Boise Coop Wine Shop

Cold Springs Winery

• September 2, 2011
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After a rewarding career as a water-rights attorney, Bill Ringert and wife, Bing, segued their shared passion for wine by developing a boutique Idaho winery, Cold Springs. Bill’s comprehensive geologic and hydrologic research led him to select ground on the eastern ledge of the Snake River Plain near Hammett. Spring water from the Lost River Aquifer emerges on the northern corner of the property and volcanic ash in the soil contributes to the high quality and unique character of the wine grapes grown on the estate.

Jamie Martin has been a mainstay of Idaho viticulture since 1980, when he and his family planted their first wine grapes in the Hagerman Valley. His first wine label, Rose Creek, produced internationally-acclaimed wines, laying the foundation for a nascent wine region. His work as a master winemaker has taken him to France, Jeruselum, and the Szechuan region of Western China. In 2002, he began working with Bill & Bing Ringert to develop the vineyards that would become Cold Springs Winery.

The science of wine is a weird science: part technical skill, part mythical alchemy. The soil that bears the vine is a composite of rock, weather, climate, and microrganism, bringing to bear notes and echoes, sense memories of a particular place and growing season. Moths pollinate the blossoms under cover of darkness. The fruit grows. Skins acquire an almanac of the elements—mineral, sun, rain and spring water that has traveled underground aquifers through ancient lava flows. When finally night cools and the fruit is full to bursting, it is time for crush. The concert of microbiology, zymology, and chronology, time itself lending a hand to the crafting of fine wine.

2008 Phren/ology Riesling, $9.49
Apricot and peach aromas lead to flavors of lightly sweet lime and passion fruit with a touch of mineral on the crisp finish. A great choice to pair with spicy Asian cuisine, especially red or yellow curry.

2008 Myth/ology Chardonnay, $9.99
Vanilla nuts on the nose. On the palate, butter and mineral come through up front, backed by melon and citrus fruit flavors with toasty spice on the finish.

Hot Rod Red, $9.99
Cold Springs Winery’s most popular wine has a fruit forward nose with ripe red fruit on the palate. This blend of Cab, Franc, Merlot and Syrah is a lovely ride.

Spanish Quintet

• August 17, 2011
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This week we are featuring five wines from De Maison Selections. Founded by André Tamers in 1996, De Maison is an importing company that specializes in unique, high-quality, boutique wines from Spain and France.
Avinyo Cava Brut Reserva, $15.99
The Avinyó brand is produced by the Esteve Nadal family of Avinyonet del Penedès. The winery is located at their home “Can Fontanals” in the heart of the Penedès region of Barcelona. On the label of each bottle of Cava there is an inscription in Catalan representing the philosophy of the family. The inscription roughly translates into the following: “From the must of the flower (the free run juice) and with the rigor of a work well crafted.” The patriarch, Joan Esteve, planted vines of Parellada, Xarel-lo and Macabeo 50 years ago so that he could have sparkling wine for himself and his friends. Today, his two sons and daughter carry on the tradition of Avinyó. This lovely sparkling wine offers bright white fruits combined with toast notes. On the palate the wine is fresh and vibrant.

2010 Ameztoi Txakoli, $14.99
Founded in 1989, Getariako Txakolina region is comprised of 443 acres in the municipalities of Getaria, Zarauz and Aia. The majority of the grapes planted there are Hondarribi Zuri and Hondarribi Beltza. The vineyard sites are greatly influenced by their proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. The soil is chalky with rich, organic material. Ameztoi Txakolina is one of the top producers of Getariako Txakolina. The winery owns 50 acres of vines in the best location. From the vineyards one can see the town of Donostia-San Sebastian and understand the influence of the Atlantic Ocean on this vineyard site. Ignacio Ameztoi is the seventh generation to carry on the tradition of making Txakolina in the province of Getaria. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and bottled with residual carbonic that gives the wine its natural spritz.

2009 Do Ferreiro Albarino, $22.00
Founded in 1973, Do Ferreiro is currently run by Gerardo Mendez. Gerardo owns 12.5 acres, 7.5 of which are over 50 years old, with 2.5 over 200 years old. The vineyards follow organic guidelines avoiding the use of pesticides and non-organic fertilizers. In addition, Gerardo is a fanatic of indigenous yeasts believing that through their usage the true qualities of his terruño appear. Gerardo farms 8 separate plots of Albariño all located in the sub zone of Salnes. This valley’s proximity to the ocean and protection by mountain ranges has gained it the reputation for being one of the best in the Rias Baixas. Each of the plots are separately fermented and aged on the lees for approximately six months. The blend of these plots is what makes up the Do Ferreiro Albariño. This 2009 offers complex aromas of salinity and exotic fruits with wet earth/herbal undertones. The palate is nicely textured with excellent acidity.

2008 Luberri Seis $15.99
Owned by Florentino Martinez Monje, Luberri is located in Elciego in the heart of Rioja Alavesa. Florentino farms 35 hectars of old vines located principally between the villages of Elciego and La Guardia. A farmer at heart, Florentino was the original winemaker at Artadi before establishing his own winery in 1992. Florentino is hands-on at the winery, working on all aspects of production, but his true love is working in the vineyards. All the plots are farmed with minimal treatment of the soils and vines. Vineyard sites are separately fermented and vinified. By keeping yields low Florentino extracts grapes with great concentration and flavor. The Seis is 100 percent Tempranillo that is fermented in stainless steel, then spends six months in a mix of French and American oak. It is filled with bright cherry fruit surrounded by spices. Rich mouthfeel full of sweet round fruit and complementary spicy wood tones.

2008 Mencos Crianza $18.99
Conde De Hervias is a project by Iñigo Manso de Zuñiga Ugartechea. Iñigo owns prestigious plots of old vines in Rioja Alta surrounding his home in Torremontalvo. In 2010 Iñigo released a second label to compliment his flagship Conde de Hervías wine: Mencos. The philosophy behind this second label is to produce classic yet modern (not oxidized) style Riojas. Mencos comes from a beautiful parcel of vines aging an average 35 years on the south side of the Ebro River in Torremontalvo. This vineyard, with chalky clay over gravel, is well suited to the Tempranillo grape. The Crianza spends 12 months in neutral, old American oak barrels. There is a definite elegance to the wine, where spicy wood tones mingle with ripe elegant violet fruit. It’s a wine with good length in a classic yet modern framework.

Five from Spain

• August 12, 2011
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For more years than we can remember Basque Country Imports has been the food leader in all things Spanish. From Jamon to Anchovies, Manchego to Olives BCI has imported them all. But for us, the emphasis has always been on wine. They bring it in directly from Spain, allowing them to offer the lowest prices possible. Here are five wines from their outstanding portfolio:

Zudugarai  Txakoli
If you’ve had Vinho Verde then you have some idea what this lightly sparkling wine from Spain’s Basque Country is all about. Rated 91 points by Josh Raynolds in Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar publication with the following description: “Light gold. Lime, talc and white flowers on the nose, plus a hint of white pepper. Racy, focused and pure, showing remarkable clarity to its citrus fruit and mineral flavors. What would liquid seashells taste like? Finishes with excellent persistence and resonating lime and mineral notes. This checks in at a mere10.5% alcohol.”

2009 Perla Maris Verdejo, $9.99
Very fruity and aromatic with good structure and a long pleasant finish in the mouth. Perla Maris translates as sea pearl, and as the name suggests, this wine goes well with most all types of fish and sea food.

2009 La Val Albariño, $13.49
Founded in 1985, Bodegas La Val has been a leader in the Rias Baixas region for almost three decades. Their Albariño is a definite bargain for the variety offering aromas of apple and fresh hay on a citrus background. The palate provides good acidity with lovely ripe peach balanced by crisper citrus.

2009 Santiago Ruiz, $19.49
Established in 1898 and located in the O Rosal sub-zone Riax Baixa, Santiago Ruiz is housed in a historic building dating back to the end of the 17th century. The property is home to a winery museum as well as an original Galician kitchen. Wines are a blend of Albariño, Loureiro and Treixadura, and are marketed under the Santiago Ruiz brand, with its instantly recognizable label – a copy of the map that Señor Ruíz drew for his daughter’s wedding. It offers slightly exotic aromas of lime, kiwi and guava. The flavors are a nice combo of stone fruit and citrus with light touches of mineral and herb. This wine is at its best with food – melon and jamon, something fatty and sweet would work well.

Valdelana Rioja Joven Red, $8.99
The Valdelana family has been farming their land at Elciego in Rioja since the 16th century. The oldest information concerning the winery dates back to November 12th, 1583. This is the date on which, during the reign of Philip II, Elciego became independent of Laguardia. The king of Spain accepted their independence and received wine coming from the cellar of the villa in exchange. Currently the owner of the winery is Juan Jesus Valdelana. His Tempranillo is blended with 5 percent Viura, a white wine grape. Classified as a joven or young wine, it’s a style that emphasizes fresh fruit flavors. The Valdelana offers lots of sweet and spicy fruit on the nose with a touch of vanilla. Soft and round in the mouth, the palate is all supple cherry fruit. This is a definite bargain.

Pick Your Pink

• August 10, 2011
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Rosés are the summer red, and winemakers in the south of France have a way with pink wines. As charming as they are refreshing, the Co-op Wine shop has the best selection in Boise. Here are five of our favorites with tasting notes from Wine Guy Divit Cardoza:

2010 Chateau Guiot, $9.99
Strawberry and raspberry on the nose with loads of juicy berry fruit all the way through the mid-palate. Shows just the slightest touch of sweetness but the acidity balances perfectly. This one is the perfect patio quaffer.

2010 Mas Carlot, $9.99
Drier than the 2009 version and I like it better. The fruit is all red berry and right up front with a soft plush mouth feel. Another candidate for my patio sipper.

2010 Mas de Bressades, $10.99
Just a bit more serious with a slower build to the fruit but a rounder mouth feel. More red cherry and strawberry flavors with a hint of rose petal and a nice bit of acidity make this a great choice with food.

2010 Domaine Sainte-Eugénie Corbieres, $10.99
Lighter in color but richer in the mouth. The high percentage of Cinsault makes this wine have that tart red cherry core that I love with a nice summer salda and some grilled chicken. I’m taking a case!

2010 Domaine des Corbillieres Touraine, $12.99
One hundred percent Pinot Noir makes this pale colored rose more about the body than the nose. Red cherry and spice with the richest mouth feel of all the rosés I’ve tried. I have had this wine with salmon and it is a perfect combination.

Barolo New Arrivals

• July 20, 2011
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While some wine writers are claiming that 2006 is the greatest Brunello vintage in history, we are also excited by the 2007s from Piedmont. They have the style and balance of the wonderful 2001s. We have more wines on the way but these just arrived. Quantities are limited as always.

2007 Barolo

Conterno Fantino Barolo Sori Ginestra $75 The 2007 Barolo Sori Ginestra comes across as less aromatically intriguing and more fruit-driven than is typically the case. The wine’s full-bodied, powerful personality is on full display, and it  is a hugely enjoyable Barolo that impresses for its textural richness and full-throttle personality. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2027. A. Galloni 94 points

Elio Altare Barolo $79 The 2007 Barolo is simply breathtaking. A bouquet that recalls Pinot Noir melds into pure Nebbiolo fruit as this captivating, sensual Barolo reveals off its pedigree. This shows remarkable detail, nuance and sheer clarity, with gorgeous depth and a radiant, totally engaging personality. Most of the attention here is generally focused on the single-vineyard wines, but readers should not look past the straight Barolo, a wine that has built an extraordinary track record for developing beautifully in bottle. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2027. A. Galloni 94 pts

Luigi Einaudi Barolo Costa Grimaldi $65 The 2007 Barolo Costa Grimaldi is fabulously rich, dense and well-balanced in this vintage. The Costa Grimaldi is made from a parcel of the Via Nuova vineyard in Barolo at 350 meters above sea level with a sheltered south-east exposure that provides respite in warmer years. This shows tons of vintage character in its racy, elegant fruit and silky tannins, along with superb depth and intensity, all of which have been achieved in a fairly restrained style. This is a fabulous effort . Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027. A. Galloni 94 pts

Marcarini Barolo Brunate $52 The estate’s 2007 Barolo Brunate sweeps across the palate with endless layers of expansive fruit. The Brunate shows fabulous intensity and depth in an uncharacteristically rich, opulent style for Marcarini. Despite the wine’s richness there is plenty of Brunate character, particularly on the finish, where menthol, pine, resin, spices and a host of other balsamic notes speak with great eloquence. Marcarini harvested Brunate on September 24 and 25. The wine saw 15 days of fermentation, followed by another 42 days of contact with the skins. The wine then spent two years in large, neutral casks prior to being racked into steel to rest before being bottled. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027. A. Galloni 94 points

2006 Brunello

2006 Conti Costtanti Brunello $59 The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is a dazzling wine. The aromatics alone are haunting. Sweet red cherries, rosemary, sage, tobacco and cedar are woven into a fabric of nearly indescribable elegance. Costanti’s straight Brunello can sometimes lack a little depth in its fruit, but not in 2006. This totally complete, harmonious Brunello is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. It is a stunner. As delicious as the wine is now, it really needs at least a handful of years for the firm tannins to start melting away. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2031.  A Galloni 95+ points

2006 Mate Brunello $55 An opulent, fruit-driven style, yet fresh, with cherry, raspberry and blackberry up front and tar and licorice lurking behind. The richness is mouthcoating, and there are dense tannins hanging out on the finish. This has immediate appeal, yet should age well too. Best from 2014 through 2027. 1,200 cases made. –BS  Wine Spectator 95 pts