Shiraz, lies and redtape

This is what we drank with Thanksgiving leftovers: Mount Langi Ghiran Cliff Edge Shiraz 2001 ($25 on release). I like the wine, but the label plays annoying games with the truth.

It's a young-vines wine from Mount Langi Ghiran, whose flagship Shiraz is an old favorite. I picked it because I wanted something juicy, and it delivered, with a lot more complexity and also alcoholic wallop than I had a right to expect.

But what the hell is this wine, exactly?

The back label reads, "The dramatic 'Cliff Edge' vineyard was selected as a future source for the internationally acclaimed 'Langi Shiraz.' The complex wine is a blend of fruit from our selected regional and Cliff Edge vineyards, where a unique 28 acre net soars over this special parcel of grapes protecting them from the elements of this ancient land."

The runon sentence is trying to disguise the fact that this is not a single-vineyard wine. I read "selected regional" so I scoured the bottle for an appellation. I *think* it's Victoria: the word is written in small type just above "Produce of Australia" and "Alc 15.0% by Vol." But who knows: maybe that's just where they bottled it.

I had to read the description more than once to understand: there's a 28-acre net, over a new vineyard. Some grapes from that vineyard went into this wine, but probably it's less than 50%.

The side label reads, "The granite cliffs of Mount Langi Ghiran tower over our vineyards in the Grampions region of Victoria."

Parse that for a sec: The winery owns vineyards in Grampions, but does this wine come from there? Gloria Ferrer owns vineyards in Spain; that doesn't make its Sonoma bubbly "cava."

Anyway, my irritation at the Rovian label doesn't diminish my appreciation for the wine. Aromas of rich blackberry, blackberry liqueur, graphite, black licorice, vanilla, dried cherry and leather. On the palate, plenty of fruit -- juicy, generous blackberry and mulberry with a solid line of acidity and a streak of graphite down the center of the tongue. It finishes long and strong. Doesn't taste hot, despite the 15.0% alcohol.

In Sept. 2004, Harvey Steiman of Wine Spectator gave it 90 points, writing, "Bright and lively, with a juicy core of blueberry and mulberry fruit at the center, shaded with white and black peppercorn aromas and racy acidity that adds an almost citrusy note as the flavors linger. Drink now through 2010. 7,000 cases made."

I can see that. It's a little richer now, with more complexity in the aroma, and the "racy acidity" has kept it fresh. I would extend its expiration date for some years, depending on how you like your Shiraz. It is drinking great right now, but seems like it might also be enjoyable in 2015.

Maybe by then they'll admit its provenance.

Wines with Thanksgiving leftovers

I still think wistfully of the first time when I put all the Thanksgiving leftovers, except salad and cranberry sauce, into one big Teflon pan and stir-fried them together.

I say the first time, because I tried it when I was a junior in college, and it was surprisingly delicious. Why not? Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, some broccoli if I remember correctly, pan fried in olive oil. I felt like a culinary genius at an age when Pop-Tarts were still a legitimate breakfast choice.

However, I tried the same trick a couple more times later in life but never recaptured the magic. (Though one Christmas I did make amazing stuffing with some leftover black beans and rice because I was short of bread.) Now I reheat the stuff separately, sigh.

So what wine do you drink with the melange of seen-better-times food?

The obvious answer is whatever wine is leftover. From our party yesterday, however, there was none.

I like something juicier today than I did on Thanksgiving day. I always have leftover white-meat turkey, because I eat the dark meat first, but it will be drier today, and there's only so much resurrection that leftover gravy can do. Similarly, leftover stuffing is a lot drier today.

Plus, I lean toward minerally, austere whites on the day itself, and today I'm ready for a change of pace.

Grenache is probably my favorite choice -- good acidity, plenty of fruit. There are plenty of good ones from Spain (called Garnacha) and also from southern France. I tend to lean toward American wines on our Thanksgiving holiday so I'm ready for a change from that today as well.

A lot of people like Zinfandel on Thanksgiving, as it is the American grape. (Yeah, I know about Croatia, blah blah. So it has immigrant roots. Don't we all?) I prefer it today, though, because I'm more in the mood for it.

This may be heresy for some, but I don't mind opening a nice Merlot today. Sparkling Shiraz, if you have one, is another good choice.

Hope your turkey day went well. Mine did!

Choosing the right wines for Thanksgiving

Every publication has to do the Thanksgiving wine story every year. Here's an inside scoop: They all hate it.

Why? Because you can't say anything new. That doesn't feel right for a magazine, so they look for a different theme every year.

I've written about Thanksgiving wines too many times already myself. But I'm not going to say anything new and different on this blog. Instead, here are the straight-up basics:

1) Thanksgiving is a lousy opportunity for fine-wine pairing. While just about anything works with turkey, cranberry sauce is a killer for red wines. So are sweet potatoes, especially with marshmallow topping.

2) Big family gatherings are the worst time to uncork special bottles. Your Aunt Agnes who normally drinks Manischewitz might be the first to fill her glass with your Lafite-Rothschild. "It's a little dry," Agnes says, before surreptitiously pouring it out.

3) Therefore, don't spend too much, and don't stress too much. Don't bring anything that costs more than $20 to a family Thanksgiving dinner.

4) You can't please everyone with one wine, so don't try. Open several different bottles -- whites, reds and rose's -- and let people pour what they like.

5) Did I say rose'? Great match. And many are on sale.

6) My personal favorites with Thanksgiving are Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. They have the acidity to cleanse the palate of heavy foods like stuffing and mashed potatoes and gravy. If the chef uses sugar in the vegetables, Riesling is the better choice.

7) If you want red wine, go for something light-bodied with good acidity. Pinot Noir is the classic choice for combining quality with food friendliness. Italian Sangiovese-based wines are also a good way to go.

8) Think bubbly! It's a party, right! Not only that, it's a good match for the food. This is a good day to avoid your normal Brut and get a slightly sweet wine -- an Extra Dry, for example (did Karl Rove get to name sweet bubblies?) Your relatives will prefer it, and it's actually a better match with the food.

9) Forget Cabernet, except long after dessert, in the TV room with the football game. But personally, I say forget Cabernet all day long -- the food will make it taste lousy and you will have wasted your prized bottle.

10) I like to serve a nice tawny Port after dessert, but light white dessert wines are also a good choice.

11) Don't stress! No matter what you serve, you're not going to make the pickiest relatives happy. As for the rest, they'll be happy with the great company and the occasion, and as long as the wine is reasonably palatable, it works. Save the heavy thoughts for a day when the meal and wine are the star. If that's true on Thanksgiving, you need to spend more time thinking about your family and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us (heh heh) at Wine Rocks.

Admiral Ackbar on Beaujolais Nouveau

Beaujolais Nouveau arrives in stores today, and we interviewed prominent aviator Admiral Ackbar, whose enormous nostrils give him great olfactory sensitivity. This is what he said:

"It's a trap!"

Ackbar was referring to the marketing scheme of the Beaujolais region, in which they have successfully convinced consumers that wine in its larval stage is something worth celebrating. People pay more now for a Nouveau wine -- which should be swished and spit at the winery just to make sure its development is coming along -- then they do for completely finished wines from good growing regions that have spent 6 months maturing in oak barrels, gaining aromatic and gustatory nuances.

"It's a trap!" Ackbar added, because retailers tell their less knowledgeable customers that Beaujolais Nouveau is a great match for Thanksgiving dinner.

In fact, Beaujolais Nouveau has the shortest retail shelf life of any wine: if it's not all sold by early December, the retailer is going to have to put the remainder in the $2 bin at the front of the store. That's closer to its real value: given the choice between Charles Shaw and Beaujolais Nouveau, I could go either way.

"It's a trap," Ackbar concluded.

Robert Parker on terroir

Robert Parker is often accused of not appreciating terroir. His response to the charge is characteristically provocative.

"I don't know how you can define terroir," Parker says.

Parker spoke at a 2005 Bordeaux tasting last month at the Culinary Institute of America, Greystone in St. Helena. He took questions on many topics, but the topic of terroir was the only one that got him riled up. Clearly, it's a sensitive spot.

But he does have a point.

"I've never seen anybody say, 'This is Chambertin' in a blind tasting," Parker says.

He went on to explain that in that one 32-acre vineyard in Burgundy, which is divvied up into more than 20 parcels with different owners, some wineries make consistently rich, full-bodied wines, while others make consistently austere wines.

"Which Chambertin is the best representative of Chambertin?" Parker asks. "Who has the right to say, 'This represents the terroir or Chambertin?' "

I don't share Parker's palate, though I respect it -- he is the most consistent rater I know, and is entitled to set his own standard for excellence. That said, I've had the opportunity to taste many wines he has rated over 95 points, and I find they share a richness and intensity that I usually don't want with dinner.

However, he's right on the terroir question. He says simply, "We know good wines come from good sites."

I have tasted hundreds of Cabernets from Napa Valley, and also from Lodi. I can't tell you what a Lodi Cab should taste like. Nor do I believe I could tell a Napa Cab from a Tuscan Cab or a Barossa Cab in a blind tasting (that may say more about Tuscany and Barossa than Napa.) But I know that I've had only one Lodi Cab in my entire life that I considered the equal of a good Napa Cab, of which I've had dozens. Sure, there are bad Napa Cabs, but it's simply much more likely for a winemaker to make a good Cab there than in Lodi. That's terroir.

Parker is also correct that people angry about poor ratings use terroir as a rejoinder.

"Sometimes when I hear that question (about terroir), it's said in a pejorative way because the wine is too rich or too good," Parker says.

It's easy to forget that Parker was a lawyer before becoming the world's most influential wine critic. His writing is not lyrical like, say, Gerald Asher or Jancis Robinson. But he does logically break down an issue and argue persuasively for his side.

Many of us don't want to admit that there is no identifiable "gout de terroir" of our favorite regions. But science continues to strip away our illusions. The barnyard notes Chateauneuf-du-Pape was famous for turned out to be brettanomyces -- a spoilage flaw that some drinkers like. The relative lightness of Carneros Pinot Noir seems to be because of the clones planted there, not the soil or climate.

There are general principles of terroir related to climate, such as that Napa Cabs must be higher in alcohol than Bordeaux to taste good, because otherwise they won't be ripe enough.

However, when you talk about the characteristic flavors of individual vineyards, you're talking about climate, soils, clones and winemaking approach. You can't change the climate (well, we are, but that's another topic) or soils, but change either of the other two and those characteristic flavors change. Yet is winemaking approach what people mean when they use the term "terroir?"

Parker's right: good terroir means a place where good wines come from. Whether or not you agree with his definition of a good wine, his definition of terroir is spot on.

Wine Spectator vs. Wine Enthusiast

Which wine would you rather drink?

Wine A: 81 points. Shows muted black cherry and spice aromas, with tightly wound plum, medicinal and herbal flavors and dry, papery tannins. Drink now.

Wine B: 90 points. This is a vigorous young Cab that will reward aging. It’s bright and savory in cherry-berry, herb, new oak and spice flavors, with rich, sweet tannins. Better after 2008 and through 2012.

You could see the punch line coming -- this is the same wine, a 2004 Salvestrin Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine A is the Wine Spectator review, Wine B is the Wine Enthusiast review.

Tasting notes vary but this is a pretty good example of complete disconnect. Feel free to post more.

Gallo plays the bad guy, again

The long view of Ernest & Julio Gallo is that they expanded the U.S. market for wine and kept vineyards operating in areas that could have been turned into almond or apple orchards.

That said, during their heyday they were hated and feared throughout the industry for their ruthless style.

For the last decade or so, after Julio's death and in Ernest's later years, we saw a kinder, gentler Gallo in many areas. But the company still holds unusual sway over the U.S. government -- Gallo was the main force behind trade negotiations with Europe in which our country's main position was defending Gallo's right to use "Burgundy" as a fanciful name, as well as Korbel's right to keep making "California Champagne."

Now, Gallo is using that power over government -- which increases with the Democrats in control, as Gallo is a major contributor to the Democratic party -- to screw small wine producers as well as U.S. wine drinkers.

The company has chosen the busiest time of year in Sonoma County to try to ram home an extension of the Russian River Valley AVA that would allow vineyards of much less quality in the door.

Russian River Valley is one of the best AVAs in America, and is a pretty good mark of quality. Diluting it benefits nobody except Gallo, which just happens to own 350 acres that it wants included in the AVA.

Winemaker Merry Edwards is trying to spearhead the fight against it, but she's a small independent businessperson who's busy overseeing her own new crop of wines -- as are all the other small producers who are the natural opponents of this move.

An excellent Wines & Vines article is here. Read it, then visit the TTB website here to post a comment. Consumers need to speak out to prevent Gallo from pulling this off.

Obama scores some Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay

First the press release, then the comment ...

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NOVEMBER 6, 2008

KENDALL-JACKSON SENDS WINE TO PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA

Congratulatory gesture spurred by President-elect’s affinity for winemaker’s chardonnay

SANTA ROSA, Calif. – A recent story in People Magazine profiling the family life of then-candidate, now President-elect, Barack Obama, mentioned that a bottle of Kendall-Jackson chardonnay sat on the Obama’s kitchen countertop. It now seems only fitting that the California winemaker send a few congratulatory cases of the brand to the incoming President for his new wine cellar on Pennsylvania Avenue. So the company is doing just that.

Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates today sent two cases of its finest to President-elect Obama, care of the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C. The cases contain America’s #1 bestselling chardonnay for the past 18 years—Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay.

“Our Vintners’ Reserve Chardonnay was a favorite in the Reagan Republican White House,” said winery founder Jess Jackson. “Now with a new Democratic administration coming in and charged with bringing our country together, we find that our wine provides some common ground for that.”

... I've cut off the end of the press release, which goes off on a bizarre tangent about Jess Jackson's love for his horse Curlin. But you get the drift.

Like many, many Americans, Obama likes his Chardonnay with a little residual sugar. Well, the man told us he wouldn't be a perfect President. But he is a man of the people.

Salut, Mr. President!

Chateau Montelena deal falls through

Chateau Montelena announced today that it will not be sold to French interests after all.

The story came across PR Newswire, paid for by Chateau Montelena. Many people probably don't know this, but a company has to pay several hundred bucks to send out a press release this way.

What this means is that Chateau Montelena really wants to tell the world that the sale didn't happen. They could have sent out emails and faxes to a few papers and magazines. Instead, they want wider coverage and were willing to pay to get it.

Why? I think the obvious answer is that they'd still like to be bought.

I don't have any inside sources at Chateau Montelena, so I can only speculate at why the deal fell apart. The obvious guess has to be the international credit crunch. The speculated price was over $100 million and it's unlikely that any buyer would pay that much in cash or assets.

What does the future hold for Chateau Montelena? I guess this establishes that Jim Barrett would like to cash out. But in this economy, he may not be able to.

The reported price tag always seemed like a lot to me for a winery that, while it has past glories, isn't one of the hot names in Napa Valley these days. The brand is still recovering from Wine Spectator's investigation of TCA in its wines a few years ago. And large historic properties aren't making the hot $100-plus bottles these days; microwineries have all the buzz.

I speculated a lot at the time of the sale on the impact the movie "Bottle Shock" might have on Chateau Montelena's future as a brand. Apparently the answer is "little." The film grossed just $4 million at the box office, less than was spent on the campaign to promote it.

I wouldn't read too much into this event as a statement on the investment value of Napa wineries. Chateau Montelena was overpriced and the timing was lousy.

Still, this is not a day for dancing in the streets of Calistoga.

Yes, we did.

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

Google advertising: Is it worth it?

Not being independently wealthy, I signed up to put Google ads on this site.

The second ad I got -- and it's up there as I type this -- is for the "Yes on Prop. 8" campaign, encouraging my readers in California to vote to remove the right to marry from same-sex couples.

Wow, talking about selling out for filthy lucre. I don't even have a check yet, and when I get it, the check will probably be for $0.03. For this I have given up control of my own blog.

Is it worth it?