Wines from emerging regions such as Sicily, Argentina and South Africa offer phenomenal value says. Walman. The following four all retail for under $12. Backsberg Chenin Blanc (backs-berg che-NIN blan) 2005 is made from seven year-old vineyards and meant for drinking young. Showing pear, green apple and cashew aromas, it’s perfect with salads, fish and almonds. “Campo Reale” Nero d’Avola 2006 is from Sicily. Filled with fragrant, floral aromas of dark berries, cloves and spices. It has lovely soft tannins and is a food match for roasts, pork, pasta and duck.
The “Piano Maltese” Bianco 2006 shows expressive, fruity aromas and elegant flavors. Great with shellfish and crab. Michel Torino Malbec Rosé Coleccion 2006 is from Argentina. With its “fruit forward” style, and aromas of roses and honey, it’s a great match with lighter summer dishes. All rate A Major on the Walman Report and are imported by Frederick Wildman & Sons Ltd.
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We think anyone would have a hard time saying no to a wine called “Faust,” which of course is what the marketing team from Quintessa figured when they created the wine and the name. Comprised of 75% Cab, 20% Merlot, and touches of Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec, this full bodied wine gives off a nose of crème brulee, and then layers into black fruit of all kinds. The long, dusty finish was expected, in that the fruit is Rutherford grown. Up to now you might think we were describing Quintessa itself, but there is a reason we have showcased Faust – its price point. How about $50?
www.quintessa.com 707-967-1601
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MUMM: Yum
In early August we were privileged to be invited by the folks at Mumm Napa to their winery for Napa Valley’s first grape harvest of 2007, which is traditionally a celebration of Mumm’s Pinot Noir Champagne grapes grown in the Yountville area. Attended mostly by company employees, with a few lucky media types thrown in, it is a morning of great joy as the growing season’s hard work has ended, and the fruit which is the livelihood of all is ready to be trucked in for pressing, fermentation, and aging.
Before we go any further, let us clarify that we know that most of the world calls sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France “Champagne,” and sparkling wine from everywhere else “something else.” Without getting into the specifics, the United States is not a signatory to the treaty requiring us to use the terms above, so many people in this country use the term Champagne when talking of American sparklers. And there is nothing legally wrong with that. As a matter of fact, usually we have no problem with it at all.
The better sparkling wines in this country are made by the time honored “Methode Champenoise” (also referred to as “Methode Traditionelle”), which requires a second fermentation in the bottle and long term aging in the same manner as the best French Champagnes. On the other hand, there are American sparkling wines, usually of lesser quality, which are not traditionally aged and have carbonation added artificially.
For those American sparkling wines produced by the “Methode Champenoise,” we are quite comfortable referring to them as Champagne. Continue Reading »
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September 22nd, 2007 at 8:58 pm
Award-winning website, Punchin-dot-com, features the Walman Report and reviews of restaurants, travel, wine and theater. Look toward South America for some of the worlds most special wines, says Walman. Especially Argentina and its Malbec grape. Viña Alicia Viña Alicia Viña Alicia Viña Alicia Viña Alicia Viña Alicia Viña Alicia Viña Alicia Viña Alicia Viña Alicia is a small jewel of a winery in Mendoza Argentina with a 150-year old 10-hectare single vineyard, producing Malbec from 96-year old vines. The vineyard is also home to the "Black Shoot", an mutation of the Malbec, with leaves similar to those on a Cabernet and smaller/darker berries. Wines are fermented in small lots, specific to vineyard blocks, the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Malbec wines are fermented in oak vats and aged in new French oak barrels. Nothing has been spared in making Viña Alicia the maximum expression in winemaking. These exciting wines are superb with lamb, beef, game birds and hard cheeses. Outstanding the only word for Viña Alicia, which rates "A Major" on the Walman Report.
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September 22nd, 2007 at 2:45 pm
A RARE AUGUST HARVEST FOR BEAUJOLAIS
GEORGES DUBOEUF BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU 2007 ARRIVES NOVEMBER 15
Romanèche-Thorins, France, August 31, 2007: The harvest in Beaujolais officially began on August 25th, 2007 and the 25th vintage of Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau (SRP $10.99/$11.99 for air Nouveau) will arrive in America on November 15—the third Thursday of the month as dictated by French law. “This is only the fifth time I have witnessed the start of the Beaujolais harvest before September,” said Georges Duboeuf. In 1947, 1976, 2000 and 2003 the harvest also began in August.
Initially, the harvest seemed to be even more ahead of schedule, due to excessively warm spring weather and an overabundance of rain that accelerated the flowering of the vines. Colder summer weather slowed it down and harvesting began only 11 days earlier than the previous two years.
In mid-August Duboeuf was already criss-crossing the region checking on the harvest and expects to see deep, rich colors this year. “On the palate, the grapes were fresh, fruity and sweet,” he explains. “Some of the pips already had a brown tint: a sign that we are heading towards good phenol maturity.”
Georges Duboeuf recently sampled some of the still fermenting Beaujolais-Villages wines in the region. “We were thrilled and delighted by the delicious quality of these first 2007 wines,” he says. “They had a lovely color and were highly aromatic, with raspberry and red currant scents.” Duboeuf went on to say, “On the palate, the wine was very pleasant, fruity and delicate, with great finesse.”
In celebration of the 25th vintage of Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau in America, special posters and case cards are being created that feature 25 years of the colorful and ever-changing labels. A limited number of these posters will be made available to consumers through the official website: www.winewithoutrules.com. Bottle shots and harvest images can also be downloaded.
The first wine of this vintage, Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2007 ($10.99) arrives on store shelves Thursday, November 15th.
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