January 2009 Wine Club Selections

Wines of South America This is one of the months I look forward to putting together most for Wine Club. While every month is full of fun new discoveries, January's South American selections are particularly exciting for me as this is one of the regions I buy for our stores. So you can imagine how I spend all year squirreling away this special Malbec or that interesting Chilean blend for the New Year. I don't know what's most important to you in January (New Years resolutions, perhaps), but high on my priority list is keeping warm. I spend most of this month turning up the thermostat, investing in new ski socks, eating hearty, spicy foods and sipping the kind of wines that warm you from the inside out. The wine-drinkers of Argentina and Chile have become well-practiced at this notion, dwelling on the foothills of one of the world's most impressive mountain chains, the Andes. So they know a thing or two about crafting the kind of wine that will warm us on these bitter cold winter days. The white wines for this month's selections, both Chardonnays, have the rich, ripe fruit and toasty oak that we crave in a fuller-bodied white this time of year, while the reds are made of the heartier, bolder grape varieties like Syrah, Cabernet and Malbec that carry the kind of spicy-smooth oomph we want now. Here's hoping the New Year finds you healthy, happy and warm.

2007 Budini Chardonnay More Info Grape variety: Chardonnay Region: Mendoza, Argentina Food pairing: Spit-Roasted Chicken, Stuffed with Green Olives I'm admittedly a dog-lover, not a cat person (sorry feline friends,) so no, it was not the label that sold me on this Argentine Chardonnay. But the kitty on the label does have an interesting story behind it. Budini is named after the rare and elusive wild pampas cat of Argentina, Oncifelis colocolo budini. They prowl the plains of the Argentine pampas and the foothills of the Andes where, incidentally, some of the best grapes are grown... like the grapes in this Chardonnay. Long, mild growing seasons and protection from precipitation (thanks to the Andes mountains) makes the grapes for this Chardonnay well balanced and ripe with fruit character, appley, touched by oak, and easy drinking. The Budini pampas cat is reputed to thrive on a diet of guinea pigs, ground-dwelling birds, and poultry. This wine, ever so fittingly, will go beautifully with poultry dishes. Or guinea pig, if that's really your bag Qty 2006 Durigutti Malbec Classico Grape variety: Malbec Region: Mendoza, Argentina Food pairing: Argentine Beef Empanadas Brothers Hector and Pablo Durigutti are two of the most highly-renowned winemaking consultants in Argentina, helping to craft wines for Altos Las Hormigas, Renacer, Rutini and Alberti 154. After establishing themselves with these wineries and the growers that supply them, the duo decided to take on a pet project of their own. The Durigutti line is a family project of ultra-premium ... dare we say 'boutique" wines. And there's nothing these siblings do better than the grape that got them where they are today: Malbec. Durigutti Malbec Classico 2006 is a 100% Malbec that should be considered a benchmark for the grape at this accessible price. Deep ruby color with tinges of that characteristic "Malbec Magenta," this wine carries intriguing aromas of cigar and wild strawberry, nice raspberry fruit, good acidity, and a long, slightly chocolate-coated finish.

2007 Luca Chardonnay Grape variety: Chardonnay Region: Mendoza, Argentina Food pairing: Egg and Green Chile Empanadas I first met Laura Catena on a trip to Argentina, when I visited the Catena Zapata winery that she runs with her father in Mendoza. Here, I spent several days touring their vineyards, tasting through their Malbecs, Cabernets and Chardonnays. But it wasn't in Mendoza but rather in Buenos Aires that I first came across Laura's smaller project named Luca. The story behind this wine, like most of Laura's wines, is one of international family ties. It's named after her son, Luca, who calls both Argentina and California home. The family crest that appears in the background is that of her husband's family, the Scottish McDermott's. And the grapes within are 100% Mendoza-grown Chardonnay. Robert Parker lauded this wine as "annually a candidate for Argentina's finest Chardonnay," and said that it "blows away most white Burgundies and California Chardonnays at twice the price." With buttery oak flavors intermingled with minerality and golden pear notes, it's truly worthy of such praise. Qty 2005 Emiliana Coyam Grape variety: Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenere, Petit Verdot Region: Colchagua Valley, Chile Food pairing: Bison Sliders with Chimichurri Winemaker Alvaro Espinoza is one of Chile's pioneers in making blockbuster wine from organically grown grapes, and in this red blend he's set an all new precedent. Coyam was the word used for oak by the Mapuches, the original inhabitants of central and southern Chile. Ancient oaks surround the Emiliana vineyard in the Colchagua Valley, where their grapes are tended organically and hand-picked at harvest time. French and American oak are used judiciously to age the skillfully crafted blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenere and Petit Verdot. The resulting wine is boldly flavored without overpowering ripeness or oak influence. Hints of world-class Carmenere, evidenced by savory notes of soy sauce and garden herbs, can be picked up on the nose along with aromas of coffee, dark cherry and pine forest. Blackberry notes follow on the palate, with a long, smooth, coffee-laden finish.

Qty 2005 Perez Cruz Liguai Grape Variety: Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere Region: Maipo Valley, Chile Food pairing: Smoky Morcilla or Chorizo Sausage Admittedly, this is one of those sort of geeky, sort of esoteric bottles that we get really excited to discover. (These are the things that make us happy, and hopefully they bring a smile to your face as well.) Few have heard of this young estate, established only six years ago, but those in the know are starting to take notice. Hopefully, we can keep the secret to ourselves just a bit longer. Perez Cruz is a small producer in the Maipo Valley of Chile, situated on a 370 acre estate primarily planted with Cabernet and Carmenere. One of two luxury cuvees from their young estate, Liguai is a complex, intense red blend comprised of 40% Syrah, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 25% Carmenere. An amazingly aromatic cigar-box nose is followed by a concentrated palate of smoky, tart berries and a slightly peppery, chocolate-coated finish. After rating it with a score of 91+, Jay Miller of The Wine Advocate warned, "This is a wine for hedonists only!" Qty 2007 Allegrini + Renacer Enamore Grape variety: Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Bonarda Region: Mendoza, Argentina Food pairing: Grass-fed Beef Osso Bucco Now this is what we call thinking outside the box: a truly unique wine with truly authentic origins. Allegrini winery of Italy pairs up with Renacer of Argentina to make an Argentine wine in the style of Italian Amarone. The grapes are some of Argentina's finest: Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Bonarda, and are made into wine using the unique "appassimento" technique of partially drying the grapes before pressing. Afterward, the wine is aged in new French oak barrels for 12 months before bottling. The result is a deeply concentrated wine with hints of sweet cherries and a raisiny aroma. A certain diaper-sporting-winged-baby holiday is coming up, and we can think of nothing more fitting to share with your better half than the wine that brought two world class wineries and two cultures together.

Qty 2005 Concha y Toro Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon Grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon Region: Maipo Valley, Chile Food pairing: Char-grilled Beef Asado with Chimichurri This month, we wanted to bring you the best of wines from the two countries at the forefront of South American winemaking: Argentina and Chile. Our search took us, in both cases, to the foot of the Andes. On one side, we have a stellar Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina, and on the other, a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Maipo Valley of Chile. Our Chilean selection, Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon from Concha Y Toro has been repeatedly hailed as the best Cabernet from Chile by both the Wine Spectator and Robert Parker. As a matter of fact, this year's bottling was so good that it was our predicted favorite for the coveted Wine Spectator #1 Wine of the Year. (It missed by a small margin and was ranked #12). Named after the winery's founder, Don Melchor de Concha y Toro, this wine serves as the flagship at the pinnacle of a large list of wines. The Cabernet for this wine comes from a single vineyard in the Maipo Valley, the Puente Alto Vineyard, planted in 1979. The grapes are harvested carefully by hand, and after fermentation are aged in French oak (60% new, 40% used once) for 14 months. The resulting wine is full of ripe and fleshy berry flavors and chocolatey tannins, finishing long and harmonious. Qty 2004 Nico by Luca Malbec Grape Variety: Malbec Region: Mendoza, Argentina Food pairing: Barbecued Lamb or Goat with Chimichurri Just as soon as medical doctor and winemaking maven Laura Catena raises the bar a notch higher, she sets her sights up three notches more. Encouraged by the success of Catena Alta, Catena Zapata, and Luca Malbecs (all Argentine wines that brought Argentine standards up to match those of the best wine regions of the world), she created Nico by Luca, this time in honor of her daughter. (The name Luca came from her first son.) Few have had the chutzpah to demand rather high price-tags for a 100% Malbec in the past (a little requisite Cabernet in the blend used to rationalize more bank), but Catena has put in the meticulous vineyard management, blending expertise, and earned the scores to justify the $115 retail price on this bottling. Sourced exclusively from old vines (averaging 48 years) in two of the best vineyards at her disposal, the Paganoto vineyard in Altamira and the Rosas vineyard in La Consulta, the grapes were hand harvested and whole-cluster pressed before spending 12 months in new French oak barrels. Total production was only 2400 bottles (four barrels), and the incredibly dense, inky wine that resulted is full of black fruits and spice, representing a benchmark for Argentine Malbec. Jay Miller of The Wine Advocate gave this wine 95 points, confirming that this wine "raises the bar. It offers a heady perfume of pain grille, scorched earth, mineral, black cherry, and black raspberry preserve. Loaded on the palate, this wine has great depth and incipient complexity. This superb Malbec will evolve for 8-10 years and drink well through 2035 in the manner of a top classified growth Bordeaux."