THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 5, 1995 TAG: 9511020052
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F2 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: HUMBLE STEWARD
SOURCE: JIM RAPER
LENGTH: Long : 104 lines
INSIDE THE spacious ballroom of the Norfolk Waterside Marriott are the agents of nearly 100 wineries and wine importers poised to pour for those of us who are waiting in the wings, yearning for the starting gun.
No other event so excites the wine lovers of Hampton Roads. Each year on the concluding Sunday of the Chesapeake Bay Wine Classic is an afternoon of extravagance that goes by the bare name of ``The Tasting.''
So there I was a couple of weeks ago, holding fast to my $20 ticket and pressing like everyone around me toward the doors of the ballroom. As I get closer to my goal I am given a wine glass and a program, and at 1 p.m. sharp I pop like a champagne cork into ``The Tasting.''
My eyes fall first upon the distinctive flower-painted bottle of Perrier Jouet 1988 Fleur de Champagne Brut. What a delightful way to start an afternoon of tasting. I've not been to many wine festivals where $80 champagnes are poured. The 1988 Fleur is creamy and toasty with a touch of vanilla on the finish.
Then, from an ice bucket on the floor, appears an even better bubbly, the Perrier Jouet 1988 Fleur de Champagne Rose ($85), which, unlike its more delicate chardonnay-based sister, has an unmistakable cherry echo from the pinot noir in the cuvee.
Next comes a glass of Gallo 1993 Estate Chardonnay Northern Sonoma ($30), the rare and prestigious white that Gallo began producing a couple of years ago. It has layers of tropical fruit and butter, as well as enough acid to balance it.
Then I taste the Gallo 1991 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Northern Sonoma ($50), a big mouthful of blackberry and cedar. Quickly afterward, I move to two other California cabernets in the same $50 price territory: the Robert Mondavi 1991 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa and Dominus 1989 Napa. The Mondavi is not as forthcoming with fruit as the other two, but is still a sophisticated and age-worthy wine. The Dominus, which is the California wine made under the supervision of Chateau Petrus producer Christian Moueix, is generous with dark berry fruit and has notes of licorice and leather. All three are memorable wines that I would be proud to have in a cellar.
I have been tasting for 30 minutes and have notes on six very good wines that a big-city wine bar would charge me $100 to sample. That's not bad return on my $20 ticket.
A little later I take my seat in an auxiliary ballroom for a seminar and tasting of Bordeaux wines conducted by Kevin Zraly, the wine director of Windows on the World restaurant in New York City and a celebrated wine educator.
He leads us masterfully through Wine Evaluation 101 and invites us to taste the four wines du jour: Chateau Carbonnieux 1993 Blanc Graves ($22), Chateau Franc-Mayne 1992 St. Emilion ($25), Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou 1992 St. Julien ($35) and Chateau Lynch-Bages 1992 Pauillac ($40).
The Carbonnieux, the only white in the group, tastes of grass and tart apples, and is a good example of its kind.
We quickly pass to the reds. The Franc-Mayne does not impress me. It provides a forward burst of bright fruit that quickly gives way to a tannic bitterness. It seems shallow and out of balance. The Ducru-Beaucaillou has a dark berry charm to it and is quite drinkable, though also a bit meager. The Lynch-Bages hits me hard with tannin, and I can't find enough fruit in the background to redeem it.
When we are asked to vote for our favorite of the three I go with the Ducru-Beaucaillou. Each of the wines gets a number of votes, but the Lynch-Bages gets the most. And Zraly says it is his favorite, as well. (The April 15, 1995, issue of Wine Spectator gives modest ratings to all three - 79 on a 100-point scale to the Franc-Mayne and Ducru-Beaucaillou and 81 to the Lynch-Bages.)
Back in the main tasting room I search about for wines I have never tasted. By closing at 5 p.m., I have notes on 50 wines. There are at least 300 more on the floor that I did not sample.
Here are a few wines from ``The Tasting'' that I intend to taste again soon:
Turning Leaf 1992 Pinot Noir North Coast ($7) - A label from Gallo debuts with an interesting pinot that tastes of raisins and spice. Also recommended are the label's good-value Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Fume Blanc.
CUNE 1986 Vina Real Gran Reserva Rioja ($21) - This is a dark, meaty wine with notes of chocolate and plums. A great one for the money from Spain's Rioja region.
Valfieri 1991 Barolo ($18) - Many of Northern Italy's great Barolos need long bottle aging and cost $35 or more. This drinkable young one has authentic black cherry, smoke and licorice flavors at a bargain price.
Bonverre 1993 Merlot Vin de Pays d'Oc and Bonverre 1992 Chardonnay California (both about $7). Yes, this new cousin of Napa's St. Supery Vineyards is giving us varietals from France and California. The parent company owns Fortant de France, which markets a full line of wines from France's Midi and which explains why Bonverre can shop on two continents for the best grapes at the best price.
Wildhurst 1992 Zinfandel Clear Lake ($12) - Watch this label for zin and other varietals. The winery is owned by two grape-growing families that have been selling fruit for years to well-known northern California producers. Now, with the help of winemaker Kathleen Redman and consultant Jed Steele, they are turning out their own line of solid wines at great prices.
Carmenet 1991 Cabernet Franc Moon Mountain Sonoma ($20) - This spicy and long-finishing cabernet franc tastes more like one from St. Emilion than from California. It's worth the money. MEMO: The Humble Steward is a biweekly feature of Sunday Flavor. Send
questions or comments to: The Humble Steward, Sunday Flavor, The
Virginian-Pilot, 150 W. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, Va. 23510. If
possible, give complete label information when naming wines, and list
the vintage year. Please include your name and phone number. by CNB