Jacques Pelvas Blanc de Blancs Brut NV Review Date - 12/1/2009 Score - 87 Tasting Note: Tug along to a party that will serve robustly flavored foods a bottle (or perhaps a case--it’s affordable) of this sparkler from France. All done up in traditional dressing and closure, the wine shows a pale gold color. Aromas offer a tangle of aromatic fruits, some Asian pear apple, a hint of ginger, while on the palate, the wine presents a spicy golden fruit character. The finish is quite persistent, with fruit lingering on the palate a good full minute. Good acidity leaves the palate clean and promises good food companionability. Modest alcohol, about 11.5%. Bubbles are reasonably small, although the mousse is not especially enduring. Serve chilled, about 45ºF/7-8ºC, and use flutes, even if they’re cheap ones or (horrors) plastic. Well-seasoned foods: Asian fare, wings, cocktail taquitos, teriyaki chicken skewers; cocktail potatoes with sour cream, smoked salmon and chives; salt-and-pepper shrimp, dim sum; cold noodles with peanut sauce; spicy chicken or seafood dishes; shumai (Japanese dumplings) filled with pork, Ponzu dipping sauce; gyoza (Korean dumplings) filled with pork or chicken; Chinese barbecue; fried chicken fingers with honey mustard sauce Big Boat $11.00 Lucien Albrecht Cremant d'Alsace Brut Review Date - 12/1/2009 Score - 88 Tasting Note: The term “crémant” once was applied to a particular style of sparkling wine. But as Champagne producers sought to govern Champagne producers’ protection of the term Champagne, crémant became the norm for traditionally made sparkling wine produced outside of Champagne--namely in Alsace, Burgundy, Bordeaux, and elsewhere. Here is a fine value sparkling wine that delivers a lot of value for the money. Made from Pinot Blanc and Pinot Auxerrois, the wine is a medium-bodied, pale gold sparkling wine with a fine bead. Delicate fruit aromas greet the nose, with fresh fruit accents of pear and light citrus. The bead is small and persistent. On the palate, the wine is elegant, refined and refreshing, with a long finish that shows good acidity. Fine balance. The grapes are entirely from Orschwihr in southern Alsace. Serve at 45-50ºF/7-10ºC. Previously reviewed here, the Lucien Albrecht brut rosé is stellar. Foods: Baked fish, seafood, light appetizers (tiny crab cakes; small savory tarts; walnut-sized potatoes stuffed with potato, sour cream and chive); cream soups; poulet à la crème. Not for caviar. Atlanta Wholesale Wine/NDC $20.00 2006 Konzelmann Estate Winery Pinot Blanc-Weissburgunder Off-Dry Review Date - 12/1/2009 Score - 89 Tasting Note: A winery that started out over 100 years ago near Stuttgart, Germany, in the 1980s found itself re-established on the shores of Lake Ontario, where the fourth generation of the family has continued the winemaking tradition. Other than ice wines, it’s rare to find a Canadian wine in these parts,, although I remember buying routinely the Inniskillin Chardonnay years back. The wine shows a medium pale gold color. Lively fruit aromas recall exotic apples (Fuji/Gala/Braeburn), a sensation that leads to the palate’s ripe, rich, juicy fruit character, dominated by pear and apple characters, and underpinned by good minerality and acidity. For the latter two reasons, the wine does not taste particularly sweet, despite the “off-dry” on the label. The finish lingers, keeping the fruit active on the palate and allowing the minerality to take over at the end., when a chalky earthiness emerges. Like biting into a crisp exotic apple. What residual sugar there may be contributes mostly to the roundness of the texture. Both 2006 and 2007 vintages are in stock. Serve not too cold, about 55-60ºF/14-15ºC. Foods: chicken fingers with honey-mustard sauce; lemon-pepper anything; pork with sautéed apples and onions; light curry chicken or shrimp salad; chicken thighs roasted on a bed of onions and garlic; roast turkey breast with apple stuffing (hold the sage); baked apple or Vidalia onion stuffed with sweet potato purée; ravioli stuffed with butternut squash or pumpkin, butter sauce, toasted pine nuts Ultimate Distributors $14.00 Pol Roger Rich Champagne Review Date - 12/1/2009 Score - 90 Tasting Note: Pol Roger is the Champagne house that kept Sir Winston Churchill in fighting form throughout the difficult war years. He named a race horse “Pol Roger.” And in turn Pol Roger named a wine after Sir Winston following his death. This non-vintage “Rich” Champagne was not around when Sir Winston was singing the praises of this fine, old Champagne House. With 34 grams/liter of sugar in the dosage, this is not a Brut. Instead, it’s somewhere between a sec and a demi-sec. It’s deep golden color and vigorous, tiny bubbles invite investigating the aromas, which lean toward dried apricots and caramel,with a touch of toasted brioche. The flavors burst with rich intensity, and stay focused on dried yellow fruits, including hints of pineapple, mango and papaya. The sweetness is balanced by good acidity, so the palate is refreshed with each sip. The complexity all the way through to the conclusion is compelling; the finish is clean and mouth-watering. Serve chilled, about 45ºF/7-8ºC, in tall flutes (although I like mine a little warmer to show up the flavors). Grapes: Equal parts Pinot Noir; Chardonnay; Pinot Meunier. .Foods: Grilled seafood with spicy sauces, such as rémoulade; elegant Asian fare focused on seafood or chicken. Desserts (keep them simple): pound cake with sabayon sauce or crème anglais; poached chilled pears with crème anglaise, simple cookie; vanilla-scented puddings; crème brûlée (classical style with vanilla); soft triple-cream cheeses, such as Délice de Bourgogne or Saint André. Not a caviar wine whatsoever. Grapefields $70.00 2007 Skouras Chardonnay Greece Review Date - 12/1/2009 Score - 90 Tasting Note: In a world drowning in Chardonnay, why does Greece have to add to the mix? (A question I posed once to a Greek wine producer while attending VinExpo in Bordeaux.) Well, here’s one good reason: This example is distinctive, with clear minerality, a lovely stoniness, and very delicious fruit. For your Chardonnay maniac friends, this wine would provide a departure from the heavily oaked, buttery, acidless examples so many people think define Chardonnay, for good or for ill depending on the individual’s point of view. Dry with a medium yellow color, it shows intense aromas of tropical fruits (pineapple) and citrus. On the palate, the wine picks up complexity from that delightful stony minerality. This Chardonnay sees 70% stainless steel fermentation, with 30% fermented in new French oak on the lees (dead yeast cells). But oak contact is brief, just six months. So fruit and oak are well integrated. Very nicely done. Winemaker George Skouras is a graduate of the oenology program at Dijon, so knows a thing or two about making Chardonnay. Serve moderately chilled, 50-55ºF/10-13ºC, in medium-sized tulip-shaped glasses. Ready to drink now; might decant about 20-30 minutes ahead of serving. Foods: Baked or raw oysters, calamari with lemon aioli, fried seafood with tartar sauce; Greek appetizers such as skordalia (a purée of potatoes, lemon juice and garlic); stuffed grape leaves; spanikopita; herb-and-olive oil-marinated feta cheese; saganaki (the flaming cheese dish). United Distributors $17.00 2007 Bodegas Garci Grande Verdejo Rueda Review Date - 12/1/2009 Score - 91 Tasting Note: My one and only visit to this part of Spain was largely spent in a lab at the Consejo Regulador, which governs what wines may wear the appellation’s label. That day, tasting through a raft of white Rueda wine (they DO make some reds and even rosados), I came to understand what they were looking for in approving which wines would carry the D.O.’s label. This one comes with all the classic characters, using 50-50 Verdejo (vair-DAY-ho) and Viura (vee-UR-ah) grapes, the latter successfully tempering the hefty grapefruit character one often finds in 100% Verdejo wines. Dry, showing a medium pale straw color, with aromas that forecast the minerality to come, the wine presents well-evolved fruit and plenty of earthiness and mineral character in the palate. Don’t get this for folks who favor fruit bombes. It’s not going to work for them. Instead, drop this dime (well it’s not THAT cheap) on friends who tend to prefer European wines. The flinty/chalky minerality proves positively compelling sip after sip, and lingers through the long finish. Serve moderately chilled, about 50ºF/10ºC, in moderately sized tulip-shaped glasses. Great value. Foods: oysters with lemon; deep-fried seafood or fish with tartar sauce; grilled scallops; shrimp with garlic and olive oil; grill-cooked trout with fresh herbs in the belly cavity, goat cheese (awesome!); potato-parmesan cakes (great with fish and other morsels); chicken croquetas, chilled mussels with garlic mayonnaise; seafood skewers, crab cakes United Distributors $12.00 2005 Lava Cap Winery Petite Sirah El Dorado County Granite Hill Vineyard Review Date - 12/1/2009 Score - 93 Tasting Note: Petite Sirah, no kin to Syrah or Shiraz, is known as Durif in some parts of the world, notably Australia, where it’s grown (although in limited quantities) in Rutherglen, just north of Melbourne. A Rhône varietal, Petite Sirah has its enthusiastic advocates in California, whose old Italian vintners often called it “Pets.” Deep, dark, with spicy black fruits, it’s a long-lived varietal, with many examples easily clocking 10 years if well cellared. (And sometimes, as in my house, even when NOT well cellared.) This example easily has that potential. Its deep, delicious fruit and juicy tannins outline a tasty wine that, while still somewhat closed when first opened, has much to recommend it. An initial impression of raisined fruit and spice may indicate some Zinfandel blended in, although most of the spice would come from oak. Despite hefty alcohol (14.9%), the wine doesn’t register any heat. Ripe, rich and concentrated, but not clumsy, it would benefit from being decanted about a half hour before being served or consider using a Venturi aerator when pouring it into the decanter. Evolves quickly, acquiring some complexity and depth. Fruit, sweet oak, acidity, tannins are all nicely integrated. A frequent award winner in its genre. Serve moderately cool, about 65ºF/17ºC, in large tulip-shaped glasses. Foods: Coffee-and-chocolate-and-spice-coated lamb steak (good, too, on duck, pork loin, venison, elk); picadillo; rilletes made with pork or red meat; prime rib; mole poblano; braised red meat with some spice; mature cheeses; dark chocolate. Continental Beverage $35.00 2007 Servin Chablis Review Date - 12/1/2009 Score - 94 Tasting Note: Someone I know years ago used to think of Chablis as sweet, ugly-tasting American plonk. I’ve always thought the Chablis producers had a real case to make in griping about how such products damaged their brand. She was proof. Well, that’s fixed. A few weeks ago, she bought an entire case of this Chablis! As prices shoot upward on Chablis, this is a major bargain and a great value. Medium- full-bodied with a bright pale yellow color. Aromas fairly leap out of the glass, bringing lime blossom and peel among other citrus characters. The flavors are just amazing, with citrus characters and a lovely stony minerality for added interest. Lively, with bright acidity, the wine was vinified in stainless steel. This is the polar opposite of fat, unctuous, buttery California Chardonnays, a style that turns off a fair number of consumers. You won’t even think it’s the same grape. Serve moderately cooled, about 50ºF/10ºC, in medium-sized tulip-shaped glasses. Foods: Simply prepared seafood, grilled scallops with a white wine butter sauce; poached or steamed mild white fish (sole, flounder, tilapia), crab cakes (simple crab meat with a little bread crumb, no aggressive seasonings); seafood terrines on a creamy sauce with minced chives. Con Vinum $27.00 2008 Attems Cupra Ramato Pinot Grigioi Review Date - 12/1/2009 Score - 92 Tasting Note: Everybody’s wild about Pinot Grigio; however, this is a different animal within the genre. First of all, the better Pinot Grigio-based wines, like this one, come from northern climates, where cold weather keeps acid levels high. Pinot Grigio and Pinot Blanc both are mutations of Pinot Noir, but it’s Pinot Grigio that sometimes can produce wines with a slightly coppery color. This example, with a delicate pale salmon tinge, is a dry medium-bodied wine with aromas that suggest wild strawberries and other red fruits. On the palate, the red fruit profile acquires complexity, adding minerality and a slight bramble character. Thanks to good acidity--something you typically don’t find in Pinot Grigio from the Veneto--the long, clean finish is most gratifying. As the wine warms up, it seems to gather complexity and spice in the process. Serve moderately chilled, perhaps at 55ºF/13ºC, in medium-sized tulip-shaped glasses. Foods: Light antipasti that are vegetable based, says the winery, but we would add foods with some spice, even mild heat, such as bacon-wrapped roasted turkey breast; slightly spicy andouille sausage, grilled; dry grilled wild-caught salmon; dry-grilled shrimp with rémoulade sauce; teriyaki (doesn’t matter what protein you use)--perhaps the best pairing of all. In fact, I would bet on it with a number of Japanese dishes, such as tonkatsu (deep-fried pork cutlet). Nothing with a sweet sauce though as the wine is dry. United Distributors $18.00 2006 Giant Wine Company Sinner's Punch Red Review Date - 12/1/2009 Score - 88 Tasting Note: Talk about a wine that has me scratching my head. Why? Because it’s striking me as over-extracted, high in alcohol (14.5%), and quite a bit of a fruit bomb. Perfect, now that I think of it, for the initiate wine enthusiast. This is a 21-something’s wine in a sense, as the deep, dark color, intense dark fruit perfume, and forward fruit leap out of the glass. Rather like a painting of bright colors and dazzling images, it seduces and demands attention. Is this my favorite kind of wine? No, not really. It’s big and powerful, but its tannins are restrained, supple and juicy. The problem? It doesn’t do all that well with food. As a cocktail wine, it’s quite nice, if that’s your notion of a cocktail. Get some air into the wine by decanting it before serving, about a half hour at least. At this point, the bottle has been open four hours, and it’s just now beginning to develop some interest. Serve cool, about 65ºF/17ºC, and use a large tulip-shaped glass. Foods: Spicy big dishes, even with some heat, such as mole poblano; Cajun deep-fried turkey; grilled andouille; grilled duck breast; coffee-and-cocoa rubbed grilled lamb steak or pork loin; very possibly pork barbecue with a tomato-based sauce Ultimate Distributors $20.00 2005 Château Martinat Côtes de Bourg Review Date - 12/1/2009 Score - 92 Tasting Note: In Bordeaux, the other side of the river (the Gironde) shelters small(er) chateaux still occupied as homes by real people who make wine for a living, not corporations. Here Merlot rules, so at Château Martinat, it’s the major component (70%) with some Malbec and Cabernet Franc. This medium-bodied well-balanced dry red wine shows a nearly opaque purple red color. Initial aromas capture an appealing earthiness, a bit animal and another bit compost, that keep your nose firmly in the glass, then evolve, soon capturing cedar characters. As the wine opens, lovely, juicy fruit flavors grab the palate, led by red raspberry (it IS mostly Merlot, after all). Tannins are firm, but not harsh, and play very nice with the fruit. The long finish carries all these components--fruit, tannin, acid--to a most delicious conclusion. These quite tasty tannins linger through the finish, ensuring that the wine should keep a good half-dozen years more at least if well cellared. Meanwhile, decant before serving at cool temperatures, about 65ºF/17ºC, in tall tulip-shaped glasses. Very fine value. Foods: Lots. When they say “barbecue” in Côtes de Bourg, they mean “grilling.” Agreed!. Grilled steak, ribs, duck, rack or leg of lamb, lamb steak rubbed with coffee and cocoa powder, some exotic spices, still pink, pork tenderloin; shepherd’s pie; prime rib with Parmesan mashed potatoes; teriyaki; rosemary-roasted chicken; roasted or grilled vegetables; rich meat-centered stews; grilled veal chop stuffed with ham and Fontina cheese; aged, full-flavored cheeses; quite dark chocolate. Hemispheres $38.00 2005 Stewart Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Review Date - 12/1/2009 Score - 92 Tasting Note: Looking for an impressive California Cabernet Sauvignon without reaching to triple digits? Here’s a serious piece of work (Paul Hobbs is the consulting winemaker) from a family-owned and -run operation. Odds are you might actually prefer it to some of the big name options if you tasted them side by side. While initially tight and quite closed, this opaque deep purple red wine soon yields a warming spice component that enhances intense dark fruit aromas. Sweet black fruit seems monochromatic at first, but yields coffee and dark chocolate characters. Even red raspberry emerges from the welter of black fruit flavors. Tannins are spot on. The long finish and fleshy grace of this intense, fruit-expressive wine would appeal to a wide audience. Mostly new French oak lends spice to the mixture. Grapes are a blend of fruit from three excellent vineyards: Stagecoach; Beckstoffer IV, and State Lane. Anybody out there remember those magnificent State Lane Cabs that Beringer used to produce back in the 1980s? You get the picture. Big but not clumsy. Serve at a slightly cool-to-the-touch temperature, about 65ºF/17ºC, so point up the fruit. And by all means decant several hours ahead of serving. This one is a good keeper if well cellared. Days after being opened, the wine still tasted true. Foods: Rich, dense liver pâté; filet mignon with a slice of pâté or poached beef marrow on top; prime rib with Parmesan whipped potatoes; grilled breast of duck rubbed with five-spice powder; roast duck; rack of lamb or lamb steak (cut from the leg) rubbed with cocoa powder and coffee, exotic spices; smoked beef brisket. Hemispheres $62.00 2005 Château de Cosse Sauternes Review Date - 12/1/2009 Score - 89 Tasting Note: This younger sibling to Château Riussec is an excellent value in the genre. While it doesn’t show the complexity nor will it cellar as long as the big brother, it’s a very fine Sauternes for the money. It spends less time in the barrel than the big brother, but enough: 18-20 months. And, of course, 2005 is an outstanding vintage. Grapes are Sémillon (70%), Muscadelle and Sauvignon Blanc--the usual blend for a Sauternes. Full-bodied with a bright medium gold color, the wine presents lovely aromas of dried apricots, which carry through the palate to the finish. Good acidity engages the palate and propels the finish, in addition to cleansing the palate between sips. Nothing cloying about this wine at all. Decant just before serving to allow flavors to develop, and serve at 50ºF;10ºC, in small tulip-shaped glasses. From Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite). Foods: Foie gras; bleu cheese soufflé. Simple desserts, poached pears with crème anglaise; sautéed pear with creamy blue cheese; simple cookie, pound cake. Try Marilyn Santulli’s Almond Angels (American Gra-Frutti), which are gluten free, organic, vegan ok, and sweetened with agave. Delightful pairing! Winery suggests breast or shoulder of veal with orange juice and star anise. Having done veal short ribs in orange juice (but no star anise), I’m eager to try this one. See the web site for a recipe: www.lafite.com. Atlanta Wholesale Wine/NDC $24.00