Archive for June, 2009

BLOG: Que Syrah, Sirah? Or Shiraz?

Monday, June 29th, 2009

 

BLOG: Que Syrah, Sirah? Or Shiraz?

 

Wine writers have for the past decade extolled Syrah as the “new” popular red varietal. While Syrah   is anything but “new” it is refreshing to see wine lovers venturing into new realms of wine pleasure. Syrah, a full flavored grape is renowned for producing strong, long aging, sturdy wines of deep purple color. To most wine lovers Syrah means France’s Rhône Valley. To understand Syrah we must begin a world-wide travel beginning in France’s 125 mile long Rhône Valley from Avignon in the south to Vienne) in the north with a few side trips to areas producing great white wines.

Wine has been produced in the Rhône for over 2,500 years.

In the sixth century B.C. Phocaean sailors, Greeks from Asia Minor, established a settlement at the mouth of the Rhône at Massalia, now known as Marseille. Trade immediately began and included earthenware vessels  of wine made from vines planted along the banks of the Rhône.  It is unknown if the Phocaeans or the native Celts  planted and cultivated the first vines. The hearty sailors polled their flat boats loaded with wine and other goods up the Rhône to what are now the cities of Arles, Orange and Avignon.

The Rhône wines gained popularity when the papal court moved to Avignon. Pope Clément became Pope in 1309, during a time when relations between the King of France and the Roman Papacy were severely strained. As a native Frenchman from Bordeaux he decided it would be better to remain in France and moved the Papacy to Avignon where it remained until 1378. This period was known as  the Great Schism.

 In the early 14th century Pope Clément V would regularly travel from Avignon by mule to the small village of Châteauneuf to inspect his vineyard. Clement was already an accomplished wine grower, having planted his own vineyard in the Graves region of Bordeaux known as Château Pape-Clement.

 But while he did have a few vines near Avignon it was his successor, Pope John XXII who was responsible for the development of Châteauneuf du Pape  as a world renowned wine-producing region. It was also John XXII that built the papal summer residence (to escape the heat and bustle of Avignon) in the small village of Châteuneuf. Pope John used the 10 hectares that came with the Chateau but found he needed much more wine for his papal feasting in Avignon   As a result, to maintain his wine life-style,  he contracted for an annual delivery of 1,550 liters from the village of Bédarrides, which is part of the Châteauneuf du Pape appellation today.

In the southern Rhône, syrah is used to contribute flavor and structure to the multi-variety wines from the Châteauneuf-du-pape and Côtes-du-Rhône. But it is in the northern Rhône that has made Syrah famous.

Thought to have originated in the Middle East, the ancient Syrah grape has been grown in the Rhône valley at least since Roman times. In the northern Rhône Syrah is the principal grape of the esteemed wines from Cornas, Côte-Rôtie , Crozes-Hermitage , Hermitage  and Saint-Joseph. When young these wines are deep colored and tannic, with strong tar, spice and pepper qualities. Syrah wines are long-lived, and as they slowly mature, they take on the characteristics of sweet blackberries, black currants and plums with hints of smokiness.

            The first Syrah wine area in our travels to visit is Cornas, where some of the most tannic and powerful wines in the world are produced.  The wines are Syrah grown in heat retentive soil. The word Cornas  is derived from the Celtic word for “scorched earth” and the wines produced from these grapes have been called rustic, brutal, with savage tannins – certainly not a wine for the timid. As these wines age they remain robust but begin to show cassis, chestnut, truffle, licorice and black currant notes. They are the most powerful of all Syrah and if all Syrah was like Cornas  it is doubtful if Syrah would have gained the world-wide fame it enjoys today.

As we procede north we reach some of France’s greatest wines - The great wines of the Hermitage appellation, which is located in the northern portion of the Rhône region south of Lyon. Hermitage, produces both red and white wines. The vineyards are thought to have been cultivated as far back as the Roman occupation of the area.

The name Hermitage is attributed to a knight, Gaspard de Sterimberg, who, after fighting in the religious wars in the early 1200s retired to this hill as a hermit to tend his vines and meditate. Accolades for Hermitage wines go back centuries, at least to the 1600s, when Louis XIV reigned. The vineyards are planted on the very steep, sun-drenched hillside above the town of Twain-l’Hermitage across the Rhône river from Tournon.

Syrah is the red grape of the Hermitage. The white varieties Marsanne  and Roussanne  are used both in the white wines and in the blend for the robust red wines. Hermitage red wines are deep colored, full flavored, full-bodied and intense but can be brash and tannic when young. Those from the best vintages can take up to 15 years to soften and can age for 30 to 40 years or more.

Delas Frères Hermitage Les Bessards is one of the great Hermitage wines praised by reviewers. Although reported by reviewers as being unavailable in the United States and worth a trip to Europe to seek one out, Elizabeth’s has had a vertical of these incredible wines and has featured them at New Year’s Eve dinners.

The powerful white wines from Hermitage are capable of lengthy aging as well, some as long as the red wines. The Marsanne white wine grape that is widely grown in France’s northern Rhône region is the principal grape in the white wines of Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage and Saint Joseph.

The largest appellation in France’s northern Rhône region is Crozes-Hermitage. The vineyards of the eleven villages that make up Crozes-Hermitage surround the more famous Hermitage vineyards. Crozes-Hermitage produces red wines from syrah and white wines from marsanne and roussanne. The wines from the area vary considerably in quality because some of the vineyards are located in the superior hilly areas, while others are situated on the less-desirable flatlands.  The better Crozes-Hermitage wines bear a resemblance to those of the Hermitage AC, but usually without the concentrated flavors and richness.  The wines are rich, full bodied and have nice floral, spicy and ripe fruit notes.

  St. Joseph is a large area, about 40 miles, along the Rhône River producing wines which receive mixed reviews. Wines produced from vines with southern exposure are excellent, medium bodied with cherry/berry flavors. The better wines can usually be identified by price.

South of Lyon and about five miles south of Vienne is the village of Ampuis home of the rare and renowned wine Côte-Rôtie –  . Its name means roasted slope and it consists of slightly more than 150 acres of  steep hillside sun-baked vineyards. The vineyards are built on terraces so narrow and steep that tending and harvesting must be done manually. Some of the terraces are only wide enogh for three or four rows of vines.  Vineyard workers annually carry tons of soil up to the various terraces to replace soil washed away by rains.

 There are two sections that produce the best wines – one with lighter-colored soil, limestone, chalk and sand, called Côte Blonde and one with darker iron rich clay soil called Côte Brune. Legend has it that Maugiron, a nobleman in the area, gave one of the two sections to his blond daughter and the other section to his brunette daughter and that over time the two sections took on the traits of their respective owners. Côte Rôtie produces only red wines made from Syrah with up to 20 percent of the white grape Viognier in the blend. The wines are noted for their exotic fragrance, deep color, rich, spicy flavor, and full body. Most of the better Côte-Rôtie wines will easily age for ten or more years – many for fifty years.

As we proceed further north we arrive at Condrieu a 25 acre Rhône appellation located near the village of Condrieu, located south of Côte Rôtie in France’s northern Rhône region.  The grape variety in Condrieu is Viognier, a dry rich white wine with perceptible spiciness and aromas and flavors reminiscent of apricots, peaches and pears. This wine is quite expensive due to  quality and rarity.

Our next travel following the Syrah grape takes us to Australia. Amazingly Australia has no native grapevines and hybrids and vinifera crossings have never been planted. Consequently, Australia’s wine industry is virtually 100 percent European vinifera-based from cuttings brought over the years by immigrants. Shiraz, as Syrah is called in Australia, made its way there in 1830’s and is now that country’s most widely planted grape. The most famous Shiraz is the incredibly fruit-rich, full bodied and complex Grange Hermitage, produced by Penfolds, a wine that can age for 30 to 40 years.

In California the Petit Sirah grape was long thought to be Syrah but some enologists now believe it actually may be the Durif variety. True Syrah, sometimes called Sirah,  has been planted in California over the years and there are now many wines made from these plantings. A group of California wine makers, knick-named the Rhône Rangers, have successfully grown Rhône varietals in the warm California climate. Among California producers who make excellent Rhône style wines are: Bonny Doon, Cline, Concannon, Geyser Peak, Guenoc, Marietta, McDowell, Joseph Phelps, R.H. Phillips, Qupé, Ridge, Swanson and Zaca Mesa.

As an aside, Hermitage is a name used by South Africans for the grape variety Cinsault. It is not Syrah.

In summary, our travels following the Syrah grape have taken us from the Rhône Valley, to Australia to California. The enjoyment however, is in the wines themselves. Do yourself a favor and try a Syrah from France’s Rhône Valley to understand the underlying reason why Syrah wines are so spectacular, and then begin your own personal travel.

© Leonard G. Logan, Jr.

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WINE TASTING- Volume 3 CHAMPAGNE

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

BLOG- Wine Tasting-Champagne
A primer Volume 3
By Leonard G. Logan, Jr.
This blog is a continuation of two previous blogs on wine tasting posted here.
A recap- The three essential and different steps to tasting wines, your evaluation of a wine’s appearance, smell and taste were previously discussed. We now proceed to particular varietals.
Technically a sparkling wine produced in areas other than the French region of Champagne, even those produced by the méthode champenoise (The traditional method of making sparkling wine developed in France’s Champagne Region, a region of France located northeast of Paris.), should be called sparkling wine and not Champagne. True Champagne comes from the Champagne province of France, a region that produces grapes in a shorter season with a higher acidity than other regions. Acidity gives Champagne its incredible freshness and contributes to its longevity.
Champagne bubbles and premier sparkling wines are the result of secondary fermentation in the bottle occurring when a small amount of yeast, with a combination of sugar and wine, is added to the initial still wine. The yeasts eat the sugar forming more alcohol and discharging carbon dioxide gas which is trapped in the bottle.
The bottles rest in cellars for at least a year but cannot be released because the sediment from spent yeast makes the wine cloudy and gritty. To remove the sediment the bottles are placed in A-frames called pupitres where professionals called rémueurs or riddlers slightly turn and upend the bottles a fraction. When the bottles eventually are moved to an upside down position all of the yeast will collect in the bottle’s neck.
The neck is placed in a brine solution which freezes the contents of the bottle neck. When the bottle is quickly turned upright and un-capped the frozen plug of yeast shoots out – a process called dégorgement. A liquid of wine and sugar is added to fill the missing plug space in the neck intended to bring the sugar level up to the desired level. Most other sparkling wines are made in tanks and later transferred to bottles.
There is a reason Champagne and premium sparkling made by the Méthode Champenoise is more expensive. It takes many years to make Champagne or a premium sparkling and only a few months to make a low cost sparkling.
There are “famous” luxury Champagnes such as Salon, Bollinger Grand Anne, Dom Perignon, Cristal, Veuve Cliquot Grand Dame, Krug and vintage Champagnes produced during premier years. While these luxury and vintage Champagnes are exceptional and would be an excellent selection for a really important dinner, I wouldn’t recommend them for a reception or large dinner- unless you have recently won the lottery and want to impress the peasants.
The choice instead should be a non-vintage Champagne or a sparkling wine made by the Méthode Champenoise process. Non-Vintage Champagnes are more typical of the house style than vintage Champagnes and are much less expensive.
Over 75 percent of all French Champagne is non-vintage. The choices are great with some exceptional wines available.
Champagnes are identified by their degree of sweetness. Extra Brut is the driest followed by Brut, Extra Dry, Sec, Demi-sec and Doux, from drier to sweeter. I always recommend a medium bodied Brut which usually is liked by most people. If all your guests like sweet wines such as white zinfandel buy the cheap sparkling and provide guests with plenty of aspirins.
The most common Champagnes are made from chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier. Small productions of Blanc de Blancs Champagnes made entirely from Chardonnay are produced by a few houses. The best are produced by Tattinger, Krug and Salon (who invented the process.) Salon’s Le Mesnil and Krug’s Clos du Mesnil are considered the most extraordinary of all Champagnes and should be tried at least once in every Champagne aficionado’s lifetime. Rosé Champagnes are considered by wine writers as the crème de la crème of all Champagnes. Very rare, comprising only about 3% of all exports, Rosé is made by either allowing the wine to come in contact with the pinot noir red skins or adding a small amount of pinot noir prior to secondary fermentation. These wines are rich and full-bodied.
There are excellent non-vintage Champagnes at reasonable prices and hosts should seek them out and resist the temptation of serving a cheap sparkling wine. There is no other way to let your guests know that they are important than to serve Champagne.
Less than ten percent of sparkling wines in the United States are made by the Méthode Champenoise process. A few sparkling wines we recommend are Iron Horse 1998 Russian River Cuvee Brut Sparkling, Argyle 1996 Blanc de Blanc Sparkling Knudsen Vineyard, Schramsberg 1998 Blanc de Blanc, 1997 Blanc de Noir, 1995 Brut Reserve, and an incomparable 1996 J. Schram.
Elizabeth’s offers over 60 different Champagnes – come try a bottle or glass on the porch or in the garden or join us for dinner where we begin our wine dinners with Perrier-Jouet Champagne.

© Leonard G. Logan, Jr.

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Wine Tasting- Taste

Thursday, June 18th, 2009

Wine Tasting Volume 2 TASTE

By Leonard G. Logan, Jr

This article is a continuation of an Article on wine tasting printed in my recent blog.        There are three essential and different steps to tasting wines – these steps are your evaluation of a wine’s appearance, smell and taste.

            Last blog we directed you to observe the wine’s overall appearance and then smell the wine.

            Now we can begin to actually taste the wine.

            Science has taught us for several hundred years that we taste by our tongue only sweet, sour, salt and bitter flavors. The real taste of a wine and food is obtained from vapors that reach the upper nasal cavity by inhaling or from vapors rising from behind the palate after swallowing.

            The tip of the tongue is particularly sensitive to sweetness. If there is any sweetness in the wine you will taste it immediately at the first sip. The sides of the tongue and cheek area identify acidity most commonly apparent in white wines. The back of the tongue most accurately detects bitterness. Tannins are identified in the middle to back of the tongue. Tannins are mostly found in red wines or some white wines aged in wood.

            Tannins can dry the palate to excess if the wines are too young or out of balance. The result is a cottony mouth feel. Fruit and varietal characteristics are tasted in the middle of the tongue.

            In the past twenty years a newly discovered taste was identified by a Japanese scientist as umami – which is responsible for the deliciousness of some Asian foods. Briefly, unami is a savory taste of glutamic acid which occurs naturally in many foods, but is difficult to detect except in ripe tomatoes, parmesan cheese, cured ham, mushrooms, some meat and fish.

            The wine should be tasted at a proper temperature. Generally, most restaurants and people in the United States serve white wines too cold and red wines too warm. Temperature affects our perception of a wine.

            A very cold wine will release few flavor vapors. At 60 to 65 degrees most wines are capable of releasing their full flavor components. As a wine is chilled it tastes crisper, fruiter and drier – but looses fullness and complexity. A wine warmer than 65 degrees releases ethyl alcohol and as the wine warms the alcohol dilutes the flavor components and numbs the nerves.

            Most home refrigerators are chilled to approximately 38 degrees to keep milk icy cold. Only the poorest jug wines should be served directly from a home refrigerator. These wines have little complexity or acidity and cold makes them appear crisp and thirst quenching while at the same time hiding their flaws.

            An outstanding rich and complex Chardonnay will release best flavors between 50 and 60 degrees. For those used to wines served palate numbing directly from the refrigerator, our wines served at Elizabeth’s may appear “warm.” However, each wine has an ideal serving temperature that enhances the complexity of the wine while at the same time maintaining a refreshing tartness. We attempt to serve wines at Elizabeth’s as close as possible to this ideal temperature. Rieslings, Chenin Blancs, and some other white wines are intended to be served colder. We serve these wines and our wines by the glass at a cooler temperature. If these wines are too cold they will reach drinking temperature at your table in a few minutes.

            From the earliest days red wines were served directly from the wine cellar at “room temperature.” However, “room temperature” in days of castles and stone manor houses with wine cellars is not remotely similar to our present day central heat pump homes and restaurants. The term “room temperature” means 60 to 65 degrees to most wine makers. Our wine cellar at Elizabeth’s stores our fine wines at 57 degrees, enabling us to serve red wines at a recommended “room temperature” of 60 to 65 degrees.

Your First Taste

            Take a small sip. To get the wine all over the tongue’s taste buds you should gently swirl the wine around in your mouth. Some people also bring a little air into their mouth after the first sip to help release all the flavors of the wine. (Don’t gargle.) Hold the wine in your mouth for about 10 to 15 seconds and try to identify the following.

            A Bad Wine: is usually immediately apparent. You generally will have discovered a bad wine when you sniffed it in the glass. You may sip a tiny amount of the wine to confirm your nose of the wine that is corked, has become oxidized or materized (all discussed in the previous article), or become vinegary. 

            Body and Mouth Feel is the weight and texture of the wine in your mouth.  Weight -light to heavy and variations in between- an extremely important sensation when we discuss wine and food pairing in subsequent articles. (Think of a glass of skim milk contrasted to a John’s Drive-in Milk Shake.) Mouth feel- Textural impressions – velvet, satin, harsh, (also has an influence on our perception of balance.)

            Taste and flavors: Your sip may confirm or expand your initial discovery of fruit and spices identified when you smelled the wine. Try and identify a few fruit tastes.

            Acidity and tannins: Identify the level of acidity for white wines and the strength of the tannins for red wine. Is the acidity light, too much or just right?  Are the tannins non-existent, strong, astringent, or pleasing for your palate? The identification of acidity and tannins in the wine will become really important when you begin pairing food with wine.

            The Balance is one of the most important elements in a wine. Does every taste and mouth feel seem to be in balance – with nothing predominating when you taste? If so the wine is balanced for your palate. When we later discuss wine and food pairing sometimes a wine that may appear at first sip to be out of balance can create a good pairing with food.

            The Finish – Identifying how long the flavors linger after swallowing.

            Now for the most important decision – did you like the wine? If so, it is a good wine. Check the price to see if it is a wine you would drink often or only on special occasions. A future blog will attempt to assist in wine buying and cellar selection.

            You should purchase a notebook, any size will do, to record your immediate impression of the wines you taste. This will help in later ordering or acquisition of wines you like.

            Many restaurants are now offering wine dinners. Elizabeth’s was one of the first, twenty years ago, and now is one of the few restaurants in the United States to offer  prix fixe wine dinners nightly. Wine dinners are a way for you to taste a number of different wines without having to buy a bottle.

            Wines by the glass can offer a chance to taste different varietals however, check the glass list. At Elizabeth’s we try and place the best examples of a varietal on the list and often offer these wines at a less expensive price than one would pay for an equivalent number of glasses from a single bottle of the same wine. We want our guests to have the opportunity to taste a number of incredible wines that will help them discover the wines they like.

            Remember the admonition – Ignore ratings and other people’s opinions about a wine. If you like a wine it is a good wine for your palate – if you don’t like a wine it is not a good wine for you.

We will continue our discussions in the next blog, Santé.

© Leonard G. Logan, Jr.

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Wine Tasting- Look and Smell

Thursday, June 18th, 2009

INITIAL WINE TASTING – LOOK and SMELL

 

 

This is probably an appropriate time to discuss “wine tasting” – not throwing back wine shooters, and not listening to some overblown idea of what a wine tastes like – but a tasting that can begin a lifetime of learning.

I begin all of our wine seminars at Elizabeth’s with an admonition and promise – that wine tasting is one of the great courses you can take because “you are the professor and you grade the papers.” Your palate controls and no one should tell you whether you like or should like a wine. The best advice is to ignore all ratings or write-ups about a wine, simply approach wine tasting as a food tasting – After all wine is food.

There are three essential and different steps to tasting wines. Wine tasting is your evaluation of a wine’s appearance, smell and taste.

LOOK AT THE WINE

The first step is to observe the wine’s overall appearance – your first clue to the wine you are about to taste.  Most of the following observations can be accomplished in a few seconds. Don’t spend a lot of time observing the wine. 

Color intensity: This can give a good indication of a wines quality – particularly when comparing similar wines of the same varietal. e.g.: a Pinot Noir with a Pinot Noir. If one of the compared wines has a deeper color the wine was probably made from higher quality grapes and will have more flavor and body. Also, if a red wine has a paler color it can be an indication that the grapes may have been picked before fully ripened or come from an over-planted vineyard.

To determine a wine’s true color hold the stem, tilt the glass at an angle and view the wine against a white background thereby viewing the wine on its side. 

White Wines

Generally, the paler a wine is the less intensity the wine will show.

A pale wine with slight green tints usually indicates a wine from a cool climate and a wine that probably has some noticeable acidity.  

A straw color may indicate a relatively young dry wine.

Yellow gold or “buttercup-yellow” shade can indicate a wine with more powerful, complex or medium aged flavors (3 to 5 years).

A deeper gold color will usually indicate a wine with six or more years of bottle age. A late harvest or a dessert wine such as Chateau d’Yquem can gain an even deeper golden color with long term bottle aging.

Brownish tints to the wine usually indicate excessive aging that may have become oxidized. (A wine exposed to small amounts of oxygen over a long aging which causes deterioration and exhibits a sherry smell – is not good.)

Red Wines

The color of red wine can give significant hints to us about the wine we are about to drink.

Purple: usually indicates a young wine.

Ruby (crimson): Young dry wines with minimal aging.

Red – indicates a wine with several years of bottle age such as a 2 to 5 year old Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon, or a 1 to 3 year old Pinot Noir

Brick-red color occurs when a hint of brown begins to show in a wine and when the red color begins to fade. This color is evident in older Bordeaux and Burgundies.

The brownish color becomes more noticeable as these wines age more towards their maturity.

 A quick note: sometimes while observing a wine’s clarity you will observe little crystal deposits in the wine (tartrate crystals). These crystal deposits do not affect the wines taste. If they are in the bottom of the bottle a slow pouring into the glass will help reduce their appearance in the glass.

Another note: What are legs and are they important? Legs, sometimes referred to as tears, assist in identifying a wine tasted blind. When wine is swirled in the glass the rivulets that are formed on the side of the glass give us an indication of the wine’s alcohol level, or a wines richness. When tasting from a bottle just look at the alcohol percentage on the bottle don’t bother with legs.   

But, you say we are here to taste.

True, but our next step is the most important and must be taken before actual tasting.

SMELL 

First you should avoid the use of perfume or scented after-shave lotion if you are going to be tasting wines or dining in a fine dining wine restaurant. Not only for you but in consideration of others who will be tasting near you.  

You will create your own technique for getting the nose of a wine. Try placing your nose in the glass and taking a gentle sniff. Then swirl the wine in the glass and take another more deeply inhaled sniff. Repeated attempts at smelling the same wine aren’t helpful as your nose will develop fatigue. If you don’t get any discernable nose after the first two sniffs try placing your hand over the top of the wine glass and after lightly swirling take your hand away and immediately sniff from the glass.

The ability to discern different smells of fruit, spices and oak is essential for wine and food pairing.

Our ability to smell is far greater than our ability to taste. Smelling is important because it is the easiest way to reveal a problem wine. One such smell is moldy, wet cardboard or newspapers – an indication of a wine that is corked. White table wines that smell stale and sherry-like with a smell of overripe apples indicates the wine has become oxidized (air exposure) or maderized (baked) which can be an indication of improper warm storage. The term maderized indicates a table wine with Madeira like character – great for a Madeira wine – terrible for a table wine.

Now we can begin to taste.

Our tongue can taste salt, sour, sweet and bitter (considerably less than the thousands of smells we can remember and identify.)

Remember the admonition – if you like a wine it is a good wine for your palate – if you don’t like a wine it is not a good wine for you.

We will fully discuss actual tasting in the next blog

 

© Leonard G. Logan, Jr.

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