May Staff Picks

Peter: ’01 Beckmen Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon $20.99 After weeks of tasting many Cabernets Sauvignons from California, I believe this wine possesses elements of a profound Cabernet. We examined each wine thoroughly, looking for concentration, purity, and complexity. We tasted until our palates turned black. Many weren't up to par, but, it's al-l-l-l worth it when you get a catch like this beautiful Beckmen Cabernet. This family owned winery was founded in 1994 by Tom Beckmen and is set amidst the beauty and peace of Purisiama Mountain. All of the fruit is 100% estate grown, produced, and bottled. Wines go though minimal winemaking intervention. 2001 is the finest vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon ever produced by Beckmen Vineyards. Perfect growing conditions and balanced yields produced a stunning wine of deep aromas and expansive flavors. Long hang time created a wine with dense fruit flavors with soft tannins and a lush mouth feel. Sam: ’02 Cep Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast $21.99 Cep…when wine aficionados think of the word, we tend to think of the flavorful mushroom used in many rich French and Spanish sauces. One might even say, a good Pinot Noir would work well with such a sauce! Cep, however, is in this instance the name for one of the finest quality California Pinots this wine aficionado has tasted in quite some time. Now, as many of you who have spoken with me know, I am not a great lover of California Pinot Noir (or any domestic Pinot Noir, for that matter!). However, on the first moment pouring this wine into my glass, I noted that this was no ordinary California Pinot. For one, the rich, deep ruby color of the wine was quite entrancing, reminding me of flowing red silk in a cool mid-spring breeze. Wafting from the glass were floral aromas of rose petals and lush strawberry jam. I stood for just a few minutes absorbing the full fragrance of the wine, just delighting in the continuity of said fragrance and my mouth started to water with (hopeful) anticipation of what would come. Fortunately, I was not disappointed at all. An explosion of bright red fruits, raspberries, cherry licorice, and currants amazed me. It was easily the most flavorful Pinot Noir I had had in a while! Perfectly ripe, but with so much complexity. It finished beautifully, opening into flavors of spice and sweet gooseberry jelly. Wonderful acidity and a velvety mouth feel, stunning…there aren’t the words to describe my “Cep experience.” Certainly there was not lack of fruit, or structure. I realized then that maybe the winemaker meant for the oddly named wine (my cohorts here were quite perplexed upon hearing the name), to go with a cep-based dish. What comes to mind…possibly filet mignon, medium rare, with foie gras, asparagus, topped with a cep mushroom sauce containing some Cep Pinot Noir with a glass of the same Pinot Noir…heavenly! Unfortunately, only one hundred and thirty cases were made of this terrific treat…and it is mostly available only in the finest restaurants, and a couple of lucky retailers, and we are quite fortunate to be one of those retailers. Don’t wait too long…quality California Pinots like this don’t come along so often…trust me, I’ve been waiting! Justin: ’01 Tenuta di Trinoro Tuscan Red “Le Cupole” $25.99 “Le Cupole” is a well-balanced, fruit-forward and delicious standout in the often stratospheric realm of low production Super Tuscans. What makes it such a standout is that it offers the high quality of wines sometimes costing two, three and five times as much—and with finesse. Tenuta di Trinoro is in the south of Tuscany and the winery’s first vintage was 1997. They have received much acclaim as one of the high-flying new wineries in Tuscany. “Le Cupole” is part of the reason why and the 2001 was produced with the ridiculously low yield rate of 15 hectoliters per hectare. And this is not even their top wine. Proprietor Andrea Franchetti’s commitment to the highest quality clearly shows. “Le Cupole“ is made from 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cesanese d’Affile and it is is aged in new French oak barriques. In color it is an intense, bright, deep ruby. On the nose sweet, toasty cherry scents greet you right out of the glass, mixed with hints of earth, leather, spice, smoke and chocolate. As the wine opens additional layers come forward revealing notes of jammy blackberry, blueberry, cherry cola, clove, nutmeg, roasted red peppers, tobacco, and gunpowder. On the palate the wine displays a silky, lively mouthfeel of rich, ripe black cherry fruit and well-integrated toasty oak. It shows impressive finesse, good acidity and a fine tannic structure. Additional black fruit and spice notes come forward and a long, rich, earthy, truffled finish follows. Overall, this is quite a seamless, seductive and affordable effort. It's ready to enjoy now or will easily slumber for 10 years in the cellar. Either way, cin, cin! José: ’02 Viña Godeval Spanish white $10.99 Viña Godeval is located in the 13th century monastery of San Miguel of Xagoaza, in the mountains next to El Barco de Valdeorras, in the province of Orense (Galicia), in the northwest of Spain. Horacio Fernadez and Jose Luis Bartolome, and other partners own a 38.4 acres of Godello grapes, in different parcels on the hills surrounding the winery, with good exposure to midday sun. The vines are trellis trained. The vineyards are located on the mountains slopes, and are therefore in terraces. The composition of the soil is of metamorphic slate, although you could find granite in other vineyards of the appellation. The average production is 6000 kg/ha, or 44 hectoliters per hectare, half of the local maximum allowed. The total production of the winery is of 700- 800 hl/yr. The Godeval vineyards are about 20 years of age, and are temperature control fermentation in small stainless-steel tanks (5,000) with no addition of yeast or enzymes. This Viña Godeval possesses excellent mineral aromas and intense yet delicate and elegant fruit scents with a hint of citrus and apple. The color is yellow with a greenish tinge, with an attractive fresh look. In taste Viña Godeval is light, soft and delicious. Its sweet, acidic touch gives it balance and makes Vina Godeva a fine and personable wine. Elena: ’02 Lavradores de Feitoria Portugal Douro “Tres Bagos” $11.99 Portugal has long been known for its fortified wines, especially the region of Douro, which is the famed source of Port. But in recent years, the winemakers of Douro have invested time, money, and best-quality grapes in the making of increasingly better red table wine. This shift in priority has led to a number of interesting and distinct wines, as Portuguese grape varieties have been cultivated in relative isolation and produce wines unlike the other, more well-known varietals used in typical old world wines. Lavradores de Feitoria is representative of the new kind of wine making popping up around Portugal. It is a cooperative project between 15 quality-minded wine growers in Doura that began in August 2000. The Lavradores label makes both single vineyard wines and blend wines. Not all of the growers, or Quintas, that participate in Lavradores de Feitoria produce their own wine, but rather an assembled tasting panel chooses the best Quinta to release their estate wine. The wine making and marketing all fall under the masterful eye of João Brito e Cunha, who is recognized as one of Douro’s rising stars. The name “Tres Bagos” comes from three diverse sub-regions of the Douro, each with their own distinct characteristics and potentialities imparted to the wine. On the nose, the wine has very forward aromatics of minerals. The palate is vivid and fruity, with hints of strawberries, cranberries, and black fruits. Round tannins and a slight acidity give the wine a distinct vibrancy. The wine has mineral and herbal qualities on the finish, and makes a fine complement to any hearty dinner featuring a nice steak.

John: ’02 Clos Mimi Paso Robles Syrah “Petite Rousse” $15.99 One of my favorite California reds that I love recommending to my customers at PJ’s just as much as enjoying a bottle myself has been the ’02 Clos Mimi “Petite Rousse”. Tim and Mimi Spear began making Clos Mimi in 1996, and have continued this tradition using only the best Paso Robles fruit. Their mission is to contract the finest Syrah vineyards in San Luis Obispo County, and eventually, have their own biodynamically-farmed one day. Since 1996, Tim has endeavored to find growers willing to develop high density vineyards on limestone-rich soils. Tim's insistence on low yields, vertical trellising, and annual composting has resulted in long-term relationships with the Shell Creek, Bunny Slope and Brave Oak vineyards. The “Petite Rousse” can be called Tim’s second wine, but it definitely holds its own in terms of color, extraction and sheer power. Big rich aromas of smoked meat, fresh ground pepper and blue and blackberry liquor seduce the olfactory glands, and the layers of complexity always have me stunned to silence. I still pick up new flavors and nuances in this wine, even after drinking over 2 dozen bottles of this vintage. A beautiful accompaniment to stews, roasts and anything braised. Patrice: ’00 Château Cantelys Bordeaux, Pessac-Leognan $22.99 Bordering on the property of Château Smith Haut-Lafitte, Château Cantelys has the makings of a fine wine from the start. From the unique soil comes an intensely elegant wine that is aged in oak barrels made right on the estate. The delicious blend is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. If you are not the patient type this young, inky wine is terrific now with grilled steak or lamb. The wine is packed and stacked with delicious black fruit: plums, blackberry and cassis. The wood, once overt, is starting to integrate and this will be very fine indeed in 3-5 years. A great buy from a great vintage! Dominique: ’00 Domaine Milan Côtes de Provence “Clos Milan” $19.99 History shows that since the arrival of the Greeks in Provence at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (or "Glanum" in Latin), the wine has always been a local tradition. Later on, even the popes, staying in Avignon, appreciated the white wine from this area and some of the red wines as much as some of the Rhône Valley. The Domaine Milan has existed since 1955 and the vines have been planted at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence about 30 years ago. It is in this little village of the south of France that “Clos Milan” was born in 1989. “Clos Milan” is a part of the Domaine Milan. A vineyard of approximately 2 Hectares planted on sand and gravel soils rich in calcium that bring to the wine an unthinkable richness. Henri Milan, the man attached to his terroir and owner of the Domaine Milan, perpetuates the family tradition: working with the vines and producing wines. Many of his elders were working in the Rhone Valley or in Provence: e.g. Chateau-Neuf du Pape, Gigondas, Cairanne, etc…Even his wife, coming from Bordeaux, brought her skills and knowledge to add character and personality to the domaine. Both of them build the reputation of Domaine Milan with passion, tradition and respect for their environment. Respect of the terroir and the environment is key for the vineyard management. The soil is aerated and worked on a few inches deep only, with utilization of natural compost and no chemical product: herbicide or pesticide. Manual harvest has been vinified at the Domaine since 1972 with traditional vinification. After harvesting, the must is place in a vat of 150 hl maximum, for about a week to 15 days (depending on the vintage) under temperature control to emphasize the extraction of color and tannins. After alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, "Clos Milan" is aged for about 18 months in Bordeaux oak barrel (Barrique: 59 gallons / 225 liter). The ageing is followed by an egg white fining and bottling without filtration or addition of acids. The Domaine is producing four different cuvees: “CUVEE DES GARCONS” & “TUILIERE VIEILLE” since 1986, followed by “CLOS MILAN” in 1989 and “MOURRE DE VIRET” in 1998. “Clos Milan” is a great wine whose source is power and elegance from the richness of the soil (sand & gravel on "Safre Jaune", type of Limestone Sub-Soil) and the attention of Henri. By restructuring the soil with natural compost since 1986 when he took control of the domaine after his father, Henri has revived the nature of the soil spoiled with chemicals during the 70’s and beginning of the 80’s and the wine is now expressing its gratitude. The 2000 “Clos Milan” is a blend of 90% Grenache Noir and 10% Syrah, aged in oak barrel and bottled without any filtration which adds another dimension to the wine. When I first opened it, it was a bit closed and timid, but after an hour, the aromas of fresh cassis and red berries blended in with the perfumes of Garrigue and spices. The fresh juicy, spicy & earthy taste expands from the beginning through the mid-palate with freshly crushed mixed berries, earthy cassis, pepper and spices. The finish is a bit rustic. The tight tannins show very good potential for aging. It is a young, earthy, medium-bodied wine that is calling for a juicy steak cooked with Mediterranean herbs. Cheers! Scott: ’01 Schmitt’s Kinder Franken Randersackerer Marsberg Spätlese Trocken $29.99 Going ga-ga over bocksbeutel (bocks-boy-tal) I am, but there is no Mateus in this squat bottle. Schmitt’s Kinder has produced a Riesling that is highly fragrant and at the same time shows great structure with acidity and alcohol. Schmitt’s Kinder is based in Franken or an area known by the English as Franconia. Franken was West Germany’s eastern most wine producing province up until reunification. Due to Franken’s location, the climate more dramatically affects the yearly produce than in any other German region. Here, Sylvaner and Müller-Thurgau are the dominant varieties as they ripen earlier than Riesling. Sylvaner is even, at times, referred to as Franken Riesling. While only 5% of Franken’s 15,000 acres is planted to Riesling, Schmitt’s Kinder is the region’s best producer of this variety. The vineyard of Marsberg is located in the small town of Randersacker, near the Main River. The soil has a layer of limestone, and this layer produces spectacular minerality in the wines. This bottling was made in a trocken (dry) style and has been vinified to a slightly heavier alcohol level at 12% than most other German whites. Finally, the bocksbeutel shape, or the compact and squat bottle, is used for Franken’s higher end wines. And, if you have been drinking wines from a Burgundy, Bordeaux or flute shaped bottle, then this bocksbeutel will give you a shapely change. The bottle’s contents also come from a world completely different than the land of Mateus. On the nose, strong mineral notes dominate with perfumed lychees and hyacinths supporting the stony notes. The nose indicates structure, and this wine does not disappoint on the palate. Upon first sip, the aromatics found on the nose are also present. A great dose of acid causes the mouth to water and the brain to cry for food. The medium alcohol level is balanced by the rich aromatics and acidity. The length of 60+ seconds is also quite impressive for a white wine. From my dating days, I was familiar with the “complete package” cliché. After tasting this bottle, I readily profess my love and might never pursue another Riesling. At a blind Riesling tasting over Sichuan influenced food, the wine beautifully matched with the spiciness and oil of the different dishes sampled. From spicy noodles to barbecued short-ribs, the wine was spot-on. Try a bottle and see if your hands begin to sweat and the butterflies begin to stir. At the very least, your view of Riesling might be forever changed. Enjoy!