I fully recognize that I have not updated the blog since 28 March. I am still around but I have a wee bit too much personal stuff going on and my interest in keeping this blog up-to-date is not peaked at present.
Keeping this blog (and the wine reading and/or drinking experiences that inspire my posts) has been a lot of fun for me and I do hope to get back to it soon.
April 24, 2008
March 28, 2008
An Evening with Bobby Kacher, Xavier Monnot and Herve Gantier
OK, to be honest, I am waaaay behind on my wine writing just lately. As I am packing to get ready for a trip up to New Joisey, I realized that I had not yet even written up my notes from a real treat of an evening back on 10 March. The event was a winemaker dinner held by highly-esteemed wine importer Bobby Kacher and featuring guests of honor Xavier Monnot of Domaine Xavier Monnot and Herve Gantier of Domaine Sainte-Eugenie. The venue was Marcel's, where a selection of the restaurant's signature culinary treats were paired with several entries from Monnot's Burgundian lineup as well as Domaine Sainte-Eugenie's reserve red.
Herve Gantier mingling with guests
Monnot is a 11th generation Burgundy winemaker who owns about 17ha of vineyards spread throughout Burgundy, meaning he makes a variety of different wines but each mostly only in small quantities. As with most Burgundy wine, small quantities equals higher prices. Gantier, on the other hand, lives in Burgundy but, with a partner, chose to start a winery in the Languedoc. He is also one of the most jovial and friendly folks anyone is likely to ever meet. It was a pleasure meeting both of these gentlemen, as well as Bobby Kacher and Antoine Songy, president of Robert Kacher Selections.
The wines paired with various courses were:
2005 Xavier Monnot Bourgogne Blanc (~$29)
2004 Xavier Monnot Puligny-Montrachet “Folatieres” (~$83)
2004 Xavier Monnot Mersault “Les Charmes” (~$80)
2005 Xavier Monnot Beaune “Les Toussaints” (~$50)
2005 Xavier Monnot Volnay “Clos de Chenes” (~$70)
2004 Domaine Sainte Eugenie “La Riserve” (~$15)
The first wine of the evening, the Bourgogne Blanc, has a very rich smokey caramel nose. It is assertive on the tongue, more mineral-driven than fruit and was just a little too boozy. Continuing with the whites, both the Puligny-Montrachet and the Mersault brought serious barnyard but I found the Mersault to be the better of the two, offering slightly more complexity and less overt oak notes.
Moving onto the Monnot's reds, the Beaune was honestly as much a miss for me as a hit. It was a little tight, with strawberry and cherry and smoke, transitioning to strawberry and stones on the tongue and a warm, spicy finish that did pair nicely with the boudin blanc. The Volnay offered a substantial change of pace with a nose of crushed fall leaves and herbal notes and a touch of barnyard. Spicy and warm on the tongue with an element that reminded me of the flavor of celery salt.
Moving onto the Monnot's reds, the Beaune was honestly as much a miss for me as a hit. It was a little tight, with strawberry and cherry and smoke, transitioning to strawberry and stones on the tongue and a warm, spicy finish that did pair nicely with the boudin blanc. The Volnay offered a substantial change of pace with a nose of crushed fall leaves and herbal notes and a touch of barnyard. Spicy and warm on the tongue with an element that reminded me of the flavor of celery salt.
While not on the official tasting roster, there were a couple of bottles of Monnot's 2005 Beaune Cent Vignes and I was fortunate to be seated at a table where one bottle was passed around. This wine was more rustic than the other reds along with ample black cherry and spices. It is a little brooding and powerful and was quite delicious and, I would have to say, was my favorite wine of the evening.
The 2004 Domaine Sainte Eugenie “La Riserve” is a little jammy with a slight medicinal note with a very Bordeaux-esque black cherry nose with toasty notes and a pleasant ferrous quality. It really is quite a solid wine and very interesting and certainly a very solid QPR at its $15 price point. This wine forms another stone in the mountain of evidence supporting the contention that southern France is producing some of the best buys in the wine world right now, weak U.S. dollar or otherwise.
The 2004 Domaine Sainte Eugenie “La Riserve” is a little jammy with a slight medicinal note with a very Bordeaux-esque black cherry nose with toasty notes and a pleasant ferrous quality. It really is quite a solid wine and very interesting and certainly a very solid QPR at its $15 price point. This wine forms another stone in the mountain of evidence supporting the contention that southern France is producing some of the best buys in the wine world right now, weak U.S. dollar or otherwise.
Antoine Songy and Xavier Monnot
I really can't say enough good things about the food that Marcel's chef/proprietor Robert Wiedmaier and chef Paul Stearman provided for the event. This was most assuredly one of the best meals I have ever had and I look forward to bringing the wife back to this Washington D.C. eatery in the very near future. If you are in the area and want to experience delicious Belgian-French cuisine, meticulous service and classic atmosphere, be sure to give Marcel's a try.
March 18, 2008
Critter Labels, or the Power of "Priming"
What happens when you take an interesting but otherwise marginally important consumer trend and through a load of science at it?
Honestly, who doesn't like a pretty pony?
A press release from the University of Chicago about this upcoming article can be found here.
Anyone who has walked though wine stores in the past few years has almost certainly taken notice of the “critter label” trend, the amazing plethora of animals that show up on wine labels nowadays. One in five new table wine brands introduced in the past three years features some sort of animal on the label.
So why is this such a seemingly effective and common marketing strategy? An upcoming article in the Journal of Consumer Research entitled “Of Frog Wines and Frowning Watches: Semantic Priming, Perceptual Fluency, and Brand Evaluation” provides an answer. Priming, or using an image for which the consumer already has some sort of prior cognitive association, leads to consumers holding an unrelated product that bears that image association in higher esteem. This is especially effective for products that may only be briefly considered, such as one wine bottle out of many on wine store shelves. A flash of color to attract notice, an image of a pretty pony to generate a positive mental association and voilà, “I'll take this bottle of Merlot, please.”
Honestly, who doesn't like a pretty pony?
A press release from the University of Chicago about this upcoming article can be found here.
March 15, 2008
The Dark Side of Wine Tourism
As posted over at Pinot Law, this L.A. Times article “Getting Juiced at Wine Tastings” reports on the growing trend of wine tasting rooms in California and New York to set specific ground rules with local limousine and tour bus companies. Some Napa wineries have gone so far as to not allow limos to visit their tasting rooms at all.
There is a not insignificant amount of irony here, at least considered from a 30,000 foot view. By letting someone else do the driving, as in the case of professional limo or tour bus drivers, wine tourists can tour wineries and swallow what they try safely, enjoying a complete experience. Limos full of enthusiastic wine tasters would seem to be a demographic that wineries would want to deliberately lure, not proactively repel. They obviously have an interest in wine, tend to come in large enthusiastic groups, and clearly have at least some discretionary income. Yet most who have ever been in the party-hard atmosphere of many a stretch limo may more readily understand the winery's concern. What starts off as a “complete experience” at the beginning of the day can quickly turn into the wine equivalent of a raucous kegger on wheels by mid-afternoon.
This is all, ultimately, about image protectionism. The image of wine tourism is carefully nurtured and protected as the very antithesis of most other forms of domestic tourism. It is quiet, adult, scenic and cultured. It is about contemplating a sophisticated product in beautiful surroundings. It is not supposed to be about being jostled in long lines, screaming children, and sweaty teenagers walking around in giant fluffy animated character costumes. In other words, it is not supposed to bear any resemblance at all to Six Flags or Las Vegas.
The bread and butter of winery point of presence sales are the fairly well-heeled 40- and 50-somethings who can spend hundreds of dollars on large quantities of wine, perhaps even placing themselves on a winery's mailing list, creating future sales potential. Many are finally enjoying vacations that are not dominated by efforts to keep their children, perhaps now blessedly off at college or having to deal with their very own children, entertained. When confronted with the very things they expect to be absent at a winery, such as packs of inebriated 20-somethings yelling “Woohoo!!!” and micturating on the shrubbery, their patience stretches thin and the top of their purse zips shut. That's lost revenue for the winery, or even the region.
There is a not insignificant amount of irony here, at least considered from a 30,000 foot view. By letting someone else do the driving, as in the case of professional limo or tour bus drivers, wine tourists can tour wineries and swallow what they try safely, enjoying a complete experience. Limos full of enthusiastic wine tasters would seem to be a demographic that wineries would want to deliberately lure, not proactively repel. They obviously have an interest in wine, tend to come in large enthusiastic groups, and clearly have at least some discretionary income. Yet most who have ever been in the party-hard atmosphere of many a stretch limo may more readily understand the winery's concern. What starts off as a “complete experience” at the beginning of the day can quickly turn into the wine equivalent of a raucous kegger on wheels by mid-afternoon.
This is all, ultimately, about image protectionism. The image of wine tourism is carefully nurtured and protected as the very antithesis of most other forms of domestic tourism. It is quiet, adult, scenic and cultured. It is about contemplating a sophisticated product in beautiful surroundings. It is not supposed to be about being jostled in long lines, screaming children, and sweaty teenagers walking around in giant fluffy animated character costumes. In other words, it is not supposed to bear any resemblance at all to Six Flags or Las Vegas.
The bread and butter of winery point of presence sales are the fairly well-heeled 40- and 50-somethings who can spend hundreds of dollars on large quantities of wine, perhaps even placing themselves on a winery's mailing list, creating future sales potential. Many are finally enjoying vacations that are not dominated by efforts to keep their children, perhaps now blessedly off at college or having to deal with their very own children, entertained. When confronted with the very things they expect to be absent at a winery, such as packs of inebriated 20-somethings yelling “Woohoo!!!” and micturating on the shrubbery, their patience stretches thin and the top of their purse zips shut. That's lost revenue for the winery, or even the region.
March 5, 2008
Dancing Coyote and the Clarksburg AVA: A Tasting and Interview
The Clarksburg AVA is not on the radar screens of many wine consumers, but perhaps it should be. Located in the Sacramento River valley, it features rich river delta soils cooled by breezes from San Francisco Bay in the afternoon and evening. Although the AVA was recognized more than 20 years ago, it has historically been more of a bridesmaid rather than a bride. Published statistics show that about 90% of the roughly 40,000 tons of grapes produced here get crushed outside the appellation, many of them in Napa and Sonoma.
From a brand perspective, it is probably best known as the home of the fairly ubiquitous Bogle. However, not one of Bogle's current lineup of wines carry the Clarksburg AVA on the label (most bearing the California state AVA) and, based on the information contained on their website, a few contain no fruit sourced from the Clarksburg AVA at all. Another well-known producer, Echelon, does have at least one wine that proudly displays “Clarksburg.”
As the appellation is home to at least 20 different grape varieties, the opportunities for self-expression in a bottle are vast. A number of small producers are really starting to step up and, by virtue of their efforts, begin to get Clarksburg into the minds of wine consumers. One of these is Dancing Coyote. Although their name and label make them part of the “critter label” phenomenon, they are making some very interesting, unique and tasty wines at very attractive prices.
From a brand perspective, it is probably best known as the home of the fairly ubiquitous Bogle. However, not one of Bogle's current lineup of wines carry the Clarksburg AVA on the label (most bearing the California state AVA) and, based on the information contained on their website, a few contain no fruit sourced from the Clarksburg AVA at all. Another well-known producer, Echelon, does have at least one wine that proudly displays “Clarksburg.”
As the appellation is home to at least 20 different grape varieties, the opportunities for self-expression in a bottle are vast. A number of small producers are really starting to step up and, by virtue of their efforts, begin to get Clarksburg into the minds of wine consumers. One of these is Dancing Coyote. Although their name and label make them part of the “critter label” phenomenon, they are making some very interesting, unique and tasty wines at very attractive prices.
Celia McCormack, Sales and Marketing Director for Dancing Coyote
alongside Patrick Bouculat, owner of Wine Cellars of Annapolis
alongside Patrick Bouculat, owner of Wine Cellars of Annapolis
On February 23, I had the opportunity to try their wines at Wine Cellars of Annapolis as well as meet with Celia McCormack, Sales and Marketing Director for Dancing Coyote and daughter of the founder. She was also nice enough to humor me with a short interview.
One thing that is immediately noticeable about the wines listed on the vendor-supplied tasting list was that exact percentages of every grape used in the wines is provided, even on those wines that are varietally-labeled.
2006 Albariño – 93.3% Albariño, 3.9% Orange Muscat, 2.8% Gewurztraminer. Citrusy on the nose with mineral notes. Brings a nice mixture of peach and pear spiked with minerals and assertive acidity. Nice finish. ~$12.
2006 Cha Cha - 75.3% Chardonnay, 18.3% Chenin Blanc, 6.4% Orange Muscat. They would be legally entitled to label this as a varietal Chardonnay but it is a good thing they did not as this wine bears very little resemblance to your typical Cali Chard. It attacks with very original and very tropical aromas that are, frankly, hard to describe. The flavor that lingers is of tropical fruits mixed with spiced honey. ~$12.
2006 Pinot Grigio – 76.4% Pinot Grigio, 15.8% Riesling, 7.8% Chenin Blanc. Rich peach and melon nose. Peach and green apple with a touch of minerality on the tongue. Very pleasant. ~$12.
2006 Rhumba – 51% Gewurztraminer, 26% Riesling, 15% Orange Muscat, 8% Chenin Blanc. A Gewurz-esque nose but with the grape's normally more assertive edges smoothed out. Explosive fruit on the tongue. Lower in acidity so this might be better as a sipper than a food wine, although it would certainly go well with spicier cuisine a la a varietal Gewurz or a later harvest Riesling. ~$12.
2006 Verdelho – 93.5% Verdelho, 6.5% Chardonnay. Rounded, smooth honeysuckle nose. Apple and potpourri on the tongue. I have limited experience with Verdelho so I cannot comment on its varietal typicity. ~$12.
2005 Petite Syrah – 99.8% Petite Syrah, 0.2% Zinfandel. Medium-bodied and quite approachable. This wine is a huge agitated tub of cherry jam with some red flower petals sprinkled on top. ~$13.
2005 Tango – 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 25% Tempranillo. Bold black cherry, smoke and cassis on the nose along with massive roasted coffee. Moderate tannins and finish. ~$13.
One thing that is immediately noticeable about the wines listed on the vendor-supplied tasting list was that exact percentages of every grape used in the wines is provided, even on those wines that are varietally-labeled.
2006 Albariño – 93.3% Albariño, 3.9% Orange Muscat, 2.8% Gewurztraminer. Citrusy on the nose with mineral notes. Brings a nice mixture of peach and pear spiked with minerals and assertive acidity. Nice finish. ~$12.
2006 Cha Cha - 75.3% Chardonnay, 18.3% Chenin Blanc, 6.4% Orange Muscat. They would be legally entitled to label this as a varietal Chardonnay but it is a good thing they did not as this wine bears very little resemblance to your typical Cali Chard. It attacks with very original and very tropical aromas that are, frankly, hard to describe. The flavor that lingers is of tropical fruits mixed with spiced honey. ~$12.
2006 Pinot Grigio – 76.4% Pinot Grigio, 15.8% Riesling, 7.8% Chenin Blanc. Rich peach and melon nose. Peach and green apple with a touch of minerality on the tongue. Very pleasant. ~$12.
2006 Rhumba – 51% Gewurztraminer, 26% Riesling, 15% Orange Muscat, 8% Chenin Blanc. A Gewurz-esque nose but with the grape's normally more assertive edges smoothed out. Explosive fruit on the tongue. Lower in acidity so this might be better as a sipper than a food wine, although it would certainly go well with spicier cuisine a la a varietal Gewurz or a later harvest Riesling. ~$12.
2006 Verdelho – 93.5% Verdelho, 6.5% Chardonnay. Rounded, smooth honeysuckle nose. Apple and potpourri on the tongue. I have limited experience with Verdelho so I cannot comment on its varietal typicity. ~$12.
2005 Petite Syrah – 99.8% Petite Syrah, 0.2% Zinfandel. Medium-bodied and quite approachable. This wine is a huge agitated tub of cherry jam with some red flower petals sprinkled on top. ~$13.
2005 Tango – 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 25% Tempranillo. Bold black cherry, smoke and cassis on the nose along with massive roasted coffee. Moderate tannins and finish. ~$13.
In a California wine market where the vast majority of entries in the $10-$15 price range tend to either be often inferior emulations of more expensive California wines or of such a “fun” or whimsical style as to be difficult to take seriously, Dancing Coyote has created an array of wines that falls into a much less populated but very interesting niche. They are fresh, different and attractively priced.
Later on, Ms. McCormack was nice enough to field some questions about their winery and the Clarksburg AVA. Here is the text of the interview:
GLT: So where did the name "Dancing Coyote" originate?
CM: The name originated from the fact that we have coyotes that come into our vineyards and chew on the irrigation lines. My father thought if we paid homage to them, they may quit being such a nuisance. No such luck, but it’s a good story. You can actually read about the Dancing Coyote legend on our website and the back of our labels.
GLT: What is the Dancing Coyote philosophy in terms of the grapes it grows and the wines it sells?
CM: Quality is our number one priority at Dancing Coyote. Because our grapes are estate grown, we have control over the quality of our product from start to finish. The growing conditions do make a lot of difference in the final product. Our philosophy is to always over deliver on quality and under deliver on price. Our goal is to make great wines at great prices. Our focus has been new and different varietals and blends. And we will continue to raise the bar on that.
GLT: Statistics show that more than 90% of grapes grown in the Clarksburg AVA are crushed outside the appellation, much of it ending up in Sonoma and Napa. Obviously, the area is well-established as a great place to grow wine grapes. Yet, the Clarksburg name is not yet one that resonates in the minds of many wine consumers. Is the amount of wine produced under the Clarksburg AVA on the increase?
CM: The Clarksburg AVA has been an agricultural area for many, many years. My great, great grandfather came here from Scotland and began farming in the area. My father was the first one to plant grapes in our family about 25 years ago. Many of the grape growers have been growing for a long time and have always sold their grapes to bigger wineries. There are a few that have ventured into the wine making business, but most are not interested. The largest winery from our area is Bogle. Bogle now produces over 1 million cases a year. But ironically, most of their wine now carries a California appellation, rather than a Clarksburg appellation as they’ve had to source more of their grapes to keep up with their production. I have been seeing more Napa and other area wineries now carrying the Clarksburg appellation on their label. Pine Ride has a Chenin blend, Dry Creek makes a Chenin and Vinum has a Chard No Way, all of which are Clarksburg fruit. My guess is that you will see more wineries with the Clarksburg appellation on it. At a recent Wine and Grape Symposium I attended in Sacramento, one of the speakers (Joe Ciatti, a prominent wine industry figure) said his number one choice for buying grapes or vineyards right now is Clarksburg, because of the quality, the price, the micro-climate and the availability of water.
GLT: What unique character does the Clarksburg AVA offer to the diverse array of California wines?
CM: Clarksburg’s micro-climate is one if its major advantages. We are located along the Sacramento River, so the summer days are very warm, which produces very aromatic wines. But we also get cool evenings as the breeze comes up the river from the San Francisco Bay, giving a nice acidity to all the wines. Therefore our wines are very well-balanced. Many white varietals do well in the area. We are pioneers in planting Albarino and Verdelho in Clarksburg (and actually among only a handful of growers in all of California). Part of why we chose those varietals is our weather and the similarities in climate to the regions in Spain and Portugal where they originate from.
GLT: Within the tasting notes from the tasting I attended as well as on your winery's website, very specific data in terms of the grapes used and in what percentages is provided, even for varietal wines. Why is that?
CM: As I wine drinker, I enjoy knowing what wines are in a blend or a varietal. It’s certainly not a secret recipe that we want to keep from everyone.
GLT: Four of the six white wines I sampled have some amount of Orange Muscat within the blend. What characteristics does Dancing Coyote feel this grape brings to their wines?
CM: Orange Muscat is a great blender as it is very aromatic. It adds aromas of orange blossoms and tropical fruit. It also helps to give a little more complexity to the wines. In fact, we love our Orange Muscat so much that we will be bottling a Moscato in April. It will be in a 375 ml bottle with a little different label. It is only 10.75% alcohol and 10% Residual Sugar. I just tasted the final bottling blend today and it is delicious!
GLT: Is your current wine lineup reflective of the wines you will be offering in the foreseeable future or is there an additional wine or wines that Dancing Coyote is seeking to develop for market?
CM: As to our future, we have Gruner Veltliner planted (first harvest will be 2009), as well as Pinot Noir (first harvest is 2008). So depending on how we feel the quality of the juice is, you may see both under a DC label sometime down the line.
Later on, Ms. McCormack was nice enough to field some questions about their winery and the Clarksburg AVA. Here is the text of the interview:
GLT: So where did the name "Dancing Coyote" originate?
CM: The name originated from the fact that we have coyotes that come into our vineyards and chew on the irrigation lines. My father thought if we paid homage to them, they may quit being such a nuisance. No such luck, but it’s a good story. You can actually read about the Dancing Coyote legend on our website and the back of our labels.
GLT: What is the Dancing Coyote philosophy in terms of the grapes it grows and the wines it sells?
CM: Quality is our number one priority at Dancing Coyote. Because our grapes are estate grown, we have control over the quality of our product from start to finish. The growing conditions do make a lot of difference in the final product. Our philosophy is to always over deliver on quality and under deliver on price. Our goal is to make great wines at great prices. Our focus has been new and different varietals and blends. And we will continue to raise the bar on that.
GLT: Statistics show that more than 90% of grapes grown in the Clarksburg AVA are crushed outside the appellation, much of it ending up in Sonoma and Napa. Obviously, the area is well-established as a great place to grow wine grapes. Yet, the Clarksburg name is not yet one that resonates in the minds of many wine consumers. Is the amount of wine produced under the Clarksburg AVA on the increase?
CM: The Clarksburg AVA has been an agricultural area for many, many years. My great, great grandfather came here from Scotland and began farming in the area. My father was the first one to plant grapes in our family about 25 years ago. Many of the grape growers have been growing for a long time and have always sold their grapes to bigger wineries. There are a few that have ventured into the wine making business, but most are not interested. The largest winery from our area is Bogle. Bogle now produces over 1 million cases a year. But ironically, most of their wine now carries a California appellation, rather than a Clarksburg appellation as they’ve had to source more of their grapes to keep up with their production. I have been seeing more Napa and other area wineries now carrying the Clarksburg appellation on their label. Pine Ride has a Chenin blend, Dry Creek makes a Chenin and Vinum has a Chard No Way, all of which are Clarksburg fruit. My guess is that you will see more wineries with the Clarksburg appellation on it. At a recent Wine and Grape Symposium I attended in Sacramento, one of the speakers (Joe Ciatti, a prominent wine industry figure) said his number one choice for buying grapes or vineyards right now is Clarksburg, because of the quality, the price, the micro-climate and the availability of water.
GLT: What unique character does the Clarksburg AVA offer to the diverse array of California wines?
CM: Clarksburg’s micro-climate is one if its major advantages. We are located along the Sacramento River, so the summer days are very warm, which produces very aromatic wines. But we also get cool evenings as the breeze comes up the river from the San Francisco Bay, giving a nice acidity to all the wines. Therefore our wines are very well-balanced. Many white varietals do well in the area. We are pioneers in planting Albarino and Verdelho in Clarksburg (and actually among only a handful of growers in all of California). Part of why we chose those varietals is our weather and the similarities in climate to the regions in Spain and Portugal where they originate from.
GLT: Within the tasting notes from the tasting I attended as well as on your winery's website, very specific data in terms of the grapes used and in what percentages is provided, even for varietal wines. Why is that?
CM: As I wine drinker, I enjoy knowing what wines are in a blend or a varietal. It’s certainly not a secret recipe that we want to keep from everyone.
GLT: Four of the six white wines I sampled have some amount of Orange Muscat within the blend. What characteristics does Dancing Coyote feel this grape brings to their wines?
CM: Orange Muscat is a great blender as it is very aromatic. It adds aromas of orange blossoms and tropical fruit. It also helps to give a little more complexity to the wines. In fact, we love our Orange Muscat so much that we will be bottling a Moscato in April. It will be in a 375 ml bottle with a little different label. It is only 10.75% alcohol and 10% Residual Sugar. I just tasted the final bottling blend today and it is delicious!
GLT: Is your current wine lineup reflective of the wines you will be offering in the foreseeable future or is there an additional wine or wines that Dancing Coyote is seeking to develop for market?
CM: As to our future, we have Gruner Veltliner planted (first harvest will be 2009), as well as Pinot Noir (first harvest is 2008). So depending on how we feel the quality of the juice is, you may see both under a DC label sometime down the line.
February 28, 2008
Maryland Cru Meet (or Why You Should Start a Wine Tasting Group)
Several fine Champages...more than a dozen premium California red wines...Joseph Phelps...Sea Smoke...Chateau St. Jean...delicious French Cuisine. Sound like something you would be interested in? If you like wine and have a pulse, I would have to assume that your answer would be a resounding “YES!” If your name is Robert Parker, Stephen Tanzer or Eric Asimov, a night like this would probably be called...uh... “Tuesday.” For the rest of us, such an evening would constitute a rare treat indeed.
Well, I had this rare treat this past Sunday at the February meeting of a group of Wine Spectator Forum regulars called “The Maryland Cru.” We met up at a fine Columbia, Maryland eatery called Café de Paris and drank some serious wines, and a lot of them. The group tries to meet every month to experience a variety of wines, eat some great food and just enjoy each others company. Even though this was my first time out with them, the company I did enjoy...tremendously. We were even joined by Paul and Stefania of Stefania Wine who brought not only themselves and a lot of insight into the world of California wine making, but also some delicious barrel samples.
I chose to not take copious notes and rather sit back, snap a few pictures, enjoy the many wonderful wines and food and relax. As such, I shall defer to Mike over at A Food and Wine Blog for the listing of wines and tasting notes.
I chose to not take copious notes and rather sit back, snap a few pictures, enjoy the many wonderful wines and food and relax. As such, I shall defer to Mike over at A Food and Wine Blog for the listing of wines and tasting notes.
Of course, the point of this post is not to make you jealous about all the great wines we sampled while you sat at home in your recliner watching the Academy Awards. The point is to highlight that such diverse and wonderful wine experiences can be enjoyed anywhere. If you are not a member of a local wine tasting group, be it an informal group of friends who share an enthusiasm for fermented grape juice or a more formal club, you should be. Delicious and educational tastings happen when ten people show up with ten wines and everyone passes the bottles around and the cost of admission need only be the cost of a single bottle of wine. So, by all means, recruit others on wine-related Internet forums like those at Wine Spectator, Wine Library TV or The Wine Lovers Page, all of which have separate sub-forums for “offline” wine meets. If that doesn't work, try and put up some flyers at your local wine shops, recruit co-workers or relatives, or even stand at a busy stoplight with a cardboard sign. It's simply a wonderful way to meet some great folks and experience a lot of different wines.
February 22, 2008
Notes From an Argentine Malbec Tasting
I recently stopped by WCA for a Saturday Malbec tasting. The event offered a nice selection of Malbecs at various pricepoints and I found much to recommend from the selection.
The 2006 Dona Paula Malbec Estate offers a delightful nose of bright cherry and other red fruits as well as a little smoke. It is very nicely balanced albeit a little restrained and offers light-moderate tannins in what is very obviously a young wine. It is fairly basic but would make an very good entry into a weeknight easy drinking red rotation and at ~$13 it offers solid QPR.
La Posta offers some additional complexity at just a few bucks more per bottle. Their 2006 La Posta Cocina Blend is a blend of 60% Malbec, 20% Syrah and 20% Bonarda and offers a much more ruby-driven visual in glass than the Dona Paula with a sweet raspberry syrup nose. It is a little weak on the front palate but offers a tasty flavor profile overall with moderate tannins and a nice pleasing finish. The 2006 La Posta Malbec Angel Paulucci single vineyard surprisingly looks almost identical in glass but offers much more tart cherry flavors and violets with a touch more tannins and a good finish. The wine notes indicate that this wine was aged in 100% French oak but only 20% new oak. This sort of new oak restraint is just the sort of thing likely to appeal to my palate and this wine delivers. Parker gave both of these wines 90 points and I cannot say I disagree with his assessments. The Cocina Blend sells for about $15/bottle and the Paulucci for about $16.
The last two wines reside in the more premium $25+ pricerange. The 2006 Susana Balbo Malbec is the higher end offering from the famed Argentine woman winemaker and comes in at about $27. As much as I like her Torrontés, I was a bit disappointed with this wine. The profile is very Cabernet-esque (supposedly 10% Cabernet was used in the blend) with flavors of black cherry and cassis but the new oak is too overt on the nose and it is very cedary and medicinal on the tongue, being reminiscent of some lesser-quality Left Bank Bordeaux I have tried. At this price, I would have to give this wine a pass based on how it is drinking now. Parker gave this wine 91 points, an assessment I will have to respectfully disagree with.
For just a few bucks more is the 2006 Tikal Amoriỏ Malbec. This wine possesses the velvety purple hues of youth and also offers a sharp nose of cassis, black cherry, smoke and faint cedar. The balance of this wine is fantastic and it says “adios” with a very nice finish. At ~$30/bottle, I recommend that fans of more expensive California Cabernets seek this wine out as a possible at least occasional alternative.
The 2006 Dona Paula Malbec Estate offers a delightful nose of bright cherry and other red fruits as well as a little smoke. It is very nicely balanced albeit a little restrained and offers light-moderate tannins in what is very obviously a young wine. It is fairly basic but would make an very good entry into a weeknight easy drinking red rotation and at ~$13 it offers solid QPR.
La Posta offers some additional complexity at just a few bucks more per bottle. Their 2006 La Posta Cocina Blend is a blend of 60% Malbec, 20% Syrah and 20% Bonarda and offers a much more ruby-driven visual in glass than the Dona Paula with a sweet raspberry syrup nose. It is a little weak on the front palate but offers a tasty flavor profile overall with moderate tannins and a nice pleasing finish. The 2006 La Posta Malbec Angel Paulucci single vineyard surprisingly looks almost identical in glass but offers much more tart cherry flavors and violets with a touch more tannins and a good finish. The wine notes indicate that this wine was aged in 100% French oak but only 20% new oak. This sort of new oak restraint is just the sort of thing likely to appeal to my palate and this wine delivers. Parker gave both of these wines 90 points and I cannot say I disagree with his assessments. The Cocina Blend sells for about $15/bottle and the Paulucci for about $16.
The last two wines reside in the more premium $25+ pricerange. The 2006 Susana Balbo Malbec is the higher end offering from the famed Argentine woman winemaker and comes in at about $27. As much as I like her Torrontés, I was a bit disappointed with this wine. The profile is very Cabernet-esque (supposedly 10% Cabernet was used in the blend) with flavors of black cherry and cassis but the new oak is too overt on the nose and it is very cedary and medicinal on the tongue, being reminiscent of some lesser-quality Left Bank Bordeaux I have tried. At this price, I would have to give this wine a pass based on how it is drinking now. Parker gave this wine 91 points, an assessment I will have to respectfully disagree with.
For just a few bucks more is the 2006 Tikal Amoriỏ Malbec. This wine possesses the velvety purple hues of youth and also offers a sharp nose of cassis, black cherry, smoke and faint cedar. The balance of this wine is fantastic and it says “adios” with a very nice finish. At ~$30/bottle, I recommend that fans of more expensive California Cabernets seek this wine out as a possible at least occasional alternative.
February 19, 2008
An Evening with Terry Theise
Terry Theise is a prominent and highly-regarded importer of German and Austrian wines as well as estate Champagnes. Thanks to “ob2s” over at the Wine Library TV Forums, myself and a couple of other Vayniacs were able to attend a German Wine Society tasting of many of his 2006 vintage Rieslings as well as a couple of older surprise wines to add some additional variety to the evening.
I spent a couple of minutes speaking with Terry and also pestered him with several questions during the tasting and found him to be very friendly, knowledgeable and very approachable. And if I needed any more reason to like the guy, the wines he poured for us were exquisite.
Theise began by telling us about the remarkable 2006 vintage. In his words, the vintage is “outsized”, where grapes in the middle Rhine and Mosel were so ripe that wines are mostly at least one and perhaps more than one quality level better than what the label indicates. In other words, wines labeled Kabinett are actually likely to be made from grapes with at least Spätlese if not Auslese measurements on the Oechsle scale. This vintage was unfortunately not so stellar in the Pfalz.
This may have been the first 10+ wine tasting I have ever been to in quite some time where I genuinely liked every wine that hit my glass. However, considering how much of a Riesling fan I am, I cannot say I was surprised. If Bonny Doon's Randall Grahm actually did start a “National Riesling Association”, I would join. Heck, I would be President of my local chapter.
Here was the lineup from the tasting:
2006 Buntsandstein Spätlese Trocken Theo Minges – Pfalz ($27) - struck me as the most classic of the bunch on the nose, apples and apricots, a little imbalanced towards alcohol on the rear palate. Overall very nice.
1997 Riesling Kogl Reserve Erich Salomon – Kremstal (unknown) – the only Austrian wine of the evening, only moderate petrol notes despite its age, tangy, crisp and persimmon flavors. A very interesting wine.
2006 Zeltinger Himmelreich Kabinett Halbtrocken Selbach Oster – Mosel ($24) – very rich with honey and overripe peach, long finish, excellent.
2006 Zeltinger Schlossberg Kabinett Selbach Oster – Mosel ($22) – candied orange nose, explosive fruit in mouth with little minerality. Seemed like the most un-German of the group.
2006 "Soil to Soul" Kabinett Strub – Rheinhessen ($16) – Designed to compete with wines like Leitz's “Dragonstone”, tight nose, peach and minerals, explosion of flavor on the tongue with ripe peaches and apricots coated with powdered sugar. Price aside, this was one of my favorite wines of the evening and at only $16, the QPR on this wine is outstanding.
2006 Dhron Hofberg Spätlese A.J. Adam – Mosel ($38) – this one definitely represents at least a quality level or two upgrade. The nose is very much that of a dessert wine with apricot notes being dominant. This was a little fat for my tastes but it was still very good.
2006 Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Spätlese “Eisendell” Hexamer – Nahe ($29) – My other favorite of the evening, very sharp, stark mineral nose with a little smoke and almost a green undercurrent. Mouth explodes with peach, honey, tropical fruits and minerals. Outstanding.
2006 Munsterer Dautenpflanzer Spätlese Kruger Rumpf – Nahe ($24) – very tight nose, sharp, apple and apricot, excellent finish. Overall very good.
2006 Oestricher Lenchen Spätlese “303” Spreitzer – Nahe ($48) – probably my least favorite of the evening, a fruity syrupy nose and the syrup continues to the tongue coming across as a bit cloying.
1994 Dorsheimer Pittermannchen Spätlese Schlossgut Diel – Nahe ($62) – This wine was an accidental insertion into the tasting. It was supposed to be another '06 from Rheingau but the wineshop packed the wrong wine...and I am so glad they did. This wine brings the petrol in spades, gas station and car exhaust rather than diesel, this wine smells like the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway during rush hour. Deliciously oily on the tongue with a long finish of ripe Fuji apples. This wine is like a cologne for auto mechanics and is amazingly still available for sale in the primary wine market. Since I was driving that night, I had been diligently spitting at this tasting but I swallowed every drop of this.
2006 Leiwener Laurentiuslay Auslese Carl Loewen – Mosel ($40) – honeyed mineral nose with a slight vegetal element, maintains solid acidity with explosive honey flavors. Very good.
The quality of these wines, overall, lends evidence to Terry's statement that, “Grand Cru vineyards are the earth's erogenous zones.”
I spent a couple of minutes speaking with Terry and also pestered him with several questions during the tasting and found him to be very friendly, knowledgeable and very approachable. And if I needed any more reason to like the guy, the wines he poured for us were exquisite.
Theise began by telling us about the remarkable 2006 vintage. In his words, the vintage is “outsized”, where grapes in the middle Rhine and Mosel were so ripe that wines are mostly at least one and perhaps more than one quality level better than what the label indicates. In other words, wines labeled Kabinett are actually likely to be made from grapes with at least Spätlese if not Auslese measurements on the Oechsle scale. This vintage was unfortunately not so stellar in the Pfalz.
This may have been the first 10+ wine tasting I have ever been to in quite some time where I genuinely liked every wine that hit my glass. However, considering how much of a Riesling fan I am, I cannot say I was surprised. If Bonny Doon's Randall Grahm actually did start a “National Riesling Association”, I would join. Heck, I would be President of my local chapter.
Here was the lineup from the tasting:
2006 Buntsandstein Spätlese Trocken Theo Minges – Pfalz ($27) - struck me as the most classic of the bunch on the nose, apples and apricots, a little imbalanced towards alcohol on the rear palate. Overall very nice.
1997 Riesling Kogl Reserve Erich Salomon – Kremstal (unknown) – the only Austrian wine of the evening, only moderate petrol notes despite its age, tangy, crisp and persimmon flavors. A very interesting wine.
2006 Zeltinger Himmelreich Kabinett Halbtrocken Selbach Oster – Mosel ($24) – very rich with honey and overripe peach, long finish, excellent.
2006 Zeltinger Schlossberg Kabinett Selbach Oster – Mosel ($22) – candied orange nose, explosive fruit in mouth with little minerality. Seemed like the most un-German of the group.
2006 "Soil to Soul" Kabinett Strub – Rheinhessen ($16) – Designed to compete with wines like Leitz's “Dragonstone”, tight nose, peach and minerals, explosion of flavor on the tongue with ripe peaches and apricots coated with powdered sugar. Price aside, this was one of my favorite wines of the evening and at only $16, the QPR on this wine is outstanding.
2006 Dhron Hofberg Spätlese A.J. Adam – Mosel ($38) – this one definitely represents at least a quality level or two upgrade. The nose is very much that of a dessert wine with apricot notes being dominant. This was a little fat for my tastes but it was still very good.
2006 Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Spätlese “Eisendell” Hexamer – Nahe ($29) – My other favorite of the evening, very sharp, stark mineral nose with a little smoke and almost a green undercurrent. Mouth explodes with peach, honey, tropical fruits and minerals. Outstanding.
2006 Munsterer Dautenpflanzer Spätlese Kruger Rumpf – Nahe ($24) – very tight nose, sharp, apple and apricot, excellent finish. Overall very good.
2006 Oestricher Lenchen Spätlese “303” Spreitzer – Nahe ($48) – probably my least favorite of the evening, a fruity syrupy nose and the syrup continues to the tongue coming across as a bit cloying.
1994 Dorsheimer Pittermannchen Spätlese Schlossgut Diel – Nahe ($62) – This wine was an accidental insertion into the tasting. It was supposed to be another '06 from Rheingau but the wineshop packed the wrong wine...and I am so glad they did. This wine brings the petrol in spades, gas station and car exhaust rather than diesel, this wine smells like the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway during rush hour. Deliciously oily on the tongue with a long finish of ripe Fuji apples. This wine is like a cologne for auto mechanics and is amazingly still available for sale in the primary wine market. Since I was driving that night, I had been diligently spitting at this tasting but I swallowed every drop of this.
2006 Leiwener Laurentiuslay Auslese Carl Loewen – Mosel ($40) – honeyed mineral nose with a slight vegetal element, maintains solid acidity with explosive honey flavors. Very good.
The quality of these wines, overall, lends evidence to Terry's statement that, “Grand Cru vineyards are the earth's erogenous zones.”
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