Page 42 - Staff Tastings

I have to cut to the chase here.  This wine is spectacular!
 
From Rioja, Spain, the 95 point 2001  is packed with red fruit (cranberries and cherries) that can be detected immediately.  It's a smooth, medium bodied wine and even has some spice (cinnamon) too.  The right acid and tannins is present, which will lend to its longevity, but everything is rounded and delicious here.
 
Tondonia is one of Lopez de Heredia's premier vineyards, one that they say is "the bodega's most famous vineyard and product." The 2001 Tondonia Reserve

Daron Watson, one of our private wine consultants, catches up with Michael Twelftree of Two Hands Winery in Australia. As one of the finest producers in not just Australia, but in the world, they have taken a spot on Wine Spectator's list of the Top 100 Wines ten years in a row, and we are amazed at their consistent quality.

Q: So MT, what first brought you into the world of wine?

A: I was 23 and a friend invited me to go with him to a wine shop to buy a few cases of wine. There was a (free) tasting going on and this wonderful world unfolded right in front of my eyes.

Q: When did you first meet Richard Mintz and when did you decide it was time to start your own winery?

A: I met Richard at the time we were both finishing up at school and we were about

It was our last night in our beloved apartment, and I wanted to drink something special for this evening.  With boxes everywhere, it was time to turn off the wine cabinet and pack up the wine and also the time to make the decision on what wine to open. 

I had been reading on Parker's website about the 2008 Clos Des Papes. I'd wanted to try the wine for sometime, but had the inclination that it was too young. The 2008s were not the heralded vintage like 2007 and surely not as stellar as the new 2009s and 2010s, however there were some amazing values. I love the Rhone. In fact, I am beginning to think that it's my new favorite region.  Maybe not so much for the absolute mind blowing experiences that you can get from well-aged Bordeaux, but certainly an everyday drinking wine with tons of character. 

I opened the bottle well before we had dinner. The decanter was packed, so I had to let the wine breathe in the bottle. I wanted to make sure that

We just received our allocation of 2010 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon!  This wine has pedigree, style and remains a great value.  At just $42.99/bottle, this monstrous red wine (93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot) is indeed considered a California Cult for a reason.

Incredible nose of dark, brambly fruits and a hint of vanilla along with some eucalyptus.  This leads into a mouth-coating blend of wonderful raspberry fruit, chocolate and truffles.  With an hour or so of decanting, this wine can be enjoyed now and will continue to drink well for another 10 - 15 years!

This wine also has 92 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and tastes like a California Cabernet with double the price tag.  We only received 10 cases, so get some today and also check out our amazing selection of back-vintage Montelena Cabernets, including the estate bottlings from 1988, 1996, 1998 and 2009.

These Cabernets age like fine Bordeaux. 

Chardonnay is one of the handful of 'noble grapes' and its throne of origin resides in Burgundy. The five major sub-regions of Burgundy are Chablis, Cote de Nuits, Cote de Beaune, Cote Chalonnaise and Maconnais, called 'the Macon' for short for the town it is named after. Finest examples of Chardonnay usually come from the first three, the latter two creating more early drinking or everyday style wines. The Macon in particular is considered the workhorse of the group, producing more Chardonnay than all the other sub-regions combined.

Its soils can be similar to Nuits and Beaune containing limestone and alkaline clay, but not as integral to a specific slope, with flat farmlands mixed in among the vineyards. It lies furthest south of the five sub-regions and therefore, has a slightly warmer climate. These factors combined lend to simpler wines with a focus on fruit, but much less minerality and depth. However, if you were to enjoy a bottle of 2005 Domaine de la Bongran Vire

Last weekend a friend invited my wife and I over for a birthday party.  We were excited to go as he recently built a wood burning oven in his backyard, and we hadn't had an opportunity to stop by and try it out yet.  Multiple pizzas with various toppings would be created, and guests were asked to bring beverages of choice to wash them down. 

Naturally I wanted to bring vino, something I'd enjoy, yet wouldn't "waste" on a portion of the guests there that wouldn't appreciate a good bottle.  Immediately I thought of the 2011 Valdibella Nero. It's 100% Nero d'Avola from a Sicilian cooperative that believes in making natural and pure wine from heirloom varietals using organic farming with hands off cellar practices.  Plummy notes of light black fruits dominate with a finish of wild brush herbs and volcanic rock.  Everyone loved it and inquired about purchasing some.  When I told them the price was only $24.95, they were ALL IN.  Oh yeah,

The 2009 Prunotto Mompertone is a very unique blend of 60% Barbera and 40% Syrah. Wine critic Antonio Galloni said, "?A combination that as far as I know has not been tried elsewhere in Piedmont."  I'm not a huge fan of Piedmontese blends. Each varietal that is indigenous to Piedmont merits its own defining characteristics and is rarely blended. Grapes that grow in Piedmont thrive there because of the unique terroir, and most times do not grow outside of Piedmont for that very reason. Barbera and Nebbiolo are two of the biggest examples.

Alfredo Prunotto seemed to find a blend that simply works in the Mompertone. This wine is juicy, complex and stunning.

2009 Mompertone
Prunotto's Mompertone comes from vineyards located in Calliano (Asti), in the Basso Monferrato zone, 300 meters above sea level. The terroir consists of clay soil with veins of sand. 2009 had an unsteady start, with a harsh winter, finally calming

On the heels of Nick’s recent Top 5 Whites for the summer, I have to bring the 2010 Montelena Chardonnay to your attention.  We just received this, so let’s include this one as a top summer selection and grow Nick’s list to 6!

This chardonnay deserves to stand right beside the potentially more well known reds from Montelena.

Antonio Galloni began his review stating the wine is “gorgeous.”  I think this is the perfect descriptor.  It’s citrusy (grapefruit, lemon zest) and floral with the crispness I like in a chardonnay.  There isn’t a lot of oak in this wine, but it still maintains solid body.  With only subtle oak (and not overdone with oiliness) along with some mineral-like elements that I noticed closer to the finish, this is a California chardonnay that potentially could be mistaken for an excellent white Burgundy in a blind tasting…without a white Burgundy price!

Wine Spectator

Daron Watson, one of our private wine consultants, catches up with Pepe Raventos, manager, oenologist and wine grower at Raventos I Blanc. One of the initial families involved with wine in Catalunya and most known for Cava, Pepe discusses the history of the winery as well as the direction they are headed.

Q: How long has your family been making wine at the Raventos I Blanc estate?

A: Since 1497

Q: Would you please briefly explain the Raventos relation to the Codorniu family?

A: My grandfather Josep Maria Raventós i Blanc was partner and winemaker at Codorniu for 40 years, until 1982, when he ended that partnership and started to produce wines from his historical vineyard.

Q: What

To bring in the spring season with some style, I recently opened a bottle of 2010 Bruno Colin Chassagne Montrachet En Remilly (93 Points - Wine Spectator). 

This is a high quality and rich textured white Burgundy, and you immediately notice the apple and lemon up front.  At its long finish, it's the classic limestone/mineral characteristics that I've grown to love in white Burgundies.  It's also very balanced which is how I prefer it- It has the fruit, the acidity, and the minerality in great harmony.

It should be noted that 2010 was a spectacular vintage for white Burgundy.  Across the board, everyone who knows Burgundy is raving about 2010.

Dave Sokolin is quite fond of the outstanding 2010 Burgundy vintage.  He enthusiastically stated, "2010 is the best vintage of White Burgundy ever?like a combo of the power of 1990 and the honey/richness of 1989."

Burghound.com reported, "?the 2010 white Burgundy vintage