I recently tried new signle estate wines from TeAwa from New Zealand, which just joined Cognanc One's National portfolio.

New Zealand is usually associated with Sauvignon Blanc, especially in the minds of American consumers, so it was refreshing to try the different styles and varietals.

Te Awa ws established in 1992 by the Lawson family, acquired in 2002 by the NYC based financier Julian Robertson, and is currently managed by Chief Winemaker Ant MacKenzie.

I liked the 2009 Chardonnay, which is from Hawkes Bay. Different clones are used, and the soil types are mostly free draining gravel. Once pressed, the juice is settled before being run to barrels. Some of the barrels went through spontaneous wild yeast fermentation, and the balance were inoculated with selected yeast strains. Most barrels went through malo-lactic fermentation in spring, with the youngwine staying in contact with its yeast lee for twelve months prior to bottling. All barrels were tight grain French oak, of which 40% were new.

Resulting flavors are elegant and sophisticated, with vanilla and toast from the barrels.

The 2009 Syrah (99% Syrah, 1% Viognier) is selected from old vines, hand picked, de-stemmed, and tipped directly into a five tonne open top vat. After a five day cold soak it was allowed to warm up and ferment sponataneously with native vineyard yeast. The young wine was drawn off the skins and aged for 15 months in 300L French Oak Barrels.

The nose offers black berry fruits, cinnamon, and spice. The palate is medium boddied, the tannins supple, and the flavor quite rich and delicious.

The 2009 Sauvignon Blanc is crafted for the 'table not the bar" with orange peel flavors overlying a pure tropical melon base. In the vineyard, successive parcels of fruit were brought into the winery based on flavor and tannin ripeness, and the juices split into three categories: aromatic components, mineral components, and textural components.

The aromatic components were tank feremented with a special yeast selection that unlocks and highlights fruit characters. The mineral component was fermented warmer and left on lee after fermentation to accent the mineral / flint character. The final components were fermented in barrel andtank with a componation of yeast strains to promote layers of flavor and texture. The components were assembled and bottled following six months of maturation.  Fifteen percent of the wine saw the inside of a barrel."

Quite delicious!

What can you say about an excellently turned out Chardonnay? I am sitting at a table in the elegant Lambs Club with Mr. Jose Antonio Galante, Chief Winemaker at Salentein Family of Wines.

Mr. Galante has an extensive history as a winemaker, having started at Catena Zapata which is credited for the currant quality and popularity of Argentine wine. He is extremely poised and well-spoken, and easily answers all of my technical questions about the wine.

Which brings me back to the Chardonnay. The 2010 is really delicious -- specifically it has incredible balance. There is a ripeness of fruit, and very concentrated fruit, which is balanced yet not overwhelmed by the 9 months of oak aging. It's a bit riper than a Burgundy and with more alcohol 14% yet is very Burgundian in style in its elegance.

The fruit is from the Uca valley, a very high elevation, with alluvial and stony soils. They are hand harvested in the early morning, softly de-stemmed, and transferred to a hopper where they receive dry ice to ovoid oxidation and lower the temperature. The technical data might bore you, yet the important thing to remember is that a lot of care (in the form of stirring the lees, etc) was taken in the wine's production.

The Pinot Noir is also from the Uco valley grown on La Pampa Estates. Similar steps are taken to the Chardonnay, save that the berries received a slight "cold soak/semi-maceration took place for 3- 5 days, and pumping over, and manual trampling of the cap during fermentation. The wine was racked, with malolactic fermentation taking place in barrels. The wine was barrel aged 10 - 12 months and delicious with subtle cherry, vanilla, and a touch of tobacco. 

Two Malbecs followed, Killka Malbec 2008 and the Reserve Malbec, with the Reserve having a fuller mouthfeel and more intense concentration of fruit. The Reserve had a longer masceration period and was aged for 12 - 14 months in first, second, and third use oak barrels. 

Mr. Galante is a very talented winemaker, and for three decades has been a pioneer in Argentine winemaking.

More about Salenstein Family of Wines

Located in the remote upper reaches of Argentina’s Uco Valley on the eastern slopes of the Andes, Bodegas Salentein’s vineyards are planted at some of the highest elevations on the planet.

Salentein history began with the opening of its state-of-the-art winery and cellars just one year after its debut vintage. Like all the facilities on this near 5,000-acre private estate, this uniquely cross-shaped structure was built by regional craftsmen using local materials and incorporating indigenous architectural features.

Salentein’s assurance to the community has included initiatives to help pioneer wine tourism in Mendoza’s Uco Valley. Salentein is, in short, a wine destination like no other. Its location in the foothills of the Andes is spectacular. With a 125-acre nature preserve, the exclusive Posada Salentein guest house, and the landmark Chapel of Gratitude, it has much to offer the 20,000 plus domestic and foreign visitors it receives every year.

At the heart of Salentein is the Killka Center for Culture and the Arts (LINK HERE), which opened in 2006. Built as a tribute to the people of the Uco Valley, it is a divine showcase to the region’s arts, culture and cuisine. By 2008, Killka had earned the International Gold Medal in the “art and culture” category in the Best of Wine Tourism Competition, presented by Great Wine Capitals Network.

"Roasting a barrel is like roasting coffee," says colorfully-spoken winemaker and GM of Bouchaine Vineyards, Michael Richmond. We are talking about the influence of French oak on the 2008 Pinot Noir, and as is the case when wine geeks get together, the conversation turns to toast (not the kind you have at breakfast) and the importance of being on the same page with your cooperage.

We are actually at Daniel Boulud's DB Bistro on a sunny June day, and Michael is here to talk about the winery's excellent Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Bouchaine is the oldest continuously operated winery in the Carneros district, with roots going back before Prohibition.

I taste three vintages of Chardonnay (09, 08, 07) and am struck by the Meursault character of the 07 - it is very Burgundian with melted butter on the nose, and incredible elegance. Michael explains that the wines have some percentage - often half - of malolactic fermentation, depending on the vintage. There is 30% new French oak here, yet it blends seamlessly with the wine.

The Pinot Noirs (08, 07) are fabulous and very different because of the vintage. The 07 is more delicate, and perhaps for this reason the enticing sweet French oak on the nose (just 30%) is easier to detect than the 08, which has more substantial fruit and the same oak program.

The surprise at the end of the tasting is the sweet wine, made by Chardonnay grapes in a year with botrytis. Yet Michael realized that he didn't need botrytis to make the wine -- just leaving grapes to hang longer in autumn was enough to create this delicious sweet wine, with very balanced sugar and alcohol and delightful honeyed flavors.

I will keep you up to date with Bouchaine as i am a fan of their wine, which is very elegant and old world in style
 

Porterhouse was the elegant venue for a tutored tasting of La Follette wine lead by winemaker Greg La Follette (formerly of Flowers, de Loach) who recently launched a new winery last year called La Follette.

The morning began with an introduction by vivacious Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein -- and then a tasting of both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from his collection of site-specific bottlings from Sonoma and Mendocino counties ($30-$60 SRP).

Of the three Chardonnays were I preferred the  2008 La Follette Lorenzo Vineyard, which was very Meursault like and Greg said was due to the specific vineyard. The other two were very nice - the Manchester Ridge 2008 and the 09 Sangiacomo Vineyard.

Of the Pinot Noirs, my favorite was the 2008 La Follette Manchester Ridge Vineyard which was very floral and elegant. My vote for the wines NYC's geeks would love best was the 2008 La Follette Van der Kamp Vineyard, which comes from a volcanic site very high on a mountain. A very strong signature aroma and palate here.

During the presentation, Greg was a fountain of knowlege,  discussing the various measures he uses to make his wine as pristine as possible and true to the land.

scallops

During lunch, we were served four whites and four reds from Quivira Vineyards and Winery and older vintages from Tandem Wines and Torbreck Vintners (all distributed by Martin Scott).  We were encouraged to mix and match them with the starter of scallops two ways (pan roasted diver scallop with celery root puree, brown butter, capers, crisp parsley) and grilled driver scallop) and duck two ways (Magret Duck Steak with swiss chard, bacon, ginger, rhubarb confit, and confit of duck leg with heirloom bean and root vegetable casoulet, green peppercorn reduction).

My favorite wines with both scallop dishes were the 2007 Tandem Sangriacomo Vineyard Chardonnay and the 2009 Torbreck Roussanne/Marsanne/Viognier. The 2009 Quivira Fig Tree Sauvignon Blanc was exotic and delcious, however.

For the duck I liked ALL the reds -- with my favorite match being the 2006 Torbreck RunRig Shiraz. and runners up the 2001 Torbreck RunRig Shiraz (3% Viognier) and the 2001 and 2006 Torbreck The Struie Shiraz.  

What was fun during the lunch was having Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, writers of Becoming a Chef and many books on food and wine pairing, at the table with me. It was fun to compare tasting notes together.

Thanks to Master Sommelier Roger Dagorn of Porterhouse and Porterhouse owner/chef Michael Lomonaco for arranging such a great food and wine pairing with lunch.

Fabulous wines and a very educational talk.

J. Lohr is a California producer of many different varietals, and increasingly, many different vineyards. I had the good fortune recently to receive a case of 2008 wines and must say all are of exceptional quality for the price. 

If I had to choose my two favorites, they would be the Chardonnay and the 2007 Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon. These are incredibly well crafted wines. Below are notes on all the wines.

J. Lohr 2008 Merlot from Paso Robles:

This is an easy drinking style of wine that would pair perfectly with grilled salmon or pork, with very cleanly defined black fruit and bright elements of spearmint. Very well balanced and nearly naked in the sense the fruit is not overwhelmed by oak. Paso Robles has extreme temperature variations between night and day, responsible for the intense concentration of fruit here, and gravel well draining soils.

J. Lohr 2008 chardonnay Arroyo Vista

This is a delicious, traditional style chard with body, tropical fruit, and a long lingering finish - very rich and balanced and a good accompaniement to white fish, salads, and other fare.

J. Lohr 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles

Clean, balanced Cabernet Sauvignon with pure back fruit (blackberries)  ... a touch of sweetness makes it a good pairing for dishes such as pork, especially with a fruit marinade or sauce, roasted salmon with same, or brisket.

J. Lohr 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Vineyards

Blackberries, concentrated black fruit such as casis black plum blackberies ... very clean and even, very concentrated fruit from select vineyard and excellent example of incredible terroir and winemaking.

J. Lohr 2008 Petite Syrah

this is a classic California Petite Syrah with intense concentrated black and blue fruit, very smooth tannins, and a delightful way to accompany pork and braised short ribs.

.. in these economic times everyone is looking for a way to get great quality wine at a value. The "private selection" name sounds posh but the bottom line is  that this new brand offers both value and quality because of the Mondavi name.

I tried both the 2008 Meritage and Cabernet Sauvignon and found both well balanced with good concentration of fruit and well integrated flavors. Jammy and rich are good descripters here. The Meritage was the more subtle wine of the two, though Cabernet Sauvignon fans will like the strong earth and blackberry notes of this single varietal, meant to be paired with steaks. The Cab Sauv was aged in French oak for 14 months and sourced from fruit primarily in Monterey and Paso Robles - ditto for the Meritage.

I also liked the 2009 Chardonnay which was whole cluster pressed to capture the purity and essence of the fruit - a good representation of a big oaky chardonnay done with less oak and more attention to balance.

The wine arrived with cheese from Cowgirl Creamery with the idea to compare and make tasting suggestions. I thought the Cowgirl Creamery cheeses looked great ( they were FedEx-ed with a cooling device) and could make a cute gift with their distinctive cheese wrapping. As for the pairing, I love red wine and cheese and liked the Crater Lake Blue, Pierce Point, and Carmody  with both the Meritage and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Chardonnay went well with the cheeses, yet I have my favorites and so should you! There are no "rules" with wine and cheese, so the important thing is to simply enjoy.

"Before there was wine, there was a thing called happiness ..." says an attractive, charming man standing in a circle of similarly well dressed, attractive Spaniards off the lobby of the Union Square W Hotel. Not quite sure the context of the quote, yet it appears to be a typical example of the cultural emphasis Spaniards place on being upbeat and charming at all times.

.... so I am here at the W to explore the mysteries of wine from Navarra, typically known for its bright, cheerful rose wine (typically the color of a cherry-colored life saver) and now eager to be known for its supple reds, elegant whites, and sweet dessert wines of various price points and quality. The Kingdom of Navarra has come to Manhattan for at least the past three years, always with an excellent showing of their wines for the trade and journalists, and a very educational seminar for the same.

Navarra

Terroir of Navarra

In previous years, the emphasis has always been on the terroir, which is enormously varied. Beyond the different soils you will find a variety of climates and microclimates which all have an impact on the flavor of the grapes. Robin Kelly O'Connor, moderator and Director of Sales & Education at Sherry-Lehmann Wine Merchants & Immediate Past President of the Society of Wine Educators, terrified the few Master Sommelier and Master of Wine students in the audience when he said to pass these intensive diploma programs one must know the five sub-regions of Navarra. Not just the names of the regions, but their individual terroirs, the grapes planted in each, the styles employed by the winemakers, etc.

They are:

Baja Montana (highest and wettest, with the latest vintage)
Ribera Alta (produces finest wine, one of two most important regions, white dominated)
Ribera Baja (hot and dry, the other important region, Garnacha centered)
Tierra Estella (fruity rosados from Tempranillo)
Valdizarbe (small region, dry climate)

International Varieties

If you see wines from Navarra in wine stores, you may wonder why the region has so many international varieties such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignan. They are bottled as single varietals, as blends with each other, and blended with the native grape Tempranillo.

Much of today's lecture served to underscore that international varieties have not been suddenly planted, but rather, have been brought to Navarra for centuries by a succession of invaders from the south and finally Rome. A cousin of Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, had been there for centuries.

Tempranillo and Garnacha (Grenache) still reign, yet you will find Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Vijura, Graciano, Moscatel, and others.

Tasting

Personality

Another focus of today's talk was to communicate that Navarra is very interested in having journalists and wine lovers appreciate its unique personality and style. Because it had been known for Garnacha and rosado wine in the past, many people still think of these wines when they think of Navarra. And though Navarra is part of Spain, its producers want to underscore that it has its own unique personality and style. 

Observations

White wine from Navarra is incredible. The Sauvignon Blancs as a whole are crisp, yet fuller bodied as they are aged on the lees. The Chardonnays are quite varied, yet the very best have an incredibly rich nose redolent of succulent ripe tropical fruit and a full, supple body. You will also find well-crafted 100% Merlot (a great example was the Bodegas Castillo de Monjardin Deyo Merlot 2005), the 100% Syrah (Bodegas y Vinedos Alzania 2005), and sweet white wines made from Moscatel (picked very ripe, with fermentation stopped to keep residual sugar) and a richer style made with botrytized grapes as is made in Sauternes.

Imagine yourself at a very elegant restaurant, hosting an important client, or trying to impress a date. You both decide on white fish as an entrée, so you are leaning toward a white wine. And since Chardonnay is such a popular grape, and Burgundy, France, such a respected region, you decide to go in this direction.

Yet as your eyes scan the enormous wine list, you see the various regions: Chablis, Meursault, and Puligny-Montrachet (and dozens of others). Maybe you remember ordering wines from these regions before, maybe you don’t, yet either way you feel frustrated that you can’t remember the differences between them.

Of course, you could always call over the sommelier and at the moment, it is probably your best option. Yet in the future you could help recall tasting notes from these wines with some practice.

Recently, I had to taste and compare three white Burgundies from the above-named region in the same vintage for a Master of Wine related exercise. So for this tasting I choose 2007 Philippe Chavy Meursault (from the village of Narvaux), the 2007 Louis Carillon Puligny-Montrachet, and the 2007 Jean Collet Chablis Vielles Vignes The idea was to open label taste the wines, then bag them and see if I (and a friend) could detect the correct wines.

2007 Jean Collet Chablis Vielles Vignes

Before tasting the wines, I did as much Internet research as I could. I had been to Burgundy before and remembered Chablis (mainly because it was February, freezing, and could not find a coat to buy in the charming tiny Chablis village),

So having been there, I could imagine the high acidity, the clean citrus flavors, and other elements associated with very cool climates. The Chablis was as I expected it to be: very high acid, sharp citrus (lemon, a hint of grapefruit), some mild apple, some fresh butter (as opposed to melted), and minerals.

On the Internet, I read Chablis producer Jean Collet’s family began producing wine in the 17th century, and his vineyards are parcels locate on the best hills on both the left and right banks of the river Serein in the village of Chablis. Soil is limestone and marl from (Kimmeridgian and Portlandian). The age of the vineyards is 25 years, and they do a mechanical harvest and use a pneumatic press. The wines are fermented and aged in stainless steel under controlled temperature.

Now I am going to discuss the other wines, yet will compare them to one another and leave the Chablis out of the comparison. True, these wines are all from the Burgundy region, but because the Chablis is stainless steel only, and the others have oak, it is very easy to detect the differences (even by sight, as the above wine is very pale lemon).

2007 Philippe Chavy Meursault & 2007 Philippe Chavy Meursault (from the village of Narvaux)

In terms of sight, you might guess that the Meursault would be darker because of a tradition of oak aging, and you are right. Open label tasting the Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault it was “easy” to detect the subtle differences. The Meursault was characterized by butter, ripe apple, subtle spice (from oak), vanilla, and very rich, ripe, generous, concentrated fruit. It seemed ready to drink, and would not necessarily benefit from additional bottle age. In terms of quality, it seemed very much a premium wine. The Puligny-Montrachet was a little lighter in color, with a medium plus nose of butter and very ripe fruit in addition to aromas of hazelnut and saffron. One could almost detect a pastry cream type of aroma and the biscuit aroma often a result of decomposed yeast cells. On the palate, the “texture” was opulent, rich, generous, supple, and concentrated while the acidity was still medium plus. Very good quality again.

Though the Puligny-Montrachet was $60, it was only a village level wine. The two grand cru vineyards in Puligny-Montrachet are Chevalier-Montrachet and Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet, and two which are shared with neighboring Chassagne: Le Montrachet itself and Batard-Montrachet. I read that the village wines are “less impressive” than the village wines of neighboring Meursault because the water table is nearer the surface. This means that village producers can not dig the deep cellars ideal for aging and they can not prolong barrel maturation for more than a year.

The Carillon family traces their lineage in Puligny Montrachet to 1520 and it is comprised of 12 hectares of vineyards. The holdings in Puligny (8 ha total) are various parcels located on the Chassagne side of Puligny, within “Enseignere.” On his web site Mr. Carillon writes that the grapes are harvested manually, with the whites barrel fermented and aged in a small percentage of new oak and that some of the Village wine is aged in larger foudres rather than small barrels. Battonaged is practiced. The wines are assembled in stainess steel prior to bottling (which occurs in early spring) 18 months after harvest.

Now the Meursault terroir consists of marl and chalk soil, and the kind of high water table that allows producers such as Phillipe Chavy to carve deep cold cellars. No Grand Cru in Meursault, yet the Premiere Cru vineyards are Les Perrieres, Les Genevrieres, Les Charmes, Le Poruzot, Les Boucheres, and Les Gouttes d’Or. M. Chavy writes on his web site that he cultivates 8 hectares of splintered holdings comprising 30 plots. The various cuvees are vinified separately and may be blended later depending on his objectives. The grapes are harvested by hand as the vines are old and the rows very narrow. It takes 30 harvesters ten days to pick the grapes. Though his father and grandfather used mechanization and sprays, Mr. Chavy decided to revert to ploughing his vineyards, and no longer uses herbicides or insecticides so as to preserve the environment.

In the cellar, Mr. Chavy uses a pneumatic press (ideal for gentle, slow pressing of the must) and stainless steel, temperature controlled tanks.The final phase of vinification and maturation is conducted in oak barrels of various ages and provenances. The wines are aged for 11 month with regular stirring of the lees. M. Chavy writes that he recently purchased a special hi-tech filter so as to avoid stripping the wines of flavor before bottling. A small producer, Mr Chavy has two full time employees and his wife Graziella looks after sales.

So after tasting the wines open label, the idea was to bag them and the next day, pick out the correct wine. Though it was easy to tell the difference open label, the 24 hour lag seemed to have made the comparison between the Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault more difficult. The darker color of the barrel aged Meursault was the best tip.

And there you have it!

Which of the above villages are your favorite, and why?

Sometimes I get so caught up in my studies of the Old World I discover it has been months since I've sipped wine from the new world, especially California. Winemaker Gary Sitton of Blackstone Winery in Sonoma sent me some of his new releases ...

The Pinot Noir 2007 ($20) is rich and expressive on the nose of sharp red fruit on the absolute peak of ripeness. The fruit is ripe and red on the nose, and balanced on the palate with juicy red flavors that would pair well with salmon, pork, composed salads.

I really like the Merlot 2007 - very rich and complex, tasting more expensive than its $23 price tag. On the nose notes of spice and red fruit. On the palate, more ripe, red fruit and spice with a lingering finish of vanilla and licorice.

The Cabernet Sauvignon is a great steak wine ... ripe red and black fruit, vanilla, a balanced with with the kind of high acidity and pungent tannins needed to match a steak. Vineyards used in this wine include the Knights Valley, an up and coming region. ($20)

The Rubric 2007 (their finest Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from their best vineyards) is quite delicious ... rich concentration of fruit, good length, and fabulous structure.

Chardonnay Reserve 2007 - apple pie a la mode, vanilla, creme brulee -- the flavors that make up the standard California chard. $15

Winemaker Sitton remarks this is his third crush, and for the first time he is seeing in the wine the changes he's been making all these years in the vineyards and winery, which range from picking the fruit at the optimum time of physiological ripeness to changing the oak profile. Good going, Mr. Sitton.

Ever wondered how to define the difference between Drouhin Vaudon Chablis Grand Cru Vaudesir 2008 and Drouhin Vaudon Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2008?

Laurent Drouhin with Honora Horan (center) and Harriet Lembeck at a walk around tasting of the 2008 vintage from the Drouhin family.

At the tasting, I chatted with Mr. Drouhin and suggested we record an audio interview in which we tasted two of his Grand Cru wines, the Vaudesir 2008 and the Cru Les Clos, 2008, and ascertain the differences.

My tasting glasses and my tasting notes on the Drouhin vintage

You can listen to the audio recording here and read my notes below.

shrimp and seafood fabulous - excited to try Oceana for dinner!
 

Tasting notes

Grand Cru Les Clos 08

Delicate nose of butter, minerals, a hint of smoke (flint), very high acidity that will pair well with the seafood shown above.

Grand Cru Vaudesir 08

A slightly floral nose, almost sweet and herbal, with high acidity, citrus, and more minerals on the palate.

Premier Cru Montmains 08

A bit shy on the nose, with elegance, minerals, searing acidity. 

Premier Cru Secher 08

Lots of flint on the palate, very racy acidity.

Chablis Premier Cru

Nose of melted butter and can almost taste the chalky soil on the palate. Notes say "remarkable freshness" and searing high acidity.

Note: The grapes come a blend of various Premier Cru parcels. At harvest the parcels are harvested separately. 

Chablis Reserve de Vaudon 08

This wine has many characteristics of its more aristocratic siblings - lots of buttery richness contrasting with the sharp, high acidity and minerals. Yet it retails for 

Vaudon Chablis 2008

Nose of butter and yellow flowers, minerals and high acidity on the palate, very long finish.