Wine Tasting Suggestion

The White & Rose Wines of the Evening

Burgans Albariño Rias Baixas ($15): 90 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Burgans is a custom cuvee made for importer Eric Solomon. While it’s not the best Albarino on the market, in terms of bang for the buck, it has no challenger. The 2007 Burgans Albarino is light gold-colored with a sprightly nose of mineral, spring flowers, and lemon peel. Ripe, balanced, and concentrated, this is an ideal match for flaky fish courses.
From Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Light yellow-gold. Exotically perfumed nose displays smoky peach, mango and papaya, plus a strong floral accent. Deep and chewy, with more power than I usually find in this wine. Tropical fruit flavors coat the palate and pick up a subtle herbal note on the back end. This could handle richer foods." (Sept/Oct '08) Dr. Jay Miller, the gentleman that reviews Spanish wines for Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, nailed it on this one. I agree with him that this is simply the best inexpensive Albariño made on a yearly basis. Notes of white peach mingle with wet stone and Meyer lemon on the nose. The freshness and vigor here is impressive with more of the notes of stone and layers of sprightly apricot and lime on the palate. This is a wine that instantly gets your stomach growling and your mouth watering. You want oysters, lightly fried white fish or even roast chicken and a glass that can somehow hold this whole bottle at once. (Bryan Brick, K&L)

Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc 2007($36): Food & Wine American Wine Awards, Best Sauvignon Blanc over $20 Spottswoode made its mark in Cabernet but also produces sensational Sauvignon Blancs like this one, mingling grapefruit-rind notes with melon and fig, and finishing clean and dry. Winemaker Jennifer Williams blends in a portion of fragrant Sauvignon Musque to give the firm white an exotic note. (October, 2009)

The Wine Advocate, Robert Parker Spottswoode produces one of the finest Sauvignon Blancs in Northern California. The 2007 Sauvignon Blanc (nearly 100% Sauvignon from two clones, the classic clone and the more fragrant Musque clone, and a small dollop of Semillon) is so popular that it is now a cross county blend, with about 60% of the fruit from Napa and the rest from Sonoma. This melon, fig, and honeyed grapefruit-scented and flavored white sees some oak aging. Crisp, elegant, medium-bodied, intense yet classic flavors emerge from this food-friendly wine.
Rating 91 Points

Landmark Overlook California Chardonnay 2007($23): 92 points from Wine Spectator: "Green apple, floral, lime and citrus blossom scents give this full-bodied Chardonnay a distinctive edge. Crisp and flinty, ending with wet stone. Drink now through 2012. 18,000 cases made." (06/09) 91 points and two stars from the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine: "Its pulpy apple and pear aromas are nicely mated to creme brulee oak in a nose that is both juicy and energetic at the same time. It is quite ripe without bowing to excess, and while it is full and even a tad on the fleshy side on the palate, it finds its bright fruit and brisk acid keeping things in balance. Try serving it with cracked crab, sauteed scallops or one of the sweeter white fishes to allow both its fruit and its vitality to show off." (04/09) 90 points Robert Parker: "The 2007 Chardonnay Overlook (most from Sonoma County with about 20% from Santa Barbara and Monterey) offers a beautiful bouquet of peaches, pineapples, and other tropical fruits along with super-purity and focus. Medium to full-bodied, crisp, and pure, with the oak pushed to the background, this beautiful Chardonnay can be enjoyed over the next several years. The always reliable Landmark winery continues to turn out a bevy of Burgundian-styled Pinot Noirs and impressive Chardonnays. One of the best Chardonnay values in the marketplace is their Overlook." (12/08) 90 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
Rating 90 to 92 Points

Sofia Rose – Monterey County 2009 ($16): From the Top 5 Inexpensive Rose List - 1.) Francis Coppola Sofia Rose - Monterey County $15.99: This wine is like no other, because the owner of this winery is the famed film director best known for "The Godfather" sagas and "Apocalypse Now". His rose of unparallel beauty is named after his daughter Sofia, who is an Academy-Award winning film director in her own right. When the rose is chilled its refreshing style is a savory summer wine you can serve hors d'oeuvres with.

Grown in the vineyards of Monterey County the 2008 Sofia Rose has a bright pink hue and an enticing perfume of crushed raspberries, rose petals, and tea leaves. It's bright and refreshing on the palate. The Sofia Rose offers delicate flavors of strawberries, red cherries, ginger, and candied orange peel. Some say the wine is reminiscent of the lovely dry rosés served in seaside cafés along the French Riviera.

Winemaker Notes A blend of Grenache and Syrah, the fruit for our Rosè is grown in the cool vineyards of Monterey County, where the growing seasons are typically long and the soils impart upon the grapes bright red fruit flavors and nuances of violets. The 2009 Sofia Rosè displays a luminous magenta hue and beautiful perfume of wild strawberries, tea leaves, and violets. Luscious flavors of raspberries, cherries, candied orange, and cloves enliven the palate, making this year's vintage richly fruited yet graceful and lightly textured.

The Red Wines This Evening
Flora Springs 2004 Trilogy, Napa Valley ($69): Flora Springs has never had a heavy hand with Trilogy, always choosing elegance over power and never trying to force the wine to be more than the vintage could deliver. That philosophy allowed winemaker Ken Deis to make a superb Trilogy despite erratic weather in 2003, but the '04, from a more predictable vintage, is even better. The classic aroma of cassis is the first clue. This is an elegant, complex Meritage, beautifully structured and delicate despite its many layers, including a coffee-chocolate-spice nuance that is especially appealing. Still very young, this wine will only improve over the next dozen years of so. It's not inexpensive, but it's a bargain compared to other Napa Valley reds of equal quality.
Rating: 94 Points

Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 ($40): Wine Enthusiast - "A beautiful Cabernet, rich and mellow, and drinking well now. Shows soft tannins and smoky oak framing blackberry, cherry, cocoa, herb and spice flavors."

Rating 90 Points

Winemaker's Notes: The 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon weaves warm aromas of cassis and tobacco into a bright canvas of raspberry, plum, and currant notes. On the palate, flavors of black cherry and boysenberry meet hints of vanilla, bay, and mocha beneath a generous structure of round, mouth-filling tannins. This big, brambly wine with bold mountain character is richly expressed with layers evolving through the full, lingering finish. "85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 4% Petite Verdot, 2% Syrah and 1% Malbec. Deep garnet. Concentrated aromas of blackberry, dark chocolate, anise, and bay, highlighted with notes of coffee and currants. Very full-bodied, plushy and dense. Rich and round mouthfeel with intense flavors of cassis and black cherry. Good structure and well-balanced, with fine-grained tannins and a long finish of sweet vanilla, mocha, and berries. 14.5% alcohol."



Bodegas Juan Gil 2007 ($15.00): International Wine Cellar "Opaque purple. Blueberry, boysenberry and smoky Indian spices on the nose, with a sexy floral quality coming on with air. Juicy, sweet dark berry flavors are framed by velvety tannins and enlivened by zesty minerality. Gains depth and fleshiness with air, finishing on a strong boysenberry note, with excellent sappy persistence. This is delicious right now."
Rating 90 Points

Personal, a delicious wine made from a different varietal, dark fruit, spicy, a bit of herb and high alcohol that in spite of the alcohol went down very easily. Very balanced as the winemaker statejavascript:void(0)s. It went beautifully with the Pork Saltimbocca recipe below that was incredibly simple to make.

Pork Saltimbocca (courtesy of the Williams-Sonoma Catalog)
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/pork-saltimbocca.html

• 4 Boneless Pork Loin Chops 1 inch thick
• Fresh Sage Leaves
• 8 slices of Prosciutto
• Balsalmic Vinegar
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Freshly Ground Pepper

Salt and Pepper chops, then lay 2 sage leaves on top of each chop and wrap with 2 slices of prosciutto. Brush with olive oil and grill approximately 6 minutes on each side until internal temperature registers 140 degrees. Cover loosely with foil and let sit for 10 minutes. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve it is simple and delicious.

Winemaker's notes: We selected the Monastrell grapes for this wine from 40-year old parcels in our estate vineyards. Here shallow, chalky soils on a bed of limestone and rock, combined with an arid climate, produce the low yields (1,8 ton per acre) required for wine of this complexity. After harvesting, the deep purple grapes are whole-cluster macerated "sur lie" for 25 days, and then pressed and aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. It has a very dark cherry color with purple tones. In the nose it has powerful aromas of red berries, toasted and smoked notes from their aging in the oak barriques.
It has good structure with ripe and sweet tannins. In the mouth it is very long, and with a perfect balance between fruit, alcohol and the oak tones, which make it very pleasant and easy to drink.
Pair with meat, stewed meat, stewed vegetable, mushroom, poultry, sauces fish, smoked seafood, blue and cured cheese, red meat, roast and baked meat (lamb, pig, ox).