Tag: Jancis Robinson

Holiday Wine Gift Guide, Part 2: Procrastinators, Rejoice

Procrastination is a funny thing, according to my go-to confidante and spiritual guide on the matter, Carl Gustav Jung. To put it bluntly and briefly, he posits that it is a neurosis. But it is more complicated than one might think. For the purposes of this piece, which is geared especially for procrastinators, let’s go with this blunt thesis: You delay because you are seeking to avoid pain, pain you fear will be produced by your actions. I’m here to tell you, however, that you need not fear any discomfort from the action of buying any of the following three items as last-minute gifts for the wine lovers in your life. (The first part of my 2024 Wine Gift Guide came out in a more timely manner, but I’m sure you have an abundance of gift-worthy friends and could use even more recommendations, so consider this my bonus for you.)

Wine Spectator likes this one.

First up, a wine that was awarded the top spot on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of the World for 2024. It’s the 2021 Viña Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Vineyard, and you can get it for $150 directly from the producer, and at lower prices at many retailers. It carries a suggested retail price of $175. Enrique Tirado is the winemaker at Viña Don Melchor, and his reputation is one of excellence. He’s been in charge of production at Don Melchor since the harvest of 1997, and his experience and talent are on display in the 2021, the 35th vintage of this wine.

The Puente Alto Vineyard, a Chilean landmark, encompasses 314 acres and seven major parcels, and was originally planted more than a century ago; it was replanted after Concha y Toro, the parent company of Don Melchor, purchased it in 1968. The 2021 is mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, with 4 percent Cabernet Franc and 3 percent Merlot. This is a serious wine, and since I like to offer a food pairing with the wines I recommend, I urge you to buy the finest example of ribeye steak you can find and cook it medium rare, with nothing but olive oil, salt, and pepper. Let it rest for 8 to 10 minutes before you slice it. The Don Melchor’s velvety aroma – I savored the tobacco and cacao notes – impressed me, as did the kirsch and raspberry hints. Sensual tannins and a long, confident finish complete the package. I daresay that almost anyone on your gift list would appreciate adding this bottle to their collection, no matter what they think of “Wine Spectator” rankings.

“The 2021 vintage provided us with very expressive wines, brimming with concentration, dense and long, that cast a spotlight on the fruit and textural quality of every variety grown in the Don Melchor Vineyard, displaying a fine balance between finesse and energy, with extremely expressive flavors and aromas,” Tirado said. The winemaker sums it up with grace.

An enormous number of books devoted to all aspects of the wine world have been published, and while my library is always expanding, I want to offer two of my all-time favorites to you, dear procrastinator. The first one I purchased many years ago in Germany, and it became worn and dog-eared from the myriad times I perused it and opened it for research. That original copy was long ago recycled, but the 8th edition of The World Atlas of Wine, by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson, is available and should be in the collection of anyone who loves wine. Johnson wrote the first edition of this masterpiece, which was published in 1971, and the subsequent three editions, and Robinson took over in 1998 and has been in charge of  the most recent four editions, including the current (8th) edition. Its 417 pages are packed with the wisdom and wit of Johnson and Robinson, along with maps, charts, and other information that will become indispensable. I look forward to many future editions of this work.

The World Atlas of Wine is indispensable.

The second book on this list, which I cherish and recommend without hesitation, is The Vines of San Lorenzo, by Edward Steinberg. Its subtitle is “Making a Great Wine in the New Tradition,” and the author’s wonderfully captivating storytelling draws the reader in from the opening page. The volume tells the tale of the Gaja Sorì San Lorenzo 1989 vintage and brings to life Angelo Gaja, a legend of the wine world who made Barbaresco a star. The book includes vintage photographs of some of the personalities that populate Steinberg’s tale, including members of the Gaja family, and transports one to the lands and soils that have produced some of the finest wines ever made. Literary in style and never slow, “The Vines of San Lorenzo” makes a great stocking stuffer.

Now, get online, or out there, and make some people very happy with these three gift ideas.

Happy holidays, and see you next year.

Prosecco a-Go-Go!

Jeremy Parzen brought Flavio Geretto to Houston this week, and the two gentlemen poured some great wines, wines from Villa Sandi. They opened a Pinot Grigio and some Prosecco.

“Soon, Prosecco Rosé will be everywhere,” Parzen says, and I don’t see why it won’t.

Geretto, who’s with Villa Sandi, and Parzen, who works with the concern (social media, web design), were speaking to a small group of people assembled at Vinology, one of Houston’s better wine bars.

“I know a lot about Italian wine,” Parzen said, “but I’m learning things from Flavio every day.” And Geretto knows from his Prosecco. He’s enthusiastic, and the bottles he had with him are worthy of your attention. They are fresh, balanced wines, and I’d be happy pouring any of them to my guests.

Flavio Geretto
Flavio Geretto, of Villa Sandi, takes Prosecco seriously. (Photo by The Brockhaus)

Here’s what we tasted: Il Fresco Prosecco; Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore; Rosato Il Fresco (brut); and a Pinot Grigio delle Venezie. (We were also treated to a wine that I cannot discuss, because I don’t want to make anyone envious.)

Here’s Geretto talking about Prosecco.

What do you know about Prosecco? Here’s what Jancis Robinson wrote about it, on her superb site, back in 2017

For years champagne ran the most sophisticated and effective public relations machine in the world of wine. Consumers were convinced that champagne and only champagne was the socially acceptable lubricant for celebrations and smart dinner parties. 

But all that has changed. A vast army of enthusiastic wine buyers regard Prosecco as their drink of choice rather than second best – even though it is made by a much more industrial process than champagne or any of the other wines made sparkling inside individual bottles rather than in big tanks. I have to admit that Prosecco seems to disagree with me. I find too many of them too sweet for my taste, and for reasons I don’t understand, a mouthful or two of Prosecco often seems to precipitate a headache. But it’s obviously not genetic; my daughters adore the stuff. 

Fake news has hardly impinged on the world of wine but I honestly thought it had last January when I read that Prosecco producers were applying for UNESCO world heritage status for their growing area, 35,000 acres (14,154 ha) of vineyards in virtually the whole of north east Italy. It was doubled overnight in 2009 when they cunningly renamed the eponymous grape responsible for their wine Glera and registered Prosecco as a protected geographical indication instead. (It hasn’t stopped the odd Australian using the P word, so popular has the wine style become.)

Yes, UNESCO recently added the Prosecco region to its World Heritage list, and that’s not Fake News. And, you should drink Prosecco … just pay attention to the residual sugar.

Parzen did a great thing for Prosecco by organizing the seminar. (For your reading pleasure, the Wine Talk featuring Parzen.) And if you haven’t already, add Do Bianchi to your reading list.

I’m undertaking a historical and literary study of Prosecco, and you can read my findings on Mise en Place as they are published. Meanwhile, drink well, and with people you love.

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