Gosford Wine: October 2007 Archives

Midweek’s Greetings from Gosford Wine . . .

Gosford is drowning in blood . . . colored wines.  One of which is our . . .

Wine of the Week. . .(!) Which is the 2006 Guelbenzu ‘Red,’ Ribera del Queiles, Spain; $12.99/btl.  This wine hails from Aragon, and is a blend of Merlot, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Graciano.  The wine has a beautifully deep cherry hue, with excellent body and glass-staining weight.  The nose is clean and expressive, with bright berry notes and subtle spice.  The mid-palate of the wine is lush and satisfying.  There’s more berry fruit with supersoft and sweet tannins briskly approaching.  The finish flushes full with the afforementioned sweet tannins, and thanks to the wine’s low alcohol (13.5%) it lingers gently with lilting purple fruits and soft peppery goodness.  Tastytasty.

Most readers know that at Gosford we prefer to taste and evaluate our wines without knowledge of their pricing.  As many wines as we taste, we gradually acquire a ‘feel’ for how much a given wine ‘should’ cost.  In the case of the Guelbenzu ‘Red,’ I tasted it and ‘knew’ that it was a solid wine for $17.99.  We’ve several Spaniards in that price range just now, and I was ready to pass on the wine and ask to be reminded of it in a couple of months.   I didn’t even bother to check the price.  When I saw that I could sell it to you for $12.99 I pounced immediately. 

Don’t forget about our Wednesday Wine Seminar tonight . . . Bonnie and Lukas will guide you through a selection of our new fall selections.  November starts tomorrow, so we’ll be tasting and talking about Thanksgiving and Christmas wines.  Come on out! 

The Puerto Viejo Carmenere is back . . . yes, folks, former WoW and Gosford Wine Superstar Puerto Viejo is back to satisfy your taste for modernized Bordeaux-esque herbaceousness.  As before, the ‘old port’ is yours for $9.99/btl.  Check it out.

I literally had to stop the presses for this one . . . The 2003 ‘los800’ Rojo from Priorat, Spain ($17.99/btl.) is an exquisite wine for the price.  It’s a blend of Grenache, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and it’s perfectperfectperfect for fall.  It’s a lovely brick red with pale rose reflections, and it smells absolutely fantastic: apples spiced with clove and cinnamon, with just a kiss of dark chocolate and deeply subdued leather.  On the palate the wine is softly coating, with gently encroaching tannins, black pepper, and a satisfying burst of black cherry and cranberry.  On the finish, the wine shows beautiful fruit concentration, soft and slightly spicy tannins, with baking spice, orange peel, and cider lingering forever over clean black granite.  This is an awesome wine for the price, not to mention that it’s the most European Priorat that I remember having had.  Come check out this prince of feast wines, and enjoy it at the 5&10 as well, where it’s burning up the specials board. 

Call or e-mail ahead to reserve yours.  Trust me on this one.  

Hugh’s twenty-four buck menus

every night for 5:30, 5:45 and 6:00 reservations

prix fixe November 1st through November 7th

menu A

1.  chicken and gnocchi in "brodo" with sorrel and mirepoix

2.  grilled and molasses lacquered quail with puy lentils, buttered savoy cabbage with caraway, and roasted sweet onion soubise

3.  chess pie with macerated blackberries and lemon balm whipped cream


menu B

1.  marinated Georgia shrimp with chow chow vinaigrette and Woodland Gardens arugula

2.  blackened redfish with dirty rice, sauteed cucumbers and a lemon emulsion

3.  chocolate cookies with peanut ice cream, espresso chocolate sauce and peanut brittle

$24. dollars per person

no substitutions; no swapping between menus; no to-go

the menu options will change at least once a week

eat your vegetables or you don’t get dessert

Greetings from Gosford Wine . . . we have a very special guest coming this week to Gosford, and we hope that you all will join us Wednesday night in welcoming him.  Bill Arbios, former winemaker for Jarvis Vineyards in Napa, is recognized as one of the fathers of Bordeaux-style winemaking in Sonoma.  He was instrumental in the development of Lyeth Vineyards in the North Coast, and he has made custom wines for Sebastiani and Robert Mondavi.  He’s also a swell guy who makes delicious wines, and I’m proud to welcome him as our host for this week’s Wednesday seminar.  This is an excellent opportunity to bring questions and get answers from someone who knows.

As usual . . . bring a friend anytime between six and eight this Wednesday night.  We’ll probably try to set up largish groups, so that Bill has more time to discuss each wine.  So, maybe you should bring just a little patience as well.  Thanks, and we’ll see you tomorrow.

Easy now . . . just because I said we had plenty of the Vieux Chêne Rouge doesn’t make it inexhaustible.  Save some for your friends, people(!).   You might ask, “What are we saving?”  What you’re saving is a delicious Rhone-style blend of Grenache and Syrah from Vaucluse that’s a perennial favorite at Gosford.  It’s easydrinking and beautifully balanced, and hence ideal for cocktail consumption; though it’s got enough class and aromatic complexity to make it a perfect dance partner for everything from cheese to roasted meats.  I acknowledge that the wine is a fabulous value at $10.99, but that’s no reason not to share . . . if you’re going to buy it all, be a friend-to-man and pour it at a party or something (they say there’s a pretty big, if not the very biggest, cocktail party this weekend).  This red wine defies its price with a flamboyant excellence that seems almost deserving of punishment, if one could discern just how to punish a wine.

Buybuybuy.  Call or e-mail ahead to reserve your bottles and/or cases.  

I don’t know if y’all heard me, so I’ll go ahead and repeat myself:

Everyone’s talking about the 2005 Chateauneuf-du-Pape . . . but until those are released (or ready to drink, for that matter), trust Gosford Wine to find the best values in ready-to-drink CDP from years past.  The 2003 Bois de Boursan CDP Rouge is a Joe Attaway selection that, in his boomingly authoritative and semi-divine tones, “stood out as an exceptionally elegant Chateauneuf in the classic style, which is all the more surprising for hailing from the typically over-ripe 2003 vintage.  Their 2003 Chateauneuf-du-Pape is a real testament to the class, restraint, and respect for tradition embodied in the wines of and personalities behind Bois de Boursan.”  Well put, buddy.  Those of you who know Joe Attaway know that he talks exactly like that.  And it was talking-like-that Joe who mandated that we’d give the wine away for $39.99/btl.  I told him that was crazy, but there was jest no stoppin’ ‘im.

Don’t forget to come to the tasting, it should be a lot of fun.

Hugh’s twenty-four buck menus

every night for 5:30, 5:45 and 6:00 reservations

prix fixe October 25th through October 31st

menu A

1.  joe pearn’s carrot-jalapeno soup with cilantro creme fraiche and toasted pumpkin seeds

2.  grilled piemontese skirt steak with crisp polenta cake, swiss chard, salsa rossa, and salted capers 

3.  honey-drenched almond cake with roasted pear

menu B

1.  local butter lettuce salad with walnut oil vinaigrette, toasted walnuts, roasted butternut squash, and feta

2.  panko dusted catfish with spicy tomato chutney, crisp okra and lemon emulsion

3.  pumpkin panna cotta

$24. dollars per person

no substitutions; no swapping between menus; no to-go

the menu options will change at least once a week

eat your vegetables or you don’t get dessert

Greetings from Gosford Wine . . . it seems that fall fell.  Let’s celebrate with some select yummies.

Before the litany of special items begins . . .

Don’t forget our Wine Seminar . . . my good friend Sarah Webb will be visiting with us this Wednesday, bringing select goodies from her already highly selective portfolio.  Her appropriately titled company, Unique World Wines, specializes in hard-to-find wines from across the globe (or: in Unique Wines from around the World).

She’s a superdear friend of mine, and I highly encourage you to come and have some fun with us.  ‘Tshould be a blast.  Bonnie, Sarah, and I will be awaiting you breathlessly.  As usual, please feel free to drop in anytime between six and eight pm any ol’ Wednesday.  No shirt, no shoes, no selfhood.

The 2006 Patricia Green line of Pinots is set to be released in a couple of weeks.  We’ve highly limited allocations of each of the following four wines.  They will not be arriving for up to two weeks.

The Patricia Green Estate Pinot Noir – $36.99/btl.

The Patricia Green Old Vine Pinot Noir - $39.99/btl.

The Patricia Green Croft Vineyard Pinot Noir –  $35.99/btl.

The Patricia Green Balcombe Vineyard Pinot Noir - $39.99/btl.

The reputation of these wines precedes them.  Please keep in mind that our quantities are extremely low.  Please act quickly if you hope to act at all.

As much as it denotes the time for red wines, cold weather also signals Riesling season, and do I have a treat for you . . . the 2003 Riesling from Canterbury House in Waipara, New Zealand; $16.99/btl.  This Riesling is made in the classic Spätlese style - off-dry with nice full weight and an expressive core of nervous acidity – with an extra kick of Southern Hemispheric earthy petrol on the nose.  As they say, Chardonnay is for drinking and Riesling is for aging.  Four years into its life, the Canterbury House Riesling is really shining.  This wine is fantastic, and if it weren’t coming from New Zealand you’d pay ten bucks more per bottle. 

I tasted some brilliant wines from Southern France last week, and I’d love to talk to y’all about them.  I saw fifteen wines from the Rhone, and I honestly could have found a home for every last one . . . but alas, what is life without choice?  These were my favorites, and I think that you will also be pleased.

The 2005 Maison Guyot “L’Alezane,” Vacqueyras, France; $24.99/btl.  This is one of the very best Rhone reds under thirty dollars that I can recall ever having tasted.  Where Gigondas of late has been given toward a sometimes overly abundant fruitiness, Vacqueyras has been making evermore elegant wines.  All of the typical old-school Rhone characters are present here, but with near-perfect balance and restraint, yielding a highly drinkable wine of obvious class and distinction.  This wine is perfect for the holidays: it’s rich enough for all Fall fare, distinctive enough to wow your wine-head buddies, and balanced enough for newbies to enjoy it painlessly.

The 2004 Maison Guyot “L’Envol” Rouge, Cotes-du-Rhone-Villages, France, and the 2004 Maison Guyot “L’Envol” Blanc, Cotes-du-Rhone-Villages, France; both are $19.99/btl.  I’ll defer in this case to the venerable Paul Bocuse.  His four ordinally named brasseries, Nord, Sud, Ouest, and Est, circumscribe the picturesque town of Lyon.  Each has been awarded the prestigious distinction of three Michelin stars.  Needless to say, the man has his pick of the litter when it comes to French wines, and he has both L’Envol Villages wines in each of the restaurants.  I concur with him that these are excellent, affordable wines that are highly versatile at table and abundantly satisfying as cocktails.  As with the Vacqueyras, the value here is tremendous.

The 2006 Maison Guyot “Domaine de Rochevine” Condrieu, France; $49.99/btl.  It’s an indisputable fact that one of the world’s greatest dry whites hails from Condrieu in the Northern Rhone valley of France.  What makes Condrieu amazing is that the high-altitude Viognier produced there has the rich, spicy, floral apricot and peach character you expect from the variety, but all expressed with a vibrance and liveliness which, in the best instances, can really boggle the mind.  You find that you’re asking yourself, “How can this wine have the richness of dried fruit, the juiciness of fresh fruit, and the intensity of preserved fruit altogether?”  It’s actually quite confusing.  Don’t be fooled by the youth of the vintage: Condrieu is the lone great white best drunk very young. 

(On a side note: this wine will absolutely dazzle your Chardonnay chugging cronies. It’s worth buying if only to see their faces when they take their first sip of this monster.)

Greetings from Gosford Wine . . . it’s raining outside.  But if it doesn’t turn out to be enough, I’m told that we may have to start a water rationing regime.  And if you can’t pull your drink from a tap, perhaps you’ll consider freshening up with our . . .

Wine of the Week . .(!) which is the 2006 Gagliardo Fallegro, Piemonte, Italy; $12.99/btl.  The Fallegro is and has been a consummate favorite of Gosford Wine, and it’s perfectly suited to salve the wounds resultant to the reemergence of our Indian Summer.  Fallegro is made from the ‘Favorita’ grape, which takes its name from its preeminence among the vineyard hands of the Piemonte – it’s literally their ‘favorite’ from among the grapes of that land.  Melony fresh and white-flower kissed with the gentlest flush of spritz.  Call or e-mail ahead to reserve yours.

A wine by the name of Opus One has arrived in the store . . . I personally have never heard of it.  It’s a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2004 vintage.  There are some names artfully written in cursive on the box: I think that they are ‘Robert Mondavi’ and ‘Baron Philippe Rothschild.’  Perhaps it’s some sort of collaboration.(?)  I feel like I’ve heard of those guys . . .  

Joe has done some research on some rare and interesting wines which we’re privileged to have around.  I’ll include that here:

2005  Artadi Vinas de Gain
A Tempranillo Dry  Red Table wine from Rioja,Spain   Review by Jay Miller
Wine Advocate # 169 (Feb 2007)
Rating: 94
Drink 2007 - 2032
Cost: $25-$35   The 2005 Vinas de Gain is produced from 100% Tempranillo with vines ranging from 40-60 years of age. The wine is aged for 12-14 months in French oak, 40% new. 2005 is a very fine vintage throughout Rioja and this entry-level wine from the superstar Bodegas Artadi is an awesome value as well as mind-boggling in quality. Purple/black in color, it offers up a killer perfume that is super-sexy. Among its elements are truffles, pencil lead, vanilla, cherry, and black raspberry jam. Full-bodied, the wine is opulent yet elegant, concentrated, and superbly balanced. There is enough structure to ensure 6-8 years of positive evolution and it should drink well through 2032. Kudos to Bodegas Artadi for this tour de force! Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565

2005  Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Mount Carmel Vineyard
A Pinot Noir Dry  Red Table wine from Santa Rita Hills,Santa Barbara,Central Coast,California,USA   Review by Robert Parker
Wine Advocate # 172 (Aug 2007)
Rating: 94
Drink 2007 - 2022
Cost: $52-$80   A dead ringer for a DRC Echezeaux, the 2005 Pinot Noir Mount Carmel exhibits a medium ruby hue as well as a big, expansive aromatic display of forest floor, sweet cherries, pomegranate, fresh mushrooms, and spring flowers. Fabulous fruit, a silky mouthfeel, a long, heady richness, full body, and moderate tannin suggest this Burgundian-styled California beauty should drink well for 12-15+ years

2005  Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Mount Carmel Vineyard
A Chardonnay Dry  White Table wine from Santa Ynez Valley,Santa Barbara,Central Coast,California,USA   Review by Robert Parker
Wine Advocate # 172 (Aug 2007)
Rating: 94
Drink -
Cost: $52-$70   The 2005 Chardonnay Mount Carmel (a site which Brewer-Clifton now farms exclusively) exhibits honeysuckle, lemon butter, a hint of popcorn, and orange rind in a full-bodied, deep, chewy style that reminds me of some of the old Batard-Montrachets made by Domaine Michel Niellon in the late seventies and eighties.

2005  Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Rio Vista Vineyard
A Pinot Noir Dry  Red Table wine from Santa Rita Hills,Santa Barbara,Central Coast,California,USA   Review by Robert Parker
Wine Advocate # 172 (Aug 2007)
Rating: 93
Drink 2007 - 2017
Cost: $48-$60   The sexy, medium ruby-colored 2005 Pinot Noir Rio Vista reveals earthy, Allspice, raspberry, and black cherry notes, a broad, textural mouthfeel, full body, and a 7-10 year window of drinkability

2005  Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Cargasacchi
A Pinot Noir Dry  Red Table wine from Santa Rita Hills,Santa Barbara,Central Coast,California,USA   Review by Robert Parker
Wine Advocate # 172 (Aug 2007)
Rating: 92
Drink 2008 - 2023
Cost: $55-$75   Fresh mushrooms, forest floor, pomegranate, sweet cherry, and pepper characteristics are found in the deep ruby-hued, medium to full-bodied 2005 Pinot Noir Cargasacchi. Its earthy, peppery, black fruited character is reminiscent of a premier cru from Nuits St.-Georges. Give it 1-3 years of cellaring and enjoy it over the following 10-15.

Don’t forget our wine seminar . . . this week, we’ll be featuring awesome stuff that Bonnie and I like.  We look forward to seeing you all there.

As usual, drop in anytime between six and eight pm on Wednesdays.  Bring your $5 and your friends. 

Greetings from Gosford Wine . . . the hundred-year-drought trudges exhaustingly on, and the cool weather we’re owed breaks through all-too intermittently.  Such climactic intemperance might drive some to drink . . . it certainly makes me thirsty.

Our Wine of the Week . . . is the 2005 Puerto Viejo Carménère, Curicó Valley, Chile; $9.99/btl.  For all those unfamiliar with the Carménère grape, the Puerto Viejo offers a nice chance to catch a glimpse of one of the wine world’s hidden treasures.  It was originally one of the six noble red grapes of Bordeaux (along with the Cabernets, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec).  Its Bordelaise heritage is immediately obvious on the nose – it’s got that indescribable melange of mint, herbs, green pepper, red fruit acidity, and subdued caramel and butterscotch which so readily characterize the best in Bordeaux.  The wine is very expressive on the nose, while the palate is nicely soft, fruity, and plush.  The finish features a resurgence of the aromatics first noticed on the nose, which are now underpinned by a pleasantly dark register of licorice, bitter cherry, and charcoal.  It finishes as smoothly as you please, with nice aromatic length . . . very tasty.

Call or e-mail ahead to reserve your cases and/or bottles.

Don’t forget about our Wednesday Seminar . . . we’ll be featuring Spanish wines this week, with regions like Priorat, Bierzo, and the little known Rioja all making appearances.  We will be pouring the 2005 Artadi “Viñas de Gain” from Rioja, which is one of the early favorites for ‘Winepress Darling of the Year’ honors, and is therefore certainly not something to be missed.  The near-miracle is that the Artadi won’t even be the highlight of the show. . . .

As usual, drop in anytime between six and eight on Wednesday evening; bring your own casual self, a measly $5, and a thirst for – ahem – knowledge.  (I’m still cultivating the art of understatement. . . . I’m off to a very slow start.)