The Wine Editorial

November 1999 Issue

Rick Runs Amok!

Madison Wine Shop is "Outa Space"

What a Year! So many Affordable Exciting and Irresistible Wines

Yeah - there were a couple of Cabernets, a few Merlots and an oaky Chardonnay or two.

But - let me tell you about all those other varietals that made opening my wallet easy and sent our pack-rat warehouse wizard, Michael, scurrying around scrounging for every available inch of space in our already jammed domaine.

Look for Romorantin, my most exciting white wine in years - Picpoul, our best-seller ever - Malbec (aka Cot), the French emigrant to Argentina that comes in no less than five explosive bottlings on our shelves - Torrontes, the Spanish emigrant to Argentina, that imitates Alsacian Riesling and Gewurz, all in one bottle - Aragonez (aka Tempranillo) that powers a Portuguese block-buster known as Cortes de Cima - Touriga Francesca and Touriga Nacional, the grapes that make real Port, are the varietals in two delicious, dry red tables wines - Roussanne, the premier white of the Rhone valley, along with a dash of Viognier, will send you into ecstacy when you taste our new Ch De Lancyre from Languedoc - Monastrell is the Spanish name for Mourvedre - by either name, from either country you're in for bold, brooding red-wine treats - Sauvignon Blanc, perhaps the most versatile and variable of all varietals, offering wines that can be disgusting, but can be found, at the Madison Wine Shop, in a veritable rainbow of refreshingly different, very drinkable, styles - Chenin Blanc, oft maligned as sweet and fruity, can be had in serveral bright crisp bottlings, including a stunning and inexpensive South African version (where it is known as Steen), and, in two vastly different guises from the Loire valley, Savennires, a glorious, bone dry, high acid, long lived incarnation and the dessert wines of Vouvray known as 'moelleux' (if you ever find a bottle of Moulin Touche from Anjou - call me collect)- Vermentino (sometimes known as Rolle in southern France), can make superb spicy, floral wines (we have found an exquisite Sardinian version) - Roussette, the name does not appear on the label, but it is the grape of our ever-popular best-selling, "house" sparkling wine, Compte Bernex Brut '96 - Cabernet Franc, the "other" Cabernet, (Black Mencia in Spain), is, along with Merlot and Cab the third principle grape of Bordeaux, grown largely in the right bank regions of St- Emilion, Pomerol and Fronsac, but, on its own, it offers versatile, immanently drinkable wines from France, Italy and Washington State, and yes, even California - Hondarrabi, the Spanish Basque variety that graces our wonderful seafood wine, Txakoli - Albarino, whose delicate pear-like bouquet and flavors are the hallmark of most of the delicious whites from Galicia, in northwest Spain, and also our ever-popular Casal Garcia Vinho Verde from Portugal - Muscat, frequently and falsely maligned, makes "other-worldly" dessert wines, our "Heaven-in-a-half-bottle" Moscato di Asti, and some quite respectable dry wines - Nebbiola, responsible for the "king" of Italian reds, Piedmont's Barola, its near relative, Barabaresco, as well as for a host of other Piedmonteses appellations - Barbera, the "other" grape from Piedmont that is the source of more mundane, but very satisfying, everyday wine, even one delicious version from California - Carmenere, an abandoned Bordelaise grape, now makes a couple of big bold Chilean reds that you can find hiding on our shelves under the psuedonyms Grand Vidure Cabernet or Merlot Primus - Tannat (the resemblance to 'tannin' is no coincidence), of French Basque origin, in bold wines from southwest France and a stunning version from Uruguay - Cinsault, annonymously endows many wines from southern France with its 'plummy' fruit, and is, along with Pinot Noir, the parent of South Africa's hybrid Pinotage. Hiding on our shelves in bottles of Champagne is Meunier; in my opinion, a cheap filler, for which accusation I have received hate email - Molinara, Corvina, Rondinella, the red trio from the Veneto, hide as well, but in bottles labeled, Valpolicella, Amarone and in a robust, quaffable wine called Rustego - Montepulciano, has nothing to do with Vino Nobile Montepulciano, from Tuscany, but everything to do with some wonderfully inexpensive wines from Abruzzo, the 'Appalacia" of Italy and, as Rosso Conero, from Ancona - Petite Sirah, is not Syrah, but a coined name for a grape which might be a varietal that goes by a name that sounds more like a disease than a grape, Durif - Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, the black, white, and grey members of the Pinot family, of which Pinot Noir is the most noble; the holy-grail of Red Burgundy, the most fickle, and most difficult of all grapes to make into wine yet potentially the most rewarding; Pinot Gris is ubiquitous, especially as Pinot Grigio, but there are some good ones; Pinot Blanc is somewhat of a black sheep but it can shine especially in Alsace - Primativo, the suspected progenitor of Zinfandel comes from Apulia in southern Italy, a version called simply "A Mano" ("by hand") deserves your acquaintance - Refosco, another obscure grape from Fruili-Venetzia, makes rich, somewhat soft wine, but our best example comes from California, not Italy - Riesling, can be found on our shelves in a delightful dry version from New Zealand, in several wonderful dessert wines, but my pleadings for attention to the many German wines that go with food continue to fall on deaf ears (what a shame) - Sangiovese, has a unique leathery "texture" or mouth-feel that shows up in Chianti, in many so-called super Tuscans, in Brunello and its lower-priced sibling Rosso de Brunello, in many wines from Umbria and Emilio Romano in central Italy, and also versions from California - Semillon, adds richness to combinations with Sauvignon Blanc, and on its own makes the ultimate dessert wine Chateau d'Yquem as well as all other Sauternes - Verduzzo and Tocai are orphans from Fruili-Venetzia but they can be found on our shelves in the form of an inexpensive, delicious, moderately sweet dessert wine (Verduzzo) and a light, dry white with a hint of hazel nut and bitter almonds (Tocai) - Zinfandel, the mystery wine from California is, in my opinion, but a shadow of what it was in the seventies, and to see whereof I speak you need to try a couple of wines from the Shenandoah Valley of Amador County, made of grapes from old un-irrigated vines - Grenache, (you thought I had forgotten it!) is the backbone of many southern French reds, lending body, flavor and spice, often in combination with Syrah, but on its own in many of the robust soul-satisfying reds of Roussillon which include France's best-kept secret - Banyuls, a red dessert wine - Syrah, last but far from least, my grape to-die-for, as you will learn as you read on.

Our "Outa Space" PROMO

Reflecting back 15 years, to the beginning of Rick's Picks, there is a consistent pattern - I find wines that I like that reflect good value, often because they are obscure and will not be picked off the shelf in the average wine shop. Sometimes these wines become a fixture at the Madison Wine Shop, but often, because of vintage variations, or mistakes (never to be repeated) on the part of importers or distributors, these are often one-shot deals. When I find them I hate to leave anything on the table - I'll buy everything if I have the money and, more importantly, the space.

Several months ago I tasted, and bought, twenty cases of a wine. When it was delivered, I retasted it and realized that I should buy the remaining 40 cases. I consulted Michael about storage and he made the observation that if I sold what I had already received we'd have some space. That set me to thinking - "Why leave the wine for my competition - let my customers benefit" - so we offered to "pay" anyone who bought one or more solid cases, a dollar a bottle (in addition to our regular 10% case discount) to store the wine while they enjoyed it - our "Outa Space" Promo. And did that move wine!

As a consequence we are running the Promo on a continuing basis, but because of the long lead time and long shelf life of the Wine Editorial, specific Promos are offered only in the store or by phone request. Ask or look for them.

Restaurant Rip-offs

I have grumbled for some time about the increasingly obscene pricing of wine in many restaurants. Of course you are not compelled to purchase wine. But, dine out without wine? I'd rather eat at home where the food is always better and so, usually, is the wine!

I have on occasion grumbled, but I now feel I must speak out. No doubt restauranteurs are doing nothing more than producers of "trophy wines" are doing - keep raising the prices until you strike resistance. The price has nothing to do with cost, only with what the market will bear. There has to be something about a restaurant environment and our current prosperity that beclouds judgment. I am not talking about expense account dining with wines at $100 a bottle and up. I am talking about dining in the average "good" restaurant where main dishes go for $18 to $28 and the average tab is $30 to $40 per person without wine. When I am asked to pay $24 a bottle for a mediocre wine that I know cost the restauranteur $5, and I am expected to pay another $4 in the tip, I am offended - no, outraged! And I am sure that the average diner has some idea of the retail cost of the wine on a restaurant wine list - that he can buy that $24 bottle for $7.99 or less. I have come to accept paying 3 times cost in a restaurant - but nearly five times - No! And that says nothing about the quality of the wine list which all too often is abysmal. The argument that wine profits are necessary to offset the cost of food is nonsense - food is the smallest item of restaurant costs. Also ridiculous is the argument made in a NY Times article by one NY restauranteur that he needed those kind of profits to cover the cost of glasses, both washing and breakage, and the cost of service.

Wine-loving Diners - to the Ramparts! How you protest is up to you. My choice is to let them know that I will not be back and why.

But, here is a ray of sunshine - we eat out every Saturday night on our way home, and we have gravitated to restaurants closer to home, among them Applausi in Old Greenwich and Cafe Meze on Central Avenue in Hartsdale, NY - minutes from home. Both have great food, excellent service and decent wine lists. Last Saturday, at Cafe Meze, Mark Fillipo, the chef, who knows we are in the wine business, came out of the kitchen, as he often does, to chat with us. We commented favorably on the Spanish wine we were sipping and he said "Please feel free to bring your own wine, any time, and I will not even charge you corkage!"

Syrah is THE Big News

Is there anyone out there who does not know that I hold Syrah in the highest esteem - above all other varietals? Is there anyone out there who does not know what my passion is about? I doubt it. But if I am wrong, belly up to the bar because you have no excuse. I have a price and a style to make you a convert.

Why Syrah? Black-fruit flavors, laced with pepper and spice are its hallmarks. Styles, vary from light and bright to big, black and smokey, redolent of roasted coffee beans and smoked meat. Even lighter versions almost always exhibit complexity, sometimes startlingly so. The best can hold their own, in my opinion with any red wine in the world. They age beautifully and gracefully. They often neither need, nor get, oak aging.

My first encounter with Syrah was probably 1978 Jaboulet Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage, and I still have one or two bottles of the Crozes. Back then, Northern Rhones were the only Syrah on the market, they were not expensive, they were not readily available and no one particularly wanted them. I quickly became a fan of all Rhones including Gigondas. Then in 1985 I tasted the 1981 Penfolds Grange Hermitage at a trade tasting. $35 a bottle wholesale! No one wanted it except me. Bought it all, and for years the 1981 and the 1982 languished in our cellar in the sky - there were three strikes against it - Syrah, Australian, expensive. I even "brown bagged" a bottle into a private tasting of top 1982 and earlier Bordeaux. It blew everything else away but still no takers!

Then sometime around 1994 the lights went on and word spread of the treasure at 734 BPR. Now, if I'm lucky I am offered 3 or 4 bottles of Grange each vintage, but there remain in stock 8 bottles of '81 at the current lofty market price and later vintages at similarly lofty prices. One day I'm going to throw a party!

My first sip of Jaboulet's '90 La Chapelle Hermitage was all I needed to tell me that this was the THE best wine I had ever tasted - bought all that I could. Its all gone except for 11 bottles in my cellar!

So, over the years, the romance has blossomed. I have found more and more Syrah, and more and more of you have discovered it. This year however the lid has blown off. Here is some of what we have to offer:

Domaine Cantaussel '96 Minervois "Pic St. Martin" $19.99/17.99. Nothing on the label gives even a clue as to what lurks within. With a magnifying glass, you might decipher the narrow strip label and learn that this is Syrah from the lower slopes of Pic St. Martin - St. Martin Peak. At $20, who would pick a Minervois off the shelf? But that's where Rick's Picks come in. Don't wait. Grab while you can. In that bottle is Syrah, and only Syrah, from 80-year-old vines. Incredible wine - bursting with rich, ripe Syrah fruit, that rapidly fills every nook and cranny. Then comes gentle pepper and spice, Very Highly Recommended.

Domaine de la Jourre '98 Vin de Pays Hauterine, Syrah $9.99/8.99. If you're not yet a Syrah fan, this will do it. Lovely black-fruit bouquet. Deep purple color. Generous fruit. Pepper and spice and all things nice. What a wine for only $9.99!

Michel Ogier's '96 "La Rosine" - also Vin d Pays - also Syrah - from the northern Rhone, is another kettle of fish. A smokey, spicey, peppery, light but aromatic wine, that creeps up on you before unleashing its joy on your palate. We have it all. $19.99/17.99

For many years Jaboulet's Domaine Thalabert, single-vineyard Crozes-Hermitage has been a personal favorite, and while the prices have marched steadily upward from an incredible "under ten" in the seventies, it still represents great value. We have the '95 Thalabert at $24.99/22.49 and an odd bottle of several earlier vintages.

However, my "personal best wine of 1999" is the Crozes-Hermitage that Jaboulet produced in 1997 from the old-vine vineyard known as Domaine Raymond Roure, which Jaboulet now owns.

I fell hopelessly, head-over-heels in love with the '97 Raymond Roure at a dinner tasting in February. But getting the wine into the store has proven to be a test of willpower and perseverence. I was allocated four cases, which, after numerous phone calls showed up in late May or early June. But those four cases were 1996 vintage - not even a shadow of the '97, and they went back. While it took another 2 months of wrangling to get the '97, I have my satisfaction. By quietly ordering a case at a time, until finally a '96 showed up again, I believe that I now have all of the '97.

The wine is heavenly - full, concentrated and complex. I would expect it to give untold joy for the next 20 years or more - if you can wait! I cannot think of a better way to spend $39.99. Limit- six bottles per customer.

We still have inventory of Benziger's '95 & '96 Syrah $17.99/16.29. The style is Californian, emphasizing on layer upon layer of exquisite black fruit, but not lacking in tannic structure. I am sure there is oak, but it takes a back seat. Without a doubt, the best Californian Syrah I have tasted.

We have several vintages of Jaboulet's La Chappelle Hermitage. The monumental '95 is $85.00/76.50. Treat yourself

Breathtaking was my reaction to Perraud's '96 "Les Genets" Cornas, $35.99/32.39. Syrah! Syrah! I don't care if nobody buys it. Equally Exciting is the Voge '94 Cornas, Veilles Vignes, $34.99/31.49, but not much is left.

Shottesbrooke '97 McLaren Vale Shiraz, $15.99/14.39, a super Syrah, new to our shelves.

Qupe '97 Bien Nacido Reserve Syrah, $26.99/24.29. Bold ripe fruit. Ben Nacido is possibly California's best Syrah vineyard.

Serendipity -
Syrah/Shiraz & Something Else for $7.99

The something else is Malbec in Robert's Rock '97 Shiraz/Malbec from South Africa and Mourvedre in Luc Pirlet's '95 Syrah/Mourvdre from Southern France. I have not given much thought as to why these two Syrah blends work so well - but they do. Both are robust, tasty wines of substance far beyond their paltry price.

More Joy -
More "Signature" '90 Gigondas

Those of you who enjoyed the Signature '90 Gigondas from Caves Gigondas, and those of you who did not, rejoice - more is on the way.

Co-operative wines are usually looked down upon - but, as in this case, there are many superb, if not sublime, wines produced by co-operatives; for example Produttori in Barbaresco.

Gigondas is my first Southern Rhone love, discovered back in the mid-seventies, and since joined by its terroir-sharing relatives, Vaqueyras, Rasteau and Sablet. (For an explanation of terroir, visit rickspicks.com or ask for a copy of the December 1997 issue of the Wine Editorial).

At Vinexpo in Bordeaux in 1998 I found and purchased the stunning Signature '90 Gigondas. As in many regions of France, '90 was a banner vintage in Gigondas and Cave Gigondas bottles the best of its wine as "Signature" with a striking, gold, black and red label. That earlier shipment sold-out and one of my goals at Vinexpo this year was to replace it. Imagine my delight when Annie Gleaze greeted me with the news that she still had some '90 Signature. Re-tasted itÑholding up beautifullyÑstunning mellow fruit with spicy tannin still alive and well. It will be back in the store early in December at $22.99/20.69. If you have not, you must try it!

I Remember Californian Cabernet

When I say, as I often do, "They're not making them the way they used to in California", I sense the unspoken response "Typical old codger – nothing good happened after the seventies.".

Yes, my contention is very hard to prove, given that California wines of the sixties and seventies, if they still exist, are not what they were in their youths. However, despite galloping chronlogical age, my sensory recollections are still alive and well, and if you would know what those recollections are, I would direct you to a sleeper on our shelves. It is not Californian, and it is only 60% Cabernet, but the style and the pure, layered, complex fruit fit my recollections precisely.

I have not tasted Cabernet like this in a long, long time! But I remember it as though it were yesterday. "It" is Vega Sindoa '98 Cabernet (60%), Tempranillo (40%) from Navarra, Spain and "It" is only $8.99/8.19. Please don't misunderstand. I'm not saying that this is "Caymus Special Selection" from Spain at a 90+% discount, but, if you would like to savor Cabernet fruit, in all its glory, unsullied by green olive undertones (the price of greedy over-production) and agressive, intrusive oak, yet perfectly balanced with tannin and sweet, soft, oak, spend $8.99/8.19 - but don't wait!

Yes I am down on Californian wines in general - overpriced and of questionable quality - produced - no, procured - by mega buck marketers. On the other hand there are still small producers making great wines, but, with few exceptions, they lack the resources to market their product successfully in a highly fragmented, 48-state market. And big business has effectively lobbied against them, even at the Federal level, making it a felony to ship wine to individuals in what we call the "felony" states. The 24th Amendment allows and promotes predatory, monopolistic, practices long since outlawed in other areas of commerce.
I firmly believe that, in the face of increasing competition from overseas and a looming leap in production in California, Californian prices, and hopefully quality will improve, so that I will not have to use a Spanish wine to illustrate what should be, but all too frequently, isn't.

Mike Benziger, President of the Benziger Family Winery who continues to produce, across the board, quality wines at fair prices, said this in a recent news letter to his retail customers ––––

Make Room for the Boom!

1998 and 1999 are years that the California grape supply will be short – but these two years will be a distant memory when the harvest 2000 and beyond hit.

Some stunning figures on supply; in 1996 295,000 tons of Merlot were crushed; in 2000 predictions are for 550,000 tons, a 87% increase – 15,000,000 more cases of Merlot from California alone, and does not address Merlot targeted for the US from Chile and Southern France.

In 1996 325,000 tons of Chardonnay were crushed, and in the year 2000 we are slated for 600,000 tons – a 84% increase or 16,500,000 cases of new wine.

Who is going to drink all this stuff? Or, more to the point, who are you (the retailer) going to sell all this stuff to? We should have planted and cultivated a customer for every grape vine we planted.

So, what does a winery do to compete or create a unique message in the ocean of grapes and SKU's? How are we heard in an era of mega-corporate wineries? Our direction at Benziger has been to focus on grapes from limited but proven very high quality areas like Carneros. Second, to limit our production so we can concentrate on the highest possible quality. Third to form personal relationships with our key customers.

Our mantra: not big, better! Unquote

Look for the Benziger Cabernet, Reserve Cabernet, Merlot, Reserve Merlot, Syrah and Pinot Noir on our shelves.

Cabernet Franc

Last year I gave up on Nouveau Beaujolais! Instead, we offered Bourgeois "Petit Bourgeois" a lovely light and fruity Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley, $7.99/7.19. This was an easy and popular transition given the hollow, hoopla and hype matched only by increasing prices and declining quality, associated with the Beaujolais "cash cow". Beringer (not to be confused with Benziger) in the early ninties, produced some superb Gamay Nouveau which could have taken the market from the French, but plummeting quality, and presumably greed, did them in at the Madison Wine Shop where the "cow" is now dead. Long Live Light and Lively Cab Franc.

In a more serious vein, Cab Franc is the grape of a suprising number of popular wines on our shelves. Cab Franc is generally much lighter than Cabernet Sauvignon. It often exhibits bell- pepper bouquet and flavor and it has a parting "signature" of dusty tannins in the back of the palate. The dustiness shows up more than the bell pepper in the Bordeaux wines from the right bank - St Emilion, Pomerol, Castillon and Fronsac, where it is the lesser component of a Merlot blend.

The Cab Francs of the Loire Valley tend to be light and somewhat acidic, making them ideal as accompaniment to swordfish, halibut, bluefish and the like as well as ham and lighter meat dishes - even pasta. Look for Taluau '97 St. Nicolas de Bourguiel, $12.99/11.69 - it is delicious, and for the Taluau '97 Vieilles Vignes, St. Nicolas de Bourgueil, $18.99/17.09, displaying a richness and complexity that is characteristic of wine made from old vines. Very Highly Recommended.

Domaine Duloquet '97 Anjou, $8.99/8.09 is yet another light and delightful Cab Franc to add some zest to stronger tasting fish dishes or lighter meats.

Among the superb, Washington State, single-vineyard wines produced by Chateau Ste Michelle, the Cab Franc from Cold Creek Vineyard is frequently my favorite. I stashed away every case of the '93 I could get, and you bought them. Now we have the '96 Cold Creek Cab Franc, $27.99/25.19, a velvety textured mouthful, with succulent fruit, adequately balanced by soft tannins and unobtrusive soft oak. Delight!

Malbec Makes Headlines

Along with Petite Verdot, Malbec is often, but not always, a minor component of Bordeaux.

In the Loire Valley, and in some regions of southwest France, the grape goes by the name of "Cot". We have Roche Blanche '97 Cot $13.99/11.69, another lovely, light exemplar of this varietal.

The Cahors wine region in Southwest France has produced wine almost exclusively from the Malbec grape since the Middle Ages and its "black" wine was known and consumed in England and Europe. But the merchants of Bordeaux, siting astride the Garonne River, Cahor's waterway to northern Europe and Eng-land, leavied restrictive tariff and squeezed them out of the market nearly two centuries ago.

Malbec (literally "bad mouth"), along with some Tannat, about which I have more to say later, endows Cahors with its black color, and potential (the wine-makers option) for fairly tannic wines with "locked-up" fruit. I use the expression locked-up because many Cahors wines, in their youth, offer no joy whatsoever. After 4 or 5 years the lovely bouquet and fruit emerge somewhat reluctantly. That is the reason why, at this time, we have not a single Cahors in stock. The last Cahors we had, Terrasses de Bouyses '94 Cahors, was delightfully accessible at 3 years of age but I can no longer buy it.

Keeping Cahors in mind, it is a revelation to encounter the red wines of Argentina where Malbec is king. The black color is there; the tannin is there; but the fruit has been liberated. And what fruit it is, flooding the palate in waves of black-fruit flavor. That is my image of Gascon's '98 Malbec from Mendoza, $13.99/12.59, a stunning repeat of the '97 best-seller. Our huge supply will be gone long before the '99 arrives next fall. Get yours!

Not quite as brash, but longer and even more complex is the Arnaldo B. Etchart '94 Malbec $14.99/13.59. Exhibiting more of its Cahorian ancestry, and possibly because of its 20% Cabernet Sauvignon component, this wine needs aeration - pour into a narrow-spouted pitcher and then pour it back in the bottle - wait a couple of a hours - a day would be even better - then step back!.

Yet another, brawny, flavorful Argentinian Malbec is Alamos '97, $10.99/9.89. A bargain show-stopper. Try its Cabernet sibling - at the same give-away price

Also on the shelf is Norton's '98 Malbec, a bargain at $8.99/8.19 and a worthy successor to the wonderful '97.

Last, but not least is the Chilean Viu Manet '96 Malbec, $9.99/8.99 - an extra year of bottle age, lovely fruit and a tad less tannin. The Viu Manet Cab and Merlot, at the same price, are also worth your attention.

Mourvdre, Monastrell, Mataro?

They're all the same - French, Spanish and Californian names for the same, hot climate grape that produces attention grabbing, robust wine. In France it lurks, un-announced, in many better Southern reds, and it also is, anonymously, the principal grape of the Provencal appellation Bandol. Bandol is usually black and impenetrable for as long as five years, before the glorious bouquet and bold fruit open up. But Spain is where the varietal is presumed to have originated, and where it is widely grown in the hotter southern areas. Unlike Mourvdre in Bandol, Monastrell, in the Spanish Jumilla appellation, wears its heart upon its sleeve with bold, open, rich, up-front fruit in a moderately tannic framework. In the late '80's and early '90's the Californian wine-maker Cline made some respectable Mataro wine. Recent vintages have been disappointing.

Aranzo '96 Jumilla Crianza, from Bodegas Muertas, $13.99/12.59 and Casa Castillo '97 Jumilla Tinto, $9.99/8.99 beckon you.

Romorantin Roars into Madison

In the June Issue, I wrote about the imenent arrival of Le Petite Chambord '95 Cour- Cheverny, $13.99/12.59 - the white Loire wine made of Romorantin, the grape that I, and [the most exciting white wine I have tasted in years] virtually everyone else, had never heard of. My enthusiasm and my significant order was based on tasting a single bottle of what I found to be the most exciting white wine I have tasted in years. Despite that enthusiasm I had a nagging doubt - the wine's appeal to me stems, in no small measure, from its vibrant acidity and I worrried about how the average wine drinker would react to its assault on their senses.

I pleaded with every new taster to push their eyeballs back in place after the first sip, and take a second sip before deciding on the wine. First-time reactions are fascinating to watch. Most respond with shocked expressions and expeletives like 'Wow!' - a few need a little persuasion to take the second sip, but to my astonishment the response is enthusiastically positive across the entire spectrum of tasters. Sales have been such that I have placed an order for all that is left, at the winery, of the recently bottled '96 vintage which I have sampled and find virtually identical to the '95.

What to drink it with – virtually anything and everything, but it is best with seafood. Over the Labor Day weekend on Cape Cod we demolished a whole case with oysters, lobsters, barbeque steak and our Italian daughter-in-law's fabulous rissoto..

The label says Vendange Manuelle meaning that the grapes were harvested by hand, and not just at one fell swoop but several times, each time picking only ripe grapes. That could account for the wonderful ripeness.

What does it smell like? What does it taste like? My last attempt was not entirely successful, so I'll try again. The bouquet is honeyed and floral in a very unusual way. When you taste, expect an explosion of citrusy acidity, that sets the palate aglow. But there is more here than acid.

The extraction and ripeness are phenomenal. The level of richness and fullness are exquisite. Through the glow, I get underlying hints of fruit that I can only describe as hauntingly and pervasively reminiscent of Riesling. As the lemony, Riesling-like glow travels back in the mouth, the citrus becomes distinctly lime, rising up into the nose and upper palate, needle sharp and clean as a whistle, lingering for what seems like an eternity.

If you think you can do better, please let me have your input - come to think of it - lets have a contest for the best description of this wine - entries must be received by January 31, 2000; my decision on the winner will be final and the yet to be determined prize will have no value, since I am precluded by the State from offering any inducement to buy or consume wine.

Cour-Cheverny is a tiny appellation within the larger Cheverny area, from whence comes Le Petite Chambord Cheverny '95 $9.99/8.99 - worthy of you attention - in the words of Jancis Robinson - "keen, lean" Sauvignon Blanc. But I find an intriguing hint of something else that adds another dimension to the flavors - it could be Chenin and/or Chardonnay both of which are allowed in the appellation. Unique, and great value.

A Southern Sorceress

Ch De Lancyre '97 La Rouviere, $13.99/12.59, from the Pic-St-Loup region of Languedoc, southern France, is another, new, stunning and exciting wine. Generally, "hot climate" whites are disappointing, especially if they are Chardonnay. Even the typical southern French white Roussanne and Marsanne tend to produce fat dull and heavy wines lacking in acidity. Having said that, I must take it back - at least in part. This wine is 90% Roussanne, 10% Viognier and it is a beauty. No lack of acidity here. Glorious aromas - subtle, flora. Full, lush and rich in the mouth, without being heavy, with lovely perfumey fruit that persists into a crisp clean finish. Less than 25 cases. Hurry!

Picpoul - Our Pride and Joy

Two-and-a-half years ago we launched Picpoul - it is the name of an obscure southern French grape and the name that is synonymous with Domaine Saint Peyre '98 Picpoul de Pinet - in the tall green bottle containing a delightful, light, tasty potion that marches out the store for $6.99 the bottle, $75.48 the case, by the hundreds of cases! A distributor is using our success to market the wine to other retailers, one of whom, I am told, advertises it "as featured by the Madison Wine Shop". Thanks!

Meanwhile we move on, with, among others, a super little Portuguese wine - Alorna Blanco, $6.99/6.29, made of Chardonnay (50%), and a Portuguese grape Arinto (50%). Despite the Chardonnay, the taste is unique, delicate and the wine is light, bright and devoid of oak.

Rick's Pick Chardonnay - Under $10

Yes there is such a thing - and some are even barrel fermented and/or oak-aged.

Mont Gras '97 Chard, $6.99/6.29 and Tarapaca '98 Chard,$6.99/6.29 are from Chile, Trumpeter '96, $7.99/7.19 is from Argentina. All three will please your pocket and your palate with lovely Chardonnay fruit and moderate sweet oak.

From the south of France, Domaine Caton's '96 Chard, $6.99/ 6.29 is a well made wine for those who prefer more oak, and, if you prefer no oak at all, I recommend Michel Duclos '98 Chard, Vin de Pays D'Oc $7.99/7.19, or the Drouet '98 Chardonnay Privelege, $8.99/8.19 from the Loire Valley.

If you prefer oak you will find Trapiche '97, Estate Bottled Chard, $8.99/8.19 a beauty.

Monte Cucco - Owl Mountain

It is hard to find a place in Italy that does not produce good red wine. White wine is another matter. Almost all the good whites come from the cooler northeast regions, especially Fruili- Venezia, the source of our quartet from Monte Cucco - Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and the native Fruilian Tocai. All are beautifully crafted wines, "senza" oak, each with its own personality and each priced at $13.99/12.59.

The Chardonnay is full and generous with a stunning mouth feel, good acidity and nice finish. The Sauvignon Blanc, my personal favorite, has sensational, complex fruit and and a glowing finish. The Pinot Grigio, unusually crisp - almost tangy, and last but by no means least, the Tocai is the most unusual. Tocai is a native grape - delicate, with a hint of hazelnut, but this version has another component - a hint of bitter almond in the finish - which I find exquisite, especially with light seafood.

More Winning Whites

Torrontes, a grape of Spanish origin, is the most widely planted white grape in Argentina, and it makes the lovely, unique Etchart wine that has graced our shelves for a number of years. Etchart Torrontes, $8.99/8.19 now comes with a new label and a new appellation, Cafayate, is richer and fuller than the wine from Mendoza, but it still delights the palate with hints of Alsacian-like Riesling fruit and Gewurztraminer spiciness. Light, crisp, refreshing and different.

Vermentino is another obscure, Cinderella grape, this time Italian, that has been waiting for a princely wine grower to show its talents. The "glass slipper" is labeled Funtanaliras '96 Vermentino, $10.99/9.89, from Sar-dinia. What a beauty and where has it been hiding? Stunning spicy, floral flavors, complex, crisp, mouthfilling and bright - no oak!

Spiule is not a grape name, but a brand-name wine of Angoris, a wine-grower in Friuli Venezia, northeast Italy. You will remember it. Spiule '97 Blanco is the latest Rick's Pick to hit the "obscure, delicious wine section". It is a blend of typical Fruili Venezian grape varietals, but the delicate hazelnut flavors of Tocai predominate. Superbly balanced - no oak! Not quite as affordable as you spoiled MWS customers have grown accustomed to, but spring for the $15.99/14.39 - you'll not be disappointed.

Dig a little deeper into your wallet! Guillemot '96 Macon Clesse, $21.99/19.79 proves again that labels don't count. Absent my cajoling, who would spend $22 for a mere Macon, a "bottom of the heap" white Burgundy classification? We sold out three cases in the course of a Saturday tasting. Went back and bought all that was left. What I found fascinating was that even tasters who wouldn't know White Burgundy from White Zin were dazzled - and quite a few did put their hands deeper into their pockets.

The same $21.99 will buy you Livon's '97 single vineyard Valbuins Sauvignon Blanc complete with not one, but two, representations of the Livon trade mark - an Erte, nude mermaid/seahorse that somehow evaded the BATF kiss of death. This is heavenly Sauvignon Blanc with not a trace of the gras-sy characteristic, that I sometimes find offensive. Bracing, clean sharp citrus fruit. Wow!

Dig deeper still and spring for the Dom Gillet '96 Quintaine Macon, $22.99/20.69. You cannot go wrong.

Domaine Roally '96 Monbellet, a rich, tasty, utterly seductive white Burgundy from Macon can be yours for only $17.99/16.19 because it is considered unacceptable by consumers and restauranteurs who ignorantly reject any white wine that shows tartrate crystals - a harmless, tasteless product of fermentation that sometimes comes out of solution and forms crystals when the wine is chilled. Can be removed at the winery by chilling and filtration - to the detriment of flavor!!! We save money and get to keep the flavor.

South Africa's Boschendal Estate produces two outstanding white wines - Sauvignon Blanc '98 Grand Cuvee, $14.99/13.49 and Chardonnay '98 Reserve, $18.99/16.29. Both are barrel- fermented, barrel-aged wines that demonstrate that oak can be beautiful, especially when it is used to highlight lovely fruit. Very Highly Recommended.

Neil Ellis's '98 Sauvignon Blanc, $14.99/13.49, from South Africa, makes a delightfully aggressive statement, with bold, brash fruit and matching acidity. Wonderful with any tomato based dishes.

I generally will not buy wine that I have not tasted - especially Burgundy. That precludes me from taking advantage of so-called "pre-sells" offered by wholesale distributors. But Jadot is one of a few producers that regularly, every year, gives retailers the opportunity to taste a broad selection of their upcoming releases. This spring, I tasted and found Jadot's '96 White Burgundies to be unusually rich, full flavored wines - choosing among them was unusually difficult. Here is what I bought - every one a stunner.

'96 Santenay Clos Malte,$29.99/26.09

'96 St Romain, $28.99/26.09

Chassgne - Montrachet Morgeot La Chapelle, $53.99/48.59

You may choose with confidence according to your pocket.

I Recommend Highly, a stunning Burgundy-style Chardonnay from South Africa; Glen Carlou '97 Chard, $15.99/14.39.

Ch Gaubert '96 Graves, $14.99/ 13.49 is a reminder that White Bordeaux can rival White Burgundy for richness and style. This is as good as they come, and quite affordable.

Arneis, is a Piedmontese white grape that was rescued from extinction in the late '80s. It can produce wine with lovely pear and almond flavors, but all too often it lacks acidity leaving the wine with a flat, heavy mouth-feel. Deltetto '96 Arneis San Michele, $13.99 / 12.59 is lacking neither in the flavor nor acid departments. Quite delicious.

Domaine Roux '97 Chard, $11.99 / 10.79 is super, inexpensive White Burgundy – worthy of your attention.

Lastly, Domaine Camp du Haut '98, $6.99/6.29, is a fine example of the delightful, light, clean, lemony wines coming from Gascony in south-west France.

A Message for Followers of the Cloudy Bay Cult

I tasted Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc when New Zealand's wines first hit our market at least ten years ago. Excellent but pricey, as were most of them. Prices of New Zealands wines have since come down as Californian prices have gone up - so they are now competitive, but quality-wise they stand alone.

Their forte is Sauvignon Blanc - usually in an unmistakable, stunning New Zealand style - bright, crisp wines that I describe as "tall and skinny". They go razor-sharp down the middle of the palate and up into the nose, a characteristic that is probably a signature of soil and climate, together with good wine-growing skills.

We get very few cases of each release of Cloudy Bay - not enough to meet the demand. So I had not tasted the wine since our original encounter. A couple of months ago I decided to see what all the fuss was about and I sneaked a bottle home. It was excellent - but no better than at least five or six of the New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs that we regularly have in stock.
So Dear Cloudy Bay Customer, may I suggest that you try one or all of the following Sauvignon Blancs and relieve yourself of the stress that accompanies seeking cult wine.

Vavasour '96 $22.99/20.69 and Goldwater '98 "Dogpoint" $19.99/ 17.98 are, in my opinion at the top of the heap and well worth the money. Vavasour is the richest and most complex of all that I have tasted and the Goldwater has the most intense, clean and crisp "vertical" characteristic.

St. Clair '97 $14.99/13.49; Dashwood '97, $14.99 / 13.49; and Villa Maria '97, $11.99 / 10.79 are great examples of the New Zealand Style. St Clair also makes great Chardonnay and a stunning razor-sharp Riesling, both, $16.99/15.29.

A Pyrenees Pilgrimage

This past June, after 5 days of winetasting at Bourdeaux's Vinexpo we headed south to Bibao for a day of relaxation at the new Guggenheim Museum. My usual museum limit is about 1 hour after which I get bone-weary. Not so at the Guggenheim. The stunning architecture, and the fascinating sculpture exhibits, in steel by Richard Sera and wrought iron by Basque sculptor Chilado, held me enthralled for hours. Bibao, by the way, is a lovely city - friendly, clean, inexpensive, and offering great food.

On the way to Bilbao, on the dockside in the fishing village of Gaetario, we had a fabulous fresh seafood lunch, washed down of course with our delicious Basque seafood wine Ezzaguire Txakoli. At MWS it sells for $9.99 / 8.99, but at the restaurant in Gaetario it was considerably less. Then we spent three delightful hours with Roque Ezzaguire, the owner/vigneron of Domaine Ezzaguire.

Roque speaks not a word of English - our Spanish is minimal, our Basque non-existent - he is a delightfully ebullient man who rarely stops talking. Amazingly, we communicated! He showed us around his moutainside vineyard and his home/winery clinging to the mountain above the town of Zarautz, tasted his wine and had a great time.

After Bibao, we travelled along and through the Pyrennes from Atlantic to the Meditteranean - stunning scenery and scary driving amidst suicidal Sunday drivers. We survived that part of the trip but suffered an embarassing, minor mishap while trying to turn around on a narrow mountainside road within a mile of our destination. We were disabled with one front (driving) wheel hanging over a ditch. By a stroke of luck, a local family on their way to Sunday dinner came upon us and took over our rescue. They tried to pull us out with a rope which broke. One of the men took off and returned with a wire rope and had us back on our way, refusing to accept anything for their trouble. Some "unfriendly" Frenchmen, huh! In actual fact they were probably Catalan.

And so we made it to the Terrasse de Soleil, a lovely hideaway offering scrumptuous food in a scenically stunning location in the mountains in the Roussillon region, not far from the Spanish border and the Mediterranean Ocean. Of course we tasted and enjoyed big, Grenache-based, wines quite a few of which adorn our shelves.

We returned to the Atlantic Pyrenees, via the Corbieres region around Carcassone, to the Basque village of St-Jean-Pied-a-Port - pretty but very commercial - offering wonderful food and big, bold Basque wines made entirely of the Tannat grape. Our last night was spent at a mecca for gourmands, in Magesc, a sleepy town in the flat plain between Bordeuax and the Pyrenees, sporting no less than a Michelin two-star, and a Michelin two-fork restaurant, the former in a sumptuous hotel and the latter in a rural pine forest.

Almost at the end of the trip I realized that we had experienced two very old cultures - Basque on the Atlantic and Catalan on the Mediterranean. Both cultures straddle the Pyrenees and survive actively in Spain and France reflecting not only in politics and language but in food and wine. Basque wines focus on Tannat; Catalan on Grenache. Another revelation was that the name Uruguay is Basque and that the Basques took their Tannat to Uruguay when they fled to the New World more than a century ago. Read more about my flirtation with Tannat.

Tannat is Coming

Tannat is another fascinating red grape. It makes wines that, when young, are deep colored and tannic, but with ageing they evolve superbly. If you would know whereof I speak, try a bottle of Montus '95 Madiran, $21.99/19.79 from southwest France - Basque country. Other southwest appellations such as Bearn, a favorite that has unfortunately disappeared from our shelves, are primarily Tannat.

But Basque immigrants took Tannat with them to Uruguay, where it is known by its Basque name, Harriague, and at Vinexpo in 1997, I came across stunning Uruguayan wines made of the grape, but I had no way of importing them. I now have an importer, and at Vinexpo this year I found a terrific Tannat and a superb Sauvignon Blanc from a small family winery - nice people too. The wines are on order, but may not get here before the end of the year. Look for a Millenium Treat.

Rick's Cellar Notes

This year, two wines from my personal cellar sent my spirit soaring. I'd like to tell you about them because they are or were unpretentious, but remarkable.

The first was a '78 Valpolicella - yes Valpolicella - made by a gentleman by the name of Giuseppe Quintarelli. His Amarone, Valpolicella and oddities, like Cabernet Franc, are wines to die for. The wines have been imported, since time immemorial, by a New York importer named Robert Chatterdon who is independent enough that he will only sell his wines to those he thinks are worthy, and he does not consider any Connecticut distributor worthy. So we are deprived. Seriously so.

That 21-year-old Valpolicella had a gorgeous bronzy burgundy color, divine bouquet, velvety mouth feel and absolutely stunning, faded-violet fruit. Good to the very last drop. I have just 2 more bottles.

The second was also a '78 - Jaboulet Crozes-Hermitage, Domaine Thalabert, all Syrah, virtually no tannin left, silky mouth-feel, dried fruit and - yes - lingering, pepper and spice. Heaven should be this good!

Piedmont on a Budget

The fabled wines of Piedmont - Barbaresco and, especially Barolo - are a lure to wine-lovers. Those who have not tried them, intend to. Those that have, are either hooked or disappointed. If the latter, usually because the wine was too young, or despite the price, of questionable quality, and did not meet their expectations. Barolo, even the newer style user-friendly versions, do not have the fruit focus that is found in Californian reds. Quality and price are big hurdles to the enjoyment of Barolo. We have a limited selection of Barolos - they are expensive, but that is no assurance that you will like them. You will only know if you try them.

When I started exploring Piedmontese wines in the early '70s, mediocre Barolo could be had for less than $10, but most were bad, really bad. For $20 or less you had a shot at potentially great wine. Since then Barolo has changed, probably for the better; less tannic, less woody and more fruit oriented.

However, as Barolo has changed so has wine-making throughout Piedmont and a better start might be to sample what I call "Super Piedmontese". A Super Piedmontese, like its Super Tuscan cousin is a wine that has no legitimate appellation because of the grapes, but the winemaker is usually trying to make wine that is user friendlyÑmore accessible than the traditional wines. Here are some of these wines.

The single-vineyard Barolos of Luigi Einaudi, a top producer, are superb but prohibitively expensive. The Einaudi Rosso Delle Langhe is not inexpensive either at $49.99/44.99. Its cepage is Nebbiolo, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot - 25% each - and therefore it lacks "pedigree" and does not qualify as a DOC wine. However, I was smitten by the intense bouquet, enormous, layered, complex fruit, balanced by lovely firm tannin. Very drinkable now and for the foreseeable future, and much better value than any of the Barolos I sampled. Consequently, I think this wine's future is quite limited - there just won't be any left!

Romano Marengo's winery, called Ca' Rome, sits atop the Rabaja hill - hallowed ground for Barabaresco, which he makes. He also makes Barolo from vineyards in the Serralunga region, and from those same vineyards come the Nebbiolo and Barbera that go into Ca' Rome '96 Dapruve, another Super Piedmontese. In the Piedmontese dialect, "Dapruve" means "You simply must try this.", and my response is Amen! For me, buying this wine was a no-brainer, as it should be for you if you are willing to spend $40.99/36.89.

I am told that ordinary Piedmontese drink Barbera and Dolcetto, leaving the Nebbiolo-based Barolo and Barbaresco for the well-heeled wine-lovers of the world. Barbera makes a wide variety of delicious, fleshy, affordable wines that are well represented on our shelves. Nevertheless, I simply could not resist the Poderi Colla '97 Barbera, $21.99/19.79. Neither should you!

The third Piedmontese grape Dolcetto has been an enigma to me. The name Dolcetto does not mean "sweet", as you might suppose, but "the little one" as compared to Nebbiolo and Barbera.

I have tasted many Dolcettos and almost without exception I find them to be mean little wines lacking any redeeming fruit. Grignolino, another Piedmontese varietal is similarly unpleasant, perhaps because these two varietals are relegated to the poorest vineyards with poor northern exposure, almost ensuring that they never fully ripen.

There was an exception - the '92 Marcarini Fontanazza was delightful and sold very well, but subsequent vintages have failed to duplicate it. So I very nearly passed up Luigi Einaudi's '97 Dolcetto Vigna Tecc, $20.99/18.89. I'm pleased that I did not, because it bears no resemblance to any Dolcetto I have tasted. So perhaps I am unfairly damning the grape when I should be damning the wine-grower. The Vigna Tecc has enormous concentration of fruit and extract - a big very satisfying wine. Very Highly Recommended!