Wine Education Archives - Wine Blog from The International Wine of the Month Club

Syrah: The Unsung, Under Appreciated Red

March 25, 2021 by Don Lahey

Syrah, also known as Shiraz, is the most under-appreciated and unsung red grape variety in America, despite the varietal’s inherent quality, incredible value, and the availability of legions of great Syrah-based wines from around the world. This begs the question: Why is Syrah not more widely appreciated?

Syrah lives in the shadow of America’s current penchant for Cabernet Sauvignon, even though many Cabernets are grossly over-priced and underperforming. And of course, in recent years, there is sexy, hedonistic Pinot Noir to contend with, a wine that can be immediately gracious and charming. So where does that leave Syrah/Shiraz, a grape with two names and a proven track record that has been around a lot longer than most varietals, even though Syrah has never been better than it is today? It leaves Syrah the underdog to contend for a place at the table with the two other members of the varietal triumvirate. It also offers savvy consumers the opportunity to enjoy world class red wine for a lot less than a mediocre Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir.

If doubt still remains as to Syrah’s preeminence, consider the greatest, most revered red wines of Australia, including the iconic Penfold’s Grange, stem from Syrah. And what about Hermitage and Côte Rôtie from France? They are all 100% Syrah with no shortage of greatness there! And let’s not forget the iconic Château Beaucastel of Châteauneuf-du-Pape fame: its primary varietal is Syrah. Argentina, Australia, California, Chile, France, South Africa, and Washington State all fashion a bevy of beautiful Syrah-based wines, too, many from old vines some of which claim a century or more of age.

Although Syrah/Shiraz has traveled the world, France remains the spiritual home of Syrah. Chapoutier, Chevalier, Clape, Guigal, and Jaboulet are just a few of the many French producers of outstanding Syrah. Australia crafts a plethora of fabulous Shiraz wine, too, many at a fraction of the cost of France’s most expensive Syrahs. Tried and true Australian purveyors such as Chapel Hill, Nugan, and Tait make world-class Syrah at prices most of us can afford. Other New World producers put the quality in the bottle, too. California wineries Beckmen and Stolpman consistently turn out complex, age-worthy Syrahs at half of the price of Cabernet Sauvignons of equal quality. Although relative newcomers to fashioning superb Syrah, Chile’s Casas del Bosque and Casa Silva wineries craft excellent Syrahs as does South Africa’s Reyneke estate, among others. Why pay more for less? The wonderful world of Syrah awaits!

Petite Sirah: California’s Latest Darling

August 15, 2020 by Don Lahey

Petite Sirah, also known as Durif, is named for Francois Durif, the French botanist who first identified the grape in the late 19^th century in the south of France. Petite Sirah is thought to be the result of a natural chance cross pollination between Syrah and the French grape Peloursin. Durif or Petite Sirah (the names are often used interchangeably) is rarely cultivated today in its native France. However, this adaptable grape has gained considerable favor elsewhere, with California its main proponent. It is increasingly popular in Australia and Israel, too, as the grape is well-suited to a dry, Mediterranean climate.

Although called Petite Sirah, there is nothing petite about Petite Sirah, except the size of its berries. Petite Sirah produces rich, powerful, and often tannic wines that are typically at their best within the first 5 or 6 years of life, but the finest versions benefit from extensive bottle aging and live for up to two decades or more.

Petite Sirah has a long history in California where it has flourished since the 1870s. A favorite of Sonoma County’s Italian immigrant population for its deep color, rich fruit flavors, and tannic structure, Petite Sirah quickly found a place among California’s “field blends,” wines that were enamored by California’s immigrant population and the state’s burgeoning population. At the turn of the 20^th century, Petite Sirah was reputed to be among the three leading grape varieties planted in California. Zinfandel and Mourvèdre were the other players in that triumvirate. Although not nearly so widely cultivated today, Petite Sirah is enjoying resurgence, both as a key component in many of California’s finest Zinfandels and popular field blends but also on its own as a single varietal. Rich dark fruit, plenty of robust flavors, and ample tannins make Petite Sirah popular among American consumers.

Salud!
Don

Malbec: Better Than Ever

July 15, 2020 by Don Lahey

Malbec’s more than decade-long meteoric rise to prominence north of the Rio Grande has secured it a place at dinner tables and around barbecue pits all across America. Invariably, Malbec offers a deeply colored mouthful of wine that complements a wide variety of foods that Americans enjoy: steaks, burgers, pork barbecue, pizza, and a host of everyday, stick to your ribs fare. However, Malbec’s star has not always burned so brightly. For years, much of the Malbec on store shelves in this country were simply blah or at best one trick ponies, with only a handful of notable exceptions. It is not because Malbec makes inherently inferior wine (nothing could be further from the truth), but because for too long there were so few really good Malbecs in North America to choose from. With the exception of Catena, Alta Vista, Achaval-Ferrer, and a handful of other notable producers, most Malbecs in this country in decades past were one dimensional wines that provided the grape variety’s deep hue and jolt, but little else. Thankfully, all that has changed. Today, we in North America have many excellent Malbec wines to choose from and one need not have an expense account to enjoy them.

Although Malbec’s origin is southwest France, including Bordeaux, where it still plays an important supporting role alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, Argentina has come to fore as the contemporary champion and spiritual home of Malbec. A continuous stream of excellent Malbecs now flow north from Argentina to grace North American tables. And I am happy to report that many of my favorite Argentinean Malbecs are now readily available in the U.S. Almarada, a new venture from Malbec specialist Antonio Mas, offers a tasty, crowd-pleasing Malbec from the famed Uco Valley at a very reasonable price. Graffito, La Posta, Luca, Mendel, and Tikal are even more consummate Malbec producers that consistently fashion excellent, affordable Malbecs at the level of Achaval Ferrer, Catena and Alta Vista. With that said, one should also not overlook the top Malbec wines from France’s Cahors appellation where Château Armandière and Domaines Georges Vigouroux are fashioning traditional, world-class Malbecs. So why not fire up the grill, call friends over for a barbecue, and pour a glass of a truly good Malbec?

Salud!
Don

Cabernet Franc

June 15, 2020 by Don Lahey

Cabernet Franc often lives in the shadow of its younger and more assertive sibling, Cabernet Sauvignon. Although reluctant to rely on gender stereotyping of grape varietals or their particular characteristics, a compelling case can be made for describing Cabernet Franc as the feminine side of Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc, whose origin appears to be the Pyrenees Mountains in southwest France, is one of Bordeaux’s oldest and most prestigious grape varietals. It predates Cabernet Sauvignon by many centuries and recent DNA testing has determined that Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc constitute the actual forebears of Cabernet Sauvignon and not the other way around as once thought.

In its spiritual home, Cabernet Franc figures prominently in both Left and Right Bank Bordeaux wines, with the most esteemed Right Bank appellations of Pomerol and St. Émilion relying more heavily on Cabernet Franc’s propensity to ripen earlier than its more famous offspring, Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc also flourishes in France’s Loire Valley, most notably in the appellations of Bourgeuil and Chinon, where it produces elegant, sophisticated red wines. Add Cabernet Franc’s hauntingly beautiful fragrance, enticing berry, currant and leafy flavors, along with rounder, more accessible tannins than its progeny, Cabernet Sauvignon, and it is easy to see why Cabernet Franc is uniformly esteemed in France and increasingly sought after by New World wineries. The most notable Cabernet Francs outside of France emanate from Argentina, California, and Chile where they are bottled as premium varietals and play key supporting roles in Meritage selections

Is 2018 Another Great Bordeaux Vintage?

June 14, 2019 by Don Lahey

It seems that those with a vested interest in Bordeaux wines are forever declaring yet another “vintage of the century” or at the very least extolling the virtues of the most recent vintage over previous ones. Since vintage makes a difference, and vintage is especially important to the quality of Bordeaux wines, one has to ask: Just how good was the Bordeaux vintage in 2018? More importantly, what are the chances the wines will live up to the early hype heaped upon them? Will the 2018 Bordeaux wines be any more thrilling than those from the last several vintages, especially those from 2015 and 2016?

Weather determines the overall quality of a vintage. While some wine regions enjoy climates that limit the vagaries of a vintage, others are not so fortunate. The weather in Bordeaux varies enormously throughout the growing season and from one year to the next, as the 2018 Bordeaux vintage can certainly attest. In 2018, Bordeaux experienced devastating hailstorms, excessive rain, severe drought, and an extended harvest into late October. Consequently, one could easily conclude that the weather Bordeaux experienced in 2018 was highly unfavorable and, because weather largely determines the quality of a vintage, the resulting wines will turn out to be equally unimpressive. However, for the châteaux that did not lose their entire crop in 2018 to Mother Nature’s whims, their 2018 Bordeaux reds may be the finest they have ever made.

It is true that the spring and early summer weather in 2018 brought many Bordeaux owners to tears and made others wonder if they would have even a few barrels to make. In fact, quite a few Bordeaux châteaux lost everything to hail and early summer rains, which wreaked havoc in the vineyards and limited crop size throughout Bordeaux. In Bordeaux, the old adage “June makes the quantity, August the style, and September the quality” surely rang true in 2018. Add exceptional weather in October that extended the growing season so that the Cabernet Sauvignon could bask on the vine to perfection and 2018 may turn out more exceptional red Bordeaux wines than anyone could ever have imagined by looking at the weather charts. While hail and torrential rains early in the season dramatically cut production, the excessive rain allowed the vines to cope with the drought conditions that developed later in the summer and fall. The results are extremely concentrated red Bordeaux wines with ripe tannins and higher than average alcohol levels. Early tastings out of barrel indicate that many Bordeaux châteaux have indeed produced their finest wines to date. The bad news is almost every châteaux has a lot less wine to sell and prices will be high due to the exceptional quality and extremely small harvest. So where does that leave the consumer?

Consumers will have a chance to look at Bordeaux’s white wines this year but will have to wait for the 2018 Bordeaux reds to come of age. However, smart consumers and all Bordeaux, Cabernet, and Merlot enthusiasts ought to be purchasing as much of the 2015 and 2016 Bordeaux reds as they can find. Quality across the board, from the lowliest Petit Châteaux to the finest Grand Crus, is exceptional. No matter how great 2018 may turn out, the 2015 and 2016 red Bordeaux wines are already in bottle and they are the real deal. Don’t miss out!

Salud!
Don

Great California Wine Bargains of 2019

April 24, 2019 by Don Lahey

The number of California wineries continues to explode and given the recent spate of excellent vintages, both quality and bargains abound. Although California has suffered through a number of drought years which has resulted in many smaller than average crops, the proliferation of new wineries coupled with greater attention to viticulture and appellations other than Napa and Sonoma guarantee plenty to like. Moreover, one need not be a multi-millionaire to enjoy the Golden State’s viticultural fortunes.

Boutique family owned wineries are firmly behind California’s most exciting wines. However, many long established California wineries are also re-inventing themselves by establishing vineyards in locales heretofore out of their realm and by growing a wider range of grape varieties. Blends have become popular again and Rhône varietals, such as Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, have gone mainstream, both as individual varietals and in blends labeled GSM.

One of my favorite California off the radar wineries that offers superb quality is Fisher. Fisher’s Mountain Estate Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon constitute some of the tastiest and most endearing Chardonnays and Cabernets we have come across in recent years. Fisher’s wines are not cheap, but far more recognizable California Chardonnays and Cabernets sell for a lot more and deliver much less. Fisher’s wines are hard to come by but worth the price.

Union Sacre’s 2016 Squire Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir from longtime friends Philip Muzzy and Xavier Arnaudi is not exactly on the tip of everyone’s tongue yet; these guys have crafted an exceptional Pinot Noir for under $40.00 that positively rocks. Look out Russian River! You have some real competition from Santa Barbara and points south.

Pedroncelli remains a stalwart family owned Sonoma County winery that consistently puts good wine in the bottle at a very fair price. Known for more than 90 years for their Zinfandels, Pedroncelli has been quietly bottling small lots of knockout Petite Sirah in addition to first rate Sauvignon Blanc. The moral of this story is “search for the small batches and little known bottlings from established California wineries.” Therein lay the values and troves of undiscovered gems.

The 2016 Andronicus from Napa Valley’s Titus Vineyards is one Bordeaux blend that should not be missed. Priced around $30.00 a bottle, this beauty combines the best of Cabernet Sauvignon (at 66%) with varying amounts of Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Andronicus sells for a fraction of the price of Titus’s fabulous award-winning Cabernets and Merlots but is every bit as rewarding in its own right, and it’s ready to drink from the moment the cork is pulled. We are sure to see more of this beauty.

Salud!
Don

Zinfandel: America’s Own Grape

March 15, 2019 by Don Lahey

Zinfandel has been dubbed “America’s own grape” despite or perhaps on account of its obscure heritage and its immigrant status. Like the vast majority of Americans, Zinfandel’s ancestry and roots hail from lands far away. Zinfandel’s DNA points to Eastern Europe and the Primitivo grape variety whose origins lay in Croatia and more recently Italy, which may in part account for its popularity among the Italian immigrant population that began flocking to our shores, both east and west, in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Finding favor in California among a welcoming immigrant tide in search of a grape capable of producing wine with both a body and a soul in a climate conducive to its production should come as no surprise.

Nonetheless, Zinfandel produces a wine quite different in California from Primitivo and its Croatian and Italian forbearers, and nowhere is that more apparent and welcome than in Sonoma County – the spiritual home of Zinfandel. In Dry Creek Valley and along the banks of Sonoma County’s Russian River, Zinfandel relishes the cooling Pacific breezes that funnel up the appellation’s canyons and valleys as its fruit basks in the long dry summer afternoons, which not surprisingly bring the grape to the pinnacle of perfection. Amador County, Lodi and other California locales also call home to America’s quintessential varietal where Zinfandel’s deep rich colors, intense berry, bramble, and herb flavors, high alcohol, and lush tannins result in wines that fill the mouth and satisfy all of the senses, yet there is more to Zinfandel than strength and vigor.

One of Zinfandel’s keys to success is its extraordinary lifespan, which enables it to produce quality fruit well into old age. In fact, the oldest Zinfandel vineyards (many in California are in excess of 100 years of age) are the most prized. Another attribute of Zinfandel is its versatility. Zinfandel can take on the role of chameleon, equally capable of becoming a light pink quaffable wine such as White Zinfandel, or a deep, dark intense potion of incredible proportion, or something altogether different in the refined style of classic claret.

As an immigrant to our shores, Zinfandel embodies the American experience.

It is a grape that has transformed itself over the last century and a half and honed its own unique identity, an identity that is continually evolving and infinitely open to interpretation. In the eyes of its many admirers, Zinfandel has become a bigger, better, more complex grape since its arrival in America with “a can do attitude” and an identity all of its own. This year, why not take a tour of America and discover America’s own grape. Enjoy!

Salud!
Don

Older Entries »