July Wine Club Selections…

In this month’s 2-bottle basic club we are exploring the Northwest expression of the Cabernet Franc varietal. Cab Franc is originally a Loire Valley grape that was transplanted to Bordeaux in the late 18^th century. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, sometimes known as Meritage or Claret but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire’s Chinon, Anjou, Saumur, and Bourgueil (all my personal favorites but not everyone’s cup of tea).  Cabernet Franc is lighter than Cabernet Sauvignon making a bright pale red wine and contributing finesse and a peppery perfume to blends with more robust grapes. Depending on growing region and style of wine, additional aromas can include tobacco, leather, raspberry, sometimes blueberry, bell pepper, and cassis, sometimes even violets. A very complex wine if made to express so and a deep freeze resistant vine that grows very well in the Columbia Valley and Walla Walla regions of Washington and Oregon. Enjoy Cab Franc with rich meaty dishes on the gamier side.

Northwest Wine Project Cab Franc is made from fruit from Elerding’s Six Prong Vineyard. In 2006, the small Cab Franc crop was harvested in late October, yielding wonderfully rich fruit flavors with nice acidity. New oak was limited in order to maintain the expressiveness of this fragrant and complex variety. made by David O’reilly (Owen Roe) for NWVP.  This wine is part of the NW Vine Project, a group of inexpensive wines made for an Oregon wine distributor. Made by David O’Reilly (Owen Roe, O’Reilly’s) and Andrew Rich (Andrew Rich Wines).

Chatter Creek Cabernet Franc Alder Ridge Horse Heaven Hills has a bright, deep garnet color, nose of violets, blueberry, and black cherry. Some lead pencil in the beginning then warming to blueberry fruit, plum, cherry and fresh acidity on the mid-palette. The finish continues the interplay of the fruit and terroir, framed in by notes of toasted almonds and vanilla bean. A wine of tremendous balance and attentive winemaking savoir-faire, this Cab Franc deserves not only to be bottled by itself, it could serve as your whole meal. And received 90 points from Parker’s Wine Advocate, September 2007.

And the rest…

Dante Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is very direct and to the point: typical black current and plum—a ready to drink quaff, this full bodied and silky delicious ‘06 Cabernet shows fine balance on the palate; delivers pleasant, soft red fruit flavors; needs very little air and goes well with beef of any cut.

Annabella Carneros Pinot Noir has great extraction and depth with tasty plum, raspberry and black cherry flavors without being too over the top on the fruit side. It has a dusty, ripe nose with an intricate, earthy finish which is not overwhelmed by too much oak or extraction… well balance for being so young. Soft, supple with wonderful concentration and medium tannins. Nice toasty French oak in the nose and palate. Serve with light meats and especially salmon on the grill.

This Talmard Macon Uchizi White Burgundy Chardonnay will appeal to fans of Pouilly Fuisse at a much-reduced price. Lovely, fresh clean chardonnay from Macon with medium body gives delicious lemon, lime, peachy melon characteristics without as much minerality of a chablis, yet with good acidity and little oak. Thick clay sub soil with limestone is noted in the terroir. Light dishes, poultry, fish, clams, fettuccini, etc…

Pasos de la Capula Tempranillo is very accessible, young and unoaked, created for easy enjoyment. Ths wines come from the oldest winemaking region in Spain, the high central plateau southwest of Madrid. With low rain fall, hot days and cool nights, the 30 year old vines are naturally low-yielding and produce wines ofgood concentration.  Deep violet color with intense red berry fruits on the nose, clean and lively, with juicy sweetness and length on the palate. Very good with heavier meaty dishes and anything on the grill.

Bohigas Blanc de Blancs is a clean clear refreshing white wine from Catalogne , Spain. The varietals are Parellada and  Xarel-lo which I still can’t pronounce. A nice nose of green apples, fresh and crisp, slight prickle on the tongue due to acidity, this is not an overly complex wine but very food ready. I even saw it paired with certain tomato sauce over shellfish recipes… heaven forbid! Great for hot days on the patio.

Plozza Sfursat is a 100% Nebbiolo. It has a grainy red color with a delicate brownish old world reflection. The seducing scents of raisin compote and panpepato (Italian pepper bread) are accompanied by mellow toasted notes of creme brulee, cloves, white pepper and ripe plums to the palate. Robust tannins with a beautiful flavorsome structure make it an ideal accompaniment for game, mature cheeses, red meat, minestrone soup and roast meat. It can age for 15 years.

Cabanon Bonarda. I had to borrow the review from The Wine Offensive blog because it was sooo right on the most eloquently put money…

Sweet-smelling, soft, herbal aromatics, so subtle, layered and fine. Maturity of taste–like the difference between a fresh vintage of new world Syrah, and a cellared French version. This wine isn’t flashy; it’s slinky. This wine isn’t wearing the short, crotch-bearing skirt of overripe fruit. This is a finely grown gown of dried raspberries, plummy/cherry fruit leather and all those red fruits that border on purple. Mouthfeel–this wine has a rich flavor that lacks the density of new fruit, or the sandiness of young tannins. It’s what we mean by the word “silky.” On a good day, most wine pros would narrow this down to Chianti, Gigondas, or an old Dolcetto, maybe. If I had to come up with a one sentence pitch: The Cabanon Bonarda tastes like the love child of a mellow, elegant, old world Grenache and a high-end Valpolicella.

neither critique nor review…

He may have been given this as a sample which means the story he pulls from delving into its depths may be convoluted. There may be a favorable kickback in mind for a handshake crony, a pat on the back for his favoritism, and then a little extra something special slipped into the goody-bag for later. Objectivity lost. Purity compromised. There cannot be anything to wine but that which resides in the strictest technical sense. There are metrics to be honored. There must be standards.

He had asked for the bottle to come without a label, knowing visualization outside of the glass can influence taste. In the old times this was never a problem, being able to crawl down into the deepest and darkest cellars, dusting off the bottle, understanding that the winemaker new what it was without demarcation.  But now his distaste for bar codes has cast so many a negative spell on wine that deserved a fairer look. And now this degrading solicitation with expectation lurks before his nose and as he stares into the glass, closing his eyes, he can only hope the journey leads down an un-manicured path.

Many of the old vineyards are mostly trampled or uprooted. The hills upon hills of sweet flowers and vines along Rasteau are now sparse and in-between, mostly flattened where tanks tread and armaments are fortified as if one world war fought on mother soil wasn’t enough. All the good vintages, if found, are shipped via rail back to Germany. We thought they’d stay in Bordeaux and Champagne but their thievry and gluttony knows no bounds. And now the only scent in the air is that of the oils of broken machinery and fear. But tonight this negociante’ need not give up these spoils so easily. Even with the risk of severe punishment, the occupiers will not take this one. Its fruit will give its all in time and we will allow it to take us back home and we will bury the bottle deep when finished. Tonight there will be but one execution.

There’s a furball in my glass…

of steps back and an Idiot’s Grace…

I’m trying to rid myself of this stale chewing gum, not much left but a rubbery hint of some kind of fruit that once was berry, maybe synthetic like NutraSweet, that kind of aftertaste only it’s in the nose. Maybe that has to do with all the spring wildflowers blooming and the waves of their perfume as they ride the breeze and my brain only thinks it’s fake as I can’t bring myself to just spit it out. Walking long distances with only one piece of gum is not a good idea. The next bend or hill is never the last and if your feet are blistered or you’re tired, or maybe there is a panic in the background that you don’t belong where you are currently at, there can be mishaps concerning poor judgment and foot placement. Sometimes things are different and rub against the grain. And now I’m hungry because buttons were pushed and fresh air drafting out of a wide river gorge ignites certain remembrances, maybe of slower times and a wilder meat slow roasting from the smoke off of damp wood; wood that picked up of the scent of sage and rosemary or something else a little savory on its centuries long way to decay and the fire pit.

This is my third day out here and I’m just now starting to feel the true rustic nature of this beast. It wants to be a predator but is too much attached to the soil and the roots that are buried there. It wants to gorge itself full but can’t seem to find the empty room required. It appears to be satisfied for now and for those reasons I am reasonably safe from being devoured. It might be in my best interest to share some of the most current spoils…

Now a proud supporter of the 3/50 Project…

Lurk Log…

06/17/09 – vincru2@8:48pm…
06/18/09 – vincru2@8.42am…
06/18/09 – vincru2…anonymouse@5.14pm…
06/18.09 – vincru2…anonymouse@6:02pm…

…. the point is… we already have over a years worth of what we need… see you soon…

sometimes a picture needs no relevance…

of another dipped dollar, radish infestations, and unused potential other than for urine and cigarette butts…

I’m trying to secure wine for later as the distribution cartel employs economic downturn trickle-in policies. So as the dollar bounces against the Euro, so goeth the price of imports, almost on a month to month basis. This makes it difficult to honor price and availability quotes that are to be secured months in advance of the event. Yet, client expectations are high. Like any good economic catastrophe worthy of its place in history, there should be a black market style underground forming for the sake of a grandiose circumvent if nothing else. Naturally, as any responsible Liquor Agent should suspect, speculation is not necessarily a reason for intent. Luv and kisses from the gang at LS.

Walking out to inspect the garden this morning, it has become evident that the radishes have applied total dominance of all they observe, threatening to impede the blackberry vine advance and possibly extracting more than their fair share of nutrients from the soils cohabited by now lesser vegetative forms. They are sweet along with their bite. I could eat them all if my stomach had the stomach for it.

The following are pictures of the alley facing North immediately off of Pine Court. The potential for an Istanbul micro market corridor with banners and awnings is unreal. A quick chat with Empire Bruce confirmed there are more eyeballing the wasted space than me. Beer gardens? Take out windows? Street Vendors? People rubbing up against people in the narrowest of corridor and not being aggravated about uncomfortable impediments and obstructions and obstacle? Artist rendition of a plausible future not likely…

Desperately in search of cobblestone and rolls of canvas (preferably multi-colored)

In need of mural and textile artists and people generally not
concerned about dangling amidst questionable high voltage configurations.

The rest will be up to the entrepenural spirit in all of us…
and of course the usual tenacious unmitigated gall
required to weave through or change all the legal, code, insurance,
and other malarky that impedes such notions…

of 1989 and Lopez and Vina Tondonia Rioja Blanco

North of Dracon Pike there is a land abandoned by lost wanderers in search of curious pursuits; idle hands being that of the devil’s work. It has been forgotten if ever really found–the key to this valley well guarded. Some say it is the graveyard of discarded gods and their unruly mortal offspring. Some say the deafening silence of irrelevance can be heard when the cold Northerlies blow down from the great barrier. Some say those winds carry the stench of death with it. Soon we will journey back there to the gates of Hades and if lucky, delve into that which so few remember and want to appreciate.

R

To spit or not to spit…

I’m still trying to collect our thoughts from the Cavatappi tasting Monday and part of that reason is because I misplaced my notes somewhere between exiting the warehouse on 14th and the Copper Room Lounge on 24th. A 1o block journey should not engulf and digest a notepad that easily but under the circumstances, expectations should have been within reason. We’ve been in many situations where tasting through about 60 wines have resulted in various levels of teetering and slurred speech. No matter how much I use the spit bucket, there is always going to be some percentage of intoxication due to seepage into the gums, tongue, and then there is the residual dribble thing. Once the professional evaluation process is complete and depending on available time to detox, going back and enjoying the $80 Barolos, Burgundies, and Champagnes seems more than a reasonable thing to do, especially with chunks of lamb, and stinky funky cheeses within reach. The problem with revisiting at Cavatappi is there is way to much good stuff to revisit.

Ballard has severely changed since when I lived there some 12 years ago. Former Mayor Norm Rice’s plans for urban density seems to have come to fruition and is continuing to do so as there are hordes of 6 to 8 floor condos stacked on top of each other with several new ones being built. This has resulted in many micro bars, cafes, and coffee houses springing up on side streets where I used to step over street people sleeping on the sidewalks.

The Copper Room where I would sometimes hang for cheap beer and peanuts plus shooting a pool game or two is now a black decor martini lounge with naked pictures of 1950’s women and samples of old in their original box vibrators lining the shelves, I’m sure for display purposes only. And strange enough, their best appetizer is the pickled herring. Not the same as Lutefisk but I suppose even micro-cultures must give way to progress. We then stumbled to La Carta De Oaxaca where rumor has it Anthony Bourdain was spotted several days prior. This type of word-of-mouth buzz can set off a foodie flocking of intense density. Yet somehow we got a table and the food was amazing, filling us up for $12 bucks each including Margaritta. Eventually, like two days later–I found my notes:

First of all, almost any and all things Kermit Lynch is worth stocking on the shelf and for our purposes particularly the Regis Pouilly Fume, Ducasse Bordeaux Blanc, Cadette Bourgogne Vezalay, and the highly allocated Tempier Rose.

Also found from regions of the ‘boot’ was a relatively inexpensive Santario Muscato d’Asti, Renatti Ratti Barolo, and a real fun Alto Adige Pinot Bianco.

The Lopez Riojas are definitly on board plus several other “holy crap” must haves. However, there were some disappointments including the tasting of Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Vintage ‘Value Pack’ (’92, ‘94, ‘96) which sold for $1,150 wholesale. I really expected to be catapulted into a soft and fluffy harp Musak after life… and wasn’t. Also, the two Crozes Heritages were lacking, but that may not be a fair judgement as my standard for comparison in the relative price range is the Ferraton. Sometimes these injustices happen.

R

Finally…

Our resident Internet stalker/bully has been silent for a few months except for his once in a while lurking which I’ve documented all the times and IP addresses he has come in on. The Mount Vernon police have been pressuring us to pull the complaint for the last 3 weeks as ‘lurking’ in their minds is not something to be that concerned with… we disagree, especially when Georgiann is by herself here some evenings. Since this individual is too much of a coward, like most stalkers are, to confront me face to face and probably would prey on any easy available victim, I have been concerned for her personal safety. But now I have captured a new IP via two new same style infantile comments, albeit from Springfield, Oregon and ContiNet (which is irrelevant), that display the same limited mental capabilities. These people evidently have the porch light on but no one is home. Tomorrow we will pass the information on to the Mount Vernon police so as to continue the complaint–somewhat of a load off our minds. Our attorney should now be able to petition the prosecutor’s office for a subpoena and review of Verizon’s records. We assume this will end up eventually in a civil suit, but these things are unfortunately necessary to prevent certain people from harming themselves and others.

of blurred weekends and bi-valve bliss….

It was Friday or not (when in business for oneself, day designations can seem a little pointless) and then it bled over into a probable Saturday followed by being rolled out on a most likely Sunday, ending with a somewhat sad breakfast–a trickle off way to close the week–and yet no complaints except for the sausage… and maybe the coffee… and maybe the chemically induced maple syrup wannabe in a sealed plastic micro tub. Expectations were not that high anyway but a little fresh can go a long way. Trying very hard not to formulate a critique as such things are solely opinion biased with zero respect to the objective, a journal approach possibly better suited for approval, and without identifying the elevated or degraded establishments  for public applause or scrutiny and then most likely negative recoil against this author, the following basically occurred.

Friday evening and with a planted dare in the subconscious palate from a wine club member, a dare that there exists better pan fried oysters than previously thought existing elsewhere, a fact finder dining experiment was implemented and with willing friends in tow who are as equally curious if not more so about such things. Atmospheric conditions were a definitive factor as well as availability to well made gin martinis proved more than mood transforming. That in itself could change how the mollusks preformed after being under battered and heated stress. Another factor was the coating of corn meal. It added a delicate sense of attentiveness to the plate. A nutty one at that and I don’t know why. The place of previous best pan fried oyster dominance has its own appeal of loud music, loud patrons charged with beer and the residual smells of ancient imbibments of the tobacco kind and grease all in a not so delicate way. But unless the oysters would be placed side by side in a neutral arena, which I will never attempt to do–not needing to know, it would be very unfair to identify which is best… because place and mood is relevant. And for that reason, I like both places’ oysters… depending.

Next was a venture out to Camano Island for one of our usual 4 times a year reunions with friends from parts far eastern and equally coastal. And as usual there was ample food and again of the mollusk variety, this time barbecued, and brats and burgers and wine across the spectrum from Rhone to Australia and back, and even some up river homemade hooch glowing of amber hues and potent tones. Of course the best food is that prepared by the hands of hosts and guests alike. The best atmosphere, one that had nothing to do with street appeal, and the best intoxicant, the one that allowed all the aforementioned to coagulate, if nothing else, into far too many top heavy teeters and sways with slurs and boisterous inflammations if not a few too many crass and base attempts at humor–which under the circumstance, more than hit the spot. These times are always too short.

R

What do RS232 interfaces and angst have to do with wine?

Not sure, but I’m working on it…

prelude to a tasting tangent…

Tomorrow we will be hosting our usual first Friday wine club wine pick-up, after work – after week, tasting and light appetizer soiree. Prior to the  4PM starting gun, we will be rushing back from Seattle University where hopefully we got the chance to see a couple of local metal sculptress extraordinaire, Pamela Hom’s 300 pound unraveled steel monoliths dancing around on robot dollies (designed by engineering students). This initial presentation will be the validating catalyst (meaning the design works) for her larger piece of 21 monoliths all dancing about in a digitally choreographed menagerie… probably somewhere quite large.. like an airplane hanger…not something to be missed in this century or maybe even the next.

In the meanwhile, Melody Howard will be tending the counter until we get back if anyone needs to show up earlier.

the additive…

I see there’s little to this machine. Of course, there are attachments and adjustments to keep components well synchronized and there is a manual. There are hoses and stainless steel fittings. There are quite a few just like it throughout the complex. It makes a noise so that means work is involved. Work is an output for a machine. For a human, work is an input. For a human, earnings are the output. I don’t think this machine cares about compensation. It will run until something deteriorates causing a failure of something else and then it will quit working. If that happens to a human, at least here, there is the potential for unemployment benefits or maybe a stipend called disability—long term or short. The human retires. The machine is refurbished, overhauled, decommissioned or junked. Cost basis is the determining factor. I think it’s the same for humans.

For all the aura of complication this machine projects, I think its only purpose is to move liquid from one large container to several smaller ones. I have been trained on this process, not really schooled but I was shown all of its intricacies and nuances by someone experienced in its usage. I wasn’t really told why I was moving the liquid just that with this machine and operating it properly; it was how it was done. I suppose if I get good at using this machine, maybe even mastering it, someone will let me move to the next level and I will get a better view of the larger picture. Then I can train a new worker to replace me and I’ll have the secret information that doesn’t need to be shared with everyone.

This warehouse is noisy and cold as are the other three. Many machines are working at different speeds and outputs and there is a constant flow of trucks with tanks loading, pumping, dumping and there is a foreman, a taskmaster who keeps everything and everyone in place and on schedule. He can allow you to stay or make you leave. He has a way of making you feel unimportant and barely tolerated; a necessary evil at best. This is the time called crush and the only time so many workers are assembled at once. We all pee’d in bottles and a machine said we where free of illegal intoxicants and worthy to make legal ones. I’m working a double shift right now and can’t imagine how difficult it would be without this machine.

There’s going to be a lot of juice processed and I assume places for it to be sold. Everything is so efficient I can’t imagine it costing much, or maybe it does and that’s why this place is so big. I see the labels on rolls for the bottles. That’s still quite a ways down the line. They say something about hand selected and time honored with respect to the land. There’s a drawing of a river and a vineyard and an eagle, or maybe it’s a loon or duck.

I got to see the tasting room down by the corporate office near the entry gate to the complex when I helped carry in its new mahogany bar. It has a real rustic look and feel to it; cozy and warm with a river rock fireplace encircled with overstuffed leather chairs. There is an adjoining gift shop with hats and t-shirts and all sorts of jarred jams and spreads and cheeses. There’s a whole wall shelf of polished crystal glasses and a cabinet full of medallions and other honorariums denoting recognized achievements to go along with all the under the scenes efficiency. There is a stack of gift sets near an indoor fountain that feeds an outdoor one. I wouldn’t mind touching some things but my hands are badly stained…

R

or Triennes on the mind…

He could be somewhere north of Bandol around the summer of 1907, traipsing through sloped vineyards, probably stumbling on loose ancient limestone rocks and then cutting across cereal crop fields and skipping over accessible dirt roads all basically left in the same configuration as 2600 years earlier when the Romans planted their first vineyards there. How the Romans loved to colonize and why wouldn’t they want to if the vines stuck? Where would be the imperialist jest without that?

He could be Thomas Mann in disguise, wandering about the region with a perceived need for anonymity beyond where the poets accumulated, bantering while posturing their intellectual hard-ons and him being all political and psychological in an artsy novelistic way, maybe with Katherine Mansfield. Could they have been incidental lovers? Probably not. And it would be a disguise, as Thomas Mann probably did not do all that much wandering when he was there. And she could have been a village girl instead and recognized him only as someone passing by with too little of a care for her approval. She had been wooed and seduced by many of the like before him and now knew better.

He wonders if Thomas Mann sipped Rose’ in the heat of the day under the shade of a canopy, a truly dry one that smelled of strawberries and peaches and maybe pineapple and tasted of all that minerality brought forth by those ancient limestone and clay formations. Would it be born of Cinsault or Grenache—surely not Syrah with so much weight that grape pushes around; not in a glass so delicate? He could have sipped the Rose’ in sidewalk cafes near or in the seaside resorts while nibbling on bits of fish and maybe even Katherine, but those places are really not that much to his liking, Rose’ or Katherine Mansfield or not. The tourists in the summer are fun to watch, but not for very long as their predictability becomes annoying. How could so much predictability coincide with all of the subtle complexity within the glass in front of him?

It could be as hot here as in Provence in the summer, even more so but minus the stifling humidity one finds draped within and about these cornfields. There are no cool night breezes off the sea. There is no sea. There are no slopes to accelerate a breeze even if there was one, but there are bars in town pouring frosted pitchers of a watered down domestic Lager and there’s a woman with former sharp edges now worn round seductively bent over the jukebox in the corner and just maybe that is as good as it’s going to get.

R

June Wine Club Selections…

I  sometimes wonder what would happen if each wine we sampled and sold did not come branded to the max. Marketers will always push for brand development, supposedly best maneuverable within market dynamics with such a distinction along with a catchy label, a catchy quote, a distinguishable concept from the rest of the pack for imprint in the consumer consciousness, all for the leverage to grasp a hold of whatever market share is available. Just to be different and so as to create a non-brand brand for ourselves, I’m not going to promote the winery’s name or label on the bottle this month; trying instead to see if I can tip-toe around the brand and head straight for the juice, probably via the region. I realize I risk helping to brand a region, but if one is a devote of the religion of sense of place, this seems like a reasonable compromise. Maybe it is impossible to un-brand everything without inadvertently branding something else. Maybe we are stuck in another cyclical redundancy.

First up this month is a Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley, Oregon that is a result of blending Pinots from other wineries. I’m not a fan of a winery making wine for another winery that then just slaps a different label on the bottle. The difference with this Pinot is how the grapes are procured. They actually aren’t. Finished wines are sourced via a bargained agreement with certain wineries across Oregon. It could be a few or all or any number in-between. The wineries’ identities are kept secret. The concept is to blend the various wines in a controlled manner to bring conformity and consistency into the process. This is the same as acting in the role of a French Négociant. This particular Pinot consistently and in an inexpensive way is true to variety and vintage with bold aromatics. It has a moderately-deep color and a tannin profile to match with dark spices on the nose and palate, flavors you would expect from a good Oregon Pinot Noir: blackberry, raspberry, black cherry and earth. The oak is restrained and the natural acidity from the 2007 vintage gives the wine precision and tautness.

Next is a wine that has a gargantuan blended line up of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignane, Malbec and Cinsault that should overwhelm the senses at every turn with a numbing bombastic berry blasts from all sides of the palate spectrum. The best description I can offer up as an explanation of what I found from first sip on is it is an aggressive over-exuberant expression of subtlety. When I first tasted it I was a little disappointed in it’s lack of anticipated girth such varietals should project. But what I found is actually a very nice unassuming wine that is perfect for light BBQ fair on warmer than usual days. This wine is really all about bright red fruit and spice – raspberry, cherry and pepper. Quite zesty though I didn’t get to play with it to the finish, so I’m not sure how much it grows or recedes in the bottle over time with respect to air.

Any time I can dive into a bottle of Bandol from Provence, I’m a very happy man. It’s that place thing again and Bandol is famous for red wines of great power and depth. Bandol is a tiny seaside resort area between Marseille and Toulon on the French Riviera and Bandol vines are located in the hills between La Ciotat and Toulan. The particular Bandol offered this month has aromas of leather, cigar and the usual minerality with flavors of black fruit, eucalyptus, violet and licorice. If left to age there is the potential for black cherry, spices, truffle and hummus. An extremely complex wine that reflects it’s sun-baked terroir… south facing slopes directly into the Mediterranean sun. Bandol is one of the oldest vineyards in France. The first vine was planted in Bandol 2,500 years ago by the Romans… Thus its classification as being one of the five “noble wines.”

We are very hard on certain varietals (Chardonnay) and wines and Chianti is one of them. Probably something to do with shoddy wine making over time, we normally have very high expectations for this region in Tuscany and until just within the last few years at the mid to lower price ranges have been quite dissappointed. Not many Chianti Classicos under $30 have been worth the time and effort.  This offered Chianti Classico is a reserva and the vintage is 2001, a lark, a stumbled upon good luck charm, or maybe just the fate of being in the right place at the right time… somehow we got it. It is ready to drink, the tannins mellowed with concentrated, sweet aromas of blackberry, earth, smoke and a hint of cedar. Well-balanced, dryish flavors of black fruit, earth and tar. Light Sangiovese is right up there with Grenache as one of our favorites for the summer.

Our value club wines are coming in quite an array this month, much to do with the varying requests for more whites than reds or visa versa. Most are from South America as that region still reigns supreme for price to taste ratios, but as usual there are no absolutes. They had a horrible growing season this past year so hopefully that will not translate into too higher of prices next year… but for now:

A Torrontés from Argentina: abundantly aromatic with tropical floral scents, this is textbook Torrontés. Light straw yellow in color, with a zesty mouth feel, this wine will refresh. This high mountain grape is Spanish but it supposedly came transplanted from California…

An Argentine Viognier: Aromas of peach and apricot and wildflower on the nose easily carried over to the palate. Smooth with a crisp finish. Very well balanced. I usually find Washington Viognier a little too bitter and Californian a little to fruity. Argentine Viogniers sit nicely in the middle of the road… not at all like dead armadillos… no.

A Carmenere and Merlot Blend From Chile. Carmenere is to Chile what Malbec is to Argentina. This particular wine is a rich mellow red (thank you Merlot) with developed savory characters and some oak influence. A fairly gutsy wine but with interesting flavors. Needs food to bring out the best in it but isn’t that usually so with most wines.

An Argentine Malbec: Back to another bold Mendoza country bargain, this migrant Bordeaux varietal does very well in Argentine soil exuding big notes of blackberry and mocha added via some influence of oak. There is also that issue with tooth staining, but served with with a steak… not an issue.

An Italian Sangiovese: A slight shift to a different continent (and hemisphere), though from Tuscany, it is not in the same realm as the above Chianti, but still a very light and clean summer Sangio with all those roasty toasty elements, just blended with a younger expression of raspberry and cherry fruit. Sangiovese can get massive if allowed. See Washington State. But this one, especially for the money is a great everyday quaff…

A dry Muscat Canelli: a last but not least scenario, and it is one of our favorites for any spicy style Asian cuisine. It is a heavy viscous white but very fruity, and also somewhat creamy. A Walla Walla favorite of ours with just a touch of sweetness. Can’t get away from that Walla Walla sun.

of au naturale manipulation…

I keep forgetting the void that forms when girth is restricted or removed, the space formerly so densely taken up so pronouncedly hollow when vacated, like a finally digested over-stretched stomach after a Thanksgiving gorging or when the Wal-Mart needs a new mega location and leaves the old semi-mega location behind, abandoned… empty. Something is missing. Something needs to be found to take something’s place.

Structure and balance exist because lethargy and waste do not. The shellac and sauce are left out of the process. The salt and pepper shakers are dropped off at the local Good Will, sub-miniature Darleks for the next Dr. Who season. This quest for purity is born anew even with a considerable amount of recklessness because  the most basic and fundamental of procedure must have an injection of character and personality… and with character and personality rides the cowboy lurks the visionary.

We looked around at each other with the same eyebrow raised. Where’s all the fruit? Where’s the hugeness, the bombascity, the bodacious-ness, the power? There was so much covered up, disguised, that needed to be peeled back and that had nothing to do with the wine. The wine needed no blanket to hide an embarrassment. The blend in each bottle, single varietal or not, was a light mixture of subtlety ready to compliment something of the same. Once we figured that out, we enjoyed.

and the verdict is…

…(concerning the presentation by the Main Street America Resource Committee) we have a physical downtown core that other communities in the state would kill for… but we have an incredible amount of work to do… mostly relating to cohesive adhesion under the umbrella of a common goal without the residuals of splintered factions and egos. I suppose we can call that the downtown mental environment core. That problem doesn’t seem too unreasonably difficult to fix.

Meanwhile, we are starting the summer months schedule by closing Sundays and Mondays minus the probabilities for some special events. For those who may be concerned… that doesn’t mean we are not working.

of more important things…

Tonight at 6pm at the transit center (that’s where the buses and Amtrak all coagulate just off of Kincaid St.), will be a presentation by the National Main Street Program (which our downtown qualified for due to the  extreme hard work and preparation by a few  passionate community oriented people) specifically, their Resource Committee. The presentation will be based on findings from interviews that were accumulated the last couple of days; interviews of business people, building owners, government officials, and citizenry groups both for profit and not for profit. These findings will be tallied and presented in a manner that shows our strengths and weaknesses as a potentially viable and energetic economic entity with respect to our historical heritage, our arts, our sustainability and livelihood, and our commitment to each other as a community. Attendance is not mandatory but it should be. With the waterfront revitalization progressing along with a good start on the funding acquired, the potential for a future class act city being reborn on the banks of the Skagit is a reason for extreme excitement. With cafe’s and bistros and art and a farmer’s market and street vendors and outdoor concerts and a downtown residential community and…. there will be no reason to ever turn away from the river again.

Today we will be offering four pours of wine at the shop as usual. It is not intended as a bribe to get people to attend the Resource Committee meeting.