~ The Social Diary ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by The Social Diary Wine Expert Columnist Gary Parker, of The WineSellar & Brasserie Zagat Acclaimed
March 2008, Offering #88 The March 2008 Gary Parker Collection offering brings you two exciting wines from our very own California vines. The 2005 Palazzo Red Wine is a silken, smooth wonder that brings ones experiences and thoughts of a fine Bordeaux to mind. The 2004 Tejada "T" from Lake County fills one with the passion and fire that is brought with thoughts and tastes of Spain.
2005 Palazzo Red Wine, Napa Valley WA 93pts. - According to the Wine Advocate: This blend of 70% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon may be the finest wine to emerge from this producer, who makes only 1,100 cases of an unfined and unfiltered beauty. Scott Palazzo has embarked on a quest to make wines in the style of the great wines from Bordeaux, more specifically from the "Right Bank", most notably Pomerol. Pomerol wines (including the great Chateau Petrus) tend to be exceptionally smooth, with great texture and depth of character. The 2005 Palazzo fits that bill perfectly.
2004 Tejada "T", Lake County When we think of Tempranillo (and Grenache) we think of Spain. Well, Celia Tejada and her brother Ivo have Tempranillo & Grenache in their veins, so they picked a tiny high-elevation vineyard in Lake County to recreate the wines of their Spanish homeland. When Ivo found the property in 1999, she knew that it had the potential to be magic. They then planted their vineyards to Spanish varietals, which have already produced several vintages. “Ivo planted the vineyard with great love,” Celia says. Celia, the senior vice president for design and product development at Pottery Barn, is designing Tejada Ranch, an 82-acre weekend place for herself; her two children; Ivo, who doubles as a Bay Area contractor; his wife, Nina; and their two children.
2005 Palazzo Red Wine
Notes: It is not often that you may find a wine of such exceptional grace and character grown in today's California “big is better” wine world. Scott Palazzo has shown us a side path, delivering elegance and depth with this silky smooth expression. Appearance: Nice straightforward packaging with a little extra girth on the bottle, sporting a dark label with white font. The liquid is beautiful, with a youthful, vibrant appearance. It takes on hues of dark (soil like) brick reds and shades of gray. Nose: The descriptors, like what I enjoyed on the palate, are exotic and never ending. Sweet cherry, chocolate, root beer/cola, pencil shavings, vanilla, fragrant spices, roasted nuts, coffee, and a fresh mixed berry pie right out of the oven. Oh my! Texture: The medium bodied, elegant, refined texture of this wine nearly supersedes the glorious nose and flavor components. It has an absolutely superb mouth feel, even and smooth, long and lengthy, with extremely well integrated tannins. It has a sexy, beguiling, mysterious (sneaky) richness, which reminds me of the special joys of finding a treasure in a robe of silk. Think about that . . . Flavors: Now, for the flavors: fabulous cherry fruit, deep rich plum, black currant, mocha/coffee, chestnut, leather, vanilla, chocolate, dark berries, black pepper, and a hint of road tar. That warm berry pie out of the oven nose translates to grilled bread, dark fruit, vanilla and freshly grated nutmeg. Serving Suggestions: I’m calling for at least 10-12 years of evolution, Salt away 6-12 bottles and find yourself amazed at the glory in this bottle for years to come. 2004 Tejada, "T"
Notes: This is an absolute steal at the case price! And only 90 cases were produced! But of course, it’s what’s inside that counts, and this wine has it. Made with a strong nod to Spain, The Tejada family has fashioned a true winner for us. Appearance: The tall sturdy bottle has a long neck, and once again, a beautifully simple, direct and striking label. The white font on the back label is a little difficult to cipher. The liquid has a gorgeous dark purple/red/black/gray coloration, which is continuous to the rim of the glass. Nose: A full six inches from the bottle, my sniffer detected drama and power from the bottle immediately upon opening. Black and red fruits are dense, and backed by rich plum and vanilla wood. Scents of wheat dough, black pepper, Indian spices add to the increasing complexity. Texture: Pure, voluptuous fruit comes at you full throttle, bridled by medium sized “dusty” tannins. Firm in the mouth, this full-bodied wine is balanced very well (especially ripeness to acid) and leaves a long, mouthwatering impression on the finish. Flavors: Strong and assertive red and black fruits come front and center. The chocolate-cherry flavors I associate with the Tempranillo grape have obvious presence. The luscious and STRIKING fruit has an engaging vanilla sweetness, with further notes of black pepper, smoke and toasted almonds. Serving Suggestions: It’s a keeper, and will improve for at least ten years in the bottle. Roasted red meats and grilled anything (within reason) would be superb with the Tejada 'T". Don’t miss this incredible bargain!
* Gary Parker is the Principal, Founder, Chairman and CEO of The WineSellar Group. From a background of culinary arts, architecture and art, Gary opened The WineSellar & Brasserie in 1988 with a pioneering concept of combining a fine wine shop, a state of the art wine storage facility, and a highly regarded French restaurant named The Brasserie, all under one roof. With its top rated Zagat level cuisine, and Gary Parker's hand picked wine list of 2,500 classic wines, The WineSellar & Brasserie garnered instant notoriety. The wine list has won The Wine Spectator Grand Award (one of the best 100 wine lists in the world) every year since 1988. Gary subsequently created The WineSellar Club and www.winesellar.com, an Internet wine auction site. Gary is recognized as a leading authority in fine wine, and is active as a spokesperson, appraiser, auctioneer and panelist in the industry. (editor's note - Gary is a former principal owner of Laurel Restaurant & Bar. Gary established Laurel in 1995, which he sold in February 2005).
Proprietor Gary Parker of the WineSellar & Brasserie says "I consider myself a culinary crusader. I love to provide and promote epicurean pleasures to others through my restaurants, wine shop, and wine of the month clubs." The Brasserie restaurant has been the recipient of the Wine Spectator Grand Award every year since it opened in 1989. This award acknowledges The Brasserie wine list as being one of the 95 best wine lists in the world today because of its depth and selections.
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