October Staff Picks

John: ’02 Montes Alpha Syrah Colchagua Valley, Apalta Vineyard $14.99 Chile excels in producing wines that flaunt fresh, ripe clear fruit flavors, often for decidedly reasonable prices. But now producers are looking for that little something extra. Syrah is a minority grape in Chile, but it's being grown with great success in the Colchagua Valley, noteably by Vina Montes, in the amphitheatre-like vineyard of Clos Apalta. This site is solely for reds. Co-owner Alfredo Vidaurre admits he was taken by surprise by the quality of the Syrah vines, which were only planted in 1998, but gave excellent quality fruit from the outset. Apalta is undoubtedly a prime spot for Syrah and Montes is a pioneering figure in the area. Their top Syrah wine from the site is Folly, the 2001 vintage of which is still very brooding and introspective at this point. While that softens out, try this version in the meantime—it's rich spicy and fragrant. Justin: ’95 CVNE Rioja Reserva “Real de Asua” $52.49 The 1995 Real de Asua is a knockout modern styled Rioja that has snuck under the radar here in the U.S. It is in the upper echelon of modern-styled Rioja and the proof is resoundingly in the bottle. Although it received very high critical praise when originally released it did not receive wide distribution. PJ's was lucky enough to recently secure some of this beauty, now nearing its tenth birthday and the height of its powers. The producer CVNE is a revered, traditional house known for both quality younger wines and the grand Spanish marques Imperial and Viña Real. CVNE showed it's desire to match other top level, traditional Rioja producers by entering the modern-styled arena with their first vintage of “Real de Asua” in 1994. It is the modern-styled analog of their classic Imperial line—both come in Bordeaux shaped bottles. In similar fashion the 2001 “Pagos de Viña Real” is the debut vintage of their modern-styled analog of their classic Viña Real line—both come in Burgundy shaped bottles. At a recent blind tasting of high quality 1994 and 1995 modern-styled and traditional Rioja wines the differences between the moderns and traditionals were not so easy to spot—now that the wines are more mature. When the moderns were first released it was difficult to compare the two styles because the traditional wines were not even released then—in keeping with the traditional practice of releasing the top wines 5-10 years after the vintage, when ready to drink. Now that all the top wines are out in both styles my conclusion is that while there are stylistic differences the most important issue is not which style is better or more authentic—traditional or modern—but which wines are good and which are not. There are plenty of good and not so good wines in both styles. And there is plenty of Rioja character in the better modern examples, but with a different inflection than the traditionals. So, what are the stylistic differences? To generalize at nine or ten years out: the traditional wines tend to show a bit less fruit extraction and color, but a bit more acidity, firmness and mineral nuance. Conversely the moderns tend to show more fruit extraction, color, along with a bit less acidity, firmness and minerality. While these distinctions don't always hold true it does seem that the best of the traditionals are built for the longer term and will continue to gain in complexity and flavor—as experience has shown. The moderns as a group tended to show better now, perhaps owing to that extra bit of fruit extraction and softness. But I fully expect the best of the moderns will show more minerality and complexity as the fruit becomes less forward and the wines become more delicate—just as the best of the traditionals will continue to do so as well. I eagerly await the coming years to see where these two styles stack up on the evolutionary scale. Which do I prefer, modern or traditional? As with styles in everything, preference is more than simply a matter of personal taste, it is usually tempered by mood and the moment at hand. There are times when the fruit and leather laced complexity of a well-aged Imperial Gran Reserva seems just the thing to pair with venison and wild berries and others when the fruit-rich, elegance of the “Real de Asua” seems the perfect match with a juicy steak. As to modern vs. traditional: I prefer the good ones. The 1995 “Real de Asua” is more than just one of the good ones. It is a refined, powerplay of ripe red fruit. Scents of red cherry, raspberry and strawberry abound over notes of smoke, tobacco, leather, spice and minerality. On the palate intense cherry, red plum and tart red berry fruit flavors start the attack. The mouth feel is silky and sumptuous. The flavors build in the mid palate and the finish is juicy and expansive, layered with notes of leather, spice, toasty oak, bacon and cherry vanilla along with fine, ripe tannins. The overall effect is one of seamless elegance in full fruit. It's beautiful to drink now, but shows the structure for more years to come. If you need an elegant knockout to impress at that next dinner party, this is it. I promise you the bottle won't last long. José: ’01 Merryvale Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon “Starmount” $20.49 The first winery built in the Napa Valley following the repeal of prohibition, Merryvale is located in the heart of America's premier wine region. Graced with a European fountain and formal grounds, the historic winery is ideally located just 1/4 mile south of downtown St. Helena, Napa Valley—adjacent to renowned Tra Vigne restaurant and within easy walking distance of many other restaurants and shops. Merryvale's estate vineyard drapes a ridge-top high above St. Helena in the heart of the Napa Valley. Additional fruit is selected from vineyards recognized for the excellence of their micro-climate, soils and vineyards management from warm Spring Mountain in the north to the mid Napa Valley, to foggy Carneros in the south. Merryvale use the best possible fruit for each varietal, each vintage. Carefully tended vines produce balanced crop yields with an insistence on quality over quality. The essence of the Napa Valley a verdant parquet of diverse soils and microclimates that is home to some of the world's greatest vineyards. Merryvale's director of winemaking, Stephen Test, seeks to capture this essence with thoughtful attention to each of the thousand steps along the way to rich, complex, supple wines. Carefully tended and selected fruit is allowed to ripen fully ensuring that flavor and tannins reach maturity at the same time as the sugar reaches its proper level. The fruit is hand picked and hand sorted before crushing to climate any fruit that fails to meet Merryvale's high standards. The wine is made with painstaking traditional methods which extract vibrant color but exclude aggressive tannins. The wine is aged in fine French oak barrels and bottled unfiltered, which contributes to the rich, round flavors and supple texture for which Merryvale wines are known. It is a medium-bodied, rich, supple Cabernet with good fruit and balance. On the palate there are flavors of cherry, toasted oak, plum, pepper. It is round and harmonious in its youth and will engulf you with its effortless charms. Scott: ’01 Santa Duc Côtes-du-Rhône Cairanne “Les Buissons” $15.49 The Rhône Valley can provide good value rustic wines depending on the producer, the location and the winemaker’s attention to detail. Within the Rhône, varying quality levels exist between the different appellations. In moving from the Côtes-du-Rhone appellation to the Côtes-du-Rhone Villages, sixteen villages have been marked as areas of higher quality. Here, yields are reduced to 42 hl/ha from 50 hl/ha, which consequently, increases fruit concentration. In addition, the required minimum alcohol level of 12.5% adds to the ageing potential of these wines. Gigondas and Vacqueras were elevated to their own appellations in 1971 and 1990. Cairanne is currently believed to be one of the best for production and likely the next to be promoted to appellation status. Yves Gras has run Santa Duc since assuming operations from his father Edmond in 1985. Prestige is derived from their Gigondas, for which Santa Duc is one of the top producers. However, after tasting the Cairanne, I am a firm believer that Mr. Gras has produced a Gigondas-sibling of equal quality. The 2001 vintage is only Santa Duc's second vintage of this wine but shows the expert hands of a Rhône winemaker. Les Buissons is deep ruby in color. The expressive notes on the nose are packed with crushed black pepper, blackberry, and black currant. Interlaced through the fruit are slight green herbal notes. Full bodied on the palate, the black fruit is balanced by good doses of alcohol and tannin. This bottle is accessible now but will improve over the next ten years. The heartiness of the wine deserves big-bodied game or red meat. Perhaps herbed rib roast?

Sam: ’02 Castaño Solanera Yecla “Vinas Viejas” $11.97 The wines of Bodegas Castaño, a hidden treasure for years, became the rave last year with the fantastic 2001 vintage. Bodegas Castaño, from the province of Yecla, located just north of Murcia in southeastern Spain, is probably the best known estate from this region, and the 2002 vintage has solidified its reputation for quality wines from a quickly emerging region of fine wine at reasonable prices. The Solanera, a limited production made from the oldest vines of the estate, is made from a blend of 65% Monastrell grapes and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. After fermentation in stainless steel vats, the wine is then aged in French and American oak barrel for ten to twelve months before being bottled and shipped. The Solanera cuvee is unique as an unfiltered, quality cuvee. The wine itself has beautiful aromas of coconut milk, almonds, cinnamon and a slight lilac twinge that is both inviting and tempting. On the tongue, expect at first blackberries and smoke, followed by a luscious attack of dark chocolate and tobacco, with deliciously ripe, sweet tannin and a smooth finish that lingers for about thirty seconds, possibly more. Solanera, an oasis of a wine thriving under the scorching sun of southern Spanish summers, may not be for those who like uncomplicated, fruit-driven Cabs and Merlots; but for those who love the subtle yet complex, the dark and rich, it is the perfect complement to a hearty beef stew, mutton or venison, even for a nice Australian Kobe beef burger with sautˇed onion and mushroom. Or lamb shish kebabs. The choice is yours! Patrice: ’01 Estancia California Cabernet Sauvignon $12.97 When fall arrives and our family menu reverts to heartier fare I often return to American reds as their accompaniment. The very well priced 2001 Estancia Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles is a wine you may want to try this October. From the fabulous 2001 vintage the Estancia cab is a lusciously fruit driven wine with lots of blackberry, plum and dried fruit flavors. Notes of licorice and white pepper add to the profile along with a moderate amount of toasty oak. The tannins are firm but add balance to the ripe fruit flavors. This wine is not only a bargain but can either be enjoyed now or cellared for a couple of years. We served this yummy cab with an herb crusted roast pork, acorn squash glazed with maple butter and roasted red bliss potatoes. Enjoy! Dominique: ’02 Cherrier & Fils Sancerre Blanc Loire Valley, France $12.97 The name of the Cherrier family has been attached to the vineyard of Sancerre since 1848. The "Domaine de la Rossignole" was created in 1927 by Maurice Cherrier, who ran an "avant-garde" policy using techniques still advocated nowadays. In the sixties his son Pierre Cherrier took over the domain which he gave a new dynamism too, by extending it and enlarging the wine storehouses. In early 80’s, after studying at the "Lycée Viticole" (Viticulture College) in Beaune (Burgundy), François and Jean-Marie, Pierre’s two sons, came to the domain and carried on the effort undertaken for wine quality. In 1984 the wine farm turned towards bottling in the farm and developed its customers (France and Europe). In 1994 they choose to work with more traditional ways, they practiced "lutte raisonnée" (reasoned protection): consisting of more vine observation and management and reducing the use of unnatural treatments (in short, let Mother Nature do her job and interfering as little as possible). The vineyard is situated on the slopes surrounding the village of Sancerre. The vines are planted on three kinds of soils: "Silex", "Terres blanches" (Clayey-chalky) and "Caillottes" (Clayey-siliceous). It is a terroir where the sauvignon is king and it is the only white grapes variety used to produce Sancerre white. The grapes are pressed out in the two hours following the picking. After pressing, the must is put into a tank so that the remaining solids split off the juice and settle out of the liquid. This stage is called the settling of the juice and lasts 24 hours. After a racking, the must is put into a stainless steel tank where it will begin the alcoholic fermentation at controlled temperature (19 °C -20°C, lower is kept for inexpensive wine).There is no malolactic fermentation. A racking is done just after the fermentation to eliminate the big lees (can give bad taste) which allows a resting period on chosen lees. The wine remains in tanks enclosed in cooling jackets under cold strain (-5°C to-6°C) for 8 days, and then filtered and bottled. This Cherrier Sancerre wine is dry, crisp, zingy and fruity with good balance and lots of minerals. Quite similar to a grassy gooseberry New-Zealand sauvignon, this Sancerre has a powerful bouquet with dominant floral and citrus fruits scents. The natural "cat pee" & "green lime" aroma expression of sauvignon Blanc is there and will deeply satisfy the "very dry" wine drinkers. It will be at its best and should be drunk within the next 3 years. This wine has been crafted for food lovers and they will find the perfect match with goat cheese of "Chavignol" (where some of the best Sancerre come from), shellfish, oysters, white fish and white meats with creamy sauces. Chris: ’02 Capçanes Tarragona Spanish Red, “Mas Donis” $10.97 The Cellar de Capçanes is a cooperative that was founded in 1933 whose eighty members now control over 250 hectares (approx. 625 acres) of choice vineyard parcels in the Tarragona DO (Denominacion de Origen) region. Cellar de Capçanes is located in a small village of the same name in the mountainous subzone of the Tarragona DO called Falset. The greater Tarragona DO covers a horseshoe-shaped area that surrounds the wildly popular Priorat DO to the West, South and East. Such is the evolving nature of Spain’s official wine regions that Tarragona is now referred to as Montsant. Fifteen members own seventy-five percent of the total business entity which helps streamline decision-making at the property, and committee member Francesc Blanche has been instrumental in pushing quality forward. Prior to 1995, the winery was a major supplier to Miguel Torres, but then there was an opportunity to produce a kosher wine for the Jewish community of Barcelona. The problem was that the winery first needed massive upgrades. Today, there are new stainless, temperature-controlled fermentation tanks and 600 new oak barrels, 30% of which are French, an upgraded cellar, a new bottling line and new packaging. Largely through the efforts of Capçanes, the former Tarragona DO wears its new appellation of Montsant DO. The Capçanes kosher wine, Peraj Ha' abib Flor de Primavera, has been named the finest Kosher wine on the market by leading wine critics. The winery has sparsely-planted vineyards at elevations from 200 to 700 meters, and the best sites have poor, mineral-rich, stony soils on a granite or slate base. With low average yearly rainfall, these soils encourage the vines to dive deep to seek water and nourishment, thereby reducing yields and increasing fruit concentration. Two veteran winemakers, Angel Teixado and Antoni Alcover, owner/winemaker of Fra Fulco in Priorat, carefully oversee the vinification process. Fifty percent of the vineyard sites are planted to Garnacha; twenty percent to Cariñena, and the rest to Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. Capçanes calls their Mas Donis "Barrica" a semi-Crianza because it's aged for nine months in mostly American oak that has a few vintages of use. The blend is 80% Garnacha and 20% Syrah, with the Garnacha fruit from 60+ year-old vines. Each variety is vinified separately and lees-stirred twice daily, and the wine is bottled without filtration. his wine is a sensual tour de force. Opaque, deep violet ruby colors and plush, black cherry, plum aromas with traces of vanilla develop into suave blackberry flavors and gamey notes of black pepper on the palate. Through a velvety mouthfeel, the fruit, acidity and tannins all maintain an excellent balance. After a few minutes in glass, the wine evolves, showing aromas and flavors of earthy moss and mineral-inflected soil. A natural match for grilled or broiled red meats, pastas with red sauces, or grilled vegetables, itÕs hard to find a food this wine wonÕt compliment. At a price where many Manhattan restaurants can barely sell you a decent glass of house wine, this bottle is a great deal. Consider a case of this great "no-brainer" red to pair with your everyday meals or for autumn parties. Messrs. Robert Parker and Steven Tanzer rate this wine highly (90 and 89 points, respectively), calling it a "baby Priorat."