Tasting Note: 2006 Les Vins de Vienne Côtes du Rhône Les Laurelles

The Story: Tired of eating meat and turkey for the last week, I decided to cook seared scallops with chorizo and lemon juice last night. I had a Gruner Veltliner and a Riesling on hand that probably would have paired decently with the dish, but I thought that a nice buttery Chardonnay would pair best. I had also been meaning to try out a new wine shop near me, Cellar 72, which is supposedly run by former sommeliers at several NYC restaurants (Per Se, Marseille, and Nice Matin). With those two thoughts in mind, I headed to Cellar 72 to pick out white wine that would go with my scallops and chorizo.

Although I my assumption was that a full-bodied Chardonnay would pair nicely with my dinner, I knew that a former sommelier would probably have more knowledge about pairings than this newbie, so I told him what I was cooking and let him take the reins. I patted myself on the back when the sales clerk suggested Chardonnay. The sales clerk gave me two options: a "smoky" California Chardonnay or a white Cotes Du Rhone, that, while not a Chardonnay, had Chardonnay-like characteristics that would pair well with the scallop dish. I have had many smoky California Chardonnays, so for the sake of being adventurous, I selected the 2006 Les Vins de Vienne Côtes du Rhône Les Laurelles, which just under $18. The clerk mentioned that this wine was one of his favorites, so I assumed that I picked well.

The Region: This wine is a Cotes du Rhone from Southern Rhone. Les Vins de Vienne on Google Maps

The Grape: This is a white blend. The back of the bottle tells me that it is composed of 50% Marsanne grapes and 50% Viognier grapes and that the wine has been aged for 10 months in tanks.

The Look: Medium-dark amber.

The Aroma: Apples predominated. I also smelled hints of lemon and fresh-cut grass.

The Swish: I am often disappointed with my first taste whenever I taste a wine. I do not know why this is; the only possible explanation I can think of is that I am thrown off when a wine does not taste as I assumed it would. Rather than becoming more interested in a wine that tastes different from expectations, I tend to be disappointed at first. This wine is no exception. Even though I was well aware that this wine was not Chardonnay, I expected it to taste like a Chardonnay. Instead, I was thrown for a loop when I noticed strong flavors of lychee-- it reminded me of a Gewurztraminer. I have tasted Gewurztraminer only once before, but I did not care for it, so I was disappointed with this wine at first.

As is usually the case with wines that I have high hopes for but disappoint me with the first taste, this wine proved itself after a few more tastes. The lychee transformed itself to pear. I was able to identify apples and lemons as well. This was a very interesting wine.

The Verdict: I really enjoyed this wine. I think the best proof of my enjoyment of this wine would be that I sipped two glasses over the course of almost an hour and a half. I did not take a long time to finish it because it was bad, but because it was so good. I tend to quaff most decent wines, but this one I sipped all the way through because it was such an interesting wine. With each sip, I tried to figure this wine out, to notice all of its nuances. I have never tasted anything quite like it. It paired very nicely with my scallop dish, and I would definitely buy it again.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #39: 2004 André Bonhomme Viré-Clessé

The Story: What better way to learn about wine than to share experiences of particular category of wines with people from all over the world? Hence commences my first Wine Blogging Wednesday (WBW). WBW is the perfect wine tasting: pick a particular wine theme, let everyone choose a wine(s) that represents the theme, and let everyone, from wine novice to expert, share his or her experience with the wine that was chosen. The only improvement would be if all of the bloggers could taste the wonderful-sounding wines they have chosen for the event. Alas, I will have to wait until Web 3.0 for that enhancement.

For WBW #39, Neil from the excellent Brooklynguy's Wine and Food Blog has chosen the theme "Silver" Burgundy. Neil has suggested that we choose the more affordable affordable Burgundies of Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais.

Taking Neil's suggestion to heart, I ventured out to Moore Brothers and asked the salesclerk to suggest a Mâconnais under $25. As is usually the case at Moore Brothers, the helpful clerk quickly had a suggestion after I gave him my criteria. He selected the 2004 André Bonhomme Viré-Clessé ($23). The helpful clerk told me that without Bonhomme, none of the Mâconnais appellations would exist. Deciding that I could do no better than to choose a Mâconnais from the so-called master of the Mâconnais, I purchased a bottle and returned to my apartment eager to participate in my very first WBW.

The Region: The Mâconnais region is in the southern part of Burgundy, west of the river Soane. This particular wine carries the appellation Viré-Clessé, which is in the northern-most part of the Mâconnais district.

The Grape: Like most white wines from the Mâconnais, this wine is a Chardonnay. As the shop does for all wines it sells, Moore Brothers provided me with a handy tasting note for the wine. From this tasting note, I learned that one third of the cuvee is aged in oak, which sounds good to me because I like buttery Chardonnays that are not too oaky.

The Look: Moderately golden.

The Aroma: I am unable to pinpoint the aroma of this wine. It does have a powerful aroma, but my untrained palate cannot figure out what I smell. If I had to guess, I would say I smell floral (lilies, perhaps) with a hint of lemon.

The Swish: I am disappointed with my first taste. The wine seems extremely thin; I do not taste much going on. Fortunately, as my glass warms up a bit, I begin to enjoy the wine more and more. I am fairly certain that there are floral notes. I taste apples and a splash of lemon, too.

The Verdict: I was thrown off at first by this wine because it is very subtle. As a wine newbie, I think I am turned off by wines that are not "in your face." I need to remember to be patient and learn to enjoy the nuances of wines produced in the Old World styles. I need to remember to keep challenging myself with subtle wines as my wine education continues. I also need to remember that when I want a great Chardonnay, to look for something from André Bonhomme because this wine was terrific.

Thanks for choosing a great WBW theme, Neil!