2007 Eyrie (far right) was my Wine of the Night

Sounds almost dirty.

The customer appreciation tasting at Hinton’s Wine Store is always held the last day of their 20% off wine case sale week. The store is usually filled with enthusiastic customers, eager to stock up on their daily drinkers or filling their cellars with premium collectibles. For 2010, the theme was Pinot from Oregon, with 20 Pinot Noirs, three Pinot Gris’ and one Pinot Blanc being poured.

As per usual with events of this sort, I generally just write a line or two about those I like or really didn’t like. I tried all of the reds, but only one white and it was after four reds, so I think that sort of sunk some of the flavors. Given we were there for about an hour and fifteen minutes, it was a bit exhausting getting through all of them. Fortunately, I fell right into “trade-tasting-mode” and did the swirl, sniff, swirl, sip and spit routine.

So, on with the show…

Argyle Brut Sparkling $24.99: On the lighter side, with some spicy pear and apple. I thought it was just okay.

2008 Adelsheim Pinot Gris $16.99: Did not taste.

2008 Adelsheim Pinot Blanc Chehalem Mountain $18.99: Did not taste.

2008 Adelsheim Pinot Noir $19.98: Didn’t wow me, but for $20, it was a solid drink.

2008 King Estate Pinot Noir $25.99: Straight shooting Pinot, but I think their Pinot Gris is the best thing they do.

2008 Forefront Pinot Noir Willamette Valley $20.99: I wrote down good value and later on at our wine & supper club event (to be written up later), I heard a few folks mentioned they liked it and had purchased it before.

2008 Ken Wright Canary Vineyard Pinot Noir $59.99: Sort of dull in the nose, with some silky red fruit on the palate. This seemed a bit shut down right now and with no experience in drinking these wines (which I know have fans), I can’t really say what I thought of this other than $60 is some serious jack.

2007 Archery Summit Premier Cuvée Pinot Noir $39.98: This got a relatively low score from Wine Spectator (85), but it was one of my favorites. It had vibrant acidity, along with rich black fruit flavors that intermixed with spice and earthy tones. For those who don’t mind some oak. I wouldn’t buy it for this price (which is already discounted), but I’d drink it on your dime.

2008 Ken Wright Carter Vineyard Pinot Noir $59.99: Big and rich fruit flavors, with a firm foundation of tannin. Keep this one for at least 3 to 4 years before opening, unless you really like a tannic Pinot. I thought this had the best potential for all the wines at the tasting, but again, at $59.99, you better really like it.

2009 Sineann Pinot Gris $19.99: One of my favorite white wines, I felt this was a bit fruitier and lighter than I remember past vintages being. It seemed to lack the minerality I’ve always found in it, but as I mentioned earlier, I consumed this after having already started in on the reds. It was right after the Ken Wright Carter, so I think that wine sort of disrupted my appreciation of this. Take that for what you will.

2008 Sineann Pinot Noir $29.99: Spicy and needs more time in bottle.

2008 Lange Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $24.99: No notes taken.

2007 Alexana Winery Revana Vineyard Pinot Noir $39.99: A joint venture between Dr. Revana (of some note in Napa) and Lynn Penner-Ash (of note from Oregon), this was my second favorite wine of the tasting. It was a mix of cherry, forest floor, spiced pine cone and minerals, all wrapped up in a tidy bow. For $40, I think it delivered a lot of flavor and complexity, along with the ability to continue developing over the next several years.

2007 Phelps Creek Becky’s Cuvée Pinot Noir $21.99: Nothing special for me.

2007 Penner Ash Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $41.99: Needs more time.

2008 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir $15.99: Made in the same style as Beaujolais, with whole clusters and carbonic maceration, this was very fruity, light and something for newbie red wine drinkers to try. It has been better in the past, as I got something in the nose that just didn’t sit right with me. It was almost artificial, but not in that banana-grape bubble gum way I associate with Beaujolais Nouveau. Decent, but not for me.

2007 Sokol Blosser Dundee Hills Pinot Noir $36.99: Ripe fruits, with a spicy kick that I enjoyed. Beware the 14.5% alcohol and tame with chill and decant. I liked it, but wouldn’t buy it.

2008 LaChini Pinot Gris $16.99: Did not taste.

2007 Territorial Pinot Noir $16.99: Touch candied, but not bad for the price. Another good one for newbie red wine drinkers who want a real fruit forward wine. Chill and serve on hot summer nights, which we have plenty of right now.

2006 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir $59.99: One of the crowd favorites, but it didn’t really wow me. Perhaps I should have gone back for a second visit. I saw it as big, rich and spicy, but not overly complex and definitely not worth the asking price. WS, WE and WA all gave this 90 or above.

2007 Le Cadeau Diversité Pinot Noir $47.99: There are only 237 cases of this wine, which was another that needed more time to me. It was gentle upon entry, then expanded in the mouth as it unwound from its jacket of fine grained tannin. This is one that would require more exploration with to do it due justice, as I just had my small 1 ounce pour and moved on. Another one with excellent potential and while not cheap, not a bad price for what I think will be a patience rewarding wine.

2007 Eyrie Pinot Noir $32.99: The lightest in color, I’ve seen roses that were darker than this. The aromas were very bright, with loads of tart red fruits like pomegranate and cranberry. The explosion of flavor in the mouth is a great example of how dark color doesn’t always mean more flavor. This wine is loaded to bear with acid, but the sweet red fruit flavors make keep it from being bitter or unpleasant in any form or fashion. The slight baking spice finish made this an easy to drink wine. It was really quite refreshing. The price is still more than I’d pay, but only because of current financial circumstances. Otherwise, I’d buy this. My WOTN.

After that, my palate was spoiled and I didn’t write any notes for the last three wines, which were 2008 Elk Cove Mt. Richmond Pinot Noir $39.99, 2007 Angela Pinot Noir $52.99 and 2007 Daedelus Labryinth Pinot Noir. Sorry, I was still really won over by the Eyrie, which I went and got a second pour of. It was the only wine I drank both pours of. When you combine those tart red fruit flavors with tart acidity and some brown spices to finish, that is my kind of Pinot Noir. I think the heat and its refreshing profile also contributed to my enjoyment.

Overall, it was a fun tasting. While I’m not a Pinot-phile like my legendary blind tasting Champion wife, I have come to enjoy them, especially during the summer. While I tend to prefer New Zealand and California, tasting through all these products from Oregon was a lot of fun. It was interesting to see the variety of styles from a relatively small growing region, from light and a touch candied to dense with plenty of mouth gripping tannin. Cheers to Chris, his staff and all the distributors who put on the event.

Until next time, live well, love much and drink great wine…with friends.

2005 Laetitia Brut Coquard

FULL DISCLOSURE: I received this as a sample from the winery.

In the whole of the United States, there are only two wooden basket Coquard presses present. Both of them are owned and operated by Laetitia in the Arroyo Grande Valley, a sub-appellation of the larger and better known Central Coast AVA.

What does that mean to you, the person who really just wants to drink good wine? It means the fine folks at Laetitia take pride in using “old world” equipment that may cost a bit more to operate, but is worth it to them when it comes to quality in the bottle.

This is the second offering from Laetitia I’ve had the pleasure to sample. I don’t think this wine is available except to club members, who pay $28 for it. $35 is the winery price. As a matter of fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen any Laetitia sparkling in this market, though I do know the still wines are distributed here.

For a wine of 4 1/2 years old, this was quite the young buck. I found it to be full of mouth watering acidity and quite refreshing to drink, without a lot of toasted character as one might expect from a vintage bubbly. This is one that can age, though I’m not convinced it will necessarily improve with advanced aging.

A very tangy wine that needs food to tame the acidity, unless you just dig the feeling of enamel peel. We had this with cheese, bread and assorted fruits, so make sure to serve something rich and creamy like brie. Overall, it was good, but based on the price point, I think you can do better with other offerings. Perhaps the acidity will keep this alive long enough to take on some more developed and nuanced character, but for now it is just a young buck that needs to be broken.

Until next time, live well, love much and drink great wine…with friends…because wine is social.

Sud de France 2010 - the wines

I was invited to participate in a worldwide synchronized tasting today. It was put on by Sud de France, a trade group that promotes the diverse wines grown in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the south of France.

According to the information I received, there were 90 bloggers and journalists who were invited to participate. The cover photo you see is the package we received, which I have to say was very well put together. In addition to the five wines, we also received a tasting glass, a corkscrew and two very informative pamphlets on the wines from the region. I’ll admit, I’ve not put the energy into reading through them, as I had other plans over the Father’s Day weekend. Speaking of which, belated Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there. It is the most important job you’ll ever have. Trust me.

The tasting was supposed to occur at 11AM in your local country and you could talk about your experience in a variety of ways. Some folks had blog posts already up before I finished, some folks had streaming vids posted, while myself and others were also posting on Twitter using the hashtag #suddefrance to keep up with the comments. I didn’t see a lot of Twitter activity during my time, which I did from 11AM to 12:30PM.

Technical stuff:

• I tasted all the wines from the provided tasting glass (which I ended up breaking after I was done).
• I swirled, sipped and spit everything.
• I rinsed with the next wine before tasting it. I don’t believe in rinsing with water.
• I had no food with any of these wines, nor bread between.

Normally, I’m not a real big fan of tasting wines this way, as it removes them from actual context in how I enjoy my wines, which is almost always with food.

Now, onto the wines.
Grand Cuvee 1531 Cremant de Limoux: A blend of 70% Chardonnay, 20% Chenin blanc and 10% Mauzac. One bit of history regarding wines from this region is they were making sparkling wine here over 100 years before Dom Perignon did in France. I still don’t think that makes them first in the world, but it sure puts them ahead of the Champenois, at least in terms of history.

I got some floral aromas, almost something like magnolia, though I wouldn’t lay money on something that specific. The primary notes were lemon, green apple and grapefruit, somewhere between white and pink, leaning more towards the pink. It was light and crisp, with no real faults. A crisp finish makes this a great apéritif to have with egg dishes or some nice creamy brie. There wasn’t a lot of complexity or length, but I’d buy this above average offering for under $15. It is better than other examples from the region that I’ve had. This was my favorite wine of the tasting.

Fruité Catalan Rosé: First off, I didn’t get nearly enough of a chill on this wine. I typically like my rosés to be pretty cold, leaning towards the too-cold-I’ll-let-it-warm-up-in-the-glass camp. My buddy and fellow blogger Ed said it smelled like strawberry Bubblicious. I agree, in that it had somewhat of an artificial smell to me, like strawberry juice with 10% real juice and artificial flavors added. On the palate, it just didn’t do it for me. It wasn’t a fruity as I expected and it was just sort of blah. Benito commented on Twitter that he saw it for as low as $6 and I retorted that I’d still not buy it. There are plenty of $10 or so dry rosés from France I’d buy before this. I can see where newbie wine drinkers might enjoy this sitting poolside, drinking it at an ice cold temperature, but those who appreciate rosés already should pass on this. It goes in the not for me category.

2008 Gerard Bertrand Cigalus: was the next wine and by far the most expensive, coming in around the $30 – $35 mark. A blend (I couldn’t find the breakdown) of Chardonnay, Viognier and Sauvignon blanc, this opened up like a California Chardonnay drinker’s delight. I found a very strong presence of vanilla laced butter, but it didn’t dominate on the palate like I was fearing. I discovered some pineapple and apricot in addition to the buttered peaches I referred to in my first salvo on Twitter.

The Viognier contributed the stone fruit and maybe a touch of floral, but not much else. The Sauvignon blanc must have kept the Chardonnay from being too heavy, though this was a very creamy and smooth drinking wine. Though this is again, not a wine I’d drink, it was well crafted and above average in quality. I would say those who like the richer style of Chardonnay would be pleased with this, though I think the price is a bit steep and it would be a hard sell for California drinkers. Maybe a good alternative to White Burgundy for the price?

Domaine Dromadaire “30670″ Red: An unoaked blend of 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache, this wine was decanted for an hour when I first tried it. My initial impression was black olives steeping in blackberry syrup over some hot stones. As the wine opened up, it took on additional notes of black pepper and smoky leather. There were some nice tannins and acidity as well, keeping the rich flavors from being overly heavy or in your face. I would pair this above average choice with any richer meat dishes and it makes a great red for summer time, since it still delivers good flavors without being super heavy or alcoholic. It weighed in at 13% ABV. This was my second favorite and a definite buy if the price is in the teens.

2006 Mas de Madame Muscat de Frontignan: Those who know me best will tell you that I’m a dessert wine freak. As a matter of fact, I think dessert wines may actually be more under appreciated than any other category. While I still put sparkling wine at the top of my list, dessert wines of a certain style come in a close second. I qualified that statement because I’m usually a fan of late-harvest stickies and often find fortified wines much too strong for my liking. This was my first experience with a fortified muscat and it was surprisingly good.

First, the alcohol was 15.5% and it was served really cold, which made even that high of an alcohol content undetectable. The muscat grape has a certain aroma and it was definitely present in this wine, along with some nice floral and orange marmalade components. On the palate, it was unctuous and quite smooth. Too smooth actually, as I like a nice dollop of acidity in my stickies to keep the palate refreshed and not feeling like I just drank some honey. A bit of warming brought forth some clover honey aroma and flavor. Overall, this was another good offering and for the $8 I was told it could be found for, a pretty good bargain. I’m not sure what I’d do with a full bottle, but if you’ve got friends who like sweet wines, I think this wouldn’t be a disappointment. Just make sure to grab some blue cheese to serve it with, as the fat, salty tang of the cheese will help reduce some of the fat in this wine.

At the end of the day, you have to give it to the Languedoc-Roussillon region for having a very diverse set of wines to offer the wine consumer. Most of them are going to run under $20, with several closer to $10 and they usually deliver a pretty good bang for the buck. I expect to see a continued rise in quality, which will probably mean rising prices at some point. Outside of today’s rose offering, I thought all the wines were well made and have their audience. It is up to retailers and sommeliers to get the word out and ultimately, up to consumers to do some exploring and discover some really top notch value wines.

A big THANK YOU to the fine folks at Sud de France for including me.

Here is my video:

Here are some links to what others experienced:

• Sour Grapes
• Quentin Sadler’s wine page
• Benito’s Wine Reviews

Happy Monday!

Lucien Albrecht

When you work wine retail, there are several  comments you’ll hear repeatedly from your customers. These are your opportunities to educate and expand palates. One of the most typical was the comment regarding my recommendations for Riesling, which was often right around Thanksgiving, or if someone wants something to pair with spicy pan-Asian cuisine.

Can you guess what the comment was?

“Rieslings are too sweet.”

To quote one of my favorite sages of childhood, Col. Potter, “horse pucky!”

Okay, so I didn’t actually say that, but I did think it. I would explain to people that while yes, most Rieslings from Germany and many we produce right here in the good ol’ USA are a touch sweet, there were bone dry examples readily available from Australia and Alsace. Al-who?

Alsace, the region of France which borders Germany and has often been under German control. That would explain why so many of the wine makers there have German sounding names (the same goes for Champagne, which isn’t too far away).

So, when I was invited to attend a lunch featuring wines from Lucien Albrecht, a top producer of the region, I was more than happy to say yes. Of course, I will have to say that our venue of choice was a bit surprising (Chops), because I wouldn’t associate wines from this region as being those that pair well with steak. As it turns out, we had no red meat served to us. C’est la vie.

First up was a wine I’d already had (and enjoyed) at the Toast of the Town event back in April. It was the 2008 Lucien Albrecht Riesling Reserve. I found the same zippy tang of lime juice with generous mineral components that I did back then. A solid value and a perfect introduction to dry style Riesling without breaking the bank.

Up next, to accompany our corn meal encrusted diver scallop with arugula and creole remoulade was the NV Lucien Albrecht Brut Rosé Cremant, a sparkling wine made from 100% Pinot Noir. A delicate, but flavorful melange of red fruits that was soft on the palate and complimented the spice in the dish. It would have been better if my scallop had been done all the way through, but since I was the only one not served on time, I didn’t send it back. Hey, I eat sushi and raw oysters, so a 3/4 done scallop is not going to scare me. Overall, a very nice wine for the $19.99 retail I’ve seen it for.

The next course was chicken vesuvio with whipped potatoes, green beans and natural jus. Okay, before I get into the three wines we were served with this course, I have to say this was the second best (next to my wife’s roasted chicken) chicken dish I’ve ever had.* It was perfectly cooked and so juicy, you didn’t even need the jus, though I’m never one to let that simple delight go to waste. If I’d been at home, I’d have sopped it up with bread, but manners won and I just dipped my chicken in it like I was supposed to. Stupid food rules.

The three wines were all from the 2007 vintage. One thing I need to point out is that I drank them in the order they were presented in the booklet, not the usual left to right order in which they were poured (yes, one glass for each wine). That probably means I drank them in the “wrong” order, which I realized when I started, but I wanted to see what would happen. Based on what I heard from other attendees (20+ of us), I think the order I tried them gave me a different opinion. It was a test of context, something I really believe is overlooked in most blogging review sites, be they food or wine.

the menu

First up, I tasted the 2007 Lucien Albrecht Gewurztraminer Cuvée Marie. Like Julius Erving (or Michael Jordan for those less sports inclined), the aromatics were highly elevated and delivered strong in the finish. The classic lychee was coupled with a spice infused honey. It was creamy, almost as if honey had been stirred into the wine. Part of this is just the grape, with the addition of aging this wine “sur lie”. Sur lie = leaving the wine to age with the dead yeast cells, which add body and with time, bread or yeasty notes. While it totally overwhelmed the food (and the next two wines for me), this would be an awesome wine with Indian cuisine. While the rule guideline suggestion of pairing wines with their local cuisine does usually work, this is one of those pairings that just simply works even if the cuisine comes from a place with no real wine culture to speak of (though it is burgeoning at the moment). This was my favorite wine…by far.

Next up was the 2007 Lucien Albrecht Pinot Gris Cuvée Cécile, which seemed to be a favorite with the chicken amongst those seated around me. For me, it was reticent and just blown over by the previous wine. See, there goes that whole context thing again. Later on, as I let the wines sit, drank some water and let my palate rest, I did try this in the “correct” order and got more out of it. While I didn’t get any of the spice or rosewater (winery tasting note), it was a nice wine with pear and apple notes that just didn’t grab me. Honestly, there is only one Pinot Gris that does, so I guess I need to explore these wines more to find some new ones to love. My least favorite wine and one I (though I was probably the only non-fan) wouldn’t buy.

Last, I had the 2007 Lucien Albrecht Riesling Cuvée Henri. More subdued than the first Riesling, this was cut more from the fabric of stone fruit and touches of green herbs. A wine that showed better the warmer it got, I liked this, but still found the first Riesling to be my preference for drinking. I like bold flavors, I will not deny.

The Pinot Noir was up next. You read that right, Pinot Noir from Alsace. I’d never heard of such a thing, associating the region with pretty much only the white grapes we’d had (and Pinot Blanc, which wasn’t invited to the party). The 2005 Lucien Albrecht Amplus Pinot Noir had a darker than expected color, but still fell in line with what one might expect from Pinot Noir grown in a relatively cool climate. Smoked sour cherries laced with vanilla and wrapped up in a tobacco leaf. Take that and store it inside a leather lined pouch, let it sit for a few hours and that is what this wine tasted like. Subtle, refined and definitely for fans of Burgundy, a place where I’ve yet to make camp. I don’t know the price, but it may have some appeal to those who prefer this style. If for no other reason, to say you have tried Pinot Noir from Alsace. Well crafted, just not my personal preference. I’d say it was above average in quality. The cheese and wine jelly it was served with completely hollowed how the wine, so everyone agreed it needed different food and to be evaluated after a palate cleansing slug of water.

To finish, we were treated to the 2007 Lucien Albrecht Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives (VT = late harvest in French), paired with apricot and chantilly creme crèpes. When it comes to late harvest wines (my personal favorite category and overall second only to Champagne), I usually go with blue cheese of some sorts. The wine itself was still very fat and young, requiring many years in the cellar to reveal the true character that lies within. Loaded with lychee, honey and vanilla toasted spices, the acidity takes a few moments to dig out from the sugar and refresh the palate. An above average wine, but you’ll need to cellar this for a while before it can be called outstanding.

To conclude (finally), I’d put the wines in this order:

1. Gewurztraminer Cuvée Marie
2. Brut Rosé Cremant
3. Riesling Reserve
4. Vendanges Tardive
5. Amplus Pinot Noir
6. Riesling Cuvée Henri
7. Pinot Gris Cuvée Cécile (I think I may have been the only one with this opinion…c’est la vie)

Overall, this was a really nice tasting, though I think a few different choices in food pairings would have made the wines shine a bit more. Lucien Albrecht is a quality producer and a label name you can trust to deliver quality wine, you just have to find the one that suits your palate best.

Thank you very much to Pasternak Wine Imports for including me as a guest.

* That didn’t involve frying, which is like being a veteran when applying for government jobs, it just comes with well deserved and earned bonus points.

Pacific Rim White Flowers Sparkling Riesling

From the folks at Pacific Rim, who rock out some pretty tasty domestic Rieslings out of Washington state, comes this second release of bubbly goodness.

According to the website, this wine is aged on the lees. Since it doesn’t indicate where the secondary fermentation occurs, I’m guessing this is a tank method wine. This is a cost effective method, but generally produces wines of less complexity. The sur lie aging must be done in tank to generate a bit of extra interest, which it does in the texture. There is almost a lanolin-esque quality to the mouthfeel, making it much more full in body than you would expect from Riesling. Rieslings are generally very light and delicate, more akin to skim milk in mouth feel than this wine. With an ABV of 11.5%, it was even more surprising how creamy it felt.

Taste wise, there was a very strong orange citrus note which I deemed to be tangerine oil. I don’t know why I threw in the oil part, other than the thicker than expected texture of the wine. Imagine a pear that has been soaked in tangerine juice, spritz a touch of sweet meyer lemon and there you go. It was actually a bit better as it warmed up, so be careful of serving too cold. If you are expecting typical Riesling flavors, this isn’t the wine for you.

Overall, I thought it was a good wine. We paired it with teriyaki glazed and grilled chicken thighs, along with some teriyaki rice and steamed broccoli. I think it would work better with fish and with something a little less sweet in terms of marinade. I liked the wine and would buy it [FULL DISCLOSURE: I received this as a sample] for the asking price of around $14, but would look towards pairing it with seafood that was devoid of any sweet flavors.

Haiku
A bubbly Riesling
Thick pears with tangerine juice
Match seafood next time