Value Alert: 2007 Felsina Fontalloro

We got together with friends last night for one of my favorite traditions: Friday night pizza night with really nice wine. While some see pizza-pairing as suited for simple wines, I see it as an opportunity for a low-fuss meal at the end of the work week and a chance to let the wines shine. This week we ordered from Old School Pizza in Wellesley (review).

A while back, a friend introduced me to the 2006 Felsina Fontalloro. I was really impressed with the wine's versatile personality. It's elegant and plays well in a sit down situation, but it's got this incredible fruit-driven nose that's so friendly and appealing. It's hard not to like.

After tasting the 2006 I added it to my shopping list but never saw it come up at a price I couldn't refuse. Fortunately (especially lately it seems) there's always another great vintage right around the corner: The 2007 is even better.

The 2007 is young at this point, but like all great wines it's still enjoyable even if it hasn't fully come together. It's as if the wine is deconstructed into individual components and it's easier to understand now than it will be in a few years. Like watching a golfer's swing in slow motion.

The initial aromas are beautiful sweet fruit. I love the mouthfeel of this wine - it's rich and satisfying but not heavy. Acidity reveals itself on the sides of the tongue. Earthy/leathery flavors. Beautiful finish. So well put together.

It's readily available for around $45 at retail and for as much as I've bashed Italy as being a tough category for value, this wine makes me rethink that sentiment. There are gads of wines in Napa Valley that have no problems declaring themselves value plays north of $50.

I highly recommend this wine and would love to find more wines like it. Let me know in the comments if you have some similar value plays you'd like to share.

2007 Felsina Fontalloro
14% alcohol
3,335 cases produced
$55 release price

A beautifully put together wine that makes me think twice before paying $50+ for domestic wine. Such fresh vibrant fruit on the nose combined with ample acidity, earth and overall balance and deliciousness - this is really a tremendous achievement for a little over $40. Extremely highly recommended.

94/100 WWP: Outstanding

96 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
93 points Wine Advocate
92 points Wine Spectator

Where to buy:
Wine.com
Search for it on wine-searcher.com
Other opinions on CellarTracker

Question of the Day: Have you had this wine or prior vintages? What are some other value plays in this category you'd recommend?


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/j5HmqIBhnLA/value-alert-2007-felsina-fontalloro.html

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A ?Zinful? Experience

Last Saturday I was lucky to be able to attend the Zinfandel Festival at Fort Mason in San Francisco. ZAP, The Association of Zinfandel Advocates & Producers celebrates Zinfandel America?s Heritage Grape and is dedicated to preserving the history of Zinfandel through the Heritage Vineyard at UC Davis. It is the largest single varietal tasting [...]

Source: http://blogs.fairplex.com/blog/wine/?p=36

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Most beautiful suites offered by Hotel Guanahani & Spa, St. Barthelemy

Hotel Guanahani & Spa located at St. Barthelemy presents an exquisite collection of beautiful suites for its most discerning guests. The most opulent of the lot is La Villa. Sprawling over 1615 square feet, it features one beautiful master bedroom attached with a large dressing room, two other bedrooms, 3 appointed bathrooms, a lounge area [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vagablond/ysSN/~3/Kk481FB7MUE/

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Nominations are Now Open for the 5th Annual Wine Blog Awards

A little over a year ago, Tom Wark (PR whiz, wine shipping advocate, blogger at Fermentation and founder of the Wine Blog Awards), and I had an email exchange in which I noted that there seemed to be a, “Been there, done that” sense in the online wine writing scene.  My contention was that the genre hadn’t advanced enough and was, “Running to stand still,” to borrow a phrase.

Tom didn’t respond to my thoughts specifically, a pocket veto of sorts.  Flash forward 15 months and not only was my observation off base, it was off the map.  Tom was right.

Today, online wine writing offers an incredible panoply of voices, niches, and quality, ever-growing and impossible to keep up with.  Whatever your wine fetish, you’re going to find a community within a community and quality writing that will educate and entertain with personality and verve.

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To wit, already populated by great diversity, the 5th Annual Wine Blog Awards are currently accepting nominations until May 31st.  Ceded by Tom for the greater good and now organized by the same group of people who organize the Wine Bloggers Conference, the principal complaint against the Wine Blog Awards has been that they are insider-ish and don’t represent the diversity of writers and voices who are toiling at a high-level in pursuit of the good grape.  I have a hunch that won’t be the case this year; the entire contest could be marked by nominated finalists and winners who haven’t previously been acknowledged by these awards.

To nominate your favorite online wine read, please hit the links below.

Best Overall Wine Blog

Best New Wine Blog

Best Writing on a Wine Blog

Best Winery Blog

Best Single Subject Wine Blog

Best Wine Blog Graphics, Photography, and Presentation

Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/nominations_are_now_open_for_the_5th_annual_wine_blog_awards/

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H.R. 1161 and What Wine Wholesaler Really Think

If by this point wine producers, beer producers, spirit producers and alcohol retailers haven't learned that their "wholesale partners" disrespect them and think them incapable of grasping what is at stake with the politics of wine, then they just aren't...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FermentationTheDailyWineBlog/~3/e39FTx9jFKE/hr-1161-and-what-wine-wholesaler-really-think.html

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Wine Blogging Wednesday #70: 2009 Bodega Bernabeleva Camino de Navaherreros Garnacha

Gabriella and Ryan’s post inspiring wine bloggers to get creative and seek out a unique Spanish wine or one from an unheard of region for the comeback edition of New York Cork Report Executive Editor Lenn Thompson’s Wine Blogging Wednesday, fueled my determination to get my hands on a bottle or two that would expand [...]

Source: http://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/wine-blogging-wednesday-70/

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Kosta Browne, Sea Smoke...Is Rhys Vineyards the Next Cult California Pinot Noir?

A few weeks ago I asked friends on Twitter this question:

Complete this sequence of CA Pinot Noir high-flyers: Kosta Browne, Sea Smoke, ______________.

I got some great answers: Williams Selyem, Sojourn, Roar, Donum Estate, Papapietro Perry, Adrian Fog. But since Twitter is character limited I wasn't able to completely describe the context of the question.

To me, Kosta Browne and Sea Smoke aren't just highly-sought California Pinot Noir producers with reputations for making full-flavored wines. They're textbook examples of shrewd marketing resulting in loyal customers willing to pay a premium for their wines in good times and bad.

Kosta Browne began producing wine in 1997 and their first publicly released vintage was 2000. If you look at Wine Spectator's highest rated domestic Pinot Noirs of all time their wines dominate the list. Although detractors bemoan their prices getting out of hand, the steady climb from $48 in 2000 to $72 for their 2008 single vineyard releases isn't hard to justify in my mind. They're based in Sebastopol, in Sonoma County, and produce wines from other people's vineyards. I enjoyed their 2006 Russian River Valley (92/100) and Sonoma County (93/100) bottlings each purchased at retail for around $60.

Sea Smoke's story is more site-focused yet pinning them down can feel elusive. Unlike Kosta Browne, they don't buy any of their grapes and their Sea Smoke vineyards are planted to capacity creating a famously popular waiting line for their wines known as "The List".  Located in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA in Santa Barbara County, their positioning couldn't have been better aligned with the release of Sideways. Their three Pinot Noir bottlings range between $40 and $80. I saw a bottle of Sea Smoke Ten on a restaurant list for $245 recently. They also produce a One Barrel Pinot Noir (23 cases) that sells for $150. I loved their 2004 Southing Pinot Noir (95), their 2008 Southing (93), and their 2006 Sea Smoke Ten Pinot Noir (93).

These wines have an appeal that goes beyond what's in the bottle and beyond the label. There's an elusive quality about them. Perhaps contrived but you see it in brands like Scarecrow. Where is Scarecrow? What is Scarecrow? "It's not a place - it's a state of mind."

Opening wines like these announces to wine geeks it's a special occasion. When you're having a hard time getting your hands on a bottle you're tempted to pay a premium at retail or at a restaurant for a chance to try them. So adding a brand to this list isn't to be taken lightly.

And before I go much further gushing on about how much I adore these brands I want to acknowledge: One man's ceiling is another man's floor. Just like going to Best Buy and looking at stereo gear - the best things they have there aren't even up for consideration for a true stereophile. Same with wine. Hard core domestic Pinot Noir hounds are off looking at micro-production brands I've never even heard of.

And that's great. I'm not there yet and what I'm talking about here is a broad awareness in the wine community of brands that through hard work, quality production, savvy positioning, and a little luck obtain favored producer status that lasts a long time. The idea here is to catch one of these brands on the way up - when prices start around $30.

Until a couple months ago I had no familiarity with Rhys (rhymes with "piece"). A friend had an allocation and asked me if I'd like to try some. Then I read this. It's a love letter to Rhys Vineyards from highly esteemed Slate wine writer Mike Steinberger on par with the ode David Pogue wrote for the Canon S95 in the New York Times. It's impactful to me when a journalist writes such a striking endorsement for a specific brand.

Still, I read Steinberger's piece with skepticism. It goes on and on about terroir and praises the low alcohol levels of Rhys' Pinots - was I going to like these wines? Or was I going to have to squint and struggle to see the charm of these pieces of art?

My first taste of their wines came in the form of their Alesia label - the 2008 Alesia Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Other than the cork and a brief mention on the back label you wouldn't otherwise know it was produced by Rhys (it says "Produced & Bottled by Alesia Wines, San Carlos, CA") - they reserve that designation for wines produced from their own grapes.

Their focus is very much on site and letting the grapes speak for themselves rather than the winemaker guiding the style in a particular direction. That being the case it's understandable they'd want to distance their flagship wines from those produced from purchased grapes. In fact, 2008 is the last vintage they're producing Alesia Pinot Noir.

Though this wine was produced from grapes grown in the Sonoma Coast AVA (a more common area for Pinot Noir production) Rhys' own vineyard are in the Santa Cruz Mountain AVA.

I've heard the Alesia wines provide a reliable window into the Rhys style. As in: If you like Alesia wines you'll love Rhys wines. The alcohol level clocks in at a reasonable 13.9% (some of their Pinots are less than 13% alcohol) so it feels like a good will attempt to ween the high alcohol by volume crowd from their (our?) 15%+ expectations.

Here are my notes:

2008 Rhys Alesia Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
13.9% Alcohol
$35 Release Price

My expectations were running high as I tried this wine for the first time - which could have set me up for a big disappointment. Fortunately, based on everything I've read about Rhys Pinots this wine absolutely delivered what it promised to be: A balanced, site-driven wine that points a light in a new direction for California Pinot Noir.

There's a laser-beam focus to the presence of this wine and a fresh, vibrant personality that's utterly appealing. Ample acidity reveals itself first as a slight pucker then later as a subtle citric quality. This mixed in with classic Pinot Noir markings of strawberries, a little earth, and perhaps slightly more substantial (if ultra-fine) tannins than I've seen in rounder new world Pinots. There's a wet river rock aspect that wouldn't be out of place in a red Burgundy.

Overall, a beautiful expression of Pinot Noir. 

92/100 WWP: Outstanding
(and I could easily add a couple bonus points for the back story and overall experience)

So I'm not saying Rhys is producing Pinot Noirs that are stylistically similar to Kosta Browne and Sea Smoke. Not at all. I'm suggesting you might want to jump on their mailing list if you're interested in catching a rising star. And check out the articles on their press page for more information. 

 Further Reading:

Question of the Day: Who are some California Pinot Noir producers you'd put one this level? I'd love to discover more producers to check out from your suggestions.


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/RmGet6QLTqc/kosta-brown-sea-smokeis-rhys-vineyards.html

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2009 Carlisle Sonoma County Syrah: Best QPR Ever?

Just when I was thinking "Hey it's been a while since Wine Spectator gave us a high QPR wine to chase after" they dropped a doozy on us yesterday. The 2009 Carlisle Sonoma County Syrah received a 97 point rating - and retails for just $25. Carlisle mailing list members were offered the wine for an even more incredible $19.50.

Carlisle produces Zinfandel and red Rhone varietal wines out of Sonoma. They've been cranking out high QPR wines for a while now so the name is familiar to wine deal hounds.

It's been a while since I fired up the wwpQPR calculator (what's that?) but I thought this might be the best QPR I've ever heard of. Using a baseline price of $30 (the point at which it is relatively easy to find 90 point domestic Syrah) the wwpQPR gives us a 6.05: Outstanding Value. I think that might indeed be the best value I've ever heard of.

Where to Buy

Well, that's the problem. With only 391 cases produced and mailing list that's been on to their reasonably priced high quality wines for a while this one is going to be tough. A quick wine-searcher.com search turns up a few retailers that claimed to have had it for $25 or under -- but when you click through it's all sold out.

Based on past experience with wines like these, we'll see the wine quickly evaporate at retail especially under $40. The wine will be available at high mark-up at some retailers and will be available on auction sites for $50 and up. At that point, it kind of wrecks the QPR. At $50 it's a 3.02 on the wwpQPR: Very Good. Still a nice value but not one to break your neck over.

What to Do Next

Jump on their mailing list. The pattern is clear with Carlisle - they're producing wines attaining incredibly high scores and they're holding the line on price. Sounds like the perfect mailing list to be a part of. Be prepared for a wait: I signed up a few years ago and haven't gotten an allocation.

Next, scour around wine-searcher looking for back vintages and other bottlings from Carlisle. This bodes well for their 2009 offerings and I hear their 2006s were also amazing.

It's interesting to watch the CellarTracker reviews come in for a wine like this. Prior to the Spectator rating coming out yesterday, the ratings are about what you'd expect for a $25 wine from Carlisle: 90-93 points. A note published yesterday after the Spectator rating came out? 95 points.

I've discussed this pheonomenon with friends before -- how CellarTracker is an excellent resource to consult when deciding whether to take advantage of a wine deal. But there is often a high rating/price correlation on CellarTracker since most regular wine enthusiasts like us taste non-blind. Throw in a little 97-point Wine Spectator bias and it often pulls the CellarTracker ratings up a bit.

Definitely a topic for further discussion. I'd love it if you subscribed to the site so we can continue the conversation.

And consider subscribing to Wine Spectator. You can even use airline miles if you'd like.

Question of the Day: Have you seen this wine available at retail? Any tips for buying this wine or similar offerings from Carlisle in the open market?


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/TvRPZqdvWv4/2009-carlisle-sonoma-county-syrah-best.html

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