October Staff Picks

Peter: '98 Uribes Madero, Calzadilla 1998 $16.99 This jewel of a winery was founded by the Uribes Madero family in 1995 in the tiny village of Huete in central Spain. Its size has grown to their final goal of 60,000 bottles. All grapes come from its own state where low yields are the pillar of quality. The premises are designed to avoid all possible stress to the fruit. Every aspect of this wine is dominated by elegant plum and black cherry fruit which also offers complex aromas of vanilla and toast, soft ripe tannins, and herbal and creamy flavors on the palate. The characteristic that will entice you for more is its impeccable balance. It's soft and subtle enough to sip and savor on it's own, yet possessing enough backbone to stand up the heartiest of stews and roasts. Calzadilla will continue to improve for the next three years and drink well for another five. Sam: '99 Mas Estela-Vinya, Selva De Mar $26.99 From the mountains of northeastern Spain comes this delectable beauty called Vinya Selva De Mar. Made from about 67% black Grenache and 33% Syrah, its extraordinarily vibrant ruby-purple color is only exceeded by its breathtaking aromas of blueberries, cream, and a bit of raspberry jam. This is just the beginning of the experience, and I have to call it just that, of drinking this wine. The mouth-feel is deep, smooth and yes, sexy, with the intense fruit of raisins, strawberry licorice, and cassis. There's also some pepper and other flavorful spices dancing at the mid-palate. The finish here is long and powerful, with thick, rich tannin. Chewy and dense, this wine is loaded from A to Z and a must-have for the cellar. Vaguely reminds me of a few fine 1998 Priorats which I will not mention here; but I will say that, in my own humble opinion, it is far and away superior. If you love a big firm powerhouse of a wine, enjoy it today, or you can hold it for at least another decade. Try a bottle for yourself, and help me find the words that do this wine justice!! Justin: '96 Alion, Spanish Red, Ribera del Duero $38.99 The 1996 Alion is my bench mark wine—the wine against which all others are judged price/quality-wise. Would I rather have one from France or California or two Alions? It's an unusual day when I will veer to France and even rarer when I will go with California. The Phelps Insignia is my Bench mark California wine, a truly great wine, but is it worth the style, grace and class of 3 Alions? You will see my dilemma when you try this wine. The color is a beautiful, deep, intense ruby—barely showing its age. It cries out the archetypal song "red wine". The nose is expressive, complex, full, yet refined. Cherries, briary blackberries and currents greet you at first, with notes of hay, spice, as well as tar, smoke, and graphite which bring to mind shades of Bordeaux-like finesse. Yet, there is a fresh intensity of fruit surprising for a wine of this age. On the palate the '96 has finally started to soften, leading with a wonderful silky, elegant mouth feel. Again, recalling bordeaux-like finesse. The mid palate is bursting with juicy cherries, notes of hay and is suffused with very fine tannins and a hint of licorice. The long, elegant finish lingers with wonderful grace and a melange of flavour. This wine is so highly drinkable that you'll scarcely realize that you're into your second glass; and the bottle invariably empties far too soon. My advice: Buy two.

John: '01 Joel Gott, Zinfandel $12.99 One of the hottest Zinfandels on the market today is Joel Gott's 2001 vintage. It's been called "the poor man's Turley" because it offers astonishing quality for a very reasonable price. The 2001 combines old-vines Zinfandel with small amounts of Petite Syrah, Carignane and Barbera for additional spiciness and complexity. For this California Zin, he brought together old-vines grapes from 6 vineyards in 5 different viticultural areas: Napa, Sonoma, Amador, Lodi and Paso Robles. The thick, opaque, dark purple 2001 possesses 15% alcohol. Remarkably, the tannin is barely noticeable because of the thick layers of concentrated fruit and vast quantities of glycerin and fantastic extract. Save the Turley for the weekends, and enjoy this fantastic value all week long. Believe me, it goes a long way for the price. Nadja: '00 Albert Mann, Pinot Auxerrois $12.99 This Alsatian Pinot Blanc is by far the yummiest wine I've tasted all year. What I love most is the crisp acidity with subtle hints of honey and caramel. This is a true testament as to what a Pinot Blanc should be, light body with a gentle hint of spice. It's made with old vines and ran by two brothers who highly respect the land and producing low, quality yields. Located in a village called Wettolsheim, near Colmar France, the Albert Mann estates is relatively small consisting of 19 hectares, 5 of which are Grand Cru vineyards. If you are looking for a well balanced, creamy white wine, drinkable any season…THIS IS YOUR PICK! Patrice: '98 Clarendon Hills, Old Vine Grenache "Blewitt Springs" $37.99 In existence for only a little over a decade, Clarendon Hills has already established an international reputation for making some of the most richly extracted red wines in the world. The '98 "Blewitt Springs" Grenache is a testimony to this fact starting with its deep purple color and bouquet of crushed blackberries and raspberries with a lifting hint of mint. On the palate this wine has a lot of everything, jammy black fruit perfectly offset by lively acidity, firm tannins and of course Burgundian oak. The finish holds up its end of the deal for this powerhouse in a bottle and lingers for 60+ seconds. Not a shy wine the '98 "Blewitt Springs" would pair beautifully with roasted or grilled red meats such as rack of lamb or roast loan of pork.