Holiday wine: What Houston’s experts would like to drink

For those who want to splurge, sommelier Sean Beck suggests toasting 2015 with the 2000 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill Brut Champagne, the same bubbly Prince William and Kate sipped at their royal wedding.

I’m a fan of wines under $30,  but I confess that I still fantasize about Dalla Valle’s 1999 Maya, a blend of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. Alas, I don’t splurge $450 on wine. I can only harken back to the afternoon when vintner Naoko Dalla Valle invited me to her Tuscany-inspired hillside vineyard overlooking Napa Valley.

After guiding me to Dalla Valle Vineyards’  tasting room, my hostess – with a knowing smile – poured a glass of her 1999 Maya. A sip inspired images of damask roses and sunny, blue-sky afternoons humming with honeybees. Beautiful wines are capable of doing that.

The 1999 Maya, aged in new French oak, was striking, incredibly balanced and replete with flowers and dark, voluptuous fruits – cassis and red cherries. The first sip tasted like a mother’s love: pure and deep, yet powerfully complex. Once sipped it was soft and round, with a smooth, mouth-filling finish.

A lot of care was put into creating the wine created in honor of Naoko and husband Gustav’s daughter, Maya. Gustav passed away in 1995, but Naoko continued their shared vision of producing world-renowned wines, and Dalla Valle Vineyards has garnered a loyal following.

Maya remains my dream wine, and  I feel honored to have tasted it, even once. An experience like this made me curious as to what Houston wine gurus would bring to their holiday tables if price were no object.

Brennan’s of Houston (3300 Smith) wine guy John Ramos would choose the 2007 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline from E. Guigal ($725) with its smoky, peppery, barnyard overtones softened by cherries, violets and dusty tannins. He likes to pair the brooding, earthy Rhone Valley wine with Brennan’s grilled-game platter of rosemary bobwhite quail, herb-seasoned antelope chop and wild boar sausage, with cornbread pudding and huckleberry pepper jelly.

As for a white, Ramos recommends the 2006 Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur Puligny-Montrachet Les Levrons ($175), made from 100 percent Chardonnay. He describes it as having “an amazingly integrated oak structure with notes of pear, Fiji apple, white peach and spice.” The wine’s ideal match? Brennan’s Louisiana jumbo lump blue crab cakes crowned with mirlitons, Wood Duck Farm pea shoots and a sweet corn-leek cream sauce.

Ramos suggests savoring the 2000 pinot noir from Eyrie Estate Marguerite ($189) on its own. He finds this wine, from Oregon’s Willamette Valley, earthy, displaying flavors of mushroom, herbs and well-integrated tannins.

At Tony’s (3755 Richmond), general manager and partner Scott Suma would toast the New Year with 1985 Krug Collection Privee ($2,500), and then pair a white Alba truffle soufflé with Jean-Marc Pillot 2008 Chevalier Montrachet ($995) or the saddle of lamb with the 1995 Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva ($2,200), which is ready to drink now and through 2020 with notes of ripe red fruits and dark chocolate.

Maya, a blend of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, is one of California’s most sought-after cult wines. Dalla Valle Vineyards overlooking Napa Valley produces fewer than 500 cases of Maya annually.

At chic Japanese restaurant KUU (947 N. Gessner Road), Ricky Cheung wouldn’t hesitate to usher in 2015 with a bottle of Vouette et Sorbee Extra Brut Champagne ($195), a 100 percent Chardonnay bubbly with lemon and apricot annotations rounded out by a toasty finish. The operations manager and sommelier’s current choice for red is Hirsch San Andreas Fault ($150), which he declared as “one of the best pinots noir I have ever tasted.” Compared with most California pinots noir, he says this soon-to-be classic is low in alcohol.

Palazzo Cuvee Blanc ($75) is another favorite. Composed of 90 percent sémillon grapes and 10 percent sauvignon blanc, the scent is “wonderfully floral and seductive, with intense aromas of pear, orange blossoms, rose petals and hints of spearmint, beeswax and white truffle laced throughout,” Cheung says. It’s a Napa Valley wine to be enjoyed with food, and it has a balanced mouth-feel, with a rich, broad texture. White peaches, nectarines and apricots fill your mouth with notes of Meyer lemons. And yet, Cheung finds the finish lush, almost weighty and wonderfully long, especially for a white wine.

Meanwhile, at Mockingbird Bistro (1985 Welch), sommelier Adrian Cuneo would raise a glass of Salon Le Mesnil ($350), vivacious with crystalline citrus, white stone fruits and hints of bitter almonds. A more budget-friendly choice is the Pierre Peters Blanc de Blancs ($90), a multi-layered and complex pour with crisp acidity, a long finish and juicy accents, with notes of apples and peaches, plus shades of brioche, as well as toasted almonds.

Right now, Cuneo is really loving charbono – the purpliest of grapes. “The guys at Shypoke [Winery] do a wonderful job of keeping this old-fashioned grape around – full-bodied, dry and tannic, with amazing flavors of black cherries, plum sauce and exotic spices,” he says. The Shypoke Charbono ($55) pairs well with Mockingbird’s Rohan duck. A perfect companion for Houston’s warm weather – or even in winter – is Lieu-Dit Cocagne Chenin Noir ($40), a rose with crunchy acidity and notes of watermelon, strawberry and stone fruits. “Its big tannins make this wine sing,” Cuneo says, “either by itself or with Houston’s eclectic cuisine.”

At Triniti (2815 South Shepherd) chef Ryan Hildebrand recommends bidding adieu to 2014 with the Ruinart Blanc de Blanc ($80). For a rare treat, pop open the 2005 Levy & McClellan ($950), a big, bold cabernet sauvignon reminiscent of dark, ripe berries, leather and earth. Its John Wayne stature needs to be paired with something equally robust, such as Hildebrand’s rack of lamb with dried figs and whole grain mustard demi glace.

Another red is the 2011 Frank Family Cabernet Sauvignon ($95), a luscious libation that goes well with the venison, served with sweet potato puree and apple horseradish relish. A white to consider is the 2010 Grenache Blanc from Epiphany – a dry, floral treat that goes well with most soups and seafood dishes.

Sean Beck gives a nod to the 2000 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill Brut Champagne ($370). “It’s one of the all-time great bubbly houses, even good enough for the last royal wedding” of Kate and William, says the sommelier for Backstreet Cafe (1103 S. Shepherd), Hugo’s (1600 Westheimer) and Caracol (2200 Post Oak, No. 160). Made in the style preferred by Winston Churchill, Britain’s WWII prime minister, it uses a higher percentage of pinot noir as the base wine. “The incredibly fine bubbles contrast the powerful flavors, leaving the drinker with a sense they’re sipping on something precious,” Beck says.

On the lookout for bargain finds, Beck recently added 2010 Morgenster Lourens River Valley Red Blend ($56) from Stellenbosch in South Africa. It’s a  blend of meritage  (a red and sometime white wine made from various Bordeaux grape varieties) and cabernet franc that is earthy and aromatic, yet with gentle tannins and well-woven fruit that pair nicely with Caracol’s wood-grilled lamb chops.

The 2012 Le Rocher des Violets Touche-Mitaine ($48) is a tiny parcel of old  Chenin blanc vines, a white grape variety grown in Montlouis-sur-Loire of France. “It’s a tremendous fall wine with its rich viscosity, wealth of citrus, smoky melon and pineapple,” Beck says. “It provides a beautiful contrast to the deep flavors of our seasonal mushroom menu at Backstreet Cafe. While over at Caracol, it plays beautifully with our wood-roasted oysters.”

A wine to savor on its own is the 2010 Joseph Voillot Les Champans Volnay ($160). “While it’s quite fantastic with food, this is a wine that is more captivating on its own,” he says. “The pinots from (Côte de Beaune, France) typically show a very alluring mix of red fruits. The Voillot takes it further with a wine that is hauntingly beautiful, sexy. A core of intoxicating wild plum, dark cherry and fragrant earth make for an unforgettable bottle.”

Even after eight years, I can easily recall the dark fruits and rose essence of the alluring Maya, and how Dalla Valle’s red volcanic soil nursed just enough minerality and sweetness to create an graceful, lasting impression.

What’s your unforgettable bottle?

Editor’s note: Aside from the Maya, which retails for $450-600, the above costs are restaurant prices. To share your favorite wines – from extravagant to budget-friendly – with readers, email [email protected] or comment below.

Dai Huynh is a James Beard food-journalism award winner and longtime restaurant writer. Her visits to restaurants in our Buzz Dining Guide were anonymous, and she paid for her meals to maintain objectivity. We’d love your thoughts too. Write to [email protected] with your own dining opinions and suggestions. Also, you can contribute in the Comments section below.