decanted

classic french white

Experimentation and quirkiness is all well and good. But sometimes, you just want something classic. Like a white wine from Burgundy (Meghan's all-time favorite).

We had a 2004 Domaine Chevalier Ladoix 1er Cru Les Gréchons the other night that satisfied our craving for an old-school French white. We picked it up on sale for $29.99, and were pleasantly surprised at its quality. It had a nice minerality and the subtle oakiness that comes from aging in oak barrels. We noted flavors of toasted almond at the beginning and tart apple (unusual in a Chardonnay) in the middle.

Just a quick note on white Burgundies: they're almost always Chardonnays. And the Chevalier comes from a region in Burgundy called the Côte de Beaune, which produces some of the greatest wines (both red and white) in the world. Normally, this bottle would have cost about $40-50 in the store, but right now there are some great bargains to be had. (Like most other high-end stuff, good wine is not exactly flying off the shelves.)

Particularly if you don't like the oak you in a typical California Chardonnay, this would be a great one to try--the oak adds to the experience rather than overpowering it. For the sale price, we give it an 8.5 out of 10, which we might knock down a bit if it were full-price.

rully bully

As we mentioned in a recent post, the Côte Chalonnaise region at the southern tip of Burgundy is an excellent place to find good deals. In Rully, an area within the Côte Chalonnaise, you can come across some very nice whites. The winemakers there use methods similar to the wineries in the Côte de Beaune, which is where many of the big-time (usually expensive) whites like Chassagne-Montrachet come from. In other words, Rullys are (often) the poor man'sCôte de Beaunes.

Case in point: the 2006 Vincent Gerardine Rully Blanc 1er Cru Les Cloux. Like most white Burgundies, this one is made from 100% Chardonnay grapes. It's aged mostly in stainless steel casks, along with just enough new French oak to give it the classic Rully toastiness. But it's not oaky and bears about as much resemblance to a typical California Chardonnay as Classic Coke did to New Coke.

This is definitely a rich, round wine--not ideal for casual sipping or cocktail hour. Its subtle tropical fruit notes would make it a good companion for pork, game birds, or high-oil-content fish like king salmon or mackerel. Lobster, the traditional pairing for high-end white Burgundies, would be great. So if you want to blow all your money on a few choice lobsters, go ahead, because this bottle is a serious bargain. For $18.99, we'll give it an 8.0 out of 10.

so fresh and so clean

Our last Riesling-related post was about a sweet Riesling. But as we mentioned then, these wines aren't always sweet. In fact, the 2006 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg we had over the weekend turned out to be anything but. We were shocked by its incredible cleanness and crispness. It was a very structured, well-formed wine that tasted of flowers and minerals. Tart, green apple flavors came up, too, somewhere in the middle of its impressively long finish.

Among the Weinbach's many other charms is its distinctive scent--an elegant combination of perfume and freshly baked bread. Its texture is pure and fine, almost watery. We were amazed at the complexity of this wine, considering how lightly it sits on the palate. We'd recommend drinking it as an aperitif or with mild fish or chicken dishes. Be careful not to pair it with strongly seasoned food, or its delicate sensibilities will be lost.

A little pricey at $37.99, but well worth the "pre-post-recession" splurge. We'd give this one a 9.0 out of 10.

getting soft

At the risk of sounding sexist, Tim called this 2005 Clos Salomon Givry 1er Cru "a very feminine wine." (Meghan was not offended.) It has a soft, almost velvety texture--no rough edges. If you don't like your reds earthy, tannic, acidic, or alcoholic, this wine is for you.

Made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes, the Clos Salomon comes from the Côte Chalonnaise region of Burgundy--a good place to go bargain-hunting. At its $30 price point, it doesn't have the interesting and complex fruit notes that more expensive Burgundies are known for. (By the way, the "feminine" analogy officially ended after the first paragraph.) But its red currant and dark cherry flavors pleased our palates, and would probably please most others. It's kind of like the Slumdog Millionaire of wines.

Drink it before a meal or with chicken or other poultry. Probably not red meat. We conferred on how to rate it (gender-neutrally, of course) and came up with a 7.5 out of 10.

break out the bubbly

Being partial to fizzy beverages, we tend to believe they're criminally overlooked for most of the year. But no one forgets about the bubbly stuff on New Year's Eve. So here are some suggestions of sparklers we like for every budget. As with all of our posts, the prices listed here are approximate and may vary at your local wine store or online retailer.

• Recession Buster. Casteller Cava Brut N.V. (Non-Vintage) from the Catalonia region of Spain. A steal at $8.99, especially if you're going to go through cases of it.
• A Step Up. Gruet Blanc de Noirs N.V. from New Mexico, good ol' USA, for $13.99. Who knew the Southwest--of the U.S.--could produce such a reliably strong sparkling wine?
• The Real Deal. Pol Roger Brut Reserve N.V., from where else, the Champagne region of France. $39.99. Now we're getting into the good stuff. Our favorite for special occasions.
• Pinks Have More Fun. Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé N.V., also from Champagne. $69.99 if you're lucky. Shop around for a good deal. And to all you macho types, don't fear the pink--you can pull it off.
• Going for Broke. Krug Grande Cuvée Brut N.V., Champagne, $159.99. If you're one of the lucky few who still has lots of cash to throw around, grab one of these and a half-kilo of Beluga caviar, and call it a night.

Any of these picks will help you celebrate in style. Happy New Year!

mendocino grille and wine bar

In these modern times, the idea of a "guys' night out" is somewhat different than what it was back in the day. While the idea of a classic beer and pizza night is somewhat appealing, even the manliest of the James Bonds can sit down and enjoy a bottle of white wine with a man friend (see Quantum of Solace).

As mentioned in a previous post, our good friend Barry Koslow is the Executive Chef of a 40-some seat restaurant in Georgetown called Mendocino Grille and Wine Bar. The place, one of our favorites, specializes in California wine and cuisine (kind of). At Tim's request, each of his three friends was charged with selecting a wine to bring to the restaurant one night last week. (There is, in our opinion, a certain protocol to taking wine to a restaurant, which we will discuss in a future post.)

We started with Luis Padilla's selection, a 2005 Guy Amiot et Fils Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Demoiselles". We have enjoyed this wine previously and Tim was thrilled to drink it again. Subtle French oak, hints of vanilla, flinty minerality, peach, perfect balance and a mile-long finish make this $119.99 wine well worth the splurge. We try to shy away from guarantees, but whatever is a step under a guarantee of likability, that's how we feel about this Burgundian masterpiece made from 100% Chardonnay. It had enough finesse to match Barry's mussel "taste o' the sea" dish, but was also, as Luis pointed out, terrific with a slightly heartier branzino plate with glazed baby root vegetables. A 9.5 out of 10. 

Next up was Marek Rich's pick, a 1999 Domaine Daniel Rion et Fils Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Charmes. Another outstanding selection from Burgundy, this wine is a great example of why Pinot Noir and terroir are so often mentioned in the same breath. Whatever your definition of terroir, this gentle but not delicate wine tasted of everything Tim could imagine going into the process of producing a good wine. Earth, leather, tobacco, cherry and bright acidity come to mind for this well-proportioned choice from Côte de Nuits. A great match for Barry's poussin with a cassoulet.  At $89.99 a bottle, we score this an 8.5 out of 10.

Matt Biel is about to become a dad for the first time, so we're not going to call his offering cheap. In fact, there were some merits to the 2003 Chateau Puy la Rose Pauillac he brought. With equal parts merlot and cabernet sauvignon and trace amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this garnet-colored wine had some of the qualities of a wine coming from this impressive appellation (the same as the legendary Chateau Lafite-Rothschild): a big backbone, impressive fruit and a long finish. But for whatever reason, all of the flavors of currant, cherry, cedar and leather got lost in its abundantly alcoholic finish. For $49.99, we could only muster a 5.5 out of 10.

To continue with our French-themed night at the California-themed restaurant (ask Barry if he's a French or California chef...), Tim chose a 1982 Chateau Branaire-Ducru Saint Julien. With mostly Cabernet, some Merlot and a touch of Petit Verdot, this Left Bank Bordeaux was the biggest disappointment of the evening. A good example of terroir from this region as opposed the aforementioned red Burgundy, this tannic reddish-orangeish wine had some beautiful subtleties, but sadly seemed past its prime. Instead of being a wonderfully open and structured aged wine, it seemed to fall apart at the edges despite its delicious, smooth fruit and spice. Barry sent out an incredible piece of beef with this--a Wagyu terres major (think of it as the hangar steak of the shoulder)--and while the pairing was theoretically good, the wine did not live up to the dish (or Tim's expectations).  $159.99 a bottle and a 6.5 out of 10.

Somewhere in the middle of this nine-course, four-bottle-plus-cocktails, gastronomic melee, Tim decided another course and another bottle was necessary. (Actually, he had thought of this possibility beforehand, but had the silly notion that if he brought an extra bottle, it might not be consumed.) And with that, the best pairing of the night was born. The 2002 Dal Forno Romano Valpolicella Superiore is made from Corvina, Rondinella and Croatina grapes and is one of the more robust wines Tim has ever tasted from this region. This is due in large part to the style in which it's made, using some dried Oseleta grapes, similar to those that go into its much richer cousin Amarone. We drank it with wild boar, tasting hints of smoke, spice, raisins and port. This smoothly tannic wine could be described as a powerhouse, but that doesn't do justice to its Brunello-like softness. A $129.99 bottle worth an 8.5 out of 10.

good value sancerre

So maybe your stocks aren't doing so well, but you still want something nice with dinner. This 2006 Matthias et Emile Roblin Sancerre that we had at home last night is a good bet. Meghan tasted notes of lemon, stone, mineral, and that classic Sancerre flintiness. Tim detected limestone, grassiness, and the aforementioned lemon. This wine, made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc, is definitely on the drier side and it stays on the tongue for a while. For a Sancerre it's fairly fat on the mouth, but does not have the glycerin-y element of some of the southern Loire wines. It would stand well on its own and also paired well with our dinner of roasted chicken, broccoli, and potatoes.

One important thing about this one--as with most white wine, it's definitely better at around 55-60 degrees rather than fresh out of the fridge. Cold it's perfectly fine, but when left out to warm up a little its flavors really ripen. This wine reinforces our belief that when in doubt about whites, you can always find a nice, affordable Sancerre. At $19.99, it's a great bargain--we give it (drumroll, please) an 8.5 out of 10.

san francisco

So we decided to take a trip to California to see our good friend Greg Berman (see picture on left) and also so we could challenge Tim's deep-seated feeling that all Cali wines are crap. While we weren't convinced that the region is competitive with the best in the world (we'll get to those), we did debunk the aforementioned idea of poo. We still think Oregon is the best place for American Pinot Noir, but we discovered that the Russian River Valley is an acceptable alternative. In general, the fruit was bright and prevalant but not overextracted (overripened) like many of the Pinots from Carneros and Santa Barbara County.

But before we went to wine country, we needed to spend some time in San Francisco doing the things that help to make us who we are:  eating and drinking. We stopped at a little wine shop called Ruby Wine and picked up a bottle of 2007 Chateau Ducasse Bordeaux Blanc for $16.99 and a bottle of 2005 Regis Bouvier Gevrey-Chambertin for $69.99.

We drank some wine with Greg and his girlfriend Laura, watched the fog roll over the mountains to the area where he used to live and just relaxed and enjoyed ourselves. The Chateau Ducasse was a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle grapes and was not particularly offensive or interesting. A very blah 5.0 out of 10 which was fine considering our mindsets (vacation).

Gevrey-Chambertin is one of our favorite places to find "bargains" in Burgundy. It's true that most great and even truly good Burgundies are ridiculously expensive and probably overpriced, but we have found some relatively decent values in this region. As with all red wines of Burgundy, it is 100% Pinot Noir and as with any good Burgundy, good fruit and good acidity to match. This was not a velvety soft wine, but had good balance and changed several times during each taste. A solid 6.5 out of 10.

Greg then took us over to A16 where his friend, Liza Shaw, made us a terrific meal and we got to know a very interesting 2003 Binomio Montepulciano d'Abruzzo for $70.00 (yours for about $45.00 in a wine store). A fairly robust and tannic wine, it definitely needed time to mellow and when it did, it was delightfully full and funky and chewy. A 7.0 out of 10 that we might have scored higher if we bought it in a store for $45.00.