All September Picks | Scott | Janet | Kelly | Mallory | Carl

Kelly's Picks

September 2008

2005 Schoenheitz Riesling, Linsenberg
$19.99

Dominique Schoenheitz of France's Alsace region is a truly talented winemaker, creating one of the best Rieslings I've ever had. The nose leans toward the tropical, with a palate of pineapple, guava, with a touch of minerality and sweetness. Exquisitely balanced and delightful. This wine paired perfectly with Asian five-spice prawns fried with a chili sauce. Amazing!

2005 Sheridan Vineyard "L'Orage", Yakima Valley
$49.99

I am definitely on a Washington "Big Red" kick! This Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot is big, rich, with smoky notes and flavors of blackberry and cassis. Very nicely balanced, with just a hint of dustiness. Decant for about 30 minutes, and then pair with roasted or grilled leg of lamb, or maybe a big juicy steak.

August 2008

2003 Vieux Telegraphe "La Crau", Chateauneuf-du-Pape
$48.99

How often do you come across a white Chateauneuf-du-Pape? Not too often, for me, anyway. This blend of Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc and Roussanne comes from 12.5 acres of 35 year-old vines, and is fermented partially in tank, and partially in barrique. This lovely wine has a fuller mouthfeel, with balanced flavors of lemon, apple, white pepper, minerality, and a slight hint of pineapple and parmesan cheese. Try it alongside chicken breast with brown butter sauce, or a plate of French cheeses - heaven!

2005 Spring Valley Vineyards "Frederick", Walla Walla
$49.99

Washington State makes such great wine - I love it! This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and a touch of Petit Verdot is richly resonant with flavors of blackberry, black cherry, and black pepper, with hints of cocoa butter and black truffle. The pairing here is definitely grilled steak with sage butter - don't forget that baked potato - Wow!

July 2008

2007 Domaine LaFond "Roc Epine" Rose, Tavel
$19.99

Tavel is a region of France that specializes only in Roses, and this blend of Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault is perfect for sipping on the deck. Dry, with flavors of strawberry and black cherry, and just a hint of pomegranate. I'm thinking barbequed chicken, shrimp skewers and white king salmon, grilled simply. Yes!

2005 Boudreaux Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State
$52.99

"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep..." is what I think when I taste this wine. It is a big, rich, complex monster that needs 30 minutes in the decanter before serving with grilled leg of lamb, but then it is all smoothness of plum, cassis, black pepper, blackberry and cinnamon notes.

June 2008

2007 Sables d'Azur Rose, Cotes de Provence
$13.99

2006 Colombelle, VdP des Cotes de Gascogne
$8.99

This crisp blend of 70% Colombard and 30% Ugni Blanc is bright with lemon and lime zest flavors, a hint of white pepper, and floral notes of white daisy, with a slight minerality on finish. Try this with a seafood paella or dover sole. Lovely!

2006 Can Blau, Montsant
$16.99

This wonderful wine is a blend of Mazuelo, Syrah and Grenache. There are smoky and tobacco leaf aromas, with soft flavors of blackberry, boysenberry, and pomegranate, and a hint of black pepper. Try this with a beef or lamb stew. Delicious!

April 2008

2005 Marques de Irun Verdejo, Rueda
$12.99

Verdejo is a Spanish grape varietal that I would describe as similar to a Sauvignon Blanc, but just a bit fuller. This one has pineapple and lemon on the nose and palate, with good acid; crisp and clean, with a hint of stone on the finish. Nice! I recommend serving this with shellfish, either as a paella or simply sauteed with garlic and butter. Are you hungry yet?

1977 Kopte Colheita, Porto
$59.99

The recent snow got me thinking of a cozy fireside again. Bottled in 2006, this aged vintage port is the all about the smoothness of walnuts and caramel, with hints of walnut skin and maraschino cherry. I served this to my father at Christmas and watched his immediate transformation from slightly grumpy to warm and smiling ("...wow, what is this?"). It's simply impossible to remain in a bad mood while sipping this. Mmmmm……

March 2008

2006 La Crema Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast
$19.99

This lovely little everyday Chardonnay is not too heavy, yet has a nice fullness to it. A touch of oak, very nicely balanced, with flavors of peach and tropical fruit. This would be wonderful with au gratin potatoes, roast chicken, or grilled swordfish. Yum!

2005 Amavi Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla
$28.99

This is a wonderful Northwest Cabernet that doesn't receive nearly enough attention. The cedar nose opens to a palate of black pepper, and cooked blackberry fruit, This wine is well-balanced, with good structure, not too tannic, but juuuussssst right! Enjoy with grilled steak or dry-rub ribs (not too spicy). Pow!

February 2008 - There is love in the air! This pair of Beaune Premier Crus from Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils have become very dear friends that I encourage you to meet!

2005 Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Beaune du Chateau, Beaune Premier Cru
$34.99

2005 was a stellar year for Burgundy, and this Pinot Noir is complex and masterfully-balanced, with just enough fruit, just enough earth, just enough oak, with a hint of black pepper spice. It was twice an out-of-the-park winner paired on one occasion with grilled leg of lamb and on another with roast goose. Simply stunning!

2004 Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Beaune du Chateau, Beaune Premier Cru
$33.99

If there are any among you who don't typically enjoy Chardonnay, this is not a Californian, but the pride of all that is white Burgundy. Again, masterfully-balanced with not too much oak, not too much fruit, good acid, with a hint of stone on the finish. I paired this with a French cheese plate accompanied by Bibb lettuce salad with savory Dijon vinaigrette, which was heaven! It paired equally well with a baked Jerusalem artichoke casserole prepared with parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, lemon juice, and creme fraiche.

January 2008

2004 MillsReef Reserve Merlot-Malbec, Hawkes Bay
$19.99

This stellar and unusual find from New Zealand is big, yet soft on the palate, with notes of blueberry vines, black pepper, and cloves. Let this one open up a bit. Wonderful!

2004 Apex II Late Harvest Semillon, Yakima Valley
$9.99

This lovely little sweetie has a surprising amount of complexity on it, with flavors of golden raisin, honey, very slight minerality, and a walnut-skin nuttiness that produces a well-balanced sensory experience - wow!

December 2007

2005 Miner Viognier "Simpson Vineyard" California
$24.99

Wow! This Viognier is very typical of the varietal, with pineapple, apricot and peach fruit. Dry yet full-bodied, there are also notes of golden raisin and slight stone. Great!

2004 Ray's Station Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast
$14.99

I couldn't belive how full and rich this was when I tasted it - a winery that I had never heard of, and what a great price for a California Cabernet! Currant, soft blackberry, dark fruit, and hints of cocoa - you cannot beat this price/quality combination!

November 2007

2005 Cline Marsanne-Roussanne Sonoma County
$14.99

I have been very impressed with Cline Cellars in general for their wonderfully delicious yet affordable wines. This blend of Marsanne and Roussanne grapes yields aromas and flavors of pineapple and white peach, with a slight wheatiness that rounds out the mouthfeel. This would be delicious paired with an appetizer of brie and roasted almonds.

Taylor Fladgate 20 Year Tawny Port
$49.99

Taylor Fladgate has been my favorite port for many years now, and the 20 Year Tawny has a deep richness of caramel, pecan, demerara sugar, along with vanilla and spice notes - very smooth and mellow. I serve this (or the 40 Year Tawny) after dinner to my friends and family for instant relaxation and warm conversation.

October 2007

2005 Conundrum (California)
$27.99

This is my go-to wine for Thai and Indian food! Formerly part of Caymus, and now its own label, the Conundrum is a blend of five grape varietals, including viognier, sauvignon blanc, semillon, chardonnay, and a touch of muscat that gives it a hint of sweetness without being cloying. Fragrant and fresh, with complex fruit on the palate and a good acid balance, try it with chicken pad thai, aloo gobhi, or samosas. Now I'm hungry!

2005 Januik Red Wine (Columbia Valley)
$19.99

Even though Januik wines have a good reputation, I was still very impressed with the depth and complexity here. This blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and syrah has a heady fragrance of cedar, vanilla, and cinnamon, with smooth flavors of black currant, blackberry, and hints of earth. Makes me think about enjoying a rare steak in front of the fireplace. Aaah...

September 2007

2006 Norton Torrontes
$9.99

Oh wow - this is a delightful dry-yet-full-flavored gem from Argentina. Lush flavors of pineapple and guava, with hints of rose petal. Crisp and clean!

2004 Brancaia Tre
$19.99

This blend of 80% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon is an Italian go-to wine. Dark fruit flavors of prune, baked blackberry, with notes of black pepper, spice, cocoa, and caramel. Wonderful!

www.brancaia.com