Page 27 - Staff Tastings

As the 2009 year comes to a close I thought it would be fitting for me to write about some of my most memorable wines that I've had this past year.

In no particular order here are my Top 5:

1) 2007 Saint Prefert Auguste Favier CDP/ 96 RP / $99.95 - Probably one of the greatest young Chateauneuf Du Papes I've ever tasted. The freshness & abundance of fruit without being cloying, just illustrates what an amazing vintage 2007 was for the Rhone valley. I was at first skeptical of Parker saying this was the greatest viticultural region he's ever tasted in his 30 years, but after tasting this wine I was sold! Stock up on 2007 Rhone's...You will thank me.

2) 2006 Sassicaia / 97 RP / $175 bottle- The best young Sassicaia I have ever tasted and most likely will go down in history as the best Sassicaia ever made. With the legendary 1985 vintage trading for $2500 + bottle this is definitely one to buy a couple cases of.

3) 2007 Frescobaldi Castiglioni / 93 WS /

No matter what you're shopping for, EVERYONE likes a great value! I'm not talking about find a cheap version and sacrificing quality... That's different.

Here at Sokolin Wines we are constantly searching for high-scoring, quality-driven wines - and all for a great price. I've put together a list of my top 10 red wines from Southern France that will make you very happy, no matter what the occasion.

What I particularly like about the wines from this part of the world is their versatility. Made from primarily Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre, along with some Cinsault, Carignan and a couple other varieties, these wines are delicious all year round. From the grill of the Summer to the braised meats of the Winter, there is something here that works with all seasons. At a recent family dinner, I popped a bottle of the 2007 Pesquie Terrasses. It's dark fruit, black pepper, spice, well-balanced alcohol and acidity, and soft tannins make it great for early drinking... Fantastic with

If you drink and follow Bordeaux wines at all you probably have heard about the great wines of Leoville Las Cases. If you get our e-mails you're sure to have seen us extolling this, admittedly great Bordeaux house. Often compared to and sometimes considered at the same level of the First Growths, there is much to love about Leoville Las Cases.

There is also the slightly lesser well known Leoville Barton; while Las Cases often gets press for its high scores Barton is often praised for being a fantastic value. Usually garnering high scores but with a price tag that is very reasonable for Bordeaux, Barton is rightly considered a great buy.

And then there is Leoville Poyferre, situated right between its siblings Barton and Las Cases in St. Julien (all three were at one time a single huge vineyard). Poyferre was once considered as good as the other two even achieving Second Growth status (like the others) in the Classification of 1855. On top of that the vineyard itself has long

Our first drop of the 2005 Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco from an order we placed back in June recently arrived and I was anxious to try out a bottle. After all, though one reviewer only scored it 91 points, Wine Spectator awarded it 96 points and a Rank of 7 on this year's Top 100 Wines of 2009 and I was curious to find out where my opinion fell.

This past weekend, my wife wanted to enjoy a nice pasta dish, but something unique that we haven't made or ordered before. While I looked over the wines I recently brought home, my wife read aloud the various pasta recipes listed in a new cookbook we received as a gift. When she mentioned the egg tagliatelle with chestnuts, pancetta and sage I quickly glanced at the Marcenasco and decided that would be our meal for the night and the perfect opportunity to pop this wine.

Sometimes a recently released wine can be 'closed' or 'locked up', and sometimes it can be very 'forward' and full of primary traits. The bottle I opened Saturday

Last Wednesday I was lucky enough to attend a tasting at the delicious Tocqueville Restaurant in NYC & for those who haven't had a chance to dine here I highly recommend it. Jo-Ann & Marco are great hosts & the food was on point as usual!

It was a tasting built around great wines from Tuscany & they did not disappoint. Here are the flights along with my tasting notes for each.

Enjoy!

First Flight:
2006 Vinnaioli Jermann "Dreams" - 92 WS - (Jermann is one of the wineries that put white wine from Friuli-Venezia Giulia on the map) An Oaky full bodied Chardonnay with lots of carmel & butterscotch undertones. Plenty of fruit... definitely needs to be paired with food. Enjoyable for a glass but not my favorite Chardonnay.

2004 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino 'Montosoli'- 95 WS - This is their single vineyard offering that is always one of the top Brunellos year in and year

I always feel guilty cracking open a bottle of wine when I'm the only one drinking it. It's much nicer when you can enjoy this experience with someone. There's also a feeling of foolishness or maybe even guilt about knowing that you can't finish the bottle-what a waste. But there I am standing in front of my brother's wine cooler, peering in as though a kid in a candy store gazing at the vast collection. I found my decision to be quite difficult. The fact that none of the bottles were mine, and most, quite expensive, made the decision even more taxing. A rare Heitz Cabernet Bella Oaks hiding on the lowest shelf was extremely tempting. 1985 Latricieres Chambertin would have been amazing. As I was placing back another gem, I saw a bottle of 2006 Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva, perched on the top shelf. Thinking to myself, "I think I can afford to replace this bottle." I had wanted to try it after the 2003 vintage stunned my taste buds, for only twenty dollars. The 2006 had to be even better,

Who says you have to pay big bucks to get quality wine? Sure...there are PLENTY of bargain wines out there that don't deliver the goods and leave you downright disappointed. And there are also cheap wines on the market today that are just plain nasty and not fun to drink!

Here at Sokolin Wines, we go the extra mile to ensure quality, at EVERY price point. Whether it's $200/bottle or $20/bottle, you will get a great bottle of wine.

I just recently opened a bottle of the 2004 Celler de Cantonella Cervoles Tinto from Spain and was very happy! This wine scored 92 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and is sure to please at only $19.95/bottle. Ripe cassis aromas with a hint of vanilla oak give way to a silky, smooth, perfectly viscous mouth feel on the palette that goes great with braised meats and roasted vegetables.

Did I mention that this great 92 pt wine was ONLY $19.95/bottle?! Grab some today and enjoy!

One of the best Shiraz that I've ever tasted gives old fashioned wine a new pizazz!

I love everything about the unique philosophy behind the Mollydooker label.
If you're looking for something a little bit outside the stuffy and traditional, look no further than the Sarah and Sparky Marquis's winery in Southern Australia, mate! These 'one of a kind' wine makers bring a whimsical feel to wine drinking that few other properties can provide. First, there's the naming of the wines- "The Boxer', 'Goosebumps', 'The Carnival of Love', and 'Gigglepot', (just to name a few). Just opening a bottle with a name like that makes you wonder must be inside!

I'll tell you what's inside from personal experience. I had some friends over for dinner (pork loin and roasted rosemary potatoes) and we popped (well- we unscrewed!) the 2005 The Boxer Shiraz. From the moment I tasted this luscious, velvety concoction, I was sold on Mollydookers for life. It was succulent and round, with dark ripe

As mentioned previously, 2007 has been a phenomenal vintage for both the Rhone and Languedoc Roussillon regions in general, and their wines containing a high percentage of Mourvedre in particular.  Consisting of 50% Mourvedre, with 40% Syrah and 10% Grenache, the 2007 Grande Cuvee by Domaine de l'Hortus from Coteaux du Languedoc Pic Saint Loup demonstrates this perfectly for only $27.95.

Upon inhaling the initial bouquet of this wine, one is mentally transported to a wild berry patch.  This aromatic profile is soon followed with hints of flowers, camphor and bacon fat.  A touch of heat is apparent on the palate, but quickly is overcome by a cooling sensation most likely derived from both dark fruit flavors like blueberry, raspberry and black cherry, as well as hints of anise and fennel.  The wine comes across as pure and balanced as it glides over the tongue.

It is easy to see why Robert Parker's Wine Advocate awarded it 92-93+ points and demonstrates

I've always enjoyed the phrase "an embarrassment of riches" especially when applied to wine.  I'm fairly certain the first time I saw it in reference to wine was within a review by Robert Parker (I added the "affordable" part).  I find it a very evocative statement and kind of funny.

And lately it is most apropos.  A slew of regions have been producing a plethora of what could be their finest wines.  What is so great about this recent trend is that the fine wines are not just produced at the high end.  From Bordeaux to Burgundy, in the Rhone valley, Tuscany, Piedmont, to California and Argentina great vintages and superb wines abound.  The vintages are so good that wines at every price level are just fantastic.

Several cases in point:

Rhone and the 2007 vintage: We've all seen the praise Parker has heaped upon the '07 Rhone vintage and from what I've tasted