Vol. 4 No. 8
Standard Selection - (1) Red, (1) White
1999 Alexander Valley Vineyards Syrah
2000 Fattori & Graney Pinot Grigio del Veneto
Red Wines Only Featured Selections
1998 Casa Lapostolle Cabernet Sauvignon
White Wines Only Featured Selections
1999 Chereau Carre Chateau de Chasseloir "Comte Leloup de Chasseloir" Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie
Alexander Valley Vineyards Syrah 1999
Pioneer Spirit at Alexander Valley Vineyards
In 1842, seven years before the California Gold Rush populated the state, nineteenth century pioneer Cyrus Alexander came to Northern California, to the area now known as Sonoma County. Alexander settled the fertile valley now named for him, selecting the premier site for his own residence. Today, Cyrus Alexander's homestead enjoys a twentieth century renaissance as Alexander Valley Vineyards, a leading Sonoma County wine estate.
Harry and Maggie Wetzel purchased this chosen property from the heirs of Cyrus Alexander in 1962. Recognizing the agricultural potential of the area, the Wetzel's hired vineyard manager Dale Goode and began planting premium varietal vineyards, pioneering the earliest trellised vineyards. Within 10 years, 125 acres were planted and plans were underway for a small estate winery.
From the beginning, Alexander Valley Vineyards has been a family affair. Harry Wetzel III, better known as Hank, graduated from the University of California at Davis in 1974 with a degree in Enology and made the first estate-grown wines in 1975. With this inaugural vintage, Dale Goode and Hank Wetzel formed a strong working relationship, teaming together to produce exceptional estate-grown wines literally from the ground up. Hank's younger sister Katie Wetzel joined the family business in 1979 as Sales and Marketing Director.
Today, over twenty years from inception, the Wetzel family continues to explore and fine tune vines and wines at Alexander Valley Vineyards, with the assistance of Vineyard Manager Mark Houser. Older vineyards are being replanted with newer rootstocks and clonal selections. Costly French oak barrels and advanced winemaking equipment replace older apparatus. Katie Wetzel Murphy remains a tireless ambassador and spokesperson as she travels to national and international markets, not only for Alexander Valley Vineyards, but also on behalf of the Sonoma County wine industry.
Annual production topped 80,000 cases in 1998, with nine varietal wines. The principal varietals, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon comprise three quarters of the total. Small amounts of Gewürztraminer, Chenin Blanc, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Syrah are also produced for a dedicated following. Less than 1000 cases of Alexander Valley Vineyard's Syrah are produced each year.
Syrah or Shiraz?
Whether we refer to this great varietal as Syrah or Shiraz, we are essentially talking about the same illustrious grape. Grown for centuries in the Rhone Valley of France, where it is responsible in all or part for some of the greatest red wines of France (Hermitage and Chateauneuf-du-Pape included), the exact origin of this full-flavored varietal remains in debate. However, historians do agree that it was brought to Europe from the Middle East, but when and by whom remains a mystery. Some believe that it was the Crusaders, while others point to the earlier legions of Probes or even the remnants of Alexander the Great's army on its return from Persia. The latter theory is particularly intriguing since Alexander himself was so enamored of the wines he found around the city of Shiraz in Central Persia, and certainly this city is the origin of the varietal's name. In any case, Syrah flourishes today in other warm climates, particularly in California and Australia where it often goes by its original name - Shiraz.
Tasting Notes: A lush, sexy wine, the 1999 Alexander Valley Vineyard Syrah is redolent with the scents and savor of black fruits, wood smoke and vanilla. Dense and masculine, this extroverted charmer is not without its feminine side. It possesses a substantial strength and tannin, but remains impeccably balanced. Happily, this Syrah's tannins are neither aggressive nor excessive. Wearing a regal purple robe and a long finish that lingers gleefully in the mouth, the Alexander Valley Vineyards Syrah has everything going for it, including a boatload of flavor and an expressive, textured feel. Serve this lovely Syrah at cellar temperature (55°-60°) or at cool room temperature (60°-65°) depending upon the weather. The warmer it is out, the cooler we suggest that this Syrah be served.
Accompaniments: Grilled Italian sausage, Pasta Arabbiata, chicken or pork in black olives, capers and Provencal spices, all make terrific accompaniments to the 1999 Alexander Valley Vineyards Syrah. Foccacia or pizza with three cheeses, garlic and spinach provide another heady combination with the Alexander Valley Vineyards Syrah. Certainly, roasts, marinated steaks, even game are other possibilities. Several panel members suggest the finer cuts of buffalo and ostrich as their favorite pairings with this wine. The lush nature of this wine's tannins lends great versatility to its accompaniments; even simple savory vegetarian dishes and a plate full of creamy cheeses provide excellent companions for this Alexander Valley offering. Alexander Valley Vineyards chef Jeff Young believes that the vineyard's Syrah, with its lush, rounded flavors, "fits lamb like a glove." This month's recipe is one of Jeff's own original recipes, created to accompany the estate's Syrah.
More Michel Goubard Mont Avril Bourgogne Pinot Noir Secured!
That's right! We bought more! We had to turn away so many of you on reorders of this exceptional Frech Gem, that we searched high and low for more…And found 15 cases! Rest assured it will go quickly, so call now if you want to reorder this one!
Recipe for Red Wine:
Pan Roasted Lamb Loin Chops with Red Pepper Sauce
Jeff Young, Alexander Valley Vineyards
Red Pepper Sauce:
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled & seeded, then chopped
1 shallot - minced
2 garlic cloves - minced
2 Tbl. butter
1 cup chicken stock
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2-3 dashes Tabasco
Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add garlic, shallots and chopped, roasted red pepper; sauté until soft. Then add 1 cup of chicken stock and cook for 2 minutes. Using a hand blender, puree mixture until smooth. Finish sauce with 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar and a few dashes of Tabasco. Salt & pepper to taste.
Pan Roasted Lamb Loin Chops
8 lamb loin chops 4 Tbl. butter
4 whole shallots, peeled 4 small, 3" Portobello mushroom caps
Preheat oven to 400° F. Preheat a large ovenproof sauté pan to medium heat. Add butter and let melt; then add the lamb, whole shallots and Portobello caps. Brown meat and vegetables and place in the oven at 450°. Roast For 4 minutes, then turn over the meat and vegetables; cook for another 4 minutes. Remove from the oven; let rest a few minutes. To serve, put red pepper sauce on each dinner plate. Top with the lamb chops and accent each dish with a mushroom.
Quote for Red Wine:
"Only the first bottle is expensive."----French Proverb
Fattori & Graney Pinot Grigio del Veneto 2000
Fattori & Graney is one of those rare little jewels, a precious find tucked away in one of the least likely of locales: such is the inchoate pattern of viticulture which makes Italy so maddening and marvelous, all at the same time.
Nestled in the hills to the northeast of Verona in the Soave area, Antonio Fattori and his British-born wife, Sarah Graney, produce two dazzling, award-winning wines: Pinot Grigio and Soave. From the volcanic soils of Soave, this formidable team produces a Pinot Grigio that rivals the best of the Fruili/Alto Adige and a Soave that manages to impart real personality and expressiveness, rare commodities not normally associated with the vast majority of more commercial offerings from the Soave DOC.
Antonio and Sarah are an intelligent, hard working couple with a vision. Historically, Antonio's family has produced wine in the Soave area for a very long time, wine that was inevitably sold in bulk to neighboring estates to be bottled under someone else's name or blended into another estate's wine. The neighboring estates enjoyed great success, garnering numerous awards for their wine. Then, the light went on! Fattori and Graney realized that if their wine was good enough to win awards for other estates, it was certainly worthy of its own label.
Subsequently, Sarah and Antonio reconstructed their cellar and began devoting their time, talent and treasure to their own estate-bottled wines. Today, the production of the couple's 25-acre vineyard is bottled under the Fattori and Graney name. Moreover, Fattori is now vinifying wine for other Veronese producers in his new cellar. Plans are also under way for the production of a Recioto and perhaps, other Veronese classics as well.
Well deserved recognition has come immediately to Fattori & Graney, most notably from the internationally acclaimed wine review "Gamberro Rosso", which awarded the couple's wine the much coveted "Due Bicchieri" (Two Glasses) award. Sarah and Antonio have proven once again that a dream, coupled with a little hard work, goes a long way. We suspect that we will be seeing and hearing a lot more from Fattori & Graney in the years to come, and you can say that you were there at the rising of this estate's star. Salute!
Tasting Notes: "Wine is sunlight held together by water," Galileo once stated. "Oh, but what water this is," exalted one member of the tasting panel. Whether it is the clear limpid appearance of the 2000 Fattori & Graney Pinot Grigio or simply its outstanding quaffability, one thing is certain: this wine possesses the eminent ability to please. As fresh as the alpine breezes that temper the Veneto, this Fattori & Graney combines summer sun with a bracing headiness. And, exhibiting all the telltale flavors of true Pinot Grigio: sprightly apple, quince, liquid stones and a dry citrus twist of a finish, Fattori & Graney has captured all the essential charm of this varietal. No wonder there is rarely a bottle left at the cellar door. Serve this lovely Pinot Grigio moderately chilled, and enjoy!
Accompaniments: The 2000 Fattori & Graney is one of the few wines that is equally comfortable with food as it is "home alone". It makes for a splendid aperitif, cleansing the palate at the same time it awakens the senses. Traditionally, the Veronese have enjoyed it either as an aperitif or with the fresh trout that once abounded in the region's swift moving rivers. Indeed, Trout Amandine brings out all the latent goodness in this wine, as does perch and most other fresh water fish. Light sauces with clean fruit or nut flavors lend themselves to preserving the delicate flavors of this Pinot Grigio, while allowing the wine to capture the freshness of the fish and orchestrate in the dish, all the inherent chords of flavor. Lightly smoked fish, turkey and ham in an artfully prepared salad are also fine combinations to serve with the Fattori & Graney Pinot Grigio. Steamed Little Neck clams in drawn butter and just about any rice dish with wild mushrooms provide other great companions to Fattori & Graney's dream. Buon Apetito!
Recipe for White Wine:
Baked Trout Fillets with Almonds
4 trout fillets ¾ cup Swiss cheese
salt & pepper to taste ¼ cup cheddar cheese
2 Tbl. butter ½ cup slivered almonds
2 shallots 1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbl. flour 1 cup chicken broth
4 mushrooms - sliced
Preheat oven to 400°. Place fillets in a baking dish and season with salt & pepper. In a medium pan, sauté butter, shallots and mushrooms. Slowly add flour, broth and cream, in that order. Grate cheeses together and add to cream mixture. Pour sauce over fillets and sprinkle almonds on top. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until fish is cooked through.
Quote for White Wine;
"Pinot Grigio is the synthesis of exquisite fruit and liquefied minerals, and ever so fresh and pleasing."
----NY Wine Critic
Casa Lapostolle Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 - Chile
The goal at Casa Lapostolle is to produce complex wines of excellent quality that do not require long term aging to be appreciated.
The strict adherence to traditional French winemaking techniques, combined with state-of-the-art facilities and a superb microclimate in the Rapel Valley, have made Casa Lapostolle one of the new shining stars in the world of wines today.
When the Marnier-Lapostolle company decided to expand their fine wine business, they conducted extensive studies of vineyards throughout the world. They sought the ideal climate and soil conditions for the creation of truly world-class wines and found them, after an exhaustive search, in Chile, in the Rapel Valley, 100 miles south of Santiago.
Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle, Chairperson of the new Casa Lapostolle Winery, recruited world-renowned winemaker Michel Rolland to create her family's selection of distinctive New World wines and serve as the estate's chief oenologist. Rolland was inspired by the vineyards; protected by coastal mountains, the area enjoys warm days and cool nights, ideal growing conditions for producing perfectly ripe, balanced grapes. A recent $3 million renovation of the winery has been undertaken to update all facilities, insuring the preservation of balance and the natural pure fruit character in the wine.
Today, Casa Lapostolle has vowed to remain a small winery, producing only limited quantities in order to insure that its wine will always be of the highest quality. Award-winning Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are the winery's flagship varietals.
Tasting Notes: There is a certain color, a regal purple robe that exudes strength, character and charm, which typifies the best Cabernet Sauvignon wines - and certainly the 1998 Casa Lapostolle Cabernet Sauvignon is no exception. To match the visual delight wrought by this wine is a whole set of olfactory and gustatory pleasures: blackberry, cedar, cassis, tobacco and spices. Packed into this medium weight Cab is a hypothetical blend of good Bordeaux and first-rate California Cabernet Sauvignon. Requiring only fifteen or twenty minutes of airing prior to serving, the Casa Lapostolle is a real crowd pleaser. Serve at traditional room temperature.
Accompaniments: Perfect for intimate gatherings or elegant dinner parties, the 1998 Casa Lapostolle all Cabernet Sauvignon is likely to please most palates, with or without food. Yet, our first choice is always to serve Cabernet Sauvignon with the finest cut of beef or lamb that the budget can stand. Most world class Cabernet-based wines are made with meat in mind. Filet Mignon, a rare marinated sirloin, lamb chops or a crown roast all provide outstanding accompaniments to this Casa Lapostolle. The natural tannin in the wine cuts through the fat of the meat and enhances its flavor, especially when the meat is served medium or rare. And, of course, even good old burgers on the grill will taste better with the Casa Lapostolle by its side, transforming a hum drum Monday into a holiday. Enjoy!
More Michel Goubard Mont Avril Bourgogne Pinot Noir Secured!
That's right! We bought more! We had to turn away so many of you on reorders of this exceptional Frech Gem, that we searched high and low for more…And found 15 cases! Rest assured it will go quickly, so call now if you want to reorder this one!
With a name this long, it makes you wonder how many people have ever successfully pronounced this wine's name ten times fast and lived to tell about it. Yet, the Chereau Carre family have produced some of the best Muscadet wines in all France.
The House of Chereau Carre occupies the most privileged position in the Nantes region of France (just south of Brittany, along the Loire River). This family-owned property dates back to the 15th century. The vines cover 267 acres of the highest quality soil in the prized Sevre et Maine district of Muscadet. Devoted to 100% Melon de Bourgogne, the premium grape varietal of Muscadet, Chereau Carre turns out a host of top-notch Muscadet, but none better than its estate-bottled Chateau de Chasseloir. Hailing from a vineyard planted in the 19th century, the hundred year old vines of Chateau de Chasseloir must dig deep into the rocky soil of this ancient vineyard for sustenance. It is this struggle of old vines that produces the most exquisite of wines.
All the finest wines of Muscadet, including Chateau de Chasseloir are fermented "sur lie". A "Sur Lie" designation in Muscadet means the wine has been fermented on its skins and bottled directly off those skins or lies, resulting in the maximum amount of extract, flavor and freshness in the wine.
Tasting Notes: True to its breeding and very old vines, the 1999 Chateau de Chasseloir is both rich and dry. The wine possesses many layers of fruit, intertwined with mineral overtones. In the glass, this Muscadet sports a clear , vibrant robe and an amplifying nose. On the palate, the Chateau de Chasseloir is thankfully full-flavored (rather atypical for Muscadet) and it possesses subtle complexity, which lingers on in the wine's long finish. Drink this excellent Muscadet moderately chilled with the freshest seafood money can buy.
Accompaniments: Oysters, oysters and more oysters are the perennial favorite food with Muscadet, particularly in France where copious quantities of raw oysters are consumed with more than a few bottles of Muscadet. If raw oysters do indeed strike your fancy, the Chateau de Chasseloir makes an outstanding accompaniment, but we suggest you heed the prevailing health warnings concerning raw shellfish and opt instead for any number of great oyster specialties that are cooked. Oysters Rockefeller; Angels on Horseback, which are oysters wrapped in bacon before being sautéed; Poached Oyster Salad and an Oyster Stew all make terrific companions to the 1999 Chateau de Chasseloir. Of course, shrimp cocktail, prawns or any other fresh seafood will do splendidly with Muscadet, too. Bon Appetit!
A few words with Don Lahey
The International Wine of the Month Club retains Don Lahey, a distinguished, nationally known wine writer, educator and consultant to oversee its selections and 3 tasting panels. It's Don's job to ferret out interesting wines and organize the club's various tasting panels. He is also charged with the daunting task of compiling the club's monthly newsletter. A former wine importer, syndicated columnist and self-proclaimed "wine nut", Don's career in wine spans more than 25 years. In order to introduce our members to the club's wine ombudsman, we have excerpted an interview recently conducted with Don:
JS: Most wine writers and critics, even consultants have limited experience in the trade. Most are serious amateurs, in the true sense of the word: others come from a career in a single facet of wine, such as sommelier or retailer. Conversely, your experience seems to run the gamut. You've been involved in just about every professional facet of wine. Can you tell us about some of your experiences?
Don: First…I have to say I've been very fortunate. More than once it happened that I was at the right place at the right time in my career. Also, many people in the trade were very generous to me, especially when I was very young and just starting out. When I was in college, I had the good fortune of working in some very fine restaurants learning about food and wine. Afterwards, I worked in retail and simultaneously wrote a column on wine that was syndicated. A natural outgrowth of these experiences was consulting for some very fine New York restaurants, followed by a wonderful stint as Import Director for a boutique importer of fine wines, which afforded me the opportunity to work in Champagne and elsewhere in France and Italy. I have also made my own wine…but that's not really work now, that's an avocation. Each of my experiences has been an outgrowth of a previous opportunity. I consider myself very lucky; the myriad of experiences have allowed me to view wine from inside and out…from just about every perspective.
JS: What do you look for in a wine that is being considered as a featured wine?
Don: I'm tempted to say a certain "je ne sais quoi" as the French are so fond of uttering. This phrase so aptly embodies an elusive definition of something quite tangible, but I think it's more that that. I look for body, balance and increasingly, a certain individuality and natural feel and taste in the wines we choose. More and more I'm convinced that less is more in wine, meaning less manipulation, "sculpting", acidification, sulphites, etc. the better. Let excellent fruit make itself. I believe that the more natural the wine the better it is for you, as well as the finer it tastes. Overwhelmingly, the majority of wine drinkers choose the more natural, personality filled selections too, over the commercial, more manipulated offerings that predominate. When given a choice, most people know quality even if a particular wine isn't their favorite varietal or style. After all, this is what the tasting panel is all about.
JS: What aspect of wine gives you the greatest satisfaction?
Don: Finding the best $15-$25 bottles of wine available and sharing them with my friends and fellow wine drinkers. It's easy to find an excellent $100 bottle of wine, but the truth of the matter is you can't drink a label or a price tag. Discovering the little jewels and precious "gems" between $15-$25 that are every bit as enjoyable as that $100 bottle and perhaps even more so is the challenge and the pleasure I derive from my job. It's important to me that people have both quality and value - one without the other is only half a wine.
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