Category Archives: Wines to Impress

Review: Casa Lapostolle Merlot Cuvee Alexandre

Casa Lapostolle Merlot Cuvee Alexandre Apalta VineyardRed Wine Review:
Casa Lapostolle Merlot Cuvee Alexandre
Apalta Vineyard

Dirty nose belies the rich ripe red and black berry fruits in the mouth. Don’t get me wrong, this wine is definitely earthy, but has equal amounts of sweet fruit to balance out. More complex than I expected, but then I didn’t look closely enough at the label. I have long been a big fan of Casa Lapostolle’s Merlot “Cuvee Alexandre” labeled as being simply from “Rapel Valley”, and never paid more than maybe twelve bucks for it. This bottle was right around that price but I’m sure it was mislabeled, as I’ve seen it elsewhere for twice as much. That’s fine … as a ten dollar wine, it is an outstanding value, and at around $22-25, it is appropriately priced for the quality inside the bottle.

The first day I opened this wine, the aroma was fairly closed, showing only a lot of earth – as in dirt. I drank about a glass and a half and re-corked it, leaving it at room temperature. The next evening, I poured it again and the aroma really opened up, showing deep, rich, ripe black fruits — cassis, black raspberry, black cherry — integrated with the bitter earthy notes, leather, black pepper, green bell pepper, dark chocolate, and a hint of tobacco. This wine is very complex both on the nose and the palate — the flavors are similar to the aromas: black fruits, earthy tones, hints of sweet tobacco, black licorice, vanilla spice. The tannins are rather aggressive, but not to the point of killing the fruit, and the acidity is also medium to medium-high. It is a fine wine for food matching, particularly for beefy, cheesy, and fatty dishes. On its own it is enjoyable but maybe a bit too aggressive; if you must drink it away from the dinner table I suggest you at least have a hunk of cheese to go with it. Complex, enjoyable, and worthy of cellaring for 2-4 years.

a-8 t-8 b-8 fc-8 v-7 ~ 89 points

Imported by Schieffelin-Somerset

Casa Lapostolle Winery – official website

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Columbia Winery Syrah 2004

Columbia Winery Syrah wine bottleFor many, many years, Syrah was France’s little secret — a grape grown almost exclusively in the Northern Rhone Valley, producing scant bottles of legendary wines such as Hermitage and Cote-Rotie. Even after migrating to Australia in the 1830s, Syrah still wasn’t nearly as popular as, for example, Cabernet and Merlot from Bordeaux, Pinot Noir from Burgundy, or Tempranillo from Rioja.

Over the last 25 years, however, Syrah has become more prominent in the US thanks to, ironically, the marketing of Australian Shiraz. In the late 1980s and 1990s, brands such as Lindemans, Penfolds, and Rosemount began infiltrating the market with Shiraz (previously labeled down under as “Hermitage”), and gradually impressed American wine drinkers with an alternative to Cabernet, Merlot, and Zinfinadel. All hell broke loose when Wine Spectator put Penfolds Grange 1998 on their cover, rating it a nearly perfect 99 points — soon everyone was rushing to get Shiraz or Syrah to the masses.

The very best examples of the grape still come from the Northern Rhone, but there are plenty of other wonderful Syrah/Shiraz wines coming from other areas of France, Australia, the US, South Africa, and South America. Syrah needs a hot, hot climate to flourish, and the eventual wine tends to pick up the character of its vineyard soil. That said, Syrah flavors can vary depending on its origin; the one thing I find common, however, is that regardless of where it’s from, a Syrah-based wine leaves you with a black tongue (not unlike that of a Chow Chow).

Though there’s been a lot of press surrounding the “Rhone Rangers“, the best American Syrah may come from Washington State. The mountainous regions of the state allow for ideal, sun-facing, hillside vineyards, and offer soils saturated with complex minerals. Winemaker David Lake of Columbia Winery (NOT to be confused with Columbia Crest) was the first to grow and bottle Syrah in Washington, back in 1985, and remains one of the most highly respected producers in that state, if not the country.

Columbia Winery’s “entry level” bottle is a fine example of American Syrah, offering distinction, complexity, and character — a stark contrast from the myriad labels of “me-too” Shiraz flooding retail shelves. Forward, ripe aromas of blackberry, raspberry, some earth, vanilla, and a hint of cloves fill the nose. In the mouth it is full of superripe black and red raspberry, blackberry, and plum. Very jammy, but not overbearingly so. Supple, good weight, with a smooth, almost creamy texture. Acidity is medium to medium high, tannins are ripe and medium. Mild sweet earth and a spicy component (maybe vanilla?) are apparent in the midpalate. More black fruits abound in the finish, which is fairly well balanced and could get better as it matures. Finishes just a touch hot, but that’s to be expected for a wine with this kind of ripeness. People who like Aussie Shiraz will find this enjoyable, and more polished, clean, and less over-the-top. Bold and jammy yet elegant and classy. Though it may develop after a few years in the cellar, it’s very enjoyable now, especially if you like ripe and jammy wines. A fine match for steak, burgers, medium bold cheeses, anything blackened. At around $15-16, it is appropriately priced and a good value.

a-9 t-8 b-8 fc-8 v-7 ~ 90 Points

produced by Columbia Winery

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Wine Review: Estancia Stonewall Pinot Noir 2004

Wine: Estancia Pinot Noir 2004
Santa Lucia Highlands Stonewall Vineyards

Estancia Pinot Noir Stonewall bottleEstancia Winery, based in Monterey County, California, is known to cheapskates like me as a producer of solid, reliable wines in the $10-15 range. I’ve been particularly impressed with their “entry level” Pinot Noir (Pinnacles Ranches), which stands out as a keeper among the sea of crappy under-$20 Pinots made by myriad other producers. The recent excitement over Pinot Noir, and in turn its overproduction, has resulted in too many disappointing bottles, making me wary of choosing one outside of Burgundy and/or under forty bucks. Luckily, Estancia has a staked interest in their reputation, and is more interested in bottling quality wine than rushing the grape de rigeur to market.

One of their quality bottlings is their “Stonewall” Pinot Noir, made from grapes grown in their Stonewall Vineyard of Santa Lucia Highlands. Santa Lucia Highlands earned an AVA (designation as an “official” or unique wine growing region) in 1991, and has recently emerged as one of the most exciting American regions for Pinot Noir. It would take too much room to explain why the area has become so important as a winegrowing region, so you’ll have to trust me on this: if you see Santa Lucia Highlands on a Pinot Noir label, chances are good that the wine inside will be good.

The “Stonewall” Pinot Noir has a ripe, deep, complex aroma of red and black raspberry, black cherry, a good dose of spice and hint of earth. On the palate you get yummy, ripe strawberry and red raspberry fruit upfront, which mellows and balances nicely on the palate with mild acidity and mild tannins. Finish is subtle, but long and pleasing. Very little alcohol is apparent, which is somewhat surprising considering the upfront ripeness. Vanilla spice melds with mild hints of earth, green unripe fruits, and sweet tobacco. Texture is smooth. A very nice wine by itself, it has just enough to stand up to milder dishes. Try it with fish and mildly seasoned vegetarian and poultry dishes. One of the better bottles of under-$30 Pinot Noir.

a-8 t-8 b-8 fc-8 v-8 ~ 90 Points

Estancia Winery Website

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Wine Gift: Heidsieck Champagne

Heidsieck Blue Top Champagne bottleHeidsieck & Co Monopole Blue Top Premiers Crus

When you’re stumped — and pressed for time— about what to get as a gift for the wine lover in your life, the best idea is a bottle of Champagne. Champagne is the epitome of celebration, the exclamation point of a joyous occasion — and therefore a perfect gift.

However, don’t just go out and get any Champagne — get something different, special, rare, memorable. Any fool can walk in and buy a bottle of Dom Perignon … so go out of your way to choose something lesser-known yet highly regarded. A bottle you can’t find just anywhere. A bottle with a story. A bottle like Heidsieck & Co. Blue Top.

This Champagne has nothing to do with Charles Heidsieck, nor Piper-Heidsieck — Heidsieck & Monopole is a completely separate, individual Champagne house, and in fact, has been around since 1785. There’s your story: it’s not what you think it is … but it could be better. Oh, want another bit of trivia to add to the story? Just this year, a bottle of 1907 Heidsieck Monopole was sold for $4200 at the Hart Davis Hart Auction in Chicago. You got that right — forty-two-hundred, for one bottle — the most paid in 2006 for one 750ml bottle of bubbly.

There’s another way to keep this Champagne separated in your mind from the others: its appearance. This “Blue Top” sparkler comes in a striking and distinctive, Corvette-yellow bottle with — you guessed it — a blue top.

But why go to the trouble of finding this particular bottle? Aren’t there plenty of other Champagnes and sparkling wines to choose from, also with good stories? Well, there are. And many are very good. Some are better. But not all are distinctively packaged, and thus you may find yourself staring at a full shelf of lookalike bottles with unpronounceable French names, wondering which one was the bottle recommended by your favorite wine magazine or blogger. Sure, you can’t judge a wine by its bottle any more than a book by its cover, but there’s something to be said for shopping efficiency during the holiday season, and in this case, the screaming yellow bottle contains an appropriately worthwhile wine inside.

This is a dry style of Champagne, so if your gift recipient is into the sweeter sparklers, stay away. Otherwise, dive right in. You will be excited with anticipation the moment the wine is poured into the glass, as it will become charged with an abundance of aggressive, tiny bubbles that develop an immediate, full foam (or mousse, as the French call it). Take a moment to stick your nose in the glass, and you will be rewarded with a clean, citrusy, slightly toasted aroma that also has a hint of mineral. In the mouth, you get very similar flavors as were on the nose, along with a touch of honey and pear, all tightly wound by a stiffly acidic wrapper. It has excellent structure, yet remains elegant and has the perception of being lighter than it really is.

If you always drink sparkling wines alone, you might not understand the acidity — until you start popping hors d’oeuvres in your mouth. The Blue Top is wonderful for the table top, as it pairs perfectly with a variety of appetizers, can match with most fish and white meats, and will temper the heat of a hot and spicy dish. Champagne is not enjoyed with food often enough, and this bottle is as good an excuse as any to break that trend.

I originally discovered this sparkler at a Champagne tasting a few months ago, and found it to be the best of a very competitive bunch — to me it was more enjoyable than several better known, much more expensive Champagnes against which I tasted head-to-head (including two of James Bonds’ favorites). Tasting it again, alone, and with food, it’s still impressive and becoming one of my favorite sparklers.

It may be hard to find, but is well worth the search. Consider it your little secret, and as a gift for the holidays. The recipient will not be disappointed.

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Francis Coppola Reserve Viognier Russian River Valley 2005

francis coppola viognierViognier (vee-ohn-YAY) has historically been a fairly rare grape, grown primarily in the Rhone Valley region of France and most famous for a wine called Condrieu (kohn-dree-yuh ). Even as recently as 20 years ago, no more than 100 acres of Viognier vineyards were planted worldwide — the bulk of it still in the Rhone with some coming out of the Languedoc-Roussillon region (also in France) — mostly due to its tiny yields, inconsistent ripening, and small demand.

However, in the early 1990s, Joseph Phelps began growing Viognier, Syrah, and other Rhone varietals in his California vineyards, sparking a movement dubbed the “Rhone Rangers“, where several other winegrowers followed in the experiment of planting known-as-Rhone vines in left coast soil. The results have been mixed, though it’s still quite early to be critical — considering that the Rhone Valley has had a few hundred years’ head start. Every once in a while an outstanding example comes out this laboratory, such as this Viognier from Francis Ford Coppola.

The nose exudes a perfumey, ripe, spicy fruit aroma that immediately screams Viognier.
True Viogner from the Rhone has a very distinct aroma and flavor that many either love or hate — and this bottle from the Russian River Valley of California captures that distinctiveness, resembling some of the best examples from the Rhone.

The Coppola winemaker allowed the Viognier to express itself in all its uniqueness, fermenting it in neutral stainless steel. The result is a very clean, pure expression of the varietal, sans the oily texture that sometimes carries the wine. Rather, the texture is smooth, closer to creamy.

In the mouth, this wine shows typical Viognier character: spicy green melon, Anjou pear, a spicy element that might be described as ginger snap (remember those ginger snap, windmill-shaped cookies your grandma fed you?) or cardamom, with hints of peach, lime and allspice. The acidity is remarkably high for a Viognier, which places it at medium to medium-high on the scale (Viognier often tends to be fatter) and thus positions it to be an excellent match for food. The finish is also remarkable for its length and fulfilling fruit. This is a very classy, polished wine that captures true, distinct Viognier character and then some, offering ripe, rich fruit complexity while also offering mouthwatering acidity and remaining low in alcohol (another Viognier tendency; most Viogner, especially from the Rhone, can be a little on the hot side).

Match it with roast chicken, roast ham (pink or fresh), pork chops, Thai food (lemongrass!), mild vegetarian hors d’oeuvres, and Indian vegetarian dishes. It’s also enjoyable on its own. However you drink it, just be sure you DO NOT OVERCHILL it. This wine really shows its complexity and best flavors at a few degrees warmer than other white wines; if it’s only a few degrees to cold, you might miss out on many of the details and nuances that make this wine so special.

By the way, don’t look for this bottle in your local wine shop — it’s probably not there. This wine is most easily found online — through the Coppola website — or from the winery in Sonoma (if you happen to live or travel nearby). However, it is worth the effort.

a-9 t-9 b-9 fc-7 v-7 ~ 91 Points