< Tasting Notes

Wines to Pop with a Loved One | February 2025

BUBBLY: 

JOHAN VINEYARDS ‘Pét-Nat of Pinot Noir’ 2022 * Willamette Valley, Oregon
Located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, within the Van Duzer Corridor AVA, Johan Vineyards is an 85-acre certified-Biodynamic estate winery. Their goal is to create a self-sustained holistic farm system with the energy to produce an honest expression of itself, and to share that expression with others. Here, they strove to achieve ripe fruit flavors and higher acidity, for a fresh and juicy expression of Pinot Noir. The wine was bottled at the tail end of its primary fermentation, where it then finished fermentation in bottle. This wine is unfiltered and contains lees – pour off slowly or invert to evenly distribute.

Nerd Alert - Pétillant Naturel (or "Pét-Nat") is a method of producing sparkling wine, also referred to as “Methode Ancestrale”, where the carbonation occurs from bottling the wine during the primary, alcoholic fermentation – in order to capture the carbon dioxide that is being naturally released. 

Grape - 100% Pinot Noir

Flavors - Redcurrant and bitter cherry flavors with a jolt of orange pith alongside a hint of tarragon

Serving - Charcuterie & cheese aperitif wine to a T!

Album Pairing - JOHN COLTRANE - ‘A Love Supreme’ - 1965 * If Johan’s Pét-Nat of Pinot Noir is classic red fruit flavors with a jolt of orange pith, may I suggest pairing this lovely wine alongside some classic jazz sounds with a jolt of John Coltrane. Bonus, if Biodynamic Oregon wine has you feeling that sense of PNW pride, opt for ‘A Love Supreme - Live in Seattle’, recorded during the booming Seattle Jazz scene of the 60s. What, you didn’t know Seattle was a thriving jazz scene once?

WHITE: 

RES FORTES Blanc  2019 * Roussillon, France
”When I was young, I remember travelling on the train across Europe and seeing the Swiss Alps with terraced vineyards covered in snow. By the age of 16 I was hooked. My passion has been winemaking ever since.” - Winemaker Moritz Bak. Can you blame him?!? Moritz chose the Roussillon region and the village of Maury in the South of France as the place for the first vintage, knowing the potential for quality residing in the Pyrenees foothills where he purchased a 14 Hectare Organic vineyard and winery in September 2018. Since then, his wines have justifiably garnered a worldwide following and many awards, including "Winery of the Year" by the USA Wine Ratings.

Grape - 60% Macabeu, 40%  Grenache Gris

Flavors - White melon and pear fruit loom, round and ripe, on the palate - balanced by a lightly mineral acidity and fuller bodied finish.

Serving - Pairs beautifully with Moules-frites, pasta vongole, baked seafood or roast chicken dishes.

Album Pairing - FINLEY QUAYE - ‘Maverick a Strike’ - 1997 * Something about Moritz Bak screams maverick. He’s young, he’s ambitious, and he’s doing it right. Making beautiful wines in classic but exciting ways. Wines that love the stunning sounds of Reggae bent with a Trip-Hop spin from Scottish phenom Finley Quaye’s ambitious debut album. Two young artists that are/were somehow already timeless.

RED #1:   

DAMIANO CIOLLI 'Franc(o)' 2023 * Lazio, Italy
”Franc[o] is a tribute to a person, to a variety, to our way of being frank. And if I can be Franc[o], there is nothing wrong with doing things well.” For the first vintage ever, Damiano Ciolli and longtime partner Letizia Rocchi worked with Cabernet Franc—a grape new to them—balanced with Cesanese to create a wine deeply connected to its place. Four days of maceration in concrete, spontaneous fermentation (both alcoholic and malolactic), and eight months of aging in cement, followed by a short rest in bottle. Unfiltered, unfussed, and full of intention—just a raw, honest thank you in a bottle, born from a very difficult vintage.

Grape - 70% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cesanese

Flavors - Floral scents and lots of crunchy berries – blueberry, currant and raspberry – accompany loads of herbaceous notes, especially bay leaves and mint, along with chocolatey balsamic edges.

Serving - Grilled meats and hearty roast root vegetables. Just a total hearty winter dinner wine!

Album Pairing - DARONDO - ‘Listen to my Song: The Music City Sessions’ - 2011 * “This is the root, you got the root!” - Darondo. After decades presumed lost, these recording from 1972-1974 have miraculously survived and sound just as good as he remembered them. Indispensable street funk and soul balladry to enjoy with this crunchy, funky, soul-filled wine deeply rooted in its own sense of place.

RED #2:

LAS JARAS ‘Sweet Berry Wine’ 2021 * Mendocino, California

From the winemaker - “Grab a warm blanket, start a fire, and watch as the flames illuminate the beautiful, deep ruby wine inside your glass. As the days grow short and temperatures drop, even more occasions will arise to uncork a bottle of Sweet Berry Wine: be it holiday feasts, lodge-side après-ski gatherings, or welcoming the New Year. Laden with spices and vibrant berry notes, this wine pairs impeccably with an array of dishes, showcasing its remarkable versatility. Undoubtedly, it's a wine that will beckon us back time and again throughout the years to come.”

Aren’t winemaker notes fun!? After skipping the 2020 vintage of ‘Sweet Berry Wine’ due to wildfire, Las Jaras was extremely happy to release this iteration of their flagship red blend. It exudes incredible finesse; however, which hasn't always been the case. This vintage required ample time to stretch its legs and evolve but the result is a wine that wields power yet exhibits refinement. 

Grapes - 57% Zinfandel, 25% Petite Sirah, 18% Carignan

Flavors - Robust aromas of cocoa powder, black plum, marionberry, forest floor, and allspice give way to notes of blue fruit, deep cherry, and red licorice on the palate, supported by supple tannins with an enduring and savory finish.

Serving - Perfect with lamb chops, meaty red sauce pastas, or a rich mole sauce smothered on…well…anything. 

Album Pairing - ANDERSON .PAAK - ‘Malibu’ - 2016 * From Mendocino to Malibu, ‘Sweet Berry Wine’ and Anderson .Paak both exhibit such playful exuberance and each carry an unrelenting eye toward ebullient joy and unbridled entertainment. They just scream to be experienced together. Turn the radio up, raise your glass, and just cut loose. It feels so good.

REMINDERS

• To celebrate our valued club members we offer 20% off all food ordered on the day you pick-up. 

• 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.