Free Wine Tasting! – December 2nd and 3rd
Maysara Pinot Gris McMinnville, OR 2003
Last spring in April, Sharon and I headed to Oregon and we visited Maysara Winery. At the end of our tour we met Moe, the patriarch who started the winery. He knew of our arrival so he took us to secret hiding place and it was there he pulled out a 2003 of Pinot Gris. Yes, you’re reading the vintage correctly, a 2003, and it is absolutely incredible! After a short discussion, Moe agreed to sell us 7 cases of the remaining 14 to our little store and after 7 months of follow-up it’s finally here for all of us. I say all of us because I’m buying a case for myself.
In 1997, Moe and Flora Momtazi purchased 532 acres of abandoned wheat farm just south of their home in McMinnville, Oregon. Though most saw it as wild and uncared for, Moe saw a vital, thriving piece of land that had been free from chemicals for seven years. Their first vintage was 2001 and it is a biodynamic winery and vineyard. Their first harvest came from only 13 acres while today they farm and harvest 200 acres of fruit. Many wineries pull 4+ tons of fruit per acre they select 1.5-2 tons.
TASTING NOTES This wine exhibits golden straw color and complex aromas of honey, ripe melon, pear, lime and mineral. Round, rich flavors of pear and melon balance a long finish with excellent texture and ripe citrus flavors. This Pinot Gris exemplifies a great balance of richness and acidity. The soft, round residual sugars of this wine further complements dishes with a hint of heat or can be enjoyed as an aperitif. Cooper’s Price $18.99
Chateau Beaumont Haut-Medoc 2014
The modern era for Beaumont began in 1986, with the acquisition of the property by the Société Grands Millésimes de France. The new owners found themselves in possession of 105 hectares of vineyard planted on well drained, deep and gravelly soils. The vineyard is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), with 35% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The harvested fruit is fermented in temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats with three weeks of maceration. The oak is one third new each vintage, the wine resting in barrel for up to fourteen months.
Taste: “Dense blackberry and raspberry aromas interwoven with cedary new oak that surfaces with aeration (swirling). The palate is medium-bodied with good weight. It dishes out freshness and crisp acidity with savory black fruit.” The Wine Advocate Cooper’s Price $22.99
Chateau Bernadotte Haut-Medoc 2010
Chateau Bernadotte takes its name from a previous owner, Marshal Bernadotte, who had connections to royalty. Marshal Bernadotte was appointed the Sovereign Prince by Napoleon I. In fact, that name is quite recent. Prior to 1997, the estate was known as Chateau Fournas.
The 35 hectare (87 acres) Left Bank vineyard of Chateau Bernadotte has a terroir of gravel and sand with some clay in the soil. The vineyard is planted to 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The wines of Chateau Bernadotte are then aged in 30% new, French oak barrels for 12 to 18 months, depending on the quality and character of the vintage.
Taste: The wine is deep and clearly a sleeper of the vintage with loads of spice box, red and black currants make for a delicious, impressively endowed wine. Wine Advocate Cooper’s Price $29.99
Chateau Cap de Faugeres Cote de Castillon Bordeaux 2010
The vineyard is planted to a vine density of 6,000 vines per hectare. On average, the vines are 30 years of, but some vines are older, at close to 50 years of age. The terroir is limestone and clay soils.
A blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon from one of the better sections of the Cotes de Castillon known as Sainte-Colombe, was bottled unfined and unfiltered by consultant Michel Rolland. It tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol and displays kirsch, black currant, licorice and smoky charcoal/barbecue notes. Medium to full-bodied, lush and very sexy already, this sleeper of the vintage is soft enough to be drunk now or can be cellared for up to a decade. Bravo! Wine Advocate
Cooper’s Price $24.99
