Portalis Explores! ~ Wine Club Archives

PORTALIS EXPLORES! ~ April 2012:
Valdepeñas (Spain)
This month, Portalis Explores! wine club brings you to the region of Valdepeñas in southern Spain. The region itself is located within the larger region of Castilla La Mancha. Although it is the least populous state in Spain, it is the third largest when measured by area. This region is not only known for its harsh climate, but also as the setting of the classic Spanish novel “Don Quixote”. More than half of the grapes produced in Spain are grown here, so there are many varietals to choose from. Thanks to improved production methods, this region is gaining a name for itself among the more well-known wine producing regions of Spain. The two wines this month are both from the family owned (since 1914) winery of Bodegas Juan Ramirez. Cheers!

Bodegas J. Ramirez 2005 Tanis Reserva
$12.99 | Mixed Case $10.39
Made using 100% Tempranillo grapes and aged for 12 months in American oak, I think this wine is killer for the money. Sourced from the low yielding “Vistra Alegre” vineyards, this wine begins with a complex nose of spices, dried fruits, wood, and red fruits. A rich deep ruby color, this wine is magnificent in mouth thanks to its velvety body and long, expressive finish. Expect intense flavors of cassis, blackberries, and raspberries. Best paired with lamb, beef or other red meats. Drink now!

Bodegas J. Ramirez 2001 Alba de Los Infantes Reserva
$17.99|Mixed Case $14.39
Produced using meticulous care and attention, this wine was made using carefully selected Tempranillo grapes from 50 year old vines. Aged 15 months in new French oak, this award winning wine is complex & well-structured. The palate has notes of jammed fruits, licorice, cinnamon, coffee, and mint. Expect a rounded, broad, meaty body with a long almond finish. Drink this wine now!

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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PORTALIS EXPLORES! ~ March 2012:
Southern Rhône
The two wines this month are beautiful wines from the Côtes du Rhône region of Southern France. What better way to beat the winter blues (let’s face it, warm weather is unfortunately a long way off) than to drink a wine that exudes the scents and smells of a sun baked lavender & olive strewn rustic countryside? Both of the wines for this month are excellent examples of the Southern Rhone terroir: slightly rustic, juicy, brightly acidic wines with notes of herbs, ripe fruits, and spice. These wines are both easy to enjoy and easy to pair with food: chicken, lamb, pork, duck, meatloaf, burgers, pizza…. The possibilities are really endless. Cheers!

Le Gravillas 2009 “Plan de Dieu”
$17.99| SALE $15.99 | Mixed Case $14.99
Founded in 1935, “Le Gravillas” winery is located in the heart of the Valcluse region in southeastern France. Nestled in the foothills of the Montmiral Mountains (once considered to be a ‘hotbed’ of French resistance during World War II), this area has a history of producing wine that dates back to the time of the Greeks. The “Plan de Dieu” villages or “God’s Plan” wine is considered to be the wineries ‘hommage’ to red wine. Made using 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre, this wine has rich depth, finely structured tannins, along with notes of herbs, blackberry, and figs.  Enjoy this wine now!

Domaine de la Vieille Ferme de l’Eoune 2007 Côtes du Rhône
$14.99| SALE $13.99 | Mixed Case $11.99
Since 1951, Monsieur Durand has been producing wines that reflect the terroir and his passion for wine making. Currently in its second-generation of winemakers, La Ferme de L’Eoune has expanded from 30 hectares to 100 hectares and is overseen by M. Durand’s son, Laurent. Using modern techniques, the winery has been able to continually evolve, ensuring quality and expression in each bottle produced. The 2007 vintage of the Côtes du Rhône is a blend of 60% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 5% Carignan, and 10% Cinsault. Expect a well-balanced wine with soft tannins, permeated by notes of raspberries, cherries, and hints of spice. Drink this wine now!

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens
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PORTALIS EXPLORES! ~February 2012:
Tuscany
Both wines this month are from the wonderful region of Tuscany, Italy. Sangiovese is the grape that reins king in this part of Italy, namely because it is what creates three very important Italian wines: Chianti, Brunello, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The region of Tuscany is a rolling landscape of hills, perfect for wine growing. Expect wines from this region to all pair well with the regional specialty: bistecca alla fiorentina (grilled Florentine steak).
Nottola 2010 Chianti Colli Senesi
$16.99 |Mixed Case $13.59
Nottola Estate is located in the hills above Siena, in Montepulciano. Founded in 1992, it is still family run and has been internationally recognized for many of its wines. It combines state-of-the-art technology along with the vineyards exceptional terroir to produce exquisite wines. Chianti wine is the backbone of Tuscan wine production: it is easy to drink, easy to produce, and is relatively inexpensive. This beautiful Chianti is made of primarily Sangiovese grapes (80%) with 20% of additional varietals. This wine is dry, acidic, and elegant, perfect for pairing with acid rich foods (think tomatoes) but is excellent alone as well. Drink this wine now!

Caparzo 2008 Rosso Toscana
$12.99 |Mixed Case $10.39
“Caparzo” Estate derives its name from the area of ‘Ca’ Pazzo’ which is located on some ancient maps. The vineyards of this estate have been around since the late 1960s and now cover about 125 acres of land around the town of Montalcino and 15 acres in the territory of Buonconvento. The Rosso Toscana is made up of a blend including: Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, and Colorino grapes. Best if drunk now, this wine is dry, fruity, and has medium acidity. A perfect wine to pair with pasta!

Enjoy & cheers!

Jens

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PORTALIS EXPORES! ~ January 2012:
Portuguese Reds
Portugal has been a wine growing area since the time of the Romans but a trade treaty with England in early 1700 boosted the wine growing, especially in the Douro Valley which became the world’s first appellation in 1758. Portugal has a large array of native wines which give Portuguese producers the possibility to produce a variety of interesting and different wines. In this club we introduce two reds from two different appellations:  Alentejo & Douro Valley.

Kolheita de Ideias 2006 Esboco Tinto
$13.99 | Mixed Case $11.19
Kolheita de Ideias is a high-quality, small-scale négociant operation, located in the Douro region & established in 2001 with the vision to produce great wines for a great value. The owners, Luis Soares Duarte, Francisco Ferreira & Rui Moreira (the winemaker), purchase grapes from three different Douro sub-regions to produce three different wines. The grapes from this red come from the Cima & Baixo Corgo subregions in the Douro. Tasting notes:  This red is a blend of 45% Tinta Roriz, 35% Touriga Franca & 20 % Tinta Barroca. Beautiful nose of black cherry, blackberries with some black pepper notes. Smooth, medium-bodied, dark & delicious. Elegant texture & acidity. Solid fruit with blackberries, black plums, violets & some spicy notes. Smooth, velvety tannins on the finish.  Drink now! Good sipper or well paired with all kinds of dark roasted meats.

Herdade dos Grous  2008 Vinho Tinto
$15.99 | Mixed Case $12.79
Herdade dos Grous is one of the Alentejo’s up & coming wineries.  Alentejo is a wine region in southeastern Portugal  at the Spanish border. The estate is also known for their olive groves & olive oil production. Tasting notes: This red is a blend of 35% Aragonez (Tempranillo), 30% Alicante Bouschet, 20% Touriga Nacional & 15% Syrah. Complex red-fruit aromas lead to deep & concentrated red plum, black cherries & black berry flavors.  Beautiful spice & herbal notes integrate to a smooth finish with fine tannins. Drink now, up to 2 years. Best with dark meat, grilled steaks.

Enjoy & cheers!

Jens
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PORTALIS EXPORES! ~ December 2011:
Cruz de Piedra (Argentina, Part II)
You probably remember in August when we introduced you to some fantastic Argentine Malbecs. I couldn’t resist showing you some more Malbecs from a producer that I think is doing top notch work.

Cruz de Piedra is owned by the Alfonso family, located in Maipu, Mendoza. The trick is that they operate under four different labels. Their first vines were planted in 1973 & are used in premier blends, such as the Cruz de Piedra Red Blend which runs $45.99 and is available at the wine shop if you are interested. Cruz de Piedra is also known for their excellent, very reasonable priced Malbecs, such as the two lines included in this month’s wine club:

Tiasta 2009 Malbec Reserva
$15.99 | Mixed Case $12.79
This wine gives you a lot for your money! A medium-bodied Malbec with delicious aromas of raspberries, blackberries & licorice with some notes of dark chocolate & smoke. Elegant, smooth structure with fine tannins on the long finish. Drink now. Best with grilled meat.

Cuesta del Madero 2010 Malbec
$13.99 | Mixed Case $11.19
One of the entry-level Malbecs from Cruz De Piedra estate blended from different vineyards. Red fruit with vanilla notes upfront. Smooth, elegant, fresh & fruity. Great acidity with wonderful red & dark fruit flavors, notes of dark chocolate & coffee. Too easy to drink! Drink now. Best with smoked turkey, grilled meats.

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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Portalis Explores! ~ November 2011 :  Vinchio-Vaglio Serra (a Peidmont co-op)
This producer is our newest addition to the J. Strecker Selections portfolio. As you’ve seen thru the years (all you long-timers!), I’m a firm believer that there is a lot of value in well-run co-ops, and this is another excellent example. Vinchio-Vaglia Serra is a co-op originally formed by 19 growers in 1959.  It has grown to 180 growers and includes land from Vinchio, Vaglio Serra & Nizza Monferrato, villages to the south of Asti in Piedmont in northwestern Italy.

Head winemaker, Dr. Giuliano Noè (Italy’s Winemaker of the Year 2005 & former head winemaker of Michele Chiarlo, pictured left) focuses on top quality, low costs & an organic approach. Wines from this part of Italy tend to be quite pricy.  What you get for the price in this wine club is amazing!  We also carry some of Vinchio-Vaglio Serra’s higher-end Barbara & Nebbiolo (still very well-priced) as well as several dessert wines (Moscato & Brachetto), so keep that in mind for the holidays!

This wine club includes a white (Cortese) and an unoaked Barbera:
Vinchio-Vaglio Serra 2010 Dorato Cortese Dell’Alto Monferrato
$15.99 | Mixed Case $12.79
100% Cortese from the Monferrato region. Excellent aromas of ripe lemons & white peach. Fresh, crisp, with wonderful acidity which supports the vibrant fruit. Wonderful balance & texture all the way through the fresh finish. Drink now! Best paired with white fish dishes, fresh or mild cheeses.

Vinchio-Vaglio Serra 2010 Arengo Barbera
$13.99 | Mixed Case $11.19
100% Barbera from the Piedmont DOC. Young, modern style. Fresh, fruit-driven, with flavors of ripe red berries, earthy & herbal notes. Great acidity. All the way to the fresh, lively finish. Fantastic food wine for the price! Drink now! Best paired with mild cheese, white & dark meat as well as grilled burgers.

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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Portalis Explores! ~ October 2011:  A Farewell to Olsen Estates (WA)
It’s time to say good-bye to an innovative Yakima Valley producer. Olsen Estates was founded at the beginning of 2006 by Larry Olsen & his brothers and he was one of the original founders of the Prosser Vintner’s Village, a consolidated group of wineries & tasting rooms intended to promote the wines produced in the Yakima Valley. The Olsen family has grown grapes for more than 40 years & will continue to do so after closing down the winery.

It’s time to honor these guys in our Portalis Explores! Wine Club:

Olsen Estates 2008 Blanc des Coteaux
$12.99 | Mixed Case $10.39
This white is a wonderful blend of 70% Roussanne, 23% Viognier % 7% Marsanne.
Tasting notes: Aromas of wildflowers, pineapple & starfruit moving over into flavors of tangerines, honeydew melon, pineapple & lemon zest. Excellent texture & acidity all the way through the refreshing finish. Excellent for the price! Drink now! Best paired with grilled halibut, salmon, white chicken & turkey.

Olsen Estates 2008 Rouge des Coteaux
$13.99 | Mixed Case $11.19
A six grape Rhone blend, mainly Grenache, Syrah & Cinsault with some Mourvedre.
Tasting notes: Wonderful nose of ripe dark fruit, lots of ripe dark plums & cherries. Smooth, medium-bodied. Excellent texture & structure. Flavors of blackberries, blueberries, prunes with notes of dried herbs & leafs, cinnamon & mocha. Wonderful balance all the way through the herbal & spicy finish. Drink now. Best with grilled dark meats, roasts, steaks!

Enjoy & cheers!

Jens

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Portalis Explores! ~ September 2011:  Navarra (Spain)
Germans are big fans of Spain, and many Germans, being the big travelers that they are (a relatively wealthy country and 6-8 weeks of vacation a year make for a travel-friendly combination!) have traveled the famous medieval pilgrimage trek across northern Spain, through Basque country to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia on the coast of northwest Spain.  Along this route, are the wine regions of Rioja & Navarra.  In the US, Rioja is more well-known, but it shouldn’t be. The regions back right up to one another, and Navarra produces similarly delicious wines, but they tend to be blends (including Cab/Merlot) as opposed to straight Tempranillo. As Navarra is not as well known in the US as Rioja, you get far more wine for your money (and you could say that Rioja was already a reasonable deal!).

Bodegas Marqués de Montecierzo is a small, father-son team with their family estate located right on the border to Rioja. The estate covers 22 hectares of vineyards located on stony soil with limestone.

Bodegas Marqués de Montecierzo 2007 Emergente Tinto
$11.99 | Mixed Case $9.59
Grapes: 40% Tempranillo, 40% Granacha, 20% Merlot.  Tasting notes: Medium-bodied, smooth, well-balanced with flavors of plums, ripe blueberries, and a hint of herbs. Pleasant, elegant & easy to drink. Drink now.

Bodegas Marqués de Montecierzo 2006 Emergente Crianza
$13.99 | Mixed Case $11.19
Grapes: 40% Tempranillo, 30% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged 12 months in new American oak.  Tasting Notes: Ruby in color. A layered nose of ripe dark fruits with tones of cedar wood, spice & coffee. Utterly enticing. Round & velvety on the palate.  I love this wine! Drink now.

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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Portalis Explores! ~ August 2011:  Minervois AOC
In this wine club we are showing two wines from Minervois, an AOC in the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region in Southern France. AOC regulations for this area require that the wines must be blended. The main red varietals are Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan & Cinsault. Minervois is not known for its white wines but they are produced as are rosé wines, a wonderful (award-winning) example of which is included in this shipment.

We direct import these 2 wines via J. Strecker Selections and I am featuring them in this month’s club as I think they are great examples of the delicious & well-priced wines coming out of this part of France.  They are also excellent summer wines – the rosé as a refreshing sipper and the red with summer fare out on the deck.

Château Rivière 2010 Minervois Rosé
$12.99 | Mixed Case $10.39
This small, family-owned estate is located in the Montagne Noire hills in the Minervois AOC. The south-facing vineyards give the grapes, grown on clay & limestone soil lots of sun exposure. Tasting notes: This wine is a blend of 50% Grenache & 50% Syrah.Attractive & intense aromas of raspberries & strawberries. Dry, round & fleshy, with herbal & spicy notes. The palate is fresh & lively, with soothing licorice on the finish. Silver Medal in the 2011 Paris wine show! Drink now! Best paired with salads, fish & chicken dishes.

Domaine de L’Estagnol 2008 Minervois
$13.99 | Mixed Case $11.19
This domaine is part of the Jean D’Alibert cooperative, located in the AOC Minervois. 50% Grenache & 50% Syrah from 5 different vineyards in Minervois. Tasting notes: Aromas of bright, ripe red fruit. Smooth, medium-bodied. Elegant texture, harmonious with wonderful flavors of ripe red plums, blue- & blackberries. Fine tannins on the smooth finish.  Drink now! Best paired with salads, charcuterie, fresh market cheeses & grilled sausages.

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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Portalis Explores! ~ July 2011:  J. Strecker Selections, our Argentine line
I was in Europe this spring looking for French, Italian & Spanish producers for our direct import business. On the second day between meetings I had an hour to kill & I stumbled upon Guillermo Moore, a handsome Argentine export manager from Buenos Aires representing Cruz de Piedra. We hit it off, the wines tasted great, but there was one problem — his wines were already imported to the US.

Long story short, he introduced me to a gentleman by the name of Andrew Miller who is the co-owner of an import company called Ecovalley & and we now distribute four of his Argentine wines (including Cruz de Piedra) in the Seattle area.  Here are some delicious, well-priced samples in this wine club:

Tiasta 2009 Malbec Reserva
$15.99 | Mixed Case $12.79
A Malbec from the above mentioned Cruz de Piedra estate in Mendoza. A medium-bodied Malbec with delicious aromas of raspberries, blackberries & licorice with some notes of dark chocolate & smoke. Elegant, smooth structure with fine tannins on the long finish. Drink now! Best with grilled meat

La Puerta 2010 Malbec
$12.99 | Mixed Case $10.39
A steal from the Famatina Valley in the La Rioja region in Mendoza. Lots of red & dark fruit upfront. Medium-bodied, smooth, velvety texture with elegant flavors of blue-, blackberries & raspberries. Hints of licorice & smoke but no oak flavors! Some herbal, earthy components on the finish. Drink now! Best paired with burgers, grilled steak, dark roasts.
Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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Portalis Explores! ~ June 2011:  Languedoc-Roussillon (France)
We’ve started a direct import business, J. Strecker Selections, to import delicious, well-priced wines from around the world.  Our first container has arrived and you’re getting to taste a selection from Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France, a wonderful appellation located along the Mediterranean from Provence down to the border of Spain.

In this wine club we are featuring two wines: one from the Corbières sub-region & one from the Vin de Pays de L’Aude sub-appellation.

Château du Grand Caumont 2008 Cuvée Tradition Corbières
$13.99 | Mixed Case $11.19
With 100 hectares of planted vines within the 140 hectare estate in the Lézignon Corbières commune, Château du Grand Caumont is one of the largest family-owned wine estates in Corbières. The rugged stony clay-limestone soils of the terraced vineyard create excellent filtration for the vines.  Tasting notes: This red is a blend of 60% Carignan (Old Vine), 35% Syrah & 5% Grenache. Wonderful nose of black berry fruits, violets & black pepper. Well-balanced & structured. Smooth, elegant with delicious flavors of dark fruit. Dark plums, herbal & spicy components. Good length with a long, lingering finish! Drink now! Best paired with grilled meat, meats in sauces, stew & cheese.

Domaine de Mougin 2007 Vin de Pays de l’Aude
$12.99 | Mixed Case $10.39
This wine is made by the same producer (Château du Grand Caumont) & the grapes are sourced from the Vin de Pays de l’Aude appellation near the Spanish border.  Tasting notes: This red is a blend of 45% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 15% Carignan & 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Lots of dark fruit up front with some herbal & floral components. Medium- to full-bodied, good structure with great acidity. Lots of dark berry flavors with fine, round tannins on the finish. Drink now, up to 2 years. Best paired with grilled meats, dark roasts, stews.

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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Portalis Explores! ~ May 2011: Discover Yecla
Yecla is probably most known for the cave paintings at Monte Aribi. But there is more to explore, especially when you are into wine. Yecla is one of Spain’s smallest & newest appellations. Established in 1975, this appellation is located in the southeastern province of Murcia in southern Spain.

The first & only time I visited Yecla was in 1986 there were 10 wineries to name. But already back then, I was impressed with the quality & value of these wines as well as with the history of this region. Vinification dates back to the Roman Empire & flourished through the Moorish occupation. The main grape for this appellation is Monastrell, followed by Garnacha, Tintoera & Cabernet Sauvignon. New Syrah plantings have just happened. You will also find some lesser known white varietals.

Bodegas Castaño is the most well-known winery in Yecla with Ramon & Hermano Castaño bringing Yecla into the spotlight. Having met Hermano Castano in San Francisco at a wine fair, I kind of got what Yecla is all about, and it’s about time for a tribute! In this club we picked out two wines from Bodegas Castaño: a 100% Monastrell & a Monastrell blend.

Bodegas Castaño 2009 Monastrell
$11.99 | Mixed Case $9.59
Where can you buy a Mourvedre for this price? You can’t! This is by far the best value for Mourvedre (or Monastrell as it is known in Spain) available. 100% estate-grown Monastrell from 3 different vineyards. 40-to 60 year old vines. Tasting notes: Fantastic nose of underbrush, ripe blueberries & plums. Super-juicy, ripe, layered dark fruit, with dark chocolate notes & sweet tannins. Long, ripe finish.  Insane value & lots of fun! Drink now. Best paired with grilled beef & lamb.

Bodegas Castaño 2007 Solanera Viñas Viejas
$14.99 | Mixed Case $11.99
This red wine is a blend of 65% Monastrell, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon & 15% Tintoera (aka Alicante Bouschet); all estate-grown fruit which is aged 10 months in French oak. Tasting notes: Inviting smoky black & blue fruit upfront. Dense, rich, dark, intense but still elegant with a smooth texture. Lots of red & dark fruit. Mainly blueberries & blackberries with licorice & some smoky & spicy notes. Wonderful, long finish. Drink now, up to 3 years. Best paired with dark roasts, grilled beef & grilled lamb.

If you enjoy these wines, don’t forget:
Remember: 20% Mixed Case Discount & 10% Mixed Half Case Discount!

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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Portalis Explores! ~ April 2011: New Zealand
New Zealand can still be grouped as one of the more “exotic” wine countries.  They’ve been growing grapes there since 1851; however, it has only been in the last 30 years that the wines have developed an international presence, and it’s my feeling that most people here still don’t have a big connection to these wines.  The main wine growing regions are Marlborough, on the northern end of the Southern Island, & Martinborough, on the southern end of the Northern Island (map). The predominant white varietals are Sauvignon Blanc (grown more in the south) & Chardonnay (grown more in the north). The main red varietal is Pinot Noir.

New Zealand’s Sauvignon Blanc is known for its crisp, refreshing, tropical fruit flavors.  Its Pinots are more varied depending on what part of the islands they are grown on, ranging from deep, full-bodied, complex (around Otago) to softer, sweeter, more accessible (around Marlborough).  The 2 bottles in this month’s wine club are excellent, well-priced examples of what New Zealand’s up to these days:

Mud House 2010 Sauvignon Blanc
$14.99 | Mixed Case $11.99
A rather new winery founded by Kim Crawford in 1996 in Marlborough, they produce both Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Noir. The name reflects the link from the wine to the earth. Tasting notes: Very inviting aromas of guava, citrus, fresh cut grass & nettles. Soft, elegant, with vibrant acidity. Lots of tropical fruit, citrus, lime & grassy flavors all the way to the refreshing, well-balanced finished. Good sipper. Best paired with light, grilled fish. Drink now.

Fire Road 2009 Pinot Noir
$14.99 | Mixed Case $11.99
The Fire Road label is made by Saint Clair, a well-known producer in Marlborough.  Its name pays homage to Marlborough’s worst fire ever on Boxing Day 2000, which destroyed 6000 hectares of wine. Tasting notes: Very attractive aromas of smoky cherries & red plums. Medium-bodied, smoky, spicy, with wonderful flavors of red and black cherries, plums & currants. Beautifully balanced spice on the long finish. Best with grilled burgers, Thai Salad, red sauce based pasta. Drink now, up to 2 years.

If you receive your wine via UPS, you should have it by Friday.  If you opted for in-store pick-up, your wine is ready for pick up.

If you enjoy these wines, don’t forget:
Remember: 20% Mixed Case Discount & 10% Mixed Half Case Discount!

Enjoy & cheers!

Jens

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Portalis Explores! ~ March 2011: South Africa
South Africa is the oldest New World wine growing country in the world. The first grapes were grown by a German fellow named Saxenburg in 1642. It took off from there. In my opinion, the wines of South Africa deserve more attention in general, as they presently offer both value & quality.

In this wine club we are showcasing two well-known producers who have been very popular throughout the past decade: Warwick Estate & Neil Ellis.

Warwick Estate was known as the farm of “Good Success” from 1791 until 1902, when Colonel Alexander Gordon purchased the land.  As a tribute to his regiment, the Warwickshire Regiment, which fought for him in the Boer war, he renamed the farm, “Warwick.”  In 1964 Stan & Norma Retcliffe purchased the farm.  At the time, not a single vine was planted on the estate. The Retcliffes changed this, the first vintage was released in 1984, and things have gone on from there.

Since 1986, Neil Ellis has focused on his winemaking philosophies: exceptional terroir & vineyard cultivation to produce superior wines.  He believes in environmental practices that indentify distinct terroir in which individual grape varieties will excel, along with caring viticultural techniques: low yielding & hand-picked vineyards where the soil is conserved & respected.  Neil Ellis’ dedication to the winemaking process is expressed in the high quality of wine produced.  Neil Ellis visited us at Portalis in the summer of 2009.  For more, visit our BLOG>

Warwick 2008 First Lady
$13.99 | Mixed Case $11.19
Beautiful aromas of dark fruit, bay leaf & some toast. Medium-bodied, well-balanced, elegant, complex & focused. Lot’s here for the money.  Wonderful flavors of blackberries, blueberries, blackcurrant with some smoky & herbal notes. Fine tannins on the smooth finish.
Neil Ellis 2008 Sincerely Shiraz
$13.99 | Mixed Case $11.19
Very inviting, spicy nose with lots of dark fruit. Beautiful texture & acidity with lovely raspberry, black-cherry fruit, with hints of black pepper & herbal notes. Great value!

If you enjoy these wines, don’t forget:
20% CASE & 10% HALF CASE DISCOUNTS ~ includes mixed cases!

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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Portalis Explores! ~ February 2011:  Cooralook (Australia)
I just returned from Victoria, Australia, (be patient, the map is worth the load) having been invited by Wine Australia to learn more about Victoria and its wines.  The diversity of Victoria’s wine is striking. Across the 21 sub-appellations that span the state from east to west & north to south, Victoria produces wines in every style.  I have chosen the winery Coorlook for its quality & value. Cooralook is owned by the famous Australian Pinot Noir producer Yabby Lake & sources its grapes from different cool-climate subregions of Victoria, Australia.

Meeting chief winemaker Tom Carson in their Heathcote tasting room, we got the low-down on some of these regions & how that affects the wines:

Heathcote is a sub-appellation about 125 miles north of Melbourne & is famous for its red Cambrian soil with its reputation for producing deep wines with plush black fruit & complexity. Shiraz is by far the most widely-planted grape varietal, but other red varietals do very well, too. The Cooralook Shiraz is from this region.

The Strathbogie Ranges were first recognized as a wine region in 2001. The first vineyards were planted in 1960 by Alan Plunkett. Most of the vineyards are up in the hills, where it is cooler & windier. The elevation & coolness, combined with the often hard, quartz-strewn granite soils of these high country vineyards, brings an aromatic lightness to the wines produced there- whether it’s the perfumed lift of white varietals such as Riesling & Sauvignon Blanc, the bright spiciness of Shiraz, or the black-curranty elegance of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cooralook 2009 Pinot Noir
$14.99 | Mixed Case $11.99
100% Pinot Noir from the Strathbogie Ranches. Tasting notes: Classic, elegant aromas of red berry & spicy plum fruit. Smooth, light- to medium-bodied, soft, silky, velvety texture. Good acidity with wonderful red & dark fruit as well as lovely spicy & herbal components. Drink now, up to 2 years. Good sipper. Pairs well with roasted chicken, grilled salmon or tuna.

Cooralook 2008 Shiraz
$14.99 | Mixed Case $11.99
From the Heathcote region. Tasting notes: 100% Shiraz, with inviting aromas of red berries, raspberries & blackberries. Medium-bodied, smooth, elegant, with wonderful dark fruit flavors, with hints of spice & tobacco. Drink now, up to 3 years. Best paired with grilled steak, roasted meats, lamb & meat pies.

If you are interested in seeing more of my trip to Australia, check out our BLOG> Australian Pinot Country ~ A Photo Journal.

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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Portalis Explores! ~ January 2011:  Reds from Provence
Provence has been known for fine wines since ancient Roman times. Caesar himself was noted to have liked the wines as well as the weather of the Provence.  The main appellation is Côtes de Provence. Other smaller ones are Bandol, Bellet, Cassis, Côteaux d’Aix, Baux-de-Provence & Côteaux Varois. The Provence region covers a relatively large territory of the Côte d’Azur in the South of France, from Aix-en-Provence & the Rhône Valley to the French Riviera near Nice. The most common grape varietals from the Provence are Carignan, Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvedre, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon & the unique Tibouren used for rosé.  Wine drinkers in the US know the Provence for its wonderful rosé wines, but this wine club is going to feature two lesser-known yet absolutely delightful red blends from this region:

Château La Mascaronne 2004 Côtes de Provence Rouge
Reg $23.99 | Sale $14.99 | Mixed Case $11.99
This winery is owned by the American Tom Bove & is located just outside the medieval village of Le Luc in the heart of the Provence. The winery has 50 hectares of gently sloping vineyards around the winery. The vines grow on chalk & clay soils, completely covered with small stones. Tasting notes: This red is a blend of Grenache, Syrah & Cabernet Sauvignon. Complex & strong aromas of red fruit, violets & spices. Medium-bodied, well-balanced, elegant, good structure & texture. Wonderful flavors of raspberries, red cherries, with some lovely floral & spicy notes.

Domaine de La Brillane 2008 Cuvée de Printemps
$14.99 | Mixed Case $11.99
This winery was built & is owned by Rupert Birch & Mary Mertens, two people with a strong passion for wine. The winery & the vineyard are located a couple of miles north of Aix-en-Provence, within the appellation of Côteaux d’Aix-en-Provence. The vineyard is run on an organic basis. Tasting notes: This red is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Mourvèdre, Cinsault & Counoise. Prominent aromas of red & black berries with floral notes. Smooth, medium-bodied, soft texture, but fruit-driven. Fantastic dark fruit flavors, with raspberries, violets, ginger & other spices. Wonderful, smooth finish with fine tannins.
Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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Portalis Explores! ~ December 2010: Small Vineyards Imports
Small Vineyards is an importer of Italian wines (although they have branched out into other Mediterranean lands in recent years), specializing in small producers with very good quality. At Small Vineyards, they believe some of the very best wines come from small places. And with this conviction, they are committed to discovering artisan winemakers and then introducing them, their families, their land, their wines & their stories to the markets they serve in the western US.

This wine club includes wines from two very small Italian producers: Antonio Lamona from La Quercia in Abruzzo & Nini Palama from Puglia.

La Quercia 2009 Montepulciano D’Abruzzo
$11.99 | Mixed Case $9.59
A La Quercia is a type of oak tree which grows on this small estate in Abruzzo, Central Italy. Winemaker Antonio Lamona believes in making inspired wines that respect the earth. All his wines are 100% organic. Tasting notes: Smooth, medium-bodied & well-balanced. Aromas & flavors of dark fruit, blackberries & blueberries with some herbal notes. Very fine tannins on the smooth finish. Drink now. Best paired with pasta, white meat & cheese plates.

Palama 2009 Arcangelo Primitivo
$14.99 | Mixed Case $11.99
Palama Estate is family-owned, was founded in 1936 & is located in Puglia. Winemaker Nini Palama is a specialist in ancient grape varietals grown on Salento’s soils. He handcrafts this wine in honor of his father & mentor, Arcangelo Palama. Tasting notes: Very inviting aromas of raspberries, spiced plums & prunes. Medium-bodied, lush, with great acidity & flavors of dark fruit, plums, blackberry confit & notes of cedar & anise. Beautiful, spicy finish. Drink now. Best paired with barbecue, ribs, smoked turkey.
Happy Holidays & cheers!
Jens

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Portalis Explores! ~ November 2010: Tuscany
Tuscany, located in central Italy stretching from Florence to just north of Rome, is one of the most famous wine regions in the world. Tuscan wines account for over thirty of Italy’s DOC & half a dozen of Italy’s DOCG wines. The most grown variety is the noble Sangiovese, which is often combined with small amounts of locally grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo & other grapes into wonderful blends such as Carmignano, Morellino Di Scansano, Supertuscans & of course the signature Tuscan wines — Chianti & Chianti Classico — which are the best known Italian wines in the world.

In this wine club we will feature a Chianti Riserva & a 100% Tuscan Sangiovese (IGT), meaning that it is made from grapes grown in Tuscany but outside of the designated Chianti area.
Viotollo 2004 Chianti Riserva
$14.99 | Mixed Case $11.99
This family-owned estate is located in the heart of the beautiful Tuscan countryside near Tavarnelle. Tasting notes: Aromas of cherries & wild berries. Medium-bodied, complex, elegant, with beautiful ripe red fruit, cherries, spicy & leathery notes. Smooth, soft tannins on the beautiful long finish. Best with stews, red meats & pasta dishes. Drink now.

Caparzo 2008 Sangiovese Toscana
$13.99 | Mixed Case $11.19
The winery is owned by Elizabetta Gnudi Angelini & is known as one of the region’s best Brunello producers. This red is their entry-level Sangiovese IGT.  Tasting notes: Beautiful bouquet of violets, raspberries & cherries. Smooth, elegant, well-balanced with delicious flavors of ripe dark cherries, raspberries & some herbal notes. Best with pasta, dark meat. Drink now.

Remember: 20% Mixed Case Discount & 10% Mixed 1/2 Case Discount!
Enjoy!
Jens

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .The Borges brothers, Antonio & Francisco, started the Borges Company in 1884. It was & continues to be a commercial banking company, which also sells national & foreign lottery tickets & tobacco. They also started making wine in the same year & began exporting their Portuguese wines to foreign countries.

Borges has vineyards & wineries in the main Portuguese wine regions: Vinho Verdes, the Douro Valley & in the Dão. In this wine club we are showing two wines (a red & a white) from their Dão estate Quinta de São Simão da Aguieira which they bought in 1970. The Dão region is located in the heart of Portugal in the Beira Alta province & is one of the oldest wine regions in the country. Borges currently owns about 70 hectares of vineyards there.

Vinhos Borges 2008 Meia Encosta Vinho Branco
$10.99 | Mixed Case $8.79
A red blend of Touriga Nacional, Jaen, Alfrocheiro & Tinta Roriz. Aromas of ripe red fruit & some spice. Smooth, round, well-balanced, elegant & velvety. Main flavors of red fruit, raspberries & cherries, with some herbal & spicy notes. Smooth, fine finish. Drink now. Good sipper. Pairs well with roasted meat.

Vinhos Borges 2007 Meia Encosta  Vinho Tinto
$11.99 | Mixed Case $9.59
The Meia Encosta is a white blend of Encruzado, Malvasia-Fina & Bical. One of the best value wines in the market. Elegant, complex, wonderful balance with great acidity that gives this Dão a wonderful freshness. Aromas of citrus & wet stone up-front. Elegant flavors of citrus, lime, melon & pears. Crisp, fresh finish. Drink now. Wonderful sipper. Pairs well with light fish, salads or grilled chicken.

Remember: 20% Mixed Case Discount & 10% Mixed 1/2 Case Discount!

Portalis Explores! ~ October 2010: Vinhos Borges (Portugal)

Enjoy!
Jens

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Portalis Explores!  September 2010:  Montinore Estate (OR)
Montinore Estate is one of the most exciting Oregon wine producers right now. Not only are they producing certified biodynamic wines from estate-grown grapes, but (maybe more importantly) at this price point, this is as good as Pinot Noir gets anywhere in the world!
The winery, located in Forest Grove, was founded by Russ Marchesi, a grandson of Italian immigrants, who grew vines for more than 35 years.  Today Rudi & his youngest daughter, Kristin, are the core managing team of Montinore Estate.  Together they are committed to farming certified organic & biodynamic vineyards and making carefully crafted wines.
In this wine club we will introduce 2 of them: the estate Pinot Gris & estate Pinot Noir.

Montinore Estate 2008 Pinot Gris
$11.99 | Case $9.59
This is a splendid estate made Pinot Gris, completely dry & crisp in acidity, with wonderful flavors of lemons, limes, green melon & a touch of lemongrass. Clean, bright finish.  Drink now.  Best with salads, white meat (grilled chicken).

Montinore Estate 2009 Pinot Noir
$14.99 | Case $11.99
This Pinot Noir was made from 12 different estate vineyard blocks. This is an impressive Pinot Noir for the money.  It’s pleasingly tart in acidity, with a polished, silky texture, with complex flavors of cherries, raspberries, mocha & peppery spice flavors.  Wonderful.  Spicy finish. Drink now, up to 2 years. Best paired with grilled salmon, rich creamy cheeses.

Remember: 20% Mixed Case Discount & 10% Mixed 1/2 Case Discount!

Enjoy!
Jens
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Portalis Explores! ~  August 2010:
2 Jewels from Spain
In this wine club we are showing off two special producers from Spain:

Bodega Naia 2008 Naia Verdejo
$16.99 | Sale $14.99 | Case $11.99
Bodega Naia is located in the Rueda appellation on the left bank of the Douro river in northwestern Spain. The winery is family-owned & specializes in growing the white grape, Verdejo, which is the main grape in Rueda. This thicker skinned white grape is well at home with the high temperatures and arid conditions that can be present at the height of the summer in this part of Spain.  This white wine is a blend of 80% Verdejo, 10% Viura (two traditional varietals from Spain) & Sauvignon Blanc (which brings an international touch).

Tasting notes: very inviting aromas of citrus & exotic fruit. Excellent structure & texture.  Well-balanced with superb acidity. Main flavors of citrus & lime, kiwi, with tropical & exotic notes. Long, lingering finish. More than refreshing. Drink now. Fantastic sipper.

Hacienda Don Ramon 2006 Rioja
$16.99 | Sale $14.99 | Case $11.99
The Hacienda Don Ramon Rioja is the entry-level Tempranillo from the Ramon Bilbao house, which is now owned by the Diego Zamorra family, located in the famous Rioja region in northeastern Spain.

Tasting notes: 100% Tempranillo, with aromas of fresh cut red fruit, strawberries & raspberries. Smooth, medium-bodied, silky texture with fine tannins. Wonderful flavors of raspberries, strawberries & cherries, with some herbal notes. Smooth, long finish.  Drink now. Best with red meat, grilled steaks, roasts.

Enjoy!

Jens
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Portalis Explores! ~ July 2010:
Domaine Brusset (Southern Rhône)
On this family estate, founded in 1947 & located in Cairanne in the Southern Rhône, the Brusset family has managed to combine the “savoir faire” of traditional winemaking with the newest techniques introduced by each generation. Andre Brusset (1910 – 1999), his son Daniel Brusset & his grandson Laurent Brusset — three wine-growers & winemakers with a variety of experiences — have all contributed to the success of the winery. The family owns several vineyards (the most important ones in Cairanne & Gigondas) situated in the heart of the Rhône Valley. The diversity of soils & grapes in the different vineyards contribute to some amazing wines.

In this wine club, we are including a rosé and one of their entry-level reds.

Domaine Brusset 2009 Laurent B. Côtes du Rhône Rosé 
$14.99 | Case $11.99
This rosé is a blend of 30% Grenache, 30% Carignan, 30% Cinsault & 10% Syrah sourced from several vineyards in the Côtes du Rhône appellation. Tasting notes: Fresh aromas of ripe strawberries & raspberries. Smooth, elegant, with excellent acidity. Beautiful flavors of raspberries, strawberries & ripe melon. An excellent summer sipper. Drink now.

Domaine Brusset 2008 Les Boudalles Ventoux
$13.99 | Case $11.19
This red is a blend of 60% Grenache, 15% Carignan, 15% Mourvèdre & 10% Clairette from the Côtes du Ventoux appellation. Tasting notes: Very aromatic. Lots of ripe raspberry fruit upfront. Smooth, medium-bodied, well-balanced, with great acidity. Wonderful flavors of raspberries & blackberries, with some spicy & herbal elements. Smooth finish. A great summer red. Best with grilled meat, salads & light cheeses. Drink now.

Enjoy!
Jens
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June 2010:  2 Thrilling Wines from Italy
Italy is one of the most exciting & famous wine producing countries in the world. The ancient Greeks already called Italy “Oenotria”, the land of wine. Vines are grown everywhere in Italy and wine is produced in every region. For this month’s wine club, we picked out two wines from two of the most famous regions in Italy: Piedmont and
Tuscany.

Piedmont is located in Northern Italy, and two of the most powerful red wines in Italy – Barolo and Barbaresco – are produced in this region. Barbera is the most common grape in this region.

Tuscany is unquestionably Italy’s most famous wine region. There are two main geographical zones: The Tyrrhenian Coast zone on the “west coast”, and the Central Hills in the provinces of Florence and Siena which include the famous regions of Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, and Nobile di Montepulciano.

Casa Alle Vacche 2006 Chianti Colli Senesi
$17.99 | Case $14.39
Located in San Gimignano in the heart of Tuscany, Casa Alle Vacche is owned by the Silvano family, and is known for its medium-bodied, kind of rustic Chiantis. Tasting notes: The grapes come from the hills of Siena (Colli Senesi). Lots of herbal cherry fruit on the nose. Medium-bodied, well-balanced, with beautiful acidity. Flavors of dark fruit, black cherries, with notes of leather and tobacco. Drink now. Well-matched with red sauced pasta.

Fontanafredda 2008 Briccotondo Barbera
$14.99 | Case $11.99
This is one of the best priced Barberas from a classic Barolo house. Tasting notes: Inviting aromas of blackberries and blueberries. Elegant, smooth, soft texture. New World style with excellent dark fruit & blackberry flavors. Slightly herbal notes. Beautiful, smooth, long finish.  Drink now. Best paired with mushroom risotto.

Enjoy!

Jens
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May 2010: Concha Y Toro (Chile)
In 1883 (the early stages of Chile’s wine industry), local politician and businessman, Don Melchor Concha Y Toro, started his winery.  He brought French vines from Bordeaux to plant in the Maipo Valley (south of Santiago) and contracted French enologist, Labouchere, as the head winemaker. Over decades the winery grew, purchased more land to grow more vines and started producing (in addition to their everyday wines) more extraordinary, premium wines (like Don Melchor, the most famous).  In 1994, Concha Y Toro became the first winery in the world to have its shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange.  In 1997, Concha Y Toro formed a joint venture with the Baron Philippe de Rothschild estate forming Viña Almaviva, currently one of their top labels. 120 years after its foundation, Concha Y Toro is one of the leading wineries in South America.

This month’s wine club includes two wines from their Xplorador line:

Concha Y Toro 2008 Xplorador Cabernet Sauvignon
$14.99 | Case $11.99
100% Cabernet Sauvignon from several vineyards in the Central Valley.  Plum and cherry notes on the nose with a touch of vanilla. Well-balanced, good concentration, with a smooth texture and flavors of black currant, plums, black cherries with some coffee notes. Some smoky and toasty notes on the smooth finish. Drink now. Best paired with dark roasts, hearty stews or cheese.

Concha Y Toro 2007 Xplorador Carmenère
$14.99 | Case $11.99
100% Carmenère from the Central Valley. Aromas of sweet red berries, black cherries and cracked black pepper, bell pepper and herbal components. Medium-bodied  & smooth with red and dark fruit flavors. Well-balanced, focused, with great acidity. Wonderful herbal elements on the finish.  Drink now. Best paired with dark roast, grilled steak.

Enjoy!
Jens
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Portalis Explores! Wine Club – April 2010:
Olsen Hills … second label for Olsen Estates (WA)

Martin Olsen started a farm with 10 acres in 1908. But it was his grandsons, Dick (who became a founding member of the Washington Wine Commission and served as a commissioner for 12 years) and Larry, who established the Olsen Brothers Farm in 1972, growing and farming mainly apples and cherries.  They started planting grape vines in 1980, and built a business over the next decade supplying grapes to prestigious wineries in their area.

Now Dick and Larrys’ sons are managing the winery and vineyards. The winery under the name Olsen Estates, located in Prosser, was founded in 2006, and has been producing premium Washington wines since then.  In this wine club we are introducing two wines from their second label: Olsen Hills – the 2007 Syrah and 2007 Merlot.

Olsen Hills 2007 Syrah
$19.99 | Sale $14.99 | Case $11.99
100% estate grown Syrah. Tasting notes: Fine, elegant, smooth, medium-bodied, with wonderful aromas of freshly crushed blackberries. This Syrah shows rich flavors of dark fruit, lots of ripe blackberries, blueberries and plums, with notes of dark chocolate and black pepper. Good mouthfeel and great texture, with fine tannins on a long, spicy finish. Fermented 15 month in French oak.

Olsen Hills 2007 Merlot
$19.99 | Sale $14.99 | Case $11.99
100% estate Merlot. Tasting Notes: Smooth, medium-bodied, with inviting aromas of raspberries, plums and violets. Lovely texture and balance, with delicious flavors of red berries, plums, cocoa and chocolate with hints of anise. Polished tannins with some oaky notes from barrel ageing on the finish.

Both wines are best paired with grilled steaks or dark roasts. Enjoy!

Enjoy!
Jens
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Portalis Explores! Wine Club – March 2010:
Roman Pfaffl ~ The Face of Austria’s Future

At 25 years old & approaching his 6th vintage, Roman Pfaffl is one of the most talented young winemakers in Austria. Taking over the winemaking from his father when he was 19, he shifted the focus from white wines (Grüner Veltliner) to red wines (Zweigelt & St. Laurent), which he feels are the winery’s future. The winery, Weingut R&A Pfaffl, is located in Austria’s Weinviertel region (northeast of Vienna). Roman Sr., who founded the winery in 1978 when he and his wife, Adelheid, inherited the family’s mixed agriculture farm, has played a big role in the Austrian winemaking community. Aside from being called Mr. Veltliner by the Austrian press, he is credited with founding the Weinviertel appellation. He was also named Austrian Winemaker of the Year in 1996.

In this wine club we’ll introduce Roman’s two entry level wines: a classic white (Grüner Veltliner) and a red (Zweigelt). A quote from Roman: “In a winery, the cheapest wines have to be very good. If they are not good, I don’t want to taste the expensive ones.” We agree!

Pfaffl 2008 Grüner Veltliner “Pepper”
REG $17.99 | Sale $14.99 | Case $11.99
This white wine is a 100% Grüner Veltliner and Roman’s entry level white, named after the spicy, peppery notes you typically find in that varietal. Inviting aromas of citrus and herbs followed by flavors of lemon, citrus, grapefruit with white pepper notes. Great acidity and elegant texture. Drink now. An elegant sipper or a good match with white fish, chicken and pork dishes.

Pfaffl 2008 2008 Zweigelt “Cherry”
REG $17.99 | Sale $14.99 | Case $11.99
This red is a 100% Zweigelt with lovely dark cherries and plums on the nose. Lot’s of dark cherry fruit, with plums and blackberries. Smooth, elegant with fine tannins and some smoky notes on the finish. Wonderful, vibrant acidity. Drink now. Best paired with grilled salmon, grilled tuna, or burgers.

Interested in more on Roman & Weingut Pfaffl?  Check out our BLOG> from the tasting we did with him when he was in Seattle in February.

Remember:  20% Full & 10% Half-Case Discounts (includes mixed cases)

Enjoy!
Jens
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Portalis Explores! Wine Club – February 2010:
Grange Philippe (Coteaux de Languedoc) 

Don’t worry … you aren’t only going to get wines from France, but these came in the door and they were too good a fit to pass up!

The vineyards, situated in the Grés de Montpellier terroir that lies halfway up the slope between the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains of Languedoc, have been the property of the Servière family since 1830. They also own the winery Grés Saint Paul where the Grange Philippe lineup is made. The ancient terroir is pebbly and gravely which reminds me of Châteuneuf-du-Pape with the additional advantage of a maritime climate. Rhône varietals like Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, but also Cabernet Franc grow very well in this area. Jean-Philippe Servière, owner and winemaker, and Philippe Salase are in charge of the estate. Their formula is simple: great terroir, low yields and healthy fruit. The results are well-balanced, concentrated fruit driven wines. We are introducing two of them:

Grange Philippe 2007 Piccolino Mourvèdre
$14.99 | Case $11.99
Made from 70-year old Mourvèdre vines, it shows amazing aromas of bacon fat, olive tapenade, and blackberries. Dense and medium-bodied, with lots of dark fruit, black olives & tar. Beautiful depth and length, with great acidity and concentration. Drink now, up to 2 years.

Grange Philippe 2007 Cabernet Franc $14.99 | Case $11.99
100% Cabernet Franc from old vines. This wine is something else for the money. Inviting aromas of dark fruit. Dense & dark, full-bodied, with lots of depth. Flavors of dark fruit, blackberries, with notes of green vegetables and some herbal notes. Long finish. This wine really tasty on the second day open. Up to 4 years.

Both wines pair well with cream cheeses, charcuterie, grilled dark meat, dark roasts.

Remember:  20% Full & 10% Half-Case Discounts (includes mixed cases)

Enjoy!
Jens
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Portalis Explores! Wine Club – January 2010:
Southern Rhône (France) 

The Rhône Valley is one of oldest wine growing regions in the world and is divided in the Southern and Northern Rhône Valleys in southern France. The Southern Rhône Valley is influenced by the warm Mediterranean climate which allows a great number of grape varieties to flourish. The main grape varietals are Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre. Most famous appellations in the Southern Rhône are Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, and Vacqueyras, but in the larger Côtes du Rhône appellation you will find the best value for money. Another popular region for good table wines is the Costières De Nimes appellation which is around the old Roman town of Nimes. In this wine club we chose 2 producers which are good representatives of nice, well-priced table wines from the Southern Rhône Valley.

Ogier 2007 Heritages Côtes du Rhône $14.99 | Case $11.99
Ogier has remained a family winery since 1859, and is located in the famous village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the village which was once chosen as the pope’s summer residence in the 14th century.
Tasting notes: This red Côtes du Rhône is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre from different vineyards. Complex bouquet of ripe fruit with some earthy notes. Smooth, medium-bodied, with wonderful flavors of strawberries and raspberries, with coffee and chocolate notes, framed by smooth, silky tannins. Aged 12 months in French oak. Delicious!

Château Virgile 2007 Costières De Nimes $12.99 | Case $10.39
This family domaine is managed by two brothers, Serge and Thierry Baret. The winery is located 15km from the Mediterranean Sea and was founded in 1748. The name Chateau Vigile refers to the roman poet Virgil, which was also the name of the original owner of the winery. Tasting notes: This red is a blend of 60% Syrah, 30% Grenache, and 10% Mourvèdre, some of the vines over 90 years old.  Sage and citrus oil, with ripe cherries and cassis on the nose. This is pure Mediterranean! Juicy raspberry flavors, cocoa powder, sea salt and herb tinged cherries lead to a long, wonderful finish. Addictive!These are two excellent sippers, but they also pair well with cheeses (Fourme d’Ambert, Chevrotin, and Reblochon), charcuterie, salads, and bourride (hearty fish stew).

Remember:  20% Full & 10% Half-Case Discounts (includes mixed cases)

Enjoy!
Jens
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Portalis Explores! Wine Club – December 2009:
Mendoza, Argentina

Argentine wines are growing in popularity, with most of the vineyards and wine industry being located in Mendoza Province which is scattered across the foothills of the Andes, and is 600 miles west of the capital, Buenos Aires. Argentina is the fifth largest wine producer in the world, specializing in Malbec and Malbec blends. In this wine club we chose 2 producers which are good representatives for Argentina.

Henry Lagarde 2007 Malbec Reserve $14 | Case $11.20
The Henry Lagarde winery is family-owned (Pescarmona family) and was founded in 1897. It’s one of the oldest and most traditional wineries in Mendoza. Tasting notes: This red is a 100% Malbec, estate grown and bottled. Wonderful aromas and flavors of ripe red and dark fruit, coffee, milk chocolate, with hints of figs and some spice. Complex, elegant, medium-bodied, with a smooth texture. Fine tannins on the long finish. Impressive for the money.
Viña Qaramy 2005 Finca $15 | Case $12
Another small boutique winery which specializes mainly in blends. The grapes are grown over 3600 feet. Tasting notes: This red is a blend of 61% Malbec, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 16% Syrah. Violets, floral notes, fruit cake, and red fruit compote on the nose. Very attractive & inviting. Flavors of dark fruit, plums, with mocha and chocolate notes. Lush, full-bodied. Complex, and elegant. Smooth, round tannins on the smooth, long finish. Lots of juice for the money. Best paired with all forms of beef. In no other country is beef as celebrated as in Argentina. Argentinians eat beef in all kind of forms – grilled, fried, rolled, stuffed, chopped, with raisins, olives and eggs in empanadas – or fresh from the grill.  FYI: Argentinians have the highest beef consumption in the world: 103 pounds per person compared to the United States 69 pounds per person.

Remember:  20% Full & 10% Half-Case Discounts (includes mixed cases)

Cheers!
Jens

Portalis Wine Club ~ Archives

PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ April 2012:
Bordeaux (France)
This month, wine club is featuring the renowned French region of Bordeaux. The region of Bordeaux covers a vast amount of land in France and produces around 700 million bottles of wine every year. Bordeaux wines are almost always a blend of two or more grape varietals. (This applies to both red and white wines.) Bordeaux has a very complex system of regional classification. Each area within Bordeaux has its own system and specific terminology. The wines in the club this month are from different sub-regions of the Bordeaux Right Bank: Fronsac, Lalande de Pomerol, and Saint-Emilion. The 2-bottle club includes both the Château Barrail Chevrol 2009 Fronsac as well as the 2006 Château de Bel-Air Lalande de Pomerol. The 3-bottle club adds the 2005 Roc de Candale Saint-Emilion Grand Cru.

Chateau Barrail Chevrol 2009 Fronsac
$16.99 | Mixed Case $13.59 Said to have once impressed the likes of Charlemagne, the Fronsac region continues to produce rich, powerful, supple wines. This wine is a blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Expect the nose to have rich fragrances of cassis, cherry and plum. The palate is rich in texture with lots of red fruit flavors and herbal notes. Expect this wine to have a rich depth and well-rounded body leading to a long soft finish with notes of leather. Drink now or leave to rest for a few years.

Chateau de Bel-Air 2006 Lalande de Pomerol
$29.99|Mixed Case $23.99
This quintessential example of a Bordelaise château is located on 15 hectares of rolling land in the heart of the venerated district of Lalande de Pomerol. The vineyards ideal elevation and sun exposure lead to the name of “Bel Air” or “good air”. This wine is a blend of 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Malbec (all from 35 year old vines). The wine is aged between 16-18 months in French oak barrels prior to bottling. Expect rich, dark berry flavors that continue to evolve with age. Can drink now or wait a few years before opening.

Roc de Candale 2005 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
$35.99| Mixed Case $28.79
This picturesque Château is located to the east of the famous limestone plateau of Saint-Emilion near La Mondette. A Decanter 4 Star winner, this wine is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc and exhibits qualities of elegance, precision, and complex tannins. Expect notes of oak, a refined palate, and a rich after-taste. Drink from 2013-2018.

Cheers! Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ March 2012:
Burgundy (France)
Burgundy is home to some of the most expensive, sought-after wines in the world. Located in central-eastern France, there are two main grape varietals used in winemaking here: pinot noir (red) and chardonnay (white). Burgundy wines are extremely complex, both in what ‘terroir’ means to wines, and how vineyards in the area are classified. This wine club includes a wonderful selection of wines that highlight the nuances and extraordinary flavors of Bourgogne.

The 2-bottle club includes both the Frederic Magnien 2009 Bourgogne Rouge as well as the Domaine Philippe Garrey 2007 Clos de Montaigu, Mercurey Premier Cru. The 3-bottle club adds a Pommard, one of the most sought-after terroirs in the region.

Frederic Magnien 2009 Bourgogne Rouge
$26.99 | Mixed Case $21.59
A blend of various pinot noir grapes from throughout the “Côte de Nuits” located within the northernmost (and most renowned region) in Burgundy: the Côte d’Or. The Côte d’Or is a 30-mile-long limestone ridge that only produces Pinot Noir grapes. Within this particular region are 6 premier crus villages (the highest rank for the region). This wine is a special selection of Pinot Noir grapes from vineyards throughout Brochon (on the Gevrey side). Expect the nose to have notes of black cherries, raspberries, and hints of earth; the mouth is full of baking spices and blueberry jam. This wine is as smooth as cream, velvet-like in texture. This wine pairs well with lighter game, roasted poultry, or dishes that have rich red wine sauces. This wine can be aged up to ten years (2022) as the quality is so superb.
Domaine Philippe Garrey 2007 Clos de Montaigu Mercurey Premier Cru
$22.99|Mixed Case $18.39
Located a few miles south from the Côte d’Or, the Côte Chalonnaise is home to five wine villages; Mercurey being one of them. The Mercurey Premier Cru vineyards are all located in the same general area around the city of Mercurey itself. There are only about 30 premier cru village recognized, accounting for just under a quarter of Mercurey wine production; its terroir is comparable to the top villages in Côte d’Or the Côte de Beaune. This biodynamic wine has deep flavors of red & black fruits, earthy notes of game and wild mushrooms and a velvety texture. Pair this wine with grilled or roasted meats, richer cheeses (like brie), or stews. Can be drunk now, or can be aged for quite a while.

Albert Bichot 2009 Pommard
$38.99| Mixed Case $31.19
Pommard is one of leading villages of Burgundy, located in the Côte de Beaune region and known for its ‘masculine’ red wines. The grapes in this vineyard are all handpicked and traditionally vinified according to Burgundian custom. It is then aged for 14-16 months in order to bring out all the flavors of the Pommard terroir. Expect notes of smoke, wood, and earth complemented with lighter aromas of raspberry and plum on the nose. Well-blended tannins, complex structure, and minerality persist throughout the wine. Pair this wine with tender red meat dishes, feathered game, or dishes cooked with red wine. Drink this wine now, or wait 2-4 years (or longer).
Cheers!
Jens
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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ February 2012:
Nottola (Tuscany)
Nottola Azienda Agricola is located in the Tuscan countryside of Montepulciano, a picturesque, world-renowned wine production region outside of Siena. The Nottola Estate was founded in 1992, realizing the vision of Cavaliere Anterivo Giornarelli, that is producing wines of outstanding quality. Today, this 25 hectare family run estate is still owned by the Gionarelli family, and run by Guiliano (one of the sons) along with Riccardo Cotarella, who oversees the estate’s wine production. Nottola combines daily dedication and state-of-the-art technologies to express the distinct terroir of the estate in their wines. The Nottola Estate has already gained international attention for several of its wines, and is now recognized as one of the top producers in Montepulciano.

The 2-bottle club includes the award winning Vino Nobile di Montepulicano and the Tre Pezzi IGT Toscana (aka Super Tuscan). The 3-bottle club adds the Rosso di Montepulciano to the group, showcasing another magnificent wine varietal from the region.

Nottola 2007 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
$26.99 | Mixed Case $21.59
“Vino Nobile” translates to “Noble Wine” and historically, this was the wine that the nobility drank (too good for the common people!). Fortunately, now everyone can enjoy this wonderful combination of 80% Prugnolo Gentile, 15% Cannaiolo, and 5% Mammolo. The grapes are hand harvested in October, aged for 2 years in Slovenian oak, then for one year in bottle prior to release. This is a full & robust wine with dark rich notes of fruit, spice, and lots of tannins (perfect for red meat!). Drink this wine now!

Nottola 2009 Tre Pezzi Toscana
$19.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
An extraordinary Super Tuscan! This wine is only produced in exceptional vintages by Nottola, and is a wonderful bold and fruity combination of 80% Merlot and 20% Petit Verdot. Aged 6-8 months in French oak, this wine has soft tannins, and a velvet finish. This wine can be enjoyed up to two years from now, but is perfect to sip or drink alongside rich cuts of beef or pork.

Nottola 2009 Rosso di Montepulciano
$19.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
Rosso di Montepulciano’s are considered ‘sister’ wines to Brunello di Montalcino and are exciting, complex, and fruity. Nottola’s Rosso is produced using 80% Prugnolo Gentile, 15% Cannaiolo, and 5% Mammolo grapes that were hand harvested in October. The grapes are vinified separately in stainless steel tanks, then blended together and aged 6 months in Slovenian oak barrels. Expect this wine to have balanced tannins, a smooth body along with elegant notes of dark fruits. Drink this up to three years from now.

Cheers!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ January 2012: 
Douro & Alentejo Valleys (Portugal)
Portugal has been a wine growing area since the time of the Romans but a trade treaty with England in early 1700 boosted the wine growing, especially in the Douro Valley which became the world’s first appellation in 1758. The Douro Valley is Portugal’s best known appellation, especially when it comes to port wines, but this region is now producing some of Portugal’s most impressive red wines, made primarily from port grapes. The Alentejo region is lesser-known but larger, encompassing most of the southern third of Portugal and is known for producing large quantities of very decent, easy drinking reds with ripe fruit flavors.

In this month’s wine club, we show two of the well-known & impressive producers of the Alentejo & Douro regions (Cortes de Cima & Quinta de la Rosa). For those of you in the 3-bottle club, we are adding in another excellent (13 year old!) wine from the Douro (Quinta do Fojo).

Cortes De Cima 2004 Reserva
$32.99 | Mixed Case $26.39
Cortes De Cima is family-owned winery with 130 hectares of vineyards & 50 hectares of olive groves, located in Alentejo, in southeastern Portugal. Tasting notes: This red is a blend of 52% Aragonez (Tempranillo), 24% Touriga Nacional, 14% Syrah & 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for 12 months in French & American oak. This is the star of the Cortes De Cima range, a powerful expression of rich dark fruit, packed with blackberries, ripe black plums & black currants with hints of dark chocolate, mocha & mint. Amazing structure & texture, well-balanced, with great acidity. Rather full-bodied with fine tannins on the spicy & smoky finish. An absolute pleasure to taste & drink after 2 hours of aeration. Drink now, up to 6 years. Best paired with grilled steaks, grilled lamb, lamb roasts.

Quinta De La Rosa 2007 Passagem Vinho Tinto
$18.99 | Mixed Case $15.19
This red is a co-production between the Bergqvist family (Quinta de la Rosa) & Jorge Moreira (owner & winemaker of Poeira). The grapes are sourced from the Quinta de Bandeiras estate, located on the Douro River, the hotter Douro Superior. Tasting notes: This red is a blend of mainly Touriga Nacional & Touriga Franca fermented for 18 months in French oak. Intense & complex nose of dusty cherries, wild strawberries, leather & spice. Full-bodied, with great balance & freshness, good complexity & structure. Lots of dark, black fruit with fine herbal & spicy notes. Round, smooth tannins on the long, lingering finish. Drink now, up to 4 years. Best with grilled dark meat & roasts.

Quinta do Fojo 1999 Vinha Do Fojo
$32.99 | Mixed Case $26.99
I thought it would be interesting for the 3-bottle club members to taste a 13-year old wine from one of the Douro’s cult producers & was rather surprised to find this wine for this price. This is a wine that Bordeaux lovers will like a lot! Tasting notes: This red is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz & Touriga Franca. This wine needs aeration (1 hour) & will come around quickly. Quite intense dark, black fruit on the nose. Full-bodied, dense, powerful, great structure & texture, well-balanced.  Still lots of dark fruit, dark chocolate with some herbal & spicy components. Fine tannins on the long, long finish. Watch out for sediment when finishing the bottle as this wine is unfiltered. What a treat! Christmas in January! Drink now, up to 8 years. Best paired with dark roasts, grilled lamb, grilled steaks!

Cheers!

Jens
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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ December 2011:
Cruz de Piedra (Argentina, Part II)
You probably remember in August when we introduced you to some fantastic Argentine Malbecs. I couldn’t resist showing you some more Malbecs from a producer that I think is doing top notch work. (The red blend included in this month’s club won a gold medal in the International Wine Challenge!)

Cruz de Piedra is owned by the Alfonso family, located in Maipu, Mendoza. The trick is that they operate under four different labels. Their first vines were planted in 1973 & are used in premier blends, such as the Cruz de Piedra Red Blend (your treat this month!). Cruz de Piedra is also known for their excellent, very reasonably priced Malbecs!

The 2-bottle club includes the premier Red Blend & the Cuesta del Madero. The 3-bottle club adds in the Umbral:

Cruz de Piedra 2006 Red Blend
$45.99 | Mixed Case $36.79
This red is a blend of 60% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon & 10% Petit Verdot, mostly from 30-year old vines & all estate grown. Beautiful, full aromas of dark fruit, with espresso & mocha notes. This is a powerful red, with lots of dark fruit, cassis, dark chocolate & coffee notes. Complex, great structure & texture with great acidity. Wonderful long finish with some smoky notes. Best with beef tenderloin, prime rib. Drink now, up to 5 years.

Umbral de Los Tiempos 2008 Malbec
$18.99 | Mixed Case $15.19
One of the Malbecs from the Cruz de Piedra line. 30-year old vines from the estate in Mendoza. Smooth, medium-bodied with wonderful red & dark fruit flavors. Touch of cedar, tobacco & slightly earthy notes. Aged for 12 month in French oak. Beautiful long finish with fine tannins. Drink now, up to 2 years. Best with grilled meat, steaks.

Cuesta Del Madero 2010 Malbec
$13.99 | Mixed Case $11.19
One of the entry-level Malbecs from the Cruz De Piedra estate blended from different vineyards.  Red fruit & vanilla notes upfront. Smooth, elegant, fresh & fruity. Great acidity with wonderful red & dark fruit flavors, notes of dark chocolate & coffee. Very easy to drink! Drink now.  Best with smoked turkey, grilled meat.

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens
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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ November 2011:
Vinchio-Vaglio Serra (Piedmont)
This producer is our newest addition to the J. Strecker Selections portfolio. It all started with a cold call from Emiliano Morando, the international export manager, whose friend, Massimo Gonzi of Nottola, had recommended us to him as a possible importer/ distributor. A meeting at Portalis ensued shortly thereafter and after tasting the wines, we couldn’t resist introducing these wines to the Seattle market.

Vinchio-Vaglio Serra is a co-op of 180 producers from Vinchio, Vaglio Serra & Nizza Monferrato (villages southeast of the town of Asti). The co-op was originally founded by 19 members in 1959. Head winemaker, Dr. Giuliano Noè, (awarded Italy’s Winemaker of the Year 2005 & former head winemaker for Michele Chiarlo, pictured right) focuses on top quality, low costs & an organic approach. But let the wines speak for themselves!

The 2-bottle club includes one of their top Barbera & their Langhe Nebbiolo. The 3-bottle club adds in a wonderful Roero Arneis.

Vinchio-Vaglio Serra 2010 Il Griso Roero Arneis
$19.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
A deliciously mature white made out of 100% Roero Arneis. Wonderful flavors of lemon, lime, white peach & ripe apples with hints of stone fruit. Good depth, structure & body. Well-balanced & good acidity with some spicy notes on the lingering finish. Drink now. Well-paired with seafood!

Vinchio-Vaglia Serra 2009 I Tre Vescovi Barbera d’Asti Superiore
$19.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
100% Barbera from the 3 Bishops Vineyard. This red shows beautiful aromas of strawberries & red cherries with dried herbal notes. Smooth, medium-bodied, with good texture & structure. Wonderful earthy, slightly smoky red berry flavors unfold on the palate. Long, velevety finish. Simply delicious! Drink now, up to 5 years. Best matched with mushroom risotto, dark roasts, hearty soups.

Vinchio-Vaglio Serra 2010 Langhe Nebbiolo
$18.99 | Mixed Case $15.19
100% Nebbiolo. Traditional style, even slightly rustic, with chestnut aromas & complex, nutty, earthy red berry flavors, violets with notes of dried herbs & a touch of cinnamon. Good acidity through the lively finish. Drink now, up to 2 years. Best paired with risotto, game, white meat & roast beef.

Cheers!
Jens
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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ October 2011:
Brennon Leighton & Efeste (WA)
It’s difficult to find a more charismatic winemaker in Washington State than Brennon Leighton from the Efeste Winery. After being raised by artists & hippies in Santa Cruz, California, Brennon went from playing in a punk rock band to bussing tables in restaurants to getting a degree in Viticulture & Enology from the University of California, Davis.

After working for Chateau Ste Michelle, where he was in charge of producing Washington State’s famous Riesling ‘Eroica’, he became head winemaker for Efeste where he is surely developing ‘cult’ status collecting noteworthy scores from some well-established wine magazines.

According to his Facebook page he is ‘The Man”! I can only agree!

The 2-bottle club has two of his reds. The 3-bottle club adds in his 2010 Feral Sauvignon Blanc.

Efeste 2010 Feral Sauvignon Blanc
$19.99 | case $15.99
By far his best Sauvignon Blanc up to date & in my opinion it’s one of the best produced in Washington State. Tasting notes: 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Evergreen Vineyard. Named after the wild yeast (Feral) this white shows wonderful aromas & flavors of lemon, lime & white grapefruit with notes of wet stone & herbs (thyme). Excellent balance & acidity. This wine zooms through your palate all the way to the lively finish. Drink now! Sip! Sip! Sip!…or pair it with white fish, salads, grilled chicken.

Efeste 2008 Final Final
$29.99 | case $23.99
Two varietals, nine vineyards. This red is a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon & 42% Syrah. The ‘Final’ blend if you ask Brennon & his best so far according to his statement on the Efeste website. Tasting notes: Very attractive aromas of ripe dark fruit with some smoky components. Elegant, complex, smooth & medium-bodied. Wonderful flavors of blackberries, boysenberries & black cherries with some herbal & smoky notes. Fine grained tannins on the endless long finish. A fantastic effort! Drink now, up to 3 years
Best with dark grilled meat, roasts.

Efeste 2008 Big Papa Cabernet Sauvignon
$49.99 | case $39.99
This red is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon blended from 4 different vineyards. Average age of the vines used in this red is over 30 years old. Tasting notes: This red is a class-act. Lots of dark fruit, espresso & mocha notes on the nose. Big, full-bodied, well-balanced & complex. Flavors of dark fruit (blackberries & dark ripe plum) with dark chocolate and herbal notes & some smoky components.
Up to 5 years. Best paired with grilled steaks, dark roasts.

Cheers!
Jens

Jens Strecker
Owner & Wine Manager
Portalis Wine Shop + Wine Bar
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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ September 2011:
Zuazo Gaston (Rioja) 
La Rioja, located in north central Spain in the Basque country, is one of the better known wine regions in Spain and for good reason. Twenty years ago when Jules and I were in Germany, Riojas were reliably delicious and pretty close to dirt cheap. They often came with a traditional netting around the bottle. They were medium-bodied with nice red fruit and this special oakiness characteristic of this region of Spain. Today you can get a much broader variety of wines from Rioja – Old World (more rustic) and New World (smoother) styles as well as varying levels including young (aged a few months in oak), Crianza (aged for 2 years with a minimum of 6 months in oak), Reserva (aged for 3 years with a minimum of 1 year in oak) and Gran Reserva (5 years of aging with a minimum of 36 months in oak).

Zuazo Gaston is a family owned winery located in the Alavesa sub-region of Rioja near the town of Oyón. The vineyards are located on 52 hectares with vines ranging from 10-60 years old. I selected this wine as our first direct import from Rioja because I think it’s an excellent example of New World (softer, smoother, more feminine) Rioja. Very drinkable, uncomplicated wines, delicious and well-priced!

If you are a 3-bottle club member, you’ll receive all three bottles.  If you are a 2-bottle member, you’ll receive the Crianza & the Reserva:

Zuazo Gaston 2010 Rioja
Reg $15.99 | INSIDER $13.99 | Mixed Case $12.79
Grapes: 95% Tempranillo & 5% Graciano. Aged for 5 months in American oak. Tasting Notes: Clear bright ruby hue. Nose of fresh berry fruits, licorice spice with a hint of vanilla oak. Fresh, fruit driven characteristics that soften mid palate with a long delicate finish. Pairings: Rice dishes, pastas & white meats. Drink now.

Zuazo Gaston 2008 Rioja Crianza
Reg $21.99 | INSIDER $19.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
Grapes: 90% Tempranillo, 5% Mazuelo, 5% Graciano. Aged for 14 months in American oak. Tasting Notes: Bright garnet hue. Nose of jammed fruits with vanilla & cedar. Complex & elegant with rich notes of dark fruits. Full, yet soft body with a long intense finish. Pairings: red meats, game, seasoned stews, cheeses. Drink now.

Zuazo Gaston 2006 Rioja Reserva
Reg $31.99 | INSIDER $29.99 | Mixed Case $23.99
Aged for 20 months new French & American oak. Tasting Notes: Vibrant ruby color. Rich & spicy aromas. Silky mouth feel with notes of dark fruits & spice that lasts through the lingering finish. Pairs well with roasts, games, red meats & hard cheeses. Drink now to 3 years.

Remember:  20% CASE & 10% MIXED CASE Discounts … includes mixed cases!
If you receive your shipment via UPS, you should have it by now.  If you pick your club up at Portalis, it’s ready for you to swing by.

Cheers!
Jens

Jens Strecker
Owner & Wine Manager
Portalis Wine Shop + Wine Bar
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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ August 2011:
Southern Rhône (France)
I have been to the Southern Rhône Valley many times and I’m always impressed at how diverse the region is. You’ve got many subregions (from better-known Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Côtes du Rhône Villages … to the lesser-known: Rasteau, Beaumes-de-Venise, Lirac, Tavel, Plan de Dieu, and more) — a huge area of land with varying soils and a large number of permitted grapes at 13. The predominant grape is the red Grenache. Almost all the wines produced in this area are blended. The main red blending grapes are Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault & Carignan. In general, the value with wines from the Southern Rhône is good, but you get even more wine for your money with the lesser known AOC’s . So have fun exploring! The Plan de Dieu & Rasteau are phenomenal, as is the Vacqueyras, especially at this price!

The 2-bottle club includes the Vacqueyras & Plan de Dieu. The 3-bottle club adds in the Rasteau.

Château des Roques 2007 Vacqueyras
$20.99 | Mixed Case $16.79
Château des Roques is a 32 hectare, 300 year old family-owned estate, located just outside of the town of Vacqueyras but in the middle of the Vaqueyras AOC. Tasting notes: This red is a blend of 70% Mourvedre, 15 % Grenache & 15% Syrah. Impressive aromas of game, dark fruit & spice. Firm structure but quite elegant on the palate with delicious flavors with lots of dark fruit mixing with notes of cassis, dried herbs & dark chocolate & a certain mineral character. Fine tannins on the long finish. This red has a lot personality! Drink now, up to 3 years. Best paired with dark roasts, steaks, grilled meats.

Le Gravillas 2009 Plan de Dieu
$15.99 | Mixed Case $12.79
From the Sablet cooperative Cave des Vignerons de Sablet. The co-op groups 150 vintners, covers 550 hectares & is located in the village of Sablet at the foot of the mountain “Les Dentelles de Montmirail”. The grapes for this red come from the Plan de Dieu AOC. Tasting notes: This red is a blend of Grenache, Syrah & Mourvedre. Ripe, sweet & supple, it’s a lovely wine from start to finish, with ripe plum, red berry & spicey flavors. It is elegant, seductive & lush on the palate which goes over to a long lingering fresh finish. Delicious now! Worth buying a case wherever you can. Drink now, up to 2 years. Best paired with fresh market cheeses, charcuterie, grilled meats & roasts.

Domaine de La Vieille Ferme de L’Eoune 2009 Rasteau
$17.99 | Mixed Case 14.39
This family owned-estate was founded in 1951 when the Durand family bought 30 hectares of unplanted land & started growing grapes. The winery & the vineyards are located on the plateau of Roaix. The winery currently owns 100 hectares of vineyards.  Tasting notes: This red is a blend of 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 5% Mourvedre & 5 % Carignan. Beautifully aromatic, with lush raspberry, plum, vanilla & licorice aromas. Well-balanced, elegant, good structure & a silky texture, with wonderful jammy fruit of blackberries, blueberries, blackcurrants & prunes, with notes of truffles & provincial herbs. Long finish with fine tannins. Drink now, up to 2 years. Best paired with white meats & poultry as well as game.

If you get your wine shipment via UPS, you should have received it by last Friday.  If you requested an in-store pick up, your wine club is ready.

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

Jens Strecker
Owner & Wine Manager
Portalis Wine Shop + Wine Bar
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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ July 2011:
J. Strecker Selections, our Argentine line
I was in Europe this spring looking for French, Italian & Spanish producers for our direct import business. On the second day between meetings I had an hour to kill & I stumbled upon Guillermo Moore, a handsome Argentine export manager from Buenos Aires representing Cruz de Piedra. We hit it off, the wines tasted great, but there was one problem — his wines were already imported to the US.

Long story short, he introduced me to a gentleman by the name of Andrew Miller who is the co-owner of an import company called Ecovalley & and we now distribute four of his Argentine wines (including Cruz de Piedra) in the Seattle area. Here are some samples in this wine club.  The Tiasta is only included in the 3-bottle club:

Maurico Lorca 2006 Tematico Malbec
$20.99 | Mixed Case $16.79
This beautiful, powerful red from a small producer from Mendoza is full of chocolate & coffee flavors, French oak & ripe fruit notes of plum & cassis. The tannins are smooth, the finish long & lingering. A delicious Malbec! Drink now! Best paired with grilled steak & lamb.

Umbral De Los Tiempos 2008 Malbec
$18.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
A wine from the Cruz De Piedra line. Fourty year old vines from the estate in Mendoza. Smooth, medium-bodied with wonderful red & dark fruit flavors. Touch of cedar, tobacco & slightly earthy notes. Aged for 12 months in French oak. Smoky notes on the long, wonderful finish. Drink now, up to 2 years. Best with grilled meat, steaks.

Tiasta 2009 Malbec Reserva
$15.99 | Mixed Case $12.79
Another Malbec from the Cruz De Piedro estate in Mendoza. A medium-bodied Malbec with delicious aromas of raspberries, blackberries & licorice with some notes of dark chocolate & smoke. Elegant, smooth structure with fine tannins on the long finish. Drink now! Best with grilled meat.

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens
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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ June 2011:
Exploring Languedoc-Roussillon (France)
When I came over to the United States eleven years ago and switched careers from being an emergency doctor to managing a wine shop (Best Cellars) in the University Village Mall and then starting my own wine shop & bar three years later, I never imagined that one day I’d be importing wines. But with the recent changes in Washington State’s liquor laws my life had taken a turn to more exciting times and we have started J. Strecker Selections, a direct import company.  Now, with the arrival of our first container from France, we have the lovely challenge of how to sell 800 cases of wine in the Seattle market. It’s quite exciting, I can tell you that!

In our first container we mainly selected wines from Southern France: the Languedoc & Southern Rhône. In this wine club, we are featuring two producers, one from Corbières & one from Faugères, two sub-appellations in the Languedoc which is located right along the Mediterranean from Montpellier down to the Spanish border. The 2-bottle club has the Le Reve & the Grand Caumont Impatience and the 3-bottle club adds in the Grand Caumont Cuvee Tradition.

Domaine Les Fusionels 2008 Cuvee “Le Reve” Faugeres
$20.99 | Mixed Case $16.79
A small winery owned by a Franco-Australian couple, Jem & Arielle Harris. They call themselves Vignerons Artisans & their philosophy is to produce wines as organically as possible. Tasting notes: A blend of 60% Grenache & 40% Syrah. Beautiful nose of ripe blue- & blackberries upfront with some herbal & smoky components. Smooth, medium-bodied, elegant, complex, with a round, velvety texture. Lots of red & dark fruit, cherries & strawberries, coffee, cocoa, milk chocolate, violet & floral notes. Smooth, soft tannins all the way through a long, lingering finish. Drink now, up to 2 years. Best matched with grilled meats, steaks.

Chateau du Grand Caumont 2008 “Impatience” Corbières
$20.99 | Mixed Case $16.79
With 100 hectares of planted vines within the 140 hectare estate in the Lezignon Corbières commune, Chateau du Grand  Caumont is one of the largest family-owned wine estates in Corbières. The rugged  stony clay-limestone soils of the terraced vineyard create excellent filtration for the vines.  Tasting notes: This red is a blend of 45% Syrah, 45% Carignan Old Vines & 10% Grenache, fermented 12 months in French oak. Aromas of dark fruit, prune, figs & black pepper. Rich, complex, elegant. Good concentration, great depth & length. Lots of dark fruit, blueberries, blackberries, ripe dark plums & fine spices. Well-balanced tannins on a long finish. Drink now, up to 3 years. Perfect accompaniment for game dishes.

Chateau du Grand Caumont 2008 Cuvee Tradition Corbières
$13.99 | Mixed Case $11.19
From the same producer, the entry-level Corbières. Tasting notes: This red is a blend of 60% Carignan, 35% Syrah & 5% Grenache. Wonderful nose of black berry fruits, violets & black pepper. Well-balanced & structured. Smooth, elegant with delicious flavors of dark fruit, dark plums, herbal & spicy components. Good length with a long, lingering finish! Drink now!  Best paired with grilled meat, meats in sauces, stew & cheese.

We love these wines & hope you do, too!

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ April 2011:
Exploring Catalunya
Having lived in Barcelona in the mid-eighties, I have wonderful memories of the good wines and good food of the surrounding regions. Barcelona is not only the capitol of soccer (they just won the Spanish championship & are playing in the European finals this month), but also the capitol of Catalunya & the center of the regional wine industry.

Catalunya, which is located in northeastern Spain, includes some of Spain’s famous appellations like the cult wine regions of Priorat & Montsant, the big Cava producing region of Penedes & the up & coming Costers del Segre region. Most of this area’s wine regions are located along the Mediterrenean Coast & in the adjacent hill country. Winemaking in this area dates back to the Phoenicians & Romans, but it was in 1872 when, with the invention of the sparkling Cava, the wine industry in Catalunya took off.

Priorat is one of two regions (the other is Rioja) that has earned the Denominaciones de Origen Calificadas for outstanding quality & consistency. Terraced hillsides, steep slopes, poor soil (slate & shist), the Mediterrenean climate & old vines of mainly Garnacha & Cariñena make this appellation so special. Montsant was not given official DO status until 2001 but has come a long way fast. This appellation is next to Priorat & has lots of similarities (soil, climate & old vines). The big difference is still the price/value ratio. Costers Del Segre is an up & coming region in the hill country, northwest of Barcelona around the city of Lleida near the Segre River & delivers some stunning wines.

The 2-bottle wine club includes a Priorat & Montsant, the 3-bottle club adds in a wine from Costers Del Segre:

Terra De Verema 2008 Priorat
$39.99 | Mixed Case $31.99
Terra De Verema is a boutique-sized Priorat estate sourcing from vineyards in the villages of Scala Dei & El Lloar. The winemaker is Esther Nin from the famous Clos Erasmus estate. This red is a blend of 60% Cariñena, 30% Garnacha & 10% Syrah, fermented 12 month in French oak. Tasting notes: Fantastic aromas of ripe black plums, blueberries, licorice & bitter chocolate. Big, dark, racy, intense. Lots of dark fruit, mainly plums & black cherries with garrigue & lavender notes, smoke & licorice. Long & beautiful! Approachable now, but will peak in 6 to 8 years. Best with dark roasts, grilled steaks, grilled lamb.

Celler De Capçanes 2008 Mas Donis Barrica
$14.99 | Mixed Case $11.99
The winery is located in the village of Capçanes & used to be the village cooperative till it was remodeled in 1995. It is now one of the leading wineries in Montsant. This red is a blend of 85% Garnacha & 15% Syrah & is aged in French & American oak barrels for 9 months. Tasting notes: Very inviting aromas upfront of spice box, black cherries & black raspberries. Big, ripe, medium- to full-bodied, with lots of spicy black fruit, smoky & herbal components. Wonderful, long finish. Drink now, up to 4 years. Best with dark grilled or roasted meats.

Celler Tomas Cuisine 2008 Vilosell
$18.99 | Mixed Case $15.19
A small family winery in the Costers Del Segre appellation, northwest of Barcelona. This red is a blend of 62% Tempranillo, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 5% Syrah, 3% Garnacha,  3% Samso.  Tasting notes: Beautiful aromas of black pepper, spice box, blackberries & black currant & blueberry pie. Smooth, medium-bodied, plush texture with layers of spicy black fruit. Smooth tannins on the long finish. Drink now, up to 4 years. Best with grilled meat.

Remember: 20% Mixed Case Discount & 10% Mixed Half Case Discount!

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ April 2011:
Discovering New Zealand
New Zealand, to date, still counts as one of the more “exotic” wine countries. Grapes have been grown in New Zealand dating back to 1851; however, it has only been in the last 30 years that the wines have developed an international presence, and it’s my feeling that most people here still don’t have a big connection to these wines.  The main wine growing regions are Marlborough, on the northern end of the Southern Island, & Martinborough, on the southern end of the Northern Island (map). The predominant white varietals are Sauvignon Blanc (grown more in the south) & Chardonnay (grown more in the north). The main red varietal is Pinot Noir.

The 2-bottle club features 2 different Pinot Noir.  The variety in the Pinot coming out of New Zealand is amazing. Pinot from around Otago is in line with higher-end Burgundy: deep, full-bodied, complex, while Pinot from around Marlborough is softer, sweeter, more accessible in style. The 3-bottle club adds in a Sauvignon Blanc. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is known for its crisp, refreshing, tropical fruit flavors, and this one is an excellent example of that.

Eradus 2006 Pinot Noir
$29.99 | Mixed Case $23.99
This winery is located in the Atawere Valley, Marlborough.  It is a small, family-operated winery.  Grapes are hand-harvested & selected.  Tasting notes: This Pinot has lots of floral aromas, rose petals, red & black cherries combined with some smoke. Lots of black cherry fruit with cassis, blackberries, smoky & herbal notes. Medium-bodied with vibrant acidity. Supple, smooth with a touch of sweetness.  Elegant & harmonious. Wonderful, long finish. Best with grilled salmon, roasted chicken or turkey. Drink now, up to four years.

Jules Taylor 2009 Pinot Noir
$22.99 | Mixed Case $18.38
Although Jules Taylor calls Marlborough home, she has spent a lot of time abroad. For 8 years she worked in Italy (Piedmont & Sicily). After Italy, she worked in Australia at Yarra Ridge (Victoria) & Rothbury Estate (Hunter Valley). Then, in New Zealand she worked for the famous producers Villa Maria & Cloudy Bay, until she became the head winemaker at Kim Crawford.  With her distinguished wine background & years of experience she started her own winery, Jules Taylor. Tasting notes: This Pinot has wonderful aromas of ripe black cherries & cola on the nose. Soft, smooth, medium-body, with fantastic acidity & texture. Attractive black fruit, red & black cherries, cola & clove all the way through the elegant, vibrant finish. Best matched with salads, grilled salmon, roasted chicken. Drink now, up to 2 years.

Jules Taylor 2010 Sauvignon Blanc
$16.99 | Mixed Case $13.59
From a new producer in Marlborough comes this classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Tasting notes: Very aromatic upfront with lots of fresh cut grass & gooseberries. Wonderful texture, structure & acidity.  On the palette flavors of gooseberries, exotic tropical fruit & fresh grass. Fine, elegant, fresh finish. Drink now.

Cheers!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ March 2011:
South Africa
South Africa is the oldest New World wine growing country in the world. The first vines were grown in 1642 by a German fellow with the name Saxenburg.  It took off from there.  South Africa is currently the ninth largest wine producer in the world.  All the grapes are grown in the Cape area in 80 different appellations. The most famous & well-known area is Stellenbosch.

With increasing quality (as the Tasting Circle panel recently found out) South African wines deserve more attention.  We couldn’t resist putting the Tasting Circle winning wine in the Portalis Wine Club: Boekenhoutskloof 2008 Syrah as well as a red blend from Badenhurst Family Wines that also showed well in the tasting.  The 3-bottle club adds in a lovely pinotage from Spice Route.

Boekenhouskloof 2008 Syrah
$54.99 | Mixed Case $43.99
Founded in 1984, the winery is located in Franschhoek (French corner), home of the first French Huguenot settlers.  The owners of Boekenhoutskloof have revamped an ancient cellar with the most modern equipment to produce high quality wines.  On the label, the chair, traditionally made from boekenhout, Afrikaan for Cape beech, symbolizes a tribute to the skills of the Cape craftsmen.  Tasting notes: 100% syrah, fermented 27 months in French oak. Beautiful aromas of blackberries & blueberries with notes of bacon. Big, full-bodied, complex, with a firm structure & great acidity. Fantastic flavors of bold marionberries, blueberries, espresso, dried bark, black tea & again notes of bacon & dark chocolate. Wonderful, great, long & intense finish.  Best matched with grilled steaks or grilled lamb.  Can be kept up to 5 years.

Badenhurst Family 2009 Secateurs Blend
$19.99 | INSIDER $16.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
Owned by Hein & Adi Badenhurst (former chief winemaker for Rustenburg), this winery is located in the Paardeberg area, which falls in the Swartland appellation, north of Capetown. They have restored a neglected cellar on the farm last used in the 1930′s to make natural wines in the traditional matter.  Tasting notes: A red blend of mainly shiraz, cabernet sauvignon & cinsault.  Beautiful dark fruit with licorice on the nose.  Smooth, medium-bodied, elegant.  Great texture & acidity. Wonderful dark fruit & strawberries on the mid-palate with hints of Eastern spices.  Fine tannins on the long finish.  Best matched with grilled burgers, smoked turkey, grilled steaks.  Drink now, up to 2 years.

Spice Route 2008 Pinotage
$21.99 | Mixed Case $17.59
Owned by Fairview’s Charles Back, Spice Route is located just outside of Malmesbury, in the Swartland appellation.   Focused mainly on bush-vine shiraz, pinotage & viognier, Spice Route is known for producing exceptionally ripe & deep-flavored wines.  Tasting notes: Lots of dark berries, roasted meat & bacon on the nose.  Dense, big, powerful, but well-balanced.  Dark fruit flavors with lots of spice, hints of dark chocolate & black tea. Smooth tannins on the long finish.  Best with grilled meat, dark roasts.  Up to 3 years.

Remember: 20% Mixed Case Discount & 10% Mixed Half Case Discount!

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ Feb 2011:
Giant Steps & Innocent Bystander
Just came back from Victoria, Australia, an invitation from Wine Australia to learn first hand about the wines coming out of the southern tip of Australia. This wine club features wines from one of the best wineries in the Yarra Valley (one of 21 sub-regions of Victoria): Giant Steps & its second label, Innocent Bystander.

After a 3-day Pinot Conference on the Mornington Peninsula, we headed out for Giant Steps, where we had an unforgettable afternoon & evening with Steve Flamsteed, winemaker of Giant Steps & Innocent Bystander. It was an impressive, modern facility. But more interesting was Steve, a passionate winemaker & former cheesemaker, who gave us the low-down on the Yarra Valley while driving out to the spectacular vineyards.

With the first vineyard planted in 1838, the Yarra Valley is Victoria’s oldest wine region. Located in the wine belt surrounding Melbourne, this region is cooler & higher (up to 400m) than its neighbors. Although it is located inland, it does receive some maritime influence (the ocean is approximately 70km southwest). The region is highly regarded for its Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Bordeaux blends.

Giant Steps was founded in 2001 by Phil Sexton who formerly owned Devil’s Liar in the Margarete River appellation. In this wine club, we are including Giant Steps Pinot Noir, Innocent Bystander Shiraz/Viognier, with the 3-bottle club including the Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir as well.

Giant Steps 2008 Pinot Noir Sexton Vineyard
$33.99 | Mixed Case $27.19
From the Upper Valley vineyards. Tasting Notes: Very inviting aromas of red & dark fruit. Medium- to full-bodied, complex, elegant, well-balanced, with wonderful raspberry & cherry fruit & intermixed herbal & spicy notes. Big, deep, long, with fine tannins on the long finish.. Drink now, up to 5 years. Good match with grilled salmon, tuna, smoked turkey.

Innocent Bystander 2007 Shiraz/Viognier
$19.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
A wonderful Shiraz/Viognier blend from grapes sourced around Victoria. Tasting Notes: Beautiful black fruit on the nose with herbal & spicy components. Smooth, elegant, complex, silky texture with wonderful dark fruit, blue- & blackberries, dark chocolate with hints of mint & other herbs. Long, elegant finish. Drink now. Good match with grilled lamb, steaks & burgers.

Innocent Bystander 2009 Pinot Noir
$19.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
100% Pinot Noir grapes sourced from vineyards around Victoria. Tasting Notes: Very refined, elegant red fruit, raspberries & cherries, with beautiful herbal, spicy, peppery notes. Good acidity & structure. Drink now, up to 3 years. Best matched with grilled fish, salmon, roasted chicken.

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ January 2011:
Stunners from Bordeaux
Bordeaux is one of the most famous wine regions in the world, and is home to many of the world’s most prestigious wineries:  Château Lafite Rothshild, Château Mouton Rothshild, Château Cheval Blanc & Château Petrus, just to name a few.

The Garonne & the Dordogne Rivers run from the Massif Central to the Atlantic dividing the region into 3 segments: west of the Garonne are the Left Bank vineyards of the Médoc, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Margaux, Graves & Sauternes; east of the Dordogne is the Right Bank area, including Saint-Emilion, Pomerol, & Fronsac. Maritime climate & gravelly soils (Left Bank) & limestone/clay (Right Bank) make ideal vine growing conditions for this region.  Both banks feature wines made primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot, with the Right Bank using more Merlot while Left Bank blends have more Cab. Whites from Bordeaux tend to be nice, drinkable table wines most commonly blended from Sauvignon Blanc & Semillon.

The wines in the 2-bottle club are a white from the Pessac-Léognon (which has been a standard at the wine bar for months & has a tremendous following) as well as a red from Saint Emilion (Right Bank). The 3-bottle club adds in a Margaux from the Left Bank. Have fun noting the differences!

Château Lafont Menaut 2006 Pessac-Léognon
$20.99 | Mixed Case $16.79
This winery is located in the heart of Pessac-Léognon appellation, 15 kilometers south of the city of Bordeaux. In the 18th century the land of Lafont Menaut belonged to the writer & winemaker Baron de Montesquieu. The current owner of the land & winery is Philibert Perrin, who for the past 15 years, with the experience of generation of winemakers, has been replanting the vineyards to bring this superb gravel terroir back to life. Tasting Notes: This white is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc & Semillon. Terrific aromas of lemon, lime, grapefruit. Medium-bodied, soft & beautifully balanced. Good acidity & length with flavors of lemon, grapefruit & pears, with some notes of peach & minerals. Nice lingering finish. Drink now. Good sipper or good match with sautéed or grilled fish.

Château Mangot 2005 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
$34.99 | Mixed Case $27.99
This château is located in the commune of St. Etienne-de-Lisse with the property situated on outcroppings of limestone that are the same as on the hillsides & plateau of the more famous Cru Classé wines (Château Angelus, Château Pavie), something only a few vignerons in the commune are fortunate to have. Tasting notes: This red is a blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc & 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The average age of the vines is 40 years. A stunning red, with fine, delicate aromas of coffee, blackberry, dark cherry & wild flowers. Rich, deep, well-balanced, with soft, round tannins. Oozes with red & dark berries, plum, chocolate, coffee, tobacco & smoke flavors. Beautiful texture & impressive finish. Drink now, up to 3 years.

Château Pichecan 2003 Margaux
$43.99 | Mixed Case $35.19
A very small producer from one of the most prestigious appellations in the Left Bank (Margaux). The winery owns only 3 hectares of vineyards & is located in Soussans. Tasting notes: This red is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot & 10% Petit Verdot. Intense aromas of black currants, black cherries & roses. Smooth, medium-bodied, with great texture & concentration. Fantastic flavors of dark fruit, black currants, black cherries, with hints of toasty oak, smoke & ultrafine tannins on the finish. Drink now, up to 3 years.

Both reds are a perfect match with grilled lamb, lamb roast & grilled meats.

Cheers!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ December 2010:
Small Vineyards Imports
Small Vineyards is an importer of Italian wines (although they have branched out into other Mediterranean lands in recent years), specializing in small producers with very good quality. At Small Vineyards, they believe some of the very best wines come from small places. And with this conviction, they are committed to discovering artisan winemakers and then introducing them, their families, their land, their wines & their stories to the markets they serve in the western US.

The 2-bottle club includes a Gamay from Valle D’Aosta & a Rosso Conero Riserva from Marche. The 3-bottle club adds in a Brunello Di Montalcino from Tuscany.

Lo Triolet 2009 Gamay
$34.99 | Mixed Case $27.99
Located in the small Valle D’Aoste in Northwestern Italy, Lo Triolet focuses on Pinot Noir & Gamay. From the vineyards, one has a breathtaking view of Mont Blanc. Lo Triolet’s Gamay is an outstanding expression of the varietal & is one of the finest outside of Beaujolais. Tasting notes: Beautiful floral aroma of violets, red cherries & red plums. Medium-bodied, superb balance with a spicy, zingy palate & flavors of red plums, cranberries, pomegranate & red cherries with notes of wild violets. Long finish.
Drink now, up to 2 years. Best paired with grilled salmon, tuna, grilled chicken, salads.

Marchetti 2006 Rosso Conero Riserva
$27.99 | Mixed Case $22.39
This small estate is owned by Maurizio Marchetti & is located in Marche in central Italy. A recent winner of Gambero Rosso’s highest Tre Biccheri for this red, Marchetti’s Rosso Conero Riserva is quickly becoming one of the best wines to be found in the Marche. This sleek, muscular wine is aged 14 months in French oak & like all of Marchetti’s wines, it is produced organically. Tasting notes: Inviting aromas dried cranberries & red plums. Smooth, medium-bodied with superb balance & elegance. Wonderful flavors of dark fruit black & blueberries, cranberries, dark chocolate, with notes of vanilla & exotic spice, all the way through the long, impressive finish. Drink now, up to 3 years. Best paired with dark meat, roasts.

Antonio Sanguineti 2004 Brunello Di Montalcino
$54.99 | Mixed Case $43.99
From one of the most prestigious DOCGs in Italy, the Montalcino appellation.
Tasting notes: Sanguineti’s Brunello is a powerful expression of Marasca cherries, black tea, coffee & pomegranate with herbal & leathery notes. The tannins are smooth, silky & integrated. Nicknamed “Il Maestro” by his colleagues, Antonio tries to be the master of creating the perfectly balanced wine. We believe he has achieved here again. After 42 months in French oak, it is amazingly approachable, but could easily age for 20 more years. Best paired with grilled steak, wild boar, other wild game & aged cheeses.

Happy Holidays & all the best for the New Year!

Cheers!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ November 2010:
Westrey (OR)
Westrey Wine Company, located in McMinnville in the Willamette Valley, was founded in 1993 by co-winemakers & husband/wife team: Amy Wesselman & David Autrey, along with David’s father, Robert Autrey. They source their wines from estate vineyards (Oracle Vineyard in Dundee Hills) as well as from vineyards of long-time friends. Amy & David focus on crafting elegant Pinot Noir wines & fruit-driven Burgundian-style Chardonnay. The wines are designed to be balanced, ageworthy & to pair well with food, and I think they are successful on all fronts. I hope you agree.

The 2-bottle club features the 2007 Oracle Pinot Noir & the 2007 Reserve Pinot Noir; the 3-bottle club adds in the 2009 Willamette Valley Chardonnay.

Westrey 2007 Oracle Vineyard Pinot Noir
$28.99 | mixed case $23.19
Westrey’s first estate vineyard, Oracle is located in the Dundee Hills appellation with predominantly southern exposure. Tasting notes: This red shows aromas of raspberry fruit, red currents, violets with m                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               ineral, earthy notes. On the mid-palate the wine explodes with red berry fruit, lots of ripe red cherries, raspberries combined with some spicy notes & some beautiful oaky notes on the finish. Excellent balance, weight & acidity. Drink now, up to 5 years. Best paired with turkey, grilled chicken, grilled salmon or tuna.

Westrey 2007 Reserve Pinot Noir
$32.99 | mixed case $26.39
This red is a Pinot Noir blend from four different vineyards in the Willamette Valley (Justice Vineyard, Oracle Vineyard, Abbey Ridge Vineyard & Momtazi Vineyard). The wine was fermented with special yeast imported from Burgundy & aged in 25% new oak barrels & 20% one year old barrels which gives the wine a nice woody expression. Tasting notes: This Pinot is a little thriller! Lots of floral aromas upfront with some red current fruit & coffee notes. This red is mouth-filling & supple, well-balanced with good acidity & rich flavors of raspberries, dark cherries, red currents & coffee notes. Beautiful long, spicy, peppery finish. Up to 5 years. Best paired with smoked turkey, grilled salmon, swordfish.

Westrey 2009 Chardonnay
$22.99 | mixed case $18.39
This Chardonnay is a blend from 2 different vineyards (Justice Vineyard & Oracle Vineyard). This wine displays the ripe & balanced character of the 2009 vintage. Tasting notes: Sweet, opulent fruit is balanced by crisp citrusy acidity. Aromas & flavors of sweet vanilla, white peach, subtle oak & ripe pear. Hints of slate-like mineral character on the mid-palate. Wonderful bread dough & toasty oak on the finish. Drink now, up to 3 years. Good sipper or well matched with grilled chicken, white cream pasta.

Remember: 20% Full & 10% Half-Case Discounts (includes mixed cases)

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ October 2010:
Sineann, A Truly NW Winery
Sineann is a small winery in Newberg, Willamette Valley, Oregon. Owned by Peter Rosbeck, who is also the winemaker, Sineann was founded in the year 2000.  Peter sources his fruit from some of the best vineyards in Oregon & Washington State. The Oregon winemaker lives in the Willamette Valley, but produces wines from both Oregon & Washington State, thus making Sineann a truly northwest winery. His “holy” trail is scattered with beautiful hand-crafted wines. Currently, Peter releases 28 wines under one label … a rare & impressive feat. Rosback has several biodynamic ally & organically farmed vineyards in his portfolio, even though in his opinion there is not much difference between the non-biodynamically farmed & the organic vineyards, which is an interesting position is today’s world. Peter is also currently the consultant for David O’Reillys “Owen Roe” label.

The 2-bottle club includes the Cabernet Sauvignon & Red Table Wine; the 3-bottle club adds in the Oregon Pinot Noir.

Sineann 2008 Red Table Wine
$18.99 | Mixed Case $15.19
Once the “top-of-the-line” wines are made, the leftover wine goes into the table wine, producing some darn good flavors at an inexpensive price. Only God (Peter) knows what is in this blend. For sure some old vine Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Pinot Noir. Very inviting aromas. Lots of black fruit, blackberries, blueberries, dark plums, with some peppery notes. Long finish. You almost can’t find a better deal. Drink now. Good sipper. Good match with grilled steaks, dark roasts.

Sineann 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
$35.99 | Mixed Case $28.79
Sourced from old Cabernet vineyards in the Columbia Valley. Incredible aromatics. Lots of baked, spicy dark fruit. Big, ripe, full-bodied. Flavors of baked plums, blackberries, blueberries & ripe, dark cherries with some dark chocolate & toasty notes. Great acidity & tannic structure. Long finish. Drink 1 to 4 years. Best with grilled steaks.

Sineann 2008 Pinot Noir
$35.99 | Mixed Case $28.79
Pinot Noir fruit from several vineyards in the Willamette Valley. Big, rich, full, deep aromas & flavors of blackberries, sweet, ripe blueberries & black raspberries with hints of milk chocolate & dried herbs. Cedary notes & fine tannins on the gorgeous, long finish. Up to 1 to 4 years. Best paired with grilled salmon, grilled tuna.

Enjoy!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ September 2010:
Piedmont (Northern Italy)
Located in the hills of northwestern Italy, Piedmont is one of Italy’s most famous wine regions. If Piedmont had an enological soul-mate it would be Burgundy. In both wine regions, the estates are mainly small & family-owned, and the style of winemaking is ultra-traditional & focused on regional history. Two of Italy’s most traditional, powerful red wines come from Piedmont: Barolo & Barbaresco.  Both are made from the locally grown Nebbiolo grape. Other well-known red wine grapes are Barbera & Dolcetto which are mostly used as red table wines & the Moscato D’Asti, a semi-sweet sparkler, used for aperitivo or as an after dinner drink.

In the 2-bottle wine club we will show a Barbaresco & Dolcetto from 2 different producers. In the 3-bottle wine club, we’ll add in a Barbera D’Alba.

Ronchi 2006 Dolcetto d’Alba Rosario
$26.99 | Mixed Case $21.59
Tasting Notes: Spicy, juicy & robust, with great concentration & acidity. Wonderful flavors of blackberries, blueberries, bright red cherries. Wonderful bright, fresh finish. Drink now, up to 2 years. Bring on the pasta with red sauce.

Ronchi 2006 Barbera d’Alba Terlé
$32.99 | Mixed Case $26.39
Tasting Notes: Kind of sweet aromas of freshly baked cherry pie. Lots of spices that remind of a lively Moroccan market. Outstanding silky balance & texture, with just beautiful flavors of ripe black cherries & ripe cranberries. Smoky, woody notes on the long, lasting finish. Can’t get better than this. Best paired with mushroom risotto or pasta dishes with mushrooms.

Luigi Giordano 2004 Barbaresco Montestefano
$37.99 | Mixed Case $30.39
Tasting Notes: 100% Nebbiolo, with beautiful aromas of red fruit, rose petals & sandalwood. Bold, concentrated but well-balanced with great acidity & flavors of mainly blackberries & ripe black cherries. Wonderful depth. Will age beautifully.  Drink in 2-6 years. Best paired dark roasted meats, hearty stews.

Enjoy!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ August 2010:
Domaine Brusset (Southern Rhône)
On this family estate, founded in 1947 & located in Cairanne in the Southern Rhône, the Brusset family has managed to combine the “savoir faire” of traditional winemaking with the newest techniques introduced by each generation. Andre Brusset (1910 – 1999), his son Daniel Brusset, & his grandson Laurent Brusset: three wine-growers & winemakers with a variety of experiences have all contributed to the success of the winery. The family owns several vineyards (the most important ones in Cairanne & Gigondas) situated in the heart of the Rhône Valley. The diversity of soil & grapes in the different vineyards contribute to some amazing wines.

The 2-bottle wine club includes the 2008 Gigondas & the Cairanne Les Travers Rouge. The 3-bottle club adds in the Les Travers Blanc.

Domaine Brusset 2008 Gigondas Tradition 
$34.99 | Case $27.99
A blend of 65% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre & 5% Cinsault from stony terraced vineyards facing full south in the Gigondas appellation. Tasting notes: Ripe red fruit, strawberry & raspberry aromas. Full-bodied, good concentration, elegant. Broad & velvety in texture, with layers of dark plums, boysenberries, raspberries, roasted figs & espresso notes. There are tobacco, violet & spicy notes on the everlasting finish.  Up to 4-8 years. Best matched with red meats, grilled steaks, game.

Domaine Brusset 2007 Cairanne Les Travers Rouge
$21.99 | $17.50 (TC 91pts)
A blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre & 5% Cinsault. About 30 year old vines from the Cairanne appellation, mainly grown on limestone. Tasting notes: Elegant & inviting aromas of ripe blackcurrant & elderberries. Starting with full, concentrated flavors, turning into s smooth, silky mid-palate with soft tannins. Mainly blackcurrant & cherry fruit, with a touch of pepper & anise. Smooth, long finish. Drink now, up to 3 years. Best matched with red meats, game.

Domaine Brusset 2008 Cairanne Les Travers Blanc
$21.99 | Case $17.59
A white blend of 30% Clairette, 30% Grenache Blanc, 20% Roussanne, 10% Marsanne, & 10% Viognier. Tasting notes: Floral predominance on the nose. Well-balanced, soft, medium-bodied, with good acidity. Pear, citrus, with hints of exotic fruit, apricots & a touch of vanilla. Wonderful, long, dry finish. Drink now. Best paired with grilled fish, white meat.

Enjoy!

Jens
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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ July 2010:
Carol Shelton – Mastering the Zen of Zin (CA)
In the year 2000, Carol Shelton and her husband, Mitch Mackenzie, launched their own brand — Carol Shelton Wines — located in Santa Rosa. Given the opportunity to create her own identity, she chose to focus on Zinfandels. Carol carefully selects the best vineyard sites for growing Zinfandel in California, thus producing great fruit reflecting the terroir of the region.  The Wine Spectator has mentioned Carol Shelton as one of the best Zinfandel winemakers in the United States.
Each of Carol’s wines receives a memorable name, reflecting her love for words & wine. Her Wild Thing Zinfandel shows that only natural wild yeasts grown on the grapes are used. The Karma Zinfandel signifies the good luck that brought Carol to a 100+ year old vineyard in the Russian River Valley. The appellation of Cucamonga got her connected with the “humongous” flavors described in that particular Monga Zinfandel. The Rocky Reserve Zinfandel is Carol’s nickname for the rocky Rockpile Vineyard.

The 2-bottle wine club shows off the Karma Zinfandel & Monga Zinfandel; the 3-bottle club adds in the Rocky Reserve Zinfandel.

Carol Shelton 2006 Monga Zinfandel 
$25.99 | Case $20.79
From the Cucamonga Valley. Planted in 1918. Dry-farmed Zinfandel bush vines. Tasting notes: Very inviting raspberry & blackberry aromas. Medium- to full-bodied. Rich, with lots of wonderful raspberry & dark fruit flavors. Well-balanced, elegant, with good acidity. Notes of milk chocolate on the long, beautiful finish. Drink now.

Carol Shelton 2005 Karma Zinfandel 
$37.99 | Case $30.39
From The Rue Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. 100 to 107 year old vines. 85% Zinfandel. The remaining 15% is a field blend of Alicante Bouschet, Petite Sirah & Carignan. Tasting notes: Oooh, this is superb. Raspberry & inky black fruit melt into an ultra-rich bouquet. Has the balance & depth of a great Cabernet Sauvignon, combined with Zinfandel’s spicy, brambly personality. Lots of wild berries, cola, leather, mocha, milk chocolate, peppery spice flavors that are so rich, deep & long. Hard to beat. Drink now, up to 3 years.

Carol Shelton 2006 Rocky Reserve Zinfandel 
$37.99 | Case $30.39
The name for this Reserve Zinfandel comes from the deep red, rocky soils of the Florence Vineyard Rockpile, 1400 feet over Lake Sonoma & Dry Creek Valley. Tasting notes:  This is a more elegant & restrained Zinfandel. Ripe, complex aromas & flavors of blackberries, blueberries & raspberries, with notes of chocolate & exotic spices. The finish is dry but with the right amount of sweetness. Beautiful, long, spicy finish. Up to 5 years.

Enjoy!
Jens
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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ June 2010:
Australian Pinot Noir, introduced by Mark Davidson
To be honest, my perception of Australian Pinot Noir wasn’t the best. I didn’t know much about Australian Pinot and hadn’t heard many good things about it either. That all changed when I met Mark Davidson.
Mid-morning on a Friday a couple months ago, a guy with a thick, Australian accent called up Portalis, introduced himself as Mark Davidson (Market Development Manager, Wine Australia USA), in Seattle from his current home base in Vancouver, and asked me if I would like to taste some “good” Australian Pinot Noir. I normally don’t taste on Fridays but I was quite curious. In he came with 14 different bottles of Australian Pinot (at varying price points), and almost all of them were pretty darn good. Mark had to catch a flight and left me with a mountain of wine. No complaints here. To make sure I was not hallucinating, I tasted some of these wines with some lucky customers who happened to be shopping for wine later in the afternoon. The response was great. Unfortunately I didn’t have any to sell that day but it made me start thinking about my next wine club!

Here is a little information about Australian Pinot Noir: Only 2.5% of the wine production in Australia is Pinot Noir. The main Pinot growing areas are Tasmania and the relatively cool Victorian regions (around Melbourne) of the Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and Geelong. The Macedon Ranges wine region is still one of the best Pinot producing areas in the country and is home to the two famous producers Bindi & Curly Flat (both very limited!). But in this wine club we’ll introduce you to some other producers.

The 2-bottle members will get the Cooralook & the Yabby Lake.  The 3-bottle members will get the Stonier in addition.

Cooralook 2009 Pinot Noir
$16.99 | Case $13.60
From the Strathbogie Ranges in Victoria. One of the best Pinot’s for the money. Tasting notes: Very attractive nose with herbal cherry and red berry notes. Good concentration & balance, with elegant flavors of spicy raspberry & cherry fruit with herbal components. Beautiful, tasty finish. Drink now.

Stonier 2005 Pinot Noir
REG $28.99 | Sale $22.99 | Case $18.39
From the Mornington Peninsula, a stunning producer (and still family-owned). Established in 1978 this is one of the oldest wineries on the Peninsula. The first Pinot Noir vines were planted in 1982.
Tasting notes: Wonderful aromas of strawberries & raspberries with some herbal components. Elegant, complex, with great acidity. Spicy, herbal, with some earthy richness and flavors of raspberries & cherries. Long finish with fine tannins. Well aged! Drink now.

Yabby Lake Vineyard 2006 Pinot Noir
REG $57.99 | Sale $52.99 | Case $42.39
This winery was founded in 1992 & is located in the Mornington Peninsula. Tasting notes: Intense aromas of black cherries & dark fruit. Lots going on here. Intense silky texture with great depth. Wonderful layers of dark fruit with some herbal & gamey elements. Long, persistent finish. This wine will age well. Drink now up to 10 years.

All these wines match well with grilled salmon & tuna.

Enjoy!
Jens
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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ May 2010:
Alvaro Espinoza, Chile’s leading organic winemaker
Alvaro Espinoza is currently Chile’s leading organic winemaker. He is the owner of Chono Winery, which is located in the central Maipo Valley, just outside of Santiago (Chile’s capital).  Chono is the name of the ancient native tribe that lived on the islands and coast of southern Chile. The winery was founded by his father, who is also an award-winning winemaker and enologist. The winery owns 25 acres of vineyards in the Maipo Valley and sources other grapes from the northern Elqui and Bio Bio Valley.

Alvaro Espinoza focuses on Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Carménère, Chile’s signature grape varietal. This grape was once grown mainly in Bordeaux, France, but thrives today mainly in Chile. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Carménère vines are mainly estate grown in the Maipo Valley, while the Syrah is sourced from the northern, more elevated Elqui Valley. Almost all of his vineyards are organically farmed.

The 2-bottle wine club features the Chono 2007 Reserva (a Carménère/Syrah blend) and the Chono 2007 San Lorenzo Estate (Carmenénère/Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc).  The 3-bottle club adds in the Chono 2007 Syrah.

Chono 2007 Syrah
$14.99 | Case $11.99
Classic cool climate Syrah from the Elqui Valley in Northern Chile. This red is a 100% Syrah with inviting dark fruit, spice and black pepper aromas. Smooth, medium-bodied, with rich black fruit, tar and bacon fat. Well-balanced, with great acidity. Fine, round tannins on the long, smooth, spicy finish. Drink now.

Chono 2007 Reserva
$18.99 | Case $15.19
This red is a blend of 65% Carménère (from the Maipo Valley) and 35% Syrah (from the Elqui Valley). Intense aromas of ripe black cherries, dark berries and tobacco. Lush and round on the palate with flavors of blueberries and cherry vanilla. Notes of tobacco (framed by zesty acidity), smoke and spicy vanilla with fine tannins on the long finish.  Drink now, up to 2 years.

Chono 2007 San Lorenzo Estate
$34.99 | Case $27.99
A blend of 50% Carmenénè, 20% Syrah, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. A limited production with the grapes coming mainly from the Maipo Valley. Complex aromas of red and dark berries, smoke and tobacco. Medium-bodied but fleshy, with beautiful raspberry and cassis flavors and  fine-grained tannins. Complex, elegant with dark chocolate and mocha flavors on the big, long finish. Up to 5 years.

All wines pair well with grilled steaks and dark roasts.

Enjoy!
Jens
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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ April 2010:
Four Vines (Paso Robles)
Here is a good and interesting story for you: His name is Christian Tietje (nickname “Zinbitch”) and he founded Four Vines in 1994 in San Francisco in his garage-cum-shack with not much more than determination, his love of Zinfandel and the idea to produce four “killer Zins” from the four top appellations: Napa, Sonoma, Armador and Paso Robles.

With that goal in mind, Four Vines made a statement on the scene with “Maverick”, “Sophisticate” and “Biker”. He then moved to Paso Robles built a winery and started making wines with California grown Rhône varietals. Christian’s approach to winemaking is simple: great grapes, good barrels, and very good equipment. Pretty soon he started making wines of his “high-end line”, which he calls “The Freak Show”, meaning unusual blends, for example Rhône varietals blended with Zinfandel or Petite Sirah).

In this wine club we’re showing off “The Peasant” and Old Vines Zinfandel in the 2-bottle club, adding “The Maverick” into the 3-bottle club.

Four Vines 2007 The Peasant 
$39.99 | Case $31.99
This Rhône blend is 37% Mourvèdre, 31% Syrah, 21% Grenache, and 9% Cunnoise with 5% Tannat from different vineyards in Paso Robles. Tasting notes:On the nose smoky black fruit & spice, hints of crème brulée, followed by delicate flavors of rich black fruit, raspberries, anise & black pepper. Rich, deep, and a velvety texture, with a great, long, spicy finish.Up to 3 years.

Four Vines 2007 Old Vine Cuvée 
$13.99 | Case $11.20
This is a fantastic multi-appellation Zinfandel blend from all over California and a big crowd pleaser. Tasting notes:On the nose multiple layers of red & dark fruit, hints of anise & black pepper. On the palate you find blackberry, blueberry & spicy plum fruit as well as raspberries & black cherries. Smooth, velvety but rich mouthfeel. Fine oaky tones on the finish. This wine shows a lot for the money. Drink now!

Four Vines 2007 The Maverick Zinfandel
$27.99 | Case $22.39
This red is made out of old vines from several vineyards from the Shenendoah Valley, Armador County in the Sierra Foothills. Tasting notes:Rich, big, chewy & spicy black fruit, raspberries, anise & hints of cedar. Jammy, with great acidity and elegant texture. Long, big, jammy, spicy finish. Up to 4 years.

All wines are great Barbecue wines. They also match well with grilled steaks or richer meat dishes with a spicy and/or sweet twinge. For more on food pairing with Zinfandel, see our BLOG> When Zinfandel is called for

Enjoy!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ March 2010:
German Pinot Noir
Wow, watch out Burgundy! Anyone who thinks Germany can’t produce good Pinot should check these out. It is incredible how the quality of German Pinot Noir has increased over the last 10 years.  There is definitely a Pinot movement in Germany with more and more Pinot Noir being planted, especially in the Pfalz, Rheinhessen and Ahr regions.

This month the 3-bottle club will have a wine from a producer from each region named above. The 2-bottle club will have wines from the Pfalz and Rheinhessen.

Becker 2007 Pinot Noir 
$19.99 | Case $15.99
The Becker Estate is located in Schweigen, a small village in the Pfalz region, not far from the French (Alsace) border. Friedrich Becker actually owns vineyards in Germany and France. He is also the pioneer and first winemaker who planted Pinot Noir in Germany in 1967. He has been named Winemaker of the Year in Germany 4 times in a row. Tasting notes: You find more red than black cherries on the nose. Very aromatic and inviting. Beautiful flavors of black cherries, plums and blackberries, with hints of cocoa and tobacco. Complex, elegant, with a great texture. Fine tannins on the long finish. This wine has an incredible length for an entry level German Pinot Noir. Tanzer gave it 97 Pts. Drink now, up to 4 years. Best paired with grilled salmon, grilled chicken, turkey.

Julius Wasem & Söhne 2005 Spätburgunder
$19.99 | Case $15.99
The original owners of this winery, located in Ingelheim (Rheinhessen), were German nobility belonging to the Ritter Hundt von Saulhein family going back to the year 1726. In the year of 1912 Julius Wasem, then 18 years old, took over the winery and reorganized the winery and vineyards, producing mainly white wines. His sons started making Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) in the early seventies. The current winemakers are Burkhart and Holger Wasem (third generation) who mainly grow red wine varietals like Spätburgunder, Saint Laurent, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Tasting notes: A beautiful nose, with rich aromas of red and black cherry fruit. On the palate, the cherry fruit just glows – it’s so ripe – with wonderful notes of raspberries, exotic spices and pepper. Beautiful acidity going through all the way to a long finish. Good concentration and length. If (by chance) you don’t finish this bottle the day you open it … it is unbelievable the next day.  Drink now, up to 4 years.  Best paired with grilled salmon, grilled tuna, burgers.

Meyer-Näkel 2006 Spätburgunder (sold out)
$32.99 | Case $26.39
The estate was founded by the Meyer family around 1870. In 1950, through the marriage of a Meyer daughter and Willibald Näkel, the estate became known as Meyer-Näkel. On 1983, son Werner Näkel took over the estate and has developed into one of Germany’s best Pinot Noir winemakers. In 2004 he was named Winemaker of the Year in Germany. The winery is located in the small Ahr appellation, Germany’s most northern wine growing region. Tasting notes: Sweet dark berry and cherry fruit in the nose mixes with spice and pepper notes. This wine is rich, dense, and packed with blackberry, dark cherry, and raspberry fruit, with mineral, black pepper, tobacco notes. Long, deep, with great acidity, excellent concentration, and texture. Taste like a mini grand Cru from Burgundy for a fraction of the price. Up to 6 years. Excellent sipper when aged. Excellent match with grilled salmon.

Enjoy!
Jens
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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ February 2010:
Izadi (Rioja, Spain)
The Anton family (owners of the famous Ribeira del Duero estate, Finca Villacreces, as well as the one-star Michelin restaurant, Zaldiaran) owns and operates the fantastic Izadi winery located in Rioja Alavesa.  Mariano Garcia (of Vega Sicilia fame) helped transform this estate into on of the major players in Rioja Alavesa. The current winemaker is Angel Ortega, who is one of the most interesting winemakers in Spain. He uses grapes from hundreds of small plots which are dry-farmed and harvested by hand. Ortega chooses his grapes and barrels carefully and has developed an interesting style of Rioja wines that falls somewhere between distinctive old & new world styles being produced today.  Izadi also produces a wine from the Toro region called Vetus which we will include in the 3-bottle wine club. Izadi has been allocated since its first year of production and it typically pre-sells out before arrival in the US.

Izadi 2004 Rioja Crianza (Rioja) $21.99 | Case $17.59
This red is made from 100% Tempranillo grapes, aged 14 months in American oak barrels. Tasting notes: Bright cherry and raspberry aromas upfront, followed by beautiful flavors of dark cherries, black tea and some coffee notes. Elegant finish with some spicy, oaky tones on the finish. A well aged Rioja. Drink now. Best paired with Paella (Valencia style), grilled sausages.

Izadi 2002 Reserva (Rioja) $33.99 | Case $27.19
A blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Graciano, 10% Mazuela from a variety of plots where the vines are at least 50 years old. The wine is aged for 18 months in French and American oak barrels. Tasting notes: Strong bouquet of tobacco, cigar and old sweaty saddle leather. Medium- to full-bodied. Tannic frame around dark fruit, blackberries and plums with spicy, dusty, earthy notes. Layered and deep on the finish, with cola, herbs and licorice notes. Fascinating. Still lots of potential. Up to 4 years.

Izadi 2005 Vetus (Toro) $32.99 | Case $26.39
This red wine is a selection of Tempranillo grapes, 40 years of age, from the Toro region and aged for 12 months in French and American oak barrels. Tasting notes: Aromas of smoke, toast, black pepper and dark fruits, followed by wonderful flavors of ripe dark fruit, blackberries, cassis and boysenberries, with plenty of spice and herbs. Great acidity with a good tannic structure. Long, strong finish. Up to 6 years. This wine should develop nicely.

The last 2 wines pair well with dark roasts, grilled steaks.

Enjoy!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ January 2010:
Wines from the Douro Valley (Portugal)
The Douro Valley, which is protected by UNESCO as World Heritage, is located in Northern Portugal. Portugal has the oldest appellation system in the world, with the Douro Valley appellation created around 1655, 200 years before that of France. The Douro Valley is divided into three subregions: the Lower Corgo, the Upper Corgo, and Douro Superior, which extends to the Spanish border. Vines are grown in all three subregions. The five leading grapes are Touriga Nacional, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cão, Touriga Francesca, and Tinta Roriz. Most reds are blends. Notable about the Douro Valley is that the steep hillsides make it very difficult to grow and harvest vines, yet this region produces some of the world’s finest, most unique and highest value wines for the money.

This month’s wine club includes two of the best producers from the Douro Valley.  2-bottle club members will receive the two Quinta de la Rosa wines.

Poeira 2006 Pó de Poeira Tinto $24.99 | Case $19.99
Since 2001, this winery has been owned by Jorge Manuel Nobre Moreira, who is also the head enologist at Quinta De La Rosa, one of the most famous producers in the Douro Valley. Tasting notes: This red is a blend of younger vines of Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, and Tinta Barroca. Very fresh, with a delicious array of dark plum and blackberry flavors, dark chocolate, with plenty of minerals and spice. Well-structured and balanced. Fine grained tannins on the long finish. Up to 2 years. Best paired with dark roasts, lamb, grilled steak.

Quinta De La Rosa 2006 Douro Tinto $22.99 | Case $18.39
This winery, located right next to the Douro River, has been family-owned since 1906 and is currently under the leadership of Tim Berqvist.  The head enologist is Jorge Manuel Nobre Moreira.
Tasting notes: This red is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesca, and Tinta Roriz. Floral and aromatic flavors of mainly raspberries and strawberries. Medium-bodied, very elegant, with a round, balanced structure. Lovely flavors of strawberries, raspberries and ripe cherries. Beautiful finish. Aged one year in French oak. Drink now, up to 2 years. Best paired with white meat, roasted chicken, and turkey. The gamier flavors of duck would also go nicely.

Quinta De La Rosa Douro Tinto Reserve $44.99 | Case $35.99
From the same estate as above, the Reserve is also a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesca, Tinta Roriz, and Tinta Cão, but mainly from older vines. Tasting notes: Very intense aromatic fruit, with lots of violets, cherry jam, raspberries and herbal undertones. More powerful and full-bodied. Great acidity and concentration. Long, elegant finish, with fine tannins coming through. Up to 4 years. Best paired with dark meat, lamb, and grilled steak.

Remember:  20% Full & 10% Half-Case Discounts (includes mixed cases)

Enjoy!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ December 2009:
Treasures from Italy
The last wine club of the year 2009 focuses on some small treasures from Italy. The ancient Greeks called Italy “Oenotria”, the land of wine. It’s one of the oldest as well as one of the most beautiful wine growing countries in the world. Vines grow everywhere in Italy. There is simply no region, no district that does not produce wine. Often the grapes from any given region are exclusive to that region and with thousands of Italian varietals, the grapes are names that you may never have heard of, for example Inzolia, Catarratto & Perricone to name just a few.  All of these elements combine to form the charm of exploring wines from Italy.

The 2-bottle wine club includes a Brunello di Montalcino from Tuscany (a big hitter from a tiny producer) & a Southern Italian table wine (Palama). The 3-bottle wine club adds in a Sangiovese from Toscana (Podere Ciona).

Antonio Sanguinetti 2003 Brunello Di Montalcino
$54.50 | Case $43.60
Tuscany is the home of three of Italy’s most important red wines: Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino. Tasting notes: Sanguinetti’s Brunello is a powerful, wonderful expression of marasca cherries, black fruit, coffee, leather, with a hint of cassis. Excellent complexity and elegance. Well-balanced with smooth, silky, well-integrated tannins. Aged for 42 months in French oak. An amazing Brunello! Very approachable already. No wonder Antonio Sanguinetti’s nick name is “Maestro”. Drink now, up to 10 years. Best paired with wild boar, bistecca alla fiorentina (grilled beef).

Podere Ciona 2007 Montegrossoli $18 | Case $12
This is a family-owned, very small estate, located in Gaiole, the heart of the Chianti Classico region in Tuscany. There are only 290 cases produced of this wine. Tasting notes: This Tuscan red is a blend of 95% Sangiovese and 5% Alicante Bouschet. You can call it a “Baby SuperTuscan”. Fresh, ripe, Chianti-like cherry aromas. Flavors of black fruit, red and black cherries, violets with hints of cloves and other spices. Elegant, well-structured, with good acidity, and a long finish that lingers. Delicious and lovely. Drink now. Best paired with pasta with tomato based sauces, pizza in all form.

Palama 2008 Arcangelo Salento $13.50 | Case $10.80
Since 1936, the Palama family has been making wine on their small estate in the warm climate of Puglia, the deep south of Italy, where Negroamaro thrives. Tasting notes: Aromas of ripe plums, blackberries, with notes of black pepper and cinnamon. Rich and robust, but complex an elegant, with ripe plum, sweet rhubarb, and blueberry flavors. It’s a delicious experience. Drink now, up to 2 years. Best paired with grilled vegetables, pasta, and pizza.

Remember:  20% Full & 10% Half-Case Discounts (includes mixed cases)

Cheers & Happy New Year!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ November 2009:
Winemaker David O’Reilly
Almost everybody in Washington State has seen wines under the Owen Roe label.  Owen Roe O’Neill was a seventeenth century Irish patriot and is the inspiration for the label. The man behind that label is David O’Reilly. O’Reilly, one of twelve children, grew up in Belfast and experienced the violence of the Troubles, before his family moved to British Columbia just before he became a teenager. It was during the time O’Reilly was doing his major in philosophy in California that he worked for a small winery in the area and found his love for wine and the making of it. Later on he worked for Elk Cove Winery in Oregon. During that time he met amateur winemaker Peter Rosback (also Irish), and together they started the project Sineann. O’Reilly left Elk Cove in 1998 and founded his own winery in St. Paul outside of Newberg in the Willamette Valley to produce the Owen Roe and O’Reilly labels. In addition, he has a new project called Corvidae which focuses on reasonably priced wines produced in Washington State.

This wine club focuses exclusively on the Owen Roe labels. The 2-bottle wine club features the Owen Roe Sharecropper’s Pinot Noir and Ex Umbris Syrah. The 3-bottle Wine Club adds in the Owen Roe Abbot’s Table Blend.

Owen Roe 2008 Sharecropper’s Pinot Noir $28.99 | Case $23.19
The Sharecropper’s Pinot Noir comes from a variety of northern Willamette Valley appellations. Tasting notes: Very aromatic, with floral aromas of violets and black cherries. Exciting palate. Explodes with velvety, licorice and raspberry fruit, with luscious cherry cola flavors and some earthy notes. Beautiful spice on the finish.
Ready to drink. Best paired with, yes TURKEY!

Owen Roe 2007 Ex Umbris 2007 Syrah $28.99 | Case $23.19
Ex Umbris is Latin for “out of the shadows”, but after you taste this beauty you may think it deserves more spotlight.  Tasting notes: Jammy mulberry, blackberry aromas with some spice. Velvety, offering a plush mouthfeel of spicy black cherries, and red berry flavors, with hints of milk chocolate on the long, lively, smoky finish. Fine integrated tannins. One of the best, most affordable Syrah from Washington State on the market. Drink now up to 5 years. If you go for a beef roast or beef tenderloin instead of turkey for Thanksgiving, then this is the wine for you.

Owen Roe 2008 Abbot’s Table $24.99 | Case $19.99
Just in time for 2009 harvest, David O’Reilly has released his 2008 Abbot’s Table. This red is a blend of Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Malbec. This is the first wine David makes every year. Tasting notes: Very aromatic, almost perfumed, with ripe fruit, flowers, and some spice. Medium-bodied, smooth, well-balanced, velvety texture, with wonderful flavors of dark fruit, cassis, milk chocolate, hints of cinnamon and other spices. The Zinfandel and Sangiovese provide the backbone and show additional flavors of sweet plums, raspberries and cherries.  A wine you can open right away. Another fantastic Thanksgiving wine.

Don’t forget, we offer a 20% case & 10% half-case discount, mixed cases included, if you’d like more of these wines or any other wines we carry.

Happy Thanksgiving!  Enjoy the wines …
Jens
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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ October 2009:
Sparkman Cellars
Founded in 2004, Sparkman Cellars is a family owned and operated winery, located in Woodinville, Washington, a rapidly growing wine community northeast of Seattle. The owners, Chris Sparkman, head winemaker at Sparkman Cellars, as well as general manager & sommelier at the Waterfront Seafood Grill in Seattle, and his wife, Kelly, a wildlife biologist who worked in Alaska, Wyoming and California, believe that Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon are the premier Washington State wine varietals.  I picked Sparkman Cellars for the wine club because colder weather is the season for bigger wines and I think Sparkman Cellars produces excellent examples of the big wines coming out of Washington State.

The 2-bottle wine club includes the 2007 Lumiere Chardonnay and the 2007 Wilderness Red; the 3-bottle wine club includes the 2006 Stella Mae Red Blend.

Sparkman Cellars 2007 Lumiere Chardonnay $25/Case $20
100% Chardonnay from Stillwater Creek vineyard.  Aromas of lemon, pears and crème brulée followed by flavors of citrus and peach fruit, with notes of hazelnuts and nutmeg. Long, clean finish. Excellent sipper. Best paired with grilled fish (tuna, swordfish, marlin). Drink now, up to 2 years.

Sparkman Cellars 2007 Wilderness Red $32/Case $25.60
A portion of the revenues for this wine go to the Wilderness Society. This red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot. Full of dark fruit and chocolate on the nose. Flavors of dark fruit, cassis, black cherries with notes of violets and vanilla, followed by cigar box notes on the finish. Also a very good sipper. Best paired with grilled steaks, dark roasts. Drink now, up to 3 years.

Sparkman Cellars 2006 Stella Mae Red $48/Case $38.40
Named after their oldest daughter, this red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Fine, concentrated aromas of cassis, black cherries and chocolate leading to flavors of ripe blackberries, black cherries and Asian spices. The chewy tannins frame a massive, yet elegant structure. Fantastic finish. Drink in 3 to 6 years. This red will get better and better. One of the best red blends in Washington State. Best paired with grilled steaks, beef tenderloin, roasted lamb.

Don’t forget, we offer a 20% case & 10% half-case discount, mixed cases included, if you’d like more of these wines or any other wines we carry.

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ September 2009:
Qupé Wine Cellars – “A Modern Stone Age Winery” (CA)
… proclaims Bob Neil Lindquist, owner of Qupé Wine Cellars. The winery was founded in 1982 and is located on the Bien Nacido Vineyard in Santa Maria, California. Qupé shares a production facility with Au Bon Climat. Bob’s love for the wines of the Rhône Valley led him to focus on Rhône varietals, particularly Syrah as well as Roussanne and Viognier (regarding the white Rhône varietals). Chardonnay continues in the portfolio because of Bob’s connection to the wonderful fruit sources in the Bien Nacido vineyard. In this wine club we focus on the Rhône varietals.

The 2-bottle wine club includes the Central Coast Syrah and the Bien Nacido Hillside Estate Roussanne. The 3-bottle wine club adds in the Bien Nacido Syrah.

Qupé 2006 Bien Nacido Hill Estate Roussanne $40/Case $32
This white wine is 100% Roussanne, grown in Block 10 at Bien Nacido Vineyard. Block 10 is a west facing hillside slope just opposite the winery. It is planted entirely to the Tablas Creek clone of Roussanne, which cane originally from Château de Beaucastel, the famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape producer. Tasting notes: This wine is absolutely delicious. Big, rich, ripe with aromas of ripe Bosch pears. Complex and elegant. Flavors of pears, apples with notes of pineapple, toasted wood, coconut and hazelnut. Finishes full and with great finesse. Excellent sipper; good match with halibut, grilled tuna, swordfish. Drink now up to 5 years.

Qupé 2006 Central Coast Syrah $21/Case $16.80
Best Californian Syrah for the money. 98% Syrah with 2% Grenache from several Californian appellations (17 different vineyards from 5 different Appellations), but mainly Santa Barbara County. The wine is essentially a blend of cool-climate Santa Barbara grapes and warm-climate Paso Robles grapes. The cool-climate fruit gives spice, acidity and balance while the warm-climate fruit shows softness, ripeness and more upfront fruit flavors and aromas. Tasting notes: Medium-bodied, dark red with aromas and flavors of cassis and dark chocolate, with delicious notes of dark, ripe cherries, raspberries and oak. Touch of spice on the beautiful finish. Good match with dark roasts, grilled steaks, and grilled burgers. Drink now, up to 2 years.

Qupé 2007 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard $30/Case $24
This red is a 100% Syrah from the Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley. Tasting notes: Aromas of raspberries, pepper and lavender. This Syrah is rich in dark fruit, black cherries and raspberries with mocha, and chocolate notes. Good mouthfeel. Well-balanced, elegant, with great structure and acidity. Beautiful, long, spicy finish. Best matched with dark meats, roasts or grilled steaks. Drink this for its wonderful fruity character over the next couple years, or put it down for 8 to 10 years to take it to the next level

Don’t forget, we offer a 20% case & 10% half-case discount, mixed cases included, if you’d like more of these wines or any other wines we carry.

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ August 2009:
The Magic of Château Miraval (Provence)
Château Miraval, located in the heart of the Var, is one of the most beautiful historic domaines in Provence. Miraval is situated close to the Via Aurelia (one of the five main roads radiating from Rome), which provides it with a long history.

First settled by the Ligurians and then by the Celts, who were driven out by the Romans, Miraval first appears on a map in the 1200s as a monastery. The estate was in the hands of the Orsini familiy for centuries and then, at the turn of the century, Miraval was owned by the inventor of reinforced concrete, Joseph Lambot.

In the 1970s Jacques Loussier, the well-known jazz pianist, created a record studio at Château Miraval, known as Studio Miraval, where many great musicians including Pink Floyd, Sting and Sade recorded some of their music. In fact, Pink Floyd recorded “The Wall” at Studio Miraval.

Château Miraval is currently owned by the Bove family and Emmanuel Gaujal is the current winemaker for Château Miraval and Château La Mascaronne.

The 2-bottle wine club includes the rosé from Château Miraval and the red from Château La Mascaronne; the 3-bottle club adds in a white from Château Miraval.

Château Miraval 2008 Pink Floyd Rosé $26/Case $20.80
This rosé is a blend of 60% Cinsault, 30% Grenache, 10% Syrah, all estate fruit. One of the best rosés we have tried this year. Tasting notes:  Intense yet elegant aromas of wild red berries. The palate is round, soft, and packed full of strawberries, raspberries, red apple and citrus, finishing with clean, fresh acidity. Just beautiful. Drink now, up to 1 year. Good sipper. Pairs well with all kind of salads or spicier foods.

Château Miraval 2008 Clara Lua Provence Blanc
$27/Case $21.60
This white is a blend of 75% Rolle and 25% Grenache Blanc, all estate fruit.
Tasting notes: lemon, yellow color. The clear, slightly overripe Rolle shows fresh citrus aromas. Soft, medium-bodied and round with flavors of citrus and lime with a light almond aftertaste on the finish. Well-balanced and good acidity.  Interestingly enough the wine opened up on the second day and tasted even better. Drink now, up to 3 years. Best paired with grilled white fish.

Château La Mascaronne 2004 Côtes De Provence Rouge $24/Case $19.60
This red is a blend of 70% Syrah, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Grenache.
This winery and the vineyards are owned by Emannuel Gaujal (the winemaker of Château Miraval) and are located in the heart of Provence, just outside of the medieval village of Le Luc. Tasting notes: Complex aromas of red fruits and spice. Medium- to full-bodied, with flavors of blackberries, boysenberries, blueberries, with hints of black pepper, thyme and violets. Complex, concentrated and elegant. Up to 3 years. Best matched with dark grilled meat, cheese.

Don’t forget, we offer a 20% case & 10% half-case discount, mixed cases included, if you’d like more of these wines or any other wines we carry.

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ July 2009:
Torbreck Vintners (Australia)
Torbreck Vintners was founded by David Powell in 1994.  The winery is named after the Torbreck Forest in Scotland where David worked as a lumberjack. After returning to his native Australia, David started making wine in a shed on his 12 hector Marananga property and in 2002 he purchased the historic “Hillside Property”, one of the original wine growing properties in the Barossa Valley.  David uses the classic Barossa Valley varietals: Shiraz, Grenache & Mataro (Mourvedre).  His winemaking shows influences from the great wines of the Rhône Valley, evidence of his love of wines from this part of France.

This month’s 3-bottle wine club includes two reds & one white.  Torbreck makes two white wines, a Marsanne/Rousanne/Viognier blend as well as a Semillon, a beautiful summer sipper which is the one included in your shipment.  The 2-bottle club members will receive the two reds.

Torbreck 2007 Semillon $21/ case $16.80
Tasting Notes: Delicate aromas of lemon, limestone, candle wax and toasted brioche. Medium-bodied, soft & elegant with flavors of citrus, white peach & pineapple. Good acidity follows through to the refreshing finish. Up to 2 years.  Good with sushi, sashimi and fresh shellfish.

Torbreck 2007 Woodcutter’s Shiraz $25/ case $20
The name Woodcutter’s Shiraz comes from David’s time as a lumberjack in the Torbreck Forest in the Scottish Highlands.  Tasting Notes:  Dense, rich and opulent. Aromas of dark fruit. Medium-bodied, smooth textured, with flavors of dark berries, cherries & a dash of pepper. Fine tannins on the smooth finish.  Up to 3 years. Matches well with dark meats and grilled steaks.

Torbreck 2007 Juveniles $26/ case $22.80
David makes this Cuvee for Tim Johnston, the owner of the Juveniles Wine Bar in Paris. Note, too, that the label for Torbreck is a simple black & white, while the Juveniles label is a bold, colorful label, specially made for the wine bar.  This is a red blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Shiraz and 20% Mataro. Tasting notes: Juicy, ripe flavors of blackberries, spiced cherries, with mineral notes and Asian spices. Soft & smooth on the mid-palate with fine tannins on the finish.  Drink now up to 2 years. Pairs well with dark meats and roasts.

Don’t forget, we offer a 20% case & 10% half-case discount, mixed cases included, if you’d like more of these wines or any other wines we carry.

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ June 2009:
Tuscan Varietals ~ Sangiovese & Vernacchia
This month we are showcasing Tuscan Sangiovese & Vernacchia.  Tuscany is one of Italy’s most prodigious wine regions. Tuscan wines account for over thirty of Italy’s DOC and half a dozen of Italy’s DOCG wines. The hilly soil and weather conditions of Tuscany are ideal for grape growing and these two grapes thrive there. Today the most grown variety is the noble Sangiovese, which is often combined with small amounts of locally grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo and other grapes into wonderful blends such as Carmignano, Morellino Di Scansano, Supertuscans and, of course, the signature Tuscan wines: Chianti and Chianti Classico, which notably are the best known Italian wines in the world.

Tuscan Sangiovese from the inland region of Chianti is known for being a bright, juicy, acidic red that can hold its own against acidic tomato dishes from this area. Sangiovese from the coastal areas of Tuscany are less acidic, more complex, a little softer, often blended with Cab/Merlot to make the wines bigger. Vernacchia, a delicious white wine grape from this area is characterized by scents and flavors of almonds and pleasant acidity … a refreshing summer sipper or delicious with seafood, salads and white meats.

The 3-bottle wine club features a Vernaccia Di San Gigmignano, a Rosso Di Montalcino and a Maremma.

Casa Alle Vacche 2006 Vernacchia Di San Gigmignano I Macchioni $20/case $16
On the slopes northeast of the Tuscan hill-town of San Gimignano lies the town of Pancole which is considered to be the best growing region for Vernacchia. The Casa Alle Vacche winery and vineyards are in this zone. The estate has been family-owned for generations and is known for its Vernacchias and Chiantis.  Tasting notes: Vernacchia I Macchioni is produced from grapes of the best vineyard sites. Pale, yellow straw color with aromas of almonds, peach, citrus and fresh herbs. Rich, deep and elegant with flavors of apple, citrus and lime, with hints of peach and apricot. Smoky notes in the background. Beautiful, refreshing finish. Best paired with Tuscan roasted chicken and shellfish. Drink now.

Capanna 2007 Rosso Di Montalcino $33/case $26.40
The Capanna Estate has been owned by the Cencioni family since 1957 and is located to the north of the Montalcino village, which has always been considered as one of the best “cru” sides of Brunello. Rosso Di Montalcino is often called “Baby Brunello” because it is produced in the same way as the pricier Brunellos, but aged for 2 years as opposed to 4 years in Slovanian oak. Tasting notes: This red is made out of 100% Sangiovese Grosso. Young but already has a broad and complex nose, with herbs and spice mixed in the red berry, cherry fruit. Starts soft, round and velvety on the palate, and finishes long and firm. A wine with a great future. Good match with roasted meats. Up to 3 years

Carla Benini 2007 Sassotondo Maremma$25/case $20
Carla Benini is part of an emerging group of Tuscan winemakers who look for exceptional grape quality to produce extraordinary, terroir driven wines. The grapes are sourced from the Sassotondo vineyard, which is located in the Maremma region of Tuscany, which is organically farmed and surrounded by olive trees.  Tasting notes: This red is a blend of 80% Ciliegiolo, 10% Alicante and 10% Sangiovese. Intense aromas of blackberry, cherry and plums with a touch of black pepper. Great texture and concentration with flavors of dark berry fruit, violets and herbs. Super-fine tannins on a long, juicy finish.  Best paired with roasted meats, wild boar, roasted lamb. Up to 3 years.

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ May 2009:
Beckmen Vineyards (Santa Ynez Valley, CA)
Steve Beckmen (pictured left) joined us at Portalis this spring for a tasting, and we were delighted to meet the guy whose wine won the March 2009 Tasting Circle showdown between Washington and California Cabs (beating out much more famous and expensive wines, mind you).  So, here’s the scoop on Steve and Beckmen Cellers.  By the way, don’t think you’re limited to reds with this winery.  It’s summer and Jens (Who’s Jens?) thinks the Beckmen Sauvignon Blanc is the best Californian SB he’s tasted in the last couple years.

Founded in 1994 by Tom and Steve Beckmen, Beckmen Vineyards is a family-owned, estate winery located in the Santa Ynez Valley (Santa Barbara County).  After traveling to the Rhône Valley several times, Steve discovered his love for Rhône varietals. He started making wine without any experience, but after several vintages, Beckmen Vineyards has emerged as one of North America’s premier producers of Rhône varietals.

In Steve’s opinion vineyard management is the most important part of winemaking. It drives the whole winemaking process. All of their wines are biodynamic and in 2008 they became certified biodynamic. Their production remains small.

Beckmen Vineyards was named Food & Wine’s “Most Promising Winery” in the magazine’s 2000 American Wine Awards. Since then, Beckmen Vineyards has lived up to that. In 2007 it was selected as one of the “Top 100 Wineries” in the world by Wine & Spirits magazine. Not bad for a winemaker without any experience.

Jens & Gina (Who’s Gina?) are part of a local professional tasting panel called the Tasting Circle.  They meet monthly to blind taste & rank wines in the Seattle marketplace.  At a customer’s request in March 2009, the Tasting Circle tasted a lineup of Washington vs. California Cabernet.  The Beckman 2005 Estate Cab won the tasting, beating out other more expensive and well-known competitors such as Caymus.  This vintage is no longer available, but the 2006 is outstanding as well.

Beckmen Vineyards 2008 Estate Sauvignon Blanc $18.50/case $14.80
The estate Sauvignon Blanc comes exclusively from biodynamic certified grapes grown on the Purisma Mountain Vineyard, mainly on limestone. Tasting Notes:  very aromatic. Offers rich, exotic, tropical fruit, with pineapple and melon. Lots of grapefruit and lime on the mid-palate. Full-bodied, ripe and balanced. Powerful, yet elegant and persistent. Great acidity. Wonderful, long finish. One of the best Sauvignon Blancs I have tasted in the last 2 years. Up to 2 years. Excellent sipper. Good with light seafood and salads.

Beckmen Vineyards 2007 Le Bec $23/case $18.40
A blend of 44% Grenache, 28% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre and 8% Counoise. The 2007 vintage turned out to be one of the best vintages to date. A well-balanced growing season with long hang time offered exceptional flavors with low alcohol levels, creating wines with great length and depth. Tasting Notes: Meaty, peppery scents on the nose followed by flavors of black currant, black licorice and black cherries. Ripe, firm and vibrant. This wine has power with finesse. Fine tannins and smoky notes on the finish. Barrel aged for 15 month in 15% new French barrels and 85% neutral barrels. Up to 3 years. Good with roasted chicken, white meat.

Beckmen Vineyards 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon$27/case $21.60
Following the 2005 vintage (which won Seattle’s Tasting Circle Tasting in March matched up against more well-known and expensive competitors) this wine again shows stunning balance and depth. One of the best Cabernet deals in California. Tasting Notes: Very aromatic. Smoked plums and blackberry fruit on the nose followed by flavors of dark fruit and raspberries. Well-balanced, complex and elegant. Great acidity which carries the fruit to a lingering, long impressive finish with espresso and coffee notes.  Up to 3 years. Fire up the grill and start the rib eyes.

Don’t forget, we offer a 20% case & 10% half-case discount.  Mixed cases included.

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ April 2009:
Cave de Tain (Northern Rhône)
This month we are featuring wines from Cave de Tain, a winery located in the Northern Rhône Valley. The Rhône Valley (southeastern France) is one of the oldest wine growing regions in the world and is divided into the Northern and Southern Rhône Valleys, which produce distinctly different wines. The Northern Rhône is influenced by the continental climate with strong winters but warm summers as well as the mistral wind, which brings cooler air from the Massiv Central. Northern Rhône is therefore cooler than Southern Rhône, which makes its wines more concentrated, such as those from Burgundy (just to the north). Red wines from the Northern Rhône appellation are mainly made from the Syrah grape, sometimes blended with Viognier. Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne are the only white wine grapes used in this appellation. The most famous sub-regions of the Northern Rhône are Côte Rotie, Condrieu, Cornas, Hermitage, Crozes.

Cave De Tain L’Hermitage was founded in 1933 by 100 wine growers from the district of Tain L’Hermitage. Today the co-op has 370 wine growers and a total vineyard area of 1140 hectares, of which 1000 hectares are AOC wines (appellation specific).  The 3-bottle wine club includes a red & a white from Crozes Hermitage and a red from Saint Joseph:

Cave de Tain 2007 Crozes Hermitage Blanc $23
This white is made out of 100% Marsanne. Pale yellow color with aromas and flavors of fresh, ripe citrus fruit, white peaches, apricots, and white flowers. Good acidity, complex and well-balanced. Beautiful fresh finish. Best paired with salads, white grilled meats. Drink now.

Cave de Tain 2005 Crozes Hermitage Rouge $23
100% Syrah grown on alluvial granite. Intense and delicate aromas of dark fruit and blackberries. Rich, powerful, but well-balanced. Smooth tannins with good length and depth. Flavors of blackberries, blackcurrants, cherries and oriental spices. Wonderful jammy finish.  Best matched with cold cuts or grilled red meat. Up to 3 years.

Cave de Tain 2005 Saint Joseph Esprit de Granit $35
This red is a 100% Syrah from several vineyards located in the Saint Joseph appellation. Beautiful aromas of candied dark fruit followed by flavors of dark fruit, blackberries, blueberries, dark chocolate with some spicy and toasty notes. Rich and powerful on the mid-palate, with smooth tannins on the finish. A great wine for ageing. Up to 5 years. Best with grilled red meat, game birds and cheeses.

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ March 2009
Alves de Sousa (Portugal)
Portugal has the oldest appellation system in the world, the Douro Valley, which is protected by UNESCO as World Heritage. The appellation was created around 1655, 200 years before that of France. This region produces some of the world’s finest, most unique and highest value wines.  It is also noteworthy that Portugal has a large variety of native vines (about 500) producing a very wide variety of different wines, including mainly blends.

This month’s wine club features the Alves de Sousa Estate (run by Domingos and his son Tiago) which produces some of the most exciting wines coming from the Douro. Alves de Sousa was the Portuguese producer of the year 1999 and 2006 as named by the Portuguese Wine Magazine.

Alves de Sousa 2004 Vale Da Raposa Red $17/case $13.60
A blend of Touriga Nacional and Tinto Cão from the Quinta do Vale da Raposa estate in the Douro. The vines are over 20 years old. Tasting notes: Aromas and flavors of orange blossom and fresh red fruit are making this red fresh and attractive. Very young, plenty of cherries but smooth, velvety texture, with very well integrated tannins. A perfect combination of two of the main Douro grapes, with the power of the Touriga Nacional balanced with the elegance and complexity of Tinto Cão.  Drink now to 2 years. Best matched with white meat, roasted chicken, turkey.

Alves de Sousa 2003 Quinta do Vale da Raposa Grande Escolha $37/case $29.60
A blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinto Cão from the same estate as above. The vines are over 60 years old. Tasting notes: Aromas of red and dark fruit, with spicy and herbal notes. Flavors of intense red and dark fruit, mainly cherries and blackberries. Full-bodied, complex, well-balanced, with great acidity. Fine tannins, and herbal notes on the long finish. An extraordinary wine. Drink now up to 4 years. Best matched with dark roasts, lamb, grilled steak.

Alves de Sousa 2004 Quinta do Vale da Raposa Tinto Cão $29/case $23.20
100% Tinto Cão from the Quinta do Vale da Raposa estate. The vines are over 20 years old. Tasting notes: Aromas of red fruit and cherries followed by flavors of raspberries, dark cherries and blackberries. Smooth, medium-bodied, velvety texture. Soft tannins with a fruity finish. It’s a very elegant and complex wine. Drink now up to 3 years. Best matched with hearty salads.

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ February 2009:
Nicola Biscardo, Italian exporter & winemaker
This month’s wine club is featuring an upcoming winemaker and Italian exporter, Nicola Biscardo, who recently visited us for a wine tasting at Portalis. Nicola manages Conexport, a family-owned business that oversees a consortium of boutique wineries representing most all of the prominent wine regions in Italy. He was born in Verona into a family of winemakers. Raised in the land of Amarone, he took his first wine class at the age of nineteen while studying Political Science in college. It did not take him long to realize that he needed to continue in the family business of selling wine, so he switched to wine studies and attended the Masters program at the Italian Association of the Guild of Sommeliers. He is a professional Wine Taster, a Sommelier, and a member of The Society of Wine Educators. He lived in New York during the late 1990′s to market and organize the distribution of Conexport, but now lives in Verona and is the owner and winemaker at Marchesi Biscardo as well as the owner and winemaker at the Feudi di San Nicola project, where vines from Southern Italy are vinified in his facility in Northern Italy.

The three bottle wine club includes a Vedicchio dei Castelli di Jesi from Marche, a Primitivo from Puglia and a Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva.

Bonci 2007 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi $16
Domenico Bonci founded the winery in 1900 which is located in Cupramontana and has been family owned since then. The current owner is Joseph Bonci who mainly grows Verdicchio. Tasting notes: Fine aromas of citrus, apples and almonds, followed by flavors of citrus fruits, pear, yellow plums and a hint of vanilla. Soft, medium-bodied with great acidity. Long refreshing finish with hints of almonds. Best paired with roasted white meat, fish and white pasta dishes. Drink now.

Feudi di San Nicola 2005 Primitivo $19.50
This red is made by Nicola Biscardo in his winery in Northern Italy (outside of Verona). The grapes are harvested in Puglia, Southern Italy, and then trucked to the Veneto area. Tasting notes: This red is made with 100% Primitivo grapes and shows aromas of sweet dark fruit, olives and plums, followed by flavors of ripe, dark fruit, plums and prunes with notes of black pepper. Smooth and velvety, fine tannins and a long, spicy, smooth finish. In Nicola Biscardo’s words, this is a “southern wine with a northern touch.” Try this wine with pizza. Drink now.

Ortaglia 2003 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva $36
The winery has been family-owned for centuries and is located in the town of Montepulciano in Tuscany. They winery is also known fore their olive oil production as well as a popular place to stay. Tasting notes: Made from 85% Prugnolo Gentile, the noble variety of Sangiovese that makes Vino Nobile so special, and 15% Mammolo grapes. This red is a full-bodied, intense wine showing flavors of plums, violets and dark fruit, with some spicy and herbal components. It’s a classic expression of both “terroir” and variety with a firm backbone of smooth tannins that will allow it to evolve beautifully for the next 5 to 8 years. Very good depth and length.  Best paired with grilled lamb, dark roasts.

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

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PORTALIS WINE CLUB ~ January 2009
Montsant & Priorat (Spain)
Montsant and Priorat are some of the most interesting wine regions in Spain. The two regions are clustered together about 100 miles southwest of Barcelona, slightly inland from the Mediterranean coast. Priorat, also called Priorato, is probably the most ragged, atypical wine region anywhere in the world, with its very steep hills, stony villages, and special soil (thin, volcanic slate, with small pieces of schist), which gives the wines their special mineral character. Wines from the Priorat region are very famous, but the appellation is relatively small, with 60 wineries sharing 1500 hectares. 1991 was the first “commercial” vintage, where some wines were exported to countries outside of Spain.

Directly south of the Priorat appellation, not far from the town of Tarragona in Catalunya, lies Montsant, formerly the Alt-Priorat, and a subsection of the Tarragona appellation. Montsant became its own appellation in 2001. There are 40 wineries located in the Montsant appellation, some over 180 years old. They operate in the shadow of the famous Priorat appellation but produce stunning wines for a fraction of the price of the Priorat wines.

For the 3-bottle wine club we chose two wines from Montsant and one from Priorat:

Celler de Capcanes 2001 Costers del Gravet Montsant $26.50
The winery is located in the village of Capcanes, was founded in 1933 and served for several years as the village cooperative. Tasting notes: A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Garnacha, 20% Carinena. Big, full-bodied red, with ripe, almost roasted flavors of plum, prunes, cola and coffee. Elegant on the mid-palate. Great concentration and acidity. Long, clean, almost floral finish with fine tannins. Drink now through 2010

La Cova Dels Vins 2006 Ombra Montsant $19.50
This is the personal project of Capcanes winemaker Cisco Perello. The vineyards are located in the districts of Falset (Priorat) and Capcanes (Montsant) at 300 to 700 meters altitude. This red is produced from 3 different varietals (Garnacha, Carinena, Syrah) on 3 different soils. 96 year-old (!) Garnacha on chalk soils, 75 year old Carinena on slate soils, and 25 year old Syrah on clay soil. Aged for 14 months in French oak barrels. Tasting notes: Round and lush, with great fruit from the nose to the palate. Aromas and flavors of sweet plums, red fruit, with smoky components and a touch of pepper and herbs. Beautifully balanced and elegant. Doesn’t need much cellaring. Drink now till 2011

Celler De L’Encastell 2006 Priorat Marge REG $35/SALE $30.99
Family-owned, this winery was selling wine to other estates for a long time. The winery is located in the village of Porrera and started bottling its own wine in 1999. This red is a blend of 60% Garnacha, 14% Syrah, 13% Merlot, and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 8 months in French and American oak barrels. Produced from vines planted on pure slate. Tasting notes: A beauty that represents Priorat. A floral, herbal nose with notes of lavender and violets. Flavors of dark cherries, blueberries, plums and prunes. Medium- to full-bodied with a smooth, elegant texture and balance, with spicy, peppery notes. This red blend has terrific length and depth, and a long, smooth finish with fine tannins. You won’t find a better value from Priorat. Best from 2010 for a decade.

All these wines are a good match with grilled steaks, dark roasts and lamb.

Enjoy & cheers!
Jens

Portalis Wine Club – December 2007: The Rhône Valley

The last wine club of the year features wines from the Rhône Valley in southeastern France. Wines from this area are exceptional food wines and match well with many traditional holiday dishes including duck, turkey, lamb and beef.

The Rhône Valley is one of the oldest wine growing regions in the world and is divided into the Southern and Northern Rhône Valleys. You can find thrilling, world class wines in Cote Rotie, Condrieu, Hermitage and Cornas (Northern Rhône) as well as in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and Vacqueyras (Southern Rhône). Wines from the Northern Rhône appellation are mainly made from the Syrah grape, sometimes blended with Viognier and tend to be drier and more structured, with flavors of minerals & earth, while the Southern Rhône appellation produces an array of red, white and rosé wines, often blends of multiple grape varietals.  The reds from the Southern Rhône are earthy and spicy and tend to be fruitier than those from the north end of the valley.

The 2 bottle wine club features two wines from the Southern Rhône appellation.  The 3 bottle wine club adds in a wine from the Northern Rhône appellation.

DOMAINE DES ESPIERS 2007 GIGONDAS $31
Domaine des Espiers was founded in 1989 by Philippe Cartaux and is located in the village of Vacqueyras. This red is a blend of 65% Grenache and 35% Syrah from the Gigondas appellation. This wine is unfiltered and fermented 6 months in French oak. Tasting notes: Very aromatic. Refined fruit and flavors of dark berries, blackberries, with some herbal and spicy components. Elegant, complex and well-balanced. Great acidity. Still a little young. Needs some time. Up to 2 years

DOMAINE LE COLOMBIER 2007 VACQUEYRAS TRADITION $27
This producer is also located in the town of Vacqueyras. The appellation area covers the two communes of Vacqueyras and Sarrians within the “Vaucluse “department”, at the base of the Dentelles de Montmirail hills. The Vacqueyras appellation received Grand Cru status in 1990.  Tasting notes: Well-made Rhône wine with rustic, dark fruit, blackberries, herbal and earthy notes. Shows tar and mineral notes on the dark, long finish. Great acidity and body. A wonderful wine.  Drink now, up to 2 years.

EMMANUEL DARNAUD 2006 CROZES HERMITAGE $28
Emmanuel Darnaud is one of the most talented young winemakers in the Northern Rhône Valley. After working for 4 years for Bernard Faurie, he made his first vintage in 2001. The winery is located in La Roche-de-Glum. Tasting notes: Seductive bouquet. Dark and racy, with lots of blueberry, olives, violets, tar and iron notes. Medium-to full-bodied, with a firm structure. Long, smoky finish. Drink now, up to 3 years.

Enjoy & cheers,
Jens

Note:  If you are interested in joining our wine club, read more at http://www.portaliswines.com/wine-clubs/index.php