STADT KREMS GRUNER VELTLINER KREMSTAL 2016

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths” ….  Walt Disney

Bear with me, please, while we go through this exercise.  I’m going to name a country and ask that you respond with a wine associated with that country.  Don’t think about it.  Just respond with the first thought that comes to mind. There are no wrong answers because there are several correct answers to each inquiry and each response (whatever it is) will be correct.  So don’t get nervous about it.  Hopefully, this will be fun.

Here we go:

1)      Red wine, Spain

2)      Italy

3)      Germany

4)      Portugal

5)      France

6)      The U.S.

7)      Sparkling Wine

How did you answer? May I guess? (I’ll be wrong too, there’s a lot more of you than there are me).

1)      ollinarpmeT

2)      itnaihC

3)      gnilseiR

4)      troP

5)      xuaedroB

6)      dnelB deR

7)      ngiapmahC

O.K., the answers assumed are written backwards so as not to spoil the exercise by tipping you off as to my assumption.  Obviously, each country produces several wines and each country has several regions. You may have said “Rioja” (a region) for #1, for example.  You may have said something else.  In fact, as for Italy, Chianti (#2) is most often a blend of varietals, even when made within the Classicio DOCG.  There are a lot of variables in this mini-exercise, so before you send me “hate mail,” consider the point.

If I asked you to associate a wine with Austria, what would you say.

Many wouldn’t say anything.

Too bad.  

As Riesling is to Germany, Gruner Veltliner is to Austria. But somehow, the message didn’t get out.

Riesling is a grape.  Gruner Veltliner is a grape and they are different.  Germany and Austria are also different countries. As for the grape, Jancis Robinson (The Oxford Companion to Wine) says “Gruner Veltliner can produce wines which can combine perfume and substance. The wine is typically dry, full-bodied, peppery or spicy, and with time in the bottle can start to taste positively Burgundian.” 

There was no time in the bottle for this 2016 Stadt Krems 2016.  What there was, however, was an amazing flux of coincidence.  I invited myself to a visit with my brother while he was recuperating at home from a medical procedure.  He had some skinless brats made with mushroom and Swiss cheese at the ready. I pickled some organic, rainbow radishes, made red cabbage and procured German-style potato salad from a local (German) deli. He suggested a Gruner Veltliner. I brought one along (and a Spatburgunder – more on that later).   Putting away my Gruner in his wine refrigerator, I couldn’t help but notice he had the same wine also at the ready and chilled.  My brother is not a certified wine snob.  And I don’t like to think I’m a snob, though certified.  So the lesson to appreciate is that of Pliny the Elder (who 2000 years ago) was correct when he said, “The best wine is that which taste good to thine own palate.”

The Stadt Gruner certainly did that for each us and a guest.  And, at $13.99 (Binny’s Beverage Depot) I consider it a value. Consider Gruner as an alternative to Albarino. It goes great with seafood (Snapper).  Its bright acidity makes it food friendly with so many foods. Pair it with smoked ham.  Go safe with “Wiener Schnitzel,” which is basically another version of breaded veal.  Play it against chicken breast with rosemary and thyme. Have to have a wine with cheese? Consider Camembert. Or bring a bottle to your favorite BYOB Asian food restaurant, though if ordering spicy – stay with a sweeter Riesling (Spatlese).  If it matters, know too that it’s one of the few wines that will do well against artichokes and asparagus.

 

As for this bottle, (91 points Wine Enthusiast), I enjoyed grass (not fresh cut) on the nose with hints (for me) of pineapple and fresh cut apple. Creamy lime and faint lemon on the palate. Green herbs. Cleansing acidity. White pepper hints.  Lean and concentrated but balanced expertly.  This is a varietal you need to explore if you too are to open new paths as Disney recommended.   If you claim to enjoy wine, you need to tastes grapes, after all, because it is grape that becomes the best wine.   And perhaps this is a grape you haven’t explored yet.  If so, I’m happy to have been of help.    

Prost!

…………… Jim

(The official language in both countries is German and there is shared history. But they are different countries.  So don’t get all technical on me. This is not a history blog).

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TECH SPECS & ETCETERA:

Color:                 Deep Lemon Green in the glass

Imported By;      Winebow Inc. (NY., NY)

Produced BY:     Weingut Stadt Krems GrmbH

www.weingutstadt.krems.at

Varietal:               100% Gruner Veltliner

Region:                 Niederoesterreich, Austria

Fermentation:       17 Days, Stainless, 65 F

Fining:                  None

Aging:                   4 Months

Additional             2 Months Bottle

ALC:                    12.5%

RS:                       3.2 g/L

Acidity:                6.7 g/L

SO2                      126.0 mg/L

Grapes are hand harvested at September’s end. 

Weingut Stadt Krems was founded in 1452, but managed (since July 2003) by Fritz Miesbauer.  

Note: Look for Gruner Veltliner from the DACs of Austria from Wachau, Kamptal and Kremstal, Wagram and Weinvertal.  Kremstal is a DAC designation, which can only use specified grape varieties considered the most outstanding and most typical of the delineated region

BLASSON WINES PINOT GRIGIO (2015)

“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences”  . Audre Lorde

Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris. Same grape. Different white wines; so different in taste that many people don’t realize both are made from the same grape.  Consider Syrah and Shiraz as the same but different grape in the red category, though I think the Grigio/Gris style is even more pronounced. Here, in the U.S., the Grigio style has won the pocketbook vote of consumers. It is a light, crisp, citrusy-fruity but dry white wine that is easily enjoyed and easily affordable.  A good choice in the summer outdoors, it is picnic palatable, goes nicely with seafood in restaurants and if you open a bottle with visiting friends everyone will be comfortable with it.  No wonder it became so popular!

Northeastern Italy is the epicenter of Pinot Grigio viniculture

About as far northeast as you can go.

and production. Here the cool temperatures assure grapes of increased acidity to provide the mouthwatering finish that consumers love.  Since the grape itself is not naturally high in acid, grapes in Friuli, Venezia, and Guila are picked early (thankfully not so as to make for an offensive vegetative character – timing is everything) while acids are relatively high and sugar not at its peak. Fermentation and storage is traditionally done in stainless-steel tanks in order to preserve freshness, fruit and the “zing” quality of Grigio.  Seldom is oak used as it would add weight and tertiary notes not consumer associated with the style.  Pinot Gris, with grapes ripened, is rich and weightier. It is heavier in mouthfeel and (for me) makes a better match for some fish meals. 

I enjoy both styles.  Each serves its purpose. But I know from experience that success breeds imitation and over production and waves of watery thin and quaffable but overpriced Pinot Grigio have washed ashore.  I wanted something different.  Yes, there’s a PG or two out there that have become my “go-to” Pinot Grigios.  But, tasting wine as frequently as I have comes with the potential of jading the palate and I wanted something different. It was time to experiment. Pinot Grigio, yes, but not my “go to” wine.  Different, but same.  Fortunately, I found what I was looking for within the glass of a bottle of Blasson Wines’ Pinot Grigio (2015).  As for northeast Italy, Giovanni Blasson’s winery is only ten miles from Italy’s eastern border with Slovenia. About as far northeast in cool temperature Italy as you can go. His D.O.C. Pinot Grigio immediately commanded my palate’s attention as most PG wines have not for sometime. Yes, this was Pinot Grigio. The nose offered Meyer lemon, ripe-ripe pear, salinity and notes of white flower, but all so reserved. I know tasters that referred to a nose that “jumped” from the glass, but that was not my experience. This was refined, subtle, and artful. I was interested.

Then came texture. Pinot Grigio is, for me, not a palate weighted wine.  But this had body. It had texture like a Pinot Gris. Still, the fruit was there; all the traditional fruit so expected of Grigio: lime, lemon (Meyer), kiwi, and fresh cut red apple and with a whisper of melon (orange).  It finished with a bitter green apple taste. For a Pinot Grigio, this was becoming complex. The acidity was there, but – like the fruit – melded into a tapestry of elegance and reserved finesse.  Blasson juice is never oaked, but benefits from gentle lees stirring which accounts for the richness and adds elegance, while maintaining the expected fruit of the style. Found at Vin Chicago for $10 retail, it didn’t just excite my palate, it pleased my pocketbook.  It was different. It was good. It was a positive palate exciting experiment I will be repeating.

Cent' anni 

……………..Jim

Wine Mizer is not a “dba” because it does not do any business. Truth be told, it is a not-for-profit non-corporation, money-losing sole-proprietorship venture.  Such assures you, however, that opinions are unbiased. Wine Mizer accepts no advertisements. Support this venture by “Liking” Wine Mizer on facebook.

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INCIDENTAL INFO

Azienda Agricola di Giovanni Blason

Estate Bottled

Country: Italy

Region: Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Sub Region (Appelation): Isonzo del Friuli D.O.C.

www.blasonwines.it

Alc: 12.5%

Imported by: Terraneo Merchants: 

http://terraneomerchants.com/product-type/wines/

   

DOMAINE DIDIER DAGUENEAU SILEX BLANC FUME DE POUILLY (2010)

“The best wines are those we drink with friends.” …… unknown

A miser could be taken to mean a person who is reluctant to spend, but it can be used also to describe someone who has a proclivity to hoard or, to be nice, – collect.  So when I chose the name Wine Mizer¹ for this blog, it was an acknowledgement that my actions can at times fit either definition.  I have a reasonable collection, but included within it are many value wines.  If you’re a longtime reader, you already know that most reviews here have been for wines with retail prices below $30. Today it is not, though I still consider the wine (priced at $60 - $120) a good value. 

Now for the shocker. Remember, the French label their wine by region, not by the grape.  So “Blanc Fume de Pouilly” in the name may not be helpful toward knowing the varietal.  Translated, it reads “White smoke of Pouiilly.” “Domaine Didier Dagueneau” is the name of the Chateau (or “Estate” in the U.S.) Again, no help perhaps.  But you may have heard of Pouilly Fume, the AOC in the Central Vineyards (which are NOT central, but at the easternmost area) of the Loire Valley.  Pouilly-Fume sits across the river from Sancerre.  O.K. Let me just get to it: This is Sauvignon Blanc!

You’re thinking, “$100+ for Sauvignon Blanc?”  After all, every country makes it. You can buy it for less than $10. Why oh why would you spend ten times that?  All I can say in my defense is that a canned product of pork shoulder and ham with salt, water, potato starch, sugar and sodium nitrate is meat and so is filet mignon. And while I have enjoyed many a delicious Sauvignon Blanc (both French and non), none have matched the experience. As in so many things, it’s a question of degrees.

Soils in the Pouilly-Fume (stony, chalky, well-drained and with marine fossils) are much the same as in Sancerre but with more flint. But, unlike Sancerre, no red wines are made here.  The climate is continental with severe winters and hot summers. As with Sancerre, Sauvignon Blanc produced here is in a style more restrained than that of New Zealand’s. 

The Dagueneaus have long worked to finesse the best from Savignon Blanc.  Selecting sites, blending juice and working with top coopers using very low-toast barrels, uniquely shaped to nuance the benefit of lees contact and specific oxygen exchange, the end result is a wine that transcends both definition and your expectation. Best said, perhaps, by Eric Asimov of the New York Times in his obituary of Didier Dagueneau (who died Sept. 17, 2008): “Tasting a Dagueneau wine for the first time was a revelation. His Sauvignon Blancs had an unexpected purity and clarity to them. The flavors were intense but nuanced. It wasn’t the fruit that was piercing, as in so many Sauvignon Blancs, but the freshness and the focus. As powerful a personality as he was, his wines did not exalt the stature of the winemaker so much as the beauty of the terroir.”

  

Didier was survived by his son (Louis Benjamin) and daughter, Charlotte, who have maintained the passionate commitment of Didier in producing wines that bring out the natural minerality of the soil and are palate poems of balance and harmony made even more seductive by aroma of acacia.

I keep saying that all palates are personal, and they are. A little web-trolling in preparing for this review popped up one reference to “greenish, grassy aromas” and another of “underlying herbal/grassy notes” and one more of “green grass” on the nose.  I didn’t get any of this and I’m glad I didn’t.  In discussing why his wines never undergo malolactic fermentation, Louis-Benjamin said, “It’s no problem to wait for malic acidity to decrease when the grapes are at 12 degrees of potential alcohol. When they’re at 14 and you still feel that you have to wait for the malic, then that’s what gives you anxiety. We’d rather make a wine with a little more alcohol than we’d ideally like, rather than pick earlier and still have herbaceous flavors. There’s nothing worse than sauvignon with green flavors, like asparagus.” (emphasis mine).

Others referred to passionfruit, honeydew, guava, fresh cantaloupe. Some of these flavors are there but, for me, much subordinated to the citrus of preserved lemon, lime, quince and orange zest. Some white peach. A thread of smoky minerality weaves throughout the citrus along with a hint of salinity. Fruit, for me, was more applely than tropical, but again, all palates are personal. Along with this incredibly seamless weaving of tastes is an acidity that cleanses the palate, makes for a mouthwatering invite to another sip and is yet artfully unobtrusive. Dry, racy, complex – especially for a white – this wine is at the top of the pecking order of Loire Sauvignon. Despite all the citrus, there is a roundness and silkiness to this wine.

Another measure of quality is the cellaring potential of this wine. Most Sauvignon Blanc is meant to be enjoyed young.  But Domaine Didier Dagueneau’s sauvignons are famed for their longevity. This wine (a 2010) is drinkable (easily) through 2024 under good storage conditions. If you’re sensing I’m excited about this wine, know that I’m in good company. Robert Parker awarded it 93-94 points. Stephen Tanzer gave it 92. Jancis Robinson assigned it a score of 17.5 out of 20 potential points. Those are all grades, as I remember them, of A.

Younger people today talk about the experience. Allegedly they eschew material goods, forsaking the purchase of automobiles and relying instead upon purchased rides. It’s all about the vacation to a distant land rather than a possession.  It’s the memory of an event more than an item. Seems then that a Domaine Dagueneau Silex would be perfect, both for the experience and the memory of it. I know it was for me.  Speaking of me, let me add that I found this bottle as an “End of Bin” in a big box store.  Retail was $115. I bought it for $48. Rather Mizerly don’t you think?

Sante!

……… Jim

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^{1. Ben Franklin was a strong proponent of phonetic spelling. I think he would approve.}

Incidental Tech Info

Domaine Didier Dagueneau Silex is a blend from two parcels. One of hard, dense clay and flint on the upper part of the Saint Andelain hillside and the other of limestone. Alcohol ranges between 13–14.2%. Acidity is 6.2g/L. Wines are held in oak (elongated cigare pipes, barriques, demi-muids and foudres) for their first year, then transferred to vat for 5-7 months before bottling.  Imported by Connoisseur Wines.

Sorry about the length. The wine deserved respect.

CLEAN SLATE RIESLING 2014

"What is the USP of Mosel Rieslings? Sky-high acidity that links arms with the honey of ripe Riesling." … Hugh Johnson OBE, The World of Fine Wine (UK)

"German wine goes well beyond the sweet and white type, even a single region can produce a range of styles to suit everyone. "  JancisRobinson, M.W. (UK)

Fair enough, perhaps you’re` not a fan of oysters on the half shell.  But bear with me a moment and share a discovery apart from them. Oysters here are just a reference to something else. So if you are a fan of oysters, you’ll love the transition; and if you are not, you’ll at least enjoy a new wine that may excite your palate. With that agreement now binding, I need to explain that my traditional “go-to” wine for oysters has been Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine (Sur Lie). Made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape and coming from the Nantais region of the westernmost Loire Valley of France, the wine is crisply dry, with threads of gooseberry, quince and key lime melded seamlessly over a mineral base.  Sometimes I think some smart oyster must have invented these wines just so people like me would enjoy eating them. Together, they are a symbiotic and joyful encounter.  (I’ll talk more about Muscadet in a separate post).

Problem is, no Muscadet (remember, that’s the region, not the grape) is available at my local oyster haunt. But they do serve a Dry Muscatel from the Jumilla region (almost south but definitely in the eastern area) of Spain.  There it is known as Muscatel and it’s made from the Muscat grape, of which there are many varieties. Muscatel can be vinified dry to super-sweet and the one I order is dry and also goes nicely with oysters.   

Now comes another grape, one you would normally recoil at pairing with oysters: Riesling!  Even more alarming: Riesling from the Mosel region of Germany!  Dry Rieslings, in Germany, are commonly enjoyed, but here, in the U.S. they’re as common as hen’s teeth. Not to say I don’t enjoy Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese and other styles of Mosel Riesling. But Clean Slate’s Dry Riesling has its place too, and, surprisingly, it can work with oysters.  Its value, however, is its ability to work with and without. It will work, for example, with those finding a Muscadet too dry. Although not dessert sweet, your palate will detect residual sugar in the finish (at 2.6%, it’s close to a grapefruit) making it likely more suitable for a mixed group.  The sensation of sweetness is  balanced by the acidity that German Rieslings are renowned for. This Walenda of balance works on the palate telling your brain the wine is less sweet than it is. 

The nose is rich with scents of freshly squeezed lime juice and lemongrass softened by floral notes.  Almost everyone tasting or talking about this wine enjoyed tastes of peach though, for me, this was dominated by kiwi, quince, lemongrass and lime.  Crisp, mouthwatering acidity, so terroir-driven by the slate-soil and cool-climate of the Mosel, balances the fruit and makes for a mouthwatering finish. Notes of tart apple linger on the finish intermixed with lime.    

Grapes are selected from throughout the Mosel. The steep, blue-slate slopes of the Lower Mosel contribute minerality. The Middle Mosel contributes spice and the notes of peach are a natural gift from the Upper Mosel. At 10.5% alcohol, this is a light weighted wine, making it suitable for oysters on the half shell. But with its stone fruit character and slight sweetness, it would pair well also with fish, particularly if accompanied by a spicy pineapple or mango salsa. It would also serve well with a pork roast or tenderloin.

Grilled Haddock with a spicy pineapple salsa and sprouted coconut
rice with bay shrimp and cashews. 

The old saw that white wines don’t age well needs sharpening. I’ve previously given many examples of white wines that benefit from aging including Rieslings that develop notes of petrol over time. But Clean Slate is not one of them. This is 100% Riesling, 100% enjoyable, but meant to be enjoyed now.  Slightly sweet, Clean Slate is aptly named per the minerality natural to Riesling grown in slate soil and in the cool climate of the northern area of Germany which assures sufficient acidity to clean the palate and provide a mouthwatering finish. 

With an ARP of $10 (I found it at $9. U.S.), it’s hard not to recommend this wine just for the benefit you’ll gain from its experience.  Aficionados of Muscadet may find the wine too sweet to properly accompany oysters on the half shell, yet find it excellent with spicy Thai, Chinese, Mexican or Indian cuisine. And for those finding Muscadet too dry, you may have found your spiritual, white-wine home.

Clean Slate is a product of partnership between Moselland of Bernkastel-Kues of Germany and Winebow, a top U.S. importer and distributor of fine wines around the world. Moselland is the largest vineyard owner in the Mosel and one of Germany’s top exporters of Riesling.

Prost!

…………….. Jim

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MERRY EDWARDS RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC (2012)

“Persuasion is a strong but subdued outrider.” --- Harold Bloom

Stubborn me. Try as I do to keep an open mind, there are times even now when I’m not open to “new” ideas.  They needn’t even be “new” - just experienced previously as unpleasant by me.  But a one or two time experience is not a thing of always. And while it is important to learn what it is in a wine that you like, what characteristics and styles of it that you prefer, that too can be a trap.  The yin and the yang of wine.  Without knowing what it is you like (and why) you’re unable to venture out with any direction.  Do you prefer Sirah or Shiraz?  Same grape. Different wine styles. We could debate which is more elegant (an emotionally charged word) but would probably agree that Shiraz is generally fruitier, fuller bodied and higher in alcohol.  Does knowing that you prefer fruitier wine become helpful when you’re shopping for Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon? Of course. That’s the “yin” of wine.   

So as someone who has long preferred Sancerre or Pouilly Fume, I came to understand the preference of my palate: subdued fruit, somewhat austere and with minerality. For me, Sauvignon Blanc is all about fresh and being a little racy. Oaking Sauvignon Blanc just seemed wrong. And the more I continued enjoying my palate’s preference, and knowing why my palate preferred it so, the more set I became in my opinion.  Thus was born my “yang” of wine, a restrictive trap.

Perfect with halibut in lemon-butter-caper sauce

All that changed during a private tasting at the winery. The winery had been moved to the top of my wish list after being unable to include it in a previous trip to Sonoma.  Merry Edwards is famous for her single vineyard Pinot Noirs. And the story about her Sauvignon Blanc goes that she developed it after an invitation from the White House in which California wines were being featured with the dinner. It was suggested that a “white” wine would be more appropriate. I have no way of verifying what was relayed to me, and common sense says one doesn’t just make wine quickly. But it’s sensible that such dinners are planned considerably in advance. And as I said, that’s the story.

Fact or fancy, the story deserves to be true because the wine is unique and enticing.  The winemaker’s notes explain that the rich core (54%) of the blend is sourced from vines 25-35 years old. Sauvignon Musque (at 20%) adds floral aromatics and depth not present in other types of Sauvignon Blanc. The balance (26%) is comprised of the classic Shenandoah (Clone 1) and is the more common throughout California.

In the glass, it appears pale lemon falling quickly to a watery edge; not something I expected to see from an oaked Sauvignon, and (for me) very heartening. The nose is fresh, another surprise. Whispered notes of citrus, orange blossom, gooseberry, and ripe pear invite a taste. And tasting it is where the magic begins.  The mouthfeel is rich and luscious as a result of barrel fermentation and lees stirring. There’s weight to this wine, making it suitable for many food pairings, yet it magically retains freshness. Lots of citrus, but melon balancing the citrus. Gooseberry plays against pear. Lime with minerality but also floral notes. Lemon that is creamy with hints also of orange crème. A whisper of smoke adds interest. But the magic doesn’t end yet. Despite the smoke, the wine finishes crisply. This is a balancing act that has been perfected.

                                                                                        

I suspect, but do not know, that most of the oak is neutral.  Detailed information about vinification is not readily available.  But then again, we don’t taste information other than what it presents itself as on our palates. There is a subtlety to this wine that intrigues. An experience that lingers and invites re-visiting while making each such revisit a fresh experience. And indeed, that is magic, perhaps best left to mystify us.

Cheers!

……………….. Jim

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Merry Edwards Winery                                                    

2959 Gravenstein Hwy.

North Sebastopol, CA 95472

(888) 388-9050

Web: www.merryedwards.com

ALC:      13.9%

ARP:     $32.

REVIEWS: 91-93 Points Wine Spectator, 91 Connoisseurs Guide.

 

CASTELLARE VIN SANTO SAN NICCOLO

"Wine has been a part of civilized life for some seven thousand years. It is the only beverage that feeds the body, soul and spirit of man and at the same time stimulates the mind..." - Robert Mondavi

Think Chianti and you’re probably thinking Sangiovese, perhaps even blended with up to 10% Canaiolo and another percentage of international varieties. But Chianti made from Malvasia Bianca and Trebbiano Toscano?  In Chianti?  Well yes, because Chianti (in Tuscany) is also a place and within it, wines can be made that have no Sangiovese whatever. One such is Vin Santo, a dessert wine that, when made sweet, goes better with anise-flavored biscotti than a margarita pizza.

Its origin goes back to at least the middle ages and, while some changes have been made in the type of wood used (chestnut has given way to some use of oak which extracts fewer harsh tannins and is less porous), the technique used is essentially the same. Grapes are hung in bunches in order to wither (inside a ventilated environment – other producers use reed mats).  The longer the grapes are allowed to dry and desiccate, the higher the residual sugar will be in the wine.  Hence, Vin Santo may be made resulting in varying levels of sweetness – from bone dry, like a Fino Sherry to the moderately sweet style of this 2005 vintage Castellare Vin Santo. It is common for grapes to lose about 60% of their volume during this process. The method of drying grapes (called appassimento) is the same as that used in making the delicious Amarone della Valpolicella from the Veneto region. Other areas, such as the Greek island of Santorini, have also produced wine from desiccated grapes.

Fermentation for Vin Santo is carried out slowly in small barrels, called Caratelli (holding 50 liters, about 13.2 gallons). For comparison, a standard French Barrique will hold 224 liters (59.17 gallons).  These smaller barrels are necessary because they are often stored in warm attics where heat promotes oxidation and barrel weight becomes a safety issue for people working below.  The wine is then aged in these same barrels a minimum of three years, depending upon DOC regional requirements.  San Niccolo’s Vin Santo is aged five years then an additional 8 months in bottle.

So what can you expect out of the bottle?  If I knew nothing about these wines, but was familiar with Madera, I would appreciate a similarity while respecting differences. In the glass, the wine is amber, with thick and slow moving tears. The nose presents grape spirit high notes and the Madera like similarity. Dried apricot is evident. I also enjoyed – and this is strange – an aroma reminding me of Bananas Foster. Then I realized it was caramel as from the flambé. 

Barrels of Vin Santo are not topped off, allowing a level of controlled oxidation.  The oxidation adds burnished notes throughout and contributes to the wine’s complexity.  On the palate, the wine offered apricot, dried fruit, caramel, chestnut, raisin, toffee, dried fig and a Grand Marnier quality of orange peel. Tongue coating, and moderately sweet, the wine is balanced against spirit and acidity so as not to be unctuous.  It has a zesty acidity that finishes cleanly, thanks to the level of acidity naturally occurring in both Malvasia and Trebbiano that counter-punches the sweetness developed in the process of drying the grapes.  Well-made vintage Vin Santo can last for decades under good storage conditions.  

If you’re still upset that there’s no Sangiovese in this wine, take heart.  Sangiovese may be used to produce a rose style known as Occhio di Pernice, but that’s another story.

Salute!

…………….. Jim

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TECH SPECS:

D.O.C.                          Vin Santo Del Chianti Classico

                                    (Tuscany – Chianti – Vin Santo del Chianti Classico)

Grapes:                        Malvasia Bianca (60%), Trebbiano Toscano (40%) Both white

Age of Vines:               10/15 Years

Soil:                             Calcareous Clay-Loam

Elevation:                    1450 ft., Southwest Exposure

Vintage:                       2005

Vinification:                 Oak & Chestnut, Small Barrel* All Neutral (20-30 years age)

·         Robert Parker states aging is in 110 liter Fr & Am Oak Barrels. Producer states Oak &

Chestnut Caratelli.

Aging:                          5 Years in Wood, 8 Additional Months in Bottle

Clarification:                Bentonite-Gelatin

Alc:                               16%
Avg. Production           3000

Bottle Size:                  375ml

ARP:                             $55 U.S.

Scores:                         Parker 94, Galloni 94, Wine Spectator 91, Wine Enthusiast 89

           

CASAS del BOSQUE SAUVIGNON BLANC GRAN RESERVA

“One of the disadvantages of wine is that it makes a man mistake words for thoughts.”
-  Samuel Johnson

I recall tasting a Zinfandel aged in Gambia barrels. It was an interesting experience, mostly so because no one at the dinner party could identify the varietal.  Among other things, the wood had so changed the natural character of the grape that identifying it was impossible without a DNA kit.  Was it a Petite Sirah?  Yes, you would think so, but that’s not what Zinfandel should taste like.  Delicious?  Actually, it was. But what’s the point?  What other Zin could you contrast this bottle against fairly?  It was not representative of the grape.  What it was was so unique as to become a variety of one.

Maybe I need to be more open minded. All wine is manipulated after all. Just tasting free run juice will convince you how essential vinification is to the flavor of unvinified juice.   But it does seem that wine can be over manipulated and, in the process, lose its varietal character, its natural essences. I have long felt that way about Sauvignon Blanc.  It’s naturally acidic and fresh. A perfect summer refresher. Oaking it just seems wrong. Would you oak Riesling? To quote a great New Yorker cartoon, “Is Nothing Sacred?” But then I tasted an oaked version made by someone more famous for making Pinot Noir in Sonoma than Sauvignon Blanc.  It worked. Very well. With that lesson under my belt, I was willing to try another; ergo the Chilean Gran Reserva!

First thing to know is that unlike Spain, Chile has no legal definition for applying the term “Grand Reserva”. Affixing that term to the label is left to the discretion of the estate. It may or may not be applied due to better barrels being used, or a selection of superior grapes from their best vineyards being selected.  But it is not associated with aging length. The only requirement is that oak be used.

I also have to admit my inherent preferences

(call them base-line prejudices). In Sauvignon Blanc, I prefer Sancerre or Pouilly Fume. But I’ve had Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand (of course, it’s the law here), various states in the U.S., in white Bordeaux, and others from South Africa, Australia and parts elsewhere.  Despite this background, I wasn’t prepared at all for this experience.  A wine so totally different, yet remaining true to the grape’s character. The grapefruit is there, but not in the concentration of New Zealand's style. There was a cooked herbaceous quality to the wine’s aroma (asparagus?) that cousined the green tint to the wine’s otherwise lemon color.  But the taste was lively; bright even, though veiled through a sheeting of gun flint and quinine.

Somehow, fruit got through all this: lime and honeysuckle. Some passionfruit. guava and kiwi, but again veiled, this time through whispers of smoke. Not obstructive. Not intrusive. Interesting. Throw in some gooseberry. If you can imagine this, you’ll understand why I was intrigued. And somehow, the finish ends brightly on an acidic freshness with salinity.

Grapes are from Casa del Bosque’s own vineyards, about 70 kilometers (43.4 miles) from Santiago, the capital of Chile, and from their vineyards in the coolest, westernmost reaches of the Casablanca Valley.   While my opinion, or that of anyone is not, nor should be, a deciding factor, I’ll be buying more of this wine again just to better appreciate the rendition.  You may have read Hamlet, and seen it acted a dozen times, even seen it on the screen. But you’ll still pick up a nuance in a different production that makes the experience new. That’s how I felt with this Sauvignon Blanc from Casa del Bosque.  Vinous awarded it 91 points; Stephen Tanzer 91. And I? I plan to re-live the experience for the sheer interest of it.

Salud!

…………………… Jim

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TECH SPECS

Grapes were destemmed, crushed to stainless via a chiller and kept at 4c/39f, then cold soaked 74 hours. Free run juice then drained by gravity. Remaining skins and juice then pneumatic pressed and left to cold settle at 10c/50f for 4 days. Following this, 26% was racked to stainless and inoculated with selected yeasts and ultra-cool fermented (6.5c/44f). After fermentation, this was aged 2 months on gross lees (without stirring) before being blended. The remaining 74% was fermented with selected yeasts in 2nd and 3rd use French oak with temps peaking at 22c/72f. Post fermentation, the barrels were stirred weekly, after which (two months later) the barrel and tank components were blended, cold stabilized and filtered.

Variety :                               Sauvignon Blanc, 64% clone 107, 36% clone 242.

Avg. Age of Vines               9 Yrs.

Soil Comp.                           Hillside, red clay and decomposed granite

Alc:                                      14%

pH:                                        3.24

TA (Total Acidity):               6.3 g/L (grams per Liter)

RS (Residual Sugar):            2.2 g/L

Volatile Acidity                    0.39 g/L

ARP:                                    <$15.00 U.S.

   

LYNFRED CHARDONNAY, 2015

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

If I tell people that I’m writing another piece about Chardonnay, I can almost hear the yawn over my internet connection. But someone is not being truthful. Chardonnay is the largest planting in California. It was not always so.  And Chardonnay is more widely distributed worldwide than any other variety.  It’s malleable, more so I think than any other grape. Dry, oaked, unoaked, classic in Champagne and used in sweet wine, it’s a grape for all palates.

Making good Chardonnay is a rite of passage for vintners, and so many offerings are delicious. But every so often, one is offered – a particular vintage from a particular winery that goes over the mark and is exceptional, surprising and memorable: A wine both for summer enjoyment by itself and also enjoyable with food.  One versatile, delicious bottle that travels from the table on the deck to the table in the dining room.

My most recent experience of this came with tasting Lynfred’s 2015 Chardonnay. Grapes are sourced from Heringer Vineyards in Clarksburg, California and are planted specifically for Lynfred by the vineyard. On the nose, I enjoyed expected citrus, but also a hint of peach, pear and apricot pit.  Most inviting, however, was its clean, fresh scent. Everything about this wine said “fresh” and was sip inviting while at the same time making a taste at the expense of continued enjoyment of the aroma a sacrifice.

There’s a slight caramel-butter taste in the wine that softens the citrusy acid. It’s a pleasing push-pull of sensation enhanced by the creamy lanolin mouthfeel of the wine on the palate. Citrus peel carries into the taste along with key lime and (most enjoyable for me) jasmine.

I paired this wine with numerous dishes. Lynfred suggests a Watercress, Endive & Grilled Peach Salad (see their website for recipe). I made halibut with a butter-lemon-caper sauce and enjoyed the wine’s acidity cutting through the sauce and cleansing the palate. It worked equally well with shrimp burgers I made. Grilled scallops with orange segments were fun too. A green salad with grilled chicken dressed in a raspberry vinaigrette? No problem. The wine wasn’t put off by the vinaigrette. Its artistry is in its versatility; chameleon like, it seems lighter weighted when necessary and fuller bodied as needed; one wine.

No, one bottle didn’t do all this. I so enjoyed the wine, I went back to the winery several times, and piecemealed together a case bottle by bottle. The winery also recommends pairing this wine with grilled trout, pork loin, stuffed mushrooms and glazed turkey. I can see all these working very well because the wine’s strong point is its balance.  While there’s enough acid, for sure, it’s not out front.  While the wine is aged in oak, it’s not out front.  Texture is enhanced by oak, but the resulting wine is not a vanilla one act play and there are no overdosing traces of charred wood smoke.  In fact, the wood is muted and, I suspect, only a small percentage used is new. *

While fresh, the wine has body. The finish is crisp and medium-length but so inviting you will want another sip, starting again the cycle of aroma-taste confliction.  I tasted Lynfred’s 2015 Chardonnay against two well regarded Saint-Veran. Saint Veran is an AOC requiring its wine be 100% Chardonnay and it borders its famous neighbor, Pouilly-Fuisse, in fact sharing soil type.  In the Maconnais sub-region, these wines are white Burgundies. I enjoy many styles of Chardonnay in the summer because the wines  lend themselves nicely against the lighter foods I seem to prefer in warm weather. And Saint Veran, lighter in style than some famous and oakier White Burgundies from other areas, seemed a fair comparison.  In each tasting against the two Saint-Veran (which will go unnamed), I (and my guest) preferred the Lynfred.  Fresher, clean, with lively acidity, it presented a balance of fruit to acid that made the wine refreshing, light and zippy but without being so acidic as to pose a hazard to your teeth enamel, yet presenting a delicious taste of balanced fruit.    

The team of Andres Basso (Director of Winemaking) and Rodrigo Gonzalez (Head Winemaker) at Lynfred have become a dynamic duo. Each has impressive education credentials and international experience, but Andre previously at Concha y Toro and Rodrigo at Casa Lapostolle bring to memory wines I’ve enjoyed that perhaps they made while they were there. For sure, they’ve given me one with their 2015 Chardonnay.

At prices between $20 and $22 (club price differentiation), you’ll find this wine a workhorse, being able to use it across varied terrains of cuisine.  And who am I to argue with da Vinci anyway?  From my perspective, a really good bottle of wine is perhaps more relevant to the moment than what happened ten millennia ago in a galaxy far, far away to a distant star. Either way, it seems the stars were aligned with this wine.

Cheers!

……………….. Jim

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TECH SPECS

·         I since learned my instinct was spot on. Only 38% of the wine was aged in wood (American) and that being with second and third use barrels.  Batonnage twice monthly.

Variety :                               Chardonnay, 100%

Brix:                                    23  

Released:                             July 1, 2016

Total Cases:                         431

Aging:                                  8 months, 38% in American Oak 2^nd & 3^rd Use

RS                                        0.1%

Alc:                                     13.7%

Ph:                                        3.43

TA:                                       7.8 g/L

Drinkable Thru:                   3-5 years, potentially

Lynfred Winery

15 S Roselle Rd

Roselle, IL 60172

(630) 529-9463

http://www.lynfredwinery.com/