February Staff Picks

Don: ’01 Fairview Paarl, South Africa Shiraz “Solitude” $25.99 Fairview is a family owned wine and cheese business in Paarl, South Africa. They are the largest producer of specialty cheeses in all of South Africa. In 1974, in addition to their long history of wine and cheese production in the area, they became one of the first wineries in South Africa to bottle wine on their own premises. Fairview is a hot winery on the rise, and one that should be watched closely during upcoming vintages. A wine that exemplifies the quality and the style of this winery is the 2001 Solitude Shiraz. This wine grabs you from the beginning. If you spend a few minutes just concentrating on the nose, the taster can pull apart aromas of dark chocolate, roasted coffee, blackberry compote, fruitcake, anise, roses, pepper, and a complex blend of other spices and floral aromas. “Eezamaaheld,” the Dutch word for Solitude was the name originally given to this vineyard site (in 1699) because of it’s isolated feel away from Cape Town, which back in the day in Paarl was civilization. This wine shows that Shiraz does not have to grab you by the neck and squeeze just because it is full-bodied. The 15% alcohol present in this wine goes fairly undetected by the palate, which is very full in a smooth and supple way. Impressively, most of the complexities detected by the nose carry through on the palate right through its extended finish. Its beautiful balance and supple texture allow this wine to be a little more food friendly than many of the other big name Shiraz, which need more time in the bottle. This wine can pair well with more delicate veal or chicken dishes yet up to the challenge of the biggest beef, lamb or game dishes you can put next to it. The average age of vines in the Solitude Shiraz is about 15 years so you know this wine has a big future ahead of it. It is aged for 14 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels of which about half are new. This wine has real charm in a saucy, smooth inviting style. If you are a fan of Shiraz, the 2001 Fairview Solitude Shiraz allows you the opportunity to experience the potential of a varietal that you know from a place you may not know. 92 points Wine Spectator! Justin: ’02 Château du Retout Bordeaux, Haut-Médoc, Cru Bourgeois $9.97 This fruity, elegant Bordeaux shows lots of quality for its pedigree and is drinking beautifully now. It is a real PJ’s find and offers plenty of Bordeaux character at a superb price—espcially considering the strength of the Euro these days. We discovered and purchased it while tasting the 2002 vintage in Bordeaux nearly two years ago. And it remains under the radar of American critics, which has also helped keep the price down. Château du Retout comes from what was originally two different estates, mostly in the Cussac-Fort-Médoc area of the Haut-Médoc. The estates were the historic properties of Château Retout Pineguy Mercadier and Château Salva de Camino, which were both abandoned in the Nineteenth Century after being devistated by phylloxera. In the 1950’s the Kopp family bought both of the estates and began resuscitating and replanting the property vineyard by vineyard. They rebuilt and refurbished the winemaking facilities using materials from the original Château Selva de Camino. And today the estate includes 33 hectares of vines. The 2002 Château du Retout is a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31 % Merlot and 13% Petit Verdot and was aged 56.8% in oak (20% new) for 12 months with the rest in tank. It is deep ruby in color. The nose features full cherry and plum scents with notes of menthol, earth, peppery spice and at touch of vanilla. On the palate spiced cherry flavors predominate with peppery minerality and woodsy pine tar notes adding character. Raspberry, cranberry and brambly accents appear as it opens. Appealing acidity adds juicy freshness and carries through into the finish. Although it is medium-bodied with fairly soft tannins, it still has some density and backbone. Overall, it’s an elegant everyday, easy-quaffing wine. Decant and serve now or over the next few years. This is a very special Cru Bourgeois. Indeed—as the British like to say. José: ’02 Turkey Flat Vineyards Australia, Barossa Valley Grenache $19.99 Grenache does very well in Barossa due to its ability to withstand extremes of heat, aridity, and wind. Grenache has been a very popular variety in the Barossa Valley and has traditionally been the mainstay of fortified winemaking as well. It produces wines of exceptional quality, when yields are kept low as is the case at Turkey Flat vineyards. The vines are spur pruned as is traditional in the goblet style of Southern France. This wine is made from 90 year old Granache vines grown on the Turkey Flat Vineyards estate and was aged 17 months in seasoned French and American oak hogsheads, puncheons and large casks. It is medium crimson in color. To the nose it's spicy with sweet berry, cassis and cherry fruit aromas—a delightful bouquet of Grenache on steroids with a sprinkling of clove and cinnamon spice. It holds a bright appeal on the palate with jazzy berry, red cherry and deep plum flavors and an alcohol lift with a hint of black tar on the finish. The 2002 Turkey Flat Grenache posseses better balance than ever, with a beautiful, polished style which creates a heavenly Grenache experience. Chris: ’95 El Coto de Rioja Rioja, Gran Reserva “Coto de Imaz” $33.99 Most Rioja growers have adopted modern methods of viticulture and vinification, and now there remains a mere handful of properties still working in a pure, "traditional" style. In general, this has meant an improvement in the overall quality of Rioja wines as growers now utilize better farming methods (organic and biodynamic) in the vineyard to emphasize low yields from old vines to produce smaller, more concentrated fruit. In this way, superior wines can be made that exhibit aromatic and flavor characteristics specific to a given vineyard site (the French term this "typicity"). And such is the case with El Coto de Rioja, known as El Coto for short. The bodega of El Coto released their first bottling in 1975 and the popularity of their wines in Spain has been remarkable. This bodega is a top-selling brand in Spain (no mean feat since Spain is a heavy consumer of its own wines) and one of the leading Spanish brands in Europe. In 1996, the winery was completely renovated with new equipment, and the entire facility is humidity and temperature controlled. El Coto’s Rioja Alta vineyards have ferric clay soils that contribute a big structured, mineral aspect to the wine while the rest of the grapes come from El Coto’s Rioja Alavesa vineyards. The winery contains 65,000 American oak barrels that are used for eight years before replacement, and new, temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Made from choice, 100% Tempranillo grapes, the 1995 Coto de Imaz Rioja Gran Reserva was fermented for 16-18 days with frequent pumping over (remontage) and aged for 26 months in new American oak barrels. The wine spent almost five years in bottle before release! It shows deep cherry and dried rose petal aromas with plush, creamy, red berry and vanilla flavors in the mouth. The wine is well-balanced and displays a full, luxurious feel on the palate due to the excellent melding of wine and wood. This is a supple, alluring, luxury car of a wine ready to enjoy now with roasted pork, grilled beef or roasted fowl with savory herbs. A fine effort from a traditionally-styled Rioja producer using the latest modern methods.

Patrice: ’02 Conundrum California white blend $19.97 If you are a fan of American varietal white wines but are on the hunt for more diversity you may want to try the 2002 Conundrum. Created in 1989, Conundrum was first produced under the Caymus wine label by wine maker Jim Balta. At the time the wine was created to be an exotic blend that would complement the foods of the worlds more avant garde chefs. Over a decade later the wine is still produced by Mr. Bolta even though it is now under an independent label. The 2002 Conundrum is an intriguing blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Viognier and Muscat Canelli. The aging process includes having 70% of the blend aged in a combination of French and American oak with 30% in stainless steel. Having said that you get just about everything... dominant flavors from the Chard inlude pear, pineapple, and vanilla with tinges of green apple and kiwi from the Sauvignon Blanc. Additional notes of honeysuckle, zesty spices, caramel and nuts add depth and complexity from the other three varietals. Rich and flavorful the wine has a lingering finish. Yes this is an eclectic if not adventurous mix but the final result is fabulous. As you may guess this wine is suitable for a broad range of foods including chicken, fish or spicy dishes. Enjoy! Sam: ’03 Tait Australia Barossa Valley Shiraz Blend “The Ballbuster” $15.49 The Tait Winery, a small winery tucked into the heart of the Barossa Valley, is a relatively young winery, founded by an Italian cooper, Giovanni Tait, who immigrated to Australia in the 1950s to take up this trade in the Barossa Valley. His son, Bruno Tait, winemaker and proprietor of the winery and estate, has continued, with his brother Michael and his wife Michelle, to maintain his father’s traditions and visions in regard to the wine making process. “The Ballbuster” is produced using open fermentation and the wine is aged in American and French neutral oak barrels for twelve months. The wine is quite a bit to behold. The aromas here are intoxicating, with perfume of chocolate, shoe leather polish, and roasted meats strangely intertwining in this delicious and decadent confection made from sixty percent Shiraz, and twenty one percent Cabernet Sauvignon, with nineteen percent Merlot to tame the wine, somewhat. In the mouth sweet and bold flavors linger, with raspberry jelly, beefsteak, mocha, and ginger spice predominating, but they are not the only flavors that sing within this wine—an exceptional value for under $20. Very versatile, it can be paired with any meat or game dish, and even with dark meat of fowl, such as goose, duck, or even chicken. Wonderful and flavorful, enjoy it now or for a few years to follow. Dominique: ’03 Saisons des Vins California, Mendocino County, Potter Valley, Syrah “L’Hiver” $17.99 While sitting at my desk looking outside at the falling snow, I decided which wine I would choose for my February staff pick: “L’Hiver” — the French word for winter. I first came across the name of "Saison des Vins" when reading something on the "Copain Wine Cellars" winery and its owner, the young yet very talented Wells Guthrie. Wells Guthrie started his career working at the Wine Spectator's San Francisco office as a tasting coordinator. It was during these first few years that he fell in love with Syrah and moved to the Northern Rhône.  Wells worked for Chapoutier for two seasons in both the winery and vineyards learning about the Northern Rhône varietals and Biodynamic methods. Outside of Chapoutier, Wells spent as much time as he could with Jean Louis Chave, who he feels had an equally important impact upon his experiences in the Rhône. Following Chapoutier, Wells returned to work at Turley Wine Cellars working in both the vineyards and the cellar. Today, Wells is the full-time owner and winemaker for Copain Wine Cellars. “Saisons des Vins” is a program of Copain Wines but do not mistake it for a second label. Despite their lower prices these wines have their own character and personality. And their complexity and intensity make them great values under $20. The inspiration for the Saisons des Vins wines comes from the great regional village wines of France. Wells makes one wine per season under this label: a rosé for spring, a Sauvignon Blanc for summer, a Pinot Noir for autumn and a Syrah for winter. All of the grapes are grown on organically-farmed vineyards and are planted with good clonal selections, exposures and unique soil compositions. The wines are made with the least amount of intervention. The wines are fermented, as with Copain wines, with native yeasts. New oak is kept to a minimum and the reds are bottled unfined and unfiltered to allow the natural aromatics and flavors to shine. Wells sources fruit from two vineyards — Madder Lake in Lake County (very steep with volcanic soil) and Vecino Vineyard in Potter Valley (farmed biodynamically) — and combines it with a few de-classified barrels from the Copain Syrah program. My first Copain wine was their 2002 Copain Anderson Valley Pinot Noir “Cerise Vineyard” then I tasted the 2003 “L’Automne” Pinot Noir. Both were excellent and this Syrah is no exception to the rule. I tasted "2003 l’Hiver" for the second time with some friends recently and it was the best wine among the six wines we tried that evening. L’Hiver has a deep dark ruby color and a great nose with aromas of black raspberry, jammy fruit, earthy and floral notes and hints of coffee and licorice. The attack is full and fruity then increases in intensity and complexity in the mid-palate. Blackberry and smoked meat flavors are rich with subtle black pepper hints on the long lingering finish. A big success for a Californian Syrah with a Rhôone attitude. Bravo!