Tenute Emera · Anima di Negroamaro · Lizzano, Puglia, Italy · 2018
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The Moment
This is the bottle you open when dinner turns serious — when the table fills, the food gets richer, and conversation slows into something deeper.
It’s a wine for shared plates, lingering meals, and nights that don’t rush the last glass.
Southern Italy, poured generously.
What It Feels Like
The nose opens dark and expressive: black currant, blackberry, and ripe plum layered with balsamic herbs, black pepper, and a whisper of Mediterranean scrub. There’s warmth here, but also freshness — a sense of place carried on spice and air.
On the palate, the wine is full-bodied yet smooth, driven by dark fruit and savory notes that feel both plush and grounded. Soft, velvety tannins give it a generous texture, while lifted acidity keeps everything in balance. Subtle oak adds structure and depth without masking the fruit.
The finish is long and satisfying, with lingering notes of dark berries, cocoa, and herbs — persistent, but never heavy.
Perfect For
- Braised or grilled red meats
- Lamb, stews, or slow-cooked beef
- Aged cheeses and cured meats
- Hearty pasta dishes and savory first courses
- Evenings where food and conversation take their time
The Vibe Pairing
- Playlist energy: Warm soul, late-night jazz, slow-burning blues
- Aura color: Deep ruby, warm earth, dusk spice
- Time of day: Dinner → second pour → staying a little longer
Why We Love It
Negroamaro is one of southern Italy’s great food wines — bold, expressive, and built for the table. Anima (“soul”) lives up to its name: powerful without excess, rich without weight, and deeply rooted in place.
This is a wine that doesn’t ask for attention — it earns it quietly, one sip at a time.
Bold & Powerful · Still Red
Terra Sávia · Petit Verdot · Mendocino County, California · 2013
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The Feeling
This is a wine for slowing down. Deep, grounded, and quietly expressive — a reminder that power doesn’t need to shout to be felt.
What It Tastes Like
Aroma
The nose opens with ripe plum, blueberry, and black cherry, layered with allspice, cocoa, and a subtle floral lift. There’s a stony, earthy edge underneath it all — giving the wine a sense of place and calm confidence.
Palate
Full-bodied and dense without feeling heavy. Juicy dark fruit leads, followed by savory spice and mineral tones shaped by extended maceration. The texture feels polished and settled, with warmth that unfolds slowly rather than all at once.
Structure
Firm but softened tannins give this wine backbone without grip. The acidity keeps things fresh, and the long finish carries hints of chocolate, dried herbs, and earth that linger gently.
Appearance
Naturally deep purple in the glass — rich, opaque, and unmistakably serious.
Why It’s Special
Petit Verdot is most often used as a blending grape. This is a rare 100% varietal bottling, allowing the grape’s full personality to shine — structured, aromatic, and deeply expressive after time in bottle.
Perfect With
- Grilled or roasted red meats
- Game dishes and slow-cooked stews
- Aged cheeses and savory boards
- Mushroom-forward dishes and hearty vegetables
This is a wine built for food, conversation, and evenings that don’t need a plan.
The Bottom Line
Bold, grounded, and beautifully evolved.
A wine that rewards patience — and good company.
Bold & Powerful Still Red
2019 Tenuta Bellafonte “Sperella” Montefalco Bianco
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The Moment
This is the white you open when you want freshness and substance — something bright enough to wake up the table, but layered enough to stay interesting through a meal.
It’s expressive without being flashy, textured without being heavy. A wine that rewards slowing down.
What It Feels Like
The nose opens with lifted citrus and green tones — lime, bergamot, pineapple, and freshly cut grass — clean and energetic.
On the palate, the wine turns richer and more savory. Juicy citrus and exotic fruit are layered with subtle yeastiness and a saline edge that gives the wine shape and grip. The texture is broad and mouth-filling, balanced by freshness rather than weight.
The finish is long, mineral-driven, and quietly persistent — the kind that makes you reach for another bite of food.
Why We Love It
- A white wine with real texture and presence
- Fresh, mineral, and food-first
- Serious enough for dinner, easy enough to enjoy casually
This is a bottle for people who like whites that do more than refresh.
Perfect With
- Hard and aged cheeses
- Roast chicken or herb-forward poultry
- Meaty fish like swordfish or monkfish
- Mediterranean vegetables, olive oil, and salt
Category Style – Textural & Savory Whites
Uco Deus · Cabernet Franc Rosé · Paraje Altamira, Mendoza, Argentina · 2023
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The Moment
This is the bottle you open when you want rosé with intention — precise, mineral, and quietly expressive. It’s a wine for warm afternoons that turn thoughtful, where freshness matters more than flash.
What It Feels Like
The nose is fresh and aromatic, opening with raspberry and strawberry layered with Cabernet Franc’s signature herbal lift. Sweet herbs and a subtle “rosy spice” weave through the fruit, giving the aromatics clarity rather than sweetness.
On the palate, the wine is light on its feet and beautifully composed. Bright red fruit is carried by refreshing acidity and a distinctly mineral core — a reflection of Altamira’s calcareous soils. The texture is silky and fine, offering shape and precision without weight.
The finish is clean, dry, and quietly persistent, leaving behind freshness, mineral tension, and subtle herbal nuance.
Perfect For
Aperitif pours and warm-weather sipping
Seafood, shellfish, and grilled vegetables
Fresh salads and herb-driven dishes
Moments when rosé should feel refined, not casual
The Vibe Pairing
Playlist energy: Ambient pop, modern acoustic, late-afternoon playlists
Aura color: Pale rose, crushed stone, alpine herbs
Time of day: Golden hour → lingering light → first stars
Why We Love It
This Cabernet Franc Rosé is a beautiful outlier — high-elevation, low-intervention, and built around purity rather than power. Fermented with native yeasts and aged in concrete eggs and amphora, the 2023 vintage delivers precision, mineral freshness, and texture without oak influence. A rosé that rewards attention while remaining effortlessly drinkable.
Category – Rosé · Fresh & Mineral
Ra Ra Wine Co. · Pinot Noir Nouveau · Sonoma Coast, California, USA · 2022
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The Moment
This is the bottle you open when you want red wine with energy — bright, joyful, and meant to be enjoyed now. It’s a wine for spontaneous dinners, shared snacks, and moments when freshness matters more than formality.
What It Feels Like
The nose is high-toned and immediately expressive. Cherry takes center stage in all its forms — Bing cherry, maraschino, and Rainier — pure, juicy, and lifted, with no oak to soften or blur the fruit.
On the palate, the wine is light on its feet yet surprisingly impactful. Bright acidity drives the experience, keeping the fruit lively and refreshing, while a subtle saline note — a nod to the Sonoma Coast — adds tension and food-friendly appeal. The texture is smooth and easy, built for flow rather than weight.
The finish is clean and vibrant, fading on red fruit and freshness with just enough savory edge to keep the wine versatile at the table.
Perfect For
Chilled red moments and casual pours
Roast chicken, turkey, or pork
Charcuterie, snacks, and lighter plates
Anytime the goal is drinkability first
The Vibe Pairing
Playlist energy: Indie pop, upbeat alternative, sunny lo-fi
Aura color: Bright ruby, cherry skin, coastal air
Time of day: Late afternoon → early dinner → bottle empties quickly
Why We Love It
Pinot Noir Nouveau is all about immediacy, and Ra Ra nails the balance. Made with native yeast, no oak, and a light touch, the 2022 delivers pure fruit, lift, and just enough savory complexity to keep it interesting. Limited production and endlessly drinkable — this is chillable red done right.
Category – Light, Fresh & Chillable · Still Red
Greenstone Vineyards · Gimme Some Skin · Viognier · Heathcote, Victoria, Australia · 2021
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The Moment
This is the bottle you open when you want texture without heaviness — aromatic, layered, and quietly confident. It’s a wine for the table rather than the aperitif, where spice, richness, and nuance all get a say.
What It Feels Like
The nose is expressive and slightly exotic. Apricot and ripe peach lead, joined by paw paw (papaya), orchard fruit, and a distinct flicker of fresh ginger. Subtle floral notes hover in the background, lifted by hints of lemon and lime that keep the aromatics bright rather than lush.
On the palate, the wine is generously textured and mouth-filling, yet remarkably clean. Stone fruits — peach and apricot — return with clarity, layered with gentle savory undertones and a fine, refreshing acid backbone. The skin contact adds grip and dimension without tipping into heaviness or oiliness.
The finish is integrated and precise, marked by a light acidic prickle that refreshes the palate and keeps the wine balanced and food-ready.
Perfect For
Spiced Asian dishes with lemongrass or chili
Middle Eastern chicken and warm spice blends
Grilled prawns, seafood, or lobster rolls
Soft, mild cheeses
Meals where texture matters as much as flavor
The Vibe Pairing
Playlist energy: Downtempo electronic, modern jazz, late-night cooking playlists
Aura color: Golden apricot, warm stone, ginger root
Time of day: Dinner prep → shared plates → glasses refilled thoughtfully
Why We Love It
“Gimme Some Skin” is Viognier reimagined — aromatic and textured, but never heavy. By blending early-picked fruit for acidity with later-picked, skin-contact fruit for depth, Greenstone creates a wine that’s complex, savory, and deeply food-friendly. A white for red-wine drinkers who still want freshness.
Category – Textural & Savory · Still White
West Seattle Wine Cellars 