(Inspired by John Lennon)
The French wine industry is in tatters, according to the wine press. Bordeaux chateau are selling for a song. Recent vintages, disappointingly unsold, are piling up in warehouses. Our Gallic neighbors are the former masters of a virtual monoply that has been shredded by emerging markets and intense competition. Twenty-five years ago, it was France, and some bulk wine from California that filled the shelves. Nowadays, we routinely see wine from at least a dozen countries, and wine available from almost every state in the US.
Unfortunately, we in Vermont are still waiting for the new French bargain-boat to arrive. Prices still remain the highest in years. Under $10.00 gems are harder to find than an ivory-billed woodpecker. Well, here’s how I spell relief.S-P-A-I-N. No other country has their low price/high quality ratio. And the folks who do it best are Ole Imports, led by Alberto Orte and Patrick Mata. In 1999, their Columbia University friends and roommates kept bugging them for more of the wines relatives were sending from back home. Their down-to-earth flavors and scents became the foundation of a new business that now showcases over one hundred unique wines.
The Co-op is proud to sell these wines, and hopes to taste more discoveries from the people of Ole. Here’s the short list of what’s currently available:
• G-1
• G-4
• G-5
• Ipsum White
• Ludovicus
• Zestos Especial
Here’s the scoop on the individual wines:
To repeat, two years ago the Co-op received its first shipment of Ole Imports wines. At Ole, high quality and drinkability walk hand in hand. In particular, the Vinos Sin Ley group of wines have been real stars. We have sold all their 100% Garnacha reds, from the humble-yet-sturdy G-1 to the better-to-open-in-2010 G-6. The hails from the Vilahud region, and is steal at 6.99. The Granacha fruit is fresh and bright, with a simple, satisfying flavor. It’s perfect for parties, or any occasion where an easy-going wine is called for. I like it with a bowl of stew or chili. Be sure to give the wine some air time in the glass; and it’ll taste all the better.
Another VSL winner is the G-4, from the Carinena region. I tasted it a while back, and immediately ordered all we could get, forty cases; making it a co-op exclusive. Hope there’s some left when you read this... It’s a 9.99 smoothie, with a satisfying, deep cherry and herbs flavor. Meg and I enjoyed a bottle with pasta and a scratch sauce I made with some of Peter Dunning’s ground pork, (Brattleboro Farmer’s Market), and some Farmer’s Diner sweet Italian sausage. We look forward to thawing some of it out on a cold winter’s eve, and popping another G-4.
When company comes over, I like to surprise them with treasures from my cellar. Fortunately for me, my cellar is actually in my brother-in-law’s house, and the treasures are safe unless I make the drive to get them. So I try to keep a small supply of stuff like the VSL G-5 on hand. It has a hunter’s orange label, and sports an equally vivid personality. This wine isn’t shy or modest. It almost yells “Taste Me!” and if you decant the wine for two hours, you’ll see why. We’re on our second vintage, and it still reminds me of a baby Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The flavor is still neon-bright, with loads of high end flavors (think soprano), and an as yet nascent bottom end (think bass), that will come in a few years. I’m a carnivore, so I see lamb cooking with this one; although roasted tempeh with root vegetables would do just fine, too. At 14.99, it’s a steal.
Last in the current VSL lineup is the G-6, with a cobalt blue label and heavy-water depth to match. It’s very tight, meaning the flavors have a lot of developing to do. But, when they do, look out. The wine is still so young it needs five or six hours to open up, and tastes so much better the second night, that I almost held off on buying it for the store. But, I figure some people will take my decanting advice seriously, or lay it down for a few years. I know the wait’ll be worth it, and look forward to tasting it in 2009. I hope to have some of Bobby Work’s ribs, of Peaked Mountain fame, garlanded with heaps of rosemary.This one is not for beginners, but the lesson will be fun. If you want to apply to Garnacha school, tuition is 29.99, and the grade you get is up to you.
Taking a slight detour, we happen upon Ipsum. (It’s our best-selling white wine, usually nosing out Yellowtail Pinot Grigio, but lately, being tailed closely by a new 6.99 chardonnay from Delicato.) The blend of Viura and Verdejo is crisp, snappy, and almost dry. All summer long there was a bottle chilling in the lettuce bin, and there’s one now. At 7.99, save $2.00, it’s hard to beat. The label has a drawing of a high-wheeled bicycle, on a yellow background. Always easy to spot, on sale by the case for $80.
Pulling it’s weight with ease is Zestos Especial, only 7.99. Seldom does a cheap wine taste this good. I’ve fooled guests into thinking it goes for twice the price. (Okay, it was my brother.) Tempranillo and Syrah sometimes clash, but not here. The wine is balanced, soft, but not wimpy. The cheery flavors of Tempranillo are right up front, with the deeper stone fruit flavors of the Syrah close behind. We’ll carry it until the distributor runs out, and hopefully that’s not for a while.
Ludovicus is a wine that continues to grow on me, and bears a (love that orange) tastefully designed label with a small capital P in the corner. Celler Pinol is serious about wine, and the fact that my favorite wine in the entire department, (only 14.99) is also made by them, is no coincidence. Some people think it’s harder to make a single varietal wine than a blend, and in some years, this is true. But, generally, I think the best wines are blends, and it takes a master’s hand to blend more than two grapes well. Even more mastery, as you go to three and four, and beyond. Garnacha, Tempranillo, Syrah and Cabernet all co-operate to make a sinuously slinky, yet bold and vibrantly earthy potion. I really like this wine, especially the second night. The extra twenty-four hours takes away all the rough edges, and unifies all the personalities, without taking away their individual identities. Yes, it’s only 9.99, and available for a good long time.
So, what’s my favorite wine, and why isn’t it one of the $45.00 Cabernets or a $50.00 Burgundy? The wine is Portal, and at 14.99, you don’t have to rob the hotdog guy to finance the purchase. This 2003 vintage is just old enough to start showing it’s potential, and there’s plenty. A seamless blend of cabernet, garnacha, merlot, tempranillo and syrah, I think of it as Spanish bordeaux. The baked earth taste of arid Terra Alta comes through in the aromas and flavors. Like a great piece of music, it speaks to me, and I hear it, a week after I taste it, if you follow. So, give me an O! Give me an L! And a great big E! You’ll be seeing more great Ole wines in the weeks to come. Hats off to Patrick Mata and Alberto Orte!
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