It's Crush Time

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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

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henryjayer.jpgAnyone 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

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dancers.jpgI 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

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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.

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

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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

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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

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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

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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!

Bourgueil, Trinch!, Catherine & Pierre Breton, 2004

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A candidate for great house wine of the year, I dare you to find a domestic wine that tastes this good for under $13. Almost explosively fruity and clean with an acidity that dares your saliva glands to keep up this wine is food friendly perfection. A great combination of juicy ripe fruit and balance. Yes, you can be deeply fruity without being overweight. Buy cases.

Cour Cheverny, Le Petit Chambord, Domaine Francois Cazin, 2002

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Pungently mineral and firm and almost demanding food, this is a really lovely wine. Lean and mean, but with just enough fruit, every sip demand yet another. Not surprisingly, this is a Louis/Dressner selection, who else would bring in such an obscure Loire appellation. We can be glad they did as this wine is a steal at around $12. Buy, buy, buy! Made from 100% Romorantin, a rare varietal to say the least.

Saint Estephe, Château Haut Baradieu, 2003

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A refined, classically styled Bordeaux for drinking now and over the next several years. As befitting a St. Estephe, this is a real cabernet in style with plenty of herbs and spice that overlay the lovely, but appropriately lean fruit. If you’re wondering what a Haut Medoc Bordeaux is supposed to taste like but don’t want to break the bank this is a very nice wine. Think lamb chops.

Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur lie, Domaine de l'Ecu, Expression de Granite, Domaine Guy Boussard, 2001

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Current winner of the longest name wine award this year, you’ll think the name is short when you taste this wonderful wine. Still a baby, it will develop and expand for many years. A lighting bolt of a wine that in all its leanness still explodes on the palate. Concentrated mineral essence with a delicate balance. A beauty that costs all of 16 bucks. Amazing.

Barolo, Villero, Giuseppe e Figlio Mascarello, 1999

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A really fine wine, exotic an balanced and absolute classic Barolo nebbiolo in style. True to type this Villero is forward, round and rich (by Barolo standards). Just starting to drink now, a few more years will be well rewarded. A great wine to recommend to someone who want to know what nebbiolo is really all about. I’m going to grab every bottle I can find.