It's the Most Bubbly Time of the Year

Ahh, Champagne. Around the holidays Americans always drink more bubbly – it’s a festive time of year, and people view Champagne (or any sparkling wine) as a celebratory drink. Personally, my favorite kind of wine is the kind that bubbles, and I find any excuse I can to drink it.  Mauro Cirilli, instructor for SF Wine Center's recent Holiday Champagne Master Class, said he needs to have a glass of Champagne every day, and he suggests you do too. Don’t have to tell me twice.

Why is Champagne so special? It’s the magical second fermentation in the bottle that produces the bubbles, but it’s also the harsh growing conditions in the region of Champagne, France, that contribute to the high acidity of these wines. Champagne only averages about 1650 hours of sunlight per year, versus over 2000 for Bordeaux. This results in very acidic and unripe grapes. Through the Champagne method of winemaking, that acidity combined with extended aging on the yeast cells and just the right amount of added sugar result in complex, bright, toasty, creamy flavors that delicately dance on the tongue.

The class featured non-vintage (blends from different years to produce a consistent style) and vintage (from a single year) wines from grower houses and well-known luxury brands. Champagne can range in price from $40 to $400, and we tried a full range. Unfortunately, 2 bottles of Dom Perignon were faulty so I can’t say my first Dom experience was life changing. But among the rest there was beauty all around and I had a hard time choosing a favorite. The Gaston Chiquet was gorgeous with creamy almond/marzipan and a jasmine floral quality; I think I have a bottle of this in my cellar so I look forward to opening that in the future. The Sally had lovely lemon curd flavor and a persistent finish - Salon is always/only a vintage wine and needs to age for 10 years before drinking due to its exceptionally high acid profile. I'm a sucker for pink wine so I also enjoyed the Billecart-Salmon Rosé, with it's perfumed floral nose and pretty fruit. 

Champagne List:

1. Doyard Cuvée Vendémiaire Brut NV ($40)
2. Vilmart Cuvée Grand Cellier NV ($75)
3. Larmandier-Bernier Vieilles Vignes de Cramant Grand Cru Extra Brut 2007 ($75)
4. Gaston Chiquet Brut Cart d'Or 2002 ($70)
5. Salon Brut Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil 1999 ($275)
6. Pol Roger Cuvée Winston Churchhill 1999 ($195)
7. Dom Perignon 1999 ($165)
8. Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé NV ($70)

For comparison, we also tried sparkling wines from Spain and California. These were very elegant and enjoyable, and for $20-30 you could easily justify opening one of these any night of the week and any month of the year.

Not Champagne:

1. Raventos i Blanc de Nit Rosé 2011 ($22)
2. Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs 2006 ($30)

What kind of bubbly are you drinking this holiday season? Or tonight?

Burgundy: Gevrey-Chambertin and Nuits-Saint-Georges

Gevrey-Chambertin and Nuits-Saint-Georges are two of the most famous and well-regarded communes in Burgundy for Pinot Noir. As part of the Cote de Nuits wine region in the Northern part of the Cote d’Or, limestone and clay soils create the perfect environment for complex Pinot Noir. Of course, Burgundy is known for its varied and coveted terroir within each sub-region’s individual vineyards, so full-bodied Gevrey-Chambertin wines are often designated Grand Cru, while many wines from Nuits-Saint-Georges receive Premier Cru distinction. During a recent class at SF Wine Center, James Beard award-winning author and resident Pinot Noir expert, Jordan Mackay, took us through a flight of beautiful red Burgundy from these two regions.

The first four wines came from Nuits-Saint-Georges; three of these were Premier Cru. I particularly enjoyed the 1995 Robert Chevillon, with its floral but rustic perfumed nose that smelled like autumn in a glass. Super smooth on the palate, the velvety body was balanced by a nice acid profile.  The 2001 Dominique Laurent smelled like pickles at first, which I didn’t mind, but as it opened up I enjoyed the violets and roses on the nose and the lingering finish.

The next four wines from Gevrey-Chambertin were a bit more complex and earthy. My favorite, the 1998 Domaine des Chezeaux Grand Cru, had a funky, earthy nose with spice, fruit and flower on the elegant palate; this wine had great texture.

Many of the wines kept changing in the glasses as we tasted them, reminding us that wine is a living thing that constantly evolves in its various environments.

Jordan had some suggestions for wine touring in Burgundy, which is a great way to learn about the terroir. From CDG in Paris it’s about a 3-hour train ride into Beaune, the town he recommended staying in; from there you can drive around the region or bike around the vineyards. This trip may be next on my travel wishlist.

Pinot Noir Around the World

The world of Pinot Noir stretches way beyond Burgundy – though each new world version is compared to the French mother lode. Known the world over as a finicky grape, Pinot Noir is difficult to maintain since it ripens so early and is prone to rot due to its thin skin. Genetically unstable, many different clones exist and can have marked differences. In this wine class at SF Wine Center, Master Sommelier Gillian Ballance described Pinot Noir as “charming – exhibiting grace as well as power.” She took us through a varied flight of Pinot Noir from places like Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, in addition to Burgundy, Oregon and California.

First, a well-aged Pinot from Central Coast: Calera Mt Harlan Jensen Vineyard 1999, grown on one of the few limestone vineyards in California, which was planted in 1974. It was very much alive, with balsamic, stewed fruit and good tannin. Further north in Willamette Valley, Oregon, J.K. Carriere held the crowd favorite with the 2005 Shea Vineyard – a little funky on the nose but very Burgundian, with nice spice and good acidity. 

Over on the other side of the world, South African Pinot from Hamilton Russell showed its funky side with some rubber, pine and earthiness that was quite interesting and unique. Gillian explained that South Africa's wine areas lack certain minerals in the soil, so the addition of these minerals contributes to their "rubbery" quality.

Finally, we went down under to Australia’s Yarra Yarra valley in the Victoria district, a cooler area on the southern coast of the country. This wine is beautiful with pomegranate, cranberry and great acidity. It brought me back to a trip I took to this area in 2009, when I sampled my first Aussie Pinot and took a $25 bottle back home with me, halfway around the world to New York, where I lived at the time. This 2004 from Labyrinth is a steal at $20! Then, from neighboring New Zealand, a 2009 Marlborough Pinot from Seresin also showed really well, with pretty fruit, leather, good acidity and a long finish. While I’m partial to Burgundy, I found these two wines to be the most exciting of the night (and the most affordable). 

But speaking of Burgundy, a 2008 Premier Cru from Patrice Rion Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes in Cote de Nuits showed refined fruit, floral and herbal qualities with elegant structure and a long finish. I can’t help it – Burgundy is always my favorite.

Top 100 Represent

Last week I helped my friend Oskar pour Hermann J. Wiemer wines at the Wine & Spirits Magazine Top 100 Wineries Grand Tasting at the City View Metreon in San Francisco. For the 6th year in a row, Wiemer was among this elite group of wineries around the world that included Ridge and Williams Selyem here in California, CVNE in Spain, and Krug and Dom Ruinart Champagnes from France. I really enjoyed Wiemer's newly-released 2013 Riesling Reserve, a wine that is made from the best blend of their 3 Riesling vineyards. 2013 was a slightly challenging vintage for the Finger Lakes, but I'm convinced the Wiemer wines that struggled are always the most complex and rewarding (2009, I'm talking about you). The 2013 Riesling Reserve was bright and citrusy with orange blossom and honey while still being dry and crisp. Perfect for this balmy fall October evening.

I had some time to taste around the other tables, and my favorite wines outside Wiemer were whites from Domaine Marc Morey & Fils, one of the top producers in Chassagne-Montrachet, Burgundy, France. Like Wiemer, this domaine harvests and sorts all their grapes by hand, gently pressing the whole clusters and fermenting the free-run juice on native yeasts. These two wines were amazing: 2010 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Vergers Blanc and 2011 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles Blanc. Creamy yet crisp, with acidity and balance, these beautiful wines stood out among the crowd. While Chardonnay is not necessarily my favorite white grape varietal, Burgundy just may be my favorite white wine. But at well over $100/bottle, a few sips was all I could afford of these two.

Wines aside, perhaps the best part of the evening was getting baby registry advice from Oskar. Apparently, we need this.

Wining and Dining in Paris

Last Spring I took a trip to Paris and I still dream about the wine and food we enjoyed there.

At Clamato, a seafood-based restaurant, we enjoyed razor clams and other maritime delicacies with a lush Vouvray:

In the cute village of Montmarte, we had a decadent lunch of Coq au Vin with a refreshing glass of rose:

In the Saint Germain neighborhood where we stayed, we dined alfresco with leg of lamb and Syrah from Saint Joseph in the Rhone:

Of course, I had to go back to the top of the Eiffel Tower for some Champagne with Jeremy. It seems that no one does this, and I think it's the greatest thing ever! What better way to enjoy the views over Paris and endure the scary height than with a glass of bubbly.

New World vs. Old World

As the line between new world and old world wines continues to blur, last week at San Francisco Wine Center we found ourselves stumped this evening as we blind-tasted through 6 comparisons of typical varietals made by old world and new world producers. With each pair, the class was literally split every time on which was which. As Mary Burnham, wine writer, explained, when we talk about old world, we mean Europe, while new world encompasses everywhere else. Old world wines are generally more earthy and savory, with marked acidity and minerality and less alcohol. New world wines are typically more fruit-forward, less acidic, and higher in alcohol. Did these generalizations hold up in this group?

In the first pair, wine #1 was fruity and dry, with grassy notes, citrus peel, and marked acidity. Many guessed it was a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc - but it was a white Bordeaux. Wine #2 was creamier, with sweet vanilla oak, lemon merengue, and peach; more complex, silky but still crisp. Were we in Pouilly-Fumé, France? Actually, Washington State. I didn’t even know anyone was making Sauvignon Blanc in Washington – this was actually majority Semillon (61%) with 20% Sauvignon Blanc – but I expect I will be re-visiting this producer, Buty.

In the next pair, many immediately thought #3 was a German Riesling due to its pungent petrol character. I got beyond that and began to think we were in Australia, since theirs take on that character as well but tend to be very lime-y and dry, which was how I would characterize this wine.  Wine #4 was more floral and peachy, like many Rieslings I’ve had from Finger Lakes producer Hermann J. Wiemer that highly mimic a German Mosel style when young.  The big reveal - #3 was from Oregon and #4 was Austrian!

The next two sets were a bit more obvious to me – Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. New World chardonnay tends to have more pronounced oak, and I almost always prefer a more refined French style. With Pinot Noir, new world versions tend to be very fruity, whereas French versions are more funky and earthy, which I also prefer. Both sets were more typical expressions of new world and old world, though not obvious to everyone.

The second set of reds was a fun one – meaty, savory and spicy with firm tannin against brambly, sweet spice and soft tannin. We had ourselves a Crozes-Hermitage Syrah against a Barossa Valley Shiraz. We learned that the Barossa Valley does not cool off at night, so the grape skins don’t thicken, contributing to softer tannins in the wine. This was a great pair that solidified my favorite for the night in the Crozes-Hermitage, since I love this style and producer and the price cannot be beat, especially for a wine that will continue to improve with cellar time.

The last set was another tough one, mostly because both these wines were very tight and could use some more aging and air. The first had a eucalyptus nose with black fruit and violets on the nose. The second was a bit more closed on the nose but we could discern some vanilla. With a few bites of cheese, things started to become clearer - these were Cabernet-dominated wines, Bordeaux from Graves against Napa Valley’s Opus One.

A wonderful selection of wines with some curveballs…

1. Chateau Lamothe de Haux White Bordeaux 2011 ($15)
2. Buty Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc-Muscadelle 2010 – Columbia Valley, WA ($25)
3. Chehalem Willamette Valley Dry Riesling Reserve 2007 – Oregon ($20)
4. Hogl Wachau Riesling Smaragd Bruck 2007 – Wachau, Austria ($30)
5. Domaines Leflaive Macon Verze 2012 – Burgundy, France ($39)
6. Wente Riva Ranch Estate Chardonnay 2012 – Arroyo Seco, Monterey, CA ($18)
7. Flowers Van der Kamp Vineyard Pinot Noir 2000 – Sonoma Mountain ($60)
8. Domaine Trappet Chambertin Grand Cru 2000 – Cote de Nuits, Burgundy, France ($200)
9. Alain Graillot Crozes Hermitage 2012 – Northern Rhone Valley, France ($30)
10. Two Hands Gnarly Dudes Shiraz 2011 – Barossa Valley, Southern Australia ($28)
11. Chateau Smith-Haut Lafite 2006 – Graves, Left Bank, Bordeaux, France ($90)
12. Opus One 2006 – Napa Valley, CA ($290)

Chicago: Hot dogs, Pizza and... Wine?

Chicago is a lot like New York City - bright lights, tall buildings, great energy, and famous for its hot dogs and pizza. But in Chicago hot dogs get dressed up like burgers with pickles, tomatoes and onions, and pizza gets stuffed with whatever you can imagine and topped off with tomato sauce. I enjoyed my fair share of both, but the real impetus for the trip was to share some nice wines with family. J's Uncle Dave had been planning the wine list from the moment he heard we were coming. Burgundy, Bordeaux... we were in for a treat. Glasses and bread on the table, paper and pencils at the ready, we started with Champagne - Egly Ouriet Brut Tradition Grand Cru. Classic, creamy, toasty with green apple and biscuit.

For the whites we did an Old World/New World Chardonnay comparison.

2000 Chassagne Montrachet's nose was closed, but on the palate it was creamy and toasty, with lemon meringue and marzipan. 2012 Hamilton Russell Vineyard Chardonnay from South Africa had the more Burgundian nose, with almond cookie, lemon zest and apricot.

Moving onto Pinot Noir, the 1990 Pommard 1er Cru had a classic barnyard nose with spice and meat, and on the palate it evolved beautifully, with subtle cherry and cranberry, cinnamon, and nice acidity. This wine was not going to get any better. 2007 Volnay 1er Cru was earthy and bright with baking spice and refined fruit, another Burgundy win. Next to this we tried a 2007 Anthill Farms Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley, CA, which unsurprisingly was jammier with more pronounced oak but still a good representation of California Pinot.

We went back in time with Bordeaux, from 2006 to 1985 to 1982. The 2006 Chateau Malmaison from Baronne Nadine de Rothschild had a brambly, beautiful nose, with lavender and eucalyptus, a big wine that needed time to open up. It could definitely go another ten years in the bottle. Cousin Anna was kind enough to share a bottle of her birthday wine, 1985 Lynch-Bages, with its spicy tobacco nose and smooth, silky fruit. The 1982 Cordier Chateau Gruaud Larose Grand Cru took some time to open up but once it did it showed warm spice and mature fruit with surprising tannic structure. A Bordeaux blend from Paso Robles, Justin Vineyards 1989 Isosceles surprised us all as one of the best wines, evolving over the evening with great complexity and balance.

We finished with Tokai - a Hungarian dessert wine. Its luscious peach cobbler and caramel apple flavors made the perfect end to an epic tasting.

I'd say the trip was a home run....

Thanks Uncle Dave, Aunt Madeleine and Anna!

Happy Mumm Day

I celebrated my recent birthday with a trip to Mumm Napa for my favorite wine - the kind that sparkles. I received a tip to try their limited edition 2011 Sparkling Pinot Meunier, which was peachy, flowery and very pretty, having spent 18 months on its lees before disgorgement. This traditional Champagne blending grape is aptly named for the flour-like dusty white down on the underside of its leaves. Though unknown to many, Pinot Meunier is the most widely planted Champagne grape and is favored because it buds later and ripens more reliably than the finicky Pinot Noir. In the final wine it contributes fruity flavors and aromatics.

Another favorite from this tasting was the DVX 2006, a 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which spent 5 years on its lees, so it was nice and toasty.

After this second visit to the beautiful Mumm terrace my favorite remains their Reserve Brut, a 60/40 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that is consistently bright, creamy, fruity and toasty. We wanted to buy another Magnum but they were sold out. Next time!

Thanks again to Lauren and James for a wonderful tasting.

Wine and Watches

Last week the San Francisco Wine Center sponsored a tasting at Ben Shemano Jewelry, a beautiful second-floor showroom in Union Square that specializes in antique and custom jewelry.  For collectors of the finer things in life, the focus of the evening was on fine wristwatches from designers including Rolex, Patek Phillipe and Audemars Piguet.  For the group of about 30 people I helped pour an array of wines from around the world and shared stories about winemaking and travel. We even learned that the late owner of Pride Mountain Vineyards in Napa Valley was a former dentist. Wonder what toothpaste he’d recommend for wine stains? He actually wasn’t a practicing dentist but a consultant who advised other dentists on how to optimize their office layouts.

From the white wine drinkers we found many Sancerre lovers and even converted some to Riesling fans. It was a warm evening in San Francisco and many opted for the cold ones. We encountered those who thought Riesling was always sweet, so we educated them on the various styles of Riesling and the labeling term used to denote ‘dry’ in German, which is ‘trocken.’

Red wine fans enjoyed classic west coast examples of Pinot Noir, Petite Sirah, and Zinfandel, plus a Chilean blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon. A couple of magnums dared to impress bold palates and showed how the right amount of air can make a wine open up.

Inevitably, with an even number of wines it’s easy to find yourself comparing. 2 whites, 2 reds, 2 magnums. The Sancerre had a flowery nose and a rich palate. The Riesling had the distinct petrol nose that developed into stone fruit, followed by beautiful citrus and orange blossom on the palate. The Oregon Pinot Noir was earthy and leathery, while the Napa Petite Sirah had a flowery but smoky nose with spice, lead pencil and roses on the palate. The two magnums couldn't be more different; the Brown Zinfandel was immediately rich, fruity and lush, while the Chilean blend was super tight, smoky and herbal at first, eventually opening up to reveal warm spice, red fruit, and an herbal forest.  I found this one to be the most interesting, particularly as it evolved over the course of the evening.

Wine List

1. Gitton Sancerre 2012 - France
2. Peter Jakob Kuhn Riesling Trocken 2010 – Germany
3. Provocateur Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2003 - Oregon
4. Pride Petite Sirah Napa Valley 2003 – California
5. Brown Estate Zinfandel Napa Valley 2006 – California (Magnum)
6. Primus The Blend Colchagua Valley 2008 – Chile (Magnum)

Bites from The City Kitchen complimented the wines and provided a wonderful appetizer to later dinner plans. For some, the jewelry was dessert.  

Burgundy: funky, pickle, barnyard

Coincidentally, after my little "is Grenache the new Pinot?" exploration began, I had a really nice bottle of Burgundy. It was a wedding gift that we decided to bring to a new restaurant we were trying on the fly. I hadn't had Burgundy in a while. As soon as I smelled this one I was in love all over again. Funky, pickle, barnyard are all words I would use to describe the smell of a great Burgundy. On the palate - silky, red fruit, leather, cinnamon. This 1996 Gevry-Chambertin had all of those qualities. It perfectly went with duck breast and the halibut special of the day. For dessert, I don't remember what we ate but I remember the wine tasting like sour cherry. Delicious. Thank you, Uncle Paul!

Tablas Creek: The Original Rhone Ranger

Last weekend I extended my tour of non-Napa and non-Sonoma California wine regions with a trip to Paso Robles, 3.5 hours south of San Francisco. Tablas Creek Vineyard was at the top of my list, knowing only that they produced Rhone varietals. I quickly learned that this partnership between the Perrin family of Chateau de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf du Pape (Southern Rhone, France) and Robert Haas, an importer and founder of Vineyard Brands, which brought the wines of Marqués de Cáceres (Spain), Santa Rita (Chile), and Villa Maria (New Zealand) to the U.S., resulted in the first Rhone varietals being brought to the U.S. back in the 1980s. The team purchased 120 acres in the Las Tablas area of west Paso Robles county, noting the similarities to Châteauneuf du Pape: limestone soils, a temperate climate, and hilly terrain. They brought over the traditional Rhone varietals from France: Mourvèdre, Grenache, Syrah, Counoise (reds) and Roussanne, Viognier, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc (whites). The original 80 cuttings were brought in through Cornell University for quarantine and propagation, and the new plants were grafted onto disease-resistant American rootstock. Tablas Creek today has their own grafting business and grafts for themselves and other wineries in California.

An original Syrah plant brought to the U.S. from Chateau de Beaucastel in Rhone, France

Mourvedre grafted onto old vine Chardonnay in the field

While a rarity in California, some of the great French wine regions are known for their limestone, including Champagne, Burgundy, and of course, Châteauneuf du Pape. Tablas Creek Vineyard is organic and dry-farmed (no irrigation), and the limestone soil retains the moisture from about 30 inches of annual rainfall. The topsoil of clay and decomposed limestone helps with drainage. The 1500-foot elevation and proximity to the ocean give it the benefit of the humidity and tempered climate. Cover crops like peas, oats and cloves also help with drainage and provide food for their many grazing animals, including sheep, donkey, pigs, alpacas and chickens. These animals naturally fertilize and aerate the soil.

Tablas Creek is largely estate grown, with some additional Paso Robles grapes used for their Patelin de Tablas blended red and white wines. The wines undergo natural fermentation in a wide variety of tanks and barrels. The whites are full of minerally acidity, so they are crisp, refreshing and alive. The reds have deep flavor with good structure and balance.  The signature red and white Rhone blends are named Esprit de Tablas, mimicking the Chateau de Beaucastel wines. The Cotes de Tablas blends are meant to be approachable sooner than Esprit.  

Cotes de Tablas Blanc 2012: Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne and Roussanne combine into a fresh, well-bodied wine with orange blossom notes.

Esprit de Tablas Blanc 2011: Roussanne leads with Grenache Blanc and Picpoul Blanc making an appearance to a lush, rich result.

Picpoul Blanc 2012: a lesser-known Rhone varietal, Picpoul Blanc is also known as the “lip stinger” for its sparkling and spicy citrus character.

Mourvedre 2011: 100% varietal full of red fruit, bloody beef, earthiness and nice salinity.

Cote de Tablas 2011: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Counoise balance bright spice, earth and meat in this wine.

Esprit de Tablas 2011: Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah and Counoise combine in a dark fruity, meaty, spicy wine that is a bit more lush than the Cote de Tablas.

Tannat 2011: a varietal from the Basque region of Spain that is widely planted in Uruguay, Tannat made its U.S. debut through Tablas Creek. Classic blackberry flavor on a firm, tannic structure mean this wine will likely age well.


Thank you to Gustavo for a wonderful tour & tasting and to Jason Haas for making the arrangements. Go Big Red!

My Bubbly Valentine

This A. Margaine Premier Cru Brut Champagne was a gift to me from the Hermann J. Wiemer crew in winter 2010, and last night Jeremy and I enjoyed it with a quiet dinner at home. It was beautifully minerally and toasty at the same time, full of brioche flavors and baked apple. I love Champagne almost as much as I love my Valentine.

"Tuesday night" wine... on a Friday

This past Friday we hosted a wine tasting of "Tuesday night" wines - inexpensive (under $20), easy-drinking wines that you can reach for on a random night for any occasion or lack thereof. My go-to choice is the Marques de Caceres Rioja, which I have written about before.  I probably drink a bottle of this every other week. We shared it with our group to rave reviews. You can't beat the price ($10.99 at Trader Joe's) and the consistency. 

Highlights from our guests:

Super excited to have Txakoli in America! This pink Ameztoi is under $10 and has the classic refreshing crispness of this coastal Spanish/Basque wine with the salty finish, bringing me back to our recent trip.


A couple years ago at a Beaujolais tasting I was disappointed by the category and wrote it off, but I actually really enjoyed this Domaine de Colette Beaujolais-Villages, with its earthy, minerally subtle fruit flavor.

Another Spanish wine, this Volver 100% Tempranillo from La Mancha, Spain, stood up well next to my Marques.

What's your favorite "Tuesday night" wine?

Champagne bar atop Paris

Recently I made a quick work trip to Paris. I didn't have much time but I did make it to the top of the Eiffel Tower - at night. I went in search of a Champagne bar that sits at the very top. The elevator ride up was the scariest part - once I got to the top it just felt magical. It was freezing, but I made my way around the back, to the side that didn't face the major sights of Paris, and found this:

I ordered a glass of the Henriot rose and sipped it (quickly) while I enjoyed the (chilly) view.

Sante!

Bottle Shock

Chateau Montelena is a 130 year old winery in Napa whose Chardonnay is famous for winning The Judgement of Paris - a blind wine tasting competition organized in 1976 by a British sommelier / wine merchant that pitted 6 California wines against 4 French counterparts. In the red category, in which California Cabernet Sauvignon competed against French Bordeaux, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet took the lead. In the white category, Chateau Montelena 1973 Chardonnay was judged to be the best wine among the French Burgundy and other California Chardonnay. With an entirely French judging panel, the Paris Tasting of 1976 brought credibility and prestige to California wine. Chateau Montelena and the Judgement of Paris were the subject of the 2008 movie Bottle Shock, which depicts the competition and the drama associated with the 1973 Chardonnay. In the story, vintner Jim Barrett wants no part in the competition, but his son Bo secretly entered the wine. He later sees that the wine has turned brown in the bottles, and thinking it oxidized, he sends them to be dumped, but the samples have already been sent. Then, realizing the brown color is temporary and the wine has gone through "bottle shock," the bottles are saved, the wine wins the competition, and then everyone in France wants it but they can't get it (since it isn't French).  This story may or may not be true, but nonetheless, being the wine geek that I am, I found it very entertaining. Of course, there was a silly love story running through the plot as well that helped romanticize the whole thing.

So what is "bottle shock?" It's a condition characterized by disjointed or muted flavors, usually occurring shortly after bottling. I'm not sure there is definitive evidence of discoloration; this element may have been added to the movie for dramatic effect. Bottle shock can last a few weeks, as the wine needs some time to settle down from the bottling process and adjust to its new environment. It doesn't mean the wine is bad; it just tastes a bit confused. As a consumer, you would likely not experience bottle shock from a wine off the shelf at your local store, since most wines probably rest in the cellar for a bit before shipping. But, you might if you were tasting at a winery that had just bottled and needed to release the wine immediately to meet demand. Would you notice? I'm not sure I would, unless I had the same wine consistently from different bottles. A winemaker could detect it while tasting the wine throughout its life cycle.

Recently at Chateau Montelena, I recognized the building from the movie as soon as I saw it.  The Chardonnay is still made in the same style as it was in the 70s, and I found the 2009 to be very "Burgundian" in style. By this I mean subtle oak (only 10% new), steely acidity, crisp and clean. I love this style of Chardonnay, which is why I tend to prefer French Burgundy over new world Chardonnay, and I could see why the French judges were impressed with their style. The current vintage (2009) goes for $40 a bottle.

I don't usually get starstruck, but being at this winery, tasting the wine that essentially put California on the map, seeing those movie scenes in my head when I approached the building... I felt like I was among the stars (but not the actors).

Old World vs. New World

This week's class at San Francisco Wine Center was a comparison of Old World (Europe) and New World (everywhere else) wines, and I donated a sample of Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Riesling 2009 to the cause! The 2009 Dry Riesling was recently released, and I am very proud of this wine because I helped make it during my time working at Wiemer. I sorted the grapes, monitored the fermentation, racked the wine, contributed my sensory opinion in putting together the final blend from our 3 Riesling vineyard sites, filtered, bottled and labeled it. Last night, we pinned it against a German Kabinett Riesling from the Rheingau and I thought the Wiemer showed fantastically. I was excited to share this wine with the other employees at the SFWC and the students in the class.

The rest of the comparisons were interesting and intriguing:

Elegant white Burgundy led the way for creamy California Chardonnay:
Olivier Leflaive Puligny Montrachet Les Folatières 1er Cru 2009 (Cote de Beaune, Burgundy) vs. Deovlet Soloman Hills Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay 2009 (Santa Barbara, CA)

Delicate Pinots from Burgundy and Oregon stumped many:
Erath Estate Selection Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2008 (Oregon) vs. Domaine Jacques Prieur Beaune Champs-Pimont 1er Cru 2008 (Cote de Beaune, Burgundy)

Popular Argentine Malbec found its roots in Cahors, France:
Château du Cèdre Cahors 2007 (Cahors, Southwest France) vs. Norton Malbec Reserva 2007 (Mendoza, Argentina)

Cabernet-dominated Margaux confused the California Cab drinker:
Blason D’Issan Margaux 2007 (Bordeaux, France) vs. Meteor Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (Napa Valley, CA)

Burgundy-land

On Monday at SFWC Mary Burnham was using the space to taste a bunch of wines that she is reviewing for Food & Wine Magazine's 2012 wine buying guide. She had tons of samples open, so she said I could taste them. After I finished work I went through the lineup. Mary was evaluating 2009 white Chablis and Burgundy with a few red Burgs at the end. There were so many to like! I tasted through the whites multiple times, trying to find my favorites.

2009 was a warm vintage in Chablis, a sub-appellation of Burgundy, so these wines are less austere and minerally than usual, but what it means is they are very ready to drink now. I liked the offerings from Domaine Billaud-Simon and Domaine Christian Moreau:

These 2 Burgundy's were awesome. It was the Latour family who transformed the now-famed Corton Charlemagne vineyard from dead Aligote and Pinot Noir vines after prohibition to the coveted Chardonnay that grows there today. The one on the right is a tank sample of Domaine Jacques Prieur. My guess is the wine hadn't been filtered and bottled in time to submit the sample, so they grabbed a tank sample for submission, and therefore it was cloudy. But how delicious it was! Creamy but tart at the same time, lots of layers and complexity.

The few reds sampled were also really awesome expressions of Burgundy. I hadn't had red Burgundy in a while, and after tasting California Pinot Noir for the last few weeks I had forgotten how much I love Burgundy. My palate remembers now, but my wallet does not.

The travesty of a wine reviewer - too many samples!
So I got to take some home :)

Amazing Bordeaux

Last week's Bordeaux class at SFWC was amazing - tasting 5 decades of Bordeaux was really a special sensory experience. It was unfortunate that the oldest samples were oxidized - 1964 Chateau Leoville Poyferre from Saint-Julien and 1970 Chateau Haut Brion from Pessac Leognan - but that is the risk with older wines, especially when you don't know how they were stored or traveled before you acquired them. Still, my sensory education of Bordeaux over the last few weeks has been fascinating, and in particular I've really enjoyed these wines:

1. Chateau Brane-Cantenac 2008 - Margaux 
2. Chateau Langoa-Barton 2000 - Saint Julien
3. Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 1996 – Saint-Julien
4. Chateau Beychevelle 1981 – Saint-Julien
5. Chateau Longueville Baron de Pichon 1978 – Pauillac
6. Chateau Margaux Pavillon Blanc 2005 – Margaux (white)
7. Chateau Nairac 1976 – Sauternes (dessert)

I think of my friend Ghislain, Bordeaux native and winemaking student who interned with us at Wiemer for the 2010 harvest, and I wonder what he thinks of these?

Slainte!
(That's 'Cheers' in French!)