< Tasting Notes

Wine for Those Lovely May Flowers
- May 2026

If last month was for April showers, shouldn’t we present some wines to honor May flowers?
Doesn’t one good turn deserve another?
The answer is a resounding yes.
So here are some stunners for you to enjoy as Seattle starts to get that summer air in its step!

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

FORLORN HOPE 'Queen of the Sierra' Co-Ferment 2023 * Calaveras County, Sierra Foothills, California
Matthew Rorick founded Forlorn Hope in 2005 after repairing submarine telescopes for the US Navy, riding skateboards professionally, and beginning anthropology graduate studies at University of Chicago. His grandfather taught him wine over multiple-bottle dinners debating which paired best with each dish. In 2013, Rorick purchased the Rorick Heritage Vineyard in Calaveras County, an 80-acre estate at 2,000 feet first ranched by the Shaw family in 1844. Barden Stevenot planted the site in the 1960s and 1970s, including own-rooted Wente Chardonnay from 1974 that remains today. Rorick converted to organic immediately and works with manager Demetrio Nava, who has tended the site for over 15 years. The winery name comes from the Dutch verloren hoop, meaning lost troop, given to soldiers who volunteered to lead charges into enemy defenses. Their chances were slim but the glory ensured volunteers. As Rorick puts it: we love the longshots, the outsiders, the lost causes, the people and projects abandoned as not having a chance in the world.

Queen of the Sierra represents Rorick's most playful expression, where serious winemaking meets joyful experimentation. The 2023 Co-Ferment takes red and white grapes picked simultaneously and ferments them together in open top vessels, creating what dealers call adult kool-aid because it refuses categorization. The varieties paired by historical region: Albariño with Tempranillo, Barbera with Vermentino, Chenin Blanc with Pineau d'Aunis, Trousseau with Chardonnay, and in homage to 1880s California, Zinfandel with Verdelho. Rorick pressed the ferments from halfway to fully dry depending on taste and tannin, then transferred to neutral 227-liter barrels or stainless. The vineyard sits on schist over dolomite-rich limestone, imparting electric mineral tension. Alpine growing season plus limestone creates the house style: beautiful aromatics, texture, and crackling acidity. Bottled unfined and unfiltered in May 2024 with nothing added except minimal sulfur. No new oak, no cultured yeast or malolactic bacteria, no water or tartaric acid or enzymes. If the site is right and the picking is right, nothing needs adjustment.

NERD ALERT!! - Co-fermentation represents one of winemaking's oldest techniques, predating the practice of separating varieties entirely. Before modern viticulture established monoculture vineyards, field blends were standard across Europe, with different varieties getting picked and fermented together based on harvest logistics rather than varietal purity. Rorick's approach channels that historical pragmatism while adding intentionality about which varieties share vessels. The geographic pairing creates fascinating synergies: Iberian Albariño and Tempranillo share similar tannin and acid structures despite different colors, while Italian Barbera and Vermentino both express bright acidity and herbal notes. The Zinfandel and Verdelho pairing pays homage to California's Gold Rush era, when both ranked among the state's most widely planted varieties. Verdelho has documented presence since the late 1800s, though many assumed it was a newcomer. Rorick's dedication to rare varieties extends across the property: the vineyard now contains over 20 grape types with another 10 to 15 waiting at nurseries.

Grape(s) - Totally crazy field blend - Albariño, Tempranillo, Barbera, Vermentino, Chenin Blanc, Pineau d'Aunis, Trousseau, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Verdelho

Flavors - Red berry fruit dominates with juicy, crisp acidity. Fresh and light with savory limestone tang from the estate soils and cold mountain nights. The aromatic exuberance of white varieties meets the bright fruit flavors of reds, landing somewhere between all categories with lighter tannins than regular red and more flavor than rosé

Serving - The wine's versatility makes it dangerously easy to drink in almost any context. Chill it down for backyard gatherings, weekend barbecues, or lazy afternoons when you want something refreshing that won't demand too much attention. The juicy fruit and bright acidity work with grilled chicken, charcuterie boards, tacos, pizza, or honestly just about anything you might eat casually with friends.

** AUDIOPHILE LP OF THE MONTH CLUB VINYL**

Album Pairing - OPEN MIKE EAGLE - ‘Brick Body Kids Still Daydream’ - 2017 * This concept album chronicles Chicago's Robert Taylor Homes, massive public housing where Mike Eagle grew up with his grandparents. The buildings were demolished completely in 2007, scattering families that had lived together for three generations, condemned by bureaucrats and faceless cranes and public indifference. Eagle personifies the buildings and brings them back to life with arms and eyes, fighting until the last brick crumbles. The album refuses simple categorization just like this wine refuses to be red or white or rosé or orange. Both find humanity in places others wrote off as lost causes. Forlorn Hope's entire philosophy centers on loving the longshots and outsiders, which mirrors the album's mission to restore dignity to a place reduced to one-dimensional narratives. The co-fermentation brings together varieties that supposedly don't belong together, just as the album insists on the full humanity of communities society tried to simplify and scatter. Eagle notes that things exist on gradients, which captures the wine's refusal to land cleanly in any category. Both express painful nostalgia alongside genuine joy. The album's closing track devastates: they blew up my auntie's building, put out her great grandchildren, who else in America deserves to have that feeling. That displacement echoes in every glass made from varieties rescued from obscurity, given new life in unexpected combinations on California mountainsides.

BODEGAS KRONTIRAS 'Natural' Malbec 2024 * Maipú, Mendoza, Argentina
Constantinos Krontiras and Silvina Macipe-Krontiras founded Bodegas Krontiras in 2004 after Constantinos, born in Greece, fell in love with both Argentina and Silvina during travels. They saw in Mendoza's high altitude landscape something that reminded them of Greece. They purchased an ancient vineyard in Perdriel sector of Luján de Cuyo with 120-year-old vines, then established a new vineyard at Villa Seca in Maipú. Both sites were rapidly converted to organic in 2009, then fully biodynamic in 2012, making Krontiras one of Argentina's first Demeter-certified wineries. Silvina designed the winery building according to biodynamic principles, using sacred geometry based on the golden ratio and pi. Natural materials like straw provide insulation. Winemaker Maricruz Antolín has managed the estate since 2008 and is widely regarded as a rising star, with Tim Atkin MW naming her a talent to watch. Greek consultant Panos Zoumboulis brought biodynamic practices and continues advising with his son Spyros. The project represents cultural fusion: Argentine terroir through Greek philosophical principles.

The Natural Malbec represents Krontiras's most radical statement, made without any sulfur additions. They began experimenting with zero-sulfur wines in 2015, spending two years perfecting the approach before releasing this bottling in 2017. Grapes come from Villa Seca vineyard in Maipú, planted 2005 on soils benefiting from organic and biodynamic farming. Fruit undergoes double hand selection before fermentation in stainless steel using only wild yeasts. The wine sees no oak, preserving pure fruit and mineral character. Without sulfur as preservative and antioxidant, winemaking must be impeccably clean, which means pristine fruit, meticulous sanitation, and careful temperature control. The wine shows remarkable stability and purity, proving Mendoza's intense sunlight, low humidity, and high altitude create grapes that can speak for themselves. At 13 to 14 percent alcohol, the wine shows ripeness without heaviness, and skipping oak lets the site shine through unfiltered.

NERD ALERT!! - Making wine without added sulfur represents one of natural winemaking's greatest challenges. Sulfur dioxide has been used for centuries as preservative and antioxidant, preventing unwanted microbial growth and protecting wine from oxidation. Removing it entirely requires near-perfect conditions: immaculate fruit with no rot, scrupulously clean equipment, careful temperature management, and often willingness to accept shorter shelf life. The practice remains controversial even within natural wine circles, with some arguing small sulfur additions actually allow less intervention overall by preventing problems requiring corrective measures. Krontiras's success demonstrates Argentina's climate advantages. High altitude, intense UV radiation, low humidity, and large diurnal swings create grapes with naturally high polyphenols and thick skins providing inherent stability. Biodynamic farming further strengthens vine health. Interestingly, many Krontiras vineyards remain ungrafted on their own roots, possible in Argentina where phylloxera never colonized certain isolated valleys, allowing what some argue is purer terroir expression.

Grape(s) - 100% Malbec

Flavors - Dense and dark with aromatic blackberry, spice, ripe raspberry, cherry syrup, licorice, dried herbs, nettle, and sour cherry. The palate shows smooth, medium body with ripe forest fruits, cranberry, and a yogurt-like creaminess. Grainy, mouth-coating tannins add grip while cranberry and subtle green apple lend freshness. Fleshy, lifted fruit with clean, pure style and persistent, layered finish. Gentle warmth without heaviness.

Serving - The wine's dense fruit and structured tannins make it a perfect match for grilled meats, particularly Argentine-style asado with chimichurri. The licorice and herb notes complement beef brisket, smoked short ribs, or any preparation with char and smoke. The creaminess in the palate works beautifully with aged hard cheeses, while the acidity cuts through rich meat dishes and fatty cuts. Try it with chorizo, grilled lamb, or mushroom preparations that echo the earthy, savory character.

Album Pairing - MANU CHAU – ‘Clandestino’ - 1998 * The album title translates to clandestine or underground, perfectly capturing what Constantinos and Silvina Krontiras were doing when they began zero-sulfur winemaking in 2015. Operating beneath the surface of conventional production, making something radical most said couldn't work, just as Manu Chao recorded this breakthrough solo album across countries outside traditional studios. Both embody cultural fusion. Manu Chao is the son of Spanish immigrants in Paris, singing in Spanish, French, English, Portuguese, and Arabic, creating street music that belongs everywhere and nowhere. The Krontiras story mirrors this: a Greek couple who saw in Mendoza something reminiscent of home, building a winery by sacred geometry principles while making Argentine Malbec. The album was recorded during Manu's nomadic travels with whatever equipment was available, embracing imperfection. That DIY aesthetic translates to minimal intervention winemaking, trusting grapes and natural processes. Political consciousness runs through both. Manu's songs address immigration and displacement without losing joyful energy. Choosing biodynamic and zero-sulfur represents a political statement about industrial agriculture, but the wine remains approachable rather than difficult. Mediterranean roots transplanted to new world soil, multiple languages meeting in single expression, underground methods producing something life-affirming.

CHAPUIS ET CHAPUIS Aligoté 2017 * Bourgogne, France
Brothers Jean-Guillaume and Romain Chapuis grew up among Aloxe-Corton vines in Burgundy. In 2009, they combined skills to create wines they had long dreamed of making, initially working from a small Pommard cellar before building their own facility in Ladoix-Serrigny. Romain, the younger brother, trained as an oenologist and worked at domaines throughout France including Alsace, Bordeaux, Beaujolais, plus Lebanon and New Zealand. After returning to Burgundy, he worked as Philippe Pacalet's top cellar master, learning natural winemaking from one of the movement's pioneers. They operate under two labels: Chapuis Frères for classic cuvées, and Chapuis et Chapuis for natural wines made without added sulfites. They currently farm approximately four hectares across Chorey-lès-Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Aloxe-Corton Premier Cru, Corton Grand Cru, and Corton-Charlemagne, also sourcing from like-minded organic growers. Their approach represents modern Burgundy: straightforward, easy-to-drink wines respecting terroirs without pretension.

This Aligoté comes from carefully selected organic parcels in Burgundy, with fruit undergoing spontaneous fermentation by native yeasts in barrel. The wine ages approximately six months in neutral oak before bottling without fining or filtration, preserving texture and aromatics that make Aligoté compelling when treated with Chardonnay-level care. Aligoté occupies an interesting position as Burgundy's other great white grape, once nearly equal to Chardonnay before phylloxera devastated French vineyards in the late 1800s. During replanting, Chardonnay won economically and Aligoté became relegated to worker's wine. The variety thrives in cooler sites and limestone soils, developing vibrant acidity and mineral character without the weight or oak influence of premium white Burgundy. The Chapuis brothers embrace Aligoté as part of their mission to make honest, unmanipulated wines showing what Burgundy offers beyond grand cru hierarchy. The 2017 vintage represents a warmer year, giving the Aligoté additional ripeness while maintaining characteristic freshness. Aligoté from quality producers can age surprisingly well, as this wine demonstrates. But it is drinking beautifully now, so crack it with friends this weekend!

NERD ALERT!! - The revival of interest in Aligoté represents a broader trend toward recognizing Burgundy's full viticultural heritage beyond Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. While Bouzeron gained its own appellation for Aligoté in 1998, recognizing the village's well-suited limestone for the variety, most Aligoté carries generic Bourgogne Aligoté designation regardless of source quality. This creates opportunity: Aligoté from top producers often provides incredible value compared to entry-level Bourgogne Blanc from the same domaine, sometimes at half the price despite similar quality vineyards and winemaking treatment. The variety's high natural acidity made it historically popular for sparkling wine before Crémant de Bourgogne established stricter regulations. Ampelographers traced Aligoté's parentage to a natural crossing between Pinot and Gouais Blanc, the same parentage as Chardonnay, making them half-siblings. This explains similarities in mineral character and ability to express limestone terroir, though Aligoté typically shows more citrus and green fruit while Chardonnay tends toward orchard fruits and richer texture.

Grape(s) - 100% Aligoté

Flavors - Bright citrus and green apple with wet stone minerality and a light herbal quality. The palate shows vibrant acidity, clean fruit, and a tangy, refreshing character. Light to medium body with a crisp, mineral-driven finish.

Serving - The wine's bright but textured citrus notes complement grilled or poached fish beautifully, while the crisp profile cuts through butter-based sauces like beurre blanc or hollandaise. The refined elegance from the bottle age makes it a perfect wine for classic Burgundian preparations like jambon persillé, gougères, or escargots, as well as fresh goat cheeses and vegetable terrines.

Album Pairing - THE WOOD BROTHERS – ‘One Drop of Truth’- 2018 * Two brothers combining skills to make something warm and authentic, recorded mostly live with minimal overdubs in Muscle Shoals. Oliver and Chris Wood bring different backgrounds together just as Jean-Guillaume and Romain merged their experiences to create wines they had long dreamed of making. The album title captures natural winemaking philosophy: one drop of truth, nothing added or taken away, letting purity of source material speak without manipulation. The Wood Brothers tracked these songs with the same spontaneous, organic energy that defines the Chapuis brothers' use of native yeasts and spontaneous fermentation. Both pairs operate with intuitive understanding that only comes from working closely with someone you trust completely. The soulful warmth in the music matches the sunshine-glossy character of the 2017 Aligoté, that vintage's extra ripeness bringing honeyed quality while maintaining the grape's freshness. Aligoté exists as Burgundy's overlooked grape, just as The Wood Brothers built their career outside mainstream country and rock. The unpretentious authenticity runs through both. The Chapuis vision is modern Burgundy: straightforward wines respecting terroirs without pretension. The Wood Brothers make rootsy soul that feels timeless and contemporary, accessible without dumbing down craft. By 2018, both sets of brothers had become rising stars, proving that staying true to organic principles and brotherhood builds something lasting.

DAY WINES 'Johan Vineyard' Pinot Noir 2021 * Maranges, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France
Brianne Day sold everything in 2006 and began traveling through wine regions worldwide, spending eight years visiting approximately 80 different areas and working harvests in Burgundy, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand. She re-established in Oregon and worked at The Eyrie Vineyards and Brooks before founding Day Wines with the 2012 vintage, starting with just 125 cases. The operation has since grown to close to 20,000 cases annually, representing nearly 16,000 percent growth in a decade. While most Oregon producers focus primarily on Pinot Noir, Day embraces the state's diversity, working with 25 different grape varieties from 32 vineyards. She describes her approach through orchestral metaphor: a piano solo might express specific music, but making wine from many varieties is like having a whole orchestra showing different sides of a place. She sources exclusively from growers utilizing biodynamic, organic, or sustainable practices, crafting wines with minimal intervention. Wine Enthusiast named her a 2017 40 Under 40 Tastemaker..

Johan Vineyard is an 85-acre Demeter-certified biodynamic site in the Van Duzer Corridor, where Pacific Ocean breezes howl through a Coast Range gap every summer afternoon. This cooling suspends ripening in late afternoon, preserving acidity and making Johan almost always Day's last Pinot pick despite relatively low elevation. The site sits primarily on marine sediment soils, ancient seabed creating distinctive mineral character. Day fermented this Pinot with 30 percent whole clusters using spontaneous fermentation by native yeasts, then aged it 22 months in French oak with 20 percent new barrels and 80 percent neutral. The wine was racked twice before bottling unfined and unfiltered, preserving textural richness and aromatics. The wine displays what Day describes as a lovely deep red berry core allied to a beguiling spice component that makes for classic southern Willamette profile. The tannins and acids show strident structure in youth, indicating long aging potential. The wine tastes like nature itself: wholesome, pure, with remarkable clarity.

NERD ALERT!! - The Van Duzer Corridor represents one of Oregon's most distinctive mesoclimates, named for the Coast Range gap that funnels cool Pacific air directly into the Willamette Valley. These afternoon winds can reach substantial velocity during summer, providing natural temperature moderation that extends hang time and preserves acidity even as sugars develop. The marine sediment soils at Johan Vineyard trace back millions of years when this area sat beneath an ancient sea, creating completely different soil profile than the volcanic Jory series defining many famous Willamette sites. Marine sediment tends to produce wines with more pronounced mineral character and savory elements compared to the red fruit intensity typical of volcanic soils.

Grape(s) - 100% Pinot Noir

Flavors - Umami-driven aromas of turned earth, smoky violets, and ripe stewed strawberries lifted by evergreen tips and mint. The palate shows fresh red and black bramble fruits with chicory root, black tea, wild anise, and tart cranberry balanced against sweet strawberry and rosehips. Sharp acidity and pronounced mineral note on the finish. Medium body with a touch of grip and zingy freshness.

Serving - The wine's umami character and earthy aromatics make it exceptional with mushroom preparations, roasted root vegetables, or duck. Classic Pinot Noir pairings always apply as well: roasted chicken, pork tenderloin, lamb, or aged hard cheeses, particularly when prepared with herbs or in richer preparations that benefit from the wine's cut.

Album Pairing - PHOEBE BRIDGERS – ‘Stranger in the Alps’ - 2017 * Brianne Day describes her approach through orchestral metaphor: a piano solo might express specific music, but working with many varieties is like having a whole orchestra showing different sides of a place. This Pinot from a single vineyard represents the piano solo, and Phoebe Bridgers' debut album embodies exactly that intimate, spare expression. Recorded when Bridgers was finding her voice, the album strips everything to essentials: her vocals, minimal guitar and piano, vulnerable melodies that don't hide behind production tricks. Tracks like Smoke Signals and Scott Street feel like they're happening in the room with you, the same wholesome purity that makes people describe this Pinot as tasting like nature itself. The album title captures something essential about both artist and winemaker. Bridgers was a stranger finding her place in the music world, just as Day sold everything in 2006 and spent eight years traveling through 80 wine regions before establishing herself in Oregon. Both built something remarkable from that outsider perspective. The space in Bridgers' production mirrors the Van Duzer Corridor winds that cool Johan Vineyard every afternoon, preserving the wine's bright acidity and mineral character. The patient, quiet power in songs like Funeral reflects the ancient marine sediment soils beneath the vines. This was Bridgers' 125-case moment, her beginning. Both prove that sometimes the most affecting expressions come from knowing what to leave out.

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.