Vinopolis Newsletter 4-5-2024

 In This Newsletter:

Special Arrival
Lokoya: exceptional altitude
New Arrivals
Clos Griotte, Schramsberg, Domaine Clape, Enderle & Moll, Los Bermejos, and more!
Staff Picks: Chillable Reds
“Lighter in style, chuggable, and always refreshing”
Featured Winemaker
Sampling Music Geek/Winemaker Saul Mutchnik’s Championship Bottles

Special Arrival
 



“I’m making these for collectors, not for the restaurant world … These wines are all babies—the tannins define these appellations.” –Winemaker Chris Carpenter as reported by The Wine Advocate (May 31, 2022)
 

 

Lokoya Winery Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, USA 2019 750ml $489 special, only 3 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points “Another riveting wine, the 2019 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon has a Château Latour-like stature and regalness, with full-bodied richness and incredible concentration, as well as structure, on the palate. Cassis, blueberry liqueur, lead pencil shavings, crushed stone, and graphite notes all define the nose, and it hits the palate with incredible power and opulence, yet stays pure, flawlessly balanced, and has a finish that won’t quit. This is as brilliant as Cabernet gets, and Carpenter is clearly playing with the best in the business. Give bottles 4-5 years if you can and it will cruise for 30-40 years.”
Vinous 97 Points “The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder is one of the most distinctive wines in this range from Lokoya, but it is also the most backward. Huge beams of tannin give the Veeder Cabernet energy and shape. It will be at least a few years before the fruit starts to fully emerge, so a measure of patience is essential. Iron, red plum fruit, sage, mint and white pepper lend striking brightness to this gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon from Lokoya and winemaker Chris Carpenter.”

 UNITED STATES
 

Clos Griotte.
 

 

These are the only online listings in the United States today:

 

 
Clos Griotte Pinot Noir Blanc, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2019 750ml $26.50 special, 12 bottles available
Not reviewed yet. Previous review provided for reference
Wine Enthusiast 93 Points “Biodynamically farmed fruit from this much-loved vineyard was fermented in 500 liter puncheons and aged in both puncheons and barrels. It’s earthy and complex, with scents of clover and brambly red berries. Highlights of citrus and punchy phenolic flavors reflect the sure touch of winemaker Thibaud Mandet in this, his second release following 13 years at WillaKenzie.”
 
 STAFF PICK!  Clos Griotte McMinnville Cuvee Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2020 750ml $24 special, 24 bottles available
Winery Notes “Grapes from Hyland  and Momtazi vineyards, McMinnville AVA
Vineyard planted in 1989 (Hyland) and 1999 (Momtazi) above 700 feet in biodynamic farming
Cuvée blend of Coury & 115 clones of Pinot Noir. Wine aged for 10 months in 130G puncheons and 30G barrels.”
 

 
Winery Notes: Blanc de Blancs (white from whites), made from Chardonnay, is the counterpart to the Blanc de Noirs (white from blacks), made from Pinot Noir. Blanc de Blancs was the first wine Schramsberg produced in 1965 and was America’s first commercially produced Chardonnay-based brut sparkling wine. Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs gained international recognition in 1972 when then President Nixon served the wine at the historic “Toast to Peace” in Beijing, China.
Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs, North Coast, California 2021 750ml $39 special, 12 bottles available
Winemaker Notes “The 2021 Blanc de Blancs has lifted aromas of fresh Granny Smith apple, lemon-lime and fresh baked bread, intermingled with hints of baked pineapple and toasted almonds. Its vibrant flavors of Meyer lemon and tart apple bring drive to the mid-palate, leading to a clean, palate-cleansing finish.”
 

 
 HOT DEAL!  Dry Creek Vineyard Dry Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, California 2022 750ml $14.50 special, 24 bottles available
Winery Notes “We are proud to have produced Dry Chenin Blanc each and every year since our family winery was founded in 1972. Extremely versatile and food friendly, it is the perfect aperitif and one of our most beloved wines. Fermented in 100% stainless steel barrels, this beautiful wine is wonderfully bright and consistent vintage after vintage. At first swirl, aromatics of honeydew, watermelon and pineapple spring forward from the glass with floral notes of jasmine and honeysuckle. On the palate, the wine has refreshing flavors of cucumber, lime and nectarine with hints of geranium, sweet basil and ripe orange. The mouthfeel is soft but inviting, with a lively acidity. This classic, Loire Valley-style wine is excellent when paired with fresh oysters, seafood, or just about anything!”
 

 
Stonestreet Estate Vineyards Chardonnay, Alexander Valley, USA 2019 750ml $41.90 special, 36 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 Points “The 2019 Chardonnay Estate, matured for 10 months in 33% new oak, is beautiful straight from the bottle. It’s scented of baked apples, allspice, chamomile and meringue plus top notes of flint and lemon. The medium-bodied palate has an alluring balance of textural grip and freshness that drives its concentrated, savory flavors, and it has a very long, gently honeyed finish. 1,738 cases were made.”
 
FRANCE
 

 
How to describe the wines of Domaine Clape? With a single word: intensity. Cornas itself means “Burned Earth” and the wines live up to this dramatic moniker. Lots of balance and depth, enough tannin, smoke, and dark fruit to stand up to big flavors. These wines will soften a bit, but they will retain always their unique charisma and structure.
 
Longtime grape growers in the South of France, the Clapes were forced from the Languedoc due to vineyard strikes in the early 20th century, making a new home in the Northern Rhône. This palimpsest was a hard, but fruitful trial for the family, transforming into one of the most integral estates in the burgeoning Appellation, becoming the first to bottle wine under their own name.
 
Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas, Rhone, France 2020 750ml $199 special, 6 bottles available
Vinous 97-98 Points “Glass-staining ruby. Intensely perfumed dark berry preserve, violet oil, olive, cured meat and woodsmoke scents show fine definition and vibrant spice- and mineral-driven lift. Offers palate-staining, spice-laced blackberry, bitter cherry, fruitcake and violet pastille flavors that deepen and open up steadily through the midpalate, while maintaining energy. The strikingly long, penetrating finish features youthfully chewy tannins, a sweet touch of cola and lingering floral and exotic spice qualities. All whole clusters and no new oak, as usual.”
 
Domaine Auguste Clape Cotes du Rhone, France 2021 750ml $71.90 special, 3 bottles available
Kermit Lynch-Importer’s Notes “Made from two parcels: one in Syrah planted within Saint-Péray AOC, which is classified as Côtes du Rhône; the second is at the bottom of a slope just beneath the boundary of Cornas AOC, level with the village of Cornas. Fermented and aged in cement tanks with part of the wine passing briefly in foudres.”
 

 
 HOT DEAL!  Prosper Maufoux Bourgogne Pinot Noir Reference, Burgundy, France 2020 750ml $21.90 special, 37 bottles available
Winemaker Notes “The grapes come from a blend of terroirs from Côte d’Or, Saône et Loire and Yonne. The result is a typical Pinot Noir, full of fruit and finesse, but with an assertive character that makes you want to discover more.”
 

 
Domaine Fernand Girard Sancerre La Garenne, Loire, France 2022 750ml $29 special, 8 bottles available
Importer Note “100% Sauvignon Blanc. ‘La Garenne’ was named for the original 2.5-hectare plot from which it came. Today, the name remains while the fruit may come from across the fifth-generation Girards’ 14 hectares of vines, which are spread over slopes in five communes including Verdigny and Saint Satur and which include three distinct terroirs: gravel soils (caillottes), flint (silex) and heavy clay (grosses terres). The Girards farm sustainably and harvest the steepest slopes by hand and the flatter sites by machine. Parcels are vinified separately–fermented with native yeasts in steel tank–then aged in tank and blended (the US only sees ‘La Garenne’).”

ITALY

 
Cordero.

Cordero di Montezemolo Monfalletto, Barolo DOCG, Italy 2019 750ml $48 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 Points “The 2019 Barolo Monfalletto (made with organic fruit selection from across the vineyards that surround the winery in La Morra) shows grit, density and rich texture. The house style prizes muscle and brawn in this vintage that lends itself handily to these qualities. Pressed cherry and blackberry cede to licorice, cured tobacco and iron ore. With 53,000 bottles released, this is the estate’s most representative Barolo.”
 
…also featuring
 
Cordero di Montezemolo Enrico VI, Barolo DOCG, Italy 2017 750ml $89 special, 30 bottles available
James Suckling 96 Points “Aromas of ripe berries with dark mushrooms, wet earth and some tar. It’s full-bodied with creamy and chewy tannins that are polished and rather bold, but still held back. The finish is very long and caressing, if a little austere. From organically grown grapes. Needs four or five years to soften. Try in 2025.”
 
SPAIN

 

It only looks like the moon.
 
Lanzarote, the easternmost of the Canary Islands, received its famous, dark soils from a series of volcanic eruptions in the 1700’s that earned it the reputation as the “land of Volcanos.” Conditions on Lanzarote are extreme- along with sparse volcanic soils that naturally limit the vine’s growth and concentrate the flavor of each grape, the winds here are so brutal that each vine must be planted in a sheltering “hoyo” built with rock walls for protection.
 
The result of all this viticultural agony? Epicurean ecstasy. Among these bottlings you will find some of the most elegant still and sparkling wines on the market. Elegant, crisp, and mineral-laden, these wines are an unforgettable experience.
 
Bodegas Los Bermejos Diego Seco Ecologico, Lanzarote, Spain 2022 750ml $33 special, 4 bottles available
Producer Notes “Bermejo Diego Seco Ecológico 2022 unfurls a subtle charm with its bouquet of white flowers and hints of anise, conjuring the invigorating spirit of spring. On the palate, it boasts a robust structure and a velvety texture that astonish, unveiling a spectrum of intricately woven nuances. Its finish is luminous and enduring, leaving behind an impression of elegance and sophistication. This youthful and delicate white wine is a definitive representation of varietal expression, encapsulating the essence of the grape with each sip.”
Importer Notes “100% Diego, a variety endemic to Lanzarote and La Palma that is high-acid and mineral-driven. Fermented in stainless steel and aged three months in tank sur lie.”
John Gilman-View from the Cellar 91 Points “The 2022 vintage of Diego Seco from Bodega Los Bermejos is another superb wine from this consistently excellent producer. The bouquet delivers a fine blend of tart orange, breadfruit, lemongrass, volcanic minerality, a touch of sea salt and a topnote of dried flowers. On the palate the wine is focused, complex and full-bodied, with a lovely core, good soil undertow, sound acids and fine balance on the long and vibrant finish. This is not quite as complex as the winery’s Malvasia Volcánica bottling, but it is very close in quality and a lovely wine. 2023-2033.”
 
Bodegas Los Bermejos Malvasia Volcanica Seco, Lanzarote, Spain 2022 750ml $29.50 special, 6 bottles available
Importer Notes “100% tank-aged Malvasía Volcanica, a grape that is truly indigenous to the Canary Islands, a crossing of Marmajuelo (an indigenous peach-skinned white grape) and Malvasía Aromatica.”
John Gilman-View from the Cellar 92+ Points “The 2022 Malvasia Volcánica from Bermejo is a fine, fine follow-up to the excellent 2021 version. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a vibrant and complex blend of tangerine, peach, lime blossoms, a lovely base of volcanic minerality, a touch of wild fennel and a lovely array of other floral tones in the upper register. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and zesty, with a superb core of fruit, excellent mineral drive and grip, lovely balance and a long, complex and very classy finish. This is superb wine. 2023-2035.”
 
Bodegas Los Bermejos Listan Negro Maceracion Carbonica, Lanzarote, Spain 2022 750ml $29.50 special, 6 bottles available
Importer Notes “100% Listán Negro that gets a full carbonic maceration treatment. An extremely fresh and bright wine meant to drink young and with a chill.”
 

These are the only listings on the West Coast today!

 
…also available from Los Bermejos:

 
Los Bermejos Listan Negro Rosado 2023 750ml $31.90 special, 12 bottles available
Importer Note “After a string of hard years of extreme drought for Bermejos, 2023 has turned out to be an incredible vintage for the Lanzarote pioneering winery and its marquee wine.  It was an early harvest again due to the heat, but the crop was plentiful and the grapes balanced.  The wine was directly pressed, with no maceration, and the wine has its classic pale color, with marked aromas of pomegranate, strawberries, and subtle flavors with refreshing acidity.”

Los Bermejos Espumoso Brut Nature 2019 750ml $39 special, 12 bottles available
Importer Notes “100% sparkling Malvasía Volcanica (from a single vintage), made using méthode Champenoise and aged at least 18 months sur lie. The prise de mousse used to start the second fermentation is made with Malvasía must rather than sugar. Zero dosage.”

Los Bermejos Espumoso Rosado Brut Nature 2022 750ml $39 special, 12 bottles available
Importer Notes “The base wine is 100% Listán Negro from a single vintage. The grapes are very gently pressed in a pneumatic press, resulting in a very pale salmon-hued wine. Aged 15 months sur lie and made using Méthode Champenoise. Zero dosage.”

 
Envinate.

 
“Envínate (translates as “wine yourself”) is the brainchild of 4 friends, winemakers Roberto Santana, Alfonso Torrente, Laura Ramos, and José Martínez.  This gang of 4 formed back in 2005 while studying enology at the University of Miguel Hernandez in Alicante. Upon graduation, they formed a winemaking consultancy, which evolved into Envínate, a project that focuses on exploring distinctive parcels mainly in the Atlantic-inflected regions of Ribeira Sacra and the Canary Islands. Their collective aim is to make profoundly pure and authentic wines that express the terruño of each parcel in a clear and concise manner. To this end, no chemicals are used in any of the Envínate vineyards, all parcels are picked by hand, the grapes are foot-trodden, and the wines are fermented exclusively with wild yeasts, with a varying proportion of whole grape clusters included. For aging, the wines are raised in old barrels and concrete, and sulfur is only added at bottling, if needed. The results are some of the most exciting and honest wines being produced in Spain today.” –Jose Pastor, Importer
 

These are the lowest prices on the West Coast today!

 
Envinate ‘Palo Blanco’, Canary Islands, Spain 2022 750ml $54.50 special, 36 bottles available
Luis Gutierrez -Wine Advocate 98 Points “The heat from late August didn’t affect much the grapes that were used for the 2022 Palo Blanco, as they are picked much later than the grapes from other zones of Tenerife. So, the 2022 vintage in Los Realejos is a lot fresher than in Taganana or La Orotava. In fact, I liked the palate of this 2022 better than that of the 2021; it’s vibrant, lovely and fresh. The nose is still a little reductive, and the notes of flowers and herbs take time to emerge.”
 
Envinate ‘Taganan’ Blanco, Canary Islands, Spain 2022 750ml $59 special, 12 bottles available
Luis Gutuerrez, Wine Advocate 94 Points “The 2022 Táganan Blanco has a mellow nose with notes of ripe yellow fruit, dried flowers, aromatic herbs and crushed rocks. 2022 was extremely dry and delivered healthy grapes that were harvested early, and the wine kept a moderate 12% alcohol and very high acidity (7.1 grams) that give it a lively palate with citrus freshness and a very tasty, salty finish. This didn’t go through malolactic fermentation and matured in neutral barrels with lees for nine months. 3,200 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2023.”
 
Envinate ‘Taganan’ Tinto, Canary Islands, Spain 2022 750ml $54.50 special, 36 bottles available
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 94+ Points “The just-bottled 2022 Táganan Tinto is juicy and primary but with very good balance and no excess. It has less reductive character and is sapid and balanced. They did slightly shorter macerations and used a little more full clusters for this wine. It’s a very good vintage for this bottling. It was bottled in July 2023.”
 
Envinate La Santa de Ursula Tinto, Ycoden-Daute-Isora, Spain 2022 750ml $54.50 special, 36 bottles available
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 95 Points “The just-bottled 2022 Táganan Tinto is juicy and primary but with very good balance and no excess. It has less reductive character and is sapid and balanced. They did slightly shorter macerations and used a little more full clusters for this wine. It’s a very good vintage for this bottling. It was bottled in July 2023.”
 

 
“[I]t’s often forgotten that what we know as “Traditional Rioja” is less than 150 years old, having been created in the wake of Phylloxera in the late 1800s. Before that, an earlier tradition flourished that featured viticulture and winemaking on a far smaller scale, allowing vine-by-vine attention to fruit quality, and the inclusion of stems during fermentation and shorter time in larger barrels.
 
“Since 2014, the husband-wife team of Oscar Alegre and Eva Valgañón have embraced this even more ancient tradition. By working strictly with tiny lots, they are turning out head-spinning reds and whites that capture the best of their beloved land’s 1,000+ year history. And, their wines informed by this ancestral wisdom, are offering something unique in today’s Rioja landscape.” -Rare Wine Co, Importer
 
Alegre Valganon Rioja Blanco 2022 750ml $24 special, 6 bottles available
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 92+ Points “The 2022 Blanco, from a very warm and dry year that was saved by the winter rain and their earliest harvest ever for these grapes, shows exceptionally fresh (it has a pH of 3.3). It’s 85% Viura, 10% Garnacha Blanca and 5% Tempranillo Blanco with a moderate 12.9% alcohol, and it’s serious, austere and a little closed, without any exuberance you might expect in a torrid year. It’s chalky and complex beyond its price point, carefully crafted, with some skin contact and 50% of malolactic fermentation and élevage in a mixture of concrete and oak containers of different sizes and ages. It transcends the vintage.”
 
Bodega Alegre Valganon Carra Sto. Domingo 2021 $79 special, 6 bottles available
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 97 Points “I was able to taste a bottle of the terrific 2021 Carra Sto Domingo a bit later, which was bright, ruby colored, perfumed and expressive, perhaps a little higher-pitched than the Bahierra from the same vintage. The grapes from the vines planted in the 1920s fermented with some full clusters and uncrushed berries with a soft extraction and a maceration of three weeks. It’s complex and aromatic, very elegant and super balanced, with great freshness, precision and harmony, symmetric and clean, like laser cut. It matured in a 225-liter barrel and another 500-liter one for 13 months. The tannins are very fine, and the wine comes through as very fresh.”
 
Alegre Valganon Rioja Tinto 2021 750ml $24 special, 24 bottles available
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 93+ Points “The 2021 Tinto, produced with 75% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 5% white grapes, is serious and austere, produced with grapes from cooler parts of Rioja to achieve freshness and aging potential without having to resource to very long aging in barrel (this was in barrels and foudres of different ages and sizes for some 16 months). It opened up with time in the glass to a medium to full-bodied palate with very fine tannins and a clean, long and tasty, almost salty finish. It’s a wine that transcends its price.”

 
Casa Castillo Monastrell, Jumilla, Spain 2019 750ml $14.50 special, 36 bottles available
Wine Advocate 91 Points “The entry-level red, the old Monastrell, has been reverted to the varietal name, even if in 2019 it has some 15% Garnacha because it was a very good year for the variety (because it was harvested before the rain). As with the other wines, I had the chance to compare the 2019 Monastrell with the 2020. This 2019 fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured in 500-liter barrels and 5,000-liter oak foudres for 10 months. It has an expressive nose of Mediterranean herbs and a combination of ripeness and lightness, a little in the style of 2016, a little more fruit-driven. They had to sort and discard and produced less wine. It’s medium-bodied and has very good balance and fine tannins. 160,000 bottles produced. I tasted the September 2020 bottling, but all the bottlings are from the same master blend.”

GERMANY
 

 

Maybe they look more like a Norwegian heavy metal band than the lastest German wine lover’s obsession, but Enderle and Moll are producing 1. the hottest Pinot Noirs and 2. some of the best skin contact white wines in Western Europe right now.
 
Utilizing a small basket press, 2-3 week macerations, and spontaneous fermentation, this craft producer is one of the most promising natural wineries to spring up in the past 20 years.
 
These are assertive, age-worthy wines, with muscle and finesse. Supplies are limited, grab yours today!
 
Enderle & Moll Grauburgunder, Baden, Germany 2022 750ml $29 special, 12 bottles available
Importer Notes “From 45 year old vines on limestone and sandstone. 5 day maceration on the skins, then a soft pressing into neutral barrel and into steel tank with 25% of the skins. It matures for 10 months on the lees and skins before a super-light filtration and a tiny amount of sulfur at bottling. While this is markedly darker than the other wines in the lineup, this is solely from the pigment in the skins – it doesn’t see significant extra maceration time.”
 

Lowest price in the United States today

 
Enderle & Moll Muller-Thurgau Pur, Baden, Germany 2022 750ml $29 special, 12 bottles available
Importer Notes “Müller has the rare distinction of being comprised not only of estate fruit from Baden — 45 year old vines of Müller Thurgau planted on limestone–but also fruit from a respected organic grower in the Mosel planted on schist. Undoubtedly this accounts for the wine’s extra blast of energy and high-toned kick. The fruit is macerated for 5 days on the skins before a soft pressing into stainless steel for an 8-9 month evelage on the lees. Lightly filtered and contains a tiny amount of sulfur added only at bottling.”
 
Enderle & Moll Pinot Noir Buntsandstein, Baden, Germany 2022 750ml $59 special, 6 bottles available
Importer Notes “The Buntsandstein, or colored sandstone, is sourced from prime parcels of vines around 60 years old. Normally the Pinots from sandstone are more lavish, aromatic and generous–yet in 2022 the Buntsandstein is sharper, more red-fruited and tightly wound up. It is distinctly spicy, with a sappy, green pine needle edging to it that balances the mouthwatering fruit and seems to introduce a very prominent minerality. The tannic structure is very sandstone, with a granular sandy and gripping force to it. In fact, while the Muschelkalk tends to be the most structured, with vintage 2022 the Buntsandstein might be more of the fortress. This clocks in at 12.5%.”
 

Lowest price on the West Coast today

 
Enderle & Moll Pinot Noir Buntsandstein Ida, Baden, Germany 2022 750ml $59 special, 6 bottles available
Importer Notes “The “Ida” is sourced from a tiny colored-sandstone parcel in the same general vicinity as the regular Buntsandstein. The parcel was given to them by an older lady named Ida who had farmed the parcel for decades. When they first made the wine, presumably they intended to increase their Buntsandstein production, yet they noticed immediately that the wine just tasted different. The “Ida” is normally denser, darker, more earthy and brooding–and so they began to bottle it separately. The 2022 Ida lives up to the reputation; this flaunts more of the inky, blackberry-fruited depth of the Muschelkalk, yet it is more expansive and silken, with a dark minerality and sappy notes, rocks and a salty umami undertone. This has a similar structure to the regular Buntsandstein, yet it feels a bit more wound up, tighter, more structured.”
 
Enderle & Moll Pinot Noir Muschelkalk, Baden, Germany 2022 750ml $59 special, 6 bottles available
Importer Notes “Muschelkalk, or shell limestone is from their oldest Pinot noir vines planted in the early 1950’s–so 70+ years old–and thought to be the oldest in the area. While this is nearly always the lightest and most structured of the E&M Pinots, in 2022 this is perhaps the most seductive and deep-fruited I’ve ever tasted. The palate is awash with black cherry, blackberry finely woven around leather, dried herbs, sap and forest notes. The lush and coating palate is brought into focus by a persistent acidity and an ultra-fine tannic grip, that’s almost surprising given the suave beginning. This is deep, deep, deep–it clocks in at 13% yet feels neither hot nor heavy.
 
Enderle & Moll Weissburgunder Muschelkalk, Baden, Germany 2022 750ml $29 special, 12 bottles available
Importer Notes “From 60 year-old Weißburgunder vines planted on limestone near their parcel of old Pinot Noir vines. 4 days of maceration on the skins, then pressed and moved into a combo of neutral barrel and stainless steel with 25% of the skins. Matures on the lees (and skins!) for 10 months before a light filtration, blending and a small addition of sulfur at bottling.”
 

Lowest price on the West Coast today

Featured Winemaker
 
Championship Bottle.
 

 

Inspired by the crisp whites and reds of the Friuli region in Northeast Italy, Championship Bottle combs through the Willamette’s best cool climate sites to find the unique terroirs that infuse the wines texture, minerality, and elegant acidity that they are known for.
 
Saul Mutchnick, the owner and wine-maker, is both a music geek and a wine geek. Unsurprisingly, he brings these two interests together in the winery as much as possible… he likens his wine-making style to high-fidelity recording, finding the purity of the vineyard itself while turning down the excess noise and distractions as much as possible. His bottlings are named as references to his favorite musicians and songs and even the winery itself is a reference to a classic music geek film.
 
Championship Bottle Lusty Little Crushes Red, Willamette Valley 2022 750ml $21.90 special, 31 bottles available
Hannah “I got to try this wine just the other day, and I instantly noted it as a fun, flavorful, and easy to drink red that should be chilled down and sipped on while enjoying the sun.  Upon opening, notes of red berry fruit and green herbs came across on the nose. Bright and ripe raspberries, cherries, thyme and just a touch of pepper show on the palate. The wine is light in its structure with juicy fruit that is balanced well by the wine’s acidity, and a crisp and dry finish. I highly recommend you pair this wine with some shish kebabs from off the grill!”
Winemaker’s Notes “We love making light, fresh reds-the kind of wines that make you wonder where the rest of the bottle went and seemingly pair with everything. Lusty Little Crushes is the newest incarnation of that paradigm, a co-fermentation of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris that reminds us of bottles from the Loire or Beaujolais in its red fruited, vibrant personality.”
 
Championship Bottle Gravity’s Pull Chardonnay, Willamette Valley 2021 750ml $31.90 special, 16 bottles available
Tracy “As grilling season rapidly approaches, this is exactly the kind of wine I want to be drinking more of. Light and bright, it’s a wonderful accompaniment roasted chicken, teriyaki everything, and barbecued veggies. Just give it 20 or so minutes in the fridge and you’re ready to go.”
Winemaker’s Notes “2021 is a dynamite vintage for Chardonnay in the Willamette Valley, and we think this is perhaps the best vintage of Gravity’s Pull yet. As always, this hails from Dion Vineyard and its ungrafted, 30+ year-old Chardonnay vines, planted in windblown loess soils. It’s telling that across Europe, producers who are lucky enough to have ungrafted vineyards prize them supremely for the je ne sais quoi they seem to provide. Every time we taste Gravity’s Pull, we think that must be happening here, as well, and are grateful to get to work with the vineyard.”
 
Championship Bottle Lost Coastline Fir Crest Pinot Noir 2021, Willamette Valley 750ml $33 special, 36+ bottles available
Tracy “Herbaceous… with bright cherry fruit and tannins around the edges. This feels like cool climate, with an alpine tart-cherry finish. Perhaps the best wine I’ve had with salmon in the recent past.”
Winemaker’s Notes “Lost Coastlines hails from Fir Crest Vineyard, a site that we believe to be the most interesting in all of the prestigious Yamhill-Carlton AVA, but whose reputation hadn’t yet caught up to its quality. Robert Mosier’s site takes the marine-sedimentary soils that the appellation is known for, but its proximity to the coast makes it significantly cooler than most of the more famous vineyards nearby. That means a wine with a intriguing dialectic between dark color and lively acidity, between red and black fruits, all laced with a distinct edge of rosemary and thyme. It’s a structured bottle that’s built for the cellar—perhaps less playful than our other reds, but with a tremendously compelling personality. Fir Crest responds beautifully to whole-cluster fermentation, and we avoided masking any of the site’s personality with new oak. 120 cases were produced, though we are earmarking a chunk of those for our library already.”

There is no season like the spring to transition from drinking full bodied red wines to one that you need to chill down. That is where “chillable” red wines come in. Lighter in style, chuggable, and always refreshing and exciting, today we want to highlight some chillable reds that should definitely be in your wine cooler this spring! -Hannah
 
Torre dei Beati ‘Rosa-ae’ Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, Italy 2022 750ml $19.50 special, 36+ bottles available
Hannah “Believe it or not, this is the wine I would choose to cool down on a hot summer (or spring) day. Made in the style of a darker rose or chillable red, this rose is made from Cerasuolo and comes from Italy. Cerasuolo literally translates to cherry, and this wine has just that. One the nose and palate, notes of juicy cherries and strawberries come through. Secondary flavors of florals and wet stones are found throughout the palate and finish and work in great harmony with the acidic and zippy structure. This wine is packed with flavor but made with the lightness found in a rose that makes is perfect to sip on during a hot day with a cheese board.”
 
Maitia ‘Aupa Pipeno’, Maule Valley, Chile 2022 750ml $14.00 special, 36+ bottles available
Hannah “Last but not least is a wine made from a grape that was meant to be a chillable red. Coming from Chile, this wine is a blend of primarily Pais with a little inclusion of Carignan. Pais creates very light wines (think medium minus in the body), with bright flavors of strawberry, raspberries, and red roses being the primary flavors. This wine shows all those on the palate, with secondary notes of mint and dried herbs coming through as well. The tannins go unnoticeable in this one, with the fresh acidity shining through to a resolved, refreshing, and dry finish. Easy to drink all spring and summer long.”