Coquerel Din Dins

 

BY ALAN DOUGHTY

A brilliant time was had by all at River Forest Country Club last night, as we featured Coquerel Family Wines of Calistoga. "We" are Stacey Pytlewski, who did all the brainy presentation work, Chef Nathan who killed it with the best multi-course dinner I've ever had, and Middlesbrough native Stewart Boynton, who not only paired the wines perfectly, but also ensured that I was able to get within a mile of a country club without being escorted from the premises.

Coquerel Family Winery sources their grapes from Walnut Wash Vineyard, nestled on the valley floor in the shade of the Mayacamas Mountains. This protection from the afternoon sun, coupled with the exquisitely subtle hand of Bordelaise winemaker Christine Barbe, results in a portfolio of wines that marry the most perfect elements of French elegance and generous Napa fruit.

Their flagship Sauvignon Blanc (Le Petit Coquerel), made entirely from Clone One, bursts with citrus and sweet herbaceous aromas that follow through a crisp yet modestly weighty pallet with touches of stone fruit that took on the sweet richness of the crab meat perfectly.

Coquerel, having inherited Walnut Wash from the Port producing Prager Winery, produces the only Verdelho in Napa Valley. As with the SB, the generous 2024 vintage gives this rare grape extra weight, and in this case, subtle banana flavors that perfectly accompanied the exotic tropical and Thai flavors of the sumptuous sea bass.

For me, their Chinonesque Cabernet Franc was the most French of all of tonight's wines, and is always my number one pick for duck. Red fruited, crunchy and floral, this gorgeous wine's acidic backbone cut through the fattiness of the duck perfectly, whilst the fruit served as an extra element to the chutney and wine reduction.

It was especially gratifying to see country club types guzzle down extra bottles of the Cabernet Sauvignon, as the elegant black cherry flavors, slightly grainy tannins and subtle pencil lead notes are the antithesis of all things "Caymus" - nuff said.

Finally, I still can't get with the red wine with chocolate idea because it distorts the wine too much for me. Salt and vinegar flavours are better on chips. But taken alone, this Petite Sirah, leans more old world Syrah with a touch more velvety texture, than a monolithic purple fruit bomb - more duck please!



 

Finca La Anita

BY ALAN DOUGHTY

Had a smashing day today with Richard Bonvin, winemaker at Mendoza's renowned Finca La Anita.

Founded by enthusiastic equestrian Manuel Mas in Alto Agrelo, within the larger Lujan de Cuyo District, it was the first new winery to reset roots there in 1992 before other big names followed suit - in your face Catena Zapata!

I try not to be "Varietalist, but Malbec often stretches that mantra for me, perhaps because it tends to taste like fish wrapped in violet candy. However, this one is remarkably pleasant. It's velvety and rich, but also bright, showing a blend of both blue and red fruits along with some more balancing savoury notes and sweet herbaceousness. There is still a floral perfumed characteristic in there, but is definitely adequately subdued. Best of all - no fish.

The Cabernet Sauvignon is more structured and brooding, with tons of juicy blackcurrant fruit along with the perfect amount of ripe pyrazine lingering on the finish, showing more coffee notes rather than bell pepper. Definitely an overachiever for the new world Cabernet lover who wants something impressive, but without all that manipulative purple nonsense.

The Petit Verdot on the other hand is joyfully mouthwatering and full of black, blue and perfectly naturally occurring purple fruit. Stacked with enough intensity and weight, yet showing a cutting beam of acidity that needs about 5 pounds of sweet lamb fat to work with (the local standard serving).

The Cabernet Franc is the anomaly for me in the lineup. The varietal wines generally see 12 months of mixed use French and American oak, but the younger Cabernet Franc only sees 9 months. However, there is more oak presence in this wine than any of the others, and it's the sweetness of the American oak that seems to poke through the most. I have absolutely no explanation for this whatsoever, and don't really care, because the result is a beautifully creamy ripe dark fruited version of this grape, that could quite likely risk the ire of cool climate Cab Franc swigging purists. However, it pleases me no end - and I do love me some peppery Bourgueil or wherever funk.

The last wine in the lineup is the Grand Corte. Richard and a fellow winemaker both have a stab at making this blend and then taste them blind in order to avoid a punch up. The 2021 is comprised of 55% Malbec, 20% Cab Sauv, 15% Petit Verdot and 10 % Cab Franc. It really is a lovely, well balanced wine that is no doubt ridiculously versatile with food. It shows more restraint than the rest, but also, having run through the varietal wines first, the parts of it's sum can be identified within the wine if you just concentrate on one at at time. I think this is what complexity is about, or if it isn't, I'm suitably fascinated anyway. All in all, it's an incredibly elegant yet approachable wine fit for whatever South American steakhouse tsunami comes your way.


Easter Past

BY ALAN DOUGHTY

A little delayed, but  Easter happened again, or more importantly for me - lamb versus ham. As sad as that "no contest" is, I still relish the fight to find the wine that pairs perfectly with the sweet and slightly gamy decadence of my favourite protein.

Although the French (from what I have been told) traditionally prefer to take down the odd bottle or two of Bordeaux with a leg of lamb, my default has always been the AOC wines of the Southern Rhone. With their savoury cassis richness and delightful garrigue herbaceousness, it's almost like drinking the perfect marinade.

However, when being in a position of privilege i.e. having a boss that is relentless in pursuing new and almost entirely unknown categories, I am constantly given unexpected options to haul me out of any varietal or regional rut I may find myself in.

Which brings me in my usual long-winded way to the red wines (the whites are ace too) of the Vaud region of Switzerland, or more specifically La Cote; an idyllic wine growing region nestled between the north shore of Lake Geneva and the southern foothills of the Jura Mountains. Although Pinot Noir and Gamay still dominate, these two frisky varietals were always liable to produce an offspring or two in the neighborhood.

So tonight's wine is the inevitable convergence of Gamay and anything that happened to be at hand at the research station at Pully - in this case Reichensteiner. Reichensteiner is a cool climate white grape that does remarkably well in England, and when mated with Gamay, created two offspring different enough to warrant their own distinction - it's almost like they're people.

So here we have a blend from Chateau de Trevelin named "Chambelin" - a name so suited to a type of vinifera, it's stupidly frustrating. However, the blend is two offspring of the aforementioned parents; Gamaret and Garanoir. Gamaret is apparently French Swiss and Garanoir is it's German counterpart. I have no idea how this geopolitical designation came about, so I expect a trip to Alsace may be in order to figure that out.

Anyway, the more brooding Gamaret gives the wine it's black fruited, spicy and structured characteristic, whilst the Garanoir adds fragrance and fruitiness - the combination of which pairs perfectly with the paradoxical sweet meatiness of the lamb. Expect some of the same delights of Cru Beaujolais (soft fruit, distinct structure and mineral) along with a more velvety texture aided by a smidge of creamy new oak.

I am pretty confident that the versatility of this wine or 100% versions of either (yeah I knocked down some pure Gamaret too), will be worth trying with a rich roast chicken dish, pork, duck or even that last placed finisher honey glazed ham, doused in canned pineapple and stuck with so many cloves it looks like a WWII sea mine.

Happy Easter and happy drinking!!