Wicked Cellars "Miracle on Colby Avenue" Double Tasting Friday and Ray Bloom from Vinum Wine Importing and Distributing on Saturday

Friday December 10th - Sparkling Wines with Stephanie Seybold from Odom and Fine Ports from Portugal from C and G Imports

Sparkling Wines:

La Marca Prosecco**+ citrus, light honey

Domaine Chandon Riche Sparkling Wine*** honeyed fruit, nectarine

Louis Bouillot Perle d'Aurore Rose’ Brut*** fruity

Gloria Ferrer VA de VI*** ripe apple

Covet Sparkling Brut Reserve, Washington State** bright apple

Mumm Napa Brut Napa Valley Prestige NV***+ citrus, stone fruit, balance acidity

Veuve Cliquot Yellow Label Brut Champagne in the Ice Jacket*** fruit, raisins

Shingleback "Black Bubbles" Sparkling Shiraz*** spice, dark cherries

Fine Port:


This year's port tasting was brought to us by C and G Imports.

We focus this Friday on the products of two prestigious port houses Porto Rocha, founded in 1850 by Antonio da Rocha. For over 150 years Rocha has continued as a high quality boutique port producer, now under the management of the Sogevinus port group. Sogevinus also manages our other port house, Porto Kopke, the world's oldest existing Port producer, founded in 1638 by German diplomat Cristiano Kopke. In 2010 Porto Kopke will celebrate 372 years of continuous production.

Tasting notes provided by Wicked Cellars.

Porto Kopke Dry White Port - This port is the exception to the process described above but even so it rivals the best Fino Sherry as an aperitif or even dry dessert port but with longer shelf life. It drinks like a spicy wine with a rich, nutty character. It's also wonderful as "Portonic", poured over the rocks with a splash of tonic and squeeze of lime.

Porto Rocha 2005 LBV - This a newly released vintage port that can be enjoyed without lengthy aging because of the way that it sees more barrel age, is fined and filtered before bottling.

Porto Kopke 20 year Tawny - This elegant port is rich and nutty with flavors that go on forever. It's a creamy-smooth blend of 15-to-35 year old tawnies showing deep caramel, dried fig flavor and well-developed color. "Kopke draws on good stocks of (its own) aged tawnies. This wine certainly tastes all of 20 years, with its richness and dryness finely in balance, and with lemon jelly and intense ripe fruits shining through." 92 pts. Wine Enthusiast - Aug 2006.

Porto Rocha Vintage 2000 - "Good full ruby. Aromas of dark fruits, spiced meat, minerals & licorice, with floral & earthy notes. Not fleshy but juicy & lively, with good balance & cut. Spreads out horizontally on the finish with fine tannins coating the palate." 89 pts International Wine Cellar, Stephen Tanzer

"This monolithic, dense ruby/purple colored port offers notes of roasted meat, licorice, new saddle leather, espresso, camphor and black fruits. Medium to full bodied and rich with firm tannins in the finish, it will be at its finest between 2007-2020." 88+ pts The Wine Advocate, Parker.

Porto Kopke Vintage 2000 - The Kopke 2000's depth and complexity assures a long future in a port that will continue to round out over the next 10-15 years. Dense ripe fruit and spices with dark plum and black cherry. "A dark, ruby/purple color is followed by an evolved bouquet of chocolate, earth and black fruits. The wine possesses medium body, lovely sweetness, some tannin, and a mid-weight style. Anticipated maturity 2005-2016." 89 points The Wine Advocate, Parker

Porto Kopke Colheita 1988 - This appealing tawny delivers a rich mouthful of deep caramel backed flavors of ripe cherries, hazelnut, sweet fruit tea and orange zest that leads to an enduring and memorable finish.

Three Centuries of Porto Rocha - This is a rare blend of old tawnies spanning three centuries of port. It offers a highly aromatic nose of alyssum and bergamot followed by flavors of brown sugar fudge, walnuts and dried fruit still vibrant over more than 100 years of cask aging. It is blended from scarce vintages of the 19th and 20th Centuries, including the fabulous, rare 1900 Colheita. Tasting this port is like a trip back through history, "a gracefully smooth and seductive mouth feel and a toasty, smoky, slight salty/nutty nuance with layers of coconut, hazelnut and mandarin orange provide profound complexity. The finish is what legends are made of. One of the most unique bottles of Port in that it is shaped like a sail, or as if someone cut the bottle in half lengthwise." Roy Hersh 93 pts. For The Love of Port

Saturday the 11th - New Wines and New Releases from Vinum Wine Importing and Distributing hosted by our friend, Ray Bloom.


2008 For A Song Chardonnay*** crisp, clean

2008 For A Song "The Score" Merlot Blend**+ leather, fruit

2008 For A Song Cabernet Sauvignon**+ olives, cloves, light tannins

2007 Sweet Valley Double Barrel Red, Walla Walla Valley*** dust, coffee, almonds

Mannina Cellars 2007 RoseAnne's Red*** stone fruit, complex

Owen Roe 2008 Yakima Valley Red**** cherry, plums, mouthfeel

Thanks to Wicked Cellars for a great weekend of wine tasting…