West Coast Favorites
Wine Tasting Thursday, July 7th!
Producers that are doing the work in the vineyards and taking care of their people... the results are profound! The delicious factor is through the roof!
"Joy, pleasure, and the art of winemaking come first in our effort to shift the tide of California wine. We are one voice in a chorus of producers who find shared value in guiding our industry away from practices that harm the planet and the people behind the bottle" Martha Stouman
West Coast Favorites
Wine Tasting
Thursday, July 7th 4-6pm
*Our Big Spring Park location- 200 Westside Square*
$35 Per Person (Includes Personal Charcuterie Pairing)
Or
$20 Per Person (Wine Tasting Only)
Reservations Requested. Call 256-759-9952
Presented by special guest,
Allaina of International Imports.
The Line-Up
NV Eyrie "Spark" Rose Brut, Dundee Hills, Oregon $29.99
The NV Spark is a blend of 55% Pinot Noir, 37% Chasselas Doré and 8% Pinot Blanc, from 31-year-old vines. It is an 'ultra brut,' although this particular bottling is made using forced carbonation instead of méthode Champenois. Medium to deep cherry-pink in color, it has aromas of cantaloupe, strawberries, raspberries and lemon peel with notes of stone and toast. The palate is dry with citrus and red berry flavors, spritely mousse and a refreshing, mineral-driven finish. Wine Spectator
The Eyrie Vineyards is one of the original historic wine estates in Oregon and by all accounts one of the most historic in this country. In the winery, Eyrie’s “gentle touch” vineyard philosophy is carried over in their winemaking approach. This means minimal racking, extended lees contact, complete and spontaneous native fermentations, no fining, minimal filtration, etc.
2021 Field Recordings "Skins" Orange, Central Coast, California $18.99
41% Chenin Blanc, 37% Pinot Gris, 9% Albarino, 8% Verdlho, 5% Riesling
Flavors of apricot, haitian orange, persimmon, marzipan and peach.
This is a crisp orange wine perfect to pair with spicy foods, long summer days on the beach, lake, pool or…. well, anywhere.
Sustainable farming practices, native yeast fermentation, no additives, minimal sulfur, unfined and unfiltered, and vegan-friendly!
2020 Martha Stouman "Mendocino Benchlands" Red, Mendocino, California $32.99
Varietal: 40% Petite Sirah, 37% Zinfandel, 23% Nero d'Avola
This light blend smells like tart raspberries just plucked off the bush and tastes like grown up hawaiian punch. Notes of pineapple, pluot, and orange groove together for a rejuvenating blend, and show off a lighter side of Petite Sirah. Great served with a little chill!
2019 Linqua Franca "Avni" Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity, Oregon $34.99
93 points Wine Spectator: “A lithe wine, with laser focus, offering layers of snappy cherry, river stone and savory dark spice flavors that build tension toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2027.”
92 points Wine & Spirits: “Drawn from mostly Eola–Amity Hills vineyards, including Larry Stone’s estate, this is youthful and brisk, with a light red-cherry scent lined by oak. The plum flavors have an earthiness that brings the wine to a darker hue, emphasized by weighty and mineral tannins and a barrel element that will need time to tuck into the wine.”
Lingua Franca was co-founded by master sommelier, Larry Stone, David Honig, and Dominique Lafon in 2015, inspired by the exceptional vineyard site in the Eola-Amity Hills that Larry bought in 2012. They soon hired Thomas Savre, a brilliant young winemaker with work experience at some of the best domaines in Burgundy and an inquisitive mind. All are committed to farming and winemaking practices that respect the environment, believing that complex and undisturbed ecosystems help to create the most complex and seductive wines.
2017 J. Christopher "Volcanique" Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, Oregon $38.99
Winemaker Notes
Diversity and Complexity are the hallmarks of the J. Christopher Volcanique Pinot Noir. It is a blend of 5 of the finest vineyards in the Dundee Hills AVA: Baptista Maresh, La Colina, Bella Vida, Charlie’s and Abbey Ridge. Four different clones make us the source vine material: Pommard, Wadenswil, Coury and Dijon 777. This cuvée is comprised of the top tier of barrels from their numerous Dundee Hills sources. They feel the blend of vineyards and clone types leads to a complex wine with aromas of black tea, rhubarb, ripe raspberry and dusty earth notes. Medium bodied but serious on the palate, sneaky density in an elegant package that features, red fruits, Asian spices and lovely echoes of toasty oak.
This can stand up to rack of lamb or BBQ strip steak, but sophisticated enough for swordfish or scallops with a rich sauce.
Critical Acclaim
W&S94Wine & Spirits
Distilled from estate lots planted on volcanic soils, this really does smell like volcanic earth, in its smoky and mildly earthy notes. The cool red-fruit flavors seem plush at first but lengthen and become velvety after a day, spicy with hints of rooibos tea, cinnamon and tar. For tea-smoked duck.
JS93James Suckling
Floral notes with leaves and baking spices, as well as blueberries and a peppery edge. The palate has good concentration and fleshy fruit presence with finely cast tannins. Drink or hold.
WS91Wine Spectator
Lithe and expressive, this red builds structure and tension as it opens to raspberry, orange zest and black tea flavors, finishing with polished tannins.
WE91Wine Enthusiast
Blending Pommard and Wadenswil clones from the La Colina Vineyard, this is a red fruited wine with a clean, clear focus. Bing cherries are the strength of the palate, with a minerally, dryly tannic finish.mostly Sangiovese, Syrah, Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon. Vinification: in stainless steel vats with temperature controlled through cooling jackets.
Refining: in concrete vats.
2021 Stolpman "La Quadrilla" Red, Ballard Canyon, California $21.99
A training program in which he gave one Cuadra - a small vineyard block - to his team, so they would take responsibility for their land. Each crew member became the farmer rather than just the worker. The big year-end bonus allows the crew members a chance to add to their savings and overall cushion, while the weekly bonus aims to increase the quality of everyday life for La Cuadrilla and their families.
2021 Cuadrilla opens up with dark ripe plum highlighted with bright fresh red berries. Deep and supple with fine chalky tannins already married with a smooth, polished texture. An alluring otherness of wet stones, mint, and mocha prevail from the nose through the mouth captivating the senses beyond just the magnificently pleasurable profile.
2018 Stolpman Vineyards "Para Maria de las Tecolotes" Red, Santa Barbara, Central Coast, California $21.99
Winemaker Notes
2018 Para Maria first seduces with wafting blueberry compote straight out of the bottle. Buffering the blueness lies a deeper chocolate malt below and then a fiery, spicy red energy above. The wine strikes an impressive breadth of tactile sensation from the rich and robust to a freshly cut edge - to me this is the whole point of combining elements into a red blend and when well executed like the 2018, the different elements launch the wine into the category of authentically fine wine.
Critical Acclaim
WE92Wine Enthusiast
It’s hard to find a better wine for the price than this blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Petite Verdot. Blistered black-plum, charcoal and fresh boysenberry aromas kick off the nose, while the palate blends black pepper, boysenberry and smoke. It is a versatile table wine, as apt for tacos and barbecue as it is for prime rib and roast lamb.
RP90Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Para Maria de las Tecolotes, a blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Petit Verdot, features bright scents of blackberries and blackcurrants with notes of tar, earth and loads of floral perfume. The medium to full-bodied palate is concentrated and wonderfully fresh, with a grainy frame and long finish.
