Newsletter
February, 2001
New Arrivals
1996 Voila Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, $24.99—Heidi Peterson Barrett of Screaming Eagle fame built this wine. It has solid structure with a slightly massive body. It offers rich, dark fruit flavors and the perfect touch of oak. A bewitching nose of black fruits, earth and a bit of cinnamon draw you in the door. We think the wine is so good that it could sell for a considerably higher price.
1997 Alianca Bairrada, Regularly $7.99/Sale $6.99—Traditional Portuguese wines like this are hard to describe. Maybe this is because the grapes are so individualistic (or idiosyncratic). The “well known” Baga grape provides the juice here. Let’s just say the wine has some fruit, grip and character. Supremely good value.
1995 Gaia, Clare Valley, Jeffrey Grosset, $24.49—Grosset is one of our favorite Australian makers, particularly for his Rieslings. But here we have a Bordeaux blend (75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot wine). And it tastes like a Bordeaux, kind of an earthy Bordeaux. It’s pretty much at its prime moment now. Sadly, the wine’s name reminds us of one of our least liked Italian winemakers.
1998 Barbera d’Asti, Fiulot, Prunotto, $11.99—A lot of Barbera d’Asti is medium-light with strawberry essences (except for bottlings from Giacomo Bologna and some few others). This, however, is much more substantial. Prunotto’s wines continue to be traditional in essence, despite being purchased, not long ago, by the trendy Tuscans, Antinori. They also make a Barbera d’Alba, Pian Romualdo, that is one of the best. I drank the ’97 a couple weeks ago, that made me sleep contentedly. What more can you ask?
1999 Sancerre, Cherrier, Regularly $17.99/Sale $14.99—We’ve heard rumors that some of France’s Loire Sauvignon Blanc makers are attempting to ape the popular SBs coming from New Zealand. That is, they are trying to make their wines (Sancerre, Pouilly Fume, Reuilly, Quincy, Menetou Salon, etc.) more fruit driven. By intent, or chance, this wine is more fruit driven. And yet it has that “nervosite” that makes Sancerre so distinctive and fine.
1998 Barbera d’Alba, Elio Grasso, $18.99—Grasso is a reformed lawyer/banker. He’s become one of our favorite Piedmontese makers (operating out of Monforte d’Alba), particularly for the old price/quality quotient. This is dark, rich, forceful Barbera that will improve over a few years. It’s kind of macho stuff. We’ve been drinking big Barberas like this as substitutes for many of the Barolos and Barbarescos that have climbed out of our financial bracket. By the way, he makes superb Barolo, as well, that is fairly priced (and we have some).
1998 Cotes-du-Rhone, Domaine La Garrigue, $9.99—Not any wimpy, cooperative Rhone here. This has guts, petrol, color and, yes, that ineffable essence of “garrigue.” Decant with spirit or open it and serve a day or so later. Oxygen seems to make this wine ever more sociable.
1999 Saint-Veran, Paquet, $14.99—The appellation of “Saint-Veran” is adjacent to Pouilly-Fuisse and, thus, it is hard to tell the two wines apart. M. Paquet lives in the vineyard wrapped village of Fuisse. His Saint-Veran, made from Chardonnay, is delicate and fine with the apple essences of its type. No blockbusting Chardonnay, but pretty and agreeable. Proust might have liked this...something to worry about.
1999 Pikes Riesling, Clare Valley, Australia, $13.99—The Clare Valley beckons, particularly for Riesling lovers, like us. Some of those made by Jeffrey Grosset are as good as almost anything produced in Germany. This is bone dry and rather steely. I would like to try it with oysters or sushi, or alone on a boring afternoon. Excellent work.
1999 Crozes-Hermitage, J.L. Chave, $21.99—This is white Crozes-Hermitage, not the more common red. Made mainly from Marsanne, it is wildly exotic with tropical fruits in the nose and honeysuckle on the palate. It might need a little acid, but it’s still amusing drinking.
1999 Ben Marco Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina, $21.99—Give up your fantasies of Gabriela Sabatini. This is the Argentine worth dreaming about. Priapic purple color draws one to a nose showing French and American oak. The huge Malbec fruit and tannins have no trouble standing up to the oaking. This wine is superior to any French Cahors (also Malbec based) I’ve drunk, even the crazy Gaumot. It’s a carnivores wine. I can see it with one of those mixed grills of beef that Argentina is so famous for.
1998 Gruner Veltliner, Kremser Pfaffenberg, $12.99—Austria makes great wines, but few know that. This is lively, complex and tauntingly acidic. There is a bit of CO2 on opening, along with some earthiness that makes it appropriate for food. This is far better Gruner Veltliner than that which you may have stuck a “korkenzieher” into while amusing yourself in the “heurigen,” outside of Vienna.
1997 Pikes SGM, Clare Valley, Australia, Regularly $20.99/Sale $16.99—Gosh, we sure are getting a lot of wine from the Clare Valley. We gotta get there and see how they make such good stuff. This wine, made of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre, is basically Australian Amarone. That is, it offers rich, raisined flavors. It's complex, a bit idiosyncratic. At its peak now. Try it with some of that Tasmanian blue cheese that you can buy at Par Avion.
1997 San Pietro, Il Primitivo, Primitivo di Manduria, Regularly $10.99/Sale $9.99—A hot-blooded Italian treat here. Big, sensual nose and flavors. It’s fat, somewhat rustic with tobacco notes in the nose. Difficult to stop drinking. We can’t wait to try it with pasta in tomato sauce
1998 Bourgogne Rouge, Rodet, $12.99—Imagine finding a red Burgundy at this price that has more flavor than water or diluted grape juice. This has impressive black cherry flavors, substance and some complexity. For those preparing “bouef Bourguignonne,” who don’t like the price of a Gevrey-Chambertin or Pommard, this could get the job done. Though it might be a tad light.
New Jewels
1996 Alion, $35.99—This is Vega Sicilia’s answer to Alejandro Fernandez’s Pesquera. This, I believe, is 100% Tempranillo and I find it superior to Alejandro’s ’96 efforts, even his reserva. It has more stuffing. It’s garnet red with lots of grip and a bit of sediment. I’d like to age it five or six years and see what happens.
1998 L’Ermita, Priorato, $249.99—Without a doubt the greatest “Garnacha” (Grenache) based wine we have ever tasted. It’s made by the Rioja émigré, Alvaro Palacios (he was trying to escape the family bonds). The concentration and extract is cosmic. This will age for decades. It’s a masterpiece, the “Guernica” of Spanish wines. Only a few hundred cases were made. We have all of two bottles. The wine press is almost unanimous with near 100 point scores!
1995 Piastraia, Michele Satta, $47.99—Coming from the red-hot Bolgheri wine region of Tuscany, this wine is almost too much to believe. It’s a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Sangiovese. Not surprisingly, it gives you a riot of flavors. You still have the primary blackberry, pepper, vanilla and cloves. And you have secondary flavors like dried fruits and leather. Some bricking in color leads me to think it’s approaching its peak, at least the way I like red wine (with some breath still in the lungs). Try this and see what the future holds in this booming wine neighborhood.
1998 Clarendon Hills Old Vine Grenache, Blewitt Springs Vineyard, $36.99— If you like fine Grenache as much as us, you must taste this. We think it is even better than the extravagantly lauded, previous vintage. This because it has firmer acid and less alcohol. What you get are lush berry and spice flavors doing a jig on your tongue. You can drink it now with hearty foods, but a few years of cellaring could make this something special.
FOOD & WINE ADVISORY
Lisbon Finds Good Food (At Last) or We Find Good Food in Lisbon (At Last) Lisbon—The Portuguese have acquired notoriety for a prosaic cuisine. And this is probably justifiable. Afterall, these sincere people will admit that they know how to prepare dried cod in 365 different ways, one for each day of the year! But there is more to be eaten here than dried cod. There is a steadily growing number of restaurants, largely around Lisbon, that offer “cozinha alta,” high Portuguese cuisine. At these places you can eat and drink about as well as fine restaurants in any “world metropolis.”
The Portuguese kitchen appears as a study in idiosyncrasy—bananas and fish, clams and pork, fish and red wine and a dessert called “bacon from heaven” to mention a few dishes. Many of the ingredients come from the sea and the mountains, and are straight forward enough. But due to the proud Portuguese tradition of nautical exploration and subsequent colonization, the cuisine has been tempered by ingredients and recipes from far-off lands. They imported far more from their colonies than pepper and cinnamon.
For the traveler who likes wine, Portugal can be a sublime adventure or an exercise in frustration. This not because the wines are poor, but because there are many unfamiliar wines coming from little known grapes, vineyard regions and labels. Of course, the superstar is Port, but there are many more substantial wines and this number is growing faster than the fine restaurants.
Port, Moscatel de Setubal, Vinho Verde and the Dao table wines are pretty well known around the globe. But how many people can discourse intelligently on the table wines of Bairrada, Bucelas, Alantejo or the Douro wine zones of this land? And what about the best grapes—Touriga Nacional, Tinto Cao, Jaen, Baga, Tinta Roriz, and Alvarinho? It’s a tough place to self-anoint yourself a “wine expert.”
Compounding the difficulty, is the high-speed evolution in Portugal’s wine culture. You have dozens of new wineries, making wines that have never been before.
So how does a wine lover avoid frustration, or worse, humiliation? He or she must find a restaurant with a bright sommelier and a wise list to pick from. So, this aspect plays a huge role on how I pick the top restaurants.
Where exactly do you go for the best food and wine in Lisbon? Read on. “A vausa saude.”
To GOOD TABLES IN LISBON
If you can find the CASA DA COMIDA (Travessa das Amoreiras 1), you've located what I think is the top restaurant within Lisbon's city limits. It's in a residential district within a house like any other, but distinguished by a brass plaque with the name next to the door.
Once in the door (you have to ring the bell), you are enwrapped in the tropical verdure so admired by the Portuguese. In the sitting room is a parrot with a substantial English vocabulary which lends an idea to where the clientele originates. The restaurant is a gathering place for British businessmen working in Portugal.
What to eat? First it's mandatory to drink a glass of cold white port next to the bilingual parrot. A drink in the sitting room before entering the dining room seems to be ceremonial at many top level restaurants here. I have become fond of Fonseca white Port and specify it rather than any random Port for this. Surprisingly, white Port goes pretty well with the nuts and "batata frita" (potato chips) offered at these ceremonial sittings.
Cellar Close-Outs
(Sorry, no case discounts on cellar close-outs)
1997 Plantagenet Shiraz, Regularly $16.99/Sale $14.49—Solid Shiraz flavors, drinking “marvelous” now.
1998 Montesol, Rueda white, Regularly $10.99/Sale $9.39—A light, dry Spanish white with some complexity. “Goooood.”
1996 Alejandro Rose, Regularly $13.99/Sale $12.79—A big, manly rose made by Spain’s macho wine man, Alejandro Fernandez, of Pesquera.
1998 Joao Pires Muscat, Regularly $10.49/Sale $8.99—The fragrant Muscat nose is followed by shockingly dry flavors. Bizarre, but not dangerous.
1998 Tavel Rose, Paul Jaboulet, Regularly $15.99/Sale $13.59—Something of the French analogue of the above Alejandro rose.
1996 La Casenove, Cotes du Rousillon, Regularly $16.99/Sale $14.49—No “gros rouge” this, but soft, stylish flavors. Still it has the needed alcohol.
1996 Vosne Romanee, Roger Sauvestre, Regularly $32.99/Sale $27.99—Soft and sexy example of why Burgundy is so coveted. Like a vinous PENTHOUSE.
1996 Louisvale Chardonnay, Regularly $15.49/Sale $12.99—Big, oaky, South African white. Breaker Morant’s favorite quaff.
1998 Rocky Hill Winery Chenin Blanc, Regularly $8.99/Sale $6.99—Surprisingly dry and pleasant Colorado product. And...
1997 Glass Mountain Chardonnay, Regularly $9.99/Sale $7.99—Crisp and refreshing Chardonnay. What more could one request?
1997 Rosenblum Semillon, Regularly $14.99/Sale $12.79—A dash of oak frames this round and fragrant white. Huh?
1996 Valley of the Moon, Cuvee de la Lune, Regularly $23.99/Sale $19.99—This is a Bordeaux blend from California that is subtle and complex. We like it.
1997 Klein Constantia Chardonnay, Regularly $14.99/Sale $12.99—This South African is more French in essence than the above Louisvale Chardonnay. We like it...again.
1998 Dry Creek Heritage Clone Zinfandel, Regularly $14.99/Sale $12.99—Here’s a neat “slugging” Zinfandel from Dave Stare out of his winery, outside of Healdsburg, a bit
1996 Biale Zinfandel, Regularly $29.99/Sale $24.99—Biale is a cult maker of Zinfandels which are hugely extracted, like this.
1998 Montes Merlot, Regularly $9.99/Sale $7.99—Soft, fruity Chilean wine. Check-out Frank Prial’s story on Chilean wines in the January 10 issue of the NYT. He’s got it right.
1994 Chateau Calissane, Regularly $26.99/Sale $21.99—Big Provencal red, right at its peak.
1997 Marsannay Blanc, Bruno Clair, Regularly $23.99/Sale $19.99—This is a minerally and crisp Chardonnay based white Burgundy. Superb winemaker.
1993 Domain de Trevallon, Les Baux, Regularly $23.49/Sale $18.99—A Syrah and Cabernet blend from the village of good restaurants, Les Baux.
1991 Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, Valentini, Regularly $33.49/Sale $24.99—A mouthful of honeysuckle from a legendary Italian winemaker. Partially “pazo.”
1997 Teofilo Reyes, Ribera del Duero, Regularly $32.99/Sale $29.99—Perhaps the best wine Teofilo Reyes (ex-winemaker at Pesquera) has made...round and rich.
Wines of the Month
1997 Domaine Hortus Grande Cuvee, Pic Saint Loup, $14.99— A magnificent mouthful of flavors from what is rapidly becoming the best red wine region (Pic Saint Loup) of the Coteaux du Languedoc Appellation. The key is to reduce the amounts of Carignan and Cinsault and increase the amounts of Syrah and Mourvedre. This wine gives you dried fruits, chocolate and smoke in the nose, and the same dried fruits and chocolate on the tongue. The mouthfeel is round and satiny. It seems to be at its peak now. Stock-up, supplies are minute.
1999 Chateau Ste. Michelle Sauvignon Blanc, Horse Heaven Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $14.99— Take note New Zealand and France’s Loire River Valley, fine Sauvignon Blanc can be grown in the United States too. In this case it comes from the state of Washington. It’s extremely difficult to make good “SB” because the window of opportunity for picking is small. If you don’t harvest at the ideal moment, you risk the disagreeable aspects of the grape—grassiness and the dreaded “pipi de chat.” This is citrusy, crisp and dry. Most refreshing. Perhaps, we like the wine best because the maker didn’t try to transmogrify Sauvignon Blanc into Chardonnay by sticking it in an oak barrel for six months.
COALTRAIN
Wine & Spirits
330 W. Uintah
Colorado Springs, CO 80905
719-475-9700