Buyers’ Guide to VINTAGES Nov 28, Part Two

Our Finest from Europe
by John Szabo MS, with notes from David Lawrason & Sara d’Amato

John Szabo, MS

No need for a preamble this week; I’ll jump straight into the recommended wines. In part two of coverage for this largest VINTAGES release of the year, we look at European wines, minus the super Tuscans that David covered admirably last week.

We have suggestions from no fewer than nine countries, from Germany to Greece, Portugal to Austria, $18 to $90. I’m confident you’ll find something to love on the list. And don’t forget to log on and use the “find wine” feature on WineAlign, as we’ve been busy tasting and reviewing hundreds of wines over the last couple of months, including many wines in the consignment world, worthy of buying by the case for the holidays and beyond.

Buyers Guide for November 28th: Our Finest European White

Giannikos 2014 At Sea Roditis, Peloponnese, Greece ($17.95)

John Szabo – Fans of aromatic white wines will want to discover this fruity, peachy and floral expression of roditis, reminiscent of viognier, farmed organically. Enjoy it in the flower of its youth.
Sara d’Amato – This organically farmed Peloponnese white is made from the indigenous roditis variety, a pink grape that has the ability to hold on to freshness and acidity even when planted in hot climates. Fresh, light and typically aromatic, the palate boasts sweet fruit and tender blossom.

Donnachiara 2013 Greco di Tufo, Campania, Italy ($17.95)

Sara d’Amato – Donnachiara is located in the hilly vineyards of Avellino and is known for producing wines with great regional typicity. This distinctiveness is well represented in this aromatic, food friendly expression of Greco di Tufo offering notes of peach, grapefruit and melon.

Vignerons de Buxy 2103 Buissonnier Montagny, Châlonnais, Burgundy ($19.95)

David Lawrason – The Buxy co-op is one of the more successful in this region just south of the Côte de Beaune, and with its more famous neighbours now financially out of reach I urge you to try this for $20 bucks. It is not a dramatic or powerful chardonnay, but it is poised, complex and well integrated with peach, vanilla, wood spice and vague hazelnut notes. It’s lighter weight, quite tender and refined. Very good value.

Leth 2013 Brunnthal 1öwt Grüner Veltliner, Fels Am Wagram Austria ($24.95)

John Szabo – Here’s an archetypal grüner from a family-operated, regional leader on the deep loess soils of the Wagram region, replete with sweet citrus, fresh parsnip and sweet green herbs off the top, just slipping into the honeyed spectrum. It’s generous and broad, intensely flavoured, with fine depth and excellent length, with the merest impression of sweetness; a top class example at a very keen price. Best 2015-2021.

Jean-Max Roger 2014 Cuvée G.C. Sancerre, Loire Valley, France ($28.95)

John Szabo – 2014 was a cool and challenging vintage, but Roger comes out here with flying colours, delivering pure, crisp, bright and sharply focused flavours, with plenty of thrust and drive on the palate. This wine hails from the Grand Chemarin vineyard (“GC”), a top, particularly stony site in the village of Bué with the soil type known locally as caillottes. Best 2015-2020.

Château de Beaucastel 2014 Coudoulet de Beaucastel Blanc, Côtes du Rhône, Rhône, France ($33.95)

Sara d’Amato – Known as the “baby Beaucastel” Coudoulet blanc’s 3 hectares of vineyard are located just across the highway from those of the revered Château de Beaucastel’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This cooler and wetter vintage in the southern Rhône has produced more delicate and fresher wines, which is evident in this elegant, graceful beauty with impressive complexity.
David Lawrason – I am a huge fan of Perrin family white wines. This is a refined, richly flavoured and exotic southern Rhône white with subtlety and integration – ripe peach/melon, oak spice, vanilla cream and the unique perfume of viognier peaking through. It’s mid-weight, fairly creamy yet fresh.

Künstler 2013 Hochheimer Stielweg Old Vines Riesling Trocken, Rheingau, Germany ($42.95)

John Szabo – Künstler is a leader in the dry riesling genre from the Rheingau, with an enviable collection of top vineyards. The 50+-year-old vines from Stielweg provide an explosive, dense, concentrated mouthful of wine, with terrific length and genuine complexity, and real old vine vinosity, best in at least another 3-5 years. Künstler describes the wine as “sustainable and robust”. “Stielweg is the only vineyard where old vines combine an enormous wealth of fruitiness with the delicate ways of a Riesling.” Best 2018-2025.

Antinori 2013 Castello della Sala Cervaro della Sala IGT Umbria, Italy ($57.95)

John Szabo – A classy, complex, mid-weight, sinewy and lean vintage for the Cervaro (chardonnay and grechetto blend) with integrated wood and notable lees character, and exceptional length and complexity overall. This is 2-4 years away from prime enjoyment, but should satisfy fans of the genre handily. Great depth. Best 2018-2025.
Sara d’Amato – The flagship wine of Antinori’s Castello Della Sala estate is a blend of chardonnay and grechetto. A smart, sophisticated buy that is also immensely satisfying. Lightly buttery with nicely integrated French oak treatment and a hint of creaminess from the fine lees ageing. Pair with a festive turkey dinner.

Miraval 2014 Rosé, Côtes De Provence, Provence, France ($22.95)

Sara d’Amato – A new shipment of the Miraval Rosé is quite welcome any time of the year. Just because the cold is upon us, it doesn’t mean that rosé should be off the table. In fact, it makes for a versatile wine over the holidays that works well with everything from roasted poultry to fish to lamb. The Perrin family and the Pitt-Jolie’s collaborative effort yields a dry, classy rosé with subtly and elegance.

Buyers Guide for November 28th: Our Finest European Red

Lungarotti 2012 Rubesco, Rosso di Torgiano, Umbria, Italy ($17.95)

Sara d’Amato – This sangiovese-based blend, akin to a good quality Chianti Classico, is Lungarotti’s flagship wine. Licorice, leather and pomegranate make up the inviting nose of this traditional and lightly floral Rubesco.

Château Trillol 2011 Corbières Grenache Carignan Syrah, Languedoc, France ($19.95)

John Szabo – The Languedoc continues to be a source of characterful wines at down-to-earth prices, like this Grenache-syrah-carignan blend. It’s a genteel and elegant Corbières, more refined than the average to be sure, with elegant styling and suave, silky tannins. Length and depth are uncommonly good for the price category. Best 2015-2021.

Prazo De Roriz 2011 Tinto, Douro, Portugal ($19.95)

David Lawrason – This is ‘basic’ Douro red from a high-powered duo – the Symington family that forms the aristocracy of the Douro and Bruno Prats of Bordeaux’ Cos d’Estournel. It has a generous nose of mulberry/blackberry with some vanillin, light mocha and cigar. It’s full-bodied, fairly dense, rich and smooth, yet showing firm tannin. Youthful, from an excellent vintage.

Frano Milos 2011 Plavac Peljesac Peninsula, Croatia ($20.95)

John Szabo – Lovers of savoury, old world wines will want to make the acquaintance of native plavac mali from Croatia, and no better introduction than from regional star Frano Milos and the dramatic, terraced Dolomitic vineyards of the Peljesac (pell-yeh-shatz) peninsula overlooking the Adriatic. Wild fermented and aged in old Slavonian casks, this is a marvellously firm and complex red, with puckering walnut skin-like tannins, yet enough fruit extract to make it work. It will never be a supple and smooth red, but rather one destined for the table with a large roast of beef, served rare with a last minute sprinkle of sea salt. Best 2015-2025.

Olim Bauda 2012 Le Rocchette Barbera d’Asti Superiore, Piedmont, Italy ($28.95)

Sara d’Amato – Barbera is a great wine to include on your festive table. It is characteristically deliciously juicy, not too filling, and with both freshness and fleshiness to complement a wide array of dishes. This particularly memorable example is lightly oaked with more colour and structure than the norm, making it an excellent choice for a festive occasion.

Chapelle de Potensac 2010, Médoc, Bordeaux, France ($29.95)

John Szabo – A well structured and proportioned, lively 2nd wine from Potensac, perfectly mid-weight, zesty and fresh. I love the balance and class on offer – this is arch classic left bank Bordeaux, with firm, elegant tannins and bright natural acids. Lovely wine, drinking now, but better in 3-5 years.
David Lawrason – This is an even-keeled, fresh and engaging young Bordeaux – another very fine 2010 – with a fragrant, balanced nose of raspberry/fresh fig fruit, spice and fresh herbs. Quite juicy yet it firms up on the finish. Will thrive through this decade.

L’Expression de Margaux 2010 AC, Bordeaux, France ($33.95)

David Lawrason – I approached this wine with all red flags flying – a Margaux from a negociant, not an individual property (chateau). But it actually does express Margaux well (as advertised), which is so rare given that Margaux is pricing out of reach for most. The essence is nicely lifted fragrant black raspberry, cedar and vanillin. It’s smooth, elegant and a bit warm (14%) with very fine tannin.
John Szabo – Stylish and plush but balanced, this is a terrific mouthful of wine, even-keeled, with supple tannins that still frame the billowing dark fruit nicely. Acids are likewise firm and fresh, and the length is excellent. Elegant and suave in the Margaux style, and top value. Best 2015-2025.

Faustino I 2004 Gran Reserva, DOCa Rioja, Spain ($35.95)

John Szabo – A classic, old school Rioja here from Faustino, showing beautifully right now. Tannins are supple and suave, in place but perfectly integrated, while acids remain fresh and bright. The range and depth of flavours is excellent. Fine wine, drink or hold another decade.

Le Fonti di Panzano 2011 Chianti Classico Riserva, DOCG Tuscany, Italy ($41.95)

John Szabo – This may seem pricey for Chianti Classico, but tasted alongside a range of more expensive Brunello, this wine stole the spotlight. From a small organic farm in Panzano, the delicate hands of respected winemaker Dr. Stefano Chioccioli show through in this concentrated, very ripe, full and stylish wine made in a clearly defined riserva style, from evident low yields and careful crafting. Barrel ageing adds depth and texture without excessive impact on flavour, polishing and softening tannins. Excellent length. Best 2015-2025.

Château de Beaucastel 2013 Châteauneuf-Du-Pape AC Rhône, France ($89.95)

John Szabo – 2013 was a stellar year for Beaucastel, surely one of the Châteauneufs of the vintage. It’s rich, balanced, spicy, nicely delineated, clean-and very focused, firm, lively and elegant. I appreciate the freshness and pinpoint flavours, the light but tightly knit texture, like Kevlar, and the lingering, cherry-perfumed finish. Classy stuff, and best after 2020, when it will have shifted fully into the savoury spectrum. Drink 2020-2030+.

That’s all for this week. See you over the next bottle.

From VINTAGES November 28th, 2015

Szabo’s Smart Buys
Lawrason’s Take
Sara’s Sommelier Selections
All Reviews
Buyers’ Guide to VINTAGES Nov 28, Part One – The Super-Tuscans

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