April Staff Picks

Justin: ’00 Miguel Merino Rioja Reserva $33.99 Bodegas Miguel Merino is one of the great unheralded producers of Rioja. The annual production is relatively small and the wines are not regularly 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 more delicate, restrained traditional style and the denser, more highly extracted modern style. The result is classic Rioja, combining both elegance, depth and old vine complexity. Miguel's wines consistently show well in blind tastings, often against heavier hitters. But more importantly they also show exceedingly well on the dinner table, flowing easily and gracefully—complementing a wide range of culinary delights. The rich and well-structured 2000 Miguel Merino Reserva is showing beautifully now with a bright, deep, ruby red color. Its complexity immediately comes to the fore on the nose. Ripe cherry and strawberry scents mingle with undertones of fertile damp earth and stone. Hints of wild herbs, spice, vanilla, spice, chocolate, licorice and flinty gunpowder emerge. The mouthfeel is suave and silky with juicy, integrated acidity. It is medium to full-bodied, but lively with fine, mineral-laced tannins that ride into a long, smooth finish, which offers good grip. Milk chocolately cherry and herb notes linger on the palate. Pair with just about any fare, rustic or refined, from cured meats and appetizers to roast chicken, lamb chops or steaks. Serve this top-flight Rioja now or over the next ten years. Dan: ’04 Argyle “Nuthouse” Pinot Noir $39.99 When I get a hankering for some home-grown Pinot Noir, that is, Pinot Noir with a more assertive personality, I head for Oregon. Pinot from Oregon (when done well, in a style that respects the region) tends to display superb fruit, but unlike much of the Pinot from warmer regions of the U.S., also tends to show substantial earth and general control over its elements. There is, in other words, a display of and emphasis on proportionality. Recently I had a superb bottle of Pinot from Oregon producer Argyle. It was their (basically) single vineyard Nuthouse Pinot Noir from the 04 vintage. Argyle, which began producing wine in 1987, is located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The sight was chosen by winemakers Brian Croser and winemaker Rollin Sole (though Sole is responsible for making Argyle’s wines) due to the cool climate and soil conducive to Pinot and Chardonnay. The name “Nuthouse” comes from the winery’s history as a hazelnut processing plant. (If you care for a little bit of trivia, according to Argyle, Oregon is responsible for over 99% of the hazelnuts grown in the U.S.) The “Nuthouse” is classified as a single vineyard selection with the majority of the fruit coming from Argyle’s Lone Star Vineyard. After tasting the entire Argyle line, this was the wine we had to have. The nose is highly expressive with notes of red and black cherry plus ripe strawberry and blueberry backed by charcoal, cola nut, and ground pie spices. As it moves onto the palate, there is great sappy impact of dark fruit and cranberry yet the ample buoyant acidity keeps everything in focus. Waves of fruit are laced with minerally earth and spice and the finish echoes long after the wine has left your mouth. This has both density and finesse and is the perfect choice for the lover of expressive and balanced American Pinot. I would drink this wine with steak tartare, carpaccio or seared lamb chops. Matt: ’04 Bodegas Almansenas “La Huella de Adaras” Almansa $9.99 Bodegas Almansenas is located in the DO of Almansa which is in the Castilla-La Mancha region in central Spain. This appellation boarders the high profile regions of Jumilla and Yecla. Like many of the up and coming regions of Spain this appellation seemed destined for obscurity only a few years ago. With the advances in technology and an ever growing market for well made value wines the eyes of skilled wine makers from Penedes turned to Almansa. In 2004 Ester Nin, wine maker for Clos Erasmus and the top female oenologists in Spain, began work at Bodegas Almansenas. Almansa has a rather extreme climate with summer highs around 100°F and winter lows below freezing. The soil is mostly sandy with good water drainage and low fertility. These factors combine to produce a region with a proclivity for full bodied deep red wines. This amazing value is made from 60% Garnacha Tintorera (AKA Alicante Bouschet) , 30% Monastrell and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon harvested from vines that average 30 years in age. The grapes were then vinified in stainless steel with a long maceration and controlled temperatures. It was then aged on its lees for 12 months in stainless steel vats. One first notices the deep ruby color with a hint of garnet on the rim, this color coming from not only the skins of the grapes but the red flesh of Garnacha Tintorera. The nose is full of blackberry, blueberry and floral notes of violet and lavender. There is plenty of earth and a light herbal note as well. On the palate it is medium-full bodied with rich flavors of blackberry, black currents and earth. This wine is light on acidity but has fine ripe tannins and would be perfect paired with grilled lamb tenderloins, grilled vegetables or strong cheeses. Adam: ’07 Con Class Rueda Viura $8.97 Spring may not be in the air (it has been cold here in New York) but a glass of this crisp white sure puts me in the mood for it. Con Class comes from the region of Rueda, a very unlikely area in Spain for growing world class white wines. Unlike Spain’s other world famous white wine growing region, Rias Baixas, which is located on the Atlantic Coast, Rudea has a Contintenal climate of hot summers and cold winters, yet excels with the Sauvignon Blanc-like grape Verdejo. Con Class is 80% Verdejo, 10% Viura, and 10% Sauvignon Blanc. Though bigger in style than many New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, this wine is just as refreshing, bursting with bright flavors of melon, grapefruit and peach pit. Unlike many wines made with Verdejo this wine benefits from a small amount of lees stirring to help build up the texture but the fine mineral content still shines through. This wine is sure to be a summer favorite to enjoy on the porch / fire escape and at just $8.97 it is a perfect wine for that impromptu get together. Con Class would pair perfectly with gilled shrimp or chicken on the BBQ.

Patrice: ’04 Antinori “Peppoli” Chianti $17.97 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 and industrious 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. One of their most popular bottlings is the modestly priced “Peppoli” Chianti Classico. Introduced in 1988 this wine has quickly become a modern classic combining the depth and structure of a old world riserva with the bright and fragrant fruit of a younger wine. The microclimate on the “Peppoli” estate where the vines are planted is a warm valley on rocky mineral rich soil perfect for growing Sangiovese that is bright and very fruity. The 2004 “Peppoli” is an opaque magenta in the glass with a wonderfully fragrant nose of blackberries and violets. On the palate the wine displays lots of ripe and concentrated fruit with a fleshy and textured mouth feel. The richness of the fruit is complemented by hints of anise seed and peppery spice and a moderate amount of wood. The ripe tannins and moderate acidity keep the wine well balanced and lead the way to a lengthy finish. Serve the 2004 Peppoli with fresh pasta Bolognese with hot toasted garlic bread on the side for a delicious and easy repast. Donald: ’06 Serge Batard “Les Granges” Muscadet $11.49 Serge Batard is the proud owner and winemaker of the 17 hectare domaine called “Les Hautes de Noëlles,” located in the village of Saint Leger Les Vignes. In 1988, as a third generation grower, he took over the management of this estate that was founded in 1930 and over a half-dozen years he is now acknowledged as one of the finest growers in the AOC. Produced in the Côtes de Grandlieu sub-zone, Batard’s multifaceted “Les Granges”, offers up dynamic purity of white fruit and citrus complexity, dazzling sea-coast minerality and vivid acidity. This wine has fantastically concentrated scents and balanced flavors. A great duality exists between this Muscadets’ sea-coast mineral scents and flavors and elegantly expressed white fruit complexity. This ultra refined wine is the result of rigorous grape selection from the oldest vines of the estate's best vineyard. “Les Granges” presents typical flavors of lemon blossom, white peach, and wet stone with hints of “sur lie” character. Despite its richness and intensity, it is the purity of its stony minerality and the racy acidity that lingers throughout the finish that adds bonafied charm to this extraordinary spring and summer quaffer. Brian: ’05 Herve Souhaut Saint Epine $38.99 Two things excite me when selling a wine these days. One is to respond to the ever-increasing clamor for organic and bio-dynamic wines. Two is to offer a wine crafted by a small artisanal winery, whose goal is to produce a wine which reflects the region from whence it came. In the March “staff picks” Donald explored the delicious Syrah of Herve Souhaut. Souhaut is just the artisanal winemaker I’m talking about. He began producing his wine in 1993 in the Ardeche, bordering the northern Rhone. In 1999, he purchased vineyard land in Saint Epine, within the Rhone’s St. Joseph appellation. He chose to denominate his wine, however, VdT (table wine). On six hectares of land his total production is only 25,000 bottles of anything but generic table wine. The ’05 Souhaut Saint Epine is made (though not certified as such) with strict organic and bio-dynamic methods in mind. The wine is fermented using only natural yeasts. There is no destemming and no temperature controls. There is a long maceration and fermentation process. The wine ages in old oak barrels and is bottled unfiltered with only the slightest addition of sulphur. The ’05 Saint Epine is 100% Syrah. Its nose is an explosion of spices, with notes of orange, black licorice and violets also present. Baking spices carry on to a mineral-based palate where they meet red cherries and a big dose of black pepper (so characteristic of St. Joseph). Great acidity gives the wine plenty of lift and leads to a long mineral and pepper finish. Decant for half an hour before drinking and try with shoulder of lamb, prime rib or a succulent porterhouse steak. Jessica: ’05 Stagecoach Vineyard “Black Bart” Napa Valley $49.99 I urge everyone to come back to Napa Valley’s Stagecoach Vineyard with me this month and splurge a little on a bottle of this excellent Syrah. A little fuller in body than my previous Stagecoach-Vineyard-grown pick, the 2004 La Diligence, Black Bart has more intense fruit than most Californian Syrah, but is a tad less in-your-face than typical Aussi Shiraz — to me, this is the perfect middle ground. To create the 2005 Black Bart, brothers Bart and Jan Krupp co-fermented two different clones of Syrah (#470 & #383) along with a touch of Viognier. In the glass, the wine is an intense, opaque ruby. On the nose there are notes of cherries, plums, bacon fat, black pepper, and cinnamon, along with the tiniest bit of violet, likely stemming from the Viognier. The mouthfeel is medium to full and incredibly supple with gentle tannins that hold just enough to ease you into its long, silky finish. Drinking beautifully now through 2016, enjoy this wine on its own or with your favorite cut of beef. We were able to get our hands on a small quantity of this limited production wine – grab some while you can. “Readers looking for a California red that is a dead-ringer for a French Cote Rotie should check out Black Bart’s 2005 Syrah Stagecoach Vineyard. It boasts a dense ruby/purple color as well as an unmistakable nose of graphite, bacon fat, cassis, cherries, licorice, pepper, and tapenade. The remarkably complex aromatics are followed by a medium to full-bodied wine with good acidity, purity, and impeccable winemaking. Drink it over the next 8-10 years.” —WA 94