September 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.
Torre Gajo 2021 Pinot Grigio delle Venezie • Veneto, Italy • Reg $17.99 | 25% OFF = $13.49
100% Pinot Grigio in a 1-liter bottle = $10.11 for an equivalent 750ml bottle. Honeydew melon, lemon citrus, apples, pears. Super complex. Great acidity. Insane for the money. Enjoy with spaghetti carbonara, roasted chicken & seafood dishes. Great sipper, too.
*Ivan Giovanett (of Castelfeder Winery) makes this wine from non-estate grapes. He’s pictured top right and again with his sister, Ines Giovanett, and their harvest team (bottom left).
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.
Ovum 2022 Old Vine Red Table Wine • Columbia Gorge • Reg $34.99 | Mixed Case $27.99
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Sarah, 15% Pinot Noir. Columbia Gorge AVA. 13.5% Absolutely crazy blend!! Lovely red fruit — raspberries, strawberries. Smells medium-bodied. Super inviting. Then the palate… much bigger. Red & black plums, black raspberries on the finish. Earthy depth. Note of herbs. Super interesting wine!! Really enjoyed it.
Rezabal 2023 Txakolina Rosé • Basque Country, Spain • Reg $18.99 | Mixed Case $15.19
New vintage is back in stock! 100% native grape Hondarrabi Beltza from Pais Vasco = Basque Country. Bright pink in color but dry! Notes of fresh, wild strawberries. Silky in texture.
Southern Right 2021 Pinotage • Walker Bay, South Africa • Reg $35.99 | Mixed Case $28.79
Blue- & blackberries on the nose. A little forest floor. Pretty herbal, too, in a fun way. Flavors of plums, blackberries and then herbs... a little coffee... long finish. Fuller-bodied. Soft tannins. I think this wine is so complex. Absolutely great wine for the money. Perfect wine for a weather change. Enjoy with pepper steak, a rich, creamy mushroom dish, or roasted duck.
Chateau La Pirouette 2015 Médoc Cru Bourgeois • Bordeaux, France • Reg $23.99 | Mixed Case $19.19
Wines from the gravelly soils of the Left Bank tend to have more Cab than Merlot, and this wine is no exception: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot. Aged 12 months in oak barrels (25% new oak). 2015 is an epic vintage. Hard to get.
Cassis, gravel, coffee on the nose. Super complex. Well-balanced. Fine acidity. Flavors of black currant, blackberries, plums, coffee, hazelnut. Fine tannins on the long finish. Cru Bourgeois at its best. Winery says to enjoy with grilled meats. We agree.
Surrau 2022 Limizzarri Vermentino di Gallura • Sardinia, Italy • Reg $19.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
Smells like you're working in your flower garden. Plus a little salinity from the nearby sea. Flavors of white peach, unripe apricot, citrus, and some herbal components. Almost a little fennel bulb. Absolutely fantastic acidity. Then back to sea breeze on the finish.
Pelissero 2021 Nature Vino Rosso Balet • Piedmont, Italy • Reg $18.99 | Mixed Case $15.19
80% Barbera, 10% Nebbiolo, 10% Dolcetto. Raspberries, strawberries, red cherries with an herbal, earthy note. Add in flavors of red plums, blackberries. Palate is a little fuller than expected. Lovely, dry, earthy finish where the raspberries come back for a final visit. Really good. Should cost more.
Four Vines 2020 The Biker Zinfandel • Paso Robles, California • Reg $22.99 | Mixed Case $18.39
100% Zinfandel. Nose of jammy fruit, dried plums, dark raspberries. Then it tunes down. No more jam. Medium+ bodied. Mid-palate = ripe dark plums, black cherries. Back palate has the spicy, peppery notes you expect. Soft tannins on the finish. Zin is a notoriously good food wine across the board — salmon, burgers with ketchup, ribs with BBQ sauce!
Régis Jouan 2022 Sancerre • Loire Valley, France • Reg $33.99 | Mixed Case $27.19
100% Sauvignon Blanc. Minerally, wet stone on the nose. Softer on the mid-palate. Creamy. Medium-bodied. Pleasant acidity. Flavors of citrus fruits & flint. Long, pleasant finish with an herbal note. Great with raw oysters, mussels, clams, halibut, cod. Also great with acidic cheeses such as chèvre. Or just enjoy as a wonderful end-of-summer aperitif.
Marabelle 2020 Pinot Grigio Ramato • Abruzzo, Italy • Reg $17.99 | Mixed Case $14.39
This wine reminds us a lot of our Santa Clerissa Ramato... Extended contact with its dark gray Pinot Grigio skins imparts a salmon color, fleshy mouthfeel and aromas of exotic fruits.