Portland Wine

A Blog for Clients, Customers, and Wine Geeks everywhere.

“You get the character of the vintner himself, utopian wine-freak types who are driven to make
superlative hooch.” ~Terry Theise, champagne importer, on Grower Champagnes
      

      It’s that time of year again at purevinewines.com, when we press on through the holiday rush with a determination to improve your celebration. After extensive tasting, and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, we once again find ourselves championing the underdog. “Grower Champagne” and “terroir” are still two of the hottest terms in the wine world these days, and for good reason. The big Champagne houses blend, providing a house style that is reliable, predictable, and sells, sells, sells !! We have to ask: Where’s the love? Surprisingly, champagne has experienced massive growth, even in this bad economy, and its vineyard land, if you could lay your hands on some, is by far the most expensive in the world, (sorry, Burgundy). This trend has created a fascinating power shift that’s launched smaller growers into a very enviable position as the demand for their grapes has skyrocketed. So eighty-six the big house’s ubiquitous corporate jets, slick ad campaigns, middle men, mass production, and eternal coasting on name recognition. Enter Grower Champagnes and salute individual expression, small production, and respect for terroir. On that note, let’s usher in our first wine, a champagne from the grand cru village of Bouzy. Less than 9% of all the planted vineyard land in Champagne has received this top tier status. Bouzy is unique in that it benefits from a south facing slope, producing full bodied Pinot Noir with exceptional development and maturity. The Andre Clouet winery is family owned and operated with the father and son team producing refined Champagne using traditional methods only. The prevalent grape in their Grand Reserve is Pinot Noir, which brings the body and fruitiness to this especially rich wine.
       Our second wine comes from our neighbors in Washington State, where the bankable consistency of one of their good sips is a welcome respite after so much time spent coddling our fussy Pinot Noir grapes here in Oregon, and worrying, to borrow some therapy jargon, whether “their needs are being met” in terms of climate. In Washington as in California, the weather is much more predictable, with warm temperatures that never hamper ripening. This has led to a 400% increase in the number of wineries in the last ten years, making grapes the fastest growing agricultural product in the state. The Gilbert family has been farming in Washington since the late 1800s and has toasted the state’s wine success, focusing on improved quality and organic practices. They currently employ three generations in the production of their wines, and their vineyards span across three distinct AVAs (Wahluke Slope, Columbia Valley, and Horse Heaven Hills). These holdings allow for more control in every stage, from vine to wine, which translates to better quality and care taken in creating the final product. We think this bold red is a real palate pleaser. Styled after Left Bank Bordeaux, containing 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 12% Petit Verdot, 10% Merlot, and 5% Malbec, it has all the elements of a New World wine. It’s rich, fruit-forward, has solid tannins, and a polished finish that lingers. Pairing it with this month’s roast recipe will make for a lovely dinner, but it can also be enjoyed before the meal, in cocktail-y mode. Happy holidays!

Wines:

A. Clouet
Grande Réserve Brut
100% Pinot Noir
Region: Bouzy, Champagne, France
Vintage: NV
This Grower Champagne is a rich and concentrated wine with baked bread aromatics, and nutty, green apple overtones. It has high appeal for being both a food wine as well as a straight drinker.  Small bubbles and thin spirals in the glass graduate into a medium-full bodied white on the nose and palate.
Gilbert Cellars
Left Bank
Red Blend
Region: Wahluke Slope, Washington
Vintage: 2008
Here is a righteous Bordeaux Style blend from the Wahluke Slope in central Washington. This full-bodied rich red has a dark cherry and toasted smoke nose with plenty gushing fruit, and dense, chewy tannins that linger on the palate. Enjoy with Holiday roasts and stews.
 

Recipe:

Horseradish-Crusted Roast Beef

The key to success here, as with any roast, is to not overcook it. Any cut can be used but we always suggest using something you’re comfortable or familiar with. Prime rib is excellent but expensive, and requires several hours. A cheaper cut like a tri-tip roast can come out perfect in 1 ½ hours. Cooking a two-pound roast for 1 ½ hours and an additional 20 minutes for every additional pound at 325 degrees is the general rule of thumb, but keep an eye on your trusty meat thermometer!!

Ingredients

Tri-tip roast – around 2 pounds

2 jars 100% horseradish or freshly grated if you have the ambition.

1 ounce Worcestershire sauce

1 ounce Dijon mustard

1 ounce dry sherry

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Salt and pepper the entire surface of roast. In a bowl, combine horseradish and other ingredients and mix well. Press mixture evenly onto all surfaces of beef roast.
Place meat on rack in roasting pan. Roast in 325°F oven 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours for medium rare doneness. Remove roast when meat thermometer registers 140°F for medium rare. Transfer roast to carving board. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes.
Carve roast into thin slices. Season with additional salt and pepper as desired. Serve with this month’s wine or another appropriate red.