The Silk Road of Wine

Wine Review: Johann Donabaum Setzberg Riesling Smaragd 2005

This beautiful wine came courtesy of the good folks at Winemonger, with whom we've recently become acquainted (and who will be the subject of a future post, given their excellent site and focus on hard-to-find Austrian wines).

Being a big fan of dry Rieslings, and even semi-dry ones, I was eager to try this effort from Donabaum.  He's an up-and-comer on the Austrian wine scene and certainly has the whiff of prodigy about him:

At 26 years old, Johann Donabaum has taken over the reins as the cellarmaster of the relatively small 9 acre family winery in Spitz, whose total production each year is 2,100 cases (85% white, 10% red, 5% sweet)

He might seem terribly young to us here in America, but what you need to understand is that Johann has been in training for this his entire life. Training which included a stint working and learning from F X Pichler, perhaps the most famous vintner from the mighty Wachau region.

Further, Wine Spectator called Johann one of the three vintners leading the way in the famous Wachau region, and no less an authority than Jancis Robinson has also chimed in about his talents: One of the most impressive for quality - and without a doubt for value - was Johann Donabaum of the eponymous family winery of Spitz at the coolest, western end of the Wachau, Austria’s great dry white wine region….This is a name to watch.

After all that, the wine did not disappoint.  Lots of mineral aromas and citrus notes came together in the glass; I expected the wine to be sweeter for some reason but it was exactly the right level of dryness and acidity to pair with the simple ling cod preparation we served it with. 

The tasting notes say it could be cellared until 2019 but I don't know how it would last in the house for that long ... Finally, if scores matter to you, Wine Spectator gave it a 92 and Wine Enthusiast a 91.  Highly recommended!

Sake review: Harushika "Tokimeki" sparkling sake

This was a remarkable find at the excellent one-star Michelin restaurant, Bushi-Tei, which bills itself as "French California fusion with a touch of Japanese accent" (and quite an accent it is, since the restaurant dates back to 1863 in SF's Japantown and the old wood used in the dining room was carefully     removed during the demolition of Nagano, Japan).  Our waitress did a nice job pairing the chef's omakase menu with wines from the list, and sensing our interest in adventurous wine-food pairings, she suggested the  Harushika "Tokimeki" sparkling sake with the fruit sorbet dessert.

It was my first experience with a sparkling sake, and it was quite pleasant -- in some ways, the first few sips reminded me of a refreshingly low-alcohol version of Squirt soda.  We came to learn that this sake is a nigori, which means unlike other sakes it is not filtered and still contains small rice particles which lend it a somewhat opaque, milky color.  Our waitress said it reminded her faintly of a Moscato d’Asti with some fruity and sweet flavors, but nicely balanced with good acidity.

Overall, a very refreshing sake that pairs naturally with fresh fruit but could serve quite capably as an aperitif due to its low alcohol (6-7%) and soft bubbles.  Highly recommended, if you can find it!

A Contrarian View of Merlot, part III

Continuing my kick about merlot that I started in earlier posts part I and part II, according to the indispensable book The Wine Lover's Companion by Ron and Sharon Herbst:

In French, the word Merlot means "young blackbird," probably alluding to the grape's beautiful dark-blue color.

Probably a little extra blackbird 'residuals' (stop me if I lose you with the technical terms) produces Chateau Petrus, one of the world's most expensive red wines which is normally 100% merlot (with a little cab franc for good measure).  Consider that next time someone tries to beat you down with the over-used "Sideways" quote ...

A Contrarian View of Merlot, part II

I'm on a kick here about merlot, as you can see from my last post.  The much-maligned grape has once again drawn the focus of Eric Asimov of the NY Times, only this time he goes into much greater detail about the root causes of merlot's sliding popularity (and what can be done about it).

How did merlot get so popular?  Blame "60 Minutes":

Twenty years ago merlot was a relatively minor grape in California. A few pioneers, like Duckhorn and Newton, had made some good wines, and merlot was gaining some popularity, but white wine was ascendant in the 1980's. It wasn't until 1991, and the famous "60 Minutes" broadcast of the "French paradox," that red wine began to take off in the United States.

As Oz Clarke points out in his book "Encyclopedia of Grapes" (Harcourt, 2001), the weakness of merlot — that it most often produced a mild, inoffensive wine — suddenly became its strength as it appealed to a large new audience for red wine that wasn't ready for more challenging examples. By 2004 more than 50,000 acres of merlot were planted in California, up from about 3,000 in 1986.

What's wrong with merlot today, particularly California merlot?  Two reasons -- too much is grown in the wrong terroir and, in a twist from what you'd expect, it is the labeling laws of California (rather than the normally more staid and traditional France) that do not provide enough flexibility to winemakers looking to produce the best merlot-based blended wine:

About 20,000 acres are industrially farmed in the hot Central Valley, the equivalent of all the merlot planted in Napa, Sonoma and Washington State combined. And that Central Valley merlot accounts for about 75 percent of the merlot wine produced in the United States. If you are ever possessed at a bar to say, "I'll just have a merlot," this is most likely what you will get. ...

But good merlot has other obstacles, not the least of which are California laws that require wines that carry the name of a grape to be made of 75 percent of that grape at minimum.

Consumers often express shock at this, having expected wines like merlot or cabernet sauvignon to be 100 percent merlot or cabernet. But in France, Bordeaux varietals like merlot and cabernet are almost always blended, and seldom does merlot meet that 75 percent threshold. For every Pomerol like Pétrus, which is 95 percent merlot, you have great wines like Lafleur (50 percent merlot) and Vieux-Château-Certan (60 percent merlot).

Regardless of whether a wine would be better with less than 75 percent merlot, California winemakers, if they want to call their wine merlot, are handcuffed by the law. Swanson's merlot, by the way, consists of 90 percent merlot and 10 percent syrah, a combination not legal in Bordeaux, although unscrupulous winemakers have been known to break the rules.

So, take a good hard look at the label and the region before throwing that prized merlot out with the bathwater.  It might just be mis-labeled ...

The Dummies Guide to Buying a Wine Fridge

The WSJ does an admittedly unscientific but very interesting study to see what works best, a $500 "wine chller" or no formal storage at all.  Although they didn't take into account the elaborate temperature and humidity-controlled wine cellar rooms that are on the market, the impression one comes away with is that they are more for show than anything else -- any incremental gains from such a setup are probably negligible:

I draw a few lessons from this: Wine, it turns out, is pretty tough. Second, there's no guarantee that a wine store or restaurant is doing any better than I am at home.

When I was selecting our wine fridge (a 220 bottle unit in dark cherry from Vinocraft) I developed a few simple rules to help narrow down the purchase options:

• Where will the fridge be stored -- in full view (as furniture) or out of sight (in the garage)?  This is the most important question, since it drives all the other decisions around color, windows, etc.  Consider how hot it gets in that room or garage since this can significantly increase your electricity bill to keep the fridge cool.  In our case, we store it way out of sight in a big closet (with adequate ventilation) in a very cool part of the house next to the garage.
• If it will be stored out in the open, definitely spend the extra money for a super-quiet fan.  Until you stand next to them, you have no idea how some of these fans can resemble the sound of a jet engine -- you don't want that in your dining room.
• Be realistic about the size of fridge you need.  If you are moving up from the 10-bottle wine rack in your kitchen (even if it was always full), you probably don't need a 500+ bottle ultra-premium wine fridge unless you plan on devoting a serious portion of your disposable income to building a collection.
• Accessories you need: an interior light and an exterior lock.  Adjustable racks for different size bottles are a nice option if available.
• Accessories you don't need: pricey dual-humidity controls, windows, fancy wood trim and handles.  It's a fridge after all -- you want to show off what you pull out from inside of it, not the fridge itself.

That's about it -- good luck and enjoy stocking your new purchase!

World's best inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignon

The SF Chronicle has good article with some of their best Cabernet picks for under $20 -- very refreshing to see this end of the market being covered.  It has always struck me as strange that so many wine snobs (and wannabe's) insist on only reading and writing about the most expensive and often unattainable wines, while virtually ignoring the lesser-priced gems that the average non-elitist wine drinker is searching out.  Don't get me wrong -- it is fun to read about the latest Ferrari in Car & Driver, but Consumer Reports is going to prove immensely more valuable when I am searching for my next set of wheels.  Why is wine any different?

Some highlights from their picks:

My favorite Cab on this proudly proletarian list is the 2003 Pepperwood Grove California Cabernet Sauvignon ($8), which is more likable than many Cabs I've had at four times the price. The vanilla aroma is strong, indicating lots of exposure to oak, with additional scents of cherry and leather. On the palate, it's nicely balanced between cherry and vanilla flavors with notes of black tea and leather; more cherry keeps coming out on the medium-long finish. ...

The 2002 Two Tone Farm Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($10) is very successful in the oaked-up style. It smells mostly of vanilla and oak with some cherry; on the palate, oak dominates and the tannins are assertive, but the cherry and vanilla flavors are pleasing through the medium-length finish. Let it breathe at least 30 minutes to soften the tannins.

If you prefer minimal oak flavors try the NV HRM Rex Goliath California Cabernet Sauvignon ($9). It's pleasantly jammy and almost all fruit, with aromas and flavors of blackberry and cherry with hints of mint and herb. ...

Australia is a great source of bargain wines these days, and there's plenty of Cab planted Down Under. The 2001 Handpicked Yarra Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($10) delivers flavors and aromas of cherry, black tea, coffee, red currant and herb.

Its fellow Aussie, 2003 Kelly's Revenge South Eastern Australia Cabernet Sauvignon ($6), is very simple, with aromas and flavors of black cherry and herb, but you gotta like getting the king of grapes for that price.

And they even have good things to say about wine in a box, if you can believe it (although the very classy Vin Vino Wine shop in Palo Alto carries the first one, so perhaps it is not such a surprise):

The jokesters behind Three Thieves wines have helped once again in liberating wine for the masses. The 2002 Three Thieves Bandit California Cabernet Sauvignon ($7 for a 1-liter box) has a bright, appealing aroma of cherry, cherry candy and vanilla. On the palate, it's a simple and likable combo of cherry and vanilla flavors. The Tetra Pak box it comes in has many advantages  --  it's lightweight and portable, and I once smuggled one into a baseball game where I doubt I would have been able to bring a bottle. However, be warned that it's difficult to pour from without spilling.

The 2003 Black Box Wines Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon ($18 for a 3- liter box) comes in an entirely different kind of box that's not intended to be portable. The bag-in-box packaging is designed to keep wine fresh for several weeks after opening; I haven't tried this myself, but others have and report that it works. Every time you push the spigot to pour a glass, the bag depresses, creating a vacuum and preventing oxidation. Be sure to store the wine in a cool area, especially after opening. This Black Box Cab, which contains the equivalent of four 750 ml bottles, offers simple aromas and flavors of black cherry and toast with an herbal note.

 

World's best inexpensive wines

The NJ Star Ledger has an interview  with Howard Kaplan, founder of Executive Wine Seminars and one of the world's foremost wine authorities.  The interview covers many topics, and although he is often awash in the really good juice he offered the following suggestions for inexpensive daily wines:

My current favorite inexpensive red wines are 2001 Wynn's Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra, Australia) and 2001 Sierra Cantabria Crianza (Rioja, Spain). As to whites, there is a plethora of inexpensive -- under $15 -- German Kabinett rieslings from 2001, 2002 and 2003 that are phenomenal, low-alcohol wines, ideal for summer drinking. Also, 2004 Twin Islands Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand) is a cut above in quality and a cut below in price.

He also defended French wine from the global bad press it has experienced of late:

French wine was -- and still is -- the benchmark for the world, the standard-bearer of excellence to which all others are compared. In fact, the quality of French wines today is much higher than it was when I first started to drink wine.

2002 Burrell School Merlot, Estate Reserve

  Burrell school cork 
  Originally uploaded by vineguy.

Maybe the photo is a bit fuzzy, but the wine is very nice and easy drinking.  Burrell School vineyards is a small producer located in the Santa Cruz Mountains between Los Gatos and Scotts Valley (on the way over the hill to Santa Cruz itself); they operate out of an old one-room elementary school building and don't take themselves too seriously (as you can tell from the writing on the cork). 

You can find their wines in a few local grocers such as the Los Gatos Whole Foods, but you should check out their scenic location if you are in the area!

Food Pairing: Mexican with Sauvignon Blanc

When the weather heats up, Mexican cuisine always seems like a great (and festive) way to get together with friends.  If you are interested in something a little more exciting than another night of lime-infused cerveza and margaritas (not that there is anything wrong with that ...), stretch the wrinkles out of your brain and take a tip from our friends at the Food Network -- a snappy Sauvignon Blanc will give just the right balance whether you like your guacamole mild or spicy:

Mexican meals can make a wine pairing difficult. Those wicked chiles knock out the flavor of any wine or strong beer. So you need to choose a good wine and tailor the menu. The tailoring's easy: Conspire with your waiter, unless you're afraid of being thought a wimp; find out what's low-key on the menu, in a hot-chile sense, and order it. Then go for the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Background
This remarkable wine -- stuffed with green, herbal flavors, a green-apple/grapefruit/passion-fruit fruitiness, and wrapped in a zippily acidic frame -- started to draw world attention in the 1980s. Before long, wine gurus around the planet were calling New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc -- particularly the ones from the Marlborough region, at the north end of New Zealand's South Island -- the best Sauvignon Blancs being made in the world today.

But a little trouble in paradise developed, from my point of view. One of the most successful labels was Cloudy Bay, which received enormous attention and praise. The makers allowed their fruit to get a little riper, and their wine to come to the market sweeter rather than bone-dry. Seeing their success, other Marlborough wineries started to follow suit.

Shopper’s Tip
Ten years ago you could pick up just about any Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc for your enchilada feast, but today you have to be more selective. The wines, on average, are higher in alcohol and sweeter, with less of that tingling acid zap that enables them to buzz-saw through rich Mexican food.

Recommendations
So, let's say you want wine rather than margaritas with your chips, guacamole and salsa. That's when it’s time to go even more south of the border and pick up a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

2001 Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc
2000 Vavasour Sauvignon Blanc
2001 Framingham Sauvignon Blanc
Mount Riley Sauvignon Blanc, the 2001
The Crossings Sauvignon Blanc
2001 Jackson Estate Sauvignon Blanc

   

Ever wonder what "Rothschild" stands for?

  Turns out Rothschild means "of the red shield" in Old German.  Hence the nomenclature on the good Baron's Chilean wine, the 2001 Escudo Rojo (red shield, in Spanish) ... more to come shortly on this delicious and bargain-priced Bordeaux blend.