May Wine Tasting

May Wine Tasting

Friday, May 15th, 3:30-7:30pm.
Freeport Cheese & Wine

It's FREE! From 3:30-7:30pm!

Duelling Distributors!

Featuring wines from Argentina, Chile, France and Spain! Geoff Sturgess from Nappi Distributors will be here and he just returned from a trip to Argentina and Chile - so, we'll taste wines from places he visited! Tim Wissemann from Mariner Beverages will also be here with wines that are brand new to Maine!

The Wines

Geoff's Wines (Nappi)

Whites

1. Cono Sur Vision Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (Chile) Reg. $13.99 Sale $12.99 - This is somewhat of a cross between New Zealand and California. It has some of those gooseberry/citrus notes that New Zealand has, but not as much grassiness. This is crisp and vibrant. Nice acidity. Drinks well with lighter dishes and without food.
2. Dona Paula Estate Chardonnay 2005 (Argentina) $13.99 - nice value Chardonnay from Argentina! Aromas and flavors of pears, apples, figs and toast. Wine Spectator, 89 points.
3. Errazuriz Wild Fermentation Chardonnay 2007 (Chile) $22.99 - What does Wild Fermentation mean? It means that no yeast is added to the grapes....that only the yeast naturally on the grapes starts the fermentation - this results in a slower fermentation. That means the flavors are more complex, subtle and layered.
4. Cono Sur Vision Gewurztraminer 2006 (Chile) Reg. $13.99 Sale $12.99 - aromas and flavors of lychee nuts and pink grapefruit. A pleasing, subtle bitter note on the finish.

Roses

1. Alta Vista Malbec Rose 2007 (Argentina) $10.99 - as a rule, Malbec roses are darker than most French ones - they spend more time in skin contact. This adds weight and tannins to the wine, so you don't have to drink them at as young of an age - they hold up better.

Reds

1. Cono Sur Sustainable Agriculture Pinot Noir 2007 (Chile) $12.99 - nice bright color! Very aromatic. This is juicy and fresh tasting. Notes of cherries, raspberries, strawberries, plums and a little smokiness. Drink with mushrooms and dishes with Provencal herbs, fish, etc.
2. Dona Paula Malbec 2007 (Argentina) $14.99 - Rich, dark wine! Notes of currants, chocolate, coffee, dark berries and herbs. Wine Spectator, 90 points
3. Montgras Reserva Carmenere 2008 (Chile) $13.99 - This has some of the green bell pepper aroma that typifies Carmenere, but it is not in the flavors! Merlot mouthfeel - smooth and rich! Flavors are more Syrah-like - peppery, spicy, dark fruit! NY Times #1 rated Carmenere!
4. Montgras Quattro 2007 (Chile) $18.99 - We love this! Blend of 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec, 25% Syrah and 15% Carmenere. Big and rich and lush!T

Tim's Wines (Mariner) - these are all brand new to Maine!

Whites

1. Domaine Sallies Viognier 2008 (Languedoc, France) $11.99 - clean, beautiful wine. Nice and fragrant (which Viognier should be!). Unoaked.
2. Domaine Sallies Chardonnay 2008 (Languedoc, France) $11.99 - not oaky. Sees some malolactic fermentation so it picks up a bit of creaminess. Lighter, cleaner style of Chardonnay!
3. Schoenheitz Pinot Blanc 2006 (Alsace, France) $18.99 - I love this! Dry, minerally with nice fruit. This just screams for some shellfish, smoked fish or ham.
4. Juan Luis Cana Rioja Blanca 2007 (Spain) $16.99 - Rich white from Rioja! Notes of stone fruits (peaches), vanilla and toasty oak! Also, hints of nuts, lemons and a crisp finish! Great with seafood paella!

Roses

1. Domaine Begude Pinot Noir Rose 2008 (Languedoc, France) $15.99 - Another wine we love from one of our favorite new importers, Didier Boutet! Didier has some gems from France.....at great prices!

Reds

1. Domaine Sallies Malbec 2007 (Languedoc, France) $11.99 - Really nice medium-bodied wine! This is a style of Malbec that is "dialed back" some from most Argentine Malbecs. Nice dark fruit, but its not "jammy" like some Argentine Malbecs nor is it oaky. You should try this and compare it to Geoff's Malbec and the Quattro!
2. Porta dos Cavaleiros Reserva 1997 (Portuguese) $19.99 - When the new owners of moved into Porta dos Cavaleiros, they found this Reserva in a dark and dusty corner. It's just reaching its maturity! This is from the Dao region, Southeast of Porto. The label is made from cork. The color shows a little brick at the edge, which is appropriate for a wine its age. The fruit is more like stewed or dried berries than fresh. It has a little meatiness to it. Great with game, venison, casseroles.
3. Vinedos y Bodegas Pablo Menguante Garnacha 2007 (Spain) $10.99 - This is more about being a subtle wine with dark fruit and minerals than it is being a "fruitbomb." They farm biodynamically. The vines are 80-100 years-old.
4. Red Car Boxcar Syrah 2007 (California) $21.99 - This is a big, rich California Syrah without being to overblown! Loads of flavor! Earth, white pepper, dark fruit and cherries. About 25% of this sees oak.

Freeport Cheese & Wine
27 Bow Street
Freeport, ME 04032
(207) 865-3993
http://www.freeportwine.net/

February Wines of the Month

February Wines of the Month

I'm still looking for great buys and great deals - lots of good wine out there and sometimes the distributors are looking to move some of it at a reduced price - we're still tasting before we buy! So, these are wonderful wines at great prices!

To that end, I'm looking for excellent wines at better-than-excellent prices!

Tier One

White:

Cambas Chardonnay 2006 (Peloponnesus, Greece) Reg. $9.99 Sale $8.99 – Definitely NOT an oaky Chardonnay. This is clean, crisp with nice lemon and honey aromas and flavors. It also has hints of nuts. Medium-bodied. Nice acidity. Food pairing – richer fish such as tuna, salmon, halibut, etc. Lobster. Rich cheeses.

In many ways, Greece popularized wine in the Mediterranean - its production dates to the island of Crete as far back as the Minoans (2,600-1,100 BC). Greek colonies spread vines throughout Europe, the Black Sea and even into Northern Europe. This laid the foundation for modern viticulture throughout Europe. Greek wines were a valuable trading product through the Byzantine Empire, but when the Ottoman Turks occupied Greece, production fell and never recovered. When the Turks left Greece and the modern Greek state was founded in 1913, most farms and vineyards were destroyed.

Until recently, Greece was known for making Retsina (that pine resiny drink) and bulk wines that were popular because they were cheap. There were a few exceptions - this winery is one of them. Founded it 1882, Cambas Winery is unusual in that it grows both traditional Greek grapes as well as grapes such as Chardonnay. Greece's entry into the European Union in 1981 helped open markets to Greek wines and bring in needed investment dollars - at the same time, the EU was floating on a veritable sea of jug wine. So, the focus was on increasing quality. Greece is following the path that revolutionized winemaking in Italy and Spain in the 20th century - focus on quality first and foremost.

Cambas Winery was established in 1882. Today, it is one of the Greek wineries leading the Greek wine renaissance!

Red:

Celler La Bollidora Terra Alta D.O. "CLB" 2006 (Spain) Reg. $21.99 Sale $14.99 – Excellent! Dark, purple color. Aromas of blueberries, black cherries and spices. Big, rich, spicy....lots of big, dark ripe fruit. Tannins and acidity backing up the fruit. Long, long finish....Blend of 50% Garnacha Negra, 40% Syrah and 10% Samso (Carinena). Unoaked. This will drink real well over the next 2-3 years and drink well through 2015.

Terra Alta is a Designation of Origin (D.O.) wine-growing area in Spain - that's what the D.O. means on a bottle. This is an area we are just beginning to discover in the US. The area is in Catalonia, near Tarragona. This is the part of Spain closest to France along the Mediterranean Sea. It's about 17,000 acres in size. Winds, El Cierzo, up the Ebro River Valley help reduce the humidity in the area - protecting the vines from disease. The climate is a mixture of Mediterranean and Continental - long, hot, dry summers and cold, cold winters. Terra Alta has been a D.O. since 1972 and they've made wine there since the 13th century. In ancient times, the Romans built a road from Saragossa to Tortosa - they probably introduced grapes to the area (they did everywhere else!). In the Middle Ages, the Knights Templar planted vines, but the remoteness of the area made it impossible to make money from the wines, so they converted most vineyards to olive groves. Picasso features a great many local scenes in his paintings.

Food pairing – Pair this with lamb, steak, poultry, pork, salmon, mushroom dishes, etc. Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 90 points

Tier Two

White:

Branko Collio D.O.C. Tocai Friulano 2005 (Friuli, Italy) Reg. $24.99 Sale $17.99 - Tocai Friulano is a grape that is local to northeastern Italy! Friuli, tucked next to Slovenia, north of Venice, produces Italy's greatest white wines.

The wine is minerally and spicy more than fruity. The fruits are green apples, pears and white peaches. The minerals, spices and apples dominate the flavors and aromas. This has a real lush texture at the front - it's real soft and round in its feel. The finish is dry with a nice crispness to it. This is aging nicely and will age for several more years.

What really defines and distinguishes Friuli from the rest of Italy is its emphasis on quirky, unusual local grape varieties. 100+ grape varieties are grown in this area. These growers are not planting the currently popular grapes - they keep plugging away at their traditional grapes! Also, this area focuses on quality to a degree that is rare in the world.

This is a Venetian wine - the grape may be native to Friuli-Venezia-Giulia. There is speculation that it is from Hungary, but it has zero resemblance to any Hungarian variety. Tocai Friulano was documented in Friuli in 1771. It's also called Sauvignonasse (which is not Sauvignon Blanc, despite the name). It's the most widely planted white wine in Friuli (and planted widely in the Veneto and eastern Lombardy. Where is Friuli? Here!

This is not to be confused with Tokay, Tokaji or Tokay d'Alsace . And, Tocai Friulano will soon be known merely as "Friulano" after a fight with Hungary (Hungary won the battle for the name in the European Union). This is a shame because Friulano is made from Tocai grapes and Tokay or Tokaji is made from Furmint and Harslevelu grapes and Tokay/Tokaji is the name of a wine style, not a grape. France's "Tokay d'Alsace" is made from Pinot Gris (which is what the Alsatians and Germans call Pinot Grigio).

This is a cool climate grape - it buds late and ripens late. It really likes the deep, gravelly soils found in Friuli, especially the Collio area. Food pairing - smoked fish, smoked shellfish, ham, lobster, scallops, duck, poultry, etc.

Red:

"In Situ" Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (Chile) Reg. $25.99 Sale $18.99 - Deep, rich red color. Aromas of ripe red berries, eucalyptus, spices, rosemary, dried fruit and vanilla. Flavors of plums, raspberries, cola and mint. The tannins are smooth, mature and well-integrated. The finish is nice and long.

Almost all (90% ) Cabernet Sauvignon with a little Cabernet Franc and Carmenere to round things out. Hand-harvested grapes. Fermented in stainless steel tanks and then 100% of the wine goes into French and American oak barrels for 12 months aging - mixture of new and older oak barrels, so this is not "oaky." Bottle aged for 6 months. The vineyards are in the Aconcagua Valley (that's the Western Hemisphere's highest mountain).

Vina San Esteban is a family-owned winery. They farm sustainably. This is drinking nicely today and will aged well for 3-6 years. Food pairing - steak, beef, lamb, rich cheeses.

Tier Three

White:

Yalumba Eden Valley Viognier 2007 (Australia) $21.99 - Excellent Viognier! I love this grape and Yalumba does it as well as anyone in the world! In fact, they are pioneers of this grape in Australia and this vintage includes a couple of new clones they've developed.

The wine is a pale color (golden-green) with aromas of stone fruits (apricots and nectarines), honeysuckle, orange rind and white flowers. The tastes are long-lasting - long, rich and luscious. Stone fruits with bracing citrus acidity.
After harvest, 60% of the fruit in put into oak barrels and the rest into stainless steel tanks. They use indigenous yeasts, which are natural to the vineyard. The wine is left on its "lees" (residue at the bottom) for 10 months with regular "batonage" (stirring the lees into the wine) - this adds complexity and richness and adding a voluptuous texture to the wine.

Yalumba is Australia's oldest family-owned winery. Founded in 1849! Samuel Smith, a brewer, emigrated to Australia and put his knowledge of fermentation to work after planting vineyards. Today, six generations and 160 years later, his descendents continue his work! 1,600 cases imported. Drink now through 2011. Food pairing - salads, poultry, fish, seafood. Wine Spectator, 91 points, Top 100 2008 Wines, #55

Red:

Stanley Lambert “Silent Partner” Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (Australia) Reg. $49.99 Sale $29.99 - Yes, that price is correct....that's a $20 savings on a great wine!

Lindsay Stanley, the winemaker was here in September and we did a tasting with him. This was a huge hit at the higher price - now it's a steal!

Delicious! This winery’s FLAGSHIP wine & a HUGE hit at a recent tasting! Rich and elegant wine. This rivals the best Cabernets from California! Dark, rich fruit – black currants, black cherries and vanilla. Smooth, lush finish that LASTS! Hand-picked grapes. Single vineyard with low-yielding vines. Aged in fine-grained American oak hogsheads for 18 months. 1,000 cases made. Food pairing - rich foods. Drinking with friends who know good wine!

November 2008 Wines of the Month

November Wines of the Month

It's November....so we are focused on American winemakers......in fact....we are focused on only 2 of them.....

One from Washington and one from California. The Washington winemaker, the infamous bad boy of Washington (and maybe American) winemaking....the one and only Charles Smith, many of you know from his well-regarded K Vintners. You've seen some of these wines before, but not these vintages. Also, 2 of these are from his new label, Charles Smith Wines (ignore the "under construction" note - the links on the site work).

The reds....all from Tobin James from Paso Robles in California. For years, Tobin James has been a "cult" wine from Paso Robles....hard-to-find outside of California. Well.....now they are here!

Tobin James started....well....when Tobin James (yes, he's a real person), was a low-level worker in a winery (that would be an "assistant" winemaker - those guys move hoses, barrels, rinse out tanks, etc.). The winery couldn't accept 6 tons of grapes that were arriving....and the owner rejected them....Toby James asked if he could have them......the answer was, "Yes." The result....18 months later....gold medals and accolades for Toby's first Zinfandel, the 1985 "Blue Moon" Zin.

Praise has been coming in ever since!

Tier One

K Vintners Holy Cow Chardonnay 2006 (Washington) $12.99 - Excellent Chardonnay that bridges Old World and New! Aromas and flavors of Granny Smith apples, limes, quinine, No oak and no residual sugar – clean, crisp, fresh and medium-bodied. Vibrant, balanced acidity. More like a Burgundy than a “fat” Californian. When to drink – now. Not a candidate for long-term cellaring, but the modern screw-cap will help keep this bright and fresh for a year or 2! Food pairing – Fish such as mahi mahi, tuna, spicy Asian dishes with soy sauce, sesame, peanuts, black and red peppers, poultry, etc.

Tobin James Paso Robles Chateau Le Cacheflo Syrah-Sangiovese-Barbera 2006 (California) $11.99 - Yes....the name of the wine is "Le Cacheflo" - spelling by phonics....that is "Le Cash Flow." Goofy name.....really good wine at $12!

Medium-dry red that is medium-bodied. Easy drinking! Aromas of red fruit, a little dusty earth and peppery spice. The tannins are medium and help balance the ripe fruit flavors. Along with the ripe red fruit, this has some subtle baking spices and chocolate. Blend of Syrah, Barbera and Sangiovese – so this definitely has a Mediterranean flair to it. Call it a California “Rhone-clone” Italian-style! Food pairing – awesome wine for cookouts, pizza, spaghetti, etc!

Tier Two

K Vintners Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2007 (Washington) $13.99 - Excellent!!! We tasted this at a recent tasting – great! Beautiful aromas of minerals, pears, citrus. Crisp, bright & fresh drinking. Dry, but not tannic (that feeling of your mouth being coated). Huge, long finish of pears, apples & minerals. Charles Smith, winemaker, calls this “Kung Fu Girl” Riesling, because he says, “both girls & Riesling kick ***!” Food pairing - This will be awesome with shellfish, salmon – grilled, smoked or baked, Thai food, ham and more! Drinks great on its own!

Tobin James Paso Robles Ballistic Zinfandel 2006 (California) $17.99 - A wonderful wine and a great value in a Zinfandel from a “cult” winery! Gobs of dark peppery fruit in the aromas and flavors. Hints of Provencal herbs, black cherries & black pepper. Great acidity. Soft tannins. Full-bodied. 100% Zinfandel from 27 different Paso Robles old-vine vineyards (60-75 years), including the famed Dusi Vineyard. This will drink well for the next 3-4 years. Food pairing – ribs, beef, steak, lamb, lasagna, pizza….

Tier Three

K Vintners Viognier 2007 (Washington) $22.99 - This is a big, bold and beautiful wine! The only thing bigger than this winemaker’s ego are the flavors and aromas in his wines! Beautiful aromas of minerals, peaches, pears, flowers and apples. Rich and velvety in the mouth. Excellent acidity and minerality in the flavors. Huge, long finish of pears and minerals. Food pairing - This will absolutely be smokin’ with roasted chicken or pork tenderloin with root vegetables. Great with salmon. Awesome shellfish wine! Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 91 points

Tobin James Paso Robles James Gang Reserve Zinfandel 2006 (California) $29.99 - The big blockbuster from the James Gang! Big, rich and bold! Long, long finish. Aromas and flavors of blackberries, blueberries, black cherries, dark chocolate, pepper, subtle hints of oak and vanilla. While the alcohol is high, you don’t notice it. This wine is “jammy” rich! Nicely balanced tannins and acidity. The cream of the crop from the barrels at the James Gang. This will drink well for the next 3-4 years. Food pairing – great with grilled foods.

The Other

Tobin James "Dreamweaver" "California Champagne" (California) $11.99 - (1) this is sparkling wine; (2) it is NOT champagne; (3) I think Tobin James is poking fun at the "name czars" in the wine world; (4) I'm certain Toby James knows it is wrong to call this "Champage;" (5) this is really good, light and fun to drink!

Blend of Chardonnay, Muscat and Chenin Blanc. This is light, bubbly, fruity, easy-to-drink and tasty!

Hard-to-go-wrong!