Sancerre for $29.99?! Yes, we did that! 

Domaine Fernand Girard is currently run by Alain Girard. He comes from several generations of winemakers in the tiny village of Chaudoux, located a few miles northwest of the town of Sancerre and directly north of the famous town of Chavignol.

He tends 35 acres of vines in total, sells some cuvées to négociants and bottles only a portion of the total production under his family name. The "La Garenne" cuvée comes from a 6-acre vineyard of that name, a plot on a steep east-facing slope with a very rocky limestone soil. The chalky soil brings out the characteristic flinty, mineral and green notes of Sauvignon Blanc. On La Garenne’s well-drained, warm slopes, the grapes achieve exceptional ripeness and fruit.

Compared to those in other viticultural regions in France, most of Sancerre’s vignerons have stricter-than-usual standards of cellar tidiness and hygiene. It might be the influence of the local goat-cheese making, which was traditionally done on a very small, artisanal scale, by people who knew the importance of a pristine environment. The Girards have an impeccable cellar and vinify with modern technology: a pneumatic press, stainless-steel vats, a temperature control system during fermentation, and an air-conditioned space for aging in vats and stocking bottles. They counterbalance technology by practicing old-fashioned vineyard work, where organic treatments are used only sparingly, and by never adding commercial yeasts to induce fermentation or add flavors.

Their Sancerre is everything one hopes for when thinking about the region: it is bright, lively, pleasantly aromatic, has zippy acidity but low astringency. It is a wonderful food wine that is as versatile as it is easy to drink. This is the only bottling from the domaine that is imported into the United States.

We have something really special for you this week. It’s not often we come across a grape none of us at the shop have heard of, and when that does happen, it’s even more rare that all three of us immediately want to take home a bottle to enjoy. This wine checks all the boxes: rare grape, compelling wine, and—if you need more convincing—of hyper-local origin. 

For this bottling, Niccolo Coturri sources grapes grown in Everson in partnership with Winding Road Farm. The Last Fisherman is 90% Jupiter grapes, with 5% mixed red and white varieties Niccolo grows on Lopez Island (including Agria, Regent, Siegerrebe, Madeleine Angeline, and Pinot Noir) and 5% mixed table grapes of unknown varieties sourced from organic farms on San Juan and Waldron Island. 

Niccolo is a fourth-generation winemaker. Originally from Sonoma, California, he moved with his family to the San Juan Islands to explore cool-climate fruits and climate change-friendly farming practices. His first professional vintage was in 2003, at age 18. Grapes are farmed organically, and wine is made with zero additions, including no added sulfites. Their 2023 Last Fisherman was fermented in stainless steel tank before being bottled by gravity (without use of pumps). 

This Salish Sea red blend is light and bright, from grapes grown in a cool climate using regenerative practices. A blend of old-vine grapes and young hybrid plantings, this wine is silky and tangy, food-friendly, with high acidity and low ABV. Think Mondeuse meets Blaufrankisch. Full of verve and energy, this is a wine to enjoy lightly chilled while enjoying a beautiful Bellingham sunset. 

When Chris Mazepink bought the property in 2013, White Walnut Estate was an overgrown walnut orchard tangled in bramble in the Dundee Hills, tucked between the vineyards of Domaine Drouhin and Archery Summit. The estate hadn’t been farmed for generations, and Chris and his sons cleared the land by hand, leaving the original walnut trees standing among what would become 6.3 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyard. The vineyard was planted in 2015 and 2016 and has been certified organic and biodynamic from the start. After years of making wine for Archery Summit, Shea, and Benton-Lane, Chris founded White Walnut to move away from house style and toward something more site-driven. The vineyard is planted to dozens of clones, intentionally mixed and farmed as a single unit. There are no separate clonal bottlings and everything is picked and fermented together as a field blend. Native yeasts are employed in the process of whole cluster fermentation along with a mix of fermentation vessels—concrete from Italy, terracotta amphora from Tuscany, and wooden tanks from Burgundy. These materials are natural, durable, and neutral, allowing the character of the site to come through. The focus here is on nuance, energy and balance, not power or polish. The wines are structured and vibrant, shaped by the complexity of Jory soils, mixed clones, and low-intervention methods in the  cellar. It’s not about chasing a specific profile or vintage-to-vintage consistency, but letting the vineyard speak for itself.

White Walnut Estate Chardonnay 2023

Willamette Valley, Oregon

$44.99, $40.49 for Wine Club Members

This is a beautiful blend of Chardonnay grapes from neighboring old vines and White Walnut Estate, with east-to-south sun exposure, and the embodiment of Chris's infatuation with Willamette Valley Chardonnay.

“A barrel sample, the 2023 Chardonnay Dundee Hills is impressively complete even at this early stage. It has pure aromas of poached pears, golden apples, chamomile, beeswax, marshmallow and cashews. The light-bodied palate pairs concentrated, savory flavors with vibrant acidity, and it has a hauntingly long, white blossom and honey-laced finish. 93-95 Points.” The Wine Advocate

“A beautiful, tense and nervy chardonnay with an inviting nose of pears, waxy lemons, almonds, dried flowers and herbs. Vibrant and mouthwatering, this has a medium body with tense acidity and a tangy and succulent finish with some flinty, minerally elements. Drink or hold. 93 Points” James Suckling

This Chardonnay would make a wonderful pairing with savory spring pies and tarts—like this spring peas, thyme and ricotta tart—, blanched asparagus with with a simple citronette, shaved fennel salad with vinegar-cured caper-berries, roasted chicken with lemon and garlic, and grilled fish and shellfish dishes.

Spring Pea, Thyme and Lemon Ricotta Tart

White Walnut Estate Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 2023

Willamette Valley, Oregon
 

$49.99, $44.99 for Wine Club Members

The fruits for this Pinot Noir come from vines facing east, south-east, and south.

“Still in barrel, the 2023 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills is bursting with a well of blueberry and black cherry, revealing wafts of aniseed, bitters and floral perfume as it opens in the glass. The medium-bodied palate is powerfully styled, pairing concentrated, floral fruit with chalky tannins and mouthwatering acidity, and it has a long, latent finish. 92-94 Points.” The Wine Advocate

“Vibrant and intense, this red goes deep on red forest berries, pomegranates, blood oranges and hibiscus. Tense and succulent with a medium body, this is so juicy and fruit-driven, with plenty of citrus freshness and a dusty tannic frame. Pure, delicious and long. Drink or hold. 94 Points” —James Suckling

Pair this savory red with braised duck breast with cherries and herbs, seared salmon on fennel bed, grilled lamb chops with rosemary and mint sauce. 
 

White Walnut Estate Pinot Noir South Blocks 2022

Willamette Valley, Oregon

$69.99, $62.99 for Wine Club Members

This wine is composed of all 12 of the uniquely different sections of the estate vineyard fruits, with the vines facing south and south-east.

“The first impression is one of salted blueberries, sassafras, dark cherries and a lingering dark chocolate finish that's so unique. It's the salted minerality part to this wine that elongates the finish with lingering flavors of bittersweet chocolate, plum juice, and red currants creating such a savory delight. This wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered showing our commitment to minimal intervention winemaking” Chris Mazepink

“Matured in around 30% to 35% new oak, the 2022 Pinot Noir Estate South Blocks has intense aromas of raspberry jam and pomegranate accented by notes of cardamom, autumn leaves and mushrooms. The palate is much more open at this early stage and is bursting with flavors of berry preserves and spice. It's structured by finely chalky tannins and mouthwatering acidity, and it has a long, layered finish. It will benefit from 3-5 years in bottle or a couple of hours in a decanter. 95 points” The Wine Advocate

This Pinot would be delightful enjoyed with aged cheese and cold cuts, or served with pork roast with black current sauce, grilled mushrooms with garlic butter, braised beef and sweet pearl onions.

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Friday Tasting
 

Meet the Winemaker: Guardian Cellars

with Jerry Reiner

Friday, April 25th, 3-5:30 pm

Upcoming Tastings

Guardian Cellars, Woodinville–Meet the Winemaker
with Jerry Riener
Friday, April 25th, 3-5:30 pm

Vinea Imports: Portugal Tasting with Espera Winery, Alcobaca 
with Eric Stone
Friady, May 2nd, 3-5:30 pm

Scenic Valley Winery of Willamette Valley, Oregon–Meet the Winemaker
with Gabriel Jagle
Friday, May 9th, 3-5:30 pm

All tastings $5 fee. Wine Club Members receive one free tasting per membership at every event.

CLICK FOR MORE INFO
 

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10-6 PM

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Email: ted@sjwinemerchants.com