Testing the Nose

Inevitably, a wine drinker knows more or less the flavors of wine he or she likes, and can identify those flavors in some favorite wines.  For some reason, though, the inexperienced nose has a hard time pin-pointing what it smells in the wine.  In this tasting of only four wines from different regions, I tested my nose by smelling and then describing it to the distributor.  The flavors were interesting too, but a little bit more predictable.  Interestingly, the wine store did not want to provide the label information for these four wines.

Muscadet from Rias Baixas, Spain – this white wine had a very clean and crisp smell, letting me know that it would not be fruity.  Not smelling citrus from the wine, I was not surprised that it was not particularly acidic either.  It was a very clean, balanced white that has enough acid to help digest seafood.  I rarely smell such a mild white wine, and I liked it for its balanced smell and flavor.

Gamay Rose from the California Sierra Foothills – this rose smelled like cheese to me, which is really a rare experience for me and wine.  The distributor was puzzled, but another taster also smelled the cheese from the wine.  The taste was good for a rose, not too sweet, and some spicy reds like Syrah were used to enhance the flavor.  It tasted nothing like cheese, of course.  The inconsistency between the scent and the flavor of wine is of the many things about wine that fascinates me.

Red wine from Rias Baixas, Spain – this wine smelled like wet leaves and compost.  Old world wines tend to smell more earthy than fruity, so I was not surprised to not smell fruit.  But it was the first time I smelled wet leaves.  Nevertheless, the distributor said it was one of the smells that are commonly associated with this wine, so I knew I had a nose like the pros!  It was a medium-bodied red with no particular flavor standing out, and is probably a good table wine in Spain – where wine always accompanies food, and never tastes too strong.

California blend from the Sierra Foothills – this red wine is a blend of Nebbiolo, Syrah, Nourvedre, Viognier and Roussanne grapes.  I smelled floral and fruit scents at the same time, which I have smelled a few times before and find fascinating.  Again the distributor said I smelled what the pros smell, so I was pleased to know that my mind was identifying the scent correctly.  It was another medium-bodied wine to drink with food, not having much flavor despite the Syrah being added. 

Wine tasting is just about flavor for many, but professionals will often look at and smell the wine before tasting; because sometimes looking and smelling can tell you what to expect.  The smelling is often the hardest part, not only because it is moderately subjective, but also because sometimes we can’t put our finger on the smell.  There are many scents that wines have which we don’t normally associate with grapes or wine, and this throws off the taster.  It is always key to take your time, and to let your brain identify the smell.  Then discuss it with others … you may be surprised by what you smell! 

Cabernet Sauvignon: Finally I Like One!

The first thing to know about Cabernet Sauvignon (hereafter fondly referred to as “Cab”), is that it is a Bordeaux grape.  The grape was actually invented by a vintner who crossed Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.  It is a hearty red grape that is fairly flexible about where it will grow and thrive.  It takes on the flavor of the region it was grown in (terroire) and is very tannic because of the large grape seeds.  It is typically grown in Australia, Chile, South Africa, Spain, California, and France.  Cabs do not all taste the same, as evidenced below.

Fiancetto Gravello Loam 2009, Napa Valley, California – this wine was grown in gravelly soil, and the heat retention and distribution that came from the gravel affected the sugar content and alcohol level of this wine.  It is a fairly heavy-bodied wine with red fruit and vanilla smells.  It had a moderate level of alcohol, and had tastes of vanilla, vegetable, plum, and blackberry. 

Los Nevados 2010, Mendoza Argentina – this wine is a blend of cab grapes, and 30% of it was aged for four months in American oak.  Usually cabs are oaked with French oak because the flavor is different, however sometimes New World vintners mix things up a little, to appease different tastes.  This wine had an earthy, vanilla smell with dark fruit overtones, especially cherry.  The taste, however, was tangy, earthy, and tannic – and not very fruity at all.  It has a moderate level of alcohol.

Chono 2009 Maipo Valley, Chile – Chile has a long coastal area, and produces many full-bodied wines.  This cab had a cassis, earthy, and green pepper smells but a smoky flavor.  The tannins were softer in this wine but it didn’t have much fruit flavor that we usually expect from New World wineries.

Marion 2006 Veneto, Italy – a key point about this wine is that it was made in the Amarone style.  In that style, the grapes are partially dried to concentrate the sugars and then are fermented.  It was also oaked for two years, softening its edge.  This wine had a slightly funky smell that turns to vanilla and red fruit on the second sniff.  This wine was smooth on the palate and the tannins are much softer.  The wine had a red fruit taste, including cherries, with raisin at the end.  A delicious wine, it is worth the expense for a treat.

This was the second article on varietals and comparing the same varietal from different wineries, side-by-side.  Varietal tastings will teach you that you probably have a style preference and not so much a varietal preference.  Give it a try!

Special Edition: Putting Syndicate Wine Writers to the Test Part 1

Let’s face it.  There is a lot of wine out there, and without being a sommelier, it is hard to know what you like in your price range, or where to find it.  Many people optimistically turn to syndicated wine writers in hopes of getting a reliable recommendation.  Well guess what … they won’t help you either.  Here’s why: they recommend specific wines and vintages that are not necessarily available to your work or home neighborhood.

To prove it, I took a CNN article, “Tax Day Wines That Won’t Break the Bank” (http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2012/04/13/tax-day-wines-that-wont-break-the-bank/?iref=allsearch ), and looked for each wine where I work (Wall Street, Manhattan) and where I live (Prospect Heights Brooklyn).  I found none of these wines in either neighborhood.  I bet you’re not surprised, right?  The problem is that wine writing is not what we need it to be.  Wine writing needs to start with you knowing what you like, and being informed about wine regions that produce similar-tasting wines.  Falling short of that, wine writing should not be syndicated at all.  It should be regional writers reporting on wines that neighborhood wine stores actually sell. 

This wine student is here to:

1)      prove that wine writing is not speaking to its readers, and

2)       become a wine writer that guides you to something you can afford, you like, and you can find. 

In the meantime, I am writing about what I taste in the process of learning.  I am here to revolutionize wine writing for the everyday American wine drinker. By the way, next time you read about a wine and you want to know if and where you can find it, try: http://www.wine-searcher.com/!

Stay tuned for more news.

A Malbec by Any Other Name is Not the Same

Malbec is one of my two favorite varietals, so I was excited to go to a tasting of four Malbecs.  If nothing else, a tasting like this will teach you, once and for all, that the taste of a varietal changes from region to region.  I liked only two of the Malbecs that I tasted, and would only buy one.

Stella Rose Malbec 2010 VDP-Comte Tolosan, France – It is appropriate to start with a French Malbec, because contrary to popular belief, Malbec is originally a French wine.  Argentina did not create Malbec.  The grapes for this wine are grown in Cahors and produce a very tannic or bitter wine.  The color was a dark purple and it smelled of “red fruits” such as currant and cassis.  The flavor was very blended, light, and earthy.  It did not have the juicy fruity flavor that people associate with Malbec.  This wine would taste good with pork chops.

Altolandon L’ame Malbec 2008 Manchuela, Spain – Spain does not produce much Malbec, so this was considered a rare wine.  The climate of this part of Spain resembles Argentinian climate, which explains the grape choice for the region.  The wine has an earthy, vanilla, and dark fruit smell but has a bright acid red fruit flavor.  This wine tasted neither like the French Malbec nor like the Argentinian Malbec that most of us know. 

Ilaria Malbec 2007, Napa Valley California – By far my favorite Malbec of the four, this wine had been oaked with French wood.  It had a blackberry smell and a spicy, chocolaty, and dark fruit flavor.  The flavor was so blended that I didn’t spend much time identifying the fruit as much as calling out the spiciness and chocolaty flavor of the wine.  On the down side, this bottle was $42, far more than a decent Argentinian Malbec, and I wouldn’t spend that much on a regular basis.  By the same token, the winery does not produce much Malbec, so the price matches the availability of the wine – thereby preventing a drinker like me from buying too much at once! 

Deumayen Malbec Rserva 2007 Mendoza, Argentina – This wine had a chocolaty, plummy, and alcoholic smell and had a silky, velvety smooth feel in the mouth with a spicy finish.  This was my second favorite wine. The advantage that Argentina has over every other region is that the vines for this grape are quite old – they did not get killed by a pest that other regions experienced.  Argentina therefore produces 50,000 acres of Malbec, five times as many as the French.  They also don’t have the same regulation for growing, making, or labeling their wine as Old World countries, so the vintners have freedom to produce the wine in the way that suits them best.  Consequently, the prices range widely and can suit any budget.

8 Unusual Wines From Around the World

There are seventy wine-producing nations in the world, so none of us can be surprised if we haven’t tasted every wine that the planet has to offer.  I recently tasted some of the more unusual wine varietals, and they came from Italy, France, Croatia, Georgia, Austria, and Greece.

Blanquette de Limoux Brut, Esprit du Sud NV – if you’re paying attention to the name, it gives you some information right away.  It is French, “Brut” indicates that it’s a sparkling wine, and there is no particular vintage year for the wine.  Remember, the only sparkling wine that is called “champagne” comes from the champagne region of France.  This wine came from Languedoc-Roussillon, outside of champagne.  85% of the grapes are Mauzac, and the reason you may not know this grape is that many of the French replaced it with Chardonnay, a more popular grape for today’s wine drinkers.  The wine was not too dry and a little bit fruity, with a heavy syrupy smell.  It’s a very acidic wine, which made it tart, and it tasted like Processo but is drier.  It would pair well with salad, pasta, cheese, and shellfish.  If you’re an adventuresome drinker of sparkling wines, I recommend trying this one.

Timorasso “Sassobraglia”, Fontanassa, Val Borner NV – this is a white wine made from the Timorasso grape.  It had a citrus and floral odor, and the taste was sweet and herbal.  I’m not much of a white wine fan, so it was hard for me to like this one – even though it’s different from any white I’ve ever had.  It would go well with “charcuterie” (ie: sliced sausage and other meats you’d have as a snack), turkey, and salty aged cheese.  The idea is to have something savory to balance the flavor of this wine. 

Ribolla Gialla, Dorigo 2010 – another white wine, this is made from the Ribolla grape in Croatia near the Slovenian border.  It had a cheese and licorice odor, and a good balance between the fruit and dry flavors you get in white wines.  It was highly acidic and tart; which means that lighter flavored fatty foods would pair well with it for an even balance.  Suggested foods are shellfish, cream sauces, and duck.

Cote du Jura, Chateau d’Arlay 2005 – the last white of this event, it had a chocolate-cherry odor and yeasty flavor.  It has high acid, low alcohol content.  It is made from the Savagnin grape in Jura, France and would pair well with rich soup and nuts. 

Lirica, Plavac Mali 2008 – this is a red wine who’s Plavac Mali grapes grew on steep hillsides of Croatia, on the Dalmatian coast.  It had a blueberry and alcohol odor.  It’s a lighter bodied red with high tannin and a dark fruit flavor.  Dark fruit refers to darker red fruits such as cassis, blackberry, plum, and other dark red/purple fruits.  This wine fell flat on my tongue, and didn’t have much of a finish.  It would pair well with oysters and mushrooms. 

St Laurent, Wimmer-Czerny 2009 – this is an Austrian red made from the St Laurent grape.  It had a cherry odor and a plummy, medium bodied flavor.  It was also quite tart, and would pair well with duck, rabbit, or cheese.

Estate Red, Domaine Mercouri 2007 – made from the Greek Refosco grape, I finally tasted a red that I liked.  Although it had a leathery odor, I could also smell dark fruits.  It had a lot of tannin, but was also fruity and acidic.  I think of this wine as one that pairs well with sources of iron: red meat, beets, kale, and liver.  Of all the wines so far, this one would age well because its strong flavor would mellow a little over the years.

Mukuzani, Eniseli 2007 – A Georgian wine!  A real first taste for me; and made from the Saperavi grape, one used in wine ever since the ancient times.  This was another wine with an earthy, leathery, and plummy smell.  It had high tannin and tasted of dark fruits.  The grape’s flavor is so strong that it is usually blended to give other grapes’ wines flavor and color.  This was my favorite wine, and I bought a bottle to take home.  It was also compared to Sangiovese, so I bought a bottle of that for comparison.