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The Wine List

We invited wine expert Mike Wallis, proprietor of The Cellar on 10th in Astoria to share his top six picks for summer with Coast Explorer readers. Cellar on 10th features wines from all over the world.

Article Image A Walla Walla Classic Cabernet
2007 Reininger Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley - $37
Winemaker Chuck Reininger crafts an impeccable Cabernet each year and this may be his best yet. Made from over 90% Cabernet from Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills Vineyards with a splash of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc to give additional depth and richness to the wine. This well-structured Cabernet features notes of chocolate covered cherry, cinnamon, cedar, pencil shavings, and a dusty element of cocoa powder. Cinnamon, dark chocolate, mixed berries, and espresso round out the palate with a healthy serving of very fine-grain tannins and balanced acidity. This finish is luxurious, round and sexy like a long dark hallway made of rich dark bittersweet chocolate. If you want a serious Walla Walla Cabernet, this is your wine.

Crisp, Clean, Vibrant Italian White
2009 Fattoria Zerbina Albana Di Romagna - $18
This is an amazing Italian white for our Northwest Coastal Seafood cuisine. Scents of apple, pear and citrus blossom on the nose, give way to a wine bursting with flavors of ripe summer apples, fresh picked citrus and gooseberries surrounded by a crisp, minerally clean mouthfeel on a semi-dry frame, which leads into the flinty, soft citrus finish that is perfectly balanced and beckons for another sip. Bring on the fresh steamer clams!

World Class Red
2008 Firriato Cavanera Rovo Delle Coturnie - $43
An unbelievable red from the Mt. Etna area of Sicily where the volcanic soils showcase the terroir and produce this incredible Italian red. Made from the native Sicilian Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio grapes, this Italian red shows an intense nose and fine elegance with scents of red fruits, nutmeg and rose petals that open on the palate with flavors of ripe red berries, raspberries and exotic spices surrounded by delicate metallic and mineral nuances highlighting the Mt. Etna terroir. A perfect medium bodied red to pair with your favorite Sicilian styled steak with freshly shaved black truffles.

Oregon's Hidden Gem
2010 Troon Vermentino - $20
Troon is the only producer in Oregon growing and making this Northern Italian white varietal and it is the gem in their portfolio. This extremely limited production wine has a nose of citrus, honeysuckle and sea breeze that opens up on the palate to reveal freshly picked apples, and pear with star fruit and crisp citrus notes all surrounded by flinty minerality that makes the wine finish clean and perfectly balanced. A delicious white to enjoy with oysters on the half-shell, shrimp or pan-seared scallops. This is truly Oregon's hidden gem!

Perfect Harmony in Oregon Pinot Noir
2008 Aubichon Cellars Reserve Pinot Noir - $50
A new found favorite of 2011 so far for this new winery's second release. Business partners Tom Mortimer and winemaker Jim Sanders have teamed together to source fruit from Anam Cara and Le Cadeau vineyards in the Chehalem Mountains along with Vista Hills vineyard in the Dundee Hills to create this medium-bodied pure harmonious expression of Oregon Pinot Noir. The wine displays lovely aromas of ripe cherries, spice and rose petal with flavors of ripe dark cherries, red berries and exotic spices that finish in perfect balance with a hint of cranberry. Here is your Oregon Pinot Noir for fresh Chinook Salmon.

Full-bodied Spicy Red
2009 Turley Dusi Vineyard Paso Robles Zinfandel - $60
This is one of California's top producers of Zinfandel and this Paso Robles delight is sure to please; an impressive array of Paso Robles Zinfandel aromas fill the glass with black cherry cola, purple and black plums, baking spices, cedar and bittersweet chocolate. The mouth-filling nature of this wine is what you would expect from a big Zinfandel with mouthwatering red and black fruits, spices and pepper which is heightened by the balanced acidity. The Dusi Zinfandel shows great sense of terroir, showing a round, rich mouth feel and concentrated flavors. A glass of Turley Dusi Zinfandel with your favorite rich decadent chocolate dessert and you are in heaven!

The Cellar on 10th is located at 1004 Marine Drive in Astoria's historic underground, featuring wines from all over the world, (503) 325-6600.

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  • Published in: Coast Explorer Summer 2011
  • Click here for more about Cellar on 10th.
  • Click to see other items about: Astoria, Wine