Last January Guido Parres and I visited with La Fortuna’s irrepressible Gioberto Zannoni and his young son Angelo at their winery in Montalcino. Gioberto had decided years ago not to make any 2002 Brunello, so we focused on their new releases. We first tasted the 2004 La Fortuna “Fortunello” ($17.99) a mini Super Tuscan made from 90% sangiovese and 10% merlot. We were really impressed by the forward, rich fruit and smooth finish. It was a wine that put a smile on our faces, so easy to drink and perfect for grilled foods, whether fowl or terrestrial. The 2005 La Fortuna Rosso di Montalcino ($21.99) was powerful; it had the structure and density of Brunello, filled with cranberry, plum flavors and chock full of spice and violets in the nose, a wine with power and grace. It was truly more impressive than a mere Rosso. It is dynamic, structured, has great balance and is worthy of aging for 3-5 more years, while being very drinkable now. Gioberto’s 2001 Brunello was awarded 3 Glasses from Gambero Rosso last year and was one of our most popular wines while it was available. We loved it. Guido’s keen eye saw a pile of magnums (he loves big bottles) and when I asked Gioberto what they were, he responded, “the last of the 2001!” So we bought ‘em! The 2001 La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino 1.5L ($89.99) has a particular energy wine that resonates from an interior core of structure. (I was thinking of something new to write about this wine but what I originally wrote still seems to be the best, so pardon my personal plagiarism.)The wine’s warm, sweet ripeness is full of intense plum and dark cherry aromatics that seem poised to jump out of the glass. The thick, lush, yet dazzlingly fresh fruit character is accented with hints of earth, spice and mineral wrapped around a powerful foundation. While profoundly concentrated, the silky texture of this wine sends waves of smooth, unctuous texture across your palate. Powerful, complex, drinkable and age-worthy, this luscious Brunello shows the great balance inherent in this 2001 vintage and it will age well for another decade plus. The 2001 La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino Riserva ($54.99) is a powerhouse, a wine with decidedly more structure and concentration than the non-riserva (it just doesn’t seem correct to say the “normale”). It is a wine that can cellar for another decade, yet it is forward enough (with a few hours of decanting) to drink now. If you can’t get Gioberto’s favorite accompaniment, the classic and powerful Montalcino dish, Cinghiale (wild boar), try it with your favorite steak.

The new vintage 2006 Blason Tocai Friulano ($9.99) has arrived, it is truly stunning and a steal at the price. It seems to be more popular every year! This vintage is rich, more complex than the 2005, layered with spice with suggestions of tarragon and lime in the finish. Fermented in stainless steel and aged on the lees, the wine has a great balance of fruit, spice and it is such a pleasure to drink, you’ll love it! I like it with linguine and clams.

—Greg St. Clair

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If you love the wines of Bordeaux, but don’t yet have your arms around the 2004 vintage, I recommend a group hug. Sandwiched between the two very different but great vintages of '03 and '05, it offers quality and value like we may never see again from Bordeaux’s famous estates.

In Bordeaux, quality should be judged by the overall excellence of the classified growths and the hundreds of petite châteaux. And that’s what customers got a chance to do on a warm Saturday in July, when they turned out to taste wines from the likes of Cos, Lynch, Léoville, Pichon and Pontet. The wines showed fantastically and produced plenty of interesting comments, most along the lines of “how can 2005 be much better than these wines?” After 33 visits to Bordeaux, I’ve learned that the super-hyped “great” vintages are certainly very good, but that the quality and competition to make great wine is so intense in Bordeaux today, that vintages like 2004 can come very close to the quality and overall taste of a vintage with bigger scores slapped on.

2004 Reserve de la Comtesse ($33.99) The second wine of Pichon-Lalande is a model of consistency; mid-weight, the brisk ripe fruit is very fresh, extremely floral with hints of cedar.

2004 Domaine de Chevalier ($44.99) An elegant K&L favorite for decades but a wine that never entered the category of greatness. That changed beginning in 2002; still very elegant, but now a much deeper core of perfectly ripe, silky red fruit greet you on the palate. This is a long finishing wine that is very impressive. Dare I say Cheval Blanc-ish!

2004 d’Armailhac ($26.99) This Mouton wine is also changing. While its stablemate Clerc-Milon inches closer in quality to Mouton, d’Armailhac is approaching the quality of the finest Clerc-Milon. Strong and masculine cabernet fruit with good spice, not heavily extracted but classic claret. A great value!

2004 Lynch-Bages (Inquire) Revered worldwide for its attractive, forward fruit and flat out good taste, this is exactly what you have with the 2004. Round, plump red-black fruit with vanilla tinges, it will give good pleasure relatively early in life, much like the 2001.

2004 Cos d’Estournel ($81.99) A very serious Cos! Intensely focused wine with loads of dark fruit, power and purity along with old vine fruit. Great length and a great future ahead for this Cos—at an old school price.

2004 Pontet-Canet ($52.99) My favorite wine and choice for “wine of the vintage” considering price. Loads of dark, rich, viscous fruit from perfectly ripe grapes. Flavors of blueberries and blackberries bounce effusively out of the glass. This is great wine! Big but not over extracted; keeps perfect balance and retains elegance, which is, at the end of the day, the hallmark character of great Bordeaux wine.

2001 Castelnau de Suduiraut ($29.99) If you have ever wondered about just how good the 2001 vintage was in Sauternes, try this second wine from the great Suduiraut. Customers said all day long: “I can’t believe this is second wine!” Sweetness, acid and balance, it’s all there.

Please feel free to contact me anytime for advice or questions on the wines of Bordeaux at x2723 or Ralph@klwines.com. Cheers and Toujours Bordeaux.

—Ralph Sands

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With just a few days left in August, it's time to start thinking about which wines you'll be drinking this fall. Here are some of my favorite Italian gems to enjoy while the weather is still warm.

2005 Vallevo Cerasuolo Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Rosé ($7.99) This has been one of the best kept secrets at K&L! The Montepulciano grapes are crushed and the skins are macerated for 12 hours and then the wine is vinified off the skins like white wine. A dark salmon color, strawberries, some herbal notes and very lively and fresh on the palate. Grab two bottles; the first one will empty quickly.

2006 Marco Porello Arneis ($14.99) Last year we introduced this wine to you with the 2005 vintage (and it sold out quickly) and we eagerly awaited this 2006. No disappointments here! Fragrant is perhaps the best word to describe this full-bodied white, with tangerine and wet stones, perfectly balanced and great acidity. This will work well with many dishes; I enjoy it as an aperitif with antipasti and cheeses.

2006 Ruggeri Corsini Bianco della Langhe ($14.99) And now for something completely different! From Piedmont, a blend of 60% chardonnay, 28% sauvignon blanc and 12% nascetta, this carries the weight of the chard but has the crispness from the sauvignon blanc, full-bodied and wonderful length on the finish. Think pasta with white sauces with this wine.

2005 Ruggeri Corsini Barbera d’Alba ($14.99) We’ve had this wine for a month now, but it was very tight just coming off the ship. Now it is just coming in to its own: Ripe black cherries, plum, red raspberries, cassis and a little spiciness mingle on this well-integrated and full-bodied wine. This a great for the last of the summer barbecues.

Salute!

—Mike Parres

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Whether you’re looking for new arrivals or older vintages, the shelves here at K&L are brimming with great Bordeaux in every price range.

2002 Rocher Bellevue Figeac, Saint-Emilion ($19.99) This small, quality-conscious property located not far from the more famous Château Figeac, has been producing affordable, accessible wines for years. This is rich, fruity and succulent with no hard edges and a surprisingly warm, round personality for the vintage. A bargain priced sleeper to enjoy anytime.

2003 Poujeaux, Moulis ($29.99) One of our favorite overachievers and a bargain, vintage after vintage. This amazingly consistent property hit another home run in 2003 with this soft, ripe and earthy value. Only slightly tannic, this has muted scents of tobacco and plums with a round, warm middle of raspberry and dark currant fruit. Delicious as always!

1994 and 1997 Château Ormes de Pez, St-Estèphe ($24.99) Direct from the property. Both are drinking perfectly right now and represent an amazing value in mature Bordeaux. Each has soft, alluring aromas of delicate fruit and cedar with the '97 being a touch fruitier and the '94 having the huskier personality. Great winemaking and perfectly stored bottles! At these prices, what are you waiting for?

1991 Léoville-Las Cases, St-Julien ($129.00) This star of the 1991 vintage must be tasted by anyone who loves perfectly mature, classic Bordeaux. Earth, mineral, cedar, herbs and spices mingling together in an almost exotic fashion. On the palate there are hints of tea, plums, roasted herbs, cherries, mineral and spice all done up in satin and silk. Its long, gently persistent finish reminds us why we age great wine .

—Steve Bearden

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Whether you consider South America a new frontier or a rediscovery, its historic wine regions are on the rise. The proof is in the pudding or, in this case, the wine.

2005 Casa Silva Carmenère Reserva ($12.99) Carmenère may have had a hard time ripening in Bordeaux’s fickle maritime climate, but in the warm Chilean sunshine it flourishes. This wine is a real pleasure to consume now; loaded with plum and cassis flavors its soft lush finish makes it irresistible. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate found it irresistible as well giving it 90 points.

2005 Mont Gras “Quatro” Reserva ($13.99) Called Quatro because it utilizes four grape varieties: cabernet sauvignon, malbec, merlot and carmenère, this wine exemplifies the new face of Chilean winemaking. Warm, dark blackberry fruit exudes from the glass. There’s a great little spice to this wine, possibly from the oak barrels.

2003 Luigi Bosca Reserva Malbec ($16.99) The vineyard that produced this full-bodied wine sits around 3,000 feet above sea level, in the Andean foothills. Hearty and rich with a touch of herbs and wood smoke, the Bosca Malbec is loaded with complexity and gusto. There’s a touch of rusticity to this wine that makes me think about what Argentine Malbec must have tasted like 100 years ago. Have with grilled red meat.

2005 Pascual Toso Reserve Malbec ($13.99) Here’s another beautiful little Malbec that gets your attention with the first sip. Thick, ripe blackberry fruit oozes from bottle to glass. The smoky, licorice background notes add complexity. Paul Hobbs is the consulting winemaker at this Argentine winery and the wine shows his deft touch.

—Chip Hammack

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