Wine Club Selections
Wines for Radical Acceptance | January 2025
WHITE:
GOLDEN CLUSTER ‘Ode to Chuck’ Old Vine Sémillon 2021 * Willamette Valley, OR
This stunning wine is a tip of the cap to Oregon winery pioneer Charles Coury, the man who planted these Sémillon vines nearly 60 years ago. Only in exceptional vintages is ‘Ode to Chuck’ produced from this historic site. In fact, 2021 is only the second vintage that Golden Cluster winemaker Jeff Vejr has deemed powerful yet delicate enough to bear this special nomenclature. In this bottle you have a wine that reminds you of what is possible in the Willamette Valley. Thank you Chuck for blazing the trail and thank you Jeff for this amazing juice!
Grape - 100% Sémillon
Flavors - Phenomenal texture, natural acidity, fruit, and the classic honey and lemon notes that Sémillon is renowned for.
Serving - Grab some amazing sausages from Beast & Cleaver and toss them on the grill. Serve with a fresh salad and perhaps some of that Meredith Dairy goat-sheep cheese in a grassy olive oil. This delightfully versatile wine can handle all of that.
Album Pairing - THE FUGEES - ‘The Score’ - 1996 * In honor of trailblazers everywhere, may I present you with The Fugees. This album and their style was the perfect balance of hip-hop and R&B seamlessly intertwined. Let Lauryn Hill’s soulful voice serenade as this sémillon slides silkily across your palate. Immediate Classic! Both the wine and the album.
ORANGE:
WEINGUT SCHÖDL ‘Free Your Mind’ 2022 * Loidesthal, Austria
3 of a kind. Mathias, Viktoria and Leonhard. Three Siblings with a heart and love for wine, the dedication to nature and it‘s power, and purveyors of honest craftsmanship. ’Free Your Mind’ is an impeccable skin fermented wine composed of Grüner Veltliner, Scheurebe & Gelber Muskateller grapes. This wine has a discernible tannin structure, yet retains a lovely light body and is incredibly fun to drink. Scheurebe and it’s wild exotic fruit character meets the spicy elegance of Grüner Veltliner to create a truly beguiling harmony. Two contrasts that were combined by our trio of sibling winemakers with no prejudice that turned out to be a perfect match.
Grape - 70% Grüner Veltliner, 20% Scheurebe, 20% Gelber Muskateller
Flavors - Citrusy and floral with aromas of jasmine and grapefruit.
Serving - This is the wine for your favorite spicy Asian flavors.
Album Pairing - BEACH HOUSE - ‘Bloom’ - 2012 * Free your mind and let Beach House wash over you and take you to a far off dreamscape of a world. Someplace far away from all the noise and chaos. A quiet enchanting world of serenity and joy. You can get there, one sip and track at a time!
RED #1:
LES ERRANCES ‘Cartouche’ 2023 * Loire Valley, FR
How good is this wine? Bursting with crunchy red fruits, ‘Cartouche’ is energetic, juicy, & addictive. The upfront burst of flavor melds with citrus notes, a vegetal framework, and a light but lively tannic structure. The Grolleau is grown on schist and pebble soils, vinified in whole bunches (semi-carbonic macerations) and aged in concrete vats for 6 months, all giving the wine a nice chalky backbone. Warren and Maïté Perrocheau at Les Errances are meticulous farmers and they take a permaculture approach encouraging diversity of plants and trees in and around the vines. In the cellar they are as hands off as possible, with long wild ferments and a mixture of fermenting vessels. All wines enjoy long elevage and are remarkably stable, with minimal sulphur added only when needed. Their wines are immensely enjoyable, clean, and absolutely bursting with life.
Grape - 100% Grolleau
Flavors - A light fruity red with elegant and refined structure. Imagine raspberries & red cherries on a bed of violet flowers. Round, smooth and dangerously drinkable.
Serving - This wine screams, "cool night al fresco" - and if there's a campfire nearby, all the better.
Album Pairing - PIXIES - ‘Doolittle’ - 1989 * A crunchy punk rock wine like ‘Cartouche’ demands a crunchy punk rock album. Calling on Pixies to come to the rescue! This album is a perfect balance of controlled chaos and irreverence. Just like this bottle.
RED #2:
CHÂTEAU FALFAS 'Les Demoiselles' Bordeaux Côtes de Bourg 2022 * Bordeaux, FR
Château Falfas has a heritage that dates back to the 14th century, and current winemaker Véronique Cochran was one of the earliest adopters of biodynamic farming in the region, having converted the entire estate in 1988. 'Les Demoiselles’ is produced from young vines up to ten years old, vinified separately and not barrel-aged. In the cellar, Véronique makes use of old concrete vats and macerations are usually quite long lasting up to a month with very little, if any, punchdowns to minimize extraction and allowing for slow natural fermentations to occur. The result are incredibly pure, supple, and terroir-driven wines that blow us away year after year!
Grapes - 75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon
Flavors - Classic Bordeaux flavors and savory in style. Up-front juicy purple fruit, a driving freshness, and just enough layered grip will keep you coming back for more.
Serving - Wild NW mushroom & beef stew, venison, hearty stews, really just all your meaty/earthy winter comfort favorites.
Album Pairing - CAROLE KING - ‘Tapestry’ - 1971 * Classic but refreshing Bordeaux flavors bursting with a feminine touch just screamed Carole King to me. So soulful and classic, its easy to forget how much powerful feminine energy erupt from the speakers. Yes, Carole! I feel the earth move under my feet too!
REMINDERS
To celebrate our valued club members we offer 15% off all food ordered on pick-up Tuesdays.
If you can not pick up on the pick up dates please contact mckay@barmiriam.com and we will hold your allotment offsite and can arrange for a future pick up.
Email mckay@barmiriam.com to buy more single bottles or a case with special club pricing.
Queen Anne Bottle Shop is open Tuesday-Saturday from 3:00pm — 8:00pm.
Wine pairs best with friends. Tell your friends.