The perfect wine for Christmas tree watching... Amalie Robert, "Amalie's Cuvee" 2005 Willamette Valley

More and more it seems the 2005 vintage for Oregon and Burgundy Pinot Noir is becoming a fail safe. With this in mind, it becomes easier to guess what you might expect from a small Oregon producer, trained by some of the best wine makers in the region, producing a low yield, 150 case lot of wine. Amalie Robert's "Amalie's Cuvee" Oregon Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley is that wine.

This confident expression of Pinot Noir could be described now as quaffable, yet lacks no potential for aging well. It is showing violets, red cassis and ripe dark cherry fruit. With how many subtle delicious cherry notes this wine offers, it was not surprising to find these young vines, just seven years old, were planted on old cherry orchard! The tannins are soft and long due to the restrained application of French oak. This wine would be wonderful with everything from light fare to wild game. Though if you are feeling festive you might find it to be the perfect wine to sip on while basking in the glow of the soft lights of your Christmas tree. That's what I did.

Though it could be considered a steep price tag for such a young vineyard, the price is well worth it for such an artisinal wine at $45.00-$55.00 retail.

To learn more please feel free to visit the following sites.
http://www.amalierobert.com/
http://www.polanerselections.com/producer.php?pID=2471

Union Square basement bargain hunting

As with many people who have hobbies, I'm constantly looking for the forgotten treasure. It used to be even eight to ten years ago that you could go into a wine and spirits shop that seemed to be moving mostly liquor and sift through their dusty shelves of wine and find some great deals. Now, as Americans, and really New Yorkers, are more educated than ever before about wine these diamonds in the rough become more increasingly scarce.

For those of us who still find the treasure hunt as exciting as the treasure, we push on in our quest. Well like a great angler who waits patiently, I caught a nice one this Monday. Monday being the equivalent of my Sunday, I spent the day strolling around the city. I popped my head into a few wine and spirit shops and found a gem. My find, four bottles of 2001 Jean Garaudet "Noizons" Pommard at $32.99 a piece. Now I will admit that this is a little above what I'm looking to pay for so called "find", but after weighing the following factors I had to go for it....

When I walked into the shop it seemed small and dusty with most of the dust settling on Burgundy and Bordeaux. Now for any Bordeaux fans out there I strongly suggest stopping by this place. Burgundy prices are soaring with the rise of the Euro and the fantastic vintage they had in 2005. So get it where and while you can. Ninety percent of the time you see a vintage that looks older than most on the shelves around it, ask yourself this; does the price fit the variance? For me, I already know that I love the way most 2001 Burgundies are drinking lately. I figured hell lets try it out. I bought them, went home, and began my research. It seems the 2004 and 2005 vintages are out there and selling for around $49.99. The 2001 vintage has all but disappeared.

I went home that night and slowly cut the lead from the bottle with fingers crossed. Sure enough the wine was kept in perfect condition (there were no signs of seepage). The wine was incredible. It smelled of wild flowers, cassis and wild black raspberries. There was no shortage on the palet. Weighty and round, long with soft supple tannins. I was taken to Pommard and could smell the rich dark soil in the air. Over the next few hours the wine blossomed and softened. Delicious to the last sip.


My thanks to the nice little Korean Lady that now runs Frank's Liquor Shop at 46 Union Square East! She was very nice and offered a %10 discount for a mixed case purchase. Their phone number is 212-473-3231.

Happy hunting!

SMITH'S

When Cheval Blanc is second best

What is it about wine that is so exciting?
Somehow instinctivly, when we drink it, we know whether or not we like it far before we understand why.
That is what Winethug is all about.
Let's tear down the pretense and get back to what is exciting and romantic about what's in the glass!
Let's make up our own set of rules, vocabulary and language!
Let's make up our own minds and develop our own opinions instead of reading some old farts financed reviews!

I've been writing wine lists and buying wine for restaurants for years now and I would still be considered a very young man in this business. I've watched peoples faces light up as I share something new with them thousands of times. These are my experiences. This is my insight on trends, tricks, and treats available to the public. Let's have some fun! This is my life with wine...