A sommelier's guide to the world's most distinctively delicious beverage.: June 2011

A note from the author:

2 August 2012: I've signed on to author a blog for wine retailer Winenabber.com. Check it out at nabberjabber.wordpress.com

Closing in on one year blogging with you, and things are astir. I must begin by graciously thanking each of you for allowing my thoughts and reflections on wine to be a small part of your lives. I truly consider your willingness to value and trust my own impressions a humbling privilege.

For those new to my writing (and I'm enormously excited by the sheer quantity of new readers!), I would like to state simply the foundational belief that informs every facet of my professional career: If you choose to approach wine with an open mind it will provide you unique and genuinely rare beauty and enrich your life.

My hope with this blog is that I nudge you further into a life with wine and that the wines I recommend provide you ongoing pleasure. I believe strongly that living with wine is much better than living without it. With that said, when I began my professional career several years ago it was incredible how much I valued what other wine writers had to say about the wines I drank. I couldn't have imagined how quickly I would grow to so deeply cherish and nurture and passionately express my own feelings.

If you've read this far and feel worried that you can't know anything, that your palate lacks sophistication and precision, or that you should have known by now if you had a passion for the juice, let me say this: forget that forever. Trust your palate and your own impressions. Seriously. Lose the "know-nothing" doctrine and suddenly, instantly, new and astonishingly authentic pleasures will appear before you. This is True. Wine has enriched the life of literally every person I know who hasn't arbitrarily pushed back at it.

How can anyone change directions so quickly? My advice is to habitualize clear mindedness and be attentive. I call this "productive concentration." "Productive" because one is intellectually rewarded for patience and focused reflection. If we trust our own impressions and are willing to remain honest with ourselves, and if new experiences force us to rethink or even abandon our previous positions , and if our views and beliefs remain fluid and syncretic and difficult to neatly articulate, then I say all the better. Not to mention how much more interesting.

In a sense, experiencing and enjoying great wine is much easier than this approach may initially appear. After all, drinking wine is simple. Wine enters our glass, our nostrils, our mouth, our belly. And, hopefully, this sequence is remarkably enjoyable and merits much repeating. But inside of each of us is a certain place, some deepest part of our being, a part which no other animal that has ever lived on this planet has possessed, an indescribably deep and meaningful well where our most ineffably beautiful humanity finds repose. And wine goes there, too.

A dear friend posed the question recently, "Can you put into words the experience of tasting great wine?" I thought about the question for a minute, and thought about how my favorite wines have made me feel. I responded, "Experiencing great wine is like scratching some gargantuan itch you never knew you had." Wine expands our consciousness, and, often, dramatically alters our perception of what was already there. Wine asks us to spend time with ourselves, know ourselves, makes us feel a certain way, and gives us something beautiful to reflect on.

I am certain that the best approach to both life and one's craft is to talk to people, listen intently, then reflect and figure out how to open new and better avenues of meaningful communication. There is no objective guide to wine writing. Regardless, one finds one's way. And, I think, better is the way that most often leads oneself and others toward distinctive deliciousness, authentic and meaningful experiences, and a heightened awareness of beauty in our world.

In the end, there are only two questions one needs to entertain in evaluating a particular wine. (The third is actually unessential but, I find, meaningful):

1) Is this wine beautiful?
2) How does this wine make me feel?
3) What is being said and how is it being said?

Our world is crowded and moves quickly. Wine begs for another approach. Wine is inherently needy: it admittedly asks much of us. To appreciate wine, we must choose participation over spectation. The wine lover's life is a journey that slowly and unexpectedly reveals an ever greater awareness of what really speaks to us as a human being. That something is one's own sense of and search for the beautiful that, I sincerely hope, increasingly quenches its thirst through this astonishingly splendid miracle of liquidity.

A special mention of thanks to family, friends and guests for their support and continued interest in the world of wine.
May your exploration of wine be pleasurable and your glass remain (at least) half full,

Jason Jacobeit

Scores - Scores are my subjective analysis of the inherent qualities of a wine with considerations made for vintage-specific typicity, overall balance, and, where applicable, ageability.

As for the numerical scores themselves, use this adumbrated guide as a suitable stand-in for objective precision:

Below 80 Wines are flawed in some respect. Ultimately, these efforts will not merit recommendation.

80-84 A wine without overt technical flaws, but lacking distinctive or exciting aromas and flavors. Modern winemaking allows for an ocean of bulk wine production the results of which often fall within this range.

85-89 Solidly constructed, varietally accurate and most importantly, delicious wine. These are usually terrific table wines and often define the sweet spot for value.

90-94 Engaging and complex, wines in this range are exceptionally balanced. Knockout juice.

95-100 Wines of impeccable harmony, precision and depth. The apotheosis of the art of winemaking, wines here are beautifully crafted, thrilling and emotional.

Pricing - prices provided in reviews are generally release prices unless dramatically altered. When the latter is the case, it will be specified.

Quality/Price Ratio (QPR) - The QPR index will be an excellent way to navigate a large number of reviews quickly and efficiently. That said, I strongly suggest that particular regions and, where further differention is possible, varietal wines and blends be evaluated separately and on their own terms.
For example, many Spanish regions produce remarkably concentrated grapes from old vines that are consistently vinified into tasty, value-priced wines. The QPR range for these wines will, therefore, be relatively high. Contrastingly, Nebbiolo-based wines from Piedmont are more difficult to consistently ripen and vinify, production is more stringently controlled and the wines, generally speaking, more internationally sought. It is therefore nearly impossible to find varietal Nebbiolo, whether Barolo, Barbaresco or declassified crop, that delivers outstanding quality at under $20. The Piedmontese QPR index will thus be lower relative to their previously sketched Spanish counterparts. In the end, initiated readers will make wise consumer choices based on a variety of factors, including an understanding of the broader contours of the wine market.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

2004 Casanuova delle Cerbaie Brunello di Montalcino, DOCG

This is the essence of Brunello, generously flavored with the highest quality black cherries, shaved chocolate, leather and abundant licorice character. With a wonderfully complex, expressive perfume and already showing plenty of refinement in its expansive mouthfeel and super-silky tannins, this Brunello takes the middle road between traditional and modern extremes and travels it successfully. This is a beautiful wine from, in my opinion, the best Tuscan vintage in many years.

91 points.

Drink now-2024.

$60, QPR index - 1.5

Monday, June 27, 2011

Wine and Food - Episode 3

First: Caesar salad, my now famous homemade dressing, and anchovies consumed with total disregard for the social stigma(s) associated with eating two cans of anchovies with a first course.

Wine: 2008 Tegernseerhof Gruner Veltliner, Wachau, Austria

White pepper, peach and dried apricot come neatly packaged in this generous, richly textured wine that well represents the intrinsic aromas/flavors of this underrated variety while also testifying to the overall symmetry, freshness and complexity that vintage 2008 made possible. Developed nuances of fresh construction paper and bitter greens on the back palate only make things more enjoyable.

88 points.

Second - mom-marinated sirloin kebabs with baby reds, red peppers, cherry tomatoes, and red onion accompanied by Jori's decadent asparagus-wild mushroom risotto.

Wine: 2007 Montes Purple Angel Carmenere, Colchagua Valley, Chile

The nose on this monster absolutely saturates my olfactors with lit incense, a formidable mountain of extracted dark fruit, lavender and French oak. After an hour of decanting, my palate welcomes a heady, precocious wine dense with seriously ripe fruit, smoke, hung game, warm asphalt and more lavender. Already evolved and difficult (for me) to hold much longer, more patient cellerers will be rewarded with a multifacted, nuanced wine that will continue to develop in bottle for a number of years and drink well far beyond that.

92 points.

Dessert - My (also now famous) homemade chocolate raspberry ice cream, which I found slightly overridden with gran marnier character (which is an ingredient and not a subjectively perceived detail) but others (Jonathan) enjoyed zealously.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

2007 El Pecado, Ribera Sacra DO

Raul Perez's "El Pecado," 100% Mencia, comes from the DO Ribera Sacra, one of the northwesternmost demoninations in Spain. The fruit is grown on an unimaginably steep hillside vineyard and, unfortunately, vine age, soil quality and agressive viticultural practices combine to ensure exceptionally small yields and, consequently, a paucity of bottled wine.

With that said, I have simply seldom felt so priviledged to call myself a wine taster. Gorgeous, complex aromas and flavors of smoked salumi, roasted red pepper, blueberry and stewed, cinnamon-flecked raspberry fruit literally stun me with their authority, precision, depth and delineation. Let me be clear: the 2007 El Pecado is a stratospherically compelling effort and a remarkable marriage of density and finesse, proceeding across the palate with indelible, balletic poise and displaying extrordinary overall equilibrium. The ethereal, lacy tannings frame a wine that will easily evolve for a decade or more, with an athletic leannes that suggests it will last another two thenceforth. In short, this is as beautiful a vinous aesthetic expression as has ever crossed my lips.

Readers who know me well will likely appreciate the assurance that the ensuing score is not a typo.

Drink now-2035.

99 points.

$75, QPR index - 1.3

Monday, June 6, 2011

2007 Vietti Nebbiolo "Perbacco", DOC

The 2007 exhibits the essence of dusty leather, smoke, rose petal, black cherry and mint. Downright delicious and voluptuous on entry, the tannins build on the midpalate and are firm through the finish, lending an air of sophistication to the elegant, polished fruit tones. Through it all, beautifully enmeshed acidity gives this generous, medium to full-bodied nebbiolo not only a gorgeous, lithe mouthfeel, but almost the impression of levity.

The "Perbacco" is an awesome value in today's market and is one of the best overall values in the world for readers seeking premium, ageworthy reds that can be had at by-the-case prices.

91 points.

Drink now-2020.

$25, QPR index - 3.6

2009 Vietti Dolcetto d'Alba "Tre Vigne", DOC

User-friendly, soft and juicy, this dolcetto delivers clove, iron, plum and anise tinged blackberry fruit. The fruit profile is eager to announce its presence and a reasonable degree of balance is upheld, but there is little else of interest here.

85 points.

Drink now-2012.

$16, QPR index - 5.3

2006 Michele Chiarlo Barbera d'Asti "Le Orme", DOC

Bright and sweet, with ocean spray cranberry, bing cherry and herbs marking a round, generous expression of fruit flanked by integrated tannins and nice underlying structure.

88 points.

Drink now-2013.

$14, QPR index - 6.3

Thursday, June 2, 2011

2000 Olivares Monastrell Dulce, Jumilla DO

Wow. An extrordinary bouquet of candied orange, melted asphalt, licorice and gobby, decadent black fruit. Thick, viscous and oily, a towering enclave of dense, concentrated black fruit and chocolate syrup envelop literally every corner of the mouth, with rum and raisin nuances congregating on the expressive finish. At full maturity now, this is a massive, full bodied effort that somehow remains finely chiseled. 60+ second finish. Outstanding. Monastrell (dessert wine).

94 points.

Drink now-2015.

$20, QPR index - 4.7