It’s Not about Price - A Rick’s Pick reflects my Evaluation of Pleasure and Value. A Rick’s Pick is not based on Label, Vintage, Someone’s Numeric Rating or Sales Pitch. Only if my taste finds Pleasure and the price reflects Value will I consider buying.
Here is a current sampling:
Isolda ’07 Tinto. Navarra, Spain $6.99/6.19 is all Tempranillo - not the most complex wine you will have tasted, but quite delightful with great fruit and balance. I would drink it at the drop of a hat even if it were $10 a bottle.JP Azeitâo ’07 Tinto, Terras do Sado, Portugal, $8.99/8.07, Castellâo, 60%, Aragonez 20%, Syrah 20%. This one is complex, not “loud”, exquisitely light - a whole palette of flavors play beautiful music. Here is Value!
Les Berthets ’05 Premières Le Côtes de Blaye, $9.99/8.99 - and it is Estate Bottled. Who said good Bordeaux is expensive? It is going fast, so get yours.
Ruberte Tresor ’07, Campo de Borja, Spain. $9.99/8.99. Old Vine Grenache. Explosive! The bright, beautiful fruit in this wine, balanced with lovely acid and a touch of tannin, is a revelation. Even at half the price of this gem, Nouveau Beaujolais, would not come close (that is why I embargoed Nouveau years ago, but definitely not regular Beaujolais, Beaujolais Village nor Cru Beaujolais - see the next Value)
Trenel Fils ’03 Morgon, Cru du Beaujolais, $24.99/22.49. Let me tell you about Trenel Morgon! First, it has been imported for ages by a feisty gentleman by the name of Robert Chatterdon, who cares not about any opinion but his own - good luck to him - he can apparently afford to. In my own cellar I have the remnants of a case of Trenel ’83 Morgon - yes ’83 - it is 25 years old and has aged beautifully. Pale, delicate, fragile, but exquisite. For as long as it lasts, a treat which we indulge in when we need solace. I can assure you that the ’03, a substantial wine from a hot vintage, will give you solace for years to come - expect elegance - no “loud elevator music” here.
Lungarotti ’04 Rubesco, Rosso di Torgiano, $14.99/13.49, Sangiovese 70%, Canaiolo, 30%. When we think of Umbrian wine, we think Lungarotti, and specifically, legendary Giorgio Lungarotti, the founder of the vineyard and winery in the 1960's. His daughters carry on the tradition. The Rubesco, Rosso di Torgiano is exceptional wine – classic Sangiovese with a Canaiolo kick in the finish. However, I urge you to splurge for a special treat - Lungarotti ’90 Rubesco Riserva, $49.99/44.99 or Lungarotti ’90 San Giorgio, $75.00/67.50. The latter, a blend of 40% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo and 50% Cabernet, used to be nick-named a “Super Umbrian”, is now officially labeled an IGT - Indicazione Geografica Tipica, or “Wine Typical of the Geographical Region” All three represent some of the greatest Values in Italian wine.
Another wonderful value in Italian wine, from the acclaimed Chianti producer Fatorria La Ripa, San Giorgio Alle Rose ’03, IGT Colle della Toscana Centrale, $14.99/13.49/12.74. This wine is made of Sangiovese and Canaiolo and I suspect that the Sangiovese is less than 85%, which would explain the IGT. The “Alle Rose” means “of the Rose” - it is not a Rosé, and the Lungarotti San Grigorio and this San Grigorio are unrelated. What is important is that this is another superb value - the $12.74 price is the bottle price if you buy a solid case. You will enjoy each bottle for several days after you open it, if you so choose, and the wine has staying power for several years, in case you resist drinking it all up in short order.
Domaine Hubert Chavy, ’07 Bourgogne Blanc, “Les Femelottes”, Estate Bottled and harvested by hand, $24.99/22.49. Chardonnay, but what Chardonnay - exquisitely delicate, with an unusual finish, You will reach again for the bottle.
Le Haut Chesneau ’02, Touraine, Tradition, $13.99/12.59. Cabernet Franc, Estate Bottled by Jean-Marc Villaine. Bottle age has softened the tannin, allowing the exceptionally complex Cab Franc fruit to come to the fore. You will enjoy this Loire wine with any rich food - pasta or meat. Beware; the bouquet is a little barnyardy.
Another exciting Grenache - Monte Oton 100% Garancha, Campo de Borja, Moncayo $9.99/8.99. Moncayo is an extinct volcano in the mountains in east central Spain, and the volcanic soil shows up in the underlying minerally component of light, ever-so-tasty quaffing wine, typical of Campo de Borja.
Domaine de la Madone, ’06 Beaujolais Le Perron, Estate Bottled by Jean Bererd, $14.99/13.49. An eye-opener.
Having, in short order, stolen the world’s Sauvignon Blanc limelight, New Zealand is in the process of doing the same with Pinot Noir. Characteristically, offering lovely bouquet and fruit, good balance and no noticeable oak, all for a fair price. Mud House ’07 Marlborough Pinot Noir, $16.99/15.29 and Latitude 410 ’05 Pinot Noir, $19.99/17.99 are good examples that focus on value. Latitude 410 would appear to define the north of theSouth Island and specifically Marlborough.
Domaine de la Pertuisane, ’05 “Le Nain Violet”. VDP Côtes Catalanes, Grenache 50%, Syrah 40%, Carignan 10% $24.99/22.50. Côtes Catalanes, is the foothills of the Pyrenees in southern Roussillon where Grenache is king. There is a unique, exquisite note in the mid-palate of this wine - does it come from any one of the three varietals? Does “Le Nain Violet”, which translates as the “Purple Dwarf” have anything to do with it?
If I could have only one wine for the rest of my life, it would be Syrah - specifically from the Northern Rhone Valley, and if I had a choice, it would be Hermitage - in my opinion France’s most underrated appellation, and if that wish could not be fulfilled, I would choose Porcupine Ridge Syrah from Boekenhoutskloof in South Africa. The ’07 vintage is $12.99/11.69. Incredible Value. Meaty, smoky, earthy, barnyardy, cowshed, stables - infinitely satisfying. To each his own, especially when it comes to wine.
My “wine bible” is a little book by Jancis Robinson “Guide to Wine Grapes” the pocket edition of a more comprehensive book by the same name, sadly now out of print. My bible has never failed to reveal something about every one of the many obscure grape varietals that I have encountered. Some of those varietals can be found as Rick’s Picks on the Madison Wine Shop shelves. Such is Torrontes, a white varietal, apparently native to Galicia in north-west Spain. I encountered it years ago as an Argentinean wine which I dubbed a “cameo Gewurztraminer” because of its bright acidity and hints of the spicy floral characteristics of Alsatian Gewurztraminer, but few shared my excitement and it disappeared from our market. I learn from Jancis Robinson that there are several white grape varietals, known as Torrontes, widely planted in Argentina. No definite relationship has been established between the Argentinean and Spanish Torrontes.
Within the last few months several Argentinean Torrontes bottlings have returned to the Madison Wine Shop, the most exciting of which is Inca ’07, $11.99/10.79. Torrontes 80%, Chardonnay 20%, squeaky clean, devoid of oak and malolactic fermentation, light, slightly spicy, with a hint of unadulterated Chardonnay.
An odyssey that spans nearly 15 years! Petit Verdot, was a Cinderella, imprisoned in Bordeaux by a relatively short growing season. The risk that it will not ripen has limited its planting to less than 5% of the Bordeaux vineyard area, and made it a minor component of most Bordeaux wines. Why you may ask do they even bother? I suspect that the answer is that a little Petit Verdot goes a long way towards spicing up typical (if there is such a thing) Bordeaux. Petit Verdot may be at the bottom of Bordeaux totem pole, after Cabernet, Merlot, Cab Franc and Malbec, but I suspect that it may be the tail that wags the dog. I find that it has a great bouquet and more tantalizing fruit and structure than either Cabernet or Merlot - even the color is a gorgeous striking plum red.
Benziger’s 1992 single-varietal Imagery Series, was my first encounter with Petit Verdot. I was smitten, but the wine disappeared from the market. By a creepy coincidence, during the course of writing this, I reached into a bin in my cellar for a bottle of wine for dinner, and what came out was probably the last bottle of that Benziger ’92 Petit Verdot! It was all I remembered, and more.
Three years ago, Inaki Castro, a Basque Jai-lai professional who retired 23 years ago and started a Spanish wine import business, brought me his first winemaking effort in Chile - Inaki a stunning wine, made of 49% Petit Verdot, which largely accounts for its utterly remarkable character. It re-lit my Petit Verdot torch. The latest vintage, Inaki ‘06 is a bargain at $19.99/17.99.
Two years ago I persuaded Inaki to make me a 100% Petit Verdot. The first vintage, Korta ‘05 Reserva, hit our shelves in November 2007 - an instant success which sold out 3 months before the new vintage was due. The Korta ’06, Barrel Select, Reserva, Petite Verdot $12.99/11.69 is getting raves. You absolutely must taste this.
Suddenly, it now seems that Petit Verdot has been “discovered” - a Spanish bombshell, Casa de la Ermita’s ’03 100% Petit Verdot $29.99/26.99,- is a watershed with its gorgeous plum color, seductive bouquet and tangy black fruit. Undoubtably my Wine Value of the Year.
Piedmont has a native grape, Arneis, that is another Cinderella. Despite glorious pear fruit and aroma, it lacks acidity, and wine without acidity is mere fruit juice that oxidizes rapidly. Cerreto, a Barolo producer came to the rescue about 20 years ago, by fermenting it under pressure in a closed fermenter, trapping the carbon dioxide in the wine. It is similar to a sparkling wine but under much lower pressure. Cerreto Blange ’07, $24.99/22.49, not only has the most beautiful label in the store - Italian flair - but is quite exquisite with a lovely mouth-feel and richness that goes with many foods
Cesari Pinot Noir delle Venezie ’07, $9.99/8.99, is an Italian revolution that appears to come from nowhere. Exquisite Pinot Noir bouquet and flavor with lovely balance - not a hair out of place. This bottling is young and opens up beautifully with aeration. Unbelievable Value.
The finalé - three wines from the south of France that reflect diversity and fantastic Value
Domaine de Chateaumar ’07 “CuveeBastien” Côtes du Rhone, $15.99/14.49.
Chateau de Sérame ’03 Minervois, $15.99/14.39
Dom de Familongue ’03, Coteau du Languedoc, $11.99/10.79. Estate Bottled, Grenache 59%, Syrah 11%, Carignan carbonic maceration, 9%; classic vinification 9%, Cinsault 8%,
Mouvedre 1%.
Rick Lewis
© Copyright 2008 Rick Lewis. All rights Reserved. Not responsible for typos.
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