Bon Weekend

Here's hoping you all had as relaxing and enjoyable a start to the holiday weekend as did I, and that the rest of your Labor Day weekend is spent among friends, family and in good cheer. Enjoy!

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Cooking up the Ramp Romp

After our ramp foraging excursion a few days back, a little bit – actually, a lot – of cooking was in order. What didn’t go into scrambled eggs or into the pickling jar was whipped up at the main event, courtesy of Chef Bill.

Smoked Salmon and Ramp Bruschetta

Really delicious; I could have made a meal of these and been perfectly happy. Nothing more than lightly grilled baguette slices, brushed with a dab of olive oil and topped with Talula’s smoked salmon and sautéed ramps. Washed down well with bubbles and Rheinwein.


Crémant d’Alsace Brut, Domaine Barmès-Buecher 2007
$18. 12.5% alcohol. Cork. Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
The exuberant ripeness of François Barmès’ fruit shows through in the forward nature of his ’07 Crémant d’Alsace. It’s drinking well now that it’s had a chance to settle into itself and shows the potential to develop interest with a couple of years in the bottle. Simultaneously crunchy and creamy, with pear, apple and guanabana on the palate and youthful, primary yeast aromatics.

Rheinhessen Riesling Kabinett “Limestone,” Weingut Keller 2006
$32. 7.5% alcohol. Cork. Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
The weight and concentration of a Spätlese combine with the slightly lower than usual acidity of the 2006 vintage to make for quite an opulent Kabinett. Keller’s trademark crystalline minerality is still lurking in the background though, helping to keep the mouthfeel lively. Its fruit attack borders on the tropical, with key lime and guava playing nicely with flavors of ripe white peaches. This is fruit from Westhofener Kirchspiel, labeled much as with “von der Fels” to brand Klaus-Peter Keller’s focus on limestone driven terroir.

Spaghetti “Ramp-o-nara”

Yep, that’s my name for it. Laugh all you want…. This was a neat play on Italian and down home Southern cooking techniques. The ramps were sautéed in bacon drippings, the pan deglazed with white wine and chicken stock to form a “sauce,” then everything, bacon and all, tossed with the pasta. Really great depth of flavor. Premier Cru red Burgundy was hardly a traditional pairing but the smokiness in the flavor profile of both of the following wines made it work.


Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru Les Duresses, Domaine Diconne (Christophe Diconne) 2005
$32. 13% alcohol. Cork. Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
Vigorous, even masculine expression of a wine defined in most vintages more by its delicacy than its structure. Brambly black cherry fruit with spicy, smoky nuances. Well balanced, its acidity and tannins are beginning to find their center, just starting to gel and harmonize. Quite tasty now if very young, this is showing every bit the promise that led me to stash away a few bottles on release. A fine value in ’05 red Burg.

Volnay Premier Cru Santenots, Robert Ampeau et Fils 1993
$70. 13% alcohol. Cork. Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
The best of many bottles of this vintage I’ve tasted over the last couple of years. Medium-red with amber and rose petal notes around the rim, this is in that great spot where primary fruit is still evident but tertiary bottle bouquet is in full bloom. You could feel the wine’s age coming on but still sense its vitality; it was surprisingly firm, almost muscular in texture. A solid core of wild red forest fruits was surrounded by scents and flavors of clove, tar, smoke, leather and anise seed. This is a current release, by the way.


Pan-roasted Halibut Cheeks with Butter-braised Ramps

I’d never had halibut cheeks before; their texture reminded me of skate but meatier. A really nice foil to the butter enriched ramps – and to a youngster from Rioja.

Rioja Crianza Blanco “Viña Gravonia,” R. Lopez de Heredia 1998
$28. 12% alcohol. Cork. Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY.
The wine world would be such a safer place to play if more producers cellared their wines and released them when ready to drink rather than on a fixed marketing schedule. Both Ampeau and Lopez de Heredia do just that. Of course it’s an expensive business practice, which makes it all the more surreal that a wine of this age and quality that’s been cared for so well – not to mentioned aged in cask for four years before bottling – can still be purchased in the mid-$20s. Much like the Ampeau, this is showing lovely development but also plenty of potential for further growth. Golden, sunbathed fruit, waxy texture and blanched almonds. It really brought out the savory, oceanic essence of the fish, its pure essence – about all one can ask for in a food and wine match. (It's also the full answer to Wednesday's "Name That Wine" post.)

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More on Auxey-Duresses and the Question of Premature Oxidation

Much has been written over the past few years about premature oxidation of White Burgundies. The phenomenon seems to have been particularly widespread among wines produced in the second half of the 90s and early into this decade. I’ve been lucky enough to encounter the issue on only a few occasions. Whether that truly is luck or just a sign that I haven’t been drinking enough White Burgundy is a question for me to ponder. In any event, when I last wrote about the issue, it was in the context of an episode of Exploring Burgundy, focusing on Auxey-Duresses Blanc.

The wine in question was the 2002 Auxey-Duresses Blanc “Vieilles Vignes” of Domaine Diconne. Based on tasting it upon release, I’d cellared a half-case for future enjoyment and to track its development with age. So it was with dismay that I indeed found that last bottle, at least at first glance, to have suffered from early oxidative decay. As that August night wore on though, the wine seemed to recover some of its freshness and structure and ended up being fairly pleasing, if not quite what I’d hoped.

After tasting through most of Diconne’s 2005 lineup at work a few days back, it seemed like the perfect time to revisit the 2002. This time, the first glance was of somewhat muted aromatics and tight structure. But, lo and behold, there was not a hint of oxidation in evidence. As the day wore on, more and more aromatic depth was revealed while the wine’s textures and flavors unwound. Lemon custard, green apples white stones and chalk all showed up on the palate, layered atop aromas of blooming forsythia. Oak had been entirely integrated. There was loads of grip and bracing acidity, not just linear but full and mouth filling in its liveliness. The wine was at once light, lithe and airy yet had tremendous presence, with both textures and flavors lingering for minutes on the finish. As the liquid in the bottle dwindled and its temperature warmed, coconut cream and key lime emerged along with something primal, like fresh sweat after a good workout. Final impressions were of the skin of a perfectly ripe d’Anjou pear. Just brilliant. One of the most compelling wines I’ve had this year.

I could call it a happy day and leave it at that but this shift in fortunes raises a question. Was this simply a matter of bottle variation or had the wine somehow recovered, moving through and beyond an oxidative adolescence? My first thought went to the former. However, especially after looking back at my notes from the previous bottle, I wonder more and more if there’s any credence to the latter possibility. There’s a known tendency for Chenin Blancs from the Loire, for instance, to show early oxidation but then continue to live on and develop for years. But there, the oxidation seems to become an integral part of the wine rather than integrating or disappearing entirely.

I’d love to hear from others on this. Personal, anecdotal experience is more than encouraged. I’d also be particularly interested in hearing thoughts from the scientific perspective and/or from anyone with a winemaking background. Just hit the comments with your feedback. Maybe we can all learn a little something.

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Dueling 2005 Auxey-Duresses Rouges

Along with lots of wines from Germany and the Loire, I’ve been on a wee Burgundy kick of late. That’s a good thing in my books, as Bourgogne, both white and red, can be some of the most compelling juice out there. It can also be a dangerous passion to pursue, as bargains are hard to come by in the wake of the currently dreadful performance of the US dollar. Luckily, there are still a few relatively obscure villages capable of producing solid values in both red and white Burgundy. One such AOC is Auxey-Duresses, a small commune located in the shadows of Meursault on the Côte de Beaune. As an increasing number of basic Bourgognes Rouges are breaking the $25-30 price barrier, it’s refreshing to find village level Burgundies available at that same price point. I checked in on a couple recently – one an old friend, one a new find.


Auxey-Duresses Rouge, Domaine Diconne 2005
I’ve been a fairly regular imbiber of the wines of Jean-Pierre (père) and Christophe (fils) Diconne for many years now. Both their rouges and blancs from Auxey-Duresses are typical expressions of their terroir. The red is usually pale to medium rosy red, lean and taut, with fine acidity, soft tannins and elegant perfume. When the 2005 first came ashore several months back, its darker than typical color bespake the generous climatic conditions of the 2005 vintage. Nonetheless, the wine was drinking well right off the bat, with silky, supple textures and fruit concentration to match its darker colors. Several months on, the wine seems to be going through a clumsy phase. The dark color and fruit are still plain to the eye and mouth but the wine’s acidity has become more jagged and frontal in its assault. Tannins, too, are more in evidence than earlier. A gravelly, wild black cherry character dominates but aromas have shut down and the fruit and overall balance are a touch disjointed. I think things will come back together with some time but this is definitely not giving the early drinking pleasure that it often does in more typical vintages. $26. 13% alcohol. Natural cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.

Auxey-Duresses Rouge “Les Jonchères,” Domaine Billard Père et Fils 2005
I’d not had this in the past or heard anything about it for that matter but was comfortable in selecting it as I’ve had excellent success overall with the wines in the portfolio of its importer – Wine Traditions. If you’re looking for drink me now satisfaction, this delivers. Its color in the glass is more typical to Auxey, bright, pale and shimmering. Aromas of pure red cherry, red cassis and ripe raspberry are followed by similar flavors on the palate. Silky texture and graceful, medium acidity bring it all home. Excellent balance. This would work at the table with anything from baked salmon to roast chicken to simple pork chops. Nice stuff. I don’t think it will have the lifespan of Diconne’s A-D but it’s delivering far more immediate pleasure today. I’ll be headed back for more. $24. 13% alcohol. Natural cork. Importer: Wine Traditions, Falls Church, VA.

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Exploring Burgundy: Auxey-Duresses Blanc

Undeniably, Auxey-Duresses must be counted among the lesser known appellations in Burgundy. Its wines can be something that’s far too uncommon in the rather rarefied market for Burgundy: good values. Premier Cru bottlings from some of the best producers in the commune can still be had for prices that don’t exceed by much the price for the basic Bourgogne Rouges and Blancs from some estates in more illustrious areas. Auxey’s whites lack the richness of the wines from neighboring Meursault. Its reds may give something away in breed to the wines of Volnay, just to the North. However, the lean structure and lacy texture of Auxey-Duresses – I’m speaking of both red and white here – can give wines of immense character.

Auxey-Duresses Blanc “Vieilles Vignes,” Domaine Jean-Pierre Diconne 2002
Jean-Pierre Diconne is at once among the most respected and most old-fashioned of producers in Auxey-Duresses. His cellars are rustic, his wine making techniques straightforward and natural, and his personality undeniably affable. And his wines are pure expressions of place. He produces lovely examples of commune level Auxey-Duresses Rouge and a very fine Premier Cru “Les Duresses.” Nonetheless, from a village where three of every four bottles produced are of red wine, it’s with true pleasure that I look forward to the arrival, once every few years, of a tiny quantity of the Jean-Pierre’s Vieilles Vignes Blanc. In good vintages, it can be an astounding wine. When I first tasted the 2002 version, it was brimming with granny smith and greengage fruit, allied with golden flesh and tensile nerve on a medium-bodied frame. It struck me as a wine that might last for quite some time in a well kept cellar; accordingly, I hoarded away a half-case or so.

Recently revisiting the 2002, five years after the vintage, my initial reaction upon pulling the cork was one of trepidation. Sherry-like aromas, a telltale sign of oxidation, were the first scents that rose from the glass. There was still fruit – ripe pears and honeysuckle along with some toasted hazelnut notes – but that oxidative note held it at bay. For those of you who are fans of white Burg, this may come as little surprise. There have been huge discussions for the last couple of years about early, unexpected oxidation in these wines. For a good overview of the issue from various quarters of the wine world, check out:

• “Beauty and the Beast: Premature Oxidation,” an article by Dr. Jamie Goode in issue 14 of The World of Fine Wine
  
• The huge topic thread at eRobertParker.com
  
• A very detailed Wiki site devoted to the issue of oxidized Burgundy

While most of the research and comments in these articles and discussions have focused on the vintages from 1996-2000, there have been continuing worries about wines from subsequent years. Suffice it to say that I was worried, based upon my first impressions, about the fate of my remaining stash of J-P’s 2002.

Here’s the good news. As the evening continued, as the wine warmed up from its cold spell in the fridge and as the contents of our glasses met with some aeration, the oxidative notes seemed, at the very least, to dissipate. Though never as nervy as when originally tasted, elegance and fruit unfolded as the nutty, tired hints receded. In the end, the wine not only opened up beautifully but also paired surprisingly well with a salad of fresh beets, arugula and goat cheese inspired by a recent recipe in Gourmet.

All things considered, I’ll be cutting my losses and remapping the original drinking schedule for my remaining bottles. Hopefully, they’ll continue to bring pleasure over the next year or two. In the meanwhile, undaunted, I’ll be waiting for the next small shipment from M. Diconne’s cellars to grace our shores.

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