2010 Wish List #5: Inflorescence Champagne

Coming in at number five on my wish list of cool curiosities I'd love to try this year is Cedric Bouchard's Champagne, Inflorescence.

"The explosive, kaleidoscopic Champagnes of Cedric Bouchard are some of the most compelling wines coming out of the region today... Readers should do whatever they can to experience these magnificent wines." - Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate

When I read this review in Wine Advocate last April, I immediately started to look for stockists. There's something appealing about a single-grower in Champagne in a place where every vineyard is held by multiple, usually corporate, interests. It's the heroic story of the little guy winning against the big guys. There's also hardly any of it around, and what was available had been snapped up, which, as you can imagine, drove me even more crazy...

Also, the word, Inflorescence - it sounds like it blossoms with marvelous bubbles. Does it live up to the name? I definitely want try a glass or two this year and find out whether it lives up to the hype.

Top 5 Favourite Wines of 2009

For me, 2009 was my Grand Tour of Italian wine. Amarone, Brunello di Montalino, Barolo and the white wines of Friuli and Sardinia. It was also a year where the 2007 vintage from Burgundy and Bordeaux did not produce a predictable line-up of star wines. A challenging vintage, perhaps, but also a good challenge. For isn't the process of sorting the wheat from the chaff half the fun?

Without further delay, here are my top 5 favourite wines from the year:

1. 2004 Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino

Even when it is woven in the palest of colours, the most expensive cashmere has an unusual depth of colour to its fibre. What is amazing about the Poggio di Sotto is its exquisite pale rose colour belies a depth of knitted-together, intense flavours. Like a favourite cashmere jumper, it may appear delicate at first but it soon tells its own story over time.

I don't think this is a social wine. Not that I mean it's anti-social and offensive. What I mean is that it is best to drink it with only one other person. Two, maximum.

I'm not being ungenerous! I'm just afraid of not giving the wine a chance to let the story in the bottle unfurl. Especially if it was downed at a dinner party of 4 to 6 people - that's only one glass per person.

This is a breathy, intimate wine with a story that feels like it is being told in whispers.

Previous post: Waiting for Brunello di Montalcino 2004

2. 2007 Climens

Sometimes, when I am confronted with something truly beautiful, my eyes well with tears. Luckily, I don't think anybody saw me tasting 2007 Climens right at the end of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux tasting in Convent Garden late last year. After tasting over 40 reds and whites before reaching the Sauternes, despite the palate fatigue, the Climens appeared as an angelic revelation.

Perfect weight and heavenly apricot, honey and thrilling citrus. It hardly came as a surprise to find out Robert Parker bestowed 100-points on it. He asked, is it the "wine of the vintage"? The resounding answer, yes.

Honorable mention to Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, also at the same tasting. This wine cemented my belief: 2007 is the year for white wine in Bordeaux. What a shame not more people are aware of how great Graves wines can be.

3. 2004 Casanova di Neri - see Casanova di Neri 05/02/2009

4. 2002 Veuve Clicquot Rosé

After tasting this as a guest of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin at the Manoir de Verzy in Champagne, I now long to have more vintage Rose Champagne in my life. Vintage Rose is not a summer frippery, it's more of a knife and fork wine. Not that Veuve Clicquot is meaty, as say, the Krug Rose, but it does have more weight and can stand up to even the bloodiest sirloin.

For many months after this trip, all I could think about is how Champagne is wasted as an aperitif. It's such an excellent food wine. It's a shame it's not available in the U.K.

Honorable mention: 1990 Ruinart Rose, the fading star. Another France-only release.

5. 2005 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon

It was a pleasure to meet Keith and Clare Mugford when they visited London. As Jancis Robinson has said, Moss Wood are the best example of "intelligent winemaking". She goes on to say, any knockers of Australian wine should be force-fed this wine, in particular.

I asked Keith, "What is your favourite vintage for the Cabernet Sauvignon? It's not hard to see why it was the 2005. Deep, seamless fruit that I would be happy to drink everyday (if money was no object). It reminds me of the refined elegance you find in the very modern architecture along the ocean front in Australia.

I don't know why, but that makes me feel proud and slightly homesick. If it has that effect, then certainly that knocks the "terroir debate" on the head when talking about Australia. I can taste it so what's wrong with you if you can't? Perhaps you haven't drunk enough.

Honorable mentions: 1934 Chateau Margaux; 1993 Brunello di Montalcino Valdicava; 2005 Firesteed Oregon Pinot Noir; 1996 Clos du Marquis; 2003 Leoville Poyferre; 2000 Langoa Barton; 2004 Montrose; 2007 Benefizio Pomino Bianco Reserva; 1998 Allegrini Amarone; 1997 Jacquesson Avize Grand Cru Blanc des Blancs.

Benefizio (or, is that the champagne talking?)

"I really love you," She said

"Is that the Champagne talking?" he asked.

"No," she laughed,

"That's me talking to the Champagne."

Another year, another birthday. Apart from the regulatory Champagne (Veuve Clicquot and Billecart Salmon Brut), the wine that astounded everyone who joined us for lunch was the Marchesi de' Frescobaldi 2006 Pomino Benefizio Reserva.

The Benefizio glitters and spins like one of those disco lights programmed to move to music. Thrilling pineapple character is mellowed by a sudden acacia and honey character. Depth and light at the same time. It charms but does not dominate.

It's a slight shock to learn this is a Chardonnay.

From the Pomino Valley in Tuscany, this area was already considered one of the four best wine-making areas in Tuscany during Medici times.

It helps to have brilliant food and company, too. Simple, good Italian food such as real pasta Carbonara (ie no cream, based on eggs). Perfect for long Sunday lunches, this is the ultimate dinner party wine.

Bravo.

Yes, that's me talking to the wine!

Link: Marchesi di Frescobaldi

Prosecco cocktail, 'Sbagliato'

With no signs of the craze for Prosecco slowing down after New Years, here's a cocktail to soak up all the extra bottles you may (or may not) have leftover. Called a Sbagliato, or "mistake" in Italian, it's much more fun than tired old Bellini (Prosecco and white peach); basically, it's a Negroni with the Gin replaced by Prosecco.

Sbagliato

Two parts Prosecco to one part Campari and one part Martini Rosso (or sweet vermouth is also fine).

Two drops of Angostura bitters, optional.

Pour over ice and stir.

Garnish with a slice of orange in a large wine glass.

Link: The Cocktail Renaissance

wine in capsules

"James Rothschild sent Rossini [composer of 'Barber of Seville', 'William Tell' etc] some splendid grapes from his hothouse. Rossini, in thanking him, wrote, “although your grapes are superb, I don’t like my wine in capsules.” Rothschild read this as an invitation to send him some of his celebrated Chateau-Lafite, which he proceeded to do." – Lillie de Hergermann-Lindencrone, “In the Courts of Memory”

Image: The Last Supper, Damian Hirst (1999)

2007 Mouton Rothschild label features Sculptor, Bernar Venet

Even if you don't drink first-growth Claret everyday for breakfast, you'll soon be seeing a lot more of the sculptor Bernar Venet.

Venet's sculpture in steel graces the latest release 2007 Chateau Mouton Rothschild label. This is the first time the artwork on the label has been a sculpture - and it has quite a serious tone, especially in comparison to previous vintages.

Apart from the eerie 1983 label, which is very bleak and existential, most previous labels seem to me to have something childishly gleeful about them: sheep doing handstands (1999, Raymond Savignac) or my favourite one of a sheep dancing in the sunlight (1982, John Huston).

Who wouldn't be ecstatic? The artist doesn't receive money but 10 cases of Mouton Rothschild for the commission. That's something to jump for joy about.

Perhaps a parallel can be made between the 1983 and the 2007 - both are not spectacular vintages for this generally spectacular wine (if it is not too incongruous to have "general" and "spectacular" together in the one sentence - after all, compared to other vintages of this wine, 2007 is "lower" 90-94 Robert Parker score)

But the sculpture, and choice of artist, does give pause for thought. Which is quite prescient for this vintage and year in history.

If I am lucky enough to open a bottle in the next twenty years, I'll look back on 2007 as a year when the economic crisis really began but the ramifications hadn't fully been realized yet (I'm sure we will still be dealing with consequences).

Since then there has been a shake-up in wine prices, with cellars being sold in bulk. An end of an era? I don't think so. Not for Mouton-Rothschild, at least.

As their motto neatly sums up: Premier je suis, Second je fus, Mouton ne change. Despite 2007 not being a great vintage and the subsequent economic crisis, Mouton-Rothschild will survive just as they have depressions, recessions, World Wars and oil crises before.

Personally, I look forward to the opportunity to taste it in 20 years come what may.

Link: Bernar Venet Studio

Previous WWS link: Chateau Mouton Rothschild label artists: Miro, Picasso, Francis Bacon

Were Dreams (now it is just wine!)

Has it really been November since I last posted?

No excuses, other than I was having too much fun over Christmas and New Year. Welcome 2010.

Let's start the new year with an Italian white wine from Friuli-Venezia that captures my heart: Jermann's Were Dreams, or the full title - Were Dreams (now it is just wine!).

I can hear the tut-tutting already. What a silly name for a wine! And yet, and yet... it's precisely the playful silliness that makes me love it even more. What does he mean? All those grapes were dreams and now it just wine... I once had high ideals and now it's all mundane reality? Or even... philosophize as much you like about the stuff, but it's meant to be drunk and enjoyed.

Whatever the name means, Jermann can afford to have the last laugh: he is one of the masters of the N-E Italian region. And it is his light-touch that give his white wines a depth of minerality and subtle sophistication to make a bottle the most entertaining dinner guest.

His Were Dreams is no exception. However, don't expect much small talk here. It's definitely for those who love big oak in their Chardonnay (and you know who you are!). After a few hours you will find a core of minerality - like his other famous wines, Vintage Tunina and Capo Martino - but it emerges from a dramatic flourish of oak, fruit and wildflower.

People will often complain about the price (it can sit at the £30-50 mark), so I will say this: compare quality to quality (which always seems to be conveniently forgotten when comparing two different regions with different currencies) and you'll find them very comparable to similarly-priced White Burgundy.

Aside from all the economic nonsense, this is one of the great white wines of the world. Precisely because it inspires dreams and a smile. And as I keep trying to remind myself at some more serious tastings recently: you've got to lighten up, now, it is just wine....!

Link: Jermann di Silvio Jermann website