May is Oregon Wine Month! To celebrate, we are featuring two of our favorite local Pinot producers in our case of the month. In addition, we are offering a fun mix of 'warm weather wines' to round out the case.
You can expect these wines to be a little 'lighter on their feet' than the wines we featured during winter. You'll get a fun spritzy bottle of Basque white 'Txakolina,' a tangy and refreshing Italian rose, and no shortage of food-friendly bottles meant to be appreciated outdoors in the sun.
We hope you enjoy this month's selections!
Sparkling
(Spain) Mokoroa Txakolina, $16
Grapes: Basque field blend
Notes: The Basque country is located in the western Pyrenees, straddling the border between France and Spain on the Bay of Biscay. Txakolina (pronounced Chah-ko-lina) is a delicious bubbly wine that is typical to the region.
This wine is super fun- it's just a little spritzy, not full on sparkling like Champagne. It's light, citrusy, food-friendly, and very spring/summer weather appropriate! Always a Bottle Shop favorite.
Rose
(Italy) 2020 Planeta Rosato, $15
Grapes: Blend of Nero d’Avola and Syrah
Notes: This one is a new arrival to the shop from the classic Sicilian producer, Planeta. This Italian rose blend has a nice round and ripe fruit midpalate, with balanced acidity. A tasty crowd pleaser!
(Italy) 2020 Vajra ‘Rosa Bella’ Vino Rosato, $17
Grapes: Blend of Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Dolcetto
Notes: Piedmont powerhouse producer Vajra, who is best known for making sought after Barolos and Barbarescos, also offers this supremely quaffable bottle of rose. It's easy drinking in springtime all the way- light, bright, lemony citrus, with floral aromas and under-ripe berry fruit.
Whites
(France) 2018 Les Perles Pays d’Oc Blanc, $13
Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
Notes: All stainless steel fermented, medium-bodied, zippy bottle of french table white wine. Tart green apple, and a touch of slate minerality. A surprisingly tasty wine that well outperforms its' pricetag.
(France) 2017 Domaine de la Roche Bleue Jasnieres, $30
Grapes: 100% Chenin Blanc
Notes: A cool, sustainably farmed French wine from a tiny appellation in the Loire region. Fermented in neutral oak and stainless steel - this wine has a nice mouth texture and tangy acidity. This wine tastes like adult lemonade-- in a good way :) Pair with creamy cheeses, salty meats, and all the charcuterie board fixings.
(Italy) 2019 Cecilia Beretta Castelnuovo Custoza Bianco, $13
Grapes: Blend of Trebbiano, Tocai Fruilano, and Malvasia
Notes: Another great 'day to day wine' offering from a celebrated Italian producer. This fun northern Italian blend of grapes is a delightful bottle of white. Light, crisp, straightforward, no-frills, excellent little table wine.
Reds
(Italy) 2019 Maria Galassi ‘Ca’ Storta’ Superiore, $15
Grapes: 100% Romagna Sangiovese
Notes: Pioneering farmer practicing all-natural and sustainable farming methods in central Italy making unique red wines from the classic Italian grape, Sangiovese. Medium-bodied, excellent earthy structure, lean red berry midpalate, fragrant wooded aromas.
(Spain) 2018 Raul Perez Saint Jacques ‘Ultreia’, $22
Grapes: 100% Mencia
Notes: This one has been a favorite bottle of Spanish red over the last couple of years at the shop. And impeccable food-friendly wine with lush red and blue fruit tones, forest floor herbs, harmoniously balanced mouthfeel!
(France) 2017 Domaine Sainte Croix ‘Le Fournas’, $17
Grapes: Blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan
Notes: Solid organic producer from the Corbieres region of Southern France. The Carignan in this blend gives the wine a unique peppery density that makes this bottle memorable. Dark blackberry fruit tones yet retains a nice acidity that provides the wine with a bit of lift on the palate. Great burger wine!
(France) 2020 Domaine Lardy Beaujolais-Villages $17
Grapes: 100% Gamay
Notes: Beautifully earthy aromas upfront, tart raspberry fruit, and a persistently pleasant licorice and anise finish. So good!
(Oregon) 2017 Trathen Hall Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, $26
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir
Notes: A sustainably farmed local red with classic Willamette Valley tasting notes - medium-bodied, nice earthy backbone, balanced red and blue fruit.
(Oregon) 2018 Crowley Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, $26
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir
Notes: One of the Bottle Shop's favorite local Willamette Valley Pinot Noir producers. This is a fun and fruity pinot, with a nice rounded and velvety texture, balanced with clean acidity. A great bottle of local pinot for under $30!!
Stop by and pick up your case this month! We offer our Case of the Month's with a 20% discount, bringing this one to $185. Cheers!