Sepia Wine Menu
wine by the glass
featured winery
ABOUT BROOKS
Founded in 1998, Brooks Wines is a reflection of the visionary Portland native, Jimi Brooks. His reverence for the land and vines made him a practitioner of organic and biodynamic farming. His respect for vineyard individuality and mastery of blending has allowed Brooks Wines to achieve the greatest depth, flavors, and balance. While Jimi passed away in 2004, his dynamic spirit lives on through his wines, family and friends. Brooks remains guided by the legacies that Jimi left: his strong commitment to organic and biodynamic farming in the vineyards, gentle approach to winemaking, excitement for future harvests, and endless passion for Pinot Noir and Riesling produced in Oregon.
09 Brooks Dry Muscat Terue-Eola Springs Vineyards, Willamette Valley 43
Part of the proceeds from this wine goes to a local children’s art foundation in Oregon.
07 Brooks Riesling Ara, Willamette Valley 57
The 2006 vintage of this wine was selected at the recent White House State Dinner honoring India.
09 Brooks Pinot Noir Janus, Willamette Valley 80
In Roman mythology, Janus is the God for new beginnings, as well as endings, the future, and the past.
SCHOLIUM PROJECT: IF DR. JEKYLL HAD BEEN A WINEMAKER...
If there was a mathematics of human personalities, the algorithm for Abe Schoener, winemaker of Scholium Project, would be Mad Scientist plus Rock Star, multiplied by the air of a Dandy, and all compounded by a healthy dose of Passion and Humility. Abe’s wines reflect his dedication and belief in the terroir of Californian vineyards that “are distinguished sometimes by being ignored.” The best way to experience the Scholium Project is by total immersion, letting your sense of adventure erase any preconceptions. Afterward, you will think, this is what I would have tasted if Dr. Jekyll had been a winemaker.
– Arthur Hon, Wine Director
09 Riquewihr Lost Slough Vineyards, Clarksburg 60
Dry and full-frontal Gewürztraminer from the Sacramento River Delta.
Weighty, gravelly with lots of cumin and savory Indian spices.
Total production: 180 cases.
09 Midan Al-Tahrir, California 65
Blended from barrel-aged Verdelho, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Complex, rich and deep citrus with an intense minerality. It is intellectual without being academic.
This wine is named in honor of Liberation Square in Cairo.
09 Marcher sur la Lune Reserve Bokisch Ranches, Borden Ranch, Lodi 70
Hillside Verdelho from the edge of Sierra Foothills.
Large wooden tank fermented with 5% whole berries. Aged 1 year in neutral oak without stirring or topping.
Bizarre and astounding! Silky and smooth mouth-feel yields to a mid-palate that is similar to Viognier
with flavors of peaches and pineapples.
Total production: 285 cases.
09 La Serverita di Bruto Farina Vineyards, Sonoma Valley 92
Whole-cluster pressed Sauvignon Blanc.
Barrel fermented and no malo. Aged half in neutral barrels and half in stainless steel for one year.
Direct and stunning acidity mingles with hints of tangerine and Sweet Tarts!
Total production: 112 cases
CLIFFSNOTES FROM A WINE-SAVVY STAFF
The key to a good wine list does not lie in the search for perfection but rather the adventure of finding distinctive and distinguished wines. The goal of this carefully designed wine tour is to introduce you to wines you may not have tasted yet, and to take you out of your comfort zone. As you explore what Chef Zimmerman has created in his beloved seasonal menu, we invite you to select a glass, flight or bottle of wine that will fully compliment his art.
– Andres Arias, Wine Captain
06 Forlorn Hope Touriga Nacional/Tinta Cão/Tinta Roiz/Tinta Amarella Mil Amores, Amador County 59
Made from old-vine Portuguese varietals of California’s next popular wine region, Amador County, Mil Amores expresses flavors of ripe red and black berries, peppercorns, and an underlying of minerality. Amador County’s warm climate and higher-altitude growing condition, akin to that of Mendoza in Argentina, produces wines with luxuriously creamy progression with a gratifying finish for an undeniably wine experience!
– Jordan Rhudy, Hostess
10 La Conreria d’Scala Dei Les Brugueres, Priorat, Spain (Garnacha Blanca) 75
Behold fall! As the cooler temperature transforms the cities lush greens into patches of warm bronze hues, our desire to seek out richer flavors in beverage becomes almost a biological urge. The favors of golden apple, soft honey and delicate stone minerality in Les Brugueres make way to a satisfying texture lingered with scents of almond and sweet citrus. This is definitely an autumn-personified white wine fit for the cooler months ahead.
– Antonio Perry, Server
wine by the bottle
Sepia
123 N. Jefferson Street, Chicago, Illinois 60661
312.441.1920