Friends and Acquaintances:
I suspect that many subscribers to The Thoreau Wine Society have tasted more than a few Riojas, Spain’s noblest and most elegant red wine. The problem with Rioja is that there are really 3 styles being produced all of which are on the market: The traditional—which is no longer the majority, the International (low yields, ultra concentrated, fermented in French barrels, sweet, oaky and dark) and the mixed regime wines. They all have their place but frankly it is the traditional wines which express the soils, climate and the personality of Rioja most accurately. The charm, finesse and gentle seductiveness which have characterized Riojas since they started to be produced in the late 1800s gets lost when the Tempranillo grape—the quintessential grape of Rioja—is subject to internationalist meddling. One of the best and most affordable of the traditional Riojas is that from the Marques de Tomares whose excellent wines are brought to America by Jim Turney, founder and chief bottle washer of Parador Imports. Jim and I worked together at Morrell &Co. for a number of years. He always wanted to bring traditional Spanish wines to the States and waited until he found a wine that pleased his delightfully old-fashioned palate during his regular visits to Spain from 1998 onwards
Marques de Tomares was established as a coop in 1910 and started releasing wines made entirely from its own vineyard holdings in the 1990s. Like other traditional Rioja producers, The Tomares family releases 3 wines: Their bread and butter Rioja is labeled as a Crianza—i.e. aged 1 year in new ands neutral American and French oak and then aged an additional 14 months in bottle before being put on the market. Their 2nd wine is a Reserva in great vintages like 1996 and 2001. From time to time tiny quantities of a Gran Reserva are made which sees 8 years in barrel. The vines from which all the wines are produced come from 2 distinct terroirs in Rioja Alta (the best part of Rioja) and range in age from 33-55 years. There is nothing virtuosic or egocentric about the operation: just excellent grapes handled gently and fermented and aged with minimum fuss and manipulation. Dried cherries, tobacco leaf, and cinnamon notes lead to a medium bodied palate which gently fills the mouth with earthy and red fruits nuances. The underlying dry texture is pure Rioja and lets you know just what you are tasting. Earthy yet elegant, expressive yet restrained, gentle yet persistent: A near perfect Crianza. The wine is ideal for Chicken, Pork, Cornish Hen, soft cheeses and roasted meats.
Bob Millman
2005 Marques de Tomares Crianza
19.85 per bottle, no minimum for purchase.Limited quantities- First come first served. Does not include local tax or delivery / shipping. Pick up option is available (please inquire).We ship to 48 states. Please reply with desired quantities and Mary will confirm your order. ThoreauWineSociety.com
Dear Wine Lovers,
Several months ago my eloquent and humorous (thus proving that these 2 attributes are not mutually exclusive) partner in the Thoreau Wine Society, Mary Taylor, wrote about Sylvain Pataille and one of his superb Marsannays.
During this past summers International Pinot Noir Celebration, Sylvain showed his top winea blend from old vines in several of his premier cru quality vineyards which he calls 'L'Ancestral' and it stole the show, as they say. Mr. Pataille is as passionate and knowledgeable about wine as he is likeable. He has risen to the top in the Cote de Nuits both as a wine maker and consultant for very good reasons: he has exceptional technical skills and a fabulous palate qualities which do not always exist in the same person. The moment you start tasting his wines and listening to him, you know you are in the presence of the real thing.
Recently I tasted several of Patailles wines at a tasting organized by his distributor, Michael Feuerstein of Pas Mal Importers/Distributors. One delightful wine that caught my fancy was Patailles least expensive wine:
The 2006 Passetoutgrain. This appellation refers to red wines made in Burgundy by the co-fermenting of 2/3 Gamay (The red wine grape of Beaujolais) and 1/3rd Pinot Noir. Passetoutgrains are the only red wines in Burgundy proper that can legally include the Gamay grape which, until the late 1300s was as ubiquitous in the vineyards of Burgundy, perhaps more so than Pinot Noir.
Gamay was banned from Burgundy by Philippe The Bold in 1395 but made its way back to Burgundy in the late 1880s. You just cannot keep a good grape down. By nature, Passetoutgrains are meant to be easy drinking entry level Burgundies. But of course when a grower/producer as scrupulous and enlightened at Sylvain Pataille makes a Passetoutgrain it will and does have an extra dimension of flavor and class easily surpassing the vast majority of such wines.
To the easy charm correctly found in Passetoutgrains there is a voluptuous and vibrant core of rich, mineral-drenched fruit which speaks very clearly the language of northern Burgundy. Patailles Passetoutgrain is indeed a synthesis of the best of the 2 grapes from which it is made: Delightful and arresting at the same time. Not many wine makers can pull this off. But Sylvain Pataille so often transcends his peers that perhaps this is not a surprise after all. This is a delicious, sensual, food-friendly and affordable red Burgundy. Can one ask for more?
2006 Sylvain Pataille Passetoutgrain
$21.50/bottle, 2 Bottle Minimum
Limited quantities- First come first served.
Does not include local tax or delivery / shipping. Pick up option is available (please inquire).
We ship to 48 states.
Please reply with desired quantities and Mary will confirm your order.
Bob Millman
ThoreauWineSociety.com
