A Wine Tale of Two Communes

This is a story about how two communes in Bordeaux emerged from relative anonymity to become the celebrated sites of world famous wines.

Prior to 1987, the communes of Pessac and Léognan were simply parts of the notable Graves district, south of the city of Bordeaux.  Pessac and Léognan  are place names that follow the name of a well known chateaux, and rarely stand on their own.

The celebrated Graves chateaux Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion are in Pessac. There are 10 cru classé wines in Léognan, including such celebrated properties as Ch. Domaine de Chevalier and Ch. de Fieuzal. 

What prompted the name change was a claim that one wine was better than another one.  In 1984, a sizeable group of growers and vintners in the northern Graves claimed that their wines were better than those in the south.  Pessac is in the northern Graves and Léognan is near the southern edge of the Graves district. 

To settle the disagreement, the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO) decreed that the Graves district would henceforth be divided into two districts.  In total, there are 23 wines from 16 chateaux. 

Unfortunately, while the decree raised the recognition of Pessac and Léognan, it lowered the status of the historic name of Graves.  Perhaps the Graves' greatest moment was when the framers of the 1855 Classification of the Médoc included  Chateau Haut-Brion Pessac as the only property in the Graves to be included with four Médoc chateaux as a Premier Cru or First Growth. 

In 1973, the classification was reclassified, elevating Ch. Mouton-Rothschild to  Premier Growth, to date, the only property to ever move up.  Ch. Haut-Brion is the only Graves property listed in the 1855 Classification. 

There is an argument to be made that other Graves properties should have been included in the 1855 Classification, but in 1953 the INAO formulated an official Graves classification, including white wines, that was revised in 1959.  

The 1959 classification lists 23 chateaux, six of which are from Léognan and two from Pessac.  And since the Graves is known for white wines as well as red, there are nine cru classes for white wines from noted properties such as Ch. Bouscaut, Ch. Carbonnieux and Ch. Olivier.

Most Pessac-Léognan chateaux that make a white wine, use mainly Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grapes, while some chateaux also blend in small percentages of Sauvignon Gris and/or Muscadelle.  This Bordeaux style of sauvignon is drier and more mineral than the tropical fruit styles from California and New Zealand.

Pessac-Léognan red wines follow the standard recipe of five varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot.  Over the years, the fashion has been to use only the first three varieties, with a percentage or two of Petit Verdot and Malbec, if added at all. 

These red wines are seamless, with no single variety dominating the blend.  In fact, it's a tribute to the art of blending that five individual wines form one unified wine with a signature note of dark cherry, subtle herbs and aromatic spices.

The cost of a Pessac-Léognan wine, red or white, averages $150, although the more valued chateaux are considerably higher: Ch. Haut-Brion, $650; Ch. La Mission Haut-Brion, $400. Domaine de Chevalier is a relative bargain at $90.

French laws relating to wine production and labeling are strict and resistant to change.  More is the reason then that the collaboration between the INAO and the French government to classify the wines of Pessac and Léognan is important. 

Next post: AI and the Future of Wine Writing

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Campania

Mount Vesuvius looming over Naples Bay

Mount Vesuvius, the sleeping giant volcano, looming over the Bay of Naples, erupted in 79 AD, covering the Roman city of Pompeii with clouds of deadly ash.  

Over the millennia, compacted layers of ash formed the main component of the distinctive vineyard soils of Campania.  Falernian, the classic wine enjoyed by the Romans, drew its character from the fertile Campanian soil.

In the modern era, the term "wines of antiquity" usually refers to such wines as  Taurasi, Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo and Falanghina.  All of these white wines are made from modern plantings of grapes held over from ancient times, many of which arrived in southern Italy from Greece. 

An aside.  During a trip to southern Italy, I had the pleasure of meeting Antonio Mastroberardino, a quiet studious man who impressed me as being more interested in the ancient history of the grapes of antiquity than the modern wines made from them. 

Perhaps sensing my interest in learning more about the grape and wine history of Campania than seeing another bottling line, Antonio showed me into his spacious office and study.  

Looking more like a library than a winery office, there were scores of books, some describing the evolution of grape varieties, maps of the region, historical maps and charts and photos of the damage to the winery, caused by past earthquakes that had shocked the region.   

As I listened, impressed by this gentle man's knowledge and devotion to a part of wine history I knew little about, Antonio Mastroberardino helped me to appreciate the essence of Campania wine, from grape to glass.

Here are brief sketches of major Campanian grapes and their wines. Except for Taurasi, most of the wines cost under $25. 

Greco di Tufo, the grape name, comes from the village where the grape is planted and the volcanic rock in the vineyards.  Wines must contain a minimum of 85% Greco di Tufo, with up to 15% Coda di Volpa.  Representative Greco di Tufo include Mastroberardino, Feudi San Gregorio, Quintodecimo.

Coda di Volpa means "tail of the fox," the shape of the grape clusters.  DOC Coda di Volpa: 85% Coda di Volpa.  Representative Coda di Volpa: Fattoria La Rivolta, Vadiaperti, Mastroberardino Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Bianco. 

Fiano di Avellino is a highly valued Campanian grape for sweet wines.  The sweet honied smell of the Fiano grape attracts bees, thus the name Fiano.  Avellino is the Campanian town with nearby Fiano vineyards.  Fianos: Guido Marsella, Quintodecimo, Mastroberardino Radici.

Falanghina is thought to be the grape of the noted Roman wine Falernian. It is scented like orange blossoms, pine and apple.  Representative Campanian Falanghina include La Guardiense Janare, Mastroberardino, Feudi di San Gregorio.  Prices run $20 and under.

Campanian red grapes, Piedirosso and Aglianico, were once thought to have Greek heritage, but DNA has shown both grapes to be natives of southern Italy.

Piedirosso means "red feet" in Italian, a fanciful comparison of a vine stem's color to the color of a dove's foot. More popular in blends, such as 50% of Lacryma Christi, than as a varietal, Piedirosso's flavors are plum, cherry, wild berry and a hint of salty mineral.  Good examples are Mastroberardino Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio, Mustilli Piedirosso Sannio, I Pentri Kerres Piedirosso.

Aglianico is the primary grape of Taurasi, arguably the best known wine of Campania and one of Italy's most revered red wines.  Grown in the volcanic soils of the Apennine foothills, Aglianico is smoky, with black cherry, coffee and mineral, and firm tannins.  Aglianico must contribute at least 85% to the blend, with Piedirosso making up the remaining 15 percent.   

Wines made from international varieties, like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, are everywhere in the wine market.  And while wineries in many parts of Italy work with these wines, Campania wineries offer the unique wines of antiquity. 

Pexels Photo 

Next post: A Wine Tale of Two Communes

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Loire Valley

Recently, I was browsing through some wine articles and noticed that a Master Sommelier, said that Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are over rated. 

That's one person's opinion, and here's another: making such a sweeping statement is not only ridiculous, but it trashes one of the world's best expressions of Sauvignon Blanc, as well as every producer of the popular variety in the eastern Loire Valley.

Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are Loire icons as well as benchmarks for a style of Sauvignon Blanc emulated throughout the world.

The  Loire Valley is one of the most varied wine regions in France. The name Loire is associated with an historic French valley, but at 600 miles, the Loire is the country's longest river, from Muscadet in the Loire-Atlantique, to Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé at the river's eastern origin.  

Climatically, the valley changes from cool marine to warn inland, with gradations along the way influenced by the Loire River. These variations are subtle, but over time, evidence of changes in the environment showed an ideal  match of grape variety and terroir.

The changes happened slowly over the millennia, but by the early 20th century, grape and terroir had long been in place.

Prior to World War II, Loire wines were mostly not known in the United States.  American G-Is, stationed along the Loire Valley, had developed a taste for the Loire wines.  After the war, they asked for Loire wines when they returned home. 

In their off-duty time, the Americans roamed up and down the Loire, enjoying the valley's patchwork of green vineyards, moated castles, geometric gardens,  and fertile fields of grain.

The variety of Loire wines that attracted the Americans is extensive. Take your pick of sparkling Crément de Loire, long-lived Chenin Blancs of Savenniéres, pale pink Rosé d'Anjou, richly textured, full fruit Cabernet Franc of Chinon, crisp mineral laced Sauvignon Blanc, or sweet moelleux Vouvray Chenins. 

Production of many of the Loire wines is small and they mostly are not seen in the U.S. market.  These seven wines, though, are generally available: 

Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, on opposite sides of the upper Loire River, have Sauvignon Blanc in common, but they are different wines.  Sancerre is racy with a mineral undertone.  Pouilly-Fumé is famously for flinty soil and a "smoky," supposedly from the morning mist hanging over the vineyards. Both Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are made in a pure varietal style and an oaked version.  Sancerre is the best known in the United States, although both wines have their champions.  

Chenin Blanc

Vouvray, the noteworthy white wine from the Touraine district, is for Chenin Blanc lovers. Sometimes called Pineau de la Loire, the Chenin Blanc of Vouvray is golden and aromatic, supported by brisk acidity.  Vouvray is versatile, made in dry and medium-dry styles, plus sparkling and sweet versions.

Chinon and Bourgueil are the Loire's two major red wine appellations, in the Touraine district.  The main grape in both wines is Cabernet Franc, although Cabernet Sauvignon is allowed.  Both areas make small amounts of rosé, and Chinon has a little dry Chenin Blanc, while Bourgueil is noted for its long-lived reds. 

Saumur, between Touraine and Anjou, started out as a sweet wine district, then near the end of the 19th century, converted to sparkling and dry red wines made from Cabernet Franc.  A small amount of sweet Chenin Blanc is made in the Coteaux de Saumur appellation.

Muscadet is a dry white wine that, while having seen better days, is still vital.  Made near the mouth of the Loire river from the Melon de Bourgogne grape, most of the wine carries the Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine appellation.  And, there are three others, including the basic Muscat appellation, that can include 10% Chardonnay.  Since the 1980s, Muscadet winemakers have dabbled in lees contact and barrel fermentation.

Today, most of the attention directed at French wine usually settles on Bordeaux and Burgundy.  Fortunately, writers and marketers are looking closely at  alternative wines, including those from the Loire Valley. 

Next post:  Historic Wines of Campania

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Marvelous Mendocino

John Parducci

In the early days of my eager exploration of different wines and wine regions, I thought of Mendocino as an afterthought, a not-too-serious place for wine on the western side of the northern California foothills. 

Then, I met John Parduccci, one of the last of the winemaking farmers, from Mendocino County, who told me about the value and soul of wine long before it became fashionable in the early 1970s. 

Parducci didn't suffer fools gladly.  He was gruff and impatient with pretenders, especially  those who loudly claimed that Mendocino wine was somehow inferior to the wine of Napa Valley.  

In those days, Anderson Valley, a wine mecca on the west edge of Mendocino County, was not as well known as Ukiah, the location of Parducci Wine Cellars.  But I was curious about Anderson Valley wine, so while Parducci poured me one of his latest releases, at the rustic tasting bar in Parducci Cellar's first public tasting room, I asked him about Anderson Valley. 

He deflected my question, steering the conversation back to Ukiah and the vineyards Parducci farmed in that part of the county.  As an early teenager, Parducci worked the family vineyards on an old tractor, causing stress to his back, that showed up later in life.

John Parducci was a proud defender of Mendocino wine and he wanted America's wine drinkers to know about the wines.  

Parducci passed away in 2014, but he would have been happy to know that today Mendocino has a dozen AVAs and produces a range of wines, from Cabernet Sauvignon to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to Gewurztraminer. 

Anderson Valley is arguably Mendocino's marquee wine region. The western end of the valley opens to the Pacific Ocean, allowing cool breezes to moderate the ripening of richly textured Pinot Noir and crisp flavor-packed white wines like Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Chardonnay. 

Anderson Valley wineries of note include Greenwood Ridge Vineyards, Navarro Vineyard, Goldeneye, Handley Cellars and Husch Vineyard. In 1982, Anderson Valley got a significant boost with the introduction of Roederer Estate sparkling wines,   owned by Roederer Champagne.

East of Anderson Valley, the growing climate is better suited to Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  The Highway 101 corridor between Hopland and Ukiah is home to Fetzer Bonterra, Brutocao Cellars, Graziano Family and Milano Hopland.  

Paul Dolan, former Fetzer winemaker, promoted sustainable winemaking.  He helped  convert the Fetzer operation to organic and then biodynamic grape growing. Later, he  revamped the Parducci brand to green grape growing and winemaking, at the Mendocino Wine Company location north of Ukiah. 

At the northern end of Mendocino is Redwood Valley,  where the Fetzer family settled before branching out around Mendocino and nearby Lake counties.  Barney Fetzer led his large family in establishing the area for award winning  Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. 

Yorkville Highlands is on the twisting county road out of Cloverdale heading to the ocean, with Yorkville Cellars and Wattlecreek Vineyard, among the highland's few wineries. 

Further west is Mendocino Ridge with its high altitude vineyards in the Coast Range. Once a part of Anderson Valley, the  Mendo Ridge Riesling and Gewurztraminer show the same intense varietal character.

In a word, Mendocino is "marvelous" for the variety of wines it offers the wine consumer: cool climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Anderson Valley to Cabernet Sauvignon from the warmer interior Ukiah and Redwood Valley. 

 

Next post: Loire Valley

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Wines of the Andes

Andes backdrop for Mendoza vineyards

While browsing in your favorite wine shop for South American wines, the ones you're most likely to find are from Argentina and Chile. You might spot the odd wine from Uruguay or Brazil, but the best selections you're likely to see are from South America's two main producers. 

History is uncertain concerning the introduction of European varieties into South America. One theory says that Spanish explorers brought vines into Peru.  Another version maintains that European settlers carried dried grape seeds with them, while another account has missionary monks bringing vines from Europe, for the Eucharist.

However they got there, vinifera vines were introduced in Argentina and Chile sometime after the beginning of the 16th century.  Coming forward a few hundred years opens a current window on South America's major wine regions.

Argentina

A brief glance can help to understand how Argentina is unique  among South American  wine regions. Uruguay and Brazil's Do Sul state share an eastern border, with Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru along the northern part of Argentina. 

South America's massive Andes mountains forms the natural north-south border separating the two countries.  Argentina, the continent's leading wine producer, forms most of the eastern flank of the snow-capped Andes. 

Argentina's wine history is rich and varied, and like other world wine regions, it  was developed and expanded by Catholic missionaries that spread the gospel by supplying wine for the spirit and the stomach.

Mendoza Valley, Argentina's prime wine region, lies at the eastern foot of the Andes, hundreds of miles from the Atlantic Ocean.  Although the majority of the vineyards in the Mendoza are on the relatively flat valley floor, cooler growing conditions are achieved at higher altitudes. In the northern districts of Jujoy and Salta, full-bodied Bordeaux and Rhone varieties are planted between 5,000 and 10,000 feet. 

Malbec was introduced by the mid-19th century, along with other French varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Charbono, known as Bonarda in Argentina.  Although Malbec has lost interest in Bordeaux, the red grape  has become an all-star variety in Argentina.  

The center of production for Malbec in Mendoza, is Lujan de Cuyo.  East of Lujan, the district of Maipu is known for rich, concentrated red wines. Other districts are Uco Valley and southernmost San Rafael, with its reputation for concentrated red varietals.

A selection of white grapes is more limited in Mendoza. Chardonnay is widely planted, especially in the Calchaqui Valley.  But Argentina's signature white wine is Torrontes, with its attractive aromatic, floral character.  

North of Mendoza, the province of San Juan is Argentina's second biggest wine producing region. Warmer than Mendoza, San Juan is known for Malbec, Syrah and Torrontes. 

Further north, the adjoining regions of Salta, Jujoy, Tucuman and Catamarca are known for high altitude vineyards.  The benefit of going higher is more than 300 sun days a year, but the downside is lower yields.  A variety of grapes is planted in the four regions, including Tannat, the red variety that has done well in neighboring Uruguay.

                          

Chile

Whether by intention or chance occurrence, the focus on wine is different for Chile and Argentina.  Chile's numerous wine regions are protected from continental heat by the Andes mountains and by the cold Pacific Ocean, along the coast of Peru in the north, to Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tip of South America.  

No country in the world is as restricted as Chile about where vineyards can be planted. Although Chile is nearly 3,000 miles long, the main area of wine production is concentrated in an area, 60 miles at the widest point, so the vineyard sites are squeezed between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean.   

A counterpart in the Northern Hemisphere would be southern Spain to North Africa. In Chile, though, the heat at these latitudes is mitigated by the cold Humboldt current, running the 3,000 mile length of Chile's coastline. 

Chile has no fewer than 17 wine regions, from Maipo, the largest and most celebrated for Cabernet Sauvignon, to Casablanca, the smallest, with a reputation for Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

North of the capital city of Santiago is Aconcagua, an east-west region, known for classic Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, principally from Viña Errazuriz. 

Cool climate whites, notably Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay are the key wines of  Casablanca, a small region situated close to the cooling Pacific Ocean.  The icy Humboldt current provides the cooling and morning fog.  Although white wines built the region's international reputation, Casablanca is also home to Chile's best Pinot Noir.

Maipo, Curico and Maule are the leading producers in Chile's Central Valley.  Maipo is the most famous, especially for Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, but also Merlot and Carmenere.  With more than 84,000 acres under vines, Maule is Chile's largest wine region, mainly for Chardonnay and Semillon. 

There are hundreds of wines, from as many wine areas, to chose from, but the dynamic wineries in Argentina and Chile, offer variety and good value. 

 

Next post: Marvelous Mendocino

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