Friday Sips

If you love Italian red wines, there has never been a better time to get some of this one to be your versatile dinner red that you can serve for an upscale Italian dinner or with a steaming bowl of spaghetti & meatballs. Well, what is it? Read on...

A blend of Montepulciano, Barbera, Cabernet Franc & Merlot from vines planted in 1978 in the Marche region of Italy, Bisci is most notably a great Verdicchio producer and this red shows that they are just a great wine producer, period. Loaded with scents and flavors of black cherry, blackberry, herbs, and black pepper, it is soft and silky in the mouth. This is a yummy-delicious red that pairs well with everything from pasta to the holiday ham, yet is also one that can be served at more formal gatherings, too. Drink over the next 3-5 years. Versatility thy name is Bisci!

Here at the Cellar Door it isn't exactly a secret of our passion for excellent White Burgundy so what better way to kick off the holiday week than to taste something so ravishing!

These days, Pouilly-Fuisse's wines are not what you perceive from 25 years ago. Becoming popular in the 80s, seemingly everyone jumped aboard the wagon which caused overproduction which resulted in an inevitable quality slippage by the latter part of the decade. After the decline of its popularity, aside from 2 Domaines, this is an appellation that struggled through most of decade of the 90s. However, something occurred while the wine was out of favor; the farmers took over and small Domaines came to the forefront making better wines than ever. It used to be Domaine Ferret and Chateau Fuisse that were the best and the gap was very large. Now the gap has shrunk immeasurably and someone like Pierre Vessigaud (along with many others) who followed their path, is making wines on par with these two stalwarts.

With Pierre's wine, Vieilles Vignes really means something. Farmed organically from 30 small parcels and with 40-80 year old vines, this wine is so damn good and won't cost a second mortgage to drink and age. The finesseful use of oak (no new barrels) meshes in nicely with the entire package as the wine unfolds and shows off nectarine, orange and underlying saline and stoniness. Hints of spiced butter come through and brings forth even more character. In the mouth it is lacy and shows impressive graceful movement beneath all of the saturation and depth from the old vines. Serious detail, class and electricity on the everlasting finish which leaves the drinker wanting more. Have this over the next 6-8 years with richer seafood like sole, crab or salmon.

I held back a case of this specifically for the season and since I'm feeling less Grinchy than last week, we're gonna open a bottle!!

Given the prolific nature and quality of the 2012 vintage and coupled with the fact that there are only 225 cases produced, Oregon Pinot Noir legend decided that there would be no normal bottling of Dundee Hills Pinot Noir and it would all go into the Reserve. Yes, this wine is that damn good! A blend of top material from Abbey Ridge and Clos Electrique, Oregon Pinot at this level doesn't get too much better!

At 12.9° alcohol, this Pinot Noir is fashioned after John's influences in Burgundy. Intense but never heavy, exquisite aromatics of lavender, piercing strawberry and cassis with undercurrents of red earth, licorice and smoke. Smoothly textured, but with lots of material and complexity spreading itself throughout the palate. Draws itself outward on the finish that is high-toned and really wakes up the senses, especially with some superior persistence. A beautiful way to show off the best that the home team has to offer! Drink through 20124…Only 12 bottles available!