A Riesling Rumble Down Under

Okay, there’s no doubt about it; Riesling is the best white wine grape in the world – period.  It can be made in any style, from bone-dry to unctuously sweet, and it can work wonders in every mode.  It transfers the qualities of the vineyard where it’s grown with great fidelity.  It has aroma, body, texture and, in its best iterations, a thrilling acidity that makes it perfect with food. 

Having lived in Singapore for the last six years, and having a fiancé who cooks superb Asian dishes, I can testify from personal experience that Riesling is the foundational wine for anyone who seeks to pair wine with spicy foods.  The presence of Singapore on the rim of the Pacific basin means that wines from Australia and New Zealand were always prominent on the shelves of wine retailers and grocers, and were often found on restaurant wine lists.  So, both at home and in fine-dining establishments, I grew increasingly fond of the great whites from Down Under. 

So, two Wine Face-Offs this week – one with bottles retailing at about $20, and another for more value-conscious wines in the $10 - $13 range.

I’ll freely admit that the first Face-Off is grossly unfair, as I’m comparing a wine with significant bottle age to one that’s a brand-new release.  Of course, the bouquet on the older wine was more developed.  It’s worth noting that Riesling is practically immortal, and wines with bottle age develop secondary characteristics just as a superb red wine might do. 

One of the most important of these characteristics is an aroma that wine critics refer to as “petrol,” presumably because this sounds a bit more appetizing than saying “gasoline.”  This distinctive scent is part of what makes a mature Riesling an unforgettable experience; trust me, it’s a lot more pleasant than it sounds!

We’ll start with the more expensive bottles…

Heavyweights Duke It Out

Maturity has its advantages...

2009 Craggy Range Fletcher Family Vineyard Riesling (Marlborough, NZ):

Fairly deep color, primarily green with some gold tones.  Petrol!  Lime!  Floral notes!  A big nose, already nicely developed.  Mineral elements as well.  Velvety texture.  Weighty wine.  Tropical fruit flavors, with some grapefruit on the mid-palate and the long finish.  More lime as the wine opened up.  Elegant, but perhaps a touch soft – could use a hint more acid.  A knockout bouquet, with a palate that’s a little less impressive.  ***1/2

A good wine that could use a touch more acidity

2013 Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Riesling (Clare Valley, Australia):  Almost identical color as the Craggy Range – again, with green hues predominating over the gold.  Lemon/lime at first on the nose, which was shy at first; some petrol notes emerge with air.  Later, cotton candy scents, which quickly dissipated and gave way to a much steelier fragrance after a couple of hours.  Later still, mango and tangerine.  More citrus on the palate, with a nice, long finish.  Soft – needs some acid to give this a bit more backbone.  Query: will this take on a bit more weight, and gain further complexity of aroma, with more bottle age?  ***

The initial test foods for this Face-Off were two Thai dishes – vegetables in red curry with rice, and chicken with yellow curry and quinoa.  Both wines matched well, but the softness of both made them lack the element of acidity that would have made them even better partners for the meal.  

There’s a clear winner here; the Craggy Range had more depth, and the fragrance was just superb, exactly what you want from a Riesling with some maturity.  It’s interesting, however, that both wines were a little deficient in terms of acidity. 

Two from the value end of the price spectrum

As for our second Wine Face-Off, the deck is again stacked to some extent, as once again, we have a wine with some bottle age pitted against a much newer release.  Let’s see how this one turns out…

This one leans toward European models

2012 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Riesling (Barossa Valley, Australia):  Normally, I would call this a deep or rich greenish-gold, but it was only medium depth when compared with its opposite number in this Face-Off.  Steely scents, petrol and tropical fruits from the sweeter end of the spectrum on a forthcoming nose.  Some quinine notes and an interesting touch of evergreen emerged later.  Lemon/lime on the palate, followed by grapefruit accents.  Initially quite precise, but lost a bit of focus after two days under Private Preserve gas.  Still a very nice wine.  ***1/2

As far from shy as it's possible to get...

2010 Yalumba “Y Series” Riesling (South Australia):  Deep, vivid yellow-gold.   Big petrol aromas, with brass, and earthy notes that were quite interesting.  This is a big wine, with upfront tangerine flavors.  This isn’t a wine that sneaks up on you – it bursts in through the front door and announces its presence.  Very good of its kind, and excellent value for the money ($11.00 in this case).  Gained a bit of grip and some interesting orange peel scents after two days under gas.  ***1/2

So who wins this one?  At first, the Jacob’s Creek had a bit more cut, and was a more subtle wine.  However, the Yalumba grew on me, especially when I tasted it a second time.  Its exuberance was hard to resist.  This is another case where one wine seems to be hearkening after European models, while the other was vinified in a New World Style.  Both work well, although I’d probably opt for the Yalumba if I were going to buy a second bottle.

In the future, the Voyager will certainly be visiting Rieslings from Germany.  Hopefully, the next time I’m back on the East Coast, I’ll have the chance to make a side trip to the Finger Lakes region of New York, where a number of wineries are making astonishing, world-class Rieslings.  Watch this space!

Wines of the Loire Valley – The Unknown Giant

Here’s my thesis: the Loire Valley is the most underappreciated great wine region in the world. 

The Loire is one of the longest rivers in France, and along its banks are a great collection of fairy-tale castles – and a host of different terroirs.  Apart from Italy, it’s hard to think of many wine-growing areas anywhere in the world where there is more native diversity in both the land and the grapes.  The Loire is a vinous garden, and the wines that are made here are marked by a distinctive grace. 

So why are they largely ignored?  Think about it: when someone mentions French wines, the regions that come immediately to mind are Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley.  Among those who love food-friendly wines, sometimes Alsace will be part of the conversation.  Trendy wine lovers will cite the Languedoc.  The Loire is, comparatively speaking, the poor step-child.  Only real wine aficionados pay attention.  And that’s why this is the latest stop for The Vinous Voyager. 

Readers following the Voyager have probably figured out by now that I’m a fan of wines with class and subtlety.  If I wanted to be hit over the head by a beverage, I’d be drinking something other than wine.  And of course it goes without saying that wine is, 90% of the time, meant to go with food.  Among the cognoscenti, Loire wines have a good reputation on both counts. 

Even so, I approached the project of tasting Loire wines with a bit of trepidation.  Would they be weedy, thin, emaciated little bottles?  Would they pale in comparison with wines of the more modern, fruit-forward style?  I needn’t have worried.  Not a bad wine in the bunch, and some extraordinary tasting experiences. 

A Loire Sampler

We referred earlier to the length of the Loire.  It runs 1012 kilometers (629 miles), and along its length are at least nine major growing areas: Muscadet, Anjou, Saumur, Chinon, Bourgueil, Vouvray, Cheverny, Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume.  Major grapes include Sauvignon Blanc (Sancerre and Pouilly Fume, and also Cheverny – where there is typically a small dollop of Chardonnay added), Chenin Blanc (Vouvray), Cabernet Franc (Saumur, Chinon and Bourgueil), and Melon de Bourgogne (Muscadet); Cabernet Sauvignon even makes an appearance in Anjou. 

I originally picked six wines from this amazing region, hoping to find food-friendly wines with real grace.  Four were outstanding, and two very good.  They were so good that I sought out a seventh bottle (the Domaine de la Chanteleuserie from Bourgueil), and it was also excellent.  Suffice is to say that the Loire Valley has moved to near the top of my list for future travel destinations.

 2011 Les Pensées de Pallus (Chinon, France):  Medium plum.  Expressive nose that evolved wonderfully in the glass.  Sour cherries were the biggest component at first, and remained throughout – but soon, there were deeply earthy elements, followed by rhubarb, coffee, violets and hints of tobacco.  So the real issue comes down to the palate, and this is where American consumers approaching Cabernet Franc will need to adjust their perspective in order to fully appreciate this wine.  This is a bottling that most American critics would describe as “thin.”  It was a great and wonderful thing that, following the so-called “Judgment of Paris” in 1976 (see below), American vintners led the world to a greater understanding of the possibilities of ripeness for wine.  It’s pretty certain, however, that everyone got carried away by this concept; lots of wines became overwhelmed by fruit that carried ripeness to such an extent that wines became monstrous in their dimensions, and no longer served as an accompaniment to food – which, in the eyes of the Voyager, is wine’s greatest purpose in life.  This is a wine with fairly soft tannins, a lighter color than we have grown accustomed to in this era of high extraction (see below), and is quite simply a more subtle animal than we normally expect.  Even I might wish that this had a bit more body -- but you could have a glass or two of this wine with lunch and still have a reasonably productive afternoon in the office, or enjoy sight-seeing on vacation without face-planting somewhere at 3:00 p.m.  Although 2011 was not a truly great vintage for Loire reds, this wine represents many of the things that this grape does well.  It’s sophisticated, and has real class.  It also represents a huge debate in the world of wine within the space of one bottle.  *** ½ - ****

2013 Les Varennes du Clos Sancerre (France):  Most New World Sauvignon Blancs are very pale; this has a much richer green/gold color.  The nose is shy at first, with Granny Smith apples and hay, with some grapefruit notes way in the back.  The grapefruit comes to the fore with air, along with some baked pear aromas.  Rounder than New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs on the palate, with none of the typical NZ tropical fruit flavors.  This is deeper, richer, and much more refined.  Some sweet fruit on the attack, giving way to a pleasant grassiness on the finish.  Much more texture and body than similar wines from New Zealand or California, yet it remains very light on its feet.  You will hear this from the Voyager so many times: balance is what separates the best wines from the also-rans, and this has balance aplenty.  So rich, and only 12.5% ABV (alcohol by volume).  Not a great match with salmon, which brought out a slight tinny note and some aggressive salinity.  Much happier with orzo pasta and mixed vegetables.  I can imagine this pairing nicely when served with chicken in a mushroom and cream sauce – or simplify your life and just pour this with a good artisanal bread.  NZ Sauvignon Blancs, with their stronger fruit attributes, certainly have a place in the world, and the Voyager has enjoyed them on many occasions.  That being said, I could definitely get used to drinking Sancerre on a regular basis if only it wasn’t typically a little steep in price (often $25 - $35).  Happily, I picked this up for $18.98, and it’s a superb value at that price.  **** - ****1/2 

 2012 Domaine Pierre de La Grange Muscadet (Sevre et Maine, Loire Valley, France):  Distinct greenish hue.  Grown near the mouth of the Loire, you can absolutely detect the scent of sea breezes on the nose, along with melon, tropical fruits and definite mineral notes.  After two hours of air, a mince/pumpkin pie aroma emerged.  Very crisp and refreshing.  A perfect summer quaffer on its own, or try it with peeled shrimp with a spritz of lemon.  ***

2012 La Vigne Des Sablons Vouvray (Loire Valley, France):  Medium yellow/gold.  Honey and wildflowers on the nose, with some freshly-mown hay and even a touch of minerality underneath.  Honey on the attack, sweet fruit stays through the mid-palate, and then gives way to the faintest trace of grapefruit on the finish, which is fairly long.  I freely admit that I’m still experimenting as far as matching Vouvray with food; on this occasion, I gambled a bit and tried it with a medium-spicy Indian dish – chicken with biryani rice.  It worked rather well; not, perhaps, the seamless match that a dry Riesling might have been, as the wine was actually a trifle more powerful than the food – but still, it worked.  There is almost always a touch of sweetness with young Vouvray; more mature bottles seem to become drier, “eating their sugar” with age.  The fact that I don’t really mind this slightly sweet aspect marks one of the ways in which my tastes have changed over the years.  This is a very nice wine.  ***1/2

2012 Domaine du Salvard Cheverny (Loire Valley, France): Pale gold; the gold is attributable, I suspect, to the 15% of this wine that is Chardonnay, which is otherwise dedicated to Sauvignon Blanc.  Definite grassiness on the nose – almost New Zealand in character.  The aromas are a bit shy for now.  Tropical fruits comes forth as the wine gets a bit of air.  Nice, crisp acidity – all Sauvignon Blanc here, with no trace of Chardonnay on the palate.  A good match for food – in this case, some mildly-spiced Tandoori chicken with western veggies.  Pleasant, and, as an English wine writer might put it, “more-ish.”  ***

2012 Domaine de la Chanteleuserie Bourgueil (Chinon, France):  Medium plum.  Often, critics refer to certain wines as “perfumed.”  Well, this surely fits in that category.  Big aromas of cherries (on the sweeter side here), and wildflowers.  Deeply earthy scents underneath.  With air, some vanilla and mulberry notes, as well as Asian spices, make themselves known.  Crisp acidity.  Dried cherry flavors on the palate, with some mineral elements as well.  Cola notes on a nice, long finish.  Another positive statement on behalf of the elegance of Cabernet Franc.  ***1/2 - ****

2012 Alexandre Monmousseau Clos de Vigneau Vouvray (Loire Valley, France):

Rich golden color.  Bring the glass to your nose and it’s like walking into a mountain meadow that’s teeming with wildflowers – especially huge honeysuckle scents.  There’s also a steely minerality in the background, and, with air, some hints of Golden Delicious apples.  Taken together, this wine has a fabulous bouquet.  Then we get to the texture, which is a mix of satin, cream and velvet.  Add in the fact that it’s a lovely match with food (I tried this with both salmon sushi and curried chicken), and you have something very special indeed.  Sweetness on the attack, but the long finish has a drier aspect.  Superb.  ****1/2; give it a decade of bottle age and you might have a five-star wine.   

The Judgment of Paris: In 1976, English wine critic and merchant Steven Spurrier hosted a competition in which he pitted several of the top-ranked French wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy against their rivals from the finest wine-growing regions in California.  The wines were judged by some of the best-known French wine critics of the day, and were served blind – i.e., the judges sampled the wines without knowing the producer, or where they were from.  Everyone expected bottles from the French vintners to blow the American wines out of the water – but the opposite turned out to be the case.  The California wines came out on top in this particular test.  The ultimate result of the tasting was not so much to prove that California wines were better than those from France – but rather that the world of wine was wider than anyone had previously thought, and that wines from the New World deserved consideration as among the elite.  Subsequently, wine critics began to pay serious attention to bottles from around the globe, and winemakers from all over the earth began to learn from one another.  Now, we take for granted the idea that good wine is grown all over the planet, but before 1976, this wasn’t so apparent.  Those of us who love the endless variety available to us on the shelves of wine merchants owe a huge debt to Steven Spurrier, who truly changed the vinous world forever.  If you’re interested in learning more from Spurrier, see his monthly column in the outstanding UK wine magazine Decanter.

Wine Word of the Day: Extraction:  During fermentation, the skins of crushed grapes spends time with the juice of the grapes in a process called maceration.  Wine gets its color and tannin from this contact with the grape skins.  Some vintners wish to extract every bit of color, tannin and flavor, and thus leave the skins in the fermentation vats for a longer period of time.  The skins naturally float to the top of the fermenting grape juice (a/k/a “must”), and form what is called the cap.  Some vintners punch down the cap, either manually, or using a wooden or metal lattice, to submerge the cap into the must.  So extracting all those qualities is a good idea, right?  Well, sometimes – but it’s also possible to get too much of a good thing, especially tannin.  Occasionally, winemakers get carried away, and by over-extracting, produce wines that are unbalanced and heavy-handed. 

Great under-$20 Cabernet Sauvignons – The Hunt Yields Fruit!

Since the 1990’s, Americans have increasingly turned to Chile for fine wines at reasonable prices.  Cabernets from the Maipo Valley were among the first Chilean bottles to make an impression in El Norte.  After 2000, drinkers in the USA discovered a similar font of lovely wines from Argentina, including and especially Malbec.  Knowledgable consumers soon realized that they could also find good-value Cabs in Argentina as well.  This week, the Voyager pits a Chilean Cabernet with a long heritage against a newcomer (at least to these shores) from the other side of the Andes Mountains.  The result is a Wine Face-Off (see below) presenting two eminently satisfying wines that can segue from the tail-end of the barbecue season to the beginnings of winter, when heavier meals will be coming off of our hearths.

Two South American Heavyweights Battle For Our Consumer Dollars...

A distinguished old firm keeping its standards high

2011 Cousiño Macul Antiguas Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon (Maipo Valley, Chile):  Cousiño Macul is one of the oldest wineries in Chile, dating back to the nineteenth century. When I came across them in the late 1980’s, bottles from Cousiño were among those that formed my impression of the possibilities for Chilean wine. It’s heartening to see that the good work continues!  This bottling has a medium garnet color.  This is one of those releases that is a textbook example of how wine can evolve after popping the cork.  The nose is quite reserved initially, with some vanilla and red berry showing through.  At first, it was a bit astringent on the palate, but softened considerably after more than an hour in the glass.  What was a bit austere and unrewarding grew into a lovely, drinkable wine, which also gained a bit of density with air.  The red berry aromas persist, but are joined by notes of beef and chocolate over time.  Darker tones on the palate two hours after pouring, including an interesting graphite quality.  When I say that a woodsy scent joins the chorus still later, I’m not talking about oak, but rather an intriguing forest scent.  A nice mix of elegance and power – a very pleasurable wine if you’re patient enough to cellar it for a year or decant.  ***1/2 - ****

I'd never encountered this until recently, but it's serious juice...

2010 Lamadrid Single-Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendoza, Argentina):  Lamadrid is a new name to me, but it’s garnered a couple of favorable notices recently in publications I read on a regular basis, so I decided to check it out.  Dark garnet.  Mint/eucalyptus at first on the nose, which gave way to an almost Port-like aroma later – a bit more overt alcohol, iodine and a darker fruit profile.  Attractive blackberry and dark fruits dominate the palate.  More mass than the Cousiño, but excellent balance prevents the wine from tasting heavy or crass.  Real depth here – serious wine.  Would be interesting to revisit in a year or two.  ***1/2 - ****

So who triumphs?  Another Wine Face-Off with no loser.  Based on intrinsic quality alone, I would probably buy the Lamadrid, even though there were moments when the nose went all over the place, not quite matching the seamlessly balanced flavors.   Despite this slight disjunction, it leapt to the fore when first poured.  Yet, the Cousiño Macul is a bit less expensive, and melded together into greater elegance after being opened for over two hours.  Truly, you can’t go wrong here; both are fine wines, and worthy candidates in the search to find a superb Cab for under $20…

So what is a Wine Face-Off?  In an attempt to further refine the manner in which I evaluate wines, I came up with the idea of, from time to time, tasting two similar wines at the same time, with the same food, to see which one emerges with an edge.  I first did this with Mâcon-Villages (see the previous post, Mano a Mano in Mâcon), and found it a useful tool to gauge exactly what I’m looking for in wines from a particular category.  Since I always preserve the wines for at least a night or two, I try to open them again and re-taste both at the same time – again with the same dish (although typically something different than I served the first time around).  I hope you’ll find the result of Wine Face-Offs useful when making your purchasing decisions.