Page 30 - Blog

In 1929 the aromatic white grape Kerner was bred in Germany by crossing the red variety Trollinger (also known as Schiava Grossa or Vernatsch in various parts of Italy) with the noble white grape Riesling. Not authorized for general cultivation until 1969, the Kerner quickly became the most planted modern German cross. That being said, there has been a trend in Germany since the mid-90s to pull out modern cross varietals and total acreage is now less than half of the amount at its height.

Funnily, it is from Northern Italy where most Americans get to sample wine from this grape. Though plantings amount to about 1/150th of those in Germany, the combination of how well Kerner grows in the striking mountainous terroir of Alto Adige, coupled with the fact that no white varietal dominates there, helped lay the foundation for it doing well. But it takes attention and care for the varietal to excel and a handful of producers seem to offer just that, Kofererhof being one of them. 

Can anything get a celebration started better than the pop of a cork from a Champagne bottle? Not in my opinion! I love to keep a few bottles on hand not just for celebrations, but to make any occasion special.

My latest discovery may be summer’s best champagne value - P Moncuit Cuvee Delos Blanc de Blancs Brut. At less than $40, it can easily be purchased by the case to ensure that a beautiful Sunday or quiet weeknight can be your next celebration!

Pierre Moncuit passed his Champagne vineyards onto his children, Yves and Nicole, in 1977. It is Nicole who took up the winemaking reins while Yves handles the commercial operations. Together, they produce Champagnes that deliver exceptional quality, especially for the price. Nearly all of their holdings are in Mesnil, and they differ from other Champagne producers who routinely pull up vines when they reach

About two weeks ago I was listening to Ask Burghound #2. One of the questions Allen Meadow’s addressed was about climate change and its effect on Burgundy. He mentioned how Chablis has been one of the biggest benefactors as frost is now much less prevalent than it used to be. How the Grand Cru that was most admired from the 2nd half of the 19th century through the 1st half of the 20th was Vaudésir, being a big amphitheater that shields the vines from wind and collects heat. And how these days much of the praise you hear is for wines from Les Clos, Preuses or Valmur.

This made me think about Vaudésir and look at what we had in our inventory. Turns out we have Burghound’s Highest Scoring Vaudésir to date, the only one to receive 95pts, Billaud-Simon’s 2010. Founded in 1815 with family holdings expanding in the 1930s, the Domaine owns 20

Beringer is one of California’s most interesting producers, dating back to 1876 when brothers Jacob and Frederick became pioneers in Napa and began producing world-class wines. Always taking pain-staking care to highlight the unique characteristics of the individual vineyards, the winemaking team respects the expectations set by the estate’s long history.

The estate now offers tours, tastings and an on-site chef that features estate grown produce in her recipes. This comprehensive approach to wine enjoyment enhances the Beringer experience for those lucky enough to visit. Those there on a weekend can even enjoy live music varying from Blues to Flamenco.

Laurie Hook now heads this winemaking team and adds a modern elegance to the Beringer portfolio. She particularly admires the Chardonnay from the Big Ranch Vineyard, which boasts Dijon clones, and 2012 is the debut vintage of their Luminus Chardonnay.

Aptly named as Luminus is from Latin

When most people refer to cellar treasures they naturally think of back-vintage Bordeaux or Burgundy, of course, as they improve with age and can even increase in value. But it’s the savvy collector who knows that Spain has long been a great source for cellar-worthy wines. Bodegas Muga is one that comes to my mind. Muga Prado Enea is one of the great Gran Reservas that is still produced. Gran Reservas are made only in vintages considered worthy. Other producers that make great Gran Reservas include López de Heredia and La Rioja Alta, and of course CVNE’s Imperial and Viña Real and Marques de Murrieta are a few others to explore.

Bodegas Muga was founded in Haro in 1932 and is still in family ownership, farming an impressive 250 hectares in La Rioja Alta. The winery is located in the “golden triangle” of bodegas, its neighbors being La Rioja Alta and Lopez de Heredia. The Muga family controls all aspects of production within the vineyards. The

As the King of Grapes, you might think you know all of the places on the globe to find great Cabernet Sauvignon vines growing but my guess is that South Africa would be fairly far down on that list. Winemaker, Jose Conde , might just change that! He is the only winemaker to have been awarded the American Express Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon more than once. In fact he has won it three times, twice for wine produced at his Stellenbosch Vineyard.

His vines are up to 22 years old and grow in decomposed granite soils though the variation in the four different vineyard blocks give nuances to the grapes and resulting juice.  He employs traditional methods like open tank fermentation, basket pressing and maturation in small French oak barrels. The wines are bottles unfined and unfiltered after 22 months in the barrel.

On a recent balmy evening, one where not sitting on the porch swing might have been considered a sin, we opened a bottle of the 2011

It is rare to find 2010 Bordeaux of this Pedigree at under $30. The 2010 Teyssier is an outstanding wine that is worth every penny and more.

Teyssier is made by Jonathan Maltus, who is also the maker of the famous cult wine Le Dome. The 2010 Le Dome received a 100 point score from Robert Parker and sells for $240+. You can own a wine from the same vintage and estate for only $27.95.

Maltus has become the winemaker to watch in Bordeaux. Chateau Teyssier is located in Vignonet, St. Emilion and dates back to 18th century. Jonathan and Lyn Maltus purchased the estate in 1994 and since then have improved the quality greatly. They have doubled the size of the estate and modernized it with the addition of stainless steal cask and expanding storage facility for aging.  Teyssier is considered his

In the Northern Rhone Syrah is king, and in the AOCs of Hermitage and Cote-Rotie you can expect to pay a king’s ransom for the better examples. This is why savvy collectors often turn to St-Joseph to save money without sacrificing quality.

Over the past five years or so Delas has been one of the more consistent producers in St-Joseph, especially with their top cuvee Francois de Tournon. From hillside vineyards with a high granite component, the finest grapes are sourced to create this wonderful wine. The 2009 and 2010 were both stellar values, so when the 2011 finally arrived I was extremely excited to try a sample.

As hoped, it delivered! The wine offered loads of blackberry, black cherry and currant, with hints of violets, cola and a finish of charred meat. And that can be said the night of or on night two with exposure to a day of air. Jeb Dunnuck awarded it 95pts in

If Oregon Syrah isn’t at the top of your list when deciding which cork to pop, one taste of the 2010 Cowhorn Syrah 58 may change that! Bill and Barbara Steele produce top-rate Rhone varietal on the only certified organic and biodynamic winery in Southern Oregon.

After purchasing an abandoned farm in 2002 and having experts analyze the soils, Rhone varietals were found to be the best fit. Bill, who has a degree in Conservation and Resource Studies, and Barbara, with years of experience working with organic farms in California, gravitated to a more natural and  holistic approach to wine production – in fact, the name Cowhorn is a nod to this way of life. The practice of a stuffing a cow’s horn with manure and burying it, later to be unearthed and used for fertilizer is an ancient biodynamic one. And if that part of the name isn’t interesting enough, add to

The purity of Cabernet Sauvignon – that is what Poderi Castellare di Castellina strives to bottle with their Coniale.

Located on the hills of a natural amphitheater in the heart of Chianti Classico, their vineyard produces Sangioveto (the noble native version of Sangiovese) for three levels of Chianti and the basis of their flagship I Sodi Di San Niccolo, as well as other indigenous and French grapes. Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc do well here, but their Cabernet Sauvignon can truly be unique.

Fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged for 18 months in 225 liter barriques, Coniale is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Not many wineries in Italy do that. Most create blends, either entirely of Bordeaux varietals or with Sangiovese, the basis for Super Tuscans.

Perhaps when one thinks of a straight Cabernet Sauvignon California comes to mind - Napa in particular with fully ripe fruit, a