France is the dominant theme this month with four out of five of Vintage manager Wadih Riachi’s selections coming from the world’s most famous and prolific wine producer. Our first stop is Burgundy. Last month, I reviewed a Joseph Drouhin Macon-Villages, a pert Chardonnay. This month, the eminent Beaune négociant entertains us with a Brouilly 2002, made from 100% Gamay, the grape used with great success in AC Beaujolais, where its versatility has seen it used in both nouveau and higher quality wines. Brouilly (Mont Brouilly in this case) is one of the better Beaujolais areas and the wine – I must concur with Wadih here – is an explosion of fruity aromas and licorice, one that should be drunk the moment you get home.
The Loire Valley produces arguably the greatest variety of wines – still, sparkling, dry sweet – in part due to its equally variable climate. Pascal Jolivet’s, Attitude 2003 is a Vin de Pays (a French wine system guaranteeing origin from a specific area, Vin de Pays du Jardin in the case of the Loire). That said, I was still not quite sure what to make of the packaging. The name and the label seemed a bit too cool – a case of style over substance if you will – to suggest decent wine. Did it have attitude? It surely did, producing exhilaratingly aromatic notes of citrus and peach without a hint of the flabbiness one gets with similar wines.
I discovered Château des Carmes Cantillac from Entre Deux Mers in Bordeaux about a year ago and was immediately seduced by its warm fruity nose and velvety structure. That was the 2001. The 2002 did not disappoint. A blend of roughly 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, a thick, earthy layer of rugged strawberries and other berries dominate this excellent value red from a 10 hectare vineyard in Pompignac that produces a mere 6,000 cases annually. Some might find it a bit austere for their tastes but I love it. Try it, and at this price, I bet many of you will be won over.
Moving into the Southern Rhône Valley, Wadih sent me a Parallèle 45 2001 made by Paul Jaboulet Ainé, one of the region’s oldest producers. Those curious about the name will no doubt be thrilled to learn that it refers to the 45th parallel that passes through Pont de l’Isère, 2 km south of the winery. The wine itself has been going since 1958 and the 2001 is an engaging ménage-a-trois of Roussanne and its local bedfellows, Marsanne and Grenache Blanc, conspiring to produce notes of flowers and spices. My wife and I drank it with grilled chicken with tomatoes and garlic. You should too.
Finally, we fall off the map and land down under in OZ, from where we are introduced to a Penfolds Rawson Retreat, Cabernet Sauvignon 2002. This might be a tricky proposition for those Lebanese wine snobs, whose resilience will be tested by the presence of … yes … a screw cap. But do not be put off. The Australians know what they are doing and Penfolds in particular, has been in the game for over 100 years and is responsible for the Penfolds Grange, arguably Australia’s greatest wine. This is a well-structured and honest Cabernet Sauvignon ready for immediate drinking. The simple fact of the matter is that for wines that do not need cellaring, a cork is not necessary. Plus, the screw cap has the added bonus of being able to be screwed tightly back again if, for some bizarre reason, you belong to that odd group of people who never finish a bottle!
