Category Archives: Wine

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.

Notes from Napa

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A venture from the folks at Folie à Deux, Napa Cellars produces a full range of the usual suspects and prides itself on producing consistent wines from vintage to vintage, by sourcing fruit from quality vineyards throughout the Napa Valley. The winemaker is Joe Shirley.

Napa Cellars, Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, $26.00
Winemaking: 18 months of aging, predominantly in French oak, 55% of which was new.
Aromas: Red and black fruit, pepper, oak and mint
Flavors: Juicy fruit notes of blackberry, oak and eucalyptus
Structure: Medium acidity; medium, ripe tannins; medium+ length

Napa Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Napa Valley, CA, $18.00
Aromas: Pronounced herbal and citrus
Flavors: Lemon, lemon meringue, slight herbal
Structure: High acidity, medium+ length
A very nice wine.

Napa Cellars Chardonnay 2009, Napa Valley, CA, $22.00
Aromas: Apple, toast, smoke, slight melon
Flavors: Toast, apple, melon, smoke, caramel in finish
Structure: Medium+ acidity, medium+ body, medium+ alchohol, medium length

Napa Cellars Mount Veeder Chardonnay 2009, Napa Valley, CA, $32.00
Aromas: Oak, nuts, bruised apple
Flavors: Oak, apple, nuts
Structure: Medium+ acidity, full-bodied, medium- alcohol, long length

The Mt. Veeder wine was tasted with the regular Chardonnay. It was deeper in color and I found it to be more balanced in its use of oak. It also had a longer length.

Napa Cellars Dyer Vineyard Syrah 2007, Napa Valley, CA, $28.00
Aromas: Smokey, blackcherry, vanilla, hint of leather
Flavors: Blackcherry, vanilla, smoke and leather
Structure: Medium+ acidity, full-bodied, high alcohol, medium length
Powerful wine with concentrated fruit and nice acidity, but a bit hot.

Napa Cellars Zinfandel 2007, Napa Valley, CA, $22.00
Winemaking: 88% Zinfandel, 12% Petite Sirah; Aged 18 months in French & American oak (40% new)
Formal notes not taken, but the wine was very balanced and concentrated with bramble fruit and spice. It paired well with an Ecuadorian chocolate with banana and cayenne pepper.

Que Syrah, Shiraz and Shiraz

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A trio of Syrahs crossed by table this fall (9/22/2010), providing me with the opportunity to explore the similarities and differences among wines from Australia and South Africa.

90+ Cellars Lot 4: Shiraz Viognier 2007, McLaren Vale, Australia, $17.00
92% Shiraz, 8% Viogner; Co-fermented and aged for 14 months in new French oak.
Co-fermented as is done with Côte-Rôtie, this wine displayed aromas of medium+ intensity that included blueberry black cherry, oak, earth and dried herbs. Of the three wines, it had the deepest nose. On the palate, it was full-bodied with medium+/high tannins, medium acidity and flavors of blackberry, cherry, oak, earth and spice, culminating in medium+ length. Overall, the wine showed good fruit concentration along with complexity and elegance.

Rudi Schultz Syrah 2007, Stellenbosch, South Africa, $30.00
100% Syrah; Aged for 20 months in French oak barrels (30% new; 70% second and third fill).
Winemaker and proprietor Rudi Schultz was prompted to go into winemaking after tasting great Northern Rhone wines. Thus, it is no surprise that his wines are crafted in a similar style. Notes of blackberry, earth, rubber, leafyness and meatiness were present on the nose, which was the most savory of the three wines. Another full-bodied wine with medium+ tannins, the palate showed blackberry, blueberry, leather, rubber and meatiness, all of which lingered in the wine’s long length. Overall, the wine was both powerful and aromatic.

Xavier Flouret Waroo Shiraz 2009. Pemberton – Western Australia, $18.00
100% Shiraz; Aged for 8 months in oak barrels (75% French, 25% American oak).
From the cooler area of Western Australia, this wine had blackcherry, vanilla, floral and dried/jammy fruit aromas. Similarly full-bodied to the others, this wine provided medium+ acidity and medium tannins on the palate. Its flavors included blackcherry, herbaceousness, leather, and a tart cherry note in the undercurrent. An earthiness remained throughout the wine’s long length. This wine  had the brightest acidity of the three, most likely due to its origins in a cooler climate.

This was an interesting exercise, showing the influence (and confluence) of grape variety, climate and production on the finished wine.

Flights of whites

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In preparation for my AWS Wine Judging Training Program exam, which was held in early November 2010, I spent the summer blind tasting through different flights of wine. It was both a challenge to see which wines I could identify by either the grape variety or the appellation as well as to determine how several wines tasted in comparison to one another. NB: Tasting notes appear below the description of the two blind tasting exercises.

Flight 1: June 5, 2010
This flight included four white wines (all samples).
While I knew the identity of the four wines, I did not know which wine was in which glass. I sat down, began to taste and take notes and made some initial observations. The first glass showed notes of citrus, stone and a hint of butter, which repeated on the palate. The aromas in the second glass were quite pronounced and I detected citrus (specifically, pink grapefruit) and minerality on the nose and the palate. I suspected that this might be the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but as I hadn’t tasted through all four wines yet, I wanted to reserve final judgement until the end. I was glad that I did because the very next glass made it evident that I would have been wrong. Yes, glass # 2 was very concentrated with its citrus notes, but glass #3 had unmistakable herbaceous notes of green pepper. The fourth glass exhibited notes of oak and other barrel-derived aromas and flavors (cinnamon and toasted nuts). Knowing that there was a California Chardonnay in the mix, I attributed this wine, with its oak influence, to be the Chardonnay. Wrong again! Unbeknownst to me, one of the Rueda wines had been produced in a wooded style. The wine was not a Chardonnay, but rather a Verdejo. All in all, it was a very educational experience, helping me to see how my methology was working even if I sometimes arrived at the wrong conclusion. In any case, the wines were all quite enjoyable.

Flight 2: July 24, 2010
This flight included four white wines (all samples).
Again, the identity of the four white wines (all samples) were known to me, but the order in which I tasted them was a mystery. We had another houseful of guests, so they were also invited to participate. They declined the rigor of blind tasting, but enjoyed tasting a few different wines separately. With a pair of Rueda wines and a pair of Gruner Veltliners, I was curious as to whether I would be able to determine which two wines were produced from the same grape variety, even if I wasn’t sure which grape variety that was. The first glass had melon and citrus notes, while the second glass was more complex with earth and herbal aromas and flavors. Glass #3 was again aromatically citrus with lemon and lime, but also showing some minerality. It seemed more similar to glass #1 than to glass #2. The fourth glass offered earth and citrus on the nose and palate and appeared to be showing some development, while the other three glasses were all youthful. While I wasn’t sure if glass #4 was a Verdejo or Gruner Veltliner, I was fairly certain it was the same as glass #2. Upon revealing the wines’ identities, I had correctly identified the pairs, even though I had been unsure as to the actual grape variety.

TASTING NOTES

Flight 1
-Bodega Matarromera Emina Verdejo 2009, Rueda, Spain, $9.00
100% Verdejo; Stainless steel fermentation.
Medium+ aromas of pink grapefruit. Dry, medium acidity, medium body, grapefruit, mineral, pith; good concentration, long length.

-Bodega Matarromera Seleccion Personal Carlos Moro Emina Verdejo 2008, Rueda, Spain, $36.00
100% Verdejo; Fermented and aged for four months in French oak barrels.
Medium notes of toasted nuts, green apple, cinnamon. Dry, medium acidity, full body, apple, pear and an undercurrent of wood/toothpick, nuts; long length.

-Bouchaine Estate Chardonnay 2008, Napa Valley and Carneros (CA), USA, $25.00
100% Chardonnay; 70% barrel-fermented and aged (1-4 year old wood); 30% fermented and aged in stainless steel.
Medium aromas of citrus, stone and a hint of butter. Dry, medium acidity, medium+ body, citrus, stone, pith and medium+ alcohol; long length.

-90+ Cellars Lot 2 Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Marlborough, NZ, $12.00
100% Sauvignon Blanc; Stainless steel fermented.
Medium+ herbal and citrus notes. Dry, medium+ acidity, medium body, citrus, pepper, green pepper; long length.

Flight 2
-Javier Sanz Villa Narcisa, Rueda, Spain, $16.50
100% Verdejo; Stainless steel fermentation.
Medium aromas of melon and grapefruit. Dry, medium+ acidity, melon, citrus, pith; medium length.

-Laurent V SINGING Gruner Veltliner 2009, Niederösterreich, Austria, $15.00
100% Gruner Veltliner; Stainless steel fermentation.
Earth and citrus aromas. Dry, medium+ acidity, lime, pith, herbal flavors; medium+ length.

-Laurenz V CHARMING Gruner Veltliner 2006, Kamptal, Austria, $27.00
100% Gruner Veltliner; Stainless steel fermentation.
Aromas of grapefruit and showing some development with notes of damp earth. Dry, medium acidity, earth, melon and grapefruit; medium+ length.
This was our favorite Gruner Veltliner of the flight.

-Pagos del Rey Analivia Verdejo, $11.00
100% Verdejo; Stainless steel fermentation.
Medium notes of lemon, lime, minerality. Dry, medium+/high acidity, lime, minerality; long length.
This was our favorite Verdejo of the flight.

Grand Cru Grapevine: Talking Turkey (November 2010)

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We don’t know about you, but we find it hard to believe that November has arrived with Thanksgiving just around the corner (wasn’t it just July?).

Fortunately, we had a wonderful October, which included a fabulous trip to Italy’s Campania region, with visits to Mastroberardino and Feudi di San Gregorio. We’ll share additional details in a future newsletter.

This month finds Tracy presenting two sessions (Italian Sparklers and South African Wines) at the American Wine Society’s annual conference, while Jared finished up our public North Fork schedule this weekend with our From Mystery to Mastery class. But don’t despair; you can contact us for private classes and events year round at your place or ours.

As you prepare for the holiday, we hope you have a lot to be thankful for and wish you a very Happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

Drink wisely and well,

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

       and 

Jared Michael Skolnick
COO: Cork Opening Officer 

 

Talking Turkey

While turkey (the poultry) may grace your table soon enough, you may not have thought about setting your table with wines from Turkey (the country). Yet, there are some wonderful wines being produced there that are worth checking out.

Kavaklidere was Turkey’s first privately-owned, wine producer when it was established in 1929 in Ankara. Today, Kavaklidere is Turkey’s largest producer and the only one to import its wines to the U.S. (at least for now). Despite its size, Kavaklidere is considered to be the best producer in Turkey. Some of this can be attributed to a decision that the company made in 1993, a watershed moment that winemaker, Ali Basman, points to when Kavaklidere “decided to increase the quality” of its wines through improved technology and viticulture. As a result, the company has made significant investments to plant new vineyards and build new winery facilities, planting 170 ha at their Côtes d’Avanos Vineyard in central Anatoila that year. In 2005, an additional 200 ha site was identified in Pendore due to its tufa and volcanic soil, good diurnal variation and 3,000′ plateau.

Since 2008, Kavaklidere has partnered with famed enologist Stéphane Derenoncourt to focus on creating quality wines with Turkish grape varieties. Current plantings include 550 ha, which consist of indigenous varieties along with international varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Carignan. The company also maintains three winery facilities located throughout the country. Kavaklidere produces two grape juices as well as 43 wines, which range from still to sparkling and fortified and dry to sweet, with 20% of its products exported to foreign markets. With such a diversity of wines (although admittedly not all are imported to the U.S.), you are sure to find one that you’d happily serve with this year’s turkey. 

Wine Tasting Notes


Egeo Rose 2009, Aegean/Denizli and Pendore, Turkey
A blend of Cal Karasi (60%), Syrah (25%) and Grenache (15%), this wine was macerated for a brief period, producing a bright, pink hue and aromas of strawberry and floral notes. It is dry on the palate with vibrant acidity, showing strawberry with an herbal undercurrent.Cote d’Avanos Sauvignon Blanc 2006, Cappodocia, Turkey
This wine has a pronounced nose of lemon, lemon pepper and minerality. On the palate, it is dry with medium+ acidity and notes of lemon, stone and slight yeastiness, the latter a result of the15 months the wine spent aging on the lees (spent yeast cells). 

Pendore Okuzgozu 2008, Elazig, Turkey
Produced from 100% of the indigenous Okozgoku, this wine spends 12 months in French oak barrels. It is floral with red fruits such as raspberry, with moderate tannins, medium body and an undercurrent of bitter chocolate. 

Prestige Kalecik Karasi 2005, Ankara, Turkey
With its herbaceous and vegetal aromas, medium+ acidity and notes of bright red fruit, this wine, produced from 100% Kalecki Karasi, seemed to be most similar to Pinot Noir, but its full body pointed to its true identity. 

Beaujolais Nouveau 2010 arrives with Molly Sims, Franck Duboeuf and Peter Deutsch

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Molly Sims, Franck Duboeuf and Peter Deutsch welcome the Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2010...cirque style.

Like clockwork, the Beuajolais Nouveau arrived on the third Thursday of November, attended by a circus-style celebration for the 2010 harvest. Actress, model and jewelry designer, Molly Sims, was on hand to toast the first glass from Georges Duboeuf, with George’s son, Franck, serving as Master of Ceremonies under the big top at District 36. The luncheon, prepared by chef Marc Murphy (of Landmarc and now also Benchmarc catering), was accompanied by the Beaujolais Nouveau 2010 and the Morgon Jean Descombes 2009. Other Beaujolais crus were available at the self-pour bar during the initial reception. Overhead, attendees were treated to aerialists dangling from silks, while jugglers, magicians and contortionists dazzled at eye-level.

Beaujolais, whether Nouveau or not, is a wine made in the southernmost part of Burgundy from the Gamay grape. While Gamay is not most people’s favorite grape variety — often associated with prejorative aromas of bubble gum and banana, this year’s wine showed none of these characteristics and was simply pleasing with its ripe cherry fruit and soft tannins. And, it went nicely with the meal.

As a wine, Beaujolais Nouveau has both its share of proponents and detractors, but for me, it is more about the symbolism than the wine itself. Here we are in November, only a few weeks after the harvest and we have much to be thankful for and much to celebrate. Along comes Beaujolais Nouveau, ready to honor the year’s work. Most wines are still preparing for the party (and may take years to do so as they dress in layers of oak, vanilla and toast), but Beaujolais Nouveau and other wines produced in a nouveau-style are not only fully dressed, they are prepared to dance until dawn.

No, it is not a wine on which to meditate, but sometimes all you need is a simple glass of wine, good food and good friends in order to sit back and enjoy the good life. Salut!

Juggler at Beaujolais Nouveau celebration.

Grand Cru Grapevine: Bubbles Born in the USA: American Sparklers (October 2010)

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We have had a busy, but productive, fall season thus far. Our wine salon, From Mystery to Mastery, conducted as part of the East End’s first HARVEST Wine Auction & Celebration was met with great success as was Tracy’s Sex, Wine & Chocolate event with certified sexuality educator, Amy Levine, held at the beautiful Coco de Mer erotica and lingerie store.

Tracy will be teaching at the International Wine Center later this month and at NYU for three classes in November. Her session on Italian Sparkling wines, to be presented at the American Wine Society’s (AWS) annual conference is sold out with 90 registrants and only a few seats remain for her session on South African Wines.

In honor of the AWS’ conference location in Cincinnati, OH – what we’ve dubbed, “the other Cin city” and birthplace of America’s first sparkling wine – we bring you the history of Nicholas Longworth this month.

Drink wisely and well,

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

       and 

Jared Michael Skolnick
COO: Cork Opening Officer 

Bubbles Born in the USA: America Sparkles

America has long had a love affair with sparkling wine, yet, while many Americans would be quick to identify Dom Perignon as an iconic figure of the Champagne region, few would know that they owe a debt of sparkling gratitude to Nicholas Longworth who created the first American sparkling wine – a Sparkling Catawba, in 1842.

Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1783, this “crazy Jerseyman” stood somewhere between 5′-1″ and 5′-3″ and arrived in Cincinnati in 1804 (one year after Ohio had attained statehood), at the age of 21. After studying law for six months (there were apparently a lot fewer laws back then), he established a law practice.
 

Concurrent with his legal work, Longworth made shrewd investments in land, beginning in 1820. These real estate investments permitted Longworth to indulge in a new passion for horticulture and viticulture, pursuing the latter as a hobby as he began to plant vines along the Ohio River. 

His first attempts were with vitis vinifera, which, having been planted prior to the discovery of phylloxera, not surprisingly died shortly thereafter. Longworth then tried his hand at the American species, vitis labrusca. Specifically, he became interested in the Catawba grape (native to North Carolina), which was hearty enough to withstand the harsh winters of Ohio, planting these vines in 1825. He produced his first wine three years later, declared himself satisfied and subsequently quit his law practice, eventually crafting a sparkling version of his beloved Catawba.

But fortunately, Nicholas wasn’t the only one who admired his slightly sweet, sparkling wines. His wine was enjoyed not only throughout the United States, but also abroad in England and France. It was further lauded by poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who immortalized Longworth’s wine in his, “Ode to Catawba” published during the 1850s.

Longworth’s success eventually established him as the “wealthiest man in Ohio.” In fact, “…in 1850 his taxes rated higher than any other man in the United States except William B. Astor…” at an annual bill of $17,000 and, at his death, his wealth was estimated to be $15 million. (Harper’s Weekly)

In addition to being an accomplished wine producer, Longworth was a generous person and used his wealth to help others in his community. He provided work for those in need; built housing above his wine cellars for indigent laborers; and distributed bread to the hungry from his home every Monday morning.

Longworth’s efforts also helped to cement Ohio as a key winegrowing area in the United States. By 1860, Longworth had 3,000 acres of vines and was producing 570,000 gallons of wine, annually bottling 150,000 bottles. During this period, Ohio led the nation in the production of wine, supplying one-third of the nation’s wine and out-producing California by two to one. However, this boom was short-lived as Ohio wine production declined in both the wake of viticultural disease and a loss of labor as Ohioans left to fight in the Civil War.

Yet Ohio was not alone in its pursuit of bubbles. In 1855, Benjamin Davis Wilson, who was to become the first mayor of Los Angeles, was the first to produce a sparkling wine in California. And, across the country, a “champagne” industry was started in Hammondsport in New York’s Finger Lakes region in 1860. Crafting sparklers from Delaware, Iona, Elvira and Catawba grapes, the Pleasant Valley and Taylor Wine Companies set about to establish “American champagne [as] the leading wine of the region.” (Reichl, 14) 

While most of this early success with sparkling wine was brought to an end in the 1920s as America pursued Prohibition, by 1933, “[t]he few surviving Eastern wineries, principally sparkling-wine producers of New York State [namely Great Western and Gold Seal], soon found their bearings again.” (Wagner, 61)

And, only a few decades later, a renaissance would take place, with Jack and Jamie Davies re-establishing a winery at the old Schramsburg estate in Napa Valley, CA. With a focus on quality, not quantity, the Davies’ produced a Blanc de Blancs, which they released in 1967, becoming “America’s first commercially produced Chardonnay-based brut sparkling wine.” (Sawyer) Schramsburg’s reputation was assured when, in 1972, their sparkling wine was poured at the “Toast to Peace” dinner with President Nixon and Premier Chou En-lai in Bejing, China. Their wines have been poured in the White House ever since.

Today, sparkling wine is produced in all fifty states, and, while many of these producers are local in scope, leading American sparklers are found in California, Oregon, New York, Virginia, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Massachusetts, and are often national and even international in their reach. Here, many serious winemakers are crafting world-class wines utilizing the Traditional Method of production, with ultra-premium producers focused on estate-grown grapes and the production of vintage-dated wines.

Harper’s Weekly Journal of Civilization, Nicholas Longworth Obituary, published 3/7/1863.

Reichel, Ruth ed., History in a Glass: Sixty Years of Wine Writing from Gourmet. Random House: New York, 2006 [Frank Schoonmaker, Return to the Native, p. 14]

Sawyer, Christopher. “The Best of Both Worlds.” The tasting panel, December 2009.

Wagner, Philip M.  Grapes Into Wine, Knopf Press, 1976

  
  

Producer Profiles

Biltmore Estate
Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina is “the most visited winery in the United States,” seeing one million visitors annually. The 125,000 acre estate is the site of George Vanderbilt (grandson of Cornelius)’s dream home designed by noted architect Richard Morris Hunt. The Château Reserve Blanc de Blancs is 100% Chardonnay from fruit sourced throughout North Carolina and is aged 24-30 months before disgorging.

Chateau Frank
In 1962, Dr. Konstantin Frank established Vinifera Wine Cellars in Hammondsport, New York and earned a reputation for his Rieslings and “champagnes.” The 1999 Prestige Cuvee is made with 100% estate-grown fruit, a blend of 50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir and 5% Pinot Meunier and then aged for more than five years. 

Gruet Winery
The Gruet family of Champagne, France established their Albuquerque, NM winery in 1984. The 2004 Blanc de Blancs remained en tirage for a minimum of four years with the last bottles reaching anywhere up to five years.

Iron Horse Vineyards
When Iron Horse’s founding partners, Audrey and Barry Sterling, first saw the 300 acre property in 1976, it was the most westerly vineyard in Sonoma, but the Sterlings knew they wanted to grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and that this was the perfect climate in which to do so. The 2005 Classic Vintage Brut is among the most traditional of their sparklers, made from 25% Chardonnay and 75% Pinot Noir and aged for three years. 

Kluge Estate
Kluge Estate was established in 1999 in Carter’s Mountain on the edge of Blue Ridge Mountains in Charlottesville, VA by Patricia Kluge whose dream was to build a wine region. The 2007 SP Rosé, made from 95% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Noir, was aged for 21-24 months and won at the Monticello Cup in 2010 and took home Silver medals at both the San Diego Wine & Spirits National Women’s Wine Competitions.
 

L. Mawby
Larry Mawby planted vines on Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula in 1973, with his first harvest in 1978. His Talismon is made from estate grown fruit picked as a field blend of Vignoles, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay.

Soter Vineyards
Although he is more known for his Pinot Noirs, Tony Soter chose to make a sparkler because he is a “sucker for a winegrowing challenge.” Produced from 100% estate grown fruit, the Soter Rosé is a 50-50% blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and spent at least three years on the lees.
 


Troutman Vineyards
Building on Ohio’s wine legacy, Deanna and Andy Troutman established Troutman Vineyards in 1997. Their Cuveé D, a brut style sparkler made from hybrid variety, Vidal Blanc, won a Bronze Medal at the 2009 Ohio Wine Competition in the Hybrid Sparkling Wine category. 

Chablis 2008 shines at Drouhin’s Domaine de Vaudon

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Laurent Drouhin, of Maison Joseph Drouhin, wants consumers  to know a few things about Burgundy. The first is that they don’t make Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. Rather, they make Chassagne-Montrachet, Chambolle-Musigny, Pommard, etc. In his view, the grapes, which are in fact Chardonnay for the whites and Pinot Noir for the reds, are merely a conduit through which the terroir can speak.

Another thing that Laurent would like folks to know is that Chablis, a very special terroir for white wines, is also in Burgundy.

And, finally, while he is proud of his family’s heritage as a negociant (a firm which purchases grapes from multiple growers to make wine), they are equally proud of their status as a land owner and producer, particularly in Chablis.

A recent tasting of the 2008 vintage from Drouhin’s Domaine de Vaudon proves that his pride is justly deserved.

The district level Chablis ($24.50) showed some complexity on the nose with  minerality and citrus fruit, both of which persisted on the palate along with the addition of green apple. The Reserve wine ($29.00), while similar in aromas and flavors, had a more pronounced nose and longer length on the palate.

Moving up in quality, the three Premier Cru wines (from grapes grown on highly rated vineyard land) all presented vibrant acidity, full body and citrus notes. The Premier Cru Montmains ($38.25) seemed to be the most complex of the three, with notes of apple, lime, earth and minerality.

However, it was the jump to the Grand Cru wines (those hailing from one of the seven best vineyards in Chablis) that really showed what world class Chablis is all about. The Grand Cru Bougros ($72.00) – incidently, Laurent pronounces the final “s” – had pronounced minerality, damp earth, bruised apple and a slight woody note on the nose, all of which re-appeared on the palate and remained throughout the exceedingly long finish. Slightly richer, with the perception of riper fruit on the nose and palate, the Grand Cru Vaudesir ($72.00) was slightly fuller and seemed to show a little more of the oak influence on the palate, although the use of oak was still restrained and elegant.

These latter wines were showing beautifully now, but indicated the ability to evolve and gain further complexity with age.

So, whether you drink them young or in time, enjoy these wines to the fullest. Just don’t call them Chardonnay.