Wine of the Day: Cameron Clos Electrique Blanc 3-31-16

Cameron Clos Electrique Blanc, Dundee Hills, Oregon 2013 750ML ($81.95) Buy Now: $66 special

I’ve made my love for Cameron’s wines no secret within these pages, and there’s likely no end in sight. The reds have been very good company during my first Portland winter – now, however, with an eye towards the spring, I’m excited to drink more of John’s wonderful white wines.

The first thing that the 2013 Clos Electrique Blanc conjures to mind is the lead-in to my notes from the first tasting: “Wow.” It’s so darned easy to drink, with an everlasting finish and lots of layers to sort through as the wine aerates. As I wrote previously, “…honeysuckle, citrus, tarragon, and honey cover the palate while remaining lively and buoyant.… Read the rest

Wine of the Day: Peter Lauer Fass 8 Kabinett 3-30-16

Peter Lauer Fass 8 Ayler Kupp Kabinett, Mosel, Germany 2014 750ML ($37.95) Buy Now: $31.90 special

Like tiny flowers pressed between the pages of a book you borrowed years ago but have yet to read (or return!), this year’s Fass 8 is delicate but not wimpy, bittersweet yet not overwrought, and perhaps a little flirtatious. It trades off solos from sweet to saline and floral to fruit with ease, ne’er too serious and yet fully confident with what’s at stake in the glass. After all, Riesling faces an uphill battle even during its own renaissance.

I fear that writing down a bunch of adjectives in quick succession reduces this wine to something to be scored rather than enjoyed. To hell with points!… Read the rest

Wine of the Day: Antoine Arena Grotte di Sole 3-28-16

Domaine Antoine Arena Patrimonio Grotte di Sole Rouge, Corsica, France 2011 750ML ($49.95) Buy Now: $29 special

Antoine Arena manages such depth in his otherwise energetic, soulful wines. The 2011 Grotte di Sole is among the best possible examples, and we’re lucky to have it on offer. Sun-soaked fruit flirts with a leathery backdrop which never goes overboard; the gorgeous aromas of dark cherry and spice makes it very much a sip once, sniff twice sort of wine. This is an adventurous wine which will pleasantly surprise, though certainly fall within the register of anyone who loves the complexity of northern Rhone wines, the food-friendliness of Tuscan wines, and the persistence of Loire reds. I, for one, love it.

– Tyler… Read the rest

Wine of the Day: Philippe Pacalet Les Perrieres 3-27-16

Philippe Pacalet Les Perrieres, Beaune Premier Cru, Burgundy, France 2010 750ML ($99.95) Buy Now: $89 special

My jaw basically dropped upon first tasting this wine. I don’t spend as much time with Burgundy as I should, perhaps, but still know when I’m onto something good. The 2010 Perrieres is layered and suave in all the right ways. This one’s recipe includes goji berries with some cherry-tinged roundness, a touch of mint and sage, and a hint of bramble. The finish is unceasing, and I truly don’t know whether you’re better off drinking all of it you can get your hands on ASAP or monitoring its progress through cellaring. Just do what feels right with this guy. – Tyler… Read the rest

Wine of the Day: San Maurizio Saro Djablo 3-26-16

Feudo di San Maurizio Saro Djablo Valle d’Aosta, Italy 2010 750ML ($34.95) Buy Now: $28 special

I cannot get enough wine from Valle d’Aosta, and this wine is no exception. Fragrant and layered, it’s technically a multi-vintage blend of co-fermented varietals. The blend is surprisingly harmonious, considering it consists of Barbera, Freisa, Ciliegiolo, Dolcetto, Gamay, Petit Rouge, Fumin, and Premetta.

The vines sit 3,000 feet above sea level in that northwestern corner of Italy I’ve long wanted to visit. In the glass, the wine is a bit of a feat. Sure, it’s neither the most precise nor wholly elegant. It’s terribly fun to drink, however, with lovely swirls of spice, berry fruit, and earth. Throw a log on the fire, pop the cork, and have fun with it – chill it, decant it, have some with a cool new recipe.… Read the rest