Back to Basics: Blind Chardonnay Tasting

 

This blog is ostensably about wine, and my passion is wine, but let's face it, I've been a bit neglectful in talking about it lately. So let's get back to basics: a blind Chardonnay tasting.

When this was first proposed, I was excited. First, I love good Chardonnay, espcially from Burgundy (duh). Second, it's always fun, and humbling, to attend a blind tasting. All pre-suppositions about labels, place, year, quality or price go out the window. You are judging the wine based on its merits alone. Granted, the organizer must ensure that all the wines coming are equally ready to drink, or are placed in similar flights. Otherwise you might end up with some bottles that are completely closed for business while others shout out for attention, drowning out all the others. This drinking business can get complicated, no?

So a small group of winelovers descended on Apiary in the East Village, Chef Scott Bryan's new project. First, let me just say the food and service were fantastic and I heartily recommend it (no affilition, yadda yadda yadda...).

 

More importantly, the tasting was quite interesting and eye-opening. It would be interesting to see if we could pick out the New World from the Old World styles, something I heartily anticipated doing.

FLIGHT 1
-#1
Creamy lemon, perfumy oak on the nose, but more citrus than wood. The body is fat, with some spicy oakiness to it that's balanced and even lifted by some striking acidity. Everyone said Burgundy, I decided to be contrarian and say a 10-year old CA Chard. I was almost right! Woohoo!
1997 Calera Mt Harlan Chardonnay

-#2
Lemony butterscotch, some caramel, mushroomy with sweet oxydative notes on the nose. Ugh, sour lemony popcorn aspects on the palate, this was shot. Too bad, this could have been amazing. We all said mid-/late-1990s white Burg. Duh.
1996 Niellon Chassagne Montrachet Clos de la Truffiere

-#3
Ripe lemony popcorn wrapped in a layer of vanilla oak, the palate was sweet and somewhat fat with a spicy, buttery note to it that ended with a slightly bitter finish. Everyone voted CA.
2000 Pahlmeyere Jason

FLIGHT 2
-#4
Ugh, caramelized apples and not much more anywhere, neither on the nose or palate. I wrote "Undrinkable", and we all guessed another mid-1990s white Burg.
1995 Ramonet Batard-Montrachet Argh!

-#5
Right off the bat, this reminded me of those CostCo apple pies you see warming in the Bakery section. Not a bad thing, as it offers some nice apple compote and cinnamon aspects, with some hints of oxydation and orange marmalade notes. The palate was slightly fat, with nutty and lemony honey tastes, ending in a surprisingly sour finish. We were all over the map on this one, especially as the bottle shape made us think New World (most said CA, I decided to be a prick and say Australia). We were all wrong.
1991 Gravner Chardonnay

-#6
At first, this had some weird, but not unlikable minty/vegetal notes, which made me think Ramonet and white Burgundy. But the green started to dissipate, replaced by an almost petrolly smell, wrapping itself around a quartz and lemon core. In the mouth, this was medium-bodied and certainly tasted better than it smelled, with honeyed lemon, striking minerality and a nice, medium, well-balanced finish. We all said white Burg.
1992 Lafon Meursault Genevriere

FLIGHT 3
-#7
Orange zest, petrol, nuts and hints of oxydation on the nose, with a spicy, medium-weight frame offering hints of tea, lemon, nuts and ending in a long finish. Another vote for white Burg.
2000 Maltroye Batard Montrachet

-#8
Right off the bat, we could see this was a lighter-bodied wine, as it didn't pour as viscously as the others in the flight. It also smelled lighter, with fresh pineapple, steely lemon cream and light nuts (almonds?). The palate followed through with a similar (relatively) lighter feel, ending in a medium-length finish. Nice, but not in the same league as the others. Votes were all over the place, I said Chassagne Montrachet. Close but no go.
2002 Louis Latour Puligny Montrachet

-#9
Oooh, this smells nice, with minty lemons, almonds, hints of minerals like quartz on the nose. Its feel is nice too, with a medium, balanced body offering more minerals, lemony almonds, and a long, spicy finish. This HAS to be white Burgundy, and I voted as such. Whoops. Surprise of the night!
2005 Dierberg Santa Maria

FLIGHT 4
-#10
The nose is full of fat, ripe lemony almonds, Granny Smith apples, and a certain, lovely musky note. On the palate, this is lovely, even if a bit fat, with lemon and spices and almonds all balanced out by a beautiful, fresh acidity. Another vote for white Burgundy. Again, whoops.
2002 Aubert Richie

-#11
CORKED. DAMNIT.
2001 Lafon Meursault Charmes

-#12
ALSO CORKED. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
2007 Seven Springs la Source (a Lafon project in Oregon I believe)

FLIGHT 5
-#13
Whoa, this has GOT to be CA: dry almonds, minerals, perfumy oak, ripe lemons on the nose, with similar aspects carried through on the fat, ripe structure, but ending in a surprisingly short finish. Somewhat unbalanced, not to my liking, though I can see why others would enjoy it.
2001 Kistler Cathleen

-#14
Oxydated, nothing but burnt nuts and caramelized apples. Ugh.
2001 Peter Michael Pointe Rouge

-#15
Oooooh, this smells nice, what is it? Lovely herbal mint notes wrapped around a core of minerally lemons, carried through on a steely, elegant frame. The mouthfeel is just as lovely as the nose, with a laser-like precision that lifts flavors of spicy almonds, more fresh mint, and minerally lemons (think those crystallized lemons), with an understated power and elegance that is almost shockingly refreshing. The finish goes on and on and on and on. Quite nice, and we all said white Burgundy.
2001 Ramonet Chevalier Montrachet

FLIGHT 6
-#16
Ripe, honeyed lemons and almonds wrapped themselves around some nice minerals on the nose of this one. In the mouth, it was medium-weighted, with some spicy notes to it and a relatively short finish. I think we all voted CA.
2003 Marcassin Estate

-#17
Very similar aspects to the previous wine, with similarly ripe and honeyed lemons and spices, though the palate was a tad fresher and had better lift from some more acidity and more minerality. I voted white Burg.
2003 Coche Dury Meursault Caillerets

-#18 (not blind) 1979 Chateau Latour
Yep, a red, and a Bordeaux at that, generously offered by a friend of Bob's. Popped and poured, this really should have been decanted a bit, but it was rather nice and reminded me why I used to like Bordeaux so much. Notes of band-aid, funk, dark plums/cherries and soft wood aspects held your attention. The palate was light, with some sweet red fruit still fighting for survival (storage might have been an issue, we weren't sure), herbs, and a nice, balanced finish. Not bad, and a welcome reprieve from all the whites.

POST-DINNER DRINKS
Because 17 bottles of white and 1 bottle of red weren't enough, a few friends joined me for a stumble through the East Village to one of my favorite haunts, Pata Negra. Since we apparently hadn't eaten enough, either, we ordered a plate of the legendary Pata Negra ham, and while that melted on our tongues, we drank a Rose Txakoli.

 

-2008 Rose Txakoli (name forgotten in the mists of hangover)
Gorgeous color, with flower red berry notes, and just a hint of spritz to tickle your nose. Very light-bodied, this perked up the palate with lively acidity and fresh berries and flowers on the tongue. A great way to end the night, I might add, as the fruit was just ever-so-slightly sweet.

Conclusions: We thought it would be easier to pick out the New World from the Old World, but it turned out to be harder than anticipated. I might add, however, that while we did have most of the best of the best of CA, we didn't really have the best of the best of Burgundy. No Montrachet, only one Chevalier, and the Batards were undrinkably oxydized. WOTN for most was the Aubert, followed closely by the Ramonet Chevy.

Still, it was a fun evening, and a big thanks to all who made it and donated so generously from their cellars.
Cheers!

Market Watch: Barcelona's Boqueria

 

After France, I returned to Barcelona for a few days of exploration and rest. Travelling non-stop almost every day does get tiresome sometimes. Actually, most of the time. Yeah, I'm going to vineyards in the South of Europe, but still, it does wear one down. So staying put for more than 3 days was a real treat. And, I got to visit some beautiful sites in a city I didn't know well at all, including the world-famous Boqueria Market. So, without further annoying interference from moi, here are a few pics for your perusal.

WARNING: Might cause a sudden sense of vertigo, induce drool, and cause your knees to weaken.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers!

A Week in the South of France

 

Yeah, there are worse places to be in early summer. Sometimes, despite all the difficulties, there are some nice aspects to this job. I spent a week travelling back and forth between the Languedoc and the Rhone, visiting my current and potential wineries.

 

I started off at La Bouscade, my Minervois producer that is making some great, juicy, but not over-the-top wines right outside of Carcassonne. Between visiting the vineyards and tasting the wines, I helped replace the tire on a tractor in the middle of a field.

 

I had time to take some pictures of the vines under the bright, warm sun, tiny berries just starting to appear as the summer started.

 

It was such a pleasure to see David, his lovely wife Jo, their kids, and taste their wines. We had a fantastic time catching up and visiting, their wines are really something special and are doing really well in NYC, I am happy to say.

 

Next I headed East to Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the ancient capital of the Avignon Papacy and heart of the Rhone's wine-producing region. This hilly land is overseen by the ruins of the castle, towering over the town itself and the rocky vineyards around it.

 

In Chateauneuf, I joined some travelling friends from the US for a lovely lunch at Domaine Pegau, the reputed Chateauneuf producer. There, Laurence Feraud, the winemaker, took us for a tour and tasting before opening her heart, cellar and kitchen to us.

 

When we came to the house, we were greeted by a lovely table. Here, we shared in Laurence's generosity with a delicious meal and good friends.

 

Oh, and of course, some quite nice wines.

 

We also had a chance to visit other domaines, including Bosquet des Papes, the classic Chateauneuf winery. To say the 2007s are good, well, that's an understatement of massive proportions.

 

We also stopped in at a favorite of mine, Pierre Usseglio. Again, we tried the 2007s, and were rewarded with beautiful, fresh fruit and vivid acidity. 2007 is indeed a wonderful vintage, from what I've tasted in the Rhone so far.

 

Vieille Julienne was another stop, and here the 2007s were also fantastic, with some differences in style and price of course. But still, WOW.

 

I ended my visit to the Rhone with one of the best, if not THE best, meals of my entire trip to Europe. Dinner at Gerard Alonso was really good, with pristine ingredients, a beautiful setting, great wines (2005 Allemand Cornas les Chaillots - yum!), and good friends. The chesse tray alone is worth the visit!

 

The next day, I hopped on a train and headed South, to the border with Spain. The train was clean, air-conditionned (wow!) and on-time, a real pleasure to take between cities. How come we don't have anything like this here in the US???? For about 28 Euros, I could travel for hundreds of kilometers in a comfortable environment. It is ridiculous and shameful to think that the leader of the Free World can't make a train system that works well.

It was such a pleasure to find myself back in the wine-producing areas of France. The weather was great, the food was delicious, and of course the wines profound. Best of all, it's always a thrill to find oneself among people who are passionate about what they do. And, I am thrilled to say that the 2007s are just gorgeous, real beauties to taste and drink.
Cheers!

A Day in Saint Chinian

Where? Look at the map. If it looks like the middle of nowhere, then you've got the right idea.

During my stay in Europe, I had a chance to pop over the border and visit my Saint Chinian producer, Clos Bagatelle. There, I was greeted by Luc and Christine, the brother and sister winemaking team that I profiled a while back. They are making wines that reflect their terroir's gifts while maintaining a lovely elegant style that differs drastically from most St Chinians.

 

Luc is the vineyard manager, and while I was there he drove me through the torturous roads that wind their way through the local hills to show me his Saint Jean de Minervois plot. This vineyard is planted to Muscat, and makes a very particular dessert wine. While it actually only received its AOC qualification in 1949, the area has been making wines since the Romans were sauntering about.

 

As you can see from the pictures, it's a very stony soil at the top of a hill that overlooks the region. The wind was a constant howling companion, washing over the crest of the hill and rustling the vines. After about an hour of this, I began to believe the local legends that say it can drive someone mad.

More interestingly, however, was the way the vines were planted. They were all staked individually, and grew to no more than 1 meter in height. Big deal, right? No, because these tiny vines have to be plucked by hand. As difficult as hand-harvesting is, this must be back-breaking!

We also drove to some of Clos Bagatelle's other parcels, planted to traditional varieties like Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache and Carignan. All are beautifully maintained to ensure the highest quality grapes. Which is where Christine's skills come into play...

 

Christine is the winemaker for Clos Bagatelle. She coaxes beautiful flavors and aromas by doing a post-fermentation blend, and can spend many days trying to figure out the perfect assemblage. She is looking for freshness but also a certain transparency of the region's terroir. Many of her neighbors make wines that are somewhat over-blown and even cooked due to the heat. Not Clos Bagatelle.

 

Thanks to Luc's skills in the vineyard, the grapes are never abused, and once they're in Christine's capable hands the results are there for everyone to taste. And boy did I taste! Going through their entire portfolio made me smile. This domaine is a winner and is one to watch. Their wines are fantastic, though of course I am just mildly biased...
Cheers!
PS: More pictures are available on the Vinotas Selections' Facebook Fan Page.

Dalí

 

And now, for something completely different... (and by that I mean no food or wine in this post... I know, shocking!)

Dalí.

Need I say more? The very name evokes a weirdly different and quite unique way of looking at the world. The man was a legend in his own time and in his own mind, a Surrealist who embraced the ideas of the movement and took them to an extreme. His works make you look at the things with new eyes, making new interpretations of what we consider reality.

 

While in Figueres, in north-eastern Spain, I had a chance to stop by the Dalí Museum, and it was like stepping into a warped, twisted, somewhat disturbing version of reality. Actually, there were some lovely things to see, but also some rather strange experiences, and a few downright frightening ones as well. But then, that's the world according to Dalí, right?

 

He was quite the prodigious artist, and his works were not limited to any one form. There are films, paintings, drawings, sculptures, jewelry, anything he could get his hands on and transform into something similar but different. It was quite fascinating to see, and it is evident that he liked to play with his viewers.

 

So, without further fuss, here are some pics from that outing. Some are lovely, others weird, and yet others frightening, but they all make you look at the world and the things in it with new eyes. Or at least strange eyes.

 

See the face?

 

See the face? Hint: he's on the US penny

 

Dalí's resting place, supposedly, in the middle of the floor of his museum

 

An interpretation of his wife, Gala

 

A landscape, or something else...?

 

Dalí's bed

 

The spoon snake

 

Yet again, an interpretation of Gala

 

Look familiar?

 

Dalí's car

 

Dalí's face

All in all it was a nice learning experience, as the art is, to put it mildly, interestingly different. I am not sure how much I liked it, but I did enjoy his plays on how we view the world.
Cheers!

The Running of the Winos

 

Recently, I found myself in Pamplona, in the Spanish Basque country, for the Alimenta 2009 exhibit. Of course, Pamplona is better known for the running of the bulls, but we were here for the running of the winos, charging thirstily from table to table to taste and discover what the Navarran countryside had to offer. Like the bulls, I was on a single-minded mission: to find new, interesting wineries using traditional techniques and grapes.

This area has been making wine for centuries, but most of it has been rustic and rough or easy-going and uninteresting. There also does seem to be a significant French influence, as there was in Empordà: the wines were generally higher in acid than those of the more Southern Spanish areas like La Mancha, but this could also be a function of the climate and terroir.

In any case, I did find this tasting somewhat difficult. There were a ton of wineries with over-ripe international varieties (Chardonnay, Cab Sauvignon, Merlot) when they should have been promoting and using their traditional grapes like Viura, Tempranillo, Garnatxa and Monastrell. And let's not talk about the use (or rather, abuse!) of oak...

However, I had a chance to visit the town of Pamplona, so please enjoy these pictures. It's a small but colorful town as you'll see, and we did an organized tour following the path the bulls take (800 meters in 3 minutes, no human can run that fast so the best you can hope for is 8-10 seconds in front of 3 tons of charging, angry meat, then hop the wall).

 

There were enticing tapas bars...

 

Colorful friezes...

 

Cute buildings filled the city around every corner

 

Spanish-style cathedrals (well duh, we were in Spain, right?).

 

Really? Is this place even necessary?

 

City Hall and the square where the St Fermin festival (the running of the bulls) is inaugurated every year.

 

 

The main square of Pamplona, with the hotel where Hemingway spent many nights drinking.

 

Lots of Basque influence too, obviously, as we're right by San Sebastian and the Basque Country.

 

Really tiny buildings too.

 

Oooh, Jamon Iberico!

 

This is the source of the water that Saint Saturnin used to baptize the earliest Christians.

 

The entry to the bullring, seen from the point-of-view of a charging bull. Or wino.

 

A statue dedicated to the brave (Foolish? Drunken?) souls who run during the Feria.

 

In a fit of thorough self-mockery, the artist included himself in his work. He's the guy who fell!

 

Our last dinner, complete with a professional carver and Pata Negra.

All in all I learned a bit about the wines of the region, though they, like most of Spain, have been thoroughly influenced by powerful critics. Many of the wineries have forsaken their roots and are making wines that could be from anywhere. That said, I did find some interesting stuff that was honest and true to its roots, so hopefully I'll be able to work with them.
Cheers!

Girona Flower Festival

 

While in Empordà, we had a chance to visit the famous Flower Festival in Girona. This event, 40 years old now, invites citizens of this lovely ancient city to decorate their homes and streets in flowers and artwork. In addition, people open their houses to the street so strangers can file in and enjoy the work.

 

Even the river gets into the action, with a 3 meter-wide floating flower.

 

In the museums, flowers are appropriately framed.

 

 

In the ancient Muslim bathhouse, we discovered a veritable cornucopia of beauty.

 

 

On the roof, virtual rabbits played in a virtual carrot garden, to everyone's delight, especially theirs.

 

 

 

Here, proof that both the citizens and their mannequins threw themselves into the project.

 

 

 

 

Surveying it all, a modern gargoyle and an ancient one shared the view.

 

 

We were even interviewed by the local news crew, wondering what a large group of Americans with black teeth were doing hanging out drinking beer.

 

Art and beauty in the city were not ephemeral like the flowers, here a metal door beckons hungry travelers.

 

Open doorways invited people to peek inside, though everything was carefully protected by bars.

 

The modern artwork was juxtaposed nicely with the ancient, more permanent one.

 

 

 

 

 

Ever appreciative of beauty, even the French had given something to the city: this bridge, designed and built by the Eiffel company, you know, the folks who brought you that little tower in Paris.

 

It looked like a Spanish, one-river version of Venice, with narrow, brightly-colored buildings, all neat and proper on one side, all festooned in garlands of flowers on the other.

 

 

We ended our day at Mimolet, where we enjoyed a fantastic meal of local foods, finishing up well past midnight. The next day we would all head back out into the world, with fond and flowery memories of our time in Empordà.
Cheers!