Hot Sheets

"From as many as ten different non-estate vineyard sources -- principally in the estate's Eola-Amity Hills neighborhood -- Cristom's 2011 Pinot Noir Mount Jefferson Cuvee is brightly red-fruited and tinged with similarly vintage-typical smokiness; root flavors of iris, ginger and sassafras; and a musky, sharp note of radish. Polished in feel and penetrating in length, with a touch of salinity serving for saliva-inducement, and its piquant and incisive notes for invigoration, this energetic archetype of 2011 vintage virtue should perform admirably through at least 2017. – 90 POINTS – THE WINE ADVOCATE"

There is Muscadet and then there is Domaine de L'Ecu. Simply put, the wines from this Domaine are true benchmarks for this famed Loire region. Not to be confused with Muscat, the name Muscadet is the name of a region and the grape is Melon de Bourgogne and unlike Muscat, this grape which is suited to the Atlantic climate around the city of Nantes delivers wines that are bracingly dry. If Ecu were in a more famous region like Burgundy or Bordeaux, they would undoubtedly produce white wines that would easily fetch a price that is 10 times the price of these wines.

What drives this wine (and its name) is its Orthogneiss soil, which is a product of decomposed quartz. This is virtual Grand Cru Muscadet with diamonds and pearls. Billowy notes of yellow apple and Meyer lemon offer the perfect pillow for this powerful terroir to present itself and does it ever. We called this wine a "stealth cobra" because of the fact that it puffed itself up, filling our glassed with drops of round sun-kissed yellow fruit that teeters on tropical and strikes back on the finish with precision-like minerality and insanely defined texture. This impressive effort is a hedonistic exercise in terroir and easily compliments the most decadent preparation of Dover sole in beurre blanc.

The Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz had it all wrong when they sang "Follow the Yellow Brick Road." If they were wine drinkers, they may have been singing "Follow the Kimmeridgien Road." which runs through Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume, down through the Yonne into Chablis. This river-deposited soil is very special when it comes to making some of the finest dry white wines in the world. Pouilly-Fume is lesser-known than its more famous neighbor of Sancerre. Although similarities usually outweigh the differences, Sancerre tends to have more ripe fruit and vigorous acidity while Pouilly-Fumé often has more body weight and a smoky complexity. Both are considered as one of the world's greatest food wines.

Cailbourdin's Les Cris is one of the purest expressions that you will ever taste. Tense, refined, dry and laden with multi-faceted citrus fruit like lemons and orange. The bottom line really is the soil and what it does to define the fruit and stony, flinty character throughout the wine. If you want something that will pair with any health-conscious seafood table, then this is the wine for you!

If you ever see Bryan, Karen or Dujac with a new set of dentures and affected English accents, or affected barks in Dujac's case, it's because we've gone on a port binge. If you're gonna binge, then do it properly with one of the top makers of Colheita Port. Colheitas are like Late Bottled Vintage Port. They must be aged at least 7 years before bottling, but may be aged much longer. The long ageing process allows Colheitas to become rich, elegant, light in color, beautiful, dessert wines.

You can buy these delicious, matured, drinkable, vintage dated Colheitas for about the same price as you'd have to pay for young, unmatured "vintage port, " then you'd have to wait another 20 years to drink them. Truth be told, many of us haven't got that kind of patience. Fall and winter dictate that we should be imbibing a bit, and these are bottles that don't have to be finished in one sitting. Burmester are masters at Colheita and this one is a delight to drink. An array of floral, dried fruit and nut character on the nose and palate. Medium in body and extremely smooth with great balance and a mega-long finish. Perfect on a cold, dark rainy night by a fire with some stilton or chocolate.

Our good friend Pietro Ratti has been producing exquisite wines for 20+ years since taking over for his father and if you have ever have the chance to meet him and taste his wines, you will see slam-dunk evidence that they truly take on his personality - very gentlemanly stuff! The grapes for the Ratti Barbera Barbera D'Alba are grown amongst some über-famous Barolo vineyards in the La Morra district.

Offering up some sappy, blackberry liqueur tones over top of cranberry, cocoa powder and hints of mineral, this red is not jam made by a carpenter. As it opens, it shows off tell-tale La Morra perfume notes which then lead into an elegant, richly seductive texture that has a backdrop of sweet-hot spices and then finishes polished, warm, soothing and very drawn out. Drink with risotto dishes or a slow-roasted pork loin.

Known more for ultra-vivid Vinho Verde, Aveleda also dabbles quite a bit in red wines and including this flavor-filled 8 dollar dry red from the Douro region which is better known as the home of Port. Utilizing Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional (same grapes for the famed sweet Port wines), hearty aromas of pronounced chocolate-covered strawberry co-exist handsomely with Moroccan spice, finely placed oak and sneaky minerality. Bountiful and very stylish flavors captivate the palate with an almost-Italian plum-like quality before advancing through to an arousing finish that brings it all home. Enjoy with lamb, grilled sausage or a hearty stew.

L'Ecole No. 41 is one of Walla Walla's bastion producers and having been around since 1983, they refuse to sit back and bask in their accolades. Marty Clubb and team are always wanting to take it to new levels and with vintage 2010 they certainly have succeeded, especially with their two lux wines that while not inexpensive, are actually formidable values in compared with many others from the area.

Perigee is from top Walla Walla vineyard, Seven Hills and the blend for the 2010 is comprised of all 5 Bordeaux varietals. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 10% Malbec, 10% Cabernet Franc & 5% Petit Verdot, this is a superstar in the making. Not necessarily for instant gratification, it's optimum to cellar this for 3-4 more years and drink it over the following decade. From the winery: "Perigee exemplifies this vineyard's characteristic cedary, black cherry, richly structured elegance. Vibrant aromas of baking spice, blueberry, plum and fresh floral notes are accented with earthy minerality, exuding power and grace on a chalky tannin finish."

Equally as profound is the 2010 Apogee. This blend comes from a different but just as fabulous site south of the city of Walla Walla, Pepper Bridge Vineyard. 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 7% Malbec & 4% Cabernet Franc and like Perigee, this too will age extremely well. Unlike Perigee, there is also a bit more immediate appeal, so if you wanted to decant a bottle an hour beforehand, you can certainly enjoy a bottle. No problem for 15 years aging from vintage date. From the winery: "This bold, sophisticated and complex wine has dark, aromas of black cherry, cassis and cola nut, with hints of sweet tobacco. Dense dark fruit is wrapped in nuances of cocoa and mint with firm tannins on a persistent finish."