WINE WE LOVE
Love is in the air all month long. Let us celebrate with Wine We Love! Following are twelve of the wine department staff’s favorite bottles currently being offered at Leschi Market. All have received the attached heralding accolades and praise, but most importantly, the all-important Leschi Market stamp of approval. Prices listed are shelf price, and everyone receives 10% off any 6-bottle purchase, all the time.
RED
2013 Foradori Vigneti delle Dolomiti Red Granato ($54.99)
“Foradori’s 2013 Granato is superb. Like all of these 2013s, the Granato is a bit laid back in this vintage. Still, there is plenty of depth and intensity in the dark black cherry, plum, spice, new leather and menthol flavors. That said, it is the wine’s textural depth and creaminess that separate it stylistically from the other wines in the range. Drinking window 2018-2028.” - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, 93-points.
2014 Buty Conner Lee Vineyard Merlot & Cabernet Franc Columbia Valley ($41.99)
“Supple, broad and expressive, layering rose petal—accented cherry and plum flavors against powdery tannins, finishing with sleekness and harmony. Drink now through 2024. 325 cases made.” –Wine Spectator, 92-points.
2013 Domaine des Miquettes St. Joseph Rouge Côteaux de L’Ardeche ($29.99)
Syrah as it ought to be. The vineyard rows are worked throughout the year with horse drawn plough. Fermentations occur with natural yeasts. This is unmanipulated wine—a simple but powerful expression of the place from which it came. An organic gem from an independent winery at a very attractive price.
2012 La Chenade de Pomerol Bordeaux ($25.99)
A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc (50% new oak) it has a ripe, quite generous bouquet with dark cherries, a touch of cassis and iodine with fine definition. The palate is medium-bodied with fine definition. I really appreciate the nervosite in the wine – great freshness with fine tannins and beautifully interwoven new oak on the finish.” –Wine Advocate, 90-92 points.
2013 Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico ($21.99)
“Rich and sumptuous, boasting pure flavors of cherry and raspberry, matched to a juicy texture. There are plenty of tannins neatly folded into the overall structure, with hints of mineral and tea on the long, expansive finish. Best from 2017 through 2024. Smart Buy. Top 100 # 40.” -Wine Spectator, 92-points.
2013 Colutto Refosco Friuli Rosso Italy ($20.39)
Refosco wines have particularly high acidity and are mostly dark and densely colored with violet and grassy aromas. Flavors of dark peppery spices and plums abound on the palate, and the wine often displays a slightly astringent, almond-skin finish on the palate. This wine has impressive fruit intensity laced with minerality.
2013 Maison Bleue Metis Red Columbia Valley ($19.99)
“This wine is a blend of 45% Grenache, 37% Syrah and 18% Mourvèdre, coming from Boushey, Pepper Bridge, Olsen and Minnick vineyards. The aromas pop with notes of clove, orange peel, black pepper, funk and red and blue berries. The palate is lithe, pure and focused, with a pleasing mouthfeel and sense of balance to the citrus and blue-fruit flavors.” -Sean Sullivan, 90-points.
2014 Château Bizard Montagne de Raucoule ($13.99)
“Aromatic and rich, expresses scents of black fruits –blackberry, sloe, cherry- underscored by notes of licorice. Retro-olfaction of ripe fruits and spices. Well-structured, fine and coated tannins. A very pleasant wine, cajoling and mellow.” –Winemaker notes.
WHITE
2014 Domaine Paul Cherrier Sancerre ($18.69)
Stéphane Cherrier decided to get back to old-fashioned winemaking in a region where wines were becoming a bit too homogenized, mechanized and over-treated with chemicals. Classic Sancerre aromas of citrus and flint. Lime and passion fruit come through on the palate. Such a fresh finish with racy acidity, mineral and structure. Given the small harvest of 2014 Sancerre this is an amazing value.
2015 Jubilee Pinot Bianco Alto Adige Italy ($13.99)
“Classic aromatics of pears and green apples. Great density, tied into a long backbone of minerality that finishes with brilliant acidity.” -Wine Spectator, 92+ points.
2016 Château Bizard Blanc d’Amour Grignan Les Adhémar ($12.19)
“Aromatic, complex, fruity. Exhales fragrances of grapefruit, white peach, lychee and acacia flower. Beautiful balance on the palate, ample and suave, with a fresh finish. A blend of Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne and Roussanne.” -Winemaker notes.
Thomas Loosen Edition Riesling Mosel Austria NV ($8.39)
“Under close to perfect conditions, we were able to harvest grapes with optimal must weights and acidity levels, producing wines in all quality levels. The vintage also gave us excellent yields, with a beautiful balance of ripeness and acidity. The wines are dense and concentrated, but with the delicate and graceful style of the Mosel.” –Winemaker notes
Cheers!
Kenneth Benner, a Seattle area native, is a trained chef and has worked in such restaurants as Barbacoa, B.O.K.A. Kitchen + Bar, and Dahlia Lounge. Ken is the wine buyer at Leschi Market. He has a passion for learning, a meticulous palate, and a tenacity for searching out the best for his customers while offering some of the most highly coveted wines in the area. His wine column is intended to inspire and explore new choices in wine, learn about wine with his readers, and share his knowledge and experiences in the wine world. Check out the latest at www.LeschiMarket.com or request to be added to email updates or send questions, comments, or suggestions to ken@leschimarket.com and follow the wine department directly on twitter at twitter.com/leschimarket.