After the whites, the reds! In my previous column, I delivered the first part of a quick exploration of the “best-selling” grape varieties of our French terroirs in other wine-growing regions. Sometimes cultivated for a few decades – such as Pinot Noir in Oregon –, sometimes established for more than a century – like Syrah, the world oldest of which would be at Freedom Vineyard, planted in 1843 in the Australian Barossa – these varieties reveal to us traits to both familiar and unique to the lands where they are grown. Here is the continuation of the tour of the globe of the grape varieties that are most requested from me, and the interpretations that I encourage you to taste!
In just a few years, Pinot Noir has imposed itself as the “hit” for an amateur or specialized clientele, young or more seasoned. No need to recall the skill it takes to transcend it, but more and more winegrowers are succeeding as the vines age and viticulture is less systematic.
The American West is fortunate to have many meticulous winegrowers and favorable terroirs, whether in the Willamette Valley or Jason Lett vinifies with exceptional talent the Original Block planted by his father David in 1965 or in the hills of Santa Barbara where Raj Parr et Sashi Moorman created their plot on a unique site on diatomite from which they draw the Memorious cuvée. Eastern Canada is also becoming a mine with the wines of Pervenches or Pearl Morissette. But also look for the wines of the Australian Michael Dhillon (Bindi) in the foothills of the Macedon Ranges.
Cabernet-Sauvignon, although it is less on the rise, still does well when it is neither stewed nor over-oaked: Napa still has a magic class in the hands of Cathy Corison or on the heights of Diamond Creek, and reaches a remarkable finesse in Sonoma when it is vinified by the duo Arnot-Roberts.
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Taste their Clajeux or Montecillo! For fleshy lovers, Ridge Monte Bello, enriched with a touch of Merlot, Petit Verdot and Franc, remains the benchmark for the exceptional terroir of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Down under, the Margaret River with its privileged microclimate offers more sunny but fine nuances to the wines of Vanya Cullen, while the reliefs surrounding Adelaide give richer wines but which age very well – the old Wendourees are unique!
In the family of South-West grape varieties, Malbec is of course revealed in the Argentinian valley of Uco with the plots of Sebastian Zuccardi and D’High Antswhile the more confidential projects of Canopus or Per Se show the delicacy of this grape variety at the foot of the Andes.
The Syrah is not to be outdone and its expressions have progressed enormously. South Africans Chris et Andrea Mullineux produce wines with a Rhone touch on the palate: Granite, Schist, Iron are musts. In the United States, the pioneer Edmunds St. John or the innovators Pax Mahle, Enfield et Failla reach stunning dark fruity/spice/noble vegetal balances, just like Mac Forbes in Australia’s Yarra Valley (his pinots are admirable).
Let’s finish with the Gamay which has regained popularity: that of Nick Mills in Rippon on the majestic shores of Lake Wanaka in New Zealand is a must, as is that of Bow & Arrow in Oregon or, closer to France, the chiselled cuvée of Christophe Abbet on the Valais granites of Martigny and Fully. Nice exploring!
Find this article in La Revue du vin de France from December-January, on newsstands November 30. If you are not subscribed, subscribe to consult the magazine and our files online.