28
Apr
2012
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Linkin’ logs 4-28-12

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It has gotten to a point where it’s hard to recall exactly what life was like before the Interwebs, before we had access to all that fabulous stuff (amidst a buttload of flotsam, admittedly) to see and share. Some of my recent faves:

• I’m not sure which is cooler in this look at world wine records: the accomplishments or the photos (one of which I am “borrowing” at left).

• There’s also some great “” and surprising “” history in this New York Times blog post about presidents and fermented/distilled beverages.

• After I emailed this quickie lesson about making syrup from leftover wine to a handful of fellow cork dorks, one wisenheimer responded, “what leftover wine?”

• I’m a sucker for a cool-looking poster, perhaps a hangover from my college days, and have this one hanging in our dining room, as well as the one on the right. Even, or maybe especially, if you don’t like math, this one is fascinating.

• And finally, I was going to post this story about pot-laced wine a few weeks ago, but then I sampled a really bret-y bottle of something or other and forgot all about it.

28
Apr
2012
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More Franc talk from Virage’s Emily Richer

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But wait, there’s more. As in more to say about cabernet franc.

I was remiss in not mentioning the wonderful cab franc-based blend from Virage, founded by former Minnesotan Emily Richer. I was also remiss in note interviewing the passionate and eloquent (check out her blog) Richer for the article.

Fortunately, she got in touch. I delivered a mea culpa (I’ve got a good bit of practice in that department; this business is forever humbling) and offered her a chance to share her thoughts on her favorite grape. Here’s her take on what makes it great:

“#1 – The aromatics. Even those who consider Cabernet Sauvignon’s ancient parent a ‘lesser blending grape’ know of very generous aromatics among its Bordeaux relatives.　 From my perspective, if taste is 80% smell, Give me the Franc!　

“#2 – The supple structure. Ripened fully, Cabernet Franc has exquisite depth and complexity supported by a more supple tannin structure than its wildly furry-in-youth offspring Cabernet Sauvignon. I liken it to a more feminine structure that bends and curves. Never bites your cheeks. (I want to chew my food, not my wine!). In my case, with the cooler-climate sourcing, the structure is strongly supported by acidity, bringing a mouth-watering finish ideal for accompanying meals, and supporting long aging.

“#3 – The flavors. Especially with food, the more-than-just-berry flavor profile really works for my taste. If I’m eating mushroom risotto or a roasted chicken or even a prime ribeye, I’m overwhelmed by “concentrated cassis.” I love the slate, stone, mineral, tobacco, dried herb flavors mingling with a range of fruit tones “” in our case, from the soils, fruit flavors ranging as the wine opens from bright rhubarb and pomegranate to black cherry and black plum.　

“I think Franc has a bad rap simply by virtue of a good bit of unripe franc getting out into the world. This primitive varietal (I like to call the “heirloom grape”) does seem to have a narrower comfort zone for optimal ripening. Hence the cross, I suspect, that created　Cabernet Sauvignon from crossing with hardy Sauvignon Blanc. Any unripe fruit, or wine made therefrom, is just not going to be delicious. There was certainly a time when many not-phenolically-ripe cabernet sauvignons from Napa also tasted like bell pepper.

“After my introduction to wine 14 years ago working for writer/educator Karen MacNeil, and many years consulting with other wineries (Quintessa being a favorite of them), I discovered all this somewhat by accident, and went on a quest to understand and produce this Franc/Merlot blend from cool-climate. … I’m pursuing the theory that later-ripening Franc is actually easier to fully ripen in cooler corners (mountaintops, or closer to marine influence where I am) where the long hang time allows even ripening of skins/seeds and brix. So the ‘solids’ and the ‘flesh’ are ripening together, rather than the sugars getting ahead of the phenolics that can happen in warmer, up-valley zones.

“I find many up-valley single-varietal Francs to taste delicious but have a molasses quality, or melted or dried fruit character that comes with the higher brix while waiting for phenolic ripeness. Don’t get me wrong: Take Crocker & Starr, delicious chocolate-covered cherry decadence, just delicious, but maybe I’d compare that chocolate to bittersweet cocoa in my case. Something for everyone :)”

25
Apr
2012
0

A long and lovely weekend’s lessons

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What I learned during my imbibing adventures over the weekend:

• Marsala can be profound: At a dinner party Saturday, my friend Molly brought a Marco de Batoli Vigna la Miccia Marsala. Amidst a whole lotta oohing and aahing, table mates threw out descriptors such as “powerful,” “complex” and “brooding.” It was “not hot [showing high alcohol]” but was “sexy.” Sorry for going all Zagat on ya, but it was fascinating hearing this band of merrymakers universally rave over a type of wine that they clearly had not previously taken very seriously. This Marsala was so good that it almost would be a shame to cook with it.

• Rosé can be awful: I tested a lot of pink stuff on Friday, and it was good, bad and seriously ugly. I’ve already touted one from the Rhône and enjoyed two wonderful offerings from Loire producer Pascal Jolivet (Sancerre and “Attitude”). But the “Pink Truck” was one of those wines that prompts me to tell people that I kiss a lot of frogs in this, uh, gig (sorry!), which was a surprise since earlier last week I had rather enjoyed a Green Truck Zin from the same producer. And the Forest Glen White Merlot was the kind of wine that has prompted many discussions with friends about starting a site devoted solely to warning consumers away from poorly made plonk.

• Napa cabs (at least old ones) can avoid being monolithic: “Domestic wines at least 10 years old” was the theme for a score of cork dorks gathering at Pittsburgh Blue on Sunday for mediocre food and, for the most part, 1990s Napa cabs. I was very pleased with the Clos Pegase “Hommage” that I brought (the only ’98 in the bunch) and thoroughly enjoyed a ’99 Spottswoode, ’95 Chateau Montelena, ’01 Beringer Private Reserve and ’97 Hartwell. The best part for me was their wide range of styles and flavor profiles, from dusty and refined to lush but firm to hedonistic and endless. Like snowflakes and palates, no two were alike.

23
Apr
2012
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Russell Bevan, indefatigable and inimitable

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Even before sitting down, we had been treated to two “Bevanisms.  First, the gregarious and hilarious Russell Bevan said of his chardonnay, “it had more wood than a 16-year-old on Viagra.  Then he launched into an arcane, rapid-fire explanation of how he offset all that oak and concluded that “I want it to be sexy wood, not white-trash wood. 

Mission accomplished, as the Bevan Cellars Carneros Chardonnay ($42) was pristine-clean and fresh-tasting. Ditto for his kick-ass Kick Ranch Sauvignon Blanc ($32, and a steal at that price), its citrus and tropical fruit infused at just the right time with subtle but firm acidity.

Dude knows how to make wine, and he serves as a testament to the merits of being self-taught “” if you listen to the right people along the way.

Among vintners, Bevan said, “there are about eight people on the planet who are smarter than everybody else,” citing fellow Californians Greg La Follette, Helen Turley and Phillip Togni, who “knows everything to do but doesn’t know why.  Implication: The “why” matters a lot less than the “how” (and probably the “what” and “where”).

The lessons learned are apparent in the glass, as Bevan Cellars’ big yet balanced Bordeaux blends EE, Curmudgeon and Whitney proved worthy of their $150 price tags, meeting his primary goal of showcasing “lift and freshness “¦ massive flavors with refined tannins. 

But it’s hard work selling wines at those price points, especially without wide brand recognition in an era of grade inflation. “With what I’m trying to do,” Bevan said, “it rips my soul out to get 95s. 

That means hand-selling, so Bevan spends a buttload of his time traveling to cities where he has friends and hosting what he calls the viniferous equivalent of Avon parties. Still, the winery, owned and entirely operated by Bevan and longtime fiancée Victoria de Crescenzo, is doing well enough that Russell has quit his longtime job in the dental-supply business.

While savoring the wines ““ no spitting here ““ I tried to jot down a few more bits of wit and/or wisdom from a man who used to hold my current gig as the Star Tribune’s wine writer. While comparing Helen Turley’s dancing chops to those of “Seinfeld’s” Elaine, he also noted:

• “I came to this as a guy approaching people like [Twin Cities wine savants] Bob Klinginstad and Annette Peters [to learn]. There are not a lot of people in Napa who went to others and asked “˜what’s the difference between Chambolle-Musigny and Volnay?’ ”

• In the Petaluma Gap, “they grow grapes only in the few places where Mother Earth burped up a chunk of rocks. 

• The reason he focuses so much on tannins and texture is that “with California wines, a lot of times the tannins are so big that by the time they get in balance, the fruit is gone.  California wines, he added, “don’t have to be massive if you have enough tertiary flavor.”

• “A year and a half ago I knew that I knew everything. Then we had two cold vintages and now, well, I know that I can deal with huge issues I couldn’t before. 

Who was it that said “It’s what I learned after I knew it all that made the difference”? Might as well have been Mr. Bevan.

22
Apr
2012
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Making a name for the Languedoc, and themselves

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Gregory Hecht’s big goal is to fix an identity crisis. The victim: France’s Languedoc-Roussilon region. The crisis: its reputation for producing a lot of cheap (and all too often cheap-tasting) wine.

“Languedoc is a huge region but had no identity,” Hecht (on the left) said during a Twin Cities visit, “no [signature brand such as] Jaboulet, no Bouchard, no Faiveley. The region suffered, and the product was in the control of co-ops. 

So he and Francois Bannier (on the right) decided to do something about it, launching a brand bearing their names and visiting upwards of 350 domaines a year to find the best grapes in the region, then creating delicious blends such as the hearty, spicy, iron-y Hecht & Bannier Languedoc red ($15).

“The fruit exists. The raw material is there,” Hecht said. “But you need our kind of expertise to blend and then age because Languedoc is complex. 

Their expertise comes via different backgrounds. Bannier studied winemaking in Burgundy and apprenticed in Champagne and Bordeaux, while Hecht learned some interesting lessons buying wines for a restaurant chain.

“Buying is different over there,” he said. “Except in Paris, it’s all based on one’s own region. It’s like [Charles] De Gaulle said, “˜How can you imagine governing a country with 365
cheeses?’ “

Regardless, Hecht and Bannier had the making and the selling parts covered when they partnered up a decade ago. It took some time ““ “our first vintage was 10,000, and we drank more than we sold,” Hecht said ““ but after starting with minervois and some blends, they have expanded their line and now make 25,000 cases a year

The ultimate goal in the winery: “to conserve the typical Mediterranean strength in our wines while preserving balance and crispness.”

And in the market: to establish that regional identity, which ironically might start with associating the wines with those of other, more established regions.

“We wanted to make the Beaujolais of the south, the kind wine, the gentle wine,” Hecht said, adding that “we would like to link the region to the Rhône. These wines are Rhône blends. People have benchmarks, and the quality is better than Côtes du Rhône. But we have to acknowledge that we haven’t proved ourselves on the cru level like a Clape. 

Given how impressive their rosé, minervois, Côtes de Rousillon Villages and the fabulous Faugeres ($36) tasted when we gathered, these two guys might just pull that off.

21
Apr
2012
0

Wines of the Week: April 16-22

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Everyday: Although I like it year-round, many consumers tend to treat rosé’s time o’ year as the converse of oyster season, drinking it solely in months that do not include an “r.” Too bad for them, because the Paul Jaboulet Aine Côtes du Rhône “Parallèle 45” rosé ($13) is too refreshing to limit to any calendar restrictions. It smells like, well, roses (no relation!), and its fresh cherry-berry-watermelon flavors linger languidly on the palate. This pink beauty pairs splendidly with spring cuisine (greens, peas, ham), with light seafood and chicken dishes and with tapenades and other olive-laden food. And, truth be known, with oysters.

Occasion: There’s glorious wine coming out of Napa, although some of it tastes a bit manufactured. Not so the Chappellet Mountain Cuvee 2009, which produces/pleases well above its $32 price. Boasting almost as much depth and length as the winery’s consistently fine $49 Signature bottling, this Bordeaux blend delivers an array of flavors, with the fruit, tannins and acidity in perfect harmony and the texture smooth and just stout enough. If there’s a better $30-ish wine for grilled, herb-laden spring lamb “” leg, chops, whatever “” I’d love to hear about it. Steaks, burgers and chocolate (not too dark or white) are swell pairing options as well.

20
Apr
2012
0

Speaking franc-ly about aging

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I finally got around to writing about one of my favorite red grapes, cabernet franc, in last week’s Liquid Assets column, and the next day a reader inquired about cellaring these wines.

I’ve always believed in saying “I don’t know” when that actually is the case (the inquirer will discern that anyway), and since I never have hung on to any cab franc for long, I tossed the query to three wine-trade folks I respect mightily. Their responses:

Veteran Euro wine buyer I: “I have had some amazing experiences with old cab francs from Saumur, Bourgeuil, and Chinon. The best old wines tend to be top cuvees from growers perfectly stored in their cellars.

“Some of the top growers today are using artificial corks for bottling that ought to have aging potential. Those artificial closures may be better than they were a few years ago, but I am a skeptic for aging wine under them.

“Have you ever had an older Clos Rougeard? It could pass as an old St Emilion or Burgundy and best either of them.”

Veteran Euro wine buyer II: “One of the greatest examples of cellaring Cab Franc are the wines of the Bourgueil rock star Pierre Jacques Druet. Yes, Loire reds do age well.

“I have known Pierre and his son for years; his wines are without a doubt the longest-lived red wines in the Loire, yet expensive and impossible to sell as nobody collects Bourgueil. I recommend reading this and you will see that WineDoctor loves the old wines! I wish I could bring these in and sell them.

“Aw heck, I will likely try to do just that in the next year or two. I like rolling the boulder up the hill.”

Veteran retailer/sommelier trainer: “Cellaring old Franc can be tricky. Depending on vintage (remember that cab franc usually needs help in ripening in the Loire and sometimes in Bordeaux), it can age very well. In slightly warmer vintages cab franc does not lose acid the way most red grapes do, so it can have tannin, acid and fruit in spades whereas a cab sauv might become too sugar-laden and acid-poor.

“I’ve found that in the New World cab franc is hard to age under any circumstances. Just too much fruit to age for anything longer than 5 to 8 years.

“Remember that … a good overall Loire vintage might not be so for places like Chinon. So learn to look at specific regions and sub-appellations for vintages rather than overarching guides. There are producers out there (Breton, Couilly-Dutheil) that I’ve had 15+-year-old wines that drank great.

“2009, as it is just about world-wide, is freaking fantastic for cab franc from the Chinon and Bourguiel. Some I have are already shutting down, but I have high hopes for their futures.”

15
Apr
2012
0

Wines of the Week: April 9-15

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Everyday: Eight is just enough when it comes to the number of grapes in the Cellar No. 8 blend ($10). I’m not nearly a good enough taster to pick out each component of that octet “” grenache, syrah, petitie sirah, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, zinfandel, mourvedre and sangiovese “” but I am savvy enough to discern that it’s darn tasty. I did pick up a bit o’ blueberry from the petite, plus some chocolate, red berry and coffee flavors, flowing over a dry, even leathery (in a good way) texture. Can’t imagine a better wine for a pizza party, or a burger-grilling gathering, but the array of grapes means that this hearty red can play with a wide range of food.

Occasion: Wondering what the Wine Geek World’s love for German riesling is all about? Well, one sip of the pure-as-the-driven-snow Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese ($55) should provide a yummerific answer. As with most terrior-driven wines, especially in Germany’s wide-ranging climes, there’s some vintage variation with this semi-sweet offering. But it’s usually enjoyably profound and always profoundly enjoyable, with firmness, focus and a finish that persists mightily. Enjoy it as or with the first or final course of the evening, and it also loves most pork dishes.

13
Apr
2012
0

Linkin’ logs 4-13-12

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Edifying and/or entertaining stuff from the Interwebs:

Anybody know how to write a grant request? I wanna do a similar study to this one on wine. I can say that I considered myself mighty clever at various stages of last night’s fantabulous BYOB dinner at Meritage.

Speaking of research that could produce heartening results for us tipplers, a chemical derived from a Chinese tree might keep us sober no matter our intake. Hurry up, folks.

At Meritage, we decanted a young Saxum and a youngish Barolo and gave them an hour or so to aerate. But this smart guy has figured out a way to accelerate the process.

I love traveling in France, but now it appears that we tourists will be forced to carry along a rather unusual accoutrement.

Finally, here’s a handy dandy guide to talking like a wine geek at your next gathering. If that for some reason is a goal of yours.

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