Domaine Berthenet Montagny 1er Cru 2009 Vieilles Vignes

“When it comes to wine, I tell people to throw away the vintage charts and invest in a corkscrew. The best way to learn about wine is the drinking.” …… Alexis Lichene

How secure are you in trusting your own palette?  Are you willing to consider that maybe the high price you paid for a bottle influences how good you think the wine tastes?  Would you agree that you might be influenced by the wine’s country of origin, the region, or even its label?  Can one wine taste as good, or better than another at more than twice the price?

Recently, Craig Perman of Perman Wine Selections in Chicago issued a “challenge” to Chardonnay drinkers.  He recommended a $20 bottle of Montagny and suggested tasting it against a more expensive Chardonnay, such as the famous Chassagne-Montrachet.  I gave my last bottle of Chassagne-Montrachet to my nephew, but I did have a 92 point 2008 Puligny-Montrachet Sous Le Puits.  I should mention that Wine Spectator rated 2008 slightly above 2009 for white Burgundies, so I considered Perman’s "challenge" probably something that would reaffirm my instinct to go with the Montrachet given a choice in the store.

To make the test fair, I met with the Chicago Wino.  First I opened each bottle and removed all the foil while he removed himself from the room. Then, I put each bottle into a paper bag and tightly wound a rubber band around the neck of each bottle. Then it was my turn to leave the room. The Chicago Wino inserted each bagged bottle into another cloth bag. The bags had been made for one of his tastings and were numbered 1 and 2. There was no way either of us could tell which wine was in what bag, and we could only taste and make notes based on the bag number.  All the glassware was the same, as was the temperature at which the wine was served. We each had two glasses, so as to compare the wines side-by-side.

We both observed that the color of wine # 1 was more pale; a light, almost translucent yellow compared to wine # 2 which was more gold. The nose of wine # 1 was very strong and pleasing. I noticed some floral notes. The Chicago Wino sensed canned fruit. I suggested fruit cocktail. As we swirled the wine in the glass, it opened beautifully. The wine was somewhat acidic, said the Chicago Wino, while I thought it was perfectly balanced and thirst quenching.

Wine # 2’s nose was very weak. It needed several long swirls for any nose to be detected.  Maybe a hint of violet? The taste was tart. The Chicago Wino observed some slight toast but also “a little funk” in the back taste. I agreed. I observed that the mouth feel was thick, viscous and left the wall of the mouth somewhat dry, whereas the #1 wine was satisfying and cleaner.

The Chicago Wino and I both agreed. Wine #1 was far better. Better in its nose, better in its initial and back tastes. Better finish.  The Chicago Wino deferred to name which wine was which, whereas I have no hesitancy toward making a fool of myself. Given the superiority of wine # 1, I proclaimed it the Montrachet.  It was a fun and interesting comparison, but there was a clear winner – we both agreed. It had been over a year since I tasted a Montrachet, but it is Montrachet after all. How can you make such a comparison to a wine of that reputation, and from a better year, and costing two and a half times as much?  And while the Cote Chalonnaise is a prized area in Burgundy, it is south of the Cote d’Or where Puligny-Montrachet originates. We removed the bags and – you must, by now, know where I’m going with this – wine #1 was the $20 Berthenet Montagny 1er Cru 2009.  

Montagny is fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged in both tank and oak. A very nice balance of steel preserved fruit and wood matured taste. Perman says this wine comes from Berthenet’s oldest plots of vines (vieilles vignes) in Premier Cru vineyards in Montagny and that this wine is an outstanding value. As the Wine Mizer, It’s not enough to just agree and recommend this gorgeous wine. I have to thank Perman for making me aware of it.

Merci

……………………  Jim

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Wines, I have noticed, “update” themselves as do computer programs. So I have to mention that the next day, another friend stopped by.  Joining her for a taste, I observed that the nose of Montagny had become fainter and the “funk” of the Puligny-Montrachet had dissipitated (but I kept my observations to myself).  Both wines had been vacuum sealed and kept chilled. She preferred the Montrachet. I remained a fan of the Montagny. I am reminded of the words of Pliny the Elder:   “The best kind of wine is that which is most pleasant to him who drinks it.”

Cheers

....................   Jim

Bodegas Luzon Seleccion 12 (2008)

“It needs only a good bottle of wine for a roast chicken to be transformed into a banquet.”

……Gerald Asher, The Pleasures of Wine

Luzon is a Spanish wine; a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Mourvedre (a.k.a. “Monastrell” and also occasionally known in California as “Mataro”) and Tempranillo (known locally as Cencibel). It’s a good wine to use along with the quote of Gerald Asher’s because the wine shined the Churrasco (Brazilian barbecue) I made recently (minus the fancy presentation). We enjoyed loin lamb chops, beef flank steak, boneless pork chops, chicken breasts and (because I wanted to) Andouille sausages.  So the axiom of “white with this & red with that” was of no value (never was much anyway) since we had red meat, white meat, pork, chicken, beef & lamb, oh my!  I had already decided to limit the wine to a single selection, and I also grilled red pepper, beets, parsnip, red onion, zucchini and carrots just to mix it up a little. Finally, along with the limit of the one wine rule, it had to be kept within the Wine Mizer price point.

Luzon shined in that area too! The nose presents dried plum and chocolatey raisin. Open the bottle and let it air before you start cooking and enjoy a wine at dinner with a syrupy mouth feel; a taste reminding you of a chocolate phosphate --- remember those? --- and a mocha finish. The wine is balanced, offering dark berry preserves, slight licorice, mineral and smoke in harmony with the other flavors. It’s soft enough to enjoy with the vegetables and masculine enough to enjoy with red meat.  The finish is slightly sweet which was a benefit given the heat of the Andouille sausage. And, oh yes. The price? Eleven dollars!

D.B.A.W.S. (Don’t be a wine snob) regulations require you keep an open mind after learning the price. Bodegas (a.k.a. Chateau) Luzon comes from Jumilla, a “D.O.” appellation in the S.E. of Spain (like an “AOC” in France or “DOGC” in Italy).  Each of the four grape varieties is aged separately in French (80%) and American Oak (20%) for twelve months. This is a newer style of Spanish wine and – by the Spanish standards – the short aging time requires it be labeled as a Crianza instead of a Reserva.

Parker awarded this inexpensive wine 87 points. Wine Spectator gave it 90. And as the Mizer, I give it my enthusiastic recommendation. Try this wine and you may enjoy the taste of grapes you haven’t yet enjoyed. Drink it now through 2016.

Salud!

……………… Jim

Tamas Double Decker Red (2008)

"We hear of the conversion of water into wine at the marriage in Cana as of a miracle. But this conversion is, through the goodness of God, made every day before our eyes. Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards, and which incorporates itself with the grapes, to be changed into wine; a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy." --- Ben Franklin

You don’t always get what you pay for. Sometimes, you get more. That’s the case, I think, with a 2008 Tamas Double Decker Red.  This wine is a crowd pleaser because its blend offers serious varietal character and its fermentation offers the aromatics and fruit flavors so popular. First the grapes: a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and (the surprise) Barbera.  The exact mix is a family secret and I can only offer that you can taste the contribution of the Barbera and that it makes this wine even more enjoyable. Barbera grapes have the potential to offer rich juicy black fruit (blackberry, plum, black cherry and raspberry) but also enough acid to balance the fruit. Tamas Double Decker Red takes advantage of this potential. Fermentation of the grapes is at cold temperature in stainless steel, thus preserving the fruitiness.  Each grape variety is aged separately in oak and stainless steel, with the contribution from the wood mellowing the product. Tamas refers to the wood used as “neutral oak” and this is a good reference because while smoothed from aging in wood, the wine does not suffer “vanilla-itis” and, in fact, offers a little spice in its finish.  In the glass, Tamas Double Decker Red shows as medium ruby. Its nose is fruity and offers chocolate plum. The wine is smooth and in good balance and of medium-light body with lush flavors.

Recommending wines to others whose tastes are varied and almost certain to remain unknown is more than a daunting exercise.  It’s probably foolhardy.  Tamas Double Decker Red is not complex, and the wine snobs will like to focus on such a fact. While not complex, I would say Tamas Double Decker Red is straight forward in its presentation, and the direction is delicious. Double Decker Red is an excellent “everyday” wine.  And at an average retail price of $10, I’m surprised more of this wine is not flying off the shelves.  I’ve tasted many bottles costing more than twice this amount and they drank poorly in comparison.  Wine Enthusiast magazine awarded Tamas Double Decker Red a “Best Buy.”  Tamas Double Decker Red comes from the Central Coast area of California, and is the entry level label for Wente Vineyards (the oldest family owned winery in the United States).  With this being the “entry” label, I think the wine speaks well on behalf of the vineyards of Wente.

This wine is a natural to pair with another glass of itself. A red that is refreshing and fruity enough to offer casual, carefree summer appeal.  And it’s a natural to enjoy with the take away from your restaurant dinner of lasagna.

Cheers!

…………………… Jim

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DeAngelis Lacrima Christi del Vesuvio (2009)

“Wine makes a symphony of a good meal.”  …..  Fernande Garvin, The Art of French Cooking

There are times when a meal is so enjoyable an experience that its memory may last your lifetime.  All its components may be known to you – even familiar – but they are put together so skillfully that no one ingredient alerts your senses. And you enjoy a symphony of flavor that has become its own statement through a unique harmony and balance, a ménage of tastes that has become its own unidentifiable profile. 

Rarely, wine is like that. Even more seldom is an affordable wine like that.  DeAngelis’ Lacrima Christi del Vesuvio is like that, and, at an average price of $17, is affordable. In the glass, this (white) wine presents a pale tint of straw. The nose is vegetative and grassy, but that does not carry through to the taste.  And then comes the problem: its taste profile. It is mildly citrusy:  slight lemon … no perhaps that’s orange-lemon. Well, maybe the lemon is just an ever so slightly buttery lemon. Another sip and no, not butter.  What is it exactly?  Well, maybe the butter wasn’t there. But yes, the lemon, actually orange-lemon is there, through the orange is certainly less than the lemon, and the lemon is not strong, certainly not overpowering.  My gosh, this is a tasty wine. What is making it so?

Lacrima Christi* comes in both red and white versions and the labels are similar enough to be confusing. The white wine is made from a blend of Coda di Volpe** and Falanghini grapes, with Coda di Volpe being the major in the blend. I suspect the “lemon” comes from the Falanghini.  Italy, as I have said, is a country with one thousand documented grape varieties. De Angelis is the oldest Lacrima Christi estate, on the coast of Sorrento, and a D.O.C.   Frank Sinatra, Jerry Vale and Dean Martin all recorded versions of the song, “Come Back To Sorrento” and I wouldn’t be surprised if part of the attraction was Lacrima Christi wine.  The finish is pleasantly long for a simple white and just a tad tart, well ……. not tart. Crisp is a better description. And here we go again with the taste descriptive dilemma.      

Try this enjoyable wine with the taste that is difficult to describe, and yet is most enjoyable. I paired it with veal scaloppini adapted from a recipe of Lidia Bastianich (all organic and with an addition of grilled artichoke hearts) and a simple pasta (DeCecco Acini di pepe #78) cooked in beef stock with a pinch of nutmeg and aged parmesan reggiano cheese, served alongside cooked spinach.  If you try this Lacrima Christi, tell me how you would describe this wine? I’ll send you the recipe for veal scaloppini.

Salute!

……………… Jim

·         Literally, “Christ’s Tears of Vesuvius”

**   Literally, “foxtail”

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