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RESERVOIR WINE NOTES The holidays are almost upon us!! The first of the Big Two being Thanksgiving, we here at Reservoir are devoting this November newsletter to some wines which I feel will work well with the Turkey dinner. It seems even the die-hard beer drinker will enjoy a glass of vino this time of year! Whether you are hosting, or have to bring a gift to someone's house, I'm sure you find one of these selections to work perfectly.

WHITES: A lot of wine shops direct their customer's attention to American Wines this month because Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday. I have sure thrown a couple of American whites in the mix (and several reds), but it is the wines and grapes of the Alsace region of France which I feel have the greatest affinity for poultry, and often also have the ability to marry well with disparate things like stuffing, cranberry, and gravy! Therefore, it is Pinot gris, Gewurtztraminer, Riesling, and Pinot blanc you should be looking for in whites. Chateau Ste. Michelle Gewurtztraminer 2007 (Columbia Valley, Washington) I chose this winery for the Gewurtzraminer because I just re-tasted it by the glass at a local restaurant, and was reminded what a great value it is! Not as strong or pungent as the great stuff from Alsace, it nonetheless hits some of those telltale apple and lychee notes, and presents them in a nearly refreshing, just off-dry version. $9.99 www.ste-michelle.com Paul Anheuser Schlossbockelheimer Konigsfels Riesling Kabinett 2006 (Nahe, Germany) Say that after you'v drunk an entire bottle! Well you might just be able to, because like most Rieslings from this country, this one clocks in at a refreshingly low 9.5% alcohol! This one seemed to me to have a bit more richness and weight to it, and a fair measure of residual sugar, all balanced by that crisp apple acidity. $12.99 Willamette Valley Vineyards Riesling 2006 (Oregon) This style of Riesling very adroitly balances the styles we see from Alsace, France and Germany. It is dry, like the Alsatian Rieslings, but presented in a more straightforeward, fruit driven style. This is the essence of quaffable! $14.99 www.wvv.com Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris 2006 (Alsace, France) Olivier Humbrecht's winery scored both the top two positions of all the Alsatian wines reviewed in the recent Wine Spectator, but also the TOP TWO VALUES!! This Pinot Gris is one of them! 91 Points "Clean and fresh, with peach, papaya, and honeysuckle flavors". These guys really know what they're doing!! $22.99 Marcel Deiss Pinot-Blanc 2003 (Alsace, France) Well , I've featured this wine in several newsletters, and I'm still sittin on 6 bottles! Ok, ok; it's not the cheapest white, or even the cheapest Pinot Blanc, but; HOT DAMN it's good! This winery has been biodynamic for some years now, and all his wines are bottled unfined, and unfiltered. Maybe the best pinot blanc extant. $21.99

REDS: I've split the reds down the middle with three from California, and three from France. The Pinot Noirs from California have become better values than their burgundian counterparts, and are generally fresher and have nicer fruit expression than the ocean of Pinot juice flowing from the South of France (look carefully at that Woodbridge label!!). The two other red grapes I like to drink during Thanksgiving, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, both see their greatest expression in the soils of La belle France, but because of their relative lack of popularity here, can still represent good value. Dig in! Fat Cat Pinot Noir 2007 (California) Soft, forward, juicy-fruit Pinot! Correct, and cleanly made. What more can you ask for in Pinot Noir at this price? I really liked it. $9.99 Angeline Pinot Noir 2006 (Sonoma, California) This has rapidly become one of our best selling Pinot Noirs! The epitome of "smooth", it has nice ripe raspberry/cherry fruit, good color, pretty aromatics and no hard edges to the texture. The word "luscious" would not be misused here... $14.99 Wild Horse Pinot Noir 2006 (Central Coast, California) A stronger flavored, more assertive style, the oak more in evidence here. "Aromas of black cherry, rosewater and cinnamon" (I found hints of smokiness, too) precede a firm, spicy palate, with more length and grip here than the above examples. $23.99 www.wildhorsewinery.com Chateau de la Terriere Beaujolais-Villages 2006 (France) Put that Beaujolais Nouveau down!! Put it down now!! Look at this vieilles-vignes bottling of the ubiquitous Gamay grape at a comparable price, or forever consider yourself a marketing maven. $15.99 Jean-Maurice Raffault Chinon "Les Galuches" 2005 (Loire Valley, France) Don't ask me what "Galuches" refers to. I have no idea, nor can I be bothered to look it up. I CAN be bothered to tell you how beautiful the aromatics of this Cabernet Franc were, and how silky and polished the texture (unlike Cab Franc of yore!)!! Bone dry, but no funky earth thang happnin here. Have a sip of this when you get to the stuffing w/ innards part of your meal; I promise: you'll thank me! Anyone who's quote surrounding his name - right on the label, mind - says, in effect "Drink always, you'll never die" wins some serious points in my book!! $15.99 Clos de la Roilette Fleurie 2006(Beaujolais Cru, France) More like a really good (if basic) red Burgundy, this has quality at this price no Burgundy can touch! Deeper color than you might be used to from Beaujolais, and much richer, earthier aromatics. Still low tannins, this might be the best red you could pick for your Turkey dinner. $20.99 www.louisdressner.com

Please don't hesitate to contact any of us with questions, and we look forward to seeing you in the store!

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Reservoir Wines Staff


Prices are effective through November 30th, 2008 unless otherwise stated. We are not responsible for typographical errors. Quantities of the specials in this newsletter may be extremely limited.