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August 2004 Collector´s Club
2001 Solar de Sael Bierzo
This wine comes from a small region in the northwest of Spain that is gradually
gaining a reputation for world-class wines. After tasting this one, it´s
easy to see why. It´s made from the Mencia grape, one of Spain´s
many contributions to the wide world of wine. This wine is good right now,
and will gain weight over the next few years. There´s a reasonable
quantity available at $22.00.
2000 Jean Lionnet Cotes-du Rhone
This is something of an unusual Cotes-du-Rhone, being made from 100% Syrah,
and produced in the northern Rhone region of Cornas. The region is noted
for making earthy wines with great grip and aging potential, and usually go for
somewhat excessive amounts of cash. It´s nice to present one that´s
only $20.00. It´s even nicer when the wine gets closed out and we get it
for $16.00. It does mean there´s not a lot left. Please age this
for at least five years, and decant it prior to consuming. Try it with game
meats.
2001 Domaine du Pesquier Gigondas
Switching to the Southern Rhone now, to the pretty village of Gigondas (should
you get to France, it´s worth a visit!) and Grenache-based wine. This
one´s in very limited availability, and was $25.00. It will benefit
from a few more years in your cellar, and will go nicely with summer fare.
1999 Sable Ridge Vineyards Sonoma County Zinfandel
Yum! It´s rich and fruity, exactly what zin should be. It used to
be $20.00; it´s now $14.00, for what little is left. Drink up -
it´s ready. Have it at a picnic.
2003 Chateau Grande Cassagne Costieres de Nimes Rose
Now this wine brings back some very fond memories. It´s one of the places
I visited while in France earlier this year, in the sprawling hills south of the
beautiful city of Nimes. Importer Robert Kacher has been doing wonderful
things in the region, and the wines show tremendous flavor and character for not a
lot of cash - $8.50 in this case. Unfortunately, the wines have gained in
popularity and are limited. We got a good supply that´s dwindling fast.
It´s one of my fave roses. Enjoy it and make some good memories
for yourself!
2003 Blance Nieva Verdejo
Now here´s a perennial summer favorite of mine. The Verdejo grape makes a
wonderfully refreshing wine, just perfect for back-deck drinking. It combines
the crispness of Sauvignon Blanc and the fruitiness of an unoaked Chardonnay.
It runs $12.00, and is in perennially good supply.
Please, please, please remember that sun and heat, while wonderful for us
Northwest dwellers, are the enemy of fine wine. Protect your bottles from
excesses of either. Every year we get wines returned as flawed that have
been cooked in someone´s car; we can´t take them back under these
circumstances as the distributors understandably won´t accept them from us
this way!
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