Whenever the public responds to a store selection the way it has to Andeluna, this old codger has to sit up and take notice. We have been selling the Andeluna Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec here for the past couple months and with great regularity I hear the accolades flowing forth from regular customers and newbies who now think this place is tops because of their Andeluna experience. So let's take a look at Andeluna.
Andeluna is located in the "Napa" of Argentina, that is, Mendoza, but not near-in but well south of the city in the Uco Valley which hugs the Tunuyan River in that high altitude plateau called Tupungato (blog 11/14/11). This region, 45 miles long and 15 miles wide at 33 degrees latitude, actually contains the highest altitude vineyards in Argentina which supply the valued "diurnal effect" of great temperature shifts between day and night, balancing the sugars and acids in the grapes in the process.
"Phenolic ripeness" is one of the hipper oenological terms in the vernacular currently. It pertains to the ripeness of the fruit flavors and aromas along with tannins and the depth of the red and purple color (anthocyanins) of the wine. The seeds and grapeskins are most important in the providence of phenolic ripeness. For the best article possible on the subject go to Matthew Citriglia's handiwork at www.aretewines.typepad.com/arete_wines/200 which is where I got my information for this paragraph.
Back to Andeluna... H. Ward Lay, of Frito-Lay fame, is the owner of the property; Silvio Alberto is the winemaker; Michel Rolland is the celebrity consultant; and Ricardo Reina Rutini is the local wine aristocrat who somehow has a hand in the production. Whew! This is big business. All four of the aforementioned individuals are giants in their own right. Alberto is a university professor; Rolland is a "flying winemaker" ala Paul Hobbs; and Rutini represents the third generation of the premier Italian immigrant winemaking family and the prior owners of the Andeluna estate. With all of the emphasis on personnel, of course, Mr. Lay is an American. The name, Andeluna, by the way, refers to the way the moonglow reflects on the Andes at that altitude.
Now back to phenolic ripeness... Tupungato is the place where everybody and their brother in the wine industry are heading now to put in a stake for vineyard acquisition. Why? Because the conditions are so perfect. With all of the new technology available to adjust this and that to improve the chemical composition of a wine, if the place, itself, is ideal, why not go there? Our blogs about "Flash Detente" (9/15/12) and "Methoxypyrazine"(9/24/12) both refer to processes that amend traditional winemaking to make ordinary wine better. If the vineyard conditions are intrinsically fine, as they are at Andeluna, then just make the wine!
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
I Blog, Therefore I Am
Vine & Cheese is one of those stores that does disproportionately well during the holiday season, so blogging doesn't really fit into my schedule at this time. My strength in school was always research so blogging about wine and cheese here sometimes means doing the spade work first before writing and I don't have that luxury now, therefore what follows are my holiday thoughts at large.
We seem to be living in a world that is vastly different than the one I grew up in in the 1960s and it really is different, except that life itself hasn't changed. For me life has always been about struggling with adversity. In school I studied the existentialist philosophers whose ideas seemed to resonate with my reality in that sometimes I felt my reality (existence) superceded that which I was told was essential. Needless to say, I wasn't the life of the party with that kind of a (bleak?) worldview but I still maintain to this day that life and existence is essentially about struggle.
The existentialist philosophers I studied were atheists, for the most part, with the exception of Soren Kierkegaard, the Lutheran pastor who obsessed about responding to God's calling (to us) in life. To be clear, in our estrangement in this world we can still hear the voice of God calling us and now in this current era when we are so consumed by the worldly values of our secular society, the "Other" may still break through our private obsessions to reach us and liberate us. But it is hard and adjustments need to be made, which means nothing less than acknowledging our human limits, saying "no" to the world and making the acceptance decision for faith in defiance of the world, and then bringing the salvific message back into the world with us.
It is my Christmas wish to all of you that the light of the Lord shines anew upon you and yours this holiday season.
We seem to be living in a world that is vastly different than the one I grew up in in the 1960s and it really is different, except that life itself hasn't changed. For me life has always been about struggling with adversity. In school I studied the existentialist philosophers whose ideas seemed to resonate with my reality in that sometimes I felt my reality (existence) superceded that which I was told was essential. Needless to say, I wasn't the life of the party with that kind of a (bleak?) worldview but I still maintain to this day that life and existence is essentially about struggle.
The existentialist philosophers I studied were atheists, for the most part, with the exception of Soren Kierkegaard, the Lutheran pastor who obsessed about responding to God's calling (to us) in life. To be clear, in our estrangement in this world we can still hear the voice of God calling us and now in this current era when we are so consumed by the worldly values of our secular society, the "Other" may still break through our private obsessions to reach us and liberate us. But it is hard and adjustments need to be made, which means nothing less than acknowledging our human limits, saying "no" to the world and making the acceptance decision for faith in defiance of the world, and then bringing the salvific message back into the world with us.
It is my Christmas wish to all of you that the light of the Lord shines anew upon you and yours this holiday season.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Carmenere
Carmenere is one of the truly ancient grapes of Europe. It may have originated in Bordeaux where it was well documented in the nineteenth century or it could have originated in Spain or Portugal where so many took root from the earliest migrations north. It could also very well be that Carmenere is the ancestor grape of all five of the current Red Bordeaux varieties; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. There is also a distinct possibility that the Bordeaux blend of a thousand years ago was just Carmenere, previously called Grand Vidure, and Cabernet Franc, one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon.
In any event it is well documented that the Phylloxera epidemic of the late 1800s (blog 6/11/11) meant the demise of Carmenere in Europe due to the difficulties of grafting that vine onto disease resistant American rootstocks. Records show sales of vinifera grapevines to emigres to Chile in the 1850s and later, when Phylloxera was at its worst, French winemakers took uninfected vines with them as they exited Europe for greener pastures in South America and elsewhere.
Because the wine industry is such a commercial effort, grape types are at the mercy of the wine buying public and in the late 1800s Carmenere was fading in popularity in Europe. Merlot, by contrast, has always been popular and some specific sales records of vines destined for Chile mention Merlot by name. Since the Carmenere vine resembles Merlot, many of those vines labelled Merlot were actually Carmenere. Only in autumn when its foliage turns crimson or carmine, the color from whence it gets its name, does the difference become known. So the hundred year odyssey of the incognito Carmenere in Chile ran its course through the twentieth century with the acclaimed Chilean Merlot garnering the accolades while Carmenere was largely forgotten. Merlot, as we said above, sells well everywhere and Carmenere struggles which could be an obvious commercial reason for the misidentification.
In 1994 French ampelographers in Montpellier using new DNA technology determined that Carmenere was indeed the "Merlot" of Chile and four years later in 1998, the Chilean government recognized Carmenere for what it was. Since some of the greatest of twentieth century Chilean reds have been shown to be Carmenere based all along, the grape's bonafides were assured and sales of newly labelled varietal Carmenere have been solid.
This store is offering two exceptional Carmeneres at this time. The rich yet austere 2009 Toro de Piedra red blend is 60% Carmenere and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and retails for $15/btl. The 2006 Surazo Reserva Especial Carmenere is a fully mature example that sell here for just $10/btl. Both would show well with a steak. One spice that is enigmatic for wine pairing is curry and Carmenere is thought by some to be the solution for that difficult problem.
Join us Friday November 30th from 5 to 7pm for our regular weekly tasting. There will be no Carmeneres but the tasting will be a cut above average with a Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Malbec, and Merlot. Please join us.
In any event it is well documented that the Phylloxera epidemic of the late 1800s (blog 6/11/11) meant the demise of Carmenere in Europe due to the difficulties of grafting that vine onto disease resistant American rootstocks. Records show sales of vinifera grapevines to emigres to Chile in the 1850s and later, when Phylloxera was at its worst, French winemakers took uninfected vines with them as they exited Europe for greener pastures in South America and elsewhere.
Because the wine industry is such a commercial effort, grape types are at the mercy of the wine buying public and in the late 1800s Carmenere was fading in popularity in Europe. Merlot, by contrast, has always been popular and some specific sales records of vines destined for Chile mention Merlot by name. Since the Carmenere vine resembles Merlot, many of those vines labelled Merlot were actually Carmenere. Only in autumn when its foliage turns crimson or carmine, the color from whence it gets its name, does the difference become known. So the hundred year odyssey of the incognito Carmenere in Chile ran its course through the twentieth century with the acclaimed Chilean Merlot garnering the accolades while Carmenere was largely forgotten. Merlot, as we said above, sells well everywhere and Carmenere struggles which could be an obvious commercial reason for the misidentification.
In 1994 French ampelographers in Montpellier using new DNA technology determined that Carmenere was indeed the "Merlot" of Chile and four years later in 1998, the Chilean government recognized Carmenere for what it was. Since some of the greatest of twentieth century Chilean reds have been shown to be Carmenere based all along, the grape's bonafides were assured and sales of newly labelled varietal Carmenere have been solid.
This store is offering two exceptional Carmeneres at this time. The rich yet austere 2009 Toro de Piedra red blend is 60% Carmenere and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and retails for $15/btl. The 2006 Surazo Reserva Especial Carmenere is a fully mature example that sell here for just $10/btl. Both would show well with a steak. One spice that is enigmatic for wine pairing is curry and Carmenere is thought by some to be the solution for that difficult problem.
Join us Friday November 30th from 5 to 7pm for our regular weekly tasting. There will be no Carmeneres but the tasting will be a cut above average with a Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Malbec, and Merlot. Please join us.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Beaujolais Nouveau
For a change this time I know what to write about with no frustrating deliberative process to work through first. On Thursday the 15th of November this store will receive about fifteen cases of Nouveau Beaujolais with about fifteen more on tap for a week later...so lets get started selling the stuff!
Being a history buff, Nouveau snags me right away but there is a problem lying in its pre-history in that there has always been a "nouveau" release in France and probably elsewhere. Wine producers have historically released a quickly made teaser of a wine in hopes of whetting the appetite of locals who may then be enticed to patronize the regular vintage offerings to follow. This pre-history of Nouveau existed until 1937 when the Beaujolais AOC was codified in France and the floodgates were then opened internationally for Nouveau Beaujolais.
By law Nouveau must be sourced from the AOC environs but outside of the ten grand cru vineyards, which is opportune to say the least, since those superior vineyards command a premium price compared to basic Beaujolais. Through the marketing genius of Georges DuBoeuf, half of all Beaujolais production is now sold as Nouveau and that half is all from the "common" lots. Moreover it is sold quickly before the regular vintage is ready when cash flow is really needed. It is almost like the industry wrote the law!
Getting back to history prior to DuBoeuf, in the effort to create demand, races were held in France to get the teaser to as many markets as possible culminating with Paris being the then ultimate destination. DuBoeuf entered the Beaujolais business in 1964 and quickly extended the racing of wine across Europe and then to America and elsewhere, thereby creating the proverbial marketing monster. At this writing, Germany, Japan, and America are one, two, and three in world Nouveau markets with smaller markets existing everywhere wine lovers congregate.
Gamay is the grape of Beaujolais and Beaujolais is the southern half of Burgundy, France. Centuries ago Gamay was held to be superior to its cousin, Pinot Noir, but that was a long time ago and today Pinot is held by many of us to be the finest wine grape of all. The great Gamay wines from the grand cru vineyards when aged four to eight years can give Pinots a good run for their money though. Nouveau, however, is a different animal and if you want to learn more about the subject, read the two blogs written here on September 15th of this year. The first blog of that day concerns carbonic maceration, the Beaujolais winemaking process which is called whole berry fermentation in the new world. "Flash Detente" is the title of the second article and it builds on the first explaining the revolutionary new winemaking technology that seems to take carbonic maceration to a whole new level. Remember to scroll back since the order is reversed in the blog form.
Next Friday from 5 to 7pm we'll be tasting as usual here at the store. Two whites that didn't make the cut this week are Chateau de Cray Bourgogne Aligote and Sensi Pinot Grigio, so count on those two and, as seems to be a trend, more Spanish and Italian reds and California Cabernets. Please join us...and get those holiday gift basket orders in!
Being a history buff, Nouveau snags me right away but there is a problem lying in its pre-history in that there has always been a "nouveau" release in France and probably elsewhere. Wine producers have historically released a quickly made teaser of a wine in hopes of whetting the appetite of locals who may then be enticed to patronize the regular vintage offerings to follow. This pre-history of Nouveau existed until 1937 when the Beaujolais AOC was codified in France and the floodgates were then opened internationally for Nouveau Beaujolais.
By law Nouveau must be sourced from the AOC environs but outside of the ten grand cru vineyards, which is opportune to say the least, since those superior vineyards command a premium price compared to basic Beaujolais. Through the marketing genius of Georges DuBoeuf, half of all Beaujolais production is now sold as Nouveau and that half is all from the "common" lots. Moreover it is sold quickly before the regular vintage is ready when cash flow is really needed. It is almost like the industry wrote the law!
Getting back to history prior to DuBoeuf, in the effort to create demand, races were held in France to get the teaser to as many markets as possible culminating with Paris being the then ultimate destination. DuBoeuf entered the Beaujolais business in 1964 and quickly extended the racing of wine across Europe and then to America and elsewhere, thereby creating the proverbial marketing monster. At this writing, Germany, Japan, and America are one, two, and three in world Nouveau markets with smaller markets existing everywhere wine lovers congregate.
Gamay is the grape of Beaujolais and Beaujolais is the southern half of Burgundy, France. Centuries ago Gamay was held to be superior to its cousin, Pinot Noir, but that was a long time ago and today Pinot is held by many of us to be the finest wine grape of all. The great Gamay wines from the grand cru vineyards when aged four to eight years can give Pinots a good run for their money though. Nouveau, however, is a different animal and if you want to learn more about the subject, read the two blogs written here on September 15th of this year. The first blog of that day concerns carbonic maceration, the Beaujolais winemaking process which is called whole berry fermentation in the new world. "Flash Detente" is the title of the second article and it builds on the first explaining the revolutionary new winemaking technology that seems to take carbonic maceration to a whole new level. Remember to scroll back since the order is reversed in the blog form.
Next Friday from 5 to 7pm we'll be tasting as usual here at the store. Two whites that didn't make the cut this week are Chateau de Cray Bourgogne Aligote and Sensi Pinot Grigio, so count on those two and, as seems to be a trend, more Spanish and Italian reds and California Cabernets. Please join us...and get those holiday gift basket orders in!
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Familiarity and Expectation
What do they say about familiarity? It breeds contempt, right? Or perhaps more accurately in the wine business, complacency. Last night at our weekly tasting we had four Cabernets priced from $12.99 to $24.99. All were good wines and three of the four were brands I have sold for thirty years, so going into the event I assumed that the new highly recommended one would outshow the old standbys. That was my expectation but you know what they say about assumptions. That wine turned out to be the least of the four and of the other three, the little $12.99 Wente Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, overperformed its station by far. Maybe it's not a $30 value, but if you want to taste textbook Cabernet, try this one.
When I think of Cabernet, I think of structure first. I want a wine with shoulders that tastes like it has intention and demeanor. This one had fourteen months in oak, imparting both the boldness (shoulders) and earthiness (spice, tobacco) that goes a long way toward conveying the kind of attitude I'm talking about. Also when talking about Cabernet, complex fruit flavors are prerequisite and this one was brimming with cherries, berries, and plums, and I mean more than one type of each. This one's fruity nature makes it a nice cocktail for cab lovers but its structure and balance makes it more than just another fruit bomb. Needless to say, as a red meat accompaniment, it'll do just fine.
Wente, by the way, is the oldest California winery by most acceptable measurements. Charles Wetmore planted his Bordeaux cuttings in Livermore Valley a hundred thirty years ago. Today UC Davis calls those cuttings Cabernet Clones #7 and #8 and those berries seem quite content residing in the four hundred acre Wente Cabernet vineyard in Livermore. Five generations of Wentes have farmed their still family-owned estate elevating it to top thirty American wine company status. Not bad for a family-owned enterprise.
Familiarity in cheese appreciation can be problematic too. For the past month we have been selling Austrian Moosbacher Swiss, which when first cut into seemed to be just another Swiss, so lacking in distinction it could even be domestic. Because the cost was reasonable and the flavors moderate, we served it repeatedly at tastings and I gradually took a liking to the cheese. When I finally realized that the annoying familiarity I felt with Moosbacher had to do with mediocre Baby Swiss, I was able to get past the bias and give the cheese a real chance. It doesn't hurt that our cheeses tend to sit out on the cutting table for elongated periods warming to just the right temperature.
Moosbacher seems to be a combination of Emmentaler and Gouda and to a lesser extent, Appenzeller, and Gruyere. As a Swiss it is smooth, semi-firm, nutty, sweet and fruity, and creamy in the mouth. Moosbacher comes in an eighteen pound burlap wrapped wheel. It is a cow's milk cheese and as I'm writing this, I'm wondering if it may have improved in the deli over the past month. Stranger things have happened in this strange wine and cheese business and familiarity has a role to play in all of it. In this case though, my expectations were limited and it was the cheese that improved on me!
As always Friday is tasting night here at the store so join us on the 9th when we will taste a French Pinot Noir, Italian Montepulciano, more California Cabernets, and I don't know what else but it'll be fun. Nouveau Beaujolais day is the 15th so get those orders in as well as the holiday gift basket orders and do you want to know who introduced the Chardonnay grape to California? Wente, naturally.
When I think of Cabernet, I think of structure first. I want a wine with shoulders that tastes like it has intention and demeanor. This one had fourteen months in oak, imparting both the boldness (shoulders) and earthiness (spice, tobacco) that goes a long way toward conveying the kind of attitude I'm talking about. Also when talking about Cabernet, complex fruit flavors are prerequisite and this one was brimming with cherries, berries, and plums, and I mean more than one type of each. This one's fruity nature makes it a nice cocktail for cab lovers but its structure and balance makes it more than just another fruit bomb. Needless to say, as a red meat accompaniment, it'll do just fine.
Wente, by the way, is the oldest California winery by most acceptable measurements. Charles Wetmore planted his Bordeaux cuttings in Livermore Valley a hundred thirty years ago. Today UC Davis calls those cuttings Cabernet Clones #7 and #8 and those berries seem quite content residing in the four hundred acre Wente Cabernet vineyard in Livermore. Five generations of Wentes have farmed their still family-owned estate elevating it to top thirty American wine company status. Not bad for a family-owned enterprise.
Familiarity in cheese appreciation can be problematic too. For the past month we have been selling Austrian Moosbacher Swiss, which when first cut into seemed to be just another Swiss, so lacking in distinction it could even be domestic. Because the cost was reasonable and the flavors moderate, we served it repeatedly at tastings and I gradually took a liking to the cheese. When I finally realized that the annoying familiarity I felt with Moosbacher had to do with mediocre Baby Swiss, I was able to get past the bias and give the cheese a real chance. It doesn't hurt that our cheeses tend to sit out on the cutting table for elongated periods warming to just the right temperature.
Moosbacher seems to be a combination of Emmentaler and Gouda and to a lesser extent, Appenzeller, and Gruyere. As a Swiss it is smooth, semi-firm, nutty, sweet and fruity, and creamy in the mouth. Moosbacher comes in an eighteen pound burlap wrapped wheel. It is a cow's milk cheese and as I'm writing this, I'm wondering if it may have improved in the deli over the past month. Stranger things have happened in this strange wine and cheese business and familiarity has a role to play in all of it. In this case though, my expectations were limited and it was the cheese that improved on me!
As always Friday is tasting night here at the store so join us on the 9th when we will taste a French Pinot Noir, Italian Montepulciano, more California Cabernets, and I don't know what else but it'll be fun. Nouveau Beaujolais day is the 15th so get those orders in as well as the holiday gift basket orders and do you want to know who introduced the Chardonnay grape to California? Wente, naturally.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Bernard Portet
I started my wine career back in 1976 when I was a student and living in Berkeley, California and, of course, in need of a job. So I stocked shelves in a liquor store and took note of the boutiquey looking California wines that lined the shelves, thinking they must surely be the best wines available. Something called "Fred's Friends" was the most expensive wine on the shelves (I wonder why that one didn't work.) and J. Lohr was the only label I recall from that time that is still around today.
When I moved to Atlanta in 1981 I took a job at Ansley Wine & Cheese in Ansley Park which, unknown to me, was where the fine wine business in Atlanta had begun. Jim Sanders, "the father of the fine wine business in Atlanta", had opened that Ansley Park shop ten years earlier and had actually created the market for fine French wines in Atlanta back in the sixties. He had long since sold the Ansley store and moved to Paces Ferry where I worked for him for a couple of years in the early eighties. Jim, always more of a curmudgeon than a cuddly teddy bear, had somehow accrued the "who's who" customer list of Atlanta and according to 1960's lore, Jim had once even brought together Lester Maddox and Martin Luther King for a wine tasting in his office!
I say all of this as preamble to my introduction of Bernard Portet into the discussion. Portet, along with John Goelet, founded Clos du Val Winery in the Stag's Leap District of Napa Valley in 1970. Portet was born in Cognac, France and raised in Bordeaux in a family of winemakers going back nine generations to 1668 Cognac. Portet's father was the technical director of the first growth, Chateau Lafite Rothschild, where the young Portet no doubt learned plenty before his formal winemaking training at Toulouse and Montpellier. With this kind of a background, Portet set off to America where he and Mr. Goelet partnered to create Clos du Val.
Clos du Val marketed several wines like most early California wineries but their claim to fame was always Cabernet. In 1976 at the elite "Judgment of Paris" tasting (blogs 6/25/12-7/5/12), the 1972 Clos du Val Cabernet finished eighth out of ten California Cabernets and French Bordeaux tasted. Ten years later when the tasting was reprised, the 1972 Clos du Val was first. Twenty years later in 1996, it finished fifth, a testiment to the longevity (and superiority) of Napa Cabernet. The 1972 Clos du Val Cabernet, by the way, was its very first vintage!
So why this blog now? Clos du Val has always been my favorite California Cabernet, so French in style I may have been able to slip it past Jim Sanders in a blind tasting. For the French it is always about terroir, the environs of the vineyard that impart "place" as a dimensional attribute of the wine. Now terroir takes on new meaning for Portet who retired from Clos du Val in 2009. Portet is now introducing his new "winery without walls", (ed. note below) which is what we have been talking about all year long here at the blog. When Portet joyfully proclaims, "I don't own anything!", he is authoritatively "owning" his contracts with the right growers in the right Cabernet terroir along with his contract with the right winemaking facilities to turn out his new label, Heritance Cabernet (and Sauvignon Blanc). I can hardly wait to taste this one.
Editor's note: A clos is a walled-in vineyard. Clos du Val = walled-in vineyard in the valley?
Now we are into my busy season and the blogs are going to be coming fewer and farther between but we will try to continue writing between wine and cheese sales and gift basket orders. We are tasting as usual on every Friday but nothing is set in stone for November second yet. We also continue to feature St. Supery Napa wines through the end of the year.
When I moved to Atlanta in 1981 I took a job at Ansley Wine & Cheese in Ansley Park which, unknown to me, was where the fine wine business in Atlanta had begun. Jim Sanders, "the father of the fine wine business in Atlanta", had opened that Ansley Park shop ten years earlier and had actually created the market for fine French wines in Atlanta back in the sixties. He had long since sold the Ansley store and moved to Paces Ferry where I worked for him for a couple of years in the early eighties. Jim, always more of a curmudgeon than a cuddly teddy bear, had somehow accrued the "who's who" customer list of Atlanta and according to 1960's lore, Jim had once even brought together Lester Maddox and Martin Luther King for a wine tasting in his office!
I say all of this as preamble to my introduction of Bernard Portet into the discussion. Portet, along with John Goelet, founded Clos du Val Winery in the Stag's Leap District of Napa Valley in 1970. Portet was born in Cognac, France and raised in Bordeaux in a family of winemakers going back nine generations to 1668 Cognac. Portet's father was the technical director of the first growth, Chateau Lafite Rothschild, where the young Portet no doubt learned plenty before his formal winemaking training at Toulouse and Montpellier. With this kind of a background, Portet set off to America where he and Mr. Goelet partnered to create Clos du Val.
Clos du Val marketed several wines like most early California wineries but their claim to fame was always Cabernet. In 1976 at the elite "Judgment of Paris" tasting (blogs 6/25/12-7/5/12), the 1972 Clos du Val Cabernet finished eighth out of ten California Cabernets and French Bordeaux tasted. Ten years later when the tasting was reprised, the 1972 Clos du Val was first. Twenty years later in 1996, it finished fifth, a testiment to the longevity (and superiority) of Napa Cabernet. The 1972 Clos du Val Cabernet, by the way, was its very first vintage!
So why this blog now? Clos du Val has always been my favorite California Cabernet, so French in style I may have been able to slip it past Jim Sanders in a blind tasting. For the French it is always about terroir, the environs of the vineyard that impart "place" as a dimensional attribute of the wine. Now terroir takes on new meaning for Portet who retired from Clos du Val in 2009. Portet is now introducing his new "winery without walls", (ed. note below) which is what we have been talking about all year long here at the blog. When Portet joyfully proclaims, "I don't own anything!", he is authoritatively "owning" his contracts with the right growers in the right Cabernet terroir along with his contract with the right winemaking facilities to turn out his new label, Heritance Cabernet (and Sauvignon Blanc). I can hardly wait to taste this one.
Editor's note: A clos is a walled-in vineyard. Clos du Val = walled-in vineyard in the valley?
Now we are into my busy season and the blogs are going to be coming fewer and farther between but we will try to continue writing between wine and cheese sales and gift basket orders. We are tasting as usual on every Friday but nothing is set in stone for November second yet. We also continue to feature St. Supery Napa wines through the end of the year.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Montsant
I guess when each of your past two tasting winners are from the same place, you probably should acknowlege that place in writing. Montsant is a Spanish viticultural D.O. (denominacion de origen)which lies toward the southwestern tip of the country. Spain is sort of triangular shaped with the most acute angle hanging to the southwest, if that helps.
The D.O. was established in 2001 when the higher altitude Montsant mountainside vineyards surrounding the esteemed Priorat D.O. were recognized for their own superiority. The great red grapes of the region are Garnacha and Carenina with eight other types in the supporting cast. Whites are also made there but our tasting winners were reds so we'll stay with that. Montsant is actually a horseshoe-shaped ring around Priorat with the opening at the bottom. It is a sub-region of Falset, which used to be the primary name on the wines, and the place lies within the Tarragona province in Catalonia.
Montsant has a dry Mediterranean climate with soils of lime over granite with slate below that. The D.O. is 360m above sealevel on average. Winemaking in the region is done mainly by young people trained in modern winemaking and their employers are largely family farms and co-ops. Formerly these venues produced somewhat musty, oxidised sweet reds in the bad old days.
A week ago we sold out of 2006 Tossals Junior, a $14.99 bottle composed of 60% Garnacha, 30% Carenina, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Interestingly enough when introduced initially this wine commanded a $35/btl price. A characteristic of Montsant reds is that they age gracefully, becoming more velvety with time in the bottle. That was the case with Tossals and happily it is back in stock.
Last night our clear winner was the 2008 Besllum Montsant composed of 45% Garnacha, 45% Carenina, and 10% Syrah. From the 93 point Robert Parker review: "16 months in new French oak; deeply colored; alluring bouquet of wood, smoke, exotic spices, incense, lavender, blueberry, and blackcherry; opulent; drink 2013-2023." Similar to Tossals, Besllum was introduced at $34/btl and we have three bottles in stock now.
Both wines would work well with red meats on the grill or well-seasoned burgers.
Next Thursday, October 25th (5-7pm), Gail Avera of Lafayette Selections returns with an array of "coastal" wine selections. These wines hail from Spain, France, and Italy and promise to return us to our youthful beachboy (and beachgirl) romps at the sea.
On Friday, October 26th (5-7pm), Tommy Basham of Continental Beverage returns with, oh I still don't know what, but it'll be fun as always!
The D.O. was established in 2001 when the higher altitude Montsant mountainside vineyards surrounding the esteemed Priorat D.O. were recognized for their own superiority. The great red grapes of the region are Garnacha and Carenina with eight other types in the supporting cast. Whites are also made there but our tasting winners were reds so we'll stay with that. Montsant is actually a horseshoe-shaped ring around Priorat with the opening at the bottom. It is a sub-region of Falset, which used to be the primary name on the wines, and the place lies within the Tarragona province in Catalonia.
Montsant has a dry Mediterranean climate with soils of lime over granite with slate below that. The D.O. is 360m above sealevel on average. Winemaking in the region is done mainly by young people trained in modern winemaking and their employers are largely family farms and co-ops. Formerly these venues produced somewhat musty, oxidised sweet reds in the bad old days.
A week ago we sold out of 2006 Tossals Junior, a $14.99 bottle composed of 60% Garnacha, 30% Carenina, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Interestingly enough when introduced initially this wine commanded a $35/btl price. A characteristic of Montsant reds is that they age gracefully, becoming more velvety with time in the bottle. That was the case with Tossals and happily it is back in stock.
Last night our clear winner was the 2008 Besllum Montsant composed of 45% Garnacha, 45% Carenina, and 10% Syrah. From the 93 point Robert Parker review: "16 months in new French oak; deeply colored; alluring bouquet of wood, smoke, exotic spices, incense, lavender, blueberry, and blackcherry; opulent; drink 2013-2023." Similar to Tossals, Besllum was introduced at $34/btl and we have three bottles in stock now.
Both wines would work well with red meats on the grill or well-seasoned burgers.
Next Thursday, October 25th (5-7pm), Gail Avera of Lafayette Selections returns with an array of "coastal" wine selections. These wines hail from Spain, France, and Italy and promise to return us to our youthful beachboy (and beachgirl) romps at the sea.
On Friday, October 26th (5-7pm), Tommy Basham of Continental Beverage returns with, oh I still don't know what, but it'll be fun as always!
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