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