Vol. 3 No. 10
Standard Selection - (1) Red, (1) White
1997 Chateau Potelle Old Vines Amador County Zinfandel - California
1999 Falesco Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone
Red Wines Only Featured Selections
1998 Alexander Valley Vineyards Syrah
White Wines Only Featured Selections
1998 Hedges Fume Chardonnay
Chateau Potelle Old Vines Amador Zinfandel 1997 - California
Chateau Potelle: Where the Old World Meets the New World
Chateau Potelle is located in a beautiful setting at the end of a twisting road high on Mt. Veeder, overlooking the Napa Valley. Here the Old World meets the New World as French transplants, Marketta and Jean-Noel Fourmeaux, transform the luscious fruits of Napa, Amador and the Central Coast into award winning wines that possess the best of both worlds.
Originally sent to California by the French government some twenty years ago to "investigate" the American wine revolution, the Fourmeaux were smitten by the beauty and oenological freedom that California offered them.
Officially, the couple came to the United States as "official tasters" for the French government. "We came to spy", jokes Marketta. In reality, they were here on government business to taste California wines and learn about all aspects of winemaking and vineyard management. After six months and tasting over 2000 wines, they sent a telegram back to France saying, "looks good, we stay". They then returned to France, packed up their two small children and moved to California.
Marketta and Jean-Noel, both trained oenologists, made their first wines in 1982, buying grapes from good sources in the Napa Valley and in the Alexander Valley in Sonoma. They used the winery of a friend, Donald Hess, for their initial 1000 cases of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Since then they haven't looked back.
In 1988, Marketta and Jean-Noel purchased a 273 acre property home and winery on Mt. Veeder where they produce roughly 22,000 cases of wine every year. This winery is one of the most beautiful natural settings in the Napa Valley. It is located in dramatically rolling hills and forests 1800 feet above the floor of Napa Valley. Fortunately, the wines produced from these hillside vineyards are equally distinctive and dramatic and have brought Chateau Potelle to the top of the wine world. According to the winemaking couple, hillside vineyards have it over flat-land vineyards in every way, especially in the intensity and character of the wine. We heartily agree. Nearly all the great wines of California, and France as well, come from hillside vineyards, which allow for superior drainage and optimum sun and wind exposure.
Even though the Fourmeaux began their California winemaking debut with the three most popular French varietals: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, it is ironic in a way that the first world-class success for Chateau Potelle came not with French varietals, but with the all American varietal, Zinfandel. In the vintage of 1990, Chateau Potelle crafted a Zinfandel that was unlike any other. It was an exuberant, intense wine, but not heavy. It was an elegant wine that, quite frankly took the wine world by surprise and storm and truly put Chateau Potelle on the map. This was the first of many excellent estate-grown Zinfandels to be labeled VGS.
As success grew so did the expansion of the winery. "After the extraordinary success and demand of the estate's Zinfandel VGS, we found that we really needed to expand our Zinfandel program", says Jean-Noel. Fortunately, Chateau Potelle located another prime hillside Zinfandel sight, this time in the Shenandoah Valley of Amador County. Situated 1400 feet above the valley floor, this beautiful 27 year old vineyard produces lush, flavorful Zinfandel from dry farmed head pruned vines. This is a 100% Zinfandel vineyard that is family-owned.
Famous for producing superb quality Zinfandel, Amador County was established well over a century ago by adventures lusting for gold and fortune during the California Gold Rush. Although many of the 49ers never found as much as a nugget of the precious metal, many of them were astute enough to plant Zinfandel vines. Little did they know that they were beginning a tradition and sowing the seeds for a different kind of gold - liquid gold, in the form of California's own grape varietal. Once again, Amador County has become the hottest new "rediscovery" for Zinfandel in California, and deservedly so. Chateau Potelle's 1997 Amador offering is one of the best we've tasted.
Tasting Notes: A lusty, nearly staggering statement of Zinfandel, the 1997 Chateau Potelle Old Vines Amador County Zinfandel reminds us as much of fine Chateauneuf-du-Pape as it does California Zinfandel. Rose petal scents, rich berry fruit and spicy woodlands permeate both the nose and the long, solid flavors of this impressive wine. Herb and liquor, with a pleasant tone of Angostura bitter, run through the fruit to frame the wine, while over a year in small oak barrel lends itself to the wine's seamless finish. Round and ample, yet soft enough to be enjoyed on its own, it's hard to believe that this Chateau Potelle sports a whopping 14.3% alcohol. Fortunately, the alcohol lends body and structure to this easy drinking Zin, without the high heat of some of the less balanced California Zinfandels. Drink this beauty over the next year or two while its luscious fruit tames the fire.
Accompaniments: Lusty fare: grilled meats, hearty marinades, herb-encrusted dishes and game, all make prime accompaniments to the 1997 Chateau Potelle Amador Zinfandel. Provencal cuisine and tomato-rich Mediterranean dishes also gain high marks with this Zinfandel as it does not clash with the acid in tomato sauce like so many old world wines do. Cassoulets and stews are other winning combinations. Some of our panel prefer this lusty, flavorful Zin with highly flavored risotto's and even more complex Northern Italian fare, in place of the more traditional and expensive Barolo's and Barbaresco's from the Piedmont. Certainly one of the strongest attributes of this rich, personality driven Zin is its ability to marry successfully with a myriad of foods, whether they be simple, stick-to-your-ribs staples or more elegant, dinner party fare. Consider the Chateau Potelle a Zin for all occasions and enjoy!
Recipe for Red Wine:
Braciole
1-3/4 lb. flank steak
salt & pepper - to taste
2 Tbl. pine nuts - toasted
1/3 cup fresh mint - chopped
1/3 cup fresh parsley - chopped
4 cloves garlic - crushed
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbl. olive oil
½ cup red wine
1 ½ cups fresh tomato sauce
Pound steak until tenderized and flattened. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Mix the nuts, mint, parsley, cheese, garlic, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon oil together and let sit for 15 minutes. Stir mixture and spread on top of steak in a even layer. Roll the meat lengthwise along the grain and tie together with string.
Heat remaining oil in fry pan and brown the meat evenly over medium low heat. Place meat in a sauce pot. Mix tomato sauce with wine and pour over meat. Cover and bring to boil and simmer gently for 1 hour. Turn the meat a few times will simmering. Let sit in pot for 30 minutes or until ready to serve. Slice meat across grain into slices and serve with sauce it has cooked in.
Quote for Red Wine:
”Our philosophy has always been centered around wine with food".
----Marketta Fourmeaux
Falesco Est! Est!! Est!!! 1999 - Italy
Falesco: Reviving the Legendary Wines of Rome
In the cradle of the world's greatest empire, located a mere fifty miles from Rome itself, lies Falesco. Falesco was established in 1979 by Riccardo Cotarella with the principal aim of rediscovering, reviving and enhancing the value of Lazio's traditional varietals. (Lazio or Latium is the region of Rome, the birthplace of the Roman Empire). Two decades later it is impossible to list the accolades bestowed upon Riccardo Cotarella. Without a doubt he is one of Italy's finest winemakers and most talented eonologists.
Cotarella's Falesco Vineyards are situated in the most prestigious areas around the Lazian-Umbrian border, including parcels in the legendary town of Montefiasone. The vineyards are tended with great care and the pruning is severe, as is the selection of mature fruit, in order to insure exceptional wines. Immediately after harvest the grapes are brought to Falesco where the most advanced technology is employed by Cotarella to achieve the optimum vinification, and the results have been exceptional.
Falesco produces a wide variety of wines including several excellent Est! Est!! Est!!! Made from the three traditional grapes of Montefiascone: Trebbiano, Malvasia and Roscetto, this estate's Est! Est!! Est!!! is the reference point for this DOC wine. Acclaimed wine critic, Robert M. Parker Jr. has stated in reference to a Cotarella Est! Est!! Est!!!, "It is the finest wine I have ever tasted from this appellation." Another traditional white, Grechetto, also reaches its apogee at this estate, due to a brutal selection of fruit and ageing in Allier (French oak) barrels.
Several very fine red wines also grace the list of Cotarella's successes, most notably Vitiano, a blend of equal parts Merlot, Cabernet and Sangiovese, and a very fine Bordeaux-style Merlot from Umbria. Both wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered, reflecting both the cleanliness and the minimal manipulation practiced at Falesco.
The Legend of Est! Est!! Est!!!
Legend has it that in 1107, under the order of Holy Roman Emperor, Henry V, the German Bishop, Johannes-Dufuk, was sent to Rome. He was journeying there to visit the Pope in hope of being elevated to Cardinal. Being fond of fine wine and the good things in life, he sent his manservant ahead to find suitable lodging and the best wines along the way. The servant was instructed to mark "Est" ("It is " in Latin) on the walls of the inns where the food and wine were particularly delicious. In the town of Montefiascone, the servant was so impressed by the wines that one "Est" simply was not sufficient to express the quality, and so he wrote, "Est! Est!! Est!!!". When the Bishop arrived, he agreed so heartedly with the manservant that he never left Montefiascone (northern Lazio), and ultimately imbibed until his death, never reaching Rome or the Pope or achieving Cardinal. On the tomb where the Bishop is said to be buried reads an inscription: "Est, Est, Est et propter nimium est, dominus neus, mortuus est!" which translates, "it is, it is, it is, and because too much it is, my master dead is!"
For centuries the wines of Montefiasone enjoyed great popularity and considerable renown, due in no small part to the legend and the wines' seductive charm, but sadly the quality and perception of Est! Est!! Est!!! plummeted at the end of the 19th century with the advent of the phylloxera scourge. Est! Est!! Est!!! is only now recovering its legendary status through the concerted effort of Riccardo Cotarella and several other foresighted, quality producers in Montefiascone, so we invite you to partake of the legend, Part II.
Tasting Notes: Straw yellow in color, the 1999 Falesco Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone exhibits an ample nose of ripe fruit: pears, peaches and spring flowers rise in the glass. On the palate the wine exhibits soft flavors of pear and melon, followed by fresh lemony mineral tones that follow through to a long, lingering finish. Vibrant and fresh, exuberant and deliciously dry, Riccardo Cotarella's Est! Est!! Est!!! is pure simple elegance, as well as a refreshment. In essence, this Est! Est!! Est!!! captures all of the very highest qualities of white wines from Italy: eminent drinkability and a blithe spirit. Kudos to Riccardo Cotarella for such a charming and pleasurable wine. Serve this wine moderately chilled during the next year or so, and enjoy!
Accompaniments: Senor Cotarella suggests serving his Est! Est!! Est!!! with pasta tossed with Pecorino cheese and basil. We second the motion. In addition, we ask you to consider this Falesco with light tomato sauces or marinara. We have been more than pleased with this wine in the company of a baked ziti with strips of roasted chicken or a fine eggplant rollatini with plenty of cheese. However, after having extolled the virtues of Falesco's Est! Est!! Est!!! with various pastas, we beg of you not to dismiss this wine with a good piece of fresh fish. Trout, flounder and other white fish make nice back drops to the simple elegance and pure flavors in the Falesco. Surprisingly, Cioppino, the spicy Italian fish stew equivalent to Bouillabaisse also makes a nice complement; the soft refreshing qualities of the Est! Est!! Est!!! sharpen and focus, standing up to the rich tomato broth, while accentuating the natural flavors of the seafood. Yum!
Recipe for White Wine:
Eggplant Rollatini
1 Large, ripe eggplant
2 cups tomato sauce
1 lb. ricotta
1 lb. mozzarella (shredded)
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1/4 cup Parmesan (grated)
4 Tbl. parsley (chopped)
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
½ cup olive oil
Salt & pepper
Slice eggplant into ½" slices and soak in salted water for about 1 hour to take out any bitter flavors. Dry eggplant on paper towels. Dip eggplant in eggs and then coat with bread crumbs. Heat oil on medium-low and fry eggplant for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove and drain on paper towels.
In a large bowl, mix ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper until well blended. Spread 2 tablespoons onto each slice of eggplant and roll eggplant gently then secure with toothpick or cooking cord.
Heat oven to 325 degrees and place eggplant pieces in a casserole and top with tomato sauce. Cook in oven for about 30-45 minutes.
White Wine Quote: (Est! Est!! Est!!!)
"To enjoy wine...what is needed is a sense of smell, a sense of taste and an eye for color. All else is experience and personal preference."
----Cyril Ray (1908 - 1991)
Alexander Valley Vineyards Syrah 1998
Nineteenth century pioneer Cyrus Alexander explored Northern Sonoma County and settled the beautiful valley now named for him, selecting pristine acreage for his own family's estate. More than one hundred years later, in 1962, Harry and Maggie Wetzel purchased Alexander's homestead from his heirs. The Wetzel family then became twentieth century pioneers, as they restored the residence and planted the property with premium grape varieties.
Today, the Wetzel Family Estate is home to Alexander Valley Vineyards, a prominent, family-owned and operated vineyard and winery. Alexander Valley Vineyards crafts impressive wine from grapes which are carefully cultivated on 150 prime acres, reaching from the banks of the Russian River up into the surrounding foothills.
Tasting Notes: Wow! What a staggering statement. The opaque purple robe of the 1998 Alexander Valley Vineyards Syrah sets the tone for this high-powered, very full-bodied wine (it admits to 13.9% alcohol, but we know better). Scents of black fruits: plums, black raspberry and wild cherry, entwined in new oak, permeate the nose. Long, lush fruit flavors melded to black walnut and lavish oak linger in the mouth before soft tannins and a good dollop of alcohol let you know that this is not a wine to serve at the Senior Citizens Bridge Club Luncheon. This is a serious but easy drinking wine, due in part to small lot, whole cluster fermentation. Let this big boned beauty breathe for about thirty minutes before serving, and then enjoy.
Accompaniments: Hearty fare strikes us as the order of the day with the 1998 Alexander Valley Syrah. Consumed with a lusty, fresh marinara with homemade bread and a hefty slice of hard, ungrated Parmesan cheese, made several of us think we had breathed our last. The simple rustic flavors of the Syrah with the feisty tomato sauce were enough to make us "cry uncle"; after all, how much of a good thing can any person take? On second thought, who needs a meal when there is a bottle of Alexander Valley Syrah hanging around? But if you insist, put some good Italian sausage on the grill, rustle up some stew, or braise some venison, and set a bottle or two of the Syrah on the table. However, be forewarned, no wimps need apply! Bon appetit!
Hedges Estate Vineyard Fume Chardonnay 1998
Hedges Estate Vineyard is a chateau-styled winery in Washington State. Recently, it has garnered considerable worldwide attention for its exceptional blends of Fume Chardonnay and Cabernet Merlot. Located in the Columbia Valley of eastern Washington State, where conditions are nearly ideal for viticulture, Hedges produces compelling wines with intense flavors and aromas.
Tom and Anne-Marie Hedges began Hedges Cellars in 1987. Founded initially, to produce first-rate table wines for sale in Sweden, the winery's first two vintages (1987 and 1988) were sold exclusively in that country. However, demand grew so rapidly for this winery's sumptuous blends that Tom and Anne-Marie consented to release limited quantities for domestic consumption. By growing superior fruit and by keeping a narrow focus on a few varietals and a few wines, Hedges has become a landmark winery in Washington. After only a dozen vintages, Hedges' wines have attracted a tremendous following, both in the United States and abroad. Today, this estate's wines can be found in specialty shops in nearly every state and in 15 foreign countries. Enjoy!
Tasting Notes: Floral, butter infused aromas introduce this pleasing wine. In the mouth, the 1998 Hedges Fume Chardonnay is smooth and viscous, exhibiting buttery apple, pineapple and melon flavors which underscore the wine's cepage: 55% Chardonnay and 45% Sauvignon Blanc. This is a delightful, well-integrated mélange that ends crisp, reflecting hints of lemon and vanilla toast on the tasty finish. No doubt the exceptional growing season in Washington in 1998 will send consumers clamoring for more of this producers fine wines.
Accompaniments: The 1998 Hedges Fume Chardonnay lends itself well as an aperitif or a perfect match to a variety of seafood dishes. We are particularly partial to serving this Hedges with oysters and crabs. Why not serve it at your next party as the aperitif or greeters wine, along with a hot crab dip-we were glad we did. Rich poultry dishes also fare well with this enjoyable Fume Chardonnay.
Wine Speak
Here, you will find a glossary of varied wine terms and definitions to assist you in building an even greater appreciation for the grape.
ACID: A compound present in all grapes and an essential component of wine that preserves it, enlivens and shapes its flavors and helps prolong its aftertaste. There are four major kinds of acids--tartaric, malic, lactic and citric--found in wine. Acid is identifiable by the crisp, sharp character it imparts to a wine.
ALCOHOLIC: Used to describe a wine that has too much alcohol for its body and weight, making it unbalanced. A wine with too much alcohol will taste uncharacteristically heavy or hot as a result. This quality is noticeable in aroma and aftertaste.
BOUQUET: The smell that a wine develops after it has been bottled and aged. Most appropriate for mature wines that have developed complex flavors beyond basic young fruit and oak aromas.
DOSAGE: In bottle-fermented sparkling wines, a small amount of wine (usually sweet) that is added back to the bottle once the yeast sediment that collects in the neck of the bottle is removed.
FOXY: A term used to describe the unique musky and grapey character of many native American labrusca varieties.
HAZY: Used to describe a wine that has small amounts of visible matter. A good quality if a wine is unfined and unfiltered.
IMPERIAL: An oversized bottle holding 4 to 6 liters; the equivalent of eight standard bottles.
JEROBOAM: An oversized bottle holding the equivalent of six bottles. In Champagne, a jeroboam holds four bottles.
LATE HARVEST: On labels, indicates that a wine was made from grapes picked later than normal and at a higher sugar (Brix) level than normal. Usually associated with botrytized and dessert-style wines.
LIMOUSIN: A type of oak cask from Limoges, France.
MURKY: More than deeply colored; lacking brightness, turbid and sometimes a bit swampy. Mainly a fault of red wines.
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