November 11, 2009: This Week’s Wine Pick from The White Stone Wine and Cheese Board—Lenoble Champagne.
Editor’s Note: The White Stone Wine and Cheese Wine Board is a small band of wine lovers who get together once a week with owner Bruce Watson to taste and talk about new wine releases.
Call it bubbly, sparkling wine, spumante, prosecco or cava, but don’t call it Champagne if it’s not from the Champagne Appellation d’Origine Controlée (AOC) in France. Real Champagne comes from Champagne—and only Champagne—and is made in accordance with 35 iron-clad rules designed to uphold its quality and its unique flavor profile.
Champagne may be made with up to three grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The grapes are harvested by hand. Only grapes grown in specifically designated vineyards over 33,500 hectares may be labeled Champagne. Production is limited to 15,500 kg per hectare. And the juice must be aged for a minimum of 15 months, for non-vintage Champagne, and 36 months for vintage.
High standards and limited production mean true Champagne is a pricey item, often reserved for only the most special occasions. At $36, the one we tasted this week is no exception—on an absolute basis. But relative to other true French Champagnes, White Stone White and Cheese proprietor Bruce Watson, the White Stone Wine and Cheese Board and wine critics the world over agree: Lenoble Non-vintage Brut is an outstanding wine and an exceptional value.
Call it bubbly, sparkling wine, spumante, prosecco or cava, but don’t call it Champagne if it’s not from the Champagne Appellation d’Origine Controlée (AOC) in France. Real Champagne comes from Champagne—and only Champagne—and is made in accordance with 35 iron-clad rules designed to uphold its quality and its unique flavor profile.
Champagne may be made with up to three grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The grapes are harvested by hand. Only grapes grown in specifically designated vineyards over 33,500 hectares may be labeled Champagne. Production is limited to 15,500 kg per hectare. And the juice must be aged for a minimum of 15 months, for non-vintage Champagne, and 36 months for vintage.
High standards and limited production mean true Champagne is a pricey item, often reserved for only the most special occasions. At $36, the one we tasted this week is no exception—on an absolute basis. But relative to other true French Champagnes, White Stone White and Cheese proprietor Bruce Watson, the White Stone Wine and Cheese Board and wine critics the world over agree: Lenoble Non-vintage Brut is an outstanding wine and an exceptional value.
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September 10, 2009: This Week’s Wine Picks from The White Stone Wine and Cheese Board
Editor’s Note: The White Stone Wine and Cheese Wine Board is a small band of wine lovers who get together once a week with owner Bruce Watson to taste and talk about new wine releases.
It’s September. The humidity has abated ever-so-slightly. Evenings are cool. A hint of fall is in the air! So Bruce thought it was a good time to taste some reds for cooler weather: bargain Bordeaux, a Board-favorite Shiraz and a budget Premier Cru.
Ken Forrester Grenache Shiraz 2005. Ken Forrester’s South African wines are always a favorite with the board. His $10 Petit Cabernet Merlot is a big seller at the Wine and Cheese and a favorite of The Local Accent’s founder, Susan McFadden. This blend of 53% Shiraz and 47% Grenache is plummy, peppery, spicy and savory with soft tannins.
Bargain Bordeaux
Tired of palate-numbing, high octane, New World fruit bombs? Try one of these inexpensive old world Bordeaux to restore your faith that there are still well-made wines that reflect their terroir and a winemaker’s singular vision.
• Château Haut-La Pereyre 2006 Bordeaux Supérieux. Silky blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon. Classic old-world flavor profile: berries, cedar, toast and minerals. $20
• Château Recougne Bordeaux 2006 Supérieux. Deep, ruby red. Long on palate with red fruits, leather, musk. $20
• Domaine de Châteaumar Cuvée Bastien 2007 Côtes du Rhone. Bruce tells us this is a back-door Château-Neuf-du-Pape buy. In France, the Appellation d’Origine Controlée makes the rules for wine production in a given AOC. One of the rules limits harvests. If too much Château-Neuf-du-Pape is produced, for example, the extra juice can’t be labeled as such. So it gets dumped or bottled under a different name. Such is the case with this inky purple wine with berries on the nose with black pepper, licorice and floral notes. The tannins are firm, but well-integrated. The juicy, 100% single-vineyard Grenache is farmed sustainably with no herbicides. $23
It’s September. The humidity has abated ever-so-slightly. Evenings are cool. A hint of fall is in the air! So Bruce thought it was a good time to taste some reds for cooler weather: bargain Bordeaux, a Board-favorite Shiraz and a budget Premier Cru.
Ken Forrester Grenache Shiraz 2005. Ken Forrester’s South African wines are always a favorite with the board. His $10 Petit Cabernet Merlot is a big seller at the Wine and Cheese and a favorite of The Local Accent’s founder, Susan McFadden. This blend of 53% Shiraz and 47% Grenache is plummy, peppery, spicy and savory with soft tannins.
Bargain Bordeaux
Tired of palate-numbing, high octane, New World fruit bombs? Try one of these inexpensive old world Bordeaux to restore your faith that there are still well-made wines that reflect their terroir and a winemaker’s singular vision.
• Château Haut-La Pereyre 2006 Bordeaux Supérieux. Silky blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon. Classic old-world flavor profile: berries, cedar, toast and minerals. $20
• Château Recougne Bordeaux 2006 Supérieux. Deep, ruby red. Long on palate with red fruits, leather, musk. $20
• Domaine de Châteaumar Cuvée Bastien 2007 Côtes du Rhone. Bruce tells us this is a back-door Château-Neuf-du-Pape buy. In France, the Appellation d’Origine Controlée makes the rules for wine production in a given AOC. One of the rules limits harvests. If too much Château-Neuf-du-Pape is produced, for example, the extra juice can’t be labeled as such. So it gets dumped or bottled under a different name. Such is the case with this inky purple wine with berries on the nose with black pepper, licorice and floral notes. The tannins are firm, but well-integrated. The juicy, 100% single-vineyard Grenache is farmed sustainably with no herbicides. $23
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August 31, 2009: This Week’s Wine Picks from The White Stone Wine and Cheese Board
The White Stone Wine and Cheese Wine Board is a small band of wine lovers who get together once a week with owner Bruce Watson to taste and talk about new wine releases.
Bruce told us that every state in the union produces at least one wine. So he decided to collect at least one wine from each state for the White Stone Wine and Cheese National Wine Tasting this fall. So far he has a blueberry wine from Maine and a raspberry-rhubarb blend from South Dakota. Clearly, we’re not talking the good stuff, here. The next time you find a funky wine in a faraway state, bring it home to the White Stone Wine and Cheese.
River Road Chardonnay 2003 Sonoma. Bruce said, “Bruce said, “This is the least expensive Sonoma Chardonnay you’re going to find.” Fermented in stainless steel with very little oak so it’s bright, clean and very tart. $17
River Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Sonoma. Ditto on Bruce’s comments above. Pleasing blackberry, plum and mocha, but not complex. Easy to drink and ready to drink now. River Road wines are a good, safe, economical choice. They are widely available at retail outlets and on restaurant wine lists. $17
Saintsbury Pinot Noir 2007 Carneros. The Board managed to “taste” the whole bottle of this elegant wine. It’s earthy and Burgundian in style. Balanced, rich and complex—but restrained. Nothing like the overblown, cough syrupy stuff that often passes for Pinot these days. Delicious. $35
Bruce told us that every state in the union produces at least one wine. So he decided to collect at least one wine from each state for the White Stone Wine and Cheese National Wine Tasting this fall. So far he has a blueberry wine from Maine and a raspberry-rhubarb blend from South Dakota. Clearly, we’re not talking the good stuff, here. The next time you find a funky wine in a faraway state, bring it home to the White Stone Wine and Cheese.
River Road Chardonnay 2003 Sonoma. Bruce said, “Bruce said, “This is the least expensive Sonoma Chardonnay you’re going to find.” Fermented in stainless steel with very little oak so it’s bright, clean and very tart. $17
River Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Sonoma. Ditto on Bruce’s comments above. Pleasing blackberry, plum and mocha, but not complex. Easy to drink and ready to drink now. River Road wines are a good, safe, economical choice. They are widely available at retail outlets and on restaurant wine lists. $17
Saintsbury Pinot Noir 2007 Carneros. The Board managed to “taste” the whole bottle of this elegant wine. It’s earthy and Burgundian in style. Balanced, rich and complex—but restrained. Nothing like the overblown, cough syrupy stuff that often passes for Pinot these days. Delicious. $35
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Editor’s Note: The White Stone Wine and Cheese Wine Board is a small band of wine lovers who get together once a week with owner Bruce Watson to taste and talk about new wine releases.
This week Bruce brought out six wines that sell for $15 to $20. The price was right and so were the wines. You really can’t go wrong with these!
Moulin de Gassac Guilhem 2008. Blend of 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Grenache Blanc and 20% Clairette. Clairette is a blending grape that imparts a lean, clean lemon zest to the wine. This is French Sauvignon Blanc—fresh and grassy. We thought this full, fresh wine with good acidity would work equally well as an aperitif or with a meal.
The Wolftrap Syrah Mourvedre Viognier 2008. This South African Wine is a blend of 68% Syrah, 30% Mourvedre and 2% Viognier. Isn’t that a white grape? Winemakers in France’s Côte Rôtie have long co-fermented Syrah and Viognier to infuse the wine with a hint of Viognier’s flowery aroma and to deepen and stabilize the wine’s color. This wine had a terrific nose and peppery finish and was lighter-bodied than we expected given the14.5% alcohol content.
Kanonkop Kadetter 2008. South African winemaker Kanonkop was the first to bottle and export Pinotage around the world, so if you’re in the market for Pinotage, Kanonkop is the one to get. Pinotage is a cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault that originated at the University of Stellenbosch in 1925. The idea was to combine the flavor of Pinot Noir with the hardiness of Cinsault. The South Africans have been experimenting with it ever since, making it hard to pin down exactly what to expect when you pick up a bottle—which may be why Bruce says he’s never found the right words to describe the wine. We really liked it.
This week Bruce brought out six wines that sell for $15 to $20. The price was right and so were the wines. You really can’t go wrong with these!
Moulin de Gassac Guilhem 2008. Blend of 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Grenache Blanc and 20% Clairette. Clairette is a blending grape that imparts a lean, clean lemon zest to the wine. This is French Sauvignon Blanc—fresh and grassy. We thought this full, fresh wine with good acidity would work equally well as an aperitif or with a meal.
The Wolftrap Syrah Mourvedre Viognier 2008. This South African Wine is a blend of 68% Syrah, 30% Mourvedre and 2% Viognier. Isn’t that a white grape? Winemakers in France’s Côte Rôtie have long co-fermented Syrah and Viognier to infuse the wine with a hint of Viognier’s flowery aroma and to deepen and stabilize the wine’s color. This wine had a terrific nose and peppery finish and was lighter-bodied than we expected given the14.5% alcohol content.
Kanonkop Kadetter 2008. South African winemaker Kanonkop was the first to bottle and export Pinotage around the world, so if you’re in the market for Pinotage, Kanonkop is the one to get. Pinotage is a cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault that originated at the University of Stellenbosch in 1925. The idea was to combine the flavor of Pinot Noir with the hardiness of Cinsault. The South Africans have been experimenting with it ever since, making it hard to pin down exactly what to expect when you pick up a bottle—which may be why Bruce says he’s never found the right words to describe the wine. We really liked it.
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Editor’s Note: The White Stone Wine and Cheese Wine Board is a small band of wine lovers who get together once a week with owner Bruce Watson to taste and talk about new wine releases.
Calera Ryan Pinot Noir 2005. Calera has always been a Wine Board favorite. Their Ryan vineyard was established in 1998 at 2500 feet above sea level in the Mt. Harlan AVA. Calera is the only vineyard in the AVA and produces just three varietals. The fourth vintage from the Ryan vineyard is bright and lively with cherry and berry, subtle herbs and the minerality characteristic of Mt. Harlan. Best of tasting. $45
Chateau de Saint Cosme “Little James’ Basket Press” (Nonvintage). Goofy name. Goofy label covered with goofy cartoons. Good thing we didn’t goof up and judge this wine by its label. The 100% Grenache is a perfect vin de table—rich, fruity, spicy, inexpensive and French. Best value (tie). $20
Westerly Vineyards Merlot 2006. Classic Merlot. Bruce said, “I like a Merlot that tastes like a Merlot and this one does.” Merlot originated in the Bordeaux region of France. It is soft, juicy and has less tannin than Cabernet Sauvignon, making it a mellow, easy to drink wine that pairs well with lots of foods. $30
Calera Ryan Pinot Noir 2005. Calera has always been a Wine Board favorite. Their Ryan vineyard was established in 1998 at 2500 feet above sea level in the Mt. Harlan AVA. Calera is the only vineyard in the AVA and produces just three varietals. The fourth vintage from the Ryan vineyard is bright and lively with cherry and berry, subtle herbs and the minerality characteristic of Mt. Harlan. Best of tasting. $45
Chateau de Saint Cosme “Little James’ Basket Press” (Nonvintage). Goofy name. Goofy label covered with goofy cartoons. Good thing we didn’t goof up and judge this wine by its label. The 100% Grenache is a perfect vin de table—rich, fruity, spicy, inexpensive and French. Best value (tie). $20
Westerly Vineyards Merlot 2006. Classic Merlot. Bruce said, “I like a Merlot that tastes like a Merlot and this one does.” Merlot originated in the Bordeaux region of France. It is soft, juicy and has less tannin than Cabernet Sauvignon, making it a mellow, easy to drink wine that pairs well with lots of foods. $30
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