Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/68310
Grazioso Torrontés (Mendoza, Argentina) Blue Fin Vinho Verde (Portugal) DEPARTMENT HEADER Founded in 2003, Marquee Selections provides a global portfolio of wineries focused on green, organic, bio- dynamic and sustainable practices. The importer's Grazioso 2011 Torrontés ($10), from Bodegas VinEcol in Mendoza, Argentina, shows a limpid tone of hay-yellow. On the nose this is emphasized by turns of kumquats, honeyed lemon and white peach followed by mandarin orange and lime pith on the medium-weight palate. It matches brilliantly with the Asian-inspired, fresh-and-fruity salads of warm climates and even with spicy Indian curries. Grazioso is a musical term in which an entire movement is played in a light, flowing, graceful style. It's a philosophy echoed in this 100-percent organic wine's origins within majestic vineyards planted more than 30 years ago at 1,800 feet above sea level. Pablo Dressel, vigneron and Export Manager for Bodegas VinEcol, says that in his country, "we need to start with something fresh that gets the taste buds ready for the meal and the wines to come. Therefore we champion Torrontés. Its balance of bright aromatic notes and proper acidity transports you out into our fields at the base of the Andes Mountains in the spring with wildflowers blooming and sheep grazing on the tall grass." Another of Marquee Selection's winners is the Blue Fin 2009 Vinho Verde ($11) from Portugal, which is light gold in color and smells of dirty lime and prickly pear. Lychee and celery tonic make layered appearances on the moderately acidic finish. Growing up in Mendoza, Dressel knows know how hard it can be for small producers to make it in a peripheral portion of wine country that can sometimes seem at the edge of the world. "That's why I am proud to say that at Bodegas VinEcol we have gone the extra mile by creating Fair Trade wines. These allow our grape growers and the small farmers in our villages to prosper. It's the least we can do for them." Marquee Selections Marqués de Cáceres Albariño (Rías Baixas, Spain) August Kesseler Riesling (Mosel, Germany) Vineyard Brands represents over 25 growers of estate-bottled wines in France, Argentina, Spain, Portugal, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Germany and Italy. Two wineries that meet this importer's stringent criteria are August Kesseler from the Rheingau in Germany and Marqués de Cáceres from Rioja, Spain. August Kesseler, owner, winemaker and President of August Kesseler Winery, knows that his main challenge is to advance the quality of his fruit while maintaining as much traditional terroir and style as possible. His August Kesseler 2011 "R" Riesling Kabinett ($13) brims with cherry blossoms and pineapple followed by a hint of bright papaya on a mineral driven finish. Kesseler's youth was interrupted by his parents passing away when he was only 17 years old. "By then I was experienced in how to grow vines and how to produce a wine I could sell in barrels. I've developed my winemaking style step-by-step over the years but I'm still hungry, still creating new experiences to integrate into our process." Cristina Forner, President and fourth-generation owner of Marqués de Cáceres in Rioja, Spain, says that her family's singular style has successfully blended terroir and winemaking since the winery's founding in 1970. "In Celtic mythology Deusa Nai, from which we took the name of our Albariño, is the goddess of fertility. Our job is to transfer her magic from the romantic Rías Baixas region into our wine." The Marqués de Cáceres 2010 Deusa Nai ($18) is indeed magical, spinning scents of flax, fresh pineapple and apricot into a lychee-coated, passion fruit palate. Although limited pro- duction makes this wine very exclusive, Forner has allocated a significant number of cases to the U.S. because it is her number-one export market. Another top offering, the Marqués de Cáceres 2011 White Rioja ($11), at first features ash, lime peel and white flowers that eventu- ally blend with white peach and cream soda on a smooth, silky finish. Vineyard Brands june 2012 / the tasting panel / 83 PHOTO: KEVIN MOLONEY