November Staff Picks

Patrice: ’02 Clarendon Hills Grenache “Kangarilla Vineyard” $53.99 In existence for only a little over a decade, Clarendon Hills has clearly gained a reputation around the world for making some of the most richly extracted red wines on the planet. The ’02 “Kangarilla Vineyard” Grenache is one bottling that demonstrates this beautifully. In the glass the deep purple color leads to a bouquet of crushed cherries and raspberries accented with a lifting hint of evergreen and eucalyptus. On the palate this wine has a lot of everything with the jammy black fruit and cherry liqueur being appropriately balanced by lively acidity, firm tannins and (like all Clarendon Hills Wines) aged French oak. Of course nothing less than a big finish would suffice here and the 2002 Kangarilla satisfies that requirement as well. Although still in itsŐ youth, the wine is delicious now but will drink well for another 10-15 years. You may want to serve the rich and warming Kangarilla with hearty roasted meats and root vegetables on a cold November evening. Enjoy! Justin: ’01 Cellers Unió Montsant “Perlat” $9.97 There are times when the simple pleasures are the antidote to the stresses of the day. In the case of Perlat, a new wine from a Montsant cooperative, these pleasures are deceptively simple. Hailing from next door to highly lauded Priorat, this unassumingly priced wine hits the mark, spot on. Clear but deeply colored, it features loads of blueberry, blackberry, plum and crushed raspeberry fruit scents on the nose, intensified by deeply flowery honey and bee pollin notes. Touches of toasty, smokey oak do not obsure the fresh, juicy quality of the wine on the palate—full with candied cherry and spice notes. Not only is it juicy but also smooth and elegant in the mouth, quietly announcing an unsuspected elegance, structure and balance. The finish is long, soft and suffused with rich blueberry and chunky plum fruit notes. All in all, this wine is exceptionally drinkable and not to be missed, whether for a simple home meal or for entertaining when you want happy guests without a lot of expense. This is my go-to wine when easy pleasure and no fuss is the order of the day. José: ’99 El Coto Rioja Reserva $15.49 El Coto vinified its’ first grapes in 1970, and their first bottling was released in 1975. Since then, the bodega has emerged as the number one wine brand in Spain, and is one of the top selling Spanish wines throughout Europe. El Coto's vineyards are in Cenicero (Rioja Alta) next to the east bank of the river Najerilla (tributary to the Ebro facing the northwest) and their soil is mainly based on ferric clay. The rest of the grapes come from selected vineyard owners from the Rioja Alavesa. All of the grapes are vinified in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. El Coto owns about 65,000 225- liter American oak casks. The reserva is vinified for 14 to 15 days in stainless steel vats, to allow for ample color extraction. The wine is then aged for close to 14 months in new American oak barrels before bottling. Once in the bottle, the wine is aged an additional 24 months before release in the marketplace. In the glass the ’99 El Coto Reserva has a deep dark ruby color. On the nose, it has a complex fruit aroma (notably wild strawberry) with soft, warm, oaky tones. Full- bodied, round and velvety on the palate the wine has a firmness typical of Tempranillo. Although delicious now this wine will continue to develop in the bottle. Pair the ’99 El Coto Reserva with veal, red meat, duck, soft cheeses or hard cheeses for a more than satisfying meal. Scott: ’02 7 Deadly Zins Lodi $17.49 In California’s Lodi, Zinfandel shines. This grape is often difficult to grow as it is prone to uneven ripening and leaving green grapes within the bunch. In addition, Zinfandel easily rasinates if not picked shortly after ripening. In Lodi though, growers are able to walk the fine line between under and over-ripeness. The Phillips family has been based near Lodi since the mid-1800’s when their family was granted 160 acres under the Homestead Act. The brothers, David and Mike are currently producing wine, and their most successful bottling is the Seven Deadly Zins. Seven Deadly is the love affair of family and friends. For the 2000 vintage, 1,000 cases were produced, and the grapes were sourced from three cousins and four friends. For the 2002 vintage, the blend of cousins and friends remained the same. However, the Phillips brothers contributed fruit from their vineyard to help satisfy demand, and production topped-out at 25,000 cases. After tasting this bottle, I do not see any quality being sacrificed for returns from increased quantity. The nose is expressive, and the juicy fruit fully balances the Zinfandel alcohol. The 14.8% alcohol level, while in line with other California Zins, is easily more balanced than most high-octane California bottlings. On the nose, red and black currants are joined by blackberries, black pepper and chocolate notes. The tannins are soft and round out the fruit on the palate. This wine will deliciously match with a charred-hamburger right off the grill. Chris: ’02 Castaño Yecla Monastrell $7.97 At about 4,500 hectares of land under vine, Yecla is a tiny D.O. (Denominación de Origen) and unique in all of Spain in that its land area encompasses a town: Yecla. The Yecla D.O. is surrounded by the Jumilla, Almansa and Alicante DOs, respectively, and is located approximately 150 miles Southeast of Madrid. Fossil evidence of winemaking in the area dates back to the Phoenicians of ancient Greece, and the remains of a winery named "Fuente del Pinar" date from the Romans in the First Century AD. This winery was in operation until the end of the Fifteenth Century AD. During the reign of Phillip II in the Sixteenth Century, Yecla comprised 3,000 hectares of vineyards, and the wines were in such demand on international markets that Yecla was called "Bodega Mayor de España" (Spain’s biggest winery). After it lost its major export markets, the once-thriving wine industry in the region fell into decline for most of the Twentieth Century. The Yecla D.O. was established in 1975 when a local cooperative La Purisima began to bottle their wines that had previously been sold off in bulk. The most significant winery in Yecla is Bodegas Castaño, now run by Ramon Castaño Santa and his three sons. Owned by his family for several generations, Ramon built a new winery and expanded vineyard holdings in 1950, and, in 1985 Ramon continued to upgrade and modernize his winery, resulting in international recognition both for his wines and the Yecla D.O. Since the 1980’s, Ramon and his sons have continued to pursue quality, experimenting with the Monastrell varietal by itself and in blends. Initially, Bodegas Castaño’s vineyards were planted to the Monastrell and Garnacha varietals (the Spanish equivalents of mourvèdre and grenache, two grape types common to wines from France’s Rhône Valley), but recently other red and white varietals have been planted (Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Macabeo, Airen, Meseguera, Chardonnay) in efforts to increase winemaking flexibility and refine overall quality. There is an ultra-modern winemaking facility complete with a cold room for receiving just-harvested grapes and an aging cellar with 2,000 French and American Oak barrels. Bodegas Castaño’s 400+ hectares of vineyards in four separate estates cover a gamut of various soil types and resulting flavor profiles, and these various expressions of fruit allow the winemaker to choose and blend for optimum results during vinification. The 2002 Castaño Monastrell is a wine made exclusively for American importer, Eric Solomon Selections, and the 100% Monastrell fruit is from old vines in the Campo Arriba vineyards in the Northern part of Yecla. At 700-800 meters elevation and on soils composed of 70% limestone, 15% sand and 15% clay, these vineyards enjoy long, consistent growing seasons of relatively harsh conditions (cold winters, hot summers and occasional low rainfall) to which the Monastrell grape varietal has become perfectly adapted. For the 2002 Castaño Monastrell, partial carbonic maceration was employed to promote fresh aromas, flavors and textures, and, for similar reasons, the wine was fermented and aged in stainless steel tank. This wine has the nature of a deep breath of fresh forest air. Dark plum and sour cherry aromas with a hint of violets become juicy, succulent blackberry and baked plum flavors on the palate, with a trace of spices. The balanced acidity and gentle tannins are remarkable for a wine at this price point, and it furthers an impression of clean dark berry fruit that is very "food friendly." This is a "no nonsense" bistro wine that will pair up with many different dinner plates (rigatoni with cannellini beans, poached striped bass in lemon nage) as well as "small plates" food like cheeses and cured meats. The versatile nature of this wine combined with its price makes this a great choice for case purchase, particularly now that holidays are near.

Sam: ’01 Hess Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $20.99 The 2001 vintage in California has seen an explosion in quality Cabs partly because it is one of the better vintages in recent years. Yet, it seems to be more and more difficult for most wine buyers to find fine wine at a reasonable price when it comes to California Cabernet Sauvignon. This is particularly true for those seeking lush Cabs in the $10-$20 price range. One of the surprises of the vintage in that value range, in our humble opinion, was (and still is) the 2001 Hess Select Cabernet Sauvignon, still one of our favorites here. For $14, it is a steal. So I was intrigued to try the "middle range" Cabernet Sauvignon from the Hess, The Hess Estate, which is higher than the Hess Select but lower than the Hess Collection. The 2001 Hess Estate is pretty unusual, with an assemblage that may suggest a big, overripe Cab, but in reality it is quite surprising. Made with 88 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 percent Petit Verdot, 4 percent Syrah, and 3 percent Merlot, the blend was aged in French and American oak barrels for about eighteen months. This enhanced the richness and density of this well-rounded and bold offering. I was completely floored upon tasting the wine, thinking it to be more Old World than New bringing me to venture out to get a second opinion, I tested my cohorts here in the store. Without exception all of my colleagues guessed Southern Spain, with Grenache or Syrah being the principle varietal. Northern California Cabernet Sauvignon was not even a thought on their minds! The brew is flavorful, with black spices, dark chocolate, sweet plum and vanilla mingling pleasantly. A wonderful balance of acidity and tannin add complexity, a bit unusual in a California Cab blend. A perfect match with any well-prepared red meat dish, the Hess Estate is a different style from other Cabs of the same price, such as the Beckmen or Justin 01 Cabs, but I feel it is just as noteworthy. However, I can only suggest…. Dominique: ’02 Bouchaine Vineyards Carneros Pinot Noir $16.49 The end of fall has always been for me the best season to drink Pinot Noir. Unfortunately Pinot Noir is a difficult choice not only because it is one of the most elusive grape varietals for the consumer and the producer but also because it is difficult to grow. The Pinot Noir is a fussy grape. It needs certain conditions to grow and express itself. It prefers a cooler climate. One will find tremendous differences between a Pinot Noir coming from Burgundy, New Zealand, Oregon or California. Well made, the Pinot Noir is one of the most elegant, refined and versatile grapes. It has flavors expanding from young red cherry and dark berries to a more evolved gamey, floral, earthy style (with hints of spice or pepper). This month my choice comes from the southern part of Napa and Sonoma, a classic area well known for its’ Pinot Noir and Chardonnay: Carneros. Bouchaine Pinot Noir suddenly appeared on PJ’s tasting table a few weeks ago and really blew us away. We were unanimous on the quality of the aromas and the flavors: a PJ’s favorite was born. Bouchaine Vineyards, established in the oldest continually operating winery in the Carneros District, was founded in 1981 and is privately owned by Gerret and Tatiana Copeland of Wilmington, Delaware. The roots of Bouchaine go back to a previous era–a glorious time for wine in the Napa Valley, long before Prohibition. The land was first owned by a Missouri native with the rather remarkable name of Boon Fly. Fly grew grapes and fruit trees on the property in the late 1880s. By 1929, an Italian home winemaker named Johnny Garetto had purchased the parcel that is today, Bouchaine. With the repeal of Prohibition clearly in the political air, Garetto began construction of a winery that was completed in time for the 1935 harvest. Beringer bought the estate from Garetto in 1951 and used it as their storage and blending facility until 1981, when a partnership that included the current owners, Gerret and Tatiana Copeland, purchased the winery and surrounding vineyard. To bring the winery into production, the new partners began planting vineyards and renovating the dilapidated buildings. They named the winery Chateau Bouchaine: Chateau, in reverence to the great wine properties of France, and Bouchaine, a French version of one of the partners' middle name. The Copelands bought out the partnership in 1991 and dropped the Chateau title. The winery was completely rebuilt from top to bottom around 1995 so that the winemaking team could make the most of the remarkable Carneros fruit. Since then the winery has been devoted to the production of ultra-premium Carneros Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Bouchaine owns 100 acres of vineyard property in the Carneros region of Napa Valley: 29 acres Pinot Noir, 56 acres Chardonnay, 3 acres Viognier and 2 acres Pinot Gris. Additionally, the winery has long-term contracts with select growers throughout this cool region. They age their wine in French oak from select coopers. The 2002 Bouchaine Vineyards is made exclusively of 100% Carneros Pinot Noir and aged for 12 months in 100% New French oak. Just after opening the bottle, the aromas of ripe dark cherries, violets and rose petals mixed with a warm touch of wood filled the atmosphere and brought smiles to our faces. We could have spent hours breathing the aromas but we couldn’t resist much longer. The wine was begging to be drunk. The attack was smooth and extremely juicy, expanding through the mid-palate with dark ripe cherries and black berries, rose petals and hints of spice and smoke. The palate had everything that the nose promised, complexity, length, strong balance and a very long clean finish with notes of toffee and spices. At the moment this is one of my favorite examples of this varietal and surely one of the best values for Pinot Noir under $20. This versatile wine will be easy to pair with a wide variety of foods and will convert more than one Non-Pinot Noir drinker. I’m a believer! Santé