Dame Wine®

Riesling & Limestone: Finding a Way to Connect

Posted on May 27, 2016 by damewine

There are some things in the wine world we can never talk too much about – alcohol levels, wine scores, and terroir. I always like to quote from The Oxford Companion to Wine when defining the term terroir: “Terroir — much-discussed term for the total natural environment of any viticultural site.” The idea of terroir makes a particular wine unique to a particular place. Sometimes terroir can refer to a tiny vineyard and sometimes it can refer to a large region. The factors that influence terroir can be lumped into two broad categories: Land and Climate. Of course within those two general categories there are many more sub-categories that range from soil (color and type of soil), sunlight, macroclimate to microclimate, and so on and so on. But this post will focus on soil.

The color of soil can affect ripening because darker colors absorb more heat and then radiate it back to the grapes. And while we are talking about color let’s talk about the color “wavelength” of light itself – even that has been shown recently by Geisenheim University to have an influence on the development of the grapes during the growing season.

Why do we want to connect aromas and flavors in wine to a specific place?

We want to be connected to a place when we are spending a significant amount of money on wine. That is one of the top reasons to spend more for wine (even though, probably, the number one reason is an assurance of higher quality). But we are looking for something special, something that will transport us to another world. And it doesn’t always have to be another world, sometimes we need to reconnect to our sense of place locally – rediscover the magic of the place we inhabit.

If we just wanted to get intoxicated, not that there is anything wrong with that, then we could simply buy the cheapest alcohol we could get – translating into cheap spirits.

Yet wine, and artisanal spirits even, have become more significant to the American population. People want stories; they want to taste and smell the vineyards in their glass, to feel connected.

Connecting

We are living in interesting times. Some fear, rightly so, that people are connecting less because they are distracting themselves with social media. I’m sure many of you know, just as I do, that when you give yourself ways to not confront issues in relationships it creates distance so that, through time, people who were once close start to feel like strangers.

Okay, so that’s the bad.

The good is that social media gives people a chance to be themselves without feeling like they are directly weird-ing anyone out; yes sometimes social media can be weird, but you know what I mean…. You can talk about your feelings, politics, hobbies or deeply personal stories and not feel like you are the person who mentioned something highly inappropriate at a dinner party. No surprise, I have been that person. But you can place it on your Facebook page and people can decide if they want to see it, if they want to engage with it and/or if they want to continue to have you on their feed.

It is not like talking to someone face to face and saying, “I like to dress up as a Jedi once in a while.” The other person gets an intense look of panic in their eyes and they wonder for a brief moment, “Either this person is crazy or the most awesome person on earth.” And so we tend to skip all of the fun and sometimes deeply relevant information about ourselves when we talk to people in person.

But just like social media is an indirect connection, so is wine from a specific place an indirect connection to that place. It gives us a chance to connect to either a land far away or nearby without us having to risk rejection.

How Riesling & Limestone help me to connect

Almost a month ago, I was invited to a seminar about Riesling grown in limestone soils, led by John Winthrop Haeger. Haeger is a sinologist (a specialist in Chinese language, literature and civilization), an historian and an academic administrator who has written about the science of wine. His specialties are Riesling and Pinot Noir, and he currently has a book out called Riesling Rediscovered: Bold, Bright, and Dry which is an in-depth look at this variety that is adored by wine geeks but still relatively unknown amongst many wine drinkers.

Many times in the past I have gotten excited at the notion that I would learn something about a certain type of soil that would help me to feel a stronger connection to the idea of terroir. I’m afraid to say that often times I have been disappointed because really no correlations would be made between aromas and flavors in the grapes and to what was in the dirt.

I can happily say that was not the case this time.

Limestone Soil

Limestone is a sedimentary soil that is high in calcium carbonate.

If you have ever been to France, you have probably seen limestone even if you have never been to a vineyard – many of the old buildings are made from it. Limestone can be so solid and hard that it can be used for building material, it can also be not as solid, sometimes it is ground up (as lime) or added into concrete materials, and finally it can play only a small part in another soil, such as a dominant clay soil.

Limestone soil is alkaline – which basically means it is low in acidity and has a high pH. pH imbalances can affect which nutrients are taken up by the vine in different concentrations, potentially leading to some unwanted conditions such as chlorosis (caused by various mineral deficiencies). But recent research has been linking limestone to a distinctive aroma in Riesling.

TDN

TDN is a shortened name of the chemical 1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene, which is that petrol/kerosene flavor one sometimes smells in Riesling wines. Some of us love it, some hate it, and some are fine with it as long as it doesn’t dominate the wine. Well, what is so cool is that they are starting to see a trend between more acidic soils (which have lower pH) and the development of the TDN compound. Haeger said that classic Riesling from the Mosel is predominantly grown in slate soils that are high in acid, hence why many of us associate that kerosene note with classic Riesling.

And so limestone, which is a low acid soil, should produce Riesling grapes that are less likely to have that TDN, petrol note. I have a high tolerance for that aroma and so most of the time I find it pleasant. Alternatively, Riesling is a pretty variety and so it is nice to have versions that express the beauty of the fruit.

As a side note, they are also finding that richer soils with higher nitrogen concentration are less likely to produce TDN, as a lack of nitrogen possibly encourages its production. And so if the limestone soil is drastically lacking in nitrogen, it could end up producing TDN anyway. Of course this can be rectified over time through working the soil but that takes a very dedicated producer.

This piece of information, Riesling + Limestone = Less TDN is exciting to me. Not because I love or hate TDN but it is connecting something in the soil to something in the glass. They have a long way to go to prove exactly why they are seeing this, but it seems like this is a very new way to look at the old concept of terroir.

Battenfeld-Spanier

During the seminar, we tasted though 16 Rieslings, in sets of 4, to showcase vineyards that had limestone, to some degree, in the soil (with a fun Ravines sparkling Riesling from a predominantly limestone vineyard to get us warmed up so to speak). But the producer that really screams out with intense, extreme limestone sites is Battenfeld-Spanier. Carolin Spanier and Hans Oliver Spanier are the co-owners, husband and wife team of Battenfeld-Spanier winery. Their wines made my heart speed up with pure giddy joy.

The wines were from Rheinhessen, Germany, in an area that has been known for extreme rocky limestone vineyards that were abandoned due to the expense of working such land – as many of us know there is not much money in growing wine grapes, especially quality wine grapes. Hans Oliver Spanier, winemaker as well as co-owner, made it his mission to find every plot of limestone, rocky soil in this area and rework the land by moving rocks, top soil and planting vines in a way that would make world class wines. The story is impressive and the wines (listed below with the other tasting notes) expressed such a pristine fruit and high acidity that gave these wines lots of life and a high concentration of flavor that was delivered in a linear, provocative way.

Limestone: Acidity & Flavor

Not to get too much into the science, but it was also discussed briefly that research at the University of Bordeaux linked soils rich in calcium, such as limestone, with maintaining acidity in grapes late into the growing season. This may not only point to giving the wines more acidity overall, but the opportunity to allow the grapes to hang longer, potentially developing more complexity and flavor concentration in the grapes without sacrificing acidity.

And one more piece of info (I promise this is it!) water stress turns out to increase terpenes, which are compounds that are the building blocks in grapes that help to create aromas and flavors. Limestone typically has great drainage so is conducive to water stress in dry areas. BUT…. and this is a big but… flavor enhancers such as norisoprenoids (another class of compounds) are less available in water stressed areas and so that could lessen aromas and flavors.

So what does this tell us?

No two sites are the same because there are so many factors. But we can say that Riesling grown in predominant limestone, for instance, can have a tendency toward particular traits.

Riesling Rediscovered: Bold, Bright, and Dry

I have just started to read, or I should say skip around, John Winthrop Haeger’s new book. Even though he focuses on dry Riesling across the Northern Hemisphere, it is an incredible book that goes into a comprehensive examination of this variety which I think can be appreciated by those who love dry and sweet Rieslings. I will report on it in more depth when I have time to read the whole book… but I already see it as a top reference book for Riesling.

The Need to Connect

The need to connect has always fascinated me. I guess because it was something that did not come easily to me in my formative years. Sometimes, I think many of our major world problems come from feeling disconnected to our fellow humans. That is why generalizations can be unintentionally divisive statements that pin people against each other. Great Riesling doesn’t only come from slate, it comes from limestone too, and they can both be great and yet different – one not taking away any glory from the other. But it not only takes time to learn about the true details behind generalizations, it also takes the discipline that we are not going to jump to completely one side or the other.

Some may feel that the idea that limestone soils can make spectacular Riesling wines will be a threat to those historically great sites in slate vineyards; conversely others will feel it will help all Riesling growing regions as a whole. But the issue is not so black and white… just like the explanations of how limestone soils can affect Riesling are not so black and white.

John Winthrop Haeger said at the beginning of the seminar, “… most of these soil stereotypes…have very little basis in science but quite a lot of basis in history and habit.”

And history and habit always need to be challenged if we are going to make the world a smaller place while increasing the diversity of our connections.

In the end my hope is that learning more information will increase opportunities for Riesling growers around the world, give even more pleasure to Riesling lovers and that all of us can connect in the pure joy which is Riesling.

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Tasting Notes: Riesling from Limestone Seminar on April 27^th, 2016

Sparkling Riesling poured before start of seminar:

-2013 Ravines Wine Cellars, Finger Lakes AVA, Argetsinger Vineyard: Flinty, smoky minerality with peach flavors and light body. I decided to taste it an hour later – while it was flat, it was still really lovely and so says a lot about the quality of the fruit.

2013 was a very cold vintage so they decided to make a sparkling Riesling wine from this predominately limestone vineyard Argetsinger for the first time.

We had the rest of the 16 wines in the seminar in sets of 4.

1^st Set: DEIDESHEIM (PFALZ) and ALSACE

-2013 Weingut Von Winning, [Deidesheimer] Kalkofen GG, Pfalz, Germany: Bright acidity but not too fierce with juicy peach flavors and a relatively rich body for Riesling.

Deidesheim Pfalz is right above the Alsace border.

The Kalkofen vineyard or “chalk kiln” was an area that was mined for lime to be used as building material.

-2012 Domaine Pfister, Alsace Grand Cru Engelberg, Alsace, France: More stony and spicy quality than fruit with a bit of lemon zest on the finish.

Alsace in 2012 had flowering problems, millerandage (mixture of small and big berries in the same bunch) and rot. Bad vintage for botrytis sweet wines and just sweet wines in general.

They are picking on average 30 days sooner than they did 30 years ago in Alsace, and so some decisions in the vineyard have changed, such as when to harvest, but also they are choosing later ripening clones as to avoid high alcohol levels.

-2010 Domaine Pfister, Alsace Grand Cru Engelberg, Alsace, France: More flesh on the palate, especially compared to 2012, yet still had that small white stone intensity of aromas on the nose. Also, fierce acidity which was nice with the fleshy body.

Many of you may remember that 2010 brought extremely high levels of acidity and some winemakers panicked and inoculated the wines to assure MLF (which defeats the whole purpose of using an aromatic grape like Riesling) and in the worse cases deacidified the wines. But producers such as Domaine Pfister, who did not mess with the acidity, were eventually rewarded once the acidity started to settle into the wine and turn into energetic beauties such as the above.

-2012 Domaine Mittnacht- Frères, Alsace Grand Cru Rosacker, Alsace, France: A little bit more weight in the mid palate with extract, and intensely aromatic floral notes.

Rosacker is a great Grand Cru vineyard in the “sweet spot” of Alsace. The famous walled plot Clos Ste. Hune (which makes one of the most icon wines: Trimbach’s Clos Ste. Hune) is a piece of land within the Rosacker vineyard. This is a less extreme site compared to Engelberg (a much steeper site).

2^nd Set: TRAISENTAL (AUSTRIA) and KONIGSBACH (PFALZ)

-2014 Weingut Huber, Traisental “Terrassen”, Austria: Restrained and linear with minerality dominating.

There is not much limestone in Austria except Traisental vineyard (only 2 producers known to make good Riesling in limestone and Weingut Huber is one).

-2010 Weingut Huber, Traisental Berg Erste Lag, Austria: A great example of a 2010 that was singing and really found a nice balance with that laser acidity. The marked acidity helps to lift the pristine stone and citrus fruit along the long finish.

-2014 Weingut A. Christmann, [KONIGSBACH] Idig GG, Pfalz, Germany: More ripe apricot flavors than peach and lots of weight. A delicious wine that could hold up to richer dishes.

Idig is almost a monopole and it is a vineyard that has consistently stayed in one piece for centuries, which is rare considering the German Wine Law of 1971 reassigned various vineyards to be linked to other vineyards. Idig was lucky enough to have survived being chopped up and redistributed.

Idig is a good example of a high clay, high water retention site with very fine particulate matter and a relatively gentle slope.

-2010 Weingut A. Christmann, [KONIGSBACH] Idig GG, Pfalz, Germany: This had more fruit than the 2014, or perhaps it was more generous because it has had some time in bottle. Lively acidity balanced the richness of the fruit and it had a long, flavorful finish.

3^rd Set: FINGER LAKES AND FRAUENBERG (RHEINHESSEN)

-2012 Ravines Wine Cellars, Finger Lakes AVA, Argetsinger Vineyard, Finger Lakes, New York, USA: Apricot pie with crisp acidity and creamy body due to long lees aging. They decided to make the lees aging longer due to the intensity of the fruit.

2012 was one of the ripest years that the producers had experienced in the Finger Lakes. I had previously tasted several other Finger Lakes wines from 2012 and they are decadently ripe.

The Argetsinger vineyard is glacier carved, near the east side of Seneca Lake in the town of Hector. It is predominately limestone, which is atypical for the Finger Lakes, and usually produces generous fruit even in cooler vintages. Half of Ravines’ vineyards are limestone dominant; they also use grapes from Geneva, which is part of the Niagara limestone escarpment that extends from the US side of Niagara Falls to the Canadian side in Ontario. And a neat fact is that Niagara Falls actually fall on limestone….yes, those rocks are limestone!

Also, Ravines is atypical in the Finger Lakes as they like to produce Riesling wines on the dry side which is partly due to the generous fruit they get from their limestone sites (half of the vineyards where they source their fruit is limestone dominant) but also lees aging helps to balance the marked acidity which is prevalent in the region.

The owners of Ravines Wine Cellars, Morten & Lisa Hallgren, were present at the seminar to give us a presentation.

-2008 Ravines Wine Cellars, Finger Lakes AVA, Argetsinger Vineyard, Finger Lakes, New York, USA: Intensively aromatic with tension on the palate.

2008 was a much more difficult vintage than 2012 in the Finger Lakes, where constant temperature swings between excessively cold and heat created a lot of work in the vineyards. But what is interesting is that even though they usually have problems with drought stress, they did not have that issue in 2008.

-2014 Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier, [Nieder-Flörsheimer] Frauenberg GG, Pfalz, Germany: Dried flowers, lemon confit and off the charts minerality with a tight body that was very exciting and a stunning, long length.

I spoke about this producer and their sites in the post above these tasting notes. The wines express the extreme nature of the sites.

Both of these vineyards from Battenfeld-Spanier are on the same geological formation, with the Frauenberg being on the north east corner and the Herrgott being on the south west corner.

-2014 Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier, Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott GG, Pfalz, Germany: This wine is more generous and open than the Frauenberg, which is not better or worse but just different. An explosion of stone fruit flavors at first that then coil up into an intense expression of stoniness. This wine tingles on the palate with surprisingly brambly red fruit flavors on the finish. How is that possible?! I have no idea. These wines elevate one’s heart rate. If you can find them buy them!

4^th Set: WESTHOFEN (RHEINHESSEN)

Two of the same vineyards from different producers and vintages.

-2013 Weingut Dreissigacker, [Westhofener] Kirchspiel GG, Rheinhessen, Germany: Nectarine jumps out and hugs you on first taste with zingy sustained finish.

Kirchspiel is lower on the slope and typically friendlier in its youth than Morstein.

-2013 Weingut Dreissigacker, [Westhofener] Morstein GG, Rheinhessen, Germany: There are so many layers hiding you can feel it but not quite decipher it this early in its life. Marked acidity that made my mouth water and it made me want to go back and retaste several times – a tease of a wine that plays with you but I have a feeling it will be a knock out in time. Bone dry.

-2014 Weingut Wittmann, [Westhofener] Kirchspiel GG, Rheinhessen, Germany: And this is what makes wine so interesting because this Kirchspiel was more reserved from this producer (and also note another vintage) with notes of thyme and white flowers with citrus undertones all the while with chalky notes dominating.

-2014 Weingut Wittmann, [Westhofener] Morstein GG, Rheinhessen, Germany: This Morstein was generous with lots of flavors of honeysuckle and peach with racy acidity.

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Deconstructing the Terroir (Sense of Place) of Rias Baixas, Spain with a Memorable Couple

Posted on May 12, 2016 by damewine

I have to admit I often drink wine without thinking of what I am pairing it with. I am not super sensitive to wine affecting food or food affecting wine. I have a great respect for a person who has such a gift but that is not one of my superpowers. I often just drink what I want to drink, but I have to say sometimes I do feel wine and food pairings illustrate a point. In this case, that Rias Baixas has very different sub-zones and hence make very different white wines.

It was a lunch/seminar that would be led by a dynamic wife/husband team, Chef Katie Button and Wine Director Felix Meana. They are co-founders of Heirloom Hospitality, including Cúrate bar de tapas and Nightbell in Asheville, North Carolina. Button is already a rising star Chef and her husband, Meana, was a great guide for our vinous journey, immersing us into Rias Baixas, Spain, as well as Albariño by explaining how he shows their restaurant guests the differences in terroir by matching certain tapas to specific sub-zones.

Spain is known as a red wine country. And for great reason! Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Priorat are just some of the world class red wine making regions in Spain. At one time many US wine drinkers wouldn’t even consider drinking a white from Spain. But that has started to change with the introduction of Albariño from Rias Baixas, which is located in the northwestern Galicia region in Spain. Galicia is vastly different from the rest of Spain, with higher rainfall, giving a greener look hence why it is referred to as Green Spain.

Rias Baixas

For those of you who have discovered Albariño white wines you may have already heard about the area of Rias Baixas. If you are hearing about it for the first time, don’t worry, you are probably in the majority. I must admit that I just thought of Rias Baixas as one place and thought all of the differences in style had to do with winemaking only. Yes, what a producer does in the winery makes a difference but there are sub-zones within this area which influence the grapes differently, and hence may help to inform the various winemaking choices a producer may make.

One of the most distinctive features of the soils from Rias Baixas is that they are granite dominant. Granite soils have great drainage, which is necessary for the higher rainfall in Rias Baixas, but also have low fertility which helps to keep yields low, helping to grow grapes with more concentration for higher quality wines.

The granite is such a huge part of Rias Baixas that the Albariño vines are trained on a wire trellis anchored by granite posts. Some of these wires are raised as much as seven feet high, allowing breezes to flow between the vines helping to prevent disease. Some vineyards are replacing this traditional “parra” canopy system with a double cordon system that will help to continue to restrict yields and encourage aeration but will be more manageable for vineyard workers.

Albariño

In my previous studies, Albariño is one of the grapes that mystified me. It can be so different that sometimes I would get it in a blind tasting and sometimes I would not. Even though Albariño is a white grape variety capable of higher alcohol, the fact that it is grown in the cooler area of Rias Baixas keeps it between 12-12.5% abv – which nowadays that would be considered a lower alcohol wine. And so it is a wine that I have lumped into the moderate alcohol, semi-aromatic (this term drives some people I know up the wall) wine category with high acidity and an exotic spicy note. What is interesting, though, is that sometimes Albariño can be intensely aromatic and sometimes it can lack any aromas or flavors, such as one would find in Vinho Verde wines in Portugal (it makes up the blend under its Portuguese name Alvarinho).

Some people have thought I was mad because I would mix up Grüner Veltliner from Austria with Albariño from Rias Baixas. Okay, that is not the only reason for people to think I am mad, but in my defense, one time, I was blind tasting with a Sommelier originally from Spain and he said that he mixed up Grüner Veltliner and Albariño all the time. They are both moderate alcohol and Grüner has that white pepper note that we both confused with that exotic spice note sometimes present in Albariño.

But I digress, as usual, and so lets talk about Albariño. It sounds like a delicious white wine right? Well, like everything else they are not all created equal and this is where we get into sub-zones.

Sub-zones

There are 5 wine sub-zones of Rias Baixas: Ribeira do Ulla, Val do Salnés, Soutomaior, Condado do Tea and O Rosal. I will only focus on Val do Salnés, Condado do Tea and O Rosal since these are the areas we focused on and tasted.

Val do Salnés

Val do Salnés is a sub-zone known for being the birthplace for Albariño and it the area where most Albariño is grown. It is in purple in the map below. It is also the coolest and wettest, averaging around 55F (13C). Felix Meana drew our attention to the seaweed and salinity qualities of these wines, which paired perfectly with an Blue Point oyster (another wine writer next to me was allergic to oysters and she was kind enough to give me hers.. so I had two!) and one can imagine other shellfish and certain fin fish pairing well too. Also, when thinking about having Albariño as an aperitif, the Salnés is the way to go.

Condado do Tea

Condado do Tea is more inland, as you can see it in orange in the map on the right, and more southerly located, by the border of Portugal. It is warmer than Val do Salnés with an average temperature around 59C (15C) and can rise as high as 104F (40C). The wines have richer, more ripe fruit flavors and paired very nicely with white asparagus (that were preserved in a can and shipped from Spain) in “light as air” mayonnaise enhanced with tarragon and lemon vinaigrette. Also, these wines were fantastic with braised pork in an apricot Albariño sauce (a wink to Button and Meana’s current home in North Carolina).

O Rosal

O Rosal sits in the southerly area of Rias Baixas as well, but is near the Atlantic so their weather is warmer than Val do Salnés but cooler than Condado Tea, so the wines are relatively moderate in body with that touch of a saline quality. In is illustrated in yellow in the map above. The O Rosal wines could easily have been paired with the oyster, as well as the heavier dishes such as the pulled pork, so if you want to have only one bottle of wine throughout a meal, O Rosal may be the best choice. Also, they have a distinctive peach note almost like biting into a peach so ripe that it drizzles down your chin. The peach note may also come from the fact that other local varieties such as Loureira, Godello, Treixadura and/or Caíño Blanco are typically added.

Does Specific Geographic Labeling benefit the wine drinker?

It seems lately that many regions around the world have taken to getting a lot more specific with their geographic labeling. Some are against this because they are afraid it will confuse wine drinkers even more in a world that is already too fractionated… but I tend to be on the other side of the fence. At the end of the day, you will still be able to present the wines as only Albariño, or a white wine from Spain, or heck one time I heard a Sommelier sell it as “Spain’s Sauvignon Blanc” and he sold cases of it. Yes, I know, it does not have the herbaceous quality, generally, that Sauvignon has but it is all about serving the customer and speaking in terms that connect to them.

But for those who want to know more, who are able to invest their time looking up information on the internet, or at least walk away from a restaurant knowing that one region goes more with seafood and one goes more with pulled pork (I need to really stop thinking about pulled pork!!!) then at least there are informed people to give them that information. And in this information age we are living in it really can’t hurt.

So yes, it does benefit the wine drinker if they are interested in taking the time to benefit from it. And if not, then nothing lost.

Chef Kati Button & Wine Director Felix Meana

I have to say that I was really impressed by Button and Meana… not just because they knew a lot, or they were obviously talented (if you look them up on the internet you will see they have impressive resumes) but I was most impressed because they represented why some of the best get into the food and wine business: to serve the customer. They had graciousness and enthusiasm that was infectious and you knew they were most alive when they were serving people.

Briefly they told us about a cookbook that would be coming out in October… they barely touched on it because they were there to make the Rias Baixas wines the stars of the show. After the formal tasting, we were served many of the dishes that would be in the book and they were undoubtedly delicious… but if their cookbook is able to transmit the feeling they give you when you are in their presence, then it will also undoubtedly be a memorable cookbook and I thank them for making the sense of place in the distinct areas in Rias Baixas, Spain memorable as well.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” –Maya Angelou

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Tasting of Albariño wines from Rias Baixas on 18^th of April:

In the formal seminar tasting:

-2014 Fillaboa from sub-zone Condado do Tea: 100% Albariño. Tropical fruit and spice on the finish. SRP: $20

-2014 La Val from sub-zone Condado do Tea: 100% Albariño. Ripe apple and creamy texture. SRP: $17

-2013 Baladiña from sub-zone Val do Salnés: 100% Albariño. White flowers with citrus with ample body most probably due to extended lees aging. SRP: $14.95

–2014 Santiago Roma from sub-zone Val do Salnés: 100% Albariño. This is a great value wine with plenty of fruit and hint of oyster shell on the finish. SRP: $10.99

-2014 Terras Gauda O Rosal from sub-zone O Rosal: 70% Albariño, 15% Caíño Blanco and 15% Loureira. This is a well known winery for Albariño lovers. They were on the forefront of discovering different clones and using indigenous yeasts. Incredible nose of orange blossom and honeysuckle with, yes, a touch of minerality and opulent body. A wine that holds nothing back, but you never doubt its class. SRP: $23.99

-2014 Viñabade from sub-zone Val do Salnés: 100% Albariño. A lighter wine that has bright flavors of apples dipped in honey. SRP: $15

-2015 Robaliño from sub-zone Condado do Tea: 100% Albariño. Intense herbaceous notes with white peach. Almost makes you think it is Sauvignon Blanc but Meana said it reminded him of Rueda’s Verdejo, which can have a likeness to Sauvignon and sometimes Sauvignon is used as a blending partner. SRP: $18

After the formal seminar in the walk around tasting and snacking:

-2014 Albariño de Fefiñanes from sub-zone Val do Salnés: 100% Albariño. Main note of minerality, sea salt, lemon peel and yes, I got the touch of seaweed. SRP: $17.99

-2015 Santiago Ruiz from sub-zone O Rosal: 76% Albariño, 10% Loureira, 6% Godello, 4% Treixadura and 4% Caíño Blanco. Very cool wine with rockin’ label (yes, that does add to my experience) pear and perfume note with good tension and light body. SRP: $20

-2014 Condes de Albarei from sub-zone Val do Salnés: 100% Albariño. More fruit forward pear than other Val do Salnés with a citrus finish. SRP: $15

-2014 Martín Códax from sub-zone Val do Salnés: 100% Albariño. This has the spicy, exotic notes that I often look for with mouthwatering acidity. SRP: $16.99

Posted in Dame Wine | Tagged Albariño, Rias Baixas, Spain | 2 Comments

Piedmont, Italy: Not all the Wines are Well Known Superstars

Posted on April 28, 2016 by damewine

Sometimes I have a plan to write about a particular wine subject that has been weighing on my mind, but sometimes I am led in a direction that I was not planning. This was the case with me wanting to write about Piedmont after attending Vinitaly (Vinitaly is an international wine competition and exposition that is held annually in April in the Italian city of Verona). Originally, I had thought I would seek out a lesser known region to write about…. perhaps varieties that most wine nerds haven’t experienced… I did not think I would have such a need to talk about the well known Piedmont (called Piemonte in Italy) which includes some of the biggest wine superstars such as Barolo and Barbaresco.

Women Who Love Wine & Yoga

The first day of Vinitaly I was invited to go to a seminar led by Michaela Morris, who is one of only three Italian Wine Experts in the world. We had become acquainted through a mutual friend, Cathy Huyghe, on Twitter. Cathy is a yogi, like Michaela and myself, and she expresses that yogic view by examining the world of wine in her book Hungry for Wine.

Northern Piedmont Nebbiolo (Alto Piemonte)

The seminar was co-led by Michaela and “whiz kid” winemaker, Cristiano Garella, who is from the northern Piedmont area. The northern Piedmont Nebbiolo wines were certainly different animals than those found in the more southern Piedmont areas of Barolo and Barbaresco. Some of the areas may be familiar to wine drinkers in their market, such as Gattinara DOCG and Ghemme DOCG.

During the seminar I noticed firmer tannins and more black fruit in the Gattinara wine than the Ghemme – the Ghemme being lighter and having a distinctive mineral note. But there were other areas that honestly I have never heard of until that seminar: Boca DOC, Bramaterra DOC, Colline Novaresi DOC, Colline Novaresi DOC, Coste della Sesia DOC, Fara DOC, Lessona DOC, Sizzano DOC and Valli Ossolane DOC.

Did that long list of a bunch of different “cru” sites in Italian confuse you enough? Well, like anything, it is always overwhelming when you hear a list of names that are completely unfamiliar so I picked three wines, that I re-tasted after the seminars, that I recommend at the end of this post.

Generally, as compared with their southern cousins, northern Piedmont Nebbiolo wines are lighter, more aromatic, have softer tannins, and sometimes they are blended with local varieties. They are typically a few degrees lower in alcohol – when they are picking at a potential alcohol of 15% abv in Barolo, the north will be picking at around 11.5% abv. The acidity seemed more evident giving the wines great tension and energy that hinted towards the ability to age.

Of course, generalizations do not scratch the surface of the specifics of these “cru” sites and I hope to do that at a later time. For now, they are worth seeking out, and I have found many of them in the New York and California areas on www.wine-searcher.com

Roero in Piedmont

Later that day I got an email from a colleague in New York City, who knew I was at Vinitaly, and she asked if I had wanted to meet the President of the Roero Consorzio. Well, I simply thought it was fate – if there is such a thing. Another special area in Piedmont that I always wanted to delve deeper into… my first introduction was over five years ago when I worked in distribution. My company had just added the wines of Bruno Giacosa to their portfolio and so we had a whole afternoon of tasting their Barolo and Barbaresco wines. The wine that blew everyone away was their Roero Arneis. It was the first time I had tasted Arneis – it was generous yet elegant.

Roero Arneis DOCG

I was excited to try another Arneis (white grape) and to learn more about the Roero Consorzio (an association of wine producers that represent a specific wine growing area). And so I had my meeting with the gracious Francesco Monchiero, who had become the President since the start of the Consorzio in 2013.

He explained that Roero was a special place within itself but had always been lumped in with the rest of the Langhe area with better known names such as Barolo, Barbaresco, Alba, etc. It was important for them to form their own Consorzio to help educate and promote the terroir of Roero with Arneis being their shining star as it had been given the high quality classification of DOC in 1989 and the highest qualification of DOCG in 2005.

Sand + Heat = Great Arneis

Monchiero talked about how the dominance of sand in Roero soils and exposure to heat helped to produce a more aromatic Arneis wine with classic white flower and white peach aromas while still retaining a mineral quality. He also noted that it was interesting because we typically associate cooler weather with greater aromatics. As I tasted his wines, listed below, with a selection of his Arneis, I realized how sensitive it was to terroir – expressing different qualities from a site that had significant amounts of clay and sand compared to one that had mostly sand in the soil. Also, I was treated to Roero Arneis wines with age, being given one that was from 2001, to show the positive evolution of these wines.

Reputation of Arneis

My first experience with Arneis was with a high end example. But it was an eye opener to learn that there were many Arneis on the Italian market that were made in a mass production way – producing bland wines. And so, those who have had those wines may think Arneis is not a high quality grape. My perspective, even before my meeting with Monchiero, was that it was high quality but I just had problems finding more Roero Arneis.

This reminds me of how I met someone from another market recently who thought is was rare to have Lambrusco slightly sparkling (frizzante), and I found that odd because I have only known Lambrusco to be slightly sparkling. It was a great lesson that we all live within our own bubble of our individual market. I would have never thought to try a non-sparkling Lambrusco and now I’m seeking one out.

Roero Consorzio

This brings me back to the importance of Roero having their own Consorzio, bringing attention to the group of winemakers who are living in Roero and devoting themselves to the expression of that place and especially to the striving for excellence with the Arneis grape variety. Monchiero even tasted me on his Barbera D’Alba DOC which was made from grapes completely coming from Roero. It was intensely aromatic with floral notes and spice. What is funny is that he said a wine made in the Langhe, with is clay dominant, can use the same Barbera D’Alba DOC but it will be completely different, again demonstrating the need to bring focus to Roero as a distinct place on its own.

I had spent a week before Vinitaly learning from the great Ian D’Agata at the Vinitaly International Academy who is the author of the award winning book Native Wine Grapes of Italy. It was an incredible learning experience that I am still continuing. But the main epiphany that I had during that course is that we have a lot more diversity surrounding us than we realize. Many lovers of wine are afraid that the wine world is becoming too homogeneous with a broad brush of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon painting the globe. But the diversity is still there… different terroirs that show the myriad styles of Italian varieties that exist, such as Nebbiolo, and those lesser known superstar varieties that have been neglected but are still there and in some cases, thankfully, local producers are placing their time and energy in bringing them back.

At the time of the writing of D’Agata’s book, he noted that there were 461 official Italian grape varieties registered. According to him, because of misidentification, and weaknesses in past identification of varieties, there are probably around 1000.

The problem is not lack of diversity, or local superstars; the problem seems to be that we are focusing so much on what we don’t have, we are missing out on the plenitude of diversity that still exists.

*I look forward to learning more about Roero at a seminar they are conducting in New York City in a couple of weeks.

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A few of the northern Piedmont (Alto Piemonte) wines I re-tasted on the 10^th of April:

-2011 Le Pianelle, Bramaterra DOC, Alto Piemonte, Northern Piedmont, Italy: Nebbiolo with Vespolina and Croatina added to the blend. Bramaterra is also noted as being the 2^nd placed in Italy to bottle wine with Marsala being the 1^st place. This wine was very elegant with whimsical notes of purple flowers and intense minerality on the nose yet it gave great flesh on the palate.

-2011 Castaldi Francesca, Fara DOC, Alto Piemonte, Northern Piedmont Italy: Nebbiolo with only a small amount of Vespolina and Croatina. This appellation only has three producers and so it is not prevalent on the market, even though I did find this producer in one wine store in New York City. Lots of generous red fruit with a savory dried herb quality and a saline finish. Love experiencing a salty quality with a red wine.

-2011 Casa Vinicola Garrone, Valli Ossolane DOC Nebbiolo Superiore – Prünent, Alto Piemonte, Northern Piedmont, Italy: 100% Prünent, a Nebbiolo synonym used in this area since 1309. Firm structure with notes of tobacco leaf and vanilla.

Tasting of Monchiero Carbone Roero Wines on the 11^th of April:

-2015 Recit Roero Arneis DOCG, Piedmont, Italy: Coming from a soil mix of clay and sand. More ‘traditional’ nose of white peach and white flower with crisp finish.

-2015 Cecu d’la Biunda Roero Arneis DOCG, Piedmont, Italy: Coming from a soil with majority sand. Strong minerality with tropical fruits and creamy texture. Fascinating wine because you would expect more lean fruit and linear palate with a sense of minerality but this wine shows that you can have lots of ripeness with strong sense of place.

-2009 Cecu d’la Biunda Roero Arneis DOCG, Piedmont, Italy: Same wine as above but with 6 more years of age. An ethereal smoky aroma with juicy peach flavors.

-2013 MonBirone Barbera d’Alba DOC, Piedmont, Italy: 100% from Roero, so a Barbera from soil that is dominant sand. Very aromatic Barbera with purple flowers and spice on the nose with black cherry flavor.

-2013 Roero Arneis Srü DOCG, Piedmont, Italy: Dominant sand soil. Lovely aromatics like the other Arneis but more energy and shape with bright pristine fruit notes.

-2012 Printi Riserva Roero Arneis DOCG, Piedmont, Italy: Soil is a mixture of clay and sand. Richer wine and noticeable extraction giving textural complexity.

-2001 Printi Riserva Roero Arneis DOCG, Piedmont, Italy: Same wine as above but with 11 more years of age on it. Luscious body with dried thyme notes and Asian spices and stewed apricots with lively acidity that finish with fresh, concentrated notes of lemon confit.

Posted in Dame Wine | Tagged Alto Piemonte, Arneis, Italy, Piedmont, Roero, Vinitaly | 2 Comments

Should a wine producer focus on only a couple varieties? Or many varieties?

Posted on March 13, 2016 by damewine

Maggiovini wine lunch at the charming restaurant Ristorante Rafele in the West Village, New York City

One of the countless decisions wine producers need to make is the number of different varieties they want to either grow and/or buy from other growers. Some producers may only produce wine from a couple different varieties, such as in Burgundy producing wines from Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. And others will have up to 25 different varieties (that is not including different clones, such as the Sicilian wine producer, Maggiovini, as I experienced a month ago during a lunch in New York City.

Why only focus on a couple?

As one can imagine, only focusing on one or two varieties would be a chance to specialize in only a couple styles of wines, and may ensure greater consistency of quality. Some producers are limited in their choice of varieties if they want to be able to use the local appellation, such as Chianti or the above mentioned Burgundy on their label. These restrictions are typical in Old World winemaking countries.

Also, it could be a chance to easily sell out one’s wine if they are taking advance of a trend. I remember visiting New York’s Finger Lakes (finger lakes blog link) last year and hearing many of the smaller producers say that they could easily make only rosé wine and they would have no problem selling all of it to tourists and the New York City market. Dry rosés have become immensely popular in New York City over the past five years. This popularity peaks during the summer, but there is such a high demand that in the past couple years there have been “rosé shortages”.

Why have many varieties?

I know many producers who would not agree with the notion that fewer varieties grown and/or bought guarantee consistent quality. Dealing with more varieties makes it more complicated and creates a lot of challenges, but if the producer is up for the challenge then certainly good quality can be achieved on a regular basis. South Africa is a great example of a country that grows many different types of varieties. This is due to the great diversity of their soil and microclimates, and so, many producers will not only make various different varietal wines but they will make blends made from several varieties.

Some regions in the world are limited to the varieties they can plant due to having extreme climatic conditions, such as Germany using their native cold-tolerant Riesling.
But some climates are more manageable, such as a warm climate like Sicily. Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean, and because of its size, unique history and diversity it could be considered a separate country from Italy. It was once known as a region that produced mainly bulk wine, but since the 1980s they have made major improvements in their vineyards and winemaking practices. For example, Mt. Etna, the active volcano that is in the north-east corner of Sicily, has become one of the most exciting wine places for serious wine enthusiasts. Another exciting area is the Cerasuolo di Vittoria in the south-east area of Sicily, the only area that has been given a DOCG, which is where Maggiovini is located.

Because of their warm climate moderated by the water and by their investment into the vineyards and winery, Maggiovini is able to produce rich wines that have an underlying quality of elegance, which is evident in their Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG. French varieties as well as native ones do well in this area, and so Maggiovini grows 28 different varieties, including international and native varieties. I was surprised that I was such a big fan of their Cabernet Sauvignon. They are even experimenting with ancient varieties by trying to identify them and test if they are capable of making quality wine.

Their favorable climatic conditions make it possible for them to grow a range of varieties, and it is a smart business choice to help hedge their bets by making sure to not heavily invest into any single variety. I asked the New York’s Finger Lakes wine producers why they didn’t just make mainly rosé wines if they had such a huge demand from New York City. Their answer was simple: if the trend for rosé wine died then they could go out of business; diversifying their varieties helped to secure their survival.

Diversity of Cultivation is a Way of Life

Maggiovini also grows vegetables, cereals, almond trees, olive trees and carob trees, as well as their many different grapevines that are cultivated organically. And so the reasons behind the choices of how many varieties a producer should place their focus on not only have to do with the climatic, soil and/or regulation issues, it is also a choice of lifestyle. Some feel that focusing on one or two is the best for the achievement of excellence, and some feel that the excellence comes from the fact that one is able to achieve harmony among so much diversity.

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Maggiovini Wines Tasted on February 11th, 2016

-2015 Maggiovini, Villa Maggio Pinot Grigio IGP Terre Siciliane:
100% organic Pinot Grigio. A richer, fruitier style than those found in the northeastern part of Italy. Juicy peach flavors with a pretty pristine finish.

-2014 Maggiovini, Rasula Cattarato IGP Terre Siciliane:
100% organic Catarratto. A nice example of how Catarratto is capable of making interesting whites under the right circumstances. White floral notes with lemon peel and bitter almond finish. A hint of salinity lingers on the palate. I’m also a fan of the texture of this wine as some skin contact gives it an interesting palate.

-2013 Maggiovini, Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico DOCG:
50% organic Frappato and 50% organic Nero d’Avola. This was hands down my favorite wine. Cerasuolo di Vittoria is an area that is known for elegant wines, which was evident in this one. Frappato and Nero d’Avola make perfect partners, creating a wine that has an exhilarating nose with fine tannins and wild plum flavors. A very exciting wine!

-2013 Maggiovini, Villa Maggio Pinot Nero IGP Terre Siciliane:
100% organic Pinot Nero. Lots of structure, with a rich body and dominance of black fruit.

-2013 Maggiovini, Pettineo Nero d’Avola DOP Sicilia:
100% organic Nero d’Avola. A spicy nose with decadent flavors of chocolate and plum pie balanced with earthy notes. A robust wine that has good harmony and balance.

-2013 Maggiovini, Villa Maggio Cabernet Sauvignon IGP Terre Siciliane:
100% organic Cabernet Sauvignon. A nice fresh quality gives lift to this well structured, yet soft textured wine. It is a big Cab with loads of ripe black currant fruit but conveys a sense of overall powerful elegance. Even though the Cerasuolo di Vittoria was my favorite, I must say I was impressed by this Cabernet Sauvignon and it really shows the quality potential for Vittoria.

Posted in Dame Wine | 2 Comments

The Vineyard Whisperer

Posted on February 22, 2016 by damewine

Donald Hess has a great knack for picking vineyards and making wines that are able to express unique qualities of a particular region. When he was at the helm of the Hess Family Estates, he was able to bring together a collection of wineries that all showed an intrinsic aspect of a certain terroir. This was evident when I tasted two of their wines from the Salta Province of Argentina, Colomé (one of the oldest wineries in Argentina), and Amalaya, with Colomé winemaker, Thibaut Delmotte, a few weeks ago.

Hess has the ability to see a piece of property’s potential as a future high quality producing vineyard, even though it may be considered an uninhabitable place by others. Some of the properties that he has planted in Salta were said to be too dry and/or too high in altitude to produce high quality grapes.

The Importance of Water

Water plays a great role in growing healthy grapes. Wet, humid climates, such as Virginia in the US and Bordeaux in France, can have excessive water. Too much water and humidity may cause diluted grapes, too much energy into the leaves, too little energy into the grapes, development of a shallow root systems and vine disease.

Alternatively, lack of water can cause extreme stress for the vines, which can incidentally cause photosynthesis to shut down. Photosynthesis is the process by which the vines convert light into energy, and so, it is easy to see how this could be a problem.

The first property that Hess bought in Salta is called Finca Amalaya, and Amalaya later became the name of their second label. Amalaya, in Spanish, expresses the hope that a certain event will occur, even though many times that event seems like an impossible feat. Many locals thought it was madness for Hess to buy this property for the purpose of planting a vineyard, since there was no known source of water. But the story goes that he took off his ring and waved it in the air to sense the water in the ground, and to everyone’s shock, he found water. And not just any water, but what they call “sweet” water – it does not have high levels of salinity, which is important when using it in the vineyards.

Since Hess mainly made his fortune from building the largest mineral water producer in Switzerland, Valser Water Company, it is said that he has a strong feeling for finding pristine water. Call it a talent, call it a gift, but it is something that can not so easily be taught.

The World’s Highest Estate

Donald Hess goes even further with his pioneering spirit of spearheading plantings in vineyards at high altitudes. Colomé has just released a wine which has the label of being the “World’s Highest Estate”, called Altura Maxima. The wine is made from Malbec planted in a vineyard that sits at an elevation of 10,207 feet (3,111 meters). Interestingly, Colomé tried many other varieties before settling on Malbec, even though one would think that they would settle on Malbec by default, but they wanted to see how other varieties would fair. They tried Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat and Pinot Noir, yet due to frost issues in spring and early fall they needed a variety that had a short cycle and that had bud break later.

In the end, Malbec was the winner, but not without a struggle. They planted the Malbec vines in 2007 and it seemed to be an unending battle with the previously mentioned frost, as well as the donkeys, hares, bees, wasps and birds. After building a fence and using nets on the vines, they were able to produce an extraordinarily high quality Malbec with a breathtaking nose (see tasting note below).

As the altitude increases, so does sunlight. The skins of grapes thicken to protect themselves and so it gives more tannin to the wine. But not just any tannin, it creates a higher proportion of polymeric tannin. I know what you are saying, “What the heck does that mean?!” Basically, it is softer tannins that give more elegance, rather than harsh structure to a wine. And as I mentioned before, the aromatics are off the chart. Malbec is a grape that is capable of expressing beautiful layers of fragrant deliciousness, however, it is, many times, grown in a way where it never gets to live up to its potential.

In the Altura Maxima vineyard, the increased sunlight intensifies those intoxicating aromas, while the cooler temperature retains acidity keeping freshness in the grapes; Colomé’s high altitude vineyards have up to a 25 degree difference in temperature between day and night.

Wine: Science & Art

Many of us have heard that making wine is both a science and an art. Typically, the art is considered the artistry of the winemaker in the winery. I agree that is part of it, but it is not the only aspect to the art. There is a feeling for the land that sometimes goes beyond what common logic dictates. Sometimes this is shown in family vineyards that have been owned for decades, where the vines are like the owners’ children. In this case, the owner knows his vines so well that no specialist or expert could ever advise them better than their own experience with their “children”.

And then we have the visionaries. Those special human beings who can see the potential of a piece of land that no one else can see. Sometimes they are limited by resources, or by the lack of leadership skills that is needed for such an enterprise, but once in a while, a person will embody all of the traits needed to transcend the impossible into possible.

Donald Hess is that man. A man who appreciates art, apparent by his support of contemporary artists; a man who is not afraid to carve out a new path; a man who has the resources to make dreams a reality; a man who is able to show the world of wine that there are no boundaries; a vineyard whisperer.

Hess retired from day to day management of Hess Family Estates in 2011, but he remains an important part of the vision of the company. The Colomé and Amalaya wines are not only bewitching wines because of their appealing nose and palate, but they are a symbol of the deep rooted potential in all of us, that, tragically, most don’t get to realize, but a few do. Sometimes, something crosses our path, such as the Altura Maxima, that inspires us to take chances, because even though we could fail, we may ultimately create something grander than we could have imagined.

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Wines tasted on February 4th, 2016

-2015 Amalaya White Blend (85% Torrontés & 15% Riesling):
A refreshing wine with pretty flavors of lemon confit, honeysuckle and exotic spice. It was a happy accident that they found a grower with Riesling in his vineyards, and even though it was not part of their original plan to blend Riesling, it has certainly worked out as a delightful partner for Torrontés. They grow their white varieties in the Pergola Trellising system (it is like a bunch of attached gazebos made of leaves) to help keep them from getting sunburned. Colomé has two different wineries, one for their Amalaya selection, which focuses on blends and making wines at a higher quantity, and Colomé, which focuses on single varietal wines that are made at significantly lower quantities. Suggested Retail Price: $12

-2015 Colomé Torrontés:
Ripe, juicy white peach with a touch of perfume. Thibaut Delmotte, Colomé Winemaker, said that they pick these grapes later since Torrontés has a tendency to have a short, bitter finish if it is not ripe; I have to say that this was the first Torrontés I have had that did not disappoint on the palate. Suggested Retail Price: $15

-2014 Amalaya Malbec (85% Malbec, 10% Syrah & 5% Cabernet Sauvignon – allowed to place ‘Malbec’ on the label if there is a minimum of 85%):
Blackcurrant flavors with notes of pepper and dried herbs. This wine has a nice balance between sweet fruit and savory flavors. Suggested Retail Price: $16

-2013 Colomé Malbec Estate:
Not only did I enjoy the concept of this wine, but it certainly gave a lot of bang for the buck. It is a single variety wine that is multi-altitude. What does that mean? The fruit comes from three vineyards at three different altitudes. 10% comes from La Brava Vineyard, at 5,740 feet (1,750 meters), which gives the wine ripe, generous fruit; 65% is from Colomé Vineyard, at 7,545 feet (2,300 meters), which gives the wine fresher fruit flavors with higher notes of spice and flowers; 25% is from El Arenal Vineyard, at 8,530 feet (2600 meters), which gives structure, elegance and a sense of minerality. It was a wine, especially considering the price that showed multiple dimensions in its texture and flavor profile. Suggested Retail Price: $25

-2014 Colomé Malbec Autentico:
This wine is called “Autentico” because there is no oak aging (100% stainless steel), no filtration and no fining, and so, one gets to taste the fruit without it getting help from the previously mentioned processes. Also, an interesting side note is that all of Colomé’s reds use indigenous yeasts. The grapes for Autentico are picked later, since it is essential to have ripe fruit, skin and seeds when oak cannot be used, so this wine was bursting with flavors of blueberry pie and stewed plums, and it was proof that even though Malbec benefits from oak, it does not necessarily need it. Suggested Retail Price: $25

-2012 Altura Maxima Malbec:
As you can imagine, when everyone saw the $125 price tag compared to all the others, there was a question if this wine would be worth it. It is the “World’s Highest Estate” at 10,207 feet (3,111 meters). Well, this wine’s breathtaking, outstanding quality was the answer to the question of price. I always thought that only moderate to light bodied reds could have the best nose. This wine proved me wrong! It had one of the most exhilarating noses that I have had in a while… and it was big and structured and fresh while swirling exciting violet and granite aromas in my head. This is the first vintage of this wine, and only six barrels made. It you can get it, count yourself lucky. It is a bucket list wine. Suggested Retail Price: $125

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Posted in Dame Wine | Tagged Amalaya, Argentina, Colomé, Donald Hess, Malbec, Salta, Torrontés | 4 Comments

An Israeli Wine made from Palestinian Grapes

Posted on February 8, 2016 by damewine

I could certainly be accused of placing a title that is click bait. Actually, I’m not happy with most of my titles. They typically express a question or idea that I am pondering, and not so much what would get a lot of views. I’m trying to find the balance between what titles will actually get people to read my posts while keeping them authentic to the thoughts in my posts.

This title is both authentic and intriguing. The intriguing part is obvious; there are many reasons why it is authentic to this post, but some less obvious. That an Israeli wine is being made from Palestinian grapes was the main reason I was excited to go to a lunch a couple of weeks ago, to meet an Israeli wine producer.

The producer is Recanati, one of the better known (in New York City) Israeli producers. They make a wide range of wines, and even their mid-level wines, such as their Diamond Series Cabernet Sauvignon, have received praise from wine critics. But also, I realize that they may not be as well known in other areas of the world. New York City has the largest population of Jewish people outside of Israel and so, many Jews and non-Jews would have tried Israeli wines at a Passover seder (a festive Jewish holiday dinner involving drinking kosher wine), and since Recanati has made a name for themselves, they have graced many a Passover table.

But I will go into a small rant later in this post, and I promise it will be small, about people only drinking Israeli wines for Jewish holidays.

So I went to a lunch at the trendy, East Village restaurant Kingsley, to meet head winemaker Gil Shatsberg, and owner Lenny Recanati of the Recanati Winery.
They talked us through a tasting of some of their wines (tasting notes after post), as well as talked about their project with a wine grower in Palestine. But they quickly discussed the wine made from Palestinian grapes since many were eager to discuss it. Shatsberg said they set up a date for harvest with the grower in Palestine, they visit to take samples and then transport the grapes to the Recanati winery. I asked him if it was dangerous….

“It is so simple you can’t believe it.” – Gil Shatsberg, head winemaker at Recanati Winery

Shatsberg and Recanati both said that what we see on TV is only a small percentage of what happens in Israel. Many Israeli and Palestinian people want to do business with each other, and this project is a great symbol of making those desires and dreams happen. And so, the Israeli wine from Palestinian grapes was not the story I thought it would be; I thought it was going to be a tale of dodging bullets in the name of making wine, but it ended up to be a different story, a better story. This is a story about good people working with each other regardless of their nationality or the current state of politics.

Perception Compared to Reality

The US news and TV, as well as my beloved internet, can warp our view of a certain place. The extremists are the ones who get the most media coverage. Being an American, and specifically a New Yorker, I sometimes encounter some crazy stereotypes myself simply because of what the international media projects to the world. It doesn’t happen all the time, but when someone basically sums up the type of person you are simply from where you live, it does seem like an impossible prejudice to overcome.

Israeli wineries are unfairly associated with war, when in reality, most countries have been in a war at one time or another, and war is, by its nature, chaotic. I do not know of any country or people who have been able to handle war perfectly. And this story of an Israeli producer and Palestinian grower easily working together in harmony will never go viral, it will never make the news, even though it represents an attitude that many have on both sides.

Not Just Israeli Wine but an International Wine

Lenny Recanati talked about his ancestry in Italy – he said there is even a town called Recanati in Marche, Italy. His family was not the only Jewish Italian family who made wine, as he said that there had been Jews making wine in Italy since the 15th century, but during World World II, the documents of these producers were destroyed. And so, winemaking is in the Jewish DNA. Also, Israel is a very diverse country, many may share the cultural and/or religious commonality of being Jewish, but since they come from various countries that range from Europe to Ethiopia, they have a melting pot in their major city of Tel Aviv that can only be rivaled by New York City.

The Recanati Winery represents that diversity with their staff: head winemaker Gil Shatsberg was trained at UC Davis in California, and his co-worker Ido Lewinsohn was trained at the University of Milan. Their diversity extends out to the relationships they have with their growers, of course the grower in Palestine being one great example, another being the old vine Carignan grapes they buy from an Arab Christian – yet another simple story of harmony within Israel that will not make the papers.

Archaeologists have uncovered a 3,700-year-old wine cellar in the Canaanite palace in Israel, which reveals that area has been involved in making wine for many thousands of years. Israeli producers believe that some indigenous varieties, as well as some Rhône varieties, are ideal for their Mediterranean climate and terroir.

And here’s my brief rant about Israeli wines being seen as wines to only drink for Jewish holidays or events. This is probably one of the biggest pet peeves I have about New York City as a drinking culture. Yes, we have the second largest population of Jews, and hence we have many wines from Israel here, but there is still the issue that they are not seen as quality wines. This could stem from a hard core reality that Israel had a primitive wine industry a few decades ago, and so, many New Yorkers associate Israeli wines with being incapable of excellent quality.

But recently, Israel has seen major investment of money and energy into their wineries. Recanati was started in 2000 by Lenny Recanati, who is not only a passionate wine lover, but a man wanting to reconnect with his forefathers’ love for making wine. Even the famous Rothschild family has invested heavily in Israel’s wine industry.

And what about the kosher issue?

Being kosher and/or kosher for Passover does not affect quality. Even though there have been many discussions whether top Israeli wineries should be kosher or not, some say just the idea of them being kosher hurts the quality perception of their wines, but they want religious Jews to be able to enjoy the best wines that Israeli can offer, especially if it does not affect quality and keep others from enjoying it. It comes down to educating the public that they offer a range of quality and can reach great premium heights. Also, enlightening the world that Israel can work in peace with their neighbors in a mutually beneficial relationship.

A Wine that Represents Hope

The Recanati wine that is made from Palestinian grapes is a white variety called Marawi. The grower’s name is kept anonymous since there could be backlash against the Palestine growing grapes for the purpose of making wine and/or working with Israelis. Marawi is thought to be a variety that has been around for thousands of years. It has survived being completely ripped out and eradicated, during times when winemaking grapes were destroyed, because it is a tasty grape to eat as well.

It is a beautiful representation of those who survive against all odds, and the hope that not only can all of us live in peace with each other, but we can thrive from the diversity of our world.

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Recanati Wines Tasted on January 26th, 2016

-2014 Marawi:
We did not get a chance to taste this wine. There are only 2500 bottles made and so it will be allocated to only a few accounts in major cities such as New York City.

-2014 Sauvignon Blanc:
It seems sort of odd to have a sauvignon blanc from Israel, and some may say only the reds are good from such a warm country. But this is a nice example of a fresh, lively aromatic wine that had more fruit notes (tropical fruit with citrus) than herbaceous ones and a hint of black currant leaf gave it a nice lift on the finish. These vineyards are on a higher elevation which moderates the temperature.

-2012 Special Reserve White (60% Roussanne and 40% Marsanne):
Okay, now we get into the more serious wines. This wine shocked me for several reasons. Honestly, I did not know that Israel could make a white wine this stunning! It could easily compete with some of the top white Châteauneuf-du-Pape (CdP) wines. Also, many of us who love white CdP have a slight prejudice against Marsanne, always believing Roussanne to be the higher quality variety. But I must say it seems Marsanne, as well as Roussanne, does very well in Israel, and this wine made me actually think about instead of buying Château de Beaucastel Coudoulet Blanc, I would buy this wine. And yes, Beaucastel 100% Roussanne old vines will always be the best in this category, but it is also $130 compared to the suggested $50 retail of this wine. Lots of peachy flesh, lovely complexity of white flowers and roasted cashews. It was incredibly rich in texture yet with a good backbone of acidity and fresh flavors. I just hope this is not the last time I have it.

-2013 Reserve Petite Sirah:
Personally, I am a fan of Petite Sirah and I am always on the lookout for a good one, which is not so easy to find. This wine is great for those who love tannic structure, and the tannins are nicely shaped with no astringency. I think too many producers shy away from producing a 100% Petite Sirah because they are afraid of the tannins, but tannins are not always a bad thing, especially when it is a well made wine. Opaque color, ripe blueberry and spicy notes.

-2012 Reserve Syrah Viognier (97% Syrah and 3% Viognier):
Aromatic red with white pepper, perfumed nose, well-integrated round tannins and fresh black berry fruit that carries through the long finish.

-2013 Reserve Marselan:
Marselan is a cross between cabernet sauvignon and garnacha that was created in the 1960s in Montpellier, southern France, to be a large-berried variety that produced high yields. It turned out to have small berries and produces higher quality at a lower quantity, and so it was forgotten about since it ended up not fulfilling its high yield promise. But a few quality producers, such as Recanati, have decided to use it. Wild brambly flavors with fresh sage and a soft body that caresses the palate.

-2013 Reserve Wild Carignan:
Old, wild vines, the wild referring to them being bush vines producing low yields. Carignan is typically used as a blending grape in the south of France and northeast Spain, but under the right conditions it can make exceptional wines on its own. The tannins were not as strong as I thought they were going to be. Actually, it had a lovely textural component that one does not expect from Carignan. Layers of flavors with boysenberry, clove and rosemary.

-2012 Special Reserve (30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah, 25% Marselan and 15% Carignan):
Also, may I say that the alcohol seemed balanced in all the wines with the whites ranging from 13-13.5% and the reds ranging from 14-14.5%. There was never any type of heat detected and I didn’t even think about the alcohol. The head winemaker, Gil Shatsberg, said how he was against a jammy style and always strives for elegance and restraint in his wines, which he succeeds – and this Special Reserve is a wonderful example of his philosophy. Black cherry with tobacco leaf, exotic spice and a whisper of dark chocolate… and yes, I did use “whisper” in a tasting note – it promises hedonistic pleasure without giving up too much all at once… and so, the wine always gives more with each taste. A big, bold wine that atypically leaves a drinker wanting more…

Posted in Dame Wine | Tagged Israel, kosher, marwai, Palestine | 2 Comments

When Lost Chances Become a Benefit: The Story of South African Wines

Posted on February 3, 2016 by damewine

In the 1954 film, On the Waterfront, there is a famous scene in which Marlon Brando says, “I could’ve been a contender. I could’ve been somebody.” I first saw that movie with my step-father, when I was a child, and did not understand the full impact of that scene. But when I looked up at his eyes and saw them filled with tears, I knew those words touched some deep regrets he may have had. Now, I have these same thoughts when I think about South Africa’s chance to make a name for itself in the US market.

South African Wines

Three weeks ago, I attended a South African masterclass in New York City. I have to admit that even as little as five years ago, I was not thrilled with the idea of tasting South African Wines. When they first hit the US market, they had gained a less than favorable reputation, but it is now said that the poor quality was due to hygiene issues that have since been almost eradicated. Some may remember that typical “rubber” note that was common with South African wines – South African wines I have tasted in the past couple of years have had that note. I actually tasted many wines during and after the masterclass and some were very impressive, tasting notes given at the end of this post.

South Africa’s Lost Chance

There is much to learn about South Africa as a wine region. One aspect, which I have been thinking about for weeks, is the idea that they missed out associating one variety with their country, such as Australia with Shiraz (Syrah) and Argentina with Malbec. Since South Africa was basically cut off from the rest of the world during Apartheid, they missed taking advantage of that trend.

Making the Most of Lost Chances

The longer I live and the more conversations I have with various people around the world, the more I realize that most people have had the feeling of regret at least once in their lives. One of the major differences between those who are content with their lives, as opposed to those not content, is the ability to find a way to let go of that regret and to focus on the present. It is a discipline that one needs to place effort into every day; if it were so easy to let go of regret, then everyone would do it.

Stephen Hawking is a great example of someone who did not allow lost chances to get in his way of becoming one of the greatest minds of our time. Hawking is an English theoretical physicist and cosmologist who, in 1963 at the age of 21, was diagnosed with motor neuron disease. Even though he eventually became paralyzed, he did not allow that to stop him from not only continuing his research of the universe, but eventually communicating his findings to the world.

“Although I cannot move and I have to speak through a computer, in my mind I am free.”
-Stephen Hawking

As I observe the world I find with increasing interest how some can be given so much and still feel bad about their lives, and some can be given so little and be grateful for every little thing, and vice versa. It is truly a choice that we make everyday. Of course, I do not mean to make light of serious traumatic events that would break anyone’s spirit.
It is a choice: either we take responsibility for creating our own opportunities and happiness or we don’t.

The Benefit of No Signature Variety

It is fair to say that South Africa missed being able to associate itself with one variety.

A signature wine is different from a signature variety in that a signature wine can be a blend, such as the classic sparkling wine that comes from Champagne and takes its name from the place. There is a well established trend in the New World that associates a single variety with a particular country, hence why to some, a signature variety is essential to succeed with exports. Those fast successes, like many fast successes, can end up causing detriment to a country’s long term success: Australian Shiraz being considered too much of a big fruit bomb and Argentinian Malbec being considered a quaffing wine that should not go beyond an entry level price point. Even beloved New Zealand is diversifying their plantings in case the whole Sauvignon Blanc craze ends.

The above sweeping statements are unfair and do not tell the whole story of countries that produce wines of various styles and quality levels, but those are the stories that gave them international fame, and so those are the stories that are rooted in many consumers’ minds. Even though South Africa is playing catch-up in building an international brand, in a way, it was good that they waited, even if waiting was not by their own design.

White and Red Blends

Some of us wine nerds may remember Pinotage as being the variety to represent South Africa, but it really was never that big of a player. Consider that in 2000, it only made up 7% of total vineyards (Wine Grapes as % of Total Hectares), and today is still only at 7% (it was uprooted in some places and planted in other more desirable soils in South Africa). Chenin Blanc is the most planted grape variety, occupying 18% of vineyards, trailed by Cabernet Sauvignon occupying 12%.

Photo Credit: All copyright is with Wines of South Africa and photographer Klein Constantia.

South Africa actually has many varieties planted because it has some of the most diverse terroir in the world – over 60 different types of soil exist. And it is common for the soil to change every three meters (nine feet) – this is the reason why there are so many varieties planted.

Why is all of this important? Okay, let me follow a question with another question: what is currently one of the biggest trends in wine? I know there are many, but there is a growing trend of New World blends. Major brands are promoting them and they are great wines to sell because no matter the vintage, a producer can produce more consistency and balance. I was especially impressed with the blends from South Africa.

What is great about blends from South Africa is that it is not a marketing ploy – it mainly came from quality minded producers having such diversity within the same vineyards that they had to plant different varieties to produce top quality wine. It is a natural result of their unique landscape.

In the film, It’s a Wonderful Life, George Bailey was bogged down by the daily grind of his life and the regrets he replayed over and over in his head. He thought his life had no value until he was given the rare opportunity to see what other people’s lives would be like if he was never born.

In a way, South Africa was going through so much turmoil that it took a while for them to truly realize the incredible potential of their land. They are now starting to live up to their glorious terroirs, but it is a matter of showing the world that their wines have more value than once thought, and we will see if their lost chances can become a benefit.

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South African Wines tasted at Masterclass on January 12th, 2016

Tasted as aperitif before the seminar:

-L’Ormarins Brut Classique NV from Franschhoek (55% Chardonnay & 45% Pinot Noir):
Pure, pretty fruit flavors of fresh cherries and white peach with some toast notes and creamy texture that is balanced by a good energy on the palate.

Tasted during the seminar:

-Saltare Brut Reserve NV from Swartland (Chardonnay & Pinot Noir – no % of blend given):
Lots of rich autolytic notes expressed by brioche (spent 3 years on lees and their tech sheet says to “enjoy within 3 years after disgorgement” with the disgorgement date being the 23rd of June 2015). It had an intense citrus peel note that was not too sharp but more rounded such as you can find in lemon confit. Good acidity and I believe this sparkler will open up in time.

-2015 Virgin Earth Sauvignon Blanc from Langeberg Garcia:
Langeberg Garcia is one of the smallest appellations, and a new wine to hit the US market. It is much more New Zealand in style than South African, and what I mean by that is that it has pronounced flavors of tropical fruits and herbaceous notes, and South African Sauvignon Blanc is typically more subtle in style. But the acidity is not as fierce as in versions from Marlborough, New Zealand.

-2014 Bizoe Henrietta from Franschhoek (70% Sémillon & 30% Sauvignon Blanc):
Pretty spicy note that indicate good integration of oak with honeysuckle notes and creamy texture that points to lees aging, only a small quantity is produced.

-2014 Waterkloof Chenin Blanc from Stellenbosch:
Biodynamic practices, indigenous yeasts, no enzymes added. Touch of lanolin and a broad quality to the high acidity with rich apple pie notes.

-2014 Terre Brulee Chenin Blanc from Swartland:
A more linear Chenin with laser acidity that shoots right down the palate carrying intense honey and quince flavors.

-2014 Kershaw Chardonnay from Elgin:
A cool weather styled Chardonnay with dominant citrus fruit white stony minerality (not coming from the soil but more describing the restraint, elegant style of the wine) and faint hint of clove indicates a judicious amount of oak used.

-2015 De Wetshof Limestone Hill Chardonnay from Robertston:
This wine has a similar restraint as the previous Chardonnay but more creaminess and texture on the palate and the fruit more vivid – golden apple. 100% stainless steel and so no oak used yet lots of lees stirring (battonage).

-2014 Black Elephant White Blend from Franschhoek (58% Sauvignon Blanc,
33% Semillon & 9% Viognier):
A lush body with notes of honeycomb, dried apricots and white flowers with a bright finish.

-2013 Creation Pinot Noir from Hemel en Aarde:
The Hemel en Aarde region is making a very good reputation for themselves as a producer of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines by pioneers such as Hamilton Russell and Bouchard Finlayson. A pretty Pinot Noir with bright red cherry with a light body, sweet spice and marked acidity.

-2014 Radford Dale Frankenstein Pinotage from Stellenbosch:
Smoke, dried herbs and black cherries with a nice balance and finesse that one would not expect from a Pinotage.

-2010 Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon from Stellenbosch:
A great example of what South Africa does best. Some much generous ripe fruit on the nose it makes one salivate yet the palate is refined and fresh.

-2011 Rustenberg John X Merriman from Simonsberg-Stellenbosch (55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc):
More structure than the previous Thelema 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and I know that is odd, because you would think it would be the other way around, but sometimes place and winemaking trumps variety/varieties.

-2012 Noble Hill Estate Blend from Simonsberg-Paarl (66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot):
Hedonistic wine with flavors of blueberry pie with an intense nose of cinnamon spice and velvety mouthfeel.

-2011 Ken Forrester Renegade from Stellenbosch (60% Shiraz, 26% Grenache and 14% Mourvedre):
At one time one could guarantee that a wine labeled with Shiraz was going to be in a more New World Australian style, and a wine labeled with Syrah would be more Old World Rhône. But that is not necessarily true nowadays, and this wine is a great example since it has Old World charm with savory flavors of bacon and dried herbs with juicy black and red fruit. Old World rustic charm with New World polish.

-2011 Fable Mountain Vineyards Syrah from Tulbagh:
Angular body with textural complexity of firm tannins that coat the palate with good amount of flesh to balance it out. This wine has the ripeness and generosity of the New World but with the elegant structure of the Old World.

Wines tasted after the seminar that I found very impressive:

-2014 Rall White from Swartland (Chenin Blanc, Verdelho, Chardonnay and Viognier – no % of blend given):
This wine was a revelation with a big, rich body balanced with marked acidity and an intoxicating flinty note. It is lush without being heavy, decadent without being vulgar…. a real lady who is in touch with her passion.

-2012 A.A. Badenhorst Red Blend from Swartland (Shiraz, Cinsault, Tinta Barocca, Grenache and Mourvèdre):
A dark and serious wine, like Hamlet, with spice, black currant flavors and a wafting of purple flowers. A plush body that is round yet has good structure. A wine that draws you in and never lets you go.

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Posted in Dame Wine | Tagged Red Blends, South Africa, White Blends | Leave a comment

Should Bordeaux Go Back to Less Ripeness & More Structure?

Posted on January 26, 2016 by damewine

I can’t blame Bordeaux, which struggled for many decades to ripen Cabernet Sauvignon, for celebrating the warmer vintages they have received over the past decade. But Bordeaux has been criticized by some for the increase in alcohol, ripeness and lack of tannin and acidity. There are plenty of consumers who want lush, more generous wines, but why not buy Napa Cabs if that is what one is looking for? And do Bordeaux wines still express that special spark when it’s too ripe? Or do they need to focus on more restraint and structure in warmer vintages?

Nothing is Permanent

This is one of the best and worst things about life. In bad times we can always count on change, and unfortunately, we cannot stay frozen in the great times. It is probably one of the biggest factors in life that causes us the most joy and the most pain: change.

And so not only did the general climatic conditions change in Bordeaux, there were advances in the vineyards and winery, as well as trends towards richer and riper styles. Bordeaux could not stay the same… it was forced to evolve.

I remember a discussion during the 2010 MW Symposium, in Bordeaux, between Paul Pontallier, the Managing Director of Château Margaux and Paul Draper, the chief winemaker for Ridge Vineyards in California, about the change in styles. Draper had always admired the restrained style of old school Bordeaux while Pontallier said that the Bordelais had always struggled with too much austerity in their wines and welcomed the new generosity of the modern vintages.

Their conversation was beautiful in the sense that each one wanted what came easily to the other. A great analogy for life: most of us do not appreciate those things that make us unique. We typically see those unique traits as flaws, especially when we are younger and less secure, and we try to fit in with the popular consensus – sometimes forcing ourselves to live in an unnatural way.

More Alcohol and Less Structure

Some lovers of traditional wines scoff at Bordeaux’s evolution into a riper, more accessible style, while those who appreciate a more decadent wine have been won over.

A couple of years ago, I had a great discussion with Christian Moueix in regards to my preference of the 2010 La Fleur-Pétrus over the 2009. He seemed quite surprised and asked me why. I said that I liked the tension in the 2010, to which he replied that when you get to his age you do not want tension anymore!

But that is Pomerol and so one expects those wines to have opulence.

What about the great wines of Saint-Estèphe, such as Montrose and Cos d’Estournel?

On January 18th, in Washington DC, I attended a wine dinner that was led by Aymeric de Gironde, recent Director of Cos d’Estournel. It was a great chance to not only check in on many vintages but to see the evolution of the Cos d’Estournel style. Cos is undoubtedly considered a Super Second, a wine that is technically a 2nd Growth but performs in many vintages as a 1st Growth.

Aymeric de Gironde addressed the reasons for trending towards the riper style in Bordeaux using logic from his experience, not only at Cos, but also with his previous position at AXA Millésimes. He addressed the past decade as a learning experience for the Bordelais: it takes time to find the balance when times have changed, and so the Bordelais are trying to find the balance.

de Gironde embraces the new opportunities for riper fruit and less green tannins but not at the expense of the backbone of structure that helps differentiate Saint-Estèphe from not only other countries, but also from other sub-regions within the Haut-Médoc of Bordeaux.

He embraces balance: sometimes balance comes at 13% abv and sometimes it comes at 14.5% abv, such as the natural alcohol that is found in the 2010 Cos d’Estournel, which pleases many traditionalists.

Changing Tastes or Learning to Deal with Change

Maybe it is not a matter of the pendulum swinging back to more restraint, but more of the idea that the Bordelais are finally learning how to deal with the inevitable changes of life. Aymeric de Gironde said that Cos d’Estournel has always tried to keep a consistent style, of course allowing for vintage variation. Even though there was the one odd exception of the 2003, all of the wines seemed like siblings, some more flamboyant than others, but siblings nevertheless. And the 15 vintages I had that night showed a journey, not unlike our own, that expressed the various twists and turns of the life of Cos d’Estournel.

Finding Balance

There is no doubt that Bordeaux is making great wines on a more consistent basis. It is not only due to the weather but also through advancements in technology and knowledge. They know more than their forefathers knew. They have embraced those advancements. But they now realize that they need to find a way to balance concentration with the structure and energy that makes one say, “I have to have Bordeaux because no other wine is like it.”

All of us want to improve ourselves, each of us being very sensitive to our own imperfections. We want to improve, we want to better ourselves, but sometimes we can go too far, we change that one thing that gave us our spark.

I am hoping to see Bordeaux get that spark back and ecstatic to see that Cos d’Estournel is keeping that spark alive!

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Vertical of Cos d’Estournel Tasted on January 18th, 2016
In the order they were tasted. Also, I tasted these wines the next day since I poured 1oz samples into vials. Almost all the wines still stayed in full primary condition, with the 2003 being the only exception declining the next day, and a couple of vintages, such as the 1982, significantly improved.

-2008:
This wine has lovely purity of fruit with linear body and more intensity on the nose than palate. It has a high percentage of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon with 13% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc with very low yields for the harvest.

-2006:
The 2006 is wild with lots of forest floor, truffles and grilled meats on the nose, and muscular body. A small amount of Petit Verdot was used, 2%, and the rest is made up of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot.

-2004:
A pretty, fragrant nose with floral notes and a linear body with slightly firm tannins. Blend is 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc.

-2005:
A tight, tight wine….Aymeric de Gironde said that they are still waiting for the 05s to open. Even though it is a ripe wine with great concentration, it is shut down with only general aromatics and flavors barely reaching one’s senses. This wine did improve on the second day of drinking the 1oz sample, with incense and clove dominating the nose and blackcurrant jam on the palate, but it was still pretty closed. It needs more time in bottle. A dream vintage (ideal textbook growing season) that may never see its dream wine. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc.

-2003:
This is a vintage in France that most of us know. It made the news with several people dying from an intense heat wave that lasted 15 days. One can imagine that getting so much heat all at once is not good for most crops, and follows that, it caused a lot of issues with the wines that were made that year. This 2003 is actually one of the better ones with no signs of desiccated fruit. It is not “dead” like most 2003 Bordeaux. But it is certainly an atypical wine. Less flesh than the 2005 and no structure, 2003 is a moderately bodied, fruit driven wine. It was enjoyable to drink, especially for those who like a softer palate, but it did not seem reminiscent of left bank Bordeaux at all, and herein lies the problem. But a great vintage to introduce New World Pinot Noir lovers, and someone at this tasting did say it was their favorite. It did not hold up that well the next day on the palate but it did open up on the nose with notes of gingerbread cookies. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc.

-2002:
Cos deserves a pat on the back for this effort during a challenging vintage. The wine was tight on the palate, still staying closed the next day, but had an interesting nose with licorice and exotic spice wafting around one’s head. The next day I discovered an extra complexity of tomato leaf that I liked but may not be to everyone’s liking. 58% of Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot made from extremely low yields of 32 hectoliters per hectare. Again, a terrific effort for this vintage.

-2000:
Powerful yet elegant. Intense nose with ripe blackberries, sandalwood, spice with a touch of fresh herbs. So high and low notes, and the palate had a good amount of flesh with lots of tannin to give it backbone, yet the tannins were very fine and soft in the mouth. Also, an interesting side note about the 2000, Aymeric de Gironde said that this was the first vintage where Cos significantly dropped their yields from around 60 hl/ha to around 40 hl/ha. The 1oz sample was still in great shape the next day and more distinctive aromatics came out with dried thyme and cigar box. This legendary vintage is actually ready to drink now and I would not wait more than 5 years to drink it. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc.

-1996:
A tannic, lean body that carried great energy and layers of complexity, and so some were not fans but others loved this wine; notes of Bay leaf and fresh sage which did not hold up too well the next day. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot.

-1995:
Rich and lush flavors (they were experimenting with 100% new oak) with their characteristic Asian spice and incense aromatics being especially intensified in this wine. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot.

-1989:
We had the 89, 85 and 82 side by side. The 89 was the least impressive, the 82 a well-known legend, and the 85 that was singing that night. There was nothing wrong with the 89. It had everything that one would want from an older left bank Bordeaux: good concentration, firm yet integrated tannins, some fruit with a touch of complexity with tobacco leaf, but there was nothing extraordinary about it; and so, it paled in comparison to the other wines. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot.

-1985:
The wine that “rocked my world” that night was the 85, which is odd because I was expecting the 82 to be the wine of the night. As I said before, the 85 was singing with an intoxicating nose of flowers, fruit and sweet spice that delivered those aromatics like a lady, with gentle love. Simply elegant. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. Also, I did some of my own research and the 1985 is 100% new oak as well, but does not show it. So perhaps the 1995 will become as stunning as the 1985.

-1982:
There is no doubt the 82 is a living legend. The 85 may have overshadowed it on the night of the 18th of January, but the next day it was a lot better than the 85, which is indicative that it just needs more time, or just make sure to leave some for the next day. My first experience was a very good one with an intense smoky quality, but it did not express its greatness at the time due to the smoke dominating the whole wine. Well, the next day it really opened up with sandalwood, gravel and sweet tobacco with silky tannins that carried along the long finish. It was breathtaking the next day and shocking how it is still going strong. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot.

-2012:
This wine was very closed and tight. Even the next day, it was giving very little on the nose and palate. But there are the classic signs of Cos d’Estournel with spice and incense… also, some fresh mint that brings a brightness. There are lots of tannins yet they were decently integrated, especially considering the tough vintage and the youthful age. This will be a good wine to drink in 5 years or so while one is waiting for the monster vintages to come around. 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.

-2010:
I love the 2010s. First of all I am a personal fan of acidity and tannin, and when I crave left bank Bordeaux that is what I’m looking for in their wines. This vintage combines all the positives of a ripe vintage (not overly green, lots of flesh on the body) with all the exciting glory of an outstanding traditionally cooler vintage (marked acidity, great backbone of high quality tannins and lots of energy). This is why I love Bordeaux.. this wine, right here! It will make great old bones, but if you need to pop the cork now make sure to decant for hours and have it with some red meat if you can. It immediately gave flavors of blackberry, tobacco, cassis and sandalwood but was even more generous the next day. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.

-2009:
I am not going to dispute the greatness of the 2009. Full Disclosure: I am a 2010 sort of girl. I crave structure and tension when seeking out Bordeaux. The 2009 is delicious and while it does have structure, my personal preference would be for a little bit more. Even Aymeric de Gironde admitted that he thinks they should have picked earlier for the 2009 harvest. But what is really nice about the 2009 is that it is open now with lots of fruit, spice and incense notes that has a decadent fleshy body and a well sustained flavorful finish. If you are not a fan of too much tannin or acidity then this is the wine for you.
65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc.

Posted in Dame Wine | Tagged Bordeaux, Cos d'Estournel, Saint-Estèphe | Leave a comment

Texas, New Orleans and Vietnam Taught Me: Wine Stories Do Matter

Posted on January 9, 2016 by damewine

Before I left for holiday break, I was able to taste some Texan wines for the first time, from Llano Estacado Winery in West Texas. I thought that all of the wines were a good value for their price at USD $13 up to $35, and they had a nice amount of fruit with moderate alcohol. I was very impressed by both their Viognier and a red blend called Viviano. But what I find most interesting is the story, and the story is simply that most people outside of Texas do not expect to drink wine from Texas. Even though Texas has some pretty big metropolitan cities, I think many of us cannot help but think of those movies and tv shows that took place in Texas, like Dallas. We think of the wide open spaces, where sir/ma’am is used in everyday conversation and gentlemen in cowboy hats ride horses. And so a wine that has “Texas” written on it already tells a unique story.

Growing Up in New Orleans

I had a colorful childhood in New Orleans, as anyone who knows the city well can imagine. It is truly a playground for adults – growing up, many local high school kids certainly took advantage of going to the French Quarter to “pretend” that they were adults. I was an odd child… I spent most of my time reading and thinking, and thinking and reading; like everyone else going through adolescence, I had my issues and that is how my issues manifested themselves. And so when I did go out with other kids, to try to be a normal teenager by joining the revelry of the city, I would always find myself standing back and observing.

A typical summer night in the French Quarter was slow yet electric, humid and hot with the air thick and heavy, the sounds of people freeing themselves with the alcoholic beverage of their choice – sometimes these sounds were colored with frivolity and sometimes they were colored with unsettling anger.

But what I would consistently overhear from other adolescents, and their older counterparts, before intoxication took too much of a stronghold, were the reasons why they preferred one drink over another. It was typically associated with a place, how they were feeling when they drank it, or with the company they kept at the time. This would commonly be expressed in a general statement such as the person only drank “sweet wine”, “white wine”, “big reds”, “any spirit but tequila”, “Miller over Budweiser” etc, etc, etc.

It was my first inclination that it was more than just the taste – even though that of course is a factor. Just like it is when you date someone, you need to find something attractive about them in the beginning – but there needs to be other compelling factors to keep bringing you back to that person for more. There are psychological reasons… there are feelings that one desires – comfort, challenge, familiarity, reliving a good time or avoiding a previously bad experience. For example, I would hear many repeat tourists of New Orleans say how they were drinking this one drink because last time they had it in New Orleans they had the time of their life.

Traveling to Vietnam

My husband and I recently came back from a trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. We arranged this trip at the last moment, which was an atypical move on our part. Initially, we questioned whether we made the right choice, what with all the other places one could go in the world. But then we started reading blogs and travel journals of people who have either lived or visited this area. Their stories filled us with giddy anticipation of our trip and I have to say it made the trip that much more special because we were dreaming of certain neighborhoods and food stalls for weeks before we even arrived. This trip convinced me that stories could help create positive feelings associated with an experience.

Texan Wines

The idea that wines are from Texas can work in their favor yet also work against building a reputable brand. It seems so far fetched to make wine in Texas…. a place that is associated with cattle ranches and oil. The wines I tasted had moderate alcohol and fruit but I saw some comments on the internet saying they were fruit bombs, and a rant saying that they knew Texan wines would taste that way. I’m not saying that there are not fruit bombs in Texas, I am a novice when it comes to these wines, but I certainly know a fruit bomb when I taste it and the samples I tasted were far from that profile. This is where a preconceived notion of a place harms the reputation of their wines.

Alternatively, I think such a fantastical wine growing region could be appealing to the wine drinkers of today. The big trend with millennials is that wines cannot be too obscure or different. And as long as they deliver on quality in relationship to price, they have a decent chance of finding some success in the current adventurous wine drinking world.

As I tasted these lovely Texan beauties and talked by phone to the Vice President Executive Winemaker at Llano Estacado Winery, Greg Bruni, I started to yearn to visit the “Lone Star State”. I was intrigued by the major differences of West and East Texas with the former having drier weather and issues with hail during the winter. I never dreamt of going to Texas because I grew up in the state right next to it, and so it did not seem that exotic, that foreign… but after living in New York City for 22 years, it absolutely seems as different as it can get.

Wines Stories Do Matter

Wine stories do not need to be a detailed thousand word essay, they can be a simple idea that is associated with positive feelings that engage a certain sector of the market. No one knows that much about how Coca Cola is made, but for generations, many consumers have associated it with happiness. I know, the wine world, with their low margins, doesn’t make as much money as soda drinks and hence their advertising budgets are smaller, but there is a lesson there. There has always been the slogan that “Everything is Bigger in Texas”. What does that mean with wine? It could be taken the wrong way, meaning higher alcohol fruit bombs – which was not my experience with Llano Estacado wines. And of course there is the argument that giving wines a slogan is just branding and is not a story.

But I think some branding taglines do tell a story, and I would like to think that Texas is “The New American Wine Frontier”. This tagline, with a little bit of information and pictures, enhanced by wine influencers talking about their wines, could strike an interest in Texan wines with those who are looking for an odd wine but nothing too weird. It is just a matter of getting it into the hands of the consumer – but the complicated US alcohol distribution system does not make it easy. And it is also a matter of making sure that wine drinkers have a positive story in their head before they decide to pull the corks on Texan wines… I think that should be the first step before going gung ho with placements around the world, or mainly the US.

It is just like our trip to Ho Chi Minh City – the city only had one shot for us to enjoy it – and everyone who worked there, who could speak English, asked us how we liked visiting there. They almost seemed surprised to see, as Americans, how in love we were with the city. I think part of the success of our trip was the stories we read before we went.

And so I think the lesson is simple.

Tell the story first, sell the wine second. It makes all the difference in the world.

**************************************************************

Wine Samples from Llano Estacado Winery tasted on December 11th, 2015

-2014 Llano Cellar Reserve Chardonnay, Texas, USA:
Retail $14
Tropical fruit of mango with chalky minerality (which, as many of us know, does not come from the soil but is just a descriptor used to explain a certain quality of the wine) and bright acidity – reminded me of an exotic Mâcon

-2014 Mont Sec Viognier, Texas, USA:
Unlisted Retail Price
Juicy peach fruit with a touch of perfume finishing with spicy notes – it seems that Viognier grows consistently better in West Texas than Chardonnay, but Chardonnay does better in more Eastern areas such as Austin

-2014 Harvest Reserve Tempranillo (American appellation):
Retail $13
Light tannins, black strawberry and clean, moderately sustained length

-2010 Viviano Superiore Rosso (70% Cabernet Sauvignon & 30% Sangiovese)
Retail $35
Black currant, dried herbs, sweet tobacco, dusty earth and cedar notes with a full body and long, satisfying finish – Sangiovese grows well in West Texas and I would like to try the Llano Estacado Winery’s 100% Sangiovese wines someday

Posted in Dame Wine | Tagged New Orleans, Texas, Vietnam | 2 Comments

Ubiquitous Italian White Wines: Myth? Or Reality?

Posted on December 16, 2015 by damewine

Pic Vermentino wines

I am hopeful no one will take offense to this title. But it seems that those who flip out at my post titles never bothered to actually read the post itself.

But let us be honest. All of us have heard that Italian white wines are flavorless and simple. And white wines in general have the misconception of always being lower quality than red wines. Even though some of us may know there are some hidden gems in the Italian white wine, it is still a topic that desperately needs to be discussed since this misconception is still pretty dominant around the world.

Why do people think Italian white wines are ubiquitous?

Because the majority of Italian white wines on the shelves are simple wines. And this is not necessarily a bad thing. Many wine consumers do not want to be challenged by their daily alcoholic drink… maybe they want to place ice cubes in it on a hot summer day, or have a wine that can be opened during a gathering that will have a general mass appeal.

But I think there is a shift going on with wine tastes in the US. Wine has never been as popular with American drinkers, which is funny because it is losing its appeal with young drinkers in European wine drinking countries. This can be simply attributed to the idea that the younger generation doesn’t want to do what their grandparents practiced.

And so US wine consumers want more variety in varieties. I think there will always be a huge market for quaffable wines at a low price, but there is an increasing need for a little bit more complexity, and wine lovers are willing to pay more for an interesting experience. And this has led to some Italian producers paying more attention to lesser known indigenous varieties.

Italian White Wines

Bulk Pinot Grigo from the Veneto has certainly not helped the quality perception of Italian white wines, and Soave (Garganega) is another one that can be labeled as contributing to the “ubiquitous” perception, even though I recently had a Pieropan Soave that was incredible. And there are lovely Pinot Grigio wines from Alto Adige, as well as intensely aromatic Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, but none of the aforementioned are indigenous to Italy, interestingly enough.

Gavi (Cortese) and Roero Arneis get some recognition as being quality wines in exports markets, with Gavi being better known in America. This is due, in part, to their association to one of the greatest red wine regions of the world, Piedmont.

Yes, there are Orvieto and Etna white blends, and the good, bad and ugly of all the various Trebbiano incarnations – some are related to each other while Trebbiano d’Abruzzo has no relation to any other Trebbiano grape…

What about Vermentino?

Those of us who have been fortunate enough to have a nice Vermentino know what an extremely enticing aromatic wine it can be.

Vermentino

Vermentino is considered an indigenous variety of Italy, and the most notable ones are from Tuscany and Sardinia. I actually had a pretty one from Montecucco, Tuscany over a month ago.

Some like to compare Vermentino to Sauvignon Blanc, which I think is fair considering it can have a tendency towards a light body and aromatic nose, but some of the best are really unique in their qualities and offer a nice weight with a sustained length.

And last week I was able to experience Sardinia Vermentino three different ways by the same winery, Vigne Surrau. One was a fresher, more fruit forward style; the second was a more serious white wine with a rich texture and complex aromatics; and the final Vermentino was a luscious passito (grapes dried on trays) sweet wine.

Sardinia is a Mediterranean island off the coast of Italy. It is best known for its Vermentino and Cannonau wines. The only Sardinian DOCG is Vermentino di Gallura – DOCG is the highest quality assurance label a wine can receive in Italy, even though some may question its validity. But the Vigne Surrau Vermentino wines, which come from the Gallura DOCG, all had a nice balance of fruit, intensity, acidity and weight. The Gallura vineyards are known for their granite soils and the mistral wind that keeps disease pressure low while retaining good acidity levels.

Vigne Surrau uses different clones of Vermentino. For example, their Branu Vermentino clone produces smaller, less aromatic grapes for their fresh stainless steel version, compared to the Sciala Vermentino clone which produces more aromatic grapes for their more serious skin contact, battonage (lees contact to give creaminess on the palate) version. Also, they are experimenting with aging their top Vermentino wines and find they take on characteristics of Riesling when they evolve.

Are Ubiquitous Italian White Wines a Myth? Or Reality?

A little of both… stereotypes exist for a reason, but once we understand why they exist then we can understand the reality of them. It is not so much that Italian white grape varieties do not have the potential, but it is more of a question of them not being properly made for a high quality wine (lower yields and modern equipment) because there hasn’t been an existing market willing to pay more for interesting Italian white wines until recently. Grapes are like human beings – some of us get a later start in life than others for various reasons. And it doesn’t matter when you fulfill your potential, so long as you get the opportunity someday. Bravo to Vigne Surrau for helping Vermentino fulfill its destiny.

Posted in Dame Wine | 2 Comments

Dame Wine®

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When Lost Chances Become a Benefit: The Story of South African Wines

Should Bordeaux Go Back to Less Ripeness & More Structure?

Texas, New Orleans and Vietnam Taught Me: Wine Stories Do Matter

Ubiquitous Italian White Wines: Myth? Or Reality?

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