Gary's Wine Club August 2009 Premiere Selection: 2007 Seven Springs Vineyard La Source Pinot Noir

2007 Evening Land Vineyards La Source Pinot Noir
Grape Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Eola-Amity Hills, Oregon
Food pairing: Chicken, wild rice and Chanterelles
Chosen By: Laura Moorin, Wine Associate, Wayne

Long a source of fruit for benchmark Oregon Pinot Noirs, the Seven Springs Vineyard is now a "monopole" vineyard estate, meaning the entire vineyard is farmed and controlled by a single winery. Spearheaded by former movie producer Mark Tarlov, Evening Land is a unique and ambitious project. Seeking to put the terroir of this famous plot on display, Tarlov enlisted the help of superstar winemaker Dominique Lafon, long renowned for his mastery with the notoriously fickle varietals in Burgundy. Following gentle techniques to lure out the fruit's best characteristics, his efforts have led to an emphasis on purity and elegance: in short, nothing less than a masterpiece.

Not long ago, Tarlov was gracious enough to meet with Gary and the buying team to taste us on his stellar new wines. Once the decision to buy them was (quite easily) made, we knew we had to share a glass with our enthusiastic new wine team member, Laura. One sip and her eyes widened; two sips and we knew she was on board when she described it. "There's a harmonious balance between its distinctive minerality and soft floral notes, with a luscious mouthfeel and long, elegant finish. This wine is bottled inspiration!" Well said, Laura. And with only 358 cases made, she's glad to share this rare opportunity to enjoy the "heir apparent" to the title of North America's finest Pinot Noir with you.

More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/oregon/09947.html

Gary's Wine Club August 2009 Premiere Selection: 2005 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Red

2005 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Red
Grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
Region: Red Mountain, Washington
Food pairing: Venison tenderloin, Shiitake mushrooms, green beans, and Beurre Noisette
Chosen by: Ivonne Nill, Wine Associate, Wayne

During a recent trip to Washington (see Gary's online Wine Magazine for full report) Wayne Wine Associate Ivonne Nill had the great pleasure to snag a tasting appointment at DeLille Cellars. "Without a doubt," she says, "this winery is producing--dare I say it--my favorite American wines. Everything I tasted was well crafted, and had that fine balance between power and elegance. What a delicious experience!"

DeLille Cellars is a small family owned winery in Woodinville, Washington, founded in 1992. Here the focus is on Bordeaux blends and Rhone-styled wines. Mr. Lill used to call the farm where the beautiful winery now resides his "warm and happy place." This is how Chaleur ("warmth" in French) Estate wines got their name. Chris Upchurch, winemaker and founding partner, believes in blending both grape varieties and different vineyard sites. Although Chaleur Estate is essentially a warm-climate Red Mountain wine, Upchurch finds balance by blending in cooler climate Merlot from Boushey Vineyard to soften the ripe but tannic Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc adds aromatic complexity, while Petit Verdot, Upchurch says, elevates it all. The 2005 Chaleur Estate Red has classic Cabernet aromas of cassis, along with spice-tinged black cherries, plums, and star-anise. This is a wine of immense power, yet it floats on the palate with silky smooth tannins, layers of complexity, grace, and a blackberry-laden, mile-long finish. Feel free to indulge now if you must, but this treasure will reward the patience with 5-10 years of careful cellaring.

More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/washington/61212.html

Gary's Wine Club July 2009 Premiere Selection: 2005 Anderson's Conn Valley Eloge

2005 Anderson's Conn Valley Eloge
Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot
Region: Napa Valley, California
Food pairing: Grilled Artisanal Sausage and Blueberry-Sage Reduction

Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards are located just east of Saint Helena in the Napa Valley, where Conn Creek flows from Howell Mountain. It's 26 acres of vines in a "grape-growing paradise," the owners boast. Here, winemaker Todd Anderson and assistant Mac Sawyer craft a Bordeaux-style blend that Robert Parker calls "a staggering wine that's utterly profound" with aromas and flavors like incense, cedar, kirsch, smoke, spice box and forest floor (and a score of 96 points).

Beneath all of those savory notes is a core of black fruits that sing right through to the finish. The inspiration for the style of blend, it seems, is Medoc, and the ageability is right on par; this will most likely drink well for 20-25 years to come, should you choose to wait that long. But it's drinking beautifully now, and as they say...there's no time like the present.

More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/california/01696.html

Gary's Wine Club July 2009 Premiere Selection: 2006 Larkin Cabernet Franc

2006 Larkin Cabernet Franc
Grape variety: Cabernet Franc
Region: Napa Valley, California
Food pairing: Chinese five-spice-rubbed duck breast

In the write-up for the Cellar Selections, I made the rather bold assertion that nobody's having more fun making wine in the Napa Valley than Robert Foley. If that's true, then Sean Larkin is certainly in close running. And it's all because he made a bold choice, or rather a series of bold choices, to pursue a passion. Larkin was born in Inverkeithing Fife, Scotland, and began his professional life as a sheet-metal worker. His success at this line of work brought him to New Jersey, and after some years of backbreaking work he began to wonder whether this was really what he wanted to be doing when he was 50 or 60.

So he slowly began learning about wine. He became a part-time sommelier, traveled to the Napa Valley for the first time in 1991, and was hooked. He moved to the Bay Area to work for a wine distributor, and once he felt he knew enough about the process, he bought his first half-ton of grapes in 1999 and decided to give winemaking a go.

Two years later, he released his 48 cases of inaugural wine, and considers it nothing short of a miracle that it was an instant success, garnering a 91-point score from Robert Parker. The next year he bought a whole ton of grapes, did just as well, and increased production just enough to make a real enterprise out of it but remains in the boutique category to keep quality high. And while Cabernet Sauvignon is what most enthusiasts look for in the Napa Valley, Larkin is one of the few Napa winemakers taking the time (and developing the expertise) to make a truly outstanding high-end Cabernet Franc.

The 2006 is full of blueberry and blackberry flavors and hints of savory herb, licorice and purple flowers, with just the right acidity to balance out some pretty substantial tannins. Parker gave it 93 points, we certainly give it our stamp of approval...and Sean gives thanks that all that sweat finally paid off. Here's to doing what you love, and putting a little old-fashioned elbow grease in along the way.

More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/california/09927.html

2005 Greenock Creek Alice's Shiraz
Grape Variety: Shiraz
Region: Barossa Valley, Australia
Food pairing: Grilled dry-aged rib-eye steak

These days, it may seem that 96 point Barossa Shiraz is about as rare as a wallaby in the same parts. (Though I have to admit I have absolutely no idea how rare a Barossa wallaby really is.) But should you find yourself stumbling across the Barossa Valley looking for a wallaby, chances are you'd trip over a high-scoring Shiraz or two along the way. There may or may not be a river of it. We can neither confirm nor deny.

That doesn't mean, however, that Greenock Creek is just another high-scoring Shiraz in a sea of such wine. On the contrary, Greenock is quite special in its own right. Owned by Michael and Annabelle Waugh, this winery, as Jay Miller of the Wine Advocate puts it, "remains one of South Australia's most iconic wineries. Start with great terroir, add in old vine material and meticulous winemaking, and end with extraordinary results." Certainly sounds like a recipe for success. The 2005 Shiraz that they lovingly named "Alice's" spent 28 months in seasoned American oak hogsheads rather than the more typically favored French Oak barriques, lending a spicier, cigar-box character to the already meaty old-vine grapes. Layers of blueberry, smoke, game and truffle made this wine what is, and not surprisingly, earned it 96 points from the Wine Advocate.

http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/australia/72553.html

Gary's Wine Club June 2009 Selection: 2007 Mitolo Serpico Cabernet Sauvignon

2007 Mitolo Serpico Cabernet Sauvignon
Grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: McLaren Vale, Australia
Food pairing: Good artisan sausage grilled with bell peppers


The powers that be at Mitolo like to use the names of their wines to pay homage to something special. It seems to be a growing trend among winemakers to let the name of the wine speak for more than just berry flavors and well-integrated tannins. Serpico, as some may already know, was a New York City police officer who exposed a great deal of corruption within his own force during his era. What on Earth does this have to do with wine?

In the most diplomatic terms possible, the folks at Mitolo say that the name of this wine was brought about because, "With Mitolo Serpico we aim to step outside our peers and redefine the accepted style of Australian wine." Apparently a bit tired of the status quo in the Aussie wine world, they decided to try something a little different. So for their Serpico Cabernet, they've borrowed the method of partially drying the grapes from Amarone, and created something entirely different than most of their neighbors. After drying and fermentation, the wine is aged in 100% new French oak to balance those ripe, raisiny berry flavors with a little toasty tannin and spice. It's intense, unique; the kind of wine that would make our Serpico proud.


http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/australia/09716.html