Our friends at Signature Selections Wine Company in Auburn Hills, Michigan, took notice of our review of two wines from the Spanish producer Verasol a few weeks ago, and contacted us to inquire as to if we’d like to try some other things imported by José Pastor Selections, which they distribute in this area. We’ve never been known to turn down samples for review, especially from an operation such as Pastor’s, who’s mission (small batch wines made naturally, from sustainable, if not organic, vineyards and minimal use of oak) we very much admire, so we gratefully accepted their kind offer, and here’s what we discovered in those four bottles. Click images to enlarge.

German Gilabert Cava Brut Reserva NV, 11.5% alc., $14.99: This medium colored sparkler is a blend of 50% Macabeo, 30% Xarello and 20% Parellada farmed from organically grown vineyards in sand and limestone soils, with an average vine age of 30-35 years old located in Alto Penedez. Fine active bead, with more than ample mousse, it offers pungent green apple and mineral flavors and aromas; it’s fresh, expressive, bone dry and delightfully so. Medium-to-medium full bodied, with excellent acids and good length, this is a fine Cava, with very good QPR. This is a special project custom made for Jose Pastor, with no dosage. Find this wine

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My good friend Marty Freitas has long carried a love of Bordeaux’s magic nectar, and on a blustery weekend in February, there really is no better time to crack a bottle or two, pop some lamb in the oven and enjoy the pleasures the two together can deliver.

Marty had stood bottles of Cos d’Estournel from the vintages of 86, 88, 89 and 93. I had a couple of fresh Ontario lamb racks to complete the mix. Click images to enlarge.

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The occasion was a dinner date with our good friends Anne Keller and Brian Klumpp, here at Gang Central. The menu consisted of grilled lamb chops, fingerling potatoes and broccolini. Entertainment was provided by yours truly, in the form of three new original songs that will receive greater exposure in the near future. Champagne is always a good vehicle with which to begin such festivities, and indeed, that’s where we started.

Champagne Barnaut Brut Rosé Authentique Grand Cru NV, 12.5% alc.: Raspberry pink color; the initial fine, active bead and ample mousse peters out some in the glass. The pungent, yeasty nose leads into bone dry raspberry, strawberry and mineral flavors. Medium-full-to-full bodied, with good acids and length. While it’s a good Champagne, we all felt it’s a little tired and probably a bit past its prime. Find this wine

Imported by Vintage ’59 Imports LLC, Washington, DC

From there, we moved on to three pedigreed reds.

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We give him 80 points! He left out “this wine is corked!”

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I first tried the 2008 versions of these two Spanish reds from Verasol about a year ago. I liked those then, but when I tried to find out more about the producer, there was precious little information available on the Interweb. Not much has changed during the ensuing months, as this is still the only brief blurb I can find:

“Verasol searches up-and-coming regions around Spain to find old vines with native grapes. The wines are vinified by the well-known and highly respected winemaker Pedro Sarrion. All the wines are raised and aged in tank so the native varietals and the soil from the region can speak loudly. They represent great values.”

The wines are imported by the excellent José Pastor Selections, whose mission is an admirable one:

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In the spirit of the early days of Gang of Pour, we offer this report on yet another episode of wretched excess with our longtime partner-in-crime, Alan Kerr, aka Canadian Zinfan. Do we really go back to 1997 with this renegade Brit?! We do, and we have the reports to prove it! The occasion was the renewal of our seasonal Holiday Hijinx, and we were not without ample ammunition to enliven the festivities. Dinner consisted of lamb chops, fava beans and rapini, and the wines included two Rhone Rangers, a pair from Chateauneuf du Pape, and, in the finest Gang tradition, two Ridge Geezers. We got things started with an Ontario sparkler that Alan had gifted to us the previous year. Click images to enlarge.

2006 Hillebrand Estates Showcase Sparkling Riesling Niagara Peninsula VQA, 12% alc., $35.00 Can.: Clean, medium color, with a fine, very active bead and ample mousse; bone dry, showing excellent varietal typicity, all Granny Smith green apple, with chalky mineral undertones. Medium body plus, with good acidity and good length. A fine little sparkler from Niagara wine country. Find this wine
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From the Quick-but-by-no-means-Dirty Dept.:

2009 Cuvee des 3 Messes Basses Ventoux, 60% Grenache, 20% Cinsault, 20% Syrah, 14.5% alc., 1.5 L, $16.99: This hearty southern Rhône red from our good friends at J et R Selections/Wines of Distinction in Bloomfield Hills, MI is an out-and-out QPR All Star, delivering more pleasure than it seems one has the right to expect these days for so few dollars. Clean garnet in color, with modest aromatics that only hint at the rich dark plum and berry flavors shaded with some leather and underscored with a solid anchor or earth; subtle hints of violet and licorice add to the appeal. Full bodied, with structure to take it two years or so down the road, but I doubt that 10 cases would make it into 2013 at our house. This deserves serious consideration, nay, this will BE our house red for the coming several months. Find this wine

Reporting from Day-twah,

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The more wines we taste from our friends at Cornerstone Cellars in the Napa and Willamette Valleys, the more we admire the great work they continue to do. Consider, if you will, the six samples from the 2009 vintage that we tried recently. Each exhibits the consistent high quality that we’ve come to expect from this producer, and does so with what is for us, an engaging and appealing style. We began our survey by pouring glasses of the 2nd vintage of Cornerstone’s Pinot Noir, which proved to be a worthy successor to the 2008 model that we reviewed in September of 2010. (click images to enlarge)

2009 Cornerstone Oregon Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, 13.9% alc., $50.00: Clean ruby garnet color; black cherry aromatics shaded with earth and mushroom follow through nicely on the palate, with oak influence well in the background. Medium-to-medium full bodied, with good intensity of flavor, smooth texture and deceptive structure that should take it several years down the road. A wine of class, substance and appeal, this is some very nice Pinot Noir indeed. Sourced from five Willamette Valley AVAs; Eola Hills (37%), Yamhill-Carlton (21%), Chehalem Mountain (21%), Ribbon Ridge (13%) and Dundee Hills (8%). 14 months in French oak barrels, 60% of which were new. Find this wine

As previously reported, the Stepping Stone line strives to offer high quality at lower prices than wines with the Cornerstone label, and the following two selections succeed completely in that regard.

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SOMM Documentary Trailer 1 from Forgotten Man Films on Vimeo.

Somm is the story of four Sommeliers attempting to pass the Prestigious Master Sommelier Exam, a test with one of the lowest pass rates in the world. The exam covers literally anything having to do with the entire world of wine and that is just the beginning. Access to the Court Of Master Sommeliers has always been strictly regulated and cameras have never been allowed anywhere near the exam…. Until now. How much do you know about wine?