Hot Sheets

"I want the wines to be genuine. I want them to be balanced and elegant but above all, they should move us, prompt our emotions and have a sense of authenticity." – Silvio Jermann

When it comes to Italian white wines, those of Vinnaoli Jermann are as influential to everyone just like the Beatles are to music. Long-awaited and much anticipated is the new arrival of the 2012 Jermann Pinot Grigio. Possessing ample ripeness, everything is in fine fettle and in total balance. Lots of shimmering rocky/cracked shell aspects with yellow apple, citrus and lemon lurking beneath the surface, this is the epitome of sexuality in Friuli Pinot Grigio. Excellent finesse, classic Jermann depth and dimension as well as picking up more perfume as it opens. Flows smoothly through the mouth all the way to the creamy finish which seemingly morphs into something steely and vividly clear and focused. Rich enough for salmon, crisp enough for scallops and at an amazing special price for such an icon in comparison to many other world-wide pretenders.

A new arrival of one of our favorite South African wines. Tormentoso comes from the name Portuguese sailors used when discovering the Cape of Good Hope, Cabo Tormentoso. One of South Africa's signature grapes, Pinotage is a hybrid of Pinot Noir and Cinsault that doesn't exactly behave like either varietal. Savory, soulful with black raspberry, coffee and freshly ground black and green peppercorns. Hearty, fleshy, succulent and very direct, plenty of plum and earth tones shine. A perfect wine for barbecued ribs slathered in a spicy sauce.

It's hard to believe that Woodward Canyon has been producing an Artist Series Cabernet for 20 years now and the consistency of being a top Washington (and American) Cab is not lost on wine lovers. Like Oregon, 2012 is a remarkable vintage for Washington and this Walla Walla stalwart took it even further.

From Woodward Canyon owner Rick Small: "This "Artist Series" Cabernet Sauvignon is produced from many of the finest and most highly regarded vineyards in Washington State. Each produces fantastic wine in their own right; when blended they produce extraordinary wine. This enticing and deeply colored red wine shows a complex nose of baking spice, black olive and graham integrated beautifully with aromas of ripe black cherry. In the mouth the wine is rich and elegant, showing classic notes of pepper, herb and berries. Integrated tannins enhance the texture and give proportion; the finish is complex, generous, and long. While this wine can be enjoyed now it will benefit greatly from additional cellaring and, with proper storage, should develop for ten years." The 2011 version of this wine scored 94, 2012 is even more impressive and if you wait for a score there is an immense possibility of you being shut out so if you love these wines, e-mail now!

From the hearts of our bottoms, we assure you that this is NOT your parents' sickeningly sweet Vouvray. The image of Vouvray tends to be a tainted due to the 1980s delivering overproduced and overworked wines that aside from a few producers were wines that were one step up from dirty sugar water. In the eyes of the wine geeks and wine lovers throughout the world, they will tell you that some of France's greatest white wines and values come from this magnificent Loire village and all one has to do is to go look at what the small farmers have been coming up with for almost 2 decades.

Well-known magicians like Huet and Foreau have been known for years, but a number of top-level Vouvrillons have really made their presence felt. Bernard Fouquet is one of the incredible talents and what he does with Chenin Blanc is extraordinary! Named after an outcropping of Silex soil, this wine is dominated by an exquisite sense of terroir. Bountiful stony aromas that are wrapped by white peach aspects along with lemon-lime and blossoms. The texture starts off ripe and round then all at once becomes firm, bracing and very multi-dimensional. This intellectual wine finishes with nice viscosity as well as plenty of citrus and will accompany salmon or trout dishes beautifully. Did we also mention that this an area who's greatest wines age for a long time? This flavorful white can be drunk now and will easily age through 2020.

In most parts of the world when offered a $12 Pinot Noir you are basically getting water with some food-coloring so it is quite remarkable when we have one that is actually quite credible and with Pinot character. From vineyards at just over 4400 feet in Argentina's Uco Valley, this hearty Pinot reveals direct black plum, underlying strawberry and vanilla aspects all which leads into a stylish and mouth-coating palate that never gets oversized nor is thin and dilute. Lovely extension this wine makes for a fine everyday Pinot Noir with plenty of character.

One of the ultimate picnic or tailgating wines, Domaine de Cassagnoles from the Gascogne region in France has been a perennial favorite since day one here at The Cellar Door. Initially it was all about the white wines but over the last couple of years we have taken a real liking to their delicious Merlot.

A very individual version, luscious aromas of blueberry, kirsch, mineral and smoke lead into a plush, generous and very likeable texture that finishes way above the norm for a wine in this range. Serve slightly cool (about cellar temperature) with roasted or grilled chicken.

Delivering something a bit more, the Piedmont village of Dogliani is synonymous with the Dolcetto grape, hence the special notation of its village on the label. Orlando Pecchenino is a prime producer of Dogliani (as well as Barolo) and his single Cru of San Luigi is always a steal. Clay soils bring about a heftier style of Dolcetto, but one that still maintains its poise and mouth-watering qualities.

Very purple aromas with opulent Morello cherry scents wrapped around chalky, minerally tones which, in true Dogliani fashion, leap from the glass. In the mouth, ravishing, dense and very precise flavors build and move to a long finish with undertones of dark chocolate. The 2013 Pecchenino Dolcetto di Dogliani is an engaging wine to pair with antipasti like salami or carpaccio yet full enough to stand up nicely to pork or poultry.

For this offering we head south from the earlier-mentioned Gascogne area into the more famed Bordeaux region and a wine from a small Chateau that is a prototypical Bordeaux blend. Lately the trend in the Medoc is to dominate the wines with Merlot but the Francisco family feels that their terrior is better suited to have the largest percentage be Cabernet Sauvignon (50%) then enhanced with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot.

Aromas of roasted coffee & vanilla ride along with sleek, very stylish black cherry, tobacco, plum, smoked mineral and soulful gravelly characteristics reveal that this wine shows way more than its mere 20 buck price tag. Dusty, classic and with penetrating fruit, this gains spice and chewiness as it moves to the mid-palate and finish. Seriousness abound, it is a telltale wine from the magical 2009 vintage with consummate length and harmony and one that drinks beautifully now and will continue to do well through the end of the decade.

Greatness needn't be hyped, especially when it comes to a Chateauneuf-du-Pape of this magnitude. A long-time favorite of mine, Vieux Donjon never ceases to amaze with the profundity that emerges from the Michel family cellars. These are immaculate wines where terroir and vintage tell their stories in such a compelling manner and 2012 is most definitely a wow wine and one that will age very well indeed.

Exotic red berry fruit on the nose along with lots of roasted and gamey tones, black pepper, coffee, and mineral. Incredible density in the mouth. Very primary roasted earth, black olive, herbes de Provence notes, along with a solid core of raspberry and kirsch fruit. As Bryan said in his notes when visiting earlier this year, this really is wilder than a night clubbin' with Lindsay Lohan. This is typically a bit of a stubborn diva right now, but has an incredible future ahead of it. The massive core of fruit and spice completely sops up any alcohol, and the length is too long to mention. If you need to try one now, do decant but for best results wait until 2018 and drink through 2028+.