VIVE LA DIFFERENCE

Article by: Mervyn Hecht
Contact: articles@wine-taste.com

Most of the time when Californians drink wine they choose Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc (whites), or Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon (reds). But there are a lot of wines made from other, lesser known grapes that can be wonderful. Here are just two examples of regions in France that specialize in lesser known grapes. The wine varieties in Italy is even greater!

In the Cahors region of France, just east of Bordeaux, much of the red wine is made from the Auxerrois grape. This is either a clone or substantially the same vine that goes by a number of other names, including Cot in the Rhone Valley, and Malbec in a number of other places. Malbec is not in vogue now because it needs time in the bottle to develop and the trend in wines today is to produce wines that can be drunk now, not aged in a cellar. At today's real estate prices, who can afford the square footage for a cellar?

Personally, I like the taste of Malbec. It's darker and a bit more tannic than Merlot, but with the same softness, and, when aged it develops a velvet texture. The flavors are more mild than the Cabernet grape wines, and the wine is more substantial in body than the Merlot based wines. The taste and aroma is of Cherries and blackberries. The producers in Cahors are working hard to create a top quality wine from the grape. For many, however, the Malbec produced in Argentina, from vines planted there many years ago, is the top quality wine from that grape available today, and the prices are amazingly affordable. I've bought some at Gelson's in the $8 range that were delicious.

In Cahors there are two competing factions. One is headed by Mr. Vigoreux, whose family has been there for many generations. A few years ago Mr. V bought the 9th century castle which belonged to the Bishop of Cahors, restored it with loving care, and put in a one-star Michelin restaurant, a relais-and-chateaux hotel, and one of the most progressive wine cellars in France. It's definitely worth a visit if you're in the region. But to my taste, Mr. V's chateaux Mercuès produces the best of his Malbec wines, and since I import it, I know it's available in the U.S.

The other faction is headed by an "upstart" from Paris that moved to the region in 1980, bought the old castle of LaGrezette, and restored it and its vineyards to superb condition.

Alain Dominique Perrin (formerly CEO of Cartier -- now part of the Swiss luxury goods group Richemont) and his wife, Marie-Thérèse, are still considered "newcomers" to the region, having lived there less than 25 years. In 2003 they put on one big party to celebrate the 500th year of winemaking at their Chateaux. According to the Wine Spectator, during the two day party:
Guests were treated to a dinner created by three of Cahors' Michelin-starred chefs and paired with the winery's 1998 Château Lagrézette, 1997 Le Pigeonnier and 1999 Cuvée Dame Honneur. After dinner, actors reenacted the château's rich history on the estate grounds, and guests were also entertained by acrobats, fire jugglers, an orchestra and a tremendous fireworks display.
The Pigeonnier wine from LaGrezette is the only wine from the Cahor region to receive a top rating by Parker, and it is a wonderful wine. I import it too, but I hope Mr. V doesn't find that out.
Driving from Switzerland into France recently, we stopped for lunch at Le Pot D'Etain in Danjoutin, a small town near Belfort France. This is the best restaurant in the "Jura" region, and a wonderful example of the "mom and pop" top quality restaurants that one finds traveling in France. Mrs Roy, the wife of the Chef, was there to greet and seat us. With our little "amuse-bouche" the young man who serves the wines introduced himself and asked if I was familiar with the wines of the region, such as those made from the Poulsard and Trousseau grapes. I quickly admitted that I'd never heard of these grapes, but was happy to try the wines made from them.
A white wine, blended from Chardonnay and the local Savagnin grape had a nice fruity nose, a touch of acid, and a smooth finish. It was perfect for a local seafood appetizer. With the lamb course a red wine from the Trousseau grape was interesting and enjoyable, although I wouldn't make a trip to the region just to drink another bottle of it. We don't often see wines from this region in the U.S. so it is a pleasure to taste them when there, and to see the pride the local people have in their local products.
After lunch we visited the local "grotte," an underground cave with an agreeable one-half mile walk through large caverns and over underground rivers. Where can you spend an afternoon like that in California?

ADDITIONAL ARTICLES

A TOUCH OF FRANCE IN HAWAII

HOW WILL IT TASTE?

ROBERT PARKER’S FAVORITE RESTAURANT

LE MENU

WINE IS LIKE MUSIC

QUANTIFICATION

BEAUTIFUL RESTAURANTS IN FRANCE

MONDOVINO

RUSSIAN WINE, WOMEN AND SONG

SERVICE SERVICE SERVICE

NEW HOT SPOTS ON THE WEST SIDE

THE FRENCH LAUNDRY

THE UNION DES GRAND CRUS DE BORDEAUX