I like good Shiraz, and I love great Shiraz that doesn’t cost $45.00 a bottle, which means that Mary-Lou Nash’s 2008 Black Pearl Shiraz gets my vote this month as a Top Pick.  This wine really blew me away, but don’t just take my word for it.  John Platter (South Africa’s rendition of wine critic Robert Parker, Jr.) rated the 2008 Black Pearl Shiraz four stars, and for good reason.  Mary-Lou Nash knows how to make fine, natural wines with plenty of sensual appeal.  Moreover, I can recall tasting quite a few perfectly good Shiraz/Syrah wines that cost twice the price from Australia and California that can’t hold a cork to Black Pearl.  Hence, Black Pearl is hands down one of my Top Picks.

Frankly, my other Top Pick is a much tougher choice, and I might as well pick it blindfolded because each of the other three features this month has merit and appeals to me.  With that said, Domaine des Quatres Routes’ 2010 Muscadet is an ideal summer wine, and by June I’m ready for summer and seafood.  Having grown up on an island fishing and clamming, authentic Muscadet appeals to me for its simplicity and affinity to clams, oysters, scallops and just about anything else that crawls or swims in the sea.  Never complex but always refreshing, good Muscadet like the 2010 Domaine des Quatres Routes reminds me of long summer days at the beach followed by plenty of clams and steamers on the half shell.  However, in an ideal world one begins such an evening with Domaine des Quatres Routes’s 2010 Muscadet and has a bottle of the 2008 Fioravante Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon open to accompany whatever  you have cooking on the grill for a main course.

 

A Votre Santé!

Don

This month’s Collector Series Top Picks give me palpitations.  Why?  I like all three of the wines for different reasons, and so did the panel.  However, two wines it must be, so it comes down to which two wines I find most compelling at the moment.  Consequently, the 2005 Domaine La Millière Châteauneuf-du Pape warrants a Top Pick.  It’s classic Châteauneuf-du-Pape: a full, rich, polished wine that embodies the commune’s traditional style.  Furthermore, it has six and a half years of age behind and it’s hard to find wines of this quality that are still available in the marketplace.  And better still, this wine has years to go before it reaches its peak.  For present consumption, allow it an hour of aeration: you won’t be disappointed.

My other choice for top billing has to be the 2008 Nash Family Vineyards Shiraz, a mouthwatering blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon from Paarl on the Western Cape of South Africa.  We were completely blown away by the quality of this wine, a very limited edition that has never before been available in the United States.  In fact, we had to travel to South Africa to find it, and getting it here was no mean feat.  We trust you’ll enjoy it as much as we did!

 

A Votre Santé!

Don

Anyone who has been member for awhile can attest to the fact that we have not offered many Beaujolais wines to our members.  The reason for that is twofold.  First, we can rarely reach a consensus on Beaujolais and secondly, simple Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages wines don’t often offer a high quality/value ratio – the more expensive Cru Villages offerings being the exceptions.  In the 2010 Château de Pizay Régnie, we found a Cru Village wine we liked, a lot.  In fact, the words huggable, scrumptious, and addicting were all descriptions uttered by the panel in deference to the 2010 Château de Pizay Régnie – quintessential Beaujolais from the esteemed village of Régnie.  Considering the quality of this special Beaujolais offering and our rare consensus on Beaujolais, the 2010 Château de Pizay Régnie merits one of my Top Picks for this month.

My other Top Pick has to go to the 2008 Mont Marçal, a delicious vintage dated Cava that is both flavorful and fun to drink.  It also offers excellent value.  Moreover, this wine has been a perennial favorite at parties and tastings since its release, so it’s truly earned a top spot.  Enjoy this elegant Cava early in the evening or with light first courses.

 

A Votre Santé!

Don

I confess to having a penchant recently for polished, complex Tuscan reds such as Morazzano’s 2005 Re.  And what a wine Re is.  Born on the hills of Montescudaio close to Sassicaia and some of Tuscany’s other illustrious names, Re outperforms most Brunello di Montalcino in my book and a host of lesser “Super Tuscans,” too.  Consequently, Re is one of my top picks for the month time.  Give this beauty some breathing time, and then taste it again and again as it works its magic.

My other Top pick for this month is Alejandro Fernandez’s 2005 El Vinculo, an old vine Tempranillo from La Mancha.  El Vinculo demonstrates La Mancha’s ability to produce outstanding Tempranillo.  It is one of the finest wines I have ever tasted from La Mancha and another resounding success from Alejandro Fernandez, Spain’s King of Tempranillo; hence, my choice as this month’s other Top Pick!

A Votre Santé!

Don

Shiraz is one of the world’s great red grape varietals. Yet, there are many over cropped, underperforming examples of Australian Shiraz in the market.  With that said, I am proud to say that this month’s Primary Red, Berton’s The Black Shiraz, is not one of the underperforming slackers.  Although still quite young, Berton’s The Black Shiraz offers plenty of rich varietal fruit, pleasing spice tones, and adequate tannin and structure to improve further in bottle.  This wine scores high on my quality/value scale.

Yet, equally impressive is Armandière’s 2008 Ancestral Cahors Malbec, an authentic and traditionally made “black wine” from Cahors – Malbec’s spiritual home.  It, too, offers superior quality and value, which makes it my second Top Pick for the month along with Berton’s Shiraz.

However, I can’t overlook Vergenoegd’s 2011 Runner Duck White, another excellent example of how far South Africa has come in producing wines that the rest of the world wants to drink.  Runner Duck is a rare blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Colombard.  It scored high with our tasting panels both here and in South Africa.  I love this wine’s flavor profile, purity, and eminent drinkability.

 

A Votre Santé!

Don

Who doesn’t like a crowd pleaser?  And who makes more crowd pleasing wines than California’s Jeff Runquist?  Jeff keeps racking up well deserved Gold Medals and Double Gold Medals for his crowd pleasing Syrah, Petit Sirah, Barbera, and almost any other varietal he chooses to fashion.  So, Jeff’s 2009 R Syrah, a deep down, full throttle red that is already oohhh so fine to drink even in its tender youth, merits one of this month’s top picks.  No question in my mind on this one.  The second pick, however, causes me palpitations.

Tolaini’s 2007 Super Tuscan Valdisanti is a beauty for sure.  It’s a polished, classy wine that appeals personally to me.  However, I confess to being truly impressed by Domaine du Vieux Lazaret’s 2008 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, too, and given the 90 plus point ratings it’s received from the most prestigious wine magazines, I am not alone.  White Châteauneuf-du-Pape is not quite a rarity, but the quality of Domaine du Vieux Lazaret’s white 2008 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is indeed extraordinary.  Consequently, in a photo finish, my second March top pick goes to Domaine du Vieux Lazaret’s white 2008 Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  My only question now is this: Will I be able to sleep tonight?

 

A Votre Santé!

Don

Feudi di San Marzano’s 2010 Primitivo is unquestionably one of this month’s top Premier Series picks.  Why?  It tastes great, and it could easily serve as the poster child for Primitivo – the missing link to California’s Zinfandel.  Yes, Primitivo, the ancient early ripening varietal that hails from Greece and/or the northern Balkans is the forbearer of California Zinfandel.  Primitivo was most likely brought to southern Italy more than 2,500 years ago by the Greeks, who named Apulia and the nearby Italian peninsula Enotria – land of the vine – because of Apulia’s natural proclivity for the production of wine.  Today, Primitivo remains one of the most important grape varietals of southern Apulia, especially on the Salento Peninsula.  Moreover, Feudi di San Marzano’s Primitivo is the ideal accompaniment to southern Italy’s signature dishes.

My other top pick is a tougher choice.  I am very fond of Pazo de Arribi’s wines.  They do an excellent job with Bierzo’s two traditional varietals, Mencia and Godello.  Nevertheless, Edgbaston’s 2011 Honey Pot gets my nod this month.  Why?  It’s an excellent example of how far South Africa has come in producing wines that the rest of the world wants to drink.  Edgebaston’s Honey Pot is a tasty blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Viognier.  It wasn’t too long ago that South Africa could barely give away its rustic, full-bodied reds, now it is making world class red and white wines.

 

A Votre Santé!

Don