The Castelnoble drew numerous appreciative comments, all to the effect that this wine had a lot of “there” there for its measly $8 price tag. The Mt. Baker sangio, now two years past release, had earthy depth and also pleased the crowds. And needless to say, the Donedai was a show stopper, entirely alluring and satisfying.

Enjoyed a rare visit from Colleen B, who did not seem to realize that we were still around, or if we were, that we were open every Saturday. Yes, dear readers, we are here for you each and every Saturday (mostly), and a Fine Thing it is, too, to have your huddling masses huddling at our place on a winter afternoon.  And yes, I do use the word “Winter” lightly, as it has been a mild and sweet one as winters go, and here we are barely in March with daffodils blooming and birds twittering, and blossoms blossoming just like Spring. Actually more like spring in places where they actually have Spring, though usually later in the year, but different from the schizo-spring we usually have which more often is a an alternating winter-spring-winter-winter-spring-winter-spring-spring-winter sort of thing, when any particular day could be mistaken for January or March or May or Whatever.

Nice photo of Colleen and Steve being entertained by someone, and then Ian’s smiling face,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, (the comma often sticks on this keyboard),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, always makes you wonder what he has up his sleeve…

This week’s wines:

Legoe Bay Chardonnay ‘06 Washington  $7

Crisp lemon-lime, green apple, and grapefruit with a clean finish, our locally
produced chardonnay is a terrific value, especially at the new rock-bottom price. These wines are an Awesome Deal at their current pricing!

Borsao Crianza Spain $10

Purple-colored with a fragrant nose of cedar, spice box, black cherry, and black currant. Smooth-textured, savory, and ripe, it has excellent depth, concentration, and length.

Altos Las Hormigas Malbec   Argentina  $10

Ripe, with raspberry and boysenberry fruit laced with notes of
mocha and fruitcake. Fleshy and round. A crowd-pleaser.

Columbia Crest Walter Clore ’02 Washington WS93pts $30

Polished, lithe and seductive, its ripe currant and blueberry fruit shaded nicely with peppery, creamy oak notes that still let the fruit persist beautifully through the long, silky finish.
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Then we had these three Western students, and here I am blanking on names, they will just have to read this and post their names so I can update!) but I can tell you from left to right majors in somatic psych (one of my old fields), math, and, hmm, lemme see…biochem, I think. Also, another novelty for us is whenever we have to card anyone, and we did, and yes they were all 21, he most recent only last month. So young and yet so wise to find their way to Lummi Island’s premier (and only) wine tasting.

Mark is back from Argentina, and somehow also made it to Uruguay and, somehow, for a couple of days in Chile as well. We Google-mapped a satellite view of their rental on the beach in Uruguay, where I understand that fine wine actually comes out of home faucets and costs practically nothing, so Mark is talking about buying a house there and inviting us all down. I also understand that the only thing to eat in Argentina is Meat, great giant slabs of it, so you better be a carnivore. Or maybe I got a few details wrong on that, but I think I got the gist…they had a great time and want to go back to Uruguay.

This week’s wines:
Ninet de Pena Viognier ‘07 France $8
Straw in color. On the nose, youthful, medium intensity, slate, lilac, dandelion, honeysuckle, frisee, endive, not oaky, with lots of earthy elements. On the palate, off-dry notes of nectarine, peach, & intense floral element.

Castelnoble Tinto Roble “06 Spain $8 WA 88pts
100% Tempranillo with an enticing bouquet of raspberry, blackcurrant, and spice box. Elegant on the palate, it has tons of flavor and an easy-going finish with no hard edges.

Mt. Baker Sangiovese 05 Washington $15
Rich aromas and flavors of ripe plum, truffle, and moist earth.

Donedai Cabernet Sauvignon ‘04 Washington $32
Carolyn Lakewold makes tiny amounts of this very rich and lush Cabernet blend, starting with an intense scent of black cherry, cassis, and violets. Flavors are of black raspberry, black cherry, plum, and jammy cassis fruit, with hints of toasted espresso bean, toasted cocoa bean, and hints of violets.

Then let’s reminisce a bit about Valentine’s Day ought-ten. Kind of a quiet day allowing nice visits with the early arrivals, including Lisa L and Robin, our neighbor a block away, possibly first time I have seen her without her baby boy…they are noticeable cuz they obviously are, like, into each other in a big way. Actually there seems to be a bit of that going around, as Nancy and Joan dropped in also, and we got this sweet photo of Joan and Sammie.

Also we were graced by an early bird from the North Country, a rare visit from Gwen (Ms Latte Dah herself) on an outing from Juneau where she moved last year.

Interesting wines last week, with the most popular vote going to the Ricardo Santos malbec, which presented well with little fanfare, but solid in its tracks, good fruit and substance, comforting like a steady hand on the shoulder, a wine to take into the wilderness with you, or, like, out on the deck, or wherever.

The Perazzeta on the other hand had a casual sophistication, not formal by any means, but definitely classy, something special, a step or two towards elegant. This seems to be a style characteristic of this small family winery in Tuscany.

This week’s wines:

Anne Amie Cuvee ‘A’     muller thurgau   Oregon     $14

Crisp, fresh, light, and dry, this somewhat unusual German varietal a versatile match for mildly spicy dishes.

Alberti malbec 2009   Argentina   $10

This is the new vintage of one of our most popular wines, tasty, substantive, and a terrific buy; Ripe and polished, with layers of red licorice, dark cherries, raspberries and a hint licorice that all glide together through the medium-weight finish.

Chandler Reach corella 06       Washington     WS 90pts $18
Super Tuscan blend of 70% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Merlot is definitely Italian in heritage. Bright, refined and beautifully focused, this is light on its feet, with guava, berry and a hint of pear as the silky texture carries the flavors through the long, vivid finish.

Graeagle  Red Wing ‘03    Washington     WS 90pts $20
Dense, heady and impressive for its layers of black cherry, sweet spice and peppery sage flavors on a firm foundation of refined tannins, echoing as the finish persists. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

The  Savanha is an unusual and interesting wine that kind of grows on you with its somewhat tarry and earthy notes and a touch of bitters like the old New England soft drink “Moxie,” a sort of root beer with a curiously appealing bitterness on the finish, attributed to gentian root, its secret ingredient supposed to be especially effective against “paralysis, softening of the brain, nervousness, and insomnia”. Its history goes back to 1876, and one rarely finds it outside New England; it is in fact the oldest continuously produced soft drink in the United States. I remember the first time I tasted it, at an aunt’s house in Maine when I was eight or nine years old. Looked like root beer…smelled like root beer…take a big swig….Whoa, Dude, Surprise and Horror as sugary expectations take a bitter turn. Definitely aimed more at adult taste sensibilities. So somehow the Savanha pinotage/ shiraz is a vaguely similar surprise, curiously appealing, that’s all I’m saying.

First-time visitors Jean and Chantal (see post) are French Canadians living in Blaine; like nostalgia for Moxie, I also have nostalgia for French Canadian accents, which one often hears in Maine, so it was a little slice of childhood to have them visit. I think they enjoyed themselves, so hopefully we will see (and hear) more of

them...bienvenue a Lummi Island!

REMINDER !!!! The truffles are made and boxed for all of you who ordered them, so don’t forget to drop by and pick them up! As usual they are AWESOME and you probably will want to keep them for yourself, not give them away as Valentine’s, but that’s a political question, you are just gonna have to work it out. There are a few extras that are not spoken for that will available on Saturday until they run out.

This week’s tasting

Secreto sauvignon blanc ‘08  Chile    $9

Nice weight, with fresh lemon verbena and grapefruit notes backed by a juicy finish.

Campos Reales tempranillo ’08 Spain $7

Full-flavored and very easy to drink, with notes of black pepper and bright cherry.. Great with chevre, grilled meat and tomato-based pastas.

Ricardo Santos Malbec ’07 Argentina $16

A ripe, juicy style, with a mix of raspberry and boysenberry fruit that stays fresh, while spice and licorice hints chime in on the medium-weight finish.

Perazzeta Rita ‘06 Sangiovese    Italy $26 (read more)

From the southern fringe of Montalcino comes this stunningly powerful, lush Sangiovese; aged in French oak barrels,and pushing the boundaries of the varietal; named after winemaker’s wife AND mother, he said of his wine: “I had no choice but to name it Rita!”

Last week’s pinot grigio and pinot noir were really showing well, the hits of the day. I had ordered the pg because the label I had gotten before was out, and now I definitely like this one better. Also, the Panther Creek pinot noir sold out. so we are out there looking for more. It’s an interesting wine in that it is a blend (”cuvee”) of different vintages, probably because ‘06 was a difficult year in Oregon. In any case, it was showing very well indeed, definitely the wine of the day.

TRUFFLE NOTE! Last chance to order for Valentines Day!
FOUR new truffles for your Valentine Day celebration. Order up boxes of 4 lovely truffles, boxed and beribboned by calling 758-2559 (Janice) or 758-2959 (Pat) to place your order. Deadline for ordering is February 8, Monday. Boxes are $5. each and will be available for pickup on February 13, Saturday, at the wine shop between 1:00 - 5:00 or by special arrangement. As usual, the truffles will be made of only the finest chocolate, organic cream, and real flavors…Island-made and delectable!

For no particular reason that I can think of, last weekend was in some way about Couples, as evidenced by the following little gallery…are they Cute or What?

and then there’s this, some kind of Odd Couple sharing a privat Joke and their Cheerleader…??? No wonder Mark (middle) is smiling, he is off to Argentina for three weeks on Sunday…And we all know Jerry doesn’t smile for No Reason at all but we also know he isn’t going to elaborate, you gotta figure it out for yourself…

This week’s tasting: dis one gonna be verrrry tasty!

Viento Riesling  ‘07    Washington   WS89pts  $14
Bright and refreshing, with a lively mouthful of pear, grapefruit and delicately floral aromas and flavors that shoot right through the balanced, barely off-dry finish.

Savanha Pinotage-Shiraz    ‘08           South Africa          $9
Forward, with cherry jam and pomegranate notes

Atalaya  ‘07   Spain   WA91pts     $14
First release, blend of Monastrell & Garnacha; expressive bouquet of violets, spice box, leather, game, blueberry, and black cherry; lots of easy-going flavor, superb depth, complexity, and a 45-second finish.

OS Red   ‘06     Washington               $16
Blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc; nose exhibits cedar, cassis, spice box, and violets leading to a medium-bodied, smooth-textured wine with plenty of spicy fruit.

Years ago, when I was trying to be a serious Zen student, that first chirp would come after what seemed a long time sitting still in a dark and very quiet hall, a very welcome sign of Morning, magically unfolding out of the stillness, something being born out of Nothing, which supposedly is what All of This is about anyway, but as usual I digress. Oh yes, secret signals…

It’s probably just everyone at once checking their watches wherever they are and realizing that if they don’t stop what they are doing right now, they will miss the Party, and that would be Unthinkable, and after all, they have gotten something done on a Saturday afternoon and so deserve a little break, and that’s what Happy Hour is all about anyway, so let’s trip on down to the wine shop and see what’s up.

The tasting was interesting last week because all the wines showed pretty well, and each one a bit better than the previous one, with the Chappellet Mountain Cuvee rounding out the show with a certain suave elegance, making it feel like a journey of the palate in a certain direction, no switchbacks or surprises, just a gradual elevation gain, an increasing complexity and allure with each pour.

If you missed last week, please note again the CHOCOLATE ANNOUNCEMENT!

TRUFFLE NOTE! TRUFFLE NOTE! TRUFFLE NOTE! TRUFFLE NOTE! TRUFFLE NOTE!
FOUR new truffles for your Valentine Day celebration. Order up boxes of 4 lovely truffles, boxed and beribboned by calling 758-2559 (Janice) or 758-2959 (Pat) to place your order. Deadline for ordering is February 8, Monday. Boxes are $5. each and will be available for pickup on February 13, Saturday, at the wine shop between 1:00 - 5:00 or by special arrangement. As usual, the truffles will be made of only the finest chocolate, organic cream, and real flavors…Island-made and delectable!

This weekend will be unusual because Pat is taking the day off to go to a cooking class in town. I will be joined in the wine shop by Pat’s infamous son Donald, now living in Gig Harbor after ten years in Japan. He will be bringing several cases of wine in his capacity as a new wine rep for one of our distributors, and will probably take over the pouring and be your  Chief Schmoozer for the day.

Also: TRUFFLE NOTE! TRUFFLE NOTE! TRUFFLE NOTE! TRUFFLE NOTE! TRUFFLE NOTE!

This week’s wines:

Three Rivers Chardonnay ’07 Washington $16
Ripe pear and toasty oak character compete for attention in this polished, spicy Chardonnay, remaining lean and lively through the finish

Condesa Crianza ’04 Spain $10
This supple red shows balance and density, on a modest scale, with black cherry, tobacco and leaf flavors and a spicy, toasty finish.

Emilio Moro Resalso ’07 Spain $13
nice density to the berry, floral and vanilla notes in this lively red. Medium-bodied, with light tannins and enough acidity to balance the sweet oak.

Chappellet Mountain Cuvee ’04 California $22
Complex spice aromas and concentrated sweet fruit abound in this wine. The nose entices with blackberry, ripe plum and dried cherry mingled with clove and vanilla. Notes of dark chocolate add richness to the fruit.

I have to say I LOVE our East Coast New Year’s Eve party. Last night was the fifth in the series, and maybe the best so far. We asked you to bring a plate of finger food, and oh, my did you ever! Everything I tasted was absolutely yummy, so deep bows of gratitude to all of you for sharing your culinary talents. We put out an array of wines, some single bottles, some lonely bottles, some huddled bottles yearning to be free, and fortunately for us, the food was so good they all showed adequately for the occasion, especially of course tha bubblies for the New Year’s toast at 12pm EST, or 9pm our time, an hour that seems more and more appropriate every year.

One of the big challenges each year is appointing a Designated Timer, whose personal chronometer is in such “accord with the great sidereal movement with which time is generally reckoned” that we may be reasonably sure that we are celebrating at exactly the right time. Last night it was Jerry, sporting his new watch that continually checks in with the Great Vibrating Crystal kept at Greenwich or the Naval Observatory, or wherever, which keeps the Official Time of the World. So Jerry (an Alaska man taciturn enough to pass for a Maine Man) got the nod, and we all chanted JER-RY!  JER-RY!  JER-RY!  JER-RY!, which might possibly have been the worst moment of his life, but we hope not.  And speaking of Maine, a special welcome to our seldom-seen friend from Maine, Sarah here for the holidays with Bob and Marnie.

Said watch performed flawlessly, and our countdown 5!…4!…3!…2!…1!…ZERO!!!! and the crowd roared and soared and hugged and toasted and burst into a surprisingly Vigorous and Heartfelt rendition of Auld Lang Syne, two verses worth at the top of our collective lungs. AWESOME! or as Livvy would say “TOTES LEGIT!!” which we are not yet quite comfortable saying audibly, you know, in front of people.

Great food, wonderful people, plenty of wine, and all over at a decent hour…it just doesn’t get any better than this, so thanks and cheers to all who made it happen, and Best Wishes for 2010 and the coming decade.

Which leads me to one other point, which may or may not be discussed more fully on a separate “Rant” thread someday. For no particular reason, during the 80’s I was so dismayed by the way the country was headed I named the 80’s the Decade of the Bottom Line. In the 90’s I was so dismayed with the way the country was going I named them the Decade of Vapid Pragmatism. Through the 00’s I have CERTAINLY been dismayed (actually we are now way, way, way past merely “dismayed”) that I have sought to find the slogan that captured the decade for me, never quite feeling satisfied. I am happy to report that a flash of Inspiration brought the words to me yesterday afternoon while I was out walking the dogs. We have now officially completed the Decade of Bullet-Headed Hypocrisy.

Maybe the best we can hope for is that things are perhaps no longer, as Kevin once put it, “getting worse faster than we are getting older.” However you look at it, here’s wishing us all the best year of our lives in 2010!

Wines this week:

Kurt Angerer Gruner Veltliner Spies  07  (Austria)  $20: WA 91 pts  Sauvignon-like notes of lime, caraway, and honeydew melon on
the nose lead to a juicy, glossy, satisfying palate of
cooling melon fruit, with lingering finish of rich nut oils, caraway, white pepper, and
wet stone.

Stephen Vincent “Crimson” red blend 07 (California)  $9: Firm and spicy, with appetizing blackberry, wild berry, pepper, spice
and chicory notes that firm up on the finish. Syrah and Cabernet
Sauvignon.

Marquis Philips Shiraz 07 (Australia)  $14: WA 92 pts Fruit forward, with mouth-filling notes of crushed
strawberry, blackberry, and dark chocolate.

Townshend T3 red blend (Washington) $15: Full bodied, slightly jammy, non-vintage blend of cab, merlot, and cab franc

WE will provide wine including something bubbly to toast 2010.

YOU need to do TWO things:

1. RSVP that you are coming (space may be limited!)

2. Bring a tray of tasty finger foody things to share with the other revelers.

That’s all there is to it! See you there!

This week, being Yuletide season, Boxing Day after all, we have no idea how many will venture out to lift a glass to the Season. But what we do have to offer besides the usual Good Cheer are:

On the Day after Christmas my True Love gave to me (sing along…!)

Three French reds, Two-oo purple gloves, and a Martorana In-sol-i-a…

Well you get the idea, any excuse to help figure out what to pour.

The wines:

Martorana Insolia White 2008  (Italy)  $16 : Lush, aromatic, crisp, and lovely with fish, fowl, or pasta.

Domaine Piquemal ‘05  (France, Roussillon) (video) $13 : Nose of blackberry, flint, and leather gives way to sumptuous flavors of fresh, ripe cherries.

Domaine Faury Vin de pays Collines Rhodaniennes syrah (France)  $20: Gorgeous, sense-filling, rich, and sensuous, this is a current favorite!

Perrin et Fils Gigondas “La Gille” ‘05  (France) $23: Perfumed nose of cherry, rose blossom, plum sauce, charcoal, and spice; plush texture, long finish of wild berries, black currant, cocoa, and tar.