Wine Review Wednesday

SIMI Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Alexander Valley

This shows a surprisingly high-toned nose, with super-ripe and roasted green bell peppers, a passing whiff of wild mint and licorice, and lots of currants. Its youth is apparent on the palate, where it’s still tightly wound and not showing all that it ultimately will. For now, there’s coffee grounds, as well as a creaminess that carries within it intimations of tiny wild strawberries, raspberries, brambly fruit, and wild herbs, with a hint of fennel on the finish. There’s lots of potential here; let it evolve for another 2 or 3 years, and then enjoy it for 4 - 6 after that, when it should really come into its own. The acid and tannins will allow it to age well. Subtle, with great structure.

Quivira Vineyards and Winery Zinfandel 2008, Dry Creek Valley

The nose here explodes with a deep, ripe bowlful of summertime berries: Blackberries, black raspberries, and wonderfully evocative strawberries. There’s some peppercorn spice too, but this wine’s story centers on its density of fruit. All that fruit, in fact, follows through to the palate, where it manifests itself with a sweetness, as well as a hint of cherries reduced with a splash of balsamic, that’s addictive. Lush mouthfeel, with subtly dusty tannins that serve as excellent and successful foils to the glycerin-like slipperiness. This is a wine that manages to be both fun and serious at the same time. Drink now, with barbecue or a burger.

Ehlers Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2009, St. Helena, Napa Valley

There’s an earthy, almost mushroom-referencing note to the nose here: Unusual, unexpected, and intriguing. With air, this refines itself into fruit in the clementine family, and there’s an almost fresh-herb-and-spun-sugar perfume to it that makes the aroma a lovely analog for summertime, no matter when you’re drinking this. The palate is much more acidic and tightly wound than the nose implies: This is a sauvignon blanc for the cellar. Flavors of slate, lemon, and something lanolin-like linger on the finish, and promise a wine of both serious potential and intense food-pairability. Loire-like in profile; tasted blind, I’d think Sancerre more than Napa. Excellent. 4 - 6 years.

Waterstone Merlot 2007, Napa Valley

Lots of juicy plum and berry aromas jump from the glass here, an almost light-bodied, relatively high-toned mixed-berry composition kicked up with shiso, if such a thing exists. The palate is still tight and not showing much fruit right now beyond a subtle hint of cherry, though in time more cherry, tea, colorado-wrapper cigar, as well as more tarragon and shiso flavors, should express themselves nicely. Restrained style, and a nod in the direction of Napa’s potential for subtler reds. 3 - 7 years.

Cupcake Vineyards Riesling 2009, Columbia Valley

The nose here is defined by its soft peach and orange blossom notes, a summery combination that implies sweetness but doesn’t force the issue. On the palate, those peaches are joined by tart apples, a touch of grapefruit and minerals, and a hint of the kind of petrol note that defines accurate Rieslings all over the place. Pleasant, straightforward, and a nice accompaniment to spicy dishes. Drink now.

Clos du Bois Pinot Noir 2008, North Coast

There’s nice lift to the spicy cherry and kirsch of this wine’s nose, an expressiveness that people who haven’t tasted Clos du Bois lately might not expect. Those cherries follow through to the palate, where they’re joined by mushrooms and a smoky mesquite finish that adds depth and a nice grounding to the fruit. Drinking well right now.

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Wine Review Wednesday: Holiday Treats

With Thanksgiving behind us and the long haul of the rest of the build-up to the holidays ahead, it’s time to start drinking some serious wines. This week, we start off with a whet-your-whistle SB before moving on to two bigger, rather dramatic reds. ‘Tis the season for wines like these, after all...

Viña Casa Silva Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 2009, Colchagua Valley

There’s a nice grapefruity nose here, with hints of warm hay and tarragon. The palate, however, is where things really get interesting: Unexpected concentration fans out to a bright, kumquat- and white grapefruit-flavored wine, with flashes of minerality providing complexity at the edges and a hint of something with an almost fresh-mint aromatic component lingering on the finish. Well-made, and a very good wine for the price.

Mount Veeder Winery Reserve 2005, Napa Valley

The nose here is absolutely intriguing: It starts off at the intersection of cream and clay, with licorice and coffee and beef carpaccio livening it up throughout. On the palate, it shows amazingly well-defined red and black cherry, spice box, cedar, graphite, and wildflowers, the last of which follow through to a finish as elegant and pretty as the palate is complex and rich. Exquisite balance, dusty tannins that still show plenty of life, and the promise of another 10+ years of evolution. Even better on day two. Built for the long-haul. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec.

Ehlers Estate Merlot 2007, St. Helena

As soon as you pour this wine into the glass, you’re given an inkling of just how exciting and accomplished California Merlot can be, naysayers notwithstanding. It’s all rich cafe mocha, nutmeg, warm cream, and cherries, with an edge of minerals and sage providing lift. Sweet cherry, birch bark, a touch of balsamic, sun-warmed fraises de bois, and dusty cinnamon sing through, swirling around the palate and given ballast by the utterly elegant tannic structure and perfectly balanced acid. This is one of those wines that, no matter how long I’d like to hold onto it (5 - 7 years), I probably couldn’t keep from raiding the cellar and popping the cork the next chance I have. Stunning.

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Wine Review Wednesday: Idiosyncrasy and Refreshment

This week, we feature three very different wines, and hopscotch around the globe in the process. From California to Chile to Australia, Wine Review Wednesday this week is all about the kind of crystalline expression and idiosyncrasy that make wines like these such a joy to drink.

ForeFront by Pine Ridge Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2009

With 50% of its fruit from Sonoma, 32% from Napa, and 18% from Mendocino, this bright, springlike Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect antidote to the encroaching wintertime blues. Super-fresh aromas of subtly spicy white-berry fruit, sun-warmed hay, and grapefruit pith lead to a nicely concentrated palate whose flavors maintain that brightness while also turning a bit darker. A real sense of minerality comes through, as does not-too-sweet orange and more of that spice from the nose. Beautiful wine, amazingly complex for the money, and rich enough to work well as the days grow shorter and colder.

Santa Carolina “Coastal Hills” Syrah 2009

From Chile’s exquisite Maipo Valley comes this beautiful, deep-cranberry hued red. The nose is all creamy, expressively brambly berries, wild strawberry, and plum fruit edged with a note than reminds me of grilled beef with some sort of creamy peppercorn sauce. It’s impossible to smell this wine and not get hungry. On the palate, the sweetness of the cherries is kept in immediate check with flashes of pencil lead and cedar. The balance between ripeness and earth, between fruit and terroir, is wonderful here. Really well-made, and a pleasure to drink.

Xavier Flouret “Waroo” Shiraz 2009

The nose on this Shiraz, coaxed to life by winemaker Bernie Stanlake of Fonty’s Pool, is as alive with peppercorn as any I’ve smelled all year. In fact, considered blind, I’m not sure I’d ever guess this is from Australia. Then again, many of the best producers there are working diligently to educate the wine-drinking public that Australian Shiraz doesn’t have to be a fruit bomb. With air, sparks of iron, black cherry, subtle black plum, and oregano come out. All of that follows through to the palate, too, where it’s joined by macerated black cherries, blackberries, hints of dried figs, and herbes de provence. Balanced, spicy, and expressive in both the fruit and terroir departments: This is the new Australia. This is deeply satisfying Shiraz.

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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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A New Era of White Wine

In this season of predictions, I thought that today would be as good a time as any to make one regarding white wine: In 2010, we will see more people discovering, trying, and falling for whites that don’t fit the usual Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc mold.

Not that there’s anything wrong with those wines: Some of the world’s greats are produced using these two grapes, from Meursault to Bordeaux Blanc and a whole range of examples in between. But the white wine world is far larger than just its two most famous grape varieties, and the range of styles in which whites can be made extends well beyond these two examples.

The problem is that white wine still carries somewhat of a stigma. Indeed, I cannot count the number of times that I’ve heard otherwise sane people say that they really don’t like white wine all that much--which, it seems to me, is a statement predicated almost entirely on a pretty serious fallacy: That all white wine tastes alike. Which, of course, it doesn’t.

The problem is that, for a long time, the white wine world was dominated by the two grape varieties noted above. But these days--finally!--we’re not only seeing more unusual whites reaching these shores, but a slow shift in the way that consumers look at them and a greater willingness to try them.

Last night, for example, I attended the opening party for a highly anticipated, seriously beautiful new restaurant in Philadelphia. R2L, on the 37th floor of the city’s iconic Two Liberty Place tower, is the latest project of esteemed Chef Daniel Stern. His food has always combined a sense of comfort and whimsy with pitch-perfect technical proficiency and a laser-like attention to detail. And as in his previous restaurants, the drinks program here has been ingeniously created by Beverage Director and Sommelier Ryan Davis, whose tastes--and lists--encompass, seemingly, the entire world of wine and wine styles.

Last night’s complimentary white wine was probably the last thing that guests expected: The Domaine Lafage Cote Est, an aromatically complex, dangerously gulpable blend of Grenache Blanc, Chardonnay, and Marsanne from the still-relatively-unknown Cotes Catalanes in Southern France. This wine refused to fit neatly into any of the typical white wine categories: It wasn’t oaky, it wasn’t buttery; there was strain of minerality but it refused to fall into the realm of the flinty; the fruit was fresh and bright, sure, but not overtly sweet; and the texture remained light on its feet while still maintaining a sense of presence on the tongue. And it was fantastic with the food--sipped alongside delicate, hearty risotto arancini, for example, it was perfect.

In other words, this was exactly the kind of white wine that most people don’t drink. For that matter, it was exactly the kind of white wine that most people don’t even know exists.

But they will in the coming year. Because none of us can possibly stay engaged in and passionate about wine if we always drink the same thing. Luckily for us all, there are more options than ever , and they are absolutely worth exploring.

Even if you think you don’t love white wine.

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Thanksgiving...Already?!?!

Thanksgiving has snuck up on us again. Two weeks from now, many of us will be bracing ourselves for the traditionally gluttonous kick-off to the holiday season, and girding ourselves for the inevitable onslaught of meats, fishes, sides, and plateful after plateful of dessert.

Which means that the time has also come to consider that most traditional of Thanksgiving questions: Which bottles go best with the turkey-day feast?

As always, the major newspapers and magazines have begun publishing their advice and tasting-panel findings. Three recent articles have stood out, but they are by no means the only sources of advice out there.

In this morning’s New York Times Food Section, wine writer Eric Asimov reported on the findings of the annual tasting panel he convenes. He summed up their results: “The wines need to be versatile, to complement a wide assortment of dishes, including the idiosyncratic variations that every family knows and loves. They must be modest but confident wines that assert their flavors in harmony with the food rather than trying to dominate the proceedings. And they must be modestly priced.”

Highlights from the Times’ tasting panel included Austrian Gruner Veltliner from Domane Wachau, Napa Sauvignon Blanc from Charles Krug, and Sicilian Nero d’Avola, among others. The panel’s advice is excellent, and the wines they recommend wide-ranging. Make sure to take a look at the complete list for some very good ideas for your own Thanksgiving dinner wine pairings.

And Wine Spectator recently ran a story on sommeliers’ advice for Thanksgiving wine pairings. Click here for the link to the article. The magazine also ran a separate piece on its web site in which wine pairing options are broken down into categories: Sparkling wines, aromatic whites, rosés, and Cabernet Francs. Click here for the full article and recommendations.

Personally, I’ve always had good luck with Beaujolais Crus, good Champagne (especially rosé), still rosés, Chenin Blancs, and Sonoma Pinot Noirs. As Thanksgiving draws nearer, I’ll put together and post a list of specific recommended wines, but for now, take a look at these other pieces to get the gears moving.

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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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Chateau La Grande Clotte 2002

Its appellation is technically Bordeaux Blanc, but that’s just because there is no such thing as a St.-Emilion Blanc AOC. Which means that, despite all that this great Right Bank white has going for it, it has to carry that more humble label.

But maybe that’s a good thing. After all, the surprise that comes with the first sip is amplified, it seems, by the lack of expectations it’s appellation sets up.

No matter what you call it, this bottle of white, St.-Emilion born and bred—in fact, it’s produced from the only hectare of white vines in the appellation—is amazing. It’s a unique blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Semillon, and Muscadelle, and is produced by the Chateau Le Bon Pasteur team.

The 2002 introduces itself with a nose of rich, concentrated fruit and an almost oxidative nuttiness that gives it a nice sense of lift. The palate is deep and weighty, but well-defined acid brings a linearity that it otherwise would miss. Flavors reminiscent of dandelion, warm hay, almond, and something a touch charred and smoky lead to a finish that hints at honey.

This is a powerful, elegant, infinitely interesting and utterly wonderful wine. Too bad so little of it is produced. Tasted at Chateau Le Bon Pasteur this past May.

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Palo Alto Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2008

The minerality of this wine is almost Loire-like—quite an achievement for a New World Sauvignon Blanc. In fact, the subtlety and self-confidence of the Palo Alto are amazing, its nose quietly singing with hints of apricot and fresh-cut grass, the palate buttressed by bright, lingering acidity, super-fresh pineapple, grapefruit and grapefruit-skin oil, and those mineral notes from the nose that return on the elegant finish.

And despite its light body, there is a real sense of density on the mid-palate, a texture that ever so briefly hints at something almost oily. Because of that texture, this is a wine that, while perfect as an aperitif or paired with classic summertime suppers, also rewards a bit of contemplation.

This is yet another stellar offering from Chile, which, for my money, is producing some of the most exciting, affordable whites in the world right now.

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Fish and Chips

I've finally made it to Scotland. After spending 10 days in France, and ending my stay there with a dinner of duck confit and a fantastic Saint Chinian at a cafe in Paris, followed by a glass of marc de bourgogne (think grappa, but French), I flew up to Edinburgh yesterday morning and almost immediately tucked into a plate of deep-fried local haddock and fries at the Dunvegan in St. Andrews. And, as planned, I enjoyed it with a perfectly paired glass of Scottish ale--in this case the slightly sweet, slightly nutty Belhaven's Best.

But that's not the only beverage I could have enjoyed with it. As I've written here before, a nice glass of Champagne would have done beautifully, too. Prosecco or Cava, as well.

In fact, it doesn't even have to be bubbly. Cool dry rose comes to mind, as does a nicely chilled Pinot Grigio. Verdicchio and Sauvignon Blanc, too. Esentially, a dish like fish and chips is, perhaps surprisingly, so wine friendly that your options are fairly unlimited. Just avoid tannic, heavy reds and you'll be fine.

Better than that, actually: You'll be thrilled. A comfort dish like fish and chips often provides huge surprises in the wine-pairing department.

(Also, an update: I still have many, many hours of video that I shot in France to sift through and edit. Keep checking back for more highlights from the trip!)

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Fiddlehead Cellars Sauvignon Blanc

I recently had the privilege of tasting a number of wines from Fiddlehead Cellars with Terence Livingston, their national sales manager, and Laura Lamprecht, owner of Specialty Wines and Liquors, Fiddlehead’s distributor.

They were, as always, excellent examples of both the grape varieties themselves (in this case Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir) as well as the vineyards in which the fruit was farmed.

Fiddlehead sources its Sauvignon Blanc from five vineyards in the eastern part of the Santa Ynez Valley: Stolpman, La Pressa, Grassini, Westerly, and Vogelzang. And within each vineyard, specific blocks are farmed according to Fiddlehead’s demands, which allows for an estate-vineyard level of attention to detail without the necessity of owning the vineyards themselves. (It’s a different case with the Pinot Noirs, but more on that tomorrow.)

I had a chance to taste two of the Sauvignon Blancs, and was very impressed with both of them. The Happy Canyon 2006, sourced from the Vogelzang and Westerly vineyards, showed a honeyed aroma on the nose, as well as slightly creamy, nutty notes in the background. An excellent sense of structure really came through almost despite the creamy, round nature of the palate. This was a quietly perfumed Sauvignon Blanc, showing charming flavors of lemon curd and white peach, and should probably be served just a touch warmer than you might be used to in order for all of its character to come through with maximum clarity.

The Hunnysuckle, on the other hand, was a rare treat not just because of its high quality, but because of its age. As a 2003, after all, it had the benefit of several more years of evolution than most California Sauvignon Blanc ever really receives.

That age showed right away in the wine’s deep, rich gold color. But those years, rather than rendering the wine tired and flabby, had worked some kind of magic. Wonderfully soft bell-pepper and apricot aromas led the way to surprisingly long flavors of both marzipan and fresh almonds, all of it carried on a texture that was more than a bit reminiscent of the great waxy whites of the Rhône Valley. The 2003 Hunnysuckle is a great example of the tremendous range and depth of California Sauvignon Blanc when grown properly and vinified with care, understanding, and passion.

Tomorrow, the Pinots…

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Loire Valley Whites: 'Tis the Season

At the Boutique Wine Collection National Portfolio Tasting in Philadelphia a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to taste several dozen delicious, often idiosyncratic bottlings that embodied everything I love so much about wine: A sense of place, impeccable balance, and the kind of exuberance that makes wine such a fun, deeply rewarding pursuit.

Among the many standouts I enjoyed at the tasting, four bottlings of Savennières from Domaine du Petit Métris (which has been in the same family since way back in 1784) really made me stand up straighter and take notice. The 'Clos de la Marche' 2007 reminded me of candy corn (without the sugary sweetness) in its amazing waxy character. It also possessed a stone-fruit note that lent it both roundness and depth. The 'Clos de la Marche' 2005 was both nuttier and brighter at the same time; it was just as much an intellectual pleasure as a sensual one. The Domaine's Savennières 'Les Fougeraies' 2007 was still quite young, with apricot and nut notes dominating, whereas the 2005 possessed a berry-like perfume that reminded me of well-crafted eau de vie, though, of course, without the alcohol of that digestif.

The great whites of the Loire Valley—Chenin Blanc-based ones like Savennières, Quarts de Chaume, and Vouvray; and Sauvignon Blancs like Pouilly Fumé and Sancerre—are among the most remarkable and cost-effective wines of France. And with the warmer weather finally upon us, now is the perfect time to start exploring this part of France in general and these wines in particular. The rewards are tremendous, and the costs, thankfully, are surprisingly low.

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