Cortes de Cima Chaminé Vinho Regional Alentejano 2008

Unlike many Portuguese producers, Cortes de Cima has only recently come into recognition, brought about through the hands of a Danish/American couple: Hans and Carrie Jorgensen. Hans is a native of Denmark, had worked in Malaysia, but wanted to begin making wine. Along with Carrie, he searched throughout Europe before deciding on Cortes de Cima. As they went to work re-establishing the vineyards, they took a modern approach (scientific as well as sustainable methods), which allowed them to quickly produce a quality crop. This vintage of Chaminé is a blend of Syrah, Aragonez (another synonym for Tempranillo), Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. This fruit was all hand-harvested and fermented in tanks without oak aging, producing a round, soft, but expressive wine. Loads of dark fruit flavors mix with a few spicy notes and a great texture in the mouth. A terrific value that will provide snow day or year-round enjoyment.

Mas des Roches Côtes du Rhône AOC 2007

At this point there is little disputing the beauty of the 2007 vintage in the southern Rhône Valley. More than any recent vintage, most of the wines we’ve tasted have a textbook expression of the “Rhône garrigue”, the aromas of roasted herbs and brush that make the wines so compelling. This wine is another classic example: roasted herbs and dark berry fruit fuse to create a beautiful aromatic profile. The wine is medium-bodied without aggressive tannins, yet enough stuffing to pair nicely with herb-marinated flank steak.

Montinore Estate Pinot Gris Willamette Valley 2008 - BIODYNAMIC WINE

Descendants of Italian immigrants, Rudy Marchesi and his daughter Kristen have sought to produce some of the finest wines in Oregon while working in a biodynamic manner. There are a number of certifying organizations for biodynamic viticulture worldwide; Demeter is the most widely known of them. As you might imagine, the process of certification takes many years to accomplish; a winery must have a proven track record and pass multiple inspections. Speaking with winemaker John Lundy, he explained it took a couple of vintages to convert the entire estate to biodynamic viticulture, but the winery finally obtained its certification summer of 2008. Pinot Gris is better known in the U.S. as Pinot Grigio. They are in fact one and the same, and the grape is Oregon’s most important white. This is a beautiful example, showing flavors of melons countered by steely acidity. Perfect with broiled salmon or a simple pilaf.

Dorgan Cellars Petite Sirah Mokelumne River-Lodi 2007

Historically, the Mokelumne River area has been the center of Lodi’s wine production. With its unique cool, yet moderated, microclimate and its sandy/loamy soils, the Mokelumne River was approved as a sub-AVA within Lodi in 2006. The area has built a reputation for its old-vine Zinfandels, but is more than capable of producing other quality driven varietals, Petite Sirah being among that group. Petite Sirah is commonly blended with Zinfandel, but on its own showcases assertive tannins, deep color and black fruits. Dorgan Cellars’ Petite Sirah is a more balanced version of the massive varietal.

Dexter Lake California Red 2007

This smooth and flavorful red from California doesn’t take itself too seriously, but then again, it does. Made from 45% Petite Sirah, 45% Petit Verdot and 10% Alvarelhão, the wine is neither fined nor filtered, and uses only native yeasts. The first two grapes are from vineyards in the Suisun Valley, which is located halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento. The Alvarelhão, a Portuguese varietal, was grown in the Alta Mesa appellation, which is encompassed by the Lodi appellation. This small addition of Alvarelhão adds an aromatic and softer element to the two more muscular grapes, Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot, which are known to be dark and inky. All the fruit was hand-harvested and whole-berry fermented, and the wine did not see any new oak, allowing the fruit flavors to take center stage. As expected with these grapes, you get depth, power and structure, with dark berry fruit and a bit of spice.