Boise Coop Wine Shop

Huston Vineyards

• December 20, 2011
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Huston Idaho is the Gateway to Idaho’s Wine Country and the well traveled Sunnyslope Wine Trail. Established in 1911 as the agriculture portal to Southwest Idaho’s urban communities, Huston provided the hub for farmers to ship fresh fruits and vegetables via the Boise Interurban Railway. Locavore wasn’t just a philosophy but a way of life as surrounding towns received the freshest produce from the market basket of Huston and the nearby farming community. Today, Huston Idaho is the home of Huston Vineyards, a boutique vineyard and winery established in 2006. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah were planted and thrive on this site of rich volcanic soil and long sunny days.

2010 Chicken Dinner Red
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, exhibiting dark cherry color and blackberry aromas. Fruit forward in taste, it displays flavors of black current and clove, with an earthy, well-structured finish. No doubt, it’s an unlikely pairing with a chicken dinner.

2009 Private Reserve Red
Huston Vineyards 2009 Private Reserve Red is truly like no other. This blend was orchestrated from six Snake River Valley Vineyard sites including the first harvest of Merlot and Syrah from Huston Vineyards. This Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah blend is aged in new French oak barrels over 18 months creating a bold, fruit forward wine with structure and soft tannins. Opens with aromas of blackberry and dark chocolate, coupled with the flavor of cherry, cedar and plum, finishing with a spicy peppery finish that lingers. Huston Vineyards 2009 Private Reserve Red pairs well with Pepper-Crusted Rib Eye, Braised Lamb Shank, Truffled Risotto or Bacon Wrapped Elk Steak

Sawtooth Winery

• December 14, 2011
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The Sawtooth Winery, originally known as Pintler Cellars, was founded in 1987, making it one of the oldest in Idaho. The estate vineyards surrounding the property were once pasture land owned by Charles Pintler. Seeing great potential in the steep, south facing hills, the family planted seven acres to European grape varieties back in 1982, expanding the vineyard over the years to 15 acres. In 1998 Pintler joined Corus Estates & Vineyards, changing the name of the winery to Sawtooth. Its distinctive label depicting the jagged Sawtooth mountains, is instantly recognizable and conveys the grandeur of Idaho’s scenic wilderness. Under the able stewardship of winemaker Bill Murray, the winery has continued to thrive and gain acclaim, most recently winning Best of Show at the Idaho Wine Competion for their 2010 Gewurztraminer.

2010 Gewurztraminer, $7.49
Married aromatics and flavors of clover honey and spice followed by juicy pineapple upside down cake. The finish is clean and balanced with a hint of residual sugar. Serve with shellfish, spicy dishes, light meats, pasta with cream sauce or slightly sweet desserts.

2008 Reserve Chardonnay, $15.49
The 2009 Sawtooth Reserve Chardonnay utilizes grapes produced from Dijon & Chard clones. The wine is fermented and aged in American oak for 10 months. Fifty percent of the wine has gone through malolactic fermentation which gives way to smooth buttery flavors. Aromas of lemon, pear, ripe pineapple and green apple with a hint of vanilla and toasty oak. The finish is long and lush. It’s pairs well with just about any dish including poultry, pork, seafood, or recipes that have a heavy cream or butter base.

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, $12.49
This wine is loaded with fruit both on the nose and on the palate. Dark fruit, spice, vanilla and oak aromas lead off in this medium bodied wine with light tannins. There’s a nice balance of ripe dark bing cherry fruit and refreshing acidity in the mouth. This is a great wine that pairs well with blue cheese and pork loin.

2008 Tempranillo, $17.49
Tempranillo is the grape of the famous reds of Spain’s Rioja region. Typicallyit’s one of the first varieties harvested in the Sawtooth Estate Vineyard. The grapes are de-stemmed and placed as whole berries into open top fermenters for the purpose of extracting color, flavor compounds and tannins. The wine is fermented and aged in French oak barrels for nine months. Deep plum, strawberry, juniper and cigar aromatics welcome you. The well balanced, medium bodied palate is led by black cherry and tobacco notes, with subtle oak integrated throughout. Tempranillo is one of the most food friendly wines. The obvious food pairing is to go with the Spanish style dishes: tapas, pork, lamb grilled or roasted entrees.

2010 Late Harvest Riesling, $7.49
A seductive wine with honey, nectarine and floral notes on the nose. Refreshing nectarine, guava, tangerine & hints of caramelized pineapple lead to a balanced finish.

Basel Cellars

• December 6, 2011
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Basel Cellars began the journey into the wine business in 2001. Their Estate vineyards were planted prior to this in 1996. All of the production is done on site in a 9,600 sq. ft. underground winery on the south end of Walla Walla, WA. We are proud to be able to produce Estate wines from Pheasant Run and Double River Ranch our Estate Vineyards.

The winemaker at Basel Cellars is Ned Morris. Ned has a wealth of knowledge and experience, including extensive sommelier training at Penfold’s McGill Estate in Australia and an integrated Masters Degree from Oregon State University in Food Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Microbiology. He has also worked on the winemaking teams of some very highly regarded Washington State wineries such as Abeja, a’Maurice, and Canoe Ridge Vineyard. Ned’s family is ‘old school’ Walla Walla, where his kid’s are 5th generation, and he and his wife Susie are raising them in a house that has been in their family since it was built in 1930.

Ned’s winemaking philosophy balances old-world traditional techniques with modern science and technology. He is focused on making wines that are big and full-bodied, but with smooth generous tannins and velvety rich textures. He aims to create wines that walk a fine line between having long cellaring potential, yet are very approachable upon release. “My goal is to display the unique fruit profiles of our Estate vineyards, and the special place we have here. I want to show the quality of fruit from Eastern Washington. So the vineyards and fruit should be at the forefront of the wines, with tannin, structure, and oak being the support and backbone that lifts that fruit.”

2008 Earth Series, Volume II, $15.99
Volume II is a red blend containing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Syrah. It starts off with penetrating aromas of ripe, robust fruit. It revives one’s taste buds with a silky smooth mouth feel and complex finish that most palates will enjoy.

2008 Claret, $20.00,
This Walla Walla Claret (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc) is aged for 18 months in mostly neutral oak allowing the high quality of the fruit to shine through. Just like in previous vintages, the 2008 blend has a smooth mouth feel that makes it easy to drink and is accompanied by an intricacy that revives your taste buds.

2008 Pheasant Run Merlot, $27.00
Before they opened Basel Cellars, Greg Basel and his partner Steve Hanson were vineyard owners in Walla Walla. This Merlot is made from grapes from their Pheasant Run Vineyard. Aged 18 months in 37 percent new American and French oak it has a floral essence with a ripe dark fruit center that carries through with a bitter sweet chocolate finish.

2007 Columbia Valley Syrah, $24.00
A blend of fruit from both the Columbia Valley and the Walla Walla Valley. It starts with soft earth tones that turn into a long, dark and robust raspberry and plum finish with excellent persistence.

2007 Estate Merriment, $46.00
Merriment is Basel Cellar’s flagship, high-end blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc). Every vintage, they walk their Estate vineyards and find the best block to blend together in the best barrels. This wine is ripe with a rich and dense mouth feel, with hints of espresso.

Kenwood Vineyards

• December 1, 2011
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Kenwood Vineyards was founded in 1970 when wine enthusiasts from the San Francisco Bay Area refurbished and modernized the former Pagani Brothers Winery, originally established in 1906. The winery produces classic varietal wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon and has earned the reputation of producing consistent, quality wines. Kenwood Vineyards sits on a beautiful, twenty-two acre-producing estate. The winery also produces wines from fruit sourced from some of Sonoma County’s best vineyards.

A veteran of more than 25 vintages in the wine business Pat Henderson is currently Senior Winemaker at Kenwood Vineyards in the Sonoma Valley. In addition to his work at Kenwood, he is also a winemaking instructor at Santa Rosa Junior College where he has taught since 1991. A graduate of the Viticulture and Enology program at the University of California at Davis Pat supplemented his formal education by apprenticing at five different wineries while he was still going to school. After graduation he worked in both the Napa and Sonoma valleys before taking his first position as head winemaker at Hedges Cellars in Washington State in 1995.

Beaujolais Nouveau est Arrivé

• November 17, 2011
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It’s the first wine from this year’s bounty, made from grapes that were hanging on the vine just a few weeks before. Think of it as a celebration of the new harvest, and a great way to kick-off your Turkey Day feast. We are talking Nouveau Beaujolais, of course, that fun and fruity quaff that’s always released on the third Thursday of November. This year that date comes on the 17th, and you’ll find three different bottlings available at your Boise Co-op Wine Shop (from Dubouef, Drouhin and Mommesin. We’ll be pouring samples of all three, all day, every day until Thanksgiving.