Chris Sherman
The Sardinian Paradox: Black wines
A beautiful view from Sardinia
“Sixty Minutes” told the white-wine-worried to drink red for their heart’s sake more than a decade ago. Now Good Morning America trumpets the health benefits of “black” wine, specifically the Cannonau of Sardinia as magic bullets of antioxidants and anthocyanin in a bottle.
This is not so much breakthrough science as a new wave of publicity for a veggie-heavy Mediterranean diet. In this case, GMA guest Dan Buettner touted his new book on “Blue Zones” a term he coined for clusters of great longevity. He hails Sardinians for a traditional peasant diet long on bread, cheese and wine. Meat? Not so much, Buettner says.
Well it is an island and, duh, home of sardines. Still Buettner says fish is not as important as sheep’s cheese and dark red wine. His other “blue zones” are not viticultural hot spots: Okinawan, the Nikoya peninsula of Costa Rica, and the Adventist/vegetarian center of Loma Linda, California.
Me, I suspect hard work and exercise have more to do with it. Yet Canonau, Sardinia and its distinctive cuisine deserve the plug.
Cannonau is the local name for Grenache or Garnacha, a dark-skinned and rustic favorite around the Mediterranean. Too many Americans think Grenache is a wimp grape for jug wines, especially pink. Hardly. Cannonau/grenache/garnacha can make rich stuff in America, Spain, the south of France and especially Sardinia, the big island west of Tuscany and north of Sicily. One of the best is Sella & Mosca’s riserva from 2005. Full of flowers and dark dried fruits, a lot of wine for $12.99. And yes, it’s very dark. Drink to long life.
2005 Sardus Pater Kanai Riserva of Sardinia - $34.99
Another darkling, more sophisticated and possibly more salubrious is the Kanai reserve from Sardus Pater, made from Carignane a compatriot grape of Grenache is the dark skinned Mediterranean gang. This won a three-glass Tre Biccherri salute from Gambero Rosso, even before the diet doctors weighed in. It’s $34.99 at B-21.
As to the healthful red wine, most research points to the dark est but researchers are still deciding which grapes varietals have the most punch. Dark colors, high tannins, high extraction, extra sunlight, high altitude are clues, not guarantees.
Still color is fun and purple black in a glass excites me and starts an old Isley Brothers tune in my head “The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice.”
Besides Cannonau/Grenache , other dark wines are high in the right flavonoids, specificially the tannins and anthocyanins. These are found in the seeds, stems and skins of grapes that give red and blue colors to wine (anthocyanins color flowers too) and rather healthful.
These include Mourvedre/Monastrell, the tannat of Uruguay, and the Malbecs of Argentina and Cahors southeast of Bordeaux.
While we’re at it, the food in Sardinia is unusually fresh and primal. The island has its own pecorino, a couscous called fregola. flaky flat bread as fragile as old sheet music, and wood-fired meats. You can get a great helping of the island’s food and wines (black and otherwise) at Sardinia Ristorante and Enoteca on a quiet corner of Miami’s South Beach.
So drink up and live long. Very long.
- Chris Sherman, The Blogging Nibbler
What were we drinking? Yorkshire ale meets hot, hot, hot.
Beer and curry is a classic pub pairing but this night upped the ante. The food was Thai take-out green papaya salad and a skillet full of jerk pork shoulder. Some menus at my place are like that. In this case the jerk came from Publix, where the meat department was bored with beef and stir-fry veggies and tried out jerked pork and a chicken leg curry. Hat’s off.
Together they packed a vinegar punch, a double shot of peppers and a spice grinder full of fun.
Riggwelter Yorkshire Ale at B-21 for $3.99/btl in-store.
The answer was not an India Pale Ale, but a hefty no-nonsense English strong ale from Yorkshire, the Rigg Welter from Black Sheep Brewery. Whew, Yorkshire ale is from a different planet, one that deserves more attention and savoring: the strength is in massive broad hops as well as big alcohol.
Riggwelter is an exceptional ale from Black Sheep, a young brewery with old traditions. Btw, the name is what old Yorkshire farmers call a sheep that’s fallen and can’t get up (Must have been a wave of sheep-tipping).
This is dark coffee brown with a creamy head with an aroma of fresh roasted coffee that carries through to an earthy flavors of coffee and malt and hops bitter enough to stand up to all the flavors on my plate.
It’s a hop heads delight, one of many on the expanding shelves of craft beers at B-21.
- Chris Sherman, The Blogging Nibbler
Priorat rocks: Geology you can taste
The Rocky Slate Landscape in Priorat
Too much terroir talk is of rainfall, heat-degree days, angles of slope, fogs and breezes. Oughta be more on terra that underlies it all, dirt and rocks. Don’t say soil; unlike most farmers grape growers never brag about fertile ground. They love to pick up big rocks and boast of granite or clay. The harder the vines work, the richer the grape. No grapes work harder than those in Priorat, small rocky terrain between Barcelona and the coast, so dusty and rugged Clint Eastwood could have made Catalan Westerns in the boulders. It’s hard to navigate a car or tractor but rugged grape vines have fought through stacks and stacks of solid slate and schist for centuries to find water. When they do, the Grenache and especially the Carinena (Carignane, but don’t tell the snobs) make rich juice with a distinctly slaty character. Great stuff as B-21 explorers found this February once they got past Rioja and Ribera. Tiny Priorat is the next big thing and already one of the most dear because of the difficult growing and farming and low yields . The texture and taste isn’t quite blackboard, more like the licorice of childhood, black and long lasting, both smooth and chewy. Exhibit No. 1 was the 2006 Mas Doix Doix ($109.99), a grand mountain ram of a wine, bold, elegant and gamy, red and black berries pressed almost to membrillo paste, earthy and candied. Half carinena, it makes Sr. Parker swoon with memory of grand cru Burgundy and a number like… 97. The more affordable Salanques (the 2006 is only $29.99) was more Rhonish and longer on Grenache but you still taste the rocks and the sap of the old vines, lots of berries, full and happy in the mouth with a sleek finish. Priorat’s brimming with small exquisitely rugged vineyards today, and B-21 has two dozen not including the grand Mas Alta range (formerly known as Mas Romani).
2007 Black Slate Priorat - Reg 19.99 (On Sale Now - $17.99) for a limited time!
Yet you can start your climb more easily with the 2007 Black Slate, a new “village Priorat” from Porrera at $17.99. This is still rich drinking, old vines with blue-black berries, dense and almost sweet. At all levels, Priorat is not tinto for tapas; slaughter the fatted calf, bring in the young lamb and the oldest ham. Priorat is also at the heart and start of our trusted European Cellars of Eric Solomon. The ancient rocks and vines there were revitalized by a Gang of Five smart Spanish winemakers 20 years ago. One of them Daphne Glorian, introduced Eric Solomon to Priorat with her Clos Erasmus and eventually married him.
- Chris Sherman, The Blogging Nibbler
Burgunder rising
German wine , it’s not all white. You knew that, you say but you’re still confused?
Once limited local oddities, reds of Germany and Austria, especially pinot noir, have boomed in production and promotion. While pinot has always been something of a cool climate red, warming climates has allowed it to move farther north and ripen better; plus viticulturalists have bred, rescued and purified other grape strain. More than a third of German vineyards now bear red .
Media reception is warmer too judging from Eric Asimov’s report of a wine dinner with 19 Spatburgunders at the Austrian restaurant Seasonal in Manhattan in the NYT.
For those who have learned the infinite parsing of Riesling in Germanic hands, red wines are a different matter. Many areas, old and new ,and a bigger range of grapes. One clue, when seeking g red in German wine terms, think blau (blue or black grapes) and rot (red but a poor word choice).
So here’s a clue to the German names of varietals you’ll find on bottles from Mitteleuropa (and from other chilly climates around the world seeking grapes with flavor and hardiness):
2008 P. J. Valckenberg Dornfelder - 9.99 (8.99 by the case!)
Blauer Portugieser: No one knows if it has roots in Oporto, but it makes good roses and reds from dull to claret. Get a good taste of it from the 2007 Kallstadt ($9.99).
Blaufrankisch, aka Lemberger: Rich, spicy reds grown widely in eastern Europe and occasionally in the U.S. Northwest. From the red hot red wine center of Wurttemberg in the Mosel, B-21 sought out the 2007 Grafen Neipperg which shows how it’s done well ($15.99).
Dornfelder: Verystrong, fruity and good texture and a good grower, but still second to spatburgunder. Look to Rheinhessen producers like Valckenberg’s 2008 ($9.99).
Sankt Laurent: Probably related to pinot noir, good aroma and easier to grow.
Spatburgunder: German for pinot noir and the most heavily planted. B-21 has two from Baden under $15 and a rare treat found by B-21, the rave-winning 2005 Huber Malterninger ($59.99) one of Germany’s best .
Zweigelt: A cross of Blaufrankisch and Sankt Laurent, most popular in Austria and also grown in Canada.
- Chris Sherman, The Blogging Nibbler
2008 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Riesling (Australia)
Jacob's Creek Riesling Reserve ($9.99)
Cool, cool, cool Riesling so bracing you’d think it was from the Mosel not the Barossa. Jacob’s Creek, the giant of Oz, handled these South Australian grapes with great care, night-harvests and cold fermentation so the wine bursts with juice, the tang of a lemon-lime gelato with a sprinkle of almonds. The structure and acidity is as refreshing, like a shower in a mountain waterfall. Critics who overlook mass market wineries couldn’t ignore this limey blast. It’s 73 on the WS Top 100 list, one of the best bargains – and all the harder to find. We’ve got plenty for every pad Thai, oyster fry and shrimp salad you can eat this year. Get a case for the boat or beach – and set a bottle aside one for 3-4 years to watch it mellow and sweeten up.
91 Points, Chris Sherman
Staff Selection, March 2010
Oz
Australians value wine prizes and awards very seriously. So when Gourmet Traveller WINE, the country’s grand wine glossy named its 2009 Winemaker of the Year, I had to cheer.
This time it went to Andrew Wigan, a key player for 30 years at Peter Lehmann in the Barossa. Wigan knows prizes from both sides. He’s one of the most respected wine judges (yes, Aussies respect wine judges), and he’s also brought home the Jimmy Watson Trophy, the highest honor on occasion.
2007 Lehmann Shiraz Barossa - $14.99
Best news: his fine work in the vineyard and the cellar is affordable. The 2006 Lehmann Shiraz is only $14.99 but was 54 on Spectator’s Top 100 for 2009: “Ripe and round, this is generous with its smoky cherry and black currant flavors, persisting against mildly grippy tannins to create a long, layered finish. Best from 2010 through 2016. ” 91 points
Wigan follows in impressive footsteps. Last year’s winner was Louisa Rosa of yummy Yalumba, a treasury of Australia’s best traditions and innovations.
Btw, if you care about Australian wine (and food) or wine period, check out Gourmet Traveller WINE. While it gives Australia and New Zealand the handsome coverage it deserves, it covers the world with true Australian character, adventurous, sophisticated and fresh enough to declare great wines ”ripper reds.” Not shabby on the awards front either. It won the golden ladle for World’s Best Drinks Magazine in the World Food Media Awards.
- Chris Sherman
2006 Kaesler Stonehorse GSM (Barossa, Australia)
“The label’s new to some U.S. drinkers, but Kaesler is old Barossa, old barrels, fairly old vines and an old Rhone blend. Not another Shiraz blend, but an elegant package, a lovely to drink early on. Grenache leads the flavor, with lots of flowers and jammy plums, while the Shiraz and Mourvedre provide structure, body and polish. It’s broad, sturdy but soft and thick. Don’t expect the pepper and spice of simple Rhones; you’ll get more licorice, coffee and chocolate. Not a wine for rustic lamb and game, this Stonehorse rides with good beef where Pomerol might go.”
2006 Kaesler Stonehorse GSM (Barossa, Australia) – 14.99
92 Points, Chris Sherman
Ferbuary 2010
Brrrrrrrrr…
Baby, it is cold outside but wine lovers in Florida see the bright side: Perfect weather for stews, barbecue, chili, leg of lamb… and big reds. At last!
Some folks bring out the amarones, the big mountain cabs or the ports. Me, I call the chill wind “petite sirah.”
2006 Girard Petite Sirah Napa - 24.99 (22.49 by the case!)
Despite the name, petite’s very big, the John Wayne of wines. It’s an unsophisticated fieldhand working with zinfandel in old California field blends. Big in alcohol, a truckload of flavors, black berries, blueberries, raspberries, pepper and spice, chocolate and licorice, and yet its texture is lush and supple thanks to palate-friendly tannins.
While petite is a secret weapon in many great zins and newfangled table reds, it’s rich on its own. In the value cellar, petite’s my fave on the flavor-per-dollar scale. Bogle and McManis (9.99) and Ravenswood ($6.99) are consistent winners. At those prices and this weather, better lay in a case before snow blocks the passes.
Petite is not just a cousin from no-name corners of the Central Valley; Petite still grows in NapaValley and comes out elegantly in 2004 Delectus ($43.99) and Girard’s 2006 ($24.99). Up in Alexander Valley where the Seghesios show great respect to their pioneer elders, they expanded and replanted the 1895 clones to make an historic and heroic Home Ranch Petite Sirah in2005 ($31.99).
New Arrival from Wolf Blass is a steal at a $13.99
2006 Wolf Blass Gold Shiraz - On sale for $14.99 at B-21 (for a limited time)
We hear “Beringer Blass” so much now we forget the first name of the modern Australian genius is Wolf, as inWolfgang. He landed Down Under more than 50 years ago, an East German sparkling winemaker who dreamed of making great reds. He blazed trails across Barossa in a green VW beetle consulting and preaching the new style of Australian wine we’ve come to love. He bought his own vineyards in 1969 and when the first wave of Australians hit the US in the ‘80s, one of the best was eagle-crested Wolf Blass. Oz shipments grew and grew; Wolf’s own label got bigger, too to join Mildarra, Beringer Wine Estates and ultimately oilcan Fosters.
As you can taste in the 2006 Gold Label Barossa Shiraz, Wolf Blass’s own brand just got better, big bold and smooth as back in the day. This is classic Shiraz, big and broad, full of berries and plums spiced with smoke, licorice, pepper and a touch of cocoa. It’s a hefty 15.5% ABV yet you won’t taste the alcohol. Tannins are invitingly soft. Put the lamb shanks on now.
The 2006 ’s also deserves the ultimate Aussie compliment “It’s good value.” An understatement worthy of Croc Dundee himself. Nowhere on the street or the internet is it a better deal than at B-21 if you can find this vintage at all. At $13.99 a bottle this is a Shiraz that ought to fill several rows of your cellar.
“This exhibits generous blackberry and raspberry fruit at the core, shading the edges with pretty white pepper, cream and floral overtones that insinuate themselves beautifully as the finish goes on and on. Drink now through 2016.” 91 Points, Wine Spectator
Mountain high, prices low on great California rarities
Napa Valley, Anderson Valley, the Rhone, the Rhine, all those rivers, creeks and valleys would make you think wine grows only in the broad flood plain.
Au contraire. Many winemakers eschew good valley soil and prefer mountains and hills which are the flip side of valleys (you can‘t have one without the other). Thank goodness that rivers and seismic elves made so many in California.
I mention this because when B-21 dug out jewels for the current California sale, the best deals to me were from up in the hills, many of them home to very high priests and their cults (the kind that have waiting lists on the web).
Why are they up there? Mountaineers see many advantages: fog burns off early, rocky soil demands deeper roots, steep vineyards open canopy to more breeze and sun; the wines could be rough and tumble or brawny heroes. Maybe the remote site and 45-degree harvests made the land the last and cheapest sites? Or maybe it just appealed to the brilliant and plain ornery, from David Bruce and Martin Ray to the pioneers on Mayacamas and Al Brounstein on Diamond. They’ve appealed for more than 100 years.
No offense to the fine Rutherford dust on Napa’s valley floor, but I always look up. There would be no valley without Mayacamas on one side (Mt. Veeder, Spring, Diamond) and the Vaca range on the other (Atlas Peak, Chiles Valley and Howell Mountain). Harder to get to, but worth it for the wine and the view.
In the 25 percent sale, the climbing is easy – and sometimes $30 to $40 off.
2005 Carol Shelton Rocky Reserve Zin (On Sale - $22.49) for a limited time!
2000 Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow Cabernet Sauvignon marked down to $134.99
2000 Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill Cabernet also $134.99
2005 Linne Colodo Slacker Syrah blend in the rumpled hills west of 101 in Paso Robles $33.74
2005 Carol Shelton Rocky Reserve Zin from the Rockpile Road stretch high above Dry Creek $22.49
1998 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain $97.49
1991 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (largely Howell Mountain) $134.99
2003 Delectus Cabernet Sauvignon Sacrasche Vineyard above Auberge du Soleil $82.49
2004 Barnett Cabernet from Rattlesnake Vineyard on Spring Mountain $82.29
2005 Ridge York Creek Zinfandel $20.99
- Chris Sherman