Recommended wines from Potomac Selections

Here are some exemplary examples from the Potomac Selections portfolio.

Domaine La Blaque 2009

Loading...

Comments

• Weigh In
• Corrections?

Personal Post

(Deb Lindsey/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST) - Wine bottle photographed on July 8, 2011 in Potomac, MD.

More on this Story

• Wine: How responsive a wine portfolio can be
• Recommended wines from Potomac Selections

***

Pierrevert, France, $15

A blend of 90 percent syrah and 10 percent grenache, it hails from eastern Provence and has all the sensuality one would expect from the combination of sun-baked Mediterranean climes and the foothills of the Alps. It’s perfumed with lavender and thyme, and rich with plummy fruit, this Thomas Calder selection would tempt me to skip dinner, because food almost can’t do it justice. (But try steak or lamb.)

Potomac Selections: On the list in the District at Shaw’s Tavern. Available in Maryland at Midway Discount Liquors in Joppa, the Wine Source in Baltimore, Wishing Well Liquors in Easton; on the list at Pure Wine Cafe in Ellicott City, 13.5% Wine Bar in Baltimore. Available in Virginia at Arrowine in Arlington; Au Domaine and Whole Foods Market in Alexandria; Barrel Thief Wine Shop & Cafe, J. Emerson Fine Wines & Cheese and River City Cellars in Richmond; the Cheese Shop in Williamsburg; the Wine House in Fairfax; the Town Duck in Warrenton. On the list at Bizou in Charlottesville, Can Can in Richmond; Lyon Hall in Clarendon, Tuscarora Mill in Leesburg.

Pierre Paillard Brut Grand Cru NV

***

Bouzy, Champagne, France, $45

This grower champagne is so focused, it could have been honed with lasers. If you want serious champers at a (relatively) modest price, this Grand Cru example is hard to beat.

Potomac Selections: Available in the District at Ace Beverage, Wide World of Wines; on the list at Acacia Bistro. Available in Maryland at Calvert Wine & Spirits in Hunt Valley; Chesapeake Wine Co., North Charles Fine Wine & Spirits, Wells Discount Liquors and the Wine Source in Baltimore; State Line Liquors in Elkton; the Wine Bin in Ellicott City; Wine Cellars of Annapolis; Wishing Well Liquors in Easton. Available in Virginia at Au Domaine in Alexandria, Barrel Thief Wine Shop & Cafe and River City Cellars in Richmond, Chain Bridge Cellars and the Vineyard in McLean, Cork & Fork in Gainesville, Maison du Vin in Great Falls, Vienna Vintner, Whole Foods Market in Arlington; on the list at 2941 in Falls Church, Liberty Tavern and Tallula in Arlington, Planet Wine in Alexandria, Secco Wine Bar in Richmond.

Chateau de Vaux Les Hautes-Bassieres Pinot Noir 2009

** 1/2

Moselle, France, $20

Intriguingly unusual, this cold-climate pinot noir is grown not in Burgundy but farther north, on the border between Luxembourg and Germany. Across the border, Germany’s Mosel region is famed for Riesling. This light-bodied, perfumed red shows pinot noir at its exotic best, as if a previously unknown relative with dashing good looks crashed the family reunion. Let it open up for at least 30 minutes before drinking, then approach it with an open mind.

Potomac Selections: Available in the District at MacArthur Beverages; on the list at Ripple, Proof, Shaw’s Tavern. Available in Maryland at Chesapeake Wine Co., Eddie’s of Roland Park, Mt. Washington Wine Co., North Charles Fine Wine & Spirits and Wells Discount Liquors in Baltimore; I.M. Wine in Fulton; Wishing Well Liquors in Easton. Available in Virginia at Arrowine and Best Cellars in Arlington; Au Domaine, Grape + Bean and Rick’s Wine & Gourmet in Alexandria; Barrel Thief, Belle Vie, and River City Cellars in Richmond; Maison du Vin in Great Falls; Norm’s Beer & Wine in Vienna.On the list at Bastille in Alexandria, Can Can and Secco Wine Bar in Richmond; and Maple Avenue Restaurant in Vienna.