The Importance of Wine Knowledge

Let’s face it: Most people don’t have the chance to drink all the great wines they want to. And, indeed, for most wine lovers, there are names out there that retain a sense of magic, not least because they exist in such a rarified part of the wine world that precious few consumers ever have the chance to taste them, much less to do so frequently enough to wrap their minds around what makes them so special.

But the names are widely well-known even if the juice isn’t: The First Growths of Bordeaux, like Latour and Lafite, and Right Bank legends like Petrus; the top Grands Crus of Burgundy; Champagnes like the Krug Clos du Mesnil; we all know them, by reputation, certainly, even if not by first-hand experience of aroma and flavor.

And while actually getting these wines in the glass is often the wine-world equivalent of finding the proverbial white whale for most wine lovers, understanding what makes them so special in the first place is hugely instructive. After all, they are products of the land, and of the specific grape-growing and winemaking decisions that affect all wines. It’s just that, by some combination of factors both natural and human (though the former certainly precedes the latter in importance), they exist in a realm apart from their more common--and more easily accessible--counterparts.

Which is why it’s so worthwhile to take a look at the cover story, about the fabled Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, in the new issue of Wine Spectator Magazine. (It’s linked up here in its entirety.) For though most people will never have the chance to taste, say, a great old bottle of DRC Romanée-Conti, understanding what makes it so special is bound to increase your knowledge when it comes to other wines, too. And knowledge--understanding as much about the wine in your glass as possible--is one of the keys to a deeper level appreciation...no matter what you’re drinking.

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Chateau d'Yquem 1970

This has been a great week of tasting and drinking (two very different things...and, typically, while I do a great deal of the former, the latter is often rather limited). I attended a fantastic Barolo tasting for the Wine Media Guild this past Wednesday, and had the chance to assess the 2005 vintage in a 25-bottle horizontal divided into the various crus of the region (Brunate, Sarmassa, Cannubi, etc.). And yesterday, I attended a fascinating seminar and press tasting of the spectacular new Louis XIII Rare Cask Cognac that was led by Remy Martin’s Cellar Master, Pierrette Trichet. I’ll be reporting on both of these tastings in the coming weeks.

As for the drinking--and I know: I should have posted this note on Wine Review Wednesday--that highlight took place last weekend, at a dinner I enjoyed with my family at Philadelphia’s R2L restaurant to celebrate my birthday.

Once we were seated--right at the window, 37 floors up and with an amazing view of the city--a gift bag was delivered to the table. In it were two of those glass jars that homemade jelly and jam are stored in, and I knew immediately who was responsible: My friend Scot ‘Zippy’ Ziskind, who I’ve written about here a number of times before. Whenever he opens up a great bottle, he saves a bit of it in these jelly jars so that his friends who were not there when the bottle was originally uncorked can enjoy it. And, man, were these two serious birthday wines: A 1966 Chateau Latour and a 1970 Chateau d’Yquem. Both were fabulous--fully mature and at the sweet spots of their drinking windows. And while I loved them both, the Sauternes, for me, was the wine of the night.

The nose led off with a wild combination of apricot, honey, pronounced toffee, golden chanterelle, and spice notes. In classic Yquem fashion, the sweetness of the botrytized fruit was secondary to its perfume and its hint of earthiness; those chanterelles from the nose were also present on the mid-palate, though balanced out there by still-surprisingly-fresh pineapple, exotic spices, and bright, singing acidity. The texture was breathtakingly silky, and I could still feel it on my tongue throughout the minutes-long finish.

With apologies for the phrasing, what a sweet way to celebrate a birthday.

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News from Bordeaux

Harvest season is here. Two weeks ago, while I was in Champagne, vineyard workers were busy picking grapes, and winemakers had their hands full crushing the fruit. Now, Decanter.com reports, it’s Château Latour’s turn down in Bordeaux. One of the grandest of the First Growths, Latour began harvesting Merlot a couple of weeks ago, with an eye toward picking its Cabernet Sauvignon sometime around October 5th.

Below is a video that was posted on Decanter’s web site; that’s Penelope Godefroy speaking, Latour’s Quality and Research & Development Manager. Scenes like this are unfolding all over Bordeaux right now. Let’s just hope the weather holds.

On another Bordeaux note, Château Brane-Cantenac, which readers here know I’m very fond of, has a new label. Fans of the great Second Growth will notice that, starting with the 2007 vintage, the label is just a bit cleaner, with some of the information that had previously been on the front label now relegated to the back one. But it’s still the same general idea, with crisp black lettering set against the famous brushed-gold background. And the capsule, once red, is now black.

Below is a photo of the new label. For my tasting notes on other vintages of Château Brane-Cantenac, click here.

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