Monthly Wine News [July 2012] Monthly Newsletter & Highlighted Recommendations

We've posted the latest electronic copy of our printed newsletter in PDF format online at http://www.klwines.com/pdf-news.asp -- here are some of our highlighted recommendations this month: 2009 Bodegas Vinae Mureri "Xiloca" Garnacha Vino de la tierra Ribera del Jiloca ($9.99) K&L Notes: Located just outside of the Calatayud D.O. (famous for Las Rocas, amongst other inexpensive Garnachas), Xiloca actually reminds me of the incredible value these wines presented about 10 or so years ago: big, juicy, spicy, plump berry fruit, without the sense of overt fruitiness nor dumbed down to simplicity, which unfortunately has become very common in many Spanish (and French) Garnachas of late. Produced from vines averaging 80 years, yielding only 1/3 ton per acre (!), in arguably one of the world's best suited terroirs for Garnacha, this wine offers a whole lot for the money. Highly recommended. (Joe Manekin, K&L Spanish Wine Buyer) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2009 Xiloca is 100% Garnacha with a very fragrant perfume of earthy minerality and black cherries. This tasty, friendly, value-priced offering has ample fruit as well as a sense of elegance. Drink it over the next 3-4 years. Bodegas Vinae Mureri is located just a few miles outside of the demarcation line of the more prestigious DO of Calatayud in the province of Aragon, hence the Vino de la Tierra designation. Like Calatayud, the region is known for its high altitude, old-vine, low-yielding Garnacha vines." (06/2011) 2009 D'Alessandro Cortona Syrah (Elsewhere $16) ($11.99) K&L Notes: The climate and soils in Cortona are unlike better known parts of Tuscany, such as Chianti to the northwest and Montepulciano and Montalcino to the southwest. So when Massimo d'Alessandro decided he wanted to make serious wine from his family's land in the 1980s, he planted 12 acres of vineyards to different varietals. What seemed most suited to his vineyards wasn't Sangiovese but Syrah, which now makes up 90% of the plantings. This comes from the vineyard's younger vines and is prized for its freshness and immediate drinkability. And in the hands of winemaker Luca Currado (Vietti), you know it's going to be good.  90 points James Suckling: "This is very good value in Syrah. Interesting aromas of raspberries, pepper and dried meats, follow through to a full body, and silky tannins with a fresh finish. Polished and pretty. Made from Syrah. Best after 2012." (09/2011) 2009 Bouchard Ainé & Fils Bourgogne Rouge ($13.99) K&L Notes: This delicious Pinot Noir comes the negociant firm of Bouchard Ainé, established in 1750 and now owned by Boisset, but run independently. It is evidence of the quality of the 2009 vintage. In the glass the wine is rich and complex, with a lovely note of rose petals on the nose and a satisfying mid-palate. This is a remarkable amount of wine for the money! As the British would say, it's more-ish, as in "More Please!". And the good news is that you can afford more given our attractive price. (Keith Wollenberg, K&L Burgundy Buyer) 2010 Ceretto Arneis "Blangè" ($14.99) K&L Notes: Forget for a moment that Piedmont is the home of one of the world's most noble grapes, Nebbiolo, and imagine a warm summer's day, sitting under magnificent trees and eating simple egg pappardelle with sage and butter. You don't really want a heavy red wine with your meal, you want something white and clean, so as not to bury the simple deliciousness of it. Enter Piedmont's white wine--Arneis--and this version from one of its most respected producers, Ceretto. Fruit-filled, with notes of pear and apple that would perfectly complement the sage in your pasta, it's made in a vivace style, with just a slight spritz that leaves it dancing on your palate, whisking away the buttery richness. 93 points Wine & Spirits: "Fresh scents of apple blossom honey and beeswax add to the almond richness of this arneis. It’s as smooth as a round riverstone, clean and fragrant. The finish is distinctly Piedmontese in its earthiness; to match braised chicken or a rich fish stew. " (12/2011)   2010 Morgan "Twelve Clones" Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir ($25.99) K&L Notes: Morgan's 'Twelve Clones' Pinot is composed of fruit from some of the Santa Lucia Highlands best sites, including Tondre Grapefield, Lucia Highlands, Garys', and Morgan's own organically farmed Double L Estate vineyard (55% of the final cuvée). The cool, long, and wetter than average 2010 growing season yielded fine results across the board, enabling Morgan to render craft an exceptional cuvee that shows off the lush fruit character of the region while maintaining balanced natural acidity and a moderate 13.9% alcohol. Aged for ten months 36% new French oak, this Pinot exhibits black raspberry, black cherry, plum, and hibiscus tea aromas and flavors, with accents of vanilla and clove. On the palate, hints of savory herbs fold into the baking spices and fruit flavors, for a complex, layered Pinot that can pair with a variety of foods. Try it with grilled salmon, smoked duck breast, or roast leg of lamb. 92 points Wine Spectator: "Well-crafted, tight and structured, with firm, gripping tannins keeping the zesty, tart wild berry, blackberry and date-nut bread flavors in check. Drink now through 2020." (06/2012)

2007 Bennett Lane "Maximus" Napa Valley Red Blend ($29.99)  94 points Wine Enthusiast: "Tastes dramatic and youthfully vital, with fat, fleshy flavors of blackberries, cassis, mocha and sweet cedar, as well as a mineral tang that grounds them. Very upscale and refined, a pure product of superior terroir and winemaking." (05/2011) 92 points Wine Spectator: "Enticingly complex, rich and layered, showing fresh, vibrant blackberry, wild berry, cedar and spice flavors, with a texture that's both supple and firm. Full-bodied, with a long, lingering finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2020." (07/2012) 90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2007 Maximus Red Feasting Wine (65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 10% Syrah, 6% Malbec and 3% Cabernet Franc) exhibits a dark ruby/purple color along with notions of cedar, licorice, black currants, chocolate and coffee. This medium to full-bodied 2007 should drink nicely for a decade or more. " (12/2010)  2007 Tenuta Vitanza Brunello di Montalcino "Tradizione" ($29.99)  93 points James Suckling: "Rose petals and plums on the nose. Full body, with round and chewy tannins and a ripe finish. Tannic, yet polished texture. Give it two to three years of bottle age. This wine is clearly better in 2007 than 2006." (01/2012) 93 points Wine Enthusiast: "Thick and dark, with generous fruit, spice, leather and tobacco. This is a wine that does not hold back from an aromatic point of view. Mouthfeel is tight, firm and ends with polished tannins." (05/2012) 92 points Wine Spectator: "A sinewy, muscular red, hinting at mint and licorice, with a core of cherry and plum flavors. Stiff tannins corral everything on the moderately long finish. Best from 2014 through 2026. B.S." (06/2012) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2007 Brunello di Montalcino Tradizione saturates the palate with layers of dark red cherries, rose petals, spices and licorice. It shows gorgeous mid-palate pliancy and depth all the way through to the finish. The Vitanza wines always have an element of rusticity, but the 2007 Brunello is especially polished. This will always be a fairly full-bodied wine marked by firm, incisive tannins. The 2007 spent 36 months in Slavonian oak. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025." (04/2012)

 >> See All Recently Recommended Wines

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Want to see which wines are most popular with our customers? We constantly update our lists of bestselling wines, online at: http://www.klwines.com/bestsellers.asp

Terra Ignota: Brilliant New Wines From Te Mata Estate, NZ

By: Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Staff Member

During my travels last year in New Zealand I visited over 50 wineries. In general I was amazed by the quality and diversity of the wine I encountered. Marlborough was great, Central Otago too, but I think it was some of the other regions that I knew little about that really made an impact. The wines of Te Mata Estate in Hawkes Bay really impressed me, enough so that on my return to the US I sought them out and knew we had to make them available to our customers. Te Mata Estate is nestled into the lower slopes of Te Mata Peak, a dramatic rocky out crop that towers above the otherwise relatively flat plain. Only a couple miles from the ocean and tempered by cool breezes, these rocky free draining soils are perfect for balanced, finessed wines but with the concentration and power I have come to expect from Hawkes Bay.

Te Mata Estate’s notoriety has been bolstered in part by it’s proprietary wine: the remarkable Coleraine. This is a stunningly complex and delicious Bordeaux style blend that takes it’s name from the tiny vineyard directly adjacent to the winery. The Coleraine has been produced since 1982 and is highly regarded as one of New Zealand's finest wines. Quite compellingly the wine is made each year using a blind tasting and blending of the Bordeaux varietals that construct it.

The 2009 Coleraine is described as “saturated magenta in color with concentrated aromas of blackcurrants, spice and dark old fashioned roses. The palate opens with the dense sweet, dark berry fruits indicative of a great year. The focus quickly turns to rich fine tannins that fill the mouth, leaving a lasting impression of a wine of significant ageing ability. Coleraine '09 [is] considered amongst the greatest Coleraines. A blend of 52% cabernet sauvignon, 43% merlot, and 5% cabernet franc, it will continue to develop in bottle and provide great enjoyment up to 15 years from harvest.” My personal notes echoed these, being particularly impressed with the balance between rich dark fruits and a firm structure. This is clearly a wine for the long haul but with just enough extraction to please the bigger cab drinkers and those who enjoy riper Bordeaux vintages such as 2000, 2005, 2009.

Awatea is the 2nd wine to the Coleraine, made in a slightly more plush drink earlier style and represents an excellent value for a very solid bottle of wine. Te Mata Estate believes this to be the finest Awatea it has produced to date. “Dark crimson color with lifted floral, ripe blackberry cedar and spice aromas. The palate is laden with rich dark cherry, chocolate and Provence herb flavors. Awatea ’09 is a blend of 45% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot, 15% cabernet franc. It will continue to evolve in bottle, providing great enjoyment up to 10 years from harvest. I found this wine to be sweeter fruited and a little fuller bodied than the Coleraine and with more supple tannins. The perfect steak wine! Truly over achieving against many others I would put in it’s category.

Also well known and highly sought after (in fact it was sold out pretty much everywhere in NZ when I was there) is the Te Mata Bullnose Syrah. “An impressive deep magenta colour, with aromas and flavours of raspberry and sweet cherry, baking spices and lavender. The rich palate displays velvety tannins underpinning plum and cream notes, leading to a long, elegant finish. It will continue to evolve in bottle for eight years from harvest.” A stunningly elegant and perfumed syrah again playing a perfect balance between old world structure and new world fruit.

Fresh on our shelves and online this week, the Te Mata wines are benchmark examples of what NZ can do beyond Sauv Blanc and Pinot. I urge anyone who enjoys Bordeaux and a more restrained Californian Meritage style to try the Coleraine and Awatea. They are excellent wines from a very highly regarded vintage. As for the Bullnose Syrah, Jimmy C and myself might just keep it all for ourselves!

Cheers!

-Ryan Woodhouse, Aussie/NZ Specialist

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Terra Ignota is Latin for "Unknown Land". It was the name for the South Pacific region during intial mapping and exploration of Australia and New Zealand. As we are going to be exploring new and exciting wines from this region, we think this is a fitting title for our blog series on wines from this part of the world. Stay tuned for more!

Behind the Wine: Courtney Kingston and Kingston Family Vineyards (Chile)

 Courtney Kingston with winemakers Bryan Kosuge and Evelyn Vidal in the Kingston Family's estate vineyards in the Casablanca Valley.

Kingston Family Vineyards is a family-owned operation in the Casablanca Valley of Chile that began as a cattle farm in the 1920s and today is one of Chile's pioneers in the production of artisanal wines from cool-climate sites.

This Friday, June 3, from 5pm-6:30pm, we are excited to welcome Courtney Kingston to the Redwood City tasting bar for a special tasting of current releases.  Courtney Kingston is a Portola Valley local that splits her time between Casablanca and the Peninsula while managing the family wine business - sounds like a sweet deal to us!

In anticipation of Friday's event, we asked Courtney to share some insight into her family's history in the Casablanca Valley, the challenges of making wine in Chile, and tips for tourists:

Q&A: Interview with Courtney Kingston

How did the Kingston family get into the wine business?  What is your role?

Our great-grandfather went to Chile back in the early 1900's, looking for gold.  He made a big bet on the Casablanca Valley.  When the gold didn't pan out, he inherited what today is our family's farm.  Five generations of Kingstons have lived on the farm for almost 100 years now.  We have a dairy farm and beef cattle grazing in the fields. In the mid-1990's, we planted our first grapevines up in the far western hills.

What makes the Kingston estate's terroir unique?

We are only about 12 miles as the crow flies to the ocean.  The influence of the Pacific and the cooling Humboldt current is ever-present in the almost daily morning/afternoon fog and the steady ocean breezes.  I split my time between California and Casablanca, and in many ways western Casablanca reminds me of California's south-central coast, similar to the Santa Rita Hills, but flipped south of the equator.

Describe the Kingston winemaking philosophy.

Our goal is to blend the best of the Old and New Worlds.  Our winemakers, like our family, are Chilean/American.  Byron Kosuge (from Napa) and Evelyn Vidal (our Chilean winemaker) work together to leverage Californian small-lot winemaking expertise to uncover the potential of our coastal vineyard in Chile.

What are some of the challenges of producing wine in Chile's Casablanca Valley? 

Our vineyard in western Casablanca is quite cool---almost 5-8 degrees cooler than some of our peers on the eastern side of the valley.  So spring frosts are a big issue for us.  We also typically farm at only 2-3 tons per acre, just to ripen our crop. 

From your perspective, what effect has the emergence of the global economy had on the wine business in Chile as a whole?

Because it's such a small country, Chile's wineries have always been export-oriented and focused on their role in the global economy.  With only 16 million people, Chileans alone can't drink all the wine it makes.  (Unlike our larger neighbor to the east--Argentina--with 40 million people, where they can and do drink a significant amount of their own production.)  I think Chile has done a great job on the world stage proving its wines are great values.  The challenge for Chile is to make sure that the world knows that 'value' does not mean 'cheap';  Chile makes excellent wines at all prices levels.  It's also important for people to know that Chile has many small, family-owned wineries, in addition to the larger brand names that have the widest distribution.

How has your experience in Chile influenced your attitude towards wine and wine consumption? What's your position on wine pairing and what do you like to pair your wines with? 

At Kingston, we went against conventional wisdom by planting pinot noir & syrah in Casablanca, a valley known for whites.  Our neighbors thought we were crazy (and some people probably still think we are) to try to ripen syrah so close to the ocean.  I think that experience---of being the underdog, of having to prove ourselves---has made me more open to new wines, new places.  I deeply respect the centuries of winemaking experience of our European peers, and I now couple that respect with a love for discovery of new wine regions around the world.

Many people think pairings are all about rules they are supposed to memorize (e.g. red wine with red meat).  I find the most exciting pairings are the unexpected.  At a James Beard Foundation dinner in New York this April, Amangani Resort Chef Rick Sordahl paired our Kingston Family 'Cariblanco' Sauvignon Blanc with a lamb tenderloin carpaccio.  Not conventional.  And it was amazing.

What advice do you have to offer wine lovers travelling in Chile?

I think the neatest thing about traveling to Chile is how much it has to offer in addition to wine.   If you'd like to spend your entire vacation exploring all the different wine regions you can definitely do that, but you can also combine your passion for wine with your love of the outdoors.  That's my favorite thing to do.  Wine lovers can spend an afternoon tasting wines on the terraza at Kingston in Casablanca (an hour's drive from Santiago), having skied the day before in the Andes or having just returned from a trip south to Patagonia.  Or if you're more into city living, you can explore the fish stands at the Mercado Central in Santiago and walk the winding streets of the old port city of Valparaiso.  There's so much to explore and discover.  The flight over to Mendoza, Argentina is only 45 minutes, and so you can also easily combine visits to both countries without stretching yourself too thin.

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TASTE

Tasting Kingston Family Vineyards with Courtney Kingston
Friday June 3
5pm-6:30pm @ K&L RWC
Cost of tasting: $5

Meet Courtney Kingston and taste through the following:
2009 Cariblanco Sauvignon Blanc $14.99
2008 Tobiano Pinot Noir $19.99
2007 Alazan Pinot Noir $29.99
2008 Lucero Syrah $17.99

and...

2006 Bayo Oscuro Syrah $26.99

Walk in only. Final lineup and cost subject to change.

Check out all K&L's upcoming events and tastings

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SHOP Kingston Family Vineyards on KLWines.com