August 31, 2009

05 Lignier Summer Sippin' Value

2005 Lignier Aligote
Sophisticated Summer Sippin' Burgundy @ $18
Crush Exclusive - Only 6 cases available...

"Delicious and easy yet this does not lack for personality."
- Burghound

You have to love the curt, professional prose of the Burghound. Although Aligotés are rarely rated (his quote above is from the 2000 Lignier Aligoté), they certainly deserve more attention than they get.

Serious Aligoté has an easy-going charm, a high-toned "zing" to it that makes it one of the most refreshing whites out there. And when it's given a little bit of loving attention, the resulting wine has so much more personality than its humble price suggests. A 2005 White Burgundy for $18 bucks? C'mon.

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Posted by Joe Salamone at 12:33 PM | TrackBack

Summer of Riesling

Let's do some forecasting: Summer will push on through September. (But don't worry about buying an air conditioner - get some Riesling instead.)

Why? Because we've teamed up with Paul Grieco and his merry band of Riesling-heads down at Terroir and take note: We're extending the "Summer of Riesling" to co-conspire on a number of joint photo shoots, events, round tables and tandem Riesling-celebrations.

What's happening right now and how does this affect your day-to-day life? If you find yourself south of 14th Street and parched, looking for a place to sit and imbibe this world's holiest grape, go to Terroir, tell 'em we sent you and grab yourself a glass of Riesling and a plate of Schnitzel for $15. It's a start. (Next? The world.)

Come to Crush and we've got the whole slew of Terroir "Summer of Riesling" paraphenalia you didn't know you can't live without, but you can't. "Summer of Riesling" T-Shirts, tatoos and the ever-popular Pradikat buttons.

We're currently in an undisclosed location plotting more Riesling misadventures. Stay tuned...

Posted by Stephen Bitterolf at 11:19 AM | TrackBack

August 28, 2009

Hirtzberger and Knoll (Mini) Blowout!

Hirtzberger and Knoll (Mini) Blowout!
2006 Singerriedel - 2005 Loibenberg

We'll spare you the wine business drama and cut right to the chase: Two elite Austrian Rieslings were closed out the other week. Today, only for those of you who have supported our Riesling Program in the past, we pass on savings of 25%+!

Franz Hirtzberger and Emmerich Knoll: If you're into fine Austrian wines there are few names with more luster, with more gravity.

Looking for Austria's finest (at well below release prices)? Here ya go. Please keep in mind, however, we have under six cases available, total, so please order ASAP if you are interested!

Franz Hirtzberger
Franz Hirtzberger makes gleaming, voluptuous, shiny Austrian Rieslings of incredible length, grace and amplitude. They remind me a lot of F.X. Pichler, at least in their glossy, sexy, curvaceousness; yet whereas Pichler can dance on tip toes, Hirtzberger offers more of a waltz, flowing gowns of velvet and satin rolling across the palate. The Singerriedel is Hirtzberger's top Riesling bottling and it is a monument, plain and simple. It is also one of my absolute favorite Rieslings to come out of Austria in 2006. There is no denying this wine is HUGE. 2006 was a steroidal vintage in Austria and Hirtzberger picks very late - this wine rolls across the palate like an Austrian Mack truck. What makes this wine so special, however, is its powerful lift. As big as this wine is, it has focus, it has delineation. Hirtzberger is located at the far Western end of the Wachau, where the Danube steers south. This region is called the "Spitz" and a break in the mountains that border the Wachau to the north allows the cold northern winds to rush down into the Spitz. It is this cooling air that gives these wines a tension and nervosity that can buoy up and propel the epic dimensions of a Riesling like the Singerriedel.

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Posted by Stephen Bitterolf at 12:46 PM | TrackBack

August 26, 2009

MADCrush Week 5 - Thursday August 27

Wine List & Prices


wine name / taste / glass / bottle

NV brut schloss gobelsburg 9 / 15 / 75

2008 gruner veltliner 'veltinsky' graf hardegg 3 / 9 / 45
2007 rotgipfler 'tagelsteiner' stadlmann 6 / 12 / 60
2007 riesling 'kogl' salomon 6 / 12 / 60
2007 sauvigon blanc 'klassik' neumeister 6 / 12 / 60
2008 gruner veltliner hajszan 6 / 12 / 60
2008 riesling federspiel 'vom stein' nikolaihof 9 / 21 / 99

2007 zweigelt rose kracher 6 / 12 / 60

2007 pinot noir 'klassik' stadlmann 6 / 12 / 60
2007 st. laurent 'klassik' schuster 6 / 12 / 60
2007 blaufrankisch moric 9 / 18 / 90
2008 zweigelt martinshof 3 / 9 / 45
2007 zweigelt feiler-artinger 6 / 12 / 60

Small Plates Menu
by Kurt Gutenbrunner


$6 each

Smoked Trout Palatschinken with Organic Greens, Horseradish and Creme
Fraiche

+++

Corn Ravioli with Blueberries

+++

Strawberries with Elderflower Mousse

Posted by Tom Stephenson at 11:50 AM | TrackBack

Austria's Thermenregion, the Zierfandler Grape and Stadlmann

The Thermenregion is south of Vienna - really just on the city's outskirts. The name refers to the thermal springs that abound in the area.

Zierfandler is an indigenous grape grown in the tiny region and basically nowhere else. The Mandel-Höh vineyard is the grape's favorite spot on earth - Stadlmann's bottling represents the most noble expression of Zierfandler, from the kind of vintage that only comes around every decade or so.

The Zierfandler in the Mandel-Höh vineyard is roughly 45 years old and the gem of the estate. The grapes are harvested with great care and fermented in large old wooden barrels. Fermentation takes about two weeks, though the wine is left to settle for an additional 8 months before it is bottled.

The Stadlmann winery was founded in the late 18th century and is one of the region's best. The passionate Monica Caha imports the wine and has been a tireless enthusiast for the great wines of Austria - we're thankful to count her as our great friend. As for the Stadlmanns, the winery is is currently run by the seventh generation - Johann Stadlmann - and the wines must be counted as amongst the best of this little-known region.

I wrote in my "Wine of the Year" email that "Stadlmann is too small a producer (less than 200 cases of this wine make it to the US) and the Zierfandler grape too esoteric to ever be welcomed into the mainstream."

Well - I happily stand corrected, though I think the fact that this wine is showing up at all on the national radar is simply a testament to the quality of the wine, and honestly the rigor of Schildknecht's scholariship, which I very much admire.

Posted by Stephen Bitterolf at 10:41 AM | TrackBack

Wine of the Year Follow-Up: 2007 Mandel-Hoh (MADCrush All-Austrian Night!)

2007 Stadlmann Zierfandler Mandel-Hoh
Special Pricing On the Latest Vintage of
My Wine of the Year from 2008!
All-Austrian Aus-travaganza this Thursday at MADCrush!

"Once you experience Mandel-Hoh you'll be hooked. This wine has virtually cult status in Austria, yet the price is not at all outrageous, and Stadlmann sees fit to share some with the United States."
- David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate

I'm very proud to say that Stadlmann's Zierfandler from the cult vineyard "Mandel-Höh" has become a Crush signature bottling. (Zierfandler Mandel-Whät? Click here for more on the vineyard and grape.)

The 2006 was my "Wine of the Year" in December of 2007 and as I introduced this rather eccentric and unknown wine, I wrote the following line: "...this bottle will probably never score 100 points - so far as I can find, no one's ever even rated it!"

If life is strange, the wine world is even stranger and sure enough about six months later David Schildknecht's Austrian report for the Wine Advocate came out and not only was Stadlmann's Zierfandler Mandel-Höh written up, but it also received its long-awaited, righteous due as one of Austria's best cult bottlings - see below for the entire review.

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Posted by Stephen Bitterolf at 10:31 AM | TrackBack

August 21, 2009

Stunning Muscadet - As Low as $13.87 from Pepiere's Best Terroir

Fat Sheep of Pedigree:
The Master's Stunning New Muscadet
From the Best Terroir in the Region

At as low as $13.87, the perfect "drink" or hold!

Marc Ollivier of Domaine Pépière is the grand master of Muscadet. Year in and year out he produces the wines of the vintage and has attracted a large and enthusiastic following of wine geeks, who form a cult to the once lowly Muscadet appellation.

When we found out that he was releasing a wine from the the Gras Mouton vineyard (one that he and many others consider Muscadet’s finest) we couldn't wait to taste.

What arrived just in time for the scorching heat of August is classic Pépière— full of sea breeze and stony minerality and crackling citrus infused acidity— and a monument to the 2008 vintage, which wasn’t easy on the region’s growers.

The wine’s bracing, sparklingly crisp minerality is a perfect antidote to the heat and it's nearly impossible to match both Pépière’s price-to-quality ratio and the sheer gulpability of his wines - a perfect combination for the care-free days of summer.

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Posted by Joe Salamone at 4:02 PM | TrackBack

August 20, 2009

06 Angerville Ducs - Lowest Price in the Nation

2006 Angerville Volnay 1er "Clos des Ducs"
Lowest Price in the Nation!

"...intense and mineral-inflected flavors of crystalline purity and wonderful cut and precision, all wrapped in an exceptionally fresh, deep and mouth coating finish that seems to go on and on." - Burghound

Today, we have the luxury of offering one of our favorite red Burgundies, the Volnay Clos des Ducs of Angerville, at the lowest price in the nation.

While the 2006 Vintage was challenging for some winemakers in Burgundy, the Domaines of Volnay, and especially Angerville, made unquestionably great wines that are outstanding across the board. 

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Posted by Ian McFadden at 4:01 PM | TrackBack

August 19, 2009

MADCrush Week 4 - Thursday August 20

Wine List & Prices


wine name / taste / glass / bottle

NV cremant d'alsace boxler 3 / 9 / 45
NV brut grande cuvee moutard 6 / 12 / 60

2008 txakolina arregi 6 / 12 / 60
2008 riesling kabinett trittenheimer apotheke clusserath 6 / 12 / 60
2005 aligote lignier 6 / 12 / 60
2007 anjou 'bonnes blanches' mosse 9 / 24 / 96
2007 pinot gris 'vitae springs' st. innocent 6 / 12 / 60
2007 pinot grigio verdi 3 / 9 / 45
2008 godello viña godeval 6 / 12 / 60

2008 sancerre rose lauverjat 6 / 12 / 60

2007 marcillac cros 3 / 9 / 45
2007 touraine gamay clos roche blanche 6 / 12 / 60
2008 bugey pinot noir peillot 6 / 12 / 60
2008 joven montasterio de corias 6 / 12 / 60
2004 mondeuse 'vieilles vignes' louis magnin 9 / 18 / 72
2006 gevrey-chambertin 'vieilles vignes' fourrier 9 / 24 / 96

Small Plates Menu
by George Mendes of Aldea

Tomato-cherry gazpacho with mozarella ravioli $6

Duck and foie terrine $12

Shrimp Alhinho $10

Vadouvan spiced popcorn $4

Almond cake, stone fruit compote $6

Posted by Tom Stephenson at 1:01 PM | TrackBack

Hundred Acre: 2006 Kayli Morgan Cabernet Sauvignon

Hundred Acre
2006 Kayli Morgan Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
"It is unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage."
- Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

Hundred Acre has been one of our most requested cult California Cabs ever. For the 2006 vintage, Jayson Woodbridge has once again served up an exceptional collection of Cabernet with the Kayli Morgan being the headlining star: This is as close to perfect as a Hundred Acre Kayli Morgan has ever gotten.

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Posted by Bob Schagrin at 10:27 AM | TrackBack

August 18, 2009

Schloss Lieser: Trocken Comes a Knockin..

2008 Schloss Lieser Spatlese Trocken
The Mosel Speaks the Language of "Dry"
Grand Cru Quality at $30 - Only 10 Cases for the U.S.

The last name at Schloss Lieser is Haag. Since 1997, Thomas Haag has been bringing the small town of Lieser back into the spotlight. The 2008 Trocken is a needle-fine dry Riesling of exquisite purity and for the quality (essentially Grosses Gewachs), it is an absolute steal. CRUSH EXCLUSIVE!

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Posted by Stephen Bitterolf at 11:03 AM | TrackBack

Niederberg Helden Vineyard

Get to know the Niederberg Helden Vineyard in the village of Lieser, courtesy of your friends at Crush.

Why did Thomas Haag, the eldest son and scion to the Fritz Haag estate, pack up his bags, leave the family estate and invest himself completely, pocketbooks, elbow grease, soul and all, into the crumbling Schloss Lieser (castle of Lieser) estate?

When I asked Thomas this last March over lunch (see schnitzel, below), he sort of just shrugged his shoulders. If I had to guess, I'd say one thing: Potential.

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Posted by Stephen Bitterolf at 9:36 AM | TrackBack

August 17, 2009

96 Mountain Nebbiolo: Ar Pe Pe Valtellina Sassella Riserva

Ar Pe Pe Sassella
Gorgeous and Devastatingly Delicate Nebbiolo
From the Mountains of Lombardy

Everything is just a bit more "nervous" in the mountains; high-altitude gives grapes an edge.

Whether it’s Ferrando’s Carema, Magnin’s Mondeuse or a host of others, there is something about their tension, their finely etched structures and their nervousness that fascinates us. Mountain wines are different than their valley brethren; they seem to reveal another layer of nuance with each smell and taste, and their bight and vigorous acidities always keep things playful and engaging (and make them awesome partners for a variety of dishes).

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Posted by Joe Salamone at 11:50 AM | TrackBack

August 13, 2009

MADCrush Week 3 - Thursday August 13th

Wine List & Prices


wine name / taste / glass / bottle

NV prosecco nino franco 3 / 9 / 45

2007 pinot grigio verdi 3 / 9 / 45
2008 orvieto palazzone 3 / 9 / 45
2008 riesling halbtrocken keller 6 / 12 / 60
2007 macon villages sainte barbe 6 / 12 / 60
2008 gavi di gavi la soraia 6 / 12 / 60
2008 weissburgunder niedrist 12 / 18 / 90

2008 rosato (sangiovese, cab, merlot)antinori 6 / 12 / 60

2005 morellino di scansano banti 3 / 9 / 45
2007 la démarrant (carignan/cinsault)magnon 6 / 12 / 60
2006 dolcetto d'alba brovia 6 / 12 / 60
2007 primitivo gioia colle anforaguttarolo 12 / 18 / 90
2004 maremma rosso massa vecchia 12 / 18 / 90

2007 brachetto d'acqui marenco 6 / 15 / 78

Small Plates Menu
by Scott Conant of Scarpetta

Stromboli $3
smoked mozzarella, sopressata, cherry tomatoes

Creamy polenta $6
fricassee of truffled mushrooms

tuna & avocado "salad" $6

Ribeye of beef $9
truffle sauce, herbed fried potatoes

Amedei chocolate truffles $6

Posted by Tom Stephenson at 12:52 PM | TrackBack

Man Cannot Live on Wehlener Sonnenuhr Alone! 2008 Busch, Knebel and Steinmetz

Clemens Busch, Knebel, Steinmetz
Special "Futures" Pricing on Some of the Most Fascinating Rieslings in Germany

"The presence of these growers in the U.S. market will add to Americans' appreciation of the stylistic diversity of Mosel Riesling as well as the restoration that so many unjustly forgotten vineyards are undergoing at the hands of a fanatically dedicated few." - David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate

The Mosel Wine Merchant continues to represent a truly great - and perhaps more importantly, a truly unique - collection of German growers and wines.

We first met Lars Carlberg about three years ago and it's with more than a bit of pride that we were the first in the U.S. to support this portfolio - introducing NYC and the U.S. to some now fairly well known names: Clemens Busch, Knebel and Steinmetz. In a few short years the Mosel Wine Merchant has gone from a geeky little niche importer (and we mean that in the best way!) to a well known and very respected player in the German wine market.

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Posted by Stephen Bitterolf at 11:36 AM | TrackBack

August 12, 2009

Joe's Sangria Blanco Recipe to Defend Yourself Against August Malaise

Ingredients
- 4 bottles Gazela!
- 3/4 cup gin
- 1 cup Cointreau
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 bunch seedless white grapes
- 3 sliced lemons
- 3 sliced white peaches
- 1 sliced honeydew melon
- 1 liter club soda or seltzer

Directions
1) Mix the Gazela, gin and Cointreau together; then drop in the smorgasbord of fruit. Let this concoction steep for a few hours.

2) When you're ready to serve, add the seltzer water and plenty of ice to make it cold, cold, cold.

If you're feeling wild, buy some extra white grapes to freeze and use as ice when you serve.

3) Serve and beat the August heat!

Posted by Joe Salamone at 12:12 PM | TrackBack

The Return of the $4 Bottle of Air Conditioning!

The $4 Bottle of Air Conditioning
Gazela Vinho Verde
Back Up (a Very Big) Truck!

Today's offer isn't about complexity, mouthfeel or minerality. It's about an icy and refreshing glass of wine to fend off the overbearing heat and humidity of August.

Ah yes, August is finally here - in a big way.

Temperatures have come up to the 90s this week with that signature blazing wet-goopy-heat that makes just standing on the sidewalk an exercise in sweat control.

To help you beat the heat we're stepping out of our traditional artisanal mold and bringing back one of the most requested wines we've ever offered that's also a cheap and cheerful way to cool off: Gazela.

Is your cellar full? Good. Don't cellar this wine - drink it in the next 7 days!  Don't think, just grab a cooler and some ice and head to the park!

Make Gazela Vinho Verde your ice pick to chip away at the heat.  Ethereally light in body (and light in alcohol) it's all about bright citrus flavors - lime zest, floral notes and a bit of spritz to liven it up even more. (See below for more on Vinho Verde.)

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Posted by Tom Stephenson at 11:56 AM | TrackBack

August 7, 2009

Barolo Steal (Old School at 30% Off)

2003 Cappellano Barolo "Pie Rupestris"
Old-School Monster of Serralunga
Serious Friday Steal at Well Over 30% Off!

We think Theobaldo Cappellano would have been cool with this email: A Barolo that couldn't be more serious; a price that's just plain silly. If there was one person who enjoyed the inevitability of contradiction, who found joy in complexity, it was "Baldo."

Theobaldo Cappellano was an old-school rebel of the Piedmont, cut from the same cloth as guys like Bartolo Mascarello, Giuseppe Mascarello and Giacomo Conterno to name a few.

If Cappellano is considerably less known than his brothers-in-arms (and he is) this has to do with mainly one thing: Cappellano adamantly refused to submit his wines to *anyone* to be scored. He strongly believed that crafting a wine was a process, deeply woven into the culture of a people, of a geography.

In 'Baldo's mind, to reduce all this to a point score was at best impractical, and at worse an insult.

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Posted by Joe Salamone at 11:44 AM | TrackBack

August 5, 2009

MadCrush Week 2 - Thursday August 6th

Wine List & Prices


wine name / taste / glass / bottle

2008 prosecco bisson 3 / 9 / 45
NV brut 'grande cuvee' moutard 6 / 12 / 60

2007 pinot grigio verdi 3 / 9 / 45
2007 riesling qba willi schaefer 6 / 12 / 48
2007 greco di tufo petilia 6 / 12 / 48
2008 ischia bianco casa d'ambra 6 / 12 / 48
2007 sancerre crochet 6 / 12 / 60
2007 heida-paien 'les bernunes' caloz, 6 / 15 / 75

2008 bolgheri rosato 'scalabrone'antinori 3 / 9 / 45

2007 grignolino d'asti f. rinaldi 3 / 9 / 45
2007 nebbiolo di langhe produttori del barbaresco 6 / 12 / 60
2005 nero d'avola feudo montoni, sicily, IT 6 / 12 / 60
2004 brunello di montalcino ciacci piccolomini d'aragona 12 / 18 / 90

2008 lambrusco salamino di santa croce saetti 6 / 12 / 60


Small Plates Menu

by Cesare Casella of Salumeria Rosi - $6 / plate

Bite size sandwiches of:
- Prosciutto di Parma
- Speck and Piave
- Prosciutto Cotto and Carciofi
- Spicy Sopp, Provolone
- Corona Beans, Porchetta, Caperberry

Posted by Tom Stephenson at 9:44 AM | TrackBack