Saturday February 28^th

1-4PM FREE

This could be the best Saturday lineup so far. Once again it is free. Last week we ran out of half the wines.

2006 Bibi Graetz Casamatte Rosso $15 (Sangiovese)

2007 Cameron Chardonnay $12

2006 Bishop Creek Barrel Select Pinot Noir $14.50

2006 Christine Andrew Old Vine Zinfandel $15

Bordeaux Blends (Washington)

February 27, 2009 5-8PM

Tasting Fee $15

My first intentions were not to make the tasting a complete Washington lineup. Yet, after tasting and researching wines the direction was heading towards all domestic wines. At that point, why not just do a comparison tasting of Washington Bordeaux Blends. Especially with Taste Walla Walla right around the corner, this is even a better idea. All of these wines are finely made and usually gain positive press when reviewed.

2006 Dunham 3 Legged Red

2005 Guardian Gunmetal

2006 Gorman Zachary’s Ladder

2007 Waters Winery Interlude

2006 Five Star Cellars (67% Petite Verdot + 33% Cab Franc)

Bonus Pour $5

2005 Cadence Bel Canto

WA 94 “Cadence’s version of the legendary Cheval Blanc is the 2005 Bel Canto, a blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 42% Merlot, and 8% Petit Verdot, a selection of the best barrels of these grape varieties in the cellar. Saturated crimson in color, it presents an expressive bouquet of pain grille, pencil lead, espresso roast, black cherry, and plum. This is followed by a wine with superb grip, a smooth palate-feel, layers of ripe fruit, and a 45-second finish. Give it 5-7 years of further bottle age and drink it through 2030.”

Saturday February 21^st 1-4PM FREE

2007 Charles Smith Velvet Devil Merlot $11.50

2006 Zerba Cellars Wild Z $17

2006 Les Vignerons d’Estezargues Genestas Cote du Rhone $10

2007 Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir ‘Dollar Bills’ $13.50

Esoteric Wine Tasting

Friday February 20^th 5-8PM

Tasting Fee of $15

I think in the last 7 days I have tried 80 wines. This is not uncommon, but it really made me think about some of the unique wines that I have tried in the recent past. In part, I am referring to the more intellectual wines. The ones that make you pause and think about their uniqueness. Their flavors, varietal, or style are what separates them from the others; albeit the same attributes found in other wines but more pronounced. There is a certain level of romance to these wines that I love, but sometimes they are only tried if recommended or poured at a tasting. This tasting will introduce some unique wines and styles that are not as well known. See individual wine notes below the bonus pour.

2003 Pierre Frick Cremant d’Alsace

2002 Domaine de Veilloux Cheverny ‘argilo’

2005 Foradori Teroldego rotaliano

2005 Domaine Belliviere Rouge Hommage A Louis Derre

2005 Laffitte Teston madiran Vieilles Vignes

Bonus Pour $6

2005 Casa lapostelle Clos Apalta

Wine Spectator Wine of the Year (#1)

This could be your only chance of trying the Wine Spectator’s number one wine of 2008. I saved my last bottle for this tasting.

WS 96 Points: “Gorgeous aromas of warm ganache and mocha lead to a rich, velvety palate loaded with currant, fig paste, black licorice, cassis bush and bramble notes. The long, juicy finish has great grip and density, with echoes of graphite, dark fruit and mineral. Should greatly reward cellaring. Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2009 through 2019.”

2003 Pierre Frick Cremant d’Alsace: Pierre Frick produces a sparkling wine from Pinot Blanc.

2002 Domaine de Veilloux Cheverny ‘Argilo’: From the Loire Valley comes a brilliant white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc and Menu Pineau varietal. A very complex wine that shows lemon citrus, minerality, and flinty notes.

2005 Foradori Teroldego Rotaliano: In short, Elisabetta Foradori is the premier winemaker in the Trentino. Teroldego is an indigenous varietal that she fashions better than anyone else.

2005 Domaine Belliviere Rouge Hommage a Louis Derre: Produced from 100+ year old Pineau d’Aunis (Pee-no Doh-nee) vines. This is a rare varietal usually blended into other wines from the Loire Valley. Today it is nearly extinct.

2005 Laffitte Teston madiran Vieilles Vignes: From Southwest france comes this madiran made from almost 70 year old vines of Tannat. These wines are made for the long haul, but can still be enjoyed young.

Another great producer to enter the American maket is Olivier Collin, who makes Ulysse Collin Champagne. This is a no dosage, 100% Chardonnay Champagne.

Wine Advocate 93

“The Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs (2005) is a striking wine loaded with a mineral-laced expression of Chardonnay fruit. This taut, focused wine reveals notable inner tension, showing awesome focus and clarity. Notes of salinity on the finish recall a great Chablis. The 2005 version possesses a little more generosity and fat than the 2004. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2012.

Olivier Collin is one of Champagne’s new generation of emerging artisan producers. Over the last few years Collin has begun to bottle wines from fruit he used to sell to Pommery. His first vintage was 2004, and that wine certainly bodes very well for the future. Collin cut his teeth working alongside Anselme Selosse, and while his wines share some similarities with those of his mentor they also clearly have their own unique voice. Collin’s main wine is a Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay) made from 30 year-old vines in the Les Perrieres vineyard in Congy. Collin favors Burgundian barrels for his wines, which spend roughly 10 months in oak prior to being bottled without fining or filtration, and with zero dosage. I tasted two vintages, the 2004 which is in the market at present, and the 2005 which is arriving shortly. Because the wines spend a relatively short period of time on their lees the vintages can’t be officially declared on the labels, so readers should check with their source(s) to confirm the vintages of the wines being offered. Adding disgorgement dates to the labels would make the wines much more consumer-friendly.”

Offer expires 3/1/09

Saturday February 14^th

1-4PM FREE

2005 Chateau Moulin Rompu Medoc Bordeaux

2006 L’Oca Ciuca The Drunken Goose

2005 Ippolito Ciro Rosso

+ a new find from this week

February 13^th 5-8PM

Free or Tasting Fee of $15 (see details below)

Artisanal Cellars

Featuring Winemakers Tom and Patti Feller

Also featuring live jazz from AFROKNOT

I can remember my first Oregon Pinot Noir tasting 14 months ago. The theme was off the beaten path Oregon Pinot Noir. In other words, Oregon Pinot Noir producers that are lesser known. During this tasting we poured the 2005 Artisanal Cellars Adams vineyard. It sold out in 30 minutes. Now we get taste through all of their wines (latest release and revisit the 2005) with the winemakers.

FREE or $15 Tasting Fee

The tasting will be free with the purchase of any bottle that is featured during the tasting or the tasting fee is $15 per person.

2006 Artisanal Cellars Viognier

2006 Artisanal Cellars Chardonnay

2006 Artisanal Cellars Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

2005 Artisanal Cellars Pinot Noir Adams Vineyard

2006 Artisanal Cellars Pinot Noir Adams Vineyard

2006 Artisanal Cellars Pinot Noir Adams Vineyard Reserve

Garrison’s Fine Wines Stimulus Package

It was probably easy to overlook in the 825 Billion dollar stimulus package the paragraph that talked about the incentives that would be implemented by Garrison’s Fine Wines. Under Division A, Title 2, Agriculture, Nutrition, and Rural Development you might find a small insert on the health benefits of red wine, retailer incentives for promoting red wine consumption, and the insurance of wine offers that fit all socio-economic groups (based on AGI). Ethically, I have an obligation to help my fellow Americans. In this newsletter I bring forth multiple offerings from the Garrison’s Fine Wines Stimulus Package. First and foremost, the following deal will not last more than a month. This is the first of a few offers in the Garrison’s Fine Wines Stimulus Package.

2007 Grochau Cellars Pinot Noir Commuter Cuvee

$13 a bottle or

$72 a 6-pack ($12/btl) or

$121 a case ($11/btl)

February 6^th 5-8 PM

Barolo, Barbaresco, and Barbera

Tasting Fee $20

Also Known as the three Bs or Killer Bs, but I will just call this the Barolo, Barbaresco, and Barbera Tasting. This tasting needs little introduction, we are pouring and featuring the three most famous wines from this region of Italy (Piedmont).

2005 Punset Barbera d’Alba

2006 Filippo Gallino Barbera d’Alba

2003 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco (WA 91)

2005 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco (WA 91)

2003 Cabutto Barolo La Volta (WS 93)

2003 Vajra Barolo Bricco Delle Viole (WA 94)

Saturday February 7th

1-4PM FREE

2007 Daniel Belda Ponsalet

2006 Almagre Rioja Tinto

2007 Quinta da Espiga Tinto

2007 Barbi Orvieto Classico Secco