MARCH 2010 NEWSLETTER

RED WINES

OREGON – RED

L&E CASE SAMPLER: 2008 Patricia Green Cellars, Pinot Noir Sampler, Willamette Valley, Oregon … 325.00 per case We selected this superlative Patricia Green Cellars sampler after a comprehensive tastings of all her 2008 Pinots. The choice was not easy, as there were many beautiful wines to chose from. The result is an array of wines that represent the best of Patty’s winemaking skills — and the best of the vineyards. Each case consists of three bottles of each of the following wines: 2008 Four Winds 2008 Eason 2008 Balcombe 2008 Estate, Old Vines

FRANCE – RED

2008 Famille Iché, Les Hérétiques, Vin de Pays de l’Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon, France 9.50/101.50
Year after year Iché’s Les Hérétiques is our premier candidate for best bistro/party red, especially at its amazingly affordable price point. A blend of old-vine Carignan and Syrah grown outside the boundaries of the great Minervois appellation, Iché’s Les Hérétiques sports a bold plum-garnet color and packs a serious nose of plums, baker’s chocolate, leather and herbal garrigue. The wine’s palate is chock full of sappy boysenberry and red plum fruit accented by notes of tar, leather, juniper and a hint of that fantastic French “funk.” Firm with food-friendly acidity and fine, buffered tannins, this is among the most joyous wines on the shelf and a steal for its modest tariff. Make it your everyday red wine and serve with burgers, grilled lamb, casseroles, pizza, and just about anything outside the green vegetable and seafood spectra.

2007 Château Maupague, Sainte Victoire, Côtes de Provence, France 14.99/160.00
The etymology of the name Maupaque means "giving little," which applies well to the rocky clay and limestone soil upon which the Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre vines that compose this wine must struggle to survive. The vines’ struggle on these meager soils pays dividends to you as more flavor, extract and character in your glass. In this bottling, Château Maupague has captured the bright-fruited nature of the great 2007 vintage as well as the vintage’s rare balance of elegance and full-throttle ripeness. Deep black-purple color, the Maupague’s bouquet shows bitter chocolate, boysenberry fruit alongside hints of dusty garrigue. Notes of ripe black plums, licorice and black cherries combine to stain the palate and segue to a back-palate suggesting oil-cured black olives, wintergreen and dark chocolate. Herbal garrigue notes reappear on the wine’s long, dusty finish, along with fine-grained tannins and bright plum and black cherry fruit. This is a perfect choice for bargain-seeking fans of wines of Bandol and Aix, as well as those who long for a hearty, rustic red. Serve with grilled burgers, lamb stews, roasts of beef, cassoulet and rich vegetarian casseroles featuring eggplant, olives, potatoes and tomatoes. This is a terrific Provençal rouge and a great value.

2007 Domaine de la Chanteleuserie, Bourgueil, Cuvée Beauvais, Loire Valley, France 15.99/171.00
One of the most underrated of the world’s great wines, Bourgueil, along with its neighbor Chinon, are the planet’s benchmarks for the noble Cabernet Franc grape. For over a decade, Thierry Boucard’s Domaine de la Chanteleuserie has been a fixture in Kermit Lynch’s esteemed portfolio. The pinnacles of the domaine are the Cuvée Vieilles Vignes and this single-vineyard wonder, the Cuvée Beauvais. Medium-ruby in the glass, the Cuvée Beauvais infuses its limestone gout de terroir in bright loganberry and mulberry fruit, lip-smacking acidity and the deftest wave of palate-coating fine tannins. Suggestions of sweet tobacco, brown spices, red currants, violets and crushed herbs sneak in on the long, complex finish. A stunning wine and a terrific value, we suggest buying a case to enjoy now and over the coming decade with pork rillettes, gratin dauphinois, hangar steaks, grilled eggplant, fresh chèvres, burgers, poultry, just about anything that doesn’t make water its habitat.
-A Kermit Lynch Selection

2007 Isabelle Carles et Franck Pascal, Le Jonc-Blanc, Bergerac Classik, Southwestern France 13.99/149.50
Just to the west of Bordeaux, the Bergerac region lies in the shadow of its more famous neighbor. Employing the classic Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grown naturally and in harmony with nature, Isabelle Carles and Franck Pascal have crafted a hearty red to make the Bordelaises raise their eyebrows. Opaque black plum in color, the Classik mimics classified Bordeaux with its deep plum and cassis fruit, carob, tobacco and gravelly soil undercurrents, and soft kiss of vanillin oak. Tannic, firm and brimming with energy, Carles et Pascal have fashioned a winner that will go toe-to-toe with the best of the Haut-Médoc at a fraction of the price. Enjoy this now and over the coming five years with roast lamb, beef rib roasts, hearty potato dishes, duck, rabbit and rich game dishes.

2007 Domaine des Lauribert, Côtes du Rhône, Tradition, Southern Rhône Valley, France 9.50/101.50
After five generations of vine growing in the Côtes du Rhône, the Sourdon family took the big step into making and marketing their own exemplary wines. This is terrific news for lovers of authentic, affordable, garrigue and terroir-driven Southern Rhône rouges. Submitted for your approval is Lauribert’s entry-level Côtes du Rhône, which in the superb 2007 vintage roars with juicy Grenache fruit and terroir-driven notes of tar, sage, juniper, wet stones and saddle leather. Brisk on the attack yet sumptuous on the palate, Lauribert’s Tradition performs like a wine twice its price. As the palate yields to the wine’s long finish, notes of Seville orange peel, potpourri, bay leaf and underbrush emerge to make this affordable wonder even more compelling. Enjoy this recession buster now and over the coming three years with braised lamb shanks, ratatouille, burgers, pizza, stews and hearty fare featuring lots of rosemary, garlic, tomatoes or anchovies.

ITALY – RED

2007 Casalone, Barbera del Monferrato, Piedmont, Italy 11.99/128.00
Alongside Asti and Alba, Monferrato is one of the great sub-regions for the workhorse Barbera grape. Casalone has crafted an absolutely delicious and ready-to-drink interpretation of Barbera that presents this wonderful, versatile, food-friendly grape at an everyday price. Deep black-plum in color, Casalone’s Barbera opens with heady aromas of plums, cherries and spice. Velvety on the attack, the wine tightens mid-palate to reveal brisk acidity, fine tannins and complex notes of dried plums, untanned leather and semisweet chocolate. Fresh and bristling with energy, this is dynamite Barbera for the money and a natural partner to all things Piemontese. It will also pair nicely with everyday fare like burger, pizza, pastas, casseroles and grilled flank steak. Enjoy now and over the coming two years to capture all the wine’s exuberant fruit.

2006 Montaribaldi, Barbaresco, Palazzina, Piedmont, Italy 23.99/257.00
The esteemed Montaribaldi estate crafts this delicious, traditionally structured yet modern styled Barbaresco from hillside vineyards in the Starderi subzone of Barbaresco’s hallowed commune of Neive. A gorgeous, limpid ruby color in the glass, Montaribaldi’s Palazzina casts scents of cola, cinnamon, smoke, rose petals and black tea. Spine-tingling tannin provides the framework for a dense core of pie cherry and cranberry fruit laced with hints of camphor and black licorice. Long and satisfying on the finish, the Palazzina’s modern touch emerges as barrel notes of vanilla and smoke linger alongside an undercurrent of limestone minerality and hints of piney underbrush. This Barbaresco will pair well now with hearty risottos, osso buco and rich lamb preparations, but ideally is best cellared for another decade or two to allow the wine’s plentiful dusty tannins to melt into its sappy red fruit core.

2005 Monchiero, Barolo, Piedmont, Italy 27.99/299.00
From superb vineyard sites in the esteemed Castiglione Falletto zone comes this traditionally-styled, old-school Barolo. A brilliant, deep ruby color in the bowl, Monchiero’s Barolo explodes with aromas of black licorice, woodruff, leather and menthol. Packed with Nebbiolo’s signature pie cherry and plum fruit, the wine offers palate-staining, mouth-searing tannins and a glorious limestone and clay soil undercurrent. Hints of herbs, licorice, anise, cherries, porcini mushrooms and fruitwood smoke mark the long, lingering finish. If you must serve this glorious value of a traditional Barolo now, serve it only with the heartiest foods to tame its classically tannic profile: eggplant and rich beef dishes come to mind. Optimally, we recommend laying a case down in your cool cellar for ten, twenty, even thirty years to prove to your friends that truly great, ageworthy Barolo can still be had for under $30. Great wine!

2007 Lanari, Rosso Conero, Marches, Italy 13.99/149.50
In the Marches region along the Adriatic Sea, the Montepulciano grape takes prominence over the Sangiovese and forms the foundation for some of the heartiest and finest value red wines coming out of Italy. Lanari’s deep, plum-scented 2007 Rosso Conero opens with an opaque black garnet color and heady, rustic aromas of menthol, cherries and game. The Rosso Conero stains the palate with deep plum and boysenberry fruit complemented by complex, earthy notes of leather, black pepper and tar. Gripping, firm and brimming with bright, tangy fruit, the wine finishes long, earthy and robust, with its sappy fruit lingering alongside notes of bay leaf, oregano, crushed black peppercorns and game. Pair this delicious and appetizing central Italian gem over the next five to eight years with grilled meats, sausages and vegetables or hearty winter stews.

2006 Falchini, Titolato Colombaia, Chianti Colli Senesi, Tuscany, Italy 11.50/123.00
Tuscany’s great Falchini estate returns to these pages with yet another winner! From Chianti’s Colli Senesi zone, near San Gimignano, Falchini’s ’06 Titolato Colombaia, offers splendid ripeness and authentic Chianti character for its modest everyday price. The wine opens with a deep black-garnet robe and heady aromas of dried cherries, ripe Italian plums and limestone earthiness. Rich, chewy plum fruit combines on the palate with hints of camphor, wintergreen and mushroomy sottobosco to make for a precocious and food-friendly Chianti. A complex hint of delicately tannic walnut skin finishes the wine and makes it even more appetizing and ready for your table with bucatini all’amatriciana, grilled zucchini, burgers and pizza. Enjoy now through 2013.

WHITE WINES

OREGON - WHITE

2007 Belle Pente, Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon 14.99/160.00
Belle Pente’s Brian O’Donnell is one of the Willamette Valley’s most gifted and conscientious winemakers. O’Donnell’s trademark is his ability to balance elegance and power while simultaneously honoring the distinctive nature of his vineyards’ terroirs. An unabashed Alsatian wine enthusiast, O’Donnell looks to Alsace for inspiration this rendition of Oregon’s signature white grape. Belle Pente’s ’07 Pinot Gris opens with a vivid lemon-gold color accented by lime green glints. In the glass, the Pinot Gris offers racy, smoky aromas of Bartlett pears, honeysuckle and ripe kiwi. The palate impression is bright and racy, highlighting juicy flavors of meyer lemons, honeydew melon and tilleul honey. It finishes with and smoky mineral streak and an exotic, honeyed note of spicy botrytis. Exhibiting intensity and power more akin to Alsatian Pinot Gris than to an Oregon rendition, Belle Pente’s ’07 Gris is a remarkable drink by itself, but also a natural accompaniment for pan roasted halibut, cedar plank salmon, grilled summer squashes, poached trout and other light, spring-oriented recipes. A singular and riveting Oregon Pinot Gris.

FRANCE - WHITE

2007 Joseph Drouhin, Saint-Véran, Mâconnais, Burgundy, France 14.99/160.00
Saint-Véran in the Mâconnais region of southern Burgundy is the source of many delicious Chardonnays laced with that inimitable Burgundian limestone soil signature. In white Burgundy’s minerally, terroir-expressive 2007 vintage, Drouhin has fashioned a classic winner from this unheralded region wedged between Pouilly-Fuissé and Beaujolais. The 2007 Saint-Véran sports a lovely pale lemon-gold color, followed by limestone-inflected aromas of butter, apple blossoms and hazelnuts. The wine’s palate is fresh and ample with suggestions of hazelnut oil and lemon curd balanced by a vibrant undercurrent of salty, crushed oyster shell minerality. 2007 is a classic, terroir-driven white Burgundy vintage and is being snapped up by Burgundy lovers. Discover why they’re all abuzz with this affordable minerally wonder from Joseph Drouhin. Drink now and over the coming three years with salmon, pork, roast chicken, duck, light pork dishes and mild sausages.

ITALY – WHITE

2008 Palazzone Orvieto, Classico Superiore, Terre Vineate, Umbria, Italy 13.99/149.50
Orvieto, Umbria’s most renowned white wine, is at its best when made from fruit grown on the complex volcanic and tufa limestone soils in its Classico zone. Palazzone’s Orvieto, from hillsides in the region’s Classico historical core, is a noble, harmonious blend of Procanico (50%), Grechetto (25%), Verdello (15%) and a balance of Malvasia and Drupeggio. A lovely straw-yellow color in the glass, the wine casts aromas of comice pears, freesia, and almond paste. Brisk on the attack yet full-bodied on the palate, Palazzone’s Orvieto fuses glorious honeyed pear and kiwi notes with suggestions of lime zest, hops, eucalyptus and lemon balm. On the finish, the Palazzone Orvieto is long, dry and tactile, adding notes of menthol, bitter almond skin and smoky minerals. Try this intense, full-bodied and delicious Orvieto now to capture all its youthful charm with shellfish, freshwater fish dishes, light poultry preparations, semi-firm cheeses, and light vegetarian fare.

2008 Cantina Zaccagnini, Bianco di Ciccio, Il Vino dal Tralcetto, Colline Pescaresi, Abruzzo, Italy 13.50/144.50
The magical Abruzzese blend of Trebbiano and Chardonnay is back! Over the years this wine found many friends with its lusty mix of melon fruit and the cute vine clipping that’s tied to the neck of the bottle. Yes, the packaging is cute, but more importantly the wine inside is stellar. Grown on the warm hillsides around Pescara near the Adriatic Sea, the Zaccagnini Bianco begins with heady aromas of honeydew melon, gardenia blossoms, chamomile and fennel. In the mouth, the wine coveys a warm, welcoming texture and impressions of melon fruit infused with minerals and hints of anise. On the wine’s long, minerally finish, reprises of melon and licorice are accented by emerging hints of yellow plum and apricot. Good acidity balances the wine’s rich texture and frames its vibrant fruit. This distinctive IGT blend will make a great partner to prawns sautéed in garlic and olive oil, white sauce pasta dishes, squid, halibut, lobster and other frutti di mare. Drink now or over the next year.

2008 Fondo Antico, Grillo Parlante, Sicilia IGT, Italy 11.50/123.00
To many Sicilian wine authorites, Grillo – grown almost exclusively along Sicily’s western seaboard – is the most noble of the island’s indigenous white grapes. Fondo Antico’s Grillo Parlante (“talking cricket”) is a classic example of the varietal, sporting a deep lemon-gold hue and opulent, tropical aromas of perfumed star fruit, passion fruit and banana. The Grillo’s honeyed tropical fruit saturates the palate before being reined in by vibrant, juicy acidity and a tactile resinous grip. The back-palate adds suggestions of almond skins, pineapple and honey. On the finish, the Grillo offers lemony, citrus nuances and a closing touch of smoky minerals. The verve, clarity and focus of this wine and its amazing kaleidoscope of fruit expressions make this one of the most complex and compelling Grillos in our experience. We suggest pairing it over the coming year with grilled swordfish, salt-baked branzino, Sicilian antipasti and eggplant casseroles.

2008 Fattoria Laila, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore, Marches, Italy 9.50/101.50
Fattoria Laila’s 2008 Verdicchio has captured splendidly the smoky, herbal and mineral facets of this most complex and under-appreciated grape. Laila’s 2008 Verdicchio casts a green-tinged lemon gold color from the glass and complex aromas of kiwi, lemon curd, smoky minerals and honeydew melon. On the palate, the Verdicchio fuses gorgeous pear, melon and kiwi fruit with brisk acidity and an undercurrent of chalky minerals. Hints of sweet snap peas and lime zest emerge on the wine’s long resinous, mineral-laden finish. Serve this classic, affordable example of Italy’s most underrated white wine now or over the coming year with light pork preparations, freshwater fish dishes, grilled squashes, fresh cheeses and frittatas featuring onions, potatoes and zucchini.

GERMANY - WHITE

GEORGIA - WHITE

2007 Vinoterra, Tsinandali, Kakheti, Georgia 13.50/144.50
Georgia has one of the longest and most storied histories of viticulture, but until recently its wines weren’t widely available in the U.S. This is, in fact, the first Georgian wine to grace these pages. Based on a blend of 80% Rkastiteli and 20% Mtsvane grown in Kakheti, one of Georgia’s most prestigious wine-growing zones, this is a white wine like no other we’ve ever tasted. Pale straw-gold in the glass, Vinoterra’s Tsinandali unleashes a whirlwind of exotic aromas suggesting cling peaches, cardamom and tarte tatin. Brisk and perfumed on the palate, the Tsinandali continues with aromatic suggestions of Indian incense, cinnamon and cloves inside a core of pear and apricot fruit. The balance between the wine’s exotic fruit and spice aromatics and its brisk acidity creates a beautiful tension that makes this one of the most exciting and refreshing white wines in memory. Enjoy this exotic beauty now and over the coming year with freshwater fish dishes, light pork and poultry. It should also be fabulous with aromatic cuisines like Indian, Moroccan, Lebanese and Turkish. Yum.

LINER & ELSEN
2222 NW Quimby St.
Portland, OR 97210
800-903-9463
503-241-9463

HOURS: Mon.-Sat.,
10a.m -6p.m.

THIS MONTH'S WINES

L&E SAMPLER:
2008 Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Sampler

RED WINES:
2008 Iché Les Hérétiques
2007 Ch. Maupague Sainte Victoire
2007 Dom. de la Chanteleuserie Bourgueil
2007 Carles et Pascal Le Jonc-Blanc
2007 Dom. des Lauribert Côtes du Rhône
2007 Casalone Barbera del Monferrato
2005 Monchiero Barolo
2007 Lanari Rosso Conero
2006 Falchini Titolato Colombaia

WHITE WINES:
2007 Belle Pente Pinot Gris
2007 J. Drouhin Ste-Véran Mâconnais
2008 Schloss Saarstein Saarstein Riesling QbA
2008 Palazzone Orvieto Classico Superiore
2008 Zaccagnini Bianco di Ciccio
2008 Fondo Antico Grillo Parlante
2008 Fattoria Laila Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore
2007 Vinoterra Tsinandali

FRIDAY TASTINGS:
First and third of the month
5:30-7:30, fee

March 5 Chablis, Chablis and more Chablis.

March 19 How dare we? California Pinot Noirs.

April 2 Great wines from northeast Italy: Radikon, Jermann, Bastianich, and plenty more.

SATURDAY TASTINGS:
Weekly; Starts at noon, no fee

March 6 Oregon Wine Tasting: The winemakers from Alexeli, Cristom, Matello, and St. Innocent will be on hand to pour an array of great Oregon wines.

March 13 La Belle France: Joseph Drouhin Saint-Véran, Dom. de la Chanteleuserie Bourgueil, Les Hérétiques, Ch. Maupague Côtes de Provence, Dom. des Lauribert Côtes du Rhône, and Carles et Pascal Le Jonc-Blanc.

March 20 Tutti Italia: Palazzone Orvieto, Fattoria Laila Verdicchio, Cantina Zaccagnini Bianco di Ciccio, Fondo Antico Grillo Parlante, Casalone Barbera del Monferrato, Falchini Chianti, Lanari Rosso Conero, Montaribaldi Barbaresco Palazzina, and Monchiero Barolo.

March 27 We finish the month with Vinoterra Tsinandali, Schloss Saarstein Riesling. From Oregon: Belle Pente Pinot Gris and our Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir sampler.