Chateau de Pibarnon Rosé...a 10 year wine

Spring has sprung, a little early this year.  And with it will come this year's crop of 2011 Rosé wines, a little earlier every year it seems.  As we all scramble to sell off any stray bottles of 2010, a process that will make for some really great deals for consumers, I am happy to relate this anecdote that Eric de Saint-Victor of Chateau de Pibarnon shared at last week's tasting at the French Embassy.  Bandol Rosé is considered by many to be the finest of all the dry Rosé wines, and the most long lived.  Eric was conversing with an importer who was concerned that he had not yet sold all the Rosé wine that he had brought in and wanted to know how much longer he had to sell the wines before they would be too old or tired.  "Well," the winemaker considered, "they are two years old now...so you have about eight more years."  Chateau de Pibarnon Rosé is one wine we never have to worry about selling.  The far bigger challenge is getting our hands on some of this incredible wine in the first place.

Yannis Tsapos and Eric Saint-Victor at The French Embassy

The 2011 is spectacular, and reveals itself in layer after layer.   The color is a beautiful onion skin/copper, what the French refer to as "oeil de perdrix" or eye of the partridge, with ruby tints and golden highlights.  The heady nose is alive and expressive, with fresh pear, apricot, red berries, white grapes, sultana, and ripe strawberries.  On the palate it is at once lush and lively; fat, plump peaches, apricots, mango, kiwi, pineapple, strawberry and on and on.  Luscious, fresh and oh so long, this had everyone clamoring for another taste.

Greek Wine in the World

 Here are two interesting pieces that Peter Minakis included in his "Greek Food Gazette" this week.

Jameson Fink for Foodista talks to Yiannis Paraskevopoulos of Gaia Wines on the importance of Greek wines maintaining their identity and tradition while making the most of modern innovations.

http://www.foodista.com/blog/2012/03/10/take-note-of-tradition-and-innovation-in-greek-wines

Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of China with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreo

 

And Naoussa wines hit it big in...China?   Loved to see that it was Yannis Tselepos Moschofilero that earned Greek wines the nod of approval from Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, who tried the wine on his last official visit to Greece.   Some nods are worth more than others...apparently Tselepos has since shipped 45,000 bottles of Moschofilero to Asia.  Gong Xi, Gong Xi!

http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2012/03/12/feature-02

Ch de Pibarnon this Friday at The French Embassy DC

Count Eric de Saint Victor

You have to love the French...this Friday's "Wine Tasting 101" at the French Embassy  is actually a vertical of Ch de Pibarnon with the owner and winemaker on hand to talk about the wines...not a bad deal for $70!

Find details here http://www.la-maison-francaise.org/start.htm 

FRIDAY, MARCH 16 AT 7PM:
Mourvèdre: the French Riviera grape
With Count Eric de Saint Victor, owner and winemaker
Château de Pibarnon, Bandol - Provence
Admission: $70

List of wines:
- Château de Pibarnon Rosé 2011
- Château de Pibarnon Restanques 2009
- Château de Pibarnon Rouge 2007
- Château de Pibarnon Rouge 2005
- Château de Pibarnon Rouge 2001
- Château de Pibarnon Rouge 2008 Magnum

When it comes to Wine Tasting, let's leave the battle of Expert vs. Consumer behind

 "Most of us can't taste the nuances in high priced wines."    So heralded NPR's food blog "The Salt" this week in a piece by Allison Aubrey.  May I just say...UGH!!!   This is one of my least favorite of all the arguments against wine out there.  That it's all bunk.  An entire industry all over the world since the Greeks invented it in antiquity, are just plain full of it.  And more importantly...full of themselves.

And this time, they are coming to the table armed with research.  Proof!!  Aha!!!   Just the title of this article summoned an image burned into my mind of a TV spot several years ago, claiming experts could not tell the difference between Two Buck Chuck and a more expensive wine.  People really love to trot out their Two Buck, don't they?  The "experts" it turned out, were some first year culinary students in starched white Chef coats and tall Chef's hats, who made a quality declaration the equivalent of "Not Bad..Not bad at all."

The research offered here is legitimate, but unfortunately it is presented somewhat misleadingly in terms of the so-called Super Tasters.  These are a group of people who actually have more taste buds...like we all do when we are kids.  They taste sweet, salty, bitter and sour more acutely.  Consequently, they are more likely to be picky eaters (think toddlers) that don't like strong flavors, spicy dishes or dry, tannic wines.  Women frequently have more taste buds than men and are more likely to fall into this group (think girlie drinks.)   The wine experts, however, are rarely going to fall into this group.

There is definitely some biology behind why some people don't like or can't drink certain styles of wine...the same way not everyone likes strong, "bitter" coffee or dark chocolate.  But making the argument that wine experts are biologically predisposed supertasters is inaccurate, and totally flips the actual evidence on it's head. Worse, it adds fuel to arguments like these posted on NPR's discussion board on the article.

supa fluous (supafluous) wrote:

I usually buy at the $15 level... for a 5L box. Sour, but just fine for me. Not to be an inverted snob, but it feels good to be scientifically validated. Cheers!

 

 Raoul Ornelas (rlupodimare) wrote:

"I purchase Trader Joe's two buck chuck....for $2.95! Their Sauvignon blanc,Chablis Blanc or their Christmas Boujole winea are outstanding. You show me a Sommeliers (which really is a flimflam person with a French accent) a waiter, or waitress selling a glass of wine for $10.00 or more or a bottle of wine for more than $10.00 to $1,000.00 and I'll show you a deal between a genius and a sucker! Besides, after three or four glasses of any wine no ones know whether he or she is drinking wine or beer...... as the crawl on their hands and knees on the floor toward the exit; by this time, these floor crawling wine experts don't know if the wine has a hint of leather or perhaps tastes like chicken."

Now after I pick myself up off the floor, mumbling and mulling over the leather/chicken question, I would point out that the festering animosity of Raoul's response speaks directly to the main problem with these arguments...the us vs. them.  Wine professionals (as opposed to wine enthusiasts/collectors who are in it solely for their own enjoyment) are there to help people to choose wines they will enjoy from amongst the many options.    I know many talented Sommeliers who have studied for years to perfect the art of wine Service, and I am pretty sure they are not "flimflam" people and most of them do not have French accents.  But if as a consumer you are coming to the table with these prejudices and insecurities, it will take a very talented individual indeed to surmount these obstacles and help you to have the best experience possible...be it choosing a wine at a restaurant or selecting an inexpensive bottle for everyday drinking at a wine retailer. 

And to supa flous I would say that yes you can distinguish tastes in wine.  You just called your own choice sour.  If you don't really like it, than why are you drinking it by the 5L?   Most people are already tasting so much more than they realize, and a great deal can be gleaned by just paying a little bit of attention.  After all, we have all been tasting our whole lives.  We know the difference in tastes between the ripe tropical fruit flavors of pineapples and the tart flavors of green apples without being told by anyone.   Now I'm going to blow your mind supa flous...you might be a super taster.  Most bulk produced and bulk packaged wines are slightly sweet and low in tannins and bitter flavors.  As mild a wine as they can muster and still give it some alcoholic kick.  You probably like it mostly because it doesn't taste like very much at all.

The other evidence, a study "by researchers at Penn State and Brock University in Canada finds that when it comes to appreciating the subtleties of wine, experts can taste things many of us can't."  "What we found is that the fundamental taste ability of an expert is different," says John Hayes of Penn State. "'We evaluated hundreds of wine drinkers," says Hayes, having them sample/taste a chemical that measures their reaction to bitter tastes.' He found that wine experts — people such as wine writers, winemakers and wine retailers — were about 40 percent more sensitive to the bitterness than casual consumers of wine."

An ability to detect, as opposed to a sensitivity to or dislike of, bitterness does not point to biology.  Bitter is one of only four things, along with sweet, sour and salty, that we all actually taste.  It is the business of the wine professional to hone their palate and develop the ability to distinguish flavors (the sensory combo of taste and smell.)  They have been trained to detect bitterness.  I am not sure a study that determines a professional has 40% more ability in his field than someone not in that profession proves very much.   In a side note, I really, really hope that the folks at NASA are more than 40% more proficient in their field than I am.

Lastly, I do think that an inexperienced taster should not go around willy nilly dropping money on expensive or highly rated bottles of wine.  You are almost guaranteed to be disappointed.  On the highly rated front it should be noted that a high rating does not automatically coincide with a higher price point as the article states.  There are many inexpensive wines with good press.  Every major wine magazine regularly posts their own version of the Best Buy and Best Value.  The "average" person who is not getting these nuances is also ignoring the larger service wine writers who rate wines also provide which is a tasting note. If anyone ever bothered to read the note that accompanies the score they might find valuable information about what the wine tastes like and when it is ready to drink and so make a more informed decision about whether or not a particular wine will be to their taste.

Again, it's not us vs. them.  I have seen the "wine speak eye roll" many people make when they read these notes and I will say that these publications were originally intended to serve the wine trade and not the general wine consuming public, so there is a jargon.  But I guarantee you that there is a wine professional nearby happy to translate this for you over a quick discussion about what you like or maybe what you are having for dinner.

In closing, I implore people to stop viewing knowledge/interest as snobbery. For those that choose to invest the time-there is a lot to love (and not to love) about wine at all price points. If it's not your thing, that's cool...but why keep trying to pretend there's nothing to it just because you don't get it?  I know I only hear 1/100th of what a record producer hears...but sometimes, I still like to listen.  Let's leave the battle of Expert vs. Consumer behind.


http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/03/06/147826845/most-of-us-just-cant-taste-the-nuances-in-high-priced-wines

Hard times for Greek wineries at home

For a look into the impact of the economic crisis in Greece on the wineries, here are two great pieces.

The first one is from Ted Diamantis, owner of Diamond Importers Inc. on his blog Oenorising

http://oenosrising.com/

And this one is from Athens based wine broker and blogger Marcus Stolz, on his elloinos.com

http://www.elloinos.com/greek-financial-crisis/chaos-reigns-in-the-local-greek-wine-market?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Elloinos+%28ELLOINOS%29

Retailer Profile: Lisbon Liquors

Lisbon Liquors

A mere 20 minutes from Manhattan, nestled in the increasingly thriving Ironbound District of Newark, NJ, Lisbon Liquors is a must patronize for fans of Portuguese Wines. Pop out onto Ferry St. and you are immediately enticed by the aromas of the many Portuguese and Brazilian restaurants.   In a few short blocks with the smell of roasting pork and charred octupus in the air, you pass offers for "o melhor Leitão a Bairrada" or the best Bairrada style suckling pig, traditional bakeries, gift shops chock full of fine Portuguese ceramics and pottery, and the offices of the Luso-Americano newspaper.  The elongated vowels of Portuguese tumble out of cars and greet you at counters...this is "Little Portugal" 

Ricardo and Sabino, cortesdecima.com

Lisbon Liquors has been serving the Portuguese community in the Ironbound for over 40 years.  The shop was renovated and enlarged in 2008.  There is no "Portuguese Section" here, but an entire wall of Portuguese wine...with more space dedicated to each region of Portugal than most retailers allot for all of Portugal and Spain put together.

The Port Room

Go for the Port Room.  Lisbon Liquors boasts a stunning collection of Vintage Ports and Colheitas going back to 1910.  The amiable and uber-knowledgeable Ricardo took me through some of his favorite years and producers.  We share a love of Barros for the Colheita style.  (And yes, that is a stack of Barca Velha in the corner!)

They host many Portuguese winemakers and importers for in-store tastings.  I will be posting upcoming events here on our Tastings page, and you can sign up for their e-mail newsletter on their website.

Lisbon Wines & Liquors

114 Ferry Street

Newark, NJ 07105

(973)344-0139

http://lisbonliquors.com/shop/

http://www.goironbound.com/portal/

 

Full of surprises, Frederick Wildman's "Taste the Wines of Greece" Manhattan

"Asprouda, Malagouzia and Chardonnay"  says the lovely Eva Mitropoulos of the wine she has just poured in my glass.  This is my first wine of the tasting and I am already in new territory.  "Malagouzia and what?"  I say.  Asprouda she repeats for me indulgently, an exercise I am sure she was put through many times at last Wednesday's "Taste the Wines of Greece" at the Landmarc at the Time Warner Center in Manhattan.  Eva, an Oenologist freshly graduated from the University of Dijon in Burgundy, is now working beside her father Nerantzi Mitropoulos at their organic winery, Domaine Nerantzi in the appellation of Serres in far northern Macedonia.   Back to the wine, I'm getting the fragrance and spice of the Malagouzia, but with a pronounced note of..."pears," Eva helps me again, the hallmark of the Asprouda.  The palate brims with pears as well, poached pears with hints of baking spices, there is richness and weight but the fruit remains fresh and lively...delicious.  This is going to be a good tasting.

Eva Mitropoulos, Domaine Nerantzi

With the help of Markus Stolz of Elloinos, Wildman has put together a thoughtful and eclectic portfolio of (primarily) small producers, who are working with grapes from family vineyards in a myriad of appellations from Sitia in Eastern Crete to Thessaly in the foothills of Mount Olympus.  There are many organic wineries, and a few "vin-de-terroir natural-wine makers" that would have made the late Joe Dressner proud.

The usual suspects are to be found here as well.  There is an able Assyrtico from Koutsoyiannopoulos, who have been continuously farming their 15 hectares on Santorini since 1870, and a pleasant Moschofilero from the tiny Troupis winery called "Fteri"or fern.

There is also a wide offering from one of the large and established producers of Greece, the combined Katogi Averoff/Strofilia wineries.  The selections include the classic Katogi Averoff Red. a limited production collection of terroir wines called "Rossiu di Munte" or Mountain red, and a sparkling Debina from Zitsa among many others.

There are two producers from the Peloponnese, from Nemea one of my personal favorites Christos Aivalis, and from Ilia in Western Pelopponese, Christos Kokkalis.    Both are garagistes of the first order.  Aivalis devotes his 4.5 hectares of land solely to Agiorgitiko, producing a "basic" Nemea as well as the single vineyard "Monopati" while Kokkalis made a name for himself with a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine called "Trilogia"

Certainly, this fine collection showcases that the wines of Greece are evolving fast with a new generation of producers who are passionately respecting traditions, creating new ones, reviving lost varieties and honing their skills in the vineyard and the winery.  With such a wealth of raw material, grape varieties, terroirs and rich history to cull from, one thing is certain, we have only just begun to see what is possible from this great wine making region.  The old girl has more than a few tricks up her sleeve.



Domaine Nerantzi
 Domaine Nerantzi Syrah 2007
As you might guess from the name of this blog, I am not a big fan of international varieties cropping up anywhere and everywhere.  When I was at Oenorama four years ago, I was quite dismayed by the volume of voluminous, flabby, high alcohol, over-oaked, sweet and over-extracted Merlots, Cabs and Syrahs that were on offer (like I said, I am really not a fan.)  I had to start asking the producers to just pour me there indigenous offerings, just to save my poor palate.  So going into this wine, my expectations were not too high.   Luckily, I soldiered on, because the Domaine Nerantzi Syrah was none of those things.  Concentrated, firm and fresh with tightly wound and focused blackberry fruit, cedar and roasted meaty notes, with a spicy oak component that was another surprise.  The winery sources Balkan oak from the Bulgarian forests that border the vineyards.

Domaine Nerantzi Koniaros 2007
If you like a little story with your wine, this one is for you.  When Nerantzi Mitropoulos, a winemaker with a keen interest in Greek history and  indigenous varieties, encountered a rare plant called "Koniaros" by some local elders, he decided to research and attempt to vinify the variety.  The grape had been "left behind due to its lack of vigor and low yields."  He found only one reference to the varietal in literature, and decided to send it off for DNA testing to verify its origins.  It was determined that Koniaros is in fact a "new found genome and part of the wider Greek heritage."  So there you have it, and here we have the one and only Koniaros to be found. 
100% Koniaros
Strawberry/raspberry fruit, silky tannins and again against the spicy Balkan oak.  There are notes of coconut, and black pepper on a dry fresh and beautifully balanced finish.

Domaine Zafeirakis
Christos Zefeirakis, with a Masters degree in Oenology from the University of Milan, is a fourth generation wine maker who is bringing his considerable skill to bear in his native Thessaly.  He planted the first organic vineyard in the area, and built a winery where he is patiently coaxing some delicious wines along. Favoring long, slow fermentations with only natural yeasts, and bottle aging his lovely Limniona red for 18 months before release, it is clear that development, not manipulation, is the defining principle here.  They are in the process of being certified organic.

Domaine Zefeirakis Malagouzia 2011, Thessaly
A wildly floral wine with penetrating blood orange fruit...so persistent this wine is incredibly bright and alive. 

Domaine Zefeirakis Limniona 2008

Christos Zefeirakis, Domaine Zefeirakis

Another varietal rescued from obscurity, Limniona had mostly been wiped out by phyloxxera.  A labor of love from vineyard to bottle, no yeast is added and the wine is fermented by naturally occurring yeasts in 3000L wooden tanks and aged 12 months in barrel.
The extra time in bottle has allowed the wine to completely absorb the oak, and vibrant strawberry, strawberry jam and red licorice dominate the palate with tinges of orange zest.  Lovely.

Domaine Economou
Another first for me, the vineyards of Domaine Economou lie in the high elevations of the Ziros plateau, in eastern Crete.  Specializing in a variety called Liatiko.  A long lived and age worthy variety, as the vintages on offer, 2000 and 1998 would indicate, I was reminded somewhat of Xinomavro.  It had the brick of an aged Nebbiolo, and indeed Yiannis Economou worked at both Cerretto and Scavino in the Piedmont.  The two vintages were quite different.  The 2000, which I tried first was filled with brettanomyces.  Then I scanned my pamphlet, "These natural wines undergo only a very low sulphering to stabilize before bottling."  Uh-oh, the N word, Natural.  I'm not always a fan of the oxidized and off flavors the genre can sometimes represent.  But I went back to my glass.  There was a lot going on, some oxidative notes yes, but this was a 2000.  Aside from being a little sweaty/barnyardy, there was cherry, spicy cinnamon, roasted chocolate, chestnuts on a dry frame still sporting structure and life.
The 1998 was a completely different animal, a very clean wine with wild cherry and licorice against the roasted nuts.  Neither of these wines showed any signs of being tired.  Mrs Economou said their cellar is full of vintages that are all different and they each have their favorites.  I can see why.  Back to my pamphlet, for a great summation, "As the great wine writer, critic and educator Nico Manessis noted, 'There is nothing quite like it elsewhere in the Greek vineyard.'"  And that is something to experience for yourself.