WINESCENE

Four Red Wines To Know and Appreciate

English: Modified version of Commons image Image:Rhone transit suspension.jpg to show the major cities, rivers and wine regions of the Northern Rhone Valley (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Last night I drank a bunch of wonderful wines that just have to be noted. I was up in Seattle for a birthday dinner of a friend. The dinner was at Terra Plata, an urban bistro that has to be on your must visit list if you ever make it to the Emerald City.

The first red wine was the Le Petit Cheval, 2003, a Bordeaux blend that was light, silky and smooth. It was very clearly ready and and delicious.

The second wine that just needs to be known about is from a winery I have become a fan of. Domain de Mourchon, is a Rhone Valley producer I have gotten to know this year. Nestled up in Seguret, not far from another winery I'm fond of, Chene Bleu, is the McKinley family's winery. The 2007 Domaine de Mourchon Family Reserve is made from 100 percent Grenache, and is so complex and rich, layered with forrest floor, raspberry, blackberry and cherry flavors. The wine is nowhere near showing any age, and will clearly go for another 8-10 years. It's complex, knitted and tasty. 

The last two wines are wines that are special to me. The first is the 2009 Comunicano Wine Company Syrah, that I blended in conjunction with friend and winemaker Doug Margerum. The second is the 2007Domaine d'Aupilhac Les Cocalieres. Both are moving along nicely, and are showing forward development and lots of years ahead. The Comunicano red is becoming the Northern Rhone style red that I envisioned when I first started with Doug on the project. The Aupilhac wine is numbingly complex and requires an hour or two to open, but when it does, it goes from being a very good wine, to something for the textbooks of what a wine from the Languedoc should be. Garrigue herbs, fruity middle and an amazingly long, lingering finish.

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2009 Salomon Undhof Kogl Riesling (Austria)

Image via Wikipedia

Over the past few years and really over the last decade when it comes to Rieslings I've turned my attention away from Germany and towards other regions of the world that are producing world class versions of the noble grape that are far from sweet.

Of those regions that include Oregon, France's Alsace appelation and Austria, and from there it's been the wines that Terry Theise imports that alwasy seemed were the first to catch my palate, but over the past ten years other importers have begun to uncover some of the gems hidden in the storybook land of wines that benefit from the Alpine climate.

One of those producers is the Salomon and their 2009 Undhof Kogl Riesling is a stunning example of wine craftsmanship from Austria. The steely, crisp, minerally, and yes, fresh fruit flavored Riesling shows why the wines from the Austiran Kremstel region (near the town of Krems) have grown on me. The bright lemon and orange peel flavor, backed by a whiff of white pepper is the perfect wine for Asiatic cooking or lighly charred fresh fish.

While many think of Riesling as only sweet and cloying, this Salomon white proves that dry Rieslings are a charm and are worth seeking out. 

Related articles

• Riesling from the Outback (wannabewino.com)
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Tasting Notes-Pamplemousse Grille

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Last night I dropped by my local watering hole, that just happens to be one, if not the best restaurants in San Diego's North County area.

Chef pal Jeffrey Strauss for many years has set the high water mark in the Del Mar, Solana Beach area and is widely regarded as the Chef's chef. Given Pamplemousse Grille is all of 200 yards from my house it's become my regular go to place for formal dinners as well as happy hours and often for less complicated drop in dinners at the bar with friends as I can walk there.

Last night longtime winepal Ray McKewon and I eached pulled one bottle. The first was the 2007 Domaine La Mordoree Lirac La Reine du Bois. A few nights earlier I had opened the 2001 vintage of this wine and wanted to see just how different the two wines were. The 2001 was elegant and had a very nice silky palate, with deep blueberry and raspberry flavors. The 2007, while still precosious was more velvety, and showed that same rich berry flavor. Given the apogee of the 2007 I'm sensing it will be a shorter lived but more opulent wine, and perfect for drinking over the next ten years.

Ray brought along the 1994 Dalle Valle Maya, a proprietary red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, with grapes that come from the vineyard of the same name. The ripe red cherry fruit was obvious, with notes of black cherry, bing cherry and even marichino cherry. To say it was a cherry bomb would be an understatement. It was a nuclear bomb, with all kinds of tasty explosions of fruit, backed by a lovely rich tongue coating of decadent pie filling like flavor. The wine at age 17 was amazingly youthful, and much in keeping with what one expects. There's no rush with this wine either as I can see it aging for another 10-15 years easily.

 

2002 Comme A Cayenne-St. Chinian Red Languedoc

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My trip down Languedoc lane continues with this nice nine year old St. Chinian red. As a fan of Mas Champart, it's nice to see other producers making wines of memorable quality from a region that's not very well known on the west coast and where we see so little diversity in Languedoc wines.

The 2002 Comme A Cayenne from the husband and wife team of Boissezon-Guiraud in the Roquebrun region actually crosses both the St. Chinian and Causses AOCs up in the hills. You get there by heading due west from Bezier, then making a right turn just past the town of St. Chinian and going up the hill..Up. Up. Up. Roquebrun is also the home to a well run co-op that also makes some nice wines, but the private wineries are where the better juice is made.

This nine year young red is a blend of 85 percent Grenache and 15 percent Carignan. The Carignan adds a very nice demension, bringing in some pepper and spice, while the very fruity Grencahe leads off with flavors of raspberry, cherry and ripe red plums. It's got a nice long, yet soft finish.

2007 Domaine du Combier and 1998 Domaine des Entrefaux Crozes-Hermitage

Image of Domaine Combier via Snooth

At the 2009 Decouverte du Rhone one one of the last few days of the weeklong tasting event than was held in and around Avignon, one of the wines I fell head over heels in love with was the 2006 Domaine Combier Crozes Hermitage, as well as their St. Joseph reds. Those happen to be two of my favorite Northern Rhone appellations and Combier was so dead on in style and taste that I had to find their wines in the USA. I vividly recall pointing out the wine to my two Parisian wine bar owning pals, Mark Williamson, who I convinced to blog, of Willi's Wine Bar and Juan Sanchez, of Fish (hint home of the best burger in Paris) as the blend of Syrah grapes from three different parcels, and which hail from two different sides of the mountain, bring a level of elegance and at the same time sauvage to the glass.

Well, last evening some frieds and I gathered for an impromptu gathering of some bottled wine exfiltration exercises, and the 2007 Combier stood out as a winner. Tasted originally at Decouverte du Rhone, the then youthful, and really just bottled red was vibrant, soft, seductive. Now it's rich, ripe, robust and silky with black and blue berry notes, hints of Provence herbs, and of course the black olive scents that always comes to me from a Crozes-Hermitage or a well made Saint Joseph.

What also showed well?  Another Crozes-Hermitage did. The 1998 Domaine des Entrefaux was smoky with notes of violets and a hint of black anise. Most evident was how well the wines age. The cork showed almost no wear, maybe because the bottle has been on it's side for the past eight or nine years in my cellar. After being opened for about an hour, the wine showed power, vigor and yes, youthfulness. It was a joy to taste, and while not as engaging as the Combier, the Entrefaux showed one more reason to invest in a cellar and to let well made, mid-priced wines age. Not all wines need to cost hundreds of dollars to age, and the Entrefaux Crozes-Hermitage just proved that, once again.

Wine Events of Note in 2011

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Every once in a while I get alerted to some fun events. Three are coming to mind right now, and one is just around the corner.

Rhone Discovery Week, or in French, Decouvertes du Vallee du Rhone, is March 1-6 and starts this time in the Northern Rhone town of Ampuis. That means Viognier, Cornas, Cote-Rotie, Saint Perey, Hermitage, St. Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage. All the teeth staining done upfront over the first two days. You then venture south into the Cotes du Rhone, and the village wines from places like Gigondas, the Luberon Valley-with all the scents of Provence, as well as of course the final Sunday tasting, in Chateauneuf du Pape. The event is open to the wine trade only.

Over here in the USA, up in Paso Robles, CA, is Hospice du Rhone. This event, that starts on April 28 and runs through the 30th, comes complete with a bowling tourney, and brings together people who love any, or all, of the 22 Rhone grape varieties including wine making specialists, industry luminaries and consumers in the know from the world over for three days of fun and yes, tasting.

In August, on Martha's Vineyard, you can join Diva's Uncorked. This is an event that's empowering women in wine to share more of what they know and help make other women less intimidated around wine, as well as advancing women in the wine world professionally.

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• So You Think You Can Rhône? (anotherwineblog.com)
• Paul Jaboulet Aine Les Jalets Crozes-Hermitage 2006 Wine Review (NW) (winecask.blogspot.com)
• Another Reason To Stay... Paso Robles, California Winter & Early Spring 2011 Events (prweb.com)

Grenache, The Other Red Grape

One of my best friends in the wine world is Doug Margerum, of Wine Cask and now Margerum Wine Company fame. Over the years Doug has taken on a love affair with Rhone wines, dating back to his youth and trips to France's Rhone Valley.

Recently I heard about the upcoming Grenache Symposium, which happens next month in France. I asked Doug, who plans on attending the event, some questions about Grenache and he had this to say:

Is Grenache supposed to be dark in color?

Margerum Grenache is made using and emphasizing long-time Burgundian sensibilities in the approach to, and in the techniques used - small open top, cool fermentation, low extraction, elegance, and fruit emphasis. Margerum understands that Grenache is a thin skinned grape and it is most expressive in this "velvet glove in and iron fist" style. In a group tasting this wine could be overlooked but in the reality of “wine and the table” this is the wine that most satisfies, pairs with food - doesn’t dominate - and complements. This wine will not knock you over the head - it is NOT dark, it is NOT big, but it IS a supple expression of Grenache that is intellectual and compelling (if you study the wine) in its expression.

How does Grenache work as blending grape?

Used as a component in nearly all Southern Rhône red blends, Grenache is probably most notable as the base varietal for Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Cotes du Rhône and Gigondas. Margerum M5 is a Grenache based wine that is complemented with four others - Syrah, Mourvèdre, Counoise, and Cinsault and is an homage to these extraordinary wine styles.

Grenache Rose?

Margerum makes a uniquely styled Grenache rose. A saignée of Grenache blended with 28% of the improved RED Grenache (the ratio of skins to juice results in a more deeply flavored wine) from barrel. We make this a dry serious Rosé that has tannin, complexity, and matches well with food.

Is this true? On its own, Grenache makes fleshy, heady, very fruity wines in their youth. They tend to age rapidly, showing tawny colors and prone to oxidation or maderization after only a relatively short time in bottle. The general character and mouth feel of Grenache wines are more distinctive and identifiable than any particular aromas or flavors. http://www.winepros.org/wine101/grape_profiles/grenache.htm

We don’t believe this either: The Grenache grape is relatively low in both pigment and malic acid, and oxidizes readily. Although some 100% varietal wines are produced from Grenache, particularly in Spain's Rioja and from some "old vines" plantings in California, it is mostly used to "fill out" red blends and softens harsher partners, such as Syrah and Carignan. http://www.winepros.org/wine101/grape_profiles/grenache.htm

Santa Barbara Vintners Festival Plans Announced

The always fun and tasty Santa Barbara County Vintners Festival will be held again in April on the 17th at River Park in Lompoc, just west of Hiway 1 as you go into wine country.

This is always a great event, as more than 130 wineries take part in the day long, outdoor affair. While you're in the Central Coast, the Vintners Festival weekend is also a great opportunity to get into one of the best wineries that's rarely open to the public. Au Bon Climat. On Sunday April 18, Jim Clendenen and his team at ABC will open up the winery to fans, friends and newcomers alike. In addition to Au Bon Climat many other Santa Barbara wineries and winemakers will have open houses and special events all weekend long.

One tip. Now that the Wine Cask is back in operation, reservations will be hard to get, so make sure you book early if you want to taste some of Santa Barbara's best food and of course, winepal, Doug Margerum's picks for wine in addition to his own Margerum Wine Company wines.