BSH!
Owen Sullivan's Brick SH*T House 2003
Monster Red is Out!
Our Annual Frenzy has Begun
Owen Sullivan Forced to Change Name to "O-S Winery"
September 29, 2005
It's the fun time of the year, when we get to offer
the best wines from new vintages. And today, announcing the availability
of the Owen Sullivan (O-S Winery) BSH Brick Sh*t House 2003 vintage red,
we get to sell the monster truck of the Washington
Wine industry, a wine
with so much hedonistic in-your-face huge red action you
just have to love it.
The 2003 BSH is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25%
Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc sourced from some of the best vineyards
in the state. The grapes came from Champoux Vineyard,
Klipsun Vineyard, Sheridan Vineyard, and Ciel du Cheval Vineyard.
Like the recently rated Owen Sullivan (O-S) R3 (93
points from Wine Spectator) the wine benefited from a long, warm growing season
that created grapes tending towards a rich, black fruit profile, with
reasonable acid levels and good tannic structure for aging.
Owen Sullivan (O-S Winery) BSH 2003 $35.96/$39.95
http://www.northwest-wine.com/owen-sullivan-winery.html
A huge blockbuster of a wine for those who like their reds to impress.
Huge depth, nose starts with lots of toast, black cherry, mocha, vanilla,
and licorice, flavors are redolent of black cherry, berry, and plum, all
intertwined in a matrix of custardy rich mocha tinged richness. The finish
goes on and on. Very satisfying, beautifully integrated, with layers
and layers of flavors. Pour this one for friends and watch them go nuts.
The winery says: "BSH is a rich powerful wine that
has great depth and complexity with aromas of black currents and mocha
with hints of vanilla and anise. The taste is rich but not overpowering
with a mouth full of dark fruits blended with layers of custard and mocha.
The structure and balance have ample amounts of tannins and acids leading
to a very long finish. Drink now through 2012."
We also still have a bit of the R3. It's a blend of Cabernet
Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (25%) and Cabernet Franc (15%) from Sheridan
Vineyard, Klipsun Vineyard, and Champoux Vineyard.
Owen Sullivan (O-S Winery) R3 2003 $31.46/$34.95
http://www.northwest-wine.com/Owen-Sullivan-R3.html
Wine Spectator 93 points (October 2005): "Exotic'
is the word for this big red--- A Merlot based Bordeaux blend with
wideranging aromatics of spice, incense, fruit, cedar, followed by
smooth and refined flavors of blueberry and black currant fruits, with
a touch of toasted espresso bean in the firm finish. " H.S.
The winery says: "A beautiful combination of finesse
and power, this vintage of R3 leads with black cherry and raspberry aromas,
follows with a rich, velvety texture and reveals a flavorful, complex
palate of blackberries, loganberries, cherries and dark chocolate. Its
lengthy finish is carried on solid soft tannins. Drink now through 2015. "
We say, the R3 is a more structured
wine than the BSH,
if that's the word, with more blue fruit, berry fruit, and cedar in nose
and flavors. Its
velvety quality on the palate hints of Belgian bittersweet chocolate
creme brulee and blackberry pie, with a touch of spice and woodsy, smoky
cedar. Just delicious and quite complex and interesting as it
opens in the glass. Intriguing and hedonistic. A bit more of a thinking
person's wine than the BSH, easy to love but available for contempation
and analysis. Really nice when you consider that some of its equivalent
wines from WA sell in the $60 range.
Although Wine Spectator has not yet reviewed the 2003
BSH, the 2002 vintage received 93 points, and we think this vintage is
just as good or better.
==================================
TOP RATED BIG REDS JUST RELEASED
Here's the other top rated reds we've just received:
Betz Family Winery Syrah "La Cote Rousse" 03 $42.26/$46.95
http://www.northwest-wine.com/Betz-Family-Winery.html
Previous vintage 94 points from Wine Spectator
Betz Family Winery Syrah "La Serenne"
03 $42.26/$46.95
http://www.northwest-wine.com/Betz-Syrah-la-Serenne.html
"The flavor foundation is blackberry/black cherry with roasted coffee
bean, smoke and minerals. A whiff of violets surfaced in the 2003, a
note I often find in Northern Rhone Syrah. And then there's its silky
mouthfeel, the result of very low yields (less than 2.5 tons/acre), concentration,
high alcohol and seamless tannin. Yet it still is powerful and amply
built for 3-6 years of additional cellaring." - Bob Betz
Owen Roe Zinfandel "Hillside" 04 $35.96/$39.95
http://www.northwest-wine.com/owen-roe-zinfandel.html
Very limited offering, first Zinfandel in 3 years from Owen Roe.
Mark Ryan "BadLands" Red 03 $40.46/$44.95
http://www.northwest-wine.com/Mark-Ryan-Winery-Badlands.html
intense. huge, aromatic wine, smokiness, vanilla, spice
in the nose, a wide range of jammy, fruity cherry, brandied berry, spice,
and toasted coffee bean on the palate, and a long, tightly structured
finish. A real cult favorite from a nice guy who really knows how to
make'em monstrous. 66% Syrah from Kiona Vineyard, 34% Petit Verdot from
Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, an unusual blend with flavors balanced between
the two varietals - black cherry, smoked meat, toasted coffee bean, spice,
hints of dried herbs, minerals, and a longgggg finish make this wine
a real standout in the ranks of Washington Syrahs.
Mark Ryan "GunMetal" Red 03 $32.39/$35.99
http://www.northwest-wine.com/Mark-Ryan-Winery-Gun-Metal-Red.html
Opaque wine, huge bouquet of alpine strawberries (!!),
toasted espresso, mocha/cocoa, cinnamon, smoke, and licorice, yet a bit
more sophisticated and polished than the other red blends from this highly
regarded "garagiste".
Flavors are of black cherries, blackberries, black currant, coffee, licorice,
and herbs. A solidly structured wine with a mouth-filling, lengthy finish.
64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc from Conner Lee
Vineyard. Shipping to our "Big Reds" Club in September 2005.
Fielding Hills Syrah 03 $28.80/$23.00
http://www.northwest-wine.com/Fielding-Hills-Syrah.html
Wine Spectator rating 92 points (Oct 2005) : "Seductive, supple, and generous,
a plush mouthful of spicy, creamy oak-framed cherry and blackberry flavors,
lingering on the fine-grained finish. 125 cases made." H.S.
This is one of our favorite wineries in WA, and I've
been fortunate enough to work with Karen and Mike sincve their first
vintage. They own their Estate vineyard, RiverBend Vineyard, and it has
produced remarkable fruit since the beginning. And Mike knows how to
get out of the way, make a clean, balanced wine, and let the terroir
of his unusually delicious vineyard show through.
Five Star Merlot 03 $28.30/$31.45
http://www.northwest-wine.com/Five-Star-Cellars-merlot.html
Wine Spectator rating 92 points: "Deep,
dark, gorgeous stuff, a generous mouthful of sweet, oak-accented black
cherry, blackberry and currant flavors that mingle seductively on the long,
beautifully focused finish. Sylish stuff, wants cellaring." H.S.
A September Avalon Big Reds Club Selection
===================================
We Restocked big time so we can still offer:
Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon Dubrul 03 $54.00/$60.00
http://www.northwest-wine.com/owen-roe-cabernet-dubrul.html
Here's what Harvey Steiman of Wine Spectator says about
Owen Roe:
"Few winemakers in the Pacific
Northwest get such intensity and heady richness into their wines as does
David O'Reilly. He consults with a number of Oregon's avant-garde wineries,
including Abacela, Carabella and Starr, and he makes his own Pacific Northwest
wines under three different labels: O'Reilly (for négociant wines),
Sineann (a partnership with Peter Rossbeck) and Owen Roe, for tiny lots
of intense wine."
We have all the new Andrew Will
2003 vintage red blends here:
http://www.northwest-wine.com/andrewwillwinery.html
===================================
Hoping you are all well. Please let us know if we may
help with info about NW wine by email or phone. We're here to serve you,
and so enjoy talking with customers- you give us our best ideas!
Best regards,
Jean, Marcus, Chris, Kevin, and Wendy
Jean Yates
Owner
Avalon Wine
201 SW 2nd Street
Corvallis OR 97333
www.avalonwine.com
jean@avalonwine.com
541-424-8004 (my direct line)
Marcus Looze
Manager
541-752-7418
marcus@avalonwine.com
Chris Haggerty
Customer Service
541-752-7418
store@avalonwine.com
Kevin Hanscom
Shipping Manager
541-752-0907
shipping@avalonwine.com
Wendy Brown
Accounting
541-752-7418
wendy@avalonwine.com |
