- 2001 Herencia Antica Reserva Tempranilo (Spain) $14/bottle: Candied red licorice with soft oak on the finish was the first flavors that came to mind from this Spanish value! When was the last time you had a wine from Utiel-Requenia? A great everyday drinker!
- 2005 Layer Cake Shiraz (Australia) $17/bottle: The inaugural release of this new Shiraz from Jayson Woodbridge (proprietor and winemaker of cult California Cabernet producer Hundred Acre whose wines sell for $174 and up if you can even get them) is made with grapes from four vineyards strung along a winding five-mile section of the Barossa Valley. The violet-and-blueberry scent leads into sweet black-cherry flavors. Big, bold and value-priced enough for everyday drinking! It has been reccomended to me by so many folks I had to get it and boy am I glad I did!
Last Monday I had the honor to taste wine with Ridge Watson (Tom’s brother) winemaker and part owner of Joullian Vineyards in Carmel Valley, CA. We were extremely impressed with his wine knowledge (Something you do not always see in a rep. from a winery) as well as his craftsmanship in each of the varietals we tasted. We selected the following two wines for the store:
- 2004 Joullian Sias Cuvee Zinfandel (California) $24/bottle: Spicy, vanilla-tinged cherry, raspberry and rose petal nose. The bright raspberry entry broadens into a red currant, plum and rhubarb mid-palate that leads to an elegant, crisp, spicy-vanilla finish (Petite Sirah, Grenache and Carignane too - Only 1,512 cases produced).
- 2004 Joullian Cabernet Sauvignon (California) $26/bottle: Dark garnet color, cherry pink rim. Perfumed, spicy Bing cherry, red currant and anise nose. Extremely “bright” entry of red currant, Black Friar plum and cherry fruit that leads to a vibrant finish that accentuates, spice, cedar and anise (Only 2,983 cases produced).
Later Monday, we also enjoyed some great wines with Bruce Cohn, owner, of B.R. Cohn in Sonoma Valley, CA (Bruce is also tour manager for the Doobie Brothers who had just played in Orlando the night before). Bruce’s passion is creating great wines for great times! Standouts from that tasting included the well-anticipated 2003 B.R. Cohn Olive Hill Cabernet ($45) and the 2004 B.R. Cohn SyrCab (Syrah/Cabernet blend TBD). Both of these wines will be in stock soon to add to his already great collection of olive oils and dipping sauces!
- 2004 Lail Blueprint (California) $45/bottle: This classy wine is tasty, with voluptuously ripe creme de cassis and blackberry tart flavors enriched with chocolate fudge, vanilla and spicy, smoky oak. The tannins are superfine, and while the wine is a bit soft, it’s dry and balanced. A Bordeaux-styled blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Cabernet Franc – Only 2,000 cases produced and just over 1% of their inventory made it to Missouri!
- 2001 Cennatoio O'Leandro Chianti Classico Riserva (Italy) $45/bottle: The 2001 Chianti Classico Riserva O’Leandro adds some Cabernet to the blend which darkens the color and gives some additional complexity of cassis fruit, herbs, and minerals. A bit larger and firmer than the regular Chianti, it will drink well until 2016. Twenty-four more bottles made it to Missouri and we received six of them (90 points in WA)!
- 2004 Cusumano Noa (Italy) $45/bottle: Noa, the top of the line wine from this producer (and also the name of my daughter - and, yes, I will write about Sofia Blanc de Blancs in the future) reveals some powerful black cherry and blackberry aromas. Long and sustained, its polished and supple tannins are supported by a solidity and firmness of texture which indicate that the wine could last another eight to ten years if not longer. We opened a bottle last Friday at 4:15 pm and it drank even better at 9:00 pm (Nero D’Avola, Cabernet and Merlot blend)!
- 2001 Marchesi di Barolo (Italy) $50/bottle: Aromas of dried meat and ripe fruit follow through to a full-bodied palate, with a peppery, light raisin flavor. Chewy yet ripe tannins for a Nebbiolo, It goes on for a long time on the palate. Very well done for the vintage and boy were we surprised at the value for a 2001 Barolo - This is a real keeper (91 points in WS)!
- 2004 L'Aventure Optimus (California) $55/bottle: The follow up to the banner 2003 vintage shows everything is still in order at Stephan Vineyards. What typically happens is we get our allocation ... it sits for a while and then sells out. Just after we are all sold out the press goes hog wild on the wine and everyone is suprised I did not get any of it. Well, I have it now!
This blend exhibits a dense ruby/purple color with complex aromas of blueberries, sweet cherries, and spice box. A Bordeaux-like blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Syrah. This one could last 15+ years!
- 2001 Cennatoio Archibaldo (Italy) $75/bottle: Yes, I have written about the Alessi Family in the past and yes, I have had the honor of drinking with them on their Tuscan property but you cannot believe how great this Sangiovese/Cabernet blend it is! It’s blackish in tonality, weighty and minerally (is that a word?) on its expansive nose and ample palate and endowed with a full load of peppery and tobacco-laced black fruit flavors on its long, firm finish. Mr. Parker says to drink it from now through 2018 (92 points in WA)! If you like gamey meats this is a wine for you!
- 2001 Talenti Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (Italy) $80/bottle: This old-world Sangiovese exhibits a deep, translucent ruby color. It opens with captivating, vibrant aromatics, with notes of freshly cut roses, raspberries and licorice. Gorgeously expressive yet delicate on the palate, it offers layers of dark fruit, earthiness and sweet oak supported by a refined, classic structure, with exceptional length and fine, silky tannins on the fresh finish. It is a superb effort with maturity expected through 2021 (93 points in WA)! Taster's Note: I have had their regular Brunello but not this Riserva ... the notes are dead on and I would bet lots on the fact that further aging has crafted a better wine!
- 2002 Chateau Rauzan-Segla (France) $99/bottle: An outstanding 2nd growth classified chateau (You might have seen my write-ups on their 2nd label Segla in the past) created this wine with a dark ruby/purple color and more power, richness, and concentration than its younger sibling, the 2002 reveals outstanding potential, exhibiting plenty of concentrated black currant fruit with some vanilla, herbs, and licorice. It has about the same level of tannin as the 2003, but seems to have sweeter fruit and more mid-palate and length. A blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. This was not the standout vintage like 2000 or 2003 so the prices are not as bad but the wine is just as good (90 points in WA)!
Ok, so the list was not quite as brief as I thought but we have some really great wines to offer and I wanted a chance to blog about them.
All of the above mentioned wines are for sale if you go to the Web site you can get a special 15% off coupon valid as long as the Kansas Jayhawks are in the NCAA basketball tournament!
Keep your eyes open for our Bordeaux explosion over the next few weeks as we have dozens of cases of great 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 Bordeaux on its way from France (that's where they keep it until we get it you know!)
Happy drinking and be sure to get your grape on!
L'chaim!
Michael (& the cru)
