SYephenTanzer's November/December2007 Issue135 International the consumer'spassport to fine wine Market Monitor appliedby importersand distributors. The result: for every desirablebottle whoseprice seemsabsurd, there Recent and impending developments affecting the are numerousalternatives that are far more reasonable. retail wine market: Auction prices for wine continue to achieve ever-higher levels, as wealthy new collectors amass In This Issue: instant cellars (ust add cash!), despite the increasing Focuson Baroloand Barbaresco . 1 incidence of counterfeit bottles in the marketplace. Now is an opportune moment for veteran wine lovers Peter Moser on Austria 2006 28 to determine which of their bottles have become too California's Central Coast 45 expensive to ehjoy, and take some profits, if only to fund purchasesof new wine. New Vintage Champagne Releases 65 The Best New Wines from Washington State . 69 At the same time, current releases of many high-end rvines from France continue to sell briskly, despite the plunging U.S. dollar, as thb gap between the most-craved items and the rest steadily widens. Expensive wine-oriented restaurantscontinue to soak Focuson Barolo and Barbaresco up supply, while at the same the quantities of wine allocated by producers to their U.S. importers have in My tour oJltaly's beautifuIPiedmont region in some casesshrunk, as other markets have gained in mid-Septembertook place against a baclcdropof dry, buying power. The hard fact is that while Americans warm days and cool niglus-ideal late-summerweather are finding European wines more expensive than ever, for barberaand nebbiolo. Even a brief rainy spell estatesthat make pricey wines in limited quantities during the last week of the month could not prevent yet don't need the U.S. market the way they used to. anotherpotentially outstandingvintage for this region" Incredibly, for the secondtime in a ten-yearspan (200+2007 Even from one excellent producer to another and 1998-2001),the Piedmonthas enjoyed within the same region, retail prices can vary four good to exceptionalvirtages in a row. What a widely. In regions like Burgundy and the Piedmont contrast to earlier decades,when producers of Barolo (see report in this issue), cellar-door prices range more and Barbarescowere laclqt to harvestfuIIy ripe widely than ever, and these differences can be further nebbioloone year out of nuo-and, eventhen, by exaggeratedby the vastly different mark-up formulas picking virtually into November,often in rain orfog. International Wine Cellar is published6 timesper year by Tar:zerBusiness Communications, Inc., P.O. Box 20021, CherokeeSation, New York, NY 1ff)21. Availableonlybymailsubscriptionat$70peryear.Foreignairmailsubscriptionsare$T5forCanadaandMexico;$l20forallorherinternationaladdresses, by checkor moneyorder payablein U.S. dollarstfuough a U.S. bankto TanzerBusiness Communications, Inc. Tororderby credit card, or in the eventof subscriptionproblems, please call f -800-WINE-505. Unless otherwisenoted, all editorial content in the Internationat Wine Celtar is solely the responsibility of StephenD. Tanzer. Copyright 2007 by Tanzer BusinessCommunications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproductionin any form is prohibited by law. The news media and wine producers,distributors and retailersmay use any of the material in this pubtication, provided the International Wine Cellar is credited. .r-: . .7',^ia-/. -., -.: - -;:2.,:-.;;. compocl tobacco, mocha, underbrush and sweet oilk notes- Silky and fat on entry' flowering is called, is that varieties that normally have then a bit more reticent and backward in the middle palate' offering grape bunches now have more space between the remaining grapes. This means better air circulation, and lhus better resistanceto diseaseandfungus- JuIy brought record high temperalures and wasfollowed by a cool and rainier-than- averageAugust. Septemberand October then witnessedsuperb weather, with ptenry of warm sunshinehelping to dry soils- Cool supported optimal developmentof grape 2003 Barolo Vien€to .Arborina($6a): Good medium red- Very ripe nighttime temperatures highly aromatic arornasof cherry,.dried currant and nutty oak; showsa slightly porty aromas, The hamest brought in mostlyfully ripe' aspect. Fat, suppleand sweet,with a lightly salinequality and limited grapes with high levels of potential alcohol. verve. Plenty of stuffing here but a bit warm. Finisheswith big' dusty tannins. 87. 2003 Barolo Castelletto($64): Medium red- Woodsy From the Wachnuto the Weinviertel,summer-Like redcurrant,truffle, menthol and brown spiceson the nose (this Serralunga conditions in Septemberbrought an earlier harvest than was in 2003 than the vineyard gives an impressionof more even ripening oiginatly expectedat the end ofAugust. Vintnersbegan Arborina holding in t: Morra). Opulent, large-scaledand deep' with hamestingtheir early-ipening varieties like frfrhroter veltliner lovely richnessto its srrawberryand menthol flavors. Not particularly and rivaner at the end of September. It was quickly established delineatedor high-pitched,but impressivel! densefor the year' Finishes with an excellent balance of with substantialbroad, dusty tannirs. 89. 2003 Barolo Rocche that high physiological ipeness, The dell'Annunziata($86): Good full red. Complex nosemelds briary sugar, acid and aromatic conlent, had beenachieved. raspberry-,red cherry, red licorice, milk chocolate,dried rose and sexy vintage's spare spacing of grapes within the bunchesbrought oa[ spioes. Suaveon entry, then fresh and delineatedin the middle, with completely healthy fruit; but it ako meant drasticllly reduced insidious intensityto the slightly austereflavors of medicinal red fruits' yields, especiallyin grilner veltliner. menthol and flowers. Finisheswith a fine dustingof tanninsand very lift. A concentrated,impressive 2003 that good length and aromatic Optimat October weather allowed for a continuous and needstime in the cellar- 91. Other wines tasted: 2003 Barolo Vigneto efficient harvest- Growers really did not have lime to dawdle, Gattera. (T. Edward Wines Ltd-, New York, NY) becausegrape su1arsrose quickly and very high must weightsof 24" Brix and more were reachedby the middle of Oaober' The The Year of Griiner Veltliner advancementfrom light wines to mediam-bodied single-vineyard Austria '06: to poweful premium wines was Jaster in 20O6thon ever before, by Peter Moser Vintncrs brought in their most valuable fruit for their premium wines at the beginning of November, only six weeksafter the hamest began. The one exception was the few scafiered parcels Austria's 2006 vintagefrequently brought quite powerful where grapes destinedfor ice wine remained hanging on the white wines, particularly in Inwer Austia (Niederiisterreich). vines. Thesegrapes were threatened by warm weather in Yieldswere lower than usualfor griiner veltliner but averagefor November and December, and despite the we of protective mony other varieties. This was a growing seasonof extremely netting, it was dfficult to shield thefruit from deer and birds. variable weather, which often made work in the vineyard dfficult' The violent Kyrill windstorm on January I8 and 19 was ultimately Happily, nearly perfect conditions in autumn brought high spirits responsiblefor a tiny hamesl of ice wine' which for some wineries after a summer of toil. In the end, one vintner known for his did not occur unlil January 25th. cautiow skepticismactually described2N6 as "exceptional-" An early look at the wines- Never before have I been The 2N5 red wines ofrer less reasonfor rejoicing. able to taste so nnny concentrated wines of charaaer that were Copious rainfalt and a cool monrh of August hindered ipening of atready approachable the summer after the harvest- The 2006 fruit- Many vintners did not produce their best single-vineyard grfiner veltliners disptaypronouncedfragrances of tobaccoand wines andJlagship blends. For this reQsonI have not addressed herbal spice, as weII as gorgeousfruit notesof apple, melon, the red winesof this vintage in thisyear's coveroge,but will apricot, peach, and soinet[meseven strawberry- Therypical include notes on the best of these wines in next year's report. vaietal peppery elementis also readily'apparent' ahd thesewines arefirmly structured, thanks to ipe, juicy acidity. The 2006 The 2006 growing season. Afier a long winter with gruner veltliners are expressive wines with coruiderable depth- abundant snowfall, a rainy and rather cool sping foUowed- The rieslingsofthis vintage display classic aromasofpeach, Flowering occurred somewhat later than in recent years and was apicot and other stonefruits and possessvibrqnt and welL' accompanied by thunderstorms and vaiable temperatures, which integrated acidity- A fne interptoy of fruil and minerality gives resuhed in poorfruit set and drastically reducedyields for some thesewines eleganceandfinesse- varieties. Particularly afrectedwere Sriiner veltliner in the Wachau, Kremstal, Kampta| and especially in the lileinviertel- The Burgundian whlte varieties require a warm and dry Thepositive side to "shatter," as the loss ofgrapes due to poor autumnmore than any other Srapesin Austria- Withouttotal ipeniss, they would not have achievedsuch,pronounced varietal expression: ethereal arornos, concentratedfruit, power, supple texture and richness of extract. Weissburgunder (pinot blanc), Vienna-basedPeter Moser has been senior editor of Falstaff grauburgunder (pino1 gris), chardonnqy and neuburger were all magazine,Austria's leading consumer wine magazine,since