JULY 2010 NEWSLETTER

RED WINES

OREGON – RED

2008 Crowley, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon 21.99/235.00
Before launching his eponymous venture, Tyson Crowley spent a dozen years working for some of the Willamette Valley’s most prestigious wineries. Crowley’s dedication and hard work have paid off, as is immediately apparent in his deeply layered and textured 2008 Pinot Noir. A gorgeous ruby robe in the glass leads to bright, spicy aromas of pie cherries, cranberries, geranium, clove and fresh vanilla bean. On the palate the wine shows beautifully the 2008 vintage’s breed and balance as saturated, high-toned fruit plays with complex suggestions of cinnamon-roasted coffee beans, button mushrooms, smoke and toffee. Shimmering acidity and just enough tannin form a lovely frame for the wine’s fresh fruit profile and distinctive earthy undertones. Crowley scores again with a brilliant, complex Pinot that over-delivers for its modest tariff. It’s a natural complement to lighter fare such as grilled and sautéed summer vegetables, Chinook salmon, roast chicken, duck and everyday fare like burgers, light casseroles and stews. Enjoy it now for its brilliant fruit expression, or age it three years in your cool cellar to allow its earthy, mushroom undertones to develop fully.

FRANCE – RED

2007 Château St. Martin de la Garrigue Tradition, Côteaux du Languedoc, Languedoc-Roussillon, France 12.50/133.50
We smell southern France in the glass: wild juniper berries, sage, tar and sun baked limestone dust. We taste the plum, Provençal cherry and black currant from the wine’s mélange of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan fruit. We note hints of sous bois, mushrooms, cinnamon, leather, game and that indescribably southern French “funk” that adds complexity and lifts the wine high above its humble origins. But mostly we sense the tradition that gives this bottling its name. There’s nothing modern or manipulated here: the wine tastes as if it was eked out of parched, herb-drenched earth. And indeed it was. Enjoy this southern French beauty over the coming five years with rosemary scented grilled lamb, olive tapenade, ratatouille and the myriad cuisine featuring anchovies, garlic, eggplant, rosemary, black olives, capers and aioli.
–A Kermit Lynch Selection

2007 Domaine Bressy-Masson, Rasteau, Côtes du Rhône Villages, Southern Rhône Valley, France 15.99/171.00
Until Rasteau finally gets its justly deserved Appellation Contrôlée status, we can marvel at the astonishing quality the wines offer for the pittance they still command. Rasteau is revered for its bold Gigondas-like reds, and Bressy-Masson again delivers with this gorgeously scented, mineral-driven masterpiece. An opaque black-plum color, Bressy-Masson’s Rasteau rouge opens with high toned licorice and garrigue-tinged plum and blackberry fruit. On the palate, the wine reveals a brilliant undercurrent of wet stones and limestone soil. Deft, balanced and utterly delicious, Bressy’s Rasteau behaves more like a fine Châteauneuf-du-Pape than a humble Côtes du Rhône Villages. Fresh and vibrant, the wine is just coming into its own and will continue to evolve for five to seven years in your cool cellar. Pair with grilled lamb, eggplant, burgers and rich poultry.

2007 Mas d’Intras, La Cuvée d’Alphonse, Vin de Pays des Côteaux de l’Ardèche 8.99/96.00
The Ardèche, the area between the Northern and Southern Rhône, is a little-known region with a long viticultural history. This is a region of experimentation, with traditional Rhône varieties sharing the stage with grapes from Burgundy and Bordeaux. What’s wonderful is that the blend of tradition and progressiveness succeeds, as evidenced by this bottle from Ardèche natives Denis Robert and Sébastien Pradal. Their Cuvée d’Alphonse is a blend of Merlot and Syrah that seamlessly fuses the plum and chocolate fruit of the Merlot with the tobacco, tar and leather nuances of the Syrah. The result is a delicious, affordable wonder that should form the basis for your summertime grill party. Throw some burgers, chops or Portobello mushrooms on the grill, pour this wine and enjoy. This is the party red wine of the summer. As the sticker on the bottle suggests, “Goûtez l’Ardèche.” We encourage you to do so, frequently.

2005 Château Clément Termes, Mémoire, Gaillac, Southwestern France 14.99/160.00 reg. 19.99
Gaillac is one of the France’s oldest documented viticultural areas. Employing Bordeaux and Rhone varietals blended with local specialties, Gaillac is also one of France’s most exciting and dynamic winemaking regions. Château Clément Termes’ Mémoire is a dense, deep, black-purple Gaillac that employs in equal proportion the indigenous Braucol (a.k.a Fer Servadou) and Syrah. Fusing the rustic, tannic wildness of the Braucol with the leathery, animal notes of the Syrah alongside hints of sexy vanillin oak, we have a unique southern French wine expression that won the Médaille d’Or at the Concours des Vines du Sud-Ouest in Toulouse. Rustic, hearty and tannic, the Clément Termes begins with scents of plums mixed with vanilla and earth. The wine transitions with blackberry fruit infused with perfumed soil, wood bark, smoke, tar and leather. It finishes long and complex. Enjoy now and over the next five years with rustic roasts and grilled meats, or hearty vegetarian fare featuring rosemary.

ITALY - RED

2007 La Luna del Rospo, Barbera d’Asti, Silente, Piedmont, Italy 12.99/139.00
We featured to great acclaim Rospo’s 2006 Barbera Silente, which was a smashing success and a wonderful throwback to the days when Barbera was a wine for the people rather than for the critics. Dare we even say that this 2007 is even more authentic, pure and delightful? It is. Here we have Barbera in all its minerally, unfussy organic glory. The wine smells like the limestone earth on which the vines grow; it shows just enough plum, boysenberry and cassis fruit to buffer an intense minerality, appetizing herbal top notes, dusty tannins and bristling acidic spine. All this adds up to the most natural, pure and delicious expression of Barbera we’ve had in moons. Notes of cinnamon, sarsaparilla and button mushrooms emerge with aeration and add to the Silente’s already complex palette of flavors. No doubt, this is the Barbera sensation of the year. It will complement everything from the mushroom spectrum, all kinds of grilled meats, eggplant, egg pastas and just about everything but leafy vegetables and seafood. Enjoy now and over the coming four years.

2007 Giovanni Rocca, Nebbiolo d’Alba, Piedmont, Italy 15.99/171.00
Decades ago and before the barrique revolution, Barolo, Barbaresco and Nebbiolo d’Alba were wines of translucent color, intensely complex woodsy perfume and mouth-searing tannins. All these wonderful “retro” characters are exemplified in this superb Nebbiolo d’Alba from Giovanni Rocca. The color is a translucent garnet-crimson core gradating to an orange rim. The aromas are like a walk through a hardwood forest on a damp autumn afternoon. The structure, well, let’s just say that there’s enough tannin here to delight even the most old-school neb-head. The beauty of this wine is that all these components are balanced and complementary. The woodsy, cinnamon-tinged perfume accents the wine’s licorice, blackberry and black-cherry fruit core. The Nebbiolo’s tannins amplify the wine’s limestone minerality, and the wine’s leafy, menthol and tobacco notes make one hungry for another bit of carne cruda, risotto al funghi, or egg tagliatelli with a meat sauce. Of course the Nebbiolo will be fabulous with less exotic cuisine like burgers, pizza, spaghetti and lamb shanks. Enjoy a few bottles now, but be sure to lay the better part of your case down for five to fifteen years.

2007 Barberani, Polago, Umbria IGT, Italy 13.99/149.50
Known for its exemplary white wines, Umbria’s Orvieto zone also produces lovely red wines based on the Sangiovese and Montepulciano grapes. Smoky, meaty and brimming with plum fruit, Barberani’s Polago rosso is a smash from the moment it hits your glass. A deep black-garnet color yields to spicy, smoky, meaty aromas that beg for something hot off the grill. On the palate the wine fuses gamy, leathery cherry fruit with hints of wood smoke, herbs and bayleaf. Firmly tannic on the back-end, the Polago’s firm structure counters the wine’s deep plum and cherry fruit core and make it a clear winner at the table. Pair this super Italian rosso with grilled meat and hearty vegetables – burgers, hanger steaks, eggplant and lamb. It will also be a delicious foil for whole roast suckling pig. Enjoy now and over the coming three years.

SPAIN - RED

2008 Vera de Estenas P.G., Bobal Madurado en Barrica, Utiel-Requena, Spain 12.99/139.00
In Spain’s Utiel-Requena D.O., the deeply-pigmented, indigenous Bobal grape thrives and gives us another reason to pay homage to the great and often unknown wines of Spain. The family-owned Vera de Estenas estate fashions some of the finest and most distinctive wines in the region, and we’re delighted to present their rare 100% Bobal offering that’s been matured in barrique. Vera de Estenas’s P.G. opens with a dense, impenetrable black-plum color and aromas of bitter cherry skins, leather and smoky earth. Brisk acidity and fine, firm tannins emerge on the back-palate and transition the wine to its long black-cherry, tar and smoky finish. Deep, classy and fathomless, enjoy this wonder from Spain’s high-altitude interior now and over the coming five years with grilled beef, lamb, game, rabbit, eggplant, porcini mushrooms and other hearty fare that needs a burly, full-bodied red wine.

WHITE WINES

FRANCE - WHITE

2009 Domaine Berthet-Rayne M&A, Cairanne Blanc, Southern Rhône Valley, France 13.50/144.50
Cairanne blanc is a genuine rarity, and – along with Châteauneuf blanc and Rasteau blanc – a Southern French expression that we especially relish. A new entry on our radar screen, Berthet-Rayne’s Cairanne blanc casts a gorgeous lemon-gold color from the glass alongside yellow plum, Comice pear fruit and stony minerality. Rich and textured on the palate, the wine’s complex mix of Clairette, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, Grenache Blanc and Bourboulenc seemingly unveils each varietal’s character one layer at a time. Bone dry and brimming with the Southern Rhône’s distinctive wet stone minerality, the wine over the course of time reveals a beguiling array of characters including honeydew melon, gardenia blossoms, beeswax, thyme, white tea and white pepper. On the finish, the wine’s smoky, stony mineral nature steps up in concert with its melon core and subtle herbal notes. This is a must-try for all fans of Châteauneuf blanc and authentic, terroir-driven southern French white wines. Enjoy now or over the coming three years with grilled bronzini, grilled eggplant and dishes emphasizing garlic, capers and anchovies. Fantastic wine!

2009 Les Perles, Piquepoul, Vin de Pays de l’Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon, France 8.50/91.00
For well over a decade, Picpoul de Pinet has become synonymous with American wine lovers for crisp, dry, seafood-friendly white wines. The word “Picpoul”, or here spelled “Piquepoul”, means “lip stinger” in the local dialect, and refers to the wines of yesteryear that were tart, lean and acidic. Today’s Picpoul retains ripe, refreshing acidity, but its tartness is balanced by fully ripened fruit, and its freshness retained by modern winemaking techniques. A Chablis-like green-gold in color, Les Perles’ Piquepoul casts aromatic notes of pineapple, pink grapefruit, Thai basil and flinty minerals from the glass. The wine’s crisp, enticing bouquet – not too far removed from a fine Sancerre – leads to a wonderfully juicy, full and zippy palate suggesting lime zest, kiwi and stony minerals. Crisp, clean and super-refreshing, this wine begs you to pair it with delicate white-fleshed fish dishes, grilled and sautéed zucchini, calamari, periwinkles, clams and oysters. A superb wine for warm summer evenings, serve this well chilled and enjoy it over the coming year.

2008 Château des Malandes, Chablis, Burgundy, France 15.99/171.00
Good, honest Chablis at an affordable price seems like something of an anomaly these days. We were delighted to taste this village-level Chablis from the Château des Malandes, which offers pure and unfettered Chablis goodness for a modest price. This AOC Chablis offers a clear and vivid look into what real Chablis is about. Pale lemon-gold in the glass, with the faintest glints of green, Malandes’ Chablis offers textbook Chablis aromas of lemon curd, oyster shells, salty sea breeze and soft white flowers. Clean and gripping on the palate, the oyster shell, limestone minerality comes to the fore and coats the palate with a bristling saline impression alongside hints of lemon balm and pear puree. The wine finishes clean and bracing, inviting you to take another bite of halibut or to slurp another oyster or to grab another Prince Edward Island mussel: you get the idea. Enjoy this wonder of a rare, affordable Chablis now and over the coming three years.

2009 Brumont, Gros Manseng-Sauvignon, Vin de Pays de Côtes de Gascogne, Southwestern France 8.50/91.00
Brumont’s 2009 cuvée of indigenous Gros Manseng, accented with the noble Sauvignon Blanc, makes for one delicious, herbal, thirst-quenching warm weather wine. Brilliant straw-gold in color with refreshing green glints, Brumont’s Vin de Pays opens with appetizing aromas of lemon balm, petrol, grapefruit and freshly-cut basil. On the palate, the Gros Manseng gives the wine its weight and texture as driven by intense notes of green melon, lime zest and gooseberries. The Sauvignon Blanc component contributes zesty, grassy basil and lime blossom notes. The wine finishes juicy, long and utterly refreshing, revisiting the citrus fruit expressions and herbal nuances before adding hints of petrol-inflected minerals and freshly gathered sorrel. This splendidly distinctive wine will make a superb complement to sautéed green vegetables, chicken, duck and mild fish preparations. Drink young to capture the wine’s fresh spectrum of delicate fruit and herbal nuances.

ITALY - WHITE

2009 Conti di Buscareto, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, Marches, Italy 10.50/112.50
Verdicchio is central Italy’s most distinctive white varietal. It scales its greatest heights in the mineral-rich soils of the Castelli di Jesi zone just miles from the Adriatic Sea. Green-gold in the glass and showing the varietal’s special expressions of lentils, green beans, snap peas and Bartlett pears, Conti di Buscareto’s Verdicchio also captures the grape’s crisp, minerally edge, which we always seek and is especially pronounced in best wines from the Castelli di Jesi zone. On the palate, the Verdicchio combines high toned pear and key lime notes accented by a complex, smoky mineral undercurrent before yielding to a long, rich finish reprising notes of snap peas, green lentils and dissolved minerals. Serve this distinctive and classically-styled Verdicchio now or over the coming two years with light pork preparations, freshwater fish dishes, and recipes featuring zucchini and summer squash.

2009 Filippo Gallino, Roero Arneis, Piedmont, Italy 14.99/160.00
Piedmont’s most distinctive white varietal has staged a remarkable comeback and is now getting the attention it justly deserves. In the early 1970s, Filippo Gallino was one of Arneis’ pioneers in Piedmont’s Roero district. His experience and deftness with this fickle varietal is very evident in his brisk, crisp and delicious 2009 bottling. Arneis’ beguiling aromas of sweet almonds and fresh white rose petals are captured beautifully in Gallino’s zesty 2009. Pale, limpid green-gold, Gallino’s Arneis shows taut minerality alongside notes of crunchy honeydew melon, freshly squeezed lime juice and chamomile. Tight and minerally on the attack, the Arneis broadens on the palate with clean, citrus fruit before finishing bright and lively with further notes of opulent rose petals, smoky minerals and hints of sweet pine nuts. Delicate and refreshing, serve Gallino’s Arneis all by itself or pair it with light fish dishes and pastas with delicate white sauces. As with all Arneis, enjoy this wine young to capture its delicacy, crispness and floral aromatics.

SPAIN - WHITE

2009 Arregi Getariako, Txakolina, Basque Country, Spain 13.50/144.50
On the rocky Biscay coast west of San Sebastian in Basque Spain, stubborn traditionalists fight the harsh local climate to produce one of the most racy and exciting white wines in the world, Chacolina (Txakolina in Basque). Pale straw in color, Arregi’s Txakolina offers distinctive aromas of lime zest, freshly cut fennel and chalky minerals. Fresh and still containing a healthy dose of dissolved CO2, Arregi’s Txakolina sports enough head-spinning acidity to handle the most wine-challenging vegetables, even asparagus and green beans. Supporting the high acidity is a rich and resinous fruit expression reminiscent of freshly squeezed lime juice, crisp green apples, gooseberries and kiwi. The finish leaves the palate coated with delicious dusting of saline minerals while reprising the wine’s key lime juice and fennel expressions. This is a staff favorite that always makes points with fans of crisp, mineral-driven wines such as Chablis, Riesling, Vinho Verde and Grüner Veltliner. Also fabulous with seafood tapas, this is a must-try selection that should ideally be enjoyed this spring and summer to capture its youthful vigor.

ROSÉ WINE

2009 Château Barbanau, L’Instant, Côtes de Provence Rosé, Provence, France 14.99/160.00
Sun-drenched Provence led the way in introducing fine dry rosé wines back into the conscience of American fine wine drinkers. Alas, many of the genre’s pioneering estates are now priced well out of our reach, but, thankfully their quality and distinctiveness is being carried forward by a new generation of quality-conscious vignerons. Enter Château Barbanau – here is the pale salmon-colored and herb-tinged, raspberry fruited expression that resurrected the genre. This is just gorgeous rosé! Pale enough to offer superb refreshment, yet showing enough skin character to convey the essence of freshly crushed red raspberries, blush peach skin and juicy pink grapefruit. Add to this medley hints of herbes de Provence and freshly-ground white pepper, and you have the rosé sensation of the season – and a great value to boot. Buy a case and enjoy this all summer long by itself after a long day, or paired with…well…everything!

WEB EXTRAS: Read the complete reviews online

• 2008 Château St. Martin de la Garrigue, Côteaux du Languedoc Blanc, Languedoc-Roussillon, France 15.99/171.00
  
• 2006 Penfolds, Shiraz, Bin 28, Kalimna, Barossa Valley, South Australia 11.99/128.00 reg. 26.99
  Wine Advocate, 90+ points

This symbol indicates a naturally farmed wine.

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

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

RED WINES:
2008 Crowley Pinot Noir
2007 Ch. St. Martin de la Garrigue Tradition
2007 Dom. Bressy-Masson Rasteau
2007 Mas d’Intras La Cuvée d’Alphonse
2005 Ch. Clément Termes Mémoire
2007 La Luna del Rospo, Barbera d’Asti Silente
2007 G. Rocca Nebbiolo d’Alba
2007 Barberani Polago
2008 Vera de Estenas P.G., Bobal Madurado en Barrica

WHITE WINES:
2009 Dom. Berthet-Rayne M&A Cairanne Blanc
2009 Les Perles Piquepoul
2008 Ch. des Malandes Chablis
2009 Brumont Gros Manseng-Sauvignon
2009 Conti di Buscareto Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi
2009 F. Gallino Roero Arneis
2009 Arregi Getariako, Txakolina

ROSÉ WINE:
2009 Ch. Barbanau L’Instant

WEB EXTRAS:
2008 Ch. St. Martin de la Garrigue Côteaux du Languedoc Blanc
2006 Penfolds Shiraz Bin 28

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

July 2 Kick off your Fourth of July weekend with a tasting of the great 2008 Oregon Pinot Noirs.

July 16 A “grand cru” tasting of Grüner Veltliners and Rieslings from Austria.

Aug. 6 California Chardonnays, the way they used to make ’em!

SATURDAY TASTINGS:
Weekly; Starts at noon, no fee

July 3 From France: Les Perles Piquepoul Vin de Pays de l’Herault, Ch. des Malandes Chablis, Dom. Berthet-Rayne Cairanne Blanc, Ch. Clément Termes Mémoire Gaillac, and Dom. Bressy-Masson Rasteau Côtes du Rhone.

July 10 From Italy: Conti di Buscareto Verdicchio, Filippo Gallino Roero Arneis, La Luna del Rospo Silente Barbera d’Asti, Giovanni Rocca Nebbiolo d’Alba, and Barberani Polago.

July 17 Back to France: Ch. Barbanau L’Instant Côtes de Provence Rosé, Brumont Gros Manseng-Sauvignon, Ch. St. Martin de la Garrigue Côteaux du Languedoc Blanc, Ch. St. Martin de la Garrigue Tradition Villages, and Mas d’Intras La Cuvée d’Alphonse.

July 24 A cornucopia of delicious wines: Arregi Getariako Txakolina, Vera de Estenas P.G. Bobal Madurado en Barrica, and Penfolds Bin 28 Shiraz. Plus, from Oregon: Crowley Pinot Noir.

July 31 A sampling of great Rosés. Summer fun!