Saturday May 2^nd 1-4PM FREE

Everyday Wine

2007 Chateau Coussin St. Victoire Rose

2007 Roxy Ann Pinot Gris

1999 Diamond Back Cabernet Sauvignon

2004 Terroso de Douro Vinho Tinto

2007 Rhone Tasting This Friday, once again, will be a tasting not to miss. For those who have not heard, 2007 was a historic vintage in the Rhone region of France especially the Southern Rhone. To help entice your attendance, this tasting is being set up to be free if you purchase a wine from the flight. There are six wines in the flight. Three of them will be offered as a special order at a special discounted price. This means you get to try them at the tasting, if you choose one of those three as your purchase, then they ordered and arrive in a week or so (this I can explain easier at the tasting).

Friday, May 1^st 5-8 PM 2007 Rhone Wine TastingFree with purchase or $20 Tasting Fee

2007 Pierre Gaillard Condrieu

2007 Domaine la Milliere Cotes du Rhone Vieilles Vignes Cuvee Unique

2007 Martinelle Le7eme

2007 Domaine la Milliere Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes Cuvee Unique

2007 Clos du Mont Olivet Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Unique

2007 Pierre Gaillard Cornas Les Combe Cuvee Unique

I feel like this completes the trifecta of Champagnes to be released into the American market. First we had Cedric Bouchard, then there was Ulysee Collin, and now we have Jerome Prevost. Why do I say trifecta? Cedric Bouchard gave me Pinot Noir, Ulysee Collin gave us Chardonnay, and Jerome Prevost brings the Pinot Meunier. This is a must have for the Champagne collector, Grower Champagne fanatic, or Champagne freak like myself.

Wine Advocate 93 “A recent bottle of the 1999 La Closerie Les Beguines was breathtaking. Prevost’s La Closerie Les Beguines (2006) offers up hazlenuts, honey, autumn leaves, dried apricots, and smoke in a beautifully-delineated expression of this site. Later, notes of mint, flowers and spices develop in the glass, adding additional layers of aromas and flavors. An expansive, textured wine, the La Closerie Les Beguines possesses awesome length, density and a sublime, classy finish. Today the wine is still very primary and it will take some time for the full array of flavors to develop, so a year or two of cellaring at a minimum seems prudent if readers are to experience the full breadth of this superb Champagne. This bottle was disgorged in October 2008. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2018.

Jerome Prevost is one of the young generation of producers who spent time working under Anselme Selosse, where he also made his first Champagnes. Prevost’s La Closerie Les Beguines is a compelling Champagne made from 100% Pinot Meunier sourced from 48-year old vines in Gueux. Prevost favors Burgundian barrels for vinification and aging. These beautiful wines are made in an unmanipulated, pure style, with natural yeasts, no filtration and no dosage. The style is the ultimate expression of Champagne as wine. Prevost gives his vintage Champagne relatively little time on the lees, but the wines are capable of aging extraordinarily well on the cork.”

Offer expires 5/15/09

In 2005 Quilceda Creek released its first single vineyard wine since 1997. Back then it was the Champoux Vineyard and now they give us their first single vineyard from their new estate vineyard. This is all Red Mountain fruit is over 95% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wine Advocate 97 “The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard comes from the fifth leaf of this estate vineyard and in this vintage contains 4.5% Merlot. The wine was aged for 22 months in 100% new French oak. Opaque purple-colored, its distinctive aromatics leap from the glass. Toasty oak, scorched earth, a hint of truffle, black cherry, black raspberry, and blackberry liqueur aromas are quite mesmerizing. On the palate, this sizable effort is firm, full-bodied, and structured, demanding 6-8 years of cellaring. It falls a bit short of the flagship Cabernet Sauvignon in terms of complexity but bear in mind that this is still a very young vineyard. It should be hitting its stride by 2015 and remain at that level through 2035.”

$42 a bottle or a 6-pack for $240 with free ground shipping.

I don’t know if officially I can call this a NW Syrah, but the wine is worth mentioning here. In short, Big Table Farm has a farm in Gaston and makes wine in the nearby town of Amity. Though they do produce an Oregon Pinot Noir, this syrah is a produced from one of my favorite Syrah vineyards in California. The vineyard is White Hawk located in Santa Barbara. The grapes are picked and transported to the Willamette Valley in a refrigerated truck. The wine was made by creating two lots; one completely destemmed and the other being 75% whole cluster. The spent just over 20 months in barrel. The wine shows intense dark fruits, black pepper, and great balance with it’s acidity. A great spring wine to have with grilled lamb or bbq steak. Priced at $42 a bottle or 6-packs for $240 with free ground shipping. 175 Cases made.

One should also note the detail that went into making the label for these wines. The label art was drawn by Clare. The labels are made by using a letterpress printer, made sheet by sheet, and then cut by hand (http://www.texturaprinting.com/) Because of this, all bottles are wrapped in tissue to protect the artwork.

Everyone should note that Big Table Farm is an acutally farm. They raise pigs, cows, and chickens. They have a goal of creating a sustainable farm that integrates all aspects of farm life including the making of wines. Check out Clare’s Blog at http://www.oregonfarm.blogspot.com/

Saturday April 25^th 1-4PM FREE

Everyday Wine

2008 Triennes Rose

2001 Quinta Santa Julia Reserva (regular price $21 now $12)

2007 Perrin Reserve Cotes du Rhone

2004 I Bastioni Chianti Classico

I have to say I am excited about this tasting. We will be featuring a series of new wines that should ‘wow’ you. Some of them are new releases from known wineries, while some are new releases from new wineries. One was a find at Taste Walla Walla about a month ago, El Corazon (which for some reason makes me think of the movie Romancing the Stone from when I was a younger). Another is a project from the winemaker of Illahe, Genius Loci, produced from a small vineyard in Southern Oregon. The bonus pour is a new project from a CA-transplant that runs a farm just outside of Gaston.

Friday, April 24th 5-8 PM
NW Syrah
$15 Tasting Fee + Bonus Pour

2006 Genius Loci Syrah Folin Vineyard
2006 K Vintners ‘Motor City Kitty’ Syrah
2006 Dominio IV Syrah ‘Purple Flower’ (75 cases, Reserve Bottling)
2005 Cristom Vineyards Syrah
2007 El Corazon Winery ‘With Love’ Syrah (23 cases made)

Bonus Pour $4
2006 Big Table Farm Syrah White Hawk Vineayrd

A new winery from outside of Gaston comes this first release of syarh. The vineyard is White Hawk located in Santa Barbara. The grapes are picked and transported to Willamette Valley. This wine is intense showing dark fruits, black pepper, and great acidity. The wine was created from two lots; one 75% whole cluster and the other completely destemmed. A great spring wine to have with grilled steak or bbq. Priced at $42 a bottle or 6-packs for $240 with free ground shipping. 175 Cases made.

Everyone should note that Big Table Farm is an acutally farm. They raise pigs, cows, and chickens. They have a goal of creating a sustainable farm that integrates all aspects of farm life including the making of wines. Check out Clare’s Blog at http://www.oregonfarm.blogspot.com/

Saturday April 18^th 1-4PM FREE “Wines for Rock Stars”

2006 Corvidae Syrah “Lenore”

2007 Cameron Pinot Noir WV

2007 Coelho Petite Sirah

2007 Commanderie de la Bargemone Rose

This Friday we will host a tasting focusing on Zinfandel from the NW and California. There will be two wineries from Oregon matched up against three wineries from California, with a total of six wines. Even though Oregon is not known for its Zinfandel producers, we will be pouring wines produced from Columbia Valley and Walla Walla fruit. This is a great opportunity to compare the popular California Zinfandel against the newcomers of Oregon.

Friday, April 17^th 5-8 PM

Zinfandel Tasting: NW vs. California

$15 Tasting Fee

2007 Three Angels Zinfandel Les Collines Vineyard (Oregon Winery)

2007 Three Angels Zinfandel Avery Vineyard (Oregon Winery)

2007 Natalie’s Estate Athena Zinfandel (Oregon Winery)

2005 Robert Biale Napa Ranches (CA Winery)

2006 Limerick Lane Zinfandel Collins Vineyard (CA Winery)

2006 Pezzi King Zinfandel Old Vines (CA Winery)

2007 Cameron Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

A cuvee of 3 vineyards; Gherts, Clos de Bess, and Abbey Ridge’s Road Block.

$18 or $182 a case (15%+ off)