Latour Chablis: An Unexpected Winter White

A few years ago, if you had asked me what Chablis was, I would very quickly define it as a giant jug of watery white wine with a screw cap. I would also tell you that, on nights we were feeling especially sophisticated, my college friends and I would depart from our usual Popov and cranberry (or Goldschlager if someone had procured a fraternity brother's leftovers), pour it into red Solo cups with an equal portion of Sprite, and drink it greedily down.

Awesome.

I'm convinced that a ton of normal wine people share this experience. You may have a vague idea that Chablis is a French word, and may even know that the big jug brands ripped the name off a great wine region in France, but you may not. If you don't know about this stuff, you've got to get clued in because Chablis is a phenomenal, fabulous wine. If you're bored with your whites, it will give your mouth a thrill.

Chablis is actually a small, super-northern region of Burgundy (yes, a Chablis is a Burgundy. Hopefully that ratchets up it's rep a little). It's actually closer to Champagne than the main part of Burgundy. Any way you look at it, the area's got major street cred.

Like most French wines, it's named for the region. The grape: it's Chardonnay. BUT this is NOT your mother's big oaky butterball. This is something entirely different.

Chablis is grown on a chalky soil in this cold region. Most is not aged in new oak, so it has none of the caramel, vanilla, woody flavor that you may find in the Chardonnays you swore off (if you hate Chard, that is). These wines smell like crisp green apples and mountain streams, and have unbelievably high acidity. They can even taste a little salty or chalky because of the soil. If you like high acid wines, look no further. They are also such a great match with food -- especially with seafood which they complement, and cream sauces, which they cut through so your Alfredo sauce isn't like swallowing heavy cream.

With all that said, some producers do a different style that is not considered to be "classic." They use a bit of oak to soften the wine. I feel like this is a marketing ploy to try and compete with American wines. It's disappointing to me, but maybe I'm too much of a traditionalist.

We served Chablis at our wedding last year. We had a few bottles left over (these were not stolen by our caterer, which was the fate that befell the Cabernet and Pinot Noir...urgh) so we opened one last night. Here goes...

The Wine: Louis Latour Chablis
Where It's From: Chablis, Burgundy (wine geeks -- appellation is Chablis Controlee)
The Grape: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2006
Price: $17.99


Color: It was a light color, like hay. That's usually what Chablis looks like. This one, though, had some yellow undertones. That made me wonder if it was age (whites darken as they age -- like age spots on people) or oak (also makes a white wine more yellow).

Smell: One little whiff and the butterscotch and caramel shot up the beak. Disappointing. There was green pear and maybe some Asian pear (which I like to call a 'papple' because it's a pear-apple), white flower, and honeysuckle. Although I did smell mineral, stream bed, and chlorine the main vanilla-romas tipped me off to the fact that Latour had dumbed down this wine to give it broader appeal. They oak aged it a little. I have such high regard for them (their higher tiers are phenomenal) that this made me sad.

Taste: Kind of like a Macintosh apple, or a caramel candied apple, the Latour was round and even had pineapple notes, which I'd expect in a fuller style from further south in Burgundy or in other parts of the world. I wouldn't pick this out of a line up as a Chablis, but it did have a metallic quality and some kinetic lemon zest flavors. The best part of the wine was a classic Chablis character -- rock solid acidity. That said, the overall impression was a rounder, medium-bodied, red-appley wine rather than an austere, granny smith apple, mineral rock, acid bowl.

Food: Because the oak is present but not overpowering, it's a good food wine. I'd try it with some grilled halibut or grilled chicken. Actually, if you need to bring a wine for Thanksgiving, this may be a good bet too. It's versatility will pair well with the mashed potatoes, the string beans, the toasted chestnuts, and, most importantly, the turkey.

Drink or Down the Sink?: Drink. Here's a winter white for you. Although it did not resemble all that I love in Chablis, the wine is a good winter sipper. Like a previous post recommends -- leave it out of the fridge for a bit and sip away. Although I really recommend trying a more classic Chablis (William Fevre Champs Royaux is classic and the same price, or get higher tiers of Latour, which are terrific) this is a very versatile wine and a good compromise if you don't like a big wine and your friend/spouse/partner/drinking buddy/dog does.

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What Exactly IS Côtes-du-Rhône? Quick lesson and Perrin Reserve Review

I headed to one of my favorite Atlanta wine shops the other day and I had a lovely conversation with an awesome wine consultant there. I was getting a recommendation on a new Côtes-du-Rhône and she mentioned that this category of wine was a hot seller for them. This surprised me.

"Why do you think these are such big sellers?," I asked. The consultant posited that it was because the wines tended to be light, fruity, and un-offensive. I guess that’s usually true but I still find it odd that Americans, most of whom appear to be against wines that aren't labeled with a grape type (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, etc) and who shun French wine, would easily grab something with not one, but two “ô.”

To get an answer on why Côtes-du-Rhône is so popular, I did what I always do. I brought some home to M.C. Ice so we could taste it and analyze the sitch.

Fortunately, M.C. Ice was pretty familiar with Côtes-du-Rhône. He said he felt comfortable buying it, and that the ones he’d had were usually ok. Despite his confidence, though, as we talked about it more, he finally asked, "what exactly is Côtes-du-Rhône, anyway?" Thus, confirming that, even without knowing what it is, "light, fruity, and familiar" are enough to make people cool with chugging this stuff down.

I guess that’s ok, but given that I've got you here and you may be curious, I’ll break down these wines for a sec, and give you some tips that may help you make better choices when you’re shopping. Can't hurt, right?

Here are a few facts (ok, and commentary because I can’t help myself) on Côtes-du-Rhône, or CDR as it’s abbreviated:

• The wine is a blend, not a single grape.
• There are 22 grape varieties that winemakers can use to make the blend.
• It’s mostly always Grenache as the primary grape for reds and Marsanne and Rousanne for whites.
• Oh yeah – I should probably mention that there are red (common) and white (uncommon but can be great, especially with fish) versions, but most of it’s red.
• It’s from the Southern Rhône Valley.
• If you see “Villages” attached to the name, or a village name appended, it may be better quality.
• With 22 varieties and a bunch of blending possibilities – joker’s wild on what you could wind up with in the bottle.

Number 7 is especially important…and frustrating. It means that if you care what the wine tastes like, you’re going to need to taste a few of these, keep track of which ones you love, and buy again based on that. To get started, if you know you like Syrah, seek out wines with that as the main grape or as a significant portion of the blend. If you like Grenache, try a few different CDRs to see which has the best expression of that grape.

What I wouldn’t do: try one, decide they all suck, and never have them again. By doing this, you miss the beauty of a blend – if you don’t like the way one wine gets put together, there’s always another option.

Below is a quick review of the Perrin Reserve, which we tried the other night. I’d also recommend you look back at the review for the Delas CDR, which I reviewed in a previous post, for comparison. These wines have vastly different profiles – the Delas is mostly Syrah, and Perrin Reserve is mostly Grenache. Try them both, then let me know what you think. I think they are as different as Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, but that’s just me.

The Wine: Perrin Reserve Côtes-du-Rhône
Where It's From: Rhône Valley, France
The Grapes: Grenache (60%), Syrah (20%), Mourvèdre (10%), Cinsault (10%)
Vintage: 2007
Price: $7.99

Color: A darker pigment in the center (from Syrah and Mourvèdre) but brighter, kind of ruby colors showed on the edge and the rim was a little watery (from the other grapes).

Smell: This smelled hot from the alcohol (Grenache can give off that hot smell, BTW). The wine was light and pleasant though, and there was a really great and distinct mineral component. A second sniff gave off strawberry and raspberry but it was kind of hidden behind the wet rock/mineral thing.

Taste: To me, Perrin et Fils (who also owns Chateau Beaucastel, who makes Tablas Creek wines, which I've reviewed) always does a really great job. I actively seek out their wines because I know they put care into all tiers. They are a safe bet for me.

This wine had great tart cherry, dried strawberry, pomegranate, black pepper, and mineral flavors. The acid was prominent but not overwhelming, and there were soft tannins that added dimension without killing your mouth.

Food: This wine would do well with mushroom-based sauces and roasted stuff. It needs something earthy to balance its acid and slight bitterness, but not something too heavy that will kill its fabulous fruit components. Roasted foods should do it.

Drink or Down the Sink?: Drink. Although slightly bitter and a tad hot on the palate, the overall impression of wine was well balanced. The tart fruit was lively, the wet rock was awesome and interesting, and the acidic texture was vibrant. Best of all, for a weeknight wine, this is an unbelievable value.

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Winter White Ain't Just for Fashion Anymore...

When I lived in the tundra better known as Boston, I had a very set pattern of alcoholic consumption: I had summer drinks (for the 3 weeks it was summer) and I had winter drinks (for the other 49 weeks). My summer drinks were cold and light colored, my winter drinks were warmer and dark colored. As soon as I put away the shorts, I virtually stopped buying white wine.

What a fool I was.

Although I recognize the role that weather can play in drink selection, and I have the luxury of living in the warmer clime that is Atlanta, I am no longer willing to sacrifice my whites, rosés, and bubblies to Jack Frost, and you shouldn't be willing either! Now that it's getting cooler out, I think now is the appropriate time to discuss my horrible error in judgment.

Years later, I am publicly admitting that giving up whites when the weather gets cool is a rookie move. If you need more validation, here are a few good reasons you should keep whites flowing:

1. Whites go really well with food. If you're having a salad, fish, a light pasta, or Asian a red just doesn't cut it. The wine will usually overpower the food or the acids tend to clash, and you won't get to enjoy your General Tsao like you deserve to.

2. Wine should not be the only beverage subjected to weather prejudice. Do you drink hot coffee in the summer? What about cold beer or martini in winter? You're not drinking the wine outside (are you?), so there's no need to excommunicate an entire category of wine because it's cold out. I have news for you: in a heated room you're not going to freeze from drinking white. And if you ditch white for the cold season you miss the chance to broaden your palate with try new, delicious wines throughout the year. Stop holding yourself back!

3. Whites can be warming. A full-bodied white like a California or Australian Chardonnay or Viognier can have as much alcohol as a Cabernet or Shiraz. These should be served at about 50 degrees, so they'll be a little less chilly going down and the alcohol will warm your bones.

4. Whites taste better warmer. Speaking of serving temperature, most of us pop a white in the refrigerator and then drink it straight from there. The temperature of a refrigerator is about 35 or 40 degrees -- much colder than white wine is mean to be served. If you leave the chilled wine out for 30 minutes, it will warm up about 5-8 degrees. This little bit will take away the shock to your system on a cold day. The additional and more important benefit -- warmer temps will allow you to taste more of the flavors and aromas of the wine.

Hopefully this plea will open a whole new door for your world of whites! So go forth and stock up! Winter white is not just for fashion anymore! Readmore »»

New Post on BlackBook Magazine's Entertaining At Home Section...

A short link today to my post on a very cool site: BlackBook Magazine.

The topic: Pairing wines with weeknight food. Check it out now!
http://www.blackbookmag.com/nightlife/entertaining-at-home


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Welcome A Bridge in Mosel, and Say So Long to Delicious Rieslings

I don't often use the blog to get up on a soapbox, but as it's wine-related, I think it's worth sharing.

According to a Decanter article released today, the German government has rejected pleas from the Green Party and from the wineries in the Mosel region of Germany (I reviewed some of the fine wines from the Mosel in a previous post) that would prevent the building of a bridge that will host a major highway through some of the best Riesling vineyards in the world.

Although people need to get from one place to another quickly, this move appears to be so short-sighted. It is akin to tearing down a medieval church for an apartment building or putting an oil-line through pristine forestland. Why? Because once the bridge is built, the pollution from the cars and the increased traffic will, inevitably, change if not destroy the purity of the soils from which Riesling derives its character. Over time, the ambient pollution will have a negative effect on the vineyards and the wines in this area of Mosel, and we will lose some of the most interesting, vibrant, and beautiful terroir from an already small area. I won't even broach the subject of how the physical appearance of this old region will be ruined -- although I could write a page on that as well (proposed view in photo from www.germanwinesdirect.org).

With a winemaking tradition that dates back to 200 AD, the German government should be doing everything it can to protect and shield Mosel from destruction. One could argue that this bridge is a desecration of an international historic site, and I hope the politicians work on that angle.

I'm an impatient American, so I especially appreciate that the lack of a bridge is inconvenient to travelers and promotes inefficiencies, but the traffic patterns have been as they are for centuries and people have lived with the inconvenience for as long. Surely the lack of a bridge will not destroy anyone's livelihood, but the addition of one does stand to deprive winelovers from this and future generations of an historic and divine experience of German artistry and history.

This time the Germans have taken their drive for efficiency too far. Readmore »»

Lacheteau Vouvray 2008: A Cheap & Delightful Food Wine

These are tough economic times and although I'd love to drink a $25 bottle every night, I'm just a normal person, so I've been looking for some well priced deals that I can write about. Many have failed of late, but the Lacheteau Vouvray from Trader Joe's is a very pretty white wine and one that is great with food.

As background, Vouvray is a region in the Loire Valley of France that makes some tasty whites from the Chenin Blanc grape (in France they usually name the wine by the region it's from, not by the grape it's made of). Chenin Blanc is super-high in acid and can be made in a bunch of different styles from sparkling to dry to very sweet. I personally love sparkling Chenin -- if you haven't tried it, seek out a Cremant de la Loire that's dry and see how awesome it is!
(Map Credit: Paul Marcus Wines)

Although a really dry Chenin is fabulous, it's also expensive. Most of the cheaper ones have a touch of sweetness, which is ok because it makes them solid food wines. They can pair with spicy, grilled, fried, or creamy foods and they usually do their job of enhancing the food's flavor very well. I personally don't like to have them as sippers -- for me they tend to be too sweet and, truth be told, they have a funk to them that is like a wet bathing suit. That quality is SO noticeable to me when I sip it that I get a little skeeved out. That said, I continue to buy Vouvray because it's a delicious wine and like all French wines, it's meant to be enjoyed with food, so that's when I have it.

So now that we've dorked out on Vouvray, here's the DL on Lacheteau:

The Wine: Lacheteau Vouvray
Where It's From: Vouvray in the Loire Valley, France
The Grape: Chenin Blanc
Vintage: 2008
Price: $7.49

Color: The wine smiles up at you from the glass with a very bright, transparent, pale straw color. This one was lighter than other Vouvrays I've had, which was a good sign to me because usually lighter colors indicate more acid and less sugar -- the style of Vouvray that I prefer!

Smell: Although the wet bathing suit smell was there, it was integrated with a creamy lemon, orange sherbet aroma so I got over it quickly. The green tea and ginger scents were really nice and made me want to dig into this and see if it delivered on the soft, spicy nose.

Taste: The taste was lightly sweet with green apple and ripe apricot. My grandma used to feed us these little fruit jelly candies that looked like citrus slices and had sugar on them. I was reminded of those. The texture was great -- it was round because of the sugar but there was good acid so the wine had a nice balance. Although slightly bitter at the finish, the sugar did a good job of covering that and it ended on a good note. When MC Ice and I tasted the wine with a piece of buttered bread before dinner, the wine took on a creamy, 1/2 and 1/2 quality that was awesome. It had low alcohol, so we sipped it easily with our light pasta in olive oil and it was a great complement!

Drink or Down the Sink?: Drink. Although we're moving into cooler weather, if you need a wine with a Caesar salad, a white pizza, or a creamy pasta (or toast, for that matter), this is a great pairing. I probably wouldn't sip it without food, but that's not what it's for anyway!

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Four Vines Zin: A Wednesday Night Wine

At the suggestion of my sis, I went out seeking Four Vines Zin the other night. She had specified that I should get one of the limited releases -- "Biker" or "Sophisticate" -- and given that it's getting colder, I figured it was good weather for a hearty red Zinfandel. Unfortunately, the limited releases get gobbled up quickly and I missed the window, so I was only able to get their base tier wine. I think it pales in comparison to the others but it's still worth a review.

Now before I get into the nuts and bolts of the wine, I want to briefly address the difference between Zinfandel (red) and White Zinfandel (pink) because sometimes when I tell people that I love Zin, they think I'm talking about the sugary pink stuff. Completely understandable, but not so accurate.

Zinfandel is the cousin of a red Croatian grape called Crljenak (I have no clue how to say that, if anyone does, please send me the phonetic spelling). It's hearty, it can be jammy or spicy, and it's pretty complex. Zinfandel, as we know it, is only grown in California, but Italian Primativo is a close clone, so sometimes you'll see Italian Zin (although often it's insipid grapey nastiness).

White Zinfandel is from the same grape, but it's made to be pink and sweet. It's a complete act of flavor manipulation by the winemaker, so it tastes nothing like red Zin. It was literally created by mistake by Sutter Home in 1975. You can read about it on Wikipedia but, in short, the fermentation of a Zinfandel rosé wine got messed up and the wine did not ferment completely. That means grape sugar was left in the batch. Even though it was flawed and nothing like what a dry rosé should be, the winemaker dug it and Sutter Home has made a freaking killing off of it. To me, it's like drinking fruit punch and if I'm going to have that, I may as well have a mixed drink and get a better buzz! I do, however, regularly enjoy RED Zinfandel, and I think you should too!

Ok, now that we are clear on that, back to Four Vines Zinfandel
The Wine: Four Vines, Old Vine Cuvee
Where It's From: California
The Grape: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2006
Price: $10.99

Color: A typical Zin in color, this was a dark garnet with a little browning around the edges (showing it's grey hair) and a watery rim. The wine was VERY viscous (the legs take a long time to drip down the glass), which was a dead giveaway that it was 14%+ in alcohol.

Smell: What a great nose! This wine smelled like a blueberry or raspberry patch outside in a field somewhere. On second sniff, it was very jammy, not just wild and briary. There were also a ton of leather, peppermint, and horse/stable aromas (mmm, sweaty horse). It smelled like the inside of a 3 Muskateers bar too -- I guess that's called "nougat." Oh, and this was a hot little number -- the alcohol was flaming in the glass.

Taste: I expected some great things from this wine, but it was not as complex to drink as it was to sniff. The wine vaguely tasted like a blueberry crisp, with lots of cinnamon and a baked thing going on, but that's it. It was so hot and so alcoholic that it masked a lot of the flavor. I guess they should have picked the grapes earlier because this was overripe and over-alcoholic. It was ok with pizza (which was spicy and had a bunch of vegetables on it) but not on its own.

Drink or Down the Sink?: Drink. Pair it with pizza (Trader Joe's whole wheat dough is great and healthy and you can make your own toppings!) or something with tomato acid, and it's a good wine that you can have on a weeknight. I don't think I'd bring it over a friend's house, but on a Wednesday for $11 it's a good deal. And if that doesn't sell you, it's got a screw cap -- so it's low effort after a tiring day. Readmore »»

Navarro Correas, Collection Privada 2006: Why So Angry?

Argentina is a place where I really want to go. In addition to wine, I love the outdoors, I love travel, and I love practicing my Spanish, and the country has it all (I shouldn't even mention this, but I have an even stronger tie to the country. My sister and I memorized the entire libretto to Evita when we were 4 and 7 and then begged my dad to get us tickets when it came to Broadway...JW, thanks again for making me be Che and all the other dudes in our daily re-enactments. No emotional scars here.).

Wine has been in Argentina since the Spanish explorers robbed and pillaged in the 1600s, and with the expansion of the railroad and a wave of Italian immigration in the 1880s, it became big business. Vineyards were set up in the mountains of Mendoza and the Argentineans drank like there was no tomorrow -- per capita they are in the top ten and have been for a long time (let me tell you, the US doesn't even rank. So drink up, friends!). That said, until a few decades ago, the wine was pretty nasty. It was made mostly from this rustic, tannic, gross grape called Criolla and although the systems were in place for better stuff to be grown, it really wasn't.

Then Chile blasted on the scene, selling wine to the US and making coin doing it. Not to be overshadowed by it's skinny neighbor to the west, Argentina realized that if they grew better stuff, like what Chile was growing (Cab, Merlot, Chard, etc) they may get a piece of the action too. They found a lot of success with a grape that was used in Bordeaux as a blending grape, but is now used less often because it's a pain to grow: Malbec. Then they gambled and put out Torrontes, an aromatic white (which you should try, if you haven't).

All success for these now signature grapes in the land of Evita.

So now Argentina's producers are looking for the big kahuna. To really make it in the US import market, you've got to have the a piece of the big three - Cab, Merlot, and Chard. So these savvy South Americans are making a go at it. Sometimes it works, sometimes, not so much. So let me hesitate no longer and discuss Navarro Correas, Collection Privada Cabernet Sauvignon....

The Wine: Navarro Correas, Collection Privada
The Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2006
Price: $11.99
Color: A dark purple, almost black color with a little bit of haze and a little brown around the edges. Warmer vineyard site=darker color, brown edges = it's gettin' older. Reds lighten up as they age. The brown edge is like grey hair on a person.
Smell: Right off the bat, strangely, I got a tomato-V8-grape juicy juice thing, with some dried oregano (pizza anyone?). On second whiff, there were expected smells. Cranberry, sour cherry, black currant, and sugar plum were first. Then I smelled rose, and nutmeg-vanilla stuff too.
Taste: This wine was like an adolescent. The components of normalcy were all there -- cranberry, sour cherry, dark raspberry, with some musk, leather, and licorice -- but the texture was so awkward that I felt helpless in the face of it. I tried this one over two nights to see if it would change or mature, so to speak. Nope. Raging angry tannins and high acid ran roughshod on my mouth. Between the tannins in the grape and the tannins of the oak -- ouch. That's all I can say. It was so aggressive and mean, the only relief I got was that the acid was high enough to shorten the finish and wash out that punishing texture.
Drink or Down the Sink?: Right now, this is Sink. I'm crying for you, Argentina, because I know you can do better. Perhaps with a few years of age this could be drinkable, and perhaps there are other producers that have tamed the tannins, but if I took this as an example, we're looking at a rebellious teenager trying to find its way. I'll give a few more a chance, knowing that if it doesn't work out, there's always beautiful Mendoza Malbec to fall back on. Readmore »»