Wine and Time ...
and the Things We Do
Never Say Never
By Mike Gibson
Red or White
I’ve been accused, over the past year, of becoming soft. Certain members of my congregation remember my Old World puritan preaching days and wonder at the new, more tolerant mgwino. They get red ears when I compare the Penfolds Grange 2001 with the Margaux 1986. They suggest that I’ve sold out; or, even worse to them, that I am a player-for-hire and not the team player. And it’s true that I once led the charge against the bruising oak monsters and the over-extractors of fruit. But somewhere along the way, I learned that my Old World had its extreme negatives as well. And through discoveries and disappointments, I just settled into being an ambassador for wine and not an ally for any singular idea of wine. I was so much older then/I’m younger than that now.
The fact is: there are plenty of nerds in the wine world who will find some little domaine to be king of. They will lash out at everyone around them to defend this little point. I have, indeed, reached a place in my life where I write from my experiences as a consumer. I have no need, as this person, to pound out hard words against any wine. I just will not buy it. There are so many wines out there that I feel good about. And I have this inkling of a notion that about 99% of my dislikes are related to time and not quality. I remember loving to read the works of Henry James as an undergrad. But I also remember the start-up time required for me to do so. Henry was so formal and I was (and many would argue, still am) such a wreck. I would read the same page of Portrait of a Lady 10 times to get myself in tune. Still, I figure Henry spent much more time creating this masterpiece. My point is, I cannot bring myself to be so quickly negative from a taste of a wine. Consider the 30 year old vines that were pruned and tended each year. Consider the production time and the experience that performed it. Consider that many wines are asleep and not ready for our opinions. Wine asks us for our patience, not our forgiveness.
That said (and re-said, I fear), here are a few wines that I did get. These are gems that are easily passed by and overlooked. They, all of them, seemed to demand a slightly bigger place in my memory.
- Suore Cistercensi Vino da Tavola Bianco Coenobium (Lazio, Italy)
Made by Giampiero Bea (son of Sagrantino rock star, Palo Bea) and the Cistercian nuns, this white blend is anything but usual. While white wine production is common in Latium, the blessing through the Cistercian sisters is special. Of the 21 Cistercian monasteries in the world, there is but one in Italy and that is where our winemaking nuns reside. The blend is approximately 50% Verdicchio, 25% Trebbiano, and 25% Grechetto and sees the same extended time on its lees that Giampiero imposes on his father’s Montefalco whites. The result is pleasant complexity. The wine is a deep yellow/gold but not as thick as one might expect from the color. It is lightly rich and mildly spicy and very, very unique. Why it is named the Latin “supper hall” concerns a story that I have yet to encounter. I’m still looking.
- Anton Bauer Riesling “Berg” 2005 (Donauland, Austria)
The most assuring sign of a true European wine is the dominance of the wine’s origin and not the traits of a particular grape. I handed a taste of this wine to a friend recently with the bottle on a table behind me. His response was: “Wow, this is a nice Gruner.” He missed the grape but nailed the origin. I was pleased to find that there was still some of Anton’s Berg Riesling left from the ’05 vintage. The acidity has settled just enough for the fruit notes to quietly step forward. The Berg vineyard is located on the last terrace of the southern end of the Wagram and is known for its softer Riesling wines. And, as my friend noted – while this wine is certainly Riesling, it is more certainly Austrian. The only disappointment is the amount of the ’05 left to consume.
- Ken Forrester Petit Chenin 2007 (Stellenbosch, South Africa)
There has, until recently, really never been much of a challenge mounted against the Loire Valley folk for producing consistently solid wines from the Chenin Blanc grape. The grape is often labeled as Steen by the guys from “the other down under”(South Africa is situated along the same latitude as South Australia) and has produced wines that are starting to capture deserved attention. I think we will soon see a move away from New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc toward this version of Chenin. And the reason for my claim is, in part, dependent on KF’s Petit Chenin. Nobody, it seems, can compete in making a respectable wine from this grape at this price. We’re talkin’ ten bucks folks. There is enough of that Southern Hemisphere ripe citrus here but the driving force is tied to the thicker feeling acidity that Chenin Blanc is famous for. If you’re hunting a great summer table wine, I’ve found it.
- Neil Ellis Cabernet Sauvignon (Stellenbosch, South Africa)
Though the Sellenbosch locals, along with many other believers, are tickled with the wines from their Pinotage grape, I’ve never found one that excited me that much. Instead, I would be found supporting the wines that these colonists produced from the Bordeaux varietals with labels like Grangehurst and Thelema. Neil Ellis, winemaker and namesake of this wine, is a partner proprietor with Hans Peter Schroder of the Oude Nektar estate in the Jonkershoek Valley (all those Dutch words leave us happy they call it Neil Ellis). Though many of the Neil Ellis wines are estate sourced, the Stellenbosch Cab contains fruit from other contributing vineyards in the Valley. But since Neil cut his teeth in his solo career as a negociant, he’s up for the task and the quality stands out. You big Cab lovers will find this a pleasing twist on the form, especially at 20 bucks.
Mgwino here, 30 years after reading Henry James’ Art of Fiction, and still trying intently to “be one to whom nothing is lost.” Go well, and stay well.
(Mike Gibson is General Manager of Red or White of Mobile and is nearly always available for light wine chat or intense oenophilic discussion. The store can be found at 1801 Old Shell Road, or reached by phone at 251-478-9494.)
