December Staff Picks

Patrice: ’01 Ridge “Pagani Ranch” Zinfandel $25.99 2001 Ridge Pagani Ranch Zinfandel $25.99 The 2001 Ridge Pagani Ranch Zinfandel is a premium wine with a very reasonable price tag. Actually a blend, the ’01 Pagani Ranch (88% Zinfandel, 8% Alicante- Bouschet and 4% Petite Syrah) is a luscious example of a first class fruit forward Sonoma County Zin. Deep magenta in the glass the wine has a heady perfume of very ripe black berries, currants and violets. On the palate there are multiple layers of rich raspberries, black cherries, cassis and spice. The well defined tannins and ample acidity preserve the wine’s balance and prevent it from becoming cloying. This deeply textured chunky fruit is in no hurry to diminish from the palate and leads the way to a fabulous finish. The Ridge Pagani Ranch is a special wine, perfect to share with family and friends during this holiday season. Enjoy it now and have a happy healthy New Year! Justin: ’00 Muga Reserva $15.97 The 2000 vintage in Rioja is a classic case of a blockbuster vintage like 2001 overshadowing what would otherwise be a highly praised vintage. The 2000s should not be underestimated, and the 2000 Muga Reserva is a perfect example why. Muga is one of the best bodegas in Rioja. They manage to consistently put together very high quality offerings in just about every price category, from their refreshing, value whites to Grand Reservas and on to modern cuvées like “Torre Muga” and their new super cuvée, “Aro,” about to be released in the US market. Not only that but most of their offerings are produced in large enough quantity that you can actually find them in stores, in-stock. The Muga Reserva bottling is an "old standby" for quality and value and the 2000 is a particularly good edition. It is a deep ruby color, revealing plenty of concentration to the eye. While tight at first it opens beautifully, showing surprising approachability. I suggest vigorous decanting or giving it at an hour or two open in bottle before drinking. Lovely red cherry/strawberry fruit and floral aromas greet you on the nose. Followed by toasty oak scents and very appealing complexity through notes of tobacco, leather, bee pollen and spice; topped by the gradual appearance of subtle fresh-fired crème brulée/vanilla notes. The palate is even more appealing showing excellent fruit, density and acidity, characterized by juicy, ripe strawberry, cherry and rhubarb fruit notes—a sort of a toasty red fruit compote of flavors, even slightly candied, but enhanced by fresh tobacco leaf, cigar and minerally soil nuances. And it manages to remain sleek through the mid-palate, on into a soft finish of fine, ripe tannins. The acidity adds lift and prolongs the toasty vanilla, cherry/strawberry finish. This wine is a triumph of balance and exemplifies what a high-quality, affordable Rioja Reserva can be—and all in an underdog vintage. You’ll have no trouble drinking this one up. José: ’03 Borsao Tres Picos $10.49 Borsao is in Borja, a town rich in culture and history. Borja has filled its people with a love for the grape vine so that today, 42 years after establishing the winery, the brand has become a value classic throughtout the world. The town of Borja is located in the province of Zaragoza, between the Ebro River and the Moncayo mountain range. Borsao owns 3,600 acres of vineyards, at an altitude of 1,350 ft. above sea level. The vineyards include 3,125 acres of Garnacha, 247 acres of Tempranillo, 62 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, 124 acres of Macabeo and 25 acres of Mazuelo. There are two different settings for the vineyards, the first is closer to the Ebro River and Borja, on flats 1,050 ft. above sea level, and the second is on the mountainsides up to 2,100 ft. above sea level. In the flats near Borja the soils are almost whitish and highly chalky with very poor in organic material. Closer to the Moncayo mountain range, the soils are very chalky and pebbly with high levels of sand and some iron, with good drainage and in general, heterogeneous soils. The climate is very dry with hot summers, and very cold winters. The vinifivation is classic. Stainless-steel, temperature-controlled, allowing 6 hours of maceration for the reds, prior to pressing. Borsao Tres Pico is cherry in color with a hint of purple tone. On the nose, there is a boundless bouquet of nature's red fruits with traces of flowers that are typical of the best Garnachas. To the taste it's deep and sweet. Borsao has come through with yet another excellent wine in their line-up of world-class value offerings. Scott: ’01 Voyager Estate Margaret River Chardonnay $18.99 After being served this wine blind, I confidently explained that it was Old World Chardonnay, coming from Burgundy. I even took a stab at the wine being from Chassagne and the vintage being 2002. The grape is Chardonnay, but the bottle comes from neither France nor other parts of Europe. And, while youthful, the vintage is 2001 and not the stellar 2002 Burgundy vintage. My prediction record would bring tears to a weather man’s eyes. At the same time, the bottle’s ability to surprise and change a wine lovers’current notion about Australian wine is inspiring. In general, I opt for Old World wines over New as they are a better food accompaniment. Voyager’s Chardonnay has ripe fruit reminiscent of the New World. However, rich, red loam soil covering clay combined with the Indian Ocean’s cooling affect have provided Old World depth and complexity. The combination is delicious and provides a highly memorable bottling. On the nose, baked apple and honeydew notes are joined by minerals, cinnamon spice and almonds. The palate begins with a slightly round, glycerin attack, and then acidity enters in the mid-palate. The length is forty seconds, and the finish holds a good dose of fruit and acidity. Many people will offer big reds or Champagne for the holiday season. I, however, think Voyager’s Chardonnay provides the right partner for starters or the perfect glass for those who do not drink red wine. "Rich and generous, spicy with oak but bursting with ripe melon and apricot fruit, coming together into a round, polished whole that lasts beautifully on the harmonious finish, balanced with grapefruit and lime as the flavors echo." —WS 92

Sam: ’00 Longwood Estate Shiraz Mc Laren Vale $21.99 The 2000 vintage was not as exceptional as the vintages that either preceded or followed—at least that seems to be the buzz in Australia, particularly for the McLaren Vale. Longwood’s fantastic 2002 Shiraz and Shiraz Reserve drew rave reviews and, indeed, they are well worthy of them. The 2000 vintage of the Estate Shiraz, by sharp contrast, gets little or no mention. I have to admit myself, I did think that the 2000 was likely not all that good and was one of those wines doomed to sit forever on the shelves. I can’t explain it; maybe it was curiosity that persuaded me one day recently to take home a bottle. It was, indeed, well worth it after all! This delectable beauty at first had ripe cherry blossoms and a somewhat herbal nose, but after letting the wine breathe for a spell, its spicy peppery aromas and bright fruity aromas rose to the surface. It was quite intoxicating, as was the lush violet toned vivid ruby color of the wine. How can I truly describe the experience of tasting this Shiraz? At the beginning of the glass, you might think this is a typical lower end Australian Shiraz: fun and fruity, but without much more underneath the surface. But to make a decision based on the first sip would be roundly unfair, as I quickly discovered. After first experiencing the bright, cherry and plum fruits, the wine evolved into something more, as white chocolate, smoke, sweet licorice and coffee notes sang a sweet note to my mid-palate, while the finish, at first short, developed into a long, spice driven song, as this “fun” Shiraz became suddenly serious, and soared across the finish line! Dominique: ’00 Clos Puy Arnaud Côtes de Castillon Bordeaux $19.97 I loved this wine so much that I thought that I already chosen it as one of my staff picks last year. We just received the last available cases of it, so this time I’m not going to miss the opportunity to introduce you to one of my favorite wines and the greatest Bordeaux value on PJ’s shelves: Clos Puy Arnaud. Thierry Valette, the owner, is a brilliant gentleman, farmer, and artist following ancient family traditions of working in contact with the vine and the wine. The name of the Valette is well known in Saint-Emilion. They own Château Troplong Mondot and once owned Château Pavie. The latter is where, patiently, doing a bit of anything and everything, Thierry learned about one of his many passions, wine. Thierry, before being a great winemaker, was and remains a great jazzman pianist and singer (regular Jazz & Scat). He, like anything he produces in wine or music, has an aura of harmony around him. In 2000, he bought his winery, Clos Puy Arnaud, located on the top of a hill, between 85 to 100 meters above sea level, at Belvès-de-castillon in the heart of the Côtes de Castillon. Côtes de Castillon is the southern continuation of the "Plateau" of Saint-Emilion, called Côte de Pavie. This up-and-coming area benefits from the same exposure and the same type of clay and limestone soil and limestone sub-soil as in Saint-Emilion. The property is only 7 Hectares (about 18 acres) and vineyards are planted with 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Franc. His first vintage in 2000 put him on the map as one of the pioneers of the area to introduce another approach for a better future. The last 2 vintages (far less easy) confirmed his talent and dedication. He manages his vineyards and terroir with a very biological approach. In short: no pesticide, no herbicide, organic compost, manures and fertilizers, regular organic and biologic work and treatment with the soil. Everything in the vineyard is done manually (no machines). Go and see by yourself if you can, the earth in his vineyard is brown and alive with a micro-world necessary for the good health of the vine (it is nearly eatable…!). All of this combined with the quality of the vintage results in a remarkable wine. Thierry Valette’s first vintage of Clos Puy Arnaud 2000 is a success. All is in harmony with elegance and complexity. This charming wine has a mix of cherries; plum and dark berry aromas completed with liquorice, coffee, chocolate and toasted flavors. Medium-bodied with a sexy texture, the balance is beautiful from beginning to end. The depth is good and the gentle finish is immediately calling for another sip. So what are you waiting for? Grab a bottle! Chris: ’03 Passion D'une Vie Languedoc Roussillon, FUTURES $21.97 The wines of the Languedoc Roussillon are currently some of the most interesting and cost-competitive wines in France, and they can be a welcome change from some of the heavier, more densely flavored wines from Chile, Australia and other New World countries. At their best, wines of the Languedoc Roussillon combine the painfully fresh fruit one finds in wines from the Loire with the deeply spicy, playfully peppery character of wines from the Rhône valley. The finest examples, like the 2003 La Passion D’une Vie, can compete with well-made Bordeaux for elegantly articulated fruit, balanced tannins and sumptuous acidity. Bernard Magrez is a major winemaking force in Bordeaux and other regions of the world. Forty years ago, Mr. Magrez acquired a small liquor company and renamed it William Pitters International. Over the years, he built this into the largest French importer of Scotch whisky. The company has gradually expanded into wines, and, last year, approximately half of the Pitters annual revenue of $200 million was from wine sales. Magrez owns estates in six different countries, including twenty-six different domaines in Bordeaux (including Pape Clément, Fombrague and La Tour Carnet), Morocco and several properties in the Languedoc Roussillon region in southern France. Magrez has a collaborative winemaking venture with French actor, Gerard Depardieu, who owns a property in Blaye, approximately 50 kilometers north of Bordeaux. Magrez makes Depardieu’s wines and he also oversees winemaking for wines that are part of the venture. One of these is the 2003 La Passion D’une Vie that is made from fruit produced by a Magrez property in Roussillon. The wine is a blend of 20% Grenache, 33% Syrah, 34% Carignane and 13% Mourvèdre and spends 18 months in new French oak barrique with an annual production of 12,000 bottles. It is a real sleeper, beginning with the classy, understated orange label. Aromas of blackberry, anise and pine have a definable spicy character, with mineral traces. At first, the wine seems tightly wound on the mid-palate, but then it develops a luxuriously velvety mouthfeel. It has a considerable structure, but the tannins, acidity and alcohol are splendidly integrated, and this is borne out by a long, dark berry-inflected finish. There is an articulated elegance to this wine that would never place it as a Languedoc Roussillon wine in a blind tasting. Most tasters would say a quality Bordeaux chateau, a cru bourgeois or a Cotes de Castillon. This wine would pair well with most broiled, roasted or grilled darker meats, game and fowl, as well as unpretentious "country" dishes with simple but strong flavors.