Free tasting | Saturday, February 3, 2018 | 4-6PM

Jura and more!
Karen is visiting from The Wine Trust with a bagful of goodies - Jura, Bordeaux, Veneto, and even an Oregon Pinot. Come taste with us! 

2015 Chateau de Birot Blanc – Bordeaux, France, $18
This white blend from Cadillac, Bordeaux is as smooth and sprightly as its cars. 'Sweet ride, bro' is an apt description for the majority of wines produced from this region, as Cadillac is known for producing high-quality desert wines. But its winemakers can also produce wickedly delicious dry wines, like this Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc blend. Chateau de Birot is an old estate located on the slopes of the Garonne River. This wine is filled with flintiness, pear, and elderberry notes.  
 
2014 Florent Rouve Chardonnay, Arbois – Jura, France, $16
Florent Rouve grew up hearing from his geologist Father stories about the importance of forests, soil, and minerals instead of fairy tales. The idea of not working outdoors with his hands splattered in earth never occurred to him as he embarked on a career in Forest Management. He was soon drawn to a side job of working in a vineyard. We're excited he decided to switch time in the tress for bonding time with grapes, as his lightly oaked Chardonnay is stellar. Think of warm nights by a fire, butter, and snappy citrus and you'll understand what Florent's Dad was telling him all those years ago. Mother Nature rules.  
 
2010 Florent Rouve, Arboise Savagnin – Jura, France, $30
In 1998, Mâconnais producer Jean Rijckaert started a domaine between Burgundy and the Swiss border in Arbois, an appellation within the Jura. Rijckaert has since passed the reins to his student, Florent Rouve. One review I read about this wine bluntly stated, “Some seriously delicious shit.” Savagnin is the major white grape of the Jura, which shows notes of ripe pears, quince and tangerine oil. These grapes are harvested from 60-year old vines, in 6-year-old barrels with natural fermentation, and Florent leaves the wine on its lees for 2 years. Talk about a mouthful! Also, only 250 cases were made of this 2010 vintage!
 
2014 Raptor Ridge Pinot Noir – Willamette Valley, Oregon, $30
Twenty-five miles southwest of Portland, Oregon with views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams, and nestled in the Chehalem Mountains is Raptor Ridge Winery. This organic winery is home to Scott Schull, the owner of Raptor Ridge, and to raptors too, like Red-Tailed Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, and Great Horned Owls. Scott was drawn to the wild beauty of the land and when discovering an abandoned cherry orchard in 2000 he decided to turn it into a winery. It took a year to dig up over 2,000 cherry trees replacing them with grape vines. Wild cherry notes and black pepper bloom in this silky Pinot Noir.
 
2014 Monte Santoccio, Ripasso Valpolicella – Veneto, Italy, $30
Winemaker Nicola Ferrain studied under a Valpolicella legend, Giuseppe Quintarelli, and came away determined to create beautiful wines that reflect terroir with accessible prices for all. His blend of Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, and Molinara is made with ultra-precision. After undergoing a manual harvest during late September, the grapes are pressed and macerated for 15 days. The wine then undergoes a second fermentation with Amarone skins for nearly 20 days; then it is aged in a tonneaux (a 900-liter wine barrel) for 24 months. This Ripasso has smooth integrated tannins and oak, with clean notes of plum and cherry.