[Cornell Wine] Cornell Club February Selections

[Michael Beard]

CORNELL WINE CLUB
FEBRUARY WINE SELECTIONS

Below are details of the January selections for our Wine Club.  These  
wines are available for pick-up by members from Saturday, February  
3rd.  The wines will be available for all to taste on Saturday,  
February 10th Noon – 5:00PM.  Remember, members get a 15% discount on  
monthly selections, so SIGN-UP AND SAVE!

EARL and COUNTESS LEVEL

ALOIS LAGEDER 2004 PORTICO dei LEONI, IGT DOLOMITI, ITALY

Lageder is one of the great white wine producers from the north of  
Italy.  This is a blend of 55% PINOT GRIGIO and 45% PINOT BIANCO from  
a single vineyard, PORTICO dei LEONI, and it carries an IGT VIGNETI  
delle DOLOMITI BIANCO classification.  The wine offers lots of pear  
and melon fruit up front in a similar manner to many Oregon wines.   
However the palate and finish is very Italian, with acidity to  
balance the fruit and considerable mineral notes.  It is a wine more  
made for drinking at the dining table than sipping on the deck.
Regular Price: $14.50            Member Price: $12.33

DOMINIO de TARES 2003 EXALTOS CEPAS VIEJAS, BIERZO, SPAIN

Until I bought this wine shop I’d not heard of BIERZO (which is a  
region in northwest Spain, just above Portugal), or its native red  
grape MENCIA.  In some ways Mencia seems like a cross between Syrah  
and Cabernet Franc.  It offers lots of plum fruit, but has touches of  
bell pepper and tobacco.  We have carried less expensive bottlings  
from this producer, but this is their higher end wine produced from  
the oldest vines (60+ years).  The wine sees more oak than the lower- 
priced ones, spending nine months in a mix of Allier and Nevers oak  
from France, and some Missouri oak.  At the moment the oak is  
noticeable, but it should better integrate with a few more months of  
bottle aging.  A lovely wine to go with beef or lamb, or even venison.

Regular Price: $32.50           Member Price: $27.63

Total Member Monthly Cost: $39.95

BARON and BARONESS LEVEL

LAFAZANIS 2005 RODITIS, PELOPONNESE, GREECE

Roditis is a white varietal native to Greece, and is often used as  
the base wine for the better Retsina.  Here it is blended with a  
small amount of Moschoudi, the local name for a Muscat clone. The  
wine has a lovely yellow-gold color with green highlights.  The nose  
picks-up on the Muscat with aromas of jasmine and tropical fruit.   
The palate adds minerals to the tropical fruit, giving a lively,  
fresh balance.  The finish has more tropical fruit and spicy  
minerals.  This is lovely wine to go with lots of fish and shellfish.

Regular Price: $11.25        Member Price: $09.56

BONNY DOON 2004 SYRAH “LE POUSSEUR”, CENTRAL COAST, CALIFORNIA

Randal Grahm has recently sold off his volume wines to concentrate on  
his higher quality bottlings.  While this wine was vinted while he  
still was producing lakes of inexpensive wine, it shows the quality  
direction Randall wants to go.  Totally different from Aussie Shiraz  
and most Washington and California Syrah, this wine might be mistaken  
for a wine from the Northern Rhône.  While it has opulent fruit, it  
is the touches of smoke and bacon fat that fool you into thinking  
this cannot be California.  Stunning value!

Regular Price: $16.75        Member Price: $14.24

Total Member Monthly Cost: $23.80

Cheers,

Mick Beard
Cornell Wine Company
(503) 531-3981
mick at cornellwine.com
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