Mt Tabor Fine Wines

2010 ITALIAN & AUSTRIAN WHITES/ EXPLODING WITH FLAVOR ($15) Friday, May 18th/ 4- 7:30

mttaborfinewines — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:05:03 +0000

Here we are for the second week in a row talking about a tasting featuring all wines from the fabulous 2010 vintage. As I think back I can’t remember another vintage in the last 20 years where every important wine region in the world enjoyed such an across the board great vintage……especially for whites! The last one was 1990. You’d be hard pressed to find anything but awesome from 1990 and the same can be said for 2010. As far as drinking lip smacking, darn delicious, bursting with flavor white wines, Northern Italy and Austria are among my two personal favorites and this lineup is hard to beat. People often ask me what I drink most, white or red? I must say, it’s white. It hasn’t always been that way but over the years my eating habits have changed and I don’t eat the heavy foods that I used to. Less meat, more fish and salads. I’m sorry but a big red just doesn’t match well with a salad or a piece of fish. Also, the older I get the better I feel in the morning after consuming the night before when it’s been substantial and white.

Anyway, we’ve got some fantastic tasting here. The wines are VERY fairly priced for the quality and I strongly encourage you to come and taste. These are wines that I drink all the time and I find them exciting wines that leave you bummed when the bottle’s empty. You may have noticed that I’m pouring two wines from the Abbazia Di Novacella. Why? First, because they’re an amazing winery and I can pretty much guarantee you’ve never had a Muller Thurgau like this one. Most from the NW are sweet and insipid. This one is dry and……….I can’t describe it. You’ll have to taste it to believe it. And the Sylvaner “Praepositus” is from the oldest vines and the concentration and length are superb. I had to show you all the heights that Muller Thurgau can achieve and once I tasted the old vine Sylvaner I was hooked! I could go on and on but every wine is killer, the Gruner, the Soave, WOW the Pinot Blanc from Austria and you won’t believe what the Chardonnay, grown in the terroir of the Valle D’Aosta in the mountains of NW Italy, can achieve. It reminds me of a flinty, mineral premier Cru Chablis! What a great tasting. I am one very excited boy.

The Lineup

2010 Gini, Soave Classico/ Veneto, Italy $17

2010 Schloss Gobelsburg, Gruner Veltliner “Gobelsburger”/ Kamptal, Austria $18

2010 Peter Schandl, Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc)/ Rust Im Burgenland, Austria
$20

2010 Abbazia Di Novacella, Muller Thurgau (Dry)/ Alto Adige-Valle Isarco, Italy
$22

2010 Abbazia Di Novacella, Sylvaner “Praepositus”/ Alto Adige-Valle Isarco. Italy
$28

Premium Pour ($4)

2010 Les Cretes, Chardonnay “Frissonniere”/ Valle D’Aosta, Italy $37

Sandy

OREGON PINOT NOIR FROM THE PERFECT (!/?) 2010 VINTAGE ($15) Friday May 11th/ 4- 7:30

mttaborfinewines — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:07:36 +0000

You may have noticed the (!/?) after the word perfect above. Let me explain. As for the way the wines turned out, I would say the majority from the best wineries are very close to perfect Pinots. The alcohol levels are mostly between the 12-13 percent alcohol range, the balance and length of the wines is simply awesome. The potential longevity is second to none and among the best ever. The finest should age into sublime perfection. As for the ? As the last weeks edged towards harvest the winemakers were pulling their hair out (those that have hair to pull). The grapes were not nearly ripe and the forecast wasn’t encouraging. To top that off the grape set had been poor and there wasn’t much to ripen anyway. The harvest was over a month late and the nasty weather of late October was ready to move in and then to top it all off late migrating birds that are usually flying south while the grapes have already been turned into wine had an unexpected late fall taste treat that reduced the crop even further. But…………….the good news, the weather held, the grapes slowly ripened under really late but ideal conditions and the grapes were harvested at ideal ripeness levels, what little grapes that were left. You’ll often hear the words “hang time” in the grape growing business and 2010 had some of the longest ever. This means that the longer the grapes can hang on the vine while maintaining good balance of sugar to acid the better the flavor development and the more good stuff they pull up from the soil. 2010 has it all. BUT, you had to be a patient grower and a smart winemaker and these are the people that we deal with. It’s not 08 where an idiot could make good wine. But the best 2010’s, in my opinion, will be among the best Oregon Pinots ever made. So stick with me and I’ll be your guide or as I’ve been often known to say, “your swill filter.” The worst news of all is that there just isn’t much wine. Buy a bottle today to try it to see if you like it and come back in a week to buy more and it will be gone. So those are the ups and downs of vintage 2010.

We’ve poured a few 2010’s in tastings before but now we’re getting to some really serious stuff. This is a tasting to come to if you want to check out some really killer 2010’s at different level’s and price points. They are all indicative of the style of the 2010 vintage. And that’s the thing. 2010 has a particular style. I call it Pinot Noir in its purest, prettiest form. The way that Pinot should be. I just love this vintage and I’m buyin heavy! One thing to remember. This style of Pinot is notorious for putting on weight after bottling. Most of these have only been in bottle for a few months. When I first got a sample of the Arterberry Maresh “Maresh Vineyard” I poured a glass one night and it was delicious. I put the cork back in (no gas), opened it 3 days later and man had it blossomed. It had become a totally different thing. I can’t remember any wine changing so much over the course of a few days. So as you taste these you will notice them starting out shy and unfolding as time goes by. I would give most of these 6 months to a year before opening but the big boys will age for decades in a cool cellar!

So get excited, put on your Pinot tasting/ dancing shoes and get on down here. It gonna be a hoot!

The Lineup

2010 Cameron, Willamette Valley $19

2010 Crowley, Willamette Valley $23

2010 J. Christopher, Willamette Valley $26

2010 Ayres Vineyards, Perspective $29
Ribbon Ridge
2010 Arterberry Maresh, Winderlea Vineyard $55
Dundee Hills
Premium Pour ($6)

2010 Arterberry Maresh, Maresh Vineyard $58
Dundee Hills

Ta Ta,
ST

THE LESS TRAVELED WINE ROADS OF ITALY & FRANCE ($15) Friday May 4th/ 4- 7:30 @ Mt. Tabor Fine Wines

mttaborfinewines — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:47:34 +0000

I really stepped out and went crazy with this one. After over a decade of hosting “Italy’s less traveled wine roads” tastings I figured it was time to expand and change. I was watching Dr Phil and one of his guests said change is a good thing and I always follow what these people say so here we are…..”The less traveled wine roads of Italy AND France.” I must say that with the freedom of having two countries less traveled wine roads to motor down, while I spent a bit more in fuel, the benefits reaped in wine rewards were enormous! There is an amazing amount to be learned in a tasting like this and when you join us tomorrow I’ll be happy to share with you all the areas and unusual grape varieties of the wines being poured. If you want to be wine knowledgeable it’s important to be familiar with grapes like Poulsard and Mondeuse from regions like Arbois and Bugey. But the bottom line is this is just a darn delicious tasting of red wines from grapes and places that you’ve probably never thought of or been to.

The Lineup

09 Girasoli, Ca’ Andrea Di Sant’ Andrea/ Umbria, Italy $12

10 Dom. Des Schistes, Cotes Du Roussillon “Les Bruyeres”/ Roussillon, France $13

10 Fattoria Cabanon, Augurio/ Provincia Di Pavia, Italy $16

10 Famille Piellot, Mondeuse/ Bugey, France $19

10 Andre et Mireille Tissot, Poulsard “Vieilles Vignes”/ Arbois-Jura, France $25

Premium Pour ($4)

05 D’Antiche Terre, Taurasi Riserva “Il Vicario”/ Campania, Italy

RED BURGUNDY ($23) Pinot Noir From its Birthplace Friday April 27th/ 4- 7:30 @ Mt. Tabor Fine Wines

mttaborfinewines — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:59:28 +0000

At our White Burgundy tasting a couple of weeks ago I heard a number of people say they thought it was the best tasting ever. I think over the 16 years of Friday tastings here we’ve done some very special ones so that’s high praise indeed. With that in mind I approached this weeks lineup and I’m very proud of my performance. And I’ll tell ya, with the price of Burgundy these days it’s not easy any more to put an interesting tasting together for a reasonable tasting fee! The prices for the incredibly hyped 2009 vintage (in many cases warranted) sent prices soaring but I was able to deliver to you a tasting of 5 out of the 6 wines from this heralded vintage for a decent price. The only non 2009, the Jadot 2007 Lavaux Saint Jacques from Gevery Chambertin, a great Premier Cru vineyard, I got for a great deal. Normally this great wine from Jadot is $100 a bottle but you can have it for $60 while it lasts. We’re set for a great tasting tomorrow night and I hope you all can join us

The Lineup

2009 Domaine D’Ardhuy, Bourgogne $16

2009 Domaine Camus Bruchon, Bourgogne $27

2009 Jean-Marc Millot, Cote De Nuits Villages “Clos des Faulques” $39

2009 Domaine Simon Bize, Savigny Les Beaune “Bourgeots” $49

2007 Louis Jadot, Gevery Chambertin “Lavaut Saint Jacques” Premier Cru $60

Premium Pour ($6)

2009 Domaine Marc Roy, Gevrey Chambertin “Clos Prieur” Premier Cru $73

Sandy

Perfect Timing! Two Sensational Summer Win es from Oregon’s DePonte Cellars

mttaborfinewines — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 22:37:30 +0000

2011 Melon de Bourgogne/ Dundee Hills Case $252($21) 6 pack $135($22.50)
2011 Rose of Pinot Noir/ Dundee Hills Case $183($15.25) 6 Pack $98($16.33)

DePonte came to me with this offer at the perfect time. Both of these wines are ideal for summer enjoyment and if you all respond quickly we can turn this around and get these out to you in time to have you sipping from May through the hot summer months. But what about the wines you say?

The rose is dry and simply delish. A little rounder and fuller than, say, a Provence rose because it’s made from 100% Pinot Noir grown in Deponte’s best three vineyards high in the Dundee Hills of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The production is so small that we will be the only retail source of this wine in the world, period! I only have 35 cases to sell. It will go quickly so consider soon.

We did an offering on the Melon de Bourgogne last year and many of you are still raving about it and asking when the next offer would be coming. Well, here it is. I think I mentioned in the last offer that this is truly my favorite NW white. It has so much character and just bursts in the mouth with lip smacking freshness. I just can’t imagine a better summer wine. Oh, and did I mention that the vines were planted in 1975! Man, that’s ancient here in Oregon.

So there you have it. Two small production, hand crafted Oregon wines for you to share with family and friends throughout the long, hot summer.

Get back to me and we’ll get our mega crew right on the shipping detail. Or if you’re local just stop on by. But orders must be placed first in either case to reserve your wines. I have very limited amounts of both.

Sandy

THE FAMOUS REDS OF ITALY ($15) Friday April 20th/ 4- 7:30

mttaborfinewines — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:11:40 +0000

This is one of those tastings where you should get here early, taste, pull out your wallet and run home to stash your score in your cellar and then dream about the future when you’ll open these beautiful wines with friends and family and tell story of the amazing prices you paid back in 2012. Yes folks, once again we have wines in the most desirable collectable category selling for a fraction of what they usually sell for due to our continuing economic crisis. And these are not off vintages. Take the premium pour. Elio Grasso; One of the absolute best Barolo producers, period! 2004. Along with 2001 the best vintage of the decade. I poured the 2006 of this exact wine about a year ago. The wine sold for $82. $82! We are selling the 04, a better vintage, for $59. $23 less! Can you say screaming bargain. If you have the patience to lay this down for another 10-15 years you will have the drinking experience of a lifetime. Many of you are familiar with Canalicchio Brunello. We get it for the great price of $42 here in Portland because it’s imported directly into Oregon. Try to buy it in say, New York, and it will run you in the mid to upper $50’s. We’re pouring and selling the 03 for $30. $30 for a top notch Brunello Di Montalcino! These are Rosso Di Montalcino prices. And speaking of ridiculous prices. How about a single vineyard Barbaresco for $27. I almost can’t believe it. Then I taste it and really can’t believe it. And all of this says nothing of the awesome deal on the Pecchenino Dolcetto San Luigi for $13 and the Ciacci Toscana at $14. I hope I’m making my point here. You don’t want to miss this one.

I’ve put the wines in the order that they will drink best, not by price. The Sangiovese’s follow each other and are followed by the Nebbiolo’s. I’d rent a U Haul for this one. Talk to Dave if you need one.

The Lineup

2009 Pecchenino, Dolcetto di Dogliani “San Luigi”/ Piemonte $13

2008 Ciacci, Rosso Toscana/ Tuscany $14

2003 Canalicchio, Brunello Di Montalcino/ Tuscany $30

2006 Casanova Di Neri, Brunello Di Montalcino/ Tuscany $50

2008 Montarabaldi, Barbaresco “Palazzina”/ Piemonte $27

Premium Pour ($6)

2004 Elio Grasso, Barolo “ Gavarini Chiniera”/ Piemonte $59

Sandy Thompson, Proprietor

Mt. Tabor Fine Wines
4316 SE Hawthorne Bl
Portland, Or. 97215
(503)235-4444

WHITE BURGUNDY ($18) Friday April 13th/ 4- 7:30 @ Mt. Tabor Fine Wines

mttaborfinewines — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:21:49 +0000

Folks, I’m almost speechless. If you know me you know that I love white Burgundy and that I’m almost never speechless. Never in 16 years of narrowing down and deciding on what to choose for the Friday tasting have I had so much great wine to consider and such a tough time leaving things out. My absolute two favorite white wine domaines in the world are in this tasting in Domaines Leflaive and Jobard. And with these two do not confuse DOMAINE Leflaive with OLIVIER Leflaive. And do not confuse FRANCOIS Jobard with REMI Jobard. The ones that we are tasting are the pinnacle. I could go on and on about how great these wines are but the proof is in the glass. I know a lot of you have come to appreciate how amazing Chardonnay can be when grown in the right terroir with minimalist handling and this lineup is the definition of this style. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this excited about a Friday tasting. I’m almost considering bringing in a couple of extra gals to work so I can be on the other side of the bar tasting along side of you guys. That’s where I want to be for this one!!!!!!

The Lineup

2010 Domaine Henri Perrusset, Macon Villages $17

2009 Deux Montille, Bourgogne $28

2008 Domaine Jean- Pierre Grossot, Chablis “Mont de Milieu” Primier Cru $32

2008 Domaine Leflaive, Bourgogne $50

2006 Thierry Pillot, Chassagne Montrachet “Clos St. Jean” Premier Cru $57

Premium Pour ($8)

2006 Domaine Francois et Antoine Jobard, Meursault “Poruzots” Premier Cru” $79

Sandy

Sandy Thompson, Proprietor

Mt. Tabor Fine Wines
4316 SE Hawthorne Bl
Portland, Or. 97215
(503)235-4444

SPANISH REDS ($12) Friday April 6th/ 4- 7:30

mttaborfinewines — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:26:21 +0000

Very nice. We have 3 fantastic values from the Rioja, a region not known for value. I mean a Gran Reserva for $30! The new vintage of one of my favorite Spanish wines has just arrived in the Petalos from J Palacios. This wine is a perennial top 100 every year. I find the wines from the Bierzo region to be some of the most interesting in all of Spain. The grape is Mencia and if you’re not familiar you must try them. Hard to describe. Over the last few years Spain has become the new leader in value for affordable, everyday drinkers. Come on in and pony up to the bar and feel the love of delicious wines and warm companionship.

The Lineup

2011 Bodegas Venta Morales, Tempranillo/ La Mancha $9

2010 Palacios Remondo, La Vendimia/ Rioja $13

2005 Vina Olabarri, Reserva/ Rioja $19

2009 Abadia De Gomariz, Ribeiro Rosso/ Ribeiro $21

2009 Decendientes J. Palacios, Petalos/ Bierzo $22

Premium Pour ($3)

2001 Vina Olabarri, Gran Reserva/ Rioja $30

Sandy Thompson, Proprietor

Mt. Tabor Fine Wines
4316 SE Hawthorne Bl
Portland, Or. 97215
(503)235-4444

SERIOUS RED BORDEAUX ($18) Friday March 30th/ 4- 7:30 @ Mt. Tabor Fine Wines

mttaborfinewines — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:19:35 +0000

I am really excited about this one. It’s a lineup of stellar Red Bordeaux where each wine shows the complexity and style of Bordeaux. Every one tastes just like I expect a solid bottle of Bordeaux to taste. The wines in the flight of 5 are all from the exceptional vintage of 2009. This is one of those vintages that has it all………..from both ends. The wines are ripe enough to taste great young but with enough structure to last and improve for a very long time. The premium pour is from my favorite district, The Graves. Parker claims it’s one of the wines of the vintage. Come see what you think for yourself.

The Lineup

2009 Chateau Les Rosieres/ Bordeaux $12
60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc

2009 Chateau Hauts de Plaisance/ Haut Medoc $16
55% Cabernet Sauv, 35% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot

2009 Chateau Villars/ Fronsac $26
70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

2009 Chateau La Vielle Cure/ Fronsac $39
74% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc

2009 Chateau Samsonnet/ Saint Emilion Grand Cru $50
85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc

Premium Pour ($7)

2008 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte/ Grand Cru Classe De Graves $75
64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petite Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc

Sandy Thompson, Proprietor

Mt. Tabor Fine Wines
4316 SE Hawthorne Bl
Portland, Or. 97215
(503)235-4444

OREGON PINOT NOIR ($15) Friday March 23rd/ 4- 7:30 @ Mt. Tabor Fine Wines

mttaborfinewines — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 20:05:32 +0000

This will be a great opportunity to find out what all the fuss is about with the 2010 Pinots from Oregon. We have four at different levels and I think they all show case what the vintage is all about………Pinot Noir in its purest form. As I put the tasting together I realized that all five of the wines in the flight have a story to tell. So, I’m going to give it to you now;

Brooks- Jimi Brooks was a great friend of the shop and poured at our very first few Anniversary parties. Jimi was struck down with a stroke when he was only 38. This is a great story of love and perseverance. Jimi was much loved and a number of his wine buds came together to make sure harvest and winemaking happened that year (he died right as harvest approached). The winery is now owned by his son Pascal, age 15! Jimi’s sister, Janie, has helped greatly from her home in Monterey and the continuation of the winery couldn’t have happened without the support from many, many people. Jimi was truly loved by all!!!!

Sineann- This wine is always $30 per bottle but the winery has already released their 08 and 09 and have a bit of this beautiful 07 left so we have a great value here. As many of you know the 2007 vintage was panned by critics before the first wine was released. Now they’ve all said their apologies and 2007 is considered a first rate year. This is a real beauty!

Bow & Arrow- John Paul at Cameron seems to have a way with teaching his assistants to make great wine. All three of his recent assistant winemakers have gone on to create their own wineries. You have Jay Sommers with his J Christopher winery, Tyson Crowley with Crowley Wines and now Scott Frank and his lovely wife Dana have started Bow & Arrow with this very first release.

Coattails Winery- Talk about young guns. I thought Jim (Arterberry) Maresh was young but these brothers don’t look old enough to drink. Of course when your father is Mike Etzel, co-owner/winemaker for Beaux Freres you’ve probably been schooled from an early age. The Horsetail is the entry level wine and as much as I was impressed with the 09 I think this 2010 is fantastic and even better. And you have to hand it to the boys. They’ve gone out on their own and sourced fruit from some very good vineyards……none of which is the Beaux Freres Vineyard. Just a gentle ride on their father’s coattails.

Walter Scott- This tiny winery is owned by Ken Pawlow and his new wife Erica Landon. Ken had worked for years as assistant at St Innocent Winery and then moved on to rep the wines for Evening Land. Erica has worked in some of the best restaurants in Portland and is responsible for many of the finest wine lists in town. This is a strong duo for sure.

And Cristom just continues to turn out some of the best Pinots in Oregon.

What a fun tasting!

The Lineup

2010 Brooks, Pinot Noir “Runnaway Red”/ Willamette Valley $17

2007 Sineann, Pinot Noir/ Oregon $18

2010 Bow & Arrow, Pinot Noir “Medici Vineyard”/ Chehalem Mountains $29

2010 Coattails Winery, Pinot Noir “Horsetail Cuvee”/ Willamette Valley $29

2010 Walter Scott, Pinot Noir “Holstein Vineyard”/ Dundee Hills $37

Premium Pour ($5)

2009 Cristom, Pinot Noir “Jessie Vineyard” Estate/ Eola-Amity Hills $50

Sandy Thompson, Proprietor

Mt. Tabor Fine Wines
4316 SE Hawthorne Bl
Portland, Or. 97215
(503)235-4444