December Staff Picks

Peter: '98 Stonegate, Cabernet Sauvignon $14.99 1998 was atypical for Napa Valley. With unseasonable rain in June, the growing season was very cool. Then in a total reversal, October brought an Indian summer with warm, dry days and cool nights. The extra hang time provided excellent fruit/acid balance with an average sized crop. The 98 Stonegate cab is a full-bodied, Bordeaux blend that exhibits a deep brick red color, and possesses a nose with hints of tobacco, cassis and earth tones. The flavors are a mouthful of fruit, mushroom, cedar and toasty oak. On the finish, the fruit intensity lingers with a firm tannin structure. Enjoy now or cellar for up to ten years. This offering from Stonegate is unquestionably one of the richest and most concentrated 98 Cabs we've encountered for the vintage, including cabs at three to four times the price. Taste for yourself and become a believer like me. Justin: '97 Domaine Patrick Baudoin, Coteaux de Layon, Maria Juby $30.99 This is a remarkably delicious dessert wine—special for its extraordinarily suave demeanor and purity of fruit. Oftentimes I find dessert wines can come off overly sweet, with a cloying, syrupy finish. And while 1997 was a top vintage for Loire dessert wines it was also an outlandishly sweet one. I found the incredible sweetness in many far more expensive 1997 cuveés to be too much—overpowering the fruit and acidity. The Maria Juby is a glorious exception. This straw colored beauty greets you with scents of apricot, pear and sugary baked apple. On the palate it is incredibly smooth with un-erring balance. The supple, chilled mixture of sweetness, acidity and fruit scents and flavors coats the mouth and opens effortlessly into complex nuances of golden raisin, peach, dried green apple and pineapple. There are hints of caramel, orange and clove spice, aromatic green herbs and a touch of that characteristic botrytised intensity of the great sweet wines. The perfectly integrated acidity extends into a pure, clean, long, lingering finish where the nuances continue to play themselves out. You find yourself pouring another sip as you realize what a seamless, effortless pleasure it is to drink. And this is the thing—to me—that raises the wine to the sublime. Dominique: '00 Eric Texier, Châteauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes $25.99 Just a little bit of history to begin with: In the early 14th century Pope Clément V would regularly travel from Avignon by mule to the small village of Châteauneuf to inspect his vineyard. Clément became Pope in 1309. As a native Frenchman (from Bordeaux) he decided it would be better to remain in France and moved the Papacy to Avignon where it remained until 1378. Clement was already an accomplished vigneron, having planted his own vineyard in Bordeaux (in the Graves region) known as Château Pape-Clement. Pope John XXII was responsible for the development of Châteauneuf du Pape as a world renowned wine-producing region. About Eric Texier: Eric Texier traveled around the world to discover vineyards and meet winemakers, in the 1980's. Three regions made a lasting impression on him: Burgundy, for vinification methods and respect of terroir, Piedmont for the radical changes in style and fashions that occurred in the 80's, and Oregon for its winemakers' outlook - free and unencumbered by the weight of traditions. Fusing his discoveries in these three regions, he defined his winemaking objectives and applied them to his chosen region of Côtes-du-Rhône: 1. To vinify as burgundians do, with respect for each vineyard's specificity 2. To turn his back on the heavy, nondescript style of traditional CDR's, which often lack fruit, and let the vineyards express their character, like in piedmont. 3. Not to be restricted by old-fashioned principles and to understand that boldness doesn't contradict tradition, and to work in a new style while respecting what the previous generations have achieved, like in Oregon. And now about his: 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes: This wine is a blend of 75% Grenache and 25% mourvedre, unfiltered, it is a fantastic value for money, rich and complex, I will highly recommend you to let it age slowly. You can in fact drink it now, but a decantation will be needed to really appreciate it. I will suggest keeping it for a while; this wine will really express itself in about 7 to 10 years. Even if you forget one bottle for 20 years, it will still be drinkable. Eric's Châteauneuf du Pape is a dark purple-black color with intense aromas of new saddle leather, sweet dark fruit, earth and peppered with provincial herbs. This is a big and bold wine with ripe, well-structured tannins that are nicely balanced by the crisp acidity. This is a wine that benefits from decanting, goes very well with beef and strong cheeses and will age well. Two vineyards are used to produce Eric's Châteauneuf du Pape. The Grenache comes from La Crau, a north facing vineyard in the northeastern part of the appellation. Many of the Grenache vines are over 70 years old and because of the northern exposure the tannins reach phenol ripeness without an overwhelmingly high alcohol level. The Mourvèdre comes from a vineyard on the southern edge of the appellation and provides crisp acidity to the blend.

John: '01 Bollig-Lehnert, Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling ***Auslese $15.49 Stefan Bollig, young and passionately devoted to his work, is a fine example of the young generation of Mosel Vintners. The family has been producing wines since the 17th century, but the new cellars and house have been built on the outskirts of Trittenheim. Total vineyard holdings are 10 acres, being composed mainly of slatey soil. Dedication to the estate and costly investments have achieved a high level of quality. Not many small estates would invest in such an expensive and low pressure tank press which is so essential for producing a clear and clean must. The wines ferment and mature in wooden Fuder (100 liter) casks in the cool underground cellars, the natural sweetness being retained, where appropriate. The ‘01 Goldtropfchen Riesling Auslese is stylish, crisp and classic with a fine fruity elegance and good mineral content. A perfect example of the brilliance produced in the 2001 vintage. Nadja: '95 Miguel Merino, Rioja Reserva $26.99 I enjoy both the '94 and '95 vintages so much that it was painful deciding which to select for my pick of the month, but I had to select the 1995. The 1995 is a harmonious blend of 94% Tempranillo and 6% Graciano. Miguel Merino has converted a 17th Century Spanish Manor House just down the road from the Allende vineyard into one of Spain's exclusive boutique wineries in the Rioja region. He's so obsessed with quality that he blows the grapes into a fermentation vat on a stream of air so that no grape is crushed until the tino (vat) is filled. These painstaking efforts shine brightly in the quality level of his wine. The '95 vintage matured in new French Oak barrels for more than three years and provides such complexity on the nose and the palate that the nuances change each hour you let it breath. Deep color, toasted spice and an elegant mouthful of vanilla, strawberry and rose petals setup a finish that brings you back for another sip. The important thing to remember is that behind the silk and satin is the "power behind the throne." Highly rated by Wine Enthusiast, loads of complexity and such a sexy mouth feel make the '95 vintage a great pick for holiday meals of lamb, pork, roast turkey, paella or to just enjoy all alone. Patrice: '00 Joseph Phelps, Pastiche $8.99 This is a fun wine. With the holidays around it is great to have house wines that are both crowd pleasers and easy on the pocket. The 2000 Joseph Phelps "Red" Pastiche at $8.99 fits the bill perfectly. Boasting a lot of bright cherry fruit it is a blend of grenache rose, mourvedre, merlot and syrah with small amounts of zin, pinto noir and alicante bouschet. After being stainless steel fermented it is aged in american oak for 10 months giving the wine a pleasant but not overpowering amount of wood. This medium bodied wine also has enough structure to keep it going through its finish. As a generality, I find that top notch wineries such as Joseph Phelps do a great job with their modest offerings as well. The "Red" Pastiche is a testament to this and offers a great bang for the buck!! Happy Holidays! Dr. Marty: '97 Produttori del Barbaresco, Riserva, Asili $39.99 Located at the end of Barbaresco's small main street, the Produttori del Barbaresco is acknowledged by many to be the best wine cooperative in Italy. Each of its 60 odd members owns and cultivates portions of Barbaresco’s most important vineyards, including the well-known crus of Asili, Rabaja, Moccagatta, Montefico, Montestefano, Ovello, Paje, Pora and Rio Sordo. About 25% of all Barbaresco production is by the Produttori. Their annual production is about 400,00 bottles, and, of these, approximately 160,000 are made into Riservas. However, only in good years is a Riserva produced and 1997 was one of these. The Produttori utilizes traditional vinification and maturation methods, and for a Riserva this includes 45 months in oak. The '97 Asili Riserva's color is the typical, Barbaresco medium ruby. On the nose, cherries, mushrooms and smoke predominate. The palate entry exhibits a smooth mouthfeel, full body and good balance which lead into the long cherry and earth finish…..An excellent example of the Barbaresco genre, the wine is drinkable now and should continue so for the next 4-5 years.