Beer

​

Brasserie Dupont Saison Vieille Provision $14.98

 

Brewed by Brasserie Dupont (one of the oldest breweries in Belgium; established in 1844), Saison Dupont Vieille Provision is a top fermentation beer with refermentation in the bottle.  A benchmark for Saison producers, Brasserie Dupont selects yeasts that create a perfect balance between aroma and palate. A beautifully balanced, complex beer that has a refreshing fruitiness and long, dry finish, Saison Dupont has earthiness, peppery spice, and a classic farmhouse funk. (750mL)

​

​

Rosé

​

2015 Loimer, Rose, Kamptal, Austria $31.98

 

Ranked amongst the best wine producers in Austria, Fred Loimer was awarded Winemaker of the Year by Austria’s Falstaff wine magazine in 2002 only five years after the winery was handed down from father to son. 

 

Dedicated to preserving the land, Fred Loimer began to practice biodynamic winegrowing in 2005 and in 2009 his wines were certified biodynamic.  Located in the Kamptal region of Austria around the town of Langenlois, the Loimer estate is comprised of 60 hectares. 

 

The 2015 Loimer Rose contains 90% Zweigelt, an indigenous red Austrian varietal, and 10% Pinot Noir grown on loess soils.  The wine shows attractive floral and red fruit aromas with medium body and zippy acidity.  This wine is the perfect pairing from the first to the last course.

 

​

White

 

2013 Sattlerhof, Sauvignon Blanc, Sudsteiermark, Austria $20.98

 

While the Danube is responsible for producing top quality Riesling and Grüner Veltliner, the Südsteiermark is known for grapes like Sauvignon Blanc, Morillon (Chardonnay), and Gelber Muskateller.  Actually, with its proximity to Italy’s Friuli Venezie Giulia region, the style is more similar to those wines than to the rest of Austria.  When standing in the vineyards of Südsteiermark the Adriatic coastline is only 30-40 kilometers to the south.  Willi Sattler was one of the producers involved with establishing the STK classification for the region and works hard to maintain the highest quality within his own winery as well as the region as a whole. Südsteiermark is still emerging on a global scale, but if you like great, dry white wines it is an area that you can’t ignore.  These are serious wines with outstanding cellaring capabilities. – Brett Zimmerman

 

 

2014 ColleStefano, Verdicchio di Matelica, Marche, Italy $28.98

 

The little town of Matelica is in the Marche region of Italy, just east of Umbria. This region produces fine, mineral driven wines crafted from the Verdicchio grape. Further inland and at a higher elevation than the more common Verdicchio di Castelli di Jesi, Matelica tends to produce brighter and more elegant wines whereas the Castelli di Jesi wines often have more fruit and heft. 

 

Prior to taking over the family estate in 1998, Fabio Marchionni pursued a well rounded path in his pursuits within the wine industry.  Marchionni obtained a degree in agriculture upon completing his thesis on Verdicchio di Matelica, labored in Germany where he learned to farm organically with minimal impact to the environment and briefly worked in wine bars and restaurants. 

 

Farming only 15 hectares, Marchionni’s ColleStefano is textbook for the Matelica style producing bright and crisp wines with floral notes and a hint of pine.  100% estate fruit, grown organically, ColleStefano Verdicchio is medium-bodied with crisp acidity and excellent structure. Apricots, peaches, minerals, mint, almonds and flowers all make an appearance in this delicate, expressive wine.

 

2012 Trimbach, Reserve Pinot Gris, Alsace, France $38.98

 

Masion Trimbach began in 1626 and has remained through 12 generations a pillar of society in the Alsatian winemaking community and beyond.  Situated around the town of Ribeauville, Maison Trimbach’s vineyards are rife with limestone soil and benefit from the unique Alsatian microclimate, thanks to the Voges Mountains protection from harsh rains.  In addition to the exceptional terroir, the Trimbach family lets their wines age in bottle several years before they release them on the market ensuring more balanced integrated wines. 

 

Juicy peaches and ripe pear on the bouquet lead you to a mouth-watering body of ripe smoky tropical fruit flavors and a long nutty finish. 

​

 

Red

 

2014 Francois Crochet, Sancerre Rouge, Loire Valley, France $38.98

 

Sancerre is a tiny bucolic French village, steeped in history, situated in the far western region of the Loire Valley. Almost in the middle of the country, it has been the center of the French resistance since the Middle Ages.  While considered one of the best appellations in France for the cultivation of Sauvignon Blanc (~2,200 hectares under vine), creating beautifully flinty and savory wines with bracing acidity, it also produces a small amount of high quality red and rose wines of Pinot Noir (~620 hectares under vine).

 

Following in his grandfather and father’s footsteps, Francois Crochet and his wife, Carine, took over his family’s estate in 1988 located in the commune of Bué, just outside the town of Sancerre proper. Francois was formally schooled at the Lycée Viticole in Beaune after which he worked for several estates in France and abroad.  Francois tends 10.5 hectares of vine divided into 30 plots with the lutte raisonnée method, considered a happy medium between conventional farming and stricter demands by organic certifying agencies.  Biodiversity in the vineyards is encouraged through the planting of cover crops, plowing of the soils and the use of manures and natural composts to fertilize the vines.

 

As a young winemaker, Francois has made quite a name for himself both in France and abroad.  His Sancerre Rouge is a handsome expression of Pinot Noir with personality and depth.  An intense bouquet of red fruits, cranberries, cherry and pomegranate, with violets, hibiscus and a hint of clove, transports you to a palate with generous raspberry, blood orange, tobacco leaf and soft smoky notes.

 

2012 Bellus, Girasole Rosso Toscana, Tuscany, Italy $38.98

 

Bellus Wines, founded by Jordan Salcito (then sommelier at Eleven Madison Park; now Beverage Director at Momofuku) is a socially and environmentally conscious wine company that makes organically grown, terroir driven wines in collaboration with partner wineries around the globe. Often featured at the Boulder Wine Merchant, Jordan’s wines are of superb quality and outstanding value.

The 2012 Girasole is crafted mostly from organic Sangiovese grapes (10% indigenous red varietals) grown in the Chianti Classico region on soils ranging from rocky sandstone to gray clay and fossilized seashells.  The wine achieves a wonderful balance between acidity, body, tannins, and minerality and fills the nose and palate with notes of tart cherry, cinnamon, pomegranate, dried flowers and herbs.   

The name, Girasole, references the sunflowers grown throughout Tuscany, Jordan's mom's favorite flower and the Tory Burch Foundation logo. She donates a percentage of proceeds to the Tory Burch Foundation, which empowers women entrepreneurs and their families through microfinance and mentorship.

 

2013 Division Winemaking Co., ‘Gamine’ Syrah, Mae’s Vineyard, Applegate Valley, Oregon $59.98

​

Division Winemaking Company was founded in 2010 by Thomas and Kate Monroe, after a wonderful and educational period living at Kate's family cottage in the Loire Valley, studying winemaking and viticulture. Together Tom and Kate produce small batch wines focused on Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Gamay Noir from sustainably farmed vineyards in the northern Willamette Valley of Oregon. Influenced by the couple’s passion for old world wines and inspired by the wineries of Loire, Beaujolais and Burgundy regions of France, the wines have higher acid structure, less extraction and modest alcohol.

 

Tom and Kate founded the Southeast Wine Collective in August 2012 in the vibrant Division-Clinton neighborhood of metro Portland - an emerging hub for the area's food and libations culture. They thought it fitting to name their brand after landing on Division Street: "It's the French thing to do - name your business with the piece of land you're from."

 

Gamine meaning ‘a young girl with mischievous charm’ was Kate’s nickname as a child and now represents her first solo wine project.  Syrah clones from Cornas planted in Mae’s Vineyard (owned by Herb Quady) were used to create this delicious wine.  Kate writes, “Inspired by the juxtaposition of intensity and elegance of Syrahs from the Northern Rhone, this wine is a study in tension and release. Intense minerality, garrigue, leather, black olive and smoke give way to beautiful acidity and femininity.”