Boise Coop Wine Shop

Rhône Wine Tasting

• April 17, 2008
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Join us for a wine tour of the Rhône Valley, April 27 at 3 pm. Bobby and Christian will present 8 to10 different wines from the Northern and Southern Rhône paired with scrumptious culinary delights prepared by Chef Richard Langston. We will take you through the ins and outs of all the different grapes and blends of this famous region of France. From Chateauneuf du Pape to Cote Rotie, we will demystify the mysteries of the mysterious Rhône Valley. Just $35 gets you a spot at the table: 4 flights of wine, 4 wonderful plates of food, and an experience you will never forget. Café Vicino is taking reservations, which are required. Please call 472-1463. Look forward to seeing you there.

Weekend Tasting: Yellow Hawk Cellar

• April 16, 2008
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Our wines are named for where we live and made for how we live.

Tim Sampson and Barbara Hetrick, the husband and wife team behind Yellow Hawk Cellars, met through wine when they both joined a tasting group in La Grande, Oregon. They’re shared interest evolved to the point where the couple moved to Walla Walla with Tim working under the tutelage of John Abbott at Canoe Ridge from 1995 to 2000. For the next two years Tim served as the cellar master at Seven Hill, then he and Barbara struck out on their own. While they appreciated the Merlot, Cabernet and Syrah that put Walla Walla on the map, they decided to concentrate on lesser known, Italian varieties. Their winery is housed in a turn-of-the-20th century horse barn next to the clear, cold waters of Yellow Hawk Creek.

2004 Yellow Hawk Cellar Sangiovese, $16.99

This is a classically styled Sangiovese with big plum, fig and smoke aromas. The flavors are highlighted by dried cherry, mild spice, soft tannins and light oak. Pair it with tomato based dishes like spaghetti marinara, lasagna or minestrone. And it would go great with spring run salmon, a plate of cheese or roasted veggies and meat.

2006 Yellow Hawk Cellar Muscat Canelli, $10.99

At just .6% residual sugar (less than many Chardonnays) this is a dry-styled muscat with fragrant tropical notes balanced by crisp citrus. The fruit flavors are rich and ripe making for a perfect match with spicy Thai, Cajun or Indian curries as well as fruit and cheese courses. Or serve it well chilled as a spring aperitiff.

Two from Chile

• April 9, 2008
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2007 Vina Quintay Clava Sauvignon Blanc

New Zealand has its Marlborough, and California has its Carneros. Yet when it comes to world-class wines that are (still) a jaw-dropping value, Chile may trump them all. Based in Chile’s Casablanca Valley, a sea-influenced region (just 12 miles from the coast near Valparaiso) that is ideal for cool-weather varietals such as Sauvignon Blanc, Clava is the value-priced second label for Vina Quintay. Winemaking there is natural and true to the land—winemaker and organic pioneer Alvaro Espinoza and his partner, Juan Carlos Faúndez, make wine no other way. Harvests are always done by hand, and a strict selection is made before the grapes are pressed to ensure every berry is perfectly ripe. Juice is fermented primarily in stainless steel, with a very small percentage (usually less than 1%) in new French oak for added complexity and body, and is aged on fine lees.

2006 Chono Syrah

Situated in the Maipo Valley, Chono sits just south of Santiago, sandwiched between the breathtaking Andes mountains to the east and the coastal range. Here the weather is hot and dry during the summer days, while evenings are cool—an ideal combination for for world-class Syrah, and that is exactly what winemaker Alvaro Espinoza has crafted. Concentrated and fruity, with a silkiness that runs from its abundant perfumes to its watch-breaking length, this Syrah is ripe, juicy and chock-full of blackberries and chocolate-dipped red berries. Spicy aromas of black pepper and tar show on the nose. The wine’s freshness is dazzling, a nod to the region’s cool climate and careful vinification that captures every bit of pure, unblemished fruit. Tannins are supple and sweet; every drop is polished and wonderfully complex. A stunning effort and a profound pleasure to drink.

Two from Italy’s Barone Fini

• April 3, 2008
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The Barone Fini label arose from the merger of a pair of titled Venetian families when the two Fini sisters married two Bonmartini brothers. Records show their winemaking history dates back to the 15th century. Grapes for both their Pinot Grigio and Merlot are sourced from mature vines situated in the Trentino region in the heart of the Italian Alps.

2007 Barone Fini Pinot Grigio

Hillside vineyards with good sun exposure receive cooling breezes in the early morning and evening helping to create a balance between sugars and acids. The 20 year old vines are harvested by hand before they undergo a soft, cold crushing. Fermentation in temperataure controlled tanks preserves freshness resulting in a wine that is soft and round with crisp, juicy flavors. Ripe apple fruit dominates the palate in this lively wine. A great spring aperitif, or pair it with shellfish, grilled chicken or other lighter fare.

2005 Barone Fini Merlot

Nicely mature vineyards (15 to 18 years old) line the hillside benefiting from a south, south-easterly exposure to the sun. Cool, dry winds descend from the 9000 foot peaks, tempering the climate of the Sarca Valley where Barone Fini’s Merlot grapes are grown. Fermented in stainless steel, all the rich, ripe cherry and plum fruit flavors shine through on the palate. This is a balanced wine with a long velvety finish. Simply prepared dishes from grilled meats to pasta will do nicely paired with this lovely wine.

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.