The waiting begins...

I hope I’m not jinxing myself, but I send the application and Fedex said it was delivered in time last week. My essay was: "Examine the principal factors within the direct control of the vineyard manager which affect the quality of the grapes produced." In classic MW style, the question seems quite simple, but it really taxed my knowledge-retrieval and imagination to put something logical on paper. And at that, a week later I’m still remembering relevant things I could have included. Frustrating.

I’ll post my essay after I find out whether they will let me in or not (judging from prior years, I should know by early October. They implemented a rolling-application essay topic schedule, but I don’t know if that will impact when decisions go out).

In the meantime, back to revisions. Wish me luck!

Varietal(-ish) focus: Châteauneuf-du-Pape blends

Question: can a group of $30-ish Châteauneuf-du-Pape-inspired blends from around the world distinguish themselves?

Massena ‘Moonlight Run’ 2006 (Barossa Valley) $27, 14.5% abv

Composed of 54% Grenache, 24% Shiraz, 16% Mataro (Mourvèdre), and 6% Cinsault all from vineyards that range in age from 85-150 years old. Each parcel is fermented and aged separately before final blend is made, then it is aged for 18 months in seasoned French oak (old hogsheads).

Deep ruby with a bit of an alcohol white rim. The whiff of sweet perfume is what stood out on the nose. At first I guessed sweet oak, but as they age in old French hogshead, I’m now guessing the perfume of Mourvèdre was showing itself. Very curious. Alcohol was more apparent on the palate, and it clashed with the acid right away before the acid disappeared and I could get to the fruit bits (which were ripe dark fruits). Tannins were well-integrated in the mix and velvety. The finish was on the long side and was a thick, lovely layer of juicy dark fruits. And I swear vanilla!

Bonny Doon Vineyards ‘Le Cigare Volant’ 2006 (California) $33, 13.3% abv

Always amusing to read the ingredient labels of Bonny Doon wines. This is made from 43.6% Syrah, 43.5% Grenache, 11.7% Cinsault, 1.1% Mourvèdre, and 0.1% Carnignane. Also used in the winemaking process was untoasted oak chips and French oak barrels.

This was the most saturated in color, nearly to the rim. The Bonny Doon exhibited the same dark fruit aromas, but this one had a slight more ‘funk’ to it and a touch of floral. I’m guessing that’s because this wine had the highest concentration of syrah, a rather unstable fellow, and one that shows off something like Brett more readily. It added to the complexity of the nose. There was a faint trace of vanilla oak.

Body, acid and alcohol were all balanced together at about a medium intensity. The tannins were medium+ and suede-like. The dark fruit on the palate was softer (less sour). The finish was medium and made of tannins and a bit of fruit.

Domaine St. Gayan 2006 (Gigondas) $28, 14.5% abv

I chose the Gigondas as my French ‘Châteauneuf-du-Pape’ so the price point would be in line with the others. I guess I should have kept looking since this is more of a traditional Côtes du Rhône blend, but whatever. It’s made from 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, and 5% Mourvèdre from vines with an average age of 55 years (some of the Grenache vines are over 100 years old). It goes through a typical long fermentation in neutral tanks and then spends a year in old foudres.

Lightest in color of this group (medium- ruby with alcohol rim). Also the most subdued in aromas and much more earthiness (dry dirt) and dark fruits (plums and black cherries). It was dark. I could also smell alcohol. The palate had medium+ acid and medium+ alcohol which eventually gave way to sour dark fruits. The last observation points me directly to the old world. Tannins were fine-grained (but ‘square’…rocky soils?) and medium+ intensity. Finish was all sour dark fruits lifted along with the tannins.

PS – I visited this estate in early July. The picture on the label is what it actually looks like there. No kidding. Well, except when you’re actually there it’s in color.

Observations

The old world version stood out immediate with its sour dark fruit profile. In a blind situation, I would have probably questioned the alcohol as a marker, but we’re talking about the Southern Rhône here. It was also the least extracted of the bunch.

Then again, going back to my first point above, perhaps if I actually found a Châteauneuf-du-Pape instead of the Gigondas, would my results have been different? Châteauneuf-du-Pape can be pretty ripe too.

The riper fruit profiles of the last two clearly landed me in the new world. I’m not entirely sure that the luxuriously velvet tannins of the Massena would have helped me to get to Australia (note to self: time to do a Grenache varietal focus). Nor did the lower alcohol in the Bonny Doon tell me that it was from California. The Bonny Doon spoke mostly about its cepage (being higher in Syrah…and I believe that Grenache is generally higher in alcohol than Syrah, so being higher in Syrah helped to lead to lower alcohol).

Another damn tasting where I’m not sure I gained much. It might be the design. And it might be the end user. Hhhmmm…

Winery Profile: Channing Daughters

Ta da!

Channing Daughters is probably my favorite winery on the east end of Long Island and not just because winemaker Christopher Tracy is an MW candidate. The range of styles the winery offers is exciting and delicious. The east end of Long Island has producing wine for over 35 years now, and while some styles of wine are starting to establish themselves (I love the local Sauvignon Blancs and Cabernet Francs), I appreciate that the team at Channing Daughters is really pushing the envelope. They’ve planted a number of atypical varietals and make wines ranging from the typical fruit-driven & refreshing to single-varietal rosés (including one from Refosco), skin-fermented whites, ripasso reds, orange wines, and even a Madeira-style Merlot dessert wine!

I was captivated while interviewing winemaker Christopher Tracy and soil scientist Larry Perrine, and I highly recommend a visit to Channing Daughters if you ever find yourself in the Hamptons.

This article was published in the January 2011 issue of Sommelier Journal. Better late than never.

Bordeaux Master-Level Exam

The online programs of the French Wine Society are a model for truly interactive wine education. I passed the French Wine Scholar exam last year and signed up in March for the Bordeaux Master Program as Bordeaux is just an area I don’t know much about, and looking at past MW exams, it seems pretty important. The program was led by the Dewey Markham Jr., author of 1855: A History of the Bordeaux Classification and ran for about three months with 20 live, interactive webinars and weekly reading assignments.

First off, Mr. Markham has that rare ability to take utterly confusing topics like the Côtes of Bordeaux or the classification systems and break them down to their historical origins and then lead the student to put these pieces back together again to understand what’s going on today. His core curriculum was supplemented by webinars from guest lecturers including Roger Bohmrich, MW (covering Garagistes and the economics of Bordeaux), Charles Curtis, MW (two centuries of vintages, and collecting & investing in Bordeaux), and Joel Butler, MW (Bordeaux terroir and the meaning in appellation). The quality of the lectures as well as the reading assignments (over 125 pages) were excellent. I also opted to attend an all-day review that included some well-organized tastings of Bordeaux wines (by soil type and by AOC).

Secondly, the technology was amazing. I hate to date myself, but I didn’t realize online education went beyond passively watching a presentation recording. The webinars were live and the technology such that if you had a question during the presentation, you could ‘wave your hand’ and the presenter would answer your question live. Sure, it could make the presentation go longer than an hour (and it often did), but all presentations were available online afterwards as well. And anything not answered could be posted to the bulletin board which all instructors were active on.

Finally, I just took the final exam this past weekend, opting to take it in person in Washington DC (there was no NYC provider, and there’s an upcharge to take the exam online). The exam consisted of a map identification exercise (10 points), 50 multiple-choice questions (50 points), and five short essay questions (40 points). I don’t think all of the exams have been turned in yet, so I’ll just say that the questions were fair and presented clearly. And I should have studied more.

It looks like the next Bordeaux Master Class will run in May of next year and I obviously recommend it. They also hinted that there is a Burgundy Master Class in the works for 2012 as well. Rhône and Provence also have Master Level programs, but these are limited to a detailed study manual and online exam.

So I’ll find out in a few weeks if I passed.

If you’re an essay grader reading this blog post, may I say WOW! Have you lost weight? You look fabulous!! And that color is absolutely charming on you!

Varietal focus: Riesling

Set up
Hooray for Riesling! And looking at past examination, there’s an extremely good chance that it will show up again soon! I’ve tried to pull dry examples today – two from the old world and two from the new world.

The Wines
* Leitz ‘Eins Zwei Dry’ Riesling Trocken 2008 (Rheingau) $15, 12% abv
* Domaine Mittnacht ‘Les Fossiles’ Riesling 2009 (Alsace) $20, 13.5% abv
* A to Z Riesling 2007 (Oregon) $15, 12.5% abv
* Hay Maker Riesling 2009 (Waipara) $10, 12.5% abv


The Leitz had a noticeable CO2 prickle on the palate, which led me to think it was a new world wine using CO2 to heighten acidity. This was also the most dry of the bunch. The CO2 and dryness were my clues to support that it was new world, Oregon. Wrong! The flavors were some of the least intense in the bunch, which should have been my clue to this wine coming from the coolest climate. There was also a yeasty creaminess about the wine… I wasn’t quite sure what to make of that.


Mittnacht was easier to pick to me. Its appearance was a touch more intense than the other three, something I have seen before in Alsatian wines. It was off-dry, but barely so. Smoky on the nose, and then the palate was focused and medium intensity of lime, sour apples, and sour pears. The more extracted appearance, the sour nature of the flavors, the intensity and focus of those flavors lead me straight to old world, Alsace.



The A to Z was strongly petrol on the nose (and turned out to be the oldest wine in the flight at four years). This wine had the highest perceived RS in the flight, and was also the lightest in body. I focused on those two bits of data to conclude old world, Germany. What I chose to ignore was the fruit basket that appeared on the palate. My notes said lime, apple, pear, strawberry, tropical (?). Cool climates don’t usually do that, duh.



Finally, the Hay Maker was petrol and pears and spicy on the nose. Just having a basket of aromas on the nose got me thinking new world. The palate again, lots of juicy fruits to choose from propped up with a backbone of acidity. The fruits were not precise, but lovely, and that also led me to new world, New Zealand. Tech sheet: 24g/l RS.


Observations
Colors, with the exception of the Mittnacht were similar, and that turned into a valuable clue. Aromatics overall were not as important clues as were the palates: dry, off-dry, and by how much? Intensity of flavors. Muddled or precise. Those were the most helpful to get me to new world or old world. All of the wines had similar medium- to high-acidity and medium alcohol. The wines were similar in body as well, but I misread the CO2 in the German wine.

I also learned I should really look for the teach sheets before I conduct the tasting. It’s annoying not having the information right here to help guide what I’m trying to learn.

So overall, two right, two wrong. I’ll take it.

Latterals: Sangiovese versus Tempranillo

Set Up
Don’t laugh. I get Sangiovese and Tempranillo mixed up in blind tastings. A lot. If I were being really honest? I would throw Grenache in this party as well. And I’ve confused an extracted Pinot Noir for Chianti more than once. But I’m gonna try to tackle this one at a time.

The wines
Bibi Graetz ‘Casamatta’ 2009 (Toscana IGT) 12.5%, $11
Viña Herminia 2009 (Rioja) 14%, $12

The Casamatta has medium intensity of bright dark fruits and some florals. The palate was dry with alcohol in check and a medium+ acid with medium+ rustic tannins. The flavors were dark fruits, medium ripeness, and a sour savory tomato character.

This wine is 100% Sangiovese from young vineyards in different zones around Tuscany (including Sieci, Siena and Maremma) and is fermented (including MLF) in steel tanks before being transferred to barriques where it remains until bottling (I haven’t found an indication of how long that is).

Viña Herminia was much more muted on the nose with a real dry earthiness along with dark fruits. And again, the palate was more earthy and plumy than the Sangiovese. Tannins were higher here but were finer and sour notes carrier through the medium+ finish.

I had more trouble finding information on this wine, despite the winery’s slick website. It seems like there could be some Garnacha in this wine (up to 15%), but it could also be 100% Tempranillo. The winery also employs both American and French oak, but I don’t have the specifics on this wine.

Observations
Both wines displayed plums and a spiciness, but the Tempranillo was more muted and earthy. Both had a similar medium intensity of ruby color, but the Tempranillo was slightly more concentrated. Both were bone dry on the palate with similar medium+ acidity.

There were differences in their aromatic profile was stronger as flavor profiles: more savory/sour for the Sangiovese and more dried/earthy for the Tempranillo.

Both had almost the same amount of tannins, but the nature of those tannins were different: I felt the Sangiovese tannins were much more rustic over the finer (but still rather burly compared to say, a Pinot Noir) tannins of the Sangiovese.

Overall, I’m sad to report that I’m not sure this tasting help cement anything about these two varietals to me. I wonder if it’s a price point issue. Maybe I won’t be so cheap next time...

Quality flight: Mendoza Malbecs

This beat-up palate is brought to you by allergy season.

Set-up
While Malbecs from Argentina don’t show up often on the actual Master of Wine exams, I thought this would be a good place to practice quality levels within the same region. Malbec is not native to Argentina, but the area is more well-known for the grape than in France, where the grape has historically had to make up at least 70% of the wines of Cahors. Before the winter freeze 1956, Malbec used to play a more significant part in the blends of Bordeaux and some research suggests that the clones used in Argentina are decedents from the Bordelais vines rather than from Cahors or the Loire.

Located in the fat west of the country, Mendoza is the largest and most-important wine-growing region in Argentina (about 70% of its annual production). Luján de Cuyo is a subregion within Mendoza that features higher altitudes and more temperate weather.

Without tasting, I would expect the wines to display ripe plums, dark fruits, perhaps some floral, but above all, ripe (not cooked) fruits clearly indicating New World. I would think the palate would show medium acid, but higher tannins. Basically, I think of Malbec as a Merlot with more going on with the palate – acid and grip. I would suspect that the Altos would be more about upfront fruit and a quick finish, the Felino to show more interesting things on the nose, and a more defined palate, and the Bramare to build upon that, perhaps displaying some minerality? Plus oak.

The wines
Altos Las Hormigas Malbec 2009 (Mendoza) $13, 14.2%
Felino ‘Viña Cobos’ Malbec 2009 (Mendoza) $20, 14.9%
Bramare ‘Viña Cobos’ Malbec 2008 (Luján de Cuyo) $39, 14.9%

(Note the Bramare is a shiner – the front label says Cabernet Sauvignon and the back label says Malbec. It is indeed a Malbec.)

The Altos showed pepper and plums and a smokiness at a medium intensity. The palate had firm tannins, medium(-) acid and a medium(-) finish, with the simple taste of sour dark fruits. Both the medium(-) finish and linear flavor profile indicates that this is a high-volume production wine, and the lowest in quality in the flight.

This Malbec is the “main production” wine according to the Altos Las Hormigas website. The grapes are from different sites, vinified separately before the final blend. Stainless steel fermentation and aged for three months in the vats with French and American oak insertstaves. Annual production: 700,000 bottles.

The Felino displayed more dark plums, a slight bit of vanilla (oak?) and dry earthiness and a slight burn from alcohol. The vanilla softened the impact of sour dark fruits on the palate, and firm tannins were still on display. The length was a bit longer here (medium) and were carried by the tannins and fruit, indicating a better quality wine.

American winemaker Paul Hobbs is a partner in the Viña Cobos Winery which produced both the Felino and Bramare.The wine is 100% Malbec. The vineyards are from the smaller appellations of Luán de Cuyo, Maipú, and Valle de Uco at an elevation of 2,300 to 3,770 feet, yielding 4.3 to 4.6 tons per acre. Fermented in stainless steel with a native MLF in barrel that took four months to complete. It was then aged eight months in American and French oak, 21% new. Annual production: 262,320 bottles.

The Bramare had an overt use of sweet vanilla oak with plums and a slight floral perfume. The use of oak could indicate a more expensive wine. The oak made the attack smooth and sweet but the palate of this wine had the highest impact of acids, tannins, and flavors of vanilla and plums. Despite intensity, there was nothing angular so the wine was in balance. The use of oak and the balanced and clear flavors on the palate shows that this is the highest quality wine in the flight.

Bramare’s fruit was from the prime subregion of Luán de Cuyo with an elevation of 3,000 to 3500 feet. Yields here are 2.0 to 3.1 tons per acre. Stainless steel fermentation with MLF in barrels with native yeasts completed in three months. Eighteen months in 22% new American and 15% new French oak, the balance in used oak. Unfined and unfiltered. I couldn't find production numbers.

Observations
On the second round, when I tasted them blind, there was a distinct yeasty character on the Felino that I didn’t pick up before. Lees stirring on a red wine in Mendoza? Maybe a result of the MLF? That was the factor that helped me decide between the Felino and the Altos (the sweet oak on Bramare gave it away quickly).

What surprised me from this tasting was that despite high alcohol, I didn’t perceive it as much on the palate. I’m not sure if that was due to the fact that they were all in the same zip code, the fact that I’m in the middle of allergy season and everything hurts anyway, or that it was all in balance. I wonder if there was more RS leftover to soften the blow and my damaged palate didn’t pick up on it this time around. May have to try a few of these again…