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PRESS Wine Pick Of The Week: 2006 Randall Harris Columbia Valley Merlot Most of us have a rather romanticized view of the wine business. It's most likely a vision of the winemaker tending his vines until the grapes are perfectly ripe, and then harvesting them and transforming their juice into wine.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Daily Wine Picks from Wine Spectator Online
WinePress Northwest, Fall 2007
Argiano Declassifies Its Brunello
James Suckling
With more than 1 million bottles of 2003 Brunello di Montalcino sitting in cellars, impounded by a Siena magistrate, one winery has decided it cannot afford to wait for the wheels of the Italian justice system to turn. Argiano, one of four Montalcino estates known to be under investigation for allegedly violating DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) regulations, announced on April 21 that it would declassify its 2003 Brunello, labeling it an IGT, so that it can sell it now. "We just can't afford to wait for a decision from the authorities," said Stephane Schaeffer, commercial director of the winery. "We are a small producer and we make mostly Brunello, so we can't afford to let the 2003 stay in our cellars. We have no choice." The more than 6,600 cases of wine—two-thirds of Argiano's 2003 Brunello production—will be labeled Il Duemilatre de Argiano (the 2003 of Argiano) and sold under the less rigorous IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) classification for at least 15 percent less. A few bottles of the Brunello, exported before the investigation, can still be sold as Brunello. Police, under the direction of Siena's public prosecutor, Nino Calabrese, have so far blocked shipment of Brunellos from Argiano, Castelgiocondo (owned by Marchesi de Frescobaldi), Pian delle Vigne (owned by Antinori) and Castello Banfi. Calabrese and the police began investigating last November whether some producers were using other grapes in their Brunellos, which must be 100 percent Sangiovese. The authorities claim they found other grape varieties in vineyards of these producers, and have impounded the wines while the investigation continues. Subsequent vintages, still aging, are also impounded. The wineries under suspicion have appealed the decision, arguing that any other varietals were used in other wines, such as their regular IGTs. But while the appeals are ongoing, the wine is trapped in the cellar, tying up needed revenue. Sources report that Antinori is thinking about doing the same thing with its 2003 Brunello di Montalcino Pian delle Vigne. Meanwhile, the crisis has damaged the entire appellation's reputation, as a barrage of stories from the Italian press has condemned the wineries even before all the facts have come in.
winespectator.com: James Suckling Uncorked A Brunello Producer Makes a Brave Decision
I spoke to the commercial director of Argiano this morning, the well-known producer of Brunello di Montalcino, and he told me that they decided to declassify most of their 2003 Brunello di Montalcino production. (Argiano is one of a handful of well-known wineries whose production of Brunello has been sequestered by local magistrates, as reported here on April 3.) “We just can’t afford to wait for a decision from the authorities,” said Stephane Schaeffer. “We are a small producer and we make mostly Brunello, so we can’t afford to let the 2003 stay in our cellars while the authorities decide what to do … We have no choice.” It’s a brave thing to do. Apparently, the winery declassified 80,000 bottles of the 2003 Argiano Brunello di Montalcino, and the owners say they will sell it for a minimum of 15 percent less than their normal Brunello price. That’s about two-thirds of Argiano’s production of Brunello in 2003. It will be sold simply as 2003 Argiano IGT. The rest is being held back for the future. Schaeffer was in New York when I spoke to him on the phone from Tuscany. He was checking with his importer, trying to predict how the market will react. I really can’t say myself. I will have a better idea when I arrive in the States in a few days for the Grand Tour tasting in New York on April 29 and in Las Vegas on May 3. I will have the chance to talk face-to-face to both consumers and those in the wine trade. What do you think about Argiano’s decision? Apparently, Antinori is thinking about doing the same thing with its 2003 Brunello di Montalcino Pian delle Vigne. Sources there say that they also cannot afford to hold on to their stock of Brunello while authorities decide on which, if any, rules they may have broken. Nothing new has come to light since the original story was reported, other than masses of rumors and misinformation in the Italian press. Brunello producers on a whole have been put on trial in the media in Italy, despite the fact that no one has been formally charged or found guilty of wrongdoing. Granted, I know that some producers have been found to have plantings other than Sangiovese in their Brunello vineyards. Whether they used these non-Sangiovese grapes in their Brunello remains to be determined. And there's been no mention of what the penalties for breaking the rules will be. Yet many producers such as Argiano are already suffering. Even wine producers outside of the delimited area for Brunello di Montalcino are facing increased scrutiny. I have heard from numerous producers of high-quality wines that merchants around the world are now asking for analysis as well as guarantees of the authenticity of their wines, despite the fact that many don’t even make Brunello. (The public prosecutor's office issued a statement in March categorically denying that the police were investigating the possibility that Brunello wines included grapes from Puglia, in southern Italy; Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita regulations stipulate that Brunello must contain only Sangiovese grapes from vineyards officially registered with the consortium.) The sad thing is that Argiano made a very good-quality 2003 Brunello, which I have already rated for the magazine. In fact, a number of outstanding 2003 Brunellos are rated in the newest edition of the magazine dated May 15. I tasted the wines blind and I judged what was in the glass. I guess I will have to retaste those that have been declassified. “This is all very sad, even ridiculous,” said Schaeffer over the phone. “It’s all been blown out of proportion. We make a natural product. It’s all grapes. We have worked so hard over the last four years to improve our vineyards and our winery, and now this happens … but we have supporters. And we believe people care.”
FYI. Here is a copy of a letter I received from Argiano today from the owner of the estate. Montalcino, April 21st 2008 Dear Wine Lovers, I am deeply troubled and extremely sadden by the recent events that have had such a serious impact on our very lovely area and, inevitably, my heart goes out to all the people who for many years have worked very hard and with dedication to produce our wine, and to our faithful customers who have followed us with great passion. During the past weeks, Brunello di Montalcino has been undergoing fierce attacks that fuel controversy and negatively influence the work done by all the winemakers in the area and their legacy, which is now recognized at international level. The Consortium is doing a great deal of valuable work to defend all that we have achieved, helping to shed light upon what has happened and upholding the quality of our products with precision and expertise. Given the philosophy that has always inspired us at Argiano, we are unable to stand back and wait for the events to take their course. Our foremost wish is to enable our faithful customers to enjoy our excellent wine this year as well. For this reason we will make a great sacrifice, one that is truly enormous for a winemaking company � we will declassify our top wine, our flagship. In this unforgettable and unique year there will be a new label: IL DUEMILATRE DI ARGIANO. We have decided to change the name, contained in the classic label that has become our symbol, but leaving the wine unchanged in its essence, the same as ever, the same wine that on more than one occasion has permitted us to win praise and awards. We steadfastly keep to our values and our enthusiasm, which are firmly rooted in our history, dating back to 1580. The dream that has guided my life is this: to transform emotions into something unique, sensual and fascinating to share with as many people as possible. I fell in love with Argiano at first sight, I immediately sensed that this was the place where I could cultivate this great ambition of mine, creating wines known and appreciated all over the world. I have strenuously devoted my whole life to the wine world and to striving to achieve refined taste. Looking towards the future I feel confident that everything will very soon return to normal, also because I am fully aware of the good work that has been done, and that Argiano will be able to continue successfully along its journey towards excellence. I sincerely thank you for your time and for your continued support. Contessa Noemi Marone Cinzano
Thoughts on Brunello's Witch Hunt
Everyone was talking about the growing Brunello di Montalcino scandal yesterday during the first day of Vinitaly, the annual wine fair in Verona, Italy. Italian newspapers and broadcast media were full of reports on Italy’s financial police, Guardia di Finanza, investigation into wine producers planting grape types other than Sangiovese in their vineyards. I wrote about this on March 21. At the time, I thought it was only the growers association, who was investigating these vineyard anomalies. I had no idea there was a huge political battle between the local magistrates office in Siena and the wine producers association of Montalcino. The magistrate now is blocking shipments of Brunello from key producers until the investigation uncovers more. And he seems bent on destroying the region’s reputation with very little due process. It’s a vinous witch-hunt, for lack of a better phrase. Nobody knows when and where it will all end. I was in the most popular restaurant in Verona last night, Bottega del Vino, and the handful of Brunello producers I saw looked exhausted. They looked like someone going through a very bad divorce, or worse. I felt very sorry for them. And a number of them spoke to me about the situation. People in Italy often say if the Guardia di Finanza knock on your door, then they are bound to find something. I know a case when the financial police made a thorough investigation into one of Tuscany’s best small wine producers because they couldn’t believe how small his wine production was for the size of his vineyards. It didn’t cross their minds that he intentionally had tiny grape yields to produce some of the best reds in the region. They finally dropped their investigation. I think the real scandal, however, is how the Italians have handled the whole thing, both officials and the media. I can’t understand how a magistrate can have such unbridled power to make broad-reaching orders with no checks or balances. The Italian media is just as bad with its feeding frenzy on the whole thing, following a number of other national scandals such as tainted mozzarella and mountains of uncollected garbage in Naples. Stories on the situation in Montalcino are full of inaccuracies and stupidities. After ten years of living in Tuscany, I've found that Italians so many times seem to be their own worst enemies, but that would be a book, not a column. I still love the country and the wines. But back to the point. If Brunello producers have been adulterating their wines with Merlot, Cabernet or anything else, they should be punished in some way. The minimum is that they should immediately correct their vineyards and declassify their Brunello. The essence of Brunello is Sangiovese. It was created as a pure wine, just like great Burgundy. And that’s what we love about it. It’s what we pay a premium for as well. As I wrote before, it's possible that wine producers could have intentionally planted other grape types to boost the color, structure and fruitiness of Brunello. Sangiovese can make thin wines at times, and Brunello is aged for a long time in barrel or vat before bottling. That diminishes the fruitiness of the wine, especially in lighter vintages. But I still think that many of these illegal plantings are simply honest mistakes whereby the wrong bench grafts of vines were used when the vineyards were originally planted. Maybe I am wrong. Some say that the darker colors in many of today’s Brunellos has been because of the use of Cabernet Sauvignon or other varieties in the wines. Many critics are alleging that some Brunello producers have illegally added Cabernet or other wines sourced from outside the region to their Brunellos. This would be a real scandal (though an old story in the world of wine). But so far as I know, this is not true, nor a focus of the current investigation. In any case, when the Italian media and government finally decide to move on to the next scandal, someone needs to take a serious look at the DOCG laws and consider updating, or even abolishing them. They obviously are not worth even the paper they are written on and they are too antiquated for today’s viticulture, winemaking, marketing and distribution.
A letter: To all, A quick note confirming the gems you have to sell. In the market we work, it is a reality to say that sometimes scores sell. What you may not realize is to the extent of how conscientious one family is to “farming” and producing the world’s best wines. We all can agree that Parker and Spectator are not the end all for selling wine but…You may not know that in the last 10 years: Chateau Lafite-Rothschild
Chateau Rieussec
Chateau L’Evangile
Clearly this is the crème de crème, however, I challenge you to find a family that has produced wines at such a pinnacle and delivered these scores so consistently-you will find no one. In turn, I will also challenge you to find a farmer that has established the highest trading wine from the 19th century thru today. Frankly, only two wines have achieved that marquee -Chateau Lafite-Rothschild and Chateau Latour. I will add that the Rothschild’s have farmed Lafite since 1889. Thus giving them a perspective of farming one of the most important vineyards for over 150 years. What you may not connect is the fact that they farm, Los Vascos, Quinta do Carmo, Chateau d’Aussiesses with the same attention to land, quality and pride. Not to forget that they were instrumental in imparting this organic understanding of the land to Nicolas Catena and the venture Caro. The fact of the matter is the Paulliac and Pomerol are very special places. Yet there are mediocre wines that emerge from these areas. Domaines Baron Rothschild produces the best wines from these most covenant places. Regardless of the place they have ONE goal in mind-Produce the BEST WINE. The opportunity I present to you is to relay the fact that “Lafite” touches all of the properties in the portfolio and should be conveyed as: Los Vascos is NOT a wine from Chile BUT Lafite Cabernet in Chile
t is these nuances that make the wines different from any other not just in “marketing but fact”. It is only your opportunity to relate these facts. Always count on me as a resource and call anytime.
Alan Crawford
Hanzell Is Back, in a Big Way
This Sonoma Valley winery has a rich history filled with many brilliant wines, thanks in large part to winemaker Bob Sessions, who's now retired. On several occasions, Sessions and I tasted complete verticals of the winery's Chardonnay and its Pinot Noir, and for the most part, all of the wines dating to the 1960s aged extremely well. A couple of years ago, Hanzell became a victim of systemic TCA. Low yet detectable levels of the chemical compound tainted several vintages of Hanzell's wines, which I could no longer recommend. And for a while, the winery suspended sales of its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Stories like that are never fun to write. And to Hanzell's credit, its owner, Alexander de Brye, and president, Jean Arnold, took action to remedy the situation. Essentially, it became clear that the old cellar couldn't be sufficiently cleaned up, and they opted to build a new one. Now, after tasting the two newest releases, the 2003 Pinot Noir ($87) and the 2004 Chardonnay ($65), I'm happy to say that at least for me, the winery is back on track, with two classy wines, both in the tradition of what this vineyard and winery can do at its best. I'm hard-pressed to think of a winery that makes more age-worthy wines, so if you're looking for a Chardonnay or Pinot Noir to stick in the cellar for enjoyment in a few years, these wines are two great bets. Both are intense, concentrated and able to do what many wines can't—improve with age.
Chloè Wines March 29, 1999, in The Seattle Times:
25 years as a no-holds-barred wine seller
The wine business casts all sorts of characters up on my personal beach, but few as colorful and outspoken as Bert Mason. At 67, Mason is celebrating a quarter-century in the wine business, at the helm of Unique Wine Co., which he founded in 1981. He peers at me from across a table, casually set with take-out sandwiches and salads. He's brought a bottle of 1999 Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay and a bottle of 2004 Robert Biale Vineyards 'Black Chicken' Zinfandel, both excellent. Sitting next to him is Scott Murphy, Unique's director of sales and marketing, as smooth as Mason is bumpy. For some reason, Mason reminds me of a somewhat trimmer Dale Chihuly, without the eye patch. Both men would look good with a parrot on their shoulders. Mason holds nothing in, while Murphy, one of the true gentlemen in the business, holds his breath. As the stories of 25 years of pounding the pavement to sell wine come pouring out, villains are lined up and verbally slayed, while heroes, though few and far between, are honored like saints. Mason's world seems to hold no dubieties — good and evil are the operative modes. Unique is a distributor of wine, which means it occupies the middle tier of Washington's three-tier system (the state is the first tier and the retailer the third). In basic terms, a distributor purchases wine from wineries or importers here and abroad, posts the prices with the state of Washington (a requirement) and resells the wine to retailers — restaurants, grocery stores and wine shops. The business is cutthroat — there are more than three dozen distributors actively working in Western Washington these days — but Mason succeeds because he keeps his eye squarely on the consumer, and what the consumer wants. "We know what they like," he says confidently, "and that is right-in-your-face, forward wines. And the package sells it always. We try to get the consumer to reach for the first bottle. You do that with the look of the package." Sounds simple enough. But what sort of package sells best — animals, trucks, flying women on bicycles? "I don't know what that look is," Mason replies. "You can have two different wines next to each other, both with animals. One will be successful, one won't. People tire easily of what the shelf looks like. Something new and bright jumps out at them; they'll try it, but once they grab the bottle and pour it, they'd better like it." When he and his wife started Unique in 1981, he worked 18-hour days driving up and down the I-5 corridor selling wine, delivering wine and doing wine "sets" (displays) in grocery stores. "I couldn't afford to get sick or take a day off for the first three years," he says, sipping on his Black Chicken. "I couldn't afford to heat the warehouse; my wife had to sit there in long underwear with finger holes cut in the gloves while she did the books." So much for the good old days. There were other challenges, even worse. As Mason tells it, the wine-distribution business was a closed club, whose insiders tightly controlled who bought what from whom, and where and how wines were displayed. "Competition was worse back then," he says. "We would get into fisticuffs at a retail re-set. I would say, 'Touch that bottle of wine of mine and I'll break your [expletive] head!' This is happening right in the store! Stay away from my stuff." Murphy flinches, but Mason presses on. "The competition was so bad that when I was delivering up in Blaine, I had distributors up there — delivery guys! — [mad] at me for bringing wine in. It was a closed club. There was even a guy down in Olympia mad because I was [working] in his backyard." "You were cherry-picking," says Murphy. "Yes, I was cherry-picking," Mason admits. "Coming down with a station wagon full of stuff. He figured I wasn't paying my dues." These days, no one would argue that dues have been paid. Brands get built up carefully over time and then bolt to a bigger distributor. These are what Mason calls "high-velocity brands" — cheap wines that sell thousands of cases. This is where the money is made, and he says the three biggest distributors in town want to control them. Unique is number five or six, not bad, but not easy, especially with a staff of 48 to support. "So now what I do, since I'm a dinosaur," Mason explains, "I go out and shake hands and kiss babies. I'm a support organization for the Unique organization. I do whatever has to be done to help my people." You could do a lot worse than to let Bert Mason pick your wines. The Unique catalog is global and eclectic but particularly rich in wines from Italy, Spain and California. There's a good selection from Washington, and Murphy is particularly excited about his expanding offerings from Greece. It's a good time to be a consumer, says Mason. "The consumer is spoiled rotten because of the distributors," he says. "They fight for the fighting varietal tier, which is the velocity tier, so the consumer can buy phenomenal wines at a very good price. We've educated them, that they can buy a $7 to $10 bottle that is delicious stuff." "The sheer number of wholesalers means the market has more wines than ever before," Murphy adds, ever the soothing voice of reason. "It's always going to be a people business. The Internet has given people more knowledge to learn about wines, to try new things." Another sip of the Black Chicken, and it's time to wrap things up. Hoping for a warm and fuzzy parting shot, I ask Mason what advice he might offer his younger self, about to embark on a wine career. The pirate eye gleams; I can almost see the parrot shifting from foot to foot on Mason's left shoulder. "I would say don't do it," he says. "And the reason is, the competitive nature of the business would put a normal person into the booby hatch in no time. The [red tape] from the state, the money you have to have for direct importing, the toughness to get corporate buyers to bring in your wine; I think you'd have to be nuts to get into the wine business. That would be an absolutely honest answer."
An afternoon of Mount Eden in the Juans
Sitting on beautiful Orcas Island on a raining spring day while looking out at Eastsound - we put aside labels such as buyer/rep. This is one of those tastings that puts that aside and we sat as friends and old colleagues to just relish in our common passion for Mount Eden Vineyards. With Jeffrey Patterson (winemaker for the past 23 years) lead us through the past from this historic Santa Cruz Mountain estate. Sitting together family style in the dinning room at Inn at Ship Bay we let the power tasting begin. Luckily we had all afternoon to sit, taste, laugh and eat lunch. We began with the downright delicious 2003 "Wolff Vineyard" Chardonnay-very much signature Mount Eden-just a delight. We then sat down to 3 flights of 9 different vintages of Estate Chardonnay. 1st flight: 2002, 2001, 1998
2nd flight 1997, 1996, 1995
3rd flight 1994, 1993, 1992
Stepping into the reds... I have always loved Jeff's chardonnay and cabernets, but this tasting expressed a question to me why I never looked at his Pinot Noir more closely. As the previous Chardonnay's confirmed my love, the Pinot Noirs gave me a new love for Mount Eden. We tasted 3 wines-1999, 2000, and 2002.
Between the 2002 and 2000, again, we went back and forth-I think the 2002 was more electric with that enticing red fruit core, licorice, black spice, cranberry-layer after layer with beautiful balance. The 2000 was subtle, dark dried fruit, little of dust but I kept going back to it and loving it. And finally the 2002 Cabernet-to me, old Napa style cabernet-black fruits, with a little tack room-leather, cassis-not a fruit bomb-killer structure. Nothing like old style Napa Cab! This tasting reconfirmed to all of us that Mount Eden Winery is a major gem in the rough and way under priced. We departed with one thought-"We beg of you, don't tell everybody...please." We all left with a huge grin. For me and my family on Easter vacation on Orcas, it was just a break in the action, that night we had a winemaker dinner that evening with Jeffery and Geddes Martin, chef and owner of The Inn at Ship Bay. If you haven't been to Orcas lately, or the San Juans at that matter. They are filled with amazing Chef's. I beg you to explore. You will be highly rewarded. The off season is a great time to explore without the out of state'rs mingling about. Slow food/life is a thing we need. The dinner started with assorted Hors D'Oeuvres paired with the 2003 "Wolff Vineyard" Chardonnay-This was a huge entry crowd pleaser. First Course, chestnut crepe, cippolini onion and foie gras crespell with rhubarb reduction and wild sorrel paired with the 2002 Estate Chardonnay. Give me fois gras any day. The crowd roar was getting loader. Second Course, Troll caught king salmon, fava beans, wilted spinach and Morel mushroom broth paired with the 2002 and 2000 "Estate" Pinot Noir-that Morel mushroom broth just melted our minds with the Pinot-damn this good! A little bit loader now! Third course, herb roasted venison, asparagus, black kale and black currants paired with the 2002 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon-it all worked-the venison so tender, amazing fresh asparagus, enhanced with the black kale and currents. Is that lady really doing what I think she is doing? Dessert, assorted sorbets, lemon crème in shortbread crusts paired with 2004 Vietti Moscato-I thought I was done, but the sorbets were light and flavorful and the Vietti, well let's just say "no time like the present for Vietti Moscato". As Jeffery and I departed with big purple smiles, we said until next time...we're both going nowhere. My hats off to Geddes (G-Man) and his crew. Always first class. And finally, there are truly very few special wineries in America, I'm one of the lucky ones to have found a few like Mount Eden.
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