Let's Play Connect the Dots
From Zinfandel to Côtes du Rhône and beyond, there's a common thread for wine lovers
Posted: Mar 30, 2011 12:00am ET
It's easy to become set in your ways with wine. Some wine
drinkers find a brand or a varietal they like and stick with it. We all know
people who order only Chardonnay or Merlot at a restaurant. A friend of mine
expects to drink only Petite Sirah or a rustic Chianti Classico; that's all he
likes.
A few years ago, my California-wine-loving cousin moved to
Switzerland. The switch to drinking Bordeaux and Burgundy was easy enough
because she could relate them to the California Cabernets, Pinot Noirs and
Chardonnays she drank back home. But good Bordeaux and Burgundy were too
expensive for her to drink every day.
What she really missed were the fruit-forward, zesty
Zinfandels she used to open during the week. When her e-mail SOS arrived I knew
what to recommend: Côtes du Rhône. Produced in the warm Southern Rhône Valley
of France, Côtes du Rhône reds share a similar burst of bright fruit and spice
with Zin. The connection made her happy.
I started thinking: Sometimes all a wine drinker needs is an
introduction, a connecting line between two dots, to venture off onto a whole
new wine path.
All this came to mind the other day when I connected a few
dots of my own. I opened a bottle of M. Chapoutier Côtes du Rhône Belleruche 2007
and fell for its fleshy, ripe black cherry fruit, lively acidity and notes of
spice and licorice. Chapoutier produces some of the Rhône Valley's best wines
but also knows how to craft a good value. Selling for about $12, the Belleruche
2007 is a blend of 60 percent Grenache and 40 percent Syrah. Along with
Mourvèdre, those are the main grapes used in Côtes du Rhône reds.
The dots I decided to connect were not Côtes du Rhône back
to Zinfandel, but rather Côtes du Rhône to the increasingly popular Rhône-style
red blends of California and Washington. While the top wines like Alban Pandora
Seymour's Vineyard are pricy collectibles, there are value alternatives.
A favorite of mine over the years has been Qupé Los Olivos
Cuvée, and the 2008 is a charmer, with elegant notes of fresh cherry and
pomegranate, as well as zesty brown spice, all balanced by good acidity. The
blend is about half Syrah with the rest split between Grenache and Mourvèdre,
and you can find it for $25 or less. When I had it recently with dinner, I
rated it 88 points, non-blind.
Two other Central Coast Rhône blends that are often safe
bets are Tablas Creek Côtes de Tablas from Paso Robles and Zaca Mesa Z Cuvée from Santa Ynez Valley.
A fairly new entry to the Rhône-style group comes from
Washington: the Chateau Ste. Michelle Austral Columbia Valley. The 2008
bottling—a blend of 53 percent Mourvèdre, with the rest Grenache and Syrah—is a
supple and jammy red with smoky cherry and peppered herb notes. It sells for
$20, and I rated it 87 points, non-blind.
A browse through our recent reviews offer many good choices,
both from California, such as the Morgan
Cotes du Crow's Monterey 2008 (88, $16), and from Washington, such as
the Novelty Hill Royal Slope Red Columbia Valley 2007
(87, $18) and the cheekily named Fruit Bomb Columbia Valley 2008 (85, $11).
It's not easy for these America-born value blends to compete
in the market with Côtes du Rhône when there are so many alternatives, such as
other values from elsewhere in southern France and the new generation of wines
from Spain. Generally, the U.S. Rhone blends could benefit from more acidity
for vibrancy and balance, and I miss that touch of eccentric Rhône funk—but
those are quibbles.
Côtes du Rhône has centuries of winemaking experience, after
all. For America's vintners, it's just a matter of time, and connecting the
dots.
Tim, we enjoy your blogs. Taking off in two weeks for a two week wine country trip. Stopping in Paso Robles for two nights; then several nights in Sonoma; several in Napa; may do Santa Cruz/Monterey, then back to the Santa Ynez Valley and Lompoc wine ghetto for Palmina and Loring. While in Sonoma, do you know some pinot noir producers we might not have tried, especially in the Anderson Valley. We are going to Roessler, Londer in Boonville, Goldeneye, and Pappapietro Perry in RRV. We've been to Merry Edwards, Martinelli, Rochioli, Gary Farrell.
We're doing a sparkling wine day in Napa at Schramsberg and Domaine Chandon. And we're definitely going to make the trek up Howell Mtn to go to Buehler (loved your blog on them).
Any suggestions you have will be appreciated. Our son and daughter-in-law gave us a two night stay at Hotel Healdsburg and dinner at Charlie Palmer's, and we're REALLY looking forward to that.
Thanks for any suggestions you have.
Len & Terry Korn