JUNE NEWSLETTER

RED WINES

OREGON – RED

NV J.K. Carrière, Pinot Noir, Provocateur, Willamette Valley, Oregon 22.99/245.50
Owner-winemaker Jim Prosser studied under Véronique Drouhin of Domain Drouhin Oregon, Doug Tunnell of Brick House Winery and Christophe Roumier of Domaine George Roumier in Burgundy before launching his own label in 1999. Since his auspicious start, Prosser has distinguished himself as one of Oregon’s most dedicated and talented vignerons. Carrière’s NV Provocateur is an ingenious blend of the dusty, bright, red fruit of the Willamette Valley’s 2010 vintage augmented with a dollop of plump, robust Pinot from the 2009 vintage. The result is brilliant! The Provocateur opens with aromas of dusty cherry and raspberry fruit accented by smoky earth. Suave on the attack, the Provocateur stains the palate with plump cherry and crunchy pomegranate fruit complemented by subtle hints of toffee, cinnamon and vanilla bean. Fresh, focused and bristling with food-friendly acidity, the Provocateur shows impressive length and balance as it lingers on the palate with vibrant raspberry fruit and intriguing earthy expressions of smoke and minerals. A great wine and a brilliant fusion of two contrasting Oregon vintages. Enjoy now and over the next three years with roast chicken, potatoes au gratin, pan seared pork chops and mild salmon preparations.

2010 Ayres Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Perspective, Ribbon Ridge, Willamette Valley, Oregon 26.99/288.50
With each new vintage, Brad McLeroy of Ayres Vineyard releases finer and more terroir-expressive wines. McLeroy’s newest bottling is his Perspective Pinot Noir, fashioned from estate fruit blended with fruit from the neighboring Saikkonen and Armstrong vineyards in the prestigious Ribbon Ridge AVA. The result is a gloriously silky, layered Pinot in Ayres’s deep, seductive style. A lovely opaque ruby hue in the glass, Ayres’s Perspective Pinot casts aromas of loganberries, cinnamon, earth and subtle hints of oak. Fresh and brimming with blueberry and raspberry fruit, the Perspective graces the palate with waves of high-toned berry fruit accented by bristling acidity and touch of wild yeast complexity. Sweet raspberry fruit segues the palate to a brilliant finish that reprises the red and blue berry fruits, smoky earth, and a faint touch of French oak. The wine gains weight, complexity and nuance with aeration, so be sure to open this well in advance of serving, or better yet, lay it down for three to five years for all its many components to harmonize, integrate and blossom. A great, great example of Ribbon Ridge Pinot.

FRANCE – RED

2010 Burle, Cotes du Rhône, Southern Rhône Valley, France 11.50/123.00
The wine world is abuzz over the impeccably balanced and potentially long-lived 2010 vintage in the Southern Rhône. And as longtime aficionados know, Burle’s wines offer so much character, boldness and authenticity for their amazingly modest tariffs. Burle’s 2010 Cotes du Rhône highlights the intricate balance of structure and accessibility of the vintage with the rustic, southern warmth and herbal notes that define the finest Cotes du Rhônes. The 2010 opens with a dense black-plum color and notes of licorice, kirsch, plums, stony terroir, violets and herbal garrigue. The wine then transitions to deep, soulful expressions of ripe dried plums, black cherries and cassis framed by plentiful chewy tannins and lovely lingering notes of eucalyptus, black pepper and juniper. Tarry black fruit, licorice and juniper-driven herbal garrigue mark the wine’s long, authentic finish. This 2010 Cotes du Rhône is reference-standard and a superb value. Enjoy now or over the coming ten years with roast leg of lamb, ratatouille, and recipes favoring rosemary and fresh garlic.

2010 Élian da Ros, Le Vin est une Fête, Côtes du Marmandais, Southwestern France 14.99/160.00
Remember the amazingly good 2009 Le Vignoble d’Élian we featured in February? Here is another Élian da Ros wine to buy by the case. Working biodynamically, Da Ros combines the traditional Bordeaux varietals with the indigenous Arbouriou to create this spectacular country red that drinks like a delicious cross of a grand cru classé St.-Emilion and a rustic, gripping red from Madiran. A deep plum color in the glass, the wine explodes with a mélange of red and black cassis fruits alongside complex notes of cedar, graphite, earth and tobacco. Vibrant in the mouth, the wine conveys palate-coating currant fruit lifted by chalky minerality, shimmering acidity and notes of leafy tobacco and plentiful tannins. Long and complex well beyond its modest origins (and price tag), Da Ros’s Le Vin est une Fête finishes with suggestions of menthol, underbrush, red peppercorns and lip-smacking tannins. Serve now and over the coming three years with just about anything but seafood. Stellar wine!

2010 Pascal Marthouret, Syrah, Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes, Northern Rhône Valley, France 11.99/128.00
The greatness of the France’s 2010 vintage is exemplified by the stunning wines from the Northern Rhône Valley now beginning to trickle into the shop. In an area rife with superb wines and great values, comes this terrific Syrah from St.-Joseph and Condrieu superstar, Pascal Marthouret. An opaque plum color in the glass, Marthouret’s Vin de Pays fills the room with aromas of violets, star anise, leather, plums and game. Dense and chewy on the palate, Marthouret’s Vin de Pays coats the palate with spicy, ripe plum, cherry and fig fruit infused with a smoky current of granite soil terroir. Long, lush and complex well beyond its price point, Marthouret’s Syrah finishes with classic Northern Rhône expressions of cured meat, game, star anise, dried figs, fruitwood smoke and black pepper. This is insanely good wine for its modest tariff and will blow the pants off most New and Old World Syrahs that don’t have the words Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Cornas, St. Joseph or Crozes-Hermitage on the label. Enjoy now and over the next five years with roast leg of lamb, ratatouille, braised hare, hard cheeses, and burgers hot off the grill.

2011 Domaine du Cros, Philippe Teulier, Marcillac, Lo Sang del Païs, Southwest France 13.50/144.50
A frequent feature in these pages, we were again stunned by the quality and character of this humble French “country” wine in the newly released 2011 vintage. Marcillac, an isolated region located east of Cahors in France’s Massif Central, is home to the wonderfully obscure grape Fer Servadou. Opaque plum-ruby in the glass, the Lo Sang del Païs casts aromas of Szechuan peppercorns, roasted red peppers, spicy salumi and ferrous earth. Richly textured yet brisk on the palate, the wine adds complex notes of red currants and game, infused by a piquant ferrous-clay mineral undercurrent. Fine tannins and crunchy acidity transition the wine to its long, soil-expressive finish. Teulier’s deft, minimalist touch has tamed the Fer Servadou’s sauvagerie without sacrificing its rustic distinctiveness. Enjoy now and over the next five years with sausages, burgers, grilled vegetables and cassoulet. Again, a staff favorite!

ITALY - RED

2009 San Martino, Aglianico del Vulture, Siir, Basilicata, Italy 16.99/181.50
The Aglianico grape finds one of its highest expressions on the base of the ancient volcano Monte Vulture. Here the rustic, tannic varietal marries with the deep volcanic soils to produce Basilicata’s most revered wine. Winemaker Lorenzo Piccin employs organic grapes and indigenous yeasts to produce one of the finest Aglianico del Vultures to grace our palates. Deep crimson-plum in the glass, the Siir (father, in local dialect) casts warm southern Italian aromas of dried plums, dark cherries and piquant volcanic earth. Firm and appealingly rustic on the palate, the Siir alternates waves of dense plum, fig and cherry fruit, chewy tannins and spicy volcanic minerals. The Siir finishes with additional dollops of smoky earth, dried fruits, licorice and gripping tannins. Superb Aglianico and priced at a pittance for what it delivers, buy this by the case and serve with hard cheeses, hearty pasta dishes, roast lamb, grilled beef, and rustic eggplant casseroles.

2005 Fattoria di Petroio, Chianti Classico, Riserva, Tuscany, Italy 24.99/267.00 reg. 30.99
Petroio’s exemplary Chiantis from the prestigious Castelnuovo Berardenga village in the very south of the Classico zone are frequent features in these pages and have been customer favorites. Petroio’s ’05 Riserva continues the estate’s winning streak with an opaque black-plum color and an explosively perfumed bouquet of violets, bay leaf, black raspberries, dark cherries and saddle leather. A blend of 80% Sangiovese and 20% Canaiolo, Colorino, Malvasia Nera, Cabernet and Merlot, the Riserva stains the palate with tarry, leathery, saturated boysenberry and black cherry fruit complemented by notes of tar, leather, camphor and bitter chocolate. Deep, complex yet bright, lively and transparent, the wine finishes long, chewy and appetizingly tannic, with complex notes of tar, soy, graphite minerals, vanilla bean and almonds. Lovely now for hearty pastas, roasts, hard cheese and rustic vegetable casseroles, the Petroio Riserva will also reward five to ten years’ patience in your cool cellar, when you should pair it with a grilled, dry-aged Porterhouse steak.

2008 Tedeschi, Valpolicella, Classico Superiore, Capitel dei Nicalò, Veneto, Italy 15.99/171.00 reg. 17.99
Tedeschi has crafted a masterpiece of a Valpolicella in this 2008 Capitel dei Nicalò. Using a technique called “appassimento breve,” the fruit is dried for thirty days before pressing in order to gain richness and texture. A classic blend, the ’08 Tedeschi opens with beautiful aromas of tobacco, tar, dark cherries, fruitwood smoke, vanilla bean and cinnamon. Elegant and balanced, the wine feels suave and weightless on the palate, expressing chewy, dried pit fruits with undertones of tar, herbs and limestone dust. The finish is sweet, lingering and complex, with suggestions of sweet pipe tobacco, camphor, straw and limestone soil. This distinctive and elegant Valpolicella will make a perfect foil for cured meats, salumi, pâtés, hard cheeses, egg-rich pasta dishes, and game birds. Enjoy now or over the coming seven years. A must-try selection.

WHITE WINES

FRANCE – WHITE

2010 Domaine de la Tourmaline, Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie, Loire Valley, France 12.50/133.50
Tourmaline’s old-vine, mineral-driven Muscadet shines in the high-toned 2010 vintage. Pale, straw-gold in the glass, the wine is all about the minerals and the soil the minute it hits your glass. The wine opens with smoky, floral minerals alongside suggestions of quince and citrus fruits. Rich and expansive on the attack, Tourmaline’s Muscadet tightens mid-palate to remind you that it’s not about fruit or barrels or any such nonsense; it’s about the soil upon which the wine is grown. Smoky soil tones and grapefruit notes marry with insistent acidity and impeccable balance all the way through to the long finish, featuring green melon, mineral, almond and citrus. Perfect for pairing with shellfish and delicate fish preparations, Tourmaline’s Muscadet will also pair exceptionally well with grilled or broiled summer vegetables, fresh chèvres, and white pizzas. Great, great Muscadet and a fine value.

2011 Domaine Philémon, Gaillac Blanc, Perlé, Southwestern France 10.99/117.50
Situated between Bordeaux and the Languedoc in southern France, Gaillac is one of the France’s oldest documented viticultural areas. Employing Bordeaux and Rhone varietals blended with local specialties, Gaillac is one of the most exciting and dynamic regions in France. For its Gaillac Blanc Perlé, the domaine employs a blend of 60% Loin de l’Oeil, 20% Mauzac and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. The blend is magical. A brilliant green-tinted lemon-gold in the glass, Philémon’s Perlé casts fresh stone-inflected aromas of green melon, white meadow flowers and bay leaf. On the palate, the Perlé fuses the Sauvignon’s grassy notes with the Loin de l’Oeil’s citrus blossom notes and the Mauzac’s touches of green apple. But the result is far greater than the sum of the parts, Philémon’s Perlé finishes dry, appetizing and totally versatile. A sure winner with pan-fried trout, Dover sole, steelhead, and sautéed or grilled summer vegetables. Enjoy now and over the coming year.

2010 Bernard Moreau, Bourgogne Chardonnay, Burgundy, France 13.50/144.50
One of the finest showings at this year’s La Paulée event in San Francisco was the impressive lineup of white Burgundies from Domaine Bernard Moreau. The wines were so pure and expressive of their respective terroirs as to trump the wines from several far more prestigious domaines. This Moreau Chardonnay screams “White Burgundy” the moment it’s poured. A lovely medium-gold color in the glass leads to pure, Chassagne-like aromas of white limestone, pear blossoms and hints of vanilla and toffee. Showing the impeccable balance of the 2010 vintage, the wine reveals impressive purity of fruit alongside juicy acidity and sexy crème brûlée barrel notes. Showing tremendous depth and grip, the wine finishes with a long, bright finish with added notes of raw hazelnuts and green apple skin. Enjoy this delicious Bourgogne Blanc now and over the coming four years with roast chicken, grilled summer squashes, rich fish dishes, and gratin dauphinois.

2011 Domaine des Cassagnoles, Côtes de Gascogne IGP, Gascony, France 9.50/101.50
The L&E staff unanimously loves the crisp, quaffable white wines from Gascony in southwestern France. These humble wines offer unparalleled value for crispness, drinkability and pleasure. Domaine des Cassagnoles, considered by many to be Gascony’s leading producer, has fashioned a blend of Colombard, Ugni Blanc and Gros Manseng that satisfies as the summer quaffer we’ve all come to love. Straw-gold in the glass with beautiful green glints, the wine summons refreshment with a snappy nose of grapefruit, freshly cut grass, kiwi, lime zest and minerals. On the palate, the Cassagnoles bursts with a clean, snappy citrus fruit expression followed by hints of basil, sorrel and nettles. Briskly acidic but full of charm, body and fruit, the wine finishes with clean lemon-lime fruit and a final lashing of salty minerals that leaves you licking your chops in anticipation of the next sip. Chill this well and enjoy it as an apéritif or, ideally, pair it with shellfish, light freshwater fish dishes, or vegetable frittatas.

2010 Kuentz-Bas, Vin d’Alsace, Alsace, France 13.50/144.50
Here’s a wine that you will wish came in a much bigger bottle! Kuentz-Bas, one of the longtime staples of Kermit Lynch’s exemplary portfolio, consistently delivers terrific wines with tons of Alsace’s unique character at very affordable prices. This is Kuentz-Bas’s basic, everyday white: a beguiling floral blend of 60% Sylvaner, 15% Muscat, 15% Auxerrois and 10% Chasselas. From its gorgeous, limpid green-gold robe to its heady aromas of muskmelon, jasmine, gardenia blossoms, freesia and cinnamon, the wine delivers classic Alsatian character and terroir in a very affordable package. The Kuentz-Bas’ palate adds notes of minerals, hops and freshly-squeezed lime juice before yielding to a long, clean, crackling finish. This bone-dry Alsatian cuvée will be a terrific summertime sipper, or a lovely complement to salmon, halibut, pork, poultry, grilled squash, or just about anything but red meat. Enjoy this delicious value now or over the coming three years.

ROSÉ WINES

FRANCE - ROSÉ

2011 Domaine Saint Nabor, Gris de Nabor, Rosé, Gard IGP, Rhône Valley, France 9.50/101.50
What a beautiful rosé, and what a terrific wine to celebrate summer! One can look long and hard for a better rosé, but this beauty from Saint Nabor represents the convergence of character, refreshment, deliciousness and value that few rosés from anywhere in the world can match. Saint Nabor’s Gris de Nabor is a gorgeous peach-salmon color and chock full of summery aromas of Rainier cherries, golden raspberries, smoky minerals and dried herbs. Fresh, bone dry, and invigorating on the palate, the Gris de Nabor alternates waves of juicy watermelon and golden raspberry fruit with dissolved stony minerals and brilliant acidity to ensure refreshment. Hints of garrigue, blood orange, nutmeg and crisp peaches appear on the delicious, zesty finish. Enjoy with gusto now and until the end of the year with broiled salmon, tuna and steelhead, barbecued chicken, grilled burgers, pork, sautéed summer vegetables – really just about anything from land or sea: it’s truly that versatile and that delicious.

2011 Domaines Bunan, Belouvé, Rosé, Côtes de Provence, Provence, France 15.99/171.00
What’s summer without a real Provençal rosé? Direct from the cliffs above the Mediterranean Sea, Domaines Bunan’s gorgeous Belouvé 2011 rosé conveys that special edge that only Provençal rosés offer: crisp, refreshing red, pink and yellow fruits; gripping minerality; and those lavender-driven herbal notes that make rosé lovers swoon. A beautiful salmon-pink robe, the Belouvé rosé opens with crystalline aromas of red raspberries, Rainier cherries, lavender and sappy dried herbs. Crisp and oh-so-refreshing on the palate, Belouvé’s blend of gently pressed Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah fuses into a wonderful cedar and herb-tinged expression of raspberries, white currants and crisp watermelon – all backed by bristling acidity and brilliant dissolved limestone minerality. Perfect for everything from the grill, it will also complement fried zucchini blossoms, all fish preparations, and vegetable sautées spiked with fresh thyme, rosemary and garlic. Enjoy now and over the coming year. Great, great Provençal rosé, and a steal for its tariff.

SPARKLING WINES

SPAIN – SPARKLING

NV J. Esteve Nadal, Avinyó Blanc, Pétillant, Vi d’Aguilla, Penedès, Spain (Lot 11320) 12.50/133.50
Vi d’Aguilla means “wine with a prickle,” and it’s a perfect summer thirst quencher. Nadal’s Avinyó Blanc is made from Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains grown in the heart of Spain’s Cava country and vinified as a pétillant, or lightly sparking wine. Pale straw gold in the glass, the Vi d’Aguilla presents light effervescence upon pouring. Crisp and floral on the nose, the wine offers suggestions of white grapefruit, key limes, gardenia blossoms and slate minerality. Bristling with dissolved CO2, the wine greets the palate with expressions of mint, lemon, ginger, beeswax and white flowers. Bracing acidity lifts the citrus fruit core and segues it to a crisp, refreshing finish that makes it perfect as a on its own or as a complement to seafood and summer vegetables, light poultry and pork dishes, and fresh goat cheeses. At 10.5% alcohol, this is the perfect picnic wine. Enjoy now and until the first rains of autumn.

FRANCE – SPARKLING

NV Vincent Girault, Clos de la Briderie, Crémant de Loire, Pureté de Silex Brut, Loire Valley, France 16.99/181.50
Remember the great holiday trio of sparkling wines we featured last November? The value play of that trio was Vincent Girault’s Pureté de Silex, so well received that we sold out before the end of the month. Now Pureté de Silex returns with another winner. Grown on silica-rich soils in the Touraine-Mesland sector of the Loire, the Pureté de Silex offers a delicious, complex and creamy mouthful of wine. Biodynamically farmed, hand-harvested and fermented on indigenous yeasts, this sparkler shows a sense of purity, character and harmony rare at this price point. Filled to the brim with racy pear and smoky apple fruit, the wine lives up to its moniker with the flinty minerality that marks the greatest wines of the middle and eastern Loire Valley. Delicious by itself and a perfect choice for celebratory toasts, the Pureté de Silex is also quite versatile at the table, so be sure to try it now and over the coming year with roast poultry, delicate freshwater fish dishes, oysters on the half-shell, and sautéed summer squashes.

WEB EXTRAS: Read the reviews online

2011 Arnoux & Fils, Vieux Clocher, Vacqueyras Blanc Classic, Southern Rhône Valley, France 18.99/203.00

2008 Château Lafleur de Haute-Serre, Georges Vigouroux, Malbec, Cahors, Southwest France 10.50/112.50 reg. 14.99

2009 Falchini, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Ab Vinea Doni, Tuscany, Italy 14.99/160.00

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

HOURS: Mon.-Sat. 10-6
CLOSED: Sunday

FRIDAY TASTINGS:
First and third Friday
of the month
5:30-7:30 p.m. Fee

June 1 Great wines from Alsace, France: Weinbach, Schoffitt, Mann, Trimbach, Kientzler, and more.

June 15 Rosés, Rosés, Rosés: Summer in a bottle!

July 6 Let’s celebrate the real start of summer: Our semi-annual Champagne blast.

SATURDAY TASTINGS:
Weekly; Starts at
12 noon. No fee

June 2 Small Vineyards Imports Spanish wine tasting with Kristen Kluivers. Plus: Dom. St. Nabor Gris de Nabor Rosé, Dom. Bunan Belouvé Rosé Provence, and Kuentz-Bas Vin d’Alsace.

June 9 Great wines from France: Dom. des Cassagnoles, Arnoux Vacqueyras Blanc, Burle Cotes du Rhône, and Pascal Marthouret Syrah.

June 16 More superb French wines: Dom. Philémon Gaillac Blanc, B. Moreau Bourgogne Blanc, Élian da Ros La Vin est une Fête Côtes du
Marmandais, and Dom. du Cros Marcillac.

June 23 Paul Markgraf from Young’s-Columbia pours: Dom. de la Tourmaline Muscadet, Falchini Vernaccia Ab Vinea Doni, Tedeschi Valpolicella Classico Superiore, and Petroio Chianti Classico Riserva. Plus: Riojas from FaustinoMaria Stevens from Palm Bay Beverages.

June 30 Avinyó Blanc Pétillant, V. Girault Clos de la Briderie Crémant de Loire, and San Martino Aglianico del Vulture Siir. From Oregon: Ayres Vineyard Perspective Pinot Noir and J.K. Carrière Provocateur Pinot Noir.

SPECIAL EVENTS THIS MONTH:

Cahors Tasting
Tuesday, June 12
6:30 p.m.

Please join us and Doug Culver from C&G Wines for a superb tasting of wines from Cahors. If you weren’t at the last tasting we did with these wines, you owe it to yourself to be here!

We will feature the wines from Ch. Cayrou, Clos Gamot, and Clos St. Jean. We’re tasting three decades of these superb wines. Seating is limited for this event, and payment confirms your reservation. $60 per person.

See our website for the entire listing of wines.