It being the middle of January in Northwest Ohio, my taste in wine has of late tended toward thicker, more plush, warming styles--toward, that is, New World wines. So last night's New World/Old World showdown was seemingly a foregone conclusion. But, as they say in sports, that's why they play the game. Let's have a look at the matchups:
1. Pinot Gris--Alsace (France) vs. Oregon
a. Zind Humbrecht Herrenweg Pinot Gris 2004 (Alsace; $43.99/bottle)
Pretty golden-yellow color. The very fruity nose of fresh pear, fresh and baked peach, and honey make you think this will be a dessert wine, but it isn't. Flavors of ripe apricot, lemon rind, and bitter herbs dance on a knife-edge of racy acidity, leaving a clean, fresh feeling in your mouth. Great food wine; try it with spicy thai.
b. Adelsheim Pino Gris 2006 (Oregon; $19.99/bottle)
Very light, silver-blond color looks great in the glass. The assertive nose of baseball card bubble gum, cooked banana, and white pear carries through to the flavor, with mouthwatering, tangy acidity defining the finish. This is a pleasant wine, but it doesn't stand a chance against a well-crafted pinot gris from the Alsace, where they do pinot gris better than anyone.
Winner: Old World
2. Pinot Noir: Burgundy (France) vs. Oregon
a. Domaine Leroy Bourgogne 1999 (Burgundy; $39.99/bottle)
Brownish-red color. Aromas of dark plum, damp earth, leather, and something suggestive of dried mushrooms. Flavors of tart cherry and plum, leather, and earth. Lean, pure, and focused. Simple but nice.
b. Cathy Reserve Pinot Noir 2004 (Oregon; $44.99/bottle)
Dark ruby color. With a rich nose of plum, blackberry, oak, and bramble, this pinot offers flavors of sweet plum, oak, black licorice, and peppery spice, all balanced by lively acidity. There's perhaps less art in this pinot than in the Burgundy, but for straight pleasure the Cathy takes the prize.
Winner: New World
3. Syrah/Grenach/Mourvedre: Rhone (France) vs. Washington State
a. Jaboulet Les Cedres Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2003 (Rhone; $44.99/bottle)
Dark red. This medium-full bodied wine offers a muted nose of earth, brine, violets, and garrigue. On the palate it shows bright raspberry fruit, black licorice, wet stone, and pepper. Simple and perhaps overly-restrained compared to other CdP's at this price point, it's nevertheless well-balanced and easy to drink. Long, licoricey finish, though with a little alcohol lingering.
b. McRea Sirocco 2004 (Washington; $39.99/bottle)
This dark mauve Rhone-style blend displays aromas of dark berry, earth, and sweet spice. The flavor shows sweet ripe cherry and pomegranite fruit with toasty oak and black pepper and finishes with a subtle cocoa note. This was probably the closest matchup, with both wines being quite good, but the edge goes to the CdP for its balance and expressiveness.
Winner: Old World
4. Cabernet Sauvignon: Tuscany (Italy) vs. California
a. Cignale 2001 (Tuscany; $72.99/bottle)
Inky purple color. Great nose of black plum, horse blanket, and scorched earth. Big, black, ripe flavors sit on a still solidly tannic frame, with a distinctly farmy note on the back end. The most classically old-world of the reds in this lineup, this medium-full bodied super Tuscan has a smooth, velvety mouthfeel and a long finish.
b. Flora Springs Hillside Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 (California; $79.99/bottle)
Very dark ruby in color, with a deep, rich, well-balanced nose dominated by plum, cassis, and oak. Great flavors of bitter plum, dark berry, menthol, and sweet peppery spice are pure enough to cut through the considerable acidity and still-young tannins. While both of these wines still need a few years in the bottle to show what they're really made of (I'd say minimum 3), the Cignale seems to offer a slightly more complete, balanced package.
Winner: Old World
And the winner is: Old World! All of these wines were a pleasure to drink, but the classic styling of the European wines in this lineup just edged the bold ripeness of the Americans.
If you were at the tasting, leave a comment and let me know your verdict! (Or even if you weren't: what do you tend to prefer, and why?)
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2 comments:
Lance,
strangely I had the opposite experience that you had. I thought the old worlds was going to win hands down, but in the end it was a tie.
For the Pinot gris there was no contest, Zind wins. For the pinot noirs, surprisingly I liked more the Cathy. I found the Burgundy to be a little one-dimensional, too geared towards toasty-hay flavours. Cathy's surprising acidity balanced the sweet oakiness on the nose, and it made it a lot more interesting wine (Cathy wins).
I didn't really like the CdP, which didn't give me a lot of what I expect from a CdP (i.e., the herbs and the garrigue), instead was dominated by a new-world jamminess that I enjoy more in other wines (thus, McCrea wins).
For the last match, I agree with you totally.
Final score: 2-2
See you monday for the Cheeze
We may have had opposite expectations, but we were only one off in our voting: you chose the new world Rhone blend (McCrea), while I chose the CdP. And, even then, it was almost a coin toss for me on that matchup.
So let's hear it for inter-rater reliability!
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