Just got back from visiting one of LA’s coolest wine shops, with a great name, that also happens to have a well-chosen selection of Frech & US Pinot Noirs: Domaine LA.
On Melrose, between La Brea and Highland, on the corner of Mansfield, Domaine LA just misses the high-traffic of central Melrose west of La Brea, but it shouldn’t be missed. The unpretentious strip-mall setting belies a premier cru of a wine shop with a fabulous, but not overwhelming, selection of Pinot Noirs – from the affordable and yummy (Poppy) to the waiting-list-(almost)only (Kosta Browne) to the rare and interesting (A Donkey and Goat “Broken Leg Vineyard” from the Anderson Valley).
If you have questions, you’ll find the owner, Jill, to be very helpful, and refreshingly passionate about her wines. Learning about her wines, and indirectly about wine in general, is as easy as engaging her in a conversation about what you’re looking for and how much you might want to spend. The atmosphere is browsy and chill, perfect for relaxed wine shopping for kid-in-a-candy-store wine shoppers like me.
Though only featuring around 30 or so Pinot Noirs (a guess), they are a well-chosen balance of Oregon and California Pinots (Ken Wright, Sinnean, and soon Big Table Farm, with Copain, Alta Maria and others), some great ’05 premier crus (and others) from both the Cote de Nuits & Beaune, and some affodable village Burgundy as well. They are all either Pinots I’d like to try or Pinots I’ve tried and have thoroughly liked.
I couldn’t resist buying the strange 70% Pinot Noir 30% Gamay blend – from the Loire – that Jill recommended, as well as her choice of a table pour – a Gamay from Beaujolais that she described as being made like a Pinot Noir from the Cote d’Or. I’ll let you know what I think when I try them.
Another great thing about Domaine LA is that you don’t have to be in LA to enjoy it – online ordering and shipping is available. Jill admits that the website isn’t necessarily up to date, so if you have questions just call in. Oh, and Domaine LA (called Domaine547 online) also has an equally thoughtful and delcious selection of everything besides Pinot Noir as well.