July 2010 Wine Club Selections

All-American Wines The month of July is obviously a patriotic time for Americans. Many of us take the opportunity to raise flags in our yards, and to pay homage to the forefathers who risked life and limb to bring our country to the independent state we now enjoy. It's an appropriate month in which to reflect on how far we've come in a short amount of time as a young whippersnapper of a nation, a month to throw around phrases like, "American as baseball and apple pie." Or how about "American as Napa Cab?" Our winemaking forefathers blazed quite a trail for us as well. As we sit on our back porches sipping an Oregon Chardonnay or a Lodi Zinfandel in 2010, we often forget that just over three decades ago, American wine was widely considered inferior to the more well-established wines of the Old World. The now famous Paris tasting of 1976 shocked the wine-drinking world when Cabernet and Chardonnay from California, for the very first time, trumped those from France in a blind tasting and proved that American wines could indeed hold their own against the best of the best. And this after only a couple tumultuous centuries of winemaking in our new homeland! It's a feat to be admired, and indeed toasted. This month, we raise our glass to the All-American wines of all appellations. Enjoy!

2008 Eighteen Eighty Three Chardonnay Grape variety: Chardonnay Region: Monterey, California Food pairing: New England lobster roll Eighteen eighty three was a good year for the Wente family. It was the year in which C.H. Wente founded his northern California winery, beginning what would become more than a century-long family foray into winemaking. Wente is still a family-run winery, and to pay homage, they produced this special bottling called "1883" to honor their founder. Produced in the cool coastal vineyards of Monterey, this Chardonnay carries ripe white fruit flavors of apple and tropical mango, balanced by a hint of vanilla-spiced oak. I love Chardonnay as a pairing with a summer favorite of mine, New England lobster rolls. The buttery oak matches the buttery lobster and roll, while the clean acidity refreshes the palate nicely. See the next page for the recipe. More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/california/13820.html 2008 Plungerhead Old Vines Zinfandel Grape variety: Zinfandel Region: Lodi, California Food pairing: Korean beef ribs The Sebastiani Family must have a wicked sense of humor, because when they decided to seal bottles of this great Lodi Zinfandel with the inventive new Zork enclosure (a cork that needs no corkscrew: just pull at the z, unwind, and pop the top), they noticed that the Zork looked rather like, well, a plunger. So they simply couldn't resist naming it after their loyal winery employee Eddie Plongerheid and coming up with the silly little graphic on the front label. Hey, it's humor and invention that keeps us young, and they've certainly been playing with both! The warm, often hot, climate of Lodi is particularly suited for producing good Zinfandel, a hearty grape that loves the sun and needs plenty of it to ripen to full-bodied, spiced plum perfection. More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/california/11564.html

2008 Bergstrom Old Stones Chardonnay Grape variety: Chardonnay Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon Food pairing: Lemon-roasted chicken Only the second vintage of this wine that Josh Bergstrom has ever made, the Bergstrom Old Stones Chardonnay is one of the best expressions of crisp, balanced Oregon Chardonnay that we've found at this price level. No wonder, as the young winemaker spent some time in Burgundy learning how to make Chardonnay from the masters. His inaugural vintage of Old Stones Chardonnay 2007 (a tough year for Oregon wine) earned the distinction of 2nd best value wine in Oregon from Portland Monthly magazine. More importantly, we think it'll earn a reoccurring place on your table, offering vanilla-laced pear notes balanced by judicious oak and good acidity. An excellent pairing for lemon-roasted or grilled chicken. More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/oregon/12746.html 2007 Joseph Phelps Innisfree Cabernet Sauvignon Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon Region: Napa Valley, California Food pairing: Hamburgers with red onion compote For some reason, everyone seems to think that you have to pay big money to get a good Napa Cab from a well-known producer: not necessarily true, particularly when you have a great vintage like 2007 on your hands. Case in point: Joseph Phelps Innisfree 2007. Produced primarily from Phelps estate fruit (the same estate that makes the $150 Insignia Cabernet), Innisfree is baby-Phelps only in the regard that the wine is meant to be consumed young and fresh, while the flavors of ripe blueberry, blackberry and currant are at their best. No harsh, drying tannins here: this wine is big, juicy and ripe, oozing with sweet tannins and carrying a noticeably lengthy finish for an under $30 wine. Is Innisfree good every year? Yes. Is it better than ever in the 2007 vintage? You got that right. Well done, Phelps team. More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/california/13536.html

2006 Lail Blueprint Cabernet Sauvignon Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot Region: Napa Valley, California Food pairing: Soy-glazed chicken or steak yakitori When we talk about forefathers of our country, we have endless numbers of people to thank for pioneering different industries. But for Napa winemaking, one of the true forefathers was Gustav Neibaum, the great-great grand-uncle of Robin Lail, steward of Lail Vineyards. Neibaum founded Inglenook vineyards in 1879, making history in this still-young winemaking region. Today Robin carries the torch with Lail Vineyards where they make this Blueprint Cabernet-Merlot blend (an homage to her husband's profession of architecture) from both estate fruit and fruit from some well-respected growers throughout the Napa Valley appellation. With the help of well-known winemaker Philippe Melka (Vineyard 29, Bryant, Melka Metisse), Lail produces a beautiful Bordeaux-style blend with flavors and aromas of blueberry and fresh garden herbs. More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/california/13823.html 2007 Soda Canyon Cellars Barrel Chaser Red Blend Grape variety: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc Region: Napa Valley, California Food pairing: Grilled duck breast with cherry salad For the past few years, a question has echoed in the ears of our wine staff: "do you have any Prisoner?" The wine in question is a bold red blend made by Dave Phinney of Orin Swift Cellars. It gained a cult-like following a few years back and unfortunately has been out of the NJ market for some time (hopefully to return soon.). So you can imagine how happy we were when the Barrel Chaser rolled onto our tasting counter one day...at long last, a Phinney wine we can put in your hands once again! The Barrel Chaser is blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet, 6 % Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc. Lighter in style than the Prisoner, this wine is incredibly smooth and marked by ripe cherry, cassis, vanilla bean and chocolate flavors. Delicious now, but has the potential to cellar for a few years to come. More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/california/12399.html

2007 Favia Quarzo Syrah Grape variety: Syrah (3% Viognier) Region: Amador, California Food pairing: Spice-rubbed grilled leg of lamb Favia wines are a labor of love from the husband and wife team of Annie Favia and Andy Erickson. You may have heard of Andy, as he's the winemaker for such famously high-scoring wines as Screaming Eagle, Arietta, Dalla Valle, Ovid and Jonata. (Yes, apparently everything Andy touches turns to liquid gold.) But if you haven't yet heard of Annie, you're missing out on a budding superstar of viticulture. Annie lets Andy do the winemaking; her passion is for grape growing. A student of enology since 1993, she has learned from some of the best in the business. She studied under John Kongsgaard, Cathy Corison, and David Abreu: three very, very well-respected viticulturalists. And now she oversees the grapes for her own Favia label. Andy and Annie's 2007 Quarzo Syrah, the third vintage they've made, is notably one of their best yet. Sourced from Ann Kraemer's Shake Ridge Ranch in the Sierra Foothills of Amador County California, it's named "Quarzo" for the quartz crystals that are seen glittering amongst the rugged volcanic rock on the property. Annie and Andy feel it's an ideal place to grow Rhone varietals, and given the attention the grapes receive from steward Ann Kramer and from Annie Favia herself, its producing some of California's best Syrah. Only 220 cases of this wine were produced, and the Wine Spectator Insider has already given it 95 points, noting "immense and expressive, offering broad, expansive layers of wild berry...fresh loamy earth, pepper, spice and nutmeg, with a rich mouthfeel that lets the berry fruit fan out and gain nuance and complexity." Drinking beautifully now and should continue to do so through 2015 or later. More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/california/13446.html 2007 Double Diamond Bomber X Cabernet Sauvignon Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon Region: Napa Valley, California Food pairing: Grilled artisanal sausage In a world of unattainable cult Napa Cabernets, sometimes there comes a beacon of light. One such beacon for us: Double Diamond Bomber X Cabernet. This cult-adjacent Cabernet comes from Schrader Cellars, whose 2007 sextet of Cabernets received scores of 96+, 97+, 97+, 99 and two 100 pointers from Robert Parker. If you can find them, those seven Cabernets fetch anywhere from $300-1000 a bottle. But luckily in the same vintage, the very same winemaker Thomas Brown made a sister wine: the Bomber X. The biggest difference, other than the price, is accessibility: Double Diamond is a flashy wine that can be opened now, no brooding tannins that need to mellow or structure that needs to evolve. Just bold, well-sourced fruit that's drinking absolutely fantastically at this very moment. Thank you Fred Schrader and Thomas Brown for making an attainable Schrader wine! More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/california/12400.html