The Inside Story from Italian Wine Merchants

Talkin’ Tannins

A meditation on the spine of the wine

Tannins are responsible for red wine’s color and giving you that dry and puckering feeling in your mouth. We most notice tannins in red wine, though they do exist in whites, however imperceptible. Some like the astringent feeling of tannins, some don’t, and still others take tannins on a case-by-case basis, depending on whether the tannins add or take away from the wine.  Most novice wine drinkers tend not to prefer the feeling of tannins, but a red wine with the correct balance of tannins will spark your interest and leave you yearning for more.

Tannins are the “backbone” of a wine.  Like a spine in a body, tannins provide the wine with structure, balance, body, complexity and longevity.  Found in the stems, skins and seeds of the grape plant, he most important tannic compounds come from the skins. Because the others are very harsh and bitter, winemakers minimize their presence during winemaking; the stems are removed before crushing and the grapes are pressed very slowly as to not break the seeds and release the bitter oils.  Some winemakers, like those in the Rhone Valley for instance, use the stalk and stems in precise amounts to add tannin to their wines.  Another, but less important, source of tannins come from the actual wood from where the wine was aged. Regardless of the source of the tannins, they are integral to good wine, and astute winemakers manipulate them to the wine’s best advantage.

The tannic backbone is the main reason why some wines will have a lifespan of two years and some for over twenty.  Tannins are in a class of chemical compounds called polyphenols.  At the heart of the molecule is a phenol molecule, which is a benzene ring with a hydroxyl group attached to it, and it is a highly reactive molecule.  Bonds are constantly broken and created during a wine’s life, but no one really knows how tannins help a wine age.  There is the notion that the smaller tannin molecules come together to make larger molecules, and they eventually fall out of solution to form the sediment sometimes seen in old wines.  The exact opposite could also happen whereby the tannins get smaller.  Regardless of how they do it, tannins make wine age better, and as a wine ages its tannins get softer, silkier and less perceptible. The wine’s tannic loss is our delicious gain.

Grape vines are wild plants with a myriad of biochemical, physical, and evolutionary processes that have helped them flourish. One of the main goals of the grape vine is to survive and reproduce.  When the fruits of the vine are young they are green, acidic, bitter and very tannic.  This insures that the berries make it to their full ripeness, changing to a beautiful color and becoming less tannic, sweeter, and less acidic.  Now they are ready to be consumed by an array of different animals who eat, digest, and scatter the seeds all over the ground, ready for germination and growth into new vines. Tannins, therefore, play an evolutionary role in assuring that we have wine—as well as making the wine we have more enjoyable and age longer.

Tannins provide me with a level of enjoyment that I can’t get from white wines.  Don’t get me wrong—I love white wines for their acid, but sometimes I just need that tannic red wine with a grilled steak. Tannic wines are great with grilled red meats, stews, braises, and older cheeses.  The tannins provide a counter balance to strong flavors of these dishes and help to prepare your mouth for the next round. The quality and balance of tannins can make all of the difference, but be careful because a wine that seems exceedingly tannic is also not good.  As I’ve said in other posts, it is not the strength of one particular characteristic that makes a wine, but how all of these components mesh together.

Bad Soil, Good Grapes

How adversity makes beautiful wine

Here’s an interesting cocktail fact: grape vines used for the production of quality wine must be planted in infertile soils in order to generate high quality grapes.  In fact, grapevines cultivated for wine use soils that are not fertile enough to sustain other agricultural crops. This concept may seem contradictory at first, but as you will see shortly, it makes perfect sense.

The most important factor in making great wine is the quality of fruit, and the only way to get quality fruit is to choose an optimal vineyard site for the grapes that you want to grow.  Climate, position, and soil, (otherwise known as terroir) are the three factors in choosing this site.  Each one of these is important on its own merit, but this post will focus on soil—really, really poor soil.

When say I say “poor soil,” I mean just awful soil.  In some places, as in the Rhone Valley or some areas of Toscana, there is not even an ounce of dirt in sight, just rocks.  It’s hard to believe that a pile of rocks can produce such amazing wine. However, rocky soils provide excellent drainage for the vines as well as capture heat during the day to warm the vines at night.  Interestingly, to cultivate great grapes, it’s more important to regulate water supply than to have highly nutritive dirt. In short, bad dirt equals good wine.

Grapevines need to be stressed to produce quality fruit. The poor soil encourages the roots to dig deeper for water and other nutrients.  As they dig, the roots begin to ramify, and the surface area of the roots that eventually comes into contact with the soil increases.  In turn, more nutrients are delivered to the precious clusters of berries.  Also, more roots equal better regulation of water supply, which is very important during the veraison, or the ripening stages of grape.

The fertile and rich soils that are used to grow commercial crops would spoil the grapes—much as spoiling a child makes for a bad-tempered kid, spoiling grapevines makes for ill-flavored fruit. Fertile soils make it too easy for vines to produce grapes, and the vines take advantage and produce like crazy.  When this happens, the quality of fruit is sacrificed for quantity.    It’s like a child never having to work a day in his or her life.  The harder an entity has to work for something, the greater it will be rewarded in the end Grapes—and winegrowers—like it tough, and I have to love them for it These basic concepts are not universal, but they do provide a good background in understanding why growers make wine where they do, and how the soil influences the grapes. Consider it a grounding for your understanding of that delicious beverage we call wine. And feel free to show off by telling people not only does the name “Sassicaia” come from the word “stony,” but also that the wine grown in any other soil would hardly taste as sweet.

A Marathon Rhone Valley Wine Tasting and Beyond

Surprise and controversy in the outliers

This blog post was co-authored by Chris Deas and Rob Allen

On the evening of March 25th, a group of ten wine enthusiasts gathered at IWM for a blind tasting of wines from France’s Rhone Valley, the 125-mile stretch between the ancient Roman city of Vienne (just south of Lyon) and Avignon.  We enjoyed a collection of 21 wines from both our guests and the IWM cellar that not only covered the Rhone, but ventured out to the neighboring regions of Languedoc and Roussillon, and we also sampled some outliers from the Loire Valley, Rioja, McLaren Vale and Toscana.  Ironically, it was these outliers—specifically the 2006 Grange des Peres, a 1990 Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Blanco Riserva, and a 1998 d’Arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz—that were the surprise wines of the night, but they weren’t without controversy.  However, when a lineup includes four selections from Jean-Louis Chave, Chapoutier’s Hermitage “Le Meal,” and multiple vintages of Chateauneuf from Chateau Beaucastel, the surprises are not necessarily the highlights.  This was an event where every bottle in the line-up performed, and the food prepared by Chef Kevin Sippel showed each flight to its best, course after course.

The following is the wine and food list by flight, followed by a consensus of how each wine performed.  For the event preparations, we opened the red wines at 1pm and briefly tasted through the line-up. They remained aerating (using the slow-o method, where the cork is removed, as well as a small portion of the wine, to provide slow oxygenation into the bottle).  Each bottle was double decanted at 4:00pm with a two-ounce pour prepared thirty minutes before each flight.   The dinner began at 7:00pm and finished at 10:45pm.

It should also be mentioned that in a decade of tastings at IWM, this was one of the most knowledgeable groups we had the privilege of sharing wine and conversation with; it was an education for both sides of the event.  We would like to thank Rick and Ellen, Tom and Binny, Jonathan and Stacey, and Rick and Lee Ann for their insight, wines and conversation.

Wine List of the Evening

Reception
1. JL Chave St Joseph Blanc Celeste 2007

(St. Joseph – Marsanne)

Antipasti – Flight One

2. 1996 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc

(Chateauneuf-du-Pape – Roussanne, Grenache Blanc)
3. 2001 Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape “La Crau” Blanc

(Chateauneuf-du-Pape – Clairette, Grenache, Roussanne)
4. 2005 Betts & Scholl Hermitage Blanc

(Hermitage – Roussanne, Marsanne)
5. 1990 Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Blanco Reserva

(Rioja – Viura, Malvasia, Garnacho Blanco)

Fish – Flight Two
Roasted Black Cod with Mussels in a Tomato and Bean Guazzetto

6. 2001 Chateau Grillet Vin Blanc

(Condrieu (Grillet) – Viognier)
7. 2007 Matassa Matassa Blanc

(Roussillon – Grenache Gris, Maccabeu)
8. 2005 Chateau Grillet Vin Blanc

(Condrieu (Grillet) – Viognier)

9. 2001 Chave Hermitage Blanc

(Hermitage – Marsanne, Roussanne)

Pasta – Flight Three
Pacherri Verdi with Frog Legs and Creamy Garlic
10. 1998 Domaine De La Janasse, Cuvée Vieilles Vignes

(Chateauneuf-du-Pape – Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre)
11. 1998 Château de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge

(Chateauneuf-du-Pape – Mourvèdre, Grenache, Syrah, Counoise)
12. 1999 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge

(Chateauneuf-du-Pape – Mourvèdre, Grenache, Syrah, Counoise)
13. 2006 Domaine Grange des Peres Rouge

(Roussillon – Mourvedre, Syrah, Cabernet, Counoise)
14. 2004 Francois Villard St. Joseph Gran Reflet
(St. Joseph – Syrah)

Meat – Flight Four
Roasted Duck with Marsala, Foie Gras and Roasted Porcini Mushrooms
15. 2005 Betts & Scholl Hermitage
(Hermitage – Roussanne, Marsanne)
16. 1991 Chave Hermitage

(Hermitage – Syrah)

17. 1996 Chapoutier “Le Meal” Hermitage

(Hermitage – Syrah)
18. 1998 d’Arenberg “The Dead Arm” Shiraz

(McLaren Vale – Syrah)
19.  2006 Le Macchiole Scrio

(Toscana – Syrah)

Cheese – Flight Five
Selection of Italian Cheeses
20. 1990 Chave Vin de Paille

(Hermitage – Marsanne)
21. 1990 Huet L’Echansonne Vouvray Moelleux Haut Lieu 1er Trie

(Loire Valley – Chenin Blanc)


Flight One – Roussane Meets Viognier, and Viura?
There was definitely a split decision in this flight; the women favored the ripe and robust 2005 Betts & Scholl Hermitage Blanc, while the men preferred the 2001 Vieux Telegraphe “La Crau” Blanc with great citrus and chalky minerality.  It should be noted that the Betts & Scholl includes grapes from the iconic Jean-Louis Chave, making this 400 case production an extra special find here.  However, the surprise in this flight would certainly go to the 1990 Lopez de Heredia Blanco—just one guest pegged this for Rioja, while everyone else was thinking Southern France.  The wine showcased dried fruit with a citrus streak of acidity, complemented by a long, nutty finish.  To find a twenty-year-old white from the legendary Rioja traditionalist and a wine of this age and caliber for under $50 ($45 at IWM) is truly amazing.

Flight Two – Northern Whites with a Southern Twist
The clear winner, and perhaps the white wine of the evening, was the 2001 Chave Hermitage Blanc.  All the components of the wine here are amplified—high alcohol, lush fruit, waxy texture, but somehow the wine comes together and works in perfect harmony, offering quite a spectrum of flavors: honey, tropical fruit, minerality, brioche and nuts all supported by a subtle streak of acidity you don’t expect to find here. While the Chave was the highlight, perhaps the most surprising and talked about wine of the flight was the Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes from Matassa, made from a unique combination of Grenache Gris and Maccabeu. This little white from the Roussillon presented a lively offering, with surprising acidity and minerality, from this region of France.  Aromatically few whites matched this wine.  This is an ideal accompaniment for antipasti and cured meats.

Flight Three – A Roussillon Red Challenges Chateauneuf du Pape:
The table was split across this flight.  Two surprises here were the special release 2004 Villard St. Joseph Gran Reflet and the cult-like Grange des Peres from the 2006 vintage; both favorite selections provided by Rob.  While the Villard offered the most immediate enjoyability, the Grange des Peres was the wine of structure for the evening, presenting a dense profile of dark fruit and roasted meats, enveloped with a firm tannic grip.  While some enthusiasts will favor the 2007 release of this wine for its concentration, we believe this may be the best Grange des Peres to date; it’s a wine of longevity and will benefit from more cellaring and aeration.  On the other end of the tasting spectrum were the bigger, more earthy-driven Chateauneufs of Beaucastel.  And while the weighty, critically acclaimed Beaucastel 1998 drew immediate applauses from the group, Chris, Rick and Binny embraced the acidity from the leaner 1999 vintage; we all felt this was another great example of how an overshadowed vintage delivers.

Flight Four – Hermitage Syrah Meets Aussie Shiraz Meets Super Tuscan Syrah:
This round divided the group, with the 1996 Chapoutier Hermitage “le Meal” slightly edging out the iconic Chave Hermitage from 1991.  Ironically, many confused the two for one another when tasting the wines blind.  The Chave, however, showed more restraint and structure, while the Chapoutier provided softer elegance and approachability. While these were the highlights, it was the #4 wine in this flight that caused the most debate of the evening.  When the d’Arenberg Shiraz was served blind, guests had this wine pegged as French and praised the wine for its complexity and tertiary flavors; when the wine was unveiled, the hardened Europhiles (Chris and Rob included) retreated back as they were astonished to learn that the wine they were enjoying was Australian Shiraz. This was atypical take from Down Under, a true delight to experience.  On a side note, when we opened this wine at 1:00pm, it displayed super concentration, a great example of what proper aeration can do for this varietal.

Flight Five – A Rare and Different Take from Jean-Louis Chave:
The 1990 Chave Vin de Paille was a momentous wine, by far the rarest and one of the most interesting dessert wine we’ve experienced, ranking up there with Quintarelli’s 1990 Bianco Amabile.  And similar to the method in which Quintarelli would make his Recioto della Valpolicella, Chave resurrected an old Hermitage technique to produce his Marsanne based Vin de Paille (“straw wine”) in miniscule quantities.  This technique includes the drying of whole grape clusters on straw mats for more than two months.  During this time the grapes lose much of their initial water weight, dramatically concentrating their sugar content. The raisinated grapes are then crushed and fully fermented into a heady and robust wine.  For Chave, this uninterrupted fermentation period can take five years – unheard of in the industry.  The result was nothing short of exotic: a collision of ripe apricot and peach, accented with honey and butterscotch for a finish that seemed to last for minutes. This was truly special experience and for select vintages, just two barrels of this wine is produced.