White Wine Review: La Crema Chardonnay

La Crema Chardonnay Sonoma County 2005

Generally I’m not a fan of California Chardonnay, mostly because many of the examples I’ve tasted were too over the top with sugary fruit, high alcohol, and overabundant oak. Of course, not every California Chardonnay is like that, but in my experience there have been more “cocktail quaffers” than bottles appropriate for the dinner table.

However, I took a gamble on La Crema’s Chard, and paired it with two different meals: one a simply grilled chicken, and then a Greek salad that included more grilled chicken. The result: I can say confidently that La Crema Chardonnay is a fine match for grilled chicken.

It’s also an enjoyable wine overall. The nose is expressive, showing full aromas of ripe pear, apple, and a touch of spice. On the palate you get a creamy, smooth texture that carries forward, ripe pear fruit with a good dose of vanilla spice and oak and a faint touch of honey. However the oak is not overpowering — it’s right on. The ripeness is most apparent upfront, but carries through the midpalate and stays through the finish, which is appropriate in length, polished, and subdued. This wine can be described to a neophyte as smooth, buttery, and ripe. It may be more directed toward cocktail hour, as it is very enjoyable on its own. However, it has enough acidity and a touch of tannin to make it matchable with lean foods — try it with the aforementioned chicken, fish, and veggie dishes. A pleasant surprise to my palate and a recommended Weekend Wine.

a-8 t-8 b-8 fc-7 v-7 ~ 88 Points

La Crema Winery Website

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White Wine Review: Drylands Sauvignon Blanc

Drylands Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2006

In the summertime, I’m always on the lookout for a clean, quality Sauvignon Blanc under fifteen bucks. They’re around, but can take some time to find. Usually you’ll find such bargains from Chile or Argentina, and on occasion from New Zealand or South Africa. One good valued example is this Sauvignon from Drylands, which retails for about $14.99 (though some retailers may have it for a few dollars less).

Drylands is a winery — and vineyard — in the Marlborough region of New Zealand, and is a label under the umbrella of the Nobilo wine group. The property consists of a 33-acre block that was planted with Sauvignon Blanc rootstocks back in 1980, and now also is home to some Pinot Noir plantings. You don’t need to know any of this information to enjoy the wine, but it makes for interesting dinner conversation.

Wide open on the nose, with lots of bright gooseberry and grassy aromas, along with limey citrus. The palate is equally bright, showing ripe citrus (lime), green melon, some mineral, and a touch of granny smith apple that comes along in the finish. A faint bit of a vegetal component comes in the finish as well — maybe lemongrass? Very clean and crisp. Good edge of tart acidity balances the ripe fruit and allows this wine to be matched with a myriad of foods. Finish is fairly long, harmonious. Well balanced. Try it with all kinds of fish, poultry, spicy foods.

a-8 t-8 b-9 fc-10 v-8 ~ 93 Points

Drylands Website

Importer: Constellation Brands

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Mailbag: How to Store Wine

Your Questions Answered by Vino Joe

How to Store Wine Question

Question:

Is it OK to store red wine (mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc) at room temperature if it was previously stored properly in a walk-in cellar? I’m moving from a large house with a cellar to a small house with only a portable wine unit that won’t accomodate the amount of bottles I have. Any help you can give would be appreciated.

Answer:

Generally speaking, “room temperature” — which in most homes is about 72 degrees fahrenheit — is a bit too warm for aging wines. However, “ya gotta do what ya gotta do”, right?

The ideal temperature for wine storage is in the 50-55 F range. Unless you have a temperature-controlled wine cave, or a deep cellar, that’s next-to-impossible in most homes. However, what are nearly if not more important than the temperature are three other factors: darkness, humidity, and temperature consistency. While keeping a wine in a 72-degree environment isn’t the ideal, if you can be certain that it is ALWAYS 72 degrees, there is little or no light, and there is some humidity, then the bottle should hold up much better than if stored in a place that (a) has wild temperature fluctuations; (b) in direct sunlight; (c) has dry air; or (d) any combination of the three.

That said, find the bottom of a closet, or underneath stairs as a possible location for your wines. But don’t expect them to age gracefully over a long period of time. If you have expensive bottles in your collection, that need several years’ aging, and you can’t afford/fit a wine cave, then you may want to consider renting cellar space or finding a friend with a good cellar who can hold the wines for you. Or, do what I do — drink them up quickly!

BYOB BBQ Question

Question:

Is it rude to write on an invitation to a BBQ: ‘Bring a Bottle!’ ?

Answer:

No, absolutely not. Assuming that the host is providing all the food, fixins’, space, entertainment, and cleaning up afterward, I think it’s OK to suggest that guests bring a bottle. In the US, it’s common for the food at barbecues and other parties to be supplied by the guests (ex., one brings the potato salad, another brings cookies, etc.), so asking guests to bring a bottle is a fair request, in my book. (But then, there surely are people who disagree vehemently with this idea, so don’t count on me 100%.)

If you’re hesitant, and you’re inviting wine-conscious guests, one way out of it is to turn the BBQ/party into a theme, and make it fun, such as “BYOBB - Bring Your Own Best Bottle”, or similar. I was once invited to a “Chardonnay Brunch” where everyone was asked to bring Chardonnays from different parts of the world, for comparison.

Do YOU have a wine question for Vino Joe? Email your question today.

White Wine Review: Bailly Pouilly-Fume “Les Loges”

Michel Bailly et Fils Pouilly-Fume “Les Loges” 2005

If you can’t pronounce Pouilly-Fume, don’t fret — you need only recognize it when you see it on the shelf (you can always point it out to the sommelier in a restaurant as well, without embarrassment).

And you should be on the lookout for Pouilly-Fume (POO-wee foo-MAY), because many of the ones you see in the USA are a decent bet to be a fine complement to seafood and white meat dishes — even those doused in heavy cream sauces. That’s because the wine is made from the food-friendly Sauvignon Blanc grape, which is grown in limestone-rich, chalky soil that is also rich in marine fossils (i.e., old seashells) and flint. Oh jeez … did I just go geek on you? Why should you care about the dirt? Because it’s what makes Sauvignon Blanc from Pouilly-Fume different from Sauv-Blanc from New Zealand or California. Whereas an NZ example may have a tropical twist to its flavor, Pouilly-Fume will have a more mineral taste, along with a distinct flint character — both due to the fossil-rich and minerally soil.

There are a number of different producers of Pouilly-Fume, and all the fancy French names can get confusing. Here are two very general rules of thumb: first, you usually get what you pay for when it comes to Pouilly-Fume, and a quality bottle is likely to be at least $17-22; second, the phrase “Les Loges” on the label is a fairly dependable indication of quality — it is a small village within Pouilly-Fume containing prestigious vineyards. Using these two “rules”, I came upon, purchased, and enjoyed this bottle: Michel Bailly Pouilly-Fume “Les Loges”.

And it was a very typical Pouilly-Fume: herbaceous, smoky, and green fruit aromas and flavors, with distinct stony mineral, racy acidity. Includes the standard “pipi du chat” (cat pee) / gooseberry aroma, and has plenty of forward, ripe green, flinty, smoky fruit. Also some citrus – lime, grapefruit, and maybe a touch of granny smith apple. Medium-bodied, a nearly creamy texture, and acidity that is appropriately tart but not overbearing when drunk alone. This is a first-class Sauvignon Blanc that perfectly expresses the Pouilly-Fume character: herbal, smoky, minerally. A great food wine, match it with poultry, vegetarian dishes, Thai, Indian, and salads. If you like typically herbaceous Sauvignon, you will enjoy it alone as well. At around 18 bucks, you get what you pay for — a fair value.

a-9 t-9 b-9 fc-9 v-7 ~ 93 Points

Importer: Michael Skurnik Wines

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White Wine Review: Masi Soave

Masi Soave Classico “Levarie” 2005

Soave gets a bad rap, mainly because most people associate it with the big 1.5- or 3.0-liter bottles filled with insipid, watery juice from mass-market producers, or the similarly tasteless “house wine” of a faux-Italian restaurant adorned with red-and-white checkered tablecloths.

Truth is, a good Soave is a fine choice for everyday drinking, as it can be fresh and vibrant, accentuating the flavors of a dish without overpowering it. The problem, of course, is figuring out which Soave is worth buying, and which are best left to the amateurs.

The “secrets” to buying Soave is this: 1. don’t buy it if it comes in a double magnum, or larger, bottle; 2. don’t buy it if it costs less than seven bucks; 3. don’t buy it if there’s no vintage listed. In other words, find a Soave in a standard 750ml bottle, costing at least $7, and which includes a vintage date — preferably within the last year or two.

One such gem among the trash is Masi Soave Classico “Levarie”.

Mild, almost closed nose of pear, spice, and an herbal / green / unripe component. Smooth as glass texture on the palate. Acidity is more mild than expected, but enough for matching with simple dishes. Limey citrus and mineral flavors dominate the finish, which is mellow and pleasing.

This is a perfect alternative for the crowd that drinks Pinot Grigio by itself, as it gives similarly easy drinking, fruity with a touch of mineral character but without the mouthwatering acidic edge.

If you’re looking for an over-the-top, overripe wine that’s bursting with fruit and commanding your attention, don’t buy this wine. If, however, you’d like a true Soave –subtle, easydrinking, a wine that like a popular person is able to ‘blend in’ and get along with just about everything, then pick up a few of these bottles for your entertaining. Drink this by itself as an apertif, with simple appetizers, and with all kinds of mildly seasoned fish, vegetables, and pasta salads. It’s also a fine foil for spicy foods, such as hot wings and Asian cuisine. A good quaffing wine – something you don’t have to think about, yet so enjoyable you will want to remember the name and label to buy it again.

a-7 t-7 b-9 fc-9 v-7 ~ 89 Points

Importer: Remy USA

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Winemaker Profile: Elizabeth Vianna

Winemaker Profile: Elizabeth Vianna of Chimney Rock Winery

Let’s play pretend for a minute.

Pretend you are a bright young woman with a degree in biology from Vassar, and currently working as the head of a lab at Cornell Medical Center in New York City. Where would you expect to be, say, five years from now?

Just out of medical school? Still at Cornell? A chief of something-or-another at Mount Sinai Hospital?

How about this: winemaker in Napa Valley.

Meet Elizabeth Vianna, biologist-turned-winemaker at Chimney Rock Winery, a forward-looking estate with a range of excellent wines from in and around the prestigious Stags Leap District of Napa Valley, California.

Not long ago, Elizabeth was living in New York City, chief of the clinical toxicology at the Cornell Medical Center, trying to decide whether or not she should go to medical school. At that time her roommate regularly shared with her wines from his father’s cellar — items with names such as Mouton, Latour, and Lafite. Having known “wine” to be the liquid alcohol labeled as Boone’s Farm, Lancer’s, and Hearty Burgundy (c’mon, you were there once too) from her days at Vassar, these French bottles were an epiphany in more ways than one. Elizabeth caught “the wine bug”, and became obsessed with the intricacies of fine wine, attending tastings, lectures, and auctions all around New York City.

One day, she listened to Christian Mouiex speak about his family’s winery in Bordeaux prior to an auction. Mouiex went on to speak about the art of winemaking in depth, and mentioned the wine program at UC-Davis. It was at then that Elizabeth Vianna knew she would indeed be going back to school — not for medicine, but for wine.

Her scientific background is ideal for the often lab-like procedures in modern winemaking, but she also has an artistic side that comes through in the creativity of wines such as Elevage Blanc, a Bordeaux-style white blend of Sauvignon Blanc and, surprisingly, Sauvignon Gris — a grape rarely mentioned among the great (or even run-of-the-mill) wines of the world. Typically, a Bordeaux blanc would blend Sauvignon with Semillon, but as Vianna notes, “Napa Valley is not the best place for Semillon. Sauvignon Gris, on the other hand, flourishes.”

Indeed, Elizabeth’s choice of blending grape was a good one — the Elevage Blanc has a fresh, ripe, and floral nose, and offers good weight and a creamy texture on the palate. It’s an elegant wine with more complexity than expected, and includes a nice salty, mineral edge and ample acidity for easy food matching.

Ah, food matching — one of the central themes of this site. When I asked if food matching was important to her winemaking methods, Elizabeth replied in the affirmative. “In fact, what we’ll often do as part of the winemaking process is take a bottle home, try the wine with different foods, and, if we feel it’s necessary, we’ll make adjustments if we can to make the wine more food friendly.”

Shocking, isn’t it? Usually a California winemaker will go back to the lab to make a wine more “Parker friendly”, or “Spectator friendly”. But “food friendly”? Clearly Elizabeth is going against the grain here.

She went on to say that in addition to making wines that go well with food, Chimney Rock aims to bottle wines that are made to be ready to drink now — though if you can control yourself, they will hold up over time. Also, Elizabeth’s goal is to create wines with great texture. “The tactile experience is just as important as the structure and flavor,” she says.

Her Elevage (red) is a prime example of that goal being met. A Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, Elevage is well-polished, complex wine with great structure, offering a fine balance of extracted black fruit, ripe tannins, and appropriate acidity, all carried with a creamy texture that might be similar to licking a velvet pillow (did that come out right?). It’s an ideal match for slow roasts and anything braised (i.e., short ribs).

On the basis of those two wines, it’s clear that Elizabeth Vianna made the right decision about her post-grad studies — and we as wine drinkers can benefit directly from her education.

Look for more tasting notes and reviews of Chimney Rock wines in the coming weeks.

Chimney Rock Winery website

Red Wine Review: Vinos Sin-Ley G2

Vinos Sin-Ley G2 Garnacha D.O. Monstat 2005

Vinos Sin Ley translates to “wines without law”. This is an interesting winery, created by two bright winemakers who have added additional enologists to their group and are focused on making high-quality, value-oriented wines. They produce wines that retail from seven to thirty bucks, with the bulk of the assortment under $13. Macintosh users will be comfortable with their Garnacha range, which is named G1, G2, G3, G4, ,G5, and G6 (prices raise as the G-number increases).

Bright, ripe, open nose of red and black berries, earth, tar, hint of tobacco. In the mouth you get juicy, almost candylike (jolly rancher) wild berry flavors, along with mild earth, a touch of tar and sweet tobacco. Clean, with a polished, smooth texture. Acidity and tannins are mild, making this a better match for lean meats and fish rather than fatty beef and cheesy plates. Enjoyable on its own as well – fine for a cocktail quaffer. This is an enjoyable, easy drinking wine with more complexity than you’d expect from an under-$10 bottle. Great value.

a-8 t-8 b-7 fc-7 v-10 ~ 90 Points

Importer: Ole Imports

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