Sommelier Journal, September 2009 

COVER STORY

Provence: Heaven for the Senses Catherine Fallis, MS, ACWP

With plentiful sunshine, a rugged coastline, quaint fishing villages, and some of the most delicious seafood in the world, Provence is almost as well known to American visitors as

Paris is. Situated between the Rhône delta and Nice in southeastern France,

Provence is easily accessible by land or sea. The gritty port of Marseille—a city that Julia Child called home for a year, and the place where she claims to have learned the most about true French cooking—is counterbalanced by the fab…

Warm, ripe, mouth-filling reds are just the ticket to fend off Autumn shivers. Here are my top picks for the season ahead:

 - 2008 George Wine Company Pinot Noir Ceremonial Vineyard Russian River Valley $75

George Levkoff produces small lot high end Pinot Noirs only. This is his finest, sourced from a Martinelli’s vineyard.  This medium-bodied beauty has aromas of strawberry, cherry, fig newton, marzipan, fresh mint, nutmeg and sandalwood, and flavors of violet, peach and mango rounding things out. Very complex, balanced, and silky.

 - 2007 Phillips Hill Pinot Noir Corby Vineyard Anderson Valley $42

Toby Phillips crafts small lot Pinot Noirs from a handful of Northern California vineyards. I love this Corby Vineyard bottling – it combines ripe black cherry and cherry cola with forest floor, moss, sage, dried porcini mushroom and earth. The tannins are slightly gripping on the finish, so decant for aeration before serving.

 - 2007 MacPhail Pinot Noir Vagon Rouge Anderson Valley $70

Another stunner from James MacPhail, this juicy, ebullient Pinot Noir named after his trademark red wagon is ripe and rich with deep cherry, strawberry, and raspberry notes, gentle oak spice, and floral notes. It is the richest of this trio, but still balanced enough to enjoy at the table, especially with a nice roasted chicken with mushroom/Pinot Noir sauce.

 - 2008 Thorn Clarke Shiraz Terra Barossa Winemakers Selection Barossa $14.99, 1.0 liter

Juicy and bright with berry patch and sweet American oak notes, this lively, jammy red from Australia is easy to pair with casual dishes like grilled sausages, pizza, or even blue cheese and bacon-topped burgers. The extra 250ml is a bonus.

 - 2007 Luca Syrah Laborde Double Select Uco Valley Mendoza $25

Laura Catena and her family produce some of the finest wines of Argentina. This wine could easily sell for twice the price. It is rich and ripe with blackberry, blueberry, cherry and vanilla notes but is balanced with natural acidity – a feat hard to pull off in most new world, warmer growing areas. The secret, according to Laura, is that the grapes are ripened by sunlight hours, not heat on this 3500′ Andean terrace.

- 2006 Charles Krug Merlot Napa Valley $24

Peter Mondavi is on a roll. His Charles Krug Winery is hitting a new stride and this just-released Merlot is further proof. With plum, cassis, cherry, vanilla, and mocha notes, smooth texture, and a long finish, this a Napa Merlot that delivers and is priced realistically.

 - 2006 Kenwood Jack London Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 30th Anniversary Bottling Sonoma $35

Talk about value for your dollar! Most commemorative bottlings run upwards of $100, but then again, Kenwood always delivers the goods. Aside from the stunning packaging, which would make an impressive gift even to a wine snob, the wine itself is classic Sonoma Mountain Cab. It is full-bodied with notes of black currant, dark cherry, tobacco, cedar and bay leaf.