MARQUIS PHILIPS, Juan Gil, and Lagrange and Silver Oak!!
August 04, 2005
I know many of you are waiting to hear about our
trip to northwest Italy, and I am eager to share our adventures and some new
wine discoveries. However, for the moment there are a couple of wines
coming down the pipe that require your immediate attention......and they are not
from Italy.
I started selling the once limited and difficult to
obtain Marquis Philips wines from southeastern Australia with the 2000
vintage. This was the very first release when no one had ever heard
of MP and before the rave reviews and high
ratings caused a consumer buying frenzy as witnessed when the
more prolific production of the 2001 Shiraz came to market. The
2002 Shiraz was equally acclaimed as both wines received 93 points from
Robert Parker. At that time Robert Parker was quoted as saying,
"This must be the most exciting
development that has occurred in the Southern Hemisphere over the last several
years. Marquis Philips is a partnership between highly talented winemakers Sarah
and Sparky Marquis and their American importer, Dan Philips (of The Grateful
Palate). I favorably reviewed the stunning debut values of the Marquis Philips
range in the 2000 vintage. Remarkably, the 2001s are even more amazing, and
probably for the price, the greatest red wine values in existence ...
anywhere!"
Of course, with all of this hub bub, the pricing had begun to
edge upwards. And by the time the widely available 2003 Marquis
Philips Shiraz had hit the floor, instead of the $14.95 a bottle pricing,
consumers were paying an unwavering $18+ a bottle. The 2003 drought year
proved problematic and brought the wine "back to earth" with an 89 point score
from Parker....not an earth shattering disaster as the wine still sold very
strongly. Now comes the 2004 vintage, and for the first time this
wine has been offerred to me on a presale basis. Make the committment, but
don't taste the wine first (reminds me of the pop tune "Suspicion" by Terry
Stafford #3 - Top 40 in 1964).....then reap the rewards!
So what has made the MP so appealing? Well, in the past,
the wines have shown gobs of blackberry goo and a soft
sexy clouds of vanillin oak. Sound lusty
enough? Importer and partner Dan Philips states the "2004 Marquis Philips Shiraz
maybe the very best ever, almost up to the reserve level." ....not
untypical marketing oratory. My thoughts are let's just see!!! So
today, a week before the wine is ready for distributionI, I was able to
convince the "Distributor God" to release and delivery my
first load .....just so I could pull out a bottle to try before I finish
this email or forget the whole thing and just return to
sender.
Real time: 11:32 am - 8/04 - Delivery just
made and a bottle of the 2004 Marquis Philips
Shiraz is unscrewed to sample: Saturated dark purple
color, warm alcoholic nose holds ripe blackberry
fruit to lurking status. Mouthfilling, soft, but warm again.
What should be a mid palate explosion of bright blackberry/blueberry fruit
is held down by warming sensations of high alcohol
(15.5%). Instead, the fruit is murky...lacks personality or
focus. And the structure? Not much! What the
hell!?! Hey, I am telling you like I see it! I would
score it 82 points.
So here is the deal. I made a very large case
commitment at a discounted price I can pass along to you if you are curious
or still interested! I recognize there are many fans of this wine
who will want to purchase regardless of my review. The 2004 will be
selling in the neighborhood of $18 to $20 a bottle. I am offering
the wine to you at
$13.75 a bottle. You can believe Dan Philips and figure past Parker ratings merit
automatic credibility for this new vintage, or purchase to
form your own opinion. I have a few days to hear from you before I
return any unsold wine to the distributor and pay the restocking
fee.
Just before we departed for Europe at the end of June, I tasted
a "knock my sox off" 2003 Mourvedre
from Juan Gil, a grower and producer from Jumilla,
Spain. Big, dark and brooding, but with an arm waving synergy
that says..."Hey! Look at me!!" I would have placed a
larger order, but only five cases were available.....so I scheduled them to
arrive the week after we returned. While we were away, Robert
Parker released Issue #159 of The Wine Advocate, and Spanish wines were one
of his focal points. He had great things to say about the 2002 Juan Gil,
stating he had tasted it 3 times next to some outstanding Bordeaux at five times
the price and it had performed admirably. The grapes are grown from 45
year old vines planted in a very rocky limestone strata and cropped at 1.8 tons
per acre. Parker bestowed the 2002 with 91 points. I mention
the 2002 version, because Mr. Parker goes on to cite the 2003 as being
"more structured and powerful than its predecessor....offers an incredibly
impressive mouthful of wine. This dense ruby/purple-tinged 2003 offers up
sweet notes of blueberries, blackberries, graphite, and wood in a smoky, rich,
medium-bodied, full, fleshy style. An added attraction is the minerality
that comes from these ancient vines' chalky/limestone soils....should last 3-4
years at a minimum." - 91+ points. ORDER NOW FOR ONLY $16.95 A
BOTTLE
Bordeaux! How often do I hear.....do you
have any values in classified growth Bordeaux? A short story to be told
from our last trip. We were in Lake Lugano, Switzerland and had walked out
of a Michelin restaurant (no Elmer, that is not a tire shop!) after we
noticed to many service "malapropisms" while we tried to enjoy our before dinner
cocktail.....the final being our lost reservation. Extra fun when I
produced an email confirming our reservation and signed by the maitre
d'. We were told we could be accommodated, but by this time there were too
many alarms sounding!! Anyway, we called a taxi and asked to be dropped
off in the old town. We had no idea where to dine and it was getting late,
even by European standards when we happened upon a quaint little French inn
and restaurant with 3 tables on a small outside covered patio porch.
We asked if there was a table available and the owner informed us that we
could be seated at the unoccupied table outside with the reserve sign
on it! We felt blessed and relieved. The evening turned out to be
one of the highlights of our trip. Pampering service, charming
ambiance, amazing cuisine and excellent wines. I spotted the 1982
Chateau Lagrange, St.-Julien (3rd growth) for 180 Swiss Franc (about $143), and
nearly fainted when I was told it was available and the restaurant was the
original and only owner.
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1982 Lagrange, St.-Julien - One of the
sleepers of the vintage. Traditional and rich. Dark ruby-colored, with a
slight garnet rim. Masses of berry, chocolate and raspberry character.
Full-bodied and very tannic, packed with fruit. Lengthy finish. A youthful
and concentrated wine; a relatively good value.--1982 Bordeaux horizontal.
- 94 points (JS) - Wine Spectator
11/98 |
The 1982 La Grange was heavenly with both my Cote du
Veau and mounds of morel mushrooms, and Renee's classic Fillet de
Boeuf with the just whisked, tarragon studded sauce Bearnaise. We
talked about our good fortune and this dining experience throughout the
trip. Thus it was almost serendipity when two days after my return to the
store one of my distributor reps happens by the store with a bottle of the
2002 Chateau Lagrange to sample. Oh my! Listen up! Here is
your Bordeaux bargain and one of the top wines from St.-Julien in the
2002 vintage. The wine's youthful and intense Cabernet Sauvignon
fruit was dazzling, and perfectly balanced with silky, but firm
tannins. I could drink a bottle right now! Certainly not a twenty
year wine like the 2002, but a few years of patience will reveal complexity
found in more expensive Bordeaux. Very Limited! ORDER THE 2002 LAGRANGE NOW FOR ONLY
$39.95 - 10% Discount for case purchase
($35.96)
2002 Lagrange, St.-Julien - Pretty aromas
of blackberries and
currants, with
hints of lead pencil. Full-bodied, yet very balanced,
with a solid core
of fruit and ultrafine tannins. Really well-crafted
wine.
Lagrange often
excels in less than easy vintages, like 2002.
Excellent. Best
after 2008. - 92 points (JS) - Wine
Spectator 3/05
Yes, the 2001 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet
Sauvignon has arrived and is ready to pickup please. If you have been
on vacation and missed the email announcement, please inquire as more of
this wine is still available. I can't help thinking how everyone that
order this Silver Oak should try at least one bottle of the 2002
Lagrange!
Thank you!
Eric Stumpf
The Wine Consultant
8039 Greenback Lane
Citrus Heights, CA 95610
(916) 721-WINE (9463)
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