July Case of the Month

This month we are focusing our case on easy drinking and tasty wines for summertime relaxing. Of particular note is a very cool Northern Italian grape called 'Gavi,' an all-natural and sustainably farmed Liter bottle of Spanish Rosé, an exquisite Calabrian red blend made predominantly for the grape Nerello Mascalese. We hope you enjoy this great mix this month! Cheers!

Sparkling, White and Rosé

(Spain) 2020 Ameztoi ‘Rubentis’ Txakolina Rosé
Grapes: Indigenous Basque Blend

Notes: (Arguably) the Bottle Shop's staff favorite Summer wine! Classic Basque 'Txakolina' (pronounced cha-ko-leena) pink is the perfect wine for a picnic or general lazy summer day drinking. This wine is light-bodied, with green strawberry, tart citrus, and just a touch effervescent- so not full-on sparkling, but has a pleasant, gently bubbly and refreshing mouthfeel.

(Italy) 2019 Picollo Ernesto Gavi di Gavi
Grapes: 100% Gavi

Notes: Perfectly pleasant, easy-going, tasty and crisp white Italian table wine. Great for pairing with summer meals!

(France) 2019 Domaine Paul Buisse Touraine Sauvignon Blanc
Grapes: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Notes: Touraine is one of our favorite Loire Valley appellations! While its terroir is known for producing super tasty whites, it comes to us at a fraction of the price of its neighboring growing regions, like Sancerre or Chinon. This Sauvignon Blanc has classic French tasting notes: medium-bodied, with lean minerality and subtle aromas of granite and lemon pith. Delish!

(Oregon) 2017 St. Innocent' Freedom Hill Vineyard' WV Pinot Blanc
Grapes: 100% Pinot Blanc

Notes: Great old-school Willamette Valley producers. Nicely textured mouthfeel, scents of vanilla cream, and balanced acidity.

(Italy) 2020 Franco Serra Barbera Rosato
Grapes: 100% Barbera

Notes: Fantastic value rosé from Northern Italy in Piedmont. It's organic, sustainably farmed, vegan, unfiltered, unfined and naturally fermented. A tasty medium-bodied, well balanced and approachable Rosé. Boooom.

(Spain) Azul y Garanza Garnatxa Rosé, 1L
Grapes: 100% Garnatxa

Notes: Awesome Liter bottle of pink from Navarra in Northwest Spain. 100% organic 'natural' wine. This is fruit forward with lush ripe strawberry, yet dry - perfect as an aperitif. Great as a spritzer on a hot day! Simply add a splash of bubbly water on the rocks with a twist.

Reds

(Spain) 2019 Bozeto de Exopto Rioja Vino Tinto
Grapes: Blend of Garnatxa and Tempranillo

Notes: Medium-bodied, rich texture, leather, cocoa, plum juice. Great BBQ wine!

(Oregon) 2019 Stafford Hill Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir

Notes: The Stafford Hill wines are all straightforward crowd pleasers at a solid price for the quality. This pinot is a little fruity, a little earthy, and not too serious...in a good way.

(Italy) 2019 Cala Cala Calabretta Vino Rosso
Grapes: 95% Nerello Mascalese, 5% Nerello Cappuccio

Notes: Massimiliano Calabretta is the 4th generation of his family to craft wines on the steep slopes of Mt Etna in Sicily. He follows the centuries-old traditions of the volcanic region, protecting and maintaining the land, using only organic methods and minimal intervention. As a result, the Calabretta wines are exceedingly elegant. This bottle well outperforms the price! Ferric and earthy aromas upfront, with a silty, refined texture and deep leathery undertones. Stellar!

(Washington) 2018 Raza Vineyards 'Occam's Razor' Columbia Valley Red Blend
Grapes: Syrah and Washington red field blend

Notes: Robust Washington red blend with prominent blue and black fruit, well structured yet not too dense. You want to drink this alongside a burger or a steak.

(Italy) 2019 Cantina del Pino Barbera d’Asti
Grapes: 100% Barbera

Notes: Everyone loves a tasty bottle of Barbera. This offering from Cantina del Pino is precisely what you want from the Italian hillside of Asti: fun tart fruit, a fair amount of density, and lively, expressive acidity. So good!

(France) 2019 Famille Balaran Cotes du Tarn Rouges
Grapes: 100% Braucol

Notes: An enjoyable and unique French red. It has a beautiful ruby purple opacity and density but still retains a fresh mouthfeel. Ripe tart plum juice. A great wine to pair with grill-marked meats.

French Rosés

We are excited to share two stellar French rosés that have just arrived at our shop. Both varieties are distinct in style—the Michel Vittan Sancerre rosé is refreshing and crisp with a perfect length. The highly sought Provence rosé from Clos Cibone retains a classic food-friendly approachability.

We hope you enjoy! Cheers!

2020 Michel Vittan Sancerre Rosé, $27
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes: Crisp acidity and raspberry flavors give this wine an initial zippy and tart sensation underlined by a beautiful mineral texture. It is fruity, zesty, fresh and ready to drink in the warm summer sun!

2020 Clos Cibonne ‘Tentation’, $20
Grapes: Blend of 50% Grenache, 20% Cinsault, 15% Syrah and 15% Tibouren

Tasting Notes: The 2020 harvest in Provence is a top vintage with very high quality, and this bottle is a clear example. Clos Cibonne isn't your typical producer of Provençal pink wine.

They have a family heritage that dates back to 1797, when the Roux family purchased the vineyard estate after the death of its original owner, Jean-Baptiste de Cibon. Year after year, they make some of the best wines in the region.

The 'Tentation' is nicely textured, with balanced acidity and soft fruit and spring flower aroma notes. An enjoyable bottle of pink for just $20! 

Spotlight on Finca Parera Winery

This week, we focus on two new arrivals to our shop from the Spanish winery, Finca Parera, located in the Northeast of Spain in the Penedes region.

Father and son vintners work together on a completely Biodynamic farm that yields all kinds of fruit orchards, grains, olive trees, vineyards and even a pasture of bees.

The wine they produce is distinct. It sits in a space that balances between 'delicious' and 'interesting.' All of their wines are entirely natural, made with minimal intervention and natural yeast fermentation. 

We hope you enjoy these unique selections! Cheers!

Finca Parera Litrona Blanco, $32
Grapes: 100% Xarello Vermell

Tasting Notes: This bottle of Spanish white is destemmed and fermented in cement tanks with the skins for one month before aging for a year then bottling.

The wine has a nice mouth weight. Tastes of tangy green apple and pineapple hit the palate, with aromas of honeycomb and a subtle tannic finish that is well integrated into the pleasant texture of the juice. Fantastic!

This white can be enjoyed on its' own and also stands up to hearty dinner fare. 

Finca Parera Litrona ‘Clos Lentiscus’, $32
Grapes: 100% Sumoll

Tasting Notes: The 'Clos Lentiscus' is made from the indigenous Spanish grape, Sumoll, which tends to be a lighter, tart berry-fruited wine. The winery is using grapes planted in 1939 and uses completely natural wine-making techniques.

It is fermented with natural yeast, unfiltered and sustainably farmed. On the palate, it is tart with raspberry and citrus flower aromas. It finishes with a super crunchy black pepper and forest herb.

Very food-friendly, a fun liter of red!

The Legendary 'Clara C Brut Rosé' Substitutions

This Sellwood neighborhood sparkling wine favorite needs no introduction. It has been the most enjoyed wine at the Portland Bottle Shop over the last ten years. In fact, it may be a bit unbelievable, but our shop has sold more Clara than any other establishment in ALL OF OREGON. Kudos! 

Unfortunately, our beloved bubbly is unavailable right now due to issues importing from Italy. It will be out for at least another couple of months. 

But don't fret- we have brought in two other wines similar to Clara C- both in price point and style that we think you will love. Read on to hear about these great Sparkling Rosé options.

We hope you enjoy! Cheers!

Jacques Pelvas Brut Rosé, $14
Grapes: 100% Grenache

Tasting Notes: The Jacques Pelvas Brut Rosé is a lovely, light and bright bottle of bubbles from the Provence region of Southern France. It has fresh, subtle fruit tones and citrus, with a persistently pleasant effervescence on the palate.

We find this wine very similar to Clara C. Comparatively, it is just a touch leaner, drier, and less fruit-driven. 

Contesse Brut Rosé, $16
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes: The Contesse Brut Rosé is made in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. Coming from the same region and using the same grapes as Clara C, it yields a fairly similar wine.

It is bright pink in color, with floral aromas and prominent notes of berries and tropical fruit. It is a bit richer and more 'fruit forward' in style compared to our beloved Clara.

June Case of the Month

We are excited to roll straight into summertime with this case of the month. It includes a super fun mix of refreshing rosés, tangy and bright whites, and lighter bodied food-friendly reds.

Standouts include an all natural Spanish white of the grape Xarello (zah-rel-lo), a classic Cote de Provence Rosé, and a cool Italian red from Piedmont made from the rare indigenous grape Grignolino.

Grab your case and save 20%! We hope you enjoy this month’s selections!

Sparkling

(Spain) Raventós i Blanc Cava, $21
Grapes: Spanish field blend

Notes: Great bottle of bubbles from North Eastern Spain. The wine is fresh and focused on the palate, with aromas of saline and citrus. There is just enough body to make this both quaffable and stand up to light fare. Awesome brunch wine!

Whites

(France) 2019 Domaine Léon Boesch Edelzwicker 1L, $19
Grapes: Alsacian field blend

Notes: Alsace is technically located in France but currently shares a border with Germany, yet has changed control between both countries for the last few hundred years. The culture there is a lovely mix between the two - including the style of wines they make, which is often a unique blend of French and German varietals.

This spectacular liter bottle of white ‘Edelzwicker’ is poignantly floral on the nose, with a lush mouth texture of stonefruit and a crisp acidity finish. A perfect wine for a BBQ of sausages and a board of creamy French and Swiss cheese. Yum.

(Spain) 2019 Litrona Finca Parera, $32
Grapes: 100% Xarello Vermell

Notes: Incredible Spanish natural white wine from the Penedès region. This one is organic, biodynamic, sustainably farmed, and fermented with one month of skin contact in cement. In addition to growing grapes, Finca Parera also grows cherries, olives, almonds, and honey, all of which are certified biodynamic. It’s as if all of those expressions of the mix of terrier are present in this wine.

It’s citrusy and tropical on the palate, with a touch of nuttiness and a slightly honeyed tart finish. This is a fun and incredibly interesting wine!

(Italy) 2020 Terredora Di Paolo Corte di Giso Irpinia, $18
Grapes: 100% Falanghina

Notes: A crowd-pleasing medium bodied Italian white, with tangy green apple, and green melon and citrus notes.

(France) Jean Paul Cuvee Gascogne Blanc de Blancs, $11
Grapes: Colombard and Ugni Blanc

Notes: An easy going summer white table wine from Southern France. This is a zippy, fresh, tart adult lime-aid. Boom!

Rosés

(France) 2020 Aix Vin de Provence Rosé, $21
Grapes: 100% Grenache

Notes: With classic Provence rosé flavors, subtle aromas of mandarin oranges, raspberries and wild strawberries with slightly spicy and herbal notes. Ideal as an aperitif but great as a lunch rosé when combined with seafood, salads, grilled tuna or roasted chicken.

(France) 2020 Domaine Carrel Eugene et Fils Savoie Rosé, $14
Grapes: Blend of Gamay and Mondeuse

Notes: A medium bodied and fruit-forward rosé with ripe pluot and lemon curd.

(Washington) 2020, Procedo Rosé, $18
Grapes: Blend of Sangiovese and Barbera

Notes: Very cool second label by favorite local producers, Lady Hill Winery. Crisp and fruity, citrusy and supremely gulpable. This would be a great ‘porch pounder’ with friends on a warm summer afternoon.

Reds

(France) 2019 Famille Balaran Cotes du Tarn Rouges, $20
Grapes: 100% Braucol

Notes: A very fun and unique French red. It has a beautiful ruby purple opacity and density but still retains a fresh mouthfeel. Ripe tart plum juice. A great wine to pair with grill-marked meats.

(Spain) 2018 Raul Perez Saint Jacques ‘Ultreia’, $22
Grapes: 100% Mencia

Notes: A recent favorite bottle of Spanish red over the last couple of years at the shop. Lush red and blue fruit tones, forest floor herbs, harmonious, balanced mouthfeel, impeccably food-friendly!

(France) 2019 Ca’ La Bionda Valpolicella, $18
Grapes: Blend of Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara

Notes: Light bodied red blend from Northern Italy. Red and blue fruit tones, herbaceous with a smooth textured finish.

(France) 2019 Francesco Rinaldi & Figli Grignolino d’Asti, $21
Grapes: 100% Grignolino

Notes: One of our all time favorite warm-weather wines! Grignolino is VERY light-bodied and could even do well with a slight chill from the fridge on it (no more than 20 minutes). Although the wine is light bodied, it retains a nice focused tannic structure with blueberry and a distinctly peppery finish. So fun!

Oregon Pinot Noir for National Wine Day!

Oregon Wine Month continues, and on top of that, it is National Wine Day! While the Willamette Valley offers many beautiful varieties of wines, one will always reign supreme...Pinot Noir. This week we bring you two options from our favorite local Pinot producers. They're different styles from different pockets in the Willamette Valley. Both great bottles! 

Pick up a bottle today to celebrate Willamette Valley's beautiful Pinot Noir and National Wine Day! Cheers!

2019 Crowley Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, $26
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir

Notes: This one comes from our favorite local Willamette Valley Pinot Noir producers. This fun and fruity pinot has a nice rounded and velvety texture and is balanced with clean acidity. A great bottle of local Pinot for under $30!!

2016 St. Innocent' Temperance Hill Vineyard' Eola Amity AVA, $48
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir

Notes: This is an absolutely stellar bottle of Pinot made in a 'Burgundian' style from Eola Amity here in the Willamette Valley. You'll find forward aromas of tart red berry and conifer sprigs, with crunchy berry fruit and a balanced earthy backbone. It's truly superb!

Are you playing our 10th Anniversary Trivia Giveaway? If so, you may find an answer above. If not, it's not too late! Sign up here to join

Oregon Rosé for the Warm Weather

To celebrate both Oregon Wine Month and the lovely weather, we’re focusing this week’s post on two killer local rosés. Both bottles of pink are bright and lively and under $20! Read on to see more details below. We hope you enjoy! Cheers!

2020 Little Wing Rose, $16
Grapes: Blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris

Tasting Notes: Great bottle of pink from the Willamette Valley. This rosé is light/medium-bodied, with crisp lemon zest, bright acidity, and a touch of aromatic tanginess on the finish. Great as a porch pounder, or pair with almost any fun daytime fare. 

2020 McBeth Winery Rose, $18
Grapes:100% Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes: One of our favorite small wineries here in the Willamette Valley - we carry their Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and their Pinot Noir Rosé. All three totally solid and also under $20. Their rosé is made in a dry, Provence-style; crisp, fruity with diverse flavors of peach, wild huckleberry and melon. So good!

---

10th Anniversary Giveaway

Did you hear we are turning 10 in June? To celebrate, we have put together a fun Trivia Giveaway where five lucky winners will receive a $100 gift card. 

The fun officially begins on Tuesday, May 18, and runs through Monday, June 14. 

To play, Join our Email!

May is Oregon Wine Month

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!