wine journalNovember/December 2015

A B C F I N E W I N E & S P I R I T S W I N E M A G A Z I N E

Catching up with Banfi, WINERY OF THE YEAR

Do You Want to Build a Cellar?

It’s always sunny in Australia (but especially during the holidays)

The ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Wine Journal is a bimonthly publication of ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. Copyright 2015 ABC Liquors, Inc. All rights reserved.

Not all products are available in all stores. If the product you’re looking for isn’t available, ask us to order it for you! Allie Smallwood Editor allies@abcfws.com Meghan Guarino Contributing Editor meghang@abcfws.com

Brad Lewis Contributing Editor OUR WINE EXPERTS:

Jim Greeley Southwest Florida Wine and Spirits Supervisor

Shayne Hebert Central Florida Wine and Spirits Supervisor

Atanas Nechkov Central Florida Wine and Spirits Supervisor

Paul Quaglini Southeast Florida Wine and Spirits Supervisor

Bill Stobbs West Florida Wine and Spirits Supervisor

Dan Eddy Northeast Florida Wine and Spirits Supervisor

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VINTAGE PORTO: RARE & CLASSICMake memories with these Vintage Portos.

EVERY-DAY-BUT-THANKSGIVING ITALIAN REDSPiedmont delivers some casual options for the days between the holidays.

DO YOU WANT TO BUILD A CELLAR?It’s a wine-saturated world, and you might need a cellar to keep up.

THE CHAMPAGNE SELECTIONIf 2015 was a great year, there’s Champagne. If not, there’s still Champagne.

15 WINES TO TRY BEFORE THE END OF 2015Everybody loves a countdown. Try these wines before the end of the year.

THE HOLIDAYS DOWN UNDERAs in Florida, the Southern Hemisphere has learned how to do holiday wining and dining with plenty of sunshine.

BRAD LEWIS CALLS IT A DAYBye bye, Brad! One of Florida’s premier wine guys says sayonara.

BRAD’S SWAN SONG PICKSBrad’s headed out of town, but not before one last piece of advice: Drink Burgundy for Thanksgiving.

CASTELLO BANFI: WINERY OF THE YEARCastello Banfi focuses on more than just their mouthwatering wines. Learn more with Cristina Mariani-May, co-CEO of the Winery of the Year.

GOULEYANT MALBEC CAHORS 2013With deep color that inspired the nickname the “Black Wine of Cahors” this liquid was adopted by the Orthodox Church as Mass wine. It is now becoming increasingly popular with wine enthusiasts of the 21st century to whom it is better known as Malbec.

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I’m dreaming of a White Christmas… but if the white runs out, we’ll drink the red.

VINTAGE PORTO: Rare & Classic

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is the season for lavish meals with our loved ones, where a little bubbly or perhaps something sweet and rich is more apropos to pair with cheese or dessert. The holidays are a great opportunity to treat ourselves to wines outside of the standard rotation, away from the still whites and reds we enjoy year round. As the temps outside begin to drop, what better way to end the evening than with a glass of one of the world’s great fortified wines, Vintage Porto.

More commonly referred to as port, Porto is the famous fortified wine of the Douro region of Portugal. The name is derived from the city of Oporto on the Atlantic coast. The term “fortified wine” refers to the introduction of grape spirit (brandy) during key moments of the winemaking process. For port, the spirit is added during fermentation, elevating the alcohol and leaving some natural residual sugars, thus giving the wine its distinctive sweetness.

Fortifying is a tradition that stems from a time before airplanes or railways, when voyage on wooden ships was the mode of the day. In an age before refrigeration, fortifying a wine could ensure its arrival at far flung ports of call in fine drinking condition rather than degrading into vinegar along the way. Among the benefits of continuing this painstaking method today, aside from producing a beverage that’s utterly delicious to drink, is the fact these wines can stand the test of time in the cellar too.

Porto is typically made with the Douro’s best indigenous grape varietals, including Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (also known as Tempra-nillo), Touriga Francesa, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cão and Tinta Amarela. The grapevines are planted on steeply terraced vineyards along the rugged terrain of the Cima Corgo. Porto wines come in several styles; among them are Ruby, Tawny, Indicated Age Tawny (10-year, 20-year, etc.), Late-Bottled Vintage (LBV) and Vintage. At less than two percent of production and only made in the best years, Vintage Portos are among the rarest releases a great port house like Symington or Fonseca Guimaraens will make. On average these “vin-tage” years are declared about three times in a decade. The most recent universally declared

year was 2011 and the Vintage Portos of that year are considered instant classics by the top wine publications including the Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator.

The 2011s excel with ample freshness, fruit and balance. The combination of finesse, depth and richness displayed by them in their relative youth is remarkable. They can offer immediate gratification and drinking pleasure paired now with rich chocolate desserts or blue-veined cheeses like Stilton. Yet they will also provide the astute port collector with potentially several decades of future development and enjoyment.

The Symington Family, fine port shippers since 1882, are behind several legendary Porto marques including Graham’s, Warre’s and single-quinta estate Quinta do Vesuvio. The 2011 Graham’s Vintage Porto ($80) offers dark chocolate and juicy black raspberry with Asian spices and a long detailed finish. It received a rating of 95-97 points from the Wine Advocate. The 2011 Warre’s Vintage Porto ($90) is tiered with sweet blackberry fruit and violet scents with fine minerality and density on the palate (rated 96 points in Wine Spectator).

Winemaker David Guimaraens is the sixth generation of his family to be the Porto busi-ness. Always a reference point for the region, his 2011 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Porto ($95) is complex with intense raspberry jam, Assam tea, violet and semi-sweet cocoa fanning out on a memorable finish. This exemplary port received 97 points from Wine Spectator. The Guimaraens family has long been associated with great Fonseca ports and their 2011 Fonseca Vintage Porto ($90) has the usual hallmarks of voluptuous dark fruit, power and structure, receiving 98 points from Wine Spectator.

Founded in 1588, Croft is the oldest port firm still active today. The company is well regarded for its Vintage Portos as well as its range of wood aged tawnies. The 2011 Croft Vintage Porto ($70), with a 97-point rating from Wine Spectator, is almost opaque in the glass, with notes of eucalyptus, blackberries and leather. It’s lush and refined on the palate, culminating with a long, persistent finish.

J I M G R E E L E Y • @ A B C W I N E J I M G • J A M E S G @ A B C F W S . C O M

Not all products are available in all stores. If the product you are looking for is not available at your local ABC, talk to your wine consultant about ordering it for you. You can also visit us online at abcfws.com for an even broader selection of wines and spirits.

WINE LISTRED BARBERA Agostino Pavia Bricco Blina (p. 5) Agostino Pavia La Marescialla (p. 5) Agostino Pavia Moliss (p. 5) Cascina Chicco (p. 5) CABERNET SAUVIGNON Collalto Torrai Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (p. 9) Cornerstone Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (p. 9) Hailstone Impact Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 (p. 9) Oakville East Exposure Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (p. 9) Rutherford Grove Pestoni Family Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (p. 9) Santa Isle Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Reserve 2012 (p. 9) The Black Hole Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 (p. 9)

CHIANTI Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva (p. 15) Fattoria La Ripa Chianti Classico Riserva (p. 7) Fattoria La Ripa Mona Lisa Chianti (p. 7) DOLCETTO Chionetti Dolcetto Dogliani San Luigi (p. 5)

MALBEC Bodega Norton Barrel Select Malbec (p. 7) Finca Copete Malbec (p. 7) Gouleyant Malbec (p. 7, 16) Vina Alicia Las Computeras Malbec 2010 (p. 9)

PINOT NOIR Ma Fleur Pinot Noir (p. 7)

PORT Croft Vintage Porto 2011 (p. 3) Fonseca Vintage Porto 2011 (p. 3) Graham’s Vintage Porto 2011 (p. 3) Taylor Fladgate Vintage Porto 2011 (p. 3) Warre’s Vintage Porto 2011 (p. 3)

RED BLEND Banfi Centine Rosso (p.15) Serafino GSM (p. 10) The Chook Syrah & Viognier 2013 (p. 9)

RIOJA La Tercera Reserva Rioja 2010 (p. 9) SANGIOVESE Banfi Brunello di Montalcino (p. 15) VALPOLICELLA Nicolis Valpolicella Classico (p. 6) WHITE CHARDONNAY Buoncristiani Napa Valley Chardonnay 2014 (p. 9) Casas del Bosque Gran Reserva Chardonnay 2013 (p. 13) Fault Line Chardonnay Black Knight Vineyards 2012 (p. 13)

Frenchie North Coast Chardonnay 2012 (p. 9) Milliken Creek Chardonnay 2013 (p. 13) Muirwood Chardonnay (p. 7) Vigilance Chardonnay (p. 13) CHENIN BLANC Painted Wolf ‘The Den’ Chenin Blanc (p. 11) GRECO Tenuta Cavalier Pepe Nestor Greco di Tufo 2012 (p. 9) GRÜNER VELTLINER Höpler Grüner Veltliner (p. 7) PINOT GRIGIO Banfi San Angelo Pinot Grigio (p.15) Sant’Elena Pinot Grigio (p. 7) POUILLY-FUMÉ Jonathan Didier Pabiot Pouilly-Fumé 2013 (p. 9) RIESLING Dr. H. Thanisch Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett 2012 (p. 9) SAUVIGNON BLANC Jules Taylor OTQ Sauvignon Blanc (p. 11) Jules Taylor Sauvignon Blanc (p. 7) Picnic Sauvignon Blanc (p. 10) SOAVE La Cappuccina Soave (p. 7) WHITE BORDEAUX Château Martinon (p. 7) WHITE BURGUNDY Domaine Champy Pernand-Vergelesses 2012 (p. 13) Domaine René Lequin-Colin Bourgogne (p. 7) WHITE RIOJA Bai Gorri White Rioja (p. 7) ROSÉ Kim Crawford Pansy! Rosé (p. 11) SPARKLING WINE Banfi Rosa Regale (p.15) Cépage Arbane (p. 8) Charles Mignon Brut Grande Reserve Premier Cru (p. 8) Cuvée Comte de Marne Brut Premier Cru (p. 8) Cuvée Comte de Marne Brut Rosé Grand Cru (p. 8) Cuvée des 6 Cépages (p. 8) Graham Beck Sparkling Brut (p. 11) Graham Beck Sparkling Brut Rosé (p. 11) Haton Extra Brut (p. 8) Haton Extra Brut Rosé (p. 8) Banti Rosa Regale (p. 15)

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ith the holidays fast approaching

it’s time to start thinking about pulling

the corks on some of your prized bottles of

wine. Sharing that benchmark bottle with

close friends and family oftentimes ends up

being some of our most cherished holiday

moments. For Italian wine enthusiasts that

probably means you will be drinking a bottle

or two of Barolo or Barbaresco in the

coming weeks.

But what about every other day this holiday

season? Piedmont is home to a bevy of

indigenous, esoteric, red grape varieties:

Freisa, Bonarda, Grignolino, Vespolina and

my personal favorite Quagliano, just to name

a few. And while all these wines are consumed

locally, it is the more familiar Barbera and

Dolcetto you will find most often on the

Italian dinner table.

Barbera is the most planted red grape in

Piedmont. It produces wines that are marked

by high acidity, relatively soft tannins and

plenty of fresh berry aromas. Don’t be fright-

ened away from wines with acidity. Wines

with healthy levels of acidity cut through the

fatty components found in many foods. Our

palate needs something refreshing and crisp

between each rich bite. This is precisely why

Barbera works so well at the dinner table.

There is a great deal of versatility in the

winemaking styles of Barbera. You can find

wines aged in stainless steel, which accentuates

the wine’s fruitiness, as well as wines that are

aged in barrique which tend to have stronger,

spicier flavors. These stylistic differences are

skillfully displayed by one of my favorite pro-

ducers of Barbera, Agostino Pavia. The win-

ery’s three crus, Bricco Blina (stainless steel),

Moliss (large tonneau) and La Marescialla

(barriques), showcase three single vineyard

Barberas, all vinified differently to produce

three very unique expressions.

A recent addition to our portfolio and one

not to be missed is the Barbera from Cascina

Chicco. This Barbera is made in a rich,

opulent style full of soft, lush red berry fruit

that I find difficult to stop drinking.

Dolcetto grown in the Piedmont region can

produce wonderfully complex, food-friendly

wines at a fraction of the cost of its more

famous siblings. This is especially true when

the Dolcetto grape is planted around the

town of Dogliani. The town of Dogliani is

located amidst the rolling hills just a few miles

from where Barolo and Barbaresco hail from.

The difference is that in Dogliani, Dolcetto is

king and gets planted in the prime vineyards

with the best exposure. The wines of Dogliani

are known to be the best examples of Dolcetto.

Another recent expansion to our Italian

portfolio is Chionetti Dolcetto Dogliani San

Luigi. I tasted this charming wine recently

and was immediately captivated. I’m not

alone in my admiration. Antonio Galloni

gave the wine 91 points, noting, “The 2012

Dogliani San Luigi wraps around the palate

with dark raspberries, crushed flowers,

licorice, and cinnamon. Racy, perfumed and

beautifully expressive for Dogliani, the 2012

delivers all the richness Dolcetto is renowned

for here but in a decidedly feminine, gracious

style that is impossible not to love.”

Enjoying a great Barolo or Barbaresco

can be a sublime wine appreciation

experience. That, however, is no reason

not to seek out Piedmont’s more affordable,

less celebrated alternatives. Both Barbera

and Dolcetto are quintessential food pairing

wines that can bring delight to your nightly

dinner table. Why not add a little joy to

tonight’s festivities?

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PA U L Q U A G L I N I • @ A B C W I N E PA U L Q • PA U L Q @ A B C F W S . C O M

Every-Day-But-Thanksgiving ITALIAN REDS

Do You Want to BUILD A CELLAR?

he wine cellar is often thought of as the proverbial “I’ve made it in life” addition to one’s home. So how do you “make it?” Welcome to the three part series that answers this very question. We are going to go through the ins and outs of how to start a wine cellar in three different stages: the beginner (Enthusiast), the intermedi-ate (Aficionado) and the advanced (Professional). There are levels far beyond these three and many in between. These pieces are a compilation of numerous experts’ advice and practices on how and what you need to get started on your collection.

So, wine enthusiasts, what is a cellar? It’s a storage space with specially selected lighting and cooling based on the kinds of wine you wish to age and ultimately drink. Cellars serve a few purposes. Wine for the advanced and professional can be a financial investment, but for the enthusiast, wine is typically purchased for drinking sooner rather than later.

Having a cellar means that you have on hand what you want to drink, without having to leave the house. It’s about convenience, but it’s tailored to your palate. You can also secure wines that might not be available at your local wine shop the next time you look—because they’re an allocated bottling that you can only buy straight from the winemaker or mailing list, or made in such small quantity that they are rarely available. If you have a safe cellaring space, you can buy a case, or two, to last you awhile. But most importantly a cellar is about aging wine. Wine is a living thing that changes and evolves, which makes it both fasci-nating and unpredictable.

Cellaring wine need not be the preserve of the grand and loaded; a simple dorm fridge hidden away in your garage can be repurposed for a wine cellar.

Something to consider: How do you use wine in your daily life? If you like to entertain, you may want to designate a “house wine” (one you aren’t embarrassed to serve strangers or friends and that doesn’t break the bank). Or maybe you prefer a collection of “stand out” bottles to share?

Another question to ask yourself when planning you first cellar is: What kind of wine drinker am I? Think about the people you spend the most time with or entertain the most. What do they like to sip on? Does your “wine-thirty” not start until there is Chardonnay or some other aperitif in your glass, or do you begin your evening taking no prisoners and jump right in to a glass of big, bold red? If you routinely begin your festivities with a white wine then you should consider a 50/50 ratio for your cellar.

Once you have determined a ratio for your cellar you’ll need to determine what to fill it with! The bottom line here is, for the purpose of starting a beginner cellar, the best wine is the wine that you like. Start by determining your “house wines” for entertaining and invest in a case or two of those. For the more serious collection of your cellar—the wines you wait for a nice dinner or festive occasion to open—there are a few guidelines that might help you narrow down your options. Most pros suggest buying at least three bottles of any wine that you wish to cellar.

“Don’t buy one bottle at a time. You’ll never drink them. And if one is corked it will be the saddest day of your life, having toted around that useless time-bomb of misery around with you for years. Buy at least three of anything,” says sommelier Steven Grubbs.

You might want to pick a focus for your purchas-es: “Pick one or two things that you love and buy those regularly,” says sommelier Jackson Rorh-baugh. “It’s more fun to understand a few regions or producers in depth than it is to tackle every-thing. Pick a village in Burgundy and buy three different producers’ wines from the same vintage.”

A good cellar will supply a steady flow of wines for a multitude of different occasions and palates. So let’s tackle the white wines. You’ll want to keep an array of aperitif wines which are light and easy-drinking. Great examples are Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, white Bordeaux, Italian Pinot Grigio, Portuguese Vino Verde, a Muscadet

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H E AT H E R B U R T O N • @ A B C W I N E H E AT H E R B • H E AT H E R B @ A B C F W S . C O M

Wine is a living thing that changes and evolves, which makes it both fascinating and unpredictable.

Source: Houzz.com

from the Loire, or get creative and grab some Grüner Veltliner from Austria or New Zealand.

These wines are typically inexpensive and are palate pleasers, so having two of each on hand will get you started with a case of “house white” for your cellar.

A drier wine with more depth is necessary to accompany food. Ideal options in this category in-clude: white Burgundy, a Mâcon-Villages or even a regional Bourgogne, a few California and Australian Chardonnays, an Italian Soave or one of my favorites, a white Rioja from Spain. Choose two of each! Next select a couple of those “stand out” bottles, the ones you don’t open at a party; you should consider these wines research for the next level of your cellar, the Intermediate or Aficionado stage. We will discuss the Intermediate cellar in the next issue.

Determining reds will follow the same guidelines: Pick your “house wines” and get a mixed case or two depending again on the ratio you’ve decided, then select your stand-outs. Reliable wines for every-day use is the goal for your house wines, and the best options are coming out of Chile, Argentina or Southwest France, including French country wines like the ones from Languedoc, Southern Italian blends and Primativos, and of course California Cabernets and many blends. Don’t forget to include some lighter reds that don’t require aging, such as Beaujolais, Valpolicella, Chianti and Pinot Noir.

Next you should include some medium-strength reds for the more serious part of your cellar. Wines that when poured can stand up to and complement most meat dishes. Bordeaux, Rhône Valley, Burgundy, Portuguese reds and Crianza Riojas from Spain are your stomping ground here. These are wines that can age five years or more, will improve with time, are fascinating and enjoyable along the way and inexpensive enough to enjoy as an everyday wine. Don’t forget to grab a few of your “stand out” bottles for that prime steak dinner you’ve been craving!

You will want to have at least one sparkling, one rosé and one dessert wine, though I feel there is always a reason to celebrate and prefer to do so with bubbles. If you’re like me, up the sparkle count to 3-4 bottles. As far as the dessert wine goes, keep it simple and choose a Late Bottle Vintage Port for a red and a botrytised Sauterne style white (there are several good examples from the French regions of Sainte-Croix-du-Mont and Loupiac).

This is the stuff our wine consultants dream about (filling up a cellar), so know they are delighted to help you build your cellar. Happy Holidays and joyful sipping!

A S U G G E S T E D S E L E C T I O NWhite Wines

White Wines Red Wines

Jules Taylor Sauvignon Blanc,

New Zealand ($15)

Muirwood Chardonnay,

California ($11)

Château Martinon White

Bordeaux, France ($12)

La Cappuccina Soave,

Italy ($12)

Sant’Elena Pinot Grigio,

Italy ($22)

Bai Gorri White Rioja, Spain ($22)

Höpler Grüner Veltliner,

Austria ($15)

Bodega Norton Barrel Select Malbec,

Argentina ($12)

Domaine René Lequin-Colin Bourgogne

White Burgundy, France ($18)

Finca Copete Malbec,

Argentina ($11)

Red Wines

Gouleyant Malbec, France ($12)

Ma Fleur Pinot Noir, France ($11)

Nicolis Valpolicella Classico, Italy ($14)

Fattoria La Ripa Mona Lisa Chianti,

Italy ($12)

Fattoria La Ripa Chianti Classico

Riserva, Italy ($25)

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The Champagne Selection15 Wines to Try Before the End of 2015

ATA N A S N E C H KOV • @ A B C W I N E ATA N A S • ATA N A S N @ A B C F W S. C O M

he magic of bubbles combined with its unique flavors made Champagne the wine of kings in the past. Today we can claim with no exaggeration that Champagne is the king of wines; it is fitted for any occasion, makes a very elegant drink at the bar, is great served as an aperitif and makes some of the best food and wine pairings. If there was only one wine to be left, it has to be Champagne.

Here are some top Champagne picks for the 2015 holiday season and beyond.

Charles Mignon, one of the rare family-owned Champagne houses, is located in Epernay and is managed by Bruno Mignon, fourth generation. Charles Mignon is a blend of tradition and innovation but the absolute priority for Bruno is quality; the production is intentionally limited in order to meet the highest expectations of the consumer.

The three cuvées offered this year are:

Charles Mignon Brut Grande Reserve Premier Cru ($40) – A blend of 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay from Premier Cru villages, this Champagne exhibits yellow-gold color of perfect limpidity and very fine bubbles as well as aromas and flavors of peaches, citrus and white flowers; this is a wine of character and elegance.

Cuvée Comte de Marne Brut Premier Cru ($47) – A blend of 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay from Premier Cru villages. This Champagne exhibits intense gold color, tiny bubbles of great finesse and aromas of acacia, candied fruit and fresh almonds; the rich but delicate flavors linger on the long finish.

Cuvée Comte de Marne Brut Rosé Grand Cru ($47) – 15% of Bouzy Rouge is added to the wine (55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay) and is aged for 4-5 years. The color is strawberry pink with orangey hues. The nose displays floral notes with a subtle rose fragrance, very pretty and complex. The rich flavors are dominated by ripe citrus, apricot and hazelnuts; this is a wine of great finesse and power.

Most Champagne enthusiasts are aware of the three main grapes of Champagne: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. A lesser known fact is that there are seven authorized grapes in the region of Champagne which include all colors of the Pinot grape (noir, meunier, gris and blanc), Chardonnay, Petit Meslier and Arbane.

François Moutard (Champagne Moutard) made headlines in Paris a few years back when he first introduced his Cuvée des 6 Cépages ($60). Fran-cois added to the traditional Champagne blend the two nearly extinct grapes of Petit Meslier and Arbane. These grapes brought new levels of fruit and complexity to the Champagne blend.

François Moutard also makes a very delicate and complex 100% Arbane Champagne available at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits for $80.

My personal favorite, some of the best Cham-pagnes and no-doubt the best values of all time, are offered today by Champagne Haton.

The house of Champagne Haton was founded in 1928 in the Premier Cru village of Damery in the Marne Valley, prime country for Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. Father and son duo, Jean-Noël and Sébastien, third and fourth generation of

Hatons, are today at the reins of the family business and crafting some of the best Champagnes available.

At the beginning of 2000, the Hatons decided to develop a range of ultra-premium Champagnes that could compete in quality with the best names in the appellation. Haton Extra Brut ($45) and Haton Extra Brut Rosé ($46) were born.

Haton Extra Champagnes are created following these three fundamentals:

1. A high percentage of Chardonnay in the blend to create cuvées of great finesse.2. Assemblage of multi-vintage wines to bring out more complexity and “skip,” when necessary, a year of poor quality harvest.3. A prolonged aging of 4-5 years for richness of flavor and extra body. The bottles are stored sur latte.

In other words, Haton Extra is made from the best quality base wines and those with the best aging potential. Every plot is vinified separately in small tanks, a portion of the base wine mat-urated in oak barrels. Haton Extra Champagne bottles are riddled by hand. The glass bottle itself was specifically manufactured for Haton Extra; the color of the glass is black, filtering out the harmful for the wine UV rays.

The finesse, elegance and liveliness of Champange make it the perfect way to celebrate the end-of-the-year holidays.

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15 Wines to Try Before the End of 2015

e hate to admit it, but we all know it’s true… we love a top ten list! In honor of 2015, let’s add five to the usual 10 and countdown the top 15 wines of the year!

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

1. Oakville East Exposure Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 ($80) Every vintage gets stunning scores, and this gigantic Oakville Cab delivers big time. Can be drunk now but would be even better as a cellaring gift.

2. Cornerstone Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 ($80) Mountain AVAs are the most prestigious in Napa and this big boy has a great couple of scores to prove its pedigree.

3. Rutherford Grove Pestoni Family Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 ($56) With just a little more aging, this late release 2008 is perfect to drink now, showing elegance as well as strength.

4. Hailstone Impact Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 ($55) A little younger but that youth brings fruit and ripeness as well as density and richness. A new product in our market this year that really makes an impact!

5. The Black Hole Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 ($18) From a problematic vintage, this Napa Cab is softer than most with plenty of juicy fruit to back up classical mineral depth. At a great price, this Cab will attract you like the singularity that is its gravitational namesake.

Global Grab Bag, Red Phase

6. Collalto Torrai Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 ($30) This Veneto Cabernet can stand up to its Bordeaux and Napa brethren in quality and beat them in price.

7. La Tercera Reserva Rioja 2010 ($23) Brand new to us with a stunning Wine Spectator 93-point score, this classic Rioja blend of 90% Tempra- nillo, 5% Garnacha and 5% Graciano is perfectly balanced at a great price.

8. Viña Alicia Las Computeras Malbec 2010 ($27) From the outskirts of Mendoza, this is a giant red that reminds us why Malbecs are so popular!

9. Santa Isle Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Reserve 2012 ($14) Our second vintage of this stunning Chilean Cab, and it is the deal of the day.

10. The Chook Syrah & Viognier 2013 ($18) Stealing an old Côte-Rôtie trick of blending a little (5%) white in with the red to soften the peppery edges of Syrah, this is an elegant and accessible wine we can all afford.

Global Grab Bag, White Phase

11. Buoncristiani Napa Valley Chardonnay 2014 ($44) In the buttery style of Cakebread, but with more Burgundian minerality, this has become my favorite “out to impress” Chardonnay this year.

12. Jonathan Didier Pabiot Pouilly-Fumé 2013 ($19) Loire Sauvignon Blanc from just across the river from Sancerre, this gooseberry bright wine has plenty of minerality to sustain its long finish. This is French Sauvy at its best!

13. Frenchie North Coast Chardonnay 2012 ($20) Another butterball Chardonnay with an adorable dog-friendly label by Jean-Charles Boisset, named after the dog he gave his wife, Gina Gallo.

14. Tenuta Cavalier Pepe Nestor Greco di Tufo 2012 ($16) From the hills around Pompeii, this ancient Greek grape has found its home in the limestone soils (Tufo) of Campania. Zesty mineral notes and surprising complexity make this an incredible white wine for most any occasion.

15. Dr. H. Thanisch Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett 2012 ($19) One of the most prestigious sites in the Mosel Valley, this German Riesling is not as sweet as you think. It’s full of lemon zest and blue slate and will clean your palate like zephyr wind.

WD A N I E L E D D Y • @ A B C W I N E D A N E • D A N E @ A B C F W S . C O M

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Holidays Down Under

riting about the end-of-year holidays

in Australia, New Zealand and South

Africa means writing about summer, sun and

beaches, as their seasons are the opposite of

ours. The wines that are enjoyed and the food

that is served are often in direct opposition

to what we eat and drink in the Northern

Hemisphere at this time of year.

But then again, the holiday season here in

Florida often presents us with similar warm

and sunny weather, so perhaps writing about

these antipodean festivities is not as out of

place as it may seem.

THE HOLIDAYS IN AUSTRALIA

Forget about snow and for the most part

forget about turkey. The holiday trend among

Australians is toward seafood – prawns, lobster,

crab, oysters, mussels, scallops, pippies

(a bivalve shellfish), calamari, ocean trout,

Balmain bugs (a butterfly fan lobster about 9

inches long and 6 inches wide with flattened

antennae and no claws) and cold salad – all

washed down with fine Australian wine and

robust beer.

The emphasis in Australia, as always, is on

a minimum amount of fuss and a maximum

amount of fun. Although the British colonial

legacy left behind a very traditional view of

Christmas, many Australians now prefer to

head for the beach or go camping to celebrate.

Outdoor grilling is popular, with generous

amounts of wine and beer to complement

the food.

The New Year is celebrated in Australia with

parties and, of course, the fireworks display

in Sydney – often regarded as the best in the

world! Most people take time on New Year’s

day, hungover or not, to watch and bet on the

Perth Cup – the famous horse race of just

over two miles held in Western Australia.

Looking for a great picnic wine that is just

perfect out-of-doors? Grab a bottle of Picnic

Sauvignon Blanc from Howard Vineyards in

the Adelaide Hills. If a big but elegant red is

what you’re yearning for you can’t go wrong

with the Serafino GSM, an enthralling blend

of Grenache, Shiraz and Mataró (aka Mourvèdre)

from McLaren Vale.

THE HOLIDAYS IN NEW ZEALAND

Once again, British colonial tradition has given

way to camping, visits to summer homes,

backyard cricket and parties on the beach.

Barbecues are everywhere, serving delicious

ham, venison and seafood. Pohutukawa trees

are displayed, which because of their gorgeous

red flowers, have come to be known as New

Zealand’s version of the Christmas tree.

Those looking for a taste of Maori culture

might go to a hangi, in which various meats,

poultry, steamed pudding and vegetables such

as potatoes, pumpkin and kumara (a type of

sweet potato) are wrapped in leaves or cloth

and sacking – okay, some modern Maoris use

aluminum foil – placed in a hole in the ground

and cooked with hot stones. Maori music and

folk dancing often accompany the festivities,

W

B I L L S T O B B S • @ A B C W I N E B I L L S • W S T O B B S @ A B C F W S . C O M

and in case you ever need to know, Merry

Christmas in Maori is Meri Kirihimete!

The city of Gisborne, New Zealand – being

just 308.4 miles west of the International Date

Line – is the first major city to greet the New

Year. It all begins here with street parties and

fireworks, the largest display of which comes

from the Sky Tower in Auckland – the tallest

(1,076 feet) freestanding structure in the

Southern Hemisphere.

What could make a more mouthwatering cele-

bratory choice than a New Zealand Sauvignon

Blanc? And what could tempt the taste buds

with greater alacrity than Jules Taylor OTQ

Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough? The

OTQ stands for ‘On The Quiet’ because Jules

believes this single-vineyard wine is so good

you’ll want to keep it to yourself. Another

good out-of-doors choice is Kim Crawford

Pansy! Rosé which comes from Hawke’s Bay

on the North Island and is made from Merlot.

THE HOLIDAYS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Camping, beach and barbecue are also the

order of the day here. South Africans love

their meats, and so you can expect giant-size

servings of turkey, roast beef, mince pies and

suckling pig with yellow rice and raisins and

vegetables – usually enjoyed outside in the

summer sun.

Kwanzaa is not celebrated in Africa as it is an

African-American holiday, but many Africans

are happy to use any holiday as a chance to

gather and celebrate. Christmas is not as com-

mercialized in South Africa as it is in some of

the rest of the world, and mostly the religious

aspects of the day are emphasized. And in case

you just had to know – Merry Christmas in

Zulu is Sinifisela Ukhisimusi Omuhle.

New Year’s in South Africa is a gala affair, and

most people party all night long with music,

dance, fancy dress, fireworks, parades and

a lavish dinner.

One of the benchmark grape varieties coming

from South Africa now is Chenin Blanc, of

which Painted Wolf ‘The Den’ Chenin Blanc

from Swartland is an excellent example. And

what better way to celebrate than with the

truly magnificent Graham Beck Sparkling

Brut or Brut Rosé?

So as you see, celebrating the holidays

down under is not very different to our sunny

Florida lifestyle. And the wines of Australia,

New Zealand and South Africa will offer the

perfect complement to your festivities.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

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T

S H AY N E H E B E R T • @ A B C W I N E S H AY N E • S H AY N E H @ A B C F W S. C O M

BRAD LEWIS Calls it a Day

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o sum up 40 years of a man’s impactful career is a daunting task. Just put pen to paper and something will come? My hope is to pay tribute to the recent retirement of the longest tenured “wine guy” in our company. This summer, Brad Lewis called it a day after over 40 years at ABC; Brad was ABC’s Fine Wine Director. Brad took to the mountains of North Georgia where this life-long Gator can open up some of his good bottles and wait for football season.

I met Brad for the first time over 21 years ago during my interview in the stockroom at our Winter Park location. We hit it off quickly, as Brad spent his boyhood summers about 30 minutes from where I grew up, in upstate New York. Since then, I have had the pleasure of traveling with Brad on many occasions to Italy, Australia, Germany and all over France. Quite a bit has happened, and changed, since then.

Brad is not only an encyclopedia of all things wine, he is also a history major specializing in World War II. A perfect fit with the wine business, as it turns out, since many of the great vineyards in Europe were so intricately connected with the war. He has taken many members of ABC not only through the great vineyards, but also to some of the most famous and infamous battle locations of WWII. Wine is travel, wine is history; how tightly wound into history both wine and war are. One couldn’t ask for a more capable travel guide. Brad has taken us to Norman-dy, including the towns of Pointe du Hoc, Sainte-Mère-Église and Caen... up to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest and down to the tragic village of Oradour-sur-Glane. I knew little or nothing about many of these places until I was actually there with someone who understood the importance of these sites.

One of the other asides Brad enjoyed, which were invaluable to my education (actually ‘our education’ I should say, as I am certain the other wine supervisors and consultants

who have traveled with Brad will agree), was to buy a few bottles of wine, drive to the exact site on the label (this works especially well in Burgundy) and sit on a stone wall looking over the vineyards of the wine you were drinking! Funny how much clearer things become!

Only once do I recall the stars aligned, and we as a group, all of the wine supervisors and Brad, ended up together on the road. It seems about 10 years back that Brad and the crew spent a few days together at the Hotel le Cep in Beaune, Burgundy; the first time, and last most likely, that we as a group were all in the same place together.

In 1996 Brad and I spent about 20 days in Australia. I had only been with the company for a few years, so to me it was the trip of a lifetime. We spent the first 10 days on a bus, beating the trails in South Australia before spending a few days on the West Coast,

then flying back to Sydney for a few more days before finally coming home. We were present at the first ever Wine Australia, had dinner with Len Evans, drank some old Hunter Valley Sémillon… almost 20 years ago, but unforgettable!

My last memory on the wine trail with Brad is the most memorable. He and I traveled very frequently to the UGC event in Bordeaux each April. My birthday is in early April and I have celebrated more than a few times at bistros in Bordeaux, but 2013 was different. Our schedule was always crammed, lunches were taken quickly at a château buffet or a fast pizza in Pauillac, and dinners usually at a winery or somewhere in town. But during our last trip, on the day I turned 50, the schedule had us at Domaine de Chevalier for lunch with Olivier Bernard, which was spectacular, and dinner at Château Margaux with Corinne Ment-zelopoulos and estate manager Paul Pontellier. A once-in-a-lifetime experience, twice in one day! Near the end of dinner Brad looked over and quietly said, “Happy Birthday.” How does anyone ever forget a day like that?

From rental cars stuck on a dead-end road in a steep Burgundian vineyard to a 10-min-ute nap in the parking lot at Château Latour to rearview mirrors left on the roadside in some small Italian village where the streets are smaller than the rental car… to an all-in pursuit of a piece of local cheese or a fresh baguette… those were a small price to pay for the knowledge and the memories that came with the years of travel and working with Brad Lewis.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you Brad! We all raise our glasses to you! Many years of happy retirement are ahead, as are many, many good bottles and plenty of stories of our adventures on the trail of the great wines of the world. These experiences would have been so much less without your knowledge and insight, and the stories we have to tell are the great experiences in our lives. Cheers!

Brad in South Africa

Brad and Bill Stobbs at Groot Constantia, Cape Town, South Africa

BRAD’S SWAN SONG PICKS

B R A D L E W I S

Domaine Champy Pernand-Vergelesses 2012, Burgundy, France

$33

The hilly slopes of the Pernand-Verge-

lesses vineyards were originally planted in

the Middle Ages. They are situated at the

north end of the Côte de Beaune, between

Aloxe-Corton and Savigny-lès-Beaune. It

is the diversity of the soils and the different

expositions, to the east, south and west,

that gives each of the parcels here a

distinct character.

This wine shows a beautiful aromatic in-

tensity with citrus fruit, white flowers and

wild mint notes on a mineral and smoky

background. There is balance between

roundness and freshness and a long and

persistent finish, with good minerality.

Vigilance Chardonnay, Red Hills, Lake County, California

$15

The wine shines with gold/straw color

leading to green apple, pineapple and

vanilla notes with a hint of butter

carried on a vibrant finish.

Casas del Bosque Gran Reserva Chardonnay 2013, Casablanca, Chile

$17

“Light gold. Smoky aromas of poached

pear, honey and toasted grain, with a hint

of vanilla in the background. Pliant and

broad in the mouth, offering gently sweet

pit and orchard fruit flavors and a hint of

bitter citrus pith. Closes with very good

energy, punch and persistence, leaving a

gingery note behind. 90” Steve Tanzer,

International Wine Cellar

Fault Line Chardonnay Black Knight Vineyards 2012, Sonoma Coast, California

$25

The vineyards for this wine straddle a fault

line at the top of Taylor Mountain on the

Sonoma Coast where the cool temperatures

and rocky, volcanic soil combine for a

unique spot for Chardonnay. This is a more

subtle, Burgundian style of Chardonnay

with light oak, apple, pear and tropical

notes and firm acidity in the finish.

Milliken Creek Chardonnay 2013,Napa, California

$19

Milliken Creek runs through Louis de

Coninck’s property at the corner of the

Silverado Trail and the town of Napa. The

climate is a little cooler there than farther

up the valley due to the influence of the

breeze from San Pablo Bay. This Chardonnay

shows bright citrus fruit and a touch of

vanilla from the oak with medium body

and a zesty finish.

f you’re a fan of wine, the holiday season is the best time of year—not that we need much excuse to drink good wines. The weather cools, at least a little in Florida, and we bring out the best wines that have waited all summer. Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks and eating food. Turkey is traditional (though I have known friends to have everything from ham to lasagna), and as a heavier white fowl, the doors are open for a number of wine types. Personally, I have always liked white Burgundies with turkey. This wine is made with Chardonnay and good to excellent Chardonnays come from around the world. These are some of my favorites for a Thanksgiving meal.

I

wine journal | 13

erched on a hilltop surrounded by rolling vineyards and lush greenery is a castle that is hundreds of years old. Views of the sprawling estate can be seen from any window in the castle, and the warmth of the Tuscan sun can be felt on any pathway or veranda. This is the home of Castello Banfi, the 2015 Winery of the Year.

And though the castle was built somewhere between the 9th and the 13th century, Cas-tello Banfi has only recently settled into the castle’s thick walls—“recent” is a relative term. When you consider Old World wine giants, generations upon generations of family ties are typically found at the top of the estate. Great-great-grandfathers and their fathers and their grandfathers were the masterminds behind many Italian, French and other European wineries, handing down the reins as the years passed. Castello Banfi, however, is not that kind of estate.

In 1919, Giovanni F. Mariani founded Banfi Vintners in New York City as a way to import wines to the United States. After Giovanni’s sons John and Harry joined the company in the 1950s, Banfi Vintners grew to become one of the largest wine importers in the country. Soon after, the Italian-American duo developed such a passion and love for wine that they founded their own

estate. In 1978, Castello Banfi began production in Montalcino, an undulating town in Tuscany.

“Banfi really has a pioneering spirit to it,” Cris-tina Mariani-May said. Cristina is the co-CEO of Banfi, a position she shares with her cousin, James Mariani. “We created a renaissance in the area of Montalcino in Tuscany and we’re very proud of that,” she said of the Italian winery.

Not only is Banfi a producer of highly rated and profoundly made wines, but the winery is a bustling mecca of research and education. “We did about 20 years of research on the Sangiovese clone for Brunello and we shared that research with the community and the Italian govern-ment,” Mariani-May said. “We are very much at the forefront of trying to advance wines, to

make them healthier, pure, more beautiful in style.” Gushing about this aspect of the winery, Mariani-May made it clear that Castello Banfi isn’t just about the wine, however good it may be.

“Castello Banfi was the first winery in the world to receive the triple ISO certification for exceptional environmental, social and ethical responsibility. So what we’re very proud of is that we not only try to produce the most beautifully crafted, great value wines, but at the same time we’re constantly on the cutting edge of how to do it in a much more socially and environmentally aware method,” Mariani-May explained. “And I think for that reason we’ve been recognized as winery of the year.”

The mindset to do better for the environment while making wines of distinction “has to be in your culture and in your philosophy,” she said. “It has to be in the team spirit and the passion.” Much of the team at Castello Banfi has been with the winery since its founding in 1978, Mariani-May explained.

The most notable research done through the collaborative efforts of Banfi and the University of Milan is the widely acclaimed Sangiovese study that began in the 1980s. Over 25 years of studying the grapes and the surrounding environment led researchers to identify about 650 clones of Sangiovese; scholars and scientists were able to narrow the clones to a selection of 15 Sangiovese clones that represent the best characteristics of this Italian wine grape.

In addition to this and other research done at Castello Banfi, Mariani-May’s favorite part of the winery— aside from “the wines. Drinking them.”—is a set of about 25 hybrid stainless

P

Castello Banfi: Winery of the Year

Cristina Mariani-May

Castello Banfi

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M E G H A N G U A R I N O • @ A B C W I N E C O U N T R Y • M E G H A N G @ A B C F W S . C O M

steel/wood fermentation tanks developed and patented by the Banfi team. “We created these tanks working with both the stainless steel fermenters and the traditional barrel producers. We had always wanted to find the best of both worlds—fermenting our wine in wood and getting the beauty and the softness of it, but also a technical ease and cleanliness to the stainless steel,” Mariani-May explained. “They’re quite inspiring because they’re really technologically advanced, but they blend perfectly the traditional techniques with the new.” The barrels are an embodiment of the winery’s philosophy and mission to keep tradition alive while simultaneously pushing the boundaries of innovation, research, development and education, all in the name of good wine.

“It really has to be a mission of the team that works with us because it’s easy to cut corners,” Mariani-May said of the winery’s pioneering spirit. “And we can’t cut corners because we’re also a leader in the community so people look up to us. People pay attention to us so we have to work as a role model for the community as well as represent the wines of Montalcino and the wines of Italy in countries all over the world. We’re proud of that position and we’re honored to have that position. We’re honored to be Winery of the Year and we have to live up to it. But it’s that dedication we have for a finer wine world. It’s a pursuit of excellence and it’s a dedication to research and pushing the comfort zone. It’s simply a way of life.”

A way of life that has not only led to recognition from universities and scholars for their continued dedication to education and research, but high ratings and complimentary reviews from sommeliers, medals from multiple competitions and awards from well-known critics like Jancis Robinson, Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast. “In every bottle you’re going to hopefully be experiencing the richness of Tuscany, the luxury and beauty of Tuscany,” Mariani-May said.

Experience the majesty of Montalcino with a selection of Castello Banfi’s award-winning wines and learn exactly why this Italian estate was named the 2015 Winery of the Year.

Rosa Regale $1895 pts, 2015 Winemaker Challenge

“A red, sparkling, slightly sweet

wine that tastes of strawberry and

raspberry… It’s soft on the palate. It

kind of dances and it goes excellent

with chocolate or lighter foods; it’s

so lively.” – Cristina Mariani-May

Brunello di Montalcino $7695 pts, 2010 James Suckling

A “classic” of our production, this

Brunello di Montalcino is obtained

with clones of Sangiovese selected

after 20 years of research on this

unique grape. The most aristocratic

combination of Montalcino tradition

with winemaking modernity. An

intense ruby red color with garnet

reflections with a bouquet that is

ethereal, wide, light vanilla. Full, soft,

velvety and intense on the palate,

with sensations of licorice, spices and

light goudron note. – Winery notes

Chianti Classico Riserva $2095 pts, 2015 Winemaker Challenge

Chianti Riserva is produced from

selected grapes grown in the Classico

region of Chianti between Siena and

Firenze. It is elegant, well-balanced,

full-bodied with a very long aging

potential. – Winery notes

San Angelo Pinot Grigio $2088 pts, 2015 Sommelier Challenge

This 100% Pinot Grigio belongs to

the Castello Banfi estate-bottled

single varietals range. Thanks to the

Montalcino microclimate our Tuscan

Pinot Grigio adds to the typical aro-

mas of this variety an unusual body,

flavor and balance. – Winery notes

Centine Rosso $1291 pts, 2013 James Suckling

The best tradition of the Sangiovese

grape in Tuscany that, with Cabernet

Sauvignon and Merlot, allows a

youthful and intensely fruity blend.

The ideal companion of simple dishes

but also suitable for more complex

matches. – Winery noteswine journal | 15

8989 South Orange Ave.Orlando, Florida 32824

W I N E T O W A T C H : Gouleyant Malbec CahorsA R O M A :

SOFT WITH A SMASH OF BERRIES V A R I E T A L :

Malbec F L A V O R :

Black cherry, tart raspberry and blackberry

wine journal | 16

B O D Y :

medium C O L O R :

DARK GARNET F I N I S H :

Soft tannic finish R E G I O N :

CAHORS, FRANCE

P A I R W I T H :