Back to the Cali bashing.
I happened to be at a wine tasting yesterday at Chambers Street Wines in Manhattan (arguably the greatest wine store in the world). The theme for the day was "Old World vs. New World (not a rivalry, just a comparison.)"
Despite the disclaimer, for me Old World won by a knockout in what I believe was a very fair fight.
Round 1: Blanchet 2007 Pouilly Fume Silice (21.99) vs. Quivira 2007 Sauv Blanc Fig Tree (16.99)
A pleasant, enjoyable, well made wine. It had the characteristic SB flavors, was well balanced, good acid, would go great with food. The only problem is the price. I would have snapped it up at the Quivira price point. Problem is, there are plenty of French SB's that show the exact same characteristics as this one and ARE at the Quivira price point.
The Quivira was a tragedy. Overripe, too much alcohol (~14.5%). In there, somewhere, was a good classic California Sauvignon blanc trying to get out.
Round 2: Texier 2006 CDR Brezeme Rouge (21.99) vs. Copain 2007 Syrah "Tous Ensemble (22.99)
One of the wines I was in the store to pick up was Texier's basic CDR (A great value at 14.99). After tasting the Brezem Rouge, I traded up. This was a stunning wine. Predominately (possibly 100%) syrah, but absolutely beautiful and surprisingly delicate. Don't get me wrong, this had plenty of muscle but not the kind that punches you in the nose. One of the best wines I've had in a long time.
Speaking of a punch in the nose, the Copain (as with the Quivira) had what I thought was good fruit underneath, but the winemaker was apparently ashamed of it and felt that he had to mask it with a lot of oak. This was an aggressive wine which I would be hard put to come up with a food match for. Clumsy, overpriced.
Round 3: Puzelat 2006 In Cot We Trust (19.99) vs. La Posta 2007 Malbec Paulucci (18.99).
I found the Puzelat to be awkward and astringent. It had just been opened, so it may have needed some time to smooth out. Puzelat has a good rep, so I would be willing to give this wine another chance. However, Clos Roche Blanche produces an absolutely wonderful Cot for a couple bucks less, so Puzelat has got a lot to prove before I'll open up my wallet.
The La Posta was by far the best of the three New World wines. I could actually conceive of drinking it with food. It suffered a bit from the oversweetness so common to S.A. wines - I would expect a much more balanced wine at this price point. For example, Luigi Bosca offers what I believe to be a much better Malbec at approximately the same price. |
