Wine Journal July/August 2014

wine journal July/August 2014

A BC FINE W INE & SPIR ITS W INE M AGA ZINE

A selection of French wines UNDER $15 Hear from the family behind Napa Valley’s Whitehall Lane Winery

Three wine trade shows in one trip to Europe?

IT’S POSSIBLE FOR BRAD LEWIS!

Travel with us to Italy, France, Germany and California The ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Wine Journal is a bimonthly publication of ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. Copyright 2014 ABC Liquors, Inc. All rights reserved.

Not all products are available in all stores. If the product you’re looking for isn’t available, ask us to order it for you!

Hannah Grantz Editor hannahg@abcfws.com Meghan Guarino Contributing Editor meghang@abcfws.com Lorena Streeter Contributing Editor lorenas@abcfws.com

OUR WINE EXPERTS: Ken Amendola kena@abcfws.com @abcwinekena Kathleen Anderson kathleenr@abcfws.com @abcwinekat Jim Greeley jamesg@abcfws.com @abcwinejimg Shayne Hebert shayneh@abcfws.com @abcwineshayne Atanas Nechkov atanasn@abcfws.com @abcwineatanas Paul Quaglini paulq@abcfws.com @abcwinepaulq Bill Stobbs wstobbs@abcfws.com @abcwinebills

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We’re also blogging daily at blog.abcfws.com.

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Enjoy your summer with the latest selections recommended by ABC’s wine team

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DOES POP CULTURE HAVE AN INFLUENCE OVER YOUR WINE CHOICES? Kathleen takes a look at iconic drinks mentioned in well-known films and music

WE CAN’T ALL TAKE A SUMMER TRIP TO BORDEAUX But Jim did. Travel along with him as he tastes his way through one of France’s most well-known regions

WHITEHALL LANE WINERY IS A FAMILY BUSINESS THROUGH AND THROUGH Hannah spoke to the father and son duo behind one of our favorite Napa Valley wineries

LOOKING FOR GREAT WINES THAT WON’T BREAK YOUR BUDGET THIS SUMMER?

Atanas shares his picks for top wines under $15

TRAVELING IS PART OF LIFE FOR ABC’S WINE TEAM…LUCKY THEM, RIGHT?

Paul most recently took a trip to the Valtellina region of Verona, Italy, to meet with the Rainoldi family

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE A “GREAT VINTAGE” WINE? Shayne has the California harvest report for 2014

IF YOU’VE EVER WONDERED WHAT IT’S LIKE TO ATTEND A EUROPEAN WINE TRADE SHOW… ABC’s director of wine sales, Brad Lewis, visited three in a row this year and has some stories to tell

WHETHER YOU’RE OUTSIDE BARBEQUING OR LOUNGING

BY THE POOL,

Ken offers his recommendations for top summertime wines you should be enjoying

TASTING FROM 45 COUNTRIES AND FIVE CONTINENTS IN THREE DAYS Bill attended ProWein 2014 in Düsseldorf, Germany, and made a few winery stops, too

WINE TO WATCH

It’s crisp; it’s fresh… try Château Tanunda Dry Riesling

On the cover: Domaine de Pellehaut Rosé ($10) This delicious blend of Merlot, Cabernet, Tannat and Syrah exhibits a raspberry-pink color with aromas and flavors of strawberries, raspberries and lavender.

Enjoy Domaine de Pellehaut Rosé this summer with grilled meats, grilled vegetables, fish and mixed salads.Cheers!

POP CULTURE IN WINE K AT H L E E N A N DE R S ON, NORT H W E S T F L OR I DA W I N E SU PE RV I S OR

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started thinking the other day about how we listen to others about what to drink when we can’t decide for ourselves. One of the best places to look to for suggestions is pop culture. All sorts of characters are known for a particular drink or two in song, movies and/or literature. How many times have you heard your favorite artist sing about a drink and you race out to see if it is any good? Or novelists discuss a particular wine in depth? We even have a recipe for butter beer, don’t we? As we delve into history, we see all sorts of characters drinking and discussing what they drink.

I can go as far back as before Shakespeare, but for this little space in time, I will take us back to the 70s. How many of us have listened to rock music and fallen in love with a lyric? Here is one that mentions a bottle outright—“Killer Queen” (Queen, 1974): “She keeps her Moët et Chandon in a pretty cabinet...” This is the first line of the song. You have to wonder how many bottles were sold off that one line “mirrors on the ceiling and pink Champagne on ice” from “Hotel California” (The Eagles, 1977). And that’s just to name two. Through the years there are mentions of single varietals, “It’s a black f ly in your Chardonnay” (Alanis Morisette, 1995), to specific names throughout history—“I’m getting better with time. I’m like Opus One young, ”(Jay-Z, 2006). I mean, even the Beastie Boys found a rhyme for Châteauneuf du Pape.

Nowadays it is brand managing; pretty much all we ever see Jay-Z drink now is Ace of Spades Champagne, and then there is Rick Ross, who prefers Belaire Rosé. It seems like no matter what you like, there is a song about it somewhere. You just have to look, or try something new that you hear on the radio today.

Movies are no exception here either. When Bond, James Bond, isn’t drinking a martini “shaken not stirred,” you can see him in the discussion of fine Champagne. Depending on the movie, he seems to drink mostly Bollinger and Dom Perignon. Lately in Casino Royale (2006) we get to see Bond and Vesper Lind drink a bottle of 1982 Chateau Angelus on the train to Montenegro. Who can forget the line in Silence of the Lambs (1991) where Hannibal talks of his wine pairing of human liver, fava beans and “a nice Chianti”? (Side note: in the book he paired it with an Amarone.) Over the years there have been many movies in the mainstream that focus on wine, drinking, sales and production. After Sideways (2004), look what happened to Merlot and Pinot Noir sales! Bottle Shock (2008) was just a reminder of the humble beginnings of the fine wine explosion that was Napa Valley. This past year I found Somm (2012), a documentary following four friends through the Master Sommelier Certification exam. Just watch to see how difficult that is! And finally, we end with Red Obsession (2013), a film released last year about the Bordeaux first growths, trading Bordeaux futures and the will of China to own it all.

Now we enter into literature; I could go on for days, but will mention only the latest book I am reading, Vengeance Follows by Scott Lax (2013). He is still out marketing his book, and he does

so by drinking the wines like it would be a main character. But besides that, he is actually still out marketing his book, and he does so with a great idea of drinking the wines his character drinks in the book! Next month in Ohio he is doing a whole night of wine and literature. What better way to find out if you enjoy the same wines as a character you have fallen for?

So no matter how you find your wines, either through music, movies or books, the pop culture references also reference our life in some way. I want you to find a wine you love and figure out how to make it jump out in this tech savvy world of ours. Tweet it!

Facebook it! Pinterest it!

Wine List RED BORDEAUX

l’Orangerie de Carignan 2010 (pg 8)

GRENACHE

Clos d’Alzan, Côtes du Rhône Villages Signargues 2012 (pg 8)

RED BLEND

Playtime Red (pg 14) Stone Church Red (pg 7)

W HITE BLEND

2012 Château Villa Bel-Air Graves Blanc (pg 5) 2012 Clos des Lunes Lune Blanche (pg 5) Nadia Bianco (pg 14)

SPARKLING Dom Pérignon (pg 3) Moët et Chandon (pg 3)

SW EET RED

Dornfelder (pg 15)

ROSÉ

Château Trians Rosé 2013 (pg 8) Domaine l’Ostal Cazes Rosé (pg 15)

W HITE PICPOUL

Château Petit Roubié, Picpoul de Pinet 2011 (pg 8)

RIESLING

Château Tanunda Dry Riesling (pg 16) Valckenberg Madonna (pg 15) Villa L (pg 15) Weingut Langwerth von Simmern Just Riesling (pg 15) Weingut Liebfrauenstift (pg 15)

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Chateau Cos d'Estournelsm tower

WHITE WINES LEAD THE WAY AT BORDEAUX EN PREMIER J I M G R E E L Y, S O U T H W E S T F L O R I D A W I N E S U P E R V I S O R

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ack in April, I was witness to the spectacle that is En Primeur Week in Bordeaux. Every year members of the wine trade arrive from the far f lung corners of the world to taste barrel samples of the newest vintage. It was my very first visit to this fabled French wine region, steeped in tradition and legend, and it proved to be a considerable education.

As projected after reports of an erratic fall harvest began to trickle in last October, vintage 2013 would prove to be a very challenging year for red wines. Château owners talked about conditions being the most demanding they’ve seen in a generation. Significant rain at the tail end of the growing season made severe grape selection in the vineyard and vigilance at the sorting table a prerequisite in order to make good wines. Fortunately, many of the classified growths had the manpower and the means to accomplish this seemingly daunting task.

style ended up in over-extraction limbo— resulting in some unbalanced wines.

A roundup of the best reds in 2013 included Château Ausone and Château Valandraud in Saint Émilion, Château L’Eglise Clinet and Vieux Château Certain in Pomerol, Château Cos d’Estournel and Château Montrose in Saint-Estèphe, Château Leoville Las Cases and Château Ducru Beaucaillou in SaintJulien and all five of the famed first growths: Château Latour, Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Mouton-Rothschild, Château Margaux and Château Haut Brion.

Even in a stormy vintage, some dark clouds contain silver linings. Good fortune smiled on the dry white wines of Graves/ Pessac-Leognan and the sweet wines of Sauternes/Barsac. The results were favorable throughout much of Bordeaux for the earlier ripening Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grapes.

Unlike in typical years where the division of clear winners is usually defined by appellation, 2013 did not offer any such distinctions. This was not a Right Bank versus Left Bank year, for example, or even Saint-Julien versus Paulliac. Within each appellation there were relative successes and a few disappointments, the stark contrasts often on display in the wines at neighboring château.

Tasting every wine this year and judging it on its own merits was a must. There were some general observations but no absolutes.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc were the relative quality winners, while Merlot was less successful. But even here there were exceptions, notably in the Right Bank communes of Saint Émilion and Pomerol. Another surprise included higher than usual portions of Malbec and Petit Verdot in some wines.

At their very best, the successful red wines displayed elegance and suppleness with fresh structures and pretty bouquets.

Winemakers who tried to make powerful wines out of fruit that wouldn’t support the

Chateau Cos d'Estournel

La Mission Haut Brion, Château Carbonnieux, Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte and Domaine de Chevalier lead a host of dry white standouts in Pessac-Leognan, offering zesty citrus and juicy stone fruits with f loral perfumes and wonderful minerality. These are finely tuned wines with lively cores, long, mouthwatering finishes and plenty of upside.

They’ll be very user-friendly and refreshing in their youth, yet equally cellar-worthy too.

Unfortunately, you can’t take a test drive of these terrific 2013 whites right now, as they are still in barrel. You’ll have to make do with the next best thing: pairing a vibrantly fresh bottle of 2012 Château Villa Bel-Air Graves Blanc ($25) with a chilled platter of les verts, the briny green oysters from the nearby Marennes-Oleron.

In Sauternes, conditions were ideal for full development of Botrytis cinerea, the beneficial fungus that naturally dehydrates the grapes, concentrating their sugars and intensifying f lavors. Château d’Yquem was the best of many solid sweet wines with a sumptuous, thoroughly decadent grand vin. Other top names also excelled with amazingly rich offerings including Château de Fargues, Château Rieussec, Château Suduiraut and Château Coutet.

Why stop there? An equally delicious bottle of 2012 Clos des Lunes Lune Blanche ($18) would be a suitable partner for a fabulous terrine of skate and red mullet with saffron potato. You could easily substitute a roasted chicken with lemon butter or a cheese board with sliced fruit.

Did I mention that good Bordeaux Blanc is exceedingly food friendly?

Historically, Bordeaux is a region defined by its reds. Perhaps the 2013 vintage may change more than a few minds with the outstanding performance of its versatile whites.

Q+A with the Men of

WHITEHALL LANE WINERY HANNAH GRANTZ

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ou’ve tried their wines, now hear from two of the five Leonardini family members behind Napa Valley’s Whitehall Lane, Tom Leonardini and his son, Tom Leonardini II. What was it about owning and running a winery that sparked your interest in Whitehall Lane?

Tom Sr.: I retired almost 30 years ago thinking I would never work again…and I had a downtown San Francisco piece of property that I thought would be fun to put a retail wine store into— that was in 1986.

I said we wanted the store to have a focus; we can’t be all things to all people. So we started the Napa Valley Winery Exchange and we just had small production Napa Valley wines.

I was in the store one day talking to salesmen and winery owners who would come in, and I just thought it would be a fun business to get into—so I said to the manager, ‘If you hear of any wineries for sale in the Napa Valley, let me

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know.’ She mentioned one day that Whitehall Lane Winery was for sale…this was in 1992!

And I said, ‘Really?’ I drove up, walked around, went into their little tasting room, then the next day I phoned the manager…who had no idea it was for sale.

So you knew before they did that Whitehall Lane was for sale?

Tom Sr.: (laughing) Yes. I drove to Sacramento and met with the corporate attorney on a Tuesday, and on Friday I owned it.

I knew nothing about making wine or anything, which was a real advantage because I didn’t have any preconceived notions. I didn’t have someone say, ‘Well, this is what we do…’ and Whitehall wasn’t doing very well financially at the time, and I didn’t want any advice from them so I asked the whole crew to leave the first day. A young man had sent me a resume who said he ‘knew everything about the wine business’…he was in his 20s… and I hired Mike McLaughlin

on a Saturday and I was taking over the winery a few days later. He came in because he ‘knew everything’…well, he didn’t…but he did learn— along with me—and he’s still there today as the general manager.

Is your whole family involved in the company?

Tom Sr.: Three of our children are partners with me now in the business. Tom II runs all of our sales; Katie is involved in the local stuff—the wine clubs, the tasting room, the hospitality, social networking. She focuses on operations.

Our daughter Kristin runs the wine store in San Francisco.

What do you think has surprised both of you the most (Tom Sr. and Tom II) about the wine business?

Tom II: Distribution is kind of the unknown part of it. There are thousands of labels from Napa Valley, and more coming all the time.

What’s challenging for the consumer is that

there are so many popping up and sometimes the new kid on the block gets mentioned in the magazines, but if you go back to the core wineries in Napa that actually have a facility, a winery and barrel storage area—and most importantly, vineyards—those are the most important wineries out there. So that’s probably the biggest change I’ve seen in 20 years of selling wine—the proliferation of brands.

Do you source any grapes, or are all of your grapes from Whitehall Lane’s vineyards?

Tom Sr.: We source a little. We love blending Syrah into our Merlot—a small bit. And we source that. When we find something good we have it under contract for a long period.

We don’t source any Cabernet; every single one of our vineyards is a Cabernet vineyard. The reason we source other things—we’ll make a little Pinot Noir or a little Chardonnay—is they have to be from a cooler climate; it can’t come from a higher appellation. So I buy a small amount of grapes, but 80-90% of our grapes we grow ourselves. We make all the wine ourselves; we bottle it all ourselves; we send it all down to the warehouse by ourselves. We do everything other than make the glass.

Are all of your vineyards in the Rutherford area?

Tom Sr.: We have three vineyards in Rutherford, one in Oak Knoll (adjacent to the Stags Leap appellation) and two vineyards in the St. Helena appellation. St. Helena is the best appellation in the world, because I think if you can jump across the Atlantic Ocean and say that we make better wines than Bordeaux makes (you can do

Kristin, Tom II and Katie

a blind tasting and I can validate that statement just by tasting the wines). California makes the best wine in the US; the Napa Valley makes the best Cabernet in the US, and I think St. Helena has the best appellation in the Napa Valley. So you could say St. Helena has the best vineyards in the world. Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena…that’s the epicenter of great wines—all four. When you’re talking other varietals, there are some great vineyards… but for Cabernet, Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena…that’s where you get Cabernet.

How would you describe your wines and style to someone who has never tried them before?

Tom II: A good way to describe our wines would be ‘structured, elegant and balanced.’

Tom Sr.: That sounds good, Tom. They’re soft, not high in alcohol content and not high tannins. They’ll age beautifully for 20 years, or you can open them up right away and say, ‘That’s really a great bottle of wine.’ If you’re sitting out on the deck or having a nice quiet dinner at home and you want a really nice glass of wine, ours will blow everything away.

Robert Parker wrote a review on one of our Cabernets, and I wrote him a letter back because I thought it was so good. It had a nice score and the description was nice, but what he said was, ‘This isn’t a neo-European wine; this isn’t a neo-Bordeaux wine; this is an all-American Cabernet. And it’s from the Rutherford area of the Napa Valley,’ and I thought, wow, what a great description. We try to make wine that doesn’t have the high tannins, the European

taste to it; we want to make a Cabernet that’s a fruit bomb. We’ve always tried to make Cabernets more in a feminine style. I want a Cabernet that when you drink it, you go, ‘Boy, that really tastes good.’ And that’s been our style for 22 years, and he (Robert Parker) captured that in his review.

When you’re not drinking your own wine, what other California wines do you prefer?

Tom Sr.: I try a lot of different wines from our retail store. I like Coho Cabernet, Black Kite Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley; I like Emma Pearl Chardonnay—that was very tasty. I’ll try all kinds of odd ball stuff. I’ve tried French wines and I don’t care for those at all. And I’ve yet to find an Italian wine I enjoy.

Tom II: Napa is a very small place and we have giant wineries owned by corporations—and it’s also mostly comprised of family wineries. What makes the wine enjoyable is connecting with the people who own the wineries or those who work there. So that’s my attraction.

What can you tell me about Stone Church Red wine, the newest Whitehall product coming to ABC? Tom Sr.: The Stone Church Red 2012 vintage was bountiful and not only big, but very good.

We put together a red Merlot blend that’s predominately from the Oak Knoll appellation and the ’12 vintage was just great. This isn’t a big production wine, and I think it’ll be a big hit and sell quickly.

Domain Wines, NOT-SO DOMAIN PRICES ATA N A S N E C H K O V, C E N T R A L F L O R I D A W I N E S U P E R V I S O R

Great wine values can be found in any wine region and at any price range, but it is the all popular $10 to $15 category that is the most challenging when it comes to finding value.

This is also the most shopped category and the one with most abundant choices, and a plethora of ever-changing labels. What should the smart consumer look for? The answer is domain wines instead of brands.

A domain wine is produced and bottled in the wine estate, usually from grapes grown in the domain’s vineyards. Some would argue right away that a domain wine costs a lot more than $10; true in most cases, but not always. This is where wine experts and buyers come to play an important role: finding the best possible quality at the right price.

Some wine regions offer more choices than others in this less-than-$15 category.

The following three wine regions offer the most abundant choices for value in today’s market: Rhône Valley/Provence, Languedoc and Bordeaux.

Bordeaux Yes, even Bordeaux!! Only the top tiers of classified châteaux in Bordeaux have reached astronomical prices driven by the high demand of emerging markets like China. But for the rest of the “petits châteaux” whose prices are often $20 or less, it has been business as usual and prices have not changed much in the past 15 years; quality, on the other hand, is higher than ever, especially with vintages like 2009/2010.

A favorite and best-selling red wine from Bordeaux is l’Orangerie de Carignan 2010, Bordeaux, France ($13).

There is a real château at Carignan, unlike many other Bordeaux wine domains, where “Château” is only part of the name.

Carignan was first built in the 11th century on the site of a Roman villa. wine journal | 8

It was given by King Charles VII of France to Jean Poton de Xaintrailles, who was a companion-in-arms of Joan of Arc and fought the English invasion in the Hundred Years’ War. In 1452 Poton de Xaintrailles rebuilt the castle in its present state, and a year later in 1453, he was victorious over the English troops led by Constable Talbot in the battle of Castillon, the battle that ended the Hundred Years’ War. He then reattached Bordeaux (Aquitaine) to the kingdom of France.

L’Orangerie de Carignan 2010, a blend of 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc, is the best-selling wine by the glass (out of thousands) at restaurants and brasseries in the city of Bordeaux!

And the reason for that is, besides being best value in its class, this wine shows well on its own and pairs well with red meats, light appetizers, poultry and aged cheeses.

The 2010 Orangerie has medium intensity, supple palate, soft and ripe tannins and aromas of red currant and cranberry. The 2011 Orangerie will also be available soon.

Rhône Valley/Provence Some of the best values in wine today come from the Rhône Valley and Provence. One of our recent best-finds-ever was Clos d’Alzan, Côtes du Rhône Villages Signargues 2012 ($13).

Clos d’Alzan is a single vineyard of very old vine Grenache—some of the vines are over 80 years old! Situated right across from Châteauneuf du Pape on the opposite bank of the Rhône River, the soil is composed of the same galets roulés, large rolled stones, found in the Châteauneuf du Pape appellation. The consulting oenologist for Clos d’Alzan is Xavier Vignon, one of the most talented winemakers in the Rhône Valley today. The exceptional quality of the terroir, combined with the precise and skillful winemaking of Xavier, make Clos d’Alzan one of the best values ever!

The 2012 is my all-time favorite Clos d’Alzan; the wine shows perfect balance, gobs of dark berry fruit, assertive tannins, and good minerality with a long-lasting finish in this exceptional vintage. Enjoy with your favorite Mediterranean dishes, pastas, grilled meats and vegetables and aged cheeses.

From the neighboring Provence comes the latest addition to our fine selection of organic and biodynamic wines, Château Trians Rosé 2013 ($15).

This wine is a spectacular achievement— quite possibly the best rosé ever; round, with rich texture, yet bright and fruity with a perfect balance!

The vineyards at Château Trians were first planted to the vine 20 centuries ago when the domain’s lands were part of a large Roman villa, Villa Triana. Today the wine estate at Château Trians covers 49 acres of organically farmed vineyards in the Massif of Cuers, 30 kilometers north of Toulon in Provence, France. Most of the wine is produced under the Côteaux Varois en Provence Appellation.

The 2013 Château Trians Rosé, a blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Cinsault and 10% Syrah, exhibits light salmon-pink color and aromas and f lavors of strawberry, cranberry and field f lowers. The mouthfeel is rich and perfectly balanced with pure fruit, refreshing acidity, medium intensity and a long, round finish. Enjoy as aperitif or served with mixed salads, seafood dishes, grilled meats and aged cheeses.

Languedoc The next favorite and top-value wine comes from the Languedoc region of Southern France, Château Petit Roubié, Picpoul de Pinet 2011 ($11).

Château Petit Roubié has been family-owned

by Floriane and Olivier Azan since 1981 and organically farmed since 1985. The winery is located in the small town of Pinet (population 1,300), a place that would have been totally unknown to the world if it wasn’t for the great white wine produced there from the Picpoul grape.

Olivier Azan is a firm believer in organic farming; his Picpoul vineyards have been free of chemicals and synthetic fertilizers for over 26 years. These happy vines are planted on a

high plateau overlooking the Mediterranean; happy vines = good wine.

The Picpoul de Pinet from Petit Roubier is a pure, honest, well-crafted and exciting wine that gives great pleasure when consumed as an aperitif and will enhance any seafood dish, particularly raw oysters! In fact, this area is also famous for some of France’s best oysters. The 2011 Picpoul from Petit Roubié exhibits aromas and f lavors of white f lowers, ripe citrus and sweet apple; the finish is clean, refreshing and long-lasting.

There is not enough room in a single article to include detailed notes on all our favorite best-value wines less than $15; besides the four featured wines, here is a list of a just a few more great wines you don’t want to miss. Happy tasting!

Gouleyant, Cahors Malbec 2012 - $12

Domaine de Pellehaut, Côtes de Gascogne Rosé 2013 - $10

Domaine de Pellehaut, Côtes de Gascogne Red 2012 - $10

Domaine de Pellehaut, Côtes de Gascogne White 2013 - $10

M. Chapoutier, Bila-Haut, Côtes de Roussillon White 2012 - $13

Bila-Haut, Pays d’Oc Rosé 2013 - $13

Domaine Magellan, Vin de Pays de l’Hérault Red 2009 - $12

Domaine de la Chauvinière, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine 2012 – $10

Perrier, Vin de Savoie Apremont 2012 - $13

Veuve Ambal Crémant de Bourgogne Brut - $15

The Opportunity TO E X P LOR E PAU L Q UA G L I N I , S O U T H E A S T F L O R I D A W I N E S U P E RV I S O R

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ver the years I’ve had the incredibly enriching opportunity to explore some of the most dramatic wine landscapes in the world. The Mosel in Germany and the Douro Valley in Portugal certainly rank near the top of my list.

These regions are visually awe-inspiring as vines seem to cling onto perilously steep slopes. I’m often left wondering who it was centuries ago that thought these locations would be a good place to plant grape vines.

I guess the ancient Romans, as well as civilizations before them, knew a thing or two about making wine.

On my most recent trip to Italy, Brad Lewis and I had a meeting in Verona with Aldo Rainoldi, a winemaker from the Valtellina region. After a very positive presentation of his wines, Aldo suggested we visit his winery someday. Brad and I immediately took him up on his offer and set out the next day for Valtellina. I knew from reading in books that Valtellina was a mountainous region, but I had no idea how incredibly breathtaking it was.

Valtellina is an alpine valley in the far northern reaches of Lombardy on the Swiss border. They have been producing wine here for over 2000 years. Just as in other wine regions where ripening grapes can be a challenge, only those vines planted on sunny, south-facing slopes have any chance of producing good wine.

Once Brad and I finally arrived at Aldo Rainoldi’s winery, we were greeted by his wife Michela and uncle Giuseppe.

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After a quick tour of the winery, Giuseppi was most anxious to show us the family vineyards. The best wines of Valtellina are produced from a narrow strip of vineyards on the north bank of the Adda River. More specifically, there are five sub-districts in valley: Inferno (the hottest), Grumello (named after a medieval castle), Sassella (the rockiest and considered by some the best), Valgella (most productive) and Maroggia (smallest). All the Rainoldi vineyards are in Inferno, Grumello and Sassella.

All Valtellina wines are made from Nebbiolo grapes known locally by the name Chiavennasca (named after the nearby mountain town of Chiavenna). The territory has two DOCGs: Valtellina Superiore, which is an elegant wine known for its bright, complex, cherry aromas and soft tannins, and Sforzato di Valtellina, a wine whose name comes from the traditional practice of drying the grapes before the wine is made, much like Amarone. The resulting wine is intense, dry, completely unique and delicious.

We spent the better part of the afternoon doing our best to keep up with Giuseppe Rainoldi as he proudly showed us the vineyards he has been working on for more than 60 years. Most of the vines are planted on inclines so pronounced that just the act of walking, never mind tending to vines and harvesting fruit is nearly impossible. In some of the vineyards they actually use helicopters to get the grapes off the mountain after they are picked. At 77 years young, Giuseppe is a testament to what clean mountain air and good red wine do for one’s longevity.

The ancient Romans believed that wine was a daily necessity of life. This led to the desire to spread viticulture and wine production to every part of the Roman Empire. I guess I have to thank them for choosing some of the most sublime spots on the planet to grow grapes. Visiting a place like Valtellina confirms what I’ve always known: Making a career out of my passion for wine was a good choice.

Paul Quaglini, Michela Benigni (wife of Aldo Rainoldi) and Giuseppi Rainoldi (uncle) in the Rainoldi’s vineyards

HARVEST REPORT:

CALIFORNIA VINTAGE 2014 S H AY N E H E B E R T, C E N T R A L F L O R I D A W I N E S U P E R V I S O R

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any books have been written outlining just what it takes to make a “great vintage” in a quality wine region. In addition to the obvious factors like rainfall, sunshine, viticulture practices, etc., there are the subtle inf luences of soil composition, vineyard aspect and one of the most important: matching grape varieties to the micro-climate. When you add all this together, no two vintages are really ever exactly the same, which has a direct inf luence on the resulting wine, helping create subtle variations that make wine appreciation so exciting! Some believe that if you have plenty of sunshine and fertile soil everything will be fine. Like California, right? Not true! Even warm and sunny California has her ups and downs. Drought, rain and even heat all play their part in assuring that even mighty Napa Valley has variations.

2011: This vintage proved to be of relatively mediocre quality, even in hot spots like Napa Valley. 2011 began with a wet winter and spring, delaying f lowering and decreasing crops. A cooler than average summer created a longer, slower maturation of fruit, then autumn rains (and, in many cases, early harvesting) produced grapes with lower than normal sugars. Elegance is the norm in 2011. Some wines lack complexity and weight, and most are destined for near-term consumption.

2012: The statewide total was pegged at 4.3 million tons of fruit, and of seriously good quality—a huge sigh of relief from growers after the so-so quality in 2011. 2012 was back to California’s high standard, and with a larger crop. This will be a vintage to look for not only for drinking, but, in the case of Napa Valley, Sonoma and Lake County’s more well-situated sites, for short term aging.

2013: Turned out to be quite similar to 2012, back to normal as it were, for most wine growers…much to the relief, again, of everyone. 2013 Cabernets offer the color, weight and f lavors that we all come to expect. And to the consumers

who demand wine at any level, since the “worldwide wine shortage” most likely had more than a few consumers worried it might be a beer year.

2014: “Then came the drought”...harvest levels in California will most likely not follow the quantities from either 2012 or 2013. It is looking as though the harvest 2014 might be back to the same difficulties as in 2011, only for different reasons—but probably with the same outcome. Obviously the droughts experienced in California so far in 2014 have had a ripple effect on all farmers, not only wine growers, worried about smaller crop sizes. Typically, smaller crops/lower yields (in wine grapes) mean better quality in the wines, heightening concentration and f lavors. But without sufficient rainfall, that may be in jeopardy.

As important as agriculture is to California, water restrictions are a way of life and unavoidable…and worsened during less than average rainfall years. These restrictions are the main reason why new plantings and new winery growth has leveled out. Then came the drought! As much as almost every Californian relishes the proximity of its booming wine industry, many also believe that wine is still a luxury, where water is a necessity.

Effect of drought on wine growing: The vine stress created from drought affects grapes in every stage of the growth cycle, and affects vines of all ages.

New plantings need irrigation to develop properly, and severe water stress at this stage is quite dangerous to the vine. Survival is diminished, and those new plantings that do make it have a much greater chance of not surviving the winter.

Young vines, 2-5 years old and already capable of producing quality grapes for wine in California are most susceptible to drought because of their shallow root systems. Most producers will severely reduce yields or drop all of the fruit entirely to save the vine. During drought,

Napa Valley at dawn the vine typically suspends photosynthesis in favor or respiration/survival, and without photosynthesis the system breaks down: poor canopy, poor fruit set and the resulting poor quality wine.

Older wines react differently, although problems do still exist. Old vines have developed deeper root systems, ensuring a constant supply of nutrients and water for their survival. They are more resistant to drought, but not unaffected. Again water stress alters the formation of leaves, and a quality canopy is imperative to quality grapes. Varietal f lavors develop during the last few weeks of ripening, and this is also affected by drought. As for dry-farmed vineyards, where irrigation is not used, the vines still rely on both their deep root systems and average rainfall to sustain. Again quantity and quality are both impacted. Resulting wines could show little varietal character and less complexity.

The Spring Europe

MARATHON

BRAD LEWIS, DIRECTOR OF WINE SALES

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ll of the trade shows in Europe happened in succession this year. I couldn’t do them all but signed on for three in a row. I f lew out with Bill Stobbs, West Florida wine supervisor, on March 20th for ProWein in Düsseldorf, Germany. ProWein has become one of the most significant trade shows in the world. It lasts only three days and draws visitors and exhibitors from all over the world.

The event is spread throughout nine buildings, so planning is essential to avoid backtracking and wasting time. We got our exercise and made some new contacts that will fill holes in ABC's selection. We had dinner one night with Wilhelm Steifensand, whose family has owned P.J. Valckenberg in Germany since 1786. I have known Wilhelm since the 1970s, and it’s always a pleasure to spend some time with him. He had us meet him at a restaurant that he heard was one of the best in the city, Tante Anna.

buildings and a vineyard. I have always wanted to see it but access is restricted and is only by boat from the estate. Scratch one from the bucket list.

Not far from Schloss Reinhartshausen is the estate of Baron Langwerth von Simmern in Eltville. The estate has been in the family since 1464 and is run largely today by Baroness Andrea Langwerth von Simmern. This estate also has prime vineyards in the region. We tasted through a number of the estate’s current releases, followed by three wines from 2002 and 2003. The older wines easily dispel the myth that white wines can’t age.

Last stop of the day was at the J. Wegeler Estate for a tasting and dinner with owner and manager Tom Drieseberg. This estate is one of a kind, with vineyards and wineries in the

With Julia Lergenmüller and her dog with the village of Burrweiler in the background

We left the exhibition and headed for the Rheingau to visit three of the top, most historic estates in the region. Schloss Reinhartshausen was, until recently, the property of the princes of Prussia but was bought by the Lergenmüller family in 2013.

The estate includes parcels in a number of the top sites in the Rhiengau, including the Erbacher Marcobrunn, and is the sole owner of the most unique vineyard, the Mariannenaue, an island in the Rhein. It’s a protected wildlife habitat but also has winery wine journal | 12

Rheingau and Mosel. With dinner we had a 1959 Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Spätlese.

The wine was incredible with years of life ahead still.

The next morning we drove to Hainfeld in the Pfalz to visit the Lergenmüller’s home estate.

Stefan’s brother Jürgen runs the Pfalz estate and we were shown the winery by him and his daughter Julia. They grow a number of grape varieties and produce some of the most distinctive wines of the Pfalz.

It’s a short drive south along the Pfalz wine road into France and Alsace. We stayed in Colmar, the ancient capital of Alsace, that night and took a hiking tour around the heart of Colmar in the morning. The city is ancient with half-timbered houses along narrow streets and canals. We visited the Hospice de Colmar vineyard, a rare site within the city.

The next morning I was off to Bordeaux for the annual tastings there and Bill headed home.

Jim Greeley met me in Bordeaux and we did the annual grind of tasting young wines out of barrels. We started Sunday afternoon with a négociant at his house, went four full days in the tastings and finished Friday with four visits in négociants’ offices. The 2013 vintage had a lot of problems and it’s the kind of year when the stars really shine. Work in the vineyards was crucial, followed by careful selection and cellar work. As usual, the top estates took the steps and made good wines—but many of the others suffered. The good news is that, on the whole, prices have dropped, in some cases back to the level of 2008.

Jim went home from Bordeaux, and I moved on to Verona, Italy, for the big Italian trade show, Vinitaly. Paul Quaglini, our Italian expert, joined me there for four days. A lot of the time was spent with existing suppliers and owners discussing future programming and visits, and tasting the new vintages and wines. Aside from that, we always find some new and interesting things, and this year included a real revelation. We visited Aldo Rainoldi whose vineyards are in the Valtellina, a high valley bordering Switzerland, where the Nebbiolo grape rules. After tasting the wines we went to visit the Rainoldis. Giuseppe Rainoldi, Aldo’s septuagenarian uncle, took us on a walking tour through the vineyards. The vines are planted on extremely steep slopes and just climbing them is difficult. The sun is direct and so hot in the daytime that work stops at 1:00 p.m. The wines are unique and the drive to the valley was well worth the time.

The next day we f lew home with some new ideas.

The vineyards and castle of Grumello

SUMMERTIME WINES K E N A M E N D OL A , NORT H F LOR I DA W I N E SU PE RV I S OR

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fter long months of cold, dreary weather, spring leads into the highlight months of the year: summer. With its long sunny days, time spent soaking up sun on sandy beaches, cookouts with friends and family, vacations and travel, summer is a wonderful time of year for most of us. I look forward to summertime for a number of reasons, like taking some weeks off of work to travel around with my son, getting to enjoy all the bountiful choices of fresh fruits and vegetables you can find along the country roads we sometimes travel, plus a chance to drink the light, refreshing wines that go so well with the rising temperatures.

I have found a few summer wines that truly shine when the thermometer begins to climb.

A fairly new wine from the Veneto region of Italy, made by the winemaking team at La Cappuccina, is Nadia Bianco. This ideal summer white is made from 80% Garganega and 20% Sauvignon Blanc.

Served well-chilled as an aperitif, alongside a crisp salad of mixed greens or with what I think really shows what this wine is made of, a chilled Italian seafood salad of mussels, shrimp, calamari and any number of other in-season fresh jewels of the sea.

The Nadia Bianco has such a wonderful balance of minerality, citrus notes and acidity that it makes the perfect choice for a refreshing, all-the-time white wine for the hot days ahead.

On the red side is a wine that has made a huge impression on almost everyone who has ever opened—and then quickly emptied—a bottle: Playtime Red, a crazy red blend from Lake County, California. This is a blend primarily of Zinfandel, but it also gets its zingy personality from Grenache, Barbera and an extra little kick from Petite Sirah. I would tell you that this fruitforward, juicy red hits the mark with any type of barbeque, and it does, but I honestly cannot think of a summer table that would not benefit from having a couple bottles of this wine to go alongside whatever is being served. This red blend has big, ripe, fruit flavors of black cherries, blackberries and plums, with a little spice and enough acidity to match itself with so many different summer meal choices. At less than $10 a bottle, it is certainly a wine that should be bought by the case and shared whenever possible. If you haven’t had the opportunity to taste this snappy red blend, look for it at ABC! You’ll most likely go back for more!

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Now if you can’t make up your mind on whether to go red or white, we have a new rosé offering from France, and it comes in a summer-sized magnum bottle from Domaine l’Ostal Cazes. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because the Cazes family are also the proud owners of the famous Château Lynch-Bages. Pair this bright pink Domaine l’Ostal Cazes Rosé with a thick, grilled piece of beef, a light salad of shrimp and scallops or just about anything in between. I enjoy nothing more on these sometimes oppressively hot summer days

than a large glass of chilled, dry French rosé.

Try a glass of this fresh-flavored wine with its hint of strawberry, spice and berry flavors that it gets from its blend of equal parts Grenache and Syrah, and you will also see the need for a rather large wine glass!

So go out and enjoy the sunny summer ahead, and be sure to visit your favorite veggie stand, fish house, butcher shop and ABC to make your summer days and nights ones to remember.

Florida Weather, German Wine

– A Perfect Match!

BI L L STOBB S , W E ST F LOR I DA W I N E SU PE RV I S OR

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t was a chance to spend some time tasting wine in Germany, and I grabbed it. Actually I hadn’t spent any real quality time in Germany in almost a decade, so it was a great chance to reacquaint myself with wines that I know I love but sometimes tend to overlook, as many of us do here in the USA. First stop was Düsseldorf for three days at ProWein 2014. One of the best of the international wine trade shows and growing in stature every year, ProWein offered a chance to taste the wines of 4,500 exhibitors from 45 countries on 5 continents. Shows like this, though necessary to those of us in the trade, can be pretty grueling unless approached with a preconceived plan of who we would visit and what types of wine we were looking for.

As it happened we tasted very little German wine during the show itself, though we did have the pleasure of meeting, and later having dinner, with Wilhelm Steifensand, the owner of Valckenberg. Founded in 1786, P.J. Valckenberg Weinhandelshaus supplies ABC with the popular Madonna wines, a delicious dry Riesling from Weingut Liebfrauenstift, an excellent Pinot Blanc and the amazingly successful German semi-sweet red wine Dornfelder, among others.

But now it was time for the most enjoyable and most rewarding part of a wine trip – visiting the wineries and getting out into the vineyards and talking with owners and winemakers in a more relaxed setting.

Weingut Langwerth von Simmern First we visited the Rheingau and the historic Schloss Reinhartshausen, recently bought by the Lergenmüller family, where wine has been cultivated since 1337. This winery is unique in that one of its vineyards is situated on an island in the middle of the Rhine River – Mariannenaue Island. The microclimate here is mild and steady with very little frost during the winter and not too intense a heat in the summer; it provides unique wines that are light, refreshing and elegant. We spent part of the morning walking this mystical island, which is also a nature preserve of nearly 200 hectares. Soaking in the slow tranquility of the place made us appreciate the wines even more.

Next a visit to another historic winery, established in 1464, Weingut Langwerth von Simmern, where we had the pleasure of tasting the wines and touring the ancient cellars with the very gracious Andrea, Baroness Langwerth von Simmern. The estate is currently represented at ABC with their extremely quaffable Just Riesling.

Bill Stobbs and Andrea, Baroness Langerth von Simmern

We dined that night in the tasting room of Weingüter Wegeler with owner Dr. Tom Drieseberg. Besides producing some pretty impressive wine, Tom is an interesting and erudite conversationalist. For those of you who don’t realize that good Riesling is ageworthy, we enjoyed one from 1959 with dinner that was still fresh and vibrant.

For our last stop in Germany we traveled to the Pfalz where we had lunch and a tasting at the Lergenmüller Family of Wines. This is the largest family-owned wine estate in Germany. Our host and guide for the afternoon was Julia Lergenmüller, who took us up to the beautiful Sankt Annaberg Estate to taste their splendid assortment of wine. Look for the regional boutique wines of Villa L and the German classic wines of the Möller Winery at ABC.

Bill Stobbs with Klaus Dillman at Marcobrunnen

So why does a trip to Germany have anything to do with enjoying wine in Florida? It often surprises me that the wines of Germany, Riesling in particular, are so overlooked in a climate that just begs for the fresh vibrancy of these wines. Not to mention the quality.

We need to rid ourselves of the notions of cheap sweet wines and old men in lederhosen. Good German wine is classy, sexy, noble and delicious. It is also, at least in Germany, usually dry or off-dry, very refreshing and perfect for out-of-doors enjoyment. And it shouldn’t take a trip to Germany to bring that home to us here!

Bill Stobbs, Stefan Lergenmuller and Brad Lewis on Mariannenaue