October 2023
WINE OF THE MONTH
Every month we give a little spotlight time to a hidden treasure, a wine we think you should meet (and hopefully fall in love with). To encourage the introduction, we offer the wine at 25% OFF the bottle price for the given month.
Pelassa 2019 Mario's Vino Rosso
Piedmont, Italy // Reg $18.99 | 25% OFF = $14.24
Barbera blend. Absolutely stunning wine for the price! A little fuller-bodied. Notes of cassis, plums, earth. Well-balanced. Perfect pizza wine!
Pictured top right: Mario delivering wine after WWII; bottom left: Davide with their Barbera harvest; bottom right: Daniele, Davide & their mother, Maria Terese in the vineyards
JENS’ TOP PICKS
Every month Portalis owner Jens Strecker picks 5-10 wines that he thinks are outstanding … for any reason he chooses. Here are his picks (not in a specific order) made with autumn in mind.
Bartholomew 2019 Graciano
Horse Heaven Hills, Washington // Reg $33.99 | Mixed Case $27.19
Plums, blueberries, earth. On the palate add in licorice & leather. Medium-body with lots going on! Lively. Long finish. Good food wine. Winemaker Bart Fawbush says to pair with lamb kabobs with saffron rice, paella, or olive tapenade.
Becker Landgraf 2020 Grauburgunder
Rheinhessen, Germany // Reg $15.99 | Mixed Case $12.79
Young estate vines produce this fresh, young Grauburgunder (= Pinot Gris in German). Tasty, medium-body with stone fruits, citrus & a nice minerally finish. Terrific value!
Photo: Julia Becker & Johannes Landgraf pictured in the middle
Ovum 2022 Old Love
Umpqua Valley, Oregon // Reg $23.99 | Mixed Case $19.19
Riesling/Gewurztraminer blend. Native yeast. “Aromas of fresh cut blood orange, salty lemon and aloe vera typify this racy, textually rich wine.” —winemaker Ksenija Kostic’s notes pictured above with husband/business partner John House.
Château de La Vieille Tour 2019 Bordeaux Superior
Bordeaux, France // Reg $18.99 | Mixed Case $15.19
Fun blend of Merlot, Cab, Malbec, Cab Franc -- 42/34/16/8. Organic. Wonderful nose of spicy plums, blackberries & earth. Body has good, plummy fruit with black & blueberries with good acidity. Very complex. Tiny note of gravel. So delicious and easy to like.
Astrolabe 2018 Pinot Noir
Marlborough, New Zealand // Reg $31.99 | Mixed Case $25.59
100% Pinot Noir. Earth, red cherries, raspberries on the nose. Red plums on the palate. Still more cherries. A little earth, leather. Medium-bodied. Great acidity. Nice spicy finish. Beautiful Pinot. Winery pairings: venison, duck, game, roasted beets, tender lamb, and earthy wild mushrooms.
Domaine Notre Dame des Pallières 2018 Gigondas
Southern Rhône, France // Reg $35.99 | Mixed Case $28.79
Grenache 80%, Mourvèdre 10%, Syrah 10%. Complex bouquet. Very ripe fruits — blackberry & cherry. Balanced. Both concentrated & delicate. Jammy fruit & spiced on the long, dry finish. Aged in concrete vats, so no oak which is fun. —winery notes.
Frank 2021 Pinotage
Western Cape, South Africa // Reg $14.99 | Mixed Case $11.99
Boysenberries! Dark raspberries & cherries, too. Fresh. Medium-bodied. Tobacco on the finish. This a tame, lovely Pinotage. So tasty & fun.
Sass 2020 Pinot Blanc
Rogue Valley, Oregon // Reg $23.99 | Mixed Case 19.19
Powerful Oregon nose. Not your normal Pinot Blanc. Aromas of flowers & apricot. Flavors are almost Alsatian: peach, apricot, apples. Long finish. Not strong acidity, but enough.
Quinta de Saes 2018 Dão Tinto
Dão, Portugal // Reg $23.99 | Mixed Case $19.19
Bright cherry, pomegranate on the nose. Palate of red & black cherries, dark plums, earthy notes. Good acidity (& flinty minerality) all the way through the finish. Great fall wine!