The world of wine has exploded over the last two decades, with new producers popping up every day in every corner of the world. Long gone are the days when being cutting edge meant that you were in tune with the next cult Cabernet or garagiste Saint-Emilion producer or securing the top estates in Burgundy. Today, quality wines are being produced in China, Russia, India and every state in the United States. So, how is a customer to weed through the thousands of mediocre offerings that are flooding wine shops, grocery stores and big box stores and come out of it with a wine that will offer genuine character, integrity and pleasure? As wine merchants, if we are doing our job well, most of the undesirables will have already been screened out. Over the years, I have found that a nearly sure fire way to pick up something new and interesting without getting burned is to shop by importer. No one can keep up with every producer out there; I continually give it my best effort and it cannot be done! If I know the style of wine that a particular importer favors, then I can pretty safely navigate my way into a new wine experience and not have any major qualitative surprises. We have been working with North Berkeley Imports on a relatively small scale for a few years, but I never truly understood the driving force behind the importers selections. I recently had the opportunity to taste through the portfolio from top to bottom with only a few exceptions and walked away with two pertinent pieces of insight about North Berkeley Imports. A). They are fanatical about quality and pay upfront (VERY rare in the wine business) to insure that the producers handle the grapes and elevage in the manner they wish to achieve the quality results they desire. B). All of their selections, whether from France, Italy, Chile or California show typicity of place, with elegance, pretty aromatics and long term age ability as well as near term drinkability. Armed with a basic knowledge of the STYLE of wines that any importer believes in will take away much of the risk involved in selecting wines that you may have not tasted before. Below are some of the highlights from tastings. Many of these are already here and available and some are due later in the year. If I list a price, it is available now at many of our locations. Enjoy! Burgundy: Frederic Magnien Chablis Valvents 2006 – Mineral driven with laser sharp precision, this shows crisp green apple, pear and lemon with a hint of a sea salt type mineral streak in the finish. Terrific value! $29.99 Boyer-Martenot Meursault Charmes 2006 – Appropriately named “Charmes”, this charming offering shows the power of Meursault, but the identity you would expect from NBI with an elegance and graceful demeanor. The flavors are a combination of baked apple and peach with a zingy citrus note at the core. Classy stuff. $84.99 Delarche Corton-Charlemagne 2006 – With so many Corton wines these days showing so much ripeness, power and overt oak, they nearly blur the lines between the Cote de Beaune and the Cote de Nuits. Not so with the Delarche! This wine shows red apple skin, peach, pear and the tell-tale white pepper spice throughout that I always look for in Corton. Absolutely delicious…drink now or hold. $104.99 Domaine Arlaud – I am withholding my notes on the 2007 vintage as the wines were bottles less than one month prior and obviously suffered from bottle shock as well. Overall, they showed nice ripeness of fruit, good acidity and length, but were disjointed and a little flat. I hope to re-taste these offerings in the fall in order to form a better opinion. Here’s a few 2006’s that are impressive and a better representation of the domaine. Charmes-Chambertin 2006 – A vibrant ruby color with a rich, supple texture. Flavors of red and black cherry, raspberry and cola are balance with a distinctive core of mineral and acid. Terrific length and tannin integration and fresh as a daisy. Bonnes-Mares 2006 – A dazzling effort with a deep penetrating core of dark red and berry fruit flavors and a spiciness that no doubt get your attention. Tannins are well-integrated and the alcohol is kept well in check. I could still taste this wine a full two minutes later. $184.99 Clos de la Roche 2006 – This is a must-have! It shows a sweetness of fruit that made me think of liqueur and compote, but very good acidity and a boatload of mineral to keep the wine serious. Very sexy stuff and despite the ripeness, I suspect this will age quite gracefully for a couple of decades. Rhone: Domaine la Millière Cotes de Rhone VV 2007 – Producers and pundits alike are giddy about the 2007 vintage in the Rhone and if these offerings are any indication, I would say for very good reason. This showed sweet black cherry, blackberry and raspberry fruit, framed by white and black pepper. Grenache certainly puts its mark on this wine, but it is remarkably chewy and dense for a village level Cotes du Rhone. Definitely one to look for in the future. Domaine la Millière Cotes du Rhone Villages Trés Vieilles Vignes 2007 – This is 90% Grenache from 100+ year old vines and it takes texture and depth to a whole new level. You might think this to be a good quality Chateauneuf du Pape rather than a village wine. This is a very pure, highly aromatic offering that deserves a place alongside your prized bottlings in the cellar. Domaine la Millière Chateauneuf du Pape VV 2007 – This was extremely forward and generous, but left you with the conclusion that it is very serious juice and will only get better and better for years to come. It is mostly Grenache, with Syrah and a touch of Counoise and Cincaut. The aromas of lavender and rosemary dominate at first, but with swirling, give way to black fruits, cherries, kirsch and raspberry; concentrated yet fresh on the palate and in the finish, it shows blueberry, plum, black pepper and lavender/violets. Domaine du Clos de Caillou Cotes du Rhone VV 2006 – This is stylish, high toned offering with notes of cherry, cassis, licorice and smoky meat. Despite the ripeness levels, it shows an elegance and generosity that should provide immediate pleasure as well as last for many years to come. $24.99 Domaine du Clos de Caillou Cotes du Rhone VV 2005 – This is classic southern Rhone with notes of cherry, kirsch, herbs de Provence and lavender. The finish is long and offers lots of spice making it the perfect accompaniment to our typical summertime fare. $21.99 Domaine du Clos de Caillou Cotes du Rhone Reserve 2006 – The 2006 is not as full bodied as the 2005, but still offers a serious similarity to Chateauneuf du Pape. High toned red fruit flavors dominate here with violets and white pepper spice in the finish. $44.99 Domaine du Clos de Caillou Cotes du Rhone Reserve 2005 – This little stunner is a dead ringer for Chateauneuf du Pape. It shows of cherry, blackberry, kirsch, pomegranate and licorice with tons of spicy notes throughout and a 60 + second finish. Terrific juice! $49.99 Domaine du Clos de Caillou Cotes du Rhone les Quartz 2006 – This is pretty dense stuff, with lots of mineral notes and acid to back up the ripe black cherry, blackberry and currant fruit. Good length and easy to drink, I’d probably drink this now and sit on the 2005 for a bit. $34.99 Domaine du Clos de Caillou Cotes du Rhone les Quartz 2005 – Again, this is not dissimilar from Chateauneuf du Pape, but perhaps a little less concentration and spice than the Reserve, but more mineral and acid. The likely fruit components of blackberry, cherry and kirsch are there, but there is a distinctive note of crushed stones and wet rock in the mid-palate here. Very nice wine. $39.99 Domaine du Clos de Caillou Chateauneuf du Pape 2005 – With the exception of 2002, Chateauneuf du Pape has been on incredible run of fantastic vintages and 2005 is no different. This is the “basic” offering from Clos du Caillou and it could pass for a tete de cuvee for many other producers. It’s a dense, concentrated wine with lots of sweet black cherry, blackberry and cassis, but with a mineral streak running through the core that keeps it in the framework of North Berkeley style. I thought that the 05s would require a little more cellar to come into their own, but this is drinking beautifully now. $64.99 and on sale now for $54.99, so stock up! Domaine du Clos de Caillou Chateauneuf du Pape les Quartz 2005 – This too, is in a great drinking window right now. The most appropriate term I can come up with for the les Quartz is fresh. It is not as deep and brooding as the AOC wine, but lovers of flowers, crushed rock mineral and high toned red fruits will love this beauty. I know I do! $99.99 Domaine du Clos de Caillou Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve 2005 – One of the main criteria for me when assessing wine quality is balance and this stellar contribution handles that in spades. It has power, ripeness, freshness, impeccable balance of alcohol and acidity, followed by a finish that goes and goes. This is in the top five of the finest Chateauneuf that I have tasted from the vintage. It’s not an inexpensive wine, but is certainly one that will deliver drinking pleasure for a couple of decades or more. $184.99 Domaine du Clos de Caillou Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve 2006 – This is fantastic Chateauneuf, but I find it only slightly less complete that the 2005 now. It is a little less concentrated with higher acids and more red fruits than black fruits. The finish is nearly as long as the 05, so if the acids integrate a little over the coming years, it very well could rival the lofty standard set by its predecessor. $184.99 Italy: Ca’ Vittoria Prosecco Brut NV – Conegliano Valdobbiadene – Very fresh and lively, this refreshing sparkler provides more interesting flavors than your average Prosecco. It offers red fruit notes of cherry and raspberry alongside the typical note of chalky lime and finishes fresh and clean with a note of minerality. Should be available just in time for summer and will retail for about $20. Dama del Rovere Brenton Lessini Durello Brut 2008 – I can’t recall ever tasting a 100% varietal Durello before this wine, but I’m happy that I stumbled across this little gem. Historians havbe traced this varietal back to the 13th century and it appears that there’s very little left in the world. It shows a unique spice character that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. In the palate, it shows tons of Granny Smith apple and lime zest but finishes with an onslaught of quince and gooseberry. If not for the voracious effervescence, you might mistake this for New Zealand sauvignon blanc. Interesting juice; should be available by summertime and will also be around $20. Tenuta Alberice Friulano 2008 – This won’t be bottled until May, but keep an eye for this in the future. Mineral lovers will really get into this as it shows lots of wet rock and saline mingling with the flowers and white peach flavors. It’s got very good weight and enough acid to keep it fresh. Terralsole Rosso di Montalcino 2004 – This is outstanding Rosso; in fact, I’ve had Brunello that didn’t provide as much enjoyment as this offering from the relative newcomer, Terralsole. Fruit flavors of dried cherry, apricot and currant are well supported by ripe tannins and very good acidity and followed up by tertiary notes of leather, tobacco and dried herbs. $34.99 Terralsole Brunello di Montalcino Reserva 2001 – It would be hard to miss the boat in 2001 as there were so many good wines in the vintage, but Terralsole knocked this one out of the park. The ’01 is really starting to come into a great drinking window too, as it has shed some of the firmness of tannin and tightly would fruit. Now, it shows ripe, supple flavors of cherry, raspberry and plum with a silky texture and exotic spices throughout. I stopped trying to time the finish at around 160 seconds. Awesome stuff. Terralsole didn’t miss the boat and you shouldn’t either! $84.99 | 
