Decantings, A Journal of Wine
April/May 2008 Edition

Click here for a PDF version of the April/May 2008 Decantings.

French Wines

Château Recougne 2006
An amazing value in Sauvignon Blanc from the Fronsac appellation of Bordeaux, along the Dordogne River just northwest of Saint-Émilion. Dry, minerally, and full of ripe grapefruit flavors, this wine is delicious. $10

Château de la Pierre Levée 2005 Côtes de Castillon
This Grand Vins de Bordeaux is a smashing good value, with delightful upfront black fruits, firm tannins, and a touch of the classic Bordeaux graphite. $13

Château Teyssier 2005 Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Wow, this right bank wine is tight, with bold black fruit, huge mouthfeel, and brilliant balance of oak, fruit, and tannins. It is a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc that easily is better than most $60 wines from around the world! $30

Château Boutisse 2005 Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
11% Cabernet Sauvignon, 88% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc $40

Jacques Masson Château St. Georges 2005 Côte Pavie Grand Cru Classé
A Grand Cru from the right bank appellation of Saint-Émilion, this is a dense, elegant, and beautiful wine. $50

Château les Eymeries 2006 Blanc
Crisp, clean, and elegant, showing a lot of Meyer lemon and tart grapefruit nuances that would make it perfect paired with a seafood salad. $12

Domaine Perraud Vieilles Vignes 2006 Macon-Villages
If you are a fan of well-made, unoaked Chardonnay fruit, then this wine from Burgundy may be for you. An extremely elegant, light, and charming Chardonnay that is minerally and incredibly food friendly, pairing well with seafood, poultry, and cheese courses alike. $19

Château du Cros 2005 Bordeaux
A very nice and affordable blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc that is medium bodied and full of lush fruit, and would pair well with a pork tenderloin or Coleman steak. $13

Château Sergant 2005 Lalande-de-Pomerol
A full-bodied, rich wine from the east side of the Dordogne river, it is predominately made of Merlot that is very complex, yet has very approachable and velvety tannins. $50

Gosset-Brabant Brut Tradition
The family-owned, estate-bottling Gosset-Brabant winery in the famous town of Aÿ creates a Pinot Noir-dominated cuvée that reflects its unique microclimate. It is quite frankly as complex and expressive a non-vintage Champagne as we know (for those concerned with what they drink rather than with what they are seen drinking). Full of white peach and citrus, this non-vintage Champagne’s expressive flavors linger in a beautifully long finish. $47

Jean Vesselle Oeil de Perdrix
Oeil-do-what? It means “eye of the partridge.” The winemaker thought of the beautiful eyes of this bird when she cast her gaze upon the juice. Delicate, light salmon color, with a balanced cherry-almond fruit, this non-vintage Champagne is 100% Pinot Noir. $43

Guindon 2006 Gamay Rosé
A dry rosé from the Loire Valley, it is filled with aromas and flavors of strawberries, red and yellow cherries, and finishes with an underlying chalky
minerality. $10

Foreau 2006 Vouvray Sec
“Philippe Foreau declassified all his wine into a straight Sec in 2006 to make an amazing bottle of Chenin Blanc. Aromas of white flowers, peaches, and a bit of rose petal, followed by a mouth of candied grapefruit and lemon rinds, with hints of tarragon and chalk. A bit of residual sugar gives a bit more fat to the wine this vintage, but because it is balanced by the acidity, no feeling of sweetness lingers.” K. Schoeny/Vintner Select $30

Domaine Cheysson 2006 Chiroubles
A Cru Beaujolais that is new to us this year, it is full of raspberry and black cherry fruit and a touch of spice on the finish. A beautiful, food-friendly wine. $20

Mas du Gourgonnier 2005 Les Baux de Provence
Located in the group of hills known as “Les Alpilles”, just a few kilometers from the famous village of Baux de Provence, the wines of this appellation take full advantage of their exceptionally good climate and soil. All wines produced at Mas de Gourgonnier come from vines which have never received any chemical fertilizers, weed killers, or artificial insecticides. The wine is filled with aromas of dark chocolate, followed by sweet and spicy smells of provençal herbs and earth. A blend of Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a touch each of Grenache and Syrah, it is full of crushed boysenberries, plums, and cinnamon on the palate. $16

Domaine Jean Fournier 2005 Cuvée St Urbain
From Marsannay, the northernmost appellation of the Côtes du Nuits, Fournier’s old vines produce a dark, fruit-laden wine, with smoky meaty flavors, that is just wonderful! $25

Domaine de Noiré 2006 Soif de Tendresse
This Cabernet Franc from Chinon, in the Loire Valley, has dark, juicy black fruits, with a floral perfume and hints of spice and minerality. $15

Decanter Banter

Les Amis de La Bouïssière 2006
Comprised primarily of Grenache, with Syrah and a little Merlot as part of the field blend, this is a tasty wine from one of our favorite producers. Super-peppery and lovable, this comes at a price that will make it a prime candidate for “new house red” status. You’ve got to try this super value. $16

La Ferme de Gicon Côtes du Rhône
This traditional Rhône blend of Grenache and Syrah exhibits intense berry fruit and spice. Fresh, lively, and affordable, it can be enjoyed with a variety of meats, grilled vegetables, or hearty fish. $11

Crocker & Starr 2006 Sauvignon Blanc
Wonderful tropical aromas and flavors of white peach, mango, and guava, finishing with vibrant and refreshing lime acidity. Mouthwatering “margarita” Sauvignon with long-lasting, luscious varietal characteristics. There is just a small quantity of this marvelous vintage from Pam Starr left, so hurry! $33

Orin Swift Cellars “Papillon”
A top-notch Bordeaux-style blend from winemaker Dave Phinney, best known for “The Prisoner”. Napa has few shining stars making as much noise as Dave and his wines have made. Dave’s wines can also be hard to find; “Papillon” is only available in a few states. Up-front blackberry and plum, with layers of rich cedar and tobacco spice, as well as a hearty tannic presence on the finish. $58

The Prisoner
This cult wine from California embodies some extremely powerful characteristics. Loaded full of jammy Zin, smoky Syrah, biting Cab, spice-driven Petite Sirah, and a touch of Charbono, to add a slight berry acidity, this wine will be both overwhelming and delightful at the same time! $37

Kinkead Ridge Cellars 2005 Cabernet Franc
This wine’s fragrant aromas of violet and black cherry precede a taste of fruity, harmonious, richly flavored complexity, with chocolate and raspberry overtones. A fantastic example of Ohio wine, it is aged in premium American and French oak barrels and would pair best with beef, lamb, pork, and richly flavored stews. $18

Artazuri 2006
This Spanish red wine from the Navarra region is full of soft ripe berry fruit, with a velvety finish. $12

Merryvale 2005 Carneros Chardonnay
A fabulously rich and full-bodied Chardonnay from the Carneros region of Napa (most of the fruit is from the famous Hyde Vineyard), it is spicy in the nose, full of ripe “tree fruit” and a vanilla/oak finish. $33

Frédéric Mochel 2005 Gewürztraminer
From the extreme northwest part of Alsace, this wine is truly limited and a real beauty. Full of rose petal nuances, bright acid balance, and finishing quite dry, with a pleasing tangy quality that makes it a very nice accompaniment with delicate fish dishes or Thai food. $30

The Furst 2005 Riesling
The Furst lies at the foothills of the best Alsatian Grand Crus (Schlossberg and Furstentum) and is, simply put, a fantastic value. Beautifully balanced fruit with a slate minerality that just goes on in the finish. $13

Lagier Meredith 2004 Syrah
This is a stunning California Syrah, made from grapes grown in Napa Valley’s Mount Veeder region. It is full of licorice and flower nuances in the nose with tons of blackberry and cassis fruit all interwoven with delicate tannins. Very food friendly and extremely limited in supply. $55

Culler 2004 Griffin’s Vineyard Syrah
Our friend Karen Culler, an Ohio State grad, makes some of the most interesting and food-friendly California Syrah, and this is an example of her talents. Grown on a vineyard she shares with Pax Mahle, it possesses an opaque purple color with a big, sweet nose of peppery, earthy, blackberry, cassis, and Chinese black tea aromas. Pair with a Coleman steak and enjoy! $45

Château Guiraud 2006 le G
A beautiful Bordeaux Sec Blanc that is a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, with tons of bright, crisp, ruby-red grapefruit and gooseberry fruit, and a minerality in the finish. An extremely elegant wine, and perfect with food. $17

Rosé Wines

Springtime is the time for one of our favorite styles of wine…dry, lip-smackingly good pink wine! In the coming month we will have a slew of these great wines from around the world arriving, but a few favorites will be:

Verget du Sud 2007 Vin de Pays Vaucluse Rosé de Syrah
Jean-Marie always does a fantastic job with rosé. A true thirst quencher, it is loaded with raspberry fruit, intermixed with candied lemons and white pepper on the palate. $12

Domaine de Noiré 2007 Chinon Rosé
Jean-Max Manceau works wonders with Cabernet Franc from Chinon. This pink, tank-raised Cabernet Franc is loaded with red fruits and orange zest. $16

Château Roquefort Rosé 2007 Corail Côtes de Provence
Raimond Villeneuve and his team have realized their Provence appellation is best for rosé, and it is now the focus of the winery. Sporting a new label from years past, this blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah is extremely bright with juicy red fruits and a touch of briny ocean breeze. $16

Domaine Lafond 2007 Tavel
Primarily Grenanche, Cinsault, and Syrah, this wine is bursting with fresh strawberry and raspberry fruits and a slight exotic spice to the dry finish. $18

Mas du Gourgonnier 2007 Rosé
Extremely limited in quantities, this beauty is a pink blend of Grenache Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Carignan, and Ugni Blanc, and is full of ripe red fruits with hints of ginger and tangerine. $18

Sud 'n Such

Starting in the mid-1700s through the early 20th century, the Philadelphia area was one of the great brewing regions of the world. At the time of the American Revolution, Philadelphia was the largest English-speaking city in America, second only to London in the world. From 1790 to 1800, Philadelphia was the nation’s first capital. Taverns were the unofficial meeting places, centers of social activity and political discussion. Philadelphia had a tavern for every 25 men in the late 18th century, and the drink of choice was beer. This great beer-drinking city became known for its breweries. By the mid-19th century, there were more than 90 breweries operating in the Philadelphia area, and another 100 in the surrounding region. Prohibition brought this boom to an end in 1920. Very few of Philadelphia’s brewers were able to survive. Today, the region has reclaimed its reputation. Pennsylvania is home to some of the nation’s leading microbreweries, and brews some of the world’s best beers. Experience these fine Pennsylvania beers.

Victory
Victory has been called the “Masters of Malt.” Almost all their beers are built on a strong foundation of malt. Hop Devil is a deliciously full-flavored beer, with a powerful punch of American hops backed by rich German malts. $8.99/6pk

Golden Monkey
This is a golden Belgian-style ale with abundant herbal and fruity notes. Savor the richness of the German malts and Belgian yeast in this sensual brew. $10.99/6pk

Stoudt’s Pils
This is brewer Carol Stoudt’s favorite. It is a classic Bohemian-style Pilsner with a fine white head, Saaz hop aroma, fruity, softly malty, evenly hoppy taste and a long, pleasantly bitter finish. Selected #3 by Men’s Journal for Best Beers in America and winner of five Great American Beer Festival awards. $8.99/6pk

Weyerbacher Merry Monks
From Easton, Pennsylvania comes this Belgian-style Abbey Trippel. Merry Monks is remarkably complex, with subtle hints of fruit and spice. To be true to the style, it is bottle conditioned, and it continues to ferment inside the bottle. The character of the beer will change with age. $11.99/6pk

Penn Weizen
An authentic German-style brewery in every detail, Pennsylvania Brewing Company was founded in 1986 in the historic Deutschtown section of Pittsburgh. Penn Weizen is a true Bavarian-style wheat beer. Winner of numerous awards, it is top fermented, cask conditioned, and very effervescent, with flavors of clove, cinnamon, tart berry, and plum. There is only a hint of banana and bubblegum in this refreshing, zesty beer that cries out for food. $8.99/6pk

Straub
Called “The Natural Choice,” Straub has a long tradition of brewing Old World- style lagers. Only natural brewing ingredients are used to produce a beer that is fresh and zesty. No salt, no sugar, and no preservatives. $5.49/6pk

DLM Wine Staff

Todd Templin, Director of Beer & Wine Sales

George Punter, Beer & Wine Manager, Oakwood
Stephany Madliger, Assistant Beer & Wine Manager, Oakwood
Jaci Hollmeyer, Beer & Wine Consultant, Oakwood
Tom Yeakel, Beer & Wine Consultant, Oakwood

Jerry Post, Beer & Wine Manager, Washington Square
Denise Hurst, Assistant Beer & Wine Manager, Washington Square
Teresa Borros-Kearney, Beer & Wine Consultant, Washington Square
Don Monnin, Beer & Wine Consultant, Washington Square

Bill Jones, Beer & Wine Manager, Springboro
Giri Dodballapur, Assistant Beer & Wine Manager, Springboro
Ken Berg, Beer & Wine Consultant, Springboro
Jim Ervin, Beer & Wine Consultant, Springboro

Unless otherwise noted, prices herein are valid through May 31, 2007.
In the event of a typographical error, in-store prices will prevail. We reserve the right to limit quantities. Ohio sales tax applies to all item prices.