Friday Sips

Initially when I tasted the Bow & Arrow Gamay I knew it would be my top local choice for a red wine to go with the traditional holiday fare.

Precision-personified, a potpourri of aromas including peonies, strawberries, blackberry, cinnamon and smoked earth follow through to a texture that is bursting, invigorating and exuberant, high-toned (from high-elevation vineyards) with plenty of depth, personality and length. A masterful match with a plethora of dishes like slow-braised beef, mushroom pasta, Pho and of course, the big bird. Not a lot is produced and we'll have fun with it today until it sells out.

This Northern Rhone from Saint-Joseph absolutely excites me, especially since it comes in the northern sector up near the land of Cote-Rotie. Some local friends of mine who directly import these wines were looking in the Northern Rhone to find a producer to work with. They stopped in to see an old friend, Saint-Jo master Pierre Gonon and he told him to check out this soon-to-be-well-known producer.

Pascal Marthouret started out as a mechanic who happened to fall in love with wine and farming when he started tending his elderly godmother's vines. As he progressed he was able to get out from under the car and through relatives, has established his small 15 acre estate of which St-Joseph is the specialty. Pascal also produces a Vin de Pays Syrah and Condrieu but it is this wine that certainly opened my eyes. Fragrant textbook cool-climate French Syrah characteristics of plum, olive, engaging toffee/graham and nicely enhanced by an undercurrent of sanguine and mineral. Ample penetration and grip here from the vintage but is light on its feet with lively high-tones which hold it together very well. Sneaky backbone and a presence of burst and compactness on the persistent but youthful finish indicates that this can age. If you smoke the turkey then here's your selection.

While we've not officially seen it in print, some people are saying that the evil genius mind behind Cameron, John Paul, is from alien spawn. Whether this proclamation is true or not, we know the most important detail, this man has been making "not-of-this-planet" wines since 1984 and remains one of the most revered/dogged figures of Oregon wine. Never one to fall in line and do the ordinary, John always has something churning and with Ramato (Italian for copper) he does a skin-contacted Pinot Gris, all of which comes from Abbey Ridge. Coming off as a copper/pink color and meticulously crafted, this wine is one of the more individual expressions in Oregon.

Inspired by a Friulian technique and the Northern Italian region's wines, the stellar 2012 Ramato has a forward, fullish nose of nectarine, red flowers and enhanced by forthright powdery/rocky aspects. This seamless beauty coats your mouth with rich flavors that are kept in perfect balance by lightning-crisp acidity and earth tones which are all derived from an alchemy of older vines planted in the Dundee Hills. I purposely held a little of this back so that we could offer it for the holiday. This will liven up the lighter meat portions of turkey and will also work with heartier seafood dishes.

For almost 40 years, Paul Draper has shaped and influenced all who've made Zinfandel and he continues to make wines of stunning character. Back in the day, I always enjoyed Zin with the darker portions of the turkey but more and more it has become difficult to hold this shotgun wedding because of the high alcohol - che palle!!

Coming in under 14%, this blend of 65% Zinfandel, 20% Petite Sirah, 9% Carignane, 3% Mataro, 2% Alicante Bouschet & 1% Grenache fits the bill quite nicely. Savory with vibrant cherry and plum aromas. Faint hints of bramble, pronounced white pepper and spice lend a generous but composed, smooth attack right from the get go. The mouth has plenty of penetration all while maintaining the trademark balanced texture that exclusively Ridge! A definite blue-chip wine from a Hall of Fame producer, enjoy it with the turkey's darker portions or if you decide to deep-fry it will work well, too. Also nice with roast beef or pork.