What We Drank (September 21, 2009)

As is often the case, we have a diverse group of wines this week, including some varieties that are most definitely off the beaten path.

By Bryan Calandrelli: Lagunitas Brewing Gnarly Wine

When your weekend schedule consists of painting and watching football, there's only one beverage that will do -- beer. And what does a wino want to drink when he needs to drown his painting sorrows? A Lagunitas Gnarly Wine barley wine.

Aromas of sweet caramel and citrus in the glass along with plumy fruit and spice notes as well. A mouth-filling texture and full-bodied palate made this a sipping beer demanding all of my attention. This is not a pretzel or potato chip kind of beer.

While I've had other barley wines that may have had too much sweetness or alcohol levels that stick out, this one had neither. A great balance of hops, sweetness, spice and alcohol made this one worth the lack of productivity I achieved after just a few glasses. As you can see from the photo, I started with more than enough.

By Evan Dawson: Hopler 2006 Zweigelt, Austria

If we could jump ahead 20 years, I wouldn't be surprised if there is quite a lot of Zweigelt planted in the Finger Lakes. Only a curiosity now, this grape comes from a cross of Blaufrankisch and St. Laurent -- and some local winemakers are serious about its potential here. They include German-born Johannes Reinhardt of Anthony Road, who says, "It thrives in cool climates and it has surprising depth, maybe more than Lemberger." 

I'd like to taste a wider range of Zweigelt before I get a feel for it. This one was high-toned and spicy, not unlike many Finger Lakes reds. It's on the wine list at the Hazelnut Kitchen in Trumansburg, which offers outstanding local food and a diverse drink menu.

I simply ask that if Zweigelt makes its way into the Finger Lakes mainstream, we also add Auxerrois and Gruner Veltliner, giving the Finger Lakes the distinction of making a long list of excellent wines that no one can pronounce on the first try.

From Jason Feulner: Francoise & Denis Clair 2006 Red Burgundy, Cote-de-Beaune Villages

I picked this 2006 Burgundy at random from the wine list of a local Syracuse restaurant called The Scotch and Sirloin.

I haven't been able to pin down much information about the wine, but I very much enjoyed it.

The profile featured bright cherry and plum with just a touch of earth. It drank smooth without a deep finish, yet it seemed complete on its own terms. This cool-climate, fruit-forward red was in great balance despite its lack of a big punch.

From Tom Mansell: Fulkerson Winery 2006 Lemberger, Finger Lakes

I visited Fulkerson and posted about my experience as part of Wine Blogging Wednesday. I found (and bought) quite a few wines that I liked in the tasting room so I could try them at home. This was one.

This wine has great dark red-violet color and an intensely fruity nose, evident upon opening the bottle, with cherry and huckleberry, shades of oak and a little heat. On the palate, it's got fresh acidity and little to no astringency (the acid adds a bit of pucker but no roughness). It comes up a little short on body in the mid-palate and overall finish, but it's light and refreshing and wouldn't go too bad with a slice of pizza.

In fact, I nuked a slice of leftover pizza and ate it with this to test my theory (ah, the things I do for science); it works out pretty well. The color and aroma that Lemberger brings to the party may be part of the reason that the Cabernet Franc/Lemberger blend has shown up in several instances here in the Finger Lakes. It's priced to move at the winery now, so they are probably getting ready for the 2007 version to hit the shelves.

From Lenn Thompson: Benmarl Winery 2007 Baco Noir, Hudson Valley

I love when a wine surprises me, and this baco definitely did over the weekend during a multi-course meal that my friend A and I cooked for our wives.

Why I even grabbed this wine out of my cellar to pair with a duo of soups -- smoky tomato-orange with candied bacon and wild mushroom with chorizo and scallions -- was random. I found myself talking to a local winemaker about hybrids and baco specifically a couple weeks ago and he called out this wine as one he remembered liking.

Originally, I was thinking pinot for the soups, but thought the spiciness of the smoked paprika and chorizo might overwhelm a bit. That's when I saw this in the cellar and thought to myself "Let's see how this works!"

Beautifully. Medium-light in body, it's a low-tannin wine with good acidity (but not overwhelming like some hybrids) and the rich cherry, dried fruit and cocoa powder flavors really worked with the soups. It was the wine-pairing surprise of the evening for sure. I can see why this wine has a bit of a cult following up in the Hudson Valley.

Comments

[Evan Dawson]

Lenn - Cheers to the Hudson Valley for finding a grape with outstanding local potential -- and then unabashedly touting it. I'm excited to try more Baco, and I'm looking forward to Empire in particular.

[Michael Gorton]

Lenn,
Any chance of a hybrid making to the Cork Club Monthly Shipment?

[Lenn Thompson]

Well guess who is planning to bring a bottle of Empire to the Finger Lakes this week?

That's right, this guy.

[Lenn Thompson]

Michael: Absolutely a chance. In fact, I picked a Hudson-Chatham Winery 2007 Baco Noir for a shipment a while back.

I've included some vidal ice wine and a Cayuga-Vignoles blend in the past as well.

New York is much more than vinifera.

[Debbie Gioquindo - Hudson Valley Wine Goddess]

Baco grows very well in the Hudson Valley. Hudson-Chatham and Benmarl are the only ones to my knowledge who produce a Baco wine.

Let the bottle of Empire breath for a little while.

[Debbie Gioquindo - Hudson Valley Wine Goddess]

It I would stop multi-tasking while I type I could spell/type correctly.

Let the Empire breathe a little while.

[Lenn Thompson]

Debbie: I THINK that Warwick's Black Dirt Red is baco too, isn't it?

[Evan Dawson]

Lenn -

At Lucas the other day, Jeff Houck asked what other wines we wanted to try. I asked for the Seyval and Vignoles. He replied, "You're not supposed to drink hybrids, you know!" He was kidding, but damn, our cover has been blown. Turns out we're not allergic to hybrids, and assuming Jackson is yours, it also turns out that hybrids don't make you sterile.

[Lenn Thompson]

What I like about baco is that I've enjoyed them AS baco because they are baco -- a unique grape with a unique-profile.

I've had vidal that tastes "almost like" riesling. Or seyval that tastes "almost like" chardonnay (oaked) or sauvignon blanc (not). It also seems like most wineries are TRYING to make those white hybrids be "like" something else.

From my limited experience, baco is baco. And when taken seriously, it can be very good.

[Tom Mansell]

Interesting that the Baco went with the smokiness as I've often found a smoky component in Baco wines that I have had, which I think is distinct from smoky oak.

[R. Olsen-Harbich]

I've had this wine from a few different vintages and have always been impressed. It's a clear indication of their dedication to this variety in the vineyard as well as the cellar. Nice work!

[Lenn Thompson]

And here I was going to keep you anonymous, Rich ;)

I definitely enjoy it. Curious how it ages.

[Bryan]

Anyone know what kind of soil baco noir likes?

[jim silver]

"New York is much more than vinifera."

Lenn, really? Isn't that part of the problem? Isn't that the reason we sit on the sidelines of the big game and watch the rest of the world play? Because we insist on marketing clearly inferior hybrids along with our truly competitive grape set?

I have no doubt the Baco was nice to drink, but come one? Is this grape what we hope to get NYS to support with its tax dollars?

I think we should be comparing the Clair Cote-de-Beaune Villages with Hearts and Hands as a far more productive and informative thread, maybe?

* Cue the 'Jim's a snob' comments now *

[Lenn Thompson]

Jim,

I'd expect nothing less than such a comment from you!

And I do agree with you in that I do not think New York should focus on hybrids. It holds the Finger Lakes region back in many ways with regard to the world wine stage.

BUT, there is (and will always be) room for wines like this one. Every region in the world has minor, 'lesser' grapes that lead to interesting wines.

I'm thinking Aligote (vs. Chardonnay) here. I had a 100% Counoise (from the Rhone Valley) over the weekend that I really dug, too.

The other side is this -- the Hudson Valley isn't as appropriate for vinifera as Long Island or the Finger Lakes.

To sum up (because people sometimes only read what they want to read when I talk hybrids): I think that New York, in general, needs to focus on vinifera and push those wines hardest, but there will always be room for well-done hybrid wines.

[jim silver]

Hmm, in the context of the Counoise and the Aligote, I definintely agree with you - but I consider them curiosities (even heirlooms!). And both of them are vinifera, but I do see your reasoning.

I suppose I wish the experimentationn was being done on vinifera grapes that are more tolerant to the climate, e.g. Sylvaner, Gruner, Muller (vinifera?), Lemberger, Cab Franc, Pinot Blanc, Ribola, Freisa, etc.

[Evan Dawson]

Jim - Perhaps add Zweigelt to your list, unless it's not pure enough... ;)