Newsletter
February,
2003
- Wines of the Month
- Colorado Springs Wine Festival
- New Arrivals
- Valentine Love Feast
- Fantastic Cabernet Blends
- Beer Lovers Unite—at Coaltrain!
- Archives
Wines of the Month
2001 La Vendimia Rioja, B. Palacios Remondo, $11.99: The “Soap Opera” continues. The prodigal son has returned to lift his economically ruined family (after being exiled). Ah, “la vida es mala.” Can he ameliorate the horror of it all? “Quien sabe?” But Alavaro Palacios, the most famous winemaker is Spain (L’Ermita, Finca Dofi, the Bierzo projects, etc.) has returned to La Rioja from Priorato. He seems a lucky fellow because 2001 is one of the greatest vintages ever in Rioja. This is his lowest level wine. It’s a finely extracted, lithesome creature with tendrils of muscle and a cinnamon drop for the road. This is so formidable, you wonder what will come with his reserve bottlings. After decades of abject mediocrity, Rioja is going to fly us to the moon with the 2001 vintage. Promise.
2001 Macon-Solutre, Domaine des Gerbeaux, $12.99: White Burgundy. Granny Smith apples on the nose. But in the mouth it is so much more. It’s a perfectly baked “tarte tatin” with some zing. There is cream and substance. This is one of the nicest models of the Chardonnay grape we have lately seen. One of our brilliant, young staff queried, “Man, why can’t other people make Chardonnay this good for 13 bucks?” Well, because they can sell mediocrity for twice 13 bucks.
Colorado Springs Wine Festival,
March 14 and 15, 2003It’s time to mark your calendars for Colorado Springs’ biggest and best wine event, the 12th Annual Colorado Springs Wine Festival, benefiting the Colorado Springs Dance Theatre. Coaltrain and the Dance Theatre are proud to once again bring to our town an illustrious lineup of winemakers. Zinfandel lovers celebrate! Some of the world’s top Zinfandel producers including Ridge, Ravenswood, Seghesio, Storybook Mountain, Folie a Deux, and JC Cellars will be our guests. In addition, the incomparable Kent Rosenblum, will make a much-anticipated return.
The weekend offers many opportunities to meet the winemakers and to learn and taste some great wines. On Friday, March 14th, join 700 other wine lovers at The Grand Tasting at the Broadmoor International Center. Over 300 wines will be poured by local distributors (and the winemakers), and delicious food will be served by some of the best restaurants and caterers in town. Live jazz and a silent auction add to the festivities.
Saturday morning and afternoon wine seminars offer a variety of educational and tasting experiences. Here’s what’s happening:
11:00 am— Regional Comparisons of Zinfandels
West Ballroom, Broadmoor West
Four vintners compare and contrast their wines from similar appellations, including Paso Robles, Napa, Foothills, and Sonoma. Ridge, Ravenswood, Rosenblum and Folie a Deux Wineries.
1:00 pm— A Vertical of Zinfandels
West Ballroom, Broadmoor West
Explore older Zinfandels compared to their younger brethren. Seghesio, Storybook Mountain Vineyards and JC Cellars Wineries.
2:30 pm— Stars of Zinfandeldom
West Ballroom, Broadmoor West
Join our seven world-class producers in a discussion of their finest single vineyard Zinfandels.
All seven winemakers will provide some of their favorite wines for pairing with an amazing gourmet dinner on Saturday evening at the Broadmoor’s beautiful Lake Terrace Dining Room. The Winemaker Dinner & Live Auction is thought by many to be the ultimate epicurean experience—a chance to taste nearly a dozen different wines paired with fabulous cuisine, and to acquire rare and collectible wines, trips and dining experiences. Fritz Hatton, Christies’ Principal Wine Auctioneer, returns to preside over the festivities.To inquire about the event or to receive an invitation, call the Dance Theatre office at 630-7434. Weekend packages and special room rates available.
New Arrivals
1996 Rocche dei Manzoni, Bricco Manzoni, $32.99: From Milan to Rome this wine is revered. It’s a blend of Nebbiolo and Barbera from Monforte d’Alba in Piemonte. It’s big and round, framed by cream from new oak “barricas.” Everybody is trying to make wine like this now in Piemonte, but very few can equal this.
1998 Montecillo Rioja Crianza, Regularly $10.99/Sale $9.99: Yet, another Spanish beauty. Some cinnamon and sweet fruit. Showing a touch of age, but it has enough extract so you need not fret. “Muy sabrosa.” Excellent value.
2001 Chablis, Domaine Long -Depuquit, Albert Bichot, $14.99: The “negoce” Bichot can surprise you. He can provide some noteworthy values. The purity of the Chardonnay flavors here is remarkable.
2002 Jackson Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, $13.99: Serious New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc here. Big nose, full flavored. One of the most monumental New Zealand SBs we have had the pleasure of tasting.
1999 Rutherford Hill Merlot, 25th Anniversary, $17.99: Aroma therapy in a glass. There is spice, cedar and tobacco. Maybe, there is hope for Merlot. We can happily drink this one.
2001 Siduri Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, $35.99: The pedigree for this wine is impeccable...all Pesoni and Garys’ vineyards fruit. It’s rich and extracted, but composed and sensual. Pretty amazing stuff. Wine & Spirits magazine agreed with us on this one giving it a “93” and deeming it “One of the year’s best Pinot Noirs”!
2001 San Maurice, Pinot Grigio, Regularly $9.99/$8.99: This is not Italian, but “New World” stuff. What we like here is the flavor. It has more substance than its peers from Italy or wherever. It’s not the watery stuff universally fobbed off as Pinot Grigio.
1999 Stonegate Merlot, Napa Valley, $19.99: Man, talk about satisfying. For the price tag, this is one of the most satisfying Merlots we’ve seen this young year. Substantial black fruit aspects.
2001 Jester Shiraz, McLaren Vale, $16.99: Aussie Shiraz are not revered for finesse, rather power. This Jester give you finesse and power. Maybe it should be named “teaser” rather than “Jester?”
2001 Brophy Clark Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley, $14.99: We applaud all winemakers who do not strive to turn Sauvignon Blanc into Chardonnay. Hey, we like Sauvignon Blanc. These guys produce a lively wine that we can’t mistake for Chardonnay. Bravo.
2001 Beaujolais Blanc, Jean-Paul Brun, $12.99: This is Chardonnay and boy it’s nice. It has a pineapple/fig nose that is most agreeable. Splendid mouthfeel and everything else. You don’t see Beaujolais Blanc often in America. In fact, you don’t see it much in France. You might try this rarity.
2001 Macon, Domaine Cordier, $21.99: Simply stated, this is the finest Macon we have ever tasted. We mean the “Macon Appellation,” not Pouilly-Fuisse or St. Veran from the Macon district. It gives you juicy Chardonnay flavors, without a lot of oak and other fru-fra. It does a tango on your tongue. Like a girl we once knew.
2000 Crosart, Fausto Maculan, $73.99: Merlot from the Veneto. As we keep repeating, we are not normally Merlot ideologues, but this one garners our support (like the two above). It’s big and bouncy like a Pomerol from a great year. Though not cheap, it can really joust with “right bank” Bordeaux and others of that ilk and price.
1999 Palazzo della Torre, Allegrini, $16.99: It would not be a wild exaggeration to say that this bottle is among the top 25 red wines in the store. From the Veneto, it’s a kind of “baby Amarone.” So there are some raisined aspects on the nose and tongue. Anyone who enjoys expressive wines that are not “over the top” must taste this. The ‘98 was in the Top 100 of the Wine Spectator and this ‘99 surpasses the ‘98.
1998 Silver Lake Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $17.99: The wines of Washington state continue to dazzle us (see our Washington wine tasting coming up). They almost always seem to give an agreeable balance of fruit, earth and other indescribable things.
2000 Altos de Luzon, Jumilla, $16.99: “Hombre,” this is big red. From two old vineyards, Mourvedre and Tempranillo are mated. And they shake the furniture. Only ten cases of this came to Colorado. If you are a Spanish wine fan, you must sample a bottle of this.
1999 Panther Creek Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Regularly $39.99/Sale $29.99: The expected Oregon succulence. But, it’s the wine’s decadence we adore. There are cherries and berries and other nice things in the package. If you want to experience the Oregon sensation without spending radical money, buy this.
2001 Miner Viognier, California, $19.99: Here is top drawer Viognier at a middle drawer price. It’s elegant and poised, not heavy handed like many New World Viogniers. There are honeysuckle and peach aspects that seduce you. Many Condrieus (Viognier’s archetype) cannot match this.
Rol Roi Vintage Character Port, $14.49: Forget about Graham’s Six Grape and Fonseca Bin 27, this Port rules the bargain bracket. It’s very much like a young Vintage Port with dark fruits and richness. Remarkably complex. It begs for some Stilton.
1999 Sant Agata Ruche, Na Vota, Regularly $19.99/Sale $14.99: Absolute rarity from Italy’s Piemonte. Ruche, the grape, comes off as a kind of cross of Barbera and Nebbiolo. A bit jammy. It’s extraordinary. The price is so reduced because no one, other than us, has heard of Ruche...knowledge is power. Sort of.
Valentine Love Feast
We decry and condemn the commercialization of Valentine’s Day. This most sacred and holy of romantic dates should not be transmogrified into a crass business feeding frenzy, like Martin Luther King day. Don’t business people have any dignity any more? Golly, what happened to the “guilds” lofty standards of yesteryear?
So, as you have certainly noticed, we have never participated in any sort of vulgar Valentine’s promotion. But even our exemplary Puritanical principles can be tempted by lucre and fame. So here are some particularly slippery Valentine’s values. They may not be as stimulating as red lingerie, but, hey, this isn’t supposed to be some spirit draining debauch like “walpurgisnacht”.
M. Maillart Brut Rose, 1er Champagne, Regularly 25.99/Sale $23.39: Pink, but dry and substantial. A perfect Valentine sparkler.
2000 Mon Coeur Cotes-du-Rhone, J.L. Chave, Regularly $22.99/Sale $20.69: This is one of the most fine-tuned Cotes-du-Rhone we have tasted in days. The only reason it is in the Valentine bin is the name, “Mon Coeur”...my heart. Oh, leave it to the French.
1999 Il Coure Rosso Classico, Regularly $9.99/Sale $8.99: Like above, the “heart” in the name and label turned our foolish heads. It’s fruity and juicy.
2001 Coppo Moscato d’Asti, Regularly 17.49/Sale $15.99: Light, pear, satiny stuff with a bit of bubble. Perfect morning after wine.
Bonny Doon Framboise, Regularly $10.99/Sale $9.89 : A raspberry liqueur. It comes with a chip of chocolate. What lovers don’t crave chocolate and raspberry?
St. Innocent Blanc de Noir, Regularly $19.99/Sale $16.99: Sentimentalists, such as we, were overwhelmed with the innocence of this Oregon sparkling wine. It’s a good deal. And a wise pick to kick-off the Valentines’ evening.
Fantastic Cabernet Blends
2000 Andrew Will, Champoux Vineyard, Washington, $54.99: Andrew Will is one of the most highly regarded wineries in Washington. Their wines have exquisite balance, beautiful fruit, and complexity. Chris Camanda, the winemaker, feels 2000 was an excellent vintage and believes this is the best wine he’s ever made (which is saying something since all the Andrew Will wines we’ve tried have been very impressive). You can drink this gem over the next ten years.
2000 Phillipe Melka, CJ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, $35.99: A French guy makes this and so it’s no “grand surprise” that the wine is “Bordelais” in essence. The integrated blend of fruit, earth, and cedary spice is very appealing. Only 320 cases were made. Parker raves about Melka, so try this quickly before it is gone.
2000 La Source, Bordeaux, $82.99: Forget about Latour and Mouton-Rothschild. This is one of the new, ultra-rare “garagiste” Bordeaux. It’s made by Michel Rolland, one of Earth’s most respected winemakers. It is an astounding wine with huge extract and a heap of sensory stimulants. Only 500 cases were made, not 15,000 like Latour and Mouton-Rothschild, and it is from the exceptional 2000 vintage. Decanter magazine gave this five stars and ranked it equally to Petrus...quite a recommendation. And, in the world of Bordeaux, it’s a good value (“bon marche”).
Beer Lovers Unite—at Coaltrain!
You know we’ve always had the best wine selection in town, but now we have a selection of beers from around the world to rival any store in the state. For those folks that love beer or need to impress a beer snob, we have what you need. This includes a dazzling collection of cork-finished Belgian ales that rival some of our best wines in complexity and finesse, as well as great beers from Germany, Poland, Brazil, and of course, California and Oregon. But don’t be scared—our staff loves beer and can answer any of your questions. Here are a few of our newest and favorite arrivals:
Xingu Black Beer $8.99/6pk: This jet-black lager from Brazil has a tan, creamy head and an exotic nose of anise, fruit, and cocoa. Just looking at this beer may frighten some light-beer drinkers, but it is the smoothest, easiest drinking beer of this color we have run across. Slightly sweet and not at all bitter, this beer can be the star at your very own Carnival!
Big Easy Double Lager $6.99/6pk: Just in time for Mardi Gras, the folks at Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee have concocted a full-bodied lager with the richness and drinkability to get you into a true Bourbon Street mindset.
Castelain Blond Biere de Garde 6.49/750ml: This is the very definition of Belgian blond ales. Sweet, floral aromas drift from the thick, creamy head, and the brew follows through with a slightly sweet, fruity flavor that finishes with delicate hoppiness. Try this with lighter cheeses and fruit for a refreshing treat.
Il Vicino Wet Mountain IPA $6.99/6pk: After years of yelling, we can finally get this long-time local favorite in the bottle. Our friends at Bristol have taken on the duty of contract brewing and bottling this for Il Vicino. Not surprisingly, the brew is almost exactly the same as what we drink at the restaurant—big, rich, and very hoppy. This beer has won numerous awards around the country (as have Bristol’s) and will surely continue to do so. Take some home tonight!
COALTRAIN
Wine & Spirits
330 W. Uintah
Colorado Springs, CO 80905
719-475-9700