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.

Xavier Monnot, Michelle, Herve Gantier, Bobby Kacher and yours truly

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

Celia McCormack, Sales and Marketing Director for Dancing Coyote
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.

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.