Chablis

For the last wine club of the season before I take off for California on Sunday (yay!!) and Italy shuts down until September, we ended on a particularly delicious note. We had another big group (19 people were expected) so the budget allowed for us to spend a little bit more. That usually mean I'll take advantage of the chance to taste wine from France, as it is all too easy to get too used to the taste of Italian wine. When we only taste one kind of wine, we can start to think that all wine is supposed to taste that way, which is never a good thing for a wine lover.
 I had thought of trying a few different white Burgundies, but in the end I decided to showcase just Chablis, a subzone in the most northern vineyards of Burgundy. It is so far north, in fact, that it is much closer to Champagne than the rest of Burgundy, and indeed shares the same often extreme climate with that region. All fine white Burgundy comes from the Chardonnay grape, and Chablis is no exception. The cold climate and most of all the soils make these wines quite unique to their cousins from farther south. The best wines come from Kimmeridgean soils, a mixture of limestone and clay with tiny fossilized oyster shells. The lesser vineyards (and in a controversial move, some of the higher appellations were expanded to include these areas) are made up of Portlandien soil, which is very similar to the former but is generally believed to make wines of less finesse.  Chablis is famous for its steely, sometimes austere quality with its high acidity and gunflint, mineral flavors. It is also the one fine wine region for Chardonnay to not commonly employ the use of oak.  While it is not uncommon for an aged Chablis to take on a nutty flavor reminiscent of wine that has been aged in oak, generally speaking oak is not a component in these wines.
There are four different levels of quality to Chablis, here in ascending order: Petit Chablis, on mostly Portlandien soil, Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru, constituting 40 vineyards,  and Chablis Grand Cru, all on Kimmeridge, and composed of seven plots. We tasted mostly Chablis, basic versions of which can be quite austere, with one Petit Chablis and one Premier Cru. (Though the Vau de Vey has only been at this quality level since the vineyard expansion.) For the most part these wines were typical of their kind with very high acidity and very crisp citrus fruit flavors with a mineral note as well. The surprises were the 4th and the 6th, which had very noticeable oak influence. The 4th was pleasant, but the winemaker had perhaps been a bit heavy-handed with the oak, while the last wine presented with lovely subtle oak flavors well balanced by fruit and acidity.
The first three wines were three different versions from one producer, a Petit Chablis, and two different Chablis. The first, far from being too austere had a nice lemon and mineral quality to it. The first Chablis was one of the clear favorites of the evening, sharing those citrus qualities but with a medium body and much more concentration of fruit. The third offering, also a Chablis, comes from old vines and spends nine months in stainless steel. It was very lemony, floral and quite steely on the palate with high, refreshing acidity. The fourth was our surprise of the evening with lots of butter, cedar, hints of clove on top of a bit of pear and citrus. Next we had two wines from the same winery, their basic Chablis and their premier cru. Both were very enjoyable, the first with creamy, yeasty nose from the 12 months it spent on its lees, and a lovely apricot, honey flavor on the palate.  The next spent wine had similar flavors but with the added buttery, vanilla, slightly spicy flavors from its 12 months aging in partial oak and partial steel. The combination added a subtle oak flavor that didn't overwhelm the fruit. It was my favorite, along with our second wine.
The line-up:
1. Petit Chablis Blancs Caillouc 2009 Pascal Bouchard
2. Chablis Le Classique 2009 Pascal Bouchard
3. Chablis Les Vielles Vignes 2008 Pascal Bouchard
4. Chablis Vielle Vigne 2007 Domaine Bernard Defaix
5. Chablis Le Grand Bois 2007 Romain Bouchard Domaine de la Grande Chaume
6. Chablis Premier Cru Vau de Vey 2007 Romain Bouchard Domaine de la Grande Chaume

French Rosè

Rosè again? Well yes, not just because it's that time of year. When we tasted rosès the last time, I was planning on comparing French and Italian wines. Unfortunately a couple of people had to cancel, so I held on to the two French wines I had for another tasting.  This time we had  14 people, so with plenty of money in the budget left over, I picked up a pink Champagne as well, just because.......well, do you really need a reason? We looked at 9 still rosès, and we ended, in celebration of a tour de force tasting, with the bubbly.

As I mentioned in the last post on pink wines, quality still rosès are usually made by a limited maceration (skin contact) time, to absorb color and flavor, but generally not tannin. Good sparklers, on the other hand, blend white and red wines together, sometimes at the very end of the process. Rosès are commonly made with the classic grape varieties of a given area. The south of France is most well-known for their rosès, and the wines are based on the predominant grape varieties in each place, mostly grenace, cinsault, and mouvedre, but increasingly more far-flung grapes as well in the Vin de Pays wines which allow for more flexibility.

We had four wines from the Cote de Provence, one Bandol, one Cabernet d'Anjou, one Gigondas, one Vin de Pays d'Oc, and finally one Champagne. Interestingly, we also had a couple of distinct offerings from two producers, so we were able to look at the different directions producers can take. Even with a wine some dismiss as simple, such as rosè, there is incredible potential for variety. 

From Domaine Houchart, we had three wines, two Cote de Provence, both of which are based mainly on grenache, syrah, cinsault, and mouvedre, and one Gigondas, which is grenache, syrah, and cinsault. Their Sainte Victoire spent four months on its lees and was a step up in complexity from their basic offering with a lovely mineral quality to it, along with bright red fruit. The Gigondas had amazing notes of wild strawberries and a lovely smooth texture.

We also looked at two wines from Domaine Ott, their Bandol and their Cote de Provence from their Les Domaniers estate. The latter had lots of fresh fruit, apricots and peaches, and refreshing acidity, while the former was our most complex wine of the evening, though by far also the most expensive. Coming in at 30 euros, it was more than twice as expensive as the other wines. Grenache, cinsault, and mouvedre are fermented in tanks and then aged for six to eight months in a combination of oak and tank. The resulting wine has very complex notes of stone fruit, grapefruit, and hints of tobacco and spice.

The one exception to the southern rule was our Cabernet d'Anjou, from the Loire in central France. There are three appellations here for rosè, and the Cabernet d'Anjou is of the highest quality. It is made from a blend of cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon, and is always medium sweet. Ours was well-balanced by its acidity and lots of ripe red fruit.

To cap off the evening we ended with a pink Champagne, based on pinot noir. It was just the thing to wake us up after nine still rosès, brightly acidic with a persistent mousse, fine bubbles, and fantastic toasty, fruity flavors. It was the perfect way to end an interesting evening.

The line-up:

1. Collioure 2009 Les Clos de Paulilles

2. Vin de Pays D'Oc Rosè de Syrah 2009 Beauvignac

3. Cote de Provence 2009 Chateau de la Galiniere

4. Cote de Provence 2009 Domaine Houchart

5. Cote de Provence Sainte Victoire 2009 Domaine Houchart

6. Gigondas 2008 Chateau du Trignon

7. Cote de Provence Les Domaniers 2007 Ott Selection

8. Bandol 2008 Chateau Romassan Domaine Ott

9. Cabernet d'Anjou 2009 Chateau Pierre-Bise

10. Champagne NV Jacques Picard 

Context Newsletter

Check out the latest Context Newsletter for insider tips on Venetian food, Paris culinary trends, foodie destinations in New York and Philly, and my article on wines for the summer. Let me know about your favorite summer wines!

Vermentino

One of my all-time favorite summer wines is Vermentino. Of Spanish origins, the grape thrives along the hot, dry Italian coastline. Its most famous expression most likely is the Sardinian one, but the grape has long been well-established in Liguria and has recently been getting a lot of attention in southern Tuscany. I love it because it is one of those wines that are capable of transporting you; it actually evokes summer in a glass for me. Crisp, refreshing, green, herbal and salty, it is the perfect match to seafood.

For last night’s wine club we looked at 10 examples from the three regions mentioned above. Though for me benchmark vermentinos are young, fresh, and brightly acidic, my eyes were opened to older vermentino a couple of years ago in New York. I was in an Italian restaurant and I spotted a 1997 vermentino on the by-the-glass list. I spoke with the sommelier about it and he told me they had come across a forgotten case of it, and believing it to be bad, opened it up just to check. It was a revelation for them which surprised me as well. Still very much alive, it had wonderful honey, nutty aromas and flavors, and a still-present acidity. While we didn’t go as far back as 1997 last night, our vintages did range from 2009 to 2003.

Generally speaking the Sardinian and Tuscan versions were the most powerful, while the Ligurian examples, though still boasting impressive 13% and more alcohol levels, felt much lighter and more refreshing on the palate, and they were the most popular ones of the evening. The crowd favorite was our very first wine, which was also the least expensive. (Though with 10 wines, perhaps it was just the one everyone remembered best!) A Colli di Luni from Liguria, at just 7.50 euros it clearly presented the best value, although they were all well-priced with the most expensive wine coming in at 20 euros. The mainland wines tasted the most of the sea, while the Sardinian wines were more obviously fruity, with favors of green melon and golden apple. The older examples showed beautifully. The 2003 had an extremely long finish with lovely honeyed flavors while the 2006 was surprising in that it still tasted so fresh, much more so in fact than some of the 2008s. The 2006 was a fascinating wine that had powerful aromas of seaweed, tidepool, but also honey, golden apple, and a long, long finish that tasted distinctively of apricot. It may sound like a strange combination, but it worked wonderfully. Surprisingly, the least favorites of the evening were the wines from famous Super Tuscan houses: the Tenuta Guado al Tasso and Grattamacco. While still great wines, there was some stiff competition last night, and they were edged out.

Vermentino is not just a seafood wine; it is also a perfect match for pesto, another great example of, “what grows together, goes together”. Liguria is famous for their basil and the pesto that is made from it, and the local vermentino (and clone pigato, though local growers strongly disagree that they are indeed the same grape) has the powerful green and herbal aromas to stand up to such a strongly-flavored dish. Young, fresh cheeses are a great idea as well; last night I enjoyed the last of the wine with some fresh robiola that I had in the fridge. I could go on and on! In short, it is a great food wine. So happy summer and here’s to vermentino!

The lineup:

1. Colli di Luni Vermentino 2009 Lunae

2. Colli del Limbara Ruinas 2009 Depperu

3. Vermentino di Gallura Monteoro 2009 Sella & Mosca

4. Vermentino Bolgheri 2008 Tenuta Guado al Tasso

5. Vermentino Bolgheri 2008 Grattamacco

6. Colli di Luni Vermentino Cavagnino 2007

7. Colli di Luni Vermentino 2007 Giacomelli

8. Vermentino di Gallura Arakena 2006 Cantina del Vermentino

9. Riviera Ligure di Ponente Vermentino 2005 Lupi

10. Candia dei Colli Apuani Vigneto Candia Alto 2003 Cima Aurelio

Italian Rosè

Pink is the new white. Last night’s rosè tasting was a lot of fun, and an eye-opener for many who had always associated rosè with the cloyingly sweet versions of the wine. Quality rosè in Europe though has always been dry for the most part, and is a wonderful choice this time of year.  Warm weather has finally arrived in Rome and mother nature seems to be making up for lost time by blasting us, and it has had me reaching for the rosè! Big red wine sounds so unpalatable, but sometimes you want more than a white. With rosè, you can get the body of a red with the thirst-quenching quality of a white. They often bring a spiciness to the palate that is a wonderful accompaniment to the peperocino-laced fish stews that abound along the Italian coasts, or the fiery foods of Calabria like ‘nduja sausage. Not too many whites out there could hold their own against all of that flavor and heat, but a good rosè will cool you down without being overpowered. 

Quality pink wine is made not by blending white and red wine together, but instead by allowing a limited skin contact time. (The one exception is pink bubbly, rosè Champagnes and other quality sparklers do indeed blend white and red together, which is just one component of the complicated assemblage  process involved.) Red wine derives its color from the skins, which is extracted during the fermentation process. Those skins also contain tannin, but the color is extracted first. Reds might spend weeks macerating with their skins, but depending on the grape variety you have and the type of rosè you want to make, a pink wine will spend somewhere between 12 and 48 hours. This usually  means tannin has not been extracted, so with rosès you rarely get the astringency that can accompany young reds. Colors can range anywhere from peach (made from white grapes) to bright cherry reds. The aromas are usually of bright fruit, sometimes with some spiciness with cinnamon or floral notes.

Tonight we looked at five Italian rosès, all from the south. I love northern rosès as well, but I wanted a more focused tasting this time. Overall we were very happy with the wines, especially when you consider the prices. Only one wine was 20 euros, and the other four all fell between 7 and 9 euros. The first two were a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Cerasuolo and a Salento Rosato from Puglia. They were quite similar in color and aroma, despite being from distinct regions. Both were a bit muted in their flavors but presented a nice, refreshing acidity, with the second wine perhaps being a bit more thirst-quenching. The Salento wine is one of the more famous Italian rosès, the Rosa del Golfo. This bottling didn’t quite seem to live up to its reputation. 

The next three wines were the clear favorites of the evening. The third was actually the oldest wine, a 2007, from Sicily. Often in a tasting you go from youngest to oldest, but I felt confident that the other remaining wines would be more complex and concentrated and I didn’t want it to be overpowered.  It turned out to be a wise choice. The wine was a blend of nerello mascalese grapes without the skins, together with the skins of nero d’avola grapes- a rather unusual method. It had wonderful citrus flavors of grapefruit  along with peach and hints cinnamon. On the palate its substantial acidity was well-balanced by the alcohol. Our next choice is perhaps the most famous of Italian pink wines, the Five Roses from Leone de Castris. Also from Puglia, this wine was a much more expressive example than the Rosa del Golfo. It had wonderful spicy aromas of cinnamon and orange zest and felt full and balanced on the palate. The final wine of the evening was a medal winner, the Grayasusi from Calabria. Made from the gaglioppo grape, it was the most complex of our wines. It had distinct aromas of red cherries and a smoky, buttery character to it. The last two wines were the favorites, and the Five Roses at 7.50 a bottle versus the 20 euros for the Grayasusi, offers the best value for money by far. Both though are excellent examples of the “pink stuff”, and are destined for different uses. The Five Roses is a classic rosè with bright acidity and primary aromas of fruit. The Calabrese wine has the complexity of a red, but a price to match. If the weather is as hot where you are as it is in Rome, think of rosè the next time you’re looking for a change. You just might be converted.

The line-up:

1. Montepulcianod’Abruzzo Cerasuolo 2009 Cataldi Madonna

2. Salento Rosato Rosa del Golfo 2009 Cantine Rosa del Golfo

3. Sicilia Le Rose 2007 Regleali

4. Salento Five Roses 2008 Leone de Castris

5. Val di Neto Grayasusi 2009 Roberto Ceraudo

Sauvignon Blanc

When I was planning last night’s wine club three weeks ago I thought for sure it would be time to celebrate the warm weather with our first white tasting of the year. Alas winter seems to have returned to Rome but the wines tasted great just the same.  One of my favorite things to do is to taste different expressions of the same grape, so last night we looked at French and Italian Sauvignon Blanc. One of my favorite grapes, sauvignon blanc is one of the parents of one of the world’s most popular varieties: cabernet sauvignon. It dates to the 18th century and like its progeny, its home is Bordeaux. Since then it has spread throughout the world and is now successfully grown in California, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile...the list goes on! My idea was to take two of the most representative areas from the most accessible countries, Sancerre from France and Fruili Venezia Giulia from Italy. The Sancerres turned out to be a bit too pricey for the purposes of this tasting so instead I went with four wines from Friuli, a wine from Pouilly-Fumé (not far from Sancerre) and one from Bordeaux. We had an interesting lineup in terms of vintages; they ranged over nine years. Three were from 2008, one from 2007, one 2009 and one from 2000. I wanted to taste the six wines blind to see if we could figure out which ones were French. A great idea; unfortunately I completely forgot about the Bordeaux in the vegetable crisper (the only space left in the fridge!) so this one was tasted on its own at the end. (Note to self: while owning a mini fridge I might have to give up my sourdough starter and various other kitchen experiments that take up all the space!) The other five wines were disguised and tasted blind. The good news was fellow sommelier Sarah and I both correctly identified number two as our Pouilly-Fumé ! All the others (with the exception of the wine that was clearly 10 years old) had the tell-tale signs of Friulian sauvignon blanc: lots of citrus, lemons, grapefruits, crisp acidity, medium body. The big clue about number two was the pronounced stony, steely quality it had that for me marks the biggest difference between Italian and classic French sauvignon blanc. Friulian wines tend not to have this characteristic. The 2000 was a bit of an anomaly, having not only a good few years on the others, but it was also the only one to have been aged in oak. While the wine was still very much alive, too much of the fruit had faded away and we were left with an overpowering sensation of the oak with lots of buttery, smoky, toasted hazelnut flavors, which, while pleasant, were a bit unbalanced.

The line up for the evening:

1. Collio Sauvignon Blanc Marco Felluga 2009

2. Pouilly-Fumé Les Pierres de Pierre 2007 Domaine Masson-Blondelet

3. Colli Orientali dei Friuli Sauvignon 2008 Livio Felluga

4. Colli Orientali del Friuli Sauvignon Ronc de Juri 2000 Dorigo

5. Sauvignon Venezia Giulia 2008 Jermann

6. Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Château Reynon

My favorites of the night were one and two. Happy drinking!