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e-mail winechap@thesilverstonecollection.com |
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Best of three Seasonal Bunches |
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Everyone enjoys a sassy red glass of voluptous nectar at the holidays so just to make life a little more interesting I’ve test driven the same wine with two different engines. The performance of both is pretty much the same but, one is slightly smoother, with a little easier finish. The glass to replenishment time between both is barely noticeable, thanks to swift, fulfilling and “full on” throttle pouring. I enjoy car analogies for wines with sporty demeanors. And Conde de Valdemar in it’s “Crianza” and “Reserva” versions is a highly spirited gutsy performer for our holiday needs. North of Madrid in northern Spain is the Rioja, which is divided into three sub regions: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Baja. The Martínez Bujanda family own over 1,000 acres of vineyards in all three regions, controlling all of the fruit’s production, resulting in 150,000 cases plus produced each year. Martinez Bujanda is one of Spain’s most significant wine producers, and is now in the competent hands of the family’s fourth generation. Nestled in the Ebro Valley, overlooking the Cantabrian Mountain range in northern Spain, in the tiny village of Oyón, the Family have been stomping grapes since 1889 (must have fabulous leg muscles by now!). The wInery’s philosophy is still in tact: ”Wines should age very slowly, yet still be enjoyable in their youth." Martinez Bujanda produce the Conde de Valdemar wines, in two styles. The variation between them is modest, yet significant. Both are produced from grapes grown in Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Baja, but from different vineyards within each region. The grapes used in both wines sound like Spanish soccer players: Mazuelo (15%) and Tempranillo (85%). Mazuelo is a difficult grape to grow, with a low yield and longer aging process and is specifically used to help Valdemar wines age better, and to compliment a wider range of foods Only grapes harvested from the family's own vineyards are developed and bottled by the Bujanda family and they are totally focused on fresh tasting wines for the Valdemar label. Besides growing the grapes in different vineyards, which adds subtle, yet distinct variations to the respective wine’s flavor, the Conde de Valdemar “Crianza” (approx $13.99) is aged 14 months in French and American oak barrels while the Conde de Valdemar “Reserva” (approx $16.99) spends 25 months in the barrel. This additional resting time results in the extra smoothness I alluded to in my car reference. Both wines are wonderfully fruity and quaffable with a jammy, plummy, spiciness. The Reserva’s longer aging results in added silkiness from maturity. It’s the same difference between a Rolls Royce and a Bentley, you really need to test drive both to determine which gives you - or those on your holiday gift list - more pleasure. Cheers! For more specifics you can visit the winery through it’s US importer’s website: www.civusa.com. back to top | back to original page Bonny Doon Vineyard, California USA I recently had the good fortune to have lunch with one of my favorite California wine makers, Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon VIneyard. It’s highly recommended to have a thesaurus, and knowledge of every conceivable obscure fact of life before chatting with Mr. G, an intensely articulate man with a wickedly dry sense of humor, as a browse through his newlestters or website will immediately illustrate. Randall was born in Los Angeles, and in 1979 attended the University of California at Davis to complete a degree in viticulture. He became obsessed with the Pinot Noir grape, but soon diverted his attention to grapes which flourish in theFrench Rhone region, and in time he became known as the “Rhone Ranger”. Randall further expanded his grape expectations to include varieties which thrive in Italy. And with his wit, his wisdom and his genius at producing highly quaffable liquid gems, the Bonny Doon portfolio reached celebrity status worldwide. Boony Doon has also lead the world by adopting the Stelvin Closure, which to you and me is known simply as a screw cap. All pomposity, arrogance and nose in air hype is banished at Bonny Doon, where the name of the game is drinkability and affordability and not a palate is left unturned. Something for everyone is available from this stunning collection of wines. And if you ever meet Randall, beware. To quote his website he is: “....a vitizen (sic) of the world, a champion of the strange and heterodox, of ugly duckling grape varietals”. Since my recent lunch with Randall, as always, left me bristling with enthusiasm, I’m plucking some gems from his wickedly inspired eclectic selection as recommendations for the holiday season. White Christmas Pacific Rim Riesling (approx $12.99) Riesling's always been “my” grape, especially from Germany. And here we find Randall has taken 75% of the grape juice from Washington State and blended it with 25% from my old chum Johannes Selbach in Germany’s Mosel region. This marriage of this grape from old and new world is so innovative, it results in honeyed tones and summer fruit flavors. A gorgeous wine to savor as an aperitif. Made, as the winery notes: “ For all the right rieslings”. Ca’ del Solo Big House White (approx $11.99) Ca’ del Solo is a 140 acre estate located in Monterey County close by the local penitentiary (Big House) The Soleded Men’s Correctional Facility. What a blend! The white version has Sauvignon Blanc, French Colombard, Pinot Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Marsanne, Malvasia and Muscat. The winery sums up the final product succinctly: ““Inimitably inviting, astonishingly aromatic, bounteously balanced, copiously quaffable libation”. I couldn’t have said it better myself. Also brilliant with turkey! Well Red Ca’ del Solo Big House Red (approx $11.99) Ca’ del Solo is a 140 acre estate located in Monterey County close by the local penitentiary (Big House) The Soleded Men’s Correctional Facility. The red version has Syrah, Petite Syrah. ZInfandel, Carignane, Barbera, Malbec, Montepulciano, Charbono (related to Cher?) Sangiovese plus a few more grapes. I adore this in the fridge for 15 minutes. It’s soft, spicy, plummy and the definition of yumminess. Ideal for turkey, ham and anything you feel like serving. Cardinal Zin (approx $19.99 ) In keeping with Bonny Doon’s penchant for experimentation, this wine spends some time in contact with Riesling lees (the sediment of the Riesling grape). The process adds a twilight zone dimension to the wine, total tasteful nirvana, complexity beyond our wildest dreams. Added to this ZInfandel is some Carignane and Sangiovese. Randall Grahm’s broken every Zin in the book and this intensely colored wine brings some plummy spicy magic to your mouth. It’s equally scrumptious with seasonal turkey dishes, or brown bagging it to your local BYOB Chinese restaurant for a moderately spicy dish. Syrah “Le Pousseur” (approx $15.99) I adore Syrah, and it’s cousin Shiraz. But if I had to pick between the Aussie Shiraz and the French Syrah, the French version wins every time. So Bonny Doon’s French styling impressed the socks off me. It’s mostly Syrah with some Viognier “for floral aromatics” & Cinsault, a fairly ineffectual grape by itself but a real team player in this blend. The berry fruit flavors are awesome, with a drizzling of pepper and spice, and 13 months aging in oak gives the wine some additional class worthy of wines twice the price tag. Just Desserts Muscat Vin de Glaciere (approx $17.99 - half bottle) Save this for the love of your life. A typical hedonistic, sensual, almost erotic, sweet, luscious drinking experience. 50% Muscat Canelli and 50% Orange Muscat grapes are picked at the usual harvest time, but unlike “Late Harvested” dessert wines, they are frozen to 10%F in a commercial food freezer. The grapes are pressed while freezing, to emulate late harvested wines, elevating the residual sugar to 18.5%. Once again I’ll let the winemaker describe the wine: “Racy and exaggerated notes of apricot, elderflower and rampany pineapplicity.” (sic) Bonny Doon is clearly a synonym for holiday cheer! More info: www.bonnydoonvineyard.com back to top | back to original page Greg Norman Estates, Australia I had lunch recently at one of my favorite Philadelphia restaurants: Panorama (14 N Front St. 215 922 7600). I chose this restaurant because the marketing folks at Greg Norman Estates (yes THAT Greg Norman, the golfer) invited me to meet the winemaker Andrew Hales and the winery's US PR guru Sheri Ketchum. They wanted a "wine friendly" environment and Panorama is so wine friendly it's almost indecent. Andrew Hales was on a cork popping whirlwind tour of the US, from Downunder, and I was flattered to be his only reason for stopping off in our neck of the woods. I never look at the menu at Panorama, I simply start with smoked salmon and follow with gnocchi in creamy spinach sauce. Ideal accompaniments to whatever nectar is brought to table by the visiting winemakers, and if the wine is disastrous I'm always guaranteed a superb lunch. In this case, the wines were so historic, I almost didn't notice the food. Andrew is a soft spoken, passionate winemaker. One sip and you know you are in the company of a master craftsman. Greg Norman's own passion for wine, inspired a range of wines with his name to reflect what the world would expect from his moniker on the label: Class! And believe me, they've got it. The good news for me just kept getting better. Andrew and Sheri were catching a flight up to Boston, so they sent me home with half a dozen half filled bottles, the remains of our lunch libations. Some wines fade from memory once the cork is slipped from the bottle's neck while the true champions of the wine world, like the battery operated bunny, just keep on going. And so my weekend was spent in the company of several Greg Norman wines, but in particular, the 2000 Padthaway Reserve Shiraz kept on going. But more on that shortly. During the 1981 Masters Tournament Aussie Greg Norman was called "The Great White Shark". Given his subsequent golfing victories exceeding 90 titles including 2 British "Opens", this man was more like a Lion - a king in his domain. Norman's passion for wine inspired him to launch his own range (excuse the pun) of wines: Greg Norman Estates. The wines in the portfolio have been produced in Norman's native Australia but he is now expanding the collection to include wines from California. Since he lives with his family in the US (Florida), this all makes perfectly good sense. Winemaker Andrew Hales is doing a phenomenal job with the nectar from Downunder. Andrew has had some nifty winemaking experience around the world including stints in France, Italy and Moldova! After honing his art at various wineries in Australia and New Zealand he joined Greg Norman in 2000, and all I can say is "hone sweet hone"! Here are 4 Greg Norman wine suggestions for your Holiday shopping list. Limestone Coast Shiraz 2003 (approx $15.99) The Limestone Coast, in the south eastern corner of South Australia, is a cool maritime climate with mild temperatures which create grapes - and ultimately wines - with delicious, fresh fruit. Norman's garpes are grown in several Limestone Coast vineyards and this is a stunner. Just look at the color - a rich, intense, full bodied , bold and beautiful wine. Some maturation in oak barrels gives the complexity we lust after when opening an Aussie Shiraz. It delivers the goods at a most generous price. Limestone Coast Cabernet/Merlot 2002 (approx $15.99) This one's got the marriage made in vineyard heaven. Cab/Merlots from Downunder produced by a super talented winemaker can be among the best in the world. No disputing the Greg Norman version on that point! Andrew Hales again matured the wine in wood, blending these two magnificent grape varieties into a drink which has all the characteristics you'd expect. The spicy berry flavors will compliment turkey, ham and just about any cheese your heart desires. 2004 Victoria Chardonnay 2004 (approx $14.99) Produced from grapes grown in the Yarra Valley in Victoria, Australia, the wine has an almost light straw color and delicious summer fruit perfume leads to the text book creamy, nutty flavor only the world's finest Chards can deliver. Although the finest ones would struggle to do so at such a modest price! These 3 wines are all "listed" and available through regular PA wine stores. The Shiraz I raved about recently can only be found in "Specialty" stores, such as Ardmore, Devon and Bryn Mawr. A few more thoughts on that wine: Padthaway Reserve Shiraz 2000 (approx $39.99) Ah! Now back to this masterpiece. The vineyards in this region of South Australia make superlative Shiraz and this one is as good as it gets. Matured in oak, painstakingly nurtured in the cellars by Andrew Hales, this is the spoilt child of the portfolio. But not a brat, rather a well behaved, good mannered, proud family member. Dark, deeply intense, multi faceted flavors, aromas and heavily berried fruits linger on the palate bringing some chocolate and spice to the equation. This is most definitely my favorite wine of the 21st century thus far. And you can quote me on that. This Shiraz is so smooth it would make Cary Grant and Dean Martin seem like caffeine wired buffoons. A silky soft, palate caressing, smile across the face beauty! I singled it out from the pack of samples I took home from lunch, because it was mesmerizing and spread sunlight across my bleak terrain of wine weariness. I've been asked by many people why I favour inexpensive wines, and my answer is: "because expensive doesn't mean good". It also means my bank manager won't harass me for taking excessive liberties with my overdraft. But I can tell you, from the bottom of my wallet, expensive can, on occasion, be justified. And this wine is money well spent. Greg Norman Estates' wines are just like small white balls that head straight down the fairway and tumble, effortlessly, into the hole .... in one! They have the distinctive mark of a champion.Cheers! For more information: www.shark.com/gnestates back to top | back to original page
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