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Monticello Vineyards Rose of Syrah, 2004, Napa Valley, California 

Ok, I know what you?re thinking. How could a guy who claims to have a knowledge of fine wines, and a discriminating palate, truly be drinking, and reviewing, a pink wine. Well, first of all, this ain’t no White Zin. And second of all, real men drink pink, especially dry rose. It’s a perfect summertime wine, an ideal accompaniment for any barbeque and when it’s done well it can have muscle, depth of character and elegance. The Corley family at Monticello Vineyards is just the group to handle this task.

At my wine bar in Columbia, Maryland we have the exclusive retail rights for Monticello wines in the state, so of course we love all of their products. However, in the midst of their wide range of world renowned reds, I fear their gorgeous roseay be going underappreciated. The nose of this wine is floral, with rose petals and hints of cranberries. On the palate are sweeter fruit like strawberries and cherries, though the wine is definitely dry with its crisp, refreshing acidity. Stainless steel fermenting and neutral oak aging make for a clean finish.

This wine is the perfect pairing for nothing more than a warm summer day, though it’s great with any seafood dish. Try it with fruit salad, lamb chops with fresh herbs or any fowl. For dessert, mild cheeses and figs.

Even a quality rose isn’t likely to hurt your wallet too badly. Monticello gets about $16 for this example, though if you want it in Maryland to go with your crabs this summer, you?ll have to get it from us at the Iron Bridge Wine Co.

Rijk?s Pinotage, 2002, Tulbagh, South Africa

Everyone knows about Cabernet and Chardonnay; Merlot and Pinot Grigio. Lots of people know about Pinot Noir and a few have even heard of the Rhone varietal Cinsaut. But who knows what happens when you take Pinot, Cinsaut and introduce a guy named Abraham Izak Perold. This is how we get Pinotage, the quintessential South African varietal…

In 1925 Perold created the hybrid grape by pollinating a male Cinsaut flower with Pinot pollen, but the four seedlings that were born were just at the beginning of their journey. The young vines were nearly thrown away, and were later grafted to immune rootstock, narrowly avoiding a local infestation of a viral disease. It was first used to make wine in 1941, but it wasn?t until 1959 that it was recognized as a quality product when it took honors at the Cape Wine Show. The enhanced popularity turned out to be less than a blessing, as increased production resulted in a decrease in quality of product. In fact, in 1976 a group of British Wine Masters described the wine as having the character of “rusty nails” and a nose that was “hot and horrible”. Many producers uprooted their vines and others were extremely hesitant to plant any new Pinotage. 

In 1987 those producers that maintained faith finally received their chance to put Pinotage back on the map; at the Diner’s Club Winemaker of the Year competition, which was dedicated to the misunderstood varietal. The renewed attention reminded collectors of their old cellared bottles, which were found to have aged superbly. So Pinotage survived against impossible odds, which is what brings me here today. 

Let?s be honest, South African wines are not for everybody. They are frequently abrasive and can be disjointed and unbalanced, with excessive tannin and acid. A colleague of mine at the Iron Bridge Wine Company has described their unique terroir as being reminiscent of lion poo. None of these are the case with Rijk?s 2002 Pinotage. Look for banana and red berries on the nose, with smooth vanilla from the mostly new oak. Cherries and peppery spice linger on the palate, along with buttery caramel from the malolactic fermentation. This wine finishes long with cocoa and smoky, but rounded tannins. 

Pairing Pinotage is easy. With medium bodied examples, game fish, sushi or ratatouille are good matches. In the case of heavier Pinotage, like Rijk?s 2002, venison and pork ribs do well, especially with rich sauces. The truth is, you can pair this wine with almost anything outside of oily fish, simply because there is a little too much tannin. Personally I did blue stilton and prosciutto, then a dark chocolate ganache cake. All complimented each other brilliantly.

Cheap? No. But it may be the best Pinotage on the planet. I think it’s worth every bit of its $50 price tag. Drink it now for a bold muscley experience, or ten years from now for a fruit forward jam sandwich.

I’M Chardonnay, 2003, Sonoma County

The Mondavi Family has a long history of wine making in the new world. Robert is directly responsible for the advancement of many techniques that are still used today, including cold fermentation, the use of French oak barrels and the use of steel tanks. He was also responsible for popularizing the Sauvignon Blanc grape and starting the first blind tastings in California. Although most of his relatives have moved on to their own endeavors, they remain largely in the wine business. The “I’M” line of wines are named for Isabel Mondavi, the wife of Robert’s son Michael, and are designed to her specifications…

Everything, from the style of I’M Chardonnay to the appearance of the label, is modeled after Isabel?s designs. Even the shape of the bottle, that is the slender Bordeaux style, is used because it more easily fits in her hand than the fat Burgundy bottle, which is classically used for chardonnay. The wine itself is made for Isabel by her son Rob in the typical California styling of rich butter and oak, the characteristics which Isabel looks for in her chardonnays.

The I’M Chardonnay is actually a blend of juice from three different regions: Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley and Knights Valley. While the Alexander and Knights Valleys are warm, lending weight and minerality to the wine, the cooler Russia River brings ripe acidity and citrus fruit, with hints of banana. The wine is oak aged in French and American cooperage and endures a second fermentation known as malolactic fermentation, where the malic acid is converted into lactic acid. This provides the warm, round mouth feel of butter and oak that Isabel loves.

For pairing I recommend hearty fish with heavy butter sauces. Try scallops or rockfish with fingerling potatoes and spinach in garlic, white wine and cream. Follow with smoky Gouda and top it all off with brandy and a cigar. What could be finer?

This wine is an absolute steal at around $17. It goes to show that the younger generations of Mondavis are no slouches themselves. Watch for big things from this group.

Terra Valentine, 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District

So far everything I?ve reviewed on this blog has been wines I truly like. Well this wine is different. That’s because this wine I absolutely love. In fact, it may be my favorite wine at this particular price point, and is definitely my favorite California cab for the money. The guys at Terra Valentine have only been in the wine business since 1995, but under the leadership of skilled businessman Angus Wurtele, Terra Valentine has become a world class winery. Their production is small, but their goal to create some of the world?s finest cabernet has not gone unrealized…

In 2002, Spring Mountain enjoyed a long, warm growing season, making for deep rich fruit. On the nose this is characterized by black boysenberry, which is accentuated with spice and vanilla from the oak aging. This broad shouldered, mountain cab fills the palate, but remains surprisingly elegant throughout the long finish. Dark, chewy fruit is punctuated with creamy caramel from 20 months in French oak. 

Grilled meats from lamb chops to marinated sirloin streaks can pair well with this wine. Also try heavy cheeses and rich tobaccos. Really any hardy accompaniment should do well.

This wine is an absolute steal at $35, but look for the price to skyrocket in upcoming vintages, as this wine is receiving top ratings from well respected winos everywhere. Keep your eyes open for Terra Valentine’s Wurtele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon as well. A bit more expensive, but perfect for a few years in your cellar. On the other hand, the Spring Mountain cab is drinking great now, and should continue to do so for at least 10 years.

I had a pleasant surprise over the weekend.  I was visiting a friend north of Baltimore and I picked up a staple wine to enjoy with dinner.  To tell the truth, I had no real expecations.  The wine is inexpensive so I assumed it would be like many mass production wines… mediocre taste, hard core after taste, no real body to speak of. 

 I was very mistaken.  For a mass production wine, the Blue Marlin Shiraz knocked our socks off.  True, it had less body than specialized wines but it had great legs, a great nose, and no harsh after taste.  All for a very moderate price.  If you are looking for a great buy and a wine you can enjoy with friends, try Blue Marlin Shiraz and hopefully you will be as pleasantly surprised as we were.

From off the coast of Australia comes Blue Marlin: Big, bold, with brilliant coloring and a rich appearance. The Blue Marlin is the strongest and fastest member of the trophy-garnering marlin family, and a symbol of these fruit-forward, full-bodied wines with bold varietal characteristics and soft tannins.

For your active, social lifestyle, Blue Marlin Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot are made from fruit grown in vineyards in South East Australia This area is known for its outstanding fruit quality that makes well-rounded wines for everyday enjoyment. The wines are available in edgy, iconic blue magnum bottles at a suggested retail price of $8.99-10.99.

Madrigal Vineyards, 2003 Zinfandel, Napa Valley

There’s a reason California producers use the Zinfandel grape to make blush wines, although I’m not sure there’s a good reason to drink it. The fruit forward grape has a high propensity towards sugar, making it ideal for producing the slightly sweet, pink wine enjoyed by so many Americans. But there is an added benefit to all that sugar and fruit: big jammy reds that are well balanced even with their high alcohol…

During fermentation, yeast eats sugar and creates alcohol as a byproduct, so juice with higher sugar can be used to produce higher alcohol in wine. Zinfandel is frequently thought of as having about the highest alcohol content of most wines, frequently over 14% and sometimes as high as 16%+. Madrigal’s 2003 Zin was relatively modest at 13.9%, though I could still pick up alcohol pretty strongly on the nose until the wine had some time to open up.

The wine is a combination of red and black berry on the nose, with a slight hint of white pepper. Lush in the mouth, the palate is of spiced cherries with gentle acidity on the finish. The wine is medium to full bodied, not to spicy like some overly peppery Zins, but never dull or excessively earthy either. 50% new oak imparts some mild smoky character and tannin; just enough to compliment the fruit forward nature of this wine. Rich and silky smooth, this wine is drinking well now and will remain delicious and well balanced through 2010.

This wine is nearly 100% Zinfandel, sourced from Mancini Vineyard and Madrigal Estate in Calistoga, with less than 10% being Petite Sirah and Cabernet. Pairing Zin is easy, as is goes well with any hearty meal. Try it with smoky dishes, especially those with spicy-sweet seasoning. Game like venison and boar go well, along with sharp cheeses. I sipped a glass with a nice, slow burning, robusto cigar.

My experience with Madrigal’s wines has been that they are generally very good values, even with prices reaching upwards of $50. You should be able to find this bottle for under $30, so pick one up and discover what Zinfandel was truly intended for.

Okay, so my colleague has suggested that I preface this review with a note of explanation.  My love for White Bugundy is absolute.  However, I feel that when I find an exceptional producer, in an albeit exceptionally large area, who has produced amazing wines time and time again, I will never stop praising their product.  In this case Verget has done it again with their Saint-Veran, 2004…

This wine comes from some of the best terroir sites in the villages of Saint-Veran, Priss鬠Leynes and Davay鮠Created completely in stainless tank, the nose comes across nutty, and covered with fresh cut flowers.  The tastes are a whirlwind of minerals and apples. The wine has an unbelievable length of finish, which demonstrates the winemaker?s care in creation, and selection of fruit.
 
I could only imagine walking out into some of the most beautiful vineyards, on the most gorgeous land, to create such a breathtaking wine.  I could sit, watch the sun fall over the vineyard, and enjoy a meal of mushroom risotto and fresh French cheese.  What a life!