The UnCorker

2006 Wolfer Estate Reserve Chardonnay

When you think Long Island and wine – and you do by now, right? – you naturally drift towards the North Fork. This is where Bordeaux grapes (especially Cabernet Franc) reign supreme – and a few big names like Schneider and Lenz have carved out a reputation for natural, old-world grace and command high prices for their wines. When you think South Fork & the Hamptons, what you probably don’t think about is Bridgehampton loam – but you really should. Because this is the stuff that is behind the scenes of a true off-the-beaten-path source of unique wines with exactly what the Frenchies dream of – typicity. Long Island itself is one big glacial morraine – which is the big mound of crud that a glacier dumps at it’s terminus. Sensibly, the glaciers in the last ice age decided to stop and turn around just before entering New Jersey. They left behind a giant mound of loamy goodness, perfectly suited for topping with Beaux Arts style waterfront McMansions with helipads. The previous owners at Wolffer Estate also recognized that nature had bestowed a great agricultural opportunity in this soil, so naturally turned to potato growing – and that’s the way they planted the place for a 100 years.

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2005 Bodegas Almanseñas Almansa La Huella de Adaras

Almansa has a tough reputation.   A windswept and battered landscape, it was the site of a crushing defeat for the British army in the War of the Spanish Seccession in 1707.  There is a saying among the Valencians, their neighbors to the north-east – Quan el mal ve d’Almansa, a tots alcança (“Evil things spare no one when they come from Almansa.”)  Up until recently, this maxim would accurately describe the (mostly bulk) wine exported from this D.O.   However, Almansa is sitting on a viticultural sleeper – the Garnacha Tintoera varietal (also known as alicante here) – which is, itself, a bad-ass muscle car of a grape and is the main focus in this region.  It’s not even related to regular Garnacha (Grenache), so don’t try too hard to compare it.  So thick-skinned is this varietal that in the 19th century, during its American heyday,  it used to be grown in California and vinified in New York (after a 7 day unrefrigerated train ride through the American south and west).   But in Almansa, the grape has been a key part of their post-phylloxera replanting strategy because it is high-yielding, a vigorous grower, and is scrappy enough to get a wine industry quickly up and on it’s feet again.  And unlike neighboring Jumilla, whose focus is on the softer and more finessed Monastrell variety, Almansa is committed to working with this problem child.  They don’t even grow much alicante in Alicante D.O.  That’s just how loco these Almansans are!

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Montecillo Rioja Crianza 2006

We love a bargain, but when big, aged Riojas wind up in the bargain bin – something  is probably wrong.  This wine is a Crianza, which means this wine was aged at least two years, with six months of that on oak, yet it costs about $10 in US wine shops.  It starts promising, with a concentrated, berried aroma and obvious fortitude.  A  slightly barnyard quality on the nose blows off after a minute or two.  It’s the taste where this wine really breaks down.  Slightly musty, astringent and bark-like, even after 24 hours.   We don’t see the craftmanship here, at least in their entry level Crianza.  And even at this price point, this is not an enjoyable bottle of wine.  This is a big, corporate winery (part of Grupo Osborne) – who also has a controlled image on the web – so be wary of reviews that read like press releases and trust us on this one.

2005 Vietti Perbacco-Poor Man’s Barolo

Vietti produces concentrated, age-worthy Barolo in Castiglione-Falletto- with the highly anticipated 2004’s soon to be released, prices will be through the roof. Fortunately there is the Perbacco, 100% Nebbiolo from Barolo vineyards. See, most producers make a couple ‘levels’ of Barolo- their top-end ‘crus’, or riservas with their best grapes, and a ‘normale’ with grapes that don’t make the first selection, either too young, not from the best parts of the vineyard, etc. Vietti doesn’t produce a normale- they use the grapes other producers would call Barolo, and bottle them simply as Langhe DOC- this allows them to sell their Barolo’s for top dollar, and gives us a medium bodied aromatic Nebbiolo that is pure and graceful- aromas of violets and tobacco, tar and a bit of plum, all wrapped around a wine of elegant structure. A bit of grip and good acidity make us feel that this has a few good years in it- decant and enjoy tonight.

Andezon Cotes du Rhone 2006

The Market is flooded with 2006 Cotes du Rhones, and if you know where to look, its a great thing for the budget minded shopper. For all of you drinking nothing but New World reds, its time to give the Old World another look. Throughout the Rhone Valley in 2006 vignerons produced plump rich Grenache and meaty smoky Syrah- Andezon is primarily the latter; it is a dense wine with spicy fruit, bacon fat, smoke and loads of herbes de provence. Great with grilled lamb or a spicy pasta- A serious value at $10