Wine Tasting October 26
(receive by email? Click title for complete post)
Well, the day started with a very soft “bang” as a first-time couple from Seattle arrived early in the afternoon for tasting. It was a pleasant reminder of the quieter days before last May, when there were rarely more than three or four visitors, and it was quiet and easy to chat and get to know our guests. That typically gets more difficult as the day goes on.
Anyway, the “bang” was that these lovely folks decided to buy a case of the day’s wines, clearing out the few remaining bottles of the Relagnes Cotes de Rhone, and setting up later arrivals for “Here, you might like this, by the way we don’t have any more.” So when that ran out we poured the Château Saint-André Corbin St-Georges-St-Émilion 2004, which, like many wines in our shop, have been languishing in a corner for a couple of years. We have poured it a few times, but on this day it was Ready, and was a hit. I think we have just one bottle left, and I might have to “disappear” it…!
When we run out of something during a tasting, and have to replace it with something else, it is always fun to renumber the new wine as “the New Number Two,” which leads to considerable confusion and always reminds me of the old (ancient to some) TV series The Prisoner, which began with Patrick McGoohan’s abduction and awakening at The Village:
Why did you resign?
WHO are YOU?
I’m the new Number Two.
Whose side are you on?
That would be telling.
Who is Number One?
YOU are Number Six.
I AM NOT A NUMBER! I AM A FREE MAN!
…and then some spy-movie music would start and you could see him racing around in his little Lotus Super 7 and how he got captured…If you are too young to remember it (it WAS forty years ago!) then check it out on Netflix and we’ll talk about it. But I digress; the other wines for the day were also quite popular; we are down to one bottle of the Brooks Amycas, which everyone liked, and though everyone loved the OS syrah, not many buyers in the price range.
This week’s tasting:
Domaine Laurens Cremant de Limoux (France) $14 — This ancient cousin to champagne is from a little area in the SW corner of France near the Spanish border, with creamy mousse texture, and notes of baked apple, prune, yeast, and minerality.
Denis Gayte “Harmonie” ’07 (France) $10 — I haven’t actually tasted this vintage, but the wine has an interesting story (http://wsm.wsu.edu/s/index.php?id=214#) and I have liked it in the past. Made in Provence by a young American who grew up in Seattle. (http://www.lagramiere.com/blog/2007/07/meet-denis-gayt.html#). Come try it out!
Marquis Philips Sarah’s Blend Shiraz ’06 $15 (Australia) — This wine is made by an American in Australia, and was one of the pioneers of the big fat Aussie shiraz’s we all love to wallow in from Mclaren Vale; the nose is big and jammy with plums, spice, almond and chocolate aromas, and full-bodied, fruit-driven, intense flavors.
Numanthia Termes ’04 (Spain) $26 — Parker 94 pts: Inky purple-colored, it emits a beautiful bouquet of scorched earth, graphite, wild blueberry, and blackberry liqueur, followed by a full-bodied, layered, concentrated, intensely flavored wine with exceptional balance and length. (only have a few, better show up early; in most wine shops these disappeared minutes after arrival about 3 years ago!)
Wine Tasting October 17
(no pictures? click on link above to view entire post )
Last week we spent on the road with the dogs in Eastern Washington. Visited a few interesting wineries whose wines we will be ordering and featuring soon–more on that later. We got back on the midnight boat on Friday, imagining a quiet day in the wine shop Saturday. WRONG! We had lots of visitors, went through two bottles of everything we were pouring, compared to the usual of something less than one bottle of each wine.
It was also one of those days when all the wines were really showing well. The Argiolas vermentino continues to impress me every time I taste it; the Marchetti was strutting its stuff; we ran out of the OS Red (don’t worry, will get more, this is a staple for us) so opened the Townshend T3 red blend (which some people liked even better); and the Alexandra Nicole Quarry Butte was probably the favorite of the day, at least for some people…so it was a good day for Washington reds (yum yum!)!
Here are a few of the revelers:
Wines for this weekend:
Brooks Amycas ’07 (Oregon) $15 Aromas of apricots, minerals, white flowers, melons, white peach, lime, and kiwis; In the mouth, ripe acidity and tremendous minerality; pure notes of tangerines, honey, and ripe apricots finish of pure stones slathered in lime blossom honey.
Durigutti Bonarda ’06 (Argentina) $9 Juicy notes of blackberry and blueberry, with tinges of tobacco, fig and smoke.
Domaine de Relagnes CdRhone Vielles Vignes ’05 (France) $13 Earthy old world style syrah/grenache blend with soft briar, cherry, licorice, and tobacco notes, and an open texture that speaks of bread & cheese in summer meadows…
OS syrah Dineen Vineyard ’04 (Washington) $25 Been sitting on this one for a few years, just now hitting its stride with winemaker Bill Owen’s trademark luscious fruit on both the nose and palette.
Weekly wine tasting October 10
The gloomy and cold weather the past week came as a bit of a shock after a really lovely September. Around here, of course, once the Fall Gloom makes an appearance, you never quite know if it will be hours, days, or perhaps months till you see the sun again. So sometime Friday the sky cleared, the the weekend has been sunny and beautiful, a bit breezy, with cool air and warm sun. Leaves are dry and rattle on the trees, a few falling here and there, and fields and meadows have a swishy whoosh as dry stalks dance in patterns like flocks of birds, first this way, then that.
The past Saturday could be called “the Day of Three Elizabeths,” all visiting for the first time, and somewhat improbable given the quiet start to the day. And no, they did not all come in together. This is fodder for all you conspiracy theorists out there…What Could It Mean?!!
OR, based on the photos that actually came out, it might be called, “Gee, that Brian is Cute Day”…(you be the judge!)
The wines were all showing very well, if just a bit cold. Finally wound up sitting the reds in warm water for a bit to bring them up to a comfortable temperature. I don’t even like white wines (except sparklers) ice cold, and most wines including whites generally have more aroma and bigger flavor as they approach 68-70 degrees. Of course, a lot of wines do better cold because it really is better NOT to taste some of the details! But I can’t imagine that ever happening here, because we just don’t carry wines like that!
Iif you follow ratings, that means we try to keep as much of our inventory as possible over 90 points, the cutoff between “very good” and “outstanding” on the 100 pt scales used by Wine Spectator or Wine Enthusiast (Parker). Our “bargain rack” permits some exceptions, maybe down to 88 or 89…just so you know all our selections are carefully made…”many are tasted; few are chosen!”
Wines for the coming weekend:
Argiolas Costamolino Vermentino 2006 (Italy-Sardinia)–Supple aromas of citrus, pineapple, tropical fruits and honey are wonderfully supported by a zesty acidity. Delicate and pleasantly refreshing on the palate…(I love this wine!) $14
Marchetti Montepulciano ’06 (Italy) : Laced with intriguing smoky cranberry spiciness over vividly flavored dark cherry and plum fruit. A joy to drink.…$10
OS Winery Red ’06 (Washington): aroma of black cherries and clove with hints of roses. Rich, concentrated and balanced with soft, supple tannins; flavors of cassis, dark chocolate and ripe blackberry are generous but still subtle. This is a graceful wine from its plush, mouth-filling start to its deliciously lingering finish. $16.
Alexandria Nicole Quarry Butte Red ’04 (Washington): Velvety, focused, and impeccably balanced, a nicely crafted mouthful of plum, prune, and mocha flavors that linger effortlessly on the seamless finish. $22
Lummi Island Wine Tasting October 3
Well, of course the Big News here is that the Whatcom Chief is back in service as I write this. For those of you who do NOT live on the island, once a year the ferry goes away for annual maintenance for two or three weeks. This year it was three weeks, during which a passenger boat carries people and their scheppables between the mainland and the island. We are all deeply Ready to have our trusty boat back…
Whatcom Chief with Mt. Baker in the background
Saturday (and Sunday) was one of those truly stunningly beautiful fall days when the air is clear, the sky deeply blue, the sunshine bright. Small wonder not many visitors arrived till pretty late in the afternoon, when we saw many of the Usual Suspects (but no camera at hand!).
As promised in last week’s post, out of deference for the fine weather we poured the Brancott sauv blanc instead of the Marchetti verdicchio. How was I to know that the verdicchio was new grandma Nancy’s new Favorite White Wine, and it was truly heartbreaking to see her disappointment…not that there was anything at all wrong with the day’s whites, which showed very well. The l’Hortus Pic St. Loup won a few converts, but perhaps it is an acquired taste with its rustic intensity and robust tannins. What can I say, I like this little region with its distinctive wines…
So this week we WILL feature the later harvest verdicchio (not a desert wine, just a little fuller-bodied than usual), so y’all come back ‘n’ see us again this week, Nancy. Also, we had occasion on Sunday to try another bottle of the Perazzeta Erio “super-Tuscan” (sangio, syrah, cab, merlot), and it has opened up nicely since we poured it a couple of months ago at our Italian tasting…think Very Cherry!Saturday’s tasting:
October 3 tasting:
Marchetti Later Harvest Verdicchio (Italy) Full-bodied with lush notes of pear and melon, and beautiful acidity. A one of a kind wine from one of the great winemakers of Marche $14
Luzon ’07 monastrell/syrah ’07 (Spain) exhibits a bouquet of spice box, violets, and blueberry. On the palate this smooth-textured wine offers generous savory fruit, good balance, and a pure finish. $9
Perazzeta Erio Sangio, cab, syrah blend (”Super Tuscan) Balance, extract, and raw power so intense it induces sensations of actually chewing cherries, prunes and fresh dates!”…$15
Tres Picos Garnacha ’07 (Spain) sexy aromas of cedar, underbrush, mineral, and black cherry. This leads to a layered, intense, spicy, rich Garnacha with gobs of succulent fruit, excellent balance, and a plush finish. $14.
2072 Granger Way
