Chateau de Mayragues
Brut de Mayragues
12% alc.
Gaillac, France
“Sometimes a proper bubble can make even the air sparkle.” I forget who said that about sparkling wines—perhaps no one. But isn’t it true? And when there are many bubbles, and these bubbles are light on both the palate and the wallet, happiness abounds. Chateau de Mayragues, an estate whose wine tradition is as historic as the fortification for which the chateau is named, sits on a picturesque slope on the right bank of the Tarn river in Gaillac in South West France. The estate produces a delightful full-bodied sparkling wine made from the Mauzac grape, grown principally and traditionally in Gaillac and Limoux. Mauzac is aromatic and naturally high in acidity, with a flavor reminiscent of pear and dried apple skins. The vines from this estate are grown biodynamically on soil rich in chalk and lime. Also traditional is the way in which the sparkling wine is developed, known as Methode Gaillacoise: Here the young wine is bottled before all the residual sugar has been fermented to alcohol, thus permitting fermentation to continue in the bottle, but without dosage (topping with an addition of a bit of syrupy wine for a second fermentation). This leads to a slightly sweeter wine with less mousse, but leaving some sediment in the bottle. My taste of this sparkler discovered a refreshingly crisp wine, still quite dry, pale gold and balanced with pinpoint bubbles, medium alcohol and concentrated flavors of ginger, pear and apple. Delicious, and well worth the very reasonable price. Importer: Fruit of the Vines. $15.00. 6/5/09
Dom. de Baumard
Clos du Papillon
2001
13% alc.
Savennières, Fr.
The chenin blancs of Savennières are popular wines . . . in northern France. Not so much the U.S. But Savennières doesn’t seek to be loved. It demands to be considered. Perhaps it’s too French for America. Like Jerry Lewis. The vines do not throw themselves out indiscriminately. The yields are extremely low, thus production is small. While the wines can be attractive and accessible when young, their nervosité and concentration make their maturity all the more interesting and challenging. In good vintages, Savennières can develop for at least two decades. It is a small appellation, located south of Angers, just north of the Loire River. The soil is composed of mostly slate and sandstone, with a lot of quartz. In the past, the AC produced mostly sweet wines, the style most associated with and prized by the best of Loire Valley chenin blancs. Today, Savennières is almost totally dry chenin blanc. The Clos du Papillon is a lieu-dit shared by the Baumards. The Baumards produce a range of styles typical of the Anjou region in which Savennieres lay. And they are good. Better yet, they are afffordable. The 2001 Clos du Papillon comes with a pale gold core with a medium intense aroma—a rather unusual one—of wet wool, grass, perfume, hay, lilac and tropical fruit. This full-bodied wine’s palate is dry with pronounced, layered and concentrated flavors of lychee, peach, citrus, grass and vanilla, long length and pineapple on the finish. The mouthfeel is satiny rich. The high acidity will allow the wine to develop for a few more years. This is a $20.00 wine that tastes twice its price. So for those who like to keep their wines, this is a good value addition to the cellar. Importer: Ex Cellar Wine Agencies. $21.99. 5/24/09.
Caves Cooperatives de Donnas
2005
13% alc.
2005
Vallée d’Aoste, Italy
The Vallée d’Aoste on the northern Alpine edge of Italy is a delicious mess of Italian, French and Swiss grapes. Ninety percent of the zone’s output is red wine. For Nebbiolistas — that is to say, the committed nebbiolo drinker — the zone offers this specimen worth considering. Donnas is a subzone of the Vallée d’Aoste, lying close to Carema on the border of Piedmont. The vines in Donnas grow on steep terraced slopes, almost 300 meters high. The locals do not call the grape nebbiolo, preferring instead the local nomenclature “picotendro.” The wine has a vague resemblance to Barolo, though lighter and leaner. The Caves Cooperatives de Donnas is the principal producer of the wine that’s exported to the United States. The coop adds 15% Friesa, enhancing the wine’s acidity and tannins and adding a slight but notable raspberry flavor. It’s aged two years in large oak barrels before its release. The 2005 vintage is pale garnet with light aromas of tea, rose petals and a touch of leather. On the palate, high acidity matches with high, firm tannins, leaving flavors of tea, orange, pepper, nutmeg and berry at midpalate. This is not a full-bodied wine: it’s leaner, lighter, easily drinkable. The length is long and satisfying. Matches well with game and cheeses. Importer: Polaner Selections. $26.00. 5/4/09.
Bermejos
Malvasía Seco
2007
13.5% alc.
Lanzarote, Spain
If you want a memorable prose description of the ashy volcanic soils of Lanzarote, read Michel Houellebecq’s bleakly perverse 2003 novella of that name. Or just open a bottle of Bodega Los Bermejos 2007 Malvasía Seco from Lanzarote, Spain. This dry, full-bodied wine has a pale gold color with hints of green and pronounced aromas of vanilla, hay and pear. On the palate, you’ll encounter immediately high viscosity giving way to a a broad, plump burst of lemon custard and citrus flavors with a strong hint of brininess, then a tropical finish that is long and sustained. The palate is well-balanced and the flavors unfold in a neat, direct fashion. Lanzarote is the most easterly of the Canary Islands. A volcanic eruption occurred in the 1730s that lasted about six years: the grounds of Timanfaya National Park are nothing but solidified lava with unusual rock formations. Vines won’t grow on the volcanic ash, but are planted in the soil on steep mountain slopes beneath it—a very unusual type of planting, found in similar style in Colares, Portugal. The wine produced in Lanzarote is mostly white. The principal grape is malvasía. Dry malvasía from Lanzarote is typically fragrant and viscous, and good examples are pleasing to drink. Note: The bottle from this producer is unusual as well. It’s shaped something like a bowling pin, with the label up around its neck—like a small collar—and an indented lip for pouring. Vinos and Gourmet Inc. (José Pastor Selection.) $23.00. 4/13/09.
C. & D. Derain
“Allez Goutons”
Aligote
10.7% alc.
Vin de Table Francais
There are wines for spring, and “Allez Goutons” is one of them. Allez Goutons, meaning roughly “Let’s Taste It,” with its jazzy, green, Art Deco typeface, is also a play on the wine’s grape, aligote. Like Silvaner in Germany, this is a grape that doesn’t get enough respect in the world; in the case of France, the Chardonnay World. Aligote is the second white grape of Burgundy, after chardonnay, with two-thirds of French aligote coming from the Cote d’Or. It has greater acidity than chardonnay but without its high quality or versatility. For lovers of Burgundy wine, it lacks street cred. Thus, it tends to be planted in Burgundy’s less favored slopes. But that’s not to say aligote lacks appeal. In Allez Goutons, Catherine and Dominique Derain have produced a natural, biodynamically grown, table wine that is just that. The wine’s acidity has a nervoisite that is as crisp as a match stick snapping in two. This acidity and accompanying minerality make the wine a tonic with predominantly lemony citrus and mint flavors. The barrel-fermentation, lack of sulphur and filtration only enhance these qualities. But this light wine is not one for the ages: it is for the now. Have it alone. Have it with a pan-fried trout sandwich. Or sautéed squid with a dandelion salad. World Wide Wine, Ltd. (Jenny & Francois
Selections). $22.00. 4/6/09.
