August Staff Picks

Dominique: ’03 Château Cabezac Minervois “Grande Cuvée Belvèze” $24.99 Château Cabezac, one of the leading wineries in Minervois, is owned by an ideal partnership of 2 wine lovers: Gontran Dondain, the investor, and Michel Fabre, the winemaker. In 1997 they acquired a 34 hectares domain “Hameau de Cabezac” (28 of which were in production) and started to renovate it, first by studying the different type soils, removing inappropriate grapes, naturally fertilizing the soil, restructuring the parcels and slowly replanting appropriate grape varieties. At present, the Domain includes 70 hectares of which 48 hectares are in production. All the wines of the Domain are produced on the basis of “Culture Raisonnée” (responsible cultivation), a mix of different techniques used in the organic, biodynamic and biological methods in order to minimize the use of chemicals and maximize the the natural cycles and character of the varieties grown and their terroir. The “Plateau de Belvèze” is an exceptional terroir situated at 200 meters above sea level with well-drained vineyards planted on clay subsoil that benefits from a hot, dry microclimate cooled by the wind from the Causse hills and the Pyrenees. The soil and subsoil are rich in the ammonite shell fossils, which are represented as a single spiral shell on the label. Made from selected hand harvested Mourvèdre, Syrah and Grenache grapes from the best parcels of “Belvèze,” this wine has been aged for 18 months in new and one year old oak barrels. I was really impressed by the nose and especially the seamless quality on the palate. At first, the generous nose offers scents of ripe, dark berries and plum which develop into complex “garrigue” aromas of wild herbs, flowers and grasses with notes of spicy chocolate. The rich and very well-balanced palate expands gracefully through the silky finish with firm yet integrated tannins and ripe blackberry, supple spicy oak, and rosemary-like flavors. A stunning effort that will pair well with pan-seared duck breast served with a black currant sauce, garlic mashed potatoes and wild mushrooms. Bon Appétit! Justin: ’05 CVNE Rioja Rosado Garnacha Blend “Cune” $6.99 This delightful wine is one of the great values in dry rosé and perfect for summer quaffing. It comes from the highly esteemed, traditional Rioja producer, CVNE, which is short for Compañía Vinicola del Norte de España, and pronounced coo-NAY. CVNE was founded in 1879 in Haro in the Rioja Alta section of Rioja. CVNE’s wines are known for their quality at all levels—from the value “Cune” line to their classic and more expensive “Imperial” and “Viña Real” lines of Reservas, Gran Reservas and modern-styled, high-expression cuvées. This “Cune” Rosado is a good example of the quality of their wines, even in the value range. This 100% Garnacha rosé is a lovely strawberry pink color. The nose and palate are loaded with succulent strawberry, peach blossom and melon notes nuanced with tangerine tones. Hints of honey, chalk, spice and glycerine add depth. The finish is refreshing with canteloupe and citrus flavors and helps make this wine ideal for casual summer fare—whether with lunch, dinner or savory snacks in between. Dan: ’04 Charles Hours Uroulat Jurançon Sec “Cuvée Marie” $13.47 I met Charles Hours, the owner of the Uroulat estate and producer of my selection for this month in the PJ's tasting room, where he had come to pour his wines. When I first saw him I was impressed with his polished rusticity. A large man, bear-like even, his hands seemed capable of crushing his wine bottles and suffering no damage. Yet, when he picked up a thin crystal tasting glass, poured his wine, swirled it, and brought the glass to his nose, his movements were so natural yet precise you'd think he was practicing a form of tai-chi. Uroulat's vineyards and winemaking facilities are located in Jurançon, itself located in southwest France. Since Hours purchased the estate over twenty years ago he has expanded the property from 3.5 to 14 hectares. The vineyards are predominantly populated with a lesser-known white grape variety, Petit Manseng. The remainder of varieties in the Uroulat vineyards are similarly esoteric. 35% are Gros Manseng and 5% consist of an indigenous white grape called Petit Courbu. The “Cuvée Marie” is made from 90% Gros Manseng and 10% Petit Courbu. According to Hours, the Gros Manseng provides much of the structure and fruit while the Courbu adds finesse. The vineyard soils consists of clay, limestone, and pebbles, allowing for thorough drainage. The vines that grow the fruit for the Cuvee Marie are planted at a density of 4000 plants per hectare and are trained to a height of approximately three feet. They yield close to 50 hectoliters per hectare. The wine itself may best be described in the same words that describe Charles Hours himself: possessing a polished rusticity. Its color is a shimmering golden green. It has an intense nose of honey, fresh spiced fig, a touch of manzanilla-like brine, chlorophyll, and squeeze of lime on French oak. The wine sees eleven months in barrique; at most 10% of those barriques are new. The palate is so vibrant and intense it seems the wine is trying to convince you it is alive. In the mouth there are notes of honey and lime followed by that little burst of manzanilla again. The finish is long and clean, with hints of citrus and grass. Drink this wine with shellfish such as clams or mussels in herbed broth or whole roasted chicken.

Patrice: NV Renardat-Fache Sparkling Rosé Vin du Bugey Cerdon $14.47 Alain Renardat is one of the most well known and respected winemakers in the Bugey region of France. Bugey is a very small and obscure French appellation located between Lyon and Geneva just west of the Savoie region. The character of the landscape is not unlike the Alps with its winding and narrow roads. The region's small vineyards are dotted throughout the fields or the region and total only 170 hectares. A range of grapes grow there including Rousette and Jacquère of Savoie, Poulsard of nearby Jura, and a range of Burgundian grapes such as Gamay, Chardonnay and Aligoté. Mr. Renardat produces the most renowned wine of this region, the sparkling rosé, Vin du Bugey Cerdon. This delightful pink, sparkling wine is made from the Gamay and Poulsard grapes and is a product of the “methode ancestrale”. Using this technique the grapes are picked by hand, pressed and fermented in cold vats until the alcohol level reaches 6 degrees. After a simple filtering process that leaves most of the active yeast in the wine it is bottled allowing fermentation to continue until the alcohol content reaches 7.5-8%. The result is a delicious, lightly sweet treat. In the glass this Cerdon has a lovely rose color. Tangy cranberries , raspberries and citrus peel notes are complemented on the palate by a touch of toast and minerals. Light and refreshing this Cerdon is a perfect apéritif or dessert wine to serve well-chilled during the hottest days of summer. Sam: ’04 Clos des Rochers Pinot Gris $12.99 When one thinks of buying a Pinot Gris, more times than not, one tends to think of Alsace or perhaps even Oregon. Very rarely would one think of Luxembourg, since very little wine from there is imported into the United States. Most are surprised to find they make wine there and many are hard pressed to find Luxembourg on a map; if they even know it exists. But yes, it does, and great wine is made from this small country due just north of Alsace. In particular, the winery known as Domaine Clos des Rochers (which literally translates to ‘Enclosure of Rocks’) produces wines known for their clean, elegant, and excellent mineral character. We have already introduced their Riesling as a Wine of the Week and know it to be excellent. Recently we tried this Pinot Gris as well. Domaine Clos des Rochers belongs to the prestigious Clasen family, which runs the winery and makes the wine here. The winery is spread over 15 hectares of land in the locality of Ahn and in the communes of Grevenmacher and Wormeldange. Several varieties, included Auxerrois, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Riesling, are grown there, much as in Alsace. The grapes are harvested manually; and, for that matter, much of the wine-making labor there is done by hand; resulting in wine which is a labor of love and reflects the Clasen family's pursuit of wine perfection. The 2004 Pinot Gris is an exceptional white wine, both pleasantly refreshing and serious at the same time. The wine is a pale gold in color, with a pretty bouquet of tangerine, peach, grapefruit zest, slate, and hints of pineapple and ginger. On the palate, this wine developes extremely well. An attack of sharp spice, citrus zest and fruit gives way in the mid-palate to firm minerality and vibrant acidity with a long and textured finish. This rich, complex, bone-dry and medium-bodied Pinot Gris is superb. With perfect ripeness and intensity it is an excellent pairing with a variety of Asian cuisines (Vietnamese, Thai, or Indian all come to mind), or with shellfish, chicken or pork dishes as well. Donald: ’01 Camplazens “La Garrigue” (Net) $8.47 The Languedoc is the largest wine region in the world, with over 736,000 acres (298,000 ha) under vine. The region stretches for 120 miles along the Mediterranean coast and produces one third of all French wine. The modernization that has been sweeping the region over the last two decades has radicalized French wine. The Languedoc now enjoys the status of producing France’s best-value oriented wines, and is also considered by many wine lovers and critics alike to be one of the most exciting regions in the entire world. Camplazens is located near the peak of La Clape, a limestone mountain 10 miles long and 4 miles wide that overlooks the Mediterranean. La Clape is an official sub-appellation of Coteaux du Languedoc. Only 26 vineyards are situated on La Clape, and it has been an environmentally protected area since 1965. La Clape is comprised of limestone cliffs and fertile valleys, covered with wild moorland, or 'Garrigue.' The abundance of thyme, rosemary, lavender and sage together with a plethora of wild flowers and grasses create richly scented aromas, which are reproduced in the wine. The soil is rich alluvial clay, and when present in areas of limestone it can be broken up to create a well drained, porous soil. The climate conditions on La Clape are ideal, combining the Northwest mountain breezes from the Carccassone Valley with the sea mists of the Mediterranean below. “La Garrigue” carries pleasant tones of smoked meats, saddle leather and a suggestion of lavender and cassis on the nose. This is an elegant, easy-drinking red with even plum and black cherry flavors, interlaced with subtle hints of herbs and a very pleasant candied violet core on the palate. This multifaceted red is held together with a nice touch of acidity that gives the fruit on the middle palate great lift. La Garrigue is idea with marinated grilled beef, grilled lamb with coscus, burgers, and pulled pork.