NewsletterMay, 2006
Tasting CalendarA three business day cancellation policy is in effect for all tastings. THE GREAT BRUNELLOS FROM THE REVOLUTIONARY VINTAGE, 2001May 30th at 6:30 p.m.The profound 2001 Barolos have been monopolizing much of the wine world’s attention lately. The 2001 Brunellos have arrived and they are just as grand as their Barolo brethren from northern Italy. In fact, some Brunello makers have stated that the 2001’s offer a new model for the Sangiovese grape of Tuscany. When you compare these to the recent fine Brunello vintages of 1997 and 1999, you see that the 2001’s contain the best of both. This said, let’s taste some of each of these vintages. We have slated a tasting on Tuesday, May 30th at 6:30 p.m. at Walter’s Bistro. The talented kitchen will prepare appetizers to match the wines. The cost per taster is $69 (plus tax and service). Due to the scarcity (and high cost) of the wines, we must limit the event to 10 tasters so please call us soon (475-9700). AN EVENING IN NEW ZEALANDJune 6th, 6:30 p.m.We’ve just gotten back from a sojourn to New Zealand and we’re excited about the wines coming at us from that region of the world. The 2005 vintage was fantastic for New Zealand’s flagship grape, Sauvignon Blanc. Both 2004 and 2005 were superb for the country’s ascending varietals…Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. We invite you to taste the best of these New Zealand bottlings. We will discuss travel through that lovely country and have a very brief (we promise) slide show. We are planning a special group trip shortly and would like to get your input on that too. The imbibing will kick-off at 6:30 p.m. at The Briarhurst Manor in Manitou Springs on Tuesday, June 6th. The charge per taster is $35, plus tax and service, and will include delectables from our old friend, Chef Chip Johnson. Reserve your seats with us, 475-9700. Good on ya, mate! CELEBRITY DINNER WITH WALTERJune 13, 6:30 p.m.Due to the ever expanding inter-galactic fame of Coaltrain and Walter’s Bistro we’ve decided to invite some of our many celebrity buddies to dinner. Among the lucky invitees are Greg Norman, Ernie Els, Fess Parker, Mario Andretti and Francis Ford Coppola... just kidding. What we are going to do is have a gourmet dinner, where the wines of these estimable gentlemen will be poured. Walter’s virtuoso kitchen is gearing up for a five course extravaganza of their most toothsome gastronomic creations. We will match a selection of "celeb wines" with this feast. "Tee time" (in honor of Greg and Ernie) will be 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 13. The cost is $85 a round (plus sales tax and service). It should be a blast. So, please come and rub elbows with the celebrities. Reserve your places by calling Walter’s Bistro, 630-0201. Wines of the Month2004 Domaine Lafond Cotes du Rhone, Roc-Epine, Regularly $12.99/Sale $10.99: No "garrigue," petrol or bumptious tannin with this Cotes du Rhone. It is an urbane gentleman. Lafond seems to be a maker way above the norm. If you have ever tasted its rose, which we carry on a yearly basis, you will already know this. We, for the first time, put the white in too and it is a remarkable success. As for the above red, it shines on its black plum fruit. It’s round on the palate and finishes with a polished little zing. For food combos, meat, poultry, and hard cheeses are possible. Maybe a thick Provencal "pistou" would best of all. If we could learn how to make that, we would buy cases of this. 2004 Gavi, Picollo, Regularly $12.99/Sale $11.69: Here’s a zesty item from southern Piemonte, not too far from the border of Liguria. Good Gavis are said to share some of the minerality of a village Chablis. You can see that here. It also offers some tropical fruit essences. There is no wood and that for us is good. By the way, it’s made from the Cortese grape. It would be an ideal spring wine on the deck or patio. As for food pairings, anti-pasti, fish or light cheeses should be fine. Also, anything with pesto aboard would be totally "bellissimo."
New Arrivals2003 Portrait of a Mutt, Sonoma, $11.99: Well, people have called us "mutty." Maybe because there is almost always a dog in the "house." Or maybe they are confusing the letter "m" with "n." Who knows? For sure, this is a delightful wine, obedient and house trained. It’s 75 percent Zin with the rest Carignane to supply some growl on the finish. It’s not a sleepy old dog, but a playful puppy. We predict this loving mongrel will win many hearts. Good dog, good dog. And this "good dog" loves pizza. 2003 Abundance Vineyards Zinfandel, Old Vine, Regularly $15.99/Sale $14.99: It is abundantly clear that this is a quaffable Zin. It’s lush and mouthfilling with nothing over the top. There is spice and fruit, and not deadly alcohol. It would be a dandy grill, pizza or chili wine. 2002 Swanson Merlot, $27.99: Elegance is probably an overused wine descriptor, but it applies to this beauty. It’s a big beauty, but like a Rubens’ woman on an exercise program. Its fruit and French oak balance is exact. It won’t smother you, but stimulate you. 2001 Markham Cabernet Sauvignon, Regularly $25.99/Sale $21.99: Not a fruit bomb. Rather it gives you tobacco and some dusty tannins. The fruit impact is perfect. It was aged in 85 percent French oak and 15 percent American oak which provide a medley of vanilla and spice. The WINE SPECTATOR deemed it worth 91 points. 2004 Siduri Pinot Noir, Russian River, $25.99: Some of Siduri’s single vineyard offerings can be expensive and, well, rather large. This is pretty, but with amplitude as well. For a Pinot of this quality, it is a clear value. 2004 Laurel Glen Reds, $9.99: Another one of the numerous wines with the word red in the name (Big House Red, Tractor Shed Red, Big Tattoo Red, etc.). This is one of the best of these "reds" because it has more flavor and depth. It’s no mindless little sipper. It’s a blend of 60 percent Zinfandel, 10 percent Petite Syrah and 30 percent Carignane. 2004 Chateau La Paws, Rosenblum, Regularly $14.99/Sale $13.99: A tasty new red from Kent Rosenblum. Like above, it’s a blend of Zinfandel, Carignane and Petite Syrah. It has nice fruit, but not as much as Rosenblum’s pure Zinfandels normally offer. There is some smoke and a dash of coconut in the nose. It’s yummy, but all these dog motifs are making us sleepy. 2004 Husch Chenin Blanc, $12.99: Summer sipper alert for this one. Not quite bone dry. But the balance between the slight sweetness and the acid is spot on. The result is utter refreshment. It would be interesting with Eastern fare or, perhaps, freshwater fish. 2004 Fairvalley Pinotage, South Africa, $8.99: As all intrepid wine guzzlers know, Pinotage is a cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault. Sometimes a Pinotage is more one than the other in flavor. Some can be pretty gamy, in need of some rhinoceros stew to ameliorate matters. Not this. It is more in the Pinot Noir ilk with some cherry fruit and a dash of charm. An easy sipper. 2004 Isabel Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, $18.99: We adore the kiwi Sauvignon Blancs. The citric crispness that characterizes these wines stimulates us beyond description.This one is perhaps the best we’ve tasted in recent months. It has the expected grapefruit dosage, but in a lesser amount than average. It wows one with its finesse, almost like a fine Sancerre. 2005 Silly Mid On, Jim Barry, $15.99: There is some Australian humor here involving cricket that we don’t quite grasp. But, we do grasp that this is one of the finest Sauvignon Blanc based whites (75 percent Sauvignon Blanc and 25 percent Semillon) we’ve tasted from that continent. Why? Because there is lime zest and liveliness. For us, a lot of Australian whites are heavy and falsely gay. Not this, it is truly happy. 2000 Chateau de Callac, Graves, Regularly $23.99/Sale $21.99: Coming from the hallowed 2000 vintage of Bordeaux. The nose is classic with some gravel, tobacco smoke, barnyard and cherry. The palate gives some cherry and some black fruits. It’s drinking just fine now. And note that wines from the 2000 Bordeaux vintage are disappearing from the market fairly quickly. 2003 Domaine Monpertuis Cotes du Rhone, Vignoble de la Ramiere, $12.99: Made by one of the most serious winemakers in the Rhone Valley, Paul Jeune.It’s an assertive wine with dark fruits and earth. It’s a remarkable accomplishment from the challenging 2003 vintage. 2002 Bourgogne Chardonnay, Jean Pascal, $16.99: If you like Montrachet, but don’t want to pay $50, this is your bottle. It comes from vines adjacent to Jean Pascal’s Montrachet vineyards. It has the minerals, complexity and acid one seeks in the Chardonnay grape and finds rarely outside of Burgundy. "Vachement le top." 2003 Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Pierre Morey, Regularly $19.99/Sale $17.99: Another sublime creation from Burgundy. Pierre Morey is a winemaker who emphasizes power and concentration. His wines are consistently superb, but never shy. Here he gives us earth, cherries, cola nuts and toast on the nose. It’s not at all thin and wimpy. The earthiness carries through on the palate. This could be the finest Pinot Noir at its price on the market today. 2004 Macon-Charnay, Manciat-Poncet, Regularly $15.99/Sale $13.99: Somewhat ineffable, but likeable. No surprise, because Manciat-Poncet is one of the most reliable makers in the Macon district of Burgundy. This is not the simple green apple Macon. It is round with stone fruit essences and some "terroir." And it wraps up with a sweep of clarifying acid. 2003 Ladoix, Domain Chevalier, Regularly $29.99/Sale $24.99: As we have tediously been harping, 2003 was a challenging vintage in Europe. But there were some good wines, particularly from lesser wine zones that normally don’t get enough sun and warmth to ripen ideally. Ladoix, in Burgundy, is an example of this line of thinking. So, here you have a fetching, cherry essenced wine that is far above the average Ladoix. Pinot fanatics take note. 2004 Lafage Blanc, Cotes Catalanes, Regularly $10.99/Sale $9.99: Talk about exotica! It comes from the Catalan part of France. It’s mainly white Grenache, a little Chardonnay with a drop of Muscat. The result is a light, ethereal wine that is almost impossible to stop drinking. 2003 Baltasar Gracian Tempranillo, Calatayud, Regularly $12.99/Sale $11.99: Named for the obscure philosopher Baltasar Gracian. The wine made us ramble philosophically, like a college senior seminar. There are red berries in the sensory matrix. It’s a wine with finesse and grip. 2004 Cipresso Vernaccia di San Gimignano, $10.99: From the Tuscan village of towers, of course. Whereas most Vernaccias from this touristic attraction are flabby and often oxidized, this is as sharp as a sword and ready to fight. It’s an energetic wine that rises above the wine torpor of its Tuscan surroundings. 2004 Can Feixes Blanc, Penedes, Spain, $12.99: One of our old standbys, but a new vintage. It comes from the highest vineyards in the Penedes of Spain (south of Barcelona). It’s a light white, but with most agreeable flavors. An ideal Spring quaffer. 2004 Vinum Chenin Blanc, South Africa, $10.99: We can never understand why Chenin Blanc has been so maligned in the popular wine world. It makes some of the finest dry, sweet and sparkling white wines. Witness Vouvray and Savennieres for two. Well, we can’t enlighten the world. With this wine, South Africa gives a dry, discrete Chenin Blanc. A sensually titillating glass. 2000 Quinta do Carmo, Alentejo (Portugal), Regularly $26.99/Sale $19.99: We’ve had this wine for a while, but not at such a crazy sale price (the distributor offered us a deal we couldn’t refuse). Quinta do Carmo is one of Portugal’s great wines, made ironically by the French powerhouse, Lafite Rothschild. It is an international style wine with vanilla, toast and sumptuous dark fruit flavors. If you like either Cabernet or Bordeaux, get this wine. There is nothing at such a price that can come close. The supply is minute. 2003 Quinta de Cabriz, Dao $9.99: Dao is to Portugal what Rioja is to Spain…the traditional homeland of the country’s red wine. This is a forceful red with some velvet aspects. It would be a good grill wine. But, of course, the classic pairing is with the Portuguese favorite, bacalhau (dried cod), which can be prepared 365 different ways according to the locals. They all taste the same to us. Good luck. 2004 Punto Final Malbec, Regularly $10.99/Sale $9.99: Stylish little Malbec from the land of the gauchos. It’s not too dark and has some agreeable spice. It is aged in 20 percent new oak barrels. And this oak is integrated intelligently. Another grill wine. 2004 Kaesler Stonehorse Shiraz, $25.99: An Australian Shiraz with subtlety and finesse. It’s rich, yet smooth. There is spice, smoke and some muted blueberry essences. In the age of Aussie rugby types, this is a lissome babe. For what it’s worth, "Uncle Bob" (Robert Parker) marked it 93. 2002 Cottonwood Lemberger, Colorado $11.99: Maybe there is hope for our benighted state (as a Gazette editorialist described it many years ago). This is earthy, yet clean, and full of character. By the way, don’t confuse the grape, Lemberger, with the cheese of a similar name. The grape is thought to have come to "our benighted state" via Austria.
Coming Up RosesSpring is here and it is the beginning of rose season. Like last year, we plan on offering a wide variety of flavors…from light and airy to full and earthy. A couple of interesting ones have arrived. They are the 2005 Yalumba Sangiovese Rose ($9.99) and the 2005 Steltzner Allison Rose ($14.99). The Yalumba Sangiovese has red cherry aspects while the Steltzner, made from Syrah, has a richer, fuller mouth feel. Both indicate what a fine rose season awaits. Also, we have the last of the spectacular 2004 Val Joanis rose ($12.99) from southern France. It’s made from Grenache and Syrah. The complexity of this wine is hard to equal. Another refreshing new "Frenchy" is the 2005 Bieler Rose, Cuvee Sabine ($10.99) from Provence. We could drink it from breakfast to bedtime.
Coaltrain’s New Wine Cellar StrategiesThe Birth and Nurturing of a Wine CellarThe IdeaHaving a wine cellar is both civilized and practical. It can provide civilized pleasure for friends and families. In a practical manner, a wine cellar can improve a wine’s taste and add to its value. So, it’s not surprising that lots of our customers are building wine cellars. Physically building a wine cellar can be relatively easy. Filling a wine cellar is the hard part. And this is where we hope we can help you. The GoalThe French philosopher/pioneer food writer, Brillat-Savarin claimed that coffee was an exhilarating drink. Larousse dictionary says the same thing, but it is a long time since coffee made us laugh, like wine. Wine has always been considered an enlivening drink. Hundreds of quotations attest to this down the centuries. To taste wine at its most "enlivening" moment might be the soundest rationale for building a wine cellar. The most enlivening moment is when the wine has reached maturity, when the wine is in its most complex and balanced state. The wines have acquired maturity, but there remain elements of youthful vitality. There is still joie de vie and hope. It’s something like a human initially moving into middle-age. Specifically with wine, it is the melding of angular primary characteristics (fruit, oak, acid, tannin and sugar) and the arrival of harmony (yes balance). In addition, as the wine further ages, new essences may evolve such as leather, tobacco, coffee, chocolate, taffy, underbrush, Asian spices, autumnal essences and innumerable other things. Of course, this is dependent on the type of wine. For instance, one does not expect a generic Beaujolais to show the evolution of a single vineyard Barolo. Cellar StrategiesWe feel that it is vital for every cellar owner to have a plan or strategy behind his or her wine collection. The wine collector must ask, "What is the exact purpose of my wine cellar?" Obviously, there are nearly as many purposes as there are individual wine cellar owners. But, one must know why they are collecting the wines so they can buy effectively and intelligently. We like to sit down and discuss the wishes of the new cellar builder. And exchange ideas. FORMULATION OF IT ALLIn general, we see four buying strategies that cover most possibilities of the individual cellarist. These we detail below. Short Term Cellars Here the collector purchases wines with the intent of drinking them within ten years of their vintage date. This is a pretty easy and effective strategy because few wines in the world today are made to improve or even last for ten years. The types of red wines that fall into this category are Pinot Noir (both domestic and Burgundy), Zinfandel, Merlot, certain Cabernets, Sangiovese, Barbera, Dolcetto, Tempranillo, Australian Shiraz, Cotes-du-Rhone and some Nebbiolos like Barbaresco. Once, Bruno Giacosa, the lauded Barolo and Barbaresco maker, told us that Barbarersco drinks best at ten years of age which is somewhat surprising for people who think it a long ager. As for white wines, California Chardonnays, white Burgundies from the Macon and Chalon, German Kabinetts, many Spatleses, should be drunk within ten years. Most of the whites from Spain and Italy should be drunk much sooner. Ultimately, ageability hinges on what the specific wine is. By judging the particular bottle you can make fairly accurate projections on its life expectancy. Long Term Cellars Here the wines are selected to last over ten years. This is both difficult and easy. It’s difficult because few wines are made to last that long. And on the other hand it is easy because the field is smaller. Beside the type of wine, of paramount importance here is the vintage. Some vintages are far more ageworthy than others. Take Barolo. The 1997 vintage is in decline today, while well made 1990 Barolos have another five or ten years of development ahead. Thus, the younger wine is fading before the older due to the vintage differences. Anyway, the type of red wines with extended lives are Barolo, classified Bordeaux, Rhone Syrahs (Cornas, Hermitage, Cote Rotie), Sagrantino (Umbria, Italy), certain Priorat (Spain), certain Douro Portuguese and, of course, Port. For whites you are mainly looking at sweet wines. Things like Sauternes, Barsac, Tokaji, Germans (Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese), certain Alsatians and others. There are some dry whites that can age a long time. In this group are Chenin Blanc based Loire wines (Savennieres, Vouvray and others), cru white Burgundies (Montrachet, Meursault). Some dry Alsatians and Germans can age long too. This brings up another point with the aging wine…besides the vintage and type, you must consider who the maker is. The winemakers make wines of different styles. Some have histories of making wine for early drinking, others have histories of making long aging wine. So all this must be taken into account. Cellars Selected According to Wine Type Most people with wine cellars have particular likes and dislikes. Naturally, they want to fill their cellar with the types of wines they like. That’s easy enough. The main question is, again, when you want to drink the wines…soon or late. Most people select some of their favorite wines to drink young and other wines for more aging. As an example, a Barolo lover might select some 1995, 1997 and 2000 wines for sooner consumption and, at the same time, obtain 1996, 1999 and 2001 Barolos for longer aging. In this way, the present and future are covered. Cellars for Investment Here the wines are selected for their potential gain in value. Only a few of the wines will be drunk by the owner. Most will be sold in auctions, over the internet or by other mechanisms. Collecting wines for investment is tricky business. When the popular wine critic, Robert Parker, was interviewed on the NPR show, Fresh Air, he was asked if he ever invested in wine. He answered, “No, I consider wine a poor investment.” In general, we agree with that. However, it can be done successfully. We advise purchasing “blue chip” wines from great, or at least highly regarded vintages. In general, these wines are classified growth Bordeaux, Grand Cru Burgundies, cult California Cabernets (Colgin, Screaming Eagle, etc.), renowned Barolos/Barbarescos (Gaja, Giacamo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa, et. al.), big name Brunellos, Penfold’s Grange from Australia, Spain’s Vega Sicilia and L’Ermita, and, also, certain sweet wines like the Sauternes, Chateau Yquem, and vintage Ports. The problem with these above wines is the old “buy low and sell high” adage. These wines are already high and it’s difficult to predict how much higher they will rise. Take Port, world wide consumption has been fairly flat of late, and thus the prices have risen at a rate little above inflation. The key to success is finding the emerging superstars or superstars that haven’t been identified by the public as a whole. Here you have to look to countries like the United States, Australia, Spain and to a lesser degree Italy. These are dynamic places in the world of wine. France and Germany are pretty tradition bound and there are fewer new wines and emerging stars. So, investment is a tricky feat. You must spend hours, as we do, pouring over the international wine press. It’s like reading the London Financial Times with your morning cup of coffee. WINE CELLAR CANDIDATESItalian
Spanish
French
American
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COALTRAIN
Wine & Spirits
330 W. Uintah
Colorado Springs, CO 80905
719-475-9700