WTN: Pinot-centric

[geo t.]

We hosted an evening of food and wine not long ago, the focal point being Pinot Noir. Our guests were Carol and Dan Myers and Anne and Putnam Weekley. There was a big spread of pinot – friendly food, including various cheeses, pates, breads, sesame encrusted tuna steak and a variety of specialty sausages. We started with something pink and bubbly.

Renardat-Fâche Vin du Bugey Cerdon, 7.5% alc.: The Bugey is one of the smallest, most obscure wine areas in France, located halfway between Lyons and Geneva, and this particular bubbly is made from Gamay and Poulsard. It shows a little deeper salmon pink color than many rosés (bubbly or otherwise), exhibiting a fine bead and an in – your – face fruit forward character that’s almost, but not quite sweet. The strawberry, watermelon and cherry flavors have some density, with that solid core of fruit, nice balance and a long finish, making for an excellent aperitif. A pure expression of fruit, and a much appreciated gift from John Blackwood.

Imported by LDM Wines, Inc., New York, NY

1997 Jean Raphet Chambolle – Musigny, 13% alc.: There’s just a hint of brick to the ruby garnet color here; the earthy black cherry and plum bouquet shows hints of smoke and mushroom, and if it doesn’t exactly jump right out of the glass, it presents a seductive allure nevertheless. The flavors echo and expand, with more earth, forest floor and “dirt,” according to Dan and Putnam. Still a young wine, this has tannins yet to resolve, balanced acidity, a nice finish and dare I say it, plenty of terroir. Excellent stuff.

Imported by J et R Selections, Mt. Pleasant, MI

1999 Gérard Doreau Monthelie, 13% alc.: A ruby garnet with a smoky tinge, this shows some sea air, more mushroom and less dirt over the plum and black cherry bouquet than the Chambolle – Musigny, and while these impressions follow through on the palate, there’s not as deep a core of fruit as in the previous selection either. Still, it has a nice balance, matches very well with some pungent epoisse and works wonderfully with the pan seared, sesame encrusted tuna, bringing out the cherry essence of the wine.

Imported by Hand Picked Selections, Warrenton, VA

1998 Evesham Wood Willamette Pinot Noir Seven Springs Vineyard, $29.99, 13% alc.: After being knocked out by the 2000 “Cuvee J” at Moe Fest 2004, I was most anxious to try this ruby dark garnet, and it more than lived up to my hopes and expectations. It shows smoky plum on the nose, with black cherry in support, along with Putnam describes as “a savory thing going on, sage and soil and roasted herbs.” The flavors follow through with added notes of mahogany and matchstick, soft tannins, balanced acidity and a very nice finish. It’s always nice to hear Kim exclaim, “I love this wine,” and indeed, what’s not to love? It doesn’t seem so “Burgundian” coming on the heels of the Burgundies, and some subtle oak translates into the mahogany already noted. But it does have that balance, that presence that seems to distinguish this producer’s wines, making Evesham Wood our most exciting winery discovery in quite some time.

1998 Belle Pente Willamette Pinot Noir Murto Reserve, $34.99: It had been too long since we’ve had any of Brian and Jill O'Donnell's fine wines, so when I ran into this (not to mention the Evesham Wood Seven Springs Pinot noted above), I jumped on a couple, and we were by no means disappointed. Darker in color than the others tasted so far, almost a dark garnet, it shows a little bit of the barnyard that blows off quickly, revealing rich, effusive aromatics of smoky black cherry and plum, along with some subtle roasted herbs, what Kim describes as “a lot of allspice and apple pie spices,” and again, a little mahogany. These follow through beautifully in the flavors with very subtle earthy undertones. Time has tempered the wine nicely; it’s not too tannic, shows good acidity and a nice finish. It’s the most fruit forward of those tasted so far, but it’s by no means a fruit bomb. What it is is a rich, delicious and satisfying glass of pinot noir, one that’s still on the way up.

2002 Loring Wine Company Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir Garys’ Vineyard, 14.9% alc.: Dark garnet, with big oak, big black cherry, plum, mulberry flavors and aromas shaded with some chocolate and sea air. Dense and extracted, this shows some heat and tannins, but it’s effusively fruit forward in an unabashed, in – your – face style that we find quite enjoyable. Lots of different things going on here.

2001 Beaux Freres Yamhill Pinot Noir Beaux Freres Vineyard, $85.99, 14.4% alc.: Dan pointed out that this slightly smoky ruby garnet shows some heat on the nose, along with a black cherry, pomegranate character. Like none of the others tasted on this occasion, this medium to medium full bodied wine seems a bit vegetal, and oddly balanced, drawing such impressions as “green and soapy” from Kim and “birch root, raw, uncompromising, almost like a cold climate Oregonian version of Turley” from Putnam. More than twice the price of the others, and undoubtedly the least impressive, this one’s not worth the money based on what’s in this bottle.

At that point, I was through taking notes, but Putnam Weekly was able to recall these impressions with remarkable clarity.

1997 Evesham Wood Pinot Noir Cuvee J, $29.99: After thorough palate preparation from a 1997 Chambolle Musigny and a 1998 Evesham Wood Seven Springs Pinot, this had no earthy, old wine bottle funk-barrier to overcome anymore. Instead it immediately released that hard-to-describe, perfumed integration of mocha, toasted sweet spices and arid yet impeccably ripe berry fruits - the types one associates with the best Cotes de Nuits wines. We said in unison: "now that's 'wine'." It's the antidote to manufactured tasting alcohol and fruit bombs which saturate the market – jam laden monstrosities - good at grabbing attention maybe, but poor at capturing one's imagination. No, this was real wine. Each blurry, cloudy sip blanketed the palate with melting, satiny chunks of cherry, blueberry, spice and "earth."

(Editor’s note: Kim and I have had this on a couple of occasions since that evening, and it is indeed delicious, though I have found it to be earthier than Putnam describes. It’s just starting to show some mature characteristics, with a solid core of what I now recognize as typical Evesham Wood pinot noir fruit, good acidity and three to five years of tannins still to resolve. However, with a few hours in a decanter, this wine sings already, showing black cherry, plum, underbrush and tea leaf character.)

1997 Carles Joguet Chinon, Clos la Dioterie, 12.5% alc.: This must have been the only wine that could have followed the Pinot. Possibly even more "real" in its wine being, all acidity was submerged by solid, packed layers of roasted herbs, sweet black cherries, and cocoa. It was a dreamy invitation to relax one's palate. Having been braced already with a younger, more acidic Rully (needs time) and cloying alcohol flavors from a cult West Coast Pinot, the only way this could be a let-down would be if it didn't have the mass and weight that those younger wines did. In fact it had more. The tannins and acids had eroded into a mossy blanket of inexplicable goodness that presented a broad profile - panoramic in its scope - and eager to reveal nuanced, delicious flavors in its interior. Wow. I was proud of the fact that, having matured myself considerably since I first tasted this wine, I was able to recognize this would be the last wine of the evening. Sure it was late. But even if it was four in the afternoon, there would be no topping this joyous drink of wine.

(Editor’s note: I can only agree with Putnam here, this is everything I could want from a wine. We first tasted it in February in Toledo, and Chris Shearer was kind enough to procure three more bottles for us. It’s not only everything I remember it to be, but has even improved in the relatively brief interim. I pulled this for our final selection because I remembered it having a somewhat pinot noir – like character, and it certainly bore than out. I’ve read comments from friends for whom I have great respect to the effect that this producer has dropped some in quality since Charles Joguet is no longer involved with the winery, and I have two comments. First, I’d like to taste some of the wines from when he WAS still at the helm, and second, if this is no longer a top outfit in Chinon, I’d surely love to sample the wares from some of those who are.)

Reporting from Day-twah,

geo t.