Friday, January 8, 2016

France vs. California (& Washington): A Comparative Tasting

This past November I had the pleasure of conducting a wine tasting with food pairings at a friend's home as the result of a silent auction for charity to benefit the Peasant Association of Fondwa in Fondwa, Haiti.  I donated the wine and my services; Dick and Julie "won" the wine tasting with the highest bid.  They hosted the event, and invited a small group of friends to partake in a delightful evening of fun, food and conversation about wine.

I decided to do a taste comparison of Old and New World wines, highlighting the differences between French wines and their analogues in California (and one from Washington state).  It's always important in these kinds of comparisons to choose wines of similar varietals and price points, so that no one wine has an unfair advantage over the other.  I did have some trouble finding a Bordeaux style blend from California at the same price point to put up against the Bordeaux selection, and in the end the best I could come up with was a Washington blend.  Apart from that, all paired wines were of the same varietal and price point.

Opinion seemed to be split between the Sauvignon Blancs, though both were enjoyed by all.  The Louis Jadot Pinot Noir turned out to be a disappointment, whereas the River Road Pinot Noir was a clear favorite and overall winner.  It should be said that Louis Jadot produces wines that run the gamut from everyday affordable quaffs to super deluxe gems that will break your bank account.  The upshot here is that for about $20 there are a lot of very good and interesting Pinot Noirs from around the world to choose from and that this particular Louis Jadot is not one of them.

The Bordeaux selection offered up the most complex and persistent bouquet testifying to the region's long tradition of high quality wines that have become the standard bearer among many wine connoisseurs. That said, I found it telling that no one in the group (besides myself, of course), had ever sampled a Bordeaux wine before.  What this says to me is that nowadays the wine consumer in the US enjoys such a wide variety of options in terms of price, origin and style, that there is no single dominant region or "brand" which said consumer aspires to.  Furthermore, American wine producers have made great inroads in the purchasing habits and tastes of the American consumer without compromising quality, as was shown by this tasting. Try such a comparison yourself and see if you don't agree!

  1. Bougrier Sauvignon Blanc 2014
                          

Varietal: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Classification/Region: Vin de Pays, Val de Loire, France

Production/Tasting Notes: Characteristic aromas of grapefruit and minerals; notes of lime on the palate supported by undertones of flint, apple blossoms, passion fruit;bright acidity; crisp, clean finish.

Website: Bougrier.fr

Food pairings: shellfish, poached seafood; goat cheese

12 % alcohol

2. Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc 2013


                              joel gott sauvignon blanc california 2011

Varietal: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Monterey, Lake County, Napa Valley, Sonoma

ProductionTasting Notes: 100% stainless steel fermentation and aging; bright citrus notes complemented by tropical aromatics; refreshing flavors of melon, Meyer lemon on the mid-palate; long, clean finish

Website: gottwines.com

Food pairings: tapas; grilled fish; seafood; shellfish
13.9 % Alcohol

3. Louis Jadot Pinot Noir 2011

                             

Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir

Classification: Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée Bourgogne

Production/Tasting Notes: Fruit fro, Côte d'Or, Côte Chalonnaise; age in French oak for 9 months; aromas of plums, raspberries, cherries;fresh fruit on the palate; balanced acididty, smooth tannins on the finish

Food pairing: roast chicken, pork or grilled fish

12.5% Alcohol


  1. River Road Pinot Noir 2014

                     

Varietals: 100% Pinot Noir

Region: Sonoma County

Production/Tasting Notes: Bright harmonious notes of cherry, wildberry, plum and spice; notes of dusty earth and sweet smoke; wisp of cardamom at end of bouquet; bright cherry fruit up front on the palate with sweet plums, soft oak and vanilla flavors long, soft, spicy finish w/ blackberry jam lingering.

Website: riverroadvineyards.com

Food pairings: roasted duck; swordfish

13.3% alcohol

  1. Montfort-Bellevue Médoc Cheval Quancard 2012

                        
                 

Varietals: 45% Merlot; 40% Cabernet Sauvignon; 15% Cabernet Franc (label);
40% Merlot, 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc (website)

Region: A.O.C. Médoc (Bordeaux)

Production/Tasting Notes: Six months aging in oak barrels; aromas of cedar, spice, blackfruit, kirsch, cherry, burnt wood; elegant, ripe blackberry and soft creamy cassis laden fruit with ripe tannins; well-balanced, hint of toast; smooth, lengthy aromatic finish.

Website: chevalquancard.com
Food pairings: roast or grilled red meat, delicatessen and hard cheese.

13 % alcohol

  1. Kamiak Rock Lake Red 2012

                                

Varietal: 53% Syrah, 44% Merlot; 3% Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Columbia Valley, Washington

Production/Tasting Notes: 16 months aging in French and American oak barrels; aromas of smoked anise, violets, rose petals and cherry with hints of juniper berry; soft and silky with flavors of bright fruit with black pepper; firm tannins with a lingering plum finish with spicy oak notes

Website: kamiakwines.com

Food pairings: grilled red meats; hard cheeses

13.8% alcohol

The Five “S’s” of Tasting:

1) Seeing; 2) Swirling; 3) Sniffing; 4) Sipping; 5) Savoring

What Does “Well-Balanced” Mean? F-A-T-A:

Fruit; Acidity; Tannins; Alcohol

Wine Quote:

“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food and well-aged, refined wines on the lees.”

Isaiah 25:6

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