June Staff Picks

Peter:
'98 Clos Martinet, Spanish Red, Priorat, $48.99
Tell me you’ve had Clos Martinet and you’ll get my attention. Tell me it’s your favorite wine and we’ll enroll you in our oenophile’s inner circle. Here’s my description: Uncontrollable sweet black berry and black cherry flavors burst out to greet you. Cedar, smoke, chocolate, sweet fruits, and velvety tannins flow in perfect harmony on the mid-palate, followed by a long but elegant, never heavy finish. If for some reason it’s not to your taste…lie—and you would have bought your way into the "in crowd" of the wine world. A truly unique wine from a great vintage—my favorite of the year! If you love wines you can’t afford to miss this gem. Limited supply (only 3,000 cases produced); on sale $48.99

Dr. I:
'01 Cataldi Madonna, Montepulciano Abruzzo, 'Pie Della Vigne', $12.99
First a warning: the color of this wine is a deep red (cerasuolo is a saigné technique that produces "red" rosés). But, fear not. The bouquet and flavor is all rosé: lovely lifted strawberry aromas, juicy golden cherry fruit with a freshness that evokes Beaujolais nouveau, velvety off-dry finish. Delicious hardly does this wine justice. If the intensity of the fruit is not surprising in a wine that tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol, the through-and-through purity is. Try this with pizza for a real treat.

John:
'99 Emilio Moro, Tempranillo, Ribera del Duero, $17.49
Bodegas Emilio Moro is one of the most respected up and coming wineries in the Ribera del Duero, and the 1999 vintage has made me a die-hard fan, as well as merited my pick for wine of the month. Made from 100% Tempranillo, the wine has a luxurious silky texture with an abundance of sweet and sour cherry fruit, ripe dark plum, and the perfect dose of oak for added richness and spice. I recently attained an unprecedented level of food and wine nirvana by pairing this wine with roast suckling pig and grilled spring vegetables. Also my pick for value of the month at $17.49.

Justin:
'99 Zilliken, Riesling, Saarburg Rausch, Kabinett, $14.99
Yes, I know, German wines are not likely favorites. But this one is utterly drinkable and not even hard to pronounce. The bouquet is beautiful and complex and opens with apricot, peach and a hint of anise. Under that is a layer of minerality laced with a cherry/rose hip spine. On the mouth you are greeted with clean fruit intensity; off dry but balanced with refreshing acidity. The finish is long with dried pineapple, peach and an undercurrent of wet stone minerality you might find in a Grand Cru white Burgundy. Great with Thai food or anytime you have a summer thirst.
SOLD OUT by popular demand

Sam:
'95 Muga, Rioja, Gran Reserva, 'Prado Enea', $30.99
The excellence of the classic ’91 vintage continues in this edition of Prado Enea. The wine demands your attention with enticing aromas of grilled steak and black pepper and fresh vibrant flavors of ripe cherries and spiced strawberries. I especially enjoy the long comely finish. Not yet mature, but a smart cellar selection especially for Muga fans.