Hot Sheets

Bow & Arrow owner/winemaker Scott Frank has been a friend for several years. Reaching back to his days at Cameron to now doing his own thing, it’s always a joy when he rolls in and we have discussions about music, wine, life, etc. It’s even more thrilling to see this cat doing wines on his own terms and in his own style that is very individual and virtually unlike anything else that you may see or taste in Oregon.

Last week Scott came in to sample me on his new flagship wine, this dynamite Gamay Noir. Not meant to be Pinot Noir or some sort of caricature of itself, this wine is sheer drinking pleasure and one that if I didn’t have more work to get done the rest of the afternoon, could have sat around and drank the rest of the day. Traditional vinification here, this Gamay bursts from the glass arousing you with scents cherry pit, lively herbs, subtle mineral and blackberry which carry over to a succulent texture that fills the mouth yet is fleet-footed and lively. Not a pretentious bone in its body, this wine promises to bring miles of smiles as you drink it. Sheer deliciousness, enjoy it with a plate of salamis and cheeses or a simple roasted chicken.

Mastrojanni is one of Montalcino’s historic properties and one who lately has really upped their game. A stirring Rosso, the 2010 is luscious and ripe with red berry fruit, roasted sage, violet and rich earth notes. There is a beautiful note of purity once this wine hits the mouth, with a deep core of Tuscan terroir and structure which add a beautiful frame for the rich and decadent fruit to sit upon. This is a wine that is meant to be had with food, especially roasted meat dishes, pasta with sage and butter preparations and it would make a mushroom dish sing. A Rosso with Brunello aspirations. Drink over the next 5-7 years.

A terrific Walla Walla-based producer, Va Piano’s Bruno Cabernet proves that there are still really good US Cabernets to be had for 20 bucks.

Attractive aromatics of ripe blackberry, pepper, and coffee. Delightful fruit intensity in the mouth, with typical Washington red fruits, including wild strawberry and raspberry. A very fine Washington value, this is food friendly juice that has delicious depth and personality all which matches beautifully with barbecued steaks or chicken. Drink now through 2017.

From Languedoc and sometimes referred to as "the Muscadet of the South, the name of the grape, Piquepoul literally translates to "lip-stinger". Delivering exhilarating floral hints with lemon, lime and mineral, it's truly one of those great wines to keep around the house. At $9.00 per bottle, you can sit it, slurp it, cook with it, and as Bryan likes to joke, shower with it - although you may get fired from your job if you take his advice! While Piquepoul may not be a household name, it should be your household dry, crisp white wine.

A perfect, versatile sipper that will go with just about anything that you serve, Andrea Sottimano’s Dolcetto is from 3 vineyard sites within the Barbaresco village of Nieve. Offering up insane scents which offers direct, mouthfilling qualities of deep blueberry, cranberry and subtle minerality. Loads of gorgeous, dry-berry fruit in the mouth give way to a finesseful characteristic that is indicative of Barbaresco-area Dolcetto. Drink this superb red now and often with smoked meat, sausage or any simple pasta dish.

Just smelling this obscure but luminous Spanish white wine had me salivating like a dog lusting after a bone!!! One of the oldest wine regions in Spain, Eastern Galicia's Ribeiro region has been regaining prestige over the last decade and Coto de Gomariz has quickly become one of the leaders.

70% Treixadura, 15% Godello, 10% Albarino & 5% Loureira and explosively aromatic with scintillating lemon and saline, sea-breeze scents combined with detailed mineral and anise lurking beneath the surface. Flavorful, clean and very relaxed upon entry, but crescendos with impressive, bouncy pink grapefruit-like acidity that offsets the supple generosity that characterizes the front and middle-palate. Galicia is one of the world's greatest areas to eat seafood and this diverse wine is compatible with clams, crab, halibut, salmon, etc. If you love seafood, lots of bottles should be in order!

With a mere 8800 cases produced, Champagne Marc Herbrart is located in the famed village of Marieul-sur-Ay and always makes fizz that provides insane bang for the buck! For many years we have offered these bubblies, but after going through the archives, this is the first time we’ve ever dropped the Blanc de Blancs on y’all. 100% Chardonnay with 60% coming from the Grands Crus villages of Chouilly and Oiry with the other 40% coming from the home Premier Cru village, Marieul-sur-Ay, this drop has serious toss-it-back factor extremely exuding finesse and tiny bubbles.

Bright aromas of toasted wheat bread, lemon, soft spice and chalk lead into a mouth-coating, scintillatingly seductive texture that cleans the palate and calls you back for another sip, glass or bottle. Luxuriate. Oh indeed!

Fèlsina's Fontalloro embodies the true meaning of the term "Supertuscan". A spectacular wine made from the finest Sangiovese grapes, Fontalloro is a product of modern, innovative vinification and Chianti tradition. First conceived in 1983 by the head of Felsina, Giuseppe Mazzocolin, and consulting winemaker Franco Bernabei, Fontalloro quickly rose to the top of the short list of great Super Tuscan wines.

Fontalloro is 100% Sangiovese taken from various plots on the Felsina estate and most of the vines utilized are from the original planting on the estate in 1958. The grapes from these vines are hugely concentrated and full of intense flavor, as well as having terroir specific characteristics that blend together and add to the overall complexity and structure of the wine making sure that the 2006 Fèlsina Fontalloro is destined for greatness.

Chocolate, blackberry and black cherry aromas lead to a full-bodied palate, with velvety tannins and a deep concentration of fruit. Powerfully rich and polished. Big and structured. A blockbuster Sangiovese. Best after 2012. 3,300 cases made.