Sabotage and Staff Picks

Learning from a mechanic that someone has cut your brake hose is a serious downer. Happily for me, the freakish news came just hours before an event I’d scribbled hopefully on my calendar: Cellar Rat’s Staff Picks Tasting Night.

Gotta love that staff. The Fess Parker Chardonnay was a “classic California Chardonnay,” as Ryan termed it. I looked at him several moments, trying to discern whether he was waxing sarcastic. After all, wine snobs have turned away in droves from these once-popular creamy, buttery confections.

But Ryan was serious, and so is this wine. I loved it. I haven’t had a big boy Chardonnay like this in some time, and I love love LOVE that toasted oaky butterscotch taste. And so did Andie! I keep telling her how yummy these Chards can be, but she’s such a fan of crisp, fruity Sauvignon Blancs that she long ago dismissed the Chardonnays from her tasting lineup after one or two less than impressive samples. She must have forgotten our premium tasting at the Ferrari-Carano vineyard. Wowza!

At Cellar Rat, we sampled more than a dozen staff picks, from a Casamaro Spanish White to a Clos La Coutale Cahors. There wasn’t a loser in the bunch.

In the white wine department, in addition to the Fess Parker Chardonnay, we enjoyed the honeyed charms of the Incognito Viognier, more complex than the $16 price tag might suggest. Pineapple, loads of fruit, flowers, very nice. We also sampled the St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc -- okay, but not as good as the New Zealand SBs, IMO.

Andie’s favorite of the evening was the Old Patch Red from Trentadue, a tasty Zin-based blend with Petite Sirah and Sangiovese and maybe some Cariagne rounding it out. This tannic, berry-filled screwcap from Sonoma was about $17. We grabbed a bottle.

My own pick for the evening was “Billie’s Pick,” the 7 Deadly Zins. It suited my personal palate, this blend of old vine Zins from Lodi. It was rich, ripe, and full, with a wood-smoke finish that put me in mind of camping. I also liked the Atteca Old Vine Garnacha, 100% Grenache, balanced and smacking of cherries.

We both were impressed by the Lucignano Chianti, dry and oh so smooth, with violets and cherries and soft tannins. This Sangiovese-based beauty is produced by a small vineyard just outside the famed Classico zone (and I mean BARELY outside, just a few hundred yards, if Jeff can be believed). We got a bottle for Cara’s birthday, courtesy of Kimmy Sue Tappan. $16.

Lucky Cara. Lisa would have liked this wine. She also would have liked the Altesino Rosso, another Sangiovese with some Merlot thrown in. Earthy, with leather and berries and spice. Someone called it a poor man’s Brunello, although I wouldn’t go quite that far. It, too, was about $16.

The Norman Zin was a bit strange on the palate, I thought – some sort of candy thing going on. We skipped the Four Vines Zin, since we already have some at home, and we know it’s good, and the 2004 is better than the 2005 Cellar Rat had on hand.

Cellar Rat. My new favorite wine store. Like Gomer’s and Hy-Vee and the former Osco at 75th and Wornall, it has a great selection. But I think it beats them all with its knowledgeable, approachable staff. Sara, Ryan, Billie, Jeff, Steve. . . thanks guys!