Every wine is different
As I said in my last Potpourri column (see 2011’s Wine Potpourri Part I), I’m able to fit most of the bottles I like into various themes. But there are some that I’ve been unable to shoehorn into tidy cubbyholes. Many are tasted too soon after a column about similar wines. Others require a delay to allow importation into the U.S. of the current vintage. A few even occupy the niche of true oddball without compare.
What follows are notes on some of my favorite sample bottles, not easily categorized, that I’ve tasted over the past several months. I focus on the wine’s ability to match with spring’s seasonal foods. All of these recommendations hail from European vineyards, many of which may be unfamiliar to the American consumer.
Bubbles are awesome
Let’s start with two sparklers that pair well with appetizers of all stripes. Ideally, Spanish cava should be an inexpensive way to satisfy one’s fizzy-tooth, and the Marques de Gelida Brut Reserve Cava more than fulfills that requirement. Visually a creamy hue of yellow, on the tongue this explodes with citrus zest, ginger, pineapple and ginger ale. It may be a bit sweet for Brut-lovers, but there’s tremendous value in this organically produced bottle.
While at January’s Vino 2011 festivities in New York (see Vino 2011: La Dolce Vita) I also enjoyed Contadi Castaldi’s straw-yellow Franciacorta Saten DOCG, hailing from Lombardy, Italy. Initially this is a bubbling cauldron of dough and lemon zest, but with time the focus shifts to mint, clotted cream, sour apple and yellow pear. The finish is all lime zest, zippy and fun. I should note here that this wine is not yet in general U.S. distribution, but hopefully that will change soon.
Etienne Hugel in Alsace
One of the most fascinating white wines I’ve sampled in some time is Hugel’s Pinot Blanc Cuvee les Amours from Alsace, France, a creamy, golden raisin delight. There’s also a ton of lime zest on the palate, and a bit of refreshing citrus pith on the bright, well-defined finish.
Another fun wine, this one sampled during last year’s epic European journey (see Wine On The Road in Piedmont), is Marziano Abbona’s Viognier Cinerino. Viognier and Piedmont don’t usually roll off the tongue in the same sentence, but this mineral-laced, yellow-apple-focused beauty also boasts honey, white pepper and apricot on the mid-palate. Pears and fresh-cut flowers abound on the steely finish, making this a classically proportioned Viognier from an unusual source.
As for reds, springtime usually means focusing on lighter, less tannic libations. After all, warmer weather leads to an active lifestyle, and heavy red wine can weigh in the gullet.
From the Lombardy area of Italy comes Nino Negri’s brick-red Valtellina Superiore Sassella Le Tense DOCG, a great example of springtime juice. This is 100 percent Nebbiolo and shows typical red and black raspberries at first. The nose then shifts to cedar and cinnamon sugar, and the palate is black cherry, cardamom and allspice, with a black currant finish that’s high-toned but not overly acidic.
Barbara de Miguel, export manager for Bodegas Emilio Moro
Another enjoyable, mid-weight red is Emilio Moro’s Ribera del Duero from Spain, dark red and chocolaty, with black raspberry, prune and cola on the easy-going, relatively light finish. This is a great barbeque wine, something definitely to consider when stocking a spring-ready wine cabinet.
Finally, dessert wines are almost by definition obscure. As with bubbly, the wine world doesn’t drink enough stickies. But this can play to the smart consumer’s benefit, as many of these bottles can be had for very reasonable sums. One such value hails from the Tokaj region of eastern Hungary. If your local wine merchant still stocks the 1999 Pajzos Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos, make sure you snag as much as you can. Already 11 years old, this honeyed masterpiece positively drips cinnamon apple, dried apricot and cling peach through both nose and palate.
As I said in my last Potpourri column, the familiar has the advantage of being, well, familiar. But wonderful surprises wait for those brave enough to sample less categorized alternatives, particularly at transitional times of year. Try one of these spring-ready wines and see for yourself.
WINE ON THE ROAD’S TOURS OF WINE COUNTRY – PIEDMONT AND BURGUNDY IN THE FALL OF 2011
Wine On The Road
Wine On The Road (
www.wineontheroad.com), my wine-focused, luxury touring company, now allows you to join me for the ultimate in wine country experiences with special access to top winemakers and their incomparable wines. Wine on the Road offers intimate, behind-the-scenes wine country tours that combine award-winning wines and exquisite dining and lodging with uniquely local flair and flavor.
I’m initially planning two tours in 2011 to explore Piedmont and Burgundy at the end of October and in early November. Trip details as well as pricing are currently being determined, but planned stops include Gaja and Sottimano in Barbaresco, Domenico Clerico and Fratelli Revello in Barolo, M. Abbona and Pecchenino in Dogliani, J. M. Brocard and Christian Moreau Pere et Fils in Chablis, and Olivier Leflaive, Camille Giroud, Joseph Drouhin and Bonneau du Martray in the Cote d’Or. Take a look at www.wineontheroad.com/tour_piedmont.php for more details.
Another tour being planned for Tuscany in the spring of 2012 will focus on the wines of Chianti Classico and Bolgheri (home of the Super Tuscans). Other trips are in development for Spain, Germany, South America and Spain, and you can also check into booking private groups in wine country world-wide by emailing tour@wineontheroad.com.
To secure your place with me on any of these tours or if you would like more information please email me at benweinberg@wineontheroad.com.
Recommended:
Sparkling
Marques de Gelida Brut Reserve Cava 2006 (Cataluna, Spain) $13
Contadi Castaldi Franciacorta Saten DOCG 2006 (Lombardy, Italy) $TBD
White
Hugel Pinot Blanc Cuvee les Amours 2008 (Alsace, France) $12/375ml
Marziano Abbona Viognier Cinerino 2009 (Piedmont, Italy) $37
Red
Nino Negri Valtellina Superiore Sassella Le Tense DOCG 2006 (Lombardy, Italy) $29
Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero 2007 (Ribera del Duero, Spain) $22
Dessert
Pajzos Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos 1999 (Tokaji, Hungary) $49/500ml
