Palacios Les Terrasses film debut in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"

The impossibly attractive Rebecca Hall & Scarlett Johansson (LA Times/Liz O. Baylen)

Imagine you are Javier Bardem, Spain's leading man of choice, and find yourself faced with the monumental task of seducing the heroine in the climactic scene of your latest movie. She is engaged to another man, and time is running out...it's going to take all of the charm, charisma, and husky Spanish accent that you can muster. And it's going to take some fine wine. But which wine would you choose?

Why, Alvaro Palacios' Les Terrasses from Priorat...obviously!

In a classy little instance of product placement, a bottle of Terrasses sits prominently displayed on the table between Bardem and his leading lady (the lovely, petulant Rebecca Hall) as they attempt to reconcile their affections. The lovestruck couple are obviously enraptured by more than just each other, as they can't help but being struck by the distinct minerality of the wine's dark aromatics, and the supreme elegance of its silky tannins. Everything seems to be going just fine...that is, until Penelope Cruz shows up to...well, I won't spoil it.

"Vicky Cristina Barcelona", Woody Allen's latest confection of a film, documents the wanderings and emotional connections forged by two young American women as they immerse themselves in Catalan culture while staying over a summer in Barcelona. As one might expect, local food and wine also play a major role in the film, as most of the sparkling dialogue takes place either in cafes, restaurants, kitchens, or picnics. Love, lust, and other important topics are discussed with glass of wine in hand, suffusing the production with a distinctly European feel. National treasures Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz leap into their roles with such relish and gusto as to render their "Don Juan" and "fiery Latin mistress" stereotypes as hopelessly obsolete. At its heart, though, the whole film feels as much like a love letter to Barcelona as anything else. And with a subtle nod to Priorat's most popular wine, they pay tribute to Palacios' mastery of the region and the tremendous success he's had in bringing his wines such incredible recognition, both overseas and back home in Spain.

With such excellent wine lying around on the set, one can sense that Woody and his crew had as much fun making the film as his audience have watching it. If you don't have the chance to catch this one in theaters, no problem...check it out when it comes to DVD, pour yourself a glass of Palacios' smooth and elegant Les Terrasses, and prepare to be delighted.

Summer Lunch with Robin Lail and Lail Vineyards

In what turned out to be the grand finale of a spectacular recent trip to visit some of our favorite producers in California, a brave, merry band of Augustan and Premier Fine Wine Team members set out to discover more about Lail Vineyards on a picture-perfect Friday in Napa Valley. We ascended to the heights of Howell Mountain, and in the end, found ourselves much better wine people and human beings because of it. This was due in large part to Robin Lail's wonderful hospitality, as she invited us for a vineyard tour and lunch al fresco at her home in Angwin.

We strolled back down the wooded driveway by which we had entered and wound around to Mole Hill, the family’s estate and sentimental-favorite vineyard of Cabernet. There, Robin regaled us with tales of the vineyard's character ("intimate", with Robin often tending to it as she would her personal garden) and former marketing campaigns reflecting a family predilection for puns ("Mole Hill - you'll really gopher it!"). Absolutely crucial for setting the lively tone was the glass of wine we held in our hands – the 2007 Blueprint Sauvignon Blanc. What an introduction to this languid summer afternoon! What a perfect vineyard-wandering wine – utterly floating, the wine’s subtle citrus fruits were deftly framed by a sleek thread of minerality running from start to finish. Never intrusive, yet nonetheless an essential companion. It’s a very exciting addition to Lail’s oeurve, especially considering how much of our wine consumption in Florida takes place outside, poolside…anywhere with sun on our side. Keep an eye out for this one – expect its arrival to our fair, balmy state to take place during the fall season.

As we reconvened on the porch and settled into our places at the immaculate dining tables, I immediately recognized the bottle of Georgia Sauvignon Blanc being poured into my glass. I had been looking forward to this wine for quite some time, and I’ll admit that my excitement stemmed from bewilderment more than anything else. How could such an ambitious wine, one that defies any conventional wisdom that would shudder at the thought of subjecting Sauvignon Blanc to such a prolonged regimen of new oak (19 months?!?!), integrate itself into such a tranquil setting? Surely the oak would translate to heaviness, and then to obnoxiousness. Consider me corrected, or more exactly, set upon a better path. Richness and purity of fruit were the hallmarks of this wine, where aromas of vanilla bean and melon and flavors of lemon chiffon persisted in regal fashion. The pairing of chilled cucumber soup, with ample acidity and freshness of its own, was nothing short of magical – easily the most synchronized food and wine duo I’ve experienced in months/years.

Now it’s storytelling time, with Robin’s infectious enthusiasm for her family’s extraordinary history providing the interludes between courses. Well before the turn of the century, her great-granduncle, Gustav Niebaum, arrived in the Bay Area at 25 with a substantial fortune and a bevy of ideas on how to improve the quality of Napa’s burgeoning wine industry. Now his stern likeness, commissioned by Francis Ford Coppola as a special gift for Robin, hangs just around the corner in the Lail’s living room. The legacy continued through John Daniel Jr.'s direction of Inglenook in the winery's post-Prohibition heyday. His daughter Robin went on to co-found Dominus and Merryvale, before focusing on her own namesake project with her immediate family and winemaker Phillipe Melka.

Through all of this weaving together of history and Napa Valley lore, Robin is the most gracious of hosts, stopping mid-gesture to attend to some small detail of our comfort, or delight in the flight of one of the porch’s resident butterflies. Displaying a palpable curiosity for all things people and wine-related, she reflected on the fruits borne of her life in the industry, and those who she had come into contact with through a passion for wine.

The main course featured a similarly inspired combination – grilled salmon to serve as the fulcrum between Lail’s two red wines – the Blueprint and the J. Daniel Cuvee. In both wines, we witnessed the same elegance and restraint in how well they absorbed the salmon’s natural oils and richness. The Blueprint sought to do so with its focused, high-toned fruit on the midpalate, while the J. Daniel intrigued with smoky, secondary notes on a lingering finish. They are wines with true refinement – perfectly personal and befitting of such an exquisite occasion.

As we wrapped up the dessert course and started to bid farewell, it became increasingly difficult to tear ourselves away from the striking vistas and haunting impressions left by these incredible wines. Kudos to Robin, Michael, Lisa and the gracious staff for orchestrating this extraordinary glimpse into Howell Mountain, Napa Valley history, and the Lail operation itself. We're so happy you shared your day, and your stories, with us!

Andrew Will hanging around on the list? Buy it!

Sounds like Harvey Steinman, man-on-the-street for Wine Spectator in the Pacific Northwest, just had a recent dining experience of his profoundly enhanced by his decision to enjoy some Andrew Will along with his Colorado cuisine. Catch Harvey's anecdote at:
http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Blogs/Blog_Detail/0,4211,2005,00.html

I'm siding with Harvey on this one...the Ciel du Cheval blend almost always wins my vote for favorite Andrew Will wine. For me at least, it seems to possess a more ethereal quality to it in relation to other cuvees including Champoux and Sheridan, with the floral tones and red, almost kirsch-like, fruit following the prettiest of paths toward medium-bodied nirvana. This is not to suggest any sign of slighter stature regarding the wine's core structure or impact...as Harvey suggested, the wine is just now hitting its stride at 7 years out, with at least a decade of development ahead.

Winemaker Chris Camarda has really flourished since transitioning from varietal to vineyard bottlings for the 2001 vintage. Look for Chris to be out and about in the South and Central Florida markets the week of November 10th.

Also, please feel free to relay your experiences with older Andrew Will wines, or older wines from Washington. As the region's wineries continue to proliferate at a remarkable rate, it will be interesting to see what benchmarks are established along the way toward recognizing and enjoying fully mature examples of the Washington style. What may be "full of finesse" today may be "downright angelic" twelve years from now!

Welcome

Welcome to the Augustan Wine Imports' blog "Nectar of the Gods" - bringing you all the latest news regarding company events, and also featuring further commentary on some of your favorite wines and producers in our portfolio. As always, any feedback or thoughts you would like to share are much appreciated! Salud!