Big Easy Wines

Australia Education Part III

2012-01-25T11:39:00.000-06:00

From one side of the country we now travel nearly 2,500 miles across Australia's large expanse. The country ranks sixth in total area behind Russia, Canada, China, the United States and Brazil. Western Australia accounts for about one third of the total area of Australia. The wine regions are incredibly remote.
Early cultivation centered around Perth but eventually spread south to the Margaret River (a GI), Frankland. Mount Barker and Albany ( all included in the Great Southern GI). As a reminder, GI stands for Geographical Indication and serves as their equivalent to appellations or the United States' AVA (American Viticultural Area).
Great Southern features a mostly continental climate with sunny days and cool nights. The calling cards are riesling and chardonnay but reds do well also. You will find bright acids but no lack of texture. Rieslings from here remind me of the fresh sunny style from Columbia Valley (Washington State) but with the structure of Austria while the chardonnays strike a balance between cool climate California and Burgundy showcasing citrus rather than tropical fruit. The rest of the style is decided in the cellars, so big, oaky examples can be found.
Look for Frankland Estate, especially the riesling and chardonnay from Isolation Ridge. Their Olmo's Reward can be riveting as well, featuring lots of cabernet franc and reminding me more of Bordeaux than Australia. They have come out with a more affordable level of wines called Rock Gully but I have no experience with these yet. Plantagenet has a great reputation but my experience is too limited to offer specifics.
Margaret River juts out into the Pacific Ocean and consequently the maritime influence is strong. People like to refer to 'cool breezes' mitigating temperatures but I hear more dramatic tales of strong winds and at least one producer discussed planting to guard against those 'sea breezes.' Consider surfing if you visit. This is cabernet, shiraz and chardonnay territory as the area is warmer than Great Southern.
Cape Mentelle makes a shiraz that can often be confused for a Rhone Valley version and they produce a zinfandel, although I have not tried the zin. Leeuwin proudly mentions their pioneering efforts in the area. They remain a top-notch producer but are so proud of their efforts that the prices have prohibited me from trying many. I have found their chardonnays too heavy for me but the cabernets offer some dusty earth tones and more nuance than many from California. Moss Wood is routinely written up as a leader in the area but I have never even seen a bottle, much less tried the wine.
Vasse Felix offers some terrific values, at least from this region. Production volumes do not reach the enormous levels of Southeastern Australia and therefore you will not see Western Australia wines for under $10, maybe not even under $15, most are in excess of $20. Dr. Tom Cullity established Vasse Felix as the first winery in Margaret River. Though I usually warn against animals on labels, this falcon was trained to guard the grapes from predators. It flew away the first day and never returned. Now it is captured forever on the label. I heartily recommend their estate cabernet and shiraz.
My next two posts will focus on South Australia, including Barossa, Eden Valley and my promised land of Australian wine, McLaren Vale.

Australia Education Part II

2012-01-21T09:58:00.000-06:00

Wine maps frustrate me, rarely delivering all of the important pieces of the puzzle at once. Perhaps a post in the future will address that. Suffice it to say that I got bogged down looking at maps the last few days instead of continuing with the education.
A look at Australia with Google Earth will easily show you where the growing happens. Look for green. The vast majority of the country is too hot for much of anything, certainly for viticulture. Look toward the coast.
New South Wales served as the birthplace and then epicenter of the Australian wine trade for more than a century but the production focused on sweeter styles of wines. While vineyards still flourish there, you will find precious few bottles represented on local shelves or wine lists. A handful of wines from the Hunter Valley make their way to the U.S. but are far from widely available. Located north/northeast of Sydney in eastern Australia, the region gets very warm and has some concerns with rain and humidity. Semillon, a grape used in small percentages in dry white Bordeaux and large percentages for sweet Sauternes from the same area, thrives here. Shiraz also performs well. Chardonnays are rich and unctuous. Brokenwood Estate makes a lovely, crisp, mouthwatering sauvignon blanc/semillon blend and Hope Estate produces some lovely values, including their shiraz and an overlooked grape called verdelho with a delicate approach but enough tactile touch to tantalize.
An interesting region to keep an eye on, or rather a palate, is the Yarra Valley, located east/northeast of Melbourne (nearly adjacent) in the hills near the southernmost tip of mainland Australia. It finds itself inside the larger area of Victoria, marked by more elegant versions of wines than we might expect from down under. The calling card for the U.S. is pinot noir but so far the bottles I have tasted show inconsistent results and I will refrain from offering any specific producers.
A full range of reds, whites and even sparkling wines emerge from the Yarra Valley, and Victoria, but importers feature pinot noir to differentiate the area from the rest of Australia. Chardonnay as well as cabernet and shiraz potentially perform well and display higher acidity than the fruit bomb style that thrust Australia onto the American palate but lead to fatigue and flagging sales in relatively short order. Based on my experience, the region, as represented by importers to the U.S., tried too hard to emulate their bigger, riper, fruitier brothers and sisters, losing their inherent character. Look for opportunities to taste as purer expressions arrive on our shores.
Next: Western Australia and then into the excitement of South Australia.

Education Begins - Australia Part I

2012-01-17T19:07:00.000-06:00

Wine professionals are often guilty of creating confusion or over simplifying things for their audiences. It is possible I will commit the same errors, but I will strive to avoid them. My goal for this education focuses on providing accurate, useful information while actively tying it to wine styles available within the regions being discussed. This last portion makes all the difference. Without a frame of reference and some application of the facts, no true understanding can occur.
This should be at least mildly entertaining and will, I hope, be material you will reference again and again. With that in mind, this will not be exhaustive coverage of every grape, style or region. Instead, widely available options will take priority to increase the relevance. On with the show.
Despite the country's inclusion in the New World for wine discussions, grape growing in Australia began in the late 1780s. The grape most often associated with the area, shiraz, was not always a showpiece variety. In the 1980s the government paid growers to not grow the grape. This also led to replanting and loss of older, unprofitable, vines. The calling card for the continent was fortified dessert wines until about the 1960s. The British love the style and Australia could produce credible and consistent versions.
Important facts:

Just like California, if a specific variety is named on the label, 85% of the wine must be that variety.

Unlike California, if 5% or more of a variety is in the bottle, it must be listed on the label.

Helpfully, with more than one variety blended in, the grapes are listed in order of the largest to smallest percentage.

What the French call appellations and we call AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) the Aussies refer to as Geographic Indications - although you'll almost never hear this term.

Many wineries use bin numbers to identify their wines. Penfold's and Lindeman's are the best known producers using the bin system. There are no rules or regulations about this practice.

South Australia is actually a more specific designation than southeastern Australia.

There are plenty of maps available, but I find the Kobrand Wine and Spirits website to be among the best. Here is the link, it will take you to the whole country and then you can zoom in on specific regions. http://www.kobrandwineandspirits.com/maps/flash/043_australia.php

Part two will take us to some of those specific regions and will be posted in a day or two.

What if the "Experts" Can't Get it Right?

2012-01-11T22:11:00.000-06:00

Wine confuses enough people without those in positions of perceived authority making egregious errors that further confound. Readers of wine magazines ought to be able to take printed facts as truth. Mistakes can happen to anyone but editors must remain vigilant to avoid as many as possible.
I recently found a small clipping I saved a while ago and later misplaced. It seems a perfect time to share it before embarking on my new educational focus. Bear in mind that Oregon Wine Press focuses on wines from Oregon, not France. Karl Klooster writes multiple articles in each edition and I have never observed even small errors from him. Guess he saved them up for a while. No printed retraction or explanation from the magazine appeared.
The article, "Grand Time at Gerding," discussed a wine tasting presented by Southern Oregon Wineries Association (SOWA) and appeared in the November 2010 edition. Mr. Klooster makes multiple mistakes in the following sentence.
"Petite Sirah, which is known as 'duriff' in the Rhone Valley, is mostly used in southern Rhone wines such as Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Cornas." Never mind that Mr. Klooster incorrectly capitalizes the "S" in southern Oregon in the next sentence. He does not make the same mistake with southern Rhone. Never mind that durif is not spelled with two f's. Those could both be printing errors and are eminently forgivable.
However, moving a wine region a hundred miles south and misrepresenting the grapes grown in two appellations necessitates more attention. First, Cornas is a northern Rhone appellation, not southern. Second, the appellation produces only syrah wines or else they can not be called Cornas. No other grapes are allowed. Third, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, correctly identified as a southern Rhone wine, does not include durif as one of the thirteen approved grape varieties. A fourteenth will likely be added soon, but that is still not durif. The French viewed the grape to be of inferior quality and limited its use to lesser appellations. Very little is to be found in France at all anymore.
As the educational journey begins, I will promise to be as accurate as possible. While I can not promise perfection, I guarantee nothing this sloppy will ever appear.

Preposterous Pundit Pontification of the Month (Silly Wine Review of the Month) Part Three

2012-01-06T14:29:00.000-06:00

With two editions, the Wine Spectator provided plenty of choices, so I have some (dis)honorable mentions.

Whites:

I reminded myself about the challenges of writing about sparkling wine and swore I would never pick on a review of that elusive, ethereal liquid that so captivates but is so hard to capture in words. So, I'll pick on two of them, both from A.N.

Henri Billiot & Fils Brut Champagne Cuvee Julie NV $97 93 points "This aromatic bubbly offers an exotic mix of flavors, with honeysuckle, marjoram, myrrh, coconut and ginger notes accenting patisserie apple, kiwifruit, honey and toast flavors. It's all packaged with vibrant, balanced acidity and finely detailed texture." Myrrh? Myrrh? MYRRH??? No frankincense? Couldn't wait until a December issue when it would be more topical?

Ruinart Brut Champagne Dom Ruinart 2002 $130 95 points "Like a well-tuned symphony the delicious wine offers beautiful harmony between the finely detailed texture, the lacy, mouthwatering acidity and the range of flavors, from fresh, floral tones of apricot, apple blossom and pink grapefruit zest to richer notes of toasted nut, spiced plum, freshly ground coffee, anise, cumin and cardamom." Wow! She had me all the way to "coffee, anise, cumin and cardamom," then it sounded like a nightmare. I know the producer and the bottling, if not this vintage and I have always enjoyed it immensely but A.N.'s ridiculous references could turn me the other direction if I didn't know better.

For A.N.'s winning entry, we travel to Alsace.

Mure Gewurztraminer Alsace Clos-St.-Landelin 2009 $45 93 points "A refined version, with intriguing note of candle wax, lemon curd and smoke, accenting honeyed flavors of quince paste, lychee, orange peel and dried herbs and spice. Layered and silky, this is rich and concentrated without being heavy, ending with a note of burnt caramel." Where do I begin? the whole thing seems like some experimental tryst gone wrong. Careless handling of candles lighting something on fire, fruits and a significant other distracting one from something on the stove and finally ending with caramel no one wants. Candle wax and burnt caramel...can't wait!

Reds:

J.M. gets two entries here but it could have been a dozen or more. He writes some truly exotic notes. I mentioned this one the other day, but it deserves to be viewed in full.

Domaine des Florets Gigondas Supreme 2009 $55 91 points "A traditional style, with mature incense and black tea notes wafting up, followed by supple mulled black cherry, braised fig and anise notes. Incense hangs on the finish, which has latent grip." Maybe it's just too much time at Grateful Dead shows or hanging around with people covering up the smell of pot (that is the main reason for incense, right?) but this note nauseates me. I think if all of these smells greeted me on arrival at a host's home I would have to turn and leave. Now, imagine paying for them...

J.M.'s winner was on the first page of the first of two editions for November. Made the rest of the reading much less interesting but it clearly wins the prize.

E. Guigal Cote-Rotie La Landonne 2007 $500 97 points "This is very backward, with smoldering tobacco and charcoal up front, holding the dense core of black currant, anise and hoisin sauce at bay for now. Sage, sweet tapenade and bittersweet cocoa all roll as the grip takes over on the back end. A gutsy wine, with a charcoal-and singed iron-filled finish." Holding anise and hoisin sauce at bay seems like a good thing if they're in the same glass. I have been lucky to taste about a half dozen of the three La La bottlings from Guigal and they are exquisite wines. At some point, words can not do justice to the layers and nuances of wines like this...so why try? It's probably enough to mention they are outstanding (again) and tell people to buy them if they like syrah. Or red wine. The other two from 2007 received 96 points each. If you can afford them you should try a bottle if you can find one. Telling me about singed iron will not tip the scales.

Preposterous Pundit Pontification of the Month (Silly Wine Review of the Month) Part Two

2012-01-05T14:54:00.000-06:00

Kudos to K.M.! This reviewer actually mentioned food and not in a derogatory way. Usually wines with food referenced come with a rating in the mid-80s and "needs food," almost like an apology. This was a 90 point review and an optimistic, unapologetic, "Try this with grilled pork." Thank you, let's see more of this, please.

For a flat out bizarre review, check this out: "Smooth and spicy, with lots of tobacco and root beer overtones to the pear flavors. The finish features a raw edge." That's it, that's the entire thing. Can you even tell what color it is? Amazingly the wine is an 89 pointer. Tobacco and root beer take me to oaky red wine, maybe zinfandel. Pear takes us back to white, maybe a pinot blanc or cool weather chardonnay. Anyone guess viognier? Me either. Seven Hills Viognier, Columbia Valley 2010, $19. I want a bottle, if only to taste those bizarre elements in one glass. Correction, I only want a taste, not a bottle.

J.L. and I do not share similar palates and I would call him out more often for his blathering pontification except that he frames it well. He gets lost in wacky descriptors as much as anyone on the staff. "Aromas of smoldering campfire embers" and "game meat, graphite, road tar and lead pencil" are two of my favorites from November. But those same reviews also have "Nicely layered, clean and focused" and "ending with chewy tannins. Should reward cellaring." to save the day. I agree to disagree for the most part and respect his style statements greatly, something more of the writers could employ.

However, I must call him out on something. In reviewing Bond Quella, Napa Valley 2008 (94 points, $275) he writes, "Even more expansive and syrupy on the finish." This is my major stylistic difference with him. He enjoys his wines thick, viscous and syrupy, I do not. Two other reviews in the same edition should explain further. Revival's Napa cabernet 2008 was "teetering on syrupy" and Vinroc Wine Caves' Atlas Peak cabernet was "almost syrupy." Guess just missing the syrup factor cost them a few points, both scored 92. One can not help but wonder if they were even thicker and heavier and coated the tongue more completely whether they might have gotten the extra two points.

You can keep the syrupy wines, they go with almost no food. Remember, these pundits taste the wines alone so unctuous insanity doesn't betray itself by ruining dinner.

Preposterous Pundit Pontification of the Month (Silly Wine Review of the Month) Part One

2012-01-05T14:01:00.001-06:00

Behind as usual. We'll start with target-rich November. Two editions in the month filled me with opportunities to wag my finger at their writers.

"Though not what you expect from a To Kalon bottling" seems insufficient. I have had a handful of wines produced from To Kalon vineyard fruit and found them all to display more of the hand of the producer than to show a distinct thread inherent to the vineyard. That should not necessarily surprise anyone when you realize the vineyard is over 500 acres. Not exactly a pinpoint specific location. At any rate, the comment might help To Kalon experts but left me baffled. It's irrelevant though, as I'm not about to spend $125 on a bottle of wine from a producer I do not know, even with 93 points.

A large producer received a 90 for an upper end malbec and the review included the following note: "The better of two bottles tasted." That's it. No, 'seemed a bit corked' or, even better, 'we'll get a third bottle to determine which might be more representative.' Nope, just a 90 for the good one. How bad was the other? How is this okay? They did offer a corrective review for another wine, "Better than previously reviewed" so maybe there's hope.

The word "winey" continues to appear to describe wine. Stop it! No food reviewer writes about a chicken dish as tasting "chickeny." The same writer fond of "winey" (three times in November) also pulled out "mature incense" for one wine. I have no idea what that means.

"Grippy plum skin frame" sounds interesting enough to forgive the silliness. But speaking of a finish that "cuts a deep trough" sounds painful to me. My tongue and the phrase "cuts a deep trough" should never meet.

Perhaps no one likes to write about merlot but T.F. got stuck rating 27 of them and used "tomato leaf" in eight of the reviews. That's plain lazy. Did you assume that no one actually reads merlot reviews?

B.S. referenced eucalypt, menthol and mint so often during his Barolo ratings that I found myself nearly convinced I don't like the wines. I am tired of minty flavors in my wine and routinely avoid bottles with that aroma. One of these got 93 points despite being described as having "eucalyptus, balsamic and licorice aromas." Ugh. In one glass? 93 points? I know you're not trying to sell me the wine but sometimes it's awfully hard to tell why you liked it.

He also managed to mention citronella in three white Burgundy reviews, all of which were 90+ wines, in his estimation. All I can think of is candles supposedly keeping mosquitoes at bay and for $57, $64 and $75 a bottle, I'll pass.

The most insane reference I found also belongs to our friend, B.S. In a fairly rave review of a Canadian Icewine he tosses in, "flavors of truffle, decaying apple, honey and rhubarb." Forget that most of the planet does not know rhubarb and let's focus on "decaying apple." DECAYING! Mmmm, can't wait to get a glass of that! Next fall I could just fight off the raccoons and drunk bees instead of laying out $65 for a half bottle.

More later...

New Year, New Mission

2012-01-03T13:30:00.000-06:00

As my time away from the wine industry reaches more than a year I find myself missing certain aspects of my previous world. Most notably, teaching. Leading wait staff training sessions and conducting events for consumers made me happy and I miss the opportunity to educate, entertain and enlighten. My resolution, only slightly self-serving, is to focus on a grape or region for a few posts each month. Other rants and amusements will continue but I hope to offer some information to better help frame the world of wine in addition to that.

I still plan to offer tasting notes from time to time but wine has to be about what you like, not what I like. There are plenty of other places to read what Joe Blogger thinks is the next great grape or best buy.

People told me they enjoyed tasting and talking with me mostly because I spoke clearly, explained well and made them feel comfortable. If I could have spent more time doing that and less of my life stocking shelves for lazy chain retailers and chasing down checks from slow payers I might still be in the business.

Look forward to some explorations and explanations of wine that you will be able to reference again and again. The focus will be on lesser known or misunderstood grapes and regions. Most people hardly need a primer on California cabernet sauvignon but maybe I'll get there eventually.

The Mayans believed the world would end in 2012, wouldn't you hate to miss some good stuff if it's true? If you don't buy into that and turn out to be right, then you will have more knowledge, and perhaps even inspiration, for further exploration beyond the Mayans wildest predictions.

Retail Flashbacks

2011-12-23T22:35:00.000-06:00

Being in New Orleans around Christmas and not being in the wine business has left me disconcerted. I miss being involved with education and leading tastings but am thrilled to not be driving all over town keeping retailers' shelves full of my products. However, the aggravation of wholesale has nothing on the twisted world of retail where my career began.
I was reminded of the unpleasantness today while I ran a few errands...yes, errands, not last minute present stressing but run of the mill errands. It was so far removed from my nearly two decade long December routine of little sleep, few, if any days off, and the inability to make my brain function properly, that I found myself having retail flashbacks all day long. Muzac versions of Christmas classics should be banned.
The best year was the first one, as a stockman, because I got overtime. The end of the day was the end of the day, no work followed me home. As manager, opening and closing the store guaranteed brutal hours. Receiving a salary meant I actually made less per hour than stockmen and cashiers I managed. I actually did the math one night...and almost didn't bother coming in the next day.
As a customer service rep, long hours continued while I put in order after order. We had a system in place for multiple gifts to be passed along to some entry clerks but since they were part-time my decision was to input my own orders. Mistakes would come back to me no matter what so I did my best to limit them.
The store operated from nine to seven and that's a reasonable amount of time to be on duty during the busy months. However, opening, closing and typing orders took another two hours on a good day. Basically we moved in for the month of December.
Outside the store, dinner became the most important priority since lunch rarely happened. The constant flow of people made breaks nearly impossible. I thought about taking up smoking because, somehow, not matter how busy we were, the smokers regularly enjoyed a few minutes of peace and quiet.
Quiet was the best, no droning hum of mingled conversations, no store pages calling you in two directions (if you were lucky, instead of three or more) and most of all, no freaking Christmas music!
During my younger years the tradition for Christmas Eve involved Santa coming to visit the house before his night of work began. One present, just a taste of the magic to follow the next morning, was allowed. Later years brought church and some fancy dinners but my years in retail always meant closing down some bars.
Since days off rarely happened and everyone had off on the 25th, since the store was closed, a groups of us went out and thoroughly polluted ourselves. Despite the soreness of feet and complete exhaustion, enough energy returned that wrestling became an unscheduled part of a few very early Christmas mornings.
Being thrown out of a bar on the 25th was a badge of honor for a bit. Less so another year when we realized that we were so boisterous and, I guess, frightening that a homeless man actually left his warm spot near the dart boards of a favorite 24 hour watering hole in favor of safer, if much colder, environs.
I grew to hate Christmas (no doubt the vicious hangovers that followed the eve's debauchery played a part). Now we're back on speaking terms. Guess I'm glad I didn't open that retail wine shop after all...

Support Your Local Retailer

2011-12-17T18:43:00.000-06:00

As someone who came very close to opening his own wine shop one of my big concerns revolved around online wine sales. I'm not talking about club shipments of a bottle or two a month. While those bottles would certainly cut into my sales they also encourage exploration. Many customers see low prices online and salivate until they see the shipping charges. Even more disappointment awaits if you want overnight or two day shipments - the only way you should ever ship wine. Those delivery trucks are not temperature controlled.
For reasons to be especially mindful of shipping, see my earlier post about online wine http://bigeasywines.blogspot.com/2011/06/lot-18-new-outlet-online.html
Let's get beyond that and consider the unique world of wine and your access to it. Sure, some of the deals offered online are fantastic. Pay attention to vintages though, as I have found a handful of usually highly rated, expensive wines offered at insanely low prices...from less than stellar vintages. That does not mean they will be undrinkable, or even a bad buy at the cut rate price but it does mean you should temper your expectations. No one sells an $80 bottle of wine for $25 unless they tried some other price points along the way and still had no success.
Remember that you can not taste these wines. If it's a producer you know and enjoy, give it a whirl but if you're flying blind you may end up spending a lot more buying these "bargains" instead of wines you like available on shelves nearby.
You also can not ask questions or get a recommendation or easily return a selection you don't like. Some will credit you for corked bottles but most do not accept returns of unopened bottles for any reason even if you feel like paying to ship it back.
Your friendly neighborhood retailer hosts regular tastings, many completely free of charge, can answer questions, get you wine the same day and should remember you, your likes and dislikes. If they can't or won't do those things, then go somewhere else. Please do not read this missive as a call to support weasels and chuckleheads. Quality retailers exist everywhere and I promise you can even find some that offer wine at a reasonable rate when you consider other perks they might offer.
A couple in Portland, Oregon mentioned to me one night (not realizing I was in the business) that they loved coming to tastings at a particular shop but always bought their wine at a lower priced chain store nearby. I nearly needed EMS. Guess what folks, the retailer whose wine you love to drink, who gives you access to exciting wines, who teaches you about what you're drinking will be out of business if you only buy wine elsewhere and then you'll be reduced to tasting at the chain store from hired demo companies with people who know little about wine and offer only generic grocery brands and I'm only sorry I won't be there to hear you admit regret or see you crying in your assembly-line wine.

Wine Gift Advice

2011-12-12T12:22:00.001-06:00

Gift giving intimidates the best of us. Once in a great while the perfect gift idea combines with the time to give it and proves to be at least as well received as expected. More often, some portion of that trifecta does not happen quite right. I can sense those moments and only hope for enough success that the recipient does not injure themselves forcing a smile to his or her face.

A present of wine appeals on many levels but brings a special level of intimidation with it. The stress level created about buying wine for an aficionado lands somewhere between that generated before meeting your potential in-laws and that dream about showing up for a final exam without studying...and also being naked. Relax.

Buy wines you enjoy and include a favorite cheese with them or even a favorite recipe for pairing. Unless you exclusively drink white zinfandel or buy only wines from the closeout bin, the effort will be appreciated. Even serious wine collectors enjoy experimenting or at least need something for guests. If you can share a story about visiting the winery or enjoying a bottle it will mean so much more. Unless he or she is a total ass, your personal touch will mean a lot. If he or she is a total ass, why are you giving them a gift anyway?

I think spending a lot of money on a special bottle you have never tried and may or may not be to the liking of your recipient is a much riskier proposition than a few moderately priced bottles that mean something to you.

Don't waste time tying to figure out their favorite producer they probably have plenty already. If you are adventurous, share the adventure. If you play it safe with standard grocery store brands, stop it! Get out of your comfort zone and try some new wines, you may find yourself the recipient of a great gift as well...the world of wine.

Preposterous Pundit Pontification of the Month (Silly Wine Review of the Month) Part Two

2011-12-01T17:22:00.000-06:00

The white show is all A.N.'s this month. Her honorable (?) mention manages to describe a gewurztraminer (98 points) as having, "hints of vanilla, iodine, espresso and bourbon." Glad those flavors aren't in my glass.
White winner: A.N. reviewing Henri Schoenheitz Gewurztraminer Alsace Holder Selection de Grains Nobles 2005 $61/500ml 94 points
"Refined and focused, with exotic cardamom, incense, myrrh and cumin notes accenting flavors of pear gelee, quine paste, candied lychee, smoky mineral and tarragon." The rest of the review actually makes sense and does not read like someone trying to show off the depth and breadth of their culinary knowledge. Myrrh? Really? Couldn't you save that for December?
Another sweep in the red category by J.M. Impressive efforts throughout with inspired wackiness like "singed iron" which he featured in three reviews (one is our winner) and "The long, supple finish just lets the fruit smolder." Nothing I like better in a wine than burning metal and scorched fruit.
Red Winner: J.M. reviewing Chateau de St.-Cosme Gigondas Le Poste 2009 $69 96 points.
"Broad and deep, delivering gorgeous perfumy black tea and warm anise notes up front, followed by dense flavors of bittersweet cocoa, roasted fig, hoisin sauce and smoked alder wood. The long, fleshy finish has great cut, with a singed iron note hanging on." If it was anything but warm anise I bet he might have dropped it below 93 points. The specificity of alder wood won the day.
My gripe with these sorts of reviews centers on the insane amalgam conjured up and imagined in a glass. I adore St.-Cosme and agree with J.M. that they make the "most compelling Gigondas."
However, too many reviews seem more focused on the microscopic when most consumers may not even want a magnifying glass report. We're getting full soil analyses when we just want the lay of the land.
Since these sorts of reviews often make casual wine drinkers feel inadequate and I rail against the snob factor unfortunately inherent in much of the wine world, I plan to continue tilting at windmills. Please pass these along, maybe someone will actually listen and put a halt to the blather.

Preposterous Pundit Pontification of the Month (Silly Wine Review of the Month)

2011-11-30T08:54:00.000-06:00

The Wine Spectator continues to amaze and amuse. Brilliantly written reviews exist but are overshadowed by baffling references and verbose ramblings muddying the waters rather than making them clear.

First the good news from October's two editions. Phrases like "just a baby" (A.N.), "will need some cellaring to stretch out fully" (J.M.), "powered by the racy acidity" (A.N.), "rustic in character" (B.S.) and "ballerina of a wine" (A.N.) all tell me about the style of the wine much more than blathering on about fruit specifics.

However, more bizarre examples ruled the roost. Some one please explain to me how "layered flavors of...furniture polish" (A.N.) could possibly lead to a 93 point rave about a riesling? Or how the descriptor "eau-de-vie" (a colorless fruit brandy) could appear in four of the top five ratings for white Chateauneuf-du-Pape? Should we assume a higher alcohol level makes the better wine? Or how "winey" (J.M.) is allowed to appear in three reviews? Isn't that oenological cop out the equivalent of "it tastes like chicken?" Or how a 91 point, $85 wine could have "gritty tannins" (B.S.) in the review?

I bet I can get a $6 red wine to taste like it was "laced with hints of Campari" (J.M.) rather than spend $75 on a St. Joseph. For a $45 bottle of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano I might want more than "an impression of weightlessness" (B.S.) unless it's for me and I could float around the room by consuming a glass.

Then we find bizarre notes like "sweet stargazer lily" (A.N.), "flash of quinine" (J.M.) and the overly specific "Kenya AA coffee notes" (J.M.). Double takes no doubt followed the reading of "oatmeal and mace overtones" (H.S.) in a 94 point syrah review. I assume the cooking spice is being referenced but there are no guarantees. I have not idea what "green almond" (J.M.) tastes like but would look for something less than $49 to experiment. I had to look up "bilberry" (B.S.) and "plumeria" (M.W.).

Now this post is getting too long and my energy has been sapped too much to complete the purpose of this post. Promise it will appear tomorrow...

Power of Experts

2011-11-15T10:25:00.000-06:00

A post from Steve Heimoff yesterday made me think. http://www.steveheimoff.com/index.php/2011/11/14/do-people-like-wines-just-because-the-critics-tell-them-to/
The answer to his question is a resounding yes, of course, maybe even duh! If not, would we see wild swings in popularity and out of stocks for recent high scoring wines? What about the publications and blogs? Anyone who ever bought a wine based on a rating alone has been influenced.
A tasting early in my learning featured a pointed lesson. The teacher of the beginner's class asked us what we smelled in a particular white wine and nodded along with all responses. Finally, he mentioned cassis and, slowly, one head, then two, then all nodded along. He started to laugh, told us we just learned a good lesson and said he didn't smell cassis in the wine but that the power of suggestion from an authority ruled.
The salient point however, is less that critics sway opinions and more about how those critics operate. Most operate ethically but an embarrassing number in authoritative tasting scenarios either do not know enough to inform their audience properly or are not confident enough to admit they do not know an answer.
Taste wines, trust your own palate no matter what anyone else says. If you must listen to pundits, listen to a few different ones and look for consensus or choose one that most closely matches your own palate. That can be discovered through tasting wines rated highly and not so highly by said writer.
I have never observed a money back guarantee on a wine review. Since it's all your cost and risk, make sure to be confident about your palate.

Wine Spectator's Slips and Skips

2011-11-03T08:08:00.000-06:00

The September 30, 2011 issue deserves more than my rant about punditry. Two sets of reviews end up reading like a skipping record and one group contains various misspellings of a single grape name.
A variety grown by different producers in the same region should exhibit similar profiles. Tasters also can become focused on one flavor throughout a tasting noticing its presence perhaps more than they should. I have fallen into this trap. When the wines begin to taste the same, take a break. Walk away, eat something, break the cycle. Barring that, perhaps better editing might suffice.
J.M. and A.N. must have had a groove going when they reviewed Chilean syrah and blends and Soave, respectively. J.M. used the word anise in four of nine reviews and pastis in a fifth. A.N. just misses 100%. In a review of Soave wine the word almond appears in seven of the nine reviews and one of the two without it mentions marzipan (almond based). Other words exist, other nuts too. I'm aching to try the wines blind to see if I can pick the one with no almond notes.
I need to stop picking on the Spectator but as a publication that claims 2.5 million readers they dominate the marketplace and are the face of wine writing to many consumers. The magazine does not claim to be experts or perfectionists but I find their facts to be solid and their presentations professional.
When focusing on a region people do not know well and a grape they know even less, one might hope they could at least spell the grape correctly.
My gripe does not focus on the way it appears on the label. In the Spectator, producers' names get printed in red with wine name in bold, black type following. Any errors, or creative license, taken there belong to the producer, label designer and the agency approving it. The spellings that irked me are in the body of the review.
Granted, the country is Greece and the grape is assyrtiko. Further, Even the Oxford Companion to Wine lists assyrtiko or assyrtico. However, if a leading publication decides to write reviews about this grape, it seems realistic to ask for one spelling from one reviewer.
Instead, we get "Asirtiko, Assyrtiko, Assyrtico and Assytrico." The wine world uses assyrtiko as the accepted version. Google corrected each different spelling of mine to this version as well. My complaint here is minor, but worth noting because of the status of the magazine and the potential confusion for readers.

Preposterous Pundit Pontification of the Month (Silly Wine Review of the Month)

2011-11-01T21:53:00.000-06:00

Now that it's November, it must be time for a September post...hey, reading ALL those reviews is tedious.
For the first time my reading made me feel like offering compliments instead of complaints. After a momentary, "Nah, this is the internet. People bash one another from a distance and with much more vigor and vitriol than deserved," I decided to do it.
Bruce Sanderson, reviewer for Wine Spectator gets kudos for using the following in reviews, "Not for the faint of heart." "Impressive...if a bit over the top." And, "It's hard to deny this red's appeal and instant gratification, though I don't get any sense of place."
Bravo! Those are phrases that actually mean something to me and tell me about the wine. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Why is it so rare that reviews offer regular sentences that actually explain the wine?
Because we end up with verbose, bizarre descriptions like the white winner for the month from J.M. Chateau de la Guimoniere Chaume 2005: "This exotic white is starting to show burnished, mature flavors of citronella and lanolin, with marzipan, date, creamed papaya, ginger and dried apricot notes. A twinge of green tea keeps this going through the finish." 93 points. Where do I even begin? The label picture tells us, if we look hard, the wine if made from chenin blanc and is moelleux, meaning mellow, or medium-sweet in wine terms. The wines are not as sweet as full botrytized dessert styles.
Leading with citronella and lanolin repels rather than attracts. The rest of his words makes such an unappealing concoction I can not imagine plunking down $36 for a bottle, and I like moeulleux chenin blancs.
A crowded red field meant a much tougher choice than the runaway victory above. However, all were J.M. entries, so he was guaranteed the September sweep. Ernie Els Stellenbosch Signature 2007: "Ripe and suave, with alluring blackberry, plum sauce and roasted fig notes laced with black tea, cocoa powder, maduro tobacco and smoked apple wood notes. The long, grippy finish smolders nicely, with dense, dark fruit and lovely mouthfeel." 93 points.
At least I think I know where he's going here. I can picture most everything, but it seems like a lot of smoky notes. Roasted fig, tobacco, smoked wood and smoldering finish signals a heavy toast in the barrels and makes me wonder about wildfires in the area. Great reviews should either make the wine sound good or offer a warning about a significant feature that appealed to the reviewer but may have a limited audience beyond that. Neither of those things happens here.
More issues with September's issues in a day or two...

Indiana Part Three

2011-10-25T20:50:00.000-06:00

The last stop of the day proved to be the most picturesque. No surprise then that Mallow Run has a large parking area. Vineyards dominate the landscape until one climbs the few steps to a deck before entering the tasting room. A pleasing vista opens up and is the same view available from the tasting room as well.
The two strangest things about the place became readily apparent but did not spoil our visit. The tasting bar, more than capably run by a lovely young woman, is much too tall and they do not have stools to handle the extra height. I fared okay but my companion was clearly unsettled. Our host explained the bar had been built at a normal height and then they had to add counters to allow glasses to hang underneath. Seems an odd decision but a quirk shouldn't ruin the experience.
Next, it was my turn to be unsettled. Upon asking for a spit bucket I was told she did not have one. A sink on the other side of the bar was not offered nor was a cup of any kind. Perhaps no one spits in Indiana? Surely since September of 2005, when they opened the tating room, one other person asked to expectorate? She accommodated me as best she could but it did not appeal to me or my friend. "Just spit back in the glass and I'll rinse it out." The 2008 Indiana Winery of the Year was off to a questionable start.
The whites did little to allay my concerns. We found them too sweet. The seyval blanc had no grapefruit note, instead featuring a more viscous nature with an arduous balancing act between the sweet overwhelming the tart and vice versa. The impression on the palate was not of a trapeze artist impossibly high in the air coolly and calmly traversing a chasm with dexterity but of a teenager in training to do the same act. The wine was all gawky discomfort, moments of balance followed by wild gesturing from one side trying to cover up a slip on the other.
The traminette, the signature grape of Indiana, is a hybrid relative of gewurztraminer and fared much better in my mouth. I wanted it to have less sugar but found the wine well made with a great unctuous mouthfeel and incredible spicy quality. Not quite pepper and not quite heat, but spicy without a doubt. I began craving Thai food almost immediately and the wine would perform beautifully with spicy seafood to absorb the sweetness of the wine.
We also tried an estate grown chardonel, mistakenly described to me that day by our well-meaning young lady as a cross between syrah and chardonnay. In fact it is a cross of seyval and chardonnay. Too bad, I so wanted to rename it syrahdonnay or chardonn...ah. Nothing wrong with it but it was a bit nondescript.
We moved to reds and found much more success. Marechal foch led off and while my companion found it lackluster, I fell in love. Goldrielsing is one parent but the important message to receive about the grape is its similarity to Beaujolais. Pinot noir comparisons abound as well but I think those are delusions of grandeur. At any rate, this spoke of BBQ and warm days in the sun. Steps to enjoy, 1) buy Marechal foch, 2) chill, 3) swill. Perfect pizza, burger wine too.
Mallow Run's chambourcin displayed plenty of pepper spice notes and a medium body. Tasty, if a bit rough, the spice carried the day and offered complexity where the wine lacked more meaningful depth. I predict Easley's version would win most blind tastings, however.
The chambourcin rose made a delightful finish and they sold us a few bottles of this. At $13 a bottle, this wine offered good value. The nose hinted at sweetness but delivered depth and dryness without being harsh in any way. My mouth enjoyed the texture much more than I thought possible and despite its inelegance it made me happy. Having pink wine available allows an occasional night of pretending the weather is nicer than Indiana winters will ever be. A little glass of summer is something everyone needs now and again.

Indiana Part Two

2011-10-22T11:06:00.000-06:00

The spot is unassuming but there is no mistaking its purpose, vines surround the drive to the winery. It makes sense after meeting and tasting with Jeff Durm. Dressed in a sweatshirt and occasionally noshing on a personal pizza, he still commands a presence behind the tasting bar. A retired police officer, he knew what he wanted long before the winery was built. Jeff and his wife, Kelly, planted grapes in 1991 but the winery did not become a reality until 2006. No over-analyzed business plan here, just a desire to make good wine and long history of successes.
A disembodied deer head adorns the labels and did not inspire confidence in the liquid soon to be poured. It also made me realize that their logo includes the phrase, "a fine place for wine" not "a place for fine wine."
Seyval Blanc - All trepidations were quickly laid to rest after tasting the seyval blanc, a hybrid that thrives in cooler climates. Jeff's version displayed a grapefruity nature reminiscent of sauvignon blanc and a touch of weight on the finish reminding me of a dash of chardonnay. Ripe, fresh and with a surprisingly juicy mid-palate, the taste quickly banished any concerns about labeling. Some cayuga is "added for complexity." Produced from estate fruit.
Reserve Chardonnay - Not estate fruit, but Indiana-grown. There was pear and some not too sweet melon on the nose and palate but the most riveting aspect was the freshness. All of the elements of typical chardonnay are present but the palate leaps to life unlike so many of the dull versions available. No chemistry experiment here, no bolts in this wine's neck. I remarked on the acid and assumed no malolactic fermentation had taken place. [Malolactic fermentation is a secondary option that converts tart malic acids -think green apple - to creamy lactic acids - think milk.] Jeff grinned and said he performed 100% malo on the wine. My jaw dropped. The wine reminded me of Chablis in a ripe year, only lacking the minerality that makes Chablis so unique. A good price for a wine of this quality and a pleasant surprise for my jaded palate.
Pinot Noir - This drew me to the place. This is Indiana-grown fruit, specifically the same source as his chardonnay. Yes, you heard me correctly, Indiana estate pinot noir. The color will lack for some, it is nearly transparent, but has a bright red core. Never judge a pinot by its color, they can surprise on the light end of the spectrum and disappoint when inky darkness prevails. Subtlety reigns here, with delicate fruit notes that are a bit overwhelmed by the tannin on the finish. The acidity defines the profile here and the snap of it grabs your attention. This wine wants chicken, fish and goat cheeses. A good wine and a great conversation piece. When was the last time you had an Indiana pinot noir?
Zinfandel - Sourced from Lodi in California, I found this wine a bit hot and more tannic than I wanted. It would work better with food than many syrupy, raisiny efforts on store shelves but lacked pleasure.
Ruby Port - Perhaps the best wine we tasted, if the least eye-opening. I have no idea what goes in this and it doesn't matter. Despite my minor quibble that Port can only come from Portugal, this is a well made wine in that style. I found this very tasty, cherry abounds on the nose and palate and there is a delightful spiciness throughout. Sure it's sweet, it's supposed to be, but the wine shows restraint keeping from being too much of a sugar bomb. The most impressive aspect was the elegance of alcohol. In fortified wines added alcohol does not always integrate well resulting in wines with fruit aromas hidden beneath an umbrella of nostril-flaring alcohol, not so here. Bravo.
I will return to try the chambourcin and cabernet franc, both grown on the estate. The tasting at Buck Creek remains free, be sure to support that effort and purchase if you visit. You'll find something to get excited about, I promise.

Indiana Part One

2011-10-19T20:11:00.000-06:00

Some travel has distracted me from my duties here. A weekend in Philly for an Eagles game at the Link (kinder, gentler and duller than the Vet) followed by a busy week here and a trip to Anderson, Indiana for some of the most fantastic wacky racing events ever witnessed, explain the long gap even if they don't excuse it.
However, a few days with a friend in Columbus, Indiana afforded me an opportunity to tour a few wineries and taste some of Indiana's vinous offerings. I will present these in a three part series beginning here. We'll start with the least impressive of the trio of visits.
As a prelude/reminder, all fifty states have at least one winery though many of those focus on fruit wines or import their grapes exclusively from the west coast. Those two styles of production do not interest me at all. Instead, I enjoy exploring the places that use some local grapes, be they vinifera (the classic grapes, chardonnay, cabernet, etc.) or hybrids (created from varieties from different species of vines, usually producing hardier plants). There are flaws to many of these latter wines but they display regionality and therefore intrigue me.
Easley Winery has done what they can to beautify their setting in "Downtown Indianapolis." They have a nice deck, hosting concerts from time to time, but we were there on a Monday, so it was relatively quiet. Upon entering, a powerful stench of old wine, bleach and a generally unpleasant funk nearly caused us to turn around and leave. My friend, less charitably but more accurately, described it as "backed-up sewer." It did not add to our experience.
After explaining my desire to taste dry wines from local grapes our host produced a single bottle. Their list of wines shows twenty-five bottlings but even more exist as we tried one off the list.
Chambourcin produces some solid wines and appears to thrive in many areas based on my domestic travels. Lacking a bit of polish but displaying good weight of fruit and mouthfeel make this a grape to watch in the U.S. It's hybrid status is accepted but the specific parents remain mysterious.
Easley's version offered a deep, red color which approached purple at the core. Plenty of dark fruit dominated the nose and the palate with a juicy, appropriately weighty palate-feel. Plums and just barely underripe blackberries came to mind. It was a lovely drink, if a bit rough on the back end. Food would easily mitigate the tannic presence and made this tasty wine a must buy for us that day. $15
I alone risked the taste of the second wine offered, Orchestra Red, which host and wine list admitted belongs in the off-dry category. After jokingly telling the server, "Sure, I'll try it. It can't hurt for too long," I sipped and spit. Too sweet for me with little to recommend it. The tasting ended as they had nothing else but wines produced in Indiana from California grapes and sweet wines. We purchased a bottle and welcomed the fresh outside air.

Luxury Insanity

2011-10-09T19:54:00.000-06:00

While the world bogs down in economic malaise and news people try to out Chicken-Little one another all is not lost. The super-rich keep right on keeping on. At least that's what Royal Salute hopes. Twenty-two bottles of a special blend have been created with scotch of at least 45 years age inside. Diamonds proliferate on the bottle and it will only set you back $220,000. You heard that right. It works out to nearly $9,000 an ounce.
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/slideshow/expensive-items-royal-salutewhiskey-2165601

If you're buying one, please don't rub it in the face of the help.

Airport Amusement

2011-09-29T18:53:00.001-06:00

I know, I know, those two words do not go together. Bemusement perhaps, but not amusement. It will get harder to believe before it gets easier.
While waiting for a delayed flight some of the employees had clearly gotten a bit punchy in addition to the passengers. I guess we really weren't passengers yet, but passengers-in-waiting but even worse than the Seinfeld restaurant episode.
This story also identifies how to tell when a particular variety of grape is all the rage.
One of the women paged in as throaty and sultry a voice as loudspeakers allow, "Passenger moscato, passenger moscato, please report to the desk at gate 31." Even frustrated would-be-travelers at least chortled.
From gate 30 came a tongue-in-cheek response, "Can you please get your mind right down there ma'am."
The rest of the night turned out to be purely dismal and ended with an overnight in Boston's Logan airport followed by a three hour van ride to our actual destination city.
Passenger moscato was noticeably absent.

A Bit More Vine Talk - All Amusement This Time

2011-09-22T19:31:00.000-06:00

The same episode railed about in my last post gets kudos this time. Jennifer Coolidge hosted instead of Stanley Tucci. You know her, even if you don't think you do. Stanley's dry, somewhat acerbic wit fits the show well but Jennifer provided a welcome breath of fresh air.
She brought up merkins, not once but twice. Wondering aloud about the color of someone's merkin made me laugh. The second reference, "nipples to merkin," made me wonder why The Boy Wonder never uttered that fantastically memorable phrase...I know I intend to make it part of my repertoire.

Vine Talk Errs

2011-09-21T09:49:00.000-06:00

Deep breath. One more. Few things in the wine world rile me more than supposed authorities misinforming the public either through lack of knowledge or outright lying to disguise their inadequacies. Clearly, the latter is more egregious than the former but both are inexcusable in the context of a taped television program.
Please, "Vine Talk", "take wine snobbery and pour it right down the drain," as you have claimed to do but you must seek to educate and demystify properly. Stephanie Caraway, I'm talking to you. She appears in more than half of the episodes (often not where French or Italian wines are tasted - pronunciation issues?) as Ray Isle's assistant. She stays on camera while he goes to get the next wine.
During a recent malbec tasting you missed an opportunity to define malbec when one of the guests asked if the word, in French, meant "bad nose." Stephanie laughed, the normal reaction of someone who does not realize. The guest was close, "mal" means bad or even evil and "bec" means beak or mouth. The wine offers lots of tannin and it can be rough on the palate in its youth. Argentina's climate tames the grape and produces wines with plenty of color, reasonable structures and good values.
That was merely a missed opportunity, no harm done. However, she offered a potentially confusing note about Mendoza, the heart of viticulture in Argentina, observing that it is "very cool at night, so it brings up the acid levels."
"Why does the coolness make them [the grapes] more acid," poet Paul Mills inquired.
Her response? A quick bit of blather that reminded me of the unfortunate Miss South Carolina from a few years back. You remember her, "that our education like, such as South Africa and the Iraq, everywhere like such as..."
Sorry Stephanie, it wasn't that bad. It really went like this: "Brings up pH levels in, in fruit, anything that's grown is an agricultural product that, that pH level just comes up." Oh. Maybe it was that bad. For someone billed as a "wine expert" that answer sucks. It's also wrong.
First, let's have a quick science tutorial. High acidity means lower pH levels. If pH levels are going up, as Stephanie says, acidity would actually decrease.
Second, even if we excuse the pH confusion it's still wrong. Acidity reaches a peak before verasion, where the grapes begin to develop color and more flavor, then continue to decrease as ripeness approaches. Sugars increase and acids lessen.
Cool nights act to preserve acidity in the grapes longer than in warmer regions. The grapes take the night off in the cooler weather, meaning sugars accumulate slower and acids remain longer.
Regardless of Ms. Caraway's error, or anyone else's for that matter, someone should catch it in editing and delete it entirely or offer clarification.
My irritation with Stephanie stems from the show calling her a "wine expert" when she clearly is more of a spokesmodel. I guess her blond tresses and pleasing countenance trump wine knowledge for the program.
Come on "Vine Talk," you claim to demystify, don't re-mystify.

Preposterous Pundit Pontification of the Month (Silly Wine Review of the Month)

2011-09-11T16:17:00.000-06:00

As I have been reading a lot of the Wine Spectator lately the honors continue to feature their writers. The verbiage about whites managed to avoid ruffling my feathers at all, with a minor exception. One reviewer, A.N., did use "a touch of wax" to describe a wine. I have never understood this descriptor and it appears regularly, if infrequently, in reviews. Wax candy lips spring to my mind, leaving a bad taste behind.
The red winner received a landslide victory. J.M. not only jumbles a bizarre melange of food references but also repels and anthropomophizes the wine.
TriVento Malbec, Lujan de Cuyo Eolo 2008 - "An ambitious wine, with ripe linzer torte, plum preserves and berry coulis fruit that's well integrated with toasty notes of apple wood and tarry mineral, leading to the long, fruit-filled finish..."
Wine can not be ambitious. If it were, we should be interviewing it and sending it on tour, not drinking it. Have you ever had unripe linzer torte...scratch that, have you ever had linzer torte? Not being a fan of most fruit pies perhaps my lack of knowledge is my own fault. But, who would take the time to make a pastry with unripe fruit? "Tarry mineral" reminds me of nothing I want in my glass. Again, personal reference comes into play it being a mere year removed from BP's debacle of tar in the Gulf. Tropical storm Lee dredged up fresh tar balls last week, exacerbating my issue with the description.

Vine Talk TV Show

2011-09-05T19:56:00.000-06:00

A new style of wine program, for better or for worse. Each show offers a themed tasting with various celebrities. Some truly famous people appear as well as a number more likely to generate "Who?" from the audience. Often a restaurateur joins in the fun. Stanley Tucci hosts and looks for comedic opportunities while Ray Isle (from Food & Wine) accurately offers tidbits about the region, grape, etc.
Successful episodes have engaging characters. I just watched a Finger Lakes riesling tasting that had little to offer except Nathan Lane who was out of control and thoroughly amusing, if completely distracting. Tune in to see people who interest you get interviewed by Tucci while they occasionally discuss wine. If no one on the panel hooks you, skip it. Don't expect to be able to discern what wine you might like based on celebrities' comments.
Do not tune in to learn much about wine but there are occasional nuggets if you pay attention. The celebrities range from collectors and oenologic geeks to neophytes. In other words, this tasting resembles so many I have attended but with "fancier" guests. Some interrupt any serious discussion, some revel in guzzling and putting on a show, some remain mostly quiet, some exhibit classic misunderstandings.
A group of people taste the same wines blind and the finale unveils the favorite wine of the crowd and panel. With a half-hour show, time flies but I find the lack of more consistent expert guidance frustrating. It would be great to offer a few more insights to guide consumers.
The producers stress that this is a new style of wine program emphasizing "a welcoming environment for viewers." I question how many complete novices are tuning in and therefore believe they would be better served to offer a few more in-depth observations/explanations.
http://www.vinetalk.com/

Preposterous Pundit Pontification of the Month (Silly Wine Review of the Month)

2011-08-29T18:21:00.000-06:00

Now on to July. It is the end of August after all. Things move slowly in New Orleans, especially in the summer, who am I to fight that tradition?
Again, these are all Wine Spectator reviews:
Honorable Mention - White:
To A.N. for a series of Alsace reviews, in particular two each for Josmeyer and Albert Mann Pinot Gris (all 90+ points awarded). "honeyed notes of yellow peach, orange sorbet and candied pink grapefruit layered with hints of smoky anise, nut and lemon curd." Sounds like a collision at the yogurt bar. There's more: "floral, lychee aromas mixing with flavors of peach, pear pastry and orange granita." Another generates, "a smoky baseline to the flavors of green pear, persimmon and pink grapefruit...fennel seed, orange peel and floral notes." And still more amazingly specific and esoteric references, "with honeyed overtones to the flavors of quince paste, tarte Tatin and juicy grapefruit...lots of anise, bergamot, floral, spiced almond and smoke notes." I have no idea what to make of the last one. They all offer too much information to process and have any idea what's happening in the glass. With two of the selections approaching $90 I want a less specific yet more useful explanation.
Winner - White: J.M. again takes the prize, in a landslide, for his 95 point review of Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 2009. "Dense and rich, with creamed yellow apple, sweetened butter, glazed pear and Cavaillon melon notes..."
Honorable Mention - Red: H.S. for a Cougar Crest Cabernet Franc 2007 write-up. It's all fine except for the mention of "guava" in the review. It may be there, but it confuses me about the wine since I can not conjure up a guava note in any red wine I've ever tasted. For a $36, 93 point wine I don't want to wonder about that element. granted, it is not the Spectator's job to sell wine but it seems an odd note to have appear in a red wine that rated as highly.
Winner - Red: A.N. wins here for this review but also for the body of work in the edition as the word "sanguine" appeared in a huge amount reviews penned by A.N. For Cantina Andriano Lagrein Alto Adige Tor di Lupo Riserva 2007, rated 91 points. "Shows the sweet and smoky character of burning vine clippings...Kirsch, grilled plum, sanguine and espresso notes mix with hints of lavender, marjoram and sage..." Not so hard to understand but some odd references, like vine clippings, that too many people would not understand.

Preposterous Pundit Pontification of the Month (Silly Wine Review of the Month)

2011-08-22T17:54:00.000-06:00

I grow so tired of the insane ramblings and bizarre references offered to help us understand wine. My sympathy extends to those who must capture a wine's elusive essence in 20-40 words. I can't do it. More to the point, I won't do it.

Empathy exists within me for those charged with reviewing large numbers of bottles within a very specific theme. Similarities make a difficult job even more challenging. However, that does not let them off the hook for the bizarre snippets some of them create.

The Wine Spectator arrives at my door now and lets me keep up with the most recognized wine publication. Note the word 'best' does not appear in that sentence. They do a passable job and sometimes even manage to educate and entertain.

A new feature here will be a monthly finger-wagging at a few particularly egregious reviews. This month they all come from the Spectator. Oh, and this month is June...July will follow shortly and maybe August will actually appear in August.

White Wine:

Honorable mention goes to a review of Kumeu River Chardonnay, one of the best versions coming out of New Zealand. The reviewer scores the wine 92 and gushes but manages to use "tobacco details" in the description. I have never found tobacco in white wine and don't think it would be welcome. I have also never found anything vaguely like that in nearly a decade of tasting and drinking that wine.

The winner for a white reviews is: Roger & Didier Raimbault Sancerre Vielles Vignes 2008, written by J.M. "This white shows lovely precision, with a beautiful aroma of creme fraiche backed by racy, pure flint, chive, straw and gooseberry notes." Creme fraiche, despite it's recent South Park appearance, makes sense and I can see finding and enjoying that in a wine. Same with flint, maybe with chive but the straw loses me. My recent references for straw revolve around Jazz Fest when it is placed around various muddy areas. Inevitably some barnyard stink comes with it and that wet, soggy smell is not a selling point. Previous to that, my time on a farm brought similar aromas to mind. I'm not even going to touch the ubiquitous overuse of gooseberry that almost no one has experienced.

Red Wine: Domaine du Galet des Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape Tradition 2008, by J.M. (A sweep!) "Perfumy, with warm cherry confiture, black tea and fruitcake notes laced with a hint of shiso leaf..." With you on the beginning but who the hell knows what a fruitcake tastes like anymore? And shiso leaf? WTF? I don't even know what it is, much less it's flavor/aroma. [Note: Japanese for perilla] [Next note: perilla belongs to the mint family.] [Postscript to next note: also known as purple mint or Japanese Basil]. The last one helps the most. Shiso leaf? Really? Was that the herb of the day and you promised to work it into something?

Dear Bordeaux,

2011-08-20T10:36:00.000-06:00

Lest you mistakenly assume any shred of loyalty exists for your oenologic output based on my previous missive addressing your more elegant relation to the northeast, let me remind you of our previous breakup. You proved easier to forget. Our relationship lasted only a few years and was so long ago that the letter saying goodbye was delivered by fax; the words long past unreadable due to faded ink.

A few years of impressive wines from the late '80s and 1990 pulled me in but then you offered less impressive offerings for many years while prices spiraled upwards. I never could open my heart again to you after the vertigo induced by high tariffs and lackluster offerings.

Your desire to put forth an air of exclusivity while churning forth 850,000,000 bottles a year from your sprawling 290,000 acres [both numbers from Vine Talk] smacks of gauche, nouveau riche comportment despite your impressive lineage.

Wealthy suitors bafflingly continue to chase your wines with the most status and pay exorbitant prices to own them. When the Wine Spectator spoke of the '09 vintage and mentioned "solid values which in Pauillac means less than $50 per bottle," my resolve to ignore you only strengthened.

I will not put up the false facade of dislike. You retain the ability to enchant, beguile and infatuate. The price you ask is simply too dear. Like Burgundy, my desire remains true but my credit card stays home if I think we'll run into one another. If I cross the street when you approach, you'll know why.

Dear Burgundy,

2011-08-19T10:03:00.000-06:00

Let me say first how sorry I am. It seemed we would last forever. After intense glances followed by lengthy absences, we gravitated together and I fell madly in love. Occasional frustrations and spats only deepened our connection when things aligned properly. Other wines faded into the background when you visited.
Your whites enchanted originally but the reds became part of me. Dalliances with other regions notwithstanding, I remained loyal and spent a lot of time, personally and professionally, touting you to anyone who would listen.
Now you have more callers than you know what to do with and you've developed expensive tastes. I knew your penchant for luxury but also knew it was pursued on special occasions only and you had enough admirers that I could make scarce then.
Your wines are fantastic, perhaps the best they have ever been but the prices are such that you prevent many suitors from even asking for your number. Less competition should make me happy but I find myself on the wrong side of the velvet ropes, lacking the cover charge for reliable entertainment.
For a while, I waited and tasted, hoping for sublime experiences at a reasonable price. Eventually, they stopped coming and your moody eccentricities, tolerable at reasonable prices, like a child's fit of pique at a picnic, became petulant tantrums in posher settings, harder to ignore.
A recent review from the Wine Spectator showed only one selection out of sixteen "Top Wines" under $100, and it listed for $72. Nine of the others cost more than $300 a bottle. You know me, I do not buy ratings but this scared me. An offering of 2009 futures recently found my inbox. My lip quivered as the attachment opened. Hope still existed. Surely paying up front would alleviate sticker shock and allow me access to my beloved.
Alas, lowly Aligote and Passetoutgrains sell for $19 and $20 and a Gevrey Chambertin, granted a premier cru, for $125 (and that looks good compared to others). Even a reliable Bourgogne rouge now approaches the $40 mark. It's not me, it's you.
Newcomers may find the current state of affairs acceptable but this can't go on any longer. You run with a different crowd and I hope you'll be happy since I still care about you. Be sure the current wooers understand you because when your mercurial and occasionally querulous nature emerges they may run back to their easy and willing wines from Down Under or California. Your true admirers may not be here when you decide to come slumming.
Adieu mon amour, I miss you already.

Champagne Scams

2011-08-08T18:32:00.000-06:00

Don and Petie Kladstrup authored a fascinating book on Champagne and its history. If you've ever had a glass of true champagne, do yourself a favor and read this. If you haven't, go get a bottle and read this. Many of the big picture stories are well known but they personalize them in a way rarely seen in wine writing.
The portion of the book that riveted me more than any other, not for its drama but its revelations, told tales of inventive scams. Americans have hijacked French regions' names for marketing purposes. Neither true chablis nor burgundy come in four liter jugs or boxes. Likewise, champagne only comes from the appellation in France. California sparkling wine can not call itself champagne any more. Americans are not the only offenders.

The appeal of the scam is clear. Call a generic bag a Gucci and make more money. Label any sparkling wine champagne and it sold with nowhere near the effort it would take to educate people about the real area where the wine was produced.

Check out how blatant it used to be:

"One of the most daring was Leon Chandon, who realized that if his name were printed just right, people would confuse the champagne he made with that of Moet & Chandon, and buy more of his bubbly. Not only were Leon's bottle labels nearly identical to Moet & Chandon's, but his corks were branded with the same star...And it was perfectly legal. At least, there was nothing in the books that said such things were illegal."

Victor Cliquot (pretty close to Veuve Cliquot) tried the same trick. And "[w]hen the cellarmaster at Ruinart Pere et Fils decided to set up a champagne house of his own, one of his first acts was to hire a retired cavalry officer named Paul Ruinart." The Bousigues brothers found a more marketable name than their own when, in Strasbourg, "they discovered that the name of their waiter was Roederer." Louis Roederer took them to court but found no satisfaction.

In Hammondsport, New York a producer of sparkling wine "had won numerous awards for its sparkling wine" but the proprietors "decided they could make even more money if they had a more prestigious address. To arrange that, they met with officials from the U.S. Postal Service and explained how the soil and climatic conditions of their region were much like Champagne's...within a few days, a small branch post office was opened on the premises of the Great Western Wine Company. The official address: Rheims, New York, which was the common spelling for Reims [a significant location in Champagne] in those days." They still wanted more though, traveling to France and finding "an old woman who had once been a cook...her last name was Pommery...In no time at all, the House of Pommery was reborn, this time in Rheims, New York."

Makes Goats do Roam's play on Cotes du Rhone look like nothing at all.

Seghesio, Sold!

2011-08-04T18:03:00.000-06:00

Some weather the storm, some change forever. Ridge sold years ago but never missed a beat. Ravenswood did not fare as well, in this writer's opinion, but still produces some decent wine. Seghesio ranks right up there as one of the best zinfandel producers. The more important loss of a family-owned winery with national recognition should not be overlooked.
Large corporate owners need to grow to satisfy shareholders and rare is the operation that can continue to produce high quality juice at the same time. I remain optimistic since family members will remain involved but will approach with caution, especially a few years from now when consumers may forget the change. Of course, the corporate party line is to not alter anything...who would say we're going to change everything and double production when the wine world's eyes are upon you?
The new owner, Crimson Wine Group, also owns Pine Ridge - still a good producer - and Archery Summit - has been overpriced for years - so the news may remain good in the longer term. Keep buying and tasting and let's hope the wines remain as true and well-made as they are today.

Blast From The Past

2011-07-31T21:45:00.000-06:00

On vacation in Maine and stumbled across a TIME magazine from July 7, 1961. Back then you could get an entire year of TIME for $7, bet that doesn't cover the shipping anymore. But before you assume I'm going to start talking about the good old days (and this was published years before I was born), allow me to share an advertisement found inside this edition.

In the background a somewhat serious Steve McQueen-type holds a smiling blonde while she leans back to have the light catch a glass of red wine and her ample bosom. Focus closer and you'll find badly drawn (now it would be digitally normalized) male hands, one holds a glass of red wine and the other a grilling fork. The chef wears, what else, a chef's hat, which looks like an ambitious muffin, while leering at the middle of another woman's back.

I can only surmise they were not all in the studio together, hence the somewhat misplaced gaze. There is no background of any kind.

Observer's eyes follow his toward another glass of red wine, being held up to the lips of an attractive woman. She exudes all-American girl right down to a checked shirt a la Mary-Ann on Gilligan's Island (not on TV yet) and bowl-cut-with-panache so typical of the time. The chef appears genuinely enamored of his luck to be cooking for her and if they are anything other than employer/employee, I echo the feeling. His face displays beginnings of doughy sections expected from those further along in age, especially in the chin which might once have jutted and been called chiseled. The chef's extravagant nose protrudes beautifully for this ad since it catches more light and helps guide the viewer's eye to the true focus of the full page spread.

The Mary-Ann character arches her brows somewhat expectantly and perfectly shows an anticipatory smile as she prepares to have some Taylor Burgundy with her hamburger.
[Note: The hamburger appears to be naked except for the bun. Further note: Why the chef has a fork while cooking burgers is completely beyond me].

The copy reads as follows:
"It's a Taylor wine and you'll love it! Vineyard-rich, ruby-red Taylor New York State Burgundy adds glamour and glory to the moment...and to the menu, whether you're supping out under the sycamores...or by soft candlelight. For family meals, entertaining, or when you dine out, choose from Taylor's famous array of wines. Ask your wine merchant for helpful Taylor booklets."

I have no idea what vineyard-rich means but it reminds me more of manure than something I want in my glass. Please notice also that no mention of taste appears. I applaud their restraint in waxing poetic and their honesty in not trying to make this wine something it could never even aspire to be but the audacity of boldly labeling the wine "New York State Burgundy" baffles, amazes and frightens all at once. It's no wonder we get so confused about wine.

Coming soon: Some stories of blatant fraud involving Champagne...

Les Traverses de Fontanes 2009

2011-07-22T14:01:00.000-06:00

A relatively new production from the winemaker at Chateau La Roque, in Pic-St-Loup, Cyriaque Rozier has produced a lovely summer red. Despite it being Cabernet Sauvignon from 40 year old vines, the wine retains a freshness and happy mouth fell more reminiscent of other varieties. In fact, if a Cabernet drinker wants a glass the offering may fall short.

Deep berry jam, fresh though, not the sugary, grocery-store stuff, with some fresh herbs and lots of cherry on the nose. There is a bit a whiff of earth past that, but as fresh as can be on a sunny day without rain for two weeks. A hint of nuttiness implying old oak, but Kermit's site, and my memory, say it is all stainless steel. Fine, fresh tannins and acid make this a perfect red wine for chilling and cocktails. Feel free to try this with cheese and crackers on the deck (firmer cheeses would be better) and simple grilled foods as well, including some richer fish and vegetables. Excellent burger wine! $12-$15. Imported by Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant.

Three Great Summer Rieslings

2011-07-11T19:13:00.000-06:00

Merkelbach Kinheimer Rosen Riesling Kabinett 2009 - I mean this in the nicest way possible, the wines always remind me of water. By this I mean, crystalline mountain stream water that fells good on the feet on a hot summer day and tastes even better, soothing and shocking your palate at the same time. The soothe cools a hot head on tasty days and the shock comes from the double take you will make on the finish. How can a wine so seemingly light, quaffable and innocuous last so long? I challenge you to not tip this bottle straight to your lips after yard work. The ultimate in elegant Mosel wines. Think unctuous but racy, ethereal yet persistent, simple wine to slosh back but it will subtly wine you over. Plenty of acid balances out the remaining sugar. Not bone dry by any means but delicious and a perfect substitute for beer or an aperitif on the patio. $14-$17

Leitz Ein Zwei Dry '3' Riesling 2009 - From the Rheingau, this is a newish wine from a stellar producer. Let me admit that I do not, as a rule, enjoy dry German rieslings. That does not mean I only like the dessert wines only that I find the truly dry versions to offer hints of the juicy fruits I enjoy but they fade too fast for me. The finishes feel clipped instead of broad and expansive. There have been more enjoyable versions of late and this is one of them. I find guava here, sorry for the geeky reference, but it screamed guava to me. The wine is noticeably tactile, even approaching thickness on the palate. As it finishes, it becomes zippy and more expressive that on the mid-palate. Well done, and would pair wonderfully with myriad vegetables and gently spicy shellfish. $13-$15

Christoffel Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Kabinett 2009 - This Mosel producer makes expressive wines with more oomph and pizazz than many neighbors without sacrificing the delicious slurpability that marks the appellation. They receive a premium for the effort. While I complain under my breath I freely acknowledge it's money well spent. This bottling offers hints of tropicality and spring blossoms and the somewhat linear feel on the palate blooms on the finish. the most striking aspect of the wine for me is it's near crunchy feel on the palate. Almost like unpasteurized honey or homemade preserves the wine feels special and the taste follows. Lovely. $22-$25

Note: All wines are Terry Theise selection imported through Michael Skurnik. Also, they are all 2009 vintage, some labels pictured here do not correspond.

Screwcap Cork Tasting

2011-06-30T14:13:00.001-06:00

Finally, after years of toting around wines of the same vintage with cork and screwcap finishes, I opened a couple. The 2006 Castano Monsatrell used a plastic faux cork style closure before moving to screwcaps. They were purchased at the same time - within a week - direct from the distributor. The screwcap emerged mid-release and I do not know the treatment previous to release. Was it in tank? Bottled and then released? At any rate, the tasting amazed me.

Remember that the grape is monastrell, Spanish for mourvedre, and the variety can be a bit funky and non-traditional anyway.

I found the experiment surprising.

The screwcap was bright, juicy and displayed some leather aromas with a spritz on the palate I associate with newly released, yet-to-settle wines. It was obviously fresh and tasted young. It was very bright and acidic.

For all of my ranting about the fake, plastic corks I found this to be the superior bottling. The nose offered deeper and rounder fruits and the palate was softer and more enjoyable. Acid appeared but did not dominate as it did in the screwcap bottle. Darker, more purple fruit with leather underneath made for better balance and made this wine more subtle than the first. It showed completeness and maturity the screwcap did not. Although the final impression involved some of the prickly feel of the first it was all better integrated and a much more enjoyable wine.

Tasting the bottles for three days showed no appreciable changes other than the normal degradation of wine. The screwcap remained intense and unpleasant while the faux cork version was the only one I wanted in my glass.

The screwcap seemed to have frozen the bottle in time. Castano's wines need some time to breathe and evolve and only one bottling got that option.

I am looking forward to the next round of experimentation. I will be putting together a full tasting this fall, if not earlier to explore further. I promise to keep updating right here.

Schild's Shiraz Sequel - Shrewd or Scheming?

2011-06-26T12:48:00.000-06:00

The Wine Spectator's July 31st edition follows up on something I'm surprised we don't notice more often. Reported by the Spectator earlier, I don't stay glued to this computer reading wine stories so I miss some, Schild Estate in Barossa received a knock-out rating from the magazine and an exalted #7 in their Top 100 for 2010. With a reasonable price the wine sold quickly.
They purchased and bottled 5,000 additional cases under the same moniker and vintage. The winery claims different labels; the Spectator alludes to having to prod them to do just that. Regardless, the "2nd Blend" strip label hardly suffices to clarify.
As I understand it, nothing illegal has occurred here. Although how one can employ the word estate in the winery name and then bottle non-estate grapes and not violate some legal restrictions is completely beyond me. The label says Barossa and the second round is from Barossa. The vintages were both 2008. However, that's all the leeway I'm going to give them.
The rest is pure greed and obfuscation, even deceit. I don't get many opportunities to use this word, but skulduggery seems wildly apropos in this instance. A review that can bolster the bottom line for years to come may indeed do exactly the opposite due to short-term selfishness and lack of scruples. The fact that the winery did not plan to export any of this second batch makes it perhaps all the worse.
Maybe they told their Australian accounts of the new production but that may not get translated to the final consumer. Why not make a fun bottling with a completely other label to carry your fans through to the 2009 release. Sellout Shiraz or Substitute Shiraz or maybe even Stopgap Shiraz? They would have fun with it I bet and no risk to the winery of being found out would exist. In fact, positive press coverage might result, especially if the wine turns out to be solid. If, however, they intended to keep even those loyal to the brand in the dark then there should be severe penalties.
This sort of resupply happens all the time with generic, inexpensive wines. It should never happen with an estate wine under any circumstance. Changing sources in mid-vintage is questionable practice but understandable for large producers. Yet another reason to avoid cookie-cutter wines. Rolling out a new blend in the wake of wild commercial success is about as underhanded as you can get.
I have seen retail allocations disappear after huge reviews to protect loyal restaurants. I have seen wineries frustrated that they're out of stock when turning away long-time supporters. I have never seen a winery come up with a new wine under an old label to keep the pipeline full. Perhaps that's naivete on my part.
The wineries decision was conscious and planned. In light of the review, "a decision was made by Schild Estate Wines to reallocate the majority of the 2008 Barossa Shiraz production to the US market," said Corey Mohr, GM of the winery, in a press release. I would be livid in the local market if a big review appeared and they sold that juice halfway around the world while coming back to me with an inferior product under a nearly identical label.
The Wine Spectator finally had the ability to review the original and the sequel; "this second bottling (destined solely for sale in Australia, according to the winery) rated significantly lower than the original cuvee." July 31, 2011, p.55.
This is like a concert promoter after a five day sold-out stand with a popular band adding two nights but offering a cover band instead. It's shameful and it reflects poorly on the rest of the wine world. Though the price to pay may be steep for this winery the damage done to reputable producers is incalculable.

Lot 18 - A New Outlet Online

2011-06-16T19:19:00.000-06:00

A website has entered the confusing fray of online wine sales. They entered with a splash and seem to be aggressively hiring and trying to carve a profitable niche in a challenging arena. The model is simple, but unique; tap into wines that may need exposure or may be gathering dust at the winery and offer them at dramatically reduced prices for short periods of time, sometimes mere hours.
Many of the offerings arrive in my inbox with big point ratings, some are from top-notch producers and some I have never encountered. I checked all the prices for a few weeks and they are very attractive. Despite my fairly minor complaint about the twice-daily e-mails I have some serious concerns.
Steve Heimoff discussed his issue of them using "glitter-by-association" by name-dropping a winemaker for a famous producer even though the wine on sale does not come from that producer. http://www.steveheimoff.com/index.php/2011/06/06/monday-meander-pinot-noir-and-lot18/ I have no issues with that as long as they make it clear.
Mr. Heimoff also mentions his apprehension about the quality of the offerings and muses that Lot 18 may be a mere dumping ground for slow-moving product.
That nearly goes without saying. No winery in their right mind sells wines to a discount retailer by choice. Beyond the obvious loss of immediate revenue the producer runs the risk of alienating their more traditional outlets. If I ran a retail shop and consistently supported a winery's pinot noir around $40 and my customers could get that wine for a day or two for $25, sometimes with free shipping, I would be tempted to never carry that wine again. Try being a wholesaler for that product, it may be offered below your price.
I understand upscale producers face serious challenges in this economy but selling twenty or twenty-five cases and damaging other outlets is short sighted, at best.
The major hurdle here is one I worry about routinely being in the sultry south. Half of the year is damn hot down here and can destroy wine in mere hours under the wrong conditions. Forget overnight shipping saving anything, deliver after noon in a non-air-conditioned truck and that wine is toast. I have not ordered from Lot 18 so I do not know their shipping procedures and do not mean to cast dispersions at them in particular.
Shipping is challenging, I speak from experience. As a retail manager and salesman for more than six years we constantly concerned ourselves about heat and even had wine freeze one time when the shipper was unable to deliver before end of business on Friday and left the wine in a cold part of the warehouse.
You also can not taste these offerings before buying. That is an e-tail specific problem for wine which has no easy remedy.
It is a buyer's market, dig around a bit locally, you may be surprised what you can find, taste and transport all on your own.

One Hit, One Miss with Grilling

2011-06-09T10:03:00.000-06:00

I drink very little domestic Chardonnay but have always appreciated Saintsbury's restraint and balance compared to many of their neighbors. A chilled bottle in the fridge and the easy screwcap access helped make this the right choice for a gathering. There would be grilled salmon with an olive aioli that should at least be able to shake hands and communicate with the Saintsbury even if they were unlikely to be best friends.

Saintsbury Chardonnay, Carneros 2008 - The chardonnay comes from Carneros and usually displays a crispness and restrained use of oak. Malolactic fermentation occurs and there is some new oak (25-33%) but the French oak and cooler climate keep things from getting out of control. The wine is unfiltered and this 2008 (2009 current release) displayed a creamy, lemon nose with clear accents of oak - too much for me, but I'm picky. The palate was more of the same with some buttery texture. I found the wine disjointed and generally out of balance. I also thought it might have been acidified, the acidity seemed out of place, and it was way too sweet for me. It did not fare well as it warmed, admittedly my error for allowing it to reach that temperature. I need to try the 2009 to see if this was an aberration or if it is a sign of style to come. Fans of California chardonnay will be perfectly happy, but I was disappointed. $18-$20.

Vesevo Beneventano Aglianico, Campania 2006 - From Campania, where Naples is located, comes one of my favorite Italian grapes, aglianico. It reminds me of zinfandel, with its bright fruit and drinkability, it retains a sensibility that is distinctly Italian which makes it friendlier with food. I served this with dry-rub ribs but it worked with the salmon mentioned above fairly well. The wine was smoky, with juicy red fruit and some flashy smoky note on the palate. The texture showed extraction, but not to much and the red berry from the nose expanded to show more purple fruit. I have never quite been able to describe the purple fruit thing, but if Kool-Aid grape (purple) could have been reverse engineered and turned into a fruit without out so much sugar that might explain it. Very fine tannin offered balance but most of the dryness came from acidity and minerality. The winery is named after Mount Vesuvius and the wines in the area derive lots of complexity from minerality created through decomposition of lava from the legendary eruption in 79 AD. This wine exhibits a balanced zinfandel-style and will work wonders with grilled meats. Keep this one handy this summer. Imported by VinDivino, $15-$18.

LRG, LVMH and VC

2011-06-03T10:21:00.000-06:00

Program, get your programs here...can't tell the players without a program...

LRG - Lifestyle Revolution Group

LVMH - Louis Vitton, Moet Hennessey

VC - Veuve Clicquot

A new restaurant has opened on Poydras St in an area mostly populated by drinking establishments that serve food. The area bustles when major events happen at the Superdome and lunch brings lots of potential action from the location in the CBD (Central Business District). Fine dining at night has not stretched successfully to this area. Enter a growing player in the New Orleans scene, LRG. They also run Republic (the bar/nightclub), Loa (International House's bar), Capdeville and Sylvain (restaurants).

Their website describes the restaurant as, "an elegant, modern French restaurant inspired by the legendary Champagne houses of France...taking inspiration from renowned Champagne houses like Veuve Clicquot, Ste. Marie offers an extensive menu featuring six Champagnes and twenty-two sparkling wines from different locations, each possessing distinct flavors."

To remind diners of the importance of champagne to the restaurant they have constructed a champagne tower. http://www.stemarienola.com/ste-marie-champagne.html Every diner that orders a bottle of Veuve Clicquot gets an "orange paint pen" to autograph the bottle and have it placed in the tower for all to see. I assume the La Grande Dame bottling ($418) will be included but I'm sure there will be a lot more of the Yellow Label (I question my ability to see color every time someone calls this yellow - it's clearly more orange) priced at a more reasonable $110.

Let me point out the level of import this will have for the ownership of the restaurant. If people buy into this concept it might just keep them around for a while. I guarantee Veuve Clicquot and/or the distributor, coincidentally named Republic...hmmm, is offering them free goods or a healthy discount for the devotion and the glass pour. I bet the incentive to the restaurant is significant. More power to them. Capitalism at work. Generate a need, offer the product to fulfill that, get it at a larger discount than others in the market and charge market rates. Pocket profits and enjoy.

Please don't delude yourself into thinking that the featured champagne is unique or distinct any longer. Production numbers have increased significantly and, in my opinion - and I am not alone in this, quality has slipped. For comparison, Louis Roederer, a well-known producer - they make Cristal among others bottlings, uses about 320 hecatres (approx. 645 acres) to produce all their wines. Veuve Clicquot owns more than that (not a bad thing) but even their extensive estate vineyards (382 hectares) only account for about one-quarter of their needs. They are a huge producer of champagne and have lost any aura of uniqueness in the wine world. That being said, it still sells well because most consumers know it and are comfortable with it.

The same can be said of McDonald's hamburgers, Abercrombie & Fitch t-shirts and USA Today. By all means, be one of those things if you want, but don't try to make me think you're something else. And don't expect me to be part of your customer base.
Be LRG, but don't think you're really revolutionizing a lifestyle by featuring a champagne that can be found in convenience stores. Don't offer a wine that produces 600,000 cases of the Yellow Label Brut each year (that was nearly a decade ago, who knows where they are now) and tell me it's distinct.

Maybe the location of the restaurant, sandwiched between a local chain pizzeria (Reginelli's) and a Jamba Juice outlet says it all. Maybe the restaurant shouldn't be called Ste. Marie, a reference to an old name for the neighborhood, maybe it should be called LRGLVMHVC. There's an alphabet soup that I have no interest in sampling.

It continues, part II

2011-05-26T13:37:00.000-06:00

I really need to stop this, but it's so insanely entertaining as to be laughable. Now the link works! But, it takes you to a map, literally a map, of the layout of the floor. I can see where the tables will be, where the band will be, etc. I don't need this; can't really imagine any use for this posting whatsoever.
Give me the layout of wineries and restaurants so I can plan my time in advance...please. Pretty please...with sugar on top...

So close...and yet so far

2011-05-25T18:16:00.001-06:00

Lo and behold(!), the day after I posted my complaint about the lack of an advance map an option appeared at http://www.nowfe.com/?s=grand+tasting+floor+layout. Imagine my excitement...followed by disappointment. The link does nothing. It just cycles back to that page. Almost got it right.
Please keep trying, I know you can make it happen.

A NOWFE Frustration Continues

2011-05-23T21:46:00.000-06:00

I have never understood large wine events not making the full list of wines to be tasted available in advance. The ubiquitous presence of computers makes the situation even more baffling. The ease of posting that information makes the absence inexcusable. A local, respected sommelier interviewed for the Times-Picayune article previewing the New Orleans Food & Wine Experience offers advice about the Grand Tasting. He recommends taking 15 minutes to plan where you want to go and what you want to taste. I applaud his notion.
However, when I'm paying $30 an hour to taste wine and enjoy some food, it would be nice to be able to make that plan from the comfort of my own home. Once I'm at the event I want to be doing, not planning.
I'm aware I may be in the minority. I always run into lots of people I haven't seen in a while and having been in the business in New Orleans for fifteen years I have lots of colleagues to see, but I'm there to explore and taste. The more information I have in advance the better prepared I am to visit the winerie I "need" to see and have appropriate questions ready.
A detailed map of what is handed out as people enter; the map is found inside of a printed program. Somewhere along the line a document must be produced, at least a week (probably a lot earlier), in advance that could be posted on their website. Encouraging people to print these in advance would cut down, eventually, on their printing costs as well. How about it?

NOWFE: 1st Article Feedback

2011-05-22T12:17:00.000-06:00

The Times-Picayune published a preview article in the Lagniappe section Friday. It is a much stronger effort than in years past. An item lost on many gets stressed early on: this is a charity event, benefiting various culinary and restaurant-focused, local organizations. The cause is good and the events are solid but lots of people do not participate due to the expense.
Improvements have been made regarding the overall event. Unfortunately, one of the biggest vanishes this year. The Grand Tastings return to the Convention Center from their more successful Superdome location of the past few years. Although crowds are appropriately handled and the hall works, the taller, roomier Superdome felt more inviting to this taster. Renovations at the home of the Saints forced the return to NOWFE's previous sipping grounds.
The largest improvement of late has been related to food. More new and interesting culinary efforts exist than ever before. Too much of it still runs out much too early, but thank you.
I worry about the addition of VINOLA, a high-end event on Thursday featuring wines priced at retail from $75 up. For years, NOWFE's Grand Tastings accommodated restaurateurs by offering free admission before the paying customers arrived. Due to some short-sighted thinking and some abuses by restaurant staff, the option was eliminated for a number of years. Now that it has returned, better wines and wineries should follow. [Like it or not, right or wrong, most wineries stress restaurant placement over retail sales. This means that some dropped out since they lacked access to the market they desired but are now returning.]
However, since wineries and local distributors donate all the wine consumed at the various events, focus for upper end wines may shift to VINOLA at the expense of the Grand Tastings. [Forget seeing the wineries that produce small quantities since they can not justify free bottles for judging, dinners, the Royal St. Stroll and Grand Tastings] Even the article, by Todd A. Price, describes them as follows, "The Grand Tasting, which features more budget priced options, is a chance to discover wines that you might drink on a weeknight and that are easy to find at your local grocery and liquor store." I can hear the NOWFE board cringing as I type this. If it's all"budget priced" wine then should the tickets be $89 + service charges? Should they continue to be called Grand Tastings? I think the description is inaccurate; I still found exciting, relatively high-end wines available at the Grand Tastings the last two years but fear an erosion in deference to the upper-end customers at VINOLA (tickets are $150 for this event).

Tomorrow: a frustration continues, mabye we can finally end it for next year...

The French Need a Better Marketing Company

2011-05-17T19:23:00.001-06:00

When it comes to wine, I am a devout Francophile. In matters of marketing I find them excruciatingly clueless, squandering their long established reputation to chase business. The folks outside of Europe making wine must love them.
Bordeaux and Burgundy still attract serious consumers and offer some of the most collectible wines available. Both regions have been plagued by suspect producers riding the coattails of more earnest neighbors; the resulting confusion, perhaps alienation, for disappointed customers has damaged reputations.
Bordeaux has moved to cull some of the producers that produce Two-Euro Pierre believing that will alleviate the loss of prestige. That level of plonk does not make it to the U.S. Ridding the market of sub-par wine is never a bad idea but the CIVB (Bordeaux's Wine Council) believes that naming various tiers 'Fun', 'Exploration' and 'Art' will somehow further improve their status. I don't get it.
The inherent 'problem' for the region remains the climate and resulting style of wines when considered among the hugely extracted, super-ripe styles available from various New World sources. I never felt ripped off by Bordeaux under $10, I don't buy any. I no longer buy Bordeaux at all because the prices for wines that used to be affordable have risen to astronomical prices and I almost never find anything under $25 that's worth drinking. Lower priced options lack the concentrated fruit people expect from those wines and will disappoint most drinkers. If the move is to solidify the European market then the goofy names will likely be a liability; if the goal is to right the ship in the U.S. then the wines need more trickery and magic in the cellar to make them plusher and more gulpable. I am not advocating this necessarily, but name and label alterations will not change customers reactions, if the products even get to them. More and more buyers have simply forsaken Bordeaux selections across the board due to lackluster sales.
Burgundy has also fallen into step with some deranged Pied Piper. They are planning on two new appellations, 'Coteaux Bourguignons' and 'Bourgogne Cote d'Or.' The latter allows low cost Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to be labeled something other than just Bourgogne. I'm confused about this, but can sort of see the point. My fear is that bottles previously bottled as Bourgogne Cotes de Nuits or Cotes de Beaune will now lose their individual identities and be bottled as one under the new moniker. This may be misplaced concern, but for me, the appeal of Burgundy is its striking specificity, which could be diluted under this approach.
The former shows the French at their rudderless best. 'Coteaux Bourguignons' can be used on lower priced Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay from Burgundy and Beaujolais. Basically, it's a renaming of an appellation rarely, if ever, seen in the U.S. - Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire (now there's a ironic name). People already complain they don't understand the French system, I know, let's add more names and be sure to include at least two grapes of the same color from different regions to further befuddle the potential consumer.
The French led the charge by creating the appellation system. It works well, for the most part. They should be careful about chasing current trends, they may find the market comes back to where they used to be only to find them out to lunch. Just ask all those growers in California who planted Merlot in the late 90s...

Wine in Kitchens

2011-05-14T09:54:00.000-06:00

This should never happen, even in your home. unless you're about to cook with it. Kitchens get hot, have lots of light and vibrating appliances that jostle wine. Just in case you don't know, all of those things are bad. Plenty of restaurants around the world store wine there due to space constraints or idiocy, or both. Much too often in casual dining experiences in New Orleans I want an ice bucket for my reds. This can happen even when wine is not stored in the kitchen since our weather hardly drops below 80, even in the middle of the night, for three or four months at a time. A few weeks at less than optimal temperatures may not damage the wine severely and most casual dining spots steer clear of offering high end selections.
Kitchen storage is another thing altogether. They get away with it because the risks of consumption pale in comparison with fish stored behind the bar or chicken on a pantry shelf. While I do not believe that TV shows owe us any education, especially 'reality' versions, some should strive to present a more professional standard. Top Chef Masters stores wine in their kitchen. I will grant you it is a grand room, no doubt equipped with state of the art everything. Wine bottles decorate some walls with no apparent enclosure to ensure proper temperature. It looks neat and maybe they're "only using the wine for cooking" but it sets a bad example. I'm sure the air conditioning is top notch but I see the chefs sweat while working so the wine can't be at ideal temperature.
Oh well, I guess there are no reality shows to emulate, even one that donates all winnings to charity. Think Jersey Shore might be the shining light for us? Me either.

New Orleans Wine and Food Experience

2011-05-09T18:56:00.001-06:00

Now that Jazz Fest (or Feast, if you prefer) has passed, the next big event on my calendar, other than my daughter's birthday, occurs Memorial Day weekend. The New Orleans Wine and Food Experience runs from Tuesday, May 24th through Saturday, May 28th. The Grand Tastings generate the most excitement while the Royal Street Stroll generates the most drunks. That is a wine drinking, not a tasting. I find the weather more conducive to a porch, a rocking chair and a rum punch but attendees seem to enjoy.
The seminars often underwhelm, but one stands out. It also sold out. Titled, "Bubbly Personalities" the event will profile the house style of various Champagne producers. Brilliant! Too many people lump them all together. Even within the Brut category, sweetness levels vary dramatically.
Two seminars will serve as advertisements for glass manufacturers, but you get parting gifts so maybe it's worth it. Bizarrely enough, one of these events is a beer seminar.
Jordan will offer a Cabernet "retrospective" which I assume will include an assortment of older vintages. I would love to be proven wrong about this wine being overpriced and undernourished but with entry costing a c-note, I suppose I will have to rely on my previous, disappointing experiences.
A seminar from Badia A Coltibuono featuring wines and olive oils should be required for fans of traditional Tuscan wines. The estate is magnificent and the culinary program they run there helps make their on site restaurant a must visit if you're in the neighborhood.
I most want to attend the "Mountain High, Valley Low" offering. Despite the unfortunate, Frankenstein focus group name it purports to showcase Napa wines from the valley and higher up the mountains. With no names available for perusal, the $100 entry fee keeps my credit card in my pocket, but I love the idea.
Here's the entire list:
http://www.nowfe.com/events/friday-saturday#Seminars
Stay tuned for more posts leading up to the event and some stories from past events...

Bubbly Babble

2011-05-04T14:50:00.000-06:00

We hear a lot about Champagne and sparkling wine and the inherent superiority of the former. Generally I agree, but buy more of the latter in deference to my wallet. I often err on economic side with Roederer Estate. Served at my wedding, a go-to wine for glass pours in restaurants and a wonderful visit that included an attempt at disgorging by hand (epic failure) admittedly skew my opinion.

Their upper end selection, L'Ermitage, always wowed me but reached a price point that would cause me to buy French instead. When I sold the wines, we never travelled with the wines in the same bag; it avoided losing sales to yourself. They fit different spots on lists anyway.
It had been years since I had the French and Californian versions together. With a mere one dollar difference between the Brut Premier and the L'Ermitage it's a fair comparison.

Louis Roederer Brut Premier - Founded in 1776, perhaps they were destined to produce sparkling wine in the U.S. as well. They stand out from the crowd because they own most of the vines that produce grapes for their Champagnes. This is about half Pinot Noir, one third Chardonnay and about 15% Pinot Meunier. Three years of aging allows sufficient maturation and their signature comes from the relatively high percentage of reserve wines added to the final blend (6-10%). While I like it, I am rarely blown away. I actually found it a bit thin in the mouth, which surprised me since the reserve addition usually results in a bigger, toastier flavor profile. The wine held up well for its seeming lack on the entry, becoming long and finishing very high-toned. Lovely, but the real pleasure came next. $39-43, Imported by Maisons, Marques & Domaines.

Roederer Estate Brut L'Ermitage 2002 - In 1982 the family established this outpost in the Anderson Valley, releasing their first wine in 1988 (L'Ermitage in 1989). The blend is half and half, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, all of it from estate vineyards and the aging is extended; 2002 is the current release. The heavens parted and sunshine shone down when I tasted this. All right, maybe someone just opened the curtains, but the wine proved a revelation nonetheless. All the depth lacking in the Brut Premier appeared here with a wild, creamy lemon palate. Powerful but not overdone, the citrus element kept the wine focused but the exuberance in the glass echoed around my mouth for more than a minute with each delightful sip. Not Champagne, not masquerading in that guise, but utterly delightful and damned impressive. $38-$42.

Vietti - Arneis and Barbera

2011-04-26T19:39:00.001-06:00

I admit to being very particular about Italian wines. A quick peek at my posts clearly shows a lack of raves. It's not that I don't like the wines, I just like others more. Too often I taste and realize for the same price, or less, wines I enjoy more are readily available.

The region of Piedmont is a notable exception. I love the wines. But they do not come cheap. Many of the affordable options lack depth, intensity and balance leading me back to my earlier statement. Vietti represents top-notch quality while charging a reasonable price.

Vietti Roero Arneis 2009 - The wine has happily danced across my palate before, but has never riveted me so intently as this vintage did recently. Maybe there's a kinship since Vietti first made it in my birth year, 1967. Maybe I silently pine to be the age of the vines again, 25. Whatever the subtext, this wine should be part of your spring and summer fun. Aged on its lees for three months in stainless steel, there is no malolactic fermentation. The juicy entry offers crisp melon and hints of stone fruit. It nearly explodes on the palate and the flavors continue on the finish. I kept shaking my head and muttering, "Lovely, lovely...lovely." Where the hell were the shrimp? Fantastic, somewhat surprising weight and while it's a bit more expensive than I might want in a perfect world, it is THE BEST ARNEIS I have ever tasted. Yes, I mean that. I think I could eat my weight in prosciutto wrapped melon or grilled fish (white, flaky) with a mango salsa. Salty snacks will work wonders as well. $19-$22. (Imported by Dalla Terra)

Vietti Barbera d'Asti Tre Vigne 2008 - Consistently one of my favorite Barberas, this comes from three vineyards, hence the name. This was the best wine of a busy day of tasting. Floral notes and strawberry dominate the nose, as one expects from Barbera, especially from d'Asti (d'Alba tends to be darker and deeper). Those descriptors don't do the wine justice though and before I hear the MEN(!) reading this flip somewhere else, I will say that the wine is more manly than they imply. The freshness does not step all over a more base note below, some earth tone lingers beneath growing in volume on the palate and finding impeccable balance with the fruit on the finish. I do not use the word impeccable lightly, it is rare to find a wine that speaks so eloquently from both ends of the flavor spectrum. It is pretty but solid at the same time. It is dry and very Italian but still offers enough fruit that drinking it on its own doesn't hurt. I want grilled tuna with olives or pork and mushrooms or a large hunk of an aged cow or goat milk cheese. It makes me want a bottle to myself and prompts me to consider telling everyone how good it is. I recommend opening the wine and pouring half glasses to let it breathe; then settle in and enjoy the journey. $18-$20 (Imported by Dalla Terra)

Elk Cove and Chehalem Pinot Noirs

2011-04-22T15:19:00.000-06:00

I addressed their Pinot Gris recently and following through on the Pinot Noirs completes the circle and makes my mouth happy.

I'll offer one extra wine here, a bonus because it may save you money, or a throwaway if you have some already. Willamette Valley Vineyards produces some good white wines. Pinot Gris has some weight to it and remains dry without being tart while the Riesling, one of the top selling wines in all of Oregon, makes good porch wine or a refreshing foil for spicy food. However, their reds have always disappointed. I don't expect Pinot Noir to be muscular but it should still have some substance. In an exciting vintage like 2008 to produce a thin wine that mostly left me focused on what was missing rather than what was there prompts me to move on from their reds. Granted, this was the entry level Pinot Noir but I'm done. I love their Whole Cluster Pinot Noir, a nod to Nouveau but with some sensibility, but find it too expensive for the style.

Elk Cove Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2008 - I remain a fan of the winery and this wine usually offers depth and intrigue exceeding the price. The 2008 is deep, as expected, but a tad inelegant. I find black cherry on the nose but the palate is closed and even a bit spritzy. The final impression is more driven by aroma than flavor or texture. This style is uncharacteristic of the winery and I was left a bit disappointed. Based on their stellar track record, I should try this again. $25-27

Chehalem 3 Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2008 - Sourced from three estate vineyards, Ridgecrest, Stoller and Corral Creek, this wine impresses much more often than it doesn't. All French oak, 22% new keeps things in balance. The hallmark of Chehalem for me, in particular this bottling, is the purity of the fruit. 2008 offers that and more. The nose is nearly a distillation of cherry without seeming manipulated in the least. A hint of slightly earthy forest floor lingers around the edges and stamps this wine as pure Willamette Valley. The earth tone borders on funk on the palate, but it is gorgeous Pinot Noir funk, not stinky barnyard stuff. the wine is lively in the mouth, fairly dancing down the tongue and leaves a structured and spicy finish. I'm hard pressed to recall a Pinot Noir I have enjoyed more in its youth that also shows the elements necessary for another five years or so of welcomed evolution. Top notch! $26-28

Natural Wine

2011-04-17T11:15:00.000-06:00

Anyone who pays attention to the food they eat knows the suspect nature of the word natural. It does not allow artificial ingredients, but the food can be augmented. Natural means to me the item in its pure form, in all of its glory, or lack thereof. Natural wine should mean the same. It does not. A recent post from Alice Feiring prompted me to address this issue here. I have resisted because it is a massive, and massively confusing, topic that can cause eyes to glaze and move on. She has wording posted (http://www.alicefeiring.com/blog/2011/04/part-of-the-problem-with-the-world-natural-wine.html). Even the writing is unnatural. Ask most people on the street about what natural wine means to them and I'm sure it wouldn't involve sugar or concentrated fruit juice. An article by Kerry Newberry in Oregon Wine Press (August 2009) titled 'What is Natural Wine?' offered a number of possibilities but admitted it was a bit of a moving target. She cited Artisan & Vine, a London wine bar focused on natural wines that defined them as, "wines made using organic or biodynamic, low-yielding vineyards; minimal or no added sulphites and indigenous yeasts." That doesn't jibe with the gibberish cited by Ms. Feiring. But, as I said, people paying attention know that natural is not the most stringent of designations. Take a quick look at USDA organic certifications for food. "100% organic" speaks clearly. "Organic" requires 95% of ingredients to be organic. "Made with Organic Ingredients" only requires 70% to be organic. Confusing? Damn right. Now try bringing the same basic issues to the world of wine; a topic that perplexes and overwhelms already. On a shelf in a grocery store in Oregon a few years ago I counted 15 different certifiers on about 40 bottles. Good luck keeping up with all of their fine print. More on this subject to come, I promise.

Pinot Gris...not Grigio

2011-04-11T19:31:00.000-06:00

Same grape. Maybe I've got a bridge to sell you too. They're the same, but so is the chicken I can get in fast food joints and the sublime delicacy Anne Kearney used to put on my plate at Peristyle. They're the same but they have nothing in common. Consume the former out of convenience, maybe because you have a taste for it. The latter makes me want to get into a car now so I could be in Dayton, Ohio and eating Anne's amazing chicken tomorrow night at Rue Dumaine. I'm salivating now just thinking about it. Okay, so no Pinot Gris ever made me want to leap into a car to drive 2,000 miles, but you get the point. Good Gris makes my mouth water too. Chehalem 3 Vineyard Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley 2009 - It comes from three estate vineyards on three different soil types and is vinified and aged in stainless steel. Amazing fullness in the mouth and intense, mouthwatering juiciness surprise when compared to the dry finish. Opulent fruit (ripe melons with plenty of acid) leads on the nose and continues on the palate. As the finish nears minerality kicks in, tingling the tastebuds and making mine come alive and crave seafood, especially crab and shrimp but it could handle heavier foods. Fried green tomatoes with a creamy shrimp remoulade seems to be a perfect match. The last direct impression is dryness, maybe a bit talcy even, and then a wave of juice re-emerges to wet, and whet, the palate again. $17-$19.

Elk Cove Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley 2009 - Despite my being a huge fan of this winery and having represented them for many years in the wholesale business, I rarely find this wine to my taste. They feature too much sweetness for my palate. Not so this year. I would drink the wine just about every year, but found it a simple quaff. Not quite a throwaway but also not worthy of much thought. Also stainless produced, this vintage has some of the same exotic, nearly sweet, fruit I expect but there it changes. Acidity more than balances out the thick, rich fruit and while it does not have the crunchy minerality of Chehalem I would love this wine with a seafood boil, some smoked salmon or just hanging out by the pool. $17-$19.

No Post...well, almost

2011-04-01T15:09:00.000-06:00

In an effort to avoid silly lines like, 'no foolin' I am posting nothing of value here today. I will confess to having used that trite line in an earlier e-mail to family, sorry brothers and wives. It seems like we need disclaimers on anything sent out on April 1st in order to verify the information is accurate.

I just got suckered by another blog, claiming scientists could predict the harvest for 2011 now. The concept is just weird enough to be true and since it focused on Bordeaux, the land of bizarre hype and insane futures sales, it appeared plausible. Clearly the goal of the blogger. I don't find much amusement in making people look like fools so I'll spare you. Invest your energy elsewhere today, you may need to in order to fend off others acting like small children.

Unpredictable weather, predictable wines

2011-03-31T09:19:00.000-06:00

Spring starts early in New Orleans. While members of my family in Pennsylvania and New York continue to face icy temperatures and threats of snow I get days of brilliant blue skies and pleasant warmth.

As the temperatures climb and humidity increases we know that intense storms follow. The other night I set out for a meeting about my daughter's school with the threat of rain looming large. Precipitation began in earnest shortly after the meeting commenced and quickly became powerful enough to necessitate a microphone so that people could be heard. Not long after that the meeting came to an abrupt halt with an announcement that the street was flooded.

I dashed out into heavy rain and pelting hail, ran to my car, jumped in and began my escape. I quickly pulled up onto the sidewalk to wait it out. About an hour later I managed to complete the twelve blocks of travel to my home as the rains abated and roads ceased their impressions of rivers.

The unexpected severity of the storm reminded me that some wineries do a fantastic job of delivering consistent quality year after year with no unpleasant surprises. Their top notch wines coupled with the comfort and ease of their favored variety provide reassurance.

Seghesio Zinfandel, Sonoma County 2009 - This comes from estate vineyards, mostly Alexander Valley with some Dry Creek Valley as well. After the feeding frenzy created in 2007 by an appearance at #10 in the Wine Spectator's Top 100 some feared drastic changes in pricing or quality. But this family traces their Zinfandel and Alexander Valley roots back the late 1800's and took it all in stride. It helps that this was their 4th appearance in that number since 2000.

I don't remember them ever openly discussing the blend, but the addition of some Petite Sirah would be a good assumption. Barrel aging for 10 months in 75% American and 25% French oak, with a pleasantly reasonable 20% new oak (American). The wine impresses. The aromas are big and dark and the fruit is not overwhelmed by the wood. The palate sensation is wide and deep; this is a big wine but far from monolithic. The most striking character is wild blackberry, a scent and flavor I long for in Zinfandel that proves all too elusive. While I applaud their consistency, especially with this bottling, the 2009 stands out. As the price remains reasonable, expect another appearance in the Top 100. It drinks beautifully and will be hard to resist but will certainly age well for 3-5 years. $22-$24

Ridge Zinfandel East Bench, Sonoma County 2008 - Pure, 100%, Zinfandel from benchlands between Alexander Valley and Dry Creek Valley. This is a new project for Ridge, only the third vintage with the vines planted in 2000. I see signs of good things to come, despite the youth of the vines. Twelve months in all American oak of which 25% is new, 50% one to three years old and the remainder four and five year old. The oaky influence is much stronger here than with the Seghesio; the wine exhibits a nougaty element on the nose. The wine is very juicy, quite lovely and much richer and darker on the palate than the eight year old vines (at time of harvest) would imply. I am much more impressed than with the previous two versions of this wine. Fans of easy access, dark Zins will find this wine lush and gulpable with no unpleasant edges. The wine lacks some complexity, no doubt due to the young vines, but provides pleasure immediately. There may be some reward for another year or two cellar time for the woody aroma to better integrate but I'm not sure the risk of losing some of the forward fruit is worth it. $25-$27

Ridge Zinfandel Lytton Springs, Sonoma County 2007 - The 2008 has just been released and should filter into the market shortly. Perhaps their best known, and respected, wine. 71% Zinfandel, 22% Petite Sirah and 7% Carignan aged in American oak for 15 months. Unfortunately, the website has new release information only so I am unsure of the percentage of new. A legendary wine in Zinfandel circles, this wine almost needs neither introduction nor explanation. I find the wine to always need time, but colleagues and friends argue that point with me. I enjoy Zinfandels with a little time in bottle and think serious ones, such as this, almost require two years after release. This bottle reminded me why. The wine is opaque and thick and very chewy. I find the tannin to be more apparent than I like in Zins so I would wait. It will reward. Some more red fruits show than in the East Bench and I always find this Zin more like a Cabernet in structure and in subtlety of fruit compared to other famous Zinfandels. $30-$35

Predictable wines need not be cookie cutter. Each of these reflects vintage variations but offers a reliability to be envied by many others, especially Zinfandel producers.

Sitting in the car, soaked for an hour or so left enough water to create a nasty mildew aroma. Hey Ridge, Seghesio...how about making an air freshener that smells like Zinfandel!

Early Morning Entertainment

2011-03-24T19:59:00.000-06:00

Enjoying the great weather this time of year makes exercise easier. While hoofing it around Audubon Park this morning I overheard a conversation among three women that made me want to linger. "So, that's the sauce. What do you think?" "Maybe New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc," came the reply. Trying to slow a bit did not result in any more tidbits but I smiled for a good long while. It was 8:30 in the morning and I'm not sure which part made me happier; people planning a meal at that hour or matching wine.
Food drives this city in a way I have not witnessed anywhere else. Many of us carry proof of this around with us. Planning the next meal over one currently on the table demonstrates the norm but planning it while exercising impressed. Working on wine pairings at this early hour really floored me.
A toast to their meal and a hope the pairing worked!

The Winemakers

2011-03-18T06:50:00.000-06:00

Apparently I'm behind the times, stop the presses. My DVR focuses my TV time and I often miss stumbling across interesting content. I found a re-airing of a reality series about making wine. Unfortunately, I can't find the full content available online but some is here. http://www.youtube.com/user/winemakerstv
The first season entertained me greatly and it clearly shows the level of interest about wine versus food. It aired on PBS making it kryptonite for huge swaths of society. Lack of wide commercial advertising kept it further below the radar. Questionable production quality and lack of instant cash prizes or fancy trips keep it relegated to lower status. The sound quality in the cave is suspect, at best; adding music to these scenes caused much rewinding of segments.
A few wineries, large corporate producers, underwrote the airing and the filming took place in Justin winery in Paso Robles. [Justin led the U.S. market with the use of QR codes on wine bottles, bravo!] Some regional wine groups assisted as well and product placement pales in comparison to Top Chef, for example, where Buitoni gets mentioned constantly. Of course, the trade off is that Buitoni funds the $200,000 prize for the winner.
In the wine world, the prize is being able to launch your own brand. In this case, approximately 2,000 cases of a new label blended and designed by the winner. Sure, it's cool to have your own wine but winning the contest isn't real work. Instead of a large infusion of cash, the lucky winner earns long hours, frequent flyer miles and the likelihood of seeing your treasured wine closed out. Or you might end up with enough house wine for a decade or more.
They did have the requisite petulant punk, "I've been buying French wine for long enough, someone should send me to France." I'm not sure what qualified the host, other than a fancy sounding name, Brian von Dedenroth; the wine industry is unable to help itself from snooty pretension.
Difficult questions for the contestants during a challenge kept me entertained. The participants mostly got them wrong and the show answered many of them on the screen, but not all, which I found frustrating.
Just checked on posts for 45 RPM, the winner's wine, on the intertron and, as surmised, the wine met with tepid reviews and was eventually in the Trader Joe's pipeline (read closed out) and available for $60/case elsewhere instead of $15+ per bottle. Wine reality shows need a new category, "Reality Check." I'll take the cash prize instead of the "magnanimous" offer of a brand launch every time...

Supposedly a new season in due out in the fall. I will update.

I Know Alcohol Can Make Others Look Good But...

2011-02-25T12:45:00.000-06:00

My DVR decided to record something entirely random recently. While scanning through the unintended program looking for a glimpse of what I wanted, I found someone with an array of bottles and mixers in front of her.
It turned out to be Alexis Wolfer, editor-in-chief of The Beauty Bean. Not exactly my usual fare, but she had wine and tequila and bubbly and vodka so I let it play. There were no glasses on the set. What was going on? Beauty tips with alcohol.
http://thebeautybean.com/site/beautify/booze-beauty-how-alcohol-can-be-beautifying/

I'm well acquainted with the concept of other people "getting better looking" as one consumes more but never realized you could use alcohol to improve your own desirability.
One wine geek note though, please don't use Champagne, use sparkling wine.

Discount? Low Down or on the Up and Up?

2011-02-19T16:51:00.000-06:00

With apologies to Count Von Count for the altered lyrics,

Discounting is wonderful,

Discounting is marvelous,

Discounting is the best thing to do.

Discounting is happiness,

Discounting is ecstasy,

I love a discount, don't you?

Well, don't you? Of course you do; we all do. Everyone loves a deal. Somewhere along the line it became expected in wine retail. Customers often get "rewarded" with 10-20% off when buying a case or more, but what happens if you need a bottle or two the following day? Maybe you can plead your case effectively. Maybe the clerk remembers you. Maybe not.

If you end up paying full retail for the second purchase were you really rewarded for the larger one or punished for the smaller? Personally, I would like to see retailers do away with these discounts entirely and let me buy what I need at a reasonable price. Wines can always be put on sale to drive larger purchases. If you buy 30 apples in a grocery store do you pay less for the apples than someone buying two?

At the other end of the scale, there is a wine shop in Portland, Oregon, bafflingly successful, that makes you purchase a lifetime membership in order to get discounts. Those discounts apply for loose bottle purchases as well as cases, but the concept alone forced me out the door. Never to return. Try this at a department store. In order to get these jeans for $35.99 instead of $49.99 you have to give them $100. I look at that and say to hell with you. Somehow Sam's Club exists though. I'm sure those foolish enough to join the club become extremely loyal since not shopping there means wasted money.

The discount mentality that pervades in wine retail is ridiculous and it galls me to no end when I need to buy a bottle or two. No retailer likes making less money, it is a capitalist enterprise after all. Markups in the wine world tend to the low side compared to other retail businesses but put a reasonable price on your bottles, explain the system and I believe people will repay you with loyalty.

Everyone likes to reward their best customers. If not with volume discounts, then how? Try special tastings for them; open something outstanding when they come into your store; give them a bottle now and again (where legal); make sure they get first shot at sought after releases, etc. Plenty of ways exist to consistently reward good, loyal customers without abusing everyone else.

How Far We've Come

2011-02-08T15:12:00.000-06:00

Jogging the memory always appealed to me more than pounding the pavement. My waistline could attest to that I'm afraid. While doing some research recently, I stumbled across a restaurant training guide from the early 1990's. That being the same time period I began my wine career I decided to read it. Well, thumb through it.

The book devoted twenty-one pages to flambeing. Drinks, desserts, entrees set ablaze, complete with an explanation of how to do it properly and safely. How often do you see this anymore?

They even included an example of how to make a pig's mouth remain aflame while carving and serving tableside. "Stuff the pig's mouth with cotton, soak it in cheap high-proof alcohol, and ignite it." Hint: make sure it's soaked enough "or else the cotton could smolder in the dining room."

Twenty years ago 10% of Food and Beverage Service (from Wiley Professional Restaurateur Guides by Bruce Axler and Carol Litrides) discussed flambeing. Twenty years ago Hugh Johnson's Fourth Edition of The World Atlas of Wine did not contain a dedicated entry for Argentina. Chile had its own two pages while Argentina shared space with Brazil and Uruguay (and Chile) on two pages under the heading of South America.

In 1990, the year of Food and Beverage's copyright, the wine world still revolved around Chardonnay and Cabernet. Merlot had not yet enjoyed its fifteen minutes of fame, much less the subsequent, and precipitous, fall from grace. In the same vintage, Seinfeld premiered, "The Simpsons" debuted on Fox and West Germany, yes still identified as West, won the World Cup. Spanish wines resided in "Other International" sections and Down Under wines mostly stayed on the down low. It's been a fun ride, I'm looking forward to the next twenty.

You Can't Go Home Again

2011-02-01T12:53:00.000-06:00

I tried to keep up with this blog but found it difficult to justify yet more time in front of a computer after twelve+ hour days out selling wine and preparing presentations for the next. Couple that with a general distaste for shilling my own product in an environment such as this and, viola, no posts in almost a year. I hold an even greater distaste for promoting the competition.

I've been writing...working on my book, which further drew my attention away from this venue. Even if very few actually read it, I like the outlet.

I've had it with outside sales and am hungering for another opportunity in which to invest my efforts. I left my most recent gig in September and have turned down other options for route sales of wine.

My passion for teaching and talking to people about wine remains strong, but there are too many jaded buyers, way too many other salespeople and I was turning into the bitter salesman I used to chortle about. It's just not as much fun as it used to be. (A friend helpfully pointed out that it may be me, as I'm not as wild and entertaining as I was 15 years ago either).

While rereading and editing a section of my book the other day, I stumbled across an update on the store where I used to work. It described the building and the sign, still swinging in the breeze. Last fall the company chose to demolish the building and plans to resurrect a new, improved version of the store on the same site. I missed the actual destruction and a last chance to share a glass of wine either in the building or near it with friends and colleagues because I put the reminder in my Blackberry on the wrong date (and they call it a Smart phone). I cruised by a few days ago and was unprepared for what awaited me.

An entire side of a city block, plus a few "doors" on other blocks gone, vanished. Struck dumb, I quickly turned left before actually passing the store's previous location. The lump in my throat took quite some time to diminish and I felt strangely hollow the rest of the day. The store closed years ago and I had driven by regularly to see, from the outside all appeared ready for business. The sign needed to be re-affixed on one side but the concrete showed no ill-effects; even the mural of various employees and family members still looked good. I stopped noticing the "ring around the city" high water mark years ago.

Not only did I spend six years in that building launching a career that rewarded for years after that, but some of those missing buildings housed employees from time to time. The chef lived in one for a while; he's still with the company. Thelma, the security guard, lived in the one immediately adjacent to the parking lot. I wonder what ever became of her? At least one driver for the wholesale side of the company lived in one as well. All gone now.

I'll need to drive by again then get out and walk around. The ghosts of Katrina continue to haunt this city and they always will. Specters from our past rise up at unexpected times and remind us we're vulnerable. Walking those old grounds will help ease the tension I've been feeling. Perhaps I'll pretend to respond to a page or go to the deli's footprint and order some of the fries I loved so much or even step in the back like I once did, for a quick breath from the sometimes wild atmosphere.

Thomas Wolfe was right, "you can't go home to your family, back home to your childhood...back home to a young man's dreams of glory and of fame." Should you even try?

I plan to make this a New Orleans-centric blog about wines available in town, interesting tastings (way too few of these lately) and some stories from my time in the business. What's next? I have no idea, but I'm working on it.

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." - Seneca

Eberle Winery

2010-02-28T12:10:00.000-06:00

Three unusual events here, I am featuring wines I sell, they are from a single winery and they are from California. I rarely find true value in the wines from the gold rush state. Sure, riveting wines that weave beguiling spells on my palate exist, but they are few and far between under $30. I was lucky enough to spend a few days this past week with a man who produces a strong stable of wines in that category.

Gary Eberle has been making wine nearly as long as I have been breathing. He began making wine at the family winery, Estrella River Winery, in 1973, it later became Meridian. His first vintage at his own winery was 1979. He planted the first Syrah in California in 1974, was the sixth producer of Viognier and co-founded the Paso Robles AVA (American Viticultural Area).

He lives as large as his ample frame. He flies his own plane, produces (and sells out - an impressive feat in this day and age) 25,000 cases a year, enjoys searching for the perfect Sazerac and is generous in sharing his love of wine and food. Eberle is German for 'small boar' and that explains the logo.

Paso Robles is a warm area and averages a mere 13 inches of rain a year making some level of irrigation a necessity. In a region best known for its reds, especially Syrah and Cabernet, Gary manages to make bright, clean whites. He pointed out that while we conceive of Paso Robles as being hot, especially east of 101, parts of Napa actually get hotter. That little tidbit might explain my disappointment with many Napa Chardonnays. As heat increases, the growing season shortens leading to ripe grapes without full flavor development. If left to hang to develop more complexity, acidity can be lowered to the point that whites are thick and heavy on the palate and nearly useless at the table. Paso Robles also has huge fluctuations in temperature with the nighttime lows being an average of 40 degrees cooler than daytime highs. That big swing essentially shuts down the vine at night, both lengthening the hang time for the grapes and preserving acidity.

Viognier 2008, Paso Robles - Exotic stone fruits on the nose and an unctuous entry can lead people to mistakenly assume it will be sweet. My first taste of this wine a number of vintages ago reminded me that some people producing Viognier actually know what they're doing. Too many make versions that remind me of canned fruit cocktail syrup. But Gary's is fresh and delicious. Perhaps it should be the standard bearer for California Viognier. Fermentation in stainless steel, with one third remaining there for aging, while the remainder spends time in neutral oak (4 and 5 year old barrels) with some lees stirring helps maintain that balance. Red wine drinkers often find that Viognier is a white wine they love. $20-$22.

Chardonnay 2008, Paso Robles - This is almost always the wine that makes me stand up and take notice. How he makes such a clean, balanced style from this region is completely baffling, but I wish other producers would take notes. Again stainless steel fermented, with one third remaining there, the rest is split between neutral and 25% new French oak. Pear and some green apple mingle with subtle tropical notes, but there is no banana and no buttered popcorn aroma. I love popcorn with butter, it shouldn't be served any other way, but I never want it in my glass. The acids are fresh and focused and not aggressive. I refer to this style of Chardonnay as sneaky to my restaurant clientele. They can serve it to customers that want all that big Chardonnay flavor, they will be happy, but the clean style and bright acids allow it to work with their food. A remarkable wine. $18-$20.

Syrah Rose 2007, Paso Robles - Fermentation here takes place in neutral oak and the wine is a true saignee (bleeding of the tank) that produces a lovely hue without extracting much tannin. The palate has weight and texture and the wine is dry, but does not need food to be enjoyable. It apparently makes for great drinking in the acre and a half pond that serves as a pool and provides irrigation water. Roses are among my favorite wines on the planet for their refreshing nature and their versatility with food. They also serve to provide a bit of summer in a glass even in the depths of winter dreariness. $18-$20.

Cabernet Vineyard Selection 2007, Paso Robles - Gary contracts for most of these grapes from new vineyards, especially one to three year old vines. These young vines offer bigger grapes, producing wines with big fruit and lower tannin levels. It offers remarkable Cabernet fruit but offers early drinkability. This 2007 is one of the best I have tasted from him. No surprise, as Gary raves about the vintage. "2007 is the finest vintage since 1971." $20-$22.

He also produces a noteworthy Cotes du Robles blend of Rhone varieties that screams for grilled meats and a Barbera with a nose so intriguing that it commands attention. It also sold out at a dinner last Monday night. I am not always a fan of Cal-Ital wines, but this one is worth seeking out. Cabernet fans should also be on the lookout for his Estate and Reserve, especially the 2007s, which will be released over the next year or two.

If you have not experienced any of Gary's wines, go try some. All winemakers brag about their production, but when Gary speaks about not bottling anything he's not proud of, I believe.

End of Year Review

2009-12-31T17:47:00.000-06:00

I was going to post a glowing review of some celebratory wine to christen the New Year appropriately and perhaps bring us all to a happier place than most of us saw this year. I both ran out of time and encountered one of the worst wines I have ever tasted (at least from a respectable producer) and decided since this was the year of the bailout that perhaps a well placed rant might be more appropriate.
Everywhere we look we are surrounded by corporate behemoths that spend countless millions on sponsorship of stadiums, advertisements and buying out their competition. This results in less choice for the consumer (when was the last time a credit card offer appeared in your mail that was not from Bank of America) and inevitable nickel and diming once they are nearly the only game in town. The same thing happens in the wine world.
Huge distributors have liquor and wine brands that retail and restaurants must buy and they use that leverage to influence buyers to use them exclusively or at leat extensively, resulting in less opportunity for some truly interesting wines - often at better prices. Lest you get the idea that I am some anti-corporate wacko, let me explain my position. There are some huge corporations that produce excellent products; Apple is my favorite example, although this blog is typed on a PC. Most large companies became large for a reason, they offered a good product at a reasonable price. Many large wineries have done the same. They offer quality and reliability although they eventually command a higher price for that service. No problem here, you pay for the best. However, wines can not be made on an assembly line; grapes are not the same each year and growth sometimes results in producing inferior grapes, which creates wines that are not as good.
Ferrari-Carano increased their production by nearly a third from 2001 to 2002 (http://articles.sfgate.com/2004-05-17/entertainment/17428102_1_california-wine-constellation-brands-ferrari/3) from 160,000 to 201,000 cases, and although that growth was focused on the Fume Blanc, it changes the way a winery operates (I could find no information about growth since then). I will disclose that I have never purchased a Ferrari-Carano wine, although I have tasted many over the years and sold some in a retail setting. They did a good job producing big, rich California wine and the consuming public ate it up.
Yesterday I happened to have a California Merlot out and a customer mentioned he had two others to taste, would I mind if we tasted them all together. I was excited as I had not tasted Ferrari-Carano Merlot in years and was curious to see how it was. It was awful. The gentleman who kindly offered the taste described the wine as "alien."

Ferrari-Carano Merlot, Sonoma County 2006 - It smelled of clove and shrimp (fresh, but clearly fishy salt) and the palate flavors lacked fruit, except that it tasted green, and offered tough tannin to boot. There may have been a whiff of red fruit on the nose, but there was much more smoke and oak. Even the back label, usually a fount of strange fruity prose, did not mention much fruit..."with luscious cherry aromas and accents of spice, chocolate and caramel that lingers on the silky finish." Chocolate and caramel I'll believe, although why you want caramel in a dry red wine is beyond me. Silky though? Really? Silky? Not even hours later. Perhaps today it approaches silky, after more than 24 hours open, but it is an old, moth-eaten silk, complete with holes and frayed edges.
With time it opened a bit, but began to show bell pepper on the nose and while the tannin subsided, the middle and finish never filled out. It screams of a wine style that has been overly manipulated in the cellars and ends up being a bit of a Frankenstein - lots of workable parts, but barely able to function as designed. It has all of the issues that Merlot drinkers claim they do not like, lack of fruit and plenty of tight tannin, yet it is on wine lists all over the city and country.
I can not recommend strongly enough to not purchase this wine, especially given its rather hefty price tag of $24. I bear the family no ill will, but find this an inexcusably bad wine and recommend to anyone who will listen to change the way you buy wine next year. Try some suggestions of retailers, waiters and even me. Expand your horizons, live a little, you may have more fun and save some money.
Happy New Year, here's to a better 2010.

Jambalaya and Wine Pairing Part Two

2009-12-11T21:53:00.000-06:00

As promised, here are the last of the results from the Jambalaya tasting.
Almira Los Dos (Grenache/Syrah - 85%/15%) Old vines 2007 - for more on this wine, see
http://bigeasywines.blogspot.com/2009/06/miscellaneous-bargain-red-imports.html
I found the wine very able with the dish, it stayed round and drinkable, pretty and pure. In fact, it was excellent! The juicy fruit matched with the spice and flavor, the acidity cleared the palate and actual interplay occurred between the food and the wine. Top notch, a nearly perfect pair. There was no actual addition to either the food or the wine by pairing them, but it was a wonderful match.

Cycles Gladiator Syrah 2006, Central Coast - For more on this wine, see http://bigeasywines.blogspot.com/search?q=cycles+gladiator
There is a deep, smoky aroma with some plum - perhaps even currant - with other sweet, ripe fruit, but it is well balanced. The smokiness continues on the finish but does not overwhelm (I made a note here that I should taste the rest of their products as well). It was much too smoky for this version of jambalaya but it held up to the spice. It overwhelmed the dish with its smoke though. If we had used Jacob's Andouille (the best, smokiest, flavor version for cooking available) it might have paired better. If the meat had been grilled/smoked ahead of time perhaps it would have worked better also.

Kermit Lynch Cotes du Rhone 2006 - Kermit makes a few custom blends to bring into the country and sell under his own moniker. I find this to be reliable year in and year out. It is never a huge blockbuster, but features plenty of Grenache and shows the slight earth tones so prevalent in the air in the Southern Rhone. It also has plenty of pepper notes on the nose and enough body to grab your attention but not so much as to lose its sense of place. The wine was slightly cloudy (unfiltered) with some intense earth and hints of leather with pepper spice and that classic 'garriguey' note. Garrigue refers to the wild herbs, flowers, and earthy note from the rocky soils in that area. It is a primary reason I found myself hungry all the time when visiting the Southern Rhone. In this case, it borders on being too much for me (my tolerance for this wild, earthy style has changed over the years) but it was a surprisingly good match. The earth note and the sweetness of the shrimp actually played well together. But with the addition of hot sauce, it was one step short of a trainwreck. The earth became too much very quickly and it really fought the spice. This does not work with spice! Importer: Kermit Lynch $15-$18

Hill of Content Shiraz 2005, Western (57%)/South (43%) Australia - One of my favorite examples, and a reason to keep drinking Shiraz even when one has been exposed to all manner of seemingly cuddly critters on labels (some that are colored yellow and hop) that seem to have had all the acidity removed while having about a half pound of Domino's sugar added. Shiraz can be beautiful and this blend offers some of the deeper structure of the west while showing plenty of the deep juicy fruit of the south (it comes from Clare Valley which shows more freshness than Barossa in many cases). Good ruby/purple color with some sweet vanilla and cassis on the nose. More of the same on the palate but it cleans up nicely. Well done. It does need some time to open to balance the juice and dryness. The oak overwhelmed the food a bit, but the pairing worked. I did not find it ideal, again, perhaps some smokier meats might have helped. With spice though, the wine performed more than admirably. I found it delicious, in fact. The intensity of the wine still stepped on the flavors of the dish a bit, but the juiciness of the wine handled the spice beautifully. Importer: The Australian Premium Wine Collection $13-$16

Crios de Susana Balbo Malbec 2007, Mendoza - With 25+ years of winemaking experience, Susana Balbo knows all the ropes when it comes to putting good juice in a bottle. This comes, more specifically, from the Uco Valley, an exciting region within Mendoza. Crios means, 'young kids' and reflects that these wines are the 'offspring' of her signature wines. It is unfined and unfiltered. I found currants and plums and nearly cassis, but not with its inherent round sweetness. Instead, it was currants with a dusting of cocao. I found the wine itself a bit spicy from its tannin, fruit I think, rather than wood. I can sum up the pairing succinctly - it was not a disaster, but clearly not a winner; it fought with the food, especially the spiced version. Importer: Vine Connections $13-$16

Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Vintners Cuvee XXXI, California - The label claims it comes from, the "finest coastal, inland, mountain and valley fruit." That pretty much covers the entire state...no help there. I'm guessing there is a lot of Amador County juice here, but I offer no guarantees. They do not label this with a vintage, but at least give us a lot number to determine which version we might be purchasing. I think this is imperative with non-vintage cuvees, otherwise you have no way of telling what you might get in the bottle. There was more wild briar and bramble notes here than in the XXX. The fruit was warmer and more forward too. I guessed lots of Amador since I found so much roasted fruit in the glass. The pairing was excellent, the fruit actually mingles with the flavor of the food. It does not overwhelm, despite its intensity. The interplay continued, even when spice was introduced. This was damn good. Zinfandel does work well with spicy food. $10-$13

Jambalaya and Wine Pairing

2009-11-14T13:53:00.000-06:00

Phew, nothing done here for quite a while, huh? Amazing what being back to work full time in the wholesale business can do. Sorry. Time has flashed by, but I intend to find some time to keep up with this again. I have some concerns about either hyping or denigrating wines in my own portfolio. At the same time it makes little sense to spend much effort building up the competition. So, where does this go?
I plan to focus on wines that are outstanding in my portfolio as well as others that truly shine, even if it is the competition. There will also be a focus on pairing wine and food. Lots of people talk about it and mention it in reviews, but rarely are articles written focusing on that alone.

Making some classic New Orleans dishes and testing them out with a number of wines to see what works will be a regular feature here as well. I will discuss the dish, and the wines, and then how/if they worked. This was done a while ago, and shopped as a feature article to no success, so some of the wines are a bit out of date, but the matching is still applicable. I will present the results of the Jambalaya tasting here in two parts, enjoy.
The Jambalaya was a cross of brown and tomato based. Some dark roux was present, but tomatoes were as well. Chicken and sausage (green onion) were included. The dish was flavorful but not particularly spicy. I tasted the wines on their own, then with the jambalaya and then with jambalaya and Crystal hot sauce (simply the best around - heat, but not overwhelming and lots of flavor). I attempted to find solid, representational bottles in each category at reasonable prices. The goal was to find a style of wine that would work, rather than one 'magic' vintage and producer.

Theo Minges Riesling 2006, Pfalz (Liter bottle) - Importer: terry Theise, Michael Skurnik. retail $16-$18. Always a good bargain in German Riesling, the wine shows some of the exotic notes of Pfalz but the grounding of Mosel. There is pear and green apple with good viscosity. It feels sweet, but finishes clean with texture and acid that reminded me of kiwi. I chose this wine because it is a good example of German Riesling and many people gravitate to Riesling with spiced/spicy dishes. With the food I found the wine's presence persevered, finishing limey even with a bite of sausage. The pairing was solid enough, but there was no synergy, no boost to both the food and the wine by marrying them together. It handled the inherent spice of the dish well, but once hot sauce was added it was completely overwhelmed. It did not clash at all, just got lost. There was no reason to seek out this pairing again, but I would not avoid putting a decent Riesling in my glass at a party where jambalaya was served.

Dry Creek Fume Blanc 2007, Sonoma County- retail $12-$15. I have always found this style to bridge the gap between the extremes of France (in minerality and raciness) and New Zealand (in bodacious bouquet and flavor). It does not reflect the fatter, riper, sometimes oaked, California style too much. I find it reliable, and well priced. There is juicy stone fruit, almost the grapefruit of New Zealand, but with more unctuous palate feel. It is fun to drink. Kiwi and lemon/lime are subtle on the back end, almost a touch of clove there as well. The acidity is a bit tingly, but not aggressive. As it warmed up a bit, more fig notes (classic California) came through, especially on the nose. On its own it worked but the intense fruit actually overwhelmed the dish a bit and added nothing. It held its own with spice, but again, there was no reason to seek Sauvignon Blanc out to have with jambalaya. I could see it working better with chicken and shrimp, but so would other wines. Overall, safe, decent, nothing to make a hard and fast rule about one way or the other. I could NOT see a typical Fume Blanc (i.e. Ferrari-Carano) with big wood showing, working at all.

Domaine de Fontsainte Gris de Gris Rose 2007, Corbieres - Importer: Kermit Lynch. retail $12-$15. The classic, slight orange (copper, salmon) color of southern French Roses - I always know I will love them. The nose is very shy, perhaps the bottle started too cold? Floral notes began to appear with air and the palate shows good texture. There is a subtle berry note, especially strawberries on the finish, which shows good dryness while staying juicy and refreshing. The jambalaya overwhelmed the delicate fruit and the wine showed too much dryness to pair well before hot sauce was added. With hot sauce, surprisingly, it worked better. The pairing actually worked well. It was the first wine that made me really sit up and take notice of the wine and the food. Bravo, another win for Roses! (I confess to loving Rose wines and their ability to pair with so many dishes.)

Hahn Chardonnay 2006, Monterey - retail $10-$13. This is a classic California Chard with the oaky, toasty thing going on, but it also reflects the new style of keeping the acids lively for balance. It is reasonably priced and has some acidity to balance the richness. I found round, soft oak with a creamy texture and some toast on the back end, not quite to the extreme of butter; dare I say while it was not butter, it was close enough, perhaps margariney? Will you let me get away with that? The finish is long and toasty. I found the toast of tha oak dominated the food, perhaps if the meats had been smoked first? The addition of hot sauce only further muddied the waters. I see no reason to pour a glass of Chardonnay with jambalaya, I might even go get a beer, or soda (Barq's please) if faced with the choice.

More Oregon 2007 Pinot Noir

2009-07-30T09:25:00.000-06:00

I have to ask for more indulgence here. Or not. I'm guessing though that many are tired of hearing the drum beat for the overlooked 2007 vintage. Here are four more from the last few weeks. In alphabetic order...

Amity Pinot Noir 2007, Willamette Valley - Amity was founded in 1974 and is a well-established and respected producer, perhaps best know for their Gamay Noir. The grapes for this Pinot Noir come from the northern Willamette Valley. They use some estate vineyards from Yamhill County. Their estate vineyards are all certified LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) and their growers are either certified already or are working toward that goal. The color is typical 2007, red and bright with amazing clarity. Deep, red cherry fruit with some blacker bass notes on the nose along with perhaps a bit too much acidity. The palate is all silk and sensuality though leading to a finish that is light, but not weak by any stretch. The nose is opening up, and now shows better integrated fruit and acid notes with a hint of caramel, from oak. The wine is soft and pure from the instant it is poured. A slight note of earth comes with time. The wine is forward and perhaps a bit simple, but a complete pleasure to drink. $20-$25

Elk Cove Pinot Noir 2007, Willamette Valley - Also founded in 1974, this winery produces some of my favorite Pinot Noirs on the planet. I am a member of their Roosevelt Club and receive mailings throughout the year - I do this with no other winery. Their style tends toward a bigger, chewier Pinot Noir although this bottling is designed to be accessible early. Adam Goodlee Campbell allows the fruit to talk though and earthy notes are often present. I was very excited to see how the wines fared in 2007 due to their generally bigger approach. I find pretty, red cherry fruit and forest floor on the nose. Again, the purity of color is striking. Although the wine is certainly lighter than usual its bright acidity and incredible purity of flavor is striking. It is very 2007, very Pinot Noir and very Oregon. There is solid structure and breadth as one would assume with Elk Cove, but with a lighter footprint than usual. $22-$30

Rex Hill Pinot Noir 2007, Willamette Valley - A more recent arrival, founded in 1982, this winery enjoyed some wild success and then had some issues. Lynne Penner-Ash essentially put them on the map as they grew to be one of the best known wines from Oregon. She started in 1988 and left in 2001 to focus on her own label she had been producing for a few years. After her departure I felt the wines lost direction and quality suffered. In 2007, A to Z wines bought the winery and quality immediately improved. So, I looked forward to the first red release. Again, a pretty, bright color with a core of much darker fruit. The nose is deep, nearly a black cherry, that you can still 'smell' even when the wine is on your palate. Long, persistent, and focused but with some impressive depth, both for the vintage and for the wine's youth. This is really damned impressive actually, especially when taking into account some previous disappointing efforts. I like this a lot and look forward to more offerings like this one. $20-$28

Westrey Pinot Noir 2007, Willamette Valley - Amy Wesselman and David Autrey (Wes-trey) have some solid history around the area. Between them, stints at Rex Hill, Adelsheim, Cameron, and Eyrie give them good groundwork for their own label; add to that some time with Domaine Dujac in Burgundy and the pedigree is strong. Their first vintage was 1993 and they have a devout local following, especially when it comes to their own Oracle Vineyard in the Dundee Hills. There is a bit of skepticism still, due to some apparently spotty efforts in the past. My experience has been positive each time, if not glowing. The 2007 is full of dusty cherry with lovely expansion on the finish. It worked well with grilled chicken wings. The fresh, intense nose leads to impressive weight and attack. It drinks well now but has room to improve in the short term. I find this to be a regular style now, a bit tight young, not so much you wouldn't drink it, but enough to reward cellaring for about two years. $20-$25

Same Producer, Pinot Noir vs. Old VIne Pinot Noir

2009-07-24T06:07:00.000-06:00

An admission to open this post: these wines do not appear to be widely distributed. I could find no importer information except the small distributor local to Oregon that sells wine retail through Square Deal. But that's not the point of today's excercise. This is more of an experiment or exploration than a review to drive specific buying decisions.
People stress old vines over young vines nearly every time, especially when discussing grapes such as Zinfandel and Grenache. I also hear stress on age in relation to Pinot Noir but to a lesser degree.
The concept of age being important to flavor, complexity, etc. is based on a few ways vines and grapes change as vines mature. For one thing, roots dig deeper and travel through more strata which leads to extraction of more variety of compounds and therefore more complexity in the grapes. As vines age they become less vigorous leading to production of less, and smaller, fruit. That means all the flavor is concentrated in less juice leading to a richer wine. The small grapes have more skin to juice ratio and therefore emerge, eventually, as darker wine.
Rarely is one able to try similarly handled versions of old vs. young from the same vineyard. This is one of those opportunities.
Xavier Guillaume runs, Pepinieres Guillaume, a highly acclaimed nursery with 27 million vines planted throughout east and south-east France. They produce a variety of stock, budwood, and clonal selections within varieties. To test and explore the styles they produce microcuvees of clones. In this case they produced Pinot Noir under the label Vignoble Guillaume. Although information about specific wines is spotty, my recollection from my discussion with an employee at Square Deal was that they were handled the same way, the only difference is the age of the vines (I can not recall now how big the difference was).
A quick note: There is no law governing the use of the term Old Vines anywhere on the planet. Most producers are scrupulous but if you have five year old vines planted in one spot and ten year old in another you could label the ten year old as old vines. I'm not even sure you need two different ages planted to label that way. However, people do ask questions and eventually a producer's hoax would be uncovered. Most wineries I have spoken with over the years will not label anything as old vines until they are at least 35 years old. Still others use 50 as their standard.
These wines hail from Franche-Comte near the eastern edge of France, close to the little known appellation of Jura and about an hour away from the Cote de Nuits. They carry a simple Vin de Pays designation but still commanded prices of $17 and $24.
Pinot Noir 2006 - Light color, with an almost orange edge. Nearly smells like a meaty rose - with more rose than meat. Tart cherry dominates with a perplexing, engaging ethereal silkiness. I think of silky as more textural, this was more of an impression as the wine was fairly delicate in the mouth. You can smell the minerality, cherry deepening with air and some very fresh mushroom emerging as well. I found it enough to simply smell this wine for quite some time. With more air the earth notes became stronger as did the subtle woodiness.
Pinot Noir Vieilles Vignes (Old Vines) 2006 - Similar color, but a bit deeper with crushed cherry and a bit of blackberry as well. Lovely, impressive wine that proved more intense with more mineral, nearly a wet stone smell. The minerality here is explosive, expanding in the mouth and giving the appearance of tasting the smell of stone in the summer after a strong rain. The fruit is sweeter with a touch of wood, but just a touch.
I found both wines to be on the lighter side, but with persistent finishes. They were also both fantastic with simple baked Sockeye Salmon.
Okay, the verdict? The old vine version simply took everything the first offered and made it bigger, more concentrated, turned it up to 11. Clearly, they were similar wines and I might have believed they were from the same producer but from different years, with the V.V. being a warmer vintage with, perhaps, a longer growing season. This is a potentially great lesson for buying Pinot Noir, Burgundy in particular. Assuming the sourcing is all estate you can test drive the winery's Bourgogne, or entry level Pinot, and get some idea of what's to come from wines made from older vines. This is a regular occurrence in Burgundy; less expensive wines made from younger vines while the older, prized vines make the best wines they have to offer. One word or caution however, often wineries handle juice from young and old vines differently, using more and newer wood with the bigger cuvees because they can handle it. To my palate that was clearly not the case with Vignoble Guillaume.
There are no absolute answers in the world of wine, only opportunities to hone your palate and become aware of more questions to ask in hopes of discovering the best wines for your palate.

4th of July American Syrah

2009-07-14T15:30:00.000-06:00

Back from Maine (ten fantastic days) and mostly dug out now. Not much to discuss from the last two weeks overall; we drank pretty well, but there were no real themes except for one night. On the 4th of July I found myself thinking we should be drinking Zinfandel. We ended up drinking two tasting sets of Syrah, plus one extra bottle, all from California, certainly patriotic.
My father had purchased some four bottle tasting kits put together by the Chalone Wine Group a number of years ago. They featured wines from the Chalone family of wineries, Echelon, Chalone, Jade Mountain, and Edna Valley. All of the wines were 2001 vintage and we were lucky enough to have another addition from Santa Ynez, also from 2001. (We also tasted an Aussie Shiraz, but it was from 2005 so I am not including it here).
The wines below are presented in the order we tasted. Although you will not find any of these available on shelves currently, it should give a good idea of viability for aging.
Echelon Syrah 2001, Clarksburg - Echelon was created in the late 1990's as a relatively inexpensive option in the Chalone Wine Group. Most (all?) of the fruit was purchased and the 2001 did not carry the current designation of Esperanza Vineyard. While Echelon has gotten more single vineyard focused, they now call this wine Shiraz, a classic California marketing move to capitalize on the more sellable style coming from Australia. My experience has been that Shiraz from California still carries a bit of a stigma and confuses more customers than it entices. At any rate, the grapes come from Clarksburg, well east of Sonoma, nearly all the way to Lodi. The wine was a bit tired, the fruit mostly faded. There was an appealing middle though, offering earth and tar notes. The finish faded quickly as well, leaving just the mid-palate. I enjoyed that middle, and it worked well with slabs of grilled beef, but it was no longer a pleasure to drink.
Chalone Syrah 2001, Chalone - Yes, the AVA (American Viticultural Area) is named after the winery. As if wine wasn't confusing enough. The appellation is located ESE of Monterey, in close proximity to Santa Lucia Highlands and Arroyo Seco. The famed Chardonnay and Pinot Noir producer Calera is NNE of Chalone. No surprise then that the specialties of Chalone are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. They planted Syrah in the 1990's and according to the website, the 2002 vintage was the first release. I can testify that they either released small quantities of the 2001 or mislabeled some of the 2002 vintage. My bet is on a limited production of 2001. The 2002 vintage spent 18 months in French barrels, one third were new. They also blended in 3% Viognier. Perhaps a bit of explanation here. Viognier is very aromatic and traditionally in the northern Rhone was often co-fermented with Syrah. The result was, counter intuitively, a darker wine with more pronounced aromatics in its youth. Syrah, despite its intensity, is quiet on the nose when it is young. Viognier brings up some Syrah aromas, not Viognier aromas, when used in small quantities. Blending wine later does not alter the color, but still brightens the perfume. Unlike some northern Rhone Syrahs, California versions do not generally need more pigmentation.
The nose offered deep purple fruit and some moderate oak with red berries as well. I found this wine remarkably fresh on the front end with older, more mature fruit on the finish. There a more pronounced woody note appeared along with a hint of leather; the leather is new and almost sweet smelling, not weathered and slightly earthy. This would have paired well with mushroom based dishes and lighter grilled meats. Impressive, especially for a wine they did not release! I think it could have aged well for another two years, but I enjoyed it's mix of freshness and maturity.
Jade Mountain Syrah 2001, Napa Valley - Jade Mountain began in 1988 and produces only Rhone styled wines. Their style has always been a bit chewy in their youth and I always believed they would age, but had not had any of their wine more than a year or two past release. Some of the chewiness can no doubt be attributed to this approach, quoted from Diageo's website (Diageo owns Chalone Wine Group, who in turn owns Jade Mountain). "Jade Mountain practices high-risk winemaking by pushing the limits of grapegrowing and winemaking until the grapes have surrendered all the flavor and structure possible." This does not sound like a gentle handling to me and is therefore likely to extract more tannin.
The technical sheet states 100% Syrah, but then mentions co-fermentation with Viognier so who knows? Earth is a strong component, with minerality too, making this very reminiscent of the classic French style. I found it a bit rough on the palate, classic Jade style. It did work much better with food as one would suspect with a wine of this style. We had grilled fillet and I had mine with mushroom sauce. Mouthwatering acidity still thrived along with a subtly funky earth note. The 2nd bottle proved much softer and more drinkable on its own. The second was clearly a better example, even offering some intriguing notes of violets on the nose.
Edna Valley Syrah 2001, Edna Valley - In another stroke of brilliant marketing by the Chalone group, the AVA is named after the winery. Located just south of Paso Robles, but much closer to the coast (five miles or so) thus sharing more climate similarities with the AVAs of Santa Maria, Santa Ynez, and Santa Rita Hills. The Paragon Vineyard partnered with Chalone Winery to create the Edna Valley winery in 1980. Chardonnay led the charge, establishing their best known wine. Pinot Noir followed and then the winery made one of the first Syrahs from the area. According to the technical sheet for the 2003 vintage (no older vintage information was available), they produce 100% Syrah, but add "a small amount of Petite Sirah." They show it to be 100% San Luis Obispo County, which is not an AVA, but that allows them to add some fruit from the much warmer Paso Robles AVA. Confusingly, the wine still carries a designation of Paragon Vineyard, in the Edna Valley AVA. And people complain about French labels?
Anyway, the wine was a bit closed, but with lovely purple fruit - no better way to describe it. The color of this wine was the most intense, bright, and lively of the tasting (both bottles). A great silky palate with a touch of juicy earth. I know that makes little sense, but that was my impression. Clearly not dank, funky earth, but fresh loamy stuff, perhaps with berries growing in it. Sweet oak and some pepper, the only wine with that classic Syrah hallmark, made this the hit of the tasting for me. I found it classic and impressive. Well done. I look forward to trying a Syrah in current release to see how it compares. Despite the confusing labelling and somewhat misleading information on their tech sheet, I found this wine compelling.
Beckmen Estate Syrah 2001, Santa Ynez Valley - I have always enjoyed the wines from this winery, and I looked forward to tasting a wine with some age. (Note, we drank a wonderful 2002 Marsanne from Beckmen over the Maine visit as well. It went beautifully with cashews). They focus almost exclusively on Rhone varieties and have planted seven clones of Syrah over 18 vineyard blocks. Their tech sheets do not go back to 2001, but the 2003 is 100% Syrah, aged in French oak, 40% new. They were certified biodynamic in 2006, bravo!
I found an iodine/tar nose at first that faded a bit, but remained throughout both bottles. The palate, however, was gorgeous, silky, and full of ripe, pretty fruit. Although the wine was clearly not consistent in flavor throughout, I found it lovely and delicious. The nose was off-putting for many tasters, but everyone loved the rest of the wine. I found the nose interesting and mildly distracting, it was not a wine I wanted to simply smell. The palate so grabbed me though that I chose to overlook the nose and enjoy the rest of the ride. Perhaps drinking this a year or two earlier might have mitigated the intense aromas.

J Ordonez Malaga Muscats

2009-07-02T09:49:00.000-06:00

Alois Kracher made some of the best dessert wines I have ever been lucky enough to taste. His passion led to fanatical devotion and an array of wines that sometimes made heads spin. The yearly pre-sell offer on the wines often ran more than ten pages and I recall having outrageous numbers of dessert wines available from one vintage. These were not all different grapes, they were sites within vineyards that developed differently, had varying levels of botrytis, etc. Normal humans could not discern major contrasts between the various offerings (until tasting them), but Alois could and believed them all to be worthy of their own individual expression. I often referred to him as a mad genius when trying to give customers a picture of the man behind the wine. Unfortunately, he died in late 2007. Fortunately for all of us, some of his wines are still available.

Beyond his eponymous label from Austria, he collaborated on two projects, one in California and one in Malaga, off the coast of Spain. While Mr. K Eiswein from Sine Qua Non in California can be impossible to find, and quite expensive (upwards of $150 for a 375ml bottle), his partnership with Jorge Ordonez created a trio of riveting wines that make for an unforgettable tour of Muscat de Alexandria. They are also more reasonably priced.

The wines are named after Jorge's father's company and come from the high in the mountains. They are all 100% Moscatel (Muscat). The soil is slate based and the vineyards are all farmed "using organic practices" but are not certified organic. While it is certainly a treat to have these glorious nectars pass your lips, it can be enough just to inhale their scents...for a while. I challenge anyone to smell and resist a taste.

Seleccion Especial #1 2006 - The vineyards are all at least 30 years old and are located at approximately 1,400 feet above sea level. The grapes are harvested late, but do not develop botrytis and are stainless steel fermented. The wine is clean and textural, with incredible juicy stone fruits leaping from the glass. It smelled to me of ripe and candied fruits at the same time. This one reminds me of non-fizzy, super concentrated Moscato d'Asti. It would make a fantastic match with fruit deserts and whipped cream. 375ml - $20-$25

Victoria #2 2005 - These grapes come from vines in excess of 50 years of age, located at 2,250 feet. Late harvest grapes are brought to the winery for drying, which concentrates the fruit, and are then stainless steel fermented. More residual sugar remains in this than the first. Creamier texture with wilder, more exotic fruits, especially peach, make this wine feel like some sort of reward for having lived a virtuous life. Fortunately for most of us, no proof of that is required to buy a bottle. Floral notes appear with more peach on the palate, the peach here is nearly animal wild and sauvage. Man, what a treat. Sleek and sexy, this wine gives me goosebumps. There is intensity, but also delicacy and finesse. If there is anything to complain about it might be that the finish seemed shorter than I wanted; however, part of that is simply being a rich wine, not a highly sugary one. I am still searching for more descriptors, maybe fruit cream and maple sugar, but more delicate than that sounds. This wine needs to come in bigger bottles! 375ml $40-$45

Victoria #2 2006 - The nose returned to the clean freshness of the Especial, but with a touch of clove added and a hint of nuttiness. Peach cream entices again. This appeared to have botrytis to me on the aroma with a darker, nearly golden color. Thick and unctuous, with a hint of sherry on the nose, the finish is all bright sunshine. With all of the thickness implied by the entry, the finish is amazingly fresh with sweet lemon extract mingling with apricot and baking spices, nutmeg(?). It is viscous but not cloying in the least. 375ml $39-$44

Old Vines #3 2005 - 80-100 year old vines constitute the showpiece bottling. They are located at 1,500 feet and the fruit is dried at the winery like the Victoria. This is fermented in new French oak. My notes here are less complete, perhaps due to my absolute infatuation with the Victoria #2's. More Sauterne like, but with less nut notes and more fruit essence, this wine is more 'standard' dessert style. Thick, rich and full in the mouth with more sugar and extract and general weight. It is delightful and cries out for creme brulee. The peach theme continues and this wine shows how old vines and oak can ratchet up the intensity level. This wine makes me smile. 375ml $65-$80

The Best Grenache On The Planet!?

2009-06-27T15:25:00.000-06:00

Grandiose pronouncements such as, 'vintage of the century' and 'best I've ever tasted', are often fueled by alcohol and a desire to silence other opinions. Lately it seems the next 'vintage of the century' rolls around a few years past the first. I admit, however, to being unable to think of much better Grenache (Garnacha) that's ever crossed my lips.

Chris Ringland who makes Three Rivers wine in Barossa, has a loyal cult-like following. He also consults on El Nido and Clio with Dan Phillips and Jorge Ordonez. Good luck finding any of those bottles. Bodegas Alto Moncayo also has the same three involved, plus my favorite little bargain Garnacha winery, Borsao. As you may have heard me mention before, Campo de Borja is the undisputed production area for bargain Garnacha. Now it also produces world class versions.

The earliest record of the wines I can locate in my Jorge material is 2002. The vineyards are scattered across three villages with mostly red clay soils, some are calcareous. The age of the vines ranges from 36-93 years old according to Jorge's fact sheets. I was under the impression that some of the vines were considerably over a century old.

As I mentioned in the post previous to this one, Garnacha (Grenache) possesses this intense, thick, fruity quality when harvested from old vines. It can seem ponderous on the palate, but just when you feel it may turn out to be sweet, and nearly liqueur-like, it brightens, focuses, and dries up enough to work with dinner. That litheness makes this a very interesting wine in that it offers so much pure hedonistic pleasure, yet appeals to fans of more elegant wines. I find Burgundy fanatics often roll their eyes when discussing Grenache, but when presented with these wines, they tip the glass back and quickly look for more. Cabernet drinkers do not often have the same reaction. Grenache seems too soft and silky for them. Exceptions abound, and I love to see people's faces when they try a true, old vine, full-throttled Grenache for the first time.

That being said, these wines can be difficult to locate and need some time in bottle to really shine. As far as food goes, grilled meats are best, with lamb, venison and ribs leading the charge for me. They work particularly well with fruit reduction sauces. Years ago, a venison dish with a blueberry sauce produced magic when paired with a Grenache I wish I could remember.

All of the wines are basket pressed to retain more of their inherently fruity nature.

Alto Moncayo Veraton 2006 - The baby of the bunch, this is generally lighter and more accessible early then the other two. However, it is still hedonistic and will grab your attention. Sorry to use the word again, but hedonism is the first word in my notes. Very solid effort, perhaps a bit clumsy, but it is endearing at the same time. The clumsiness reminded me of two teenagers in a backseat perhaps. not completely sure what they're doing but positive with every fiber of their being it is the right thing and it will be fantastic. Veraton is all earnestness, it is eager to please. The fruit is deep, lush, and very juicy with just a bit of the wild berry fruit mixed with some hint of earth that the French might call 'sauvage.' There is a whiff of cellar, not dank cellar, on the back end, now fading more into cedar closet (no mothballs). The cedar comes from the new oak - the wine was aged 17 months in new French and American wood. This is a great starter kit for this winery, if you hate it, don't bother spending any more money. If you're intrigued, take the next step, it will blow you away. Importer - Jorge Ordonez $25-$30

Alto Moncayo 2006 - Yes, classically Spanish, this wine is actually Alto Moncayo Alto Moncayo, but I'll address it as only one name. Generally older vines here, with the aging regime mimicking the Veraton. This, for me is where the action is; it offers more of everything than Veraton, but does not reach the expense of the Aquilon. I wrote 'Wow.' More polish here than with Veraton, it is silky smooth, soft yet with plenty of vim and vigor to keep it lively. Not quite a fully coiled spring, but there's plenty there to unfold with time. Quite extraordinary. My final note, "that's the one.' $40-$50

Aquilon 2005 - At a certain point, words become nearly pointless to describe luxury. The difference between a comfortable chair and an uncomfortable one is easy to describe. Even moving to a more comfortable version can be easily expressed, but when you reach two incredibly welcoming chairs, the difference is more of a feel and less subject to evaluation. This is the way I feel about this wine. It is monolithic, and shows more American oak on the nose and palate. I believe they are moving toward more French, but do not know the percentages. Clearly this is aged longer than the other two in wood, but, again, I have no information to confirm that. The wine is a bit tight, but the finish returns for wave after wave of flavor and aroma. Huge, but lifted, massive, but with some elegance, an elephant in ballet slippers perhaps? Or better, a dancing bear, tutu or not, your choice. It is an experience worth having, find a bottle, get 7 or 8 friends to chip in and enjoy. I have had this wine on two occasions now, and I simply enjoy the somewhat dumbfounded looks on faces after tasting. You have never tasted anything like this. As close as I can come would be some of the La Las from Cote Rotie by Guigal, La Landonne, La Turque, and La Mouline, but those go for more nearly three times the price of Aquilon. $135-$170

How can you not be intrigued by a wine produced from vines like this?!?!

Aquilon 2006 - This was a bit unfair perhaps. The wine is clearly young and showed more wood and even a primary caramel note on the palate from the oak. I actually thought the mid-palate and a hint of the finish showed more promise than the 2005, but it was hard to evaluate more accurately. Still, quite an experience. $135-$170

Spanish Reds from Jorge Ordonez - Part One

2009-06-25T12:43:00.000-06:00

I've been busy lately, sorry about nothing new to read. I promise to get some posts up this weekend to make up for it. My continued unemployed status (ending soon!) leads me to hunt for bargains; time and time again, I return to Jorge Ordonez Selections. These are mostly wines made in a fairly international style, with plenty of fruit, some occasional flashy oak, and offer fantastic value and availability. Now that's a winning combination!

Bodegas Atteca - The Juan Gil family and Jorge partnered to make this winery in Calatayud. Two wines are produced and they are both 100% Garnacha (Grenache). Jorge helps produce a number of the wines in his portfolio, perhaps helping to explain some core flavors found across wineries and appellations.

Garnacha del Fuego 2007 - This wine debuted with the 2005 vintage, as I recall. The distinctive fire (fuego) label makes for a great reminder of Garnacha's friendly ways with grilled meat. Although I have never found this wine riveting, the juice has always been tasty and people dig it. Perfect for a backyard BBQ with friends. The 2007 has the regular smoky note, from toasted oak, and the pepper is still there, but only on the finish; it makes quite a bold statement there though. In past vintages, the pepper began on the front of the palate and continued until the end. The fruit seemed a bit lighter than the previous two vintages, but the wine is still eminently gulpable. For the price, this is a serious bargain. $7-$8

Atteca 2007 - The older, more mature, more nuanced sibling of the Fuego. Also Garnacha, the fruit comes from 60-120 year old vines. The block that yields the oldest fruit, 80-120 years old, produces grapes at a mere 0.4 tons/acre. This is nearly unheard of, especially when you view the price. The oak, while clearly present, always seems a bit better integrated at this level than the Fuego. This is only the second vintage I have tasted. Pardon the somewhat cryptic statement, but I found the nose both bigger and more elegant than the Fuego. Let me explain. There was more substance to the nose, implying a deeper and more complex wine, at the same time there was restraint. The difference between someone in their mid-30's putting on cologne versus a 16 year-old nearly marinating in a more obvious style. The finish is longer with more intensity and more pepper. The phrase 'fruit bomb' springs to mind. The succulence and power of the wine reminds me of Zinfandel, but without as much alcohol and wild fruit. Old vine Garnacha sometimes creates incredibly rich, concentrated wines, but I do not find them crossing the line to near syrup as I do in too many Zinfandels. Well made old vine Garnacha appeals to hedonists and lovers of elegant Pinot Noir at the same time - a rarity. $14-$17.

Dominio de Eguren - Better known as Protocolo, the appellation is a bit confusing. The grapes come from La Mancha in the geographic middle of Spain, specifically the northeast corner of La Mancha, sometimes referred to as Manchuela to differentiate the higher quality produced there compared to the rest of La Mancha. However, the grapes are trucked to Sierra Cantabria, a fantastic winery located in Rioja, and vinified there. That is a most impressive facility for wine with so small a price. The appellation reads, Vino de la Tierra de la Manchuela. Since it is not vinified in La Mancha, or Manchuela, it can not bear that name, nor can it be called Rioja since the grapes are not from there. So it is essentially called wine from the earth from Manchuela.

Protocolo Blanco 2007 - Fresher is always better with this wine. The 2008 should be available soon if it is not already. The wine is stainless steel fermented and aged. Airen makes up the majority of the blend, a widely planted, fairly nondescript grape, with Viura, essentially Spain's answer to Sauvignon Blanc, being the remaining 10% or so. Although the wine is hardly a must have, collector's item, it becomes a perfect summer wine, versatile with so many foods, and very drinkable. When I tasted recently, all I could think of was having a clambake. $6-$8

Be sure to look for the Rose as well, always a screamin' deal. More on Roses as I see more 2008's.

Protocolo Tinto 2006 - I am wild about the 2006 Spanish reds. This was my house wine for a long time, because nothing else came close to pairing with a variety of foods at such a ridiculous price. This 100% Tempranillo wine spends a few months in 1-3 year old American barrels. Red fruit is the hallmark here, with a soft, easy drinkability. This vintage features some added spice, although I found it a bit leaner than some previous efforts. Still, it remains a remarkable value, and a good red to match with roast chicken and grilled fish. $6-$8

Codice Tinto 2005 - Also from Dominio de Eguren, this is their flagship wine. The price is higher, but so is the quality. I'm afraid this vintage may be close to gone, but 2006 should be exciting if perhaps a bit lighter than the 2005. This is also 100% Tempranillo and spends six months in barrels of the same age and provenance as Protocolo Tinto. I found the nose a bit shy, but the palate was full of raspberry and spicy, elegant tannin. The oak showed through mostly on the finish with hints of cedar, but was not a major component of the wine. I thought if you poured this blind with wines from Bordeaux from $15-$20 Codice could hold its own. I love the Bordeaux style, but find too many disappointing in the under $20 category, try this for about half that and see what you think. $8-$11

K Vintners/Charles Smith Wines

2009-06-11T06:21:00.000-06:00

Charles Smith began the production in 2001 and made a huge splash in the wine world almost immediately with his K Vintners selections, focusing on Syrah. These wines came at a relatively dear price from the start and there are so many to choose from in the Northwest it can be a bit overwhelming. Mr. Smith began his self-named line more recently and they arrive at much more reasonable prices. His distinct labels for both lines make lasting impressions, including a complaint from a retail customer who took offense at the following label when displayed three across.

I recently tasted three of his Charles Smith line and two from K Vintners at reasonable prices. His website is woefully short on details about the production of the wines, but I will provide what I can from the tasting.

Charles Smith Eve Chardonnay 2007 -

Produced from up to 30 year old vines, it is 100% Chardonnay but seemed like it might have had some lift from Viognier. Lots of pear on the nose and palate, the wine is clean, ripe, and round while remaining crisp and fresh. A very well done bottle of Chardonnay from the Columbia Valley. $12

K Vintners Viognier 2007 - From a single vineyard in the Columbia Valley, the wine is fermented in neutral oak. Peach, apricot and intense, juicy floral Viognier style without being too overwhelming as many can be. There is a lovely spice note as well, almost apple butter style, but not so thick as that implies. Well done. They have released the 2008, I have not tasted it yet. $20

Charles Smith The Velvet Devil Merlot 2007 -

"Bringing sexy back to Merlot", was the catchy line offered by the woman pouring wines that day. After tasting, I had to not only agree, but go one step further. They have also brought back drinkability to Merlot. I bought not one, but two bottles of this a few days after the tasting. It has been more than a decade since I bought a bottle of Merlot. Super sweet, juicy nose with oak, cherry, the cherry is black and offers a slight smoke nuance as well. This is good, and a good price too. Drinkable Merlot, I actually want more (see above). Love the name, the tag line and the label. $12

Chateau Smith Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 -
Columbia Valley fruit from two vineyards with 10% Malbec and 5% Cabernet Franc added to the base Cabernet. This appeared juicier than the Merlot, and actually lighter and less complex. I found it simple, but solid. The most generic label and the least interesting wine of the day. Perhaps if I had tasted it before the exotic Merlot? $20

K Vintners Milbrandt Syrah 2007 - This comes from the Wahluke Slope in the Columbia Valley. The vineyard faces south and consequently offers warm, round fruit. This vintage offered big, deep, dark fruit with some sweet, leather. The nose is enticing and inviting. On the palate the deepness continues and forward, hedonistic Syrah notes predominate. There are hints of pepper on the back, but the focus here is rich, round, fruit with enough weight to be serious, but not so much as to be considered a monster. $25

Overall, I was impressed by the restraint shown in these wines. I have found the K Vintner upper end Syrah production to be loaded with too much new oak for me, although I must admit I like them in spite of that and I have never tried an older vintage.

Miscellaneous Bargain Red Imports

2009-06-08T16:52:00.000-06:00

I recently stumbled across my notes from four red wines I bought a few months ago while looking for some new deals. Some were quite good and all come from nationwide importers, so should you have a mind to do so, you can find them.
Bodegas Piqueras Castillo de Almansa 2006 - 100% Garnacha Tintorera. Huh? Okay, I'll explain. Garnacha Tintorera is the local name in the southeast of Spain for Alicante Bouschet. Huh? Okay, here's more...Alicante Bouschet is a crossing of Grenache and Petit Bouschet (itself a crossing of Aramon and Teinturier du Cher - I promise to let this stop here). The term Teinturier (French for 'dyer') is used to refer to grapes with lots of color that can add tint to sometimes over-cropped, thinner-skinned grapes. Alicante Bouschet, or Garnacha Tintorera, is the only grape I can call to mind immediately that actually has red juice if you squeeze it. Needless to say, it could add color to less intense juice. According to Appellation America, "Alicante Bouschet hit its height of popularity in the United States, during Prohibition. Alicante Bouschet's vibrant red color allowed bootleggers to stretch it with water and sugar." So, are you thirsty yet?
The Piqueras family founded the estate in 1915 and produces this label for the U.S. market. The vineyard is just short of 2,000 feet in elevation and the wine is fermented and aged (six months) in only stainless steel. Okay, okay, okay...what about the taste? Frankly, I just wasted a bit of your time. Sorry. I found the story fascinating, but not the wine. It was prickly on the tongue, even the second day. It worked all right with sausage, but was no fun to drink. The color was a spectacular ruby/purple and the texture of the wine, prickle aside, was quite nice and relatively big. Time faded the spritz, but left tannin and meat flavors, mutton in particular. It is possible this was an isolated bottle issue, but my experience tells me that when the nearly spritzy prickle sensation appears in a wine the entire batch is likely damaged. Importer - Winebow $8-$10
Almira Los Dos "Old Vines" 2007 - From the northern Spanish appellation Campo de Borja, this wine is a blend of 85% Garnacha (Grenache) and 15% Syrah. The vines are 35-50 years old and the wine is vinified and aged (one month) entirely in stainless steel. Campo de Borja is the undisputed leader in Garnacha production in Spain, both for value and quality. The color here, as expected, is brighter and more ruby than the Piqueras. I found pure, juicy fruit, some black pepper and a friendly gulpability. It is both simple and simply delicious. The alcohol seemed a bit high on the nose, but a slight chill mostly took care of that. This is the classic nearly Beaujolais style of Garnacha, lovely, easy, and very drinkable. The 2nd day brought more wild fruit, beginning to move toward earth notes, but remained easy and tasty. In comparison to one of my other current favorites, Borsao, this is juicier and less structured; ideal for summer grilling because it can stand a bit of a chill. Importer - Winebow $7-$9
Alfredo Roca Pinot Noir 2007 - From San Rafael in the southern end of Mendoza, Argentina. Although the vineyard is lower in altitude than the family vineyards in the northern portion of Mendoza (1,300-1,600 versus 2,600) there is a corridor that allows important cooling breezes to descend from the Andes. They are fourth generation winemakers and clearly they have learned a few things. The grapes are hand harvested and the wine ages in oak, I assume French, for 8 months. It is 100% Pinot Noir. The wood does show fairly strong on the nose with a subtle sweet note (i.e. not heavily toasted); in the glass it is a lovely shade of raspberry red. Vanilla from the oak and bright red cherries soar out of the glass. A bass note from the oak gives a bit of heft to this light bodied wine. I say that in a respectful Pinot Noir way, rather than a wimpy way. The palate is balanced, showing more wood, but the wine is impressively Pinot Noir for the price. Easy access Pinot Noir, not Pinot trying to be Syrah; Hallelujah! Just the right thing for the nights you decide to get a roasted chicken at the store on the way home and want something to slurp that won't overwhelm the food. I think a slight chill here on a warm day would be nice. Quite a deal. Importer - Hand Picked Selections $10-$12
Domaine Font-Mars Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 - Font-Mars (soil of dinosaurs) is so named because of the fossils found in the area. The de Clock family, originally Dutch, arrived in Bordeaux in 1679. A mere seven years later, King Louis XIV made Jean officially French due to the quality of his wines. From the south of France, in the heart of Languedoc, strangely near the white wine producing area of Picpoul, comes this Cabernet Sauvignon. I usually find Cabernet from this area to be mass produced for the export market and consequently vapid. Couple this with the presence of two T-Rexes holding a coat of arms on the label and I was decidedly skeptical. The color was a pretty red, with slight earth and slight leaf and green hints on the nose. This is not an unripe bell pepper note, but a classic Cabernet trait not seen often in wines from California. Some fresh pepper on the nose leads to a palate that was a bit tight due to acid not tannin, but I found it well done. Fortunately for me, this was not made in an international style. A slight tar note appears on the back end. Great, bright red acid on the nose offers an interesting balance with the tar, which I quite like. With a bit of time in the glass (10 minutes or so) the finish fleshed out nicely. Deeper fruit, not quite plum, also came with air. I like this wine, but it is not for people who want the intensity of Napa Cab. Think chicken, pork, red sauces, especially a Bolognese. I recall raving about this as a substitute for Chianti since that wine nearly always disappoints for the same price. Importer - Weygandt-Metzler $10-$14

Basel Cellars

2009-06-05T06:38:00.000-06:00

Do the words "Wine Country Resort" make you salivate to visit yet cringe at the thought of either buying luxury wines that offer standard quality or, worse, clearly substandard wines that sell only because of the location. Banish that thought. This is a winery, first and foremost, and a producer of relatively value-oriented but high quality wine. The somewhat lackluster mention of value comes with the reminder that we are discussing the Northwest in general, and Walla Walla in particular. Forget about screaming deals like $8 Grenache, but I find that Basel Cellars offers excellent bang for the buck compared to many of their neighbors.
Their estate vineyards were planted in 1997 and production began with the harvest of 2002. Although I have not visited, the grounds look fantastic and guestrooms are available. One of my biggest regrets from my all too brief stay in Portland was that I never made it to Walla Walla. Although I find too much extraction, expense, and oak, for my palate, all too often from that part of the world, there are some gems available.
All things point to this winery being a vanity project. A huge estate with guest rooms designed to host large events coupled with the face of the winery sharing the name of the estate and having no other history in the wine business, yet crafting the wines. Justin Basel grew up around the vines on the estate, appears to have no other experience, other than "education" on his bio, but clearly has a good hand in the cellar.
Notes are from a tasting in early March in Portland, Oregon.
Forget-Me-Not 2007 - Made from 75% Sauvignon Blanc with the balance being Semillon; the wine spends one month in new French oak before returning to stainless steel. Partial Malolactic fermentation follows; the difference between this and their Sauvignon Blanc (same blend) may be sourcing, but the Sauvignon Blanc sees no new oak. I found decent weight, with lots of Sauvignon Blanc character on the back end. The wine is very dry on the finish and proved to be tasty but not riveting. I prefer their Sauvignon Blanc, but would be happy to drink this if you bring a bottle. Even the short time in new oak makes a difference in pairing; this would be delightful with shrimp, or some baked Dover Sole stuffed with crabmeat, or paneed pork chop with lemon and capers. $18
Claret 2006 - It is a rare occurrence indeed when a winery's flagship wine offers consistent quality, enough production that you can find it (and get what you want), and a very reasonable price for the quality. I loved the 2004 vintage, thought the 2005 was perhaps a bit light for the tannin level, but had confidence that it would come around with patience. The 2006, however, blew me away. The wine is round and juicy with a remarkable feel, and taste, reminiscent of Pauillac for twice the price. There is spicy tannin and deep structured fruit but the wine is not overdone. It is made, mostly, from press juice, not free run, with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah and spent 18 months in American and French oak. I found it fantastic and want more, I'm down to my last bottle. If you can get hold of this buy at least one bottle immediately. Okay to drink now, but it will last for three more years. The perfect match may be lamb, but I see this with some sopressata and manchego before dinner or with hamburgers topped with swiss and bacon (grilled Portobellos for you non-meat types). $20
Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 - This is 100% Cabernet from the estate Pheasant Run Vineyard. Aging is in 100% new oak, 68% of which is French the rest is American. The new oak gives this a deep, lush aroma and feel but does not dominate the fruit. In fact, I would never have guessed it to be 100% new oak. I assume this to be all free run juice which would help explain the balance. Deep plum notes, nearly currant level of intensity, with tannin on the tongue. To me, tannin on the tongue is fruit tannin which will integrate wonderfully with some time in bottle, while the more intense tannin on the sides of the mouth, especially near the molars, is wood tannin which is harder to integrate and rougher. Though the tannin in this Cabernet is noticeable, it is not rough anywhere in the mouth and, while I like the Claret more right now, this will be a gem in another year or two and should last for four to six years. I envision this as a great match to red meat with port and mushroom sauce. $36
Syrah 2005 - Some quick stats, 100% French oak, 18% new, 100% Syrah from Pheasant Run (74%) and Lewis Vineyard (24%). Deep, dark fruit on the nose with a hint of smokiness leads to a mid-palate that seemed a bit flat, but the finish intensified dramatically with spicy tannin. There was no real pepper to note, just a hint of black on the finish mingling with other spice. This is not a sipping wine, but it will perform wonderfully with all manner of grilled meats. I can see this being a great match with strip steak, sausages (not spicy though, could be too much on the finish), and ribs, ribs, ribs! $28
Basel Cellars is growing and may be coming soon to a city near you. Yay!

Chateau Montelena - Estate Cabernet, Mini-Vertical

2009-06-02T06:44:00.001-06:00

Montelena Estate Cabernet is perhaps the best produced in California. I think the wine could hold its own with Bordeaux that sells for much more money. I find generous fruit and lush mouthfeel as one would expect from Napa Valley, but I also find terroir, something unique to the estate. Part of that uniqueness comes from Brettanomyces (or Brett) an organism that can ruin wine or add complexity. Brett can add tobacco and earth to the fruit aromas but can also make a wine stink of old, tired, rotten fruit or manure. It will not make you sick, but you are unlikely to enjoy the wine if Brett has taken over. Wineries all over the world have Brett present in their cellars, and therefore their wine, but most of the time it remains under control. Bo Barret is aware of the presence and monitors it carefully at the Chateau. A debate raged years ago over some Montelena wines where Brett supposedly dominated the fruit. I hesitated to bring this up at all, and I have never had a spoiled (or even corked) Chateau Montelena wine. As I found myself tasting earth, leather, and cellar in one of the wines though, it seemed appropriate to mention.

The wines are presented in the order they appeared that night. The Cabernets were decanted and open about an hour before we sat down. Montelena blends Merlot and/or Cabernet Franc into their Estate Cabernet in various proportions. I recall them publishing the exact breakdowns at some point, but could only find two blends in my records. The 2005 has a mere 2% Cabernet Franc with 98% Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2000, strikingly, contains 21% Merlot and no Cabernet Franc.

Estate Cabernet 1999 - Brian Baker made the case that each of the older wines represented a strong microcosm of their respective vintages - as one would hope and expect from a winery that does not make formulaic wines. 1999, he pointed out, was a cool year for the most part with a heat spike in September. I found no edge on the wine despite being nearly ten years old, and the core is still completely opaque. I smell leather, cellar and a hint of bricky fruit but the strongest component is clearly the bright, juicy fruit still present. The leather and cellar notes were clear, pure and pretty with no funky edge that sometimes comes with those descriptors. Clay, reminiscent of right bank Bordeaux, also peeked out from time to time. The tannin became more evident but even as it emerged the wine remained lovely. From my notes, "Damn, that bright fruit is still there." I found this wine riveting, and my favorite of the night. If I had some in my cellar, I would drink it in the next year or two. Although it will clearly last for another seven to ten years, I find the tertiary flavors and aromas of earth, etc. too perfect right now while the fruit still shines. This wants a big slab of meat, I'm thinking flank steak. $175

Estate Cabernet 2000 - Brian Baker reminded us about 2000 being an El Nino vintage. There were frost issues on the early side, a long, cool growing season, some heat spikes, and a two month harvest at the estate. Many people avoided the vintage from California due to lack of critical excitement. The classic complaint focused on their ageability. Here we are, nine years later and while the wine showed slightly lighter than the 1999, it proved delicious. More pure fruit showed in the 2000 than the 1999, juicier and lusher on the nose; round, juicy and nearly lip-smacking on the palate, perhaps due to the round middle Merlot provides. Each sip brought a slightly goofy smile to my lips, a welcome result. I do not often focus on very specific fruit, but red plum jumped at me, perhaps a berry note as well. Wow, this is so lush and approachable. Clearly some tannin there, but very fine and very mild. This is a really tasty bottle of wine. Simpler, somewhat lighter food would work beautifully here, roasted pork loin with some herbs de Provence anyone? Perhaps prime rib? $140

Estate Cabernet 2001 - A tough start to the vintage with rain, frost and then excessive heat during flowering led to a small crop. The rest of the vintage progressed well, with a long harvest again. I found this wine more high toned than either the bass notes of the 1999 or the luscious middle sweet spot of the 2000. Although the wine showed some roundness, it also proved lighter and tighter than the two previous wines. The middle and most of the finish showed some silkiness and elegance. Much more complexity here than in the 2000, with the trade being the loss of the sheer gulpability. Lovely, bright, red fruit on the finish stops short of blooming or bursting forth as it likely will with a few more years of age. I found the 2001 just a bit tight, but clearly with the right ingredients to emerge and shine in the future. I would wait on this, but if you want to drink it, try it with a nicely fatty piece of red meat to help balance the tannin. Rib-eye comes to mind. $150

Estate Cabernet 2005 - "A perfect growing season", according to Brian Baker. Again I found plum in the glass, but darker than the 2000. The wine is rich, lush, complex, intense, and a bit raw. Not unbalanced, just unpolished due to its youth. This is the current release. The integration of all the parts is nearly complete enough to be tempting to open a bottle now, but I know time will serve it well. Directly from my notes, "Wow, damn! Fireworks, fantastic." The wine is a bit enigmatic in that I clearly could not access all of its subtlety and nuance yet, but so much leapt out and happily assaulted the senses it gave the illusion of being ready to go. $135

The older vintages here will be available through the winery and fine retail soon as a six-pack, two bottles each. Would I buy one? Not at the moment, but I'm unemployed. I would think seriously about it because the wines are magical and essentially ready to drink after being aged in perfection at the winery.
Final word, were they worth it? Did I buy any? Yes I did; I purchased two bottles of the 2005. Unemployed or not, that wine is fantastic, one of the best I have ever tasted from Chateau Montelena. By the way, they were on sale that night for a lot less than the list price and I also had a discount coupon from the tasting.

Chateau Montelena - A Rare Treat

2009-06-01T09:31:00.000-06:00

Last week found me at Martin Wine Cellar for an impressive lineup of wines from the famous Chateau Montelena. The room was full, as it should have been. Beyond the fact that they have produced riveting Cabernet in Calistoga for nearly 40 years, they were the subject of the recent movie 'Bottle Shock.' This somewhat sensationalized version of Montelena's story as it relates to the Paris tasting in 1976 exposed the winery to new eyes. My history with the winery dates back nearly two decades and includes some impressive vertical tastings of the estate Cabernet.
There are precious few high end California wines I believe are worth the price. Overmanipulation, lack of depth, and an absence of a sense of place are just some of the issues I find all too regularly in luxury wines from the land of "The Governator." Montelena, however, always offered a fair amount of value, all things considered, but it has been a while since I tasted the Estate Cabernet.
Brian Baker, VP of Sales and Marketing for Montelena, was our energetic, informative, and thoroughly engaging master of ceremonies. He offered some tidbits of history, which I will pass along as accurately as possible.
Alfred Tubbs had the chateau built in 1882 after returning from a visit to Bordeaux. Mr. Tubbs sold supplies to gold rushers, making money more than most of his customers. His family ran the estate until prohibition and then resumed growing grapes, when the law allowed, until they sold it the the Franks in 1958. Yort Frank created his wealth by being the first television repairman in the San Francisco area. The modern incarnation of Chateau Montelena began when Jim Barrett purchased the estate in 1972. His 1973 Chardonnay changed the wine world forever by beating many French wines in a blind tasting. For more on that event, see the movie, or better yet, read George Taber's book, "Judgement of Paris."
Potter Valley Riesling 2007 - From high altitude in Mendocino the wine offers bright pear and melon (honeydew?) fruit with a juicy, succulent, but not too sweet palate. Persistent length and a nice mingling of fruit and dryness make this a potentially very good food wine. I found myself wanting a bit more depth and/or complexity, but the wine was thoroughly enjoyable. $19-$22
Napa Valley Chardonnay 2007 - The fruit for this wine comes from just north of the town of Napa, well south of the estate. Montelena opts out of malolactic fermentation for their Chardonnay retaining crisp acid to balance the full, rich, California fruit. I smell oak with a mild toast accent and just a hint of nuttiness on the nose. The fruit here is clearly sweet, not sugary but on the opposite end of the spectrum from citrus. On the palate, I found red and green apples with a creamy texture; oak returns on the finish but the wine remains fresh and inviting. $47-$50
Estate Zinfandel 2005 - Zinfandel is a challenging wine. Despite being a near polar opposite in texture and feel from Pinot Noir, both wines require some knowledge of the winery's style or you may be unpleasantly surprised once the cork is removed. Is it Turley style: huge, thick, high alcohol, nearly sweet? Or is it more claret (British term for Bordeaux) style: red fruit dominant, drier, more food friendly? Montelena follows the more traditional route of drier, claret-like, Zinfandel. I must admit that while I generally prefer this style of Zin, I have never been a big fan of Montelena's version. Juicy fruit and cedar on the nose leads to oodles of red fruit; the wine is clearly reminiscent of Cabernet but is not overly structured. Cherry, leather and some dusty cocoa on the finish eventually opened up a bit more to show hints of blueberry. Overall, I enjoyed the wine, but had the same reaction as I have for years. I find Montelena's Zin lacking some intensity. I would be perfectly happy with this wine and some lamb or rabbit, but I can not recall ever buying a bottle. $28-$30
Estate Cabernet notes in the next post.

Four Red Burgundies from 2005

2009-05-14T07:39:00.000-06:00

I promise to move on from Pinot Noir for a while after this. There are still a few 2005 Burgundies floating around the New Orleans area and I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to taste three from Louis Jadot and one from Domaine Newman.

I find the whites from Jadot, especially the upper end selections, unexciting and a bit rough around the edges. Reds offer much more pleasure even though they sometimes exhibit more tannin and structure than the fruit can support, at least in their youth.

Chris Newman, an American, lives in Beaune and returns home to New Orleans regularly for an extended stay around Mardi Gras. For years, his wines suffered from inconsistency, but lately they are much more enjoyable and reliable. He produces some of the best value Grand Cru Burgundy on the planet. Those of us who know him, smiled more naturally when tasting over the last five or six years and cheer him on for future success.

2005 received lots of hype as yet another 'vintage of the century.' Portland, Oregon worships local first and the Burgundy presence there dims in comparison to Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Tasting a few 2005's with a bit of time in bottle was a nice treat. I found the 2003 vintage a bit overdone, huge amounts of fruit, and tannin too - perhaps too much. The balance of the 2002 reds appealed to me, and I think the 2005's offer more of the same, although they are generally bigger and may not age as well.

Jadot Savigny-Les-Beaune Guettes 2005 - Savigny, from the southern half of Burgundy, shows plush fruit in general, medium-body, and early accessibility. It is one of my favorite villages in the Cote d'Or for those factors and good value, although value and Burgundy rarely go hand in hand anymore. The 2005 from Jadot featured pretty, juicy, red fruit as one should expect from Savigny. Hints of deeper complexity exist, but the showpiece here is clearly the bright fruit. Guettes is a Premier Cru vineyard site and I find those wines slightly darker than other Savignys with more weight, muscle, and earth tones; the Jadot fit these to a tee. Not riveting, but well done. Importer - Kobrand $35-$40

Jadot Nuits-St-George 2005 - This village in the northern half of Burgundy often is considered to be one of the biggest, chewiest styles around. This version is full of attention getting grip and tannin, but good fruit balances it nicely. The palate is lively and I find this to be a textbook example of Nuits profile; again, well done but not riveting. However, if you ever wondered what Nuits gives you that other villages don't, try this and the Savigny, you will understand well. $36-$42

Jadot Gevrey Chambertin 2005 - The wines from Gevrey can be big and intense or more silky and supple. Unfortunately you must know the producer, true with Pinot Noir in general and Burgundy especially, to have a good idea of style before opening. This bottling toed the line between the extremes. Earth showed up on the nose, with a hint of tar. The fruit makes enough of a statement that balance became a word I repeated again and again. Clearly the most compelling Jadot of the day. Bravo. $37-$44

Domaine Newman Beaune Clos des Avaux 2005 - More often than not the wines emanating from the village of Beaune have very minerally palates and I find them challenging. The fruit tends toward the lighter, red berry end of the spectrum but the intense mineral structure sometimes makes them taste metallic to me. That being said, when they are good, they are lots of fun. This is the best Avaux from Newman yet. The fruit dances on the tongue and the minerality appears as a spice accent rather than a tongue drying grip. The sheer naturalness of the wine appealed to me more than anything else and I found myself wishing for a bottle, a roast chicken, some friends, and a quiet spot in a park. Delicious. Importer - Various, Wines Unlimited in Louisiana. $45-$55

Another 1998 St. Innocent Pinot Noir

2009-05-12T16:33:00.000-06:00

I purchased a bottle of this from a friendly retailer in Oregon and brought it back to New Orleans to offer to friends at a regular weekly gathering of wine geeks at one of my favorite restaurants in town. Clancy's is located way uptown, off the streetcar route, but plenty of tourists still vie with locals for treasured reservations. The kitchen works magic with seafood, especially crab, both lump meat and soft-shell, and I can not resist their sweetbreads. Veal is another specialty and the pork chops could change your life.

A recent lunch seemed like the perfect excuse to bring an aged bottle from a good vintage to the group, which includes the owner, since everyone loves Pinot Noir. Older Oregon Pinot Noir is still not all that well understood by many, myself included.

I had the opportunity to taste a number of 1998 Oregon Pinots last year, in particular some St. Innocents (see October 11 and 12, 2008 posts). The two St. Innocents from last year left very different impressions on me; one amazed and entertained, the other underwhelmed. The Brick House Vineyard that I brought to Clancy's fell somewhere in the middle. It had more lively fruit than the Freedom Hill but not as much pretty intrigue as the Shea. Here are my notes for the St. Innocent Brick House Vineyard Pinot Noir 1998.

Earthy nose, maybe even iodiny (that faded with 15-20 minutes open) but good old fruit too. The fruit emerged more and more in the first 45 minutes open, but never fully blossomed. The palate was all earth, spice and that bricky, dried fruit found in many wines with age. The wine was lovely, although not so pretty as it was meaty. With more time, the earth eventually overwhelmed the fruit but the wine remained lively on the palate. Overall, a solid wine, well worth the wait, but I would drink it soon if you happen to have any.

Yet More 2007 Oregon Pinot Noir

2009-05-05T18:54:00.000-06:00

Last one on this subject for a little while as I find locating these wines in New Orleans to be challenging. It will not be the end as more of the serious versions are yet to be released.

I find myself excited about the wines as I continue my exploration, but fear that they will come off too light for many palates. That should not be viewed as a flaw of the vintage so much as a flaw in people's perceptions of Pinot Noir. I imagine many consumers tasting and wondering where the stuffing is, because I have witnessed it time and again. I admit to similar reactions to wines from time to time, including Pinot Noir.

We are mostly trained to expect more brawn, more beef and more general oomph as we spend more money on wine. The $25 bottle should be bigger and more intense in the mouth than the $15 bottle. That is an unfortunate result of some cult wines and, in my opinion, flawed winemaking. Squeezing every massive, opaquely colored drop out of the grapes can result in a terrifically concentrated wine, but it can also result in horribly out of balance wine. This can, and does, happen with nearly every red grape on the planet from time to time. Pinot noir is a regular victim because due to the price charged for most versions of the grape, people expect a certain amount of power in the bottle.

We're trained in restaurants the same way. What's the least expensive item on the menu (more often than not)? Chicken. Lighter, less complex, less interesting on some level. The most expensive item? Beef. Bigger, brawnier, meatier and more intense, regardless of the sauce. Chicken can become big and rich, but often only in sacrificing its 'chickenness.' Pinot Noir is the same way, when manipulated with excessive extraction, lots of new, toasty oak and sometimes even some other (darker) grapes it loses its inherent delicacy, finesse and nuance.

I am no apologist for Pinot Noir in the same way I wouldn't dream of apologizing for an acoustic band playing ragtime. If you don't like that music, move on to something else, don't keep going to listen to them live and complaining they don't sound like Led Zeppelin.

Okay, enough of that...bring on the wine.

Broadley Vineyards Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2007 - A veteran producer in the valley for over 20 years. I have found their wines to be well balanced, with a moderate oak influence, and the few older versions I have tried have at least been intriguing. The 2007 Willamette Valley has a subtle nose, pretty, vibrant color and a lovely palate. There is good, fine tannin on the finish. Pure Oregon Pinot Noir, cherry, subtle earth notes (found consistently in their wines), and bright acidity. The 2007 fairly dances on the tongue with just the right balance of fruit and earth. Delicious. Wait another six months or so and the nose should open up nicely. $20 - a relative steal! More from this producer later.

Kings Ridge Pinot Noir 2007 - Ryan Harms has worked at Rex Hill, Bergstrom and Torii Mor while his vineyard manager, George Hillberry is a second generation member of a vineyard owning family. The fruit is mostly Willamette Valley with about a third from Umpqua Valley and there is less than 20% new French oak used for aging. This is their third release of Pinot Noir; however, I must admit to ignorance until now. Smoky deep cherry fruit on the nose, very ripe, and nearly sweet. The palate is round, soft and juicy with more smoke notes. Although the wine is a tad simple it has good body and proper acid with no noticeable tannin and for a mere $16 a bottle it is a ridiculous bargain; no, that's not strong enough, I felt like I stole the bottle for $16 less 10% for buying a mixed case along with it. Tasty and well done. This is easy access Pinot and may even satisfy those who want the deeper, bigger style, although, I also found myself quite pleased with it and I prefer the lighter style generally. You will neither confuse this with Syrah, nor water. They made 13,000 cases, so you should be able to locate some. By the way, kudos to the winery on the website, they actually have real information about making their wine and names and phone numbers of distributors around the country. Thank you!

Adelsheim Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2007 - While in Oregon I had the distinct pleasure of being able to spend considerable time with David Adelsheim. He is not only a thoroughly engaging, passionate wine man but his attention to detail with everyday things shows his level of care for wines bearing his name. I have always enjoyed his reds, but found the whites more intriguing, unique, and (sorry David) better values. He produces one of the best Pinot Noir Roses I have ever had the pleasure to taste...well, truth be told, we actually were drinking it, quite a few bottles as I vaguely recall. However, he and Dave Paige, the winemaker since 2001, hit a home run with the 2007 vintage. I think it may be the best Adelsheim Willamette Valley Pinot Noir I've ever had. 75% of the grapes come from the estate vineyards in the Chehalem Mountains, the remaining 25% come from various Willamette Valley locations, hence the designation. The color is vibrant, strawberry at the edge, it is nearly a Gamay color - consistent through the glass. Deep cherry resonates on the nose with just a hint of earth tones. The earth note is that enticing, come hither, loamy kind of earth, not funky or mushroomy. The wine is on the light side. although I often find this bottling to be that way, but with great focus. The nose is a bit raw, but the wine was just opened, and not quite together. The fruit is beautiful, juicy, correct and very Pinot noir. Juicy, even succulent, Bing cherry appears on the mid-palate. More strawberry notes on the back end, quite lovely. It is a tad short now, but clearly all there, give it some time - at least 6 months and up to 5 or 6 years. The next day things came together nicely which led me to claim this as the best Adelsheim Willamette Valley Pinot I have tasted. $30-$34.

Jazz Fest and Wine

2009-05-04T15:38:00.000-06:00

For my money, the food at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is nearly as important as the music. If all they served was the usual hot dogs, hamburgers, nachos with melted plastic 'cheez' on them, etc. I would spend less time at the Fairgrounds. I guess I would spend less money as well, but I'm not willing to trade. However, the alcoholic beverage options do not even approach the level of quality offered by the food purveyors.

The beer choices have always been suspect, although they did add Pilsner Urquell on draft a handful of years ago. When Foster's is the highlight beer available all over the festival, for $5 a can, it clearly tells you, like a bad chain restaurant, that much less attention is paid to the liquid than the food. I missed the last two Jazz Fests (talk about withdrawal) while living in Oregon, but happily returned this year for all seven days.

During my absence, a few beverage choices were added - daiquiris and yes, even wine. I saw a sign, "Wine and Champagne", and could hardly believe my eyes. I knew better than to get too excited, but was curious to see the options. Ugh. Sutter Home Pinot Grigio and Merlot in plastic 187ml bottles. For $6. The 'Champagne'? Coppola Sophia in the 187ml can. I find that too sweet for me, but hey, that could be fun outside on a warm day. Except for the fact that they were charging $9 a can. Apparently it helped get Mr. Coppola out to the Fest though. I saw him headed into the Gospel Tent over the first weekend.

I don't expect a 50 glass wine bar, nor would I drink red wine for the most part (as it is almost always over 80 degrees outside in New Orleans this time of year), and glass at the Festival is dangerous, but I continue to be amazed how weak the beverage choices remain while the food is the best festival food anywhere.

Still tired, a bit overwhelmed, but happy and sated and waiting for next year already.

More Pinot Noir 2007 from Oregon coming next.

More 2007 Oregon Pinot Noir

2009-04-25T06:45:00.001-06:00

Pinot Noir gets in the blood. If you drink a good bottle of Pinot when it shows all it has to offer and the wine evolves and intrigues all the way through the bottle, it is nearly impossible not to get hooked. However, trying to find Pinots in this state drives many away since it is the most mercurial wine around. While it could be said that every bottle of 'real wine' (not that formulaic, over-manipulated plonk which has more in common with soda than a product of the vine) is like a snowflake (no two are alike) I defy most people to tell the difference. A slight variation in fill level, tasting two bottles a week or two apart, having bottles from different storage conditions, and perhaps even the difference from the top of the barrel to the bottom, lead to potentially perceptible differences...good luck finding them. Pinot Noir seems to change at the drop of the hat. Deciding when to drink prized bottles of Pinot dominates conversation in certain circles, more so than discussions of when to drink any other style of wine.

While Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, etc. change, evolve, and go through phases, I do not find that their true character ever becomes as muted and hard to find in the glass as Pinot's can. There is no better grape to describe as lightning in the bottle. Perhaps because it is a more delicate grape to begin with its 'dumb' periods are so much more noticeable. Whatever the reason, more than a few people have finally thrown their hands up and quit buying Pinot Noir. If a band you really like plays a bad show do you throw away their CD's? Do you move their songs to trash in your iPod? Of course not. The finicky, flighty, fascinating grape's rewards are worth the risk of occasional disappointing lows.

I find that most Pinot Noirs drink well upon release and for the first six months or so after. That can change based on how long the wine rested in the winery. After that, more serious versions tend to go into a quiet stage. That can last for a year or more before the moping ends and the wine is ready to be social and engaging once more. Go to tastings, talk to others about what drinks well now. Don't be afraid to decant young Pinot Noir; let it breathe and have a back up bottle handy if the wine of choice is closed up like a sullen teen. Don't throw it away, try it a day or two later...you may be pleasantly surprised.

Some more 2007's...

Evesham Wood Eola-Amity Hills 2007 - One of my favorite producers. They make subtle Pinot, medium-bodied but full-flavored. Earth, forest floor and good fruit mingle in their wines with a delicacy I do not often associate with this appellation. I tasted this and fell in love immediately. With all apologies to Oregon, this wine took me to the magic place of Burgundy, specifically villages level Savigny-Les-Beaune. I bought four bottles and wish I had more. that being said, the last taste I had was a bit odd, nearly fishy on the nose and closed. The palate-feel was good, but the wine showed little and appeared a bit gritty on the finish. I think it was a phase, and I will taste another bottle tonight...perhaps with a grilled ham and swiss after a long day at Jazz Fest. The bottle from last night was improved, but still a bit mute on the nose. At least the oddness was not in evidence. Dusty, red cherries, like a country road on a warm spring day, dominate the palate and the finish lingers nicely. the lively snap of acidity I found initially (in the fall) has softened and is broader and more welcoming because of it. Still wish I had more... $18-$20

Illahe Willamette Valley 2007 - According to their website, "Illahe is a Chinook Jargon word meaning 'earth', 'land', or 'soil'." I have little experience with the winery and was pleased to see it included in a recent 2007 Pinot tasting I attended. The winery is in Dallas, OR, due east of Salem; the Eola-Amity AVA is the closest. Although the winery was not established until 2000, the vines were planted in 1983, relatively ancient by Oregon standards. Aromas of oak were more obvious here than with any other wine that night. I found a hint of 'marks-a-lot' pen too...but just a hint, and in a good way if that even sounds remotely possible. Of course, I used to sniff mimeograph sheets in grade school. Deep, dark fruit, impressively so for 2007, but it does not appear manipulated. The wine is huge, in fact, by 2007 standards. I don't love it, but it is a tasty bottle of wine for slurping, on the porch or at the table, at a reasonable price. $20

Quercus Winery Harmonia Willamette Valley 2007 - Michael Beckley moved to Oregon from California and worked in the cellar at Domain Drouhin and then at Erath before striking out on his own. He consults for other wineries but there is a rumor he is getting out of the business. That's a shame. I enjoyed the two previous vintages quite a bit, but this 2007 appears to be his masterpiece. Quercus is the genus of oak used to make barrels, but you won't find any heavy wood usage here. Pretty red color, with some smoke and some cherry, I found the aroma not quite closed, but seeming to have even more than it showed, which was substantial. There was a clove note on the finish (not my favorite, but it worked here) with good acid and some fresh earth that arrived with time open. For fans of lighter style Pinot Noir, this wine is delicious! As I sipped my way through a second glass, I found impressively round, juicy fruit, nearly creamy. Wish I'd bought more... $20-$23

2007 Oregon Pinot Noir

2009-04-23T08:10:00.000-06:00

First, let me be clear about the 2007 vintage. There are issues for many reds, especially in the Willamette Valley, in particular Pinot Noir. The growing season was relatively cool and rain arrived during harvest for many. According to Ken Wright, it was the rainiest harvest he remembered (although 1984 could have been worse according to him). The unfortunate 1995 vintage is second, but 5+ inches of rain fell during harvest in 2007, more than twice the amount in 1995. Trucks were dripping juice as they drove down the road, grapes released juice with tiny amounts of pressure. There was a lot of rose made in 2007. However, the weather stayed cool and rot did not become epidemic (although at least one producer I spoke with said he lost 15-20% of his harvest at the sorting table due to rot issues). Ken Wright says, "2007 was the most challenging vintage we've ever had." However, he ended up pleased with the wines. Experience, more mature vines, and better technology helped make the vintage viable for all concerned.

The following quotes are taken from an Oregon Wine Press article by Hillary Berg, Dec. 2007 - David Paige (winemaker Adelsheim) says, "there are a lot of pretty wines." Eric Hamacher says, "I am thrilled with the wines...it was a vintage about elegance."

I will reiterate my joy about the purity of the fruit, elegance of the wines, and potential expression of terroir, at the same time that I will admit that I would not want a cellar full of 2007 Oregon Pinot Noirs exclusively. They tend to the lighter side, but I have found plenty of ripe fruit and beautiful acids in my exploration so far. I do not find any heady alcohol as I did in many wines from 2006 and 2003 nor do I wonder whether any of these wines have Syrah in them as I did with many wines from the same vintages.

A quick aside: Not too long ago, I tasted a 2006 Joe Dobbes Pinot Noir (a reserve of some sort) that retailed around $50. My notes? "This is a great $15 bottle of Syrah."

So, If you love the big, extracted, monster styles of Pinot Noir avoid the 2007 vintage. Try some, you may get lucky, but I doubt it. However, if you love Pinot Noir for red fruit, acidity, and versatility with food, you will likely fall in love with the vintage.

That being said, there will be some suspect examples of Pinot Noir since some winemakers will not know how to handle the vintage or may have been unwilling to sacrifice dubious juice to make the wine better Stay tuned for plenty of Oregon Pinot Noir reviews here and further thoughts about the vintage.

Patricia Green writes that 6% of the vintage was sold off in bulk, compared to 2006 where all of the fruit was retained. She also writes, "[t]here is an extreme level of purity in these wines." I love pure fruit, ripe, intense, a bit like biting into a fruit 'Jelly Belly' jellybean selected with closed eyes, there is no mistaking the flavor. I love their description of why vintages like 2007 show more terroir than other, bigger, riper, vintages. "Sometimes though the vintage is so dominant that these subtle differences [between appellations/vineyard sites] can be obscured or dumbed down."

The winery produced a very inexpensive 2007 Pinot Noir $13.50-$14.95/bottle - It was under a second label, Dollar Bills Only. It was nearly translucent, and a bit bitter on the back end, but had a nice touch of earth and reminded me of a simple Bourgogne Rouge. There was a bit of spice on the back end. Overall, I found it a bit inelegant, but for the price it is fairly solid.

Matello 2007 - Marcus Goodfellow used to wait tables. He has quickly staked out a soft spot in many Pinot Noir fans' hearts. Little use of new oak, indigenous yeast fermentation and good sourcing contribute to that success. I found his 2005's to be riveting and all the more impressive since he has only been at this for a few years. His 2006's displayed amazing balance, remaining lithe and seemingly able to leap tall buildings at a single bound despite the general weight of the vintage. Alas, total production is about 500 cases, so good luck finding it outside of Oregon. (Hello out there, I'll need care packages on a regular basis here in New Orleans). A bit cloudy in the glass, but no worries there. Light, pretty fruit with an 'mmmmmm' inducing creamy mid-palate. The lovely, red cherry fruit is lifted by fresh acidity; fine tannin on the back end keeps the wine focused. The finish is persistent and thoroughly enjoyable. I find this wine darn tasty. $20

Brick House Select 2007 - All estate fruit from the biodynamically farmed vineyards in Ribbon Ridge. Same color as Matello, but much higher toned - nostril-flaring actually. The wine itself is deeper, with more bass notes. Unfortunately, it was also less open and generally harder to evaluate. I bought a few anyway since the producer is good and the wine seemed to be headed in the right direction. $25

Matt Kramer's Done It Again

2009-04-12T10:45:00.000-06:00

I promise to quit harping on this subject at some point, but as he has not responded in any way and he continues to write up glowing reviews for 2007 Oregon wines I must revisit this from time to time.

On April 5th Mr. Kramer posted the following: These wines don't need mask of aging in oak barrels.

I generally agree with, and support, limited use of oak, or even none at all, but that is not the point of addressing this article. After bashing the 2007 vintage in the U.S. and Europe he has found a way to get very excited about some wines (see my earlier post).

This article from Mr. Kramer celebrates perhaps my favorite Oregon Chardonnay, Inox from Chehalem. He writes, of the 2007, "It is one of the best chardonnays to emerge from Oregon in recent years." Again my gripe here is not that he finds some 2007 wines exciting but the dismissive way he dealt with the vintage in one forum, only to recommend wines from the same vintage without so much as a mea culpa. It is unfair, misleading, and disingenuous to make broad, important sounding pronouncements as a journalist only to write about wines that ignore your own pontification unless you offer some explanation. Shame on you Mr. Kramer.

Two Fantastic Red Values - Spain 2007

2009-04-11T12:22:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the the lack of activity here lately - I am finishing up 6,000 miles of driving in the last 12 days in the process of returning to New Orleans. I will miss the Northwest, especially through the summer, but the pull of family and the comfort of home proved too strong. At least I am in time for French Quarter Fest and Jazz Fest!

The last few weeks have included feverish activity to get the house packed and then hellacious driving - finally at an end today.

As promised (threatened?) here come more wines from Jorge Ordonez. The 2007 vintage for red wine in Spain appears to be an unusual one. It is too early to make broad, sweeping, definitive pronouncements as the bigger, more serious versions won't be seen for some time; but I have found, through tasting approximately 25 value reds, that many regular favorites are not as exciting as in years past, while others I usually find to be serviceable but not exciting have prompted me to buy in quantity.

Here are the two current favorites:

Borsao, Campo de Borja 2007 - Made from mostly Garnacha (Grenache) with some Tempranillo, this wine usually has a bit too much raw tannin/slightly hard edge in the first six to eight months of release for the weight of the fruit. I generally prefer the 100% Garnacha little brother, Vina Borgia. However, this vintage of Vina Borgia seemed a bit unfocused and maybe even a tad stewy, while the Borsao had lovely black pepper notes and gorgeous palate-feel. There is enough structure to work well at the table with anything from roast chicken to grilled sausages, burgers, mushrooms or salmon, all from the grill. The region is Campo de Borja, Spain's top source for Garnacha. I bought a case, and have already had a couple of bottles and given a couple away...I hope there's still some available in New Orleans. $9-$10

Campos Reales Tempranillo 2007 - This wine is never aged in oak and I often find it to be a bit light in texture and fruit for the structure offered. Usually the nose is good, palate decent, but the finish always seemed a bit harsh to me. I am being overly picky, but when you taste as many value wines as I do you get choosy about what you actually pay to bring into the house more than one bottle at a time. The 2007 vintage here is brilliant. It is still a medium-bodied wine, the palate is subtle, but the finish is marvelous offering plenty of juicy red fruit with more acid than tannin notes. From La Mancha, a huge growing area with too much mass produced plonk, this is at a fairly high elevation (one key to success in the region) and comes from 30+ year-old vines. I lovingly refer to it as the "Tree of Meat."

The label has a red tree with all sorts of animals on it, all edible as far as I can figure. The wine is nearly picture perfect; lighter than the Borsao and therefore better suited to chicken, pork, vegetables, baked or roasted, and perhaps salmon or tuna. Grilled foods may be too much for it, think Chianti style pairings, but with much better fruit and drinkability than any Chianti at this price! $7-$9

These are excellent wines for parties, Tuesday nights, or just because you want something to open that won't cost an arm and a leg.

An Open Letter To Matt Kramer

2009-03-25T17:11:00.000-06:00

First, a quick introduction to this post. Matt Kramer has written a number of wine books and is a columnist for The Wine Spectator and The Oregonian (Portland newspaper). He has over three decades of experience as a wine writer and wrote this article in early February.Snap up 2006 pinot noir soon; '07s will probably be thin
He commits what I believe to be among the most egregious sins/errors of wine writers by summarizing an entire vintage, across two continents, in less than 70 words. Simplification for most readers is a bonus, oversimplification for all readers, however, is a disservice.
Read on for my response which I attempted to get published in a local wine magazine. As they chose not to print it, I will publish it here. A link will be forwarded to Mr. Kramer.

I promise to have some reviews of 2007 Oregon Pinot Noir posted shortly and more will follow.

Dear Mr. Kramer,
This is in response to your article from The Oregonian on Sunday February 1st. Let me first say that I respect your knowledge, experience and palate. I have recommended your book ‘Making Sense of Wine’ to countless people interested in learning more about wine in an informative, but not intimidating, fashion and I will continue to do so. However, I must call you to task for the overly simplistic statements from the article.
A one paragraph summation is hardly sufficient to cover a vintage. It is these overly generalized announcements that incorrectly poison an entire vintage for many customers. While wearing your wine critic hat it is your job to strongly recommend a wine or two in your column in the Oregonian. As a leading journalist, and respected author, in the wine world it should also be your job to educate properly.
Instead of trying to tackle the world in my response, let’s focus on Oregon. I will quote you and then discuss the validity or usefulness of each line.
“The 2007 vintage was merely good in much of California and less than that in Oregon.” No mention here of red or white wine. I find the 2007 whites from Oregon to perhaps be a benchmark for future success. They are crisp, fresh, and intense, showing more of the minerality many hope to find. Granted, if tropical fruit and thick texture is your style, then you will likely be disappointed or, more accurately, underwhelmed. Preferring the snappier style of whites, I love the 2007s from Oregon, nearly across the board. By the way, they offer much easier matches on the table than the sometimes flabby 2006’s.
You continued, “You want to snap up the remaining 2006 pinot noirs from Oregon while they’re still around." I would be a bit more careful about that. I found many of the 2006 Pinot Noirs to be too reminiscent of the 2003 vintage, overly ripe, lacking acidity and often bearing more resemblance to Syrah than Pinot Noir. Many offer plush, juicy fruit and early access, but too often complexity and depth are lacking. If that’s the style you love, then 2007 Pinots may not be for you. However, ‘true’ Pinot fans will find plenty to like in the vintage.
The first one I tasted out of bottle, blew me away. Evesham Wood’s introductory level Pinot Noir was loaded with pretty red fruit, earth tones, and bright acidity. It proved to be a fantastic match with roast chicken and mushrooms and a true bargain at $17.99; it probably could have been mistaken for Bourgogne Rouge or perhaps even Savigny Les Beaune. I snapped up four bottles and wish I had gotten more. I do not believe there is any more of this wine available, but it was a great start for the vintage. Since then I have tasted a number of 2007 Pinot Noirs and while none are blockbusters, they are certainly worthy of consideration, consumption, and perhaps cellaring.
“Oregon’s 2007 pinot noirs are emerging as rather light, sometimes excessively thin wines that may prove to be overpriced for their quality. (Some producers are lowering their prices.)” Overpriced wines exist all over the world in every vintage. Oregon, despite huge improvements and advances in quality over the last decade or so, continues to produce a significant number of wines not worth their price. Good producers in 2007 did more aggressive sorting, therefore had higher expenses, and may not be in a position to lower prices. The wines will not be as generous or as big as either 2006 or 2003, but I find similarities to the exciting and engaging 2005 vintage which offered something for everyone.
You continue to be a hero to me for being an active proponent of finesse and elegance in wine, while lamenting the increasing ripeness and more generic style of Pinot Noir many producers appear to be pursuing. How disappointing that an elegant vintage like 2007 has been so thoroughly dismissed by you in this column.
Ironically, I recall you choosing Brick House ‘Ribbon Ridge’ 2007 as your sole Pinot Noir recommendation for Thanksgiving. For a less than "merely good" vintage in Oregon with bottlings perhaps "overpriced for their quality" how could you recommend this wine while so many 2006 Pinots were still around to "snap up." In fact, you nearly raved about Brick House's 2007, "this bottling is nothing less than delightful" (The Oregonian, November 23rd, 2008). You went on to call the wine, "[a]n exceptionally pure-tasting pinot noir...[t]he word 'exquisite' comes to mind." You even say, "[t]he price is lovely, too." Surely some mention of your excitement about this 2007 would have been appropriate at the same time you panned the 2007 vintage for Oregon Pinot Noir.
While writing of Brooks ‘Janus’ 2006 bottling in the February 1st column, you say, “you won’t get this depth or scale of pinot noir fruit in the 2007 vintage, you can be sure.” I’m willing to go along with that. I won’t get the depth or scale of BBQ ribs by roasting a chicken either but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t eat it.
Let’s sample a few quotes about the 2007 vintage from some esteemed producers. These quotes are taken from Oregon Wine Press articles (Stephany Boettner, Jan 2008; Hillary Berg, Dec 2007). From Harry Peterson-Nedry of Chehalem, “we have great physiological maturity at lower sugars, a condition that excites us.” Eric Hamacher of Hamacher Wines, “I am thrilled with the wines. It is a vintage about elegance…these may be my favorite wines in quite a few years.” While I admit that winemakers and owners, who need to sell the new vintage, may not always be the most objective people, there are enough ringing endorsements out there to get my attention.
As a journalist, you should not be a cheerleader for wines you find unappealing, but it is unfortunate that the 2007 vintage, with more delicate fruit, expression of terroir, and elegance would be panned by someone who advocates for exactly this style of wine. One last quote from the column, “As I said: you can’t be too careful.” I could not agree more; be careful about questionable producers (who surely will create uninspired wine in 2007), vintages that may not be your style, and especially ‘super-journalists’, claiming to be able to sum up entire vintages in a single paragraph.

Argentina - Part Nine - 'Upper End' Malbec

2009-03-17T09:29:00.000-06:00

The home stretch. Imagine how I felt about Argentina after a massive day tasting all these and then a few days after of tasting through most of them again. As I write this, I am reminded how many good Argentine wines were left out of the tasting.

In the last post I concluded that the moderate price range, based on the wines tasted, mostly disappointed compared to lower end Malbec. Part of that is due to my general aversion to heavily oaked wines, but clearly some fault lies with the wineries' insistence to use as much oak as they did, even when the fruit can not possibly handle it. Medium weight fruit with heavy duty oak will lead to one dimensional wines since the oak will overwhelm not only the fruit but whatever complexity that fruit brought to bear.

This is the final countdown of Argentine Malbecs, and these are truly at the Reserva level. Some are labeled as such, and it is justifiable here since all of these wineries produce lower priced introductory level wines (that have been tasted and reviewed here). Unlike some others tasted earlier who slap the Reserva label on whatever wine they want. It is disingenuous at best and outright deceitful at worst.

While Reserva naming is justified here, do the wines measure up to the increased price?

Altos Las Hormigas Reserva 2006 - The grapes come from Valley de Uco and Lujan de Cuyo and the 100% Malbec grapes are fermented in stainless steel and then aged for 20 months in "only tight grain French oak." The wine has a wild color, almost pink on the edge, that remains bright and lively. It truly is an amazing color. The wine is a bit thinner on the back end than I remember (admittedly, from another vintage). 2nd day - The color has settled down a bit but it is still wildly intense and bright. High toned fruit and deep oak notes form a good balance. Not quite as lush on the palate, but solid. 3rd day - This has held up beautifully, bright still, but taking on a smoky note, and the juicy fruit continues. Just a bit tight on the back end, but this wine is well made, and I enjoy its hedonism. Give it time to breathe. Other tasters raved about the wine. Importer - Vin Divino and Michael Skurnik. $22-$26

Luigi Bosca Reserva Malbec 2005 - From Lujan de Cuyo and 100% Malbec. A light filteration is done and the wine spends 12 months in French oak. Some stewed fruit and sweet smelling fruit that retains tartness on the nose. Great fruit and oak mix on the finish, lively but still silky. Very good finish, I don't care for the nose though. 2nd day - A bit raw, but some bright, lifted, red fruit and cedar notes from the wood. The oak is rounder on the finish than the nose and good balance remains. This wine also was generally considered a hit despite its very different style. This is slightly more old world in that it wants food, doesn't have to have it, but leans toward pork, red sauces and mushrooms while the Altos wants big meat and stews. Importer - Gaucho Imports. $16-$20, although I did see it listed as low as $14.

Malma Reserva Malbec 2004 - I believe it to be all Malbec and the wine is aged in 80% French and 20% American oak. Most importantly, it comes from the NQN winery in Patagonia, a cooler growing area than Mendoza. There is no other way to describe the nose, but bloody. Like a good butcher shop smells of raw meat and blood (sorry vegetarians). The wine is soft, long, and juicy but not as concentrated as I expected from the nose. Perhaps the slightly lower concentration is due to the relative coolness of the region. I must confess I have not tried enough wines from Patagonia to speak with any level of authority. 2nd day - Again, raw meat, juicy red and black fruit on the palate and more lush today. The wine is even impressive today. 3rd day - It is fading, but for a 2004 opened for a few days the wine is amazingly persistent. Another taster referenced 'flesh and meat' in her description. I like it! Importer - Pinnacle International. $23-$28, price were odd on this wine on a google search.

Catena Malbec 2006 - Made from 100% Malbec and sourced from four vineyards ranging in altitude from 2,850 to 5,000 feet in Mendoza. The wine spends 12 months in 70% French oak, 20% of which is new, and 30% American oak. Unfined and unfiltered. Juicy, red fruit but a tad alcoholic on the nose. It seems perhaps acidified, making my tongue tingle. One word for this, "blah", especially for the price. No other taster cared about this, in fact, one expressed disappointment. 2nd day - Not as hot on the nose today, but not enough depth or complexity for the money. Much better today, not "blah", but still too expensive for what is in the bottle. This is a red fruit dominant Malbec and will not provide enough enjoyment for most people relative to price. A well known producer that sells wines based on previous reputation based on this tasting. Importer - Billington Distributors. $19-$24

Gouguenheim Flores del Valle Malbec Azul 2003 - From estate vineyards in Tupungato (Valle de Uco) this is the top bottling from the winery. It changes from year to year, sometimes a blend, sometimes a single variety. In this vintage the wine is 100% Malbec. I find a bizarrely sweet nose, almost medicinal, the flavor is better, but not interesting enough to forgive the nose. One other taster enjoyed it, but even she noted it was, "a different creature." 2nd day - A bit of a muddy color, the nose is more intriguing and showing some age. Almost licorice note today, fascinating nose today, but not so lively anymore and a bit muddled. I am intrigued enough to want to try another vintage. Importer - http://www.bodegagouguenheim.com.ar/ Pinnacle is no longer representing them, the rest of the states should be accurate. $23-$26

Carinae Prestige 2005 - Only 2,930 bottles of this wine were produced. The wine is 70% Malbec, 20% Syrah, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and spent 15 months in new French oak. The blend changes a bit from year to year and production has doubled since this vintage. Michel Rolland consults for this winery. Wow, even though this is clearly international and Rolland-influenced, this is good! Sorry for the lack of notes, last wine of the day, and I liked it. 2nd day - Bright, focused red and black fruit with oak mingling nicely. The key is the brightness of the wine, this is full, big, lush, and well oaked, but the lively acid in the wine keeps everything in good balance. There is no sense of terroir here, but it's Rolland. 3rd day - Fading, more clay, brick, aged fruit nose with more noticeable tannin and less fruit, but still okay. Overall, very impressive, this will please fans of flashy wines and jaded geeks as well. Importer - Pinnacle International. $30-$35

Argentina - Part Eight - Malbec, The Next Price Point

2009-03-13T10:54:00.000-06:00

We found some good deals in the lower price scale, can we find increased quality to justify an increase in price? Chile has finally managed to justify spending luxury dollars on wine after only offering low end bargains in the past. However, they do not offer much in the mid-range in my opinion. Argentina, so far, has offered that middle step since early on but does not have the heavy bottles and wild ratings of cult wines on the very upper end of the pricing scale. How will these wines fare?

Ricardo Santos Malbec 2006 - From a single vineyard at 2,800 feet in Mendoza, the wine is aged in French and American oak for six months. Ricardo Santos is a pioneer in Argentina, exporting the first Malbec to the U.S. when he owned Norton. This wine recently got a glowing review, and after learning about Mr. Santos, I had to include this. However, my notes for the first day, 'raw oak and more raw oak.' It was dark and deep as well, but if you don't like new oak, don't buy this wine. 2nd day - Not as much oak, still lacking, but better fruit shows today. Red and bright, but still too tannic for the fruit and it seems like wood tannin to me, which is rougher and chewier than fruit tannin. 3rd day - Deep, sweet fruit and oak on the nose, odd almost pickly, but more smoky note throughout. Gritty tannin on the back. Importer - Global Vineyard Wine Imports. $15-$17, although I saw it as high as $20

Tamari Reserva Malbec 2006 - The facts here reference the 2007 vintage, 2006 information is no longer posted. Some Cabernet Sauvignon and Bonarda are blended with the Malbec and most of the wine spends nine months in French and American first and third use barrels. Some is left unoaked to preserve the fruit. Oak, but sweet fruit too, the wine is okay, but slightly tannic and not showing much. 2nd day - Better nose, but that's about it; the wine is disjointed with some dirty tannin and bits of juicy cherry fruit with some earth. Overall, fair, a decent bottle, let it breathe. Importer - Terlato Wines. $12-$14

El Tordo Malbec 2004 - The owner of the importer made the blend with fruit from El Cipres, and it is aimed at the American palate. For the record, blends aimed specifically at American consumers rarely excite me personally. 15% Syrah is added to the Malbec. Sweet cherry notes, almost Luden's style, lead to a very drinkable wine. It's juicy, it's easy and it's fine. Exactly right for the American palate, but with more character than I expected. 2nd day - Syrah shows more today, with the cherry moving a bit more to the background and some nougat note emerging. A bit tannic for the weight of the fruit today. 3rd day - tired and not showing much. A solid wine, I would look forward to a more recent example perhaps. Importer - Pinnacle International. $15-$18

Trapiche Broquel Malbec 2006 - 100% Malbec and all estate fruit from vineyards scattered around Mendoza. Nice fruit and oak balance here, sweet cherry on the palate but very dry acid on the finish. Is the actual wine a bit out of balance? 2nd day - Darkest of the batch today, lush, some dark fruit but mostly red shows. I think there's still too much acid, and gritty acid, not lively, snappy acid, for the fruit. Importer - Frederick Wildman. $12-$14, although I saw one as high as $18.

Norton Reserva Malbec 2005 - 100% Malbec from Lujan de Cuyo in Mendoza. A bit stewy on the nose, with plenty of round oak. Not bad, just some much better. If nothing else around, okay, but so many other wines have more character for the price. 2nd day - Some nice high-toned fruit, a bit simple, the wine is good, there's just no depth. FYI - the 2006 has just received some rave reviews, perhaps I should revisit. Importer - TGIC Importers. $12-$15

Gascon Malbec 2007 - 100% Malbec from Lujan de Cuyo and Valle de Uco with seven months in American and French oak. Gallo recently took over importing for this winery and I surmise that means a ramp up in production, as it has for other international wineries they work with. Good weight and balance on the nose, with some oak and some dark fruit. The palate is juicy and straightforward with just a touch of slightly stewy fruit on the end. Another taster, "Nooooooo." 2nd day - Red and black fruit with with some oak again, decent entry, but fades quickly, with a weak finish. This wine sells like crazy in Portland and will make most people content, but there is no reason to seek it. Importer - Gallo Imports. $11-$13

Carinae Reserva Malbec 2004 - 55% comes from Lujan de Cuyo and 45% from Maipu in Mendoza from 80 year old vines. The wine is aged for 12 months in French oak. Red, forward fruit, with a hint of sweetness, a tad too light perhaps for the texture and oak treatment. 2nd day - More of that red forward fruit, with some dark undertones, the wine has fleshed out today but there is still a grittiness on the finish. A solid wine, not for sipping, but would be great with food. There is actual evidence of terroir here. Importer - Pinnacle International. $13-$16

Malma Malbec 2006 - From NQN winery in Nequen, Patagonia. I found little nougat and rubber on the nose. There were some plum notes. but it is clearly not for me. Another taster, "a nose like dirt stew with skunk and raspberry." 2nd day - Nose even more pronounced today, with some soft wood on the back, better fruit than the day before but still burnt rubber notes. Blah! Importer - Pinnacle International. $12-$15

Luigi Bosca Malbec 2005 - 100% Malbec, farmed at 3,200 feet in a single vineyard in Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza. The wine spends 12 months in French oak and undergoes a light filtration. More raw oak on the nose. There is some red fruit there somewhere, but mostly it is just oak today. 2nd day - Pure oak today, not the raw, aggressive style of the day before. The wine is better integrated, with solid fruit and decent brightness. I like this more today, but it's still not great by any means. Importer - Gaucho Imports. $16-$20

Overall these wines underwhelmed, especially for the price. I think the issue may be that the producers believe that an increase in price means an increase in oak, especially new wood. It seems the fruit associated with the moderate increases seen here could not keep up with the more significant use of oak. There is only one wine I would buy and drink, Carinae. Perhaps we'll have better luck at the next price point...last post for Argentina for a while coming next.

I have been very taken aback by the amount of red fruit notes found in the entire tasting. We all think of Malbec as deep and dark with black cherry, currant, and generally dark fruit. However, we have found much more red fruits, even raspberry and cherry notes, than expected. Perhaps we need to adjust our expectations a bit for Argentine Malbec.

Argentina - Part Seven - Malbec continues

2009-03-12T15:33:00.000-06:00

No need for any preliminaries here, let's just get to it.
El Cipres Malbec 2005 - 100% Malbec, from Maipu, Mendoza. Gunpowder and black tea on the nose, almost iodine - but more pleasant than that sounds. Very focused on the palate with good layered fruit and no noticeable oak influence. Good! 2nd day - Penetrating aroma still and bright acid remains. Gunpowder still there, but less obvious today. Very tasty, I like this a lot, but is it only for geeks? 3rd day - Wow, still wild and intense with plenty of bright, fresh fruit. Quite intense and lovely. Importer - Pinnacle International. $9-$11
Bodegas Septima Malbec 2006 - 100% Malbec from the Upper Mendoza River and the Valle de Uco. The grapes from the two regions are vinified separately in stainless steel and then aged for six months in American oak. After that time in wood, the final blend is completed. My tasting notes are short and not so sweet. Awful - hollow and stewed. Another taster shared the following, "ewwwww." Avoid! Imported by Grupo Codorniu - A.V. Brands, Inc. $9-$12
Urban Uco Malbec 2006 - A joint project between the Fournier family in Ribera del Duero, Spain and Jorge Ordonez, a leading importer of Spanish wines. 100% Malbec from La Consulta, Mendoza at 3,600 feet. Fermentation in stainless steel and 3 months in oak. Pretty cherry note on the nose, the wine is simple, but well made. Red fruit is dominant and the wine is perhaps lighter than some might expect, but not wimpy. 2nd day - Still juicy, very pretty with some minor spice. Well done. I like this wine! 3rd day - Wild berry fruit on the nose, the palate is a bit tired now. Not bad on day four, but no longer great either. Importer - Jorge Ordonez. $9-$11
Alamos Malbec 2007 - Again, 100% Malbec from various vineyards in Mendoza, with "moderate oak aging in French and American oak." Part of the Catena Zapata winery. I found the wine sulfury on the nose (like burnt matches) with gritty red fruit. The palate is fine, but I don't think it's worth drinking. Another taster, however, wrote, "solid, round, dark, smooth." 2nd day - Still sulfury, and now also a bit stewy, the palate is better today, but it almost had to be. Importer - Billington Distributors. $9-$12
Alamos Seleccion Malbec 2006 - The only perceivable difference between the regular Malbec and this special version is that this one comes exclusively from La Consulta in Mendoza. The previous wine had three other sources. However, this wine fared much better in my tasting notes. Smoke, meat, and cherry dominate the nose with some tart fruit tucked in there as well. Simple, but mostly correct. Not bad, not good. 2nd day - Super sweet cherry with some dark fruit tones in the aroma and I like the palate more today. 3rd day - Dark fruit emerging more, the wine appears a bit tired. Okay still, but clearly fading. A good Malbec that offers decent complexity and a palate pleasing style. Might get a solid recommendation if it were a bit less expensive. Importer - Billington Distributors. $13-$16
Dona Paula Malbec 2006 - 100% Malbec from Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza from a vineyard planted in 1971. About 20% of the grapes are left whole for fermentation, which should result in a slightly juicier style. Stainless steel fermentation is followed by 12 months in oak - both French and American. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. (Now there's a complete tech sheet for the wine, thank you Vineyard Brands). Some dark fruit appears on the edges of the aromas, but more red shows. The wine is well made, easy but firm, crowd pleasing but real and not manipulated. Bravo! 2nd day - More sweet fruit, a tad stewy on the nose, still drinkable, but barely. I like it both with food and as a glass. Very versatile style, just finish the bottle up in one night - or preserve it somehow. Importer - Vineyard Brands. $10-$12
Kaiken Reserva Malbec 2006 - The Argentine arm of Montes from Chile. First vintage was 2002, but the vines for this wine are fifteen years old. They produce Reserva and Ultra, so the Reserva is the entry level (man it makes me crazy when wineries do that). There is 7% Cabernet Sauvignon blended with the Malbec from Mendoza. A little over half of the wine is aged in American oak for nine months. Most of it must be new, because this is a full on oak bomb. It will sell well because it's BIG and full in the mouth but I get nothing but wood on the nose, palate and finish. However, another taster had this to say, "good flesh, good balance, dark, lengthy finish. 2nd day - Dark, smoky wood with a totally dull palate that is at least soft and accessible. 3rd day - There is a brightness to the nose today, with a soft, supple palate. The oak is still there, but I like it more today. I was amazed at how lively it was on the third day with all of the oak. Maybe this wine just needs more time to grow into the wood - at least it is not full of tough oak tannins. I would love to see it in another year or so. Importer - TGIC Imports. $10-$12
Nieto Senetiner Reserva Malbec 2006 - 100% malbec and from all estate fruit in Mendoza. The winery has been around since the late 1800's and I came across the wine due to a recommendation from Matt Kramer. http://www.oregonlive.com/foodday/index.ssf/2008/11/matt_kramer_recommends_some_gr.html
Mr. Kramer writes for the Wine Spectator and the local Portland paper, the Oregonian. His opinion carries significant weight in town and this wine was sold out based on his review. I finally got to taste the wine a few weeks ago and I have to say I was disappointed. Dark, nearly opaque, purple color with some sweet oak and vanilla on the nose. The palate is soft, lush and moderately tight yet not tannic. A short time later I found the wine to be even more closed with hints of gritty tannin (not a level that would normally put me off except it seems to be less organic and more induced, and therefore harder to match with food). Some cocoa, some fruit, but overall I found if flat, safe, and uninteresting. Nothing really wrong with it, but completely missable. Importer - Winebow (remember what I said earlier about importers with focus starting to expand?). $9-$12
Had enough Malbec for one day? I'm going to push on. Three more to go and then onto a new price point.
Carinae Malbec 2005 - From Maipu in Mendoza, the vines are 80 years old and the wine is completely unoaked. Cherry fruit dominates, the wine is a bit tight on the front, but the finish has good length. The wine is exactly what they describe on the importers website, focused, bright, acid, rather than tannin, driven and "everyday drinking wine...purely fruit driven." 2nd day - Smells a bit medicinal today but the finish is still okay. There is more sweet cherry there too though. 3rd day - clearly faded and getting weird, it's not really fair to even describe the smells on this day. This is wine to finish the first night opened, you won't have any problems with that once you try it. Importer - Pinnacle International. $10-$12
La Linda Malbec 2006 - From Lujan de Cuyo in Mendoza, the vineyards are at 3,200 feet and the wine is 100% Malbec. The wine spends three to four months in twice used barrels. I find a shy nose, a bit acidic, with a decent palate, but a bit short. 2nd day - Dry nose with a light touch of cedar from the oak. Decent red fruit in the mouth, but very dry with a clipped, short finish. You could do better. Importer - Gaucho Imports. $10-$12
Trapiche Malbec 2006 - 100% Malbec from "selected vineyards...in the east region of Mendoza." Red fruit, and an almost Bordeaux note of clay, leads to an unexciting and fairly acidic palate. Another taster, "good solid juice." 2nd day - Red fruit and the clay note again, with a bricky, slightly older fruit note. The tannin (moderate) and acid outweigh the fruit for me. Another example of a wine that could be served at functions without making anyone truly unhappy, but there's no real reason to choose to drink this. Importer - Frederick Wildman. $7-$9

Argentina - Part Six - Malbec Begins

2009-03-11T09:06:00.000-06:00

There has been so much written about Malbec lately that I will keep this short. Suffice it to say, Malbec flourishes in Argentina like nowhere else on the planet. Its previous heyday was in pre-phylloxera (mid-1800's) France. Cahors was the best known expression before Argentina and Mendoza appeared on the world's radar.
Malbec from Argentina is usually big, dark, and sometimes a bit on the burly side. The wines are often much plusher and easier to drink than their French cousins, hence the excitement about them.
Juan Benegas Malbec 2006 - 100% Malbec from Mendoza, Michel Rolland consults. The wine is silky and supple with some spicy tannin. The fruit is bright and juicy and focused. There is more red than dark fruit but plenty of texture. 2nd day - A tad simple today, but the fruit is still good, hints of leather and earth are there now - but just hints. A bright finish with good acidity and very fine tannin, well done. 3rd day - The wine remains big, bright and intense with good spice. Moderate tannin appears on the finish, still solid. Importer - Pinnacle International. $12-$17 - although you should find it mostly on the lower end of that scale.
Gouguenheim Malbec 2006 - From Tupungato, Mendoza at 3,600 feet, the wine is aged with French oak inner staves for three months in, I assume, stainless steel. I found it a tad nougaty on the nose (for me that means a fair amount of oak, think breaking open a 3 Musketeers bar, a touch of spice and cocoa with an impression of sweetness). The wine is lovely, there is some spice on the back end, overall this is very drinkable and a ridiculous bargain. It is not the biggest Malbec around, but it may be one of the best deals. 2nd day - Lovely red fruit with hints of spice, this is juicy even with acid and structure on the finish. Brilliant, despite the nougat and oak returning strongly on the finish. 3rd day - Still bright and lovely, well balanced, more oak showing now, darker fruit. Incredible balance even today - great focus! This wine caused one taster to write, "Wheeee." Buy this wine. Importer - up for debate, go to their website - http://www.bodegagouguenheim.com.ar/ - Pinnacle is no longer their importer, other states should be correct. $9-$12
Altos Las Hormigas Malbec 2007 - This was one of my early benchmarks for Malbec. The wine traditionally had a great mix of red and black fruit, moderate oak and a lush mid-palate with good, but not rough, structure on the back end. I haven't tasted the wine in a year or two, so I was very interested to see how it stacked up with all the others. 100% Malbec from Mendoza with 60% from Valle de Uco and 40% Lujan de Cuyo. Free run juice only is used for this wine and they speak of a warmer vintage than usual which could account for the juicier style I found. French and American oak inner staves in stainless steel tanks for three months, oak is new and 1 year old. Soft and juicy with flashy fruit and more apparent oak than I remember (one taster mentioned oak chips). 2nd day - High toned and shy on the nose with some pepper. I stand by my assessment of this wine being lighter than I remember. Still good. Overall, solid just not as impressive as it has been in the past. Certainly still reliable though. (I checked som old notes and they have increased the portion of Valle de Uco fruit and the wine no longer spends time in actual oak - which could account for the more obvious, less integrated notes of wood I found). Importer - Vin Divino and Michael Skurnik. $9-$12
Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec 2006 - Mendoza fruit. I found this wine a bit green and slightly unripe, a rare occurrence in Argentina. Oak shows throughout, the fruit on the palate is soft and juicy, perhaps a bit simple, and the cedary oak really shows through on the finish. Missable. 2nd day - I can see people drinking this at parties and not complaining, but why would you knowingly do it? Perhaps a bit soapy today, i.e. lacking acidity and showing some winery manipulation perhaps. One taster wrote, "it's a shame about the oak." Importer - Frederick Wildman. $8-$10
Terra Rosa Malbec 2004 - Produced by the California winery Laurel Glen. They ship the juice from Mendoza in large containers to age in the United States. I had some concern about the vintage, but it appears to be, more or less, current. The wine is smoky and dark on the nose. It remains strong in the mouth, big and bold, yet with a touch of high toned fruit to balance. It seems, however, very manipulated and not very interesting. One taster wrote, "no, no, no." 2nd day - Fading fruit, still lots of oak though, some sweet leather on the finish. This wine did nothing for me, but fans of lush, plush wine with plenty of wood will find more pleasure. Importer - Laurel Glen. $11-$13
Punto Final Malbec 2007 - From Mendoza, specifically two mountain vineyards, the wine ages partly in French oak and partly in stainless steel. Lots of red fruit on the nose, although it seems a bit stewed - perhaps due to the warmer vintage? Sweet wood and tannin appear on the finish, overall I find this lacking. 2nd day - Same aromas and flavors as before, not bad, not good either. Higher acid and tannin more pronounced on the finish. Sweet cherry note on the nose now. I find this disappointing, especially when you realize the fruit comes from 50 plus year old vines. Importer - Winebow. $11-$14 A note here: Winebow began as an importer focusing exclusively on Italian wines. Starting about eight years ago they began branching out to other regions. It seems almost like they decided to expand and then sent people out looking for wines to satisfy that spot on the ledger. Wines sourced in this fashion are often correct and fit the bill, but rarely intrigue consumers or offer good value. Some importers stumble across wines from outside of their focus area and then decide to expand their portfolio; those wines can be impressive. Unfortunately, they do not label the wines accordingly. This wine is clearly the former.
Terrazas Malbec 2007 - This Mendoza wine, from vineyards at 3,500 feet in Lujan de Cuyo, is a project of the huge Moet Hennessey brand. They began exploring the region in the 1950's and have produced sparkling wine from the area for quite some time. The still wine project began in 1999. Approximately two thirds of the wine is aged for four to six months in oak. There is some oaky, sweet note, but the palate is solid with bright, focused, red fruit. Pretty well done. 2nd day - The wine has lost some focus, and the sweet oak is showing much more. Red fruit on the palate is still lively, but the wine seems to fray a bit on the finish. Overall, solid, red fruit style with perhaps a bit too much wood for me, but not for many others. Importer - Moet Hennesy Wine Estates. $10-$12
Another batch tomorrow!