AMARONE della VALPOLICELLA

“Where there is no wine there is no love”.   …Euripides

Talking about Amarone della Valpolicella (just call it Amarone) always presents a problem. How do I explain the contradictions in a way that makes sense?  On the one hand, Amaraone wines can be described as full bodied, bold and powerful:  characteristics that wine critics refer to as male. But they are also amazingly balanced, roundly soft and supple with a lingering and delicate finish; not characteristics used to describe a “masculine” wine at all.  And they are not inexpensive, but offer great value. They also hint at sweetness, but are completely dry. 

Understanding these contradictions requires some discussion of the region, the grapes and the process in which these grapes are made into such remarkable wine.

 Amarone (ah-mah-ROH-neh) is made from the indigenous grapes of the region near Verona within the western Veneto (see map).  Big-bold-dense red wine is made from ripe grapes grown in warm and sunny areas (think Napa Valley Cabs).  But the Veneto is cool.  Corvina is the primary grape. It provides structure and aromatics.  Rondinella rounds out the body. Molinara provides acidity. And sometimes Negara is also used in the blend.  These are the same grapes used in making Valpolicella, an enjoyable enough table wine, but nowhere near the character of Amarone. So what makes Amarone different?  (So different, it was awarded DOGC status in December of 2009).



To begin, grapes for Amarone are left on the vine longer in order to develop more ripeness.  Of course, this exposes the grapes to the danger of rot in cool rainy weather. Assuming a successful harvest, the grapes are picked (hand selected bunches) and traditionally left to dry on split bamboo mats for as long as five months. (The exact time varies from producer to producer. Three months is common.).  Grapes that burst open and release their juice – because of these mats – won’t sit in their juice.  Instead the grapes shrivel, further concentrating their sugar, acids, tannins and flavors.

(L to R) '03 Busola $50, Drink 2009-2017, '06 Vignaiili Senge Bianche $30,
'08 Tommassi $60 Now- 2018, '06 LeSalette $52 2015-2025, '08 Cinque
Stelle $70 2015-2032, '08 Masi Costesera $45 Now - 2020.

 But wait! Amarone is completely dry.  That has everything to do with the fermentation. And it is the reason why the alcohol percentage of Amaraones often reaches 15 – 16% (14% legal minimum. Regular Valpolicella averages 11%). But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here.  Let’s get back to the shriveled grapes. As the grapes dry and raisinate, they lose more than a third of their weight.  Corvina, the primary grape in Amarone, can lose 40% and more!  It takes a lot of grapes to make an Amarone. And again, conditions must be closely monitored   so that the grapes do not rot. The whole process is risky and labor intensive for the producer.  With modern technology, the drying process is conducted indoors in temperature and humidity controlled rooms, and on specialty racks which greatly reduces the risk

Finally, the grapes are fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. The reduced water content in the must can slow down the fermentation process and increase the risk of both spoilage and volatile acidity. Most Amaraones are fermented between 30 – 50 days. After fermentation, the wine is aged in wood (size and type vary with producer) sometimes as long as five years (must be two years for “Normale” and four years for “Reserva”).



Standard Amarone can be produced anywhere within the Valpolicella zone. But those from the smaller, traditional area – one which is viticulturally superior – will be labeled “classico” just as is with familiar Chianti.  Expect to pay upwards of $50 for these wines. While not inexpensive, they offer great value in the experience.

2008 Tommai Amarone

Drink Now - 2018

 In the glass, an Amarone is deep purple with a cherry rim. The aromas are rich with stewed plum, raisin and date (that hint of sweetness).  The mouthfeel is lush and velvety smooth with tastes of plum, cherry, smoky dark chocolate and a hint of licorice. This is a very dense wine with texture, a port-like body, and the fruit is perfectly balanced and seamless against the wine’s acid.  When the term “complex” was first used as a wine description, its inventor must have been tasting an Amarone.  It finishes creamy but fresh, teasing your palette with a long aftertaste.  There’s some warmth on the back palette from the alcohol, but it’s pleasing and delicate due to the wines balance. Your brain detects a hint of sweetness, although the wine is dry.



The reason it is dry (back to fermentation) is simply that.  Sugars are completely fermented into alcohol by the yeast.  Another Valpolicella – called Recioto – is made by stopping the fermentation process before it is complete. This leaves residual sugar and makes for a nice dessert wine.



An '06 Valpantena Tesauro
RECIOTO $35 Drink 2009-2013



'10 Cesari Mari RIPASSO $20
Drink Now - 2016
A "Baby Amarone" Bargain



If $50 is not something you’re willing to spend, the “Mizer” has a suggestion:  Try another Valpolicella - this one called Ripasso.  Known as “baby Amarones,” these are Valpolicellas fermented a second time with the skins used in the making of Amarone. The skins contain much of the tannin and “beef” up the wine. Some producers, like Masi, use fresh dried grapes instead of Amarone skins because they believe old skins add bitterness to the wine.  These wines can be great values in the $20 range and are richer and deeper than regular Valpolicellas priced just a few dollars less.

Regardless of choice – whether an Amarone or Ripasso, these are not wines to open and enjoy. My last Amarone (and Ripasso) benefited greatly from air. In fact, I opened the bottles three hours before serving and could taste improvement in the wines with each passing hour. Save your money and decant, don’t aerate.  Patience is a virtue too with these wines. They benefit from aging, becoming softer.  If you don’t have conditions that allow for aging, Tomassi makes a more modern style Amarone that is suitable for drinking upon release. Today (May 2013), that is the 2008 vintage. While it too would benefit from aging, it’s more fruit forward and can be enjoyed now.



Listen to Josh Groban While Cooking
And Get in the Mood For
Romantic Amarone



Everyone tells you (and they’re right) that these are wines for beef.  A roast is great. Game meats are good. But if you want to have fun, save some Amarone for walnuts and cheese at the end of the meal. If you really want a treat, drizzle a little honey over chunks of aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, enjoy the cheese and then sip the Amarone.  These wines are labors of love that you’re sure to fall in love with.

Cin cin!

……………….  Jim

PICPOUL DE PINET

Give me books, French wine, fruit, fine weather and a little music played out of doors by somebody I do not know.”  ….. John Keats

When discussing French wines, mention Bordeaux and often the conversation turns to the stellar prices of top Chateaus.  Burgundy, the same.  And wine drinkers that favor the old world style of wines may be familiar with Sancerre and Vouvray wines from the Loire Valley in France. Everyone knows Champagne, even if they drink only sparkling wine.  And the Rhone Valley? Who hasn’t enjoyed a Cote du Rhone?

Along with such French wines that can command amazing prices, are wines that are very enjoyable, also from France, and offer the unique taste and style of the region – and are amazingly affordable.  And without having to become a Master of Wine, or a Certified Sommelier, you can easily find bargains in the Loire, the Rhone and the Languedoc. The Languedoc, so unfortunately, is the least known of these  areas, but the area of the white wine we’re talking about today, and one you don’t want to miss.

(For a review of an excellent red wine from the Languedoc, see http://www.winemizer.net/2012/09/2008-gerard-bertrand-cotes-du_25.html  )

 Picpoul is a variety of wine grape with a long history in the Languedoc (see map) and is one of the oldest do

mestic varieties of that region. The grape exists in both dark skinned (Picpoul noir) and light skinned (Picpoul blanc) versions and the little grown Picpoul gris. Picpoul blanc is the most common.

Picpoul de Pinet is a designation for white wines made exclusively from Picpoul blanc grapes within the Languedoc, and specifically within the region of Pinet.  Picpoul de Pinet wines are well on their way to being recognized with their own AOC, given that the vineyards sit on top of a limestone plateau and enjoy unique conditions and the cooling breezes of the Mediterranean..

What should you expect from these wines? A delicious crispness; refreshing minerality that is balanced with aromas and taste of citrus and lemon, apricots, yellow plums and green apple. As with other whites, these wines go well with seafood, especially oysters and mussels but can also be delicious with cheeses and cured meats on a charcuterie.  These are versatile food wines; their acidity neutralizes the iodine in shellfish and cleanses the mouth after eating fatty cheeses and meats.

With some, there is a slight herbal complexity to the finish, but generally these are not complex wines nor are they wines to age. Recently, I poured several wines at a retail store and a customer asked me to describe one of the wines she wanted to taste:  a Graffigna Pinot Grigio from Chile, (and nicely priced at $9.99 U.S.).  I provided the usual information but went on to say that life needn’t be complicated; that it was a simple, happy wine. Chill it, sit on the deck or the patio, listen to some tunes, and enjoy the blue sky and the bird songs. Take it on a picnic, hopefully near some water and savor the gift and beauty of a nice day. Picpoul is like that, but perhaps something new for you and exciting. Personally, I find it more versatile.

The bottle pictured sells commonly for $9 and is occasionally on sale for less. You could spend more, but why would you want to?

A votre santé!

…………………..   Jim

2006 VIETTI BARBERA D’ALBA VS. VIETTI BARBERA D’ASTI

“What is the definition of a good wine? It should start and end with a smile.”  William Sokolin quotes

If the place where wine grapes are grown did not make noticeable difference in how the wine tastes a California Mourvedre and a Spanish Monastrell – other factors being equal - would taste the same.  A French Chablis would be like any California Chardonnay and a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc the same as a Californian or a French Pouilly Fume.  We know that is not so, but how much of a difference does even a small area within the same country make? The answer is a lot.

This is evident in Burgundy France but to really appreciate the difference in terroir, or what a gardener might call a micro-climate, is difficult. To have a valid comparison after all, the grape, vintage and vintner need to be the same.  That’s not easy to experience. Fortunately, the Vietti winery in Italy serves as a good instructor with their Barbera wines, and you can play this learning game at home.

Barbera  is the 3^rd most planted grape in Italy.  It’s known as the people’s grape, producing a wine for daily consumption.  Barberas are known for their deep color, low tannins and high acid. Both the D’Alba and the D’Asti are from the Lange region in Piedmont, Italy.  So is there really a difference between the two wines?

Knowing the answer in advance is just not as much fun as tasting and experiencing the answer. So I invited another wine lover to appreciate the difference with me.  I opened a 2006 vintage which is drinkable through this year. Asti is just a little Northwest of Alba.  So, in some cases, grapes grown in the Southwest of Asti will be growing very close to the Northeast border of Alba. Nonetheless, Alba is considered the better of the two areas and produces the more price commanding Nebbiolo grapes in addition to Barbera.

Am I seeing double? No. The bottle on the right is D'Alba.

If you do what I recommend, and that is to buy a bottle of both Vietti’s Barbera D’Asti and Barbera D’Alba (make sure the year is the same), I think you will find the Alba to be fleshier. Both wines are jammy, with black cherry and spice, but you will find the D’Asti more acidic and less rounded and balanced than the D’Alba.  Either wine will go well with beef, sausage, pizza or pasta with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese.  And the experiment should be fun because knowing is seldom as much fun as experiencing. In the process, you will better appreciate the difference of terroir.

Vietti’s Italian Barbera wines are widely available, often both DOCs within the same retail store. Have fun and smile!

Salute!

…………………. Jim

2000 BARO WALDBOTT TOPKAJI (TOKAY) ASZU - 6 PUTTONYOS

“Wine is bottled poetry”.  ..… Robert Louis Stevenson

When it comes to sweet things, America is in the middle of a love affair: Corn syrup, chocolates, sugar, candies, syrups, ice cream – we can’t get enough. But tag the word “sweet” onto a wine and watch peoples’ facial expressions turn from sweet to sour.  I’ve poured wine on occasion that I wouldn’t use as pancake syrup.  (Don’t ask. It shall remain un-named). I suspect that’s because for many in the U.S., our experience with sweet wine has been limited to low cost, cloying, sugar rushes. Another factor is that quality sweet wine is necessarily expensive because it is so costly to produce.  Squeeze those issues together and what emerges is really an issue of quality versus perceived value. In Europe, people understand what goes into making a French Sauterne or a German Beerenauslese or TBA (see two reviews below or    http://www.winemizer.net/2013/02/beerenauslese-and-trockenbeerenauslese.html).

Hosting a dinner party recently, I concluded with a Tokay, and indeed the wine was poetry. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the wine but no one had any familiarity with it, despite being generally knowledgeable about wine.  Some of that is attributable to Hungary being a battle ground in two world wars and subsequently having its vineyards “re-organized” under Soviet rule until 1989, and its wines being generally unavailable in the West.

Tokay is an "out of this world" Experience

What a shame, because Tokay (properly Topkaji  Aszu) is Hungary’s gift to the world of gilded dessert wine. Louis XIV described it as, “The wine of kings and the king of wines.” -  Strong praise from a Frenchman describing another country’s wine!  Vineyards have flourished there since at least Roman times.  In fact, the vineyards of Tokay were the first in the world to be classified according to quality, a century and a half before France’s 1855 Classification. And it was in Tokay, in the mid-1600s, that the beneficial effects of allowing grapes to become botrytized were first discovered.

Tokay Aszu is made primarily from four indigenous Hungarian grapes:  Furmint, Harslevelu, Muscat Lunel, and  Oremus.  The Tokay region (properly Tokaj-Hegyalja) is about 120 miles northeast of Budapest, and about one-third the size of our Napa Valley. The four grapes used are late ripening and thin skinned making them susceptible to Botrytis cinerea, a.k.a. “noble rot.”  Oremus is capable of attaining high sugar levels, Muscat and Harslevelu are highly aromatic, and each of the first three grapes  are crisply acidic.  This unique combination of acid and sugar is what gives Tokay Aszu, even at its sweetest level, beautiful balance and depth without being cloying.

Botrytis is a beneficial fungus that sets upon grapes under particular climatic conditions.  It punctures the grape skins causing water in the grapes to evaporate so that inside the grapes, sugar and acid gets concentrated.  These shriveled, raisin like grapes (called aszu) are hand selected and handpicked and lightly crushed into a paste. The rest of the crop (those not botrytized) are made into a base wine.  The aszu paste is then added in various amounts to the base wine. The level of sweetness is measured in puttonyos.   For comparison purposes, a French Sautenes would be approximately equal to a 4 puttonyous.  A German Beerenauslese would be close to a 4 or 5 puttonyous.. Tokay Aszu must be aged at least two years in oak and one more in bottle before being sold, and is ready to drink upon release. It can be cellared forever.

 

Most Tokays that you will find will be from 3 to 6 puttonyous. There are two levels above 6, but they are so rare, it is unlikely you will find them.  Given that a 4 is roughly equivalent to a Sauternes, you may wonder why anyone would want a 6. In fact, while sweet, a 6 puttonyous Tokay is anything but simple. The color of honey, it has a silky rich, full mouth feel. It offers tastes of dried peaches and apricots, cinnamon and caramel. Its nose is floral perfume, apricot and honey. It finishes clean and crisp because of its high acidity. It is not sticky sweet. It is a joyful experience that will long last in your wine memory as one of the best.

Try this wine with foire gras or a rich blue cheese. Try it with an apricot cake for dessert.  You can find several Tokays under $50 (U.S.).  I found the 2000 Baro Waldbott (normally $50) for $25 as a “close out. The 2005 Disznoko (5 Puttonyos) {label pictured} was $40. Disznoko is a Classified First Growth since 1732. Try that against a Sauternes or TBA for pricing!   Then consider that Tokay represents only about 4 percent of Hungary’s total wine production, that only a small percentage of the grapes are aszu, and that when little no botrytis takes hold, no Tokay is produced: one taste and you’ll appreciate what a remarkable value Tokaji Aszu offers.

Kedves egeszsegere!

………………………………. Jim

BENZIGER SIGNATERA 2009 PINOT NOIR SAN REMO VINEYARD

“Wine is the most healthful and most hygienic of beverages”. ~ Louis Pasteur

After a while, tasting wine and describing the experience is like hearing a familiar song. You know the next note even before it’s played.  So a Sauvignon Blanc is crisp, acidic, with notes of citrus and lemon and grass.  Cabinet Sauvignon has powerful tannins with tastes of green pepper and black currant. Pinot Noir?  Cherry, red fruit, smoke.   GGGEb.

But occasionally something comes along that changes that. Like a meal’s main course that you are familiar with. You’ve had it many times before, but this time it surprises you. The composition is different, its taste so much better than what you’ve had previously. And the peak of enjoyment comes with trying to describe why. No one flavor is over pronounced; all the elements (technique, spices, method of preparation, herbs?) work together in such exquisite harmony that try as you might you cannot classify it.

And occasionally that happens with a wine. When it does, we call that balance. Recently, I opened this Pinot Noir from The Benziger Family Winery that displayed the balance of a wire walker ... a Wallenda of Pinots. Yes, there was cherry. (It’s a pinot, after all). But the cherry was subservient to the whole: a composition of raspberry, strawberry, spice and cherry cola muted by a wispy veil of earth and faint forest floor. Yet for my entire attempt at precision, I’m still guessing at this - the notes keep repeating in my mind, trying to be singled out and identified with certainty. This wine teases all the senses, beginning with the most beautiful aroma of perfume I’ve ever enjoyed and progresses with its light garnet color in the glass.  It continues with a sensual mouth feel, and a supple silky texture that develops lusciously and finishes with you wanting nothing ever again but more San Remo Vineyard Pinot Noir. 

I shared this wine with The ChicagoWino who said it was as close to 100 points as a wine could get, maybe the best pinot he ever had. I don’t trust what I call “memory taste buds,” so I’ll say that this is the pinot I want next!

Pinot Noir is one of the most food friendly wines. Its bright acidity pairs it with so many foods. But this wine is so good, it can be enjoyed and savored by itself.  I’m giving it my rare 4 glass rating.

Cheers!

……………………  Jim

Benziger Family Winery                                                                     

www.benziger.com 

1883 London Ranch Rd

Glen Ellyn, CA     95442

(707) 935-3000

BEERENAUSLESE and TROCKENBEERENAUSLESE

“Every consumer, when selecting a wine without apology, is for the moment, a Master of Wine.”

……………. James McMillan

Comparing “Ice Wine” to a Trockenbeerenauslese  (just say “TBA”) is like …. well, let’s step back: a TBA is wine made from the Riesling grape.  California, Washington, New York here and countries other than the United States make wine from the Riesling grape. But for my money, the standard bearer is/always has been Germany; specifically, the region of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer. You likely won’t see those three names on the label as labeling was simplified in 2007, but if you see “Mosel,” you’re getting the real thing. The other label hint is to look for is “Qualitatswein Mit Pradikat” (old term) or “Pradikatswein” (or just say “QmP”) on the label.

So what’s the big deal about TBA if it is just another squeezing of the Riesling grape?  Well, just like the classification system for wine in Bordeaux is based on producers (1st through 5th Growth in Medoc, for example), Germany’s classification system is based on ripeness levels. Don’t get nervous. We’re not talking about that cloyingly sweet pancake syrup-like wine you may have been exposed to as “sweet wine.”  Germany is so far north, it’s difficult to fully ripen grapes. So yes, TBAs are sweet, but sweet like a fine French Sauternes… yet better.

Before we talk about why, let’s look quickly at the classification levels. First is Kabinett. When you see that on the label of a Riesling, you can look forward to a wine focused on fruit flavor, the fruit being the grape. It is crisp, light in body and refreshing and surprisingly dry – especially if you are used to domestic Riesling. Next comes Spatlese, also light and refreshing, but just a tad sweet. It’s beautifully perfumed and offers pale tastes of citrus, lime and pineapple.  Great with spicy Thai food because its acidity cleanses and cools the palette and finishes clean.  That last part is worth repeating: it finishes clean, so it’s not cloying.

Up the ripeness/sugar scale comes Auslese.  It has a richer, fuller body, a longer finish. The taste is richer, more complex. You might pick up a taste of almond and apricot. Then we get Beerenauslese (BA) and TBA, with TBA the sweetest and made only in exceptional years.  At the BA level, you will be blessed with grapes that are handpicked and very carefully selected after being shriveled by a fungus (Botrytis cinerea).  This is epitomized in TBA, the grapes shriveled like raisins, so many needed to produce just your one bottle of wine: a wine with a silky mouth feel. Think Sauternes, but better. Think tastes of stone fruit like white peach and apricot, almonds, marzipan, honey, vanilla.  Full bodied, long finished…. The experience of a TBA will live in your memory forever.

Working in Chicago some decades ago, in an office near a German neighborhood, I had the pleasure of meeting with a neighbor whose brother maintained a vineyard in Germany.  I often sampled and bought the family’s wines. Then too, German Riesling wines at all levels were commonly available in liquor stores. Today, it will require an exhaustive search and a sizeable investment to procure a TBA. Instead, you will be offered Eiswein, or Ice Wines.  These are often domestically made, or from Austria or Canada, from grapes other than Riesling and not produced under the same circumstances. If you enjoy such wine, cheers!  But when you’re doing so, or buying them, or talking about it … please, do not compare it to a TBA.

And that brings us back to my opening statement: Comparing Ice Wine to a TBA is like comparing a Puddin’ Pop to Tiramisu.  You may like either one, but you can’t compare them favorably.

Prost!.............

               Jim                        

  

VINTAGE UPDATES

“Grapes are the most noble and challenging of fruits”. Malcolm Dunn, Head Gardener to the 7th Viscount Powerscourt, c 1867

France: When I traveled & tasted thru Bordeaux in 2010, the winemakers were excited about the 2010s. So was I. I often heard the description “2005 plus plus.”  Most of Europe does not irrigate, so rainfall and vintage years are very important. I mention this now as a reminder because some 2010s will soon be hitting the shelves.  My advice: stock up. The year was so good you can get bargains without having to spend on top Chateaus.

Oregon: From Wine Spectator comes the news that Oregon pinot noir currently on the shelves (2010) is the best of 2009, 2010 and 2011 though all three years are good. Watch for the 2012s which should be spectacular.

Spain:  Again from Wine Spectator comes the recommendation that Riojas from 2004 ad 2005 are great vintages.  I have to agree, and I’m glad I stocked up. Many noteworthy bodegas are still on the shelves, and are bargain priced.  And they can be aged. Buy several.

California:  (Sonoma Valley) Too soon to be buying them now, but be on the lookout for Sonoma Zins, Cabs & Pinots.  I visited several wineries in October of 2011 and winemakers were excited about it being one of their best quality years in recent memory.

The WineMizer in California

Washington:  In character, I think, a mid-point between the fruit forward wine of California and the finesse of France. I like Washington wines and Wine Spectator reports the area had one of the best vintages (2012) in memory, very much like wonderful 2008. Take note & watch for these when they’re released. 

LYNFRED WINERY 2009 PINOT NOIR

“No man is a prophet in his hometown or in his own house.”  … Matthew 13:57

Wine enthusiasts have learned things about the human body that medical doctors have yet to officially recognize:  taste buds are not only in the tongue and the nasal passages. They are also in the eyes and in the brain! Witness the recent scandals in which lesser quality wine was sold and auctioned in bottles wearing prestigious and “designer” labels.  Such trickery is not new. Legend goes that the wire mesh around the neck and cork of Spanish wine was to assure that the wine inside the bottle was that from the labeled winery and not something later exchanged.  Many people that know wine have been fooled because the taste buds in their eyes told them the wine was better than what it was..

Knowing how “eye taste buds” affect other taste buds, people that love wine taste it “blind.”  I did this recently when I enjoyed a pinot noir from a prestigious and deservedly well-respected Oregon winery and, thinking back to another pinot noir I had tasted,  concluded that the nationally respected pinot didn’t measure up to that of the regional winery.  The problem with that is that my conclusion involved calling upon “memory taste buds,” also not to be trusted. What was needed was a current, side-by-side comparison in a blind tasting.

I put a nice meal together, and invited another wine enthusiast (The ChicagoWino) and backed up the whole event with several other wines.  I had a bottle of the Oregon wine in stock. The Chicago Wino, at my request, stopped at the winery to get the Lynfred Pinot Noir and also graciously brought  their 2009 Pinot Noir Reserve.  I was sure my earlier experience was not with the reserve, but we included it in our blind tasting anyway.

The three wines involved were:

1.       Lynfred’s 2009 Pinot Noir $18.25 (10% less for club members)

2.       A 2010 Oregon Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley that cost 48% more.

3.       Lynfred’s 2009 Pinot Noir Reserve $25.25 (10% less for club members)

The bottles were opened, their foils removed, and each bottle was bagged. The bags were banded tightly near the lip so that no hint was visible. Neither I nor the Chicago Wino was present during this process, and the person doing this did not participate in the tasting. Finally, the tasting was before dinner and before enjoying any of the other wines (which were to be drunk, not just tasted. So our taste buds were not dulled by over-indulgence nor influenced by a food). That’s about as scientific as I’m capable of being.  But, of course, we both did know the wines being tasted, so it was not perfectly “blind.” Interestingly, that became a learning lesson too and demonstrated the power of the brain’s taste buds.

I immediately identified two of the wines as being very similar: young fruit, cherry in color and taste, light and simple, slightly astringent. Great picnic wines. Easy drinking. Charcuterie wines.  When the bags were removed, it turned out that both The Chicago Wino and I preferred the Lynfred 2009 Pinot Noir to the more expensive Oregon. My impression was that Lynfred’s wine was slightly deeper in color, its taste smoky and offering some earthy aroma - so a little more “bang for the buck.” Actually, it was more bang for considerably less buck!   

Comparing any reserve to one not wood aged and more fresh is not a comparison. It’s comparing fish to beef. It is Taste 101. But here is where the dangerous brain taste buds come in:  My physical taste buds recognized the complexity that came with aging. But my brain taste buds insisted the wine just had to be Oregon (“No man is a prophet in his hometown.”)  The wine had layers of flavor, notes of leather and tea. This wasn’t the wine of a regional winery. It had to be Oregon.  And this is a perfect example of the brain’s influence (read that wine snobbery, read that wrong thinking) over what we taste – or think we do.

Of course, you probably figured out by now that the wine ranked #1 in our taste was Lynfred’s 2009 Pinot Noir Reserve.  At $25.25 it still cost 6.5% less than the Oregon (quite an accomplishment given that Lynfred has to deal with the cost of shipping grapes) and was much preferred by both The Chicago Wino and myself. I’m looking forward to enjoying another bottle of this wine with a dinner of, perhaps, duck breast and savory fall vegetables. That said, a caveat: More than 2000 years ago, Pliny the Elder said, “The best kind of wine is that which is most pleasant to him who drinks it.” That’s because he understood that tastes are subjective.  I found Lynfred’s 2009 Pinot Noir (non-reserve) to be similar in profile to the pinots of Oregon (despite that the grapes are from Washington).  Once your learn the style of pinot that you prefer,  you may think pinots from the Russian River Valley in California (which has itself many distinct areas) or the Cote d’Or in Burgundy France more pleasant. You may prefer the lighter, more fruit forward style of a non-reserve wine over one aged in oak. That’s O.K.

So what’s the learning outcome? Here’s my opinion:

1.       Keep an open mind

2.       Try different wines and keep a wine journal of your likes regarding style.

3.       Ask your wine merchant to recommend wines according to your preferred style

4.       Don’t let perceived prestige influence your physical taste buds. Guard against “brain” taste buds.

5.       Go value.

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THE DETAILS:

Lynfred’s 2009 Pinot Noir: 100% Pinot Noir. Sourced: Columbia Valley, Washington.  Fermented in temperature controlled stainless-steel tanks.

Lynfred’s 2009 Pinot Noir Reserve: 75% Pinot Noir / 25% Syrah. Sourced: Columbia Valley, Washington. Fermented in temperature controlled, stainless-steel tanks; aged two years in American oak barrels.

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P.S. Turns out my “memory” taste buds were pretty good.

Cheers!

……………. Jim

Lynfred Winery

http://www.lynfredwinery.com/

15 S Roselle Rd

Roselle IL 60172

(630) 529-9463