A NEW GRAPE HERO

        Just when you thought you knew all the grape varieties, here comes a new grape hero:  Nero D’Avola, (NAY-roh-DAH-voh-lah).  Actually the grape has been around for quite some time but only as a minor player being used to fortify weaker French and Northern Italian reds.  Now  via some great viticultural and wine making techniques it has arrived at center stage.  Named for the little town in southern Sicily, Avola, where it has grown for several hundred years, it has spread throughout the island and become Sicily’s leading red grape.  Yes, we can add another indigenous grape to Italy’s collection.  Because of its singular climate, Sicily is fortunate to have a consistent growing season from year to year and Nero D’Avola just thrives in the warm sunshine.

Nero has often been compared to Syrah because it is a big red with ageing potential.  Several weeks ago I was introduced to the Planeta wine portfolio where I discovered this Nero D’Avola gem called Santa Ceceilia (2006).  I suggested that they put a warning on the label: may cause an explosion in your mouth!

           The Planeta family can stake a claim to being Sicily’s leading wine producer.  In a short time they have built an empire on the island with four vineyards and five wineries.  They are quite the innovative wine makers with great care for the environment and in Buonivini where Nero grows they have an ulta-modern facility called Cantina Invisible which means that  everything is underground to safeguard the beauty of the surrounding countryside

           They first bottled Nero D’Avola in 1997 and are now producing 105,000 bottles annually.  The wine spends 12 months in old French Oak barrels before iit is bottled. The “06” vintage was considered a luminous year and it shows withRobert Parker rating it a 90. Although Sicily may be known for its organized crime, it also now produces 12% of Italy’s total wine production.  Now may be a time to pay a little more attention to this little volcanic island.

           Loving this silky and full-bodied red I included it in my recent private wine tasting.  I was keen on seeing what reaction I would get and to confirm that I wasn’t the only one who thought that this was great stuff.  It was sandwiched between a beautiful Banfi Brunello and a Travaglini Gattinara Riiserva.  I know that sounds so unfair and I thought that my guests would easily fall for the Gattinara but to my delight Saint Cecilia won out!!  This wine is mouth filling with a smoky concentration of fruit flavors. There are subtle hints of tobacco and licorice.  There is also plenty of acid matched by elegantly tight tannins and a powerhouse finish.  I am getting thirsty just from talking about this.  The wine sells for $39.99, a steal at that price and is available at the Wine Shop in the Fruit Center Marketplace in Milton

Cheers

A

Private Wine Tastings

I am available for private wine tastings.  You name the time and place and i will be there.  I can tailor a tasting to any group big or small in any budget using wines that you pick or wines that i pick.  My fees are $200 for me.  You pay only for the wines.  If you want to build the tasting around food that is all up to you.  I will come with a few types of cheese and crackers for an additonal $50.  If you need glassware you can go thru me or i can put you in touch with a rental company.

I did my first private tasting last night for an intimate group of 6.  This is what we sampled.  In addition i provided three cheeses:  a soft Goat Brie with warm Dalmation Fig Spread, A Grafton Vt. extra sharp white Cheddar and from Oregon a Rogue River Blue made once a year and wrapped in Pinot Noir Grape leaves that have been macerated in Pear William (a pear liquior).

Cheers

Alan

THE MURPHY’S ULTIMATE WINE TASTING PARTY

“Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance”    Ben Franklin

APERITIFS

Vintage:  NV, Emeri Sparkling Shiraz;  Southeastern Australia

Grape Variety:  100% Shiraz

Alcohol:  13.5%

$$$:11.99

Notes:  The DeBortoli family is a 3^rd generation winemaking family.  Sparkling  Shiraz is unique to Australia and has been made since the 1860’s   Although appearing to be sweet with aromas of raspberry, it finishes very dry. Winery motto: “Let the wine make itself.”

WHITE WINES

Vintage:  2006 Trimbach Gewurztraminer;  Alsace,France

Grape Variety:  100% Gewurztraminer  say: ga VERZ tra mee ner

Alcohol:  13%

$$$:25.99

Notes:  One of the rarest and exotic smelling wines that you will ever taste.  Because it is a nightmare to grow, it is not planted everywhere.  The smell of rose petals,fruit and spice makes it intoxicating on the nose. It is the perfect companion to “hot” Asian or Cajun dishes and good with Munster cheese.

ROSE WINES

Vintage: 2009 Mulderbosch; Stellenbosch, South Africa

Grape Variety:  100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Alcohol:  13.5%

$$$:11.99

Notes:  This is NOT WHITE ZINFANDEL.  Refreshingly fruit-forward, this wine is very versatile with food especially summer salads and grilled Tuna

REDS

Vintage:2008 Viu Manent Carmenere; Colchagua Valley, Chile

Grape Variety:  100% Carmenere

Alcohol:  14.5%

$$$:8.99

Notes: This is Chile’s signature grape with over 4,000 hectares under vine.  This is a glass of cherryfruit flavors and smoky spice.  It reminds me of dark chocolate, tobacco and leather.  Originally planted in Bordeaux,France, it has all but died there and Chile has made it her own.  Dark crimson in color hence its name,is smooth with well rounded easy drinking tannins Not meant for aging and should be drunk young and fresh. This grape is often confused with Merlot but ripens three weeks after merlot.

Vintage:  2008 Menage a Trois;  Napa County, California

Grape Variety:  Blend of equal amounts of : Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel

Alcohol:  13.5%

$$$:11.99

Notes:  This is a fun wine! It is like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the peanut butter, like cotton candy melting in your mouth. Each variety was fermented separately and then blended together.  The Cab forms the bottom layer with its backbone and complex character; the Zin is in the middle with all its Jammy sweetness and fruit and the Merlot is on the top with its well rounded fruit.

Great with grilled meats and chicken. This is the great experiment of putting three young grapes together in one action packed bottle!

Vintage:  2007 Moulin a Vent  Domaine Diochon Beaujolais, France

Grape Variety:  100% Gamay

Alcohol:  13%

$$$:24.99

Notes:   this is NOT Beaujolais Nouveau but one of the 10 villages in Beajolais.  It is considered the KING of them all .  In 1695 the Duke of Burgundy banned the grape as “a very bad and disloyal plant.”  This village produces one of the longest lasting and powerful wines in the region.  It can be cellared for up to ten years.  This wine is like pure silk and has the power of an iron glove over a velvet fist!

Vintage:  2007 Domaine Drouhin, Pinot Noir; Willamette Valley, Oregon

Grape Variety: 100% Pinot Noir

Alcohol:  13.9%

$$$:40.00

Notes:  All the grapes are hand-picked with a long and careful fermentation.  Custom made Burgundy Oak barrels are used for aging.   “French soul, Oregon  soil is their trademark.  Veronique is the daughter of the world famous Burgundy producer Joseph Drouhin.  They have been making wine since 1988 in Oregon and have always been on the viticultural cutting edge of the region.  Much of their wine is restaurant allocated so this is a rare treat to have available. The wine always scores in the 90”s for those keeping track.   Just think of yourself in a smoke and spice box of cherries and you have an idea of the wine’s flavor profile.  There are racy red fruit flavors that are well balanced with a long persistent flavor which will leave you calling for a second glass.  Can cellar up to 10 years

Vintage:  2003 Chateau Clerc Milon; AOC  Pauillac, Bordeaux, France **

Grape Variety:   this wine is a blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34%Merlot, 14%Cabernet Franc, 3%Petit Verdot, 1%Carmenere

Alcohol:  13%

$$$:75.00-100.00   Note: maybe hard to find in case supply

Notes: This is Rothchild’s 2^nd wine.  Approx. 14,000 cases made annually.  This is a powerful, rich, dense wine.   The wine is aged in oak for 18 months of which 30% is new.  With the blend you get layers of flavors.  The tannins are well defined with notes of smoke, coffee, and vanilla flavors  There is also a hint of  nuttiness. The firm structure on the palate leads to a lingering finish.  Can cellar for up to 20 years.  The wine scored in the 90’s for both Wine Spectator and the Wine Enthusiast   The Dancing Clowns on the label are precious stones made by a German goldsmith in the 1690’s and in Rothchild’s Wine and Art Museum

Vintage:  2004 Brunello di Montalcino; Castello Banfi DOCG Montalcino,Italy

Grape Variety:  100% Sangiovese

Alcohol:  13.5%

$$$:75.00

Notes:  This is a great Italian Estate located in the Brunello region of Tuscany that dates back to the Renaissance.  You can actually stay on the property. The winery has won numerous International  and Italian  Awards not to mention in the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines.  This is a powerhouse of a wine.  It lives for 2 years in oak followed by 2 more years in bottle It is full-bodied with well integrated tannins.  There are fabulous aromas of Black fruit, think blueberry Pie. 2004 is a big time vintage.  It has great structure and finishes very long and dry.  It will definitely rip your face off if you are not careful!!

Vintage:  2006  Planeta Santa Cecilia, Nero D’Avola  IGT Sicily

Grape Variety:  100% Nero D’Avola

Alcohol:  14%

$$$:30.00

Notes:  Planeta is Sicily’s leading wine producing families.  There wineries are spread throughout the country.  This is a smooth and opulent wine that will leave you panting for more. It is brazenly oaky spending 12 months on oak.  Cinnamon spice and plumy fruit flavors linger on the tongue.  Highly concentrated and intense, it has a long delicious finish too!  Think beef tenderloin…

Vintage:  2001 Travaglini Gattinara Riserva; DOCG Piedmont, Italy

Grape Variety:  100% Nebbiolo

Alcohol: 13.5%

$$$:80.00

Notes:  Scored a 92 in Wine Spectator; Lots of fruit and spice on the nose;this wine is a full-bodied gem that is highly structured with chewy tannins.  The finish is long lasting and juicy. Best with grilled meats and hearty stews.  The term Riserva stands for additional aging, (3 years or more in oak)

Vintage:  2002 Syrah, Vineyard of Pasterick;  Dry Creek Valley,Ca. **

Grape Variety:  97%Syrah, 3%Viogner

Alcohol:  14%

$$$:45.00  Note : this vintage is sold out but can get other ones; may have to be shipped so additional shipping charges may apply

Notes:  This wine is near and dear to my heart as I worked on this vintage.  It follows a classic “Cote Rotie” template It is a dark handcrafted, unfiltered and unfined richly aromatic wine.  The fruit is drawn from two distinct geological hills: one a hill of rich red clay, the other  millions of years old bedrock.  The grapes are co-fermented with Viogner.  The wine goesthrough a second malolactic fermentation to smooth out the tannins.  This is a very rich and elegant wine with a finish that will stay with you for a long time.

Vintage:  2008 Ridge California Sonoma County Three Valleys; Ca

Grape Variety:  74%Zinfandel, 11%Petite Sirah, 5%Carignane, 4%Matoro, 3%Syrah, 3%Grenache

Alcohol:  14.2%

$$$: 26.99

Notes:  As you can see this is a special Zin with everything but the kitchen sink thrown in. Paul Draper Ridge’s wine maker is a true “mad scientist” of a blender!  This is an elegantly structured wine that packs a big wallop;one of Ridge’s many Zins in their portfolio.

DESSERT WINES

Vintage:  NV Neige Cidre de Glace;  Quebec,Canada

Grape Variety:  actually a blend of Apples:80% McIntosh and 20% Spartan

Alcohol:  11%

$$$:29.99

Notes:  the first Apple Ice Wine; started production in 1994; uses Natural Cryoextration  to produce the wine; verycrisp and a perfect balance of aceid and sugar

CHEERS!!

** wines from my personal collection

2010 WINE EXPO ADVENTURES

     This year’s Expo was a sellout!  I was happy to attend both days again for the 14^th time.  I took advantage of the special 2 hour window for the trade to roam the aisles searching for new wines and tasting some of the old familiar ones.  People do not realize that this is the largest wine tasting in the U.S.  Yes California may have more of them but never so many wineries in one place.  Unfortunately in recent years there has been a marked absence of some of the elite wineries.  What has been happening more and more are wineries coming to the show looking for representation in Mass. I had a personal encounter this year with Sarah’s Vineyard.  I had a customer inquiry about Sarah’s Merlot several weeks ago at my store and learned that they had no distributor in Ma. They were coming to the Expo expressly to find representation. I had to go to their booth and sample their wines! What a discovery! Spectacular Pinot Noirs from the Santa Cruz  Mtns.  I hooked them up with Bay State Wines and hopefully in the next several months my customer will have her case of Merlot and more wines will be added to the Massachusetts portfolio.

     I also go to the Expo for their seminars and every year they come up with some great ones.  This year I attended a wine and cheese pairing class.  You can never learn enough about cheese. This class did not disappoint.  I was introduced to Wasik’s Cheese Shop of Wellesley, MA www.wasiks.com.  There were six wines paired with eight different cheeses.  Two stand out:  a Deloach Pinot Noir with Montgomery Cheddar from Somerset England and Neige Apple Ice Wine with a Rogue River Blue Cheese from Oregon.  What great combinations!!!  For Steve Wasik cheese is just God’s way of preserving milk.  Field trips to this shop are a must, but bring your pocketbook

So much about wine is in the marketing and this year there were some great examples of that: you could join the Vampire Wine Society or the Wine Sisterhood.    Trying to capitalize on all these vampire movies will prove a successful way to market these Ca. wines.  They are all easy drinking and fun.  My favorite was True Blood a Cabernet from Napa.

Sisterhood wines are quite a collection of wines that has already gotten a lot of press.  The Purple Cowboy was on the Today show last week.  Rachel Ray chose their Promiscuous Red as one of her favorites. The real marketing target though is Middle Sisters.  There are wines with names like Drama Queen Pinot Grigio, Rebel Red and Smarty Pants Chardonnay.  Anyone who is a middle sister or knows a middle sister will be lining up for these wines, all based on a label. The wine and the price(less than $15.00) are good too!

     For those of you who are fans of the Goats Do Roam wines of South Africa, they have changed the labels to new and flashy ones.  They have also introduced a new wine to their portfolio called Chakalaka, (an African spice).  This is a nice fruity spice bomb of a wine, YUM.

     I know that Spring is just around the corner and maybe you are starting to crave some of those great Rose’s  (NOT White Zin), well Alexander Valley Vineyards Rose of Sangiovese  had R.Parker gushing, “one of the finest dry Ca. rose’s I have tasted”  I had some and agree!  It will be available at the Fruit Center this spring

Another new wine to let your taste buds check out is Tina Marie a smoky cherry Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley and Fulcrum Wines.

     You know that your Sunday is going to start off right when you are greeted at the entrance to the show with decanters of Banfi wines.  I started the day off with a taste of their new Super Tuscan called Belnero, www.banfivintners.com

Mainly Sangiovese with bits of “Noble French Varietals, it was beautifully well balanced and delicious and there was also a taste of their famous SummuS too!!

     I hope that many of you took advantage of the weekend and participated, if not plan for next year and maybe I will see you there

Cheers

A