 2012
McKinlay Vineyards, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
15.99/172.69
McKinlay winemaker Matt Kinne’s Pinots are always so
elegant, so effortlessly balanced, so sneakily Burgundian.
Emphasizing low yields, native yeast fermentation and minimal
intervention, McKinlay’s newly-released 2012 Pinot is
an impressively deep, authentic Willamette Valley Pinot at
an extremely affordable price. Placing the dazzling and precocious
fruit of the great 2012 vintage front and center, the wine
opens with a transparent ruby hue and beautifully pure Willamette
Valley Pinot aromas of black cherries, cranberries, earth
and cinnamon. Lushly textured, McKinlay’s 2012 Pinot
graces the palate with deep raspberry and cherry fruit alongside
juicy, balancing acidity, fine-grained tannins and complex
notes of cinnamon and cloves. The finish is long, clean and
lingering, showing sweet cherries, red raspberries and a smoky
terroir signature. A very versatile and immediately delicious
Pinot, McKinlay’s 2012 drinks exceptionally well now,
and will hold easily for three to five years. Enjoy this unoaked,
raspberry and cherry-fruited beauty with broiled salmon, roast
chicken, grilled vegetables, duck and burgers hot off the
grill.
FRANCE – RED
2011
Bouchard Père & Fils, Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Réserve,
Burgundy, France 18.99/205.09
Over the past decade, the venerable Bouchard Père &
Fils négociant has reestablished itself in the upper
echelon of go-to Burgundy sources. Based on fruit from the
renowned Côte-de-Beaune villages of Beaune, Chorey-lès-Beaune,
Savigny-lès-Beaune, Santenay and Maranges, Bouchard
has fashioned a deliciously accessible, earthy and meaty expression
of red Burgundy. A brilliant translucent ruby color, Bouchard’s
Réserve casts a dazzling bouquet of black cherries,
red currants, red rose petals and game. Supple on the palate,
the wine’s core of red fruits mingles with classic red
Burgundy notes of cinnamon, blood oranges, wood spice and
limestone earth. Sappy and persistent far beyond its modest
price tag, the wine finishes with complex meaty, gamy notes,
mouthwatering tannins and vibrant acidity accenting additional
waves of fresh berry fruit. This is sensational wine and a
superb value in authentically textured and scented red Burgundy.
Enjoy now and over the coming five years with pork terrines,
game birds, roast chicken, sweetbreads and gratin dauphinois.
 (O)
2010 Domaine de la Guicharde, Côtes
du Rhône, Southern Rhône Valley, France 9.99/107.89
2010 has risen to the top of our favorite Rhône Valley
vintages. Joining the parade of amazing wines from this superb
vintage is one of our consistently favorite selections, the
superb Côtes du Rhône rouge from Domaine de la
Guicharde. This blend (65% Grenache and 35% Syrah) opens with
an opaque black-plum color and a vibrant core of cherry and
currant-inflected Grenache fruit. Herbal, juniper-driven garrigue
notes appear on the palate alongside hints of tobacco, star
anise and an undercurrent of stony minerality. Classic chewy
2010 tannins appear on the back-palate and segue the wine
to its long cherry and garrigue-driven finish. Still comfortably
priced under $10, we suggest picking up a case to enjoy now
and over the next decade with grilled eggplant, lamb and beef
stews, burgers and anything scented with rosemary, garlic
or anchovies. A beauty!
2009 Domaine le Couroulu, Vin de Pays
de Vaucluse, Southern Rhône Valley, France 8.99/97.09
Vacqueyras superstar Domaine le Couroulu extends
its magical touch to an affordable everyday wine that fuses
the “sauvage” expressions of its Southern Rhône
homeland with the suave complexity of Right Bank Bordeaux.
Blending equal parts Syrah and Merlot from an especially cool
sector of their Vacqueyras estate, Couroulu’s vin de
pays casts an opaque black plum color from the glass and an
effusive bouquet combining the olive, leather and gamy nuances
of a fine Syrah with the violet, chocolate and plum expressions
of Merlot. The Couroulu’s plump, lush attack spotlights
the Merlot’s supple plum fruit, while the Syrah emerges
moments later with a savory herbal, spicy tapenade accent.
The blend is terrific and makes this a lovely rouge to drink
now and over the next three years with cured meats, mild sheep’s
milk cheeses, braised beef, lamb with rosemary and olives
or slow-cooked ratatouille.
ITALY – RED
2009
Sella & Mosca, Cannonau di Sardegna, Riserva, Sardinia,
Italy 13.99/151.09
Cannonau is Sardinian dialect for the grape variety better
known as Grenache in France and Garnacha in Spain. In Sardinia,
it achieves a very special expression that stays true to the
grape yet conveys a special cinnamon-tinged earthiness unique
to the island. Sella & Mosca estate’s 2009 Riserva
opens with a beautiful, translucent black-garnet color followed
by a heady bouquet of black cherries, cinnamon, sweet tobacco
and potpourri. Deft on the palate yet bold in flavor, the
Cannonau adds suggestions of juicy figs, soft leather and
spicy oak. The wine finishes long and complete, showing plentiful
fine tannins, and delicious notes of cloves, leather, blonde
tobacco and a smoky soil signature. This is a terrific value
for lovers of bold, earthy reds. Enjoy this Riserva now and
through the end of the decade with dishes featuring tomatoes,
eggplant, garlic, lamb, rabbit and game.
(B)
NV Il Chiosso, Rossomarconi, Northern
Piedmont, Italy 9.99/107.89
This is a beautiful, low-alcohol northern Piedmont
wine, and the savvy red wine buy of the newsletter! Il Chiosso’s
founders, Marco Arlunni and Carlo Cambieri, tend their vineyards
biodynamically to emphasize purity and honesty in their wines.
The duo’s Rossomarconi hails from 100% Nebbiolo vinified
for freshness and immediate accessibility. The wine shows
an old-school transparent, orange-rimmed garnet hue followed
by spicy, floral sweet cherry fruit and deep limestone soil
tones. On the palate, the wine’s red cherry fruit fuses
with textbook Nebbiolo suggestions of dried rose petals, tarry
earth, blonde tobacco and spicy salumi. Lip-smacking tannins
emerge on the Rossomarconi’s long leather and dried
rose petal, cinnamon finish and then yield to an undercurrent
of limestone minerals. This is a natural pair for braised
beef, hare, pork, roast lamb, grilled eggplant, salumi and
medium firm cheeses. A sensational value!
2011
Fuso21, Barbera di Colli Tortonesi DOC, Piedmont, Italy 12.99/140.29
Fuso21’s Barbera di Colli Tortonesi is a full throttle,
meaty, characterful Barbera that drinks great right out of
the chute. The Fuso21 label represents twenty-one terroir-driven
Italian wines from twenty-one regions and twenty-one producers.
A lovely translucent ruby color leads to meaty, gamey aromas
and hints of leather and tar. Showing great clarity on the
palate, the wine presents suggestions of black plums, dark
cherries, tar and cured meats. Fine tannins and brisk acidity
frame the Barbera on its long, lip-smacking finish, which
spotlights complex suggestions of tar, violets, plums, black
cherries, saddle leather, tobacco and calcareous earth. This
is a wonderful choice for an all-purpose red that’s
fleshy, yet brisk and distinctive enough to delight those
in the know. Enjoy this now and over the coming three years
with everything from pastas to burgers to pizza to pork chops,
and just about anything but artichokes and seafood.
(O)
2009 Santa Lucia, Nero di Troia,
Vigna del Melograno, Castel del Monte, Puglia, Italy 16.99/183.49
Revered for its quality but shunned for its shy yields and
fickleness, the Uva di Troia grape finds its natural home
in the Castel del Monte sector of Italy’s Puglia region.
In the heart of the Castel del Monte D.O.C., the organic Santa
Lucia estate makes Uva di Troia its specialty and issues a
trio of cuvées that has the critics buzzing. Opaque
black-plum in the glass, Santa Lucia’s 2009 Vigna del
Melograno casts aromas of cinnamon and clove-tinged black
cherries accented by subtle notes of vanilla and brown spices.
Light and nimble on the palate, the Nero di Troia alternates
waves of ripe plums and cherries, tar and food-friendly tannins.
Spicy and vibrant on the finish, the wine reprises its core
of sun-warmed cherries and plums, and adds notes of vanilla
bean, bitter herbs, tar and sarsaparilla. Pair this truly
delicious and expressive southern Italian wine with foods
that call for an assertive and versatile partner, especially
grilled pepper-crusted strip steaks, smoked brisket, bean
stews, eggplant parmigiana and hard ewe’s milk cheeses.
SPAIN – RED
2006
Bodegas y Viñedos Fernández Rivera, Dehesa la
Granja, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Léon, Spain
19.99/215.89
Like everything the talented husband-and-wife team of Alejandro
Fernández and Esperanza Rivera touches, the results
at Dehesa la Granja have been stunning. Fernández and
Rivera replanted dormant vineyards in northeastern Spain with
heirloom-clone Tempranillo. With a nod to tradition, Fernández
ages the wine two years in American oak, and bottles it unfiltered.
This inky, opaque black-plum colored masterpiece explodes
with saturated, spicy, tobacco-tinged plum and blueberry fruit
backed by fiery tannins and hints of smoke, vanilla and licorice.
Lush and velvety on the attack, the wine opens to reveal a
firm glove of walnut-like tannin on the back-palate and complex
reprises of tobacco, tar and licorice on its long, chewy finish.
Tremendously food-versatile, the Dehesa la Granja pairs now
and over the coming decade with beef, lamb or pork, or with
meaty paellas and savory potato tapas.
Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar –
90 points
WHITE WINE
OREGON – WHITE
2011
Matello, Caprice, Pinot Blanc/Pinot Gris, Yamhill-Carlton
District, Oregon 16.99/183.49
The talented Marcus Goodfellow returns to these pages with
the 2011 edition of his innovative Caprice white wine blend
of 80% Pinot Blanc and 20% Pinot Gris. From the cool, long
harvest of 2011, Matello’s Caprice presents itself dry,
focused, floral and well-balanced. A brilliant lemon-gold
color in the glass, Matello’s 2011 Caprice casts aromas
of Anjou pears, green melon and honeysuckle. The wine then
stains the palate with intense pear, kiwi and gooseberry fruit
lifted by riveting citric acidity. Brisker and showing more
tension than previous vintages, the 2011 Caprice displays
impressive clarity and freshness on its long, smoky, mineral-tinged
finish. Enjoy now and over the coming three years with mild-spiced
Thai, Vietnamese and Indian cuisine, grilled spring and summer
vegetables, salmon, lobster, clams, or with semi-firm chèvres.
FRANCE – WHITE
2012
Arnoux & Fils/Vieux Clocher, Côtes du Rhône,
Blanc, Southern Rhône Valley, France 9.50/102.60
Clients who loved Arnoux’s 2011 Vacqueyras Blanc from
last year’s newsletter will delight in their newly released
2012 Côtes-du-Rhône blanc. From the glass, the
Vieux Clocher casts a pale straw-gold color with peach highlights.
One the palate, the wine’s classic Southern Rhône
blanc blend of 50% Grenache Blanc, 40% Clairette, 5% Viognier
and 5% Roussanne captures in a bottle the flowers and springtime
scents of Southern France. Aromas of preserved lemon, quince,
peach blossoms and bay leaf segue to a fresh and full-bodied
palate packed with pear, peach, yellow plum and citrus fruit.
Brisk and balanced, the wine finishes with further suggestions
of tangerine, sweet limes, juicy acidity and a lashing of
wet stone terroir. A lovely pairing with mussels, periwinkles,
escargots and other shelled creatures from land and sea, Arnoux’s
superb Côtes-du-Rhône blanc will also stand up
to heartier fare such as roast duck, chicken, braised rabbit
and turkey burgers.
2011
Domaine Labbé, Abymes, Savoie, France 9.50/102.60
2011 is a sensationally balanced and expressive Savoie vintage,
and Labbé’s Abymes exemplifies the crisp, refreshing
and glacier-like purity that we so love in the best Savoyard
wines. Made from Jacquère, a crisp, light-bodied grape
specific to the AOC, Labbé’s 2011 Abymes offers
aromas of pear, honeysuckle and green melon. The wine’s
bracing acidity plays on the palate with bright citrus fruits
and hints of anise, Meyer lemons and minerals. Delicate in
body and light on the palate, Labbé’s Abymes
shows impressive intensity and persistence for the appellation.
Notes of lemon, limestone and juicy acidity mark the wine’s
crisp, inviting finish. We suggest pairing this Alpine refresher
with oysters, scallops and white-fleshed fish dishes and to
enjoy it young in order to capture all the Abymes’ crisp
acidity and crunchy minerality.
2011
Drouhin-Vaudon, Chablis, Burgundy, France 18.99/205.09
The mark of the greatest and most terroir-driven wines is
to be able to smell and taste the wine and to know immediately
and unequivocally where it was grown. This is such a wine.
Pale green-tinged lemon gold in the glass Drouhin-Vaudon’s
2011 Chablis casts flinty, chalk, classic Chablis soil notes
alongside hints of fresh lemon zest. Crisp and bristling with
citrus fruit, the wine possesses a chalky limestone soil signature
so intense that it leaves a tactile dusty saline coating on
your palate. And this is what makes le vrai Chablis so special
and so rarely found, especially at this price. If you can
allow the wine to finish before taking another sip, you’ll
be graced with another lashing of Kimmeridgian limestone terroir
alongside hints of lemon zest and hazelnut skins. Purchase
this offering from Maison Joseph Drouhin by the case for enjoyment
now and over the coming seven years with all things seafood,
spring vegetables, light poultry and pork preparations. Great,
great Chablis!
2010
Jean Pabiot, Pouilly-Fumé, Domaine des Fines Caillotes,
Loire Valley, France
18.99/205.09 reg. 21.99
Here is a superb example of what made the 2010 vintage
wines in the Loire Valley so exciting. The 2010 Pouilly-Fumé
from Jean Pabiot is brimming with vivacity and verve. Brilliant
yellow in color, the wine showcases a refined and subdued
nose that is dominated by minerality and a lovely floral touch,
as fresh pineapple notes segue to hints of lemon, ginger and
lime. The palate is clean, floral and fruity, showing a seductive
freshness, balance and persistence. The long, satisfying finish
provides further impressions of wet river stones and shimmering
acidity. Serve this Loire Valley beauty over the next two
to three years with shellfish, seafood salads, grilled asparagus
and summer vegetables or fresh goat cheeses. Very limited.
ITALY – WHITE
2010
Fantinel, Pinot Grigio, Vigneti Sant’Helena, Collio,
Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy 15.99/172.69
2010 was such a fantastic year for the white wines of northern
Italy. The rolling limestone and clay hills of the Collio
DOC, located in far northeastern Italy near its border with
Slovenia, grows some of the world’s finest and most
distinctive Pinot Grigio. Lemon-gold in the glass with the
faintest copper overtones, Fantinel’s Pinot Grigio casts
mineral-driven aromas of flint, quince, clover honey, lemon
curd and green apples. Fresh and vibrant on the palate, the
wine’s mineral core marries with its brisk acidity to
propel its delicious citrus, apple, pear and papaya fruit.
Long, juicy and super-refreshing hints of honeydew melon and
sappy almonds emerge alongside reprises of flinty, smoky minerals
and crunchy green apple fruit. Fans of the brisk, vivacious,
dry expressions of Pinot Grigio will love this wine both as
an aperitif and as a complement to grilled spring vegetables,
trout amandine, pan-roasted mussels, prawns, fresh chèvres,
antipasti and light poultry preparations. Enjoy young to capture
the wine’s bristling acidity and deep mineral core.
PORTUGAL – WHITE
2012
Aliança, Vinho Verde, Northeastern, Portugal 8.50/91.80
Few wines are as refreshing and spring-like than
the crisp vinho verdes of northeastern Portugal. Pale, shimmering
and low in alcohol, they refresh and revive the spirit on
warm sunny days. This vibrant, classically-styled vinho verde
from Aliança sports a pale green-gold robe followed
by scents of lemon, lime, honeydew melon and chervil. On the
palate, the wine sports a refreshing dose of dissolved CO2
alongside notes of freshly squeezed lime juice, green melon,
salty minerality and a hint of clover honey. Crunchy and minerally
on the finish, the wine’s lightness and lilt, combined
with its brisk acidity, wakes up the palate and prepares it
for another bite of fresh seafood, calamari, light salads
or pasta tossed in an olive oil sauce. A terrific wine to
welcome the warmer weather, we suggest enjoying this through
the summer and into the early fall. Delicious, textbook vinho
verde!
SPAIN – WHITE
2011
Columna, Albariño, Rías Baixas, Galicia, Spain
13.99/151.09
Albariños this affordable and packed with this kind
of character make us dance with joy. Fashioned from 33-year-old
Albariño vines planted on granite and slate soils,
Columna’s Albariño blossoms with aromas of tangerine,
pineapple, honeysuckle and jasmine. Crisp and minerally on
the attack, the wine fleshes out on the palate to reveal suggestions
of crisp peaches, juicy pineapple, tangerine peel, lemon thyme
and saline minerals. Clear, precise and focused, the wine
finishes clean and crisp with its slate-driven mineral undercurrent
marrying with its juicy core of citrus fruits. This is a perfect
aromatic warm weather wine that will delight all by itself
of as a partner to prawns, oysters on the half shell, steamed
clams, vegetable tortillas, sashimi and mild cheeses.
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – 91 points
ROSÉ WINE
FRANCE – ROSÉ
(O)
2012 Domaine Sorin, Côtes
de Provence, Rosé, Terra Amata, Provence, France
11.50/124.20
Domaine Sorin fashions delicious, approachable wines filled
with the inimitable, sun-drenched character of Provence.
Their splendid organic rosé is based on a roll
call of Provence’s finest varietals, a lip-smacking
blend of Grenache (40%), Cinsault (15%), Syrah (10%),
Mourvèdre (15%), Carignan (10%), Rolle (5%) and
Orgi (5%). A brilliant pale salmon color with copper highlights,
Sorin’s 2012 rosé casts aromas of dried sage,
juniper, grapefruit and rhubarb. Crisp on the attack with
juicy blood orange and white raspberry fruit, the rosé
fleshes out in mid-palate to reveal notes of watermelon,
crushed herbs, light, food-friendly tannins and limestone
minerality. Extremely well balanced and refreshing, the
Sorin rosé finishes long, crisp and focused. Pair
this versatile beauty now and over the next year with
classic Provençal recipes such as ratatouille,
grilled whole fish stuffed with fennel and herbs, summer
squashes, lamb sausages and light seafood pastas.
(CO)
2012 Château des Annibals,
Cuvée Suivez-Moi-Jeune-Homme, Rosé, Côteaux
Varois en Provence, Provence, France 17.99/194.29
For the serious rosé lover, we present this crisp,
taut and lip-smacking offering from Château des
Annibals. A blend of 60% Cinsault and 40% Grenache, Château
des Annibals’ Cuvée Suivez-Moi-Jeune-Homme
(“follow me, young man”) takes rosé
to the next level. Pale salmon in the glass, Château
des Annibals’ rosé casts herb and chalk-inflected
aromas of raspberries, Rainier cherries and wild strawberries.
One can approach this wine from two angles: either enjoy
it as a sappy, textbook, Provençal rosé
that satisfies completely with its pure refreshment and
deliciousness; or compare and contrast it with the greatest
Provençal rosés and discover that it delivers
effortlessly the inimitable lavender-laced, garrigue-driven
herbal and chalky clay terroir of Provençal rosés
that cost twice its price. This is delicious, reference-standard
Provençal rosé that will rock your world
during the warm weather months and well into the next
year. Pair with crayfish, lobster, crab, prawns, salmon,
ratatouille, bouillabaisse and sashimi. Very limited.
SPARKLING
WINE
SPAIN – SPARKLING
2010
Caves Naverán, Brut Vintage, Cava, Penedès,
Spain 13.50/145.80
A handful of quality-conscious producers are pushing the
envelope to discover the heights to which Cava can rise.
Caves Naverán employs a blend of indigenous Xarel-lo
(50%), Macabeo (30%) and Parellada (20%) to render this
exceptionally deep, expressive and delicious Cava. After
spending eighteen months on its lees, the Naverán
shows a beautiful lemon-gold color, yielding mineral-driven
aromas of toasted brioche, apricot, Meyer lemon and yellow
peaches. Persistent, plentiful pinpoint bubbles form a
lovely mousse in the flute and bring freshness and zing
to the wine’s deep core of golden apple, pineapple
and star fruit. A final wave of smoky, saline minerals
joins with impressive tactile grip and impressions of
pineapple and juicy peaches on the wine’s long,
zesty finish. This is impressive Cava and a superb choice
as an evening aperitif and for celebratory toasts. The
wine’s serious side emerges if you pair it with
halibut, trout, shellfish, vegetable soufflés and
young semi-firm cheeses. Enjoy now and over the next two
years.
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – 90 points
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