Wine has been a major player in my life since I was conceived. My good fortune is due to a set of parental units that cultivated my love for the grape at an early age (thank goodness for the French mom!). Through the years I’ve swirled, sipped, spit and swallowed my way through vats of juice and have come to the conclusion that the more bizarre, esoteric and obscure the grape, the more worthwhile the hunt. Don’t misunderstand, I’m a true fan of the tried-and-true establishment of the wine world – the classics of Burgundy, Bordeaux and California will always be a significant section of my collection, just as many an Italian and Spanish expatriate finds refuge in my cellar. Spend enough time rooting through my Lego-esque towers of boxes and you’ll pop up with Pelaverga & Ruche (Piemonte), Tocai Friulano(Slovenia and Friuli), Bergeron (Savoie), Pinotage (South Africa), etc.
I constantly wonder where this affinity for the lesser known, the ignored, the underdog, stems from. Perhaps I was dropped on my head as a child, or did the catalyst come from being the last one picked for kickball in elementary school? Did Mom drink too much coffee while I was in the womb? Did I eat too much paste in kindergarten (though that may explain my uncanny acumen at detecting traces of wintergreen in a wine at one part per billion). I cherish the task of dragging into the light a wine with the weird name, the obscure grape, the ugly a** label. Whatever the cosmic influences or karmic convergences, I have a knack for discovering and a penchant for ferreting out the unique. Why stick with the same daily drink when there are thousands of other tasty options just clamoring for your attention?
Here are a couple of the current models on my runway of wine oddities. Trust me - take 'em for a test drive and you won’t be disappointed. À la vôtre!
2006 Hamilton Russell Chardonnay (South Africa, Walker Bay):OK, so you don’t think of Chardonnay as being that esoteric, but add the fact that it is from South Africa and you will clear a wide swath of doubt through some the most devout Chardonnay lovers. For some reason, South African wines still struggle with a mistaken identity of being second string on the global playing field and they are still tainted by the specter of apartheid. This wine rocks! That may be a simple and not-so-profound review, but it says what needs to be stated. What you will find in this bottle is a sublime and ultra-premium example of Chardonnay done right. Just read the Tanzer review (92 points) on our site.
2004 Cantonella Cervoles Tinto (Spain, Costers del Segre): Ah,
Espana. Land of jamon, gambas alla plancha, and sexy citizens. Add to that some of the superstars of the wine grape world and you have a recipe for total indulgence. This blend of Tempranillo, Cab, Garnacha and Merlot is an inky pool of forward and full-bodied fruit and smoke that is a rave of Old World restraint and New World gluttony. It’s loaded with dark fruit, licorice and cardamom spice that dives into a mass of black cherries bobbing in a sea of pomegranate and kirsch. Mr. Parker chimes in with his 92 points, too.
- Wine Imp, "Reverent irreverence"
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