June Staff Picks

Peter: ’01 Olivares Alto La Hoya Monastrell $8.49 As Spain's winemaking revolution continues to flourish, one of the next hot spots promises to be Jumilla. Most of the region is planted to Mourvedre, locally known as Monastrell. Jumilla's summers boast hot days and cool nights, resulting in fantastically ripe grapes with good acidity. Bodegas Olivares's vineyards are in the northernmost zone of La Hoya de Santa Ana. This is the coolest sub-zone of Jumilla, with sandy, lime-rich soils that produce intensely aromatic wines. The 01 is a big, lush dense fruit bomb, possessing a deep purplish color, abundant fruit, and no hard edges. Much like the late harvest version, the wine has beautiful aromatics and flavors of dark berries and bittersweet chocolate. A lovely wine to enjoy with hearty braises or barbeque. Sam: ’99 Falesco, Umbria, Cabernet, Marciliano $36.99 The now well-known vineyards of Falesco were established in 1979, with the aim of rediscovering and enhancing the traditional varietals of Lazio and Umbria. Situated upon the premier wine-producing areas of both regions, the winery’s owner, Riccardo Cotarella has done a superb job in giving us not only premium, like Montiano, but quality value as well, such as our favorites, Vitiano and Merlot—Great drinking everyday wines. 1999 is the debut of Marciliano, and if I do say so myself, a splendid one at that! Made from 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc, the grapes are principally harvested from estate vineyards in Umbria. Harvested through October, they must spend 28 days on skin, after which malolactic fermentation is carried out in French oak, where the wine is aged for sixteen months, and then aged another year in barrel. Rich with aromas of hickory smoke, peppermint, and a bit of spice (I detected a slight tinge of cinnamon myself), the wine is layered with dark fruits, big, dense, and chewy, with a polished finish that seems to go on and on. The tannins are expressive, but not overly aggressive; while the flavors of black licorice and cassis linger pleasantly. And so, yet another beauty for a producer all too familiar with creating them!! Justin: ’02 Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo, Il Mimo, rosé $10.99 While the noble Nebbiolo grape is known for majestic Barolos and powerful Barbarescos it makes for an utterly delightful rosé in the case of Il Mimo. It is from the Colline Novaresi DOC in the Northeastern part of Piedmont. The produceris highly regarded for it's Ghemme DOCG red wines. And although Il Mimo is "only" a rosé, what you get is a sophisticated and extremely appealing wine—a prince among rosés. Perfect for the warm summer months we have all been longing for. My ideal for rosé is that it show abundant, fresh, fruity aromatics and flavors, light-to-medium weight, good balance and a refreshing, crisp finish. The genius of good rosé is that it combines of some of the fruit intensity of a red with the crispness of a white. And Il Mimo more than delivers. It is a beautiful rich, pale cherry color. And shows remarkable finesse in the way it comes across as a seamless whole—not in blocky or easily identifiable parts. It's super fragrant with strawberry and juicy summer plums; rounded out with seamless touches of fresh apricot, peach, bing cherry, pineapple and chalky minerality. On the palate clean, refreshing strawberry and juicy plum flavors are enriched by the flavors first scented. It shows a smooth, clear arc through the mid-palate on to a long, clean finish, filigreed with a touch of refreshing citrus. I suggest simply enjoying the easy sophistication Il Mimo offers without too much thought. It's a delight. And I can hardly wait for the first picnic, backyard barbeque, or lazy, humid evening of the summer. You can bet, this is what I will be bringing. James: ’01 Mas Igneus, Priorat, FA 206 $14.49 The name of this engaging wine refers to the slate (llicorella) and clay based soils in which the grapes are grown. Basically of volcanic origin, the llicorella was formed under extreme heat and pressure, which brings to mind the present day climate of this area—summer temperatures of 42 deg. Celsius and mindbending aridity. The difficulty of farming here is exacerbated by the steepness of the slopes in the area. Vines are planted in ‘terrasses’ or simply in ‘costers’ which means directly on the hillside without terrassing, many of these slopes approach a 45 deg. angle. As if the task weren’t hard enough, all Mas Igneus wines are organic, which in these conditions necessitates careful and frequent plowing of these precipitous slopes. Mas Igneus is a fairly new winery in Priorat, a joint venture between well-established Albet i Noya and the local Cooperativa Poboleda. The winery is new but the vines are not—the Garnacha and Carinena vines are between 60 and 100 years old. This, combined with difficult growing conditions means small yields and intensely concentrated fruit, immediately apparent in the almost blue/black robe of the wine. Appearances do not deceive, Mas Igneus is as intense on the palate as it is to the eye, sweet black currant and spicy licorice abound, but do not shock the senses, as the wine is balanced with good tannin and enough acidity to lend it elegance and length. The finish is delicately rustic and ripe. A comment should be made about the intriguing name of this wine. The FA refers to ‘Fusta Allier’, fusta being the Catalan word for wood. The 206 refers first to the 2 year old barrels, then to the 6 months that the wine spends in them. All of the Mas Igneus wines are thus labeled. Enjoy this affordable Priorat with the heartiest red meat dish you can come up with!

John: ’01 Liberalia, Toro, Dos $14.99 This special barrel-fermented white wine is an extremely rare monovarietal malvasia from a small plot of 35 year old vines. The nose offers white fruits offset by vanilla, cinnamon and pine-needles, the palate is rich with good lemony acid balanced by discreet barrel notes and the finish is long and ripe: a full wine that's perfect for Mediterranean seafood and vegetable dishes. It’s truly one of the most unique and delicious whites that Ive had from Spain in a long while. I hope that my supplier has enough stock because it will be my go-to white this summer. Patrice: ’02 Michel Bailly, Pouilly Fume, “Les Loges” $13.99 Vines grown on the limestone hills overlooking the Loire River produce this lovely fragrant wine. These slopes called “Les Loges” are credited with creating some of the finest expressions of Sauvignon Blanc in the Loire Valley. A perennial favorite from the area is Pouilly Fume. Made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc, Pouilly Fume is often a weightier, richer version of its sister wine "Sancerre" located across the river. The 2002 Bailly “Les Loges” is a richly perfumed wine with a seductive nose of honeysuckle and tropical fruit revealing from the start that this is not an austere herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc. On the palate the wine is fruit forward with flavors of figs, nectarines and peaches kept fresh by nuances of minerals. The wine also has ample acidity making it crisp and bright. The finish is delicate but lingering. We paired the wine with cheese fondue and crusty French bread and had a wonderful light meal. At $13.99 a bottle this wine is a fine choice to have on hand as the warmer weather approaches. Dominique: ’00 Tolosa, Pinot Noir, Edna Ranch $23.99 It seems that once again my selection this month is from the southern central coast of California. Emerging in the heart of San Luis Obispo, the Edna Valley has always been famous for its Chardonnay since the mid-70s. However, now Pinot Noir is getting more recognition. Tolosa gets its name from Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa founded in 1772, where the first vines of Edna valley were planted. Since then the winery concentrates on Chardonnay and Pinot varietals that yield the most intense results under Edna Valley’s growing conditions. Cool, even temperature and fog cover result in a very long growing season, often 50% longer than Burgundy. The Pinot Noir grapes were grown in several different blocks within the Edna Ranch Vineyard. Each block is planted to the clone of Pinot Noir which they feel best suited to that particular macroclimate (soil, elevation, trellis system, row orientation, and exposure to natural elements). Tolosa follows a slow handcrafted process that nurtures the wine through periodic gentle racking and minimal filtration allowing a deeper concentration and respects the natural components of the wine. The 2000 Tolosa Pinot Noir presents a deep garnet color. The nose has aromas of ripe, black fruits, with delicate hints of cinnamon, rose petal and vanilla. The palate follows the nose with the same characteristics and flavor. The attack has juicy black fruit and floral notes. The mid-palate is richly extracted and balanced, with focused varietal characteristics unique to Edna Valley Pinot Noir. The long finish is an explosion of crushed ripe black berries, with a nice hint of spice that goes on and on. They only produced 1389 cases (750ml) this vintage and normally focus on restaurants more than retailers. Therefore we only have a few cases to share with you, so I urge you to jump on it before it is too late. Dr. Marty: ’01 Avila, San Luis Obispo County Pinot Noir $11.49 Have you ever met anyone who really dislikes Pinot Noir? I haven’t and moreover, for many, it represents the pinnacle of red wine. The problem, however, with Pinot is to find something within the realm of reality price-wise. For some, this is obviously no problem, and Burgundy’s Cote d’Or with its Grand Crus and Premier Crus is their playing field. For others and especially those wanting to familiarize themselves with the basic nuances of the grape, California has much to offer. Yes, in some cases, California Pinots can rival in price—but only in that for the Burgundian aficionado—some of the Cote d’Or’s best. And, yes, a move is afoot in California to label some Pinot vineyards as Grand Crus. However, Pinot value can still be found in California and Avila’s 2001 rendition is a good representative. Avila is a new Central Coast winery and is located in San Luis Obispo County. Their Pinot grapes are sourced both from this area and Santa Barbara County. This wine was whole cluster fermented in small open top fermenters for 10-14 days, gently pressed and then racked into 100% small French oak barrels (40% new) for aging. The wine’s color is the classical Pinot medium ruby. Aromatically, there is earth, smoke, raspberry and spice. A medium body, soft tannins, adequate acidity and velvety mouthfeel provide the pathway for the long finish where caramel, cherry and earth predominate. If you want to know what value Pinot is all about, you’ve come to the right place with this one. Food-wise, the wine would pair perfectly with beef and squab and would be an admirable companion for Asian cuisine. José: ’01 Liberalia, Toro, Tinto $12.99 A young boutique winery in Toro—currently Spain's hottest wine region, Liberalia concentrates on the Tinta de Toro base for reds for which Toro is best-known. The older vines used provide bright cherry and strawberry fruit, the terroir of Toro contributes a full bodied attack brimming with ripe, black fruit flavors, and the brief stay in new oak adds roasted and smokey notes to the smooth finish. Enjoy with hearty pork dishes like ribs and chops and pastas with rich meat sauces.