Greg and I just got back from our visit to Italy, and I’m still waiting for my notes and luggage to catch up with me. In future articles (in this corner of the Italian page) you will be able to read about our GREAT finds this year!
2004 Ermacora Merlot ($14.99) This Merlot is just delicious, ripe chocolaty dark fruits, soft and fleshy in the mouth with smooth, fine grain tannins, dense but easy on the palate. A pleasure to drink, more Pomerol in style than Californian. Lamb and this wine were meant for each other!
2004 Ermacora Pinot Grigio ($14.99) 2 Glasses Gambero Rosso. Simply sensational! Perfect balance of acidity and tremendous aromatics, loaded with pear, apple, citrus and tropical fruit in an elegant, concentrated and superbly balanced wine. This wine will work well for your springtime entertaining.
2004 Ermacora Tocai Friulano ($14.99) 2 Glasses Gambero Rosso. If there was any one varietal that showed better in Friui in the glorious vintage, it is the often misunderstood Tocai Friulano. The wonderful balance, coupled with a depth of concentration you don’t see often in Tocai is followed by hints of tarragon and layers of mineral. Balanced with delicate acidity and scintillating aromas of bitter almonds, apple and ripe pear highlighted by a very long finish, this is the perfect accompaniment to fish or crab.
2004 Ermacora Pinot Bianco ($14.99) 2 Blue Glasses Gambero Rosso. This is the wine Ermacora is known for most in Italy. It has tremendous focus and concentration, rich and creamy, with custard like flavors and hints of apples and bergamot. It is majestic on the palate, with balance, complexity and character. Age this wine for 2-3 years, and you won’t believe the incredible wine it will evolve into! Perfect for halibut, swordfish or cocktailing. Salute! —Mike Parres

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As I write this, I am getting ready to depart for Burgundy for my annual trip to evaluate the vintage. As you read it, I have just returned from that trip. Such are the time lags of writing for the newsletter a full month in advance. But, in the last month, I have had the chance to taste about one hundred 2004 red Burgundies, and I want to give you a report on what I have seen.
It is not a vintage that is easy to generalize about. The thing I like the most about the 2004s is their sense of place. It is a vintage where the terroir shows through extremely clearly. For those of us who love Burgundy, that is a very good thing to see.
The vintage started out a difficult one, and the skill of the grower was critical. A cool damp spring resulted in problems with powdery mildew, so controlling it quickly was critical. One grower lost all of their fruit in the lower portion of Clos Vougeot, where the dampness can be a problem, due to a well-known neighbor, who refused to intervene at all, and had terrible powdery mildew that escaped to affect others’ vines. A cool summer led to many worried growers. But fair weather and the North wind in September performed a miracle, ripened the fruit, and led to a good vintage.
Some of the wines are very much like the 2000s, with supple fruit and charming forward character. Others are more like the classic 2001s, with higher acidity and more structure. Even within a single producer’s portfolio, the character of the wines is not uniform, so dealing with a merchant you know, like K&L, is an important thing to do in this vintage. But overall, I like the vintage a great deal, and the recent improvement in the dollar should result in some lower prices than we saw for the 2003 vintage. I’ll have more to report next month, and a complete version of our vintage report will be available online and in the stores by the end of the month. Á Santé.
—Keith Wollenberg

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I am declaring a sauvignon blanc revolution!!! The world-class grape is consistently overshadowed by that thing we call chardonnay, and I, for one, am not going to stand for it anymore!!!
Here in the Loire Valley you can find some of the world’s best sauvignon blancs, from racey, sharp-edged wines to rich and succulent ones. If I was to pick one place (in the wine world, that is... let’s face it, Hawaii is pretty nice), to be surrounded by everything I needed, it would be here. Take, for instance, the region of Quincy, second in France to receive AOC status in 1936, just behind Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Quincy is only allowed to produce white wines. Growing in these soils of clay, sand and chalk come wines that are typically harvested a full week earlier than those in Sancerre, with softer acidity levels and a bit more richness.
The 2002 Silice de Quincy, Quincy ($24.99) is a powerful, textured wine coming from 100-year-old vines that are farmed following the biodynamic model. Bright citrus fruits and stone are just the tip of the iceberg of the complexity this wine has. Jim Barr would say it is a must have and give it 27 kitties. You want something a little more quaffable? Then step into the 2004 Adèle Rouzé Quincy ($14.99), a fresh, zippy expression of the sauvignon grape. Filled with gooseberries and a wet mineral edge, this would be great with that fish you just caught (or pointed to and asked you fish monger to wrap up), which you then simply threw on a hot grill, with some of those herbs from the garden, along with early spring vegetables, also grilled, that are placed atop of a goat cheese crostini. Jim Barr would give this, I’m sure, at least 17 wagging dogs. I have to leave you know, I just made myself hungry. BUT, there are more Loire Valley wines out there that need our help. Don’t just stop at Quincy. What about the Menetou? They, too, could be a strong force in our revolution!!! —Eric Story

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An evening of fine wines, bubbles and food!
More than 50 wineries will pour their latest releases and local chefs will showcase the culinary bounty of the county. K&L is the exclusive retail sponsor for this fantastic event to be held Monday, May 8 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St. at 3rd in San Francisco. Cost is $45 per person. Tickets can be purchased by at www.YBCA.org or by calling 415.978.ARTS (2787).

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This area of Champagne is famous for being one of the most extensively harvested for Champagne production. It is also home to some of the best pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes grown in Champagne. For April, I am pleased to present two red grape-based Champagnes.
Many of you are familiar with the Philippe Gonet Brut Reserve ($27.99), a masterful blend of 60% pinot noir, 30% chardonnay and 10% pinot meunier. I have a soft spot for this producer because the vintner and his associates are some of the best people in the business. It takes more than an amiable personality to make a good wine, however! All grapes for the Brut Reserve are estate grown, Gonet fruit. The current release is a particular blend from the 2000 (30%) and 2001 vintages (70%). The 2000 stock is from reserve wine. A flavorful, slightly toasty character with a nose of vanilla, fresh-baked bread and citrus fruit. Nectarine fruit in the mouth, with subtle vanilla and a leaner character than the nose suggests. Perfection with lobster soup!
Wine number two is somewhat of an oddity. In the case of the Michel Dervin Brut ($24.99), this is not a bad thing! A blend of 60% pinot meunier, 35% pinot noir and 5% chardonnay, this one’s unusual due to the high percentage of meunier used. Those of you who have come to our Champagne tastings know that pinot meunier lends an almost caramel/cognac aspect to Champagne. This results in a nose of brioche, crème caramel and delicate red fruits. In the mouth, there is a distinct toastiness with roasted nuts, dried cherry notes and a hint of lemon curd. An excellent choice for those who like toasty and yeasty Champagnes. The price makes it a MUST have! —Scott Beckerley

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After an all-to-long absence the Champagnes of Michel Dervin are back. These are exciting and unique Champagnes from a little-known and very tiny village called Cuchery. They are made by Michel Dervin, who is also the wine maker for Domaine J. Laurens in Limoux. The Michel Dervin Brut Champagne ($24.99) has a wonderful brioche and subtle fruit nose. The flavors are quite concentrated and complex. The Champagne has a great toastiness balanced by lightness on its refreshing and long finish. The cuvee is a blend of 85% 2002 and 15% 2001 vintages. It is made out of 95% estate fruit from small plots in the villages of Cuchery, Damery, Reuil and Chapelle Monthadon in the picturesque valley of the Marne. The 1999 Michel Dervin Brut ($29.99) is a step up in length and balance. With more pinot noir and chardonnay in the blend (70% pinot noir, 30% meunier), this wine has more intense aromas. The flavors are big, broad and very unique. For lovers of a rich style this wine will not let you down. If you have never had a valley of the Marne meunier-based Champagne, these two are a great place to start. Please feel free to contact me at 1 (800) 247-5987 ex 728, or at garyw@klwines.com with any of your champagne (or sherry!) needs. Please also drop me a line if you would like to be on my list of Champagne customers. A toast to you! —Gary Westby

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Sometimes it’s really hard to tell where the truth ends and unreality begins at this establishment. The saying “truth is stranger than fiction” is never more true than within these walls. In the spirit of the month of fooling, I invite you to play the April True or False game with me.
Our Champagne buyer Gary Westby has introduced all of us to the great Champagnes of Rene Collard. Mr. Collard is a perfectionist to the point of producing a grand total of three vintage-designated wines in the last 26 years. The 1990 Rene Collard Cuvee Reservee Millesime ($49.99) is the third of the latest of the triumvirate. Collard Champagnes show abundant breed and finesse. This bottling, consisting of 90% meunier and 10% chardonnay, is focused and fresh. As no secondary fermentation is induced, the Cuvee Reservee is crisp and intense with notes of melons and peaches. Fresh as a daisy at the sweet age of sixteen.
Westby once went dumpster diving for a bottle of Thomas Kruse non vintage Sauvignon Vert that I tossed out. He drank it! True or false?
1996 was a watershed vintage in Bordeaux, producing wines of great power and longevity. A prolific vintage such as this presents the opportunity for additional bottlings, or “second” wines. The 1996 Pagodes de Cos ($29.99) is such a wine, the little brother to the world-class Cos d’Estournel. The Pagodes carries the house style of exotic ripe black and red fruits and allspice. The quality is absolutely superb, better than many châteaux produced with their flagship bottlings. A great value.
Jim Barr once mistook a plastic decoy owl for a real one, and claimed to have seen it spread its wings. True or false?
Time for dessert: 1997 was not a year for greatness in Sauternes. Yet it is an important one, as these are the wines to enjoy while the longer-lived wines mature. The restaurants of France are so adept at selecting and showcasing wines from years like ’97, as the wines are more evolved and marry with the food sooner. Here in the states we go for the great vintages, disregarding where the wine may be in its aging cycle. The better houses produced wines of balance in ’97, but with the plump, forthcoming fruitiness that suggests early enjoyment. The sweet 1997 Guiraud ($47.99) has two faces: A lovely drink now with warm, buttery fruitiness, and the potential to age gracefully for a number of years.
Clyde Beffa once drove through an outdoor restaurant in the Rhone valley, scattering diners. True or false?
O.K. Two more: Jim Barr is the only K&L employee to throw up on the vines of Château Latour. True or false?
Trey Beffa once listed the city of an Iowa-based customer as Cedar Rabbits. True or false?
Answer: All true of course. —Joe Zugelder

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There has been some new and interesting wine terminology that has evolved the last several years; for instance, the term “Vintnervous: to worry that wine comes from a non-prestigious winery.” With that in mind, I am extremely happy that our group of wine buyers at K&L are not vintnervous when they are scurrying around Europe, South Africa, South America, New Zealand and Australia, finding wonderful wines of incredible quality from some very talented, and, in some cases, obscure producers. I am also extremely happy that our ever-expanding customers have come to respect our buyers’ wine-buying decisions and are not afraid to venture where many vintnervous customers will not, and experience some truly remarkable productions.
The first case in point is the fabulous 2004 Maison Champy Bourgogne Chardonnay “Signature” ($14.99) that Keith discovered on one of his buying trips to Burgundy last year. The 2004 whites from Burgundy are breathtaking, wondrous creatures. As one of the oldest houses in Beaune (founded in 1720), this very fine production from Maison Champy is a blend of barrel-fermented (80% new French oak) chardonnay from vineyards from Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault and Rully, and is a pure statement as to the greatness of this vintage. With just a touch of toasty oak, the bouquet erupts with wet-stone minerality intermingled with white peach and hints of honeysuckle. Your tongue will be rewarded with lush, complex, finely honed fruit flavors that offer incredible structure and backbone, and a mouthwatering finish that goes on forever. This is the perfect, everyday chardonnay, and Eby has told me it will be our house white for the month or else (put the claws away, girl; it will be!).
The second case in point is the 2004 Château Marjosse Entre-Deux-Mers Bordeaux Blanc ($9.99) that Clyde and Ralph discovered on one of their buying trips to Bordeaux last year. Under the leadership of Pierre Lurton (Cheval Blanc), this new property’s 2004 production is a blend of semillon (85%) and sauvignon blanc. Providing a lovely aroma of lime zest, lanolin and fig, in the mouth, this pretty white offers a nicely framed wine that is clean and crisp, yet with an underlining richness that carries into the finish.
The third case in point is the 2003 Château Peyraud Premieres Cotes de Blaye ($9.99), another Clyde and Ralph discovery. This deeply colored wine is vinified to drink now. Aged in tank only with no small barrel aging, it is mostly merlot (90%) with the balance being cabernet. Lush, ripe cassis to currant-like fruit on the nose and in the mouth, this drinking Bordeaux is soft and silky and is perfect to consume for the next three-plus years while you wait for your classified growths to pick up some bottle age in your cellar. Anderson says this will be one of our two house reds for the month.
Finally, the fourth case in point is the 2004 Domaine Phillipe Alliet Chinon ($16.99), a Jeff Vierra Loire Valley discovery from one of his buying trips last year. This is one of my favorite red wines in our massive inventory. Deep ruby in color, this exhilarating cabernet franc is flashy and bold on the nose, yet not over-the-top. There is an uncompromising purity on the tongue with this wine showing complete balance, fleshiness, focused dark fruits, terroir, complexity, tons of structure, soft tannins, and a silky, sleek finish. This is a Gem de la Gems, and Anderson and I both agree it will be our house red for however long it is available.
If you have any questions, you can email me at jimbarr@klwines.com. Enjoy this month’s selection or else! —Jim, Anderson, & Eby

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This month, dear reader, I have stumbled (no, flitted) my way onto Jeff Vierra’s German wine page in order to talk about one of my favorite, and in my opinion, most beautiful wines in the world: riesling! Now don’t get me wrong, I do love wines from my old stomping ground of, say, Corbieres, Cornas and Cahors. On the palate these hearty reds can be full of black fruit, beef blood and exhibit a magnificent sinewy texture. But could I, would I, drink these wines all the time? Hell no! Enjoying wine, as with Life, is all about finding balance, and along with the brawn, I absolutely must have beauty to make my wine drinking life meaningful.
The 2004 Schmitt-Wagner Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg Kabinett ($19.99) is a riesling that puts a smile on my face and a kick in my step. I’ve even been known to start dancing with myself after a glass or two. This ’04 Mosel is so pure and clean, that drinking it makes me feel like a kid again. Young, alive and VIBRANT!! And would you believe that this snappy, zippy, bright, lithe gem of a wine hails from 107-year-old un-grafted vines grown on pure Blue Devonian Slate? Despite all of its green apple and nectarine charm, this assuming kabinett has the structure to last 15 plus years. Have you fallen in love yet? There is a Chinese proverb concerning beauty that encourages the following: When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other. Well folks, riesling is my lily, and my world is certainly more rich and beautiful for drinking it. —Mulan Chan

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Let us concentrate on a winery that concentrates on red wine, and red wine only. Yes, we will need some concentration from you also! In the Mittelburgenland region of Austria you will find the village of Horitschon and within this village you will find Rotweingut Iby (Red winery Iby). Yes, this wine house grows and produces only red wines of the highest quality possible. There is no outside sourcing of fruit and the vineyard and cellar practices are extremely rigorous. At Iby the goal is a simple one: to produce wines that rich, full and harmonious. Since the beginning of the 20th century Iby has been naturally cultivating vines on there 20 hectares of vineyards. They make multiple passes during the growing season in order to thin and concentrate the yields that will eventually be harvested completely by hand. Depending on the varietal, some will be aged in oak some will not. The following two are un-oaked wines that are great examples.
2000 Iby Blaufränkisch Hochäcker ($14.99) A clean, full bodied wine with ripe tannin and a soft, juicy acidity. The dark ruby color will lead you into a world of fully ripened cherries and dark berries and then linger on your palate teasing you palate into wanting more. I'm sure Jim Barr would be willing to give this nine doggies!!!
2003 Iby Zweigelt Classic ($11.99) If you are wanting something that has a bit more weight and concentration, this could be right up your alley. Some even say this could be the Austrian equivalent to a spicy Cotes du Rhone. A perfect springtime BBQ wine, I think Jim would give this one eight kitty faces!!! —Eric Story

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The Spanish dish that I most closely associate with wine is paella. When we recently tried the 2004 Bodegas Mustiguillo Mestizaje ($13.99), I immediately imagined myself in the countryside enjoying this wine while waiting for and then eating paella. Fifty percent of this wine is bobal, a grape that Bodega Mustiguillo seems to single-handedly put into the category of fine wine grapes (The remaining proportion is cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah and grenache). Dark cherries, and a lot of them, on the nose and the palate. Spiced and accentuated with oak, flowers and minerals. Medium bodied, supple and elegant, it has soft tannins and a fresh long finish. Also try it alongside roast chicken, pork, veal or simply jamon y quesa.
The next two wines’ structure and size makes them cry out for meat! Roasted, broiled, braised and grilled. The 2001 Cillar de Silos, Ribera del Duero Crianza ($24.99) has a delicious Graves-like note of minerality to it. This is not a shy wine, with plenty of ripe, dark fruits and toasty oak on the nose. On the palate it is big, with concentrated red and dark fruits, chewy tannins, spicy oak and a considerable finish. Drink tonight with about an hour of decanting or cellar for a few more years. The 2001 Bodegas Balbas, Ribera del Duero Crianza ($21.99) has more of a Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnels character, think Poujeaux with American oak. Dark cherries, berries, earth and sweet oak dominate the nose. On the palate this has more dark fruits that are accented with a pleasant tobacco earthy spice. Medium to full-bodied with good structure, there is a seamless quality to this wine that makes it a pleasure to drink. —Kirk Walker

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As I put this column together, I am preparing for a buying trip to Spain! Look for an update in the May newsletter!
2004 Las Rocas de San Alejandro, Garnacha, Calatayud ($7.99) 89 points Stephen Tanzer: “...Perfumed aromas of liqueur-like dark berries and black cherry, licorice and spicy oak. Smooth, ripe, fat and full, with an enticing dark cherry flavor. This is wonderfully lush and pliant for a red wine under $10. Finishes with big, mouthdusting tannins and lingering sweetness. Exceptional value.”
2004 Bodegas Y Vinedos Maurodos Prima, Toro ($14.99) Wow! An awesome wine for an awesome price! Made by famous Spanish winemaker, Mariano Garcia, this tempranillo packs a punch with loads of ripe cherry/blackberry fruit, a lush mid-palate, and a long spicy finish. The plush mouth feel is balanced with bright acidity and a little kick of tannin. Enjoy this red with grilled leg of lamb!
2003 Celler de Capcanes Mas Donis Barrica ($10.99) 92 points Robert Parker: “...aged ten months in both American and French oak. Its dense ruby/purple color is followed by sumptuous aromas of blueberries, black currants, cold steel, and minerals. Evocative of a baby Priorat, it possesses an amazing fragrance, considerable nobility as well as complexity, medium to full body, and a long, concentrated, heady finish. Enjoy it over the next 5-7 years.”
2003 Bodegas Castano Solanera, Yecla ($11.99) 91 points Robert Parker: “...a beautiful blend of 75% Mourvedre and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. A dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by a smoky, scorched earth-scented nose displaying notions of black cherry jam, licorice, and truffles. Ripe and medium to full-bodied, with wonderful sweetness, it possesses purity, suppleness, and balance…another example of why Spain is beating virtually every other viticultural area in the world when it comes to high quality wines that sell for a song.” Saludos! —Anne Pickett, anne@klwines.com

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Woodenhead Winery? If you have read my article before, you might remember me mentioning them in the past. In March, they released their long-awaited zinfandels. I’m a big supporter of this winery and great wines are just part of the reason. Owners Nikolai and Zina are wine lovers and have a great passion for making the best wine possible. They are also very nice people who always have a smile for everyone. They continue to have “day jobs” and can be found at the winery most weekends. If you’re planning a trip to Sonoma, give them a call (707) 887-2703 and maybe you can drop by. We currently have the following wines in stock:
The 2003 Zinfandel, Martinelli Road Old Vine, Russian River Valley ($36.99) is a big, bright and attractive with a little chocolate and soft tannin, which adds great structure. That structure sets this wine apart from other wines from this vineyard. It's like biting into a big slice of berry pie. 182 cases made. The 2003 Woodenhead Sonoma Zinfandel ($26.99) shows dark raspberry and cherry in the mouth with hints of clove and vanilla. 333 cases made. The 2003 Woodenhead Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($44.99) is a super smooth, plush and powerful pinot. This wine shows great balance and is one of the best Anderson wines you could ever try. 310 cases made.
See you in the City… —Mike Jordan

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Last month I spent a few days in the Napa Valley, attending the Premier Napa Valley Auction. Premier Napa Valley is a mid-winter barrel auction for the trade. This is one of the two auctions put together by the Napa Valley Vintners Association. The other auction is the Napa Valley Wine Auction, which is held in the summer. The weather was perfect, the food was great, and the 2004s showed surprisingly well. The auction itself is actually on Saturday, but many of the wineries have open houses, tasting events and parties on the days that lead up to the auction. One nice thing about the events that the wineries have is all the older vintages that they pour. Corison had a vertical tasting of 1989 through 1994. Shafer was pouring Hillside Select from ’86, ’91, ’95 and ’02. Duckhorn poured the oldest wine of the day, an ’83 Three Palms Merlot, which was served from 6 liter. The main event is on Saturday. First there is a barrel tasting. Here you get a chance to taste the lots that will be auctioned off later in the day. Every winery does something special. The lots they auction off are unique and come from a specific barrel that will be bottled separately for the individual who buys it. So when you taste Silver Oak at the tasting, it is not the wine that will be released in a couple of years. It may be a component of or something totally different. It is still a good chance to get an idea of the fruit that 2004 produced. One thing for sure is that it was a small crop, and production will be down on most wines. I have heard mixed things about 2004’s quality but the wines showed pretty well across the board.
Everyone we talked to was very excited about 2005s. After the tasting the auction starts. It is held in a packed room, there is very little oxygen, and it is loud. The bidders who are smart get pre-orders from their customers and bid accordingly. However, if you want to get a lot from a big name, Lewis, Shafer or even Rombauer, be prepared to pay for it. These lots can sell from $30k to $80k. For five cases that could be around $1000 per bottle! The good news is it all goes to charity. —Trey Beffa

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Here’s a bit of irony for you: I was reading an article from UC Davis Dept of Ampelography last month and discovered something incredibly interesting. Studies on wine residues in clay pots in Haifa (known as Galilee in Biblical times), shows surprising genetic matches with what’s believed to be none other than our much-maligned merlot grape! Apparently, this seemed to be the wine of choice for those settlements along what is now called the Holy Land. According to the article, there was more than a good chance the wine created from water in that very famous Canaan wedding was merlot (or some form of it)! While this data is not 100% conclusive, the way I see it, if merlot was good enough for heavenly consumption, it’s good enough for me. So, who’s laughing now, Miles?
2003 Cloverdale Ranch Alexander Valley Merlot ($19.99) Consistently one of the more impressive Merlots we carry every year. This year, it’s still stylishly seductive, but adds an extra element of soft, ripe tannins and subtle earthy tones that keep its posture straight and hair combed just right. What a great, full-bodied effort, and the most striking to date.
2003 Burgess Napa Merlot ($14.99) You’ve got to love these guys. Besides being just killer nice people, their wines are remarkable and affordable. You don’t often see serious Merlot this flat-out good at prices that can be considered “everyday.” Yet this Merlot will never fail you in times of either friendly get-togethers or important dinners. Way to go!
And why not, let’s throw in Merlot’s friendly rival, Pinot Noir. Though not divinely inspired, the ever-consistent 2004 Olivet Lane Russian River Pinot Noir ($23.99), loads up on the velvety, seductive sensory heaven that is Russian River Pinot Noir. Each new release, just like every new Mardi Gras, reminds you how good life is. It’s foolish not to drink it on the first day of April, too. Oh wait, there’s no Davis Department of Ampelography, you say? Fine, but the joke’s on you. Enjoy anyway! —Martin Reyes

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Well, it’s both for me this month! I’ll be spending the first half of the month in South Africa tasting my way through the Cape Wine Expo. Of course, I could never forget my home wines of California, and I have some delicious wines for you this month!
I do love the wines of Honig, and the 2005 Honig Napa Sauvignon Blanc ($11.99) is another winner in a long line of great SBs. Tropical fruits abound, papaya, guava, sweet grapefruit and a nice light mineral feel. Finishing fine and crisp, my mouth waters just thinking about it. Honig cabs have been improving year after year, and the 2003 Honig Napa Cabernet Sauvignon ($29.99) is now available. Rich and bright black raspberry with a Rutherford dust nose leads you to a wonderful mouthful of blackberries and black plums, smooth toasty vanillin oak and a sprinkling of black pepper and eastern spices. The wine has good structure but is nice and juicy with a smooth velvety texture, finishing pretty long with an elusive mocha note.
If you’re in the mood for a New Zealand style Sauvignon Blanc, you must try the 2005 Pomelo Sauvignon Blanc ($9.99). This is a perfect name for the wine. It has a spectacularly juicy exotic tangy grapefruit nose and a palate of exciting and mouthwatering tropical and citrus fruits laced with lemon zest. A zippy acidity keeps the whole thing bright and lively. This little beauty screams for seafood and a warm spring afternoon.
Tom Renaldi (of Duckhorn fame) is making fantastic wines at Provenance , and the 2003 Provenance Rutherford Cabernet ($29.99) is quite a bargain. This has it all, approachable pretty dense rich black fruits, Rutherford dust, cocoa, black spices, sweet oak, vanilla, with plenty of structure wrapped in velvety goodness! A big deal Napa Cab at a great price! —Shaun Green

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Yes that is right, Corsica! This month I am pleased to be able to make this guest appearance here and talk about some of the wines that I really love to drink. Along with all the Riesling, Grüner Veltliner and funky Loire and Alsace wines that I drink, I am also keenly interested in the South of France. Granted the South of France is a large area. I cannot comment on everything in such a short space but let me say that after traveling there briefly last summer I was impressed with the energy and passion of the quality growers. I predict that in the next few years we will be hearing much more about these dynamic and evolving growing regions that are now producing wines that can now hold their own on the world stage. Now on to Corsica!!
We are now importing one of the real stars of the Corsican wine scene, Yves Canarelli who produces wines near Figari on the ferociously windy southern tip of the Island. The soils are granitic in base with alluvial material and, of course, they are very poor, making for vines that must reach deep for sustenance. Corsica though the southern-most growing region in France is not by any means its hottest. It is essentially a mountain rising from the sea to heights of over 8500 feet with peaks where the snow never melts and winds that never quiet.
The potential for Corsican wine is only limited by the producer’s dedication to the incredible terrior their home possesses. The 2003 Clos Canarelli “Le Petit Clos” ($14.99), a blend of syrah, nielluccio (sangiovese) and sciacarello is friendly and easy with ripe round flavors, a juicy bright mouth feel and an intriguing nose of floral and sage brush notes with hints of sandalwood and earth. Can you say lamb!!
The top wine of the domaine is the 2003 Clos Canarelli ($24.99). This blend of old-vine syrah and nielluccio aged in wood is one of the great wines of the island and of Southern France. It is dense and powerful with a strong mineral component even in a hot year like ’03, yet it is still fresh and very supple due to the cooling winds of Figari. The nose is exotic in the way you would imagine a Sultan’s tent to smell with incense and dates, smoke from a fire roasting meats and that elusive term, garrigue, the sweet, warm smell of herbs and soil and brush. You can drink this now if you decant it, but the wine will be at its best from 2008-2015+ —Jeff Vierra

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Ecoutez s’il vous plait! The 2003s from Moulin de la Gardette have arrived! These Gigondas beauties from Jean-Baptiste Meunier have been on our list of favorites here at K&L for the last several vintages now, and boy are we stoked about the recent arrival of these Rhones from the very sunny and warm 2003 vintage. Meunier’s small domaine encompasses approximately 17.5 acres from clay and limestone soils located on both the terraced vineyards as well as the lower plateaus of Gigondas. The average vine age here is around 60 years, and from very low yields, Meunier crafts a range of powerful yet fine grenache-based reds. Are you curious about all of the hoopla over these wines? Then read on!
The 2003 Moulin de la Gardette Gigondas “Tradition” ($18.99) is a lovely southern Rhone with super bright cherry notes, along with hints of sassafras, lavender and cocoa power. This southern Rhone posess very nice balance, with juicy fruit and medium-fine tannins that make the finish on this wine elegant rather than coarse and chewy. Crack open a bottle of the Tradition and enjoy with grilled chicken and fig sausages or a homemade wild mushroom pizza!
Think of the 2003 Moulin de la Gardette Gigondas “Cuvee Ventabren” ($27.99) as the “Tradition’s” big brother, which hails from the estates oldest vines, some of them being nearly 100 years in age! Notes of Provencal garrigue and black olive come to mind, along with lush black cherry and boysenberry fruits. The “Ventabren” is a step up as far as depth, focus and age-worthiness are concerned. Best from 2008, or decant for a couple hours and enjoy with heartier fare like a grilled rib-eye steak slathered in black olive butter! Enjoy!
—Mulan Chan

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While you are hopefully reading this, my cohort in Southern Hemispheric interests, Shaun Green, will be on his way to South Africa for the first time. So, I’m going to share a couple of those wines with you now as I have a feeling he will be waxing poetic about the wines of South Africa upon his return.
2003 Fairview “Caldera” Swartland South Africa ($22.99) This wine is made by Charles Back, the man who produces Goats do Roam, the biggest selling South African wine in the States. With this effort, he has blended 47% grenache from 61-year-old bushvines with 29% mourvèdre and 24% shiraz. The grapes are hand sorted and fermented in open-top barrels and then basket pressed. The bouquet has notes of dusty raspberry, earth, red licorice, smoke and pepper. On the palate the wine has silky tannins with hints of cedar and chocolate.
2004 Glen Carlou Chardonnay Paarl South Africa ($12.99) The Glen Carlou Chardonnay has got to be one of the great bargains in the wine business. The wine is barrel aged for 10 months in assorted French oak with 5% of the final blend in American. The nose is bright and fresh with notes of citrus, spiced pear, apple, light toasty oak and nuts. All of these elements are enhanced by a Burgundian minerality and supported by fine acidity giving a juicy mouth feel with a long finish. I like to think of this wine as a mini Meursault, so take note Francophiles and give it a shot. Cheers! —Jimmy C

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The yearly unveiling of Bordeaux’s new vintage at the Union des Grand Crus tasting on the West Coast is usually a pretty serious event. Serious concentration on the faces of the American tasters, many tasting the wines for the very first time, and taking serious notes. The Bordelais pouring the wines are also a bit intense as they listen politely to comments about their wines and wonder if people really understand them. This year was completely different with 2003 Bordeaux; it was a lovefest! Smiles abounded from everyone’s faces. The wines showed fabulous ripe fruit, rich textures, and they tasted great, which solidified the fact that this vintage will be legendary in America, without question the best-tasting high-quality young Bordeaux vintage since 1982. With this kind of appeal the assumption of course is that the wines will be very expensive, and this is true for the most famous estates in wine. But the reality is that there are also plenty of great wines and many are fine values.
The 2003s are trickling in, and here are some of the early examples of these superb wines.
2003 Ch. Fontenil, Fronsac ($21.99) The estate is owned by the world’s most famous enologist Michel Rolland, so it is no surprise that it has huge amounts of sweet, ripe merlot fruit with nice backbone. Flat out delicious.
2003 Ch. Bernadotte, Haut-Médoc ($20.99, $42.99 1.5L) We call it baby Pichon-Lalande as it is owned and made by the great second growth. It captures the hallmark characteristics of Pichon: freshness, elegance, and in 2003 the ripeness brings the berry flavors to the forefront and raises the wine up to another level of quality.
2003 Ch. Reignac, Bordeaux Superior ($24.99) This estate went from bulk wine producer to being the superstar of all Bordeaux Superiores! Smoky berry fruit dominate, with hints of dark chocolate, not overdone or over extracted as it has been in some vintages, a real winner.
2003 Ch. La Couspaude, St-Emilion ($45.99) From the Aubert family in St-Emilion. If you love flashy, exotic, ripe merlot fruit and heavily scented new french oak, you will love this wine. Its bold character really reflects the need to be cellared for a few years, if you can stay away.
Claire Villars brings generations of winemaking knowledge to her craft and could be the hottest winemaker in all of Bordeaux. She makes the wine at the smallest of all the classified growths, the 5,000 case production 3rd growth, Ch. Ferriere. The fruit in her 2003 Ch. Ferriere, Margaux ($28.99) is so attractive it’s almost tropical with hints of raspberry jam, soft and round in the mouth with silky tannins. Wow! Her Pauillac estate, 5th growth 2003 Haut-Bages-Liberal, Pauillac ($26.99), located next to Ch. Latour and Pichon Comtesse de Lalande is more masculine and firm, of course, but has good ripe, bright middle fruit and will drink earlier than most Pauillacs. The time is now to get on board with Claire’s wines before she gets too popular.
Please feel free to contact me anytime with questions or advice on the wines of Bordeaux at ex 2723 or Ralph@klwines.com. Cheers and Go Giants! —Ralph Sands

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Tax time is here, and not many of us are in the mood to take a chance when it comes to spending money. But we still crave good wine, so what should we do? By sticking to the most consistent producers we get great value without feeling like we have to gamble with our tax return.
2002 Pagodes de Cos, St-Estèphe ($22.99) Cos d’Estournel is one of the best and most consistent wines of St-Estèphe, and their 2nd wine is always a delicious value. This shows a bright, smokey herbal nose and lots of firm, ripe berry fruit with supple texture. Decant this rich and versatile bargain tonight or cellar some for several more years.
2002 La Fleur de Bouard, Lalande de Pomerol ($25.99) Run by the folks at Château Angelus, this property always seems to craft incredibly tasty wines that are easy to drink as soon as they are released. This silky wine displays lots of rich, ripe fruit and toasty oak in a flashy style that remains elegant and balanced. This wine is always a crowd favorite at my monthly tastings consistently beating out Bordeaux that costs twice as much.
2002 l’Eglise Clinet, Pomerol ($74.99) At a recent event in San Francisco the 2001 vintage of this wine was my choice for best of the 60 Bordeaux poured, beating out several First Growths and two super expensive Right Bank “garage” wines. Despite boasting some of the oldest vines in Pomerol, microscopic production (only 12,000 bottles) allows this château to fly under the radar. Yet it has one of the most consistent track records in all of Bordeaux. Super refined and complex, showing silky raspberries and mineral. This satin-textured wine is truly profound.
1998 Pichon-Lalande, Pauillac ($57.99) Our favorite Bordeaux hits the mark year after year, even in difficult vintages. The big firm cabernet shows in the aromatics with complex herb, cedar and smoke that leap from the glass. The high percentage of merlot shines on the palate giving this round, silky wine a lushness you won’t often find in 1998 Médocs. Pichon-Lalande is the closest thing to a slam dunk regardless of the vintage, and this is a shining example. Enjoy now or age 15 more years. —Steve Bearden

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As you read this month’s newsletter, Ralph, Chip, Steve and I will be in Bordeaux, tasting the newest “vintage of the Century,” the much-heralded 2005 Bordeaux wines, already said to be better than 2003 and 2000, more of a combination of 1982, 1986 and 1996 ... great Cabernet year, etc, etc. We will beg for a few cases and we will be happy with what we get. It looks to be a sellers’ market, and you know that means high prices. Our report should be out by the end of April. Now’s the time to put your name on the waiting list for any wines you may want. There will be severe allocations for some of these wines.
Meanwhile, the absolutely delicious 2003 Bordeaux wines are arriving daily. We have 6000 cases coming from Bordeaux, so please be patient while waiting for these to arrive.
Our Pichon-Lalande dinner at Cetrella on March 2 was superb: great crowd (sellout), fabulous wines and delicious food. These are the best bargain dinners in the U.S.A. —Clyde Beffa Jr

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I’ve come across a great wine recently, the 1997 Clos du Marquis, St-Julien ($31.99). This second wine of the world-famous Léoville-Las-Cases is truly a superb wine for tonight. The succulent sweet concentrated dark fruit is well integrated with the oak and offers great balance. I think this is one of the better second wines from the 1997 vintage. Enjoy it by itself or any cheese.
One other great value now back in stock is the 2001 Haut-Vigneau, Pessac-Leognan ($13.99). Helped by the winemaking crew at Carbonnieux, Haut-Vigneau offers a solid wine. Showing sweet berries, cassis and little oak as well as good mineral tones, this wine can be enjoyed today (with decanting) and over the next five years.
The 2002 Haut-Bergey, Pessac-Leognan ($19.99) is another great Pessac that can be enjoyed today. Bright cherry, slight red berry with good structure, but not hard, nice acidity is what makes this one of the most elegant wines of Pessac in 2002. It’s still young, but don’t be afraid to open it and let yourself be charmed.
The 2003 St-Hilaire, Haut-Médoc ($14.99) is one of our better value wines of the 2003 vintage. As you might know, 2003 was an extremely hot vintage in Bordeaux. Plenty of ripe concentrated fruit, cassis and blackberry come to mind. The tannins are present but not aggressive. Still young, but with the warm weather coming and the charcoal already warming up, this will be great with any grilled beef from strip sirloin to burgers. —Alexandre Brisoux

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In southern Tuscany the tiny town of Montalcino sits upon an exposed ridge, its narrow stone streets act as accelerators, amplifying the frigid February winds, focusing their brutally cold, knife edge points into all who walk her streets. An occasional rain squall blows through just to add an unavoidable, horizontally moving accent to the cold humidity. Broken umbrellas litter the uncovered trash receptacles around the town, an ever-present reminder of the wind’s fury. This vivid picture of nature flexing her muscles is an excellent cue to this vintage’s beginning on a frozen Easter Sunday back in April 2001.
Montalcino’s elite gathered in its Medici Fortress to debut this much anticipated 2001 vintage, yet the scoop was already out. Brunello di Montalcino’s extremely long gestation period of more than four years allows wine aficionados to get many chances to watch the evolution of each vintage’s wine. The 2001 was no secret, aging quietly for years waiting for its release. James Suckling of the Wine Spectator was the first to release his scores starting with 98 points for the 2001 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino, and 90-point scores are falling like crumbs from a loaf of stale, unsalted Tuscan bread. Most of the American journalists I have talked to see this as a great vintage. The Wine Enthusiast is releasing their scores now and the Wine Advocate to follow soon after, finally catching up to the vintage this year.
In my article last month I wrote about this 2001 vintage being a synthesis 1997 and 1999. The lush, ripe, thick, low-acid 1997 vintage that put Brunello di Montalcino into America’s wine lexicon and the classically elegant, long, graceful and fresher 1999 vintage that was the purists’ favorite. 2001 has the weight, texture and structure that anyone who tastes it will recognize its importance immediately. The wines’ dark, opaque character shows how this vintage’s concentration levels are unusual for Montalcino, where the difficult to grow Sangiovese grape rarely lends itself to this level of density. The vintage has fully ripened fruit without a hint of the over-ripeness that plagued many wines from 1997. When one gets fruit from over-ripe vintages they tend to be mono-flavored behemoths, and this tends to make the wines less complex in the long run. 2001’s fruit is truly special; the long hang time let the grapes develop complex flavors not just high sugar levels. The supple warmth of this seasoned fruit gives an easy entry into the mouth, yet behind the fruit lays significant tannic structure. The key to sangiovese is always the acidity, and it is the acidity that gives the wine length, elegance, grace and that ever-elusive balance. In 2001 the linear characteristic of sangiovese’s acidity carries the powerful tannins into balance. Spice, fruit, structure, color, balance, complexity—everything one could want in a vintage! However, unlike the spectacularly balanced 1999 vintage where almost every producer’s Brunello was a textbook example. This vintage seems to have been harder to make for some. I can’t give a blanket stamp of approval for this vintage—the good and great producers have made outstanding wine, but there are still many wines out of balance. Fortunately the greatest number of these wines won’t be coming to America so you won’t have to worry. And, of course, we’ve tasted through 163 different wines and eliminated those we think won’t be of interest to you.
The Wines: One ultimate word of caution: Don’t buy the numbers! I received an email from a client who isn’t familiar with Brunello. He’s a self-proclaimed Burgundy/Pinot Noir nut who doesn’t enjoy heavily oaked wines that hide the terroir or give a manipulated feel to the wines. He then asked to buy some well-known, oaky, manipulated wines from Montalcino because they got high scores. Know what it is you want to drink. Ask the questions. Fame and points are not the truest path to finding what you like.
The Valdicava is …in a word, wonderful. I don’t always agree with James Suckling’s ratings. And truthfully, I don’t ever remember agreeing with his top pick as the wine of any vintage. But it would be hard to argue that this wine isn’t anything but superb. Casanova di Neri “Tenuta Nuova” has the feel of the new world, while not laden with obtrusive oak. It is extraordinarily well made, and with the 97-point rating it will be getting a lot of attention and will be in short supply. We at K&L decided several years ago that the only way to really sell Brunello was to import directly so we could offer you the best prices on less well-known wines. Sesta di Sopra is one of those. This year this tiny winery (333 case production of Brunello) garnered 95 points from James Suckling. Needless to say, we think he got this one correct. Since their debut vintage in 1999 they have made nothing but seriously good wine. By the time that you read this, the rest of our comments and some new surprise discoveries will be on the website for your perusal. This vintage will be selling out rapidly. The best way to keep up is for me to have your email address, and you’ll be amongst the first to know. Send it to me at greg@klwines.com. Enjoy! —Greg St. Clair

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What a crazy day! I made a last minute round at the fair. The general public is allowed into Alimentaria today, so it’s even more crowded and loud! A quick pass through El Corte Ingles for gifts and on to taste some new projects from our great friend in wine Eric Solomon of European Cellars. There are some terrific new whites on the horizon---great things from Galicia and Rueda. I tried a new Priorat that you folks are going to love, love, love! Right now it’s 1:30 AM and I have just gotten back from dinner. The wind is howling loudly outside and I need to pack my bags. It’s time to say good bye to Barcelona, one of my favorite cities in the world and to all of the lovely people who made this week at Alimentaria fun, educational, and a pleasure. ---Hasta la proxima vez!
-Anne Pickett

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Cross your fingers, folks! Oh heck, cross your toes, too! We may get the wine of Marques de Murrieta back in the store. They broke up with their last importer and have been out of the West Coast market for almost a year now. Boy do I miss their products. I tried all of their new releases, and they were awesome. As soon as we work out the issues, I will let everybody know! D.O. overload…Spain has somewhere around 65 Denominacion de Origen defined regions. Ucles, one of their newest, was making their debut at Alimentaria. It was the first time that I have tried wines from Ucles, which is an area in Southern Spain. More big fat reds…we’ll see how it goes. Cultural note of the day: while in the States 2 out of 3 ain’t bad, apparently in Spain, it’s 4 out of 5. Well, at least according to one rather flirtatious taxi driver. Saludos! -Anne Pickett

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Wow! What a day! So many great wines and lots of information today! The new wines from Arzuaga were spectacular. Everything from their Pago Florentino project to the barrel sample of 2004 Arzuaga (no classification, yet) was terrific. Cillar de Silos is making awesome wine as well. I was hugely impressed with wines from Leda, another Ribera del Duero. I can’t wait to show you one of their top value wines…travel note: Modern Spanish cuisine is stunning. So far Abak and OMM have been the most impressive places…tasting notes and menu to follow…Saludos! -Anne Pickett

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More tastings and more wines! The fair was even more crowded today. It was great to try so many new vintages and new projects. For those of you who were huge fans of the Ercavio, expect more great things from the folks at Mas Que Vinos. Their 2004 reds and 2005 whites are terrific. Keep and eye out for some in May/June of 2006. The new wines from Izadi were also a high point today and well as the 2003 Finca Villacreces, Ribera del Duero. I tasted a few wines from Rioja and Bierzo that I can’t wait to have in the store. More info about those wines will be available as soon as I work out the logistics...Travel oddity of the day…all of the taxi drivers in Barcelona have books of maps in the city with them in the car. When they are even a bit unsure of the location, they look it up! I have never seen that in San Francisco…Saludos!
-Anne Pickett

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It is day 1 here in lovely Barcelona and everything is fabulous. There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 40,000 people attending the fair this year and it showed. I was lucky enough to be invited to a big tasting by one of the most important wine shops of Barcelona, Viniteca Vila. For those of you who are traveling to Barcelona and you are looking for that perfect hard to find Spanish wine, I highly recommend a visit to Viniteca Vila. The tasting highlights today were the 2003 Aalto, 2003 Aalto PS and a barrel sample of the 2004 Clos Erasmus…all awesome! Complete tasting notes will be available when I return. Well, it’s off to get ready for my 10 pm dinner reservation!
Saludos! Anne Pickett

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