On Chardonnay

I love Chardonnay. More than any other grape, I am infatuated with this one. I was reminded of this fact last night when enjoying a 2004 Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuissé. While not from a particularly prestigious appellation, this wine presented such beautiful nuance that it shined through the rest of the evening to become my pivotal memory of the occasion. Its pale hay color glimmered in the lights dimmed to a pleasant ambiance. It presented a supple and generous nose, beautiful and open but subtle and demanding careful attention at the same time. Tart peaches, nutmeg, wet stone minerality, and a hint of oxidative nuttiness captivated me. This bottle was undoubtedly at the peak of its drinking window; I was glad that we had opened it then. The palate was a lively and crisp experience of tart fruit, bright acidity, and subtle baking spice. Its flavors lingered for a particularly long time, caressing my tongue until it was left with nothing but a sweet memory. It was a wonderful bottle of wine.

This experience embitters me against poorly made Chardonnay. I must unfortunately admit that the state of Washington is one of the most egregious offenders in this regard. All too often, Washington winemakers overwhelm their Chardonnay with entirely too much new oak. They need to understand that a gentle kiss of oak is all that's required to create an invigorating, beautiful, tasty wine. Also, there is just too much ripeness in Washington wines. I have this opinion about California wines as well, but I think the good Chardonnay wineries down there know how to manage this ripeness more. Our Washington winemakers seem to want extremely ripe wines with high alcohol contents, but not to put them through very much malolactic fermentation, and then to use a ton of new French oak.

I'm not certain that I have the answer to this problem, but there must be one. Our growing sites are no warmer than Californian growing sites, so we ought to be able to make the rich, lush, full-bodied and slutty Chardonnays that they do. Instead, all too often Washington Chardonnay has too-evident alcohol, overwhelming oak, and tart malic acid.

I also wonder about our selection of clones and yeasts, but I don't have enough knowledge on this front to formulate an informed point-of-view.

If I were to make a Washington Chardonnay- and, God willing, one day I will- I would do several things. Firstly, I would try to find one of the coolest growing sites in the state. I suspect that top choices would be Celilo Vineyard and Evergreen Vineyard. I'm very interested in clonal selection at this stage, but am not sure what clones are available or what clones I might be looking for. Secondly, I would pick in two phases. The first would be earlier than might seem wise, but I'm looking to maintain high levels of malic acid and lower Brix in this pass. I would ferment this juice to wine in stainless steel- I might cold soak with the skins in an effort to raise the pH, but I'm not certain- and then I would transfer to French oak barrels, about 25% new. I would ferment with Montrachet yeast, and put the majority of this wine through malolactic fermentation: 75% perhaps? During fermentation, I would try to ferment cool and long, but it needs to be steady. I would honestly probably do everything I could to ferment to dryness and not worry too much about length of fermentation; a slow fermentation would scare the living daylights out of me.

I would also pick a second phase of riper Chardonnay from the same vineyard, perhaps two weeks later. This pass would be smaller than the original pass, perhaps by half. I would ferment this juice in stainless steel as well, and put it in barrels with (probably) a similar proportion of new-to-used oak as the first batch. I would put less of this wine through malolactic fermentation, perhaps only 25%, and would likely use Montrachet yeast as well (though I'm not sure about this; if there's a better yeast for riper Chardonnay, I would use it. M2 perhaps?) The goal here would be to include some of those riper flavors without sacrificing acidity and without resorting to watering down to maintain a reasonable alcohol level. In this way, I would hope to avoid additions such as acidifying and adding H2O. Also, I would be layering different flavors in an effort to create a more complex wine.

I would age the wines in oak for six or seven months, and would do batonnage twice a day to add a richness of flavor. I would then rack the wines to stainless steel and allow them to age in stainless steel for perhaps another ten months before bottling. The bottles would then be held for two months before release. The concept here is to allow the wines to gain some richness from the oak contact and the batonnage, but not to allow too much oxygen intake from the barrels, and then to allow them time to come together in tank before bottling. I'm also playing with the idea of barrel fermentation, which would allow me to avoid one racking cycle, but I've never done barrel fermentation and it makes me nervous.

Stylistically, I would be looking for a wine with some oak influence, some malolactic influence, and some oxygen influence, but one that is still bright and fruity with nice bracing acidity. My stylistic influence would be Domaine Leflaive more than anything else. I realize that this is shooting for the rafters on some level, but why not aim high? I don't think that any Washington winemaker is trying to make a Chardonnay in this style, with the possible exception of Corliss' Tranche Chardonnay. Most Washington winemakers make their Chardonnay in a couple of different styles: Either they are going for a rich, buttery California style (read: Gorman's Big Sissy), they are going for a crisp, clean, unoaked style (example: Airfield's unoaked Chardonnay and several others. I actually rather like this style, but it's not my favorite expression of Chardonnay), or they try this mucky, high-alcohol, high-ripeness, high-new-oak contact, but not high malolactic. The latter is my least favorite style; I think it creates a mess that burns the palate more than anything else.

Domaine Leflaive may be an extremely optimistic role model for a Washington Chardonnay, but there's no reason why it can't be done. The important part is to be rigorous in your methodology. Ideally, I would create a wine with a low pH for Washington, somewhere in the 3.2-3.5 range. Boldness, subtlety, and a creamy texture are the hallmarks of a well-made Chardonnay in this style. We shall see.

A little French wine

Sorry for the lack of posts; August has been a crazy month.
Scott and I drank a 2002 Cos D'Estournel last night. It was delicious. Pencil lead, pain grille, lightly roasted red fruits, classic cedarbox, blackberries, et cetera. The palate was also wonderful. Firm but supple tannins, mouth-filling fruit, not overripe, tart balanced acidity. The length was impressive; the pencil lead aspect carried on and on and on. I loved it. 8/10, RECOMMENDED.

We also drank a Domaine d'Ardhuy 2005 Savigny-Les-Beaune Premier Cru. I can't remember the name of the vineyard, but apparently its name translates as 'The Nails' due to the soil's high iron content. This was apparent in the wine. It started out with a very rustic nose, red fruits, raspberries, a hint of barnyard, and a remarkable coppery mineral element. Later in the evening that coppery mineral element transformed into a chalky, seashell-esque mineral element, the barnyard aspect dissipated, and we were left with a nose of delicious pure red and blue fruit, a hint of anise spice, cinnamon, and various spice pantry elements. The tannins were rough and ready upon opening, and while they smoothed out with time, they were still a little chunky and rustic. This wine was made in a tasty, rustic style, very enjoyable. 7/10

Group Tasting: Rieslings of the World.

It's a Riesling Rendezvous! Why Riesling? Because it is produced all over the world, but stylistically each region can be quite different. The wines can range from dry to exceedingly sweet, from fruity to floral to petroleum-esque. Also, I happen to love Riesling, and so do my counterparts in the Tasting Group. So, without further ado, here is the tasting:

We decided to do Rieslings from some of the regions most renowned for producing quality product. Therefore, we had two German Rieslings- one from the Mosel and one from the Nahe- two Australian Rieslings- one from Clare Valley and one from Margaret River- one Washington Riesling- from Columbia Valley- and one Alsatian Riesling. These were also selected because they offer such a wide range of styles, which was essentially the point of the tasting. All the wines were tasted blind, but we knew the regions ahead of time, so Taylor and I made a game of trying to guess which region it was from. Overall, I think he did a better job of this than me. Here are the wines:

1.) Leeuwin Estate 2006 Artist Series Riesling. Margaret River. 12% alc, $17.99
My notes:
Light and brilliant pale hay color. Strong petroleum aroma (bicycle tire), white flowers, stone fruit (pluot). The palate abounds with green apple flavors and a scathingly high, Warhead-like acidity. Wow. That's a tart wine right there. It's enjoyable, but I hesitate to recommend it to people because it pushes the boundaries of balance with that acid. I wish we had started the tasting with a slightly more mellow wine. I guessed Clare Valley, so at least I got the country right.

The scores:
Me: 6
Taylor: 5.5
L: 6
MM: 4.5
MO: 4
Total: 26
Average: 5.2/10

2.) Donhoff Riesling, 2007. Nahe. 10% alc, $23.99
My notes:
Pale hay color, slightly on the more yellow side. The nose is richer, with distinct honeyed peaches. Taylor says anise. The nose is almost creamy with its richness. It smells of apple skins and tropical fruit. The palate is delightfully off-dry, with nice medium-plus acid. The attack is juicy, sweet and fruit-forward, showing lovely lychee flavors. It finishes in a seductively long way- 30+ seconds- and with remarkable floral qualities. I guessed Mosel, so at least I got the country right... Again...

The scores:
Me: 7
Taylor: 6
L: 7.5 (with a smiley face)
MM: 6
MO: 6.5
Total: 33
Average: 6.6/10
I really thought this wine was delicious, and so I'm going to call it RECOMMENDED.

3.) Substance 2007 Columbia Valley Riesling. 13.5% alco, $17.99
My notes:
Pale, watery hay color. The nose is rather muted, showing some green apple, indistinct citrus, and a rather grapey element.
The palate is also rather grapey, with a little bit of a floral aspect. I found it to be distinctly cloying. L found a kiwi flavor in it that she enjoyed. For me, the grapey bitter cloying flavor brought the score down significantly. Noone in the group thought this wine was the best of the bunch. I thought it was from either Alsace or Washington, so we'll call that a half-point.

The scores:
Me: 5
Taylor: 5
L: 6.5
MM: 6
MO: 5
Total: 27.5
Average: 5.5/10

4.) Mr. Riggs Watervale 2006 Watervale Riesling. Clare Valley. 12.5% alcohol, $11.99
My notes:
Richer color, pewtery lemon, brilliant. A nose of distinct petroleum, wet stone, stone fruit and lemon drops. Floral aromas, citrus, melon. MO says oyster shells. Medium-plus acid on the attack, maybe high. It is bright, a little austere, but citrus-fruit-forward. A lingering floral finish, but not a cloying one. I rather liked this wine, but was in the minority. L enjoyed it too, calling it crowd-pleasing, with "lick-my-teeth acidity." I pegged this as Australian, but again I mixed up the appellation.

The scores:
Me: 6
Taylor: 5.5
L: 7
MM: 4.5
MO: 4.5
Total: 27.5
Average: 5.5/10

5.) Domaine Marcel Deiss 2007 Riesling. Alsace. 12% alc, $24.99.
My notes:
This wine, again, has a brilliant light hay color. The nose is pretty, and very floral-driven. It's all about geraniums and a sort of potpourri. There is also an aspect of candied fruit and apricots, but I find it to be very floral. L says violets, and also finds a rising-bread yeasty component. The palate has a nice, delicate richness, with high racy acidity. It is subtly off-dry. The florality carries on here, combined with fruit elements of lychee and pineapple. Delicious. I nailed this one as Alsatian (score!)

The scores:
Me: 6.5
Taylor: 5 (?!?)
L: 7
MM: 5.5
MO: 5
Total: 29
Average: 5.8/10 (a travesty!)

6.) Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg 2007 Riesling Spatlese. Mosel. 8.5% alc, $34.99
My notes:
Well, my notes on this one are a little bit different than everyone else's. I stuck my nose in the glass and went, "Ew! Sulphur! Wet matchstick! Gahhhhh!" Everyone else looked at me like I was crazy. So I'll offer my notes, and then the notes of others as a counterpoint, because I am distinctly in the minority here. I also broke my notes into two different categories: Pre-sulphur, and post-sulphur, because the sulphur blew off somewhat after a while. I realize that it's not perfectly fair to judge this wine on its sulfurous first impression, but I'm biased and can't help that. So...
My pre-sulphur notes:
Slightly darker color. Nose of stinking eggs. SULPHUR. Subdued flowers. Cheesy. The palate is actually quite nice, if a bit short. Distinct residual sugar and apple juice. The acid could be higher... 5/10
My post-sulphur notes:
The nose is very floral, rose petals. Green apples, tropical fruit (papaya?). The palate is essentially the same as the first time I tried it, so again, it's good but too short, and a little apple-juicy. 6.5/10

Now, as a counterpoint, Taylor's notes:
Straw-golden. Big mineral oyster - hint of petrol. Pear/apple. Honey, honeysuckle. Bit of RS with balancing acidity. Elegant. Apples, bright mineral notes. Touch of cream. Floral as it opens. Lime/citrus notes on the palate. 7.5/10

Everyone else went ga-ga over it too. L says "I lick my teeth, trying to savor it," and "light gold, like sun reflecting on water." So objectively, I have to say that this is a good wine, even if my experience with it was not the best. I am but one man!

The scores:
Me: 6.5
Taylor: 7.5
L: 8
MM: 8
MO: 7.5
Total: 37.5
Average: 7.5/10
With an average score like that, this wine has to go into the RECOMMENDED category.

Final thoughts:
I think that some of the wines that didn't score so well in this tasting- specifically the Australian ones and the Alsatian one- did so because of their style. The Australian ones had high, scathing acidity that our group found unpleasant. In other situations, when that kind of a style is anticipated and desired, these wines would likely rate much higher. But that's how it goes! There are, after all, no great wines, only great bottles and great occasions.

Feedback please!

I notice this blog going in a very Northwest-centric direction, and I hope to mitigate that somewhat. I ask you: What would you like to read about? Do you like the Northwest focus? How can I please you?

Group Tasting: 2007 Washington Red Blends

Welcome to another Bottle Variations group tasting! Our Tasting Group meets semi-regularly for a blind tasting of 6 or so themed wines. The group knows the theme ahead of time, but only the organizer (generally myself) knows what the wines are specifically. However, I mixed up the wines after they were bagged, so while I knew what wines were in the tasting, I did not know specifically which wine I was tasting at any time. All of the wines were decanted for 2+ hours before tasting.

This tasting was of 2007 Washington State red blends. The 2007 vintage has been hailed in Washington as the best since 2005! This tasting was put together to test that theory. Without further ado, here are the wines:

1. JM Cellars "Bramble Bump Red". 33% Cab, 31% Merlot, 15% Syrah, 13% Mourvedre, 8% Petit Verdot. $19.99. 14.3% Alcohol (Though Sean cried "Bullshit!" on the alcohol content).
My notes:
Ruby/purple color. Nose of wood spice, sweet ripe fruit, oak, lots of hot alcohol, vanilla, raspberry, blueberry preserves. Nicely medium-bodied on the attack, and then the oak comes out on the mid-palate. The tannins are firm, and the alcohol is evident. The fruit is pleasantly ripe, and it's a little too oaky. Not focused. L found it medicinal, and I agree a little bit. Sean said it felt like "Chewing on a crowbar." I didn't get much of that, whatever it means...

The scores:
Me: 5.5
T: 4
M: 5
L: 5.5
G: 6
Sean: 7.5
Total: 33.5
Average: 5.58/10

2. Tamarack Cellars "Firehouse Red". Columbia Valley. 31% Cabernet, 27% Syrah, 16% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 7% Malbec, 3% Sangiovese, 1% Carmenere, 1% Petit Verdot. $18.99. Alcohol content not listed on the bottle; don't tell the police.
My notes:
Ruby and a little dark purple. Less oak, sweet fruit. Black cherry, cream, mild baking spice. The nose is subtler, and more multifaceted. The palate is smooth at first, and the tannin comes out on the mid-palate. Substantial oak on the finish. T says dark chocolate. I think the finish is just a little bitter, but I still like the wine in general. L found it to be a smooth and food-friendly wine. Sean thought it was over-extracted; I think he was in the minority there.

The scores:
Me: 6.5
T: 5.5
M: 6
L: 6.5
G: 7.5
Sean: 6
Total: 38
Average: 6.3/10

3. Waters "Interlude". 55% Merlot, 38% Cabernet, 7% Cabernet Franc. $26.99. 14.5% alcohol.
My notes:
Opaque ruby color. Quite ripe nose, chocolate, plum preserves (but not pruny), sweet fruit, ripe. Alcohol is quite evident on nose. Some vegetal and dried herb aromas. L says sour cherry, and I agree. The palate isn't as concentrated as I'd like, but it is pleasantly tart, with nice acidity. Sean thought that the fruitiness complemented what he called a "smoky oakiness," and referred to the tannins as "chalky." L thought it was too alcoholic on the nose but liked it in general, though she thought it was "too overt for most food pairings." I agree; this is a cocktail wine.

The scores:
Me: 6
T: 5
M: 6
L: 7
G: 7
Sean: 7
Total: 38
Average: 6.3/10

4. Isenhower "Last Straw". Columbia Valley. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot, Roussanne, Syrah (though I'm not sure of the blend). 14.5% alcohol. About $18?
My notes:
Opaque ruby color, quite vibrant. The nose is medicinal and alcoholic, with ripe plummy fruit. I thought it was kind of a vague, fruity nose, maybe dried fruit. L detected tarragon; T called it "dark fruit." The palate really saved this wine for me. It was tart and juicy. My notes say "Tasty!" I appreciate the fact that it is not overly oaked, though it is super-sweet and ripe.

The scores:
Me: 6.5
T: 5.5
M: 6.5
L: 6.5
G: 6.5
Sean: 8
Total: 6.58/10

5. Cadence "Coda." 57% Merlot, 18% Cabernet, 13% Cabernet Franc, 12% Petit Verdot. About $30. 14.4% alcohol.
My notes:
Lighter ruby color, almost translucent. Bright and very distinct cranberry on the nose. Again (and again and again) the nose is quite ripe, and the alcohol is evident. Not too much oak, but a little vanilla spice. L found the nose to be a little funky, T detected a Red Vines-esque candied aroma. The alcohol is evident on the palate as well; it's a hot wine. There's less body on this wine than any other one but number 3. L says it's too tart, which I actually didn't mind. It's the booziness I couldn't get over.
The scores:
Me: 6
T: 5
M: 5.5
L: 6
G: 6
Sean: 8.5 (I think maybe he's getting a little tipsy at this point)
Total: 37
Average: 6.17/10

6. Three Rivers "River's Red". 48% Syrah, 22% Malbec, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet, 2% Carmenere, 1% Tempranillo (Where do they come up with these blends?!?). 13.6% alcohol. Around $13.
My notes:
Ruby-purple. Slightly funky nose, cherry, almost citrusy. Just a little wood, pencil lead/shavings. L detected blue cheese. Medium-bodied, firm and pleasant tannins, juicy and plump. T liked the acid; so did I. L found the wine to be food-friendly. All in all, this is one that we enjoyed quite a bit. The general consensus was that it was balanced and drinkable, while still being ripe and fruity.

The scores:
Me: 7
T: 6
M: 6
L: 6.5
G: 7
Sean: 8.5
Total: 41
Average: 6.83

Given the price and the scores, this is the only wine of the tasting to be rated as RECOMMENDED.

Overview:
Everyone at the tasting got a little frustrated at the lack of distinctions in these wines. M noted that they all looked VERY similar in the glass when we poured them side-by-side. T said they were "hard to differentiate." Sean thought they all smelled like Grenache. My final notes were thus: "I would like all of these wines more if they weren't 1. Overalcoholic and 2. So similar! At least there were no oak-bombs, though."

It was astounding to find all these wines to be so similar when their blends are all so different. I have to suppose that this is due to the extreme ripeness of the grapes and the (I assume) similarity of the aging procedures.

Washington State is the Wild West of winemaking. Wineries are young, people are doing unusual things with grape blends, and the rules are fast and loose. So why are these wines so similar? Is this the effect of Parkerization, or do enologists think that this is the style consumers are after? Do these winemakers like their own wines?

I hope that this trend reverses itself, and that we begin to see more unique, individual wines coming out of our wine region.

Laurelhurst Cellars

Laurelhurst Cellars is another in a long string of new Washington wineries. Some people say that a new winery is bonded in Washington every week, some say every couple of days. Whatever the case, there is a glut of new producers in the state. Whether this is a good thing or a bad one is a matter open to debate. I'm of the position that it is a positive trend; while some might say that the average quality of Washington wine is being brought down as a result, I believe that a heavy infusion of new blood helps to bring innovation and dynamism to the industry. I predict that many of these new wineries will not survive beyond their first or second release, and that is well- the wheat shall be separated from the chaff, and quality shall rise to the surface and survive, hopefully. After all, the Washington wine industry cannot survive on Ste Michelle Wine Estates alone.

But I digress. Laurelhurst Cellars is a new Washington winery, now selling their second vintage (2006 reds). Their self-description on their Facebook page: "Laurelhurst Cellars. Established in 2004 by Greg Smallwood, Gabe Warner & Dave Halbgewachs in the Laurelhurst Neighborhood. Producing Premium Wines from Washington State." Pretty straightforward. Three guys, Washington wine. They've actually relocated from Laurelhurst to Georgetown, an area burgeoning with wineries these days (six or so?). I recently had the opportunity to taste their wines. Here are my notes:

1. 2005 Azorica Red Blend. Columbia Valley. $26.99. 34% Cabernet, 28% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, 16% Syrah. Boushey, Patch of Blue, and Kiona vineyards. 22 months in 100% new French oak. 52 cases produced.
Dark, opaque ruby. A nose of sweet fruit, raspberry, blackberry, vanilla, sweet wood. The wine is big and juicy, but surprisingly not over the top. The tannins are firm and gripping. Given the oak exposure, this wine is appreciably not too woody; it's there in the form of a pleasant spiciness, but not obnoxious like so many Washington reds. Nice! 6.5/10

2. 2005 Petite Syrah, Yakima Valley. 20 months new French oak, 25 cases produced. $28.99
Very dark purple, quite opaque. The nose is a little more restrained than the first wine, showing wood spice and pencil shavings along with hints of dark sweet fruit. The palate is brambly and a little spicy, with blackberry and plums. The wine is juicy, and has nice acidity in a tight, focused style. Again, not over the top. 6/10

3. 2005 Boushey Vineyard Cabernet Franc. 22 months in 100% new French oak. 28 cases produced. $34.99
Medium ruby color, somewhat transparent. Brett on the nose, stinky, horsey, and a little pleasant vegetal note. The wine is medium bodied and has very smooth, round tannins. A little wood, a little vegetal. I would like this wine a lot more without the bretty aspect, but that's something of a personal thing (I hate horsey-smelling brett). Some of my coworkers thought this was the best wine. 5/10

4. 2006 Laurus Nobilis Red Blend. 61% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Boushey, Klipsun, and Kiona Vineyard. $26.99. 160 cases produced.
Bright translucent ruby. Very juicy nose, red berries, sweet fruit, Chinese spices. Big and rich on the palate (my notes say "Whoa!"). Firm tannins, really tasty. 10-15 seconds of length. Great wine from a true Bordeaux blend, but not Bordeaux in style. 6.5/10

5. 2005 Boushey Vineyard Syrah. Aged 22 months in 100% new French oak (shocker). 23 cases produced. $36.99.
Opaque purple/ruby. A nose of blueberries and spice, a little tarry, mostly just juicy, ripe and woody (but not obnoxiously woody). Jammy on the palate, but with a nice backbone of acidity. Tarry and brambly. The tannins are supple, and balance well with the acidity and ripe fruit. Very subtly barnyardy (I predict that will increase with bottle age). 6/10

6. 2006 Red Mountain Cabernet. Klipsun and Kiona Vineyards. $36.99. 52 cases produced. Aged, again, for 22 months in 100% new French oak.
Medium ruby color, translucent. Bright and juicy nose, again, with sweet wood, vanilla, baking spice, black cherry, and ripe raspberry. Surprisingly medium-bodied on the palate. Quite smooth. Oaky, and without enough length. For their top-end wine, I would've expected something more; I like their less-expensive red blends more. 5/10

Conclusion:
These guys are definitely making Washington wine. The wines are ripe and approachable, in a big, juicy style. I like their wines, but I do wish that they'd lay off of the 100% new French oak a little bit. I also wish they weren't quite so ripe, but that's what practically all Washington wines are like these days. I didn't have their alcohol contents in front of me, but since they're Washington producers, and given the ripeness of the fruit, I'd have to expect that they all fall in the 14%-15.5% range. Remarkably, and to their credit, I didn't find the alcohol to be obnoxious on any of their wines. I don't have any idea how long the bottles had been open.

Regarding their prices, I think they're gutsy but not entirely unreasonable. The wines are good, and the prices never get into that $40-$50 price range that so many producers fall into (Mark Ryan, Chris Gorman, Longshadows, Boudreaux, ad infinitum). Who knows what a little press recognition might bring on that front, though.

I like the wines, I want to see more from this producer, and I hope they start picking their fruit earlier and laying off the new oak.

Posting Resumes!

Sorry about the hiatus! Let the posting resume... Now!