Click on the Month you’d like to review. Please note prices may have changed from the time these wonderful wines were released, so please check with us for current pricing and availability.

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2010 Jan/Feb	2010 March	2010 April	2010 May
2010 June	2010 July	2010 August/Sept	2010 October
2010 November	2010 December

January/February 2010 
New Deals for a New Decade
Stag's Leap Winery Petite Sirah Napa Valley 2006
Regularly $40, while it lasts $23.99/$19.20 case.

Stags' Leap Winery Merlot Napa Valley 2006
Regularly $32, while it lasts $17.99/$14.40 by the case.
Happy New Year! That is what the folks at Stags' Leap Winery want for you. So, they offered up this short-lived year-end deal with blow-out pricing on some Napa Valley classics. A grand old name, the "jumping stag" label first appeared in 1893 (!) and has been a leading property since the 1970s. Looking to blast out some inventory before 2010 started, they offered and we leapt at the chance (bad pun alert!). 2006 was a superb vintage for Napa; a late harvest gave the wines concentration and complexity. The Petite Sirah is among Napa's best and is often "restaurant only." Dense and dark with ripe blackberry and marionberry, there's shades of cocoa, vanilla oak, and leathery spice notes embedded in the concentrated core of fruit. The Merlot is classic southern Napa: medium-weight and juicy with zesty wild red berry, dusty plum and mild oaky vanilla crème notes. Fresh bright and elegantly structured, it's such a pretty Merlot, and deserves kudos for not trying to be Cabernet. Both killer deals, both in limited supply.

Cottonwood Marina Piper Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 2006
Regularly $25, now $19.99/$15.99 by the case.
Here's a Pinot bottling that has been a go-to GWB favorite for several years running. Winemaker Aaron Lieberman allows his wines time to develop in bottle; the result is this older-vintage beauty that's drinking great right now. We just tasted it again and yum! Price drop to $20? Double yum deal!! Round, seamless and supple, the lively cherry and tangy raspberry/boysenberry fruit is complemented by mild tobacco and spicy savory herb notes, with floating high-toned aromatics. Offering the plush ripeness of the 2006 vintage yet retaining an airy grace, this is lovely Pinot Noir bordering on the sexy. Show me what ya got, hot stuff!

Juan Gil Monastrell Jumilla 2006
$16.99/$13.50 by the case
This shop favorite is a perfect winter red: hearty and deeply satisfying, versatile enough to pair with an array of dishes and inexpensive enough to drink frequently as you listen to the rain dripping on your roof. (It even has a classy expensive-looking label, making it easy to jazz up your post-holiday décor). Boasting 90+ point reviews in the major wine mags and a spot on the coveted Wine Spectator Top 100, the glowing reviews read something like this: "With superb aromatics of wood smoke, damp earth, violets, and blueberry pie, this is layered, succulent, and long" (Parker). "This polished red shows black cherry, licorice, mineral and tobacco notes, harmonious and deep, supported by firm tannins. Medium-bodied, well-integrated and stylish" (Spectator). Not tons of it left, but enough for you to grab a case.

Vietti Barbera d'Asti 2007
$18.99/$15 by the case
Vietti is a Barbera master, with a variety of bottlings clear up to $80. While all of them are compelling, his basic d'Asti bottling may be the best deal, as it transcends its appellation and modest price. Made from tiny yields, this is densely packed and a joy to drink as it opens up unfolding a wealth of flavors. The alluring nose urges you to continue: blackberry, spiced mincemeat, black licorice and damp earth. The excitement on the palate builds slowly; at first the fruit is red and bright, lightly plush. Slowly it gets darker, chewier and more serious, before see-sawing back into red and bright territory. It's like getting two different wines for the price of one! Some wines offer immediate pleasure but evolve little in the glass; others take time to come alive yet provide a richer drinking experience. This is one of those wines.

Couroulu Vacqueyras 2007
$21.99/$17.60 by the case.
Just when I was starting to get sad thinking how most of the great 2007 Rhônes were behind us, this sporadically-available gem arrived. Portland doesn't see it every vintage (nor get much when it does appear) but when we have it, a lot of people get happy. Couroulu is a small producer making wine in the traditional style, a perfect foil for the lively fruit-driven bounty of the '07 vintage. Deep and long, the Provençal aromatics immediately draw you in, with anise, lavender, floral iris and peppery spice. The fruit is black and chewy with highlights of tangy red berry. Offering both a slight meaty funkiness and an appealing polished elegance reminiscent of Chateauneuf, we're thrilled to see this old friend again.

Gilbert Cellars Allobroges Columbia Valley 2006
$20.99/$16.75 by the case.
If just saying the name makes you feel mystical, wait until you taste it. This Columbia Valley Rhône blend is named after a group of Celtic people who inhabited the Rhône Valley during the Roman Empire and apparently made killer red wine. Beside the cool name, this wine actually tastes like a Rhône red, a claim many Washington wines aspire to but fall short. With 60% Syrah, 22% Grenache, and 18% Mourvedre, black fruit flavors dominate, taut and precise yet rich and long on the palate. Offering a northern Rhône meatiness mixed with pretty herbal and floral spice aromatics, it is one of the best examples we can think of which tastes both of the old world and the new.
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March 2010

This Winter's Gold Medal Winners
Amatorius Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard 2006
$22.99/$18.40 by the case.
"Deal-o-Rama" was the pitch to us. A private-label deal that didn't make it far and is looking for a good home, we're able to offer this for a ridiculously low price. Made by Josh Bergstrom from Shea Vineyard fruit from the opulent 2006 vintage for just 23 bucks, need we say more? Well, unsurprisingly it tastes like you would expect a Bergstrom Shea 2006 to taste: a big juicy flavor-packed wine that starts with sultry cinnamon-tinged cherry aromatics before turning dark and smoky on the palate. Ripe rich and expansive, its pedigree is clear. There seem to be more Pinot Noir deals out there lately but nothing like this. Limited availability but hopefully enough for you to get some.

Owen Roe Ex Umbris Syrah Columbia Valley 2008
$23.99/$19.20 by the case.
A new vintage of this perennial favorite, this once again offers a wealth of complexity finely embedded in a luxuriously-textured frame. Surprisingly silky and elegant for such a powerful wine, the flavors are pure and lively, a mouthful of fresh marionberries and blackberries, with notes of violets, graham crackers and balsamic. A wash of ripe tannins on the finish adds dimension and depth. Not yet revealing all its charms (it actually drank better the next day after being opened), this may be even better than I think.

Evening Land Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2008
$24.99/$19.99 by the case.
Longtime fans of the Seven Springs Vineyard were dismayed a few years back when the owner stopped selling fruit to local wineries who had been producing single vineyard bottlings, opting instead to lease the entire vineyard to an "outside entity." Rumors of bad intentions by these "outsiders" were overblown and now that the dust has settled, guess what? There's exciting things going on there and it shows in the wine. The vineyard is considered one of Oregon's best (that's why Evening Land wanted it) but it needed work. After ripping out phylloxera-infested vines, they are replanting at a higher density, re-trellising and converting the whole vineyard to bio-dynamic farming.

The consulting winemaker is none other than Dominique Lafon, an eyebrow-raising legend from Burgundy whose Meursault bottlings are an altar unto themselves for white Burg fans. The incredible care now being taken in the vineyard coupled with such amazing winemaking talent promises great wines to come, and it's an exciting beginning.

This "blue label" bottling, their first release from 2008, is mostly Seven Springs fruit with a small amount acquired from "a few friends". Made in a relatively drink-now style ("pour ma gueule" as Dominique puts it, meaning for my gullet and soon), this is delicious, fresh and lively with pretty perfume aromatics and silky upfront fruit. With a fine-boned structure and detailed complexity lurking underneath the seemingly simple pretty fruit, this is seriously nice wine for anyone's gullet.

Scavino Rosso (Piedmont) 2007
$12.99/$10.40 by the case
A distributor switch makes this "Super Piedmont" an ever better buy than before. Scavino is a great Barolo producer, the winemakers true masters of their craft. But Barolo is hardly a daily drinker in style or price. Barbera and Dolcetto work, but a blend of these two along with Nebbiolo can be much more interesting. This basic rosso has for years been a hit with Piedmont fans; "Scavino for the people" as our old sales rep used to say, suggesting A) it was affordable and B) it gave one the opportunity to taste some of the Scavino magic. The rabbit in the hat is that it's straightforward and versatile enough to pair with many a meal yet sneakily complex, making it an excellent choice night after night. The aromatics conjure pleasant dining memories: roses and tobacco, cherry coke, spicy Dr. Pepper. On the palate it's a silky smooth surface gliding above a rich base of dark yet tangy plum and the finish offers sweet tannins, present enough to work with food, soft enough for barroom drinking.

Louis Moreau Chablis Vaulignot ler Cru 2007
$25.99/$20.80 by the case
Utterly charming and frustratingly so. The 2007 vintage has thrown so many good white Burgundies our way, there's simply not enough time to drink them all. Vaulignot is a tiny, lesser-known premier cru (no one seems to know where it is), hence the KILLER price for premier cru Burgundy from a great vintage. Also, quite honestly, it tasted better right now than Moreau's Grand Cru wines which need some time. A big step up from the already-delicious village bottling yet not so demanding as to need years of aging, ah yes, that's the spot. Traditional non-oak vinification keeps the fruit flavors pure and allows the minerality of the famous Kimmeridgian soil to shine through - the essence of classic Chablis, and the original reason why Chardonnay is planted all over the earth. Come home to Mama.

Saldo Zinfandel 2008
$30.99/$24.80 by the case
The second vintage of cult winery Orin Swift's Zinfandel just hit the shelf and although they made more than last year, we don't expect it to be around for long (last year it sold through in less than a month). Saldo is a reference to a Spanish term meaning "from here and there"; in search for his ideal blend, winemaker Dave Phinney sourced from great vineyards across multiple appellations including Sonoma, Napa, Amador, Mendocino, and Contra Costa counties. The hot 2008 vintage was perfect for Zinfandel. The fruit is ripe and lush, a mixed berry coulis punctuated by peppery briary spice and dark chocolate. Seamless and pillow-y soft, the masses of fruit are held together by a weave of balancing acidity.
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April 2010

 Owen Roe Deals...
It's the end of the 2008 vintage for these two Portland favorites and our friends at Owen Roe are pouring on the excitement with a last-minute deal. Not much left and already starting to fly at these friend-making prices, there's never been a better time to stock up on these irresistible catnip-like northwest reds.

Abbot's Table 2008
Now just $17.99/$14.40 by the case. (Was $19.99)
Portland's favorite addictively delicious Northwest red (we lovingly call it The Crack) is a knockout this vintage. Already displaying its come-hither aromatic charm and seductively supple mouth-feel, the excitement really kicks in when you realize that it is just going to get better. These guys are masterful blenders, and a huge part of the Abbot's Table allure is the myriad flavors and layers your taste buds can access. The aromatics alone are a delight: floral violet and rose mixed with crushed black raspberry and cured tobacco. On the palate it's silky and lusciously vibrant: the flavors are dark yet tangy with marionberry and blueberry giving lift to the spicy dusty blackberry bass notes below. Shades of caramel and toast round out the powerful finish. No surprise, but the Owen Roe crew has crafted an incredibly sexy wine whose rich and sappy fruit belies the elegance and balance woven in. 24% Zinfandel, 22% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Syrah, 10% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Blaufrankish, and 4% Malbec.

Sinister Hand Columbia Valley 2008
$17.99/$14.40 by the case (Was $23.99)
Sultry and succulent as ever, this 2008 Rhône-inspired blend is probably the closest one yet to David O'Reilly's original goal- a NW red reminiscent of Châteauneuf du Pape. A chameleon of a wine (the raison d'être of most blends) with intoxicating aromatics of sweet strawberry and floral spice and a mouth-feel that alternates between taut chewy black fruit and incredibly supple and sensual red berry. A beautiful marriage between richness and power with elegance and suavity. It's the end of the 2008 vintage for these two Portland favorites and our friends at Owen Roe are pouring on the excitement with a last-minute deal. Not much left and already starting to fly at these friend-making prices, there's never been a better time to stock up on these irresistible catnip-like northwest reds.

A Six-Pack of Goodness

El Corazon First Crush Cabernet Franc 2008
$25.99/$20.80 by the case
(Labeling Delay - Arrives April 8)
The much-anticipated new vintage of last year's stealth double hit (two different releases, same wine), this again will probably play its role as a heartbreaker. Every bit as sensational as the 2007 but even more limited since there were only a mere 48 cases made - it won't be around long. Reminiscent of October's release (which caused most of the buzz since the May bottling sold out in a flash), this has a purity of fruit and full-throttle freshness that fuels the wine from its heady juicy aromatics to its long complex finish. Rich on the palate with dark berry and concentrated cherry fruit and flashes of spicy mocha-tinged oak, there's a wave of underlying liveliness that is the perfect foil to the fleshy fruit.

El Corazon is the brainchild of Spencer Sievers, one of Walla Walla's most talented young turks and his wines turned out to be one of our favorite new finds of last year. Micro-production (48 cases here, 96 cases there) has kept him well below the radar but with wines like this, he won't stay there long.

Beaux Frères Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2008
$44.99/$35.99 by the case
The Beaux Frères wines are always a benchmark of the vintage, a trusted window into the highs (and potential lows) of any given year. Either despite or because of near-peerless winemaking skill, the wines always reflect the vintage. In our 13-year vertical a few years ago it was amazing how each wine had its own distinct personality, considering every vintage had the same fruit source and winemaking regimen.

With the excitement surrounding the 2008 vintage we were curious to see what the Beaux Frères crew would show us, and unsurprisingly, they showed us excellence. The Willamette Valley has the soaring aromatics that many 2008s offer, but also delivers on the palate. Sparkling with nervosity, the spicy raspberry fruit is seductive and pretty, with layers of baking spice and savory aromatics. Silky-textured yet firm and alive, the gentle tannins are just present enough to suggest firing up the grill and throwing on half a fresh salmon.

Solaria Rosso di Montalcino 2004
$12.99/$10.40 by the case (Was Originally $25)
Here's a rare opportunity - a perfectly-aged Sangiovese from Montalcino (basically baby Brunello), from one of the best vintages of the decade, that drinks great right now... for a mere $13! The distributor is "taking a price hit" to make room for the new vintage. Proprietor/winemaker/vineyard manager Patrizia Cencioni has applied her elegant touch to estate fruit and turned out a winner. No baby-faced fruity Tuscan here!; this Rosso impeccably plays aromatic sweet cherry, tangy spicy plum fruit and a hint of orange zest off the age-influenced earthy flavors of leather, smoke, game and tobacco. Sealing the deal is a silky smooth texture with juicy tannins on a mid-weight frame, topped by a long, long complex finish.

Gran Oristan La Mancha Gran Reserva 1998
$16.99/$13.60 by the case
(Shipping Delay - Scheduled to Arrive April 7)
We're always amazed at what the Spaniards have hiding in their cellars. Here is an 11-year-old wine that is still drinking beautifully, balanced and complex, and costs a mere 17 bucks. How they manage to sit on inventory for 10 years before selling it rather cheaply I still don't understand. But we're sure happy that they do because while young fruit-driven reds are plenty tasty, it is a pleasant change of pace to sit down with a bottle like this.

Mellow, subtle, and complex, there is a wealth of secondary flavors dancing about and an exquisite balance between earth, oak, fruit and acid. The earth notes are dusty and ancient, the oak offers faded vanilla and sandalwood spice, the fruit is desiccated and condensed, yet the acidity is still fresh and alive giving the wine a graceful lift. We have poured this in several tastings and every time the response is the same: wow, that's a really cool old wine for only 17 bucks.

François Crochet Sancerre 2007
$23.99/$19.20 by the case
This was a lovely harbinger of spring one dreary winter day when a sip suddenly suddenly transported us to the sunny banks of the Loire River (complete with baguette and goat cheese crottin). The youthful François Crochet spent time in New Zealand and was inspired to combine the bracing limestone minerality and zingy lemon/lime notes of the classic French style, with the aromatic grapefruit, light stone fruit and grassy hues of the Kiwi version of Sauvignon Blanc. It's a splendid success: fresh and vibrantly fruity, surprisingly rich and supple, but with plenty of clean acidity and chalkiness to provide balance.

Felipe Rutini Malbec Mendoza 2005
$13.99/$11.20 by the case (Was originally $19)
One of Argentina's first wineries (1885!) Rutini sources grapes for this bottling from their famous 50-year-old La Consulta vineyards high in the Andes Mountains. The big winner at our recent Saturday Argentine Malbec tasting, this is bold and flavorful, with racy dark spicy raspberry/blackberry fruit and a touch of smoky oak and cocoa. Creamy-textured and mellow, it displays an elegant side that was a nice surprise. Equally at home as a nice solo glass 'o red or paired with a full meal, it's yet another "it's gotta go" bargain: originally $19, now much less.
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May 2010

New Under-the-Radar Gems

June 2010

Let it Rain Wine, not Water!

White Rose Mercotti's Milieu Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 2007
$20.99/$16.80 by the case. Regular price $33!
Here's the first of two "buy-rated" Oregon Pinots, a gorgeous 2007 deal from a celebrated vineyard. Perched high on a hill not far from Domaines Drouhin and Serene, White Rose is one of the Dundee Hills most interesting sites. Typically offering a heady mix of wildflowers, high-toned red fruits, brambly spice and a fleeting mild funk, this type of vineyard cries out for a year like 2007 where the transparency of the vintage allows all that complexity to shine through. The winery is finally changing their, um, unique labels, hence the price drop. Wary after tasting too many recent "deals" and finding them uninspiring, we were cautious, but two sips in we all agreed: no question, this is the real deal. With classic White Rose floral notes, the fragrant red fruit is silky smooth and elegant and the exquisite aromatics scream Dundee Hills: baking spices, rhubarb, bright cherry, and notes of underbrush. Open-knit and seductive, this is drinking great now.

J. Christopher Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2008
$22.99/$18.40 by the case.
Looking for some brawn in your Pinot? Look no further. With all the opulent fruit and structure characteristic of the 2008 vintage, this is yet another J. Christopher Pinot that over-delivers for the money. Packed with flavor, the fruit is dark and spicy, the flavors long and deep and the texture commands your attention until it gets joyfully tangled up in the grippy tannins on the finish. Tangy plum and black cherry are joined by notes of cured tobacco and peppery spice. Although already impressive, the excitement lies ahead: there's so much going on beneath the cloak of dense fruit, this will only get better and better.

Domaine La Guicharde Côtes du Rhône-Villages
Massif d'Uchaux Cuvée Genest 2007
$13.99/$11.20 by the case.
A late arrival Rhône value that lucky for us missed the early boat as it now will provide excellent drinking all summer at a whizbang price. Located west of Cairanne and Rasteau, Massif d'Uchaux received its villages appellation status only in 2005. Whether due to this latecomer arrival or direct import savings, this is wickedly cheap for a villages appellation especially when it is so saturated with flavor. A 50/50 blend of Grenache and Syrah, it offers the best of both: round fleshy fruit with the vibrancy typical of 2007, with loads of spice (thyme, anise, cracked pepper) and a hearty yet toothsome texture. A small family domaine that is a year away from organic certification, the little wine they produce gets noticed in France; this bottling received 2 stars (out of 3, most wines reviewed receive 1 or zero stars) in France's prestigious Guide Hachettes, which translates as "vin remarquable". Remarkable indeed.

Vincent Girardin Emotion de Terroirs Chardonnay 2006
$13.50/$10.80 by the case. Regularly $30!
A screaming deal in white Burgundy, this is one of those side projects that starts with a lot of enthusiasm but ends up falling through the cracks (that's why it's cheap!). Girardin is a prolific winemaker who makes an impressive range of red and white up and down Burgundy's spine. The offspring of a terroir-focused project with a group of sommeliers, this bottling is 100% Côte de Beaune fruit and the provenance and winemaking talent is clear. Rich for Burgundy (but very elegant and restrained compared to California), it's round and creamy with flavor pops of pain grillé, lemon cream, and gorgeous floral spices. 2006 is a fruit-forward vintage and after a couple years in bottle this is drinking beautifully. Somewhat limited as we bought the last of it from the distributor.

Rock Horse Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2007
$15.99/$12.75 by the case
The best buy in under-$20 Northwest Cab we have had for a long time, this is a blend of two notable vineyards (Elephant Mountain in Yakima, Hillside in Columbia) from the stellar 2007 vintage. Declassified from Natalie's Estate single vineyard wines, this was juice destined for $30+ bottlings before re-routing. Rigorous in his barrel selection for the flagship wines, Boyd Teegarden produces this as a "let's-be-friends" intro to his winery. Pure Cabernet flavors of red currant and dark berry are accented by vanilla toast and sandalwood spice from the oak. The texture reminded me of taffy, firm yet pliant, as it pulls your taste buds toward the long smooth finish. No mass-produced anonymous juice, this has character and a sense of place. Only 117 cases made

New Crop of Northwest Summer Whites

J. Christopher Cristo Misto 2009
$14.99/$11.99 by the case
Portland's favorite local Sauvignon Blanc/Pinot Gris blend is back and rocking as usual. Why do we write it up year after year? It's delicious, there's nothing else like it, and it always sells out quickly - so best to get the word out. Showcasing the racy vibrancy of Jay's Sauvignon Blanc tempered by fleshy peachy notes, this blasts off with a citrusy intensity before plumping out on the expansive finish. Vinous, crackling with life and fresh as the morning dew, stocking up on this has become for many a much-anticipated rite of summer in Oregon.

Walter Scott Deux Blancs Willamette V. '09
$13.99/$11.20 by the case
From the dynamic wine duo Ken Pahlow and Erica Landon comes this voluptuous little blanc, a sexy summer sipper that has "lazy porch drinking" written all over it. A blend of 80% Pinot Blanc and 20% Pinot Gris, this is fleshy and succulent and mimics the joy of biting into a ripe (or even poached) pear: juice dripping from chin, the intensity of precise flavors washing over me. Throw in mild notes of peach and green apple and a lightly lemony finish and you've got an irresistibly juicy quaffer that will work equally well with spicy Asian takeout, grilled fish or maybe even a bowl of maraschino cherries.

Abacela Albarino Umqua Valley 2009
$18.99/$15 by the case
Southern Oregon's Iberian outpost strikes again with another fantastic bottling of this traditional Spanish white varietal. Abacela is best known for being the first to plant Tempranillo in the Northwest but lately it seems customers can't get enough of this, its white counterpart. Seemingly more delicious each new vintage, it's one of Oregon's most compelling white wines. While the flavors are abundant, their expression is elegantly restrained. Floral but barely; cool saline mineral notes are invigorating but don't overpower; almonds, yes, but you couldn't call it nutty; the barely ripe peach is deftly balanced by a shaving of lemon zest. A wine that intrigues as it refreshes, a feat not easily pulled off.

NW Vine Project Pinot Gris 2009
$9.99/$7.99 by the case
Finally, some punchy party Gris at a party price. NW Vine Project is a collection of wines from different winemakers blah blah...listen, forget that. All you need to know is that this delivers a blast of fleshy pear/melon fruit and zesty spice that will make even the worst hay fever sufferer notice. Lushly flirtatious, bordering on promiscuous, this says "fun" from first whiff to last sip, perfect for all kinds of occasions.

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