Tag Archives: Staff Pick

Wine of the Day: Luneau Papin ‘Terre de Pierre’ 2012 4-3-16

Domaine Pierre Luneau-Papin Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie Terre de Pierre 2012 750ML ($29.95) Buy Now: $24 special

Though wine writing may claim no shortage of hyperbole, I must come forth and assert it: I have yet to share this wine with anyone who didn’t adore it. The ‘Terre de Pierre’ bottling is grown on solidified lava which dates back 500,000,000 years. The wine ferments on the lees for a year before aging in wood vats for eight months; it has this lovely little salty air/white flower/lemon rind thing going on which makes me think of a drizzly walk on the beach in your hometown in a good sort of way. I request that you buy at least two: one to drink now and another to hide somewhere and drink a few years down the road: you’ll truly be glad you did.… Read the rest

Wine of the Day: Lopez de Heredia Tondonia 4-2-16

R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva 2003 750ML ($47.95) Buy Now: $33 special
Case-12 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva 2003 750ML ($499.95) Buy Now: $359 special (that’s only $29.92/bottle!)

There’s a little jazz venue-meets-bottle shop on Portland’s east side that has two bottles of Lopez de Heredia from the 1940’s sitting on a shelf. While a friend was playing a recent show, I could barely resist temptation of yanking out the still-intact corks and seeing what message the wine bore from three quarters of a century ago. The labels are tattered, the bottle’s glass itself is lopsided, and the once-bright red wax seal has assumed a burnt sienna hue. I wonder when, if ever, these wines will see the light of day!… 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