Robb Report’s Top 100 Vintners

The November 2007 edition of Robb Report showcases the magazine’s Top 100 Vintners, focusing exclusively on “vintners who have consistently turned out wines of the first rank for at least a decade.”

Written by Brett Anderson, the Robb 100 is not a numerically ranked list (unlike Wine Spectator’s annual Top 100). In his lead-in, Anderson indicates the magazine “structured (the) list to ensure a measure of geographic balance.” So the honored vintners are divided by country and then, where applicable, by regions or appellations, under which they appear alphabetically. A few choices we found of interest are detailed here.

Spain: “Some of the world’s best wines now come from Spain … (and) from innovative young winemakers in emerging regions,” Anderson writes. He notes Bodegas Artadi as an example. Winemaker Juan Carlos Lopez, the author writes, ”has raised the area’s traditional grape, Tempranillo, to the level of a fine Bordeaux.” (Note: Artadi’s Vinas De Gain 2005 Rioja scored 94 points with Wine Advocate and is a staggering value at $30 per bottle).

California/Napa Valley: Not many surprises here (including Harlan Estate, Screaming Eagle and Shafer). Two that fall just outside Robb’s requirement of performing at the highest levels for at least a decade are Colgin Cellars (1992) and Lokoya (1995). Releases of recent years worthy of acclaim include Colgin’s 2000 Cariad Proprietary Red blend ($339), and Lokoya’s 2004 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon ($164). The Colgin Cariad is made almost entirely of grapes sourced from the Madrona Ranch Vineyard of vintner David Abreu, who also rates among Robb Report’s Top 100.

California/Sonoma County: Only six made the cut from this region, including Peter Michael Winery and Verite. Peter Michael has been a powerhouse in recent years. Critics particularly rave about the Bordeaux-style ‘Les Pavots’. The 150-case, 2004 ‘Les Pavots’ from Sonoma’s Knights Valley ($175) was labeled simply “stunning” by Robert Parker Jr. Verite, founded by Frenchman Pierre Seillan in 1997, is known for three red blends, including a 2000 La Joie ($159) that is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Oregon: Anderson lists only three Pinot Noir makers from the state. Among them is Archery Summit, founded by Napa Valley vintner Gary Andrus (Pine Ridge). “Always richly layered,” he writes. One to add to the cellar is the 2004 Arcus Estate Pinot Noir from the Dundee Hills appellation ($90).

  

Tasting Napa Valley’s Epic 2004 Cabernets

An impromptu wine tasting among friends last weekend escalated into a premium Cabernet Sauvignon summit. We started with a 2002 Gemstone (76% Cabernet) that is thriving only two years after being cellared. (The 2004, just released, is 91% Cab). The ‘02 is a beautifully balanced Yountville release, the essence of meticulous California winemaking. Then we turned our attention to the increasingly celebrated 2004 vintage.

Next on the roster, the 2004 Paul Hobbs Beckstoffer To Kalon Oakville Cab ($249/btl). This is a 537-case production destined to be a collector’s classic. It upholds all of the hype surrounding Napa’s 2004 vintage. Our assembled experts, including two devout collectors, were blown away by the Hobbs. The consensus is that this is an even juicier wine than the juicy 2002s. It presents an enormous burst of black fruit on the front end, bathing the palate in those signature Beckstoffer vineyard flavors.   

This is a huge wine that will surely settle down and mature to become even more memorable. Hobbs delivers a cab with “old world” character and balance. As it opened up, licorice and chocolate notes emerged. One of our tasters, a formidable collector, predicts this 2004 will still be improving in 20 years. Not  surprisingly, Robert Parker Jr. referenced “purity as well as nobility” in his review, which assigned 95 points.

Still reeling from the Hobbs experience, the group turned its attention to another ‘04 Cabernet that many positioned as a candidate for Wine of the Year — the Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Reserve ($124/btl). This an 8,600-case production, born principally of Oakville appellation fruit (53% from the Beckstoffer To Kalon vineyard). The Mondavi was an eye-opener. It was judged by the group to be “not as over the top” as the Hobbs. We experienced balance from front to back comprised of blackberry, plum, cassis and tobacco leaf. There is the suggestion of light milk chocolate on the finish.

Now we understand why Wine Spectator’s James Laube scored the 2004 Mondavi Reserve 95 points and listed it among his “recommended” in the magazine’s annual California Cabernet issue. And, on November 12, Wine Spectator unveiled the Mondavi Reserve at No. 9 in its 2007 Top 100 ranking.

Luxury Homeowners Seek Cellar Management

Premium wine source Hinsdale Cellars’ Private Steward customer service program eliminates the daunting challenge of populating showcase residential wine cellars. 

Discerning owners of state-of-the-art, luxury residences today can master the intimidating task of stocking empty custom wine cellars by turning to experienced consultants. 

Hinsdale Cellars, the essential premium wine and luxury lifestyle web site destination, continuously upgrades its Private Steward customer service initiatives to address strategies for stocking and maintaining world-class residential wine cellars. This includes calling on industry leaders.

“With proper construction and design, building a cellar into the kitchen, dining room or family room has never been easier,” said wine cellar management expert Marc Lazar, founder of Cellar Advisors. “In speaking with clients and architects, glass ‘curtain walls’ are a welcome trend that allow a cellar to feel integrated in the living space while still properly insulated and safe for wine.” 

 

Hinsdale Cellars recently partnered with Cellar Advisors to assist a North Carolina client seeking a dramatic and simultaneous expansion of his collection and home-based cellar.

“When I decided to build a residential wine room to accommodate a substantial collection, and also become a focal point for social gatherings in our home, I needed a partner to help me plan and execute,” said Gary Barnett, a Private Steward client. “Thanks to (co-founder) Steve Woodward and his broad network of premium wine sources at Hinsdale Cellars, we are well on our way to achieving my dream home cellar.

“First, he came down (to North Carolina) to meet with me for a preliminary tasting. From there, we identified my preferences and established allocation parameters. As we began to acquire the wine, Hinsdale Cellars put me in touch with Cellar Advisors and its founder Marc Lazar to start the process of cellar design, construction and inventory management.”

Relying on a substantial network to support its online wine sales, Hinsdale Cellars maintains an inventory of, and access to, world-class wine crafted by the industry’s most influential vintners. Hinsdale Cellars’ Private Steward cellar plan is rooted in multiple steps toward making the instant home cellar a reality:

1. Create a customer profile that establishes tastes and preferences. The wine universe is vast. Narrow the options by asking the client to communicate specific dislikes or turn-offs, which can include types of wine varietals, winemaking regions and price thresholds.

2. Identify the timeframe. If the objective is simply to fill an 800-bottle cellar as quickly as possible with wine that guests will generally enjoy (in other words, the buyer has few strong preferences but demands quality), decisions will more likely be driven by availability and volume. If the client wishes to evolve the cellar, however, and is not averse to empty racks, a different mindset will prevail.

3. Determine the percentage of inventory the client wishes to have on hand for personal consumption, or to present as wine lover gifts, versus the percentage that is strictly put aside for prescribed aging and financial appreciation.

4. Document the collection. After wine shipments begin to arrive and bottles are populating the racks, the client will receive complete documentation, stored on discs or in a binder, of the selections. This important content includes detail about the wine, such as origin of the grapes and how this gives the wine identity; the winemaker’s philosophies and how they are reflected in the wine; facts about the growing season that produced the grapes; information about various wineries and their heritage; and reviews by the industry’s most respected critics.

5. Anticipate long-term cellar management needs. Hinsdale Cellars will refer clients to a leading wine cellar management provider, such as Cellar Advisors. Its precise systems will ensure the client maintains a technological handle on inventory depletion; bin labeling; collection appraisals; temperature and moisture settings; and insurance coverage options.

“By virtue of their professional, deliberate, unrelenting approach,” Barnett said, “the Hinsdale Cellars Private Steward program has made it possible for me to become an aggressive but prudent wine collector despite the many constraints on my time.”

Contact: Steve Woodward
630-670-0389  steve@hinsdalecellars.com