VInopolis Newsletter 7-17-24 PM

 

Special Arrival
 
The Wines of Jim Maresh

 

“Tasting with third-generation grower and winemaker Jim Maresh gives me faith in the future of Oregon Pinot Noir.” –Erin Kelley, The Wine Advocate
 
Jimmy Maresh is leading a quiet revolution out in the Willamette. Call it The New Oregon Wine if you want to be punchy and memorable, but honestly, the key is patience and observation. There is great power in these wines, but also sensitivity.
 
He started Tan Fruit to “experiment and play around with technique” and maintains a patient, minimalist approach. He prefers picking the grapes early (“al dente” he calls it), aging in a combination of steel and oak, and to ferment bone dry. As he says in his most recent Wine Advocate profile, his philosophy in the winery is “Just get the Hell out of the way.”
 
Sourcing from vineyards throughout the Willamette Valley, these represent dry-farmed artistry at its finest. These Chardonnays exhibit a complete and unique showing of Oregon’s terroir. Regardless of vineyard location, vine age and elevation these are both delightfully accessible now and will only get better with age.
 
These wines represent a kind of terroir transparency rarely seen before in Oregon. The critics are already hip to these matchless wines, which means prices and scarcity only go up from here. If you haven’t encountered these wines yet, now is the perfect time to do so!
 

 hot deal!  Arterberry Maresh Dundee Hills Rose 2023 750ml $14.50 special, 36 bottles available
Winery Note “About half Pinot and half Chardonnay picked early for Rose. Fermented bone dry and aged in 100% stainless steel. Made to drink cold in the sun.”
 

This is the lowest price in the United States!

Arterberry Maresh Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, USA 2022 750ml $31.90 special, 36+ bottles available
Vinous 91 Points “A deep magenta, the 2022 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills is lifted and floral, with fruit verging more toward raspberry than strawberry, with dusty rose and hints of spice. It’s sleek and racy, with supple textures and crisp wild berries cascading across a core of juicy acidity. This finishes long and staining yet remarkably fresh, leaving a lingering whisper of licorice and a gentle tension.”
 
Arterberry Maresh Old Vines Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, USA 2022 750ml $59 special, 24 bottles available
Winery Note “A blend of Weber and Maresh. Darker red fruit, silky and floral from a long hang time in October.”
 
 staff pick  Arterberry Maresh ‘Maresh Vineyard’ Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, USA 2018 750ml $64.50 special, 24 bottles available
Erin Brooks- The Wine Advocate 95+ Points “The 2018 Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard is an incredible wine. It opens slowly to an arresting perfume of dusty earth, dried rose petals, tea leaves, licorice and amaro with a wealth of bright red berry fruit at the core. The palate is elegant, supple and juicy, with an expansive fan of layered, spicy flavors and a very long finish. It’s hard to resist now, but it will have more to offer with time in bottle.”
 
Arterberry Maresh ‘Maresh Vineyard’ Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, USA 2022 750ml $69 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Note “From 50+ year old vines, rose petal, red plum, rhubarb. Harmonious, complete and in the groove right under 13%.”
 
Arterberry Maresh ‘Weber Vineyard’ Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, USA 2021 750ml $74.50 special, 24 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97+ Points “Out of curiosity, winemaker Jim Maresh and I re-tasted the 2019 Pinot Noir Weber Vineyard to compare to the recently bottled 2021s. (Weber Vineyard was previously owned by Jim’s grandfather and part of the Maresh Vineyard.) It’s beginning to curl inward, taking plenty of time to blossom from touches of iodine and flint to wild blackberries, tea leaves, lavender, salted licorice and candied orange peel. The medium-bodied palate is powerful and refreshing, with youthfully latent fruit and a long, spicy finish. Purchasers can look forward to an exciting evolution as this matures over the next 10-15 years.”
 

 
Tan Fruit ‘Petite Tan Fruit’ Chardonnay, USA 2022 750ml $19 special, 36+ bottles available
Eric Guido – Vinous Media 90 Points “The 2022 Chardonnay Petite Tan Fruit is perfumed with notes of young peach, crushed stones and savory herbs. It’s silky-smooth with hints of citrus and white pit fruits, decidedly savory, with a saline mineral tinge that forms toward the close. It finishes crisply refreshing yet long and potent, leaving a spicy touch.”
 
 staff pick  Tan Fruit White Walnut Vineyard Chardonnay, Dundee Hills, USA 2022 750ml $59 special, 24 bottles available
James Suckling 97 Points “Perfumed nose expressing notes of baked pears, almond powder, cream, baked lemons, chamomile and some white flowers. Medium-bodied with bright acidity and character. Vertical with so much tension. Vibrant and intense but remains in control. Plenty of verve and brightness. There is a purity to it. Textural and well-composed. A brilliant white with a long, mineral finish. Drink or hold.”
Erin Brooks- Wine Advocate 96 Points “Last year’s debut of Tan Fruit’s 2021 White Walnut Chardonnay was extraordinarily singular and expressive, and this 2022 Chardonnay White Walnut Vineyard is just as arresting. Matured for 12 months in barrel, plus six months in stainless steel, it explodes from the glass with a kaleidoscopic perfume of lychee and peach preserves streaked with accents of honey, hazelnut and green herbs. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and mouth coating and echoes the exoticism of the nose as it unfolds layer after layer of honeyed, spicy, floral fruit. Its focused spine of acidity expertly balances its natural opulence, and it has a hauntingly long finish.”
 

Lowest price in the United States

 
Tan Fruit Anela Vineyard Chardonnay, Chehalem Mountains, USA 2022 750ml $59 special, 24 bottles available
Erin Brooks – The Wine Advocate 96 Points “The 2022 Chardonnay Anela is singular and savory. Candied peaches and manuka honey mingle with dried sage, roasted hazelnuts and struck flint on the nose, and it teases you with slowly blossoming, spicy undertones. The palate is luxurious and satiny with kaleidoscopic, mouth-coating flavors, and its modest 30% new French oak is already well integrated. It has a foil of laser-like acidity, and its juiciness and hauntingly long finish draw you back to the glass again and again.”
James Suckling 96 Points “Very delicate and pristine fruit character, with salted lemons, pineapple, lemon curd and subtle notes of pastry and almonds. Medium- to full-bodied, firm and structured, with a lot of layers and a lot of potential. Voluptuous texture with precision and agility. Mineral backbone with crushed stones and chalk. Focused, succulent finish with length. Better after a year or two.”
 
Tan Fruit ‘Cuvee Tan’ Chardonnay, Willamette Valley, USA 2021 750ml $39 special, 36+ bottles available
Erin Brooks – The Wine Advocate 96 Points “…a core of peachy fruit is streaked with touches of candle smoke, matchstick, pie crust and floral tones.”
 
Tan Fruit Dupee Vineyard Chardonnay, McMinnville, USA 2022 750ml $59 special, 24 bottles available
Erin Brooks – The Wine Advocate 94 Points “The Dupee Chardonnay was barrel fermented and matured for 10 months in 25% new French oak. It opens with youthful flinty character that gives way to alluring scents of white peach, brioche and meringue. The light-bodied palate features dynamic flavors of ripe citrus and saline, honey and nuts. Its satiny texture is structured by tense, linear acidity, and it has a long, mineral-driven finish. It will be long lived in the cellar.”
 

Lowest price in the United States

Tan Fruit Fairview Vineyard Chardonnay, Dundee Hills, USA 2021 750ml $66 special, 7 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 Points “The 2021 Chardonnay Fairview Vineyard is scented of red apples and quince with nuances of mushroom, matchstick, hay and acacia flowers. The light-bodied palate is energetic and focused with a youthfully coiled core of savory fruit and a long, mineral-driven finish. Offer it 3-5 years or more in bottle to unwind.”
 
Tan Fruit Maresh Vineyard Chardonnay, Dundee Hills, USA 2022 750ml $59 special, 24 bottles available
Erin Brooks – The Wine Advocate 95 Points “The 2022 Chardonnay Maresh Vineyard comes from a block of Dijon clone vines planted in 1991 in the Dundee Hills on a steep, south-facing slope at 675 feet of elevation. Barrel fermented and matured for 10 months in 15% new French oak, plus four months in stainless steel, it’s reminiscent of Chablis and boasts exceptionally pure aromas. It opens with flint and petrichor before blossoming to apricot, elderflower liqueur, lime peel and hazelnuts. The palate is vibrant and silky with understated layers of creamy, peachy fruit, and its linear acidity and flinty tones come together for a shimmery finish. For several days after it’s opened, the Maresh Vineyard becomes more and more expressive, pointing to a long life in the cellar.”

 

 
 
Italy
 

 

“My only goal as a winemaker must be to highlight the potential of our land. Here each vineyard has its own particular characteristic. I want to express this as best as I can in my wines.” –Domenico Clerico

Among a wave of modernist Piedmont winemakers who brought Barolo to higher accolades, reviews, and (to be honest) prices in the 1980’s. Bucking tradition with long maceration times in small French oak barrels, he produced a more international style of Barolo to Americans. However, as he grew older, Domenico eventually returned to his region’s traditions and embraced large format Slavonian oak casks. What’s old is new again with Domenico Clerico and the wines are tasting better than ever.
 
Domenico Clerico Barolo del Comune di Monforte d’Alba DOCG, Piedmont, Italy 2020 750ml $49 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 Points “Spiced cranberry and blood orange peel off the top of the Domenico Clerico 2020 Barolo del Comune di Monforte d’Alba. This vintage is open and front-loaded overall; however, it does touch on all the main elements atop the Nebbiolo playlist. The wine is lean with young tannins. All said and done, the oak is graciously underplayed, and all the wine needs is another year or two in bottle to allow the fruit to flesh out. It ages in large oak casks with about 10% in barrique.”
 
Domenico Clerico Aeroplan Servaj, Barolo DOCG, Italy 2020 750ml $125 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97+ Points “The 2020 Barolo Aeroplan Servaj offers a bright and elegant fruit profile with tart fruit, blackcurrant, spice, cola, licorice and candied orange peel. It feels ironed out and smooth, folding softly over the palate initially yet ending with firm structure and framing. This wine normally represents a selection of fruit from Baudana in Serralunga d’Alba (planted in 1994), but the big change this year is that Aeroplan Servaj only sees fruit picked in the coolest parts of the vineyard.”
 
Domenico Clerico Barolo Bricotto, Barolo DOCG, Italy 2020 750ml $149 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97+ Points “This wine stands out for its elegance and ephemeral personality. The Domenico Clerico 2020 Barolo Bussia Bricotto has a pretty fruit profile with cherry cola, dried strawberry and a fragrant floral character of rose or hibiscus. The fruit takes center stage, and there is some light spice with shadings of cinnamon stick and nutmeg. The wine has good acidity and structure. This was the first vineyard purchased by the late Domenico Clerico in 1976, and this is the new, restyled version.”
 
Domenico Clerico Ciabot Mentin Ginestra, Barolo DOCG, Italy 2020 750ml $119 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 Points “The Domenico Clerico 2020 Barolo Ginestra Ciabot Mentin shows really great balance in terms of the oak integration. For the first time, the estate has decided to use large oak casks (removing the barrique entirely), and the results are extraordinary. There is a lot of dark fruit, like cranberry and currant, that holds tight and defines the wine throughout. There is black tea and spice, but these tones work with the fruit not against it. It finishes smooth, with glossy tannins, pretty acidity and a much brighter and lighter overall personality.”
 
Domenico Clerico Ciabot Mentin Ginestra, Barolo DOCG, Italy 2020 750ml $108 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 Points “The Domenico Clerico 2020 Barolo Ginestra Pajana shows great balance between dark fruit and integrated spice from increasingly hands-off oak aging. The results are impeccably smooth, and the fruit remains bright, very vibrant. It closes dry with smoky tar and licorice. However, the Pajana holds a big fruit profile, and it carries throughout. The combination of fruit and tannins roll over the palate, making this an important, age-worthy Barolo. These vineyards were planted in 1971 with about half re-planted in 1991. This vintage represents the first time that the Clerico team has worked exclusively with 5,000-liter oak botti, and this important tweak brings beautiful results.”


Oregon

Ayres Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, Oregon, USA 2023 750ml $24 special, 12 bottles available
Winemaker Notes “The Ayres Willamette Valley Pinot is sourced from the Ayres Estate in Ribbon Ridge at 474 feet elevation, and the Oliver Vineyard in Yamhill Carlton at 600 feet elevation. Wines are fermented in open top, 2 ton fermenters using all indigenous yeasts for both primary and secondary fermentations. A small amount of whole clusters were used.”
 
Bethel Heights Vineyard Estate Grown Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills, USA 2022 750ml $35.50 special, 12 bottles available
James Suckling 93 Points “Bright cherries, raspberries, orange peel and rose hips on the nose. Some walnuts. Racy and vibrant on the palate with a medium body and vivid, electrifying acidity. Refreshing, minty undertones at the end.”
Wine Spectator 92 Points “Taut and vibrant, with a steely core of acidity and tannins that drives the flavors of raspberry, cranberry and dusky spices toward the firm finish.”
 
 

South Africa
 

“An iconic sparkling wine that has carved out a niche in the history books – affectionately dubbed the “President’s Choice”, the Brut NV was served at both Nelson Mandela’s inauguration and to celebrate Barack Obama’s presidential nomination. With its light yeasty aromas, limey fresh fruit on the nose and rich creamy complexity on the palate, the Brut NV is intended to cleanse the palate, stimulate the taste buds and entice you to progress to the ‘next level’ in your tasting journey.”
Graham Beck Brut MCC – Methode Cap Classique, Robertson, South Africa NV 750ml $19 special, 6 bottles available
Tim Atkin 90 Points “Light yeasty aromas, limey fresh fruit on the nose and rich creamy complexity on the palate. The exceptionally fine mousse contributes the freshness and finesse.”

“Chardonnay 100%. The Blanc de Blancs remains one of our stalwart favorites, a darling amongst our legion of  bubbly fans and testimony to the outstanding Cap Classique terroir characteristics of our Robertson estate. Only the highest quality juice (tête de cuvée) was selected for fermentation.”
Graham Beck Vintage Blanc de Blancs Brut MCC – Methode Cap Classique, Robertson, South Africa 2018 750ml $33 special, 12 bottles available
Tim Atkin 94 Points “Bright lime green colour with rich aromas of fresh limes, green apples, pears and lemon zest on the nose. Delicately balanced flavors of succulent citrus, brioche and spice combines with yeasty complexity, broadening the palate with layered textures and leading to a long finish.”
 
“Chardonnay 52%, Pinot Noir 48%. Exuberance, flair and elegance in abundance are all hallmarks of this charming and exhilarating Rosé Cap Classique. A lengthy lees time resulted in subtle yeasty characters with a burst of fruit flavour. The fine, lively mousse is brisk on the palate, showing hints of oyster shell, fresh lavender and subtle hints of berry and cherry. Fun and versatile, yet simultaneously satisfyingly complex, the Brut Rosé is an anywhere, anytime Cap Classique.”
Graham Beck Brut Rose NV 750ml $19 special, 6 bottles available
Tim Atkin 91 Points “This wine has a unique pale silver-pink hue. Aromas of raspberries, cherries and a few secondary whiffs of minerality. A lively mousse, but fine in the mouth, with subtle red berry flavours enlivened by bright acidity. Brisk, yet delicate on the palate, bursting with flavours of freshly crushed berries and hints of oyster shell. Flirtatious and fun, yet elegant and structured, it’s perfect for all seasons and settings”
 
“Chardonnay 67%, Pinot Noir 33%. Ultra Brut is pure and honest – a true testimony of extraordinary fundamental excellence. The Graham Beck Cap Classique craftsmen always maintain that making a sparkling wine with no sugar is like walking a tightrope, there are no room for errors. This unique style of wine can only be crafted in exceptional vintages and from only the highest quality cuvée juice that can sustain extended time on the lees (five to six years). It joins the ranks of very few zero dosage sparkling wines, a category gaining in popularity amongst chefs, sommeliers, fashionistas, food enthusiasts and the health conscious.”
Graham Beck Ultra Brut 2017 750ml $33 special, 6 bottles available
Tim Atkin 93 Points “Ultra Brut is the quintessence of the Graham Beck style. With a viridescent hue, this Cap Classique opens up with a lively bouquet of lemon zest and brioche notes. The rich, complex palate is perfectly balanced by fresh acidity and an exceptionally refined mousse – a benchmark of the 2017 vintage. Endowed with a deliciously creamy texture and a rewarding finish, this ultra-dry sparkling wine is ideal to drink now or in the next 5 or 8 years”