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Picks & Pans for July/June 2001

Wine of the Week reviews one or more wines each week. Most are picks; a few are pans. Please write in and let us know if you agree or disagree with our opinion. Note: The wine prices in our reviews are the prices we pay (before any discount) at our local wine stores or that are suggested by the importer or distributor. They are given solely as guidelines. We do not sell any wines.

This week's wine (7/30/01) is 1998 Banfi, Chianti Classico, Riserva DOCG ($17.00)

Deep garnet in color, this Chianti has long legs and an inviting nose of tobacco and iris with some cedar notes as well. On the palate, it's medium bodied and dry and delivers plenty of dry cherry and spice flavors that linger. It has a voluptuous, velvety mouthfeel and a nice dry finish with violet notes. The wine is well structured with adequate acidity for food. Enjoy this wine with a dish of pasta all'Amatriciana (pasta with pancetta, tomatoes, and hot red pepper). Imported by Banfi Vintners, Old Brookville, NY.

This week's wine (7/23/01) is 1999 Chateau de Rully White, Rully ($18.99)

Pale gold in color, this white Burgundy has a lovely nose of butterscotch and pears, with some almond notes as well. Light bodied and dry, it delivers tangy mineral flavors with some hints of vanilla and has a somewhat unctuous mouthfeel. It's packed with plenty of acidity that should let it stand up to most foods that you would pair with a Chardonnay, but I would serve it with grilled swordfish or salmon. Imported by W.J. Deutsch & Sons Ltd., Harrison, NY

This week's wine (7/16/01) is 1997 Sebastiani, Sonoma Cask, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County ($15.00)

Deep purple in color, this wine has beautiful legs and a big, attractive nose of cassis, cedar, and some black pepper. On the palate, the wine is full bodied and supple. It delivers loads of lingering black-cherry and tobacco flavors, with some leathery notes. The wine is well structured, with firm tannins enveloping plenty of fruit. It also has good acidity for food. The finish is long and dry with black cherry flavors. A wonderful example of a restrained, understated California Cabernet. Enjoy this wine with a good steak.

This week's wine (7/09/01) is 1998 Fattoria Enotria, Dolcetto "Vigneti Volpe," Mendocino ($16.00)

Deep ruby in color with nice long legs, this California Dolcetto is lip-smacking good. It has a big, beautiful nose of blackberries, cassis, and bitter almonds. Medium to full bodied and quite dry, it delivers plenty of jammy plum flavors with spice notes encased in firm tannins. The flavors linger, and the spice becomes more apparent. The spicy finish is long, dry, and persistent. This is a well structured wine with good acidity for food. Serve it with hearty fare like roast duck. It might even get better and more supple with a couple of years of aging.

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This week's wine (7/02/01) is 1998 Michael Sullberg, Cabernet Sauvignon "Reserve," California ($9.99)

Ruby in color with good legs, this California Cabernet has a pretty nose of sweet cherry, cassis, and tobacco. Light bodied and dry, it's beautifully structured, with mild tannins and good acidity. On the palate, it delivers plenty of flavor reminiscent of plums, with some chocolate notes. After a little breathing, the flavors develop to reveal deeper tobacco and chocolate qualities. The finish, though a tad short, has a hint of spice. This is a most pleasant, unassuming Cabernet that should go well with a wide range of dishes. We paired it with Mediterranean eggplant ravioli followed by chicken breasts sauced with a balsamic reduction. An excellent value; and to enjoy it at its best, be sure to give it some breathing time.

This week's wine (6/25/01) is 1999 Monte Volpe, Pinot Grigio, Mendocino ($12.00)

Pale straw in color, this wine has a charming nose of fennel and lemon zest. Quite forward on the palate, it's crisp and dry. Light to medium bodied, it delivers mineral and lemon citrus flavors, highlighted by some hints of almond. There's also a pleasant, subtle sweetness. The flavors linger, and the finish is good, with almond flavors. This wine is well structured with good acidity for food. This is one Pinot Grigio that has enough character to be served alone or as an aperitif. It would also go well with Cornish game hen or linguine and pesto.

This week's wine (6/18/01) is 1999 Bodegas Godeval, Vina Godeval, Valdeorras (Spain) ($14.99)

Pale gold in color, this wine made from 100% Godello is pale gold in color. It has a forward, lemon citrus nose with hints of honeysuckle. On the palate, it displays a rich body and delivers dry, mineral flavors followed by grapefruit-citrus notes that linger on the palate. It's well structured, with plenty of good acidity to stand up to food. It also has a lovely citrus finish. This wine would go wonderfully with almost any fish or seafood dish, but I think it would go especially well with scallops. Imported by Tempranillo Inc., Mamaroneck, NY.

This week's wine (6/11/01) is 2000 Vina Carmen, Chardonnay, Valle Central (Chile) $7.99

Pale gold in color, this wine has an inviting creamy nose, with hints of pear and some vanilla. Medium bodied and quite dry, it has a nice mouthfeel, and it delivers plenty of mineral and pear flavors with some nuances of oak. It's well structured with adequate acidity for food. It finishes nicely with hints of spiced pear. I would serve this wine with veal Milanese or perhaps with soft-shell crabs. Another example of what great bargains are coming out of Chile these days. Imported by W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Ltd., Harrison, NY.

This week's wines (6/4/01) are 1999 Frei Brothers, Chardonnay "Reserve," Russian River Valley ($16.00) and 1999 Frei Brothers, Pinot Noir "Reserve," Russian River Valley  ($18.00)

Pale gold in color, this wine has a pretty nose of apple and orange blossom, with nuances of lemon and vanilla. On the palate, it's medium bodied and quite forward, with an unctuous mouthfeel. It delivers burnt sugar, caramel flavors that follow through. Well structured, with adequate acidity for food, the wine has a good mid-palate and a nice finish with lemon acidity and spice notes. Its judicious use of oak would appeal to most takers of our recent Survey on oak in New World Chardonnays. This wine would go well with many sautéed chicken breast dishes or a plate of grilled vegetables and goat cheese.

This wine has a ruby color and good legs. The nose is big, with ripe bing cherries, toasted oak, tobacco, and some chalk. On the palate, it's full bodied, thick, and quite dry. Although well structured, with fruit and tannin in good balance, it's still somewhat tannic; so I'd give this wine a little more time in the bottle or at least 30 minutes to breathe. The predominant flavor is that of cherries, with its sweetness tempered by tannin. There are some subtle spice notes as well. The wine has a fine finish with hints of oak. I'd pair this bottle with roasted lamb or grilled Portobello mushrooms.

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