Happy New Year! With the start of a new year, we are excited to bring you a new case of twelve handpicked wines. The January Case of the Month focuses on the Bottle Shop’s favorite value wines. After the holidays, we all could use a little relief on our wallets but still need a nice variety of tasty wine to get us through the cold winter nights.
This month’s case has a few super cool wines from Spain, including a 2011 Rioja from one of our favorite producers, a standout Portuguese red table wine, and even a bottle of Italian pink bubbles just for fun. All told, the selection includes 4 whites, 7 reds, and 1 sparkling, all for $159.
We hope you enjoy this month’s selections!
Sparkling
(Italy) NV La Contesse Brut Rose
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir
Notes: Super tasty, easy-drinking pink bubbles from Northern Italy. Fresh and fruity, bright red strawberry, dry and citrusy finish. Great brunch wine!
Whites
(Spanish) 2019 Lopez de Haro Rioja Blanco
Grapes: 100% Viura
Notes: Old vine white wine fermented in sizeable french oak barrels along the hilltops of Rioja, Spain. Lovely winter white- rich textured, yet balanced on the palate with ripe yellow apple and a touch of acidity.
(Italy) 2019 Chateau La Maroutine Blanc
Grapes: Blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon
Notes: Great value white from Bordeaux. Tangy green apple and a touch of lemongrass, aromas of lime zest and slate.
(France) 2019 Domaine de Ornezon Picpoul de Pinet
Grapes: 100% Picpoul
Notes: Citrus aromas and white fruits, lovely weight and a faint hint of saline on the finish. Perfect with shellfish.
(Oregon) 2019 Timothy Malone Viognier
Grapes: 100% Viognier
Notes: Delightfully uncomplicated Viognier from one of the Bottle Shop’s favorite local producers. White peach and peach blossom, tart tangerine in the finish. Yum.
Reds
(Portugal) 2018 Monte Vehlo Tinto
Grapes: Blend of Touriga Nacional, Aragonez, Syrah, Trincadeira
Notes: Red and wild berries, nicely integrated with fresh cooking spices. Fun structure! Fruit up front, balanced with a pleasantly earthy finish. Very cool Portuguese value wine!
(California) 2017 Sean Minor Red
Grapes: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: Classic CA Cab notes: Rich textured, velvety tannins, dark blue and black fruit, touch o’ vanilla in the finish. Boooooom.
(Italy) 2018 Podere Ruggeri Corsini ‘Matot’ Rosso
Grapes: Blend of Barbera, Dolcetto, and Nebbiolo
Notes: A killer blend of classic Italian grapes from the famed region of Piedmont. This is an easy-drinking yet rustic wine that offers notes of bark, earth, currants and tobacco. Great Tuesday night pizza wine!
(Italy) 2017 Tenuta Sant’ Antonio Scaia Rosso
Grapes:100% Corvina
Notes: Fruit driven red with bright red cherry and red currants, with balanced tannins. Overall, this is a fun, high-toned medium bodied red, perfect for a cheese board with cured meats.
(Oregon) 2018 Raylee Willamette Valley
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir
Notes: An excellent new arrival at our shop. This PN is a straight shooter- red tart fruit, layered earthy mid-palate. It’s what you want out of a WV pinot.
(Spain) 2011 Olabarri Rioja Gran Riserva
Grapes: 100% Tempranillo
Notes: We thought we would squeeze in at least one ‘top shelf’ wine for fun. Olabarri is a classic Spanish producer from Rioja, and this bottle is one of their estate’s best offers. The vintage is 2011, so it is already aged out and ready to drink. Full-bodied, dark fruit, leather, and spicy tobacco. So good!!
(France) 2017 Paul Ataurd Cote du Rhone
Grapes: Blend of Grenache and Syrah
Notes: This Cote du Rhone is nicely layered with aromas of licorice and warm fruit tones. The palate is full of raspberry and cherry and has a persistent and peppery finish.