June Case Of The Month - $115
COM = a mixed case with one bottle each of these winners
– or you can buy them individually as well...
Eugene Carrel Rosé 2016
One of our favorites last year and this new vintage is just as lovely. Delicate pink in color, the nose offers exotic roses in bloom while the palate is all watermelon and white peach. It’s fleshy enough to satisfy but perfectly balanced by a bright, almost lemony finish. 90% Gamay, 10% Mondeuse from France’s Savoie region. $11.99
Jezebel Merlot Umpqua Valley 2014
This southern Oregon Merlot packs a Cabernet-like punch as the ripe juicy fruit is married to a denser, more muscular structure. Rosy red aromatics lead to dusky black cherry on the palate, finishing jumpy and alive. An excellent BBQ red as we head into summer. $11.99
Alianca Vinho Verde 2016
Spritzy, slightly lower in alcohol and crazy refreshing, Vinho Verde is a favorite summertime staple. We’ve tasted a few new arrivals and this one is a winner. Clean and zippy with loads of trademark limey fruit, it offered a little more sappy weight and length than the others while being just as coolly refreshing. $8.99
Cadenette Costières de Nimes 2015
Tasting almost more like a northern Rhône red than the southern that it is, this has deep aromatics of potting soil and fresh flowers, tobacco snuff and wild thyme. The savory note continues on the palate, winding through a fruit field of black raspberry and cassis ending with a distinctly mineral edge. $9.99
Tintero Arneis Langhe 2015
The best bang-for-the-buck Arneis out there, this boasts a salty stony personality fleshed out with mountain meadow aromatics and lemon-tinged Asian pear fruit. Crisp and bracingly dry, there’s a glimpse of gentle light peach before ending with a burst of white pepper. $11.99
Domaine Girard Malepère 2012
Malepère (aka Bad Daddy) is a small quiet appellation near Carcassonne and the most western still to be considered part of the Languedoc. Rarely seen outside of the region, this is the first I can remember seeing in Portland. Despite its Languedoc affiliation, this is dominated by Cabernet Franc and tastes almost like a Loire Valley red although with a more Mediterranean density. Elegant and supple, the red berry fruit shades gently to blueberry while touches of rocky earth, wild herb and crushed mixed peppercorn add dimension and aromatic complexity. Normally $15 but who’s ever heard of Malèpere? So now, $9.99.
Giuggiolo Sangiovese 2013
This zesty summer-weight Sangio from the Tuscan hill town of Montepulciano offers spot-on flavors and aromatics in an easy-going style. The nose whispers loamy forest floor and light woodsmoke while the black cherry fruit is lively and ripe on the palate. A gentle bite of tannin on the finish ties it all together. $11.50
Altos de la Hoya Jumilla 2014
Despite a tricky vintage, the fruit from these ungrafted, dry-farmed old Mourvèdre vines has once again been transformed into a compelling high-quality wine. It seems a bit cleaner and fresher than past vintages but still offers classic Mediterranean notes of cured black olives and dried rosemary to complement the dusty black plum and just-ripe blackberry fruit. $9.99
Powers Malbec Col. Valley 2015
Powers has been making wine since 1992 and still offers great northwest values like this one. Super smooth and easy-going, this is generously fruity yet peppy and bright as a wave of marionberry fruit glides across the palate, accented with notes of graham cracker, vanilla and lightly toasted oak. $11.50
Apaltagua Carmenère 2016
A good example of Chile’s signature varietal, the texture here is airy but plush with broad flavors of dusty black plum and black raspberry to accompany its fresh herb garden aromas. Carmenère’s trademark pepperiness leans here to dried chile powder and cayenne, an appealing accent to the mellow fruit. $11.99
Anciano Tempranillo Reserva Valdepeñas 2007
It’s so fun to taste these old Spanish wines; they offer something different without going too far. Almost ten years old, this still shows surprising youth and power with a silky creamy texture, punchy black plum fruit and a range of spice aromas from a sandalwood incense oakiness to leafy cured tobacco. Give it some air and watch the complexity unfold. $11.99
Astruc Marsanne 2015
A white varietal common in the Rhône and south of France, Marsanne is often blended but this bargain Languedoc bottling shows its charm when flying solo. Plump and fleshy with a smooth waxy texture, the white flower aromas turn to ripe honeydew melon on the palate with a touch of baking spice. An undercurrent of lemony acidity keeps it fresh and light on its feet for such a flavorful wine. $9.50
Recent GWB Newsletters
Here are current and back-issues of the Great Wine Buys Newsletter to help you print out this month or find a wine from past issues.
August/September 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015