Vol. 3 No. 8
Standard Selection - (1) Red, (1) White
1997 Bodegas Magana Baron de Magana Navarra
1999 Lawson’s Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc
Red Wines Only Featured Selections
1998 Carmen Reserve Grande Vidure Cabernet Sauvignon - Chile
White Wines Only Featured Selections
1998 Chateau Joanny Cotes du Rhone Blanc
Bodegas Magana Baron de Magana Navarra 1997 - Spain
The Magana brothers were among the first in this century to see the potential of the Navarra for premium wines, especially those from the classic Bordeaux varietals. During the 1970's when the length and breadth of fine Spanish wine appeared limited to a few regions and styles, the Magana’s planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec on 132 acres. Later they would add Syrah and the more traditional Tempranillo, which would increase the vineyard production of the estate to nearly 148 acres - the optimum size for a family winery.
From the rugged, high country at the foot of the Sierra Moncayo Mountains the Magana brothers extract rich, concentrated wines from two outstanding vineyards: “Finca la Sarda” and “Finca Paso La Reina”. Comprised of a mixture of chalk, clay and mineral-laden stones, the Magana Vineyards yield complex wines that the French would categorize as containing “gras”, that quintessential blend of concentration and fat, but with the texture and distinction of a fine Pomerol from Bordeaux. Like good Pomerol, Magana’s wines also have the ability to age for twenty years or more but are able to be enjoyed upon release.
Bodegas Magana produces several red wines: a Navarra Tinto, Crianza, Dignus (an interesting blend of seven grape varietals), and Baron de Magana, the estate’s flagship wine.
Baron de Magana is made from old vines Merlot (60%) Cabernet Sauvignon (20%) and Syrah (20%) in consultation with the renowned Bordeaux oenologist Michel Rolland. Yields are low, only 23 - 30 hectoliters per hectare. In comparison, most Bordeaux chateaux produce in excess of 40 hectoliters per hectare. Vinification is traditional in stainless steel and cement vats. Each varietal is vinified separately, as in Bordeaux. Only natural yeasts are used in fermentation, lending themselves to the complex aromatics of the wine. After malolactic fermentation Baron de Magana is racked twice before being transferred to small American and French oak casks. About a third of the barrels are new each year, putting this wine on par with many of the great Bordeaux chateaux in this regard. Ageing in barrel continues for a little over a year. After bottling, the Magana’s allow their wine to age additional time in bottle before release. Typically, Baron de Magana would not be released before its third birthday. How we wish more red wine producers, especially in Bordeaux and California, would adopt this practice! Too many youthful, but potentially outstanding wines are consumed before they are even three years of age, leading us to wonder if the laws against infanticide shouldn’t be extended to many of the world’s fine red wines. After all, a well-aged red has become a truly endangered species.
Wine By the Numbers: Pedogogy or Prestidigitation
Whether it be the penchant for “accountability” that pervades our society or simply the human need for assessment, wine by the numbers is currently in vogue. Wherever you turn; The Wine Spectator, The Wine Advocate, The Wall Street Journal, even the local wine shop, the world of wine appears consumed by the numbers. Why? “Insecurity”, whispered the voice of truth. “Acculturation” mumbled the sociologist. “Marketing” added the businessman. And, there you have it.
Wine by the numbers somehow assuages our basic insecurity. It provides guidelines for the uninitiated, self-assurance for the devotee and an all pervasive smugness for the wine snob. Unfortunately, what the numbers game doesn’t offer the consumer is the right to choose intelligently, simply because it excludes him or her from the process. Although not always intended to dupe the public, the numerical grading of wines has created a generation of “grade-grubbers”- consumers who must have a good or better grade for their choices, even if they don’t know what the grade means or even agree with the standard of assessment. And this is only the tip of the iceberg, or should we say the “top of the barrel”.
Since most of us have grown up with grades, numerical grades no less, we tend to take wine by the numbers for granted. And why shouldn’t we? Grades are part of our culture. An “A” represents excellence, usually defined as somewhere between 90 and 100, while a “B” is good, commonly considered to be between 80 and 90. God forbid a child should bring home a report card with less than a “B” or the consumer should drink a wine with no number let alone a wine with a low number. Horrors!
How often have kids lamented the dreaded report card and said “My parents are going to kill me if I don’t get all A’s and B’s”? For better and for worse, grades are an intricate part of our culture, and we love them. They make us feel as if we know where we stand. How can anyone argue with a number?
Since numbers play to our fears, what better way is there to sell? Considering that numbers are more than socially acceptable, they’re expected, wine by the numbers is a marketing guru’s dream...and nightmare. In a rush to promote a wine or denigrate the competitions offering, marketing seizes the numbers and highlights their efficacy, usually without explanation and often out of context to the rater’s intentions, but who can argue with a number? Right?
Plainly, we at the wine club believe that the numerical rating of a wine is seriously misused at best, and often a hoax at worst, simply because fear, habit and greed frequently play a part in the numbers that you, the consumer, see. Furthermore, numbers detract from the pleasure of drinking and distort the true purpose of wine, “to make glad the heart of man”.
In spite of our mistrust of numerical ratings for wine, we acknowledge that evaluating wines is essential to our offering of high quality, appealing selections, and in order to fulfill that purpose, we must use some tools of assessment. Some members of our wine panel even make use of numerical rating sheets to serve as a personal account of the wines they taste, as well as provide an individual yardstick or paradigm by which to compare wines of similar style or type. However, the difference between this personal use of numerical ratings and the wine by the numbers game as practiced by the industry’s critics and publicists is that our use of them remains personal. We do not use numbers to justify or promote our selections, even among ourselves, nor do we foist them on the public as a selling technique. Simply, numerical ratings are only truly valuable to the individual as a measurable means of comparison. Any other use of numerical ratings compromises their integrity.
In the interest of education, a personal wine evaluation sheet will be printed in a future newsletter, along with some guidelines for assessment. By doing so, we hope to promote the development of your own individual palate and underscore the inherent complications that arise when wine is reduced to a numerical rating.
Tasting Notes: The 1997 Baron de Magana should dispel any notion that the Navarra is any less capable of producing world class wine than Spain’s more highly publicized Rioja. In fact, we prefer the fuller, richer fare we have been tasting lately from this beautiful province to many of the over-oaked, underwined Rioja’s on the market. Deep, forceful and robust in color, the Magana melds the very best characteristics of its three great varietals: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah to resemble both Bordeaux, specifically Pomerol, and an excellent Rhone. Black cherry and kirsch-like fruit are intertwined with spicy oak and traces of black pepper. Gutsy, yet textured and layered, this medium-bodied wine exhibits great length and charm. It reminds us of a first-rate Chateauneuf-du-Pape with Bordeaux highlights. Chocolate, berry, cassis and vanilla all add to the complexity and imminent drinkability of this wine. Allow the Baron de Magana an hour or more open in a decanter to reveal its ultimate charms. Although it is hard to imagine that the Magana could be even more pleasurable than it is now, we suspect it will age gracefully and take on additional weight and complexity as it matures. Ooooh baby!
Accompaniments: Rack of lamb, Cuban pork with black beans, homemade ravioli with Roquefort, and steak au poivre are just a few of the dishes we can recommend with the 1997 Baron de Magana. However, a number of tasters on the panel also suggested a few more traditional Spanish and Provencal dishes, including chicken paella, free-range chicken with goat cheese and herbs, and a beef daube with wild mushrooms. Beef Wellington with its combination of refinement and stick to your ribs “gras” from a dollop of pate also makes a perfect foil to the Baron Magana. Here the wine and the food exhibit a duality of breed and elegance married to more rustic, country flavors. Last but not least, a well prepared duck in a wild cherry sauce would suit us equally well. There is just something about the Baron de Magana that brings out a penchant in us for rich, classic dishes. Enjoy!
Recipe for Red Wine:
Rack of Lamb
1 young rack of lamb (about 6 chops)
2 cloves garlic - halved
4 Tbl. butter
1/4 cup fresh mint - chopped
2 onions - quartered
salt & pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove excess fat from lamb.
Rub garlic pieces, butter, mint, salt and pepper over entire rack of lamb. Place meat on a metal rack in a shallow roasting pan and surround meat with onion pieces. Cook at least 25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Carve and serve individual chops.
Quote for Red Wine:
“Wine gives courage and makes men apt for passion”
--Ovid (43 B.C. - A.D. 17)
Lawson’s Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc 1999 - New Zealand
Lawson’s Dry Hills is a state of the art winery in Marlborough, New Zealand’s leading appellation. Founded in 1992 by longtime grape growers, Ross and Barbara Lawson, Lawson’s Dry Hills is committed solely to the production of premium Marlborough wines. In only eight years of production, this winery has compiled an enviable record with all of its wines, having won gold medals in major national and international wine shows and competitions. Devoted to traditional cool climate varietals; Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and most recently Pinot Noir, German trained winemaker, Mike Just, feels right at home. In only a few years, he has landed New Zealand’s finest fruit on the world’s wine map. Already, critics are comparing Lawson’s Dry Hills to the legendary Zind Humbrecht, France’s greatest producer of Alsace wines. In addition, many of France’s finest restaurants, veritable temples of gastronomy, presently feature Lawson’s Dry Hills wines - no mean feat for a New Zealand winery. The only downside to all of this is the limited availability of this estate’s wonderful wines.
Mike Just: Not Just Another Winemaker
Mike Just is not just another winemaker, he is, New Zealand’s premier maker of Sauvignon Blanc. In less than four years he has catapulted Lawson’s Dry Hills to the top of the heap in the competitive, quality-driven race to produce New Zealand’s finest Sauvignon Blanc. After garnering back to back first place trophies for his 1998 and 1999 Sauvignon Blancs in New Zealand’s prestigious Liquorland Top 100 Wine Competition, there can be no doubt that more than luck is astride the tanks and casks at Lawson’s Dry Hills.
Just learned his craft in Germany where he spent three years working in a number of wineries, ranging from small to very large. There he picked up the skill as well as the feel for producing white wines in a cool climate. With centuries of experimentation and tradition, Germany also afforded Just the perfect perspective and background for a young, aspiring New Zealand winemaker.
So what makes Just so good? We believe that it is more than just training, it’s intuition and daring allied to experience. For Mike Just, that means being a bit unconventional in a very conventional world. At a time when most winemakers want to express the singular aspect of one grape varietal from a specific vineyard or terroir, Mike Just believes strongly in blending Sauvignon Blanc from several different soils and climates within an appellation. “Each contributes its own individual character to the blend,” says Mike. “A coastal vineyard is moderated by sea breezes to ripen late and produce wine with a strong gooseberry, leaf and herbal flavors. We get riper passion fruit and pineapple flavors from a stony vineyard in the Rapawa area. A cooler, more exposed hillside site also makes wine with herbal and tobacco leaf flavors...blending is critical to the development of our wine quality and style.”
As most European winemakers know, and New World winemakers struggle to discover, blending does not mean homogenizing a wine; rather blending the finest ingredients of varying plots is the key to complexity, as well as consistency. Each component adds its own character and a dimension that is integrated into the whole.
In addition to his knack for blending, Mike Just is a bit of a perfectionist. In 1999 for example, Just had 140,000 liters of Sauvignon but only bottled 90,000 liters, preferring to sell off more than a third of the production in bulk in order to maintain the quality focus he desires. Is there any wonder why Cuisine magazine chose the 1999 Lawson’s Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc as their number one choice in their annual Sauvignon Blanc tasting?
Innovation and experimentation are Mike’s other strong suits. He takes a very hands-on approach to working in the winery but prefers minimal intervention in the actual making of the wine. He uses gravity for racking the wines rather than pumps, which he says are too rough on the wine. He also employs a percentage of wild yeasts and a partial oak barrel fermentation, unlike most of his competitors. Each technique is designed to add nuance and complexity to the finished wine without compromising the wine’s natural varietal flavors.
Clearly, Mike Just knows how to make Sauvignon Blanc, and a host of other wines, too. If only we could get enough of them... it would be “just”great.
Tasting Notes: The 1999 Lawson’s Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc is a tangy, palate pleasing Sancere-style Sauvignon Blanc. In the nose, the first impressions are of herb, grass, grapefruit and flint, reminding us of some very expensive French renditions. As it opens, gooseberry, passion fruit and finally, pineapple begin to permeate the bouquet and flavor of this expressive, mouth-filling wine, each adding depth and dimension. On the finish, this Lawson’s Dry Hills is long and lingering, lasting more than thirty seconds in the mouth after consuming it. Without a doubt, the little extras that Mike Just adds: partial malolactic and oak barrel fermentation, wild yeasts and gentle handling, all contribute to the complexity and enhancement of this very impressive Sauvignon Blanc. We look forward to more good things from this guy. Serve chilled.
Accompaniments: As it has been said so often before: “Summer was made for Sauvignon Blanc.” In our opinion, no truer words were spoken, so break out the seafood and bring on the sunshine, fire up the grill and crank up the beach music. Party! Plenty of shrimp, oysters and clams are our top choices for the 1999 Lawson’s Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc. Steamed oysters or clams, Clams Casino, Oysters Rockefeller and Mussels Mariniere all make wonderful complements to this wine. Lobster with drawn butter is another one of our favorite choices. Does life get any better than this? Soft shell crabs are also terrific, but alas, the season has probably come and gone. In that case, (did somebody say they had a case of this wine?) A good Maryland-style crab cake wouldn’t disappoint either. Tuna Steaks in simple marinades and grilled sea bass are some more tasty offerings. Seafood kebabs are another way to celebrate summer and Sauvignon Blanc. Have a party, and enjoy!
Recipe for White Wine:
Oysters or Clams Casino
24 oysters or clams on the ½ shell
½ cup sweet butter
1/4 cup shallots - minced
4 Tbl. parsley - chopped
1/4 cup sweet red pepper -finely chopped
1/4 cup green pepper - finely chopped
4 Tbl. celery - finely chopped
1 lemon
Keep oysters/clams cold on ice while you cream together all ingredients except lemon. Blend to a smooth “butter”. Place a teaspoon or so on top to cover each oyster or clam. Sprinkle each with lemon juice and bake in a hot 450 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.
Quote for White Wine:
“Our Sauvignon Blanc is made from many different sites in Marlborough. Each contributes its own individual character to the blend... blending is critical to the development of our wine quality and style.”
--Mike Just
Carmen Reserve Grande Vidure / Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 - Chile
Carmen: Chile’s Oldest Wine Brand
Carmen is Chile’s oldest wine brand, dating back to 1850. With over 150 years of experience and more than 550 acres of vineyards spread across several valleys outside of Chile’s capital, Santiago, this winery’s constellation of individual microclimates allows Carmen to select the best grape varietals from each area to produce deep, complex award-winning wines. Since its inception, Carmen has been extremely successful with traditional Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, etc.), including the lesser known Carmenere. This varietal is believed to have originated in Bordeaux where it was known as Grande Vidure.
In 1992, Carmen built a state of the art winery to crush and vinify their grapes under optimum conditions. Presently, they can crush nearly 16 million pounds of grapes per year which are stored in new 40,000 liter stainless steel tanks and over 3,500 French and American oak barrels.
Since 1993, Carmen has been under the direction of the Chilean born Bordeaux-trained oenologist, Alvaro Espinoza. Alvaro has been building an international reputation for producing many of Chile’s highest quality wines. He is known as both an excellent winemaker and a wine grower. Under his watchful eye, Carmen has become the first winery in Chile to receive certification for organic grape production.
Tasting Notes: Structured like a classified Bordeaux, the 1998 Carmen Reserve Grande Vidure (60%), Cabernet Sauvignon (40%) is full of red fruits, spice and other lush decadent flavors. However, this wine’s best is yet to come as a layer of tannin will peel away, revealing secondary characteristics: coffee, berry, chocolate and bacon fat - the very flavors the Bordelais refer to as “gras” or fat. Bottled unfiltered, the Carmen Grande Vidure/ Cabernet Sauvignon is highly extracted and beautifully balanced in a medium to full-bodied format. Although quite enjoyable now, it will certainly benefit from further aging. If you choose to drink it now, open it several hours before serving and decant it. Pour carefully as the wine may throw a harmless sediment that underscores its natural treatment and lack of filtration.
Accompaniments: We recommend the Carmen Reserve Grande Vidure/Cabernet Sauvignon with the best cuts of lamb and beef money can buy. In short, treat this wine like you would a fine Bordeaux. On the other hand, it would also make a wonderful complement to a tray of well-aged French cheeses. What a way to end a great meal! Better yet, drink this wine in place of dessert!
Chateau Joanny Cotes du Rhone Blanc 1998 - France
An integral part of the Dupond family of estates since 1880, Chateau Joanny is located in the heart of the Massif d’Uchaux near Orange in the Vaucluse region of Provence. The soil is a clay-limestone covered with rolled pebbles, very similar to the terroir of nearby Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Under the capable direction of Pierre Choupin, Chateau Joanny fashions a delightful white Cotes du Rhone from 35% Viognier, and the balance equally divided between the Grenache Blanc and Clairette Blanche.
They key to this estate’s success with the normally difficult white Cotes du Rhone cepage is a 48 hour cold skin maceration, followed by a traditional crushing and a long, cold fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel vats. This insures the maximum flavor extraction along with a freshness and vibrancy, that is typically lacking in white Cotes de Rhone. A very high percentage of the aristocratic, expensive Viognier is undoubtedly another factor in this domaine’s great success with white Cotes du Rhone.
Tasting Notes: A clear, bright sunshine imbued robe delivers scents of honey and summer fruits: peaches, apricot and pear permeate the nose. Gentle, immensely flavorful and completely seductive in the mouth, the 1998 Chateau Joanny is so easy to drink you will want to open a second bottle well before you finish the first. It’s medium body, full flavor and great balance might even convince you to invite a friend or two over to enjoy a third bottle. Enjoy!
Accompaniments: Who needs food when you have a bottle of the Chateau Joanny Cotes du Rhone Blanc open? But if you insist, why not try it with a mild goat cheese, a ripe pear and a good loaf of fresh baked bread. Yum! Another delightful pairing is stuffed mushrooms with a hint of Herb de Provence. Lastly, a ripe melon with prosciutto is another dish we have enjoyed with this delightful wine. Why not have a party?
Ask the Panel
Question: Can you tell us what the difference is between Sauvignon Blanc and Fume Blanc? Some people say they’re the same and others don’t. Can you shed some light on this?
Answer: Sauvignon Blanc is a grape varietal, while Fume Blanc is a term used to describe a style of Sauvignon Blanc. The expression “Fume Blanc” was coined in the early 70's by Robert Mondavi to describe his dry, herbal, smokey French-style Sauvignon Blanc. Others have adopted the term, again referring to a dry, French rendition of their Sauvignon Blanc. Literally meaning white smoke, Fume Blanc is a combination of the French Pouilly- Fume (a famous dry, flinty Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire) and the varietal Sauvignon Blanc. In essence, Fume Blanc is Sauvignon Blanc.
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