MONASTERY TVRDOS, HERZEGOVINA VRANAC

"Wine... the intellectual part of the meal." --- Alexandre Dumas, 1873

I’ve come across this grape before and each time, it seemed to present a chameleon like character: very unique as a varietal, sharing characteristics from label to label, but different in presentation from each vineyard.  What made me think about it again was recently tasting and writing about a Macedonian Pinot Noir that was blended 5% with Vranec.  VranEc is the Macedonian, and in Serbian, it has the “ac” ending. Whichever language, the grape itself goes back to the Middle Ages and has been cultivated since then in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia and, generally, throughout the southwestern Balkans.

Vranac is somewhat vigorous, and high yielding. It produces thin-skinned, black grapes in small bunches and with large berries and is sensitive to both frost and botrytis. But I’m unfamiliar with Vranac being made in a sweet style having been affected by “Noble Rot.”   The berries’ high sugar content can result in wines with high alcohol content (think Zinfandel).  In fact, it was often confused with Primitivo (think Zinfandel again) and modern DNA research shows they are closely related. Primitivo is sometimes blended with Vranac, through the wine of Monastery Tvrdos is not.  The bottle I enjoyed was 100% Vranac.

Monastery Tvrdos, I should explain, is the winery. Vines have been cultivated there (on and off) since the 15^th century. The monastery was rebuilt in 1924 but the original stone cellar remained and is still used by the Orthodox Monks in conjunction with a newer one, built above, and allowing for gravitational transport of wine during processing.

Monastery Tvrdos is in Herzegovina, 15 miles from the Adriatic Sea. Conditions here are dry and Vranac, being best suited to warm soil, thrives here. In fact, it has been a Protected Geographical Indication in Montenegro since 1977 and is considered the most important variety, and one of the most important in Macedonia.

It can produce wines with some bitterness, though I’ve always found this character pleasant in the finish of the various Vranac I’ve tasted and it has never been overbearing. Regardless of the producer, Vranac wines will be dark ruby in the glass. From there, you will generally have a wine of moderate aroma but with flavors that may include fresh berries, forest berries, sour cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant, chocolate, cinnamon, mint and vanilla (barrel imparted).

Vranac wines are ageable due to the variety’s high tannin content and levels of acidity, and wines can improve with age, becoming rounder with tannins softened and more integrated. Like Sangiovese and others, Vranac is an autochthonous variety. It does seem to be the product of natural cross breeding and mutations over the years within this particular area. I’ll leave the specifics of that horticulture to experts, but Vranacs share a character and unique taste that, once experienced, is not forgotten.  These grapes are not grown elsewhere. The wine truly is unique.

   

  

So, given what makes Vranac all the same, what is it that separates one label from the other, specifically the Vranac of Monastery Tvrdos?  Look again at the descriptors two paragraphs above. Most, though not all will be present, in varying layers of dominance.  I didn’t get mint and vanilla, for example.  Monastery Tvrdos ages in old, neutral wood. And all palates are personal but what I did get (as did another taster) was fig – in the aromatics. That seemed unique to this label. Red fruit? Yes. But dominant was dried cranberry.  With the wine recently opened, in fact, the dried cranberry was rather assertive, though not displeasing.  Over the course of an hour, the cranberry became less sharp as red cherry notes developed to compete. Overall, the wine of Monastery Tvrdos had smoother tannins than other Vranacs I’ve tasted. It seemed slightly more “new world” in style, more fruit forward and less bitter.

Although this wine seems a natural pairing to grilled meats and sausages, goulash or stuffed peppers, I’m thinking this label – with the wine’s unusual cranberry notes – would be particularly delicious against ribs in barbeque sauce.  At the very least, thinking so gives me an opportunity to enjoy another bottle.

Zivjeli!

………………. Jim

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TECH SPECS AND OTHER INFO:

Varietal:                              Vranac, 100% (pronounced vra nats)

Producer:                            Monastery Tvrdos

Website:                              http://www.tvrdos.com/en/

Vintage:                              2012

Region:                               Bosnia-Herzegovina

Aging:                                24 Months, Old Monastic Oak Barrels

Filtered:                              Minimally

Alc:                                     13.7 -  14.5%

IMPORTED BY:

Terraneo Merchants

terraneomerchants.comterraneomerc 

ALPHA ESTATE XINOMAVRO

“No thing more excellent nor more valuable than wine was ever granted mankind by God”.
---  Plato, Greek philosopher, (c. 427-347 BC)

Alpha Estate’s Xinomavro (the grape is Xinomavro), is from the Amyndeon (a PDO) region in northern Greece.  Grapes for this wine are from a single vineyard (called “Hedgehog”) and grown on a plateau at elevation of 690 meters (about 2264 ft) with a northwest exposure, and face both Petron Lake and the Voras Mountain. Winters here are cold and the proximity of a body of water moderates the continental climate. With poor soil of sand and clay, but with excellent drainage, vines are water stressed. Berries are small with intense red color and concentrated flavor. As is so often the rule, good wines come from marginal areas.

Xinomavro is the predominant grape of northern Greece. Alpha Estates also makes a blended wine using it along with 40% Syrah, but I wanted to try an unblended “Xino”.  This is seriously good wine and an education for anyone having an interest in indigenous grapes of the world.

In the glass, its core is pale garnet falling to pale ruby with a thin iridescent rim and producing tinted tears.  Opened and poured, the nose offers cranberry and red licorice in a glycerin mouthfeel of tart cherry. My first thought was that this would be an interesting alternative to Zinfandel with any BBQ.  But more interest is solicited from this wine with air over the course of just two hours. Black plum, black cherry and raspberry become apparent with strong notes of cola.  Tannins are evident, but not harsh despite the “Xino” grape having that characteristic. The mouthfeel remained rich with strong notes of cherry cola, but the nose became more complex adding aromas of chocolate plum and brambled forest berries. The finish was long with notes of dark cocoa.

A powerful wine made so by the grape itself, I was impressed at the restraint and balance of tannin, acid and fruit in Alpha Estates’ Xinomavro.  In fact, the name Xinomavro translates to “acid-black”. But Alpha Estates‘ rendering of this grape into wine is a testament to the winemaker’s art and craft. It’s a harmonious composition.  Rather than BBQ and Zinfandel, I began thinking of this wine as a Nebbiolo and, indeed, the tannins inherent In “Xino” make it a wine suitable for aging, though it’s certainly enjoyable now. This is classic food wine offering notes too of leather and clove once properly aired.  

Or enjoy with some baked Greek cheese!

Vacuumed pumped and sealed overnight, fruit became more evident and the wine (though dry) exhibited a deceptive sweetness of candied cherry. A wine of a “thousand faces” (all enjoyable) from a country that has been making wine for thousands of years. Don’t deny yourself this experience because you’re not Greek (neither am I). So you won’t serve it with stuffed grape leaves. O.K., but stuffed peppers? Why not?  Try it with any BBQ or red sauced pasta and eggplant; grilled red meats and sausages.  In fact, the most fun could be trying a bottle or two over a period of time to see for yourself how the wine develops.  After all, Greece didn’t just develop Democracy. They’ve been developing wine grapes for thousands of years.

Yamas!

……………….. Jim

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TECH SPECS AND GENERAL INFO:

Varietal:          Xinomavro   (Ksee no ma vro) 100%

PDO:                Amyndeon

Producer:        Alpha Estate

Vintage:           2011

Yield:               4200 kg grapes per hectare / 3,747 lbs per acre

Alc:                  14%

Vinification:     Sur lIes 8 months

Aging:              12 months French oak 50% new/50% second year, light 
                         toast
.                        12 months additional in bottle. 

                       

Robert Parker: 92 Points

ARP:                 About $20. (Found for $18 locally).

Importer:         US: Diamond Importers

                        528 Wrightwood

                        Chicago IL 60614

                        Tel: 773-549-6211

Alpha Estate   

2nd Km Amyndeon - St. Panteleimon
PO 53200 AMYNDEON

Tel. +30 23860 20111

Fax. +30 23860 20132

email: info@alpha-estate.com

web: http://alpha-estate.com/

MOUNT EDEN VINEYARDS PINOT NOIR

“Wine is sunlight held together by water.”  …. Galileo Galilei

If you love wine, if you’re passionate about it, read about it, want to know how it’s made and more, and if you have lived long enough to have tasted many bottles, there will be moments in memory that occasionally flash forward to you today.  One such, for me, was a 1947 port my sweetie gave me as a birthday gift.  Matured in wood 50 years before bottling, it was spiritually healing.  Another came along with another birthday as my brother gifted me with a single-vintage port from my birth year.  There were tastings and meetings with wine makers that still bring a smile of fond recognition.  But for the wines themselves, such experiences are rare by definition and, therefore, very special.

The most recent such was my experience with a Mount Eden Vineyards Pinot Noir (2010). As the label mentions, grapes are grown, fermented and estate bottled 2000 feet above the floor of the Santa Clara Valley on a peak of the Chaine d’Or in the Santa Cruz Mountains (an AVA in California). 

While the wines (Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon included) of Mount Eden Vineyards are consistently rated highly, 2010 was unusually cold.  Vines for Mount Eden’s pinot noir, grown on a soil of shale, enjoy cool and sunny conditions above the fog line. But with the particularly cool conditions for the 2010 vintage, hang time was extended. Maturation was slow and steady with exceptional phenolic development.  It was perfect for growing Pinot Noir.

And the vines themselves are among the oldest in California, brought to California and propagated by French winemaker Paul Masson. Martin Ray, of Mount Eden, planted them in 1945. Masson was friends with the family of Louis Latour (Burgundy) and it’s likely the selection came from the family’s finest vineyards and were brought to California by Masson in the 1880’s.

Moving ahead, fermentation at Mount Eden incorporates a large percentage of whole cluster, including stems. The vines themselves benefit from vertical shoot positioning, keeping the canopy well aerated and shade free as possible, maximizing sun exposure and providing circulation between leaves (particularly important for thin-skinned pinot noir). Already “old vines”, they are even thinned, as necessary, to providing for yields not exceeding two tons per acre; typically one to one to one-and-a half tons per acre.

Coq-Au-Vin, purple carrots. Simple. Elegant and so
Perfectly Complimented by the Wine

All wine begins in the vineyard and the vineyard here produces excellent grapes.  But what you do with those grapes is the partner to how they are grown.  Whole cluster fermentation … classic. Using natural yeasts, fermenting in small, open-top fermenters ten to fourteen days, with hand punch downs. Wine is matured in 75% new French oak (25% one year old wood) then aged 18 months. Not filtered. Not fined. This is as close to Burgundy as California can get without a major shift in our earth’s tectonic plates. (Not something anyone in California wants to hear).   

The wine is complex and balanced from first sniff to last taste. Dark fruit. Deep, rich, mashed black plum on the nose, black cherry, black pepper and sandalwood carry into the taste. The mouthfeel is rich. Tannins are soft but develop nicely in a warm finish that seems to never end.

If you can discipline yourself and refrain from drinking this wine too quickly, magic begins in the glass. Air opens the wine to whispered notes of strawberry, raspberry, earth and blueberry. Still dominant with black fruit, this balanced menage continues to promote sandalwood complexity and black fruit but now adding red notes.

I had been making Coq-au-Vin and knew I wanted a Pinot Noir. Mount Eden’s was highly rated, but new to me. My only regret is that I purchased only one bottle as a sample. From its original price of $55, it now is available on line for $125.  Fortunately, the 2011 vintage is still on the shelves. With an average score of 93.5 from Wine & Spirits Magazine, Vinous, Tanzer and Wine Advocate, this vintage too is certain to impress.  History speaks very well of Mount Eden: Its 2009 vintage earned an average score of 92.67.

But, as noted, these wines are classic and made for aging.  I’ll be buying several of the 2011 and cellaring them in the good faith I’ll be here to enjoy them. As for the 2010, I’ll be having another birthday soon. Maybe I should drop some hints.   

Cheers!

………………. Jim

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TECH SPECS FOR THE 2010 VINTAGE

Yield:                           1.8 tons per acre

Harvest:                       SEPT 1-26^th

Brix (at Harvest)         23.5

pH:                               3.45

Acidity:                        8.5g

Alc:                              13.5%

Bottled:                       Sept. 2011   (804 Cases)                                

Mount Eden Vineyards

22020 Mt Eden Rd

Saratoga CA 95070

PH: (408) 867-5832

http://www.mounteden.com/

email: not available

  

STONESTREET “BROKEN ROAD” CHARDONNAY

“The discovery of a good wine is increasingly better for mankind than the discovery of a new star.” – Leonardo da Vinci

I enjoyed this wine before, on my second visit to Sonoma; the tasting at Stonestreet graciously arranged by some wonderful people at Kendall-Jackson (another story).  That was in October of 2014. I tasted the wine, (a 2011) bought it and others and tasted them again at home almost immediately upon arriving. I remember being so impressed by the balance and finesse of “Broken Road” that I later brought it as my partner to a dinner party.  It was voted the most important person at the party. That was last year, 2015.

Today, cooking (wild caught, Copper River, Alaskan) salmon, my reflex is Sancerre (Sauvignon Blanc, Loire Valley, France).  It’s my preference for salmon; a “go-to” reflex.  But cooking the salmon on the grill and sheathing it in cedar wraps, I thought it may be better to go with a wine of more weight. I pulled out my last bottle of Stonestreet’s 2011 “Broken Road” Chardonnay from the Alexander Valley AVA.

Cedar wrapped salmon on the grill.
Not much to say. Generally, you like
fish or you don't like fish.

It was a good choice.                                                                   

And proof again that wine is a living thing, which develops both in the bottle and, with air, in the glass.

At the time, I wasn’t aware of all the reviews: Tanzer, Advocate, and Spectator. I’ve seen them since and certainly Stonestreet doesn’t need my humble opinion. But not to put it out here would be remiss and disrespectful to the winemaker’s art and craft.  It is, quite simply, a beautiful Chardonnay.

Unlike the previous two bottles, this – just opened – put out some smoky notes.  Enough that I wondered if the barrel for this had been over charred. Then again, all palates and preferences are personal and there are those who prefer this character over everything.  But it seemed an anomaly

Salmon, flourless gnocchi,and (yes) asparagus with
and without jamon serrano. Delicious. But the wine
was the star. and elevated everything (even asparagus!).

because my recollection of that characteristic didn’t come to mind from the previous bottles.  It wasn’t offensive. Just different from memory.  Disciplined writers keep better notes. Then again, here you get the pure experience of the moment.  Either way, with air, the smoke diminished and allowed the fruit to resurface.   

But fruit is handled with finesse. Subtly hinted, melded, it draws you in instead of clubbing you. Oak is deft; there is no overload of vanilla. In fact, one of the most enjoyable aspects of this wine is its push-pull interplay of notes. The nose offers orange blossom. Its flavor includes notes of butterscotch that change to tart citrus toward its finish. There’s a soft lime opening than morphs to tangy citrus. In-between this concert is lemon verbena, hazelnut, and unsweet tropical fruit, with pineapple mildly forward. The wine is an education: a high-low of fun notes in the mouth. Somehow, Graham Weerts (winemaker) composes this symphony of tastes in a balance that peaks interests and invites you to take another sip and explore what’s going on. Despite all this fruit, the wine is elegantly austere, southern Burgundian like, but not shy. It doesn’t scream California, but it whispers it with classic notes of sea breeze and sea shell and finishes with enough acidity and tannin to be a Burgundy step child.  Weerts has every reason to be a proud father.

Cheers!

………………. Jim

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TECH SPECS

Galloni                         94 Points

Parker Points                93

Tanzer                          92

AVA:                            Alexander Valley, Sonoma County

Mountain Range:        Mayacamas Mountains

Region:                        North Coast, California

Elevation of Vineyard: 1800 ft.

Slope’s Exposure:        Southwest

Rootstock:                   110R

Clone:                          4

Avg. Ripeness:             22.8

Fermentation:              100% barrel, lees stirred monthly, native yeasts(!)

Aging:                          10 months, 47% new French

Alc:                              14%

TA:                               .59      

Since all wine begins in the vineyard, credit goes also to Gabriel Valencia, Vineyard Manager.                

COSTIERES de NIMES NOSTRE PAIS, MICHEL GASSIER

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

One of my favorite whites, I tried it originally after noticing Michel Gassier’s name on the label, and have been buying it ever since.  I first encountered winemaker Michel Gassier when tasting “Cercius”* (the red; a blanc is also made).  It’s 85% Grenache and 15% Syrah, 100% delicious and tastes much higher than priced.  A Rhone wine, it is consistently well rated, consistently good, and consistently priced budget friendly. 

But with weather warming, I tend to drink more whites (and forgive me purists – rose wine too, but that’s another subject).  Anyway, names mean things after a while.  They become trustworthy. Brands in themselves. Gassier, born in Algeria (when it was part of France), later lived in the U.S., moved to the South of France where his family had land and grew fruit and wine grapes. With his training in agricultural engineering, Gassier began getting practical experience.  In time, he began developing confidence in being able to produce a wine reflecting a sense of place and wines made with minimal intervention.

Nostre Pais (my bottle a 2013) is 60% Grenache Blanc, 20% Clairette, 15% Rousanne and 5% Viognier. I mention the year because the percentages may change each year. In 2014, it was 52% Grenache Blanc, 22% Roussanne, 17% Viognier, 7% Clairette and 2% Bourboulenc.  Rainfall and the Mistral winds are every winemaker’s partner in the Southern Rhone and Michel understands that wine begins in the vineyard.

He began, in 2007, converting his fields to organic, using indigenous yeasts, reducing the use of Sulphur and fermenting with whole clusters.  For Nostre Pais, he picks the Rousanne early, while it still is high acid. But he ferments in old wood, adding texture to what might otherwise be a “thin” wine.  New wood gives oakiness, neutral wood gives texture.  Picking grapes early is almost counter-intuitive: wines, you’d think, would be herbaceous, not fruity. And Michel believes in making wine with minimal manipulation.  But all wine is juice that has been manipulated in some way. It’s just a question of degree, or how.

Fermenting one-third in barrel is how. Aging the juice on its lees for eight months adds texture naturally. Six to eight months in French oak rounds the blend. I enjoyed aromas of honeydew melon, banana, and green grapes along with mineral and floral notes. The wine is lovely - feminine with seamlessly integrated notes of kiwi, creamy lemon-lime, and buttered citrus on the palate. Most impressive is how elegantly all this is all done.  Nostre Pais has the texture (body) one expects from Rhone Roussanne, but does not lie flat and lifeless on the palate. It sparkles with freshness and a purity in a balancing act one can only admire. If there was any question  attached to Robert Lewis Stevenson’s quote of more than a hundred years ago, one taste of Michel Gassier’s Nostre Pais will dispel it.  Well made, it is bottled poetry.

ALC.:    13.5%

ARP:     $18.00, 750ml

Suggested Cellaring:  Drink now or within 3 years. 

Sante!

…………….. Jim

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·         Cercius was a joint effort of Michel Gassier, wine maker Philippe Cambie and Eric Solomon.  

·       Costieres-de-Nimes is an AOC in the Southernmost Rhone. Its soil is rolled pebbles (“galets”), sandy alluvial, red shale and clay.

·         Imported by European Cellars, LLC., Charlotte, NC.