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Newsletter

April, 2004

• Tasting Calendar
• Wines of the Month
• New Arrivals
• The Return of the Roses
• Significant Achievement Award
• The Wackiest Wine Bars in the World (Second in the Series)
• Archives

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Tasting Calendar

GIRO D’ITALIA AT LA PETITE MAISON

How would you like to taste some of the finest red wines made in Italy? Wines that come from Italy’s three supreme red wine zones—Piedmont, Veneto and Tuscany? There will be Barolo, Amarone, Brunello, and many more. We want to give you a feel for these hallowed wines, and the differences between the regional styles. La Petite’s super-chef, Pete Moreno, will prepare cuisine from each region to enhance our endeavors. This will be a formal, sit-down tasting. Wines from each region will be tasted separately. If you like Italian wine and food, we urge you to consider reserving a place. The cost is $59 per taster, plus tip and tax. The event will take place at La Petite on May 12, at 6:00 pm. Call us soon to reserve one of the limited spots, 475-9700.

June 28 at 6:30pm

ROB AND MARIA SINSKEY AT LA PETITE MAISON

Two of our all-time favorite people are coming to town. Rob Sinskey and his wife/chef, Maria Helm Sinskey, will be cruising though our ‘hood in their 1946 Spartan Traveler Trailer. Our first recollection of Rob was when he cruised through Colorado many years ago in an old Volkswagen van with a canoe on top and mountain bikes on the back. Apparently, little has changed at the Sinskey homestead! In any event, Rob and Maria will be on hand for a five-course dinner at La Petite Maison on June 28 at 6:30pm. We will be pouring the Sinskey Vin Gris, Three Amigos Chardonnay, Los Carneros Pinot Noir, Los Carneros Merlot and the Zinskey Late-Harvest Zinfandel to accompany fabulous cuisine. Several of these wines are available only to Coaltrain customers, so don’t miss this opportunity to partake of an unforgettable evening. Call us today at 475-9700! The charge for this incredible evening is $59 per taster, plus tip and tax.

WINE AND BREAD SERIES

Here’s an opportunity to taste some great wines, in a casual atmosphere, at a great price. This event will be a foray into the white wines of New Zealand and the red wines of Australia. Talk about friendly, succulent wines. We’re making this simple. Join us for bread, cheese and wine at La Baguette on Thursday, May 20 at 6:00 pm. The cost, including tax and tip, is only $20.

June 1, at 6:00 pm

RAVISHIN RIESLINGS, Volume 2 at the Briarhurst Manor

The success of our recent Riesling tasting last fall shocked us. Wine drinkers are starting to apprehend the wondrous characteristics of this grape. By popular demand, we have decided to do it again. We have lots of bottlings from the outstanding 2001 and 2002 vintages that we didn’t touch last time, and lots of the heralded 2003’s that have just arrived. These wines are as mind boggling as those at the first go around. The tasting will take place on June 1, at 6:00 pm. at the Briarhurst Manor. The charge per taster is $29 plus tax and tip. This is a sit-down tasting with delicious food accompaniments provided by Chef Chip Johnson. Please reserve you spot by calling us at 475-9700.

Wines of the Month

2001 Brigaldara Valpolicella, Regularly $14.99/Sale $12.99: Last month, we were sitting by Lake Maggiore looking across the water at the snow-draped Alps. We were in Ristorante Il Sole and were trying to figure out what to do next. We ordered a bottle of 1995 Dal Forno Valpolicella for 80 Euros. It had all the dried fruit, cherries, cocoa and spice that make it one of the most revered wines in the world. We thought the wine was a good investment. But then we got back to the U.S. and tasted this Valpolicella from Brigaldara. IT IS VIRTUALLY AS FINE AS THE DAL FORNO, BUT COSTS ONE EIGHTH THE PRICE! The maker, Stefano Cesari, gives us here a younger, more vibrant version of Dal Forno’s aged masterpiece. It is a result of Cesari’s skill, maturing vineyards and the greatness of the 2001 vintage in the Veneto. We cannot urge you enough to try this wine.

2003 San Vincenzo, Roberto Anselmi, $11.99: Don’t call this Soave, though five or six years ago it was. The appellation was just bringing Roberto down…too much garbage bottled under the Soave name. So he pulled his wines out. Actually his name had eclipsed the appellation. Roberto, a passionate Formula One fan, is a fast moving guy with courage. Few have followed him. Maybe because their wines cannot stand alone, like Anselmi’s. This bottling is often cited as one of the finest values in the world of dry white wine. “Uncle Bob” (Robert Parker) says this ad nauseam. The 2003 vintage is one of the biggest and most mouthfilling of recent years. It’s golden hued and explodes with apple on the nose and palate. No oak, but formidable body weight. Thus, even California wine fans might be able to groove with it. Gosh, we just noticed, like the above Valpolicella, this is a Veneto wine too. Maybe there is a message for all of us here?

New Arrivals

2000 Mason Merlot, Napa Valley, $19.99: Wines like this could make us Merlot fanatics. It’s not the expected “jelly belly” in a bottle. This has some earth and mineral aspects. There is substance, even some soul. Mason seems to consistently give us startlingly good wines at fair prices. We have a good Cabernet from them in the store now that is also impressive.

1999 Laurel Glen Estate Cabernet, Sonoma Mountain, $47.99: A joyous work by one of our guest winemakers, Patrick Campbell, at this year’s Dance Theatre Wine Festival. From 40-year-old vines, Patrick crafts a feral, yet stylish wine. He gives us a little earth and tobacco in the nose. In the mouth, he provides dark fruits and some vanilla. The mouth-feel is round and satisfying. Drink tonight, or hoard it for a couple of years.

2000 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, $51.99: Now this is just a tad bigger than the above Laurel Glen. It shines with fruit, leather and earth. We particularly are into the leather. It has those soft, dusty tannins that make you think of a motocross race, but not noisy. Classy, but not wimpy. Plush might be the word to describe it.

2002 Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel, California, $13.99: What a lovely raspberry/cranberry scented nose here. On the palate, the flavors of dark berries and toasted caramel blend with spicy oak. Produced from 80 to 100 year old vines, this Zinfandel has depth and zest. And, you can drink a lot of it at one sitting while marveling at what a good value it is.

2002 Moshin Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, $16.99: “Tender” is perhaps the best word to describe this wine. It’s certainly not a Gevrey-Chambertin impersonator. It’s more to the Volnay side of Pinot Noir. It would be interesting to try with baked salmon or chicken dishes. At $16.99, it is an estimable value.

1998 Clos de Gamot Cahors, $19.49: What a treat it is to find a Cahors like this that is not loaded up with Merlot. This is pure Malbec, as a good Cahors should be (though by law a Cahors needs only to be 70 percent Malbec). The six years have softened the wine and provided amazing complexity. It has a delightful velvet texture that sits well in your mouth. In ways it tastes like a very good Bordeaux.

2003 Huia Pinot Gris, Marlborough, New Zealand, $17.99: We must admit that we rarely taste a New Zealand wine we don’t like. This is a round, stimulating, mouthful of Pinot Gris. Thus you might say that it is far more in an Alsatian style than like an Italian Pinot Grigio. We’d like to pair this with spicy foods or maybe some homemade sausage.

2002 Crios de Susana Balbo, Syrah/Bonarda, Mendoza, $13.49: From Argentina, where a lot of people believe that Syrah makes a better wine than the signature Malbec. Bonarda is a grape we’ve seen before from northern Italy. But, recently, we’ve seen a lot of it from Argentina too. Anyway, this is a finely sculpted, mid-weight red that is just a pleasure to drink.

2000 Stoneheath Barbera, California, $10.99: Those of you who have feasted on the Stoneheath Nebbiolo are in for another delight. I guess what sends us about these Stoneheath wines, from Italian varietals, is that they don’t have that California “grapey-ness.” They are leaner, more true to type. When you drink this you might imagine you are having lunch at Gener Neuv in Asti.

2001 Louis Latour “Grand Ardèche” Chardonnay, France, $10.99: Louis Latour is the leading producer in the Coteaux de l’Ardèche, turning out engaging wines of impeccable balance—like this barrel-aged chardonnay, bursting with hints of vanilla, honey, exotic fruits, gingerbread and buttered toast. Both stylish and classy, this is superb “poor-man’s Meursault” at a hard-to-beat price.

2001 Fire Station Red Shiraz, California, Regularly $15.99, Sale $13.99: Sonoma firefighter John Drady has fashioned a blend of shiraz, carignane and petite sirah from Lodi and Sonoma into a deliciously complex wine redolent of blackberries and cherries, with nuances of toasted vanilla, black pepper, provençal herbes and spice. A gold medal-winner at the 2004 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, it’s what you want with beef or game fresh from the grill.

2001 Michel Laroche Merlot, Vin de Pays d’Oc, France, $10.99: This fifth-generation vintner in the old Roman town of Béziers (best-known for his line of exceptional Chablis) has produced a delightful merlot, with attractive aromas of plum and bittersweet chocolate, and a palate rich with supple, raspberry fruit and hints of vanilla. The silky finish makes it a classy red that’s ideal for lamb.

2000 Sterling Merlot, Napa Valley, $22.99: The grapes for this well-known and consistently fine blend of merlot, cabernet franc, Malbec and petit verdot were harvested from 28 separate Napa Valley vineyards, ranging from Carneros in the south to Calistoga in the north. That selection has produced a ripe, medium-bodied wine, redolent of blackberry and black cherry, with traces of nutmeg, clove, cedar and vanilla. It’s delicious anytime!

2002 Abrazo Garnacha, Cariñena, Spain, $6.99: If you are as yet unconvinced that the greatest wine values in the world today are coming out of Spain, this should help; it’s forward, cherry-cranberry fruit, underlying earthiness, and fresh, bracing finish make it perfect for casual spring and summer entertaining. At the price, it’s a must for your next creekside picnic or badminton tournament.

2002 Origin Napa Sauvignon Blanc, Gamble Vineyard, Napa Valley, $23.99: The Gamble family has farmed in Napa since 1916; the Davies family has made wine in Napa since 1965. When Bill Davies and Tom Gamble met on the first day of nursery school in St. Helena in 1965, little did they know that 35 years later they’d be turning out melt-in-your-mouth sauvignon blanc. As fans of the grape, we could not recommend the Origin Napa SB more highly; its lush, melon-pineapple fruit, well-integrated oak, and underlying acidity make for a memorable drinking experience. Robert Parker likes it as well, giving it 90 points. Only 725 case were made.

2000 Robert Stemmler Chardonnay, Sonoma County, Regularly $24.99/Sale $22.99: You can’t imagine our surprise and pleasure with this wine. Robert Stemmler is kind of a gruff , old German whose wines are normally up and down, enigmatic things. But here, he has made a masterpiece. The pinpoint balance of the fruit, oak, acid and alcohol makes you think you are drinking a fine, white Burgundy. Congrats to Herr Stemmler.

2001 Vine Cliff Chardonnay, Napa Valley, Regularly $23.99/Sale $18.99: Now, while the above Stemmler tastes in several ways like a white Burgundy, this is a touch more Californian in essence. So, it’s a mouthfilling wine with 14.2 percent alcohol. But, it has that pinpoint balance again. There are mango, toast and lavender in the nose. In the mouth you can detect peach, ectarine, spicy oak and a hit of sourdough. Rarely do you find a Napa Valley Chardonnay so well tuned.

2002 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc/Viognier, $12.99: Ultimate refreshment here. It’s floral with interesting stone fruit aspects, like peach or apricot,giving a slight impression of sweetness. Fantastic spring or summer wine. We almost picked it as our “Wine of the Month.” But we feared that might deplete our private stock.

2001 Lanzaga Rioja, Telmo Rodriguez, $23.99: I watched Telmo fill a wooden vat with the whole grapes for this wine. I asked, “But, how are you going to crush these?” “Nudo” (naked), was his glowering response. And it turns out that this is one of the sexiest Riojas we have ever tasted. It comes close to tasting great Burgundy which sometimes is crushed “nudo” too. We also have Telmo’s special Lanzaga Altos ($67.99) and his “G” from Toro ($47.99). They are all 2001 vintage which is the best since 1982.

2002 Big Red Moose, California, $8.99: We seem to have at least 10 wines with red in their names…Big House Red, Tractor Shed Red, Reds, Firetruck Red, etc. So why not another? This one is somewhat “moose-ish,” meaning it has a fairly large body. Well, at least it’s not some fruity, little, prairie dog. It’s a good value.

2001 Laurel Glen “Reds,” California, $8.99: Another of our “red” theme wines. A witches brew of Zinfandel, Carignane, Mourvedre and Petite Syrah. Somehow this fusion of varietals works. It’s spicy, zesty stuff. Check it out with baby back ribs on the grill.

The Return of the Roses
(It’s a seasonal fling)

Unless you live on Mars, you’ve probably heard of our fulminations praising dry roses all too many times. But, with the arrival of spring, we once again find ourselves longing for roses. We’ve just received a couple of great 2003’s from France, where many of the best roses made. They are fat and fragrant, not as dry as the 2002’s. This is due, of course, to the torrid weather in France last summer. If you like them drier and zestier go for the 2002’s.

2003 Bonny Doon “Ca’ del Solo” Big House Pink, $9.99: Randall Grahm seems to have put almost every red grape varietal grown in California in this rose. It works. It has a fetching cranberry/mandarin nose and sprightly flavors. It seems very close to bone dry. All it needs to provide ecstasy is a deck with some comfy lounge chairs and an 80 degree afternoon.

2002 Domaine de Grande Foucaudiere, Touraine-Amboise Rosé, Loire, $9.99: Talk about finish! This goes on for a minute and it is a rose! Obviously, it’s a Loire product from the profound 2002 vintage in that region. As you’d guess, it is made from Cabernet Franc. The sensory elements are somewhat cherry/raspberry/cranberry, but there is something ineffable in there too. One of the best roses we’ve tasted in a couple years.

2003 Commanderie de la Bargemone, Couteau d’Aix en Provence, $12.99: Ah, Provencal rose on a sultry afternoon, shaded by some “cedres,” on a terrace overlooking a harbor, like say the one at Cassis. With this wine, you can get there from a deck in Colorado Springs. It’s full bodied for a rose and rather mouthfilling. How about some “ratatouille” to accompany it, or maybe some anchovies?

2002 Caves des Papes Rose, Cotes de Rhone, $10.99: Here’s a dry one with a snappy finish. It’s a little more cranberry than strawberry, an essence of Grenache.

SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

2002 Rully, 1er Cru Gresigny, Paul Jacqueson, $28.99: This might strike you as a touch spendy for a Chalonnaise Burgundy. It did us, until we tasted it. THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST PERFECT RULLY WE HAVE SEEN. The purity of Chardonnay fruit here is beyond description. But, we’ll try…there is mineral, flint, citrus and steel. The finish is almost eternal. This is as good or better than many of the big guys coming from Chablis, Meursault and Puligny-Monrachet. “Chapeau” to Monsieur Jacqueson. This is a significant achievement.

The Wackiest Wine Bars in the World (Second in the Series)

SEMIDIVINO, THE MOST POLITICALLY INCORRECT WINE BAR ON EARTH

Rome—You never know what kind of mood Farshid Nourai will be in when you push through the door of his “enoteca” (wine bar) on Via Alessandria, 230. He ranges between exultant to gloomy. “Manic” is perhaps what he’d be labeled in America.

One might say that this is typically Italian…laughing one moment, crying the next. But the problem is that Farshid is not Italian. He’s Persian (he never calls himself Iranian). And could be the source of the “political incorrectness” cited in the title of this report. Right off the bat, he is a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause and donates large amounts of money to various Palestinian organizations. Some Americans of particular religious or political persuasions might find this unsettling. It doesn’t bother me, though when a helicopter passes over the place I flop under the table, fearing Israeli intelligence has tracked Farshid down.

It might seem slightly incongruous that an Islamic person would sell alcohol and be a certified sommelier. “Oh, I’ve been drinking wine since a child,” he explains. “You know that we Persians are not as primitive as you Americans think.”

He loves to quote Omar Khayyam, who “would divorce old barren Reason from his bed, / And wed the vine-maid in her stead.” He has many Khayyam quotes and witticisms that are far more difficult to grasp than this, particularly in the Italian version.

As far as his wine selection goes, Farshid is strictly contrarian. You don’t see any WINE SPECTATOR selections on his shelves. You don’t see many foreign “trophy wines” there either. No, he likes to poke around Italy and dig up new and different wines. A couple years ago he was on a big Umbria kick and we sat around drinking some classic Sagrantinos and new style Pinot Noirs from that region, north of Rome. His latest love is southern Italy (Basilicata, Calabria , Campania and Puglia) and its emerging wines.

From the developing wine zones, Farshid doesn’t demand traditional styled wines. How could he? However, from older, developed wine zones he prefers the traditionalists. Take Piemonte. The only modernist he accepts is the Barolo maker, Luciano Sandrone. The traditionalists like Beppe Rinaldi, Bruno Giacosa and the Conternos are more to his liking. From Tuscany, he’s not much of a “Super Tuscan” aficionado. He goes more for the old style Brunellos and Chiantis, if he can find any.

He did a small holiday tasting for his clients last Christmas to celebrate the holiday and 15 years of Semidivino existence.

The menu…

Caviale Asetra Iraniana (Iranian caviar)
Zuppa di Legumi e frutti di Mare (Vegetable and seafood soup)
Salmone Sokeye Selvaggio (Wild Sockeye Salmon)
Dessert

The accompanying wines…

Franciacorta Brut, Ricci Furbastro
Phillippe Landreat Brut Tradition, 1er Cru
2002 Moscato della Pantelleria, Murana

This little tasting is quintessentially Farshid Nourai. Look at the food menu. You note that he must get Persian (Iranian) caviar in the mix. The soup is fairly standard. But then he opts for wild, line caught salmon, rather than farm raised salmon. And as I far as I know, there aren’t a lot of wild salmon cruising the Mediterranean waves. So this must come from afar.

Now check out the wines. It is a sensible selection, but it definitely has the “Farshid factor.” Certainly the Franciacorta Brut from Lombardy is a sound beginning. But, when you have excellent and well known Franciacortas from Cal del Bosco, Bellavista, Cavalleri, why did he choose the relatively unknown product from Ricci Furbastro? And is he totally attempting to perplex his diners with the Landreat French Champagne? I’ve never seen it in France, let alone Rome. And, doesn’t everyone finish off their meal with the sweet dessert wine from the volcanic island of Pantelleria, made by the world famous Murana family? No, Farshid will never be politically correct.

When I go to Semidivino I usually arrive at the opening hour, 8 p.m. I’ll order a salad or, maybe some “carpaccio” from Farshid’s brother. Farshid never arrives before 9 p.m. A couple cups of Prosecco or Brut Spumante will suffice ‘til he shows up.

Usually, when Farshid saunters in, all the tables are occupied. He will take about 15 minutes exchanging greetings and wisecracks with various customers. After, he will pull up a chair at our table and ask, “What do you want to try?” We always leave that to him. “Well, I have something very, very interesting now.”

Indeed, he always has something interesting. And this bottle will invariably lead to several other bottles and in two hours the table will hold a thicket of glasses and half-filled wine bottles.

By then, the 30 seat bar will be ringing with voices. Things get kind of “communal,” meaning that tables and chairs will have moved together and one, huge conversation will fill the place. Farshid becomes the moderator and delights in “stirring the pot.” With a woman lawyer and journalist, who he identified as feminists, he will debate the role of feminism in the coming android world. With a senator, he will argue the ethics of President Berlusconi’s regime. With a movie critic, he will spar over a review of the new Salvatores’ movie, “Io Non Ho Paura.” Everyone is welcome to offer their opinions on any topic.

After a half hour of this, he leans toward me and whispers, “Let’s go.” We find his Fiat and drive over to another wine bar, Trimani. It’s several blocks away. There, Farshid doesn’t have to “work.” And Trimani has the other advantage of having a handsome woman (the owner’s daughter) for Farshid to flirt with.

This has been going on for years. Last year I summoned the courage to ask him how he could continue pursuing this woman when he is a married man?

His response, “We Persians are allowed many wives. We are not as primitive as you Americans think.”