If you could only drink wine from one producer

[Steve Plotnicki]

I had posted this on a few wine boards and it got a good response so I thought I'd run it up this flagpole. So here goes.

One red and one white please. My choices would be

Red-Dujac

White-Niellon

I almost said Roumier but there is something I find in the Dujac wines that is more casual than the Roumier wines and taking every day drinking into consideration I thought Dujac worked better across the board. And for the same reasons, I almost said Coche-Dury for whites but I like the simpler Niellon bottlings than the basic Coche Meursaults. But again, life woudn't suck if I only drank Roumier and Coche  And I have disqualified DRC because they only make wine at the top end, and offer nothing for everyday drinking.

If I eliminated Burgundy, and I was asked to pick just one Bordeaux to drink, I would say Latour. To me Bordeaux doesn't ever approximate a good everyday drink. It's either power or p*ss as far as I'm concerned. And in the Rhone, in the North I would say Jamet, and in the south I would say Les Cailloux. But I think it's harder to pick a single grower there because the terroir isn't codified into little bits like Burgundy is. In Burgundy, you can pick a producer and drink across the terroir. But in the Rhone, you have to find an average bottling that will be representative of the entire region.

Anyone else?

[Christopher]

Red: Henri Bonneau

White: Georg Breuer

[Tonyfinch]

Red: Gaja

      White: Zind-Humbrecht

Actually my desert island wine would be vintage port-'45,'63,'77 from Fonseca,Crofts or Grahams

[Fat Guy]

Red: Montefortino, because Barolo is the best and this is the best Barolo I've tasted. Are we picking vintages?

White: Guillemot-Michel. Complex but unpretentious organically grown Burgundy. Not expensive. Something I could drink everyday and, when I had it around, did drink everyday.

[Steve Klc]

What if you could only drink wine from one producer--literally--so reds and whites from a single producer?  

My answer would be Chappellet Vineyards--their Signature Cabs are fine examples of the form and have a track record over time, their dry whites are wonderful food matches (very un-California-like Chardonnays with oak in balance and Old Vine chenin blancs--a dynamic duo for most cuisines) and, lest anyone forget, the single best dessert wine ever produced in the United States--their Moelleux.

[Christopher]

What if you could only drink wine from one producer--literally--so reds and whites from a single producer?  

Muller-Catoir

or

Ted Lemon (Littorai)

[Steve Plotnicki]

Fat Guy-1978 Monfortino is one of the best bottles of wine I ever drank. It was from a friend's cellar. Then this past year I bought some at auction but the first bottle I tried was great for 15 seconds and then died of old age. I have another bottle sitting right here in my wine cave waiting for an occassion. It isn't unusual for me to buy an auction parcel where certain bottles are dead and the next bottle of the same wine is fantastic. It's the irregularity of the corks that usually does it. But I also have a '61 here waiting for an even more special occassion.

Tony-1961 Gaja Barbaresco was sublime, but pretty much shot at this stage. But at the same tasting I had the '78 Monfortino at, the next best wine was '82 Gaja Barbaresco Sori Tilden. Fantastic stuff. But I'm surprised to hear you say Z-H? Not that I think they are bad wines. But they are so much in the Parker style and he rates them so highly.

Christopher-Ou est George Breur? Bonneau je connai tres bien.

[Fat Guy]

Plotnicki, I've tasted most of the key vintages of both of Conterno's Barolos recently, and I'd say the two that are showing best right now are the 1982 Montefortino and the 1967 regular bottling. You're probably going to be disappointed by the 1961; you'd be smart to drink it right away, as it is fading fast. Do you have any of the 1978 Cascina Francia? I have a friend with both bottlings from 1990, 1985, 1982, 1971, 1967, and 1964 but he only has the 1978 Montefortino and not the Cascina Francia. We recently did a tasting and he said he'd do the whole thing again if I could come up with a 1978 Cascina Francia so it could be a truly comprehensive vertical/horizontal. So if you've got a bottle, let's go over to his place and call his bluff.

[Steve Plotnicki]

Steve-I don't have one but I will ask my friend Dwight. He was the one who put on the old Italian tasting I went to. In fact here are my notes from the night.

"The subject line of the message in my inbox on Wednesday afternoon said "Highly impromptu Piemonte wine tasting at my house tomorrow evening." That certainly piqued my interest. When I began to read the body it went on to say "Piedmonte wines from the 70''s. Most of the wines are in hand so no need to worry about finding anything." Now how could anyone refuse that offer? The invitation went on to say that invitees could bring starter or dessert wines or food to eat. So on Thursday evening in a lovely recently renovated 1840 Federal House in the West Village, ten truly fortunate people were treated to nineteen bottles of wine, many that I''ve never seen before and some that I probably will never see again.

Before I get on to the notes, I have to disclose that I am not the biggest Piemonte wine fanatic around (one might even go as far as saying I don''t care for the stuff) but I have had a number of outstanding bottles of Barolo in my time. So my notes should be taken with at least one grain of salt. Secondly, these bottles were in mint condition.

1989 Krug from magnum (actually my contribution since I didn''t have time to bring food)started things out. Beautiful light golden color. Much better than the ''85 I had on New Years Weekend. But it was the type of delicious that had everyone pouring themselves another glass and we blew through the mag in no time. Less opulent than the ''82 I had in London in November but more opulent than the ''85 and had a bit of toastiness to it (I love that quality in champagne). EXCELLENT I have to admit that when we finished the champagne, two starter wines were passed around, a Barolo and a Barbera, both of which I skipped because of the impending deluge about to occur. So forgive me if I can''t post those notes.

1971 Tenuta Montanello Barolo Montanello-A little gem. People often try to describe smaller wines as "elegant" and too often it is an attempt to gloss over a wines failings. But this was elegant in the best sense. VERY GOOD PLUS

1978 Vignetti Roggiero e Boglietti Barolo Brunate- Madeirized but still pleasant. Like drinking light port. It was still good enough that I finished my glass. GOOD

1978 Paolo Scavino Baroco Bric del Fiasc- Also madeirized but the result made it taste hot. It seemed out of balance. Someone thought it had cork (as in imperfect not corked) problems. FAIR

Manzoni Barolo- I found this oddly musty. I asked if it was corked and the mavens at the table said no after a number of stabs at it. It was a nice wine otherwise but that musty, sappy thing never left it. GOOD

1961 Gaja Barbaresco-Terrific, amazingly young, it kept expanding with time in glass. Not the biggest wine I''ve ever had (nor the best bottle of this) but it remains hands down the most elegant and subtle wine I''ve ever had. EXCELLENT and perfect bottles would merit Outstanding.

1979 Gaja Barbaresco Costa Russi-Paired with the ''61 it seemed slightly abrassive. But it was drinking well and a good wine from an underrated vintage. It wasn''t enough to turn my head amd make me seek this wine out but probably a steal for Barbaresco drinkers. GOOD PLUS

1982 Gaja Barbaresco Sori Tilden-Oh what a beautiful nose. One of those "you can sit there and smell it forever" wines. Palate considerably closed compared to nose. Still tannic. This wine will be great and will compare to the ''61 if not surpass it IMHO. Exellent weight and body but not overbearing and you can see the elegance of the ''61 peeking through. I savored this in my glass throughout the entire evening. OUTSTANDING

1978 Giacosa Barbaresco-I found this out of balance and without much to it.

A pass for me. FAIR

1969 Giacosa Barbaresco Santa Stefano di Nieve-Now that''s more like it. A bit of smoky red meat on the nose. Perfectly ready to drink. Deep, deep cassis fruit. Not as large as the ''82 Gaja

but delightful. EXCELLENT PLUS

1982 Giacosa Barbaresco Santa Stefano di Nieve was a fine bottle but not in the same league as the ''82 Sori Tiden. Needs lots of time and I can''t say it will be as good as the ''69. So for now, VERY GOOD PLUS, PLUS, but not quite excellent.

After all of these wines a mini-vertical of Giacomo Conterno was served;

1971 G. Conterno Barolo Monfortino Reserva-Nice crisp acid. Coffee tones. In fact like an espresso with some orange peel. Amazingly still tannic, needs 5 more years. EXCELLENT

1974 G. Conterno Barolo Monfortino Reserva-More mature than the ''71. Somewhat minty. Not my favorite. GOOD

1978 G. Conterno Barolo Monfortino Reserva - Okay this was it. Wine of the night by far IMO. The nose was like walking through a field of violets. Just fantastic. Still tannic and still not ready but could be drunk. Pure magic in the glass and I can''t imagine how good it will be 10, possibly 20, possibly 30 years from now. This is the wine people should try and taste if they want to learn about the nuances of mature barolo. OUTSTANDING PLUS PLUS PLUS AND three YUMS from Plotnicki.

1982 G. Conterno Barolo Monfortino Reserva - A tannic monster. One taste and your tongue was coated with tannins. It actually took a few minutes to recover to the point where you could taste other wines. In fact all of the Conternos were tannic. Our host said, "these Conternos are the best wines I ever had that you couldn''t drink!" I will give this VERY GOOD but have to admit I''m just guessing.

And to top things off;

1990 Avignonesi Vin Santo-Is a wine that Parker got it right on. Thick and voluptuous. Slightly tangy and a sip made me smack my lips and want more. Hey Pass the biscotti!! OUTSTANDING

These were all consumed with some proscuitto, a bunch of fine cheeses including some good tete du moines, nice foie gras mousse pate and some excellent bbq flavored potato chips amongst other nosh. Someone then grilled up some wonderfully rare marinated flank steak and there were side dishes of cous cous with a bit of lemon peel, pea and artichoke salad, etc. After dinner a wheel of aged parmegian got a shaving and was served with the Conternos. It was quite a great night. I need more invitations like this. Anybody? Anybody?"

[Christopher]

Christopher-Ou est George Breur? Bonneau je connai tres bien.

Georg Breuer is the label, Bernhard is the producer and what he vinifies is why people like me wax poetic about riesling. While I certainly appreciate just about every German Riesling I’ve tried, I have found the greatest balance in his wines. They are like a kaleidoscope diffusing the many facets of the grape. Michelangelo said that he did not carve the David, that David was in the marble and he just removed everything that wasn’t David. I think Breuer is this way with his vineyards, removing what is not necessary and releasing the full flavours and aromas of each vintage. His wines hit all points on the Riesling scale: Soil, sweet, earth, acid. They also destroy the myth of the light and pretty Germanic wine. I find them to be blockbusters. Breuer’s wines are that rare breed that both make statements and ask questions. The main question being why aren’t more Rieslings like this!? I am also amazed at the length both on the palate and on the vintage. The ’91 Montosa we poured by the glass at GT had the acid of a young Marsanne and that was considered a second tier bottling for him!

“Even the barrels that come very close to the best ones will not obtain the name of the top-site but are since 1988 blended in the Second Wine, which since 1991 bears the name of Montosa. When in 1074 the first vines were planted on the steep slopes of Rüdesheim a document (“Codex diplomaticus Moguntinus”) was written at the court of the archbishop of Mainz, than the owner of most of the Rheingau: “quomodo terra inculta et montosa prope Ruedsheim et Ebiongen exculta fuerit et redacta in statum vinearum” It is that name that we given to the wine that represents the second best quality produced in our estate. This wine corresponds from its origine of minerally, stony soils (montosa=mountanous) to the ideal of a powerful, yet elegant Riesling.” - Bernhard Breuer from the web link above.

This commitment to excellence is why his “First Growth” Rieslings (Berg Schlossberg,(2.6ha) Berg Rottland(1.0ha) from, Rüdsheim and the 5/ha monopole Nonnenberg from Raunenthal) harvested at 25-45hl/ha on average, are the most superior in the marketplace. Breuer continues: “… balance, aromas and body in our wines is more important than must weight; extract and the inner density more important than yield. All our wines have great concentration. This is very favorable when matched with food, adds an additional life span to the wines and corresponds to our own idea of quality. Therefore in our estate it is highest physiological ripeness in the grapesand their status of health that determines the harvest date. But most importantly to me as a waiter is his statement: “We vinify our wines so that they can be matched with food.”

And match they do. Our guests find his wines delicious and they have the weight and the oft-elusive ‘vinosity’ to make them serious food wines when perhaps a white burgundy would be the default choice. One cannot ignore the CHARTA organization. By commodifying the vineyard and allowing the winemaker to determine when the grape is ready, you both shackle and unshackle his skills. First, he is free to make choices independent of a regulatory box that the 1971 laws might otherwise put him in. He is allowed to bring the wines of Germany into the 21st century where they will compete on a proper scale. The other side of this coin, he is now under the same pressure as the Grand Cru Burgundy producer. Expectation is raised and vintage becomes a player. Once you get the spotlight, you have to perform. So far, Breuer’s wines are showstoppers.

[Tonyfinch]

Parker liked Zind-Humbrecht. Really? I always said the man was a genius.He gets 100 on my scale of human beings (mind you,even Hitler gets 50).

[rmpoole]

Red: D'Arenberg

White: Zind Humbrecht

[mogsob]

Assuming economics plays a role here:

White: JJ Prum

Red: Allegrini

[AdamLawrence]

White would be Trimbach. But I haven't a clue what red producer I'd pick. Probably someone from Burgundy, or perhaps a Rhone producer like Guigal which would offer plenty of choice.

Adam

[Beachfan]

Since this is in part a Piedemonte thread, I just had the 1990 Giacosa Barbaresco San Stefano Riserva at a price so inexpensive that I thought the wine must have had been bought from someone who had problems with storage.

The wine was fabulous.  Somwhat smokey, roasted meat, pretty mature compared to the 1990 Giacosa Barolo Falletto that I've had recently.  But really wonderful, especially after a half hour open (I need to be more patient, it's half gone in a half hour).

To make it relevant to this thread's title:

Giacosa.

Peter Michael

for this moment only.

[green bay carly]

Red: Chave. That one's easy to pick, tho I did think briefly about Durrbach and Hochar.

White's more difficult. My shortlist is:

Burgundy: Lafon

Alsace: Faller

Loire: Branchereau

Mosel-Saar-Ruwer: Fritz Haag

On balance, I'll go for good ole Domaine Weinbach. I just love what they can do with riesling and gewurztraminer.

[Ron Johnson]

Red:  Michel Ogier   Cote Rotie is the most special wine on earth, no other area can make syrah taste this way, and the good producers (Ogier, Jamet, Jasmin, etc.) make magic with these grapes.

White: Leon Beyer (why not?)