October 2024
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.
Domaine des Pères de L'Eglise 2021 Côtes du Rhône Rouge • Southern Rhône, France • Reg $19.99 I 25% OFF = $14.99
Grenache 85%, Syrah 5%, Carignan 10%. Aged in concrete vats, so no oak. Aromas of red fruits & berries. Medium in body. Flavors of red plums & red berries with complexity. A little note of tobacco, pepper & earth. Enjoy with grilled meats, eggplant parmesan, mushroom dishes, burgers & more.
Note: We ran out of the Nottola 2019 Rosso di Montepulciano (below). Hope you enjoyed it; it flew! So... we will sub this terrific Côtes du Rhône in until the end of the month!
Nottola 2019 Rosso di Montepulciano • Tuscany, Italy • Reg $21.99 | 25% OFF = $16.49
A wonderful Tuscan blend of 80% Prugnolo Gentile, 15% Cannaiolo, 5% Mammolo. 6 months in Slovenian oak barrels. Aromas of dark berry fruits with hints of violet. Smooth, elegant, harmonious. A lovely wine.
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 late summer in mind.
Glantenet 2021 Hautes Côtes de Nuits Blanc • Burgundy, France • Reg $34.99 | Mixed Case $27.99
100% Chardonnay. Golden color. Really exciting aromas of Bosc pear, apples, limestone. Palate is elegant, complex adding stone fruit, limestone minerality, and citrus on the finish. Wonderful wine. Enjoyed with chanterelles in a white wine cream sauce over fresh pasta with a plop of fresh pesto on top.
Kiona 2021 Sangiovese • Red Mountain, Washington • Reg $29.99 | Mixed Case $23.99
Aromas of bright red fruit with some spicy notes. Elegant, smooth, with flavors of raspberries, strawberries, and cherries with earthy andspicy notes. Lean acidity all the way through the long finish. Great food wine all around.
La Ferme Rouge 2023 Le Gris • Zaer, Morocco • Reg $21.99 | Mixed Case $17.59
An orange wine made from Grenache Gris & Cinsault from AOG Zaer, 450 meters above the ocean outside of Rabat, made by French winemaker, Jacques Poulain. Nose = sea breeze followed by notes of red fruit... raspberries, strawberries, minerals. Flavors were light, soft, fresh, harmonic. Nectarines, white peach with earthy notes and citrus on the finish. Dry. Final-final = salinity & herbs. Great wine.
Cantine Volpi 2023 Sospiro Grillo • Sicily, Italy • Reg $21.99 | Mixed Case $17.59
Organic. From Trapani... west coast, lots of sun, 400 meters above sea level. Beautiful fresh, floral nose with stone fruit. Palate = apples, citrus, nectarine. Fresh with fun salinity on the finish. Delightful.
Pala 2021 Cannonau Reserva
Sardinia, Italy • Reg $39.99 | Mixed Case $31.99
100% Cannonau from 45 year old vines. Aged 1 year in 3000 liter French oak barrels, then 3 months in stainless steel tanks, then 4 months in bottle before release. Ripe red berry fruit with herbal notes on the nose. Medium-bodied, somewhat juicy with flavors of wild strawberries, red plums, cherries, dark chocolate, licorice, with a note of orange peel (acidity) & fresh loamy earth. Smooth tannins on the long finish. Pairs well with grilled or braised red meats. Also pairs with richer mushroom or eggplant dishes.
Unico Zelo 2021 River Sand Fiano • Riverland, Australia • Reg $35.99 | Mixed Case $28.79
100% Fiano (a grape normally grown in southern Italy: Campania, Puglia & Sicily) from iron-rich sandy soils with limestone. Wonderful nose of green mango, papaya and somewhat exotic, smoky notes. Luscious with flavors of pineapple, kiwi, apples and nectarines. Great acidity all the way to a long, full, lingering finish. Absolutely amazing wine in my opinion. Sip and savor or enjoy with Salt & Pepper Squid, scallops, salmon, tuna. Has seafood written all over it! Drink now to 1 year. Give it a little time open if you can to let the flavors come out.
Vera de Estenas 2021 Bobal • Valencia, Spain • Reg $22.99 | Mixed Case $18.39
100% Bobal from 50-100 year old vines in Utiel-Requena. Aromas of black plums, black cherries and raspberries with mineral notes. Bright, earthy, well-balanced and complex. Medium-bodied with flavors of red & black plums, black cherries. Great acidity on the fresh finish. Drink now. Great with poultry, pork and light enough for fish dishes.
Ken Wright 2023 Pinot Noir • Willamette Valley, Oregon • Reg $32.99 | Mixed Case $26.39
100% Pinot Noir. “Teeming with fresh red and blue fruits surrounded with savory notes of leather, cola, and hints of clove. The palate is exceptionally balanced with an energetic texture and finish.” —winery notes.
Dopff & Irion 2020 Riesling • Alsace, France • Reg $21.99 | Mixed Case $17.59
Aromas of minerals, white fleshed fruit notes such as apple, peach and pear, bitter almond, privet tree flowers, grey pepper and turmeric. Palate is lively, fresh and balanced, long fruity persistence and mineral flavors. Pair with grilled fish, trout with almonds, or pike with lemon butter. —winery’s notes.