Special Thursday Tasting
at John's Marketplace from 6:00 - 8:00 pm Aug.21st
The wines of Matello with Marcus Goodfellow in person at John's Marketplace. (Tasting fee $10.00)
Terrific Pinot Noirs, a great Pinot Blanc, and a startlingly good blended white wine from a talented new Oregon producer. Please join us!
To read more about this great new player on the Oregon wine scene visit this link for his complete bio:
http://www.indiewinefestival.com/winemaker.php
Friday Tasting
This Friday's tasting, August 22nd from 5-7 pm, at John's Marketplace $5.00 fee.
Cuma Malbec, Ch. Pech Rosie Cabardes, Abbot's Table Wine, new extreme value white wines.
Special Thursday Tasting
at John's Marketplace from 6:00 - 8:00 pm Aug.14th
CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE at John's Marketplace Tasting fee $15.00
Here are the wines we will pour:
PIERRE USSEGLIO 2007 PANORAMA $16.99
From Robert Parker:
"The pleasant, bistro-styled 2007 Panorama VDP is meant for immediate consumption.
One cannot say enough about the extraordinary qualitative revolution that has quietly taken place at this well-known domaine north of the village of Chateauneuf du Pape. While father Pierre is still on the premises, providing a wealth of historical information about the vineyards, his two sons, Jean-Pierre and Thierry, have introduced two extra-special cuvees, pushing this estate into the top echelon of Chateauneuf du Pape producers. This domaine is notorious for incredibly low yields (in 2007 yields were 25-28 hectoliters per hectare) as well as traditional winemaking. They now have a small, 1-hectare plot of vin de pays planted with Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alicante, and Merlot."
CHATEAU FORTIA 2006 CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE TRADITION $38.00
75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre
From Stephen Tanzer:
"Dark red. Spicy, floral-tinged bouquet evokes raspberry, garrigue, violet and smoky minerals. Spicy, medium-bodied red fruit flavors are given grip by dusty tannins. Gains weight and sweetness on the broad, long finish. I suspect this very attractive wine will drink well young." 89-91 points
DOMAINE DE LA COTE DE L'ANGE 2006 CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE $40.00
From Stephen Tanzer:
"Dark ruby. Complex bouquet evokes raspberry, anise, garrigue and rose. Vibrant red berry flavors are refreshingly tangy and focused, with a subtle licorice quality adding complexity. Impressively precise and elegant, but with good concentration and excellent energy on the finish. I like this style." 89-92 points
MAS DES BOISLAUZON 2006 CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE TRADITION $40.00
75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre
From Stephen Tanzer:
"Ruby-red. Spicy red and dark berry aromas are complicated by musky tobacco and underbrush. Firm and youthfully dry, with medium weight and chewy cherry and cassis flavors carrying through the finish. Seems a bit tough today but that's most likely just youth." 90-92 points
PIERRE USSEGLIO 2006 CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE TRADITION $55.00
80% Grenache, 20% Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault
From Stephen Tanzer:
"Dark red. Very precise aromas of strawberry and cherry, with a suave mineral underpinning and a whiff of fresh rose adding complexity. Very Burgundian in its relatively light body, silky texture and graceful red fruit flavors. Picks up an exotic cinnamon quality on the long, sappy finish. This offers fabulous potential for an entry-level wine." 92-94 points
LE VIEUX DONJON 2006 CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE $65.00
70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre and Cinsault
From Stephen Tanzer:
"Deep ruby. Smoky cherry and blackcurrant aromas convey a wild, gamey quality, along with suave floral and mineral lift; smells like a northern Rhone wine. Deep dark fruit liqueur and olive flavors are sharpened by zesty minerals and finish with impressive grip and thrust. Combines energy and depth deftly.
An estate for connoisseurs with cold cellars, these traditionally made Chateauneuf du Papes rarely strut their stuff until they have been in the bottle for 5-7 years. Moreover, this is one of the few estates that has resisted the current fashion for producing old vine cuvees." 91-94 points
CHATEAU FORTIA 2006 CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE BLANC $38.00
60% Clairette, 30% Roussanne and 10% Grenache Blanc.
White wines from Châteauneuf du Pape can be an acquired and expensive taste: but with a crisp lemony texture and a solid mineral flavor, this one is a gem.
MAS DES BOISLAUZON 2007 CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE BLANC $40.00
60% Grenache, 40% Roussanne
Friday Tasting
This Friday's tasting, August 15th from 5-7 pm, at John's Marketplace $5.00 fee.
Oregon focus this Friday with DDO Arthur Chardonnay, Daedalus wines, light summer wines from Sokol Blosser, and Ayres 2006 WV Pinot Noir.
Special Thursday Tasting
at John's Marketplace from 6:00 - 8:00 pm Aug.7th
John's Marketplace Red Burgundy (French Pinot Noir) Tasting fee $10.00
The Red Burgundy Reduction Act of 2008!
No blah blah blah about the friable limestone soil and how they stood on one foot while harvesting with the waning moon in its second house.
Just try before you buy, what a concept!
I'll present lots of vintage 2005 bottles at great prices. I will pour mostly entry level Bourgogne, but some Premier Cru wines as well. 2005 was a great year that raised the standard at the lower end of the price spectrum. You'll be glad to pull these satisfying special occasion wines out of your cupboard at Thanksgiving. PS... the 2006 vintage will be much more expensive, so buy now and save. We'll pull out some older wines just for fun too. Please join us. Producers represented will include: Bouchard; Vincent Girardin; Joseph Roty; J.M. Bouley; Maurice Ecard.
Here are some of the wines we will pour:
Domaine Collote Marsannay 2007 Pink Wine $19.99
Maurice Ecard 2005 Bourgogne Les Perrieres aoc $19.99
Bernard Defaix 2005 Bourgogne $16.99
Domaine Ravaut 2005 Bourgogne $14.99
Domaine Ravaut 2005 Ladoix aoc $21.99
Domaine Gachot-Monot 2004 Nuits-Saint-Georges $34.99
Vincent Girardin 2005 Emotion de Terroirs $24.99
Phillipe Colin 2005 Santenay $34.49
J.M Bouley 2005 Volnay “Les Carelles” 1re Cru $39.99
Bouchard 2005 1re Cru Beaune du Chateau $37.50
Something from Joseph Roty, not sure which one.
Friday
This Friday's tasting, August 8th from 5-7 pm, at John's Marketplace $5.00 fee.
There will be a Cru Beaujolais focus at one table, a second table will pour good value domestic wines.
Special Thursday Tasting at John's Marketplace
Tomorrow Thursday, July 31st from 6-8pm we'll have Thomas Kelly of Small Vineyards pouring his Italian wines, and some olive oil. Just a $5.00 fee.
Thomas puts on quite a show; please join us for this great Italian wine seminar.
-the line up:
Prosecco - Puntoevirgolo $12.99
Le Cavaliere - Verdicchio di Castelli Jesi "Verdicchio Classico Superiore" $14.99
Le Rote - Chianti Colli Senesi 2004 $14.99
Martorana - Colona 2006 $12.99
Tarzal - Cabernet Franc 2005 $17.99
Podere Ciona - Merlot IGT 2004 $29.99
Perazetta Olive Oil 100 ml $2.50
Friday
This Friday's tasting, August 1st from 5-7 pm, at John's Marketplace $5.00 fee.
An Oregon focus including wines from Genius Loci, and Illahe.
This Friday's tasting, July 25th from 5-7 pm, at John's Marketplace:
Please come try California wines with Rupendhar Kanuri of Premium Vintage Wine Company, and Matt Giannone pouring his Purple Hands Wine from Oregon.
Mr Mike is away until Monday and Mrs Mike will preside, as best she can.
Support our local market.
The Multnomah Farmer's Market is Today, Thursday at the Multnomah Art Center (near the basketball court) from 3:30 – 7:30 pm.
Special Thursday Tasting
Next Thursday, July 31st from 6-8 pm we'll have Thomas Kelly of Small Vineyards pouring his Italian wines, and olive oil. Just a $5.00 fee. Thomas puts on quite a show; please join us for this Italian wine seminar.
I will be on vacation the entire next week. July 21st - July 27th
I will return for regular hours starting July 30th
- my usual schedule will be:
Wed 10-5 Thursday 12-5 and Fri 2-7
(I will be available most Sat's also from 12-5 by appointment.)
... Mr. Mike
Friday July 18th from 5-7 pm
Tom from Galaxy wines will pour wines from Oregon and Europe. $5.00 fee.
The Wines
A-Z Oregon Pinot Gris
A-Z Oregon Pinot Noir
Castlerock Oregon WV Pinot Noir
Domaine Ott Rose (dry pink)
Can Feixes Penedes Blanc Seleccio
Riff Pinot Grigio
Tinto Pesquera (100% Tempranillo Fino)
-plus some other surprises.
Support our local market.
The Multnomah Farmer's Market is Today, Thursday at the Multnomah Art Center (near the basketball court) from 3:30 – 7:30 pm.
My first act as the new king is to go on vacation this Friday and
Saturday, so I won't be at John's Marketplace for tomorrow's tasting.
However, our usual Friday tastings will continue tomorrow, Friday
July 11th from 5-7 pm with a rare visitation from Ed Addiss of Wine
Traditions, pouring great wines from his portfolio of good value
artisanal French producers. Ed visits his producers frequently and
is a thoughtful and passionate ambassador for these authentic and
soulful examples of French terroir-driven wines. $5.00 fee.
The Wines:
Dumont NV Brut Champagne $34.99
Domaine Terrasses Gaillac Rose 2006 $11.99
Domaine Magneau Graves Blanc 2006 $13.99
Domaine Cros Marcillac Rouge Lo Sang del Plais 2006 $12.99
Domaine Aufranc St. Amour Beaujolais 2005 $17.99
Domaine Loupiac-Gaudiet Loupiac (500 ml) $14.99
No tasting this Friday at John's Marketplace. It's July 4th.
Our usual Friday tastings will continue next Friday July 11th from 5-7 pm with a rare visitation from Ed Addiss of Wine Traditions, live and in person, highlighting some great wines from his portfolio of value-driven artisanal French producers. David Rounds of Triage Distribution Group will ably assist.
Good luck to Mr. Riggs!
"Ruminating, as I stare off into our belated and beautiful Oregon summer sky, now shrouded by our atmospherically bizarre cloak of technicolor-grey California particulate, it occurs to me just how enormous is that void (ocean-like) that we now face, since Mr. Riggs is leaving us, slouching off, Willy Loman-like toward perhaps a defining (and cosmically absurd) experience in that classically American, and anthropological-important, culture called "sales"; I sincerely hope he survives this experience intact; indeed his sesquipedalian eloquence will be missed by many, including me. Good luck Mr. Riggs!" -Mr. Mike
Today Don't forget support our local market...
The Multnomah Farmer's Market is Today, Thursday at the Multnomah Art Center (near the basketball court) from 3:30 – 7:30 pm.
Wine Dinner Information
Alba Osteria welcomes Max Coppo from the Coppo winery in Canelli,
Piemonte, Wednesday, July 23. Coppo is one of the areas top Barbera
producers. We will be preparing a 5 course meal and pouring the
following wines:
2006 Chardonnay "Coste Bianchi"
2004 Barbera d' Asti "Camp du Rouss"
2000 Barbera d' Asti "Pomorosso"
2004 Barbera d' Asti "Pomorosso"
2007 Moscato d' Asti
Dinner is at 6:30. $85 per person, gratuity included. Reservations at 503-977-3045
Mr. Mike's Official Office Hours
Starting next week, my usual schedule will be:
Wed 10-5 Thursday 12-5 and Fri 2-7
(I will be available most Sat's also from 12-5 by appointment.)
New Wine Pricing Policy for wines from the shelf
10% off 6 btls or more off the shelf
15% off 12 btls or more off the shelf
-even multiple cases off the shelf still 15% off
20% off Hard Cases Ordered In and Priced by Mr. Mike as it was before.
To order wine, please Call My VM Box 503-203-3384 (or email me at winenerd at teleport dot com) The store number is hit or miss.
My band "The Sawing Logs" will be playing at "the bedroom room" at our house tonight. No one is invited.
HIGH THURSDAY ANNOUNCEMENT
THE WINES OF CLARENDON HILLS
!!Tomorrow!! Thursday, 15 May 2008
6 to 8 PM
$30 entry fee
This will be a presale event. We will be opening a maximum of two bottles of each wine, and will be taking orders to be delivered subsequently. There's also the chance that, if enough of you are interested, we will be opening a super-limited, ultra-precious wine. Read on...
These wines are stunning. I'll reiterate what I wrote last time, which is to say that if you have ever really wondered what Australia was capable of, or if you have ever wondered what all the fuss was about, you need look no further. These wines are all about terroir, all about the pure expression of varietal and mesoclimate. I won't say McLaren Vale's Clarendon Hills is the best winery in Australia, but I will say they are damn good, and offer European grace, class, and structure, while retaining seductive, erotic layers of Aussie fruit. Sound like a date? To entice you further, and prove that these wines actually are worthy, I'll include some flashy scores.
Merlot Brookman 2004 $59.99 RP 94, WA 93
Cabernet Sauvignon Brookman 2004 $59.99 WS 90, RP 92, Tanzer 93, WA 92
Grenache Romas 2004 $95.99 RP 94, WA 94
Syrah Liandra 2004 $75.99 WA 92
Syrah Hickinbotham 2004 $95.99 WS 95, RP 95, Tanzer 95, WA 95
and if you're very good:
Syrah Piggott Range 2004 $149.99 WA 95
...and, if you're not only good, but if 15 of you pony up an extra $10 in advance, we will also be opening one of the most sought-after, rarest wines of the continent:
Syrah Astralis 2004 $299.99 WS 97, RP 98, Tanzer 96, WA 98
Pilgrims, prophets, pilgrims' profits, oh thirsty peregrinage, oh tattered soles of May-worn feet, cast not your parched eyes at the uncaring heavens, but look, rather, to the florescent sepia tones that make their home in the hallowed, enforcedly shabby Temple of Kitsch that is John's Market, where, tomorrow, May 9, 2008, between the auspicious hours of 5 and 7 PM, we will be celebrating our How Much Maw Would A Yakima Yak If A Yakima Could Yak Maw Winetasting!
Forgive my ham-handed metonymy (or was it synecdoche?) in that opening sentence, I'm merely reeling in the post-intoxicant shine left over from Monday's gala Indie Wine Tasting. The whole crew rolled over to Produce Row afterwards, and a glorious time was had by all. The highlights for me were the wines of Bishop Creek (made by the former corkdork at Alba), and a ludicrously good, arcane little cranberry wine (yes, cranberry wine), whose card was, of course, the one that I lost in the warm, sunny haze that set in as we unwound on the back deck at the 'Row. Suffice it to say that this wine had the most beautiful crimson, bloody hue, and was the Platonic essence of cranberries. Dry, even tart, and full of fruit... Oh man, if you like cranberries like I like cranberries, you'll stay tuned as I retrieve their info...
But to it, friends, I'll not over-indulge this week in my normal gush, as there are bigger fish to fry, to taste, to wit:
The Wines of Kana Winery
poured by Marc Garner
I was really impressed by the overall quality of these wines when I tasted them at the Yakima Valley tasting a few weeks ago, and not just because they are named after Grateful Dead songs! We mentioned above that kitsch is encouraged here, so roll your eyes now and come down with a cleared mind, because these are some really good wines. Oh, and I'm not adding accent marks this week; I trust you'll overlook that gaffe. At least its not misspelling its'!
Cuvee Blanche 2006 $17.99
61% Roussanne, 33% Viognier, and 6% Marsanne, from Elephant Mountain, Rustic Ridge, Snipes Mountain, and Two Coyote Vineyards.
"Workingman's Red" 2005 $15.99
Kana's vin de table, Workingman's is comprised of 45% Zinfandel, 30% Malbec, and 25% Petit Verdot, most of which comes from Coyote Canyon and Snipes Mountain. Spaghetti/ pizza wine, so they say...
Tempranillo 2005 $17.99
I am excited to try this one for the first time with the rest of you. The fruit is sourced from Elephant Mountain, Coyote Canyon, and Les Vignes de Marcoux Vineyards.
"Dark Star" 2005 $23.99
Kana's answer to Cotes-du-Rhone, this wine is comprised of 66% Syrah, 23% Grenache, and 11% Mourvedre. The fruit is from Les Vignes de Marcoux, Ciel du Cheval, Coyote Canyon, and Elephant Mountain.
"Scarlet Fire" Reserve 2005 $24.99
47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 19% Merlot. The Cab and Merlot come from Ciel du Cheval, and the Cab Franc from Les Vignes de Marcoux. Jerry would approve.
v
Ciel du Cheval Bordeaux Blend 2004 $30.99
I bet I can guess what grapes are in this... I bet I can even guess the vineyard...
And, let's make it official:
HIGH THURSDAY ANNOUNCEMENT
THE WINES OF CLARENDON HILLS
Thursday, 15 May 2008
6 to 8 PM
$30 entry fee
This will be a presale event. We will be opening a maximum of two bottles of each wine, and will be taking orders to be delivered subsequently. There's also the chance that, if enough of you are interested, we will be opening a super-limited, ultra-precious wine. Read on...
These wines are stunning. I'll reiterate what I wrote last time, which is to say that if you have ever really wondered what Australia was capable of, or if you have ever wondered what all the fuss was about, you need look no further. These wines are all about terroir, all about the pure expression of varietal and mesoclimate. I won't say McLaren Vale's Clarendon Hills is the best winery in Australia, but I will say they are damn good, and offer European grace, class, and structure, while retaining seductive, erotic layers of Aussie fruit. Sound like a date? To entice you further, and prove that these wines actually are worthy, I'll include some flashy scores.
Merlot Brookman 2004 $59.99 RP 94, WA 93
Cabernet Sauvignon Brookman 2004 $59.99 WS 90, RP 92, Tanzer 93, WA 92
Grenache Romas 2004 $95.99 RP 94, WA 94
Syrah Liandra 2004 $75.99 WA 92
Syrah Hickinbotham 2004 $95.99 WS 95, RP 95, Tanzer 95, WA 95
and if you're very good:
Syrah Piggott Range 2004 $149.99 WA 95
...and, if you're not only good, but if 15 of you pony up an extra $10 in advance, we will also be opening one of the most sought-after, rarest wines of the continent:
Syrah Astralis 2004 $299.99 WS 97, RP 98, Tanzer 96, WA 98
I am sorry to be avaricious, but we can only open this one if we get advance payments. Or at least iron-clad RSVP promises whose breakage will haunt you for the rest of your lives... You can call me here at (503) 244-2617 if you're interested. And, of course, you only get the "super-pour" if you pay the fee. No worries if there are no takers, but wouldn't it be fun?
Glory be, friends, the air once more thrums with primaveral (primaferal?) energy, and, though the trees and grass still look a little bleary and wan- like little children startled from their naps- one can no doubt rest assured that they will batten and begreen themselves in time for a properly riotous summer season. I'm knocking on wood and have my fingers crossed, of course- both of which make it surprisingly difficult to type, so I hope that you appreciate my efforts on your behalf.
There are rumors that Bob's African (Yummy South African wines with a conscience) will be making an appearance tomorrow, but these rumors can neither be confirmed nor denied. Moving, then, on...
Heya, people, it's MAY DAY out there, so: time to tell your bosses to go screw, time to dust off your painfully sententious Marxist rhetoric and matching Che t-shirt, time to get naked in Gabriel Park and run around screaming the poetry of Alan Ginsberg and Stphane Mallarm. That's what I'll be doing this evening, anyway (I have seen the best minds of my generation shitfaced at John's on Fridays/ dragging themselves through the Negroamaro streets at dawn/ looking for an angry Fixin)- and you know damn well that it's just what Vladimir Ilyich would want! Da, tovarishchi, da!
(OK, I'm joking, I don't know any Marxist rhetoric.)
But tomorrow, Kameraden, we here at John's will be celebrating our Second Day in May Totally Appropriate Pagan Bacchanal! At this event we will be pouring wine for you to drink! If you give the handsome, muscular young man behind the counter (or me, if it happens I'm standing there) the even-in- the-savage-throes-of-the-death-of-the-American-economy-laughably-affordable sum of five dollars, you can be a part of it! 5 to 7, y'all.
So, on to the cluttered wonderworld that is the Cool Kids' Table (which name is in no way diluted by your universal inclusion therein, as you are, each and every one of you, HELLA cool), where, in honor of our communist brethren, we will once more be serving red wine. Also white, to wit:
Cameroni Giovanni 2007 $13.99
Cameroni Giuliano 2007 $19.49
Have I ever mentioned that John Paul is my hero? (See the April edition of the Oregon Wine Press for details) In case you didn't know, he's one of Oregon's most infamous roustabouts, and also the winemaker at Cameron. Cameron Winery dresses in Italian drag each year with their "Cameroni" wines, gorgeous, minerally whites inspired by those of Friuli and the Sdtirol. Giovanni is 100% Pinot blanc, err, Pinot bianco, whereas Giuliano actually contains every Italian white varietal grown north of Rome. They are exquisite wines, perfect with seafood and sunshine (but also great on the coast in a windstorm. I'm just saying).
Chteau Guiraud Bordeaux Blanc 2006 $16.99
One of our favorite BDX Blancs, the G (as it calls itself) is 70% Sauvignon blanc, 30% Semillon. It ages beautifully, knitting its tropical papaya and passionfruit into waves of deft, honeyed richness, and- wait for it- a crisp finish marked by starry minerality.
Domaine du Prieur Bourgogne Rouge 2005 $12.99
Yummy, simple Burgundian Pinot noir. At this price, it's tais-toi and drink it!
Maurice Ecard Bourgogne Rouge 2005 $19.99
Another value from the stunning 2005 vintage. This one is a real step up, complex and minerally and bloody and awash in wild cherries and sotto bosco. Yum.
Vaona Valpolicella Classico 2006 $12.50
Mr. Rod from Zancanella turned me on to this wine a few months ago, and I remain delighted. Vaona is now, without question, my favorite Valpolicella house. All four wines of theirs which we carry (including Valpolicella Ripasso and two Amarone) are better than any other in their category that I have ever tried- at any price. It would be hyperbole if it weren't true. Their higher-tier Amarone will make you cry. This little Valpo, on the other hand, will make you smile. Which is more convenient and socially-presentable, anyway.
We have scheduled our High Thursday: Clarendon Hills tasting for two weeks from now, May 15, 2008, from 6 to 8 PM. Expect many more details- like menu and price- as we hammer them out.
I should mention the arrival in our store of a few very special, very expensive, highly sought-after Oregon Pinots:
Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve 2005 $58.99
The Beaux Frres Vineyard 2006 Pinot Noir $75.99
Beaux Frres Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2006 $47.99 (formerly "Belles Soeurs")
In utter defiance of this lingering cold, I find myself lusting for things pink, minerally, and plush. Floral, salmon-sunset Galia melon acidity calls out to me... Ye Gods, rain Cinsault down on me, let me blush in her snappy citric wash!
But I'm getting ahead of myself here. The important thing about tomorrow is that tomorrow is the 28th anniversary of the arrival on this planet of my exquisite, fiery, talented young lady partner, Miss Lisa Marie Cicala! Please join me in letting her know just how stoked we are to have her here with us for another year. As far as any birthday spankings are concerned, gentlemen, if you'd please refrain; ladies, however, just check in with me first and make sure to have a digital camera handy!
Pow! Bang! I gotta million of 'em! ("I'm here all week! Try the veal!") The second big event tomorrow is our Santa Iberia y Cosas Rosas Probacin de Vinos! We will be joined by the sartorial genius, Ryan from Mitchell, who has lately joined us on the fronts of this vinous struggle (upon the shameful abdication of one Peter [last name expunged as per Patriot Act, Sect 456, Par. 23, Lines 34-67]). Ryan's going to be hoisting the Iberian flag, and I'll be hoisting the pink one! I'll grant that "hoisting the pink flag" is perhaps an unfortunate turn of phrase, but I trust that you will all understand it to mean a celebration of ros, and we'll regain properly demure focus and move on.
Ryan will be pouring the following delicious wines:
Broadbent Vinho Verde $9.99
Zaza Rosado $10.99
Legado Munoz Tempranillo $9.99
Mas dels Frares Priorat $18.99
Broadbent Malmsey 5 year $22.49
And at the Cool- I mean, Pink Kids' Table, we will be featuring:
Domaine Sorin "Terra Amata" 2007 $10.99 (France)
40% Grenache, 40% Cinsault, 10% Mourvedre and 10% Syrah.
Monaine de Fontsainte Gris de Gris Corbires Ros 2006 $13.99 (France)
60% Grenache noir and gris, 15% Syrah, 10% Carignan, 10% Mourvdre, 5% Cinsault
<>Luigi Giusti "Le Rose di Settembre" 2006 (Italy)
100% Lacrima di Morro d'Alba
Spago Argento Pink Prosecco Raboso Frizzante $12.99 (Italy)
Prosecco and Raboso, as far as I can find. I'll get the skinny from Doug for the tasting..
...plus I plan to crack single bottles of a gem or two. Maybe d'Arlay Corail? Maybe some Sancerre ros? Maybe some pink Champers? Qui sait?
Listen, it's not hot outside yet- but it will be- and then you'll have a head start on the season's best ross!
Well, I'm not sure what observation to make about the weather this week, friends. I am a bit disconcerted to be sitting here at my desk in ten layers of clothing. In fact, it's a good thing that I spent that winter in Colorado five thousand feet up the hill above Hunter Thompson's place, because it was there I learned these now painfully apposite cold-climate skills. So here I type, my spellcheck smoking a bit from overuse while my frigid fingers quake and shiver over the keyboard. The sky is grey, the flowers have blown off the trees, and some form of frozen water seems to descend on us here in the valley on a daily basis. Oh well. At least there's rock and roll, right? Although I must admit I only cling to rock and roll because of my deep-seeded, pervasive bitterness. Sigh. Sometimes the truth can be libelous, I suppose. Vote McGovern!
Well, one spot of light in this otherwise sad, dismal old world, is the charming, vivacious, and talented young Ursula from McClaskey Wine and Spirits. She has a fabulous array of wines with which to soothe your arid palates, and she'll be pouring them tomorrow, April 18, 2008, right here at John's Market (the throbbing heart of Multnomah Village), in celebration of our It's Friday So Let's Drink Wine Winetasting! This will happen between 5 and 7 pm, so come early, come thirsty, and... hey! Get your minds out of the gutter, people! Shocking, the concupiscence of my reading public! OK, let's put that behind us, shall we?
As I indicated, Urs will be here, with bells on. And, what's more, she will be pouring scrumptious wines from around the world. Think Argentina, Australia, California... Gushy yum yums! But, as is my wont, I wish to focus on myself and my issues (which is how all writers function, by the way, whether they admit it or not), so onward to the Cool Kids' Table!
This week I am delighted to focus in on white wines, current weather notwithstanding. I adore white wine. If I could have only one color of wine on my Desert Island, it would unquestionably be white. I could even narrow it down further to Riesling, but who's asking? I find that, overall, white wine is much more flexible and adaptable than red. On a hot day, or a cold day, with or without food, sweet or dry, sparkling or still, white wine- as a category- has it all. I wouldn't even bother to say something like that, save for the large segment of the wine-loving population who contemn white wines, or plain refuse to drink them. Hell, in Wine For Dummies, the section on red wine begins with something like, "Now we're on to the truly serious wines..." Aargh, my blood boils! Tell that to J.J. Prm, to Didier Dagueneau, to Bruno Colin! Now, I'm not saying these next wines are particularly rapturous, I'm just giving a little love to white wine and a little grief to red. De gustibus non disputandum est, right? (Although that's a crock, honestly- what else do we argue about if not questions of taste?)
Domaine de Mnard Colombard/ Sauvignon 2006 $8.99
Domaine de Montmarin Sauvignon 2006 $8.99
Two delicious southern French country whites celebrating the citric zest and minerality of Sauvignon blanc (and it's organoleptic cousin, Colombard). Perfect summer quaffers.
Quinta das Maias Do Branco 2005 $9.99
This is another one of those wines that I get at reduced prices because I'm a total geek. Also, the wine rocks. "Maias" is Portuguese for scotch broom, and there is indeed a floral hit to this lovely dry wine, made from indigenous local varietals.
Montes Torronts 2006 $10.99
Argentina's answer to Gewurz and Muscat; remember the primer a few weeks ago? Yummy, flowery, and crisp.
Pazen Riesling QBA 2005 $9.99
Pazen Riesling Sptlese Zeltinger Himmelreich 2005 $16.99
Pazen is a great house, making killer Rieslings at killer prices. We bought this wine before the Euro slaughtered the dollar, and "forgot" about it for about a year. Yes, my friends, yes! Pazen Sptlese Riesling is one of my earliest, and best, wine memories. If you're really good I'll bring in some blue cheese and you can weep with joy at the world's yummiest wine combo...
OK! Some things to look for on the horizon are our upcoming High Thursday Events:
The Wines of Clarendon Hills
(date TBD, sometime in May, probably)
This is one of the most prestigious, European-styled houses in Australia, producing wines of such stunning finesse, structure, and excellence that they must be tasted to be believed- really. These are the wines you need to taste if you think you don't like Aussie wines. One of my best customers, upon tasting a few of these wines with me, said, "I have never liked Australian wines. Uh, guess I was drinking the wrong ones." Don't get me wrong, you folks know I love Aussie wines, but there is a vast difference between Clarendon Hills and almost everyone else. Pencil it in and keep posted; this will be a very special tasting. I'll set the date very soon.
Deutscher Terroir: the Dry Rieslings of Germany
Thursday, June 19, 2008 6 to 8 PM
I will be a mere amanuensis at this event, which will be starring my hero, Ewald Moseler. Did you catch the above part where I loved on Riesling? This man is the God of all things Riesling in this state. He and his wines have taught me almost everything I know about Riesling. You know the Germans make brilliant sweet wines, but did you know that Germany now makes the world's finest dry Rieslings as well? Friends, you haven't lived until you try a German Sptlese trocken, a late-harvest wine vinified down to complete dryness. It retains all the minerality, fruit, and plushness of a sweeter wine, but has no sugar... One can almost be guaranteed a near-epiphanous experience at this tasting, given an open mind and a fresh palate. It's likely I'll even have to clock out for it- who wants to spit these wines out? More soon...
Yes, friends, it's April, believe it or not. Given the, what, 3526 inch? snowpack up on the mountain, I'm leaning towards not believing it. But the calendar flexes her implacable muscle, and I must admit the date. Which is to say tomorrow, Friday, April 11, 2008, we will be having our Oh Sh$t It's Just About Taxtime And I Have Not Yet Laundered My Gambling Money Winetasting!
No, no, I have no gambling debts (unless student loans count), although the looming IRS juggernaut is no joke. As such, in cahoots with- and, indeed, hosted by- the elegant, devilishly handsome young Geoff Worden of Henry Wine Group, we will be featuring eminently affordable wines from around the world.
I will let the perspicacious Mr. Worden shill for his own wines here, to wit:
Protocolo Ros 2006 $6.99 (Spain)
Not Ros weather you say? Hah! Ros is appropriate year round- and on my table even in the depths of frigid winter. Ross make me happy. Okay, even if you don't agree, the Oregonian says it will be 73 AND SUNNY on Saturdaygardening with a glass? Grilling with a glass? Perhaps just genuflecting with a glass?
Oxford Landing Viognier 2006 $7.99 (Australia)
All estate fruit from perhaps the best producer of Viognier in Australia, Yalumba, who purchased the property in 1954. Estate fruit from Australia for that price?!?!
Tortoise Creek Pinot Noir 2006 $10.49 (Pays d'Oc, France)
French Pinot noir for a great price, from the same people who started Les Jamelles. A true steal in the world of Pinotwow, what a concept.
Excelsior Cabernet 2005 $9.99 (South Africa)
Round, juicy and surprisingly complex a great house Cabernet, and the 2005 is drinking beautifully. Screwcap closure for easy accessprice goes up May 1...
Wishing Tree Shiraz 2005 $11.49 (Australia)
Lots of Western Australian juice here, which lends a more pronounced pepper note, almost Rhne-style. Underwhelmed by Aussie Shiraz lately, especially at this price? Get your palate ready and hold out your glass, this will be an eye-opener.
Indaba Pinotage 2006 $11.99 (South Africa)
I have no idea why it took us so long to get this fantastic example of Pinotage- South Africa's famous cross of Cinsault and Pinot noir- into our portfolio, but once we did we sold out in less than 2 weeks. Here's the second offering. Pinotage calls out for grilling, or braaing as they call it in South Africa. Their National Braai Day is in Octoberthat doesn't work so well for us here, but Saturday should work well!
Las Rocas Garnacha 2006 $12.49 (Spain)
70-100 year old vines produce this incredible wine, at once juicy and earthy. The 2005 vintage is a fantastic one for Spain, accessible and fruit forward without losing any acidity or structure.
Las Rocas Garnacha Vinyas Viejas 2005 $17.99 (Spain)
These vines are all 100+ years old, from the same vineyards as the above. It offers everything the intro level does, but in a more concentrated, intense form. This is a rare opportunity to taste this wine only 28 six-packs for all of Oregon!
...OK, Riggs here again. Ole Geoffy-geoff did 'im a good job there, heya? Told y'all he was the shizznit. Actually, I don't recall ever previously using the term "shizznit" in an email, yet there it is, and thus is Geoff.
Will there be a Cool Kids' Table? Let's just say one needn't make an examination of scat to determine whether ursine digestion occurs in a sylvan environment...
See you tomorrow!
Apologies! Sorry! I have been gone for the last two days, and in my absence technical difficulties have prevented the newsletter from going out- until now- but, rest assured:
There is indeed a tasting tonight! At the normal time! 5-7, at John's Market...
Though you might have feared otherwise, Mike and I have cobbled together a fun little tasting for you, to wit:
...wait! You've gone this long without knowing! It seems like something of the surprise will be ruined if I tell you what we're pouring at this point...
Hint: Mr. Mike will turn you on to his favorite expensive Italian Pinot, and I've got a killer Aussie BDX Blanc lookalike...
Now get back to work, it ain't the weekend yet!
See you tonight, and sorry again for the super-late 'letter.
Though we pay dearly for these days, in a currency of wind and toothy rain, of sodden snow and choking gutters, this is perhaps the most beautiful time of year. There are few cities in the world that can rival Portland's hyper-concupiscent, swimmingly aromatic flowering trees. Every year I am absolutely swept off my feet by the cherries, the magnolias, the Shiro plums, the apples, the Asian pears... Their estival echo- lines of vines, blackberry and impenetrable- has nothing on this springtime dehiscence. In flagranto delicte ocularum! Flower power, man! Dig it.
And if you're horrified at that little opening salvo (kinda like being buried in a slump of overcooked rotini, I confess), your horror will be in no way assuaged to learn that this week the entire room is going to be the Cool Kids' Table!
That's right, tomorrow, Friday, March 28, 2008, at John's, we will be holding our traditional Oh My Goodness Yes It's Blossom Season Wine Celebration! This little jubilee will go down between the hours of 5 and 8 PM, and will set you back the monstrous sum of $5. That's 75c in Euros, right?
Well, let your sighs not continue, oh ye thirsty friends, lest they be in anticipatory delight, for I have collected quite a special little line-up for your perusal and consumption at tomorrow's event. You don't believe me? Read on...
Jacob's Creek "Steingarten" Riesling 2002 $8.99 (Australia)
This is the most spectacular deal on a dry Riesling I've seen in years. This is a gorgeous, floral Barossa Riesling- and, in case you haven't heard, the New World's best dry Riesling comes from Australia. I don't know any other country that cold produce a wine of this quality, in this style, at anything like this price. Can you tell I like it? This is a wonderful wine!
Villa Wolf Pinot Gris 2006 $10.99 (Germany)
I am silly to have waited so long to try this. These grapes are from the Pfalz, which is just north of Alsace, making it, as you'd guess, good 'Gris country. Bright, opulent fruit hangs on a food-loving, well- defined structure, with a long, minerally finish with maybe a hint of sugar. The kind of wine that makes you grin when you taste it. You guys like Alaskan King Crab?
Heggies Vineyard Chardonnay 2006 $19.99 (Australia)
Everyone knows I loves me some Aussie Chard. A wine from this producer was one of the factors setting me on that sinful path years ago, I confess. This single-vineyard Chardonnay comes from one of Australia's highest vineyards, 550 meters above the Southern Ocean. Don't come into it wishing for inox, 'cause inox it ain't, but once you wrap your tongue around this wine it's hard to let go. Gushing, buxom Aussie fruit is balanced against starry acidity, the whole framed by mouthwatering barrel opulence (yeah, I just said that). Sorry this talker got so casual- it's them Ozzy woines, mate! Nae woorries!
Dme. Roc de Chteauvieux Pinot Noir Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France 2006 $9.99
That's such a pretty way to name your vineyards that I had to write the whole thing out. The Garden in question happens to be the Loire Valley, where a fair amount of Pinot, often made into ros, is grown. This is a great little value in everyday Pinot Noir. The label is an experience unto itself, advising you that "the citrus fruits flavours on the palate is supple yet rich." That's what she said! Ouch, can I get a rim shot please? I'm here all week, people, try the veal, it's to die for...
Tamar Ridge "Devil's Corner" Pinot Noir 2006 $14.99 (Tasmania)
Named after an infamous rapid on the Tamar (pronounced Tay-mar, by the way) River, this Pinot is actually quite civilized. Tasmania is largely a temperate rainforest and is blessed by a climate similar to our own, and some of Australia's finest Pinots- no longer an oxymoron- are being grown here. This one is a study in purity, grace, and varietal precision, with compelling undertones of forest floor.
Amity Pinot Noir 2006 $24.99 (Willamette Valley)
Myron's Rieslings are epic, and his Gewurz is a song, all roses and Buddha's hand citron, but you, my friends, are a Pinot crowd, and therefore (because I love you, even though you abuse me savagely, sigh) we're going to revisit this absolutely delicious Pinot Noir. Textbook, classic, and unmistakably Oregonian in provenance, capable of an effortless several years of cellaring, yet open and yielding now, this is a beautiful piece of vinous work. Not to be missed.
Magnon "La Dmarrante" Vin de Pays de la Valle du Paradis 2006 $21.49 (you know whence)
Another lovely appellation name, this one describing the vineyards northwest of Perpignan, rising around a little river that flows into a little tang along the Mediterranean. This wine shows the breathtaking, sexy rosepetals-and-blood heights to which well-made, old-vine Carignan can aspire- and, here, attain. This is why I love French wine.
OK, it's getting a bit late, time to go have some dinner with the family. We'll see you tomorrow!
Wa-hoo-wa, say my Charlottesville friends, a bit cavalier in their colloquial huzzah, it's true, but still most emotive, and, in fact, I gotta say it again: wa-hoo-wa! ...because I have solved the hideous, nasty, subversive little flaw that prevented me from speaking directly with you last week. But my detailed, assiduous efforts have swept away the middleman, much like Martin Luther. Although, rest assured, friends, neighbors, and countrymen (/-women), it is no personal apotheosis I describe, but rather a testament to my reverence and respect for all of you. Or at least for you all as a unified whole. And I do hope all my carefully crafted puns there were observed and appreciated...
This week we are quite pleased to be hosting the stars of southern Oregon, the Umpqua Valley's own Brandborg Winery. We've known about their Northern Reach Pinot- and loved it- for some time, but I was astounded to find the impeccable quality to be found throughout their portfolio. At a recent tasting of southern Oregon wines, their table was easily the best there- and I should point out that some heavy hitters (read: Abacela) were there as well, so it was not for lack of competition. If you would like more detailed information on these wines, scroll down to the bottom of this message, where I've appended detailed notes. We will be featuring:
Pinot Gris 2005 $12.99
What a value! Delicious, dry, and clean.
"Or Blanc" 2006 $14.99
An Alsatian field blend consisting of Gewrztraminer, Riesling, and Pinot gris.
"Benchlands" Pinot Noir 2006 $22.99
"Northern Reach" Pinot Noir 2004 $19.99
"Love Puppets" Pinot Noir 2006 $30.99
No one that I know of is making better Oregon Pinot outside the "classic" areas than Brandborg.
No one is coming close, really...
Syrah 2004 $20.99
Gorgeous, peppery, and expressive, like baby Cornas. This is one of my top three extra-Gallic Syrahs. And the price just got ridiculously low.
And the Cool Kids' Table is back, after having weathered the Apaltagua storm, where scores of enraged Oregon-Pinot-lovers attacked my desk, savagely beating me in the head with 1.5's of Cooks and waterboarding me with late-harvest, botrytized Chilean Riesling. And, normally you have to pay extra for that! But, as I said, we're back, and have slavishly- I mean, carefully- conformed to the dictates of today's wine trends in selecting these few wines for your perusal:
Tamar Torronts 2006 $12.99 (Argentina)
First of all, pronunciation. The stress on the first two above words is on the final syllable: tah-mah-REE toh-ron-TESS. OK, geek-out now done with, we can move on to the grape itself, the lovely, floral Torronts. Torronts is native to northwestern Spain and northern Portugal, and in fact can be found in Vinho Verde and some Galician white blends today. But its adopted home is Argentina, where it can develop into a coquettish little white that combines the best qualities of Gewurz and Muscat, all cascading, sunny flower petals. Gorgeous and light.
Voyager Estate Chardonnay 2005 $10.99 (Margaret River, Australia)
You need to go into this knowing two things: firstly, it's from Margaret River, whence come Australia's most European wines; and, secondly, due to incredibly poor marketing on the part of some folks in Miami who will remain nameless, I can now sell this fresh, current-release wine to you at half price! If Brandborg's Syrah is baby Cornas, this is baby Meursault. For real. And, yes, it has oak, but it also has razor-sharp acidity, gushing, erotic funk, and starry, blushing minerality, so there!
Pennautier Cabards 2006 $9.99 (France)
This ludicrous value, made by Bertrand Seube, formerly of Chteau Mouton-Rothschild, is made using a blend of "Bordeaux" and "Rhone" varietals. Amazing red wine at this price.
OK, we'll see you there! Make sure to ask about the yummy new Loire Valley (not Chilean) Pinot noir I'll have stacked at $10 a bottle, and stay tuned for upcoming High Thursday Events.
Read on for detailed Brandborg notes, provided by their distributors Vineria Italia. That means this part is totally [sic], man...
Brandborg Vineyard and Winery
345 First Street
PO Box 506
Elkton, OR 97436
Phone 541-584-2870 Fax 541-584-2871
Email: sue@brandborgwine.com
www.brandborgwine.com
2005 Umpqua Valley Pinot Gris
Our Pinot Gris is modeled after the Tokay d' Alsace. There it is one of the most highly recommended accompaniments to food. Our style creates a wine with good body, a full mouthfeel, moderately high alcohol and great fruit character without excessive floral bouquet. This varietal responds best to deep soils with high mineral content. That perfectly describes our vineyard source, Melrose Vineyards, an alluvial bench along the banks of the South Umpqua River. We ferment the wine cold to preserve fruit, acidity and freshness. This wine exhibits a spiciness of aroma with a strong note of pineapple. The flavors abound with tropical fruits of bananas, mangos and baked green apples. The crisp acidity and long lingering finish make this wine a perfect companion to oysters on the half shell, fresh Dungeness crab or grilled wild salmon with a lemony cilantro pesto sauce.
Bottled April 2006 577 cases 13.8% alcohol by volume
2006 Or Blanc Oregon White Wine
This wine is our homage to the white wine blends of Alsace. Our region's climate is very similar to that of Alsace. 2006 brought a bumper crop to us and we began to think of a blended white, enabling us to bottle a larger batch than our single varieties would allow. The resulting blend is 37% Gewrztraminer, 32% Riesling and 31% Pinot gris. Each of these varietals contributes a distinctive element to the blend. The aromatics are driven by the floral qualities of the Gewrztraminer. The full body and lingering mouthfeel comes from the ripe and rich Pinot gris. Riesling contributes to the clean acidity. This wine is bursting with fresh white peaches, grapefruit, honeysuckle and lemon blossoms. There is a touch of sweetness .8%, bright fresh acid and a long lingering finish. This pleasing summertime sipper has everything going for it.
Bottled May 2007 1,372 cases cork free 14.1% alcohol by volume
2006 Umpqua Valley Bench Lands Pinot noir
We source fruit from a number of vineyards for this blend, all with close proximity to the Umpqua River. Some sites have stony alluvial river soils, some have sedimentary clays. All are influenced by the cool maritime air and fog that are drawn daily inland preserving fresh berry/cherry fruit and bright acidity. The wine is a beautiful garnet red rimmed with violet. The aroma is lush with dark cherry, blue berry and ripe plums. The bouquet is filled with toast and spice, showing nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. The flavors abound with blueberries and cranberries with overtones of pomegranate with dark cherries. The mouthfeel is full, pleasing and warm with a long toasty finish. All of our pintos are made the same way. Small lots are fermented separately with hand punch downs, gently pressed and barreled "dirty" to 100% French oak, 33% new. This allows us to stir the lees and build structure and mouthfeel, while maintaining the minerality inherent in Umpqua Valley fruit. We feel this wine is a great value and should be enjoyed regularly. Experiment with pairings, but right now I can imagine it with rotisserie grilled game hens stuffed with lemons, garlic and rosemary.
2961 cases bottled cork free September 2007 14.3% alcohol by volume
2004 Northern Reach Pinot Noir
Our Northern Reach Pinot Noir is sourced from two vineyards in the most northern and coolest reaches of the Umpqua Valley. The Bradley Vineyard in Elkton, the most maritime climate found in the AVA, is planted to own rooted Wdensvil. The Red Hill Vineyard is the most continental type climate found in our area and at 1300 feet one of the coolest. From here we source primarily Pommard clones. This wine is very Burgundian in character with good acidity, structure and balance. The aromas and bouquet are very full with tar, cinnamon, nutmeg, wild forest herbs, lavender and mushrooms with plum jam. The fruit in the nose is very dark cherry and blackberry. All carry through across the palate. The wine has a nice well balanced mid-palate, soft integrated tannins and a long lingering finish. It will serve well with variety of meat, lamb or duck dishes, grilled with herbed rubs or long simmered in savory sauces.
Bottled September 2005 958 cases 13.7% alcohol by volume
2006 Pinot Noir "Love Puppets" Retail $30
The wine is deeply colored with hues of ruby and purple around the edges. The aromas and bouquet are warm and inviting with candied sour cherries, blackberries, persimmon pudding and spice cake with notes of racy oak toast. The flavors revolve around great dark cherry fruit. The mouthfeel is nothing short of voluptuous. This wine coats the mouth with a warm pleasing impression that lasts and lasts and lasts. There are well integrated very fine tannins that are nicely balanced by refreshing acidity. This wine is the real deal, a very decadent and hedonistic Pinot noir. All of the grapes in this wine come from our favorite dry farmed vineyards, all with yields of less than two tons per acre. The resulting structure is phenomenal. 2006 is going to prove to be a fabulous vintage for Pinot noir in the Umpqua Valley and this wine represents the best of the grapes we bring in from our diverse growers.
800 cases bottled September 13, 2007 14.3% alcohol by volume
2004 Syrah
This wine is a blend of fruit from the Marshanne Vineyard near Oakland and the Fox Hill Vineyard located north of Cole Road, close to the hamlet of Umpqua, with a perfect southern aspect. Both contribute unique qualities to this wine. We find earthy, toasty, meaty nuances in the Marshanne fruit and intense black pepper, with blueberries and damson plums in the Fox Hill fruit. These flavor characteristics blend seamlessly in this wine and our oak treatment of 100% small French barrels, 33% new, lends a perfect balance of spice and vanillin richness. The wine has good body and texture with a nice round mouth feel and a welcoming long, lingering finish. The acidity and sumptuous fruit make this wine a wonderful accompaniment to slow roasted meats, game and flavorful grilled steak.
Bottled September 2005 599 cases 13.5% Alcohol
Retail $27.00 Case $291.60
John's Market Tasting $5.00 ...5-7 today Friday
Oh yes, friends and neighbors, Spring is indeed in the air, and though that aforementioned air remains somewhat sodden, somewhat like a pile of towels in a sauna in terms of its general drip-drop dampness, there is no mistaking the change of season. Our ubiquitous rain's lash and sting has mellowed into chilly little pecks on the cheek. Lascivious little crocus and andromeda hang, pendulous and soft, their perfumes spinning out into the air like love-notes written on spiderwebs... Yummy and clean and fresh and yet somehow compelling and naughty, like a hair-cut kid looking up the hairdresser's sleeve for a stolen glimpse of brassiere, or, rather, like her smile and cocked eyebrow when he's caught. Ahhh, printemps!
And how better to celebrate springtime's blushing advent than with the wines of Eastern Oregon's own Quenett Winery? The two go hand-in-hand, I'd say, right? You don't think so? OK, here's a little free association test for you... March in Oregon... HA! Gotcha! Don't tell me you didn't immediately think Redd Red!
The accomplished, multi-talented, and handsome young Richard Giunchigliani will be joining us tomorrow to present his wines. The line-up will include, among others:
Redd Red 2004 $11.99
In a world of skyrocketing prices, this wine, perhaps my favorite of its kind, is a ludicrous value. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah... but with structure, balance, class, and restraint. Maximum R & B. Rewards the dollars spent, and benefits the tongue, that is.
Barbera 2004 $18.99
Ranks right up there with Jim Clendenen's Bricco Buon Natale line for my favorite extra-Italian Barbera. Crispy and bright and varietally correct.
Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 $18.99
Serious, well-made, and delicious. And, remember, it's almost grilling weather...
Reserve Zinfandel 2004 $27.99
One of my favorite Zins, this one is full of bright raspberry flavors, but these flavors are hung on a gorgeous, almost European frame.
...and there are rumors of newer vintages, of Sangiovese, and of a Zin "normale"...
As for the Cool Kids' Table... well, rest assured that it will be well-stocked... 1985 DRC? 1974 Martha's Vineyard? Declassified 1943 Boise AVA Chenin Blanc Ice Wine? Who knows...
HIGH THURSDAY CELEBRATION: PIEMONTE
This will be a special tasting of the wines of Piedmont, in northern Italy, with a focus on the Nebbiolo wines of Barbaresco. Our guest and guide will be Ellen Dull of Lemma Wines, discussing and pouring, among others, single-vineyard offerings from Produttori di Barbaresco. The entry fee will be $20, and the tasting will run from 6 to 8 PM. I'll send out a more detailed email next week, but mark it on your calendars now- you won't want to miss it!
THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2008
at John's Marketplace
6-8 PM
$20
PIEMONTE!
Happy Weekend's Advent, friends, neighbors, and general email-reading public! I'm in a cheerful mood despite the mountains of wine that have piled up while I attended several events this week, perhaps mainly due to the last of the events, which I attended yesterday.
I was incredibly lucky to have been invited to taste through the Riesling library of Myron Redford of Amity Wines. That crazy pioneer of organic viticulture- and as recently as my entry into the business back in 1998 people were still saying that was fiscally impossible- invited me and a select few others out to his lovely property on a ridge overlooking the Willamette River and the Cascades from St. Helens to the Sisters, where we were treated to an array of wines dating back to 1977. Lunch was "coq au Riesling" (fabulous salmon sausage for this crazy ovo-lacto-pesco), noodles with oyster mushrooms, and a salad featuring walnuts from the property. These wines were an amazing exposition of the ageability of Riesling; not a one was over the hill, and we tasted thirty-five wines, dry and sweet. There will be a tribute to this event at the Cool Kids' Table- read on for more details.
Speaking of Riesling, make sure to check out my article on that perfect grape in the March issue of the Oregon Wine Press, for which fine publication I happen to be a freelance writer. Imagine that!
So, without further ado, I announce the Friday Night Leitz Tribute to Indian Spring (which will not feature Leitz Riesling), to be held Friday, February 29, 2008, from 5 to 7 PM, at John's Marketplace in the passionate beating heart of Multnomah Village. We will be graced by the presence of the Peripatetic Buddhist, Gordon Rappole of Mount Hood Beverages, who will be pouring:
Whitehaven Sayvignon Blanc 2006 $17.99 (New Zealand)
Yummy, snappy Kiwi Sauv Blanc at a good price.
Vinosia Primitivo 2006 $9.99 (Italy)
This is my favorite Primitivo. And, by the way, Primitivo is Zinfandel, just as Shiraz is Syrah. An actual expert (rather than the many people who have read an article on the subject once) told me, I promise!
Rancho Zabaco Heritage 2006 $12.99 (California)
Delicious Zinfandel from the house offering some of the finest values in the varietal.
Louis Martini Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 $13.99 (California)
Louis Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 $22.99 (California)
The Martini crew make excellent Cabernet Sauvignon, expressive of its source, at a good price. This is unabashedly New World wine, but made with structure and pedigree.
And, at the Cool Kids' Table, we'll have an amazing value in southern French red wine, a ludicrously good Aussie Chard, and much, much more, including:
Amity Vineyards Dry Riesling 1995 $24.99 (Oregon)
This is the tribute to my trip yesterday. Glorious, impeccable, rich, minerally... My notes read, "deep and fleshy; blueberry skins, wonderful up-font sweetness and minerality, effortless length. Peaches, awesome acid." If it sounds like the description of a 1960s love affair, maybe it should. And, get this, this thirteen-year-old wine needs to open for at least an hour before it really shows off, and after five hours...oh, my. ...not that it would last that long... Glorious food wine. I have a very limited supply of this that Myron was gracious enough to sell me from his cellar, so I will only be opening one bottle - come early if you want to try it. I will have decanted it for you, never fear...
Compatriots, I am sorry to say that I will not be with you this Friday, as I will be attending to the montane needs of my fair partner's family, a couple thousand feet up in the firry mountains around Hood. At the five o'clock hour I will doubtless be shooshing my way down to the lodge, where a soft-eyed young blonde will bring me a nipper of peppermint schnapps and a pint of Ice Axe to go with my calamari. I'll lean casually back in my chair, the world my oyster... and then I will be wracked by a pang of hideous guilt, because I will have abandoned you, my beloved customers, my parched co-slurpers, my brothers and sisters of the Vinous Writ!
LUCKILY, then, I will have already set something up to stagger drowsily along in my absence. Or, to be more temporally exact, I have already done so. The charming and most un-aptly named young Ellen Dull from Lemma Wines will be here pouring a selection of delights from Washington, to wit:
River Aerie Pinot Gris 2006 $11.99
Nothing gets my whistle whetted like Washingtonian Pinot Gris!
River Aerie Sangiovese 2006 $14.99
...unless it's Washingtonian Sangiovese!
Cuneo "Bricco" 2005 $15.99
Delicious Italianate blend from the Columbia Basin. Sangiovese-driven, elegant, and fine.
Saviah "The Jack" 2006 $15.99
Try it again for the first time, right? A hit when we debuted it a John's a few weeks ago, this Cab/ Merlot blend delivers boatloads of quality at a great price.
Arbor Crest Merlot 2004 $15.99
90 POINTS SPECTATOR! 90 POINTS SPECTATOR! Good wine, bad label.
And who knows what that exotically handsome young bundle of sass and wit, Bascom the Kid, will have out at the Cool Kids' Table. Usually when I'm gone he raids his cellar and, oh, look at that! out comes the 1994 Clos Electrique! Fingers crossed, amici e amice....
See you next week, hopefully with all extremities intact!
Friends, I'm sorry, I'm having a little trouble typing this afternoon, as there's this big, white-yellow ball hanging in the sky, and it's just so bright, and so strange, that I can't concentrate... Yes, indeed, counter-intuitively, that's the sun. It seems that every February we get this little taste of spring (Indian Spring?), which, though lovely, only seems to add to the misery of the next eighteen sodden weeks through which we'll be suffering here presently. But, despair not, as I've got just the cure:
Oh thirsty wanderers, camelbacks bursting with Tocai, feet heavy with Falanghina, stumble blearily with me into mid-February, where, right here at John's Marketplace, on Friday, February 15, 2008, between 5 and 7 PM, you can enjoy our Thank God the Days Are Getting Longer Winetasting! And, despite the savage Euro, it will still only cost you five dollars.
This week we have the unexpected pleasure of having Geoff Worden from Henry Wine Group with us. He will be featuring some of the amazing Italian wines of Vino Bravo, a company owned by the hyper-talented, peripatetic young David Scott. Scott's company sources wines made from autochthonous varietals- which is to say indigenous Italian grapes that otherwise might have faced extinction in the onrushing tide of momentarily sexier "international" vines. Geoff will be pouring:
Saba Plauso Trebbiano d'Abruzzo 2005 $14.49
This unctuous, gorgeous, minerally-maritime gem is such a ludicrous value that I hesitate to describe it further...
Grillo Tocai Friulano 2005 $23.99
100% stainless steel fermentation allows the Tocai to strut and preen with a wash of floral brightness. One of the most expressive Tocai I have tasted.
Saba Plauso Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2005 $14.49
Wonderful Montepulciano of elegant structure and dazzling breadth of flavors. Surprising for its lack of oak and freshness of fruit, this is much juice.
Grillo Schioppetino 2004 $31.49
Schioppetino (pron. skyoh-peh-tee-no), its name derived from the Italian for "gunshot," is a local Friulano varietal of breathtaking complexity and bloody richness. Rare and delicious.
Not that such an act can be followed, but it can be complemented (and complimented, for that matter). So, on to the Cool Kids' Table and its l'il offerings:
Chteau Val Joanis Rserve les Griottes Ctes du Luberon 2003 $22.49
Gorgeous wine from southern France, composed of Syrah and Grenache. Les franais disent, "La cuve "Les Griottes" est un vin puissant, par d'une robe rouge pourpre, brillante et limpide. Le nez est expressif et porte sur la rglisse, le poivre et les fruits rouges. Une bouche marque par les fruits rouges, des notes d'pices et une finale lgrement vanille." Exactly!
Amity Willamette Valley Pinot noir 2006 $24.99
Myron and Darcy make a formidable pair, as you can taste in this knockout of a young Pinot. This ain't yer grandpa's Amity no more, friends. Linking his esoteric brilliance with microbiological precision has made Amity a force with which to be reckoned.
Upcoming High Thursday events include Piemonte, Clarendon Hills, and a dry Riesling tasting... Stay tuned for information as it becomes available.
We'll see you there! And if you don't want this newsletter, let me know and you won't get it anymore.
Well, friends, the weekend thrums apace, its nearly sub-aural advent ringing like dark thunder in the ole noggin, and that can only mean one thing! Well, to be honest, it could probably mean a number of things, to wit: underhydration, plate tectonic motion sickness, self-conscious hipster ennui, the onset of the bitter reality that is life without football (wait! are those last two things mutually exclusive?), or maybe just a hangover. That said, I choose to glass-half-full things when I can, and as such I am going to go with the far more apposite (at least to the idea of an informative newsletter in which one gets an idea of what's going down in the Multnomahverse, specifically with regards to wine at John's) interpretation, which is that that low hum- almost more a texture than a sound, but that's neither here nor there- is, in fact, the tap-tap-tap of the hatchling on its egg!
In the interest of ornithological precision, the young bird, in this case, is the John's Marketplace Friday Night Wine Celebration! To be held from 5 to 7 PM on Friday, February 8, 2008! 5 dolla no holla (though, if you're lucky, there might be challah)! Dilute! Dilute! OK!
This week we will be joined by the lovely, the talented, the inimitable Ursula from McClaskey's! She will be digging deep into their famous coffers to draw forth some of the most delicious wines available anywhere in the western world. And, to render the above use of the word informative at least somewhat bona fide, I will list these wines:
Rotari Sparkling Ros Metodo Classico NV $12.99
The old standby! 75% Pinot Nero, 25% Chardonnay. Dry and quite well-made. Try it again for the first time!
Bivio Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 2006 $12.99
New to the Portland market, this northern Italian Grigio is charming and light, with nice minerality and body.
Castello Monaci "Liante" Salice Salentino 2006 $11.99
Composed of Negroamaro and Malvasia nera, this rich, spicy, Puglian red is one of those great southern Italians your mom warned you about. Perfect for pasta puttanesca w/ kalamatas!
Shingleback McLaren Vale Shiraz 2004 $19.99
I like this wine because the winemaker took me to a great lunch at Typhoon. Am I kidding or not? Even when I say I am (and I am), you won't believe me until you've tried this yummy wine for yourself. Plus (and this is the most important thing), it just got 91 points in Wine Enthusiast. I mean, why bother with trusting me when you've got it in print? Right?
...but, rest assured, you glow-eyed gang of savage beauties, there will be a discrete- if somewhat indiscreet- display over at the Cool Kids' Table, and you are invited! I will not list these wines, but I will say that they are not only exquisite, but fabulous values as well (including a 1998 Rioja Reserva for around $14, hint hint).
HIGH THURSDAY ANNOUNCEMENT:
Thursday, January 31, 2008, 6 to 8 PM
!!MALBEC!!
$20
Malbec, despite its earlier preponderance in the vineyards of Bordeaux, had for years languished as the forgotten cousin of the eminently sexier Cabernets and Merlot. Happily, visionary winemakers across the New World- and a few stalwarts in the Old- have revivified Malbec, carving for it a proud new identity. We now enjoy a time when Malbec is in full renaissance, and wonderful examples from across the globe are available to us now. In addition to the line-up below, there are rumors of a stray vertical or two waiting in the wings, so strap on your raincoat and head on out to John's Marketplace, where, for the ludicrously affordable price of twenty dollars, you can sample some of the finest examples of le Malbec we can find.
A really nice way to warm up on a cold, wet, blustery Multnomah evening is with a few friends and a glass of dark, spicy, plush red wine. Right? To give you a little extra time to fight through the traffic, the tasting will run from 6 to 8 PM.
We begin, as in any empirical study (and, thanks to the Spectator and others, we now know that the appreciation of fine wine is indeed a quantifiable experience), with a control:
2004 Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec $9.99 (Argentina)
The benchmark, in the learned opinion of my favorite resident Argentinophile.
And now, to work!
CAHORS
Château du Cayrou Cahors 2000 $19.99
Gorgeous, youthful Cahors (to put this wine in context, we also sell the 1982, which is drinking beautifully right now) made from 100% ancient Malbec vines.
Cosse Maisonneuve "Les Laquets" 2002 $33.99
Cahors of head-swimming elegance and richness, grown on a high plateau from old vines. I quote, "Voici une remarquable découverte pour les amateurs de Cahors, désireux de trouver la pure expression du cépage malbec sur un terroir à dominante calcaire. Ils travaillent en biodynamie retranscrivant tout le potentiel de ce terroir, et élèvent le vin, en fût de chêne, durant de nombreux mois pour dompter la richesse et la puissance de la matière. Un vin de garde par excellence."
WALLA WALLA
Ash Hollow Walla Walla Malbec 2004 $38.99
Made, in part, by Steve Clifton of renowned Santa Barbara winery Brewer-Clifton, this wine bears its maker's trademark stamp of elegance and finesse.
Beresan Walla Walla Malbec 2005 $29.99
A wonderful, complex wine that, along with the urgings of a regular customer, provided the inspiration for this tasting. Sourced from Stone Valley Vineyard.
ARGENTINA
La Posta del Viñatero Malbec Paulucci Vineyard 2005 $16.99
These vines, grown at 3200 feet elevation, were 34 years old in 2005, and produced a deep, extracted wine of great complexity. The wine sees ten months in French wood, of which 20% is new, and 80% one year old.
BenMarco Malbec 2005 $19.99
Composed of 90% Malbec and 10% Bonarda, from 20-year-old vines growing at an average of 3350 feet, this wine sees 11 months in new French and 1-year-old American barriques.
Susana Balbo Malbec 2005 $24.99
Susana Balbo is the First Lady of Malbec, a rarity not only for her genius and longevity, but also for her gender as a female winemaker in the male-dominated Argentine wine industry. This gorgeous wine is 90% Malbec and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, from 29-year-old vines growing at 3300 feet. It saw 13 months in 80% new French, and 20% second-use American barriques.
Catena Alta Malbec 2004 $49.99
This blockbuster, old-vine Malbec comes from four vineyards in the Andes foothills, located between 2850 and 4725 feet. Rare, special juice.
If you think you'll be arriving late, please call us and let us know you're on your way (503-244-2617), in case we try to abscond with these wines to the local steakhouse... Just kidding! But do call with any questions you have.
We hope to see you there!
Having just been viciously castigated on the bricks of downtown Carlton by brilliant winemaker and notorious bon-vivant Andrew Rich, I lay weeping in shame, my tears forming salty stalactites in the bitter wind, and looked up at the faade of the Tyrus Evan tasting room. The feathers of an epiphany were brushing against my mind. What was it? Who was I, really? I begged for an answer from the uncaring sky... What role do I play in this gory, garish, Gaud world of prostitution and the ersatz?
At first, there was only the sound of my girlish sobs, but then, bell-like, the answer rang in the air, its impact reverberating in my spine:
I'm the dude who writes the newsletters at John's Market.
The liberation of this knowledge shook me deeply. I immediately smashed the window of a Geo Metro that had been painted to resemble a bottle of pink Tabula Rasa, whipped up a sharp little hotwire job- a skill I learned while living on the streets of Boise- and set off for the Greater Portland Metropolitan Area. A new dream glowed in my breast, a new fire lit my bloodshot eyes. There was nothing but this goal, this shining instant of boundless possibility that flickered and gleamed before me like an Aleutian lighthouse.
Unfortunately, in my haste to get my Neal Cassady on, I forgot that I had actually driven my girlfriend's Celica out to Carlton in the first place. Oh well, I hear Ken Wright's using it now to haul organic fertilizer, and my heart was in the right place, i.e. on route back to my laptop to begin the artisanal, painstaking process that is this newsletter. So, without further ado (or, as I saw it in ESPN the Magazine,
without further adieu), let's to it:
Friends and lovers, neighbors feindlich and freundlich, cynical suicide counselors, bliss-ninny repo women, poets, police, penguins, and savagely partisan political pollsters, in short, you, the Extended John's Market Wino Family, be ye hearty, be ye hale, be ye welcome (but most importantly, be ye on time) to this week's Sure The Wines Rocked Last Week But Andrew Rich Who Didn't Even Bother To Show Up Yet Complained About The Curtness Of The Newsletter Nonetheless Winetasting! It will take place from 5 to 7 PM, you know where!
As I mentioned before, the talented young Justin from King's Ridge will be pouring a selection of their excellent wines (which bear no relation to a similarly regally-named Oregon winery), those being:
King's Ridge Pinot Gris 2005 $12.99
King's Ridge Riesling 2006 $12.99
King's Ridge Pinot Noir 2006 $15.99
King's Ridge
Shiraz/ Merlot 2004 $12.99
These are all delicious wines. The Riesling, in particular, is special, sourced from a vineyard planted with some of the state's oldest fruit. The Pinots Gris and Noir are also from the Valley here, whereas the Shiraz/ Merlot is from down south.
The Cool Kids' Table will display its recently wonted excellence, as, no doubt, per your expectations. Its lovely offering just might include:
Marotti Campi "Salmarino" Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva 2005 $14.49
Just call it Salmarino (named for the tower around which the grapes grow), and enjoy its plush, minerally wash of white lilies, almonds, and lemon zest. The Platonic ideal of dry Italian white wine, to borrow a phrase from my erstwhile fearless leader.
Brampton Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 $9.99 (Stellenbosch, South Africa)
Well, I got over my embarrasingly nave concerns about the connection between South Africa's wine
industry and apartheid, and have finally come to realize- and be increasingly excited by- the wines from this most beautiful of wine countries. All I'll say is, this Cab is absolutely breathtaking at this price; dollar for dollar, it has no rival in this store (or, as far as I know, in the Portland market). And we got the last 16 bottles!
Mil Piedras Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 $10.99 (Mendoza, Argentina)
I can hear it now, "You said that South African Cab was the best in the store, but this Argentine one blows it away. Mr. Riggs, you're a bad wine steward. We are disappointed with you in the utmost." Oh well. Take a number, people.
Bago de Touriga "Terroso" Douro $11.49 (Portugal)
Yummy, fruit-driven Portuguese wine with a mineral, earthy undertone. Made from grapes whose names I will have memorized by tomorrow's tasting.
Senoro de P. Pecia Rioja 2006 $13.99 (Spain)
Delicious, rustic, yet super-clean Tempranillo with a touch of Mazuelo,
done entirely in tank with no wood contact.
Castello di Verduno Langhe Nebbiolo 2006 $21.99 (Piemonte)
These guys make some of the silkiest, most elegant Nebbiolo that a normal human can afford. This one shows almost Burgundian texture and balance, but with textbook varietal flavors of violets, cherries, and blood.
HIGH THURSDAY ANNOUNCEMENT:
MALBEC!! JANUARY 31, 2008
I am pleased to finally set a date for our gala Malbec tasting: next Thursday, January 31, from 6 until 8 PM. The price will likely be $20, but could soar to $25 if we decide to pour some extra-special stuff. Trapiche Oak Cask and Cahors will serve as points of departure. Expect wine from Walla Walla, from the highest vineyards in the world, from ancient vines, and even more like treats. This is going to be a fabulous tasting peopled with rich, extracted, muscular wines- perfect for a cold winter's evening. Stay tuned; I'll finalize the menu early next week and send out a special
email...
...and don't forget to check out Mr. Riggs' rock and roll band The Bad Trees, opening up for Jay Somers (the superstar winemaker from J. Christopher) and Poncho Luxurio, at the Goodfoot Lounge (2845 SE Stark), on Wednesday, February 20 at 9PM sharp! You can preview the Trees' music by visiting www.myspace.com/badtrees ... Expect more shameless self-promotion in the upcoming weeks!
And, as a post scriptum, this week is the first time I have sent this newsletter out from my own computer, having finally been given the keys to the kingdom's addy list. So, if there are any problems (like you asked to be removed and have not yet been), please excuse me, and let me know what they are, that I might not repeat them...
More - Mr. Mike's Wine Gift Ideas
Some Cool Stuff we have in stock, and would make great gifts to the wine geeks in your life, ...these are all special wines. -Mr. Mike
Kopke 3 decade port sampler pack ($120.00), holiday offer:
Kopke 1991 Colheita 375mL Reg. $27.00
Kopke 1980 Colheita 375mL Reg. $50.00
Kopke 1977 Colheita 375mL Reg. $70.00
THE CULT OF PORT!! KOPKE!
Founded in 1638, Kopke is the oldest Port house still in existence. Specializing in old Tawny & Colheita (vintage Port matured entirely in wooden casks) style Port, Kopke is the undisputed champion of elegantly crafted, traditional Port. Only recently has this great estate become available in the Portland market. Unlike most Port producers, who export over 90% of their wine to the UK & US, Kopke Ports are largely consumed within Portugal & the rest of Europe. With centuries of experience, Kopke provides drinkers with the most authentic, unadulterated Ports available today. (These are half bottles...Full 750m Ml btls available by advance e-mail request only.)
Colheita's are essentially vintage-dated Tawny Ports and are very rare, .05% of all Port production.
(It is a great price ...$120.00 -save $27.00 off the retail prices of these wines.)
We have some nice decanters already in boxes for $27.00. We also carry some Reidel stemware.
The best Chardonnay in our store...
Michel Juillot 2004 Mercurey 1.5L Magnums!!! $65.00 ....2 bottle available (Also available in single bottles at $32.50)
Unbelievable finesse and harmony, without any obtrusive oakiness or over-extraction, this is flat out great white wine. Be a white wine hero and bring this to your holiday gathering.....-Mr. Mike
...also still available
Chateau Montelena 2004 Napa -Chardonnay $35.00
Newton 2003 Napa -Chardonnay "Unfiltered" $50.00
Produttori del Barbaresco 2001 Sampler Pack - 4 bottles $115.00 (one each of the following)
2001 was arguably the best year for Barbaresco in a generation. These wines are highly desirable cellar candidates for the beginning wine enthusiast in your family.
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Pora Riserva 750ml 2001 Reg. $37.00 Tanzer: 92 points
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Moccagatta Riserva 750ml 2001 Reg. $37.00 Wine Spectator 92 points "Intense aromas of mineral, berries and tar. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a long, fresh finish. ...The 2001 Barbaresco Riserva Moccagatta displays an open-knit nose with considerable sweetness, if less definition than the Rio Sordo. It is medium to full-bodied Barbaresco made in a more fruit-driven style with alluring notes of macerated cherries ..."
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Montestefano Riserva 750ml 2001 Reg. $37.00 Wine Spectator 92 points "Intense raspberry and strawberry aromas. Full-bodied, with fine tannins, a silky texture and a long, long finish. Elegant and structured."
Included in the pack is this best "regular" wine ever made by Produttori: the 2003 vintage. This was the year they put all the Riserva wine in the regular bottling.
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco (Normale) 750ml 2003 Reg. $24.00 Parker 91 points: "...rich and expansive...packed with heady sensations of spices...followed by deep layers of super ripe-fruit..excellent concentration and fleshiness." -WA 10.31.06
About these wines....
"Produttori del Barbaresco was founded in 1958, by the then priest of the town, Don Fiorino Marengo, a wine-loving cleric who saw the cooperative as a way to draw together the 19 original nonbottling grapegrowers in his parish. The cooperative produced its first three vintages in the church's basement before moving to the newly built winery across the square. Today the cooperative numbers 56 growers who farm 242 acres of vineyards out of a total of 578 vineyard acres in the commune of Barbaresco. Average annual production is around 35,000 cases, 35 percent of which are single-vineyard riservas. Produttori del Barbaresco produces nine single-vineyard Barbaresco riservas, from some of the best vineyard sites in the Barbaresco area: Asili, Moccagatta, Montefico, Montestefano, Ovello, Pajé, Pora, Rabajà and Rio Sordo. These wines are aged for four years: three in oak casks and at least one in bottle before release. The riservas are made only in top vintages, when either all nine are produced or none at all. Grapes that don't achieve riserva quality are used for the regular Barbaresco or the Nebbiolo Langhe bottlings. "Quality is the big word here," explains Vacca, "but we keep our winemaking process fairly neutral. We want our riservas to reflect their individual terroir naturally rather than try to force something out that isn't there. If the vintage doesn't allow us to do this, we simply don't make the riservas." This was the case with the 2003, 2002 and 1998 vintages, when the grapes coming into the co-op did not meet the required standard for inclusion in the Barbaresco riservas. But the 2001 vintage was, according to Vacca, an ideal year for riserva production. These are on the market now, and for the first time, all nine riservas are available in the United States (Pajé and Montefico are making their American debut), retailing for $55, a competitive price for a Barbaresco riserva. In Wine Spectator blind tastings over the summer, eight of the nine riservas scored 90 points or more on the 100-point scale." -WS
(It is a great price ...$115.00 - save $20.00 off the retail prices of these wines.)
Great South American Wines
Catena Alta Malbec 2004 -Wine Spectator 93 Points $58.00...12 bottles available
Wine Spectator 93 Points.... Number 23 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2007!
"Dark and lush, with a gorgeous mouthfeel to the exotic fig, boysenberry and blueberry fruit flavors backed by intense spice, mocha, loam and licorice notes. Superlong, showing great drive and purity on the finish. A beauty. Drink now through 2010." -Wine Spectator
Achaval-Ferrer -Mendoza -Quimera 2003 $46.00 Argentina .......2 bottles available, nice big red wine blend
92 Points - Wine Spectator
"Really juicy red, with raspberry, red currant and boysenberry fruit flavors mixed with racy mineral, briar and floral notes. Long, mouthwatering finish brings you back for more. Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2008."-Wine Spectator
Achaval-Ferrer -Mendoza -Quimera 2004 $46.00 Argentina ......2 bottles available, nice big red wine blend
93 Points - Wine Spectator
"Racy, almost piercing, with graphite, violet, mineral and boysenberry notes rushing along fine tannins and acidity. Long finish, but on the tight side for now, so cellar. Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc."-Wine Spectator
Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta 2003 $65.00 Chile .......2 bottles available, nice big red wine blend
94 Points - Wine Spectator
"Loads of ripe fruit, with plum, blackberry and boysenberry flavors pumping through, backed by suave, mocha-infused toast, mineral and spice notes. Long, fleshy finish has some serious grip. Carmenere and Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon."-Wine Spectator
Achaval-Ferrer Malbec Finca Bella Vista 2004 $95.00 Chile .....2 bottles available, nice big red wine blend
95 Points - Wine Spectator
(Collectibles) - "Has a piercing humus hint, followed by a torrent of raspberry and blackberry confiture, all layered with tar, violet and mineral notes. Long finish is superracy. Drink now through 2014." -Wine Spectator
Other Allocated Wines
2005 Massena Shiraz Epsilon $24.00 Parker 94 pts!! ....20 bottles available
Parker 94: "The 2005 Shiraz Epsilon is fashioned from 32-year-old vines planted in the Greenock sector. Aged 12 months in old French oak hogsheads (300 liters), it exhibits an opaque purple color, abundant aromas of raspberries, blueberries, graphite, and spice box, and a full-bodied, rich, fleshy style. A hedonistic tour de force in winemaking!"
Other Wines from the Wine Spectator's Top 100 ....in stock now
Alain Graillot 2005 Crozes-Hermitage $30.00 ....24 bottles available
Ranked #43 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2007! Wine Spectator Score: 92 This is the best Syrah in the store. -Mike
Planeta 2005 Chardonnay $36.....1 bottle available
Ranked #50 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2007! Wine Spectator Score: 93
2004 Vieux Telegraph Chateauneuf du Pape 1.5L Magnums!!! $120.00 ....1 bottle available
Ranked #19 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2007! Wine Spectator Score: 94 Robert Parker Score: 92
Orin Swift "the prisoner" 2005 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon $35.00 .....3 bottles available
Ranked #17 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2007! Wine Spectator Score: 93
Allocated wines are offered at a 10% discount for 6 or more. No further discounts apply. -Mr. Mike
Red Burgundy Sampler Pack $175.- 6 bottles. 3 packs still available
You have always wanted to compare our local Oregon Pinot Noir to real red Burgundy. However, the prices have stopped you; the confusing labels and the uneven quality (many burgundies are "just dry red wine with a high price tag") and the plain lack of knowledge about which are worth trying, have given you pause. Maybe this should be the year you try the wines Oregon winemakers drink to see what possibilities exist for this grape, and what quality standards they have to compete with.
I have selected these six wines personally from our recent store tastings in order to contrast and compared different flavor profiles. This selection would work as an excellent blind tasting event for your group of Oregon wine loving friends. 2004 was a very good year, and 2005 is considered a flat out great vintage. Seize the day, seize this six pack, and experience beautifully expressive Pinot from its original primordial source. -Mike
Red Burgundy Sampler Pack - one bottle each of these Mr. Mike approved best 2004 & 2005 vintage values.
1) 2005 Domaine Olivier Savigny-lès-Beaune 1re Cru "Les Peuillets" $34.00 (Rich flavors, lush texture, this one shows off just how terrific real Burgundy can be in a great year.)
2) 2005 Michel Juillot Mercurey $30.00 (This wine is so aromatic and expressive, with a tender-hearted textured Burgundy personality, very impressive, very unique.)
3) 2004 Domaine Chandon de Briailles Pernand-Vergelesses Rouge $50.00 (Peppery and playful on the palate, ready to drink and enjoy now.)
4) 2005 Vincent Girardin Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru "Les Vergelesses" Rouge $42.00 (This one is full, dark, and brooding, showing us the power side of Burgundy.)
5) 2005 Vincent Girardin Expression de Terroir Bourgogne $25.00 (This one has a dark heart of extracted Pinot fruit, full, yet still expressive.)
6) 2005 Domaine Jean-Marc Pavelot Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru "Les Guettes" $40.00 (This has a pungent nose of plum, spice and classic notes of Savigny iron-infused earth and finishes with admirably deep flavors. No one could mistake this for an Oregon wine.)
($221.00 retail value) purchased as a set only $175.- (less than $30 per bottle) -Mr. Mike
Well, well, friends, neighbors, compatriots, so-far survivors of the savage vicissitudes of the Dubyocracy, we have (it seems) made it through to the other side- having had, i hope, as the Germans say, a good slide into this spanking new year- and find ourselves dripping in the golden dawn of a radiant, glorious, new era...
OK, at least we're none the worse for wear. More or less. Glass half full, right?
You may imagine that our larders have been mightily depleted during these last thirsty few weeks, and so I will be drawing deep into John's Market's inimitable terroir for this weekend's tasting. No special guests, no bells, no whistles, just good wine at reasonable prices. Consider it our Ascetic Zen January One Foot On The Wagon Tasting, to be held tomorrow, January 4, 2008, rye cheer at John's- and somebody cue "'Tis a Gift to be Simple," please...
Jacob's Creek Chardonnay/ Pinot Noir Brut Cuvée NV $9.95 (Australia)
Just because I'm perverse, here's some sparkling wine, a Kramerized favorite, made out of that characteristically Aussie grape, Pinot Noir! Oh, and Chardonnay as well...
Murphy-Goode Fumé Blanc 2005 $9.99 (California)
Smooth and smoky, just like the name suggests. Not smooth and smoky like Al Jarreau, smooth and smoky like some kind of cedar-smoked Raclette on fingerling potatoes. OK, nothing like that either. It's Sauv Blanc, for pete's sake!
Mekinzie Ridge Momtazi Vineyard Pinot Noir 2005 $9.99 (Oregon)
100% declassified Domenn della Romaney Contee, La Tosh, I promise! (Names altered for copyright protection)
Blackwing Shiraz 2005 $9.99 (Australia)
Classy, restrained Aussie Shiraz that is normally $15 a bottle! And we thought of you first!
Rodney Strong Merlot $14.99 2004 (California)
These next two have appeared recently, but they are so good that I need to remind you of them. This Merlot is round and ripe, but without much of the plummy mocha flavors that somewhat monochromatically abound in Callie Merlot: it even has a touch of Italian styling to it, all bloody wild cherries and earth...
Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 $16.99 (California)
Another ludicrous value that made a cameo a few weeks ago as a single, not-yet-available pour at the Cool Kids' Table, this plush, elegant Cab has boatloads of class and style. You would not be surprised if this wine fetched twice the price.
Jacob's Creek Chardonnay/ Pinot Noir Brut Cuvée NV $9.95 (Australia)
Just because I'm perverse, here's some sparkling wine, a Kramerized favorite, made out of that characteristically Aussie grape, Pinot Noir! Oh, and Chardonnay as well...
Exciting tastings will be coming up later this month, including a visit next Friday from the famous Marc Garner, Portland's finest sommelier-in-training, and a helluva nice guy, and King's Ridge (NOT King Estate, btw) on the 25th... See you then!
Friday, December 28, 2007, at John's Market, we will be having our exciting Friday Tasting! It's a smorgasbord (sp?) of delights from all across the store! It's wine, for you to drink, for the too-low price of $5! It's from 5 to 7 PM! It's fabulous!
Gruet Blanc de Noirs NV $14.95
Yummy, fizzy, and New Mexican... Sounds like a party to me!
Camplazens Syrah 2006 $10.99
This will me going up to the above price soon, so I've written it there to get you emotionally prepared. Still the best deal in Syrah I know.
La Bastide Merlot 2005 $8.99
We can't vouch for the legitimacy of this wine, but its deliciousness is another matter. Consider it vouched.
Sardasol Tempranillo 2006 $7.99
Juicy, tasty tempranillo for a song. Seriously, you will be required to sing.
Cottonwood "Marina Piper" Pinot Noir 2002 $23.99
It's been a little while since I've had this. Thanks for trying it again with me this Friday!
...and there are rumors that the handsome Rupert of Indian wine fame will be here as well...
Happy New Year!
As we move ever so slowly, inexorably, through the turbid waters of this "Holiday Season," it seems there are fewer and fewer moments when one can relax, sit back, and say, "I'm at John's Market for a winetasting." Cognizant of this dearth, we have addressed it in the following fashion: tomorrow, December 21, 2007 (a mere ten days until the arrival of the new year!), right here at John's Marketplace, between the auspicious hours of 5 and 7 PM, we will be celebrating A Friday to Remember: These Are the Good Old Days with- wait for it- a winetasting! Grin a yuley grin- or a Christmahannukwanzolsticey grin, if you prefer- hold up your wineglass, and proclaim, "At last, my arm is complete again!"
Once you've done that, turn around and apologize to all your friends whom you've completely freaked out with your little display, and then proceed to the table with the tall, handsome young man from Zancanella Importing Company. That's Rod Evans, extreme winter camping expert, mountain biking mogul, and neo-Beat poet, who also happens to be Portland's foremost expert on Italian wines. Not only will he dazzle and astound you with feats of verbal acrobatics and hands-free chiromancy, but he will also be pouring the following wines:
Rive del Chiesa Prosecco NV $12.99 (Venezia Giulia)
Probably our most popular Prosecco, and certainly one of the pillar labels in our store, Rive del Chiesa is, simply put, perfect Prosecco. Not the most complex, or the driest, not the highest in acidity or the richest; Goldilocks says, this one is just right.
Pravis "Polin" Pinot Grigio 2006 $13.99 (Vigneti delle Dolomiti)
This is one of the most intriguing wines in the store. It is a pink wine made entirely of Pinot Grigio (a pink-skinned grape) which is left to macerate on the skins overnight in stainless steel tanks. This extracts color and tannin, making this a rich, complex wine of plush texture, exotic flavors, and ringing, minerally acidity. Amazing and unique.
Punset Barbera d'Alba 2003 $12.99 (Piedmont)
Beautiful, floral, varietally-correct Barbera from the famous Barbaresco house.
Casaloste Chianti Classico 2003 $19.99 (Tuscany)
Aged in a combination of botti and used barriques, this 100% Sangiovese wine is produced through biodynamic methods. Rich, spicy Chianti with a pronounced sense of place.
Lanari Rosso Cònero 2005 $12.99 (Marche)
The grapes for this wine, 90% Montepulciano and 10% Sangiovese, are grown on hills overlooking the Adriatic Sea, in view of Mount Cònero (stress is on the first syllable: COH-ner-o). Numerous passes are made through the vineyards at harvest to ensure perfectly ripe grapes, and this selection happens again at the winery. Aged for six months in old wood, the wine retains a lively fruitiness above its serious, sotto bosco backbone. A compelling note of olives in the mid-palate suggests the perfect food pairing...
Provenza Negresco 2004 $19.99 (Lombardy)
A charming, esoteric blend from the shores of lake Garda, this pretty, floral wine is a blend of Sangiovese, Barbera, Groppello, and Marzemino. It sees some barrique aging, so these racy, bracing grapes' fruit is toned somewhat and given a supple profile. Interesting and molto yummy!
And don't forget to take advantage of the fabulous deals available in Mr. Mike's Holiday Giftpacks, which will make you by far the coolest wine-geek on your block!
!!HIGH THURSDAY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!!
German wine is a study in balance, finesse, and sense of place. The great Rieslings of Germany are, along with the finest wines of Burgundy, the world's most fluent expressions of terroir. These are wines that, when tasted, compel the drinker to wonder, “Why do I ever drink anything else?”
As such, we are delighted, and quite fortunate, to have Ewald Moseler here at John's Market tomorrow, December 13, 2007, from 6-8 PM, where he will be pouring a wonderful selection of wines- sparkling and still, white and red- from his native country, fair Germany, land of poets and thinkers. As an early Holiday gift to our customers, we have lowered the entry fee to only $25!
Ewald was the man who turned me on to Riesling way back in the mid-90's, when I had hair halfway down my back, sported corduroy patchwork overalls, and sold wine at a great little market in East Eugene. He has remained the state's leading expert on German wines, and Riesling in particular, and it is always a pleasure to spend some time with him and learn a thing or three.
What follows is tomorrow's line-up, which I have emphasized in various ways to simplify the somewhat ornate German labeling system. Producers are in bold type, the style or varietal of wine is in normal type, and the vineyard is in italics. Vineyards are named after their neighboring villages, such that the first word, ending in -er, is the village name, and the second word is the vineyard. Thus Graacher Himmelreich means Himmelreich vineyard in Graach. See, it's not so complicated!
2006 Wachtenburg Winzer Secco Rose (sparkling) $14.99
2005 Wachtenburg Winzer Pinot Gris $11.99
2006 Van Volxem Saar Riesling $22.99
2005 Wachtenburg Winzer Riesling Spätlese Trocken Wachenheimer Schenkenböhl $28.99
1994 Christoffel-Prüm Riesling Spätlese Wehlener Sonnenuhr $29.99
2005 Kees-Kieren Riesling Spätlese Graacher Himmelreich $26.99
2003 Selbach-Oster Riesling Auslese Graacher Domprobst $42.99
2005 Franz Künstler Pinot Noir $31.99
2005 Wachtenburg Winzer Pfalz Cuveé (Red Wine) $22.99
Morgen seh'n wir uns, und's freut mich sehr's zu sagen! Bis bald!
Today Monday Dec 10th from 6-8 Pm Mr. Mike will again present Burgundies ...admission will be $15.00
6-8 Monday (later than usual..)
Domaine Guy Bocard Bourgogne Chardonnay 2004 $18.00 This is real ur-Chardonnay White Burgundy
2001 Charmes-Chambertin grand cru from Joseph Roty Red Burgundy ...N/A
Michel Juillot 2005 Mercurey $30.00 This wine is so aromatic and expressive...a real eye opener...the promise of Burgundy realized.
Vincent Girardin 2005 Expression de Terroir Bourgogne (Red Burgundy 2005) $25.00
(John Paul from Cameron Winery had an epiphany whilst enraptured by this wine....It had something to do with the lack of any real value Pinot Noir wines from Oregon.)
2005 Vincent Girardin Savigny-les-Beaune les Vergelesses Rouge $42.00
2004 Domaine Chandon de Briailles Pernand-Vergelesses Rouge
..and, a few other great Burgundies, ...come join us....-Mr. Mike
Friends and Neighbors, Sons and Lovers, People of the Book, Students of the Sacred Thread, Junkie Poets and Straight-Edge Composers, Dwellers in Palisades of Twisted Glass, in short, all those smitten by the vine's gentle ichor, be ye welcome this Friday, the ultimate shaft in the Novembric quiver, the 30th of said month, at 5 PM, to the Wine Cures Rain Freitag Extravaganza! The official festivities will have reached their end promptly at 7 PM, allowing you all plenty of time to roll out into the balmy evening in search of rarer pleasures.
Sorry about that first paragraph. It's the rain, it gets me feeling all Celtic, like I should get my Amergin on and wax all poetic all over the place. Or maybe it's all that time I spent in the car over the “holiday” weekend, speeding along blurry California highways...
But most likely it's the anticipation of the advent of one of Portland's most talented young wine professionals, the famous Carrie of Universal Wines, who will hold court with her wonted sass, wit, and charm- not to mention the occasional kick to the head. I have asked her to be on her best behavior, and I know I can expect the same from my wise, courteous customers, so a good time should be had by all.
Carrie will be pouring her favorite Spanish wines, to wit:
Bohigas Cava Rosado NV $11.49 (Catalunya)
Delicious, snappy, dry pink Cava.
La Val Albariño 2006 $11.49 (Rias Baixas)
A ridiculous value in a category whose prices are often north of $20 a bottle. This wine steps away from the intense acidic minerality often found in these wines, delivering a softer, "leesier" style.
Muruve Tinto Joven 2006 $6.99 (Toro)
100% Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo).
Funky and chocolaty.
Liberalia Cero Tinto 2004 $12.99 (Toro)
Hilariously, the label of this wine describes the bacchanalian puberty rite after which it is named as being characterized by "moderation." Hmmm, have these guys never read Death in Venice? 100% Tinta de Toro. Funkier and chocolatier.
Bohigas Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 $11.49 (Catalunya)
Rock solid, quite well-made Cabernet Sauvignon from northeastern Spain. Shows classic varietal flavors with a spicy hit of garrigo (that's the word I just coined for Spanish Garrigue. Do you like it?)
Conde de Siruela Reserva 2001 $35.99 (Ribera del Duero)
100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo). Gorgeous, long, and plush, with uncoiling flavors of ripe boysenberries, lilies, and leather. Damn good juice.
And an advance announcement to whet the appetite: the Godfather of Riesling in Oregon (Oregonrieslinggottvater, auf Deutsch), Herr Ewald Moseler of Moseler Imports via Mitchell Wines! Ewald will be pouring a glorious selection of German Riesling that will act as a wonderful slide into the heart of the holiday season. The tasting will be Thursday, December 13, 2007, from 6PM - 8PM. Be there or be very, very jealous of the dazed joy in the eyes of your friends who do attend!
Bis bald!
2005 & 2004 Red Burgundy tasting 4:00 - 6:00 pm this Sunday Nov. 25th at John's Marketplace ($15.00 fee this time)
1) Domaine Olivier 2005 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1re Cru "Les Peuillets" $34.00
2) Jacky Truchot 2004 Morey St. Denis "V.V." $49.00
3) Jacky Truchot 2004 Morey St. Denis 1re Cru "Les Blanchiards" $59.00
4) Jacky Truchot 2004 Gevery Chambertin 1re Cru "Aux Combottes" $69.00
5) Jean-Marc Bouley 2005 Volnay 1er Cru "Les Carelles" $45.00
6) Domaine Jean-Marc Pavelot 2005 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru "Les Guettes" $40.00
Pavelot 2005 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru "Les Guettes" Burghound: 88-91 Allen Meadows: "(the terroir here is quite stony with very little top soil). A completely different aromatic profile presents itself here with a pungent nose of plum, spice and classic notes of Savigny iron-infused earth that introduce rich, full and admirably deep flavors that possess good punch and length on the firm and dusty finish. There isn’t much elegance or refinement in residence at present but again, there is no lack of character." 88-90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2005 Savigny-les-Beaune Les Guettes leads with aromas of lightly-cooked cherry, sage and lavender. In the mouth, this displays good concentration and ripeness, with a rather tart streak and slightly gritty tannin. Allowing for the wine’s recent sulfuring and assemblage, it may show more textural richness and its brightly red-fruited, spicy, herbal finish show more sweetness after it has been bottled and rested." (06/07)
7) Joseph Roty 2004 Gevery Chambertin 1re Cru -Cuvee de "La Brunelle" $75.00
Pre-Thanksgiving tasting 4:00 - 7:00 pm Wednesday November 21st ....$5.00 fee
Join Mr, Mike for an all Oregon affair....
Oregon -Pinot Noir
1) Brandborg 2004 "Umpqua" Pinot Noir $19.99 (My vote for most under-appreciated producer goes Brandborg.)
2) Patty Green 2005 "Oregon" (Green Label) Pinot Noir $23.00 (This is Patty's perfect blend of Northern and Southern vineyards.)
3) Ponzi 2005 "Tavola" Pinot Noir $22.00 (Ponzi's most affordable offering is still around and gaining weight with bottle age.)
4) Westry 2005 "Oracle" Pinot Noir $25.00 (Westry's homerun from the Oracle estate... neighboring Abbey Ridge. It's a good 'hood.)
5) Patty Green Estate 2004 Pinot Noir $36.00 (Patty's best wine so far, period)
6) Quailhurst 2002 Pinot Noir $37.00 (Great wine from a great year, see what some bottle age can do for Oregon Pinot.)
7) GC Pinot Noir 2006 $23.00 (Dense and rich, come sample an example of the burgeoning négociant wine trend. (A négociant is a wine merchant who assembles the produce of smaller growers and winemakers and sells the result under its own name.)
See you there...-Mr. Mike
Domaine du Chateau de Chorey wines open on Sunday afternoon from 4-6 pm at John's Marketplace. November 18th. $10.00
"The 2005's have arrived from this Domaine, and I thought it might interesting to show them in context of great aged-wines also acquired recently from this producer. Pinot Noir transforms beautifully when sourced from these vineyards near Beaune; this producer's wines develop well, and oak is used in a restrained and supportive role that let's his wines reflect their unique terroir. The '98 Les Teurons has that youthful cranberry-crunch at its core but finishes with that indescribable savory-earthiness that great Burgundies have. The '98 Beaune Cent Vignes is incredibly long and transformed with lots of mocha-tinged fruit in the mid-palate. The '96 Teurons is drinking perfectly right now with earthy-savory-soy nuances. The 2005's are horribly expensive; here is your chance to see what the hoopla about this vintage is all about, and come away with a new understanding of how Pinot Noir transforms in bottle." -Mr. Mike
Mr. Riggs on these wines...
"We are delighted (and quite fortunate) to have been able to snap up a decent little supply of amazing red Burgundies. These are the wines of Chateau de Chorey in Chorey-les-Beaune. The winemaker is the taciturn genius Benoit Germain, who has taken great care to maintain the solid tradition established on his estate by his father Francois. These wines are subtle, rich, expressive, and routinely ageable- so we picked up some older vintages, including a case from the super-sexy 1996 vintage.
The nineties-vintage wines still have a few years of life in them, but are absolutely lovely right now, integrated and complex. They offer you a rare opportunity to see what heights Pinot Noir can reach without spending hundreds of dollars per bottle, or sitting on the wine yourself for a decade. The 2002 and 2001 will each live into the next decade, but they, too, are drinking wonderfully today. Don't miss this opportunity!" -Riggs
Allen Meadows of Burghound.com:
On the 2005 wines "As the scores and comments suggest, the Germain 05s are definitely wines to put on your short list of cellar purchases."
On the 2002 wines "...the quality Germain is achieving is simply phenomenal. They are absolutely wines to seek out."
Only a $10 fee... 10 wines open...come early....no reservations, when the first bottle is gone were done.
Domaine du Chateau de Chorey
Chorey-les-Beaune 2002 $30.49
Chorey-les-Beaune 2005 $36.00
The following wines all come from old-vine, Premier Cru vineyards:
Beaune "Vignes-Franches" 2005 $90.00 Burghound 91-93
Beaune "Les Cras" 2005 $90.00 Burghound 91-94
Beaune "Les Cras" 2001 $47.99
Beaune "Les Cras" 1998 $49.99
Beaune "Les Cent Vignes" 1998 $39.99 (This is just below Clos des Mouches)
Beaune "Les Teurons" 1998 $45.99
Beaune "Les Teurons" 1996 $50.49
(and if I can locate it, I'll also open this...) (It's around here somewhere...)
Beaune "Les Cras" 2002 $68.99
This Friday, November 16, 2007, we are having a winetasting at John's Market. We thought, heck, we've got lots of wine, we should let people taste it, right? It's a new idea, a paradigm shift, an utter retooling of a spent, dusty ole Weltanschauung, but we like to live on the edge. It's from 5 to 7 PM, and will cost you $5.
Speaking of on the edge, I went and saw Into the Wild on Tuesday evening. It was long, and often gaggingly clichéd, but in the end I was quite moved by the film, spending several hours looking into the story once I got home. The one question I have for those of you who have seen the film, or know the story, is this: why didn't he find a way to get across that river?
At any rate, we are delighted and lucky to have the powerfully athletic Kelly Dougherty of the Evil Empire.... oops! I mean, Columbia Distribution, who will be drawing on their immense coffers to pour a couple of really nice wines:
Mumm Napa Brut NV $16.99
Another Franco-Napa hybrid. Made in the traditional style, with the traditional grapes.
DuBoeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2007 $10.99
Strawberry-banana bubble gum for the thirsty Parisian masses! Simple and good.
Diseño Malbec 2006 $9.99
Structured, elegant Argentine Malbec from the Mendoza region. This wine shows surprising length and body, supported by soft tannins and balanced acidity.
Ch. Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling 2006 $6.99
Perhaps the world's finest value in dry Riesling. Seriously, this wine is far too good for the price. It contains juice from their luxury cuvee Eroica, and is plush and long, with a dry, mineral-driven finish. This cold easily sell for twice this price.
And the Cool Kids' Table will be well-stocked, given the relative paucity of KD's selections...
Kopke Port Tasting 5-7 pm this Thursday....$25.00 fee
We are quite pleased to have the opportunity this Thursday, November 15, 2007, to offer a very special High Thursday tasting featuring the stunning Ports of Porto Kopke, presented by Doug from C and G Wines. These are my favorite Ports, bar none- in fact, my fiancée will drink nothing less than Kopke's limpid, honeyed chestnut 20-year, which is a breathtaking value for a wine of this age and quality. Their entry-level Ports easily dominate competitors' equally-priced offerings, and are often just as good as wines two or three times their price. I was lucky enough to taste through many of these wines at a private seminar last year, and I can only say, these are truly great wines. They will stimulate not only your tastebuds, but your mind- and maybe, if you're a romantic geek like me, your spirit as well. I urge you all to make plans to attend. The entry fee is a ludicrously affordable $25.00 -Mr. Riggs
Kopke, founded in 1638, is internationally recognized as the oldest Port house, and the leading producer of Colheita (single harvest tawny) Ports. Fernando Oliveira is the Master Blender for the Sogevinus Group of Port Houses. Located across from Oporto in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, the Sogevinus Group includes Porto Kopke, Calem, Barros, Gilbert and Burmester. The combined production of these leading Portuguese tawny producers makes Sogevinus the fourth largest port shipper among the top five that account for 85% of all Porto sold. Unique among these houses, Sogevinus has an 80% focus on tawny ports compared to the predominant ruby port focus of the other houses.
As if Port was a hereditary gene in his family, Fernando Oliveira follows in the footsteps of several generations of renowned Port winemakers. Recognized by his peers at a very young age as having reached the highest level of the Port wine blender's art,
Oliveira is the Master Blender for Sogevinus, the fourth largest port shipper among the top five that account for 85% of all port shipped from Portugal. The quality of the tawny and ruby Port blends from such famous port houses as Kopke, Rocha, Barros, Calem, Burmester and Gilbert can be directly attributed to his constant care and expertise. He is also responsible for maintaining the quality development of rare stocks of Colheita, single year tawny ports that have been aging in casks from seven to over 100 years. Oliveira inspects these stocks once or twice a year as they are racked from one barrel into another, always keeping each year separate.
The line-up will likely include:
KOPKE DRY WHITE $14.99
KOPKE FINE RUBY $14.99
KOPKE FINE TAWNY $14.99
KOPKE 2003 COLHEITA $71.99
KOPKE 10 YR. OLD TAWNY $28.99 (available in 375 mL, $15.99)
KOPKE 20 YR. OLD TAWNY $56.99 (available in 375 mL, $29.99)
KOPKE 1997 COLHEITA $42.99
ROCHA 1995 COLHEITA $47.99 (Rocha is Kopke's sister house)
KOPKE 1966 COLHEITA (375mL only) $114.99
We hope to see you there! Stilton and walnuts provided by Mr. Mike....cheers!
Friday Tasting....
Well, it's November, and even though I'm still struggling with the fact that it's not the ninth month anymore, I'm trying to roll with the punches and keep it together. Thankfully, I get help this week- more on that later. The real news is the collapse of the Philadelphia Eagles, and the concomitant effects on markets worldwide. Ever since Philadelphia Inquirer writer Bob Ford penned an article calling for the benching of McNabb, the effects globally have been disastrous. From the 250,000-strong parade in Kyoto, where distraught Japanese called for the Emperor to step in and right things at the Nova Care Complex, to the demonstration in Helsinki where local fisherman blockaded the harbor and strung a gigantic glowing green “5” across the Lyssemära Causeway, to the cancellation of Rainbow Gatherings throughout southern Arizona, where over two thousand Trustafarians threw their glass pipes into a giant meteor crater, people all around the world are horrified.
Plus that Tony Romo's just a little twit. There, I said it.
Sigh.
De toute façon, we will be joined not only by the gorgeous, the scintillating, the glamorous Ursula of McClaskey's Wine and Spirits, but also by her sassy, lithe partner-in-crime, Kimberly from Eola Hills Winery. In addition to the usual fare at the Cool Kids' Table, those two co-eds will be pouring:
Zette Cahors Malbec 2003 $11.99
Yeah, Cahors Malbec, we love it! Muscular, dark, and powerfully earthy. Very, very French...
Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut $17.99
The old, delicious standby. Dry, elegant, and impeccably made. Taste it again for the first time!
...and, from Eola Hills:
Pinot Gris 2006 $9.99
Pinot Noir 2006 $13.99
Sangiovese 2006 $13.99
Vin d'Or 2004 (late harvest Sauvignon Blanc) $24.49
...I can't write any more, I'm trying to decide if I like Kevin Kolb or not...
STOP THE PRESSES!
SPECIAL TASTING THURSDAY, 11/8/07!!
We have a delicious announcement to make to you all, a special High Thursday event, hosted by (the proxy of) the tall-dark-and-handsome Rupert, our local guru of Indian wines! Yes, that's right, Indian wines! Also Argentine. And Oregonian. And maybe Icelandic.
The bad news: he won't tell me exactly what will be poured. The good news: a full layout of awesome Indian appetizers to pair with the wines! Our greatest culinary exposition ever! Our first ever High Thursday tasting in November of 2007! Our first ever Jeudi Gras where you will have no idea what you'll be tasting!
And all this for the unheard-of low low price of FIVE DOLLARS!!
It starts a little earlier than most High Thursdays: 5 to 7. So we'll see you there in your prettiest sari! (And please, no cricket jokes. He'll get all sensitive about that...)
Please join us this Friday June 15th at John's Marketplace.
There will be a $5 tasting fee, pick your glass up and pay at the Deli
counter on your way in. Our event starts promptly at 5 pm and ends promptly at 7pm.
Hallowe'en will have come and gone by the time many of you read this weekly missive, and I trust you all spent the night awake by the fire, shooting the schist with your ancestors. I spent the evening being impaled by a giant bottle of bubbly, for which pleasure I was awarded $75 from the fine folks at Renner's Bar and Grill (and Smokehouse, judging by my clothes the morning after).
I feel a little like a goldbrick this week, as the meat of the newsletter has been penned by the precious, peripatetic young Tom Kelley of Small Vineyards. Mr. Kelley, his beret, and soul patch will be here to charm the bejesus out of our lovely winetasters while pouring and discussing the excellent Italian wines in his portfolio, to wit (take it away, Tommy Boy!):
TREVISIOL PROSECCO $13.99
Made from the Prosecco grape indigenous to the Veneto region, this light sparkler has subtle flower and fruit aromas that make the palate deliciously light and playful. Unlike many Champagnes, it is not harsh (Editor's Note: we never find Champagne to be harsh. We're just saying.)-- rather, it tickles the throat with a peachy softness, and is flecked with minerality that remains simple in the best of ways. Perfect for shrimp cocktail and light-hearted moments.
2005 FRATELLI BARBA MONTEPULCIANO d'ABRUZZO $11.99
Normally, the Montepulciano varietal from the Abruzzo region is less than perfect. Either ungainly alcohol levels, or too weak due to overharvesting. Not here. With the Barba brothers, we get one of the best day-to-day wines in all of South Italy. Great viscosity, with muscular structure make this a very compelling vino. The aromas are of blackened fruit, sweet smoke, and ripe plum. Very low yields and seaside exposure give this wine an unexpected array of richness and subtlety. Perfect with hearty seafood or game.
2005 FORTE CANTO NEGROAMARO $11.99
Made by Massimiliano Apollonio, who despite having a name like an emperor, is one of the humblest winemakers one can meet. That, and he's making some of the very best wines South of Rome. Growing alongside its genetic cousin, Primitivo, Negroamaro is Pulglia's most important varietal. Characteristically, the wine is dark and intense and carries the scent of the Mediterranean shrubs that surround it. Terrific body weight while retaining great balance, with ripe, steeped plum and coffee bean aromas. Perfect for those who want a big, powerful wine that is not your usual Syrah or Cabernet.
2004 PARAZZETA 'Rita' SANGIOVESE $18.49
From Montecucco, on the southern fringe of Montalcino, comes this stunningly powerful, lush Sangiovese that is, quite simply, one of the best of its kind we've had. The zone is able to produce some of the most robust, unctious wines in all of Tuscany, and winemaker Alessandro Bocci takes full advantage of his land's terroir. Aged in French Oak barrels, this wine pushes the boundaries of Sangiovese, re-defining
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