Corks are Popping and Bubbles are Surging at NY Vintners by Robert Millman

Champagnes can be usefully divided into two categories: Those made from the medium and large Champagne Houses (Moet, Veuve Clicquot, Perrier Jouet, etc) and those made by small growers from their own vineyard holdings. The goals of these ways of making Champagne are fundamentally different: the Major Champagne Houses seek to produce a consistent, reliable, easily recognizable style by blending together fruit grown in many of the sub-regions within Champagne. On the other hand, the small independent growers aim to capture the scents and flavors specific to the vineyard sites from which they make their Champagnes—very much like their counterparts in Burgundy!  Both approaches have their advantages. With the large Champagne Houses, you know pretty much what you are going to experience year and year out. These are essentially branded beverages. The small Grower Champagnes vary with the vintage and the vineyards from which they are made. So it takes a lot more work to discover which small estates are producing first rate Champagne and which are not. And this is where we come in: we have made it our business to taste many of the Large House and Small Grower Champagnes in our quest to offer you the best. Below are 5 selections from our focused inventory of excellent Champagnes.  Two are from Big Houses for which we have great respect, 2 are from wonderful small growers who have achieved considerable repute among aficionados of the bubble and one is sufficiently unique as to defy easy classification.


LARGE HOUSE CHAMPAGNES

HENRIOT BRUT SOUVERAIN NV    $37/Bottle
The formidable Joseph Henriot, who purchased and completely revivified Bouchard Pere et Fils in Burgundy, is responsible for transforming Henriot from an also-ran to one of the best Houses in Champagnes. With its high percentage of Chardonnay, the affordable Souverain offers a brilliant synthesis of lemony zestiness and buttery, yeasty richness. Josh Raynolds of the International Wine Cellar recently said of the Souverain that “On the basis of aroma, texture and depth, I could easily have confused this wine with the current release of Dom Perignon.” You can serve the Souverain as an aperitif and with any seafood dish you can imagine.

LAURENT PERRIER NV BRUT $43/Bottle
Among the biggest producers in Champagne, Laurent Perrier has if anything been making better wines in the last decade. The rich, smoky mouth-filling style of LP is based
on the blending from over 200 base wines from more than 50 sites—exemplifying the essence of the Big House approach. Josh Raynolds notes that “In my tastings in recent years, this has consistently been among the best non-vintage brut bottlings from the major Champagne houses.”

GROWER CHAMPAGNES

PIERRE GIMONNET BRUT GASTRONOME 2005  $57/Bottle
Run by brothers Olivier and Didier Gimonnet this excellent estate focuses on Chardonnay grown on its vineyards in Chouilly, one of the best “neighborhoods” in Champagne. The Gimonnets favor freshness, moderate bubbles and very little dosage-so you find a truly dry finish on the Gastronome. Robert Parker’s reviewer, the precise Antonio Galloni described the 2005 Brut Cuvee Gastronome as “an impeccably balanced wine that caresses the palate with generous layers of fragrant, perfumed fruit. Apples, pears, flowers and white peaches come together in this refreshing, creamy Champagne.” 91 Points

EGLY-OURIET NV BRUT TRADITION GRAND CRU    $56/Bottle
Now that is a mouthful! But no recommendation of the best Grower Champagnes would be complete without one of the fantastic Egly-Ouriet Champagnes. Here the emphasis is on Pinot Noir and the style stresses power, depth, weight, intensity and that marvelous old-fashioned baked bread aroma which was the norm for Champagne in the first half of the 20th century. Production is very small here. This is food Champagne par excellence and is a perfect foil to Gimonnet’s butterfly style. If you want to experience Grand Cru Champagne at a reasonable price, this is the one!

KRUG GRAND CUVEE MV   $170/Bottle
Technically a multi-vintage, Krug’s Grand Cuvee is for many wine lovers The Champagne by which all others—Large House and Grower—must be measured. What distinguishes Krug is the emphasis on the wine quality itself. A blend from many Grand Cru sites, the Grand Cuvee is produced from wines which are fermented and aged in small Burgundy barrels and then put in bottle with a minimum of dosage for years before being released. Robert Parker’s latest addition to The Wine Advocate’s group of reviewers, the British Master of Wine Lisa Perrotti-Brown has written an eloquent and accurate description of the Grande Cuvee: “The nose alone is worth savouring with its mouth-wateringly fresh baked apple pie and marzipan scents. The palate is rich, full-flavoured and very crisp with a wonderful combination of brioche, stone fruit and mineral flavours providing layers of complexity.” 94 Points

Bubbles Mentioned Above…we are offering free shipping on the below wines through COB 12/28/09 to make sure you get yours in time for the New Year:

HENRIOT BRUT SOUVERAIN NV    $37/Bottle

LAURENT PERRIER NV BRUT $43/Bottle

PIERRE GIMONNET BRUT GASTRONOME 2005  $57/Bottle

EGLY-OURIET NV BRUT TRADITION GRAND CRU    $56/Bottle

KRUG GRAND CUVEE MV   $170/Bottle

An Evening with Peter Wasserman by Alana Stone

Last Tuesday night, I had the pleasure of interviewing the multi-faceted wine consultant Peter Wasserman at the Becky Wasserman Selections wine pairing dinner held at New York Vintners. The son of founder Becky Wasserman Hone, Peter Wasserman acts as the company’s global wine consultant and is based between Burgundy, where the company is headquartered, and New York City.

A globe trotting polyglot, Wasserman’s enviable elevage occurred amidst the Burgundian vines. Despite this distinct advantage, Wasserman once lamented his lot in life: “at the time I hated it, living in this little isolated village and having to walk through the mud to school.”  However, Wasserman, perhaps intoxicated over time by the ravishing scent of Pinot Noir wafting through the fields, now acknowledges the fact that he is indeed “the luckiest bastard on earth.”

Wasserman’s American mother Becky eschewed the prospect of becoming a hotel receptionist (she had the distinct advantage of speaking fluent English) instead electing to launch her own wine business in 1979, thus becoming one of the first women to start a wine brokerage. Becky had been living in Burgundy since 1968, where she was swiftly infected by the local culture, food, wine and savoir vivre.

Apparently the wine gene runs in the family. According to Wasserman, his brother Paul has an excruciatingly good nose from day one, honing his ability to detect discrete domaines and vintages by the tender age of five. When presented blind with a particularly good wine administered amidst a sea of mediocrity; Paul took one sniff and notoriously remarked: “finally…a good one!”

It seems that a rare combination of genes and upbringing has endowed the Wassermans with their unique talent for unearthing hand crafted hidden jewels. And that sort of talent is critical when it comes to the delicate and notoriously temperamental wines of Burgundy and Champagne, the regions where the Wassermans focus their energy.

Wasserman transitions seamlessly between French, English and Franglais. The mark of a true polyglot is not, after all, how many languages one counts among one’s repertoire, but rather how well one can combine multiple languages within the same sentence, something Wasserman excels at.

Wines He Loves

When it comes to his taste, it’s all about nuance. When asked about his favorite wine, he professes to be in love with the 1984 and 86’ Chambolle Musigny Les Amoureuses “in an ever replenishing double magnum.” According to Wasserman, the wine exhibits “the indescribable character of a tightrope walker; graceful, but extremely vulnerable. The minerality extends beyond the wine’s composition; it layers on the mid-palate in such a graceful way. It has great length, but not power. It is expressive but not heavy.” Not surprisingly, if he were placed in the uncompromising position of having to drink only one style of wine for the rest of his life, he would choose red Burgundy hands down. Wasserman’s love for Burgundian Pinot is such that he even finds it to be the best match for Sushi and as well as for the musical pairings of Johnny Cash, Delta blues, as well as historical novels and books about an item, such as “Cod”, “Salt” or “Cotton.”

Wasserman continues that the Pinot/Sushi clash isn’t something to feared. If someone goes for a Burg with sushi, they’re already open and advanced enough to rise to the challenge; to fully accept the meeting of these two dissonant forces. “This unique pair is like the greatest of marriages. If the pairing is a success, it’s a marriage. If not, it’s a seriously flawed relationship. In the case of the marriage, the pair meet on a higher ground. It’s transcendental. A more pure expression of the elements comes to the fore. Whereas in a traditional pairing, the sum is greater than its parts, in an oriental pairing, the elements may clash up front but both wine and food meet on a higher plane in a clear way.” Like Foie Gras and Sauternes, many unexpected couples can make a stunning pair.

Outside Burgundy and Champagne, Wasserman particularly enjoys wines from the Northern Rhone and some Barolos. “I like layers and lengthy evolution in the glass. Unlike these monolithic wines, I want a wine to show potential so I’m not looking for big molten blocks that fall short.” Still, he admits that what counts most is what the individual is looking for. Becky Wasserman Imports has carved out an increasingly unique niche within the wine market for high quality, small grower, boutique wines that are renowned for their refinement, sophistication and delicacy.

Taste

Wasserman believes that wine is primarily meant to be drunk with food. One notable wine collector present at Tuesday’s dinner remarked that it must be extremely difficult for a critic to judge a wine without food, given that it changes in the palate according to its food partner. However Wasserman’s take on this issue is that tasting can be conducted in several different ways for a multiplicity of purposes.

For instance, he likes to taste to determine structure, layered mid-palate and potential for aging. This should be done by those wishing to cellar their wines. However, for wines that are to be enjoyed now and that are currently drinking well; the nose and the fruit suddenly step into the equation. It was also pointed out that wine should be judged within its own category: an excellent Pouilly Fume can’t be justly compared to an equivalently high quality Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc; just as a piece of impressionistic art cannot be compared with an equivalent achievement in abstract expressionism. The sauvignon example highlights that these are two distinct geographies, climates, terroirs and winemaking styles, which isn’t to say that everybody has or should have the same taste.

Wasserman suggests that the best way to navigate the wine ratings landscape to find wines YOU will enjoy is to take a selection of wines rated by different critics, and to taste them blind. Then determine, based on your personal favorites, which level of each individual critic’s score most appeals to your individual palate. As wine is a highly subjective experience, an individual taster could simply adore all of Parker’s 87 scores, while going for Clive Coates’s 91’s or Jancis Robinson’s 17’s (the Brits tend to rate out of 20, rather than using the American 100 point scale).  The consensus around our table was that people tend to go for the highest scores, as they equate that with personal success in a competitive environment, equating it with (chilling memories of?) school or competitive sports. However, wine, being a far more subtle and complex beast, requires a nuanced and highly individualized rating scale. Everyone tastes differently, and objectively better constructed wines aside, matching your taste with a particular critic’s score range that matches it, offers a serious, personalized and possibly more cost efficient alternative to simply taking the highest ratings as being the monolithic “truth.”

Wines of the Night

At one point over the course of the meal, the entire room compared the Camille Giroud 2006 Volnay Les Taillepieds and the Camille Giroud 1976 Corton Bressandes. While most present showed a slight preference for the 76’, Wasserman attributes this to the stage of the wine’s development. Indeed, its softly complex set of heady aromas abandoned themselves fully when discovered on the velvety palate, chock full of smoky seductive black fruit that almost danced with vibrancy. Much as in 2003, France experienced a heatwave over the summer of 1976. Far from destroying the fruit character of the Corton Bressandes; the influence the sun, and resulting thicker skins of the grapes, has caused this glorious wine to age into its own voluptuous body via a remarkable set of powerful tannins that have mellowed out over time. This wine is like a jazz rhapsody for the palate.

By contrast, the 06’ Volnay, with its layered mid-palate, structured elegance and austere tannins, drinking deliciously now; will also be glorious in 10 or 20 years at later stages of its development. The name taille pieds literally means foot sharpener, an attribute that stems from the gravel size limestone pebbles that constitute the domaine’s topsoil. This name perfectly reflects the wine’s undercurrent of cutting minerality running beneath a core of ruby soft fruit.

But perhaps the most intriguing wines came towards the end of the evening in the form of a bold Brouilly and a wonderfully unusual Syrah, Grenache blend from the Languedoc-Rousillon which, while forming a smashing pair with the Pear Tart we were served for dessert, seemed to me like the perfect match for a great big haunch of Venison on the grill. Wasserman concurred that the Domaine des Grecaux 2004 Montpeyroux Hemera could arguably be the best barbeque wine on earth. While its sumptuousness took on Port-like qualities, bursting with dark black fruit and a hint of chocolate when served with the dessert; this wine is clearly versatile, held up by vibrant acidity and a remarkable freshness. The Brouilly, served with a delectable smorgasbord of artisanal cheeses, proved that Gamay can be a bold and age worthy choice, as is seldom reflected in often disappointing mass market Beaujolais. At our table’s lively debate, the Brouilly was equated with Jennifer Aniston, while the Grecaux was clearly the Angelina Jolie of the evening. In addition, both the Grecaux and the Brouilly are extremely fairly priced at $24 and $29 a bottle respectively.

All in all, the evening proved a heady mix of high and low wit, with Picasso winning the title of “the best Artist of all time in bed” and several celebrity couples being compared to wine and food pairings (everyone from Morante and Moravia to Bill and Monica were mentioned). All in all, the dinner proved to be an educational tour de force for the senses, the mind and, most importantly, the palate.

For those who would like to find out more about the intriguing Wasserman family and their stunningly unique wines, take a look into the Becky Wasserman Selections website at www.leserbet.com.    Peter Wasserman recommends Cote d’Or by Clive Coates for the best book on Burgundy and Tom Stevenson’s Champagne books for some excellent bubbly reading.

Spreading the Word…by Alex

I have often considered Grüner Veltliner has to be considered the most underappreciated white varietal overall by wine consumers. At New York Vintners, we have some great examples of Grüner Veltliner. When dealing with walk-in customers on a daily bases, you find most are completely unaware of the Austrian grape. I have often wondered, “Why?” It’s certainly not for its lack of availability – Grüner Veltliner is by far Austria’s most widely planted white varietal. I don’t believe it’s because of its taste – a dry, racy, and slightly spicy profile can be extremely appealing characteristics in wine. So why don’t more consumers know about it and or drink it?

My natural inclination would be to assume that Austria has done a poor job promoting its wines. We’ve seen similar instances with Spanish wines. Spain produces some of the world’s greatest wines, both expensive and inexpensive, but the country has never really caught on with American consumers as much as it should. Argentina on the other hand has increased wine exports to the U.S. exponentially over the last decade. Surely Argentina’s wines aren’t any better than Spain’s?  Both countries’ reds have similar appeals in their dark, concentrated, fruity styles, and their price-to-quality ration on the low and high end are great! I think it just has to be a better marketing effort by Argentina.

A prime example of a wine region making great efforts to promote its wines is Champagne, at least from what I’ve directly witnessed. Last year the public relations/marketing office of Champagne (which has an office in the States) held a press tasting at our store. Their goal was to not only promote Champagne as one of the world’s premier wines, but also reiterate that Champagne is not a generic term for sparkling wine and can only apply to wines produced within that appellation in France.

I think if more countries or regions decided to invest some money and take this approach they would find their wines more popular with the general consumer. Given the state of the economy and the ever increasing numbers of bottles on the market, competition for consumers, store shelf space, and restaurant wine lists is the most intense its been in years. So let’s see some of these countries spend some money on marketing, offer up free tastings in emerging markets, and spread the word about their wines as much as possible. They will not only sell more wine, but the average consumer will become more educated as well.

Here are few of my favorites from the countries mentioned:

SPK124 Billecart-Salmon NV Brut, $48

WH711 Brundlmayer 2007 Grüner Veltliner, $22.99

RD1840 Catena, Ernesto 2007 Malbec Padrillos, $13.99

RD1393 Olivares 2007 Jumilla Altos de la Hoya, $14

Brunello di Montalcino by Alex

Over the holiday weekend I opened up a terrific bottle of wine to go with our burgers and hot dogs off the grill – Talenti 1999 Brunello di Montalcino. It’s a wine I have pretty good experience with, but also one I haven’t tasted for at least a year or so. Although typically tightly-wound and hard in their youth, Brunello di Montalcino are some of Italy’s most age-worthy wines, and at already 10 years in age, this wine absolutely sung. Full of blackberries, spice and plums, the wine was deep, focused and complex.

Perhaps Tuscany’s greatest red wine, the actual town of Montalcino may be one of the prettiest places on earth. Located 70 miles southwest of Florence, the historic town sits high up a steep set of hills where one can gaze down at the descending vineyards. Brunello di Montalcino must be made 100% from Sangiovese Grosso, a superior clone of Sangiovese, in and around the vineyards surrounding the Tuscan town. Montalcino and those towns neighboring it enjoy warmer, drier air than other regions of Chianti, the open, rolling countryside offering both ideal ventilation and cool nights. These characteristics allow Brunello, translated as “little dark one” because of the grape’s brown hue, to fully ripen and produce the wine’s fuller, richer taste. The current aging requirements, which were updated and lessoned in 1998, dictate that Brunello di Montalcino are to be aged in wood for a minimum of 2 years and at least 4 months in bottle before release. In order to classify as riserva, the wine must spend an additional year maturing in wood.

With the number of individually registered DOCG Brunello di Montalcino wineries steadily increasing over the last decade and now numbering around 230, these often expensive wines can result in drinking disappointment without a little research and trial and error. Some of my “sure-things” are from the following estates:

Valdicava
Uccelliera
Stella di Campalto
Poggio di Sotto
Ciacci Piccolomini
Pertimali-Sassetti

The Simple Pleasures in Life…by Alex

As we get into late Spring with the Summer season on the horizon, I always make sure to have one thing cold in the refrigerator – and that is a good bottle of Prosecco. A well made Prosecco is one of life’s great, simple pleasures. Meant to be easy-going and refreshing, Prosecco can be enjoyed on its own or blended to make other cocktails – the most famous being mixed with peach puree, otherwise known as a “Bellini.”

Prosecco is in fact both the name of the wine as well as the grape variety. Native to the Veneto region in northeastern Italy, the Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG is the highest classification of the wine, made west of the township of Conegliano near the Piave river. The Prosecco grapes are typically harvested in mid-September and are vinified dry. They, in turn, achieve their characteristic bubbles in large tanks through the Charmat method. This process is much more cost effective than the traditional method used in Champagne where the secondary fermentation takes place in each individual bottle. The Charmat process combined with the inherent simplistic quality of the Prosecco grape results in an often-inexpensive wine. My favorites tend to be on the drier side, quite fresh with ripe fruit. Now beware, a lot of cheap Prosecco is made in the Veneto so it takes some effort to wade through the poor bottles.

Here are two of my favorites.

Flor NV Prosecco, $19

Botter NV Verduzzo Prosecco, $12.99