Old vs. New: February red cuvées offer taste of both

It’s really an age-old debate. Tradition versus new-fangled modernity. Wisdom versus edgy smarts. Subtle charm versus unrestrained boldness. And, in this case, we’re talking about wine, not some family-owned business that falls into the hands of the youthful upstart. Wine critics will rave about “Old World” balance of one wine, and then turn around to compliment another wine’s immediately drinkable  “New World” rambunctious-ness. They generalize that wines from France, Italy and other European environs possess “Old World” characteristics of subtlety and elegance and New World wines (from everywhere else) come with lusciousness, lower acidity and higher alcohol levels. Who’s to say if these generalizations hold true or which style is even better?  You are!  This month, members of Hinsdale’s Inspired Wine Club are offered a treat of two red wine blends that should showcase the two styles: the Syrah-dominating French blend versus the California Central Coast red blend with only 2% Syrah. Surprisingly, they make for fair competitors and perhaps turn those generalizations upside down, but if you’re like those of us here in Hinsdale Cellars, you’ll find them both to be winners.

Pi’nouf 2009 Languedoc Red, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

Pronounced “peee –nooof,” here is an excellent representative of wines from a part of France considered to be the world’s single biggest wine region, making more wine than the entire United States and “on some of the world’s oldest soils.” Though “Old World” wines are prized for their delicate nature, this Languedoc-Roussillon specimen may throw you off a bit. Even its name translates as “bold, rich, persistent,” and its rich, fleshy Syrah plays heavily in that brashness. With 65% Syrah, 25% Grenache, and 10% Carignan, Pi’nouf presents as regal cherry red with purple sheen. It is deeply fruity with a lushness that evokes bittersweet chocolate-covered cherries with smoky vanilla notes. As the winemaker notes, “the palate is medium-to-full-bodied with a long, lingering finish and enough supple tannins to give some classic ‘grip.’” Watch this wine pair perfectly with your heartiest fare or alongside a potent collection of after-dinner cheeses.

Bonny Doon Vineyard 2009 “Contra,” Central Coast, California

Ironically described as a red Rhone blend, this mix of 55% Carignan, 15% Grenache, 14% Mourvedre, 7% Petite Sirah, 5% Zinfandel, and 2% Syrah is grown and produced nowhere near the Rhone River. Though considered a “New World” wine, it comes mostly from “old-fangled” grape varieties and from mostly older vineyards, even if they are in Contra Costa County. It is gorgeously rustic with a nose of cherry, licorice, cassis and blackberry. On the palate, it holds a bright acidity with silky tannins. The winemaker describes “Contra” as having important contrasts of “luscious, opulent fruitiness” with a certain degree of austerity, concluding it’s got the “yin and yang of soft and hard, of fruit and earth….” The Wine Advocate described it as “stunning.” The San Francisco Chronicle included it among its top 100 wines for 2010. We think it marries as well with a hearty Provencal stew as it does with a medium-rare grilled Black Angus ribeye.

 

Precious Piemonte

Mention Italian wine, and most will think of a fruity Tuscan Chianti in a straw-wrapped flask sitting on a red-checkered tablecloth with accordion music playing in the background. And that shouldn’t come as much of surprise since Tuscan wines – dare I say Tuscany – has stolen Italy’s spotlight when it comes to food, drink and Italian countryside culture.

However, wine connoisseurs today know that for Italy’s finest wines, one needs to trek further north to the foothills of the Italian Alps known as Piemonte, where the terroir is so unique that few elsewhere in the world would ever attempt to grow its unique and luxurious grapes.

Piemonte’s most revered Nebbiolo grape has been around for centuries, but its most significant road to fame and deliciousness has actually happened in the past 30 years. The Nebbiolo grape is as ubiquitous to Piemonte as Pinot Noir is to Burgundy, but it hasn’t been easy to tame this thick-skinned, high tannin, late-harvesting grape. Until the advent of temperature-controlled barrels, winemakers had trouble softening those thick skins and strong tannins, especially when the aging process was started at the coldest time of the year that would stall fermentation. Often they wound up with wine that even after decades of aging still wouldn’t mellow. Today, Piemonte’s Nebbiolo, Barolo and Barbaresco wines are highly cherished. Interestingly, they come from different villages, but all from that same high-maintenance grape known as Nebbiolo. These are not wines for the weak-hearted. They are robust and with distinctive qualities, invoking some odd descriptors such as tar, licorice, leather and dried stone fruit. Complexity is undoubtedly Nebbiolo’s calling card, and these wines are considered to be among the very best in the world.

And while Burgundy, to which Piemonte is often compared, may be satisfied with having just two famous grape varietals, this region has several well-known wines to its name. Asti Spumante, a light, semisweet sparkling wine gained popularity in the ‘70s because of its clear and easy quaffability.

Gavi is a dry white varietal that many a wine lover has discovered upon tiring of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Italian wine doesn’t necessarily connote white wine beyond that of Pinot Grigio, so it is often a pleasant surprise to taste the crisp, dry Gavi that thrives in the cooler temps of northern Italy.

Other reds of note from this region include Barbera, which is considered the area’s day-to-day, table wine. In fact, this rustic wine is the most widely planted grape in the region.

A lesser-known red but that provides an instantly quaffable wine option is the Dolcetto, which is sometimes compared to Beaujolais because of its highly drinkable fruitiness. It makes an interesting contrast to Nebbiolo because it has little tannin, is much lighter and with very little acid.

While just a highlight of some of Piemonte’s greatest wine assets, wine lovers can enjoy a tasting at Hinsdale Wine Cellars Friday, 6-8 p.m., for some excellent representatives of this region from Sottimano winery.

– Ivy F. Kupec

 

Feliz Navidad: Spanish Wines just in time for Christmas

While it’s probably not Norman Rockwell’s idea of Christmas, Spain’s way of celebrating Feliz Navidad promises a month of excitement, flourish and color that even overflows into January. Whether it’s their spectacular month-long lottery, their day of pranks on el día de los Santos Inocentes, or their wait until Jan. 6 for three kings to bring their Christmas gifts rather than Santa Claus, each celebration is filled with special foods and hypnotic wine. No surprise then that this year, your friends at Hinsdale Cellars would bring a little of that Latino festivity home, providing Inspired Wine Club members with two very elegant Spanish wines – one red and one white, of course – that are perfect accompaniments to decking the halls and two more great reasons to say, “Joy to the World.”

Finca Os Cobatos 2010 Mencia

Say “ola” to Mencia, a new varietal to many American wine drinkers, but definitely one you are likely to want to taste again and again. Sourced from vines planted in the early 1980s, this wine comes from northwestern Spain in an area sometimes referred to as “Green Spain” because of its lush environment and cooler mountainside temps. Look forward to a lush, complex wine that will surprise and delight the most critical red wine oenophiles. Compared to Beaujolais or Cabernet Franc, this Mencia is ruby red in color with a nose of ripe red fruits and a certain earthy herbaceousness that is ever-so-slightly floral. It’s balanced with good texture that is enhanced by double-decanting or just letting the wine breath for about a half-hour. This 100% Mencia wine has bright acidity with a youthful light to medium body and tannins that actually can pair well with fish, not just your Christmas roast beast or roasted game hens.

Pazo do Mar 2010 Ribeiro (Albariño)

Nothing says special occasion like an elegant white wine from one of Spain’s award winning vintners, and this 100% Albariño is just the thing for your holiday table. Another lesser-known varietal is showcased in this refreshing, yet luxurious straw-colored wine. Often compared to Viognier, this wine has a nose of elegant minerality mixed with citrus and tart Granny Smith apple. Good, yet delicate acids make for a medium- to full-bodied white with grip and long finish. Great for drinking alone, this wine is also a wonderful match for your Oysters Rockefeller, salmon bisque or roasted whole snapper.

Merry Christmas to all our Hinsdale friends!

 

Next Page »