There’s not really too much going on this week, other than…Thanksgiving! With that elephant (turkey) in the room, there’s really nothing else to talk about except for what will go well with your Thursday afternoon meal. Judging from the turnout over the past week or so, we’re looking at a very busy next few days. So, as always, we’re here for advice on all things food and wine, but will just be tasting one wine so that we can focus our attention on helping all that come in and need to pick up and pair some wines with their upcoming feasts. So our lone headliner is:

Domaine du Vissoux Beaujolais Nouveau 2009 – $12.99, Beaujolais, France – 100% Gamay, 12.5% abv – Bright cherry with a clean, soft finish. An excellent pairing with turkey. “Every year, the third Thursday in November marks the annual release of Beaujolais Nouveau, and with it consumers around the world get their first glimpse of the potential of the vintage in Europe. And every year, extensive marketing campaigns promote the wines’ arrival, regardless of the vintage’s quality. But this time, wine lovers truly have something to be excited about: 2009 will likely go down as one of Beaujolais’ best vintages on record.” – Allison Napjus, Wine Spectator

We know this is a break from our normal goal of opening at least 6 bottles at any given time, but we promise, we’ll get back to normal once we all get back from our Thanksgiving festivities.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we decided to jam as many events into the next few days as is humanly possible. Friday will be an all day tasting of 2007 Burgundies with the likes of legendary houses Domaine des Lambrays, Serafin, Jobard-Chabloz, Remi Jobard and Dugat-Py. An excellent opportunity to taste five of the top producers in Burgundy for a vintage that was very well reviewed:

Region: Burgundy
Grade: B

By May 2007 in Burgundy, it looked like the region was headed for a repeat of 2003. Vine development was 3 weeks ahead of schedule and growers were looking at a mid- to late-August harvest. Then gloomy, cool and wet weather arrived in the middle of May and gripped the region until the last week of August. Finally, it warmed up, the north wind dried the vines and the sugars began concentrating as temperatures rose.

With the wet weather came mildew and rot problems. It was so wet during my visit to the region June 10—16 that some growers considered having their parcels sprayed by helicopter because tractors would otherwise get stuck in the rows of vines. Continued vigilance and spraying was necessary until the weather broke in August.

Despite the early start to the vegetation, the cool, cloudy summer slowed the photosynthesis and maturation, so when the favorable weather returned, growers had to be patient to achieve not only adequate sugar levels, but mature tannins. Some picked too early.

“We harvested our Bourgogne Pinot Noir on Aug. 31,” reported Jean-Michel Chartron, proprietor of Domaine Jean Chartron in Puligny-Montrachet. “For Chardonnay, it was a bit more difficult as maturity was not reached at that point, and maturity was different from one vineyard to another.”

Beaune-based négociant Alex Gambal noted that the sunny, dry weather allowed for an increase of about 1 degree of potential alcohol per week. “This was the first year anyone can remember where the white grapes were ripe much later then the reds,” he said. “Therefore, those who could pick 7 to 10 days between colors were the real winners.”

In the end, the quality of the 2007 red and white Burgundies will depend on the individual terroirs and growers who made the right decisions in the vineyards (controlling mildew and rot, picking at the right time, strict selection) and cellars, where it was necessary to sort—especially the Pinot Noir. The sorting resulted in a smaller crop, from 10 percent to as much as 30 percent less than the average yield.

- Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator

The lineup is as follows:

Domaine des Lambrays -
Morey-St.-Denis
Morey-St.-Denis 1er cru Les Loups
Grand Cru Clos des Lambrays

Domaine Serafin Pere & Fils -
Bourgogne Blanc
Bourgogne Rouge
Gevrey-Chambertin
Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes (not only old vines, but all parcels adjoin 1er crus)
Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru Corbeaux
Morey-St.-Denis 1er cru Millandes

Domaine Jobard-Chabloz
Meursault Le Limozin
Puligny-Montrachet Les Nosroyes
Chassagne-Morgeot 1er Cru Morgeot

Domaine Remi Jobard -
Bourgogne Blanc
Meursault Sous la Velle
Meursault 1er Cru Chevalieres
Meursault 1er Cru Poruzots-Dessus

Domaine Dugat-Py
Bourgogne
Bourgogne Cuvee Halinard
Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes Coeur de Roy
Pommard La Levrier Vieilles Vignes

Saturday, we welcome Bailey Kasten of Double Premium Confections, between the noon and 4 pm. Bailey will be offering tastes of her exquisite chocolates including strawberry and milk chocolate ganache surrounding a homemade strawberry preserve, cherry and dark chocolate ganache covered in dark chocolate and her earl grey tea chocolates.

Double Premium Confections is a new artisan chocolate shop in Washington, DC, offering fresh, natural and homemade chocolates, caramels and other treats. All the chocolates are made in small batches with the best chocolate and the best ingredients – real fruit, fresh spices, real ingredients – not flavors. They are made with absolutely nothing that is artificial, and chocolates are sold within days, not weeks, of being made.

Here at the shop, we will continue to offer tastes of what we believe is match made in heaven with Bailey’s terrific confections:

Domaine des Soulanes Maury 2006 – Regular Price $24.99, Sale Price $21.99 – Roussillon, France – 100% Grenache Noir, 16% abv – Pipe tobacco and plummy dark fruits make up the aromatic profile of the 2006 Maury. Broad, softly-textured, and sweet, it reveals a personality that is redolent with chocolate-covered raspberries, plums, and cherries. This medium to full-bodied wine is produced entirely from Grenache Noir and was aged for five years in 600-liter barrels before being bottled unfiltered. This beauty should be drunk after a meal on its own or with dark fruit-based desserts or dark chocolate.

We know everyone is very busy during this time of the year, but take a few minutes out of your days to come by and taste some outstanding Burgundies, delicious chocolates and a perfect pairing of a fortified wine. Our store hours have changed – we are now open from 10 am to 8 pm, Monday thru Saturday. Our tasting hours are 4-7 pm, Monday thru Friday, and from 1-5 pm on Saturday.

This looks to be a busy, busy week here at Weygandt Wines. We’re creeping closer to Thanksgiving, so we’ll start tasting turkey friendly wines. And on Friday, we have our 2007 Horizontal Burgundy tasting between noon and 7 pm. We’re really trying to squeeze in as much fun before the great American tradition of cramming your mouth with as much food and drink as possible, so drop by and see what we have to offer: Todd’s thoughts on what to serve with a turducken, Tim’s pairing with an oyster stuffing and Matt’s idea of what to do when there’s no more space in the gullet…

While the lineup may change a couple of times this week, this is what we’re starting off with (all sale items are good for this week only or while supplies last):

Domaine Albert Mann Pinot Blanc 2008 – Regular Price $17.99, Sale Price $14.99 – Alsace, France – 100% Pinot Blanc, 12.5% abv – The Barthelme brothers, winemaker Jacky and vitiiculturist Maurice, have now attained the recognition they deserve. Rated by Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate as in the top tier of Alsace producers, and One Star Rating in The Classement by Revue du Vin de France. From the Pinot Auxerrois, through all their expressive Grand Crus, to their rich, Selection Grains Noble, they portray their unique style consistently; beautiful delineation of flavors and precise textures, never heavy, clumsy or out of balance.

A bit of history. Maurice Barthelme married Albert Mann’s daughter, Marie-Claire, and gradually took over the domaine. He brought his brother Jacky into the operation In 1990. From Mann, there were Grand Cru Vineyards, Hengst, Steingrubler, Pfersigberg (for Tokay VV) and the wonderful Rosenberg Vineyard. From their mother (a member of the Blanck Family of Kaysersberg) they inherited the Schlossberg and Furstentum Vineyards (as well as the Altenbourg, adjoining the Furstentum).

Beginning in 1993, the Barthelme’s started a string of dazzling successes. The 1998′s continue this tradition, adding the character of the 1998 vintage to the Barthelme style: even more brilliant delineation from a more challenging, but in turn, rewarding “vintage of the vigneron.”

“The Barthelme brothers, two giants in physical stature, benefit from the ideal micro-climate of Colmar, producing wines that are rich, onctuous, endowed with significant residual sugar but well integrated in concentration as is typical of Hengst and Furstentum.” – Le Classement, 1999 Revue du Vin de France

Domaine de Poulvarel Costieres de Nimes Rose 2008 – Regular Price $12.99, Sale Price $10.99 – Rhone, France – 90% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 13% abv – Round and floral, this rose has hints of currant and strawberry fruit finish.

A single domaine Kir Royale consisting of:

Domaine du Vissoux Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Blanc de Blancs – Regular Price $25.99, Sale Price $21.99 – Burgundy, France – 100% Chardonnay, 12% abv – This sparkler is straw-yellow with golden tints. The bubbles are fine and form a delicate pearls around the rim of the glass. Citrus, floral and mineral aromas and flavors are partnered by a fresh elegant mouth feel, making a perfect balance between the strength of the aromas and the lightness required of this celebration drink. The limestone-clay soil the vines grow in is perfectly adapted to the Chardonnay grape variety.

and

Domaine du Vissoux Creme de Cassis – Regular Price $18.99, Sale Price $15.99 – Burgundy, France – 100% Black Currants, 19.85% abv – This cassis liqueur is home-made in a totally natural way from Pierre Chermette’s own plot of blackcurrants. On it’s own, the best Creme de Cassis we’ve ever tasted. With a nice sparkler, as good a Kir Royale as you can find.

Daniel Bouland Chiroubles 2008 – Regular Price $20.99, Sale Price $17.99 – Beaujolais, France – 100% Gamay, 13% abv – “The 2008 Chiroubles shows what a difference terroir can make: even though Bouland’s parcel of Chiroubles is immediately adjacent to his Morgon, soil and exposure are different, and the result is a bright, exuberant, white wine-like, terrifically vivacious tonic of salt- and citrus zest-tinged red raspberry and purple plum. This light, lithe wine is palate-staining in its concentration, but I would be inclined to enjoy it over the next couple of years.

“This year, not just one wine but an entire family of Daniel Bouland’s as yet still little-known wines is coming to the U.S., and they should not be missed!” – WA 91 points

Domaine Collotte Bourgogne Cuvee de Noble Souche 2007 – Regular Price $19.99, Sale Price $16.99 – Burgundy, France – 100% Pinot Noir, 12.5% abv – “It was at the 2005 Grand Jours de Bourgogne. I was looking for excellent Burgundies at equally excellent value. Marsannay came to mind as a good candidate, but aside from a couple of well-known producers, I was disappointed in the quality of many. That is until I came upon Philippe Collotte. A tall, quiet man, looking a bit like Gary Cooper, but with a lot of passion to make superb wines just waiting to be unleashed. His 2004′s were good, especially the Marsannay Champsalomon, but his 2005′s are special. And it is not just the vintage that explians it. One can see lower yields, more selection before and at harvest, and for us he bottled everything unfiltered. The Marsannay Clos de Jeu 2005 is the top Marsannay I have ever tasted – I put 6 magnums into my personal cellar.

“As I alluded to above, 2005 is no fluke – Philippe’s were some of the best 2006′s I tasted in February 2007 and when you taste his 2006 Rosé de Marsannay, it will be hard to argue that one who got that much fruit in his Marsannay Rosé, must have done something special that vintage.

“On the technical sheets we will be more specific but with special note is his Bourgogne parcel, planted in 1947 (bottled unfiltered for us) and there are 4 parcels of 50 + year vines in his super-value Marsannay VV. It is fun to find people like Philippe Collotte.” – Peter Weygandt

Domaine des Soulanes Maury 2006 – Regular Price $24.99, Sale Price $21.99 – Roussillon, France – 100% Grenache Noir, 16% abv – Pipe tobacco and plummy dark fruits make up the aromatic profile of the 2006 Maury. Broad, softly-textured, and sweet, it reveals a personality that is redolent with chocolate-covered raspberries, plums, and cherries. This medium to full-bodied wine is produced entirely from Grenache Noir and was aged for five years in 600-liter barrels before being bottled unfiltered. This beauty should be drunk after a meal on its own or with dark fruit-based desserts or dark chocolate.

We know, we know. We tend to oscillate a bit on our tasting policies, but with the upcoming holidays, we’ve gotten a bit anxious to try some new wines. That being said, we’ve changed the early week lineup. For the whites, we still are pouring Tement Temento Green 2008, George Reisling Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland Trocken 2007 and Bodegas Pedralonga Albariño 2007, but the reds have called in a few pinch hitters. The original tasting notes can be found in this post. As for the current red lineup, we’re still pouring the Jean-Michel Gerin Syrah Vin de Pays 2007, but the Chateau La Bastide Corbieres 2007 and Boeri Barbera d’Asti D.O.C. 2005 are on the DL (until we get more in on Monday). Taking their places are the following:

Domaine Les Grand Bois Côtes du Rhône Cuvée Les Trois Soeurs, Rhône, France – 65% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 20% Carignan, 14.5% abv – “The 2007 Cotes du Rhone Trois Soeurs is a blend of 65% Grenache and the rest Syrah and Carignan, one-third of which is aged in older barrels for four months, and two-thirds in tank. It hit 14.5% natural alcohol. A big, full-bodied style reveals delicious black currant and black cherry fruit along with hints of licorice, pepper, and spice box. This opulent Cotes du Rhone should drink nicely for 3-4 years.” – WA 90 points

Domaine Plouzeau Chinon Rouge Rive Gauche 2008, Loire, France – 100% Cabernet Franc, 12.5% abv – The nose has a stony minerality with some barnyard must, which quickly dissappears on the palate, when bright cherry notes end with a delicate softness. A family Domaine situated on the “rive gauche” of Chinon and around Ligré and la Roche-Clermault since 1846. Marc Plouzeau took over the estate in 1988 and in 1999 began the conversion to “agriculture biologique” and the vineyards are now all certified as such by ECOCERT. Low yields, predominantly hand- harvested at ideal physiological ripeness, and vinification directed towards emphasizing fruit and not extracting tannins. At our request, our shipments were bottled without filtration.

Daniel Bouland Morgon Vieilles Vignes 2008, Beaujolais, France – 100% Gamay, 13% abv – “The Bouland 2008 Morgon Vieilles Vignes exhibits a focus and grip rare in Beaujolais from this or for that matter any vintage. Concentrated, brightly fresh blackberry and blueberry tinged with salt, chalk, and citrus oil, and underlain by deep, smoky roast meatiness characterize this wine of palpable extract. While seamlessly, richly ripe and 13% in natural alcohol, it nevertheless comes off as lithe and lively, with a peony-like floral perfume wafting all the way through to a gloriously persistent, lip-smacking, soul-satisfying finish. Expect this cuvee (lightly fined but unfiltered, incidentally, an approach he first took at the behest of importer Peter Weygandt) to be worth following for close to a decade, perhaps even longer. This year, not just one wine but an entire family of Daniel Bouland’s as yet still little-known wines is coming to the U.S., and they should not be missed!” – WA 93 points

Domaine Vial-Magneres Tradition 4 Year Banyuls, Roussillon, France – 65% Grenache Noir, 15% Grenache Gris, 11% Grenache Blanc, 3% Syrah and 6% old-vine Carignan, 16.5% abv – This is a terrific fortified wine for those who are looking for an affordable port. With many of the same characteristics of a good tawny port, come in and try this Banyuls as a fun alternative for a digestif. A family property for three generations, the estate consists of 10 hectares of vines spread out in small parcels across the best plots of the appellation, the terraced vineyards are cultivated entirely by hand. All of their vines are grown along the coastline. The soils are made up of metamorphosed Cambrian rocks composed essentially of decaying chloric and sericitic schist. The vines are 40 to 50 years old on average; they amount to 60,000 plants, of which between 1,000 and 1,200 are renewed annually.

We have a ton of things to go over in the upcoming weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, so we’re going to get a head start on next week by posting mid-week. We’ve heard that a couple of the businesses in the Park and Shop are no longer validating for the parking lot, but don’t despair, you still get an hour on us. So, without further ado, let’s get down to business:

1. We have two great Chateauneuf du Pape producers that we are selling for a terrific deal at $39.99 and one at $49.99, while supplies last. All three are from the 2006 vintage that, while not reviewed as well as the ’07 vintage, scored 92 or 93 points in the Wine Advocate. The lineup is as follows:

Clos Saint-Jean Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes 2006 – $39.99 – “The 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes’ dark opaque color is accompanied by a gorgeous nose of incense, licorice, spice box, creme de cassis, cherries, and smoked meats. Notions of soy and fig are also apparent in this full-bodied, concentrated, sexy wine. Enjoy it over the next 12-15+ years.” – WA 93 pts

Domaine Gerard Charvin Chateauneuf du Pape 2006 – $49.99 – “Charvin’s 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape has turned out to be one of the vintage’s top efforts. Lovely sweet notes of glove leather, roasted meats, spice box, ground pepper, kirsch, and raspberries are present in this deep, full-bodied 2006. More evolved than the 2007, with copious concentration, elegance, and a Burgundy grand cru-like complexity as well as freshness, it should be enjoyed over the next 12-15+ years.” – WA 93 pts

Domaine de Ferrand Chateauneuf du Pape 2006 – $39.99 – “Bravay has also turned in a beautiful 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape displaying the classic, complex aromatic profile that he seems to achieve routinely. Aromas of black fruits, scorched earth, incense, licorice, pepper, and roasted Provencal herbs are followed by a full-bodied, rich, deep, long, concentrated wine with impressive layers of black cherries and black currants. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.” – WA 92 pts

This is a very good opportunity to try three of the bigger names from the Southern Rhone for a very, very reasonable price.

2. With Thanksgiving looming, please come in next week and taste some of our holiday selections. We’re still filling out our lineup card, but we’ll have a few sparklers, some alsatian whites, some Cru Beajolais, maybe a Bourgogne Rouge and a couple of dessert wines available to taste. In addition, try our Domaine du Vissoux Kir Royale. Made from their Cremant de Bourgogne and Creme de Cassis, it’s a delicious cocktail that’s perfect for the upcoming holidays.

3. Speaking of Thanksgiving, the much anticipated and highly touted 2009 Beaujolais Nouveaus will be arriving next week and we are offering Domaine du Vissoux for $12.99 a bottle. Regularly $18.49, another great deal for those that love Beaujolais Nouveau or those who were turned off previously by poorly crafted wines. This is the Beaujolis Nouveau that will be featured at Willi’s Wine Bar in Paris and it is one of number of wines that we think pair perfectly with turkey.

4. A reminder that next Friday, November 20, we are hosting a not-to-be-missed 2007 Horizontal Burgundy Tasting with Domaine des Lambrays, Domaine Christian Serafin, Domaine Remi Jobard and Domaine Dugat-Py. Four of the best in the business and wines we do not usually open, so be here between 4-7 pm to taste a real treat.

Thanks, and be sure to ask us what wine will go with whatever you’re cooking for dinner. With a couple of former chefs in the shop and the co-proprietor, Todd Ross, who knows all of our wines, inside and out, we’re sure to be able to suggest a perfect wine pairing for you.

We decided to take a European tour this week. Austria to Germany, then Italy and Spain, with a couple of stops in France to end our trip. We will be offering the case price discount on single bottles of any of the wines we are tasting. That’s 15% off any of the bottles listed below. The lineup and tasting notes are as follows:

Tement Temento Green 2008, Styria, Austria – Sauvignon Blanc and Welschriesling, 11.5% abv – Regular Price $15.99, This Week $13.59 – “This delightfully fresh and aromatic
blend of our principal grape varieties, Welschriesling and Sauvignon Blanc, beguiles one this year with its asparagus notes, underpinned by our typically Styrian acidity. An ideal foil for hors d’oeuvres and other light dishes, or simply whenever you feel like it. “

George Reisling Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland Trocken 2007, Rheingau, Germany – 100% Reisling, 13% abv – Regular Price $21.99, This Week $18.69 – A classic, dry reisling from the Rheingau. For those who have the notion that all reislings are sweet, this is a good opportunity to taste the dry side of this beautiful grape.

Bodegas Pedralonga Albariño 2007, Rias Baixas, Spain – 100% Albariño, 13% abv, unfiltered – Regular Price $27.99, This Week $23.79 – A very full-bodied nose with notes of grapefruit, apple and floral hints. Structured and robust on the palate. Prominent minerality with lactic hints and slight, fruity acidity.

Boeri Barbera d’Asti D.O.C. 2005, Asti, Italy – 100% Barbera, 14% abv – Regular Price $18.99, This Week $15.99 – Martinette is the geographic name of one of Boeri’s best vineyards. This wine is typical of Barbera, soft but full bodied, ready to drink young, and it continues to develop with a few years of aging. Its versatility allows it to accompany a complete meal very well: appetizers of meat, full flavored first courses, rich second courses, and both fresh and seasoned cheeses. Refined 8 months in barrique and 8 months in bottle.

Chateau La Bastide Corbieres 2007, Languedoc, France – 80% Syrah, 20% Grenache – Regular Price $12.99, This Week $10.99 – “Durand’s 2007 Corbieres (bottled as “Chateau La Bastide,” a title legally afforded only to wines of appellation controlee status!) is an 80-20 Syrah-Grenache blend, half of which is aged in previously used barrels. Bright and juicy, saline and meaty, and with even more energy and sappy persistence than the other 2007 vintage Durand wines, this adds dimensions of stony, iodine-like minerality to its black pepper-tinged raw beef and blackberries to arrive at a wine far more complex and classy – not to mention lighter on its feet – than all but a handful of other wines in its appellation – and look at the price! Enjoy this unbelievable value over the next 2-3 years.

“Guilhem Durant’s La Bastide wines have long represented an excellent collection of wines at almost embarrassingly modest prices, but in vintage 2007, he simply out did himself with amazing abundance of value.” – WA 90 points

Jean-Michel Gerin Syrah Vin de Pays 2007, Rhone, France – 100% Syrah, 13% abv – Regular Price, $21.99, This Week $18.69 – Made from 100% Syrah grapes grown on high slopes in mica schist soil, this wine is drinking young (3-5 years) with cherry flavors, pepper and flexible tannins. Aged in barrels for 8 months

2007 was an incredible year for the Southern Rhône Valley in general and Châteauneuf-du-Pape more specifically…

“Vintage of a lifetime…Throughout the southern Rhône, 2007 is the greatest vintage I have tasted in my thirty years working in that region.” – Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate

“It seems the Southern Rhône Valley can do no wrong. Fine weather plus skilled vintners equals great wines year after year. Every vintage from 1998 through 2004 was outstanding (rated 90 points or higher on Wine Spectator ‘s 100-point scale), with the sole exception of rain-drenched 2002 – and 2005 earned a classic score.” – James Molesworth, July 15, 2008, Wine Spectator

That being said, we have but a single bottle of Domaine Raymond Usseglio Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Girard Non Filtré 2007 available to taste in the store today. This is a great opportunity to taste a terrific wine from an outstanding winemaker from an incredible vintage.

“Importer Peter Weygandt-s 2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Girard has a deeper ruby/purple hue and a slightly more fleshy texture, but otherwise is similar to the regular cuvee. With plenty of Provencal herb, lavender, smoke, meat juice, black cherry, and black currant characteristics, this rich, pure, sultry, opulent wine should drink well for 10-15 years.

“The name Usseglio is well-known in Chateauneuf du Pape as the Usseglio family immigrated from Italy during the Great Depression. There are two top domaines named Usseglio, that of Raymond and Pierre Usseglio. The Raymond Usseglio estate is now being run by Stephane Usseglio, who has introduced a new Mourvedre-based cuvee called La Parte des Anges (reviewed here and called Reserve des Anges in last year-s report). The 2008s are very good for the vintage, but the 2007s are the finest wines I have tasted at Raymond Usseglio since their 1998s, and these may even eclipse them.” – WA 92 points

So come in and ask for it and if we have any left in the bottle, we’ll pour you a special taste…

Another week, six more wines to taste. Thanks to all who have come by during our inaugural first couple of weeks to talk, wish us good luck, taste some wines and join us in doing whatever we do here. Just a reminder, we have a parking lot right in front of our entrance and we validate for up to one hour. So, without further ado, our lineup for this week:

Domaine La Bastide 2007, Languedoc, France – 100% Viognier – “The 2007 Viognier represents one of several remarkable opportunities of which I’ve recently become aware to discover the true charms (without the common weaknesses) of this world-traveled grape made famous in the Northern Rhone. A pungent, classic nose of acacia, pepper cress, and alkaline mineral notes leads to a luscious, subtly oily, yet refreshing rather than at all heavy palate, and faint but pleasant bitterness of citrus zest and apple pit mingles with salt and white pepper in a palate-coating finish. Give this a workout at your dinner table over the coming 6-9 months.

“Guilhem Durant’s La Bastide wines have long represented an excellent collection of wines at almost embarrassingly modest prices, but in vintage 2007, he simply out did himself with amazing abundance of value.” – WA 89 point

Strele Soave 2007, Veneto, Italy – 100% Garganega – Yellow strong color, with nice flavory, fresh and intense taste with a little of almond note in the end. This wine is a very good combination with light appetizers fish, pasta dishes and even white meat with light sauces.

“Strele” is the old name for the cru which one exists and does part of Francesco and Gaetano family more than 50 years. The family Strele has worked hard on this young cru and they were selling in the past the grapes to other cantinas. Last year, one members of the family, Francesco decided to keep for himself this Garganega nectar without giving away to other wine makers.

Garganega grape is ancient grape from Greece origin and have found his perfect habitat in Verona area for thousand years back. Soave wine is mention about 1.500 years ago and beside Veneto we can find this grape only at Friuli, Umbria and Lombardia. Garganega is a late-ripening and ultra vigorous vine, with medium sized, pentagonal leaves with pronounced notches. The loosely-knit clusters are a little bit long, cylindrical and winged, supporting spherical, juicy berries of good acidity, thick skinned, medium in size and white-green in colour.

Domaine La Bastide Blanche Bandol Rose 2008, Provence, France – 70% Mourvedre, 22% Cinsault, 8% Grenache – “Another summer …bone-dry rose…fuller-bodied style with surprising power,depth and even structure…behaves more like a mid-weight dry red ….most Bandol roses are rare and expensive (very popular in Europe and quantities are limited)…this is right up there with my standard Bandol reference rose…Domaine Tempier…but Tempier sells for $35…this costs $20….ordered a case myself…..” – Robert M. Parker, Jr.

In the early 70’s Michel and Louis Bronzo (the latter on the board of the INAO) acquired the property of the Bastide Blanche, with an eye to producing from appellation Bandol wines the equal of more famous appellations like Chateauneuf. Their painstaking efforts were rewarded in 1993 when vintage conditions created the benchmark year to put Bandol in general and Bastide-Blanche, in particular, on the map of top producers in France. They have various cuvees, depending on the vintage, but always about 75% Mourvedre as a minimum, up to 100% Mourvedre for the cuvee Fontanieu from a parcel of that name near the Mediterranean. Also, common each year to their success are their very low yields, never more than 34 or 35 hl/ha, and simply impeccable cellar conditions and attention. This shows in the pure, well-delineated fruit, that has become a hallmark of Bastide-Blanche, as well as the delightful Rose that we will be pouring.

La Ca’ Nova Langhe Nebbiolo 2005, Piedmont, Italy – 100% Nebbiolo – More approachable than a Barolo or Barbaresco when young, the La Ca’ Nova is soft and supple with hints of licorice, violets and tar. A fairly versatile red, drink this with anything from roasted chicken to braised meats.

La Ca’ Nova is a classic family-run operation. The three Rocca brothers, joined for some time now by sons Ivano and Marco, still labour in the vines and cellar, practising the style of winemaking traditional in Langhe: meticulous care for the vineyard, careful timing for the harvest, gentle pressing of the clusters, macerations of 15 to 20 days and maturation in large Slavonian oak casks.

Simone Scaletta Dolcetto d’Alba Viglioni 2007, Piedmont, Italy – 100% Dolcetto – Intense ruby violet color, aromas of fresh violets and blueberries. Tasting it, you may distinguish a final hint of almond note. Medium bodied, easy drinking, it is considered to be an excellent, everyday wine which doesn’t fear time passing.

The grapes are macerated on the skins for about 5 days in rotary fermentors with temperature control. The grapes are then pressed off the skins and the alcoholic fermentation and the malolactic one are completed in steel tanks. Wine is still kept into steel tanks for about 9 months. By the repeated pouring processes, the wine in the end is pure. At about the end of July the wine is bottled without filtration and fining and then settle for 3 months before being out in the market.

Uwe Schiefer Blaufrankisch Konigsberg 2007, Südburgenland , Austria – 100% Blaufrankisch – “Schiefer matured his 2007 Blaufrankisch Konisberg in a new 3,100 liter cask (meaning that there was around five and a half times more of it than of the 2006) and bottled it already last summer, because he was bereft of wine to sell. It includes some estate fruit, and some from the Eisenberg. Ripe cherry with bitter cherry pit and smoke accents in the nose, in turn inform a cool-fruited but ripe palate, with subtly stony and spicy notes that carry into a bright, sappy finish. This may well pick up some further nuance with time in bottle but, as things stand, offers an excellent introduction to Schiefer’s style of Blaufrankisch, perfect for enjoying over the next 2-3 years. The rest of Schiefer’s 2007s were highly promising, if backward, from barrel last summer.

“I wrote extensively in issue 177 about Uwe Schiefer and his remarkable and distinctive Blaufrankisch from the once-famous Eisenberg area on the Hungarian border in South Burgenland. His 2006 collection almost certainly represents the best of his eight to date, hence some of the most exciting red wine ever produced in Austria. Despite his relatively brief history, Schiefer’s conception of Blaufrankisch as a wine with site-sensitivity and finesse comparable, and best handled in a manner akin to that of Burgundian Pinot Noir and not a wine of, as he puts it, “tannin and power,” or one best marked by small toasty barrels, has begun to resonate within Austria, not least in the exciting Moric wines of Roland Velich (the 2006s of which are reviewed in this report).” – WA 89 points

Schiefer’s principle: “Less is more” – his aim is a genuine winemaking. He produces wines in a very puristic style focusing on naturalness. Currently he works in some vineyards biodynamic, but wants to change all vineyard culture to biodynamic in the coming years.

The Südburgenland is Austria’s smallest wine producing province and straddles the border with Hungary. There are a total of 400 hectares under vine. The finest vineyard is the 120 ha Eisenberg, a steep schistus slate hillside where Uwe Schiefer (by coincidence the word Schiefer meaning slate in German) works now on 5 hectares. About 10 years ago, he started putting together his estate, nearly all planted to Blaufränkisch.