The Wine Editorial

November 2001 Issue

Wine Lovers - Wake Up!

There's a tidal wave of wine coming but it's not the kind you want!

I am constantly aware of how differently we, as individuals, perceive the same set of circumstances - the blind man feeling the elephant's leg thinks it's a tree. My "French Revolution" article in the last issue of the Wine Editorial expressed my enthusiasm for the quality and pricing of the new wave of French wines. At the same time there were stories about the fact that the French were losing market share in the world wine markets and I received several comments concerning the apparent contradiction between what I was saying and what other sources were saying.

Then Business Week published an extensive article on the same topic. Its central theme was that the global economy has encompassed wine and that the big wine marketers in this country and Australia with their "branded" products were taking over the wine world at the expense of the French who are inept at marketing! Business Week argues that the consumer who picks up Brand X Cabernet, Merlot or Chardonnay knows exactly what he will find when he opens the bottle, whereas Ch D'Oupia from Minervois is a mystery - he cannot even tell what grape it's made of. The inscrutable complexity of Bordeaux and Burgundy is overwhelming. And who likes being intimidated and made to feel like an there's not much excitement in using the top brands of toilet paper or toothpaste idiot by a wine shop clerk, by a waiter, or worse, by a snooty sommelier?.

Of course, the Business Week reporters, not editors, are focusing on the business of wine not the enjoyment of wine. They care nothing about what is in the bottle, only how well will it sell? And that is fine - there is more than one kind of wine market.

We have and always will have a mass wine market with branded products. But there's not much excitement in using the top brands of toilet paper or toothpaste, and if most people want predictability, rather than excitement, in their wine, that's fine. In fact most people are perfectly happy eating the top brands of packaged bread. Those of us who cherish real bread as much as we cherish affordable, exciting wine, are free to seek out real bread wherever we can find it - if worst comes to worst we can bake our own. But, in the case of wine, our options are limited.

We have free trade with China, but not, unfortunately, in this country, in the wine business. I can only buy from a distributor licensed by the State of Connecticut, and I can only buy, and sell, products registered in the state. Bad as it is, we are better off than those states where you can only buy wine from state run liquor stores, and you can only buy what they choose to offer.

To the extent that there are distributors in the state who are willing to offer or procure the wine that I want, we are OK, but if that ceases to be the case we are no better off than the citizens who have no choice but the state liquor store. My fear is that that could happen. As for the e-tailing of wine - forget it! The Internet wine retailers were doomed, long before the dot-com crash, by the 21st Amendment to the Constitution (Repeal). Our only hope is that the Supreme Court rules that parts of that Amendment result in restraint of trade!

Over the years there have been consolidations among the big distributors. Start-ups have a tough time surviving. More and more the big distributors focus on the large-volume mass-market products - they do not want to be bothered with 50-case-per-year products. Each affordable exciting wine is in danger of extinction year I depend on three or four distributors for more and more of what I sell. If they disappear, more than half the wines on my shelves will disappear.

The broader picture is also disheartening. While the overall quality of wine is improving, there is a global wine glut. Wine-marketers are taking over from winemakers. Small producers are being squeezed out - they do not have the marketing muscle of the "biggies" and are being gobbled up. Foster Brewing of Australia bought Beringer for $1.4 billion and is expanding production in Australia. We are the target. And we are the target of every significant wine-producing country. There is a tidal wave of wine coming our way - but what will it be?

Mass-marketed brands require unlimited replication - not necessarily bad, but very likely, boring and mediocre. There will always be small producers of high-end quality wines, and there will always be cult wines. But affordable exciting wine is in danger of extinction. Exciting wines are invariably the product of an individual wine-maker or wine-grower, seeking to explore and express the possibilities of particular grape varieties grown in a particular place at a particular time - the French concept of terroir. The true wine-grower strives to make the best of what nature offers in each vintage, bending the vagaries of nature to his will. What he can make is limited. If he is driven to extinction, most of the wines now in the Madison Wine Shop would disappear and we would be "dumbed-down" to the lowest common denominator.

I have fun doing what I'm doing. If I were compelled to stack branded wines and wait for you to pick them up - I'd be gone. Fortunately we are not there - yet!

What can you do?
Get involved politically.

Those of you who know who Robert is may skip the next paragraph. All other readers are invited to read on.

Some 25 years ago, a lawyer gave up the profession to write and publish a newsletter letter devoted to his passion - wine. Through diligence and hard work he established himself as an oracle - the nabob of 11 magic cyphers.(the numbers 90 through 100). The bestowal of these numbers on specific wines causes followers of the nabob to eagerly open their wallets, swelling the coffers of the growers of these hallowed wines. Those blessed with lesser cyphers are sorely punished. The nabob is both revered and hated. He wields awesome power.

Robert has done much good for wine consumers, but his magic cyphers are abused by retailers and have encouraged afficionados to become lazy and take the easy way out - follow the numbers. Reading the notes (assuming "And no one should forget that this vintage marks something that comes once every thousand years ...a chronological milestone" that they are credible) and making one's own evaluation is too time-consuming and much too challenging.

Robert, almost single-handedly, made 1982 the Bordeaux vintage of the century, at least so it seemed from the demand that he created. His influence is such that many wine-makers are now tailoring their wines to his taste as perceived by studying his ratings - but none will admit it.

Come now Robert! Bordeaux
has only been around for
some 200 years

Now he appears to be repeating his 1982 coup with the 2000 Bordeaux vintage. He now has wide access to the media and has hit the headlines big-time, touting the 2000 Bordeaux vintage as the one on which to bet the farm. He is able to persuade otherwise savvy individuals to rush out, sell-off their stocks and bonds, mortgage their houses and hand the money over to wine retailers - who will, in due course, deliver 2000 Bordeaux wines to be stored and admired in the buyers cellars. Some of those wines may actually be drunk. I am a perennial pollyanna, but I fear for the high-end wine market.

I feel confident that almost everyone who has visited the Madison Wine Shop, has been to a Saturday tasting, or has visited rickspicks.com, knows and loves Francois Cazan's Cour-Cheverny, my Wine of the Millennia . I gave it that moniker, because I found and introduced it in the closing months of the last millennium, and sales have simply exploded in the first two years of this millennium. Four vintages in two years - '95, '96, '97, '98 - all consistently stunning.

Can it be that Robert has been reading the Wine Editorial? Can it be that he surreptitiously visits rickpicks.com?

In his Issue 134 of April 23, 01, Robert says of the 2000 Bordeaux, and has been widely quoted by my competitors, "And no one should forget that this vintage marks something that comes once every thousand years ...a chronological milestone".

Come now Robert! Bordeaux has only been around for some 200 years and you and I really don't know what the wines were like much before the middle of the last century. My experience, and presumably yours, does not go back much beyond then - and that is pushing it!.

For my part, I'll take the chance that I will miss-out on the buys of many lifetimes. I am not buying 2000 futures. I am waiting till I can taste. I know I will find wonderful wines and many of them will be under $10 - I already have one in my sights. Stay tuned!

The Wine Editorial is just that, it reflects my personal opinion with which you are at liberty to disagree. It is published entirely at my expense and I am not paid a cent for any endorsement I may offer. I expect and often receive criticism for opinions I have expressed, whether related to wine or not. I have had significant flak concerning my opinions regarding restaurant wine lists. But I am not alone. Here, in part is what Willie Gluckstern says in his refreshing little book The Wine Avenger ($12 at MWS):

"Restaurants that insult consumers by gouging on wine prices should be avoided. The outrageous markups routinely inflicted on wine drinkers make it difficult for them to find affordable wines for their restaurant meals ... and go far in explaining why the enjoyment of wine and food in this country is perceived as an elitist pursuit"

Yes - after sixteen years we still have Rick's Picks Under Six - quite a few in fact, and each is a winner.

Top of the list, my very first wine love, in 1946, Casal Garcia Vinho Verde. $5.99/5.39.

Flipping through Travel and Leisure magazine recently, I was overcome by waves of nostalgia. There, in an article on Mozambique, was a photo of the entrance to the Costa del Sol restaurant, where I had guzzled countless the ultimate accompaniment to any spicy food, and irresistible on its own prawns piri-piri (prawns sauteed in olive oil infused with hot chiles) and downed countless bottles of Casal Garcia - both the restaurant and the wine still going strong 56 years later!

Vinho Verde employs a Portuguese viticultural trick to produce a 9% alcohol white wine that is bone dry, slightly effervescent, tangy, quaffable - the ultimate accompaniment to any spicy food, and irresistible on its own. Caution - it's much more drinkable than soda pop. Need I say more, except, avoid Red Vinho Verde like the plague!.

From France, and from Mas de Mas Gassac, one of the pre-eminent Languedoc wine producers, are a pair of exceptional red and white wines, both selling for $5.99/5.39 - Moulin de Gassac Terrasses de Guilhem. Delicious!

From Spain, what we call our "no pedigree wines" because they carry no appellation and the producer chooses to remain anonymous (but we know who he is) - Protocolo Red and White. Both $5.99/5.39, both eminently drinkable.

And then, also from Spain, two reds that have to be the outstanding values in the store, Vina Borsao 2000 and Vino Borgia 2000, both exceptional red wine values at $5.99/5.39

Picpoul de Pinet
Languedoc is home to this, our ever more popular, all-time best selling Picpoul de Pinet, which sports a new Gold Medal Award label,. Fontenilles 2000 Picpoul de Pintet, $6.99/6.29.

If you do not know this wine, you have a treat in store. Picpoul, meaning "lip-stinger", is an ancient Languedoc vine, that had, by the 1980's all but disappeared from the sandy coastal vineyards. In 1996, Jancis Robinson, my vinous authority, reported renewed interest in the varietal - 1997 was the year of its introduction at MWS. Each vintage has been consistently excellent. Its revival and wide appeal can be attributed to modern, non-manipulative wine-making, using cold fermentation in stainless steel, allowing full expression of the grape's natural character. Price is the icing on the cake!

But price alone is never enough of a reason to drink wine. What makes Picpoul irresistible is its delicate bouquet, lemony fruit, fairly full-bodied mouth-feel and crisp, clean tangy finish. Despite the staggering volume we are moving, I have yet to hear anyone say "I'm tired of Picpoul!

Domaine Montnarin
The 100% Vigionier and 100% Roussanne 2000 vintage Cotes de Thonge wines from Domaine Montmarin, $8.99/8.09, are standouts among the many new and exciting wines we found at VinExpo last June.

I find it impossible to choose between these two absolutely stunning estate-bottled wines from the Languedoc...

Vigionier, a one-time expensive rarity, is carried to a new height by this inexpensive wine that shows off the variety's charms like no other wine on our shelves. Delicate apricot aroma, haunting peach and apricot on the palate with a lively refreshing finish.

Wines like these, expressing clean,
simple and direct wine-making
stand in stark contrast to the many
overbearing, manipulated products
that I taste every day

Not five years ago I held the Rhone's Roussanne grape in contempt because I invariably found it dull, heavy and flabby. No longer. We have many wonderful examples of what this grape can do, and this little gem is one of them. An inviting yellow color. Floral aromas. Light but rich in the mouth with hints of peach and pear. A lingering almond-like finish.

Wines like these, expressing clean, simple and direct wine-making stand in stark contrast to the many overbearing, manipulated products that I taste every day. What is in the minds and palates of those that produce them?

Zarranz '99 Sauvignon Blanc, $7.99/ 7.19, from Uruguay, has been gracing our shelves for 2 years now and it's light, crisp style has a big following.

Txakoli
If you visit the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, and you should, you must not miss the opportunity to stop at Gaetano, half-way between Bilbao and San Sebastian, and enjoy the best seafood I have ever had. You'll find fish right off the boat, grilled on open wood fires at any of the many dockside restaurants. Wash it down with Txakoli, the light, slightly tart and prickly Basque white wine from vineyards in the mountains above the town. That is living. Happily, you can duplicate the wine, but not the fish, right at home, with Eizaguirre '99 Txakoli, $9.99/8.99.

Inscrutably German
Dhrontal-Kellerei '99 Bernkasteier Kurfirstlay Riesling Kabinett, $7.99/7.19

Dhrontal-Kellerei '99 Bernkasteier Kurfirstlay Riesling Spatlese, $8.99/8.09

German wines are sadly misunderstood - but that is partly due to the labels. Just look at the names of these two wines. But don't bother trying to figure it out. Just look at the last two words.

"Riesling" (pronounced "reesling") is largely redundant because that is what most German wines are made of. The last word tells you something, but not much, about quality. It has to do with sugar content of the grapes at harvest - not necessarily with the sugar level in the wine.

Kabinett is a cut above the lowest quality, and Spatlese is the next level up. You can have a "Trocken" Spatlese, meaning "dry", but in the case of these two wines both have residual sugar, the Spatlese more so. But please do not fall into the "sweet" trap. Wines that have residual sugar can be stunning, if, among other things, they have ample acidity. Remember me? I'm the acid freak!

What I can tell you about these two wines is that they are exciting - more so than many I have tasted at twice their modest price. Try them with food - seafood, Asian food or for Sunday brunch.

Sicily
I am beginning to believe that the hand-full of importers who have dominated our choice of Italian wines have very narrow vision. During the last year or two I have encountered appellations, varietals and producers that I never knew existed. And some of them are not only eye-openers, they are bargains. Nadaria '00 Inzolia, $9.99/8.99, is one such wine from Sicily.

Inzolia is the varietal, the second example in the store. The wine is light, bright, slightly floral, invigorating. A revelation!

French
Ch Barthe '99 Graves Blanc, $9.99/ 8.99. White Bordeaux has come along way over the last ten years. Stunning delicate, bright fruit and a hint of bitter almond in the finish.

Drouet '00 Touraine, Les Barbottes, $6.99/6.29, is a great example of how delicious, and often inexpensive, the wines of the Loire can be. Serve this Sauvignon Blanc with seafood or just sip.

Brun Terres Doree '99 Beaujolais Blanc,(Chardonnay), $9.99/8.99. Do not let the "Beaujolais" confuse you. This is one of the loveliest Chardonnays you can find. Low-key fruit with barely a hint of oak

Domaine Saint-Jean de L'Arbousier, Blanc Coteaux du Languedoc, $8.99/8.09. Like its red "brother" below, is a fine example of enlightened wine-making - cold fermentation, all stainless steel, using Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Viognier. Delicately floral, hints of peach in the palate, and a lovely citrusy finish.

My problem here is where to begin, what to include and what to leave out. Far too many wrenching decisions. Here we go, in no particular order.

French
Meunier St Louis '98 Corbiers, $8.99/8.09, - do not know the cepage, but who cares. Light, tasty, complex and surprisingly long for an inexpensive wine.

La Jourre '98 Syrah, $9.99/8.99. Vin de Pays Hauterive in Lanquedoc - "light and bright" up-front Syrah fruit and a typical spicey finish.

Domaine Saint-Jean de L'Arbousier, Rouge, Coteaux du Languedoc, $8.99/8.09. Syrah 40%, Grenache 20%, Mourvedre 20%, Carignan 10%. With that kind of cepage you might expect a fairly robust wine, but fermentation employing controlled-temperature carbonic maceration (allowing fermentation to occur naturally in uncrushed grapes), and aging in stainless steel, yields a light, very bright wine that changes dramatically with aeration. Off the cork, it's quite tannic and closed - aeration by decanting and returning the wine to the bottle will, within 15 minutes, reveal lovely cherry-like fruit and soften the tannin. Cork a half-full bottle and see what happens over 3 or 4 days.

Sorteilho 2000 St. Chinian, $9.99/8.99, is 70% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 10% Carignan and 0% oak. It has fruit, it has tannin, it has depth, it has complexity. Delicious!.

Dom Balaguere '99 Cote Ventoux, $9.99/8.99. Named after a character in a famous Provencal short story. This wine's light, vibrant fruit, and moderate tannins belie its 80% Syrah, 20% Grenache cepage. Offers casual consumption with any light food.

Californian Saviour
Pepperwood to the rescue with no less than three Rick's Picks - '99 Syrah, '98 Cab Franc, '98 Pinot Noir, all $9.99/8.99. How nice to find a Californian winery that is making consistently excellent wine across the board at prices that everyone can afford. Let's support them!

Luc Pirlet
Yes, I can confirm that those four fabulous Luc Pirlet wines, Merlot, Syrah/Mourvedre, Cabernet and Pinot Noir, that fly out the door for only $7.99/7.19 are indeed the work of a live, inspired person, and my guess is that there are more delights coming. All .

Minervois
The Minervois AOC on a bottle of wine from Lanquedoc is a virtual guarantee of 750ml of pure pleasure - no matter what you pay for it. Maris '98, $8.99/8.09, Chateau Prat-Majou '00, $9.99/8.99, are excellent examples, but for the last ten years or so we have been buying and selling Ch d'Oupia and with every vintage the story has been the same. The wines are big, bold and delicious, usually requiring some cellaring or at least aeration. We try to hold each release for at least a year, but that is not often possible. Ch d'Oupia '99, $7.99/7.19, is a classic, and the price has not changed in ages. For a special treat, step up to a bottle of Ch d'Oupia '98 Les Barons, $15.99/14.39. Out of the under-ten price range, but Very Highly Recommended.

Roussillon
Our latest find, from our March Whirlwind trip, is Ch de Pena '98, $9.99/8.99, a delicious, light but tasty, Grenache, Syrah blend, while our old favorite, the 100% Syrah, Schistes 99 Cuvee Sanglier, $9.99/8.99, round and full with unusually tantalizing flavors in the finish continues to fly off the shelf. Sanglier, is the French word for wild boar, many of which have acquired a taste for Syrah and invade the vineyard in search of ripe grapes.

Pinot Noir
Exciting Pinot Noir is finally penetrating the "under ten" price point. Two new French Pinots will be in the store before the holidays and they will be winners.

Domaine Astruc '00 Pinot Noir, $9.99/8.99, from Languedoc, may not be profound, but it offers utterly delicious Pinot Noir fruit, nicely balanced with tannin and acid.

Brun Terres Dorres, '99 Pinot Noir , $9.99/8.99, is similar in style to the Astruc, but with more structure and tannin, and the fruit really jumps out. You gotta try this one!

Pepperwood '98 Pinot Noir, $9.99/8.99, a welcome entry from California prompts me to ask "why can't other Californian producers offer wine of this quality and value?"

Tuscan
Sasso di Falco '00 Sangiovese di Toscana, $6.99/6.29. Fits the definition of a Super Tuscan in every regard except price.

Vin de Pays du Lot
In the course of the mad scramble at Vin Expo last June, I tasted a wine that really rang my bell. It was irresistible, as was the price. I bought it and it is due to arrive shortly. I have a crystal clear picture of that wine in my mouth, but not much else. If I took any notes, I can't find them. It's purple-black, full-flavored, dense and quite tannic but very drinkable. The wine is Le Pastorel '00, $7.99/7.19, Vin de Pay du Lot. I suspect that Malbec and/or Tannat are the reason for the wine's charms.

Steven Spurrier, a writer and wine guru, says of "Vin de Pays", or "country wine", 'I have taken it to be a wine which is drunk by locals and tourists in the place where it is made, which has certain defined regional characteristics and is not too sophisticated or expensive. A country wine is not always cheap...it should be considered somebody's everyday wine". That was written in 1983.

As we love to keep statistics, so
do the French love to categorize, especially oysters and wine.

According to my Oxford Companion to Wine ($50 at MWS), vin de pays are the third or lowest level of French AOC appellations, a category, formalized in 1979, to recognize and encourage the production of wines that are distinctly superior to basic vin de table ("no pedigree" wine), and in theory at least offer some stamp of regional identity. To qualify as a vin de pays, a wine must not be blended (i.e. must all come from the same appellation), must be produced in limited quantity, must be made of certain specified grape varieties, must reach a certain minimum alcohol level, and must be submitted to a tasting panel.

As we love to keep statistics, so do the French love to categorize, especially oysters and wine. Exploring further, I find that there are no less than three sub-categories of Vin de Pays. Enough already!

Anyway, I can find nothing about Vin de Pays Lot. Lot isn't even mentioned in the Oxford Companion, but I know that the Lot river runs through the city of Cahors in southwest France and so until or unless I learn otherwise, my guess is that La Pastourell is Malbec and /or Tannat. Regardless, you are going to love it.

Spain
Our best-selling Spanish wine, no, our best-selling red wine is Vega Sindoa '98 Cab/Tempranillo, $8.99/8.09, from Navarro. The Cabernet dominates even though it's only 60% of the blend, and that is why I truly love this wine. This is how I remember California Cabernet from the sixties, seventies and early eighties - pure, delicious, unadulterated Cab fruit.

Yuntero '93 Riserva, La Mancha, $8.99/8.09, a traditional style, Spanish gem.

South America
We're loaded with wonderful South American wines - mostly red.

Louis Felipe Edwards '99 Carmenére, $8.99/8.09, is from Chile and Carmenére, a grape abandoned by the Bordelaise, after the 1860's phyloxera plague, is shaping up to be the red varietal of Chile. Full-flavored, bolder and perhaps less angular than Cabernet.

What Carmenére is likely to be to Chile, Malbec is already to Argentina - its flagship red grape. We have many in the store and Vinterra '99 Mendoza, $8.99/8.09, is the latest worthy addition - wonderful black fruit and spicy tannin.

From Uruguay, a remarkable wine that has captured the complexity and depth of the Tannat grape, with only a modicum of tannin and no apparent oak - Zarranz '98 Tannat. $7.99/7.19. The color is dark, but the wine is deceptively light. I am forever arguing against the belief that a wine must be full-bodied to be exciting Here is my answer!

New Zealand
The male member of the Cat family from Coopers Creek, New Zealand is the '99 Tom Cat Merlot, $7.99/7.19. As a 'brother' to our ever-popular Fat Cat, I prefer to think of him as Lean Cat, because this is no run-of-the-mill, flabby, insipid Merlot. It is Lean, almost austere, with focused fruit and a somewhat spicey finish. No oak that I can detect. A Merlot revelation

My guess is that this wine has been made from grapes that are barely ripe, a legacy of New Zealand's extreme southern latitude, where some reds, especially Cabernet and sometimes Merlot, do not fully ripen in some vintages.

At the very top of this particular heap has to be Ch de Lancyre '99 La Rouviere, $13.99/1259, from Languedoc. A seductive blend of 90% Roussanne and 10% Viognier. The Vigionier shows in the delicate floral nose and in the stunning finish and after-taste. Roussanne and superb wine-making are responsible for the incredibly broad rich taste and feel of this wine, which improves with aeration and with bottle age. I personally still have some '97 and '98 which get better and better as they age.

An Italian Trio
Except for the northeast, I think of Italy as red wine country, never white, especially the south and Sicily where my expectation is heavy and oxidized. But never is a dangerous word.

Cusumano '00 Angimbe, $14.99/13.49, is white and it is from Sicily - a blend of a Sicilian white grape called Inzolia and Chardonnay! Well - Wow! Pale white. Gorgeous, delicate, floral bouquet. On the palate, light and zesty, with delicate fruit. Utterly elegant. As excitng as any white I have tasted this year. There is a common thread here - Cosumano, a producer new to these shores and the provider of several of the great wines in this issue. Very Highly Recommended!

Arneis, is an ancient Piedmontese grape that can produce glorious, rich white wines, if the wine-maker can get around its propensity to make dull, heavy wines. Some time ago Ceretto mastered this grape with consistency and we carried it. Tasted it again recently and decided to bring it back. The package is stunning - typical Italian flair. But the wine is what counts - Ceretto 99 Blange, $19.99/17.99. You'll create a sensation if you serve it as an aperitif wine, but I suggest having it with rich seafood - a dish with a cream sauce perhaps.

More French
Les Charmes-Godard '98, Cotes de France, $19.99/17.99, is a smashing white Bordeaux. Lovely fruit and an intiguing finish.

Peillot '99 Altesse Roussette du Bugey, $14.99/13.49. Bugey is the name for wines grown in the Ain departement just west of Savoie in eastern France. This is a white wine made of the Roussette grape (also known as Altesse, so the Altesse Rousette on the label would appear to be redundant). It is an unusual light, tasty wine that deserves more exposure than it has had - my fault. Look for it at one or more Saturday tastings.

Chene '99 Vire-Clesse, $14.99/13.49, an exceptional white Burgundy that will go nicely with any light food

Brenot '99 Bourgogne Ch., $17.99/16. Lovely wine with a knock-out finish.

The Burgundy wines of Verget, '00 Macon Villages, $17.99/16.19, and '00 Macon Bussieres, $19.99/17.99, are Very Highly Recommended.

If you have not tasted, or at least heard of, my Wine of the Millennia aka The Ultimate Shell Fish Wine, you need to rectify the situation forthwith. Ask for Cazin '98 Cour-Cheverny, $13.99/12.59.

The Residual Sugar Syndrome
There is a tendency to instantly dismiss wines that have any suggestion of sweetness, and since sweetness is detected by the tip of the tongue, it is the first impression that one receives. That is most unfortunate, because what follows that initial impression can be pure heaven. One recent Saturday we tasted two Vouvrays, and with few exceptions I had to cajole customers into taking a second sip and waiting for the "music to play". The results were startling. We sold, not bottles, but cases.

Pinon '96 Vouvray, $15.99/14.39, I would consider to be Demi-sec or "half- dry", and Dom des Aubuisieres '00 Cuvee de Silex Vouvray $19.99/17.99, is probably Sec, but both labels are silent in that regard. Vouvray is made of Chenin Blanc which, residual sugar notwithstnding, is quite fruity, and it was not surprising that almost every taster considered the wines to be unacceptable until urged to try again and be patient. The beauty of these wines is revealed when you savor the sweetness at entry, the luscious fruit in the mid-palate, then, if it is good wine, the underlying acidity. Sensational! Especially with richer foods.

Carry this one step further with my "Poor Man's Sauterne" - Ch Haut Medouc '96 St. Croix du Mont, $16.99/15.29 St. Croix is an appellation adjacent to Sauterne, and this wine is as good as any Sauterne going for twice its price. The color is gold and getting darker with each passing year. In the mouth it's Sauterne, and just begging for foie gras!

Yet another "dolce delight" - Langwerth von Simmern , '84 Kabinett, $13.99/ 12.59. This wine was offered to me as part of a lot of orphaned wine in a distributor's warehouse. One would not expect a mere "Kabinett" from an OK vintage to be anything exceptional. But, if you add 18 or so years to wine with residual sugar, some decent fruit and good acidity you get dynamite! Move fast!

And another so-called dessert wine (I don't think they go with dessert - after or before - yes) Margan '00 Botrytis Semillon, $19.99/17.99. Delicious now but young. Be patient. Wait a few years.

Finally, I would like to recommend Chateau St. Michel's '98 Cold Creek Riesling, $14.99/13.49.

It is practically dry, and good dry Rieslings are hard to come by. With seafood - Superb!

Provencal
Bargemone '98 Tournebride, $12.99/ 11.69, a gutsy, chewy and tasty blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Mourvedre, from one of the most beautiful estates in Provence.

Ch Calissanne '99 Cuveee Prestige, $15.99/14.39. A look at the cepage of this wine, goes part way towards explaining its glorious complexity - 43% Syrah, 36% Cab, 15% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache. The other components have to be the 'terroir' associated with this vineyard and, of course, great wine-growing skills. Enjoy!

Spain
While prices have been creeping up, Spanish wines still represent the best values on the market, but what is even more important, in style, quality and pure pleasure, they are unbeatable at any price level. A sampling-
"New" style Rioja - more fruit, less wood, Solabal '97 Crianza, $13.99/12.59. Dynamite!

Here is an eight-year-old Gran Riserva that sells for only $13.99/12.59 - Rigau Ros '94, from Costa Brava, tucked away in the north-east corner of Spain - stunningly beautiful Catalonia, where food and wine vie with scenery for your attention.

The essence of concentrated Cabernet and Mourvedre explodes like a bomshell, when you sip Casa Castillo '98 Gravas, $17.99/ 16.19, from southern Spain's Jumilla appellation. Now you know what delights come from old vines that struggle to produce a minuscule crop in a hostile environment.

Do you remember that wonderful Ribera del Duero wine Balbas I still get calls from as far away as the west coast (Yeh! - they do recognize good wine). But the brothers that made that wine split up - one took the winery and the other the vineyard. If you remember that great wine is made in the vineyard, you can easily guess which brother is now making the equivalent of the Balbas '94 Crianza in my personal cellar. Do not wait to try Solorca '99 Roble Red, $11.99/10.79, and Solorca '98 Crianza, $19.99/17.99. Simply Scrumptious!

If you are not a wine nut the name Pesquera probably means nothing to you. However, it is the name of the winery that put Ribero del Duero appellation on the map in the 1980's, and the name of a sought-after wine that sells for $35 and up. When, at VinExpo, we were offered a wine by the name of Pisuerga, at a very attractive price, we thought we were confronting a "Louis Vuiton-style" knock-off. But the wine was astonishingly good and an exceptional value - so we bought. It turns out that Bodegas Pisuerga is perfectly legit even though it is outside the Ribera del Duero region, and the town of Pisuerga, where it is located, even has a web-page. Go for Pisuerga '97 Crianza, $11.99/10.89. A winner!

Another bargain in a beautiful old wine - Yuntero '92 Gran Riserva, $15.99/ 14.39, and finally a wine that needs no introduction Vina Bajoz '98 Crianza, $11.99/10.79, from the Toro appellation

Italy
I describe this Sicilian stunner as 70% Nero d'Avola and 130% Syrah. Sicily's Nero d'Avola is, for most of us, a newly discovered delight, but Syrah is what assaults your senses when you lift up a glass of this wine - Cusumano 2000 Benuara, $15.99/ 14.39. Very Highly Recommended. Close behind is the sensational, 100% Nero d'Avola Cusamano 2000 Sagana, $19.99/17.99. Look for absolutely exquisite oak in the finish.

Sagrantino, an obscure grape grown in Umbria, is the source of the beautiful dark fruit in Antonelli's '97 Montefalco Rosso, $15.99/14.59.

Brunello, a clone of Tuscany's Sangiovese, together with the terroir of the hillside vineyards of Montalcino, give us one of Italy's most glorious, and most expensive wines. But, for a mere $13.99/12.59, you will be very happy with Altesino '98 Rosso di Altesino, one of several "Baby Brunellos" that you can find in our Italian section.

Pierazzuoli '99 Chianti, $11.99/10.79, is a modern style Chianti with ample bold fruit. My guess is that there is some Cabernet in the blend. (New rules require Chianti to be a minimum of 85% Sangiovese, and the remaining 15% can be any grape the wine-maker chooses)

A Poruguese Powerhouse
From the Estremadurs region of Portugal, Castelao '99 Red, $11.99/10.79, will blow you away with it's impenetrable purple color, inviting bouquet, and, above all, it's blockbuster black fruit and matching tannins

Languedoc
Only recently was I made aware of the Cabardes appellation, located in the central Massif foothills behind the ancient fortified city of Carcassonne. The distinction that sets this appellation apart is the fact that it is influenced by two ocean climates - principally the hot Mediterranean, but tempered by cool, westerly, Atlantic breezes that reach this area in the late evening, providing very favorable conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec as well as the Lanquedocian flaghips, Syrah and Grenache. To appreciate what this means you need only take a sip of Clos des Romains '98 Cabardes, $14.99/13.49. You will be rewarded by what I can only describe as a seamless symphony of sublime fruit and tannin from beginning to end. The musicians - 30% Cab, 20% Merlot, 20% Syrah, 15%, Grenache, 15% Malbec and 100% new oak!

On a wine label, the words 'Pic St.Loup', the name of the odd-shaped mountain north of Montpellier, are virtually a guarantee of 'joy inside' (my thanks to Intel). That's what you will find in bottles of Clos Montel ' 98, $12.99/ 11.69, dark, smokey Syrah; in Ch de Lancyre '99 VV, $15.99/14.39, vibrant, bright, black-berry Syrah; Ch. La Roque '99 Numismae, $19.99/17.99 and Foulaquier '99, $16.99/15.29, these last two being Syrah dominated blends

Chateau de Flaugergues '99 Languedoc, $13.99/12.59, an undetermined blend of the desirable varieties, from la Mejanelle, near Montpellier, sold-out one recent Saturday. More on the way!

Ch Mandagot '98 Montpeyrou, $11.99/10.89, that smoked meat, bacon, roasted coffee, "animale", style Syrah, and finally, elegant, mature, silky Le Grand Terroir '96 Minervois, $12.99/11.69.

Massamier '99 Expression de Carignan, $15.99/14.39, bears the appellation Peyriac, the town in Minervois from which it comes, because the Carignan grape, considered a low-life, is not allowed in Minervois. This wine illustrates that Carignan's undeserved reputation is the fault of the wine-grower, not the grape.

Roussillon
Predominantly Grenache, big and bold - two wonderful wines from Domaine Fontanel, the '96 Prieure Tradition, $16.99/15.29 and the '96 Tautavel, $13.99/12.59

Bandol
Not far from that rich and famous playground, St. Tropez, overshadowed by barren mountains tumbling to the sea, lies Bandol, home to the wine of the same name. Mourvedre is the grape, making, at least here, wine that often is black, tannic and unyielding for at least five years, or more - not an easy sell. However, you can tuck into Ch Sainte Anne '98 Bandol, $19.99/17.99 and relish its lovely bouquet and bold, tannin-laced fruit, now or over the next few years.

Uruguay
Zarranz '98 Tannat Roble, $10.99/9.89, packs a punch of black fruit, tannin and "sweet" oak that shames many popular wines selling for 3 and 4 times its price. Get on the Zarranz bandwagon!

Langhorne Creek
Via my palate, certain place names begin to take shape through the fog of the vast, unfamiliar geography of Australia's wine-growing regions. Such a place name is Langhorne Creek in south Australia not far from Adelaide, and it is no coincidence that the wines of Bremerton and Bleasdale are on our shelves. These two small wineries are making eye-popping Cabs and Shiraz. Grab Bleasdale '99 Cab/Shiraz, $14.99/13.49, and Bleasdale '99 Cab, $16.99/15.39. Bremerton's big, bold Shiraz and Cabs are in the $20-and-up category.

Bordeaux
Here are a few '98's that I have recently tasted. They are drinking beautifully.

Fort du Pontus '98 Fronsac, $19.99/17.99; Treytins '98 St. Emilion, $15.99/14.39; Ch Cruzeau '98 Graves, $15.99/14.39; Ch Picoron '98 Cotes de Castillon, $12.99/11.69 and Ch. Haut-Surget '98 Lalande-de-pomerol, $19.99/17.99.

Burgundy
Latour '99 Bourgogne Pinot Noir, $10.99/ 9.88, has made Pinot Noir one of our most popular red grape varietal, third only to Syrah and Grenache. It has true Burgundian style.

Jadot Bellevue '99 Morgon, $15.99/ 14.39, a Cru Beaujolais that is indistinguishable from a very good Burgundian Pinot Noir, and a pair of favorite Red burgundies Pernot '98 Santenay Bienveau, $18.99/17.09, and Faiveley '99 Mercurey,Dom. de la Croix, $19.99/17.99

Argentina
Etchart '96 Arnoldo Red,44 $15.99/ 14.39, is a Malbec/Cabernet blend - beautifully mature. A treat and a steal!
Washington State

A big hand for Snoqualmie Vineyards (a unit of Ch. St. Michelle). Snoqualmie '98 Cab, $16.99/15.29, is the most, if not only, exciting domestic Cabernet I have tasted this year. Perfectly balanced fruit, tannin and oak with a lovely underlying hint of cocoa and chocolate. And it's affordable! Snoqualmie '98 Syrah, $11.99/10.79, is pure joy!

California
Benziger has produced some sensational, succulent, seductive Syrah. More fruit oriented than the typical Rhone or Langedocian versions of this varietal. Benziger's best Syrah was, and at the Madison Wine Shop still is, the 1995 Vintage. As I recall, I bought it all and we have been hoarding it - selling only when the current vintage is sold out. You have a choice Benziger '98 Syrah, $18.99/16.89, or Benziger '95 Syrah, $19.99/17.99. Benziger '98 Merlot, $16.99/15.20, is, regardless of price, as good if not better than any other California Merlot in the store.

Burgundy
If you judge on the basis of labels you will pass this up as "much too expensive for a mere Macon-Village", but you will be making a dreadful mistake! Domaine Roally 99 Macon-Village, $21.99/19.79, is in my opinion "the best Chardonnay value in the store". Please give it a try.

Guillemot '99 Macon Villages, $21.99/ 19.79 - not as full as the Roally but equally delicious.

Italy
A single-vineyard Sauvignon Blanc (an un-Italian grape if ever there was one) from Fruili Venetzia, from whence comes almost all of Italy's top white wines, Livon '98 "Valbuins" SB, $21.99/18.99, is, in my opinion the equal of Dageneau's Pouilly Fume, which is by far the finest Loire white I have ever tasted - sharp as a tack with bracing, elegant Sauvignon Blanc fruit. Please, don't turn up your nose because it is white, Italian and not inexpensive.

California
Our perennial best seller, Michel Schlumberger '99, Dry Creek, Sonoma, $20.99/18.89. The epitome of elegance!

New Zealand
Hard to choose among the terrific New Zealand whites but I would go for Goldwater '00 Dogpoint Sauvignon Blanc, $20.99/18.99 and Martinborough '98 Chardonnay, $29.99/26.99. World-class!

"Poor" Man's Barolo
I have not bought a Barolo in a long while. Tasted many, but the risk/reward ratio always seems too high. They are expensive and don't move me. I look for signs of fruit, if not now, then down the road and I see nothing coming. I very nearly passed up even tasting Dezzani '96 Barolo, $24.99/22.49. A negotiant wine and too cheap! But I remembered - labels lie! Surprisingly, this is very decent Barolo! It does not have the tar and faded violets that I long for, but then it doesn't cost $75

Burgundy
Jadot '99 Chorey les Beaune, $24.99/22.49; Dom Gachot Monot '99 Cote d'Nuits, Les Chaillots, $29.99/26.99; Jadot '99 Marsannay, $24.99/22.49 and Geantet-Pansiot '99 Bourgogne Rouge, $24.99/22.49, four Rick' Picks.

Chinon
Alliet '99 VV Chinon, $20.99/18.89. Cab Franc from the Loire. Rich, complex, satisfying. I could not resist.

Southern France
Robin '99 Crozes-Hermitage, $24.99/ 22.49. Yummy, black, dense, ever-so tasty Syrah

Massamier '98 Domus Maximus, La Liviniere, $21.99/19.79. Another Syrah

Sang des Cailloux '99 Vacqueyras, $21.99/19.79. Traditional style of wine-making - no de-stemming. From my Magic Montmirail Mountain.

Last June we made the trip up to Pic St Martin, high above the town of La Liviniere, to 'the place where the bird sings' - Domaine Cantaussel. We tasted the 1999 and 2000 vintages, not yet bottled. What joy to come! But there's no need to fret - we have the sensational Domaine Cantaussel '98 Pic St Martin, La Liviniere, $28.99/26.09, on the shelf. Explosive Syrah!

Mordoree '99 Lirac Reine Des Bois, $24.99/22.49. From the southern Rhone Valley and predominantly Syrah. A blockbuster!

Southern Hemisphere
Oliverhill '00 Grenache, $22.99/20.69, Cimicky '99 Daylight Chamber, Grenache, $21.99/19.79; Woodstock '98 McLaren Vale Shiraz, $24.99/22.49; Bremerton '99 Tamblyn, Red, $22.99/ 20.69, all top flight Australians.

Catena '99 Malbec, $28.99/26.09. Argentina's biggest producer and this is his flagship Malbec

Italian
Felluga '97 Merlot, Fruili-Venetzia , $20.99/18.89. I was moved!

Camporsoli '98 Toscana, $24.99/22.49. Super Tuscan

California
When Joel Peterson gets his Rhone style Icon right, it can take its place along with the best of the south of France. In 1998 he did get it right. Ravenswood '98 Icon, Sonoma, $29.99/26.99, Syrah Mourvedre, is my proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove.

Bordeaux
We have beaucoup Bordeaux in this price range - the sweet spot. Tough choices, but I go for Trimoulet '96 St. Emilion Grand Cru, $29.99/26.99; Garraud '95 Lalande de Pomerol, $21.99/19.99; Haut de Pontet '95, $28.99/26.09. All waiting to be carried home and consumed.

All Burgundy and all the very best. Live it up!

Latour '92 Bienvenue Batard Montrachet, $110/99
Jadot '98 Corton Charlemagne, $115/104
Dureuil '97, Les Champs Puligny-Montrachet, $65/58. No comment necessary.
Alex Gambal's '99 Pouilly Fuisse, $32.99/ 29.69, Gambal is at the forefront of Burgundy's new wave, young wine-makers. The wine - a dream!

Over the years, since the early eighties, Phelps' Insignia has been one of my favorite Californian reds - I have purchased every vintage since '84 and we still have an interesting selection. The '94 was universally acclaimed as California's best wine of the vintage- I still have some, but you don't want to know the price! How about the '98 Insignia, $120.00/108.00

Brunellos have become expensive, and for some time now I have not found one that moved me. Last year I found a substitute - from the mountain backwater of Scansano in south-east Tuscany- Jacopo Bondi Santi's '97 Montepaone, $40.00/36.00. Sinewy, sensuous, rich and satisfying, made mainly from Morellino, a clone of Sangiovese.

This extraordinary wine shames a whole lot of $60 and up bottles from prestigious Brunello, Barolo and Barbaresco producers. Jacopo Bondi Santi is the latest scion of the most prestigious house of Bondi Santi. I have yet to taste a Bondi Santi Brunello that I would buy, so it is no surprise to me that he has seen fit to strike out on his own.

We sold it out last December, but earlier this year I sniffed some out in a distributor's warehouse. All that remains of this hidden treasure is now in our cellar-in-the-sky. Come and Get It!

Chateau Musar, in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon is a wine legend. Started by a Frenchman back in 1930's and now owned and run by his son Gaston Hochar. The red wines are extraordinary. Made mainly of Cabernet and Cinsault they age fantastically and are anything but cookie-cutter wines. Each vintage offers a unique taste experience. Try the Ch Musar '94, $39.99/35.99

Kanonkop '97 Paul Sauer, Stellenbosch, $34.99/31.49. Kanonkop's "Paul Sauer" is consistently South Africa's top wine. A splendid Bordeaux-style that is reasonably priced

Domaine Trevallon '98 Les Baux, Provence, $59.99/53.99, a Syrah/Cabernet blend, enjoys, with Mas Dumas Gassac, a reputation as the very best of the south's wines. Browse our selection, including many older vintages.

My Wine of 2001, is Bressy '99 Rasteau Gourt de Mautens, $39.99/35.99. Syrah, and for that matter, the wine of any other grape, does not get much better than this. The depth of flavor, intensity, complexity - anyway you slice it is incredible. Crying wine - it brings tears of joy!

Brusset '99 Montmirail Gigondas, $39.99/35.99. My favorite appellation, and Brusset, who has a reputation as a curmudgeon, makes among the very best Gigondas.

Faiveley '90 Mazis Chambertin, $110/103 Great red Burgundy from a great vintage. Treat Yourself!

Osprey's Dominion '97 Red Wine, Long Island, $34.99/31.49. How, you may ask, does a Meritage from Long Island's North Fork, get in here? Answer - I tasted it!

Marichal '98 Pommard La Chaniere, $34.99/31.49. Tasted this one too!

St Pierre '98 Pomerol, $44.99/40.49. Rich, bold and complex.

Our travels this year took us to many interesting wineries and exposed us to hundreds of exciting wines, but two wineries stand out because of the restless energy and innovative spirit of their owners, as reflected in their wines. They differ in that one is literally working on a shoe-string, the other on a grand scale. What they have in common are "jump for joy" wines.

Domaine La Combe Blanche
In the last issue of the Wine Editorial I described our March visit to the Rube Goldberg Domaine La Combe Blanche winery in the old Languedocian town of La Liviniere. One Saturday back in August, Guy Vanlangker, the Belgian owner and winemaker of La Combe Blanche, visited the Madison Wine Shop to help us introduce his wines to a couple of hundred fascinated customers who tasted the "works of art" as the artist described how and why he created them.

Guy's restless creativity makes his labeling a little difficult to follow, but here goes.

The vineyards of Domaine La Combe Blanche are in Minervois's top sub-appellation, La Livinier and his flagship bottling is Domaine La Combe Blanche '99 'Chandeliere' , Minervois, La Liviniere, $29.99/26.99. This extraordinary wine is 60% Syrah aged for 18 months in new oak, 20% Grenache aged in steel vats, and 20% Carignan aged in oak. Each of the components is vinified and aged separately. The result - sheer magic!

Domaine Combe Blanche '99 Les Dessous de l'Enfer, $34.99/31.49. Nothing on the striking label tells you that this is 100% Tempranillo, and that it is aged 18 months in new oak. You may also wonder why the appellation is Vin de Pays des Cotes de Brian. That's because the Minervois appellation does not permit the use of Tempranillo, the Spanish grape. Then you may ask why Les Dessous de l'Enfer? - literally 'Below Hell'. It is the name of the vineyard section where these grapes grow, so named because it is immediately below a small Pinot Noir plot that Guy has named Enfer!

What about the wine? Without detracting from Spanish wine, this is nothing like any Spanish wine I have tasted. It is opaque, dense, and full with decadent succulent fruit and soft tannin. The oak is there, somewhere, but unidentifiable as such. Fabulous!.

Dom Combe Blanche '99 Minervois, $14.99/13.49, is 25% each of Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan, using carbonic maceration, and with 25% of the blend aged for 18 months in new oak. Eminently Drinkable, Endlessly Enjoyable

Dom Combes Hautes '99 Minervois, $11.99/10.79, is Guy's everyday wine - 50% Carignan, vinified using carbonic maceration, 50% Cinsaut, the blend aged 1 year in vats - no oak. I could happily drink this everyday!

If I have given you the impression of a restless, creative wine-making genius- that was my intention.

Domaine de L'Hospitalet
La Clape, a coastal, limestone mountain overlooking the beach of the Languedocian city of Narbonne, was at one time beneath the Mediterranean, more recently an island, and now the home of Domaine de L'Hospitalet, created by a vibrant Belgian woman and her French husband.

When Beatrice Buyck-Ribourel takes you on a jeep tour of the beautiful vineyards, winery, museum, hotel and stunning private home they have created, and when you taste the fabulous wines she is making, you have to be bowled over as we were.

As she drives you through the beautifully manicured vineyards, telling you about the many varietals she is experimenting with and what she is aiming for you realize that she shares with Guy Vanlangker, not only Belgian nationality, but a restless creative spirit.

We met Beatrice at a wine trade show in New York in February and visited Domaine de L'Hospitalet last June. Her wines, crafted by renowned oenologist Michel Rolland are finally on our shelves.

L'Hospitalet '99 Summum White, $12.99/11.69, 30% Bourboulenc, 30% Rolle, 25% Grenache Blanc and 15% Roussanne, aged 10 months in new oak If I have conditioned you to look askance at oak, especially new oak, relax. This is as elegant as any white Burgundy, but the style and fruit are typical of what I find so alluring in these southern French wines that did not exist ten or even five years ago.

L'Hospitalet '98 Summum Red, $13.99/ 12.79, 40% Syrah, 30% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache, aged 12 months in new oak. Beautiful, Very Drinkable!

L'Hospitalet '98 Cuvee Beatrice White, $19.99/17.99, 60% Bourboulenc, 30% Roussanne, 10% Rolle, aged 12 months in new oak. Bourboulenc is widespread throughout southern France as a blending grape. Only in La Clape is it used as the predominant grape, and it is largely responsible for the enticing bouquet and flavor, as well as the bracing acidity of this delicious wine. A Treat

L'Hospitalet'98 Cuvee Beatrice Red, $22.99/20.69, 60% Syrah, 40% Mourvedre, 18 months in new oak. Aerate this wine by decanting and returning it to the bottle. Wait 20 or 30 minutes and enjoy Syrah and Mourvedre as good as they get! Very Highly Recommended

If you ever expect to be anywhere near Narbonne, do not miss the opportunity to visit Domaine de L'Hospitalet. Plan on spending the night. Let us know, we'll arrange a special welcome. You will find it on the Michelin map - that should tell you something!

Unless you have unshakeable brand loyalty, don't even think of buying high-end or luxury spirits, for either yourself or a friend, without considering one of these. Talk to us for pure, hedonistic pleasure. The password is AFAT!

Cognac
Gabriel & Andreu Fine Bois Cognac, $29.99. Delicately aromatic, soft and gentle.

Balzac VSOP Cognac, $34.99. A revelation, if you are used to branded Cognacs. Lovely floral and subtle fruity notes fill your mouth.

For the absolute ultimate, take your pick of the Jean Fillioux line from a family owned and operated distillery. La Pouyade, $55; Tres Vieux Grand Champagne, $75; and Reserve Familiale, $200. Each of these Cognacs share two qualities - complex, stunning bouquet and flavor; velvety smoothness.

Armagnac
Ch Tariquet VSOP, $44.95. Sensational bouquet. Incredibly rich and full in the mouth. Silky smooth. Our best seller.

Single Malt Scotch
One of the attractions of Single Malt Scotches is their tremendous variety. Each has a distinct style and character. But, for me, one essential requirement is, "no tail-pipe fire". In wine, "smoothness" is boring but in spirits I consider it a virtue. Then I look for complexity.

Ardbeg 10 year Islay, $44.99, a recent find, is currently at the top of my list. No need to drink it - the bouquet alone suffices, for as long as I have time to nurse it. Unlike many other Islays. which I find as pleasant as chewing on an asphalt block, Ardbeg is powerful but silky smooth with narry a trace of burn. No other Scotch that I can recall offers such an endless medley of smoky, peaty, iodiney, flavors, laced with hints of sweetness and other indescribable pleasures, that linger on and on. I wax poetic, but so will you!

Interestingly enough, we have the 17 year Ardbeg - I had expected it to be similar to the 10- year, but more so. However, that is not the case - it is rich, full and delicious - if you had not tasted the 10-year you would not feel cheated at paying $69 - but to me it is not as exciting as the 10-year

We have a full line of Balvenie Single Malts - each is a winner at it's price point but I keep coming back to the Balvenie 12-yr Doublewood, $38.99, and so apparently do you.

Take a look at page 135 of The Wine Avenger, under the heading "Breaking the Code".Then take a good look at the Champagnes on our shelves. We'll lend you a magnifying glass!

Every Champagne label has a two letter code followed by numbers. It is minute, but it is there, somewhere. Almost without exception the first two letters are "NM" which means "Negotiant Manipulant" - the firm whose label is on the bottle is a "dealer-producer" - they buy some or all of their wine, blend it or otherwise process it and bottle it.

The code "RM", means "Recoltant-Manipulant" - the Champagne equivalent of Estate Bottled - they grew the grapes, made the wine and bottled it. No absolute assurance of quality, but, as with Estate Bottled still wine, if you must gamble it's the way to go.

Of all the Champagnes on our shelves, only Jean Laurent has an "RM" code!

Years ago, in disgust with popular sparkling wines, I resolved to find an inexpensive sparkling wine that I could recommend with pride. A year, and scores of tastings later, I found Comte de Bernex from the Haute Savoie region of France. Some thousands of cases later, that wine is our indisputable house sparkler and it still sells for $11.99/10.79.

Many of you know my lack of enthusiasm for most Champagnes. I have a few favorites, including Pol Roger '90 Brut Rosè, $62/56, and Pol Roger '88 Sir Winston Churchill, $150/135, but, except for ringing in the New Millennium, I cannot afford to drink them. So I have been searching for a House Champagne.

Early last December, I tasted Jean Laurent Brut Rose and immediately grabbed all three available cases. I got to keep the sample bottle, and, with that alone, I sold it all out before the wine even hit the store.

Early in this year I got to taste Jean Laurent's Blanc de Noir and Blanc de Blanc and I knew I had my House Champagne. My enthusiasm was reinforced when we visited with Jean Laurent, in Champagne this past March. Jean is the fifth generation to run this family owned and run estate. Production is small and the supply is limited.

What do I find so appealing about Jean Laurent's Champagnes? First and foremost, these are superb wines - delicious even when the bubbles are long gone. Secondly they grow only Pinot Noir and Chardonnay - no Meunier. I once tasted a 100% German Meunier - the meanest, thinnest, most acidic wine I have ever come across, and despite hate mail, I stand by my opinion that it is nothing but a filler. For every south-facing slope there is a north-facing slope where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay will not ripen - but Meunier will!

Jean Laurent Brut Rosé, $39.99/36.99. The color is deep rose, the bouquet and fruit are subtle but distinct Pinot Noir, rich and delicious. Superb with food. The supply will always be Limited

Jean Laurent, Brut, Blanc de Noir, $29.99/26.99, also100% Pinot Noir, has been a best-seller since the beginning of the year - exquisite.

During our visit, Jean manually disgorged a bottle of Blanc de Noir for us to taste. It was of course bone-dry, not having had any "dosage" - the addition of sugar, along with wine, to replace what is lost during disgorgement. I loved it - and so will you!

You now can choose either Jean Laurent, Blanc de Noir Brut, or Jean Laurent, Blanc de Noir, Rick's Pick Sans Dosage, both, at the same $29.99/26.99 price. I am betting that you will never go back to those more expensive popular brands.

Through December, and on into the New Year stop by and participate in our Port Fest. One taste is worth thousands of words!

Taste, and compare the exceptional, affordable Ruby, $14.99/13.49; Tawny, $17.99/16.19 and 1995 Vintage, $34.99/31/49, Quinto do Infantado Ports - miles ahead of the commercial competition.

As I read over what I have written, I have a sense of disquiet, perhaps even frustration. How are you ever going to know about all those glorious wines that did not make it into this Wine Editorial? Perhaps you will find them by browsing around the store and rickpicks.com, or by perusing past Wine Editorial issues. But I fear that many may blush unseen, to waste their sweetness on the unappreciative air of our dark, cool loft.

Here are a few more you should know about.

The most exquisite wine in the store ...Marques de Vargas '96 Riserva, $23.99,/21.59. A Mozart symphony, sensitively played, without a single off note. None of that tells you what it tastes like, but I will try.

A seductive bouquet of vanilla wood and cherries. In the mouth, velvety, intense, rich, and incredibly complex, Tempranillo fruit, framed in soft tannin and vanilla oak. Despite all those adjectives, I am transported to another world by the overall impression of delicacy. If you are of the full-bodied school of wine idealism, this wine will expose the folly of your thinking, if not the inadequacy of your and my vocabularies

If suffering is the inspiration for great art, then a grape vine's struggle for survival in a hostile environment produces fruit for great wine. Such is the case in the tiny Priorato region of north-east Spain. This is a beautiful, rugged, desolate, hot, dry mountainous place where grapes have been grown since Roman times. Hand farming on steep, terraced mountain-sides produces very low yields. The grapes are primarily Grenache and that maligned "low-life", Carignan.

I have never tasted traditional Priorato wine, but I understand that it is potent, naturally reaching as high as 16% alcohol, and highly concentrated.

That is a paradoxical introduction to what is the runner-up for my "most exquisite" title - Igneus '98 FA 206, Priorato, $16.99/15.29, - the product of a brand new winery, combining modern wine-making with traditional manual wine-farming in old Priorato vineyards.

The results are truly spectacular. Here is a powerhouse wine that delivers its steel-fisted punch with a velvet glove. Big, rich, long, complex, but gentle. You alone, dear customers, can buy this wine. And look at the price!
Back in the late seventies, I discovered Gigondas and fell in love with its lovely fruit, peppery, spicey finish, and its price - a steal compared to the nearby but renowned Chateau-neuf-du-pape. From the same Magic Montmiraille mountain we also get Vacqueyras, Rasteau and Sablet.

For more than seven years we have been relishing Signature '90 Gigondas, $21.99/ 19.79, stunning in its youth and now exquisite as it approaches maturity. I purchased the last pallet at VinExpo two years ago, but, with the exception of a case in my cellar, t'will be gone by year's end. Don't miss an opportunity to savor this eleven-year-old beauty - the most undervalued wine in the store! The superb Signature '95 Gigondas will arrive early in December - but it will cost you!

The up and coming varietal - Pinot Noir. A couple of years ago, I attended a tasting of Faiveley's '96 Red Burgundies, and , mindful of our "out'ta space" problem, I intended to buy at most only one wine, and no more than a case or two. I failed! Could neither choose nor resist. I bought '96 Clos du Roy, $28.99/26.09, '96 Framboisiere, $22.99/20.69, 'Myglands, $24.99/22.49, and quite a few cases of each. These are jump for joy Pinot Noirs.

Our carefully chosen Red Burgundies have weaned MWS customers from Californian Pinots, which I my opinion do not compete in either price or quality; from Oregon Pinots, which in some vintages may compare in quality but not in price; and also from Cabernet and Merlot. There are even Ricks Picks Under Ten Pinot Noirs. Take a look.

Another dirty little secret - I am confessing to a sneaky, private game that I play at our Saturday tastings. I watch the taster, and based solely on how that person tastes I try and guess what their response will be to the particular wine they are tasting. The tasting styles are fascinating, and I hope that I will not make you self-conscious by enumerating a few of the more common characterizations - 'quaffers', 'lip-smackers', 'sippers', 'sniffers', 'sky-light gazers', 'furrowed brow tasters'. There are all too few 'bubblers' and 'slurpers', although, happily, their numbers are on the rise.

There are wines that make no demands on the consumer - they make a statement without the intervention or the participation of the taster - bombastic, big, oaky, fruity Chardonnays, block-buster Cabernets - in musical terms- loud, noisy and frequently boring. Then there are what, for lack of a better word, I would describe as elegant wines - often understated but usually complex, except perhaps, for tannic astringency in reds, and sharp acidity in whites, they may not command your attention, and at worst, if you do not pay attention, they are quickly passed over, or condemned for being too "sour" (meanig acidic), too "sweet" (meaning fruity) or too "dry" (meaning tannic).

All too often the fault lies with the taster, not with the wine. But we should not blame him or her - it is taken for granted that we instinctively know how to taste - but we don't. That also leads to what I consider another wine myth - that some of us are blessed with good palates and others not, when in fact some of us know how to taste, while many do not, but can very easily learn.

We taste with our noses, not with our mouths. Our olfactory bulb, located in our nasal passage, above our palate, is an exquisite sensor of air-borne (volatile) molecules. A single "skunk" molecule in perhaps millions of air molecules is sufficient to send a message to the brain, which is capable of not only recognizing, but correlating thousands of such messages with past experiences - some pleasant, some unpleasant, some life threatening. By contrast, the so-called taste buds in our mouths are sensitive to only four stimulae - sweet, sour, bitter and salty. Loose your sense of smell and you lose your sense of taste.

Air-borne flavor molecules are readily detected, with no effort on our part - we pick them up in the air we breathe. The volatile flavor molecules that literally jump out of a glass of oaky, buttery Chardonnay, assault our olfactory bulb, like it or not. But the vast majority of flavor molecules are not volatile - they are not floating in the air, and unless they get from our mouths to our noses we will not even know they exist. We generally chew solid foods and chewing facilitates the migration of flavor molecules into our nasal passage where they can be detected by the olfactory bulb.

When we drink liquids, especially water, we are accustomed to simply swallowing them without much ado. If the liquid is wine we will be inclined to do the same, and if its flavour molecules are not particularly volatile, we will not "taste" them. We naturally tend to "drink" wine rather than "taste" it, when in fact we should be doing the opposite - taste wine, do not drink it. In fact that is what I do every day - I taste dozens of wines, but I never swallow until I get home for dinner. If your reason for drinking wine is a "buzz", I would suggest that vodka is quicker and cheaper.

Certainly, "chewing" wine and swishing it around in the mouth helps. As the wine warms up, some of the flavor is released. But the sure-fire way to stop drinking wine and start tasting it, is to aerate eye-dropper-size sips of wine, held right behind puckered lips, and then draw little bubbles of air through the wine. If you make a noise you are doing it right. A minuscule amount of that air, escaping via your nasal passage, is all that is needed to utterly transform your wine drinking experience.

I remember that as a child, I could "bubble" any liquid that I was being compelled to drink against my will, but adult social conventions inhibit us. You will need to overcome those inhibitions. Practice in the privacy of your home, or let your hair down and do it on a Saturday in public at the Madison Wine Shop. You will be adequately rewarded - not only will you drink less and save money, but you will enter a world you never knew existed. Those red wines that you thought were "dry" and "bitter" will come to life in a way you never dreamed. You will begin to experience the magic of wine and food, and you will begin to appreciate that there is nothing that we ingest that compares with the variety of taste experiences, joy and pleasure afforded by wine.

My most rewarding experience, and one that makes the hours I spend watching people taste wine worthwhile, is the sublime smile that brightens the face of the person who has just had the revelation of really tasting wine, perhaps for the first time.

Come to a Wise-up-on-Wine tasting and you will be cajoled, harangued or otherwise persuaded to chew and slurp.

This is an appropriate place to make my pitch about white wine chilled to death. The colder the wine the less volatile are the flavor components and the harder you will have to work to get the fruit you paid for. My comfort level for most white wines is about 68 degrees. Find yours!