January Staff Picks

Peter: '01 Deux Roches, Pouilly Fuisse, Vieilles Vignes "La Roche" $17.99 The wines of Deux Roches are some of the finest to ever emerge from the Maconnais. Proprietors Jean-Luc Terrier and Christian Collovray concentrate on reigning in yields and boosting complexity by planting on steep hillsides in shallow, infertile calcerous soils and through severe pruning. La Roche is one of the most famous of the officially recognized lieux-dit in the appellation Pouilly-Fuisse. The vines at La Roche ("the rock") are located on the slopes below an imposing calcareousoutcroppings near the village of Vergisson. The tiny plot of wines from which the wine is made average 45 years of age. The wine sees no new oak, as Jean-Luc explains because his Vieille Vignes is a wine of exceptional breeding, finesse and length, and he wants to accent these strengths rather than the possibility of masking them with new oak. Sam: '01 J.& H.A. Strub, Niersteiner Oelberg Riesling Spatlese $13.99 In the Rheinhessen region of Germany we find the vineyard of the Olberg, extending approximately 150 acres. The wines found here tend to be favored by the southeasterly exposure of the sun, not to mention the high mineral content of the soil, resulting in round, full-bodied, deliciously ripe wines. It is here that we find part of the great Strub vineyards, which have, through eleven generations, become world renowned for their fine Rieslings. The 2001 Niersteiner Oelberg Spatlese from Strub embodies the hype of the 2001 vintage from Germany and proves to be a great value for the money as well. The wine has lush, golden colour, and entrances with aromas of peach, pineapple, tropical fruits, and a slight apricot tinge here and there. But wait…because this wine is endless, with a mouthful of honeydew, nectarines, sweet tangerine; wonderful acidity, and a bit of carbonation that really gives the taste buds a wonderfully pleasant jolt! This is well-balanced, with a fine, textured finish. This would be perfect with filet of halibut, broiled in a sweet Chinese onion and ginger sauce, with wild rice and steamed asparagus in a rich butter sauce. Enjoy it while it's here!! Justin: '95 Mauro, Spanish Red, Vendimia Seleccionada $46.99 The '95 Mauro Vendimia Seleccionada is drinking beautifully now—showing really supple mouth feel, elegance and surprising ripeness for a '95 Duero wine. It's a gorgeous, deep ruby color and on the nose there are heady tobacco and red currant aromas, milk chocolate and soft cherry, which open to complex hints of lead pencil, tar, smoke, roasted peppers, animal, balsamic and mineral notes. On the palate there is excellent intensity, balance and finesse. The rich cherry and red currant fruit are suffused with milk chocolate and flow smooth as silk accross the palate. The finish is long and closes with fine ripe tannins and notes of exotic spice, toffee and rich, roasted coffee over that beautiful fruit melange. This wine is a great pleasure to drink and in a way combines the best of Bordeaux finesse and elegance with the best of California lushness and ripe accessiblity. You might even say it hightlights the best of Spain in one glass. And I wouldn't argue. Rather, I'd simply pro-offer another glass and a toast to winemaker Mariano García for yet another great wine. Dominique: '00 Chateau Rocher Bellevue, "Caprice D'Angelique" $18.99 "Sleeper of the vintage" 90-92 Points - Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate, Issue 139 Who says there aren't any values in 2000 Bordeaux these days? One of the few of the real surprises of this vintage is made by Italy's most successful oenologist, Riccardo Cotarella. The genius behind Falesco, Sportoletti and Montevetrano, only a few of the fabulous wines that he has been involved with. For those who have never heard of this appellation created in 1989, "Cote de Castillon" is situated on the eastern part of Saint-Emilion and produces wine from the same main grape variety: merlot. This appellation produces "Petits Chateaux" or "Vins de Garage" styled wines. The 2000 vintage is a perfect occasion to once again demonstrate the consistency and quality of this tiny appellation. You'll be impressed by Robert Parker's rating and our incredible price as well. "Notes of espresso, chocolate, blackberries and jammy cherries soar from the glass of this opulently textured, fat, fleshy, opaque purple-colored effort. With low acidity, purity, and sweetness, it will provide beautiful drinking now and over the next 7-8 years." As a French person coming from Bordeaux, I highly recommend you to buy some now before it is too late.

John: '01 Selbach-Oster, Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett $14.99 A large estate by Mosel standards means many wines to choose from. The ambitiousness of Johannes Selbach has made this estate the region's most prominent rising star. Selbach's wines need a lot of time. Tasty enough young, but they reward patience with layers of flavors only incipient in the early days. There is a striking conciliation between brilliant acids and a kind of leesy plushness. There's plenty of minerality, but it seems somehow deeper than a literal depiction of the soil. In exceptional vintages, there can be a fruit of almost unbearable purity and loveliness. Finally, they are often among the most charming wines on the Mosel, yet they are never frivolous. For me, Johannes' Zeltinger Sonnenuhr is the best Kabinett I've tasted in the 2001 vintage. Surprisingly for a Mosel , it's very fruit forward and displays amazing aromatics and depth of flavor. It shows incredible mineral density, and concentration. It makes a lovely aperitif, or the perfect match with full flavored dishes with an extra kick of heat and spice. Patrice: '98 Etude, Napa Cabernet Sauvignon $64.99 The 1998 Etude Cab is a stunning wine produced by wine mega star Tony Soter. As you may already know, Mr. Soter not only produces his outstanding wines under his own Etude label but has assisted in the winemaking at some of the countries most prestigious institutions including, Araujo, Spottswoode, Viader, Dalla Valle and Niebaum-Coppola. Although deemed to be an inconsistent vintage in California (weak to exceptional) due to the weather the '98 Etude is considered by some to be one of the most impressive efforts of the vintage. The elegant '98 Etude cab has an opaque ruby color followed on the palate by copious amounts of jammy black fruit, shavings of chocolate and creme de cassis. This wine has a very velvety texture with a full in the mouth feel that is perfectly complemented by soft tannins and a long finish. This offering is delightful now but should evolve harmoniously for years to to come. A great wine for special occasions. Dr. Marty: '99 Allegrini, La Grola $16.99 For many of the cognoscenti, the Allegrinis are atop the list of Valpolicella winemakers. They produce a good Valpolicella classico, a ripasso-like wine from the Palazzo della Torre vineyard and two consistently impressive Amarones--the Recioto and the more usual dry one seen here. However, it is not well known that their production also includes two wines from a hillside vineyard known as La Grola. >From the slopes of the hill comes La Grola and from the summit La Poja. The blend in La Grola is a little different than the usual Valpolicella mixture. The grapes are Corvina Veronese, Rondinella and Sangiovese. Because the blend doesn’t contain Molinara and because the Allegrinis and certain other producers want to have more flexibility in how they make these wines, they are no longer labeled DOC wines but rather IGT Veronese. This is analogous to the Super Tuscan situation, and indeed some of the Veronese refer to such non-conforming wines as Super Venetians. This certainly doesn’t detract from the premium status of these wines. La Grola’s first appearance was in 1983, and, not surprisingly, with the Allegrini’s forward outlook, it has progressively improved. Fermented in stainless steel, it is aged in both barriques and the larger fusti. The wine carries a small amount of residual sugar. The 1999 La Grola starts off with a deep ruby-purple color. Aromatically, there’s blackberry, cherry and oak-derived chocolate and smoke. Palate exposure provides soft tannins, a full body and plush mouthfeel. The acid may be a little low for some but the wine is definitely not flabby. The heavy extract finishes with a prolonged cherry, earth and chocolate flourish. It’s both elegant and robust and ready now for roast or stewed meat or pork.