What can I do for you today.....Mike Fabianski

Today's staff profile is a bittersweet one as Mike Fabianski will be leaving us just after Jazz Fest for a new career in a new state.  But he has been such an important part of our staff that I couldn't even think about leaving him out!  While he is only with us handful of hours a week, his infectious smile, enthusiastic attitude and constant desire to connect the dots between food, farming, wine and people, will be dearly missed.

What are some important non wine related things about you?  
-I'm originally from Illinois, grew up right outside of Chicago.  I have 2 brothers, 2 sisters and love my large Chicago family. I moved to New Orleans for college and have lived here for the last 10 years.  I studied history and education and since then, have been a teacher, school administrator and now work at Hollygrove Market & Farm.  I've always loved food and wine.  Bittersweetly, I'll be moving to Florida this May.  I'm engaged to Michael Pierce and will be getting married next spring.  We're still trying to hammer out the details.

What are your hobbies?
-When I'm not working, I'm most likely eating, cooking or growing food.  I also like to run and bike.  I find running to be a quick way to release some of the stresses from your day or night. Yes, I do go running after a Friday night working at Swirl, some think it's a bit odd (wouldn't be the first time I've heard that about my self), but I find it relaxing to run in the moonlight, just need to be careful of those potholes.  When I'm not running and still need to get my exercise fix, I'm on my road bike.  In order to be an employee of Swirl, the ladies make you sign a blood oath that within 1 year you will join Team Swirl, raise some serious money to fight MS and be a top finisher in Bike MS.  Maybe there's no blood oath, but there's certainly a lot of pressure...please ask Kimi when she'll be joining the team, she's been with us for a year now :)  My fiance and I should be back this October to ride with the team.

If you had to pick a favorite wine region for reds, what would it be?  for whites?
-Argg, now we have to pick and choose, these are the hardest questions to answer.  I'm thrilled that Beth and Kerry recently went to Oregon and since then have flooded the shop with Oregon Pinot Noir.  It's Oregon Pinot Noir (Eyrie Vineyard) that got me deeply hooked into this wonderful world of wine.  They're elegant, the fruit is balanced with the earth; they certainly give Burgundies a run for their money.  Not to mention they are American made; and I love that in 20 years our US landscape will change, more and more US regions are testing their terroir for the perfect grape partnership, you just wait and see.

I refuse to pick the traditional greats of the world, I'm going with whites from Campagnia, in Southwestern Italy, Near Mt. Vesuvius.  The Falanghina, Greco di Tufo and Fiano di Avellino pair wonderfully with our hot summer days, provide great complexity to ponder over with friend on your porch, and provide great structure to pair with your seafood filled summer dishes.

What is your current favorite red, white or bubbly in the store right now?
-The Pierre Chermette Beaujolais.  Beaujolais and the Gamay grape is one of the world's best, and it's terrible is gets such a bad wrap because of the Beaujolais Nouveau garbage.  In every tragedy lies opportunity, there are some world class wine makers who take their time with this grape and create some world class wines that, fortunately for the consumer in the know, come at a great deal, this beaujolais is one of those great deals!

 What was your recent best food and wine experience?
-I love pairing food and wine, it's tough stuff, there's rules we tend to follow, and we often break our preconceived rules to make the best pairings.  A few months ago Kimi, Kerry, Beth, and I got together to work on a special flight night based on pairings, and we had the unfortunate task of eating lots of cheese and drinking over a dozen wines to investigate the best pairing possible;  this is what I love, eating, drinking, tasting, mixing and matching all with great company and conversation and sometimes a slightly heated debate. 
Last year, our old friend Michelle Gueydan and I went to check out the newly opened Root, she was the perfect dining companion, we each bought a number of dishes and glasses of wine from the menu, buckled down at the bar and begin the serious work of finding the great pairing.  It was a silly scene of the 2 of us, taking up space for four because we were constantly going back and forth between our wines and dishes.  The winner that night was a lamb face bacon (not sure if this is still on the menu) and the Supernatural Sauvignon Blanc, who would of thought.  It was seriously one of those magical pairings that was perfect; when you put those two in your mouth the blended perfectly into pure sensory bliss to have them separately was just tease of their true flavor potential.

If you could pick any wine from the indulge section right now what would it be?
-I can't believe I'm going to say this...California wines are fantastic, but my palate doesn't often gravitate towards them, but with wine you are constantly learning and your opinions are subject to change.  Romillily's 2011 Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley in California.  I like this wine because it straddles the the divide between new world and old world wine.  It has wonderful cherried fruit, like California Pinot, but the fruit it's balanced with darker, earthier elegant notes that you'd expect from France.  I love the Russian River Valley for their lighter, less fruit -fleshy wines that possess depth in the palate and finish.   This wine is a family affair, 2 brothers started the this young winery a few years ago,  their vision is to keep their business small and keep the focus on the juice. They've also grown up under the mentorship of their uncle August "Joe" Briggs and are taking now building their own brand using the years of knowledge they've gained from a California great, they're a new generation of great California winemakers.
 
And finally, what do you like most about working in the wine biz?
-People. My bosses are great. My colleagues are great. Our customers are great. Our wine reps are great. Basically I feel like we are one big family who share a curiosity of wines and in doing so learn so much more about the world, ourselves and each other because of the community and love we share.  Some of my happiest moments each week are at Swirl...I'm sure yours are too ;)

Thank Mikie!
You can find Mike in the store every Wednesday as he hosts our "Wednesday Nite Flites" program with Kimi Kiviranna and other special guests, every other  Friday and every Saturday, until he leaves for Florida in mid May.  :-(

Perfect Spring Picnic Picks

Spring is in the air...
The azaleas are blooming and the 2012 rosés are starting to make their way to New Orleans, a clear sign that spring is coming to our fair weather city! So as you daydream about lazy picnics along the banks of the bayou or throwing down a blanket while watching the gondola glide through the lagoons in City Park, Swirl is here to help you fill you picnic basket and your head with perfect picnic picks and ideas.   From our cooler stocked full of freshly imported and domestic cheeses and cured meats, locally baked breads from Maple Street Patisserie, delicious chocolates and truffles from Bittersweet Confections to hand selected crisp whites, lovely pale rosés and light fruity reds;  we've got everything you need and we'll even throw in some suggestions for the best Faubourg St. John neighborhood spots to entertain those spring picnic fantasies!

Fortier Park

Due to the efforts of a handful of dedicated residents, Fortier Park (across the street from the shop) has become a neighborhood treasure.  Complete with beautiful fountains, unique sculptures and lovely landscaping it's the perfect place to meet locals, their kids and their dogs!  You can use the tables that double as chess boards or pick out a nice green space for a blanket. And if you run out of provisions, you are only about 30 seconds from swirl...;-)

Banks of Bayou St. John

Bayou Saint John has many wide green spaces to throw down a blanket but I particularly like the spot by the Cabrini walking bridge under the big oak tree. Lots of shade, people watching, dogs swimming,  paddle boarders and kayakers; be ready for some social interaction because you are guaranteed to see people you know and probably make a few new friends! 

The singing oak in City Park

City Park offers many secluded, hidden nooks for a more private picnic or lots of  populated spaces for great people watching.  I personally love the area under the old, sprawling oak tree with the huge wind chimes near the big lake.  Called the "singing oak", you can't help but feel more calm and relaxed when you hear those deep sounds coming from the giant chimes.   And there's lots to occupy the rest of your senses too with the boats on the lake and walkers on the path and the ducks gathering on the shore.

And of course we have everything you need at the shop for you outing.  Perfect sparkling picnic wines like the Terriero Prosecco or the Argyle Brut Rosé go great with cheese and are a festive, way to start your feast.  Refreshing palate cleansing whites like the 2011 Arindo Verdejo, the 2011 Domaine Closel Savienneres  or the 2011 Vaccaro Inzolia  are a joy with cheese and antipasti and just plain fun to drink.  Lighter style reds like the 2010 Prunotto Dolcetto, the 2011 Pierre Chermette Beaujolais or the 2011 J.J. Willamette Valley Pinot Noir have enough fruit and weight to accompany both your meats and cheeses.

New 2012 rosés are arriving daily!

And of course, my favorite picnic go to wine is rosé and the 2012's have begun rolling in so now is the time!  The 2012 Bieler from Provence  is hands down the best value in the store right now with the big juicy 2012 Raptor Ridge Pinot Noir Rosé, the crisp, elegant 2012 Beckstoffer Hogwash and the 2012 Cochon Old Vine being our favorite domestic wines. But never fear, many many more are on the way!!

Now onto the what you can fill that picnic basket with...a nice rotating selection of artisan cheese awaits  stocked by our resident cheese guy Casey Foote.  Pre-cut into the perfect sampling sizes, best sellers include the triple cream wonder Brillat Savarin, the nutty almost butterscotchy Prima Donna Aged Gouda, the crumbly, tangy goats milk Miticana, the semi-soft, buttery Appalachian, the earthy creamy Louis Bergier Pichin and of course the ever popular sheeps milk, Manchego and Idiazabal.  We usually hand select 12-15 cheeses per week to fill the cooler and sample on our cheese plates at the bar.

The perfect picnic sized selection awaits!

Cured meats like Olli Salume, Palacios Chorizo and Olympic Provision Charcuterie are always on hand along with accouterments like cornichon, olives, pesto, crackers and fresh Maple Street Patisserie breads (Thursday-Saturday).  And our favorite chocolates and truffles from Bittersweet Confections continue to be the one and only chocolate producer we carry because why sell anything but the best?  And when the best is local it is even better...and don't forget the govino plastic wine and champagne glasses!

So what are you waiting for?   Come over pick up your picnic accouterments, grab a blanket and enjoy this weather while we can!  Need a few cups or napkins?  Want to pair a specific wine and cheese? Just ask, we'll do whatever we can to help you have the perfect picnic!

How Can I Help...Kimi Kiviranna

A series of posts on our amazing staff, the heart and soul of the store!  While we can fill our space with great products, do good deeds through our community work and support our local artists and businesses, it is the friendly, helpful, professional and knowledgeable team that truly set us apart! Because without the warm, positive vibe created by those who work here, Swirl would be just another wine shop! 

Last week Matt Snyder revealed both quirks and passions and today Kimi gives us a quick look into her love affair with food & wine!

What are some important, more personal, non wine related things about you?   
-I am a California native but I fell in love with New Orleans the first time I set foot in this city. I have been lucky enough to live, travel, and work all over the world, but it is wonderful to have New Orleans as my home.

What are your hobbies?
-Wine! Food! Travel! Fortunately, these things go hand-in-hand. I also love to read-- even over-night buses and 13-hour flights are bearable with a copy of Shantaram in your hand...Kimi fails to mention that she is a total gym rat and that her preferred method of transportation is her 30lb. cruiser bike!

What are your favorite wine regions for reds, whites, rosé?
Red-- Fleurie in Beaujolais. White-- St. Aubin in Burgundy is my stand-by, but I have recently become obsessed with Croatian and Slovenian whites. Rose'-Provence!-- I especially love the "orange" rose's made from the Tibouren grape!  

What is your current favorite red, white, bubbly in the store right now?
-Red- Be Wise Vineyards Wisdom Red Blend, the perfect go-to big red for sipping or with food, for a gift or a Monday night, you can't go wrong with this one. White-my favorite changes every week! Right now I am crazy about the Uixar Bizkaiko Txakolina from Spain, the Vacarro Inzolia from Sicily, and the Tikves Rkatsiteli from Macedonia. Bubbles - Henri Giraud Code Noir Champagne

If you could pick any wine from the indulge section right now what would it be?-It continues to be the 2010 Bouchard Clos St. Landry Chardonnay that Beth & I discovered in the Bouchard Pere & Fils tasting last year.  We tasted the 2011's at the same event this year and it was still my favorite in the lineup in terms of balance and approachability.

What was you best recent food and wine experience?
-Celebrating my husband's birthday at Lilette a few weeks ago, with a 1999 Salon and a 2006 Montrachet Grand Cru!

And finally what do you like most about working in the wine biz?
-A bottle of wine is all the things I love tied into one--history, geography, culture, storytelling, science, and romance. To be able to learn, teach, and share this with others is amazing.

Thanks Kimi!
You can find Kimi in the store every Wednesday as she hosts our "Wednesday Nite Flites" program with Mike Fabianski and other special guests, every other Thursday and Friday and some Saturdays.  She is also a certified Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers and has just recently returned from Japan where she became a Certified Sake Professional.

A Special Glass for a Very Special Wine

Riedel's Oregon Pinot Glass

During our visit to Oregon's Willamette Valley last October, we made our way to a few tasting rooms and wineries from Dundee to Amity.  Each place we went to used a specific Riedel glass that I had never seen before.  A different than their regular Burgundy glass, James informed us that Riedel designed a specific glass for Oregon Pinot Noir, and it was a joy to drink from!  Hmmm, yet another indication that the world is taking Oregon Pinot pretty seriously! 

Apparently they were created during several workshops with the famed Oregon growers and producers.  The shape of this Riedel Vinum XL Pinot Noir glass is said to show the fresh compact fruit of Northwest Pinot Noir and highlight the irresistible sweetness, while perfectly balancing the acidity and de-emphasizing the alcohol to create a perfect picture of the wine. Or, in the words of Georg Riedel, this new stem is 'The perfect Oregon Pinot Noir dream glass.'


I've done some research over the last week about what makes this shape so special and came across an article from an Oregon Pinot publication that did a test with the Oregon vs the Burgundy glass.  Here's what they did and their results:

Riedel Burgundy Glass

I assembled my Ad Hoc Tasting Panel (defined as whoever shows up) and we tried five Oregon pinots in three different glasses each: A ten ounce wine bar glass; a 25 oz Riedel Pinot Noir / Burgundy glass (the standard to date) and the Riedel Oregon Pinot Noir Glass. The panel included two winemakers and a host of experienced palates.

Here’s the short-version of the results: The glasses are the best stem for Oregon pinot noir I’ve ever used. The new stem enhances both the aroma and the palate of Oregon pinot noir to such a degree that I’m buying dozens and dozens of the new glass for use in my wine bar as well as for use at home. It’s that good. The flared top requires that you tilt either the glass or your head to such a position that the wine Vs. B.C. hits the back of the palate first. The wide rim also sends the wine cascading down the sides of your tongue. The result is an enhanced fruit impression and much less emphasis on structure. The wines simply taste more open-knit and fruit-forward. The tried-and-true Riedel Burgundy stem, by contrast, forces the taster to nearly pucker up to receive the wine, and directs the wine onto the front of the tongue and straight down the middle. The tongue ends up cupping the wine. This clearly puts an emphasis on darker fruit flavors and enhances the impact of any tannins. 

I'm thinking we may have to do our own test!  What are my chances of getting 10 volunteers to help us out? :)

Nice to Meet You....Matt Snyder

An eclectic, affordable selection of quality wine and beer lining the shelves; WWOZ providing the best background music on earth; cool local art decorating the walls; people always tell me what a really special place we've created at Swirl. But none of that would matter without great people like you to fill it and the warm, helpful environment provided by those who work here.  Some of you know them well, some of you may have never met them, so I wanted to give you an opportunity to get to know our staff through a quick, personal interview.  Matt kindly agreed to be my guinea pig and the others will follow...

Matt Snyder, Tuscany 2012

What are some important, more personal, non wine related things about you?   
- I am the lucky husband of Maria and proud father of son Jack, 2, and a daughter who shall be named upon her arrival this April 17th. I'm a native of LaPlace, Louisiana, but I've been fortunate enough to live, study, and work in places like Morgantown, West Virginia, Valencia, Spain, and Cairo Egypt, before returning to NOLA four years ago. In addition to Swirl, I also work as an instructor of American Government at Delgado Community College. I speak fluent Spanish and have been picking up a little Italian lately.

What are your hobbies?
- With my current schedule, hobby #1 is being a dad. I just love it. I'm also an avid Crossfitter. I try to read as much as possible, usually bouncing between historical non-fiction, sci-fi, philosophy, and fantasy. I love all types of films so I'm a big Netflix fan. I bleed Black and Gold. I'm a huge video game junkie, particularly RPG/adventure games and the Call of Duty series, but I've been clean for about three months now :-) I'm really looking forward to getting back into hunting this fall so I can pair some game meats with our great Spanish, California and Italian reds. Maria and I are really into brunch now and there's nothing like Sunday brunch in NOLA followed by a Second Line.

What are your favorite wine regions for reds, whites, rosé?
-This is a tough one because I just love different wines for different reasons. For reds, the regions are Burgundy, Rioja, Tuscany and Piedmont. For whites, Burgundy again, and Rias Baixes. For Rosé, Spain and Italy have come a long way, but rosé from Provence are still my favorite.

What is your current favorite red, white, bubbly in the store right now?
-Shooting from the hip?  Red - 2011 VMW Horrow Show. White - 2011 Closel La Jalousie Savenierres. Bubbly - Champagne Jean Velut.

What was you best recent food and wine experience?
-Last summer in Florence I had bisteca fiorentina with a few bottles of 2006 Josetta Saffirio Barolo. It was divine.

If you could pick any wine from the indulge section right now what would it be?
-Tough choice! Barolo is always high on my list so the 2007 Marcarini Barolo Brunate would fit the bill and then there was that 2010 Paul Garaudet Meursault that Casey and I shared with a customer a few weeks back... 

And finally what do you like most about working in the wine biz?
-It's really a toss-up between the people and the product. Wine brings people together. I love learning about new wines, new pairings, and sharing that with my colleagues and our customers, and then having them reciprocate their experiences. When someone says something like, 'I was never into shiraz, but that Chateau Tanunda Grand Barossa you recommended went just great with charbroiled oysters...' it just feels awesome to expand someone's horizons like that. As for wine itself,  I remember years ago when I had my first wine gig at Martin Wine Cellar, I went to a Chateau Montelena tasting and someone there said 'wine is a transitory liquid. It's somewhere between grape juice and vinegar.' And that inherent mortality of wine has fascinated me over the years. I mean even before you open a bottle, the wine is very much alive. And two vintages, even from the same producer using the same grape, soil, and methods, are never quite the same juice. Each wine is such an incredibly dynamic, artistic, unique, and ultimately perishable product. 

Thanks Matt! 
You can find him at the shop every Tuesday where he pairs up wines with the incredible fare from the Fat Falafel food truck; every other Thursday and Friday and most Saturdays.

Check out Kimi's interview:  How Can I Help...Kimi Kiviranna

Superstar Greek Winemakers Wednesday!

On Wednesday March 6th we are hosting two very talented winemakers from Greece for a tasting of their award winning wines.  They are represented by Athenee Imports, the largest importer and distributor of fine wines from Greece, and are in town for a trade tasting earlier in the day called the Athenee Imports Road Show.  After the trade event George Brown, owner of Vino Wholesale will bring them to the shop where we'll be tasting a few store favorites, the Spiropoulos Ode Panos Sparkling and the Thymiopoulos Young Vine Xinomavro, as well other wines that aren't yet available in our market.

Domaine Spiropoulos in Mantinia, Peloponnese

Yes, they are both named Apostolos!  But they make very different wines from distinct areas of Greece.  Apostolos Spriopoulos' Domaine Spiropoulos was established in 1870 and is located in Mantinia an area in the Peloponnese region. The vineyards sit on a plateau that is more than 2000 feet above sea level.  They produces both reds, whites and rose' wines from indigenous varieties Moschofilero and Agiorgitiko, the most important wine in the portfolio is the Ode Panos, a sparkling Moschofilero.  They are certified organic and one of only a handful of producers of sparkling wines in Greece.

The Culinary Institute of America has added Domaine Spiropoulos’ Ode Panos to the sommelier syllabus, helping to train upcoming sommeliers on the delights of Greek grape varieties. Furthermore, one of the world’s most recognized authorities on champagne and sparkling wine, critic and writer Tom Stevenson, included Domaine Spiropoulos’ Ode Panos Brut in his Millennium Champagne and Sparkling Wine Guide, a list created to celebrate the world’s top-rated drinks in the category. Spiropoulos is proud that his was the only Greek sparkling wine featured on the venerable list.

Thymiopoulos Winery, Photo from Athenee Imports

Apostolos Thymiopoulos at 31 years old, is considered the rising star of Naoussa. His vines are cultivated according to biodynamic farming methods at an altitude of 600 feet in the southern sector of the appellation. The vineyards are blessed with a good amount of sun and a terrain comprised of Naoussa’s most geologically complex soils, made of lime-rich marlstone, schist and granite. Thymiopoulos focuses on expressing the freshness of the grapes and giving each vintage a unique signature. His wines are unfiltered and aged in vats and or old barrels. He is known most for his reds  made from Xinomavro; the Uranos (’earth and sky’) made from forty-year-old vines, and his lighter Young Vines that has been a very popular wine with us for the last year.  Thymiopoulos is also Naoussa’s only vintner to produce a pure rosé using xinomavro grapes and has just begun to make a white from Malagouzia.

We hope you'll join us on Wednesday to taste these high quality, distinct wines from 2 of Greece's superstars! The tasting is free from 6-8pm, no reservations required!

Slow Cooked Beef Stew

The cold weather and the 2010 Duseigneur Antares Lirac had me craving some sort of hearty meat dish so I took out a piece of round steak from the freezer, one of the few cuts we have left from that 1/4 of a cow we bought last year.  Avoiding the dreaded Whole Foods run on a Sunday, I was able to scrounge up enough ingredients to make a beef stew in the crock pot.

Last month's Food & Wine had a photo of a slow cooked beef dish on its cover that has been calling to me every I look at it.  And while I made my own version, wanting something hearty and tasty with very little work involved, Jacques Pepin's Beef Stew in Red Wine Sauce was definitely my inspiration!  

Ingredients
2 lbs round steak cut into 1"-2"chunks
2 t. kosher salt

ready to put the lid on and wait...

1/2 t. fresh ground pepper
1/2 C. chopped onion
10 cipollino onions
10 small carrots, peeled
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 t. dried thyme
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 t. Worchestire Sauce
2 C. red wine
2 C. organic beef broth
1/4 t. pepperoncino
1/3 C. flour mixed with warm water
chopped parsley for garnish

directions

-Add all of the ingredients except for the parsley into the slow cooker and turn on high for 4-1/2 hours. 

-At 4 hours, open the Duseigneur to let it breath and pour yourself a glass while you make some brown rice. Turn the temperature on the slow cooker down to low for another 1/2 hour.

-Open the pot and ladle out most of the liquid into a pot on the stove.  Heat to a low boil and add the flour/water mixture to make the gravy.  Once it comes to a boil again, turn down to a simmer to thicken for about 5 minutes.  Add back into the slow cooker and mix into the meat and veggies.

-Ladle some of the delicious stew over a bit of brown rice.  Butter yourself a nice toasty thick piece of whole grain bread, pour yourself another glass of wine and relax over a nice Sunday evening meal!

Wine of the Moment, the 2010 Duseigneur Antares Lirac

The Duseingeur Lirac is is one of those special finds has a lot going for it in that under $25 price range. We've been carrying the 2009 but just received our first case of the 2010, which gave me the perfect excuse to pop a cork tonight with beef stew I've been slow cooking all day...

First of all let's talk about Lirac.  Most people know the Rhone Valley, even some of the important villages like Gigondas, Vacqueyras, and the appellation of Chateauneuf-du-Pape of course.  But Lirac is the oldest wine producing area of the Rhone and turns out stellar reds, rose' and some whites.  It is actually located directly across the river of its famous counterpart, Chateauneuf-du-Pape and shares a similar terroir.  Those huge galets roulés, the rust and cream colored, smooth, rounded stones ranging in size from a large tomato to a football, are spread throughout the vineyards. The stones retain heat during the day and release it at night which helps ripen the grapes. The stones can also serve as a protective layer to help retain moisture in the soil during the dry summer months.

Typical Southern Rhone red varieties of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault dominate the blends with the style of Lirac often resembling a soft Côtes du Rhône-Villages.  The more ambitious wines are often compared to Châteauneuf-du-Pape but at half the price. Rosé Lirac is usually similar to those full bodied wines from neighboring Tavel.

Domaine Duseigneur is a small family wine producer in Lirac run by the brothers Frederic and Bernard and a famous French sommelier, Philippe Faure-Brac.  The brothers see themselves more as farmers than a winemakers, believing that the most important thing is what happens in the vineyard. Since 1997 the estate has been meeting the requirements of organic farming. Wanting to take this concept even further the Duseigneur brothers fully embraced biodynamic farming in 2004.

The Antarès is an old vine blend of Grenache and Mourvèdre vinified separately after 3 to 4 weeks of maceration in concrete tanks. The nose has a touch of barnyard with dark fruit and a little spice.  The lack of oak allows for pure expression of the fruit on the palate and one of those wines that keeps revealing something new in every sip.  

2010 Domaine Duseigneur Lirac Antares, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 90 pts.
The 2010 Lirac Antares is composed of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvedre aged in cement tanks and is bottled unfiltered. It is a richer effort displaying more roasted meat notes as well as bluer, darker fruits. This full-bodied, pure impressively endowed Lirac was made from low yields of 30 hectoliters per hectare.  This outstanding Lirac estate is an emerging star in the southern Rhone. From their biodynamic and/or organic vineyards, they produce three separate cuvees of Lirac.