The Wine Forum

2011-10-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

Wine Spectator's
Critic's Choice Grand Tasting 2011

"30th Anniversary"

Marriott Marquis, Times Square, New York

October 21, 2011

When the New York Wine Experience arrives each fall season, I try to go to the Grand Tasting event as it brings together some of the best names in wine from all over the world. The price of the ticket is steep, but for the high quality of wine you have access to taste the experience is bar none for a consumer. Trade shows happen all the time for the pros where they can taste many wines, but nothing like this at one event.

Under one roof one can taste all of the Bordeaux First Growths, the major Super Tuscans, the best Sauternes, many a cult level Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, many of the top Rioja from Spain, Barolo and Barbaresco from Italy, Chianti from Tuscany, some of the best Pinot Noir from all over the world, Riesling from Germany, as well as many, many other stellar wines from Argentina, Chile, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. In the 2.5 hours one person cannot get to all of the wines so a "careful study the day prior to map out a strategy is necessary. A little discipline is needed to not 'go back to the well" too many times - I was guilty of this at Chateau Latour's 2003 second wine Les Forts de Latour this time around and Paul Hobbs' 2004 Dr. Crane Cabernet. You may even want to practice spitting a few days before, maybe at home in a big sink or in the shower. If you don't spit you won’t make it past 20 wines and still be able to know what you are tasting. If the person pouring the wine is generous don't feel like you have to drink it all, have a good taste or 2 and dump it in the spit bucket - it is there for just that purpose. All professionals spit at trade tastings, in fact when you visit many places in France the Domaine or Chateau expect you to spit the sample you are poured.

I made it through quite a few wines with a break or two to catch my palate and my breath. The tables are spread out over 2 floors in the Marriott Marquis ballroom in the middle of Time Square in New York. I was able to crack 60+ wines, much lower than what I have done in the past but I wanted to talk to some of the people this time around, mostly my favorites like Jen and Paul at Paul Hobbs, the team at Latour, Vieux Chateau Certan and and new discoveries like Evening land Vineyards and Masi. If I could attend the two nights and the all of the weekend events it would be a dream, but two nights of the grand tasting would be quite exceptional as well. In all honesty I think the tasting should be longer, which would allow people to get the chance to talk to the person pouring the wine more and of course taste through more wines. Usually the person pouring is the owner of the Chateau or winery you are actually drinking. Sometimes it’s not but either way they know the wines well and can talk to you about how your favorite producer is or more about a new discovery.

My top ten wines from the Grand Tasting are as follows:

1) Masseto 2001 (from Tenuta dell'Ornellaia)
Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy

2) Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2006
Pauillac, Bordeaux, France

3) Paul Hobbs 2008 Dr. Crane Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon
St. Helena, Napa Valley

4) Chateau Latour, 2003 Les Forts De Latour
Pauillac, Bordeaux, France

5) Chateau Climens 2007 Sauternes
Barsac, Bordeaux, France

6) Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 2008
St. Julien, Bordeaux, France

7) Chateau Montrose 2004
St. Estephe, Bordeaux, France

8) Chateau Cheval Blanc 2005
St. Emilion, Bordeaux, France

9) Ornellaia 2001, (from Tenuta dell'Ornellaia)
Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy

10) Evening Land Vineyards 2009 Chardonnay
Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Here is a view into why these wines were my top ten and how they made an impression on me to think so. Its deep in Bordeaux, but that was what I had aimed to taste. I am sure Vega Sicilia, Gaja, Saxum, and Salon could have made the list but there was only so much time. I have had those wines at previous tastings or at home recently so I saw it fit to try more wines that I have not had recently.

The 2001 Masseto was an eye opener. I knew this was a top wine when I approached the table to taste the wine, but had no clue as to the fact is was 100% Merlot, rated 100 points, and retails for north of $1,000. I found out these details the next morning. A fellow taster mentioned $400-600 and I was blown away then! Does this make it great, no, certainly not, but it was a fantastic wine showing depth, purity and length in perfect proportion and detail. I do not have enough experience with Super Tuscan wines to rate it properly but I would say it easily is 96+. My friends this is no ordinary Super Tuscan. My first impression from the aromas was that it was more like a mature Bordeaux than a wine from Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast.

The 2006 Chateau Mouton Rothschild defines Pauillac. A deep sense of terroir shines through in layers as this wine mesmerizes the senses. A heady, and typical Mouton aroma leads the taster into a deep palate of black currants, licorice, and cassis that floats the taster back to the nose and then back to another sip. In time this will be a superb example of Mouton. One may not have tasted but more sensed the greatness of this wine on this night. It was my favorite of the Bordeaux on the night, just eclipsing the Les Forts De Latour. The Mouton is still a baby, it is young, tight and aggressive and needs many, many more years to show its proper potential. 2006 was not so bad a vintage, the problem is that it came right after the exceptional 2005 vintage. I tended to buy in 2006, but in limited quantities on futures. I tend to look back now and buy 2006 in bottle and am pretty pleased with what I have had so far.

The Paul Hobbs 2008 Dr. Crane Cabernet Sauvignon was a luxuriously deep and complex wine. I had to go through it 3 times, but it really needs more time to open up properly. Waves of black and red fruits, dark chocolate, and licorice wafted from the wine and converged on the palate. Sweet and ripe tannins framed the finish that sailed on forever echoing the currants and cassis. A deep garnet color with vibrant red edges from the wine’s youth tells me this baby is ready for the long haul. I have had a few 2001 of late, the Hyde Cabernet in particular and the wine was in perfect shape. Paul has a magic touch with many grapes, but Cabernet is where he has the Midas touch.

I have to say I was a little disappointed that Chateau Latour was not being poured. Only their second wine was being poured instead. However, I am happy to write that the 2003 Les Forts De Latour was drinking superbly this evening. Overall I do not love the 2003 vintage in Bordeaux. It was hot, the vines were over stressed and many Chateau did not have the proper terroir or experience to know how to get through such a hot year. The Les Forts De Latour is ripe but well balanced as the ripe tannins are big and pair well with the ripe fruit and good levels of acidity. All three of those lead to a long finish of fruit, tannin and freshness. This was the second best Bordeaux of the night for me in that it was complete, and fully expressive. Even at this young an age, it was utterly delicious, sumptuous even. It had length, a wonderfully captivating aroma and a beautiful robe of deep red and garnet flecked colors. It was as if Frederic Engerer knew that this would be a good choice for this occasion. Whatever the logic, it was a pretty good one, albeit Chateau Latour would have been nicer.

The 2007 Chateau Climens was the best sticky on the night, even better than the venerable 2008 Chateau d'Yquem which leaned more to the exotic side as my second favorite Sauternes wine of the night. Pure aromatics of citrus, petrol, minerality, honey and stone fruit rose from the glass and coated the palate in a rich, yet lively feel, racy even for the Climens.

I have yet to receive my shipment of 2008 Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou futures, but this top wine of the night brought me great satisfaction in the depth and complexity found in this wine. A nose of currants, spicy plum, cedar, and toasted coffee bean lead through to the palate which was full bodied, yet silky with plenty of fruit and depth through the palate expression. Terroir rings with minerality that leads to a long finish of fruit, fine but sturdy tannins and a wealth if fresh acidity.

The 2004 Chateau Montrose blew me away. I am rarely impressed by any 2004 Bordeaux, but this wine was in great form this evening. Showing true to form with roasted and toasty notes of coffee, currants, blackberry, an earthy fall leaves note, as well as some saddle leather aromas. The palate was round, delivering from the attack on down to the finish which delivered a stoic and tannic finish typical of young St. Estephe wines. The beauty here was the fruit and other notes that accompanied that structure. This wine should age nicely over the next 20 years. At about $60 it will probably also be the last time you see a Montrose for anything close to that price as the new vintages are running close to $200 or more.

2005 Chateau Cheval Blanc is a legend in the making. The 2005 Cheval is way too young to drink and enjoy at its finest, but is quite a generous offering from the Lurton clan that runs thus legendary property. This was a nice peak at how a young wine of such pedigree is in its youth, way before I would ever open to see just how it tastes at this stage. Super tight in nose and flavor the 2005 Cheval had firm but ripe tannins, silky, even lush fruit peaks through that wall of youthful structure. This will be an amazing wine in 10 years, but even better in probably 20-25.

2001 Ornellaia was rich, yet refined, structured yet seductively inviting. The wine was at once ripe, deep, and dark and at the same time structured, noble and classy in that it could strut well in its youth but also show the structure and concentration to know this will age gracefully. A super Tuscan of the higher order, this is the cousin to the Masseto that was my number one wine of the night. Lisa and I had a bottle of this in Florence on our first night with a traditional bistecca alla Fiorentina, I believe it was a 1997 and was exquisite.

Evening Land Vineyards was pouring 2 wines, a Pinot Noir and a Chardonnay. ELV is a unique producer of Burgundy wines from a few places in the world: Burgundy, Oregon and California. Mark Tarlov is the owner and was pouring his wines that night. We talked about the difference they are trying to make in the style of wine they are crafting in California and Oregon. Mark and his winemaking team have chosen cooler sites such as the Sonoma Coast and the Willamette Valley to showcase the subtlety that Pinot Noir and Chardonnay can have outside of Burgundy and at the same time maintain acidity and balance. Both wines were new world in flavor, but had exceptional freshness on the finish because of the acidity maintained in the wines. Red fruits instead of black came from the pinot and citrus, pear, and a slate like minerality rose from the Chardonnay. I had actually walked down about four table and the acidity in the Chardonnay came into full force. I had to walk back and tell Mark exactly that and that his wines were superb.

Many, many other wines were exceptional. In fact they call it the Critic’s Choice as each wine was rated at least 90 points out of the 100 point scale that Wine Spectator uses to rate the wines they taste. If you ever wanted to try some of the best wines in the world in one place this is it.

Cheers!

Tom

2011-05-15T20:37:00.000-07:00

Chateau Brane-Cantenac Vertical Tasting

    A few weeks ago Chris Riccobono, from the video blog Pardon That Vine, invited me to taste a select vertical of vintages of the renowned Bordeaux Chateau Brane-Cantenac. Brane-Cantenac is located in the Margaux commune in the Medoc region of Bordeaux. In wine circles, the wines from Margaux are known to be more feminine in style when compared to other communes in the Medoc such as Pauillac and St. Estephe that are typically more tannic and can sometimes express more power than grace. Typical of Margaux are seductive perfumes and silky textures on the palate that help reinforce its reputation as an elegant, yet compelling style of wine. Cabernet Sauvignon typically dominates the melange (blend) of grapes in Margaux but it also tends to have the highest proportion of Merlot in its blends when compared to other Medoc communes.

     The vintages we tasted were all young: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, and 2010. The much heralded 2009 and the yet to be released 2010 are barrel samples that were flown in direct to New York City from Bordeaux by Corinne Saussier Conroy. Corrine is the Director of Marketing and Communications at ‘Brane’ and led us through an informative introduction to Chateau Brane-Cantenac. I really enjoy talking to people who work in the wine biz, we chatted before and after the formal parts of the tasting and I enjoyed our conversations about vintages, futures prices, travel and everything else wine.

     We talked through each vintage, discussing what we liked and how some aromas and flavors were different because of the vintage conditions. It was also nice to see the terroir as a common thread to each vintage, giving Brane a wonderful typicity. The barrel samples were a real treat as it is quite rare to taste a Bordeaux barrel sample outside of Bordeaux, let alone in New York City.

Here we go into the tasting notes:

2003
The most mature in color, slightly brick at the edges and the least vibrant in color. Aromas of mint/eucalyptus, licorice, blackberry, spice, a little dill and herb add a little extra nuance. The aromas flow into the flavors and hit the palate gracefully for such a ripe vintage. I was expecting more weight but it was not there, in a good way.

2004
The 2004 had more typical aromas of currant, plum, minerality, and spice mixed in with cooler vintage aromas and flavors of herbs matched with higher acidity. Supple and well balanced, this wine was elegant and a good representation of a cooler vintage Brane.

2005
The best wine of the night for me, the ’05 was pretty tight but revealed hints of what is to come as this wine moves into maturity. Full on all levels, the fruit, tannins and acidity wove a deep palate expression of roasted coffee bean, black cherry, cassis, minerality, and spice. It changed and evolved in the glass through the tasting, showing the varied array of aromas and flavors. Great length on the finish. Superbly balanced and complex, a real winner!

2008
A superb bargain, the 2008 offers up wonderful aromatics of a fruit perfume mixed with spice and a little toast. Loads of minerality and tobacco fight for the palate’s attention along with licorice whips and cherry. Silky and fine tannins pair well with bright acidity.

2009 BARREL SAMPLE
A blockbuster or a wine, the ’09 shows huge fruit on the nose and the mouth, with some noticeable heat from the higher alcohol. Tannins cover the palate, gums, and cheeks . Sweet tobacco, black fruits like plum and cherry. The tannins are pretty big, this is going to be a big wine on all levels. A long and silky finish! Not as noticeably acidic as the 2010 but I think that is ok and makes for an interesting counterpart to taste next to 2010.

2010 BARREL SAMPLE

When tasting such a young barrel sample you need to know what to expect. It’s not like tasting a finished wine, as you look for more primary flavors and textures in measuring balance on the palate. Since a nose is not as prevalent, you immediately go to the palate and you taste and feel the wine immediately. Massive tannins are the first thing I notice on this wine. Smoke, currants, and cassis reveal some pretty complete flavors that emerge through a forest of tannins and a sea of acidity. This is going to be a profound wine for the ages as it will take many years to mature. 2010 Brane is similar to 2005 in my opinion, but could be better. I’d be curious as to what the barrel sample for 2005 tasted like at this stage to compare to 2010.

Thank you to Corinne and Chris for organizing such an enlightening event. I feel like I know more about Brane, barrel tasting Bordeaux futures, and vintage variation. I look forward to tasting Brane from my collection over the coming years. I think on my next trip to Bordeaux I will have to make a stop at Brane to visit Corinne.

Cheers,
Tom

2011-03-06T18:31:00.000-08:00

2008 Bordeaux Wine Tasting

Union Des Grand Crus de Bordeaux

Great Wines of Bordeaux

USA Tour - New York City

Each year the UGC of Bordeaux tours the US to offer samples of the new vintage to the trade and consumers. The tasting represented most of the sub regions of Bordeaux with many classified and unclassified Chateau. 2008 was not an exceptional vintage, but a pretty good one. Especially for the American palate that likes a little more fruit in their wine. I like it better than 2002, 2004, 2006 and a notch better than 2001. It is also the MOST affordable vintage in many years as prices in the US were released in the midst of the fallout from the 2008 economic meltdown.

However this does not mean you can throw a dart and pick a good wine, you need to do a little homework. By writing this I feel I have done a lot of the legwork for you the reader to choose confidently any of these wines, especially if you have experience with Bordeaux wines.

I list my 10 favorites first followed by the villages in group order.

2008 Château Troplong Mondot

Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Solid, the best wine for me at the 2008 UGC tasting in NYC as it was perfectly in balance and had all of the right components: beautiful aromas in the nose, wonderful flavors (though packed tightly b/c of youth), and stoic tannins that will allow this to age well for years, plus the right amount of acidity to keep things fresh.
Color: medium to dark red, crimson edges
Nose & palate: Coffee bean, licorice, blackberry and black cherry. The nose was a little tight, but still pretty generous. The tannins were so perfect for what you want at this stage, ripe and big but not too strong. Great texture and purity of flavor....very well done, I bought some the day after the tasting. (95 pts.)
90% Merlot
5% Cabernet Sauvignon
5% Cabernet Franc

2008 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière

St. Émilion Grand Cru
My second favorite wine of the night, exceptional balance and purity, everything was showing extremely well.
Color: dark red to lighter gradation at the edges
Nose & Palate: A superb perfume with a long and full nose. Juicy with structure, a beautiful fruit filled cornucopia of cherry, cassis, currants and plum, concentrated and pure, with great focus from the ripe tannin and fresh acidity. Long finish. (94 pts.)
50% Merlot
45% Cabernet Franc
5% Cabernet Sauvignon

2008 Château Clinet

Libournais, Pomerol
I initially thought this started out slow but with a few minutes in the glass the wine's aromas and flavors grew and expanded nicely. Ripe cherry, plum, floral notes, and some toasty mocha all wrapped up in a superbly balanced wine that is nicely concentrated and finishes long and silky. (94 pts.)
85% Merlot
12% Cabernet Franc
3% Cabernet Sauvignon

2008 Château Pape Clément

Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Good concentration and showing very well, deep black flavors of cassis, cherry, tar, toasty oak with big tannins, a touch of mint lingers on the finish. It may be big with fruit but the wine comes into balance with the tannins. (94 pts.)

48% Merlot

48% Cabernet Sauvignon
3% Petit verdot
1% Cabernet Franc

2008 Château Angélus

St. Émilion Grand Cru
Deep red and blue fruits, big but supple and silky tannins, currant and cherry wow the palate and help to provide a full aroma that also shows earth, sweet tobacco, a touch of mocha and a splash of spice. As usual super, silky and supple Angelus. (93 pts.)

58% Merlot
42% Cabernet Franc

2008 Château Malescot St. Exupery

Médoc, Margaux
A very impressive effort here and tops in Margaux on this night. The nose was singing fresh roasted toasty coffee beans, lush currants and black cherry, flowers and a spicy streak. On the palate raspberries joined the currants and cherry, to fan out over the palate in a full bodied and silky display of pure Margaux. The acidity finishes this clean while the tannins add structure and what would seem a nice ability to age. (94 pts.)

2008 Château Lascombes

Médoc, Margaux
The other top Margaux of the night, this was a solid wine with a wonderful perfume of currants, flowers, smoke, and earth. The palate was full and round, with a clean finish from nicely held acidity that buttresses the deep fruits and minerality. It was so fresh I had to go back for more! (93 pts.)

2008 Domaine de Chevalier

Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Superb concentration and length, this wine was an early blockbuster in the night's lineup. Meaty and cherry notes, some scorched earth and charcoal, smoky and toasty oak, ripe and full tannins. Great wine especially at $40! (93 pts.)

2008 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Médoc, Pauillac
This seemed to have the most terroir of all of the grand vins of the night. Some funky notes of earthy barnyard mixed with concentrated floral currants, black cherry, roasted coffee, herbs, crushed rocks, and kirsch. This was very complex and intriguing as it was throwing quite a few layers of flavor and aroma. Medium to mostly full bodied, this was a remarkably fun wine to smell and taste. The tannins are big, but round and ripe with well balanced acidity.
63% Cabernet Sauvignon
29% Merlot
5% Petit Verdot
3% Cabernet Franc (94 pts.)

#10

2008 Château La Lagune

Médoc, Haut-Médoc
Another solid wine from the Haut MedocCantemerle. Violets from the Petit Verdot jump from the glass and enhance the pencil lead and currants from the cab and Merlot. Good depth and a nice 30 second finish. (92 pts.)

60% Cabernet Sauvignon
25% Merlot
15% Petit Verdot

BEST VALUE

2008 Château Cantemerle

Médoc, Haut-Médoc
This Chateau is on a hot streak, even in 08 they deliver superior Bordeaux quality at a great price.
Color: Dark red core with vibrant red edges.
Nose: Smoky and toasty oak, coffee bean, currants and black cherry, a touch of oak
Palate: Medium to full bodied with chocolate, ripe bing cherries, currants. Nice structure with good tannins and very fresh acidity. Very well done.....back up the truck! (91 pts.)

2008 Château Pavie Macquin

St. Émilion Grand Cru
Plum and blackberry, tobacco and black tea, tannic with full on ripe tannins.
Color: Black with red edges
Nose: Ripe, full of blackberry and ripe dark fruits, black tea aromas, lush
Palate: Juicy and ripe fruits of plum and blackberry, kirsch, but the terroir still comes through with notes of earth and minerality. Its a ripe wine with concentrated flavors but not heavy on the palate so its not fatiguing. (91 pts.)

89% Merlot
14% Cabernet Franc
2% Cabernet Sauvignon

2008 Château Figeac

St. Émilion Grand Cru
Bright and full fruits that had a silky and inviting perfume that got better with a few minutes in the glass. Cherry, currants, spice and great texture with fine but full tannins. (92 pts.)
BLEND: As usual 1/3 Cab Franc, 1/3 Merlot, 1/3 Cab Sauv

2008 Château Larcis Ducasse

St. Émilion Grand Cru
A pretty wine with restraint and elegance, bright and juicy red fruits merged with obvious mineral notes. This was a very highly rated wine by Parker and I thought it was not up to his score, but thats fine, it was still a good wine but did not match my expectations. Maybe it was in a sleepy phase as I felt the nose and the palate were a little shy.
Color: More medium red than the others, with lighter red edges
Nose & Palate: Elegant red fruits and acidity, tighter and more angular red cherry and flowers, lots and lots of minerality, very terroir driven wine (89 pts.)
84% Merlot
16% Cabernet Franc

2008 Château La Gaffelière

St. Émilion Grand Cru
Lots of raspberry and cherry, with the tannins in full bloom, feeling quite structured but still some suppleness and roundness from the fruit. (91 pts.)

2008 Château Haut-Bailly

Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Supple and elegant, this was a little shy compared to the other wines but was in great balance. This wine passed over the palate with the texture and feel of silk. Deep red fruits in the nose and palate drew you in to keep trying this more, very complex and tight, this was not showing as well as I would have hoped, but the hints are there as well as the pedigree. (92 pts.)

2008 Château Smith Haut Lafitte

Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Lots of tannins, big fruits of cherry and raspberry with a toasty oak frame, not too much of course but just enough oak. (90 pts.)

2008 Château Beauregard

Libournais, Pomerol
Very full nose with sensual red and dark fruit aromas, toasty smoke and a touch of sweet oak. The palate is full and expansive, with silky cherry, sweet plum, a little earth and tobacco. Silky textures and a long easy finish with smooth and supple tannin. Very nice start to the Pomerol lineup. (91 pts.)

2006 Château La Cabanne

Libournais, Pomerol
The 2006 was being poured as this chateau lost all of their 2008 to fire, the 2006 was showing more animal and barnyard funk as well as more tannins, as you would expect, from 2006. A nice wine showing terroir and more strength than some of the fruity and plush 08s. (88 pts.)

2008 Château La Conseillante

Libournais, Pomerol
Nice and pretty, a little less oomph than the other 08 Pomerol, but a very elegant wine showing supple red fruits and silky tannins, with a touch more acidity than I'd like given it's lighter structure. (89 pts.)

2008 Château Giscours

Médoc, Margaux
Lots of cab notes of green pepper, tobacco, piney, silky textures and a supple finish. Nice wine with more masculine aromas.
65% Cabernet Sauvignon
30% Merlot
3% Cabernet Franc
2% Petit Verdot (90 pts.)

2008 Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru)

Médoc, St. Julien
A pretty wine with elegant textures and purity to the red fruits and a zesty freshness. Good length and texture on the palate and the finish. (90 pts.)

2008 Château Lagrange St. Julien

Médoc, St. Julien
Classy and elegant, this was a nice wine with good balance and structure. Cherry and cassis wove neatly into a medium bodied palate with sturdy tannins and good acidity.
72% Cabernet Sauvignon
26% Merlot
2% Petit Verdot (89 pts.)

2008 Château Gruaud Larose

Médoc, St. Julien
With nice depth and a fine elegance this was a good wine with nice fruit and perfume. Blackberry, currant and cassis meshed nicely with flowers, violets and spicy plums, a medium bodied palate with fine grained tannins and a touch of leaner acidity. (88 pts.)

2008 Château Saint-Pierre

Médoc, St. Julien
A lovely wine with bright red raspberry, cherry, flowers and spice box, very fresh on the palate, this medium bodied wine finished pure and clean. The 2005 is still the best frequent years,though this is a nice runner up that vintage. (91 pts.)

2008 Château Lynch-Bages

Médoc, Pauillac
A big and lush nose of black fruits, herbs, licorice, and spice. The palate was very giving upfront but the mid palate tightened too much and the finish clamped down with acidity and tannins shutting out some length on the finish. Too young or starting close down? Good potential however... (90 pts.)

2008 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

Médoc, Pauillac
A very ripe and expressive nose, plush mocha and roasted coffee beans mixed with currant and cassis fruit. Lots of oak, surprising though how it finishes so long and full, the Bordeaux really know how to use oak in the right way. Good acidity keeps things in line too.
71% Cabernet Sauvignon
29% Merlot (92 pts.)

2008 Château Les Ormes de Pez

Médoc, St. Estèphe
Pretty and simple but so great because of that simplicity. Very straightforward offering of red fruits like currants and so ice in a nice package of tannin and acidity. Good value wine. (87 pts.)

2008 Château Phélan Ségur

Médoc, St. Estèphe
What a bargain, this wine came across very classic in Bordeaux in style. Smoky and toasty oak aromas mix with ripe red fruits for a fresh nose of fruit and tastiness. The tannins were big, but ripe and perfectly fit for this wine. (91 pts.)

SAUTERNES (sweet wines)

Chateau Climens - Lisa had this and together with the Suduiraut, was the best of the stickies being poured that night. Climen is a little low on the radar, but is getting the word out by pour at events like this and scoring well in the critics cirlce. (92-95 pts.)

Chateau Coutet - Another under the radar producer generally speaking, the Coutet was very nicely balanced with peach, honey, fresh and sweet citrus acidity, some floral notes with a solid long finish. Great value. (91-94 pts.)

Chateau Fargues - Very classic in flavor, aroma, and texture, this sweet wine started with candied citrus notes, honey, and had a long and full finish. (91-93 pts.)

Chateau Doisy Daene - More citrus and ripe fruit, more acidity, less complex but still quite delicous. (88-90 pts.)

Chateau Guiraud - Good texture and lenght, this wine started with honey and stone fruits, peaches galore and a sweetness that was quite amped. (88-90 pts.)

Chateau Latour Blanche - corked

Sigalas Ribaud - Excellent, with a little more of a petrol aroma to the stoen fruits, a liuttle spice as well, cirus oil and honey add more complexit. Great value here as well. (89-91 pts.)

Chateau Suidaraut - We had dinner with the winemaker in Bordeaux last June, so there is a little bit of an attachment to this wine, but it is a very well made and consistently delicous producer. Lisa also has this one and was the best of the night. (92-94 pts.)

In summary the 2008 was not an exceptional year, but a good year in that many fresh tasting wines were produced with good acidities and full flavors and tannins from the long hang time achieved as most Chateau did not finish picking until mid to late October. I find it more approachable than 2006, but more flavorful and more charm than 2004, 2002 and 2001. This is also hands down the best priced vintage on the market, with many wines well under $100. In fact if you focus on the $25-55 you will find many, many fantastic wines available. But please try to remember that vintages are a decent indicator of quality but not the ultimate indicator. Going to tastings like these allow you to be the judge.

CHEERS,

Tom

2011-02-27T18:43:00.000-08:00

Obsidian Ridge 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

Obsidian Ridge Vineyard

Red Hills Lake County
North Coast, California
$25

I am taking this break and one more until I get back to our Bordeaux trip, it was supposed to only be one but I have to write about this fabulous value Cabernet Sauvignon.

I can’t say I have had a wine of this quality for such a great price and value from Northern California in several years. The last time was 2001 and nothing close under $25 has come close to this quality. Back up the truck and make this your house Cabernet or red wine if you like new world wines. I bought this for $20, but most of you will probably see it in the $25 range. However, this tastes more like a wine twice the price or more.

Turns out besides the glowing Robert Parker review that nudged me into picking up a bottle of this to try, Wine and Food Magazine named this as one of their “100 Bottles To Drink Right Now” at #27.

Lake County is just north of the famed Napa Valley and just east of the Alexander valley in northern Sonoma County. In other words, this land looks kind of like Napa did 30-40 years ago and has attracted many new and pioneering winemakers looking to find great terroir to produce world class Cabernet Sauvignon. Obsidian Ridge is one of the first successful vineyards in this region and the proof is in this bottle. The vineyard is set high in the peaks of the Mayacamas mountain range at 2,640 feet, with steep hillsides and poor soil to stress the vines into producing great fruit to make wine from. These same mountains are the ones the line the west side of the Napa Valley. Obsidian Ridge got its name for its high elevation on a ridge, but more so because the soil is composed of volcanic red dirt and namesake black glass-like shards and chunks of obsidian rocks.

Color: Deep and vibrant garnet edges frame a dark core

Nose: Aromas of black cherry, currants, mochas, secondary notes of bell pepper, licorice, hot rocks and charcoal.

Palate: Rich, but not weighty the flavors fan out to coat the whole palate in black cherry, currants, and a savory mocha. The licorice, spice and oak complement this wine and the finish is a long and pleasing 30-40 seconds. The tannins are well tamed for such big mountain fruit, giving this good structure.

Back up the truck and BUY, BUY, BUY!

Cheers!

-Tom

2011-02-05T11:23:00.000-08:00

The 2008 Wines of Lucien Le Moine

White & Red Burgundy

Lucien Le Moine is a small, actually very tiny, négociant in Burgundy that purchases and produces in excess of 50 distinct wines from Cru level vineyard parcels spread out across Burgundy. If tiny does not get the idea across of how small they are, they produce a total of 30,000 bottles of wine (or ONLY 2,500 cases of rare beauty). LLM creates some of the most sought after Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the world as they meticulously respect the vines, the grapes and the wines to allow themselves to naturally express their true terroir. At the most they are able to create 3 barrels of production from one vineyard, but many are also just one barrel, creating scarcity and therefore high prices. Love and passion run deep in these wines and one could tasted and hear it first hand from proprietor Mounir Saouma. Mounir is apparently somewhat of a road warrior, traveling a lot to speak about the wines he cares and tends to so well. Mounir spoke about enjoying a wine over a period of hours, something we do at home as well, allowing to see how the wine changes over the few hours it is opened - basically respecting the wine and allowing it to show its true self. "WOW" was a word he said to not use in describing his wines, as these wines were to slowly raise their volume as opposed to a huge California Chardonnay that starts out with an immediately loud and fast WOW impact on the palate that gives little complexity and intrigue to the taster. Though by the looks on many of the faces in the room they had the word "WOW" written all over them as they tasted through the reds and then the whites. I could not tell if he was joking by saying this, maybe only half so as these were wow wines, but also very complex and thought provoking wines that seemed almost cerebral. The order of tasting red wines before whites is tradition in Burgundy and other areas of France. My guess is that the higher acidity in the whites is not as shocking to the palate after first tasting through the rounder and richer red wines. To me this was one of the better tasting I had been to recently and was a great testament to the care and quality of product that Lucien Le Moine is and will be known for so long as Mounir is at the helm. The 2008 vintage is a mixed bag requiring expertise and a lot of hard work to achieve a high quality level of wine. Many days of rain brought rot to the vineyard and the grapes, requiring a strict selection regimen and experienced vinification methods.

All wines are vintage 2008

Bourgogne Blanc: Lithe and supple aromas of sea air and minerality, fine but good length, crisp pear and granny smith apple, minimally tart acidity

REDS

Morey St. Denis "Clos des Ormes" 1er
Only 2 barrels made
Deep maroon color
Spice, savory red fruits, good perfume
Metallic (iron) taste, orange zest, sour cherry and cranberry, tangy acidity and minerality, silky tannins

Chambolle-Musigny "Charmes" 1er
The vineyard is located in very dry soil on a hillside
Red/burg with purple tones
Deep nose plush with red to more black fruits

Cherry, Plum and savory Black Olives, baking spices
Bright acidity and a tighter structure with more noticeable tannins, shows much elegance

Chambolle-Musigny "Haut Doix" 1er
Fomr a vineyard with more moist soil and lower on the hillside where more moisture collects
Red/burg with medium red
Sweet and fruity perfume
A softer attack that cleans up with good acidity, plusher fruit, strawberry, plums, a hint of sweet herbs, sappy fruit, long and elegant finish

Bonnes Mares Nord Grand Cru (GC) (North)
Concentrated and balanced, with good depth and plushness
Classic color, grading from deep to lite burgundy
Aromas of tomatoe leaves, red fruits, somewhat savory and meaty aromas and flavors, great length on finish, long tall tannins.

Bonnes Mares Sud GC (South)
A touch lighter burg color
Muted and subtle nose, shy fruit and finishes deeper, olives, it smells like its compacted and not showing much yet, very young.
It gained weight in the glass and was the wine that stayed in it the longest since it was literally going through a mild evolution in the glass.
Bigger tannins but a deeper palate finish, still the palate tasted compact and comlex, showing great promise for ageing.

Meursault "Genevrieres" 1er
Golden straw hue
Popcorn nose initially blew off with sliced green apple, citrus, and a mineral streak in the nose
Great acidity and balance.

The 2007 label, we tasted the 2008 vintage.

Meursault "Perrieres" 1er
Golden color with green flecks
More taught and bright, salinity, lemons with minerality, flowers. Complex texture, nose and palate, all around very impressionable and complex wine requiring some thought, Almost Chablis like in texture with rounder Beaune attributes. Possibly the best wine of the night.

Corton Blnac GC
Golden yellow in color
Rich color, nose, and body
A nose of citrus, stone fruit peachy/nectarine, minerality, white flowers
Bigger palate presence, super complex with bolder fuits blending with mineral and acid structure, acidity keeps the largesse in place like a belt.

This was a small break from the Bordeaux notes I am still posting from our trip their in 2010. The next posting will resume with day 2 in Bordeaux in the Pessac-Leognan region of Bordeaux.

Cheers!

-Tom

2011-01-27T18:58:00.000-08:00

Bordeaux Day 1 Part 3

Chateau Pontet-Canet

Pauillac

Pontet-Canet is located in the northern part of Pauillac on the west side of the D2 neighboring first growth Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. Pontet-Canet was our last Chateau visit on this first full day in Bordeaux on the left bank in the Medoc. We were greeted that day warmly by Nathalie who was to show us around the Chateau. Nathalie had an American flag raised and was flying high that day in our honor. We were quite impressed and silently thought that their neighbors were going to get out the pitchforks (joking)! All kidding aside, it was actually a very nice gesture and surprising as I found left bank Bordelais warmer to those in the wine trade such as importers of their wines. Nathalie was working on her English and was doing a great job explaining the Chateau’s history and philosophy on wine making. Pontet-Canet stepped it up and made us feel right at home!

After brief introductions we made our way to the golf buggy and were shown the vineyards, the grounds, and more of the outside of the impressive Chateau architecture. The original Chateau was just the right side of the picture on their label (here). After years of success the grounds were built upon to include most of what you see today, the multiple facilities for vinification and the offices.

The most impressive sight on the buggy however, was the soil as it had a lasting impression on me as this was true terroir you could see and feel. The composition of sand and gravel in mounds on top of deep limestone beds could be seen as the vineyard rolled in mild peaks and troughs south from the chateau. These gravel mounds are a major part of what makes the best vineyards in the Medoc so special. I stepped out of the buggy to grab a heap of it in my hands and feel its texture in my hands. This was true terroir and the essence of what makes this such a special place in the world to make wine.

While in the vineyard we discussed how Pontet-Canet was trying to go biodynamic and was close to becoming fully certified (which they just achieved in a recent article I read). We spoke of how the cycle of nature is important to respecting the soil and the vines to ensure longevity and health of all organisms in the vineyard, not just the vines. This is a hotly debated topic these days, but take notice biodynamic is so much more than organic. Many say that a lot of it is hocus-pocus, and maybe to a degree it is, but many of the foundations of biodynamic are very healthy to the soil and anything that grows in it. I am all for it if a grower can practice bio-dynamically without making the wine significantly more expensive or more important than the main objective – absolute perfection of the vineyard fruit.

As our stay progressed, we moved inside to the fermentation room. The fermentation room was old, but in a classically beautiful way, as the room was designed by Gustave Eiffel, who of course designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The wrought iron and lattice work inside the room was quite impressive and did remind you of the Eiffel Tower.

Next, we made our way to the second floor to taste the wines overlooking the vineyards. There we met Monsieur Alfred Tesseron who reminded me of how my father in how he walked up and down the stairs, very heavily and pronounced. We shook hands and immediately you could tell this is a man who loves this property and is proud of his wines. Monsieur Tesseron also runs a very successful, almost cult like, operation in Cognac making large and several smaller production high end Cognac. We spoke about the current state of affairs with the 2009 vintage just being heralded in the press and were expecting prices to be higher than ever. We tried the 2002 from bottle and the 2009 barrel sample. As we tasted through the wines, we shared our opinions of past vintages and current ones to drink. These days Tesseron prefers to drink the 2001 vintage and feels that 2009 is the best wine he has made to date. After tasting it we were quite impressed and feel the hype of 2009 lives up to what was in the bottle.

After tasting through we moved to the station where the grapes come in during harvest and are put through a strict sorting regimen to only allow the best bunches and then after de-stemming the best berries into the crusher. From there Nathalie showed us where the crushed grapes and juice are put into the fermentation tanks for the first fermentation from juice into wine. There are concrete and wood fermentation tanks for this process.

We then headed underground where the wines are put in new French oak barrels for the secondary, or malolactic, fermentation. The barrel room was deep and wide, filled with many barrels of the 2008 and 2009 vintages resting in the cool and damp air.

Lastly we saw the chamber at the back of the cellar that houses the library collection of Pontet-Canet. Unfortunately the oldest vintage that was remaining if my memory serves me right is the 1945 as the Nazis looted the cellar when they were occupying these lands during World War II.

If you are mulling a purchase of great Bordeaux wine, especially in Pauillac, you should look into Pontet-Canet.

2002 Chateau Pontet-Canet

Black fruits, earth, pencil lead, crushed leaves, black olives, something like I expected and typical for 2002, medium bodied with ripe and mellow tannins. Supple and clean on the palate, yet good fruit presentation, black cherry, it is showing some early signs of maturing, but in a nice way, drink now or hold for an optimal window of 5-10 years.

2009 Chateau Pontet-Canet

Pure cassis and black currants, cedar, smoky oak, some milk chocolate, even violets, 13-13.5 abv. Nice weight on the palate, not a heavy impression on palate, yet concentrated and full. Well balanced, with well integrated tannins, fruit, and acidity all working in harmony. This finished long, with velvety and silky tannins. It was amazing how young and impressive this wine already was. The wine gave you a big, sizable impression but it was not overwhelming due to the great balancing act.

Cheers!

-Tom

2010-11-26T20:29:00.000-08:00

Bordeaux Day 1 Part 2

Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou

Saint-Julien & Pauillac

Latour, Ducru-Beaucaillou, Pontet Canet

The grand Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou

Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou is situated in the Saint-Julien appellation on the left bank south of Latour in the Medoc. Depending on the vintage, Ducru makes some of the best wine in all of Bordeaux. This famed Chateau, a gorgeous work of architecture that is as pretty as it is intimidating when in its presence, received its name because of the beautiful and large stones that are common in the soil of this property or “terroir”. Sitting in the heart of the appellation, Ducru sits on some of the best ‘terroir’ in Saint-Julien having those large stones in the vineyard property, as well as sitting right on one of the better gravel mounds, the heart of the best terroirs in Bordeaux. In fact, the best Chateau in Bordeaux such as Lafite or Latour, have vineyards sitting on the best gravel mounds on the left bank. The gravel mounds are large, archeological formations and deposits that make up more than just one property and can extend to multiple properties, but more or less are the reason for the best properties that have the best vineyards that produce the best fruit and therefore make the best wines, though in good vintages, plenty of great wine is available in all of the Bordeaux appellations at all prices.

The vineyards of Ducru-Beaucaillou, checkout that terroir!

Our tour at Ducru was to be in French only and thankfully our Rosetta Stone lessons came in handy. We sat in the waiting area of the offices nervous of what we expected to be an uncomfortable tour. It turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences while on France on vacation for those two weeks. Many wine making terms are synonymous, no matter the language, mostly because they are French in origin so cepage, elevage, barrique, etc. were all familiar and having gone on many wine tours, even in French they are kind of the same and we were able to interpret on our own fairly well. But this one was great as our tour guide was the cellar master Rene Lusseau, and we found the challenge of interpreting the language barrier a fun challenge. We started in the vineyard and the layout of the vines on the property, explaining which vines were Cabernet Sauvignon and which were Merlot, which were older and which were younger vines that would go into the second wine, Croix de Beaucaillou, and then those from the oldest and best terroir destined for the grand vin Ducru-Beaucaillou.

The barrel room at Ducru

Next we moved to the cellar to where the fruit came in from the vineyards during harvest to view the fermentation tanks and then the aging barrels the newly fermented wines aged in. We sort of discussed a different process of how wines are racked in Bordeaux, it is different than what I have seen in most Napa cellars I have been to. Recently I asked Napa Valley vigneron Aaron Pott about this process called "Esquive" racking. Aaron currently makes Napa Valley wine under his own label called "Pott", but years back cut his teeth in Bordeaux making wine and later at quite a few solid wineries in Napa. According to Aaron it goes a little something like this:

"The little hole called an esquive on the head of the barrel is taken off and the wine pours into a small pan before a tube is inserted into it. The other side of the tube goes to another barrel next to it. Then inserted into the bung hole is a device called "une tete de chien" or dog's head, it is either attached to a small electric pump or can be manually pumped. The pressure pushes the wine through the esquive and through the tube into the other barrel. When there is no wine then you pull the tube out and tip the barrel using a hand cranking device that sets on another barrel or on the wall and tips the barrel forward to let out the wine. Now the wine is just falling into the pan. You can look through the stream with a candle and determine when the ideal time to stop lifting the barrel, that is when the wine runs clear." Thanks Aaron!

The rear property of Ducru, the Gironde estuary is further back.

Next we made our way across the property to the rear of the Chateau towards the tasting salon. See here the view of the palatial Chateau view, a stunningly beautiful work of architecture. Upon entering the salon, a beautiful purple and gold room has the 2009 vintage notes on the wall, along with the composition and tasting notes of the 2009 wines. Ducru has 3 wines, the last not from grapes from the actual estate vineyards but still hailing from Saint-Julien:

Grand Vin: Ducru-Beaucaillou
2nd wine: Croix de Beaucaillou
3rd wine: Chateau Lalande-Borie

As we made our way from the foyer to the tasting salon, we passed through the 2009 wines in barrel resting in the depths of the Chateau’s ornate lower reaches. The entrance to the tasting salon had a grand setup displaying many sizes of bottles: magnums, Balthazar, all of the different wines produced by Ducru. The tasting room had the most unique sink I have ever seen. Made of beautiful stark white marble, the sink with a thin layer of water, would allow the taster to see their disposed wine form a rose blossom in the bottom of the sink. Original art work from artists such as Keith Haring lined the walls of the salon. This was spitting at its highest art form! Monsieur Lusseau was kind enough to gift us a few souvenirs for our visit, as well as pour us the 3 Chateau wines from barrel for the 2009 vintage. It was such a treat to try these wines in their youth as these wines were drinking so well. The grand vin 2009 was one of our favorite wines from barrel on that trip, up there with Vieux Chateau Certan and Haut-Bailly grand vins. As we tasted through each wine, we spit them into the sink and watched as the rose blossoms bloomed, gaining more color and concentration with each wine up the ladder. Truth be told, we did not spit much, if any of the grand vin as it was already so developed and delicious, Monsieur Lusseau actually told us to drink it and not spit it as it was so good, why waste it we all thought? He pointed right down to his gullet and that was sign language we could easily identify with.

Various sizes of Ducru-Beaucaillou

The smartest tasting room I have ever been in, this is the marble sink.

The overhead light helps to gauge the gradation of the wine's colors, you also see limestone brick from the original structure of the Chateau.

As we left and made our way back above ground to catch our ride to our next destination, monsieur Lusseau officially anointed us ambassador’s of Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou. So here we bring you our experience and tasting notes for Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou. If you find yourself in Bordeaux, make sure you set up a tour here to see the land and try the wines, you will not be disappointed.

Lisa holding the 2009 barrel sample of the Grand Vin Ducru Beaucaillou

Yours truly

The rose bloom formed by the spitting of the wine

Rose bloom second view

Tasting Notes

2009 Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou

Deep red in color. Complex notes of creme de cassis, currants, licorice, and black cherry; big but precise on the attack. The palate is enrobed in luscious fruit and big, sweet, silky tannins. The texture and finish is off the charts impressive. Big and ripe tannins frame the bountiful fruit with a very solid structure. An incredibly long 1+ minute finish, enticingly silky texture, expansive palate = incredible wine. Very developed for such a young wine, very persistent and pure. This was the best barrel sample we had on our whole trip. 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot; 90% aged in new French Oak, 10% in used (12 months) French Oak

2009 Croix de Beaucaillou, 2nd wine of Ducru

Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon here, silky long and smooth, fruit aromas and flavors like cassis, currants, and notes of pencil shavings...great concentration for a second wine, smooth finish, good tannic structure, a solid 2nd wine. This will be a great second wine, the feeling we came away from these two wines were they were definite buys, this one especially in the $40 range.

2009 Chateau Lalande-Borie, 3rd wine of Ducru

Cabernet Sauvignon (50%) is the majority of this blend, with plenty of Merlot (40%) and a large proportion for the left bank of Cabernet Franc (10%). The color is deep purple. Bright red fruit aromas, and you can taste the cabernet franc distinctly in the mix. Raspberry & currants, whiffs of orange peel. Unique for a 3rd wine. Though I am not so sure how much this is an actual 3rd wine, from what I have read this is a completely different property/vineyard west of the estate.

NEXT up is Pontet-Canet back in Pauillac!

Cheers!

-Tom

2010-11-14T13:33:00.000-08:00

Pauillac & Saint-Julien

Latour, Ducru Beacaillou, Pontet Canet

Part 1 Chateau Latour

The famed tower at Chateau Latour

Bordeaux Day 1, Evening

La Brasserie de Bordelaise

The anticipation started well before bedtime the night before our first day in the famed Bordeaux wine region. We arrived in down town Bordeaux by train from the east near Provence in time for dinner, passing vineyards and coastal Mediterranean Sea vistas in the Southwest region of France. We hurried through our check in at The Regent Grand Hotel in the heart of downtown Bordeaux. We washed up, changed, and made our way back downstairs and hurried the 4 blocks to La Brasserie Bordelaise. When we arrived I felt like a kid in a candy store, everywhere you looked you were surrounded by various bottles of various vintages of great Bordeaux wines on the walls. Bordeaux is the second largest metropolis in France, so dinner was loud, vibrant even, people spoke quickly and oh so French! This was a locals place and I would have eaten here more if we could. I would have rather passed on the other night at a tourist trap that was highly recommended. This was not sleepy Provence, but a lively, energetic city full of energy. A bottle of 2005 Baron de Brane, the 2nd wine of the famed Chateau Brane-Cantenac was just the right wine, displaying the wonderfully, silky terroir of Margaux, at a younger age and at a good price. We later moved on to another Margaux, a mature 1995 Chateau Giscours. We knew what we wanted to eat this night before we left the ground in New Jersey for this meal: fois gras and steak, staples in Bordeaux. We devoured a hunk of fois gras terrine the size of my fist, which was perfect spread over charred crusty country bread. The steaks were solid, but we should have gotten the cote-du-beuf for two, but we were quite content with our sirloin. Never be afraid to say, “I’ll have what they are having”. The diners next to us were eating Peter Luger’s sized chunks of beef, we being a little afraid to just say give us that, ordered instead entrecote, which was a sirloin cut. It was great, cooked perfectly medium-rare, but not the same steak. In case you may be wondering, the menu was amazing filled with things like French fries cooked in duck fat, duck or beef carpaccio, Salmon tartare, Cote de Boeuf (what we should have ordered), steak tartare, pork braised in Sauternes, multiple variations of duck, Cassoulet, Beef Bourguignon, grilled veal chops and braised lamb shoulder. Like I said I could go back more, over 7 nights and eat 7 different meals!

Bordeaux Day 2, The Medoc or the ”Left Bank”

When we rose from our sleep the first morning on Bordeaux, this incredible feeling of anticipation overcame us, this was it, the big day in the Medoc, the grand Chateau were on our agenda for the day. We were picked up by our driver on this day, driving in style in a Range Rover we made our way the hour north to our first stop, Chateau Latour. The urban feel of Bordeaux gave way to a mix of suburbs and industrial parks on the outskirts of town, and then those gave way to the vineyards which spread out and rolled on in what seemed like forever in different directions. The sky was clear and blue, the sun high and bright, one could not have better weather to tour the Medoc.

Chateau Latour

As we pulled up to the gate we were greeted and shown the way in to the eastern part of the property to our tour and tasting of this legendary property. Chateau Latour is my favorite first growth Bordeaux, tops on many lists as one of the greatest wines of the world. Sonia Guerlou was our guide as we met first at the Chais, where we watched a short film on the four seasons at Chateau Latour, showing the life of the vine over a year. This was some pretty slick stuff, very impressive and much better than I was expecting. The short film lasted about 1o minutes and was not narrated, which left you up to your eyes to interpret the visuals for you.

The front gate at Chateau Latour

The actual Chateau Latour

We then made our way with Sonia across the Chais which is the main building that all the work is done after the grapes are brought in from the vineyards. As we made our way into the first part of the tour at the tank room you can sense that the Chais was recently renovated and updated to the latest technology that fits the Latour style of winemaking. The tanks are all precisely monitored by a large dashboard to exact temperatures at all times, with alarms that will notify key people when a temperature is too high or too low.

Fermentation tanks Chateau Latour

Chateau Latour barrel room

The next stop was the barrel room which was by far the largest we’d see on our trip, holding several hundred barrels for wine maturing. Currently the 2008 and 2009 vintages were in barrel. Below us underground was a single, large tank that all of the wines were emptied into when the final blend is decided on. This is such a great idea to create consistency in the final version of a blend, be it the Grand Vin or the Les Forts de Latour. Next we saw the entrance to the Chais

Microchip Authenticity

The private cellar chock full of back vintage Latour

Next we descended into the Chateau’s private cellar where they had in storage wines going back to the 1800’s! I do not think those would be for drinking and are more of a museum piece. But I could easily get comfortable next to a few 1961 and 1982 vintage bottles! Next we made our way to the tasting salon where we sampled 3 wines from 3 different vintages. The tasting notes further below go into greater detail of those grand wines. The tasting room was as modern and chic as anything I have ever seen in Napa, Italy, and even the rest of our trip in France. Black, grey, white, steel, leather and granite all worked together to help show the grandeur of the Latour wines in a modern art designed room. A funny personal note is that there were these Egg shaped art pieces in the room and it reminded me of the Wilco album “A Ghost is Born”, so I called it the Wilco in my head and a few times to Lisa.

Latour Tasting Salon

"Wilco" Egg

We tasted the first growth Grand Vin Latour from the 2004 vintage, Les Forts de Latour from 2005 and The Pauillac from 2006. All 3 represented a nice spectrum of 3 different vintages from the estate vineyards. Les Forts is the second wine but the grapes are sourced from its own vineyards, it is not the portions of the regular estate grapes not used in the Grand Vin. That is what the 3rd label is for, The Pauillac, as that is primarily the portions not used in both the Grand Vin and the Les Forts wines to achieve a more affordable Latour experience. 2004 is not my favorite Bordeaux vintage, but the Grand Vin showed very well. The Les Forts was exceptional as expected from the heralded 2005 vintage, and the 2006 Pauillac was fine, but in that price range one can do better.

The vineyards looking east to the estuary and the Gironde River

Latour "terroir"

After the tasting we walked the grounds some to see for ourselves the soils and the terroir up close. The vines were smaller than those in Napa and Italy, where warmer temperatures seem to stretch the vines higher to the sky, with bunches hanging several feet off the ground. In Bordeaux the grapes are about a foot or 2 off the ground, resting closer to the warmer ground. The gravel was distinctly original from any other vineyard site I have ever seen. Similar gravel was seen in the other Bordeaux vineyards in Saint-Julian and Pauillac that we visited. Bordeaux may not at first seem that terroir driven, but once you get in the vineyards you can see the terroir for yourself.

3rd, 2nd and the 1st Wines of Chateau Latour

2004 Chateau Latour

Wonderfully classic as 2004 is just that kind of vintage, pure cassis and currants, earth, and minerality in layers of depth that unfold gracefully on the palate. Balanced and pure, this is a more affordable vintage for those looking to get a better priced Latour that will drink well soon but also age for 20+ years. The best grapes on the property come from the vineyard sections called “l'Enclos”; this is the heart of the Latour property and the wine. The Grand Vin is aged in 100% new French oak.

2005 Les Forts de Latour, 2nd wine of Chateau Latour

Excellent depth, medium oak influence. Overall the LFdL is more approachable than the Grand Vin overall. This wine is the 2005 LFdL and is more approachable with seemingly less tannin, even than the 2004 grand vin which is subtler vintage. 2005 was a high tannin vintage for Latour (and most Medoc wines), but I think the aim for Les Forts de Latour is not the same as the grand vin for decades long longevity, maybe just 1 to 3 decades instead of 3-7 decades or more in great years of the grand vin. This wine shows nicely with dark red currants, cherry, cassis, classic toasty French oak, with a touch of mocha and toasty oak. Sturdy, yet fine tannins. Les Forts de Latour is aged in 50% new French oak and 50% in oak barrels already used so they are more neutral and impart less of an oak presence (and to an extent less tannin).

2006 The Pauillac, 3rd wine of Latour

The focus here on this wine is the fruit, lots of bright red fruits. With barely any new oak, this sharpens the focus on the fruit. The blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot. The palate reveals tart cherry, currants, and minerality. As expected this is the leanest of the 3 with more acidity and definitely for near term consumption. The fruit for “The Pauillac” is sourced from the juvenile vines of the Latour properties. The Pauillac is aged in only 5% new oak, the remaining in neutral oak barrels.

Latour in the glass

Lunch: Le Lion d’Or, Arcins

The Le Lion d’Or lives up to its reputation: lunch was delicious and the service was a tab cranky. Most of the crankiness was due to my trying to speak too much broken French and then too much English. The chef was actually the nicest one, checking on how our meal was progressing a few times. We ate on the back patio under a large canopy umbrella to shield us from the steady sun. Some white Bordeaux and some fresh claret were the call for drinks, while we both ordered the steak tartare that was served with chips (think perfectly cooked thick sliced potato chips). This was probably the best steak tartare I had ever had. As we finished out lunch, we walked around the village of Arcins, not much was there to look at so we walked back to meet our driver and head to our next appointment.

Le Lion d’Or, Arcins

To be continued (Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou)

2010-08-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

France - Part 3

Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Domaine du Pegau

Domaine de la Janasse

Chateau Mont Redon

Clos des Brusquieres

Grenache vines surrounded by galets in CdP

Day 4 was an exciting trip north of Les Baux to the world renowned wine region Chateauneuf du Pape. Driving north from Les Baux through Avignon we made our way to Chateauneuf du Pape on the first Tuesday of our trip. Chateauneuf du Pape, or “Castle of the Popes”, or as I like to call it Chateauneuf du Awesome is a place still rooted in the past, with little commercial flash like Napa or Bordeaux as you will see in the pictures here and in comparison to future posts from Bordeaux . For those not familiar with this region, the Roman Catholic Church had a major influence in this region in the middle ages. Quite a few French popes reigned in this region in the middle ages, mostly in Avignon. But beside Avignon, the mighty French Popes also had a castle built in a village we now know as Chateauneuf du Pape.

The steps leading up to the "castle of the popes", or Chateauneuf-du-Pape

The remains of the castle sit at the highest point on the hill the village resides on. You can see it off in the distance quite a few miles away as the half remaining part of the castle towers over the surrounding area. The anticipation sparks the second you see the castle it and grows as you get closer to your first tasting appointment. Now mind you this is not a castle you are thinking with moats and draw bridges, it is half blown up and quite small from what we recall from our memory of castles in movies and stories past. The castle was intact until World War II until the Nazis that occupied it and used it as their ammo and weapons cache for the region. As the Allies closed in, the fleeing Nazi’s blew up the weapons cache and blew out half of the castle, leaving just one half of the castle standing. I have heard of Irish goodbyes, but can one consider this a German goodbye? Such a shame! I am curious if they export much of their wines to Germany? (kidding of course). This was one of my favorite days in our two weeks in France, the images from memory and wines were very vivid and unforgettable.

Domaine du Pegau

What a great visit! Laurance Feraud made us feel at home and gave us a thorough tour and introduction to the wines of Domaine Pegau and ALL from the best recent vintages! Avignon traffic was terrible and held us up for 30 minutes, but Laurance received just as she would have had we been on time for the visit. We made out wine to the cellar room to meet with the group lucky enough to not have suffered a traffic jam on their way to CdP. The old, stoic foudre were lined up in the cellar room, the Capo barrel as you can see in the picture being the biggest foudre of them all. They are currently expanding, as we saw when Laurance showed us around the property and saw the new construction. These were excellent wines. Looking back on our trip, I would have taken the opportunity to bring a few more of these wines back to the US with us. I chose the 2005 Cuvee Laurance and the 2007 Reserve CdP, the Capo was tempting but my gut said Laurance!

Laurance Feraud, winemaker Domain du Pegau

With each wine Laurance went into the story behind each wine, as well as the methods used to create the wines. For example only in certain years the Cuvee de Capo or Cuvee Laurance is made, but never both. The Capo seems to be made in riper years (’03, ’07) and the Laurance in more classic years (’01, ’05, ‘06). The reserve was the first wine and was a beauty. Dark red and black fruits, meat and spicy pepper aromas, this is classic, benchmark CdP. The Laurance was more to my tastes and what I expected of a classic CdP, the Capo was huge, borderline new world in style. No doubt I could tell why it is a perennial favorite of Robert Parker’s. The Capo was huge, with layered, unctuous flavors and textures. The Laurance was more refined, more classic CdP in style and to me more complex. Delivering multiple layers and more aroma complexity than the Capo, this was the iron fist in the velvet glove.

The Pegau lineup, NV, 07, 07, 05

We got a little background on wine legalities and the rigorous bureaucracy the AOC and other oversight entities apply to the winemakers to ensure they are adhering to the rules set forth by the government, whether they are suitable or not. The rules were originally intended to ensure a winemaker was being true to the rules of a particular region. But as the industry has matured, the regulators adhere to old and unsuitable rules that do protect the consumer, but at times constrict the creativity and the true expression a winemaker is trying to make. American winemakers have no idea how lucky they are that the regulators here do not do the same! Laurance was a terrific host and indeed shows the passion for winemaking that comes through in her wines. We also met her father, Paul, who started making wines as Pegau in 1987. For generations the property that yields the grapes for their wines was in this family. This was truly a family operation, original and rooted in the tradition.

Wines Tasted:

NV Plan de Pegau $15

Pegau’s answer to a Cotes du Rhone, but is mostly Merlot and from multiple vintages so it is designated “NV” for non vintage. Laurance explained the vines for this wine are from property on the banks of the Rhone River on mostly sandy soil good for growing Merlot in (this is also true in Bordeaux). This is truly unique for the area and since it is not made from traditional Rhone varieties, it cannot even be called a Cotes du Rhone or Vin de Pays, it is rather simply a “red table wine” or “Vin de Table” and thus not allowed to show a vintage (proof of the poor rules in France – no vintage? Seriously?!).

2007 Domaine Pegau Reserve CdP $70

The color is dark red with red edges. The aromas jump from the glass of deep black and red cherry, currants, spice, meat and a touch of mocha. Black cherry, black figs and crème de cassis coat the palate while the silky and long finish sails on. The 2007 reserve is an exceptional wine of depth and length, with a deep and long finish of true CdP character. I bought one of these to bring back home with me.

2007 Domaine Pegau Cuvee de Capo $400+

Capo 2007

This is a monster of a wine and packs a wallop of fruit, glycerin, and texture. A black core with dark red edges. The nose is ripe, but not overly so showing deep black currants, beefy notes, black raspberry, chocolate and spice. This is a huge wine and given its size should age for quite a long time. It is aged in its own special cask and is the best fruit from a given vintage when no Cuvee Laurance is created. It is not cheap, but if you can walk away with one from the Domaine you should do so if this is your style.

2005 Domaine Pegau Cuvee Laurance $100

Cuvee Laurance 2005

This is a beautiful, classically styled wine that is what the Capo is not. Though, do not mistake the power of this wine’s ability to show an iron fist with a velvet glove. It may be more elegant, but it is no less stimulating, and in fact I think it is more complex, and more interesting of a wine than the Capo. The 2005 is showing impeccably balanced and is just starting to show some mature aromas, but it is mostly still shrouded in a weave of tannin and acidity. Beautiful aromas of mostly deeper red fruits, roasted beef, spice, and some flowers rise from the glass. The palate is broad and deep, with solid tannins that should melt away as this wine ages for many years. I also bought one of these to take home with me. I wish I had purchased more!

Le Verger du Papes

(Lunch)

For lunch we drove to the top of the village and had lunch beneath the castle ruins at Le Verger du Papes. We both ordered steak. I had mine with frites while Lisa had an exceptional gratin that was traditional but also had layers of bacon added into the matrix of cheese and potatoes. With lunch we had the 2007 Clos des Brusquieres Chateauneuf-du-Pape. I really liked this wine and highly recommend it as the 2007 can be had for about $35 here in the US (a very good price for a CdP). It was showing classic CdP flavors and aromas, revealing dark and red spicy fruits, roasted Provencal herbs, with smoky a meat component, a luscious texture and a long, fresh finish. Classic!

Domain de la Janasse

Nestled north east of CdP in Courthezon, about a 15 minute drive from the village of Chateauneuf, Domaine de la Janasse was an exceptional visit. The highlight was the generous tasting of 14 wines going back to 1979! What a lineup! We were received by the warm and friendly Isabelle Sabon at the Domaine. Isabelle asked which wines we wanted to try, and, well, we said everything! The tasting room was a modest place to taste these great wines, with little flash as their children’s toys were in sight, as well as medals and honors bestowed upon the Sabon family’s best wines, including the best white for the 2008 vintage from Chateauneuf du Pape (see CdP Blanc 2008 below). I liked the feel and comfort of the tasting room; it was just like Pegau, not stuffy, but original and unassuming. Adjacent to the tasting room was the fermentation room and the cellar for aging the wines in foudre and barrel. We were definitely intending on buying a few bottles here too, especially the CdP blanc as the 2007 was a recent favorite of ours. The variety and styles of the current wines was impressive. There were a few roses, whites, some top notch Cotes du Rhones, and then quite a few exceptional CdP: each wine displaying a different expression of the grape and the vineyard.

Domaine de la Janasse

Thankfully we had lunch before the 14 wines we tried at Domaine de la Janasse. Here is a list and some notes I took on each of the wines we tasted. Some we drank, some we spit, but we made it through with our wits intact!

On average, Janasse produces about 250,000 bottles of the below wines. Only about 50,000 of those wines are from 15 hectares of Chateauneuf du Pape vineyards.

ROSE

Vin de Pays (VdP) de la Principaute d’Orange Rose 2009 $10-12

1/3 each of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre
Simple and easy, red fruits and acidity blend well to deliver an easy going Rose. Copper-pink in color. Nice wine and super cheap as it only cost a few Euros, maybe 8.

Cotes du Rhone Rose 2009 $12-14

50% Grenache, 30%Syrah, 20% Cinsault
More depth and mid-palate here, silky red fruits and orange zest. Salmon in color. Good acidity and weight. This rose delivers and for may 10 Euros, also a great deal. Pretty and elegant but with a tad more depth than the VdP.

Lisa starting to sample the "few" wines we tasted!

LES VIN BLANCS (Whites)

VdP de la Principaute d’Orange Viognier 2009 $18

100% Viognier
Classic Viognier of white flowers, honeysuckle, stone fruits like peach and ripe nectarine. Chardonnay lovers take note this wine delivers huge white wine character in a while new way! This wine delivers Viognier as it should be. Only about $16-18 I have seen this back home here in the US. Cook up some scallops or sea bass and you will not be disappointed.

Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2009 $14

50% Grenache Blanc, 15% Clairette, 15% Bourboulenc, 10% Viognier, 10% Roussane
We had this at home before our trip and I was not impressed, but in France it was showing better, silky and more succulent. White, waxy and succulent exotic fruits blend well with almonds, flowers and spice. Fabulous little white wine.

Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc 2009 $60

50% Grenache Blanc, 25% Roussanne, 25% Clairette

This is one of the best white CdP I have ever had, the 2007 was absolutely spectacular, delivering complexity, depth and richness in a balanced wine that would have anyone saying wow! The 2009 was almost as good, ever so slightly lower in depth and richness, the 2009 delivered more acidity with the classic white flowers and stone fruits, sweet almonds, with nervy minerality and terroir. Solid white, this matched well with a roasted chicken basted and seasoned with Provencal herbs.

LES VINS ROUGES (Reds)

Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2008 $15

Cotes du Rhone 2008

50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, 15% Vieux Carignan, 5% Cinsault
Aged 6-9 months in foudre.
The nose reveals delicate red fruits like strawberry and cherry, spice and an easy going freshness. The palate was more forward with similar flavors to the nose, the tannins were apparent here, good kirsch-like and black fruits. Balances well as medium to full bodied.

Vin de Pays (VdP) de la Principaute d’Orange ‘Terre de Bussiere’ 2007 $15

55% Merlot, 25% Syrah, 10% Grenache, 10% Cabernet
Aged 12 months in 30% new oak, the rest neutral oak barrel.
Again surprising that this is a lot of Merlot, but this has more depth than the Plan de Pegau which also had a large majority of Merlot. This was also aged in a smaller barriques, or barrel, whereas the previous Cotes du Rhone was aged in foudre. This was really nice for a CdR, if not so traditional with all of that Merlot. I wonder how much Merlot could have been in my other Cotes du Rhone that I have been tasting all these years. Typically Grenache or Syrah is the main grape in a Cotes du Rhone. Nice wine, delivering red fruits, medium to full bodied. A little spice and some oak.

Cotes du Rhone Village 2008 ‘Terre de Argile’ 2008 $17-25

1/3 each Grenache, Syrah, & Mourvedre
Serious Cotes du Rhone here as this receives some complex elevage.
Aged 18-21 months as follows:
Syrah & Mourvedre (60%) oak barrel (30% new) and the Grenache 40% is aged in foudre.
This was a fabulous Cotes du Rhone as this was not your basic Cotes du Rhone. Not your average CdR, this wine is made with quality in mind, and shows in the glass. Terre de Argile tastes more like a Chateauneuf du Pape, and priced a little higher than an average CdR, it should. Rich red and black fruit, spice, and some meaty aromas and flavors blend well with the oak treatment barely noticeable in this wine. The full flavor of the wine finishes long with supple tannins. The Mourvedre adds more depth and deeper color to the fresher Syrah and Grenache. The anticipation of the coming wines did not overshadow this wine and I recall well how much I liked this for a Cotes du Rhone. This was the 2008 and I have a stash of the 2007 at home waiting for their day to shine. 2008 is on the shelves right now and ready to drink!

Chateauneuf du Pape Traditional 2008 $50-60

2008 Chateauneuf-du-Pape

70% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre
15-18 months aged in 80% foudre and 20% barrel
The 2008 Chateauneuf du Pape traditional is a blend of both the regular CdP vineyards and the Chaupin which is bottled separately in better vintages. More Mourvedre was used in 2008 at Janasse in the two CdP wines produced, much more than usual as my notes say “20%+?”, probably to counteract a somewhat average to slightly poor vintage. Red and black fruits, meaty aromas, lavender and garrigue are all on display in this classic, traditional 2008. Priced high for a so-so vintage, the ’08 would be a nice comparison to the 07 that everyone had gone gaga over! Both are priced similarly right now.

Chateauneuf du Pape ‘Vielles Vignes’ 2008 $90-120

70% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 18% Mourvedre, 2% Divers
From Grenache vines aged 60 to 100 years old, this wine was aged: Mourvedre in barrel (25%, 40% new), the remaining 75% was Grenache raised in foudre!
This wine showed more depth and complexity than the Traditional, but also is twice the price. To me it is twice as good. Full bodied and dark in color, this wine was brooding from the glass. Blackberry and currants, incense, licorice, and toasty mocha reveal a beautiful aroma and full flavors that lead to a long, full finish.

Chateauneuf du Pape ‘Vielles Vignes’ 2003 $100-125

The richness and depth of this wine was very apparent and to be expected from the hot and ripe 2003 vintage. I believe Parker gave this a big 97 point score. This is a huge wine of profound richness and depth. This wine was open for a little over one day and was giving off a big, full aroma of dark berries, meat, charcoal like smoky and toasty oak, some mocha, with some fresh flowers and brighter red fruits, very complex, and very deep. The palate was full and broad, coating every nook and cranny in the palate with rich black fruits, currants, cherry, spice, minerality, and a long, long finish. In years to come as this sheds some fat, I am sure this will be an incredible wine as it gains further complexity. I just hope it ages well and in balance, though I have a feeling it probably will. As French wines go, this is a big boy, big body, fruit and everything else! But given the course CdP has taken in recent year by some producers to ramp up the ripeness, I guess this is not too much of a surprise. It does however tastes in balance. A careful high wire balancing act of huge fruit, alcohol, tannins and decent acidity, though that one was lacking the most of the 4 components. As this wine ages this will be an interesting wine to taste and analyze through the years. In time this will show more finesse, but could easily be a 20-30 year wine, maybe more with all of the stuffing that is packed into this wine.

2003 and 1999 Vielles Vignes (VV)

Chateauneuf du Pape ‘Vielles Vignes’ 1999 $65-80

Speaking of finesse, the 1999 VV was our favorite wine of the day. Drinking perfectly, this big wine started with a purple core getting red and then barely brick in color at the edges. Open almost 1 full day, the nose was a sensual complex perfume of red and black fruits, licorice, fall leaves, provincial herbs, subtle spice, with secondary notes of tobacco and dried flowers. The palate was just the same, showing a combination of youthful fruit, combined with dried herbs, garrigue, earth and spice, showing great balance and wonderful presence. The wine seemed practically seamless, with a beautiful nose, wonderful palate, and a long finish of the aforementioned flavors still resonating on the palate. Full bodied, the tannins are still intact, but starting to mellow. This wine is definitely fighting the aging process well and is in a very palate pleasing spot showing both primary and secondary aromas and flavors. I don’t usually rate wines but this is an easy 96+ and drinking superbly at this moment! Perfect balance, full inviting aromas and flavors, what more could you want from a classic Chateauneuf du Pape!

Chateauneuf du Pape ‘Vielles Vignes’ 1993 $NA

What a treat, the 1993 was in full bloom as a mature, wonderfully complex wine. Sn older version of the 1999, but maybe not as good as the 1999 will be at this stage. The color was purple red with brick color at the edges. The aromas were a haunting mix of more secondary aromas and flavors. Dried black and red fruits, currant and cherry, with mature notes of sandalwood, earth, cigar box, spice, and licorice come through with ease and subtlety. Not sure how much better this will get, so if you have any drink up! Great balance and wonderful mature character, this is a great wine if you wanted to get to know a mature Chateauneuf du Pape.

Cotes du Rhone Reserve 1979 $NA

1979 Cotes du Rhone Cuvee Reservee

When drinking through a deep tasting of wines, it is usually best to save the oldest for last. The flavors and aromas are usually more delicate than the younger wines, but reminiscent of the younger wines and in some ways traceable back to their younger siblings. The color was light red to full on brick, being 31 years old! Aromas of crushed fall leaves, earth, subtle spice and sandal wood rose from the glass as we swirled our tasting glasses. The nose had plenty of the aromas one would associate with an older wine. The palate was good, though very delicate and very subtle with lighter red fruits, leather, acidity, and very slight tannins. It had plenty of drinkability if you have had old wines and knew what to expect out of this wine as it was lacking in that fuller fruit sensation, but over-loaded in the maturity department.

2007 Janasse Chateauneuf Du Pape XXL $300-400

100% Grenache (inaugural vintage)
There are the old and pleasant wines you should finish with, and then there are the ones you just have to finish with as they will completely obliterate your palate. The XXL is just that, a monster wine of size and proportion that exceeds anything that is traditional and classic in Chateauneuf Du Pape. Not to mention deeper, fuller, strong and richer than any of the other wines that you must finish with it like you would a desert wine, but this is no desert wine as it is completely dry.

The new for 2007 "XXL", the name says it all!

2007 is the first vintage of the 2,000 bottle production XXL. It reminded me of the 2003 VV on steroids! The palate is huge, I mean seriously HUGE! XXL is very new world and not typical of the CdP wines I have tried, though there are similarities to Pegau's Capo and the 2003 VV from Janasse. I can see why they would make it as collectors and enthusiasts will for sure snatch them up. Parker scored it a 98-100 to boot.

Color: Black as night, through and through
Nose & Palate: Crushed super-ripe blackberry, licorice, blueberry, black cherry, toasty malted chocolate oak and charcoal! Whiffs of alcohol, but not as strong as you would think given its got to be 16+ degrees abv. Virtually no acidity, but of course it’s in there, the acidity is overshadowed by the ultra ripe and sweet fruit, with huge ripe and sweet tannins.

I felt surprised and shocked at how close this wine resembles a California Grenache or Syrah from a few producers that definitely push the alcohol to 16+ degrees, same goes for the Capo. It was not bad, just different than what I was expecting from CdP. For the price I would take multiple bottles of the VV or try the Chaupin, but that’s just me. Remember, I passed on 2007 Capo earlier that day. If you get this, please decant for a very, very long time or throw it in the cellar and forget about it for 25 years….seriously. Or just drink up now and hold on to your hat and let go of your wallet!

The legendary Mont Redon

Chateau Mont Redon

Last on our agenda was a quick stop at Mont Redon, north of the village of Chateauneuf du Pape on our way back from Janasse in Courthezon. Mont Redon is one of the original big producers in the area and they maintain an adherence to an old traditional mix listed below that is of course dominated by the Grenache grape, like all Chateauneuf du Pape. The vineyard is maintained traditionally so as to bring out the best terroir the vineyard can produce. The property is wide, broad and beautiful, as you can see in the pictures here with the galets (large oval smooth rocks) in the vineyards between and under the vines. These rocks are part of the secret to the terroir of CdP as the galets reflect the light and maintain warmth over the night. This is why the vines are lower to the ground than you see in new world regions like Napa Valley. The galets soak up the suns heat and remit that heat back over night to the vines. So the vines stay close to their source of warmth, the stones on the ground. Bordeaux has a similar concept but with much smaller, more gravelly stones and soil in the left bank in the Medoc and the Graves regions. The Domaine has a full service tasting room not looking much different than something you would see in the Napa Valley offering many vintages for one to taste. The oldest available without begging was the 1999, but to me tasted a little tired or maybe was open for too long. The 2001 and the 2007 were the best I felt of the bunch we tasted.

The vines are surrounded by galets, everywhere in thsi part of CdP

Mont Redon maintains a standard recipe for the blend of their Chateauneuf du Pape of the following cepage:

Grenache 65%
Syrah 15%
Cinsault 10%
Mourvedre 5%
Counoise-Muscardin-Vaccarese 5%

2001 Mont Redon CdP

The color on this wine was an elegant ruby red, hinting at more refined flavors of red fruits and spices. The nose and palate were a classic, refined, typical blend from this Domaine. Red fruits of cherry, strawberry, mulled spices, leather and tobacco notes show age and complexity. A beautiful wine.

2007 Mont Redon CdP

The best of the 3 young vintages we tasted. The 2007 was expected to be good being the best vintage in years in CdP and this wine delivered. The color was deep, a darker red hue. The nose and palate were ripe raspberry, strawberry and cherry, virtually no oak, but a nicely elegant and decently long finish. Some more plum fruit, spice, fine grained tannins and lots of acidity. More acidity than the last 2 producers we visited.

Next we will move on to the world famous wines of Bordeaux and our visits to a few world renowned Chateau such as Latour, Ducru Beaucaillou, Pontet Canet, Haut-Bailly, Angelus & Vieux Chateau Certan to name a few.

Cheers,
Tom

Cheers!

2010-07-18T18:10:00.000-07:00

Part 2 - France

Provence: Cassis & Bandol, Southern Provence

Cassis

Our first trip out of the Les Baux region was to see more of Provence, specifically the Southern parts in the seaside town of Cassis and Bandol. In Cassis we wanted to check out the town and the renowned scenery, as well as the source of the dish we all know as Bouillabaisse for lunch. After lunch we had planned to visit one of our favorite wine producers at Domaine Tempier in the French AOC Bandol, just north of the town of Bandol, which was 20 minutes further down the motorway. In case you did not know, Domaine Tempier just so happens to also make the world’s best Rose wine, a type of wine famous from the Provence region.

Cassis, the marina, the waterfront, then the vineyards and crowned hilltops

Heading south from Les Baux through a slew of motorways crossing the countryside, we made our way to Cassis for a special seaside lunch. Driving off the motorway you wind your way down the switchback roads to Cassis and upon seeing your first glimpse of the Mediterranean feel invigorated by its electric and deep blue colors that seem to entice you to drive faster down the hillside. At each turn you see either a mountain top overlooking the vineyards with land stretching down to the sea below, or the blue waters of the Mediterranean reaching out to the horizon. The crests and peaks seem to keep watch over Cassis, one’s eyes are constantly drawn to the unique shapes and sizes when not mesmerized by the blue water of the Mediterranean.

Palisades south of Cassis from the beach

Cassis is still a small Seaside town, with a modest, but quite capable Marina where yachts mingle with fishing boats hauling in the morning’s bounty from the sea. There is a beach that is more pebble than sand that is not kind on feet not accustomed to the modestly rigorous tread. This being the first time we were setting our feet into the Mediterranean Sea were did not care one bit.

"Bouillabaisse"

The restaurants on the water, from what we read, were notoriously overpriced and not as good as those in the narrow streets in from the waterside. Unfortunately none of our 3 choices was open on Mondays and we chose L’Oustau de la Mar on the water instead. It had the most French people eating at it and we had a good feeling we would get the best Bouillabaisse at this restaurant on this day. By the first few bites we knew we chose correctly. Eating Bouillabaisse is not just a meal, it is an event. It is carefully coordinated with a mass of seafood. It starts with a seafood broth, then you add in crusty bread and rouille (similar to aioli with saffron). Then add in the “frutti di mare” like Monkfish, Turbot, shrimp, mussels, crab, langoustine, potatoes, and tomatoes. Pair it with a nicely chilled Rose wine from Cassis and you have perfection! The 2009 Chateau de Fontblanche rose did the trick! Bouillabaisse was the perfect foil for the strawberry and crisp citrus peel notes of the wine.

Bandol

After lunch we made our way back up to the motorway and continued south to Bandol. The AOC Bandol is actually in a few small towns and villages in the hills above Bandol. Not one vine exists in the proper town of Bandol south of the actual AOC.

The sign from the road, a small, narrow, bumpy farm road!

I discovered Bandol reading the book by famed American wine importer Kermit Lynch “Adventures Along the Wine Route”. Anyone that loves to read about wine and reading good stories must pick this book up to read about how wine and the French countryside existed 20-30 years ago. Though one can tell driving to Tempier that some has changed, with a small village of modern homes and a brand new school as neighbors to what once was all farm country and grape vines. We were lucky enough to see Lucy Peyraud who at 93 still gets around the premises just fine and easily looks 10-15 years younger. Her secret is one glass of wine every day (and probably all natural wholesome foods from the region’s bounty). Domain Tempier was Lucy’s fathers operation before she and Lucien took it over. Lucien was partly responsible for having Mourvedre put back in the Bandol region’s wines, as well as contributing heavily to establishing Bandol as an AOC. Domaine Tempier was taken to great heights by Lucien who was instrumental in taking the wines of the AOC into the modern world and out into new drinker’s hands by making acquaintances such as Kermit Lynch.

Estate Tempier vineyard, La Migoua in the hillsides in the foreground

Mourvedre

Domaine Tempier produces one rose wine, one white, and 4 red wines. The white is a kitchen sink blend of Rhone Varietals (Clairette, Bourboulenc, Ugni Blanc) and made in minute quantities, making it a rare find at retail as it is only 3% of their production. The rose is mostly Mourvedre, about 50%, with Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan making up the rest of the blend. The red wines are Mourvedre based and quite unique as Bandol is one of the few regions that can successfully grow Mourvedre consistently and then bottle it as the majority grape as it needs abundant warmth and sunshine, something Bandol has in spades. MourvedreCuvee Classique rouge is the entry level red, priced around $35. The typical blend is 75% Mourvedre, 16% Grenache, 8% Cinsault, and 2% Carignan. The other 3 reds are each from single distinct vineyards from Bandol and each contain different levels of Mourvedre, the lowest being 50% and the highest being 100% Mourvedre. La Migoua has 50% Mourvedre, La Tourtine 80%, and Cuvee Cabassaou the most at 95%.

We tasted the 2009 Bandol Rose, then the 2006 and 2007 rouge Cuvee Classique wines. In the tasting room with us that day were a friendly English family on holiday from London.

Domaine Tempier Rose 2009

The color is a beautiful pink and copper hue. The nose is enticingly silky and fresh with strawberry and citrus fruits mixing with a note of creaminess (fig?). The palate is well balanced and full. A silky front and mid-palate of ripe strawberry, dried sweet figs, and perfect acidity leaves the palate fresh but lingering for more from the long finish. This is truly a red wine drinker’s rose that is complex and finishes long.

Domaine Tempier Rouge 2007

Dark and vibrant core with red edges. Bigger, fuller, more concentration and balance than the 2006. A notch more complex and concentrated than the 2006. A seamless, balanced wine. The tannins seem as strong in 2007 as in 2006, but more fruit carries the wine through uninterrupted. Black and red fruits like currants, cherry, and blackberry compote have a touch of provincial herbs and some pain grille.

My favorite Mourvedre: Tempier Rouge, a blend of the 3 great single vineyards la Migoua, la Tourtine, Cabbassaou,

Domaine Tempier Rouge 2006

Similar flavors and aromas to the 2007 but the tannins seem to be more evident in the 2006 than the 2007. 2006 was still a good year and a great wine, but given the choice the 2007 seems more complete. The acidity is a little more evident here as well.

The bottling process in full swing

We toured the cellars and some of the vineyards to get a glimpse of the operation and how the Tempier wines are made. The soils, abundant sunshine and consistently warm temperatures are perfect terroir to produce the best Mourvedre grapes on the planet. The best vineyards in Bandol lay on hillsides that look like amphitheatres overlooking the Meditteranean Sea. These hillsides stress the vines as nutrients run away from the vines faster, and the angle of the hillsides lay the vines out to catch the most that the sun can deliver. The Mourvedre grape has a long maturation period that needs a long period of warm, sunny days to ripen enough to produce optimal grapes for wine.

2008 Bandol rouge in the cement fermentation tank being readied for bottling

The fermentation room has concrete and steel fermentation tanks, while the big attractions are the huge foudre (large wooden barrels, see us below in front of one) that are used to age the red wines in after fermentation is complete in the cement tanks. Unlike the wines in barrel in say Napa or Bordeaux, small barrels are not used at Tempier, and for that matter in most of Bandol to age the wines in after fermentation. While we were there the bottling line was running and I took a few pictures of the operation in action. After bottling the wines are racked with no labels or caps until they are ready to be sent out to the world for purchase.

Lisa & I in front of the largest foudre

We only had time for Tempier and made our way back to Les Baux. I can’t wait for the next time I have the opportunity to go to the AOC Bandol and see more of the vineyards and other Domaines.

They say place has a lot to do with certain wine moments and how you remember wines. In the case of Tempier, the first time I had it was a remarkable wine moment for my Dad and I. I remember having the 2005 Bandol Rose at the Four Seasons in Hawaii on the Big Island. We had a few bottles of it with insanely fresh fish at a beach side table for dinner. The other night it eluded us at Chef Mavro in Waikiki so we were happy to find it here with dinner. This was my first time with Tempier Rose and I will never forget it as I will never forget my first trip to Tempier!

Lucien and Lucy Peyraud - Cheers, what a life!

Go to Bandol and you will never forget that either! But if you can’t get there, please do yourself a favor and go find these wines to drink. You will not regret getting some of the best Mourvedre on the planet, especially the Rose for these warm summer days!

Cheers,
Tom

2010-06-27T08:18:00.003-07:00

Part 1:

PROVENCE

The Wine and Food of Les Baux de Provence

Les Beaux de Provence is nestled in the heart of the Provencal countryside, in the Alpilles mountain range near Avignon, Saint Remy & Nimes. Alpilles means little Alps as they are considered foothills of the storied Alps range. The landscape is unlike anything I have ever seen or have known for a wine region. The cliffs, hills and mountaintops are a mix of huge, bulky, but smooth granite boulders and scrub green foliage. The region and its many charms were the subject of many paintings by the famous painter Van Gough and many other artists.

To me Provence meant fresh food and traditional cooking. Provence is a special place where organic and locally grown produce has always been the way of the land. This method is not a trendy new way to eat healthy like we are now seeing here in America; it is the only way they eat. But in Provence, especially in Les Beaux, one can find not only world class cuisine, but world class wines, olive oils, vinegars, mustards, herbs, aioli, and anything else you can make out of an olive or grape.

Wines?

The best wines in Provence, like most wine from France, express the “terroir” they are raised in. Terroir is a French word that does not have a direct English translation. Terroir is more a term in France that describes the unique aspects of where a wine comes from and the physical elements surrounding and affecting a vineyard and its fruit that will determine the character of the wine. For example, a vineyard that may have herbs from Provence growing in or near them may have a slight essence of rosemary, thyme, or lavender in the aroma or flavors of the wine. Like the famed wines of the nearby Rhone region, Provence also benefits from the legendary Le Mistral wind that blows strong through the area. The Mistral keeps the air and sky clear and bright (lots of sun for the vines), as well as dry out any rains that may fall upon the vines that could cause ruin by the onset of rot. As you walk through a village, you can feel the effects on yourself from the Mistral. The sun is high and strong from a lack of clouds, but you hardly feel hot from the cooling breeze of the Mistral. This kind of weather is perfect to grow grapes in to maintain steady and even ripening of the fruit.

The wines from Provence offer great value as they are relatively unknown in the United States, but for maybe Rose wine. If I sold wine or was an importer, these would be a strong focus for me because of the value you get for the price of these wines that ranged from 8-25€, or roughly $10-30. As you will see below, we have film and plenty of written details on these great wines. Many of these wines I have found to be available in the US, but you have to look thoroughly using www.wine-searcher.com.

Grapes?

The traditional red grapes grown in Provence are Grenache, Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. I was surprised how much on average Cabernet Sauvignon (20% sometimes) is blended into the wines. Given Provence’s proximity to the Rhone I would have expected that Syrah would share the spotlight evenly or more so than Grenache. A traditional Provencal blend is approximately 50% Grenache, with the rest split between Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Syrah and sometimes Mourvedre. The blend could be a few or all of these grape types.

The first Domaine I would like to spotlight is Mas de Gourgonnier. We shot a few videos tasting these wines and I highly recommend you find these wines for their superior value and Provencal terroir. The videos in this entry are on two of the better wines we had purchased while in Provence from Mas de Gourgonnier, located on the outer fringe of Les Beaux de Provence. We visited Mas Gourgonnier late in the day on our first full day in Provence and tasted through most of their wines. They had a charming tasting room where they were pouring all of their wines and found most of them to be good with two being quite exceptional, costing 9 and 16€ respectively! The rose was good, not great, as I expected a little more from it, but for the pittance they asked it is a good deal, as well as the Traditional rouge blend which we found charming. Rose wines from Les Baux seem to have a style that reflects more acidity, minerality and a focus on the citrus character. The following wines were our favorites from the tasting, of which we purchased both and drank them in the following videos.

Cuvée Sans Soufre Ajouté 2008, Mas De Gourgonnier ($12, available in US)(Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon)

LINK TO VIDEO

Le Clos du Paradis 2006, Mas De Gourgonnier ($20, available in US)
(40% Grenache, 40% Syrah, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon)

LINK TO VIDEO

Earlier that day our first visit was to Domaine Mas de la Dame and we were impressed with their lineup of wines. The famed Rhone Valley oenologist/negociant Jean Luc Colombo is consulting here on the Grenache and white Rhone based wines “Coin Cache”. We tasted both and enjoyed them thoroughly; though they seemed a touch more new world than their other wines that leaned more to the classic red Provencal style. The Rose du Mas (50%Grenache, 30%Syrah, 20% Cinsault) was the better of the two rose wines they have in the lineup. Given the “Coin Cache” wines are from the oldest vines they own, I am sure they are still tinkering to get the right expression. We tasted an excellent white “la Stele blanc" that was mostly Vermentino (80%, 20% Clairette) that we liked very much and purchased one to drink back at our patio at La Riboto de Taven. Vermentino is traditionally from Italy and is one of our favorite white wines to have around the house and to entertain large groups. All of these wines are a great value so go find some!

Home in Provence = La Riboto de Taven

We made Riboto our home for all of our days in Provence, and most of our meals. The warm welcome we received from Christine and Philippe made us feel at home and by the time we were leaving we had grown accustomed to their hospitality so much they felt like an aunt and uncle to us and we were sad to leave them. We had dinner at Riboto 3 of the 4 nights we spent in Les Beaux, I cannot recommend staying and eating here more! The morning breakfast was spectacular and a mix of croissant, fruits, cheeses and jams. Philippe happened to be a wine aficionado and guided me to many excellent Provencal wines to try at dinner from the surrounding regions. The dining room is ornately decorated with a Provencal and French country charm that seemed formal, yet relaxed at the same time. A high ceiling rose to the center of the room where a beautiful antique chandelier set the mood with its delicate light blanketing the room while beautiful paintings adorned the walls. On warmer evenings when the mistral was not blowing as hard or cool, eating on that patio seems to be the perfect spot to enjoy a Provencal meal under the stars with your sweetheart. A typical meal would look as follows, but the menu changes each day as the Chef extraordinaire Jean Pierre Novi turned out wonderful classic Provencal dishes, some freshened up with a new not-too-modern twist. I typically do not reach for dishes made with squash and eggplant, but the best dish I had at Riboto had both of those in them. The dinner menu covers were these gorgeous interpretations of the most loved Provencal foods being prepared. These were created specifically for Riboto by a cousin of Picasso, for sure a nod to the famed artist’s style.

La Riboto de Taven Menu (night 4)

Royal asparagus points in a herb vinaigrette

OR

Small red peppers filled with brandade moure

Filet of Barbue (flat fish) with l'encre de seiches sauce

OR

Noix de veau (veal) rotie auc champignons “cornes d'abondance” (Horn of Plenty)

Then

Cheese course (ALWAYS at meals after the main course btw!)

Then

Meringue with fresh house fruit sorbet (desert)

Meringue was such a nice surprise! Who still does meringue in the US these days? I can’t think of the last time I had it here. It was ALL over Provence. I cannot recommend visiting and eating your way through Provence!

Below are the wines we had during our meals while in Provence.

Wine 1, Mas Sainte Berthe Tradition Rouge 2008. Les Baux de Provence, Classis Les Baux blend, great value. A tradition red which we had with dinner on our first evening in France at La Riboto de Taven. The MSB was a classic version of a Provencal blend (Grenache 49%, Cabernet Sauvignon 26%, Syrah 25%). Black and red berries mixed with garrigue and herbs de Provence to deliver a classic Provencal red wine experience.

Wine 2, 2003 Cuvee Bastide “Dalmeran” at Le Petit France in Le Paradou. Nice to see an older wine still holding its own. Classical red and blue fruits mixed with delicate notes of spice and fall leaves. This paired nicely with veal.

Wine 3, Sine Nominee, de Lauxieres n◦ 5762 “Grenache Noir and Petit Verdot, from a “Sine Qua Non-like” maverick like winemaker. Petit Verdot is illegal in Provence if you want to use the Provence AOC on the label of the wine. It is also illegal to put a vintage year on the label. Thus the 5762 = 2002, a secret algorithm as the date is illegal to be on the label of a “table wine” in France. The winemaker here is a big maverick and goes against the grain. Cheers to him and his creativity! Read more here!

Wine 4, Chateau d’Estoublon 2005. Classic, more pinot noir like in character, floral, supple red fruits and aromas of flowers, with a freshness to the flavors and aromas. Chateau d’Estoublon is owned by the family that owns Breitling.

At the end of our stay at Les Baux we were sad to leave such a beautiful and charming place, but we had a lot to look forward to as our journey through France continued on to Bordeaux next. For classical French local country eating and drinking, it does not get any better than Provence!

Cheers, être continué,
Tom

See here all of our Photos from Provence!

2010-06-16T14:56:00.000-07:00

Back In The USA!

Hi Everyone,

I am back from France but off to the west coast for a long weekend. We will be getting some time in Napa surprisingly for an award my wife earned with her employer!

I have a lot of exciting blogs coming from our trips to Provence, Chatenuef du Pape, Bordeaux and Paris so stay tuned!! I will have a lot of time on the plane flights to get my stories in print!

Pegau, Janasse, Mont Redon, Latour, Vieux Chateau Certan, Pichon Baron, Clinet, Ponte Canet, Angelus Ducru Beaucaillo & more!

The tower at Chateaux Latour, Pauillac, Medoc, Bordeaux, France

Cheers,
Tom

2010-05-28T04:13:00.000-07:00

2004 de Trafford Cabernet Sauvignon
Stellenbosch, South Africa

Hello everyone! Sorry its been a while, half slacking, half busy. Here we have my second video blog to date. Work has been winding down, but still quite busy and very tiring, perfect time for a vacation! Part of the busy part has been prepping for our trip to FRANCE! Lisa and I will be there for 2 weeks traveling for about 5 days each to Provence, Bordeaux and then Paris. Keep an eye out to FB for some updates and pictures from the road!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MqMo042xpw

I will be taking lots of video and pictures so I should have some good stuff to post once I get back and settle into the summer here in the states.

BTW if the video needs anything, like better audio (working on that), PLEASE do not feel bad to leave some critique! Heck even better let me know if there is anything you want me to highlight in video or more of a spotlight on a region in writing!

Cheers!

-Tom

2010-05-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

FIRST VIDEO BLOG!

I will let the video do the talking!

Cheers and thanks to all of you for helping me get to this point!

Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir Cuvee Agustina 2002 Hyde Vineyard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cast5cIzrIM

Of course I would have wanted to have a video frame to link to but please understand BlogSpot STINKS and further reinforces why I need to get my own site with video feed!

UNFORTUNATELY BlogSpot will not allow me to post the video frame and host the actual video so I had to include it via a YOU TUBE link!

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let me know what you think. I was nervous and hope you were able to gather a few tidbits of good information and a few minutes of entertainment!

Cheers and thanks for watching!
-Tom

2010-05-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

2009 Bordeaux Barrel Sample, ala En Primeur

This week I was lucky enough to receive a generous donation of a barrel sample from the much heralded 2009 vintage in Bordeaux. If you do not follow wine as closely as me, and there is a good chance that is true, you may not have heard but 2009 is being touted as one of the best vintages in Bordeaux history. I believe 2009 to be, from what I have read, a vintage that will be known as the first great modern Bordeaux vintage, possibly bringing together some of the best aspects of the greatest known vintages of the past like '61, '82, and '00 (arguably the best 3 to date, well maybe ’00 is arguable) in a more forward, modern style. 2009 has bridged the palates of the Americans and the British who typically disagree on anything Claret related, and have coaxed the newly rich Chinese to buy in volume from the futures campaign (or so merchants are predicting). Is this all propaganda to keep the Bordeaux hype machine going as it has suffered from three recent average to weak vintages since the last great vintage of 2005? 2008 did end up being a decent vintage, but it will suffer because it will precede the now expected great 2009 vintage. This is however great news for buyers that are also drinkers and not just investors in these liquid assets. I will describe below what goes on and what happens in a futures campaign in Bordeaux and here in the US as a consumer. But for now, let’s get into the wine and learn a little about what a barrel sample is like and what to expect.

First, I have to say thank you to Chris over at the great wine video blog "Pardon that Vine". If you have not found your way to "the World's Most Unbiased Wine Forum" you should do so and become a fan here via Facebook. Chris is also a fellow Hoboken-ite and I am very happy to have a fellow wine aficionado in town to share experiences like this.

I have had many barrel samples in the past, but they have all been from Napa Valley or Sonoma wineries. In most cases the samples tasted mostly like grapey, fruity, dark concentrated juice with a twist of bitterness from the acidity and alcohol. For me they offered no clue into what one could expect 3 years later (though the Paul Hobbs and Carlisle barrel samples were awesome). Barrel tasting, I feel, is an art and few are really good at it. Recently I have been reading a lot of tasting notes on the '09 Bordeaux barrel tastings and have gathered that most of the wines from 2009 were ripe and showing generous character, especially fruit. Speaking to Chris who did this extensively during the recent 2009 En Primeur week, he said don't pay too much attention to the nose, as the wine is not mature enough to kick real aromas that will tell you much about the wine. He also said to not sweat so much of the flavor precisions but look for texture. I also feel from what I read that composition and fruit will be things to look for on the palates of these young wines. I thought about tasting young wines in barrel in this manner: think about how something like a house or apartment building may look as it is being built. The components and parts may not be completely put together, but from what you see in construction, but with some vision and foresight you can see that it may have all of the makings of a great finished product. Try to imagine a house partially built. The property lines are drawn, the blue prints have been scripted, the frames and floors are up with most of the walls in place. If you have the right vision and experience, you can tell what will be the difference between a great house and an exceptional one 2-3 years later after the house has been moved into, landscaped, painted, and furnished (with a wine cellar ideally).

The Barrel Sample

Chateau Vieux Taillefer

$20-40 (based on 2006 prices)

Day 1

At first by habit I of course swirl and sniff the wine and get bitter, tight tannic and acidic smells. It was not pleasing at all but remember the nose is not that important. The color was dark and rich, very clean for a young, recently vinified wine. The palate was tight, exhibiting solid tannins and acidity. The nicest thing I took from it were the flavors and palate aromas of purple flowers and violets. Besides that some black fruits were peeking through on the palate. The oak was apparent as well, kind of the big sticking point and the most apparent part not in balance.

Day 3 (gas sealed)

The nose has gained complexity, but still is not telling me much besides the oak the wine has been in since October. The palate seemed to have gained a lot of weight. More texture was also coming across on the mid-palate. Maybe the air and time has hyper-matured this from a palate perspective by being open a few days? Either way it did well by the wine to be open a few days. More structure with deeper complexity came through on the palate. Deeper flavors of purple flowers, blackberries, and some minerality were apparent. The oak still seemed like it needed more time to integrate.

A few things about Bordeaux wine futures

Bordeaux wine futures are offered in waves or tiers, usually within 2 years or as few as a few months in advance of the wine finally being sold in bottle. The first wave is typically priced by the end of the first June after a vintage year; June 2010 in the case of the 2009 Bordeaux vintage. Then as successive waves of wines are released, the price ticks up until the wine is released in bottle, typically 3 years after the vintage date. So if you buy 2009 Bordeaux in June 2010, you will not likely get your wine until the fall of 2012, more than two years later. With currencies in flux, and the Euro seeming to have issues daily with possible bankrupt currencies (Greece, Portugal, Spain), this could play better into the hands of the Americans and Chinese when the time comes to buy, but really the merchants are the ones that really need concern themselves so much with the currency fluctuations. A Chateau typically sells to a negociant, who then sells to an importer who then sells to a distributor, and then a retailer in the US. So as a consumer, you have to deal with at least 3-4 layers of pricing: Chateau, negociant, importer, retailer. There are instances where the importer is also the retailer, or the Chateau does not use a negociant, reducing the layers to 3. No wonder Bordeaux prices can get so inflated, everyone takes their piece along the way to the consumer! The wines however are great though, so don't let pricing get too much in the way if you really want to try and discover this exceptional wine region. Bordeaux wine can be found in good quality for as low as $10 and many for under $30.

Cheers!
-Tom

2010-04-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

2004 Top Flight Bordeaux Blind

(sort of)

Some time ago I attended a tasting of 2004 vintage Bordeaux wines. At first it happened to be full according to the web posting. I called anyway to see what level of wines would be poured, check if there was another date or even try to slip in if I was lucky enough to find someone who maybe cancelled. I was told there may be a cancel and later that day I received the call that there was in fact a cancel - I was in!

   The tasting was small with only 11 attendees plus the organizer. I would say that it was split down the middle between those there that worked in the wine business and those that were there for the pure enjoyment of drinking great wines. Personally I feel I fall somewhere in the middle.

   The tasting was originally touted to be completely blind in that we knew that the wines were Bordeaux but not which ones they were. As we started, we were told that we would know all but one of the wines as we drank it. I have to say I was kind of disappointed as I wanted to test my skills - blind tasting is the "equalizer" in the wine world, humbling the most educated and respected palates and wines on any given day. At this point I figured the last wine served blind had to be a First Growth, more on that later.

We were to taste one wine from each of the better known communes of Bordeaux:

Saint-Emilion, Right Bank
Pomerol, Right Bank
Margaux, Left Bank, Medoc
Saint-Julien, Left Bank, Medoc
Pauillac, Left Bank, Medoc
Saint-Estephe, Left Bank, Medoc
Pessacc-Leognan, South of the city of Bordeaux
Last bottle served completely blind

   The lineup was great, ranging from right bank Grand Crus to mostly second growth left bankers. The lineup was as follows, all from 2004 and decanted for 6 hours:

Chateau Magdelaine, Saint-Emilion
Chateau Certan de May, Pomerol
Chateau Brane-Cantenac, Margaux
Chateau Leoville-Las Cases, Saint-Julien
Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac
Chateau Montrose, Saint-Estephe
Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Leognan
Chateau "X" Served Blind

   Each wine was undoubtedly very Bordeaux. The smoky, toasty oak is hallmark and very reminiscent of Bordeaux to me. After that the terroir, fruit, tannin and other subtleties will define which wine is from which region and which Chateau. The French whole-heartedly believe in terroir and that the consistency of a vineyard's terroir should evident every year, but of course varies in complexity and depth depending on vintage conditions. The 2004 vintage was a good, not great vintage according to the critics. 2004 is considered to be more classic of a vintage and reminiscent of the days before global warming talk and modern wine techniques which now allow a Chateau to extract (and unfortunately manipulate) more from the fruit they are given in a vintage.

   Overall I was not blown away but came away with a much better understanding of Bordeaux. Some of what I already knew was reinforced, though I believe I took away a better understanding of the subtleties each commune has as I was able to compare them first hand and side by side. I thought 6 hours was too much decanting for some of these wines, especially the right bankers. Additionally the tasting glasses were correct, but they are small. I think the wines had sat in those small glasses for too long, not smelling and tasting as fresh as I feel they could have been. 2004 is a vintage with a higher level of acidity in the wines, something not exactly I crave in a good Bordeaux.

   As we tasted through each wine, the lead taster spoke about the commune the wine was from and what to expect, what was typical of that region. She also mentioned how much of each grape varietal the wine was composed of. True to form the left bankers were mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and the left bankers were anchored with Merlot.

   As we tasted each wine in order I was going back and fourth comparing the subtleties of Margaux and Pomerol to the power of Saint-Estephe, and the coupled finesse and power of Pauillac. I was guessing that the blind wine initially was Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillo or maybe Chateau Palmer, possibly even Chateau Margaux. I was hesitant on a first growth initially as the wine did not really taste any more great than the mainly second growth wines we were comparing it to. Ultimately I had forgone DB as I was definitely thinking this wine was from Margaux. I was right as the instructor revealed at first what the region was. Palmer is an interesting wine as it is one of the very few Chateau on the left bank that primarily puts Merlot in its wines. I felt the wine had more power, more structure than what a Margaux would have, this had to be First Growth Chateau Margaux and I was right as that was the wine in the brown bag! I was hesitant in guessing Chateau Margaux, but I was right. Lesson learned that you should always trust your instincts.

Some notes and highlights from the tasting:

Chateau Magdelaine, Saint-Emilion
Soft red fruit aromas, light ruby claret in color. Tart cherry, earth, some leather and bright acidity.
50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Franc

Chateau Certan de May, Pomerol

Aromas of smoky oak, dark Cherry and currants, plush. Same plush fruits on the palate, with earth and good acidity cleaning up the finish

70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc; 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

Chateau Brane-Cantenac, Margaux Dark cassis and smoky oak aromas. More palate depth than the previous two, richer deep core of fruit and silky but bigger tannins.

67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc

Chateau Leoville-Las Cases, Saint-Julien

Aromas of purple violets, cassis, barely any main oak influence. Lots of deep red fruits and currants, fine grained and silky tannins.

76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc

Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac Not giving as much in the nose, more minerality, fruits. Bigger fruit on the palate, big yet supple tannins, good acidity.

53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc

Chateau Montrose, Saint-Estephe

More earth, barn-yard, meaty and fruit aromas. Burly big black fruits, big tannins, huge wine, typical and what I expected from a wine from St. Estephe.

64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc

Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Leognan

More animal, forest floor and some barn yard notes, red fruits and some subtle oak.

55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot

Chateau Margaux, Margaux, Served Blind

Wonderful aromas of toasty oak and coffee, some chocolate. Powerful, yet graceful, typical of Margaux wines. Silky smooth and graceful on the palate with black fruits and chocolate, roasted coffee.

Cabernet Sauvignon 55%, Merlot 40%, Cabernet Franc 5%

I will be in Bordeaux at the beginning of June with Lisa on vacation to visit some of these and other Chateau all over the Bordeaux region. This will be our first visit to Bordeaux and we are very excited for this opportunity to eat and drink our way through France.

Cheers!

-Tom

2010-04-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

New Zealand Pinot Noir

What's the Scoop?

The Next Big "Pinot Hype"?

Recently I have read in a few wine publications of the great strides in quality that New Zealand Pinot Noir has made. I wanted to see for myself because many of these New Zealand Pinot's are priced rather smart at $12-30. Price points that are much less than Oregon, California and especially the home of Pinot Noir, Burgundy. Burgundy is to Pinot Noir, as Lambeau Field is to the football: hallowed ground rich in history and tradition where little has changed in the last 50 years.

I am sure many of you are familiar with the uber-value Sauvignon Blanc made from New Zealand. With its zesty tropical flavors of guava, mango, and pineapple mixing with the hallmark gooseberry and lemon/lime flavors they are easy pleasing and hard to miss. One could say they were one of the best wine success stories in the last 10 years. The NZ SB's exploded onto the scene in the late 90's and never looked back. Its hard to find a bad bottle, though tougher to find one that is unique and dare I say it exceedingly great. I am hoping I do not run across the same problem here with Pinot Noir from New Zealand.

The main regions for Pinot Noir in New Zealand are Marlborough, Central Otago, and Canterbury on the South Island; then Hawkes Bay and Martinsborough on the north island. The wines I chose were mostly from Marlborough as those were the better priced wines and more widely available. Central Otago was the second most widely available followed by wines from Hawkes Bay.

I decided to run the gamut and try to get a wine from each popular region, price scale and style. I purchased a few in the $8-$15, $20, $25 and $30 bottle to try over the past week. A good amount of $35-70 bottles exist, but at that price point I would use that kind of money on red Burgundy or even a high end American Pinot Noir from Oregon or California.

Since I was only familiar with a few producers, I spoke to the salesperson at a shop I purchase a lot of wine from that had a nice variety of NZ PN. He seemed pretty down on the wines in general, stating that the best are too expensive when compared to Burgundy. He also said that that the sub-$20 wines tend to taste like cranberry juice, OUCH! Not to worry, I did my due diligence ahead of time and knew what I wanted. I only took one of his recommendations and the wines I already chose he did not lambaste. I chose one that scored well with the Wine Spectator, one that scored well with Decanter (and I was familiar with), one that was really cheap, one middle of the road, and the last the most "Burgundian" of the lot. If any of these pan out and have any solid Pinot Noir character to them at all, they could be a good value depending on what was in the bottle and at what price. At worst I'd get something that tasted like red wine, as opposed to Pinot Noir which is very common with Pinot Noir costing less than $15. It was difficult to find a sample from Hawkes Bay in Martinborough as the wines from this region are much more expensive, and few good examples exist in my local shops for under $20. Many of NZ's best Pinot Noir are from Hawkes Bay (Craggy Range), but are in the $50+ range.

Here was my short list:

2007 Mt. Difficulty Pinot Noir (South Island, Otago, Central Otago)
2006 Delta Vineyard Pinot Noir Hatter's Hill (South Island, Marlborough)
2008 Yealands Estate Pinot Noir (South Island, Marlborough)
2006 Tohu Pinot Noir Marlborough Cuvée (South Island, Marlborough)
2008 Sileni Pinot Noir Cellar Selection (North Island, Hawkes Bay)

New Zealand's wine regions are split in half like the islands themselves with regions on both the North and South Islands. Just look at the logo that starts this post! Pinot Noir was first planted in NZ in the 1970's with little to no success. Later in the late 90's after more attention, know-how, and most importantly investment funds from the success of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir became the next grape to focus on the 2000's. Many clones and plantings were experimented with varied success. By the mid-2000's NZ was able to produce Pinot Noir wines with large enough production that could make it to the USA in enough quantities to sell (I am sure you have heard of Kim Crawford?). I wonder if similar to South Africa, many of the smaller and better wines never leave the shores to foreign buyers, but I am only speculating by saying that.

Overall I'd say that these were very nice wines, nothing inferior or defective and showing plenty of Pinot Noir character. New Zealand is definitely not the next Burgundy, but rather another wine region in the world that has found a way to work with the contentious grape we love and hate called Pinot Noir. For the price, New Zealand delivers good Pinot character. If I had to say what region they are most similar to I'd have a tough time with just one region, however if I were to describe it I'd say they are a hybrid of Oregon and California, with less oak and higher acidity.

Best of the Tasting

2006 Delta Vineyard Pinot Noir Hatter's Hill $26

(Marlborough)

Color: Ruby to lighter red, some brick hues.

Nose: Beautiful red fruits and perfumes, earth, almost Burgundian.

Palate: Expansive palate. Cherry and a minty strawberry, earthy, silky smooth tannins, good acidity. After a while the mint turned more like eucalyptus. Well balanced. Great wine.

Best Values

2006 Tohu Pinot Noir Marlborough Cuvée $9

(Marlborough)

What a nice little wine, good Pinot Character. Acidity and fruit are its strong points, as well as some good pinot character. Nothing mind blowing but for $9, solid value. Blows away the oak laden, under $20 crowd of generic Cali Pinot Noir.

Color: Burgundy core with rose edges, starting to fade

Nose: Some flowers, strawberry and cherry, nice Pinot fruit nose.

Palate: Some earthy cherry, sweet cranberry and strawberry-rhubarb. I love the juicy acidity....superb value!

2008 Yealands Estate Pinot Noir $12

(Marlborough)

More California than Burgundy, in fact not much Burgundy at all. However though very smart for the money. You do get nice Cali Pinot aromas with simple cherry and strawberry flavors. Easy to drink a lot of this quickly.

Color: Very light red, little gradation or color variation

Nose & Palate: Cherry & strawberry rhubarb flavors and aromas. Pretty wine, smooth, easy drinking with identifiable Pinot character. The palate is rather simple, not much acidity and structure, which is fine for being a simple wine but I think it could use more to lengthen and delineate more of a finish. Good for the price.

The Rest

2007 Mt. Difficulty Pinot Noir $30

(Central Otago)

Mt. Difficulty has shot to fame in the last few years and is a well regarded Pinot Noir producer in New Zealand.

Color: Deep purple-red to lighter red edges.

Nose: Subtle, faded in and out all night. Red fruits, a touch of earth. Pretty faint.

Palate: Stronger, more powerful palate. Cherry, black raspberry, some strawberry, & earth. Very noticeable chewy and drying tannins. The tannins, alc., and acidity over power the delicate flavors. High abv for the lack of generous fruit.

Maybe not a great vintage or too young, this was not showing well. The tannins alone at this level are too much, then add in the high abv and it seems like too much. I would like to try this in 2 years to see if the tannins melt away and reveal more of the fruit.

2008 Sileni Pinot Noir Cellar Selection $20(Hawkes Bay)
A nice medium styled Pinot Noir, the most like the Hatter’s Hill yet slightly less complex and concentrated. Less fruit and more earth and acidity, a little bit of funk.

Color: Medium red core with rose edges
Nose: Strawberry, cherry, sandalwood, a secondary faint touch of green herbal tea and earth
Palate: Spicy red fruits, sour cherry, citrus peel, bright acidity. Finishes a tab short.

Now readers, go get some as there are many at prices for all to afford and enjoy themselves!

Cheers,
Tom

2010-03-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

Super Value Duo from California
2006 Zaca Mesa Syrah
2007 75 Wine Co. "The Sum"

Hello fellow wine readers and drinkers! I have for you today two wines from California that I stumbled upon with the help of two of the leading wine publications in the industry today. I had to try them for myself to see if the hype matched the stuff in the bottle before I was to publish them here on The Wine Forum. The first wine is made by The 75 Wine Co. and called "The Sum". This wine is made in an "affordable" style I am seeing more and more these days by blending Zinfandel with Syrah and Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon (think "The Prisoner"). The second wine was an exceptional expression of the Syrah grape from the Santa Ynez Valley, on the Central Coast of California.

I was excited to try "The Sum" as it had received a nice review from the Wine Advocate of 90 points. I also have found from the same producer the 75 Cabernet Sauvignon from Lake County a decent value so I had decent expectations for this wine. I gave it an 89, but was thinking 86-87 the whole way, but thought more to the general wine drinking public that would find this more exciting than I and for the price merits a little better score than my initial assessment. It was clearly a California made wine as you could taste the sunshine on the ripe and rich fruit, as well as the Petite Sirah (10%) that gave it more California flair. The core is Cabernet Sauvignon at 75% of the blend and the remaining 15% Syrah. All of the fruit is from Red Hills in Lake County, north of the Napa Valley and an up an coming wine region offering nicely priced wines with good quality.

The second wine, and more exciting to me, was from the Central Coast of California in the Santa Ynez Valley from the pioneer winery in that region: Zaca Mesa. Zaca Mesa was founded in 1972 and first planted in 1973, eventually deciding on Rhone varietals as the optimal grapes to plan in their vineyard properties way back in the 1970's. Many great wine-makers have worked the vines and wine making facility at Zaca Mesa including those of Ojai and Au Bon Climat. The Zaca Mesa 2006 Syrah is made from 100% estate grown fruit from their original vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley. You would think it has to be good, and cheap, as they have tended the vines and held the property for so long in American wine years. Very fresh and natural flavors and aromas were apparent in this wine, and at this price made it even more exciting. This has to be the value of the year and the best QPR I have had to date this year.

Tasting Notes

2006 Zaca Mesa Syrah

California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley

100% Syrah

Color: Purple red core with red edges

Nose & Palate: Spicy, peppery and fleshy. Currants and raspberry, some plum and meaty flavors. More medium bodied to full bodied. Not a fruit and oak bomb (like I was expecting). Very fresh, and racy style. Well done, I'd say blind this was new world, but from a cool climate and price in the mid- $30's. A definite re-buy of multiple bottles.

2007 75 Wine Co. "The Sum"
California, North Coast, Red Hills Lake County

75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 10% Petite Sirah

I have seen a lot of this style of wine ala the Prisoner, Griffin, etc lately. Not a bad thing per se, good concentration and stuffing for the money, good QPR.

Color: Red with some intense purple tinges
Nose & Palate: Mixed bag of blueberry, blackberry and huckleberry. Savory and herbal spices combine with the lush fruit for a nice experience. Very in your face, yet restrained to not go too far as the wine retains acidity and supple tannins.
Good, easy, impressive drink...not a thinkers wine per se, but delicious and sure to please the masses. Great price too at around $20!

Cheers and Enjoy,

Tom

P.S. I have finished my tasting of Pinot Noir from New Zealand and will have an extensive blog with recommendations in all price categories and excelling Pinot Noir growing regions, especially those under $20, with a few over $20 and one insane steal at under $10.

2010-03-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Night's Wine Selection?

Champagne of course!
Perfectly paired with: Chile Pepper Striped Bass

(healthy to boot)

To think, on a Tuesday night we opened some Champagne for no reason and lightning did not strike us! Champagne in our society is a celebratory beverage. Many of us only have it 2, maybe 3 times a year and its always because of a special occasion. Why does it have to be that way? Well, it doesn't and I am here to tell you that! If I have to wait for another New Year's Eve, birthday, or anniversary to drink some bubbly I'd go nuts so we try to have a bottle on a random night once or twice a year. We also have quite a bit of it at Thanksgiving and Christmas, Walter Evick is the family Champagne bandit at Christmas time!

We typically buy our year's stock of bottles between Thanksgiving and the later December holidays when tastings are frequent and the savings quite nice. We tend to go for grower Champagnes, not the big name Champagnes that are all the buzz with rappers and others with too much money to know or care what to spend their money wisely on. (Though Cristal is some good stuff). Big Champagne houses are fine, especially for vintage cuvees, but do not offer the complexity and individuality a grower Champagne consistently offers for the same price. I consider the grower styles something more "home made".

Guy Larmandier and Benoit Lahaye are my favorites and we get a few of those each year and a few others that may impress our palates at tastings. The Larmandier is 100% Chardonnay, a Blanc de Blanc in nature but not in name as it does not state so on the label. The Benoit-Lahaye is mostly Pinot Noir (yes, that Sideways grape) and the rest Chardonnay, about an 80/20 blend. They make a great 1-2 punch and cover two different styles to match any occasion.

Tonight however we are having a bottle of wine from some good friends of ours, one of whom I am seeing tomorrow and immediately thought to open this wine. This is an extremely unique and special wine being that is made from the three permitted grape varieties allowed in Champagne: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, & the less often used Pinot Meunier. It even has a larger than normal proportion of Pinot Meunier at 45%, 35% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir.

Tasting Note:

N.V. Gaston Chiquet Champagne Tradition Brut Premier Cru

(France, Champagne)

Color: Shimmering gold with green flecks, very nice
Nose: Mixed notes of biscuit, citrus, and slately minerals
Palate: Crisp and clean finish, the acid is razor sharp and clean. Crisp green apples, limes, lemon zest and some fresh brad notes fan nicely over the palate but finish a bit short.
Chile Pepper Striped Bass

A little salt sprinkled onto the fillets balances and enhances fiery flavors from the marinade. Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) has about one-fourth the sodium of dry breadcrumbs but offers the same satisfying crunch to sautéed fish.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and 1 lemon wedge)

Ingredients
- 1/4 cup finely chopped seeded Anaheim chile
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 5 teaspoons canola oil, divided
- 4 (6-ounce) striped bass fillets (about 1/2 inch thick)
- 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 lemon wedges

Preparation

1. Combine the first 3 ingredients and 2 teaspoons oil in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add fish to bag; seal and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Remove fish from bag, discarding marinade. Brush chile off fish. Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Combine panko and rind in another shallow dish. Dip fish in egg white; dredge in panko mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining 3 fillets, egg white, and panko mixture. Sprinkle fillets evenly with salt.

3. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until golden brown. Turn fish over; cook 4 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with lemon wedges.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 230
Fat: 9.8g (sat 1.3g,mono 4.5g,poly 3g)
Protein: 29.8g
Carbohydrate: 3.8g
Fiber: 0.3g
Cholesterol: 131mg
Iron: 1.4mg
Sodium: 274mg
Calcium: 26mg

(Recipe thanks to Cooking Light)
Cheers,
Tom

2010-03-13T13:19:00.000-08:00

Wines of Note - March 2010

Hello everyone, March is in full swing and after a nice week of weather we are again stuck with bad weather - perfect weather to write in! This Wine Forum entry has no specific topic, but will focus on a few wines I have had the past few weeks that would be ideal for you to seek out. A few of the pricier bottles would be ideal for a special occasion and the value priced wines are of course full of character for any occasion!

Lets start with the values coming from all parts of the world. We'll start in Chile, where the recent devastating earthquake has caused havoc and left many producers in dire straights with broken equipment and lost inventories of older vintages. Chile has a diverse set if micro-climates, allowing it to excel with a few different grape varietals. Carmenere is the grape that Chile has decided to focus on, similar to Argentina and its famous Malbec. Carmenere has yet to gain real traction globally so the verdict is still out, however success has been had with blending it into more popular Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon. Today I have included a great Chardonnay from Chile that is a pure expression of the grape. This is the best Chardonnay I recall having for under $15 in a long time. Also from South America, I have included a Cabernet and Malbec from the great Argentine winery Vina Cobos. As many of you know by now I am a big fan of Paul Hobbs and he plays a great deal into making the wines of Vina Cobos.

$14 - 2007 Errazuriz Chardonnay "Wild Ferment"

Chile, Aconcagua, Casablanca Valley

No butter bomb here! Just pure Chardonnay with a hint of the oak aging. The best Chardonnay under $15 today that I have encountered, ever.

Color: A crisp gold with some green hues

Nose: Apples, pears, limes, some honey, a touch of fresh vanilla.

Palate: Well balanced, racy. The fruit, acid, and minimal barrel treatment are all seamlessly working together here to deliver a great value Chardonnay. Fresh apples and citrus glide over the palate with minerals and acidity cleaning up the finish.

$17 - 2007 Viña Cobos Cabernet Sauvignon Felino

Argentina, Mendoza

Solid QPR (Quality-Price-Ratio). This is not the first time Felino Cabernet has made it into The Wine Forum and not likely to be the last! One of my top go-to value wines that drinks like its twice the price, Felino is one of our house wines when we can find it. Felino is a big step up in quality from your standard $10-12 "cab", with a minimal price upgrade. Try some out and you will be running back to the store for more! Last year the 2007 was my #2 wine value of the year. The 2008 from what I hear is just as good.

Color: Claret like red core with ruby edges

Nose: Lush currants and cherry, some mocha and spice

Palate: Ripe black cherry and blackberry mix with chocolate, cigar wrapper spice, some licorice and cassis - great complexity at this price. Medium to full bodied, clean and full finish of fruit, spice and oak.

$16 - 2007 J.L. Chave, Côtes du Rhône “Mon Coeur”

France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône

Exceptional CdR (Cotes du Rhone). Classic garrigue and Provencial typicity - this is tasty stuff! Last year this wine was my #1 value of the year in 2009. 2007 was an exceptional year in the Southern Rhone and it really shows in this wine. If you wanted to lay these down to age, these would be ideal to do so for 5 years or so.

Color: Darker to purple/red hues.

Nose: Garrigue, peppercorns and spice, crushed berries, some lavender peeks out after a while.

Palate: Meaty, pepper, spice and crushed black fruits, delicious!

Next up we have the special occasion, deluxe, pricey, over $20 wines. Call them what you will, these wines deliver profound character, terroir and most of all palate gratification! Great for any occasion, though in this economy maybe best reserved for a special occasion!

$35 - 2006 Viña Cobos Malbec "Bramare" - 94 Points

Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo

I actually scored this one with points its so good! We has this with a skirt steak marinated in Chimichurri sauce and the pairing was perfect. The Lujan de Cuyo was reviewed last year and this wine is developing nicely, I 'd score this a point or two above the last bottle we had and you can read the review here.

Color: Red rim, dark red core. I like my Bordeaux varietals wines red and not purple!

Nose & Palate: Complexity reigns: Lush and concentrated aromas of blackberry, violets, earth, iron, mocha and toasty creme brulee move on to the palate and coating all corners of the mouth. Excellent texture, viscosity and concentration, truly the best Malbec under $50 I have ever had. Velvety smooth tannins and the right amount of acidity. Super-long finish from the bonanza of flavors and concentration.

I feel Paul's style of winemaking suits these wines really well. His hand is a great match with the outstanding fruit they get out of their vineyards, weather from the Lujan de Coyo or the Vina Cobos Esate.

This is an immediate re-buy, even by the case at this price. The Bramare Lujan Malbec is a treasure that will last a good 8-10 years if you can hold out that long!

$50 - 2006 Justin Vineyard Isosceles

USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

We had this over two days and I could not have been happier with this wine. Rich, plush and oh so California in style, the Justin Isosceles is an extremely enjoyable, well made wine. Justin Vineyards & Winery is a premiere, and large, producer from the Paso Robles region in Central California. Across they board they make quality wines with their access to some of the best vineyards on the Central Coast of California. The Isosceles is a blend of red grapes and is the flagship wine in the Justin portfolio. Here is the technical composition:

86% Cabernet Sauvignon

9% Cabernet France

5% Merlot

Color: Deep red with velvety red edges, almost vibrant

Nose: Creme de cassis, cherries, caramel

Palate: Currants, cherry, ripe raspberry, and mocha mix with generous oak. Smooth and supple tannins finish and loads of fruit complete the finish!

$30 - 2006 Jean-Michel Guillon Gevrey-Chambertin White Burgundy

France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

Unlike any Chardonnay I have every had. Chardonnay rarely, if ever, is sourced from Gevrey-Chambertin (GC). However, being from GC this is sort of what I expected for a White Burgundy from Gevrey-Chambertin. Classy and crazy complex. This baby white burg was way too young and should settle down in 2 years or so, shedding some baby fat and revealing more complexity.

Color: Classy gold with green flecks.

Nose: Aromas of cut flowers, slate like minerality, fresh lemon and orange peel zest.

Palate: Laser like acidity, great delineation of flavor, structure and complexity. Medium bodied. This was very tough to unfold the flavors of this superbly complex white Burg. Up front this is giving lots of minerality and fresh sweet cut grass, not in a green way. Citrus and some apple take the mid palate by storm, then ever so slightly turn more exotic on the finish with star fruit, with more zesty apple and pear. Given a few more years, the fruits will set a little better and mellow. Right now I am not loving it integration, but in 2 years or so this should be doing just fine. Powerful, complex, rich and very age-worthy red wine (Pinot Noir) is what the GC is known for so it is of no surprise this wine needs to decant, or better yet wait 2-3 years to drink optimally.

$100 - 2000 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto

Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

The Cerretalto was exceptional, powerful, showing great structure and concentration. This took about 1 to almost 2 hours to open optimally. This is another wine I feel was opened a little too early and would show better with another 5 years or so of age.

Brunello di Montalcino is one of the great wines of Italy. After the Super Tuscan and Chianti Classico wines this is the most sought after wine from Tuscany. To me I think it is the greatest wine from Tuscany for its originality and tradition (which has been questioned a lot lately by the authorities). Always made from 100% Sangiovese Grosso grapes, and fermented in large oak staves and foudres, or in barriques like we see in modern wineries, the wines made from Sangiovese Grosso are long lived and expensive. Most Brunello average $50-75 in price, but can be found if you search deep enough at $35-50. The “Reserva” bottling can cost even more, from $65-300 depending on who the producer is. The Cerretalto is considered to be the “Reserva” from Casanova di Neri as the wine is only produced in the greatest of years where some production is so good it is reserved for separate bottling. The Cerretalto spends 2 years in French oak barriques and 18 months in the bottle before it is released.

Color: Youthful dark core, ruby red edges

Nose: Tarry flowers, tobacco, and dark fruits, cherries

Palate: Great mouth feel, tannins prevalent but not overbearing. Chocolate appears on the palate with the cherry, tar and tobacco. A long finish of earth, cherry and leather. Nice acidity.

This could easily go another 10-15 years no problem, though I’d probably enjoy it more with only 10.

Well, that is all for now everyone. Enjoy and keep an eye out for a special report on New Zealand Pinot Noir coming as soon as I can rip into those wines!

Cheers,

Tom

2010-03-03T19:27:00.000-08:00

"Value" Cabernet Blend from Napa Valley

2007 StellaGrey Napa Valley Red Wine

For our first blog of March 2010 at The Wine Forum I decided to put a few words you never usually read (or hear) in the same sentence: "Value", "Napa", "Cabernet". The 2007 Stella Grey Napa Valley red wine has become a main stay in our purchases over the last year and will continue to be based on the 2007 example we have here. This is our third bottle of this wine and the best one to date. Rich, plush, with plenty of structure and acidity, this wine has great balance to please the most demanding new world palate, and age for a few years. But at this price why bother laying it down?

The great wines of Napa valley seem to be surviving through the recession pretty well for the most part. I am on many mailing lists and buy from many different producers in Napa and Sonoma each year. This year has been a focus on 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon and last year was primarily Pinot Noir from 2007. I have seen and passed on many more lists this year for some really pricey stuff (Harlan), no doubt a result of the recession naturally pricing people out. Others I could not pass up (Screaming Eagle, took 7 years!) and have made good use of these hard to come by allocations. But overall I am buying from the same people that I have in the past (Paul Hobbs) and sampling from new ones (Keplinger) to see how their wines match up with my tastes. I really appreciate the personal level that many wineries have always had (Herman Story) and continue to maintain with their customers. This really sets the California vintners apart from the rest of the wine world. If you are curious as to who is worth checking out in 2007, drop me a line and I can tell you what I am looking at in 2007. Who is on my radar and who I have already secured bottles of? A future blog is planned to answer these questions, but am trying to keep value the focus for now.

The Wine

More of a kitchen sink than I thought it to be, this wine is anchored by the main Bordeaux varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot: 48%Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 15% Syrah, 10% Petite Syrah, and the rest Malbec, Petite Verdot and Cabernet Franc.

The notes

Even better the 3rd time around. This is showing better than the last 2 bottles we had. A fun wine, that is ready to drink now but even better with 30 minutes of air. What a value at $19!

Color: Deep velvety red/purple core with brighter edges.

Nose: Mocha, black cherry, and some pencil lead.

Palate: Oodles of concentrated ripe cherries and chocolate continue to fan out on the palate. Some sage and cedar accent the primary flavors. The acid on this wine is great and refreshing. The tannins add further structure and depth to the wine's texture.

Cheers!

-Tom

2010-02-27T08:14:00.000-08:00

The Saga of the Never Ending Search for Value Pinot Noir....from anywhere!

I rarely post a story about a wine I do not like on The Wine Forum. However, I feel that I end up here most of the time when researching a value Pinot Noir. I get the feeling that many of you readers out there end up here as well when value hunting, especially for a Pinot Noir. Many of us wine geeks are on a never ending search for anything of value or new, even Pinot Noir for under $15 or $20. There are gems we discover all the time, and for sure they are out there, but none are as elusive as the fickle Pinot Noir.

This past week I thought I found one from Carneros of all places, for $10.99. Now, of course one has to be leery at this price, so I did my research and it turns out this was a recession special and super slashed from the $15-20 range. This has all the right pieces to make it a great value. A reputable Pinot Noir winemaker and fruit from the Carneros region which happens to be one of the best sources for Pinot Noir fruit in California.

Recession Specials

I have had some great $17-25 wines; but are those really values if that is there regular price? I think not as your average wine drinker is probably spending in these tough recessionary times $10-15 or less. Recent surveys have revealed that wine purchases overall are up, but only in wines under $15. The current over $40 bottle of wine market is getting crushed and only getting worse for the 2004-2006 wines. Exceptional vintages from California 2007, Rhone 2007, Bordeaux 2008 and 2009, and Burgundy 2009 are coming to market and attracting all of the new money away from the current wines in the supply chain considered mediocre vintages. Keep an eye out for great deals on premium 2004-2006 wines from some of the best regions in the world. I have heard many, many people state the opinion they are waiting on spending and going "all in" for Napa Valley Cabernet in 2007 and Bordeaux 2009. I also happen to be one of those people.

Sad to say this wine did not deliver and I would not recommend it. My tasting notes are immediately below. For Pinot Noir, I have nothing to recommend at this price point, but there are plenty of Italian reds, Malbec and Cabernet that deliver much more for your money at this price.

Tasting Notes:

Not bad for $11, but very out of balance. There was some true Pinot flavor peeking out of the aromas and flavors but overall it was very disjointed. Great entry, decent mid palate, but between the mid-palate and the finish the wine spiked in acidity in a bad way, then finished fruity and then flat. Just not a seamless product.

Color: Purple red, with brick edges (brick is not a good sign for a 4 year old wine)

Nose & Palate: Strawberry, damp earth, straw-hay like aromas and flavors initiate the start to this wine, some cherry comes into the fray on the palate. The mid-palate starts to climb, and then it all goes bad...the flavors disappear, the acidity abruptly spikes and the finish comes in with some fruit, but it's rather flat and dull. That acidity spike was tempered with some food (salmon), but I do not recommend this wine. The search for value Pinot continues!

If anyone has some great recommendations for fellow readers for Pinot Noir values please post in the comments guys! This is a forum after all!

Cheers,
Tom

2010-02-21T20:19:00.000-08:00

BUYER BEWARE - Smoke Taint in Wine - WARNING

I wanted to give everyone a heads up on the next wave of 2008 wines coming out of Northern California, particularly Pinot Noir. If you are not a wine geek or in the wine business you probably do not know this but much of the Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast, minimal parts of the Russian River and most of Anderson Valley in Mendocino County in 2008 contain obvious amounts of "smoke taint". Many vineyards were in the path of some serious fires and the smoke from those fires engulfed vineyards in some cases for 10 days. Right now the 2007 Bordeaux varietals are entering the market and are outstanding so buy away on 2007. Napa has had its best year in 2007 since 1997 for Cabernet Sauvignon based wines. 2007 was great for Pinot Noir, but most of those were released last year and the new wave of Pinot Noir this year are the 2008s and may be in big trouble.

At first most thought all was fine. The fruit came in smelling and tasting "smoke free". The problem was that the taint did not appear physically until after fermentation of the wine from juice. Research later found that the smoke taint is initially absorbed into the vine's system through the leaves, not the roots or the grape itself as many has suspected. The worst possible time for smoke to be absorbed in a grape vine is during verasion since that is when the berries expand the most and take in the most nutrients from the vine's leaves (sunlight) and roots (water & nutrients). Ash from the fires on the grape clusters does not affect the quality of the grapes either. These fires occurred in July, at the end of or in the middle of verasion for many vines. At the point of picking, sorting and crushing, the only way one can know if there is smoke taint in the grape is to run a laboratory test to check for a few of the trace compounds that cause smoke taint.

This happened in Australia two years ago and wreaked havoc on those wines. Australia was the first modern experimentation on how to get the smoke taint out of wine. However, from my research I feel that the wine glut in Australia caused most of the "smoke taint" problem to go by the wayside as everyone from the government to growers say there is too much wine already in Australia. I have read recently the government is asking grape growers to uproot vines as there is just too much wine and not enough demand from customers. The glut is damaging the image of Australian wine. I guess the train of thought there was who needs more wine, let alone smoke tainted wine? In the end they were not able to find an adequate solution and many just declassified the worst stuff and sold it off on the bulk market. The best results came from reverse osmosis, but that also takes out other components inherent in wine and ultimately change more than what the process is intended to do. It is also thought that varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot are less susceptible to smoke taint than Pinot Noir, which is a vacuum for the terroir it resides in. Sangiovese is thought to be very susceptible to smoke taint as well, but not much of that is grown in the regions most effected by forest fire smoke, let alone in all of California.

In Sonoma no one is for sure what to expect, but early results seem to point in a few directions so do your research and be careful. Some experimentation has made the smoke problem worse or entirely stripped the wine of not only the smoke, but the fruit and other delicate nuances hard filtering can strip from a wine. The professional verdict is still out as many critics have yet to release significant tasting notes for any of the 2008 California Pinot Noir wines from Northern California. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate will release its scores this week on the most recent wines of Sonoma County, which will include many 2008 Pinot Noir. It is thought many of the better names in the business will declassify the worst of the tainted wines and sell them off to the bulk wine market for sale as innocuous $7-10 bottles. Be careful, a new label in 2008 at a rock bottom price may not be the best thing to reach for. If you must, buy one and see how you like it and if the coast is clear of smoke taint, back up the truck.

Last Friday I was at a wine bar and saw a 2008 Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast. Since the smoke taint issue was such a big story of late I had to try it for myself. I asked to try the Hirsch Vineyards "Bohans-Dillon" 2008 Pinot Noir. From the first whiff, it smelled like a BBQ pit in the middle of a July heat wave. Obnoxious aromas of smoke and burnt cedar wafted from the glass with what little fruit was left in the wine. The palate was a little better, not as offensive as the bbq-bouquet!

This is just a warning. Not all Pinot Noir from California in 2008 is tainted with flavors and aromas of smoke. DO YOUR RESEARCH before you buy any Pinot Noir from 2008 from Northern California, especially Mendocino and the Sonoma Coast. Unless you like your wine to overtly smell like smoke, wood and barbecue, this is a vintage to pass on or at the most be extremely selective.

Cheers,
Tom