For Love of the Grape: Lagrein

“You don’t have to be knowledgeable about wine to try something different. Sometimes it is refreshing to step outside your comfort zone and try new things.”-JvB

There are several grapes grown in the seven regions that make up the Italian Alps’ winemaking area known as Alto Adige. Gewürztraminer is said to have originated here (from the town Tramin). Pinot blanc, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot grigio, and riesling are grown and bottled in this region as well. Some lesser known white wine grapes grown in this region include: sylvaner, veltliner, kerner, müller-thurgau, and moscato giallo. Most of these are known as aromatic, dry, refined whites with excellent minerality from the local terroir.

The red wines from the Alto Adige region include well known varietals such as merlot, pinot noir, and cabernet are grown in this region between the Alps and the Mediterranean sea. But the lesser-known local varietals are very interesting, and include schiava, moscata rosa, and lagrein (pronounced “lǝ -grān” or “lǝ-grīn”).

 Lagrein is one of the leading red varietals of the region. If you don’t know the grape, you’re not alone. But that’s no reason not to try it!

A quick aside: You don’t have to be knowledgeable about wine to try something different. Sometimes it is refreshing to step outside your comfort zone and try new things. I would normally never seek out grape varietals that I don’t know for large dinner parties, but I took a chance while in Italy. Not knowing the Sudtirol region  well, during our stay in Merano I asked the sommelier to suggest local wines that would pair well with our meal choices. One evening he brought forward a lagrein to suggest. My initial impression of the wine was not great, but it improved immediately with more air, paired beautifully with the northern Italian cuisine we were enjoying, and was an obvious excellent choice- a lesson I’ve never forgotten!

The character of the lagrein grape falls between a young pinot noir, syrah, and grenache. The colors of a typical wine will range from ruby red to deep violet and purple; the nose can be fruit, perfume, and spice; and the blackberry/blueberry fruit is sometimes followed with spices and pepper. Often the initial mouthfeel is then matched or  dominated by strong acidity and powerful tannins with a medium to long, grippy finish.

Overall, it’s important to note that the lagrein grape has never been intended to be consumed on its own. With a naturally high acidity and tannin, this is a wine made for food. In general, due to higher expenses in both manufacturing and export, Alto Adige wines will cost from $16-45 in general. I doubt you’ll find these on the shelf in the average wine shop; I only found between one and five wines at the three top sellers I use in New York while I found no lagrein wines at smaller wine shops. But I do suggest that some time, you give a lagrein a try. You might be impressed!

When I recently had an opportunity to attend the Alto Adige 2013 Grand Tasting Tour, (with over 20 wineries participating) I remembered my experience with the lagrein varietal and made it a point to pay attention to the lagrein wines at the event.

In addition to tasting with the winemakers, I also took notes on several lagrein wines during a direct comparison tasting. Please understand that these notes are taken in haste; at these tastings, there is no real opportunity to linger and ponder the wine or taste it several times, with different pairings or over multiple days, hence some brevity in description. A star in front of the name shows it is recommended. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is listed after each wine for your reference.

*Bolzano Lagrein Riserva “Prestige” 2010, $42
Has a nice balance and depth. Ruby-purple color with cherry vanilla nose. Strong blackberry and cherry again on the palate with a fleshy finish.

*Castell Sellegg, Lagrein 2011, $35
My favorite from this group tasting. Violet in color, perfume nose with great forward fruit, strong acidity and tannin. An excellent representation and a well made wine. Highly recommended.

Franz Haas Lagrein 2010, $36
My least favorite of the group with almost no bouquet and a weak flavor in comparison to the other lagreins. Could pair nicely with gentle cheeses, salad, light appetizers. Has a wonderful, eye-catching label, but very pricey in my opinion for the mild  nose and flavor.

St. Pauls Lagrein 2011, $18
Nice purple color, sharp fruit nose. Very hot on the palate (13.5% alcohol) with bitter finish. Would be best served slightly chilled. Acids and tannin overpower the fruit, but shows better with food.

Tenuta Lensch Lagrein 2009, $20
An interesting wine that showed quite differently than the other lagreins in its initial harshness. Perhaps significant air would make a difference, I found this wine a challenge to appreciate.

*Elena Walch Lagrein Riserva Castel Ringberg 2008
This was the first lagrein  that demonstrated a clear and significant step up in quality from the first tier of lagrein wines I tasted. Aged in large oak barrel, there is a gentle wood underneath. Still quite tart, and tannic, this wine has good fruit, body, and structure that show depth and complexity when paired.

à votre santé!

A Mother’s Day Wine Gift, from Mom

I called my Mother to wish her a Happy Mother’s Day. She surprised me by thanking me for writing my wine blog!

I was shocked to say the least.

It seems that my parents, nearly retired, have been attending more and more wine get-togethers with their friends and neighbors, tasting and trying new things. My parents don’t care much for white wines, but they have been trying wines outside their normal comfort zone, and recently found a white that surprised them in how much they enjoyed it!

(She has no idea about the post that will appear soon in JvB UnCorked about the Lagrein grape and my sermon-like post on trying new things! Won’t she be surprised!)

My mom explained she has started to realize what she likes about various wines, and how she now appreciates their depth and structure, the secondary notes, the accents that take a wine from the merely enjoyable to the sublime. My mother notes that since reading my blog, now she too, sometimes gets excited by sensing the change in the palate as oxygen runs over the wine held in the mouth, how the flavor range expands and the savory notes can come forth after the initial rush of fruit. These are learned elements that often require serious appreciation to acknowledge, and out of the blue my beloved mother is telling me how much she loved one wine, was bored by another, and noticed elements that were present or missing in others!

From the lady who gave me an appreciation for listening to others, for the French language, for reaching out to those we don’t know-

I was hoping to lift her spirits with my appreciation, but she topped me by giving me a gift back on Mother’s Day.

Here is a toast to all the mothers out there, and especially to mine, a wonderful, warm, intelligent and charming woman who has wowed my friends and family her entire life. On your day, and every day, I raise my glass to you, with love, adoration and appreciation that only a child can have for a parent.

And to all my readers on the anniversary of launching UnCorked , thanks for reading, and may you open a wine that excites you, that helps you love the experience of trying new things.

à votre santé!

(thanks to Charles & Lynnette for sharing the picture below!)

Friday Night Whites

From the “What I’m Tasting Right Now” files:

Moillard Bourgogne Tradition Chardonnay Bourgogne 2009

A basic white burgundy I found while trolling wine shops near Columbus Circle. Color is deep straw. Nose has citrus and a touch of oak. In the mouth, a basic chardonnay, some fruit, a little cream as it warmed plus the classic wood finish as expected, but sadly there is little else of note here. I know that Maison Moillard was purchased in 2008 and is a huge producer but I had high expectations from this vintage. Perhaps as the second or third wine from this producer, my expectations were too high. $14/ half bottle (.375 litre).

Cupcake Vineyards Marlborough, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2011

After a dozen mentions from my wine friends & followers, I took the plunge and tasted several Cupcake wines. I found most of them good, solid values. I recently picked up a bottle locally to try over several days with different food pairings, here are the results:

Color: light straw. Nose: lemon, grapefruit, sweat. (Really. Don’t stick your nose in and drink the bouquet without being ready for a little underarm funk on the end. Sniff gently and enjoy.) In the mouth, tons of grapefruit, with a little key lime sweet & tartness, more tight, tart lemon on the finish. Nice acidity, this is a lovely apertif on a hot day, pairs beautifully with light appetizers- fresh fish or sashimi, salads, veggies- and just strong enough to work with asian or eastern entrée flavors. It cut through and cleaned the palate beautifully when tasted after castello blue cheese. But keep the wine cold or it loses some of its delight. For $11 this screwcap wine is a good value, and one you can trust will please your friends but won’t break the bank. Here’s a link to Cupcake Vineyards if you want to find out more.

I leave you with my usual toast, and a picture from my friends Charles and Lynnette, who shared the picture below.

à votre santé!

Domain Ballot-Millot & Fils Borgogne Aligoté 2009

Aligoté, this white burgundy from Meursault that ISN’T chardonnay, is one of my secret wines. I haven’t written about it here before, perhaps on purpose, until now.  The wines from this estate have always been delicious, enticing, and classic; yet with obvious attention to detail from the winemakers, they have improved with slow, steady determination while the prices remain under $20. From my favorite midtown wine Manhattan store, this bottle is a mere $15.95 and I have been steadily ordering several bottles every spring and summer in my mixed cases for my own enjoyment. (I referred to it illicitly in my post, Seeking the Right White Wine.)

Why do I enjoy this Aligoté so? Let me describe it to you: Crisp, clean notes of fresh apple, pear and lemon, followed by delicious acidity.  Hold the wine in your mouth and feel it expand with depth and complexity, the body is fuller than you expect and the minerality is dense with flint & clay, followed by a note of young oak with a mildly nutty flavor on the finish.

Ladies and gentlemen, This is the ‘cheaper’ wine made in the poorer soils in Meursault because the varietal is resistant to cold weather. This delicious, well-made, complex bottle sells for under $16 and is every bit as worthy of Burgundy as the wines that $40, $80, $150. It won’t taste like a $150 bottle of Premiere or Grand Cru Meursault from the Chardonnay grape, (because it isn’t one)  but it most certainly tastes like the terroir, the Aligoté grape, a gentle oak influence, and like it was picked by the same wizened hands that pruned the most expensive grapes all season long…because it was. And this is one you can actually afford to buy by the case once you’ve been wowed by its charm!

This is the affordable Burgundy I pass over the fence to my neighbor who rarely enjoys a glass of wine. “You know I love white burgundy. It’s my one wine weakness. They send me over the top, but the good ones are just so gosh-darned expensive and hard to come by!” says Gary, the laughing, lovable genius who lives next door with his brilliant wife and their two teenagers that we’ve known for what must be 15 years.

Yes, Gary, and no. They can be hard to find and pricy, but if you look in the right places, you’ll find something that is just as deliciously complex and amazing as that $150 Meursault for a fraction of the price. In this case, Aligoté. For you, for your neighbor, for your wallet, for your palate. Trust me.

à votre santé!

Spring Is In The Air…Sancerre!

Recently after an evening performance I joined friends for a quick drink at a new restaurant. As we arrived one by one, the waiter provided a drink list and without prompting, each person examined the wines by the glass and declared, “Sancerre!”  It seemed that to each of us, without knowing what anyone else had ordered, Sancerre appeared to be an excellent choice to have when there was no expectation for pairing or food (yet) and ideal for the late evening- all of this in spite of a nice wine menu featuring several chardonnay, white bordeaux, aligote and a chablis available. The choice was a clear winner: sancerre.

It must be Spring. The weather has finally changed, its gorgeous outside, everyone is suffering from allergies, and the bars are stocked with Sancerre.

The success of 2010’s wine crop in France did not end in Bordeaux. The Loire Valley also has had wonderful production and the evidence is in your glass. Sancerre is traditionally 100% sauvignon blanc grapes grown on the west side of the Loire river (facing Pouilly-Fumé on the east bank). There are several terroirs in Sancerre, and as they are often aged in stainless tanks or concrete without exposure to oak, drinkers will find the minerality to be a major character in their glass, be it chalky clay, limestone and flint, the classic white clay and limestone, or another wonderfully expressive version of the amazing terroir.

The only downside? It has become nearly impossible to find a great sancerre for under $15. The good news is, you can find a good value for $10 and really well-made sancerre under $20. So go, drink, enjoy, and share your findings with us!

à votre santé!

Three Spring Value Chardonnays

With the warm winds of spring come the white wines for summer. Here are three good values to share, from least expensive and most clean to the more complex and fuller bodied.

Naked Grape Chardonnay, Mayfair Wine, $7/bottle.

With a greenish tint and aromas of citrus, honeysuckle and grapefruit on the nose.  In the mouth, a blend of crisp white pear and green apple. Clean, refreshing, enjoyable without barrel or mineral notes, this is a pure expression of the grape.  A good value; I am surprised more people don’t buy Naked Grape wines simply to understand the grapes themselves at less than the price of a single glass elsewhere.

http://www.thenakedgrapewine.com

Bogle Chardonnay 2011, Clarksburg CA. Mayfair Wine, $11/bottle.

Pale yellow green in color, this wine has a very delicate nose of wildflower and lemongrass. In the mouth, nice gentle fruit with good balance from the acidity, with added depth of oak.  These grapes  have been aged nicely on the vine and picked at the height of maturity. Delicious. I’ve been consistently impressed by the value offered from the reasonably priced wines from Bogle. This is another example of serious craftsmanship.

http://www.boglewinery.com/ourwines_chardonnay.php

Toasted Head Chardonnay 2010; Acampo, CA. Mayfair Wine, $12/bottle

Bright yellow color. Of the three wines, this tastes as if it is the longest barrel-aged with a long finish. The ‘toasted head’ refers to the toasting of the barrel which transfers more oak flavor to the wine and in this case, the oakiness is superior to other elements in the wine. Rich, savory flavors dominate this wine, which is heavy to those who like a gentle wine but perfect for those who want more body in their chardonnay, or for a pairing choice.

http://www.toastedhead.com/Wines/Chardonnay/index.htm?ssSourceNodeId=ToastedHeadHome&ssSourceSiteId=BSToastedHead

à votre santé!

Napa Takes on European Styling

Bennett Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Napa Valley. Sample from Wine Chateau, $20/bottle.

Color is purple with ruby edging. A luxurious nose of black cassis berry with menthol, loam, musk and oak- I immediately thought of bottles aged over a decade with serious lineage and hefty price tags.

In the mouth, a hot mixture  (14.5% alcohol) of cassis, blackberry, and musk overtake the taste buds, with a hint of vanilla and wood in the long finish. What I felt to be a feminine wine shows power with balanced acidity and soft tannins, puckering up the mouth for the next bite or sip. What a pleasure to taste a Napa wine with just enough age to allow the structure to develop!

On my first tasting I refused to write anything as I enjoyed the wine, perhaps too much- which is an endorsement in itself. On my second tasting, I forced myself to stop, appreciate and note the herbal and mocha notes in the wine, though I enjoyed the qualities of the European-styled blending and aging more than the complexity of flavors. This wine drinks well at room temperature, but may be ideal when served slightly chilled to reduce the slight heat from the alcohol content, though the finish tapers slightly as a result.

This wine drinks favorably to wines that are double its price without being as costly or as old. To me, this is a home run for the American wine drinker who looks for a bottle that can be a lovely gift bottle at $20 or a great bottle to serve for dinner with special guests without breaking the bank. Here, you have the best of old word charm from new world farming at a very nice price. Pick up a couple of bottles- one to taste, and one to share or give away- you’ll be glad you did.

You can check out The Bennett Family’s site or buy their Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve direct from Wine Chateau.