December 2025
WINE OF THE MONTH
Every month we give a little spotlight time to a hidden treasure, a wine we think you should meet (and hopefully fall in love with). To encourage the introduction, we offer the wine at 25% OFF the bottle price for the given month.
Badenhorst 2021 Secateurs Red •Swartland, South Africa • Reg $22.99 | Mixed Case $18.39
Shiraz, Grenache, Cinsault. Ohhhh, the nose! Exotic, spicy, sexy. Like a Rhône, but more pronounced. Special earthy complexity underpinning raspberries, strawberries, black cherries, dark plums. Great acidity. And the finish... spicy, fruity, long, but not super tannic. That's what makes it the perfect pairing for dishes with a little heat. Also great with classic, not-so-spicy fare.
Note: this wine wine will run out before the end of the month, so be fast if you’re curious. A replacement is waiting in the wings…
JENS’ TOP PICKS
Every month Portalis owner Jens Strecker picks 8-12 wines that he thinks are outstanding … for any reason he chooses. Here are his December Picks — made with holiday festivities in mind!
Yangarra 2020 Ovitelli Blanc • McLaren Vale, Australia • Reg $77.99 | Mixed Case $62.39
Blend of Grenache Blanc & Roussanne. Petrol, herbs, yellow plums, star fruit on the nose. Flavors of spicy Asian pear, baked savory apple, yellow plums. Finish is fresh & drier which makes it super food friendly. Note of salinity. This wine could easily age for 3-4 years. Jens: I think this wine is something else!
Crossbarn 2022 Pinot Noir • Sonoma Coast, California • Reg $34.99 | Mixed Case $27.99
Winery notes: "Brilliant, dark ruby red in color, ... bouquet of red cherry, pomegranate, and red apple skin, layered with savory undertones of forest floor and cigar box. On the palate, ... an interplay of wild berries and black tea. Damp earth and red fruit notes persist through the long and lingering finish." Winery suggests pairing this wine with: grilled pizza with sausage & mushrooms, bucatini alla’ amatriciana, or 5 spice braised pork shoulder. Yum!
Illahe 2024 Pinot Gris • Willamette Valley, Oregon • Reg $27.99 | Mixed Case $22.39
Winery notes: The aromatics of the gris jump out of the glass with notes of lemon peel, pear drop, muddled mint, key lime pie, peach, and kiwi. The Santa Maria wooden fermenter helps give this gris have lovely texture with racy acidity, stone, and salinity.
Domaine du Séminaire 2022 Côtes du Rhône • Southern Rhône, France • Reg $23.99 | Mixed Case $19.19
Grenache, Syrah, Carignan. Wonderful nose: soft garrigue, tiny, wild strawberries, raspberries, soft earth. Old-school, delicious, soft, medium-bodied, smooth, spicy-herbal, black raspberries, black cherries on the palate. Blackberries on the finish. Just what a Côtes du Rhône used to be before it started getting hotter. Amazing wine. Absolutely killer!! Winery suggests enjoying this wine with some black truffles on brioche.
Becker Landgraf 2022 Grauburgunder • Rheinhessen, Germany • Reg $23.99 | Mixed Case $19.19
Young estate vines produce this fresh, young Grauburgunder (= Pinot Gris in German). Tasty, medium-body with stone fruits, citrus & a nice minerally finish. Photo: Julia Becker & Johannes Landgraf pictured in the middle.
Turley 2023 Rosé • California • Reg $24.99 | Mixed Case $19.99
100% Zinfandel. Deep pink color. Strawberry field on the nose. Wild strawberry, raspberries, faint notes of orange melon on the palate. Forest floor. Earthy notes. Soft acidity. Made for holiday hors d’oeuvres!
Francine Bachelier 2023 Chablis • Burgundy, France • Reg $47.99 | Mixed Case $38.39
Francine Bachelier and her husband, Olivier Savary, own a small, highly-regarded estate in Maligny, which lies at the northern edge of the slope of the Grand Cru Chablis vineyards. Olivier markets his wines as Domaine Savary while Francine makes limited selections in the cellar for the wines of her own label. While they own vines in two Premier Crus, the great “Fourchaume” and the “Vaillons,” the specialty here is top-quality Chablis Village.”—importer notes. This Chablis is something special: flinty, chalky, minerally, stone & tree fruits on the nose with flavors adding in a brisk citrus notes. Fabulous wine!
R.H. Coutier NV Grand Cru Brut Rosé • Champagne, France • Reg $66.99 | Mixed Case $53.59
Blend of 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir. “Our cuveeRosé... is brisk, fresh and full of energy, theRoséoffers a striking interplay of Ambonnay richness and verve. Dried flowers, cranberry, mint and blood orange.’ —winemaker’s notes. Beautiful bottle. Good price for grower Champagne.
Rasa Vineyards 2023 Occam's Razor Red • Columbia Valley, Washington • Reg $27.99 | Mixed Case $22.39
Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon 53%, Merlot 24%, Syrah 14%, Touriga Nacional 5%, Tinto Cao 2%, Souza 2%. Oak profile: 15% new French oak, 85% neutral French oak.
Winemaker's notes: "...bouquet of blackberry, cassis, violets, asian spices, vanilla, and espresso. The full-bodied palate has firm tannins and high acidity and wonderful complexity. The wine finishes with lovely notes of cassiss, black cherry, dark chocolate, and spice."
Colle Massari 2019 Montecucco Rosso Riserva • Tuscany, Italy • Reg $24.99 | bertiMixed Case $19.99
Sangiovese + a small amount of Ciliegiolo & Cab. Very aromatic. Herbal notes, forest floor, black cherries on the nose. Medium+ bodied with good acidity. Super complex. Flavors of black cherries, black plums with herbal, spicy notes & licorice on the long finish. Absolutely killer wine!
René Leclerc 2021 Gevrey-Chambertin • Burgundy, France • Reg $109.99 | Mixed Case $87.99
100% Pinot Noir. “Tender raspberries contrast with a meaty, firm underpinning. The wine is both elegant and brooding, in possession of both good acidity and a ripe character.” —importer notes.
Son François (pictured) has now taken over for his dad as winemaker.
Uggiano 2023 Vermentino • Tuscany, Italy • Reg $17.99 | Mixed Case $14.39
100% Vermentino. Unoaked, pleasant easy-drinking with lovely soft fruits and flowers on the nose. Nuance of white stone fruit on the palate with a tiny note of white melon, but it's not at all sweet. It's a beautiful, savory, minerally white that is pleasant and refreshing. Perfect holiday white!