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76 / the tasting panel / july 2009 Coast to Coast LOS ANGELES: Food-Friendly Fête In Southern California, the Tour de France alighted at Wolfgang Puck's fl agship Spago Beverly Hills for an extended walk-around tasting followed by a leisurely lunch, Hollywood-style, during which the lines between business and pleasure were dutifully blurred. The food- friendly nature of the entire Deutsch French portfolio made a lasting impression. An early surprise was the enticing non-vintage Pierre Sparr Crémant d'Alsace Brut Rosé, a méthode champenoise bubbly made from 100 percent Pinot Noir. Matched with signature Spago hors-d'oeuvres like the spicy tuna tartare in a seasme-miso cone and ethereal ossetra caviar and crème fraîche mini-sandwiches on brioche, this pink-tinged bubbly proved unpretentious and irresistibly drinkable, getting the event off to a joy- ous start. Although Bernard Sparr was unable to make the tour, the Pierre Sparr wines were admirably presented and explained by Jorge Hernandez, Director of Corporate Education and Training with Deutsch. "Sparr produces many wines that the knowledgeable and dedicated con- noisseur loves to drink," says Hernandez, "especially the grand cru wines." This ninth-generation producer releases up to 37 different wines, depending on the vintage—still and sparkling; dry and sweet; red, rosé and white—something to pair with every food. André Lurton winemaker Vincent Cruège, ac- companied by Lurton's Commercial Director, Philippe Solom, showed off a range of Bordeaux releases, but the wines really came into their own over Spago's sautéed black bass (with the Châ- teau Bonnet 2008 Entre-Deux-Mers Blanc) and Liberty duck breast (with the Château La Lou- vière 2005 Pessac-Léognan Rouge). "Every winemaker thinks he has a secret," quipped Guy Sarton du Jonchay of Vidal-Fleury, "but they all have the same secret." The impor- tant thing, he noted, is to express the vineyard's terroir, and then give the wines enough time to age. The enologist presented the Vidal-Fleury 2007 Côtes du Rhône Rouge, a blend whose miner- ality and herbal tones played beautifully off Spago's wild chanterelle mushroom and pancetta risotto. Wunderkind Loire enolo- gist Pierre-Jean Sauvion, whose sense of humor is as dry as his wines, swears he has wine in his blood from a child- hood fall into a wine tank. The genetic make- up shows in his polished Sauvion 2007 Sancerre. Matched with Spago's tangy mango fritter with roasted pineapple, it proved defi nitively that Sauvignon Blanc can be a dessert wine, even in non-late-harvest versions. —David Gadd Vincent Cruège (left) and Philippe Solom of André Lurton. André Lurton's Château Bonnet wines were charmers. Jorge Hernandez (left) of William Deutsch & Sons shares a glass of Pierre Sparr Brut at Spago with Fred Hakim, owner of L.A.'s Fire- side Cellars and Bottle Rock. Pierre-Jean Sauvion (right) pours his Muscadet for Michael Engelmann, Sommelier at Gary Danko in San Francisco. Engelmann was recently chosen the American Sommelier Association's Best Sommelier in America 2009. PHOTO BY DAVID GADD PHOTO BY DAVID GADD PHOTO BY LANA BORTOLOT PHOTO BY LANA BORTOLOT