"Trink, was klar ist, lieb, was rar ist" ("Drink what's pure, love what's rare"). The words and the ornate illustrations of the Josephöfer label are probably a better indicator of what's inside the bottle than anything I can summarize here. This is one of my favorite Riesling sites on the Mosel, and given that the 2007 German vintage has turned out to be nothing short of addictive, I've been keeping my eyes open for this solely-owned vineyard of the Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt estate.

The Josephshöf vineyard once belonged to a monastery, but the 8-hectare site is now an alleinbesitz (monopole) of the Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt which has owned the vineyard since secularization in 1858. Situated between Wehlener Sonnenuhr and Graacher Domprobst, Josephshöf is a south-facing, steep site at an angle of 60 degrees. The top soil is similar to other classic Mosel sites with its Devonian blue slate, but Josephshöfer has deeper, heavier sub-soils than those of its neighbors. These sub-soils typically produce wines that are rich, broad, and perhaps less nervy than Sonnenuhr and Domprobst. This may be the reason that Hugh Johnson denotes this as an "excellent" site, rather than an "exceptional" one in his World Atlas of Wine.

Nonetheless, if you combine these rich sub-soils with the nearly perfect 2007 growing season for Riesling (the longest ever hang-time on record), you arrive at a wine where substance and ripeness couples with racy acidity. I've always been impressed by Josephshöfer's balance and texture, and the 2007 Kabinett shows its typical richness and power but with pronounced nectarine and white flower blossoms, intense slate infused minerality, and a focused core of acidity which drives a seemingly never-ending finish.

www.kesselstatt.com

My fascination with the notion of terroir in Champagne began many years ago while working alongside one of America's great Champagne experts: Gary Westby. Gary is the Champagne buyer for a top Bay Area retailer and is an ardent supporter of small, grower-producer Champagnes. I can still recall many conversations with him about the individual and expressive (not to mention value) Champagnes from the grower-producers, or récoltant-manipulants, as they are also known. These récoltant-manipulants also provide an opportunity to discover the differences between the major regions of Champagne, differences that are often blurred by the big négociant houses which dominate Champagne production.

Négociant-manipulants typically blend wines from the various regions and from multiple vintages to achieve a consistent style. Négociants make up nearly 80 percent of the Champagne sold in the U.S. and include such famous brands as Veuve Clicquot and Perrier-Jouët. But rarely do the négociants acknowledge terroir (beyond the all-encompassing Champagne AOC) as an important feature of Champagne, preferring instead to promote their brand names. Thus it was with pleasure that I accepted an invitation this week by Champagne connoisseur, Jake Rosenbarger, to taste three single-vineyard Champagnes from one of the pioneer négociants for Champagne de terroir, the small and unique firm of Leclerc Briant.

Leclerc Briant was a pioneer of the single-vineyard concept; current owner Pascal Leclerc Briant developed the idea with the help of French sommeliers. Being a négociant, Leclerc Briant purchases much of its production from other growers but also owns vineyards in six villages. The Premier cru village of Cumières, located in the Vallée de la Marne, is the source of Leclerc Briant's single-vineyard Champagnes which it markets collectively as its Les Authentiques collection.

Les Crayères, a 1.07 hectare vineyard on a south-facing slope, is composed of 90 percent Pinot Noir and 10 percent Pinot Meunier and showed wonderful black fruit, fennel and minerals. Les Chèvres Pierreuses, named for the goats which wandered onto the vineyard and snacked on the delicious grapes, is from a 2.8 hectare south-facing vineyard, with 60 percent Pinot Noir and 40 percent Chardonnay. This wine showed a more delicate character with floral and citrus notes and a focused chalky minerality. Finally, we tried a new Blanc de Blancs from a small .34 hectare plot in Epernay named La Croisette. This last champagne was my favorite of the tasting with vanilla bean and wedding cake aromas leading to a more serious lemon and apple skin laden palate.

Full tasting notes on these compelling, vineyard-driven Champagnes will appear in a future edition of SOMMselections. Thank you to both Gary for your inspiration and to Jake for providing this rare glimpse into the terroir of Champagne.

During a trip to Boston last week to lecture for an introductory course for the Court of Master Sommeliers I found myself enjoying several great wines in the company of my colleagues. The 1996 Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet that we ordered with dinner may very well have been my wine moment of the year, but then Boston collector Brad Malt entered the room. A long time collector of Vega Sicilia's Unico, Mr. Malt organized a tasting with fellow collectors and friends at Boston's Troquet restaurant and opened nine vintages of this legendary Ribera del Duero. Luckily for us we were sitting nearby, and Mr. Malt was an extremely generous fellow.

The origins of Vega Sicilia date back to 1864, which was when Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves returned from his travels in Bordeaux with vine cuttings, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, and Carménère. Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves then planted these cuttings at Vega Sicilia alongside Tempranillo.

The wines of Vega Sicilia established a reputation for long wood aging with their top bottling Unico ("Unique") traditionally seeing a complicated series of rackings, from large casks, to new and used American oak, and back to large wood. With wines like the 1970 Unico receiving an astounding 16 years in wood, it was surprising to find that most of the older vintages we tasted in Boston had absorbed this treatment to become impressively balanced, well-developed wines. In addition to the vintage-dated Unico, there is a non-vintage reserve blend from the best years called Unico Reserva Especial in addition to the Valbueno 5, an alternate wine being produced in vintages when Unico is not.

The balance of these wines is due to the estate's famously low-yields and meticulous wine-making which has remained remarkably consistent through several ownership changes. Ownership currently lies with the Alvarez family, who purchased the estate in 1982, the same year that Ribera del Duero received its Denominacion de Origen.

The wines we tasted this memorable night included: the 1962; the 1966; an incredibly young and vibrant 1968; the 1970; the 1981; a kirsch-y and complex 1983; the 1986, which required two pages in my notebook; the 1990; and the 1995. Full tasting notes will appear in a future edition of SOMMselections and here's a sincere thanks to Brad Malt and his group for a special evening in Boston.

One of the most anticipated wine shipments for my restaurant this year has been the 2007 Venica e Venica's from Collio in Friuli. Ever since last year's staff trip to Friuli, we've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of these nervy, precise, and aromatic white wines from this small family winery near the Slovenian border. They are here, and they were well worth the wait.

"You will not go wrong with any Venica wine you select, as all are laudable," said Fred Plotkin in "La Terra Fortunata," his thorough and authoritative book on the region. The brothers Gianni and Giorgio run this benchmark Collio winery with their wives and children, which was founded in 1936 by their grandfather Daniele. Gianpaolo (pictured to the right speaking with Chef Lachlan from Frasca at the Venica estate in July 2007) and his siblings are the future of Venica e Venica, and if the 2007's are any indication, it is an exciting future.

Precision and purity of flavor is the mantra here. Inox tanks are the preferred fermenting and aging vessels but the wines are by no means primary or one-dimensional. All of the wines have a certain density and focus about them which leaves me to believe that there is a great deal of attention and care going into the vineyards. In addition to the three wines listed below, please keep a lookout for their benchmark Sauvignon called Ronco delle Mele as well as their Tre Bicchieri winning Tocia Friulano: Ronco delle Cime.

Venica & Venica Collio Friulano 2007
Guava, orange peel, and lime blossom aromatics combine with bosc pear, bergamot, and mineral on the palate. The texture is fleshy while maintaining a clean, precise finish with lingering floral and mineral notes.

Venica & Venica Collio "Jesera" Pinot Grigio 2007
Gianpaolo told us that "Jesera" is a Slovenian word meaning "little lake." It has an attractive, pale salmon, almost copper hue which I wish we would see more often in Italian Pinot Grigio. On the nose there is strawberry, ripe cantaloupe, quince, and cottonwood, but the palate is serious business with intense, stony minerality and a very long, clean finish.

Venica & Venica Collio Ronco del Cerò Sauvignon 2007
This one is very pale straw, almost platinum in color. It features dried hay, fresh apricots, black currant bud nose with apricots, apples, and minerals on the palate. Finally, it expresses firm acidity and is dry with a long, lingering, clean mineral finish. It is the perfect summer sipper.

http://www.venica.it/

One of the best things about living in Boulder over the last year and a half has been seeing the launch of David Vogels' Sommelier Journal, a trade magazine for wine professionals. David has a long history as a journalist and publisher, but it was his personal interest in wine that gave him the idea for the magazine. David enrolled in the CIA's Certified Wine Professional course out of his passion for wine, and in the process realized the need for a trade journal specifically for sommeliers. In only a few months of publication, David has tackled everything from Bordeaux-buying strategies to comprehensive Barolo tastings, and I've found many of his articles helpful in my current position at Frasca Food and Wine. This afternoon, I was happy to accept an invitation to sit on a panel tasting two vintages of Austrian Grüner Veltliner for an upcoming issue. It was informative and inspiring, and without a doubt, my wine moment of the week.

We tasted the 1999 flight first, followed by the 2006 flight. Both the producers and the quality levels were kept consistent in order to focus on vintages. Only the vintage was different in the two flights. Both vintages have been highly touted by the wine media, with the 1999 edging out 2006 in overall quality. With vintage evaluation being the focus of todays tasting, it was challenging to look past the stunning complexity developed over the past seven years in the 1999s. This vintage has established itself as one of the greatest in the past two decades for the dry white wines of lower Austria. The quality of the 1999s was undeniable, with the white wines possessing great concentration and firm acidity, a result of the nearly perfect growing season.

The ripe, warm vintage character found in many 2006 European white wines permeated the second flight. Notes like ripe apricot, peach, apple blossoms, and summer honey repeated throughout my tasting book. I kept thinking of the vintage updates I had read which reported record-breaking heat that year. While 2006 is an approachable, forward vintage of immediate charm, 1999, with its pepper-laced flavors and layered complexity, is a vintage of superb quality and is developing beautifully in the bottle. Look for the full details of this tasting in the September issue of Sommelier Journal.

www.sommelierjournal.com.

It all started innocently enough, with a warm bottle of Six Sigma and a Penske truck. Last summer my fiance (then-boyfriend) and I were moving from Napa to Manhattan and before I left my job in St. Helena, my boss gave me a parting gift of more than a few bottles of Six Sigma Rose. Hailing from Lake County and made of Tempranillo, it was darkly hued, plush with red fruits, full of zingy lemon, and best of all, we had almost a case to spare: I had met my summer match. 

On our cross-country drive we got to know our new friend pretty well, we would keep a bottle or two in the cab of the truck, where it could be cooler from the air conditioning, later when we got to our hotel it would go straight to ice. We were on a budget, and our lodging choices reflected such: the Tropicana in Las Vegas, a KOA campground at the Grand Canyon, in Oklahoma it was a filthy motel, one place in rural West Virginia with nothing but a Pizza Hut and McDonald's in sight, and a friend's Aero-bed in DC. But our Rose was there with us, and we were able to enjoy it in myriad settings and occasions. Yes, sometimes it was really warm, but for the most part we were able to get the temperature down enough to enjoy it at it's prime, even lucky enough to share it with some friends and family along the way.

Once we arrived at our apartment in hot, humid Manhattan, we had maybe five or so bottles remaining; those were left for David. For a month or so while he was job-hunting he would drink them in the evening to cool down while watching basketball, all while I was at work, learning the ropes at a new job.

Lately I've had some Roses that are equally tasty and quench the summertime thirst. Some of my favorites have been:

-Bastianich Rosato from Friuli, Italy ($14). Made with the obscure Refosco grape, it is full of plump cranberry and bing cherry. Made by Joe Bastianich, one of the owners of Babbo, I frequently have this with my dinner at the end of the night, as it pairs very nicely with some of the tomato-based dishes that we have on our menu.

-Wolffer Estate from the Hamptons, with 35% Merlot, 8% Cab Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Chardonnay ($17) that was light in color, had soft red berry notes, and gentle apple to the finish.

-Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo Rosato by Zaccagnini ($15), 100% Montepulciano.  This had a fantastic texture, creamy with just a hint of grit to keep the interest going. Strawberry, cinammon, and cherry.

-One night walking home through the East Village I realized that I wanted to stop and get a bottle of Rose to drink with dinner, so I stopped in the first liquor store I saw and purchased something from the Languedoc; it was by far the sleeper-hit. An acid bomb, it was most likely a blend of Syrah and Grenache, full of soft currant and cloves. I have no idea what it was, but it cost me $8- awesome.

-Schiava. This is a grape grown in the Alto Adige of Italy. While technically not a Rose as it is a red grape made in a regular red-wine style, it is an extremely all-around light wine, almost rose-like in color, and lightly earthy on the palate.

So while the Six Sigma is long gone, I have been able to find solace in many other delicious (and affordable) Roses.

Most of us do not have superhuman salaries like Warren Buffet. He had the ability to bath in Bordeaux first growths. He has water fights with Montrachet. If one wants to try Cheval Blanc, Chateau Latour, Leoville Las Cases, Chateau Palmer, Chateau Pichon Baron from good vintage but can't afford the price tag, here are some alternatives.

Most of us do not have superhuman salaries like Warren Buffet. He had the ability to bath in Bordeaux first growths. He has water fights with Montrachet. If one wants to try Cheval Blanc, Chateau Latour, Leoville Las Cases, Chateau Palmer, Chateau Pichon Baron from good vintage but can't afford the price tag, here are some alternatives.

Petit Cheval Blanc, Saint Emilion: Just tasted the 2004 a couple of days ago. Ripe, ripe, ripe, but what a perfumed bouquet of white flowers and currant-mocha-java-bliss, Made me think of the song from Laid Back, which I believe I do not believe was inspired by wine. Pierre Lurton, the winemaker for Cheval Blanc may never had heard of the group "Laid Back."

Clos du Marquis, Saint Julien: The 2001 were a steal in 2006. I bought it in San Francisco for about 20 a bottle and the flavors erupted from the glass like a volcano. The price may have been less because I was a sommelier at the French Laundry at the time. Vibrant blackberry fruit, smoked earth and balance like a gymnast. Now that the US dollar is weak, this is hard to find for less than 50 a bottle.

Les Forts De Latour, Pauillac; The wine is consistently among the best wines in the Medoc. I tried the 1989 out of the Magnum and the 1996 recently. The 1989 had flavors of cigar, cedar mulberry cherry with a long toasted cranberry finish. The 1996 wine from Forts De Latour is dynamite as well. The wine was little more subdued than the 1989, more cranberry, cassis, where the 1989 had more ripe blackberry flavors.

Les Tournelles du Longueville, Pauillac; I just bought the 2000 for 13 a bottle in halves. The wine is magically delicious. It is as if one could smell the dirt from which it was harvested. Good dirt. Aromas of campfire, leather, toasted cedar, baked cherries and just enough oak to balance the fruit.

Alter Ego: Have yet to try this wine, but what a name from Chateau Palmer. Maybe the people at Palmer were big Superman or Batman fans.

Last week Babbo hosted Paolo Mastroberardino in its June installment of the 'Vintage Babbo' series. Paolo is the owner and winemaker for Southern Italy's most famous winery: Mastroberardino. The winery is based in Campania and has its stake in the town of Taurasi. The wines from Taurasi are made with 100% Aglianico.

As I previously mentioned here at Vintrust, I believe Aglianico is the most underrated grape in the world. Even within Italy the grape does seems to get the credit it deserves. Aglianico's characteristics include deep red color, acidity, tannins, ripe fruit and dark earthy, tobacco notes. Aglianico can often be a bit dry, but in the hands of Mastroberardino the grapes see an elegance and refinement unmatched in Southern Italy. The wines live up to their nickname of "the Barolo of the South."

The winery has been in production for nearly three centuries. Its methods are primarily traditional in style with a bit of new oak utilized these days. The fruit extraction is never overdone producing pure and aromatic wines. The vines are quite old lending a soft creamy texture with good intensity. In 1994 the Mastroberardino family split and a new winery was created, Terredora. It has been reported that Terredora took control of the family's vines and that Mastroberardino kept the historic name. From this dinner I learned that is not entirely the case as Mastroberardino still has control of a large percentage of their old vines.

The wines served represented both the history and future of the Mastroberardino - from the legendary 1968 Taurasi and their newest project, Villa dei Misteri, which sees vines replanted within the city of Pompeii, a fascinating historic venture. The wines all showed brilliantly except for the 1977 which was tired 19 years out.

Villa dei Misteri 2002 - This rare wine is grown within the walls of Pompeii on the site of the city's ancient vineyard. The grapes used are the ancient varietals of Piedrosso (90%) and Sciascinoso (10%). Very small production. The color is a deep medium red and the nose is fresh and lively. Nice jamminess of fruit with an intriguing hot sopprasatta note plus new oak. Soft texture that could use some more palate punch. A unique wine that give you a glimpse of history. 89 points

Taurasi Riserva Radici Mastroberardino 1999 - Clear ruby red. Beautiful vibrant fresh aromas of pure cherries, spices, orange zest, tobacco and earth. A crystal clear haze of a nose. Moderate attack with jammy fruit kicking in on the nice finish. Floral and pruney notes emerge as the wine opens up. 92 points

Taurasi Riserva Radici Mastroberardino 1997 - Clear red with a touch of amber. Elegant nose with jammy fruit, herbs and tobacco. Fruity well balanced attack and finish with dry cigar box quality coming in on the finish. The jamminess of the fruit needs to integrate to become a more complete wine. 90 points

Taurasi Riserva Mastroberardino 1987 - Red with amber throughout. A very bright and pleasing nose shows a haze of ripe strawberries, minerals and cream. Elegant, but not very complex. Soft palate shows some age. Good balance with the fruit being a bit dominant. 90 points

Taurasi Riserva Mastroberardino 1980 - A medium bodied wine that is fully mature. Still shows some nice fruit, but the balance of this wine is where it really shines. Seamless with the fruit and secondary aromas blending together beautifully. There is some nuttiness at the end of the finish only adding to the complexity. 90 points

Taurasi Riserva Mastroberardino 1968 - A legendary wine. The nose does not give away its age as it is expressive and clean and almost youthful. Bouquet delivers ripe fruits, licorice and tobacco that blend together perfectly. There is a touch of old vine creaminess there as well. The medium attack builds on the palate to a nice finish of fruit and spice. A real treat to experience this wine. 93 points

One of the world's most coveted wines...

Flavor

Depending upon the vintage the wine was produced, the flavor of this still red wine can have a full-body, rich mouth-feel, powerful, yet never overpowering, with subtle black berries, cherries, toasted nuts, vanilla and a savory coco finish. Drinking this wine...

in its youth is accessible to one's palette, although after ten years, even fifty years of waiting, the unique flavor of Cheval Blanc erupts beautifully through the glass.

Money

Before the wine is released a bottle of Cheval Blanc can sell for the same price of a monthly car payment and at restaurants throughout the world, a bottle can cost the price of a car. At recent auctions a case has been sold for well over four thousand dollars.

Cold Facts

The vineyard of Cheval Blanc is located in North-West, Saint Emilion, close to Pomerol in the right bank of Bordeaux.

Within the blend of Cheval Blanc, the wine has the largest percentage of Cabernet Franc, then Merlot with tiny amounts of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is aged in all new oak barrels prior to bottling.

The soil is a gravelly terrain called "Graves," give this wine it's graceful ability to mature with time. Within the vineyard's top-soil exists a deep impenetrable rock called, "Molasse." The Molasse aids the vineyard with proper water drainage throughout the growing season.

Pierre Lurton, oversees the estate of Cheval Blanc, also manages Chateau d'Yquem, considered to be the greatest sweet wine in all of Bordeaux.

Originally the Vineyards of Cheval Blanc were part of the Figeac and became independant property in 1838, yet Cheval Blanc was still sold under the Figeaac label through the middle of the 19th century.

In 1954, the Saint Emilion classification took place and only two properties were selected as Grand Cru Class A; Cheval Blanc and Ausone. Cheval Blanc has a quality that separates itself from every other vineyard throughout the entire region of Bordeaux. Currently eighty-one Chateaux's are classified in Saint Emilion and Cheval Blanc sits comfortably at the top.
Each year only between eight and nine thousand cases of Cheval Blanc are produced for the entire planet to sample. A little over three thousand cases of the second wine called "Le Petit Cheval" are produced as well.

This Monday we hosted winemaker Roberto Conterno for a "Giacomo Conterno Vertical," the latest event in our themed wine dinner series, "Vintage Babbo." The selected Conterno wines all showed marvelously and were paired with a special Piedmontese menu, prepared by Mario Batali...

The most fun of the evening was having Roberto Conterno in the room to discuss his wines. There is something infectious about having such a great winemaker walking from table to table answering questions and laughing with everyone. It makes the evening that much more memorable. Personally, I always find that the best way to learn about a wine is to go directly to the source.

If all of these wines had one common attribute it was their color: medium ruby with a shade of lightening at the edge. These wines are classic Barolos and may not be for everyone, but if you like old school winemaking than you are in for a treat. Below are my tasting notes for each of the wines, as well as descriptions of the paired dishes.

Barolo Monfortino Giacomo Conterno 1993
This was open for business on this evening. Expressive clean nose of red fruits and leather. The tannins were present, but not coarse. Should be at its peak in a few years and hold for at least 20.
Pairing - Agnolotti - Pasta dumplings stuffed with veal, rabbit and goat cheese. An explosion of flavors on the palate.

Barolo Cascina Francia Giacomo Conterno 1990
Upon opening this was very rugged, burly and tarry. The wine blossomed beautifully over the course of the evening. One customer felt it was the best wine he has ever tasted. Shows a dense nose of red and dark fruits, earth, herbs, tar and freshly cut porcini mushrooms. Grips the palate with a long finish. Great stuff.
Pairing - Sformato di Castelmagno with Rabbit and Watercress - Delicious cheese flan with rabbit confit plus peppered watercress.

Barolo Monfortino Giacomo Conterno 1990
As good as the Cascina Francia is this takes it a step further in complexity and class. A large scaled wine, yet very elegant. Almost like the wine is standing in front of you calm, cool and confident knowing just how good it is. Layers of flavor including roses, red fruits and varnish. Fantastic balance and transparency. Full fruit presence on the palate which turns to leather on the long balanced finish. My wine of the night.
Pairing - Cannelloni with Radicchio and Goat Cheese - Rich dish that glowed purple around the edges due to the radicchio intermingling with the cheese.

Barolo Cascina Francia Giacomo Conterno 1997
Surprisingly open on this evening. Big soft sweet fruit on the nose. Very Burgundian. The palate shows some velvety fruit, but is still tight. The color profile is bright and red on this one.
Pairing - Zuppa di Porcini with Poppy Seed "Strichetti" - Porcinis pureed into a soup with chicken stock then placed over poppy seed bow tie pasta which had been rolled in olive oil, salt, pepper and parmigiano reggiano.

Barolo Monfortino Giacomo Conterno 1997
This was far and away the most backward when we opened the wines. It was dry, dry, dry. Dry herbs, dry cherries, dry wood plus a touch of licorice. 8 hours later it was gorgeous. The nose transformed from dry to rich with a wave of ripe fruit mixed with leather. The finish is clipped at this time, but we were all happy to see its development after its initial showing.
Pairing - "Pancetta Ripiena" with Chanterelles and Thyme - Pancetta wrapped around pork belly topped with chanterelles sauteed in butter and thyme. Big and fatty. People loved it.

Barolo Monfortino Giacomo Conterno 1995
Intense licorice aromas plus herbs and leather. Soft strawberry fruit and strawberry seeds hidden beneath. Rich attack with dry tannins coating the mouth. Medium-long finish shows raw power. As the evening progressed, this was the one wine that I do not think evolved positively as it began to show a unique nail polish quality. Could have been volatile acidity, but my gut feels that the flavor profile simply changed.
Pairing - Gorgonzola Crostini - A mild blue cheese melted over a whole wheat crostini and drizzled with a dense earthy honey from Piemonte.

Barolo Cascina Francia Giacomo Conterno 1999
Next to the 1990's this was my favorite wine of the evening. It showed the most classic Barolo profile of any of the wines. While it was tight, it showed the best balance of any of the wines. Very complex with a core of minerality that many '99s show. Floral overtones with lots of fruit. Pure and pristine on the attack and palate with fruit and acids lingering on the nice finish. This was the type of wine that kept on making you come back for more to find out exactly what was going on with it. In 10 years will be out of this world.
Pairing - Bonet alla Piemontese - A big hit. This custard dish contained cinnamon and chocolate with a dollop of creme fraische.

David Beckwith

Aubert de Villaine, proprietor of Domaine de la Romanee Conti, was on the west coast very briefly, talking about his California wine, Hyde de Villaine, and introducing the 2003 DRC's to the market. I was one of the very few fortunate persons to be invited to sit with him and taste through the DRC line-up.

2003 was an exceedingly warm vintage thoughout Europe, so I was particularly interested in tasting these wines - which can be so mercurial and misunderstood in their youth. The harvest was one of the earliest on record: beginning 22 August and completed by 1 September. Overall, there was a density of color and lower noticable acids. As Monsieur de Villaine eloquently noted, "The terroir now whispers but will speak louder as the years go by. The wines' capacity of aging is hidden in the lush tannins." As is customary when tasting...

Domaine de la Romanee Conti wines, the Montrachet is always kept for last. I think it is saving the best for last since I believe it to be one of the finest wine experiences in the world. In actuality, it has to do with the acids and nuances of flavor. A few tasting notes to savor...

2003 Echezeaux - Delicate aromas of raspberry, minerals, seafoam, game. Somewhat austere. Good grip of tannins with a medium-full body. Medium acid though wine appears juicy. Persistent length of stone minerals.

2003 Grands Echezeaux - Spicy aromas of cinammon, cloves and toast. Full-bodied with a great texture of big tannins, medium acid and a lovely length of red fruits, slate minerals. Medium mid-palate.

2003 Romanee St.-Vivant - Aromas of black licorice, smoke, cool earth and a whiff of alcohol. A lovely perfume of black cherry. Full-bodied with a great texture of full tannins and a dark fruited component. Medium length of red fruits. Very pretty and complex.

2003 Richebourg - Delicate perfume of red fruits with high notes of ripe red raspberry. An amazing core of fruit on the mid palate continues well into the persistent lenth - stone minerals, red berry. Perfectly balanced medium tannins, acid and fruit. World class.

2003 La Tache - The most reticent aromas of the line-up: coffee, chocolate, mocha. Medium weighted palate of fine, pervasive tannins, cocoa, red cherry fruit, medium, acid and medium length. This wine was quite closed off. Needs years.

2003 Romanee-Conti - Huge aromas of oak mingles with red raspberry and coffee. Medium-bodied palate of red bing cherry, mouthwateringly pleasant high acids, wet stone notes and a wonderful tecture. A truly hedonistic experience.

2003 Montrachet - Intense aromas of lemon, custard, wet stone, minerals. The full-bodied palate is big, ripe and unctuous with medium-high acid balancing this incredible drink. Lovely bright notes of hazelnuts, minerals, smoke, and lemon. Long persistent length studded with citrus and hazelnuts. If you can find it, get it. Now. Incredible.

The notion of distilling the thousands of wines in the world down to the top 100 is a daunting task I am sure. I am very pleased for Phelps and the #1 spot given to its Insignia. I have been a long time fan of the wines and it is good to know that one of the "old guard" is still very much in the game. Consistent hard work and quality over years does pay off!

"How would you like to host a dinner for Aubert de Villaine?" asked my friend Gib Rockwood of Wilson Daniels, a wine importer. I had met Monsieur de Villaine years before at a Domaine Romanee Conti dinner when I was the Sommelier at the Lodge at Pebble Beach. He is charming, erudite and passionate about his wine. His humility in running Domaine de la Romanee Conti, arguably one of the top five wine estates in the world, is awe-inspiring.

I jumped at the opportunity.

The dinner was...

a celebration of the wines of Hyde de Villaine, a collaboration between Aubert de Villaine and Larry Hyde of Carneros. Monsieur de Villaine's wife is American and a cousin of the Hyde's, hence the relationship. No doubt, however, if Hyde wasn’t one of the premier vineyards in California, the alliance would never have occurred. The wines are the culmination of a long exchange of ideas on winemaking and viticultural practices between the Hyde family and Aubert de Villaine. The HdV proprietary blend is Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, made by Stephane Vivier,, using 100% Hyde Vineyard fruit. The HdV Chardonnay is 100% Hyde Vineyard from a number of clones selected by Larry Hyde.

Earlier in the day, there had been an HdV tasting for the trade, so this dinner was meant for the wine collectors. The venue was Boulette's Larder, a small restaurant in San Francisco's Ferry Plaza Building that closes for small, private events in the evening. The room is intimate and inviting, and boasts a wood-burning fireplace at the head of the room. I went to Diamond Mountain in Napa Valley the day before and picked pine, California bay, chestnuts, persimmons and pinecones to decorate the table. We created one, long table to accommodate the 18 wine lovers, which included Larry and Beta Hyde, Aubert de Villaine, Lee Hudson (the other premier vineyard owner in California, as well as a friend of the neighboring Hydes, and a great admirer of Aubert), and a smattering of collectors from the Bay Area, and even one wine lover in from Chang Mai, Thailand!

The wines were dropped off to the chefs, Lori and Amaryll, to inspire artful food and wine matches. They rose to the challenge brilliantly.

Japanese custard with fresh local crabmeat
2000 Hyde de Villaine Chardonnay
-lemon peel, almonds, minerals, round, medium acids
2003 Hyde de Villaine Chardonnay
-citrus, vanilla, limestone, fleshy, full-bodied

Fireplace Grilled Marin Sun Farms Beef with Marrow and Squash
2001 Hyde de Villaine Red Wine
-red cherry, slightly austere, pencil lead, medium length
2003 Hyde de Villaine Red Wine
-dark fruits, dark chocolate, floral, mineral, full-bodied

Nut Tart with Scharffen Berger Chocolate
2002 Hyde de Villaine Syrah
-roses, purple fruits, earth, stone, medium to full-bodied

I offered to pour the wines for the evening. The bonus of acting as Somm at a great wine dinner is the ability to cork the open bottles and enjoy them at one's leisure. I dd so for the next several evenings, watching the wines unfold and gain complexity and character.

For every Wine Experience staged by the Wine Spectator, 30 sommeliers from around the country are assembled as the "Wine Team"; responsible for the tasting & preparation of over 6,000 bottles of wine to be poured over the course of the weekend. This year, the unforgettable highlight was the Chateau d'Yquem tasting of eight vintages dating back to 1962.

It is probably something that I will never experience again in my lifetime, and I know I will never again be in a room with a million dollars worth of Chateau d'Yquem! Wether a tiny sip of any vintage of Yquem, or a grandiose tasting like this, one cannot help but be moved by the silky, sultry flavors in every golden drop... Then, just knowing the history of Y'quem and it's many admirers throughout the centuries, we are further moved by it's rarity and timelessness. The only Chateau in Sauternes to be classified in 1855, Chateau d'Yquem, is 100 hectares in size, and planted with 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc- The foggy weather in autumn encourages the noble rot which concentrates the grapes sugars, flavors and acidity. This also leads to very low yields by which one vine of grapes will produce one glass of this unctuous liquid. These moldy bunches of grapes are hand-harvested in stages known as "tries", and fermentation slowly takes place in new barrels. The wine is then matured for three years in barrel prior to bottling. Pierre Lurton, the managing director put it best when he said "Yquem is death transformed into gold."

In teams of four, all of the sommeliers were assigned a vintage of d'Yquem, and the task of double tasting through 67 bottles to check for any faults in the wine.

For my team, it was the 2001 Chateau d'Yquem (100 pts/RP); a masterpiece of a wine. A wine that will live on for several decades. Here are just a few of my notes:

Chateau d'Yquem 2001
Bright and youthful with citrus & honeyed tropical fruit aromas; on the palate, silky, unctuous textures with focused concentration and bright acidity... Truly outstanding!!!

Chateau d'Yquem 1989
Not a classic year, but a very warm one - the heat of the summer showing through with ripe peach , apricot & honey aromas; a rich & spicy wine

Chateau d'Yquem 1983
Another interesting vintage with exotic ripeness in the glass; tropical fruits, coconut, pineapple and caramelized flavors - showing the great advantages of bottle-aging these wines

Chateau d'Yquem 1962 in Magnum
Stunning in it's complexity of flavors, it's smoothness and depth. It is rich & honeyed, with a touch of butterscotch on the finish

Pascal Jolivet from the Loire Valley is very cutting edge. He is a stylistic combination of Dedier Dagenau and Nicolas Joly. I love his wines.

Try his "Exception." Truly exceptional...

I was the lucky sommelier to taste a 1929 Leroy Musigny this week. I have a guest who dines with us frequently and is a Bordeaux aficionado. This was my first time serving them and I was willing to take the chance to offer them a taste of Burgundy. They had not tasted many "big" Burgundies in the past so I offered them a classic like Leroy. I had one bottle left of the 1929 Musigny and decided that if they were to make the leap of faith from Bordeaux to Burgundy, this would be the time. So they did.

This wine was spectacular given its age. The color was a rainbow of orange, ruby, red, light caramel and kept going on. The nose was precious with hints of crushed violets, lavender, black tea leaves, cooked fruit and roasted coffee. The palette was amazing confirming the nose with lush fruit and soft tannins that did not displease.

This was certainly the highlight of my week and as for my guest, they agreed that there is a world of discovery waiting to happen in the wines of
Burgundy.

One of my better customers brought in a bottle of the Marcassin Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard "E block" from the 1995 vintage the other night, and I felt a little sheepish, because I had just recommended, and served his party a bottle of the 2002 Mer Soleil Chardonnay, right before he showed up. The Mer Soleil is always a crowd-pleaser and certainly no slouch, but I'm afraid it was no match for the E block from this outstanding producer and vintage. I was grateful for the chance to taste it, as the Marcassin wines have proven practically unattainable to those of us in the Washington market.

Deep, honey-golden color, the nose was all hazelnuts, butter, smoke and marzipan. In spite of the wine's age, I was impressed with the purity of its structure, which held up from start to finish under the crushing weight this wine's density and power. And while it might prove difficult to pair with food as a result of its sheer size, that backbone of pure acidity goes a long way toward yanking it back to food compatibility. I'd try it with a straight-forward herb-roasted capon with morels! Sheer decadence!

was a Gewurztraminer Spatlese Trocken 2003 from the Haardter Burgergarten vineyard in the Pfalz region of Germany- small producer by the name of Weegmuller- a pristine wine, with Great precision and depth of flavor- by no means heavy and fruity like some gewürztraminer's in warmer years- still light with acacia and orangeblossoms on the nose; citrus and lychee fruit on the palate and a zesty finish-

I recently was asked to review some Non-Vintage Champagne for a holiday issue of a magazine. The editors informed me there would be about 25 different producers being delivered to my door over a period of about 3 weeks. My doormen all know what I do for a living and delight when I get a truckload of wine delivered, sometimes 2 or 3 times a day, snickering what a "tough job" I have.

Each day I came home, there were more and more deliveries, and the final count at this point is 43 bottles, many in pairs to eliminate the possibility of bottle being bad. They are everywhere, in the refrigerator, on the kitchen counters, in various boxes around the apartment and even under the bed!! My husband revolts every time we decide what we should drink for dinner (at this point I have only tasted 20!) as I suggest another bottle of, you guessed it, Champagne!
A while back I was asked to judge rose Champagne for the same publication. Thinking that I had hit the jackpot, I eventually was quite disappointed in the overall quality of Champagne’s roses. Trudging through a mere 20 roses became a real chore.

However, after just 20 bottles of the NV, some of them being rose, I am quite impressed with the quality in general. The percentage of "small grower" champagne is higher than usual and there are many great unknown producers out there offering some very good styles. I have become quite resourceful by thinking of all sorts of interesting ways to taste and enjoy sometimes 5 or 6 bottles at a time!

Over one long weekend I had work colleagues over for champagne before we enjoyed a late night snack in a nearby café (2 bottles). The following night I met friends at Tia Pol, a terrific little tapas bar on 10th avenue and 22nd street. After much Spanish wine we all returned to my apartment for après dinner champagne (2 bottles and some hard-to-read notes!!). Finally, I had a dinner party at my house, serving fresh and delicious produce I bought at the Union Square farmers market and paired every course with, what else,
Champagne, not to mention 3 bottles for aperitif (7 bottles).
I'll be off on a 2 week vacation on Cape Cod soon, where I will sample the rest of them.

Nothing like some Wellfleet oysters or better yet a fresh from the bay lobster with some rose champagne to make a summer meal more fabulous.

Over a year ago, while I was still the lead sommelier at Restaurant Gary Danko, I got a call from a gentleman asking me if he could stop by and taste his wines with me. He said he was in the neighborhood and could be there within minutes. The gall! Didn't he know that we were the busiest restaurant in town? Didn't he know that it took weeks to get a tasting appointment with me, and that suppliers were lining up to sell us wine? Furthermore, I had never even heard of these wines.
It was about 3:00 pm, my assistant sommelier had the day off, and I was swamped. I should have said no thank you to him, and put him off for some undetermined date down the road. That, after all, is what I nearly always did. I simply didn't have the time for impromtu tastings. But something in me that day said yes to the man on the other end of the phone. Surely I was procrastinating all of the paperwork that I had to do. But I remain very happy that I told him to come in...

A man showed up a few minutes later carrying a wine bag. He introduced himself as Joel Burnstein and said he was the owner/winemaker for Marilyn Remark wines. He explained that he made Rhone varietal wines from different vineyards in Monterey county. As we tasted the 3 wines that he brought, I ignored my phone that kept ringing. He showed me his marsanne, his syrah, and his grenache. At the time I wasn't looking for any new wines, the cellar was overfull, and I certainly didn't need anymore Central Coast Rhone varieties. But I was blown away by the wines, and I bought all three on the spot. All three were enchanting, varietally-correct, and delicious wines. All showed sumptious fruit with the telltale earthiness that is inherent in Rhone varieties. All three were beautifully balanced and had a long finish. I was smitten from the first sip.
As Joel was getting ready to leave I asked him where the name Marilyn Remark came from and he told me that Marilyn Remark is his wife. He said that it sounded better than Joel Burnstein. Agreed.
Recently, I had the pleasure of tasting Joel's wines for a second time at the Monterey Wine Festival.
He was showing the 2003 Roussanne and the 2002 Grenache. Both wines were stunning. These are wines of exceptional quality made in tiny quantities. They are worth seeking out.
Perhaps the other reason I like the Marilyn Remark wines so much is that Joel Burnstein is one of the most unassuming people I have ever met. He is an ex trader for the Pacific Stock Exchange, but he doesn't really have a fancy wine resume. He studied enology at Fresno and worked at Jekel. When I asked him, "Why Rhone varieties?" He said that he and his wife went to France in 2001 and tasted a Chateauneuf-du-Pape that blew his mind. Excuse me, in 2001? I mean most wine epiphanies happen for people years & years before, not just a few years. Joel Burnstein is incredibly refreshing.
There is no attitude and no pretense with him. He is honest and sincere. And he is humble, a trait that is rare in the wine business. Even the address on Burnstein's business card is modest- Salinas- not exactly the Beverly Hills of winery locales. What I really like about Burnstein is his focus and commitment to what he loves- Rhone varieties. That and the fact that I gotta love a guy who names his winery after his wife.

Hell hath no furry like a sommelier scorned by a wine’s lack of vivacity and acidity when he expects as much. I’m referring to the consistently rich, tropical and often flabby 2003 dry and off-dry white Loire wines. I feel undercurrents of anger toward mother nature when I see 2003 on a bottle of white—not red (that’s a generally delicious success story worthy of another blog)—Loire wine.

As you might recall, two summers ago France experienced record high heat during the grape growing season. While the human death toll rose throughout France for the duration of the summer, Loire white grapes became embarrassingly ripe (will Vintrust let me say “slutty”), generally speaking. Acidity died within the grapes and Technicolor tropical stuff took its place.

Suddenly Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume’s Sauvignon Blanc grapes were more over the top Carmen Miranda party freaks, and not their typical cool Hitchcock blonde svelte selves. Chenin Blanc, famous for its pleasing searing acidity, decided to wet its t-shirt and pronounce that for the 2003 vintage it would let it all hang out, Ft. Lauderdale style. I admit that’s glib pop culture writing which translates to this stolid wine analysis: Many Loire wineries harvested in August even though their grapes spent about only 80 or 90 days on the vine, just as vineyard managers and winemakers recognized that grapes were shriveling and pre-pressed acidity levels were dropping at the same time that potential alcohol levels were rising.

Most solid Loire winemakers recognize the atypical nature of the vintage and don’t seem too excited about the low yields, and the low acidity. I met with a few dozen this past January and February during trips to Chinon, Muscadet, Savennieres, Saumur and other great Loire AOCs. I agree with them and their often highly optimistic importers (sorry to some but not all of my friends on this side of the business) that the 2003 vintage for white Loire wines might serve as crowd pleasing stepping stones for those consumers who like rich, rich, rich, but maybe not linear, direct, and pinpointed.

Yesterday I tasted in New York my first 2004 white Loire finished bottle to reach the shores here, ready to be purchased for a home on a wine list. A year ago I tasted the same wine and wanted to cry for the deep felt loss of acidity, minerality and verve . This time I wanted to cry tears of happiness for rediscovering my long lost lively, zippy, refreshing friend. I bought 300 cases to pour by the glass.

Finding love again is good.

Anyone who has ever made a pilgrimage to Burgundy, from informed sommelier to budding wine collector, will agree on at least two points:

1. It's a minefield of a region of great and not so great wines.
2. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the two primary grapes grown in Burgundy, yield dramatically different results from vintage to vintage, even in the hands of the same producer.

This spring 2004 I made a trip to Burgundy's famed Cote d'Or to better understand which recent vintages yield the best wine for short-term cellaring (1-5 years after the vintage date) and for legacy collecting (6 years and potentially decades longer). My notes were compiled after tasting with over a dozen winemakers in their cellars, ranging from the legendary Domaine de la Romanée-Conti to the renegade powerhouse boutique négociant, Dominique Laurent. I also tasted—well, drank—bottles at local restaurants and in winery dining rooms in the Côte d'Or's two sub regions, the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune. How many wine collectors open a bottle, take one sip, swish it around, spit and move on to the next? Not any I know.

Here's to knowing the right time to open your own Burgundy, and to enjoying it with a meal and your favorite people.

Here is a guide to knowing the right time to open your Burgundy, and to enjoying it with a meal and your favorite people.

A round-up of the past five Burgundy vintages:

2003: All wines tasted in barrel. Each winemaker seemingly baffled about what to make of the atypical color of the Pinot Noirs (deep, dark, almost Syrah-like) and of the mouthfeel for both whites and reds (generally lower acid, higher alcohol, substantial glycerin). A fruit forward vintage, for both whites and reds, from an historical, troubling heat wave. Harvesting took place for most growers a month early, in late August to early September. Once released, most top producers' wines even at premier and grand cru level will be forward, fruity expressive and enjoyable young. For the whites, I was often reminded of California Chardonnays. If you like Kistler, these might be right up your alley. The verdict is clearly not out about this vintage's ability to age long term. Vintrust will keep you updated.

2002: Relatively fruit forward, yet balanced with acidity and minerality for both whites and reds. An exceptional vintage that will reward short-term and long-term cellaring. Most Grand Crus and premier crus are charming now, and more than a few winemakers claim these wines are not likely to shut down (i.e., only partially express their aromas and flavors). Buyer beware: with the Euro's pummeling of the dollar when these were released coupled with high press reviews for the '02 vintage, the prices are often unnecessarily inflated.

2001: A vintage worth noting for its restraint, muted vivacity and classic mineral laden elegance. Don't expect fruit expressive wines. Enjoy them for being tightly wound and compact now, with promise in the future for enticing aromas of ripe fruit, earthiness and muted tannins. Consider this a middle-ground vintage sure to surprise year to year.

2000: Wines that are opening up now with usually equal parts fruit, earth and acidity. Will they close soon? Drink some, with food of course, through 2005. Then hold some for cellaring and taste a bottle every six months or so to see how the wine evolves each year. The cellaring potential is there. The drinking pleasure is in the glass now. What more could you ask for in a vintage?

1999: Tight and closed at the moment. Sommeliers love this vintage for its promise to deliver within 2-20 years of cellaring, depending on the vineyard and/or the producer. Despite the vintage not expressing itself now, these beauties will emerge from their cranky, internal angst teenage-hood to expressive, interesting, wise adult wines. Restaurant owners hate this vintage because very few wines in our restaurant cellars are expressing an iota of their potential now. Yet sommeliers suspect that this vintage will amaze us at some point in the mid- to long-term.

Please feel free to email me at chris@vintrust.com if I can elaborate on any of the above vintage findings or give you specific information about the wines I tasted. I'd also to be happy to recommend local restaurants and hotels I enjoyed.

This category is fairly straightforward: wines that you have recently tasted. We're looking for the good, the bad and the ugly. No detail too obscure; no wine too faulty, too old, or too glamorous to be written about and expounded upon.