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2007 may be vintage to lift all boats in parts of Italy, France
Here’s a copy of a wine column scheduled to run in Friday’s (5-29-09) Dayton Daily News:
Early indications suggest there’s a fine vintage for red wines fermenting in some key growing areas of Italy and France — and it may be the kind of across-the-board excellence that elevates even the most humble (and comparatively inexpensive) bottlings to unexpected heights.
That was one overrriding impression from the 20th anniversary celebration hosted by the wine importer and distributor Vintner Select earlier this month at its temperature-controlled Mason warehouse. The anniversary turned out to be quite a gathering: more than 20 winemakers from around the world, including several who flew in from Italy, were on hand to pour and discuss their wines, some of which are not yet available in the U.S. (Vintner Select distributes wine in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana). Representatives of wine shops, restaurants and grocers from throughout Ohio and the tri-state attended, and Vintner brought in Cincinnati chef Jean-Robert de Cavel and local food producers to provide food for the event.
The producers and winemakers who traveled to Ohio from Italy were pouring samples of high-end reds from Piedmont, Tuscany and every other corner of the country. Barolo producers such as Cavallotto, Manzone and Mauro Molino sampled multiple Barolos, most of them in the $40 to $80 range, and most coming from the 2005 vintage, with a handful of 2001s, 2003s and 2004s mixed in. The wines were young, tannic and immensely promising.
But it was the humbler bottlings from those and other Italian producers from the 2007 vintage that hit my sweet spot, especially for value.
In Piedmont, Barolo producers often plant the prized Nebbiolo grapes in the south-facing slopes and other best vineyard sites, and plant either Dolcetto or Barbera grapes in the areas not considered to be the most advantageous. Yet, in the ‘07 vintage, those Dolcettos and Barberas positively shine with bright, concentrated fruit and fine balance. Same goes with the Nebbiolo-based wines from the Langhe region, which produces the equivalent of poor-man’s Barolo.
Wines such as the Cavallotto 2007 Dolcetto d’Alba Scot ($17.99) and the Mauro Molino 2007 Mauro Molino Barbera d’Alba ($17.99) were spot-on examples of their grape varietals, are drinking great now, but will improve with short-term aging.
There’s a similar phenomenon occurring in the Rhone region of France, where the 2007 vintage has gotten some rave reviews, and the early indications are those raves are well-deserved. I’m a fan of Cotes-du-Rhone wines — the least expensive from the region that produces legendary and pricey wines such as Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Hermitage and Cote-Rotie — and every one of the half-dozen or so ‘07s I’ve tried have been flavorful, concentrated and well-balanced — much like the aforementioned Italian reds from the same vintage.
The best of the bunch so far is the 2007 Delas Cotes-du-Rhone Saint-Esprit Syrah and Grenache, a fruity, peppery red-wine bargain at $12.99.
In Italy, the ‘07 Barolos still require some time in barrel before they can be released. But based on the quality of their less-expensive stablemates from the same vintage, one can only imagine the quality resting comfortably in the caves and wineries of Piedmont. Same goes for the ‘07 Chateauneufs from the Rhone. If the monetary exchange rate cooperates, this may be a vintage to remember — and to enjoy for years go come.
Wine Update of the Week: Back in March, we told you about Red Truck Wines’ three-liter Mini-Barrel. The barrels — which contains the equivalent of four standard-sized (750 ml) bottles —weren’t available in Ohio at the time the parent company announced them, but they’re now available at several Dayton-area wine shops for $29.99, not counting a $3 mail-in rebate coupon that should be available at the retail outlets, according to John Davis, who works for the wine’s distributor. The wine is a blend of a blend of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot.
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