August Staff Picks

Justin: ’98 Miguel Merino Rioja Reserva $26.99 Bodegas Miguel Merino is the greatest unheralded producer of Rioja. The annual production is relatively small and the wines are not often reviewed by the press. Since its first vintage in 1994, owner Miguel Merino has been making outstanding wines from old vine fruit in the town of Briones in Rioja Alta. The style is midway between the softer, more restrained traditional style and the denser, more highly extracted modern style. And this, perhaps, explains the winery's lack of notoriety in an ever expanding field of high-quality Rioja wines. It has neither the track record of a traditional producer nor does it make a modern super cuvée, which typically attracts a lot of attention to a winery. Whatever the reasons, the wines are top notch. I prefer to step back from those squabbles between some Rioja fans over which is better, Modern or Traditional style. Whatever your preference, it's what's in the bottle that counts. And with Miguel Merino the wines shine through beautifully. When I first tasted the '98 a few years ago, coming after the high flying '94, '95 and '96 vintages I was not entirely convinced. But today the '98 stands alongside the other top standouts of this officially "very good" vintage. The 1998 Miguel Merino has a deep, bright cherry red color. Its complexity immediately comes to the fore on the nose. Mellow plum notes are followed by bright, red cherry scents with undertones of fertile damp earth and stone. Hints of spice, cherry vanilla, chocolate cherry, toasty oak, cherry pit and flinty gunpowder emerge. As the wine opens it becomes more flowery, showing jammy strawberry tones and hints of licorice and cherry kirsh. The spice notes veer into nutmeg. The mouthfeel is silky. The acidity is bright, showing juicy cherry and earthy notes. The body is medium to full, but lively in the middle with fine tannins which segue into a soft, long finish. A chewy cherry sensation lingers along with hints of bacon. The harmony and balance are impressive and so is the wine. Don't miss out on this classy and versatile Rioja standout. Dominique: ’02 Charles Hours France, Jurançon Sec white “Cuvée Marie” $19.49 Jurançon comes from a little village of the same name nested south of Pau, in the western part of the Pyrénées, in the Béarn. The appellation extends to 25 villages, Monein, Jurançon, Gan, etc… with 750 ha (1,850 acres) of vines, producing 4.5 million bottles of white wines per year of which 75% is dry. The wines of Jurançon acquired their fame when they were used for the baptism of King Henri IV in 1554. The vines are grown on steep slopes consisting of clay, limestone and small mountain stones. The vineyards are affected by ocean and mountain climates. The growers use traditional grapes such as Petit and Gros Manseng, Lauzet, Courbu, and occasionally Camaralet de Lasseube, to produce both sweet and dry wines. Charles Hours is a 50-year-old character and has been a very consistent producer for the last 25 years in the village of Monein (southwest of Jurançon). Assisted by his daughter Marie, he manages 15 hectares of steep sloping, limestone vineyards planted with 60% Petit Manseng (mainly used for his sweet wine: “Uroulat”), 35% Gros Manseng (for the Cuvée Marie) and 5% Courbu. Mathieu Meilhon takes care of the vineyard and Charles the vinification and marketing. He produces 60 to 80.000 bottles (2/3 dry & 1/3 sweet) but sadly the amount he exports is considerably smaller than the demand (25% of total production). The 2002 Jurançon Sec “Cuvée Marie” is an exceptional, fresh and aromatic wine made from 97% Gros Manseng & 3% Courbu. It is barrel fermented (only 10% new oak) and lees-aged for about 11 months. The fresh summer of 2002 brought enough acidity to this wine to balance the natural alcohol of the Gros Manseng. The result is a superb effort offering elegant structure in the palate with discrete oaky and smoky notes and hints of white flowers, exotic fruit, lemon peel and pineapple. Rich with a creamy texture, it is complex, nicely balanced with racy acidity. Donald: ’00 Alain Paret France, Rhône, Saint-Joseph “Rochecourbe” $22.99 Alain Paret took over his family’s vineyards when his father passed away in 1972. Since that time he has established a thriving domain. Paret’s reputation rests on his stunning Condrieu, that is often praised by critics and wine lovers alike, grown above the medieval village of Malleval and along the hills above St. Pierre de Boeuf in the very heart of the Northern Rhône. In addition to making critically acclaimed and highly sought after whites, his St. Joseph “Rochecourbe” sourced from 30 year old Syrah vines planted around the villages of Malleval, Limony, Chavanay, and St. Pierre De Boeuf is an affordable and truly hedonistic taste of what the Northern Rhone can produce in an excellent vintage such as 2000. Consider Paret’s “Rochecourbe” a poor man’s Côte Rotie and with the money you are saving go to your favorite butcher and buy a leg of lamb—a perfect accompaniment to this delicious wine. The nose on this muscular St. Joseph is infused with wild herbs, a dense concentration of lavender, hints of cedar, wood smoke, bacon fat, and saddle leather. The palate is a rich offering of ripe plums, cassis, and green pepper corns. The tannins on the finish are supple and well integrated.

Patrice: ’03 Antinori Toscana IGT “Santa Cristina” $6.97 The Antinori family has been making wine for a staggering 600+ years. Today Marchese Piero Antinori is the director of the company and is assisted by his three precocious daughters Abbura, Allegra and Alessia. With almost 5000 acres in both Tuscany and Umbria, these people have wine in their veins. The winery produces a wide array of bottlings to suit every taste and budget from their prestigious Solaia and Guado el Tasso to the bargain priced Santa Cristina...and what a bargain it is! The 2003 Santa Cristina is a blend of 90% Sangiovese with a splash of Merlot making up the remainder of the cepage. In the glass the wine shows a bright crimson color tinged with magenta. The nose is a pretty blend of raspberries, cherries and white pepper. This well balanced, medium-bodied wine shows ample red jammy fruit with a decent dose of acidity and tannin to keep it bright. Enjoy this wine with burgers, pizza or easy pasta dishes.....this is a great "go to", summer Sangiovese! Sam: ’01 Tenuta di Capezzana Italy, Carmignano “Villa di Capezzana” $24.99 Tenuta di Capezzana, located on the northern border of Carmignano in Tuscany, is one of the oldest wine-growing estates in Italy; contracts dating back over a thousand years ago show leasing and sale of the vineyards and olive vines. Carmignano was one of the first four D.O.C. appellations as established in 1716. The property was purchased in 1920 by Count Alessandro Contini Bonacossi, whose family continues to own and maintain the property. Tenuta di Capezzana consists of 670 hectacres, of which 90 are dedicated to the vineyards. The 2001 “Villa di Capezzana” was harvested by early October, fermented in steel tanks and aged over a year in bottle. The “Villa di Capezzana” is composed from 80% Sangiovese grapes and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine has a deep, blood red, velvet color, with a floral nose of violets, yet hints of more exotic fruits and spices such as cardamom, tea leaf, raspberry, and plum. The wine itself is very fine with a bit of sweet red fruit on the finish, but overall well-balanced with notes of raisin, eucalyptus, and red pepper. A lush and intense, versatile wine ideal with an aged cheese or lean meats, or even with a meal of duck with greens. It can go well with your barbecue fare as well. I think it is a fantastic wine and a great value, and in my opinion for just about any favorite dish. Chris: ’03 Las Brisas Spain, Rueda Verdejo blend $8.99 For the past few years, the wines of Spain have been at the crest of a wave of popularity, and, in addition to the finest red wines from the Ribera del Duero, Rioja, Toro and Priorat D.O. regions that can rival the quality of French Bordeaux and Burgundies from the best vintages, there are now white wines from Spain that are challenging high-quality offerings from France, Italy and Germany for both quality and value. Rueda is among the top two or three D.O. regions in Spain for white wines is and clearly this is an area to watch because of the impressive quality of its winemakers and wines. In the province of Castilla y Lyón located about an hour north of Madrid, there are five D.O. regions: Ribera del Duero, Toro, Bierzo, Cigales and Rueda. The Rueda D.O. region has been producing white wines that are not only getting attention from the rest of Spain, they are being noticed as some of the best white wines being made in the whole of Europe. The owners of Bodegas Naia are Javier Alen, Victor Rodriguez, and Eulogio Calleja, a highly regarded winemaker in Rueda. Senor Alen also makes excellent wines in the Ribiera D.O. Their winery is named Viña Sila, is situated along the southern bank of the Duero River in Rueda. The winery covers 40 hectares (about 96 acres) in the village of La Seca which is considered one of Rueda’s “Grand Cru” vineyard sites by growers. Contained in these vineyards (known locally as majuelos) are choice parcels of 5 hectares in 8 small plots that have planted ungrafted, pre-Phylloxera Verdejo vines in sandy soils. The average age of these vines is 90 years old with most over 100. Rueda has an “extreme continental” climate (very dry with a low average rainfall of 300-500 mm/year, long, cold winters with frequent frost and short, hot summers, in general a dramatic difference between day and night temperatures accentuated by the region’s elevation of 700 meters) and the vineyard soils are alluvial sediments of the ancient Duero riverbed. The soils have a top layer of gravel two meters deep that sits on top of clay. Winemaker Eulogio Calleja, who has a considerable reputation in Spain, uses a blend of 50% Verdejo and 50% Viura and Sauvignon Blanc to make Las Brisas, and the grapes are fermented in stainless steel tank. The 2003 Las Brisas Rueda has subtle honeysuckle, citrus, white grapefruit and lemon aromas that develop into squeaky clean flavors on the palate. In the mouth, the wine has a focused character, and the considerable acidity gives the flavors a lift before a long, politely soft finish. This wine is a dream match with sautéed chicken with tarragon or rosemary; white, flaky fish; or raw and steamed shellfish. There’s also enough going on here for you to enjoy it chilled by itself on a hot, humid August evening.