Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Wine Dinner à la Bourguignonne

 Following a delay of many months, a long-planned wine dinner among a small gathering of old and new friends finally took place recently on a warm Saturday evening in Mt Airy.  The host, a wine enthusiast who's attended a number of my wine tasting classes over the years, featured an array of white and red burgundy wines (to which he is unabashedly partial), accompanied by a movable feast of French cheeses, shrimp cocktail, ripe, juicy Jersey tomatoes, rice and rack of lamb, topped off by a decadent selection of pastries and chocolates with a pour of a local Pennsylvania ice wine.

                                    


We started off at the home of the host's neighbor with the two white Burgundies: a 2018 Puligny-Montrachet from the Domaine Vincent Bachelet and a Premier Cru Chablis from the Vignoble Dampt.

The Puligny-Montrachet is produced at the family estate in Chassagne-Montrachet in the Cote de Beaune region of Burgundy where Vincent established in 2007 his portion of the original 4th generation estate of 100 hectares which was divided among him and his brothers.


This 100% Chardonnay exudes a particular aroma of tropical fruit, notably pineapple, along with hints of white flowers and orange zest, which carries onto the palate supported by a touch of minerality and bright acidity.  The mouthfeel is full, enveloping and expressive; the finish is long and persistent.  The host was a little surprised at how fruity the wine came off, more than he had recollected from previous tastings.  What is especially notable about the wines of Burgundy, which, with a few exceptions, are produced from just two varietals  (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir), is that the expression of the same grape in the same region can vary widely depending on the particular terroir, appellation, and even vineyard, sometimes referred to as lieu-dit or locality.  This is especially evident in the Chablis we tasted next.  

The Chablis region is the northernmost wine district of the Burgundy region, and because of the somewhat cooler climate, the wines are typically less fruity, more acidic and more minerally, or even "steely" or "flinty". This is why I am especially fond of Chablis (not to be confused with imitations you may have come across growing up years ago when French wine designations were commonly appropriated by unscrupulous wine makers in California and elsewhere).  Chablis is also generally only slightly oaked, if at all.

The 2018 Premier Cru Chablis we sampled was from the Mont-de-Milieu vineyard holding of Vignoble Dampt, another family estate that goes back generations and has earned a special HVE (Haute Valeur Environmentale) certification that recognizes its sustainable farming practices.  I should add that it is a very good value at just $37 a bottle as fine Chablis are often priced much higher.

                                





Once we had our fill of the Puligny-Montrachet and Chablis, we moved next door to the host's abode to begin tasting the red Burgundies, starting with the 2016 Pommard from the Domaine Denis Carré which was established rather recently for Burgundian standards in 1975 and now encompasses 13 hectares over eight appellations.  The estate is managed by Denis' children Marial and Gaetane, and produces 12 different wines from sustainably farmed and hand-harvested vines.

                                    


The Pommard is made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes grown in clay and limestone soil.  Aromas of ripe red cherries and currants dominate in this finely structured and richly textured wine underlined by complex spice notes. For those not familiar with fine Burgundies, what stands out among these highly reputed wines is their depth and complexity that exude layers of aromas, flavors and textures, opening up over a couple of hours to full expression.  I often make the point in my classes that Pinot Noir has the widest spectrum of taste profiles of virtually all varietals, depending on the particular country, region and terroir.  In the Burgundy region, these differences are generally much more nuanced within its particular style, honed to a fine art over centuries of tradition and knowledge of the terroir and wine-making.  Our host was especially exuberant of this Pommard.

The second red Burgundy we sampled to be paired with the grilled rack of lamb was a 2018 Chambolle-Musigny from the Domaine Anne et Hervé Sigault, a small 7-hectare estate in existence for 4 generations where 50-60 year-old vines are hand-harvested in a mix of village and premier cru vineyards.

                                        

Fermented with indigenous yeasts, this ruby-colored, medium-bodied wine features tart berries, red fruit and flowers on the palate with bright acidity and a lingering finish.  This one may have been my favorite of the evening along with the Chablis.  These wines don't come cheap (the Chambolle-Musigny topped out the evening's selections at $70); that's why it's a great idea to share with friends to cover the costs -  and what's better than bringing wine and friends together, especially in these difficult times.

To pair with the scrumptious array of dessert pastries, tarts and chocolates, one of the guests brought along a locally produced ice wine - Vidal Blanc from J. Maki Winery in Elverson, PA
                                



This viscous, sweet - but not too sweet  - dessert wine boasts lovely fresh peach and apricot flavors and can also be paired with fresh fruit and cheese.  Although I had heard of J. Maki winery - I grew up near Elverson, but long before any wineries were established there -, I believe this was the first ice wine of theirs that I had tasted, and I was duly impressed.  Even for those who shun sweet wines, I highly recommend laying aside this prejudice and give a fine ice wine or, a Sauternes-style dessert wine a whirl -  you may be surprised by new flavor sensations!

A hearty thanks goes out to our grand host Carroll, who selected and purchased the wines at the Princeton Corkscrew Wine Shop and prepared the perfectly grilled lamb, along with the accompaniments; Will, who hosted round one at his home for the white wines; Mike, who, brought the J. Make Ice Wine; and last, but not least, Linda and Mary, who moderated the conversation to a civil level.  A delightful time was had by all!








Sunday, August 8, 2021

Wine Tasting & Dinner By the Shore - a Recap

After a hiatus of almost 2 years due to some virus pandemic thing you may have heard about, a group of friends gathered by the Jersey Shore the other weekend for another in a semi-regular series of wine tasting dinners for which I select and present the wines.  This time I made selections from my own wine cellar, some of which had been previously earmarked for previous tastings that never materialized for some reason, and others which I just thought would be a delightful, cool and refreshing treat for what turned out to be a perfect summer day by the sea.

We started off appropriately with a bubbly from the Loire region of France sourced from Cabernet Franc grapes - a "blanc de noir" as it were, that is, a sparking white wine made from red-skinned grapes.  (The juice is extracted from the grapes with no maceration with the skins.)  This was quite a hit among the group, and I must say that the "Crémants" of France (sparkling wines from outside of Champagne) are often a very good deal in which you can avoid paying exorbitant prices for highly touted Champagnes.  This particular sparkler was in the $20 price point.

The theme of the tasting was actually "A Trip Around the World" and so we continued our exploration with wines from Portugal, Argentina, France, New York State (Finger Lakes) before bringing it all back home to Pennsylvania.  According to consensus, pretty much every one was a winner, although there were certainly favorites among the imbibers.

Most of the wines were around $20 or less, but the Saperavi, a special cuvée that is aged for 18 months and then cellared for a few more months, topped out at around $30.  I've written previously about the winery near Lewisburg that produces this Georgian-grape wine. https://phillywineguy.blogspot.com/2018/10/ It's definitely worth a visit if you're up in the region.

Cheers to a (halting) return to normalcy!

  

Du Petit Thuouars Brut Crémant de Loire NV 

 

                                  

Appellation: Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) Crémant de Loire, France

Varietal: 100% Cabernet Franc

Production/Tasting Notes: Méthode traditionelle; aromas of apple, pear, brioche; dry, medium-bodied; delicate bubbles.

Alcohol: 12.5%

 

Herdade do Esporão Monte Velho Branco 2017

                            


 
Appellation: Vinho Regional Alentejano, Portugal

Varietals: 40% Antão Vaz; 40% Roupeiro; 20% Perrum

Production/Tasting Notes: Temperature controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks; membrane filtration prior to bottling; average vine age 17 years; aromas of delicate white stone fruits and lemon; firm, intense on the palate; well-balanced with long aromatic finish

Alcohol: 14.5%

 

Crios Rosé of Malbec 2019

                            

 

Origin: Valle de Uco, Argentina

Varietal: 100% Malbec

Production/Tasting Notes: Hand harvested; sourced from the highest Andean vineyards at 3700 feet; aromas and flavors of strawberry and gooseberry; dry; delicate; balanced palate and crisp finish.

Alcohol: 14.5%

 

D’Autrefois Pinot Noir Reserve 2016 

                                

 

Appellation: IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) Pays d’Oc

Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir

Production/Tasting Notes: 100% aged in oak barrels for 6 months; aromas of cherry, red 

Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir

Production/Tasting Notes: 100% aged in oak barrels for 6 months; aromas of cherry, red raspberry; subtle vanilla and spice notes; medium bodied.

Alcohol: 12.5%

 

Hermann J. Wiemer Gewurztraminer Dry 2017 

                            

 

Appellation: Seneca Lake AVA, New York State

Varietal: 100% Gewurztraminer

Production/Tasting Notes: Hand picked and sorted; whole cluster press; 3-month indigenous yeast fermentation; limited skin contact during fermentation; flowery aromas; hints of fruit and spice distinctive of the varietal; long, vibrant finish.

Alcohol: 12.8%

 

Fero Saperavi 2017 

                                


 
Origin: Lewisburg, Susquehanna Valley, Union County, Pennsylvania

Varietal: 100% Saperavi

Production/Tasting Notes: 18 months aged in oak; primary grape of the Republic of Georgia; extremely dark grape skin and juice due to red anthocyanin pigment; fragrant, fleshy, grapey, floral; creamy vanilla; faintly herbal meaty notes; moderate acidity; long finish.

Alcohol: 13%