Rick's Pick Values

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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Two Great Wines, Two Big Gripes

I have neither Ranted nor Raved for some time, not because I have mellowed in my old age, but because I am perennially out of time. However, I am motivated by two Rave wines and two Gnawing public policy issues.

Rave No 1: Sorrel ’05 Hermitage: the most exciting wine I have tasted in several years.

Not surprisingly it is Syrah and it comes from Hermitage in the northern Rhone; in my opinion, the source of France’s best red wine value. My first sniff of J M B Sorrel’s 2005 Hermitage “Ler Vigneron” Lot 8 set my heart racing, my first sip left me ecstatic - Berlioz’s Symphony Fantastic playing on my palate. But it comes at a price - $89.99! In this economic climate? I hesitated for a minute or two, but then concluded “To hell with it - this is too good to pass up” A Super Rick’s Rave.

Rave No 2: My “Ultimate Turkey Wine”

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, and Christmas close behind I remind you of Montferrant Rosé Cava (Spanish sparkling wine), which, with every passing year, gains more and more fan. If you are already hooked you’ll need no reminder. It makes everyone happy -young, old, big red wine lovers (once they get over their sparkling Rosé phobia), and even lovers of fruity wine.

How does one wine do all of that? Lets start with the white meat/white wine shibboleth, which I do not accept. Delicately flavored food needs delicately flavored wine - the flavor of lobster is obliterated by an oaky, buttery Chardonnay, but complemented by a crisp, minerally Chablis, which is Chardonnay from the Chablis region of Burgundy. The day-after Thanksgiving, that cold turkey sandwich could go with either a white or a light red, but that Thanksgiving dinner with all the flavorful stuffing, gravy and tasty accompaniments, is a candidate for full-flavored red, like a big muscular Zin, which may not be the choice of many members of a family gathering.

So, bring on the Montferrant Rosé Cava! It is a relatively dark rosé, made mainly of Monastrell, the Spanish name for the French grape called Mourvedre, a tasty red that lurks in many southern French wines, and which gives Montferrant its bright black-fruit bouquet and its dark delicious fruit. In addition it has a tangy touch of tannin and the ability to stand up to that full-flavored turkey. Last, but not least. it is festive and should be served chilled.. Make your Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey memorable. $19.99/17.99 (bottle/bottle-by-the-case, mix or match). Open for tasting every day till Thanksgiving!

It occurs to me that over the past six months my Rants have been piling up, urging me to let them out. Only a few Rick’s Rants are non-wine-based - but letting them out makes me feel better.

Rant No 1: Employer-based health-care.

I understand that, like all members of Congress, those two senators, who have been haranguing us of late, have unlimited life-time health care paid by their employers - us the taxpayers. Is that socialized medicine?
If either or both recognize that health care “insurance”, of the kind we taxpayers are offered, is unlike any other kind of insurance, they are too smart to admit it. Conventional home insurance for example, is based on the fact that the statistical chance that any house will burn down does not generally increase year to year, but as individuals, it is a foregone conclusion that our healthcare needs increase as we get older. The insurance industry would prefer to insure the young who feel that they do not need it and prefer not to insure the old who do need it. They are able to increase premiums to the point where those who need it can no longer afford it. It used to be called highway robbery.

Rant No 2: Those bailouts.

If I am unable to sell that Rave No 1 wine can I get in line, behind GM for a bailout even though I knew, when I bought it, that any Rick’s Pick at $89 would be a tough sell? GM knew, in 1973, what was coming and they “downsized” the tanks that we were driving at that time. In the course of time oil prices dropped, perhaps with malice aforethought, killing the plans for alternate energy resources spawned by the1973 embargo, and it encouraged the auto industry’s highly profitable promotion of trucks gussied up as SUVs. The geniuses at GM, in mid-2008, suddenly woke up to the fact that SUVs would no longer fly and that they needed $125 billion and an undisclosed number of years to bring a replacement to market while they burn through billions in cash.

It brings to mind GM’s “Hydrogen Economy” PR red herring in 2003, which I believed then, and still do, was aimed at perpetuating the highly profitable SUV era and delaying the inevitable. It made no economic sense and even less technological sense. It led the lay public and many decision makers to believe that you could dig a hole in the ground and find hydrogen, just like we find coal, oil natural gas and uranium - that was the deceptive implication of “zero emissions”.

The supply of hydrogen is unlimited - simply separate it from water. But that requires energy. Electricity is the easiest way, and when you generate electricity in a hydrogen fuel cell you get back electricity (and the water you started with), but less electricity than you used to generate the hydrogen in the first place.

So hydrogen is a form of energy, just like electricity. Neither is a source of energy.

We have a huge infrastructure, probably reflecting an investment in the trillions, for generating and distributing electricity. For the hydrogen economy we start from scratch. What is more, we now have unused capacity for recharging electric vehicles during the night-time hours.

I am surprised that Honda has a limited number of hydrogen fueled cars on the road in California. At least they have put their money where their mouth is. All it takes to relegate GM’s hydrogen economy to the dust bin of history is a major break-through in battery technology!
I read recently that Warren Buffet has invested a few billion dollars in a Chinese company dedicated to research on battery technology and manufacturing electric cars!

Rick Lewis

© Copyright 2008 Rick Lewis. All rights Reserved.

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Wine Mythology - The Dried-out Cork

Wine Mythology
The Dried-out Cork.


How does it happen that virtually everyone, even those who know nothing and care nothing about wine, knows that a bottle of wine should be stored on its side, and that the reason is to keep the cork moist so that "it doesn't dry-out and shrink"?
The truth is that you cannot wet a cork. It is impervious to water, and if it were not, it would not make an effective stopper, and, if you cannot wet a cork, it cannot dryout!.
Over the years, I have opened countless bottles of wines - new, old and very old. I observe that sometimes the outside of the cork might be moldy (the space between the cork and the capsule is an ideal environment for mold which has no effect on the wine inside the bottle) but, invariably the outside of the cork is sound, while quite often the inside of the cork, which is in contact with the wine, is crumbly. I have come to the conclusion that the deterioration of the inside of the cork is caused by contact with acid. in the wine. So we should be storing wine bottles standing upright. I recently proved that to be true!
My personal wine cellar, goes back to the sixties. Recently I came across an unopened case of Barra 1970 Gattinara from Piedmont, Italy - it is made of Nebbiolo , as is Barolo and Barbaresco, which can age beautifully. The bottles were packed standing upright and had been that way for about thirty-seven years. Surprisingly the wine level in every bottle is way up the neck, right below the cork, as it was when it was filled. I pulled a cork and found it to be no more than a half inch long - probably the cheapest cork you can buy, but amazingly, both outside and inside faces in "as new" condition, untouched by wine. Proof, in another way, that contact with wine causes cork to disintegrate.
Even more surprising, the thirty-eight-year-old wine, which I am sure cost me less than $2 a bottle, is superb - beautifully aged Nebbiolo - and. still delicious three days after being opened.
So why are bottles packed and stored on their side? Could it be that storing bottles upright is not space-efficient?
Why do many Californian producers pack their wines upside-down? Could it be that they believe the wet-cork myth?
If you would like a taste of my Barra 1970 Gattinara, get yourself to the Madison Wine Shop (rick@rickspicks.com for directions) on Saturday July 5, starting at 12 noon. I will be opening one bottle only, as part of our regular Saturday tasting.

Rick Lewis

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Raves for Alsace and One for Fruili

In my opinion Alsatian wines rank among the most satisfying of all white wines - sadly, an opinion not widely shared, perhaps because of unfamiliarity, and more likely because they are generally lumped together with German wines, shunned because of primordial recollections of Blue Nun and Zeller Swartz Katz, sparked by the shape of the bottles and Germanic names and words on labels. Most of us started our affair with wines that were sweet and once we were weaned from them we became prejudiced. However, sweet wines, German included, that have adequate acid balance can be superb.
Alsace is in northern France on the German border - it once was German and many names are German. Atypically of old-world wines, they are labeled by the varietal - Pinot Gris (sometimes labeled Tokay although the use of that name has been officially banned), Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Gewurztraminer (German Gewurtz is as rare as hen’s teeth), Muscat and even Pinot Noir.
Generally, the wines are dry or off-dry, except for those bottlings labeled Vintage Tardive (Late Harvest), but above all they are minerally, flinty, quite acidic, should have simply stunning, rich fruit characteristic of each varietal, and they are almost never oaky. Except for inexpensive, branded wines, they are single-varietal and the better ones come from a single vineyard.

The wine-speak word, “fruit”, needs some clarification.

The input that we get from the taste buds in our mouths are limited to sweet on the very tip of the tongue (but a very crude measure of sweetness); acid (which in wine is usually malic, citric or lactic) in the middle of the mouth; bitter on the side of the mouth, and salt.
Those impressions that we get from our sense of smell are what we call fruit and they encompass not only the black and tropical fruit flavors in wine but also literally thousands of smells such as leather, tobacco, cedar, earthy, barnyard, and those that distinguish bad wine of all kinds, including those that are “corked” - the musty basement smell that comes from an improperly disinfected cork.
The next time you have a mouthful of wine try determining which of the tastes you are experiencing are coming from your nose. I think that you will conclude that all of them are in your mouth; such is the ability of the brain to deceive us. My somewhat crude and un-scientific explanation is that your brain says “it's in your mouth and that is where all those flavors are coming from”. Mouth on the other hand does not know anything about fruit flavors - the closest it can come is what it perceives on the tip of the tongue - sweetness, especially those black fruit flavors.
Why am I telling you all this? A few weeks ago one of the wines offered at my WiseUp-on-Wine Saturday tasting was Domaine Michel Fonne ’05 Pinot Gris from a single vineyard named Bennwihr. It sells for $15.99. I love Alsatian wines and this one is something special - great bouquet and an unctuous mouth feel, rich, full and glorious fruit. It has both body and flavor. What amazed me was that of perhaps 100 tasters only one agreed with me that the wine was not only not sweet, but sensational. He bought a case - everyone else dismissed it as disgustingly sweet. Out of curiosity, I took a bottle home and we demolished it with sauteed scallops. The most satisfying white wine I have had in a long time!
Domaine Michel Fonne ’05 Pinot Blanc, also from the Bennwihr vineyard, sells for $12.99. What this bottle, and many other Alsatians does for Pinot Blanc is pure magic, an experience not to be missed. I think of Pinot Blanc as a “shy” grape, demanding patience if you are to appreciate it, because its joy evolves in the very back of your palate, requiring patience, and for that reason it is often overlooked.
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Albert Boxler’s ’03 Tokay Pinot Gris Reserve is exceptional - worth every penny of its $25 cost. Other suggestions - Pierre Sparr ‘05 Riesling, $13.99 and Cuvée Emile Willm ’04 Gewurtraminer Reserve, $19.99.
Muscat is perhaps my favorite Alsatian varietal, but there is none to be had in the Connecticut, market at this time. However back in September, I tasted Laurent Barth ‘06 Muscat d’ Alsace. It will be available in February. Ask for it.
Finally, from north-east Italy’s Fruili region, Cantarutti ‘05 Pinot Grigio, $21.99, stands head and shoulders above the vast majority of its compatriots.

Rick Lewis

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The Vagaries of Vintage—Mea Culpa!

The fascination of wine lies in its infinite variety, and one of the almost infinite variables is vintage. The product of a vintage is finite and sooner or later it ends, to be replaced by the next vintage. Will it be better, will it be the “vintage of the decade”? Will it be a miserable failure? The latter happens to the best of winemakers, and when it does, what does he do? Does he sell it off in bulk to preserve his reputation (assuming he has one), and take the financial hit? Does he bottle it anyway with its regular label at its regular price and hope that consumers will not notice?
Among my golden rules, learned the hard way, to which I mostly adhere are, “measure twice, cut once” and in this business, “taste first, only then, buy”. Just a week ago, I was obliged to buy a case of a highly regarded 1999 Cote Rotie, at what appeared to be a fair price, without having tasted it — if I bought only a bottle to taste, I risked losing the wine altogether. That Cote Rotie proved to be a great disappointment, so I returned the 11 remaining bottles. Mostly, I am able to taste a wine without having to buy a bottle.
Some times we miss a vintage change in a reorder of a wine already in our inventory — but in the case of the 2001 vintage of our “ultimate shell-fish wine” Cour Cheverny, that was not the case. But I had become complacent — after 6 vintages from ’95 to ’00 that were remarkably consistent I ordered the 2001 vintage without having tasted it. Then in the heat of battle in mid-December we ran out of the 2000 vintage of and started selling the 2001 which, I am ashamed to admit, I had still not tasted.
I am thankful to the customer who brought to our attention the fact that the 2001 vintage fell short — way short, with an almost total lack of fruit. We have pulled the wine from our shelves until the matter is resolved — presumably with a new vintage. I find it hard to believe that Francois Cazin was unaware of the lack of quality in his ’01 vintage. What was he thinking? For our part we renew our resolve to taste before we order. Stay tuned.

Wine and Music

I often use the appreciation of, and listening to, music, as a metaphor for appreciating and tasting wine, but there is a winemaker who believes in playing music to the vines in his vineyard and the wine in his cellar.

Google “Il Paradiso Di Frassina” and you’ll get to the web page of Giancarlo Cionozzia, “a well- known winemaker and connoisseur of this part of Tuscany”, “this part” being Montalcino, home of Brunello, the third of “Italy’s Royal Reds” the other two being Barolo and Barbaresco. The website makes very interesting reading.
Giancarlo apparently bought a rundown farm at southern extreme of the Montalcino appellation at a place called Sant ’Antimo, renovated the buildings, built a modern winery and replanted the vineyards. As far as I can tell his first vintage was 2000.
You do not have to spend more than a minute or two on the Il Paradiso web page to realize that Giancarlo is a passionate person — passionate and poetic, especially about wine. For starters his logo has a Sixteenth musical note superimposed on the name, and thereby hangs a tale — he believes that grapes and wine respond to music, especially Mozart and Beethoven, so he has classical music piped into the vineyard and the cellar, which got him some publicity in the form of a segment on an ABC television program.
However, all of this would be inconsequential, without wines of merit. Il Paradiso di Frasinna ‘03 GEA, which bears the Sant’ Antimo appellation, is 100% Sangiovese Grosso and could presumably be labeled Brunello, except for the fact that it was aged in Limousin oak barrels for only 18 months instead of the required 48 months. We featured it at a Saturday tasting, where it earned accolades and open wallets despite its $29.99/26.99 price tag. The lovely, low-key oak, leathery, Sangiovese fruit and spicy, gentle tannic finish make it hard to resist. The name of the wine “Gea”, is the name of Giancarlo’s daughter, which comes from “Gaea” the Greek goddess of Mother Earth - the label depicts this quite succinctly.
The name of the Giancarlo’s second wine, “DO”, picks up on the musical theme. Il Paradiso di Frasinna ‘03 DO, Toscana IGT- the “Toscana IGT” means that the wine is Tuscan but does not conform to any Tuscan appellation — it is a maverick by virtue of its 50% Cabernet / 50% Sangiovese blend — in other words this is a so-called Super Tuscan. The yin and yang of Cabernet and Sangiovese, to say nothing of the Limousin oak, make this a simply stunning wine, and, by Super Tuscan standards, a real bargain at $44.99/41.49.
The piece de resistance is Il Paradiso di Frascinna ‘00 Brunello — the real thing, as good as any Brunello I’ve tasted in quite a while. Even now, fruit, tannin and oak are beautifully balanced — I can see this wine growing gracefully older, and even more complex, over the next 10 to 15 years — if you can wait!. Splurge - $65.00/68.50.

Pedigree Counts—Sometimes, says my cynical side

Bouzeron doesn’t ring many bells — and not for me until quite recently. Back in December I tasted and bought Paul Jacqueson’s ‘04 Bouzeron “Les Cordiers”, a white Burgundy made of Aligote, Burgundy’s other white grape which plays a remote second fiddle to Chardonnay, and which is often treated with disdain by wine snobs. However, Aligote can produce fine wines, not as fruity as Chardonnay, but more angular and minerally. I had forgotten what a knockout this wine is until we tasted it last Saturday. Somewhat expensive, but nevertheless great value at $21.99/19.79, earning it many fans.
Not long ago, I was offered a red Burgundy from Bouzeron. The producer is A. et P. de Villaine and the label says Bourgogne, Cote Chalonnaise, “La Fortune”, AOC Bouzeron 2004. The wine is light in color and body (“heathens” accustomed to over-oaked, New World fruit bombs would describe it as “thin” — all wines should be this thin), but oh! — the fruit — intense, ever so complex Pinot Noir with bright acidity and adequate tannin — elegant, ethereal, reminiscent, perhaps, of a stolen kiss. When I flipped over this wine, I did not know that the “A” of A et P deVillaine is Aubert de Villaine, co-owner of Domaine Romanee Conti, “DRC” for short.
Who or what is DRC? They are the producer if what are the most fabled, then certainly the most expensive wines in the whole wide world. They own a number of top vineyards and they market the wines to retailers in a manner known as conditional selling: To get a bottle of the top vineyard you are required to buy an assortment of five other vineyards. The DRC Montrachet ‘02 sells for about $2,300 — that is a bottle not a case. A bottle of DRC Grands Echezeaux ‘02 might set you back as much as $2,700. Sorry — I cannot offer you either, or for that matter, any DRC wine. I have only once tasted a DRC wine — it was many years ago, and I did not know that it was a DRC wine till after I had tasted it. I found it unremarkable — perhaps my fault, not that of the wine.
The joy derived from the de Villaine Pinot Noir prompted me to try, and buy, the A et P de Villaine ’04 Bouzeron Aligote, $24.99/22.49, so we now offer three Aligotes of which the de Villaine has the edge. Come to think of it the word “edge” comes close to the descriptor I am searching for. All three are all superb food wines and what sets them apart is an “edgy” minerality that focuses on the upper back of the mouth the rest of my palate simply “glows”— neither fruity nor oaky.
With a little research I find that Bouzeron, a tiny appellation, sandwiched between Rully to the south and Santenay,at the southern end of the Côte d’Or, to the north, is known for its Aligote and especially for the Aligote and Pinot Noir of Aubert de Villaine.

Reviews Can be Wrong

Yes, light can be lovely and here is another knockout example. Between the beginning of November and the middle of December we sold a ton of Concannon ‘03 Central Coast Syrah, $11.99/10.78, by which time it was gone, leaving many fans most unhappy. This was a wine that was panned by my heretofore trusty Connoisseur’s Guide to Californian Wines: “..it delivers little in the way of fruit or real richness before slipping away to a dry and slightly chalky finish.”. I guess one man’s meat is another man’s poison — some enjoy being hit over the head with a sledge hammer and some of us prefer to be gently wooed. I and many others were both wooed and wowed by the apparent absence of oak, the lovely, low-key Syrah fruit and the spicy, gently tannic finish. Rejoice — we have found another fifty cases. Don’t wait to get yours. On the other hand don’t depend on my or anyone else’s opinion — buy a bottle and decide for yourself.

Rick Lewis

Visit madisonwineshop.com | Questions or comments? Email info@madisonwineshop.com

A French Gourmet Dinner and Wine Tasting—only Four Places Left!

Kathleen Bidney-Singewald & Dean Singewald are hosting a fabulous Dinner and Wine Tasting in their home, in support of the Madison Sculpture Mile. Wines selected and served by Rick and Kathy Lewis.
The cost is $160 per person, $150 per person for Sculpture Mile Members—take a look
at the Menu and Wine List—an incredible bargain, and every penny goes to support the Sculpture Mile.
First come, first served—call Rick Lewis, 914-723-3716.

~ Wine Notes ~

NOTES ON THE WINES SERVED

Jean Laurent is a fifth generation, family-owned, Champagne “grower” - they grow their own grapes, make the wine and produce the Champagne - the Champagne equivalent of “estate bottled”. They grow only Pinot Noir and Chardonnay - no Pinot Meunier.
With the Hors d’Oeuvres we will be tasting the Blanc de Blanc Brut. It is all Chardonnay with a creamy texture and delicate flavor.
With the Amuse Bouche we will taste and compare the regular Blanc de Noir (entirely Pinot Noir) and the Blanc de Noir, Sans Dosage. They are identical wines except that the Sans Dosage had no sugar added when it was disgorged especially for the Madison Wine Shop. I find the Sans Dosage to be “brighter”, but you have a choice.
With the Soup we have a most unusual red wine from the Loire Valley. Marc Olivier is the vigneron and proprietor of Domaine de la Domaine de la Pepière, and his “Clos des Briords” sets my standard for Muscadet, the delicate white wine that is superb with light sea food dishes. Marc’s ‘03 “Cuvee Granite” would be red Muscadet if there were such a thing, but there is not. It is made from Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grown on a small granitic vineyard (hence the “Cuvee Granit”). The appellation laws do not permit it to be called Muscadet, or even Loire wine, hence the Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France. Not having had an opportunity to taste Kathy’s carrot and ginger soup, I am guessing that it will get along fine with this light, spicy wine, so join me in this adventure - fortunately, pairing food and wine does not require a lifetime commitment - think of it as a one-night stand and lets have some fun.
I am looking forward to tasting a pair of extraordinary wines with the Coquille St. Jacques.
Baumard '00 Savenniers, "Trie Speciale" is among the very best white wines I have ever tasted. It comes from the tiny Savenniers appellation, an inhospitable, barren enclave at the western end of the Loire Valley. The grape is Chenin Blanc- makes better Vouvray which can be dry but is usually off-dry or sweet. Savenniers is bone dry, sans oak and crisp (that sounds better than “acidic”). It lives forever and gets better, if that is possible, with the passage of time.
A contrast in style, Francios Cazin’s ‘02 Cour Cheverny, "Cuvee Renaissance", also from Loire, is a Late Harvest (slightly sweet) version of my “ultimate shell-fish wine”. It made of a rare, and inexplicably unknown grape named Romorantin. I look forward to your reaction.
From the “cellar in the sky” at the Madison Wine Shop, I found a few bottles of Chanson ‘82 Beaune, “Clos des Feves”, Cote D’Or, Burgundy. I sacrificed one bottle to satisfy myself that it will pass muster - and it surely will. This 24-year-old gem will be memorable with the Rack of Lamb.
As a contrast to the Burgundy, we are serving Domaine Combe Blanche, ‘99 Minervoise/ La Laviniere, “La Chandelière”, Languedoc. The appellation Minervoise/La Laviniere did not exist when the Burgundy was produced and no one ever imagined that world-class would be produced in the Midi, the southern French home, at that time, for some of the world’s worst “plonk” as the British call swill that sometimes passes as wine. “La Chandelière”, grown and produced by a young Belgian, is 60% Syrah, 30% Grenache, and 10% Carignan, the grape that was responsible for the aforementioned plonk.
We finish with two of France’s great, but little-known, sweet-wine treasures.
Domaine des Forges ‘94 Coteaux du Layon, Chaume Grains Noble, Loire, another stunning but very different example of Chenin Blanc. Enjoy it with the apple tart.
From Roussillon in the south of France, Banyuls is the only French red sweet wine that I am aware of. Chapoutier ‘96 Banyuls, Vin Doux Naturel, Roussillon, is made of Grenache. Vin Doux Naturel means that it was made from late harvest grapes, without the addition of sugar or alcohol. This complex, intense wine is a perfect accompaniment to cheese.

Rick Lewis

Visit madisonwineshop.com | Questions or comments? Email info@madisonwineshop.com

MY YEAR-END BLAST!

The eWineBulletin has been silent for several months due to an abundance of other squeaky wheels. With this issue I am making amends—letting loose with accumulated wine, and a few non-wine, issues that have been pressing to be let out.

C O N T E N T S :
Wine and/or Sublime Spirits; The Perfect Gift
The State of the Wine Business
The Fun I’m having
Obscene Restaurant Wine Prices and a Great Alternative
The Best Coffee Anywhere
More Wine Scuttlebutt

Wine and/or Sublime Spirits; The Perfect Gift

For the person who enjoys wine, what better gift? The possibilities are endless; the decisions you need to make are easy and, most important of all, you are assured that your gift is will be appreciated and enjoyed.
To make it easy to select appropriate wines, I suggest that you make a note of what you know, if anything, regarding the wine preference of each person on your list, and, if you know nothing, that should be no deterrent, because we will take the time to help you make an appropriate choice—but try not to wait 'til Christmas Eve!. Also, have an idea as to what you are comfortable spending—we will never push you to spend more.
Price is neither a good indicator of quality, nor of what an individual might enjoy—you can get wines in the $10 price range, give or take a few dollars, that will satisfy even those with “discriminating” palates. The “sweet spot” is in the $10 to $20 price range. Unless you are sure of the recipients preferences, I would suggest that you hedge your bets—three $15 bottles are a better bet than one $45 bottle, and three $30 bottles, or even six $15, are a better choice than one $90 bottle.
Unless you object, we put our label on every bottle we know is intended as a gift. We want the wine to be appreciated, and we want the recipient to know where the wine came from. It also gives the recipient the option of exchanging the wine for something he or she may prefer.
The Rick’s Pick label is your “Good Wine Seal of Approval”, and the recipient may well recognize that.
We do not offer commercial gift packages—you can do much better with a personalized selection from our extensive inventory of Rick’s Picks, and we offer a selection of attractive packaging and wrapping. We do not do baskets—they take up too much “real estate”.
If you suspect, or know, that a person is a “connoisseur”, or has a “huge” wine cellar, do not be deterred. Unless you feel comfortable doing so, I suggest that you not attempt to match or out-do what he or she already has in his cellar—we will help you pick something, perhaps off-the-beaten-track, that costs what you are comfortable spending and that will be appreciated .
We are all the targets of advertising aimed at building brands, and if you suspect that your recipient is “label conscious”, either out of habit or perception of value, you may want to weigh the choices of a recognizable brand against a well-chosen unknown label that might turn out to be an unforgettable revelation. We will help you.
Keep in mind that personal preferences are drifting away from white wines toward red, especially in the cooler seasons, and my observation is that more and more wine drinkers are rejecting those big, oaky, buttery Chardonnays.
As for aficionados of spirits—Scotch, Bourbon, Cognac, Rum and Vodka—if you know the recipients preferences, your choice is safe and easy, but we offer a selection of “sublime spirits”—sure-to-be-appreciated, obscure brands that stand above and beyond the nationally advertised competition, often costing no more and sometimes less.
Last, we have for sale, copies of a few of the wine reference books that we use every day—The Oxford Companion to Wine, $65; The World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson, $50; and an irreverent little book that tells much of what you need to know about wine—The Wine Avenger, by Willie Gluckstein, $12.

The State of the Wine Business

Such is the state of the wine business that we do not have free trade within a state nor between states, but we have unfettered trade with China—it is nearly impossible to buy any manufactured item not Made In China.
The state of the wine business is that in just seconds I can “Google” information on virtually any topic, and virtually any wine producer, but in order to find, for example, all the California Cabernets available to me I must literally page through some 300 pages of the Connecticut Beverage Journal. The “Bev Journal” is the bible of the alcoholic beverage business in almost every state. It has not changed one iota in the 21 years I have been using it. It lists what I can buy, at what price (whether I buy 1 case or 100 cases), and the lowest price I can sell it for. If its not in the Journal, I, and you, are out of luck. If it is available in another state or another country, we are still out of luck. It's a cozy relationship between, the state and the big distributors licensed to do business in the state, and, I am sorry to say, by some of my competitors. Hate mail is on the way!
The wine industry has its roots stuck deep in the “likker” business—a dinosaur. Worse yet, the wine industry is being dominated by international conglomerates, who are interested in building brands. They have gobbled up many of the small producers who pioneered the making of fine wine in this country and in Australia. In that country about 90% of all wine is produced by four huge conglomerates—the remaining 10% comes from hundreds, if not thousands, of small producers with little marketing clout.
Until about forty years ago the wine consumer was essentially on his own in sifting through the available wines—typically by trial and error. Information was limited and suspect, until a wine media emerged, largely in the form of the Wine Spectator and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.
Initially they shed a much-needed bright light. But power corrupts. Does any rational wine consumer believe that 11,000 wines can be condensed into a list of the Year’s One Hundred Best, ranked, no less, with no if or buts, from 1 to 100.
Robert Parker has become, almost world-wide, the most powerful individual in the wine industry. To his credit he has shaken up the traditional and largely European wine industry. He accepts no advertising and presumably he accepts no favors, but he has been allowed to set himself up as the ultimate arbiter of good taste. His ability to make or break a wine producer has made him both feared and hated. He has spawned, but has no interest in, at least one consulting business devoted to counseling wine makers on how manipulate their winemaking to produce wines that Parker will rate at least 90.
You only need to read the wine ads, or the shelf talkers, to appreciate that by and large the wine industry has allowed themselves to be prostituted by WS and RP. They have become mere conduits who have abdicated their responsibility to their customers. I am sure that majority of you reading this drink and appreciate wine, not numbers.
To be sure, I’m in the business to make a living, but I would not be here if I were not having fun, as I surely am. My fun comes from finding wines from obscure, and invariably small, producers and from small and sometimes individual, importers and distributors, and to be fair there a few of large distributors who have, over the years, supported me. Without them there would be no Rick's Picks.

The Fun I’m having

Just yesterday, Iñaki, a Basque professional jai-alai player turned wine importer, and lately winemaker in Chile, came proudly into the store with a bottle of wine whose label says “Iñaki”. In the label’s background is an image of the wicker basket, called a “cesta”, that is used by the players to catch and return the goatskin-covered wound -rubber ball called a “pelota” that travels as fast as 188 miles per hour. The label tells you that the wine is Chilean, but it does not tell you that it is 47% Petit Verdot, a minor blending grape in Bordeaux, 37% Cabernet Franc and 16% Syrah.
It did not take more than a few seconds for me to realize that this was a Rick’s Pick—lovely French oak on the nose, and a gorgeous symphony of oak, fruit and tannin played in my mouth. Seamless, elegant pleasure from beginning to end. The blend, and the flavors are unique. Only once before have I had a wine with significant proportions of Petit Verdot—it was a fondly remembered Benzinger Imagery Series, 100% Petit Verdot with intense black currant fruit—no longer available—not enough consumer interest? Anyway, today Iñaki, the wine, is flying out the door at $19.99/18.99.
High drama—our stunning Mont Ferrant Rosè Cava, out of stock since August, and re-ordered in June did not make it from Spain in time for Thanksgiving, in spite of my persistent prodding of the importer. With a global wine glut this could only happen in the wine industry. The wine would never have gotten here, if not for my determination to get to the bottom of the matter. The importer, I discovered, ordered the wine but had failed to arrange for its transportation from the winery. My reward is in the joy of those who have been waiting for it, and in the smiles of pleasure from everyone who tastes it—color prejudiced Rosè-phobes included. Get yours—$16.99/15.69. Glorious bouquet, bone dry with bright acidity and the most exquisite straw-berry/raspberry fruit. Enjoy with or without food and even when its flat and warm—my ultimate test of any sparkling wine. What makes it so appealing? In part, the grape from which it is made—Monastrell a.k.a. Mourvedre.
I picked Concannon’s ‘03 Syrah as my best California Syrah value at $11.99/10.79, and as good as any Californian Syrah I have tasted recently, although I admit to not having tasted a number of pricey offerings. I bought every case I could get and it is selling like hot cakes. We have already consumed the better part of a case here at home. One of the few reviewers I have relied on for many years, Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine, in their December Issue panned the wine. I conclude that in the matter of Syrah and also, I suspect in the case of Pinot Noir, our standards differ widely. That is part of the fun I’m having.
The Concannon ‘03 will be gone by Christmas. Look for the ‘04 next spring—if it rates a Rick’s Pick. Meanwhile, here are some other Syrahs to tide you over.
Dig deep for Poggio Al Sole ‘03 Syrah, $39.99/35.99. By far the best Italian Syrah I have tasted, which might not count for much because there are not many. But this is world-class. It comes from a top Tuscan winemaker—elegant, beautifully balanced with a personality all of its own, but still, without doubt, Syrah!
That northern Rhone knock-off, Porcupine Ridge ‘03 Syrah $11.99/10.79, from South Africa is remarkable. Remember to finish the bottle the day you open it—by next day those great flavors will have faded.
Last but not least, Ch de Lancyre ‘01 Vieilles Vignes, “Pic Saint-Loup”, Coteaux du Languedoc, $19.99/17.99 is sensational, and the regular Ch de Lancyre ‘01 “Pic Saint-Loup”, $13.99/12.59 is a steal.

Obscene Restaurant Wine Prices and a Great Alternative

I sense a conspiracy. Not long ago restaurants were cautiously pushing against the $30 entré ceiling. All of sudden this year it seems that every moderate to up-scale restaurant has only token offers of under-$30 wines and the choices are often abysmal—I won’t drink most of them. Who buys those $60 wines to say nothing of the three and four hundred “bargains”? A not-to-be-named New Haven restaurant offers a wine for $45—it cost him $11 and sells at retail for about $18.
A solution—the Madison Bistro. Just steps from our back door offers terrific, prepared-to-order Mediterranean dishes, in a cozy intimate setting—out-doors in fine weather. Bring your own wine—no corkage. Have dinner for two for about $40—not including your wine. I have enjoyed the best spaghetti carbonara since we lived in Italy, and a superb Provencal-style steak.
For twenty years we closed the store at 8pm and walking out to a desolate, deserted downtown—we now hear voices and music and we see people—the Madison Bistro is best thing that has happened to Madison in 20 years.

The Best Coffee Anywhere

Just a few steps for our front door, at Willoughby’s, you will find what they call “Serious Coffee” either in a cup or in the form of freshly roasted beans, and what I call The Best Coffee Anywhere. About 18 years ago I became a fan of Sumatra Mendehling French Roast, and it has been our house coffee ever since. I keep the whole beans in the freezer, grind them fresh as needed, and I use a French Press coffee pot. They have a huge selection of beans, but this is my favorite. They put the “evil empire” to shame. So within a stone’s throw in downtown Madison you can get great food, great wine and great coffee.
You can also buy Willoughby’s Coffee on line at http://www.willoughbyscoffee.com. Receive a 10% Discount on your web order. During checkout enter coupon code RICKS-01205 and press ”redeem coupon”. Valid through 2-28-05.

More Wine Scuttlebutt

For some time now the Californian wine buzz-word has been “hangtime”. Google offered me hundreds of references to “hangtime” in basket ball; a reference to a Californian winery named Hang Time, and this single definition “Hangtime philosophy is to ensure that the flavors of the grapes reveal themselves boldly in the wine. That can only occur through a long "hangtime" in the vineyards, which concentrates the flavors in the grapes, and thoughtful winemaking, in which the flavors of the grapes are given priority.” The “flavors of the grapes” are usually referred to as fruit.
I declined to shell out $295 for a copy of Wine Opinions’ “groundbreaking report focusing on the attitudes and taste preferences of U.S. core wine consumers relating to wine styles resulting from extended hangtime.”
For several years I have heard California winemakers extolling the virtues of hangtime, but I never gave it much thought until I read a recent Economist article on the subject—yes there’s money involved. Typically, the Economist article is long and exhaustive, but I will try to paraphrase it, adding some of my own comments, hopefully without losing your interest.
The ripening of grapes on the vine involves the conversion of acid into sugar. In northern climates, with short growing seasons, there are vintages in which lack of sunshine results in low sugar levels in the grape and low alcohol levels in the finished wine, which may be acidic and lacking in fruit. Low alcohol, but not lack of fruit, can be rectified, by adding sugar to the fermenting grape juice. Chaptalization, as it is called, is outlawed in many European appellations; The German system of grading wine—Kabinet, Spaetlese, Auslese, Berenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese—is based the sugar level at harvest, not on the sugar level in the finished wine. Their alcohol levels are often in the 9 to 10% range with some residual sugar in the finished wine. The Kabinets are light and easy drinking.
Most wines are in the 11 to 13% range of alcohol level. Back in the seventies it was popular to produce Zinfandels with 16% alcohol, a feat that requires some winemaking wizardry, because, depending on temperature, most strains of yeast quit working at alcohol levels around. 15%—known in the trade as a “stuck” fermentation.
Longer hangtime results in higher sugars levels, in part because more acid is converted into sugar, and in part, because, in the absence of rain, the grapes will loose water. Perhaps the flavor and fruit levels are increased, but it has always been my understanding that fruit comes from thicker skins and adequate maceration—intimate contact of fermenting juice and skins—during fermentation.
But the Economist's article implies that money, perhaps more than claimed wine quality enhancement, is involved. Californian wine regulations limit the “watering back” of wine (note they don’t say “watering down”) to certain circumstances, one of them being stuck fermentation, caused, as noted above, by high alcohol levels. Water, by reducing the alcohol level will unstick the fermentation—and will be sold as wine!
One might be tempted to say “so what, there is a glut of wine”, but we are talking about
wine that acquires much of its perceived value from a particular place, the name of which is on the label.
Not really addressed by the Economist is that in recent years, alcohol levels of Californian wines have been climbing, often hitting 16%, no doubt adding appeal to those consumers who seek what they call “full-bodied” wines. Alcohol is tasteless—tannin is often mistaken for alcohol—but higher levels of alcohol give the wine a heavier “mouthfeel”, and of course you feel the effects of the higher alcohol level. The higher alcohol levels tend to make the wines—especially Chardonnay—heavy and clumsy as opposed to light and elegant.
The article concludes by condemning the standardization of taste and the loss of individualism. “As giant corporations buy up one winemaker after another ... what happens if one Cabernet tastes much the same as another, what happens if giant winemankers, imposing standardized methods of production, put consistency ahead of taste”. But the Economist misses the point with “if”—these consequences have already come to pass.
The article concludes, “And yet never has the world been under such threat from the forces of homogenization. That, one would have thought was a much greater threat than watering back”
Also not addressed by the Economist, but of concern to me, is that higher sugar levels imply lower acid levels—when it comes to wine I am known to be an acid freak—wine without adequate acid is grape juice, and it fades fast!

Happy Holidays,

Rick Lewis

Visit madisonwineshop.com | Questions or comments? Email info@madisonwineshop.com