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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

When one refers to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, I can bet that most of us have heard of Cloudy Bay. I consider it a great entry-level table wine with high production and consistent quality. 

Meet James and Ivan: the dynamic duo behind Dog Point Vineyards.

Estate
Owners James and Ivan met while working at Cloudy Bay Vineyards: James the former oenologist and Ivan the viticulturist. They quickly established a long-term friendship after finding that they share the same aspirations regarding a 'hands on' approach to winemaking. Going into business for no other motivations than to craft small-production, single-block wines, these two launched their first vintage in 2004 and have been major players in the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc scene since.

Area
Dog Point Vineyards is located in the Wairau Valley in the center of Marlborough's thriving winemaking region.

It’s finally that time of year when the flowers start to blossom, and the temperature outside is increasing every day.  I’m sure many people start to think about the grass cutting they’ll have to do and the gardens they’re going to plant, but all I can think about is what I will stock my wine fridge with!

I love searching our vast inventory, seeing the new purchases that we’ve made and trying to figure out what wines to stock for the new seasons. I usually go with four or five selections for the spring/summer season, and I tend to go with all whites. I also like to have a Rose on hand as well. Listed below are my selections with my comments for each. Hope you enjoy!


2007 Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne / 93 BH / $69.99 btl:  The benchmark producer of Corton Charlemagne. This is Grand Cru juice at Premier