Featured Wines - December 2008

A stunning, seamless wine, the 2004 Pasanau Finca La Planeta pays tribute to the near-perfect growing conditions offered by the glorious 2004 vintage. Deeply colored, this wine appears at first glance to be a youthful Château Lafite, one of Bordeaux's greatest wines. Initially, La Planeta's glorious robe appears impenetrable and its packed aroma coquettish, yet hesitant to reveal without commitment the breadth of its inner beauty. However, a litt...

"A meditative white wine" is how several panel members described the 2007 Zemmer Cortinie Bianco. Soft and succulent upon first impression, this wine opens beautifully with minimal aeration to reveal tremendous class and breed along with plenty of flavor. Wrapped in a pale yellow robe, the Zemmer Cortinie Bianco is an artful blend of the Alto Adige's finest white grape varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and Gewürztraminer. And ...

A deep impenetrable robe is the first indication that the 2003 Château Belle-Vue Haut-Médoc is no ordinary Bordeaux. And the wine's flamboyant, almost exotic bouquet confirms the hypothesis. Reminiscent of top-notch Margaux or even Pomerol in this vintage, the 2003 Château Belle-Vue captivates the nose with scents of wild berries, crème de cassis, scorched earth, and lush woodlands. On the palate this warm, flavorful claret unfolds slowly and met...

The 2007 Valley of the Moon Pinot Blanc is another outstanding effort from this winery. Richly robed and dominated by tropical fruit aromas, the 2007 Valley of the Moon Pinot Blanc offers a cornucopia of scents and plush, ripe flavors. Guava, pineapple, and hints of toasted coconut dominate the bouquet and savor of this pure, fruit-driven Pinot Blanc. Reflecting the coastal climate of southern Sonoma County and its roots in the region's deep allu...

There is Beaujolais, and then there is Beaujolais . . . and then there is Marcel Lapierre's Morgon. The 2007 Marcel Lapierre Morgon attests to the fact that great Beaujolais does indeed exist and is not a myth created by some critic's imagination. Just taste Lapierre's Morgon and you will see the difference. Lapierre's wine is made from organically grown grapes from one of the ten Grand Cru villages of Beaujolais, using non-interventionalist meth...

Wow! Rafael Cañizares has fashioned a world-class Verdejo in the 2007 Paso a Paso to match many of the finer, more expensive examples of this varietal from Rueda, the traditional home of Verdejo. Pure fruit, stone, and citrus all present themselves in the finest fashion in the 2007 Paso a Paso Verdejo. In the nose and on the palate this wine dances and shimmers. It runs the gamut between lush, hedonistic fruit and cold steel. Lest you think this ...

A full-bodied, deeply colored wine, the 2005 Bouwland Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot embodies the best that Stellenbosch and the Cape of South Africa have to offer. In fact, the aromatic fireworks alone on this wine are worth the price of admission. The 2005 Bouwland Cabernet Sauvignon offers up the unmistakable scents of roasted coffee, chocolate, espresso, scorched earth, and eucalyptus to tantalize the nose, but be sure to let this youthful wine br...