Winophilia

Argentina’s stealth cabernets

Stephen Tanzer — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:36:11 +0000

Veteran Winophilia readers know I'm a fan of cabernet sauvignon from Argentina, where this noble variety exists in the shadow of its hugely popular sibling malbec. When Argentina’s producers dream up expensive icon wines for their wealthiest local and export clients, the luxury bottlings are mostly malbec. Happily, though, Argentine cabernets are both good and affordable. In fact, in the context of cabernet-based wines from California, Washington and Bordeaux, cabernets from Mendoza are a bargain. READ MORE »

In the pink

Sommelier Roundtable — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:27:35 +0000

As we are now coming up on peak rosé season, can you recommend TWO of your favorite examples: one light, crisp and quaffable, the other more hearty and serious. And what kinds of foods do you pair each of them with?

Elise Loehr, Proprietor/Wine Director, F. Scott’s Restaurant & Jazz Bar (Nashville, TN).

Light rosé: Gilbert Cellars Rosé of Mourvedre Columbia Valley (Washington): Think Bandol Rosé American style.

with Baby Rocket & Charcoal Grilled Pork Salad, with Carrots, Leeks, Sunflower Sprouts, Marcona Almonds & a Pea Tendril Vinaigrette (this dish is somewhat Asian in flair)

More intense rosé: Chateau Monpensier Le Grand Bouqueteau Chinon Rosé: if Chinon Rouge and Sancerre had a baby it would taste like this!

with Lamb Cannelloni with Goat' s Milk Cottage Cheese, Fava Beans & Tomato Sauce (please . . . lamb AND goat's cheese with Loire wines? Shooting fish in a barrel!!!) READ MORE »

What to eat in Bordeaux

Ian D'Agata — Sat, 11 May 2013 10:22:57 +0000

Bordeaux is not just about world-famous wines: the region’s gastronomy is underrated compared to other French wine-producing areas like Burgundy and Alsace. The local food scene benefits from the city’s proximity to the sea and to the large Gironde river estuary, not to mention the wooded areas of the nearby Landes, the least populated departement in France. Owing to its location, Bordeaux offers a bounty of surf (fresh and salt water) and turf. READ MORE »

Wine’s first duty

Winemaker Roundtable — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:11:09 +0000

Should wine's first duty be to pleasure the senses or to simulate the brain?

Jeremy Seysses, Domaine Dujac (Burgundy, France) and Domaine de Triennes (Provence, France). This is easier to answer than previous questions! To pleasure the senses. A truly great wine, for me, generates an emotional response, not an intellectual one. Emotion comes through the senses. There is no simple recipe to obtain this result, unfortunately. READ MORE »

Everyday Cotes du Rhones from star producers

Josh Raynolds — Sun, 05 May 2013 10:14:10 +0000

Great vineyards and winemakers are distinguished by their capacity to produce high-quality wine year in and year out, while great vintages are those from which excellent wines are produced across the regional and price spectrum. In France's Rhône Valley the 2011s, from a relatively cool growing season, may not hit the peaks of the highly lauded and richer 2010s, but 2011 is by no means a slacker vintage, especially for wine lovers who prize elegance over power. READ MORE »

A.A. Badenhorst Family Wines 2011 Secateurs Red Blend Coastal Region

Stephen Tanzer — Thu, 02 May 2013 10:11:26 +0000

Why should you care? Talented winemaker Adi Badenhorst, who was responsible for many world-class wines and endless experimentation during his decade at the beautiful Rustenberg Wines estate in Stellenbosch, set out on his own several years back, purchasing significant acreage in the up-and-coming Swartland area with his cousin, including some old bush vines of grenache and cinsault. Farming organically and vinifying in a low-tech manner, he focuses on South Africa’s mainstay white grape chenin blanc and blends from Rhone valley red varieties. From his top range to a new line-up of $10 bottles, his wines offer excellent quality/price rapport.

What does it taste like? Badenhorst’s Secateurs range of wines, which also include grapes purchased from a neighbor, are his best values of all, suitable for casual drinkers and serious winos alike. The 2011 Secateurs Red Blend Coastal Region, which is based on shiraz and cinsault, offers musky strawberry and candied raspberry aromas complemented by spices, minerals and smoke. It’s suave and seamless in the mouth, with insidious saline minerality giving shape to the almost liqueur-like red berry and saline flavors. With its silky finish, fine dusting of tannins and lingering sweetness, it’s distinctly Old World in the best sense. My rating: 90 points.

How much does it cost, and where can you find it? $18; Broadbent Selections, San Francisco, CA

How do the makers respond to criticism, part three

Winemaker Roundtable — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:38:30 +0000

Some winemakers view wine critics as a necessary (or unnecessary) evil. Others have benefited commercially—often significantly—from positive reviews. Whichever category you’re in, can you recall a time when you received criticism for one or more of your wines and made changes in response? What was said about your wine(s), and what actions did you take as a result of the criticism?

Joel Peterson, Ravenswood Winery (Sonoma, California). I consider wine writers necessary, not a necessary evil, or necessarily evil, though there have been times when I felt I should revise this opinion. I have certainly benefited more from positive reviews than I’ve been adversely affected by negative reviews. The take-away lesson from wine critics is that they have different tastes and different points of view. Paraphrasing Lincoln, “you can’t please all of the critics all of the time. READ MORE »

Saint-Joseph: the insider’s Old World syrah

Josh Raynolds — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:52:56 +0000

Until recently the red wines of Saint-Joseph, in France's northern Rhône Valley, have been an insider’s secret, as it is mostly experienced enophiles who realize that they offer much of the character of the region's most esteemed wines (Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie and Cornas) at relatively moderate prices. In fact, most of the top producers in those fancy appellations also own vineyards in Saint-Joseph, and in great vintages like 2009 and 2010 these wines can come tantalizingly close in quality to their more ritzy siblings. READ MORE »

Go-to wines of the pros

Sommelier Roundtable — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:38:32 +0000

Can you name a few wines for which you have a standing order, vintage in and vintage out? I’m referring less to trophy wines than to standouts that help to anchor your lists. And how do you typically use these wines with your cuisine?

Jeff Groh, Wine Director, Merriman’s Kapalua (Lahaina, HA). Here in Hawaii we end up using a lot of higher-acid tropical fruit and Asian influences in our cuisine. These elements are often coupled with a bit of heat or paired with delicate flaky fish like opakapaka, so when it comes to wine pairings you are already painted into certain corners. If you truly want to represent wines that are best pairings a chunk of your list is going to have to be lighter-to-medium-bodied, higher-acid, lower-tannin red wines; or higher-acid, light-to-medium-bodied, neutral/unoaked whites with varying levels of residual sugar. READ MORE »

Argentina’s sweetest spot: malbec at $20

Stephen Tanzer — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:13:20 +0000

Importers of wines from Southern Hemisphere countries like Argentina, Chile and South Africa often bemoan the fact that most consumers don’t understand why they should be asked to pay more than twenty bucks for a satisfying bottle of wine from these countries. After all, labor costs are typically much lower than they are in Europe and the U.S. and veteran consumers recall the days when these wines were dirt-cheap. Sadly, in a growing number of cases, importers here can’t justify bringing in the top bottlings from many of their most quality-conscious producers because they can’t sell them. READ MORE »