards. The Bianco di Ceparano is their flagship dry white, planted in high density vineyards to curb the grape’s inclination to overproduce grapes, and then aged in stainless steel, that ancient vessel of aroma preservation. Orange and peach pit, with lemon zest and a touch of almond come through on the nose, while the medium-weight palate offers a strong bedrock of stone-cut minerality, a drop of almond oil and waves of grapefruit, tangerine, and lemon. Serve with simple fish dishes or slow cooked polenta.
Jean Pascal Aubron Gros Plant du Pays Nantais Sur Lie 2023 $15
Jean Pascal Aubron has maintained his family domaine since 1983, following his father and grandfather. Like many of his neighbors, he makes both Muscadet and Gros Plant in his vineyards in the heart of Nantais wine country, vineyards he farms with minimal chemical input. A portion of his holdings are in the Clos de l’Audigere, one among many locally famous vineyards in the Nantais gaining recognition as ‘Crus’ of Muscadet country. The soil in this vineyard is called Gabbro, a volcanic rock that gives the wines here an especially strong mineral cut. Gros Plant – a local term for the Folle Blanche variety – hardly needs the help, but there’s no denying that the combination makes for a splendid wine. Aromas of fresh lemon, acacia, lime and salt come with a charming splash of curry powder. The palate is vivid and bright without any harsh edges, with lemon, lime, and kiss melon accented by the sea salt that runs like a fresh breeze through all the best wines of Nantais vineyards. This delightfully fresh wine is at its best with seafood, but light, leafy fare of many sorts would do just fine.
Altolandon Manchuela Mil Historias White 2022 $18
Rosalia Molina’s vineyards are in Manchuela, some of the highest elevation vineyards in all of Spain near the city of Cuenca, where she farms organically, vinifies naturally, and makes a wide range of wines from grapes both native and introduced. Growing grapes at more than 1100 meters elevation is difficult because grapes here struggle to ripen, but the hard work and the wait is worth it, because once the grapes do ripen they have far more intense flavor and sturdier structure. The Mil Historias White is made from Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Viognier, Muscat, and Chardonnay, all given a couple days soaking on the skins to amp up the intensity even more. This wine is defined by the sort of fruit that sticks to your hands. Aromas of guava, pineapple, passionfruit and blood orange just about fill the room, and the palate is full bodied, clean cut, and like a taste of the rainbow with orange, lemon, and tangerine sorbet with granitic minerality strung through, vivid and intense. Pair this with rich flavors. Rich, garlicky cuts of pork, Laotian Larb, Valencian Paella, and Oaxacan Tlayuda all come to mind.
Domaine de Villargeau Coteaux de Giennois 2022 $19
The Coteaux de Giennois is increasingly popular on the shelves of Liner & Elsen. This is the strip of limestone soil along the banks of the Loire just north of Sancerre, where increasingly serious Sauvignon Blanc comes from. Domaine de Villargeau stands in a hamlet of the same name, a modern, solar powered building across the road from a 17th century stone barn, both owned by the Thibaud family. Farming (mostly) organically, Marc Thibaud oversees the winery with the aim of producing a richly textured wine with crisp-edged aromas. Native yeast fermentations take place in stainless steel, where the wine is aged before bottling. This edition showcases the cool temperament of the 2021 vintage, with notes of lemon pepper, tangerine, salt, and orange blossom. On the palate, the wine sings with verve and clarity, offering lemon and pear and lemongrass, and a finishing kick of pure limestone. Bright but substantial texture gives this wine the ability to stand up to rich, savory cuisine. Rich cuts of freshwater fish, roasted birds rubbed in brine, and scallop soups come to mind.
Jean & Jean-Paul Versino Vin de France Cuvee le Petit Oursan NV $14
Aromas of Plump cherry, raspberry compote, charcuterie – fennelly sausage or mortadella – and white pepper mixed with a melange of dried herbs. The palate is filled with raspberries and black cherries, peppercorns, full bodied and etched with tannins, tarry earth, and sage. The finish includes touches of lavender, dried fruit, and pepper. If this all sounds good, give thanks to Jean & Jean-Paul Versino, winemakers at the storied Chateauneuf-du-Pape house Bois de Boursan. Apparently, making some of the most elegant and soulful Chateaunuef-du-Pape available wasn’t enough to fill up all their time, so they found a vineyard just a few miles down the road from the homestead that contained Grenache, Syrah, and Merlot, whose presence relegates wine made here to Vin de France status. The quality of the vineyard proved too much to resist, and they bought the property to make this utterly charming, suave-yet-rustic Rhone at an incredible price.
Vincent Paris Collines Rhodaniennes 2022 $21
Vincent Paris comes from a winemaking family, and his domaine is based around plots of 90 year old Syrah vines in Cornas planted by his grandfather. Shortly after he began making his own wines in 1997, his old vine wines were in so much demand that a few tiny plots of Cornas and St Joseph were not enough to satisfy the audience. This wine is the result, drawn from young vines in Crozes Hermitage on rocky soils, surrounded by wild forest. Vincent’s foremost concern in the vineyard is concentration of flavor, which he archives by dropping all but four clusters per vine, about half the usual amount. Delicate handling in the press and nine oak-free months in tank later, the Collines Rhodaniennes offers an uncomplicated but satisfying version of Syrah. Classic aromas of black olive tapenade, black raspberry, black pepper, and pipe smoke. The palate offers inky purple fruit, granite, and the herbs that grow in the cracks of granite boulders, with a strong tannic backbone to match effulgent acidity. This is an entry tier wine given all the care and attention of a cru, and it has much to say to your next barbecue menu.
Podere Ruggeri Corsini Langhe Rosato Rosin 2023 $16
This wine is a short and happy story of supply and demand. Podere Ruggeri is a relatively recent addition to the Langhe landscape, purchased by Loredana Addari and Nicola Argamante in 1994. At the beginning they made only red wines: Barolo, Barbera d’Alba, and Dolcetto d’Alba. One day, their Portland distribution company Casa Bruno requested that they make a little bit of Rosato for the Oregon market, something that had never occurred to them in the deeply red-centric world of the Langhe. The first editions of this wine were experimental. Blends of Nebbiolo with Barbera and Dolcetto, bottled in dark green glass, and a deep shade of light red. Over the years, Loredana and Nicola hae become more comfortable with the concept, and the wine has settled into its current form, a crunchy fresh Nebbiolo as pale as a partridge’s eye with arresting aromas of yellow raspberry, white strawberry and gooseberry, with limestone dust, rosemary and white pepper. The palate is supple and fresh, with fresh red berries and lime zest landing with a clean and crisp finish. This is a wine quite literally designed for late summer picnics in Portland, though the family has started to sell it to other markets too.
Michele Chiarlo Langhe Nebbiolo Il Principe 2021 $21
When Michele Chiarlo went to school for oenology, his father Pietro told him two things. He should always strive to be better, and he should only buy the very best vineyards. At school in the 1950s, he studied alongside some of the great names of Piedmont like Renatto Ratti and Giacomo Tachis. The Chiarlo estate would play an important part in establishing Barbera’s reputation in Asti, and slowly pieced together a selection of Barolo and Barbaresco crus. Since the 1990s, Michele’s sons Alberto and Stefano have joined the operation, and honed the clear-headed, balanced style of the wine. This classic Langhe Nebbiolo is aged in a mixture of steel and large oak barrels, enough to tame Nebbiolo’s sharper edges yet preserve the fresh aromas of raspberries, cherry blossoms, and burnt orange peels. Piedmontese terroir comes through too, a touch of tarry earth and cinnamon. The palate is even tempered, with pleasant acidity and short, insistent tannins coated in raspberry, orange, and black pepper flavors. This is what Langhe Nebbiolo should be, a versatile wine suited to rich ragu, roasted poultry, and nutty cheese.
Ca’ la Bionda Valpolicella Classico 2023 $20
As a wine shop, we represent a wide range of wines, and we’re not really supposed to admit who our favorite wines are, but we will make an exception here, because Ca’ la Bionda’s Valpolicella Classico is our favorite Valpolicella almost every single vintage. Ca’ la Bionda is a small family winery, farming organically since 2016 and every year they produce this singsong wine that truly embodies the old adage that wine is bottled sunshine. Primarily made from Corvina, with dollops of Corvinone, Rondinella and Molinara grown in the forested hills of Valpolicella, this wine is made in stainless steel tanks and settles only six months before release. It is an aromatic symphony of cranberries, raspberries, citrus peel, wintergreen, peppercorn and fresh oregano. The palate is mouthwatering and fresh, as light in texture as it is in color, with crunchy flavors of cherries and cranberries, clay-scented earth, sage and pepper. The tannins are dusty, the finish is snappy and zesty, and fruit lingers long after the sip. This is a picnic wine suited for your favorite sourdough sandwich, punchy enough for tuna salad, but perhaps nowhere better than alongside a charcuterie board.
Mantlerhof Niederosterreich Gruner Veltliner Ried Weitgasse 2023 $19
The Weitgasse vineyard’s name means wide street, and before the 20th century it was communal pasture land for the local village of Gedersdorf. The site was overlooked because it was too high elevation and too cold for farming – even for vines – before planting techniques improved in the 20th century. Eventually, the communal pasture was split between adjacent farms, and the Mantler family planted it to Gruner Veltliner vines for this elegant, unassuming, and spicy wine. The vineyard is organically farmed and the grapes gently handled in the winery to maximize aromatic potential. Gruner Veltliner here in Kremstal should be peppery, and this wine has just about enough to make you sneeze. a mix of black peppercorn and fine white pepper, together with lemon zest and juicy apple, pipe smoke and dry, late summer hay. The palate, thanks to the gentle press, is seamless, with deep lemon and lime notes, and a lick of salty granite-laced minerality. On the finish, apricot and orange linger with a shake or two of pepper. This is a wine for all seasons and most food, at home with pork, with creamy pasta, with vegetarian dishes and simple freshwater fish.
The Winemaker's Barrel: Division Wines
Tom Monroe and Kate Norris make some truly excellent wines from Oregon's diverse regions. While their bread and butter is the classic Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of the Willamette Valley, their hearts may belong to the easy and accessible wines of the Loire, so they make a range of wines based on the varieties found alongside that river's course.
Division Wines Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Un 2022 $25
In a region so well known for Pinot Noir, the challenge is creating a distinct voice that speaks to our vision of this legendary grape. Matching the right approach to the site and vintage is key to our approach. As in years past, we approach the Pinot Noir “Un” cuvée as our opportunity to make a vintage character wine in our lighter, finesse-driven style. It is a Willamette Valley cuvée wine designed to perform well above its price point.
Division Wines Willamette Valley Chardonnay Un 2022 $25
Our Chardonnay “Un” is a cuvée of exceptional organic and biodynamic Chardonnay sites in the Willamette Valley. A mix of younger vines and long-term “estate-like” vines gives a truly cross-AVA look into Willamette Valley Chardonnay.
Division Villages Red Blend Beton 2022. $22
The Loire Valley, and notably the wines of Cheverny, were the initial inspiration for the flavor profile of Béton. Since its inception 10 years ago, we’ve loved bringing together a mix of varieties that perfectly fit our mission with this wine – yumminess for any occasion, the ultimate bistro wine for one and all!
Division Villages Oregon Sauvignon Blanc La Frontiere 2023 $22
There’s a fine line between the finest Sauvignon Blanc wines and well, not-so-good Sauvignon Blanc. We were skeptics too, but have found magic in the Oregon & Washington soils and climate that delivers year in and year out to make a uniquely Pacific NW take on this global favorite. This wine is all about that balance - lovely fruit brought into perspective by minerality and the desire to just pour yourself another and ponder the great potential for this grape in this region!