Like pinot grigio but yearning for something new to round out this summer?  Or do you have one of those friends who will touch nothing but their standby Santa Margherita?  If so, you are in luck – there are lots of good alternatives that can give you the same fruity but savory profile.  Here are two of my go-to ABG (anything but grigio) standbys:

1.  Greek whites, especially assyrtiko and athiri.  These two white varieties widely grown in Greece reminded me of pinot grigio from the first time I tasted them.  The Sigalas assyrtiko is perhaps the best known Greek white because of its ubiquity in wine geek circles, but the last time I tasted their range of whites I actually preferred the Sigalas assyrtiko-athiri blend:

• 2010 Sigalas Assyrtiko-Athiri- Greece, Aegean, Santorini (5/10/2011)On the nose, mineral and fresh, slightly green with light savory olive. On the palate, has a certain fullness to it – smooth and kind of pretty. Has some substance to it. Paired with oysters though, this was not quite a magical match; felt a bit overpowered – almost felt like a Seven-Up when tasted after the oyster with cocktail sauce. 90-91 (90 points)

 2.  Grechetto from Umbria.  If you want to stick to Italy but are ready to try a white from an up-and-coming region, white wines from the Umbria region based on the grechetto grape are an excellent choice.  I have tasted the Grecante and Anima Umbria bottlings from Arnaldo Caprai multiple times and they offered green olive-inflected salinity in addition to crisp fruit, both at under $15 a bottle.  The Anima Umbria made for a refreshing summer sipper to offset spicy Thai curry this weekend, so don’t think of it only as a partner for Italian fare.

• 2009 Arnaldo-Caprai Grechetto Colli Martani Grecante- Italy, Umbria, Colli Martani (3/25/2012)Medium-gold color, this is moderately fruity, with a slight savory green olive edge. An excellent choice to pair with light spring or summer fare, perhaps grilled fish. Those looking for an alternative to pinot grigio will enjoy this, as will fans of Greek assyrtiko and the like.

Posted from CellarTracker

The wines tasted in this post were tasted at free tastings open to members of the wine trade and media, and the Caprai wines were also tasted by means of review sample bottles received from the distributor.

I recently was fortunate enough to attend a tasting comparing two vintages across four 1er cru vineyards of the acclaimed Volnay producer Marquis d’Angerville.  For those of you who aren’t Burgundy fiends, Volnay is a village in the Cote de Beaune that is known for turning out reds that can be lacy and silky in texture, if perhaps a bit thinner or less accomplished than those of the more heralded villages in the Cotes de Nuits.

The vintages we tasted were 2007 and 2008, which are generally affordable vintages compared to more hyped vintages like 2005 and 2009 for burgundies.  Although it seems most Burgundy critics and fans prefer the 2008 vintage generally, my impression coming into the tasting based on a small sample size was that I preferred 2007 by a bit.  This was based on having had some very good 2007 village to 1er cru bottlings from producers like JF Mugnier and Henri Gouges (yes Gouges, who apparently has been making most of their bottlings in a more approachable style than they have been known for in the past) and some early tastings of 2008s that left me underhwelmed.  I come out of the d’Angerville tasting, the first time I have tasted 2007s and 2008s side by side, with the opposite impression, liking the 2008 version more in most cases.

Before moving on to the d’Angerville wines specifically, a bit about the evolution of the 2008s as I have seen it.  When a first tasted some sixty or so 2008s (including about 20 whites) as barrel samples, I was concerned that most of the wines were irredeemably acidic.
At that stage, I pretty much had to go to premier cru or grand cru wines to find enough quality fruit to balance the acid; bourgognes and village wines were painfully tart.

In late 2010, when I got to taste a full range of 20+ wines from Domaine d’Ardhuy in bottle, I began to feel that the 2008s were starting to come around, fleshing out a bit in bottle.

Two years later, with this d’Angerville tasting, I find the 08s to be relatively open and showing perfumed if not particularly complex fruit.

And what of the acid that concerned me so at the barrel tasting stage? Sure enough, it retains a certain stridency in most cases that is just enough to keep the 2008s from being a complete success. On their own, the 08s are enjoyable if imperfect wines that can be had at more reasonable prices than the more heralded 2009s and 2010s.  Tasted side by side with 2010s, as I was able to do with a number of Daniel Rion wines recently, the shortcomings of the 2008s are more easily apparent. Still, Burgundy lovers should enjoy the vintage for what it is, where good prices can be found.

The 2007s can generally be found in the same price range as the 2008s, so tasting the d’Angerville wines in flights of two, comparing the 2007 and 2008 versions of the same wine each time, was particularly instructive for me.  We tasted premier cru bottlings from Caillerets, Champans, Taillepieds and a monopole, Clos des Ducs.  In all cases except one, I preferred the 2008 for Continue reading Because d’Anger is my middle name: d’Angerville 2007 vs 2008 premier crus

For many people, Memorial Day is not just a day to honor fallen heroes, it’s also the kick-off of the summer barbecue season.  Today I just wanted to share a few BBQ-friendly pairings that have worked for me in recent weekend cookouts.

The first wine is a Sicilian white that pairs well with grilled shrimp – the 2010 Inzolia from D’Alessandro Azienda Agricola.  The grape variety is inzolia, and as you might expect from a hot island like Sicily, this $15 white wine is crisp and serves as a great counterpoint to seafood, with a touch of minerality and a dollop of body and richness to please the tongue.  Try it as a refreshing partner to some grilled shrimp with spicy barbecue or cocktail sauce.

Moving on to reds, I was recently reminded that the king of bbq-friendly red wines is probably zinfandel from California.  The peppery, brambly flavor of zin stands up well to the often fiery hot spice of barbecued meats, and one budgety zin that outplayed some high-class Bordeaux competition for me recently was the 2010 Frei Brothers Reserve Dry Creek Valley zinfandel.  Dry Creek is an appellation within Sonoma County that is well known for turning out great zinfandel, and this edition has a lot to like: it’s also a green wine, with Frei Brothers’ sustainable farming practices, acreage devoted to preservation of wildlife habitats, and eco-friendly packaging including lighter glass bottles for lighter carbon footprint to recyclable pulp shipping materials.  The wine itself was fruity and aromatic, with lots of peppery cherry flavors that amplified turkey burgers with wasabi mayo quite nicely.  At about $16, you can load up on this one for the whole summer.

Both wines included in this report were tasted from review sample bottles received from the wineries or their representatives.

California chardonnay has a bit of an image problem.  And probably deservedly so.  For years and years, it has seemed like most California chardonnays you’d come across tasted like oak-butter bombs, leaning heavily on the twin crutches of heavy oak treatment and malolactic fermentation.  With such heavy makeup on, a lot of CA chardonnay presented a flashy profile that may have caught the attention of new drinkers that need something obvious, but turned off many more experienced drinkers.  I know many wine drinkers who will actually refuse a glass offered to them once they hear that it’s Cali chard.

Those people may have reason to start tasting again.  Recently I have seen encouraging signs that many California chardonnay producers have started to set their sights on making crisp, sometimes minerally chardonnays rather than lush but flabby ones.  But its not necessarily about not using oak or malo – even the best examples of CA chard do to some degree – to me its about finding the balance point at which you can have pleasing fruit, crispness without greenness, and acid cut that’s tensile without being shrill.  Several producers who fit this bill were recently pouring their wines at the New York tasting of the group In Pursuit of Balance, a group of pinot and chardonnay producers aiming to make more restrained and elegant wines.

One producer that really hit one out of the park for me at the IPOB tasting was Ceritas.  I first met Winemaker John Raytek a number of years ago while visiting Copain, where he was the assistant winemaker at the time.  I’ve been aware for a few years that John had struck out on his own with Ceritas and have been meaning to taste his wines ever since then, but never quite got around to it; now that I’ve had my first taste he did a good job of making me regret not tracking down the wines sooner.  In particular, I thought the 2010 Heintz Vineyard chardonnay showed great balance and dimension – with some delectable richness to its high quality fruit without being cloying, hints of smoke and mineral on the nose, and glorious tingling acidity to keep the palate enlivened and refreshed.  For those who like to have a personal connection to wines and their makers, there are a lot of other reasons to like Ceritas – John and his wife Phoebe Bass bring a very personable touch to Ceritas.  I also appreciated that when I ordered some of the chardonnay, that it came with a nice retro-styled postcard about the history of the Heintz vineyard, and was shipped in environmentally-friendly non-styrofoam pulp packaging.  Wax capsules on the bottles also add a nice touch.  Overall, everything is done in a very thoughtful way – and you can tell that the winemaking is similarly thoughtful; you can get a sense for what I mean by visiting the Ceritas website.

Another producer whose chard was among my favorites was Littorai.  Winemaker Ted Lemon is a pioneering winemaker in many ways – and to my palate he produced the strongest lineup across the board at IPOB, which included both chardonnays and pinot noirs.  I will write more about him and his pinot noirs in an upcoming blog post, but for now, let me note that his 2010 Thieriot chardonnay, with all due respect to Thomas Rivers Brown, was everything I hoped the Rivers-Marie Thieriot chard would be (but hasn’t quite been yet) – lean, minerally, crisp.  If you’re a chablis drinker, Littorai is the California chardonnay you should check out.

A few other chardonnays of note: Copain’s 2010 Brosseau chardonnay was another top contender.  Richer than I might’ve expected given winemaker Wells Guthrie’s low-brix approach in recent vintages, the Brosseau nonetheless was pretty darn delicious.  Wells told me that with respect to white wines, he has shifted focus to chardonnay from his former efforts with the marsanne and roussanne varieties.  Personally, I look forward to tasting the Brosseau and the Ceritas wines in each new vintage to see whether teacher or former assistant turns out the better chardonnay.  We consumers will win on both counts, I’m sure.

Finally, Chanin Wine Company’s 2010 Los Alamos chardonnay stood out because it managed to keep a fresh, crisp edge, which I haven’t found often in Santa Barbara chards, which tend to be a bit richer but softer.  Gavin Chanin is a promising young winemaker to keep an eye on.

Full tasting notes on chardonnays that I tasted from the IPOB tasting:

• 2010 Ceritas Chardonnay Heintz Vineyard- USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (5/19/2012) Shows a bit more richness than the bottle tasted at IPOB but generally consistent in the balance Continue reading California Chardonnay, reimagined? In Pursuit of Balance tasting report

Hi all,

Just a quick post this morning with a link for any of you AmWino readers who may be interested in a storytelling trip to Tuscany being sponsored by DaVinci Wines.  Check it out here.

Also, keep an eye out for upcoming posts right here about the recent In Pursuit of Balance tasting in New York, and a roundup of burgundies tasted at Terroirs and Signatures.

I recently attended a brunchtime tasting that was chock full of up-and-comers: set in Astoria, home of a burgeoning food scene including quality markets, cafes, and eateries, we tasted a range of wines from Red Newt Cellars and Atwater Vineyards,  both from the emergent Finger Lakes region of New York, together with some tasty small plates served up by Winegasm, a wine bar and restaurant just steps away from Astoria’s famed butcher shop K&T Quality Meats.

What I found was more evidence to support my proposition from my post on Finger Lakes wines from a few months ago – that this is truly a wine region worth watching (and tasting).  The highlight of the day for me was Red Newt Cellars’ 2009 Lahoma Vineyard Riesling (about $20-22).  Despite coming from young vines (less than five years old, I was told by assistant winemaker Brandon Seager), the 2009 Lahoma Vineyard bottling had many of the things that get me excited about a riesling – a nose that offered not just fruity aromas but also a flinty minerality and a touch of petrol.  These qualities are hallmarks of Old World riesling but something I’ve never found in, say, rieslings I’ve tried from Washington.  Edge goes to the Finger Lakes on this count – there’s terroir here that I’m interested in, that is distinct from other top riesling regions around the world.

One thing that surprised me is how well the Red Newt riesling paired with foie torchon with mandarin chutney.  The residual sugar in the riesling combines nicely with the delectable richness of the foie gras, which I might have otherwise thought to pair with a red because of the dish’s meaty intensity.  If you make it out to Winegasm, ask for this even if you don’t see it on the menu.  You will be rewarded if they have some on hand.

Another riesling-based wine that I appreciated was the Atwater Celsius 2010 sweet table wine.  Nice, not over the top in its sweetness, with apricot notes and a floral quality.  The controlled dollop of sweetness had just the balance I was looking for to wrap up a nice afternoon of hors d’oeuvres.

I also had the opportunity to sample some reds from Red Newt and Atwater, including pinot noir, cab franc and a blend that included cab sauv, lemberger, and syrah.  While the reds (tasted alongside yummy bacon-wrapped prunes) showed some promising characteristics – delicacy, herbal aromatics, varietal correctness – I wasn’t as taken with them.  But there is potential, especially with the pinot noir for my palate, so I will be keeping an eye on how the Finger Lakes reds improve in future vintages.

One more wine worth mentioning for those looking to get their riesling fix in a slightly more budgety way was the 2010 Red Newt Cellars “Circle Label” riesling ($10-12).  An appellation blend priced to compete with the “Kung Fu Girl” rieslings of the world, this is a smooth, fruity riesling with just a touch of mineral. Green apple and other orchard fruits are evoked, and a citrusy acidity keeps this fresh, while a touch of residual sugar makes this appealing and approachable for the average consumer looking for an affordable entry level peek into the Finger Lakes.

I attended this event free of charge as a guest of the organizers at Winegasm.

Today’s installment covers two more communes of the 2009 reds presented at the UGC Bordeaux tasting in New York.  The first is Graves (officially called Pessac Leognan these days, but old habits are hard to break).  These wines tend to be close to a 50/50 split between cabernet sauvignon and merlot, making them distinct from either Left Bank (cab-dominated) or Right Bank (merlot-dominated) wines.  Most importantly, the gravelly soils (thus the name Graves) often lend what I experience as a flinty, crushed rock aroma to the wines that make the Pessac wines more easily identifiable as a matter of terroir, which I really like.  The 2009s have performed as well as any other commune, and that’s not even taking into account top performers that I missed tasting, including Haut Bailly (my oversight in forgetting to go back for this one at the UGC tasting), and others not present like La Mission Haut Brion and Haut Brion.  Top performer in the group I tasted was the Pape Clement, but the Domaine de Chevalier certainly gives it a run for its money in a similar style, but at a lower price point.

The other commune covered in today’s post is Margaux, which traditionally has been known in the best examples, to exhibit a floral, lighter, feminine style; though I would note that there have also been a lot of lower-tier Margaux that have shown much more rustic and barnyardy to me as well.  Anyway, the elegant style of Margaux wines are a natural fit for my affinity for pretty, nuanced wines, but for the second year in a row, I’m a bit disappointed with the wines that the producers from the Margaux appellation have put forth.  Some fall prey to too modern a style, that may be nice and rounded in the international style, but loses the distinctiveness of Margaux, and more importantly, doesn’t play to the strengths of the region.  As a result, the wines seemed a bit one-note to me, showing lots of cherry licorice flavors that just left me a little flat.  One happy exception was a wine that I have looked to as a value play in classed-growth Margaux over the years – Chateau Prieure Lichine.  The 2009 edition may be their best yet, and it’s arguably the most Margaux of the wines tasted, showing floral notes, body with definition, yet ample ripe fruit flavors to be enjoyable even now.

My full tasting notes on the Graves reds and Margaux wines are below.  Still to come in upcoming posts:  two of the top-performing communes in my opinion, namely Pauillac and St. Julien, as well as my top picks from the value appellations like Moulis, Listrac, Medoc and Haut-Medoc, as well as the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac.

Pessac Leognan reds

Haut Bergey – tasting this after the Pomerols, this feels much more rustic, with blocky tannins.  A touch of meatiness to the nose as well.  On the palate, again rougher, but has decent acidity, rounded by oak.  90-91+

Carbonnieux rouge – similar to Haut Bergey, but a touch more refined.  Talcum powder, red-to-purple fruits, a dash of licorice on the nose.  Cherry licorice flavors on the palate.  Again, a touch more refined than the Haut Bergey, but not quite a world-beater, just a solid wine.  90-91+

*Domaine de Chevalier – immediately on the nose, you sense this is a step up from either the Haut Bergey or Carbonnieux.  In line with recent vintages of this wine, this shows some coffee on the nose, high quality fruit, and a touch of Graves mineral coming through.  On the palate, very smooth, more power here than the ’06 or ’08 editions, but retains great balance.  Has the right fruit, and power but is not overextracted.  Will be a beautiful wine in its maturity.   A great cheaper alternative to the Pape Clement, to which this wine bears some similarity. 93-94

Pape Clement rouge – lead pencil, Graves mineral, perfumed fruits on the nose.  On the palate, has power, with tannic material in reserve.  Perfectly ripe fruits, shows the character of the vintage well.  A complete wine.  Quite a bit of similarity between this as the Domaine de Chevalier, with slight edge to the Pape Clement because of the superlative fruit. 94-95

Smith Haut Lafitte – more licorice on the palate than many of the other Graves.  Some lead pencil in there too, as well as purplish fruits with a touch of pruny sweetness.  Has potential to age well, less sweet and immediately pleasing than some of the other wines, but has character.  I prefer this to the 2006, because it seems to rely on oak less.  93-94

Note:  I had intended to taste Haut Bailly last among the Graves wines, but missed it as an oversight on my part.

Margaux

Cantenac Brown – reddish-purple, not inky black.  On the nose, more cherry and licorice than some of the other reds so far.  Decent, with a bit of the feminine style you might expect from a Margaux, with some power in reserve.  Better than the ’08, but nothing stands out on this for me. 90-91+

Du Tertre – a touch of  exotic curry spice on the nose.  On the palate, again cherry licorice flavors, though I like this a bit better than the Cantenac Brown.  Better than the ’08, but I’m not that taken with the Margaux wines so far.  91+, maybe pushing 92.

Giscours – pretty nose, this is more like it.  Has some green pepper elements lending an herbal and slightly floral edge here, and a touch of mineral.  Palate shows graphite and good sweet fruit, some potential to age.  92-93+

*Prieure Lichine – one of my bellwethers.  Thicker than recent vintages, but has plenty of pretty floral action here.  Ripe fruits, lead pencil on the palate, with some definition.  Not too spicy, just pretty and floral, exactly what I want from this chateau – a great value pick and arguably the most Margaux of the wines here today. 93-94

Lascombes – ripe, smooth, rounded. Not overly modern unlike some past vintages.  Will be very good – ripe fruits, some peppery spice.  Ample power without overdoing it. 93-94

Note:  Ch. Rausan-Segla seems to have brought only two sample bottles, which were already poured out less than two hours into the trade tasting, so I and most of the attendees did not have the opportunity to taste their wine.

The wines in this report were tasted free of charge at a tasting open to trade, press and media.

In today’s post, we move on to the reds tasted at the UGC Bordeaux tasting in New York.  Overall, I was pleased by the reds in that they were not overripe, overly extracted and dense, or hugely manipulated.  The wines show quality fruit but also plenty of the earthy, mineral, herbal and aromatically leafy characteristics that I think set truly complex cabernet and merlot-based wines apart from simple and merely ripe ones.  In other words, the wines are still recognizably Bordeaux.

Today I profile the Right Bank wines from St. Emilion and Pomerol, which tend to contain mostly merlot with lesser amounts of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc and other Bordeaux blending grapes like malbec and petit verdot.  In the overall context of this tasting of 2009s, St. Emilion and Pomerol were among the most successful communes for my palate, along with the Left Bank communes of St. Julien and Pauillac (which will be profiled in another post soon).  There are successful examples in a range of styles ranging from traditional to modern, and my favorites included the refined offering from La Conseillante, the perfumed and red-fruited Larcis Ducasse, the multifaceted Troplong Mondot, and my value pick (remembering that Pomerol is expensive in general) – the overachieving 2009 Chateau Beauregard.  Here are my notes in the order I tasted the wines:

St. Emilion

 Canon – on the nose, the fruit  feels very primary, almost confected; not what one would expect from this estate.  On the palate, more what I expected – lead pencil, a touch of green.  With a bit of air the perfume of the fruit comes out on the pretty nose.  Fades a bit on the palate, with a slightly saccharine feel on the finish.  91-92+

Beausejour Becot – this and the Canon are reassuring me right out of the gate that the reds are not all jammy fruit, etc.  Some coffee, dark lead pencil and slight green pepper on the nose, with sweet fruits.  Modern-ish, but not over the top.  Perhaps a touch bitter on the finish, maybe a bit extracted, but these wines so far offer more than just plush mouthfeel – there’s decent plummy acidity and Bordeaux typicity here.  92

Canon La Gaffeliere – strong coffee aromas intermix with damp mossy underneath on the nose, as well as a touch of black pepper.  Acidity good here as well – actually quite similar to the Beausejour Becot in style, with the Beausejour priced slightly lower, but to me the extra complexity here is worth the difference. Palate not overly modern here either – pleasantly surprised by the graphite and touch of green to give this note some bass notes. 92-93+

Clos Fourtet – some exotic spice on the nose, together with anisette aromas.  Quite a bit of herbal green on the palate, which I believe will take time to show well but be beautiful and aromatic in the end.   Kudos to Clos Fourtet for making a real ager that won’t necessarily show well early; a big step up from the ’08 here. 92-93+

Figeac – leafy green merlot notes, with cab franc green pepper lending herbal perfume on the nose.  The palate is a bit jarring – the acidity not yet integrated, lending a picklish feel.  But this is distinctly Figeac and will need time to come together.  A little spice, not overly lush.  Honestly I feel this vintage doesn’t quite suit the house style because ripeness doesn’t play to their strengths.  Perhaps up to a 92 eventually, but one might do better picking up the ’08 at a much lower price.

La Dominique – has a funky mossy dirt thing going on the nose..  Not that pretty on the palate – a bit disjointed, with neither gorgeous fruit or acidity that puts the wine together.  Leaves me a little flat. 87.

Larcis Ducasse – very pretty nose.  Juicy tart acidity runs through this surprisingly red-fruited wine.  Nice mineral on the nose, juicy on the palate.  Lush but not extracted.  A style I really appreciate and would choose to drink over many inky black wines.  92-94

Pavie Macquin – darker, more purple-fruited, with a touch of talcum powder on the nose.  The palate is very much the international, modern style.  Powerful, with a long finish carried by juicy plum acidity.  Very pretty wine for the style.  Those who like power will really enjoy this.  Not especially fresh or complex, but has an undeniable, exuberant tastiness. 92-94

Troplong Mondot – a bit airier than the Pavie Mac on the nose, with a perfume to it that pushes it a cut above.  Sweet fruit on the palate, on the purplish side though not as dark as Pavie M; however, more perfumed and pretty.  Has an engaging balance, for a modern-styled wine; nothing like earth or mineral showing at this point in its life.  94

Pomerol

Clinet – refined mineral on the nose, together with an impression of dark purplish fruits.  Smooth, powerful and even a touch peppery; not one of the most powerful here, just smooth like a Pomerol should be, with some minerality on the finish.  More interesting than some of the straight-up modern wines.  93-94

Gazin – primary, red-to-purple fruits on the nose, with talcum powder hints.  Rounded and smooth, very Pomerol.  However, the acidity is a shade tomatoey and unintegrated.  Not overripe, but not entirely pleasing either.  89-90

*Beauregard – a bit of mineral and lead pencil on the nose. Surprisingly good on the palate, with spice, pepper and lead pencil.  Very nice wine, quite complete – a good value pick in Pomerol; will stand up to most wines tasted today. Kind of what I was hoping Figeac to be – keeping varietal character that is very Bordeaux, but also showing the ripe character of the vintage and doing something with it. 93, pushing 94; a breakout performance for this chateau?

La Conseillante – returns to the refined style that I value from this chateau, much better than the ’08.  Does show plushness, and feels a bit closed compared to other wines today but the lead pencil, mineral, and leafiness together with pretty, perfumed fruits hint as to a very bright future for this wine in my opinion – you just have to pay attention to the clues that peek out from behind this wine. 93-94+ in the future.

The wines in this report were tasted free of charge at a tasting open to trade, press and media.

Over the last several months, I have been able to taste a good cross-section of 2009 Bordeaux, with the lion’s share of the tasting done at the recent UGC (Union des Grands Crus) tasting in New York.  The conventional wisdom has been that it would be an exceptional and ripe vintage, but I was a bit surprised to see that the reds are a bit different in nature than I had expected.  I liked the 2009 reds as barrel samples (you can see my notes on barrel samples here) but I had some fear that 2009 would in some ways be like 2003 for Bordeaux reds, which I have found to be enjoyable but a bit of a “California” vintage.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that for the most part, this is not so; many of the 2009s have retained more Bordeaux typicity than I expected and are not the overripe, thick and overly plush but simple wines that I had at least some apprehension that they might turn into.

I’ll be posting my wines on the wines from all of the different major communes in a series of posts.  First, let’s take a look at the Bordeaux whites.

Graves/ Pessac-Leognan whites

I found the Bordeaux whites, which are generally a blend of sauvignon blanc, semillon and sometimes a small percentage of other grapes like muscadelle, to be a bit of a mixed bag in the 2009 vintage.  The lower end wines included in the UGC tasting struck me as a bit dull in comparison with the 2007 and 2008 whites, which have a livelier acidity in general.  That said, there are some strong performers, and overall, I found a lot of chateaux have managed to keep a consistent house style over the last several vintages.  My perennial favorites in this group have generally shown the best once again – these include Domaine de Chevalier, Smith Haut Lafitte,  and Pape Clement.  The breakout pick is the 2009 Chateau Carbonnieux blanc; while many of the richer wines in the top group offer opulence, Carbonnieux is fresh, light and the only one of the whites that I could drink more than one glass of in a single sitting without tiring of it.  On top of that, it’s the most affordable of the top group of whites, with prices on Wine-Searcher as low as $33.  To use an analogy to a different grape, Carbonnieux is a Bordeaux blanc that Chablis lovers could enjoy, with de Chevalier offering some similar lightness but a bit more richness.  In contrast, if you’re the type of wine drinker who likes a fuller-bodied, rich chardonnay, then Pape Clement and Smith Haut-Lafitte will be more your speed.

My notes on the whites are below, and please check back in the coming days for posts about each of the major communes for the reds, as well as notes on the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac.

Haut Bergey blanc – Graves mineral on the nose.  Fairly unctuous, but I don’t love it.  Doesn’t have verve to me – full, but not lively.  Don’t like this as much as the 07 or 08.

*Carbonnieux blanc – not as much mineral as the Haut Bergey, but lighter and prettier.  Palate confirms – this is tons better; has acidity, lift, verve.  Same light, fresh style as the last few vintages.  Retasted, and the juiciness makes this a joy to drink, without tiring the palate or growing cloying.  92-94 points.

Domaine de Chevalier blanc – has some lightness like the Carbonnieux, but a bit richer, although the first sample was served a bit too cold.  Flavorful, but retains acidity for freshness.  Doesn’t feel totally integrated right now, as the acid hits first, with a slight aspirin minerality, then a separate layer of rich fruit that hits after.  However all the pieces are clearly there, this will be one of the contenders today.

Retaste:  Now at a better temperature, this is easier to assess: fresh, pretty, smooth, and clean.  One of the best today. 92-93

Larrivet Haut Brion – has more mineral and funk than the Dom. De Chevalier.  Pretty nose, another competitor.  More seamless than the de Chevalier, similar style to the Carbonnieux with more richness.  Integrated in feel, fits the house style.  Quite good. 91-92.

Latour Martillac – a bit more stink to the mineral here, as prior vintages have had.  Fairly rich on the palate, a bit bitter on the finish.  A decent wine for its price range, but not as delightful as the best wines here.  87-88

Smith Haut Lafitte blanc -  Has a refined nose with pretty notes of crushed rock.  The fruit is a touch unctuous, with a sweetness that is appealing.  A bit of aspirin mineral aftertaste, but definitely one of the stronger wines here.  Not quite as much lift as the de Chevalier and the Carbonnieux.  91-93 points. Probably the prettiest nose among the wines until…

Pape Clement blanc – scratch that, I think we have a new winning nose – sweet, slightly dewy fruit on the nose that makes it really inviting, and some mineral if you listen hard for it.  Not quite the winner of the day on the palate though – but consistent with recent vintages in terms of having a slightly richer style, much like the SHL, and among the best of the Graves whites depending on your style preference. 91-93

The wines in this report were tasted free of charge at a tasting open to trade, press and media.

My last post was about an alternative to champagne, so today will be for those of you who believe “there is no substitute”.  Here are the champagnes that impressed me this year, ranging from $30 on up:

~$30

• For those who want something a bit rich, my favorite at this price range is consistently Henriot Brut Souverain – really pleasing for the price.

~$50

• For those who like their champagne a bit crisper and tarter, Ruinart blanc de blancs has zippy green apple hints, citrusy acidity and floral aromas, and possesses a nice overall liveliness.

~$70

• 2002 Gaston Chiquet Special Club is my choice in this range – a bit oxidative on the nose; on the palate, just plain delicious – perfect balance for me when it comes to champagne. Some honey/brioche, but also still fresh. Love this.

…and a champagne that is flat-out amazing

One champagne that rocked my world this year can be yours for $100-120, from the excellent grower champagne house Vilmart.  If you’re serving this for New Year’s, I’ll be right over!

• 2001 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Coeur de Cuvée- France, Champagne (12/10/2011) Right off the bat, an absolutely captivating nose. A touch of honey, with a smoky mineral note – there’s something indescribably delicious about this nose. Very interesting palate – some honeyed flavors hit you on the palate up front, then an expansive acidity hits you – tongue-coating, vibrant and full. A winey, sappy quality here makes me think of my favorite red burgundies even, which is accentuated by a floral quality that becomes more apparent on the nose with some time. Not perfect – the feeling of separate stages from honeyed richness to tingly acidity is very distinct and may be jarring to drinkers looking for something seamless. But for me, this is captivating, complex – one of the most interesting champagnes I’ve ever had, and one of the best. 96-97 (96 points)
  

Cheers, Happy New Year’s Eve and all the best for 2012!  -Alan