Dr Vino's wine blog

In 1993 Englebert Prieler, an Austrian vintner, decided for the first time to bottle a single-vineyard wine from the grape variety Blaufränkisch. When it came time to sell the wine, he priced it the same as his better known Cabernet Sauvignon. However, the Blaufränkisch bottles languished unsold until a Swiss collector bought them all as a block. Adding insult to injury, the asking price at the winery was only 20 schillings (about 1.50 euro) a bottle.*

Things have changed. The 2006 vintage of that same wine, a fuller style of Blaufränkisch, now sells for about $130 per bottle in the U.S.

While Blaufränkisch is hardly a household wine term, it has risen from nothing in 1995 to, well, more than nothing. Read more…

I had heard about the fires in Sonoma 2008. But I had never tasted them.

David Hirsch poured me a sample of his 2008 “The Bohans-Dillon” pinot noir at the recent trade tasting of his New York distributor. And guess what: it had a smoky notes swirling around the dark cherry fruit. If you like chipotle or a peaty whisky, and you like California pinot, I predict you will love this wine! (The smoky taste can come in non-blaze years from the “toast” level of barrels.) If you don’t but want to keep it in the Hirsch Vineyards portfolio, then perhaps try one of the 07s, such as the pricier “M,” which is smoke free.

Describing that hot summer when the fires came in July, Hirsch said that “we almost died of asphyxiation.” He added that people like to “drink pinot and talk terroir.” Well, he said, this was the terroir of 2008. By contrast, he said that 2007 was “a blessing.”

Here on the blog, we previously discussed geologists who debunked “minerality” as coming from the soil. But this smokiness in the glass appears to have come from the fires! Putting the “air” in terroir, one might say.

For more on smoke and de-smokifying wines, check out this story in the SF Chron or this one at Forbes.com.

The weather is rapidly changing: one day, fall; the next day, snow! Here are two natural wines from France that have you covered.

Arretxea, Irouleguy 2005 about $20
This hearty red pairs well with rich foods and cold weather. Although not big and boozy (only 12.5% on the label), the main grape is tannat, which makes wines that are often opaque in their inky purpleness with tons o’ tannins. This wine, from the French side of the Basque Country, is a delicious wintry treat, with brooding notes of black cherries, tar, stones and smooth but substantial tannins. Their white is also very good even if a recent vintage was denied the appelllation (again, a condemnation of the appellation system, not the producer). Importer: Kermit Lynch.

Tissot, Arbois, Poulsard, vielles vignes, Jura 2006 about $17
And if you’re feeling more autumnal than wintry, impress your friends with this natural Poulsard. I tried a bottle and loved it and went back for more. And then I poured it for friends not so into wine, but only after trying to deter them by cautioning them that it was a wine geek’s wine. That just fanned their flames of desire. Fortunately, they really liked it too. In the glass, the wine throws a head fake: light in color and transparent, it also has a pretty, tannic structure. Throw in some notes of dried red fruits, autumnal earthiness and excellent balance with acidity, and this certified Biodynamic, no sulfur beauty may even impress your non-wine geek friends. Importer: Wildman & Sons.

Another six-week session of my NYU class just wrapped up last week. I poured about six wines per class around various themes (if you’d like a one-night class, register for the holiday wines session on 12/10). Here are some of the popular and/or notable choices from the term:

Pinon, sparkling Vouvray NV (about $19): I poured a bubbly in almost every class; this one was unanimously liked. How could it not be? It is gorgeous bubbly with delicious aromatics and a balance between acidity and delicate residual sugar. It will be on my Thanksgiving table–and in a white wine glass.

Hirsch, Veltliner #1, 2007 (about $15): Refreshing, with good acidity and a hint of that snap pea character of Gruner, this wine got lots of thumbs up, particularly for the price.

Produttori del Barbaresco, Barberesco, 2005 (about $33): I poured this wine the first day to illustrate tannins. While the taninns were actually more muted than I had anticipated, the wine was wildly popular. Many Nebbiolo fans were made from a sip of this wine. It does benefit from some air; another bottle that I bought was still going strong on day two.

Domaine Guion, Cuvee Prestige, Bourgeuil, 2006 (about $12): After our discussion online about cabernet franc, the polarizing grape, I had to add this wine to the following lineup. All but four people really liked it (about 90% of participants); I love it too for the good acidity and interesting tannins and have been buying it by the case.

Ridge, Three Valleys, Sonoma (about $23)
This blend of mostly zinfandel fermented with natural yeasts has 13.8% alcohol, refreshingly low for a zin. The class really liked its lushness and didn’t find it as overextracted as some of the other wines. It’s also a good value, available online for less than I paid for the class.

Luzon, monastrell, Jumilla, 2008 (about $8): This wine was funny since it was the cheapest wine we tasted for the day, yet the most popular as people reached for their pens to scribble this one down. To me, it didn’t have a lot of individuality but certainly was not the worst example of monastrell I’ve ever had (ahem, Sierra Carche).

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Does a wine from a box taste any different from the same wine in a bottle?

I recently led a tasting and we were able to put this question to the test. I poured the Domaine Grand Veneur, Cotes du Rhone, reserve, 2007 from a bottle (retail: $14) and a three-liter box ($45) and served them blind in two glasses. (search for this wine)

The assembled group couldn’t really discern one from the other. While everyone agreed that the wine was a good value, some people preferred one over the other but the reasoning was all over the map. Although this sounds like a non-finding, it is interesting that neither format outpaced the other even though one format is decidedly less expensive per ounce/glass.

I look forward to trying this experiment again but it is difficult to find the exact same wine packaged in two different formats. Domaine des Estezargues, Cotes du Rhone 2007 and apparently there’s one from Washington State; hit the comments if you’ve done a tasting like this or know of other wines in both formats for our further experimentation.

Tasting wines blind may not always be the right way to judge wines. But it is invariably fascinating.

I contributed a short piece to Forbes.com about wines that could serve as “ringers” in a blind tasting. Have you ever organized a blind tasting at home (or professionally) and thrown in a “ringer”? Or if you haven’t, which wine would you put in which lineup as a ringer in a future tasting?

Writing in Friday’s Globe and Mail of Toronto, Beppi Crosariol, the paper’s wine columnist, weighs in on the topic of Cabernet Franc. Provocatively, he writes “Most cabernet francs resemble red sangria that has been steeped with bell peppers and unlit cigarettes instead of fruit, but I’ve found three Canadian ones I like very much.”

He’s not a fan of the grape. Talking about the two top growing areas in the Loire, Chinon and Bourgueil, he writes, ironically: “Virtually all the people I know who rave about Chinon and Bourgueil are wine geeks, the kind of people who champion varieties nobody else does precisely because nobody else does. You can find many of these same people downloading unsigned artists to their iPods.”

Funny, I like great Chinon and Bourgueil but I’ve never downloaded an unsigned artist to my iPhone! I just like them for the low alcohol, high acidity for food friendliness, and the low prices–the “undiscovered” discount. Take the delicious but, yes, slightly herbaceous, Domaine Guion, Cuvee Prestige 2006, which I just bought for about $12.50 (with case discount)–a tasty bargain if there ever were one, but certainly not one for fruit bomb lovers.

I tweeted about the article at 8:56 AM today and the responses came flooding in; here is a selection. (Follow along on Twitter) If you haven’t weighed in, do you love or hate Cabernet Franc? Which actor is the most apt comparison?

gonzogastronomy @drvino ouch! I happen to love cab franc!
candidwines @drvino Your Cab Franc critic cites “cedar, tobacco + vanilla” in the CF he loves. My description of him: “Starts w/ J, rhymes w/ mackass”.
Randall Grahm @drvino There are truly 2 populations of wine drinkers, those who love and those who detest cab franc. One generally wishes to avoid latter
voxinferior RT @gonzogastronomy: @drvino ouch! I happen to love cab franc! (I like it too, but there’s some pretty legit. criticism in that piece)
James Molesworth @RandallGrahm @drvino Cab Franc is an acquired taste. Acquired at birth or never…
Howard Goldberg @RandallGrahm @drvino When I think of cabernet sauvignon, I think of Catherine Deneuve. And when I think of cabernet franc, Lauren Bacall.
candidwines @drvino @RandallGrahm Overcropped, machine harvested Cab Franc is to real CF as January tomatoes are to garden heirlooms: worlds apart.
theconcierge @drvino I think the ‘Globe and Mail’ statement on Cabernet Franc is harsh, there are bad wines made with any varietals
Randall Grahm @howardggoldberg @drvino Deneuve is Burgundy; Bruce Willis is Bordeaux. But I like the smoky, peppery Bacall association w/ cab franc
Randall Grahm @jmolesworth1 @drvino @howardggodberg What gets me is the absolute vehemence of cab franc’s detractors. But francly, I don’t give a damn
megmaker @RandallGrahm @howardggoldberg @drvino Agree Cab Franc is Bacall, or maybe K Hepburn: throaty, acerbic – but what a woman.
tallywineguy @drvino I think pinotage is more divisive than CF. RT There r 2 populations of wine drinkers, those who love & those who detest Cab F

Drinking wines with age on them can be rewarding. We’ve had the chance to pop some mature wines recently; here are four with two under $30!

Luneau Papin, L D’or, Muscadet, 1999 About $20
Muscadet is not the first thing you might think of when it comes to mature wine. But from the top producers, it can be worthwhile. I bought this wine from Crush Wine Co in NYC a couple of years ago as a late release from the winery. In the glass, it has a more golden color than most young Muscadet and aromas of delicate honey drops on wet rocks. Totally dry on the palate, the wine still has great acidity and minerality as well as a suppleness of age. We had it as an aperitif with cheeses but would also go well with seafood.

Lopez de Heredia, Rioja, rosado, 1997 About $25
Again, a rose is another category that might not leap to mind when thinking of mature wines. But with this twelve-year-old Lopez de Heredia, it’s practically the current release! If you’re looking for the freshness of a 2008 rose from Provence, well, stick to Provence. This rosado has a pink and amber hue, gorgeous mature, nutty aromas with dried rose petals and a luxurious texture on the palate. The bottle was empty too quickly!

Marques de Murrieta, Castillo Ygay, Gran Reserva Especial, Rioja, 1985
I bought this wine several years ago at Sam’s Wine in Chicago. Sadly, 24 years after the harvest didn’t work for this one and it was over the hill. As the saying goes, there aren’t great wines, just great bottles.

Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou, St. Julien, 1996
Now you might think 13 years on a top is just warming up. And for this wine you’d be right. A friend pulled this out of his cellar recently; he’d received it as part of a farewell, current release case when he left a company in Paris a few years ago. Provenance is particularly important for this wine, apparently, as some consumers have expressed frustration with bottle variation. However, our bottle was on. Still tightly wound in tannins, this big dog is a dark berry, spice, coffee flavoplosion! (Well, at least compared to these others.) Structured and drinking great now, but the tannic vigor on the finish will likely bode well for many years of future enjoyment.

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Despite some perceptions to the contrary, cru Beaujolais wines can be extremely rewarding wines. The region is in flux and home to some leading makers of “natural” wines. Check out my current piece over on Forbes.com! And when you hear “cru Beaujolais,” don’t say “no way!” as a friend recently did.

I mention Lapierre, Foillard, Thivin, Descombes as some of the excellent 2007s that I had recently. What are some of your favorites? Or do you fall in the “no way” camp?