Vol. 8 No. 6

Standard Selection - (1) White, (1) Red
Marques de Irun Rueda Verdejo 2003 – Spain
Ventana Monterey Arroyo Secco Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 – USA

White Wines Only Featured Selection
Huia Marlborough Pinot Gris 2004 – New Zealand

Red Wines Only Featured Selection
Lunelli Terre Di Pietra Vigneti delle Dolomiti Rosso 2001 – Italy

Marques de Irun Rueda Verdejo 2003 – Spain

Marques de Irun is a small bodega in Rueda that is owned by Emilio Lustau, the world’s greatest producer of Sherry. Rueda is one of the few appellations in Spain that makes outstanding dry white wines, due in large part to the region’s finest white varietal – the indigenous Verdejo. In addition, the commitment by Lustau and other forward thinking sages, who understand the region’s history and recognize the potential for white wines in Rueda, has done much to advance the production of dry white wine throughout Spain. Moreover, it has critics turning their heads and panel members nodding their approval.

Lustau purchased this traditional Rueda estate, which was then called Lagar Noble, in 1990. Upon acquiring the property, the Lustau group renamed it Marques de Irun. More importantly, Lustau renovated and totally transformed this 165-acre estate, building it into a model for the production of dry white wines. The latest technology has been added, including stainless steel vats, computer cooling systems, pneumatic presses, and just about everything else one needs to make white wine in a hot climate. In short, the place has undergone an extreme makeover and that includes the estate’s white wines.

Located in the heart of old Castile, a region dominated by legendary red wines (most notably those of the Ribera del Duero, Rueda became Spain’s foremost white wine region many centuries ago almost by default and a series of unfortunate circumstances. During the wars between Spain and the occupying Moors, Rueda lay virtually uninhabited due to the scorched earth policy practiced by the retreating Moors. Once resettled, the only plant that took quickly to the worn soil of Castile was a wild vine, which became known as Verdejo. Under the hot Castilian sun, Verdejo at first yielded only a strong course wine that the local inhabitants were happy to sell to the thirsty royal court that were holed up in nearby Valladolid due to the Moorish domination of Andalucia and nearly all of southern Spain. This unfortunate circumstance also precluded the flow of the already famous white wines of Jerez (Sherry), making the local Verdejo that much more attractive.

In spite of a less than auspicious debut, Rueda and its resulting wine grew in quality and stature over the centuries, until Rueda became the finest white wine of Spain, thanks to the innate quality of Verdejo. By the 17th century, the white wines of Rueda were so highly prized that at least half of the region’s annual production was reserved for the Spanish court. This was the Golden Age of wine in Rueda as well as Spain’s el Siglo de Oro. Unfortunately, for every day consumers and connoisseurs alike the glory did not last. Phylloxera, the deadly North American vine louse that had quickly decimated the vineyards of Bordeaux and Burgundy at the end of the 19th century, struck Spain, too, and unleashed its worst fury upon Rueda. Jerez or Sherry rather easily recaptured the quality white wine market in Spain, a situation that prevailed until the recent Renaissance in Rueda and elsewhere in Spain. Not surprisingly, the resurgence of Verdejo, which has been ardently supported by Lustau as well as the pioneering Angel Rodriguez of Martinsancho fame, has done much to restore Rueda to its former glory as Spain’s capital of still white wine. Bravo!

Tasting Notes: Bold and bright, the 2003 Marques de Irun Rueda Verdejo shines like the sun; its rich color captures the light and presages a burst of sunshine as well as all the latent goodness that lies tucked within this tasty wine. An entrancing, utterly pleasing nose offers up the scents of apricot, lemon oil, sesame, and spring flowers. What follows is even more intriguing: a host of fruits and spices form a solid core of hedonistic pleasure that amplify the palate. Yet, vibrancy and a hint of the sea, borne on breeze of a late spring day, caress and temper this wine’s fruit and ribald character, adding clarity, focus, and a clean, refreshing finish. On a hot day, this delicious Verdejo is best served well chilled, at least initially. When served iced cold, the 2003 Marques de Irun Verdejo exhibits a crisp, utterly refreshing quality that can quench the thirst on the hottest of days. On cooler days or indoors where more ambient temperatures prevail, we prefer the Marques de Irun only moderately chilled (45°-50° F), so as to release the fine floral scent and the burst of fruit for which Verdejo is justly famous.

Accompaniments: Antipasti, a wide range of cheeses, and all kinds of tapas provide first-rate accompaniments to the 2003 Marques de Irun Rueda Verdejo, but these are just for starters. The fruits of the sea in all their myriad of forms provide other excellent complements to Marques de Irun’s 100% Verdejo. Scallops and lobster top our list of seafood favorites, but one can also make an airtight case for serving baby mussels steamed in a light garlic and herb cream sauce. This pairing brings out the best in the mussels as well as the wine, and has made mussel maniacs out of a number of affirmed mussel detractors. Sushi and sashimi provide more excellent accompaniments, as do many traditional Chinese and Japanese favorites. Spiced chicken lettuce wraps, Peking or Shanghai style dumplings, and stir fried chicken with almonds, cashews, green pepper, and onion are just a few of the many dishes we recommend with the 2003 Marques de Irun Rueda Verdejo. In fact, one of the things we like most about this wine is how versatile it is; so don’t be afraid to rustle up one of your own favorites, and enjoy!

Recipe for White Wine

Spiced Chicken Lettuce Wraps

4 dried Shitake mushrooms 2 cloves garlic – minced
2 tsp. soy sauce 2 scallion stalks - minced
2 tsp. water 1 can bamboo shoots
1 tsp. cornstarch 8 oz. cellophane noodles - cooked
Salt & pepper to taste 1 can water chestnuts - chopped
1lb. boneless chicken breast – ground 1/2 tsp. dried chili pepper flakes
Iceberg lettuce leaves – washed & dried 4 Tbl. vegetable oil
1 Tbl . fresh ginger - grated

Sauce:
1 Tbl. soy sauce 2 Tbl. water
1 Tbl. sherry 1 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbl. hoisin sauce 1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch

Cover mushrooms with boiling water and let stand 30 minutes. Drain and trim mushrooms and chop finely. Set aside.

Combine cornstarch, soy sauce, water, salt, pepper and chicken. Stir well and add 1 tsp. vegetable oil. Heat 2 Tbl. vegetable oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat then add chicken and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Set aside.

Add remaining vegetable oil to pan and add ginger, garlic, chili peppers and scallions; stir-fry for a minute and add mushrooms, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts; stir-fry an additional few minutes. Return chicken to pan. Combine items for the Sauce and add to chicken. Cook entire mixture until thickened and heated throughout.

Break apart cooked noodles and cover bottom of serving platter. Pour chicken over noodles and spoon into lettuce.

Ventana Monterey Arroyo Secco Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 – USA

‘Life is what happens to us while we are busy making other plans,’ states the wisdom of the ages. No truer words could have been uttered in the case of Ventana Vineyards. Certainly, Doug Meador, a University of Washington Econometrics graduate and a former Navy jet pilot, had absolutely no plans to settle in Monterey County and begin an illustrious career in viticulture when he was making his way back home from the Navy to his family’s orchards in Washington State some four decades ago. However, while en route, some college friends persuaded him to make a short stop in Monterey to help them plant some grapes, and the best laid plans of mice and men went out the proverbial window.

Doug’s plans changed abruptly when he became fascinated with the challenge of cool climate viticulture in Monterey and the potential he encountered there for premium wine production. Needless to say, Doug decided to remain in Monterey where he subsequently purchased the finest area of the large vineyard planting he was supervising and named it Ventana Vineyards. Doug chose the vineyard’s name (the Spanish word for window) because Ventana’s vineyard abuts to the Ventana Wilderness, and the vineyard symbolized to him the “window to the future” in viticulture in Monterey. However, more than thirty years ago, not even Doug envisioned just how prophetic the name Ventana would become and how it would come to symbolize Monterey’s miraculous transformation into one of California’s most important viticultural appellations.

Today, Ventana Vineyards remains entirely owned and operated by Doug and his wife Luann Meador, with assistance from their terrific production staff. Moreover, Ventana Vineyards is the “Most Award Winning Single Vineyard in America”. This has been attributed largely to the fact that for over thirty years, Ventana has essentially been a research vineyard – the result of Doug Meador’s single-minded dedication to earn Monterey County a respected place on the California wine map. Undoubtedly, Ventana’s great success and myriad accomplishments are due in large part to Doug’s research and dedication into solving the challenges, while reaping the rewards, of cool climate viticulture. Some of Doug’s innovations include close vine spacing and split canopy trellising – methods that protect the vines from wind and open the grapes to sunlight and air circulation. This increases yields in a cool climate while improving overall fruit quality.

Doug Meador has also tackled clonal vine research, finding that many of California’s vines had been mislabeled and they were not the best varietals or clones for Monterey’s cool growing region. This has helped growers to re-plant their vineyards with more suitable grape varieties. With Doug in the vanguard, the Arroyo Secco American Viticultural Area of Monterey has become the fastest growing wine region in the world. From Doug’s original plantation in 1972, the Arroyo Secco has grown to more than 50,000 acres, much larger than many more renowned viticultural regions such as the Rioja in Spain. Moreover, the Arroyo Secco now attracts the biggest names in American and European viticulture.

The benefits of four decades of research are found in the wines of Ventana Vineyards. By his own proclamation, Doug describes his wines as possessing a “European sensibility with an abundance of California fruit.” Doug has so adeptly translated this style into considerable critical acclaim as well as resounding commercial success. However, there is more than style behind the success at Ventana Vineyards. Each of Ventana’s wines is true to its labeled varietal and is 100% estate grown and bottled from a single vineyard; these practices are evident in only the finest wines. Yet, these remarkable attributes are only part of the quality quotient at Ventana. The other half of the equation is Ventana Vineyard’s refusal to bottle more than a third of its entire grape production each year. In choosing this path, the winery is able to bottle only the finest portion of each vintage, which assures the overall quality of its wines as well as consistency from vintage to vintage. The rest of the estate’s production is sold off to other premium wineries, such as Bernardus, Cain, Fogarty, and Geyser Peak. Not surprisingly, these other wineries have also made an unprecedented number of award winning wines from Ventana’s fruit, augmenting further Meador’s claim to fame with his own wines.

Tasting Notes: Wonderfully consistent from year to year, despite the vagaries of vintage, the 2001 Ventana Monterey Arroyo Secco Cabernet Sauvignon radiates all the charm of Bordeaux; yet, it embodies oodles of decadent fruit. Truly, Ventana has produced a California Cabernet Sauvignon with European sensibility. Produced from some of the oldest Cabernet vines in Monterey County, this 2001 Ventana Cabernet Sauvignon exudes considerable hedonistic charm as well as supreme balance. In bouquet as well as flavor, this offering from Ventana recalls all the subtleties of Bordeaux: a mélange of black fruits, black olives, Asian spices, cedar, delicate earth tones, and a hint of vanilla caress the nose and coat the palate. To round out this pungent potpourri is just the right amount of smooth American oak, which frames the center and completes the finish of this delicious offering from Ventana. For optimum enjoyment, allow this balanced, medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon to breathe in a decanter or glass for at least twenty minutes before consuming.

Accompaniments: While the timeworn tradition of pairing Cabernet Sauvignon with beef and lamb will more than do justice to the 2001 Ventana Arroyo Secco Cabernet Sauvignon, both the wine and the consumer deserve a broader palette upon which to draw. So, by all means dust off that recipe you have been saving for the ultimate braised lamb shank or the perfect beef tenderloin, but after that is all said and done, we highly suggest, even beg, that you consider other more eclectic offerings. Traditional Mediterranean dishes are just one alternate route to follow. Roasted quail, grilled chicken with rosemary and garlic, Provencal pizzas, and even stuffed ravioli provide delicious accompaniments to the 2001 Ventana Cabernet Sauvignon. Even, a classic Florentine Pizza, with fresh garden spinach, garlic, chopped tomatoes, ricotta, and mozzarella, in the company of the 2001Ventana Cabernet Sauvignon, remains a classic match-up that garners more than a few adherents. Briskets of beef and slow cooked Texas barbecue offer other winning combinations. Enjoy!

For the Love of Cheese and Chocolate, Too: The 2001 Ventana Arroyo Secco Cabernet Sauvignon also pairs well with a myriad of natural cheeses. L’Edel de Cleron, a soft very creamy cheese, with a nice hint of mushroom and herb from the French Alps, provides a splendid accompaniment to the Ventana Caberent Sauvignon. A splendid St. Nectaire from the northern reaches of France’s rugged Auvergne truly accentuates the aroma of this wine and offers another great taste sensation. In fact, many fine hand crafted cheeses make outstanding partners to Ventana’s answer to Bordeaux. But cheese is not the only exemplary accompaniment to this wine. Handcrafted Nirvana Belgian chocolates, served with the 2001 Ventana Arroyo Secco Cabernet Sauvignon, are just one more way to celebrate all that is good in life. For more information on these cheese and chocolate suggestions, please contact us at www.cheesemonthclub.com and www.chocolatemonthclub.com respectively.

Recipe for Red Wine:

Slow Cooked Brisket

1 5-7 lb. beef brisket 1 tsp. celery seed
1 clove garlic – minced 1 Tbl. black pepper
2 large bay leaves 1 cup soy sauce
1 can tomato paste 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 onion – sliced thick 1 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place brisket on top of 2 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil.

Combine garlic, celery seed, pepper, bay leaves, tomato paste, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Cover brisket on both sides with 3/4 of the mixture. Place beef , fat side up, and top with sliced onion. Fold the foil over completely sealing the to and sides of brisket. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 4 hours. Open to of foil and cook an additional hour. Slice brisket against the grain and top with remaining sauce.

Huia Marlborough Pinot Gris 2004 – New Zealand

An affable husband and wife team, Claire and Mike Allen run this beautiful, family owned winery with both tenderness and precision. As one sits at their kitchen table and gazes out upon the stunning beauty of the surrounding Wairau Valley, replete with vines and majestic mountains, it is hard not to see and taste in this estate’s wines the purity and rarified air of this special spot. And as one peers beyond to the silhouettes of lofty mountains bathed in shimmering light, it is easy to understand how wine is made at Huia and why it tastes so pure and natural.

Undoubtedly, the supreme terroir at this property lends its hand to the ultimate quality that flows from Huia’s tanks and barrels, but sustainable viticultural practices that are away of life at the Allen’s budding domain also contribute to this property’s enormous success. In addition, Claire and Mike bring some of the finest winemaking credentials to their small wine estate, situated along Marlborough’s Rapaura Road in Blenheim at the very tip of New Zealand’s picturesque South Island. The Allen’s have the distinguished honor of being one of the few husband and wife teams to have studied at Roseworthy in South Australia, one of the world’s most prestigious schools of oenology. Moreover, they both helped establish the renowned and now legendary Cloudy Bay Estate, before embarking upon Huia in 1996. Each has also completed an extended stage in Champagne where they worked at Veuve Clicquot and Taittinger, respectively, in order to master the art of producing top-notch bubbly. So when it comes to making expressive, individually styled white, red, and sparkling wines that exhibit flavor as well as panache, no one in New Zealand knows how to do it better than Claire and Mike Allen.

Like most Marlborough producers, white wines constitute bread and butter for Huia and dominate this estate’s portfolio, but increasingly sparkling wines and Pinot Noir have joined on at Huia to rave reviews.

Tasting Notes: Fresh fruit, minerals, stones, and a waft of the rarified air that surrounds this breathtakingly beautiful winery, form the key elements of the 2004 Huia Marlborough Pinot Gris. In scent as well as flavor, all these elements come together to express the exhilaration and seductive charm that seems to pervade all of Huia’s wines. Full flavored for Pinot Gris, this Huia offering contains a good dollop of fresh tangy fruit as well as superb acid balance, which culminates in a long enjoyable finish. Elegant but quietly seductive, the 2004 Huia Pinot Gris packs a healthy dose of alcohol that manifests itself only after you have consumed a glass or two. Therefore, consider yourself forewarned, and enjoy! For optimum drinking pleasure, we suggest serving the Huia Pinot Gris fairly well chilled (about 40° F).

Accompaniments: Seafood seems to hold sway with the 2004 Huia Marlborough Pinot Gris, a sentiment the tasting panel echoes with delight. Shrimp Scampi, served with authentic Pecorino Romano or Toscano, is a clear favorite with the panel. Clams, mussels, and oysters, served in a myriad of ways, provide other tried and true accompaniments. However, there is more to this Huia Pinot Gris than seafood monogamy. Hence, we suggest that you serve this delightful Marlborough Pinot Gris with Almond Chicken Salad, Chinese Vegetables, or a plate full of gourmet cheeses, made from cow or sheep’s milk. Some perennial cheese favorites include Baby Swiss, Tillamook Cheddar, and even Gorgonzola. Salut!

Lunelli Terre Di Pietra Vigneti delle Dolomiti Rosso 2001 – Italy

Every now and then a wine comes out of nowhere and just sweeps us off our feet. Suffice it to say that Lunelli’s Terre Di Pietra is just such a wine. Made from Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), Cabernet Franc (20%), Merlot (10%), and roughly equal parts of Lagrein and Teroldego, two indigenous grapes that are grown in the limestone rich, rocky soils of Italy’s Dolomite Alps, Terre Di Pietra (meaning stony soil) is not quite like any other wine we have ever tasted. Perhaps, we should not be so surprised? After all, Italy is full of wonderful surprises and remains an embarrassment of viticultural riches, but Lagrein and Teroldego are hardly on the tip of everyone’s tongue, but then again one should never drink a label, a price tag or only well-known varietals, unless homogenized predictability is the overriding goal. Amen!

Lunelli may not be a household name in the United States or in Italy for that matter, but the Lunelli family’s champagne method Ferrari Brut and other first class sparking wines are renowned throughout Europe. Lunelli’s Ferrari line of sparkling wines is the finest in Italy, rivaling and even surpassing in quality many of the biggest and most popular brands of French Champagne. Conversely, Terre Di Pietra is Lunelli’s first commercial foray into the production of fine red wine, and what a first impression this wine has made. In just a few short years of production, it has garnered tremendous critical acclaim, simply by sampling and word of mouth. Lunelli has done no advertising or marketing to our knowledge on Terre Di Pietra, even eschewing cross marketing with their Ferrari wines. Instead, it seems they prefer that Terre Di Pietra stand on its own two feet, meaning consumers and critics, not marketing, will decide the fate of their newest venture. We like the courage and integrity of this approach as well as the quality and individuality of Terre Di Pietra. We trust you will feel the same.

Tasting Notes: A deeply colored wine with a very amplifying nose, the 2001 Lunelli Terre Di Pietra contains a wealth of appealing flavors in a very unique format. Scents of plum, earthy woodlands, violets and black fruits waft from this wine and grow steadily in both appeal and intensity as the wine unfolds in the glass or decanter. Cassis, cedar, and coffee tones that are so reminiscent of first class Bordeaux can be found in the flavor profile of this wine, but that’s not all. The Terre Di Pietra has great tactile appeal, which develops with prolonged aeration, revealing velvety Burgundian qualities and a distinct minerality (from the Teroldego and Lagein not doubt) to complement its mirror image – the more masculine profile that comes from Cabernet and Merlot. Together these two styles meld beautifully and complement each other. We suggest serving the 2001Terre Di Pietra fairly cool (60°-65° F) after an hour of aeration.

Accompaniments: A wide variety of excellent accompaniments await the 2001 Lunelli Terre Di Pietra. This wine’s complex profile lends itself to both red and white meats; simple elegance and rich, savory sauces; traditional country French classics as well as Italian favorites. A savory cassoulet made with tomatoes, beans, and sausages provides a hearty complement; while, a simple pressed breast of duck, served rare, offers a more neutral but equally enjoyable accompaniment. Steak and mushrooms, sautéed with garlic, shallot, plenty of herbs, and hint of truffle provides another bodacious partner that is easy to prepare. Chicken Cacciatore, Eggplant Rollini, and homemade pizzas go well, too. Enjoy!

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