Wine Review Wednesday: Rocca Family Vineyards "Bad Boy Red" 2007

This is a generous, big-spirited wine with a nose of cherry and bright purple berry fruit, a hint of spice, and a distinct violet scent. There’s also a whiff of something that can only be described as spicy caramel. I could smell this all day and be perfectly happy. On the palate, all the lushness of the nose finds its tactile equivalent in a gorgeous silky texture. It, too, is rich, though far more earthbound. Bass-notes dominate here: Barely sweetened chocolate ganache, plums, black currants, a hint of tobacco leaf. It would be perfect with brown sugar-kissed barbecued ribs, but I’d be just as content to sip it on its own. Truth be told, if I opened this up around cocktail hour (4:00 in my house), I have a sneaking suspicion that the bottle wouldn’t make it much past 4:30. This is a great example of how approachable and delicious Meritage-style wines can be. 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cabernet Franc, 17% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot.

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Wine Review Wednesday: ForeFront Sauvignon Blanc 2008

With springtime finally threatening to come to town after a brutal winter here on the East coast, it's time to start thinking about wines that look forward to the warmer days ahead. I have a hard time imagining a better way to kick off the season than with the ForeFront (by Pine Ridge Vineyards) Sauvignon Blanc 2008.

It starts off with fruit that tends in the direction of peach and pineapple, though that brightness is complicated by creamy notes of green bell pepper and something that reminds me, charmingly, of spinach dip. A hint of white-blossom flower lends it all a sense of prettiness.

The palate, on the other hand, is surprisingly compact and mineral, with green apple and blue slate, as well as nicely balanced acidity. You might even find a touch of pleasantly bitter walnuts in there. This is a subtle, well-crafted Sauvignon Blanc, a versatile pairing partner at the table, and an excellent prelude to the season.

And, after the winter we’ve just had, a well-deserved treat.

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Chablis Pairing, and A Big Award for Trinchero

The farmers markets here in Philadelphia have lately been full of the kind of hearty, leafy greens that make such perfect seasonal salads in the autumn. Baskets of apples and pears overflow at every turn. The smell of fireplaces sparking to life colors the morning air. And contrary to what you might think, this is the perfect time of year for a crisp white wine like Chablis.

Not all white wines are the same. Some, like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, are pitch perfect for the spring and summer, their tropical, citric, and fresh-cut-grass notes elegantly mirroring the scents of the season. But now, as something smokier and more bracing comes into the air, is the time for Chablis.

Wine Spectator recently posted a very good video on pairing salad with Chablis, and this seems like the right time of year to consider what they have to say. Click here to watch.

And on the news front, Wine Enthusiast Magazine has named Trinchero the American Winery of the Year. According to a press release, “Trinchero Family Estates is being recognized for leading sustainable winegrowing and producing a diverse portfolio of more than 22 award-winning wines that represent quality and value.” The full text is available here.

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Back from Champagne

I returned from France this past Friday, and have come away beyond impressed with what I saw and tasted in Champagne. From the most glamorous grands maisons to the most ardent grower-producers, this is a region of wonderful history, stunning beauty, and, it seems, better wines now than ever. Keep an eye out for videos, articles, and links here over the next several weeks as I transcribe my notes, edit my videos, and take stock of what was truly a remarkable experience.

In the meantime, a couple of items of note to start off the week:

This past Friday, Eric Asimov, the wine writer for The New York Times, ran a blog post on a climate-change study that has been conducted by Greenpeace. In it, he notes the report’s warnings on how rising temperatures can—and, in some cases, already have begun to—affect the great wine regions of the world. He writes:

“If climate change continues at its current pace through 2100, the report suggests, vineyards worldwide will be displaced by 1,000 kilometers to the north or south depending on which hemisphere they are in, and a swath of Mediterranean vineyards will be lost.”

Asimov continues: “The report pays particular attention to Burgundy, which has already felt the effects of a warmer climate. Around Beaune, the center of the Côte d’Or region, grapes were harvested generally 13 days earlier from 1988 to 2006 than from 1973 to 1987. Over the same period, the report states, the time it took grapes to progress from ripening to maturity dropped to 40 days from 50 days.”

And, finally, a birthday: Beaulieu Vineyards has released its 70th vintage of the highly regarded Georges de Latour Private Reserve, one of the great wines of California. (Click here for the press release on Reuters.)Year after year, this Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is a standout, and, in the way of great Cabs from all over the world, has the uncanny ability to stand the test of time. I’ve tasted bottles from 20 and 30 years ago, and have been very impressed by both their longevity and their ability to gain immeasurably in complexity and elegance. As one of the greats of the American wine industry celebrates this milestone, it’s worth taking note…and perhaps popping the cork on a bottle.

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Weekend Reading

The weekend is almost here—time to pop some corks and revel in the relaxation!

Before you do, however, here’s some news to send you into your two days off…

The latest edition of Wine Spectator Insider, which just came out this week, covers their top-scoring wines from California, the Rhone Valley, and Burgundy (specifically the reds). Among the top wines were a number of 2007’s from Burgundy’s great Bouchard Pere et Fils, which seems to have been on a bit of a hot-streak lately.

Speaking of 2007 Burgundy, the newest issue of the magazine has an excellent feature on the whites of the region from that vintage as well as the preceding one, 2006. Click here for the link.

And the San Francisco Chronicle’s web site has a very informative article on the sub-AVA’s of Napa Valley (Stags Leap, Howell Mountain, etc.). The story breaks down the differences between them, discusses their importance, and really delves into why these regions-within-the-region are so important. It’s very good reading, and more relevant now than ever before. Click here for the link.

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