Quick wine reviews from the Jersey Shore

I am enjoying an extended stay in Avalon this month, which means I cook almost every night and there's always wine. Here's a quick review of the wines we've had so far.

Gilles Gelin Beaujolais Villages 2010 -- Everybody knows 2009 was perhaps the best Beaujolais vintage of our lifetimes, but 2010 was very close to it. Perhaps less rich fruit and more mineral body, which would be my preference anyway outside of the crus of Julienas and Chiroubles which to me should be about fruit first. This Villages is several cuts above the more commercial Villages, with deep mineral flavors supporting crushed black cherry and herbal flavors. Now to 2016. Served with marinated steaks.

Johann Peter Reinert Wawerner Ritterpfad Riesling Auslese halbtrocken 2011 -- If Donnhoff, based in the Nahe, are now my favorite German winemakers, Reinert, a Saar-based veteran, is right behind. This magic exilir, served with grilled scallops stuffed with basil and garlic, is a candidate for wine of the year. The Auslese means it's full-bodied, with an intense backbone of pure Riesling fruit, but the halbtrocken means it's more or less dry on the palate with a teasing of sweet petrol on the end. Every sip leaves you wanting more. Stunning now, but will last for decades.

2012 Chateau Revelette Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Rose -- 

Perhaps the finest rose being sold right now,  but the price creep to $19 is a bit of a concern. A pale, "onion skin" color with herbal notes of thyme and rosemary. Very refreshing and mouth-puckering, but not quite the equal of the 2011 (see below). Worth the price, but the value isn't what it used to be. Served with sausages. Drink now, or 2014.

NV Pol Roger Champagne -- Served with fireworks on the beach on July 4. My favorite non-vintage Champagne, endlessly rich, lovely mousse, acidity just right and frothy fun to celebrate a birthday!

2011 Chateau Revelette Coteaux d'Aix Provence Rose -- Leftover from last year, these four bottles were blown through at record speed with everything from shrimp remoulade to frankfurters to fish. I have been drinking this wine for several years now and the 2011 is the best vintage ever. Massive amounts of flowers and herbs on the nose, lovely strawberry, honeysuckle and tart raspberry fruit, vibrant acidity, a finish to remember. Drink with whatever you are eating. Could last three years. Won't at my house.

NV Hawk Haven "American Kestrel" White -- From a Cape May County winery. 80 percent chardonnay, 20 percent sauvignon blanc. The Chard is aged in stainless steel and therefore is crisp and clean, peachy; the Sauv is aged in French oak; creamy and complex. A fine blend, though 60/40 may been more to my taste. Serve this deeply cold; it refreshes very well and warns into something a bit more complex. Served with grilled chicken with spicy sauce, and held up vs. the intense sauce. $14 a fair price.

2012 Josef Leitz "Eins Zwei Dry Rheingau Riesling Trocken -- This is one of Germany's efforts to crack the international market for everyday table wine -- simpler label, under a screwcap, priced at $13. Leitz has a winner here. More alcoholic than many German rieslings at 12.5 percent from fully ripened grapes from the glorious south-facing wall of vines that is the Rheingau, it's full-bodied but still racy, the acidity balancing out the fruit. Long, intense finish. Johannes Leitz was named German winemaker of the year in 2011 and I can see why; he is innovative while respecting a family tradition that dates back to 1744. This is a terrific wine to serve to people who think all German Rieslings are sugar bombs. This can age, but will be just fine young and fresh.

2007 Wine Dinner Tasting Notes

It appears that the original posting of these notes vanished with the Angel's Share. The following represents tasting notes from the 2007 Wine Dinner held at the Pen & Pencil Club of Philadelphia in October 2007.

NV Heidseick Monopole "Blue Top" Brut
Somewhere, there's a checklist for classic Champagne: toasty aroma, plenty of mousse, crisp, appley flavor, zesty, lemon finish, and a desire to drink another flute immediately. This one checked all those high points. Couldn't have been more well-received by the guests. We served it with Scottish Imperial smoked salmon, dill cream and red onions and its freshness and zestiness cut the rich salmon very well. No, this did not have the breed and richness of Pol Roger, the evanescent lightness of Taittinger, the boldness of Lanson Black Label, the depth of Bollinger ... but it was a very nice middle-of-the-road prototype of a classic. Lasted nicely in the glass, still with crisp mousse 40-45 minutes later. At what we paid ($24) a steal. (And the elegant packaging was a plus ). ****

2004 Zind-Humbrecht Herrenweg de Turckheim Riesling
Now, if the Champagne was a prototypical classic, this was not: not much Riesling tastes like this. Would that more did. Words slightly fail me here because I was so blown away. That ultra-rich aroma, tinged with kerosene, pineapple, perfumed fruit, and hint of vanilla. Pale yellowish color. Massive depth of flavor and structure that hits you right away. Almost Sauternes-like in richness, but racier, and with a mind-blowing fruit finish (esp. apricots) that went on and on and on. Zind's wines are known for depth of flavor and richness. This was all of that. A nervous wine in that the structure had to fight off being swamped by the richness. Not especially sweet for Riesling though as it warmed, the sweetness level amped up. Could age for a decade or more; that might settle the richness down a touch. Good right now. We served it with luscious little crab-and-pimento cakes. This wine would overpower a lot of things; really good crabmeat would be fine. Also some Alsatian cheeses, veal sausages, blue trout would all be good. Not cheap ($32) but worth every penny. ****1/2

2005 David Duband Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits "Louis Auguste"
One word: fresh. From the delightful berry aroma to the entrancing first sip to the grandly sweeping, woody, earthy, Pinot Noir finish, all young and delightful and oh so fresh. Almost as effervescent as a good Beaujolais Cru (a compliment from me). Served lightly chilled - I highly recommend doing so - it was like a wine of young cherries and raspberries, with a fleeting, heady, almost magical Pinot aroma. If 2005 was like this in the Hautes Cotes de Nuits, just imagine what it was like in Gevrey or Chambolle (and given the 2005 prices imagining is what most of us will have to settle for). A pleasant bitterish finish left the palate ready for another bite of creamed portobellos. Excellent value at $25 from a wine shop in Chicago. Can age, but if you can buy village or 1er cru wines and age them and drink this lovely charmer while it's ... fresh. ****

2002 Sociando-Mallet
I have always like this big-shouldered Haut-Medoc (from St. Seurin de Cadbourne, just north of St. Estephe. It shares some of the characteristics of a St. Estephe, notably its firmness and body, but Sociando always drinks better young than do the great St. Estephe wines (or even the less great ones; I had a 2001 St. Estephe, I forget the chateau, in Paris in 2004 that was like drinking a brick wall. A big one). 2002 was one of those in-between vintages in Bordeaux, not a dazzler like 2000 or 2005, not as hot as 2003, but good wines were made, and the Sociando is one of those. All the classic Bordeaux elements: that elusive aroma of earth that says "Bordeaux" before you take a sip - it's what "terroir" is all about - then a jammy, cassis flavor that broadens to tobacco, lead pencil and leather as you swirl in the mouth, then a clean, crisp finish that went on for a while. Layers of flavor that came out in the glass. Not as fruity as, say, a 2003 would have been, and a touch austere for people used to Napa Cabs. Lacked that richness and depth of a top vintage, but also did not cost as much ($32). Perfect with lamb chops. A classic Bordeaux. Could age for 10-15 years, probably best in 2010 or so. My kind of wine. ***1/2

1989 Clos Baudoin (Prince Poniatowski) Vouvray
All of what is good about French wine is in this bottle: the historic plot (a walled vineyard), the family traditions (the Poniatowskis fought with Napoleon), the regional grape (Chenin Blanc in its homeland, the middle Loire Valley), the refusal to pander (some years, the Clos makes wines that are sweet, some years they are dry, depends on the grapes and the weather. You have to know, or ask) and attention to detail and quality. The '84 Clos was one of the best dry whites I have ever had, even after 15 years it had power and lushness. The '90 is all power. The '89 is sweet, but not overly so, pale in color, lovely quince and apricot nose, plenty of acidity to tame the sweetness, and an elegant, sweet/sour finish that went on forever. DO NOT SERVE TOO COLD!!! It will lose its luster and just be a nice quaff. Changes personalities in the glass, becomes pineappley and denser as it warms. We served it with cinnamony bread pudding, but could also go with fruit desserts (but not chocolate or anything overly sweet), foie gras, and even scallops, shrimps or a flatfish. The Prince has sold the Clos and his winery so grab these classics while you can. At $19 the steal of the century. Could age for 40 years. Any I have won't get the chance to last that long. ******

Tasting notes from a glorious weekend

The weekend of 27-30 March offered a wedding, a terrific dinner, and some spectacular wines Given my schedule, it's unusual to have so many nights in a row where wine was a part of my life - it was very pleasant!

Notes in order:

2006 Domaine de Vercheres Macon-Villages
A strange, strange wine. Macon-Villages typically offers clean, crisp, refreshing wine, always Chardonnay lightly oaked if at all, simple but pleasant, good with food. Since this said Macon-Villages on the label, I will assume it was Chardonnay, but to me more like a white Rhone blend or even, at times, a Chenin Blanc - a tad watery, weirdly sweetish, heavy lime taste, not too pale, a little vanilla. Peach at mid-palate, creamy (like a Chenin), limey, short finish. Zero steely crispness typical of Macon. I tasted this before I ordered dinner, and the pork chops in a rich brown sauce - NOT normally what I'd eat with a Macon-Villages - went well. Not at all bad, but wildly untypical of its type. About $9 a bottle. Drink now. ** (at the Pen & Pencil Club, Philadelphia, 3/2008)

2007 Cantina del Castello Soave Classico
Served with wild boar prosciutto (on endive) from the remarkable butcher shop D'Angelo Brothers on 9th St. in Philadelphia's Italian Market - they have every kind of meat you can imagine and some you cannot . I was looking for something light but flavorful to match the cured meat and this was a real winner. Very pale, fruity nose. A hint of fizz, lemony, nutty, clean finish, not long, but lovely while there. Handled the boar and endive well, as its citrus elements cleaned the palate nicely. 12 percent alcohol or so. $17 a bottle, a fair price for hand-made Soave from the best part of the growing area (i.e., the hill, not the plain). Good summer wine. *** (at Chez Bailey, New York, 3/2008)

1996 H. Billiot en Fils Champagne
This and the next three wines came from a spectacular BYOB dinner thanks to the generosity of a wonderful old friend. This was the aperitif. It offered a yeasty apple blast at the beginning - I have never had such an apple-y Champagne - a light mousse, a gentle, mature wine with body and class. The '96's have been the greatest Champagne vintage of the last 15 years and they are starting to be fully mature. This lovely wine is ready now but has the structure and the fruit - all that apple! - to go for a while. My preference is towards more lemony and mineral bubblies, but I'd drink this anytime. Might be really good with a creamy, milder cheese. Now-2012. **** (at La Sirene, New York, 3/2008)

2002 Zind-Humbrecht Clos Windsbuhl Hunawihr Riesling
A half-bottle. Not as massive as some of the Z-H's I have had over the years - see the 2007 wine dinner report for one of those - but thus perhaps more typical of Alsatian Riesling. Deep, wonderful aroma of apricot and petrol; bags of racy Riesling fruit, nice acidity to balance the fruit and a firm, age-worthy body. Light honey on the long, long finish. It felt a touch stronger than some Rieslings (I did not get the alcohol number but it had to be 12.5 minimum). Delightful with duck salad, though trout or game may have been even better. Now-2017. **** (at La Sirene, New York, 3/2008)

1998 La Conseillante Pomerol
I've had La Conseillante before and always been pleased but somewhat underwhelmed (in Bordeaux I am more of a Left Bank guy), but it is a favorite of my dining group and thus I see it more frequently than any other Pomerol (or Right Bank wine in general). Decanted for roughly an hour. Eucalyptus and mint on the powerful nose at first, then, in a bit, classic Bordeaux nose, not as leathery as the Left Bank, more plummy cassis and hints of cigars (good ones too!). Deep purple color, rich, a hint of sweet, well-balanced, body to spare, refreshing, cassis long finish. A powerhouse. Got better in the glass. Had this with the duck and a rich monkfish stew with mushrooms. Absolutely classic, best La Conseillante I ever had. Good now, will last. And last. Now-2020. ****1/2 (at La Sirene, New York, 3/2008)

1999 Laville Haut Brion Pessac-Leognan blanc
The white of La Mission Haut Brion. White Bordeaux is usually hit with me, though more so from Pessac-Leognan and Graves than the Medoc; I've had Mouton's (Aile d'Argent) and Margaux's (Pavillon Blanc) whites and been, again, pleased but underwhelmed, while I cannot praise Domaine de Chevalier's white (Graves) enough. I came to this wine with much anticipation and excitement and I am pleased to say it delivered though in an unexpected way. In an age of obvious wines that show their hand right at the start, this is a subtle, quiet gem that reveals its pleasures slowly and only to those who are paying attention. Don't guzzle this, don't serve it without food and DO serve it with people whose conversation is as good as the wine because that will stretch the wine and you'll know its secrets better. Palish, golden wine. Minty, subtle nose of citrus and lanolin; more lime and meadow on the palate, a bare hint of grapefruit, and then it goes on and on and on the finish and remained in the mouth as an evanescent memory. Served probably a hair too cold, changed as it warmed, apricot, mint, that meadowy, grassy (in a good way) flavor. Some commentators such as Michael Broadbent suggest this wine could be in a "dumb" (i.e., closed) phase now, which could account for the subtleness of the flavors, but it gives much pleasure. It suited the monkfish stew but would have been so perfect with diver scallops or even simply prepared good pork. A wine for connoisseurs and sophisticated palates. Now-2020? ****1/2 (At La Sirene, New York, 3/2008).

1998 Aubry Champagne
Wow! This one grabs you at the start, bready, zesty nose leaps drom the glass, chalky, minerally, aggressive in a good way. Massive mousse. Lemons and citrus on the palate, not as appley as the Billot. A tremendous aperitif but stood up just fine, indeed amazingly well, to somewhat overcooked prime rib. Oysters or game birds would be a spectacular match. Years to here. I have been loyal to the '96 Champagnes but '98 needs more investigation, will have get on that prompt. A divine wine to toast the wedding of two of my dearest friends - they deserve the best, of course! (They had Pol Roger '96 at the head table; my little party had this wine to ourselves). Festive, a real treat, made the occasion sparkle even more than it did already. Now-2015? More? **** (At The Riviera at Massapequa, Massepequa, New York, 3/2008)

2007 Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand)
The wedding (open) bar's white wine. A commercial product and it shows, the flavors are more obvious and cruder. Served too cold, flat and cloying when too cold. But as it warmed up, hints of lemon, mint and vanilla. Would be a decent beach wine or lunch wine with leftover fish and fowl. OK value at $8. Drink now, if at all. For what it was, OK; could have been a lot worse. *1/2 (At The Riviera at Massapequa, Massepequa, New York, 3/2008).

Looking for offbeat wines? Good bargains?

The circular for the Chicago-based Wine Discount Center came the other day and I was once again reminded of their fascinating selection and very fair pricing. They are not paying me for this, by the way, but I’d recommend a look at their Web site and signing up for their newsletter – this month it features a dry Alsatian Muscat, a Prum Mosel Kabinett and some excellent Portuguese wines among other treasures. They are especially strong in Champagne and sparkling wines, Beaujolais and the Rhone, also ports and the like.

Wine and life: Paris and Philadelphia, what a difference

I would like wine to be as much a part of my life in Philadelphia as it is when I am in Paris.

Now, it's always different on vacation than normal life. More free time, more flexibility, more time to drink.

But even if I was on vacation in Philadelphia, it would not be the same. Not even close.

In Paris, wine is part of the rhythm that makes the city go. It adorns most, if not all, tables in restaurants. It is consumed at zinc bars, at standup bars, at tabacs, and at cafes. Red wine, newspaper, cigarette. Good wine shops pop up on most shopping streets.

One can duck into any of the establishments and get a good glass of red or white for 2-3 euros. A pichet for a couple more euros. At one wonderful bistro in the 1st, Le Rubis (10 rue du Marche-Saint-Honore, Tel: 01 42 61 03 34, Metro: Tuileries) a delightful Champagne can be had for 5.50E. (I spent about 3 hours there on my January visit and watched one elderly lady have a coupe de Champagne before AND after her shopping trip. Bon marche!)

In many places, a small glass of Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Muscadet can be had for 1.60E, such as at the spectacular Le Duc de Richelieu (5 rue Parrot, 12th, Tel: 01 43 43 05 64, Metro: Gare du Lyon), which offers Beaujolais crus made for them at that price! (The Chiroubles is like raspberry in the glass.)

Just try getting that in Philadelphia. Almost nowhere is a decent glass of wine less than $8, and for that one often gets the very basic California varietal or Italian mass-produced plonk. Some bars have glasses of wine for $5-6 but that will get you over-oxidized dreck at best and ... urrrp! ... at worst. Then, of course, any decent bar customer will leave a tip, at least a dollar a glass. So a stroll around Philadelphia fueled by wine will cost ... $35-$40. It would be 1/3 that in Paris, helped hugely by the fact that 20 cents Euro is a good tip and leaving nothing is acceptable.

Of course, much of the cheaper wine comes from the fact that the vineyards of Beaujolais are much closer to Paris than Philadelphia -- but it can't be all that, because local PA and NJ wines often cost dramatically more than imported wines in Philadelphia. The exchange rate makes a difference, too, but, again, U.S. wine is often just as expensive, and Latin American wines, where the dollar goes a long way, are expensive too.

And the wine isn't THAT much cheaper in Paris. The Perrin brothers' acceptable Cotes du Ventoux brand "La Vielle Ferme" sells for $8 a bottle in Philadelphia. I suggest similar wines that Paris bistros and the like sell for 2.50E a glass (or less) are not much cheaper in France. But a glass of "La Vielle Ferme" would be $7 in Philadelphia at best.

Is it that much cheaper to do business in Paris? Evidence would suggest the opposite. I realize stupid Pennsylvania liquor laws are a part of this, but the same general situation exists in other U.S. cities.

What seems to be different is the attitude towards wine. In Paris, wine is regarded as an integral part of the meal. In Philadelphia, it's a profit center for the bar/restaurant. In Paris, drinkers do not subsidize non-drinkers' meal tabs. In Philadelphia, they surely do (if you doubt this, check out BYOB places where food prices are considerably higher than in comparable licensed establishments). In Paris, bartenders and bistro owners don't mind pouring small glasses of wine for customers. In Philadelphia, they do.

I doubt this attitude will ever change -- too much money involved. There is no reason -- none -- why a glass of Beaujolais Villages, from a bottle that sells for $7, should be more than $3.50 except for sheer greed (and since Philadelphia restaurants pay their (tipped) staff about $2.36 an hour and notoriously offer no health benefits there's a lot of greed going on).

Any wait person will tell you drinkers (and smokers, too, but that's another post) spend more and tip better. So shouldn't a restaurant be ENCOURAGING wine consumption? At the very least, shouldn't the people who order just food and tap water at least pay the going rate and not be subsidized by the drinkers? In fact, THEY should subsidize the drinkers, given the differences in their checks and tips! By turning wine into a luxury with the emphasis on short-term profit, Philadelphia restaurateurs are hurting themselves long-term big-time. Meanwhile, in Paris, the bistros bulge with wine drinkers spending generously.

But change is unlikely. Too bad.

I walk by a nice French bistro every day en route to work. I'd love to stop in and have a glass of wine every day, read the paper, have a conversation. But it would cost me $7-$10 to do so, and I wind up paying for part of the teetotaler suburban couple's steak frites. No thanks.

I'll save those occasions for Paris, thank you.

1996 Champagnes -- don't miss, right now!

1996 vintage Champagnes are getting hard to find in the stores. (For those of you lucky enough to have laid down a case or two of this vintage, and still have it, I am: 1) insanely jealous; 2) willing to be your dinner guest at any time; 3) making plans to raid your wine cellar).

However, as a recent experience showed me, a little hunting and they can be found, especially in bigger cities or in auction.

I cannot recommend enough making the effort to hunt down some of this vintage. Never has wine-searching time been better spent.

And there's no need to seek out Dom or Sir Winston Churchill 1996s, either (though both would be blockbusters as well as wallet-busters). 1996 is such a dazzling vintage, full of structure, heft and an amazing citrusy mouth-filling flavor that the non-luxury cuvees offer luxury-cuvee experiences at less than half the cost.

Having had several of the '96's -- including the lovely Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blanc, pictured, as I was reminded by a commenter -- I can categorically say this is the greatest vintage of any single wine area I have ever tasted. I don't know enough 1982 Bordeauxs to comment about them specifically but I would make that comparison: big, bold, gorgeous wines that age for years.

Now: when to drink? The luxury cuvees have 10 more years, almost certainly, but would be spectacular now. But after a ravishingly luxurious, almost decadent '96 Laurent-Perrier Brut Millesme passed my lips this weekend, I would say that the basic Pols and Veuves -- if not Krug -- are ready to drink now.

In other words, for $60-$80 and some patience, you can enjoy one of the all-time best vintages of one of the world's classic vintages at its peak RIGHT NOW. What are you waiting for? Go get some.

Recommendations, you say? I should say right away that my ideal Champagne and my fallback favorite for any occasion is Pol Roger. I adore its combinaton of lightness and freshness with structure and character, and it refreshes as few other wines can. Pol equals class. If Pol's not about, Veuve is a good, solid, middle-of-the-road choice. L-P and Tattinger are lighter but in '96 still very substantial. Lanson is always dependable.

But almost anybody made great wines that year, and smaller produces such as Jose Michel, Diebolt-Vallois and Henri Mandois made gems worth seeking out.

Have a spring wedding, graduation, or other such celebration coming up? These wines will make it memorable. But don't save Champagne just for celebrations, especially the '96s -- great food wines and marvelous aperitifs for any occasion.

And they're at their best now. Good luck on the hunt.