Vol. 8 No. 4

Standard Selection - (1) White, (1) Red
Peter Zimmer Cortini Bianco 2003 - Italy
Bisci Villa Castiglione Rosso di Marche 2001 - Italy

White Wines Only Featured Selection
Vasse Felix Chardonnay 2003 - Australia

Red Wines Only Featured Selection
Rosenthal Malibu Estate Merlot 2000 - USA

Peter Zemmer Cortinie Bianco 2003 – Italy

In Cortina amidst the alpine hills and valleys of the South Tyrol (Alto Adige) nestles the Zemmer family winery. Founded in 1928 by Peter Zemmer, this family owned and run operation has recently emerged as one of the zone’s leading producers of both white and red wines, thanks to the visionary leadership of Helmuth Zemmer – the firm’s current guardian.

Helmuth Zemmer credits much of his success as a winemaker to the legendary Friulian producer, Vittorio Puitti, even though Zemmer’s wines are more readily accessible when young than Puiatti’s and often exhibit a different initial set of aromatic characteristics as well. Nevertheless, the overall style of both men’s wines – pure and full throttle, especially for whites – and their consummate attention to quality are truly akin.

The hallmark of Zemmer’s wines is always their pure, precise, highly focused aroma that defines the essence of the varietal or varietals from which they are made. In addition, the aroma of a Zemmer wine is merely the prelude to the rich flavors that lie within. Zemmer’s wines are consistently gratifying libations that appeal to the purist taster; they are completely unmanipulated expressions of their cepage and terroir. In other words, no smoke or mirrors are employed here. The annual harvest comes only from Zemmer’s own vineyards and those that are bound by tradition to the Zemmer property. White wines, most notably, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, and a luxury blend labeled Cortinie Bianco dominate this producer’s outstanding portfolio, but Zemmer also fashions fine, full-bodied red wines that merit serious attention.

Alto Adige or Sud Tirol?

In Italian, Alto Adige refers to the high or upper reaches of the Adige, the stony, swift flowing river that Ernest Hemingway immortalized in A Farewell to Arms. However, most of the world knows this stunning country as the Sud Tirol or the South Tyrol. The dual name illuminates this region’s splintered history and highlights its continuing split personality. Presently, Alto Adige is officially an autonomous region of Italy, but the Alto Adige or South Tyrol remains primarily German speaking, which underscores the fact that for most of its tortured history this beautiful alpine land of lederhosen and loden caps was an integral part of Austria. In fact, it was not until after World War I that the South Tyrol was ceded begrudgingly to Italy.

In spite of or, perhaps, on account of the South Tyrol’s plurality, ethnic diversity, and historical factional violence, the present generation of winemakers in Alto Adige of both Austrian and Italian heritage have banded together in the common pursuit of happiness and prosperity. In doing so, the winemakers of the Alto Adige/ Sud Tirol have fashioned some of the highest standards for winemaking in all Italy. Consequently, more than 50 percent of the zone’s wines are DOC designated, while a substantial portion of the area’s non-DOC offerings constitute Alto Adige’s most expensive and illustrious offerings (Zemmer Cortinie Bianco for example) simply because DOC regulations do not yet provide for imaginative, luxury blends.

While it may be true that white wine is the calling card of AltoAdige and that many of Italy’s finest white wines do indeed flow from its pretty hills and valleys, this industrious, forward thinking region is also renowned for its production of light to medium bodied red wines of supreme bouquet, finesse and style. So whether it be an outstanding Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco or Pinot Grigio or one of Alto Adige’s little know reds in the guise of Santa Maddalena, Teroldego, or even Lagrein, quality remains the region’s unifying factor.

Tasting Notes: Soft and succulent, the 2003 Zemmer Cortinie Bianco is one high-class wine. Wrapped in a pale yellow robe, the Zemmer Cortinie Bianco is an artful blend of the Alto Adige’s finest white grape varietals: Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, and Chardonnay. And like all of Zemmer’s wines, the Cortinie possesses an enchanting bouquet; in this case, the scent of spring flowers mingle with a waft of light luxurious fruit that seems deftly tinged with the nectar of fresh lemon drops. Meanwhile, an adroit touch of oak adds to the wine’s overall complexity and sophistication, without dominating it. In fact, the Cortinie Bianco seems to have it all: a soft appealing aroma, plenty of flavor, supreme balance, and style – the very attributes that make Italy’s finest white wines the world’s most appreciated and easy to understand. Simply put, the Cortinie Bianco is one eminently drinkable elixir that we found simply irresistible. If a wine could possess true sex appeal, the Cortinie Bianco would be a regular femme fatale. Enjoy the Cortinie well chilled (35°-40° F) or not. We think you will like it just about any way you can get it.

Accompaniments: The 2003 Zemmer Cortinie Bianco is one of those light, lovely, crowd-pleasing wines that often are served first at an elegant dinner party – the type of wine you wish the host or hostess would continue to serve, instead of the fat ugly Chardonnay they slip in after you have had a couple of glasses of wine – in the vain hope that you won’t notice or worse: you’ll stop drinking. Certainly, the Cortinie Bianco provides ample pleasure as is, even without food. Nevertheless, the Cortinie Bianco pairs easily with most seafoods and salads and adds elegance and panache to a wide variety of light, well-prepared dishes. One of our favorite pairings is with grilled shrimp, served with a light Dijon mustard and dill sauce. Other fine food combinations include real lump crab, mixed with a chive cream and served over a Parmesan tuile; oysters sautéed in butter, cream, and fresh herbs; grilled trout with almonds; and a grilled cider braised chicken breast, served over a bed of mixed organic greens. But no matter how you choose to serve the Cortinie, we suggest you invite that special someone over to enjoy it with you.

Recipe for White Wine

Grilled Shrimp with Dijon Sauce
1 lb. large shrimp – peeled & deveined
4 Tbl. olive oil
2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbl. Dijon mustard
pinch of salt & pepper

In a glass dish, combine oil, lemon juice & mustard and mix well. Season shrimp with salt & pepper. Pour half of the Dijon sauce over shrimp and marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Turing the shrimp occasionally.

Grill shrimp for 5 minutes on each side over low heat until cooked but not dry. Serve with remaining Dijon sauce.

Bisci Villa Castiglioni Rosso Marche 2001 – Italy

The Castiglione Bisci estate is the Marches’ finest expression of quality and style for both red and white wines. This is a superbly situated property whose consistent success with Verdicchio, the region’s most renowned wine, and Villa Castiglioni, an outstanding proprietary red, make Bisci the Marches’ most illustrious wine estate. In fact, its owners produce several wines of extraordinary eminence. In order to produce such outstanding wine, draconian measures are taken by Bisci to assure the ultimate quality of every bottle: rigorous pruning to limit yields, strict selection of every cluster at harvest, the bottling of only free run must, and the steadfast refusal to bottle wine in poor vintages – a rarity in today’s cash flow driven economy. And these are just a few of the measures that set this estate apart from the majority of commercial producers in the Marches.

The Marches is the picturesque viticultural region of Italy that lies between the Apennines and the Adriatic; a green pastoral land that recalls the simple delights of Tuscany in times gone by. Here several excellent and increasingly well-known wines are produced: Verdicchio, Rosso Piceno, and Rosso Conero. But the region’s best-kept secret remains outstanding proprietary reds such as Bisci Villa Castiglioni, which rival those of neighboring Tuscany. Moreover, Bisci is also widely acknowledged to be the foremost producer of Verdicchio, the Marches’ signature white wine.

Verdicchio is a commonplace name among wines consumers, and so is the striking but hopelessly impractical fish-shaped bottle that encapsulates the most commercial of Verdicchio’s wines from the Castelli di Jesi appellation. However, very few experts, let alone consumers, know that there are indeed two appellations in the Marches where Verdicchio is produced – Castelli di Jesi and Matelica. Both appellations employ the same indigenous white Verdicchio varietal, but the similarity ends there. In short, Matelica is the smaller and less famous of the two regions, but its wines are much fuller, richer, and infinitely more interesting than those of Castelli di Jesi. Not surprisingly, Bisci fashions the two finest Verdicchio di Matelica.

Bisci is located in the heart of Matelica, a very small township couched in the hilly rural part of the central Marches. Yet, even in the Marches, Bisci’s wines are fairly rare and difficult to find. Matelica is the real Marches, a land of substance as well as charm, whose attributes are aptly reflected in the property’s wines. All of Bisci’s wines are handcrafted in tiny quantities and most are consumed locally.

In addition to producing outstanding Verdicchio di Mettalica from the estate’s vineyards, Bisci crafts small quantities of superb red wine. The estate’s proprietary red, Villa Castiglioni, is a seductive blend of 70% Sangiovese (the famous Tuscan varietal which is also indigenous to the Marches) and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is roughly the same blend or cepage as the great proprietary reds of Tuscany, known as Super Tuscans, who legally cannot claim to be Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, or any other well-known wine because of the addition of Cabernet Sauvignon. Villa Castiglioni proffers a heavenly bouquet and more than enough elegance and flavor to put many so-called “Super Tuscan” reds to shame. And like its Tuscan counterparts, Villa Castiglioni must be labeled with a proprietary name and not that of an appellation. If Villa Castiglioni substituted the local Montepulciano grape for its portion of Cabernet Sauvignon, it would be entitled to the Marches’ Rosso Piceno appellation. Such is the Byzantine intrigue and the confusing vagary of fine wine production in Italy. No matter, the wine is super and that’s what counts.

Tasting Notes: A deep rich ruby robe, the color of finest velvet, sets the stage for the many pleasures that flow from a glass of 2001 Bisci Villa Castiglioni. A combination of the pleasures of Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon) and Tuscany (Sangiovese), the Villa Castiglioni is redolent with the scents of woodland blackberries, truffle and anise. On the palate this Super Tuscan style wine is smooth as silk, but ohhh so flavorful. In this respect it already drinks like a supreme bottling of aged Chianti Classico or first rate Médoc, and further ageing will only increase this wine’s pleasure quotient, so you may want to stash a few bottles away for another day. As with most fine Italian wine, we suggest extended breathing time (at least thirty minutes in a decanter or an hour if a glass is poured off and the rest remains in the bottle. Enjoy!

Accompaniments: Given the great elegance, velvet smoothness, and considerable flavor profile of the 2001 Bisci Villa Castiglioni, it has no difficulty finding suitable companionship. It is equally adept at providing the ideal accompaniment to an elegant dinner party as it is to sprucing up midweek meatloaf or the weekend’s leftovers. Nevertheless, fine wine begs for food of similar stature, so why not bring the best that your kitchen has to offer? Some of our top choices with the Bisci Villa Castiglioni include Lamb Shanks with Beans, Florentine Steak, or freshly made Cheese and Wine Sausages that are gently grilled over Cabernet vine cuttings or mild mesquite. As a second course or for those limiting their ingestion of meat, we suggest Cavolo in Casseruola, a Northern Italian dish that adds new meaning to the raison d’être of the humble cabbage. Spit roasted chicken or game hen, Duck à l’Orange, and even hearty marinara sauces do the Bisci Villa Castiglioni proud, but no need to stop here, as there are very few dishes that this wonderful wine won’t enhance. Salute!

For the Love of Cheese: Whether it is an authentic Vacherin or a simple Monterrey Jack, the Bisci Villa Castiglioni is right at home with most cow and sheep’s milk cheeses. Harvarti, Grafton Village Cheddar, and even a Pecorino Romano are just a few of the many other cheeses that will add to the gustatory pleasure of consuming a bottle of 2001 Bisci Villa Castiglioni. In turn, we believe that the natural flavors of those cheeses are enhanced as well. For more adventuresome suggestions or for the simple love of cheese, we suggest you contact our International Cheese of the Month Club at www.cheesemonthclub.com, and further partake of our love for cheese and wine.

Recipe for Red Wine:

Duck A L’Orange
1 Duckling (4-5 lbs.) 1 cup orange juice
1 clove garlic 2 Tbl. orange zest (from rind)
1 cup chicken broth 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cornstarch 1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbl. white vinegar Juice from 1 lemon
2 Tbl. sugar

Preheat oven to 450. Rub duckling with garlic and place in oven. Reduce heat to 350. Cook until tender approximately 20 minutes to the pound.

When duckling is cooked, pour off fat from the pan and place chicken broth in the pan to scrape dripping from bottom and side. Cook over medium heat until a boil and add cornstarch. In a saucepan, cook the vinegar and sugar together and then add the sauce from the roasting pan. Bring to a slow boil for about 6-7 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook together for 2-3 minutes. Pour over meat.

Vasse Felix Adams Road Chardonnay 2003 – Australia

Vasse Felix is the oldest commercial vineyard and winery in Western Australia. Many critics also consider it to be the finest winery in the state. It produces award winning Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay along with a host of other charming wines. Thanks to astute winemaking and an ideal terroir, Vasse Felix consistently fashions compelling wines, which have served to put Western Australia on the viticultural map and raise the eyebrows of the world’s true connoisseurs. At the same time, Vasse Felix has inspired others in Australia’s largest state to follow suit.

The name Vasse Felix is derived from the Latin word for luck (Felix) and the name of an early 19th century French sailor (Vasse) who died while exploring the captivating coast of Western Australia we now know as the Margaret River. At first, the name may seem quite ironic, but to anyone who has ever caught a glimpse of this eye-popping place, pure good fortune and a perpetually smiling face are no exaggerations when speaking of this enchanted land. Therefore, to die in such a place is far more fortunate than never to have seen it.

Vasse Felix lies tucked among the folds of low hills of the Margaret River, a green temperate corner of Western Australia that sits beside the sea. Here the Margaret River cuts through wooded hills and steep ridges carpeted with wild flowers, before sighing almost inaudibly into the gleaming Indian Ocean. Crystalline waters and high rolling surf offer Australia’s finest surfing as well as its most compelling seascapes. These very same waters, along with steady ocean breezes, a unique soil, and a Mediterranean climate also make Margaret River one of the finest natural wine producing areas on earth and a great place to peacefully whittle away time.

Tasting Notes: A unique style of Chardonnay, the 2003 Vasse Felix Adams Road blends the buttery, fruit driven characteristics of New World Chardonnay with the flinty dry minerality of a true French Chablis. Butter, apple, and hints of tropical fruit dominate the nose of the 2003Adams Road Chardonnay. Yet, the flavor profile of this wine certainly leans more towards that of Chablis, where the soil and climate produce a very sleek, dry white wine with the unmistakable savor of lemon oil and mineral. And like French Chablis, a little aeration (15-20 minutes) is in order here, as it tends to bring out the subtlety and nuance of flavor within this attractive Chardonnay. And given this estate’s style and track record for producing fairly long-lived wines, we believe the 2003 Vasse Felix Adams Road Chardonnay will continue to develop in bottle until at least its third birthday, so no need to hurry this child along. For most palates, the optimal temperature for consuming this wine falls between 40°- 45° F. Enjoy!

Accompaniments: Given its distinctive Chablis like style and Western Australia’s enviable position astride the Indian Ocean, the 2003 Vasse Felix Adams Road Chardonnay seems built for seafood, especially shellfish. Oysters – on the half shell, fried or sautéed – constitute a classical match-up. Sautéed scallops in white wine and herb butter; steamed lobster, served with drawn butter; crab cakes, prepared with an herb and saffron suffusion; and seafood stew, with mussels, clams and local fish all provide excellent partnerships with this classically wrought Chardonnay. Calamari, freshly sautéed in a savory sauce, provides another fine marriage. A warm night offers another splendid accompaniment to this thirst quenching Chardonnay – just pop a bottle and watch the sun fade into the sea and the heat of the day give way to the clear, clean liquid passing down your gullet. Ah, yes!

Rosenthal Malibu Estate Merlot Devon Vineyard 2000 – USA

An astute real estate developer, restaurant/hotel owner and more, George Rosenthal also happens to produce southern California’s finest wines, but such wines are not made by mere chance. The Malibu Estate, which sits high above the Pacific Ocean in the most beautiful, sheltered canyon in Malibu, specializes in fashioning unfiltered, unfined Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay in miniscule lots. Here, George Rosenthal and French winemaker Christian Rougenet continue to spare no expense in the pursuit of full throttle, highly extracted wines of distinction. And even more impressive is that each successive effort trumps that of the previous vintage, revealing just how splendid wine from Malibu can be.

At Rosenthal’s Malibu Estate, the grapes are entirely handpicked from low yield vines and the resulting hand crafted wines are all aged in the finest French oak barrels. No wine is released until it is ready to drink, a practice that defies contemporary economic exigencies but aptly defines this estate’s commitment to quality as well as the consumer’s ultimate enjoyment of wine. To highlight just how serious this property is about releasing wines only when they are ready to be consumed, the 2000 Devon Vineyard Merlot was not released until it was more than four years of age, while the 1998 Cabernet became available only after six years of covetous ageing.

We feel privileged to once again be able to offer a highly acclaimed and allocated Rosenthal Malibu Estate selection to our club members, and we would like to thank George Rosenthal and Neil McNally, the estate’s Director of Sales and Marketing, for the opportunity to feature the 2000 Devon Vineyard Merlot – a triple Gold Medal winner, including top honors at the prestigious Los Angeles County Fair Wine Competition.

Tasting Notes: The 2000 Rosenthal Malibu Estate Devon Vineyard Merlot is a richly robed, elegant Merlot that combines the best attributes of French and California winemaking. A rich amplifying nose of back cherry, plum, cedar, and chocolate recalls the classic efforts of Bordeaux’s top St. Emilion Grand Cru estates. Meanwhile, rich fruit, great extract, and substantial body, including 14.1% alcohol, remind us that indeed this is California Merlot at its best. Smooth but very flavorful, this offering is the finest Merlot from the Rosenthal Malibu Estate to date and the most complete 2000 California Merlot we have tasted – testimony to the importance of low yields and superlative treatment, which allows this wine to be bottled unfined and unfiltered. How we wish more California wineries would take a lesson here. Enjoy this classic beauty now and for the next several years. We suggest serving this Rosenthal Estate offering at cool room temperature or approximately 66° F.

Accompaniments: As noble and classically wrought as the 2000 Rosenthal Malibu Estate Devon Vineyard Merlot is, it requires neither food nor companions to be thoroughly enjoyable. Nevertheless, we suggest pairing this outstanding Merlot with dishes of equal stature for the ultimate in dining pleasure. Why not try it with a grilled lamb chop, served with truffle and thyme infused mashed potatoes, or grilled veal medallions with a ricotta cheese, wild mushroom, and pancetta manicotti, topped with a port wine demi glace? Carefully prepared poultry and rabbit dishes also provide first-rate pairings with the Rosenthal Malibu Estate Merlot as do a variety of cheeses made from either cow or sheep’s milk. Mahon, a smooth very flavorful cow’s milk cheese from the Spanish island of Menorca, makes a wonderful accompaniment to this wine and offers cheese lovers a special treat. And for those who prefer simple pleasures in life, we suggest they top a grilled hamburger with a hearty slice of Mahon cheese and pour a large glass of the 2000 Rosenthal Malibu Estate Merlot to accompany it, and enjoy!

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