October Staff Picks

Dominique: ’03 Sarget de Gruaud Larose St. Julien $15.97 This month I decided to go with a winery, whose label has the sandy color of fall and that I found very suitable for October: Château Gruaud Larose. St.-Julien offers some of the most pleasant and fruity expressions of the Haut-Médoc wine family and, in my opinion, Gruaud Larose is a classic St. Julien. Château Gruaud Larose is one of the five estates that have been classified as 2nd growth in the 1855 classification. The creation of the estate by the knight Joseph Stanislas Gruaud dates from 1725. He slowly bought a few parcels around the Château and started to sell his wine under the name of Fonbedeau. He died in 1771 leaving the property to his only heir, Jean-Sébastien de Larose, who renamed the estate Larose in 1791. By 1812, the Château acquired the name of Gruaud Larose and the Baron de Sarget, one of the owners, created the motto “king of wines, wine of kings” that remained on the label. After being divided in 1845 into 2 different wines under the names of Gruaud Larose Sarget and Gruaud Larose Bethmann, it was reunited in 1935 by Désiré Cordier, also owner of Talbot and other Châteaux. In 1993, owners changed, diverse renovations happened and an oenological laboratory, a weather station and a wastewater treatment plant were installed. In 1997, the Merlaut family purchased the property and followed the tradition established by their predecessor at the beginning of the 90s: to produce world-class wine, while at the same time respecting tradition and the environment. The estate is now run by Jean Merlaut with the help of veteran winemaker and estate manager Georges Pauli, who is the secret to Gruaud-Larose's success. Georges, a friendly, tall, broad, earthy and knowledgeable vigneron, is the soul of Gruaud-Larose. Since 1970, he has been affectionately watching the wine’s baby steps at every vintage. From the famous tower, he supervises the 82 hectares divided in 66 parcels of approximately 40 year old vines forming one block around the Château. After hand harvesting and fermentation in 60% concrete and 40% wooden vats, the wines are usually aged for 16-18 months in oak barrels. Gruaud-Larose wines combine a supple texture with ripe fruit character, elegance, balance and enormous aging potential. A PJ’s favorite, Sarget de Gruaud-Larose, the second wine, is a stunning effort and a fantastic value. Made from the youngest vines, it reveals a very fragrant nose, a rich balanced mid-palate and a seamless finish. We tasted it quite a few times at the Château and in different tastings and each time we were seduced by its harmonious and earthy yet smooth texture. Slightly less complex than the first wine, Sarget certainly doesn’t lack depth or intensity. Bravo! Justin: ’00 Monte Real Rioja Reserva $16.47 This classically styled Rioja Reserva is a silky, delicious and affordably-priced red that will pair well with a wide range of seasonal fare. It comes from traditional Rioja producer Bodegas Riojanas, which was founded in 1890 in the town of Cenicero in the Rioja Alta sub-zone, midway between Haro and Logroño. Although the winery sources grapes from many highly regarded areas of Rioja Alta and some in Rioja Alavesa, Monte Real is made primarily from Cenicero grapes, which help give the wine its distinctive character. Known for their silky depth and ageworthiness, PJ's has carried limited quantities of the 1973 and 1981 Monte Real Gran Reserva library releases and they are a testament to the great quality of Monte Real. PJ's will soon be receiving additional library wines including the amazing 1964 and 1968 Monte Real Gran Reservas and the 1978 Viña Albina Gran Reserva, the sister wine to Monte Real. While Monte Real comes in a Burgundy shaped bottle, Viña Albina comes in a Bordeaux shaped bottle. This distinction mirrors other centenary Rioja wineries that offer a somewhat more full-bodied and ageworthy wine in the Burgundy bottle and a somewhat more elegantly polished wine in the Bordeaux bottle. While we wait for these special occasion library releases to arrive, the 2000 Monte Real is an outstanding wine for sophisticated everyday drinking. The 2000 edition sports a newly updated label, which sleekly reflects the traditional label, but with a cleaner more modern look. While the contents of the bottle adhere to the wine's classic style—perhaps getting a touch deeper in color since I first followed it with the 1989—the change is not merely cosmetic. On my visit to the winery last spring I saw first hand both their deep roots in tradition and their willingness to embrace modern refinements. The 2000 Reserva is a great example of a well-made classic showing its quality, appeal and sheer drinkability among a sea of more heavily weighted modern wines. It is a clear, rich ruby red color with a complex nose of tangy cherry, briary blackberry, dried plum and wild strawberry. On the palate the attack is silky and smooth with nice grip. Tangy dried cherry flavors mingle with warm oak tones and subtle touches of licorice, damp black soil and limestone. The medium to full body is buoyed by good acidity and the overall impression is lively and elegant with a smooth, almost chewy cherry finish. This is quintessential Rioja with its own distinctive character of place. Serve with just about anything from tapas starters or rich, meaty fish dishes through grilled steak. Donald: ’05 Les Cretes Valle d'Aosta Chardonnay $25.99 The Valle d’Aosta is the smallest region in Italy and is located above the Dora Baltea River. These remarkable rugged mountainside vineyards, overlooking the border with France and Switzerland, provide wine lovers with a kaleidoscopic overview of Italian, French and Swiss varietals. Hundreds of wines are produced here in miniscule amounts and only very few of them are consumed outside of this quaint region. Les Crêtes is one of a few privately owned wineries in the Valley d’Aosta and their Cuvée Frissonnière Chardonnay is widely considered to be the finest Chardonnay made in Italy. Lovely white mountain flowers, wet stones, and subtle notes of creamy oak tones grace the elegant nose. The palate is blessed with creamy peach, ripe pear, and a hint of baked figs. The body is perfectly extracted and is carried along by a very subtle lift of acidity. In a word, this wine is flawless. I highly recommend serving it with triple cream cheeses, a light salad, or creamy chicken

Sold Out Patrice: ’03 Guigal Crôzes Hermitage $18.99 From its humble beginnings in 1946, Guigal has emerged as a star of the Rhône Valley. Current managers Marcel and Philippe Guigal produce wines that run the gamut from simple Côtes du Rhone, which line supermarket shelves, to the most sought after and rare single vineyard Côte Rotie…with just about everything in between. In 2003, Guigal established their own cooperage to gain optimum control over the level of toasting of their barrels. In recognition of the superb wine produced and continuing vineyard investment, Marcel Guigal was named “Man of the Year” in 2006 by Britain’s famed wine journal Decanter. The 2003 Guigal Crôzes Hermitage is a classic example of a Northern Rhône Syrah at a great price point. Deep magenta in the glass, the wine has a lovely nose of blackberries, dried rose petals and spice. On the palate, there are rolling layers of jammy black fruit, with secondary flavors of licorice, black pepper, saddle leather and a just a hint of smoke. This wine is wonderfully balanced with just the right amount of toasted oak, well-rounded tannins, and tangy acidity. The overall effect is full and fleshy with a very satisfying finish. We believe the wine hits the high end of Parker’s 91-94 call. Order fast as this wine will be gone soon. Sam: ’02 Château Canon la Gaffelière Saint-Emilion $43.97 In the excitement over the 2003 and 2005 Bordeaux vintages, many consumers of fine Bordeaux are thinking of buying for the future and collecting these fine wines, which admittedly are quite worthy of their high regard. In the meantime however, many of the great growths from 2002 are quite drinkable right now. One of my personal favorites from the Right Bank has always been Château Canon la Gaffelière. In my opinion, Canon La Gaffelière is the most elegant and complex of Count Stephan von Neipperg's wines, which is saying a lot considering his other properties include Clos de l’Oratoire and La Mondotte, two other great St. Emilion chˆteaux. The estate of Canon la Gaffelière dates back to the 14th century, when the vineyards were the site of a leper colony, thus the name La Gaffelière. By the mid-19th century, the vineyards, under the family of Boitard de la Potiere, became known as Canon-Boitard, and, later, Canon La Gaffelière. After a series of vineyard problems, including excessive chemical use killing the soil, the property was sold in 1971 to the von Neipperg family. It took nearly two decades to correct the damage done to the vineyards, but by the early 1990s, the Château was once again worthy of its Grand Cru status in St. Emilion! The 2002 vintage of Canon la Gaffelière is assembled in a classic Saint Emilion blend of 49% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. After careful selection, the must is fermented in temperature controlled wooden tanks and then aged for 19 months in new French oak barrel prior to bottling—then aged in bottle and released in the Spring of 2005. This wine took on the best characteristics for an underrated vintage. Beautifully velvet red in color, the aromas exude intoxicating aromas of Eastern spices, cherry liqueur, licorice, with notes of smoke and plum essence. The wondrously sweet attack of bright, jammy red fruits with cassis and blackberry roll effortlessly to create a pleasingly smooth wine in the mouth, as in the mid-palate a more balanced smoky, spice-driven tone, with hints of earth and toffee mingling with a pleasant acidity and supple tannins. This succulently smooth medium- to full-bodied wine displays the finesse, elegance and excellence that make Canon la Gaffelière one of the standards in fine Bordeaux wine production. The wine is drinking beautifully now and will get even better with time, but I could not imagine patiently waiting for it! Dan: ’04 Gunderloch Riesling Auslese *** $39.99 The 2004 German Rieslings are classic in their structure of sugar and acid. These are wines that have balance and finesse along with mineral and fruit intensity. Moreover, as the 04’s are developing in bottle, their levels of nuance (of which there are many) are beginning to show as pronounced and deep. Gunderloch’s 2004 Riesling Auslese *** is an excellent example of the best 2004 had to offer. This wine has the added novelty of being vinified in a dry style, something that is unusual for an Auslese. The Gunderloch estate is located on the bank of the Rhine at the foot of the Rothenberg, in the town of Nackenheim, in the Rheinhessen (Rheinhessen is located south of the Rheingau and north of the Pfalz). For those who are unfamiliar with German wine designations (the class of German wine distinctions is frequently called Prädikat), Auslese is a designation given to grapes picked at least a week after a preliminary picking of less ripe grapes, such as those used for Spätlese. Generally, because of the higher alcohol commonly associated with high sugar levels, Auslese are vinified sweet for purposes of balance. However, in the case of the Gunderloch’s Auslese 3 Star, sugar and acid levels were such that dry vinification was possible. This is a wine of supreme depth and mineral concentration. In fact, when I first tasted this wine I was reminded of Corton Charlemagne and its sleek pillar of chalk and slate. However, instead of Corton Charlemagne’s smokey nuttyness and hard apples, the Gunderloch offers smashed fresh peach flesh and delicate whiteflower notes that wrap around the giant core of slate and peach/cherry pit. This is truly a marvelous and unusual wine, perfect for special occasions in lieu of a more expensive burgundy. It is also manna for lovers of intense minerality in their Riesling.