Wine Club Newsletter - November 2011
Pinot Noir Primer
This month we are featuring two Pinot Noirs in our three versions of the WineSellar Clubs, and I thought it would be interesting to those who may or may not be totally familiar with the Varietal to gain some insight to what the fuss is all about. Wikipedia describes it best.
Pinot Noir (Pea-No Nwar) is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French words for "pine" and "black" alluding to the grape variety's tightly clustered dark purple pine cone-shaped bunches of fruit.
Pinot noir grapes are grown around the world, mostly in the cooler regions, but the grape is chiefly associated with the Burgundy region of France. It is widely considered to produce some of the finest wines in the world, but is a difficult variety to cultivate and transform into wine.
Pinot noir's home is France's Burgundy region, particularly on the Côte-d'Or. It is also planted in Austria, Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Canada, Chile, north parts of Croatia, the Republic of Georgia, Germany, Italy, Hungary, the Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, New Zealand, South Africa, Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, United States, Uruguay, Ukraine and Slovakia.
The United States has increasingly become a major Pinot noir producer, with some of the best regarded coming from the Willamette Valley in Oregon and California's Sonoma County with its Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast appellations. Lesser known appellations can be found in Mendocino County's Anderson Valley as well as the Central Coast's Santa Lucia Highlands appellation and the Sta. Rita Hills American Viticultural Area in Santa Barbara County. In New Zealand, it is principally grown in Martinborough, Marlborough, Waipara and Central Otago.
The leaves of Pinot noir are generally smaller than those of Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah and the vine is typically less vigorous than either of these varieties. The grape cluster is small and conico-cylindrical, vaguely shaped like a pinecone.
Some viticultural historians believe this shape-similarity may have given rise to the name. In the vineyard Pinot noir is sensitive to wind and frost, cropping levels (it must be low yielding for production of quality wines), soil types and pruning techniques. In the winery it is sensitive to fermentation methods, yeast strains and is highly reflective of its terroir with different regions producing sometimes very different wines.
Its thin skin makes it susceptible to bunch rot and similar fungal diseases of the bunch. The vines themselves are susceptible to powdery mildew, and in Burgundy (and elsewhere) infection by leaf roll and fanleaf viruses causes significant vine health problems. These complications have given the grape a reputation for being difficult to grow: Jancis Robinson calls Pinot a "minx of a vine" and André Tchelistcheff declared that "God made Cabernet Sauvignon whereas the devil made Pinot noir." Those who have had experience with contemporary, high health, Pinot noir clones in good vineyard sites would not however be so ready to endorse this oft-cited, but less than entirely accurate, generalization; in the right conditions, and when of good clonal lineage and health, the vine can be more than adequately robust.
It is nevertheless much less tolerant of hard, windy, hot and dry, harsh vineyard conditions than the likes of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, or Grenache.
Pinot noir wines are among the most popular in the world. Joel Fleischman of Vanity Fair describes Pinot noir as "the most romantic of wines, with so voluptuous a perfume, so sweet an edge, and so powerful a punch that, like falling in love, they make the blood run hot and the soul wax embarrassingly poetic."
Master Sommelier Madeline Triffon calls pinot "sex in a glass". Peter Richardsson of OenoStyle christened it "a seductive yet fickle mistress!"
The tremendously broad range of bouquets, flavors, textures and impressions that Pinot noir can produce sometimes confuses tasters. In the broadest terms, the wine tends to be of light to medium body with an aroma reminiscent of black and / or red cherry, raspberry and to a lesser extent currant and many other fine small red and black berry fruits.
Traditional red Burgundy is famous for its savory fleshiness and 'farmyard' aromas (these latter not unassociated with mercaptans and other reductive characters), but changing fashions, modern winemaking techniques, and new easier-to-grow clones have favored a lighter, more fruit-prominent, cleaner style.
The wine's color when young is often compared to that of garnet, frequently being much lighter than that of other red wines. This is entirely natural and not a winemaking fault as Pinot noir has a lower skin anthocyanin (coloring matter) content than most other classical red / black varieties.
However, an emerging, increasingly evident, style from California and New Zealand highlights a more powerful, fruit forward and darker wine that can tend toward Syrah (or even new world Malbec) in depth, extract, and alcoholic content.
Pinot noir is also used in the production of Champagne (usually along with Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier) and is planted in most of the world's wine growing regions for use in both still and sparkling wines. Pinot noir grown for dry table wines is generally low-yielding and of lesser vigor than many other varieties, whereas when grown for use in sparkling wines (e.g. Champagne) it is generally cropped at significantly higher yields.
In addition to being used for the production of sparkling and still red wine, Pinot noir is also sometimes used for rosé still wines, and even vin gris white wines. Its juice is essentially clear when first pressed.
2010 Mas Grand Plagniol "Tradition" Costières de Nîmes Blanc (November, 2011 - The WineSellar Club)
Growing Region: Rhone Region, France.
Varietal Blend: 40% Grenache Blanc, 50% Roussanne, 10% Viognier
Fermentation: Light Fermentation
Suggested Retail: $18.00
WineSellar Club Case Price: $10.99
Broad Strokes:
The large Rhône region is divided into many smaller regions. One such region is Eastern Languedoc. The Eastern Languedoc is composed of several sub-appellations, one of which is the Costières de Nîmes. This appellation starts in the city of Nîmes and runs south to the Mediterranean Sea. This region is often called the ‘New World’ of France because of the open-minded attitude towards the freedom of grape choice. While the majority of France must live in the ‘straight jacket’ of approved varietals that have proven the test of time, this area is free to experiment. Cyril Marès is the proprietor of Mas Grand Plagniol, continuing with generations of family winemaking.
Appearance:
In a Chardonnay style bottle, I like the overall feel and look of the package . . . very French. The wine has an attractive corn yellow hue, tinged with green. It is crystal clear, gleaming and sparkling, reflecting light very well. You can see the wine curtains mosie on down the bowl in clear sheets.
Nose:
The nose is one of the best things about this wine. It is pungent, with fruit of apricot, some peach, but mostly an incredible Mandarin orange scent. You will notice white flowers, mostly a beautiful honeysuckle aromatic that keeps you coming back for more whiffs. Also, there are chalk and mineral components that speaks to French Chablis.
Texture:
Good line of acid meets you in the first couple minutes after opening the bottle. This quickly changes to become a much more voluptuous, rich, fruity, full in the mouth experience. The grapes are harvested at full ripeness, and it shows in texture (as well as the nose and the flavors). It has a fine silken, soft friendly palate feel to it.
Flavor:
The honeysuckle flavors are gorgeous, and so are the Mandarin orange notes. There is a nice touch of vanilla, toasted marshmallow and sesame seed. Stays rich and full in the mouth, and the mineral and chalk edges keep the wine balanced and focused. Well done, Cyril!
Serving Options:
Early consumption is the mode for this wine. I think it will improve through the first half of 2012, but not get better after that. Look at that case price. This is one AMAZING value for a wine that will work as an aperitif, pair nicely with appetizers, and get it on with white fleshed fish in anise or herbed butter sauces.
2007 Cumbre Pinot Noir, Barrel 31 (November, 2011 - The WineSellar Club)
Growing Region: Santa Cruz Mountains, Ca.
Varietal Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Fermentation: Barrel Fermented
Suggested Retail: $39.00
WineSellar Club Case Price: $33.99
Broad Strokes:
92 Point rating, plus Gold & Silver Medal winner, this is an outrageously fabulous Pinot Noir for the money. Retailing for $39 at the winery, it’s like getting an additional bottle of white wine fro free! A $65 value for $35. Ah yes, great to be in the WineSellar Club. Interesting story line, I recognized certain characteristics of this wine and harkened back to some Pinot Noirs I had in the mid 1980’s from Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyards. I told my staff how the style and tastes were similar, and low and behold, this wine came from the very same vineyards as Ken Burnaps’ wines that I liked so much back in the day.
Appearance:
Though I am not a big fan of multiple fonts, this label pulls it off very nicely. I really like the image of the clouds and mountains from the area, the colors and overall scheme of the label and the capsule. The bottle is thick and heavy, with a deep punt, offering an image of solid, well-crafted wine in a particular class of excellence. The wine is darker than most Pinot Noirs, and sticks to the edge of the glass like 40 weight oil. When you pour the wine in the glass, it has a youthful, grapey colored bubbling, suggesting still more years of aging ahead of it.
Nose:
Can we say “Beguiling”? I can! Spicy and rich deep cherry fruit comes forward very nicely. I loved the earthy, dark berry underbrush aromatics as well. See if you can pick up some prune fruit, rosemary, evergreen or eucalyptus, rosemary and a hint of smoke. Very nice!
Texture:
The wine is a little rambunctious at first, still showing some youthful acids and tannins, even though it is four years from the vintage. From its early brashness, it settles into becoming the lady that good Pinot Noir is all about: elegance, length, soft and gentle to the mouth with a long pleasing finish. Thank you Ma’am.
Flavor:
Flavors from the nose mostly, with some additional characteristics. Meaty, like a Filet Mignon was the first thing I noticed. The fruits were definitively cherry, both fresh and slightly stewed, with a note of rosemary, strawberry and hint of bitter chocolate. Deep, dark berry, chocolate, cookie dough also chimed in. Very nice flavor profile overall.
Serving Options:
You can either cellar or drink this wine today. I like it today and two years from now. It would be an EXCELLENT wine to have at your Thanksgiving meal. It will hold up to most anything you put on the table for side dishes, and pair very well with the gravy and dark meat of the turkey.
2010 The Pinot Project, Pinot Noir (November, 2011 - Two Rouge Club)
Growing Region: California
Varietal Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Fermentation: Barrel Aging
Suggested Retail: $18.00
WineSellar Club Case Price: $11.99
Broad Strokes:
The Pinot Project is the ongoing search for excellent, high quality Pinot Noir at an affordable price. The present state of the economy has resulted in some amazing deals on high quality grapes from some of California's premiere growing regions, and The Pinot Project And the WineSellar Club is determined to pass these savings on to our WineSellar Club Members. This is a great value in Pinot Noir!
Appearance:
Kind of a simple, straightforward label, which projects an image of accessibility and casualness. Reminds one of a newspaper back in the 1950’s. It’s kind of hip though, I like it. Nice verbiage on the back label as well. The wine has some garnet hues to it, with black tea at the center. Medium light in color and gets more clear as it gets to the rim of the glass. Very viscous and pretty.
Nose:
Straightforward aromas of Pinot Noir, which is pronounced and quite appealing. Some black pepper, strawberry and raspberry come though as well. I also noted wood, a hint of tar (I like that), cement (or gravel). Very interesting, and quite pleasing.
Texture:
Medium in body, showing some early heat. Still, it has that lovely Pinot Noir texture and feel. It is very juicy on the palate, reigned in by an edgy tinge of pomegranate acid. Deep and rich, kind of sensuous (milky and creamy), and the finish has nice length to it.
Flavor:
Fresh bright cherry and raspberry fruit are wrapped with notes of cedar, sweet tobacco and mahogany. The fruit is concentrated, and as we tasted on, we kept coming up with an amazing array of flavors. Here are some of tastes: Pie crust, Graham cracker, black pepper, white pepper, mushroom, damp earth, root beer, underbrush. After a while, it started to taste more and more like a Rhone wine.
Serving Options:
This wine is for early consumption, not for cellaring. As we stated earlier, it is a great value, giving us a wonderful Pinot Noir experience for next to nothing out of the wallet. We had it with pumpkin soup (next month’s recipe) and really enjoyed that lot. Later in the evening, we sampled it with a small chunk of bitter chocolate.
2006 Pulenta Estate, Gran Corte (November, 2011 - Two Rouge Club)
Growing Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Varietal Blend: 45% Malbec, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon,15% Merlot, 3% each Tannat, Petit Verdot
Fermentation: 12 Months New French Oak
Suggested Retail: $45.00
WineSellar Club Case Price: $33.99
Broad Strokes:
The well established, third generation of wine making Pulenta family has earned high accolades for many of their wines. They endeavor to produce only the finest wines possible from their best vineyard sources. This 2006 “Gran Corte” is an excellent example of how outstanding wines can get to us from the beautiful lands of Argentina. It will be hard to find a more expressive, solid, interesting and lasting wine than this well crafted beauty. I am definitely placing some of this in my personal cellar.
Appearance:
The label and overall packaging is really cool, albeit hard to decipher unless you are either familiar with the label or look it over closely to investigate. No matter, the reward is inside the big heavy bottle. The wine is very dark, black at the core with deep magenta going out to the rim of the glass. It leaves clear oil-like curtains on the side of the glass.
Nose:
Quite outstanding, the varietal mix adds further complexity to the aromatics. Rich, dark berry fruit is robed with scents of vanilla oak and black pepper. I noticed some graphite and lead pencil fragrance, which is rare, and I really like that. There is also engaging floral notes, lavender specifically, with underbrush, herbs, and back to the wood notes.
Texture:
Medium-full in body, showing some broad shoulders and vertical structure. Five years of aging has softened the edges, but by no means does it feel like it is going anywhere in the next 10-15 years. It’s hard to notice the near 15% alcohol, as the balance is aligned with the fruit and acid so well. It is mouth watering, and finishes with an astringent touch.
Flavor:
We can go back to the nose for the flavor profile: dark berry fruit, vanilla oak and black pepper. There are touches of herbs and earth, as well as chocolate, dairy and cherry. I left the bottle open overnight, and it was even better the next day. It is totally awesome.
Serving Options:
This belongs in our cellars folks. 5-15 years from now, the Gran Corte will be a prize to enjoy with your friends and fellow appreciators of wine. It is versatile, will stand up to all kinds of foods. We even loved it with an after dinner chocolate! Don’t miss it, the supply is limited!
2007 Macauley Cabernet Sauvignon, “ Beckstoffer To Kalon” (November, 2011 - The Gary Parker Collection)
Growing Region: Napa Valley, Ca.
Varietal Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Fermentation: 28 Months New French Oak
Suggested Retail: $145.00
WineSellar Club Case Price: $100.00
Now hear this:
As you all know me by now, I usually eschew the general ratings of the better-known wine critics in favor of my own findings and commentary. However, these two critics below hit the nail on the head with their comments, so I wanted to yield the floor to them and deviate from my normal format of The Gary Parker Collection tasting notes.
Well, not really. I just can’t help myself. I am going to speak first, and then if you really care, you can check out their scene. Actually, James Laube put forward a really fine effort on his findings, which obviously translates to his enthusiasm for the wine.
Gary Parker, The Gary Parker Collection, 95 Point Rating:
Rich, voluptuous, black berry, smoke, mahogany, vanilla, chocolate, exotic, killer, good sweet acid, not too tannic, creamy vanilla, great balance between sweet and tart, seamless, fabulous, sophisticated, more dark berry fruit, hard to believe a grape can taste like this. In today’s world of Napa Valley new release Cabernet Sauvignons commanding $200 a bottle, this is a steal! What a wine!!! Numerous bottles of the Macauley should be in your cellar . . .
The Wine Spectator Score:
92. —James Laube, October 31, 2008.
True to To Kalon’s nature, this wine is a classic Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon. This ripe and seductively attractive wine speaks to the imagination with scents of chocolate dipped cherries, vanilla, barrel spice, sandalwood incense and espresso nuances. There is such an envelope of warmth surrounding this wine in aromatics, leading into the complex offering of flavors. Soft, ripe tannin with round, red berry and black stone fruit land gently on the palate. Balanced acidity allows the flavors to persist for many moments on the finish. This wine is incredibly silky and rounded and displays so many of the wonderful attributes that make To Kalon a legendary vineyard in its own time. Very ripe and woody, with cedary, toasty oak holding the upper hand on roasted meat, ripe currant, sage and licorice. Yet despite all its woody character right now this finishes with a wonderful burst of red currant fruit.
Best from 2010 through 2017.
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, December 31, 2008 Score:
90-93.
Once again the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard is very promising. More backward than the Napa bottling, but denser in color as well as richer and more complete on the palate, it is a long, powerful, intense wine that should outlive the 2004 by 5-8 years. “...reveals classic crème de cassis, cedar, earth, and licorice characteristics reminiscent of a northern Médoc. Dense, rich, and more concentrated than the regular Napa bottling, with additional structure, it should easily evolve for 15+ years.” Anticipated maturity: 2009-2020+.
Stuffed & Roasted Duck With Balsamic-Montmorency Sauce
This Duck roasts up nice and crisp and golden brown. The Brown rice stuffing and cherry sauce compliment the duck perfectly. Great with the 2007 Cumbre of Vine Hill Pinot Noir. Serves four.
Ingredients:
- 1 (6 lb) duck (approx)
- ½ Teaspoon of salt
- 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Clove of Garlic
- 4 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 cup chopped
- 7 -8 sprigs fresh sage, chopped
- 6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
- 2 cups red wine
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Method:
For The Stuffing:
- Sauté onion & garlic in butter until onion is transparent, remove from heat.
- Cook brown rice thoroughly, rinse and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add salt, and combine with rice, onions, chopped sage and chopped pecans.
- Adjust seasoning to your taste.
- Remove the bag from the duck cavity that contains the giblets and neck bone.
- Rinse and pat the duck dry.
- Stuff the duck with the prepared brown rice stuffing and secure the cavity shut.
Cooking the Duck:
- Preheat oven to 375 Degrees.
- Place the stuffed duck on a rack in a roasting pan breast side up and sprinkle top and bottom with salt and pepper.
- Roast at 375ºF for about 22 minutes a pound. Six Pound duck =132 Minutes, or two hours, 12 minutes.
- When duck is done let it set for about 20 minutes to let the juices settle before carving.
Preparing the Sauce:
- While the duck is resting prepare the cherry sauce:
- In a medium size saucepan, combine the cherries, honey, wine, a pinch of pepper and Balsamic vinegar.
- Heat over medium flame until the mixture is reduced by half.
- Place in a serving bowl and set on the table. The guests can then put as much as they want on their plate.