Ta-dah, ta-dah, the sound of blowing my own horn. Just received my copy of Wine Spectator Jan-Feb issue. We front ran several of their recommendations. Those of you who bought Bila Haut or Agly Brothers Cotes du Roussillon, Montes Syrah, Kaiken Malbec, Casillero del Diablo Reserva SB or Maipo Cab and Yalumba Paradox Barossa Shiraz will be happy to learn they were written of in that issue with equal or better ratings. If you haven’t bought any yet, move quickly because these are all favorably priced under $20 and in some cases under $15 except the Yalumba at $45. The Bila Haut Vielle Vignes was listed at 90 points and assigned best value at $14. The Maipo Cab from Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo, 90 points was a Smart Buy at $18. Regulars are aware I prefer other critics as my gurus. However, there is little doubt that WS and RP are the big market movers in the U.S., so these may disappear from shelves quickly. I do want to exhort all to get into M. Chapoutier’s Bila Haut label. The guy is producing wonderful, affordable French wine. Chapoutier may be the best-regarded Rhone Valley wine guy today. Many readers who tried the Occultam Lapidem 2013 and ‘14 from Bila Haut, both of which I recommended, still talk about them. Unfortunately there is none left around here, as far as I know. I’m anticipating samples of the new release. When they appear I will write them up.
I think some of the Port guys have lost their minds. Quinta das Carvalhas was written as having produced 21 cases of a NV Tawny Port, 99 points, and the cost/bottle is $3K. They claim the bottle is composed of 7 percent from the 1900 vintage and the majority from 1867. I have no reason to doubt them, and I would love to sample some, so if any of my big-buck buddy readers want to kick it in, let’s go. My fallback is Wine and Soul Very Old Tawny 5 Generations, said to include wine from 1870-1900 blended by Great-Grandpa and carefully guarded. It is buyable in Metuchen at $1.7K, about $73.5 /ounce when decanted and poured carefully. These should throw off quite a bit of sediment, and it would be best to use a tong to break the neck rather than a corkscrew or gas. The cork may be quite fragile unless they’ve been recorked recently or just bottled. And, back to reality, the best Port for me is vintage port, and the best affordable recent vintages are 1994, 2000, 2007 and 2011. The problem we have with Port is that it is up to the vintner to declare if their wine reaches the standard necessary to be declared a “vintage port.” So, it is not only possible but likely that even in a good year in the Douro, not every producer will declare a vintage. Of the ‘11s, I think Dow is a top pick, closely followed by Cockburn’s, Croft, Graham’s and Quinta do Noval. I wrote of Cockburn’s last week because of its favorable pricing compared to the other top choices. Graham’s leads my picks overall, scoring huge in 2000, ‘03, ‘07 and ‘11.
Finally, shop around for Bruno Paillard Premiere Cuvee NV Champagne. I really enjoyed the wine and rate it 90 points. At $41 it is worth 1 price point. As you know, NV Champagne is blended to assure a similar profile year in and out. Paillard has the process well in hand. They claim using 35-51 percent first press reserve wines from over 30 different terroirs to achieve this goal. The wine is stored in the bottle at least 10 months after disgorgement and before release. Straw golden-colored, opens to ripe apple and almond aromas with a pleasing lemon/mineral palate. Finishes cleanly with more lemon. Great with oysters.
Don’t forget Polar Bear Plunge this Saturday and Sunday in Rehoboth. This event raises money for Special Olympics and has become an extraordinary affair with many other activities for visitors and participants. My daughter Marguerite’s team has been plunging to raise money since 2007. We always have an after party for them. If you wish to get the particulars, register to enter, or donate, go here: http://www.plungede.org/. Please add to team JMAGS if you donate. Be sure to spectate. It’s a blast!
-
Email John at chjonmc@yahoo.com.
