Vinopolis Friday Newsletter 12/16/22

 

With the holiday season in full swing, you’re likely in search of the perfect wines to bring to your festivities.  I’ve put together a full list of recommendations to pair with common holiday foods from start to finish so you don’t have to. 

First, a few general pairing tips 

Integration!
A successful food and wine pairing highlights the best aspects of their counterpart. Neither one should overpower the other! Keep in mind the structural components of the food you’re working with and how their intensity will match the wine you’d like to drink. First determine the primary flavors of the dish like fat, salt, spice, etc. and work to find balance with the wines primary flavors, acid, bitterness, sweetness, etc. 

It’s all about the sauce! 
It might be easy to focus only on the main dish but don’t overlook the flavor dimensions added by your sauces, dressings, and condiments. A green salad might be light, fresh, and acidic but with the addition of a caesar dressing, your pairing would drastically change to compliment the creamy, rich dressing. 

Remember origin!
Don’t forget, what grows together goes together. Naturally, regional food and wines have evolved together, meaning they typically pair well. Consider traditional dishes from different regions and the wines that typically grow there. 

Hopefully these general tips give you a solid starting point!

Now, here are some wine recommendations in stock at Vinopolis. 

Ham
Consider- Zinfandel, Riesling, or Grenache

Marietta Cellars ‘Roman’ Estate Grown Zinfandel, North Coast 2020 750ml $21.90 special, 20 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92 points “A blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Barbera, the 2020 Román Zinfandel has a medium ruby-purple color and aromatic layers of raspberry, red cherry, rhubarb, aniseed and lilac with touches of iron and orange peel. The medium-bodied palate is gently chewy, with tart, juicy fruits and a spicy finish.”

Bucklin Old Hill Ranch Bambino Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley 2019 750ml $28 special, 11 bottles available
Wine Spectator 93 points “Opens with a fruit-bomb of wild berry briar patch before transitions into an appealingly rustic and structured zest fest, revealing heaps of licorice, roasted sage and forest floor accents that build toward medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2030.”

Ridge Vineyards East Bench Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley 2020 750ml $39 special, 15 bottles available
Winery notes “Fresh black cherry, fig, and vanilla on the nose, with notes of mint. Medium to full body with rich raspberry on the palate and well coated tannins. Beautifully balanced with a juicy finish.”

Domaine Giraud Chateauneuf-du-Pape Grenaches de Pierre, Rhone 2017 750ml $89 special, 7 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 96+ points “Lastly, the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Grenaches de Pierre offers slightly more purity and elegance, yet certainly doesn’t come up short on power or concentration. Stunning black cherries, currants, underbrush, ground pepper, and earthy, rocky mineral notes all give way to a deeper, darker, rich, concentrated wine that’s going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age. It will see its 20th birthday in fine form.”
Wine Advocate 95 points “Drawn from sandy soils in the lieux-dits of La Crau and Pignan, the all-Grenache 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Grenaches de Pierre features wiry, herbal threads sewn into a fabric of tart cranberries and raspberries. It’s full-bodied and tannic, needing a few years to loosen up. Ultimately, it should reward the patient with a complex, silken tapestry of flavors.”
Wine Spectator 94 points “This is packed with steeped raspberry and blackberry fruit flavors, laced with hints of mulling spice, incense and rooibos tea. The fine-grained finish reveals alder and garrigue echoes. Shows a lovely mouthfeel throughout and latent depth on the finish. Best from 2021 through 2036. 200 cases made, 90 cases imported.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

No Girls La Placiencia Vineyard Grenache, Walla Walla Valley 2016 750ml $114.50 special, 4 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 points “Not yet released when I tasted it, the 2016 Grenache la Paciencia Vineyard has a nose that opens with a bang, boasting majestic and explosive notes of dusty red fruit—raspberries, cherries and spiced red plum—with a rocky core of minerality. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, the wine expresses the semi-carbonic notes of sweet red fruit and dusty red flower petals with iron and lava rocks. It has expressive and silky tannins that linger on the long, ethereal finish. I am impressed! This is delicious juice and is a must-have for serious collectors. Only 338 cases made.”
Jeb Dunnuck 95 points “The 2016 Grenache La Paciencia Vineyard sports a translucent ruby color as well as a terrific bouquet of black cherries, strawberries, cold fireplace, white flowers, and spice. Seamless, elegant, and vibrant, with great tension, it’s a thrilling, Rayas look-alike to drink over the coming 10-15 years. 338 cases.”

Weingut Carl Loewen ‘1896’ Longuicher Maximin Herrenberg Alte Reben Riesling, Mosel 2020 750ml $45 special, 27 bottles available
James Suckling 95 points “Lots of red-fleshed peach and delicate spice notes make this a very striking dry riesling. Rich and concentrated, but with that special lightness of touch that sets the Mosel apart. Long, complete finish that’s gentle rather than dramatic. Drink or hold.”

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Weingut Donnhoff Riesling Trocken, Nahe 2021 750ml $21.90 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 91 points “Predominantly from volcanic soils, the 2021 Riesling Trocken is super clear, fresh and flinty on the precise and reductive nose that shows ripe but focused fruit with white peach and apricot aromas. Light and highly stimulating on the palate, this is a salty, crisp and grippy Riesling with juicy fruit and the mineral expression of the Nahe. 11.5% stated alcohol. Diam cork. Tasted in July 2022.”


Turkey
Consider- Dry Riesling, Viognier, Pinot Noir, or Gamay

Brooks Hope Well Vineyard Riesling, Eola-Amity Hills 2018 750ml $26 special, 5 bottles available
Winery note “This dry Riesling has mouth-watering acidity with ripe and generous notes of pineapple, star fruit, kumquat and quince. With only 100 cases produced, this wine will move quickly. It’s organically farmed by one of the valley’s visionaries, Mimi Casteel. A second generation wine grower, her commitment to the environment and restoring native habitat is unequaled. We love this wine, not only because it’s a truly stunning Riesling, but because it embodies everything that is good about the land that is being healed and the people whose lives are dedicated to crafting exceptional expressions of time and place.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Weingut Donnhoff Kreuznacher Krotenpfuhl Riesling Kabinett, Nahe 2020 750ml $25.50 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2020 Kreuznacher Krötenpfuhl Riesling Kabinett is bright and finely stony on the clear and elegant nose with its ripe, almost tropical fruit notes. Lush and round on the palate, this is a mouth-filling Kabinett with delicate acidity and a stimulatingly salty finish and very good length. A wine to keep. 9% alcohol. Tasted at the domain in July 2021.”
James Suckling 93 points “Lovely fruit-salad and fresh-mint nose. Juicy and joyful, this has so much freshness, the hint of green apple at the crisp finish accentuating this. Good length. From organically grown grapes with Fair’n Green certification. Drink now. Screw cap.”
Importer Note “The loess loam soil of the Kro¨tenpfuhl vineyard is notable for its high share of gravelly quarzite. Between the stony ground and its southern aspect, this neighbor to the Kahlenberg is known for warm soils and early flowering of the vines year after year. The loess loam substrate retains water well, ensuring the vines have sufficient moisture even in drought years. Vines growing in this type of pebbly soil tend to produce small berries with delicate aromas, a lively acidity and a long hang time.”

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Dr. Loosen Erdener Treppchen Alte Reben Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Mosel  2014 750ml $41.90 special, 9 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 94 points “Intense ripeness and delicate texture go hand-in-hand in this stunning dry Riesling. Honeyed tones of pineapple, tangerine and lemon quiver nervously on the palate, bolstered by a reverberating throng of high-toned acidity. It’s dazzling and vital with a lingering kiss of spice and earth.”

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Domaine de Triennes Sainte – Fleur Viognier, IGP Var 2020 750ml $18 special, 36+ bottles available
Importer notes “Two of Burgundy’s greatest names – Jacques Seysses, founder of Domaine Dujac, and Aubert de Villaine, co-owner of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti – are the partners behind this pioneering property in Provence, northeast of Marseille and due east of Aix-en-Provence. In less than two decades, they have transformed this stunning 46-hectare site into one of the top wine estates in Southern France.”

Illahe Vineyards Viognier, Willamette Valley 2021 750ml $21.90 special, 12 bottles available
Winery note “After a brief hiatus in 2020, the jolly clusters of Goschie Farms are back! Aromas of lilac, honeydew melon, sweet pea, clover, and, of course, white peach dance in the glass. On the mouth, the tiniest hint of sweetness mingles with pumice, poppin’ acidity and clean finish. If this doesn’t get you excited for spring, we don’t know what will. Alcohol 13.00%.”

Arterberry Maresh Weber Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2018 750ml $69 special, 22 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 points “The 2018 Pinot Noir Weber Vineyard comes from Pommard clone vines planted in 1983. It features pure aromas of cranberry and black raspberry with botanical and floral layers. The palate is seamless and complex, with powerful flavors, a silty texture and bright acidity, finishing with layer after layer of sweet berry fruit.”
Vinous 94 points “Deep crimson. Highly perfumed aromas of red and blue fruit preserves, cola, candied flowers and baking spices, along with a smoky mineral overtone. Concentrated yet lively on the palate, offering mineral-accented black raspberry, cherry liqueur, violet pastille and spicecake flavors that spread out slowly with air. Conveys a deft blend of power and finesse and finishes with steadily building tannins and strong, spicy persistence.”

Bergstrom Gregory Ranch Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton District 2019 750ml $69 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Spectator 94 points “Polished and expressive, with rose petal, black raspberry and spiced tea flavors that expand and flesh out on the savory finish. Drink now through 2029. 478 cases made.”
Vinous 93 points “Dark, bright-rimmed red. Spice- and earth-tinged red and blue fruit scents show a suave floral overtone. Youthfully taut bitter cherry, blueberry and spicecake flavors flesh out and take a sweeter turn through the back half. Finishes very long and precise, with gently gripping tannins and a resonating cherry flourish.”
Wine Advocate 93 points “Medium ruby-purple, the 2019 Pinot Noir Gregory Ranch has pretty aromas of berry fruit, orange peel, wildflower and autumnal earthy accents. The palate has intense spicy fruits, bright freshness and polished tannins, gliding seamlessly into a long, layered finish.”

Goodfellow Family Cellars Bishop Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir, Oregon 2014 750ml $69 special, 11 bottles available
Josh Raynolds 91 points “Vivid red. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes fresh red berries, cherry, candied flowers and musky earth, backed by a touch of smokiness. Lively black raspberry and floral pastille flavors pick up hints of bitter chocolate and licorice with aeration. The clinging, focused finish features fine-grained, slow-mounting tannins and repeating floral character. Give this one a little air time.”
Grapelive 91 points “Delicately layered and spicy, the 2014 Bishop Creek is a pretty effort, especially for a richer vintage in Oregon. Made by Marcus Goodfellow, the ex-Evesham Wood and Westrey man, [he] is coming into his own as a talent, inspired by Doerner of Cristom and John Paul of Cameron. You can see the style showing through here. Bishop Creek, planted to Pommard and Wadenswil (old Swiss clone), [is] now owned by Nicolas Meo of the famed Burgundy Domaine Meo-Camuzet. [The vineyard] ([which is] not far from Shea Vineyards) formed this wine with its distinct strawberry and racy red cherry core along with the mixed spice, mineral tones and light wood influence. Its southern exposure and Willakenzie soils (dark rocky marine sediment) give warmth and grace. Planted in 1988, the vines ripen without flamboyant extraction, allowing more finesse to show through. At 13.9% this medium weight wine offers fine detail, opulence and restrained, almost earthy, soulfulness. Hints of bitter herb, cedar and candied citrus rind add a tangy note to the whole and the finish echoes the red fruits in subtle fashion with a touch of wilted roses lingering on. It shines right now, though best to enjoy it with cuisine to match as it is a tad shier than other 2014 Oregon Pinots (I’ve tried) and needs time and coaxing to reach its beautiful peak. Best from 2018 to 2022.”

Catherine et Claude Marechal Bourgogne Rouge Cuvee Catherine, Burgundy 2018 $36 special, 2 bottles available
Winery note “Located in the villages of Bligny and Pommard, the sub-soil is essentially made up of gravel. It is a wine of medium color intensity and offers an impressive range of aromas, which is characteristic of Pinot Noir. Its natural suppleness and moderate tannins allow it to be drunk quite young while ensuring aging (5 to 10 years). Served between 14 and 16 ° C, it accompanies grilled red meats, roasts, cold meats, etc.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Domaine de Courcel Grand Clos des Epenots, Pommard Premier Cru 2016 750ml $159 special, 8 bottles available
Vinous 92-94 points “Bright ruby-red. Deep, ripe aromas of black cherry and chocolatey oak, plus a high-toned whiff of sherry. Then large-scaled and aromatic in the mouth, conveying stronger terroir personality than the foregoing wines. Complex and fine-grained, with a positive trace of bracing bitterness. Chewy, chocolatey, well-integrated tannins take over the entire mouth on the back end. This nuanced, fine-grained wine finishes with a trace of dried herbs and has the structure to age. The yield here was just eight hectoliters per hectare, according to estate manager Yves Confuron.”
Burghound 91-94 points “Sweet Spot Outstanding. This is the first wine to display any reduction along with a bit more wood influence. Otherwise the refined yet overtly powerful flavors once again possess so much dry extract that they come across as velvety and forward just until the almost painfully intense finish where the character changes to a youthfully austere, dusty and very serious finale. Like all of the wines in the range, this is a big 2016 with plenty of muscle and excellent aging potential.”

Hundred Suns ‘Tualatin Estate’ Gamay Noir, Willamette Valley 2021 750ml $31.90 special, 36+ bottles available
Winery note “An early spring kick-started the season, and yields were restricted by poor weather during cluster and flower development. Warm summer months brought this Gamay into full maturity and we hand-picked on September 25th. Hailing from Tualatin Estate Vineyard, this gamay was divided into three fermentation lots:  100% whole cluster, destemmed, and whole cluster in sealed tank. As a result, bright cranberry fruit and silky tannins marry with rich blueberry flavors and cocoa-like tannins to create balance and finish.”

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Pierre-Marie Chermette Domaine du Vissoux Fleurie les Garants, Beaujolais 2018 750ml $31.90 special, 7 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “Chermette’s 2018 Fleurie Les Garants delivers a striking bouquet of raspberries, peonies, warm spices and candied peel, followed by a medium to full-bodied, satiny but incisive palate that remains lively and tensile, despite its abundant endowment of ripe, succulent fruit. Elegant and precise, this is one of the high points of the portfolio.”

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Mashed potatoes 
Consider- Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Malbec

Talbott Vineyards Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands 2018 750ml $29 special, 30 bottles available
James Suckling 93 points “Aromas of pureed apples, flowers and lemon grass follow through to a medium body with a brioche and light praline undertone to the fruit. Tangy acidity. Light caramel at the end. Drink now.”
Vinous 92 points “Vivid yellow. Pear nectar, Meyer lemon, honey, tarragon and chamomile qualities on the deeply perfumed, smoke-tinged nose. Silky and concentrated, offering vibrant citrus and orchard fruit flavors that spread out and become spicier with air. Finishes with gentle grip and strong, floral-driven persistence, leaving a sweet vanilla note behind.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!

Peter Michael ‘Ma Belle-Fille’ Chardonnay, Knights Valley 2019 750ml $119 special, 4 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 97 points “The 2019 Chardonnay Ma Belle-Fille is from an estate vineyard in Knights Valley, which is in Sonoma, just north of Napa Valley. Beautiful white flowers, honeysuckle, green almond, and chalky minerality all emerge from this beauty, and it’s another full-bodied, rich, concentrated Chardonnay from this team that checks in with the crème de la crème of the vintage. Despite its richness level and decadence, it stays lively and fresh. This is straight-up brilliant Chardonnay!”
Wine Advocate 97-98 points “Ma Belle Fille is the highest of the Peter Michael vineyards, located at 1,200-1,800 feet. Planted to a field selection of Hudson, Old Wente, Montrachet and Calera clones, it is also the earliest ripening vineyard. A tank sample due to be bottled in just a few days, the 2019 Chardonnay Ma Belle Fille slips seductively out of the glass with tantalizing notes of warm apple slices, ripe nectarines and spice cake, giving way to a beautiful perfume of honeysuckle, beeswax and tangerine peel, plus a waft of cashews. Full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-coating stone fruit and spiced apple flavors with a lively backbone and decadent oiliness to the texture, finishing on a long-lasting honey-nut note. 2,017 cases were made.”

Hyde de Villaine Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay, Carneros 2019 750ml $89 special, 2 bottles available
#3 TOP 100 WINE SPECTATOR 2022
Wine Spectator 96 points “HdV—for Hyde de Villaine—was founded in 2000, a high-profile partnership between two accomplished winemaking families: the Hydes of Napa and the de Villaines of Burgundy. The Hyde Vineyard, located on the eastern edge of Carneros, is among the most celebrated in California—its grapes go into stunning single-vineyard bottlings by Aubert, Kistler, Ramey and others. The age of the vines ranges from 28 to 40 years, with old Wente and Calera clones. Winemaker Guillaume Boudet ages the wine for 15 months in French oak barrels, 20 percent new, and then lets it settle for three months in stainless steel before bottling unfined and unfiltered.”
Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2019 Chardonnay comes from vines in the Hyde Vineyard that are 25-40 years old and planted to Wente (60%) and Calera (40%) selections. Aged in about 15% new French oak, the nose is perfumed and pure, with scents of quince, apricot, beeswax, river stone and citrus blossoms. The palate offers a compelling dynamic of satiny, expansive fruits and fresh, focused acidity, and it has a long, nuanced finish. It will continue to unwind in bottle over the next 2-3 years and gain savory complexity over the next decade.”

FEL Wines Chardonnay, Anderson Valley, 2018 750ml $24 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 92 points “Fresh, vibrant fruit aromas and flavors drive this full-bodied and well-balanced wine. It floods the palate with flavors of crisp apple, ripe pear and a touch of pineapple while subtle hints of baking spice play in the background. -Jim Gordon”
Wine Spectator 90 points “Well-structured, with savory accents to the green apple, pear tart and sea salt flavors. Light buttery notes emerge midpalate, showing oaky aspects on the finish. Drink now through 2023. 4,133 cases made. — KM”

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Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2018 750ml $259 special, 7 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 points “The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow is a blend of 78.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.4% Merlot, 8% Malbec and 5.1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it slips effortlessly from the glass, singing of ripe black cherries, black raspberries and cassis, plus hints of red currants, roses, cinnamon stick and garrigue. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers lovely freshness, offering bags of perfumed black fruits in the mouth, beautifully supported by fine-grained tannins, finishing long with lots of soft-spoken floral and mineral whispers. This perfumed beauty wears the 2018 vintage stamp well, presenting a more delicate expression of this vineyard—one that I love! 647 cases were made.”
Wine Spectator 94 points “Ripe and a bit showy in feel, with a blast of cassis and plum purée notes liberally laced with violet, singed applewood and red licorice notes. Then a nice mix of iron and warm stone accents cuts in on the finish, pulling everything together as the violet note takes an encore. Best from 2022 through 2038. 647 cases made.”

Galerie Wines ‘Latro’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley 2016 750ml $38 special, 14 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 95+ points “The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Latro is in the same ballpark yet has more savory characteristics as well as plenty of conifer, California bay leaf, currants, and loamy soil aromas and flavors. This full-bodied beauty has plenty of tannin, terrific purity of fruit, no hard edges, and a great finish. Give it a few years.”

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Faust Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2020 750ml $49 special, 18 bottles available
James Suckling 93 points “Aromas of tobacco, currants and iodine. Crushed oyster. Medium- to full-bodied with chewy tannins with spice, bark, and wet earth character. Fresh. Drink or hold.”

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Duckhorn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2019 750ml $59 special, 5 bottles available
Winemaker notes “Beautifully rich and complex, this wine offers enticing aromas of huckleberry jam, black cherry and cinnamon spice, with hints of bay leaf, maple and violets. The lush dark berry and sweet baking spice notes are echoed on the palate, where the flavors are framed by a firm underlying structure and fine, dusty tannins that add depth and nuance to a long, robust finish.”

Savory vegetable sides
Consider- Grüner Vetliner, Pinot noir, or Sauvignon Blanc

F.X. Pichler Durnsteiner Liebenberg Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2019 750ml $59 special, 8 bottles available
James Suckling 95 points “A very striking gruner veltliner that’s seriously introverted, offering so much herbal and licorice character, but almost no fruit. The power is underplayed, the body restrained and the salty finish is still tightly wound. Great aging potential here. Drink or hold.”

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Schloss Gobelsburg Ried Lamm Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage, Kamptal DAC 2019 750ml $69 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 points “The intensely yellow-colored 2019 Kammern Ried Lamm 1ÖTW was vinified in new 50-hectoliter oak vats and aged on the fine lees until July 2020. The nose is clearly influenced by its crystalline subsoils and delivers a coolish-mineral, flinty tone next to the perfectly ripe, elegant and finely concentrated white fruit that is discreet and refined like green tea. On the palate, this is a rich, piquant, very elegant, highly refined and persistently salty Veltliner that develops an enormously long and complex, finely tannic and sustainably structured finish. This is a great, very promising wine that assembles everything in the starting block to go a long distance. 13.5% alcohol. Tasted at Schloss Gobelsburg in June 2021.”
James Suckling 96 points “It’s not often that a young Austrian gruner veltliner reminds you of Burgundy, though mature examples often do. The ripe-mirabelle, candied-pineapple and dried-herb aromas are married to a palate that’s rich and creamy. But beneath the waterline this is also a highly structured wine. Rather imposing finish, suggesting excellent aging potential. Drink or hold.”

Weingut Franz Hirtzberger Rotes Tor Gruner Veltliner Federspiel, Wachau 2018 750ml $29 special, 15 bottles available
Wine Advocate 90 points “Assembling the fruit from several vineyards that were picked in the first half of October, the 2018 Spitz Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Rotes Tor offers a clear, ripe and elegant nose of tropical fruits intermixed with elegant and flinty terroir notes. Ripe and piquant on the crystalline and salty palate, this is an elegant and already pretty complex Veltliner with an aromatic and refreshing, elegant finish with good grip. 12.5% alcohol. Tasted at the domain in September 2019.”

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Benton-Lane ‘Estate Grown’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2019 750ml $19 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 89 points “Considerably riper than the previous vintage, it’s just a bit different stylistically, though in the same quality range. It opens a bit chewy, with accents of lemon verbena and pekoe tea. Those herbal flavors are more obvious than the light red fruits, which are quickly overtaken by drying tannins.”

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Crowley Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2021 750ml $24.40 special, 24 bottles available
Winery note “We bottled the 2021 earlier than ever…10 months after vintage. We are fortunate that 2021 is a precocious vintage and seemed to come out of the gate drinking well, needing very little coaxing to be ready. This wine has a youthful spirit and is brightly lit. Vivid red and blue hues dominate the color, which shimmers with clarity. The nose is strawberry, cranberry, and anise mixed with citrus and watermelon. The palate is bright and lifted out of the gate, also very berry…strawberry, mulberry, and blueberry. Polished and airy, sarsaparilla mingles in the background with sage and cherry while breakfast tea tannins accompany supple roundness to create a perfectly balanced mid-range all the way to an engaging finish. The bottles we’ve opened have disappeared quickly!”

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Domaine Drouhin Laurene Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2019 $75 special, 27 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96+ points “The 2019 Pinot Noir Laurène is youthfully coiled at this stage and will take more time in bottle to unwind. It opens with flinty, rocky notes, fleshing out to blackberry, red cherry and dark, spicy undertones. The palate is silky, intense and long, with a plethora of savory accents hinting at more to come.”
James Sucklinh 95 points “Aromas of cherries, wild strawberries, dried flowers and spice box. Some pine needles, too. It’s medium-bodied with fine, chewy tannins and lively acidity. Layered and velvety with spicy character. Pure and balanced, following through to a long, savory finish. Solid. Drink or hold.”
Jeb Dunnuck 94 points “The 2019 Pinot Noir Laurene was aged in 25% new oak and spent 14-15 months in barrel. Its aromas are more layered with cedar, pine spice, and dried cherry. The palate is concentrated and elegant, with fine tannins, notes of grenadine, dried purple flowers, espresso, and fresh acidity. Drink 2024-2034.”

Peter Michael ‘L’Apres-Midi’ Sauvignon Blanc, Knights Valley 2018 750ml $59 special, 6 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc L’Après-Midi captures all the personality of the year in its wonderfully lifted, airy feel. Sage, orchard fruit, lime, graphite, mint and white pepper all grace this exquisite wine. L’Après-Midi is so elegant and so precise. Deceptive in its mid-weight personality, the 2018 offers terrific persistence and a long, mineral-laced finish. Aeration brings out the wine’s textures so well. This is a fabulous edition of L’Après-Midi.”
Wine Spectator 94 points “Balances elegance and power. A smoky thread weaves in and out of succulent peach, marmalade, lemon sherbet and candied ginger flavors, set on a supple and fleshy texture. The acidity is pure and refreshing, keeping all the details in focus on the long finish. Drink now. 2,939 cases made.”

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Patricia Green Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, Oregon 2021 750ml $24 special, 14 bottles available
Winery note “This has high-toned and heavily fruited aromatics along with the tinge of straw and minerals which is what ripe Sauvignon Blanc should have as its varietal typicity. The strength of the aromatics resounds in the glass as the wine is deeply fruited with citrus notes at the entry giving way to tropical fruit with extremely crisp acidity on the finish. The wine is bright and fresh but retains an enormous amount of texture and richness without being heavy or taking away from its “summertime drinking” sort of nature. This will pair easily with a very wide range of food ranging from summer salads to denser white fish, sushi rolls and nigiri to spicier Asian influenced dishes, risottos with summer vegetables to chicken and pork done on the grill (and while grilling).”

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Mac and Cheese
Consider- Lambrusco, Merlot, or Chenin Blanc

Vigneto Saetti ‘Il Cadetto’ Rosato dell’Emilia IGT, Emilia-Romagna 2020 750ml $21.90 special, 7 bottles available
Importer note “100% Lambrusco Salamino (a particular sub-variety of Lambrusco known for thick skins, dark color, high acidity and tight bunches). Certified-organically farmed, hand-harvested fruit from 50-year-old vines, crushed, juice removed from the skins and spontaneously fermented in small steel tanks to complete dryness. Secondary fermentation takes place in bottle, initiated by the addition of fresh grape must.  The bottles are hand-riddled and -disgorged. No sulfur is added at any stage of the process.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!

Pahlmeyer Merlot, Napa Valley  2019 750ml $99 special, 4 bottles available
James Suckling 97 points “Ripe plums and blueberries with slate, sweet tobacco and bark, Full-bodied, yet very fresh, with firm, layered tannins and a rich finish. Spices at the end. Juicy. Better in two or three years. Try after 2025.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “Pahlmeyer’s 2019 Merlot comes mainly from the estate vineyard, with smaller proportions from the Rancho Chimiles, Broken Rock and Stagecoach Vineyards. It’s all Merlot this year, with aging in barrels from Taransaud (75% new). Beautiful notes of loamy earth and mocha accent black cherries and plums on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is somewhere between velvet and silk in texture, and the lingering finish adds savory hints of cocoa and black olive.”
Wine Spectator 94 points “Flamboyant yet impeccably structured, with rich and detailed black cherry and red currant flavors accented by mocha espresso and toasty oak. Finishes with rich, supple tannins. Drink now through 2029. 1,450 cases made.”