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Archive for April, 2010
2005 Ramon Bilbao Tempranillo Crianza (Rioja, Spain)
2005 Ramon Bilbao Tempranillo Crianza (Rioja) $11.99
“Ramon Bilbao’s winemaker, Rodolfo Bastida, is making waves in Rioja not only by producing great wines, but also for introducing new technologies in winemaking at a traditional old world winery in Rioja. Bastida’s 2005 Crianza is so yummy! It starts off with a nose of black fruits and berries which follow through on the palate. Very ripe fruit flavors with a velvety texture. It has a great essence of chocolate that “had me at hello” with its dark chocolate covered cherry flavors. It’s a big delicious jammy red that is drinking beautifully right now.”
90 Points, Summer Martin
Staff Selection, May 2010
2006 Castello Monastero Chianti Classico (Tuscany, Italy)
2006 Castello Monastero Chianti Classico (Tuscany) $13.99 - May 2010 Special
“Castello di Monastero’s 2006 Chianti Classico is one of the most textbook classic Chiantis one could ask for. It is darkly colored and intensely flavored with much room left to develop. It is an amazing value not to be missed. The Wine Spectator says ‘It shows Indian spices and ripe berries on the nose. Full-bodied, yet refined and very polished.’ You’ll want to have a case to enjoy over the next ten years. ”
91 Points, Steve Rayman
Staff Selection, May 2010
2005 Luneau-Papin Muscadet Le L d’Or (Loire, France)
2005 Luneau-Papin Muscadet L D'or (Loire Valley, France) $19.99
“Le L d’Or is crackling, focused and intense and made to deliver an exciting glass of wine. People wanting wines of purity and no oak influence should be aware of wines like Muscadet. Crisp and fresh, L d’Or is perfect with the Florida fare of the spring and summer, straight from the sea. The qualities of the wine, its saline, lime and fresh white flower and mineral character make it perfect with any shellfish, mollusk or crustacean. A medium-bodied wine with driving flavors and excellent length, this wine will deliver satisfaction to the New Zealand SB, White Burgundy and Sancerre drinker alike.”
93+ Points, Rhett Beiletti
Staff Selection, May 2010
2006 Errazuriz Carmenere Don Maximano Estate (Aconcagua, Chile)
2006 Errazuriz Carmenere Don Maximano Estate (Chile) $15.99
“I typically like Carmenere but I love this one for its distinct bouquet of plum, wild berry and spice. The 2006 Carmenere Don Maximo Estate spent 12 months in French and American oak and grapes hand picked from Chile’s finest premier vineyard in Aconcagua Valley. Its complex and enticing aromatics of fresh black fruit complemented by sweet spice and black pepper are intertwined with cassis, dry figs and plum. On the palate, layered spice, full bodied and plenty of lush ripe fruit. Smooth tannins, great depth and a lengthy finish to boot. I would enjoy in the next several years with any roasted meat or tomato-based dish.”
91 Points, Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate
92 Points, Shannon Sprentall
Staff Selection, May 2010
2009 Crossings Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand)
2009 Crossings Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough) $9.99
“New Zealand sauvignon blanc at fighting varietal prices and it has all the crispness of its neighbors. This packs tropical fruit and melons as well as telltale grapefruit zing and rippling creekbed minerality. Easy to drink, bouncy body, but not a lightweight. Buy a case for your next fish fry, clam bake or Chinese wedding banquet.”
89 Points, Chris Sherman
Staff Selection, May 2010
2005 Giadomella Zinfandel (Russian River, California)
2005 Gia Domella Zinfandel (Russian River) $24.99
“Crimson tartrate crystals coat the inside of the cork, lending a sort of Xmas cookie appearance. Like a slowly loping cat, curiosity leads me to lick my finger, dab it on the crystals, and return the finger, replete with its new passengers, to my mouth…nothing. I’m not sure what I expected, but it certainly wasn’t the complete absence of flavor. Disinterested in the sparkly cork I splash some wine into my glass. The nose offers a bushel of fleshy red fruit, spice and rhubarb accompanied by a gentle whiff of alcohol. Ample body and loads of berry on the palate, a pleasant bitter edge balances out near-sweet tropical punch notes. Albeit brief, the finish is smooth and tasty. For those who still enjoy a nice Zinfandel, and I remain in this constituency, this is a really fun wine.”
93 Points, Steve Rayman (B-21’s Director of Wine) & 90 Points Wine Enthusiast
91 Points, Shawn Reynolds
Staff Selection, May 2010
2008 Langoreau St. Aubin Blanc (Burgundy, France)
“The hamlet of St. Aubin sits above the vineyards of Puligny-Montrachet, the homeland of chardonnay. 75 years ago St. Aubin was sold as Puligny-Montrachet. With AOC laws this no longer happens but the wines of St. Aubin can represent remarkable value as is the case with Langoreau St. Aubin; half the price of Puligny-Montrachet. The precision of the 08 vintage makes this a most impressive find.”
2008 Langoreau St. Aubin (Burgundy, France) $19.99
91 Points, Bob Sprentall
Staff Selection, May 2010
Hot off the Press! Spain continues to soar!
2007 Clos Erasmus ($179.99) 98 Points, Wine Advocate
Robert Parker just released his always anticipated issue of The Wine Advocate. Spain continues to soar and as Jay Miller puts it, “Let the Good Times Roll!” Very happy to see that the 2007 wines by Clos Erasmus rated as high as expected. The 2007 Clos Erasmus (98WA) $179.99 – 750ml, $449.99 – 1.5L and the 2007 Laurel $49.99 received a whopping 94 points (hurry up, only a few bottles remain in inventory of this one!)
Some more highlights:
- 2008 Emilio Moro Resalso 90WA $11.99
- 2008 Borsao Tres Picos 91WA $13.99
- 2007 Juan Gil 90WA $14.99
- 2007 Alto Moncayo Veraton 92WA $24.99
- 2007 Alto Moncayo 94WA $39.99
- 2006 Numanthia 94+WA $49.99
These are just a few of the highlights. Also 2009 is supposed to be an amazing vintage in Spain for whites according to Jay… so keep an eye out!
Cheers,
Summer Martin, B-21′s Spain & Portugal Advocate
Top chefs of today, tomorrow cook up Ryan Wells dinner
Taste who’s cooking now and ten years from now at the annual salute to student chefs next week at the Sheraton Sand Key, one of the Nibbler’s favorite dining secrets.
The dinner for the Ryan Wells Foundation is unusual because the full course meal is both first rate and cooked by teams of professional toques and the top students in high school culinary programs. We’re fans of them — and alumni like Shane Clark who’s in the kitchen at Currents where B-21 hosts many a winemaker dinner.
There are more future Mario Batalis than you realize. While restaurant sales have slowed, the hunger to be a chef has grown rapidly. Pinellas County now has ProStart programs at Dixie Hollins, Northeast, Osceola, PTEC, and Tarpon Springs. Those students will bang pots with top chefs John Harris of Rusty’s at Sand Key, Chris Ponte of Café Ponte, Scott and Doug Bebell of Guppy‘s and Mystic Fish, Mark Hyrcko of Island Way Grill, Stephen Jordan of SandPearl, Tyson Grant of Parkshore Grill, and Tod Hess of the ACF.
Tickets are $300 a couple and supports scholarships that send students to further training at Johnson & Wales and other professional schools.
The foundation was started in memory of one such student chef who never got that chance, Ryan Wells, a promising senior in Tarpon’s culinary program who died in a car crash coming home from training in Miami.
This year’s dinner, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday May 5, will have a Cinco de Mayo theme.
Find out more at www.ryanwellsfoundation.com
- Chris Sherman, The Blogging Nibbler
Btw, just what is a gaffeliere?
2005 Chateau La Gaffeliere (Saint-Emilion) $99.99
The word appears on two legendary estates Chateau La Gaffeliere and Canon La Gaffeliere but the term escaped all the French speakers, native and well-schooled, at our dinner. I guessed that the old chateau could have been named for some kind of tree, say a grove of oaks. Or maybe a specialized kind of warrior, say a knight armed with a crossbow and a sling shot.
Not close, according to the one man who had the answer, Mr. Davies. The name meant a form of leper colony (gaffet was an old French term for leper), and the property had served as a leper estate in the 17th century. A quite charitable use although not appetizing enough that the name would pass muster in a modern marketing department, even for a crazy new zinfandel/semillon mix with a Ralph Steadman label.
There have been great advances since then developing treatments for Hansen’s disease that have replaced segregation in much of the modern world.
So I’ll drink to that.
- Chris Sherman, The Blogging Nibbler