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REVISITING RIESLING October 26, 2007 After tasting German and Pacific Northwest rieslings for recent columns and articles, I jumped at the opportunity to evaluate Alsatian rieslings last week. It’s always interesting to compare a certain varietal as interpreted by vintners from different regions of the world. Alsatian rieslings are stouter and more mouthfilling — that is, higher in alcohol and fuller-bodied — than their German counterparts. They’re the kinds of wines that could stand up to choucroute garnie, that famously fattening Alsatian dish consisting of sauerkraut, sausages, potatoes and smoked ham hocks. (In Germany, such a dish would be best accompanied by beer.) Yet they also tend to have the floral, fresh-fruit elegance that ultra-dry New World rieslings so often lack. But I must admit that while riesling is supposed to be the purest expression of Alsace terroir, I’m not so fond of the drier, richer style of these wines. Most felt clunky on my palate. Sure, they’re excellent food wines and solidly made, but these whites just don’t have the same ineffable emotional resonance for me that a diaphanous beauty from the Mosel — or the ethereal 2006 Lemelson Vineyards Willamette Valley Dry Riesling ($20) from Oregon — has. Except for the aforementioned Lemelson and a couple of other examples, I feel the same way about rieslings from the Pacific Northwest. What can I say? They just don’t transport me to an Alpine meadow — cue “The Sound of Music” soundtrack — in the way that a delicate German riesling can. I was also disappointed to find that I’d have to spend approximately $30 on an Alsatian riesling to my liking. Wines of similar quality from Oregon and Germany sell for $10 less. All that said, every well-made wine serves a purpose. I found a couple of excellent wines in our lineup that would be brilliant with food and were cerebral pleasures, to boot. THE SCORES Evaluations assess tint, aroma, palate, mouthfeel and balance out of a total possible score of 20. 2005 Meyer-Fonné Kaefferkopf Alsace Riesling ($33): Mineral-laden, floral nose with white peaches and an intriguing note of tar. Spritzy, peachy palate that’s gorgeous yet light in body. Spicy finish lingers and haunts. Score: 19. 2004 Marcel Deiss Beblenheim Alsace Riesling ($26): Creamy notes on the nose accented with white flowers and berries. Mouthfilling, vibrant and spritzy on the palate. Somewhat tinny finish falls away a bit but otherwise a beautiful wine. Score: 17. 2005 Domaine Albert Mann Grand Cru Furstentum Alsace Riesling ($30): A little funky, then floral on the nose. A bit of residual sugar on the palate with floral, spritz and peach notes. Palate is much bigger than the nose; they aren’t in balance with one another. However, this wine is luscious and exciting to sip. Score: 15. 2004 Domaine Josmeyer “Le Kottabe” Alsace Riesling ($26): Clean, soft minerally nose with a hint of rubber on the finish. Petrol on the palate. Very dry, with nice acidity. Rubber/petrol notes might indicate oxidation/premature maturation. Score: 14. 2004 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Herrenweg de Turckheim Alsace Riesling ($19): Pretty peaches, then sausage, then petrol on the nose. Palate is super-dry, crisp and briny. But the citrus-rind finish is bare. The pieces just don’t line up. Score: 13.5 2004 Domaine André Kientzler Ribeauvillé Alsace Riesling ($17): Cat pee/vegetal nose which eventually blew off; super-dry palate; gasoline on the finish. Although this wine came around with time, and other tasters enjoyed it, I just couldn’t warm up to it. Score: 9.5. BLINK AND YOU MIGHT MISS WHAT’S IN THE GLASS May 5, 2007 I often find myself second-guessing my own opinions about wines. Anyone who's ever taken part in a blind tasting surely has experienced this. Your initial gut reaction is usually quite close to the mark; then, the more time you spend picking the wine apart in your mind, the farther away you get from its identity. The trick to appreciating wine -- and, I think, to making it -- is trusting your gut. It's the very phenomenon that Malcolm Gladwell wrote about in his excellent book, Blink. I recently attended the Taste Walla Walla event, where some 45 wineries from the Walla Walla Valley appellation (which borders Washington and Oregon) were pouring their bottled wares at the Portland Art Museum. I'd just been in the Napa Valley, where the wines tend to be so intense and dense that they tire out the palate. So I wasn't looking forward to tasting more heavy red wines. But Walla Walla specializes in cabs, merlots, Bordeaux-style blends and syrahs, so I steeled myself and began tasting through the wines as quickly as I could. Happily, Washington winemakers are still using a lighter touch than their friends down south, emphasizing elegance over opulence. I tasted delicious dark wines from Abeja, Amavi, Basel Cellars, Beresan, Bergevin Lane, Buty, Dusted Valley Vintners and… well, you get the idea. Then I got to the Foundry Vineyards display. I’d never heard of this label before; it’s an offshoot of the Walla Walla Foundry, a gallery, casting forge and implementation service for contemporary fine artists. Unlike her neighbors, whose tables were lined with bottles, sales and marketing director Jennifer Nichols was presenting just one wine. At these events, most winery representatives recite a well-rehearsed script -- a mix of spin and technical data -- as they pour. Not Nichols. She quietly poured a taste of her 2003 Walla Walla Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, then eyed my press credentials warily. "We just bottled it nine months ago," she stammered. "It had a bit too much green olive at first, but that’s starting to soften. Er, I mean, I hope it is…." She trailed off. I was starting to walk away when I stopped. Don’t second-guess yourself, I thought. Had I just smelled and tasted what I thought I had? Hay? Sagebrush? Dry earth? Wildflowers, brambles and tumbleweeds? Or was it "green olive," the characteristic some pundit had undoubtedly deemed to be overblown, perhaps even a fault, in this wine? (And what’s wrong with a little green olive, anyway?) I turned back to Nichols. "Don’t sell yourself short," I said with a conviction that surprised me. "You can call it green olive, but to me that smells like sagebrush. That’s the scent and flavor of Walla Walla you’ve got in that bottle. It’s remarkable." I moved on to the next table. I was, of course, second-guessing my little outburst. Had I been wrong about this wine? Why had it so moved me? The fellow behind me sidled up to the Foundry Vineyards table and held out his glass to receive a pour. I couldn't help but watch and listen. The gentleman swirled and sniffed, then tipped his head back and tasted. He spit. His head jerked up. "My god!" he exclaimed. “Talk about terroir!” I smiled to myself and moved on. I hope Foundry Vineyards doesn"t change a thing about that wine. By the way, snatch it up while you can: Due to the debilitating deep freeze in January 2004, Foundry Vineyards was unable to produce a 2004 vintage from owner Mark Anderson's small vineyard. The phone number for the winery is 509-529-0736 and the web site is at www.wallawallafoundry.com. The cabernet sauvignon is $30. A couple more wines that stole my heart at Taste Walla Walla: 2004 Syzygy Columbia Valley Red Wine: The best deals in Washington are red blends like this one. A supple, silky, subtle blend of cabernet sauvignon, syrah, merlot and malbec, this wine is fruity and floral without being fluffy. An excellent value for $20. 509-522-0484; www.syzygywines.com 2005 Waters Columbia Valley Syrah: "Typicity" is a word used to describe a wine that's true to the characteristics of the grape variety. This wine has typicity: A serious roasted game and bacon aroma, a silky body and a subtly spicy finish. Classic syrah, the way syrah should be. $32. 509-301-0852; www.waterswinery.com — If you’re interested in learning more about the wines of Walla Walla, consider attending Vintage Walla Walla, an educational celebration of wines of the region, May 31 through June 2. Go to www.wallawallawine.com for more information. — |