Vol. 3 No. 11
Standard Selection - (1) Red, (1) White
1999 Domaine Les Fines Graves Moulin a Vent - France
1999 Sokol Blosser Riesling
Red Wines Only Featured Selections
1998 Zenato Valpolicella
White Wines Only Featured Selections
1998 Murphy-Goode Chardonnay
Domaine Les Fines Graves Moulin a Vent 1999 - France
A Sojourn In Beaujolais: Not Exactly Slumming In Burgundy
As one leaves the fabled Cote d Or and heads south, the landscape begins to take on the look of the south: red tiled roofs, steep green escarpments and massive rock out-croppings dot the landscape. About an hour south of Dijon, one enters the realm of Beaujolais, the southern extremity of the ancient province of Burgundy. Though not the most lauded of Burgundy appellations, Beaujolais remains the most picturesque and certainly the most typically French, a meeting of north and south where the stalwart Gallic reserve gives way to a polite, thaw.
The very first stops in Beaujolais are without question the very best and one need go no further because the 10 Grand Cru of Beaujolais grace the visitor heading south with all the beauty, charm and eminent drinkability inherent in Beaujolais. Vines are nearly everywhere, covering the gentle hills and higher slopes alike, nearly to the tree crowned summits. Between Julineas and Fleurie, with Moulin a Vent as its center, one receives the image of a rural harmony that harkens back to a time when tiny, steeple-studded villages gave way to the surrounding countryside, providing sustenance for an agrarian world.
In the midst of this fecund world, atop a small hill, stands a windmill, the very symbol of man's sustenance by nature and his labor to harness its power. This is the famous Moulin a Vent, which appropriately lends its name to the wine that is the King of Beaujolais Grand Cru: Moulin a Vent. It is from choice parcels within sight of this old windmill that the noble, age worthy Moulin a Vent of the Domaine Les Fines Graves flows, a wine that bears no resemblance to the oceans of light, often rude "Beaujolais Nouveau" that sail across the Atlantic each November just in time for the annual Thanksgiving debauchery.
Domaine Les Fines Graves
Domaine Les Fines Graves is the fiefdom of Jacky Janodet, his lovely wife and quite soon, their son, a young man appropriately completing his apprenticeship in oenology. From the moment you come to the entrance to their pretty cheerful house on the outskirts of Romaneche-Thorins, a home with a meticulously mountained lawn and a lovely garden, you know that the Janodet's are a serious sober, dedicated family that don't tolerate anything done in slip-shod fashion.
Vines cover nearly every available plot in Romaneche-Thorins, beginning their assault on the land directly behind the Domaine Les Fines Graves and neighboring homes in "Les Garniers" at the edge of the village. Yet, it is not until a few yards beyond the town road that the neat rows of Gamay vines begin their slow ascent to Moulin a Vent and the surrounding Grand Cru hillsides, some five kilometers from the Domaine.
The Janodet's produce several excellent wines from numerous plots. From parcels near the village, they make a fine, fairly full-bodied Beaujolais-Villages that resembles more a robust, structured Moulin a Vent than a typical Beaujolais-Villages. Even firmer and fatter still is a very good Grand Cru Chenas that is built to last. However, it is the Moulin a Vent, the king of Beaujolais that reigns at this estate. Deep, brooding and quite Burgundian in nature, the Domaine Les Fines Graves Moulin a Vent is one of the most masculine and ageworthy of all Beaujolais wines. When asked how he most enjoyed his prize wine, Monsieur Janodet responded , "Not usually before it is five years of age; though some villages mature a little sooner than others...but my wines are made to age."
Nearly all Beaujolais Villages and many Grand Cru as well would be dead and buried by their fifth anniversary. Nonetheless, contrary to popular belief, Beaujolais can be a real wine and a true Burgundy, gaining complexity with age, if only the necessary pruning and attention to quality that is practiced by Janodet would be employed elsewhere in the appellation.
Tasting Notes: Deeply robed in regal purple, the 1999 Domaine Les Fines Graves Moulin a Vent bears the tell tale signs of its ageworthy pedigree. Nevertheless, this Moulin a Vent is prettier and more accessible early on than previous vintages. Bright fruit and stuffing surround the tannic core of the wine and offer very pleasant drinking in the near term. Drink this wine cool, within the first year or so of its life while the baby fat of a first-rate Beaujolais prevails. Otherwise, lay it down for at least three years to experience the savory Burgundian qualities that come with maturity. As with most true Moulin a Vent, the betwixt and between will hardly capture the glory of this fine appellation.
Accompaniments: In its youth, beef, ham and full-flavored cheeses, including normally hard to pair bleu cheeses: Saga, Gorgonzola and Roquefort make outstanding accompaniments to Janodet's Moulin a Vent. Coq au Vin, Boeuf Bourguignonne, escargots and other traditional Burgundian fare also provide excellent complements to this wine. Roast turkey with onion and sage stuffing, and well-prepared pork roasts offer more interesting flavors for well-aged bottles of this Moulin a Vent. As you like it! Enjoy!
Recipe for Red Wine:
Coq Au Vin
4 ounces lean bacon
2 Tbl. butter
2-3 lb. chicken cut-up
salt & pepper
1/4 cup cognac
3 cups red wine
2 cups brown chicken stock (beef will do)
½ Tbl. tomato paste
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 bay leaf
Saute bacon in butter in a heavy casserole dish or electric skillet.
Remove to a side dish to drain. Brown chicken pieces in hot fat in casserole and season with salt & pepper and add bacon. Cover and cook slowly for 15 minutes; turning once or twice during cooking. Pour cognac into skillet and ignite with a lit match. (Stand back!) Shake the skillet back and forth until flames die down. Pour wine into skillet and add just enough stock to cover chicken. Stir in tomato paste, garlic and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Serve warm with pearl onions and boiled potatoes.
Quote for Red Wine:
"Though some vintages of Moulin a Vent naturally mature sooner than others...my wines are made to age."
----Jacky Janodet
Sokol Blosser White Riesling 1999 - Oregon
Sokol Blosser: Home to Oregon's Wonder Woman
Susan Sokol Blosser has been called "Oregon's Wonder Woman" and with good reason. How many other people can teach American history, speak Japanese and French, spend eight years on the school board, run for political office, manage a major vineyard, drive her own tractor, raise three children and still have time to be the President and CEO of the award winning Sokol Blosser Vineyard and Winery - a venture that she and her husband built from scratch over the past thirty years? Yeah, not too many you say. Can you name a few others?
Founded in 1970 when Susan and Bill Sokol Blosser bought a dilapidated, 18 acre prune orchard in the Willamette Valley that had been destroyed some years earlier in a storm, Sokol Blosser is today, one of the finest and most important Oregon wineries. At first, "starting a vineyard was my husband Bill's idea", Susan confesses. "I thought that's a pretty weird idea, but it could be fun" she added.
Not only has she had fun, she has had remarkable success, much of which she modestly attributes to her willingness to listen. She is also creative, resourceful and determined, but by all accounts, never overbearing or overly aggressive.
Testament to her style, Oregon Business Magazine has more that once chosen Sokol-Blosser as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work for in Oregon". It is the only winery in the state to be so honored and one of the smallest companies chosen for the list. "We are not large," says Susan (the winery steadfastly maintains its 25,000 case production, preferring to concentrate on improving quality rather than increasing quantity)"...and we cannot pay high salaries, but we can give people a good working atmosphere. Each segment - the tasting room, the winery - is its own little entrepreneurial area. We're all working together but each person has a tremendous amount of freedom to test and run with his own ideas. Does it work? I give people a lot of rope and sometimes they hang themselves, but most of the time, they build fabulous creations. I believe in management by gut feelings, by listening to myself and trying never to forget the golden rule."
One of Susan's most recent decisions has been to bring in Russ Rosner as winemaker. Russ comes to Sokol Blosser with twenty years experience in California wineries and more than a few fresh ideas. Since his tenure, Sokol Blosser has redesigned its labels to match what Susan calls the winery's new image for elegant, clean-lined, sophisticated wines.
Sokol Blosser produces both white and red wines at their Willamette winery. On the fairer side, the winery's recent Riesling offerings have been some of the best in the state, exhibiting all of the flavor and mystery of the varietal without the angular or cloying qualities so prevalent in lesser offerings. Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and a new wine, Evolution No. 9 (an easy drinking, semi-sweet melange), round out the white portfolio.
Pinot Noir is of course the most important, and in the case of Sokol Blosser, the only red varietal grown at the estate.,Like most Oregon wineries, Sokol Blosser produces several different Pinot Noirs, including tiny lots of single vineyard designations in addition to a premium Redland Pinot Noir and a very good bread and butter Willamette Valley offering.
Tasting Notes: Scents of white peach and spring flowers rise from the 1999 Sokol Blosser. White Riesling, making the taster wish he could stick his nose right down into the glass. Riesling is not usually one of the New World's most highly acclaimed varietals, nor is it always sufficiently balanced to please the majority of experienced palates, but we beg of you to throw out all the pre-conceived notions you may harbor regarding this noble varietal. Sokol-Blosser's 1999 Riesling is enough to change the mind of even the most stalwart disbeliever. Just try it! Crafted in the Alsatian style of dry Riesling, this Oregon beauty captures all of the delicate fruit and subtle minerality of the varietal, with out the residual sugar of the majority of California and late harvest German Rieslings. One taster equated the bouquet of this wine to "the waft of a spring breeze through a blooming orchard," while a second commented that "the wine tasted as good as it smelled." Perhaps those comments best capture the essence of this lovely Riesling-balance. It finishes clean and zesty on the palate, making you wish you could do backflips with your nose into the glass for more. Serve chilled. Enjoy!
Accompaniments: Drag up a chair, call a friend and talk, listen and breathe in the scents of spring, white blossoms and cool breezes that waft in your glass. Let go of the cares of the day, watch the sun set and know that life is good. This is the best accompaniment to the 1999 Sokol Blosser Riesling. In addition, we have enjoyed this wine with shrimp, weakfish, founder and scallops. A simply roasted chicken with butter and herb also goes quite well with this Riesling, as do most salads that are not soaked in vinegar. Ham and simple pork dishes that accentuate the flavor of the meat rather than a sauce are also good matches. Soft, uncrusted cheeses provide another reason to open a bottle of the Sokol Blosser, as does a bowl of fresh apples, pears or peaches. As you like it.
Recipe for White Wine:
Grilled Seafood Brochette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbl. soy sauce
1 garlic clove - minced
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 large sweet onion cut into
6-8 large shrimp (peeled)
6-8 large scallops
6-8 pieces fresh salmon or tuna
6-8 cherry tomatoes
1 large green bell pepper Cut into 1" pieces
8 pieces 4-6 long skewers
1/4 tsp. salt & pepper
Rinse seafood with cold water, dry and set aside. In a large glass bowl, stir together oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, ginger, salt & pepper. Add fish to mixture and chill covered for 2 hours. Make sure fish is well covered with liquid by stirring frequently. Put the seafood, onions, peppers and tomatoes on skewers alternating each one. Heat grill to medium and grill 4 inches from coals for 5 minutes on each side or until seafood is cooked through. You may also broil in oven. Serve immediately.
Quote for White Wine:
"At first starting a vineyard was my husband Bill's idea. I thought that's a pretty weird idea, but it could be fun."
----Susan Sokol Blosser
Fratelli Zenato is a third generation family-owned vineyard and winery. Located on the slopes of Lake Garda, this vineyard enjoys a unique microclimate - as well as one of the world's best views. Surrounded by mountains, the Zenato family vineyards are protected from the icy Alpine winds that sheer less sequestered sights. In addition, Lake Garda itself moderates the local temperatures and creates a mantle of soothing fog which shields the vines from the searing morning sun.
Under the watchful eye of Sergio Zenato, the estate's winemaker, meticulous care is afforded the family vineyards, including a rigorous hand selection of grapes that takes place prior to vinification. In recognition of Zenato's extraordinary efforts, he has received numerous awards and accolades for his outstanding Valpolicella. Lugana, and Pinot Grigio. Zenato also produces tiny quantities of Recioto and Amarone, the two local specialties.
Zenato's red wines are handled in the traditional manner, whereby fermentation occurs at high temperatures to extract flavor and grip. The result is a Valpolicella with body, flavor and balance. The more delicate whites undergo a prolonged cool fermentation, resulting in fresh fruit driven wines that exhibit both delicacy and breed.
Tasting Notes: Dry, ripe black cherry fruit, pure and lush, wafts from the glass, providing a heady seductive aroma. Cherry, kirsch, and a hint of almond complement the pretty fruit on the palate. Delicacy and elegance may be the first words that come to mind when describing the overall impression of the Zenato Valpolicella, but there is more than enough flavor and stuffing in this wine to convince you that we're not talking about child's play; this is serious wine for food or unabashed consumption. We found it very hard to resist.
Accompaniments: Light, pastas, risottos and simply prepared poultry all make fine accompaniments to the 1998 Zenato Valpolicella. Recently, cornish game hens with a moderately seasoned wild rice made for an especially pleasing companion. A very finely pounded veal cutlet in a fresh, not simmered, tomato sauce provided another winning dish with this lovely Valpolicella. Remember to serve this wine a bit cooler than room temperature, to witness all that a fine Valpolicella has offer.
Murphy-Goode Barrel-Fermented Sonoma Chardonnay 1998
Undoubtedly, Murphy-Goode's assembly of partners, family members and winemaking acumen, headed by the very talented Christian Benz, magnificently figure in this winery's success. Whether it be the incomparable quality of this estate's grapes or the intelligent, minimal interventionalist philosophy of Tim Murphy and Dale Goode, this wonderful Sonoma County Estate seems to have the Midas touch.
The brain child of two old-time Sonoma County grape growers and friends, Dale Goode and Tim Murphy, Murphy-Goode winery turns out a wide variety of rich, flavorful wines that are marketed by the highly talented Dave Ready and his winery associates.
Murphy-Goode draws grapes from three estate owned vineyards in Alexander Valley, as well as select, neighboring sites that are closely monitored by Tim Murphy. Presently, the winery produces a host of award-winning wines: Chardonnay, Fume Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel. To its credit, and to the benefit of consumers and the environment, Murphy-Goode practices environmentally sound farming techniques, which account for much of the up front, natural appeal of its wines.
Tasting Notes: Rich, buttery fruit, subtle spice and judicious oak tones form the olfactory attack of the barrel-fermented 1998 Murphy-Goode Chardonnay. The cooler than normal, shy-bearing 1998 harvest produced wines of fine, fruit intensity; and certainly this Murphy-Goode is no exception to the rule. Tropical fruit and a melange of long citrus flavors fill the mouth. Heightened by barrel fermentation and a five month stay in oak barrels, the Murphy-Goode Chardonnay is about as close to textbook California Chardonnay as one can get. Serve chilled and enjoy it over the next year.
Accompaniments: Scallops, shrimp and fresh pasta in an artfully crafted cream sauce provide a memorable meal to the extroverted 1998 Murphy-Goode Chardonnay. Grilled chicken breasts marinated in olive oil, garlic and Provencal herbs makes another fine impression. Be assured that you can serve this lovely Chardonnay with any light to medium flavored dish and enjoy it, so as you like it.
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