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Producer Write-ups

Giacomo Fenocchio
On Thursday, October 12th we're diving into a full exploration of the brilliant wines of Giacomo Fenocchio, one of the most storied producers in Piedmont. If you've spent time with us at the shop you know we've been hooked on these wines since the beloved Ricardo brought them to our attention.

There are producers that magazines write about and then there are producers that industry folks are drinking. Fenocchio is the latter. Whereas names like Conterno or Mascarello might be front of mind for Barolo, Fennochio is producing wines on par in terms of quality (and selling them for a fraction of the cost!). Giacomo’s son Claudio currently runs the winery and continues to produce wines with a time-honored approach. This is classic Barolo made in the spirit of tradition—organic farming, long fermentation on the skins, and aging in large Slavonian oak casks.

We'll be pouring a full line-up of their wines—whites, orange, multiple red varietals, the best of the best Barolos, and daily drinkers. We'll be pouring at least 10 different bottlings, and Fenochhio's importer, The Piedmont Guy, will be joining us as well!

JM Sélèque
We adore the champagnes crafted by JM Sélèque! This house produces exquisite wines that exemplify exceptional value, crafted by the visionary winemaker Jean Marc Sélèque.

Taking over the management of the house in 2008, JM has diligently pursued his vision of elevating the wines to precisely expressing terroir. Renowned for their forward-thinking approach, JM Sélèque has become one of our favorite producers.

Located in the esteemed Premier Cru village of Pierry in the Côteaux Sud d'Épernay, the House spans across seven villages in the Côteaux Sud d'Épernay, Vallée de la Marne, and Côte des Blancs. The vineyard plantings consist of 50% Chardonnay, 40% Meunier, and 10% Pinot noir. Embracing organic viticulture and employing minimal intervention techniques, winemaker Jean-Marc aims to capture the purest essence of the estate's diverse vineyard soils.

Jérôme Prévost
Prévost, a renegade in the world of Champagne, might not be on everyone’s radar, but for those in the know (and the team at Cru), his wines have cult-like status. Since shifting away from the négotiant model to bottling his own wines in 1998, Prévost has been collecting devotées with his site-specific Champagnes, and giving prestige to the once cast-aside Pinot Meunier grape. His La Closerie Les Béguines shows extraordinary complexity and is an example of just how powerful Meunier can be all on its own!

Prévost’s parcel in Gueux has unique soil—fossilized seashells sit atop the chalk bedrock we normally associate with Champagne. He farms primarily Pinot Meunier (there’s a bit of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay interspersed to blend with) organically, working towards extremely low yield and zero chemical additives in the vineyards. After being harvested by hand, the grapes are fermented with indigenous yeasts in wood, and disgorged around 16 months after bottling.

There are roughly 1100 cases of La Closerie Champagne made every year and they’re quickly allocated—luckily we got our hands on a few of these bottles! We’re huge fans of all of his wines, but if you want to try something truly singular his ‘Face-Simile” is a Rose d’assemblage using still (red) Pinot Meunier from his vineyard, is otherworldly! Come by the shop today and we can wax poetic on these wines!

João Tavares
We’re stoked to be carrying the wines of João Tavares here in Oregon—a fantastic winemaker committed to expressing Portugese terroir. His vineyards are built on sites excavated by João himself, and touring his property you can behold the retaining walls built from the large granite boulders he pulled from the earth. Tavares is part of a small percentage of growers here selling their wine outside of co-ops, and a pioneer of natural winemaking in the Dão. He’s recovered lost native grape varieties, carefully nurturing them so that they can express to their fullest potential. Natural yields, manual harvest and co-planting are staples of his vineyards. In such traditionally entrenched regions such as Portugal, it's refreshing to discover producers like this who arent afraid to challenge the status quo and produce truly unique wines.

These vineyards are alive and it shows in the wines; wildflowers protect the vines through the antiseptic qualities of pollen, and there’s a diverse ecosystem of birds, bees, ladybirds, ants, and earthworms living amongst the vines and cover crop. If you havent heard before, healthy soil=healthy grapes=better wine!In the cellar João is a strict non-interventionist and as such absconds any new wood, chemicals, or filtering. using only native yeasts for spontaneous co-fermentation, and low amounts of sulfur.

Portuguese wines tend to be underrepresented in the states and we’re on a mission to carry not only producers you might otherwise not have access to, but exciting winemakers like João who are pushing the envelope in the different corners of the wine world!

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Beaujolais Nouveau, A top-shelf Austrian flight, Champagne events, and more!

This Week's Flight: Perfect Holiday Pairings, Austrian Edition
Move over Lambrusco; it's Austrian wine time! Austria truly has something for every palate at your dinner table. From age-worthy, hauntingly complex Rieslings to dark and spicy Blaufränkisch and supple St. Laurent that taste as good as Pinot Noir for a fraction of the price! The diversity of Austria's offerings provides a perfect pairing for any dish you serve this holiday season.

NV Nigl Sekt Rosé, Kremstal, Austria
This sparkling rosé is 100% Zweigelt produced in the champagne method. It's a seriously delicious wine—guests could easily be fooled into thinking you're serving champagne with this bottle! It's spicy and fragrant, with hints of strawberry. Dry, fruity, and delicate on the palate with a persistent finish.

2022 Heidi Schröck & Söhne Ried Kulm Blaufränkisch, Burgenland, Austria
We're shining the light on two of Austria's indigenous red varieties this week, the first of which is a Blaufränkisch from Heidi Schröck. This single-vineyard (Ried Kulm) wine is spicey and dark-fruited with a luxuriously soft texture that keeps us coming back for more.

2020 Johanneshof Reinisch Estate St. Laurent, Thermenregion, Austria
Johanneshof Reinisch is widely considered to be the best red wine producer in Thermenregion, Austria, and this wine does not disappoint! The St. Laurent grape is related to Pinot Noir, and this estate wine embodies the qualities we revere both grapes for—elegance, light tannins, crushability, and flexibility for pairing.

2002 Nikolaihof, 'Vinothek', Riesling, Wachau, Austria
'Vinothek' is one of the most legendary Rieslings to come out of Austria. We're not exaggerating, folks—ask around, and you'll soon realize that it's among some of the most treasured Rieslings on the planet. Nikolaihof's 'Vinothek' wines are selected from the best parts of the harvest, blended, and see extended aging—16 years for this vintage! James Suckling said it best, "A minty freshness leaps out of the glass at you. By some miracle, it manages to taste ancient and lively at once. The finish is very long with great herbal complexity." Strap in for this one as wines like this do not usually get poured outside Michelin-starred restaurants.

Beaujolais Nouveau day is Thursday, November 16th! Have a glass on us!
This coming Thursday is the 3rd Thursday of November meaning it is Beaujolais Nouveau day! Wine doesn't always need to be serious, and nothing says joie du vin like Nouveau. Any patron that comes into the shop will receive a free glass on us!

It's bubbly season, y'all! Get your fix of Champagne with some special events at the shop in December
On Friday, December 8th we'll be popping some fantastic bottles at the shop. We're talking Frederic Savart, Philipponnat, Bérêche & Fils, Agrapart & Fils, Benoit Lahaye, Louis Roederer, Krug, Dom Ruinart, Dom Perignon, Bollinger, Georges Laval, Ulysse Collin, Cedric Bouchard, Pierre Peters, Delamotte, Champagne Tarlant, Billecart-Salmon, Chartogne-Taillet and more! Dress to impress and get ready to party!

CTA: Champagne Extravaganza Tickets

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