< Tasting Notes

F*** Tariff Wines Part II :
All Domestic ‘What Tariffs?’ Edition
- May 2025

SUPERSTAR #1:  (**NOTE - Links are embedded in each winemaker’s names to direct you to their respective websites. Know thy vintner!**)

LAS JARAS 'Superbloom' Rosé 2024 * Various Vineyard Sites, California
Named for the wildflowers that erupt in the California desert after a generous rainy season, ‘Superbloom’ is a celebration of transition — from gray skies to golden hours, from winter stillness to full bloom. Now in its seventh vintage, ‘Superbloom’ remains gloriously hard to define. Deep rosé? Light red? You can call it a nighttime rosé, best opened during the violet hour, that dreamy moment just after sunset when the day gives way to possibility.

This wine was born from a wild idea: co-fermenting red and white Rhône varieties, without any additions or subtractions. The approach is to use organic grapes from warm areas on rocky or gravelly free-draining soils, allowing the vines to work just a little harder, which brings out intensity and character. This year, they also added a touch of early picked Viognier to lend a bright, zippy lift to the blend—and the result? The freshest tasting ‘Superbloom’ yet.

This is a carbonic co-ferment wine that made in several tanks, each with a different varietal mix. This is their second vintage using a slightly different winemaking technique. While they used to do an undisturbed cold true-carbonic for 10-14 days, now they perform a couple of days of pumpovers after the 10th day. This makes the wine much fresher and more stable. The juice is then pressed and fermented it in stainless steel tanks. This new method gives the wine a bit more texture, but the resulting wine has much better clarity, vibrance and chemistry! Once dry, they assemble the lots in tank for aging. Primary and malo-lactic fermentation were native yeast. There have been no additions to this wine.

WINE NERD ALERT!! - What is carbonic maceration? - Carbonic maceration is a winemaking process that takes place during fermentation to produce fresh, fruit-forward, low-tannin red wines. Grapes destined for carbonic maceration must be hand harvested in whole bunches rather than destemmed by a machine. The whole grape clusters are added to a fermenting tank that has been flushed with carbon dioxide gas until it displaces all the existing oxygen. In this anaerobic environment, the grapes release enzymes which cause intracellular fermentation to begin inside the intact berries. Since carbon dioxide is a byproduct of fermentation, the gas continues to build up in the fermenting vessel, contributing to the carbon-dioxide rich environment. The grape skins burst when the juice inside reaches about 2% alcohol. They then let the naturally-occuring yeast on the grape skins begin the yeast fermentation.

Grape(s) - 51% Chenin Blanc, 12% Carignan from Leticia Vineyard, Solano County, Green Valley (Certified Organic)
32% Grenache Noir from Silvaspoons, Lodi (Organic/Regenerative Practicing)
5% Viognier from Sanford and Benedict, Sta. Rita Hills (practicing organic)

Flavors - The white grapes bring freshness and notes of salted watermelon, rhubarb, and white cherry, while the red grapes add a spicy, herbal edge and gorgeous texture. The finish is clean and mineral rich, leaving you instantly ready for another sip.

Serving - Hello sunshine!! Serve this beauty with food, friends, and a little music—it’s made for summer nights and unplanned moments.

Album Pairing - DIANA ROSS + THE SUPREMES - ‘Where Did Our Love Go’ - 1964 * Something about the vibrancy and harmony of this wine left me deeply nostalgic for The Supremes and their big, energetic Motown vibes. So playful yet so structured at the same time. And always joyful. Everything about this wine and this album scream for sunny backyard evenings. Hope you try it for yourself and agree!

SUPERSTAR #2: 

HUMAN CELLARS ‘Sayar Mah’ 2022 * Eola Amity Hills, Oregon
Bryan Berenguer and his wife Emily created Human Cellars after more than 20 years of wandering the earth. Firstly working with underprivileged farmers in Africa, Asia and Latin American and later in wineries in France and Germany, the founders crossed paths with exceptional people who overcame adversity through uncompromising perseverance and passion. They were, and still are, heavily influenced by the profound experiences with these individuals and strive to honor them in every step of winemaking—from vine to bottle.  Each wine produced by Human Cellars is dedicated to these little-known humans who have changed the world for the better and is an attempt to reflect their extraordinary personality and achievements.

In Myanmar, ‘Sayar Mah’ is a title given to highly respected women—those who are kind leaders, fearless innovators and compassionate drivers of change.  During Bryan’s 9 years in the country, Mah Nwe Nwe Lwin—a small-scale rice farmer—was one such ‘Sayar Mah’ that left an imprint like no other. As the founder of a credit union that serves thousands of women and leader of the first seed company in Myanmar, she created spaces where many women could have a voice for the first time in their lives. 

This wine is crafted to reflect the spirit of ‘Sayar Mah’ Nwe Nwe Lwin—bold and determined, yet soft and lighthearted.  Farmed without the use of chemicals in respect of nature.  Aged in neutral oak barrels and crafted with bare minimum intervention, in respect of ‘Sayar Mahs’ around the world.

Grape(s) - 55% Pinot Noir, 45% Gamay Noir

Flavors - This light and frisky passetoutgrain-style blend of 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Gamay Noir is a refreshing treat. The aromas range from wild strawberries and lavender to pine needles and talc, while tart pie cherry and lemon zest flavors join forces with zingy acidity.

Serving - Pair with a charcuterie board to be worshiped by friends and family.

** AUDIOPHILE LP OF THE MONTH CLUB VINYL**

Album Pairing - DR. DUNDIFF & OTIS JUNIOR - ‘Hemispheres’ - 2017 * Otis Junior & Dr. Dundiff have a special bond. While Otis comes from a classic soul background, Dundiff's previous releases were classic underground leftfield hip-hop records. Each are excellent, but together they feel like they should never be apart. So it goes with Pinot and Gamay. Two Noirs, so similar yet so different, and oh so tasty together! Dundiff and Otis approve.

LEGEND #1:   

LIGHTWELL SURVEY 'The Way It Was Before' 2023 * Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
Lightwell Survey is a Virginia winery shining a new light on the traditional wine-scape. Their small batches of lively reds, dense whites and unique combinations of the two come with no preconceived descriptions or traditional aspirations. They aim for the bullseye, yet prefer to land slightly off center. Started in the fall of 2015 with their first harvest in partnership with Early Mountain Vineyards in Madison, VA, their wines will continue to delve into traditional and not so familiar territory.

‘The Way It Was Before’ was inspired by a 2022 collaboration with Troddenvale where Chambourcin grapes were floated on pressed apple juice. For the wine, pressed white grapes were substituted for apples (mostly Petit Manseng, because, you know…) and the result is a light and fresh red, but with the added acid and concentration that comes from the grape that they put in every wine (that’s Petit Manseng, because, you know…).

Grape(s) - 63% Chambourcin, 25% Petit Manseng, 7% Vidal Blanc, 2% Riesling, 2% Chardonel, and 1% Traminette

Flavors - Explosive & vibrant. The Chamborcin kicks beaujolais in the most purple fruit way possible. Electric and infinitely drinkable, this is a summer drinking red at its best. The Petit Manseng keep this juice bomb light on its toes while committing aromatics to the wine for days.

Serving - Drink this wine with a hard chill—more than you think, almost white wine temp—and rejoice!

Album Pairing - NEIL YOUNG - ‘Harvest’ - 1972 * Cheeky Notes Coming Shortly!

LEGEND #2:

DOMAINE MAGDALENA Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 * Red Mountain, Washington
We’re going to just let the winemaker, Maggie Hedges, do the talking here. What better intro can there be than the words of a deeply passionate biodynamic winemaker? **Keep an eye on this winery, they are small and about to blow up, so we are so stoked to be able to bring it to you now. So excited to see some Washington wineries getting in the biodynamic game!!

“Domaine Magdalena is a small family-owned estate in the Red Mountain AVA in Washington State. We started from bare land and planted our first vines in 2005. We built a home on the property a few years later and have lived and raised our family here for the last 15 years. We farm Cabernet Sauvignon primarily, with micro-plantings of Grenache and Syrah. From the outset we farmed organically and in 2009 started the process for obtaining Demeter certification for Biodynamic viticulture. We were granted certification in 2011. After several years of farming fruit and parting with each harvest in 2014 we made the leap to produce our first wine under the Domaine Magdalena label. Our finished wines are also certified biodynamic by Demeter.”

“My husband Christophe and I make these wines together, but we prefer to think of ourselves as winegrowers rather than makers, because we believe that all great wines begin their stories in the vineyard. The hardest work of the vintage is the year of farming that precedes every harvest. Our job is to maintain a vibrant, balanced ecosystem in the vineyard, and allow the grapes to grow and mature to tell their unique story. We practice low intervention winemaking; once the fruit is picked and crushed, it ferments with its own native, wild yeasts. We add very minimal sulfur, mature it in neutral barrels, and bottle it unfiltered. The goal is to let the fruit speak for itself. Being thoughtful stewards of the land is essential to us; our home in the vineyard is where we have raised our family for fifteen years. It’s our belief that sustainable farming, and fermenting the wine with minimal intervention, leads to a finished product that is more complex, and true to its terroir.”

“We also believe that natural winemaking, which has been practiced for centuries, is the future. All things old become new again. Every year we do our utmost to treat the land and the vines gently, treat our workers with dignity and respect, cultivate a balanced ecosystem, grow healthy fruit, and ferment a wine that expresses all the unique qualities of this very special growing region and the idiosyncrasies of the vintage.”

Grape(s) - 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Flavors - Herbal, elegant, restrained yet balanced, this is not your typical west-coast Cabernet. Silky.  Balanced.  Rustic.  Bordeaux-like charm.  Impresses us with nuance and not power. Simply put, this wine is a superstar.

Serving - This wine flexes with food for sure. Pair it gamey meats, all things braised, or a perfectly grilled steak. Trust us, your dinner companions will thank you. (Or don’t share! We probably wouldn’t!)

Album Pairing - NIKKA COSTA - ‘Everybody Got Their Something’ - 2001 * Cheeky Notes Coming Shortly!

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.