Champagne Tarlant

Aye, if there's a place in the wine world I'd most like to have been today, though getting there might have been tough given the current airspace restrictions in Europe, it's Aÿ. (Never could resist leading off with a horrible pun....)

Aÿ was indeed the place to be today for the 2nd annual tasting conducted by Terres et Vins de Champagne, a group of young, natural-leaning Champagne growers that was first conceptualized and organized by Raphaël Bérèche and Aurélien Laherte. I won't go into any more detail about it here, as you can read all about last year's inaugural event at Peter Liem's now defunct blog, Besotted Ramblings.

What I will do is take today's event, even if it was 3,000+ miles away, as impetus to finally share some of my impressions from a relatively recent event much closer to home – the Boutique Wine Collection national portfolio tasting, held back in early March in Center City Philly. The lineup at this year's tasting was quite similar to last year's, with one notable exception that was, at least for this taster, an exciting new entry in the Boutique portfolio.

It didn't take long for me to find it, as two steps into the room I was greeted by Mélanie Tarlant, who asked if I'd like to taste through what turned out to be pretty close to the full range of wines produced at her family's estate, Champagne Tarlant. Mélanie's brother Benoit just happens to be one of the seventeen participating members of Terres et Vins de Champagne, so there's today's tie-in (just in case you were wondering).

Mélanie has only recently entered the family business, taking on the role of communications director for Champagne Tarlant. This was her first time visiting the city of brotherly love, and she seemed to have survived her Saturday night indoctrination into the world of Philly cheesesteaks with flying colors.

Though Tarlant's wines have theoretically been available in the Pennsylvania market in the past, actual appearances in shops or restaurants have been less than few and far between. While their Champagnes are most likely still destined to be special liquor order (SLO, in PLCB parlance) items, I'm hoping that the estate's recent leap into the Boutique camp will at least land their wines on a few of the better restaurant wine lists around town.

Champagne Tarlant's history dates back to 1687. Representing the 12th generation of the family business, Melanie's brother Benoit recently joined his father Jean-Mary at the winemaking helm. Benoit has already established his mark, adding two non-dosage bottlings as well as two terroir-driven cuvées to an otherwise more traditional yet already low-dosage (averaging about 6g) house style.

The family's holdings comprise 14 hectares, with 55 separate parcels of vines located in the villages of Oeuilly, Boursault, St-Agnan and Celles-les-Condé, all in the Vallée de la Marne. Plantings include Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay, along with small amounts of Arbanne, Petit Meslier and Pinot Blanc. Across the entire range, Benoit and Jean-Mary conduct approximately 60% of their base fermentations in barrel, with the other 40% fermented in small steel tanks. None of the wines go through malolactic fermentation, sulfur use is kept to a bare minimum and, as I mentioned above, all of the wines see very low (if any) dosage.

Benoit's Brut Nature "Zéro," the first pour in the lineup, was regrettably suffering from low-level cork taint (Mélanie mentioned that she'd had a bad run of subtly TCA-affected bottles on this trip). It's an equal part blend of Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay, by the way, the current release being based primarily on the 2005 harvest with a small addition of reserve wines.

The Brut Nature "Zéro" Rosé was suffering no such problems and was indeed delicious, bracingly dry and mineral, full of bright, wild red-fruit aromas. Mélanie explained that non-dosage rosés are quite rare, as it can be tough to balance the tannins that come from the red wine (this is a rosé d'assemblage, 85% Chardonnay with a 15% addition of still, red Pinot Noir) without the aid of a few grams of sugar in the final bottling. Benoit has achieved balance nonetheless, working hard in the vineyards to ensure ample ripeness and selecting only the best vintages of the family's own red wine, again with ample ripeness, for blending.

Can you say "cu-vée"? The "QV Discobitch" bottling is another of Benoit's special projects, made at the request of Paris-based DJs Laurent Konrad and Kylian Mash. Again, there's a detailed write-up of its origins at Besotted, so I won't belabor things by repeating the details. I will say, though, that while Mr. Liem reports that Discobitch is an early disgorgement of the "Cuvée Louis," Mélanie told me that it is actually the same as the Brut Nature "Zéro," but with the addition of a six-gram dosage, just enough to nudge it into Brut designation territory. It very well could be that both are correct if the recipe Mélanie referred to is a change that occurred between the original bottling and the current release. I'll see if I can't entice Benoit to provide full elucidation of the details.... Assuming Mélanie is correct, I'm curious as to how the wine manages to find its balance in both versions.

Last poured among the "Classic" entries in the Tarland portfolio was the "Tradition," a blend of 55% Pinot Noir, 35% Meunier and 10% Chardonnay. Based primarily on wines from the 2002 vintage and aged sur-latte for five years prior to release, the resulting wine was broader and more richly structured than the Brut Nature offerings. Quite delicious, too. And at $37 retail in PA, $10 less per/bottle than what Big Yellow fetches in the Keystone State, a really solid value.


On to bin number two, Mélanie again poured from our right to left, beginning with the 1998 Prestige Extra Brut. From a blend of 65% Chardonnay and 35% Pinot Noir planted in chalk and limestone rich terroirs, the '98 was drinking well, still taut, fresh and well-defined, and still showing the potential for further development in the cellar.

The 1999 Prestige Rosé, on the other hand, had reached what struck me as its full maturity and potential, showing pretty, dried red floral characteristics and orange-peel fruit along with an ever-so-slightly oxidative character. 85% Chardonnay blended with 15% red wine of Pinot Noir, from two single plots of sand and limestone based soils.

As should be the case, the show stoppers were saved for last. "La Vigne d'Antan" Extra Brut Non-greffée Chardonnay was intensely soil expressive, the most compelling of the wines for the individuality and minerality of its palate impact. Though not vintage dated, "La Vigne d'Antan" ("the vine of yesteryear") was produced entirely from the 2000 harvest and based entirely on Chardonnay planted on its native rootstock ("non-greffée" means ungrafted) in a single plot of sandy soil called, if I'm not mistaken, "Îlot des Sables," located in Oeuilly. The wine was aged sur latte for six-and-a-half years before being hand-disgorged in October 2007 and was finished with a very modest two-gram dosage. It ain't cheap – Boutique specs it at around $150 retail – and it's not even available as a special order item in PA, so I was happy for the opportunity to taste it, something I'll look forward to doing again. Not surprisingly, it's also among the wines Benoit was scheduled to pour at Terres et Vins today.

"Cuvée Louis," the tête de cuvée at Champagne Tarlant, is named in homage to Louis Tarlant, the great-great-grandfather of Benoit and Mélanie who was the first member of the family to estate bottle Champagne under the Tarlant name. A 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from 60-year-old vines in the "Les Crayons" vineyard in Oeuilly, the wine was sublime – not as muscular and earthy as "d'Antan" but long, delicate yet full-flavored and very, very fine. We tasted the current release, based primarily on the 1998 harvest with reserve wines from both 1997 and 1996.

In closing, I leave you with a little something for your listening and viewing pleasure. To paraphrase my buddy Neil, disco may suck... but at least Benoit can have a little fun while making some excellent Champagnes.



Champagne Tarlant
51480 Oeuilly / Epernay
FRANCE

Intro only...

Highlights from the Boutique Wine Collection 2009 National Portfolio Tasting

Yesterday, I spent a relaxing afternoon tasting through some of the current lineup coming into the US courtesy of importer Bryce McNamee’s Boutique Wine Collection. Boutique held their 2009 National Portfolio Tasting over the course of the weekend in Center City Philadelphia. Unlike their tasting at the Moore College of Art last fall, this weekend’s event focused solely on the wines in Boutique’s direct book. While the core of that book remains based on Bryce’s work in Spain and South Africa, they’ve made a couple of significant additions to their French portfolio in recent months.

The perspective from the 33rd floor of the Loews Hotel, in the old PSFS building, provided some fantastic panoramic views of downtown Philadelphia.
The highest profile of those French additions must certainly be the old Sancerre estate of the Mellot family, the Domaine de la Moussière. Alphonse Mellot Sr. and Jr. (Alphonse is the favored family surname) produce opulent Sancerre based on severe fruit selection from their low yielding, biodynamically farmed vineyards in the commune of Sancerre itself. A freshly bottled sample of their 2008 Sancerre Blanc “La Demoiselle” was one of the standouts of the entire tasting, full of high-toned gooseberry and granny smith apple fruit balanced on a knife’s edge of finely detailed acidity. Mellot’s 2008 Sancerre Blanc “Satellite,” on the other hand, was initially dense and wrapped up with the influence of its time spent in foudres. Returning to it three hours later, though, it was another wine entirely – creamy, mineral rich and hinting at the possibility of very interesting development with further time in the bottle.

The other new addition to Boutique’s French folio is the Domaine du Petit Métris, a 30-hectare estate based in the AOCs of Savennières, Chaume and Quarts de Chaume. More Loire wine! I wasn’t complaining…. Petit Métris has been in the Renou family since the late 18th Century and is now run by Joseph Renou and his sons, Pascal and Hervé. The Renou’s, members of Vini Vitis, apply both organic and biodynamic techniques on the farm. Their holdings in Savennières, purchased in the 1990s, are the most recent additions to the estate and consist of two lieu-dits: Clos de la Marche and Les Fougeraies. The 2005 Clos de la Marche was my favorite of the line-up, showing the beginnings of bottle development and a classic aromatic profile, full of herbal tea and quince notes; the much less evolved ’05 “Les Fougeraies” showed a streak of menthol through its otherwise closed framework. The 2007s from both vineyards were youngsters but demonstrated the fruit-forward character of the vintage. From their holdings in Chaume, the 2005 “Les Tétuères” was pretty irresistible, while the intensely opulent aromas of their 2007 Quarts de Chaume hinted at the promise of good things to come for those who can wait.

I was again impressed by much of the range from Alsace’s Rolly Gassmann, another in Boutique’s growing stable of estates practicing biodynamie. All of Gassmann’s wines are fermented on their native yeast and showcase both varietal typicity and clear expressions of terroir. The wines are released to market only when young winemaker Pierre Gassmann deems them ready. Their 2004 Riesling “Kappelweg” vied, along with Mellot’s Sancerre “La Demoiselle,” as best of show with its brilliant yet subtle structure and a spark of wintergreen in its aromatic profile. The Pinot Gris “Rotleibel,” also from 2004, showed fantastic nerve and acidity. Two different vintages of Gewürztraminer “Oberer Weingarten” were also on point: the 2004, very drinkable at a low by Gewürz standards 12.5% alcohol , had a refined nose of orange peel and spice while the 1998 was showing fantastic bottle development. Even Gassmann’s range of Vendanges Tardives bottlings showed fine balance, from a 1997 Muscat “Moenchreben” that was surprisingly subtle despite its 258 grams of RS, to the seemingly dry finish of the 2000 Riesling “Cuvée Yves.”

Rudi Hermann was clearly proud – even if he was trying not to show it – of his Riesling Erdener Prälat Auslese Goldkapsel. The Hermann’s own a meager 1000 square meters of the 1.5 hectare Prälat vineyard, from which they produced 800 half-bottles of extremely opulent Auslese in 2006.
Continuing with Riesling, albeit of an entirely different style, the father/son team of Rudi and Christian Hermann were on hand, pouring wines from the 2005, 2006 and 2007 vintages. Their estate, Dr. Hermann, consists of 6.5 hectares split among choice vineyard sites in the middle Mosel villages of Erden and Ürzig. It was highly instructive to taste the wines from the difficult 2006 season side-by-side with the very classic wines of 2007. There were true Kabinett wines from both Erdener Treppchen and Ürziger Würzgarten in ’07, while no Kabinett at all were produced in 2006, when even the Spätlesen were affected by botrytis (and were mostly declassified Auslesen). The standouts at the Hermann’s table, though, were two wines from 2005: the minty Erdener Treppchen Auslese that was just beginning to reveal some lovely bottle development and the Ürziger Würzgarten Auslese, produced from 80-100 year-old vines and showing intense extract. Produced from even older vines (phylloxera is unable to live in the meager soils in this part of the Mosel), the Erdener Treppchen Spätlese “Herzlay” was the star of their 2007 lineup.

As I’d completely missed the lineup from Parés Baltà at Boutique’s last event, I did my best to spend a little time with them this go ‘round. A large estate in Spain’s Penedès region, with over 700 hectares of land including nearly 180 hectares under vine, Parés Baltà has practiced organic farming principles since its inception in 1790 and is now certified organic. All fermentations, save the secondary round for their Cavas, occur on autochthonous yeasts. There’s a clear drive and ambition behind the wines. I found their entry-level efforts most enjoyable, from a crisp, floral NV Cava Brut, to the intensely toffee driven (but dry) white called “Calcari” made from 100% Xarel.lo, and on to the “Mas Petit” red, a 60/40 blend of Garnatxa and Cabernet Sauvignon that showed fresh, herbal red fruit and a bracingly tannic finish.

Markus Huber, proprietor at Weingut Huber in Austria's Traisental, spent some time comparing notes and sharing a few laughs with Christian Hermann as the tasting drew to an end. It was a pleasure tasting through Markus' wines again. For the sake of "brevity," though, I'll point you back to my older profile of his work and say only that his 2008 Gelber Muskateller, just bottled, provided a lovely and lively starting point for the entire tasting.

As you may be guessing, time was running short by the time I worked my way up to this point. A quick power tasting session – not my preferred or natural approach – was in order. Though I hardly got to taste everything, there were at least a few wines worthy of mention. There was a juicy and directly pleasing example of Bierzo “Joven,” a varietal Mencia from Bodegas y Viñedos Castro Ventosa. Scali Blanc, a small-lot blend of Chenin Blanc, Viognier and Chardonnay from Willie and Tania de Waal’s property in the Voor-Paardeberg district of South Africa, was much tastier on the palate than its somewhat muted nose led me to expect. And the 2003 Cape Vintage “Port” from a winery called Axe Hill in Klein Karoo (about a four-hour drive north of Capetown) would have been right at home in a blind tasting line-up of young Vintage and LBV Ports.

Last but not least was arguably the most unusual wine in the room, a Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes “Vieilles Vignes” Blanc from the tiny producer Le Signal, situated about five kilometers west of Maury in the town of Saint Paul de Fenouillet. Based almost entirely on the fruit from 80-year-old vines of Grenache Gris, plus a dash of Macabeo, the wine was a powerhouse – in a good way. Produced very naturally, it was showing a positive touch of orange wine oxidative character along with aromas of campfire smoke, toasted brioche, caramelized pecans and garrigue, and had no problems holding its 14.5% alcohol in check.

Boutique founder Bryce McNamee and John Toler, Boutique's Wholesale Sales Manager for the PA/DE/South Jersey territory, still looking lively at the end of two long days in the saddle.

Intro only...

Boutique Wine Collection Portfolio Tasting, Part Three

This shall be the third and final installment of my tasting reports from Boutique Wine Collection’s portfolio tasting held earlier this week along the parkway in Philadelphia. How to handle a big, broad tasting like this is always a challenge. Nine tables, in this case, with an average of fifteen wines at each. Four hours from start to finish. I suppose it would be possible to taste everything, but not for me. I’m not a power taster. I prefer to spend at least a little time with and give at least a little thought to each wine, even if it is with just an ounce or two in my tasting glass, a spit bucket always close at hand.

I suppose if I were an egalitarian, blank slate kind of taster, I’d try to focus on the areas where I’ve a lot to learn – Argentina or South Africa, for instance. But I’m not out to build an intentionally multinational wine list or to stock a price-point driven, one-stop liquor mart. So, after years of tasting like this, my approach is usually to focus on my areas of strength, always looking for new discoveries, and then to dabble a little in the realm of the lesser known. When it comes to wine, I really don’t believe there’s such a thing as an expert, certainly not in the widest sense. For my own purposes, I’d much rather know a lot about a little than a little about a lot.

This is all, in my typically long-winded fashion, to explain that, when it came to working my way through the core of Boutique’s direct imports at the tasting, I focused on their offerings from France, Austria and Germany and just dabbled a little in the New World and Spain.

Sandrine DuPouy, the French Portfolio Manager for Boutique Wine Collection, is originally from Toulouse but is now based in South Africa – an unusual commuting arrangement, to be sure.
From my perspective, Sandrine was pouring the strongest line-up, from start to finish, of the event. Maybe not the most impressive – that title would have to go to the grower Champagne part of the array at the Terry Theise table – but certainly the most consistent. There really weren’t any lowlights at her table, so I’ll just run through what was on offer.

• Huber Traisental Grüner Veltliner “Hugo” 2007: Very clean, crisp GV. Simple but with all the right stuff in all the right places. A really good value in entry-level Austrian wine. For more info on the estate, check out my notes from a tasting with Markus Huber earlier this year.
  
  
• Huber Traisental Grüner Veltliner “Obere Steigen” 2007: Broad, prickly texture. Very typical, in the good sense, expression, with white grape, pepper and five spice aromas.
  
  
• Huber Traisental Grüner Veltliner “Alte Setzen” 2007: Riper texture, more powerful and dark fruited. Redolent of fresh peach preserves.
  
  
• Huber Traisental Zweigelt 2006: Plummy, supple and food friendly. Easy-going Zweigelt.
  
  
• Rolly-Gassmann Rorschwihr Moenchreben Auxerrois 2001: Rolly-Gassmann farms and makes wines in the old way. Their methods are largely biodynamic and the wines are not released for sale until deemed ready to drink. 2001 is the current release for their Auxerrois, which is relatively low acid, deeply perfumed, a bit earthy and touched by a little botrytis. Tasty even if a tad awkward.
  
  
• Rolly-Gassmann Alsace Pinot Gris 2004: Excellent acidity, pure fruit and a dab of RS. The star of the line-up.
  
  
• Rolly-Gassmann Alsace Riesling 2006: Concentrated, slightly rustic and quite vinous. Not a finesse Riesling, but quite savory.
  
  
• Rolly-Gassmann Alsace Gewürztraminer 2004: Classic profile of exotic fruits, lychee and yellow flowers. Full-flavored but not at all over-the-top. I don’t drink much Gewürztraminer but I’d be happy to find a place in the fold for this one.
  
  
• Dr. Hermann Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett 2007: Direct and fruity, with classic Mosel delicacy. Cleansing acids.
  
  
• Dr. Hermann Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett 2007: Denser than Treppchen, red fruits and spiced, baked apples. Good nerve.
  
  
• Dr. Hermann Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese 2006: Consistent expression of terroir, even across the two very different vintages. Darker peach fruit, with the expected extra degree of richness relative to the Kabinett.
  
  
• Dr. Hermann Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese 2006: Much showier than Treppchen. Decadently spicy – the vineyard site is appropriately named (Würzgarten means spice garden) – and quite well balanced.
  
  
• Le Signal Côtes de Roussillon Villages “Vieilles Vignes” 2005: From an estate based in St. Paul de Fenouillet, not far from Maury. The odd man out in the lineup but it rounded out Boutique’s entire European portfolio. Soft up front but with more interesting sensations on the finish. Garrigue-driven aromas and mineral-laced fruit. A Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre blend from 80-100 year-old vines. Not the greatest value but a very solid effort.

John Toler, pictured at right, is Wholesale Sales Manager for Boutique Wine Collection. John was pouring wines from a Friulian producer, Scarbolo, brought in by Dark Star Imports. To my chagrin, I never managed to taste them. Next time, I hope. John was setup next to Boutique’s National Sales Manager, Jeff Morgenthal (pictured at left).
A couple I liked from Boutique’s Spanish and South African portfolio:

• Ken Forrester Stellenbosch Sauvignon Blanc 2008: Commercial style, squeaky clean but a good quaffer. I won’t rush out to buy it but I wouldn’t shun it as a by-the-glass pour.
  
  
• Gratavinum Priorat “2πr” 2005: That's "Two-Pi-R." Modern style blend of the “traditional” Priorat varieties: Cariñena and Garnatxa. Super ripe cassis fruit. Minty nose. Solid tannin/fruit balance.

And a couple on the dark side:

• De Trafford Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc 2006: Over the top nose of tropical fruit, followed-up hard by overwhelmingly green, aggressive oakiness. 100% barrel fermented. 15% alcohol, plus residual sugar. There’s a suggestion of good fruit but the winemaking is way too heavy-handed for the Chenin to stand a chance.
  
  
• Ardevol Priorat “Coma d’en Romeu” 2005: Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah. Savagely tannic, oak dominated and just plain unpleasant.

That's all, folks. Unless, that is, you missed the first two installments:

• Boutique Wine Collection Portfolio Tasting, Part One
  
• Boutique Wine Collection Portfolio Tasting, Part Two

Intro only...

Boutique Wine Collection Portfolio Tasting, Part Two

Yes, I actually did make it past the first table at Boutique Wine Collection’s recent portfolio tasting. It was only a few steps to the next, which featured a hodgepodge of wines from various segments of Michael Skurnik’s book, including a few Daniel Johnnes Selections.

Jonathan Schwartz, Terry Theise Portfolio Manger, was down from New York for the day to pour wines for the Skurnik team. Sorry about catching you with your eyes closed, Jonathan.
Some of the highlights:

• Raventos I Blanc Cava “L’Hereu” Brut NV: This was the highlight of the table for me, not only because it was so good but also because I’ve always had a really hard time finding a Cava that moves me. Very dry attack and highly floral aromas, with a chalky, banana pith character on the palate. Neat wine. Raventos I Blanc, I was told, is apparently the only estate bottler of Cava.
  
  
• Domaine Mardon Quincy “Tres Vieilles Vignes” 2007: Savagely dry Sauvignon, driven by honeydew melon and chalky, limey minerality.
  
  
• Domaine des Hautes Noelles Cotes de Grandlieu Muscadet sur Lie 2007: There’s a creamy aspect here, on the nose and in the mouth, but it’s offset by loads of green extract and a pretty savage mouthfeel. Needs food.
  
  
• Domaine des Hautes Noelles Vin de Pays de Val de Loire Gamay 2007: One of the most simply enjoyable reds at the entire tasting. Light and lean wild cherry fruit with an ample sprinkling of cracked white pepper. Chill it.

A few wines that were neither here nor there:

• Domaine Barraud Mâcon-Villages “Les Pierres Dorrées Vieilles Vignes” 2006: Barrel fermented white Burgundy. Mute on the nose and fairly mute on the palate. Though not terribly oaky, the wood still dominates the fruit.
  
  
• Domaine de Moulines Vin de Pays de l’Herault Merlot 2004: Solid, drinkable but boring.
  
  
• Huarpe Mendoza (Argentina) “Lancatay” Bonarda 2005: Taking a big geographical leap, I tasted this one mainly out of curiosity. Fairly pleasing, sweet-fruited chocolate and black cherries, but with a glossy texture that sings over-manipulation.

A few that I didn’t care for:

• Les Garrigues Côtes du Rhône 2007: Decent fruit but alcoholic and aggressive.
  
  
• Mud House Marlborough (NZ) Riesling 2006: A ghost costume, made of threadbare sheets that Riesling once slept on.
  
  
• Mud House Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007: Jalapeno juice.
  
  
• Mud House Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc “Swan Reserve” 2007: A bit more refined than its little brother but why bother – at its price point, you could drink very fine Sancerre. I didn’t move on to their reds. Sorry, Mud House.

And one that I managed to leave out of yesterday’s write-up:

• Sattler Burgenland Saint Laurent 2006: My favorite red of the entire tasting. Crunchy, juicy blueberry fruit, a little spice and lots of character. Sattler produces reds only. (From the Terry Theise Selections table.)

On the opposite side of the room, manning the last table, Nicola Biscardo was pouring selections from his own Italian portfolio, part of The Country Vintner’s line-up.
Some highlights from Nicola’s table:

• Piane di Maggio Trebbiano d’Abruzzo “Agriverde” 2007: Typical, apple-y Trebbiano. Good acidity and clean fruit.
  
  
• Vallerosa Bonci Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico “Carpaneto” 2007: Medium bodied, fleshy and zesty. A little low acid as Verdicchio goes but quite pleasing.
  
  
• Vallerosa Bonci Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore“San Michele” 2007: Ripe, honeyed, creamy and concentrated. A touch sweet-fruited but about as hedonistic as Verdicchio gets, in a good way.
  
  
• Feudo di San Nicola IGT Salento Primitivo 2005: From one of Nicola’s own properties. In his words, “Southern wine with a northern touch.” Clean, aromatic and very juicy. Ripe but restrained. Aged in Slovanian botte. Surprisingly good Primitivo.
  
  
• Ortaglia Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2003: More than a solid effort for the vintage. Classic expression of both place and variety. Firm and tannic, with a mouthful of expressive, tarred red fruits. Good length. Best of the bunch.

A few on the fence:

• Terre di Sole IGT Sicilia Sangiovese 2007: Another of Nicola’s properties. Juicy fruit. Simple and refreshing. A nice quaffer that would have made it to the first list if it actually showed any varietal character beyond its cherry-driven fruit. Lower yields might do the trick but then the wine would become too pricey to make any sense.
  
  
• Terre di Sole IGT Sicilia Nero d’Avola “Apalos” 2005: Surprisingly pale for Nero d’Avola. Jammy blackberry fruit. Very soft.
  
  
• Borgo Pretale Chianti Classico “Le Crete” 2006: From Castellina. Real Chianti, with lean, high acid Sangiovese character but a bit hollow and lacking in depth.
  
  
• Marchesi Biscardo Amarone della Valpolicella 2001: From Nicola’s family property. Very traditional blend, dried for between 4-5 months. Medium color, lightly raisined flavors and medium-bodies. Food friendly but a touch dilute.

And a couple I’d avoid:

• Piane di Maggio Montepulciano d’Abruzzo “Agriverde” 2007: Bright mulberry colors. Some tannin. No character. I’m not a big Montepulciano fan, so take this as you will. Typical in all the wrong ways.
  
  
• Ortaglia Rosso di Montepulciano 2006: As much as I liked their Vino Nobile Riserva, I disliked this. Decent structure but lacking substance and way overpriced.

The third and final installment, to come soon, will touch on miscellaneous and sundry from the core of Boutique Wine Collection's own portfolio.

Addendum:

• Boutique Wine Collection Portfolio Tasting, Part One
  
• Boutique Wine Collection Portfolio Tasting, Part Three

Intro only...

Boutique Wine Collection Portfolio Tasting, Part One

Boutique Wine Collection held their annual trade portfolio tasting in a sunny atrium at Philadelphia’s Moore College of Art on Monday. Thanks to an invite from Boutique’s Wholesale Sales Manager, John Toler, I had the pleasure of attending. Boutique’s own import book focuses in Spain and South Africa, augmented by small presences in Austria, France, Germany and New Zealand.

Like many other importers in the mid-Atlantic region, they’re also distributors, not only brokering their own portfolio but also clearing wines for other importers. In Pennsylvania, their book includes the entire Michael Skurnik Wines portfolio as well as the wines of The Country Vintner. In Delaware, they manage all of Skurnik’s range with the exception of the Terry Theise Selections (which are brought into DE by Bacchus). Convoluted enough for you? That’s the wine biz.

To keep things readable – and to keep my time manageable – I’ll be breaking my report on the overall event into two or three posts, each one focusing on a particular piece of the puzzle. There were a lot of wines to taste, so I’ll be touching mainly on the highlights along with a few lowlights. Notes will be much breezier than usual, so hang on.

Highlights from the Terry Theise Selections lineup:

Skurnik reps were manning the first two tables in the room, an enviable position that captured much of the early (and my) attention. Table 1 featured a strong lineup of grower Champagnes, as well as some odds and ends from Theise’s German and Austrian portfolio. Not a bad way to get things rolling.

Kevin Pike, Director of National Sales & Marketing for Michael Skurnik Wines, seems to be the go-to guy where Theise's Champagne portfolio is concerned. This is his second appearance at MFWT and bubbly brought him here both times.

• Aubry Brut NV: In spite of sitting in leadoff position, where just about anything is likely to be sipped then overlooked, this came through with plenty of character. Creamy, with fresh red fruit, breadiness and a little floral funkiness. 60% Pinot Meunier and 20% each of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
  
  
• Marc Hebrart Brut “Cuvée de Réserve” NV: Bottle one was a bit mute and tasted more evolved than its disgorgement date would suggest. Bottle two was better, showing generously textured, ripe red fruits on a very effusive frame of bubbles. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay.
  
  
• Gaston Chiquet Blanc de Blancs NV: An unusual wine in that it’s the only Blanc de Blancs from Aÿ imported into the US, not to mention one of the very few BdBs made there at all. Broader, darker and less racy than the usual entry from the Côte des Blancs but still quite delicious. Lemon oil and almonds. Very expressive.
  
  
• Gaston Chiquet Brut Tradition NV: A blend of 45% Pinot Meunier, 35% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir. Apple-y, firm and chalky on the finish.
  
  
• Vilmart & Cie “Grand Cellier d’Or” 2001: This was the showstopper among the Champagnes, even though Skurnik’s Kevin Pike later suggested that he thought it might not be a perfect bottle. It showed its ten grams of dosage with a sweeter flavor profile than the preceding Champs but handled the extra richness with grace. Pineapple, exotic fruits and baking spices on the nose. Striking on the palate. Great phenolic structure. One of the very few vintage Champagnes declared in the difficult 2001 vintage.
  
  
• Geoffroy “Rosé de Saignée” NV: A blend of 60% Chardonnay, rounded out with a rosé of Pinot Noir bled off its skins and just a touch of Meunier. Lots of peach pit and strawberry fruit with a savory edge of bitterness on the finish. Solid if not entirely elegant.
  
  
• Schloss Gobelsburg Caruntum Grüner Veltliner “Steinsetz” 2007: Totally wound-up aromatically but finely balanced and solidly built on the palate. Very persistent.
  
  
• Gysler Rheinhessen Silvaner halbtrocken 2007 (liter bottle): A bit pricey in PA but I liked it enough for it to make the “good” list. Soft, with very typical pear fruit and direct floral aromas. At the sweeter end of the halbtrocken scale.
  
  
• Leitz Rheingau Riesling “Dragonstone” 2007: The purist in me wanted not to like this, as I’m not too crazy about the trend for labeling wines for the export market. Frankly, though, this is pretty decent stuff. Good nerve, fruit and balance. Declassified Spätlese from Rudesheimer Drachenstein (thus, Dragonstone).
  
  
• Kerpen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett 2007: Excellent wine. Really pretty acid balance with a fine vein of apricot driven fruit.
  
  
• Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Spätlese 2007: Another delicious ’07. Classic Spätlese. Much showier in the fruit department, with lots of spiced apple character. Crystalline acidity.

And a few (only a few in this grouping) I wasn’t too crazy about:

• A. Margaine Demi-Sec NV: 92% Chardonnay and 8% Pinot Noir with 32 grams dosage. Banana driven (yeast?) fruit and confected character point to solid pastry pairing possibilities. But not my cup of tea.
  
  
• Berger Kremstal Grüner Veltliner 2007 (liter bottle): In states where this is still $12ish, this isn’t a bad choice as a house wine to keep in the fridge and serve ice cold and with aplomb. But in PA, in the high teens, it’s not a value. Soft, slightly clumsy but very easy drinking.
  
  
• Glatzer Carnuntum Grüner Veltliner 2007: There’s more going on here than in the Berger, some of the peach, melon and white pepper typical of the variety. But it’s coarsely textured and a bit short.

I’d planned to write about some of the other Skurnik selections in this edition but I think that's more than enough for now. More to come from Skurnik, along with some Italians from The Country Vintner, in round two.

Addendum:

• Boutique Wine Collection Portfolio Tasting, Part Two
  
• Boutique Wine Collection Portfolio Tasting, Part Three

Intro only...