Newsletter
August,
2003
- Wines of the Month
- Super Sale
- Sinsky Sale
- 2002, The Loire’s Luscious Vintage
- Coaltrain’s “House Champagne”
- South African Mini-Safari
- Restaurant Alert
- New Arrivals
- Archives
Wines of the Month
1999 Domaine de Fontsainte Corbiere, Reserve les Demoiselles, Regularly $14.99/Sale $10.99: Just another amazing find by the Berkeley wine wizard, Kermit Lynch. The wine is dark and mouthfilling, but it is no “gros rouge’” like you too often encounter from this part of southern France. Sure it’s big, but it has grace. There is an incredible dried fruit, toast and “herbs de Provence” interplay in the nose. The palate is dry and smooth with ripe fruit flavors. It’s a wine you would love to pull out of your cellar that is at its apex of gustatory pleasure. And you didn’t have to age this one yourself. The price is beyond belief.
2001 Theo Minges, Flemlinger Bischofskrenz Riesling, Pfalz, 11.99/liter: Okay, so we are getting in a rut, i.e., the vintage before of this was “wine of the month” too? But this is so good, we cannot resist. It’s refined and refreshing, like biting into a cool, Granny Smith apple. It will show you why Riesling is the greatest white grape in the world. And, at $11.99/liter, this is one of the world’s most formidable wine values.
Super Sale
2001 Lange Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, Regularly $17.99/Sale $15.99: What a deal here. At $15.99 you get the juicy Pinot flavors that Oregon has become so famous for. And it’s not so heavy that you can’t enjoy it on a warm evening.
2001 Andretti Chardonnay, Central Coast, Regularly $10.99/Sale $7.99: Yeah, we could hardly believe the price either. It’s a tasty, straight-ahead Chardonnay with some creamy oak and balancing fruit. It’s a good candidate for parties or as your own “house white.”
2001 Charles Creek, Miradoro Merlot, Regularly $21.99/Sale $19.99: The “sameness” in the world of Merlot is boring. We like differences in all things and this is a little bit different. It has a wonderful cedar component in the bouquet and the rich black fruit and tabacco flavors are very intriguing. Plus, it has good depth and drinks well now. Please note that this wine just won a gold medal at the California State Fair. And it was also cited as “best Merlot at any price.” Don’t miss this one.
2001 Charles Creek Chardonnay, Vista de Halcon, Hawk Hill Vineyard, Regularly $21.99/Sale $19.99: We like this chardonnay. The winemaker describes it as having “bright fruit flavors, yet a soft butter roundness on the finish.” And, it is admirably equilibrated, i.e., the fruit, oak and acid are in balance. Oh, it’s a beautiful world at Charles Creek.
2000 Kunde Century Vines Zinfandel, Sonoma, Regularly $25.99/Sale $21.99: It’s amazing what concentration and depth of flavors 100-year-old vines can give to a wine. More people in California ought to try it, rather than pulling the vines up at 20. This is one of the most delicious Zinfandels we’ve tasted this year.
Sinskey Sale
Rob Sinskey is one of our favorite California characters (and winemakers). He makes solid, delicious wines without the fuss and bluster of others. Pinot Noir is kind of his personal favorite, but he makes lots of other wines too, even a vin gris (Pinot Noir rose) that is great, but rarely seen in Colorado. For some fortuitous reason, we have had the opportunity to pick up some of his latest red releases (Pinot Noir and Merlot) at most attractive prices which we are passing on to you. We want you to have the opportunity to experience these wines that are now relative bargains. Here’s what we’ve got…
2000 Robert Sinskey Merlot, Napa/Carneros, Regularly $29.99/Sale $19.99: Impressive grip and balance. No fruity little thing. It’s something you can think about for a while. There’s lots of flavor here —dark fruit and spice with a nice touch of oak.
2000 Robert Sinskey Pinot Noir, Napa/Carneros, Regularly $29.99/Sale $19.99: One might, perhaps, call this benchmark California Pinot Noir. It’s pretty big, but has some style and chic too. It doesn’t overwhelm with fruit as some of the Oregonians and lacks the “baissez ma fesse” aspect of French Burgundy.
2002, The Loire’s Luscious Vintage
Oh what a glorious vintage in the tranquil valley of the Loire. Only a handful of the whites from that river valley, France’s longest, have been released, but they have sent us to the moon. It also should be interesting when the Loire reds come, in a year.
2002 Quincy, Jean Tatin, $14.99: Incredible body-weight and smoothness for a Sauvignon Blanc based wine. Likely, the finest Quincy we’ve ever tasted.
2002 Touraine Sauvignon, Guy Mardon, $9.99: Likely the finest Touraine Blanc we’ve tasted. Again a lot of body-weight. A bit more forceful than the Quincy above with very crisp acidity. A notable value.
2002 Muscadet, Bonnet-Huteau, $11.99: Muscadet can be awfully thin. Not this. Again, reflecting the great vintage, there is formidable body-weight and smoothness on the palate. Break-out the oysters or sea urchins.
Coaltrain’s “House Champagne”
We love Champagne. Unfortunately the prices are waxing and the quality waning, particularly at the big-name Champagne houses. But, as with most things in life, if you look hard you might find something good and fairly priced (other than love, of course). And we found exactly this with GASTON CHIQUET’S BRUT TRADITIONAL CHAMPAGNE. This is a remarkably lively and refreshing Champagne. It possesses both delicacy and finesse. We think you would have to pay around $50 a bottle for this quality. Now guess the price? IT’S ONLY $29.99! Well, it’s regularly $39.99, but we bought a pile of it to get the price down. If you like bubbly, get some soon. We have only six cases left.
South African Mini-Safari
Outside, La Petite Maison’s flagstone terrace simmered in the midsummer sun. Inside, embraced cozily by rose-hued walls, 16 guests relaxed in cool comfort, their glasses shimmering with South African wine. As we delved into the white flight of the night—a crisp chenin-sauvignon blend, a toasty sauvignon blanc, and a spicy gewurztraminer—Master of Wine Peter Koff regaled us with his adventures on the South African wine route. Over the ensuing hours, the flavors borne both of kitchen and vineyard flooded our palates, producing a cornucopia of savory delights. And the standouts of the evening? With each of the nine wines (including superb cabernets, merlots, a shiraz and a late-harvest chenin) showing so well in the company of “The Little House’s” exquisite cuisine, who could choose? Let’s just say that you don’t want to miss out on our next food-and-wine safari!
Restaurant Alert
Eating When You Are Hunting Down Port
Porto, Portugal—For the peregrinating gourmand, eating in Portugal can present some challenges. It’s that old challenge of repetition and ponderous volume, like in America. The country’s kitchens pride themselves on their ability to prepare dried cod 365 different ways. Some of these ways are certainly most agreeable, but not everyday of the year. And, like any hardworking people, the Portuguese require great volumes of food. This is fine if you are working in the vineyards or fishing on the high seas. But, if you are a tourist tasting wine and driving around in a rental car, it is a bit of a caloric overload.Actually, 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 cite 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 in Africa, the East and South America. These explorers brought back far more from their journeys than pepper and cinnamon.
There are several traditional dishes that you will find in restaurants from the most humble to the grandest. There is the aforementioned dried cod (“bacalhau”) which might be called Portugal’s national dish. Of the 365 different ways of rendering the aromatic the one I like best is in a casserole, in cream sauce with potatoes, olives, onions and hard boiled eggs.
Another popular dish from the sea is “lulas” that are prepared many ways to. Sometimes they are grilled on a brochette. And sometimes they will be sautéed and offered in an orange sauce.
The Portuguese are justifiably proud of their pork. Again the preparations are numerous. One of the most traditional is a stew called “Rojoes a Tras-os-Montes,” that comes from the mountains, near the Spanish border.
Also, Portugal produces two world class cheeses. One is the soft-ripened “Queijo da Serra, the other a harder “Queijo da Serpa.” A piece of either with the fine Portuguese breads (some made from corn meal), is a meal all alone.That is a brief and basic introduction to Portuguese. There is of course much, much more. It must be pointed-out that when I was assaying the restaurants in the Port region, I was not looking for the most traditional food purveyors. Rather, I was looking for chefs that drew from tradition and created upon it. This is what you see in all the finest restaurants in France, Spain and Italy.
I found three restaurants that did this artfully—Bull and Bear, Tonho, and Vintage House. They took Portugal’s stretched and primed gastronomic canvas and painted beautiful pictures.
Three of the Port Zones Top Restaurants
Porto
Bull and Bear: Though slender by chef’s standards, young Miguel da Silva is a natural born cook. He is a cook with imagination and sensitivity. He says, “The starting point is the flavors. So I must work with the finest materials.” And boy does he provide the flavors—delicate, intricate flavors. Consider some of the offerings off his tasting menu (actually I asked him to prepare whatever he wanted). First up was an octopus terrine that was tender, not salty and delicate. Next was a tepid shrimp fettuccine in vinaigrette sauce, where the sauce was so mild that the shrimp appeared fresh from the sea. Then came a plate of delicate hake in olive oil. This was followed by a filet of fresh cod in a black olive vinaigrette with a slab of cornbread atop. The vinaigrette and cornbread made the normally plebian codfish shine. Course number five (I wasn’t the least full) was clams and red beans, (kind of traditional here), but with the usual da Silva style and grace. The last course, before dessert, was a pork loin garnished with chestnuts. Again this comes from the traditional Portuguese cookbook, but rarely have I eaten such tender pork in this land. Various fruit tarts and cakes awaited on the dessert table to wrap things up. If the almond cake is available, get it. I ate here twice and both times were extraordinary. I have only had meals of equal quality at the Fortaleza in Praia do Guincho (overseen by Antoine Westermann of Beurehiesel in Strasbourg, France, which holds three Michelin stars). But still life is not easy for Senhor da Silva in Porto. He said, “In general the Portuguese don’t understand my food. It has been called French in media reviews. I think because the portions aren’t huge and there are not enough recognizable dishes.” Not to fret, I witnessed many English, German and some Portuguese appreciating his cuisine. In fact, he was recommended to me by a Portuguese winemaker. Also to his credit, he was in the running to revamp the gastronomic shrine Tavares in Lisbon. Bull and Bear is located at Av. da Boavista 3431, phone 22 610 76 69.
Tonho—Perhaps some might disagree with my assessment of this restaurant’s food, but no one will argue the dining room and view across the Douro River to the Port Lodges of Vilanova de Gaia aren’t sublime…one of the greatest views in the world of wine and travel. Oddly the décor of Bull and Bear and Tonho are somewhat similar…cool, modern. The portions, in Portuguese tradition, are large. The cover offers items like prawns, stuffed peppers and pickled octopus are meals by themselves. I dare any one human to eat the house codfish casserole. Other dishes more French-like are the sole in rolls, stuffed with small shrimp and mussels in white wine. You don’t need to be a Sumo wrestler to down those. If you have an ounce of room in your stomach, get the chocolate cake (“Bolo de Cenoura e Coco”). Chef Domingo has done an admirable job transforming Portuguese cuisine into something a foreign gourmand can get gushy about. Tonho is located at Cais da Rebeira 9, phone 22 200 43 07.
Pinhao
Vintage House—This is the heart of the Port zone with the meandering Douro river and the steep, vine-clad hills. The restaurant/hotel sits right on the river. Several “barcos rebelos,” the graceful boats that used sail Port down the river to the lodges in Vilanova de Gaia, are parked on the quay outside the building. At one time, Vintage House was a Port “quinta” (it has only been in business since 1998). The feeling is totally British with wood everywhere and high, coffered ceilings. The dining room is a touch dark, but comfortable with a huge fireplace crackling away on one wall. What comes out of the kitchen is extraordinarily tasty. They specialize in regional dishes. So you see offerings like roasted kid, fresh water fishes (carp, barbell, achega and eels), wild game (partridge, rabbit and boar) and smoked meats. I had a spring vegetable soup, topped with a quail’s egg and grilled veal filets which were juicy and tender. I washed this down with a stupendous Fojo Douro red, made by Margarida Borges, in the hills over town. By the way, the selection of Douro wines and Ports here is, as one would expect, immense and fairly priced. I sauntered away from the table to my room feeling that life was finally just. Vintage House is in the middle of the village of Pinhao. The phone is 254 75 02 30.New Arrivals
2002 Estancia Pinot Grigio, California, $12.99: The winery has released this in Colorado as a test market. It tested pretty good. Due its traditional basket pressed production, it is soft, yet lively. It has pure Pinot Gris flavors. We doubt the rest of America will “get” this, but we are impressed.
2000 Equilibrio Sauvignon Blanc, Chile, $11.99: With little doubt, this is the finest Sauvignon Blanc we have tasted from that long, skinny land. You can’t really compare it with French or New Zealand “SBs.” But the word equilibrated (English for “Equilibrio”) is accurate. Only 570 cases were made.
2000 Ai Suma Barbera d’Asti, Giacomo Bologno, $74.99: Yeah, the big, bad boy. Giacomo Bologno’s legacy (he passed-away several years ago, from liver cancer). There is chocolate, raspberry, cola nut and toast. Maybe, just maybe, one of the greatest Barberas ever made.
2001 The Prisoner, Orin Swift, $28.99: Any wine with a Goya painting on the label gets us so very excited. Especially if it’s one of Goya’s black period works. We think we are in the Prado again, waiting to go to a “taberna,” to get looped over lunch. This wine is made from five different varietals and, “si,” it is worthy of a Goya painting. It has aromas of blackberry, pepper, and smokey oak and a mouthful of dark fruit, plum and cherry flavors with a smooth , lingering finish. Only 800 cases were made. Our staff loves it.
Cesari Lambrusco, $7.99: Now you are going to think that we have finally and permanently “lost it.” You read correctly…Lambrusco. Like what Riunite has inside. But believe us, this is delicious. It’s so grapey and refreshing, with a dollop of CO2. Serve it ice cold and you will be “contento.”
2000 Bourgueil, Domaine de la Chanteleuserie, $12.99: So French…perversely fine. Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley, “mes amis.” It has this funky, earthy, herbal nose that disguises its velvety flavors. We adore this wine .
2001 Humanitas Chardonnay, Edna Valley, $13.99: Here’s a guy, Judd Wallenbrock, who is either financially suicidal or the new Mahatma. He is donating all the profit from his winery to charities, in particular, Habitat for Humanity, America’s Second Harvest and Reading is Fundamental. Now, of course, we’re talking the profits of his winery, not the whole income. Beside the nobility of his cause, the wine is a remarkable value for the price. If you like Chardonnay, you should enjoy this, wherever the profits will end-up.
2001 Amon-Ra Shiraz, Barossa, $46.99: Wow! This is massive, all consuming hedonism in a bottle. Even Parker was awed by it, scoring it 94 points.
2002 Bodegas Lurton Torrontes, $6.99: If you are looking for a bargain “summer white,” this is it. It’s basically dry with substantial body and flavor. The grape is Torrontes which is a kind of Argentinean specialty, like Malbec
2001 Willamette Vineyards Riesling, $8.99: You could be fooled to believe this is a fine German Kabinett or Spatlese. It’s that good. It’s light and fragrant with apple and peach flavors on the tongue. And it’s a pretty good deal, too.
2001 Martin Ray Angeline Chardonnay, $9.99: A lovely, little Chardonnay here. It charms you with pear and citrus essences. No oak and toast bluster with this one. We prefer it over many $20 Chardonnays we have recently tasted.
COALTRAIN
Wine & Spirits
330 W. Uintah
Colorado Springs, CO 80905
719-475-9700