June Staff Picks

Dominique: ’05 Franck Peillot Roussette Bugey France “Altesse de Montagnieu” $18.99 Now recognized in the US, Franck Peillot was, until a few years ago, one of those unknown producers producing unfamiliar wines from an even more unknown region of France. Fortunately, a well-known importer named Louis/Dressner discovered these hidden gems and helped put the region of Bugey and its wines on the map. By employing low yields and a high level of ripeness, Franck Peillot has offered a true renaissance to the obscure and nearly instinct Roussette grape (known locally as Altesse). Bugey, a small, little-known region, lays to the west of Savoie in eastern France. Squeezed between Lyon and Genève it has a high culinary tradition and is best known for its poulet de Bresse (the only French poultry with its own AOC). Bugey is bucolic countryside with a distinct soil and climate. The wines command a healthy following in the bistros of nearby Lyon, France’s gastronomic capital, but are seen only occasionally outside of the region, even France. There are three crus for wines labeled as Vin du Bugey and Roussette du Bugey: Cerdon, Manicle, and Montagnieu. Montagnieu, home to winemaker Franck Peillot, specializes in Roussette-based sparkling and still white wines. Franck Peillot, who took over his family winery not even a decade ago, is the fourth generation of this traditional winemaking family. His vines, replanted by the first generation, are now old and produce excellent quality grapes.Manicle, the birthplace of Brillat-Savarin (the man not the cheese), mainly produces Chardonnay and Jacquère. Finally, Cerdon specializes in sparkling rosé, another PJ’s favorite, with producers like Renardat-Fâche. Compared to other producers who blend Roussette with other white varieties, Franck’s Altesse is made with 100% Roussette. The 2005 Franck Peillot Altesse de Montagnieu is a gorgeous versatile dry white. Presenting a pale yellow-gold color, this rich and vibrant wine offers attractive pineapple and ripe yellow apple aromas combined with hints of lime and creamy lees ageing scents. The palate expresses notes of minerals, apple, lemon-lime and white pepper that carry through to the creamy, complex, lingering spicy finish. It is a voluptuous wine to serve with all kinds of food all year long. Discover it at all costs. Justin: ’05 Alvear Palacio Quemado Ribera del Guadiano “PQ” $20.99 High quality Syrah from Spain seems to have suddenly come of age this year and Alvear Palacio Quemado "PQ" is a superb example. Ambitious producers have cropped up across Spain in recent years, particularly in less famous regions known for high volume, cooperative production and often imitating the Rioja/Tempranillo model. By employing lower yields, exacting grape selection, concentrating on quality, shedding the Rioja paradigm and exploring those varieties best suited to their own micro-climates, regions officially classified as Vinos de la Tierra de Castilla, Castilla y La Mancha and the appellation of Ribera del Guadiana are showing they can make world class wines, and Syrah varietals in particular. Palacio Quemado is among the first of these high-quality Syrahs to be imported into the US. Set in the Ribera del Guadiana appellation in the Extremadura region of central western spain, the winery is a 50/50 collaboration between Alvear, one of Spain's oldest and most prestigious producers (based in Montilla-Moriles), and the Losada Serra family, who own the Palacio Quemado property. They have 100 hectares under vine, planted primarily with Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha and Syrah. They make a distinctive and affordable white from the little-known Pardina grape, Crianza and Reserva reds, and their top wine, "PQ." PQ is low production, from top estate fruit, made only in exceptional years. Although predominately Syrah, the blend varies from year to year, depending on which fruit the winemaker deems worthy, making it truly a winemaker’s cuvée. This rich, harmonious and pure 100% Syrah is a bright, deep red-tinged purple color in the glass. Bright cherry and blackberry primary scents are layered with notes of black earth, minerals, woodland florals and just a hint of vanilla. On the palate it shows a lively ripe core of blackberry, plum and black cherry fruit, while the earth tones on the nose expand to include a touch of barnyard funk along with menthol, wild herb, bee pollen, chalk, wet clay and asphalt notes. The mouth-feel is supple and balanced, with a medium to full body, fine tannins and lively acidity that carries into a very long finish, inflected with cherry notes and subtle dark chocolate tones. This is a modern, beautifully made, elegant and expressive Syrah, and a wonderful taste of the top Syrahs being made in Spain today. Donald: ’05 Dard & Ribo Crozes-Hermitage $22.99 René-Jean Dard and Francois Ribo are two of the finest winemakers, and certainly the most elusive, in the northern Rhône . Their ’05 Crozes-Hermitage is a beauty to behold. This organically grown old vines Syrah is from a tiny plot in Tain l’Hermitage that is plowed by horses, hand harvested, unfined, unfiltered, unchaptalizaed and sees absolutely no added sulfites. This wine is as pure and distinctive an expression of Syrah and the terroir it is nurtured in as you will find anywhere on the planet. Creamy ruby red in the glass with loads of black olive tapennade, blueberry jam, and black plum notes laced with bacon fat, candied violets, orange peel, animal fur and wild rock thyme all interplaying beautifully on the epic nose. The palate is equally complex with supple inflections of ripe black fruit, warm notes of creamy cassis, dusty cocoa flavors, and creamy anise that is backed by lovely mineral notes. Ideal with herb encrusted roast chicken, roast pork, leg of lamb, braised beef, ox tail stew over polenta, grilled rib eye or aged veined cheeses.

Patrice: ’03 Château Vrai Canon Bouché Canon-Fronsac, Bordeaux $13.47 The hot dry summer of 2003 in France produced varied results across the Bordeaux region. Overall the vintage has provided some excellent choices for wines that are well-priced and readily accessible. Within the Bordeaux region the slightly cooler micro climate around the vineyards in Canon-Fronsac were evident in the wines of Château Vrai Canon Bouché. These vineyards are planted primarily with Merlot which faired a bit better than some of the other varieties. The Château itself was established in the latter part of the 19th century and over time has been under several different ownerships. The 2003 vintage of Château Vrai Canon Bouché is the 50th bottling produced by the Roux family who took over the Château in 1953. In the glass the 2003 Vrai Canon Bouché is a dark crimson color. The fragrant nose is filled with crushed black fruit with pleasant hints of smoke and spice. On the palate this fruit-forward wine has rolling layers of berries, plums and cherries. The vibrant fruit flavors combined with the defined but silky tannins pave the way to a satisfying finish. This sumptuous ’03 Bordeaux is a perfect match for a well marbled rib eye… not to mention a terrific value. Sam: ’05 Karl Erbes Riesling Spätlese Ürziger Würzgarten $12.99 German Rieslings are the perfect spring or summer sipping wines, as the balance of residual sugar and high acidity gives them a non-cloying sweetness and a refreshing quality. Personally, there is nothing better during this time of year than enjoying with a couple of spring rolls or sushi! One of our enduring favorites here at PJ’s, and my personal one, is the Karl Erbes Spätlese, which is a bargain for a Mösel-Saar-Ruwer Spätlese. The story of Weingut Karl Erbes begins in 1967, when Karl Erbes, who had worked with several famed vintners in the Mosel Valley, purchased a couple of prime hectares in the Würzgarten and Erdener Treppchen vineyards. Today, the Erbes vineyards total 3.8 hectares of prime Mosel Valley land. Today, Karl and his son, Stephan, manage the red slate soil of Würzgarten to produce elegant and refreshing Rieslings. From one of the best vintages overall in Germany, the 2005 Ürziger Würzgarten Spätlese does not disappoint. On the nose, it offers melodic aromas of honeydew, apple skin, and candied lemons, with subtle notes of apricot, orange zest and minerals. The attack is sweet and layered with lime, juicy pear and cantaloupe and on the mid-palate another layer of stony pear along with honey and cantaloupe. All of this with an underlying zippy acidity and a slight chalky minerality, which is very expressive on the back palate and overlaid by granny apple and lime flavors on the long and lingering finish. Long, complex, with just the right amount of sweetness to tickle your sweet tooth; what is there not to like about this wine? I enjoyed it with pan-seared salmon and a mushroom risotto, which was absolutely delicious! I might also pair it with spicy beef pad Thai, herb-encrusted rosemary chicken over a bed of rice pilaf, split pea-soup… or, of course, with your favorite shellfish dish! Then, there’s always sushi… Dan: ’06 Cantina del Taburno Falanghina Campania $11.49 Campania is located where the shin meets the instep on the boot of Italy. It has a long history of wine production, reaching back some 2000 years. In the “ancient world” Campania was a wine superstar, known throughout the Mediterranean basin for wines of outstanding quality. During the Roman period, a grape knows as Falernian (it produced a high alcohol white wine worthy of long ageing) reigned supreme, and was favored by such unabashed sensualists as Cleopatra, a whole line of Caesars, and even everyone’s favorite Roman degenerate, Caligula. Unfortunately, I don’t have any Falernian to offer you (if I did, it would likely be in a 7 gallon amphorae from one of the first 4 centuries AD, and probably a touch over the hill). I do however have another white from Campania, from the Vino da Tavola appellation. It is Taburno’s 2006 Falanghina. This wine is 100% Falanghina, fermented and aged for 2 months in stainless steel. Though Campania does not have the clout it did when the Phalanx was cutting edge military tactic, it has been experiencing something of a wine resurgence over the last decade, moving from large, quantity driven methods of production to smaller, quality driven techniques. The Taburno Falanghina is a tremendous value of a wine, succulent and floral, just the kind of summer white that pairs well with food or works on its own in the park. It opens with a bouquet of white flowers on the nose which are followed by white pepper, hard peach, and nectarine. The palate is fat and silky without being weighty, and full of more peach and nectarine tones. The finish is long and juicy, highlighted by hints of flowers and mineral. Drink this with fresh salmon fillets, lightly seasoned and grilled. Also, works great with crisp summer salads.