|
WINE PRESS
ESSEX COUNTY
WINE SOCIETY
12
January 2005
Dear friends and fellow wine lovers:
The calendar wine tasting year 2005
opened with an event that really reached the goals that our society had set
when it first met in 1973. Our certificate of incorporation (16 April 1973)
States . . “.the purposes of the society . . . are the continuous education
and instruction of its members in the vineyards and the wines of the world .
. . the tasting, enjoyment and discussion of wines and all matters relating
thereto.” The January tasting was very informative and the discussion
lively. Ron Schwartzman did an exemplary job and we thank him for a tasting
well done. .
The Australian Cabernets were excellent
and the tasting explored an area with which many of us had little
experience. Ron presented 9 Australian cabernets (really 10, if the
aperitif, the 2002 Paringa, is counted) in three groups: 1) Coonawarra; 2)
Margaret River; and 3) Barossa. Coonawarra with its red soil and limestone
ridge gives wines with very concentrated and luscious fruit flavors and a
minimum of tannins (Halliday, J. Wine Atlas of Australia and New Zealand
1991). Margaret River wines are from a cooler climate and are perhaps more
Bordeaux-like. They tend to be more elegant and subdued. Barossa wines (at
least those presented) are over-the-top with huge fruit and tannins and
could come from no other place than Australia.
In the tasting the favorite top 4 wines
were separated by only 2 votes. The 2001 Greenock Creek was first and the
2002 Henry’s Drive was second. Tied for third place were the1998 Wynn’s
John Riddoch and the 2002 Noon Reserve.
For those on the Waiting/Guest list who
did not receive a notice of the January tasting, we apologize. There was a
mix-up at the site we use to compile and send out the WINE PRESS. We hope
this does not happen again. If for some reason you do not receive our wine
letter at the time you might expect it – say 2-3 weeks before the tasting –
give a member a call.
Our next tasting on February 3 will be
of 2001 Chateauneuf-de-Papes conducted by our Southern Rhone aficionado, Tom
Bonito. Southern Rhone wines have always been a favorite of the society. We
have tasted more Rhone wines in the past 15 years than any other geographic
area except for Bordeaux and Burgundy.
The history of this area is moderately
interesting. The official papal stay at Avignon, 16 kilometers from the town
of Chateauneuf de Papes, was from 1309 to 1378 and the first of the Avignon
popes, Clement V also had a Bordeaux vineyard now known as Chateau Pape
Clement.(Livingston-Learmouth, The Wines of the Rhone, Faber and Faber
1992). The community had been growing wines at least 150 years before
Clement’s arrival. The wine known as Chateauneuf de Papes has not long
held that name. In the late 18th century the wines of La Nerte
(now Nerthe) were marketed in England and colonies , selling them as the
“Vin des Papes”. (Livingston-Learmouth). Thomas Jefferson, who stopped in
Avignon in the Spring of 1787, did not comment on the red wines but he was
struck by a white wine, Vin Blanc de Rochegude, which he thought was equal
of Montrachet and Sauternes. He ordered some for his Paris residence and “2
years later shared his discovery with President George Washington and John
Jay” (Gabler, J.M. Passions: The Wines and Travels of Thomas Jefferson,
Bacchus Press 1995). During the 1800s the wines were described as soft and
drinkable by the 3rd or 4th year after the harvest.
Yields were quite low.
La Nerte (sic) was thought to be the
best wine. In the 1870s phylloxera struck hard and many vineyards become
orchards. The late 1800s and early 1900s saw more acres returned to grape
vines. In 1923 the first laws regulating table wine were instituted in
Chateauneuf de Papes and these became the basis for the concept of
appellation controlee which extended throughout France and were copied by
Italy, Germany and Spain. Robert Parker, in his influential publication,
Wine Advocate, has been a great supporter and publicist for Rhone wines in
the past two decades. The wines are now no longer little known and
inexpensive.
We recently had a superb 2000
Chateauneuf de Papes tasting (vintage rated 98 by Parker) and we will now
explore the equally excellent 2001 (rated 96). The wines of 2001 are
described as big, structured and rich . They are full-bodied, dense, inky
purple/plum colored, tannic chewy pure wines. 2001 was a slightly cooler
vintage than 2000, 2002 was a wash-out and was rated 58 by Parker. The very
torrid 2003 also looks to be pretty good since the main grape of the
Chateauneuf de Papes area, Grenache, withstands heat very well. The 2001
are appropriate to taste now because the vintage both has some bottle age
and is available.
The wines Tom has selected have a median
Parker rating of 95, which Parker defines as “an outstanding wine of
exceptional complexity and character. In short these are terrific wines.”
One of the wines Tom will include in the
tasting is the Domaine de Marcoux Vieilles Vignes which retails for about
$250! Parker goes on to describe the wine as a “brilliant effort. A wine
of nobility as well as purity. This cuvee made from 50-100 year Grenache
vines exhibits a dark plum/purple color as well as a sumptuous bouquet of
Provencal herbs, roasted meats, crème de cassis, blackberries, and
violets”. We will be tasting the wines blind and we wonder how much this
wine will stand out from the rest. In addition we will be tasting: 1) a
“Burgundian-styled Chavin Chateauneuf de Papes similar in style to a nearby
neighbor, Rayas”(Parker); 2) a classic, long-lived elegant finesse styled .
. . Clos des Papes; 3) a “chewy, full bodied, surprisingly elegant –
resembling a top grand cru Burgundy- Domaine de la Jannasse, Cuvee Chaupin;
and 4) a Domaine du Pegu, Cuvee Reserve described (Parker again) as having a
“smorgarsbord of aromas . . . full bodied, dense and chewy”. There will
also be three others including one semi-ringer of the same quality.
We look forward to this exciting
tasting.
The cost of the tasting
will be $61for members and $69 for guests.
The following tasting
on March 3 will be of the superb 2002 red Burgundies and is planned to
include village, premier cru and grand cru wines.
At the April 7th
tasting of older/very expensive Burgundies we must limit the number of
participants. Members will get priority but it will be first come, first
served. If there are spaces available, waiting list/guests may then be able
to attend.
A votre sante and in
vino veritas,
Bob and Howard
|