Cotes du Coeur: Wineries–& Their Best Wines–Are Pouring In

<p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin-bottom: 13pt;”> The wineries lining up to participate in Cotes du Coeur 2010 reads like Wine Spectator’s Top 100 List as Jennifer Davis, Corporate Marketing Director for the American Heart Association, continues to confirm wineries such as Chappellet, Egelhoff, and Lungarotti. And that’s only the beginning.

Davis says that more auction wines are coming in, and a special lot, courtesy of Siduri Winery, has arrived. Siduri is donating a “Build Your Cellar” package that includes six bottles each of their 20 ultra-premium Pinot Noirs, a package valued at about $5000. Other donated auction desirables include a six bottle vertical of D’Arenberg Shiraz, The Dead Arm, and six bottles of Chateau Belair Saint Emilion.

Davis is particularly glad to welcome Panther Creek to this year’s event. The Willamette Valley vintner produces only about 7,500 cases annually, of which about 90 percent is premium Pinot Noir. Their reserve and cuvee wines are almost impossible to get—which makes it all the more thrilling to think that Panther Creek Pinot will be poured up at Cotes du Coeur.

Another premium Pinot Noir winemaker, Kosta Browne, is back again this year as a hosting winery. The only way to get the wines of this relatively new but hot Sonoma winery is through a long waiting list, according to Davis. However, attendees at Cotes du Coeur will get to taste some of Kosta Browne’s best vintages.

Everything about Cotes du Coeur begins and ends with the wine, including dinner. Chef Richard Chamberlain assigns two pairings of wine to each chef, along with a different protein—for example, beef, duck, fish, rabbit, or wild boar. Then each chef develops an original dish inspired by the wines.

In order to recruit winemakers and acquire auction packages for Cotes du Coeur, Davis mostly works from a long list of direct contacts. Other times, she will approach a distributor or make a cold call. Her efforts are guided by a panel of experts that includes private donors and industry leaders, including  Mike Glazer of Glazer Distributing and Paul Pinnell of Dali Wine Bar. It was through a private donor that the Cotes du Coeur Society chose the recipient of this year’s Tete du Cuvee award, Alfred Tesseron of Cognac Tesseron.

With the help of the society, Davis and the AHA are still putting together the amazing Cotes du Coeur  wines and packages—more is to come.

Cotes du Coeur benefits the American Heart Association, and the Gala event will be held at the Hilton Anatole on April 10. For more Cotes du Coeur information, follow EscapeHatchDallas.com or visit www.dallaswineauction.com.

Rebecca Marmaduke is Cotes du Coeur Editor for EscapeHatchDallas.com.