B-Sides: Some Recent Hits, Misses and Outtakes

B-Sides. Sometimes neglected, almost always overshadowed by their siblings on the up-side of the disc; sometimes plain bad, but just as often every bit as interesting, if not more so, than the tracks that get more airplay. Here at MFWT, “B-Sides” will be a new series of posts that I’ll run periodically (as long as the content moves me in any way). The B-Sides are quick notes about wines that didn’t get the full attention, by way of individual or more detailed posts, they may have deserved.

The hits – wines that made my palate stand up and take notice….


Pfalz Pinot Noir, Becker Estate (Friedrich Becker) 2006
$20. 12.5% alcohol. Screwcap. Importer: A Rudi Wiest Selection, Cellars International, San Marcos, CA.
I’ve read good things about Friedrich Becker’s Spätburgunders at both Barry’s Wine and Rockss and Fruit. So I didn’t hesitate to pick up a bottle of Becker’s Estate Pinot Noir when I found it on the shelves at, of all places, a local outlet of the PLCB. Very nice wine, with fresh acidity, minimal tannins and clear fruit expression. A classic unoaked Spätburgunder nose of black cherries, smoke, a little pepper and clove, and a twinge of green herbaceousness. Reductive when first opened – perhaps a side-effect of its screwcap closure – but that blew off quickly.

Chénas, Domaine des Pierres (Jean-François Trichard) 2007
$17. 13% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
A solid example of fruity-style Beaujolais, showing much better than when last tasted a couple of months ago. It’s shed its earlier baby fat and is starting to lean-out and take on more herbal interest in its bright, raspberry driven flavor profile. Jean-François has taken over charge of the estate from his father Georges. They're apparently still working through their batch of old labels, so you may see this version of this wine labeled with Georges' name as well as with that of Jean-François.

Vouvray “Cuvée de Silex,” Domaine des Aubisières (Bernard Fouquet) 2007
$15. 13% alcohol. Screwcap. Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA.
I don’t have much more to say about this than last time other than that it’s showing drier than it was just three months ago. At an average retail price of $16 – and I’ve seen it lower in some spots – this is a great value in Vouvray that’s both serious and quaffable.

The misses – wines that left me wanting a little (or a lot) more….


Jasnières “Clos des Longues Vignes,” Domaine le Briseau (Nathalie & Christian Chaussard) 2004
$28. 13% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Louis/Dressner, New York, NY.
The Chaussards’ wines continue to leave me scratching my head. This is a fully dry Jasnières that showed some Chenin typicity, with pear fruit, good acidity and aromas of flowering herbs. But it was bitter on the finish, hollow on the mid-palate and short on the end. Though fresh on day one, it darkened in color and oxidized more quickly than normal by day two. Too low-sulfur for its own good? I’m not ready to give up yet but it will take some convincing showings to change my impression of this estate’s wines.

Barbera d’Asti “Tre Vigne,” Vietti 2006
$26. 14% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Remy Cointreau USA, New York, NY.
I have a love/hate relationship with Barbera. This one fell in the grey area, with not enough depth in the fruit and textural departments to balance its tangy, borderline sour acidity. I have no problem with high acidity – it’s one of Barbera’s hallmarks – but it has to be in balance to work. Vietti is a consistently reliable producer but this vintage of “Tre Vigne” didn’t do it for me.

Marlborough Pinot Noir, Churton 2005
$10. 12.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Allied Beverage Group, Carlstadt, NJ.
Every once in a while, I get the urge to explore a thing or two from Down Under and, for whatever reason, New Zealand Pinot Noir has recently piqued my curiosity. I had an off chance to pick this up for $10 on an importer’s close-out deal; it usually retails for $20-25. I wouldn’t buy it again even at $10. Like sweet and sour tomato paste. I forced myself to stick with it for not one but two nights – for educational purposes, mind you. I had a hard time squelching it past my tongue on both evenings.

The outtakes – wines that might have been hits if consumed at the right time or if handled with better care….


Bourgogne Aligoté, Domaine Diconne (Jean-Pierre Diconne) 2002
$13. 12.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
As I enjoyed this wine when it was released back in 2004, I know it to have been a solid example of textbook Aligoté from a producer whose wines I generally enjoy. This one just got away from me in the cellar. Once I realized that, sometime in ’07 I believe, I decided to make an experiment of it, intentionally keeping it past its expected prime. The results of said experiment turned out as anticipated. Not entirely uninteresting but it was more volatile than anything else, smelling and tasting not unlike the vapor of Lemon Pledge.

Bekaa Valley White, Château Musar (Gaston Hochar) 2000
$30. 12.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Broadbent Selections, San Francisco, CA.
I’ve yet to have a bottle – white or red – from Musar that justifies the reverent things I’ve heard and read about the estate. I don’t doubt that such a bottle is out there. It’s just that those with which I’ve crossed paths have all been either lackluster or abused. This one fell into the latter camp, the result of heat damage I suspect. What little fruit was left was caramelized; otherwise, this mostly just showed volatile acidity.

Saint-Véran, Domaine des Valanges (Michel Paquet) 2005
$15. 13% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
Another grey area wine, this is still holding some drinkability but hasn’t developed enough in the way of bottle bouquet to offset its trip down the slippery slope. Paquet produces direct, early drinking Mâcon-Davayé and Saint-Véran that are pretty decent values. But this, after only two-plus years in the bottle, is fading faster than I would have expected. If you’re holding any, drink up while the drinking’s still satisfactory.

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Two Under $15: One for the Grill and One for the Leftovers

The long Memorial Day weekend brought with it two welcome things: a much needed (and all too rare) two consecutive days off and perfect grilling weather. For the advent of warm weather and simple food, it was time to reach for a couple of quaffable, good value summertime wines.


Vin de Pays des Coteaux de l’Ardèche “Vin de Pétanque,” Mas de Libian 2007
The Thibon family has been farming organically in the Ardèche since the 1960s. Young Hélène Thibon took over the viticultural responsibilities a few years back and has since begun conversion to biodynamic principles. As of 1995, she is also the first generation of the family to estate bottle their wines, most fruit previously having been sold to négociants or taken to the cooperative. “Vin de Pétanque” is the basic red produced at the estate; it falls under Vin de Pays guidelines rather than being designated as Côtes du Rhône like most of Hélène’s other reds. As its name implies – pétanque is a Provençal lawn bowling game, sort of a cross between bocce and horseshoes – it’s a wine perfectly suited to casual drinking. A blend of young vine Grenache with a dash of Syrah, this is best served immediately upon opening, when the primary aromas of fermentation on the wild yeasts are still vital. Serving it with a slight chill, say at cellar temperature, helps to brighten its low acid profile and enliven its dark, spicy red berry fruit. Lower alcohol than Mas de Libian’s bigger reds, it’s a solid choice for summer entertaining and a great choice for burgers – we were flipping bison patties – or grilled sausage and peppers. $12. 13% alcohol. Nomacorc. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.


Beaujolais-Villages, Domaine des Pierres (Jean-François Trichard) 2007
Roast chicken is a cold weather kitchen staple at the McDuff household, at least for the omnivorous member of the family. When putting a bird in the oven, Beaujolais or Cru Beaujolais, from a good producer of course, is one of my go-to wines. This time of year, when the cooking often moves outdoors and the chicken takes on the more intense flavors brought by grilling, a sturdier red could be called into action. My call often stays with Beaujolais though, as its textural freshness marries well with the warmer weather. Like the Ardèche wine above, most Beaujolais also shows well with a light chill, helping it to stay refreshing and making it a good alternative to a crisp white on a hot night on the porch.

At Domaine des Pierres, Jean-François Trichard took over winemaking responsibilities from his father Georges as of the 2006 vintage. His wines continue to show the purity of fruit that was a trademark of his father’s style, while also bringing firm structure into play. The estate’s 2007 Beaujolais-Villages, still very young, is perfectly balanced and already showing lovely aromatic purity and clean, vibrant fruit. Not only did this show better on day two, when its raspberry and strawberry laced aromas became more focused and its tannins more resolved, it also paired better with cold, leftover chicken than it did with chicken fresh off the grill. Translation: a great choice for your next picnic. $15. 13% alcohol. Natural cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.

For more information on pétanque, visit the Official Website of Pétanque America and the Pétanque America blog.

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Wine and Cheese Tasting at Domaine Hudson

Next Thursday, July 19, I’ll be tag-teaming with the crew from New York’s Artisinal Premium Cheese to present a wine and cheese pairing happy hour at Domaine Hudson in Wilmington, Delaware. The event is already sold out – sorry for the late notice – but if you’d like to do some shopping, gather some friends and follow along from home, here’s what we’ll be serving.

• Haut-Poitou VDQS Sauvignon “Marigny-Neuf,” Ampelidae 2006 with Chabichou du Poitou
  
• Coteaux d’Aix en Provence Rosé, Château Calissanne 2006 with Ibores
  
• Chénas, Domaine Georges Trichard 2005 with Isle of Mull Cheddar
  
• Barbera d’Asti “Nobbio,” Roberto Ferraris 2005 with Robiola Bosina
  
• Toro, Quinta de la Quietud 2002 with Roncal
  
• Muscat de Rivesaltes, Mas Amiel 2005 with Bartlett Blue

Which came first, the cheese or the wine? In the case of this course, it was the cheese. I selected the wines to match each cheese with an eye to regional affinities as well as textural and flavor complements. I’m looking forward to the dialog with the mavens from Artisinal and with the crowd at Domaine Hudson. I hope to see you there!

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Relevant reading:

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