The SOMM Journal

April / May 2015

Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/490558

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 103 of 112

{ SOMMjournal.com }  103 pairings were the South African Glen Carlou Chardonnay and Lincort Steel Chardonnay from Sta. Rita Hills, California. In fact, as the Glen Carlou, under the foil of #13, hit the table, conversation stopped among the panel and the guttural, ani- mal sounds of culinary pleasure wafted from man and women alike. Everyone searched for the descriptor. "It's the lime," uttered Gene Castellino, Wine Manager of Whitefish Liquor Store, through a slurp of leftover liquor from a Kusshi oyster. "But it's best with the Penn Cove." In fact, if the wine stands well with the Penn Cove Select, oyster it's very likely to play well with many other varieties as well. We had arrived at the true point of discovery. The dynamic "sense of place" so often associated with wine became crystal clear with our oysters. Wines and oysters both rise from the soils they call home while being washed by waters unique to the terrior and cared for by pas- sionate "farmers of flavor." The Lincourt Steel Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills, illustrates the point. The bright flinty Santa Barbara County fruit danced right by other higher- price wines to claim the California title. After much digging, it was also revealed that all the final California wines utilized measureable amounts of Monterey regional fruit. On May 28–30 the International Chardonnay Symposium will be held in Pismo Beach, CA. This happens to be nearly equidistant between these stellar California AVAs. Could it be coincidence that the sense of place for California's oysters and Central Coast Chardonnays are identical? All ten wines selected by this panel can stand the challenge of half-shell oysters. Collectively they offer a profile of fresh, balanced and understated. They also embody the fundamental need for min- erality. However don't look for a secret recipe or for specific viticultural methods or winemaking practices. The final wines stand like a mixed crowd from the county fair. Oak, stainless steel and concrete fermentation and aging vessels are all represented. The ML fermentations used ranged from none to complete. One wine uses 25% Pinot Blanc while another is 2% Grüner Veltliner ; some actually have 100% Chardonnay. Ultimately it is the yin and yang of allure that draws these varied and divergent wines into the company of the most romantic and titillating food in the universe. OYSTERS, MEET YOUR CHARDS: The Winning Wines #2 Joseph Drouhin 2013 Rully Blanc, Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy, France Imported by Dreyfus, Ashby & Co. #4 Francis Ford Coppola 2012 "Sofia" Chardonnay, Monterey County, California #6 Lincourt 2012 "Steel" Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills, California* #8 A to Z Wineworks 2013 Chardonnay, Oregon #10 Joel Gott Wines 2013 Un-oaked Chardonnay, Monterey/Sonoma/Napa, California #13 Glen Carlou 2011 Chardonnay, Paarl, South Africa * Imported by The Hess Collection #19 Mouton Noir 2012 "Oregogne" Chardonnay, Willamette Valley, Oregon #22 Tiefenbrunner 2013 Chardonnay, Alto-Adige DOC, Italy Imported by Winebow #26 Domaine Romain Collet 2011 Chablis, 1er Cru Vaillons, France Imported by APS #27 Jean-Jacques Vincent 2011 "JJ" Bourgogne Blanc, France Imported by Frederick Wildman & Sons * overall group top picks TASTING CONCLUSIONS AND OYSTER-PAIRING GUIDANCE • Fresh, balanced and understated Chardonnays work best. • Full-throttle Chardonnay construction creates painful oyster clash. • Regional overviews don't work; it depends on the individual wine. • Although France won more placements, the wines were most controversial and divisive. • Flavor, while vital, is only barely more valuable than mouthfeel. • Price is absolutely no indicator of suitability. • Restaurant programs must be developed with wines and oysters intimately together. • Ranking of wines changed dramatically when combined with oysters. • Despite double-blind methodology and a large panel, consensus was nearly universal and consistent.

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of The SOMM Journal - April / May 2015