Category Archives: Wine Regions

Grand Cru Grapevine: Yours ’til Niagara Falls (June 2011)

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We hope this missive finds you well and enjoying the newly arrived summer season.

In just a few days, Tracy will be off to the Kingdom of Navarra in Spain’s Basque region visiting wineries and historic sites.

She’ll return in plenty of time for our 2011 Season launch on June 25, 2011. You won’t want to miss this special evening, which will feature a brief wine class on Australian wine, followed by a concert and story-telling by Australian folksinger, Susanna Carman, as part of her U.S. tour. Enjoy wines and cheeses as you listen to Susanna sing and share her tales of living Down Under.

Another new and exciting class this year is a wine and chocolate tasting with Roxanne Browning of Exotic Chocolate Tasting on August 14 (this is a date change from what was previously announced). Roxanne will share the world of artisanal
chocolate from bean to bar, while Tracy will focus on the world of wine, with a delicious line-up of wines carefully selected to pair with Roxanne’s chocolates.

Visit our website to sign up for these and all other classes.

Drink wisely and well,

Tracy Ellen Kamens, Ed.D., DWS, CWE
CEO: Chief Education Officer

and

Jared Michael Skolnick
COO: Cork Opening Officer
Yours ‘til Niagara Falls

Last month, we had the pleasure of visiting the Niagara wine regions in both Canada and the U.S. Within the region, which centers around Lake Ontario, a wide range of microclimates is made possible by not only the maritime influence, but also, the Niagara Escarpment. The escarpment is a ridge of cliffs, which was formed by millions of years of uneven erosion (softer rocks eroded more quickly than harder rocks) and is responsible for the sheer drop of Niagara Falls. As a result, agricultural areas south of the escarpment are warmer due to the protection that the escarpment provides. As a prominent topographical feature, the Niagara Escarpment is recognized by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve and extends on both sides of the border.

Within Canada’s Niagara Peninsula Viticultural Area are 10 different sub-appellations. Interestingly, the diverse variety of these microclimates has carved out areas that emulate Burgundy and Germany, while the warmer areas look to Bordeaux as their model. While the northerly location of this area likely brings cold weather to mind, some areas, such as the St. David’s Bench, experience sufficiently high temperatures in the summer, permitting Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc to ripen to maturity. In the U.S., the Niagara Escarpment American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a recent addition to New York’s wine region having only been established in 2005. With a much younger history, the American wineries are taking advice and cues from their Canadian cousins, whose region dates back to the 1970s.

Of course, it does get quite cold in the late fall and throughout the winter season, which provides ideal conditions for the production of true icewine/Eiswein (as opposed to man-made ice wine). Waiting until the grapes freeze naturally on the vine – at great risk – the frozen grapes are picked in during the last days of December into the month of February. This harvest work is not for the faint of heart given the brutally frigid weather (10-14oF) in which it must be conducted. With the grapes significantly longer tenure on the vines, the sugar levels have risen dramatically while the action of freezing allows much of the water content to be removed, thereby concentrating the juice.

Although there are numerous soil types throughout the region, areas with limestone rich soils account for distinct minerality in many of the wines and the opportunity to blind taste two Chardonnays (from different vineyards, but produced in an identical way) at Tawse Winery (Canadian Winery of the Year 2010) reinforced the impact of soil or as the French would say le gout de terroir (taste of the terroir). While there were some misses among the wines we tasted, overall, we were impressed with the quality of the wines, particularly those from Canada. Several of the American wineries are still focused on American grape varieties as well as fruit wines and nearly all are only a few years old and the lack of maturity (as did their potential) showed.

TASTING NOTES

Tawse Winery, Quarry Road Chardonnay 2009, Niagara Escarpment, Canada, $34.95
The aforementioned Tawse produces its wines following the principles of biodynamics and whether you ascribe to their philosophies or not, there is no denying that they are producing great wines. Reminiscent of Burgundian Chardonnays, this wine is dry with vibrant acidity, medium to full body and notes of mineral, melon and citrus.

Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery, Cuvée Catherine Rosé Brut Sparkling Wine NV, Niagara Escarpment, Canada, $30.00
Established in 1988, this winery is a true family affair with a lineage dating back to 1842. This Traditional Method sparkler is named for the matriarch of the family, Catherine Smith, and is a product of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and 30 months of aging on the lees (dead yeast cells). The yeasty notes showed on both the nose and palate, joined by aromas and flavors of strawberry and a refreshingly clean finish.

Thirty Bench Wine Makers, Small Lot Triangle Vineyard Riesling 2009, Beamsville Bench, Canada, $30.00
While not exclusively devoted to Riesling, Thirty Bench does produce several different “small lot” Rieslings. Harvested from the estate’s Triangle Vineyard, this dry wine has high acidity, with bright fruit aromas and flavors of citrus and melon, culminating in a long finish.

Vineland Estates Winery, Riesling 1989, Niagara Escarpment, Canada
Among the oldest vineyards in the region, Vineland was initially founded in 1979 by the Weiss family from Mosel, Germany. Graciously pulled from the winery’s library by winemaker Brian Schmidt, this wine 20+ year old was pure proof that these Rieslings can go the distance. Aged characteristics of petrol and honey greeted the nose, while the palate was still fresh and alive with high acidity. Slightly off-dry with rich honey and citrus flavors, the wine lingered for a long time.

Arrowhead Spring Vineyards, Estate Syrah 2008, Niagara Escarpment, U.S., $34.95
Arrowhead is the culmination of Duncan and Robin Ross’ dream to own a vineyard, which they launched in the early part of the previous decade.  This full-bodied, medium-tannic wine showed classic Rhone-style Syrah character with notes of meat, red fruits, spice, leather and black pepper.

Leonard Oakes Estate Winery, Vidal IceWine 2009, Niagara Escarpment, U.S., $49.95
A recent graduate (2008), Jonathan Oakes serves as viticulturist to this estate as well as winemaker for this and Schulze Vineyards and Winery. While medium-sweet on the palate, the bright acidity shines through avoiding any cloying sensations. Notes of honey, spice and apple linger in the long finish.

 

The Ageability of Riesling

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As I head to Niagara this weekend for TasteCamp North, I am reminded of a session I attended at the American Wine Society’s November 2010 Conference in Cincinnati, OH (or as I call it, the other Cin city) with David Gimbel of Vineland Estates Winery.

Established by German producer St. Urbanhoff, Vineland Estates looked to emulate the Mosel in North America. Consequently, they purchased 35 acres in the Niagara Escarpment.

The original motherblock was planted entirely to Riesling on Weiss 21B vines, which can withstand very cold temperatures. The first production was limited to three wines – dry, off-dry and ice wine Rieslings. However, today, the winery has planted other varieties and produces both red and white wines.

David’s session included a tasting of selected vintages from the past 16 years and was a wonderful opportunity to see how well Riesling can age.

Unfortunately, we all agreed that the 1996 Riesling Reserve was tired, with an oxidized character on both the nose and palate. However, it did show a developed nose of spice, dried apricot and slight citrus with more dried fruit and honey on the palate.

The 1999 Riesling Reserve was much more alive, with floral, honey and ripe apricot notes, which remained on the palate for a long time. The 2000 Riesling Reserve was developing nicely with apple peel, honey and a hint of floral while the 2005 Riesling Reserve was still fresh and ripe. Its complex palate provided just a hint of sweetness, with high acidity, peach, floral, honey and pineapple.

We then switched to tasting the Semi-Dry Riesling flight, beginning with the 1994, which showed only slight development despite the passage of 16 years. The honey, spice, apricot and dried fruit nose gave way to bright acidity, apricot, spice, and honeysuckle on the palate, culminating in long length. The 1998 was still vibrant, belying its age, with floral, citrus and peach notes, while the 2000, equally youthful, had more lime and pith flavors. The 2004 vintage was rich and intense with a developing nose redolent with spice and a palate of floral, honey, citrus and peach. While the sweetness of the older wines had faded, the 2004 was still slightly off-dry.

The session concluded with the Riesling Icewine 2000, which was medium-sweet, but beautifully balanced with acidity. Dried fruit, apricot, honey and a hint of anise in the background, long length.

At least at the time, the winery still had some of these older wines available for sale, with the Riesling Reserves priced at $30.00 and the Semi-Dry Rieslings at $25.00, while the Riesling Icewine was $55.00.

Desperately Seeking Clarity in Chianti

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Chianti DOCG is the largest Italian region producing 105,000,000 bottles annually from 2,650 producers with a total of 10,500 hectares planted in the region. However, its landscape is quite fragmented with more than 1,000 Chianti producers owning less than 1 hectare. With the U.S. as a major market for this wine, Chianti is trying to reshape its image in the minds of the American consumer. To that end, Chianti has seen some rebounding as the economy has improved, with significant growth in the over $29.00 sector and smaller gains in the $10.00-$15.00 retail band.

Among its efforts, a trade tasting was held in New York on behalf of Chianti’s Consortio. Welcoming everyone, panel moderator Robin Kelley-O’Connor, set the stage stating that the day’s event was all about “Taking the confusion out of Chianti.” He underscored his point, promising to provide attendees with “clarity.”

Robin then proceeded to go through a Powerpoint presentation, which began with Chianti’s timeline, beginning in 1932 with the first formal demarcation of the area. By 1967, Chianti regulations were updated to establish the region as a DOC and then, in 1984, to promote its status to DOCG. Since 1996, there have been numerous regulation changes, but most of them have been minor as far as the consumer is concerned, i.e. reorganization of the Consorzio.

The presentation also highlighted the historic grape varieties permitted in Chianti – Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Trebbiano and Malvasia, the latter two are white grapes. Among Sangiovese, there are 20 approved clones in total, with C Futuro 1, C Futuro 2, C Futuro 3, and C Futuro 4 being the most used.

The region’s emphasis on clones addresses the climatic and soil differences within the large geographic area. The Consorzio’s President, Giovanni Busi, stressed that the use of clones has significantly improved Chianti’s quality, which ultimately led to the changes in the Chianti “formula” which now permit the use of 100% Sangiovese and mandate a minimum of 70%. However, Busi also stressed that 40% of the vineyards need to be replanted in the next few years to achieve further quality and improve productivity.

Aside from Sangiovese, the balance of the wine may be produced from 30% Tuscan regional varieties (such as Canaiolo), of which a maximum of 10% may be white varieties. This is a big change from the original legislation which required producers to blend with white grapes. A producer looking to incorporate Cabernet Franc or Cabernet Sauvignon in his or her wine is limited to a maximum of 15%.

To achieve the Chianti Superiore DOCG designation, the wines must be produced from lower yields and a slightly higher minimum alcohol level (10.5% for Chianti, 11% for Chianti from the subdistricts and 11.5% for Superiore).

So far, the audience seemed to be following the presentation. Then things got tricky when the conversation turned to the Riserva designation. The regulation was stated as being a minimum of two years of aging from January 1 following the harvest, plus an even higher minimum alcohol level of 12%. But, it was far from clear as to whether and, if so, for how long, the wine must be aged in wood to earn the title of Riserva.

At first we were told 18 months, but later this period was amended to 6 months when we tasted the first wine and there was no mention of oak aging on the tasting sheet. This oversight was attributed to a typo rather than a lack of wood by the producer. Unfortunately, in an attempt to confirm the actual law, neither the Consorzio’s website nor the beautiful brochure distributed at the event included a definitive answer. A brief search on the Internet later on did not yield one either.

After the formal presentation, Robin led the group is a tasting of Chianti Riserva DOCG wines from the 2007 vintage, which is considered to be a good vintage. While there were differences in styles among the wines, they all showed the classic Chianti aromas and flavors of tart red fruit (especially cherry) and leathery notes, with astringency on the palate.

Merlot Match-up

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When possible, I prefer to taste wine samples in flights rather than singularly. These two California Merlots were tasted together as a way to compare and contrast their aromas, flavors and structure.

Luna Vineyards Merlot 2006, Napa Valley, CA, $40.00
Winemaking: Aged for 20 months in 50% new French oak barrels
Aromas: Plum, berries, vanilla and oak
Flavors: Plum, berries, vanilla and oak
Structure: Full-bodied, ripe tannins, medium+ alcohol, medium length

Napa Cellars Merlot 2007, Napa Valley, CA, $22.00
Winemaking: 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon; Aged for 20 months, predominantly in French oak
Aromas: Black cherry, mint, cocoa
Flavors: Cherries, spice and vanilla
Structure: Medium+ acidity, full-bodied, medium tannins, long length
The alcohol was more balanced on this wine than on the Luna Vineyards Merlot.

Zen and the Art of Cabernet Sauvignon

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At 25, Laurel Glen’s owner belonged to a Zen Buddhist colony in Sonoma County. Although he already possessed a master’s degree in religion and was a professional musician, he wasn’t certain what his ultimate path would be. Among his first tasks at the colony, Patrick Campbell was assigned to tend the community vineyards, which ignited his passion for viticulture.

Three years later, Campbell had left the Buddhists to pursue his new path and, with the help of a small inheritance, purchased vineyard land in the Sonoma Mountain AVA, which had originally been planted in the late 1880s.

Patrick spent his initial years selling grapes to Chateau St. Jean and Kenwood until the lure of making his own wine became too powerful to ignore. He experimented with a barrel or two at a time until he felt confident that he could make wine on a larger scale. Consequently, he produced his first vintage in 1981—the Laurel Glen Cabernet Sauvignon.

In fact, Cabernet Sauvignon is all that Campbell does. More specifically, Campbell’s vineyards are planted with the Laurel Glen Cabernet Sauvignon clone, which was certified by the University of California at Davis.

While Cabernet Sauvignon is more commonly associated with Napa than with Sonoma, this grape variety can equally thrive in the western county. As a mountain appellation, the grapes are planted at an elevation of 800-1,000 feet. Here, the climate is slightly cooler, with the grapes receiving sunlight earlier in the day and avoiding the hotter afternoon rays of the valley floor. Thus, the height and exposure permit the grapes to retain acidity well and, ultimately, keep the wines balanced. Campbell’s light hand with French oak further adds to the elegance of these wines.

This was evidenced at a recent vertical tasting in New York. While the inaugural 1981 showed signs on age with its brick rim and developing aromas, it was still alive with medium+ acidity and notes of herbs, spice, cedar and blackberry on both the nose and palate.  Subsequent wines tasted at the event showed a similar hallmark, although vintage variation and a slight style change over the years was evident.

Today, Laurel Glen includes 16 planted acres and produces 1,300-1,500 cases annually. A second wine, Counter Point, debuted in 1987 as an earlier-maturing option, and accounts for an additional 700-900 cases. Wine that doesn’t meet the standards for either the flagship wine or Counter Point is sold off as private label or on the bulk market, maintaining Campbell’s commitment to quality.

Thirty vintages on, Campbell has much of which to be proud. Laurel Glen was included in Paul Lukac’s book, Great Wines of America: The Top Forty Vintners, Vineyards, and Vintages (talk about a short list) and has developed a loyal following. So much so that he has been able to succeed without submitting wines to publications for review.

However, for Campbell, his path with Laurel Glen has come to an end. Instead, with Campbell’s recent sale of the winery, Bettina Sichel picks up where he leaves off, continuing her own family’s path in wine (she represents the 5th generation to work in the wine industry).

Sichel’s current journey began in November 2008 when a conversation with a friend ended with his statement, “We should buy a winery together some day.” After hanging up the phone, Sichel realized that it was the perfect time to consider such an opportunity and the two went on to raise money from investors to help move their goal forward. By July 2009, an action plan was in place, which included what they were looking for in a winery and why. Knowing that they wanted a winery with name recognition and a good history, Sichel went out to find a winery that fit the bill. After discovering that they couldn’t afford Napa, Sichel extended the search and found Laurel Glen to be a perfect fit. She acknowledges that it wasn’t easy and that she had to obtain a bank loan on top of the financing to make the dream a reality. However, she notes that buying Laurel Glen “is the culmination of everything I’ve worked for.”

Sichel is joined by winemaker Randall Watkins, consultant winemaker, David Ramey and viticulturist, Phil Coturri. Under Coturri’s tutelage, the vineyards are being farmed organically, along with a focus on dry farming, a more open canopy and fewer clusters per shoot.

But, despite these changes, Sichel holds fast to Laurel Glen’s illustrious history and stressed that the vibrant acidity that is characteristic of Laurel Glen will remain untouched. With Sichel at the helm, the winery is poised for continued success.

Grand Cru Grape Vine: Happy Mutter’s Day (May 2011)

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Happy Mutter’s Day! The word Mutter is German for mother and, with Mother’s Day on May 8th, and our focus on Germany this month, we’re sending you a bilingual greeting.

This month, Jared and Tracy will once again participate in TasteCamp East. The 2011 itinerary includes visits to the Niagara wine regions on both the Canadian and American sides. Then, in June, Tracy will travel to the Kingdom of Navarra in Spain’s Basque region where she will taste the wines and cuisine.

Public classes begin June 25th when we’ll kickoff the season with a wine class and concert. This special evening will feature a wine class on Australian wine, followed by a concert and story-telling by Australian folksinger, Susanna Carman, as part of her U.S. tour. Enjoy wines and cheeses as you listen to Susanna sing and share her tales of living Down Under.

Other special events for the season include a wine and chocolate tasting with Roxanne Browning of Exotic Chocolate Tasting (July 17), and a class on Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, with high end wines such as Diamond Creek and Far Niente (August 14). Visit our website to sign up for these and all other classes.

Drink wisely and well,

Tracy Ellen Kamens, Ed.D., DWS, CWE
CEO: Chief Education Officer

and

Jared Michael Skolnick
COO: Cork Opening Officer

Happy Mutter’s Day: The Wines of Germany
A young engineer accompanied his boss on a business trip to Germany in the 1970s. One evening at dinner, their German hosts were keen to show off the quality of their wines and selected a special bottle from the restaurant’s wine list. The red wine was presented to the boss for tasting, with all eyes anxiously awaiting his reaction. The gentleman raised the glass to his lips, took a sip and declared, with his face revealing displeasure, “It’s too sweet!”

Whether true or not, for a long time, many people attributed all German wines with being too sweet. However, at least these days, the reality is that Germany produces a wide range of high quality wines from bone dry to lusciously sweet, so there are wines to suit a variety of palates and occasions. Germany’s association with sweet wines stems from its focus on the ripeness levels in its grapes. While we generally say that grapevines grow between 30-50o north and south of the equator, vineyards in Germany can be found as far north as the 52nd parallel. Given the northerly locale, reaching full grape ripeness is no easy task. Without the steep (often 45o), south-east facing slopes along the Rhine River and its tributaries, grapegrowing would not be possible in this area. As a result of this slope and orientation, the sun’s rays hit the water and reflect back onto the grapes, permitting them to reach full maturity. Consequently, such ripeness is prized and, much of the German classification is based upon ripeness/sugar levels at harvest.

This ripeness classification, whose designation is restricted to Germany’s quality wine category  – Qualitatswein mit Pradikat (Quality wine with attributes), starts from the least ripe, Kabinett, followed by Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese, in ascending order of ripeness. You can expect wines of Auslese level and above to be noticeably sweet, but Kabinett and Spatlese wines may be dry or off-dry (slightly sweet). One clue is to look at the alcohol level; a lower level (10% and under) will generally suggest a sweeter wine since not all of the sugar was converted into alcohol. Another is to look for the word Trocken, which is German for dry, or the terms Classic and Selection, both of which indicate dry-style wines. Those with a little sweetness will pair brilliantly with Asian or other spicy cuisine as well as fatty poultry dishes. Auslese level and sweeter wines are best saved for dessert or as accompaniment to blue cheeses, but while they do retain high levels of residual sugar, they are beautifully balanced with high acidity. This is particularly true of German Rieslings.

And, as a final note, Germany is not a one-grape wonder. In fact, Riesling’s spiritual home is also home to Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer and a myriad of other Germanic grape varieties.

Wine Tasting Notes

Bernhard Huber, Alte Reben Spatburgunder Trocken  2007, Baden, Germany, $75.00
From the southernmost and warmest region (Baden), this wine is produced from old vines (20-40 years of age) and presented a complex nose of wet leaves, vegetal notes and cherries. These flavors continued on the dry palate with vibrant acidity, low tannins and an extremely long finish. In a word, stunning!

Grafen Neipperg, Lemberger Trocken, 2008, Württenberg, Germany, $22.00
This estate is owned by Count (Graf) Neipperg and is located in the Württenberg region which is predominantly (70%) planted to red grapes, cherry, clove and vanilla greeted the nose . The dry palate had medium+ acidity, light tannins with flavors of bitter cherry, cloves and vanilla.

Johannishof, Charta Riesling, 2008, Rheingau, Germany, $22.00
Johannishof is owned by the Eser family, which has a winemaking history dating from 1685. This wine showed aromas of spice, floral, pineapple and peach. Dry with just a hint of ripeness, this wine has high acidity and concentrated fruit flavors of pineapple and tropical fruit, along with floral notes, all of which remain throughout the wine’s long length.

Liebfrauenstift Riesling Trocken 2009, Rheinhessen, Germany, $22.00
Originally cultivated by Capuchin monks, Peter Joseph Vlackenberg purchased a stake in the property in 1808, with his family currently owning 90% of the site. With citrus and stone aromas on the nose, this wine is dry with piercing acidity. Citrus, pith, stone and slight spice linger on the palate with long length.

Schloss Saarstein, Pinot Blanc, 2008, Mosel, Germany, $15.00
This estate is located on slate soils overlooking the Saar River. A refreshing wine, with good fruit concentration, this wine displayed floral, pear and melon notes on the nose. These notes were joined by some minerality and a hint of spice on the slightly off-dry palate with medium+ length.

Tasting Note Round-Up

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Sometimes, okay, often, I find that I have fallen behind on tasting various samples and subsequently publishing my notes. Accordingly, here is a round up of wines tasted in the past 18 months, with apologies to the sample senders for the delay.

Andeluna Cellars Celebración Reserve 2006, Tupungato, Argentina, $20.00
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot; 14.8% abv
The first vintage release of this wine, it is created as a Bordeaux-style wine, emulating the Left Bank in terms of the blend, but produced in a distinctly Argentine wine style.
Aromas: Blackberry, blackcherry, vanilla and cedar
Flavors: Very ripe fruit – blackberry, vanilla, cedar, slight spice
Structure: Medium+ acidity; ripe tannins; high alcohol; medium+ length
Conclusion: Very fruit forward, but with some complexity. The alcohol was slightly hot, but otherwise, the wine was balanced.

Folie à Deux Chardonnay 2009, Napa Valley, CA, $18.00
Winemaking: Just over 50% was fermented in small oak barrels. Post-fermentation, the wine was aged in French & American oak for six months.
Aromas: Butterscotch, vanilla, apple and peach
Flavors: Apple, nectarine, vanilla, spice, butterscotch and wood undercurrent
Structure: Medium+ acidity, full-bodied, medium+ alcohol, medium length
While the oak treatment is noticeable, it is well-integrated and wine shows some complexity.

Foppiano Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Russian River Valley, CA, $18.00
Winemaking: Stainless steel fermentation
Aromas: Tropical fruit and slight grassy note
Flavors: Lush fruit – peach, grapefruit, pineapple
Structure: Dry with medium+ acidity, medium+ body, slight heat and long length

Foppiano Rosé 2009, Russian River Valley, CA, $15.00
55% Petite Sirah and 45% Pinot Noir
12 hours of skin contact, then bled off (saignée method); 6 months aging in neutral French oak barrels
Aromas: berry, floral and blossom
Flavors: Herbal and strawberry
Structure: Bone dry, medium+ acidity and high alcohol
A clean and crisp wine with nice fruit concentration, but slightly hot (not surprising given the 14.2% abv).

Make Mine a Malbec

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The Wine Media Guild hosted Jean-Lous Carbonnier, representative of the International Malbec Association and Ricardo Giadorou of Argentina’s Dolium Winery at its November lunch. Featuring a tasting of Argentine and Cahors Malbecs, attendees had the opportunity to taste and compare these wines.

The Malbec grape originated in France and is currently grown in Bordeaux, the Loire Valley and Cahors. Wines from France’s Cahors region must be produced from a minimum of 70% Malbec, but Merlot and Tannat may also be a part of the blend. Most domains are modest in size, averaging 37 acres. The AOC was established in 1971, which helped to stimulate a rebirth of the area’s vineyards.

Despite Malbec’s association with France, it is planted in much greater numbers in Argentina, having arrives in the 1880s. The Dolium Winery is based in the cru of Lucan de Cuyo and is a gravity flow winery having been built underground. Fifteen percent of the winery’s 200,000 hectares are devoted to Malbec. Ricardo explained that in Argentina’s climate, Malbec was an extremely versatile grape, capable of producing concentrated wines. Compared to their Cahors counterparts, the Argentine Malbecs possess softer and sweeter tannins.

During the tasting, most people agreed that the Argentine Malbecs were much more fruit forward with black fruit and ripe tannins. Conversely, the Cahors wines were denser with tighter tannins and less fruit. A number of the Cahors showed notes of wet leaves and tar. A last minute addition to the tasting were three wines from Viu Manent’s Chilean properties. These wines seemed to be a cross between the Argentine and Cahors styles, with a certain elegance to their meaty and black and red fruit notes. The lone rose, which was from Dolium, was dry, yet fruity, with floral, berries and slight grapefruit pith note in the undercurrent, was a refreshing change to what was otherwise a line up of all red wines.

In addition, I had occasion to blind taste two Argentine Malbecs at home.

Redwood Creek Malbec 2009, Mendoza, Argentina
The wine had aromas of spice, black and bramble fruit and vanilla, with blackberry, blueberry, spice and oak on the palate. It had good acidity, with medium+ body, medium tannins, medium alcohol and medium+ length.

Layer Cake Malbec 2008, Mendoza, Argentina
This wine displayed smoke, oak, blackfruits, and faint notes of meat and mint on the nose, which persisted on the palate with a slightly jammy character to the fruit. A full-bodied wine, it had soft tannins. The length was medium+ in duration, but the high alcohol left a burn at the back of the palate in the finish.

The Redwood Creek wine showed brighter fruit and a more balanced alcohol, while the Layer Cake was more concentrated with riper, jammy bramble fruit.

 

Can California wine age?

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Can California wine age? The answer was a resounding “Yes!” when members of the Wine Media Guild had the luxury of tasting through several older vintages of wine from a number of California’s centenary wineries.

The wineries represented at the tasting included Charles Krug, Simi, Schramsberg Vineyards, Wente Vineyards, Buena Vista, Beaulieu and Gundlach Bundschu, with both newer vintages and library wines on hand to taste.

Most surprising was a 1935 Simi Cabernet Sauvignon, which, while not fresh, was still quite drinkable. A second treasure unearthed from Simi’s cellars was a 1935 Tokay dessert wine. Tasters seemed equally pleased with the 1966 Charles Krug Vintage Selection Cabernet Sauvignon.

Guest speaker, Peter Mondavi, whose grandparents purchased the winery in 1943, was on hand to provide some history and answer questions.

But, as the event wore on, many wondered if the recent vintages would fare as well as those of yesteryear, with a particular focus on alcohol levels. The Krug Vintage Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 1966 had only 12% abv compared to the 15% abv of the 2008 vintage of the same wine.

Peter explained that pre-1980, many of the vines were virused, which effected the plants’ ability to conduct photosynthesis. As a result, sugar accumulation was slow, but physiological ripeness (tannins and other phenolic compounds) was sound. Accordingly, these wines were produced at an average of 12% alcohol by volume.

In contrast, current California vines are extremely healthy and very efficient at producing sugars and at a fast rate. Consequently, these vines have high alcohol levels (14% and upwards). Moreover, with the rapid sugar development, the natural acidity levels are lower than in the past. With their high alcohol, coupled with lower acidity, it was surmised that today’s wines will not be as longlived. Of course, only time will tell.

The Circle of Life

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From year to year, winemakers get the opportunity to begin again and make a new wine from a new harvest. Each vintage sharing some of the same elements as the one before, yet making its own mark on the world.

The newest vintage of wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank (Rive Droite) was premiered at a Le Cercle Rive Droite tasting in March. Accordingly, barrel samples from 2010 were on offer from chateau in Pomerol, St. –Emilion and other Right Bank appellations.

Baronne Guichard owns three separate properties, each with a unique terroir – Chateau Vray Croix de Gay in Pomoerol with gravely soils; Chateau Siaurac in Lalande de Pomerol with clays and gravels; and Chateau Le Prieure in St.-Emilion with soils of limestone and clay. Accordingly, the ability to do a mini-vertical and mini-horizontal tasting presented itself.

Proprietor Paul Goldschmidt describes the Chateau Le Prieure wine as being feminine and notes that the slopes are south-facing. The 2010 was very mineral in character with herbal notes (which Paul qualified as “Herbs de Provence, but under the shade”) and red fruit. The 2008 was similarly herbal with red fruit, but the minerality wasn’t present.

Paul characterizes the wines from Chateau Siaurac as being more masculine and explained that its appellation is known as the “poor man’s Pomerol” due to its lower price. The 2010 was intense with a concentrated nose of blackcherry, while the 2008 had mellowed and showed more red than black fruit.

The sample of Chateau Vray Croix de Gay has a slightly different make-up than its brethren, featuring more Merlot (90% vs. 80%) and thus less Cabernet Franc. The 2010 was concentrated with floral aromas while the palate had firm, tight tannins, blackcherry, some spice and long length. Similarly, the 2008 was rich, lush and ripe, but with the flavors and structure more closely knitted together with time.