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June 2006 Collector´s Club
2004 Mark Ryan "The Dissident" Red Wine
I´m really pleased to be able to put a Mark Ryan wine in
this club; the wines are usually made in such small quantity that getting enough was
out of the question! There´s still only 600 cases of this one made, named
for winemaker Mark McNeely´s favorite Pearl Jam song. As with most of his
wines, it´s a big, powerful flavor explosion on the palate, so enjoy it with big
food over the next few years. It´s $25.00, and we´ve some left.
2004 Domaine de Fondreche Nadal Cotes du Ventoux
I´m a big fan of importer Robert Kacher´s southern
Rhone wines, and this is one of the best I´ve had. I´m using the club
as a way of introducing it to you - it´s a bit pricey ($23.00) but worth every
penny, and the 2004 vintage is one of the finest for the Rhone. This is an
amazingly complex wine that will stand several more years of cellaring, although
it´s pretty darn good right now. There´s quite a bit available; have
it with lamb.
2004 Gamache Vintners Boulder Red Wine
This is vineyard owners Bob and Roger Gamache´s first red
blend, all their other releases have been single varietals. It´s rich,
full-bodied and delicious (why else would I put it in the club?) It´s $17.25,
and there´s a fair amount around - although their wines tend to go away quite
quickly, so don´t delay too long! We still have a bit of their Cabernet
Sauvignon 2003 and their Reserve wine, both among the best in the state.
2005 Kir-Yianni Akakies Rosé
We´ve finally found a really good Greek importer, and their
local rep lives here in West Seattle! Yay! I can finally learn a lot about
these wines, some of the oldest varietals on the planet, from one of the oldest
wine-growing regions there is. This dry rosé is made from the Xinomavro
grape, which I´d not heard of either. It was a huge hit at the recent Taste
of West Seattle benefit, and I´m glad to offer it to the club as the lead rosé
this season. It´s $13.00, and we can get plenty more.
2005 Evans & Tate Sauvignon Blanc
I really like Western Australian wines; they tend to have more
balance than their Barossa counterparts. This Sauvignon Blanc knocked me out for
the price ($9.75) when I tried it. I´m hardly alone in that opinion -
Seattle Times wine writer Paul Gregutt gave it a strong mention in his column - and
it´s an excellent food wine, pairing well with goat cheese and shellfish.
There´s a good amount left, and it´s all ready to drink.
2004 Domaine Puydeval Chardonnay
This is one heck of a Chardonnay for $8.00! Alas, we bought
the last of it. I´m hoping the distributor will get more in.
It´s produced in Languedoc, home to some surprisingly good Chardonnays.
Enjoy!
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