Page 31 - Staff Tastings

The 2007 vintage in California has been receiving rave reviews everywhere.  Wine Spectator's November 15th issue has posted its comprehensive list for California Cabs and scored the 2007 Napa vintage a chart topping 99pts.  Parker has been applauding the '07 North Coast Cabernet for almost 2 years now, stating "this has turned out to be the greatest vintage since 2001 or 2002 for the Bordeaux varietals in Napa."

With that in mind, we decided to search for a stash of great juice from one of the latter two vintages.  Of the choices we found, it was no surprise the 2002 Etude Cabernet Sauvignon Napa was a clear takedown.  As a winery, many of our clients that collected through the '90s equate Etude with Caymus, Dominus, Insignia and Silver Oak.  As a vintage, 2002 again and again has been coined rich, dense, powerful, complex and forward.  Our recent tasting of the '02 Etude confirmed this.

Aromas of black currant and flowers were accompanied by

With my wife out of town it was up to me to get the kids fed.  And as much as I hate to admit it I went to the safest and easiest bet for kid cuisine ever - that's right, HOT DOGS!!  And like they have since (at least) 1867, the dogs saved my hide.
 
After their dinner and some TV viewing it was bed-time for them and wine time for me

With my wife due home in time for a late dinner I knew hot dogs wouldn't work for her.  So we shared a nice little Eye of Round fillet and a bottle of 2008 Eugenio Bocchino Roccabella Langhe Nebbiolo DOC - another amazing wine discovered by our Italian wine guru Summer. 

Check this out: "From a single vineyard, the cru 'Roccabella' (which means pretty rock), is right outside the Barolo DOCG in the commune of Roddi.  Aged for 16 months in large oak, 8 months in bottle. 2008 is the first vintage this cru is being vinified and bottled on its own. Extremely bright, yet not over ripe, red fruit and wild flowers

You may or may not know Cheval Blanc is a Premier Grand Cru and is one of Bordeaux's most respected wines. In great vintages it trades for well over a $1000 a bottle and due to world-wide demand can be hard to obtain. Eleven years ago Pierre Lurton, then the director of Cheval Blanc became intrigued with Malbec in Argentina.  He wanted to blend new-world with old-world and produce greater quantities of quality wine at affordable prices. In 1999 he tasted 1970s Malbec wine from the Las Computeras vineyard (the finest parcel of Terrazas de los Andes) and was blown away, thus paving the way for the birth of Cheval des Andes.
 
Today, Pierre Lurton acts as managing director of Cheval des Andes and Nicholas Audebert is the wine maker.  Recently we had the pleasure of tasting their latest release, the 2006 vintage.
 
It has received rave reviews from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (96 points) and it's their highest scoring vintage to date! The wine

Sounds like a quote from the heady days of 2006, but it's a reality once again in 2010.
 
Despite the global meltdown of the past few years, Asia, particularly Hong Kong, has become the place where most of the world's finest and rarest wines are sold. Asia is seeing record setting prices at auction and retail. Prices for Latour, Mouton, Margaux, Haut Brion and especially Lafite Rothschild are rising at a pace that is hard to keep up with, even for professionals like myself.
 
Last week three bottles of 1869 Lafite Rothschild (Chateau Stock) sold at Sothbys HK for over $700,000 US dollars. There seemed to be an extreme premium for the Chateau Stock wines that went up for sale, sometimes fetching up to three times the price of retail. Can you believe that 1982 Lafite Rothschild, a wine that we sold as futures for $40 per bottle, is now trading for over $50,000 per case? The Chateau Stock case at the HK auction last week sold for $136,000 US, which probably

Thanksgiving is my holiday. This is the one I enjoy the most. I host Thanksgiving every year at my house and try to put my own twist on it to make it memorable. This year the twist will be the wine I serve. I usually give in and offer an array of whites to please the masses, but this year everyone will have a glass of red waiting for them at their place setting to start the meal.

What red you ask? Well 2008 Brewer - Clifton Pinot Noir is my answer. I popped a bottle of this magnificent red last night with dinner and it was a winner. The fruit of raspberries and blueberries were incredible on the nose, with spice and some autumn underbrush, this wine created a real warm homey feeling for dinner.

Steve Clifton and Greg Brewer produce this wine in the cool climate of Santa Rita Hills and use neutral oak to show off the wine's natural characteristics.   My wife and I shared this bottle accompanied by a pork loin with some fall vegetables and we were blown away by how

Before I entered the wine business, if you were to ask me what Sauternes is, I would have laughed and said I have no idea.  I feel this may be the case for a lot of consumers out there or they are just intimidated by the stigma this region has. 

I have heard everything from; it tastes like gasoline to it will give you the worst hang over you have ever had.  Let me be the first to discredit all of these claims and tell you that if you haven't had an opportunity to try a glass there is no better time than the present.  Think about warming up to a fire after a long day at the office or even better a fabulous meal and experiencing a white wine that will overload your senses with joy and affection.  Affection you may ask?  The reason I say affection is because once this glorious liquid enters your system you will fall madly in love and yearn for more. 

Just the other night we cracked a bottle of 2001 Lafaurie-Peyraguey.  For the price this

Last Spring we had the opportunity to scoop up some half bottles of 2008 Muller Catoir Haardter Burgergarten Riesling Auslese.  Rated 97 points in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, we figured it would be a great wine to have in stock for the Winter Holidays.  That time is now upon us and we were right!

After a tasting the other night, we noticed the beauty of this wine is its complexity and versatility.  As an Auslese, it's primarily thought of as a sweet aka desert wine?and it can be.  Enjoyed after a meal on its own or with some strong cheese.  But like Sauternes, many craved a pairing with foie gras as a first course.  The amazing thing was that the wine though full and expansive on the palate, seamlessly glided over the tongue and as a table wine could pair easily with pork, veal or lamb curries, duck à l'orange, and even rich dishes with monkfish or crab.

Just remember not to serve the wine too cold or you may not be able to experience

"Sassicaia's best kept secret" was the title for this offer when we first released it a couple months ago.  Judging from the phone calls & many responses I received
 
I realized that until they read our offer, my customers weren't aware of the San Guido Guidalberto.  Being that we just checked this wine in stock & I recently tried a bottle, I thought a full article was needed on this little gem.
 
Here are the facts: 

• Guidalberto is the second wine to what many people consider the first growth of Italy, Sassacaia
• A blend of 60% Cabernet & 40% Merlot and is produced from hand selected grapes
• Depending on the vintage, about 20% of declassified Sassicaia finds its way into the Guidalberto.
• Release price is around $50 - We have the lowest price online @ $29.99
• Sassicaia usually trades for $150 and takes years before it's ready to drink / Guidalberto drinks now and is priced

I am often asked by clients if I have had a particular wine that they are considering buying and if I liked it.  And while I am fortunate enough to get to try most of the wines that we carry there are times when I haven't tried one just yet.  So, first, I will point out that the wine in question is from a particular vintage (year) and region (place).  Then, I will recommend a wine from the same vintage and region which will typically share similar taste profiles and characteristics.  Therein lies an easy "Secret" in how to choose a wine.

It's easy to become overwhelmed when buying wine.  I can say with the utmost confidence that every wine we sell is excellent. I know this because each one is tasted by our expert tasting panel.  But if you've had a particular wine that you enjoyed in the past from a particular region and vintage, it's so easy to find another great wine by applying the "Secret".

Due to an increasingly over populated planet, and over one hundred years of irresponsible growth and pollution, we are finally starting to return our attention and actions to a more natural and 'organic' way of life, moving forward to a step back in time if you will. From electric cars and the banning of plastic shopping bags, to the availability of 100% certified organic breads and cereals, fruits and vegetables and even coffee and chocolate, there is thankfully a strong and present movement in the right direction. 

In the wine world, vines have been cultivated 'organically' since day one, long before the term 'organic' in its present definition, existed.  Historically, that was the only way to farm.  For the last 15 years or so the words 'organic' and 'biodynamic' and now 'sustainable,' have been increasingly more present on wine labels and in winery descriptions.   Here in Europe and across the globe, organic wine fairs, tastings and conventions are popping