NewsletterJuly, 2008
TASTING CALENDARAN EVENING IN PROVENCE—A DINNER PAIRED WITH CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPES & SULTRY FRENCH ROSES WEDNESDAY, JULY 16— 6:30 PM AT LA PETITE MAISON Don’t we all wish we were in Provence, analyzing the gnarly hillsides or gazing at the foaming sea, vigilant for needy mermaids? Well, we can come fairly close…drinking the wine and eating the pure, delicious food of that chimerical place. In that noble pursuit, we will hold a wine tasting at La Petite Maison (what better place?). We have some extraordinary Chateauneufs and roses to check-out. The Chateauneufs are from several of the finest recent vintages, like 2005, 2004 and 2001. The roses are, naturally, all 2007 to make certain that they are super refreshing and will protect us from potential summer heat. Henri Chaperont, La Petite’s gifted chef/proprietor will prepare the authentic Provencal dishes for this tasting extravaganza. The tariff per diner is $75 (plus tax and tip). Please call us to reserve your "couverts" (475-9700). Seating is limited. DINING WITH RIESLINGS AT PALAPA’S SURFSIDE GRILL TUESDAY, JULY 29—6:30 PM Let’s check out Victor Matthew’s new restaurant, Palapa’s Surfside Grill (he also owns the Black Bear in Green Mountain Falls and The Paragon Culinary School here in town). Victor is a gifted chef and he’s going to make us a four course dinner to go with our favorite Rieslings. Riesling, by the way, is the supreme match with fresh, finely prepared seafood and dishes with spice and zing...just what Victor does so mystically. The cost is $58/diner plus tax and tip. Call us to reserve your "lounge chair" (475-9700) in the Patio Room. The restaurant is located at 5710 S. Carefree Circle. "Surfside attire" is appropriate, of course. THE STORY OF TWO PINOTS — DINNER AT THE BROADMOOR’S SUMMIT WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20— 6:30 PM Yes, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. This event will take place at the super stellar Summit Restaurant in the Broadmoor complex. It will be a dinner where we will pair domestic versions of those two grapes with the restaurant’s sublime cuisine. Should be fascinating because Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris are particularly compatible with finely finished dishes. This dinner will be held on August 20th. The first glasses will be raised at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $79 per person plus tax and gratuity. Reservations should be made with us (475-9700). Oh, and "Bucky," the Summit’s astute sommelier, will be on hand to provide additional insight into the wines. BEER TASTING—THE BIG BEERS OF SUMMER THURSDAY, JULY 24—6:00 PM THE WAREHOUSE RESTAURANT Please join us in tasting some truly fantastic beers. We will be serving lighter (in color, at least) ales perfect for summer-time enjoyment. Styles will include Saison , Triple, Wit Bier, and Pale Ale. These will include imports (many Belgian) and domestic craft beers. Substantial hors d’oeuveres will be provided by the fine kitchen at The Warehouse. All this for only $40 per person (inclusive). You don’t want to miss it! Call Coaltrain @ 475-9700 to reserve your place at the table. New Arrivals2006 Rusack Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County, $21.99: One of our very favorite Chardonnays in Coaltrain. Why? Well, it kind of captures the best of California with a Burgundy accent. So, it is full flavored, but with some finesse and a bit of minerality, as well… our favorite thing in a Chardonnay. 2006 Saintsbury Chardonnay, Carneros, $19.99: Now here’s a Chardonnay that unites brilliant flavors with a taut structure and satin palate feel. How do they do it? Well, they carefully choose the Carneros vineyard sites. The wine is fermented in French oak with only 25% of it being new oak. The developing wine is aged "sur lie" for about eight months. Batonnage ( stirring of the "lees") is done regularly to increase yeast contact and, as a result, add richness. The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in the barrel to create a round mouthfeel. Finally, the wine is bottled without filtration yielding vibrant fruit which is a counterpoint to the creaminess of the malolactic fermentation. We wish every Chardonnay maker would take note and give us wine this spellbinding. 2006 Paraiso Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, $22.99: Paraiso’s flagship wine and it is something to be proud of. It gives you the cherry and other ineffable flavors that make Pinot Noir so tantalizing. There is also some spice, smoke and toasty oak in perfectly balanced portions. The wine’s acid and tannins let it finish long and proud. A most impressive product. 2005 Fall Line, Red Mountain, Red Blend, $29.99: What a Washington marvel here! A blend of 42% Cabernet Franc, 29% Merlot and 29% Cabernet. The result is a stylized, Dior-esque wine. There is jaw dropping Cabernet Franc red fruit, along with black current notes. It’s subtly flavored, not as bold and brassy as a pure Cabernet Sauvignon. Thus, we believe, this Fall Line Red to be a model summertime red wine. 2005 Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, $34.99: We were crazy (no comments please) about the 2004 vintage of this and, wow, this is an admirable follow-up. It is in a Bordeaux style that emphasizes finesse and balance. There are mocha and cedar aromas with fetching blackberry and vanilla flavors. It’s not in the least "over the top." Premier level California Cabernet at a reasonable price… drinking well now with the promise of an even better future. 2006 Te Tera Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, $16.99: Without any argument, one of the finest New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs we have yet to taste. The wine has impressive body-weight and length on the palate (perhaps from its fermentation in used French barrels). Gooseberry and passion fruit tango on your tongue. Like a Sancerre with "cajones." 2007 Apremont, Vin de Savoie, Jean Perrier et Fils, $13.99: Those of you who got into our last newsletter’s Savoie pick-hit, the 2006 Abymes Vin de Savoie, will be in for more thrills and chills here. This is just as Alpine, just as pure with a touch more body weight. On the tongue, there is some citrus and glacial mineral aspects. Perfect for a picnic in the mountains. 2006 Col de Lairole, Coteaux de Languedoc, Regularly $11.99/Sale $9.99: From the South of France, this wine has some palpable finesse and style, along with some feral, "garrigue" aspects. But it doesn’t cloy, doesn’t annoy. And it doesn’t knock you over with high alcohol. Very enjoyable. 2004 Chateau Fleur Haut Gaussens, Bordeaux Superieur, Regularly $18.99/Sale $16.99: This gives a whole different spin to the Bordeaux Superieur appellation, which normally provides fruity wines with shallow flavors. Here you have depth and impressive concentration. It comes from an edge of the appellation, near Fronsac, considered finer than the normal Bordeaux Superieur, coming from the "Entre deux Mers" venue.To the point, you have purple colors, intense fruit and a fetching nose of vanilla, cocoa and fresh herbs. "Vachement formidable." 2005 Chateau de Valcombe Prestige, Costieres de Nimes, Regularly $15.99: A LOT OF WINE FOR THE MONEY. It’s a Rhone-style blend of 70 percent Syrah and 30 percent Grenache. The vineyard, ten miles south of Nimes, is an uncommon combination of clay and limestone. It gives you wine of unique character with dark fruits in the fore. And you can, of course, taste the dirt of the vineyard. We are totally in love with this baby. 2004 Domaine Jo Pithon Anjou, Les Bergeres, $23.99: This may be the most bizarre wine Coaltrain has ever offered. It’s made from Chenin Blanc in France’s Loire River Valley at the heart of the Coteaux du Layon wine growing district. Jo Pithon is famed in France for his sweet "liquoreaux" wines. Though this wine is dry, you can see its "liquoreaux" gene pool, particularly in its orange color. It gives you lush Chenin Banc flavors and aromas. Its firm acidity makes for delicacy and refinement. If you are an adventurer, try this wine. It is a whole new crazy world. We’d like to taste it with Ahi tuna and nuclear, spicy wasabi with Dennis Hopper along for the ride. 2006 Macon-Charnay, Domaine Manciat-Poncet, Regularly $17.99/Sale $16.99: Manciat-Poncet is one of the wizards of Macon white Burgundies. We can honestly say we’ve never met one of their wines we haven’t liked. This is textbook Macon…svelte, green apple, refreshing, endlessly quaffable. By the way, the "Macon-Charnay" appellation abuts Pouilly-Fuisse and St. Veran so you get the fine characters of those wines at a much lower price. 2006 Tenuta delle Terre Nere, Etna Rosso, $16.99: These grapes come from the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna at an elevation of 2500 feet. Vast daily temperature variations make the wines fine and elegant compared to southern Italian wines, toiling in continual heat. On the tongue, it tastes like a Grenache, like a fine Vacqueras or Gigondas from France’s southern Rhone. But the texture has a fine volcanic dustiness to it as well. In all, the wine has an infectious personality. It is aged judiciously in mainly used oak. The result, we believe, is a small wonderment. The Cult of the Rose: The Most Versatile WineLike most of the world who love food and wine, we are rose worshippers. You can drink it with virtually any fish or fowl. It’s particularly delightful with salmon. And it shines with light meats like pork and veal. Perhaps best of all, you can enjoy it solo (golly, we are misanthropes). About the only rose mismatch is dark meats off the grill. There are basically two ways to make a rose. The first, and most common, is by a allowing a short maceration of the grape juice with the skins of dark colored grapes. These grape skins provide the color to make the rose. The juice is drained off by pressing or bled off ("saignee" in French). The trick is how long to allow skin contact. The juice is then fermented like a normal white wine. The second way is to a blend a little finished red wine into white wine. Anyway, here are some of our new arrivals. They are all vastly different, but vastly satisfying. TEUTONIC2007 Zull Rose, $13.99: Made from Austria’s Zweigelt grape with a little Pinot Noir and Merlot in the mix. Fruity on the nose, delicate berry fruit with a zingy finish. Almost neon color. Total refreshment. 2007 Knipser Rose Cuvee, Cabernet & Co, $22.99: The top of the 2007 class of roses! Knipsers wines are usually the top of any classification. A wild blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Pinot noir, it is redolent of fresh white peaches, red berries and cherries. It is multi-layered and insanely complex for a rose. Bravo to one of the best roses we have ever tasted. 2007 Leo Rose Secco, $14.99: Here’s something very special—a sparkling rose. It is made from Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon (what is it with German rose makers?). The bubbles are light and the wine totally refreshing. We had it with a vegetarian pizza on a warm evening. Smashing. FRENCH2007 Miraval Rose, Cotes de Provence, $15.99: Year in and out, this is our favorite French Rose. It’s the awe inspiring class that drives us mad. The wine is delicate and refreshing. Nothing is ever out of whack. Made from old vine Cinsault grapes which could be the key to its success. We imagine this to be the stuff that Catherine Deneuve would quaff in Provence all summer or even on a grey, boring afternoon in her flat on Place St. Sulpice in Paris. 2007 Commandeire de Perassol, Cotes de Provence, $17.99: Pale in color, lively on the tongue, some mineral, refreshingly dry. You would think you are drinking a dry white here. 2007 Domaine Fontsainte, Vin Gris, $10.99: A classic dry rose from Languedoc we carry every year and are happy for it. Mid-weight, impeccably correct rose form Frances’s far south. Louis Bouillot, Cremant de Bourgogne, Regularly $16.99/Sale $14.99: You don’t see much Cremant de Bourgogne rose in America or in France for that matter. It is made from Pinot Noir, usually from the Cote Chalonnaise zone of Burgundy. This is like a dry rose Champagne, but at a fourth the price. ITALIAN, AMERICAN & SPANISH2007 Weger Lagrein Rose, $16.99: This comes from the Alto Adige of Italy, just south of Austria. It is made from the local Lagrein grape. It’s jam packed with raspberry, cranberry and citrus essences, and party vibrations. Characteristic of what those jolly Germans do in northern Italy. They do seem to loosen up when they cross the Italian border. 2007 Waters Rose, Walla Walla Valley, $15.99: Yes the US can make some formidable dry roses too. This is a delicious rose. It’s made by blending a bit of Syrah with Viognier; the technique of blending a red wine and white wine mentioned above. This wine has power and a crispness provided by employing a partial malolactic fermentation. The Viognier seems to give it an exotic, almost Oriental nose. Good work boys. 2007 Rioja Rose, $14.99: Muga makes wines about as good as anyone up in the Rioja region of northern Spain. Reds, whites and roses, they are normally spot on. This salmon hued wine is fruity, round and pretty complex.
White Wine of the Month2007 Domaine d’UBY, Cotes de Gascogne Blanc, $9.99: Gascony is Armagnac and foie gras country. The people around here put a slab of foie gras on almost everything they eat (break out the Lipitor). About the only immune dishes seem to be the desserts. They also do a pretty good job with Armagnac consumption, from the morning coffee to a bedtime dram. Of late, these Gascogne people have also been doing a good job with their dry table wines. We usually have two or three different ones. The above Uby is the latest to arrive and it is one of the best we’ve tasted. We were taken by the grapefruit andflower nose. On the tongue, the citric aspects lead the way. And there is bracing acidity on the finish. In short, this zesty white appears to be the perfect summer rehydration wine. And the alcohol isn’t extreme so you can drink a lot of it. By the way, it is made from two grapes—Ugni Blanc and Colombard. Dastardly delightful combo.
Red Wine of the Month2006 Cotes du Ventoux, Cave la Romaine, $9.99: Cotes du Ventoux is probably more known for its periodic stage in the "Tour de France" (up Mont Ventoux, 6273 feet) than for its wine. But there are vineyards about the flanks of Mont Ventoux producing enjoyable "Rhone style" wines. This particular Cotes du Ventoux has life in it. It is a blend of 70 percent Grenache and 30 percent Syrah. Everything is done in state of the art conditions so you have good color and lots of really pretty flavors. In general, the red fruit of the Grenache dominates the flavors, but the Syrah adds some grip. The texture is velveteen. There is more here than an ordinary "vin de café." But it is indeed a prototypical summertime quaffer. 2006 Bonarda, Nieto Senetiner, Argentina, $27.99: A very special bottling from this revered maker. Bonarda can be big. This is, but it is also stunningly elegant. Part of this can be attributed to the skill of Bodega Nieto Senetiner and part comes from the 2006 vintage that made elegant wines. It has an intense purple/violet color. There are red fruits, black fruits, plum and some leather in the nose. The flavors follow suit and are rich, and persistent. If you have been wowed by Senetiner’s Argentine Malbec, you are in for another treat with his Bonarda. Swiss WinesSwitzerland is one of the most amazing lands on earth and the Swiss produce some of the world’s most formidable wines. "Oh ja." But like money, these serious "burgers" like to horde their wines. Thus, only two percent of the yearly production leaves the land. So it is that we feel privileged, delighted and awed to have horded a stock of these guarded Swiss products in Coaltrain. We feel like the Swiss Guard has just arrived from the Vatican! Love the knickers guys. 2006 Dubaril Chasselas Romand, Cave de la Cote, $12.99: Chasselas is without much doubt Switzerland’s signature white wine grape. It’s light, fresh, clean as the sidewalks of Rolle, whence it comes. This one comes precisely from La Cote region, near Geneva, where the Chasselas is lighter and fresher than those down the Rhone River Valley (yes, this river begins in Switzerland, not France). THIS IS A STELLAR SUMMER WHITE. Don’t let the CO2 upon pouring deter you…that is how a young Chasselas should be. Let the boat races begin! 2005 Peissy, Uvavines, Morges, $15.99: Peissy is in the Geneva Canton, not the Vaud. A lot of very delicious red wines come from that area. This beauty is a blend of 90 percent Gamay and 10 percent Gamaret, an utterly Swiss cross-breed of Gamay and the marvelous Reichensteiner grape. What you get is a soft, medium bodied sipper with tantalizing fruit. It is a natural for warm weather drinking. Put a slight chill on it. 2006 Dole Balavaud, Vetroz, Jean-Rene Garmanier, $19.99: There is wild quality variation in the Dole wines of the Valais. This is one of the very best. Dole, by the way, is a blend that 85 percent must by Pinot Noir or Gamay with Pinot Noir being the majority. The other 15 percent can be other, local varietals like the above Gamaret, Garanoir, Ancellota, etc. The Gamay seems to add fruit to the Pinot Noir which the Valais Pinots often lack. This wine has fruit, depth, legitimate interest. Its potential with food is immense. We’d love to drink it with Wiener schnitzel, chicken, duck or ‘cuisse de lapin rotie" (sorry Bugs Bunny). 2004 Vin du Diable, Pinot Noir, Cortaillod, $32.99: If we were asked to name the source of our favorite Swiss Pinot Noirs, it would be from the region of Neuchatel in the Vaud Canton, but away from Lake Geneva. The wines have a grace and finesse that is really Burgundian in essence. In fact we would guess that most people would think this to be red Burgundy, tasted blind. The wine is rather sexy with a vanilla touch provided by nine months of aging in French "barriques." Get this "devilish" wine and you will see what the Swiss can do with one of the world’s finest grapes. |
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COALTRAIN
Wine & Spirits
330 W. Uintah
Colorado Springs, CO 80905
719-475-9700