From the Archives: Big Reds, Perrier-Jouet, and a Chardonnay

Probably one of the more extravagant pours for a retail tasting, but certainly worth the crowd. This tasting at the Spirited Gourmet featured Perrier-Jouet's 1999 Fleur de Champagne and also their 2002 Rosé, followed by 2005 Patz & Hall Durell Vineyard Chardonnay from Sonoma.

1999 Perrier-Jouët Fleur de Champagne, Epernay
Founded in 1811 by Nicolas-Marie Perrier and his wife Adele Jouët, this was beloved by English royalty.  50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, 5% Pinot Meunier sourced from grand cru vineyards in the Cote de Blancs and the Montagne de Reims.

2002 Perrier-Jouët Fleur de Champagne Rosé
55% Pinot Noir, 45% Chardonnay from grand cru vineyards make this dazzling salmon-pink sparkler that calls for a celebration.  First released in the U.S. in 1976.


2005 Patz & Hall Durell Vineyard Chardonnay
Two friends, one a winemaker formed Patz & Hall in Sonoma. Two clones here--Dijon (aromatics) and Wente (weight)--yield a ripe, opulent wine with a nice touch of acidity.

2005 Gaja Sito Moresco (Langhe)
Gaja was first to implement the use of varietals other than nebbiolo in single vineyard bottlings around Barbaresco. Estate grown vineyards, equal parts Nebbiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Super silky and glistening with plummy and black cherry fruit and only touches of oak. Gains momentum and building on the palate, it literally explodes with red berry fruit on the finish.

2004 Terlato Episode Red (Rutherford)
CA Bordeaux blends are "plumper and showcasing different flavors and textures due to terroirs of the regions". Rutherford is very unique and known for "Rutherford Dust" and it's cocoa-like flavor and texture.

2003 Rubicon Estate Cask Cabernet Sauvignon
Organically-certified vineyards adjacent to vines that produce Rubicon, which is built for the long-haul, offering gobs of dark fruit, Cask is more approachable in the near term and showcases red fruits. Ripe plum, bing cherry, dark chocolate coate the palate along with a touch of neutral oak providing a nice framework.

2004 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges de Latour Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley icon. Georges de Latour founded the winery over 100 years ago. Flagship wine, estate grown. Inky purple, inviting nose of toasty oak and super-ripe red and black fruits. Rich, intense, and textured mouth feel.

2005 Franciscan Stylus Red (Napa Valley)
Franciscan also makes Magnificant, a juicy Bordeaux blend from Oakville and Cuvee Sauvage, a Chardonnay made with wild, uncultured yeasts.  This is the first vintage of Stylus.  Full-bodied, ripe and generous, displaying great dark cherry, tobacco, and cocoa notes.

2006 Gaja Sito Moresco & Ca'Marcanda Blanc?

Garnet red with shades of light pink at its furthest edge. Wonderful aromas of black and red fruits, roses, subtle spiciness, leather, and dark chocolate; a very aromatic, well balanced wine with fine, integrated tannins with just a touch of acidity and a long finish.

This wine is being enjoyed alongside Chinese watercress sauteed with garlic and a pork stir fry with mushrooms and peppers heaped atop a mound of white rice. I'd also pair this wine with hearty fare: steak, duck, pork, short ribs, pizza with mozzarella and basil, and most anything with white or black truffles. As for cheese, Perla Gresia, Cacio di Bosco (sheep), robiola, La Tur, Tallegio, Piave Vecchio.

My review of the 2005 Sito Moresco is here. Two bottles left of the 2006, to be drank sooner than later, probably over the next year.

Side note: Gaia Gaja writes about Ca'Marcanda's 2009 harvest and their experimentation with white varietals in Wine Spectator.

I like the strong experimental nature of Ca'Marcanda. Since the winery is quite young, with the first vines planted in 1996, we give total freedom to all sorts of experiments, such as planting white grapes, green harvest and trimming, and different methods of vine training (such as Guyot and Cordone Speronato). Each parcel that has been treated differently is kept separate for micro-fermentation and aging. Our experimental wines currently are sold in bulk.
[...]
At Ca' Marcanda, there are two distinct soil types, terre bianche (white soils), composed mainly of clay and limestone, and terre brune (dark soils), which contain less limestone. The grapes from the darker soil taste fruitier, sweeter and more delicate, with softer tannins. Grapes grown in the lighter soil have intense flavor, bigger tannins and a notable structure that differentiates those for the Camarcanda (terre bianche) from those for the Promis (terre brune) bottling.

2005 Gaja Sito Moresco

Sito Moresco is but one of many Barbaresco vineyards that provides the grapes for this Piedmont red. While some consider this to be an introductory Gaja wine, it certainly has a powerful, yet graceful nature with gorgeous aromas of vanilla, black and blue fruits, spice, and leather. The flavors follow the aromas; it's all there.

Gaja's single vineyard Barbarescos are phenomenal; my favorite: the 1997 Langhe Sorì San Lorenzo, Sorì means "hill" and San Lorenzo is the patron saint of Alba.

Sito Moresco is Gaja's Piedmont baby, an unusual blend of nebbiolo, cabernet sauvignon, and merlot. Gaja is known for his unusual ways: he opted out of DOCG status in 1996 by blending barbera into his some of his Barbarescos, he made two extraordinary chardonnays and a cabernet sauvignon which he contends was made to bring international attention to nebbiolo, dabbled with Brunello di Montalcino with his 1997 single vineyard Sugarille from his winery--Pieve S. Restituta, and founded Ca'Marcanda in Bolgheri, due south of Sassicaia and Ornellaia, which makes some of the most provocative, yet affordable blends in Bolgheri, I've had the Promis and also the Magari, but have yet to try the proprietary Ca'Marcanda.

When asked to describe Nebbiolo, Gaja responded

Cabernet is to John Wayne, what Nebbiolo is to Marcello Mastroianni. John Wayne is a strong personality. He speaks in a loud voice. Marcello Mastroianni would never be in the center of a room. He is shy. He is a closed book. And women become beautiful beside him. This is the beauty of Nebbiolo.