e often enjoy interesting and/or excellent wines that, because they’re
not part of a larger tasting or thematic feature, might
not otherwise be reviewed. But these wines are hardly what could be
considered mere flotsam and jetsam, and thus the creation of this
recurring page. We’re always looking for new things to try, and that’s
mostly what we’ve tasted over the last few months. We did revisit one
old friend, however, again, and again, and again…
One of the very best wines we’ve had this year is a 1982 Groth Napa
Cabernet Sauvignon, a marvelous bottle by almost anyone’s standards. So
smooth, and still showing pure, lovely fruit, with no secondary
flavors whatsoever, this is an ideal model
for mature Napa Cabernet, and one that we enjoyed immensely, courtesy of
Alan Kerr aka Canadian Zinfan, who
also did us the honor of
scribing his inimitable impressions.
Here's a not - so - short list of the rest of the best of what we've
tasted lately:
2001 Jean Foillard Morgon "Côte
du Py," $25, 13% alc.: We tried this wine based on the strong
recommendation of my friend and colleague
Putnam Weekley,
and it's something of a revelation. We've never been fans of Gamay, but
then, we've never had the likes of this before. Our experience with
quality Cru Beaujolais was pretty much limited to a few bottles
of
2001 Chateau Thivin en Beaujolais Cote de Brouilly Cuvee Zaccharie
Geoffray, a nice wine and no doubt, but not the one that would
convert us. That was to remain for this one to do, and it has
accomplished that task admirably. A slightly cloudy ruby garnet in
color, it exudes a lovely perfume, and perfume is the only term that
does these aromatics justice, a lovely perfume of sweet cherry,
cranberry and strawberry, with spice and floral overtones, all of which
echo and expand in the silky smooth flavors. In the mouth, this has a
not - quite - delicate personality; I say not - quite - delicate because
despite the silky texture and medium weight, there's a rich
concentration to the flavors, leading into a long, lingering finish. The
wine has structure, but it's almost hidden, such is its balanced and
harmonious nature. This is real wine, one that relies on no gimmicks or tricks; it's all about good work in the vineyard and honest
winemaking.
Imported by
Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA
1998 Oliver Conti Emporda - Costa Brava, 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20%
Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, $19.99, 13.5% alc.: A bit of the barnyard
blows off the nose of this deep, dark garnet, leaving a soft leather,
black olive and cocoa powder bouquet. The flavors pick up the ball and run
with it big time, with the leather, olive and cocoa accents setting the
tone for the expressive black currant, cassis and blackberry character
of this dry, appealing Spanish claret. Moderate tannins turn somewhat
drying on the finish, but as it opens in the glass, it becomes
increasingly rich and harmonious. This is a deliciously interesting and
enjoyable wine that can pair with a fairly wide range of food, and it
should continue to improve over at least the next few years. The wine is
supposed to retail for around $36-40, but because it didn't sell in this
market, is being discounted heavily by the distributor. Tasted ten times
in the last six months with consistent results; needless to say, we like
this one a lot.
Click here for a good profile on this winery.
Imported by Veritas Distributors, Inc., Detroit, MI
1995 Chateau Corbin Michotte Saint - Emilion,
$38.99, 13% alc.: When we
tasted this lovely Saint - Emilion recently with
Alan Kerr, it had the disadvantage
of being evaluated amongst a crowd of more fruit forward Californian
reds, and didn't perform nearly as well as it did on its own a week
earlier. It's showing just a hint of brick to its deep, dark garnet
color, along with gorgeous flavors and aromas reminiscent of dark
chocolate, black currant, black plum, cassis and notes of earth and
tobacco. Smooth and velvety, with a dense, extracted (but not over –
extracted) texture, this really opens beautifully over three hours or
so. Just so impressive, this is one of the
best wines we've had so far in '05, and it can easily go for another
five, maybe even ten years in the cellar. Yowza!
Imported by Wine Warehouse Import, Los Angeles, CA
1998 Sine Qua Non E-raised California Red Wine, 14% alc.: Showing
just a hint of rust to the dark garnet color, this delicious,
Krankled Syrah gives
very nice, moderately earthy plum, prune and black cherry flavors and
aromas that are accented with smoke, pepper, and hints of leather and
tar. The wine tastes like it came from older barrels, rather than
younger, and as it opens, it develops even richer flavor. Balanced and
harmonious, with an ever - so - slightly funky quality that actually adds
to the appeal, rather than detracts, this is a Californian expression of
Syrah that even a Franco - phile can enjoy. Very nice indeed! Sourced
primarily from the Alban Vineyard in San Luis Obispo, and
Bien Nacido
and Stolpman Vineyards in Santa Barbara. Many thanks to our resident
redneck proofreading pediatrician Greg Ellis aka
Vin Pays Doc for this
fine gift.
2002 Sean Thackrey Mendocino Sangiovese "Aquilla" Eagle Point Ranch,
$45, 15.7% alc: This ruby dark garnet colored Sangio could be mistaken for
Zinfandel in a blind tasting; it shows pretty, perfumed flavors and
aromas of raspberry, black cherry and a perfectly integrated kiss of
oak. The wine is nicely balanced, not too tannic, fairly dense (but not
over - extracted), and rich but not jammy. It opens beautifully with
air, not so much evolving as simply showing more and more of everything
it has to offer. Much better behaved than the 2000 model, and not
seeming to show the alcohol level that the label indicates, this is one
that Kim and I like a lot, although we find the price point
questionable.
1994
Giacomo Conterno Barolo,
$28.50, 14% alc.: Ruby garnet in color,
showing just a hint of rust, this offers mushroom, tobacco, tar and a
hint of olives over cherries on the nose, with earthy flavors that echo,
with the emphasis on the mushroom and tobacco. Still somewhat tannic,
but not to the detriment of drinking enjoyment now, with the requisite
acidity and a long, earthy finish, this is smooth and lovely, and still
on the way up. Another five years won't hurt it at all; it also could
have used an hour in a decanter before we drank it. Excellent
stuff for a 50th birthday celebration; we should have bought more at
Binny's in Chicago last October.
Imported by
Vin Divino, Chicago, IL
2000 Massolino Margheria Barolo, $63.99, 14% alc.: Ruby dark
garnet, with a slightly smoky tinge, this one's all about dried cherries
with earthy underbrush and tarry undertones that only accent, rather
than dominate the character of the wine. Silky, medium – bodied and
surprisingly approachable at this point, with tannins that make
themselves known throughout, but show mostly on the finish. I had a
glass of this on the night it was opened, then didn't get back to it for
two days, and still, the wine was singing. Somewhat reminiscent of a
middleweight red Burgundy, with its best days a ways down the road, when
it should develop more nuance and complexity.
Imported by Domaine Select Wine Estates LLC, New York, NY
2001
Moris Avvoltore Maremma Toscana, 75% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet
Sauvignon, 5% Syrah, $55, 14% alc.: Like pouring a blend of motor
oil and ink, this exudes effusive aromas of huge dense black fruits that
follow through on the palate, and with air, fan out to show rich, steely
blackberry and black currant adorned with supporting notes of cedar,
dark chocolate, coffee and leather. Very smooth, yet dense and
concentrated, this opens and opens, showing more and more of what it
has; it doesn't so much evolve as simply expand in its generosity. This
has the structure to take it well down the road, and yet it's already so
good, with an hour's worth of air, I'd be hard pressed not to open
another soon, just to show it off to friends. An exciting, dare I say,
sexy wine.
Imported by J & J Importers, LLC, Bloomfield Hills, MI
1999 Sang des Cailloux Vacqueyras, $19.99, 13.8% alc.: There's
still no rust showing in the deep, dark garnet color of
this
old friend, but it's finally coming around and entering a nice
drinking window. It's tight when first poured, but with 45 minutes to an
hour's worth of air, it really blossoms into a fine Vacqueyras. Giving
grilled meat, black fruit and some barnyard and rotting vegetation on
the nose when first poured, the funky notes mostly blow off to reveal a
root beer - rock & rye - cola character. Big, rich and powerful in the
mouth, the flavors follow through on the promise of the aromatics with
plenty of structure and a nice finish. Still on the way up, with a good
three to five years of improvement ahead of it, so why have we gone
through six bottles since New Years? Must have had something to do with how well
it's drinking already, because there sure hasn't been any Red Wings
action to enjoy it with. I'll try to keep hands off that last bottle for a
while, but...
Imported by Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA
2001 Domaine Santa Duc Rasteau Les Blovac, $24.99: Deep, dark
garnet in color, with a very expressive, deep, dark black currant,
blackberry and iodine nose, and a little menthol lurking in the
background. Big flavors echo, with a streak of leather throughout and
tannins that don't intrude on tonight's drinking pleasure, but it will
certainly improve with 3-5 years in the cellar. It turns a bit earthy on
the finish, where the tannins show the most. I really like this, and so
does Kim; it turns more and more leathery with air, and that's fine with
us!
Imported by Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, D.C.
1995
Vincent Girardin Corton - Perrières,
12.5% alc.: Ruby garnet in color, with just the slightest hint of
rust, this is rather stingy with its aromatics, but does offer
straightforward earthy cranberry and cherry flavors that don't show much
flair or complexity at first. However, it opens nicely with air, gaining
notes of smoke, mineral and a little forest floor. Smooth on the palate,
with moderate tannins and balanced acidity, this is a fine match for
Kim's pork loin roast with haricot verts, sautéed mushrooms and
caramelized onions over green lentils. The secret to enjoying this is
giving it plenty of air; by the time we were on our last glasses, it was
even more enjoyable than a
'96 Domaine Drouhin Laurene and
'98 Panther Creek Freedom Hill Pinot Noirs, both of which we've
enjoyed on other occasions. (Interestingly, the Laurene came off tasting
almost candied, and was our least favorite of the three Easter wines.)
Imported by
Vineyard Brands, Inc., Chester, VT
1996 Chateau Prieure - Lichine Margaux, $27.20, 12.5% alc.: Dark
garnet fading to pink at the rim, with just the faintest tinge of rust,
this is pretty tight when first poured, but it opens steadily over a
period of four hours, and by the last glass, it really sings. It shows
flavors and aromas of tobacco, black currant, cassis, blackberry, earth
- mineral and something like old barrels, for lack of a better
description. Kim remarked that it "smells like a fresh cardboard box,"
and she didn't mean that unkindly, nor was she referring to any kind of
taint. There's still a good dose of tannins on a medium full bodied
frame here, so this is in no danger of fading any time soon; it'll
probably drink well over the next decade. As it opens, it also develops
notes of cedar and a subtle herbaceous quality that adds interest and
complexity. Not great Margaux, but certainly very good Margaux, and one
I really enjoy, especially at this price.
Imported by Seagram Chateau & Estate Wines Co., New York,
NY
2002 La Begude Limoux Chardonnay, $13.99, 13.5% alc.: Medium
straw, with softly herbal apple and pear flavors and aromas dosed with a
good deal of mineral and some detergent on the fin; notes of lime and
chalk emerge with air, and the rich fruit really shines in the mid -
palate. Medium - bodied, with crisp acidity and a nice finish; very
tasty, and an excellent QPR value. We've gone through several of these
in the last few weeks, and it will certainly be one of our house whites
over the summer months. Between this and the white Burgundies
reviewed in last week's report,
we've enjoyed more Chardonnay in the last couple of months than we've
had in the last couple of years.
Imported by
Langdon Shiverick Inc., Cleveland, OH
Finally, this wine has created something of a sensation over the last
few months in the Detroit area. Retailers and customers alike have raved
about it and bottles have been flying off of shelves wherever it's been
stocked. Two reps that I've spoken with from AHD Vintners, the
distributor handling the wine in this market, reported 100% sales rates;
in other words, every retailer they tasted this with bought it, to the
tune of 850 6-packs in less than two weeks. Putnam Weekley thought
enough of this to have devoted
an entire column to musings and
ruminations about this single wine.
For those as of yet unfamiliar with
Clos de los Siete, it's a joint
project of five fairly high profile French investors (down from the
original seven), headed by that international wine whiz bang
Michel
Rolland, who've sunk millions of Euros into creating a co-operative
collection of Bodegas in the Mendoza region of Argentina. The wine is
made from vines that were planted in 1999, and shows remarkable density
such for such youthful provenance.
I had the opportunity to taste this with the distributor, and then I
bought three bottles for further consideration. My notes are included
here not because I'm a big fan, but simply to give my take on a wine
that almost literally caused a feeding frenzy upon release in
southeastern Michigan, and for weeks afterward as well.
2003 Clos de los Siete Mendoza, 40% Malbec, and 20%
Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 20% Syrah, $15, 14.5% alc.: Opaque
purple garnet in color, with little if any fading to pink at the rim,
this is one seriously dense glass of wine. It exudes aromas of
chocolate, mulberry, dark plum and even some ripe blackberry, with
overtones of balsa or something reminiscent of a woodshop. The flavors
echo and expand upon these themes, with a rich, dense, extracted
character that seems almost plump. A few years worth of tannins show
mostly on the finish, but can't detract from the engaging, in - your -
face fruit forward profile of the wine. Unabashedly international in
style, and if that's your bag, you'll love this; Michel Rolland bashers
(and you know who you are) will have plenty, no, make that copious gobs
of reasons for further naysaying. I can appreciate this for what it is,
and yes, I can even enjoy it, else I wouldn't have brought some home,
but ultimately, it's not what I'd want to drink with my steak or even my
burger. It was a brief, though fun flirtation, but now I'll go back to
the kind of wines I can drink every day, because there's something about
this one that seems a little too "manufactured" to me.
Imported by
Vins et Vignobles Dourthe
Reporting from Day-twah,
