American Wines To You

• March 2010

  We used to have this product readily available here - and I have had it before (though not recently) - but I notice that it is absent from a recent product guide of the government liquor stores where I live.  In other words, I think you may be onto something about a distribution... Read moreWe used to have this product readily available here - and I have had it before (though not recently) - but I notice that it is absent from a recent product guide of the government liquor stores where I live.  In other words, I think you may be onto something about a distribution problem.  This was a popular wine, so I am genuinely surprised it is not available.  I also seriously doubt you could find the 2005.  These wines are sold in large numbers and I'm only guessing but probably something like a 2008 is the current one out there. Having said this, the Rheinhessen entry might not be available at all at the Qualitatswein level you want (like you no doubt, I could find some that are similar but not exactly the same).  That's probably because these wines are bulk produced and may not be made each year depending on availability, price etc. And actually, I don't give much thought regarding the rank at this price point; that's only to help find (identify) the right product.  Some German producers use lower ranked designations in order to circumvent outdated wine laws so quality is only very relative here.  German wine labeling - though simplified over the years - is notoriously difficult - opaque, even.  So finding this wine is not necessarily that simple. Why not contact the German producer and ask who the North American distributor is?  I'm pretty sure it was made by the Prinz Ruprecht Winery.  Sorry you are having problems finding a favorite wine, but sometimes they just can't be found.      (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Niersteiner Gutes Domtal... by zufrieden

  
  

• March 2010

  Dashe Cellars - Mastering Old Vine Zinfandel Producing great Riesling and Late Harvest Zin I was fortunate to share a meal with Mike Dashe -- and several of his wines -- some seven or so years ago. A mutual friend arranged the little soiree here in New York... Read more Dashe Cellars - Mastering Old Vine Zinfandel Producing great Riesling and Late Harvest Zin I was fortunate to share a meal with Mike Dashe -- and several of his wines -- some seven or so years ago. A mutual friend arranged the little soiree here in New York City and introduced me to these lovely wines that highlight the luscious fruit of old vine Zinfandel, but manage to avoid the worst excesses that usually accompany the breed: excessive alcohol, over-ripe pruny flavors, and flabbiness.   The fact that these wines show such poise and definition should come as no surprise; Mike learned a thing or two during his stint at Ridge Vineyards, as assistant winemaker to Paul Draper, no less. The wines Mike produces today share much with the famed Ridge Zins. They may no longer be called Zinfandel, but Geyserville and Lytton Springs will always be Zins to me. What to expect: Zinfandel Zinfandel is considered America's own great, indigenous grape, even though its origins lay on the Adriatic coast. Planted throughout California and the Pacific Northwest, Zinfandel is at its best in warm regions with cooler temperatures during harvest. The wines can range from off-dry Rosés (White Zinfandel) and light, bistro-styled wines to big, rich powerful wines - even luscious wines for dessert bottlings. The flavors range from plummy to raspberry, although deep blackberry fruit and brambly spice tones are most common. Explore Zinfandel The Dashe style, while echoing that of Ridge, shows an obvious evolution. Gone is the American oak, replaced by a judicious use of French oak. The wines generally show a bit more restraint than the best of the Ridge wines, yielding more focus and elegance in the mouth. That elegance and restraint might just be the influence of Mike’s wife, Anne, a trained oenologist with a background that includes time spent at both St. Emilion’s Chateaux la Dominique as well as Chappellet and Seavey in the Napa Valley. The couple founded Dashe Cellars in 1996 with a shared vision: To craft elegant, layered wines from great vineyards using time-honored techniques. To this day Mike and Anne continue to produce their wines using indigenous yeasts, little or no fining or filtering, and the attention to detail only a small-scaled winery can achieve. The wines move from strength to strength with each passing year, and while Dashe remains under the radar, they deserve all the attention they get. These are wines, the Zins in particular, that preserve a part of California’s vinous heritage. Zinfandel is undergoing a renaissance of sorts. While it lacks the glamour and cachet of Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, and thus the prices those wines realize, it is truly California’s own. Yes, it may be Primitivo -- but Primitivo does not taste like classic California Zinfandel.  Zinfandel is a treasure that has been perverted over the years. First by White Zinfandel -- and I thank God for White Zinfandel, which saved countless acres of old vines -- and then by a style of winemaking that forced everything out of each grape, even some things we didn’t really want or need. The Dashe style is one that finds the happy medium that allows for wines to be super expressive and eminently drinkable at the same time. It’s no surprise that I like the wines, what may be surprising is how damn good their dry Riesling is! You have to love these wines; I mean, who else has a monkey riding a whale on their labels? And since we are talking about the unusual here, I urge you all to try and find a bottle of the Dashe L’enfant Terrible Zinfandel. This cult wine, and it really is about as culty as they come, is Zinfandel as a French or Italian farmer might make it, bright fruits over earthy tones with no discernable oak influence. In 2008, production was way down due to rain during flowering, adding to the culty nature of this wine since it’s now almost impossible to find; if you track a bottle down, you must try it. If you can’t, keep on the watch for the release of the 2009. L’enfant Terrible is a uniquely wonderful wine, and one that will help solidify Dashe’s reputation as a great American winery. 2008 Dashe Dry Riesling McFadden Farms, Potter valley 13.8% This has some immediate and penetrating aromatics. It smells a bit leesy at first, then it offers up intense yellow apple, peach, floral, and sharp, granitic mineral tones with a hint of salt and a tiny hint of garlic chive.  On entry this is fun and rich, profoundly so considering it's completely dry. The fruit is cut by mineral tones; a touch more acidity would not be a bad thing. It’s full of apple, and subtle unripe pineapple flavors that yield to more minerality and soft dried mango and earthy notes on the long finish with just a whisper of icy mint on the finale. A really lovely effort that combines a rich mouthfeel with attractive minerality. This would work very well with oily white fish like swordfish or mackerel.  92pts   2006 Dashe Zinfandel Louvau Vineyard Old Vines Dry Creek Valley 14.6% This has a bit of fuminess to it at first and needs time to gain some focus, but it reveals dark chocolate-streaked, pepper-laced dark berry fruit touched with sapwood and smoky, loamy earth.  It’s surprisingly light on the palate with more than a bit of tannin to lose, but features wonderfully refreshing and pure, slightly spicy, briary black raspberry fruit that offers up hints of orange oil and baking spice on the backend. The finish allows the tannins to creep back up, giving this excellent follow-through with the toasty vanilla of the oak being covered with cool, wild red berry fruit until the spicy finale.  Give this two years to let the tannins soften and drink it over the next five or so, or else grill up some beef and enjoy this for all it offers today. 92pts   2007 Dashe Zinfandel Florence Vineyard Dry Creek Valley 14.8% This has a very fine nose, real brambly blackberry and black cherry fruit with a touch of plum and licorice, a bit meaty with a nice savory hoisin note tightly wound up in the fruit.  This is a big wine on entry with lots of glycerin and richness but almost immediately it gains snap and focus. The tannins here are abundant but quite fine, and the acidity is floating just under the fruit. The flavors are dark and just a bit dusky with plum, caramel, earth, licorice, and a hint of mint all in balance on the mid-palate. The backend offers nice lift to the fruit, which floats off on the long finish. This is spicy on the backend but surprisingly lightweight with black fruit notes and a licorice, leathery savory tone on the finale.  A bit of a tight showing but this promises to flesh out and soften a bit with time in the bottle, remaining elegant but gaining breadth in the mouth. I can see this working well with pork in chipotle sauce. 90pts   2008 Dashe Late Harvest Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley 14.9% This has a huge nose with top notes of violets over deep black plum, slight prune, and spicy hints of chocolate and vanilla with a core of savory elements that recall herbal, dried black olives.  Lightly sweet on entry this has plenty of acidity to keep the wine lively and lovely ripe tannins that help break up the sweetness. It’s a light, fresh style of dessert wine with a balance akin to fresh fruit making it easy to drink. It’s a bit simpler on the palate than on the nose, but is full of briary, tobacco-edged plummy and dried berry fruit that yields to a lightly sweet finish balanced by drying tannins. 91pts Two Brilliant Examples from Dashe Cellars 2008 Dashe Dry Riesling McFadden Farms Priced from $20.35 On entry this is fun and rich, profoundly so considering this is completely dry. A really lovely effort that combines a rich mouthfeel with attractive minerality and flavors of intense yellow apples and peaches. This would work very well with oily white fish like swordfish or mackerel. 2006 Dashe Zinfandel Louvau Vineyard Old Vines Priced from $32.00 This is surprisingly light on the palate with more than a bit of tannin to lose, but wonderfully refreshing and pure, with slightly spicy, briary black raspberry fruit. Give this two years to let the tannins soften and drink it over the next five or so, or else grill up some beef and enjoy this for all it offers today.    (hide)

  From the article Dashe Cellars

  
  

• March 2010

  There is a joke that I have been told... Q: What have a 65 year old woman and Australia got in common? A: Everybody knows it's down there, but nobody cares. In much the same way that the joke is in poor taste it seems that Australia's wines too have fallen our of favour with... Read moreThere is a joke that I have been told... Q: What have a 65 year old woman and Australia got in common? A: Everybody knows it's down there, but nobody cares. In much the same way that the joke is in poor taste it seems that Australia's wines too have fallen our of favour with collectors since the early 90's, our cheap homogenised "critter" wines have taken over shelf space in supermarkets whilst fine wine retailers have shyed away from our boutique producers instead looking towards a new breed of European producer specifically Italy & Spain and the emerging low cost South American makers. California produces Two Buck Chuck and it is a gross overstatement to sum up the entire US wine industry as affordable swill, based on only one budget producer. In much the same way Australia, nearly the same size as the continuous states of America, has many regions and subregions which all have unique terroir and character, and carry interesting geographic names like Murrumbateman, Beechworth, Mudgee and Eden Valley. Our winemakers are amongst the most technically advanced in the world, and they're making better wine than ever. Please come on a trip with me to rediscover fine wine in Oz. First Stop, the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. Famous for its amazing varietal Semillons the Hunter was the site of Australia's first commercial vineyards back in 1833. Today it services nearby Sydney, her citizens and is developing as a centre for slow food, and organic practices,   Producers to try: Tyrrell's, makers of the highly regarded Vat 1 and the individual vineyard Steven and Belford wines. Rated by prominent wine critic James Halliday as his 2010 winery of the year McWilliams, Brokenwood and Peppertree Wines  Please give me some feedback as to other places or producers you'd like to know about, I'll answer if I can, or track down someone with an answer for you. CHEERS!    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Landmark Australia-... by drinkersdigest

  
  

• March 2010

  The Latest Releases from Torbreck A Line up of Barossa's finest Founded only in 1994, Torbreck has quickly emerged as one of Australia’s most acclaimed wineries.  David Powell, a local boy by way of Adelaide, left a career in accounting in search of... Read more The Latest Releases from Torbreck A Line up of Barossa's finest Founded only in 1994, Torbreck has quickly emerged as one of Australia’s most acclaimed wineries.  David Powell, a local boy by way of Adelaide, left a career in accounting in search of a new lifestyle. His journey took him to some of the great vineyards of Europe and California, as well as to Scotland, where he cut wood in a forest called Torbreck. Judging from the name, it looks like David might be a sentimental kind of guy. No doubt that contributes to his love of the old vineyards in the Barossa Valley. Once David decided that wine was to be his future, he found work at Rockford Vineyards in the Barossa Valley and began a new journey of discovery. His work at Rockford led to the discovery of ancient, dry-farmed vineyards that time had almost forgotten. What to expect: Australian Shiraz Australia has certainly made Syrah its own, even bestowing it with a new name: Shiraz. In the warm, dry climate of Australia this noble grape, responsible for some of the grandest wines of France, produces an intense, unique expression that is distinctly Australian. The ripe grapes take on classic notes of black pepper and leather that add depth and complexity to the black cherry and plum fruits on the palate. Australian Shiraz has typically been aged in American oak barrels which impart a distinct note of vanilla to the wines; the time in the barrel also allows the wines time to integrate, revealing their rich, voluptuously-styled mouthfeel. With the help of their owners, David set about revitalizing these ancient vines. By sharing both the responsibility for the vineyard and its crop, David secured parcels of old vine fruit for himself from some of the oldest vineyards in the world at a very affordable cost: The cost of nurturing them back to life. These small lots -- the first in 1995 was only 3 tons -- became the heart and soul of Torbreck. With each successive farming agreement, or straight-out vineyard purchase, David is working to ensure not only his supply of these old vine treasures, but that the history of Barossa is not plowed under to be forgotten. David’s sentimental take on life is apparent in the naming of each wine, as well. Each has a story to tell. While the majority of Torbreck’s wines are red, David was convinced that these lands were also well-suited for the production of white wines. Based on the great Shiraz, Grenache, and Mataro that thrives in the Barossa, his thoughts turned specifically to the white wines of the Rhone valley. With that in mind, David’s original purchase of land in Marananga (now known as the Descendant Vineyard) was selected for its suitability for the white varietals Marsanne, Roussane, and Viognier. Shiraz was, of course, also included in the new plantings.  It is here, adjacent to these vines that David planted, that the brand new Torbreck Winery has been built. Open for just 2 years, this new facility extends the control that David can exercise over these old vine masterpieces. From haggard old vineyards to state of the art bottling lines, Torbreck wines are made in a way that captures the essence of the Barossa. Torbreck is a winery building a future on tradition, heritage, and, yes, sentimentality. These wines each tell a story that can almost be related to as a chapter in the history of the Barossa valley. So without further ado, let’s let the wines do the talking.   [PAGEBREAK]   2008 Torbreck Woodcutter’s Semillon – Screwcap -  14% What a great nose right off the bat, featuring rich melon, quince, and pear fruit folded up with nuanced floral tones and hints of honey and woodsmoke. From the nose you might expect this to be very bright in the mouth, and there is plenty of acid here, but the entry is rich and soft, and the wine fairly rolls across the palate. The flavors are very youthful and a bit tight with notes of wheat, apple, and meyer lemon across the mid-palate; this turns more tropical on the backend and onto the long finish, which has note of blood orange and citrus fruits before yielding to a very fine mineral finale. This is a big white wine, but in a very refreshing style; it would be dynamite with a rich white fish in a buerre blanc. 92pts   2008 Cuvee Juveniles – Screwap 14.5%   This has quite the fruity nose with jammy strawberries sprinkled with white pepper joined by some dried game notes and hints of dried grass. On entry, this is round and soft with a sweet edge to it. There is bit too much acid, but nice tannins help flesh out the mid-palate. The fruit is fresh and primary and the flavors really mirror the nose with strawberry jam, pepper, game, and a touch of wood spice. The fruit turns blacker on the backend and drops off quite a bit on the short finish, which ends on a slightly sweet, jammy note. A bit monotone and gangly but with plenty of fruit. 86pts   2006 Torbreck The Factor  14.5% The nose on this starts out quite subtle and slowly builds with deep, powerful aromas of grilled meats, licorice, cracked black pepper, saffron, dried violet,  and camphor.  Lovely in the mouth with a gentle, balanced quality that belies the wine’s depth and richness. The tannins are super fine and can easily be missed but are lurking within the ball of slightly minty, candied black berry fruit that has hints of game, barnyard, and gum  seeping out. The backend and the finish carry these accents, and the gum and barnyard aromatics add a lot of nuance and length on the very long finish. Really elegant and well balanced for such an intense wine, this is Shiraz but it gets your attention by whispering while making crazy faces, not yelling. 93pts   2006 Torbreck The Struie – 14% This offers up rather subtle aromatics with a spicy oak top note followed by gentle notes of plum and black raspberry edged with licorice, tar and olive brine. In the mouth this is very rich, yet very well balanced. There’s a lot of flavor here with black raspberry fruit bursting on the mid-palate and gaining notes of spice, toasty pie crust, subtle mint and even some herb tones lurking in the fruit which show up on the long finish as a nuanced tomato/barbeque sauce tone. The feel of the wine is moderately chewy and quite fresh, particularly on the long finish, which is richly fruited but lacks any sweetness. It’s got a nice spice tone on the finish and lovely suggestions of soil and talc on the finale.  If The Factor is whispering this talking trigonometry.  This is really interesting and fairly complex but paying attention to it is rewarding. 92pts   2005 Torbreck Run Rig 14.5% At first whiff this has an unusual blend or red fruit and peach on the nose. There’s a fair amount of wood is adding complexity to the nose but in a very narrow register. This smells as much of damp soil and crushed fruit, with a hint of dandelion to it, than of the wood. It’s not giving up too much and actually closes down over time.  On entry this has a sweetness to it and there are notes of apricot and honey right up front before the tannins begin to assert themselves. There are masses of dark fruit as well, but still rather raw and unformed. The mid-palate is quite spicy with a stemmy nuance and a round, slightly viscous feel, like cherry juice. There are mint, and vaguely medicinal notes as well that lead to a short finished impeded by tannins at this stage and the finish is a bit hot. This seems less well balanced than many of the other Torbreck wines.  90pts   2006 Torbreck The Pict Mataro – 14% Smoky and ashy on the nose with deep notes of speck, pressed flowers, wild thyme and gravel with a whiff of rubber.  Great entry, rich yet fairly lightweight with crisp tannins and lively yet integrated acidity. This is dark with spicy herb tones, a hint of vanilla, and dark fruit that has notes of black tea to it. The flavors are nicely complex with emerging notes of leather and wild berries, bilberries, always with a spicy, almost herbal top note, but the texture of this wine is great. On the back end this is remarkably light on it’s toes and gains some dried grass and gamy tones, with lots of dried chorizo on the long finish. A very impressive wine that would be great with roast goat or venison. 94pts   2006 Torbreck The Steading 60% Grenache – 20% Mataro – 20% Shiraz 14.5% This offers up nice herb, floral and light fruit tones that recall melon rinds and gentle red berry, almost raspberry jam tones. There’s a nice toasty tone to the fruit as well.  Gentle and a bit loose feeling on entry, this is well knit offering rich red fruit tones, wild cherries and currants in an open-knit style. The mid-palate has a subtle medicinal tone and a touch of nuttiness to it but this remains primarily about the red fruit. The finish is fairly short. A nice wine if a bit simple. 87pts   2006 Torbreck Les Amis Grenache 14.5% This has a pretty hot nose right off the bat.  The wine shows some meatiness and hints of fruit, chalk, flowers, and herb over a bit of woodiness but the heat is disturbing. Rich and soft on entry, with bright acids and meaty red fruits that fill the mouth, this certainly doesn’t lack for flavor but, again, the alcohol throws this off balance.  This almost redeems itself on the finish with its wonderfully aromatic fruits but just when I’m getting my hopes up it burns again. Promising but too much alcohol. 84pts Great Old Vine Shiraz, and Mataro! 2006 Torbreck The Struie Shiraz Priced from $53.99 This offers up rather subtle aromatics with a spicy oak top note over a bed of plum and black raspberry edged with licorice, tar, and olive brine. In the mouth this is very rich, yet very well-balanced. There’s a lot of flavor here with black raspberry fruit bursting on the mid-palate and gaining notes of spice, toasty pie crust, subtle mint and even some herb tones which show up on the long finish. 2006 Tobreck The Steading GSM Priced from $29.99 This offers up nice herb, floral and light fruit tones on the nose that recall melon rinds and gentle red berry, almost raspberry jam.  Gentle and a bit loose feeling on entry, this is offering rich red fruit tones, wild cherries and currants in an open-knit style. The mid-palate has a subtle medicinal tone and a touch of nuttiness to it but this remains primarily about the red fruit    (hide)

  From the article Torbreck Wines

  
  

• March 2010

  Travel the roads of London, Paris in mid of Feb and very happy that can squeeze one day time to visit Bordeaux on 17 Feb. First station : Chateau Rauzan-Gassies (Grand Cru Classe, Margaux.) Tracing back the history, it was united with it's neighbor, Chateau Rauzan-Segla while it is... Read moreTravel the roads of London, Paris in mid of Feb and very happy that can squeeze one day time to visit Bordeaux on 17 Feb. First station : Chateau Rauzan-Gassies (Grand Cru Classe, Margaux.) Tracing back the history, it was united with it's neighbor, Chateau Rauzan-Segla while it is more well-known nowadays. Since 1942, it has been owned by the family QUIE. The QUIE family owns also the Chateau Bel-Orme (Cru Bourgeois, Haut -Medoc) and Chateau Croizet-Bages (Grand Cru Classes, Pauillac). Thay are using American as well as French Oak barrels with second and third year one. That reflect in thier prices. I have tasted : Bel-Orme 04 : Quite fruity, merlot charming with sweetness and finesse. Easy to drink especially for beginners. Euro 12. (We can buy wines there at their tasting room) Croizet-Bages 04 : Seems too early to drink, an expressive wine, with great strength, black fruits and spices. Better to keep it for 8 to 10 years. Euro 22. Rauzan Gassies 04 : Should be a powerful wines, more long finish than the other two. May be it is a cold day, I cannot much notice the very elegant and long lasting aroma and bouquet of Margaux wines. May be it is also too early to drink that time. Looking to buy some older vintage of it while have bought some bottles of 2001 vintage. Euro 31. Lunch at the Château Cordeillan-Bages, Michelin 2 star restaurants. It is an attractive 18th century mansion converted into a hotel and restaurant, a member of Relais & Châteaux. I do recommend to go there for lunch and the price for set lunch is around Euro 100. The food and services is much better than the Le Jules Verne restaurants in Eiffel Tower that I have been there for lunch the other day. The cuisine is of a patchwork "molecular". One dish impressed me most is the "blonde d'Aquitaine" beef fillet steak is wrapped in glassine paper with burned grape tree branch inside. Second station : Chateau Lafite, need no introduction. For me, my impression of the Chateau is not so charming and grand than others ie Chateau MargauxI, Pichon longueville... Their high price is more or less because they are only using brand new French Oak barrels, of course you need to pay for the peacockish goodwill. That also why I am eager to visit there for my first time in Bordeaux. We have tasted the Lafite 95, (why not the one in 17the century at their private cellars? Just kidding, LOL). Unique character, Elegant and long lasting. Since the wheather is quite cold, my palate affect a little bit. Third station : Chateau Lynch Bages, a well know name. It is a quite interesting tour to Lynch Bages since it has a wine making museums that you will learn how the wines produced in the old days. Of course, they are using modern machines especially a caps sealing machines that will hold the wines vertically to avoid wines stick along the cork sides. Also one thing is that they blend the wines before go into the barrels that is different with Lafite and Rauzan Gassies. Nowadays, the estate has been largely managed by the owner Jean-Charles Cazes grandson, Jean-Michel Cazes. It is also my great pleasure that Jean also come to talk with me during my visits when his colleagues inform him that my visits. According to Jean, the label of the second wines Château Haut-Bages Averous will change to Echo from 2008 onwards since Echo means SECOND sound. We have taste the Lynch Bages 2001 and Haut-Bages Averous 01. Lynch Bages : cedar, vanillin, and blackberry flavor. Since in a rush visit and the bottles just open, so it will be better to taste it after more time dacanting. Haut -Bages Averous : minerals taste and cassis. The 2000 vintage bottles that I have taste before this trip is more memorable. Please find some photos for this trip in the following facebook link and please excuse that I am not a professional photogragher. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=11655&id=100000243541085&l=dd97dd1fab    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic One day in Bordeaux by cigarman168

  
  

• March 2010

  Glad to hear you are from the North County, Zufrieden, and congratulations on Norway's 50K freestyle victory. GDP was wondering why I would be in Wyoming, loving wine, and how hard it must be. In truth, for one thing... four months of cross county skiing locally. We are pretty... Read moreGlad to hear you are from the North County, Zufrieden, and congratulations on Norway's 50K freestyle victory. GDP was wondering why I would be in Wyoming, loving wine, and how hard it must be. In truth, for one thing... four months of cross county skiing locally. We are pretty lucky here, as these conditions are unusual in the States. I hope to get to Norway to try the Birkie some day. I've skied the American Birkebeiner (Cable, Wisconsin) once. Meanwhile, I continue to mail-order wines I can't find locally (only 500,000 people in Wyoming).    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Nordic wine lover by schellbe

  
  

• March 2010

  I think you need to spend some time trying a number of versions of a given type of wine (e.g. Burgundy, Loire, Zinfandel or whatever) in order to learn its style and ageing characteristics. I've actually become confused (and broke) by all the different types and regions of wines, so... Read moreI think you need to spend some time trying a number of versions of a given type of wine (e.g. Burgundy, Loire, Zinfandel or whatever) in order to learn its style and ageing characteristics. I've actually become confused (and broke) by all the different types and regions of wines, so I have decided to cut back on my still broad list of wine types I wish to collect. But still, it is a balance between experimenting and depth of knowledge. I've decided to forego most South American, Spanish and Australian wines, but I am still looking for interesting new and unfamiliar (to me) wines from southern Italy, New Zealand, Greece, Austria and France. But I would love to try a Hunter Valley Semillion, or a Pinot Noir from Patagonia, if I could find one. These choices, of course, reflect my fairly developed taste preferences.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic I feel like I "MUST" drink a... by schellbe

  
  

• February 2010

  Hi Amy and welcome! Might I offer another suggestion? It's good to learn whatever you can. But the more I taste the more I believe that it's not that easy, and perhaps it's not even possible, to define a "true" flavor profile for a variety. The idea of looking at specific... Read moreHi Amy and welcome! Might I offer another suggestion? It's good to learn whatever you can. But the more I taste the more I believe that it's not that easy, and perhaps it's not even possible, to define a "true" flavor profile for a variety. The idea of looking at specific varieties is very much an American approach. In Bordeaux, it is illegal to name the varieties on the bottle, so how do you ever know what a "true" cabernet sauvignon taste is like? There, you will mostly be tasting blends of the cab family. Some are siblings, some are parent/child, but varietal labeling is American or a "new world" approach. We get used to cabernet sauvignon from the West Coast of the US and such, but the flavors aren't necessarily any more true to the grape than they'd be from anywhere else. So you must keep in mind that if you try a number of them, you're learning what cab sauv tastes like from that area. If you try a light-bodied 12 pct alcohol cab with no oak treatment, it's outside the realm of cabs that most people have tasted in their lives and they wouldn't recognize it, but the fact is, it's every bit as true to the variety as any other version. Maybe more so. Same happens with pinot noir. Is the "true" expression of the grape the one you get in New Zealand's Marlborough region, or in parts of Burgundy or something like Brian Loring's CA version? Actually they're all identifiable once you taste them enough, but you'd never know they're the same grape unless someone told you. Yet they're all true expressions of the grape. Try it. Get an inexpensive Burgundy by Jadot. Then try something like Sherwood or Palliser or Oyster Bay from New Zealand. Then get one from CA - Gallo actually had some decent cheap ones like MacMurray Ranch or Anapamu. Beaulieu Vineyard, or BV, makes a number of wines and they're all pretty good versions of what happens in Napa or CA. None is necessarily more or less "true". Ditto chardonnay. And don't limit yourself to the US or west coast. How do you find good sangiovese? There is some - Luna, I think Palmina, Leonetti and others, but you need to try Rosso di Montalcino and various versions from Italy, and why not Argentina or Australia too? One problem people have is that they try one from one area and then decide that's the "correct" version. So people who call themselves "purists", which is a code word for close-minded, might scoff at tempranillo from Australia or Washington, or nebbiolo from New Zealand or Argentina, because those won't taste like they do in Spain or Italy. And because they don't taste the same, one simply has to make an arbitrary decision as to which is actually the "true" version. In fact, they all are, whether or not they taste anything like each other. In the end, I think it's simply impossible to taste and understand every grape because there are thousands and Americans only talk about a few dozen. So my suggestion is not to limit your search to benchmark wines that tell you what a grape is supposed to taste like. Instead, also look for good wines that are representative of a winery, an area, a style, etc. You can learn what graciano tastes like in a specific region. But very few people in the world bottle it on it's own and you're unlikely to come across it that way. However, there is something somehow that distinguishes many wines from Rioja, and you can learn that, rather than the varieties in the blend. Here's another thread on a related subject: http://www.snooth.com/talk/topic/cabernet-franc-2/ Happy hunting! PS - pallet is what they load the boxes on, palate is what's in your mouth!    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic true to varietal recommendations by GregT

  
  

• February 2010

  I think one of the ways they're hurting themselves is the same way the Americans are hurting themselves - continually shooting for ultimate experience, which may disappoint. For example, in Chateauneuf du Pape, traditionally many of the wineries maybe were not so clean, maybe they... Read moreI think one of the ways they're hurting themselves is the same way the Americans are hurting themselves - continually shooting for ultimate experience, which may disappoint. For example, in Chateauneuf du Pape, traditionally many of the wineries maybe were not so clean, maybe they blended grapes from various sites, maybe the winemaking wasn't precise. OK. Cleaning the wineries, that is good. But now you have some producers who are making a luxury wine. Perhaps it is a selection of their best grapes or perhaps it is a single plot. And of course, the American critics will rave about it and the price will be very high. Other producers don't do this. I believe that Senechaux, for example, has refused to make an exclusive bottling, preferring to blend their wines as they always have. Which approach expresses their terroir? In America it is the same. I could make many bottles and sell them for $30, but instead, I decide to take the juice from the vineyard on my right side and I will call that a special bottling and will sell it for $120. And also the vineyard on my left. Now I have several small productions, each priced very high, rather than one large production, priced more reasonably. This is happening all over - Spain, Italy, etc. But in the US, France is still the prestige wine, so as soon as an area becomes better known, the prices go up. Chateauneuf used to be the place for inexpensive, fun and fruity wines. I still think that is what garnacha does best. But today those wines are very expensive. The Languedoc however, makes many delicious wines that are very inexpensive. They don't do a good job of promoting themselves however. As a result, when Americans think of France, they think of the expensive well-known regions and don't know about the very good and very affordable wines that are made throughout the country.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic French Wine = Confusion by GregT

  
  

• February 2010

  Dear Katieellen, yes French wines at first are confusing just for the reason that you mentioned and a few more. The wines have distinct character depending on the region they are from. Each region has its own rules about which grapes are allowed and about what production quantities... Read moreDear Katieellen, yes French wines at first are confusing just for the reason that you mentioned and a few more. The wines have distinct character depending on the region they are from. Each region has its own rules about which grapes are allowed and about what production quantities are allowed for different wines within the regions hierarchy of wines. And the wine production in France is a vast enterprise. The Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, AOC for short (roughly translated, "Names of controlled origin", defines the over 300 name designations. See the list on wiki here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Appellation_d'Origine_Contr%C3%B4l%C3%A9e_wines But these are also sub regions within the main regions, which are more familiar: Bordeaux Burgundy Beaujolais Loire Rhone Languedoc-Roussillon Southwest Provence Jura Champagne etc. I think in the beginning the American producers decided for marketing, or other reasons to simplify their wines by naming them after a grape, thus: Cabernet Sauvignon Pinot Noir Merlot Chablis Chardonnay etc. But you can roughly equate these grapes to some main regions in France at least these two for example: Bordeaux=Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot Burgundy=Pinot Noir for starters, so by producing wines with these two grapes, America was able to capture at least the two main dominant regions of France. Now most French regions authorize many different varietals, so the producers have more tools to play with as far as producing interesting wines each year. So for example Chateauneuf du Pape authorizes the most different varietals of any AOC with actually 18, so these wines are frequently quite interesting blends and very accessible to newbies for French wine (I like to break people in on French wine with a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape!). In spite of the challenge and guaranteed, nobody, NOBODY, knows everything there is to know about French wine, look at it instead as a never ending journey of discovery into a culture that is very committed to producing excellent wines at every price point and with the AOC system at a certain level of quality/price assurance. So take the plunge and just pick a bottle from one of the regions that you can afford and then just keep at it. Notice that on snooth there are French wine groups for the main regions, so select them and just read a little about the main regions. There are good summaries about the regions wines on each of the wine reviews, so take a look at that. In spite of the drastic price inflation on some of the top names in French wines, the ordinary wines are usually the product of solid craftsmanship and offer excellent price value relationship and good drinking experience, so don't be especially afraid to experiment, usually you will have a good result. And don't hesitate to ask your snooth friends about suggestions for pairing French wines with your favorite recipes, you will get a lot of feedback. cheers, Dirk    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic French Wine = Confusion by dirkwdeyoung

  
  

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