RFN # 8, pub. 4/16/09

The Riggs Fulmer Newsletter
No. 8
April 16, 2009

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Retailers and restaurants set pricing; think of the prices below as very educated guesswork- restaurant prices will likely be around double those listed.

Well, friends, this issue is going to be a bit shorter than is its wont (although, admittedly, that might correspond with your want), as I won’t be attending a tasting during the early week, but rather the heavy, heavy obligation to join my friends from a certain excellent importer at their Champagne Luncheon this Thursday. As such, I don’t have the usual barrage of tasting notes for you, but I’ve got a few gems, and my pick (at least so far) for Top Summer Value White ’09. Yum to the yums, people, yum to the yums.

However, there is still plenty of work to be done, even if the sky is getting brighter with every hour, and behind those tired flowers a haze of fluorescent green is humming forth from the trees (maybe it’s the risotto: see my April Fool’s column for the Oregon Wine Press: http://www.oregonwinepress.com/index.php?pr=0409_13_Risotto); even if the river seems to slip along its banks with a smile, nose must meet grindstone, so I’ll shut the hell up and segue right into my short list of weekly picks, to wit:

I civilian’d my way into a local wine tasting and was delighted to run into none other than the talented young guitarslinging genius of the Portland wine scene (no, not Mr. Somers, the other one), Marc Garner of Lago di Merlo. Lago di Merlo is an excellent winery in Geyserville, CA, producing some tremendous values, as well as increasingly interesting higher-end offerings. Their Ca’ Bella line is, dollar for dollar, my favorite. They are excellent examples of pure, unabashedly Californian juice, yet nonetheless made with real skill, such that their motto rings true on the palate: “Excellent wine is grown, not made.”

2007 Ca’ Bella Viognier $14 (Mendocino County)
A soft bouquet, balsa-fine, with a nose reminiscent of Northwestern Viogniers, a swirl of canned peaches, spice, and fresh-baked bread. On the mouth the wine is surprisingly light, with deft, lifting acidity and a lovely, clean finish. Not at all heavy or overbearing, as far too many Viogniers are these days.

Ca’ Bella Vino Rosso (NV) $10
With a big, round, jammy nose of raspberry preserves and tart cherries, this buxom little charmer is not shy. On the palate it shows nice lift and pleasantly tart acids, with a real freshness that completely belies the relatively heavy bouquet; nonetheless this wine still expresses plenty of wild cherries and blueberries. Nice with or without food.

Update: A few days later, I tasted the Ca’ Bella Vino Bianco, which has a large proportion of Fiano (!), and was absolutely delicious, maybe even more impressive than the red. I believe it to be line-priced with the red, at $10. (erratum: this wine actually runs around $13)

2006 Zimri Cellars Chardonnay $18 (Oregon)
Zimri Cellars, located in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, have produced a beautiful, classically Oregon Chardonnay here. The nose is all lemon meringue, sexy funk, banana skins, and fine wood, in the Burgundian rather than Californian style. On the palate, though, the wine really preens, with wonderful, tickling acidity and a light body. Coconut and papaya notes play out through the long, silky finish, marked with a compelling hit of olivey terroir.

2006 Zimri Cellars Pinot Noir $28
The first thing I noticed here was the nice, limpid color- I have been known to cross the room for a Pinot through which I can see sunlight (see: Eyrie, and Arbois). The soft, brisk nose is full of dried rosepetals and dill weed, while the palate shows great acids and minerality up front, with a long, blushing finish. Really nice Pinot. These two wines were an excellent first impression of the winery for me.

And, without further ado (drum roll…)

2009 TOP VALUE, SUMMER WHITE

2007 Oisly-et-Thesée Touraine $9 (Loire Valley)
Get the freshest vintage you can find; the newest are bottled in a screw-cap, a perfect accoutrement for what is, year in and year out, one of the best values in Sauvignon Blanc on the planet. That weirdo French name is pronounced “wa-lee ay tez-ay,” by the way. Distributed by Grape Expectations, this wine is just pure, citric Sauv Blanc juice, unencumbered by wood or heavy handling. It just glows with white grapefruit, apple skins, starfruit, and stones-after-rain, with a lip-smacking finish of perfect minerality and acids. At this price, there is no finer wine of this varietal.

All right, then. Truncated though it seem, this is the wrap-up of RFN # 8. Next week’s edition will be chock-full of good stuff, including the aforementioned Champers luncheon (I’m getting hungry already!), some springtime beer tips (Trumer Pils all day and night), a new recipe for Cuisine of the Month, and maybe a restaurant review or two. I just heard the weather report, and it seems that this weekend is going to be ludicrous, so have a great time- and don’t allow any out-of-state friends to visit you this week. Think of the urban growth boundary!

And, oh yeah, watch out for them teabaggers! (insert joke here)

Happy Weekend!

Yrs,
Riggs