Our June Collector Series wines offer what I like to think of as ideal summer wines.  But, this month I can’t just choose two.  Tie goes to the runner in baseball, and as baseball is the nation’s summer pastime I’m going to adopt that rule this month.  So, my first Top Pick belongs to Josh Bergström’s incredibly elegant and pure 2009 Old Stones Chardonnay, a wine that started out great and keeps getting better.  This is a tiny production Chardonnay from Bergström, who is best known for his incredible Pinot Noirs.  But what most people don’t realize, Josh is equally adept at fashioning compelling white wines, including Old Stones Chardonnay.  My second Top Pick is a tie between Josep Grau’s deep, pure 2010 Vespres Montsant and the 2009 Château Fourcas-Borie Listrac Médoc.  Grau’s Vespres is born of old vines of Garnacha (80% Grenache) and Samsó (20% Carignan), many of which are100 years of age, and the wine’s got it all going on: an opaque purple robe, a heavenly aroma, and a boatload of flavors that gush from the glass.  Equally compelling but totally different in flavor and style is the Fourcas-Borie, a polished, beautiful Médoc from an outstanding Bordeaux vintage.  It’s truly a sleeper of the vintage, but just don’t take my word for it.  You can ask Mr. Robert Parker and other critics, or better still, taste it yourself.  A votre santé.

Don

May offers another fine line-up of collectible wines, with each wine bringing something special to the table.  Consequently, it comes down in my mind solely to a matter of additional bottle age, which leads me choose Seghesio’s 2008 Barolo as my first Top Pick.  Seghesio has carved out an enviable record for producing majestic Barolo over the past decade, and the wonderful 2008 vintage in Piemonte shines through in this month’s offering.  Given that this youthful Barolo wine drinks beautifully now and still promises further development earns it a top spot.  My second Top Pick goes to the very limited edition 2010 Au Bon Climat 30^th Anniversary Edition Chardonnay.  This is a masterful, larger than life Chardonnay that makes a bold statement, yet it pairs magnificently with full flavored dishes, something few Chardonnays do well.  Au Bon Climat produces an Anniversary Edition only every five years, and this Anniversary Edition is to my taste the most complex and interesting I’ve sampled.  I hope these two choices don’t diminish the quality and pleasure to be found in Girard’s excellent 2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, this month’s other selection.  It is a polished, sophisticated Cabernet that offers plenty of appeal now and will continue to drink beautifully for a decade.  But alas, there can only be two Top Picks.  A votre santé.

This month’s first Top Pick has to be the 2009 Torre Oria Cava.  This is a sparkling wine that both refreshes and stimulates.  Furthermore, it’s a proven crowd pleaser.  Equally important, it doesn’t pretend to be French Champagne or something it’s not.  It’s Spanish Cava through and through.  It tastes wonderful au naturel or as an accompaniment to all kinds of foods, including spicy Asian dishes.  It also makes a splendid cocktail.  One of my favorite ways to begin an evening is to put a ripe, scented strawberry at the bottom of a flute, add just a dash of Grand Marnier, and then fill the glass with Torre Oria. It’s a excellent way to start the weekend or make some new friends.  Why not give it a try?  My second Top Pick belongs to Vistalba’s Corte C.  For me, this second Top Pick is a tough choice because I really like Domaine du Tauch’s delicious, easy to drink Fitou from the South of France. Yet, Vistalba’s wine is equally impressive for different reasons.  Vistalba’s Corte C is a gratifying blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon that will continue to gain further depth and complexity over time.  It also makes a great accompaniment now to steaks and barbecue.  Vistalba’s wines are more than a cut above your average Argentine Malbec and Cabernet, and Corte C delivers the evidence.   A votre santé.  Don