For the Hard-to-Please on Your Christmas List....

...May we suggest overkill? From Concha y Toro, we have what amounts to an instant vertical of their fabulous Don Melchor Cabernet---six bottles; six vintages. The range of flavors promises to be breathtaking, with the '87, '88 and '89 fully mature and the '97, '98, and '99 just coming into their own. While I've never been one to worship the numbers that Robert Parker tosses over his shoulder, here's what The Wine Advocate had to say about the '97:

94 Points. The 1997 Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon is exhibiting some development in color and bouquet. On the palate it remains impressively youthful with layers of flavor and excellent balance in its full-bodied personality. It continues to evolve and may reach its peak by 2015. It should drink well through 2040.

Be sure to give me a call in 2040 to let me know if it lasted!

New Wines From Chateau Gres Saint Paul!

Just arrived---and here in BC, exclusive to Spinnakers---five new products from Languedoc winemaker Jean Philippe Servière! Robert Parker's been onto this producer for years, and his last encounter with Servière's Chateau Gres Saint Paul Antonin moved him to write: "Believe it or not, this smells like a $50 bottle of Cote Rotie! Made from 70-year old Syrah vines, it boasts an amazing perfume of bacon fat, tapenade, and blackberries. Dense and medium-bodied, with loads of fruit, this is a beautiful offering that sells for a song." (At least as far as price is concerned, Parker understates: An entire flight of Gres Saint Paul wines can be had for a short medley.)

As well as the Gres Saint Paul Antonin, Spinnakers has brought in Servière's dry Muscat "Libertine 2006"---and for a look at what the winemaker himself has to say about his wines, check out "Les Vins" at the Gres Saint Paul website. You may need your Larousse, but his pride in the product is obvious.

We've got three more---even more reasonably-priced---offerings from this producer: Servière's Grange Philippe Syrah; Piccolino (100 % Mourvèdre) and Gypsy---a rosé that's a 60/40 mix of Syrah and Grenache. Sourced off-property, they are nevertheless made with the same care---and if Antonin can be had for a song, these three will cost you a mere bagatelle.