Water into Wino

Hungary for Wine

Every time I go into a generic wine or liquor store for the first time I will scour every shelf for that one bottle. The forgotten wine that the average consumer has no interest in. The wine that lacks marketability. The bottle that has a layer of dust on it. I am looking for that under $10 wine that should have sold out two years ago. In NYC there are thousands of liquor stores that carry some random ass wines. Last year over the course of a few months I bought up all the Agriolas Vallone Salice Salentino reserve 2000 bottles at my local shop. The 2000 vintage in Puglia is a great one and this wine opened me up to southern Italian wines. A good find I dare say.

Since my ongoing Can Franc delirium started, I always check for it in every store. Most likely I will find a Californian, and here in NY you might find a Long Island version in stock. The wine boutiques carry a few French Loire Valley bottles, and if I'm lucky, some Friulian Franc from Italy. A recent search on the web brought me to a Vinography entry about a Hungarian Cab Franc. At $80 it's a bottle that one will have to remain a dream. But, the knowledge of this varietal being grown in Hungary is priceless info that I've reserved some brain cells for.

Finding good wine is easy. Finding wine that you can drink any day for under $10 and still have that excitement about the varietal is another thing altogether. With more popular varietals like Cabernet or Syrah, you can find a number of wines from new world producers under $10. The not so popular Cab Franc, at least on the east coast, is more of a boutique varietal. This leads to $20 price tags and a not so easy find unless you are shopping in a wine specialty store. So I'm always looking for one under a ten spot. You can imagine my excitement when I found this bottle at a liquor store I checked out the other day.

Craftsman Cabernet Franc 2003
Hungary, Szekszard ($9)

You can't miss the pink label on this one. The Szekszard region is not something you see everyday either. Apparently the grapes are from there and it's bottled at Hilltop Neszmely Vineyards. It's 100% Cab Franc and aged for a year in Hungarian oak barrels. The 12.9% alcohol is at level that I like, not too high or low. Ruby red color. Cherries and strawberries on the nose. Tart cherry flavor with a slight herbal tinge. Juicy texture with a quick finish. Feels light bodied in mouth. I can't really tell that its been in oak. Overall not bad. Obviously not a $20 bottle. It's sufficient for a dinner wine though. My girlfriend loved it. My grade: B

It's what you don't buy that counts.

Pindar Cabernet Franc 2000 New York
Long Island (Peconic) ($15)

The way things have been going lately, I should probably just classify my blog as "wines not to buy." I don't like writing negative criticisms and I try to avoid passing sweeping judgments of a winery based on a single bottle. In this case I feel I should write something because I believe that people do make judgments of Long Island wines by the wine they can get their hands, which in most cases, is Pindar. Oh, and yeah, my girlfriend called me out on the subject with her last comment here. She gave me a lot of shite about bringing home an undrinkable wine with her hard earned $10.

Pindar Vineyards has a huge selection of wine. You can buy their wines on national online wine stores. If a local liquor store has one Long Island vineyard from which to choose, it's usually Pindar. I've visited the winery a few times and can't complain about their free tasting practices. It has the largest tasting area of any I have been to. When my girlfriend and I have been there, we are usually shoulder to shoulder with people who act they're on a frat party field trip. Anyway, the last time we were there, it was loud. Many high fives were given. I think I almost saw a couple cat fights break out -- seriously. We brought a friend that we know from our days at "The U" (of Miami) that was more interested in the pouring chick's low cut jeans, which left nothing to the imagination, than the wine. Needless to say we had polished off a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc ( yum! ) at Osprey's Dominion and biked ourselves from winery to winery already.

So. I had several of their reds and came to a conclusion that they all had this certain taste that identified them as Pindar. It's hard to pinpoint, but there was something that bled into each of the wines I tasted. The one I enjoyed the most was a non-vintage red blend called Pythagoras, a blend of Cab Sav, Cab Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. It's low in tannins and seems to have a complexity that I do not expect in a medium to light bodied non-vintage blend. I found the Pythagoras for $10 at my "take fifty steps and make a right for fifteen more steps" NYC liquor store and was pleased with the price to enjoyment ratio.

The other night I went back to the same store with a $10 purchase on the mind. Turns out they had a Pindar Cabernet Franc 2000 for the same price. It lists for $15, so I thought that if it tasted half as good as other L.I. Cab Francs I've had, it would be well worth it. Surprise surprise.. I was wrong. It was turned. Poured it down the drain and opened a bottle from the cellar. It could be that the 2000 just can't be expected to age gracefully. Maybe the liquor store's storage methods leave something to be desired. Maybe it's just a bad wine, but I doubt it. Chances are you've already visited Lenn's Long Island vines, wines, and dines blog, but if not, go there forthwith to open your mind to the best L.I. has to offer.

Since I keep trying wines I've never had, I often take a chance and skip the wine I know I will enjoy. I guess it's just the risk I take for science. Not only that, my garage sale mentality of "hey, this bottle is only half its retail price" is not fit for the wine store. As I write this I am drinking a Red Hook ESB beer. At $1 a bottle it's so satisfying. Next week Astor Wines has a 25% off sale on Italian, German, French, Austrian and Greek wines. I am going to help them clear out some wines for their new store that opens next month. Any suggestions?

What's this Chatter about?

Chatter Creek Cabernet Franc 2001
Washington State, Alder Ridge Vineyard ($18)

My Cabernet Franc problem has taken me to another corner of this great land we call America. I haven't been trying the California Francs because of their high alcohol content and I just don't want a Franc that is as big as a Cab Sav. I picked this one up in western NY at Premier Liquors which has a huge selection for those Buffalo Bill loving, chicken wing eating, all around good folk up there. I'm sure I'm the only dork that gets excited about a Washington State Cab Franc in that area.

Aromas of tea and green vegetables. Palate struggled to show ripe fruit, but a hint of plum and some blackberries peeked around the licorice and cocoa flavor. The finish was uneventful and bland. Was very similar to the Arizona Ice Tea with plum and ginseg. Too bad I didn't pay the $1.50 for an ice tea instead of the $18 for this bottle. Turns out my love of Cabernet Franc may be not so unconditional. The ones with Long Island accents seem to be the most enjoyable so far, along with the one Friulian bottle I've had. My grade: C+

A diamond in the rough?

Too good to be true?

I recently picked up a bottle at Warehouse Wine and Spirits in Manhattan. I usually stop in on my way to Astor wines just to see if there are any obvious bargains. My attention was drawn to a french Cab Franc marked down to $6 from $12. This table wine from the 1999 vintage suckered me into a purchase based on blind hope and faith that a wine store wouldn't sell wine gone bad. I figured that if I could just get a simple dinner wine for $6 it would be worth it. My Cab Franc explorations has made me naively optimistic about any bottle I come across.

I schlept the wine around the city all day, took it home and opened it with dinner. Smelled alright. At first it tasted ok. Then it broke down into a bunch of rancid flavors that scattered like roaches across my taste buds. My fear of the 1999 vintage's age was just. My sink seemed to enjoy it though, it went down smooth and quick. I was only out $6 and wasn't too surprised, but it left me wondering. Are there wine bargains? Have you ever found a bottle marked down to almost half its price and been satisfied with its contents? What about those "last bottle" mark downs? Any luck with these?

Dr. Konstantin Frank Cabernet NV

Dr. Konstantin Frank Cabernet NV
New York, Finger Lakes, Keuka Lake ($17)

If you live outside of New York state, you may not have ever heard of Dr. Konstantin Frank. That's alright because he probably hasn't heard of you either. Apparently he was truly a pioneer in making Vitis Vinifera (European grapes) possible in the Finger Lakes region. Long story short, he believed that a lack of proper rootstocks, not the cold climate, was the reason for failure of Vitis Vinifera in this area. He and winemaker Charles Fournier found a "hardy" rootstock onto which they grafted Vinifera grapes and started a revolution. He quickly earned a reputation for his quality Rieslings, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gewurstraminer, and even Cabernet Sauvignon. A few hundred medals later, Dr. Frank was inducted into the Wine Spectator "Hall of Fame".

My love of reds and interest in trying the wines of my home state led me to pick up this non vintage bottle of Cabernet consisting of 54% Merlot, 26% Cab Franc, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is light-medium bodied, well balanced, and a great food wine. Subtle flavors of blackberry and chocolate are evident, with a touch of pepper. Clean finish that is not as long as I would want for the price, but perfect for the dinner table. This bottle is of limited release, and isn't the best example of the quality wine winning critics over from this winery. My grade: B-

Girolamo Dorigo Cabernet Franc 2003

Girolamo Dorigo Cabernet Franc 2003
Italy, Colli Orientali del Friuli ($18)

Last week I mentioned my quest to try Cabernet Franc from all over the world. Since I have grown to love the Cab Francs from the North Fork of Long Island, my desire to figure out what makes a quality one from an average one, a green tasting to a fully ripened one, has motivated my passion. My awareness of Friulian red wines came from a friend's suggestion of trying some of the Merlots being made there. Turns out that many of the same wineries produce Cab Franc as well. I found this one at the Chelsea Wine Vault on the day they had a large tasting to celebrate their 8th anniversary.

Girolamo Dorigo has owned this vineyard since 1966 in the northeast where Italy meets Slovenia. He has gained notoriety from his Montsclapade wine that is basically a Bordeaux blend of Cab Sav, Cab Franc, and Merlot. Only recently did he realize the possibilities of growing the Franc as a monovarietal. I believe this is an example of the first results. The grapes are harvested late to reduce any green notes associated with this grape, and it is aged in oak for eleven months.

This wine has that spicy aroma I love in Cab Franc. Purple in color. Feels quite soft and smooth with taste of cherries and dark berries. Very mellow and earthy. All in all its quite similar to the Cab Francs of Long Island. Delicious! I drank this bottle with a very unsophisticated meatball topped pizza. It went well but I should have maybe just had a cheese pizza to really get a feel for this wine. I will be buying more of this same vintage asap. Better not get in my way! My grade: A-

Franc Obsession

My move to New York has created a new obsession for wine...Cabernet Franc. A few trips to the Northfork of Long Island and I was hooked. Since then I seem to notice every Cab Franc my wine stores stock. Even when I go in for lets say, Shiraz, I may end up with a Cab Franc and a geeked out desire to find out any information I can about the wine. With this I am going to taste several over the next few months and post about them here. I would appreciate any comments and suggestions you'll have.

Cousin-Leduc Anjou Pur Breton 2003 France,
Loire Valley ($13)

My intention of going right to the source of this grape led me to the Loire region of France, and by this I mean the Loire section at Astor Wines. With a little help from the staff I found this bottle, imported by Jenny & Francios, labeled "Pur Breton" and designated as being organic. Since it was 100% Cab Franc and only $13, it would be a good start on my quest for knowledge.

This wine was unlike anything else I had tasted. The dark red color and silky texture was appealing. The nose was very herbal and mossy with some fruit undertones. I tasted cherries but I could not recognize the other fruit as it was too complex for my immature palate. Very earthy, like lying down on the forest floor munching wild berries is the visual my imagination concocted.

I enjoyed this wine but not for the same reasons I liked the same grape grown on Long Island. I don't think it pairs as well with all types of foods. It isn't as crisp and straightforward either. It was very elusive and ever changing with every sip. I liked it for the same reason I like a David Lynch film. After its over I don't know if I loved it, understood it, or could explain the plot to others, but I can't stop thinking about it. I'd love to try this again after my palate matures. My grade: B