I wasn't
too optimistic for My Picks when I saw the theme of this week's release at
Vintages: wines rated 90 points or higher. First, I'm not a fan
of scoring systems, which reduce a wine's qualities to a numerical score...and
I'm an accountant. (But perhaps I have a better sense than most of when
numbers can be used intelligently.) Wine is an analog product and isn't suited to a
reductive digital evaluation. That's a discussion for another day. Second, high scores often mean over-priced wine.
But
surprise! surprise! half of My Picks are from the main theme. And 2 more
are from the secondary theme: Portugal
Organic
UMANI RONCHI MONTIPAGANO 2010, DOC
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (Italy
100% Montepulciano. Hand
harvested. Fermented in steel tanks
for 10 days, followed by Malolactic conversion. Aged in oak
barrels. Drink it this summer…chill slightly and serve with pizza off the
grill. Best value of the release too!
Off
the Beaten Track
White
TRIMBACH RIESLING 2009, AC Alsace
(France); #734517; Price: $18.95; 13.0% ABV
100% Riesling. Extra-dry,
the way it should be. If you haven’t tried extra-dry Riesling
from Alsace , here’s a great way to find out what
you’ve been missing. Look for aromas and flavours of white
peach, quince, grapefruit and lemon, with lingering minerality. Goes
well with lots of different foods…pork, trout, sushi.
Reds
SEQUILLO CELLARS RED 2009, WO Swartland
(South Africa
A Languedoc-style blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre,
Grenache, Carignan, and Cinsault. Cold-soaked for 3 days in concrete
and wood vats, followed by fermentation for 3 weeks and an additional
maceration for 2 weeks…that’s going to be some dark wine! Aged 24
months in larger (500- and 600-litre) barrels, 18 of those months on its lees.
MOMMESSIN LES GRIOTTES
MORGON 2010, AC Beaujolais (France); #276402; Price: $17.95; 13.0% ABV
100% Gamay. Hand
harvested. Semi-carbonic fermentation. Aged in
oak. Excellent summer drinking with damn near anything off the grill. Also capable of aging.
DI MAJO NORANTE RAMITELLO 2009, DOC
Biferno Rosso (Molise , Italy
A blend of Montepulciano (80%) and
Aglianico (20%). Fermented on its skins for 1 month, followed by
Malolactic conversion. Aged in a combination of oak barrels and
steel vats, then 6 months in bottle before release. A wine to tuck
away for a few years.
The next four wines
are from the Iberian
Peninsula, which consistently provides the best
values in wines today...along with Italy
and Languedoc
CABRIZ RESERVA 2008,
DOC Dão (Portugal
A blend of 3 indigenous grape
varieties: Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro, and Tinta Roriz (aka
Tempranillo). Aged 9 months in French oak barrels.
PORCA DE MURÇA RESERVA
TINTO 2008, DOC Douro (Portugal
A blend of Touriga Nacional and
Touriga Franca. Fermentation and maceration in stainless steel
tanks. Aged in new French and American oak for 12 months.
COTO DE IMAZ GRAN
RESERVA 2001, DOCa Rioja (Spain
100% Tempranillo from Rioja Alta. Fermented in stainless
steel vats for 21 days. Aged in American- and French-oak casks for
24 months, followed by 36 months in the bottle before release.
LEALTANZA RESERVA 2005, DOCa Rioja (Spain
100% Tempranillo. Fermented in stainless
steel tanks for 15 days, with 10 extra days of maceration, followed by
Malolactic conversion in French oak vats. Aged 18 months in French
oak casks (1 or 2 years old), then 3 more months in French oak vats, followed
by 15 months in the bottle.
Rosé
DELAS FRÈRES SAINT-ESPRIT
ROSÉ 2011, AC Côtes du Rhône (France
A blend of Grenache
(40%), Syrah (40%), and Cinsault (20%). Maceration for 18 hours. Blended and fermented for 8 days. Aged in stainless steel. Filtered.
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