|
By The Glass Chuck Furuya |
The wines of autumn
It's autumn. For some, this means changing colors and cooler weather. For many wineries, it is also a time for fall releases.A slew of new wines are entering the islands. Here are some to seek out.
Great values
2003 Wishing Tree Shiraz: What a discovery this has been! The wine exudes ripe, juicy, peppery fruit and loads of it, yet is not at all overdone. At $10 a bottle, this is one you should really check out.Trevor Jones Jonesy: Trevor Jones produces award-winning chardonnays and world-class shiraz of epic proportions. Jonesy is one of the winery's newest projects. It is a fortified, portlike shiraz -- sweet, layered, well textured and great served well chilled with chocolates or alone to end a meal. Jonesy is a cute name, in a fun package. At under $8 a bottle, you can have some real fun with this one.
Big red
2002 Carlei Shiraz "Green Vineyard": I met Serge Carlei at this year's Kapalua Wine & Food Festival. He kind of snuck into our restaurant, Vino, incognito and didn't introduce himself until several days later. We had thought he was just a guy who loved wines, as he just kept ordering hard-to-get collectibles from around the world, including some Rieslings from Germany.When I finally had a chance to taste his shiraz, I was floored. The 2002 has great concentration and intensity yet is not at all heavy or gaudy. It is almost satin-textured. Carlei is one passionate wine lover, that's for sure, and his wines clearly re-enforce this. Expect to pay around $30 a bottle for this beauty.
Oh, what a wine!
2000 Ici La-Bas Chardonnay "Victoria": The grapes for this wine come from Anderson Valley, and the winemaker is Au Bon Climat's Jim Clendenen.Doesn't he have enough to do at home? Thank goodness he decided to produce wine from grapes grown outside Santa Barbara proper, otherwise we never would have had this fabulous, worldly chardonnay.
It smells of wet stone and moss, just like many a meursault. There is terrific intensity, layering and texture. At $27 a bottle, it is worth seeking out.
A vote for elegance
2001 Scherrer Zinfandel "Old & Mature Vines": Most people looking for California zinfandel expect something rustic, hearty and robust ... and in most cases that is what they will get. Not with this wine. I love this zinfandel because of its incredible elegance and suave, seductive texture. Beautiful. Let's just say it is a zin crafted by a pinot noir maker.