Almost summer grazing: tasting wines that are newly available, or just new to me, and picking the winners. Hint: they range all the way from an $8 rosé to a $48 Montrachet.
Varietals: Grazing in the Wine World
Our wine choices are constantly increasing. Beside all the selections from Long Island wineries I am seeing ever more tempting choices at local wine shops and restaurants. Since it is a new season—time to pack away our wool sweaters and unpack our shorts and sandals—I decided to look at some wines that are either newly available here or that are new to me. Here are a few of the most notable from my sampling.
The name and the label were enough to attract me to the 2002 Klinker Brick zinfandel, which retails for about $16. Klinker brick, a 1920s west coast building material, has rich, deep color, and more than usual density and weight, qualities we might also seek in a succulent, juicy zinfandel. The label background features a close-up photograph showing the copious colors and contours of a klinker brick and seems to suit a wine from the Lodi appellation in California. Once the home of competent, craftsman-like wines, it now produces wines of some distinction.
The wine is intense and complex, as you would expect from a zinfandel made from vines as old as 85 years. This is a big, brawny wine that starts with the vegetal aromas of a walk through the forest with berries and earth and leaves underfoot. It follows through with a hefty, balanced body, nicely portioned acidity and tannins, and a strong finish. It ought to match well with charcoaled steaks on a summer evening.
The Loire valley produces exemplary wines from the cabernet franc grape, and Long Island also does an extremely good job with it. I was never particularly stuck by the west coast varietals I’ve tasted (admittedly not a large number) until I tried a 2002 from Larkin. I’m almost sure it is the blend (78% cabernet franc, with merlot, petit verdot and cabernet sauvignon making up the critical balance) that makes it such a compelling wine. This is a wonderfully expressive wine, with various berry and floral notes taking a back seat to the more typical bell pepper aromas. The wine is concentrated and powerful yet poised, restrained and not overassertive in any way. Wines with this kind of refinement and suppleness are the flavor equivalent of high art, an eloquent treat for our taste buds. Larkin sells for about $34 per bottle. Continuing with the exploration of small California producers, I sampled two cabernet sauvignons that I’d highly recommend: Destino ($44) and Richard Perry ($49), both from Napa and both delicious.
Rosé is a seasonal wine in the Hamptons and that season is now beginning. I look for a fresh and crisp taste, something with a little zing but not too tart. A pleasing color and a gentle—a very gentle—price are also part of the enjoyment of drinking a rosé. It’s a simple wine, not something that calls for much analysis. Anyone who makes a big deal about describing a rosé is probably pedantic or a wine snob. Domaine Houchart 2004 is produced in Provence, the source of many good rosé wines. It has the abundant freshness, the simplicity, the tempting color and the price I seek. You should be able to find this at $9 or less. Houchart also makes an unfussy, easy drinking red at the same price. Both deliver a lot of value.
Now that you’ve possibly saved some money, it’s time to splurge on something else. I usually stretch the budget for major league red wines, but sometimes an irresistible white comes along. And Chassagne Montrachet Blanc 2002 (about $48) from Domaine du Chateau de Puligny-Montrachet is a wine that’s hard to resist. As one of the best of the Burgundian whites, this draws out the most powerful, robust characteristics of the chardonnay grape. A nose of almonds, ripe apples and spring blossoms is just the beginning of this serious and sinewy wine. If you’ve been drinking too many nerveless and spiritless chardonnays, this version will amaze you.
It’s not the kind of white wine to casually sip in the afternoon. Enjoy it with an important dinner. Wild striped bass jumps to mind. Indulge yourself, indulge a friend, or maybe use Chassagne Montrachet Blanc to celebrate Independence Day. After all, the French were essential to our winning the Revolutionary War.
