A Wine that Lives up to its Reputation, and a Few that have No Reputation - Not Yet!

The latest issue of the Wine Editorial is in the mail and I realize that it contains not a single reference to Chateauneuf-du-Pape, a wine that has a reputation, a good one, and actually lives up to it most of the time. How it got that reputation, along with Pouilly-Fuisse and Pomard, is a mystery. The mystique, exists even among people who know and care next to nothing about wine. Even among fans of Chateauneuf-du-Pape are those who are unaware of where it comes from, what grapes it is a made of, or even what the name means. But so what - wine should be enjoyed, not admired.

The name, meaning the, “New Home of the Pope” goes back to 1309 when the Gascon Pope, Clement V, set-up house in Avignon. Chateauneuf, as it is frequently referred to, is today one of many Southern Rhone appellations, but it was the prototype of the entire appellation contrôlé system, based on geographic delimitation, with regulations enforced to ensure the quality of all wines bearing the appellation. Geographically, Chateauneuf is confined to a “bump” in the flood plain of the Rhone, some five miles by five miles and perhaps 300 feet high. Although as many as ten varietals are allowed, Grenache predominates, along with Mourevedre and Syrah. The wines are generally robust, rich, full-flavored and spicy. Traditional wine-making ferments the grapes with the stems, giving the wine more tannic structure and complexity, while the modern trend is to de-stem, producing wines that are softer and more accessible. I personally prefer traditional wines but regardless, modern or traditional, they are thoroughly enjoyable and invariably long-lived. I have rarely been disappointed by old Chateauneufs, and even old Cotes-du-Rhone, going back to the ‘60s.

Like so many Chateauneufs and Cotes-du-Rhone, the wines of Domaine Bois du Boursan reflect the passion of the owner wine-growers Jean and Jean-Paul Versino.Boursan. I recently attended a vertical tasting of their wines spanning more than ten vintages. The wines, both young and old, were impressive. We have Domaine Bois du Boursan ‘99, $29.99/26.99 and Domaine Bois du Boursan ‘00 , Cuvee Felix, $79.99/71.99 The ‘99 is lovely - quite approachable now with promise for the future, but good as it is, it pales in comparison to the Cuvee Felix which is deeper and broader with layers of dark fruit and tannin - hard to resist, even now. If push comes to shove, I have a home for all of it.

Over the past 20 years Chateau Beaucastel has become the star of Chateauneuf thanks to terrific wine-making. Unfortunately, with rising reputation comes rising prices. Of the several vintages we have, I would, at this time, recommend the ‘95 Chateau Beaucastel at $69.00/62.10.

More affordable, and in my preferred traditional style, Domaine de Galet, ‘97 “Tradition”, $23.99/21.59, is a terrific value. The word “Galet’ refers to the round pebbles stones which cover much of the Chateauneuf vineyards. These stones, retain the sun’s heat during the day, reflect it back on the vines in the evening and thereby, supposedly, hasten ripening of the grapes.

Beaurenard ‘98, $26.99/24.29 and Cuvee du Vatican ‘01, $28.99/26.09, are a pair of wines that will repay their relatively modest cost with immeasurable pleasure. I have particularly enjoyed the Beaurenard.

All of these wine go well with any substantial food be it pizza or braised veal shanks.

Those of you who frequent the Madison Wine Shop know that my Californian offerings have dwindled over the last ten years - attribute that to soaring prices and sagging quality. Now, thanks to a glut of wine world-wide, Californian prices are coming down, and, no thanks to a weak dollar, imported wines prices are heading up.

The last Chateau Ste Jean wine I bought was the ‘91Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cepage - a great wine which we sold for $26.99. The current ‘00 vintage sells for about $80! I have no interest. But the ‘02 Chateau Ste. Jean Cabernet, California Appellation, at $16.99 grabbed my attention. Complex fruit and lovely oak pops up at various places between my lips and the back of my throat, balanced by lovely firm tannins. I like it and so will you.

Another surprise, Beckmen Vineyards ‘01 Estate Cabernet, $24.99/22.49, is from the Santa Ynez Valley near Santa Barabara. Its glorious bouquet literally jumps out of the glass, and it sings a beautiful aria on my palate. It has everything I expect from a California Cab. Great Cab fruit - complex and spicy with ample tannin and just enough oak in a long finish. Excellent value.

The Beckmen brothers, Tom and Steve, bought the Houtz winery (I had never heard of it) in Los Olivos and its Santa Inez Valley vineyard in 1994. In 1996 they purchased land on Purisma Mountain where they are growing Rhone varietals. I have not tasted any of their wines from that vineyard - they are expensive.

I was lured to Podere Poggio Salette ‘00 Il Carbonaione, a Tuscan Sangiovese, by a great write-up from a distributor, prompting me to ignore my cardinal rule - do not buy without tasting. But this is a very limited wine and I was not going to be able to taste without buying a bottle, which I did. Upon opening, I found a dark wine with the lovely bouquet of sweet oak, big, but not overpowering tannins but not much fruit. After some hours it shed some of the oak and some of the tannin, but did not gain any fruit. Perhaps it needs more time I thought. But two days later I concluded that there was no one at home - win some, lose some.

On the other hand, Chateau La Roque ‘01 Pic Saint Loup, $14.99/13.49, an old favorite from Languedoc, is a winner. Mainly, if not entirely, Syrah with an earthy nose and meaty, smoky flavors in the mouth.

Rick Lewis
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A Seminal Spanish Wine and Food Experience

Long-time customers may recall a fabulous Spanish wine tasting dinner, hosted by the Madison Wine Shop some ten years ago at Mason Galicia in Norwalk . That restaurant, now named Meigas, but still the same decor, the same impeccable service and authentic Spanish food, with the same hands-on owner Ignacia Blanco, was recently the venue for the 2004 Annual Wine Dinner sponsored by the Spanish Government to promote Spanish wine and food.- not that Spanish wine needs much promoting at the Madison Wine Shop.

I must admit to some qualms about relating this experience, my concern being that some of you might conclude that since I derive so much pleasure from my passion, I should be happy to give my wine away, if not pay you for patronizing the Madison Wine Shop. With faith in your benevolence, I’ll take that risk.
Meigas, and its sister restaurant Ibiza, in New Haven , with Juan Carlos Gonzales in charge, share the same Executive Chef, Luis Bollo. Both are considered to be among the best, if not the best, Spanish restaurants in the country.
Spanish cuisine, with its emphasis on tapas and multiple courses of small portions, is the ideal vehicle for sampling a variety of wines, and wine and food pairings. I feel that all to often too much emphasis is placed on selecting the right wine for any particular dish or sometimes even on a specific recipe for the dish, as though some authority can determine, or has determined the ideal wine for every dish. In truth, I simply try to avoid choosing the wrong wine, and that means that the wine should not obliterate the taste of the food, nor should the food overwhelm the wine. Self-education by trial and error is the best teacher. For my part, I am not looking for a long term relationship - but a one-night stand, with the possibility that I might find a food and wine combination that moves me as no other has, will suffice. I rarely imbibe wine without food.
The six-course dinner was preceded by an aperitif featuring 1+1=3, 2001 Cava from Penedes, one of the richest Cavas I have tasted., and four scrumptious tapas offerings, of which my favorites were marinated fresh anchovies on grilled melon with salmon roe and black olive tapenade, and an “other world” crispy ravioli of duck confit. I know you are curious about that 1+1=3 winery name - I am told that it is a Catalan idiom, one interpretation of which has a sexual connotation.
The dinner itself, went from one devine morsel to another starting with barely cooked sea-scallop in bed of potato foam, followed by salt baked stripped sea bass from Spain, with root vegetables, tomato, pinenuts, and smoked pimento. The latter was my dish of the evening. The 1+1=3 Xarello, served with the sea bass was, in my opinion, no match for the first wine, Jose Pariente 2002 Verdejo from Rueda, so I continued drinking it with the sea bass. This Verdejo has a glorious bouquet with just hint of Sauvignon Blanc, but in the mouth it offers stunning, subtle but distinct Verdejo fruit, bracing acidity and a finish which strikes a sublime parting note. We sell it for $17.99.
Roasted rabbit loin wrapped in bacon with grilled shrimps led off the three meat dishes. Next, was bomba rice, braised oxtail, porcini mushrooms and chick peas, in what I would have described as a fricassee; and the last was braised short ribs, cabbage stuffed with potatoes and Serrano ham with a sauce of red wine ginger and garlic confit. As a fan of oxtail, it was a foregone conclusion that that dish would be my favorite - the texture of al dente rice and peas coupled with the heavenly flavors of oxtail and mushrooms was sensational.
All three red wines, served with the meat dishes, were what we have come to expect from Spanish wines - accessiblity; balanced fruit, tannin and acidity; complexity and affordablility. I found them flawless, and of such quality that I would have happily enjoyed any of the wines with any of the three dishes.
Luna Beberide, a Cabernet, ? Mencia blend from Biezo, was, appropriately, the lighter of the three; Astrales, Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero and Barbara Fores from Terra Alta . The Barbara Fores, a notch above the others, and, in my opinion, a match for almost any wine from anywhere is available at the Madiosn Wine Shop for only?????.
I usually shun dessert, but not this time! An other-worldly concoction of something called Nevot cream cheese, sorbet, and a pastry akin to baba-au-rum, sitting between them, was irresistible. However, the two dessert wines served with dessert were the crowning finale. A Monastrell (aka Mouvredre), by Sivano Garcia from Jumilla and, hear this, a Moscatel de Turis from Valencia, in an art decco style 750 ml screw-cap bottle, that sits on our shelf with an $8.99 price tag. The Moscatel is remarkable, all the more so because of its price, but the Monastrell was indescribably delicious - I sipped it to the very last drop. Rich, almost impenetrable black fruit, balanced by a huge tannic back-bone and sharp acidity - a mere $24.99 for a 500ml bottle. My belief that dessert wines are dessert and rarely need anything more than cheese or fruit, was, to say the least, slightly shaken
Look for more about Spanish wines next time.

Rick Lewis

Visit madisonwineshop.com | Questions or comments? Email info@madisonwineshop.com