The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music – at least they are in Alto Adige
Let’s start with a thank you – you don’t often see that in e-mails any more. But I just wanted to thank everyone that came to the Rhone dinner last Wednesday night. Thank you for your interest in Cecile Dusserre and in her wines – I thought they were delicious – personally. It was a great evening and as I have said before, when we have the opportunity to invite a great wine-maker to dinner we will – what we won’t do is simply put on a dinner with some sales rep from Nebraska who needs to look good at his company and push a bunch of wine that we don’t want to buy anyway!
In that vein, we will be pouring wines from Broc Cellars on Thursday, March 17 because the man himself will be here. Sadly we only have him for 1 hour but I am sure that if enough revelers show up we can convince him to stay longer. If you remember Chris Broc and Trey Busch (Sleight of Hand wines) were possibly two of the most exciting wine-makers, and wines, that we tasted last year – both hail from out west – Broc Cellars is based in Berkely California and he is making some of the most delicious Rhone style wines that I have had outside of the real McCoy. There are very few bottles left of any of his most recent vintage, but what there is will be in the store in time for him to pour, talk and drink! So if you feel like a little excitement on the 17th between 5.00 – 6.00 stop in at the store and meet Chris – maybe say hello to me and Bruno as well!
Yesterday was a full day in New York. It was the trade show tasting for Alto Adige wines – this is that tiny little area in northeast Italy where some of the best, if not the best, Pinot Grigio’s are made. It’s also where the star gewürztraminers, Lagreins and Muller Thurgau wines are made. There were 20 tables and about 8 wines per table so not too bad an afternoon – think maybe ten pints of Guinness, maybe 11. The 2010 barrel samples that I tasted were off the charts and I can’t wait for them to arrive over here. But whilst waiting the ‘09s have just blossomed. Of course, I had to spend a lot of time tasting the wines of Castelfeder – they are one of our most sought after Alto Adige wines and I will be buying them again this year, in bulk. Tasting through the line up:
Castelfder Pinot Grigio 2010: Dances – ballet dance style. Full bodied with cream, citrus balance. Rounder than the 09 and different – beautifully expressive and still so absolutely clean.
Castelfeder Chardonnay Doss 2010: Unoaked? Slightly oaked – a whiff of sesame and smoky barrels. Super pure fruit – touch of apricot, touch of melon – it’s a stripped down chardonnay that just begs to be drunk, not sipped.
Castelfeder Kerner Lahn 2009: I had to ask myself why the hell I hadn’t bought this before – brain didn’t come up with an answer. This was simply awesome. Kerner is the varietal – it’s a hybrid blend of Riesling and Schiava (red wine). What you get is this racing freshness, a hint of smooth sweet white peach and melon and a length that goes on and on. It’s less acidic than a classic German Riesling and for the love of God just because it’s part Riesling don’t think it’s sweet. It’s bone dry and it’s going to be my favorite patio white. Brilliant stuff.
Castelfeder Pinot Nero 2008: I loved the prior vintage – so delicate, so feminine so incredibly pinot. The 08? Again, this is the most pure pinot nero I tasted at the show. I just wanted more – it certainly has more weight than the 07 which will placate more Western palates – its brimming with cherries and little blueberries, it’s got oaky depths, jam notes, some baking spice, cigar box, damn it’s just really, really good. Hand on heart, and yes, I know the wine maker is beautiful, this was the best Pinot at the trade show, and her Kerner was way beyond anyone else’s.
Castelfeder Pinot Nero Riserva Burgum Novum 2008: If I thought the basic pinot nero was phenomenal I had to step back with this one – put The Fighter and The Wrestler together and throw in a bit of Black Swan – this is the wine that makes the movie. It’s as good, and in many cases better than anything I have drunk from Burgundy – in fact is so resembled a Vosne Romanee I had recently from Perot Minot that at over half the price I have to get some, not just for the store but for my dwindling cellar. Think deep brooding black cherries squirting juice over even bolder blackcurrants, mixing themselves up with some funky berries that only Red Riding Hood knows about and you have the Burgum Novum. The first three letters in my tasting notes were WOW – simple as that.
There were a lot of other really good wines, more than I can put down in this blog, and over the next few weeks we’re going to make some changes in the Alto Adige department of my wine shelves – these were just too good to hide behind a Trade Show table.
On to other stuff:
I am waiting to hear the outcome of the Planning and Zoning Boards disastrous decision to curtail the events at the Wainwright House. Nothing like throwing away $5 million in revenue and already the firings have begun – LK, sorry to see they let you go – maybe our Council men and woman will now wake up and see what’s happening in our little town. You can’t be bought by a GS Partner and not expect to sell your soul to the devil. Having said that I think we have a shot at putting on the Wine at Five Annual Wine Tasting for Professional Wine Tasters at the Wainwright and possibly on May 20. So sharpen the pencils and make a quick note that anything around that date needs to be brushed aside. There will be changes to the way we do this – there always are, and I can already state with certainly that the price will go up and the numbers will have to be curtailed – but once we have figured it out I’ll let you know, and even though we won’t have music I want everyone who comes to make as much noise as possible!
A lot of fun stuff has started sneaking in whilst I am under the influence of some quite nice pain-killers. Even I have no idea whether it’s because I keep opening my mouth and ordering stuff, or the mice are buying behind my back! That lovely little wine from Southern France, La Brillane du Printemps sneaked back in, we picked up a couple of oddities (but really good – I tried them whilst I was in Virginia) – -the Dry Fly Washington Wheat Vodka and their Washington Wheat Dry Gin; following on from my love affair with the Abeja wines, I think I actually ordered some of the Abeja Merlot. Two wines from Italy made a presence – Oddero Langhe Nebbiolo and his big brooding brother Oddero Barolo 2006. I remember tasting the Barolo and thinking I could just stand here all day and taste this – very accessible, no need to wait until you’re 80, it’s a Barolo that wants to be drunk now. That fun wine from Roccaperciata also came in – the Nerello Mascalese. Bruno picked up a remarkably inexpensive Napa merlot – the Thomas Henry and I’m pretty sure it’s out on the Recession and Deprssion Racks at under $15.00 – unusual for Bruno to buy merlot so I suspect it’s very good. 3 cases of the Chateau Le Grolet 2004 came in – this was one of the Bordeaux Wine of the Months and also the absolute favorite. Chateau La Grave also came in – that’s the ridiculously inexpensive, $12.00 Bordeaux. Vevi returned and Marina found a Chablis from Patrick Piuse that is off the charts. Loads of cases of the Van Riuten Cab-Shiraz that seems so popular, so no waiting in line for that one; more Shebang arrived – how can you not love a great wine, in a great jug, with a screw cap and under $20.00 – and that’s not a $19.99 under $20.oo marketing ploy – you really do get a whole dollar below $20 on this one. The baby Mas Donis Capcanes from Spain is in – better buy it before Robert Parker swoons over the older siblings because then you won’t be able to. The late, great Peter McCoy Rex cabernet is here (I think I may have mentioned that last week, but the pills are just kicking in – so if I describe any wine from here on out as having a nose like cannabis, disregard it). Nugan and Pepper Pot are back – sounds like The Flower Pot Men (silly little children’s TV show back in England in the 60’s – when just about any comedy was a hidden communist take-over – read John Lennon). Ah-ha, found one – Maggie Harrison – that fantastic wine-maker who used to work for Manfred Krankle over at Sine Qua non, we got her Vital Pinot Noir new vintage. Price went up a smidge, but for the quality of her wine are you really going to complain?
OK That’s all Folks….time to sit in a corner and not move for a little while!
Have a great weekend – buy lots, drink lots – responsibly of course!!
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