Did Jean Luc Godard have Burgundy in mind when he chose the title of his 1966 study of frivolous Parisian youth on the make? It’s doubtful, as there’s plenty to work with when delineating the battle of the sexes at any age or place. But when discussing the various styles of wine, no other region’s wines break down so deliciously into categories of masculine and feminine as do the pinot noirs of Burgundy.
It’s difficult to make a regular habit of the consumption of red Burgundy. To begin with, it’s expensive. And its many charming and seductive qualities make it the perfect candidate for sharing with other serious wine lovers or that special someone. It also cries out for fine cuisine. Put this all together and you probably aren’t going to pop open a bottle to accompany a weeknight baseball game or for a quick pick-me-up after a hard day at the office. However, if I don’t get a good Burg fix every now and then, I start to get this gnawing feeling deep in my bones…
My most recent Burgundy fixation is being fueled by two simultaneous happy occurrences: The reaching of the magic five year mark (well, almost) of my small stash of extremely alluring 2002 reds, and the first releases of the highly anticipated 2005 vintage just starting to appear on the shelves. I chose the following two wines at random and drank them on successive weekends. Ladies first…
Rene LeClerc 2005 Bourgogne Rouge
I was introduced to the wines of Rene LeClerc by a wine merchant in my neighborhood. The first wine I tried was a 1998 Gevry-Chambertin, a village level wine that was delicious, satisfying and one of what many claim are a rarity in the Burgundy racket – a great value. I went back to the well at least three more times. I’ll add that I was so impressed that the first Grand Cru Burg that I ever bought, cellared and subsequently drank was another Rene LeClerc (he’s got a brother, Phillipe, also a winemaker in the Cotes de Nuits), a 1999 Griottes-Chambertin that proved to be much more complex, equally satisfying, much more expensive but still – a good value. To make a long story short, I’m a devoted fan.
So, it was a great joy that I felt when I spotted a bottle of ’05 LeClerc Bourgogne on the shelf of one of my money pits. I’d tried the ’01 version and it was somewhat thin and acidic, but I knew that that was nothing to worry about as ’05 is supposed to be a great vintage across the board while ’01 was a vintage where careful selection was more the rule. I grabbed one and quickly forgot about all the other wines I was lusting after. This says a lot.
I chilled the wine a bit on a Friday night and opened it up, at the same time letting a slab of French Compte warm a little on the table. I usually try to have Burgundy with the appropriate meat or fish, but in this case I felt I could get away with something simpler. Immediately I was struck by the beautiful nose, a mixture of berries, mostly strawberry and that unique “pinot scent” that is so endlessly beguiling. The color was classic translucent ruby/purple, again immediately identifiable as pinot noir, but with a slight brownish tinge, hinting at a relatively early maturity. This wine was totally singing right out of the bottle at age two, which suggests that it was vinified for immediate pleasure. Fine with me!
The most amazing thing about this wine is the texture and body. While the wine is light to medium bodied, you could never really call it just ‘light bodied,’ as it has a subtle chunkiness and fatness to it, with a glycerin texture that’s not at all oily or heavy. It was like a hot summer breeze at night where you can feel the heaviness of the moisture in the air – a very sexy sensation. In a word the mouth feel and texture were ravishing. It also has perfect balance and excellent concentration. Fine tannins were accompanied by perfect acidity (depends on your style preference, of course) with ripe strawberry flavors in abundance. The finish was quite long. The overall effect was of fresh strawberries resting on a pillow of wind. If Helen of Troy showed up at my door, this is the wine I would proffer.
Jadot Pommard 2002
Hopefully, upon my return from the gladiatorial ring, fair Helen would have this wine waiting for me. While certainly not a bruising style of Pommard, Jadot’s village wine in the highly structured and excellent 2002 vintage is both a good example of the Pommard style and highly drinkable now. Pommard is known as the most masculine of the Cotes de Beaune wines, with a chunky, earthy and tannic style. It’s said that most good Pommards require about 10 years of age, and in truth, this wine was a little on the young side. However, not being a premier cru and having somewhat less than ideal storage might have pushed it into an earlier drinking window. Jadot is known for producing highly age-worthy Burgundies.
The nose was fairly reticent, not showing much at this time. The color was a darker shade of purple than most pinots. The palate was medium bodied with an abundance of black fruits – blackberries, cassis and black currants all made multiple appearances. There was a smoky, savory quality, with some hints of incense and spice. The wine opened up considerably in the glass but still the nose was generally absent, a surprise. The finish was long and satisfying. There was a slightly modern aspect to this wine. There was no real evidence of astringency, which is a hallmark of more rustic and traditional Burgs. The wine had a velvety smooth texture with fine but somewhat resolved tannins. Very luxurious and rich. Again, excellent concentration and balance, although somewhat lower acidity than the LeClerc. However, overall the Pommard showed greater depth, richness and complexity.
I served the wine with an herbed chicken sauté and cous cous. The meal was preceded by a 2005 Chalone Vineyards (California) Chardonnay as an aperitif with brie. I don’t think you could truly enjoy this wine away from a proper meal. The acidity and tannins would become too tiresome. Honestly, this was only the second Pommard I’ve ever tried, but it really hit the spot and has lingered in my mind since that night. I don’t remember the producer of the first one, only that it was somewhat disappointing and chosen at a time when I knew very little about Burgundy and the proper food pairings to accompany it.
So, what’s the verdict in the comparison of these two wines? Are they really a ‘his and hers’ pair? Would a glass of LeClerc’s ethereal Bourgogne reflect poorly on your three pound Rolex watch? Or would your hot date suddenly cool your ardor if she began to chug back a lioness’ share of the Pommard? I doubt that very much. I think these wines could even work at the same meal, although I would definitely serve the Bourgogne first, preferably with the appropriate starter. A smoked salmon salad or something similar would be miraculous – yumm! Perhaps a mediating wine might go well between them – is there a wine with a reputation that suggests it could stand in as a marriage counselor? Because, you know that when two extreme opposites like these get together, sparks will fly. Maybe it’s better to just say, – “viva la difference!”
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
The Wine Scout Summer Party
With Summer upon us, my friend Patricia, aka The Wine Scout (http://www.thewinescout.com/) hosted a tasting party at her crib in Brooklyn. It was a perfect early Summer night and the flawless showing of the wines reflected this happy circumstance. A group of about ten friends and wine lovers got together to enjoy a fabulous menu of salad, cheeses and pot roast, with a dessert of absolutely scrumptious biscotti. The basic theme was French, but in deference to the Wine Scout’s tradition of highlighting New York State wines, a few exceptions were made at the beginning of the tasting to get things going.
Dirty Girl Chardonnay, Texas
A light to medium bodied Chard with a slight effervescence. It showed traditional melon and pear aromas and flavors. The Dirty Girl’s cousin from France would show up later in the evening.
Pugliese Vineyards Sparkling Blanc de Blanc Brut 2002
100% Chardonnay in the blanc de blanc style, this sparkling wine from the North Fork of Long Island showed well with a light body, decent mousse, and slightly sour apple on the nose and in the mouth. Good finish. A pleasant surprise. Definitely more complex and authentic than plenty of Champagne wanna-bes.
Domaine Guyot Pouilly-Fume 2005 “Les Loges”
Light yellow gold color. A fetching nose of grass, grapefruit and other citrus fruits. In the mouth the wine is soft and gets softer and more seductive as it warms. Medium bodied with great balance between fruit, acid and texture. Medium long finish. It was wonderful with a citrus and (sunflower? Pine nuts?) flavored salad and the cheeses. A classic style of wine from a wine region that remains slightly under the radar in the US. Elegant and refined with sex appeal and a great value, to boot.
2005 Domaine la Garrigue Cotes du Rhone “Cuvee Romaine”
This wine, a blend of 65% Grenache, 25% Mourvedre, and 10% Syrah, is somewhat controversial. Rated a whopping 91 by Robert Parker, it carries a price tag that’s distinctly on the other side of the spectrum from many wines that have recently received the benefit of his largesse. The rating seems to be somewhat inflated, possibly because the wine is an excellent value, but either way, it was a hit at the tasting. A very competent CdR of the black cherry and spice variety, it has a dark purple color and zesty nose of black cherry, spices, earth and perhaps some crème de cassis. More of the same flavors show up on the palate, with good complexity and texture. The wine is full bodied with a medium long finish. There’s well integrated tannin in a low acid style for 2005. Balance is excellent overall and this example had none of the gooeyness that a previous bottle possessed. Don’t know if it will last ten years as RP believes but that’s mainly because folks will be chugging it down at parties all Summer long from St. Tropez to Fort Greene, Malibu and beyond. A very solid wine.
Marc Colin 2002 Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge “Les Encegnieres”
As big of a hit as the previous wine was, this single vineyard red Burg from the much lauded ’02 vintage glided past like a vintage Bugatti overtaking a gas guzzling 70s muscle car on hairpin turn in the rain. Colin’s style is no doubt a modern one, but this wine proved that his reds can gain in complexity over the short term. Some mature brownish tones showed in the garnet/ruby color. The wine’s nose was classic pinot, with sweet cherries and incense. Some strawberries emerged later. Smooth but with fine tannins and perfectly balanced acidity, it was a match made in heaven for the beautifully done pot roast that was served by the Wine Scout. The fruit is simultaneously round and bright and the finish very suave. A crowd-pleaser.
Domaine Ramonet 2002 Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge
However, the glory of Colin’s delicious rouge had a limited timeframe. The legendary (for their whites, at least) Ramonet produced some great value reds in ’02, and they’re aging beautifully. It was a fascinating pairing, really, showing the subtle differences in the house styles. The Ramonet was a little fatter and had more of a velvety texture and was more opulent, plus there were some subtle almond or praline notes. Much the same aromatic and flavor profile, but with more subtlety and complexity. Everyone agreed, as much as they liked the previous wine, that the Ramonet was clearly better. Classy, complex, elegant, sexy, smooth – what more do you want from a wine?
Chateau de Fieuzal 2003 Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux
Just to bring everyone back to earth, we next sampled this sweet little Bordeaux from the torridly hot 2003 vintage. A deep, semi-opaque red, the wine has a ton of sweet oak on the nose and in the palate, plus cherry and some pruney flavors. It doesn’t lack for charm, however, and I included it in the tasting because it was much enjoyed, with a slight smirk, perhaps, at a broad tasting of Pessac wines earlier in the year. It tasted exactly the same as before. Light to medium body for a cru class Bordeaux, but there is nice texture with some glycerin and mild chunkiness. A wine that many would enjoy at table or in the garden, it nonetheless suffered in comparison to the two high society denizens of the previous flight. Charming and slightly slutty, but perfect for dinner and a movie when the SO is away on business or visiting with the in-laws.
Chateau Gloria 2002 St. Julien, Bordeaux
The ’02 Gloria offered a return to a much more traditional style of Bordeaux. A dark purple color was accompanied by a somewhat reticent nose. The palate was anything but, however, displaying significant soft tannin along with plenty of liquorice and dark fruits. Full bodied. There was also an element of charcoal or dark chocolate and the overall impression was of a dark toned, complex Bordeaux that was somewhat evolved. The texture was fairly soft as well with balanced acidity and a good finish. Most preferred this wine to the ’03 de Fieuzal. A classic style of Gloria, however I’m not sure it will ever rival the ’96, my favorite so far.
Chateau Bastor Lamontagne 2001 Sauternes, Bordeaux
Fortunately for the Bordeaux fans in attendance and the crowd in general, the inclusion of this wine in the lineup insured that the Southwestern stronghold of France’s illustrious wine industry would not go down swinging at the clever hands of their rivals to the East, those ever elusive and seductive Burgundians. It often seems unfair to many a great lineup of dry red wines to conclude with Sauternes, but that’s often the nature of how things work. Upon release, Bastor Lamontagne’s 2001 offering seemed a bit on the light side, with an iridescent and complex mixture of tropical fruit flavors whispering and winking from a distance in the somewhat dilute palate. Worries over whether this wine would last or perform were dashed immediately upon pulling the cork however, and the reputation of the fabulous ’01 vintage in Sauternes was upheld and increased. A pure, enticing light gold color was joined by an intensely alluring aroma of honey, butterscotch, apricot and orange. Full bodied, a huge surprise, and a viscous texture added to the very satisfying experience. More honey and apricot on the palate concluded with a pure, long finish. Great balance, with excellent acidity holding it all together. Everyone loved this wine and if it didn’t exactly even the score, it at least offered a chance for some to argue over a split decision.
Overall it was a wonderful and exciting night with great company, excellent wines and delicious food. Stay tuned for more of the Wine Scout’s events!
Dirty Girl Chardonnay, Texas
A light to medium bodied Chard with a slight effervescence. It showed traditional melon and pear aromas and flavors. The Dirty Girl’s cousin from France would show up later in the evening.
Pugliese Vineyards Sparkling Blanc de Blanc Brut 2002
100% Chardonnay in the blanc de blanc style, this sparkling wine from the North Fork of Long Island showed well with a light body, decent mousse, and slightly sour apple on the nose and in the mouth. Good finish. A pleasant surprise. Definitely more complex and authentic than plenty of Champagne wanna-bes.
Domaine Guyot Pouilly-Fume 2005 “Les Loges”
Light yellow gold color. A fetching nose of grass, grapefruit and other citrus fruits. In the mouth the wine is soft and gets softer and more seductive as it warms. Medium bodied with great balance between fruit, acid and texture. Medium long finish. It was wonderful with a citrus and (sunflower? Pine nuts?) flavored salad and the cheeses. A classic style of wine from a wine region that remains slightly under the radar in the US. Elegant and refined with sex appeal and a great value, to boot.
2005 Domaine la Garrigue Cotes du Rhone “Cuvee Romaine”
This wine, a blend of 65% Grenache, 25% Mourvedre, and 10% Syrah, is somewhat controversial. Rated a whopping 91 by Robert Parker, it carries a price tag that’s distinctly on the other side of the spectrum from many wines that have recently received the benefit of his largesse. The rating seems to be somewhat inflated, possibly because the wine is an excellent value, but either way, it was a hit at the tasting. A very competent CdR of the black cherry and spice variety, it has a dark purple color and zesty nose of black cherry, spices, earth and perhaps some crème de cassis. More of the same flavors show up on the palate, with good complexity and texture. The wine is full bodied with a medium long finish. There’s well integrated tannin in a low acid style for 2005. Balance is excellent overall and this example had none of the gooeyness that a previous bottle possessed. Don’t know if it will last ten years as RP believes but that’s mainly because folks will be chugging it down at parties all Summer long from St. Tropez to Fort Greene, Malibu and beyond. A very solid wine.
Marc Colin 2002 Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge “Les Encegnieres”
As big of a hit as the previous wine was, this single vineyard red Burg from the much lauded ’02 vintage glided past like a vintage Bugatti overtaking a gas guzzling 70s muscle car on hairpin turn in the rain. Colin’s style is no doubt a modern one, but this wine proved that his reds can gain in complexity over the short term. Some mature brownish tones showed in the garnet/ruby color. The wine’s nose was classic pinot, with sweet cherries and incense. Some strawberries emerged later. Smooth but with fine tannins and perfectly balanced acidity, it was a match made in heaven for the beautifully done pot roast that was served by the Wine Scout. The fruit is simultaneously round and bright and the finish very suave. A crowd-pleaser.
Domaine Ramonet 2002 Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge
However, the glory of Colin’s delicious rouge had a limited timeframe. The legendary (for their whites, at least) Ramonet produced some great value reds in ’02, and they’re aging beautifully. It was a fascinating pairing, really, showing the subtle differences in the house styles. The Ramonet was a little fatter and had more of a velvety texture and was more opulent, plus there were some subtle almond or praline notes. Much the same aromatic and flavor profile, but with more subtlety and complexity. Everyone agreed, as much as they liked the previous wine, that the Ramonet was clearly better. Classy, complex, elegant, sexy, smooth – what more do you want from a wine?
Chateau de Fieuzal 2003 Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux
Just to bring everyone back to earth, we next sampled this sweet little Bordeaux from the torridly hot 2003 vintage. A deep, semi-opaque red, the wine has a ton of sweet oak on the nose and in the palate, plus cherry and some pruney flavors. It doesn’t lack for charm, however, and I included it in the tasting because it was much enjoyed, with a slight smirk, perhaps, at a broad tasting of Pessac wines earlier in the year. It tasted exactly the same as before. Light to medium body for a cru class Bordeaux, but there is nice texture with some glycerin and mild chunkiness. A wine that many would enjoy at table or in the garden, it nonetheless suffered in comparison to the two high society denizens of the previous flight. Charming and slightly slutty, but perfect for dinner and a movie when the SO is away on business or visiting with the in-laws.
Chateau Gloria 2002 St. Julien, Bordeaux
The ’02 Gloria offered a return to a much more traditional style of Bordeaux. A dark purple color was accompanied by a somewhat reticent nose. The palate was anything but, however, displaying significant soft tannin along with plenty of liquorice and dark fruits. Full bodied. There was also an element of charcoal or dark chocolate and the overall impression was of a dark toned, complex Bordeaux that was somewhat evolved. The texture was fairly soft as well with balanced acidity and a good finish. Most preferred this wine to the ’03 de Fieuzal. A classic style of Gloria, however I’m not sure it will ever rival the ’96, my favorite so far.
Chateau Bastor Lamontagne 2001 Sauternes, Bordeaux
Fortunately for the Bordeaux fans in attendance and the crowd in general, the inclusion of this wine in the lineup insured that the Southwestern stronghold of France’s illustrious wine industry would not go down swinging at the clever hands of their rivals to the East, those ever elusive and seductive Burgundians. It often seems unfair to many a great lineup of dry red wines to conclude with Sauternes, but that’s often the nature of how things work. Upon release, Bastor Lamontagne’s 2001 offering seemed a bit on the light side, with an iridescent and complex mixture of tropical fruit flavors whispering and winking from a distance in the somewhat dilute palate. Worries over whether this wine would last or perform were dashed immediately upon pulling the cork however, and the reputation of the fabulous ’01 vintage in Sauternes was upheld and increased. A pure, enticing light gold color was joined by an intensely alluring aroma of honey, butterscotch, apricot and orange. Full bodied, a huge surprise, and a viscous texture added to the very satisfying experience. More honey and apricot on the palate concluded with a pure, long finish. Great balance, with excellent acidity holding it all together. Everyone loved this wine and if it didn’t exactly even the score, it at least offered a chance for some to argue over a split decision.
Overall it was a wonderful and exciting night with great company, excellent wines and delicious food. Stay tuned for more of the Wine Scout’s events!
The Eternal Question
As I sat in my local café, sipping a simple but perfectly satisfactory glass of cabernet, I was not quite troubled but inwardly thinking, wondering what I would like to convey, to express, to bring forth in this my latest venture or was it misadventure? I wrote out a list, mentally of course, as I would never be the type to sit and pick away at a laptop computer in a public place... But to continue, how did I get started with my obsession with the grape? Was it the auspicious event of the release of the ’99 Burgundy at the same time as my nascent and peculiarly engrossing pursuit began to take form? That great vintage inspired and transfixed my imagination, bien sur – I consider myself both blessed and cursed to have fallen sway under its considerable charms.
But did the roots go further back? Many things seemed to conspire to push me along the path towards iniquity and this confession, though of course, I was well along that path since an early age. Could it have been I was simply tired of drinking beer? Or perhaps that I wanted to refine my drinking habits, relegating beer to pubs, preferably good old fashioned pubs in Camden Town or Hampstead, and wine to the dinner table, and preferably in company of interesting and charming women.. But no that couldn’t have been it. Maybe I simply looked forward to a day when I could play the ultimate trick on the unforgiving and seemingly hopelessly iron-clad structure of society, and turn all of my hanging out expenses into a tax deduction? But that’s absurd. Although it can work in some instances…
People do ask me, as wine geeks and normal people are want to do: When did you start getting into wine? Really it seems to have been a confluence of forces bearing down on me, or rather caressing me as there is little that can be deemed unpleasant or stressful about the wine experience, excepting of course the morning after. But when I think back on it, one individual always seems to come to mind, Laurent, a drummer from the South of France who I was playing with in the waning days of the last century. I began to get interested in wine and then bang – there he was, aiding and abetting my early blundering yet highly enjoyable experiences. Later we would drive to the Rhone together one summer day in the most scorching heat I probably and hopefully will ever feel. Almost needless to say we didn’t bring enough water for the drive, and Laurent, chivalrous and macho character that he is, (and devoted, of course) had given (and maybe henpecked) the air-conditioned car to his now lovely wife, Isabel, so anyway we were roasting, roasting! But when we reached Vaqueras, and then Gigondas, with the aid of the air-conditioned tasting rooms and the charm of the lovely tasting hostesses, the red red wine we were so lucky to try (they were tasting the tremendous 2003 vintage – more luck, or was it bedevilment?) was as refreshing as a properly room temperature liquid could be, I’m tempted to say like Coca-Cola but that would be blasphemy..But it would be remiss to mention Laurent’s influence without admitting that at the time I had come under the sway of his people at that time – I was (sweating, stammering) a budding Francophile.
I can trace my wine obsession even further back though, although it hadn’t reached its epic proportion of today. No perhaps my mind is playing tricks on me – is it possible to mix up one trip to Spain with another? Of course it is. I daresay I even cut my teeth on Spanish wines in those days, religiously reading a ten dollar wine calendar given to me by my doting but crazy ex-boss, and tried to keep my wine purchases under $10 a bottle. It’s true though, the wine calendar and the Spanish wines came after, not before my trip to the Loire in the Summer of 2000. At this time I was still overwhelmed by the fact that one vintage didn’t cover the entirety of France ie, a spectacular year in Burgundy might not necessarily translate to the same level of exaltation in Bordeaux, let alone Champagne and the Rhone. I threw up my hands upon learning this, but hardly gave in. It probably deserves to be mentioned that the trip to the Loire was part of an outrageously memorable vacation that I took which encompassed flying in and out of Amsterdam, with a little side trip to France including Rennes, St. Malo and Blois. In Amsterdam I was struck by the elegant and often black-clad and always quite tall ladies on their bicycles. True to my deep sense of irony, when I arrived in St. Malo, I actually met one. She accompanied me to the Loire, maybe the most romantic place in the world, or at least it seemed to me. I didn’t know a stick about Loire wines at this point, and still don’t know much. Quite naturally, upon my return home, I continued my wine exploration, and what I call ‘the first bottle of wine I ever read about, looked for and actually found’ became a bottle of Pouilly-Fume that I managed to track down at Garnet Wines. That Christmas my paramour would materialize and memorialize it forever in my mind by reaching for a glass while wearing only a large Indian shawl…
But please forgive me if I digress. My intention is hardly to chronicle the more essential aspects that make life worth living, to put it mildly, but rather to show how at the time, my life was moving in an upward and somewhat slightly dizzying spiral. I had embarked on a series of international forays, entered into new and stimulating relationships, I had discovered fine wine… It was a good time period, without a doubt.
But enough! You may say – where are the wines? This is Confessions of a Wine Obsessive – I’ve also got wines to talk about, not to worry…
But did the roots go further back? Many things seemed to conspire to push me along the path towards iniquity and this confession, though of course, I was well along that path since an early age. Could it have been I was simply tired of drinking beer? Or perhaps that I wanted to refine my drinking habits, relegating beer to pubs, preferably good old fashioned pubs in Camden Town or Hampstead, and wine to the dinner table, and preferably in company of interesting and charming women.. But no that couldn’t have been it. Maybe I simply looked forward to a day when I could play the ultimate trick on the unforgiving and seemingly hopelessly iron-clad structure of society, and turn all of my hanging out expenses into a tax deduction? But that’s absurd. Although it can work in some instances…
People do ask me, as wine geeks and normal people are want to do: When did you start getting into wine? Really it seems to have been a confluence of forces bearing down on me, or rather caressing me as there is little that can be deemed unpleasant or stressful about the wine experience, excepting of course the morning after. But when I think back on it, one individual always seems to come to mind, Laurent, a drummer from the South of France who I was playing with in the waning days of the last century. I began to get interested in wine and then bang – there he was, aiding and abetting my early blundering yet highly enjoyable experiences. Later we would drive to the Rhone together one summer day in the most scorching heat I probably and hopefully will ever feel. Almost needless to say we didn’t bring enough water for the drive, and Laurent, chivalrous and macho character that he is, (and devoted, of course) had given (and maybe henpecked) the air-conditioned car to his now lovely wife, Isabel, so anyway we were roasting, roasting! But when we reached Vaqueras, and then Gigondas, with the aid of the air-conditioned tasting rooms and the charm of the lovely tasting hostesses, the red red wine we were so lucky to try (they were tasting the tremendous 2003 vintage – more luck, or was it bedevilment?) was as refreshing as a properly room temperature liquid could be, I’m tempted to say like Coca-Cola but that would be blasphemy..But it would be remiss to mention Laurent’s influence without admitting that at the time I had come under the sway of his people at that time – I was (sweating, stammering) a budding Francophile.
I can trace my wine obsession even further back though, although it hadn’t reached its epic proportion of today. No perhaps my mind is playing tricks on me – is it possible to mix up one trip to Spain with another? Of course it is. I daresay I even cut my teeth on Spanish wines in those days, religiously reading a ten dollar wine calendar given to me by my doting but crazy ex-boss, and tried to keep my wine purchases under $10 a bottle. It’s true though, the wine calendar and the Spanish wines came after, not before my trip to the Loire in the Summer of 2000. At this time I was still overwhelmed by the fact that one vintage didn’t cover the entirety of France ie, a spectacular year in Burgundy might not necessarily translate to the same level of exaltation in Bordeaux, let alone Champagne and the Rhone. I threw up my hands upon learning this, but hardly gave in. It probably deserves to be mentioned that the trip to the Loire was part of an outrageously memorable vacation that I took which encompassed flying in and out of Amsterdam, with a little side trip to France including Rennes, St. Malo and Blois. In Amsterdam I was struck by the elegant and often black-clad and always quite tall ladies on their bicycles. True to my deep sense of irony, when I arrived in St. Malo, I actually met one. She accompanied me to the Loire, maybe the most romantic place in the world, or at least it seemed to me. I didn’t know a stick about Loire wines at this point, and still don’t know much. Quite naturally, upon my return home, I continued my wine exploration, and what I call ‘the first bottle of wine I ever read about, looked for and actually found’ became a bottle of Pouilly-Fume that I managed to track down at Garnet Wines. That Christmas my paramour would materialize and memorialize it forever in my mind by reaching for a glass while wearing only a large Indian shawl…
But please forgive me if I digress. My intention is hardly to chronicle the more essential aspects that make life worth living, to put it mildly, but rather to show how at the time, my life was moving in an upward and somewhat slightly dizzying spiral. I had embarked on a series of international forays, entered into new and stimulating relationships, I had discovered fine wine… It was a good time period, without a doubt.
But enough! You may say – where are the wines? This is Confessions of a Wine Obsessive – I’ve also got wines to talk about, not to worry…
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