Given the lukewarm reception by the press of the 2008 vintage in the Southern Rhone, I was anxious to taste these wines before they were released to make up my own mind. The reluctant reevaluation that followed in the face of a quantity of great wines from the 2007 vintage in Oregon reinforces my contention that blanket assessments of vintages should be only used as rough guides. To this end, I tasted through a plethora of fine wines from Alain Junguenet Selections.

Standouts from the Cotes du Rhone were bottlings from Domaine Boisson and the related winery of Alain Boisson, Cros de Romet, Olivier Hilliare, and Domaine Lafond. I’m looking forward to these wines arriving in the spring.

Among the Chateauneufs:
• Clos des Brusquieres $38.99/750ml.
• Domaine de la Charbonnieres Mourrre des Perdrix $$53.49/750ml.
• Chateau Fortia Cuvee du Baron $38.99/750ml.
• Domaine Olivier Hilliare Cuvee Classique $53.49/750ml.
• Les Petits Pieds d’Armand $104.19/750ml.
• Domaine Moulin-Tacussel Tradition $48.99/750ml.
• Domaine Tour Saint Michel La Tour du Lion $48.99/750ml.
• Le Vieux Donjon $63.99/750ml.

Pre-orders on all these wines are now being taken.

Tasting Opportunity:

On March 3 at 6:30 p.m., I will be hosting a tasting of these wines in the Community Room of our 29th & Willamette Street store. Cost is $30/seat and limited to 20. Please RSVP to 541-338-8455, 541-510-1616, or on the ‘net at jimc@marketofchoice.com.

Lemelson Thea’s Selection Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Purple middle with transparent pink rims. Forward perfume with rose, cherry, and notes of wet earth. On the palate it features layered flavors of pie crust, cherry and red currant; finishes short with good fruit. A scrumptious dish of salmon, burdock root, pork jowls, and rose hips perfectly complimented this wine, bringing out the sweetness of the cherry flavors and contrasting with the crunchy, toasty flavor of the pork jowls. $34.99/750ml. Food expertly prepared by Chef Gabriel Gil, from the Rabbit Bistro.

California’s Carneros AVA extends across both Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Cooler winds and fogs allow Pinot Noir, an early ripener, to do well here. Buena Vista Winery is one of California’s oldest wineries, established in 1857. Grapes are manually harvested and carried in small bins. Grape stems are separated from the berries by hand and sorted at a second table, crushed and cold soaked for several days before fermentation, basket pressed, then transferred to American and French oak for up to a year of aging, after which the barrel lots are blended to make the final wine. Our example from winemaker Jeff Stewart is the Buena Vista 2006 Carneros Pinot Noir. Lovely cherry perfume, lots of upfront cherry fruit with underlying satiny tannins and notes of dark berry and earth. Very nice finish with some grip and a satisfying snap of acidity. $12.49/750ml.

From New Zealand, a compellingly priced Sauvignon Blanc, the Crossings 2008 Marlborough is hard to beat at $7.79/750ml. Insistent perfume of grapefruit and gooseberry, with unctuous grapefruit, citrus and hints of tropical mango. Nice length on the palate with plenty of fruit to spare.

The Coteaux du Langedoc area of Southern France features a Mediterranean climate that encourages rampant vine growth but not always superb quality. However, by keeping yields down and careful vinification, wines of true distinction can be made. Reine Juliette 2008 Picpoul de Pinet (the name of the sub-appelation, the grape is called Picpoul Blanc or, confusingly, Picpoul de Pinet) comes from near the small town of Pomerols, situated on the old Roman road between Italy and Spain, the Via Domitia, and is a stone’s throw from the oyster pens along the coast. Quintessential shellfish wine, it has a lovely lemon-perfumed nose that sportively leaps out of the glass; in the mouth it evokes fresh-squeezed Meyer lemon and hints of orange peel, with some hard-driving minerality that provides length. $ 9.29/750ml.

I’ve been working with Domaine Michel Juillot for about six years now. Located in Mercury, in the Cote Chalonnaise, the estate produces village wines from its holdings in and around Mercury, as well as Bourgogne from further north including an Aloxe-Corton, and two Grand Cru: Corton-Perrieres and Corton Charlemagne. Winemaking chores fall to Michel Juillot, while his son, Laurent, tends to vineyard management. Grapes are hand harvested, crushed and sorted before heading to fermentation tanks. Fermentation utilizes pumping over and treading between one and three times daily. Cellar treatment is in barrels from 12 to 18 months with between 10 to 35% new barrels. Wood is primarily from the Vosges forests. Domaine Michel Juillot 2007 Bourgogne Pinot Noir is brick red and transparent with burnt ocher rims; very bright nose with rose petal perfume; lively acidity with layered cherry, rose and earthy tannins that will turn satiny with a couple of years age; power and muscle on the end. We tasted this side by side with the ‘05, which was exhibiting some sweet pie crust notes with gorgeous satiny tannins, grip and length on the finish. $16.69/750ml. Come by our wine bar on Friday at 5 p.m. to taste this and a superb Mercury Bourgogne Blanc ‘07 from the same estate.

Our tasting schedule this week:
• Friday, Jan. 29, at 5 p.m. – Try the Michel Juillot Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2007 and Mercurey Bourgogne 2007 Chardonnay.
• Saturday, Jan. 30, 5 p.m. – We will pour the Domaine Guy Amiot Bourgogne Aligote 2006 and Domaine Pierre Guillemot Savigny-les-Jarrons 1er Cru Bourgogne Rouge 2006.
• Sunday, Jan. 31, at 5 p.m. – Taste the Great Divide Yeti Imperial Oak Aged Stout.

To wit:

Stevenson Barrie 2007 Shea Vinyard Pinot Noir: Transparent red ochre in the glass; upfront fragrance with notes of rose blossom and cherry; layered cherry, pie crust, and earthy notes in the mouth; grip yet elegant with great length and depth. $29.29/750ml.

Crowley 2007 Entre Nous Willamette Valley Pinot Noir: Transparent brick red with a dark core; lively cherry, spring rain, and floral notes in the perfume; cherry and raspberry jam juxtaposed with sweet earthy tannins and some baked scone notes; elegant and lengthy on the finish. $26.79/750ml.

Lemelson 6 Vineyards Willamette Valley 2007 Pinot Noir: Transparent purple, red at the rims with pinkish notes; rose with hints of wet earth in the perfume; red currant, pie crust, and satiny tannins with good mouthcoating length. $22.29/750ml.
Three superb 2007 Oregon Pinot Noirs that I feel are the equal of any of the best 2006s I have tasted!

Oregon 2008 Pinots are showing up now. One of the best I have sampled so far is the Bergstrom Willamette Valley 2008. Twelve months in wood, and sourced partly from Shea and partly from their estate vineyards, it is a nicely priced gem from Josh Bergstrom. Pretty perfume with notes of earth and rose; redcurrant and pie crust layered with dusty tannins that provide grip and energy to the finish. $23.69/750ml.
In the darn-good-buys category, Domaine D’Augeron Sables Fauves 2008 Vin de Pays Rouge is a marvelous blend of 70% Cabernet Franc and 30% Merlot. Notes of marionberry and bramble on the nose; light juicy tannins carry the fruit; hints of sage, pepper and brush; medium length on the finish. $7.79/750ml.

M. Chapoutier, well known for his wines from the Rhone Valley, brings us a terrific Cotes du Roussillon Villages. The 2008 Bila Haut Cotes du Roussillon Villages is an attractive blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan, grown on alluvial soils, deposited from the Quaternary geologic period. Traditional winemaking techniques of destemming, followed by fermentation in concrete, and vat aging before bottling. Lovely garnet with burnt umber in the middle; rose perfume in the nose; suave, smokey red berry, hints of licorice and black pepper; good length for a lingering finish. $12.99/750ml.

Our tasting schedule this weekend:
• Friday, Jan. 15, at 5 p.m. – Try Rogue John John Ale.
• Saturday, Jan. 16, at 5 p.m. – Taste J. Daan Rouge and Stevenson Barrie 2007 Pinot Noir.
• Sunday, Jan. 17, at 5 p.m. – Join us as we pour the Domaine Boisson Cotes Du Rhone Villages Cairanne 2007.

And don’t miss our free coffee tastings this weekend: Wandering Goat Sumatra Gayo Mountain., Stumptown Rwanda Vinya and Ethiopian Yirgacheffe No. 2. All coffees French pressed or Chemex drip brewed.

On the brink of the New Year, what could be more on our minds than champagne? The peculiar quality and flavor of champagne – its soul – is due to the geology of Champagne, as much as to the winemakers.

Underground tunnels honeycomb the area and provide natural refrigeration and storage for millions of bottles of champagne. During my tour of Champagne in 2006, I visited Champagne Trouillard in Epernay and was lucky enough to be able to walk the vineyards, kick the fossils out of the chalk, and explore the natural tunnels while sipping first-class bubbles with Betrand Trouillard. Ah, fond memories!

The best wine is made in the area around Epernay, known as the ‘Dry Champagne’ and includes the villages of Oger, Aviz , Ambonnay, Verzany, Bouzy and Mally.

Herewith are my selections for upcoming celebrations:

First selection, of which I recently had the good fortune of tasting, is the Krug Grande Cuvee. Reminiscent of a fine Meursault, the nose sported elegant notes of yeast, sweet banana and scone. Bubbles were tiny pinpricks of incandescence that rose persistently with lambent insouciance. In the mouth it was rich with perfectly balanced flavors of fresh baked scone, banana, notes of citrus and lime for balance, and a powerful grip on the palate at once intense and graceful. $208.99/750ml.

France:

Champagne Trouillard Brut and Brut Blanc de Blancs. I’ve been working with these for awhile now, and I think there is no better at this price point. $40.39/750ml Brut Blanc de Blancs and $46.29/750ml Brut.

Champagne Claude Genet Brut A Chouilly is toasty on the nose, with energetic bubbles and a persistent stream; citrus, coffee cake, and some pie spice with a long finish. $42.99/750ml.

Italy:

Riva della Chiesa Prosecco Montello e Colli Asolani Brut. Bright citrus and yeast on the nose. Persistent stream of lively bubbles. Silky in the mouth with citrus and melon and notes of yeast. Nice finish with some snap. $13.99/750ml.

New World:

Gruet Brut and Blanc de Noirs from New Mexico. $13.79/750ml. High altitude vineyards, classic blends of Pinot noir/Chardonnay and Pinot noir. The “Blanc de Noirs is light salmon with toasty notes complimented by ripe berry and brioche. The Brut has more citrus on the nose and in the mouth with hints of baked yeast and a nice creaminess on the finish. Minimum two years of age for the Blanc de Noirs.

Australia:

Hill of Content Sparkling Red NV: A blend of predominantly Shiraz from Padthaway, near Adelaide. Off-dry with nice notes of vanilla spice and bright boysenberry. $17.99/750ml.

The Chook Sparkling Shiraz, Ben Riggs’ entry into the world of bubbles. Full bodied with boysenberry, peppery tannins, nice richness, and a long finish. $17.29/750ml.

To wrap it all up, for the next morning and before the Rose Bowl, Jaillance Rennaissance Brut: toasty biscuit on the nose, nice stream, light citrus, crisp, some yeasty notes. Incredible price, yep, $5.99/750ml. This co-operative is located just north of Avignon and sources its grapes from members located throughout France.

Tasting schedule this week:

• Thursday, Dec. 31, at 4 p.m. – Ray Walsh will be pouring Capitello Brut and assorted other wines from the winery.

No tastings scheduled for this weekend. We will resume our tastings the following week.

– Happy New Year to all, and thanks for a wonderful 2009!