Sunday, June 15, 2008

Salem Wine Imports Tasting: June 12

This past Thursday evening, I stopped by Salem Wine Imports for a special wine tasting. Some members of the North Shore Winers, as well as a few other friends, joined me for this tasting. Bob Z. of United Wines, a local wine distributor, was presenting six higher-end wines, wines he felt that aptly deserved their higher prices. You don't often get to taste such wines, so these tastings are must attend events.

I should note that there were special discounts for all of these wines. Under each wine, you will note three prices. The first is the usual retail price. The second is the discounted price if you uy 1-5 bottles, and the third is a discounted price for if you buy 6 or more bottles.

First up was the 2005 Landmark "Overlook" Chardonnay ($32.99/ $28.00/ $26.39). the owners of Landmark Vineyards are descended from the famous John Deere (inventor of the steel plow). The names of their wines thus reflect that heritage. For example, Overlook was the name of one of John Deere's homes. The grapes for this wine are sourced from several different areas, including Sonoma County, Santa Barbara County and 9% Monterey County. The wine is barrel fermented using indigenous yeasts and undergoes full malolatic fermentation. The wine is also aged sur lie for nine months in Burgundian barrels. It has an alcohol content of 14.4%.

This Chardonnay is made more in the typical California style, thus it has a full bodied, buttery taste. The citrus flavors are more muted though noticeable. This was my least favorite wine of the evening as I do not care for this style of Chardonnay. Though it is not one of the overly-oaked monstrosities you sometimes encounter, it has too much of a buttery taste for my preferences. Now, there are plenty of people though who do like a more buttery style, so for them, this wine should be very appealing.

Now the next two Chardonnays were much more in the style I prefer, a more French style that is crisper and far less buttery

The 2006 Ramey "Russian River" Chardonnay ($44.00/ $37.40/ $35.20) is sourced from some top notch vineyards, including five different Dutton ranches, Rochioli Vineyards, the Heintz Ranch near Occidental and Green Pastures Vineyard. This wine had a light yellow color and an interesting nose of apple. On the palate, it was a delightfully crisp wine with a nice blend of fruit flavors, including apple and pear. There was a streak of minerality as well. It has a nice, lingering finish and is definitely very appealing. It seems so radically different from the Landmark. A top notch wine from a top notch winery. Well worth the price.

We also tasted the 2005 Ramey "Ritchie Vineyards" Chardonnay ($75.00/ $63.75/ $60.00). This is a single vineyard Chardonnay, located in the center of the Russian River appellation. This wine was similar in a number of respects to the other Ramey, except that this wine's aspects were a step above. Its color, nose and taste were all superlative to the other Ramey, though in the same vein, that crisp taste with great fruit and some minerality. It was also more complex, adding a few different flavors, a bit of peach, nut and pineapple. This is certainly an exceptional wine, one to drink and ponder over, to try to assess all of its complexities.

The next two wines were Italian, made by the renowned Angelo Gaja. Both of these wines are from the Maremma region of Tuscany. This region was once a marshland but has been transformed into an important wine region. The warm climate favors international grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah. There are three wines made under the Ca'marcanda label, and the origin of the label's name is fascinating.

Gaja found a vineyard in the Maremma he wished to purchase, but the elderly owners did not wish to sell it. Gaja returned to the vineyard a few years in a row, each time offering more money for the estate. And each time, the owners refused his offer. Gaja's wife told him that he was in Ca'marcanda, which in Italian means "house of endless negotiation." She convinced him to keep trying each year. He did and the owners finally relented, though it cost Gaja a very high price.

The 2005 Gaja Ca'marcanda "Promis" ($49.95/ $42.45/ $39.95) is a blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Syrah and 10% Sangiovese. The three grapes are fermented separately and then later blended together. The wine spends 18 months in new and slightly used barriques, followed by several months of bottle aging. It has an alcohol content of 14%. This wine has a medium red color with a prominent dark cherry nose. On the palate, this is a dry and full bodied wine with plenty of dark cherry flavor and a touch of tobacco. It is a smooth wine with mild tannins and a nice, long finish. An easy-drinking wine, though still possessing much complexity, that should appeal to many different tastes. It would definitely be an excellent food wine.

The 2005 Gaja Ca'Marcanda "Magari" ($80.00/ $68.00/ $64.00) is a blend of 50% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 25% Cabernet Franc. This is like a French Bordeaux. The three grapes are fermented separately and then later blended together. The wine spends 18 months in new and slightly used barriques, followed by six months of bottle aging. The term "Magari" has several meanings, including: "if only," "would that it were true," and "perhaps." This was an excellent wine, very French in style, with good fruit, lots of structure and balance, and a very long finish. A well crafted wine that should age well.

My favorite wine of the tasting was the 2005 Chappellet Signature Cabernet Sauvignon ($50.00/ $42.50/ $40.00). I had recently tasted the 2005 Chappellet Mountain Cuvee ($27.99) and very much enjoyed it. So, I was intrigued to taste their higher-end Cabernet. The "Signature" Cabernet has been their flagship wine for more than three decades. It is a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. This is a powerhouse of a wine.

It has a rich, dark red color, almost purple in hue. Its nose is vibrant with dark fruit and spice notes. On the palate, it is full-bodied, muscular and spicy. There are rich flavors of cassis, blueberry and ripe plum combined with plenty of spice and hints of chocolate. A well-integrated wine with a very long and satisfying finish. A superb wine with plenty of complexity and rich flavors. This is everything you could want in a Cabernet. And I think it is a good value for the price.

Overall, this was a fine and interesting tasting. Eric, the owner of Salem Wine Imports, certainly arranged for an excellent event. And Bob Z. did a great job of talking about the wines, and entertaining with numerous stories about the wines.

Salem Wine Imports
32 Church St.
Salem, MA
Phone: 978-741-9463

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