Friday Sips

Library Selection Chateauneuf, new Vietti Barbera, Rose and Beaujolais values will be uncorked to welcome Rocche to the Cellar Door family!

It's always difficult to be objective when it comes to Vietti wines mainly because Luca Currado is such a great friend, but in all honesty, this guy’s wines stand up and shout nothing but brilliant quality. As the name for this wine implies, this Barbera comes from 3 vineyard sites in the Alba region, specifically from Castiglione Faletto and Monforte, both superb Barolo villages, and Castiglione Tinella which is renowned for its superb Barbera. While many producers in Piedmont offer a Barbera as part of their lineup of wine, Luca and his family believe that Barbera is one of the great varietals of Italy. Once you have Vietti’s Barbera, you too will be convinced of the grand possibilities.

After tasting the newly arrived 2013 this morning, I was convinced that I was drinking something that was way above the norm in both price and quality and one that follows through on what Luca says will be an outstanding vintage for Piedmont. A sculpted middleweight, there is refined beauty here. Vertical and revealing lots of cherry pit and mineral with rosemary, spices and decidedly floral aspects joining in as it unfurls. A poetic, richly seductive texture that has a backdrop of dark chocolate fans out then finishes poised and very soothing with lots of extension. Risotto spiked with porcini, chanterelles and any other mushroom as well as hearty soups/stews or sausages will pair very well with this Barbera. Drink through 2021.

One of the results of the gift of a stronger dollar is that the new release of the brilliant 2013 version of this favorite Beaujolais is now at an eye-popping price, the likes of which we haven’t seen on this wine since the 2005 vintage.

Terriere's old vine Beaujolais Village is best described as "Premium Beaujolais Villages" since it is produced from grapes grown in red granite soil (known as rosbif, which also is the term that French use when they come upon a gaggle of drunken Englishmen) entirely within the Cru of Regnie. From a miniscule 5-acre plot, this Gamay undoubtedly punches well above its weight class!

Silky and smooth with notes of fresh summer berries, minerals and dried rose petals. This short story turns into a novel in the mouth with alluring depth from 70-year-old vines as well as the knockout 2013 vintage. Fresh strawberry and raspberry tones are defined by fine backbone and mineral especially on the long and very laid-back finish. This wine goes with a plethora of cuisine and at 12 bucks is a great medium-bodied everyday choice.

Over the weekend, I made two stops down in the Willamette Valley with some friends from Pittsburgh who were in town for the craft beer conference. One was to see Brad at Ayres and tasting through his impressive roster of wines, all of the latest releases are predictably very exciting. Within all of the wines tasted, there was one fun and flavorful surprise. Now many of you all know of my disdain for the majority of Oregon Pinot Noir Rose wines, however there are a few that stand out beautifully and this one just beams.

Made entirely from grapes that are planted and dedicated to the production of dry pink wine, Ayres version sees about 5 hours of skin contact before being directly pressed. Firm and honest aromas that are true to the varietal as well as Brad’s vineyard, raspberry, fine spice and mushroom scents roll over into a texture that coats the palate and then sweeps it all clean with brisk vibrancy. Maybe we should refer to this as ‘adult pink lemonade’ because once you pour the cork you will immediately realize that the bottle is drained very quickly. Drink with grilled fish or a bunch of wine guzzling friends.

We are very pleased once again, to offer up an older selection that Bryan chose last year when he visited Jean-Luc Mayard at Galet des Papes. When I ordered it almost a year ago, I fully expected to have to sell it at a significantly higher price, however, like the Terriere Beaujolais above, this is another gift from the strong dollar and we are offering this on a special intro price for a limited time.

This is the 4th library selection that we've offered of the Vieilles Vignes. Many of you have enjoyed the 2001, 2004 and 2005, but this time it is the very formidable 2000 Vieilles Vignes from Galet-des-Papes, one of our favorite producers in this hallowed region.

It’s not too often that we are able to sample these before purchasing but today is an exception, we have some sample bottles for you all to look at. On to the wine. 2000 was quite a warm vintage in an area where warmth and sunshine are the norm. 15 years old now, this wine is humming and drinking very well. In comparison to 2001, 2004 and 2005, the 2000 is more about spice, game, provencal herbs, smoke, rhubarb and licorice and is quite broad with its aromatic and flavor profile. Very smoothed out and resolved there is fine freshness that holds this mature example together very nicely. Savory and peppery as all get out on the lux finish that extends, snaps back and seemingly goes for about an hour. As mentioned, this wine is showing in fine form now and will continue to be delicious for at least another 5 years. Why wait though, enjoy a true-to-form, well-aged Chateauneuf experience tonight with just about any lamb dish. Will also work with game or slow roasted duck.