Treats to Blast that Funkytown Feel

I thought about posting this piece right before the holidays as a gift guide, but I decided it would be better to hold off until January. I live in New York, and it has been bloody cold and nasty. A recent NY Times article, Feeling that Winter Cold? Here’s Why by Stephen Chang, stated that the extreme cold weather we’ve been facing is the result of “Arctic oscillation, in which opposing atmospheric pressure patterns at the top of the planet occasionally shift back and forth, affecting weather across much of the Northern Hemisphere.” This high pressure system “is more pronounced than any other time since 1950.” Brrrrrrr….

What does that mean? (1) It takes a lot more motivation to leave the house. (2) Many have that funkytown/winter blues thing going on. This piece includes a variety of treats to buy for yourself to consume today or, in some instances, age. It can also be used as a gift guide for something a little unique. Or, if you want to have a party at your own house, here are some suggestions on ways to mix it up.

Since I am in the business, I have the luxury to taste a broad spectrum of wines and spirits. This list was inspired by some of the wines and spirits I tasted in preparation for my WSET Advanced Exam and from the 2009 New York Wine Experience. I deliberately excluded wines from the U.S. and many of my “go-tos” (Burgundy, Willamette Valley, Ribera del Duero, Rioja…) because we all need to try new things.

Some of the wines below include hyperlinks for direct purchase from Wine Access (WA), with whom I have a relationship.

Enjoy!!

SPIRITS

Bowmare Single Malt 12-year-old Scotch: $40, peat, sea salt, vegetal (40% alcohol by volume)

Boulard X.O. Calvados (Pays d’Auge): $86, spicy apple (40% alcohol by volume)

Calvados is an apple brandy from Normandy and Brittany (France). “While there are 11 distinct producing regions within the appellation of Calvados, the best comes from the Pays d’Auge.” (source “Exploring the World of Wines and Spirits,” Christopher Felden in association with WSET) There are 4 grades of Calvados: Fine/Trois Étoilles (>2 years old), Vieux Réserve (>3 years old), V.O./Vieille Réserve (>4years old) and X.O./Napoléon (>6years old). Use as an aperitif, digestif, in between meals or maybe with espresso.

1997 Rhum J.M. Vieux (Martinique): $90, pronounced caramel and raisins; dry, luxurious (48% alcohol by volume)

Martell X.O. Extra Fine Cognac: $120, pronounced caramel, sweet and spicy raisins (40% alcohol by volume)

RIESLINGS

2007 Schloss Wallhäusen “Two Princes” Riesling Qualitätswein (Nahe, Germany): $13, honey, peaches, apricots and citrus flavors; dry minerality

2006 Rocky Gully Dry Riesling (Frankland River, Western Australia): $18, gooseberry, quince, stone

2007 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben, Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese (Mosel, Germany): WS 92, $28, perfume, floral, orange blossom

LOIRE VALLEY

2007 Domaine des Forges Chaume: WS 93, $26 for 500mL, sweet, round and lush

Chaume is a village located in the western part of the Coteaux du Layon in the Loire Valley. It consists of 100% Chenin Blanc and the grapes are affected by noble rot/botrytis. (Sauternes and Tokaji Aszú are also impacted by noble rot, resulting in those luscious, honeyed flavors.)

2005 Domaine du Closel “Clos du Papillon” Savonnières: $35, honeysuckle, white peaches. Keep in mind it’s 14.5% alcohol by volume

Savonnières is a wine appellation in the Anjou region of the Loire Valley. The wine is 100% Chenin Blanc. Late harvest grapes can formulate into honeyed and smoky-mineral flavors. A good Savonnières  and cheese would be so amazing.

HUNGARY

2000 Aszú, The Royal Tokaji Wine Company 6 Puttonyos Betsek:– fig, flan

I wasn’t able to track down a 2000, but the 1999 Royal Tokaji Wine Co. Tokaji Aszu 6 Puttonyos Betsek (500 ml) ($99, WS 94) was not shabby.

Tokaji (Tokay) is a town in Hungary. Wines are made with Furmint and/or Hárslevelü grapes. Aszú means nobly rotted/botrytised grapes (similar process Sauternes and Chaume go through).

AND SOME PERENNIAL GO-TOs…

I refrained from doing some of my favorites such as Burgundy, Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Côte Rotie, Condrieu – I really could on forever here…  (although I tried the 1999 Ribera del Duero “Unico” Gran Riserva, Bodegas Vega Sicilia at the Wine Experience and the song from the Partridge Family, “I think I love you” started to play in my head immediately.) I felt I had to include some wines from Bordeaux, the Southern Rhône and Champagne because these are always crowd pleasers for gifts – and this is a treat segment after all.

BORDEAUX

2003 Pauillac, Château Pichon-Longueville Baron: ST 93/WS 95 (ranked #33 in WS top 100 list 2006), Bottle: $117 or Magnum: $200; beautiful ripe fruit and berries with that classic Left Bank hint of pencil shavings; smooth and lush

2000 Saint-Julien, Château Léoville Barton: ST 94/WS 97, Bottle: $199 or Magnum: $349 cherries, pencil shavings, spices… absolutely seamless. And oh – how it lingered.

And a few from Bordeaux for the super fancy people out there or maybe for that corporate account that just never seems to be happy, no matter what you do…

2001 Saint-Emilion, Château Cheval Blanc: ST 92-95/WS 924, $347, Power and elegance all in one package; raspberries, pencil shavings, bitter cocoa, a nice one to age

1998 Château d’Yquem Sauternes: ST 95/RP 95, Magnum: $500, Extraordinary. I came back for more three times at the Wine Experience. Orange peel, honey, creamy, perfection, bliss

SOUTHERN RHÔNE

2007 Chåteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau,” Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe: ST 93/WS 95;  500mL: $35, Bottle: $69 or Magnum: $145, smoky cherries, tobacco and licorice

CHAMPAGNE

Bollinger Brut “Special Cuvée” Bottle: $75 or Magnum: $168, ST 91/WS 91, dominated by Pinot Noir (60%), nuttiness, ginger, spiced pears, toasty; will continue to get better over time

Krug Brut Champagne Grande Cuvée NV: ST 95/WS 93 $167, so lovely, so delish, an experience, like a scrumptious brioche with a hint of nutmeg

So there you go… Here’s a way to get out of funkytown.

Please note the following:

  • Wine prices are dynamic and therefore, subject to change. Prices are in competition via various vendors WA uses. The prices listed in the article are as of 1/15/10.
  • When indicated, ratings from ST came from WA and ratings from WS came from WS, which may result in some disparity between what WA lists for WS when you click on the link to purchase.

The Northern Rhône – E. Guigal

E. Guigal

Ampuis, Côte-Rôtie
+33-4-74-56-10-22
www.guigal.com
“In certain magical places, dreams can sometimes become reality.”

With an annual production of 6 million bottles, a cellar with wines dating back to 1946 and a proud family legacy, this is one of the behemoths of wine production in the Rhône Valley, and therefore, a great place to get a solid lay of the land. E. Guigal is currently run by father-son team Marcel and Philippe Guigal.

Cave Guigal
Cave Guigal

Stéphane Croxet, who runs the export department of Guigal, graciously offered to give us a tour in either English or French. Since I am married to a Frenchie, my French has improved tremendously over the past few years, but I am not there yet with complete fluency, especially incorporating technical jargon and the velocity of speech. I was grateful for his lingual dexterity and the thoroughness of his explanation of the wine making process at Guigal.

In the Northern Rhône, Guigal acts as both producer and negociant. However, in the Southern Rhône, Guigal acts exclusively as negociant. Negociants make the wine, but purchase the grapes from growers. Even though they don’t technically farm these grapes, negociants are heavily involved in the viticulture. As with a talented chef, most wine makers are super control freaks with their craft. I can relate to this. In fact, I embrace and salute the control freaks among us. Just try to be in the kitchen with me when I am cooking – things have to be done a certain way and in a certain order, with certain ingredients – I get it.

Guigal runs a tight ship, so it was of no surprise to me that their capacity as negociant follows suit. They are involved in the entire viticulture process – from the growth to selecting the day of harvest. Growers know that grapes will not officially be accepted until they arrive for vinification and have been tested personally by Guigal. This family has earned the respect of the growers and is well regarded by their peers. For Guigal, reputation is paramount to all. Business with Guigal is still done to this day by hand shake. As Stéphane explained, “We give our word and for us it’s equivalent to a written contract. It’s worked liked that since the beginning (3 generations).”

Although, Guigal has the right to reject the grapes, it is a rare occurrence since Guigal has worked with these producers for many years, every step of the way in the viticulture process. In tandem, the respect for the relationship and time spent nurturing the vines is reciprocated by Guigal. Stéphane conveyed, “It’s only right that we respect the time and passion that they have put into harvesting the grapes for us. This courtesy needs to be extended to them as well.” Guigal has 2 back-up control methods in place for the machinery to ensure that grapes are received and processed ASAP to avoid wasting precious time. As in the case with some of the grapes for the production of their Châteauneuf-du-Pape, these growers travel for several hours from the Southern Rhône, so the back-up controls are critical to guarantee expeditious receipt of the grapes.

Vinification:

For red wines, to extract as much color and tannins from the skins as possible, wines are either produced by remontage/pumping over or punching down. Remontage/pumping over draws wine from the bottom of the vat and then pumps it to the top. This helps to break up the crust of skins, pips. etc. (often referred to as the châpeau) which forms at the top. Punching down is the process of literally punching down the skins and pips with devices such as paddles or rakes to extract color and tannins. In the secondary/malolactic fermentation, the liquid from the châpeau is added.

Guigal uses both large and small barrels for aging, with the large barrels used for red wines and small barrels for white wines. Red wine typically has enough tannins already, so the larger barrels are used as there is less surface area of contact by volume. Since 2003, Guigal has manufactured smaller barrels at a cooperage using hand selected French oak. Costly and precious new oak is saved for their absolute best wines. The Viognier for their Condrieu spends about 9 months on the oak, whereas the Syrah for their Côte-Rôtie can spend as long as 42 months. Typically, they use their barrels for up to 20-25 years and then send them to Scotland for the aging process of Scotch.

Sales:

Of the 6 million bottles produced annually by Guigal, half of their production is exported, of which, half of that goes to the United States. For Guigal, the U.S. market seems to prefer Châteauneuf-du-Pape. I am going to speculate on this, but one would have to think the heavy demand for Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the U.S. is driven by its favor among many influential wine critics. If you fell into the aforementioned population, I highly recommend branching out. Be zany. Mix it up. Try the Côte-Rôtie. Or throw in a real thought provoker – the Condrieu. You’ll be glad you tried something new.

Tasting Notes:

Prices indicated below are the cost at the vineyard and are not inclusive of import fees, taxes, shipping etc. I’ve noted wines in which Guigal both grows the grapes and produces the wine (Domaine). Unless noted, Guigal acts in the negociant capacity.

  • 2007 Condrieu (100% Viognier; 9 months fermentation, 1/3 oak, 2/3 stainless steel; sand and granite soil; 30 year old vines; ST 90/WS 91, $51): white peaches, lychees, figs; nice minerality, lovely lingering finish; 13% alcohol
  • 2007 Crozes-Hermitage Blanc (95% Marsanne, 5% Roussanne; 12 months partially in oak; clay, silt, sand and gravel soil; 25 year old vines; 6.95€): commented to us 2007 is better than 2006; ripe apples, acacia honey: lingering finish; 13% alcohol
  • 2008 Condrieu “La Doriane” DOMAINE (100% Viognier; 9 months in 100% new barrels; shale and silicone soil; 35 year old vines, 35.74€): elegant, white peaches, violets, white flowers; acidity balances the alcohol nicely; minerality sneaks up on your palate (in a good way); 13.5% alcohol
  • 2005 Châteauneuf-du-Pape (80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 5% Mourverde; 45 year old vines; 20.22€): obviously 2005 was a very good vintage for all and this one can age nicely; red cherries, vanilla, chocolate, coffee; still a little chewy
  • 2005 Côte-Rôtie “Brune & Blonde de Guigal” (96% Syrah, 4% Viognier;  2 years in oak barrels, second time barrel was used; Brune – iron oxide rich soil, Blonde – silicone and limestone soil; 35 year old vines, 28.25€): elegant, well rounded, not quite ripe cherries, vegetal, black pepper; will age well, nicely integrated
  • 2003 Hermitage Rouge (100% Syrah; aged in oak for 2 years, 2nd time oak used; limestone and clay soil, 40 year old vines; 38.36€): stewed strawberries, white pepper, licorice
  • 2004 Côte-Rôtie Chateau d’Ampuis DOMAINE (95% Syrah, 5% Viognier; 38 months in new oak; 6 terroirs; 50 year old vines; ST 93/WS 92, $177) dark cherries, leather, pain grillé, slight vegetal tone; drink now, but can age
  • 2005 La Turque DOMAINE (93% Syrah, 7% Viognier; 42 months in new oak, single parcel; 15 year old vines; ST 96/100 RP, $449): They were generous enough to let us taste one of the beloved and famous “La Las” – La Landonne, La Mouline and La Turque. Stéphane conveyed that they sell out right away on the release date (1 February). With a cult-like following, the futures market on this stuff is insane. Figs, dark cocoa, white pepper, tannins – still a little chewy – will age beautifully.

What did we buy, why and what would I pair with it?

  • 2007 Condrieu – I am infatuated with Condrieu – maybe even obsessed. Viognier can be a high maintenance grape, and this trickles down to the end cost. I loved the minerality, elegance and perfume of this one. I thought the price point couldn’t be beat. I’d have it as “apero” (tribute to my family in the south of France), with simply prepared and not too pungent seafood (ex. butter poached lobster, grilled whole fish such as a sea bass) or goat cheese. I am partial to cow’s milk cheese, so I think it would also be unbelievable with a goat cheese blend such as La Tur. The food should be simple and not complete with the perfume of this wine. I’d consume it within the next few years.
  • For the Côte-Rôties below, I’d love to have either one of these with a grass fed, succulent steak cooked medium rare (because that’s how I like it), a great burger, something gamey like duck, a crystalized, aged cheese such as Gouda or a pungent cheese like Epoisses.

  • 2004 Côte-Rôtie Chateau d’Ampuis – The priciest that we purchased from Guigal, we were able to benefit from the velvety integration which only comes with age. It continues to have fabulous aging potential and a complexity to match. We’re storing some of these, but drinking some too. I think it will continue to evolve for the next 10 years.
  • 2005 Côte-Rôtie “Brune & Blonde de Guigal” – A great year, a great wine and a great bang for the buck. This has some fantastic aging potential and depth. I loved the finish. I’d drink now, but it could also continue to age for the next 10 years.