We’re excited to close out the year with a bang!

It’s a  very special tasting of the great Burgundies of Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier and top Grower Champagnes from Bruno Gobillard – in our new Portland event space on Friday December 30th from 4-7pm.

“Freddy” Mugnier is one of Scott’s winemaking inspirations and heroes. The Mugnier wines are coveted around the globe for their extraordinary finesse and supreme elegance. Based in the tiny village of Chambolle-Musigny, Freddy produces wines of amazing purity, with an ethereal texture that dances across the palate and delivers wave upon wave of flavors and intoxicating aromas.

We’ll be pouring three of the newly-arrived 2009s from Mugnier – (tasting notes courtesy Allen Meadows/Burghound)

The 2009 Chambolle-Musigny $105 – (about half of which is from the 1er Cru les Plantes) – “A very fresh and quite expressive red berry fruit nose displays a very subtle hint of spiciness that continues onto the rich, generous and mouth coating middle weight flavors that exude a fine minerality on the delicious and solidly lingering finish. This has the balance to age but with the fat to allow it to be enjoyed young.”

The 2009 Clos de la Maréchale 1er Cru $109 – (a 25-acre monopole in the Nuits-St. Georges appellation.) “An expressive and attractively fresh nose speaks of ripe and earthy red and blue pinot fruit that is very much in keeping with the tautly muscular and firm middle weight flavors that possess plenty of dry extract which buffers well the moderately dense tannins shaping the mouth coating and lingering finish.”

And the very rare 2009 Clos de la Maréchale 1er Cru Blanc $109 “A discreet hint of wood sets off ripe and mildly exotic yellow fruit aromas of honey, straw, peach and mango that lead to textured and opulent middle weight flavors that coat the palate on the moderately long and reasonably complex finish. This should be accessible early.”

Frédéric Mugnier

And, we’ll top it all off with a couple of great micro-production Grower Champagnes from the amazing Bruno Gobillard. The Gobillard bubblies are extremely limited,  have a rabid cult following, and are sought after for their beautiful richness on the palate and precise, pure, and flat-out delicious flavors.

Gobillard NV Brut $55– (45% Pinot Meunier, 20% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay) “If you imagine an old fashioned cream soda made out of perfectly ripe pears, fragrant apple blossoms AND the pure minerality of the chalk beds underlying this famous suburb of Epernay you’d be on your way to getting your mind around this stuff. The incredibly fine mousse, and endless echoing finish will make a serious impact on your guests or any giftee.” Roberto Rogness, Wine Expo

Gobillard NV Brut Vieilles Vignes $75– (45% Pinot Noir, 10% Pinot Meunier, 45% Chardonnay. From the estate’s oldest vines, only 400 cases produced) “An Incredibly pure, focused wine imbued with the essence of crisp pears, apples, flowers and minerals. This Champagne literally sparkles on the palate with superb elegance, grace and clarity.” Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate “Best Bang for your Buck in World-Class Fizz!” Roberto Rogness, Wine Expo

Bruno Gobillard

Tasting flight is $20, refunded with any three-bottle purchase of the featured wines. Please RSVP to Kelly Karr – 503-319-5827

We look forward to seeing you for this very special event at our new space in Portland, located at 2537 NW Upshur.

Thanks for a great 2011, and here’s to a Happy New Year from all of us at Scott Paul!

Scott Paul PDX - our new event space in NW Portland

Please Visit Martha’s NEW Blog - Oregon Pinot Kitchen!

Here are some snapshots and notes about recent good eats.  Like many of you I’m sure, I’ve been busy in the kitchen.  I’ve already made, or have promised to make some family favorites.  Last year, after reading a great tip on the 101 Cookbooks blog, I committed to a tradition of serving on Christmas morning the Swedish Sweet Rolls that Scott grew up eating.  It’s a worthwhile project and one I’m looking forward to tackling today.  A similar tip from Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks will have me preparing and freezing uncooked gougères, and popping them in the oven when company comes.  Can’t wait to try that this weekend. (update:  I’m also consulting David Lebovitz’s version — and given the timing of our Christmas Eve event, I’ll bake off and reheat, but I’ll try the freeze and bake method next week).

make cinnamon or swedish rolls in advance, freeze, defrost and let rise overnight and pop in the oven Christmas morning!

Swedish sweet roll...New Orleans coffee...Martha heaven!

I think flavored yogurt is pretty awful so I like to flavor it myself.  My current favorite is decadently creamy Greek Gods yogurt topped with a mixture of fruity olive oil (just a drizzle), orange zest and chopped pecans.  This came about by hazard — I had put aside some zest and olive oil to use for a salad dressing, but put it on my yogurt instead.  Oranges and pecans scream Christmas to me, and I love the way citrus zest brightens the meal and the mood.

I gave all our Scott Paul team members a jar of raspberry sauce — not too sweet — that is fabulous on yogurt too.

I used raspberries that Pirrie and I picked with summer, made my usual skillet preserves, and then pushed through a sieve to remove seeds. The result is thick and concentrated. A little bit will flavor a huge bowl of yogurt or turn whipped cream to a gorgeous hot pink hue. And great on biscuits or crepes!

Here’s the basic skillet jam recipe that I used to make the raspberry sauce and some notes from a previous blog post (from that link, scroll down to get to the skillet jam part).

Then, our annual Scott Paul holiday celebration with our team members and families found Swedish meatballs on offer….

Other items that were most popular among the offerings for our Scott Paul party were Dear Lord Spinach/Artichoke Dip; Blue Cheese Ricotta spread (mash together to taste blue cheese, ricotta, finely ground pecans, splash pear brandy and chopped chives, or email me for the recipe); pork rillettes from Olympic Provision; and maybe most of all, homemade toffee topped with Valrhona chocolate.  (no nuts, no bacon this year.  Bacon on everything? – that was so last year!).  The toffee a simple recipe that yields enough to serve and to gift.  Huge crowd pleaser this year.  And a tip regarding the hot spinach artichoke dip:  make a batch for your party and put most of it in a microwave safe dish to heat up later, while saving a small portion of it to stir into the spinach that remains after making the recipe — a delicious side dish you’ll be glad to have stashed away in the fridge or freezer.

Can’t wait to enjoy more food and wine adventures with you in the year to come!  Cheers!

As we head into the last week of the year, I wanted to thank you for making it such an amazing year for all of us at Scott Paul. Your passion, support, enthusiasm, thirst for knowledge, thirst for great wines, and overall spirit and joie de vivre continue to amaze and delight me. My sincere thanks, and I hope you’ll continue to follow us down all the exciting wine trails we explore…

It’s been a banner year for us. For a tiny little 2,500-case winery to be chosen for the cover of Food & Wine Magazine’s November issue was mind-blowing. For our 2009 Dix to be one of the highest-scoring Oregon wines of all-time even more amazing still. To be singled out as one of the “Stars of the Vintage” for the 2nd year in a row in The Wine Advocate was a great honor. For so many of our French producers to be listed among the best of the vintage in Burgundy & Champagne was fabulous validation that we’re on the right track with our import adventures. And we don’t even actively court any of this – the recognition has come organically, for which we are very, very thankful.

We’re excited to add a couple of new producers to the portfolio for the coming year. My passion for great Cru Beaujolais has led me to Domaine des Nugues in Fleurie – and I’m excited to introduce these wines early next year. And we’ll top it off with a true gem – the wines of Alexandrine Roy’s Domaine Marc Roy in Gevrey-Chambertin, three micro-production beauties that will be arriving in the next couple of months.

As we sign-off for the Christmas break, I wanted to remind you to please plan to join us in Portland on December 30th for a spectacular tasting event to closeout the year – the newly-arrived 2009s from my hero Frédéric Mugnier in Chambolle-Musigny, and the cult-favorite Champagnes from Bruno Gobillard – the best way to celebrate the New Year I could possibly think of!

Speaking of Champagne – the new reviews in Steve Tanzer’s IWC were released yesterday. Here are some great notes on several of our bubblies from reviewer Josh Raynolds –

Bruno Gobillard – NV Brut: “Bright straw.  Lemon rind, grapefruit and chalk on the intensely perfumed nose.  Extremely dry, even a touch severe, with bracing citrus and green apple flavors underscored by notes of bitter quinine and white pepper.  Shows a strong chalky quality on the finish, which lingers with impressive tenacity.  This uncompromising Champagne would be fantastic with raw oysters or clams, even sashimi.”

Bruno Gobillard – NV Brut Vieilles Vignes:  “Bright yellow.  Aromas of fresh orchard fruits, jasmine, anise and lees.  Deeply pitched but energetic, offering juicy pear, quince and cherry pit flavors braced by a jolt of bitter blood orange.  Finishes with impressive cut and spicy persistence, echoing the blood orange note.  Offers a striking combination of depth and energy.”

Camille Savès – NV Brut Carte Blanche: “Light yellow.  Pungent aromas of redcurrant, peach pit and lemon zest, with a floral topnote.  Juicy and broad, with supple texture and powerful red berry and citrus pith qualities.  Really shows its pinot side.  Finishes long and spicy, with impressive clarity and grip.”

Camille Savés – NV Brut Carte d’Or: “Bright yellow.  Powerful, toasty aromas of pear, raspberry, flowers and brioche, plus a hint of anise.  Rich and fleshy but energetic, offering broad orchard fruit and red berry flavors that are given a refreshingly bitter edge by a citrus pith nuance.  Finishes with solid grip and very good persistence, leaving smoky lees and cherry pit notes behind. ”

Camille Savès – NV Brut Rosé: “Orange-pink.  Pungent red berries and rhubarb on the nose, complicated by dried rose and gingerbread nuances.  Powerful but lithe, with very good focus and intensity to its tangy redcurrant and strawberry flavors.  Shows excellent clarity on the finish, which strongly echoes the red fruit element and shows a suave, persistent floral quality.”

José Dhondt – NV Blanc de Blancs: “Light yellow.  Intensely perfumed, complex bouquet evokes fresh pear, quince, orange zest, lemon and chalky minerals, plus a subtle note of toasty lees.  Stains the palate with spicy citrus and orchard fruit flavors and picks up smokiness with air.  Finishes long and focused, with persistent floral and spice notes.”

Marc Chauvet – NV Brut Sélection: “Light yellow.  Fresh pear and orange pith aromas are complemented by notes of anise and bitter herbs.  Silky in texture and refreshingly brisk, offering incisive citrus fruit flavors that turn spicier with air.  Finishes stony and persistent.”

Enjoy great Pinot, Burgundy & Champagne for the holidays, and everyday!

Cheers!!!

Now that most of the 2009 Burgundies have come and gone, it’s time to revisit the 2008s. While the ‘09s were big crowd-pleasers, most of us who love red Burgundy actually prefer the 2008s. We love them for their purity and their transparency – they show the unique characteristics of their vineyard origins in exquisite detail and in high-definition. Simply put, these are Burgundy-lover’s Burgundies.

And they’re much better values – typically 25-30% less than their 2009 counterparts. We’ve gone through our cellars and put together a line-up of top 2008s to taste on Saturday December 17th, from 12n-5p in Carlton. All 2008 and older red Burgs in stock are available at a special discount of 10% on 6-bottle purchases and 15% on 12 bottles, while they last.

This is our last event in the tasting room for the year!  Scott will of course be wearing his Santa hat, and giving small gifts to lucky winners every hour.  Enjoy Scott’s playlist of favorite holiday tunes, and some nibbles that are perfect alongside the Burgs!

Here’s the tasting flight, featuring many of Burgundy’s best –

2008 Chambolle-Musigny les Fuées 1er – Anne & Hervé Sigaut

2008 Volnay Fremiets 1er – Comte Armand

2008 Volnay Mitans 1er – Michel Lafarge

2008 Pommard Clos Derrière St. Jean 1er – Violot-Guillemard

2008 Nuits-St. Georges aux Thorey 1er – Benjamin Leroux

2008 Echezeaux Grand Cru – Jean-Marc Millot

And remember – Santa doesn’t want milk, he wants Grand Cru Burgundy (especially with a little age on it…)

Happy Holidays from all of us!

One-fourth of an acre of heaven - Pommard's Clos Derrière St. Jean

One cannot (nor should not!) drink wine all of the time, but we can certainly read about it as often as we want. Here are my recommendations for some of my favorite wine books of the year…

As noted here previously, the best reference book on Burgundy in the last 250 years was published this year – the superbly excellent Inside Burgundy by Jasper Morris. Maddeningly, it has still not been released in the U.S. – but is available through a UK site, which seems to be the most cost effective way to get the book into your hands here stateside. If you have only one Burgundy book on your shelf, this is the one.

The best-written, best-researched book on a single Burgundian subject ever is undoubtedly Allen Meadows’ Pearl of the Côte, a simply brilliant work that digs deep into the history and magic of the terroir of Vosne-Romanée and its exalted Grand Crus. Every Burgundy lover should own this book, period.

Closer to home, I highly recommend Voodoo Vintners by Oregonian & Mix wine columnist Katherine Cole. It’s an excellent and thoughtful exploration of the Biodynamic farming and winemaking practices, focusing on a number of us practitioners here in the Willamette Valley. The book lets you make up your own mind about whether you believe in the philosophy or not, and it is all laid out logically and concisely. Well-written and very informative, it gives you a great window into what’s going on in the fields and cellars of many of Oregon’s marquee producers.

I’m also a big fan of Secrets of the Sommeliers, from wine writer Jordan Mackay and mega-somm Raj Parr. If you want to kick your overall wine knowledge up a notch or two, this is an excellent guide to the world of fine wine and how best to navigate through it like the pros.

Grab any of these, along with some Scott Paul Pinot (or Burgundy or Champagne, of course) – and your gift list is complete. Cheers!

‘Tis the season – for popping the corks on some great Grower Champagnes and celebrating anything and everything. Personally, I believe every new day is reason enough for a Champagne celebration. Waking up to find that one is NOT in the obituaries always call for a bottle of Champers in my book!

We are honored with some great reviews for some of the bubblies in our portfolio, in the new report just released by The Wine Advocate (reviews and scores by Antonio Galloni) -

José Dhondt NV Brut Blanc de Blancs -  flows with the essence of lemon, white flowers, almonds and pears. It is a bright, focused wine backed up with considerable plushness and generosity in its fruit. The Blanc de Blancs should drink beautifully for a number of years. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2014.  92 PTS

Camille Savès 2004 Brut Millésime -  emerges from the glass with finely spun red berries, flowers, mint and spices. This understated, classy wine continues to open up beautifully in the glass as the fruit fleshes out on the mid-palate and finish. The 2004 Millesime is 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay, all from Bouzy. Disgorged 2011. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019. 92 PTS

Camille Savès NV Brut Rosé – a big, lusty wine bursting with rich, dark red fruit, flowers and mint. This large scaled, broad shouldered wine saturates the palate with layer after layer of flavor. It is a fabulous effort. The Rose is 60% Chardonnay, 28% Pinot Noir and 12% still Pinot, all from Bouzy.  92 PTS

Godmé Père et Fils -  NV Brut Premier Cru Reserve – a pretty, focused wine with excellent definition in its aromas and flavors. It shows good balance and plenty of cut on the vibrant finish. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2014. 90 PTS

Tasting at the estate with José Dhondt

Bubbles fans in Portland – I wanted to be sure to alert you to some great Champagne drinking opportunities in PDX. Be sure to check out Portland’s first and only Champagne bar – Ambonnay – now open in the same building with Olympic Provisions in SE Portland. It’s cozy, relaxed, fun, and has a great selection of Grower Champagne (and truffled popcorn too!) Also, Pix Patisserie has assembled a stunning list of over 100 top artisanal bubblies and a month-long lineup of Champagne-focused events – be sure to check these out. We’ll likely see you at both of these spots over the holidays.

Speaking of bubbles – thanks for making last Sunday’s debut of our new NW Portland event space such a festive and fun success! I’m excited to have the opportunity to do tastings, events, and classes in both Carlton and Portland now, and look forward to seeing you even more often in the coming year. watch your email for details on upcoming events…

Pouring Bubbles at the opening of our PDX space, (photo by Daniel Stark Photography)

We’ve just added our final big Burgundy event of the year – join us in Carlton on Saturday Dec. 17th from 12n-5p for a special tasting of selections from our cellar – focusing on the pure and precise 2008 vintage on the Côte d’Or – with a fabulous tasting lineup of 1er and Grand Crus from Michel Lafarge, Comte Armand, Benjamin Leroux, Jean-Marc Millot, Hervé Sigaut and Violot-Guillemard – with special discounts on all 2008 and older red Burgs in stock while they last. Remember, Santa is lactose-intolerant and does not want milk – he wants Grand Cru Burgundy!

Scott Paul Wines is debuting its NW Portland event space, Scott Paul PDX, with bubbles, of course, on Sunday, December 4th, 2-5 p.m. Kick off the holidays by joining Martha and Scott Paul Wright for an exciting flight of grower Champagnes from small producers. These terroir-driven and personality-packed Champagnes are not widely available in the US, but importer Scott Paul Wright is doing his best to change that through his import portfolio which includes 25 top domaines in Burgundy and Champagne. They are small-production, unique Champagnes bearing no resemblance to the mass-produced Champagnes manufactured by the “big houses.”  And they are better values to boot!!  Whether for gifts, holiday parties and dinners, or for your own sippage while trimming the tree,  these bubblies are guaranteed to delight. Featured producers for this Champagne flight will include José Dhondt, Marc Chauvet, Bruno Gobillard and Camille Savès.  Enjoy hors d’oeuvres prepared by some of the Wrights favorite NW Portland eateries.

Flight is $20, refunded with 3-bottle purchase of featured wines.  RSVP not required, but greatly appreciated. Actually, if possible, please RSVP to Kelly Karr.  We want to have a glass for you :;  We’ve arranged parking for our guests in the parking lot of Forest Park Federal Credit Union on the corner of NW Thurman and 25th!

Ten years ago, Scott & Martha bought a live/work unit in Northwest Portland, dreaming of one day utilizing the ground floor space for winery events. They were inspired by their visits to Burgundy where producers greeted them and offered tastings in space adjacent to their homes or even in their homes. All of us at Scott Paul Wines hope to have the chance to raise a glass with you in this new space on December 4th, or in the coming year for a series of Burgundy seminars, tastings and dinners, TBA. We will keep you posted.

2537-A NW Upshur St, (between 25th and 26th, Portland, 97210.

The smoke has cleared and the turkey has settled after the big holiday weekend here in Oregon, and it’s time to catch up on assorted tastings and events both in Burgundy and here at home.

I believe I left off after my tasting at Buisson-Charles in Meursault, where once again they have outdone themselves and produced some of the finest and most intense whites anywhere on the Côte. This domaine truly deserves to be thought of in the same breath with Lafon, Roulot, Jobard, and even Coche – but we should all be glad they remain just under the radar, as the prices are still within reach. (Don’t tell anybody…)

My 3rd visit this year with Michel and Frédéric Lafarge was illuminating as always. Neither father nor son are ones to ramble on, but when they speak, I listen. They speak mostly through their wines, which in the 2010 vintage have a lot to say indeed. My tasting notes on just about every appellation chez Lafarge say “intense, long, long, intense, minerals, bright, long, intense.” That pretty well sums it up. God, these are stunning wines. I want to dive head-first into the Clos du Chateau des Ducs – they could sell this stuff by the ounce as perfume…

The harvest crew at Buisson-Charles in Meursault

Another gorgeous range across the board was found in Morey-St. Denis at Domaine Taupenot-Merme – where Romain Taupenot pulled samples of his 2010s that were precise and rich at that same time, and beautifully refined from top to bottom. The Mazoyères-Chambertin was exceptionally open and expressive for this Grand Cru that is often very tight and brooding in its youth – this is going to be a stunner…

I am very excited to announce that we will begin working with Domaine Marc Roy in Gevrey-Chambertin, a tiny 10-acre domaine headed up by the young and dynamic Alexandrine Roy (who moonlights as a winemaker here in Oregon for Phelps Creek out in the Columbia Gorge.) Alex’s ‘09s are flat-out delicious. She makes a tiny bit of Marsannay Blanc and three different village cuvées of Gevrey-Chambertin, each with a distinctive personality. More details on this new addition to our portfolio shortly, along with info on a winemaker dinner with Alex in Portland coming up in March…

As I reported here a few weeks ago, the 2010 vintage in Burgundy has exceeded everyone’s expectations and produced gorgeous, stunning, wines – in both red and white. The first critical commentary has just come out from John Gilman (publisher of View from the Cellar – a review I highly recommend.) Here’s Gilman’s first take on the 2010s –

“Thus far, 2010 looks to be one of the finest vintages of the last twenty-five years for both red and white Burgundies, and it would make good sense to start making plans for chasing down some of your favorite producers from this year. The yields are down a fair bit (generally anywhere from 20-50 percent, depending on the vineyard), so some early planning is going to definitely pay dividends.

The reds are all silky, purity and stunningly transparent terroir, with ripe, sometimes quite substantial tannins, bright acids and magical length and grip. They are, at the very least, as terroir-specific as the 2008s, but much deeper, fleshier and sappier at the core. They will not necessarily drink young, but they will drink long and brilliantly once they have had a bit of bottle age. It is not as powerful of a vintage as 2005 for the reds, but it is at least as fine, and the two vintages will make very interesting comparisons for many decades to come. 2010 clearly looks superior to every vintage other than 2005 that has preceded it since 1978, with the possible exception of 1993- so you get some idea of the quality of the reds this year!

The white wines are also brilliant, pure, suave and racy, with the same stunning purity as is displayed in the reds. They are not quite as tensile or as ripe as the 2008s, but they are superior to this vintage in terms of precision, site-specificity, and overall balance. They will make very special drinking in the future.”

Our producers are in the process of pricing their 2010s over the next month or so, and once we’ve secured our allocations I’ll alert you to pre-arrival offers as the process comes together…

Closer to home, I am really looking forward to welcoming you to our new event space in NW Portland, opening this Sunday for a special Grower Champagne tasting from 2-5 – please stop in to see us if you can. A lot of great events are in the works for 2012 in the new space, including our annual series of Burgundy seminars and winemaker dinners. Watch this space and your email for all the details – and I hope to see you on Sunday in Portland!