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Negociant wine business is booming. Joe Carr does it. Cameron Hughes does it. Now Banshee is doing it very well. For a multitude of reasons, wineries often look to unload a portion of the wines they have barreled. The Negociant steps in, purchases the lots that meet their particular needs and finishes the wines in the style they wish. In 2009 Banshee purchased lots from three high end Sonoma producers and assembled an opulent, fruit driven Pinot Noir. Bright cherry and raspberry flavors are balanced with fine tannic structure and nice weight. The 14.4% alcohol content converted just enough natural sugar to express the fruit in a bright, non-cloying style. With this inaugural release, Banshee has hit it out of the park. Take advantage of the pricing while it lasts. With all of the accolades that are sure to be headed their way, we may see a price increase with the next vintage. |
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Grown from 40-45 year old vines, this Chenin offers amazing richness of texture. There is enough smokiness present to give away its South African origin, but plenty of ripe citrus flavors to carry it beautifully. This is a perfectly refreshing style that offers lots of fruit up front but finishes dry with flinty minerality. This wine is great to sip on its own but certainly has enough acidity to be versatile and food friendly. |
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It is difficult to find a wine that I don’t enjoy from importer Jorge Ordonez. Tarima is another exceptional wine that Jorge has selected from Jumilla, Spain. The wine is made from 100% Monastrell, also known as Mourvedre or Mataro. The balance is key with this wine, enough fruit to be vibrant but not so much that it dominates. Earthy and floral notes add to the wines depth and complexity. Priced under $10, this wine can compete with wines costing twice as much. |
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This is the quintessential field blend. Dark and earthy, but also possessing abundant fruit with a rich and coating texture. This Old Vine Field Blend consists primarily of Carignane, good chunks of Grenache and Mourvedre, and smaller amounts of Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Syrah. This wine has the stamp of Randall Grahm all over it, using opulent Rhone style varietals to counter the austere tendencies of the Carignane. |
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Another hot growing season in Australia’s Barossa Valley has ripened this Shiraz based blend to the limits. The blazing sunshine produced super high sugar levels that fermented to 16% alcohol, but the massive fruit frame carries it effortlessly. This is classic Barossa Valley style- big, bold, thick, viscous, concentrated. Along with the intense fruit profile you will find damp earth, spice box and vanilla creaminess from 12 months in American oak. It is easy to see why the Wine Advocate rated this wine at 91 points. Supplies are limited and it’s priced to move. |
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The distinctive smokiness of this wine hints to its South African origin. Deep, ripe plum and blackberry race forward as the opulent texture coats your mouth. Nicely integrated with the focused fruit profile is smoke, bacon, minerality and firm acidity that promotes the long, balanced finish. This award winning wine was purchased on vintage close out which allows us to put it on the shelf at a fraction of its original price. Take advantage of this pricing while supplies last. |
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I generally try to keep my wine picks on the affordable side, but for this holiday season you can give the gift of Ridge Vineyards for $30 to $40. If I could drink only one wine for the rest of my life, it would be Ridge Geyserville. Located in the rolling hills of northern Sonoma where Zinfandel ripens perfectly, master blender Paul Draper selects varying proportions of Carignane, Petite Sirah and Mourvedre to enhance the Zinfandel base. This wine is a balance of power and elegance that at 14.8% alcohol never comes across as hot. The deep and ripe Zinfandel is able to support the dark, spicy, earthy attributes of the blending grapes. The Geyserville is so much more than the sum of its parts. Not only does it make the perfect gift, you owe yourself the experience that is Geyserville. If this wine is out of your price range Ridge does make less expensive bottling from various vineyard sites throughout Sonoma that never disappoint. |
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This old school, old world blend is custom made for famed wine importer Eric Solomon. Having his import stamp on the back of a bottle is as close as you can get to a guarantee in the wine world. It is a very rare occasion for one of his selections to disappoint. I’ve been tasting a lot of Rhones that seem wimpy and watered down. That is not the case with this cuvee, made from 60 to 90 year old vines, consisting of Grenache, Mouvedre and Syrah. It is dense, dark and ripe, with hints of kirsch, berry and herb making it a nice pairing with a Thanksgiving dinner. |
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Walla Walla Washington is making great strides in high quality wine making. Latitudinally, you will find that they are in good company. The River’s Red blend shows great polish, as the cooler climate restrains the fruit profile of the Syrah giving it an elegant, long feel. Blending in Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot lends classic styling. The result is a racy wine with nice focus and balance. The dark fruit is just rich enough to balance the fine tannins. Keep an eye on Walla Walla. |
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Take one sip and there is no mistaking that Blueish Black could only come from South Africa. The sense of terroir that South African wines impart is unmistakable and often dominating. With Post House, owner and winemaker Nick Gebers allows his wine to express the rustic smoky qualities of the soil without overpowering the deep plum and cherry flavors. The 2007 blend is made up of 38% Shiraz which gives this wine it’s depth of fruit. South Africa’s signature hybrid grape varietal Pinotage is next in the mix at 28% giving smoke and leather. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot round out the mix offering structure and length. This a wine that offers a degree of complexity at a reasonable price. |
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This dry white wine from Ribeiro in Northwestern Spain is named after the monastery and the monks who long ago, cultivated the land. Presently, the Spanish film maker Jose Luis Cuerda owns the property. As with most white blends, the percentages of the varietals will vary from year to year. From 80 year old vines planted in granite laced soil, the 2007 vintage is a blend of local varietals with Treixadura at 67 percent and smaller shares of Godella, Loureiro, Torrontes, and Albarino in the mix. Stainless steel ageing keeps the wine crisp while lees contact lends a richness of texture. Fresh citrus up front and a long dry mineral finish. A perfect fit with fresh shellfish. |
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This year’s barbeque wine. Amalaya is 75% Malbec blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Tannant. It is deep, dark, and concentrated without being overpowering or astringent. It shows a soft, fruit forward style with flavors of plum and raspberry. It is big enough to stand up to meat off the grill and soft enough that it is delicious on its own. As a category, Malbec blends can be quite enjoyable. |
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If you are looking for a nice light, refreshing white to enjoy on your deck or at the beach, try this crisp white from Rioja. It combines light, fresh citrus flavors with a dry, stony finish. The oak treatment is minimal and neutral, just enough to soften the edges. This wine is delicate, so it is the perfect aperitif, but has enough acid to stand up to lighter fare. |
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It’s time again to start enjoying the refreshing Rosé wines that pair so well with a warm Spring day. The Rosé from Domaine De Pellhaut has a gorgeous deep pink color that is the perfect match for any sunny day. This wine is everything you could hope for from a quality Rosé. It is amazingly refreshing with ripe strawberry and watermelon notes that are wrapped in a soft, lush texture. The ripe fruit profile finishes dry with a mild hint of minerality. The blend is mostly Merlot, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Tannat finishing the mix. |
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This proprietary red wine takes the typical Corvina and Rondinella grape varietals and puts them through two fermentations. The technique of “appassimento” (semi-drying) allows the dry grapes to be added to the wine and re-fermented, releasing deeper color and flavor, and extracting soft, velvety tannins. The wine is then barrel aged for a minimum of 18 months. The resulting wine offers deep, ripe cherry and dried floral qualities. Most impressive is the texture of this wine. It coats with mouthwatering bright fruit and finishes with a touch of vanilla. |
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This “Super Tuscan” uses only ten percent Sangiovese in the blend, which is enough to give the wine a dark cherry flavor. The dominant varietal is Cabernet Sauvignon at fifty percent which gives the wine its power and structure. Merlot and Cabernet Franc are also present. More important than its parts is the way all of these varietals are seamlessly blended. In the Tenuta Di Castiglioni you have a beautiful balance between power and elegance. The refined cherry and raspberry flavors ride on firm, silky textured tannins through a long dry finish. Hints of vanilla and bittersweet chocolate add complexity. This is a very versatile, food friendly wine. Try pairing this wine with a strip steak and mushroom risotto. |
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90+ Cellars doesn’t make a drop of wine. They do manage to purchase finished, bottled and highly rated wines at low prices, then label and sell them for considerably less money than the winemaker who made them would. The Lot 9 Fusion is a Bordeaux style blend from McLaren Vale consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. This blend offers a deep, concentrated feel without being bulky. Black cherry, ripe cranberry persist as the French oak influence brings in mild vanilla and silky tannins. A powerful and elegant wine now that will improve over the next few years. |
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This year’s Gamekeeper’s Reserve uses a small portion of Touriga Nacional; a varietal commonly used in Portuguese red blends, and it works beautifully. The blend sees extended time aging “sur lie” to give a higher level of extraction and is aged without oak to preserve its fresh fruit profile. The fruit forward flavors of raspberry and plum are balanced by a hint of spice and floral tones. The tannins are soft with no sense of astringency. This is a great introduction to Barossa Valley fruit at a ten dollar price point. If you are looking for a deep, soft, approachable red, it is hard to find a better value than this blend. |
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This deep purple blend of Bonarda and Malbec is a monster from Mendoza, Argentina. This wine is dense and packed with ripe cherry and plum. It took a while to come around, initially upon release the tannins had a bracing grip, but over the past few years those tannins have softened to a velvety texture that lingers nicely. Although fruit driven, it is not one dimensional, as the cherry gives way to toffee, vanilla and forest floor. The 2003 Alma Negra is at its peak now, just in time for the cold months ahead. |
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Tres Picos is a perennial favorite of mine, and the 2008 vintage delivers all of the ripe concentrated fruit that I have come to expect from these 30 to 40 year old vines. It is still a little tight having just been released and will be drinking great 2 to 3 years down the road. I’m still drinking 2005 Tres Picos, and its only getting better. Its thick and coated with flavors of kirsch, blackberries, cranberry and vanilla. Give this wine a little time to open up and it will show you delicate floral notes, bright ripe fruit and long silky finish. For such a big, ripe wine, it stays lively on the palate. Another winner from this producer. |
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Since the first vintage of the Chocolate Block in 2002, the five varietals of this wine have remained the same with varying percentages. The blend remains predominantly Syrah for its ripe fruit profile with Cabernet Sauvignon blended in for tannic structure. A small percent of Viognier is added for its aromatic qualities. The 2007 offers elegant ripe plum and a bit of pepper. The fruit flavors are fresh and the fine tannins blend seamlessly. Ordinarily, this wine is priced expectedly in the mid $30 range, but for the time being it is featured at substantial savings. |
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For all intents and purposes, you are getting a beautiful Barolo for a fraction of the price. These 35 year old vines are producing a Nebbiolo with intense red fruit and strong floral tones. With another two months of oak ageing, this wine could be bottled as Barolo. Instead, it received 10 months in barrique and 16 additional months in Slovenian oak casks. The bright fruit is balanced by herbal and floral notes and possesses an almost port like richness. This is the perfect wine for the cooler autumn days ahead. |
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It’s hard to pick a favorite from Gun-Bun, California’s oldest family owned winery. Without a doubt, they produce the best Gewurztraminer coming out of California, and their Pinot Noir is elegant and perfectly balanced. For now though, the nod goes to the Mountain Cuvee. Ripe cherry and raspberry flavors are surrounded by the rich texture of silky tannins. Although the blend is predominantly Merlot, this is a big wine with a deep and coating mouth feel. This wine spent 14 months in French oak which adds complexity to its long finish. |
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From the Northwest coast of Spain in the Rias Baixas, comes the 2007 vintage of Martin Codax. It’s not as concentrated in the floral tones as years past, but the citrus shows brightly. Very crisp white peach up front with a clean mineral finish. It’s decent weight and dry finish makes it the perfect complement to fresh oysters or grilled shrimp. |
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When thinking of German wines, many people automatically envision sweet wines. The fact of the matter however, is that German wine producers are not limited to one style. Silvaner is not the most common varietal that you will find on a wine rack, but is one of the most interesting. Ludwig Knoll produces a Silvaner of amazing intensity, focus and purity of fruit. It has a dry finish, and nice minerality form the chalky soil where it is grown. The texture is rich and balanced, making it extremely versatile. Perfect for sipping on its own but it will pair well with a wide range of dishes. |
I would have to say that Riesling has the dubious distinction of being the most widely misunderstood grape varietal in the world of wine. So often during tastings, when I ask someone if they would like to try an amazing Riesling, their response is that they don’t like sweet wines. Riesling aren’t inherently sweeter than any other varietal, It’s what you do in the tank that determines how sweet the resulting wine will be. If you allow most of the natural sugars to be fermented into higher alcohol content, the end result will be a dry wine. With Pewsey Vale, they put dry right into the name to help clear up any confusion. This wine is a laser beam of pure, focused fruit and clean minerality, reminiscent of wines from Alsace. Lemon, lime and peach flavors are balanced against a dried herb and mineral quality. The 2007 release celebrates 160 years of winemaking at their high elevation, cool climate winery in Eden Valley in the hills overlooking the more famous Barossa Valley in Australia. The wine is ready to drink deliciously now, but will be improving in bottle for the next several years. |
Last month, I picked Sonoma Coast Vineyard as an example of a wine living up to the billing of being labeled “Burgundian in Style”. In that same vein, I have chosen two wines from Oregon’s Panther Creek Vineyard as this month’s choice. Pinot Noir from its home soil in Burgundy is difficult to beat, but Panther Creek offers a worthy challenge. Wines from Panther Creek’s Shea Vineyard and Freedom Hill Vineyard are mirrors of the dichotomy of Northern versus Southern Burgundy. The Shea Vineyard is a model of the Northern style, in the Cotes De Nuits, where bright lifted cherry is the focus. Wines from this region can show an amazing purity of fruit with a lean mineral edge and silky tannins, which this wine possesses. Freedom Hill Vineyard is more reminiscent of the wines from the Cote du Beaune in Southern Burgundy where the wines often take on the rustic scents of the barnyard. Ripe, fleshy with notes of damp earth and ripe raspberry. Both have elegance and balance and showcase the range of flavors that can be coaxed from the same varietal in different vineyard sites. |
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Often times, the term Burgundian is thrown around to describe a style of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. In most instances, it is more hopeful or wishful than factual. You can see a hint of the mastery possessed by the finest of what Burgundy has to offer and try to stretch the truth. In my opinion, and in general terms, the best wines of Burgundy cannot be matched. That being said, absolute truths are very difficult in the wine world. There are always exceptions. One such exception is the Chardonnay produced in the 2006 vintage at Sonoma Coast Vineyard. Elegant in style, refined in its fruit, this wine possesses a focused fruit core with a perfect balance of minerality. The fine grained French oak adds to the complexity with hints of butterscotch and allows for a long, graceful finish. Sturdy in structure, but delicate at the same time. Powerful yet refined. All of the components are balanced and in check. This is a world class wine. |