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Time, price right to try virtues of Rhone wines
By Aubrey Buckingham |
May 17, 2009, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
WITH the recession affecting even the staunchest of wine advocates, shelling out on big Chateau labels seems to have fallen by the wayside. While there is no denying the quality of these blockbusters, aficionados are looking for better value in more austere times.
The Rhone Valley has always been a sensible option for dyed-in-the-wool wine lovers, offering top drops which age superbly without the prohibitive price tags that are attached to its more illustrious Bordeaux and Burgundy counterparts.
Local wine fans are also more likely to appreciate the styles. The wines of the Rhone Valley can be extremely rewarding, and the warmer Southern Rhone appellations have been garnering much attention of late. While the largest producers are well-represented here - Guigal and Perrin et Fils come to mind - the wines of Vignobles Brunier are just as worthwhile seeking out.
Domaine de Vieux Telegraphe is one of the most critically acclaimed labels from the Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation. This tricky to pronounce name means "new castle of the pope," referring to the place in the city of Avignon in which the first French pope, Pope Clement V, resided in the 14th century.
The first wine stocks were planted in 1898 on Plateau de la Crau, which had been a grape growing area since the time of Pope Clement V. It was only after World War II, though, that third generation owner Henri Brunier enlarged the appellation to 55 hectares and took the estate to the lofty heights it enjoys today.
In 1998, Brunier's sons Frederic and Daniel (the latter was in Shanghai recently to announce his partnership with distributor Mercuris Fine Wines) teamed up with a family friend, the American fine wine importer and writer Kermit Lynch, to purchase the 125-hectare Domaine Les Pallieres in Gigondas, of which 25 hectares are under vine.
According to appellation law, a total of 13 grapes can be used in the Chateauneuf-du-Pape blend. While many of these are no longer used (but still provide a great way to quiz your friends at dinner parties), the main varietals used are grenache, mourvedre, syrah and cinsault.
During wine maker Brunier's visit, his relaxed candor revealed a man who knew what he was doing and refused to bend to trends. He was not interested in adding syrah for more color, for example, while he vinifies his wines in both stainless steel and concrete vats for a balanced complexity.
Balance is also a state he strives for in the vineyard, taking great pains in the pruning, canopy management and green harvesting, all done by hand. Organic fertilizer is favored, while pesticides are eschewed as much as possible in favor of natural techniques such as "sexual confusion."
Male butterflies
This treatment involves saturating the vineyards with female pheromones so that disorientated male butterflies struggle to mate and thus produce fewer offspring to prey on the grapes.
During Brunier's visit, only his latest releases were available for sampling. The 2006 Viuex Telegraphe was exceptional but only hinted at an elegant, great wine beneath it's closed, lethargic husk.
A second tasting of older vintages was hosted recently by Mecuris. The benefits of age, which seemed obvious on paper, were still startling.
First up was the 2003 vintage - that incredibly hot year that resulted in many full-blown jammy wines across Europe. Brunier's wine, uncharacteristically destemmed due to the excess of tannin in the grapes, was still elegant but was still not ready - grainy tannins that needed more time to soften.
The 2000 vintage was a more classic example. A charming wine, this had a decidedly floral nose with seductive perfume. The freshness of the wine was outstanding for a nine-year-old, with rubbery tannins and a long persistent finish that unravels layers of black fruits and pepper as it sailed along. There was earnestness to it, as if it wanted to be liked.
The 1995 vintage, on the other hand, was a sexy, confident beast. The color was lovely after 14 years, and the complex aromas simply jaw-dropping. The supple meatiness purred along on the bouquet till the aged flavors came through - truffles, mocha, forest floor.
The wine showed the same rubbery tannins as its successors (barring the 2003); in fact Brunier has showed exemplary knowledge of managing tannins. The texture was soft as it lingered and tickled with fruitcake and dense fruit. There is much life in this wine yet.
Aging wines are always a tough sell for the budding wine enthusiast - who knows what will happen in the next 10 years, let alone know if a wine is worth laying down. Even Brunier himself was unable to give a compelling reason in person.
His wines, however, spoke volumes, and the way the wine maker envisaged each element evolving and still forming a perfect, delicate balance is, in fact, a stupendous feat.
The Rhone Valley has always been a sensible option for dyed-in-the-wool wine lovers, offering top drops which age superbly without the prohibitive price tags that are attached to its more illustrious Bordeaux and Burgundy counterparts.
Local wine fans are also more likely to appreciate the styles. The wines of the Rhone Valley can be extremely rewarding, and the warmer Southern Rhone appellations have been garnering much attention of late. While the largest producers are well-represented here - Guigal and Perrin et Fils come to mind - the wines of Vignobles Brunier are just as worthwhile seeking out.
Domaine de Vieux Telegraphe is one of the most critically acclaimed labels from the Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation. This tricky to pronounce name means "new castle of the pope," referring to the place in the city of Avignon in which the first French pope, Pope Clement V, resided in the 14th century.
The first wine stocks were planted in 1898 on Plateau de la Crau, which had been a grape growing area since the time of Pope Clement V. It was only after World War II, though, that third generation owner Henri Brunier enlarged the appellation to 55 hectares and took the estate to the lofty heights it enjoys today.
In 1998, Brunier's sons Frederic and Daniel (the latter was in Shanghai recently to announce his partnership with distributor Mercuris Fine Wines) teamed up with a family friend, the American fine wine importer and writer Kermit Lynch, to purchase the 125-hectare Domaine Les Pallieres in Gigondas, of which 25 hectares are under vine.
According to appellation law, a total of 13 grapes can be used in the Chateauneuf-du-Pape blend. While many of these are no longer used (but still provide a great way to quiz your friends at dinner parties), the main varietals used are grenache, mourvedre, syrah and cinsault.
During wine maker Brunier's visit, his relaxed candor revealed a man who knew what he was doing and refused to bend to trends. He was not interested in adding syrah for more color, for example, while he vinifies his wines in both stainless steel and concrete vats for a balanced complexity.
Balance is also a state he strives for in the vineyard, taking great pains in the pruning, canopy management and green harvesting, all done by hand. Organic fertilizer is favored, while pesticides are eschewed as much as possible in favor of natural techniques such as "sexual confusion."
Male butterflies
This treatment involves saturating the vineyards with female pheromones so that disorientated male butterflies struggle to mate and thus produce fewer offspring to prey on the grapes.
During Brunier's visit, only his latest releases were available for sampling. The 2006 Viuex Telegraphe was exceptional but only hinted at an elegant, great wine beneath it's closed, lethargic husk.
A second tasting of older vintages was hosted recently by Mecuris. The benefits of age, which seemed obvious on paper, were still startling.
First up was the 2003 vintage - that incredibly hot year that resulted in many full-blown jammy wines across Europe. Brunier's wine, uncharacteristically destemmed due to the excess of tannin in the grapes, was still elegant but was still not ready - grainy tannins that needed more time to soften.
The 2000 vintage was a more classic example. A charming wine, this had a decidedly floral nose with seductive perfume. The freshness of the wine was outstanding for a nine-year-old, with rubbery tannins and a long persistent finish that unravels layers of black fruits and pepper as it sailed along. There was earnestness to it, as if it wanted to be liked.
The 1995 vintage, on the other hand, was a sexy, confident beast. The color was lovely after 14 years, and the complex aromas simply jaw-dropping. The supple meatiness purred along on the bouquet till the aged flavors came through - truffles, mocha, forest floor.
The wine showed the same rubbery tannins as its successors (barring the 2003); in fact Brunier has showed exemplary knowledge of managing tannins. The texture was soft as it lingered and tickled with fruitcake and dense fruit. There is much life in this wine yet.
Aging wines are always a tough sell for the budding wine enthusiast - who knows what will happen in the next 10 years, let alone know if a wine is worth laying down. Even Brunier himself was unable to give a compelling reason in person.
His wines, however, spoke volumes, and the way the wine maker envisaged each element evolving and still forming a perfect, delicate balance is, in fact, a stupendous feat.
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