Smith's diary noted an outstanding white wine that his party enjoyed with Maryland soft shell crabs, which he grabbed from an old crab pot during one of his expeditions just up the Chesapeake Bay. That also stumped us until we read Robert Parker's recent review of the 2009 Gassier Costières de Nîmes Blanc Nostre Pais ($19.99), also coincidentally available at Ericks. Smith rated the 1606 vintage 89 points, but with the advantage of over 400 years of winemaking in the Rhône Valley, the 2010 92-point rated wine is beating the sox off its 1606 counterpart.   "The 2010 Nostre Pais Blanc is a blend of 80% Grenache blanc and the rest equal parts Roussanne and Viognier, aged on its lees for six months, with some barrel fermentation but limited exposure to oak. It comes across as a top-flight white Chateauneuf du Pape rather than a less expensive Costieres de Nimes. Light gold in color, with an extraordinary nose of vivid honeysuckle, candle wax, marmalade and tropical fruit, the wine is elegant, has good acidity, and wonderful freshness, but a surprisingly intense, full-bodied mouthfeel. Following a tasting, I had this wine with Maryland soft shell crabs, and it was an exquisite marriage. Drink it over the next year." See the connection? See what we mean?

            Gassier also makes a mean red wine, the 2010 Gassier Côtes du Rhône Villages Visan Cercius ($16.99). There is no record of this wine having been made in the seventeenth century, but it's enough that it's being made today. Here's what the loquacious Robert Parker says about it (93 points): "Wow, is this an exciting wine! A custom cuvee put together by importer Eric Solomon along with the brilliant oenologist Philippe Cambie and Costieres de Nimes' up-and-coming superstar, Michel Gassier, this blend of 85% Grenache and 15% Syrah (and there are 5,000 cases for the US) comes from the 70- to 80-year-old Grenache vines on the plateau of Domazan to the south of Chateauneuf du Pape. This sensational wine tastes more like Chateauneuf du Pape than just about any Cotes du Rhone one is likely to find. It is also another example of what looks to be another great vintage emerging from the southern Rhone - 2010. This is one of the greatest Cotes du Rhones I have ever tasted - wonderfully intense, deep ruby with some purple tinges, with a stunning nose of black raspberry liqueur intermixed with sweet cherries, licorice, pepper and Provencal lavender. Round, generous, opulent and heady, this fabulously intense, hedonistic wine should be drunk over the next 3-4 years. Bravo!"