Our Wine Wednesdays, include one *free sample from each of our hand selected fine wine features (up to four wines). This week we welcome Ryan Brazell, Advanced Sommelier & co-owner of Rise Over Run wine distribution.

Division Pinot Noir Rose
This is the wine that started Division Winemaking Co. a mere 50 cases of the 2010 Rosé of Pinot Noir, which we have always made from the mineral intense Eola-Amity Hills in the Willamette and continue the tradition year after year.  For the fermentation, we created a pied de cuve (early native ferment) with a small amount of the Bethany grapes to build a strong yeast population from the native flora, which was added after settling into one stainless 1900L temperature controlled tank. The stainless tank began fermenting very quickly and we kept it on the cooling jacked at 17 C , with the ferment lasting until mid December. The French oak barrel portion of Methven rosé fermented considerably slower in the cool barrel room and finished in mid- January. We allowed the tank and barrels to fully finish the malolactic fermentation, as the wines had enough acidity not to warrant halting the malolactic transition. Last year, we said the Rosé of Pinot Noir was our best since 2013, and while it truly was, the 2017 Rosé of Pinot Noir is our best since our first vintage in 2010. It’s truly complex, delicate and delicious. The wine is quite soave and polished with a distinct honeysuckle and strawberry character. The palate is crisp with floral white peach, sweet strawberries and pretty feminine Pinot notes . The wine has a deep core, not typical of crisp and dry rose, and a delicate light pink hue. This rosé is quite complex and will be a wine to both drink now and even hold for the next few years.

Guglielmo Manenti Frappato
Organic. Wife and husband team Marita and Guglielmo Manenti personally tend to the 4 hectares of vineyards they purchased in 2005. Located in the historical district of Vittoria, in the province of Ragusa, the vineyards are planted in the traditional bush vine system, with 6000 vines per hectares. The age of the vines varies from 20 to 40 years. The sandy and clay soil reaches so deep that no irrigation is ever needed. Clay endows the wine with longevity and acid extract, while sand gives the wine delicacy and softness. Manenti practices biologic farming with minimal intervention in the vineyard. Purple red with violet hues, hints of black cherry, ripe fruit and spices. Med bodied with good concentration and brisk acidity. Litterally jumping out of the glass!

Bodegas y Viñedos Castro Ventosa El Castro de Valtuille (Bierzo)
Castro Ventosa was founded by the Perez family in 1752 and the family owns the estate ever since. 90 points Vinous “Bright ruby. Raspberry, cherry pit, violet and a hint of succulent herbs on the perfumed nose. Juicy and focused on the palate, offering bitter cherry and floral pastille flavors that open up and become sweeter with air. Hints of game and cracked pepper emerge on the penetrating, gently tannic finish, which hangs on with strong, spicy persistence. I also had a chance to re-try the 2012 version of this wine and it has tightened up a bit in the last year. While it still shows plenty of sweet dark fruit and floral character, it is still, not surprisingly, on the young side, and it definitely benefits from some aeration.”

Amplify Wines Subliminal Cabernet Sauvignon
NATURAL CABERNET FROM CALIFORNIA!! Subliminal: 2 families, 1 vision. Subliminal is a partnership between the Parientes (Nomadic Distribution) and the Porters (Amplify Wines). Born out of a shared desire to capture a style of Cabernet Sauvignon almost forgotten in California- that of a humble table wine- Subliminal is a weeknight wine that speaks strongly of its origins. Its dusty tannin and dried fruit recall 1970s California, while its bright, fresh, lifted character is a purely modern take on the grape. From old vines in the Santa Ynez Valley planted over 40 years ago, aged completely in neutral oak, with no additions other than a minimum of sulfur dioxide, this is a new side of California Cabernet Sauvignon that will carry you from summer BBQs to winter braises. Vineyards: 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, Rancho Arroyo Perdido. Planted 1972. 23% Merlot, Giff Vineyard. Planted 1978. Fermentation: 50% in concrete, 50% in stainless steel Aging: 9 months in neutral oak on undisturbed lees. Racked once for bottling. SO2: None at crush, 30 ppm in barrel, 25 ppm at bottling Native yeast, native malo, no additions other than SO2 Unfined and Unfiltered. And it’s very very good, old school North Coast Cab- bright but with a dirt-like earthiness, pure and honest, with classic cedar, red fruit and a hint of damp stone. Reminiscent of Bordeaux or 70’s valley floor Napa.

 

 

 

 

 

***tasting free with purchase of $10 or more per guest***