 | Wine of the Week 2/12/06
Produttori del Barbaresco; Barbaresco Pora Riserva 1997.
Sometimes, the most obvious things are unbeknownst to us, yet sitting right under our noses. After reviewing the results of yesterday's Winter Olympic competition from Torino, Italy, I decided to head over to the Meritage Wine Market in Encinitas. I was going to get a bottle of Cabernet Franc as I thought it would be nice to review a good one for the web site, as some of you have asked for a Cab Franc review. I bought a few bottles, but on my way out, I spotted a collection of Produttori del Barbaresco 1997 Pora Riserva displayed in the Italian section. The Produttori is one of my favorite Italian wine producers, but you don't see it around much. It is usually well priced for the high level of quality. My general rule of thumb regarding Produttori is "if you see it and you can afford it, buy it NOW". I have never been disappointed, especially with a nicely aged Riserva from this producer.
Then on my way home it hit me: The Winter Olympics are currently going on in Torino, Italy, which is in the Piedmont (Piemonte) region. Barbaresco is one of the premier wine regions of Piemonte. Perhaps I should review a Piemonte wine while the Olympics are in Piemonte! I have one sitting in my car, so lets do it!
For those unfamiliar with this region, Piemonte (or Piedmont as it is often called in the USA), is in the north-west corner of Italy. It is a high altitude region, essentially at the foothills of the French, Italian, and Swiss Alps. This is the only place in the world where the great Nebbiolo grape flourishes. It has been grown here for hundreds of years. There are two major wine districts in Piemonte, Barolo and Barbaresco. Both are planted almost entirely in Nebbiolo. The areas are adjacent to each other, much like Napa and Sonoma in northern California. The grapes grown in the two regions are quite similar, but Barbaresco tends to be a little more fruit forward, and matures a little earlier. Barolo is rarely ready to drink within its first 10 years, whereas some Barbarescos are ready in 5 or 6 years. Sadly, since the quality of these wines are so high and inventories are so low, the prices are usually sky high for anything worth drinking. Produttori, however, has quality as good as anyone, yet still sells their wines at reasonable prices.
The Produttori del Barbaresco is a "wine cooperative" that was started in 1894 by the Priest of Barbaresco who encouraged 19 local growers to pool their grapes to make a 100% Barbaresco wine. Prior to that, all the local grape growers sold their grapes to wine makers in Barolo and elsewhere. The problem was that each of the local grape growers produced too few grapes to have a functional winery of their own. When the Priest combined their efforts, the volume was sufficient to start their own winery. Thus, the birth of Barbaresco as it's own wine region. The Produttori del Barbaresco is no longer a product of the local Priest, but is its own self-governing wine co-op. It was temporarily shut down in the 1930's by the fascist government of Italy, and subsequently re-opened. It's current iteration was started in 1958, and currently takes in grapes from 60 members (vineyard owners). The Produttori decided at the onset that they would only take in the best quality grapes. What separates the Produttori from most wine co-ops, is that they pay the grape growers differing rates depending on the quality of grapes provided, so the vineyard owners really do strive for the highest possible quality. This is in contradistinction to most wine co-ops that are in existence today that simply pay by the ton, without regards to quality. Roughly half the vineyard acreage of Barbaresco is committed to the Produttori.
In extra-special years where the quality is higher than normal, the Produttori takes the grapes from it's 9 most storied vineyards, and bottles them as single vineyard Riserva wines. Each of these is special, and each is good. Each is a distinct expression of terroir. These Riserva wines are aged for 3 years in oak barrels, then 8 months in the bottle before they are released. The wine currently being sold at Meritage Wine Market is from the Pora Vineyard. Although my personal favorites are the Asili, Rabaja, and Montestefano Vineyards, the Pora is good too. 1997 is felt by many to be the best year in Piedmont in over a decade. When I saw this wine from this vintage, it was a situation I could not refuse. After all, the wine is 9 years old. It should be ready to drink. No cellaring needed on this one.
The wine opens with some interesting aromatics, at least for those not accustomed to Barbaresco. Rather than the crushed blackberries and truffles one would find in a Bordeaux or Cabernet, this wine hits the nose with cinnamon and cut leather. A hint of tobacco hides behind the bouquet. It has a pleasant earthiness. The acidity is well matched by the fruit and tannin. The wine seems to be almost hitting it's full stride now. I had it a year or so ago, and it wasn't quite ready then, but is getting close now. The tannins have softened, and the wine is taking on a silky smoothness. It has nice color, but don't expect a deep purple-black like a Cabernet. This wine, like most Barbarescos are a little lighter due to the slightly lighter skin of the Nebbiolo grape. The wine is a beautiful garnet color, slightly amber at the edges. You can drink it now, but I think it will hit it's peak in a year or so.
I liked this wine a lot. It drinks better with food than it does as a stand alone wine. When I drank it without food, it seemed a little tart on the finish. With a hearty tomato based Italian food, it came to life wonderfully, and the tartness went away. Many Italian wines are like that. It makes sense, since wine in Italy is usually integrated into the meals. Drink this wine with Italian food and you'll be in heaven.
To keep with our Olympic theme, we will forgo the usual one star to five star rating and give the wine a medal if it is worthy. If this wine were competing in the VinoCritic's Torino Winter Olympics, this judge would give it a very solid silver medal. But it has to be entered in the right event (doubles competition paired with Italian food). Enjoy.
I purchased this wine at the Meritage Wine Market in Encinitas at 162 S. Rancho Santa Fe Rd (at the intersection of Manchester, Encinitas Blvd, and S. Rancho Santa Fe Rd). I paid 46 dollars for the wine. This is a pretty good price for a 9 year old Barbaresco Riserva.
Readers can rate this wine at http://Blog.Vinocritic.com
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 | Wine of the week, February 1, 2006
Owl Ridge (Brigden Vineyard) Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County. 2003
On my way home from work tonight, I decided to pick up a nice bottle of Cabernet. We were going to be grilling steaks. I was going to pick up a bottle of Heitz, which is one of my favorites. I stopped at the Wine Connection in Del Mar (Via De La Valle near I-5). They always keep it in stock. After grabbing the aforementioned bottle, I saw a bottle of "Owl Ridge Brigden Vineyard" Cabernet on display. I had never seen this wine before. In fact, I never even heard of it. The label did not look familiar. I was about to set it down when the fellow behind the counter said"hey, that's a good bottle". We got to chatting, and he explained to me that the reason I never heard of it was that this was a new winery. He seemed to know a lot about the winery, and a lot about wine in general. I like it when the people at the wine store know more about the wines than I do. That's the way it's supposed to be, but is becoming rare with so many stores hiring unknowledgeabe sales people. I suspect that the kind gentlemen who was helping me was probably the owner or manager. I didn't get his name.
In any event, The fruit for this wine is from the Spring Mountain area of the Mayacamas Mountains, which is the mountain range that separates Napa Valley from Sonoma Valley. The Brigden Vineyard is on the Sonoma side of Spring Mountain, outside of the AVA district for Spring Mountain. For anyone who doesn't know this area, there are some heavy hitters growing grapes here. The famous Pride Mountain Vineyards straddles the Sonoma-Napa line on Spring Mountain, and Paloma Winery as well as a slew of other "biggies" are not far away. The wine is 100% cabernet sauvignon, and aged in 40% new French Oak and 60% older French Oak. This should keep it from being overly "oaked". The winemaker, Joe Otos, says it has Bordeaux elegance, and is not like a typical California Cab. I'm not one to accept such "pie in the sky" claims, and believe that the proof will lie within the glass. I usually am skeptical of new wineries with unproven track records, but the chap behind the counter seemed sincere, so I bought a bottle and took it home.
The wine was awesome!. No need to age it. It's ready right now! And this is coming from someone who rarely enjoys the very young cabs. The bouquet was a little subdued at first, but after a few minutes it really opened up. You need to give the glass a nice swirl to release the hidden aromas, but what a treat if you do so. One good swirl and your glass will be bursting with blackberries and anise/black licorice. The tannins were beautifully hidden behind the fruit. Although this was a 2003, it could have passed for something with five years of bottle age under it's belt. Sexy, lush, and silky. Luscious fruit. A long finish. I did not tell my wife what we were drinking and she thought that it was Bordeaux, just like the winemaker said! Imagine that. Hyperbole which is actually true. Although the wine is drinking nicely right now, I suspect that it should hold up well for quite a while for those who wish to cellar it. However, I can not imagine that it can get much better, given the current drinking enjoyment.
I hope this winery becomes a long term player in the California wine scene, and I hope they can continue to obtain fruit from the Brigden Vineyard, (which I was previously unfamiliar with). If they can do this, I look forward to many bottles of this beautiful wine in the future. Excellent wine: 4 STARS.
Guest review (T.E.): "I love this wine". "It seems too well tamed for a 100% Cab, but has too much kick for a Merlot. Could this be a super-duper Meritage?". "It got even better as it opened up". "This is the best bottle we have had for a while". FIVE STARS.
This wine retails for $50. I purchased it at the Wine Connection in Del Mar (Via De La Valle and I-5) for $45.
To rate this wine yourself, and see what others have to say, click here to go to http://Blog.Vinocritic.com
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 | de' Frescobaldi Castelgiocondo Brunello di Montalcino 1999
(Reviewed January 26, 2006)
O.K. I realize that the title is a mouthful. If you go to a wine shop, you can just ask for the Castelgiocondo Brunello, and they will know what you want. "Marchesi de Frescobaldi" is the name of the Company, and is Italian for Marquis of Frescobaldi. Castelgiocondo is the name of the vineyard estate where the grapes are grown, and Brunello di Montalcino, of course, is the type of wine (and region).
The Frescobaldi family has been making wine in Italy since the year 1300. They have had some practice at this. The Castelgiocondo estate has been producing wine grapes for about the same length of time. The vineyards at Castelgiocondo were planted with Brunello vines over 100 years ago (originally, a variety of other indigenous grapes were grown on the site.). The vineyards were re-planted with new vines in 1975. The estate was not always owned by the Frescobaldi's, and in fact they did not acquire ownership of this prized estate until 1989. The quality of the wines has been getting better every year, and Castelgiocondo is now considered one of the top Brunello estates.
Wine Spectator had a lot of nice things to say about this wine, but recommended that it not be drunk until after 2007. Based on my experience this weekend, I could not disagree more. The wine is drinking beautifully right now. It has a wonderfully earthy, mineral-like bouquet, with hints of tobacco and truffles coming out of the glass. The fruit is sweet, and the tannins are soft and velvety. The typical spiciness of Brunello is clearly present, but not overpowering. The oak is well integrated. The winery uses both large Slovenian casks and small French oak barriques to age the wine. The combination works. Robust dried cherry and plum flavors hit the palate with a vengeance! It has a nice long finish. I was drinking it with a variety of cheeses and robust appetizers. I thought it was perfect right out of the bottle (without decanting), but I like most wines this way, when the bouquet is at its maximum. I give this wine my highest ranking, 5 stars!
This wine was widely available several months ago, and retailed for about 50 dollars if you got a good deal. I got several bottles from the Wine Exchange up in Orange County. Unfortunately, all the good press has led to depleted stocks, and it is getting hard to find. It shows up frequently on the on-line wine auctions, or can be ordered from some of the reputable on-line wine retailers. Last I checked, they still had it at knightsbridgewine.com (based in Chicago), and at grapesthewineco.com (in New York). I drank it at the Clubhouse at the Crosby Rancho Santa Fe, for the very reasonable restaurant price of $65.00. Kudos to restaurant manager Greg Harris for putting interesting wines on the menu at a fair price.
Guest reviews: (T.E.): "I liked it a lot. Can we get another bottle?". T.E. is an admitted Brunello lover, and has been for some time. She, unfortunately, was reluctant to score the wine (not because she didn't like it, but because she thinks I am wasting too much time on this site, and does not want to "fuel the fire", so to speak.) Nevertheless, rules are rules, and if you drink my wine, you have to give it a score. With enough coaxing, she proudly gave it 4 stars.
To rate this wine yourself, or see what others have to say, click here to go to http://Blog.Vinocritic.com
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 | "The Signature" Cabernet/Shiraz Blend, 2001. Barossa, South Australia (reviewed 1/19/06)
I always get a kick out of Australian wine names and labels. They seem to have a lot of fun with them. Take for instance the "Dead Arm Shiraz" or the Laughing Magpie. Both are very serious wines, with names that would never garner respect in the old U.S. of A. Then along comes Yalumba's "The Signature". One would assume from the name and the serious looking label that this is a wine that takes itself seriously, like a good Napa cult cab. Then you read the back label, and you realize the Aussies are at it again, funny as ever. You see, "The Signature" is a very fine wine that is intended to honor one of Yalumba's important employees every year. The honoree gets to sign the back label, and the winery writes a short biography of the honoree on the back label. For 2001, the honorary recipient was Geoff Linton, the technical manager for Yalumba for thirty years. Now I have never met Mr. Linton, nor have I ever seen him for that matter. But one assumes from the back label that he must be a rather portly fellow. And he must have a good sense of humor as well. Rather than honor the fellow, they just about roasted him! The biography starts "Corpulent and round he sits, carefully filling a spoonful of lemon curd tartlet....the pizza and scallops are long gone." What a way to honor someone! Perhaps we can take a lesson from our friends down under and stop being so up-tight all the time. I'm sure the roast was done with a friendly demeanor, and not meant to offend. That label would never survive in America.
Back label not withstanding, The Signature by Yalumba is very serious wine. For those unfamiliar with Yalumba, it is sort of like the Robert Mondavi of Australia. It is a huge winery. Just like Mondavi runs the gamut from $150 dollar Opus One to 6-dollar Woodbridge, so runs the gamut at Yalumba. For those whose exposure to Yalumba has only been on the lower end, you are missing out on some great juice at the upper end. Yalumba's priciest wines (The Reserve and Octavius) generally sell in the one hundred dollar range. The Signature can oftentimes be almost as good, at least in some years, and can usually be had in the $40 range. Not cheap, but reasonable for the quality. Mr. Parker seems to have fallen in love with this one, heaping mid 90's scores on recent vintages. For 2001, The Signature was 60%Cabernet Sauvignon, and 40% Shiraz (the Aussies call it Shiraz, we call it Syrah, but it is the same grape). It was aged in American and French oak. Although I am usually not a fan of decanting, as it allows too much bouquet to escape, this is clearly a wine that benefits from a short breather before consumption, at least if drank now. For those who like a mouth puckering tannic wine, drink this wine now, and drink it without decanting. It is a real "in your face" tannic brute. My father would love this wine. I like my tannins a little tamer, so I had to let it sit for a good half hour or more. It was just a little too tannic and oaky for my taste on first pour. After a brief sitting spell, I revisited the Signature and found that it settled down nicely. When pared with something hearty, this can be a compelling wine. The bouquet didn't fade, despite my decanting, which is a nice sign of quality. It has a lot of fruit. Mostly blackberry and raisin. If you like peppery, full bodied thick "stick to your tongue" wines, this is for you. If your tastes run more towards silky smooth wines, stay away. I suspect that I drank this wine a little too early in its life. It clearly has the backbone to last at least another 15 or 20 years. I think it probably won't realize it's full potential until about 2009 or so. I enjoyed the wine, but wished I kept it longer before popping it open. I have a few more bottles, and they will be moved to the back of the cellar for now. This wine has great promise. In summary, I give it 3 1/2 stars for drinking now. I give it 4 1/2 stars for those with cellars and the patience to let it mature. And 5 stars to Mr. Linton, who must be a great sport. Thanks for the thirty years of wine dedication!
Yalumba The Signature 2001 can be found at some of the Beverages and More outlets (and their website Bevmo.com), and at wine.com. Both places sell it for about $40.00
To rate this wine yourself, or to see what others have to say, click here to go to http://Blog.Vinocritic.com |
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Las Rocas de San Alejandro Vinas Viejas Garnacha, 2003. Calatayud, Spain (reviewed 1/12/06)
Well; This wine has certainly been the focus of a lot of media attention the last few years. For anyone who has never had Spanish Garnacha, you are surely missing out. This is not to be confused with the feeble American Grenache, or even worse, the pitiful "American white Grenache". True Garnacha, is a robust, high alcohol content red wine. It is grown in Spain, and in the Rhone region of France (called Grenache in France). The 2001 Las Rocas Vinas Viejas Garnacha scored a hefty 93 points from the Wine Advocate, and the 2002 received 91. The wine can be found in the $10 range, and is widely available, hence the media circus surrounding this wine. A few words of clarification are in order. Firstly, there are two Las Rocas Garnacha wines. One is the regular bottling, made up from fruit of 75 year old vines. The deluxe bottling is called "Vinas Viejas", made from fruit of 100 year old vines. Up until the last few years, all of these grapes were mixed with grapes from a variety of growers in Calatayud (about 150 miles northeast of Madrid), and made into wine at the San Alejandro Winery Coop. Importer Eric Solomon and French winemaker Jean-Marc Lafage of Roussillon "discovered" this coop, and asked them to separate the premium grapes of the oldest vines from the rest of the fruit, and make a special highly extracted cuvee.. The rest, as they say, is history.
Since I generally don't go for hype, I ignored this wine after Mr. Parker's block-buster review a few years ago. But the wine is still around 2 years later, so I figured it must be more than just a flash in the pan, so I picked up a bottle of the 2003 vintage (not yet reviewed by the mainstream press). I paid eleven dollars for it at Barrons Market in the Del Mar area. It can be found for a dollar or two cheaper if you want to shop around. The wine is a little closed upon opening the bottle, but it comes to life after a brief decanting in the glass. No need for prolonged decanting on this one. Like most Garnacha, it has fairly high alcohol content (14.5%), so there is a little alcoholic sweetness to it. If you prefer low alcohol wines, stay away. There is a moderate amount of tannin, but well integrated. The bouquet is pleasant, but a little soft for my tastes. The wine has a lot of coffee/chocolate notes to it, and a slightly tart acidic/astringent character to the fruit (think raspberries). All in all, it was a pleasant wine, and well worth the price. I will buy more. I don't think it will gain much from stashing in the cellar for more than a year or so. I don't think this wine would get a "93" if I used that scoring system. To me, 93 means very memorable. I found this wine to be quite pleasant, but not extraordinarily. Granted, the vintage I tasted was not the 2001 which created all the hype, but still, I think I expected more given the ravings of so many critics. Perhaps the emperor has no clothes! Nevertheless, I still would heartily recommend this wine for a mid-week high quality value wine with your pizza. Three stars (sorry Mr. Parker).
To rate this wine yourself, or to see what others have to say, click here to go to http://Blog.Vinocritic.com |
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