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CORTENOVA PINOT GRIGIO DELLE VENEZIE ORGANIC 2023 ITALY: $17.00
(Carefully curated notes below are taken from the Producer’s Website)
Varietal: 100% Pinot Grigio
Winery: Cortenova
Location: Veneto, Italy
Drink or Cellar? Drink now or cellar for cellar for 1-2 years
Some tidbits:
Only 500 cases were produced! Sustainable agriculture practices used. Average age of vines are around 20 years. No Oak on this beautiful wine! Grapes are crushed and soft-pressed, the resulting juice is fermented for 15-20 days at controlled temperature (15-17°C) in stainless steel tanks. The wine is then stored at 18-20°C in stainless steel tanks until bottling.
Tasting notes from the Producer:
The wine displays a brilliant straw color with emerald reflections. Fresh and floral on the nose, with a hint of pears, apricots and bananas. An inviting taste of bright fruit with a pleasing hint of almond on the finish, this Pinot Grigio is fresh and easy drinking
Food pairings
Seafood dishes, risottos with scampi, spaghetti with clams, sole in white wine
From Them to You!
Cortenova Pinot Grigio is sourced from vineyards on the hillsides of Gambellara, in Veneto’s Vicenza province. The area is famous for its volcanic soil – tophus and basaltic rocks that emerge on the surface in columns with polyhedric shapes. The soil is rich in mineral salts, potassium and magnesium, giving the grapes great richness and aromatics.
Source: https://www.kysela.com/about/about-kysela-pere-et-fils-ltd.html
Camino de Navaherreros Blanco Spain 2022: $19.00
(Carefully curated notes below are taken from the Producer’s Website)
Varietal: 70% Albillo Real, 30% Macabeo
Winery: Bernabeleva
Location: Madrid, Spain
Drink or Cellar? Drink now or cellar 2-3 years
Some tidbits:
Organic, Biodynamic farming practices. Our soils are tawny sands formed from decomposed granite rock, with relatively high acidity and limited amounts of nutrients. Annual rainfall is around 628 mm per year. Our vineyards have different orientations and sizes, from 500 square meters to 3 hectares, on slopes, hillsides and foothills. Soils are shallow on the higher plots, which are over 830 meters above sea level.
Tasting notes
Enticing aromas of ripe orchard fruits—pear, quince, and white peach—layered with notes of citrus zest, chamomile, and subtle floral hints. Medium-bodied with a rounded texture, balanced by vibrant acidity. The flavors are expressive, showcasing juicy pear, lemon curd, and a touch of green apple, with a mineral-driven backbone that highlights its freshness. A slightly creamy finish.
Food pairings
Grilled seafood like scallops, prawns, or sea bass; Light poultry dishes; Soft cheeses like Manchego, goat cheese, or Brie; Vegetable-based dishes, including asparagus risotto or roasted artichokes
From Them to You!
We own 35 hectares of old vines- mainly garnacha and albillo – with some moscatel de grano menudo and red morenillo. Some other different varieties are found in the vineyard, since replacements were done with available plants.
In Bernabeleva, we work the vineyard with a respect for balance with nature. Eco labels are not our aim, although we work to be worthy of them. The wines, produced from autochthonous varieties, show off differences in orientation, vegetation, altitude and soil of each locale. In the winery, we attempt to maintain the virtues of the raw material we obtain from the vineyard. Our wines express the characteristics of the vineyards and their surroundings, and our viticulture is in tune with its environment, for we understand it is the only way to work.
Our logo represents the goddess of hunt, to whom, in ancient times, sacred forests were dedicated. In pre Roman cultures, consecration of a forest to this deity was signaled on tree barks or on something more imperishable like stone.
Bernabeleva, literally, means the path of the bear, where the bear lives, or next to the bear. We have used two primary inspirations in the design of our logo: the nearby Toros de Guisando (which maybe bears, bulls or boars); an old photo of Luisa, the doctor’s daughter, mimicking the myth of Europa and Zeus.
Source: https://www.bernabeleva.com/
Viña Maitia Aupa Pipeño Tinto 2023 Chile: $20.00
(Carefully curated notes below are taken from the Producer’s Website)
Varietal: 80% Pais and 20% Carignan
Winery: Viña Maitia
Location: Loncomilla, Maule, Chile
Drink or Cellar? Drink now or cellar for 1-2 years max
Some tidbits:
Multiple vineyards consisting of 25 acres, planted in1895. Sustainable farming practices; dry farmed.
Tasting notes
This wine is a blend of 80% Pais and 20% Carignan from the southern Maule region of Chile and is made in an old style called Pipeño. The wine is light in color with bright notes of crushed raspberry, wild strawberry, and rose petals that lead into underlying hints of dried herbs, mint leaves, fennel and thyme. This fruit driven, easy drinking wine with a bit of animale has fresh acid with low tannin and can be enjoyed with a slight chill.
Food pairings
Grilled and Barbecued Meats, Tacos or Empanadas, Pizzas, Vegetarian Dishes, Grilled Salmon or Tuna, Ceviche, Fresh Cheeses, Cured Meats, Spicy Dishes, Hearty Salads
From Them to You!
David Marcel arrived to Chile fresh off the boat from France as a twenty-two year old winemaker hungry for new terroir. After graduating with a wine degree from Montplelier, David worked for large wineries producing significant quantities of wine while simultaneously falling in love with his Chileño bride. David eventually decided to make his home in Chile, and two decades later, began producing wines primarily composed of Pais and Carignan from some of Chile’s most prized heritage old vines. David is a force and one of the most generous humans we have ever encountered. He is not only a strong voice for Viña Maitia, but he is also a tireless advocate for the artisan winemakers of Chile and continues to lead a path for his contemporaries, typically putting himself after others. David’s wines are typically understated, extremely drinkable wines of great value.
Source: https://www.brazoswine.com/winery/vinamaitia
Castel Bolovanu Novac Vinarte Feteasca Neagra 2021: $18.00
(Carefully curated notes below are taken from the Importer’s Website)
Varietal: Novac
Winery: Domaine Vinarte
Location: Mehedinți, Romania
Drink or Cellar? Drink now or cellar until 2027
Press: Gold Medal Gilbert & Gaillard International Challenge, France
Some tidbits:
Novac- a Romanian grape variety that was obtained as a crossing between Negru Virtos (Romanian variety that disappeared) and Saperavi (Georgian variety). These two red grape varieties produce wines that are full of character.
Tasting notes
Ruby-garnet, with slightly tawny shades. Intense nose of cherries complemented by herbal notes and earthy overtones. An intriguing savouriness with cinnamon and nutmeg spices, and a touch of cocoa. Dry, elegant with elevated and vibrant acidity, satin texture and fine- grained tannins. Packed up with layers of lovely fresh fruit and firm features reminiscent of the Piemonte.
Food pairings
Enjoy it with Red Tuna Rossini with butternut purée, Iberian steak with sour cherries poached in red wine, or slow cooked pork with creamy polenta
From Them to You!
D.O.C.: Mehedinți, Romania
On the lower course of Danube, just freed from the Carpathian Mountains, in the area called Dealurile Olteniei- The Hills of Oltenia-we find Domaine Vinarte vineyards and winery. Vinarte- The Art of Wine-was established by a group of Romanians, Italians and French wine lovers and visionaries. Driven by the desire for excellence, they created a unique, one-of-a-kind winery that brings the best of Romanian wines to the world. Vinarte wines are meant to tell you untold stories and history is made from each grape that is handpicked and transformed into wine.
Vinarte’s logo, The Goat(featured on the label) reminds us of “Faunus”, Roman mythological creature half-human and half goat, living in a wooded landscape. Faunus was the God of the forest, plains, and fields- a symbol of peace and fertility. The logo incorporates letters inspired by the Latin alphabet. The writing was deliberately wanted to be closer to that used by the Romans, precisely from the historical consideration of the fact that the position of the Vinarte winery is located in an area with a rich ancient Roman tradition – the Bridge of Apollodorus, the Roman Fort in Drobeta, and Tabula Traiana. Drobeta Castle was the first urban center of military, economic and religious importance in the Oltenia region and the third urban center in Dacia, after Sarmizegetuza and Apullum
Source: https://www.teinnovadora.com/
Ventenac The Dissidents Cabernet Franc L’intrus (The Intruder) 2022 FRANCE: $23.00
(Carefully curated notes below are taken from the Producer’s Website)
Varietal: Cabernet Franc
Winery: Maison Ventenac
Location: Cabardès, Languedoc, France
Drink or Cellar? Drink now or cellar until 2026
Some tidbits:
Resolutely militant, a little anarchist, “Les Dissidents” express without constraint what we consider to be the soul of Maison Ventenac. Choosing our best plots managed in the most natural way possible, hierarchizing our soils to better define them, selecting and developing the wines as we see fit, without taking into account legal obligations and current techniques. Here, no make-up: delicate breeding carried out in jars or tuns. These juices are uncompromising, sharp, precise, direct. An uppercut … but one that feels good! One that wakes you up. One that tells you that not everything is standardized, that not everything is uniform but unique.
Tasting notes
Fragrant aromas of red cherry, raspberry, and cranberry, interwoven with herbal notes of fresh thyme and a hint of peppery spice. Medium-bodied with silky tannins and bright acidity, making it lively and approachable. The flavors focus on juicy red berries, accompanied by hints of blackcurrant leaf, crushed herbs, and a faint minerality. The finish is clean and refreshing.
Food pairings
Herb-Roasted Chicken or Turkey; Grilled Pork Chops; Grilled Vegetables; Stuffed Peppers or Tomatoes; Pasta with Tomato-Based Sauce; Mushroom Risotto; Ratatouille; Cassoulet
From Them to You!
Located in the heart of Cabardès, overlooking the city of Carcassonne, facing due south and facing the Pyrenees, Maison Ventenac covers 130 hectares of cultivated vines.
Our philosophy has always been to desacralize wine. We are far from the wine aristocracy, from the overrated luxury that sounds to us like an insult to the very concept of our profession. We fight so that the simple pleasure of drinking a glass remains accessible to all, without fuss or overbidding.
This is why we like to express ourselves with single-varietal vintages. They combine the aromatic expression of a grape variety on a terroir, a strong identity because it is monolithic, and therefore a certain obviousness when tasting. These wines leave a trace. They are taste markers. A monolithic wine is not an insult to us. On the contrary, it is a straight, direct, authentic, and ultimately simple wine. We like these qualifiers.
Lovers of complexity and more “educated” wines will also find what they are looking for in our AOP Cabardès vintages, since they are necessarily blended, thus giving a wider aromatic palette to the tasting. More polished. More composed. And that’s not bad either…
Source: http://www.maisonventenac.fr/?age-verified=c09fd2c7ee
La Posta Tinto Mendoza, Argentina: $18.00
(Carefully curated notes below are taken from the Producer’s Website)
Varietal: 60% malbec, 15% syrah, 25% bonarda
Winery: La Pasta
Location: Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina
Press: 91 points James Suckling
Drink or Cellar? Drink now or cellar until 2026
Some tidbits:
Luis Reginato ss a third generation winemaker and viticulturist who has been working with Nicolas and Laura Catena since he graduated from Agricultural Engineering school in Mendoza in 1999. Luis has thrived working at Catena and has honed his skills over the last 20 years. Alongside Laura and her father Nicolas Catena, Luis is committed to studying the Argentine wine terroir. Most recently, he was responsible for working with the Catena Institute to create a Sustainability Certification for Argentina and to provide the scientific basis for establishing Paraje Altamira, Gualtallary and Los Chacayes new formal appellations in the Uco Valley of Mendoza.
Tasting notes
Aromas of red cherries and raspberries are infused with mocha and spice. Your first sip washes broadly across the palate like a flood of sweet, fresh fruit and the viscous mouthfeel keeps the flavors lingering. The hints of baking spice and some oak keep the fruit flavors fresh and lively.
Food pairings
Unique recipe ideas include Ricotta Salata and Roasted Pepper Fritatta, Pomegranate-Glazed Short Ribs, or Roast Chicken with Wild Rice and Cranberry Stuffing.
From Them to You!
Back in 2000…
Laura discovered a handful of grape growers whose results in the vineyards with specific varietals have been truly amazing-year in, year out. Our first encounter with many of these growers was at a posta del viñatero, or “tavern of the grape grower”. Here they drank wine and spoke passionately for hours about their soils, their vines, and their quest for superior flavors in their grapes. We salute the hard work and skill of these growers by offering these vineyard-designated releases made solely with their special grapes.
West Seattle Wine Cellars 