Cremant de Loire: Bubbles on a budget

With the heat wave continuing in New York, I’ve been seeking out light, refreshing, low alcohol wines to enjoy while I’m “suffering” through the summer.  Of course, most people would say to avoid alcohol in its entirety during the most oppressing days of heat – but then again, what fun is that?  Drinking wines from cool climate regions is typically my favorite past time anyway, and the Loire is no exception.  I’ve been on a roll lately where I’ve been able to find some incredibly interesting and delicious tasting wines at my new workplace, and the other day my colleague recommended I try the Chateau de L’aulee Cremant de Loire Brut NV.  This wine is made by Marielle Henrion (I have a soft spot for female wine makers) who was the winemaker at Bollinger for 15 years and also has experience working at Pommery.  Chateau de L’aulee was built in 1856 by the Cordier family, and in 1973 Champagne Deutz bought the domain, rebuilt it and replanted it with the Chenin grape. Today, with 37 ha of vineyard, sparkling wine represents 80%  of the production at the chateau.

Made from 100% hand harvested Chenin Blanc (traditional method is applied), the grapes are gently pressed and the wine stays on its lees for 24 months. It is then blended with older, barrel aged vintages to bring a round, complex flavor profile. The result is a beautiful sparkling wine that is both easy to drink but has multiple layers of flavors and brings this wine into a league close to Champagne, in my opinion.

Chenin Blanc, along with Riesling, is probably one of the world’s most under appreciated grapes, and like Riesling, can produce a whole variety of different styles of wines from sparkling to dry, semi sweet and dessert wines.  Characteristic flavors of Chenin include apples, peach, honey, acacia, greengage and quince with great minerality and relatively low alcohol. While often referred to as Pineau de la Loire in its native region of Loire; in South Africa,  it has taken off with great success (and often called “Steen”), and has nearly double the amount of vines planted than France. While I don’t think South African wines have quite the same complexity of Chenins from the Loire, they retain the same amount of great acidity which make them very pleasurable to drink.

If you are typically reaching for Prosecco or Cava when not able to afford Champagne, I highly recommend trying out a Cremant de Loire. There are also Cremant de Bourgogne, Cremant de Limoux, Cremant de Die, Cremant du Jura and Cremant d’Alsace from the other respective regions of France which are interesting and worth seeking out too.

The label “cremant” was originally applied because their lower carbon dioxide pressure made them more creamy in texture than other sparkling wines with a more fizzy mouth feel. They are thought to be the finest sparkling wines outside of the Champagne region because they apply the traditional (Champagne) method and must also be hand harvested. Cremants must be aged for a minimum of one year and there are strict laws dictating which grapes and how much of each, can be added into the wines.

Cremant de Loire was created in 1975, and the grapes that can be used are Chenin Blanc (the most common grape), Chardonnay, Grolleau (no more than 30%), Pineau d’Anis, Pinot Noir, Arbois and Cabernet Franc. There are nearly 200 producers of Cremant de Loire, the majority located around the town of Saumur, and there are some really high level wine making going on here.

This bottle is truly a great steal and high quality wine for the price – below are my tasting notes but make sure you pick up a bottle of this (or a case!) and make up your own opinion of this!

TASTING NOTES:  Chateau de L’aulee Cremant de Loire Brut NV

Clear golden core with intense, medium sized bubbles. Toast, yeast, citrus and wood on the nose – definitely more going on than the average sparkling wine at this price point.  Deliciously creamy on the palate, I get ripe pear, apple, peach, some pineapple and acacia flavors.  The bubbles feel somewhat aggressive.  Crisp refreshing acidity.  Bordering on medium bodied, the alcohol is medium as well but has enough fruit to retain balance. Good length.

Conclusion: A rich, crisp and supple cremant with layers of fruit flavors and a lovely mouth feel. As the temperature of the wine lowered a bit in the glass, the flavors became more developed and almost went to a slightly oxidized state (in a good way). The wine kept changing in the glass which made this a truly fascinating and rewarding wine.

Rating: 3.5/5

Food Pairing: All types of cheeses, green salads, seafood/shellfish dishes, particularly langostines with citrus dressings.

Retail Price: $15

Giving Bordeaux a chance

Unlike many other wine “geeks” out there, I never really got obsessed with the wines from Bordeaux.  One of the major reasons is probably because I have actually never been to the region (and am somewhat ashamed to admit this, as this is probably among the first wine trips one should make) and thus never got a personal feel for them.  Secondly, I haven’t tasted enough older vintages to fully appreciate what these wines can do, but for some reason I don’t have the urge to that often. Thirdly, I tend to favor the wines from Burgundy where I can feel and taste the passion of the vignerons, they seem to be more personally involved with not just their wines, but every single vine, leaf and berry on their plot.  In Bordeaux it seems to be all about the commerce,  and winemakers doing anything to make wines that will achieve that perfect (and silly)100 number score. That said, I know I am grossly generalizing and it always irritates me when I don’t “get” a certain region or wine, so I am always eager to explore.

I found a wine in my cellar the other day I purchased a while back, and figured I would give it a go.   The Chateau Moulin Saint-Georges Saint-Emilion Grand Crus 2005 is made by the Vauthier Family of the Chateau Ausone fame. Chateau Ausone is one of only four wines (along with Chateau Angelus, Chateau Cheval Blanc and Chateau Pavie) with the Premier Grand Cru Classe ranking in the Classification of Saint-Emilion wine.  Located close to the town of St. Emilion,  there are about 7 ha of planted vineyards with about 66% Merlot and the remaining 34% is a combination of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

When looking at Bordeaux wine, one must distinguish between the wines of the Left Bank, where Cabernet Sauvignon rules, and includes wines of Graves and Pessac-Leognan, and those of the Right Bank, where Merlot is king, followed by Cabernet Franc.  The terroir and the styles of the wines are different.  Largely speaking, the wines of the Left Bank tend to be authoritative, capable of great elegance and longevity, while the Right Bank wines tends to be juicier, more approachable in their youth and a bit spicier. While the aforementioned general descriptions are about red wines, Bordeaux also produces white wines, both dry and sweet. The best come from south and southeast of Bordeaux (Sauternes and Barsac both make world class sweet wines from botrytized grapes), varying in intensity and seriousness.

The 2005 vintage was superb across the board, where the wines are delicious  young and will also age really well.  My pick, the Chateau Moulin St-Georges 2005, was made from 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, and has the same soil as Chateau Ausone, clay over limestone. The vines are on average 25 years old, and planted at a density of 5,500 vines per hectare. After harvest (all grapes are harvested by hand), the fermentation is conducted in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks with a month-long cuvaison. After malolactic fermentation, the wine is aged for up to 18 months in 100% new French oak. The wine is produced by the same team as Chateau Ausone and with the same care.  Production is very limited here, only 3000 cases made.

Tasting Notes:

Dark inky color, I get intense black fruit on the nose of black cherries and blackberries, as well as some developing, meaty aromas along with a Port-like scent.  Black pepper, earthy tones, violet and licorice follows. In the mouth, the wine is medium bodied, with a good tannic grip, but while obvious and present, they blend in well with the dark fruit. Some spiciness on the palate with the same black fruit that I detected on the nose, in addition to some red cherries, cassis, plums and star anise.  Great structure with long length.

Conclusion: Very elegant and pretty wine that I feel, while fine to drink right now, still needs a few years to develop a bit more complexity and come into its full capacity.  While I wasn’t overwhelmed by the wine, I see great potential and it spiked my curiosity enough to continue my search for a Bordeaux wine that will change my prejudice mind, for sure! Drink from 2015.

Price: Average $60

Rating: 3.5/5

Food Pairing:  Beef Wellington, steak, braised short ribs, roast duck, cassoulet, rack of lamb, grilled sausage w/peppers.

Wines from Tokaj; not just sweet

I love when I pick a random bottle at my wine shop and end up not just being pleasantly surprised, but genuinely happy with a feeling that I’ve come across a new gem!  I have a tendency to pick wines from relatively unknown regions made from obscure varieties. I somehow feel like there is more to learn from a wine that is not as popular; the research is more interesting and it’s always fun to ‘discover’ a new product.  Most of the times, this is also where you can find extraordinary bargains, and that always makes me feel good!

Hungarian wine is not exactly new to the scene, largely due to the world renown, and delicious sweet dessert wine,Tokaji Aszu, from the Tokaj region.  But what may not be general knowledge, is that this region produces some fantastic dry wines as well. As a country, it makes some remarkably good white wines, outstanding sweet wines and their red wines are slowly improving.  Outside investment from both western European and Australian companies have helped put Hungary back on the map, and there is renewed interest in native grapes such as Furmint, Harslevelu and Irsai Oliver for whites, Kefrankos (Blaufrankisch) and Kadarka for reds.  Big money is spent to renew equipment, upgrade the vineyards and identifying the best plots for their native grapes. I am happy to see this  happening, as Hungary for centuries had a very sophisticated food and wine culture with the most developed indigenous grape varieties and cultivated wine laws in eastern Europe, so a comeback is definitely overdue!

Tokaji wines comprise of four groups: 1) still table wine, 2) Szamorodni which may be dry or sweet and is a mix of ordinary and aszu grapes, 3) wines made using aszu grapes called Esszencia and Aszu (of various degrees of sweetness) as well as two derivative wines, Forditas and Maslas and 4) late-harvest and noble late-harvest wines, similar to those made elsewhere in the world. (The Wines of Hungary by Alex Liddell). The greatest amount of wine made in the region is however still, dry table wine – and is what I will focus on in this post.

Many dry white wines are made from the Furmint grape, which  is a very high quality grape that probably originated in Hungary.  The grape forms the major part of plantings in Tokaj (about 70%) and is known for its complexity of flavor, its finesse, longevity, high acidity and sometimes high alcohol.  Young wines, such as the AFFINITAS Tokaj bottle I bought earlier this week, can have flavors of lime peel, pears and some steeliness if made in the correct way. Sometimes picking at the wrong times can affect the ability of the flavors to come out, where perhaps the acidity is piercing high but the flavor is subdued.  When made into sweet wines, Furmint can achieve flavors of apricot, marzipan and blood orange, and with age they develop smoky and spicy flavors with tea, chocolate, cinnamon and tobacco notes.

Furmint is also found in Austria, where it’s called Mosler, in Slovenia as Sipon, in Croatia where DNA profiling has shown that it is identical to Moslavac, as well as in Romania and Albania, just to name a few. Furmint is probably an offspring to the Gouais Blanc grape, planted in central and north-eastern France.  Furmint is also the principal ingredient in the world famous Tokaji dessert wine.  Furmint has had a historical stronghold in Austria’s Burgenland where it is experiencing somewhat of a revival as well.

The Tokaji region is located on the foothills of the Carpathian mountains in northeastern Hungary, and consists of about 28 villages. The soil in the region are volcanic clay, poor on the steeper slopes, with more loess and sand around Tokaji. The soil has volcanic origins, which gives wines a high content of minerality . Warm summers with humidity coming form the area’s streams and rivers, create a perfect environment for Botrytis Cinera (referred to by Hungarians as Aszu).

The AFFINITAS Furmint wine is made from 85% Furmint and 15% Muscat Blanc.  Muscat adds richness and some floral, perfumed fragrances as well as honeysuckle flavors to the mix, in addition to peach and sometimes orange blossom.   The grapes are hand harvested, de-stemmed and fermented in stainless steel without further ageing.  My tasting notes will follow below.

If looking to expand your repertoire and tasting experiences beyond the classic grapes such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio for summer whites – I highly recommend you try out Furmint wines from Hungary.  Hopefully you will be as delighted as I was!

Tasting Notes:

The wine has a pale, light lemon, almost greenish core. On the nose, I get a lot of grass and citrus on the nose (the classic lime peel is evident). Very clean with an herbaceous freshness.  While the nose is lean and citrusy, the palate is somewhat fat, soft with flavors of ripe pears, apples, peach, and apricots.  A medium bodied wine, it has some spice as well (white pepper mostly).   I get the honeysuckle and apricots mid palate from the Muscat.  The acidity is more medium leveled here – perhaps again because of the blending with the lower acid Muscat grape. While fruity and soft on the attack and through mid palate, verging on being slightly off dry,  it finishes more on a grassy note.

Conclusion: Really nice example of a dry Furmint wine that I found refreshing and well made. Could perhaps do with a bit more acidity to bring it all into balance, so half a point was deducted for this.

One general note that will be true for all wines but especially for this, I found : I think the serving temperature is especially important here; if you serve it straight out of the fridge (too cold) the aromas and flavors do not come out, but having it sit in room temp too long and the wine’s structure tends to fall apart and become limp.

Rating: 3.5/5

Food Pairing:

Retail:  $17

I purchased the wine at Artisan Wines in Beacon, NY. Tel (845) 440-6923.

An Austrian white to make your summer happier

The biggest misconception most people in general have, is that Riesling is always sweet. I remember growing up when my first encounter with wine was the awful Liebfraumilch which were sold in the big cartons.  Of course back then, our main purpose for drinking was to get drunk, and as long as it was “sweet” it went down pretty easy.  Unfortunately, a lot of people still associate this grape variety with boxed, low quality wine, when nothing could be further from the truth. Riesling is probably one of the noblest grapes in existence, able to produce world quality wines of all different styles; dry, semi sweet, sweet/dessert wines, late harvest and sparkling.  Riesling is known to be the wine experts’ darling while still having a long way to go to gain that notoriety among the general public.

Riesling, an offspring of the Weisser Heunisch wine,  is native to the Rhine region of Germany, and was always regarded as a high quality grape, but because of its relatively low yield, was expensive to cultivate and thus was not widely grown.  German immigrants would take it to the New World and by the mid to late 19th century it was growing in both Australia, California and Washington.  Today there is Riesling grown all over the world, as it is a very flexible grape variety but at the same time a very terroir specific grape. Some people believe that Riesling was born  in an Austrian city called Rizling in the Wachau, first mentioned in the thirteenth century, and hence may be the oldest recorded place of cultivation.

German Rieslings are known to be flowery and aromatic with acidity and body varying from crisp and light to softer, riper and fuller, while Rieslings from Austria  are most often dry, fuller and with a pure, minerally core more like Gruner Veltliner.  Sometimes the alcohol can be quite high, around 13% or so, which sometimes can jeopardize its aroma and flavor. When grown on the best sites, however, the grape produces some amazing examples and may be closer in style to the Rieslings of Alsace rather than Germany. I must admit, I really love Austrian wines in general, and while Gruner Veltliner may be the most well known and popular grape variety from this country, their Rieslings may perhaps be my favorite white wine.  Known predominantly for their refreshing whites (although they produce some delicious reds too, well worth checking out) Austrian wines also make for a perfect choice for the upcoming summer season!

A wine I was pleasantly surprised with was the ARTNER Riesling Buhlweingarten 2012, which I picked up at one of my local wine shops the other day.  Having noticed their selection of Austrian wines had increased the past few months, I was curious about this bottle in particular, which also came highly recommended by the staff.

The Artner estate encompasses about 30 ha and is located in Carnuntum in Niederosterreich in eastern Austria, close to Vienna. Hannes Artner is an ambitious grower considered one of the top growers in the region.  See map of area below:

Niederosterreich is Austria’s largest quality wine growing region, and Carnuntum lies to the east here along the southern banks of the Danube river covering an area from Vienna to the Slovakian border.

The estate specializes in Austrian grape varieties such as Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch, as well as a range of white grape varieties which epitomizes the characteristics of the terroir and region.  In addition to Riesling, they produce Sauvignon Blanc, Gruner Veltliner, Gelber Muskateller, Chardonnay and Welschriesling. As for reds, they produce Blauer Zweigelt, Blaufrankisch, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.  The family ARTNER also runs two successful restaurants in Vienna, in addition to a wine tavern in Carnuntum.

Tasting Notes:

The wine has a pale yellow core with green tints – very aromatic on the nose; citrus, lime, apples, peach and herbal as well as some grassy notes.

On the palate it is medium bodied, dry with crisp acidity. Bright fresh apples, pears, lemon, lime and peach repeats again here, and the minerality shines throughout. Grassy flavors are well integrated and the wine finishes long.

Conclusion:  An absolutely delicious refreshing Riesling, balanced with explosive fruit and fresh acidity. Very harmonious wine that gets better and better with each sip – a perfect summer wine!

Rating: 4/5

Food Pairing: Everything! Riesling is a very food friendly wine, but if I have to pick a few choices I would go with a nice grilled chicken or roasted duck,  roast pork,  poached salmon, seared scallops and shellfish, light Asian food, triple creme cheeses, summer fruits and any apple desserts.

Retail: $15

Oochie Walla Walla, Oochie bang bang

Before I entered into the wine industry, I worked as a record label marketing professional for about a decade where I traveled with many of the world’s most famous pop artists, many of them rappers who probably wondered what a Norwegian girl was doing in their world.  Making the transition from music to wine was not that different, I’m still surrounded by a big group of nut jobs. No, don’t worry, I’m not about to review the song by rapper Nas and the Bravehearts named in the title of this post, but I always think of this song when I am drinking wines from Walla Walla Valley in Washington.

I picked up a bottle of the Motor City Kitty 100% Syrah 2010 by Charles Smith of K Vintners, one of Washington State leaders with Syrah. I found it appropriate to quote a song here and mention my music industry background, because Charles Smith is known for his rock n’ roll roots, with his big, crazy hair and his funky black and white labels.  He in fact lived in Denmark for nine years where he managed rock bands and toured Europe, much like I did for many years (although I didn’t live in Denmark, but I’m Norwegian and hence the close relation:).  I guess it was meant to be that I stumbled upon his wines!

A self taught winemaker with a big love for Syrah, Mr. Smith became friends with Christophe Baron of Cayuse after returning to the U.S., and who encouraged Mr. Smith to start making wine.  Mr. Smith has since won many accolades, among others “Winemaker of the Year” by Food & Wine Magazine in 2009 and K Vintner was named one of the “Best New Wineries of the last Ten Years” by Wine & Spirits Magazine.

Image below is from Charles Smith & K Vintner’s Facebook page where he is pitcured in Scandinavia:

Walla Walla is perhaps the region that best embodies the spirit and the style of Washington state’s industry. The number of wineries have exploded in this beautiful part of the country in the last two decades with the tourism booming.  Walla Walla specializes in Syrah, making more than two hundred different designated Syrahs in any given vintage.  In addition to Syrah, they grow fruity merlots and cabernets as well as the country’s best sangiovese, in addition to carmenere, cabernet franc, malbec and tempranillo (Washington Wines & Wineries, Paul Gregutt).

Image from magmire.net

Syrah is one of my favorite grapes, as it always demands attention and with its aromatic, exotically perfumed qualities, has a very recognizable scent and flavor to me.  Many people might be familiar with the big, fruity wines of the Barossa Valley in Australia where they are referred to as Shiraz, but I actually prefer the more savory, gamy, tough and smoky wines of the northern Rhone such as Cote Rotie and Hermitage.  There simply aren’t any wines in the world that taste like the wines grown here.  That aside, I’ve found some really nice examples in Washington State, where I think they do a great job of mixing the fruity characters of the grape with earthy elements. Here you find wines with distinct blackberry, cassis, mulberry and bacon fat flavors.

K Vintners opened in 2001, and is located at the base of the Blue Mountains in Walla Walla. Here they produce small lots of single vineyard syrahs and field blends that are hand picked foot-stomped, fermented with natural yeast and basket pressed. The MCK Syrah goes through malolactic fermentation, no fining is performed and it is aged in French Burgundy Barrels for 24 months. 380 cases is produced.

Tasting Notes:

Deep ruby core, the wine is quite herbal on the nose with black and red fruits on the nose; blackcurrants, black cherries, plum and some mint/herbal notes, spice and licorice.

On the palate it’s full bodied, with flavors of black cherries, black raspberries, licorice, tobacco and some tar.  Low, soft tannins with acidity and alcohol being quite high – fairly long finish.  The alcohol here somehow dominated, and at 14.5% I am not surprised, as that is one of Syrah’s benchmarks.  After I let the wine breathe and sit out for about an hour, it was more pleasant to drink, which leads me to think this may do well with another year or so in bottle before reaching its prime.

Conclusion:   Good, concentrated Syrah with many interesting layers of flavors, and where I can see the potential, the alcohol here did overwhelm me somewhat as I found the wine a bit “hot”. That said, it definitely tasted like the varietal and all in all a very good quality Syrah.

Rating:  3.5/5

Retail price:  Around $30

Food Pairings:  Beef stew, lamb chops, game and sausages.  Any herbal dishes and dishes with fennel, pepper and black olives would go well here too.

Ca’Lojera Lugana; a reason to give Trebbiano a second chance

Trebbiano… I must admit when I hear the mention of this grape, I still feel some negativity brewing inside of me. Perhaps this is because of its inappropriate use as a blending partner in the often thin, astringent Chianti wines in the past decades. Fortunately, Trebbiano is no longer allowed in Chianti Classico.  New winemakers have since taken interest in Trebbiano as a stand alone grape and some interesting wines have developed as a result.   Talented producers will turn Trebbiano into wines with with bright fruit, crisp acidity with notes of almonds.  Better known as Ugni Blanc in France, it is responsible for producing the famous distilled products of Cognac and Armagnac.

Lugana is a beautiful, white wine specific region located on the southern shore of Lake Garda, an area straddling the border between Lombardy in the west and Veneto to the east.  There are over 100 producers in this area, but Ca’Lojera are known for their distinct, highly aromatic and great quality wines. This estate represents the appellation andwhat it stands for, along with Ca’ dei Frati, the latter estate I hope to cover in a future post.  Ca’ Lojera is dialect for “house of the wolves” and is based on a legend in Lake Garda that the area was protected from pirates by wolves.

Trebbiano produces 1/3 of Italy’s white wine, permitted in 80 DOCs and although indigenous to central Italy, can be found planted everywhere in the country. Its characteristics are high acidity with a neutral flavor, and has traditionally been known for producing a lot of generic table wines. Whereas a lot of the wine produced by Trebbiano is forgettable, there are luckily some standouts of which the  Ca’Lojera Lugana DOC 2011 is a great example.

Trebbiano di Lugana (also known as Trebbiano di Soave or Trebbiano Veronese) is the least planted, but best sub-variety of this grape, and considered vastly superior in quality and lower in productivity than the Trebbiano Toscano.  It is the only grape used in Lugana, where the wine is typically fuller bodied with more of a personality.  Trebbiano has in fact said to be a variety of Verdicchio, a high quality grape from Italy’s Marche region, which could be why it has achieved  increased interest in the wine world.

The Ca’Lojera Lugana DOC 2011 is made by a husband-wife team who, from their 14 ha vineyard, do it all themselves. Franco Tiraboschi makes the wine, while his wife Ambra hosts visiting guests and their daughter Alessandra takes care of sales.

The wine is 100% Trebbiano di Lugana from 40 year old vines, and fermented in temperature controlled steel tanks.  I highly recommend this as a fun alternative to the ever popular Pinot Grigio most people resort to when thinking of white wines from Italy. While I have nothing against Pinot Grigio, there are so many other wonderful white varieties from this country, it would be a pity not to experiment and try out something new. Start out with the Ca’Lojera Lugana 2011 and you’ll see what I mean!

Tasting Notes:

Light, golden core, with intense, ripe fruit aromas. Full bodied and honeyed when entering the palate with flavors of tropical fruit, ripe melons and apples and somewhat waxy on the finish.  Tremendous fruit but nicely matched with good acidity. Balanced with a long finish.

Conclusion: A delightful, balanced wine that is both refreshing and soft, with plenty fresh fruit throughout. A wine guaranteed to please most palates, and can also easily be enjoyed on its own. A wine I will enjoy more of this summer!

Food Pairing:  Pasta arrabiata, fish dishes in lemon cream sauce, salami and other charcuterie.

Average Retail Price: $15

Rating: 4.5/5

Discovering Teroldego

It is no secret that I have a bit of an obsession with Italian wines. They just feel strangely familiar, but simultaneously I am always surprised when I open a new bottle as I never quite know what will greet me when I go to smell and taste.  A country with over 2,000 grape varieties and vines growing wherever there is land, one could spend an entire lifetime times twenty studying Italy’s fascinating and wonderful wines.

Instead of seeking out the fabulous Barolo, Amarone, Brunello and Chianti Classico wines that undoubtedly are among the world’s best, I’m more intrigued with the lesser known varieties and “underdogs”, because I absolutely love when I discover an unknown gem.  Not only are the chances of getting a great value wine much larger, but it inspires me to learn more, study harder and do additional research about the indigenous varieties that are found not only in Italy, but everywhere else in the world.

Trentino, located in north-east Italy, is part of the wine region Trentino-Alto Adige, and may be best known for their fabulous Pinot Grigio and Pinot Bianco and other crisp, white wines such as Traminer and Chardonnay.  The region only contributes to 1% of the country’s wine production, while it is responsible for 10% of the national Grappa production, the grape based pomace brandy.

There are three native grapes found in Trentino- Alto Adige: Nosiolo (white), Teroldego (red) which I will be discussing in this post, and Marzemino (red).   The main difference between Trentino and Alto Adige, is that the latter, located in the northern part of the region, consists of mainly smaller growers and family owned wineries who market and sell locally, while the southern Trentino, houses a large number of cooperatives who appeal to a broader international audience. Both are dominated by a largely Austrian and German influence, due to the region’s long history under Austrian-Hungarian rule.

The vineyards here produce grapes of high quality because of the altitude and diurnal temperature variation (the variation in temperature from the highs of the day and the cool of the nights).   The temperatures in Trentino are slightly higher than in Alto Adige, making it capable of producing full bodied, serious reds.

Teroldego is Trentino’s specialty and grows only in this part of the world. Low in tannins, it has high acidity and an abundance of fruit like plums, blackberries and mulberries, with a slight bitterness. Teroldego is often referred to as the “prince” of Trentino red wines, noted for its elegance, complexity and harmony, according to Nicolas Belfrage in his book “Barolo to Valpolicella“.  DNA fingerprinting has revealed that it is the sibling of Duerza, which is one of the parents of Syrah.  Teroldego is also closely related to both Lagrein and Marzemino.  Yields have to be restricted in order to produce a high quality wine; there is a tendency to overcrop it.   In the hands of a talented winemaker and with a bit of barrique aging, it can achieve great depth and complexity.   Most Teroldego wines are however designed to be drunk within the first five years.

The Roeno winery was founded 60 years ago by Rolando Fugatti, and is now run by his three children, who also operate the winery’s restaurant and agricultural tourism business. Located in Valdadige, just below the border with Trentino, this valley is known as Terradeiforti, the land of the forts, because of the many Austrian fortifications still scattered around in the region.  Roeno’s focus is on local varietals, and besides producing Teroldego, they emphasize re-discovering the almost extinct grape of Enantio, also known as Lambrusco a foglia frastagliata (no relation to the Lambrusco of Emilia).

Most of Roeno’s wines are aged in stainless steel only in order to preserve the purity and characteristics of each varietal.  The wine I’m tasting today, Roeno’s Teroldego i Dossi 2010, was produced from 100% Teroldego della Vallagarina, hand harvested, destemmed grapes and fermented and macerated in stainless steel vats, then aged in French oak.    Many feel Teroldego bears a great resemblance to Zinfandel with its deep, inky color, moderate tannins and abundance of black fruit.

Tasting Notes:

The wine is almost jet black in color, with an intense, deep purple core.  Both on the nose and the palate I get lots of ripe black fruit; black cherries, mulberries, plums and blackberries, along with some mint, licorice and earthy tones.  Full bodied with soft tannins and moderate tannins, there is some good minerality in the wine with a touch of spice on the finish.

Conclusion: A delicious, fruit forward wine with great depth and a long finish. At 12% the alcohol is moderate but this is still a big wine. Great value wine, drinks more like a $25 bottle.

Food Pairing:   This is a very food friendly wine, and I can see it going with a range of different dishes. I would pair this with roasted meats, semi hard cheeses, charcuterie and pasta in creamy sauces.

Retail:  Average $15

In New York, you can purchase the Roeno Teroldego i Dossi at Gotham Wines on the upper West Side of Manhattan, tel (212) 932-0990.

Baron de Ley – delightful wines from Rioja

Last week I was in Norway visiting family, and I’m always curious to pick up the current wine trends in my home country.  Norwegians are creatures of habit, they move in packs and tend to drink and eat and do exactly the same as their neighbors and friends.  Every time I’m at home, there is a new brand or wine that is the “hot thing of the moment”, and this time I noticed everyone referring to and drinking Baron de Ley Rioja.  Spanish wines are very popular in Norway when choosing reds, while Chablis seems to be the preferred choice for whites.

Baron de Ley is a single estate with 160 ha of vineyards located in Rioja Baja founded in 1985 and located in an old monastery that has been restored. The winery focuses on high quality Reserva and Gran Reserva Riojas, and is based on the Médoc chateau concept, where grapes are sourced exclusively from the property’s vineyards.  In 1997 it became a public company and is the same as El Coto de Rioja. They also produce white wines, but their reds are the ones to try, and they produce wines of remarkable value.

On my way back to the States, I noticed that Baron de Ley had a line of varietal wines lined up in the duty free section at the airport, which peaked my interest.  This collection was created to re-discover and celebrate the indigenous grape varieties of the Rioja region. My eyes landed on the Baron de Ley Graciano 2010.  Graciano is one of the grapes used to make Rioja but rare to see as a varietal wine. Which is a shame, as it’s by far the most interesting grape in Rioja. Producing spicy and aromatic wines with an intense color and flavor, it is also a fickle vine to grow, which is perhaps why we don’t see it that often.  Sometimes likened to Petit Verdot in flavor and structure, it has high acidity but less tannins than Tempranillo, and age very well. When aged, it develops great fragrance and finesse, and is thus used in Rioja Gran Reservas.  Graciano likes cool, mild and damp climates, and is seldom found outside Rioja.  Other names used for the grape an be Monastrell, Cendron, and in France, Morrastel and Tanat Gris.

100% Graciano, the grapes in this wine are sourced from Baron de Ley’s Los Almendros estate in Rioja Baja, located 1500 ft above sea level, and enjoys a more Mediterranean influence than what is normal for the region.  Rioja is divided into three regions: Rioja Alta, where 43% of the vineyards are located,  Rioja Baja (37%) and Rioja Alavesa (20%). Alta and Alavesa are located at a higher altitude and has more of an Atlantic influence with less hot spells during the summer, while Baja has a more Mediterranean climate with higher temperatures and less rainfall.

Yields are low at 40-45 hl/ha, the wine is fermented in stainless steel and goes through malolactic fermentation for 15 days in 225 liter oak casks. The wine is then aged in American oak casks for 15 months.

Tasting Notes:

Deep purple in color, the wine has intense bright aromas of blackcurrants, cassis, licorice, pomegranate and vanilla, as well as some violet, clove and earthy tones.  Medium bodied on the palate, it is quite tart with high acidity, and flavors of red cherries, blackcurrants, tobacco and a bit of oak.  Earthy finish with long length and a good tannic grip.

Conclusion: This is quite complex and a very interesting wine with good acidity, that can help keep the wine and will probably evolve for quite some time.  Refreshing fruit flavors are well integrated with tannins, alcohol and acidity, making it a balanced, layered and very good quality wine. Great steal!

Food Pairing: Manchego, game, cured meats and duck confit.

Retail price: Around $16

Baron de Ley is distributed by Frederick Wildman in the U.S.

Chinon; a perfect rosè

One of my first trips to wine country was to the Loire Valley with my parents when I studied in Paris at the age of 20.  I may have been too young to fully appreciate the vast array of wines this fascinating region offers, but it was when I first experienced the magic that only wine can produce.  My taste has always been in elegant, light and fresh wines and the beautiful Loire Valley sure offers plenty of fantastic selections.   While the region may be confusing to some, the easiest way to look at it is that it mainly offers four varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne and Cabernet Franc.  Famous wines you may have heard of from here include Sancerre (Sauvignon Blanc), Vouvray and Savennières (Chenin Blanc) as well as Muscadet (Melon de Bourgogne) and Chinon (Cabernet Franc).  There is also Pouilly-Fume (Sauvignon Blanc) which sometimes is confused with Burgundy’s Pouilly-Fuisse (Chardonnay).

Chenin Blanc come into its purest, most expressive form in the Loire Valley, producing a wide variety of wines including dry, medium-dry sweet, sparkling and late harvest.  This is perhaps my favorite grape from the region (if I have to choose one) but today I felt like something more casual and easy going as I wanted to sit on my verandah soaking up the sun, enjoying the warmth after having returned from my vacation in the noticeably colder Norway.

Now that the weather is slowly warming up towards summer, I am immediately attracted to rosè wines and some of my favorite ones happen to be from…. you guessed it: the Loire Valley!  I picked up a CHINON La Vigne en Veron 2012 from my favorite wine shop in the neighboring town, and happy about my selection.  Made my Maison Foucher and part of the Chais St Laurent line, the wine is 100% Cabernet Franc from multiple parcels from the villages of Rivière, Beaumont-en-Véron and Savigny-en-Véron in the region of Touraine, the grapes were hand harvested and fermented and aged in stainless steel.

Cabernet Franc is actually the original Cabernet Grape. Most people are probably more familiar with Cabernet Sauvignon, which is Cabernet Franc’s offspring.  While Cabernet Sauvignon produces a deeper, darker more tannic wine, Cabernet Franc produces a sweeter, more balanced wine, and thrives in cool climates such as the Loire Valley.   While the reds certainly are of top quality and able to achieve greatness here, I often turn to the Loire for their luscious roses. The Chinon La Vigne en Veron is a prime example of what makes a summer afternoon complete to me.

Tasting Notes:

I was first struck by the absolute beautiful color of this wine; brilliantly clear with a salmon pink color, just the way I want my rosè wines to look.

On the nose, I got a bit of a candy note with lots of red, juicy fruit (raspberries, strawberries and cherries).  On the palate, it is very dry but with great depth of flavor. The red fruits appear again here, combined with crisp acidity and some slight tannins.  A light bodied wine with moderate alcohol and good length.

Conclusion:

A bone dry rose, but with abundant red fruit, this is most definitely my style of rosè.  I  found it very elegant and think it managed to achieve that classic, pure rosè taste without it being too fruity or extracted or “candy” like in flavor.  Refreshing, delicious and lively with long finish makes this a wonderful find for the price.

Price:   Approximately $15

Food Pairing:

Pair this wine with all types of canapes; white fish and salmon, shellfish, chicken / white meat.  Could also be enjoyed on its own or with hard cheeses.

Paros – a Greek island with hidden gems

The Greek islands have always been my favorite vacation spot.  During my teens, I spent the majority of my summers there, more specifically on the lovely island of Skiathos, part of the Sporades islands. My sister worked and lived there there for a number of years and my beautiful niece and nephew are half Greek. This must be why I’m so fascinated by anything Greek. I adore the country, the people, history, language, the food and… for the past few years I’ve discovered that they actually make wines worthy of world class status as well!  This year, I’m making it my mission to try out as many wines as possible from this captivating country.

Paros is part of the Cyclades Islands,  located in the southern part of the Aegean.  There are eighteen islands in total, which form a circle or “cyclos”, hence the name.  More famous is Paros’ neighbor island of Santorini, which many of us wine geeks  are probably more familiar with.  If you haven’t yet  tasted Santorini’s  crisp, refreshing white wines from the Assyrtiko grape, please run out and find some as this is the perfect summer wine! (and even more perfect if you are enjoying it on the actual island!!)

Perhaps lesser known, Paros is one of the two most important islands in the Cyclades (Santorini being the other) when it comes to wine volume. In the Cyclades Islands, the tourism industry is #1, and agriculture has often been pushed aside, as the locals figured out they could make a very lucrative living off the tourists in the four summer months each year. This is one reason why I always feel inclined to support the wineries of this region, I would hate to see them become a thing of the past.

Monemvasia (white) is the traditional grape on the island of Paros. Mandilaria (red) arrived a bit later, and with these being the major two grapes, Paros has also been known for high volume pink blends.  More and more, with Monemvasia showing great potential, we now see wines made from this grape, or blended with Mandilaria for red as well as pink wine.

Monemvasia (also known as Malvasia) made wines that were popular already in the year 1200. The wines are traditionally low in acid and high in alcohol and tend to oxidize easily. With careful attention to the wine making, the grape can make some fabulous wines.

Mandilaria produces deep colored, light bodied wines with high tannins and low alcohol.

I picked up a bottle of MORAITIS Paros Reserve 2007 the other day as I was browsing in one of the largest wine shops in the Hudson Valley.  This is a classic blend of 25% Monemvasia and 75% Mandilaria and aged for at least two years in new French oak barrels, with an additional year in the bottle.

There are only two wineries on the island; Moraitis and The Cooperative of Paros. The Moraitis family have been making wine since 1910, and the current owner is Manolis Moraitis.  The winery produces some of the best wines in the Cyclades, working with low yields and identifying the best, coolest plots for their vines.  They make many styles and level of quality wines, but all around they offer some of the best value-for-money wines in Greece.   The Paros Reserve is the best example, producing rich, complex and velvety wines.

Tasting Notes:

The color of the wine is a deep ruby, with a garnet tint showing some development. Aromas of redcurrants, dried fruits, cherries, wood and some leather and tobacco definitely shows some complexity. On the palate, I get lots of dried fruit again, licorice, with slight oak but not overpowering.  Full bodied with moderate tannins, it has medium acidity and has a slightly bitter finish.

Conclusion:

This is a well balanced, great value red wine perfect for every day drinking.  The wine finishes a bit short, with the bitter finish somehow tasting a bit unclean, but otherwise I think it offers a lot of interesting flavors and for the price is definitely worthy of my “give it a try” nod.

Rating: 3 /5

Retail: around $15

Food Pairing:  Barbecue, roasted meats, lamb souvlaki, Greek baked dishes such as moussaka and pastitsio.

(Side note: The wine has a moderate alcohol level of only 12%, which is quite impressive in such a warm climate but a classic trait of the Mandilaria grape.)