Hot Sheets

"Good medium red. Explosive aromas of dark plum, blueberry, blackberry, smoke, meat and pungent spices, plus a whiff of overripe strawberry. Plush, sweet and substantial, showing an almost exotic aspect to the flavors of strawberry, smoky barbecue sauce and West Indian spices. As large-scaled as the 2010 Barbaresco but less elegant. This is the Produttori's biggest and fullest nebbiolo bottling ever, notes commercial director Aldo Vacca, who added that all of the grapes could have gone into the production of Barbaresco. Has the acidity to cut through grilled pork ribs." - 90 POINTS, INTERNATIONAL WINE CELLAR

Haut-Rian never goes out of fashion nor does it ever go out of season. While taking a long weekend at the coast, I was able to enjoy our favorite 10 buck white once again and this time with Dungeness Crab. As it is now over a year old, the minerality of the wine screams and its freshness offsets the intensity of the crab.

Smoke, saline, holding some lemon fruit and carrying over to a texture that continually pleases and impresses. Can still be had on its own and with friends, but if you want a blue collar crab wine, many bottles should be tossed back.

The last wine tasted of 2013 was on New Year's Eve morning when John Paul stopped by with his new Arley's Leap Pinot Noir. Safe to say year-end inventory took a back seat and quite a bit longer after tasting this mighty impressive version. John is ultra-proud of his 2011s and he should be, they are immaculate and certainly Burgundy-inspired. Always the last of the Cameron wines to be released, the Arley's Leap is from Abbey Ridge fruit, specifically a block of vines that are originally from clippings from the Clos Electrique vineyard that were planted on a hillside above the original vines in 1990.

Fluid, alluring, penetrating aromas of lavender, turned earth, cherry blossom and smoked meat follow through to a classic Cameron texture that is debonair and palate-coating without ever being chunky or heavy-handed. Older vine depth here allows for nice accessibility early on but as always the case with Cameron's top wines, the super-material on the drawn-out finish has buried structure and cut which will allow for another decade of aging and development. Once again, this is superlative juice from one of Oregon's masters. Bravo!! PS – we will be tasting this one this Friday, January 10th.

A delicious, hearty winter red blend from South Africa's Stellenbosch, Paarl and Elgin regions, I originally wanted to feature it before the holiday madness took hold. Well better late than never! 72% Syrah, 7% Mourvedre, 7% Grenache, 7% Cinsault and 7% Tannat with ample character that upholds the wine's moniker of pepper pot.

Violet, plum, smoke, freshly ground white pepper herbs and licorice dominate the nose while in the mouth, full, spicy, smooth-flowing flavors take hold. Very drinkable now and over the next 2-3 years with winter grilling or stews.

Nelms Road is Woodward Canyon's second label and is always a significant value in the Northwest wine world. For 2012, the Merlot seems to have taken an even brighter uptick than usual and once again, it's priced very well. Voluptuous, chock full of flavor and possessing quite a bit of Woodward Canyon Estate Vineyard and Mirage Vineyard fruit.

Scents of blackberry, spiced earth, cocoa and herbs cascade from the glass nicely and truly speak of their Washington roots. Plenty of ripeness and cushion; no shortage of intensity and penetrating texture along with quite an upscale finish for a 20 buck wine. Drink with a pan-seared filet of beef.

The Barrot family are Chateauneuf traditionalists in every sense of the word and with a track record that spans back to the 70s, this Domaine has produced high-quality, rock-solid Châteauneuf that are excellent 10-12+ year agers. I have worked with Domaine Barrot's wines since the 1988 vintage and can vouch for their long-term quality.

Sultry, full-on tones of ground pepper, lavender, deep plum and smoke win the day both on the nose and in the mouth. Typical of the spectacular 2010 vintage, it has superb generosity, ripeness and impressive backbone, body and grip. The finish possesses excellent spice and black tones. Not undrinkable now, but with its tannins and structure, it will easily develop through 2022.

White Burgundy, Cameron & more

Drop by Friday January 10 to taste 2011 Cameron Arley’s Leap Pinot Noir along with the new arrival of the 2011 Chapuis Bourgogne Blanc.

Another surprise or two will also be uncorked