i-WineReview

Andes Peak Wine in a Box: Environmentally Friendly and Great Value

2009-10-01T05:38:00.002-04:00

The 2008 Andes Peaks Select Chardonnay from Chile’s Central Valley is the best white wine in a box I’ve ever tasted and quite different from the dilute, saccharine offerings one often finds at this price point. Andes Peak is affiliated with the Viñedos Emiliana Company. This inexpensive Chardonnay [equivalent to less than $5 per 750 ml bottle] falls in the crisp, clean, high acid camp. If it has any significant exposure to oak, it’s in the background. And the high acidity suggests it has undergone little, if any, malolactic fermentation. But these are not faults. This wine is fresh and clean from the nose to the palate to the finish. It has a modicum of pear-like Chardonnay fruit that gives it just enough flavor. If one is seeking a sweet, oak-infused Chardonnay, stay away from this boxed wine, but if the goal is a slightly fruity, crisp and dry everyday wine, definitely consider the Andes Peak Select Chardonnay Valle Central. Box wine is a bit like screwcaps used to be—not very chic, but the Greens amongst us should like its low carbon footprint [relative to heavy glass containers] and the Consume Report readers amongst us will like the fact very little goes to waste, since the wine can easily last two weeks when refrigerated. Adding to the wine’s environmental friendliness is its certification for sustainable agriculture from the Institute for Market Ecology based in Europe. The importer is Banfi Vintners.

Navarra's Rosés Are Terrific Food Wines

2009-08-24T07:59:00.003-04:00

Rosés are magnificent food wines. Highly versatile, they pair well with a wide variety of dishes from les moules to Moroccan tangines. Today almost every wine-producing country makes respectable rosé. However, few rosés can compare with the Garnacha rosés (rosados) produced in Navarra.

Navarra’s rosés are dry wines. They are not bone dry but pleasantly dry with good acidity. Most wines (eg. Chivite Gran Feudo, Bodegas Ochoa Rosado Garnacha, and Campos de Enanzo Rosado, to name but a few), are made for early drinking and thus offer fresh, fragrant, and complex red fruit aromas and vibrant flavors upon release. Navarra rosés are generally low in alcohol and, while pleasantly fruity, are dry on the finish. The best producers achieve notable purity, elegance, and balance in their wines. Some producers, most notably Julian Chivite also craft rosados such as the Colección 125 Rosado with extended lees contact that are made for aging and are simply outstanding.

The International Wine Review recommends food pairing possibilities for Navarra rose's in its recently published Report # 18 the Wines of Navarra. If you have ideas for pairing these remarkable rosés with food, please share them with us.

Thanks,

Mike Potashnik

Publisher

International Wine Review

Tasting Notes: 2008 Riesling Hochheim/Rheingau/Germany

2009-08-17T16:00:00.006-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, of which my wife Annette and I are founding members, invited 5 winemakers from Hochheim to present their new wines of the 2008 vintage. We were at our German domicile at that time and had the pleasure to participate in this wonderful tasting

Hochheim is one of the top wine producing villages in the Rheingau region with about two dozens winemakers. Already Goethe spoke of its distinctive microclimate: '...among the magnates of Rheingau wine, Rüdesheim, Johannisberg and Hochheim, there can be no dispute about rank!...'. The Őchsle tend to be higher here than in other areas of the Rheingau. And it was the English Queen Victoria's (1819-1901) special preference for Hochheim wine that prompted the abbreviation ‘Hock' for all good Rhine wines. But Hochheim is perhaps best known in the U.S. through President Jefferson. This is where Thomas Jefferson, when he was Ambassador in Paris, visited in 1788 and brought vine cuttings back to America to plant in his own vineyard.

Hochheim is about 50 minutes from Frankfurt Airport by S-Bahn. Most of Hochheim’s winemakers sell their wine directly to the consumer at their premise, which is typical for the German wine market, and many operate cosy Gutsausschänke (Restaurants), where you try their wines and eat hearty local food.

The previous vintage, 2007, is an outstanding one. The April 30, 2009 issue of the Wine Spectator carries an in-depth review of that vintage. 2008 was an excellent year, but in terms of Őchsle, i.e. sugar content at harvest, 2008 did not match the previous year.In 2008, relatively cool autumn weather enabled grapes to ripen gradually and remain healthy. Crisp, lean Riesling wines with a fresh, fruity acidity are typical for the 2008 vintage. After cool weather in September, the Hochheim growers decided to wait until October before beginning with the harvest. For the most part, must weights reached 80 to 85 degrees Őchsle. As such, the 2008 vintage will be known particularly for high-quality Kabinett wines. It is a vintage which tends to be high in terms of acidity. The winemakers told us about their struggle with the high level of acidity, which they tried to contain through natural methods, such as leaving the grapes longer in the vineyard, and, if necessary, with chemical methods. The latter, however, has as a side effect, a foaming of the must, which can lead to a loss of aromas.

The following winemakers were present. They are all typical German winemakers with 5 to 10 hectares of land only. All wine estates present were family-owned and family- operated wine estates, often covering three generations of the family.

Weingut Dienst has a nice Gutsausschank, which is open throughout parts of the year.

Weingut Hück sells about half of its wine in its Gutsausschank, where excellent, basic food is served.

Weingut Diefenhard

Weingut Schäfer is gaining increasingly international recognition, but does not export any of its wines. Last year, the first prize in the dry category at the Best of Riesling Competition was awarded to the 2007 Hochheimer Kirchenstück Spätlese from Weingut Schäfer. (see my posting at www.i-winereview.blogspot.com of August 9, 2008)

Weingut Rebenhof is known for its special, including cultural, events at the winery. The winemaker also stressed that the Rebenhof is one of the few wine estates in the Rheingau, that has a long tradition of biodynamic winemaking.

Also present at the winetasting, as a member of the Weinfreundeskreis, was Franz Künstler, the father of Gunter Künstler, who currently owns Weingut Künstler . Künstler is one of the very best German winemakers. Weingut Künstler is one of the two winemakers of Hochheim who have ventured out to the American market (the other one is Weingut Domchechant Werner), benefitting from the increasing popularity of Rieslings in the US and in general in the world. Franz and I have been member of the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim since its beginnings 30 years ago. In the US, his wines are imported by Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, 1780 La Costa Meadows Drive, Suite 201, San Marcos, California 92078, Phone:001-760.566.0499, Fax:001-760.566.0533

We tasted 15 Rieslings, 3 from each winemaker, ranging from the Qualitätswein besonderer Anbautgebiete (QbA) category, where winemakers are allowed to add sugar to the must, to boost the alcohol level, to Spätlese wines, were chaptalisation is not allowed, but where winemakers can add Süssreserve (sterilyzed juice) to sweeten the wine. All the wines we drank had already been bottled. The presentation did not include any Auslese, Beerenauslese or Trockenbeerenauslese, as these wines still resting in the barrel. The large majority of the wines were dry wines, reflecting the large demand for dry wines in Germany, while the American consumer tends to prefer the sweeter wines, when it comes to German wines.

Here are my impressions of the 15 wines we tasted, all Riesling from 2008:

Kabinett, trocken (Kabinett indicates that it is a Prädikatswein, excluding chaptalisation. Trocken indicates “dry” without perceptible residual sweetness, never more than 9 grams of residual sugar per liter. All wines had around 7.5 grams per liter of acidity)

1. Dorothenhof, Weingut Dienst. In the upper range of the trocken category. Nice mineral flavors. No vineyard specification, suggesting that it is a cuvee from various individual vineyards. Euro 4.00

2. Wickerer König Wilhelmsberg, Weingut Hück From the neigbouring village, Wicker. Weingut Hück owns the entire König Wilhelmsberg vineyard. As the other two wines from Weingut Hück, a very dry wine, with a remaining sugar level of only 2.3 grams/liter. Mineral flavors. Euro 4.00

3. Hochheimer Daubhaus, Weingut Diefenhard. The fermentation stopped at a sugar level of 6.5 grams/liter. A cuvee from various individual vineyards, all belonging to the Daubhaus Grosslage (collective vineyard). Shows green apple and minerals.

4. Hochheimer Hölle, Weingut Schäfer. In the upper range of the trocken category, with a hint of white peach. Euro 6.50

5. Hochheimer Reichesthal, Weingut Diefenhard. Lean with lemon flavors. I detected a touch of Grüner Veltliner.

Spätlese, trocken (same as above, but higher Őchsle requirements, i.e. sugar content in the must at harvest):

6. Hocheimer Hofmeister, Weingut Hück. A bone-dry Spätlese, with a remaining sugar level of 3 grams/liter only. Shows grapefruit and mineral.

7. Hochheimer Reichesthal, Weingut Dienst. A dry Spätlese with tender minerality. Euro 8.50

8. Hochheimer Kirchenstück, Weingut Schäfer Euro 9.50. A dry Spätlese, displaying an elegant interplay between delicate fruit and refreshing acidity. Hint of white peach.

9. Hochheimer Kirchenstück, Weingut Rebenhof. A dry Spätles harvested at an Őchsel level of 95 degrees. With peach, grapefruit and orange hints. Euro 7.00

QbA, classic (QbA indiactes that chaptalisation is allowed; the residual sugar content of a classic wine can be twice as high as the acidity, up to a maximum of 15 grams per liter. The concept of classic was introduced a couple of years ago. A classic wine is supposed to be a good quality table wine that brings the characteristics of the region to the fore. Classic wines are often cuvees as the three wines we tasted and, in terms of sweetness, in the halbtrocken category)

10. Classic, Weingut Hück An off-dry classic wine, with nice tropical fruit and mineral flavors. Euro 4.50

11. Classic. Weingut Diefenhard. An off-dry-classic wine, with great character and a full nose.

12. Dorotheenhof, Weingut Dienst. An off-dry classic wine with beautiful aroma of ripe summer melon and soft citrus. Euro 5.50

Sweet wines

13. Hochheimer Hölle, QbA, Erstes Gewächs, Weingut Rebenhof. A sweet QbA and Erstes Gewächs. The concept of Erstes Gewächs (First Growth) was introduced in 1999 in the Rheingau region, imitating the Grand Cru designation in neighbouring France. The wine is from a specific area of the Hochheimer Hölle, which is 100 % Tonmergel (marly clay). Interestingly, this is a QbA wine, suggesting that the wine grower chaptalised the wine to boost the alcohol level, as it is common practice in France. Hint of citrus and green apple. An outstanding Rheingau Riesling. Euro 13.00

14. Hochheimer Hölle, Spätlese, Weingur Rebenhof. A sweet Spätlese with a remaining sugar level of 69 grams/liter. The elevated level of sweetness was produced by stopping the fermentation, which is the preferred method of Weingut Rebenhof (as opposed to adding Süssreserve, which I personally prefer). Floral, lime and peach aromas. Euro 6.00

15. Hochheimer Domdechany, Spätlese, Weingut Schäfer. A sweet Spätlese with 85 grams/liter of remaining sugar. Domdechany is Hochheim’s best vineyard. The nose was loaded with citrus and tropical fruits and the body was bold and round. Euro 9.00

Highest Wine Prices in the World?

2009-07-10T23:36:00.002-04:00

In the quest to keep pace with international trend-setters, last night I ambled over to the Ritz-Carlton in Moscow, where the Obamas stayed during their visit earlier in the week. The glass-roofed bar at the top of the Ritz gives magnificent views of the Kremlin and offers an excellent wine list, but the prices are, let us say, a bit elevated. Indeed, I don't think I've seen higher prices anywhere, even Tokyo. Here's a selected list of bottles and their prices (in dollars): Rupert & Rothschild Baron Edmond ($300), NV Laurent Perrier ($500), '01 Tignanello ($1170), '03 Opus One ($1930), and '98 Dom Perignon ($2770). Just a glass of Castello di Ama Rosato costs $30, a relative bargain! Are these the highest wine prices in the world?

Wine in Japan

2009-07-02T19:49:00.002-04:00

Tokyo is the epicurean's delight with an incredible selection of international restaurants and excellent wine shops. Japanese wine isn't very visible, however. During my stay in Tokyo I visited the YaMaYa wine shop in Akasaka. YaMaYa has a very good selection of imported wine, especially French Bordeaux, but only a half dozen bottles of Japanese wine, some of which are quite expensive and by reputation not good value. I did try a Chateau Mercian Niitsuru Chardonnay with seafood pasta and found the wine to be clean and crisp with good varietal character and tasting not all that different from a California unoaked Chardonnay. I did some internet searching to find out more about the wine and the winery and discovered that the Mercian Katsunuma Winery, which produces Niitsuru, is a large international operation that owns Markham Vineyards and Chateau Reysson in Bordeaux and began growing grapes in Japan in 1970. I also found a dated website on the winery that claims that vines are planted at a density of 300 vines to the hectare, producing 15 tons of grapes per hectare. Now that I would like to see! Another website says that to deal with the frequent problem of harvest rains the vineyard now spreads plastic sheeting over the vines at harvest time. Given the claim that 300 vines produce 15 tons of grapes, I'm not sure that's true, but it sounds interesting.

London International Wine Fair

2009-04-22T11:00:00.003-04:00

This year's London International Wine Fair (LIWF) is being held on May 12-14. It is a superb three-day event for wine professionals filled with masterclasses, industry briefings, sommelier awards and workshops. Last year almost 15,000 people attended this event which is undoubtedly one of the most important in the international wine and spirits calendar. For adventurous and enterprising wine professionals on this side of the Atlantic the LIWF offers a great opportunity to taste wines from all over the world, network with European and international producers, importers and sommeliers, and to enjoy all that the UK has to offer. For more information on the event consult www.londonwinefair.com

Mike Potashnik
Publisher, International Wine Review

Solano Cellars East Bay Winemaker Pair-Off

2009-03-29T13:15:00.003-04:00

I had the opportunity to participate in yesterday’s East Bay Winemaker Pair-Off held at Solano Cellars in Berkeley. Five small but prominent East Bay garagiste winemakers showed their wines, which were paired with delicious cheeses, duck pastrami, glazed venison, and other tasty tidbits. Several of the wines were absolutely delicious, and all were great values. This entry continues the International Wine Review exploration of East Bay wines that began with our December 11, 2008, posting on A Donkey and Goat Winery: Berkeley Garagiste.

Two Mile Wines of Berkeley, CA, showed their 2008 Central Coast Viognier ($25), my favorite white wine of the Pair-Off. It has a gorgeous varietally correct nose of white peach perfume and is beautifully balanced on the palate with a brisk acidity unusual for a Viognier. They also presented their 2006 Jacob’s Landing Cabernet Sauvignon/ Merlot ($30). The fruit for this 65/35 Cabernet/Merlot blend comes from Dickson Napa Ranch. It has an herbal cedar nose reminiscent of Cabernet Franc, but the rich, full-bodied palate is more traditional in character. This goes to show one doesn’t have to pay $50+ to get a good California Cab.

Eno Wines, also of Berkeley, showed a food-friendly, fruit-driven 2006 Pinot Noir “Never Say Never” Santa Lucia Highlands ($32), which also includes some Russian River fruit. But the highlight for me was winemaker Sasha Verhage’s 2005 Syrah, Las Madres Vineyard, Carneros ($25). This Côte-Rotie style wine is fermented 10% whole cluster and aged 16 months in 20 percent new barrels. It is opaque ruby purple in color with blackberry and cedar on the nose and a delicious, smoky palate of blackberry, cedar and black pepper. It finishes long with a distinct black raspberry note and quite gripping tannins. I can attest that this is an excellent food wine, too, as later in the evening my friends and I shared a bottle over restaurant Postino’s famous Coda di Bue (brasato of short ribs) in Lafayette.

Winemaker Chris Brockway of Broc Cellars specializes in Rhone varietals, and he showed two good examples at the Pair-Off. The 2006 “Vine Starr” ($25) is a blend of mainly Zinfandel and Syrah with small amounts of Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, and Graciano. It paired beautifully with duck pastrami. However, it was the 2006 Ventana Vineyard Grenache “Cassia” Monterey ($24) that captured my attention with its nose of earth and dark cherry that carries over to a beautifully balanced, medium-weight palate. Chris ages this wine in 300 liter French Hogs Heads, so the wood is subtly integrated with the fruit.

Edmunds St. John, also of Berkeley, showed an interesting white blend, the 2008 “Heart of Gold” ($23) blend of Vermentino (59%) and Grenache Blanc (41%) fruit from El Dorado County. It has a perfumed citrus nose and is clean on the palate with good acidity and a long, flavorful finish. Winemaker Steve Edmunds also showed his 2007 “Bone-Jolly” Gamay Noir ($19) from Witters Vineyard fruit, also in El Dorado County. At 3400’ elevation near Placerville in the Sierra Nevada foothills, Witters Vineyard is one of the highest altitude vineyards in the state. Edmunds St. John is the only California producer currently working with the Gamay Noir Au Jus Blanc. The wine is delicious and reminiscent of a first-class Beaujolais. It has a slightly candied nose of raspberries and a very flavorful, medium weight palate. This wine is lovely just to either sip or, better yet, to combine with a nice, healthy California brunch.

Finally, Aubin Cellars showed two Pinot Noirs from the Russian River Valley and a Syrah sourced from Columbia Valley fruit. The 2005 Verve Syrah Columbia Valley ($28) has good varietal character and shows unusual finesse, but the delicious nature of the Pinots drew most my attention. The 2005 Verve Pinot Noir Russian River Valley ($35) revealed earth and forest floor on the nose and on the palate, where tasty dark cherry fruit also came to the fore, finishing long and complex. The 2006 Verve Pinot Noir Russian River Valley ($35) includes fruit from Aubin Cellars’ new vineyard. It is quite different from the 2005 vintage, with lovely purity of fruit and minerality on the palate. It was one of my favorite wines of the entire Pair-Off.

Cata de vinos de Bodegas Heredad Ugarte y Bodegas Eguren

2009-03-18T13:22:00.006-04:00

El pasado Lunes 16 de marzo tuve la ocasión de visitar la Bodega Heredad de Ugarte gracias a la amabilidad de Josu Galdós, su responsable comercial en USA, y de José Luis Hilera, director de la bodega.

La trayectoria de la familia Ugarte en la elaboración de vinos se remonta a 1870 aunque es en 1989 cuando se inicia la construcción de la actual bodega en el municipio de Laguardia (D.O.Ca. Rioja - España).

Además de Heredad Ugarte, en Rioja Alavesa, también cuentan con una segunda empresa denominada Bodegas Eguren donde comercializan vinos de la Tierra de Castilla.

La Bodega Heredad de Ugarte es una instalación moderna con una decoración muy tradicional donde predominan la piedra y la madera. El subsuelo está horadado con numerosos calados donde descansan botellas y barricas. Es una bodega realizada con intención de recibir a los visitantes que se acercan a esa zona de Rioja Alavesa.

Sus vinos tienen el carácter tradicional de la zona, con frescura y facilidad.

La cata comenzó con los vinos de la Tierra de Castilla. El primero de ellos fué Mercedes Eguren Blanco Sauvignon Blanc 2008 ($12-€6), un vino con carácter del varietal, frutas blancas y de hueso, aromático, fresco y ligero. Un vino agradable para el aperitivo.

Continuamos con tres vinos tintos de la Tierra de Castilla:

Condado de Eguren Tempranillo 2007 ($12-€6); frutos rojos, frambuesas y grosellas envueltos en tonos de vainilla y especias. Fresco y ligero. Fácil de beber.

Mercedes Eguren Tempranillo-Shiraz 2007 ($12-€6), elaborado al 50% de cada variedad, con 6 meses de barrica. Aromas de frutos negros y rojos con tonos tostados y de chocolate. Fresco aunque mantiene una sensación ligeramente tánica (necesita algo más de tiempo en la botella).

Mercedes Eguren Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 ($12-€6). Fruta madura con notas de especia, pimienta negra, goloso. En boca se perciben ciertas sensaciones secantes de tanicidad que denotan poco tiempo de botella.

Tras esta primera tanda, continuamos con los vinos de Rioja:

Ugarte Cosecha 2007 ($11-€10); elaborado con 80% tempranillo y 20% garnacha. Al descorche aparecen aromas de reducción que van dejando paso a los tonos característicos del tempranillo, frutos rojos, con buena acidez. El final es bastante goloso sin perder frescura.

Heredad Ugarte Crianza 2006 ($14-€7). 92% tempranillo, 8 garnacha. Característico de los vinos tradicionales de Rioja Alavesa, frutal de media intensidad, con frutos rojos y un punto de cereza combinados con toques de madera y vainilla clásicos del roble americano.

Heredad Ugarte Reserva 2005 ($21-€12). 95% tempranillo y 5% graciano. Aún no comercializado. Frutos rojos con toques especiados y tonos tostados. Este vino evolucionará en la botellas.

Martín Cendoya Reserva 2005 ($40-€25). 80% tempranillo, 15% graciano y 5% mazuelo. Aún sin comercializar. Un vino con mayor concentración que los anteriores, compotado y de color más intenso. Al cabo de un tiempo aparece una combinación de aromas dulces y balsámicos. Goloso, con tonos de vainilla y canela.

Anastasio 2005 ($120-€97). 100% tempranillo. Comercialización prevista para Mayo o Junio de este año. Elaborado con uvas de la variedad tempranillo en injertos sobre viejos pies de cepa de pinot noir. Segunda cosecha de este vino. Color rubí intenso con matices violáceos aún de juventud. Fruta muy concentrada pero sin sensación de exceso por la buena acidez que lo compensa. Balsámico, hierbas aromáticas, toques de monte bajo. Final largo. Este vino permaneció durante 10 meses en barricas, mayoritariamente de roble americano.

Tras la cata disfrutamos de una agradable comida donde tuvimos ocasión de comprobar el maridaje de los vinos con alimentos tradicionales de Rioja.

En la fotografía:

José Luis Hilera, Miguel Reinares y Josu Galdós

The Excellent Wines and Super Values of Bottega Vinaia and the Cavit Collection

2009-03-15T19:59:00.005-04:00

This past week i-WineReview Editor Don Winkler and Publisher Mike Potashnik lunched at Eric Ripert’s West End Bistro with Andrea Faustini, winemaker for Bottega Vinaia and the Cavit Collection in Trentino, Italy and Massimiliano Giacomini, Export Manager. The luncheon was arranged by Cavit importer, Palm Bay International.

Cavit is one of northeast Italy’s largest producers of wine. It includes 11 wineries that joined forces in 1957 to collectively improve winemaking and marketing. Cavit has had a long relationship with one of Italy’s most important center’s of viticultural research, the Instituto Agrario provinciale at San Michele all’Adige. Institute students frequently intern at Cavit’s wineries, and Andrea Faustini is himself a graduate of the Institute. The estate-bottled Bottega Vinaia wines are sourced from a select group of family-farmed vineyards in the Trentino region.

Our luncheon got off to a magnificent start with the elegant sparkling wine Altemasi Riserva Graal 2000 ($36). Given Andrea Faustini’s winemaking experience at what may be Italy’s most famous sparkling wine maker, Bellavista, we had high hopes for this wine, and we weren’t disappointed. Produced by the metodo classico Italy’s version of the methode champenoise, the Graal 2000 is a rich and tasty sparkler made of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Nero. Spending 48 months sur lies before disgorgement, it offers a rich creamy palate of ripe fruit flavors, hazelnuts and nuances of toast. It reveals moderately high acidity and a rich elegance on the finish. It was also terrific with some Kumamoto oysters on the half shell some of us had for starters.

Our next two wines consisted of the Bottega Vinaia 2007 Pinot Grigio ($18) and the 2007 Estate Bottled Pinot Noir ($20). Both wines were beautifully made. The starbright Pinot Grigio showed floral aromas an minerality on the nose and a lovely, round texture in the mouth that is not often found in Pinot Grigio. The Pinot Noir was one of our favorites of the tasting; it’s produced from Dijon clones and has fresh dark cherry and raspberry aromas that carry through to the medium weight palate. This easy drinking wine has good acidity, excellent balance, and is a great value. The Pinot Noir was divine with the restaurant's tasty roast salmon.

The bigger red wines of the tasting consisted of two relatively unknown 100% indigenous varietals--the 2004 Teroldego Rotaliano ($20) and the 2005 Lagrein, ($25)—and a Bordeaux blend. Both the Rotaliano and Lagrein showed pleasant and tasty plum and black fruit flavors and were silky smooth on the palate. The Lagrein, which spends 12 months in old barriques, was especially noteworthy for its depth of flavor. Our favorite of the big reds, however, was the 2004 Quattro Vicariati ($25), a juicy blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot that displayed perfumed black cherry, cassis fruit and smoke on the nose and a silky smooth and richly textured palate black fruit with licorice notes. This is a beautifully balanced wine that spends 18 months in medium toast French oak barriques and may be the best value of the portfolio.

The final wine of the afternoon was a superb 1997 Arele Vino Santo ($90) made of 100% Nosiola, Trentino’s only indigenous white grape variety. Only 50 hectares of this varietal remain in the Trentino area. This lovely Vin Santo is amber in color, with aromas and flavors of dried apricot and is a perfect accompaniment for rich desserts and creamy cheeses. The Nosiola grapes are traditionally dried on mats until Holy Week in the spring, at which time they are made into wine. Hence the name Vino Santo, or the Holy Wine of Trentino.

These are all versitile food wines and authentic expressions of the Trentino region.

Bottle Shock - The DVD

2009-02-04T09:33:00.002-05:00

Last night my wife and I viewed the just released DVD of "Bottle Shock", the movie "version" of the 1976 blind tasting French and California wines in which the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay bested some top French competition. California also did quite well with there red wines too.

The movie is quite good for a low budget movie and it has some good DVD extras. Get out a bottle of your favorite Chardonnay and a bottle of a big Red, make some popcorn, sit back and enjoy the movie. We did.

If you've tasted any of the wines from this competition, post your comments.

Visit the Internet Movie Database for more details about the movie:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0914797/

The Washington Post's Dave McIntyre Pairs Sherry with Chinese Cuisine

2009-01-23T09:47:00.002-05:00

I was pleased to read in Dave McIntyre’s article on Wednesday January 21 “This Lunar New Year, Raise a Glass of Sherry” how he successfully paired Emilio Lusatu’s fino, manzanilla and amontillado sherries with Chinese dishes.

In the i-WineReview’s recent special report on Sherry we offered readers a Sherry and Food Pairing Chart which identifies the wide variety of possibilities for pairing Sherry successfully with different cuisines. Most wine enthusiasts don’t realize how versatile Sherry is for pairing with food, especially sherries like manzanillas, finos and amontillados .

In our chart, we recommend manzanillas for traditional Spanish hors d’oeuvres and soups like Marcona almonds, green olives, gazpacho, but also with fish and seafood like fried white fish, sushi, smoked salmon and oysters; finos for fried Serrano ham, shrimp frittata, asparagus, cold or poached chicken, and amontillados for mushroom dishes, rare tuna, grilled salmon, veal and mushroom stew, Manchego cheese and more. For real spicy Thai food or fois gras, pale and medium cream sherries are good accompaniments.

Sherry is indeed undervalued by most wine enthusiasts and is generally not well understood or appreciated. That is why the i-WineReview prepared a Special Report on Sherry with the goal to help our readers become more familiar with this fascinating wine, explore its many facets, and ultimately enjoy drinking it. In addition to explaining the origins of Sherry and how it is made, we provide tasting notes and ratings for more than 75 sherries on the market.

Thanks, Dave McIntyre. We share your enthusiasm for Sherry—and especially as a food wine.

Mike Potashnik
Publisher
International Wine Review

Affairs of the Vine 7th Annual Pinot Noir Shoot Out

2009-01-23T08:17:00.007-05:00

Affairs of the Vine, the California-based wine education and corporate team building events organization, recently completed its 7^th Annual Pinot Noir Shoot Out. This unique annual event brings together hundreds of Pinot Noirs from California and across the world for evaluation and special recognition. The evaluation of the wines is carried out by panels of tasters consisting of winemakers, sommeliers wine writers and other wine professionals. This year some 57 judges participated in the process which involved the evaluation of 267 Pinot Noirs from California, Australia, New Zealand, Hungary and elsewhere. The Shoot Out is managed by Affairs of the Vine CEO, Barbara Drady, who brings enthusiasm and professionalism to the tastings.

As a partner of Affairs of the Vine, the i-WineReview lends its technical and operational support for the shoot outs and other AOTV activities. I thus participated as one of 23 judges who were given the job of evaluating 64 wines that reached the final round of the competition. The judges met in San Francisco on January 19-just prior to the inauguration of Barrack Obama -and we completed our work in time to enjoy the inaugural celebrations the following day!! Our work was not easy-judging wines never is--but it certainly was enjoyable! By the way, the judges in this competition evaluate the wines blind and on their own and don’t negotiate scores as they often do in other competitions.

The results of the Shoot Out will be announced soon by Affairs of the Vine. Suffice it to say at this point that the competition brought together some attractive wines from producers all over the world and confirmed to me that Pinot Noir is alive and well outside of Burgundy. What was particularly striking to me was the wide range of styles of Pinot Noir being produced today in California from big Syrah-like wines to delicate Burgundian ones. Likewise, I was amazed by the number of up and coming small wineries that are currently crafting Pinot Noir. With more and more producers getting into the game, California is perhaps the most dynamic Pinot Nor-producing region in the world today.

I will be looking forward to the results of the Shoot Out. On April 5, Affairs of the vine will also hold a Pinot Noir Summit in Marin County to give Pinot lovers from the general public the opportunity to taste the top 40 wines blind and compare their impressions with those of the judges. There will also be workshops and receptions, at which wines are paired with food.

I will be particularly interested in learning whether there are meaningful differences in the evaluations of the wines between women and men judges. Barbara Drady believes there are notable differences in the way women and men judge wines. I also believe there are differences, but I can’t prove it and it sounds sexist.

Mike Potashnik

Publisher,

International Wine Review

How does the sugar get into the wine bottle?

2009-01-13T18:06:00.006-05:00

How does the sugar get into the wine bottle? -- With special reference to Germany

Dr. Christian G.E. Schiller
McLean, Virginia (USA) and Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

Dave McIntyre has written a very nice article (“How to Put Riesling Fears to Rest”) on Riesling in the Washington Post of January 7, 2009. Riesling is a rising star in the wine world and the International Wine Review plans to devote a report to the Riesling renaissance in one of its coming issues. Dave McIntyre discusses the problem that the taste of a Riesling wine can range from bone-dry to exceptionally sweet and thus consumers are often a bit lost when they see a Riesling in the shelf of a wine store. The purpose of this posting is to shed some light on why some Rieslings are sweet and others dry, with special reference to German wines.

To start, some basics, which are often not well understood, but which are fundamental to the issue: The fermentation of grape must is a complex process in which sugars, naturally present in grape juice, are transformed into alcohol and carbon dioxide by the action of yeasts. The fermentation process stops when the alcohol level in the wine has reached around 13 to 15 percent of the volume. In most cases, all the sugar in the grape is fermented by then and the wine is dry. Thus, all over the world, even in the warmer regions, wine tends to be dry. The main role of sugar in the grapes is to produce alcohol in the wine. At the end of the fermentation, the sugar is gone, converted into alcohol.

But there are exceptions. Germany is one of the countries that is well known for sweet dessert wines. These fine sweet wines are produced either from botrytised grapes or grapes that were harvested during frost, more specifically,

• the fog in the autumn mornings at German river banks produces a fungal infection, botrytis cineria (noble rot), which removes the water in the grapes and adds a unique flavor to the grape; and

• the frost late in the year also removes the water (but does not produce the botrytis taste).

In both cases, the sugar content of the grape is exceptionally high at the time of the harvest and mother nature is unable to ferment all the sugar. Thus, natural sugar remains in the wine and makes the wine sweet. These are the famous sweet dessert wines in Germany: Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein.

But Germany is also known for producing sweet non-dessert wines, ranging from simple and cheap party wines to rich and delicate sweet Spaetlese and Auslese wines. What makes these wines sweet is not the sugar content in the grapes, but the skillful processing of the must by the winemaker in the cellar. Germany’s Spaetlese and Auslese wines, as well as lower quality wines, have a sugar content in the grapes at harvest that normally is fully fermented, even Spaetlese and Auslese wines. Yet, they are often sweet.

There are two principal methods used by German winemakers to generate residual sugar in such wine: First, stopping the fermentation (skillful manipulation of the fermentation process with sulfur and temperature control, among others, which arrests the fermentation and keeps the sugar level high in the wine) or adding what is called suessreserve (unfermented grape juice) after completion of the fermentation to the dry wine. Thus, any German wine ranging from Tafelwein to Spaetlese/Auslese is dry, unless the winemaker decides otherwise. If he does so, he can either arrest the fermentation or add suessreserve. A good indication if a sweet Spaetlese was stopped or not is the level of alcohol. If it is low, the likelyhood is large that the wine was made sweet by arresting the fermentation. In recent years, adding suessreserve has become the preferred method.

German wine makers can also add sugar to the grape must. And they do. But this does not make the wine sweet. Winemakers are constrained by the law in terms of the quantity of sugar they can add and in terms of sugar content of the grapes. Only grape juice from grapes with a low sugar content can be enriched within certain limits with the purpose to bring the alcohol level to desired level. Again, these wines are typically dry, notwithstanding the sugar, if the winemaker does not manipulate the fermentation, but can be made sweet if the winemaker stopps the fermentation or adds suessreserve after fermentation..

I love the whole range of German white wines, in particular Rieslings, depending on the occasion. For foie gras, I get a ultra-sweet Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese; I like my veal breast with cream sauce and a bone-dry Auslese from Rheingau and Chinese Food with a sweet Auslese: and I serve a light, spritzy, off-dry Mosel Qualitaetswein at my summer parties.

For Dave McIntyre’s article in the Washington Post go to:

How to Put Riesling Fears to Rest

Blue Cove Wine from South Africa: Extreme Value

2009-01-09T08:02:00.004-05:00

Blue Cove is a new label of high value wines being produced in South Africa for the mass market in that country and elsewhere. Thanks to Michael Bampfield-Duggan of Wine Concepts, I had the opportunity to taste the full portfolio of these wines during my recent stay in Cape Town. These wines are also exported to the UK and US.

The appropriate moniker for Blue Cove wines might be extreme value. The wines are cleanly and simply made from Robertson area fruit so the varietal character shines through. However, costs are also kept low, so that the final product is pleasant, yet extremely accessible. Prices in South Africa are 35 Rand (about US $4) for the regular bottlings, which makes these about the lowest cost varietal wines one can find on the marketplace. US prices are somewhat higher but still excellent value.

In my opinion, two of these wines merit special attention on the basis of quality alone. Both the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve and the 2007 Merlot are very flavorful wines that could sell for a much higher price. They are wines that will complement, rather than compete with, food. As our family budgets continue to shrink, these become very attractive alternatives.

The 2008 Sauvignon Blanc is a mild-flavored wine that is seemingly a blend of New Zealand pungent gooseberry and Sancere minerality. The results is a wine that is pleasant served as a well-chilled aperitif or taken with subtly flavored seafood. The 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve is a very attractive wine with quince and minerals on the nose and a full-flavored, somewhat grassy palate with good acidity. The 2008 Chenin Blanc shows good acidity and a touch of the banana skin that often accompanies cold fermentation. The palate is flavorful with white peach and green apricot notes. The medium-straw colored 2007 Viognier has attractive aromas of sea shells and daisies with a palate of winter melon that finishes chalky and very dry. The 2007 Merlot is exceptionally attractive at this price point, with aromas of tobacco and blueberry and flavors of blue and red fruit and tobacco. The finish is very pleasant and very long. This is a real crowd pleaser that would make a great party (or wedding) wine. The medium ruby 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon shows aromas of pepper, mulberry, licorice, and Bovril with a medium weight palate showing modest fruit accented by vanilla and almond. Not a classic Cabernet but pleasant nonetheless. The medium dark ruby 2008 Shiraz has aromas of oak and vanilla and plenty of oak, and blackberry fruit, on the palate.

These are wines of exceptional quality for the price. They are not the wines you would not necessarily serve to your pretentious neighbor with his 4,000 bottle cellar full of complicated, world famous wines. But you would serve them to your other neighbors, your co-workers, and, perhaps, even your mother-in-law.

The Quality of South African Wine: Whites vs. Reds

2009-01-05T05:09:00.006-05:00

South Africa is white wine country. As recently as 1990 84% of all vineyard plantings were white wine varieties. (That percentage has decreased to 54% today.) South Africa is increasingly recognized, both in country and in Europe, for the quality of its white wines. Cape Point Vineyards in Noordhoek near the Atlantic ocean has rapidly climbed the ranks of South Africa’s best wineries—yet it produces only white wines. South Africa’s premier wine tasting—the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show, including judges Jancis Robinson and Steven Spurrier—gave white wines its highest honors.

At the same time, South Africa’s red wines are frequently denigrated by the critics. MW Tim Atkins said of South Africa’s red wines in the July 2007 edition of Wine & Spirits: “the basic problem is that too may of them achieve the unusual distinction of being both green and baked a the same time, with sugar ripeness out-pacing phenolic ripeness.”

What’s the problem with red wines? The experts offer five possible explanations. The first possibility is the high incidence of leaf roll virus, which adversely affects red grapes much more than white grapes. A second possible explanation is physiologically unripe grapes, which results in green or herbaceous characteristics that are more acceptable in white than red grapes. A third explanation may be that white wine vineyards are significantly older than red wine vineyards: 42% of white varieties are over 15 years old compared to 13% of red varieties. As a result, some vineyards may overwork the fruit of young red grape vines, resulting in wines of more power than elegance. A fourth possible explanation is that winemaking is simply better for whites than reds, which can suffer from over-oaking. The fifth possible explanation is that South Africa’s relatively hot climate adversely affects reds more than whites, which are often grown in cool climate regions and picked early before the worst of the summer heat.

There is one other possible explanation for the criticism of South African reds A growing number of wine lovers, both in and out of South Africa, believe the most important problem is that South African wine is being judged against an international benchmark which doesn't adequately recognize regional variations in wine styles. If, 350 years ago, South African instead of French wine was drunk in London, the experts today might be judging French wine by a South African benchmark and find it wanting.

Whatever the case, South Africa has dual challenges facing it. One challenge is to improve viticultural practices to produce higher quality, phenolically ripe, red and black grapes. The other challenge is to develop a marketing strategy that successfully exploits its growing reputation for high quality white wines. In a recent Wine magazine article, Jancis Robinson forcefully makes the argument for South Africa doing just that -- aggressively marketing its distinctive white wines before this "window of opportunity" is lost to Argentina and Chile.

New York Times: Sparkling Wine vs. Champagne Sales

2009-01-02T07:05:00.002-05:00

The December 31, 2008, issue of the New York Times reports that consumers are moving down market in their sparkling wine purchases in response to a deteriorating economy. More specifically, consumers appear to be shying away from purchases of expensive vintage Champagnes in favor of less costly domestic sparklers. But the December 2008 issue of the International Wine Review provides convincing evidence moving down market price-wise need not imply moving downscale in terms of quality. Not only are there excellent Spanish Cavas and Italian Proseccos at very reasonable prices, but American sparklers also offer excellent value. I suggest you try California’s Roederer Estate NV Brut Rose at $23, Oregon’s Argyle 2006 Brut Rose at $30, Virginia’s Thibaut and Janisson NV Blanc de Chardonnay at $30, and Michigan’s L Mawby Blanc de Noir at $18. All these sparklers are rated at 90 points or above by the IWR. Numerous other excellent values can be found in Report # 14: The World of Sparkling Wines and Champagne. See the New York Times article at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/01/business/01wine.html?ref=business

Wine Classification Part 2: South Africa Wines of Origin (WO)

2009-01-02T06:56:00.002-05:00

South Africa is a good example of a New World wine classification system. It defines the geographic origin of grapes but does little in terms of quality control as found in Europe. South Africa has 5 classification levels, called Wines of Origin (WO), ranging from large geographical areas down to what are called wards and wine estates.

Let’s take the newly created Hout Bay classification as an example of a WO. This is only appropriate, since the International Wine Review’s Editor is currently resident in Hout Bay. Aside from wine estates which produce wine from estate grown grapes, the smallest official unit of classification is the ward. Hout Bay is a ward, and a small one at that with just two wineries—Hout Bay Vineyards and the highly regarded sparkling wine producer Ambeloui. Next up in terms of size is the district. Stellenbosch, for example, is a WO district containing several wards Next comes the region. For example, both the ward of Hout Bay and the district of Stellenbosch are part of the Coastal Region WO. Finally, one level up from the district is the geographic unit, of which there are currently three in South Africa—the Western Cape, the Northern Cape, and Kwazulu-Natal. The Coastal Region is part of the Western Cape. To use any of these classifications on the wine label, 100% of the grapes must be grown within the corresponding WO. Ambeloui, for example, uses the WO Coastal Region on its label because its grapes are not soley sourced from Hout Bay.

What purpose does the South Africa WO system serve? There are fairly dramatic variations in terroir within a small geographic area in South Africa resulting from differences in altitude, proximity to either the Atlantic or Indian Oceans, and soil types, and the WO serves to identify these differences for the consumer. On the other hand, there are large differences in wine quality within a specific WO resulting from differences in vineyards and winemaking. As a result, the WO provides some limited information to the consumer, but the oenophile is more likely to assess wine quality and other characteristics based on the winery’s brand, or reputation, and how highly the products of that winery are assessed in Platter’s South African Wine Guide. In other words, the value of the WO designation is not much different in South Africa than it is in the US and other New World countries.

For more information on the WO’s of South Africa, consult Wines of South Africa (WOSA) (wosa.co.za) and South Africa Wine Industry Information and Statistics (SAWIS) (sawis.co.za). SAWIS is charged with enforcing the WO system.

Anthony Austin’s New Left Edge Pinot Noirs

2008-12-30T09:39:00.006-05:00

During my recent visit to California, I met up with Anthony Austin, the talented Sonoma County winemaker who is producing some of California’s finest new Pinots. Tony is currently crafting the wines at Sonoma Coast Vineyards, where he was a founding partner (the winery has since been sold) and has begun a new 1000 case Pinot project of his own called Left Edge. In both winemaking ventures Tony is focused on producing wine from the southern Sonoma Coast, a region of both challenges and opportunities for great Pinot Noir.

A UC Davis graduate in enology, Tony studied with the legendary Andre Tchelistcheff and later directed the first crush at Firestone in 1976. Firestone was the first modern commercial winery in the Santa Barbara area and, while Tony was at the helm, it won many prestigious awards for its wines. In 1981, Tony left to establish his own label, Austin Cellars, in Los Olivos and made some first-rate Pinots there ( a Sierra Madre Vineyard and a Bien Nacido Vineyard) until 1992 when the winery was sold. Today, Tony has some 30 vintages under his belt and is as passionate as ever about producing Pinot Noir.

The Left Edge project, like Sonoma Coast Vineyards, sources fruit from independent growers such as Petersen Vineyard and Balistreri Vineyard situated along the southern Sonoma Coast. This area is very challenging for growing Pinot because of extreme weather conditions—the cold of the coldest—the left edge of the mountain ranges that run along the coast. Very cold temperatures from the Pacific make for long growing seasons and difficult ripening of fruit. Yields are very low and mature grapes have low sugar levels. Yet, these same conditions can yield elegant wines with just the right balance of fruit and acidity— in the hands of an experienced winemaker.

Tony refers to his new Left Edge venture as producing the “next generation” of Pinot Noir. He does does not manipulate his wines like some winemakers do, preferring instead to follow a low impact regime. He cold soaks his fruit without alcohol to extract rich flavors without tannins, ferments in small lots (using one ton fermenters) , does punch downs by hand, and racks only once in the late spring. The wines are truly handcrafted. Keep in mind that for now, Left Edge is only a 1,000 case project, tiny by California standards—but its prospects are very promising.

Following are my notes on the two Left Edge single-vineyard Pinots tasted. I enjoyed tasting these wines and am happy to report to our readers that the i-WineReview will be reporting in-depth on the California Pinot scene in 2009.

Left Edge 2007 Pinot Noir, Petersen Vineyard, Sonoma Coast
The Petersen Vineyard is located in a cold area of the Petaluma Gap and has yields below 2 tons/acre. The wine is medium ruby in color and shows lovely fruit forward aromas of red raspberry and plum. Aged in 50% new French oak for less than one year, it displays good acidity and balance with high toned ripe fruit flavors on the palate, rounded tannins and good grip on the finish.

Left Edge 2007 Pinot Noir, Balistreri Vineyard, Sonoma Coast The Balistreri Vineyard is situated four and half miles from the Pacific Ocean and is one of the coldest vineyards on the extreme Sonoma Coast. Its yields are very low. Dark ruby in color, the wine exhibits rich and spicy aromas and concentrated flavors of red berries and plums as well as some minerality. Aged in 100% new French oak for one year, it exhibits a bold and rich personality with integrated flavors, rounded mouth feel, good acidity and just the right balance through to the finish.

Mike Potashnik,
Publisher
International Wine Review

Wine Classification: The Chianti Classico DOCG and Oregon AVAs.

2008-12-23T14:55:00.001-05:00

In the International Wine Review’s tastings and travels around the world, we always encounter the question of how to interpret the classifications of wines found on the labels of wine bottles. We encounter this question once again as we taste our way through wines for our upcoming reports on Chianti Classico and Oregon.

As the market for wine becomes increasingly globalized, wine classification becomes both ever more important and of questionable value. It is important because classification can signify unique characteristics of the wine. It is of questionable value because the reality is that some classifications are in fact meaningless and because no consumer can possibly be expected to understand and interpret each country’s classification as printed on the wine label.

Why classify wines in the first place? The answer appears to be part quality control, part history, part consumer information, and part marketing. In Europe, where a regional classification (e.g., the Chianti Classico DOCG) usually specifies the varietals that can be grown in that region as well as the growing conditions, the argument is usually one of quality control married to history. A region that has traditionally grown certain varietals and used particular winemaking techniques is, rightly or wrongly, presumed to have arrived at those varietals through some process of natural selection. The classification system is one means of preserving the results of that process.

In the New World, where a regional classification (e.g., Willamette Valley AVA) does little more than designate a geographic region with special soil, altitude, and temperature characteristics (in short, terroir), the label may say something about the potential of the region to grow quality grapes, but it neither sets nor enforces quality standards. Obviously, terroir can vary immensely within a small geographic region, which is the rationale for the growing number of sub-regional classifications (e.g., Red Hill Douglas County), especially in Oregon.

It would appear that the burgeoning number of wine classifications is driven as much by marketing as other considerations. Yet in Chianti Classico, where one could make sound arguments for sub-regional classifications for Radda, Gaiole, Castellina, and Greve, there are none.

In a world where [1] the quality of wine is determined at least as much by the winemaker and the vineyard as it is by regional location and [2] the brand name of a winery often has greater marketing pull than the name of a region, the marketing value of a regional or sub-regional classification is increasingly being challenged. After all, the ultimate sub-regional classification is the vineyard itself.

Champagne and Sparkling Wine Wine/Food Pairing Chart

2008-12-16T17:43:00.003-05:00

We were recently asked by some of our readers what food to pair with Rosé champagne and sparkling wine. For our answer, we turned to the i-WineReview's wonderful food pairing chart which is included in the newly released December 2008 report The World of Sparkling Wine and Champange. The chart was prepared by Edward M. Korry, MA CWE of the Johnson and Wales College of Culinary Arts in Providence, RI and here is what it recommends:

Dry, high acid, medium bodied rosés are best paired with some of the following dishes: foie gras; carpaccio of beef, ratatouille, grilled salmon or grilled shrimp, beef tenderloin with mushrooms. pork asado, Thanksgiving turkey and roast duck. You can also pair them with aged dry cheeses at the end of a meal.

Dry, full bodied roses and red sparkling wines go best with: Charcuterie and pates, dim sum, grilled tuna steaks, Turkey, pork with mole sauce, beef stews, rack of lamb, and rare venison tenderloin.

There are more ideas in last year's Champagne report which I highly recommend to readers.

A Donkey and Goat Winery: Berkeley Garagiste

2008-12-11T05:42:00.003-05:00

Wine Reviews and Travels by Mike Potashnik, Publisher, International Wine Review

During a recent visit to California, I stopped off in Berkeley to visit a young and highly promising winery called A Donkey and Goat. This tiny garagiste winery is owned and operated by the husband and wife team of Tracey and Jared Brandt. The Brandts learned their winemaking from Eric Texier, a négoce who produces premium wines from purchased grapes in the Macconais and the Rhone. The winery sources grapes from diverse vineyards in the Sierra Foothills of El Dorado, Anderson Valley, Mendocino Ridge , McDowell Valley and the Chalone appellation. The wines are hand crafted with attention to detail. They are terroir-driven with both personality and balance. The winery produces about 2000 cases annually and the following are my notes from the wonderful wines I was able to taste.

A Donkey and Goat 2006 Fenaughty Vineyard Syrah, El Dorado ($35) 90 Opaque ruby with attractive aromas of plum and blackberry fruit, violets and black pepper. Lush mouthfeel with ripe juicy black fruit, excellent balance, rounded tannins, and a long lasting finish. A beautiful wine.

A Donkey and Goat 2006 Three Thirteen, California ($35) 88 A blend of Syrah, Mouvedre and Grenache. Medium dark ruby purple in color with spicy strawberry and red fruit aromas. Fresh and flavorful with ripe red and black fruit on the palate including notes of pepper and spice. This is lovely and versatile wine which you would enjoy with bistro food.

A Donkey and Goat 2006 Vielle Vignes Mendocino Ridge ($37) 92 A wine sourced from up to 100-year old high altitude field blends of Syrah and Petite Sirah. Exhibits an opaque ruby purple color and aromas of black fruit, minerals, black pepper and violets. Rich and flavorful spicy black fruit on the palate with a silky smooth mouthfeel, mature tannins with some grip, and a long satisfying finish. A terrific wine that will likely improve with age.

A Donkey and Goat 2005 Syrah Reserve Brosseau Vineyard Chalone ($55) 91 Opaque ruby purple. Reveals aromas of high-toned black fruit and toasty oak. It spends 36 months in 2-year old oak barrels and is silky smooth on the palate with ripe concentrated black fruit flavors and black pepper notes. The wine reveals purity of fruit, elegance and balance with ripe gripping tannins on the finish.

Donkey and Goat 2007 Tamaraindo Rousanne, El Dorado ($26) 88 Yellow gold. Aromas of white peach with a citrus note. Rich and flavorful on the attack, with less intensity of fruit on the mid-palate, and good balance and acidity on the finish. A wine showing freshness and delicacy and is a welcome new white Rhone-style wine.

For more in-depth analysis and tasting notes on California Syrah, check out the i-WineReview’s issue 4 and issue 12..

Wall Street Journal and IWR Recommend Cava

2008-12-06T22:55:00.003-05:00

The Wall Street Journal recommends Spanish Cava for its 2008 sampler case from around the globe. In its December report on Sparkling Wines and Champagnes, the International Wine Review fully agrees. While Spanish Cava seldom reaches the quality levels of good French Champagne, it often provides extremely good value. We recently tasted a large number of Cavas, and here’s out list of the very best, including the US or European price and our score using the 100 point scale.

Can Rafols dels Caus Gran Caus Gran Reserva 2003 (EUR 13€) 93
Can Rafols dels Caus Gran Caus Rosado Extra Brut 2004 (EUR 17€) 92
Cristalino 2003 Brut Finca El Padruell Cava ($9) 90
Montsarra NV Brut Cava ($23) 91
Poema NV Brut Cava ($12) 91
Raventos i Blanc 2003 Gran Reserva de la Finca Cava ($40) 91
Agusti Torello Mata 2003 Kripta Brut Nature Gran Reserva Cava ($75) 90
Celler Batlle Gramona Imperial Gran Reserva 2004 (EUR 18€) 90
Celler Batlle Gramona III Lustros Gran Reserva 2001 (EUR 23€) 90
Maria Casanovas 2004 Brut Nature Gran Reserva Cava ($40) 90
Mont Marcal 2005 Brut Reserva Cava ($14) 90

El Placer de los Sabores Puros

2008-10-30T09:17:00.013-04:00

España es un país con una excelente gastronomía. Entre los mejores productos que se elaboran en España, el Jamón Ibérico, el Queso, y el Vino de Rioja son protagonistas esenciales. Sus sabores son puros, inconfundibles, directos.
Disfrutar de su combinación es un auténtico placer.

En Logroño, capital de La Rioja (España), existe un espacio gastronómico denominado Mesón Jabugo http://www.mesonjabugo.com/, un lugar imprescindible en una visita a la D.O.Ca. Rioja. Y allí, y en compañía de Víctor, su propietario, y de Luis, de las Bodegas Martínez Lacuesta www.martinezlacuesta.com, disfrutamos de un excelente maridaje entre dos estupendos vinos, buen jamón de Jabugo (cortado a cuchillo, obviamente) y torta del casar, un queso extremeño que, una vez horneado ligeramente se convierte en un manjar untuoso.

Comenzamos con una botella de Martínez Lacuesta Cosecha 2006, un vino con esencia de juventud, goloso en la nariz, con los tonos característicos de la variedad tempranillo (frutos rojos); fresco en la boca, armonioso. Su combinación con el jamón ibérico es excelente, la buena acidez del vino conjugaba perfectamente con la grasa que todo buen ibérico debe de tener. Y seguramente el Umami (el quinto sabor) estaba presente para cerrar el círculo de sensaciones.

La segunda botella fué un Martínez Lacuesta Ventilla 71 2005. Un vino más estructurado, con más volúmen, aromas y sabores más concentrados incluyendo compotas y jaleas. El color rubí muy cubierto ya denotaba lo que podíamos encontrar. En la boca la sensación era plena, golosa, untuosa, y a la fruta se le unían los tonos de roble francés, un poco de chocolate y especias. El queso templado, con su conjunción de sabores grasos, un poco amargos, y lácteos, realzaba aún más los sabores del vino.

El Blog de i-WineReview también en Español

2008-10-30T08:15:00.004-04:00

Es un inmenso placer para mí iniciar la versión en castellano (o español) de este blog. Agradezco al equipo de i-WineReview, especialmente a Mike Potashnik y Don Winkler, su confianza al cederme las riendas de este proyecto que consiste en, ni más ni menos, hacer de esta publicación , inicialmente destinada a los Estados Unidos, una herramienta útil para todos los amantes del vino del gran mundo de habla hispana. Estén donde estén, en USA, Latino América, España o cualquier otro país.

Espero y deseo que este Blog sea un lugar de encuentro, de charla; un espacio para expresar nuestras ideas acerca del vino, para intercambiar experiencias y, sobre todo para compartir una pasión: EL VINO, sus tierras y sus gentes.

Esperamos las aportaciones de todos ustedes y prometo responder a cualquier pregunta o sugerencia que quieran realizarnos.

Alzo, pues, mi copa para brindar con todos ustedes y con nuestro equipo de i-WineReview.com por la salud de este proyecto.

La imagen es un detalle de la bóveda de la bodega de elaboración de
Marcel Lapierre, en Morgon (Francia)

Rioja's Noteworthy Wine Producers

2008-08-23T06:14:00.007-04:00

In Report #13 The Wines of Rioja: Classical and New Wave, the International Wine Review identifies 30 noteworthy producers of classical (CL) and new wave (NW) Rioja wines. These producers are among the many outstanding wineries in Rioja whose wines are reviewed in the Tasting Notes and Rating Section of the newly published 35 page report posted this week on www.i-winereview.com. Here is the list. Let us know what you think.

Bodega Abel Mendoza NW
Bodegas Altanza CL
Bodegas y Viñedos Artadi NW
Bodega Baigorri NW
Baron de Ley CL
Beronia CL
Castillo de Cuzcurrita NW
Contino CL
El Coto CL
Cune CL
Finca Allende NW
Agricola Labastida NW
Viñedos Labastida CL
Bodegas Lan CL
Bodegas Medrano Irazu CL
Marques de Murrieta CL/NW
Marques de Caceres CL/NW
Martinez Lacuesta CL
Bodegas Muga CL/NW
Bodegas y Viñedos Pujanza NW
Remirez de Ganuza NW
Bodegas Palacios Remondo NW
Granja Nuestra Señora de Remelluri CL
Bodegas Roda NW
Señorio de San Vicente NW
Sierra Cantabria NW
Compañia de Vinos Telmo Rodriguez NW
Bodegas Valdemar CL/NW
Finca Valpiedra CL/NW
Viñedos de Paganos NW