April 7, 2005
2003 HONIG NAPA VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC
(Robert Parker 89points)
$14.99, $12.74/case

Let’s talk about focus for a minute here, something many wineries in Napa tend to loose from time to time. The vast majority of Napa Valley wineries tend towards the Bordeaux model of winery creation: build your winery in the middle of the property you own and make the best wines you can from what surrounds you. For the most part the wineries that succeed in Napa are also the wineries that focus on Bordeaux type wines as well: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cab Franc for reds, and Sauvignon Blanc for whites. Lots of wineries fiddle around with different things, trying to cram something new into an area where it really won’t succeed, and they very rarely get anything more than moderate results. While I’m all for variety, sometimes there’s a cosmic reason behind why some grapes just shine above all others in certain areas, and it’s best to just dance with the date that brought ya. Honig does two things: Cab Sauv and Sauv Blanc. That’s it, that’s all. A regular and Reserve Sauv Blanc, a regular Cab, and a couple single vineyard Cabs when appropriate. And every year they just knock them out, delivering outstanding and correct wines every time. Most of their Sauvignon Blanc fruit comes from their Rutherford estate, where the vast majority of the Valley’s best Sauv Blanc fruit originates. The greatest success for this wine is its ability to be both juicy and light on its feet at the same time. Lots of ripe melon aromas and even tropical fruit pour from the glass immediately, with just a touch of lemon and tartness. There’s a touch of Semillon (4%) which gives the wine just a touch of creaminess, but it’s mostly a continuation of the melon aromas. As you finish the wine there’s a nice little nip of crisp acidity making the finish cleaner and more alive, leaving the tongue ready and waiting for the next sip. A great spring and summer value wine perfect for all kinds of dishes ranging from light salads and cheeses to herbed chicken or light Asian cuisine

March 31, 2005
2001 RAVENSWOOD ZINFANDEL BIG RIVER VINEYARD
$19.99, $16.99/case

Say what you may about Ravenswood these days: grown too big, lost their touch with their less expensive wines, turned into a volume-oriented winery. In some respects that may be true. What we have to remember sometimes is, at the core of what becomes a ‘brand name’ wine, there can be the strong base of what used to be. Even with their wines strewn all over the country, the heart of the winery is their single vineyard designated wines. Ravenswood was one of the first in the early 80s to start treating Sonoma’s ancient Zin vines with respect and distinction. There are thousands of acres of Zin planted in Sonoma alone that date back before Prohibition, yet for decades after, the grapes were considered inferior for wine and allowed to go untended. In many of the more forsaken places the weeds grew taller than the vines, but as Ravenswood developed the market, more vineyards were saved from replanting or tilling over. Ravenswood has several single vineyard Zinfandels from vineyard sites ranging from 8-30 acres; no matter how big you are, you can only make so many bottles from plots of land that small. The Big River Vineyard is a 14 acre site located on the border of the Russian River valley and the Alexander Valley in northern Sonoma, with vines dating back to the 1890s. Not a glycerol fruit bomb like many other Old Vine wines, it sports a ripe berry spiciness in the aroma, with just a touch of vanilla oak. The first sip seems almost like a ripe Piedmont Barbera with all the spice and cedar, until the juicier cherry and plum flavors work their way in. The wine also carries the 14% alcohol effortlessly, making it a dynamite food wine. And as a topper, we got a great price on this. Wait a minute; century old vines in a red that retails at $20? Where are we, Spain?

March 24, 2005
2003 CHATEAU MOURGUES DU GRES COSTIERES DE NIMES ‘TERRE d’ARGENCE’
(ROBERT PARKER 91POINTS)
$15.99, $13.59/case

Even wine areas with centuries of history can change their tune with a little help. The Costieres de Nimes region is South of the main part of the Rhone, where all the Chateauneuf-du-Papes bring in top dollar, tourist and wine journalists flock, and the winemakers drive flashy cars. Nimes isn’t exactly backwater, but their wine reputation doesn’t have any big name producers, tourist stop here because it’s near everything else they want to see, and the winemakers buy their flashy cars secondhand from the Chateauneuf producers when they grow tired of the old models (OK I’m exaggerating, but you get the point.) As the Euro has pushed the classic producer’s wines further up the price bracket, and after one of the worst vintages in decades brought and end to a stretch of 4 brilliant vintages, the Rhone was ready to be turned for a loop in 2003. The drought and blistering heat gave wineries an opportunity to make much bigger wines than usual, putting lots of great inexpensive wines into the market from fringe areas like Costieres de Nimes, if they knew what they were doing. Mourgues de Gres has long been one of the standout wineries in the region, but their 03s outshine everything they have done before. Inky, saturated purple color with a slight hint of unfiltered cloudiness, this wine looks real serious in the glass. Lots of red fruits in the aromas even when just opened, with subtle spice and even a touch of blueberry coming in with time. The first sip is big and deep, with an even more intense blueberry character coming through and loads of rich gritty tannin. I wouldn’t put it past this wine to age really well for 6-10 years, longer than many of its counterparts from more prestigious zones costing twice as much. Those of you deliberating about buying some of the other mega-inflated 2003 Rhones out there, I ask you to taste this and ask yourself the question: Why bother?

March 17, 2005
2003 LAFOND VINEYARD PINOT NOIR ‘SRH’
$18.99, $16.14/case

During our tribute to ‘Sideways’ Pinot Noir tasting a few weekends ago, I remember overhearing someone (OK it was ME!!) saying how too many of the Santa Barbara Pinots on the market tasted like cherry juice. In my defense, the statement was made before getting to taste this particular wine. I will, however, be eating a generous helping of humble pie, because we have here a wine that breaks from the mold. It’s so easy in the warmer parts of the Santa Barbara region to overripen Pinot Noir. Lafond has vineyards located in the Santa Rita Hills section of Santa Barbara, which is on the Western part of the Santa Ynez valley, sitting precariously close to the Pacific Ocean. The sea provides the area with a constant cooling fog in much the same way as the Russian River and Sonoma Coast areas in Sonoma. Pinot Noir greatly benefits from this cooling aspect, lengthening the growing process and developing its fullest complexity. While there are red fruit aromas in the glass, the first thing that hits your nose here is earth, smoke, and savory spices. The first time we tasted it, I double checked the label to make sure it wasn’t from Oregon. The flavors are an almost Burgundian mix of mushrooms and tart red fruits, but the body and texture of the wine is richer, more fleshy than Burgundy, and the acidity is softer. I will also admit that this is probably the best Pinot Noir I’ve had from California under $20 in terms of going with big foods. Often they can be so cherry and flat they can only go with the lightest of meats or Fusion cuisine featuring sweet and spice flavors that scare away wines with tannins. This has some real guts to it; I would set this up with some great cheeses, duck, or any savory poultry dish.

March 10, 2005
2003 STEININGER GRUNER VELTLINER STEVEN HOLL
$16.99, $14.44/case

Sometimes when looking for an Insider’s Pick wine in the store, I am more swayed by personal tasting urges than what I think would ‘work’ to taste at that time. Sure it’s still cold outside (today, anyway) and many of you would probably prefer to see a red wine up to taste, but I just have a HUGE hankering to taste this wine again. If you haven’t experienced Gruner Veltliner before, the grape is Austria’s truest contribution to the wine world; it’s a native grape, and nobody else in the world has bothered to try and copy it. A shame too, because there are some interesting flavors packed in here. I try to describe it to GruVe newbies as a cross between the grassiness and aroma of Sauvignon Blanc and the citrus flavors and body of a good dry (dry, I said!) Riesling. This bottling is particularly awesome for the money, as it has both powerful ripeness and bright acidity, tough to do in the super-hot 2003 vintage. Named after the architect who designed the Loisium (a sort of wine museum for the town of Langenlois www.loisium.at), this showcases everything Austrian wines can be; dry, complex, food worthy, and downright exciting. Aromas of fresh snap peas, wet stones, and cut grass mix with just a touch of citrus at first, the citrus aromas gaining as the wine breathes. The first sip holds lots of minerality and lemon skin, but the lush texture keeps it very balanced, never harsh or searing. The first time I tasted this several months ago, my first thought was “I can’t wait for spring to come now!” While I am jumping the gun, you’ll understand why I had to when you taste this. A great match with anything from salads to tuna steaks.

March 3, 2005
2002 MORAMBRO CREEK SHIRAZ PADTHAWAY
(Robert Parker 92points)
$19.99, $16.99/case

I was racking my brain when I was looking at this bottle in the Australian section of the store, trying to think of a reason why this wine was still in the store. Big press, moderate price; aren’t Shiraz fans attracted to these sorts of things like moths to a flame? As I’m tasting it, really digging on it, I think I know why. Hailing from Padthaway, this wine is from a cooler climate than the more popular fruit bombs of Barossa and McLaren Vale. This creates more of the big scarlet “A” word for many Shiraz drinkers: acidity. The big reason lots of these new Aussie wines are taking the world by storm is the smooth, intense fruit they deliver without any bite. All they have that’s keeping them from being straight up fruit juice is some tannin and gobs of sweet American oak. And I think many of the people that would usually dive on this wine like bridesmaids on a wedding bouquet get a bit turned off by the prospect of a big acid wine. Not me. Along with the deeply intense red fruit and smoked meat characters, acidity gives this wine life. I like it when the acidity digs into the tongue a little; it almost acts like a little plow, furrowing your palate to let the flavors work their way in, giving the wine a longer, more complex finish. Plus it firms up what can sometimes be a cloyingly sweet genre of wine, full of overripe and massive flavors, yet completely lacking in style. Heck, lots of times people use them like a port and serve them at the end of the meal by themselves. A good Shiraz should have the ability to compliment food, and balanced acidity helps bring that all together. I can’t think of one good reason why this wine will still be in the store once you customers get the chance to taste it.

February 24, 2005
LA GIARETTA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE
$14.99, $12.74/case

It’s a shame more people aren’t aware of how enjoyable and user-friendly Valpolicella wines can be. Most people have heard of the wine’s big brother, Amarone, which is made from dried Corvina grapes. Yet the everyday wines remain unknown. I think a lot of people that have an adverse reaction to more classic Italian wines like Chiantis or Barolos would really dig these wines if given a chance. They seem to be the least Old World of Italian wines; less acidic and high toned, and a softer round fruit in the mouth. This winery also has a nice everyday bottling called Volpare, full of youthful bubbly fruit, but for a few dollars more you get a significant upgrade in complexity and character. The standard for the grapes in a ‘Classico Superiore’ wine is higher, so the resulting wine is more intense. On the back label it says this wine is also made in the ‘Ripasso’ style, where the wine is steeped on the skins of grapes used to make Amarone, picking up some of the darker, more raisiny characteristics. Deep plum and chocolate-covered raisin aromas rise from this dark mahogany colored wine, with a little hint of a reduced port-ish note that prevails in most raisin wines. The mouthfeel is REALLY silky, almost Pinot Noir-like, but with darker fruit character, and a continuation of the raisin/plum theme as well, all the way through the light finish. It never seems overdone or sweet; that’s what the Amarones are for. This is merely a good all-purpose red, great for hearty stews and roasts, or all by itself.