>From todays SFG Chronicle.
Cheers,
Jim
Signs of hope for Pinot
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 3:05 PM in Events, Pinot Noir, Wine
4 comments
Share33 share E-mail
Pulling a cork for Pinot's true nature. (Lance Iverson/The Chronicle, 2007)
The Pinot zeitgeist nowadays is dour. Yon beloved grape has jumped the shark, they say. It has become Syrah (or Cabernet, or Merlot, or whatever). It has lost its transparent soul.
Sitting here in California only magnifies this belief, because California Pinot seems to bear the brunt of this trend: extended cold soaking (to further extract flavor and color), lots of new oak and excessive alcohol. Not all, of course, but the Pinot-as-jam trend certainly has its roots in California, and on average we.re more likely to see specimens here than anywhere else.
So I went into tasting at the International Pinot Noir Celebration last weekend in McMinnville, Ore., with that lingering sense of fear that we would see a grape fully exploited by fame. Five years ago during my last visit to IPNC, that was the worry.
Happily, I can say that Pinot hasn.t fully succumbed. IPNC is, admittedly, an event for Pinot purists, and the wines shown there are a fastidiously selected grouping . which is a nice way of saying that Pinots crafted to be Zinfandel aren.t really so welcome. Oregon, as home base, gets a heavy representation, as you might expect, and Oregon still hews to some bit of restraint.
But on balance, tasting across a global cross-section, there are no shortage of Pinot producers still committed to Pinot as it was in the pre-fame days: defined by transparent fruit, earthy nuance and a light hand with winemaking. This was true across the range of 2007 and 2008 vintages being poured. It could be found in Italy.s Alto Adige, in Canada.s Okanagan Valley, in Australia.s Yarra Valley, in New Zealand and Argentina and of course, Burgundy and Oregon. Some of the California specimens on display seemed robust by comparison; ironically, a label like Dutton-Goldfield that comes across as restrained versus its Russian River counterparts was among the more fruit-packed bottles on offer.
I.ll mention a few wines that particularly underscored this finding. The 2007 Cristom Louise Pinot Noir from Oregon was plenty meaty but with the quintessential whole-cluster spice that Steve Doerner.s wines often show. Though Oregon.s light 2007 vintage was generally panned, the best wines are now coming around and showing a delicacy and complexity that will probably force some reconsideration. Same with the 2007 Brandborg Bench Lands, from far south in Oregon in the Umpqua Valley. That wine had seemed almost insubstantial to me on last tasting, but it has found its flesh. And the 2007 Eyrie Dundee Hills Reserve, from perhaps Oregon.s defining Pinot label, shows a beautiful, lighter mineral presence that gives me confidence in Jason Lett (son of founder David Lett) as he guides that house forward.
In previewing the 2008s, there were ripe, subtle standouts from Bergstrom, Brooks, Patricia Green, Scott Paul, St. Innocent and the relatively new Winderlea, to name a few. All showed a lovely ripeness without sacrificing the foresty edge that Oregon can display. While Oregon has been trending toward that deep-extract style of late (and a few were on display) most of these showed the quintessential somewhereness (thanks, Matt Kramer) that Pinot demands.
But the California contingent wasn.t far off. It was a pleasure to see Jason Drew from Mendocino on the roster, one of our Winemakers to Watch last year. His 2007 Drew Monument Tree was a pleasure before, and it has opened to show just a bit more subtle musk. This was the California wine that put the Burgundians and Oregonians in their place. From just south on the coast, the 2007 Flowers Sea View Ridge was full of tar and mint aromas, remarkably focused for a .07 California Pinot.
To look farther afield, the 2007 J. Hofstatter Barthenau Vigna S. Urbano from Alto Adige showed beautiful tobacco and deep cherry notes, a young, tight Pinot with Alpine kick. The 2008 Tantalus from the Okanagan Valley was a leathery, bright thing, with lots of wild currant highlights. And the 2008 Churton from Marlborough further shows why that region.s Sauvignon Blanc obsession is worth diversifying.
Finally, on Burgundy, we had a curious cross-section of producers, but it was a pleasure to encounter Olivier Leriche from Domaine de l.Arlot. His 2007 Nuits Saint George 1er Cru Clos des Forets Saint Georges is still a tannic baby, though its pretty underbrush and plum-skin notes are hopeful signs that it will settle into the more delicate steps of the 2007s. The wines of Maison Ambroise were on full display, and when Francois Ambroise reins the oak a bit, the wines shine. The 2008 Nuits Saint Georges Veilles Vignes still got 70 percent new oak, but the 80-year-old vines provided intense enough fruit to match. The straight village 2008 Chambolle-Musigny from Jean-Jacques Confuron was a study in elegance, with just a bit of suede-like texture and surprising power for the satiny Chambolle style.
And of course, I had to try the two-fer efforts of Alexandrine Roy, who makes both her own wine in Gevrey-Chambertin as well as an Oregon effort for Phelps Creek. The 2008 Domaine Marc Roy Cuvee Alexandrine Gevrey-Chambertin showed a subtle smoke, while the 2008 Phelps Creek Cuvee Alexandrine Columbia Gorge was tangy and full of funky citrus. Both memorable, and both made me happy because Alexandrine was one of the true finds at the last IPNC I attended.
To the doubters, then, I would say: Hang in there. The chaos part of the Pinot revolution is likely to subside soon as the next big thing (i.e., Malbec) gets its due.
In the wake, true Pinot believers will still be there . and so will true Pinot.
--
------------------------------
* 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 *
* james(a)brewingnews.com James.Ellingson(a)StThomas.edu *
Surly Beer Dinner
We are excited to announce that we will be hosting a special dinner
featuring Omar Ansari, owner of Surly Brewing Company. We love his
beers and we are proud to pair them with chef Matt and chef Mike's
kitchen creations. Featured beers: Bitter Brewer, Cynic Ale, Hell,
Abrasive Ale, and Four. Menu coming soon on our website:
www.bewicheddeli.com. Four courses plus reception/$55. Wednesday, July
21, 6:30 pm. Call us to place your reservation soon - we expect this
event to be a sell-out!
http://bewicheddeli.com/
Some ideas for additions to your wine bucket list.
Trip Report.
FYI we found reasonable, serviceable selections of wine and beer in
the Black Hills and even in Ortonville.
Now if you need chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, be aware that Custer SD
is a green chili town. A full rack of canned green chilis but no chipotles.
We bought the last can at the last market.
Cheers,
Jim
July 12, 2010
12 Reasons to Look Beyond the Usual Wine Selections
By ERIC ASIMOV
IT.S entirely possible to go through life eating nothing but the most familiar foods, reading books by the customary best-selling authors or listening to a stock set of composers. Taking great pleasure in the same things over and over is not a bad thing.
Similarly, many people are content to drink only well-known wines. Why not? They satisfy again and again. Alas, producers around the world learned years ago that they could exploit the desire for the familiar, planting a lot of cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay and other international grapes, regardless of the local traditions, to appeal to a global market.
I understand the thinking, yet the world of wine has so much more to offer.
For anybody truly curious about the glorious extent of wine, now is the greatest time in history to be a wine lover. Never before has such a vast diversity of wines been available to so many people. Many are made from unfamiliar grapes, grown in little-known places, yet they offer thrilling drinking for those eager for new experiences.
Like sea creatures discovered at colossal depths, these unfamiliar wines are not new at all. Many represent traditions that reach back centuries. Sadly, in some cases, these traditions barely hang on. The survival of the diversity we now enjoy depends partly on building appreciation of these little known grapes and wines. In other cases, the grapes, though uncommon, have already gained a following.
Either way, here are a dozen obscure grapes that are the foundation of some wonderful wines and will reward intrepid explorers.
ASSYRTIKO, from the volcanic island of Santorini in the Aegean Sea produces dry, deliciously minerally wines that are superb with seafood and just about any other light dish that smacks of the Mediterranean. If you like assyrtiko, it.s worth exploring other Greek white-wine grapes like moschofilero and roditis. Top producers: Gaia, Sigalas and Spyros Hatziyiannis.
BLAUFRÄKISCH, a red grape grown mostly in the Burgenland region of eastern Austria, can produce gorgeously savory wines that combine the grace of pinot noir and the spice of syrah. Producers worth seeking include Moric, Paul Achs, Umathum and, from Carnuntum, a region north of the Bergenland, Muhr-Van der Niepoort.
FRAPPATO, from southeastern Sicily, makes lovely, fresh and lively wines that are delicious summer reds, especially when lightly chilled. When frappato is combined with nero d.Avola, it makes the slightly more substantial Cerasuolo di Vittoria, which goes wonderfully with a wide range of foods. Producers to seek out include Arianna Occhipinti, COS and Valle dell.Acate.
FUMIN comes from the Valléd.Aoste, the peculiar Alpine borderland that is technically Italian, though the language is French. In the hands of a top producer, like Grosjean, fumin makes a spicy, floral red that can be complex and structured. I love these Alpine wines, and a bottle of the Grosjean fumin may cause you to seek out other little-known grapes, like the superb red cornalin and the racy white petite arvine. Around $35 a bottle, these wines are not cheap but are stunningly good.
FURMINT, not to be confused with fumin, is the great white grape of Hungary. It.s a crucial constituent in the lavish sweet wine Tokaji aszu, and increasingly is being used in distinctive dry wines with rich textures and complex floral aromas. Look for producers like Kiralyudvar, Royal Tokaji, Dobogo, Oremus and Disznoko.
GRIGNOLINO, mostly from the Piedmont region of Italy, makes a pale, easy-drinking red that is fresh, slightly bitter and somewhat akin to frappato, but even lighter. A delicious wine for casual drinking, perhaps with salumi or pizza. I very much like the grignolino from Cascina .Tavijn. Strangely, Heitz Cellar in Napa Valley also makes a little from an old eight-acre vineyard. I.ve yet to find it, but am looking forward to trying it.
LAGREIN from the Trentino-Alto-Adige region of northeastern Italy produces earthy, minerally reds with the flavor of dark fruits that are enjoyably spicy and fresh. Look for wines from J. Hofstäer or Elena Walch.
MENCÍ is the source of excellent red wines from the regions of Ribeira Sacra and Bierzo in western Spain. The dense Bierzo reds have a haunting wild fruit flavor, but I.m partial to the lighter, more minerally wines from the steep, terraced vineyards of Ribeira Sacra. Look for Guíro, Dominio do Bibei, Raúrez and D. Ventura.
PINEAU D.AUNIS, an ancient red grape from the Touraine region of the Loire Valley, is once more finding favor in the more avant-garde wine bars of France and among discerning wine lovers. The wines can be spicy, peppery and, depending on the producer, attractively funky. Look for Domaine le Briseau, Domaine de Belliviè and Thierry Puzelat.
ROMORANTIN, another ancient grape from the Touraine, can make utterly succulent whites that are perfect balances between sharp citrus freshness and rounded floral, honeyed flavors. Cour-Cheverny is a tiny appellation that has been carved out to showcase Romorantin. Françs Cazin makes two versions: Le Petit Chambord is dry, while CuvéRenaissance is slightly sweet.
TREIXADURA, when meticulously grown and vinified in the Ribeiro region of Spain, can make profound whites, richly textured and mineral-flavored, especially in the hands of a producer like Emilio Rojo. Wines from the godello grape are also well worth sampling.
TROUSSEAU, from the Jura region of France, makes lovely reds with a presence at odds with their light body. Top producers include Jacques Puffeney, Ganevat and Philippe Bornard.
Well, that.s a dozen, and I.m just starting. We haven.t even mentioned poulsard and savagnin from the Jura, or kerner from Germany, or even duras from Gaillac in southwestern France. Cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, even riesling and syrah, are only the beginning.
--
------------------------------
* 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 *
* james(a)brewingnews.com James.Ellingson(a)StThomas.edu *
