Just a few feet off the beaten path

Wines from Montelpulciano d' Abruzzo have a zest that's hard to ignore

Italian wines are so hot right now, including the traditional standard-bearers from Tuscany and Piedmont, and moving over to Sicily, which has recently become one of the darlings of the international wine press.  Yet there are also some traditional wines from areas with a millennia or two of wine-making history that still manage to fly just a few feet under the radar.  One such region is Montelpulciano d’Abruzzo.

Wines from this region on the cheaper side (i.e., $10.00 or under) tend to be simple, cheerful and gluggable wines.  They don’t speak of the place where they’re grown, they don’t have much in the way of complexity, and they just don’t take themselves very seriously.  However, just as people who are not all that deep can sometimes have an energy that makes them entertaining to be around, so, too, Montepulciano wines from the lower end of the spectrum can be liberating and fun.  You can check your intellect, and all of your pretensions, at the door and simply enjoy a wine that’s meant to be straightforward and easy-going. 

At its best, however, wines from this region have a bit more to offer.  When I’m in the mood for pizza or pasta, my go-to wine is almost always a Barbera from the Piedmont or a Sangiovese-based wine from Tuscany.  Yet, if you were to offer me a glass of one of the finer Montelpulciano d’Abruzzos, I would accept it quite happily.  The best examples retain that welcoming, cheerful spirit, but also offer something a bit more elevated.

This week's Wine Face-Off brings together two well-regarded wines from the Abruzzo, which is mid-way down the eastern side of Italy's boot, near the Adriatic Sea.  The test dish here was some wheat spaghetti with a roasted-garlic tomato sauce.

An Old World fruit extravaganza

 2013 Poggia Anima Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Italy):  Dark plum.  Red licorice, sour cherries and candied red fruits on the nose, with a streak of steely minerality running through both the aroma and the palate.  By Old World standards, this is a fruit bomb – big, sweet fruit aromas and flavors.  Nice, good with food, well-made.  Maybe just a touch simple and upfront for a wine at the $13.98 price point?  ***

Earthy, rich and altogether an exemplary Montepulciano

2011 Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Italy):  Medium plum.  Dark cherry and earthy aromas.  The earthiness carries through to the palate as well.   More candied fruit elements come to the forefront with air.  Later still, the candied element blows off and is replaced by subtle scents of mushrooms and vanilla.  A bit richer, and more complex than the Poggia Anima.  More interesting with food as well.  As this opens up, the sheer fun of Montepulciano is replaced by – dare I say it? – the authority of something with a slightly more serious purpose.  This bottle comes in at the same price point as the Poggia Anima.  *** ½

Query: is the difference between these two wines due solely to the two additional years of bottle age possessed by the Zaccagnini?  From my experience in the past, Cantina Zaccagnini offers one of the top wines from this region, so I suspect that there’s something about their vineyards and winemaking that is a cut above.  On the other hand, I would be happy to revisit the 2013 Poggia Anima in a couple of years to see if I’m right…

Dry Furmint will be knocking at your door

In terms of both quality and value, Furmint packs a serious punch

Hungary is another sleeping giant in the wine world, unknown to most people for now…but this will change soon, as the giant is beginning to awaken.  Insofar as people know Hungarian wine at present, it is through Tokaji, one of the world’s superb dessert wines.  Tokaji relies on a grape known as Furmint, a significant player in the amazing array of white grapes that most drinkers never encounter.  The latest news from Hungary, however, may lead to greater recognition; in addition to outstanding dessert wines, more and more winemakers are crafting exciting dry wines from Furmint.  At the urging of some colleagues at the wine store where I work, I decided to do a little investigation into these fascinating dry table wines.  How lucky the Voyager is to work next to people who are so generous with their wisdom!

Outstanding wine, outstanding value

2013 Pajzos Tokaj Furmint (Hungary):  Fairly pale greenish-gold, but with very nice clarity.  Lovely nose: some vanilla (oak here? – if so, it’s very well-judged, and fully integrated with the wine), along with green apples overlain with spices from an Italian kitchen – even some oregano.  A touch of honey underneath, with some pear notes as it opened out.  More crisp apples on the palate.  With air, the flavor spectrum moved from green apple to Golden Delicious, and the wine started to remind me just a bit of a good Grüner Veltliner – high praise indeed from the Voyager, who is a huge fan of Grüner. Steely mineral elements also came forward over the course of the evening.  Furmint may even remind some of an unoaked chardonnay, but it has a slightly leaner structure and a spicier lilt.   This is a flat-out wonderful wine – and an incredible steal at $9.98.  It would be a good value even if you paid $15.00 for this bottle.  Seek this out; if it’s not on the shelves of the best wine store in your area, see if it’s handled by a distributor in your state, and ask your retailer if s/he can order it.  ****   (NOTE: after four days under inert gas, this wine revealed even more pronounced honeyed aromas, backed by some lime, a trace of lemon and an interesting quinine scent.  At this point, one might have mistaken it for a light-bodied Riesling Spätlese.  Absolutely delicious. 

Bigger for now; may be better with a year or two of bottle age

2013 Royal Tokaji The Oddity Furmint (Hungary):  Medium yellow-gold color.  At first, one could mistake the bouquet for a good Chardonnay – hay and vanilla from evident oak.  With air, a honeyed aroma came to the fore, along with herbal scents – as with the Pajzos, there is even a hint of oregano here.  Herbal elements repeat on the palate, with green apple as well.  With air, a quinine note on the mid-palate.  Heavier in body than the Pajzos; it feels richer, but perhaps not as finely-etched?  Query: will this develop a bit more subtlety after a couple of years in the bottle?  I wouldn’t bet against it.  A good match with fried chicken, and even better with salmon/avocado sushi.  *** ½ for now, but the Voyager suspects that there is more to come.

Well, here’s another revelation in white wine as we head into the spring.  Both of these wines were quite fine; the Pajzos carries the honors for now, at least for the Voyager, who – as his readers will know – prefers wines of elegance.  However, that being said, it wouldn’t surprise me if, with time, The Oddity might develop into the finer wine.  In any case, dry wines made from Furmint will make their voice heard in the future.  There’s simply too much quality in this varietal for it to remain in the shade.   

Enticing Alternatives to Chianti Classico

Chianti went from the unwanted stepchild of Italian wine in the 1960’s – 1970’s, to one of its darlings in the 1990’s, and this was no accident.  During the 1980’s, growers in Tuscany undertook a massive scientific scheme, in which they identified the best clones of Sangiovese -- their trademark grape varietal -- and re-planted their vineyards with better clones, in better sites.  The result was part of the massive revolution in Italian winemaking during the past thirty years that has catapulted the nation’s offerings into the very front ranks of the earth’s vinous treasures. 

One of the epicenters of this revolution was Chianti Classico, the specific zone in Tuscany that has long been identified as the source of many of the region’s greatest wines.  But there are other bottles that are worth seeking outside of the Classico area.  Here are a few of the Voyager’s favorite Tuscan reds…

The Super-Tuscan Interlude

Beginning in the 1980’s and carrying through to the present day, some vintners decided that they wanted to supplement Sangiovese with so-called international (i.e., French) grape varietals, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.  Some of these wines (e.g., Sassasicaia and Orenellaia) are fantastic…and fantastically expensive.  These days, critics are paying considerably less attention to these so-called “Super-Tuscan” wines, preferring to concentrate on wines made form Italy’s indigenous grapes.  Critical fashions, of course, come and go – but the idea of blending Sangiovese with French varietals is far from dead.  And not all of these wines carry a premium price-tag. 

One of my favorite go-to wines for everyday drinking is the result of a collaboration between American importer Neal Empson and prominent Tuscan winemaker Franco Bernabei.  

Vintage after vintage, this wine delivers outstanding value

2010 Monte Antico Toscano (Tuscany, ITALY):  Medium garnet, some maturity on the rim.  Sour cherries, vanilla, plum and leather on the nose, which is nicely forthcoming.  Sour cherry notes again on the palate, with beefy tastes as well.  Great value, and an excellent match with any southern Italian cuisine.  Very well-made, and an outstanding value that usually retails at $10.00 - 12.00  ***1/2

There’s life in Chianti outside of Classico

There are seven different sub-zones in Chianti, and in Chianti Rufina, there are wines to rival the very best of what the Classico zone has to offer.  Here’s an excellent example that, at the store where I work, retails at $12.98 – and is a steal at the price…

The fragrance here is reminiscent of Bordeaux

2011 Renzo Masi Chianti Rufina Riserva (Tuscany, Italy):  A rather surprisingly dark ruby.  The things I love about Chianti Rufina are all here.  Spicy blackcurrant aromas that remind me a bit of a good Margaux, with an additional element of real earthiness, and even a trace of mint.  That earthy note repeats itself on the palate – you can really taste the soil here.  Despite all this minerality, there’s also an elegance and sophistication to this wine, along with a structure that I find lacking in all but the best Chianti Classicos.  This is a producer whose work I’ve admired for many years, and I’m happy to report that they are still on form in the 2011 vintage.  ***1/2 -- ****

The IGT Revolution

Some Italian winemakers don’t want to be hedged in by the specific requirements of Italian wine laws, and thus make their wines under the generic IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) designation.  Some of these wines are cheap, some are quite expensive, but some come in at a price that occupies the middle ground.  Here’s one that consistently gets critical plaudits and is worth investigating…

Does the wine make the meal, or does the meal make the wine?

2011 Brancaia Tre Toscana IGT (Tuscany, IT): Pale-medium ruby.  Orange rind, sour cherry and stewed tomatoes initially; later, scents of graphite and smoke emerge.  Delicate on the palate, with subtle cherry, vanilla and herbal flavors.  What’s missing here?  There’s a lack of richness, a thin quality, that leaves me wanting more.  I paired it with chicken, which seemed to be an inopportune match.  **1/2 at first; will put this under Private Preserve gas for a couple of days and see what happens. 

And what did happen?

Second note on Brancaia Tre: with a plate of pasta in a lovely red sauce, the wine was transformed.  No longer thin and reedy, it now had the perfect weight.  The fruit in the wine was much brighter, and the harmony between the beverage and the meal was sublime.  Glad I saved some for a second experiment.  I learned many years ago to pair wine with food from its own locality – here’s another confirmation.  Bumped up to *** ½   (The Brancaia Tre should comes in at around $22.00 here in Boulder.)

Mini-Brunellos come out of the shadows

Lastly, here’s a wine that comes from Montalcino. This town is the home of Brunello di Montalcino, one of Tuscany’s most prestigious growing areas.  Brunello is rich, sophisticated, and usually quite expensive.  A less costly alternative is Rosso di Montalcino, which has historically been regarded as the little brother of Brunello.  For years, the wines designated as Rosso di Montalcino were haphazard, and buyers were well-advised to exercise caution.  Now, however, this is a category that is gaining increasing attention from both the producers and the wine press.  Here’s a wine that will give you an excellent introduction to the glory that is Montalcino…

This wine speaks to you in clear terms, and tells you to enjoy...

2012 Il Poggione Rosso di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy):  Pale-to-medium garnet.  Some maturity on the rim.  The nose is loaded with interest: sour cherries, vanilla from old oak (a bit reminiscent of a Rioja), some woodsy aromas and a pleasant hint of the barnyard.  More cherries and dark tea on the palate.  With air, a slightly smoky, flinty, minerally component started to emerge, along with sweeter cherries.  Later still, a suggestion of mushrooms.  This is lovely; it’s so open and inviting that there’s a pronounced wow factor here.  Tried this with both spaghetti in a tomato garlic sauce and a margherita pizza, and it was equally at home with both.  A very good sample of what Montalcino can do; even though it’s fairly light in color, it has great acidity for food, and, despite coming in at 14.5% alcohol, it has excellent balance.  This really is a “baby Brunello.”  ****  (This is another wine in the $22.00 range here in Colorado.)

Query: is California Pinot Noir an oxymoron?

Gold medals from the Golden State?

In the old days, when I was first learning to appreciate fine wine – i.e., the early 1980’s -- it was a common assertion that, with a very few exceptions, most California Pinot Noir was boring; the majority of critics felt that they were obvious, heavy-handed and without merit.  Certainly, those days are long past, and there are now many examples that are worthy of our attention.  Wines from the Russian River Valley, Santa Barbara, the Sonoma Coast and the Santa Rita Hills have all attracted both critical and popular acclaim.

However, there is still an ocean of dull domestic Pinots.  Most everything I’ve tasted in the $15 range has a deadly lack of character -- a sameness that bores me to tears.  Regrettably, I’m forced to advise our customers that they have to go above the $20 point to get real quality.  And I’ll confess that I often steer them to Oregon, as my personal tastes definitely lie in that direction. 

And yet, if you’re willing to go near (or a bit past) the $20 mark, there are some excellent wines on the market that hail from the Golden State.  This Wine Face-Off features two Cali Pinots we’ve been featuring recently at the store where I work, and both are bottlings with a host of virtues…

Big fruit marks this accessible Pinot 

2012 Reatta Three County Pinot Noir (California, USA):  Medium-to-deep ruby.  Open nose of sweet red fruit at first; more candied elements appeared later; the sweetness remains, but deepens.  There’s a darker, slightly woodsy note that comes to the surface after a couple of hours of air.  More ripe, sweet fruit on the palate, especially on the attack.  There’s a long finish here with an initial dirty quality that quickly dissolves into a much more pleasant earthiness.  This is a pretty big Pinot, with some easy-to-understand aspects that make it an understandable favorite amongst our customers.  However, there are also some sophisticated features for those with patience and discernment.  Quite fine, especially for fans of riper styles.  *** ½.   (NOTE: After being preserved under inert gas for one day, more sweet fruit came to the fore, along with an interesting olive note.  Overall, however, the wine was simpler and just a trifle less interesting.)

Here's one that evolved in the glass...

2012 Zepaltas Russian River Valley Pinot Noir (Sonoma, California, USA):  Medium ruby.  The bouquet was initially rather muted; indeed, it was hard to distinguish the difference between this and the Reatta.  With air, however, a very distinct wine emerges.  The nose eventually becomes much darker, with menthol and forest-floor scents rising up.  As with the Reatta, there is also a sweet component.  In its first stages, the finish contained an aspect that, to me, resembled what you would have if you were to somehow distill and refine the candy canes some of us had at Christmastime in our childhood.  This sounds as if it might be cloying, but if you can imagine a truly elegant candy cane liqueur, laced with the scent of evergreens, this wine would be a close cousin.  This is really interesting stuff; not simple, and not easy, but highly worthwhile. ****  (NOTE: after being put under Private Preserve inert gas for one night, a much earthier dimension came into play; the sweeter elements receded in favor of rich soil.  Almost – dare I say it? – Burgundian.  Lovely with a simple chicken dish.  The Voyager recommends decanting this wine well in advance of consumption.)

I’m always happy when I do a Wine Face-Off that has a winner, but no losers.  These are both very fine.  In the end, the Zepaltas is for me the better bottle; it’s subtler than the Reatta, and deeper.  I’m sure that there might be some tasters who disagree with my findings, and put the Reatta on top.  In any case, there is unquestionable proof here that Pinot has found some hospitable environs in CA.  And, as has been proven over the years, Pinot in California’s sweet spots is a different animal than examples from anywhere else.  Viva la difference!

Is Oregon still a vinous orphan?

Considering all the plaudits that have been heaped upon it by the press, one would think that Oregon Pinot Noir would have long since established itself pretty firmly in the mind of the wine-drinking public.  And yet, in my current gig as a salesman at an establishment known for fine wine, I’ve been surprised how many times I’ve been greeted by mild consumer resistance when I’ve suggested bottles from Oregon.  It’s very subtle: a slightly raised eyebrow, accompanied by a few words – “Oregon…  really?”  Although there are a few cognoscenti who come in looking for superb offerings from this area, there is a significant segment of the public for whom fine American wine still means California, no matter what varietal they seek. 

Of course, Oregon is one of the places on the planet where Pinot Noir truly thrives.  More than one Burgundian vintner has set up shop in the Willamette Valley, which should surely be a clue for the rest of us that this is a spot where the grape is supremely well-adapted.  For me, it’s always been one of my go-to spots whenever I’m in the mood for a fine Pinot. 

Since I’m now back in the business of recommending selections for the wine-drinking public, I thought it might be worthwhile to re-visit two of my favorites from the past to see if they’re still worthy.  I’m happy to say that they’re both still offering the goods.

Light in color and body, but oh so elegant

 2010 Maysara Jamsheed Pinot Noir Montazi Vineyard (McMinnville AVA, Oregon):  Pale ruby.  Earthiness dominates here, accompanied by sour cherry notes at first, followed by sweeter cherry scents after it had opened up.  Subtle spice fragrances underneath.  A bit dull on the palate at first, but sweeter fruit emerges after about an hour of air.  Later still, some intriguing floral elements.  I had this wine shortly after its release, and liked it very much.  At present, it’s lost a bit of energy, but is still a lovely, truly elegant Pinot at an attractive price.  NOTE: after one day under Private Preserve gas, the wine yielded a treasure trove of floral aromas, with abundant sandalwood tones.  Ultimately tips the scale at ***1/2.

Structured and rich

2012 Cooper Mountain Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, Oregon):  Medium plum – fairly dark for a Pinot, actually.  Still rather shy on the nose initally.  Some sweet cherry and rhubarb at first.  Opened out to darker scents – even some graphite.  Eventually, big floral notes – especially rose – come forth, along with sandalwood.  Not insubstantial tannic grip on the palate, with more sweet cherry flavors.  Lots of substance here, with the lovely purity that biodynamic wines so often display.  I am normally not the biggest fan of Pinot Noir, unless it’s of very high quality – this is a wine that makes me see why so many people are attracted to Pinot.  ****

So here are two lovely, albeit quite contrasting wines; both good, even if they're at opposite ends of the spectrum.  Oregon is still ground zero for American Pinot, and from what I've tasted, the best is yet to come as the area matures.  

Value Wines – Part I: Sauvignon Blanc

Tangy whites that are worthy of your attention

So the Voyager is back, after an absence of several weeks.  Here’s the ultimate irony: now that I’m back working in the wine trade full-time, I have much less time to drink and write about fine wine.  Like most wine salespersons, I spend as much time schlepping cases around as I do tasting the great stuff or advising customers on the best wine and food matches.  Not that I’m complaining, as it’s great to be working everyday with my colleagues -- who care about fine wine, can talk about it intelligently, and teach me a thing or two in the process – and with our customers, an overwhelming majority of whom are warm, lovely people.

Being back on the floor of a great wine store, I am reminded every day of the three most important letters in the world of wine: QPR – i.e., Quality-Price Ratio.  It’s the Holy Grail in the world of wine; what are the best wines you can drink for the lowest price?  I deal with some customers for whom price is no object, and not a few for whom a high price is a positive status symbol.  For most of the people who walk through our doors, however, getting the most wine for their dollar is crucial.  So, in the weeks to come we’ll take an occasional detour from the road less traveled in order to look at how to get the best bang for your buck when you enter your local liquor store.

What is a value wine?

 

Value, of course, means many different things, depending on who you ask.  For some customers, the sweet spot is in the range of $15 - $20.  It’s relatively easy to help these folks, because there are so many good wines at this price point.   It’s where I do a lot of my personal shopping, so many wines from previous posts on The Vinous Voyager will serve as guides.

For many, however, value is one or two levels down in terms of price.  Some are happy with wines in the $10 - $15 sphere; some ask for good wines below $10.  This is where things get slightly more challenging. 

It’s also where brands become more important.  Large wine companies, with access to many vineyards, and with wine-making facilities that can turn out large-scale production while still maintaining a decent level of quality, are the place where most people interested in the lower price ranges can find what they’re looking for. 

In my view, most of the good, inexpensive wines available in your local merchant cost from $8 - $12.  Below $8.00 and it’s very tough to find real quality; above $12.00, and one begins to encounter resistance from value-hunting customers.  So, for an ongoing series of posts that will highlight value wines, this is the realm in which we’ll focus our investigation. 

Why am I starting with Sauvignon Blanc?  

That’s easy – there are lots of good, inexpensive Sauvignons, and, despite the fact that the temperature in Colorado when I drank these wines was in the single digits – a time of year where we’re supposed to be drinking big red wines -- I happened to be in the mood for the zingy fruit that is the hallmark of this varietal.  Perhaps I was just refusing to let winter get the upper hand.

The hard news for patriotic Americans is that, when searching for the best values, you’re simply going to do better if you turn to bottles from wineries in the rest of the world.  In many other countries, land is less expensive, labor is cheaper, and when you buy wine from a country whose economy is in the dumper, currency exchange rates mean that you’re going to pay less for a bottle that in the USA would be much more expensive. 

Consequently, when looking for good Sauvignon Blanc that wouldn’t break the bank, I chose to go to two reliable sources: New Zealand and Chile. 

The Kiwis come to the fore; Chile isn't only about reds

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is one of the world’s great wine success stories; back in the late 1980’s and early 90’s, consumers in the UK and USA discovered the vivid, lively flavors of Sauvignons from this part of the world.  There’s something about New Zealand’s climate and soils that brings out a distinctive quality in this varietal.  People fell in love, and it’s hard to blame them. 

Meanwhile, at the same time, wine lovers all over the world were discovering the terrific red wines coming out of Chile.  Cabernet and Merlot were the forerunners (even though we later found out that most of what was labeled Merlot in Chile was really another grape altogether, a lovely varietal called Carmenere – subject of a future post).  At the same time, smart vintners in Chile were finding cooler growing conditions for enticing whites; for the most part, Sauvignon Blanc has been the leader, although there are certainly some worthy Chardonnays as well. 

The two Sauvignon Blancs I chose for this particular Wine Face-Off were both from the 2013 vintage, but at opposite ends of the value-wine spectrum: the first from Concha y Toro’s Casillero del Diablo range (a Chilean wine I bought for $7.99 at a local merchant), and, from New Zealand, the Marlborough offering from Villa Maria, a winery I’ve often admired in the past (this one comes in at $11.99, the top end of our value spectrum).  Both were practically identical in color – a pale-medium brassy gold. 

The test dish in this case: chicken curry.  Although there are other whites I prefer with spicy food (especially Riesling and Gruner Veltliner – see previous posts), lots of our customers like Sauvignons with Asian cuisines.  And, truth be told, they’re not off the mark; Sauvignon can be a lovely match with spicy dishes. 

Trying these two wines at the same time—each by itself at first, and then with the same dish – was an instructive exercise.  In any tasting where there were tons of different Sauvignons being compared, the Villa Maria would probably win.  

More flash and dash...

It’s bigger, in just about every way.  It has flashier aromas, including the famed gooseberry commonly associated with whites from NZ.  Some critics refer to this scent as “cat pee;” I cannot personally attest to the accuracy of this term, as I have never spent any time at all investigating the olfactory qualities of feline urine.  It’s also bigger on the palate, with grassy flavors that hit the palate with surprising strength.  A solid *** performer.  (A side note: some wine experts, when tasting Sauvignon Blancs at the same time as red wines, will pour the Sauvignons last – a move that turns conventional wine-tasting wisdom on its head, but that has a definite logic behind it, as the SBs have a flavor profile that can be distinctive and very powerful.)

But does the flashier performer always win?   Perhaps not...

The Casillero del Diablo is by no means a shy wine; it certainly has a degree of power all its own.  It is, however, a more subtle wine.  It has more gentle herbal aromas, and a more elegant palate.  With the Villa Maria, the different elements of the wine stand out from each other – in fact, they rather hit you over the head.  In the case of the Casillero del Diablo, everything melds together in a much more harmonious fashion; ***1/2 here.

Both wines were a decent match for the curry, although the Villa Maria seemed a bit like a fellow, who, upon meeting another man, is determined to prove that he has the stronger handshake.  The Casillero was a very different animal; at first, it might seem like the weaker partner in a relationship, but over time, it would exert its influence in an understated manner, so that it would eventually be recognized as more authoritative. 

Here’s a case where price doesn’t necessarily dictate quality.  I certainly did not feel cheated by paying more for the Villa Maria, but the next time I’m looking for a less-expensive Sauvignon Blanc, I’ll pull a bottle of the Casillero del Diablo off the shelf.