Featured Wines - November 2005

The 2003 Whitford Haynes Vineyard Pinot Noir is no lightweight, wimpy, fruit bomb of a Pinot. Rather, it is California Pinot Noir at its best. This substantial single vineyard offering possesses a rich robe and a deep down amplifying bouquet that a number of tasters described independently as “simply fantastic,” and that accolade may even be a bit modest. A heaven scent of ripe black cherry fruit, oriental spice, and a gentle waft of vanilla tant...

No wimpy Merlot need apply here… the 2001 Charles Krug Napa Merlot is as statuesque as California Merlot gets. This is real Napa Valley Merlot: rich in color, highly aromatic, and long on flavor. Ripe black current fruit, tobacco, and dark chocolate flavors haunt the nose and palate, and gradually unfold into a seamless tapestry for the senses – in short, a hedonist’s delight. And unlike the ocean of cheaper, more insipid renditions of Merlot, th...

If ever there were a Barolo to dispel the myth that “the king of wines” is despotic and unapproachable in its youth or is somehow undrinkable before its tenth birthday, the 1999 Seghesio La Villa is just such a wine. Deeply robed, but elegantly tinged with the telltale glint of orange that imbues all Nebbiolo wines as they mature, this stylish Barolo offers up a beautiful complex aroma. Plum, licorice, rose petal, and forest woodland all come to ...

As limpid and refreshing as a mountain stream and as satisfying as a creamy dessert, the 2004 Cavalchina Bianco di Custoza weds quench ability to host of distinctive, satisfying flavors. Bright, tangy, and brimming with subtlety as well bravado, the Cavalchina Bianco di Custoza is in a class by itself. This wine dazzled the panel with its scent and savor of lemon custard cream, lime sorbet, and eau de vie. Yet, everything about this dry white win...

The 2002 Whitford Haynes Vineyard Chardonnay is no ordinary California Chardonnay; so forget the lightweight candied fruit and the overbearing vanilla oak that oppress far too many New World Chardonnays. Instead, savor the scent and flavor of a limited production, truly remarkable, 100 % barrel fermented Napa Valley Chardonnay that puts to shame the majority of its California counterparts. Moreover, the recently released 2002 Whitford Cellars Cha...

Produced in the actual bottle in the same painstaking way as French Champagne, the Avinyó Brut is Cava at its finest. A lovely pearl of a bubble beads to the top of the glass: soft scents of apple, pear, and fresh bread delight the nose. In the mouth, creamy fruit and the faintest hint of cinnamon caress the palate. Fun, flavorful and easy to drink, the Avinyó Brut is one of the tasting panels favorite sparkling wines. Kudos to the Esteve Nadal f...

Bright, cherry-colored, fleshy, and round, the 2004 Cavalchina Bardolino is the perfect embodiment of all that is good and magical about authentic Bardolino – one of the Venteo’s ultimate pleasures. As delicate as Venetian lace and as lusty as a Titian masterpiece, Cavalchina’s 2004 Bardolino will have you reaching for a second bottle in no time. Simply stated, the 2004 Cavalchina Bardolino is the picture of style, elegance, and vivacity in a gla...