Hot Sheets

2015 BREZZA DOLCETTO D'ALBA
$13.99 BTL./$83.94 - SIX PACK

This may well be the Dolcetto score of the year. Last week we had Barolo maestro Enzo Brezza on site to do a small tasting of his wines. Most of us recognize how stellar his Barolo wines are, but the entire range is as well and the newly arrived 2015 Dolcetto is slamming.

All fruit for this wine is from the village of Barolo. A bursting, explosive nose that is very direct and reveals slightly exotic fruits underneath. Varietally strong with Barolo area perfume present. Ample lift and energy along with an excellent core of fruit that is the hallmark 2015 vintage. Lively, leaping finish and really takes off as it gains air. Perfect with antipasti, light pasta dishes or roasted chicken with Italian herbs. This is my next house wine and it should be yours as well :-).

2015 DONNHOFF RIESLING KABINETT
KREUZNACHER KROTENPFUHL
$26.99 BTL./$323.88 CASE

From a virtual Grand Cru site, Kreuznacher Krotenpfuhl, this wine is excessively good for its meager price. Perfume-driven from its superior geological material, there is a multitude of excellence in the bottle. Many regard this Nahe-based producer as being one of the top 2 or 3 Riesling producers in the world and we fully concur. Once you try a wine such as this, your life will change forever, because, combine a legendary producer such as Donnhoff with an extremely profound vintage that has immense potential and you have serious wine fireworks. The challenge for us is to get Riesling into your glasses. Sometimes we succeed, sometimes we don't. I've been playing the wine game for over 25 years and can't tell you countless times when you ask someone if they would like a taste of fine Riesling, they respond "oooooo, yuk-I don't drink anything sweet"! After their refusal to try it, almost every time they proceed to pick out a bottle of overoaked Chardonnay that is even sweeter.

Yes, there is a kiss of sweetness to this wine, but not more that would be in most Oregon Pinot Gris these days. Warning - you are certain to become addicted to this wine! The nose here is absolutely thrilling. Blazing with white peach, lime, slate and a subtle underlay of spice. In the mouth, it is an ungodly delicious white, bursting, lifting and moving throughout the mouth. Most importantly, it calls you back for glass after glass. Not only is this wine impeccable now, it will age nicely for 10-15 years. Drink with white sausages, turkey, Korean cuisine or smoked mussels.

2013 OWEN ROE YAKIMA RED
$24.99 BTL./$299.88 CASE

For years, David O'Reilly has been making this Right Bank Bordeaux-inspired blend and lately it has become one of the smashing values from Washington. Not merely a ‘leftover' wine, this is consistently one of the stalwarts on the Owen Roe roster.

A step up and possessing more complexity and dimension than the Abbot’s, the Yakima Red is from five superb vineyard sites (DuBrul, Red Willow, Outlook, Elderding & Union Gap). Comprised of 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot and in true Owen Roe fashion, this is a full yet velvety wine. What is most notable is that being decidedly decadent, it shows great balance and restraint with poise and brightness that holds your full attention. The lift in the mid-palate and the complex potpourri of aromas come from the fact that the vineyard sites are relatively cool and of stellar quality. The overall impression is one that coats the mouth with dark plum, raspberry, warm spice and chocolate covered cherry flavors and a finish that doesn't stop. This flavorful red blend begs for braised short ribs, slow-roasted leg of lamb or beef tenderloin. Drink now through 2022.

2015 WALTER SCOTT PINOT NOIR
WILLAMETTE VALLEY
$22.99 BTL./$275.88 CASE

Unless you have been living under an Oregon rock you should by now know the prowess of this Eola-Amity producer. The husband and wife team of Ken Pahlow and Erica Landon are long time Oregon wine vets who started Walter Scott, their own wine adventure in 2008. Lately they have been receiving enormous accolades from not only wine critics but also the real litmus test, wine lovers.

Here is a 2015 that is very civil. In many cases, this is a full throttle; rather vociferous vintage but Ken and Erica dialed up their silk card and produced a Pinot that is way above mere entry level in quality. From a blend of five vineyard sites (Freedom Hill, Eola Springs, Vojtilla, Temperance Hill & Sojouner), this remarkable Pinot at 13.4% alcohol shows off both excellent fruit along with plenty of tension, grip and lively red tones. Walking the fine line between black and red, the 2015 brings forth sensuous aromatics with an impressive core of poised fruit, engaging smoke and spice all that follows through to a silky texture that expands nicely and maintains vibrancy throughout. Lengthy and very promising, this seriously delectable and seamless Pinot is an unmitigated heist! Very enjoyable now but this will also easily age and develop for 5+ years.

CHAMPAGNE GOSSET
GRANDE RESERVE BRUT
[reg. $69.99]
SPECIAL $54.99 BTL./$329.94 - SIX PK

We have been featuring bubblies from Champagne Gosset for 15 years at The Cellar Door, yet time after time, the cuvee that stands apart for its sheer price/quality rapport is the spectacular Grande Reserve Brut.

Blended from 3 vintages plus Reserve wines, 43% Chardonnay, 42% Pinot Noir & 15% Pinot Meunier from 12 Grands Crus and one Premier Cru make up the blend. 4-5 years on lees before bottling. Brioche aromas, lots of penetration and depth, fine spices beneath the surface. Apple and pear drop scents present to. Full, really fans out nicely, maintains its grip, spine and backbone of zestiness throughout. Very firm, sculpted and drawn-out, I have always loved this wine and especially as it unfolds and warms, it is like rekindling that love all over again. Simply irresistible if you are a Champagne junkie! MAGNUMS AVAILABLE - $119.99 PER 1.5 LITER BOTTLE

2012 BIBI GRAETZ 'SOFFOCONE'
TOSCANA ROSSO
$39.99 BTL./$239.94 - SIX PACK

Bibi Graetz is a Tuscan rock star who has a bit of the renegade Sergio Manetti/Montevertine mentality in his veins. Located in the area of Fiesole, since day one he has been thumbing his nose at the old Tuscan establishment, has, and will never sacrifice his Tuscan terroir, proudly using only indigenous Italian grape varietals.

Soffocone (cannot be translated for a PG-13 HotSheet) is a single vineyard wine blend of 90% Sangiovese, 7% Colorino and 3% Canaiolo that is an utterly glorious happy conclusion. The 2012 is an intensely made, yet smooth Sangiovese that possesses an amplitude of character and detail. Full aromas of black cherry, currant, violet, sage, licorice and tobacco that flow into a texture that is substantial, mouth filling, seductive and full of extension. SuperTuscans can always be an obstacle of quality; however, most of them don't approach this magnitude. With a good decanting, this is quite alluring today but for best results, give it until early 2018 and drink it through 2026.

2015 MAS DE LIBIAN
'VIN DE PETANQUE' ROUGE
$11.99 BTL./$143.88 CASE

Located in the foothills on the way to the Ardeche, this area is a bastion of Cotes-du-Rhone that is now being discovered. For many years, this was the redheaded stepchild of the southern Rhone, now folks are farming sustainably paying attention to detail in the winery and some fantastic, terroir-driven wines are hitting our shores. The Thibon family has been farming and making wine at Mas de Libian since 1670. Modern-day, we have a generation who is keen to pay respect to the earth, vines and wines.

Named after the ubiquitous French game played throughout the nation, Vin de Petanque is a red wine that is perfect while playing petanque (boules) or betting on boules in the evening as well as for guzzling with friends and family on picnics or other summer occasions. 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah, this whimsical, fun and flavorful red is peppery, spicy, and old school bursting with pomegranate and licorice qualities. Smooth, gently mouth filling and extremely versatile it is a wonderful choice with charcuterie or barbecue.