Wine Club Newsletter - May 2013
Wither Tasting Notes?
Andrew Jefford, Decanteur Magazine
The distinction between wine writing (entertainingly educational, embracing all of wine’s cultural depth) and wine criticism (a consumer service, concerned with the description and assessment of individual wines) seems a useful one.
Tasting notes are the kerosene of wine criticism: they have powered its ascent, and keep it aloft. If scores matter, they do so because they are a shorthand for the note itself, but it is the tasting note which builds a critic’s reputation, not the score. The score of a critical nonentity is of no interest to anyone, and a score unaccompanied by a note is both quaint and vaguely suspect.
As three new note-issuers climb aboard the wine world’s most influential critical platform (Jeb Dunnuck will now cover the Rhône for the Wine Advocate, while appointments for Italy and Hispanophone wine countries are imminent), and as we strap on our lifebelts to cope with the incoming tide of notes on 2012 Bordeaux, it seems a good moment to consider the state of this art.
Is it art, first of all? Not often -- but nor is it meant to be. A well-written tasting note has practical worth, in that it communicates a sensual experience via metaphorical and analytical means, and puts that experience in its appropriate context. This helps the reader assess the achievement involved in the wine’s creation, and calculate its true value in relation to the wine’s asking price.
Notes for more expensive wines therefore matter more than notes for cheap wines. Once all of the wine in question is drunk, the note is trash, whereas notes for Mouton `45 remain (for the lucky few) useful. Moreover no one risks much with an inexpensive purchase, so the avuncular note is barely necessary, whereas if you are fluttering £1,500 or more on a case of a top 2009 Bordeaux second growth, you want as many uncles as possible advising you.
It’s no accident that sommeliers are among the most avid subscribers to wine assessment websites and newsletters, as they constantly need to replenish stocks of assorted fine wines and will then triple the purchase price before re-offering them, so they’re keen not to dump duds on their customers.
I wish Dunnuck and his colleagues-to-be luck; they will be aware how fortunate they are. It’s rare for writers (most critics begin as writers, and all remain writers at least in part) to be given the chance to carry out critical work at length and under their own terms, and still rarer to be paid properly for doing so.
Few consumers, too, can afford multiple subscriptions, so the note-issuing field is one where a small number of winners take all, and a crowd of often meritorious also-rans lose money and burn out. The Advocate, despite its shambolic part-sale and spotty history of reviewer-retention, remains the world’s most followed issuer of tasting notes, so they’ll have an instant global following. But they’ll also be aware just how difficult it is to write a good tasting note, since even well-known names often turn out inadequate, boring, incoherent or risible notes.
Parker’s own notes seem to me to remain the gold standard. They are lengthy enough to do justice to the wines he is writing about, and while not polished in any literary sense convey the character of the wine with great deftness, are internally coherent, often position the wine in the frame of past vintages or other wine contexts as well as being subtly predictive about its evolutionary trajectory, and bubble with the kind of energy and enthusiasm that can fire the reader into a purchase.
The fundamental catholicism of his palate is also impressive, and his scores are courageous, sometimes to the point of recklessness. You may not agree with his judgments – but that’s a different matter; he makes his case supremely well.
It’s a shame Parker and Antonio Galloni have parted company (the court case suggests it was an ‘Et tu, Brute?’ moment), as Galloni seemed to come nearest among recent Advocate reviewers to incarnating that ideal. Neal Martin writes lengthy, articulate and coherent notes, but (like many European tasters) he seems to have an enthusiasm problem, and his scores often lag behind the words; while David Schildknecht’s notes are so lengthy, intricate and copiously allusive as to strain credibility, though his remarkable scholarship is always evident.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown writes thorough, dependable notes, though they sound rather like the house style sheet and she doesn’t as yet seem to have the individual ‘voice’ of the other team members.
What about the notes of other celebrated English-language critics? I don’t think Jancis Robinson’s tasting notes are the greatest of her many gifts to the world; even her notes for the finest wines can seem abbreviated, staccato, occasionally capricious and lacking in internal coherence, as if she grew a little bored or impatient as she wrote them and was keen to get on to the next wine.
Stephen Tanzer’s notes are measured, trustworthy and well-organised, but rarely thrill; while James Suckling’s often seem cursory compared to the Advocate standard, and one way to establish tasting authority is through a carefully argued, in-depth note. This is a lesson obviously not lost on Allen Meadows, whose notes tend to be goods-train length accumulations of adjectival matter, often desperately in need of syntactical decoupling and some emergency punctuation. Meadows’ scores, too, tend to be closely bunched, dissipating the critical ‘cut’ of his work.
I’m still immensely grateful to all of the above for their labours and insights, of course. Not only are tasting notes intrinsically ephemeral, difficult to craft well and demand a breadth of experience which takes years to acquire, but they are also immensely time-consuming, expensive and laborious to enable, to make, to edit and to put onto the page or screen. If you think you can do better, go ahead.
2011 LIOCO Chardonnay, Russian River Valley (May, 2013 - The WineSellar Club
Growing Region: Sonoma, California
Varietal Blend: 100% Chardonnay
Fermentation: 2/3 Stainless Steel, 1/3 Neutral Oak
Suggested Retail: $35.00
WineSellar Club Case Price: $26.99
Broad Strokes:
From the Winery:
“LIOCO is the result of a years-long conversation between Matt Licklider (a seasoned wine import specialist) and Kevin O'Connor (wine director at Michelin Two-Star Spago-Beverly Hills) about whether California could produce a true "wine of origin. These are chardonnays with a palpable energy like…dare we say?…those found in the Cote d’ Beaune. Racy, mineral, judiciously fruited---all woven together and framed by the mere suggestion of oak. Moreover, the wood seems to “enhance” the expression. It frames it, like salt does to food.”
Appearance:
Nice looking, sturdy, weighty bottle, and I really like the yellow/gold hue accents on the label.. My eyes have trouble focusing when I read LIOCO, with the “O: and the “C” interlinked. More important than my cross-eyed experience, is the beautiful color of yellow gold, somewhat close to the hue on the label.
Nose:
Classic Sonoma Chardonnay nose, with a twist of French Chablis lurking amongst the aromatics. Sonoma Chardonnay nose, meaning: generous fruit, vanilla, some oak, spice, herbs. Chablis style nose, meaning: notes of mineral, chalk and citrus provide the undercurrent to white tree fruit, tangerine, and pure chardonnay fruit.
Texture:
Lovely texture, again, a hybrid of California Chardonnay and French Chablis. It feels light and lean in the beginning, but opens up with a lovely balance of acid and fruit, and an excellent feel in the mouth. Almost feels (not tastes though) like a Sauvignon Blanc. The winery says the wine continues to get better up to three days after opening. This speaks well to its ability to age also.
Flavor:
Ripe citrus styled fruit, tangerine, Meyer lemon, mineral and chalk, hot stones, white tree fruit. Even a touch of raspberry is in there.
Serving Options:
First, you may want to leave it open a couple days just to see if what the winery says is true, that it gets better with time. I haven’t been able to do that yet, as I finish every bottle before it gets a chance to linger. Shellfish, scallops, lobster, cheese would also work well.
2011 Perazzeta “Sara” Sangiovese (May, 2013 - The WineSellar Club)
Growing Region: Tuscany, Italy
Varietal Blend: 90% Sangiovese, 10% Ciliegiolo
Fermentation: Neutral No Wood Tanks
Suggested Retail: $14.00
WineSellar Club Case Price: $9.89
Broad Strokes:
From Gary:
This is an unbelievable value for under $10. It is definitely Italian Sangiovese, it feels and tastes Italian, and is great with Italian foods. This is a case buy opportunity!
From the Estate:
“Alessandro Bocci is proud and passionate about the lovely wine he makes at this tiny estate looking out across the valley at Montalcino. His love of working these hillsides and expressing the regionality of this area through his wines keeps him happy. This lovely Sangiovese is a true taste of the classic Tuscan red, but also a great introduction to the Sangiovese grape which dominates this wine. Named "Sara" after his daughter, "fun and classic" would be the best way to describe this wine, and Alessandro!” Note: Alessandro’s savvy isn’t limited to wine–his incredible olive oil has won “Best in Show” out of 100 Maremma estates, for two years in a row!
Appearance:
Die cut label is a bold statement, and expensive, especially on a wine at this price! The dark red die cut gets a little lost with the dark bottle. I like the dual colored cap on the bottle as well. The wine has a garnet rim, and a dark center. The wine drips very slowly down the bowl of your wine glass.
Nose:
I found that the fruit descriptors the Estate had were much like mine: Strawberry, Raspberry, violets. We both get black tea. I enjoyed the more earthy, unique components of the wine, such as leather, shoe sole, hibiscus, iron, tobacco and yes, asphalt!
Texture:
Medium in body, active, lively acid, balanced on the palate but with a slightly drying finish. There’s a nice silky feel in the middle palate. The wine leveled out wonderfully with cheese and chocolate.
Flavor:
Nice black cherry component, with raspberry and pomegranate fruit. Almost like cherry compote with firm acid. The tobacco and cigar leaf has some presence on the palate, along with the black tea, leather and some Asian spice.
Serving Options:
Classic Italian food would be the winner with the Perazzeta. It would cut through tomato sauce, cheese, garlic, everything. As mentioned earlier, it was wonderful with a bite of bitter chocolate or a piece of ripe cheese.
2010 Carr Cabernet Franc (May, 2013 - The Two Rouge Club)
Growing Region: Santa Ynez Valley
Varietal Blend: 100% Cabernet Franc
Fermentation: French Oak
Suggested Retail: $30
Winesellar Club Case Price: $22.49
From the winery:
"The Cabernet Franc comes from Camp Four Vineyard planted in the far east end of the Santa Ynez Valley. This region of the valley has a very hot climate with many summer days over 100 degrees producing the perfect growing conditions for these grapes. The rocky soils of the foothills stress the vines into producing smaller clusters with richer flavors."
"Spiced dark chocolate, lightly toasted oak, raspberry and black cherry on the nose. Good structure with rich, round mid-palate and hearty tannins. Pair with braised lamb shank."
2006 Torraccia Del Pianavigna, Gattinara (May, 2013 - The Two Rouge Club)
Growing Region: Piedmont, Italy
Varietal Blend: 100% Nebbiolo
Fermentation: French Oak, 2 years minimum
Suggested Retail: $36.00
WineSellar Club Case Price: $29.69
Broad Strokes:
From Gary:
Here is a wine that has been aged for seven years, yet still has a ways to go to become completely harmonious. Drinking well now, after about 30 minutes of airing.
From the Estate:
Piantavigna was the name of the maternal grandfather of the property Francoli, a man who has spent his entire life in the vineyards of the Novara hills. The company carries on with pride his teachings and produces top quality wine. One example is this Gattinara, a pure nebbiolo which fits well within the noble tradition of wine from Piedmont. A wine with great personality, able to delight all lovers of the great Nebbiolo and surprise those who have not yet tasted the aristocratic elegance of Gattinara.Appearance:
The label is kind of a mix of new world (top strip) and old world (bottom label), due mostly to the font type. Handsome bottle, and I love the treatment the neck and cap get. Garnet in color, with clear rim showing just a hint of bottle age. Viscous.
Nose:
Quite an intriguing set of aromatics once you dip your nose into the glass. Red cherry fruit, and dried red fruits as well are enveloped by leather, flowers, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg), with fresh herbs (sage, rosemary).
Texture:
Medium bodied, but very well extracted fruit comes through in the middle palate. Even at seven years old, it still has a bit of rough edges that time needs to melt away. It is long in the palate, and carries an elegant feel.
Flavor:
Fresh cherry and strawberry fruits develop as it opens up. The nose brings to the palate hints of leather, spice, flowers and fresh herbs.
Serving Options:
Classic Italian food would be the winner with the Torraccia It would cut through tomato sauce, cheese, garlic, everything.
2008 Vilafonte, Series C (May, 2013 - Gary Parker Collection)
Growing Region: Paarl, South Africa
Varietal Blend: 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc
Fermentation: French Oak
Suggested Retail: $75.00
WineSellar Club Case Price: $62.99
Broad Strokes:
Decanteur Magazine:
They are two of the finest South African wines I’ve ever tasted: authoritative, refined, satisfying.”
From the Estate:
“Vilafonté will only ever produce two wines. In the formative years, Winemaking Partner Zelma Long noticed that our vineyard was producing two distinctive styles. Both styles were of the highest quality, not one of them better than the other, but distinctive nonetheless. One portion of the vineyard produced a soft, rounded, fleshy and fruit driven style. The other side of our vineyard produced a bolder, more powerful and structured style. It was this realization that lead to the emergence of Series M and Series C.”
Appearance:
Beautiful heavy bottle, but not an outrageous one. Sensible, let’s call it. I like the simplicity of the label, straightforward, you know what it is. My eyes don’t read the “series c” font too well however. The wine is a beautiful very dark red, black at the core.
Nose:
Fantastic nose, very complex, ever changing, and keeps me coming back for more and more. There is a deep, rich sweetness of dark berry fruit, to include blackberry, plum, and boysenberry. A touch of vanilla oak and a hint of cream is laced by dark soil and earth. And then, hopefully you can detect some lead pencil, or graphite. This is a component pinned to one of the greatest Bordeaux made, Chateau Mouton Rothschild.
Texture:
Full bodied, but not over the top, even though claiming 15% Alcohol. The texture is fabulous, and produces a great feel in the mouth start to finish. And the finish is long, very long.
Flavor:
Along with the deep berry fruit and the sweet vanilla oak from the nose, there is a nice “meaty” flavor. In fact, we likened it to a minced-meat pie, even with the taste of the crust. A good note of dark chocolate immerges, more of that dark berry impression, with white and black pepper.
Serving Options:
This needs to go into our cellars and keep for 6-15 years. It is incredible!
2011 Couloir Pinot Noir, Chileno Valley Vineyards (May, 2013 - Gary Parker Collection)
Growing Region: Marin County, California
Varietal Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Fermentation: 50% New French Oak, 11 Months
Suggested Retail: $45.00
WineSellar Club Case Price: $35.99
From Gary:
The Couloir Pinot Noir is an excellent wine, of which I am proud to have in our collection. The winery made tasting notes that I could not really improve upon, so we will let those closely associated and very capable people tell us about their fabulous product.
Tasting Notes:
The dark ruby colored core of the Chileno Valley Pinot Noir bleeds into a translucent raspberry edge. This is the lightest of the four 2011 Couloirs offering aromas of spice, earth, rolling pasture and soft red fruit. Tea, graphite, notes of red fruits and a hint of oak are well placed in the spicy, red berry compote flavors. Baker's spice, rose petals, watermelon, pink and perfumed with herbal, exotic notes at the core. Brilliant ripe red fruits in the mid palate are supported by resolved tannins. This light-to-medium bodied Pinot Noir strikes a harmonious textural balance finding synergies between its measured acidity, breadth and structure.
Vineyard Notes:
Situated on the southern border of the Petaluma Gap in Marin County, and bordering Sonoma County to the north, the climate of the Chileno Valley Vineyard is influenced by two bodies of water; the Pacific Ocean along Marin’s west coast, and the San Pablo Bay along its southern flank. While bud break often happens earlier in this area compared with other California grape growing regions, the constant gentle salt-air winds provide for Marin’s cool, maritime climate which sweeps over verdant rolling hillsides to provide one of the longest growing seasons in the state. The soils of Chileno Valley Vineyard include patches of the Steinbeck soil series and eroded sandstone offering a complex fruit profile and minerality.
Winemaker Notes:
The Pinot Noir was hand harvested into half-ton picking bins and brought directly to the winery. Dry ice was feathered into the bins to prevent spoilage and oxidation. The bins were placed in cold storage for a 24-hour resting period before processing. All of the fruit was then hand-sorted. The bright flavor and complex taste profile are in part offered by 50% whole cluster fermentation. The grapes received a cold soak for seven days to extract maximum color from the skins, while the chill prohibited the start of fermentation. The fruit was then removed from refrigeration, warming and activating the native yeasts. One gentle punch down per day ensured minimal tannin extraction from the skin allowing the stems to provide the wine’s structure. The grapes were then pressed and the wine was gravity fed into four French oak barrels; two new, and two neutral. The wine received no racking, fining, nor filtering.
Shrimp With Meyer Lemon Butter & Chive
At the home I grew up in, my Father planted a Meyer lemon tree some 45 years ago. It is still prolific, and has hundreds of these delicious lemons hanging on the tree all the time. When I visit Mom, I always bring back a couple hundred and give them to the Chef, as well as our staff and people who happen to be visiting the wine shop. With this in mind, I make a very easy dish that is gorgeous yet simple.
Ingredients for four servings:
- 20 Large Shrimp
- 2 ounces vodka or dry sherry
- 1 1/4 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon shallots, chopped fine
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup juice of Meyer Lemon
- 2 teaspoons fresh chopped chive
- Pinch of black pepper & salt
Method:
Sauce:
- Peel shrimp and set aside. Place empty shells in a large pot, adding three cups of water and bring to a boil for five minutes.
- Add vodka (or dry sherry), and slowly simmer until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 (about 15 minutes)
- Pour liquid through strainer into a saucepan, adding wine and shallots.
- Reduce liquid again by half, add lemon juice, chive and butter just before pulling off the heat.
Shrimp:
Shrimp is versatile, and may be cooked on the grill, sautéed in a pan, or roasted in the oven.
- Top very lightly with salt and pepper, and prepare the way that suits you best.
- Plate them, and pour sauce over the shrimp.
Gary Parker