< Tasting Notes

‘JUST BECAUSE’ WINES - June 2025

Hey - sometimes you just need to open a bottle. Not for any particular reason. Just because. We know you know what we mean.

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

JOHAN VINEYARDS Melon de Bourgogne 2022 * Van Duzer Corridor, Oregon
The 2022 Melon de Bourgogne from Johan Vineyards is a quiet stunner—lean, textured, and alive with energy. Grown in marine sediment soils at the southern edge of the Willamette Valley and farmed biodynamically, the fruit was harvested early to preserve freshness, then fermented with native yeasts and aged sur lie to build depth without weight. It opens with lemon pith, sea spray, and green pear, all sharpened by saline acidity and a whisper of leesy complexity. There’s no adornment here—just clarity, precision, and a long, mineral finish that hums.

Winemaker Morgan Beck brings a gentle, intentional hand to both vineyard and cellar, letting the character of the site guide every step. No new oak, no fining or filtering, and minimal sulfur keep the wine honest and expressive. Inspired by the great Muscadets of the Loire but rooted in Oregon’s wild soils and cooler climate, this Melon is a rare combination of modern natural wine ethos and classical poise—a bottle that feels both ancient and entirely new.

Grape(s) - 100% Melon de Bourgogne

Flavors - Lean and electric, this sur lie–aged Melon delivers citrus pith, wet stone, and a whisper of orchard funk, all carried on a lightly salty, acid-driven frame.

Serving - Perfect with oysters, potato chips, or whenever you want to flex your natural wine cred without scaring the neighbors.

Album Pairing - SYLVAN ESSO - ‘What Now’ - 2017 * Textured, taut, and quietly ecstatic—this album glows with polished minimalism and emotionally-charged electronics. The music is acid-bright, a touch salty, and full of little sonic details that bloom with each listen. Amelia Meath’s vocals float cleanly above the glitchy, organic production—just like the wine’s citrus and orchard notes float above its leesy, stony core.

PIETRAVENTOSA 'Volere Volare' Primitivo 2021 * Puglia, Italy
‘Volere Volare’—to want, to fly—is as much a philosophy as a name. Winemaker Marianna Annio farms her tiny estate organically, guided by intuition and a deep connection to the rocky, wind-carved landscape of Corato. The vineyards sit on a plateau of ancient limestone, where breezes from the sea keep the fruit fresh and the skies endlessly open. From this stunning landscape, Marianna makes gorgeous wines rooted in tradition but made with lift, love, and a mind toward what’s possible.

The 2021 ‘Volere Volare’ from Pietraventosa is Primitivo with a pulse—wild-fermented and aged in stainless steel to preserve its clarity and verve. It’s ripe but restrained: all brambly fruit, wild herbs, and a flicker of sea breeze. No oak, no excess—just the romance of Puglia captured with intention and a light hand.

WINE NERD ALERT!! - Primitivo & Zinfandel: A Tale of Two Terroirs. Though they go by different names, Primitivo and Zinfandel are genetically the same grape—sharing a common origin in an ancient Croatian variety called Crljenak Kaštelanski. In Puglia, it’s Primitivo: picked a bit earlier, showing more savory tones, spice, and structure. In California, it’s Zinfandel: often riper, plusher, and leaning into bold fruit. Same DNA, different expressions—like twins raised oceans apart.

Grape(s) - 100% Primitivo

Flavors - Juicy and lifted, this wine bursts with sun-warmed blackberry, cracked pepper, and wild thyme, framed by fine tannins and a dry, coastal breeze finish.

Serving - Pair with grilled lamb, pizza night, or any evening that needs a little swagger and zero pretension.

Album Pairing - LOUIS PRIMA - ‘The Wildest!’ - 1956 * This Primitivo doesn’t just walk into a room—it swings in, full of charm, energy, and a wink in its eye—just like Louis Prima. ‘The Wildest!’ is pure Italian-American bravado: hot brass, fast tempo, big heart. And ‘Volere Volare’ follows suit—juicy and bright, but never sloppy; soulful, but totally unpretentious. It’s the kind of wine that should be poured with volume up and food flying, as Louis shouts from the speakers and the table gets louder and happier by the glass! 

#GARAGEWINE 'Las Trinitarias' Verdoncho 2022 * Castilla, Spain
’Las Trinitarias’ Verdoncho is a crisp revival story told in clay and soul. Verdoncho—a nearly forgotten Castilian variety—is grown organically on wind swept, high-elevation plots in Castilla-La Mancha, then wild-fermented on skins in in old tinajas (amphora) for a full 90 days. The result is zippy and textural: citrus peel, fennel frond, crushed almond, and a savory mineral undercurrent that brings the whole thing into sharp, compelling focus. It’s not trying to be showy—it just naturally is.

Winemakers Pablo and Andrea, the duo behind #garagewine, are part of Spain’s micro-revolution—shepherding indigenous grapes back into the spotlight through low-intervention methods and soul-first winemaking. They farm by hand, use no additives beyond a touch of sulfur at bottling, and work with patience and clay instead of chemistry. Their wines are raw in the best sense: honest, expressive, and deeply tied to place.

WINE NERD ALERT!! - Verdoncho is extremely rare, with just around 190 hectares planted across Spain. And we believe this is the only 100% Verdoncho currently being made. In the world.

Grape(s) - 100% Verdoncho. One of a kind.

Flavors - Bright and nervy, the wine hums with citrus peel, green almond, and salty stone, wrapped in a lightly waxy texture that begs a second sip.

Serving - Drink this stunner alongside grilled sardines, salted Marcona almonds, jamon serrano, or while arguing passionately about obscure grape varieties with your nerdiest frenemy.

** AUDIOPHILE LP OF THE MONTH CLUB VINYL**

Album Pairing - INTERPOL - ‘Antics’ - 2004 * like the wine, this album is all tension and texture — bright, angular, moody in a controlled way, and laced with just enough atmosphere to keep you coming back for more. Each sip, like each track, feels both spare and emotionally loaded — a couple of underground classics in the making.

WHITE WALNUT ESTATE Pinot Noir 2023 * Dundee Hills, Oregon
The 2023 Pinot Noir from White Walnut Estate is quiet confidence in a glass—Dundee Hills fruit, wild-fermented and aged in neutral oak, with no shortcuts and no shine chasing. It’s all red cherry, tea leaf, and cool loam, wrapped in silky tannins and the kind of structure that reveals itself slowly. Elegant without being delicate, it speaks softly but leaves a lasting impression.

Winemaker Chris Mazepink brings deep experience and a biodynamic lens to his work at White Walnut, farming the volcanic Jory soils with intention and trust in nature’s rhythm. In the cellar, he favors native yeast fermentation, a modest use of whole cluster, neutral French oak, and minimal sulfur crafting Pinot that’s layered, precise, and vibrantly alive. The 2023 vintage, shaped by a long, cool growing season, only sharpens its poise. This is absolutely textbook Oregon Pinot made with clarity, calm, and a quiet kind of mastery.

Grape(s) - 100% Pinot Noir

Flavors - Silky and poised, this 2023 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir shows bright red cherry, dried rose, and forest floor, with fine tannins and a mineral spine that carries through a long, graceful finish.

Serving - Perfect with roast duck, mushroom pizza, or just a really good excuse to cancel your plans and drink something elegant in your pajamas.

Album Pairing - SUFJAN STEVENS - ‘Carrie & Lowell’ - 2015 * This Pinot is all subtlety and emotional resonance—just like Carrie & Lowell. It’s grounded in place, delicately layered, and quietly powerful. Both the wine and the album feel like a long walk where your mind finds that special space of clarity, simultaneously filled of restraint and feeling.

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.