2009 Can Blau / Montsant, Spain

With 60 acres of hillside vineyards averaging 35 years of age, the Can Blau estate is located in horseshoe-shaped Montsant, a D.O. surrounding Priorat on three sides. Varietals are matched to vineyard soils, microclimates and exposures, encouraging wines of great depth and complexity: Cariñena is planted in sandy-clay soils, Syrah in chalky soils, and Garnacha in llicorella (dark, dense slate soils so celebrated in Priorat).

Despite the fact D.O. Montsant has only recently received formal recognition, it has always been considered a historic region. As a longtime wine source, this rugged mountainous area has a long tradition of producing wonderfully robust yet elegant wines.

 

90 Points on the 2009. "The 2009 Can Blau is made up of 40% Carinena, 40% Syrah, and 20% Garnacha aged for 12 months in French oak. Wood smoke, spice box, incense, lavender, black cherry and plum aromas are followed by a mouth-filling, round, dense wine with outstanding grip and length. It over-delivers in a big way."

-- Parker's The Wine Advocate

 

 

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In 1882 the stone castle of Chateau Montelena was built in Calistoga, California, and within a few years the winery was the seventh largest winery in the Napa Valley. With the onset of Prohibition in the United States, winemaking ceased at the Chateau and in 1958 it was sold to a Chinese couple looking for a retirement home. Ten years later, under new ownership, the Chateau once again became a winery and began producing wines in 1972. In 1976 Chateau Montelena put California at the forefront of the wine world by taking first place in the famous "Judgment in Paris" competition, in which its 1973 Chardonnay rated above all the other white wines there. A bottle of that vintage is in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

 

The 2010 Potter Valley Riesling is a wonderfully aromatic wine that shows layers of floral notes--orange blossom and honeysuckle,along with ripe orange, lime, apricot, and white melon fruits, all accented with sweet clove and nutmeg spice tones. Soft, round and fleshy on the palate, this wine shows a strong acid backbone without pronounced tartness. Rich, smooth, and juicy with nice density throughout, there are layers of white peach, apricot, white melon, and Rangpur lime leading into the long, warm and spicy finish.

 

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The Rheinhessen is responsible for the largest production by volume of quality wine in Germany. Historically, it was part of the former Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt, but is now included in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is also known as the land of a thousand hills and has been producing wine since ancient Roman times.

 

Eiswein (ice wine) is made from frozen grapes and dates back to the 1960s in Germany. The very sweet, frozen grapes are picked from the vine and then pressed while frozen. The watery juice is extracted as ice crystals, leaving a very small amount of juice that's remarkably high in sugar, acid and flavor. Eiswein is distinguished by the contrast between its fragrant sweetness and acidity.

 

Eifel uses only the highest quality grapes processed with truly modern standards and, unlike many larger German wineries, the family controls every aspect of the winemaking processs--from vine to bottle. The 2009 Heinz Eifel is an intensely concentrated Eiswein characterized by a pepper-laced pear and apple nose and offers eye-popping acidity, extraordinary depth and a long, sweet finish. This is an outstanding wine value.

 

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