Category: Wine (Buying) History

Originally published on July 3, 2008.

Full disclosure – I sell this wine at the shop. But that shouldn’t be a surprise – I sell most of the wines on this blog at the shop. And really, what’s a blog for if not to do a little shameless self promotion….

So to continue my trend of blatantly ripping my blog posts from my newsletter – on to the wine!

A few weeks ago, I brought in a little bit of Barnett Vineyards Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2004. It sold so well (and I like it so much) that I decided to scoop up everything the distributor had left – which is wasn’t much (less than 50 bottles).

I managed to pick it up at a great price because in distributor-land, when all they have left of a wine is 3 – 4 cases, it’s considered more of a nuisance than a sales opportunity. But small shops with eagle-eyed, value-minded buyers can scourer the closeout lists looking to pick up little treasures that can be passed on to customers. So that’s what I did

For those not familiar with the minutia of California wines, Barnett is what we consider an “under-cover cult cab”. All fruit is sourced from Napa’s Spring Mountain District. This is one of the area’s highest altitude sub-regions with hills so steep that the vines are planted on terraces and hand-picked (tractors would just fall off the slopes). Bottom-line: some of the best grapes in all of Napa are in these bottles.

What’s it taste like?

This is NOT a highly-extracted California monster wine (not that there’s anything wrong with that, but this isn’t it). Dark brambly fruits, a little bit of cherry, tobacco leaf notes, some spice, hints of vanilla from a well-integrated tannin structure. It balances good fruit concentration with an elegance and earthiness that’s unusual for a lot of California wines. It goes really well with hunks of grilled meat. And bonus: it’s drinking beautifully RIGHT NOW!

And of course it’s available at the shop. Regular price is $58.99. Special price is $53.00 / bottle with purchases of 3 bottles or more.

Price-wise, this is a relative bargain for a Spring Mountain Cabernet (note the word “relative”.) Mid-range for Napa these days is $50 – $100/bottle, with Spring Mountain wine typically at the high end. And when the 2005 vintage is released, it will probably hit around $65/bottle. So if you’re intrigued, don’t wait.

Originally published on June 12, 2008.

Not exactly a barbecue wine, but it’s always a good time for a good Barolo. This is an elegant, old-school Barolo which is entering its “drinkable” phase right about now. It has all the classic hallmarks of the region: roses, cherries, tar, and a subtle anise aroma that to my nose, says “Barolo”. And the gorgeous tannins (wine geek alert) – aged Nebbiolo, the grape used to make Barolo, has a tannic structure like no other grape – firm and powerful, yet elegant and supremely refined.

Barolo is a dangerous habit – so stay away from this wine if you don’t want to acquire it!

Originally published on May 3, 2008.

And another fancy pants wine, in case your pants are feeling especially fancy today…

Cheval des Andes 2004 (Mendoza, Argentina)
A joint venture between Terrazas de los Andres and Chateau Cheval Blanc, St. Emilion’s Premier Grand Cru. Winemaking is overseen by Pierre Lurton, who also manages Chateau d’Yquem in Bordeaux’s Sauterns region.

The wine is described as a “New World Grand Cru”, but whatever it’s called, it’s good stuff. A blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and a bit of Petit Verdot, it offers up black cherry, black currant, violets, spices, with full body, intense flavors, and great length. The label also sports a white “cheval” hidden among the Andes – can you spot it in the image above?

Very drinkable now, this wine can also age 5 – 10 years.

Originally published on April 21, 2008.

A while back, I wrote about the 60 bottles of Moroccan Syrah that I brought in because I had it at a tasting and it was just too yummy to pass up. It was the biggest purchase I had made in the month or so that I had been open and amazingly (well, not so amazingly, I do like to think I know a little bit about what I’m doing) it’s almost gone.

At that same tasting, I also tried a Hungarian Gewurztraminer which I liked so much that I bought several cases on pre-order. The wine just arrived, and happily, it’s as good as I remember it. Even better really as it’s very well suited to warmer weather. Here’s the scoop:

Pannonhalmi Apatsagi Tramini 2006 (Pannonhalma, Hungary)

If I’m translating correctly, Pannonhalmi Apatsagi is the producer and Pannonhalma is the region. The grape variety is Tramini, which is what the Hungarians call the Gewurztraminer grape. Gewurztraminer is most famously made in the Alsace region of France, but you’ll also find it kicking around areas of Germany, Austria, and apparently, Hungary.

Classic Alsace Gewurztraminer is a highly perfumed mix of floral, spice, and tropical fruit aromas – roses, honeysuckle, sweet spice, and lychees. Relatively low in acidity, the wines are usually fairly full-bodied, almost oily and their intense, spicy flavours make them a nice match to spicy Asian food.

This Hungarian version, however, is not exactly classic. It’s super dry, almost racy, with bright limes, minerals, some floral notes, sweet nutmeg spice. When we tasted it in-store, Ross picked up lemon grass, but Ross is a chef, so we expect him to find very specific ingredients in his wine. Least classic of all – there’s not a lychee to be found. This, combined with the raciness of the wine, will probably disappoint those who like a classic, fat, round Gewurz (never fear, we do have a very nice Trimbach version in stock), but for those who shy away from the grape, this is a version to try and possibly love. And it couldn’t be more perfect for hot summer days.

Originally published on March 29, 2008.

In my mind, it’s 80 degrees outside, so I opened a bottle of Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina today. This is a perfect summer wine, and even if the weather didn’t cooperate, the wine was still good.

Txakoli is a wine region located in Spain’s Basque country. It’s a blend of some obscure, unpronounceable grapes which you’ll find nowhere else in the world. The Ameztoi Getariako is clean, crisp, super dry and minerally, with some notes of tart Granny Smith apples, citrus peel.

Absolutely perfect for a hot summer day lounging around on a roof top somewhere (remember – this is a NYC shop, we don’t have yards here. But it would work just as well in your backyard if you’re lucky enough to have one.)

Goes great with salty snacks, shellfish, or on its own in a plain old paper cup. Come on weather – play nice!