Wine Club Newsletter - December 2012
Ferrari Moving to Higher Vines as Climate Change Effects Felt
Here are a couple articles I found very interesting, from Decanter Magazine - GP.
Italian sparkling producer Ferrari Fratelli Lunelli is actively encouraging its growers to plant vines higher in Trentino to avoid the effects of climate change.
Ferrari buys grapes from 500 independent growers for its production of 4-5m bottles of Ferrari Perlé, and in recent years it has favored grapes from growers with higher vineyards and stopped buying fruit grown below 300m, winemaker Marcello Lunelli said at the recent Bollicine du Trento event in the northern Italian province.
‘We pay higher prices for higher quality grapes, and we see most of the time that higher altitude means higher quality,’ Ferrari publicist Camilla Lunelli added. ‘In Trentino the climate has changed very quickly,’ Marcello Lunelli said. ‘The average temperature in our vineyards over the past 30 years has increased by 1°C; more than in the previous 2000 years. To have the same conditions in the future as we’ve had, we need to move the vines 150m higher.’
According to Lunelli, this will guarantee cooler summer temperatures which help preserve the acidity in the grapes necessary to maintain the standard of their sparkling wines. ‘We are lucky because Trentino is a mountain region so we have the space and the altitude,’ he said.
While 61% of Trentino’s vineyards are already planted on elevated hill and mountain sites, Lunelli feels the unique sub-Alpine terrain provides Ferrari with an opportunity.
The producer owns 120ha which are all ideally located between 300-700m, and which are being planted. ‘We’ll have planted 10ha in the next two years, all at 600-750m,’ Lunelli said. ‘But we have to wait ten years to obtain the right quality for a Riserva like Giulio Ferrari.’
Robert Parker Steps Down as Wine Advocate Editor-in-Chief
Here are a couple articles I found very interesting, from Decanter Magazine - GP.
Significant changes are underway at the Wine Advocate as Robert Parker has announced he has taken on three new Asian investors and is opening up a new office in Singapore, from where the magazine will be run.
Robert Parker remains 'an owner' The Wine Advocate will also increase coverage of wines produced in Asia, and - according to some sources - will take advertising for the first time.
The wine world has been awash with rumour for some months about Parker’s plans for his 35-year-old journal, as reported in October by Decanter.com columnist Andrew Jefford. The announcement – informally posted on the bulletin board of erobertparker.com – comes as no surprise.
What is surprising is that the Wine Advocate, which has frequently accused journals such as Decanter of compromising their independence by taking advertising, will now run ads, albeit only from non-wine companies, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Robert Parker has simply said that the new investors are three ‘highly qualified business and technology people and enthusiastic wine lovers as well as long time subscribers. Decanter.com understands that agents acting for the critic have been approaching high-net-worth individuals in Asia since the early part of the year.
All those contacted have denied any involvement and refused to speak on record, although one told Decanter.com he was approached by ‘current and former employees of Goldman Sachs’ with a business prospectus for ‘commercialisation of the Parker brand.’
Parker sets out seven ‘changes we are considering for 2013’ under the new investors. These include ‘further expansion of our coverage in all of the world’s wine producing regions’; new features including an electronic (pdf) version of the Wine Advocate for subscribers; and wine education conferences - another major innovation.
In what is certainly a shift in the centre of power, ‘we intend to open another office in Singapore where the investors reside and from where we can more easily serve Asian countries’.
This office will be run by veteran Parker contributor Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, who becomes editor-in-chief of the Wine Advocate.
Perrotti-Brown told WSJ she would be hiring a new correspondent who will ‘cover wines produced in China, Thailand and other Asian countries.’
Parker insists his Maryland office remains the headquarters, but the fact that ‘all responsibilities for coordinating TWA content, editing and proof-reading’ will be done by Perotti-Brown in Singapore, means that the magazine will be effectively run from there.
Robert Parker himself remains CEO and chairman of TWA board, and an owner of the brand.
He will continue to cover ‘Bordeaux, the Rhone, retrospectives on California vintages, and profiles of under $25 wine bargains from our finest importers’.
2011 (Weingut) Pfeffingen Dry Riesling (December, 2012 - The WineSellar Club)
Growing Region: Rheinphalz, Germany
Varietal Blend: 100% Riesling
Fermentation: Steel Tank Fermentation
Suggested Retail: $22.00
WineSellar Club Case Price: $16.19
Broad Strokes:
The word "Pfeffingen" is supposed to have derived from Germanic origin. It was the clan of the "Pfeffo" that founded this community. Founded as the original community between 500 and 600 AD, Pfeffingen was the starting point for the settlement of this region. Today, this is a family-run enterprise that is managed with continuity and the highest possible wine quality in mind. It took half a century of development and hard work for the old multi-crop farm to become the modern, market-orientated Pfeffingen wine estate. This has been the life's work of Karl and Helene Fuhrmann, whose daughter Doris Eymael runs the enterprise today with the support of two family generations.
Appearance:
Excellent looking package with a straightforward description, and a dynamic logo. Screw cap, much appreciated, thank you! The wine is beautiful, with some golden hues. It is crystal clear, shimmers in the light, and has very good viscosity.
Nose:
Typically, I speak about a wine opening up as it airs. This one starts very fruity, with honeysuckle, Lychee nut fruit, with a bit of spice (cumin) and persimmon. Then, as the wine airs, it gains its backbone, and the fruit slims down, only to come back later in a more complex version of the combined fruit and backbone (acid).
Texture:
As with the nose, the fruit was more generous and had a softer palate feel at the start. Then it tightened up and got a little lean, prickly, and then became elegant, richer, smoother.
Flavor:
Great peach, apple and persimmon fruit, which is clean and refreshing. Honeysuckle pops through, edged by a lime-lemon citric verve that keep it all in place. The finish is lingering and lasts for quite some time in your mouth.Lovely!
Serving Options:
This is a GREAT aperitif wine! It can go alone or handle just about any canapés you may put out. Would be great with spicy foods, sushi, pork tenderloin. Look (but don’t be alarmed) for tartaric crystals at the bottom of the bottle. I actually like to crunch on them a little bit.
2010 Crater Rim Pinot Noir, Canterbury (December, 2012 - The WineSellar Club)
Growing Region: Central Otago, New Zealand
Varietal Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Fermentation: French Oak Fermentation
Suggested Retail: $24.00
WineSellar Club Case Price: $17.99
Broad Strokes:
“Theo Coles is the winemaker and viticulturalist for The Crater Rim. Theo’s philosophy in the winery, which is based on creating wines of character and quality through a policy of watchful, non-interventionist winemaking. He uses a combination of new and traditional techniques and technology to allow the fruit to become wine. Theo focuses on allowing the vineyard character to shine through to produce complete, balanced and unique wines – this is reflected in The Crater Rim’s aim to produce a range of vineyard designated wines from each of the varieties and sites in our range.
Theo’s passion lies with the Northern Rhone wines made from Syrah, Viognier and Roussanne, and he firmly believes Omihi Rise has all the right attributes to make these varietals work.”
Appearance:
Kind of a rustic label, and while the packaging does not screech of high-end expense, it has a certain amount of correctness and soul to it. And we get another screw cap, certainly appropriate for the wine and the times. Oh, yeah, the wine is very pretty.
Nose:
Very Pinot Noir like, true to the varietal, and oh so pleasant. It has attributes that reflect Theo’s passion for the Rhone: a touch of tar, earth, stone and (black) rocks. Does that come from the vineyard or from Theo?
Texture:
As is in the nose, the texture is true to Pinot Noir varietal. That is to say it is elegant, smooth, and beguiling. It has a dairy like creaminess that I really enjoyed, which was countered deliciously by the rustic Rhone traits stated in the “Nose”.
Flavor:
I’m going to just throw some things out here: Sweet vanilla extract, Moroccan spices, strawberry jam, black pepper, deep rich berry and black cherry, tar (I love that!), root beer, fresh cut hay, hot stones and dark earth.
Serving Options:
What to do with a fab Pinot Noir that costs only $18? Drink it everyday!!! How could you go wrong?
2010 Gachot Monot Villages, Cotes de Nuits-Villages (December, 2012 - The Two-Rouge Club)
Growing Region: Cotes de Nuits, Burgundy, France
Varietal Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Fermentation: French Oak and Vat Fermentation
Suggested Retail: $34.00
WineSellar Club Case Price: $26.99
Broad Strokes:
Five successive generations have been at the head of this family run estate created around 1890. Situated in Corgoloin on the border of Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune, the estate is today managed by Damien and Liselotte Gachot. The recent history of the domain is highlighted by two women who contributed to the Domaine’s longevity: Marguerite Monot who ran the vineyard alone from 1950 to 1980 and her only daughter, Marie Therese, who, with the help of her husband Jean Pierre Gachot renovated, replanted and gave their name to the Domaine. After completing his wine studies and with 10 months experience in California, Damien Gachot joined his mother in the domain in 1993 working and shaping the domain to its current form.
Appearance:
Nice looking wine bottle overall, I especially like the capsule and especially didn’t like the little vintage shoulder label across the top. The wine is clear all the way through, with a ruby/garnet shade that has clear edges, which clear-coats the inside of the bowl.
Nose:
The nose is floral, and features lavender, strawberry and cherry fruit with ripe plum. It is delicate, like the texture and flavor. You might also discover a bit of meat character to it, along with a pie crust-dough essence. Something like a mince-meat pie.
Texture:
Again, as is in the nose, the texture is true to Pinot Noir varietal. That is to say it is elegant, smooth, and beguiling. Getting more complex and full as it airs, yet still holding on to the understated mouth feel.
Flavor:
It’s all about the texture and mouth feel, offering up delicate fruit and complexity. Strawberry and pomegranate fruit, hazelnut, black tea, crushed herbs, rare beef, dough or pie crust and white pepper.
Serving Options:
Beautiful for drinking now, you’ll find the wine to be a great companion to the wine glass in your hand, with food or without.
2009 Zinfandel, J. Rickards, Ancestor Selections (December, 2012 - The Two-Rouge Club)
Growing Region: Alexander Valley, California
Varietal Blend: 80% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah, 4% Mataro, 5% Carignane, 1% each of Alicante Bouschet and Muscat Canelli
Fermentation: French & American Oak Fermentation
Suggested Retail: $24.00
WineSellar Club Case Price: $21.59
Broad Strokes:
J. Rickards Winery is farmer based, and they have inherited (bought) an interesting property in Alexander Valley.
From the Winery: “The Winery started in 2005, born out of the encouragement of friends who have enjoyed the small lots of hand-crafted wine we have been making since 1991.The concept of white grapes scattered in amongst the red has been debated for a while now. Were they for eating or did they add something to the red wine? The answer is most definitely one of wine chemistry, and there are examples in both French and Italian winemaking of whites blended into red for color stabilization. The field-blend planting just handled this in the simplest form, when the grapes were harvested.”
Appearance:
With a nice tall bottle and handsome cap, the label portrays the branding of a farm, down home, down to earth producer. The wine is medium deep in its garnet and berry hue, with clear liquid on the edge of the glass. Good-looking legs.
Nose:
Attractive, compelling fruit and oak nuances are enticing, and keep your nose in the glass. Spice, red fruits, vanilla is forward and pleasing. You can tell the American oak has dominance over the French oak by the coconut and spice (cumin) it imparts to the nose.
Texture:
It’s almost Bordeaux like in texture. That means it is in balanced in its fruit and acids, smooth, even, non-abrasive, and the fruit comes through without acid or brackishness getting in the way.
Flavor:
The winery states; “The wine is flush with juicy boysenberry and raspberry with spice cake and white pepper on the nose, in the mouth and through the finish.” I totally agree. I will add it has a nice gaminess to it.
Serving Options:
And with the gaminess, I was thinking of rack of lamb, with a mint jelly accoutrement. That sounds like a total winner to me . . . as well as the BBQ!
2006 Brunello de Montalcino, Donna Olga (December, 2012 - The Gary Parker Collection)
Growing Region: Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy
Varietal Blend: 100% Sangiovese
Fermentation: Slovanian Oak
Suggested Retail: $55.00
WineSellar Club Case Price: $44.99
Allow me to digress from my typical format.
Below are the reviews of two accomplished wine critics publications, the view of the winery, and notes from myself. Who speaks to you?
Donna Olga (The Winery):
Colour: Ruby-red, with a tendency to garnet-red with the ageing Perfume: Persistent with characteristic scents of cherries and wild fruits Taste: Elegant and with structure, with a velvety, dense texture, with mineral aromas typical of the terroir.
Wine Enthusiast:
Plush, ripe, soft and smooth, this wine presents a long list of pleasurable attributes. It opens with a dark garnet color and blackberry, cherry, vanilla, mocha, espresso and tobacco aromas. There’s a very clean or pristine nature overall and the wine boasts ripe fruit flavors, backed by smoke and sweet spice.
Score: 92. —Monica Larner, April 01, 2011.
Wine Advocate:
The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is a very pretty, flashy Brunello. In this vintage I find more elegance, freshness and balance than has often been the case. Freshly cut flowers, smoke, menthol, cherries, plums, underbrush and tobacco are some of the notes that come to life on the vivid, textured finish. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024.
Score: 92. —Antonio Galloni, May 2011.
Gary Parker, Gary Parker Collection:
You fools writing above need to get a grip on wine ratings! It’s ONLY a 92 point wine? Humphhhh! Naturally, there’s no mention that we’re offering it for only $45 (suggested $55). And no mention that it’s from a vintage 6 years ago? And that it’s totally delicious? And that it would be great in our cellars for the next 15 years? Well, I suppose you missed that one.
I’m not sure what to think about these folks. Did they know this Brunello has enough stature, breeding, class and sophistication to be in the Gary Parker Collection? I’m guessing they didn’t have a clue.
My notes, to my Gary Parker Collection friends: Spice, tobacco, hazelnuts, earth, and graphite, begging for red meat. And, dark chocolate sends it over the top! 94 Points. So THERE!
2010 Cote-Rotie “La Viaillere”, Louis Barroul/Kermit Lynch (December, 2012 - The Gary Parker Collection)
Growing Region: Cote-Rotie, Rhone Valley, France
Varietal Blend: 100% Syrah
Fermentation: French Oak
Suggested Retail: $70.00
WineSellar Club Case Price: $58.49
From the Producer:
There is a truly great terroir in Côte Rôtie, and Barruol has perfectly nailed this vintage. The aromas roar out of the glass with the power, uniqueness, and utter sublimity that only the roasted slope can deliver. An old-school, dark, and tannic Côte Rôtie that looks to be capable of long aging.
From Gary Parker:
Yes, what they say above is true. I kid you not; this is a great bottle of wine for your cellar. So typically Rhone and so Frahhnnchh. Regretfully, it is something that cannot be duplicated or triplicated in any other wine-growing region on the planet. I say go for this in a major way.
Appearance:
I love the label and overall package. I like how the name “Cote-Rotie” stands out front and center, and the rest of the label is there for you to explore. The wine is black at the core, dark brick red around the edges, and holds to the glass like my frightened little brother did to Mommy.
Nose:
Little brother also had aromas (favorable ones) like the wine does: earth, dust tobacco, shoe leather and fresh grass. Did I say earthy? Brother aside, it is also spicy, complex, fabulous, with cigar box, chocolate, cherry, graphite, white pepper, and crayon.
Texture:
It’s a WOW. Note the length in the palate and on the finish. A little hot in youth, will mellow with time. Structure for aging. Put it in the CELLAR!
Flavor:
Raspberry jam, concentrate. Forceful black pepper, earth, and black truffle are in your face. It’s totally amazing, as it changes by minute. Bitter chocolate, clay, calcareous soil. The crayon is bee wax, honey feeling, and some tree bark.
Serving Options:
Put this down for many years. You will be proud to drink this in 2020 and through 2030. Try it today with fatty grilled foods, mushrooms and truffles, garlic and herbs, or judicially, put it in your cellar for a couple decades.
Home Made Cranberry Sauce
Here is a great holiday recipe from Lori Parker, a healthier, most delicious version of the canned Cranberry Sauce everyone seems to surrender to.
Happy Holidays!!!
Ingredients:
- One Package 12oz cranberries
- 10 Mandarins, tangerines, or “Cuties” - Half juiced and half sliced
- ½ cup cut up pineapple
- 1 small-diced Gala or Fuji apple
- ¼ cup of Orange liquor (or to taste)
- ¼ Water
- ½” X ½” piece of candied ginger – sliced very thin
- 1 to 1 ½ Teaspoons Agave syrup
- ½ Teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ Teaspoon Powdered ginger
- Tiny, tiny bit of Nutmeg
- Pepper to taste
- Turbinado sugar to taste (about 2 Tablespoons)
Method:
- Wash and put cranberries into a saucepan.
- Pour orange liquor, juice of the “Cuties” and water on top of them.
- Turn the heat onto medium/low. As soon as it gets hot, turn heat down to low.
- Peel and section the other 5 “Cuties”.
- Cut the sections into four pieces each and put into the saucepan and stir.
- Add the apple and all other ingredients except the sugar.
- After the cranberries have opened, and it starts to look more like a sauce, taste it and see how much sugar to put in.
- Slowly add sugar until it reaches the desired taste.
Lori Parker, 12-12-12