TN: François Chidaine 2006 Montlouis-sur-Loire Les Tuffeaux

I'd been itching to try pairing an off-dry (demi-sec) Chenin Blanc with some Chinese take-out. Finally, the opportunity came and we paired the François Chidaine 2006 Montlouis-sur-Loire Les Tuffeaux with some Hunan Chicken, a savory dish with peppers, mushrooms and black beans, and Capital Spareribs, a pork dish with pineapples and a sweet ginger sauce. The name of the cuvée, Les Tuffeaux, likely refers to tuffeau sub-soil, a type of porous sedimentary rock prevalent in the Loire Valley. Also included on the label is Montlouis-sur-Loire, an appellation devoted to Chenin Blanc located across the Loire river from the more famous commune of Vouvray. There's a Chenin Blanc for every drinker from those who like bone-dry still wines, to those who prefer sweet wines, to those who prefer sparkling wines. I figured this off-dry version would be a natural pairing with a sweeter dish.

Indeed, this wine was an excellent pairing with the spareribs. The residual sugar gave it the richness to withstand the sweet ginger sauce, which in turn brought out the minerality. On its own, though, this wine was almost like a dessert wine. While not nearly as sweet, it had the honeyed aromas and rich flavor of a dessert wine. The bouquet included creme brulee, bananas (perhaps isoamyl acetate, an ester I think of as banana VA) and an enticing herbaceouss aroma I couldn't quite figure out in addition to honey. There also seemed to be a hint of oxidation and volatility, but at levels where they were complexing, not distracting. The flavor reminded me of the syrup in a can of pears, but with a healthy dose of acidity and minerality. The finish perhaps was the best part as it had a honeyed and balsamic quality that lingered. Ultimately the acidity seemed a bit low, but this was an interesting drink, like a dessert wine without the incredibly sweet, raisiny qualities or massive body.

I'm still trying to wrap my mind around these Loire Chenin Blancs. The sweetness in this off-dry version was a bit over the top without food, but the complexity and depth of flavor was remarkable. I could definitely see this sort of wine pairing well with a creamy blue cheese. Before I do that, though, I have a dry Chenin or two to take out for a test drive.

Pros: Rich, Complex, Long Finish, Aromatic, Minerality, Full Body, Off Dry
Cons: Insufficient Acidity
Decant: No, ready to go from the bottle
Price: $20 from The Winehound
QPR: Fair/Good (out of Poor, Mediocre, Fair, Good or Excellent with Fair denoting expectations were met for the price point)

Decanter Insanity

For those who decant their wine, there's an interesting post about excessive decanting on the Classification of 1855 blog. (Aside: the title of the blog refers to the Bordeaux classification of 1855 that defined the top 'Growths' on the Left Bank of Bordeaux.) It's worth a read, and I have to say I couldn't agree more. While I'm not a buyer of investment grade Bordeaux, there are wines at a variety of price points that are simply built to be consumed after a period of aging.

There is definite utility to decanting young wines. The primary issue, even for less structured wines, may be that sulfites need to blow off or interesting volatile aromas may require a bit of oxygen to 'unlock' themselves. But the reality is decanting should not fundamentally alter the structure of a wine. Wine ages in a bottle with minimal oxygen ingress; the process in anaerobic. Decanting is purely about oxygenation. If a wine physically changes due to a lengthy decanting, chances are it has become something different than intended.

The other downside to lengthy decanting, aside from damaging the wine through macro-oxygenation, is the loss of volatile aromas. One may well soften the tannins, eventually, but many of the interesting aromas that one might encounter will be gone. I often taste wines that seem aromatically 'shifty', and I suspect this is due to volatile chemicals emerging and blowing off as the wine is exposed to air.

Since I have a variety of Havens wines in my CellarTracker inventory, other users' tasting notes pop up when I log in. An interesting phenomena of copycat decanter insanity involving the 2005 Bourriquot seems to be taking place:

big and smoothe, but didn't go crazy over this as others have... opened for 10 hours, then decanted for the next 10, so gave it much air... definitely not overpriced, but if it were 15-20 dollars more, i'd say eh.

Decanted for 12 hours based on forum notes. What a stellar wine at the closeout price. Lucky are those who got in on this. Distinct nose of menthol and fruit, chocolate, violet, cedar. It's got it all. Taste of delicious black fruit. Great mouth feel. Long finish. Very complex.

Initial nose was overpowering with a farmhouse-like odor. Body tight and unimpressive. Following five hour decant, the wine had opened up nicely. The nose became pleasant and complex just like the body. Long and pleasant finish, very well balanced. Recall that this needed more time in the cellar, at least a couple of years. Need to take better notes next time...

Excellent. Hold for at least 3 years or decant for 5 hours or so.

After reading the posts, I gave this one a solid 8 hour decant. Nose was still a bit tight and a bit funkafied. I liked it. At 10 hours, this wine really opened up. Bold, dark, vegetable, and delicious. More towards the classic Cab Franc. For $20.00, I wish I would have purchased more.

$20. I called my Chicago-based dinner party at 10am to remind them to decant this nectar of the gods asap. It is a very big wine, still very young. Hugh tannis and tart! I was told via cell phone initial nose upon open was barnyard on steroids. Glad Apple has not developed smell technology yet. Anything more would be TMI. Color dark red. I went off to church thinking why did nature create this wonderful wine which needs to be decanted almost 9 hours! Off to airport while receiving half hour update txt on smell. Someone had to do the dirty work. On airplane, I sat next to a wine lover who had heard but never tasted this great QPR wine. At last dinner of sausage, peppers, calamari and Caesar salad. The wine settled down to a smooth full bodied blend of chocolate and black fruits. The wine got better as the time passed. I will store my remaining 11 bottles in Fort Knox for two years. My guess this undiscovered gem of this liquidated vinyard will be at risk of my opening them all in 2010.

Still wonderful. Decanted longer than I'd have wanted to at 8 hours, but it is nonetheless vibrant and that just speaks to the wine's durability. Classic cab franc on the nose and palate. Strong flavors of mostly dark fruit, a long, grippy finish and just enough funk/dust/spiciness to keep everything in check. No Napa fruit bomb here, ladies and gents. An excellent value at $20 dollars on close-out sale.

Decanted for 4 hours on day one; the nose opened but the wine was still too tannic. On day two, there was a substantial improvement. Subtle, dark fruit with chocolately flavors and nice earthiness. Disappointing on day one, amazing on day two.

Day 1 was very green both on the nose and palate. Day 2 the green has gone away and you definitely chocolate and black fruits components everywhere, the back end of this wine is amazing with a rich cab feel.

It's as if some myth has developed around this wine that decanting turns it into liquid Nirvana. As far as I'm concerned, this is nuts. While I'll probably try a bottle young to see what it's like, I won't be decanting it a day ahead of time! Either this wine is simply too young, or there are flaws that extended aeration is masking. The fact that 'green' qualities recede with air suggest that the pyrazine levels are fairly high, but the pyrazines are oxidized due to the long decant.

A decanter is a useful tool. But it shouldn't be used as an oxygenation hammer as seen above. It's always best to sample the wine as it opens up, then drink when the aromas emerge. If that doesn't happen in a sensible time period, then let those remaining bottles rest for a while!

Operation: Shutdown

Or maybe Operation: Hiatus. We'll see. I still have a few posts scheduled, but I'm thinking it's time to retire, re-tool or re-configure this blog. For the most part, it's a venue for me to write up my notes and thoughts on wine. But at least the notes can be covered by CellarTracker, and they'll be easily accessible for those searching for info on a particular wine. The reality is writing on Cab Franc and other lesser known varietals in the mid-price range has its limits. More importantly, the audience is limited.

There are really two ways to go about blogging. The first path is to work as a free PR agent by shilling samples and writing up favorable reviews. Vinography (or is it Vornography?), Wannabe Wino and The Wine Whore, among others, take this route. I'm kind of interested in wine on a semi nuts and bolts level, though, and the whole wine as lifestyle or what the hell, let's assign points to 905 wines in an afternoon angle isn't my thing. The second path is to educate yourself. This is the direction I'd like to go. Though I've read a fair cross section of wine books (The Science of Wine, Adventures on the Wine Route, Napa: An American Eden, The Far Side of Eden, A Hedonist in the Cellar, The Wine Trials, The Wines and Vines of Europe, The Millionaire's Vinegar, bits and pieces of the World Atlas of Wine), that's simply not enough. There's no substitute for thorough education and experience. Yes, I know humility sounds odd coming from a blogger, but there is much I need to learn.

Ultimately the goal is to communicate. Instead of changing my content to fit an aspirational audience that equates wine with class or wants to hear every $10 mass produced wine is awesome, I'll be re-joining the peanut gallery. There's no point in pontificating; one needs to work at the grass roots level. And that begins with learning and exchanging knowledge.

TN: Albert Mann 2007 Alsace Auxerrois Vielles Vignes

Auxerrois, by most accounts, is a minor varietal. But most of the noble Chardonnay by all accounts (if you go by volume) is pretty insipid. So, for less than an Andrew Jackson I figured the Albert Mann 2007 Alsace Auxerrois Vielles Vignes was worth a shot. It's from a cool region (Alsace), a good producer (Albert Mann), and old vines (Vielles Vignes).

Upfront in the bouquet has a mildly distracting roasted coffee note that could either be a byproduct of oak or reduction. I suspect I'm especially sensitive to the volatile thiol furanmethanethiol, though, so this is likely not going to bother most people. The nose also has plenty of pear and floral aromas. On the palate, the acidity is tingly and clearly pretty darn high. But there's a pine resin-like sensation lending body as well as a fruity, off-dry flavor. So ultimately the balance is there. Earthiness shows up on the finish.

Interestingly, David Schildknecht's review finds many of the same qualities, though Schildknecht's superior palate, decades of experience, and analytical approach yield a more complete note:

The Mann 2007 Auxerrois Vieilles Vignes smells of grapefruit and orange peel, fresh apricot, narcissus, and a fascinating smokiness and Chablis-like suggestion of chicken stock and shrimp shell reduction. Rich and silky on the palate, its slight suggestion of sweetness is appropriately countered by chalky, wet-stone, as well as savory suggestions of minerality and the faint bitterness of toasted nuts and citrus zest, but as the wine opens over time, subtly sweet peaches-and-cream and orange sherbet become more prominent. Enjoy this versatile beauty anytime over the next 2-3 years.

This is not quite a re-buy for me, but it was a good palate educator for the price. It also went well with goat cheese. Yum! This is a good reminder that David Schildknecht is one of the best critics out there, especially when it comes to cool climate wines. It's unfortunate that his intellectual, thorough approach is often buried in the noise of the pretentious, blustery style of his peers.

Pros: Aromatic, Fresh, Food Wine
Cons: Toasty Thiol Aroma
Decant: No
Price: $18 from Wine House
QPR: Fair (out of Poor, Mediocre, Fair, Good or Excellent with Fair denoting expectations were met for the price point)

Tasting Palmina Wines at East Beach Wine

A lot of California wineries say their wines are made to be food friendly, are balanced, and have sufficient acidity. But few actually pull it off. Palmina, Steve and Chrystal Clifton's Italian-inspired winery, is one of those few that makes genuine food wine. I don't mean that in the sense that the wines are unbalanced and need food. Rather, they have higher acidity and less new oak, and thus have an affinity for food.

Local shop East Beach Wine hosted a Palmina tasting last Friday, and both Steve and Chrystal Clifton were pouring their wines and chatting with customers. Not that it matters with respect to the wine, but Steve and Chrystal were very affable and took the time to discuss their wines in detail. I suspect that at this point Palmina is reaching quasi-cult status (as much as balanced table wines can do this), but it's still nice that the proprietors take time to hand sell their wines. As mentioned previously, the wines tend to be higher in acid with less new oak than most in California. Additionally, the alcohols are lower and there's a certain Old World influence. The wines nonetheless are Californian given the fullness of the fruit. They aren't going to blow people away with power; instead they are expertly made in a fashion that can't be ignored.

Here are my notes and comments:

2008 Arneis - Good citrusy acidity, mouth watering, mineral/iron, apricot and vanilla aromas. $19.

Additional commentary: This wine definitely has more phenolic bite than a typical white, suggesting it gets a bit more extraction than most. There's a hint of tannin and excellent depth.

2008 Botasea Rosato - 50% Dolcetto, 30% Nebbiolo, 20% Barbera. Creamy mouthfeel, watermelon strawberry, good earth, medium acid. $18.

Additional commentary: Not much else to add other than this is a fine dry rosé.

2008 Dolcetto - Santa Barbara County bottling. Pinot-like spice on the nose, earth, some heat. Red fruit, mild tannin, somewhat astringent. $18.

Additional commentary: This is my least favorite in the lineup as it's a bit awkward and alcoholic without the stuffing to handle the heat. I felt the same way about the '07 SBC bottling as well.

2007 Alisos - 80% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot w/ ~1% mat-dried Sangiovese. Macerated cherries, tobacco, mild mouthfeel and tannins. Slight dried fruit quality. $25.

Additional commentary: A small amount of Sangiovese dried on mats for use in a dessert wine is blended into this. Named Alisos based on vineyard sourcing.

2007 Barbera - Santa Barbara County bottling. Savory, dark fruit, herbs, smoke. Cab Franc-like, with some animality. Edgy and lean. High acidity. $22.

Additional commentary: One of my favorites of the tasting. Seemed the most Old World with brooding complexity and no extra fat. It definitely reminded me of less rustic, well-fruited Chinon.

2004 Stolpman Vineyard Nebbiolo - Dried red fruit, petrol/tar, red currant jelly, good acid, drying tannin, well structured. Long finish, a sipping wine. $40.

Additional commentary: My favorite of the tasting. Definitely on the riper side based on the nose, but much of the fruit character derives from the age. The structure is superb as it's not overwhelming, but gives the wine a real spine. One of four (?) Nebbiolos Palmina produces.

2006 Savoia - 50% Nebbiolo, 25% Barbera, 25% Syrah. Good tannic structure and acidity. Dark fruit. Seems young. $50.

Additional commentary: This one had a tough act to follow after the previous wine. Clearly has the structure and raw material, but seemed very primary.

2006 Osare - Port-like quality, but not fortified. Made from mat-dried Sangiovese. Raisins and milk chocolate, long finish. $39.

Additional commentary: This is the dessert wine where the mat-dried Sangiovese ends up. I didn't write it down, but I believe I was told this is aged for 3 years in neutral oak.