STAN’S PICK FOR OCTOBER 2014.

Posted on October 4, 2014 by Stan The Wine Man

Outstanding juice from Chile.

Outstanding juice from Chile.

I think it is safe to say that a lot of you have not sought out a Carmenere for your wine purchase of choice. I say this not because Carmenere is not worth seeking out. No, I say it because I know a lot of you have no idea what it is. You’re not alone. Back in the day, Chileans thought what they were growing was Merlot, and they labeled it as such. However, after close examination, it was realized that this was one of the grapes that originated from the land of Bordeaux, and was actually one of the grapes used in those famous blends in the nineteen century before phylloxera hit the scene.

It made its way to South America, like its friend Malbec, and was widely planted in Chile. Carmenere does have some similarities to Merlot, but at closer examination there are many differences that make it stand out as a varietal that is worthy of regular consumption. Often times it will be very veggie on the nose with notes of green bell pepper, asparagus and leaf lettuce. Sometimes it translates into the palate and a lot of people can be put off by this. I myself enjoy a little veggie in my wine from time to time, but would never feature it as a pick of the month, simply because I know it wouldn’t be well received. This one is what I consider the perfect introductory Carmenere. After you try this one, I believe you will become a fan of this varietal.

2012 Anderra Carmenere (Chile)… $12.

This bottle has the name Baron Philippe De Rothschild printed on the front of the label. That is a name that many of us are familiar with when it comes to French wines. Many of these top producers have looked to Chile, understanding the value of the land and fruit. Carmenere is king in Chile and this version is proof as to why that is so.
Aromas of red leaf lettuce, green bell pepper, asparagus. red cherries and blackberries. Nice currant and cherry notes up front, that evolves into notes of forest floor and minerals with tobacco joining the party. Wilted rose petal notes hit on the mid-palate with just a touch of veggie coming through on the back-end. The finish is delicious with notes of bittersweet chocolate lingering. If you haven’t given Carmenere a try yet, this would be a good start. (A-)

Distributed By Youngs Market Company

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BARNACLES, WINKLES AND GREAT WINE…PORTUGAL DOES IT ALL.

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Stan The Wine Man

Portugal and More 012Family owned. That is a rarity among many wineries these days with all the big companies gobbling up the small guys to enrich their portfolios. Portugal, a small country on the Iberian Peninsula, is not immune to the corporate monopolization of wineries. However, there are a couple that have not only survived, but have thrived as family owned. Most notable is Esporao Winery, located in central/southern Portugal. In 1978 the Roquette family purchased an existing winery in the Alentejo region of Spain with high ambitions.

In ’73, Alentejo (an appellation in southern Portugal) was noted for its cheap table reds, not for quality. It was under those conditions that the Roquette family decided to purchase an existing estate with the vision of producing some world-renowned wines from this region. Of course, many thought it was a fruitless effort (no pun intended). Turns out, most were wrong as Herdade Do Esporao has become not only a producer of some excellent reds and whites, but also a major tourist destination. I had the privilege of traveling to Portugal and visiting Esporao and it’s sibling winery in the Douro, Quinta Dos Murcas. Both wineries reflect the vision of quality and innovation that the owners and winery personnel have.

Esporao is located about thirty minutes southwest of Evora at the heart of Alentejo, in the sub-region of Reguengos. At first appearance, it is like any other winery I’ve visited, until I started looking around. Esporao is a sustainable winery with cutting edge technology and an obvious goal to produce high quality wines that express terroir. Esporao has three wine making facilities on the property. One dedicated to red wines with wine maker Luis Patrao, one for whites with wine maker Sandra Alves and a newer facility dedicated to producing their reserve wines. The director of wine making (basically the one in charge of it all) is David Baverstock originally from Australia, who also had a stint in the Douro with Croft and Symington before he came on board with Esporao in ’92.

As I toured the winery with David, I was blown away with how calm everything was around me, despite the fact that they were right in the middle of crush. I have been in the midst of many wineries during this time of season and let me tell you, it can be close to frenetic. However, after hanging out with David for a couple of hours, I began to understand.

David is calm, cool, and collected. Cool Hand Luke comes to mind (for anyone who remembers that Paul Newman flick). His passion for detail and quality were obvious, but his ability to get his team to achieve his vision in the smoothest of fashions was remarkable. He led us through a tasting of the wines of Esporao after the tour, and I have to admit that there wasn’t a bad one in the line-up, from the entry-level Alandra white and red to the reserves.

2012 Alandra White

2012 Alandra White

Speaking of the reserves, I was really impressed with the facility dedicated to these wines. there was a line-up of impressive six-ton open fermentation tanks. The foot-treading technique (yes, they stomp the grapes with their bare feet), is put into practice during fermentation. As David explained, this allows for a more gentle approach to maceration, leading to finer tannic structure and more elegant, graceful wines. They also employ the use of both concrete and clay fermenters along with basket presses, all designed to bring out the quality of the fruit and terrior. I believe (and I could be wrong of course), that this is the first winery I have been to that put so much emphasis on the production of their reserve and top-tier wines.

The bottling facility was one of the most modern and efficient I have seen to date. Upwards to a truckload of wine can be bottled in this facility on a daily basis. Very automated and really mind-blowing to watch (that is if you are as geeky about that kind of thing as I am).

Although most of the region of Alentejo is flat-lands, there are a few hillsides, and Esporao took advantage of one, digging into the hillside to create an underground holding facility for their barrels and bottled wines. As we walked through the dimly lit tunnels, the temperature was perfect for storing wine and barrel aging. It was a really cool place (pun intended).

As we toured the vineyards and grounds of Esporao, I was blown-away by one vineyard in particular. The top dogs of red grapes in this region are Aragones (Tempranillo), Trincadeira, Castelao, Touriga Franca, Alicante Boushet and Touriga Nacional. They grow other grapes of course, including Syrah. However, in this one vineyard (which was quite large), they have planted 189 different varietals. Why would they do that? It’s an experimental vineyard to see how other grape varietals will fare in the land of Alentejo. Pretty cool stuff if you ask me, and it certainly reflects the attitude of the winery…Cutting edge technology along with visionary wine making practices and a deep respect for the land.

One of 189 different varietals planted.

One of 189 different varietals planted.

The Rouqette family started something years ago that many thought was a ridiculous notion. Create a world-renowned wine making facility in the heart of a region known for cheap table wines. They succeeded. Esporao under the direction of wine maker David Baverstock, produces some excellent wines both in the value category and the premium category. The winery itself has become a tourist destination stop with one of the finest restaurants I have eaten in (I will write about the cuisine in Portugal in another article). If you haven’t explored the wines of Alentejo in Portugal, I encourage you to start with Esporao. Top notch wines at great prices.

The Rouquettes purchased Quinta Dos Murcas in the Doura Valley in 2008. I will dedicate the next article to my visit to this region and the outstanding wines from this winery.

Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man

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FRIDAYS THIRTEEN…

Posted on September 26, 2014 by Stan The Wine Man

In a weeks time, I taste a boatload of wine (seriously). I lot of my friends think that I’m lucky. Well, they’re right, and I wouldn’t give this job up for the world. The only thing that makes my job hard, is my feeling of responsibility to taste the samples given to me as quickly as possible and to put my reviews either in my Moleskine, on my Youtube channel (Stan The Wine Man TV), or right here on Stanthewineman.com. Here for your reading pleasure, are thirteen wines that I have reviewed in my Moleskine (good or bad), this past week.

2012 Milestone Cabernet Sauvignon (California)… $12.

Aromas of cherries and grape juice with hits of red flowers and cigar box. Very grapey on the palate (go figure, it’s made from grapes), with underlying dark cherry notes. Nice flow across the palate with black currants joining the party on the mid-palate leading into a grippy finish. I was actually surprised by the tannins on the finish, because they weren’t there up front. This cab actually reminded me a lot of some Spanish Garnacha. (C+)

2012 PopCrush Red (California)… $11.

This wine smells exactly like a chunk of black licorice with a touch of black currants and root beer. Kind of jammy notes of currant notes start to finish. However, there is an interesting mineral element that keeps it out of the fruit-bomb category. The tannins have good structure and a touch of grip. I know a lot of people who will like this wine, and I have to say that I think it has good balance and some complexity, which makes it interesting. (B-)

2012 Anderra Carmenere (Chile)… $12.

This bottle has the name Baron Philippe De Rothschild printed on the front of the label. That is a name that many of us are familiar with when it comes to French wines. Many of these top producers have looked to Chile, understanding the value of the land and fruit. Carmenere is king in Chile and this version is proof as to why that is so.
Aromas of red leaf lettuce, green bell pepper, asparagus. red cherries and blackberries. Nice currant and cherry notes up front, that evolves into notes of forest floor and minerals with tobacco joining the party. Wilted rose petal notes hit on the mid-palate with just a touch of veggie coming through on the back-end. The finish is delicious with notes of bittersweet chocolate lingering. If you haven’t given Carmenere a try yet, this would be a good start. (A-)

2011 Esk Valley Red Blend Gimblett Gravels (Hawkes Bay, New Zealand)… $21.

This baby has some old world action on the nose, with aromas of gravel, earth, dark cherries, currants, black raspberries and licorice. Crushed rock all day on the palate with a shovel load of dirt and a hit of iron (now that’s old world my friend). Red cherries and cranberries sneak into the picture front to back with a brightness that lingers. This is an old world style wine on an acid trip. A blend of 44% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 23% Malbec. (C+)

2012 PopCrush White (California)… $11.

This baby has a lot of Viognier in it and it shows. Aromas of apricots, peaches, tangerine and cantaloupe. Notes of mandarin orange, tangerine and apricot come through on the front of the palate leading into a rounder mid-palate. The finish is dry with a load of citrus coming through. Notes of tangerine, lemon and mandarin with a slight hit of mango on the back-end. A blend of Viognier, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay and Moscato. I expected it to be a lot sweeter, and was pleasantly surprised by the drier finish. (B-)

2012 Milestone Chardonnay (California)… $12.

I got a little lemon scented soap on the nose with slight pear and oak notes coming through. Light pear notes come through on the palate with a creamy edge to it, then there is a big oak hit on the finish. The finish is awkward and not well-integrated, and the wine tastes just a touch fake, like it has some makeup on it. (D-)

2012 Anderra Sauvignon Blanc (Chile)… $12.

I really liked the nose on this puppy. Aromas of diesel, cut grass, melon and wet stone. Zesty on the palate with notes of kiwi and lime in spades. Grass notes hit on the mid-palate and leading into the mouth-watering, dry finish. This is a perfect match for shellfish of all kinds. (B)

2012 Avignonesi “Cantaloro” Red (Toscana, Italy)… $20.

Aromas of stewed meats, marinade, baking spices, black olives, green olives, tobacco, leather and wilted red flowers (seriously, I got that much out of it). Good structure and balance on this wine. Notes of currants and dark cherries up front with a healthy dose of tobacco, crushed rock and tar. There is a forest floor component that comes through on the mid-palate with a slight minty edge showing up. There is a brightness to this wine that is like the spine leading into a dark fruit meets crushed rock, meets dirt, meets leather, meets tar finish. This baby screams for grilled (or broiled) meats, or a serious red sauce with pasta. (A-)

2011 Tormaresca “Neprica” Red (Puglia, Italy)… $11.

A little stink action on the nose with notes of leather, tobacco, currants, black olives, wilted rose petal, blackberries and a hint of chocolate (two in a row). Black cherries, blackberries and tobacco notes up front on the palate and into the middle palate. Red flower notes come through on the backside with an interesting brightness. The finish features minerals, tobacco, cherry, red flowers and a trace of white pepper that lingers. 40% Negroamaro, 30% Primitivo and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. (B+)

2012 Brooks Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, Oregon)… $26.

Very aromatic on the nose with notes of cherries, black tea, root beer with a little cherry candy and Red Vine licorice on the back-end. Red flowers all day on the palate with a backdrop of cranberries and black tea. There is a fair amount of acidity on this wine with some blackberry leaf coming through on the finish and a hint of black tea. This is a baby that needs some time to flesh out. (B-)

2010 Array Cellars Chardonnay (Columbia Valley, Washington)… $22.

Aromas of dusty oak, ripe pineapple, butterscotch and apple. The oak is prominent on the palate with hits of baking spices and butterscotch with a touch of pineapple on the astringent finish. This chard is very awkward on the palate and very oaky. (C-/D)

2012 Tempus Cellars Riesling Evergreen Vineyards (Ancient Lakes, WA)… $16.

Pine notes come through on the nose joined by ripe lemons, saline and apples. Cutting acidity on the palate with a backdrop of ripe apples and peaches with a touch of apricots and ripe lemons. Minerals and orange blossoms come through on the long, bracing finish with a hint of rubber boot on the back-end. This is a classic example of how good Washington State Riesling can be (A-)

2012 Efeste “Feral” Sauvignon Blanc “Evergreen Vineyards” (Ancient Lakes, WA)… $21.

Aromas of pine needles, lemon, melon and a touch of sweaty arm-pit. Zesty, sharp and acidic on the palate with notes of under-ripe kiwi, lemon and lime. Very grassy and herbal on the mid-palate leading into a steely, lemon-lime driven finish. This is typical Efeste Sauvignon Blanc, wild and wooly. It needs a little time in the bottle to flesh out. (B+)

Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man

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WASHINGTON WINE ICON BILL POWERS DIES AT 88.

Posted on September 25, 2014 by Stan The Wine Man

I had the awesome privilege of meeting and interviewing Bill Powers earlier this year on Stan The Wine Man TV, and Bill did an excellent job. The interview went for an hour, and it turned into a four part series. Bill will be missed by all those in the wine world.

Bill, one the first to grow grapes organically in Washington State was tireless in his efforts to improve in his grape growing practices. However, he was also an innovator and hard worker. In the interview, which I encourage you to watch, he talks about his start in the grape growing industry, the transformation of his vineyards to organic, and the start of his winery. Powers Winery now run by his son Greg Powers is on of the top producing wineries in the State of Washington. It’s sibling Badger Mountain Winery which is entirely organic, has become one of the most respected wineries in that segment. One of the highlights of the interview is when Bill talks about his entry into the wine making business…He was truly a forward thinking individual.

Bills legacy will never fade and we are all grateful for his pioneering efforts. Even as his health was deteriorating he showed up at the winery on a daily basis to help out wherever he could. I am lucky to have had the opportunity to meet him and we are all going to miss him dearly.

Stan The wine Man

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