The Burgundy Report

“1999 Michel Gay, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Serpentièrs - Medium-plus ruby-red. The nose is forward and deep but to my taste unfortunately pruney - though there is a core of red fruit. The wine is concentrated and well textured - there’s plenty of wine here, ripe and sweet but again there’s that rather blocky, pruney element here in the mid-palate, some raisin too. As said, there’s a lot of wine here, unfortunately I don’t like it very much… Rebuy - No”

Burgundy-Report

 
From this pithy, straightforward prose you can tell here is someone both knowledgeable and passionate about Burgundy. If you’re into Burgundy and not subscribing to Bill Nanson’s Burgundy Report Blog you are out of the loop. Between the Burgundy Report and Allen Meadow’s Burghound there are no better resources for American consumers of Burgundy. What is amazing is that The Burgundy Report Blog is still free and connected to the another resource that is absolutely necessary for any Burgundy collector, The Burgundy Report Website.

Back to School

“I’m not drinkin’ any &%#*&$# merlot!”

The movie that kick started pinot noir sales had the opposite effect on merlot sales. Although the Sideways slap was no news to wine geeks, who had long known that merlot was the worst value in the market. Merlot, once the darling of industrial wine world, was suddenly out. Like a congressman caught paging too many pages, one day merlot was hot and the next it was not. Those in the wine-know snickered with glee.

Perhaps now the dust is settled we all need to go back to school on merlot. After all, they make a pretty good one in France that they call Petrus. You would be hard pressed to find a more expensive wine than Petrus, although I doubt that most of those that gulp it because of the price alone actually know their drinking merlot.  There’s a lot of excellent merlot being made in Bordeaux and Washington State and to blow it off is to miss some outstanding wines.

I can think of no better place to go back school on merlot than the 2002 L’Ecole No. 41 Columbia Valley Merlot. This wine is a svelte beauty that came alive paired with some grilled lamb chops. Seamlessly smooth and velvety without any heaviness, the bright ripe plum fruit is highlighted with spicy oak and a refreshing herbal touch that is dominated by a lively minty-ness laced with traces of thyme and sage. I really loved the lean, angular character that well carried the ripe fruit flavors. I would only recommend short term aging for this wine because it is so good to drink right now, but a year or two more in a good cellar is sure to add complexity. A blend of 80% merlot, 12% cabernet franc, 7% cabernet sauvignon and 1 % carmenere aged 18 months in French and American oak.

I’m guess I’m drinkin’ &%#*&$# merlot again.

wine merlot washington+wine

Drinking Krug and Mondavi?

Did you enjoy a bottle of Charles Krug or Mondavi with your dinner tonight? Perhaps you should read this:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/635320307?z00m=3974633&z00m=3974633&ltl=1161230453 

At What "Cost"

The nation’s largest wine retailer, how could I not go? Armed with a new membership card from my company I entered Costco. The size lives up to the reputation. What didn’t live up to the hype was the wine. Me and my gigantic shopping cart circled the wine section ready to stock up on the fabled bargains. I left without buying a bottle . The most exciting wine offered was Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, which is hardly a hard wine to find and not a very stimulating wine to drink.

There indeed is a sucker born every minute, because everyone else was packing their carts with bottles from Costco. There were no hot wines there,  just the same industrial crap that fills the aisles at most grocery stores. Were they cheaper? Who cares. These are wines not to buy.

While reading my Sunday paper I grabbed the Cost Plus ad. In the ad were such fine choices as Wrondo Dongo Mourvedre, Red Guitar, 7 Deadly Zins and Sin Zin. Cute names, but bad wines. Great prices? Sure enough, but who cares.

There can be no more reliable indicator of over-manipulated, industrial wines, that are the worst wine values in the world, than the regular wine selections of these “Cost” stores. In these stores you’ll find a list of wines to avoid. The wine buyers for these stores must be lazy, for there is no excuse in offering such mediocrity in an era that is producing better and better wines at lower and lower prices.  They certainly have no creativity or passion for the product that they buy.

What is the  “Cost”  that the buying power and marketing power of such mega-stores have on the industry? They don’t cost the industry a thing, but they cost the consumers a lot. If you want a good wine value avoid these “Cost” stores. Costco and Cost Plus and their brethren are to wine what McDonald’s is to hamburgers.

Peter Reinhart's Napoletana Pizza Dough

Peter Reinhart’s Napoletana Pizza Dough

Heidi notes: Peter’s recipe says the olive (or vegetable oil is optional). I use it every time - always olive oil, not vegetable oil. I love the moisture and suppleness it adds to the dough, and it makes your hands soft too.

4 1/2 cups (20.25 ounces) unbleached high-gluten, bread, or all-purpose flour, chilled
1 3/4 (.44 ounce) teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon (.11 ounce) instant yeast
1/4 cup (2 ounces) olive oil (optional)
1 3/4 cups (14 ounces) water, ice cold (40°F)
Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting

1. Stir together the flour, salt, and instant yeast in a 4-quart bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). With a large metal spoon, stir in the oil and the cold water until the flour is all absorbed (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment), If you are mixing by hand, repeatedly dip one of your hands or the metal spoon into cold water and use it, much like a dough hook, to work the dough vigorously into a smooth mass while rotating the bowl in a circular motion with the other hand. Reverse the circular motion a few times to develop the gluten further. Do this for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are evenly distributed. If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, or as long as it takes to create a smooth, sticky dough. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet and doesn’t come off the sides of the bowl, sprinkle in some more flour just until it clears the sides. If it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a tea- spoon or two of cold water. The finished dough will be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50 to 55F.

2. Sprinkle flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Prepare a sheet pan by lining it with baking parchment and misting the parchment with spray oil (or lightly oil the parchment). Using a metal dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you are comfortable shaping large pizzas), You can dip the scraper into the water between cuts to keep the dough from sticking to it, Sprinkle flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Lift each piece and gently round it into a ball. If the dough sticks to your hands, dip your hands into the flour again. Transfer the dough balls to the sheet pan, Mist the dough generously with spray oil and slip the pan into a food-grade plastic bag.

3. Put the pan into the refrigerator overnight to rest the dough, or keep for up to 3 days. (Note: If you want to save some of the dough for future baking, you can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag. Dip each dough ball into a bowl that has a few tablespoons of oil in it, rolling the dough in the oil, and then put each ball into a separate bag. You can place the bags into the freezer for up to 3 months. Transfer them to the refrigerator the day before you plan to make pizza.)

4. On the day you plan to make the pizza, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator 2 hours before making the pizza. Dust the counter with flour, and then mist the counter with spray oil. Place the dough balls on top of the floured counter and sprinkle them with flour; dust your hands with flour. Gently press the dough into flat disks about 1/2 inch thick and 5 inches in diameter. Sprinkle the dough with flour, mist it again with spray oil, and cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap or a food-grade plastic bag. Let rest for 2 hours.

5. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone either on the floor of the oven (for gas ovens), or on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible, up to 800F (most home ovens will go only to 500 to 550F, but some will go higher). If you do not have a baking stone, you can use the back of a sheet pan, but do not preheat the pan.

6. Generously dust a peel or the back of a sheet pan with semolina flour or cornmeal. Make the pizzas one at a time. Dip your hands, including the backs of your hands and knuckles, in flour and lift I piece of dough by getting under it with a pastry scraper. Very gently lay the dough across your fists and carefully stretch it by bouncing the dough in a circular motion on your hands, carefully giving it a little stretch with each bounce. If it begins to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue shaping it. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss as shown on page 208. If you have trouble tossing the dough, or if the dough keeps springing back, let it rest for 5 to 20 minutes so the gluten can relax, and try again. You can also resort to using a rolling pin, though this isn’t as effective as the toss method.

7. When the dough is stretched out to your satisfaction (about 9 to 12 inches in diameter for a 6-ounce piece of dough), lay it on the peel or pan, making sure there is enough semolina flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide. Lightly top it with sauce and then with your other top- pings, remembering that the best pizzas are topped with a less-is-more philosophy. The American “kitchen sink” approach is counterproductive, as it makes the crust more difficult to bake. A few, usually no more than 3 or 4 toppings, including sauce and cheese is sufficient.

8. Slide the topped pizza onto the stone (or bake directly on the sheet pan) and close the door. Wait 2 minutes, then take a peek. If it needs to be rotated 180 degrees for even baking, do so. The pizza should take about 5 to 8 minutes to bake. If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone to a lower self before the next round. if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone for subsequent bakes.

9. Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Wait 3 to 5 minutes before slicing and serving, to allow the cheese to set slightly.

Makes six 6-ounce pizza crusts.

 http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/print/001199.html

Mann-oh-Mann - That's Real Riesling

I had heard good things, but did not hold out much hope. My tasting experiences with Alsatian wines as of late had almost always been disappointing with seemingly every wine being over-ripe and botrytized. They were heavy boring wines. Yet I loved Alsatian wines so much in the past that I can’t help but keep trying them and a bottle on sale at my local store tempted me once again. The producer had been recommended to me several times so I put down my twenty bucks and gave it a shot.

Hallelujah! Finally some great white wine from Alsace. The Albert Mann 2004 Riesling is an absolute delight. It’s a tightrope of acidity and mineral essences over unmistakable, absolutely bright riesling fruit that even sports a nice touch of petroleum.  This wine was a bargain for $19.99 and I am going out of my way to track down the Grand Crus from this estate. This beauty was made by the  brothers Maurice and Jacky Barthelmé who own 19 hectares of prime vineyards, of which five are in Grand Cru vineyards. 

In such a wine you can taste varietal, vineyard and vintage - none of which are overwelmed by cellar technique or ultra-ripe fruit. The  Barthelmé brothers are to be complimented for their skill, vision, focus and their courage to make a wine counter to the “hot” style in Alsace these days. They made an outstanding wine with this riesling and I’ll soon report on their other offerings. As good as this wine is, I’m sure they’ll be excellent. Not suprisingly, the Mann wines are selected by the talented importer Peter Weygandt and imported by the Weygandt-Metzler company.

Vinography

I am very flattered by Alder Yarrow’s comments on his Vinography blog, where he writes about our winemaking efforts at Anne Amie Vineyards in Oregon. You can read his post at this link:

http://www.vinography.com/archives/2006/10/anne_amie_vineyards_willamette.html 

Sleight of Hand

Today there are key words that wine writers love; gravity-flow, indigenous yeast, low-yields and on-and-on. Key words are great for writers, but have little to do with the realities of making wine. Good winemakers are quick to spot problems and deal with them in the best way possible. Often these solutions do not meet the idealistic simplicity of right and wrong that most wine journalists push. However, they can make better wine. Using the advances in winemaking knowledge in a judicious way is not always some evil sleight of hand. Like most things it’s not only what you do, but how you do it that matters. Good winemakers have to think on their feet and react quickly to what nature has dealt them otherwise they’ll have a lot of wine that has to be poured down the drain. Consumers need to taste with their own palate, if the wine is good it’s good. Like most things, modern winemaking techniques are not simple black and white issues, but provide a full menu of solutions that can be both used and misused. For example, Luca Currado, the fine winemaker at Vietti in Barolo, abandoned his experiment with roto-fermenters for obvious reasons, but he kept just one “for emergencies”. While roto-fermenters destroy the character of good vintages, in a bad vintage he can use it to help improve his wines. No, they won’t be great wines, but they’ll still be very good if Luca decides to put his label on then. Yes, even the evil roto-fermenter can have its place when used by thoughtful hands in the face of disaster. Good winemaking is never a simple recipe to be followed, but must be adapted to new situations with each vintage. Today’s best winemakers use what could be called a minimalist philosophy, in other words they do as little as possible to their wines, but that doesn’t mean they don’t do something when it needs to be done. It’s unfortunate that the wine press, whose simplicity shows their ignorance of what it takes to make great wine, has made winemakers afraid to talk about  anything that is not seen as politically correct winemaking. This makes them seem like they are using some kind of ethical sleight of hand, when, in fact, what they are doing is giving us better wines to drink.

The View: California Pinot Harvest

Cima Collina is doing a fine job of blogging their harvest. Check them out at their Blog  for a California spin on the 06 pinot noir harvest.

Whew!

Whew! I’m glad that’s over. As romantic as harvest may be to both consumer and winemaker, the fact of the matter is that for those involved in the work it becomes a grind. There may be the charming popping of the corks on bottles of bubbly for that first bin of grapes to arrive at the winery, but after a succession of 16 or more hour days the challenge is to be as committed as you were when the first grape arrived to quality.

What the harvest always reminds the winemaker is the simplicity with which the press views each vintage. Like a wine world version of CNN, writers look for key words and flashy headlines to pigeon hole each vintage.  This simplistic version of the winemaking process promotes ignorance and misconceptions and blinds the public in general to the realities of winemaking. I’ll try to take that on as Wine Camp continues to evolve.

I’m glad to be back to the keyboard after having a close relationship with 300 tons of Oregon grapes over the last three weeks. 

It's Crush Time

The harvest is upon us, so forgive me if my posts are fewer over the next several weeks. Nature has blessed us with warm sunshine at harvest and a bumper crop of of beautiful grapes. That means we are harvesting as fast as we can, which makes our work days long, often starting at dawn and ending at midnight. What that means to my blog is that most of the time my hands are too sticky for the keyboard! Please follow my harvest updates on my Anne Amie Vineyards Cellar Blog. and, of course, I’ll be writing here as often as I can.

In addition to my duties in the cellar, I am the official harvest cook here at the winery. Each day I prepare lunch and dinner for our harvest cru of twelve. I relish this chance to play chef and feel that the meals we give the crew should reflect our goal of making great wine. My theory is that a well fed crew does better work and giving them real meals instead of sandwiches is just one more example of our dedication to quality in everything we do. 

One of the benefits of my harvest season pre-dawn “commute” to work are the spectacular Oregon vistas as I pass over the top of Chehalem Mountain. Pictured above is Mt. St. Helens (right) and the Cascade Mountain Range as the sun just breaks. 

There are few things more exciting or tiring than harvest at a winery. All of our hopes and worries during the year are concentrated into a few weeks and now we will see what Mother Nature gave us. 

The Passing of Henri Jayer

Anyone who loves pinot noir reveres the name and wines of Burgundy’s Henri Jayer and it is with great sadness I note his passing just reported by Burghound’s Allen Meadows on eRobertParker.com:

“It is with deep regret that I inform the board members that Henri Jayer passed away last night after a long illness. Jayer was renowned and admired the world over for his lush, seductive, well-balanced and impeccably crafted burgundies and was arguably the most famous Burgundian winemaker ever. Just as importantly, he unquestionably has had the greatest impact and influence among today’s generation of Burgundian winemakers. He was a man of strong convictions about how wines should be made but the superb quality of his wines, even in difficult vintages, certainly provided persuasive evidence that his methods worked. And the auction market voted with its pocketbook as well, according Jayer wines enormous valuations, indeed on a consistent par with those of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.
I knew Jayer for years and also admired and respected his philosophies, work ethic and ultimately, the results he so consistently achieved. Hanky J, as he was affectionately referred to, will be missed. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family and admirers. “

Please click here for the growing and moving tribute thread on eRobertParker.com.

Dancing Troupe - September 2006

I believe in wines that dance across the palate. “Dancers” I call them as they are wines that are alive. Wines that don’t dominate the palate, but invite you as the taster to share in their energy - not stand back as an awed spectator. These real food wines are wines that don’t short you on complexity, in fact, they offer more to the attentive taster. Yet, despite their complexity they float across the palate, not deaden it, and make the matching of food and wine a glorious experience.

So on a monthly basis I will offer my “Dancing Troupe” of the month, a selection of wines that have made my meals and my life better - wines that dance across my palate. I suppose they are my “Zen” experiences with wine and food, which I choose not to separate as an experience.

My September 2006 Dancers are:

Muscadet, Climat, Château de la Fessardièe, Alex Sauvion, 2004  A svelte, compelling Muscadet. 

Sparkling Wine, Argyle, Knudsen Vineyard Brut, Willamette Valley Oregon, 1998 A great sparkling wine - on par with the world’s best.

Bourgueil, Trinch!, Catherine & Pierre Breton, 2004 Perhaps one of the best everyday wines ever.

Cour Cheverny, Le Petit Chambord, Domaine Francois Cazin, 2002 One of the best dry white wines you’ve never heard of.

Picpoul de Pinet, Coteaux du Languedoc, Saint Peyre, 2005 What a BARGAIN!! 

Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur lie, Domaine de l’Ecu, Expression de Granite, Domaine Guy Boussard, 2001 Very simply a great white wine. 

Pian del Ciampolo, Sangioveto e Canaiolo, Montevertine, Radda in Chianti, 2002  A pure experience in what should be great about Tuscan red wine.

Régnié, Cuvée des Braves, Cuvée des Braves, Domaine Jöel Rochette, Vielles Vignes, 2004  A wonderfully pure Beaujolais. 

Touraine, Clos Roche Blanche, Cuvee Pif, 2004 Does anyone create more reliably delicious wines than Clos Roche Blanche - I don’t think so.

Marsannay, Les Longeroies, Domaine Charles Audoin, 2002 Real Burgundy, real character without a big price tag. 

Muscadet, Climat, Château de la Fessardièe, Alex Sauvion, 2004

It’s almost getting boring to write about excellent Muscadet, but it may well be the most exciting white wine region around these days. Not that there are so many great producers, but now there are literally dozens of top notch wines being imported by small importers dedicated to quality and these wines are without a doubt the best values in white wine available in the market today.

 This wine is no exception with a refined balance between its firm, mineral-laden fruity-ness and its bright acidity.  Just lovely and only about $12 a bottle. Delicious now, but this fine wine will improve for the next several years.

Pinot Gris, Carabella, Willamette Valley Oregon, 2005

Carabella is one of the labels to seek out. Great vineyards farmed by great people. This fine pinot gris combines richness, balance and freshness into a style all Oregon producers should aspire. A perfect rich shellfish wine.

Côtes de Provence Rosé, Les Domaniers de Puits Mouret, Ott Selection, 2005

I love rosé and, in general, the best I have tasted are French. Strangely they have become a fashion with young New Yorkers and that means that will spread across the country. Ott is the in-brand in NYC and has long been famed for their dry pink wines, but let’s face the fact that the name is in makes it one of the worst values around. Yes, it’s very pleasant light stuff, but at these prices??? Please!

Sparkling Wine, Argyle, Knudsen Vineyard Brut, Willamette Valley Oregon, 1998

I never thought anything would convince me that real Champagne was not king. I’ve had many fine sparkling wines from many countries that approached the finest Champagnes (notably Iron Horse in California and Bellavista in Italy), but I’ve never had a wine that really knocked out Champagne.

However, that is the past and the reality is that Oregon’s Argyle is not only producing world class sparkling wines that compete with some of Champagne’s finest, but extraordinary values that have their own unique personality.

 This wine is flat out extraordinary and somewhat widely available for under $50. Toasty, frothy, lively and most of all complex, this has to be a top quality sparkler in anyone’s book. In fact, I rather drink this than the hotshot big names of Champagne that are in with the rappers, but out with anyone who is thinking about what they drink.

This is a great sparkling wine. 

Coteaux du Languedoc, Grange Phillippe, 2003

There are so many great French bargains these days it’s hard to keep up. Such wines are a major embarrassment to the American wine industry. How can they sell wines at this price that taste so good with the Euro is so much stronger than the dollar.

Here is a big, deep fruity wine with real flavor and complexity for $11 a bottle. Give me a break, why can’t we do this in the USA? A blend of 70% syrah, 20% grenache and 10% mourvedre, if anybody made a wine of such quality in the USA it would cost $40 a bottle.  

Chianti Classico, Casa Emma 2003

When was the last time you had an excellent Chianti Classico that cost under $30? How about under $20 - maybe never? Well this Casa Emma is that most rare of Tuscan breeds these days and for under $20 offers classic Classico style. No simple fruit bomb overlayed with oak, this wine show real terroir, sangiovese character and a complex, structured style. With a wonderful lean, bittersweet sangiovese character, those of you who remember the glories of Tuscany before the invasion of the enologists will love this classic - and it’s a bargain besides!

Savigny les Beaune, Aux Fourches, Maison Champy. 2002

A bargain from Burgundy sounds like an oxymoron, but here is one that is sure to please. No, it’s not great Burgundy, but it’s damn good Burgundy. With a nice richness, plenty of pinot noir character this is the real thing and a very good value.