FYI/FYE
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Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:02:04 -0500 (EST)
To: jellings(a)me.umn.edu
Subject: 30SecWineAdvisor: Cooked!
From: The 30 Second Wine Advisor <wine(a)wineloverspage.com>
THE 30 SECOND WINE ADVISOR, Monday, March 31, 2008
________________________________________________________________________
TODAY'S SPONSOR
* COLOSSAL WINE SALE AT THE CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB
Last day to save during this month's wine sale at The California Wine
Club.
http://www.cawineclub.com/?utm_source=wadv&utm_medium=banner
________________________________________________________________________
IN THIS ISSUE
* COOKED! Many common wine flaws are clearly defined and relatively easy
to learn to recognize. Not so "cooked" wine, a widely cited problem but
one that lacks a clear description.
* DOMAINE LA TOUR BOIS�E 2005 VIN DE PAYS D'OC CABERNET SAUVIGNON
($9.99) Warm, a bit rough and rustic; but there's nothing wrong with
that in this "wine of the country" table wine, fine with simple fare.
* COLOSSAL WINE SALE AT THE CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB Last day to save during
this month's wine sale at The California Wine Club.
* THIS WEEK ON WINELOVERSPAGE.COM Columnist Randy Caparoso comments on
the convergence in wine lists; Jorge Eduardo Castillo ponders wine
matches with eggs, and Tom Hyland reports from Gala Italia. WineLovers
Discussion Group members talk about Von Schubert Maximin Gr�nhauser's
excellent Mosel Rieslings.
* ADMINISTRIVIA Change E-mail address, frequency, format or unsubscribe.
________________________________________________________________________
COOKED!
So many bad things can happen to good wine! Many common wine flaws are
clearly defined and fairly easy to learn to recognize. Wine judges learn
to identify flaws as an aid to scoring wines in competition. Many wine
enthusiasts pick them up quickly, as a hobby interest and a guide to
identifying and discussing wine problems. A few examples:
* CORK TAINT: A moldy, musty stench reminiscent of wet cardboard or a
damp basement, often with an overtone of chlorine bleach, identifies
wine afflicted by a faulty natural cork.
* OXIDIZED: The familiar walnutty aroma of inexpensive Sherry signals a
wine exposed to oxygen over time in the bottle or through a faulty cork
or stopper. The geek-speak term "Maderized" is nearly synonymous,
although as an exercise in wine pedantry, it's possible to draw a line
between "oxidized" by air exposure and "maderized" by exposure to air
and heat.
* WILD YEAST: Earthy, "barnyard" aromas ranging from sweaty leather
horse saddles to barnyards piled high with manure - often accompanied by
a twangy acidic finish - usually denote contamination by wild yeast
strains with names like brettanomyces ("brett") and dekkera.
* VOLATILE ACIDITY: The bacterium acetobacter, afflicting carelessly
made wines, can yield a range of "high-toned" aromas ranging from a
whiff of furniture polish to a salad-dressing jolt of vinegar.
* SULFUR: A range of sulfur compounds (not to be confused with sulfites
used as a natural preservative) can cause a variety of aroma faults in
wine from "burnt match" to offensively stinky smells of overcooked
cabbage, sauerkraut or swamp gas.
One of the most widely discussed wine faults, though, doesn't submit
easily to dictionary-style definition. Today, following up on an
extended conversation in our WineLovers Discussion Group, let's tighten
our focus on "COOKED" wine, a common problem that lacks a clear
description.
Not literally "cooked" on a stove top, this term refers to a wine
purportedly damaged by exposure to excessive heat - or, increasingly,
exposed to any heat above the traditional 55F/13C temperature of
underground cellars - during shipment or storage.
This term is a relative newcomer to the world of wine evaluation. Wine
encyclopedias and other reference books from as recently as the 1970s
don't list it, at least not separately from oxidation and maderization.
It rarely if ever comes up in wine judging in Europe (perhaps because
these competitions usually feature new wines sent directly from storage
at the winery). But dip into online wine forums or attend gatherings of
wine enthusiasts, and it surely won't be long before you encounter an
expert spitting out wine and declaring it "cooked."
Getting those experts to agree on exactly what constitutes "cooked" and
how to identify it, however, is a much stickier wicket.
Why did a long-term non-issue so quickly bubble to the top of wine
lovers' worry lists? I see a combination of two factors: First, a few
strong wine importers - most notably Berkeley's irrepressible Kermit
Lynch - made a virtue out of shipping their wines under carefully
controlled conditions ... and pointing out that their competitors do
not. Second, a significant increase of wine collecting and investment -
as opposed to mere wine drinking - altered priorities among new wine
enthusiasts.
Amid a growing received wisdom that exposure to heat in shipment or
storage compromises the potential longevity of ageworthy wines,
collectors began paying attention to the provenance of their wines -
and, soon enough, worrying about the storage status of all their wines.
But what exactly does a "cooked" wine taste like? Frankly, you can ask
five experts and get five answers. Based largely on personal, anecdotal
experience, some cite "overripe fruit" "pruney fruit" or even "stewed
fruit" as a dead giveaway. Others look for the telltale nutty but stale
Sherry-like scent that betrays oxidation. Collectors, who rarely drink
their treasures young, focus on the longer term: Overheat a wine, they
fret, and it will "fall apart" in the cellar, losing its fruit while an
undamaged wine would be maturing toward mellow complexity, the damage
revealing to the collector's dismay only after years of storage.
Although the science behind this theory is less than clear, I'm inclined
toward the latter view. Back in the summer of 2001, I conducted some
casual tests, deliberately "cooking" a bottle of modest Cabernet in a
closed car on a searing summer day. Tasted later in a "blind" pairing
with an identical but un-damaged bottle, the heated wine was actually
more immediately appealing, showing more forward fruit and softness. The
effect resembled "flash pasteurization," a sleazy treatment given some
industrial-type commercial wines to bring up their fruit. It doesn't
seem surprising to me that a wine so treated - not unlike an athlete
overdosing on steroids - would give up its longevity in exchange for a
youthful burst of power.
Still, when I taste a wine and find it either forwardly fruity or
hinting at Sherry, I can't say that "cooked" is the first explanation
that comes to my mind. "Cooked" is often used generically for "damaged"
in cases where it's not really possible to be more specific.
I do believe that long-term exposure to warmth compromises longevity,
but I'm not persuaded that cooking confers a short-term "stewed" or
other character that can be consistently picked out with the level of
confidence that wine judges bring to cork taint, volatile acidity or
wild yeast contamination.
At the end of the day, though, I see no reason to alter my conclusion in
the 2001 article: It simply makes sense to take care of your wine and
keep it cool ... and that goes double if you're talking about an
expensive, ageworthy wine that you intend to keep for a long time.
At the same time, the reassuring lesson is that, even if you make a
mistake and let your wine get overheated - or if the power to your
cellar goes off for a few hours on a hot, summer day - you needn't
assume that it's ruined and can't still be enjoyed.
Now, here's today's tasting report, a fine value in a rustic but food-
friendly Old World Cabernet.
________________________________________________________________________
DOMAINE LA TOUR BOIS�E 2005 VIN DE PAYS D'OC CABERNET SAUVIGNON ($9.99)
Clear but very dark blackish-purple, almost inky; clear garnet at the
edge. Appealing red fruit and spice, hints of mixed berries and tart
plums, pleasant but doesn't really jump out to me as varietal Cabernet.
Flavors are consistent with the nose, fresh and tart, perhaps a hint of
dark, bitter chocolate as a backdrop to the fruit. Tannins aren't
obvious at first tasting, but show up as dry and rather scratchy
astringency on the finish. Warm at 13.8% alcohol, a bit rough and
rustic; but there's nothing the matter with that in this "wine of the
country" table wine, fine with simple fare. U.S. importer: Wine
Adventures Inc., West Des Moines, Iowa. (March 31, 2008)
FOOD MATCH: Fine with red meat or pasta, or in this case, both: Leftover
rare rib eye steak warmed through in a light sauce of fresh tomatoes,
green peppers, red onions, garlic and Pecorino Romano as a sauce for
mezzi rigatoni..
VALUE: The $10 price point for quality European wine is almost
disappearing as the puny dollar continues to weaken. This rustic red,
however, is well worth the toll.
WHEN TO DRINK: Drinkable now and not really meant for aging, but fruit,
balance and tannins will likely hold it for a few years.
WEB LINK: The winery Website is published in French, English and what
appears to be two dialects of Chinese:
http://www.domainelatourboisee.com
For a fact sheet on an earlier vintage of today's wine, see
http://www.domainelatourboisee.com/wines/cabernet-sauvignon.html
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Distribution of Domaine La Tour Bois�e is limited. U.S. readers may be
able to get information on sources from the import firm, Wine Adventures
Inc. of West Des Moines, Iowa:
http://www.wineadventures.com
You'll find a few U.S. and international vendors for Domaine La Tour
Bois�e on Wine-Searcher.com:
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Tour%2bBoisee/-/-/USD/A?referring_site=WLP
________________________________________________________________________
TODAY'S SPONSOR: THE CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB
Last day to save during this month's wine sale at The California Wine
Club!
http://www.cawineclub.com/?utm_source=wadv&utm_medium=banner
Stock up on limited production, award-winning wines and save up to 70
percent off normal retail prices. Access wines you would normally only
discover at the winery itself and be secure in knowing that every wine
is 100 percent guaranteed.
Try the Napa Valley Merlot for just $6.50, or the highly-rated Santa
Barbara Pinot Noir for $29. You'll find bold Sierra Foothills Syrahs
for only $8.75 and many, many more!
Visit the Wine Sale page at The California Wine Club or call 1-800-777-
4443. Time is running out to save, order now.
http://www.cawineclub.com/?utm_source=wadv&utm_medium=banner
________________________________________________________________________
TALK ABOUT WINE ONLINE
If you have questions, comments or ideas to share about today's article
or wine in general, you're always welcome to drop by our online
WineLovers Discussion Group. This link will take you to the forum home
page, where you can read discussions in all the forum sections:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village
Everyone is free to browse. If you'd like to post a comment, question or
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care to register using your real name, or as a minimum, your real first
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To contact me by E-mail, write wine(a)wineloverspage.com. I'll respond
personally to the extent that time and volume permit.
________________________________________________________________________
PRINT OUT TODAY'S ARTICLE
Here's a simply formatted copy of today's Wine Advisor, designed to be
printed out for your scrapbook or file or downloaded to your PDA or
other wireless device.
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/2008/03/cooked-print.html
________________________________________________________________________
THIS WEEK ON WINELOVERSPAGE.COM
* RANDY'S CULINARY WINE & FOOD ADVENTURES: Dragging Wine Lists Out of
the Dark Ages
What's happened to individuality in restaurant wine lists today? Randy
Caparoso takes a look at why so many lists are so much alike.
http://www.wineloverspage.com/randysworld/darkages.phtml
* VINO 101: Green Eggs and ... Wine?
Eggs aren't just for Easter, but many of us take for granted the flavor
a simple egg can add to a particular dish, sauce or dessert. Jorge
Eduardo Castillo looks some some wines that make particularly good
pairings with popular egg dishes.
http://www.wineloverspage.com/vino101/eggs0308.phtml
* ITALIAN WINE GUIDE: Super Italian Wines - Tuscany and Elsewhere
It seems like every Italian wine maker today is producing a "Super
Tuscan." But why? At this year's Gala Italia, Tom Hyland hears just why
so many producers are adding them to the traditional wines they make.
http://www.wineloverspage.com/italwineguide/galaitalia08.phtml
* WINELOVERS DISCUSSION GROUP: Maximin Bliss
A tasting of Von Schubert Maximin Gr�nhauser's excellent Mosel Rieslings
prompts an extended discussion among the German-wine lovers in our
WineLovers Discussion Group. Read the posts and join in:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=14894
________________________________________________________________________
LAST WEEK'S WINE ADVISOR INDEX
The Wine Advisor's daily edition is usually distributed on Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays (and, for those who subscribe, the FoodLetter on
Thursdays). In recent weeks, however, we've published on Mondays only.
Here's the index to last week's column and archives:
* The value of a nose (March 24, 2008)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/tswa20080324.php
* Complete 30 Second Wine Advisor archive:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/archives.php
* Wine Advisor Foodletter archive:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/food/archives.php
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We welcome feedback, suggestions, and ideas for future columns. We do not use this list for any other purpose and will never give or sell your name or E-mail to anyone.
All the wine-tasting reports posted here are
consumer-oriented. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest,
I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores and accept no samples, gifts or other gratuities from the wine industry.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Robin Garr. All rights reserved.
----- End forwarded message -----
--
------------------------------
* Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
We're going to TDV this week.
Bob's handing the reservation.
Vin du jour is central Italy, non tuscany.
5 regions. Umbria, Abruzzo, Molise, Lazio and Marche.
Some of these regions are rare. Others are just mis-spelled.
Montelpuciano d' Abruzo would be an obvious red, although
there may well be more whites than reds from these regions.
All colors are welcome.
Cheers,
Jim
----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> -----
Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2007 14:20:52 -0600
From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
To: wine(a)thebarn.com
Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2007 14:55:47 -0500
From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
To: wine(a)thebarn.com
Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2007 09:34:25 -0600
Greetings,
Blessed be all who respond yea or nay.
Here's an interactive map of Tuscany. click on the DOCs to see
the areas.
http://winecountry.it/regions/tuscany/
Trattoria da Vinci
400 Sibley St., St. Paul, 55101
651 222-4050
It's in the "far end" of down town St. Paul, near the Farmer's
Market. If you're traveling on I94, take the 7th St. Exit.
Who?
Annettina
Bobino
Rutheletta
Warrenesco
Betsylini
Davidetto
Alicianna
Jim-a-roni
Louisiano
Russeloche
Cheers,
Jim
SPIRITS
Ratafia liqueur makes the most of California citrus
In Southwest France, ratafia is brandy infused with fruit and spice. But that doesn't mean you can't make a version using vodka.
By Corie Brown
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
March 26, 2008
Lou Amdur, owner of the wine bar Lou on Vine, sits back on his heels as he peers into the recesses of a low kitchen cupboard. Bottles clink against each other as he rummages in the dark. Finally standing up, he sets an unlabeled bottle on the kitchen counter. "Ratafia," he says.
The opaque elixir before us has the questionable, slightly brownish hue of oxidized dessert wine. Then Amdur pours a splash into a juice glass, releasing inviting citrus aromas. We take sips. Tart orange and clove flavors infuse the earthy warmth of brandy in a drink dancing with fresh fruit.
In Southwest France, ratafia is a fruit- and spice-
infused brandy made at home. Transplanting ratafia to his Southern California kitchen, Amdur marries rustic French traditions with our region's bountiful supply of backyard citrus. After plenty of kitchen experiments, he's decided that almost any citrus makes delicious ratafia, so he bottles a batch whenever a new citrus fruit comes into season.
"What's exciting is how you can capture the essence of fresh fruit in a cordial that will stay fresh for years," Amdur says. "We're so jaded about the abundance of the fruit growing all around us. Ratafia is a thrifty way to take advantage of it."
That's easy for him to say. A dedicated home cook and wine connoisseur who succumbed to his twin passions and became a restaurateur two years ago, Amdur has been making this stuff since shortly after he first tasted it at a farmhouse outside of Toulouse, France, in 2002.
I'm intrigued, but I'm too nervous to make my first ratafia by myself, so I offer him a Sunday brunch in exchange for a ratafia tutorial.
Amdur's interest in homemade ratafia started when a Los Angeles neighbor with a backyard bitter (or sour) variety of orange tree deposited a grocery bag of fruit at his door. The ratafia he'd enjoyed in France was made with oranges. "Once you taste ratafia, you realize how commercial liqueurs like Grand Marnier really are. They don't taste fresh," he says. "It totally changed my mind about orange-flavored liqueur."
A celebratory drink
THE name ratafia, according to some accounts, comes from the Latin phrase rata fiat, meaning "to ratify." At the close of a business deal or the signing of a treaty, ratafia -- originally made with unfermented or partially fermented wine-grape juice and distilled grape spirits -- was a celebratory libation. For his first batch of homemade ratafia, Amdur used a Paula Wolfert recipe. He carefully stripped the zest from the oranges, trimming away the last bit of the peel's white pith. He cut the zest into quarter-inch strips and tossed them into a Mason jar with an equal amount of the fresh squeezed bitter-orange juice and brandy, with half again as much simple syrup.
Traditional ratafia can be made with either brandy or clear distilled spirits, which calls to mind the limoncello liqueurs of southern Italy. The difference is more than the kinds of fruit used to infuse the alcohol. Ratafia includes fresh fruit juice; limoncello typically relies on lemon zest and sugar without incorporating juice.
Amdur closed his ratafia jar, gave it a shake and stashed it under the kitchen sink, returning every few days to give it another shake to help the alcohol maceration of the fruit. After two months, he strained the fruit from the ratafia, then removed the sediment by letting it settle at the bottom and pouring off the liquid while leaving the pulp behind, much like the lees are left in the bottom of a barrel after wine is racked from one barrel to another.
Success with the bitter oranges persuaded Amdur to ignore tradition and try other fruits using a similar equation of proportions for fruit zest, fruit juice, brandy and simple syrup. Kumquat, which produces a racy aperitif with a sophisticated, tart edge, turned out to be a favorite. Meyer lemon was disappointing because the mildness and lower acidity of the fruit made a ratafia that lacked zip. Pomegranate was a disaster, producing a regrettable cough-syrup ratafia.
Tart citrus fruit is best, Amdur says. Blood oranges and sour mandarins (tangerines) are particularly good.
On the morning of my Sunday brunch-meets-ratafia-making session, the farmers market was overflowing with tangerines, so they were my choice.
I invited some neighbors over to help, handing each arrival an apron as well as a sharp paring knife, cutting board, juicer and wide-mouthed rubber-sealed jar. Amdur showed the group how to carefully cut the white pith from the zest, then cut the zest into strips. The painstaking work went slowly even as the kitchen buzzed with the energy of four sets of partners competing to see who could produce the largest pile of zest the fastest.
Sweetening by stages
"THE more zest, the better the ratafia," Amdur said, cheering us on. "The important thing is to remove all of the bitter pith and the seeds."
The simple syrup added with the fruit juice and zest during maceration reduces any overt tartness. But he suggests going lightly on the simple syrup, and in stages. "You can always add a touch more after it has macerated if you don't think it is sweet enough," he says.
Go slowly with the spices. It doesn't take much to overwhelm the fresh fruit flavors. Every time Amdur makes ratafia, he cuts back the spices a little more. He's down to one clove -- slightly toasted to bring out the flavors -- and a smashed cardamom pod.
After a frenzied half an hour of zest cutting, we had the ingredients for ratafia and it was time to pour in the spirits.
There are several possibilities for a ratafia base liquor. Wolfert suggests Armagnac, the fine French brandy from the region of the same name southeast of Bordeaux, and it worked beautifully for our ratafia-party batch.
Other recipes call for distilled grape spirits, the clear alcohol made from surplus wine grapes that is readily available in Southwest France. In Southern California, vodka is a reasonable substitute, Amdur says.
He likes the efficiency with which clear spirits suck the fruit flavors out of the zest for a bright, vibrant drink.
Brandy, however, produces a mellower, more complex ratafia. I made a batch using inexpensive brandy instead of Armagnac, and another using vodka, but the ratafia made with Armagnac was best, with deep, complex flavors that supported the fresh fruit.
The ratafia made with the inexpensive California brandy was fun and delicious but lacked the complexity of the Armagnac batch. And though I understand the appeal of the clean, bright fruit flavors of the vodka ratafia, I prefer the warmth brandy brings to these cordials.
But there are still experiments to consider. Since that ratafia-making party, I often find myself staring at my bowl of fruit or pondering the stalls at the farmers market. Blueberries? Kiwis? Grapefruit? The ratafia possibilities seem endless.
corie.brown(a)latimes.com
--
------------------------------ *
* Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, cel: 651/645-0753 *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
Short notice -- Free showing of "21"
tonight 7:30 at Oak Streeet Cinema
Drop a line if you're interested; I have several passes.
21 is a 2008 drama film from Columbia Pictures. It stars Jim Sturgess,
Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, and Laurence
Fishburne.
Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) is an MIT student who – needing to pay
school tuition – finds answers in counting cards. As a superior math and
statistics student, he is recruited to join a group of
mathematically-gifted students that heads to Las Vegas every weekend
with fake identities and the know-how to turn the odds at blackjack in
their favor. Unorthodox math professor Mickey Rosa (Kevin Spacey) leads
the way. By counting cards and employing an intricate system of signals,
the team can beat the casinos. Drawn by the money, the Vegas lifestyle,
and his teammate, Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth), Ben begins to push the
limits. Though counting cards isn’t illegal, the stakes are high, and
the challenge becomes not only keeping the numbers straight, but staying
one step ahead of the casino's menacing enforcer.
Report from the World of Pinot Noir - March 2008 - Shell Beach, CA
WOPN Friday morning seminar: "Are We Losing Our Regionality?"
Venue: Tolosa Winery, San Luis Obispo, CA
Moderator: Peter Neptune, MS
Panelists & viticultural area represented:
Grant Stanley, Winemaker, Quail's Gate Estate Winery (Okanagan Valley, B.C.)
Steven Rogstad, Winemaker, Cuvaison Estate Wines (Carneros, CA)
Adam Lee, Owner & Winemaker, Siduri Wines (Santa Lucia Highlands, CA)
Christian Roguenant, Winemaker, Baileyana Winery (Edna Valley, CA)
Norm Yost, Owner & Winemaker, Flying Goat Cellars (Santa Rita Hills, CA)
Evelyn Vidal, Winemaker, Kingston Family Vineyards (Casablanca Valley,
Chile)
"Viticultural area represented" refers to the wines shown at this seminar.
Siduri and Flying Goat, and perhaps others, also produce pinots from other
appellations.
The astute reader will already have noted that this seminar included
producers from the Western Hemisphere's northernmost (Okanagan) and
southernmost (Casablanca Valley) pinot noir appellations.
A. Quail's Gate - 2007 Boucherie Mountain Estate Vineyard,
Clone 115 (barrel sample) (Okanagan Valley). Forward, pretty, pretty red
cherry nose. Bright acidity in the mouth, tannin, lots of cherry fruit, not
ready for prime time (a lot of quality components not yet well integrated),
excellent length.
B. Quail's Gate - 2006 Boucherie Mountain Estate Vineyard,
Stewart Family Reserve (Okanagan Valley). Evolved color compared to the
preceding wine; far more complete although less forward nose; lots of legs
in the glass; silky mouth entry, then grippy, plenty of unsweet fruit;
structured, lengthy finish, needs time; fine bottle. (Grant Stanley
reported that this wine is mostly a Spatburgunder clone, from Germany. At
dinner the following night, this wine had not yet integrated its oak well
enough to be a standout with the food, but the equivalent 2005 bottling was,
to me, one of the best two out of a couple of dozen young pinots tasted.)
C. Cuvaison - 2007 Clone 115 (barrel sample) (Carneros). Near
inky; candy oak on nose; silky mouth entry, then GRIP; clear, attractive
blue cheese flavor; big wine flashes its alcohol, then lots of fruit;
expanding finish, not ready for prime time but very promising.
D. Cuvaison - 2006 Block F5 (Carneros). Again a comparatively
evolved color; transparent nose, pretty in the best sense of the word, very
Carneros, red cherry and dirt; in the mouth sappy, substantial and delicious
though quite tannic; large and long, this should be an outstanding bottle,
peacock's tail finish, this is excellent! (Full disclosure: good Carneros
pinots push all my buttons. Others think Carneros is the least of
California's pinot appellations. These observations are offered so that
friends may judge the likelihood, or not, that they'll share my highly
positive reaction to this wine.)
E. Siduri - 2007 Rosella's Vineyard, Clone 115 (barrel sample)
(Santa Lucia Highlands). Both of the Siduri wines were distinctly browner,
although by no means oxidized looking, than the rest of the wines on the
table. Nose bright sour cherry and cinnamon; clear, transparent flavor,
very fruit forward, big wine, especially for its clarity and definition;
smooth transition, then finishing grip, this seems almost ready to drink,
tasty! (More full disclosure: I've often liked wines from Rosella's
Vineyard, which sells grapes to several producers, perhaps because they
remind me of Anderson Valley or Carneros. They mostly are not stereotypical
Santa Lucia Highlands inky, nearly syrah-like monsters.)
F. Siduri - 2006 Garys' Vineyard (Santa Lucia Highlands).
Highly forthcoming Christmas spice nose. In the mouth, unsweet complexity,
then delicious glyceral lovely fruit, quite a bit darker in the fruit flavor
spectrum than the preceding wines; very aromatic finish showing less fruit
than the midpalate but this has excellent length and structure. Superb.
(Single vineyard Siduri wines are too big, too alcoholic, too sweet for me
more often than not, but the ones that don't cross that line, certainly
including this example, are wonderful.)
G. Baileyana - 2007 Firepeak Vineyard, Clone 115 (barrel
sample) (Edna Valley). Purple! Candy oak; the most obviously a barrel
sample of any of these, tastes like grape juice and alcohol, grippy, simple
although substantial, fine primary fruit and length, oak on finish,
decidedly not ready for prime time.
H. Baileyana - 2006 Estate Cuvee 1909, Firepeak Vineyard (Edna
Valley). Reticent young nose; mouth entry sweet, powerful, acid structure
and tannin, this may lack fruit or may simply be unevolved; quite long but
one would certainly call this subtle (though NOT light) compared to the
other wines here; very, very nice flavor late in the finish. (I have no
experience with how Baileyana's wines evolve. If this puts on a bit of
weight and blossoms aromatically, as pinots have been known to do, it should
be memorable.) (Christian Roguenant, as nice a guy as you could hope to
share a glass of wine with, came to California from Champagne Deutz to serve
as winemaker at Maison Deutz in Arroyo Grande. Deutz later sold that
property, which is now Laetitia and still making very fine sparkling wine,
in addition to being a very large producer of still red pinot noir. M
Roguenant is currently winemaker at Baileyana and its sister winery,
Tangent, which focuses on albarino and other non-chardonnay white grapes.
On the subject of Edna Valley versus Burgundy, he says: "When we have
80-year-old vines in Edna Valley, you'll be amazed..")
I. Flying Goat - 2007 Rio Vista Vineyard, Clone 115 (barrel
sample) (Santa Rita Hills). Quite sappy young fruit on nose; has this not
quite finished its malolactic? LEGS in the glass. In the mouth rich,
round, laser pure, grip, Santa Rita Hills dark fruits; finishes as its
tastes, tannin and acid structure, fine length, very promising. (One must
always discount talk about the current vintage being the greatest, but there
was a fair bit of buzz at the event about the quality of California's 2007
pinot vintage, north and south.)
J. Flying Goat - 2005 Rio Vista Vineyard, "Dijon" (Dijon clone
blend) (Santa Rita Hills). Dark, more evolved color; fall-in Santa Rita
Hills nose of dark fruit and herbs, oak prominent; mouth entry unsweet, then
rich-glyceral-sweet HUGE; finish relatively undeveloped but probably just
because it's so big in the mouth. (With a bit more air, a little later in
the tasting, the finish was noticeably more open. Full disclosure: I adore
and regularly buy Flying Goat's wines.)
K. Kingston Family Vineyards - 2007 "Concha y Toro" clone
(barrel sample) (Casablanca Valley, Chile). Purple; legs in the glass;
spicy, mineral nose; mouth entry silky, rich, grippy, blue cheese, spices,
dirt; trace of the blue cheese flavor on transition, fine balance,
emphatically not a fruit bomb especially in this company, interesting wine.
L. Kingston Family Vineyards - 2006 "Alazan" (Casablanca
Valley, Chile). Lovely nose, perhaps a trace lifted? Silky mouth entry,
balanced fruit, then light grip and sound acid structure; tasty! Aromatic
finish with lots of acidity, this needs a little time, excellent finishing
length with expanding fruit, lovely wine. (At US $28 suggested retail, a
bargain! An American family owns the winery, and Kingston's wines are
readily available in the United States.)
WOPN Friday afternoon seminar: "Exploring Oregon's 'New World Burgundy'"
Venue: Tolosa Winery, San Luis Obispo, CA
Moderator: Harry Peterson-Nedry, Founder, Winemaker and Partner, Chehalem
Panelists:
James Cahill, Winemaker, Soter Vineyards
Lynn Penner-Ash, Proprietor & Winemaker, Penner-Ash Wine Cellars
Adam Campbell, Winemaker & Partner, Elk Cove Vineyards
Ben Casteel, Winemaker & Partner, Bethel Heights Vineyard
Steve Doerner, Winemaker, Cristom Vineyards
Mike Etzel, Partner & Winemaker, Beaux Freres
As Oregon wine fans know, six new AVA's within the Willamette Valley were
officially approved in 2005 and 2006. Theoretically, wines from a
particular AVA have common characteristics not expressed, or expressed
differently, by wines from other AVA's. Although the wines presented were
of very high quality, and despite the panelists' best efforts, this seminar
did not - for me - shed light on what if any common characteristics are
expressed in the glass by Yamhill-Carlton, Eola-Amity Hills, and Ribbon
Ridge wines respectively. Hmmm, perhaps more extensive tasting is in
order..
A. Soter Vineyards - 2005 Mineral Springs (Yamhill-Carlton).
Inky; legs in the glass, shoe polish and reticent deep black fruit on nose;
mouth entry of silk, substantial dark fruit, acidity; smooth transition to
expanding finish, excellent length, redder fruits very late; lots of
material, this seems very young although it's not particularly tannic. (The
winery considers this vineyard more accessible young than their Beacon Hill
bottling. Early conventional wisdom on Oregon vintage 2005 is that it's a
classic long ager, and 2006 is riper and plusher.)
B. Penner-Ash Wine Cellars - 2006 Dussin Vineyard
(Yamhill-Carlton). Crystalline black-purple. Forthcoming Dijon-clone-type
nose, clear, pure, penetrating; in the mouth rich, round, VERY sweet dark
fruit, pie spice and herbs; takes a long time for the fruit to come up on
transition, but it does; back end aromatics undeveloped, but the wine
ultimately expands and lengthens; this needs time to round off the
sweetness.
C. Elk Cove Vineyards - 2006 Mt. Richmond Vineyard
(Yamhill-Carlton). Near opaque black purple. Initially, a nose of dirt,
possible VA, could this be corked?? With a little air, no, seems to be a
sound bottle, richer nose as it opens, blackberry-blueberry; midpalate rich,
sweet, and oaky, similar to preceding wine, good acid structure; finishes as
it tastes, some acid heat, this needs time to integrate its components.
D. Bethel Heights Vineyard - 2006 Flat Block (Eola-Amity
Hills). Medium purple; nose reticent at first, opening to show clear,
attractive tropical fruit with oak and herbs, distinctly penetrating
quality; very glyceral mouth feel and at the same time some heat, highish
alcohol and low acid?? Cinnamon sugar cookie blackberry cobbler finish,
yum!
E. Cristom Vineyards - 2005 Jessie Vineyard (Eola-Amity Hills).
Inky black purple. QUITE an herbal nose, then rich red fruit; balanced in
the mouth, tastes similar to the nose, this is delicious but it's certainly
not a fruit bomb; smooth transition to finish as it tastes, fine length, may
not be the last word in complexity but I like this a lot. Very harmonious.
(At this point I wrote in my notebook: "These are more tannic than
they seem!" So much material that although one doesn't particularly notice
the tannin, one's mouth is desert dry after tasting a few wines.)
F. Chehalem - 2005 Ridgecrest Vineyard (Ribbon Ridge).
Crystalline near opaque purple black. Reticent nose, but this seems to have
real herbal depth, pie spice, dark fruit; in the mouth redder and much more
(than the nose revealed) aromatic fruit, grip, acid structure, big wine;
slightly hot transition to a lengthy fade.
G. Beaux Freres - 2006 Beaux Freres Vineyard (Ribbon Ridge).
(My first pour was from a very slightly faulty bottle, the kind where it
takes you quite a while to figure out that it's off; I wasn't absolutely
positive until I got a replacement pour, from a sound bottle. Notes refer
to the latter.) Medium purple-black. Legs in the glass, oak and bright
fruits on nose; rich, silky mouth entry, fruit profile quite red in this
crowd; transition is smooth although I feel some alcohol; this is QUITE
persistent although not that forcefully aromatic on the finish.
Saturday evening:
Santa Barbara Style Paulee at Au Bon Climat Winery, Santa Maria, CA
A very great party in ABC's barrel room. Loud music and dancing. Eight
(plus) rock-star chefs from San Francisco to Los Angeles to Dallas to Miami
made small plates: ceviche, rare tuna, Kobe mini-burgers, lamb stew,
amazing flatbreads (small pizzas) including one that was basically a green
salad with a perfect vinaigrette over awesome Parmigiano Reggiano baked into
a whole wheat pizza crust, bananas Foster, wonderful artisan breads, etc.
Several dozen wineries provided bottles, in most cases multiple bottles per
winery, for guests' enjoyment. In addition, each guest was invited to bring
a bottle of wine to share. One gentleman, whose name I unfortunately failed
to write down, was kind enough to share a Salmanazar of Pol Roger as we
arrived for dinner. (Thank you!) If you're only going to open one bottle
of champagne, that's certainly the right size. There was the obligatory
rumor that someone had a DRC bottle open, but if so, I didn't see it. I did
get to try the famous 2005 Foxen, Sea Smoke Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills, but
at this point it needs to be tossed into a cool cellar and forgotten about
for 7-10+ years.
An interesting group from Soter Vineyards: 1997 Soter Beacon Hill Blanc de
Blancs (sparkling), Willamette Valley, en magnum, disgorged 3/07:
magnificently dry, yeasty, minerally nose, this couldn't possibly be
conspicuous as a New World wine if you snuck it into a serious Champagne
tasting, could it? Full, rich, sweet midpalate, far sweeter than the
aristocratic nose, then a very dry, minerally, long finish. Fascinating,
and likely to be splendid when it's 20 years old. Also: 1998 Soter Beacon
Hill Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, en magnum, and 1999 Soter Beacon Hill
Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, en magnum. Messrs. Poulos and Cahill, and
Mr. Soter, thank you for your generosity. The 1998 is just beginning to
peek out from behind its robe of acidity and tannin, hinting at how good it
will be in another few years. The 1999 is still hopelessly young but has
unlimited potential.
Best young wines, of probably a couple of dozen tasted: 2005 Quail's Gate
Pinot Noir, Stewart Family Reserve, Okanagan Valley (Grant Stanley is making
great pinot in Canada); and 2006 Rhys Vineyards Pinot Noir, Alpine Vineyard,
Santa Cruz Mountains. If you're not on the Rhys mailing list, you should
be. This particular wine is not scheduled for release until Fall 2008.
Best maturing/mature wines: 1995 Laetitia Pinot Noir, Laetitia Vineyard,
San Luis Obispo County (the appellation nowadays is Arroyo Grande; standard
750 cl bottle; same wine from the 1996 vintage was much bigger and smokier,
still needing time, although there could be a
will-the-fruit-outlast-the-tannin race with the 1996); 1994 Au Bon Climat
Pinot Noir, La Bauge au-Dessus, Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley
(great big bottle, probably 4.5 liters); 1999 Nuits St Georges 1er Cru,
Vaucrains, Chauvenet (standard 750 cl bottle). California pinots can, and
do, age gorgeously.
WOPN Featured Burgundy Producer: Jacques-Frederic Mugnier
(Wines tasted 3-9-2008 at the Domaine Alfred winery, San Luis Obispo, CA)
Featured speakers: Jacques-Frederic Mugnier; Allen Meadows
Since the mid-1980's, M Mugnier has followed a policy of taking over family
vines exiting leases to other producers. His first vintage was 1985.
Beginning with the 2004 vintage, Domaine J-F Mugnier changed overnight from
a smallish house into one of Burgundy's largest producers of estate-bottled
wines, when Faiveley's lease of the 9.55-hectare Nuits St Georges 1er Cru
Clos de la Marechale expired. This more than tripled the size of Mugnier's
holdings, theretofore entirely in Chambolle. Clos de la Marechale is
presently the largest monopole in Burgundy. Viticultural practices are
near-organic and have been so since 1990; Mugnier uses synthetics only as
part of its oidium control regime, and then only because undesirably large
amounts of copper sulfate (which accumulates in the soil) would otherwise
have to be used.
We tasted three examples each of the Chambolle-Musigny villages, which is
about 45% declassified premier cru; the Nuits Clos de la Marechale; and le
Musigny. One is awash in aroma as one sits before the nine glasses. The
Chambolles are reddish; the Nuits wines black-purple, especially the 06 and
05; and the Musigny black-red with purple highlights. These wines without
exception smell penetrating but without sharpness or obvious alcohol on the
nose. (As my notes indicate, the wines are a study in contrasts and
apparent contradictions: power without weight, simultaneously silky and
tannic, sweet and sour, this without that.) Faint background notes of fresh
orange peel are common.
2004 Chambolle-Musigny: clear purplish; dry-sour Chambolle (sappy pretty
red fruit, "pretty" not used pejoratively) aroma, focused and complex,
notably pure; silky entry, then grips, very unsweet red fruits in the mouth,
some spice; warmish transition, then finishing fruit is sweeter than it was
on the midpalate, grips very late, quite long.
2003 Chambolle-Musigny: looks like an Oregon wine (i.e., dark and
blackish)! Lots of legs in the glass. Reticent minerally nose, rich sappy
dark fruit as it opens a bit, faint trace of baking spice; sexy silky
mouthfeel, seems closed, pepper and herbs, moderate mass; finishes grippy
and again seems quite closed; not at all alcoholic; is the fruit burnt away
by the 2003 heat (it certainly does not taste so), or is this just shut?
(Note: in the context of a 2003, I believe that my notes not having
mentioned softness or roundness, let alone more obvious flabbiness, means
the wine had a sound acid structure. Of course, if I remember correctly,
there was a special dispensation permitting Burgundy producers to acidify
their 2003's. I don't know whether Mugnier did so.)
2001 Chambolle-Musigny: medium reddish, starting to brick; clear, pure,
layered nose, spice-mineral, sweet cinnamon; considerable legs; in the
mouth, rich, delicious red fruit and sous bois, showing beautifully;
aromatic finish, still some tannin but this is lovely now, structured and
balanced, quite stony late, this is excellent.
2006 Nuits 1er Cru, Clos de la Marechale (barrel sample): opaque inky
purple; large sappy fleshy nose, raw meat tones, background wood, sweet-sour
dark fruit; in the mouth, big and tannic, not ready for prime time, some
heat, ripe fruit; oak aromatics prominent on finish, tannic, finishes well
balanced with no particular impression of alcohol and fine length of fruit.
Rather lacks energy in this company, but promising.
2005 Nuits 1er Cru, Clos de la Marechale: very dark purple; riveting OMG
Cote de Nuits nose doesn't (yet) suggest specifically Nuits to me; sappy,
fleshy, raw meat aromatics similar to the 2006; sweet black cherry pie on
nose; legs; mouth entry pure sex and intense unsweet fruit, more black
cherry and stone, late (on midpalate) tannin; a transition of complete
finesse to an aromatically effusive, tannic finish, this needs LOTS of time,
very long but today the grip is submerging the fruit on the end. Sure wish
I owned some of this.
2004 Nuits 1er Cru, Clos de la Marechale: a clearer (though quite dark for
a 2004) example from the same color palette as the other Nuits wines. Most
attractive sappy nose, although lacking the depth and aromatic mass of the
2006 and 2005; nose is intriguingly sweet-sour with distinct limestone dust
and cherry; mouth entry sexy, stony, silky, sous bois, dark fruit, forceful,
pure, balanced; very, very lovely aromatic finish, beautiful balance, this
is wonderful, psychologically difficult to spit.
2004 le Musigny: very deep color for a 2004, black-red faintly brick;
extremely aromatic, smells generally suggesting the previous six wines but
every sniff is different, clear (bell-like) Chambolle fruit with each
component separate; legs; in the mouth, silky, grippy, sweet fresh wild
strawberries, sap and sous bois; beautiful transition to an intense although
not especially powerful finish; quite grippy at the end but this is
beautiful now; finish goes on & on & on.. Seems like perfection, although
intellectually, one knows that vintages other than 2004 must be better.
(Note: I took a glass of this to lunch and, in retrospect, should perhaps
have chosen the 04 Nuits or possibly the 01 Chambolle; in the context of
food the 04 Musigny was too young, too large, not yet open enough. However,
I have now had the pleasure of lunch with a glass of le Musigny, which at
current Burgundy prices will probably never happen again. The lunch,
catered by chef Jose Dahan of the Et Voila restaurant in San Luis Obispo,
was fully up to the quality of the wine. If he can produce food of this
caliber at a remote site, the restaurant must surely be worth a special
visit.)
2003 le Musigny: nearly opaque purple black; nose sappy, not quite raw not
quite smoked meat, depth of red fruits, baking spice; in the mouth a massive
grippy rich wine, very dark toned, sweet, sappy, this will age a very long
time indeed; touch of heat on transition, sweet oak, expanding fruit; a big
brawny young wine not yet perfectly harmonious.
2001 le Musigny: crystal clear, deep black-red; fall in and curl up nose,
that laser purity the best 2001's have, again the carnal aromas; velvet
mouth entry, then sappy fruit aromatics riding high in the mouth, shoe
polish, unsweet red fruit, INTENSE without mass, round although this in no
way lacks tannin or acidity, any more contradictions handy? Faint acid heat
at transition, then fruit and grip, sap and fruit without end, finishing
aromatics expand for - how long?? A couple of minutes? Ten minutes?
Length reminded me of the very longest wine I've ever tasted, a 2001 DRC
Echezeaux I was still tasting at the other end of the tunnel miles from the
restaurant several years ago.
J.-F. Mugnier: vine age submerges sub-ideal selection of plant material.
Translation: we have a number of clones and rootstocks in the vineyard that
we would not choose today, but we're certainly not removing 50-year-old
vines to plant something else.
