2005 Le Benducce de Tornesi Rosso di Montalcino Elisa Selection DOC

Mission Codename: M.O.N.T.A.L.C.I.N.O. Revisited

Operative: Agent Blush

Objective: Acquire an exclusive Rosso for our operatives.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Le Benducce di Tornesi

Wine Subject: 2005 Rosso di Montalcino Elisa Selection DOC

Winemaker: Maurizio Tornesi and Paolo Vagaggini

Backgrounder:

Rosso di Montalcino, made from the same grapes and in the same region as its big brother, and perhaps the finest of all the wines in Italy, Brunello di Montalcino, is younger and fresher. It is aged for less time in oak and is widely considered an excellent lower cost version showing many of the flavor characteristics of Brunello. Most notable, Rossos will be more youthful and crisp due a shorter oak regimen. Recently, Rossos have been deeper and more concentrated than in years past producing a wine that appeals greatly to the American palate.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark purple and ruby with excellent clarity (not inky like its Brunello brethren) with brick edges and solid viscosity and slow thick legs that hints at its flavor concentration.

Smell – Pronounced and youthful, tart red fruit and berries, balanced with earth and herbaceous flavors with hints of licorice and tobacco smoke and a slight floral component.

Feel – Full-bodied with solid tannins that grip the back and sides of the palate with a crisp acidity.

Taste – Red fruit including tart concentrated cherries, currants, blackberry with layers of oak, spice, tobacco and licorice.

Finish – Long and bold with tart concentrated fruit.

Conclusion – Overall an exceptional example of Rosso. Big and bold, very approachable in its flavors with the concentrated fruit and spice that we love so much in Sangiovese-based wines. Given the youthfulness of this wine, The Wine Spies recommend that you decant this wine for a little while prior to enjoying. Pair this wine with grilled game meat or hearty pasta. The acidity of this wine will even stand up to spicier kitchen creations.

Mission Report:

ring… ring…

My spy communicator again. Does it ever stop ringing?

“Hello?”

The voice on the other end, obviously electronically disguised, said, “Dead drop. La Loggia. 3rd Arch. Mark plus 18 hours…. Mark.”

The line went dead.

Who was that, how would I possibly make it to Italy in 18 hours, and how do I know it wasn’t a trap?

Requesting detailed analysis, I sent the automatic recording of the call to Central Command, where Agent Red was the acting Ops Chief. A few minutes later, Red reported back, suggesting that the source could not be verified – but that the 3rd arch of La Loggia might have some significance.

Approving the mission, Red arranged transport and I was underway. 14 hours later, well rested and ready for action, I hopped into my rental car and sped through the Italian countryside.

On arrival at La Loggia, a 14th and 15th century construction which consists of 6 beautiful archways, I noted that the area was filled with tourist throngs. On a beautiful day like today, I am not surprised.

Making my way to the 3rd arch, a young man catches my eye. He smiles at me as he passes me and looks down into his hand, which is clutching a small package. I follow him with my eyes and watch as he sets the package down next to a waste can before walking on.

Making my way to the can I casually scoop up the box and carry it to a nearby bench. I set my spy communicator on top of it and key it to analyze the contents. Almost instantly, the screen displays: “Findings inconclusive, handle with caution.”

Alarm bells ring out in my head. Looking around at all of the people, I decide that it would be best to deal with this right here, rather than risk upsetting whatever might be inside.

I remove a hairpin from my hair and use it to open the box (only spy hairpins have a finely sharpened edge). The box now open, I hear a distinct ticking sound. My heart races. I delicately remove layers of paper packing material to reveal two boxes, one large and one small, the ticking sound coming from the latter.

I take out the bigger box. There is liquid inside. Wine Spies don’t do bombs, for goodness sake, we sleuth out wines. The most danger I have ever experienced was when a corkscrew malfunctioned and I cut my thumb.

Gently, I open the larger box. Whew! It is just a bottle of Rosso di Montalcino inside. Relieved only for the briefest moment, I suddenly remember the smaller ticking box!

As I begin to remove the box, a soft voice above me says, “Maybe these will help”.

Looking up, I see a grinning Agent White. He has two wine glasses in his hand and a huge smile on his face.

“Happy Anniversary, Blush. Your first year of exemplary service to The Wine Spies has earned you this trip to Italy – and this incredible Rosso!”

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The Montalcino region can be viewed in this satellite photo.

2006 Sol Rouge Vineyard & Winery ‘The Gypsy’ Red Rhone Blend

Mission Codename: The Gypsy Dancer

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Reveal the truth behind the latest Rhone style blend from Sol Rouge

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Sol Rouge

Wine Subject: 2006 ‘The Gypsy’ Red Rhone Blend

Winemaker: Bryan & Jill Kane

Backgrounder:

The Southern Rhone Valley in France is famous for its Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan, Syrah and Cinsault based blends that dance on the palate with a range of flavors, richness and elegance. With the popularity and awareness of such wines, more and more California producers are trying their hand with proprietary Rhone style blends. While these blends do not have to adhere to the strict AOC restrictions, they do capture the style very well. Today’s selection is a perfect example.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Beautiful clear garnet and ruby red in color with brick and pink edges and a sparkling and springy surface.

Smell – Balanced sweet ripe spring berries including raspberries and strawberries, a distinct and subtle floral component of lavender (incidentally one of the most prominent flowers in the southern Rhone) and a hint of spice.

Feel – Medium bodied and smooth, with a sweetness on the tip of the tongue and a slight dryness that reaches the back and edges of the palate.

Taste – Solid ripe fruit balanced against its oak and spice components. The floral lavender lingers and provides a very nice complexity to the flavors of this wine.

Finish – Long, lingering and complete, the finish of this wine invites another sip, and eventually another glass.

Conclusion – This wine is an exceptionally elegant wine. Bright fruit flavors, a complexity of oak, spice and floral components. Beautifully balanced, elegant in its presentation but fun and lively!

Mission Report:

The call came in on my cell phone. The woman on the other end said her name was Esméralda and spoke with a thick French accent. Her instructions were simple: Go to the bistro Michel Richard in Los Angeles and order the Le Plateau De Charcuterie.

I did as instructed, and along with the Pâtés, Dry Sausage and freshly baked bread, came a glass of red wine. Immediately I was concerned, I had eaten at the bistro regularly, the staff new me and would never just pour a glass of ‘house’ wine.

This was no house wine, however. It was a French wine, or so I thought. Beautiful fruit, balanced spice and oak, and the unique scent of fresh lavender, lively but also elegant and sophisticated. Southern Rhone, I thought. Grenache, revealed by its sweet fruit aroma and flavor. I discretely took a sample for analysis back at the ops center. While I enjoyed the wine and the lunch, I wasn’t prepared for another scavenger hunt or wild goose chase of a mission.

As I was leaving, the garcon said the bill had been taken care of by a dancer. I inquired further. All he would confirm is that the dancer spoke with a French accent and if I wanted more information I would know where to find it.

Once back at the ops center, I dropped the sample off at our lab and results confirmed that it was indeed a red Rhone blend, but the grapes were from California and the blend was proprietary. My only other clue was that Esméralda was a dancer.

Baffled, I blindly called the dance studio around the corner form Michel Richard (made famous my the television show So You Think You Can Dance) and asked for Esméralda. The man paused and then put me on hold. Only after waiting for about 5 minutes did he return and said, ’The Gypsy’ doesn’t instruct here anymore. The ‘Gypsy’ I asked, yes, that was what she preferred to be called. I asked if I could review her file, he said, the only thing she left was a bottle of wine with a card on it. The card was sealed with the the note ’Hold for A.W’.

After I convinced them I was A.W. I was able to inspect the bottle. It was a new wine from Sol Rouge, specifically a 2006 red Rhone blend called ’The Gypsy’.

While the mystery of the Gypsy Dancer Esméralda still haunts me, the wine doesn’t, simply delicious.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Sol Rouge Vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.

2004 Rosenthal - The Malibu Estate Newton Canyon Merlot

Mission Codename: Malibu Merlot… Merlot Malibu

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Get our hands on the latest release from Rosenthal.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Rosenthal – The Malibu Estate

Wine Subject: 2004 Newton Canyon Merlot

Winemaker: Christian Roguenant

Backgrounder:

But did you know that the unique climate of Newton Canyon in the foothills of northern Malibu also provide the idea conditions to grow Cabernet Sauvignon? Network Canyon is a single vineyard AVA on the south-facing slopes of the Santa Monica Mountains and was formally designated in 1996.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Intense dark purple with garnet edges with long slender legs when swirled. This wine is also inky in clarity.

Smell – Medium intensity with ripe fruit flavors of blackberries, dark cherries, boysenberries, oak and spice. As this wine opens up, you’re treated with a hint of vanilla.

Feel – Full-bodied, smooth and dry, but with well structured tannins and bright acidity that enhances the tart fruit.

Taste – Big, solid, but well integrated fruit flavors of blackberries, ripe blueberries and cherries and a complex layers of oak, vanilla and spice.

Finish – Long lingering finish that lingers with its fruit, oak and spice components.

Conclusion – This Merlot is an exceptional wine that shows a distinct structure, solid fruit, well integrated spice and oak that will please even the most discerning palates. This wine is perfect to enjoy either by itself or as a complement to a great meal of grilled meats, pasta and even the sharpest of cheeses. We enjoyed this exceptinal wine with some great P. Jacquin Selles Sur Cher goat cheese, crudités and fresh figs and pears.

Mission Report:

Long time operatives know that while most of California’s great wines hail from Napa, Sonoma, Monterey and even the Central Coast region, there exists a fine winery, just a few miles up PCH from downtown Los Angeles in the hills above Malibu. At Newton Canyon AVA, only one winery grows grapes. This area while hundreds of miles south of the premier growing regions in California is know for having the ideal climate for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

It is this 2004 Newton Canyon Merlot that is the subject of today’s wine. Rumor had it that after the difficult 2003 vintage that Malibu was back. 2004 was a great year in Napa, and indeed other parts of California, but in Malibu too? Most definitely! Our inside asset Agent Blanc had smuggled a couple bottles of Merlot out early in the year with specific instructions. Do not reveal this vintage until I get formal notice to you. Just to be careful, I removed the labels from the bottle. I couldn’t compromise the wine or Agent Blanc.

The bottles of Malibu Merlot were immediately taken to the lab for full analysis. The tasting panel went crazy after tasting it. Arguing that this must be a Napa wine, others arguing this must be a Sonoma wine, all agreeing however, that this Merlot in particular had something special about it. Something indescribable, an elegance, complexity and richness not usually seen in Merlot.

Blind tastings are fun, especially when you are the only one that knows what your drinking with and the others do not. It was hard to keep my mouth shut. Not even Agent Blush knew the reality of this exceptional Merlot. (Its hard for me to keep anything from Blush; for she is trained in the most intense interrogation techniques given her previous work behind the lines in the DPRK.)

Just last week, in an urgent wire, Agent Blanc said we could reveal the truth behind the Merlot. When I informed those who had tasted the wine that this was the latest release from Rosenthal, nobody questioned it, instead, they knew the truth. Exceptional wines are the norm in Malibu. And this Malibu Merlot is no exception.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Rosenthal – The Malibu Estate’s Newton Canyon Vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.

NV Champagne Colin Premier Cru Rose

Mission Codename: Love Your Mother!

Operative: Agent Blush & Agent White

Objective: Find the perfect Champagne for Mother’s Day

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: House Champagne Colin

Wine Subject: NV Brut Rose Premier Cru

Backgrounder:

Rose Champagne dates back to 1777 when it was first produced my Cliquot. Ever since, the style has been a favorite. Rose Champagne is unique in that it is the only European rose that is made by blending a white wine with a red wine, in this case 30% Pinot Noir with 70% Chardonnay (the rest are reds that are macerated the skins to extract the color pigments).

This is a Premier Cru, that means all the wine result from the grapes in our vines classed Premier Cru. The origin is Vertus, and Bergères les Vertus.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Intense orange-pink and rose in color with excellent effervescence and a white delicate and creamy mousse.

Smell – Bold fruit flavors of raspberry, cherry and a nice mineral component and a hint of creamy fresh yeast.

Feel – Solid structure and body, nice effervescence and a silky texture that makes this a joy to drink.

Taste – Red fruits and currants, a hint of honey sweetness and its distinctive mineral and yeast components provides a nicely balanced drinking experience.

Finish – Long and lively finish that invites another sip (or gulp, if your mom is anything like mine!).

Conclusion – The Colin Brut Rose Premier Cru is a delicious Champagne with a robust fizz, flavorful fruit, excellent minerality. This is a superb Champagne for the price and will complement any of your holiday celebrations. Assembled with grapes from the 2002 vintage which is widely considered to be among the best recent years since 1990 and 1959 before it. Raise your glass for a big Wine Spies Cheers on this great selection.

Mission Report:

How time flies… Just back from a few overseas missions, I realized I had forgotten that Mother’s Day was this weekend. I can always’ count on Agent Blush to both remind me; and bail me out, and today was no different.

“Why not try to get an allocation of the great Champagne Colin Premier Cru Brut Rose?”, She asked. “Perfect.” I thought. But how, time was a factor, it was nearly unavailable, we had just returned from Europe and our local ‘French’ agents had thus far been A.W.O.L.

Franticly I sent messages via email, SMS and by wire to Agent ‘Terroir’ and Agent ‘Kid Courbu’, as well as informing some of our on the ground assets, should they happen to cross paths. Luck would have it that Agent Terroir called in on a completely unrelated matter.

“Terroir, can you secure a few cases of the Champagne Colin Brut Rose for me?” He laughed, “Are you serious?”, “Its assembled with grapes from 2002 – only the best vintage since 1990!”

“Yes, I’m serious. I need some for a Mother’s Day gift”, I continued.

“I’ll try, but no promises,” he said.

Sometimes its better to be ‘lucky’ than ‘good’, 24 hours later he messaged back:

TOP SECRET: Limited Allocation / NV Colin Brut Rose / Only For Mother’s Day / Enjoy and tell your mom you love her! / Stay tuned for some more great wine / Send Agent Baco Noir to Italy /Out/

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the House of Colin Champagne can be seen in this satellite photo.

2005 Sort This Out Cellars Cardiff Giant - Super Tuscan

Mission Codename: A Giant Tuscan

Operative: Agents White & Red

Objective: Determine if the Cardiff Giant is the real deal or just a hoax.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Sort This Out Cellars

Wine Subject: 2005 Cardiff Giant – Super Tuscan Inspired Blend

Winemaker: Michael Cobb & Jeff Munsey

Backgrounder:

There is no question that Super Tuscans are among The Wine Spies’ favorite Sangiovese-based wines. This Super Tuscan inspired blend is 85% Sangiovese that is perfectly balanced with the intense fruit qualities of Cabernet Sauvignon, both grown in Napa Valley.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark purple and ruby red with brick colored edges. Excellent clarity and lots of long slender legs when swirled. This wine also shows a thicker viscosity.

Smell – Bold and intense black fruit including currants and blackberries and tasted oak with hints of toasted vanilla. A pair of spice components of pepper and licorice also complement the balanced flavors.

Feel – This full-bodied wine is initially smooth then this wine hits you with firm tannins that are slightly grippy and dry.

Taste – Big and tart fruit flavors of cherries and black currant, spicy pepper and licorice and a hint of oak. The typical zest that we love in Sangiovese shows nicely in this wine.

Finish – Long and bold with lingering fruit and spice.

Conclusion – While the Cardiff Giant may be a hoax, this Sangiovese blend is the real deal. Big, bold and true to its Super Tuscan inspiration. This wine will pair well with your boldest kitchen creations and is perfect for your upcoming BBQ season.

Mission Report:

The Ops Center had been flooded for weeks with reports about the ‘Cardiff Giant’. Most of the internal intelligence staff ignored the reports. “Its just a hoax”, Agent Blush exclaimed. “Don’t you guys know anything?” in her typical, well lets just say ‘condescending’ way…

Rumor had it that a few local California wine makers had rediscovered the wine equivalent of the giant – this time taking the form of a Super Tuscan inspired blend. The original Cardiff Giant, dating back to 1869, turned out to be a hoax. A crude facsimile of the real thing. Would this wine giant turn out to be the real thing? Too often, we were disappointed, hence the skepticism of the staff. Even going as far as not allowing us to pursue it on a formal mission.

Agent Red and I knew better. We knew the guys down at Sort This Out Cellars. We knew their irreverent ways, but more importantly we knew their passion for making great wines. But would the Cardiff Giant live up to the hype?

Working ‘off the reservation’ on this we arranged a meeting with Michael Cobb, one of the winemakers at Sort This Out Cellars who provided us with taste and a sample bottle to take back to the lab for analysis. Only after completing our technical review of the wine, did Red and I come clean to our fellow operatives.

The results spoke for themselves. Cardiff Giant is the real deal. Inspired by its Italian Super Tuscan brethren, this Sangiovese blend lives up to the hype. Bold, bright and intense flavors with that uniquely Tuscan quality that has made Super Tuscans the favorite of so many operatives.

If you love Italian wines, then be sure to put this wine on your list. It belongs in your cellar and perhaps more appropriately on your table, paired with a great meal.

But act fast, be sure to get your personal allocation before P.T. Barnum buys out the lot.

Note About The Label:

Today’s wine is presented in the first of three commemorative labels telling a unique part of the Cardiff Giant story. For more information, be sure to visit the Sort This Out Cellars website.

2005 Bourassa Vineyards Napa Valley Zinfandel

 

Mission Codename: Agent White Under Investigation

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Verify Agent White’s Love of Bourassa’s Wines

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Bourassa Vineyards

Wine Subject: 2005 Napa Valley Zinfandel

Winemaker: Gary Galleron

Backgrounder:

California is famous for its big rich and dark Zins. Most people don’t know that the Zinfandel varietal is genetically directly related to the Southern Italian Primitivo grape. Immensely popular, Zinfandel is California’s most widely harvested red varietal. Wines made from the Zinfandel grape have a wide range of flavors and usually have a distinctly spicy nose and pepper flavors. It also generally ages very well.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Ruby red in color with pink edges, luminescent highlights and surprising excellent clarity. Slow thick legs give an indication of the intensity and concentration of flavors.

Smell – Medium to bold intensity fresh ripe fruit flavors of blackberries and cherries, a spicy hint of pepper and balanced oak that evolves to a vanilla and caramel component as it opens up.

Feel – Medium bodied with bright acidity and dry in texture with firm tannins that coat the entire tongue.

Taste – Tart wild blackberries, oak and pepper are nicely balanced on this very drinkable and fresher Zin. A slightly herbaceous quality emerges as it breathes adding to the overall complexity of this wine.

Finish – Long and lingering with flavors of tart fruit, oak and spicy pepper.

Conclusion – This wine is a very drinkable wine (the perfect kind of wine) and is much more bright, youthful and fresh than your typical Zinfandel. Zin fans will find mush to like about this wine, and people who find most California Zins too big and spicy will love the nicely balanced and complex flavors of this wine that are not dominated by spicy pepper.

Mission Report:

Agent Red reporting in – transcript as follows:

Ops was concerned… White had been taking the spy plane down to Mexico, not reported in for days at a time and always came back with great wines from Napa Valley’s Bourassa Vineyards. Questions lingered, and even worse Agent Blush was getting suspicious.

I was dispatched to Napa to investigate. I hate these missions, as being a fellow field agent, I know what’s involved in finding great wines. Nobody wants to be second guessed, and we are fighting on the same team against the O.D.S.W. (our arch nemesis Only Drink Supermarket Wines). I had no reason to doubt White’s allegiance – I personally knew of many of the unsung battles we’ve won against O.D.S.W. He was on the front lines, and I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have there.

Recently White had returned with a cache of great wines from several Napa Valley wineries, and in particular he was raving about some of the latest Zins, Syrahs and blends. Upon my arrival at the winery, I was greeted by our internal asset ’E’ who quickly pulled me aside and out of the tasting room. He assured me that all was on the up-and-up and said the best way to prove it was to taste the wines.

After doing some barrel tastings and trying the entire flight my fears where allayed, the wine was indeed great, and ‘E’ had said that him and White were simply enjoying some much needed R&R while trying some wine (and tequila). I was most taken by the Zin that ‘E’ had poured. The 2005 Bourassa Vineyards Napa Valley Zinfandel just delicious. Fresh, young, balanced fruit, oak, spice but not overpowering. Its a very ‘drinkable’ wine – and that’s the best kind…

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of Bourassa Vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.

2005 LaZarre Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noir

Mission Codename: A Walk on the Wild Side

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Procure a quantity of Adam LaZarre Pinot Noir

Mission Status: Accomplished

Current Winery: LaZarre Wines

Wine Subject: 2005 LaZarre Pinot Noir

Winemaker: Adam LaZarre

Backgrounder:

If there is a bad boy rockstar winemaker, its Adam LaZarre. Okay, maybe that’s overstating things a bit, but if Elvis was the King of Rock & Roll, Adam LaZarre is the king of modern winemaking.

LaZarre is part of the winemaking team at Hahn Estates/Smith & Hook winery, where he holds the title of Vice President. He’s also the guy that was principally responsible for the mega-success of the Rex Goliath brand, which sold to Constellation Brands for a reported $30 Million.

Today, LaZarre travels the world, evangelizing for Hahn Estates and is away from his fields for more than 30 weeks out of the year. When he is home in Monterey County, he can be found in the vineyards or in his laboratory, mixing, blending, tasting, and making sweet music.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Medium ruby with pink highlighting

Smell – BIG gunpowder on opening, mellowing and expressing sweet cherry, amber, cedar wood, chocolate, leather and smoked herbs (no, not THOSE kind!)

Feel – Velvety butter, big in the mouth but not overpowering, with pleasing medium tannins

Taste – Deliciously juicy, with earthy berry, cherry, stonefruit and gunpowder

Finish – Big finish with strong and long-lasting flavors

Conclusion – A tremendous wine from a real star of modern winemaking, this special Pinot is a rockstar in its own right. Don’t let that turn you away, this wine has a refined character and an elegance that allows to fit in perfectly with the more polite sectors of society

Mission Report:

While on recent mission, one of my assets introduced me to a young woman that was ‘in the biz’. It turns out that she had some inside information on a winery that we had been gathering intel on for some time, Hahn Estates/Smith & Hook Winery. I took the opportunity, then and there, to recruit her as an active asset. This has paid off for The Wine Spies and our network of wine drinking Agents in a big way; this new asset, Codename Neutron, quickly tipped me off about Hahn (more on them in a future mission) and about their master winemaker Adam LaZarre, who had just launched his own wine label, LaZarre.

Neutron, who is deeply connected in the wine world, was quickly able to arrange a secret meeting for me with Adam LaZarre. A few days later, I found myself at the beautiful Hahn Estate where I was greeted by Neutron who shepherded me to the Hahn tasting room. I recommend that you visit this particular tasting room, with its incredible view of the Hahn vineyards below.

I stood there at the tasting counter, chatting with the friendly Hahn staff, pretending to be a wine buyer from a retail store in Beverly Hills. After a while of talking and tasting Hahn wines, I was informed LaZarre was at last on his way.

Adam LaZarre is a legend and I could not help but feel a little reverence as I anticipated our meeting. When at last a freshly showered and sunglass clad Adam walked in – with his sidekick mutt Maxie in tow – he gave a friendly wave and then walked right on by me, disappearing behind the tasting counter. He dove into an industrial refrigerator and then emerged with a cold beverage, which he quickly guzzled. After a refreshed-sounding, “Ahhhhhh!”, Adam LaZarre, still in mirrored shades, came up and shook my hand.
The next hour was spent tasting wine and discussing wine, winemaking, grape growing, chemistry, rock stars, more wine and finally, Adam’s newest wine, LaZarre Pinot Noir. A delicious example of one of my favorite varietals, this particular wine, with its leopard print label and cork, is quite down-to-earth and very balanced for a wine with a wild-looking label.

Adam invited me into his private offices, where we continued our discussions, this time discussing his new Pinot Noir in greater detail. He showed me this mention, by wine writer Dan Berger:

“2005 LaZarre Pinot Noir, Bien Nacido Vineyard : Racy central coast aroma of dried herbs and cherries, with a rich mid-palate, great substance, and superb length.”
I thought that was great for a short description, but you should read my tasting notes below for my more detailed impressions.

While this is a very limited production wine, I was able to negotiate with Adam LaZarre for a small quantity of this wine for our Operatives. If you love Pinot Noir, you will really enjoy this particular one. Try it and you will see why Adam LaZarre deserves all of the praise and credit that he gets for his winemaking.

What color are Adam LaZarre’s eyes? I still don’t know. He never took off his sunglasses.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The vicinity of the vineyard can be seen in this satellite photo

2005 Joseph Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

The Wine Spies Say:

If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes even better than that, as is the case with today’s wine from Joseph Family Vineyards.

SUPERIOR WINE ALERT!

We always feature great wines, but today’s wine is an absolutely superb Cabernet Sauvignon. Grab some, Operative, before we run out

Savings Alert!

Shipping Included + an additional 10% off on 6 bottles or more. Enter this coupon code at checkout (discount will be shown before you complete your order): SONOMASPY

Mission Codename: Joseph the Lionhearted

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Investigate the reports that Howell Mountain Vineyards still has a handful of cases of its fabled 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon. If true, procure any remaining cases for our Operatives

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Joseph Family Vineyards

Wine Subject: 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker: Scott Peterson

Backgrounder: Born of a partnership between two wine-loving families, Joseph Family Vineyards owners Jon Joseph and Bill Esselstein share a common goal: The perfection of the Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The wineries single varietal has improved greatly with the inaugural release of its first cab in 2003. With the release of their 2005 vintage, that goal may already be realized. Those Operatives that know these perfectionists, their winemaker Scott Peterson (of Villa Mt. Eden and Drummer fame), or their vineyard manager John Piña, know that Joseph Family has assembled a remarkable team – that make remarkable wines

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep and inky, burgundy-purple in color with dark concentrated color right to the edges and perfect clarity through and through – if you look hard enough. The wine exhibits a tight surface that settles quickly on swirling and thick, widely-spaced legs that move slowly down the glass

Smell – Bright, deep and powerful concentrated fruit of black cherry, black plum and dark berries with oak and subtlest smoky meat and early Fall forest floor rounding out the incredible aromatics of this wine

Feel – Cool and light across the front of the tongue, the wine really takes shape – and takes hold – at the mid and back palate where it coats the mouth and digs in with lovely medium and bright tannins

Taste – Concentrated flavors of berry, cherry, dark plum and smoky oak, with follow-on flavors of mildest Italian herbs, this wine also has great acidity for flexible pairing

Finish – Rich and deep and delicious, with flavors that linger and a good tannic bite that introduces a hint of dryness and keep the flavors going strong for a long time

Conclusion – This is a fantastic wine! Of all of the wines we have been tasting this year, those that hail from Alexander Valley are the most consistent in their overall quality. This wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon is somewhat heartier than those from other wineries in the region. This Bordeaux-like richness may be attributable to the extended time that the skins were left in contact with the juice (maceration), the deliberately low vineyard yields or the 21 months spent in-barrel. No matter the reasons, Joseph Family Vineyards has produced a distinctive and bold wine thatis rich and delicious – but does not overpower.

Mission Report:

Puma concolor. The California Mountain Lion. There I was, face to face with one of the largest males I had ever seen – and did he ever look hungry!

He emitted a low growl as he circled me, sizing me up. Then he lunged for my ankles…

“MEOW!”

“Okay, Agent Whiskers, you can see the bottle now.”

Agent Whiskers, as most of you Operatives know, is a Wine Cat. While much fuss is made over Wine Dogs – what, with entire coffee table books devoted to them – the Wine Cat is the unsung hero of the winery, keeping both cellar and vineyard free from rodents and other pests.

Agent Whiskers, Codename: Meowbec due to his unusual love for the Malbac grape varietal, is a special sort of Wine Spy. His ability to detect superior wine, before a bottle is ever even opened, for example, is uncanny. Watch for a Meowbec mission upcoming. For now, back to today’s wine:

I show Meowbec the bottle. On the label, a proud California Mountain Lion stands high above a vineyard. I place the bottle on the desk and Meowbec jumps up to inspect it. After gazing at the label for a moment, Meowbec declares, definitively, “Mert!”, an expression I have come to know means, “Great wine!”.

Opening the bottle I offer the cork to Meowbec, who bats it off the desk and onto the floor. His work done for now, he jumps down and proceeds to play a spirited round of cork hockey, a game that will likely last until the first of his afternoon siestas.

The wine is, indeed, excellent. No surprise here, really. Jon Joseph and his team are sincere, dedicated wine folk that are supremely dedicated to their craft.

A richly layered ad well-balanced Cabernet Sauvignon, I found best results after a few hours of decanting. This is a wine that loves to breathe a little before it is imbibed. If you have the patience to let the wine sit for a while, you will be duly rewarded.

Kudos to Jon and the rest of the Joseph Family, ummm, family, for producing such an excellent Cab. Meowbec and the rest of us here at Wine Spies Central Command love the wine!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the VINEYARD can be seen in this satellite photo.

Keen Operatives will note the location of the Joseph Family vineyards and the proximity to their prestigious neighbors!

2003 Chateau Marie Antoinette Cabernet Sauvignon Marie’s Reserve

Mission Codename: Let them drink wine

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Send Agent Red down California’s Central Coast, in search of a delicious and representative Cabernet Sauvignon

Mission Status: Accomplished

Current Winery: Chateau Marie Antionette

Wine Subject: 2003 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker: Marie and Bill Temple

Backgrounder: According to Thomas Jefferson, Marie Antionette may have been responsible for starting the French Revolution. While that may be true, the Marie Antionette Winery is far easier to love. Founded by Marie and Bill Temple, the wines that they produce run the gammut from casual daily drinkers to more sophisticated and refined gems. Their winemaking mission is to deliver wines of quality and distinction, without sending you to the poorhouse. Today Agent Red returns with one of their best wines, a special 2003 Reserve Cab. Read his tasting notes and mission report below.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep ruby red in color with a dark but still clear heart and solid color-concentration right out to the edges of the glass. The wine has a bouncy surface, but settles fast when swirled. The wine’s fat but tightly-spaced legs move down the glass very slowly

Smell – An initial hit of green pepper or chile relleno tells you that this is a Central Coast Cabernet, but right behind that big aromatics of red apple, cherry, blackberry and powdered chocolate round out the nose

Feel – Cool and smooth at the front of the mouth, then the wine’s medium tannins bite down softly on the mid-palate

Taste – Balanced and biggish flavors of dark cherry, black plum, dark chocolate and mildest green pepper with the a slight smoky herbal taste and light oak

Finish – Flavors last a long time here and the wine tails off with a mouth-watering acidity and soft to medium tannins

Conclusion – Central Coast Cabernet almost always share a vegital characteristic that fans of the region and the varietal really love. This wine certainly delivers the expected green pepper, but this is balanced by its fruit and the Merlot included within, which makes up 24% of the wines composition. If you have never tried a Central Coast Cab, please add this one to your must-imbibe list. If you are a fan of the Central Coast, this wine will surely please.

Mission Report:

“Qu’ils mangent de la vin!”

I awoke with a start. These words which rang clearly in my head were obviously French, but were beyond my comprehension.

Immediately, I grabbed for my Wine Spy Handheld, which allows me to check the mission status of any ongoing mission and to communicate with my other Agents in the field. I could see that our resident French expert, Agent Franc, was deep under cover in the Loire Valley in France, and so I could not reach him immediately. Instead, I queried our W.I.N.E. (Wine Internet Nexus Engine) and found that the phrase was actually a misquote. The original phrase, “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche”, originally attributed to Marie Antoinette, meant…

Wait a second! Marie Antoinette! I had overslept and would now be late to my appointment to meet with Marie Temple of Marie Antoinette Winery.

Dashing out the door I puzzled at my subconscious and its ability to dredge up an actual French phrase without my ever having learned more than a word or two of the language.

Fumbling for my keys, a voice called to me, “Hey, Red! Where are you off to? Need backup? Maybe I can provide cover for you!”

Agent Sparkle was a sight to behold. Even at this early hour she was dazzling, her flowing hair set slightly aloft in the morning breeze.

“Well?”, She said.

“Oh, sorry”, I replied. “Sure, hop in.”

15 minutes later we were in the parking lot of a local restaurant, a spot we sometimes use as a dead-drop or for trunk-to-trunk transfers of juice. I had arranged to meet Marie Temple here, to pick up samples for our review and analysis.

Marie arrived a minute later, husband and partner Bill in tow. The pair was jovial and exuberant, even this early in the morning. After a few minutes discussion, samples secured in my vehicle, we bid the pair adieu. On parting, I asked Marie if she had anything special to convey to our Operatives.

Her reply, ”Qu’ils mangent de la vin!”

1999 Howell Mountain Vineyards Beatty Ranch Zinfandel

Mission Codename: The Secret Cache II

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Investigate the reports that Howell Mountain Vineyards still has a small handful of cases of its 1999 Beatty Ranch Zinfandel Cabernet Sauvignon. If true, procure ALL remaining cases for our Operatives

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Howell Mountain Vineyards

Wine Subject: 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker: Dave Phinney

Backgrounder: Back in April (on Agent Red’s birthday, in fact), we featured a fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley winery, Howell Mountain. We were fortunate to be able to raid their remaining stash of the wine and our Operatives responded by snapping it up quickly. Howell Mountain makes wines of remarkable distinction and incredible quality and today Agent Red returns from another covert mission to the winery, victoriously clutching the few remaining cases of Howell’s 1999 Beatty Ranch Zinfandel, a wine so special that we caught him trying to hide a few cases away from himself. Read our greedy agent’s tasting report below, followed by his mission report

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep garnet in color, indicative of the wines age with concentration of color right to the suddenly-pink edges, the wine has a very bouncy surface and thick, tightly-spaced legs that move slowly down the glass

Smell – Dark and concentrated with deep concentrated jammy fruit of mixed dark berries, with a pronounced ripe blackberry, followed by smoky blueberry cobbler with a hint of vanilla and spice

Feel – Smooth, rich and round, with a quickness across the front palate that leads to an all over mouth-coating quality as the wines supple tannins take hold, especially inside the cheeks!

Taste – Layers of rich flavors that echo the nose, with pronounced fresh and ripe blackberry and blueberry up-front, followed by smoky dark cherry and mildest spice – with great acidity making it a flexible wine for pairing

Finish – Deeply flavorful and delicious, with flavors that really linger, plus supple tannins that add a hint of dryness and keep the flavors going strong for an extended duration

Conclusion – Yum! I love wines with a bit of bottle age on them and today’s Beatty Ranch Zinfandel is a beauty that is sure to please. A ready-to-drink wonder of a wine, no additional aging is required to be thoroughly enjoyed. Buy a few, though, as few more years of bottle aging would only serve to make this great wine even better. If you love refined Zins that don’t knock you on your rear with gigantic jam and spice, this one is a sure winner.

Mission Report:

For those of you that read our previous mission report, you may recognize some of what follows, which has been updated for this wine.

Sometimes wines become virtually unobtainable. This happens when a wine receives public praise, when rabid fans spread the word or when the wine gets accolades or rewards. These can cause a wine to skyrocket in price or, worse, sell out.

Today’s wine from Howell Mountain is a prime example of what happens when a wine gets some heat on it; When this fantastic 1999 Zinfandel was released, fans of the winery snapped up much of this limited-production wine. When supply ran low, the rest went even faster.

As a Wine Spies Operative, you know that wineries almost always keep a secret stash of their end-of-vintage wine hidden away, deep within their wine caves and cellars. As an Operative, you also know that we hare at Wine Spies Central Command can be very crafty when it comes to convincing the winery to part with a small quantity of these secret supplies.

Well, as you might have guessed, today we were able to procure a small allocation for you. We can’t tell you how we did it, but suffice it to say, we did it – and you get to reap the rewards. This is a very superb wine, with deep and hearty aromas, great texture and delicious flavors. This wine satisfies on many levels.

As a ‘99, its got just enough bottle age to make it a ready-to-drink wonder. It will continue to improve with age, so stock up. Once this wine is gone, you’ll never get your hands on any more.