WINE The Grape and the Near-Great

The state of the wine market has never been as chaotic as it is now, and I see no prospects for its improvement in the near term. You must buy the wines you have traditionally liked now, if we are speaking of French wines, and you must be resigned to the impossibility of replacing them at anything like current prices. We all must learn to love wines from elsewhere, but that is quite another matter.

Robert Finigan’s Private

Guide to Wines,

April 26, 1979



Despite their boasts, the French can’t claim supremacy in wine any more than they can in love; overrated wines like the “legendary” Montrachet or the “heavenly” Chateau Margaux have been the cause of many disappointments. Besides, with today’s prices, truly great French wine is an exotic temptress we can no longer afford.

The most sought-after French bottles have always been those from single-vineyard sites and great vintage years. Now that these wines are too expensive for most buyers, shippers are providing us with blended, trademark wines that offer good, consistent quality (depending on the shipper) at a reasonable price. Perhaps they lack the little abstract flavor dimensions that set the loftier wines apart, but the differences are not as great as cost suggests. One blend, Jaboulet-Vercherre’s “Comtes de Chartogne,” is just as pleasing at $5 as the same shipper’s Pouilly-Fuissé at $11. I recently tasted another wine labeled “Blanc de Blancs” (a meaningless appellation), which, though rather light-bodied, was as good as some $15 Meur-saults. The clue to its success was that it was shipped by Melvin Master, an impeccable British merchant whose négociant obviously used high-quality white Burgundy in the blend. Most pleasing was the price: $2.49.

Red Bordeaux lovers must surely lament the near doubling in price of their favorite wine in the past year. In 1972, when prices were also insane (but for different reasons), a remedy appeared on the market in the form of petits chateaux, relatively unknown labels that had rarely been exported. These wines, mostly of the copious 1970 vintage, provided some relief, but disappeared when prices returned to normal. Now, with the fine 1975 and 1976 vintages, these petits chateaux have re-emerged. Consumers may have to experiment, since some of these wines are inferior, but those looking for Bordeaux style in the $3-$5 range can usually find satisfaction. Instead of trying to track down a particular label (there are many names and few real standouts), look for appellations such as “Bordeaux Supérieur” and “Cotes de Bourg.” Pécharmant, a small area east of Bordeaux, also produces a nice red that falls in this category.

Cru bourgeois is a ranking given to wines that did not quite merit inclusion in the Classification of 1855, the Bordeaux “hall of fame.” Often, these are superior bottles for half the price. Names to look for are Chateaux Larose-Trintaudon, de Pez, Meyney, Capbern-Gasqueton, and La Tour de Mons. These are all available in Dallas and usually cost $5-$7. Certain classified chateaux have escaped drastic price increases and should not be overlooked, among them Chateaux Gis-cours, Cantemerle, and Pontet-Canet.

Cabernet Sauvignons from California often equal or surpass the famous red Bordeaux. A $7-$ 10 Cabernet made by Robert Mondavi, Clos du Val, or Joseph Phelps will always be a wiser purchase than a $15-S20 Chateau Lynch-Bages, Beychevelle, or Gruaud-Larose. On a lesser scale, many California wineries specialize in well-made Cabernet at fair prices, competing with the better petits chateaux of Bordeaux and usually winning on reliability. One excellent new entry is Eshcol-Red by Trefethen Vineyards. Typical of the trend toward blended, non-vintage wines, it is a full-bodied 100-percent Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for only $3.99. The wineries of Round Hill and Stone Creek also make uncannily good generics and varietals for under $5.

Red Burgundy, probably the most over-priced wine on the current market, offers fewer alternatives, because the fickle Pinot Noir grape seems to perform its magic only on its home ground. Attempts to recreate the elegant Burgundy style in California have consistently failed, resulting in an agreeable but rather sweet wine. Since the quality of red Burgundy has slipped in recent years, perhaps it’s best we forget this old friend for a while, at least until price and quality become more harmonious.

The Cotes du Rhone is a large, high-production wine area that has been touted as an alternative to Burgundy for years, though the public has never taken the advice too seriously. Certainly, the Rhone reds do not equal the best Burgundies, but advantages of fair price, availability, and consistent quality can’t be ignored. Located south of Burgundy near the Mediterranean, the Cotes du Rhone has an equable climate that deters bad vintages and favors price stability. At $10, the best reds, Hermitage and Cote-Rotie, duel successfully with most $20 Burgundies. Excellent, full-flavored red wine is the trademark of the many communes that surround the sunny banks of the Rhone River. Names such as Gigondas, Saint-Joseph, and Beaumes de Venise should become more familiar as Americans explore alternatives. The simple appellation “Cotes du Rhone” is very much like a Beaujolais and a better buy at $3.

In California, the Zinfandel has long been the stepchild of domestic con-noisseurship. Its somewhat robust, fruity flavor puts it in the same league with certain Rhone reds and middle-class Burgundies. The best-made examples can often approach the elegance of Cabernet Sauvignon, so its versatility and good price (usually $4-$8) make it a viable option.

Regarding white Burgundies, a peculiar syndrome prevails: Every time an inexpensive alternative is discovered, the American wine public pounces on it and drives up the price until it, too, is unapproachable. Several years ago, a nice white from the Macon district called Pouilly-Fuissé was extolled by the press as a good buy (at $4) compared with the more expensive Montrachets and Meur-saults. The campaign was successful, and, in its new-found popularity, Pouilly-Fuissé soared to over $10. Other Macon whites were then focused on, and now even a simple Macon-Villages can cost $7, double its price a year ago.

So what are we left with? Not much. The only other white Burgundy-style wine, the California Chardonnay, is becoming increasingly expensive as well. So once again we turn to the Rhone, where superb, full-bodied dry whites are made at the predominantly red-wine vineyards of Hermitage and Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The best of these is the white Hermitage “Chante-Alouette” by Cha-poutier, usually around $9.

The Loire River valley offers an excellent range of wines, including the crisp whites of Muscadet, Pouilly-Fumé, and Sancerre, and the fruity but elegant wines of Vouvray and Savennières.

Alsace is an underrated region whose importance will grow as the demand for well-made white wines increases. Alsatian Rieslings and Gewürztraminers are bold, dry wines that make excellent dinner companions. Buy these now.

Champagne will always be expensive, but many other sparkling wines don’t exact the same ransom. The Rhone’s Kriter is the largest-selling bubbly in France and is available in Dallas for under $6. California does well in this category, too, though some bottlings tend to be aggressively gaseous. The Spanish vintners, particularly Freixenet and Codorniu, have a large following for their sparkling wines, which they labeled “Champagne” until the French stopped them. Codorniu is the world’s largest producer of sparkling wines made by the traditional Champagne method. Often overlooked is the excellent “Sekt” of Germany, which is perhaps less dry and austere than champagne, but compensates in drinkability and good price. Two fine examples found locally are Treis Mosel-Sekt and the superb Ockfener Bockstein 1974 Deutschersekt ($7.49).

Italy is probably the largest source of alternatives to French wine on the market today. Everyone is familiar with the light, appealing reds of Valpolicella and Bar-dolino, and the name Chianti has become synonymous with reliable, uncomplicated red table wine, but Italy also offers a variety of wines for the serious taster. Many have gone unrecognized, perhaps because they lack snob appeal. Try the excellent, full-bodied reds of Barolo and Barberesco, and the honest pleasures of such little-known labels as Gattinara, Valtellina, and Brunello. Though scarce except in the best shops, these wines should become more available as demand increases.

Spain is often compared with Italy as a source of untapped wine values. At this time, Spanish wines require more selective buying, since many are swill; nevertheless, the reds of Rioja, when made by respected firms like Marques de Murrieta and Marques de Riscal, can humble the costly red Bordeaux they resemble.

South Africa, Chile, and Argentina all have loyal admirers for their best wines, and for good reason-some are remarkably fine values. All that remains is for American wine merchants to learn to import and market these wines properly.

Returning to Finigan, the time to buy is now. The following is a list of recommended wines and their prices at local retailers: Red:

Barolo 1971 (Mauri): A&A Vineyard $3.39; Red Coleman’s $3.99.

Barolo 1970 (Fontanafredda): Red Coleman’s $5.49.

Burgundy, Round Hill Vineyards: Warehouse $2.79.

Chateau Cantemerle ’74: A&A Vineyard $6.59; Red Coleman’s $5.99.

Eshcol-Red, Trefethen Vineyards: Marty’s $3.99.

Chateau Giscours ’73: Sigel’s $5.99; Warehouse $6.59.

Marques de Cacères ’73: Sigel’s $2.99.

Zinfandel, Parducci: Red Coleman’s $3.99.

White:

Barengo California White Wine: Lou’s $1.99.

Bishop of Riesling: Centennial $3.99.

Blanc de Blancs (Master Wines): Centennial $2.49.

Chante-Alouette: Marty’s $9.79.

L’Epayrié (Armand Roux): La Cave $3.39.

Mondavi White Table Wine: A&A Vineyard $3.39; Marty’s $2.59.

Savennières, Chateau de la Bizolière 1976:Marty’s $4.99; Norman’s Wine World $5.49.

Soave (Folonari): Marty’s $1.79. Verdillac ’76: La Cave $3.99; Warehouse $3.79.

Sparkling:

Gran Codorniu: Marty’s $7.29. Kriter Blanc de Blancs ’74: Marty’s $5.99. Ockfener Bockstein Deutschersekt ’74:

Marty’s $7.49.