Staff Picks - April
Travis Miller, Beer Savant
Stone, Ruination IPA, Escondido, CA ($5.99/22 oz bottle)
Ruination is a lovely beer that is a light copper color and has brilliant clarity. Initially a thick mousse like head will form on this beer that dissipates after a few minutes to a thin layer of foam. The aroma has some fruity notes but is dominated by a resinous pine-like hop aroma. Hop heads will love this beer because the hop bitterness is aggressive and stands out over the malt.
The beer has a very clean straightforward flavor; big bold bitterness with some earthy notes. The beer is light bodied and the finish is quite dry. Even at 7.7% ABV the beer is quaff-able and pleasantly warming. Sharp, peppery or pungent cheeses, salmon, anything with a lot of acid (vinaigrette and the like) or game would go well with this beer. It would also make a nice apertif in a champagne flute.
Ommegang, Chocolate Indulgence Stout (on draft in winebar, $6/12oz)
This beer has the black opaque hue and thick rich head of a well made stout. Bring it to your nose and you'll smell something more subtle than your average pint. There are aromas of coffee, toffee, dark chocolate and the unusual characteristics of Belgian yeast to explore. The flavor is a marriage of dark malts, dark Belgian cocoa and a hint of smoke and the tell-tale character of Belgian yeasts. The mouth feel is a bit lighter than your typical stout making it quite drinkable despite the warming alcohol content. The brewers at Ommegang have once again conceived a fine beer that can stand alone in a nice snifter next to the fire. This would do well paired with a dark chocolate desserts, roasted, braised or grilled meat or game.
Marty's Picks
King Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2006 ($26.99)
Established only in 1992, King Estate is a relatively new player to Oregon's wine scene, but they have already developed a reputation for leadership. They currently have 143 acres of pinot noir, all certified organic. In 2005, King Estate was awarded "producer of the year" accolades by Oregon Tilth, a non-profit that supports and promotes biologically sound and socially-equitable agriculture. Further, they produce delicious wine! King Estate's Pinot Noir shows aromas of cherry, raspberry jam and baking spices. Aged for 10-12 months in French oak (30% new), it is full-bodied and soft, with flavors of black cherries and blueberries.
Henry's Drive, Pillar Box Red, Australia 2006 ($12.99)
The 2006 Pillar Box Red is 50% Shiraz, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Merlot aged in a mix of used French and American oak. Purple-colored, it offers an enticing, fruity nose including aromas of cassis, black cherry, black raspberry, and blueberry. Full-bodied, ripe, and layered with flavor, this wine totally over-delivers on my hedonist's meter. Drink this awesome value over the next 2-3 years. Pillar Box has a powerful pedigree; fruit sourced from Henry's Drive and winemaking consultation from the renowned Chris Ringland. 91- Wine Advocate (reviewed by Jay Miller)
Tres Picos, Garnacha, Spain 2006 ($14.99)
Bodegas Borsao consistently delivers great bang for the buck. Several of their value-priced wines are listed on the Best Buy chart at the end of this report. If I had to select just one Spanish wine that consistently over-delivers year after year, it would be Tres Picos. The 2006 Tres Picos Garnacha has an enticing bouquet of wild cherry, spice box, and floral notes that leaps from the glass. Remarkably rich, balanced, and intensely flavored, this wine can be best described as cherry pie in a glass. It is for hedonists only. As always, it is an awesome value. 91-Wine Advocate (reviewed by Antoni Galloni)
Lucien Crochet, Sancerre, France 2006 ($26.99)
In celebration of Daylight Savings Time, the return of green and the imminent arrival of white and rose season, the Lucien Crochet Sancerre is my first non-sparkling white wine selection of 2008. While Frank Larkin measures spring's approach via March Madness and the return of baseball, my markers include the first non-root, fresh vegetable, asparagus, and a lovely glass of Sancerre to accompany it. Wine and asparagus can be a tough pairing, but a good, crisp, minerally Sancerre bridges the gap nicely. Lucien Crochet, year after year, produces Sancerres that strike a lovely balance between fruit and mineral; just thinking about it makes me want to have a glass. Below is the review offered by David Schildknecht who reviews wines from Germany, Alsace and the Loire for Robert Parker's. Pear nectar, mint and flowers grace the nose of Lucien Crochet's 2005 Sancerre. Infectiously juicy, transparent and delicate in the mouth, it offers herb-infused melon and lime through which salt and stones seem to positively shimmer. This might not be a terribly complex or rich Sancerre but it is a practically irresistible one. 89-Wine Advocate
Winthrop's Picks
Crios de Susana Balbo, Argentina - Torrontes 2007 (14.99)
Susana Balbo created the Crios line of wines that offer ripe fruit flavors with fantastic balance and are designed to be drunk in their youth. Susana is the foremost female wine maker in Argentina and was hired to set up Bodega Catena Zapata. She moved on in 1999 to start her own project. I was introduced to this wine last year and fell in love at first sip. I am not alone Robert Parker feels the same and I have included his 90pt review. "The 2007 Torrontes is about as good as this varietal gets. Super fragrant, smelling of a spring flower garden, honey, and exotic spices. From the nose one expects the wine to be sweet. On the palate, however, it is dry with a creamy texture, intense flavors, excellent acidity, and a lengthy finish. It is an ideal alternative for rich courses normally calling for Chardonnay. All of the Crios wines are outstanding values."
Weingut Steininger, Kamptal, Austria, Steven Holl Loisium, Gruner Veltliner 2006 (21.99)
As many of you know Marty, Frank, Emily and I had the opportunity to travel to Austria at the end of January on a wine buying trip. We traveled through the wine regions of eastern Austria and visited eight wineries. Our last stop was in the growing region of Kamptal. The Steininger family welcomed us with a tasting of their current releases, barrel tastings, and at the end of the evening, a trip into there personal cellar. While in there we were able to taste Gruner Veltliners, Rieslings, and sparklings from the 60s and 70s. What a treat it was. These wines age very well. The Loisium GV is named after the architect, Steven Holl, who built the Loisium. A single vineyard Veltliner with inviting fruit on the nose, exotic notes and a fine ripe aroma of apples. The finish is complex and balanced with a long beautiful echo. This GV offers more body then the Berger that so many of you know and love.
Weingut Michlits, Austria - Pinot Noir 2006 (17.99) -- Biodynamic
We were welcomed to the Austrian wine world by Werner Michlits of Weingut Michlits, Burgenland. Just like Steininger, Michlits is a family run winery. The winery is part of a growing movement of biodynamics in viniculture today. This small artisanal winery has hit another homerun with their 2005 Pinot Noir. The Pannonian climate, with its hot summer days enables the grapes to ripen completely, while the cool nights allow the grapes to rest and the flavors to fully develop. The result is powerful, concentrated fruit, full of character. The nose is dominated by ripe fruits up-front. Strawberry, cherry and a smell of jam suggests good physiologically ripened grapes. Dark ruby color and multifaceted berry aromas dominate the typical Pinot Style.
Altos Las Hormigas, Mendoza, Argentina - Malbec 2006 (11.99)
Malbec has been the darling of the press and connoisseurs alike recently and there is good reason. This grape has hit its stride in Argentina where it shines on its own. Historically it has been planted in Cahors, France and used as a blending grape in Bordeaux. Altos las Hormigas was started by a group of Tuscan winemakers looking for a new project in the Mendoza Valley. The use of one year old American oak and twice used French oak has created a very intense, fruit driven wine with hints of cinnamon and baking spices. The nose offers integrated layers of violet, lavender, red berries, licorice, chocolate and apple pie. This lovely example of Malbec offers ample structure and a full body.