Top 10 for December

Here are my top 10 for this month. I have tasted a TON of wine this month. Though December is a busy month for our stores, it is also the month I search for wines for the beginning of 2008 for Andronico's. There were a lot of really good wines presented this month and I will make sure to recap more of these wines after the holidays. Here is my December's Top 10!

1. Vigneau-Chevreau, Vouvray Sec 2005: For those not on the Vouvray/Loire kick, it is time to get on this train. 100% Chenin Blanc and organically grown this wine is beyond AMAZING! The nose is elegant and full of Asian pear aromas, white flowers and hints of chalk. This wine is a benchmark wine for me with regards to all that I want in a wine: balance, elegance, length and overall beauty. This a wine to seek out! $25
2. Saracco, Pinot Noir, Monferrato Rosso 2004: This may be a tough wine to find but try your best to seek it out. Monferrato is a DOC in Piedmonte that is a bit of a catch all DOC for those not growing the "normal" grapes of the region. Paolo Saracco is a master of Moscato d' Asti but is always trying new things. About 10 years ago Paolo planted about 10 acres of Pinot Noir on a south facing slope in his vineyards. From the moment I tried this wine I was blown away. Full of ripe strawberries and cherries with a kiss of white stone. The palate is lush and vibrant with a good kick of acidity! $25
3. Castillo Labastida, Rioja Crianza 2004: I have not been a big fan of Spain as of late but in this month I was shown some Spanish wines that turned my head and this wine was an instant favorite. I hope Dave can find this in Spain and gives us his opinion. This wine was not over-blown and was oaked in a way that gave the wine more subtlety. The nose was full of bright fruit and sweet spices and very well balanced. $12 - $15
4. Martinus Estate Pinot Noir, Martinborough 2005: A true labor of love. Martinus Estate is a 5 acre vineyard on the North Island of New Zealand. This husband and wife team are printmakers during the day and come harvest time they are wine makers. This wine is the essence of elegance. If you like Burgundy you will like this wine. Sour cherries and roses are on the nose with a hint of dried hay. The palate has a hint of cranberries and a kiss of dirt that makes this wine oh so yummy! About 200 cases are produced $35
5. L'Ecole No 41, Columbia Valley Semillon 2006: If you are looking for a change of pace when it comes to whites you have to try this wine. Semillon is one of white grapes of Bordeaux and finds its way into many sweet wines (Sauternes is the primary example). For those that have not tried a dry Semillon this a great start. This wine is like melons and a giant bouquet of white flowers. The palate is round and there is a kiss of acidity. I enjoyed this wine with some crab and it was great! $16 to $20
6. Barrel 27 Central Coast Syrah 2005: I really like Syrah and I REALLY like this wine. If you like dense, concentrated and intense wines this wine is for you. It is a bit atypical of the wines I like but the wine has a balance that is not usual for the style. The nose with dense and full of blackberries, blueberries, pepper and yes leather and funk! The palate was like velvet with a fine tannin structure. A wine that screams lamb or a great grilled hunk of meat! $18
7. Famega, Vinho Verde 2007: This wine is literally fresh off the boat. For most people in the Northern Hemisphere Vinho Verde is not a wine that first comes to mind in the middle of December but this was one of the best V.V.'s I had and when you see the price your jaw will drop. Vinho Verde is a light, fresh, fizzy and yummy wine from the Minho region in Northern Portugal. $7
8. Chehalem, "3 Vineyards" Willamette Valley, Pinot Noir 2005: If you want to explore Oregon Pinot Noir this is a great place to start. Chehalem makes great wine and this wine is so pretty. This wine has such great structure and balance that the crushed fruit aromas, sour cherries, hints of dried mushrooms and black tea are always present and never too powerful. The palate is elegant and bright with fruit and pops with a kiss of acidity. This would be a great wine with some many different foods it would fill an entire post (salmon, duck, roast pork, lamb with cherry sauce, roasted veggies, turkey). $21
9. Avignonesi, Rosso di Montepulciano 2004: If you enjoy Chianti give this wine a try. Chianti's primary grape is Sangiovese and is grown in Tuscany and so is Rosso di Montepulciano. RdM (short hand) is the baby of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, meaning that RdM is generally from vines that are either younger or lots of wine that did not make the cut to be made in to one of the greatest wines of Italy. Avignonesi is a GREAT producer and I highly recommend any of their wines but the RdM is a great everyday wine. Classic Sangiovese characteristics of sour cherry, dried red berries, dust and leather. $13 to $15
10. Germain - Robin, Fine Alambic Brandy: I know this is not a wine but it starts out as a wine. Dave can tell us much more about Germain-Robin (he sold at his previous job). This is as good a brandy as you can find from Cognac. Elegant, refined, nuanced, and really complex. This would be a great gift for a person who like Cognac and brandy. Made in Mendocino in an artesian still, this is a truly hand-crafted brandy.

Comments

[David C]

Kissy kissy this post! Kisses to you and Sho, since it seems you have kisses to spare... :)

A quick tidbit about Germain Robin: started in part by a Frenchman with Cognac in his family, Germain Robin is a joint vision of producing Cognac-like brandy with grapes not allowed in Cognac. The VSOP-level Fine Alambic Jeff refers to has a fair amount of Pinot Noir (the backbone of their $110 XO), French Colombard, and a good measure of Palomino, if I recall. The blend changes over time, so don't quote me on that!

It is made in the simplest way brandy can be made: wine made from local grapes is distilled in an old copper alambic still, where the art of the master distiller makes itself known, and then stored in wooden casks for an average of 5-8 years. No coloring or flavoring is added, only rainwater collected on the warehouse roof in rural Mendocino County to bring it to proof. This is the real deal, all the way through.

[David C]

Oops, my link to the Germain Robin website didn't make it: Germain Robin