Category: Wine
Domaine La Guintrandy
I’ve recently become very interested in the wines from France’s Rhone region. There are a number of famous appellations from this region – Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Hermitage, Cote-Rotie, and the list goes on – but wines from the most notable of these tend to fall into a price bracket that turns them into special occasion wines. Not the weekday bottles that are nice to have around, and really not even the Friday or Saturday night “yay, we made it through the weekend!” bottles.
So in lieu of those more famous appellations, we’ve been focusing our attention on the real value wines from the Rhone – the Cotes-du-Rhone, Cotes-du-Ventoux, Minervois, Vin de Pays. That’s the nice thing about the Rhone region, there are loads of smaller, lesser-regarded appellations that produce great wine. There are loads of these available today, and while they may be of varying quality, if you can find a shop whose judgement you trust, then you know you can try most any of their Rhones with confidence.
This was the case when we bought this bottle at South End Formaggio. This small, very small, cheese, wine, and other delectable knick-knacky-type-foods shop in Boston’s South End is one of my favorite places to buy wine. They stock bottles ranging from $8 to $100, generally focus on smaller, more traditional or artisanal style producers, and we’ve never had a bottle from there that has disappointed us. And so they’re the perfect wine shop, one where you can buy a couple of wines right between $10-$20 and expect them to be good and interesting.
This particular bottling is a Vin de Pays from Domaine La Guintrandy, a small Rhone producer located in the southern Rhone that has been a family-owned estate since 1850. Today it is run by Marie-Claude and Olivier Cuilleras and produces a range of Cotes-du-Rhone appellation wines, the most prestigious of which bear the “Cotes-du-Rhone Village Visan” appellation.
This bottling is their Vin de Pays de Comté de Grignan, a red wine made from grapes grown on vines residing in the commune of Tulette. It is made up of 50% Syrah and 50% Grenache, and all of the grapes are harvested by hand. After harvest the grapes are left to macerate with the skins for 8 days before being pressed. The wine is then aged in stainless steel tanks until being bottled, without filtration.
The wine pours a very light, translucent, purply red. The nose is fresh and vibrant, with notes of racy black cherries, cocoa powder, and apple skins. The palate is lightly textured with a buoyant mouthfeel. Flavors of Macintosh apples, tart cherries, stone fruit, and an earthy, flinty minerality are well-balanced, and enjoyably refreshing and intriguing. The finish is sweeter than the palate, with sugared black cherries and a hint of raspberries.
This was a $10 bottle, and was well worth it. I really love light, refreshing, complex red wines, and this fit the bill. Not super complex, but interesting and very enjoyable. I only wish they’d had more bottles, I would’ve run right out to pick up a couple more to have on hand.
Domaine Berthet-Bondet Cotes du Jura “Tradition” 2002
I was recently listening to a talk given by wine importer Neal Rosenthal during which he remarked that what motivates and excites him about a wine is when it has subtlety, nuance, and uniqueness. I found myself thinking of this when we opened a bottle of Domaine Berthet-Bondet’s Tradition, a wine produced in France’s Jura region where some of the most remarkable and unique wines in the world are being made. In my mind, the Jura region is the home to producers of wines that speak volumes about the place they come from, the unique production methods that have been handed down by generations, and that challenge both your taste buds and your expectations. Not to mention that they are delicious wines as well.
This bottle from Berthet-Bondet is a perfect example of all of those facets. The Tradition is a blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Savagnin that is aged for two years in oak casks without topping up. This period where the wine ages sous voile imparts an exciting range of flavors that no other white wine (other than those produced similarly in the Jura) captures. This approach is unique to Jura producers where it is used to great effect to produce a range of white wines.
Berthet-Bondet does not have the long history of other Jura producers, but they have gained a solid reputation in a relatively short amount of time. The winery was reopened in 1985 by Chantal and Jean Berthet-Bondet after having lain dormant for nearly 50 years. The hectares that comprise the winery’s holdings cover 10 hectares, 5 in the Cotes du Jura appellation and 5 in the very prestigious Chateau-Chalon appellation (where only Savagnin can legally be grown, and only Vin Jaune can legally be produced). From these 10 hectares, Berthet-Bondet produce several wines including a Chateau-Chalon Vin Jaune; a 100%-Savagnin wine that is aged sous voile for three years before bottling; Rubis, a red wine made from Trousseau, Poulsard (the Jura’s two unique red-grape varieties), and Pinot Noir; and a Vin De Paille made from a blend of Chardonnay, Savagnin, and Poulsard.
This particular bottling, Tradition, is the only wine of theirs that I have come across, and we’ve now finished our second bottle, which makes me a bit sad if only because both bottles were quite good, and I’d love to try others from them. Of course, it goes without saying that I’d go nuts to try their Chateau-Chalon*.
What struck me about this wine was how much it had changed in the bottle. The aromas and flavors were all much more pronounced and sharp compared to my memory of previously tasting it. One recurrent theme encountered when reading about Jura white wines regards their aging potential. Vin Jaune is said to age gracefully for 50 years and more, and most producers recommend waiting until they have reached at least 10 years of age before drinking them. And other sous voile whites are said to age well for 20-30 years. In this case we’re only talking about an additional 2 years in bottle, but it is clear that even this amount of time made a difference in the wine in the glass.
The wine pours the color of unpolished brass with a deep, golden luster and glinting amber highlights. The nose has aromas of walnuts, burnt sugar, and nutmeg with hints of citrus. After some time in the glass a creamy, sweet note of custard enters the mix. The wine has a soft, velvety body with a strikingly acidic current running through it. The flavors are similar to the nose, with walnuts, hazelnuts, and burnt sugar accompanied by flavors of creme anglaise and caramel. Notes of walnuts and burnt sugar predominate on the finish, underscored by a citrus acidity.
I was surprised to find this wine had much more sous voile character than I had expected. The nutty, burnt sugar notes that were present throughout the glass were delicious, but admittedly not what I had expected. That being said, this wine confirmed my enjoyment of Jura white wines, which I find to be some of the most exciting and challenging wines (and whites in particular) that I ever have the chance to drink.
This was also a challenging glass temperature-wise. We originally drank it cool, but as time showed, it really needed to warm up for the spices and creaminess to come out. Before that, the acidity was bracing and overwhelmed many of the other flavors. The ideal temperature was somewhere between white wine and red wine temps.
This was a very good wine, and like I said it’s a shame it was our last bottle. Hopefully we’ll stumble across some of their wines again at some point. In the meantime, my eagle eyes will remain alert for the sight of any other Jura white wines.
*Perhaps the most exhilarating “wine dream” that I harbor is to someday try a Chateau-Chalon, the reputed pinnacle of Vin Jaune. Wines from this appellation only began being imported into the U.S. during the last year or two. From that start Chateau-Chalon has fascinated me with its miniscule acreage (~90 hectares), and law permitting the growing of only Savagnin, and the production of only Vin Jaune. With such small acreage, production of Chateau-Chalon is very small, and the wines very hard to find.
The ultra-rarefied version of this dream is to try a Chateau-Chalon from Jean Macle, the Chateau-Chalon winemaker with the highest reputation. But alongside Macle are fine producers such as Berthet-Bondet, Domaine Philippe Butin, and Domaine Durand-Perron. When it comes right down to it, I’d be ecstatic to have the chance to try the Chateau-Chalon from any one of these four producers!!
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Unti Vineyards Segromigno 2006
Unti Vineyards is a family owned and operated winery located in the town of Healdsburg in Dry Creek Valley, California. They own about 60 acres of vines, 35 of which are situated around the winery itself, that are planted with a wide variety of grape varietals, including Zinfandel, Syrah, Sangiovese, Petite Sirah, Grenache Noir, Mourvedre, Pinot Noir, Montepulciano, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc, and Vermentino.
As you can tell from that list of varietals, Unti’s focus is on producing a large part of its wines from Rhone and Italian varietals alongside the common California varietals Zinfandel and Pinot Noir. As a result, their list of current releases numbers 12 different wines, and there are a number of other wines they’ve made in the past that they are not currently offering.
The Segromigno is one of those wines that is not currently being offered. The last vintage they produced was a 2006, which this bottle is from. Named after a town in Tuscany, Segromigno is a blend of 92% Sangiovese, 4% Syrah, and 4% Barbera. The Sangiovese is from vines recently planted, whereas the Syrah and Barbera are from vines planted in 1998.
The grapes were harvested between September 25 and October 27. The wine spent 11 months aging in French oak, 15% of which were new barrels, and was bottled on September 10, 2007.
Unti refers to this as “a blended Cal-Ital”, and in some ways I think this is an apt description. If you’ve tasted many Italian-produced Sangiovese wines you’ll recognize several of the flavors in this wine, namely a sort of rich yet coarse dark red fruitiness. Added to that is a plush vibrancy that you find in some of the best Dry Creek Valley Zinfandels, minus Zinfandel’s spiciness.
The Segromigno pours medium ruby-red, the brushed red color of slightly overripe raspberries. The nose has vibrant raspberries and cherries, hints of creamy oak and vanilla, and a dintinct note of black tea. On the palate, the dark red fruit flavors remain dominant, underscored by vanilla and a hint of dark chocolate. The wine has a velvety, plushly textured body, with a brightening note of acidity. The finish continues the dark red fruit theme, yet a bit more vibrant and fresh tasting than on the palate, again underscored by slightly smoky notes of black tea.
This was a nice, very drinkable and enjoyable red wine, and I would definitely enjoy the chance to try some of their other wines in the future, given the chance. Perhaps on our trip out there later this month. Although, they’re only open by appointment, which may take more planning than we’re accustomed to…
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Nalle Winery Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2003
Nalle Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel. The words never cease to conjure up memories for me. This was the first wine that I really fell in love with, back in the mid-1990’s when I first took an interest in wine. I knew next-to-nothing about wine, and was simply casting about trying a wine here, a different one there, playing the field. At some point I read an article about zinfandel that recommended Nalle, along with a handful of other zins. A local shop not only had bottles of Nalle (a 1994), but a big picture that was taken from the deck of Doug Nalle’s house looking out over the Nalle countryside. That first bottle of Nalle Zin, combined with the romanticism of the photo on the wall to seduce me, forever to be a Nalle fanatic.
Since then I have had the good fortune to try other bottlings and wines from Nalle (they’re very difficult to find in this state), and also to visit the winery itself. During a trip to California a few years ago, we stopped by the winery on a Saturday afternoon, the one day they were open for tastings. It was a memorable visit where we got to try several of their wines, meet the winemakers, and even use their picnic table for an impromptu lunch amidst the vines.
Doug Nalle began producing wine under his own name in 1984, and just this past June celebrated 25 years of production. During that time he’s developed a reputation as one of the handful of zinfandel specialists in California, alongside such names as Paul Draper, Kent Rosenblum, and Joel Ravenswood. Each year since 1984 Nalle has produced a zinfandel made from grapes sourced from three separate growers in Dry Creek Valley: the Saini family, who farm the Nalle family’s home vineyard, Joe Ramazzotti who farms the Carreras vineyard, and Paul Bernier who farms the Sibary vineyard. The average age of the vines is 62 years old, with some having been planted as far back as 1880.
Two aspects of Nalle’s production stand out, namely his preference for low yields in the range of 3-4 tons per acre, and medium-alcohol wines, typically in the range of 13.5-14%. Zinfandel, historically a grape used in California for the production of bulk wines, is a notoriously vigorous vine producing anywhere up to 10-12 tons per acre. The grapes develop sugars quickly, oftentimes before the grapes themselves are fully mature. The result is a tendency for zinfandel-based wines to be rich, alcoholic blockbusters. During the past 10-20 years, this style of wine has been popular among some critics and consumers, and it is now increasingly common to find zinfandels of 15% and higher. Nalle’s winemaking philosophy runs rather counter to this trend.
In The Wines Of California, Stephen Brook writes that, “Nalle wants balance and fruit, and maintains that his wines are best enjoyed at up to six years old. He doesn’t want high alcohol – 14 degrees is ample – nor does he want powerful oak flavors. What he does deliver is stylish fruit and impeccable balance.” Towards this end, Nalle uses about 20% new oak barrels for each vintage, and always uses French barriques, citing his perception that aging in American oak lends a bitterness to wines as the reason for his preference.
All of the grapes are hand-picked, and then hand-sorted at the winery by Nalle and his wife and son. Vinification in open-top fermenters, and aging in oak barrels all take place at their hangar-like facility in Dry Creek.
I’ve always loved Nalle’s zinfandels because they deliver deep, resonant fruit while at the same time offering nuanced, mature flavors balanced against plenty of body without alcohol-overtones. They are eminently drinkable, and improve greatly from the start of the bottle to the last glass. And then there are the tongue-in-cheek labels drawn each year by artist Bob Johnson. Here’s a link to the one for the 1994 Zin.
The 2003 Zinfandel pours a deep,velvety ruby red, evenly colored from the middle of the glass to the rim. The nose is bursting with raspberries, black cherries, and viscous red fruit compote. The fruit theme continues on the palate, with raspberries, blackberries, and black cherries, underscored by a thread of resin and spicy ancho chili. The flavors are mouth warming, vibrant and fresh, kicked into high gear by a dark yet brightening acidity. The body is velvety with soft tannins. The finish highlights rich flavors of raspberry jam, and black cherries, and has a slightly tannic grip.
We opened this bottle of wine during one of the rare days this past June when the sun came out, and it seemed only appropriate to celebrate. I have to say that I was nervous, having moved this bottle from one apartment to another during the past three years, but it more than lived up to its billing. When we finished it we were entirely satiated. We’ve got one bottle of 2004 Zinfandel hanging out, waiting for another proper occasion, and I’m pretty incredibly excited about the chance to open it.
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Antonio Caggiano Tari 2004
Architect and photographer Antonio Caggiano began bottling wine from his own grapes in 1994, at first producing a Taurasi DOCG wine and later expanding production to include two other Aglianico-based wines and one white. Since then the wine’s reputation has steadily grown, and today Caggiano’s wines are imported by Michael Skurnik.
This bottle showed up in our house quite a few months ago, when I was hot on the trail of Aglianico-based wines. But as is often the case, our motley collection of wines grew haphazardly, my attention shifted from Aglianico, and this poor bottle languished in the shadows, waiting to be reconsidered. So as part of a recent push to drink the wine we actually have as opposed to buying new, we decided to open this bottle up the other night.
The Tari is Caggiano’s entry-level Aglianico wine. All of the grapes come from vines grown within the bounds of the Taurasi DOCG, but are considered too young by Caggiano to use in the Taurasi-labeled wine. Instead they use them to make this medium-bodied, more approachable wine. Aglianico makes up 80% of the wine, with Piedirosso adding 15%, and Fiano 5%. The Piedirosso and Fiano help to soften the wine considerably, and round some of Aglianico’s thornier edges. After fermentation the wine is aged 10-12 months in French barriques before being bottled.
The color of the wine is medium ruby red. The nose is intriguing with spices, tobacco, black cherries and dark red fruits. The palate is interestingly balanced, with an acidic undercurrent staged opposite a red fruit core. Some slight vanilla flavors emerge from the oak barrels, and lie alongside flavors of flinty menthol, grape skins, and black cherries. The wine is medium-textured and gentle, with some gripping tannins. The medium-length finish is all red fruit, with black cherries and raspberries kicking around.
A very pleasant, very drinkable red wine. It definitely displays some of aglianico’s characteristic elements, while still being very approachable.
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