Flow
By Jamie Gabrini
This past week, I was cleaning up my apartment on a much-needed day off when I realized my bedroom was boring. It was beyond boring: it was depressing. My bed was obstructing the flow of the room, and Id haphazardly hung art on the walls that had no link or cohesion. I couldnt believe I hadnt realized it before; Id gotten so used to the futon hurriedly flung down when moving in that it hadnt occurred to me to change it. So, I spent the afternoon moving dressers and beds and curtains and paintings until I had a new room. I have to admit that the new perspective was refreshing; with my bed now against a westward wall, I benefit from a full view of the windows and a clear path between my closet and dresser. Its refreshing.
Oddly, I had the same experience with wine this week.
Before moving, Id posted an ad on-line to try to get a tasting group together. I figured that a tasting group would serve two purposes: (1) help me keep up on the variety of wines to which I had access in NYC, and (2) help meet new folks. A very interesting woman named Rachel answered and her sister Sarah wanted in on it as well. Since Rachel was away traveling, Sarah and I met up in early April for a beer and a chat. We got on famously and I was thrilled to be able to get this group going with such cool chicks. They networked among some more friends and we had a lil posse going in no time.
The catch? I was the only one with any experience in wine whatsoever.
Im certainly no expert in wine, Ive met few Id consider as such since theres always a lot more to learn. Still, I didnt know how this would go. Would I be bored by the lack of detailed analysis (since it is all about me at the end of the day)? Would they get sick of hearing me pick things apart (ya know, if I pretend to be all benevolent and concerned for others)?
After a few false starts, we set a date for a Sunday night and we all gathered at Rachel and Sarahs house. We picked Pinot Noir as our theme, and wed planned on tasting blind. When I got there, Sarah and I decided instead it would be helpful to see the bottles and connect the labels with each taste. She had an 04 Pinot from Jackson Triggs in Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada. Id brought Latours 2002 Marsannay. Three others showed up, one bearing Latours 04 Pinot (a basic Bourgogne rouge), one with Jean-Claude Boissets 03 Bourgogne rouge, and one with an 04 Lulu B from the Pays dOc region. I was surprised by the number of French wines we had but was excited to taste through and tease out the differences. Sarah was well-equipped with different tasting note explanations that shed gotten at a professional tasting a few weeks earlier. Before we sampled, I gave a brief overview of Pinot Noir and the areas in which it could be found. We touched on corks vs. screwcaps and I explained the problem of corked wines. We also touched on the controversial 2003 vintage, so I was glad we had a French 03 on-hand.
We began with the Jackson Triggs. We first examined the color and talked about clarity and age; since the Jackson Triggs was young, it was distinctly red with the slightest tinges of pink. Its a medium-bodied Pinot, so it was bright and clear in the glass. We swirled the wine to open up the aromas; cherry was notable with notes of vanilla and a slightly floral quality. On the palate, we found ripe cherry with an admirable dose of earth and black pepper. The vanilla was extremely well-integrated and dissipated quickly. I was surprised by how Burgundian the style was and pleased that the character of the Pinot was allowed to come through.
Next up was Latours 04 Pinot Noir. We discussed the difference between negociants and grower-producers; one of the women studied in the Loire valley and knew many grower-producers, so she offered details on the conditions of smaller producers. After pouring, we noticed a similar color to that of the Jackson Triggs, but slightly deeper, more of a ruby red. Bell pepper was very distinct on the nose with cherry as an after-thought. The flavors were completely in synch with the nose, and was, I felt, a good example of inexpensive, elegant Burgundy.
Jean-Claude Boissets 03, however, was a completely different story. Despite it having a year on Latour, it was still darkly red bordering on purple in the glass. It stayed true to its vintage and was full in body and a ripe, sweet cherry nose. It displayed a fruit-driven palate, with ragged tannins. Amy, one of our cohorts, hissed and scratched the air as a description of the tannins, and I completely agreed. I dont think this will age well, but was definitely styled for more modern tastes.
I was psyched to taste another Latour from a different vintage and a more specified appellation. I made the rounds, pouring for everyone and noted many a wrinkled brow as they sniffed. This smells like a sweaty headband after a long run murmured Sarah. I picked up my glass and was greeted by that wet cardboard we all know and love. Corked! Bummer right? But no it was done on purpose to teach I swear
Last up was Lulu B, a 2004 Pinot from southern France. It was dark in color with very ripe plummy fruit notes on the nose and the palate. There were virtually no other flavors involved and it was very soft and round. Blind, I woulda guessed DuBeouf Beaujolais. Sarah liked it because she noted it was easy to drink and mild. Others nodded in agreement. Rachel noted she much preferred the 04 Latours acidity, to which I agreed. We all picked our fav and had a glass, chatting and nibbling naughty treats (including a donut cake who knew??)
Any misgivings I might have had about being the only wine person were much like my revamped bedroom: I think I needed this much more than Id realized. Its so easy to get caught up in wine-speak that you can forget the basics. Amys scratching tannins were dead-on, as was Sarahs stinky headband. Its also refreshing to be around wine enthusiasts who are completely open to anything and something I should learn. For now, Im really looking forward to our next gathering.
