Boise Coop Wine Shop

Two Best Buys

• March 27, 2008
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Here are top quality wines offered at a reduced price: an outstanding Pinot Noir from Burgundy and an equally fine Sauvigon Blanc from California’s Russian River Valley. Both are drinking beautifully now, but it’s time to make way for new vintages. Regularly priced at $28 each, they are now on sale for just $21.99.

2005 Halleck Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Little Sister

Located near the town of Sebastapol in Sonoma County, an area once best known for its Gravenstein apples, orchards have given way to vineyards and Halleck planted theirs back in 1993. The balance of sun and fog, along with excellent soil and diligent vineyard management have given Halleck great success. Best know for their Pinot Noir, their 2001 Tandem won the “Pinot Noir Shootout” in 2002. This wine proves they are equally adept at crafting white wines. A delicious take on the variety, it offers both a mineral element like a nice Graves and the lightly herbal steeliness of a fine Sancere. There’s an impression of sweetness up front from the rich fruit (peach, melon and apple with tropical notes) that plays against crisp citrus in a wine that finishes bone dry. Definitely one of the top Sauvignon Blancs from California.

2005 Michel Magnien Bourgogne

Michel Magnien owns 27 acres of grand cru, premier cru and village parcels from Gevrey-Chambertin south to Chambolle-Musigny. Until 1992 he sold most of his grapes to negociants, but in 1994 he baegan to vinify his entire crop. That’s about when son Frédéric came on board. Today he’s the domaine’s winemaker, while Michel works in the fields, pruning mercilessly to maintain low yields. Frédéric calls his father “the finest vineyard worker I have,” and those low yields result in the richly concentrated wines that are the hallmark of the Magnien estate. This simple Bourgonge is anything but. Aged in the year-old barrels that previously held some of Magnien’s finest crus, the thirty year old vines provide fruit that is full, rich and abundantly spicy. Dark red fruits color both the nose and the palate, and a year after its release this wine has opened up nicely.

Tasting: Cinder Wines

• March 11, 2008
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Melanie Krause (the owner, along with husband Joe Scherr, of Cinder wines) grew up in Boise. She attended Washington State University where she graduated in 2000 with degrees in Biology and Spanish. In 2001 she went to work for Stimson Lane, beginning as a vineyard technician but working her way up to assistant wine maker at their Canoe Ridge Estate Winery. After marrying Joe in 2006 she moved back to Boise and started her own winery consulting business. It wasn’t long before she took the plunge and opened Cinder, named after the volcanic remnants found under the vineyards of Idaho’s Snake River appellation. Her wines are catching on quickly (Andrae’s already offers Cinder Viognier by the glass), but come by and taste for yourself. Melanie will be on hand to pour samples and talk about her wines.

2007 Cinder Viognier, $17

White flowers, peach and honeysuckle aromas with just a nice light touch of banana. Both rich and refreshing with good weight and bright acidity. An exceptional wine.

2007 Cinder Rosé $10

Offers lovely rose petal and red berry aromas. On the palate it’s bursting with sweet cherry fruit balanced by zingy acidity. The finish is crisp, dry and refreshing. Great spring rosé.

2006 Cinder Syrah $27

Big black cherry and oak on the nose with touches of graham flour and cocoa. The fruit is just as big in the mouth with lots of vanilla and toasty oak. A smooth wine with a lush finish.

Tasting: Wines from Mexicio

• March 5, 2008
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Wines from Mexico? You bet, in fact the northern Baja is an emerging wine region boasting 24,700 acres of vines spread across six valleys. The dozen or so wineries there account for 90% of Mexico’s wine production.

Cavas Valmar

Established in 1983 at Rancho Valentin near Ensenada, this winery started out in a parking lot at their ranch with an old basket press, hand corker, and just six barrels. Today production is up from that original 300 cases, but they stilll only bottle about 2500 cases a year. Their 2001 Valmar Cabernet shows lots of cherry fruit on the nose with touches of licorce and earth. Cherry cola and plum fruit flavors dominate the palate backed by a nice hit of acidity.

Vinisterra

Located 25 kilometers east of Ensenada, this winery began in 2002 as a partnership between local Guillermo Ropdriguez Macouzet and Swiss winemaker Christoph Gaertner. The midlevel Macouzet label consists of a Cabernet Merlot blend and a Tempranillo. The ‘03 Macouzet Cab/Merlot offers sweet, dried cherry fruit on the nose. It’s marked by a creamy palate with dark plum and blackberry fruit. A rich but well balanced wine. The 2004 Macouzet Tempranillo is filled with lush cherry and dark fruit aromas with a nice meaty quality. Equally lush on the palate, plum and cherry fruit flavors dominate, backed by ripe tannins and a touch of pepper.

California Dreaming

• March 1, 2008
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Join us at 3 pm, Sunday March 30 for a taste of California. Your hosts Christian Robertson and Bobby Rowett of the Boise Co-op Wine Shop recently returned from a tour of the wine country and have some wonderful things to share. Selections will include Volker Eisele, Clos du Val, Saintsbury, Ridge and many more. Chef Richard Langston will pair each flight with food creations designed to compliment the diverse styles of wine. Tickets are $30 per person but a reservation must be made in advance in order to attend. Please secure your spot through the Co-op Wine Shop at 472-4519, or feel free to email us at wineguys@boisecoop.com. Look forward to seeing you there.

Tasting Notes: A California Take on Burgundy Grapes

• February 27, 2008
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2006 Joseph Carr Chardonnay, Carneros

The moderately cool and breezy Carneros region south of Sonoma and Napa Valley is ideally suited to Burgundian grape varieties. Joseph Carr sources most of the fruit for this Chardonnay from the Truchard Vineyard. Their approach is inspired by the great wines of France, stylistacally elegant, but with forward fruit flavors that are not dominated by oak. Partial barrel fermentation adds nuances of vanilla and smoke, while stirring the lees adds richness and complexity. If wines with too much oak have made you weary of California Chard, then Carr, with its bright tropical and stone fruit, impeccable balance and crisp finish, is a must try.

2006 Summerland winery Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County

The fruit for Summerland’s Central Coast Collection is sourced primarily from various blocks in the Bien Nacido Vineyard along with a small portion from nearby vineyards with similar terroir. Situated on a bench overlooking the Santa Maria River, Bien Nacido benefits from a cooling marine influence that is perfectly suited to Pinot Noir. The fruit is processed in small lots, with punch downs done by hand. Summerland’s philosophy is non-interventionist with the wine spending only about eight months in French oak. The result is a silky textured Pinot with an explosion of black cherry fruit, hints of oak and ripe tannins. It’s a great choice to serve with everything from pork to salmon.

Join us the Friday, February 29 from 4:30 to 6:30 pm and Saturday from 2:00 to 4:00 pm for this free tasting