06 VIONTA ALBARINO

                                                          (SPAIN’S FISH WHITE)

I cannot describe what a DEAL this Albarino IS!!  This single vineyard Albarino from Vionta is considered by the Spanish wine guide Penin to be at the top of the heap.  You want a testimonial??  The Vino family has easily consumed over a case of this in one weeks time.  89 points in Tanzer. Over twenty upon release.  Light gold. Vibrant citrus fruit and zest aromas are given an added boost by salty minerality. Racy lemon and grapefruit flavors display excellent clarity and punch, with the finish showing a tangy, mineral-dominated quality. This has good freshness and persistence and would be great with Thai fish dishes.  NEED WE SAY STOCK UP FOR SUMMER!!  AND, YES THIS PRICE IS FOR REAL!!         $7.95 BTL./$81.00 CS.(6.75)

DREAMING OF A WHITE (BORDEAUX) XMAS!

08 LA VIELLE TOUR

BORDEAUX BLANC

$9.95 BTL./$102.00 CASE

          Fresh off the boat!!  Sainte Croix du Mont is a lesser-known appellation of eastern Bordeaux. The region exists literally across the river from (but figuratively in the shadow of) Sauternes, the most well-known and probably greatest of French dessert wine producing regions. On this side of the Garonne Chateau Vieille Tour make probably the best, and certainly the best-value white wine.

          What makes this wine special? The Armand family have been on a mission (spanning two generations) to raise the quality of their wines and subsequently the reputation of this often-ignored appellation. Today they farm 20 hectares of 45-year-old vines planted on slopes that face full-south to the Garonne river. The wine is not fined and only lightly filtered.

         The prevailing style in Bordeaux for a number of years has been to bottle super-concentrated, ripe and lavishly oaky red (and occasionally white) wines. To me the wines of Chateau La Vieille Tour stick closer to an older template of subtle, medium-weight, food-friendly wines. Age worthy perhaps, but more importantly great in the meantime, in particular with traditional French country cooking.       

Long a source for Benchmark Oregon Pinot Noir, the Seven Springs Vineyard is now a "monopole" vineyard estate, meaning the entire vineyard is farmed and controlled by a single winery. Occupying the belly of an east facing ridge in the Eola Hills of Oregon's Willamette Valley, the terroir of the Seven Springs Vineyard is rich red volcanic rock, planted with a mix of Oregon Heritage & Dijon Clones. Superstar Winemaker Dominique Lafon consults on this Burgundy style pinot noir, emphasizing purity and elegance. Following gentle techniques to bring out the fruit character of the Pinot Noir, they have truly accomplished a masterpiece.

Spearheaded by former movie producer/speechwriter Mark Tarlov, Evening Land is a unique and ambitious project that highlights some of America's finest vineyard sights, starting with Oregon's Seven Springs Vineyard and Sonoma's Occidental. Seeking to put the terroir of these famous plots on display in a Burgundian style, Tarlov enlisted the help of several of the world's brightest stars. With Meursault vigneron Dominque Lafon (of Domaine Comte Lafon) and Sashi Moorman (of Ojai, III Somms) overseeing Oregon and Sonoma respectively, Evening Land is seeing quick results; the wines are being mentioned as heirs to the title of North America's finest Pinots and Chardonnays.

Serious pursuit of viticulture did not begin in the Willamette Valley until the late 1960's, but within a short period of time the potential of the region as a source for great Pinot Noir became apparent, as the moderate winters and cool summers provided a long, slow ripening season for the famously fickle grape.

2007 EVENING STAR (SEVEN SPRINGS) PINOT NOIR ESTATE....$39.95

Evening Land Vineyards Pinot noir made with fruit from several blocks of the Seven Springs Vineyard. Dark blackberry flavors and a strong streak of minerality form the character of this wine.

Wine Spectator says: "I like the iron-basalt overtones to the dark cherry and tobacco flavors in the complex and refined Pinot Noir Estate 2007, which blends fruit from all parts of the vineyard and sells for $45 at retail." - HS

2007 EVENING STAR (SEVEN SPRINGS) PINOT NOIR, LE SOURCE...79.95

Evening Land Vineyards Pinot noir made with Seven Springs Vineyard fruit. Intended for restaurants only.

Wine Spectator says: "The Pinot Noir La Source, which is destined for restaurants only, shows more ripe currant and blackberry fruit, with mineral character playing a supporting role. It reverses the polarity of fruit and mineral with the estate bottling." - HS

2007 EVENING STAR (SEVEN SPRINGS) PINOT NOIR, SUMMUM...$134.95

Evening Land Vineyards' premier Pinot noir, made from the oldest Pinot vines at Seven Springs Vineyard. The vines grow on a tiny lens at the bottom well of the La Source Cross where the ancient lava flow spread from North to South. The Witzel soils of Summum are extremely shallow and measure less than 1 foot before the roots strike hardened lava.

I suspect a Pinot has never been made exclusively from this tiny section of Seven Springs. The winemakers chose well, and the wine has intensity and a strong sense of place. Even more than the other Pinots made by Evening Land from this vineyard, Summum shows the minerality, intensity, and characteristic blackberry and currant notes this vineyard is known for.

2007 EVENING STAR (SEVEN SPRINGS) GAMAY NOIR...$17.95

Evening Lands Vineyards Celebration Gamay noir Seven Springs Vineyard is made from a small block of old vine Gamay noir in one of Oregon's best known vineyards.

Very limited

Intriguing and delicious dark fruit flavors and scents make Celebration an apt name for this old vine Gamay noir from Oregon's Eola-Amity Hills. Scents of blackberry, currant, and a hint of blackstrap molasses are restated in the flavor. Dark fruits, especially cassis/black currant, add depth to a refreshing, juicy wine. Hints of licorice and French Black Currant Pastilles accentuate the unique qualities of this immediately drinkable wine. You will never think of Beaujolais the same way again.

Evening Lands owner Mark Tarlov drinks this wine with French Fries. We agree. Celebration is a slurp-able crowd pleaser. Bring it out for football games and pair with a great burger (and don't forget Mark's fries!). I don't usually think of wine for tailgating, but Celebration converted even dedicated beer drinkers. (They drank it from mugs).

Like Beaujolais, it shares the quality of tasting great when chilled. It cut through the smoky fat of a T-bone, and even paired well with pulled pork sandwiches. You might think of Gamay noir as a summer wine. Don't limit yourself. Celebrate with Celebration this holiday season.

Famous British wine expert Jancis Robinson, OBE, Master of Wine (MW), and editor of the Oxford Companion to Wine, describes Celebration: "Very fresh Gamay nose with lovely pure fruit underneath. Again lots of acidity, like the Chardonnay, with a dry finish. Crunchy crisp. Seriously appetising. This would make a great summer drink and is yet another non-French Gamay that encourages us to look at Beaujolais again..."

2007 ELK COVE PINOT NOIR, WILLAMETTE VALLEY...$23.95

All of Elk Cove's delicate Pinot Noir fruit undergoes the same meticulous vineyard management and gentle handling through our gravity flow system, thus achieving the elegance, texture and luscious quality that are the hallmarks of exquisite Pinot Noirs. From the early pioneering days to now, our Willamette Valley Pinot Noir has remained the foundation of Elk Cove Vineyards. This Pinot Noir is blended from several select vineyard sites comprised of Pommard and Dijon plant material and shows the softest, most approachable drinking style Elk Cove makes.

Vintage 2007 is one that will certainly be discussed. Some say it’s a grower’s year, where meticulous thinning, canopy management and spray routines helped the fruit left hanging on the vine. Others maintain this is a winemaker’s year, where the most experienced and agile artists will be able to take the fruit given by Mother Nature and craft some outstanding wines. All agree that it brought some challenges, yet with the rain reminiscent of 2005 and much less than the last really rainy harvest of 1997, most in the valley know how to adapt; taking advantage of this year’s attributes such as lower sugars (lower alcohols) and higher acids. We love the classic cool Oregon climate in this year, which should give us more finesse rather than extraction and possibly even better ageability. This vintage will have stellar wines, just perhaps with more variability.

2007 ELK COVE PINOT NOIR, FIVE MOUNTAIN...$39.95

Five Mountain Vineyard was purchased by Elk Cove Vineyards in 2005 after leasing the site for several years. Previously only a component of our Willamette Valley blend, after taking full control of the vineyard we have found certain lots worthy of Single Vineyard status. This historic vineyard was planted in 1978 by the Ponzi family, the original 4.2 acres of old vines are comprised of Pommard clone and the entire vineyard is set on a steep southeast slope in the Chehalem Mountains AVA, overlooking “five mountains” in the Cascade Range most widely seen from the Willamette Valley. This vineyard was an important element to the early Ponzi Reserve Pinots and has also been a Single Vineyard selection from a number of premier Oregon wineries over the years. This site is sustainably farmed by Elk Cove Vineyards and now comprises a total of 30 acres including the original old vine Pinot Noir, Dijon Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Muscat. We are excited to include this Vineyard in our family of Single Vineyard wines!

2007 ELK COVE PINOT NOIR, MOUNT RICHMOND...$39.95

This vineyard site was purchased in 1996 in partnership between Adam and his wife Carrie, and parents Pat and Joe Campbell. The motivation for planting this vineyard was to emulate the wine quality from sites such as our esteemed Roosevelt vineyard. Mount Richmond sits at 300-500 feet elevation, lower than the vineyards planted at the winery, which allows for earlier ripening. Planted in a high-density format (2100 vpa), similar to Roosevelt, it sits in rolling hills just outside the town of Yamhill in the shadow of the Pacific Northwest’s Coast Range. The plant material sourced for Mount Richmond follows an old Burgundian tradition of selecting cuttings from the best plants (small clusters, tiny berries) from Roosevelt vineyard. It is the 4th generation of improved plant material (ECV Estate > La Boheme > Roosevelt > Mount Richmond), and all Pommard clone. This vineyard is completely dry-farmed and sits on Willakenzie soils.

2006 DOMAINE SERENE PINOT NOIR, YAMHILL CUVEE....$35.95

90 POINTS -“Supple, ripe and generous with its plum, blueberry and crème brûlée flavors, nicely draped with refined tannins, which persist on the focused finish. Drink now through 2014.” - Wine Spectator

TASTING NOTES
The bright, engaging aroma of spice, red fruit and fresh cut flowers leads to a broadly textured, lush and velvety palate of crushed berries, cherries and black licorice. This intense, black fruited wine shows notes of earthy spice, ripe plums and warm cherry pie, leading to a long and satisfying finish.

2006 DOMAINE SERENE PINOT NOIR, WINERY HILL....$59.95

94 POINTS - "The 2006 Pinot Noir Winery Hill Vineyard is sourced from Dijon clones planted in 2000 and 2001. It was fermented with 3.5% stems for additional spiciness. Dark ruby-colored, it offers up a spicy, cigar box perfume along with expressive blue and black fruits. On the palate it is quite dense and weighty with layers of savory dark fruit flavors bordering on opulence. This rich wine has a finish lasting for nearly a minute. Drink it from 2012 to 2020" - Robert Parker.

2006 DOMAINE SERENE PINOT NOIR, EVESTED RESERVE....$49.95

91 POINTS - "Medium ruby-colored, it offers notes of cedar, cinnamon, clove, cassis, and raspberry. This is followed by a medium- to full-bodied wine with layers of complex red fruits, enough structure to evolve for 3-4 years, excellent integration of oak, tannin, and acidity, and a lengthy finish. Drink it from 2010 to 2018. " — Robert Parker's The Wine Adocate

92 POINTS -“Smooth and round, with a lovely polished feel to the dark berry, cherry, licorice and spice flavors, flowing easily over finely tuned tannins, persisting expressively. Drink now through 2016.” - Wine Spectator

ONE OF THE YEAR'S BEST PINOT NOIRS - "Serene's flagship reserve is forward and ripe, the red berry and woodsy scents marked by oak. Yet the wine retains a pleasant lift, the black cherry flavors brightening with air and the acidity fresh and clean." - Wine & Spirits Magazine.

2005 DOMAINE SERENE PINOT NOIR, MARK BRADFORD...$74.95

TASTING NOTES
Deep ruby red color with a lovely perfumed nose of raspberry and cherry fruit and a slightly smoky edge. True to the vineyard, this wine is complex, fruit forward and shows rounded, sweet fruit with notes of caramel, saddle leather and tea leaf. Well structured tannins lead to full and intense finish. Will age beautifully for a decade or more.