November 8, 2014
Saturday Sale-a-bration Specials
All Arriving Next Friday
Bruno Giacosa’s Wines of Piedmont
View of the winery from the Falletto vineyard
Any discussion of Barolo and Barbaresco could begin and end with mention of Bruno Giacosa, undisputedly one of Italy’s most esteemed producers.
Born into the family wine firm, Bruno Giacosa started his career at the tender age of 15 as a grape buyer, sourcing fruit for his father and grandfather, and then for many of Barolo’s large houses. In 1960, he started his own company and, with a profound passion for Piemontese wine handed down for three generations, became famous for crafting some of the most prestigious single-vineyard Barolos and Barbarescos in all of Piedmont.
While Bruno was one of the first in the region to fully understand the importance of site selection – he began bottling his crus separately in 1967 – he didn’t own any property until the early 1980s. His first purchase was his long-revered Falletto vineyard in 1982, and, by the late 1980’s, Giacosa’s search for the best vineyard sources initiated the process of acquiring 22 hectares of vineyards throughout Serralunga d’Alba, La Morra, and Barbaresco. With a wide breadth of some of the best vineyards in the area, Bruno Giacosa produces an extensive range of high-profile bottles. Starting in 1996, Giacosa has divided into two winery names based on whether the grapes are estate grown. The “Azienda Agricola Falletto – di Bruno Giacosa” labels represent the estate vineyards (Barolo Falletto, Barolo Rocche del Falletto, Barbaresco Asili, Barbaresco Rabajà), while the “Casa Vinicola Bruno Giacosa” labels are used for wines produced from grapes purchased from historical grape growers(Barbaresco Santo Stefano, Barbaresco Gallina, Barolo Villero). Prior to 1996, all his wines were made under the “Casa Vinicola Bruno Giacosa” name. Today, the only cru Barbaresco he makes from purchased fruit is Gallina, slowly eliminating the other wines from his lineup starting in 1996; 2011 will be his last vintage for Santo Stefano. 2005 was the last vintage for Giacosa Rabajà for a very different reason; with his Rabaja vineyards recently re-classified as Asili.
Bruno Giacosa’s winemaking philosophy combines a respect for tradition and conservative winemaking with the selected use of modern technology to obtain the best expression of each vineyard’s terroir. He is convinced that great wines begin in the vineyard with the production of grapes cultivated by experienced growers. With a true belief that wines were better in the past, Giacosa focuses on simple and traditional methods of winemaking, managing to bring out a richness of flavor and an intensity of character that has secured his spot as one of the most respected Piedmont producers.
Arriving Next Friday
Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili 2003 ($219.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer 93 points “Medium red. Very ripe aromas and flavors of strawberry liqueur and smoke. Surprisingly sappy and fresh, with a sexy sweetness leavened by lively acidity. There’s a liqueur-like quality to this 2003 along with a creamy richness of texture. Features a rising, fresh finish rare for the vintage and fine, granular, building tannins.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA!
The average listed price is over 35% higher at $138/ bottle
Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Rabaja 2005 ($219.95) $149 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 94+ points “The 2005 Barbaresco Rabaja is the densest and richest of these 2005 Barbarescos. Because it is aged in a slightly smaller cask, the wine shows an explosive personality along with some oak nuances that require bottle age to settle down. This muscular Barbaresco resonates on the palate with layers of spiced, mentholated dark cherries, minerals and licorice. It remains a dense, structured and primary wine in need of serious bottle age for the firm tannins to melt away. This, too, is a sublime wine from Bruno Giacosa. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2025.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA!
The average listed price is over 30% higher at $197/ bottle
Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto 2003 ($179.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer & Wine Advocate 91 points “Moderately saturated medium red. Reticent nose hints at red fruit liqueur and marzipan. Sweet on entry, then quite firm in the middle, with fresh acids giving definition and penetration to this rather inexpressive wine. Today this is less rich and sweet than the Barbaresco Asili, but there’s enticing ripeness here and excellent lift on the firmly tannic finish. This really went into a shell in the glass and would appear to need at least five or six years of bottle aging.”ST
This is the lowest listed price in the USA!
The average listed price is over 45% higher at $144 / bottle
Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto 2005 ($249.95) $149 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate & Stephen Tanzer 94 points “The 2005 Barolo Falletto offers up a gorgeous bouquet of red cherries, flowers, spices and menthol. This is a relatively delicate, elegant Barolo Falletto yet it offers gorgeous balance, tons of inner perfume and a long, refined finish. It is one of the overachievers in 2005. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025.”WA
This is the lowest listed price in the USA!
The average listed price is over 40% higher at $144 / bottle
Available here now from Giacosa
Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto 2008 1.5LITER ($419.95) $319 special 11 magnums available
Wine Spectator 96 points “Warm and chewy, this red exhibits cedar, sandalwood, tobacco and leather accents enhancing the core of cherry and raspberry. As this plays out on the palate, the wine turns more supple and vibrant, building to the long, expansive finish. Best from 2016 through 2035.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA!
Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili 2005 1.5LITER ($399.95) $319 special 1 magnum available
Wine Advocate 95 points “Giacosa’s 2005 Barbaresco Asili is noticeably rounder, sweeter and denser than the Santo Stefano. It shows remarkable balance and harmony in an incredibly pure, graceful style. The tannins are so finessed and elegant it is hard to actually perceive them on the palate. Here too, the wine shows awesome inner balance and poise. Sweet raspberries, flowers, roses and spices are just some of the nuances that emerge from this incredibly delicious, promising Barbaresco. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2025.”
Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano 2007 ($229.95) $189 special 1 bottle available
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2007 Barbaresco Santo Stefano is a gorgeous wine that combines element of ripeness, structure and the intense spiciness that makes the best wines from the Santo Stefano vineyard so compelling. Floral, high-toned notes appear on the silky finish, rounding out this highly promising wine. Gorgeous textural elegance and balance are the hallmarks of the 2007 Santo Stefano.”
Bruno Giacosa Barolo Vigna Croera 2004 ($279.95) $209 special 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 90 points “The 2004 Barolo Vigna Croera reveals pretty aromatics and notes of smoke, tar, roses, herbs and the small red fruits that are characteristic of the wines of La Morra. Made in a medium-bodied delicate style it possesses a graceful, feminine personality and finessed tannins.”
Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche Del Falletto 2005 ($249.95) $169 special 12+ bottles available
Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche Del Falletto 2005 1.5LITER ($499.95) $419 special 1 magnum available
Wine Advocate 96+ points “The 2005 Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto is a massive, towering Barolo loaded with tons of rich, primary fruit. The wine remains powerful, dense and muscular with superb length even if it is a smaller-scaled Barolo compared to previous great vintages. That said, when I came back to the wine after it had been in the glass for an hour or so, I found that the wine had grown remarkably.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA at every option!
The average listed price is over 28% higher at $218 / bottle
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Chateau Cap Leon 2010
Owned by the same family since 1810, the Cap Leon Veyrin estate is now run by Alain Meyre. His son Julien is the vineyard manager and his daughter Nathalie, who trained in California and Australia make the wines from vineyards. Cap Leon Veyrin is located in Listrac, a commune between Saint-Julien and Margaux, right next to Moulis. More distant from the river and from the ocean than any of the other Bordeaux communes, this relatively cool climate, together with its windy location close to the forest, gives a slow, even ripening process. The soils are principally clay-limestone soils and as a result the wines tend to be more rustic and heavier than their counterparts in the gravel soil closer to the Gironde. The 2010, offered here today, is a blend of 57% Merlot, 40% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot , fermented in stainless steel to retain fruit character and then aged for 12 months in 25% new oak.
Chateau Cap Leon Veyrin Listrac Medoc 2010 ($29.95) $20.90 pre-arrival special
Case-6 Chateau Cap Leon Veyrin Listrac Medoc 2010 ($179.95) $114 pre-arrival special (that’s only $19 / bottle!)**
James Suckling & Wine Enthusiast 91 points “Smooth and rich, this showcases both the structure and ripe black fruits of the vintage. It has wood-aging flavors, with a touch of caramel and fine acidity. This is for medium- to long-term aging.” WE
This is the lowest listed price in the USA!
The next best listed price is 20% higher at $25 / bottle
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Bodegas de la Marquesa Valserrano
Viñedos y Bodegas de la Marquesa – Valserrano is a family-owned and -operated winery founded in 1880. With vineyards situated in the best of the Rioja Alavessa, Valserrano is dedicated to the production, aging, and bottling of wines from its own vineyards. These outstanding wines are produced in limited quantity and reflect the true elegance of Spain. Although founded in 1880 by the Marquis de Solana, it was not until 1996 that the family-owned bodegas adopted the name Vinedo y Bodegas de La Marquesa. Keeping with tradition, only grapes sourced directly from the family’s 148 acres of vineyards are used to produce Valserrano wines. All vineyards run from the sunny lower slopes of the Cantabrian Mountain Range to the banks of the Ebro River. The vineyards, the average age of which is 25 years, are planted not only with Tempranillo but also some of the least common varieties of grapes in Rioja: Mazuelo, Graciano and Viura. The 2005 Reserva, offered below, is made from 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano grapes, aged for 24 months in new and neutrak oak before bottling in 2008.
Arriving November 14th
Bodegas Marquesa Valserrano Rioja Reserva 2005 ($27.95) $17.70 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Bodegas Marquesa Valserrano Rioja Reserva 2005 ($299.95) $189 pre-arrival special (that’s only $15.75 / bottle!)**
Stephen Tanzer 91 points “(90% tempranillo and 10% graciano): Deep ruby. Highly fragrant scents of redcurrant, cherry, dried rose and spicecake, with hints of smoke and pipe tobacco. Packs a punch, displaying very good vivacity to the cherry preserve and floral pastille flavors. Finishes sappy, focused and long, with silky tannins and lingering sweetness. This elegant wine is drinking well now but has the balance to age.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA!
The average listed price is $21 / bottle
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Berlucchi Franciacorta
Few know of Franciacorta, Italy’s best-kept secret from the Lombardy region of northern Italy. Its name derives from ancient history: its towns – curtes-, were exempt—francae—from taxes in the Middle Ages, and so, francae curtes. An oasis in Northern Italy, nestled between the Alps and open plains, Franciocorta is blessed with sinuous slopes, diverse soils, and a mild, breezy climate that ripens the clusters of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that more than a hundred winemakers transform into Italy’s most famed high-quality sparkling wines. Like Cava and Champagne, Franciacorta achieves its elegant effervescence thanks to secondary fermentation in the bottle—the “classic method”—and is limited to a specific geographic territory.
The Franciacorta sparkling style, and the DOCG title under which it is sold, are both relatively recent additions to Italy’s wine portfolio. The first sparkling wine to bear the name Franciacorta was created by the Berlucchi winery in the late 1950s. The wine, which was a conscious attempt at emulating Champagne, was very well received. Other producers soon followed suit, and the style developed quickly. The Franciacorta DOC title was created in 1967, to cover the area’s sparkling wines and their non-sparkling counterparts, and given DOCG status in 1995.
Made very much in the image of Champagne, Franciacorta is a much more complex sparkling wine in comparison to its cousins Prosecco and Moscato. All Franciacorta wine is bottle-aged on its lees, to increase its complexity and flavor integration. The ageing period is 18 months for the non-vintage wines, 24 months for the rosé and satèn, 30 months for the vintage-marked millesimato and an impressive 60 months for the riserva wines. Tasting notes for Franciacorta Brut wines sound remarkably like those of their Champagne equivalents, with frequent references to biscuit, brioche, lemon and lees.
Founded in 1955 by some of Italian wine’s most inventive minds, Guido Berlucchi and his partners, most notably winemaker Franco Ziliani, proudly produced the first bottle of classic method sparkling in Franciacorta. The winery has since grown into a powerhouse under the leadership of a new generation, Franco Ziliani’s children, Cristina, Arturo, and Paolo. With property including the landmark 15th Century Palazzo Lana Berlucchi, the Berlucchi vineyard in Franciacorta comprises six hundred hectares of estate and growers’ vines, an impressive viticultural holding that is managed with precision agricultural practices. High-density vineyard plantings, together with spurred-cordon pruning, careful cover-cropping, and pre-harvest cluster-thinning, ensure a low number of high-quality grape clusters. The Berlucchi ’61, offered, is 90% Chardonnay with 10% Pinot Noir, expect apple and pear flavors with “appealing notes of citrus,” according to the winery’s notes.
Arriving Next Friday
November 14th
Berlucchi ’61 Brut Franciacorta DOCG NV ($29.95) $16 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Berlucchi ’61 Brut Franciacorta DOCG NV ($299.95) $149 pre-arrival special (that’s only $12.41 / bottle!)**
Wine Enthusiast 90 points “This fresh, creamy Chardonnay-based sparkler is making waves thanks to its crisp acidity and full-bodied mouthfeel. The balance is spot-on, with delicate aromas of apricot, baked bread and sweet citrus that are backed by smooth and persistent perlage.”
Berlucchi ’61 Brut Rose Franciacorta NV ($34.95) $18 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Berlucchi ’61 Brut Rose Franciacorta NV ($359.95) $179 pre-arrival special (that’s only $14.91 / bottle!)**
Wine Enthusiast 91 points “A delicate pink color sets the stage for feminine aromas of pink rose, yeasty baked bread, small berries, savory forest and pine nut nuances. A fresh citrus note brings life to the finish and helps to enhance the wine’s sharp and lively perlage.”
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2013 Patricia Green Cellars
Affectionately known here as Patty Green, PGC wines are from the Ribbon Ridge and include some of the oldest vines among the Oregon Pinots we carry (and they have quite a range!). The estate and its 52 acres were purchased in 2000 by Patty Green and Jim Anderson. They produce wines from some of the best sites in a range of AVAs: Ribbon Ridge, Dundee Hills, Chehalem Mountains and the Yamhill-Carlton. Everything is dry-farmed with attention to the smallest details and careful handling and observation of the wines as they develop.
Patty Green boats many estate wines, as well as single vineyard
wines from grapes produced all over the Willamette Valley
Below are Jim Anderson’s notes on the 2013 vintage and some of their current releases:
[In response to the Wine Spectator’s 2013 Willamette Valley Vintage Report] “‘Promising grapes: Pinot Gris and earliest-picked Pinot Noir in Willamette Valley… Challenging grapes: Anything picked in Willamette Valley after Sept. 22.’ This is just not correct. Not in our view anyway. The earliest picked Pinot Noir is not the most promising. This is boiler plate ‘picking before it rains is good, picking after is bad.’ We picked a handful of Pinot Noir prior to September 22nd. One vineyard will exclusively end up in our second label, Dollar Bills Only, and two other vineyards will end up in the Reserve Pinot Noir. We were generally forced into some early and, perhaps, premature pick dates by a confluence of events. We were not the only ones. While we will lose out on a couple of excellent bottlings the quality of the Reserve certainly will benefit from the presence of these wines.
“Hangtime matters. Quality of farming matters. They generally go hand in hand. Three of our best wines (Balcombe Block 1B, Estate Etzel and Bonshaw blocks) were picked on October 9th and 11th, which were our last two picking days for Pinot Noir.
“This sort of information is going to pop up relatively regularly. This seems to be journalism from afar, at best. The 2013 wines span quite a range of styles, but most vintages do. The considerably warmer 2009 vintage had wines that ranged from very light to very, very dark. The 2013 wines are hard to add up but in general seem to have some of the positive characteristics of the 2011 and 2012 vintages: good acidity, nice weight, moderate alcohols, excellent aromatics, succulent mid-palates, and above average to very long finishes. These are excellent examples of the style of Pinot Noir we have been crafting for over a decade now. The source vineyards are as strong a group as we have ever had and there are a wealth of wines to choose from that will satisfy many different types of Oregon Pinot Noir fans. Believe your palate and believe in what we have done historically.”
Arriving November 14th
Patricia Green Cellars Balcombe Vineyard Pinot Noir, Yamhill County 2013 ($37.95) $31.90 pre-arrival special
Winery note: “Balcombe Vineyard is simply one of the best vineyards we work with, and every year it produces wines of terrific quality that are absolutely true to the Dundee Hills. It was planted in 1990 to Pommard and we have worked with the fruit every year since 1997, so we have become pretty accustom to how the grapes grow, ripen and ferment into wine. This is certainly the quintessential Dundee Hills Pinot Noir that we make. Ever since we first bottled it in 2000, this wine has been about how the texture and the flavor co-mingle to deliver the experience that is this wine. This is consistently floral on the nose with subtle elements of red-fruit and smoked meat. The texture is silky, generous and saliva-generating to say the least. The acidity is crisp, which keeps the fruit bright and makes you want to keep coming back to the glass. This wine has sneaky ageability to it since it does have such an approachable-when-young nature. Recent tastes of the 2001 and 2002 show those wines cruising along beautifully. Drink it for its lovely, youthful nature or save it because it will be a delicious treat 10+ years into the future. Either way you cannot lose. 18% new barrel, 414 cases bottled.”
Patricia Green Cellars Balcombe Vineyard, Block 1B Pinot Noir, Yamhill County 2013 ($54.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Winery note: “This site is now taking on new levels of seriousness as it starts to enter into maturity. The vines are now 23 years of age and the depth, power and balance of this particular bottling become further honed each vintage. Balcombe Vineyard is located at an ideal elevation and has great aspect and exposure. [This is] the old standard-bearer and the single most popular wine we make. The consistency on this particular section of the vineyard is something else. Darkly fruited, brooding in its youth and much more structured and earthy than the regular Balcombe bottling. This section of the vineyard just cranks out an incredible wine every single year. Dating back to 1997 (at a former place of employ) this wine has been bottled on its own and has never once seemed to take even a slight hiccup. Every year the vines get more mature and at 24 years of vine age are just entering maturity. This is a gorgeous uber-rendition of Dundee Hills Pinot Noir. 43% new barrel, 170 cases bottled.”
Patricia Green Cellars Durant Vineyard, Bishop Block Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2013 ($51.95) $47 pre-arrival special
Winery note: “We were fortunate to land a section of Durant Vineyard in 2010 and we were lucky to supplement that with another section in 2012. This dramatically situated vineyard on Breyman Orchard Rd. (slightly down the hill from Balcombe Vineyard) has been owned and farmed by the same family for the entire 40+ years of its existence. After a year off due to a hail storm that wiped out this section of the vineyard we are very, very happy to have this back in the line-up. These now monster vines were planted back in 1973 making them some of the oldest vines in Oregon. This wine knows exactly what it wants to be. This is finesse, subtleness, elegance and discreet balance all backed up by a sneaky and looming firmness that comes on in the back of the wine. Only older vines make wines like this. This is not a wine that needs to make a dramatic entrance because all the work is done on the back end. 30% new barrel, 240 cases bottled.”
Patricia Green Cellars Durant Vineyard, Madrone Block Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2013 ($37.95) $31.90 pre-arrival special
Winery note: “We were fortunate to land a section of Durant Vineyard in 2010, and we were lucky to supplement that with another section in 2012. Lucky both in the sense that we were going to be getting more fruit from this vineyard that was planted in 1973 and is still owned and farmed by the same family to this day, and in that our initial block was essentially wiped out by odd springtime weather patterns leaving that section barren of fruit in 2012. The second block we picked up is a section planted to Dijon 115 in 2001. This brings in the velvety texture that Dundee Hills Pinot Noirs can have. This is deep in fruit and oozing with textural appeal. This borders right on sultry. Almost certainly the single vineyard designate with the most upfront appeal to it. This will show sweet red fruits which are certainly a staple of the vintage with classic Dundee Hill sweet spices. Hard not to like. 33% new barrel, 144 cases bottled.”
Patricia Green Cellars Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2013 ($31.95) $27 pre-arrival special
Winery note: “The Estate bottling consists of 11 separate sections of the vineyard that were planted in the 1997-2001 window. The heart and true strength of the wine is Pommard clone which generally makes up around 60-70% of the wine. The density, darkness and tannic structure comes largely from the Dijon 114 vines that were planted in 2001. The polishing characteristics and beautiful aromatics are lent from the Wadensvil clone that was planted in 1997. This bottling is designed to show off the inherent power that younger vines display in the Ribbon Ridge Appellation.
“These vines do not have the root depth of the significantly older sections of the vineyard and therefore do not necessarily feed upon and drink the same material. Since we dry farm these younger vines, even at 15 years of vine age they are still under a bit of duress. This leads to small, tight clusters and generally fairly thick skins. This gives the wine its trademark dark, almost purplish color and hefty, dense tannic structure. This is filled in quite easily by liqueur-like dark fruit. This can be a bit savage in nature when youthful but it comes around surprisingly quickly and, of course, is good for years and years. 19% new barrel, 1,185 cases bottled.”
Patricia Green Cellars Estate Vineyard Old Vine Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2013 ($44.95) $37 pre-arrival special
Winery note: “The 30 acre Estate vineyard is an amazingly diverse site given its 360 degree hilltop planting, multiple vine ages and clonal differences. This is why we split it into different bottlings based upon specific characteristics. From 5 different blocks with vines of 24, 27, 28 and 30 years of age we created a wine that displays the elegant characteristics of Pinot Noir and Ribbon Ridge.
“The difference between the older and younger blocks here is always pretty amazing to people. As the vines continue to age these older vines continue to sink deep root systems into the soft sandstone sub-soil. Our water is spring fed and very minerally in nature. That is what these older vines have tapped into and that is what they pull up and put into the fruit. Savory and bringing in both black and red fruit spectrums so this has a wide range in the mid-palate. Ultimately this wine is defined by the mineral laden ‘ribbon’ that intertwines the fruit and carries the flavors onto the sinewy tannin structure underlying the wine. This is refined and elegant while still being surprisingly broad shouldered. 32% new barrel, 575 cases bottled.”
Patricia Green Cellars Estate Vineyard, Bonshaw Block Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2013 ($51.95) $47 pre-arrival special
Winery note: “From the 1990 planting on the west facing part at the top of our Estate Vineyard. This section of the vineyard was hampered by hail in 2012 and since it is so small even in a full year we still only top out at six barrels. This has always been the richest, deepest, darkest and most sauvage-laden of the wines from this property and that is why it has been bottled on its own since 2000 (excepting 2009 and 2012). The Pommard Clone is on full display in our thin, porous marine soil. This has richness of texture, depth of fruit and a mean streak of animal-ness that sneaks onto the hearty finish. This is a distinct wine that shows the darker side of Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noirs. 17% new barrel. 144 cases bottled.”
Patricia Green Cellars Estate Vineyard, Etzel Block Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2013 ($59.95) $51.90 pre-arrival special
Winery note: “Planted on a north/northwest slope in 1986, this is the second oldest block in the vineyard. It is called the Etzel block since it faces our neighbor’s (Mike Etzel) property. It still never ceases to amaze us how this vineyard produces such an array of flavors, textures and frameworks from the different sections. This particular block is so utterly different than anything else in the vineyard, that it still blows us away.
“This stands in direct contrast to the Bonshaw despite their nearly adjacent locations. This wine is aromatically insane and nuanced to a fault. Minerality and seductive red fruit combine with great complexity on the palate to create a wine that shows how elegant, intricate, red-fruited and soil-influenced older vine Pinot Noirs from Ribbon Ridge can be. There is a fairly large degree of whole cluster fermentation here as well which furthers the aromatic qualities, drives the herbal and graphite notes on the palate and tightens the tannins up on the back end. 27% new barrel. 275 cases bottled.”
Patricia Green Cellars Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2013 ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Winery notes: “You know that we were doing the 3 clones as individual bottlings but you may not have realized we were taking the majority of barrels to create an overall Freedom Hill Vineyard bottling. So, this bottling has the 3 sections we bottled individually in it as well as another section of Dijon 115 that we destemmed to create a wine that encapsulated Freedom Hill as a whole site.
“This wine was, as expected, a runaway hit in 2012. This is just a great vineyard site and having such a plethora of sections and diversity of clones to work with really allows us to create something that is utterly delicious, well within the established context for Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noirs, forward enough that the more rough and tumble nature of this site does not detract from shorter term consumption and hearty enough that this wine will sail through many years in a dark, cool place. Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noirs are among the most established bottlings in the state with well over two decades of incredible wines. They lean towards a dark fruit profile that has sappy, dry extract to spare, a luxurious nature to the texture and no shortage of tannins to keep everything pulled in. Best examples age remarkably well. This is no exception to any of the aforementioned rule. 26% new barrel, 1,014 cases bottled.”
Patricia Green Cellars Freedom Hill Vineyard, Coury Clone Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2013 ($79.95) $69 pre-arrival special
From the winery: “50% Whole Cluster Pinot Noir. This section of the vineyard was planted in 2000 and the cuttings came from the 1972 section of Coury Clone at Hyland Vineyard. This is one acre of some of the most perfect fruit we get. There is something about this clone of Pinot Noir that makes it stand out from every other wine we make. This wine just comes loaded with an array of non-fruit based flavors that all somehow contribute to the wine having a distinctly complex fruit and spice character. Even with about 35% whole cluster fermentation this is not a big wine or an overtly structured wine. This shows the flipside of Freedom Hill Vineyard which is known for power, intensity, sap-laden wines with lots of structure. This is graceful, aromatic and while it is intense, it does so very discretely. This was the favorite wine of Patty and Jim in 2012 and it looks to be vying for that spot for a second straight year. 50% new barrel, 144 cases bottled.”
Patricia Green Cellars Freedom Hill Vineyard, Dijon 115 Clone Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2013 ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
From the winery: “We get three separate sections of Dijon 115 Clone from Freedom Hill Vineyard. The East Liberty Block has made up the entirety of this bottling in 2012 and 2013. Just as in 2012 we used between 50-60% whole cluster fermentation on these grapes to bring out the darker, denser, savory side of the Freedom Hill make up. This wine is uniquely dark in our long line up of 2013 wines and while color, flavor and texture are not necessarily linked in Pinot Noirs, this one tastes and feels the way it looks. This has a strong, black-fruited tone to it with herbaciousness and spices mingled in for complexity. The tannins are sticky and firm. This wine will reward years worth of aging but will also be appreciated by fans of intense and muscular Pinots in its youth. 24% new barrel, 410 cases bottled.”
Patricia Green Cellars Freedom Hill Vineyard, Pommard Clone Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2013 ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
From the winery: “This bottling may, in fact, be the most quintessential Freedom Hill bottling of the four. Pommard Clone has such as broad range to it and in Freedom Hill Vineyard it can really stretch out its legs as it were. Freedom Hill is known for dark fruited, sap-laden wines with full-bodied textures and rich, plush and even thick tannins. Across the board this wine hits the archetypes that this site is historically known and revered for. This wine has the broken in leather easy chair in the library kind of quality to it. Especially as this slowly ages out this will become a comfortable and inviting Pinot that you can just sink into and enjoy. 38% new barrel, 192 cases bottled.”
Patricia Green Cellars Olenik Vineyard, Wadensvil Clone Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains 2013 ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
From the winery: “We happened to land in this terrific vineyard just down the road from us in the Chehalem Mountain Appellation in 2009. This site is an incredibly diverse site in terms of aspect, elevation and the amount of ancient-flood-deposited rock in any one section of the vineyard. It is near the top of the vineyard at the end of Sedimentary section of soil and while it has some amount of deposited rock in it, the soil is mostly smooth.
“Just outside of the Ribbon Ridge Appellation to the east is a mostly south facing hillside full of vineyards. Olenik Vineyard sits nearly smack dab in the middle of this hillside. The vineyard sits on the same type of thin marine soil as our Estate Vineyard. Wadensvil Clone is especially perfect for this type of soil. In contrast to Pommard, which can and often does develop lots of richness and sauvage type characteristics, Wadensvil is most often lighter, feminine, pure and a conduit for everything the land, the plant, the soil, the water and so on have to offer up. This bottling has always shown a quartz-laden character to the supremely pure red fruit. The texture lingers and the wine has a haunting type of complexity to it, throwing fruit and minerals into a wonderful mixture. This will do well over a long period of time. 36% new barrel, 266 cases bottled.”
Patricia Green Cellars Weber Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2013 ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
From the winery: “This site is located in the bowl off of Worden Hill Rd where it lies adjacent to vineyards such as Maresh and Arcus. Planted in 1978, Weber was a purchased a few years ago by vineyard manager Andy Humphrey. Until the 2013 vintage this was known as Ana Vineyard. This is routinely the most stylish of the Dundee Hill Pinot Noir we make. The vineyard is set on the eastern slope of a bowl shaped hillside that opens to the south. The 36 year old vines combined with both the cooler eastern slope and the inversion effect created by the amphitheatre-like hill formation allows this vineyard to be a cool site in a warm area. This gives the perceived presence of warm weather features such as rich aromatics, sweet fruit and silky textures while having cool climate infrastructure such as lower alcohol, higher acidity and decent tannins. This is a calm and confident wine that is sleek, graceful and has just enough Dundee Hills-ness to show the excellence of the appellation and site. 17% new barrel, 144 cases bottled.”
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Patricia Green Cellars ‘Estate Vineyard – Old Vine’ Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2012 ($39.95) $33 special 4 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 91 points “Bright ruby-red. Ripe cherry and blackberry on the deeply perfumed nose, with notes of allspice and woodsmoke adding complexity. Smooth, broad and sweet on the palate, offering fleshy, mineral-tinged dark berry and bitter chocolate flavors enlivened by juicy acidity. Seamless and spicy on the finish, which betrays no tannins and shows excellent clarity.”
Patricia Green Cellars Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2012 ($34.95) $29 special 12 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 92 points “Brilliant ruby. Highly perfumed bouquet evokes candied red fruits, rose oil, musky underbrush and cola, with a sexy Asian spice overtone. Takes a darker turn on the palate, offering sweet blackberry and floral pastille flavors and a touch of candied licorice. Spicy, penetrating and appealingly sweet on the subtly tannic finish, with the berry and cola notes echoing strongly.”JR
Patricia Green Cellars ‘Whistling Ridge Vineyard’ Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2010 ($39.95) $33 special 14 bottles available
Patricia Green Cellars Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2013 ($24.95) $19.50 special 10 bottles available
Winery note: “The Reserve program has evolved from an every-so-often produced bottling to the mainstay of our production. This bottling allows us to accomplish two things that are very important to us as a winery. The first thing is that it allows us to use barrels from our vineyard designated sites that we think don’t represent what we think that site’s profile truly is. Sometimes that is based on vine age, clonal material or location within the site. This allows our vineyard designated wines to be true expressions of the site on a year in and year out basis. Secondly, it allows us to create a blended wine that has a degree of consistency to it each vintage that is of high-quality and will retail for $25. We are wine consumers just as we are winemakers and we understand the absolute necessity for good quality Pinot at more of an everyday sort of price. The 2013 is exactly what we and hopefully you would hope for in this wine. It aptly details the sweet and succulent nature of the fruit in the 2013 vintage while giving enough structure to hold it all together but not so much so that the wine is not immensely enjoyable right now. 10% new barrel, 2,604 cases bottled.”
** Case prices are offered on a limited time, limited quantity basis. Prices are subject to change.