May '09
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Thursday, May 21st, 2009
Extraordinary Wines from off the Beaten Path takes us to some fun places this month:Valencia & Bierzo in Spain, La Liviniere and Beaujolais in France, Valle Centrale in Chile and Manduria in Puglia, Italy. And a couple totally new grapes, including Primitivo and Mercia. The wines, as always, are delicious, all with personality and class to spare. Looking out my window as I write this, I’m thrilled to note that all are great wines for picnics and backyard barbecues, as it looks like it might finally be that season!
To see what you’ll be drinking, click here
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Thursday, May 21st, 2009
Extraordinary Wines from off the Beaten Path takes us to some fun places this month:Valencia & Bierzo in Spain, Languedoc, Cour-Cheverny and Beaujolais in France, and Valle Centrale in Chile. And a few totally new grapes, including Verdil, Romarantin and Mercia. The wines, as always, are delicious, all with personality and class to spare. Looking out my window as I write this, I’m thrilled to note that all are great wines for picnics and backyard barbecues, as it looks like it might finally be that season!
To see what you’ll be drinking, click here
Posted in May '09, Off the Beaten Path - May 09 | No Responses »
Thursday, May 21st, 2009
In a quest for the perfect Riesling, Reinhard Brundig, film producer and passionate wine expert, discovered, by chance, Marc Tempe’s wines from Alsace.
This meeting marked the beginning of a beautiful friendship. From their impassioned discussion the project of producing a red wine that would honor their motto “life is too short to drink bad wine” was born.
In 2002 they found Domaine de Courbissac, the perfect estate to realize their idea in the region of Minervois, between Narbonne and Carcassonne. “Long term, the Minervois has probably the best potential of all Appellations in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.” (Robert M. Parker). The land, covering approx. 75 acres, is situated in the best part of the Cru, “La Livinière”. The ripening of the grapes (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan) benefits from the ideal climatic conditions of this region.
The viticulture follows biodynamic principles. This method, which respects the environment, allows the vines and the soil to play the leading parts in a story that speaks about the “expression du terroir”. This is reflected in the quality of the grapes and the full-bodied wines show the complexity of limestone soil and the richness of the environment, full of colors and flavors. The wines are created from this special alchemy, which unites human hearts, the soil and the vines.
This wine needs to be decanted before drinking. Earthy, spicy, brooding, mysterious, but as it breathes, full of black fruit, white pepper, and smoky goodness that is a perfect expression of what this region has to offer. The wine is made from 60% Carignan, 20% Cinsault and 20% Grenache. Try it with roast rabbit, daube, olives, and cheese. Drink now – 2014
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Tags: Carignan, Courbissac, Grenache, La Liviniere, Marc Tempe, Minervois, Mourvedre
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
Primitivo, an Italian grape variety, is genetically identical to Zinfandel, an American grape variety. To make the story more interesting, scientists are convinced that Primitivo arrived in Italy after Zinfandel arrived in the United States (1820). Recently, simultanious research in Croatia and at the University of California, Davis concluded that both are decendents of the Croation grape called Crljenak (thank goodness we changed the name!). About the same time that this research was published, the TTB (the government body in the US that determines what cango on wine labels) decided that Primitivo and Zinfandel could be interchangeable on wine labels for sale in the US. (Follow this link to a fascinating article summing up Zinfandel’s history)
But despite it’s genetic similarity (or identicality I guess), I find that Primitivo is decidedly different wine than a California Zinfandel. Particularly a good Primitivo like this one. While Zinfandels are full of rich, sometimes jammy fruit: Primitivos have more baked characters, less herbaceous characters, and more spicey secondary aromas than Zinfandels. But they also share a soul: both are big, hearty, alcoholic wines that rarely have too many tannins. 
Puglia, the spike heal of Italy’s boot, has been greatly improving it’s lot in the wine world. Because it was so easy to grow grapes here, Puglia has been a source of high-yielding and easy drinking, if not particularly profound, wines since the late Roman era. But in the last 10 or 15 years, the scene has begun to change, producers are slowly lowering their yeilds, and attempting to match grapes with vineyards, and even producing some really delicious wines.
This is one of them. Sinfarosa is produced by the Academia de Racemi from a vineyard of 70+ year old vines that overlook the ocean, in the superior growing region of Manduria, it boasts rich red fruit that is nearly subsumed by the heady, spicy mix of other flavors that are the defining character of this wine. try it with pizza, red sauce, and bollito misto. Drink now – 2012
Posted in May '09, Off The Beaten Path All Red - May '09 | No Responses »
Tags: Italian Red, Italy, Primativo di Manduria, Primitivo, Puglia, Zinfandel
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
One again we find ourselves drinking Monastrell (a.k.a. Mourvedré, a.k.a. estrangle-chien, a.k.a. Mataro, a.k.a. Esparte) from Spain. Why? because there are SOOO many good ones. This is a different style, light and fruity, but it fits with the spring weather that is finally descending on the Northwest, and the rest of the country.
Bodega J. Belda is a family winery founded in 1931 near Valencia on Spain’s Mediterranean coast. The current generation to oversee the operation is Daniel Belda, a professional enologist who inherited a long family tradition, and spent recent years bringing his family business to the forefront of the region’s wine production. With around 160 hectares, Belda produces noble French varieties along with Valencia’s great native varieties like the fresh, aromatic white grape, Verdil as well as the famed Monastrell (which Belda makes into a deliciously soft, easy-drinking bistro wine called Ponsalet).vineyard/cellar practices | The vineyards are rooted in a limestone-layer drained, sandy loam soil at the foot of a hillside facing southwards, at a height of 600 meters, perfect for slowly maturing fruit on the vines. All vineyards are dry farmed, and yields are kept low for the region.
Try this fruity, playful red with cheeseburgers, sausages, and herbed mushrooms. Drink now – 2013.
Posted in May '09, Off The Beaten Path All Red - May '09 | No Responses »
Tags: Daniel Belda, Monastrell, Ponsalet, Spainish Red, Valencia
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
Verdil was (and probably still is) a quickly disappearing native grape in Valencia, Spain. A few of the local winemakers are trying to show the world what they are about to miss out on, and their leader is Daniel Belda, who makes some of the best wines from Fontanars del Alforin, located 600 feet above see level in Valencia, and one of, if not the, only place that any vineyards planted to Verdil remain.
Bodega J. Belda is a family winery founded in 1931 near Valencia on Spain’s Mediterranean coast. The current generation to oversee the operation is Daniel Belda, a professional enologist who inherited a long family tradition, and spent recent years bringing his family business to the forefront of the region’s wine production. With around 160 hectares, Belda produces noble French varieties along with Valencia’s great native varieties like the fresh, aromatic white grape, Verdil as well as the famed Monastrell (which Belda makes into a deliciously soft, easy-drinking bistro wine called Ponsalet).
The vineyards are rooted in a limestone-layer drained, sandy loam soil at the foot of a hillside facing southwards, at a height of 600 meters, perfect for slowly maturing fruit on the vines. All vineyards are dry farmed, and yields are kept low for the region.
This wine is full of fresh apple and honeyed character, and is the perfect wine for picnics. Try it with scallops, nuts, and Hunan cuisine. Drink now – 2010
Posted in May '09, Off the Beaten Path - May 09 | No Responses »
Tags: Daniel Belda, Spainish White, Valencia, Verdil
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
The Loire valley is full of nooks and crannies, and around every corner it seems like there is a new, and fascinating grape. Though it is the rare wine lover who hasn’t at least tried a Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé, or a Chenin Blanc from Vouvray, or a Cabernet Franc from Chinon, when was the last time you tried a wine made from Romarantin?
It’s likely you haven’t, as there are less than 100 hectares planted in the world, and they are all, as far as anyone knows, around the town of Cheverny in Touraine in the west-central part of the Loire Valley. The grape has been around since at least 1519, and it’s easy to figure out where it got it’s name: the town of Romarantin-Lanthenay is about 10 miles from Cheverny.
The way that the appellation works is that Cheverny is for blends of 
Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc, and Cour-Cheverny is only for wines that are 100% Romarantin.
François Cazin tends vines of considerable age and the resulting yields are well below average in any given year. Since 1997, the wine has been bottled unfiltered by gravity. His wines have consistently been the top pick of the vintage at the annual Loire Valley wine show in Angers.
The wines tend to have powerful acidity and bright fruit, but also a richness that is often absent from Sauvignon Blanc. This one is full of beautiful ripe citrus, but also has a very herby character and lots of stoney minerality. Try it with poached chicken, salads and goat tôme (an aged Chevre that is common around the Loire). Drink now – 2010.
Lots of fun Loire Valley Wine info and a full map of the valley here
Posted in May '09, Off the Beaten Path - May 09 | No Responses »
Tags: Francois Cazin, Le Petite Chambord, Romarantin
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
This is a great example of what happens when a winemaker who is used to having the best – in vineyards, equipment, and grapes – falls in love with a relatively humble place. Picpoul is, by all accounts, a non-descript grape that makes thin, pleasant wines from all over the Languedoc, but is slightly more interesting in Pinet. Truth is, Picpoul just needed someone to love it, and, as in this example, it was waiting to come out of its caccoon and turn into a beautiful butterfly, recognizable only because it kept its name.
Jean Louis Fougeray is a Burgundian with a passion for terroir. His family estate, which he was deeply involved in running for years, is Domaine de Fougeray de Beauclair, and has been producing some of the most delightful, and delightfully under the radar, Burgundies for the last 15 or so years. Having purchased some vineyard land in 1999 around the commune of Pinet, near the Bassin de Thau, in Languedoc, he spent much of his time then commuting weekly between Burgundy and the Languedoc. In the early 2000s he constructed cellars and a house while he produced experimental cuvées to select the best slopes and soil types for his Languedoc wines. He now resides in the Languedoc full time while his daughter Laurence and her husband Patrice Olliver oversee the operations in Burgundy.
The Picpoul de Pinet is vinified in demi-muids, large wood barrels, to give a more “burgundian” feel to the wine. As a result, it’s unlike any other wine from the region, benefitting from a creamy, honeyed and buttery texture, with dry, floral, and fruity flavors and perfect balancing acidity. Try it with rabbit, artichokes, sea breem (loup de mer), or a host of other spring and summer delights: it’s hard to go wrong. Drink now – 2010
Posted in May '09, Off The Beaten Path All Red - April '09, Off the Beaten Path - May 09 | No Responses »
Tags: Fougeray de Beauclair, Jean-Louis Fougeray, Languedoc, Picpoul, Val Grieux
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009
Picturesque Bierzo, one of the newer Spanish DO’s is a small region in Northwest Spain, is sheltered from both the climactic extremes of the Atlantic Ocean and the hot, central plateau of the Duero River by. The region’s well-defined soils of slate and granite result in red wines of rich, balanced fruit. One of the neatest things about Bierzo is that all of the wines are made from 100% of the local red variety, called Mencia, which, though obscure, is capable of producing some really spectacular red wines.
For three generations the Garcia family, proprietors of Pago de Valdoneje, have been making wine. , The present patriarch, Marcos Garcia, continued the tradition of making wine only for family and friends in the surrounding region, but in 2001, as the reputation and demand for their wine grew, 
he decided to offer small quantities to other markets with the US being the first export opportunity.
The Mencia grapes for this wine come from 5 hectares of estate vineyards located in Valtuille de Abajo sub-region of Bierzo. The vines are anywhere from 50 to 100 years old and provide wine that is rich, dark, full-bodied and robust. The winemaking is overseen by famed local enologist Raul Garcia, this is a wine known for its fragrant, mouth-filling fruit characteristics. In order to preserve the integrity of the old vines while delivering a fresh, modern palate, traditional winemaking techniques are augmented by 100% fermentation in stainless steel cuves. The wine sees no wood before bottling with total production for this vintage at under 2500 cases.
This wine is full of rich, dark fruit, and bright acidity. Try it with salmon, hamburgers, and Spanish chorizo (the mexican kind is spicier and doesn’t go well). Drink now – 2012
Posted in May '09, Off The Beaten Path All Red - May '09, Off the Beaten Path - May 09 | No Responses »
Tags: Bierzo, Mencia, Spain, Valdoneje
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009
Beaujolais Nouveau, and the hype and crappy wine surrounding it, have done unimaginable harm to the reputation of not only Beaujolais, but the Gamay Noir Grape which calls Beaujolais its home. Most of the Beaujolais that we see in the states is mass-produced and innocuous, at best. Because of this, I thought I didn’t like Beaujolais. Then I discovered Pierre Chermette and his wife Martine’s Domaine du Vissoux, and realized that I had just been tasting the wrong wines. These wines reflect the magical combination of Granite soil, moderate sunny weather, and the Gamay Noir Grape that is why Beaujolais is, despite what is produced by certain wineries named Duboef, a wonderful wine region.
Here is what Peter Weygandt, who imports these wines says:
I search out wines as naturally made as possible; but only if this contributes to the wine being better. Domaine du Vissoux may just be the most perfect expression in my whole portfolio of what I seek, for this very ability to be natural and great, at once. First natural. How’s this: Pierre Chermette’s yields are so low and the grapes so naturally ripe that he does not chaptalize. He uses only indigenous yeasts (no “banana yeast” culture, a la Duboeuf). Then a traditional, longer fermentation, aging in oak foudre and bottling with no filtration, and without adding any sulfites, in most vintages. It is as natural a Beaujolais as one could have had in a café in Lyon in the 40’s. As for quality, Domaine du Vissoux is the Beaujolais at Willi’s in Paris, Cave la Grande, and just about every Bar-A-Vin in Paris.
Just-picked wild strawberries and the essence of savory (the herb) and wet stones are what I think about when I remember the flavor of this wine. It is the perfect foil for charcuterie of all sorts, but is particularly glorious with pickled or brined meats (in france, calves tongue is the magical pairing, but pastrami is great also). Though it is tradition to drink these wines a little cooler than normal reds, don’t get them cold. about 5-10 degrees cooler than the room is the magical temperature. Drink now – 2011.
Posted in May '09, Off The Beaten Path All Red - May '09, Off the Beaten Path - May 09 | No Responses »
Tags: Beaujolais, Domaine du Vissoux, Gamay Noir, Natural Winemaking, Pierre Chermette
Monday, May 18th, 2009
Carménère has a fascinating history. In the 19th Century Carménère was a main compenent of Bordeaux, where it was sometimes called Grand Vidure, and considered every bit the equal to Cabernet Sauvignon. However, it is a finicky grape, particularly in the often wet climate of Bordeaux. When the Bordeaux vineyards were replanted following the phylloxera epidemic at the end of the 19th century, Carménère was almost completely replaced by Merlot, an earlier ripening grape that made good wine more of the time, but rarely made wine that rivalled the best Carménère.
Luckily for the world, just prior to the phylloxera epidemic, there was a great exodus of French Winemakers to South America. They were fleeing the, ultimately less devastating, powdery mildew epidemic of the 1850’s, and planted giant tracts of Chile’s Central Valley with cuttings of Bordeaux Varieties. Sometime down the line, a translation error occured, and Vineyards planted to a blend of Carménère and Merlot, usually close to 90% Carménère, were labeled as Merlot. This mistake went on for over one hundred years, until wine critics in the early 1990’s began commenting that Chile’s Merlot had a very interesting, but decidedly un-Merlotlike character. Finally, genetic ampelographers (ampelography is the science of the classification of grapes) confirmed that most of what was called Merlot in Chile was in fact a nearly extinct Bordeaux variety called Carménère that looked almost exactly like Merlot, but acted much differently. In 1996 the Chilean Government officially recognized Carménère as a planted variety, and as of 1998 it was legal to label 
wines as being made from Carménère.
You would be entitled to ask, after this long-winded historical digression, “why should I care?” The short answer lies in this delicious bottle of wine, but the long answer is that Carménère is a unique, and truly delightful variety, that may have found it’s natural place (more so than even in Bordeaux) in Chile’s Central Valley Wine Regions. The flavors of good Carménère are an intriguing and sophisticated blend of savory – think roasted bell pepper, coriander, soy sauce, coffee and celery root – combined with sweet, rich fruit – of blackberries, plums and mulberries – that make a near perfect match. Carménère is naturally low in tannin and acidity, and only give rough wines when it is underripe or over-watered.
Terra Andina is a large, but really high-quality wine concern making wine from over 23 vineyards up and down 1300 kilometers of Chile’s skinny but massively tall expanse. Winemaker Oscar Salas makes the most of their giant, modern facility, and gets amazingly consistent, and consistently characterful results, especially when working with exciting grapes like Carménère.
I think of Carménère whenever grilling season begins, because it is such a perfect accompaniment to all things grilled. Think lamb, flank steak, and grilled vegetables, but it’s also great with grilled salmon (leave the skin on). Drink now – 2013
Posted in May '09, Off The Beaten Path All Red - May '09, Off the Beaten Path - May 09 | No Responses »
Tags: Carmenère, Chile, Oidium, Oscar Salas, Phylloxera, Powdery Mildew, Rapel Valley, Terra Andina, Valle Central
Monday, May 18th, 2009
Each month I talk about how great the shipment is, and this month is no exception. In fact, I’m pretty sure that this month is the best group of wines I have put together for this club yet. We have an unusual little sparkler that I have grown to love from France’s Limoux region of Languedoc featuring the esoteric and delightful grape Mauzac. Then we have what is certainly the best Prosecco that I have ever tasted. And from Champagne, a bottle that almost belies description. A 2000 vintage Grower-Producer Champagne from the Montagne de Reims that wasn’t disgorged until late 2008, and has more character in a drop than most giant producer Champagnes have in an entire case.
As the weather gets nicer, remember that sparkling wine was made for drinking outside.
To see the details of your shipment, click here
Posted in Champange and Sparkling Wine Society - May 09, May '09 | No Responses »
Tags: Blanquette de Limoux, Champagne, Prosecco
Monday, May 18th, 2009
Each month I talk about how great the shipment is, and this month is no exception. In fact, I’m pretty sure that this month is the best group of wines I have put together for this club yet. A lot of what I’m excited about is the variety: this month’s wines range from breathtakingly minerally, to incomprehensibly rich, and are all brilliant examples of my deeply held belief that great wines can be made in any style, the key is great vineyards, carefully thought out and executed winemaking, and respect for the grapes. Most importantly, all of the wines are unbelievably delicious.
As one might surmise from the above description, we travel between the old world (read Europe) and the New World (everywhere else) on our journey this month. We begin in Austria with a Slovenian/Austrian joint project that delivers in minerality what most white Burgundies could only hope for. From there, we travel to France’s Southern Rhône Cru of Vacqueyras for a natural, and naturally delicious extremely limited production stunner. Finally, we land close to home for a Bordeaux-styled blend from California that, as one critic so unoriginally, but totally accurately, puts it, “turns the volume up way above 10″.
If you had all red selections substitute Austria’s Wachau for Italy’s Piedmont and a maverick winemaker and you will get the picture. Prepare to be surprised, wowed, and convinced that nothing is better than a good bottle of wine.
I hope that you enjoy this month’s adventure.
To see the details, click here
To see the all-red details, click here
Posted in May '09, The Next Big Thing - May '09, The Next Big Thing All Red - May '09 | No Responses »
Tags: Orin Swift Cellars, Pichler-Krutzler, Roucas Toumba, Teobaldo Cappellano
Monday, May 18th, 2009
This delicious little sparkler from Languedoc has been one of my restaurant go to wines for as long as I can remember. It’s unusual in every way, starting with it’s exceptional history. Though it’s claims have been mostly, but not totally convincingly, debunked, Limoux claims to be France’s first sparkling wine, claiming that monks from the abbey of St. Hilaire were making the methode ancestrale (this means that the wine doesn’t go through two fermentations, but rather is bottled during a pause in the original fermentation, which re-starts after the wine is bottles producing a soft froth, and a usually sweet wine – one of these might show up in a future shipment!) version of this wine back in the 1500 hundreds. The only real proof is some letters from the King’s officer at the time ordering wine (though it doesn’t mention whether it is sparkling or not) for he King.
Historic or not, the trick here is the grape: Mauzac. Mauzac is indigenous to the South of France, and its best use is in sparkling wine. It ripens late, and therefore retains its acidity, even in the sunny climes of the Languedoc. This wine is made using the Methode Traditionelle (Methode Champenoise), meaning that it is fermented dry, then yeast and sugar are added to the wine in the bottle to promote the secondary fermentation which produces the bubbles while the dying yeast cells (lees) are creating complexity and nuance in the relatively neutral base wine.
Blanquette de Limoux refers to the fully sparkling wines made from a minimum of 90% Mauzac (Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay are also permitted) in the Methode Traditionelle. Cremant de Limoux refers to wines that are made from a Maximum of 10% Mauzac (the rest being Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Noir) using the Methode Traditionelle. A third type, mentioned above, is Blanquette de Limoux Methode Ancestrale.
Domaine Martinolles Le Berceau is the real deal. Made from 100% Mauzac, and aged on tirage for 2 years. It has a delightful, rich mouthfeel, and aromas and flavors of green apples, lemon curd, grass and fresh herbs. It’s perfect for a picnic, and goes with just about everything! Drink now – 2010
Posted in Champange and Sparkling Wine Society - May 09, May '09 | No Responses »
Tags: Blanquette de Limoux, Maison Vergnes, Martinolles, Mauzac, Sparkling Wine, St.-Hilaire
Monday, May 18th, 2009
The Italian writer Paolo Rosso famously quotes the late* Teobaldo Cappellano as saying, “If there is one thing that makes me crazy, it’s spitters of wine…the ones who taste a wine by rolling it around in their mouths and then they spit it out. I worked my butt off to make wine to drink, not to spit!”
Many of you may not have heard of Cappellano’s wines, mostly because only a tiny amount are produced from his 3 hectares of vines within the Cru of Gabutti in Saralunga, in Barolo, but also because since the 1980’s he has respectfully asked critics not to score or rate his wines. His Barolo’s, for which he is best known, bear the following quote on their back label:
To wine “Guides” – humbly speaking:
In 1983 I asked the journalist Sheldon Wasserman not to publish scores for my wines. Not only did he not publish the scores: he also wrote that I had asked not to be included in “classifications” in which a comparison becomes a divisive numerical term rather than expressiing human toil. I have not changed my mind: my tiny farm producing 20,000 bottles of wine a year interests only a small number of customer/friends. I believe in freedom of information, even if the judgement is negative. I think of my hills as an anarchical arena, with no inquisitors or opposing factions, whose inner richness is stimulated by severe, thoughtful critics. I strive for community that can still express solidarity with whoever has not been so well rewarded by Mother Nature.Wishful thinking? Allow me to dream… Teobaldo
The truth is, these are stunning, old-school wines (no new oak here, no filtering, and lots of time in old barrels). Though the little press he gets is for the Barolos, one of my all time favorite wines is the result of beauraucratic silliness with the DOC tasting panel. When he submitted his 2003 Barbera for tasting, hoping to recieve the deserved Barbera d’Alba DOC that his vineyard is over-qualified for, his wine was rejected for having too intense an aroma and flavor, and it was suggested that he filter or do something else to tame the “abnormal” qualities. Instead, he made a new label, and bottled the 2800 bottles (yes, bottles, not cases) as Vini di Tavola and sold out in 6 weeks. This wine has been gone for all intents and purposes for a couple of years, so I was pleasantly suprised to find more to send to you this month.
Try this with braised meat like osso bucco, charcuterie, or hard, salty cheese, but make sure to taste and smell the wine first, it’s haunting. This is what Barbera can be, but so often isn’t. Drink now – 2015+
*In the greatest loss so far this year to the world of wine, Teobaldo Cappellano passed away due to surgical complications on February 20, 2009. His contribution to honest and true wine, and to wine drinker’s pleasure should be measured alongside that of the late Didier Dageneau.
Posted in May '09, The Next Big Thing All Red - May '09 | No Responses »
Tags: Alba, Barbera, Barolo, Old-School, Serralunga, Teobaldo Cappellano
Monday, May 18th, 2009
FX Pichler is one of, if not the, greatest producers in Austria. The biodynamic Grüner Veltliners and Rieslings from his family’s 100 year old estate encompassing some of the best vineyards in the Wachau, are some of the most stunning white wines that anyone produces, anywhere in the world. Eric Krutzler, a friend of FX, and I believe FX’s brother in-law, is the Slovenian wonderkind behind the now defunct Dveri-Pax, and the newly formed, and very exciting Marof wines. They have teamed up to make a wine that is wholly different than what either produces on their own, but equally exciting, and as good as either one.
This wine, from the one of the Pichler Family’s best vineyards, Loibner Klostersatz, is stunningly transparent. It sings of stones, and bright, citrusy acidity, but underneath the melody lie darker, brooding flavors and aromas of smoke, black pepper, grilled asparagus, exotic flowers and fruit. Only a few hundred cases were made, and only a fraction of that made it to the US. Try this wine with asparagus, delicate white fish, shellfish (either raw or cooked) and sashimi. Drink now-2015.
Posted in May '09, The Next Big Thing - May '09 | No Responses »
Tags: Austria, Dveri-Pax, Erich Krutzler, FX Pichler, Gruner Veltliner, Marof, Wachau
Monday, May 18th, 2009
My ambivalence about Prosecco is only exceeded by my love of sparkling wines. It is because of this enduring love that I keep trying wines made from Prosecco though they so often dissapoint . . . Thank goodness! I recently tasted this wine from San Giovanni, and, well, it’s delcious.
The truth is, all Prosecco isn’t created equal. Prosecco is a grape, who’s name, on its own, isn’t protected by any sort of appellation laws, and thus can be made in just about any way that a winery (or more likely, a wine-production factory) sees fit. The sparkling wine that we think of when we think of Prosecco is also not protected, unless it’s from Conigliano or Valdobbiadene. The DOC (Denominacion de Origine Contolata, which is roughly equivelant to France’s AOC) for Prosecco is Prosecco di Valdobbiadene DOC (or di Conigliano DOC). DOC wines have limited yeilds and prescribed winemaking methods. First Lesson; Always look for one of the DOC’s. The others are (99.9% of the time) cheap imitations.
But even the DOC wines can be confusing, as the DOC doesn’t require that the wines be sparkling: in fact, the wine can be still (rare), frizzante (partially sparkling), or spumante (fully sparkling). The best, are usually Spumante, but every once and a while, there is a great frizzante Prosecco. Even then, you don’t have a a garauntee of quality, as the prescribed method of making Prosecco sparkling is the Cuve Close method, which means that the wines undergoe their second fermentation in a pressurized tank and are bottled under pressure. This is not a necessarily inferior process, but Cuve Close does allow the possibility of speeding up the secondary fermentation to a point that virtually eliminates contact with the lees, which are what give method Champenoise sparkling wines their character.
So even when we find wines that are DOC Prosecco (from either region), we aren’t guaranteed quality. Our only choice is to try them. A good Prosecco di Valdobbiadene will have a soft mousse with relatively small bubbles (not, usually, as small as great Champagne), pleasant, clean fruity (apple, pear, lemon) aromas, and a refreshing acidity. The best Prosecco will also have a muted minerality, and intriguing hay and herb quality, and a long, creamy finish. This is one of those.
San Giovanni is an agricultural concern located right in the hills of Treviso. The entire Perini family works in the business and this is why San Giovanni is a perfect combination of the experience and tradition of their grandparents, the passion, culture and continuity of the adults and the enthusiasm of the younger ones for all the innovations in the enterprise.
The family has passed down the traditional vintage and winemaking techniques from one generation to the other, thus producing delicious wines that develop the perfumes and tastes of times gone by.
Try this wine with movie theater style butter-flavored popcorn (tastes best when you smuggle the wine into the theatre, but works at home as well), sautéed (or fried) calamari, or Taleggio cheese. Drink NOW – Dec 2009.
Posted in Champange and Sparkling Wine Society - May 09, May '09 | No Responses »
Tags: Cuve Close, Italy, Prosecco, San Giovanni, Treviso, Valdobbiadene, Veneto
Monday, May 18th, 2009
The Southern Rhône Valley is, for me, like Greek mystic philosophy (I’m thinking Plotinus here): just when you think that you have a grasp on what is going on, the firmament shifts and the new level of understanding you have provides you with further questions that seem far harder to answer than the questions you originally had. The Southern Rhône, particularly Châteauneuf du Pape, has been one of my first, and most endearing, passions in wine. But each time I think that I have discovered the code that allows me to tell good from bad, and great from merely good, a wine comes along that breaks the mold entirely and introduces me to a new group of wines that are yet more profound, and less well-defined.
Two of these recent life-changing revelations are joined in Roucas Toumba. Vacqueyras, where Roucas Toumba’s meager 3 ha (about 7 acres) of vineyards are located is one such discovery. Vacqueyras is higher, stonier, and more remote (relatively) than Châteauneuf du Pape. The wines have more minerality, brighter fruit, and more of the Provençal herbiness that is such a charming character of wines from the southeast of France. Vacqueyras doesn’t get the love it deserves, in part because for many years the winemaking there didn’t do justice to the terroir: that is changing, quickly.
The other revelatory discovery I have made in the Rhône is a movement towards hyper-natural wine producing. In the case of Roucas Toumba, this means no chemicals in the vineyard or winery, no synthetic materials (read plastic), no commercial additives (chaptalization, acidity, tannins etc), and a minimum of new oak (he purchases a few barrels each year so that he can rotate them in). This approach is particularly suited to the Southern Rhône becase of the dry, windy, hot conditions that naturally control rot and other vine scourges, as well as the generally old vines that are in great supply.
Eric Bouletin, is the fiery proprietor of this family estate named Roucas Toumba, which means tumbling stones, after the 18th century home on the property. Out of the total production of 1100 cases, 300 cases of the top wine, this Vacqueyras, are made from roughly 60% Grenache (aged in large neutral oak), 25% Syrah (aged in small barrels), 12% Mourvedre and 3% white varities. Think blackberry, Cherry Heering, herbs de Provence, grilled meat, and minerals. Try it with grilled halibut, roast lamb, anything with mushrooms and herbs, or olives. Drink now – 2025.
Link to a great via Michelin article (in French, sorry) about Roucas Toumba
Posted in May '09, The Next Big Thing - May '09, The Next Big Thing All Red - May '09 | No Responses »
Tags: Eric Bouletin, Grenache, Mourvedre, Natural Winemaking, Plotinus, Rhône Valley, Roucas Toumba, Southern Rhone, Syrah, Vacqueyras
Monday, May 18th, 2009
A. Margaine is a tiny grower-producer, or recoltant-manipulant, in the villages of Villers in the Montagne de Reims in Champagne. They produce about 4600 cases total, which is split between 5 cuvées (Special Club is the most limited), from 6.5 hectares of vines within Villers.
On it’s own, Villers is special, because it is a village that is mostly planted to Chardonnay in the Montagne de Reims, which is traditionally planted almost exclusively to Pinot Noir. Margaine’s vineyards break down to about 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir. The soil here is natural Chardonnay soil, with about a meter of clay, then limestone chalk, which is Chardonnay’s 
happiest home. But A. Margaine has long produced superior wines, even among the other small Chardonnay growers in the village. Certainly it is their attention to detail, and their desire to keep up with the current mode of winemaking (they have recently stepped back from a perhaps overly trendy reduction in dosage, that produced mixed results). But there is also something special about Margaine’s winemaking that captures perfectly the unique blend of tropical showiness and racy minerality that makes Villers Champagne so special.
Special Club is a unique designation that is shared by a small group (26) of the best grower-producers in Champagne, who joined forces in 1971 to promote grower-producer Champagne in the face of the dominant negociants like Veuve Clicquot and Moët Hennessey, who had convinced the world that blended, mass-produced Champagne was the true essence of Champagne. The group was originally called Club des Viticulteurs Champenois, but changed their name to Club Trésors de Champagne in 1999. Members of the club may produce a wine called Special Club, which is entitled to a unique label and bottle shape that is only available to club members. In order for a wine to qualify, among other things, it must be a vintage Champagne from the grower’s vineyards (RM producers are allowed to use up to 15% grapes from other vineyards in their other wines), that is aged for a minimum of 3 years in 
the bottle, and is tasted and approved by the Club’s panel both in compenents before it is blended and immediately after disgorgement, prior to release. This wine often represents the best wine that these small producers make.
2000 A. Margaine Special Club was disgorged in September of 2008 (so that’s eight years on tirage, comparable to, say, Krug). It is a blend of roughly 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir. 80% of the grapes come from the 34 year old vines on Margaine’s Allouette parcel. The wine falls to the dry side of Brut, and, rare for Margaine, went through Malo-lactic fermentation because of the intense acidity of the 2000 vintage. This is a Caviar wine if ever there was one, but is also great with sashimi, and Vietnamese food. Drink it now – 2017.
Posted in Champange and Sparkling Wine Society - May 09, May '09 | No Responses »
Tags: Champagne, Chardonnay, Club Tresors de Champagne, Margaine, RM, Special Club, Villers
Monday, May 18th, 2009
Now for some controversy! It is currently fashionable amongst wine-types like myself to deride wines, particularly from California, that have too much alcohol, too much glass (I love referring to the giant, ultra-heavy bottles used by certain winemakers as “ego-glass”), and too cool of a name or label. But who decides what “too much” is? I am reminded of an episode of WKRP in Cincinatti called “Clean Up Radio Everywhere” (finale for season 3 in 1981) about a religious organization that blackmails radio stations who play songs it feels are objectionable – but Andy saves the day when he shows the Jerry Falwellesque frontman to be a hypocrite who makes decisions about what is objectionable on the fly, and on his own. I’m as guilty as the next sommelier when it comes to wines like this: I often unfairly write them off, while secretly admitting that they’re enjoyable to drink. Orin Swift Cellars wines fit all of the above characteristics, but are better than just enjoyable to drink: they are stunning.
The label is a picture taken by iconic rock music photographer Greg Gorman of Vince Tofanelli’s grape and mud smeared hands with “Papillon” written across his knuckles. As far as over-the-top labels go, this is actually pretty cool. The irony of Papillon (French for butterfly) both as a name for this big, burly wine, and as what is written across Vince’s filthy, brawny knuckles bears at least a minute of mirthful reflection (though at least one source says that the wine, and photograph, are called papillon because it was the first word that came to mind that fit across vince’s knuckles).
That brings us to Vince Tofanelli, who’s stunning vineyards outside of Calistoga are the source of most of David Phinney’s (owner/winemaker of Orin Swift Cellars) wines. The vineyards are organically farmed and the vines are old (many planted with the original planting in 1929) and head-trained. Tofanelli vineyards are best known for their Zinfandel, but this sure is good.
This blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 7% Malbec and 2% Petite Verdot isn’t subtle. This is a big, rich wine, but it has layers and layers of complex flavor, beyond cassis and blackberry fruit, there is tar and smoke and spice and entire worlds of smells and flavors to explore. And despite this blitzkrieg of flavor, there is admirable balance in the form of silky tannins and some welcome acidity. This is awfully good wine! While it goes wonderfully with a dry-aged steak, this is a great opportunity to drink a big wine with some of the new American cuisine that has some sweetness to it. Try cocoa rubbed bison, or even a piece of the soon to arrive Yukon River Salmon (only the fattiest salmon will stand up to this). Drink now – 2020 +
Posted in May '09, The Next Big Thing - May '09, The Next Big Thing All Red - May '09 | No Responses »
Tags: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Calistoga, Cult Wine, David Phinney, Ego Glass, Greg Gorman, Merlot, Orin Swift Cellars, Papillon, Petite Verdot, Tofanelli
