By Diana Rice

Château de Vaugaudry, 2006
Available at: Suburban Wines and Spirits 
Retail price: around $15.99

Exploring the Niche

Ready to branch out beyond the de rigueur offerings of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and pinot noir? You may want to spend some time this summer exploring the niche market of Loire Valley reds, most of which are made from 100 percent cabernet franc.

Although cabernet franc is a relative of cabernet sauvignon, it has its own raison d’être and is produced in several different styles depending on where in the valley you are exploring. The grape tends to grow very well under the same conditions that favor merlot, and not surprisingly it has been blended with merlot to great effect all over Bordeaux’s right bank. So if you’ve had a St.-Emilion or a Pomerol, then you’ve probably had cabernet franc whether you knew it or not.

Château de Vaugaudry, 2006, from the Chinon region, is a marvelous choice to begin to understand the grape. The wine shows a vibrant, youthful purple in the glass, encircled by a saturated, bright pink ring. The nose offers raspberry characteristics supported by an intriguing graphite edginess. The real charm of Château de Vaugaudry, however, is in its balance and mouthfeel. Balance is generated from the interplay between fruit and acidity. Here we see a liveliness and an overall sense of proportion that are exactly where they should be. One component is not outdoing the other. This particular Chinon is also blessed with a mouthfeel that is not too heavy, nor is it too dull in any way. Rather, it is firm, supple and just plain sexy.

In warmer weather Loire cabernet franc can be served with a slight chill. Try placing it in the refrigerator for 5–7 minutes to “wake it up” before serving. Be careful not to overchill it, as doing so will mask the fruit and make the wine taste thin. Bien explorer!

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By Diana Rice



Château Coussin Ste.-Victoire Rosé, 2009
Available at Bedford Wine Merchants
Retail price: around $19.99

It wasn’t an accident that Paul Cézanne chose to spend more than 20 of his most productive years painting the landscapes in and around Mont Ste.-Victoire, in Provence. With charming pink stone walls and tiled farmhouse roofs, and glorious Southern sun that seems to bathe Ste.-Victoire in rich ocher tones, this particular location has inspired and intrigued artists and visitors alike for centuries. The vineyards in the region also do well: the combination of the mountain’s microclimate and its unique red clay and limestone soil, as well as that exceptional sunshine, encourages the grapes to ripen and express their full arsenal of flavors. These are simply nature’s gift to les vignerons provençaux.

A marvelous example of what an AOC Côtes de Provence Ste.-Victoire rosé can be is the 2009 Château Coussin. Lively and fresh, a bit chalky, dry and ultrapale, it is precisely what many are hoping for from a Provençal rosé. During these precious summer months, when we find ourselves lingering with a glass of wine under the stars, on a beach or even on a boat, a chilled rosé is often the perfect wine for the perfect summer moment.

To the eye, Château Coussin is an elegant and crystalline pink. If its exact color were a gemstone, we’d all be coveting the earrings and matching necklace! The nose shows a mélange of berries—strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and even cranberries. The texture is full but not too rich, substantial without being heavy. The blend is 80 percent grenache, 10 percent cinsault and 10 percent Syrah—les cépages traditionnels provençaux.

According to the importer, T. Edwards Wines, Château Coussin, which has been owned by the Sumeire family for many generations, is the largest family-run eco-certified (organic) property in Provence. Sans chemical weed killers or fertilizers, the consumer is enjoying a more natural product of the land.

Fortunately for all of us, whether on canvas or in the glass, both Cézanne and the Sumeire family found a way to express Provence with style and savoir faire.

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By Diana Rice

Château la Coustarelle Grande Cuvée Prestige, 2005

Decanting the Beast

Lately we have seen many popular malbecs from Argentina. But as with numerous New World wines, Argentine malbec is the scion of a classic French grape. Historically malbec has been relied on as a supporting player, giving “backbone” to Bordeaux blends, its dark thick skin adding heft and color. Away from Bordeaux, however, in the region of Cahors (southwestern France) malbec is le roi. The 2005 Cuvée Prestige from Château la Coustarelle is a massive 90 percent malbec, with the remaining 10 percent tannat (itself a cousin to malbec). 

Immediately after opening the bottle, one senses adventure. Initial aromas of vanilla and tobacco, and woodsy notes, seem to explode from the glass, making way for the intriguing and downright gamy barnyard experience that follows. The second wave of aromatics includes suede, saddle leather and horsehide galloping across the palate, running to what I sometimes refer to as the fantasy factory. I imagine the wine's esprit du cheval engaging in a wild chase; lathered stallions gamboling in a bois joli of wildflowers, ferns, oregano and thyme. 

Beware. When a wine combines this much giddyap with substantial tannins, decanting to let the wine aerate is an obvious countermeasure. After one and a half hours in the decanter, l'esprit du cheval had run its course and the wine acquiesced, tannins tamed out of their early rustic nature. One could now enjoy the wine without the need to hold on to a door frame for support. The decanted version brought forward rich flavors of roasted fruits, prunes and leather like that of a well-worn saddle, broken in and comfortable on the palate. Deciding when a wine is ready to drink is a subjective process. If you enjoy the excitement of la chasse, you needn't wait to drink the 2005 La Coustarelle, but decanting it will improve your experience.

Excellent with grilled meat, gamy dishes served with roasted fruit, or rustic pizza topped with fresh oregano and thyme.

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By Diana Rice

Domaine Mardon 2008, Quincy
Available at Morrell Wine
Retail price: around $19.99

Domaine Mardon from Quincy, a very old but lesser-known appellation in the Loire Valley, is a finger-snapping white wine that fills your glass with plenty of attitude. It has all the classic spry minerally style you’d expect from a Loire sauvignon blanc (Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé being its more famous neighbors) but includes a little wow factor: a lush softness surrounding the wine’s more acidic backbone, highlighted with notes of lime zest running wild through it like fireflies on a warm summer evening.

The combination of the vineyard’s sandy, gravelly soil and older vines (80 years and counting) concentrates the flavors, giving Domaine Mardon an impressive density of fruit and mineral characteristics. It has good length on the palate, a lively structure and a clean finish.

This wine seems to know what it is all about. Its quality is obvious but unpretentious. I think of it as my little white dress, the one you can rely on from May to August to deliver a style that is confident with a touch of playfulness. It is the perfect spring wine that you’ll never get tired of, and your friends will wonder where in the world you found this tantalizing little gem.

Try it with a green salad with chèvre, roasted vegetables and light seafood dishes.

By Diana Rice

Mystery Wine

For years Lillet Blanc had been a bit of a mystery. It was a standard member of other people’s wine racks, but I hadn’t a clue why. Was it a holdover from another era, no longer relevant in modern times? Mais non! Apparently James Bond knew something I didn’t when he famously called for this golden beauty to create the “vesper” martini in Casino Royale.

Turns out this seductive wine has enjoyed many worthy incarnations as both an aperitif to stimulate the palate before a meal and a restorative to reinvigorate the morning after (see Corpse Reviver No. 2 in any bartender’s guide). Heureusement, Lillet is now experiencing a bit of its own retro-chic revival.

Made of 85 percent white wine fortified with 15 percent orange liquor, Lillet Blanc was invented in 1872 in Podensac, just south of Bordeaux. The oranges are sourced from former French colonies like Morocco, Tunisia and Haiti. On the nose the wine triggers thoughts of candied orange peel, apricot and rosemary, while the palate is a combination of sweet earthiness with a touch of quinine bitterness. The whole impression is rather sophisticated, not unlike a young Sauternes.

At the casino with 007 or at home on the back porch, you may well enjoy Lillet as an alternative to an ordinary glass of wine before dinner. Try serving it over ice with either a slice of orange or a fresh sprig of mint. It can be shaken or stirred.

Editor's note: Lillet can be purchased at nearly every liquor store across the country and beyond.

By Diana Rice

Xavier Flouret la Victoire 2006
Available at Grand Wine & Liquor
Retail price: $19.99

Victoire . . . Within Reach

Most wine drinkers agree that Bordeaux is the preeminent French wine region (Burgundy enthusiasts, please forgive me). At the high end there are Château Lafite, Margaux and Cheval Blanc, which epitomize the region's power and prestige. Yet their superstar status makes them seem completely out of reach. We ought not let the cachet of Bordeaux be offputting.

The good news is that Bordeaux is also France's largest wine-producing region and offers intriguing wines at all price levels. For example, Xavier Flouret la Victoire 2006, a Premières Côtes de Blaye from Château Haut-Meneau, offers immediate appeal with an easy and elegant style. The wine has a deep, rich garnet color, and the nose telegraphs a host of well-delineated aromas, including dried cherries, vanilla, cloves and cinnamon. The effect is pure, clean and marvelous. Bordeaux's longstanding blending tradition enhances and protects its wines by allowing individual producers the freedom to adjust their blends according to their own particular vines and microclimate. La Victoire, at 60 percent merlot and 40 percent cabernet, finds the right balance between the supple merlot and the more structured cabernet. The result is a beautifully proportioned, medium-bodied Bordeaux with smooth tannins. Credit should always be given to the winemaker (Jacques-Henri Bravard) for showing restraint and knowing when to back off and let the vineyard and grape characteristics take center stage.

With all its elegance and rich mouthfeel, La Victoire gives the impression of an expensive wine; however, at $20 a bottle, it puts victory within reach.

La Victoire 2006 requires no cellaring and should be served with cheese, especially sheep's milk or Alpine cheeses, and lamb or venison flavored with rosemary.

By Diana Rice

Clos du Mont-Olivet, 2007
Available at Mt. Kisco Wines & Spirits
Approximate retail price: $40

Rhône 101

The Rhône Valley, located in southeastern France, produces numerous wines under various Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) designations and is one of France’s largest wine-producing regions. The northern Rhône, famous for its high-quality, brooding reds made almost entirely from the Syrah grape, generally commands higher prices. But the southern Rhône, where blending different grapes is the norm (13 different varieties are permitted), has long been considered the go-to region for value wines—less expensive and ready to enjoy. The labels on Rhône wines are easy to interpret, since they stick to the basics: the producer, the vintage and the area name. Unlike Bordeaux and Burgundy, there is no official classification, or “Cru” system, to memorize or worry about; you will not see terms like “Grand Cru” on Rhône wines.

2007 Clos du Mont-Olivet

A Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the 2007 Clos du Mont-Olivet (from the southern Rhône) is as refined and well crafted as a spectacular stained glass window in a countryside church. Visually we are treated to shades of ruby and violet framed in a watery pink edge around the glass. On the nose, what the old school would call “bouquet” and the newer generation, “aromatics,” the Clos du Mont-Olivet shows off black raspberries, charcoal, mineral and rose petals. I was tempted to dab a drop or two behind my ears.

It is silky on the palate, with a pleasing acidity just to make sure you take notice. And take notice you will, especially if you’re a fan of Rhône wines and the bright cherry liquor essence that some, including this one, are able to achieve.

The southern Rhône is best known for loads of sun and rocky, heat-absorbing soil. Ah, but this is the dilemma. It’s wonderful news for flavor development but presents a challenge for the winemaker, who must prevent overripe fruit from throwing the wine off balance. The Sabon family, owners and winemakers at Clos du Mont-Olivet for generations, have finessed this challenge to create elegant and harmonious wines.

Clos du Mont-Olivet will pair beautifully with pot-au-feu as well as other slow-cooked meat and game dishes.

Fortunately for wine lovers, 2007 was a showstopper of a vintage in the Rhône, which means that in general ’07 Rhônes will be excellent.