March Staff Picks

Peter: '00 Dumol Syrah, Eddie’s Patch $54.99 After being impressed vintage after vintage with Dumol’s Chards and Pinot Noirs, they’ve definitely hit a grand slam with the debut release of their Eddies Patch Syrah. The wine comes from a very small crop of tiny Syrah berries of astonishing intensity. Judge for yourself if their “hands-off” approach in the vineyard and winery works. The purity of the fruit is stunning and the vineyard complexity is fully expressed in the wine. Despite the youth of the vineyard, the natural level of extract in this first release has me extremely excited about the long term prospects for this site. Opaque dark ruby purple in color. Saturated nose of dark berries, bacon-fat, smoky tar and spicy tapenade with high notes of lavender and anise. The palate continues the rich dark theme with super-ripe blackberries and cassis, peppery licorice, bittersweet mocha and a creamy liqueur-like texture of great purity. The penetrating and powerfully dense tannins kick in to offset the rich bold mouthfeel and extend the chewy finish, which coats the entire palate. Sam: '96 Arco Asilla, Custodia, Crianza Ribera del Duero $12.99 The young winery of Bodegas Arco Asilla was founded by two Ribera del Duero winemakers with a great deal of experience in other wineries. With their 45 hectares of tempranillo, containing well-attended 60 year old vines, they have managed to create an oasis of gorgeous, aromatic, intense and fruit-driven tempranillo grapes, which, in turn, create equally intense and fruit filling wines. One such example would be the Custodia Crianza 1996. From one of Ribera del Duero’s greatest recent vintages, this is an excellent effort which, if I may dare say this, compares favorably to a couple of Valbuenas from a certain other Ribera del Duero winery we all may know. Oh, the blasphemy! Seriously, though, this is a beauty, with opaque dark ruby and violet color. The aromas were absolutely gorgeous. Dark chocolate, maraschino cherries, crème de menthe, and a touch of rose petal wafted across my nose. I could have held the glass to my nose all evening. However, I would have missed out on the awesome fruit that was to follow!! Lush mouthfuls of ripe cherries, raspberries, plums, and dark berries led to a soft and polished finish that proved delightful. Soft, mellow tannin abide here; and the light oak that shows up gives the wine a subtle note of vanilla and leather that gives it a bit more body than initially thought. The wine blended well with the slow-roasted veal and hearty tomato, egg pasta I enjoyed with it! This is a wine to be enjoyed with any roasted meat dish. Or you may cellar it—it can only get better in time!! Justin: NV Barbadillo, Sherry, Palo Cortado, Obispo Gascon $33.99 This is surely one of the best old solera sherries on the market. The Palo Cortado style is a mix of the tangy, dry, nutty snap of an Amontillado with the smooth, caramelized, deeper hued, slightly sweeter elegance of an Oloroso. The Obispo Gascon deftly achieves this balance. Barbadillo was founded in 1821 and is one of the largest and most highly respected Sherry bodegas. What this means for consumers is that they can draw from very old soleras and provide a world class level of drinking pleasure at pricing so low as to be almost unheard of in any other type of wine. The centuries old solera tradition is a system of blending in which a little bit of wine from the current vintage tops off the barrels at the top level of the solera and from there each of the next lower, older levels of barrels is topped off from the one above. At the bottom where the blend is the oldest some sherry is drawn out for bottling. The result in soleras like Barbadillo's is incredible smoothness from decades of aging. A small percentage in each bottle may be 60, 80 or more years in age. The typical smokey smoothness of an aged sherry and around 20% alcohol make it an excellent sipping wine, comparable to fine bourbon, whiskey and brandy—only easier on the alcohol. And that lighter touch also makes it surprisingly versatile with food. In color it is a delicate, golden-pale amber. The bouquet is ideal for savouring, showing a dry, nutty, smokey, burnt molasses core and notes of creamy milk chocolate, butterscotch, tobacco. On the palate it is very, very smooth with smokey caramel, butterscotch and milk chocolate coming to the fore along with a tangy, nutty, crispness which provides grip. Just a touch of softening sweetness rounds out the flavours into a long, long finish graced by notes of smokey, nutty, burnt molasses. The balance is fantastic. It is perfect with crisp, roasted almonds or pecans and is sure to make your after dinner entertaining (or before) an exceedingly simple, yet sophisticated success. James: '00 Podere Il Palazzino Chianti, La Pieve $17.99 Every time I travel I always search out the local wines—I love seeing what people drink and how it relates to their cuisine and their everyday life. I love how wine illuminates how people live, I think of it as a kind of cultural “terroir”. The reverse is of course also true: drinking a wine can bring back pleasant memories of past travels, which brings me to my wine of the month selection for the month of March. Even in the short time I was in Tuscany I was able to experience the important place wine has there, and drinking Podere Il Palazzino Chianti Classico takes me right back to the hill towns. In the hills south of Gaiole in Chianti a young couple, Andrea and Allessandro Sderci, are making honest, full-bodied wines that are a perfect expression of the depth and expansiveness possible in the region. Working their two vineyards “Argenina” and “La Pieve” at around 1300 feet, the Sderci hand-pick the grapes choosing only the finest unblemished clusters. They are just as careful at assemblage, choosing only the best barrels for their estate wines. The result of all of this effort is a wine of exceptional balance and range. The dark ruby color is surprisingly intense and brooding for a medium-body wine, hinting at the full aromas of sottobosco and wild berries within. Indeed, this wine is like a walk through the woods after a good rain when all the scents of the flora are heightened. On the palate “La Pieve” is a tightly woven silk tapestry of wild strawberry, violet, and iris. I would recommend vigorously aerating this wine if it is to be drunk soon after opening, If not, decanting one hour in advance will show this wine at its very best. Cin!

John: '00 Tensley Colson Canyon Vineyard Syrah $32.99 In 1900 Geheimrat (Privy Councilor) Julius Wegeler bought his first vineyards in the Mosel valley, specifically in the Bernkasteler Doctor. He paid 100 gold marks per square meter a then utopian amount of money. Capable of producing some of Germany’s greatest Riesling, the wines have always been very expensive. For example, a 1959 Wegeler Doctor Spätlese in 1963 sold for $10.25 while 1959 Ch. Petrus could be purchased for only $7.95. Today the wines are produced by cellarmaster Norbert Breit who was primarily responsible for the turnaround at the Wwe. Dr. Thanisch estate. The Bernkasteler Doctor vineyard is situated on a peak which is open to the west and well protected to the east by the Hunsrück mountain range. It faces south, south-west and is very steep with grades up to 70%. The vineyard had medium-deep, loamy soil with soft weathered devon slate. Today with approximately 2.6 acres, the Wegeler estate is the largest owner in the Doctor vineyard. Heavenly aromas of slate, peach skin, smoke and honeysuckle. Silky texture and ripe juicy stone fruit coat the palate with the perfect spritz of citrus tang to keep it lively. Amazingly concentrated and balanced. Patrice: '99 Allegrini Palazzo della Torre, Veneto $13.99 Established in 1854, the Allegrini family estate extends over 173 acres in the Veneto region of Italy. Known for the passion for using raw materials of only the highest quality the Allegrini family has been one of the key wineries in the recent renaissance of Valpolicella wines. The estate which has been on a serious roll for several vintages now offers an array of wines to fit many budgets and tastes. Classic Amarones as well as their bargain priced blends have received applause from many of the world’s top wine critics demonstrating this winery’s continued commitment to quality regardless of price. The 1999 Palazzo della Torre is a modestly priced offering at $13.99 a bottle that offers the consumer a lot of taste and pleasure for his money. This is a luscious smooth wine that goes down easily. On the palate there are a lot of black jammy fruits along with tastes of cherry cola and hints of licorice. Moderate to low acidity and a lingering finish round out the wine very nicely. The ’99 Palazzo della Torre would be a wonderful accompaniment to grilled meats, risotto, roasts or the traditional boiled meats of the Veneto. I doubt you will be disappointed. Dominique: '00 Montlisse, St Emilion, Bordeaux, France $19.99 If you’ve never been to Saint-Emilion, you will never understand the chemistry that occurs between the wine maker’s “savoir faire” and the old terroir of Saint-Emilion. This town is like something out of a Disney movie set in the XIII century. Dominating the nice Dordogne valley from the edge of the little hill where it has been built, Saint-Emilion is a charming and quiet little village, the perfect image for a postcard. The Roman legions planted the first vineyards. It became one of the resting points for weary travelers on the road to “Santiago De Compostela” in Southern Spain. The reputation of Saint-Emilion dates to the XIII century, it is now one of the most famous vineyards in the world. The wine of Saint-Emilion is produced from nine communes and three distinct types of soil. First, in the northern and the western parts of the main town, the soil is sandy and gravelly (Cheval Blanc and Figeac). Second, on the escarpment (or also called cotes section of Saint-Emilion) to the south and east, the soil is mainly chalk, with mix of limestone and clay (Ausone). Finally, comes the sandy soils (with gravelly sub-soils) of the plain to the south of the appellation, where much lighter wines are made. This is an area of red wines where merlot and cabernet franc play a more predominant role than cabernet sauvignon. My pick for this month is a “Grand Cru” situated in the southern part of the heart of Saint-Emilion (Robert Parker, 90-92). Chateau Montlisse has 7 hectares of vines, all in the same area, literally touching the Chateau de Valandraud (Robert Parker, 92-94). The type of soil (mix of chalk, clay and sand) and the exposition are the same. Mr. Dauriac is also the proud owner and wine maker of the famous Chateaux Destieux (AOC Saint-Emilion, Robert Parker, 89-90) and Chateau La Clemence (3 hectares in AOC Pomerol). Made by the same team, Montlisse receives the same enthusiasm, care and respect as La Clemence and Destieux. Even if you’ve never been to Saint-Emilion, you can just close your eyes and drink a sip of this medium-bodied wine and the postcard image will come to mind. Dr. Marty: '99 Picq & Fils Chablis Premier Cru Vosgros $20.99 The Domaine Gilbert Picq of Chablis is a name unfamiliar to most of us. Indeed, a perusal of several Chablis producers’ lists fails to even list this Domaine. However, after now tasting this wine on two separate occasions, my conclusion is that this unacquainted status must change, and the U.S. should get more of this Domaine’s wine. It reminded me of the Chablis of Jean-Marie Raveneau and Vincent Dauvissat, arguably the two best producers in Chablis. I was even more impressed when I discovered that several European importers, who ship the Chablis crus of both Raveneau and Dauvissat to their countries, have each chosen to round out their Chablis portfolios with Chablis from Domaine Picq. Didier Picq is the present proprietor of the Domaine which is located in the commune of Chichee, just down the road from Chablis but close to Vosgros and Vaucoupin, the two Premier Crus Pique produces. He also makes a regular Chablis and a well-regarded Chablis Vieilles Vignes. His winemaking philosophy embraces the principles of low yields, little or no chaptalization, no acidification and no wood. He vinifies only in stainless steel tanks. Interestingly, when he did age in small oak casks, he found the wines oaky and tired and their crisp minerality compromised. This wine’s color is medium straw. Wet stones, apple and lots of butterscotch and honey constitute the nose. It’s ripe and supple in the mouth with good texture and weight. The vibrant acidity propels the same flavors into an impressively long finish. This is a solid Chablis at a good price…and what do French critics have to say about Domaine Gilbert Picq? After the aforementioned Raveneau-Dauvissat duo, one set of critics gave six growers one star, one of whom was Picq. Another 17 growers received no stars.