National Tasting Project 2013 Rhône Style Wines Single Varietal or Blend of Many?
National Tasting Committee Rege Duralia Chairperson North Carolina Contact for questions and other inquiries: ntp@americanwinesociety.org 828-396-1601 Aaron Mandel Missouri Barry St. Pierre Connecticut Carla Head Arizona Dave Szydlik Texas Kristin Kraft Pennsylvania Ken and Barb Stinger Oregon Luca Conte Kentucky Pam Davey Results Summary Ohio Contact for inquiries about the Reporting Sheet pamdavey@aol.com 440-708-0518 Page 2 of 11
National Tasting Project 2013 Rhône Style Wines Single Varietal or Blend of Many Special Note: In an effort to combat the fragmented and often confusing wine distribution system in the US, this year the NTP committee has made arrangements with wine.com to source the wines for the Tasting Project. Because wine moves through their warehouses quickly, they cannot guarantee availability beyond May 30 th. Even if you plan to hold the tasting later on this year, order wines NOW. History, Regions, Wine Making and other Tidbits about Rhône Style Wines The Rhône River Valley of France The Rhône River has its beginning in the Alps of Switzerland. South of its juncture with the Saône at Lyon is the beginning of the wine production in the Rhône valley of France known for its superlative wines. The Rhône valley is divided into the Northern and Southern regions. Wine has certainly been made in the Rhône Valley since AD 71 and possibly before then. However, the origination of the Syrah and Viognier grape in the northern region is not certain. There are three theories: Syrah was imported by Phoenicians from Persia which would make it a relative of Shiraz as the grape was known there; a second alternative is that Syrah derives its name from Syracuse and it was brought to the valley by Roman legions; the last theory is that the grape established itself in the valley and grew wild. Viognier was probably brought by the Roman legions. The earliest records of wine trade date to the 14 th century. The valley came into prominence in the 1980s as a producer of serious great reds. A little known bit of irony is that Rhône wines were added to the wines of Burgundy and Bordeaux to flesh them out, color them and deepen their flavors. When the Papal court of the Catholic Church moved to Avignon, the court drank the Rhône valley wines as well as those of Burgundy. So they must have been acceptable because the clergy continued to consume them. Page 3 of 11
In the Northern region Syrah is the only red grape permitted in the wines. Viognier is one of the white grapes grown in this region. The others are Marsanne and Roussane. In this portion of the valley the grapes are grown on steep hillsides to take advantage of sun exposure because the climate is very harsh in winter so the sun exposure helps the vines survive the winter. The steep slopes makes working with the vines difficult and all vine growing is accomplished by families working a family holding. About half of the wine is bottled by merchants, such as, Guigal, Jaboulet, Chapoutier and Delas. Production here is focused on the fine wine connoisseur. Viognier wine is produced in the Condrieu and Chateau Grillet appellations each producing a distinctive style. Thomas Jefferson recognized the latter in the late 18 th century. Condrieu is known for its distinctive aroma and full body but rather short life. Chateau Grillet is characterized by a restrained, taut, longer living wine. An interesting blend allowed in the Côte Rôtie appellation is Syrah with as much as 20% Viognier which produces a wine for early consumption although legend has it, the best Côte Rôtie is a blend of the two. In Crozes-Hermitage in addition to Syrah wine a full body white wine is produced from blends of Marsanne and Roussane. Also, up to 15% of the white grapes may be added to red at fermentation. The best red Crozes can be kept for 5 to 10 years but the average is best drunk young. The Southern Rhône region is distinctly different with a milder Mediterranean climate and a flatter countryside covered by smooth rolled stones which retain heat to hasten ripening and reduce moisture evaporation from the soil underneath. They do, however, make working the vineyards painstakingly slow. Most wines are blends which sometimes can be composed of as many as 13 wines and can be either white and/ or red. Seventy percent of the wine production is done by cooperatives. The predominant red grapes are Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre, Cinsault and Carignan. Predominant white grapes are Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Roussane and Viognier. Therefore, these wines can be very multifaceted compared to the Northern Rhône wines. Chateauneuf-du-Pape is probably the most widely know appellation in the south. Some others are Gigondas, Lirac, Vacqueyras, and Tavel. More wine is made in the Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation than in all of the Northern Rhône. Vineyard yield is closely controlled and very little new oak is used in the process. Grenache is sensitive to oxidation so wooden barrels are not conducive to the process. Large old barrels are used for making Syrah and Mouvedre. The top reds of Chateauneuf du Pape set the bar for the other Southern Rhône wines which is a penetrating, dense, sassy wine with earthy and gamy flavors. To the northwest of Chateauneuf-du-Pape is Gigondas an appellation where the wines are more muscular and tough with explosive aromas and flavors and a totally different personality than Cahteauneuf-du-Pape. Grenache cannot be more than 80% with no less than 15% Syrah/ Mouvedre blended and the remainder is often Cinsault. South of Gigondas is the appellation of Vacqueyras. The wines are sturdy and bold and the best smell and taste like the land itself. Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre and Cinsault are the predominant grapes with the weighting in the blend towards Syrah. Also included in the Southern Rhône is the Tavel appellation known for its bone-dry Rosé which is intended to be drunk young. Grenache is the primary ingredient blended with other red and white grapes and produced by carbonic maceration. Each winemaker is at liberty to choose the particular blend. Côtes-du-Rhône comprises a large portion of the Rhone valley mostly in the southern region. A good portion of the production is focused on low cost wine at a commodity level. In the south the grapes are the same as used for Chateauneuf-du-Pape with Grenache dominating while the northern version is Page 4 of 11
composed of Syrah but any blends are decided by the nègociants or co-operatives that produce them. There are, however, some producers that strive for age worthiness and quality throughout the Côtesdu-Rhône Côtes-du-Rhône Villages is another large appellation in the southern region which represents a step up from the wines of Côtes-du-Rhône but the quality of the wines produced in the Côtes-du-Rhône and Côtes-du-Rhône Villages varies all over the board with some just outstandingly exceptional. Some of the small producers in these two appellations are the innovative types. Because the winemaking rules of the two regions are comparatively flexible, any of the Rhône grapes may be used and there are many terroirs to choose from, the winemakers are out to produce a quality product so some good values can be found. California, Washington and the Rhone Rangers In the 1970s Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon dominated the wine landscape in California. In the mid 1980s a group of maverick winemakers led by Bob Lindquist of Qupé and Randall Graham of Bonny Doon Vineyard decided to produce Rhône style wines. Mouvedre (a.k.a Mataro), Syrah and Grenache had all been planted in the19th century. The efforts of the Rhone Rangers to resurrect these vineyards and produce wine were regarded by some as providing welcome alternatives to Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Lake County Amador County Twelve of the Rhône grapes are planted in the United States, including the best-known Syrah and Viognier, the up and coming Mourvèdre, Grenache, Roussanne and Marsanne, and the truly obscure (but delicious) Counoise, Cinsaut, Grenache Blanc and Picpoul. Plus Petite Sirah, whose parentage places it clearly in the Rhone. Perhaps most exciting, most of these grapes play well with others, and most Rhone Rangers wineries produce blends as well as single-varietal wines. Santa Ynez Valley Today there are 205 member wineries most of which are in California with the states of Washington, New York, Virginia, Idaho, Michigan and Oregon also represented. In California production ranges from the Santa Ynez Valley in the south to Lake County in the north and east to Amador County and the Sierra Foothills. Although Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah are of primary focus in Washington, other Rhône grapes are grown and blending is practiced by several wineries. Rhône style wine growing regions in Washington include the Columbia Valley, Walla Walla and Red Mountain. (See next page) Page 5 of 11
Columbia Valley Washington Red Mountain Oregon Walla Walla Australia Unlike the French Appellation d Origine Contrôlée Laws, Australia has very few rules about wine making. There are regulations governing viticultural regions and bottle labeling. Of particular interest are the following regulations: If a single grape variety is named on the label, 85% of the wine must be of that variety If two wines are used in a blend and neither represents 85% of the total, both grapes must be listed in the order of percentage included and the percentage must be stated If an area, district or region is named on a label, 85% if the wine must be from that place The winemakers are at liberty to experiment with many different techniques, one of which is selecting and blending the same grape from many regions to produce consistency of their wine year to year. Their main philosophy is to preserve the fruitiness with a delicacy of touch which results in mouth filling red wines that appeal to the heart as much as the mind. The other gift to winemaking are the flying winemakers who travel around the globe taking their ideas and technology along with them to wine growing areas in emerging wine nations and some of the underachieving areas of Europe. Grenache, Carignan and Mouvedre were brought to Australia late in 1831 and were planted in South Australia. The major wine growing and producing regions are Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia in the east and Western Australia. Of these regions Shiraz (Syrah) is grown in the Margaret River Valley (W. Australia), Barossa, Eden and Clare valleys (S, Australia), Goulbourn Valley (Victoria) and Hunter Valley (New S. Wales). Grenache is grown in the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. Mouvedre is also grown in the Barossa valley. One of the most legendary, and expensive, Australian wines is Penfolds Grange that is composed of 100% Shiraz except in some years, depending on the character of the Shirazes, a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon may be added. (See the map on next page) Page 6 of 11
Margaret River Barossa, Clare & Eden Valleys; McLaren Vale Goulburn Valley Hunter Valley Spain The Rhône style wines of Spain are produced in Catalona which borders on France in the northeastern part of the country. Vines have been growing in this region since before the arrival of the Romans in a region known at Priorato just west of Tarragona. These red wines are know for their intense, inky color, massive structure, high alcohol and tannin. Theit characteristics come from the low yielding gnarled old vines plus the intensely hot days and cool nights. Garnacha (Grenache), and Cariñena (Carignan) are the primary grapes while Syrah is a mnor grape used for blending. France Spain Priorato Note: The above information was excerpted from : MacNeil, Karen, The Wine Bible Workman Publishing Co, September 2001 Johnson, Hugh and Robinson, Jancis, The World Atlas of Wine 2001 Ed., Octopus Publishing Group Robinson, Jancis, Editor, The Oxford companion to Wine, 2 nd Ed., Oxford Univesity Press, 1999 Page 7 of 11
Wines Rhône Style Tasting Instructions For the Presenter Aperitif wine(s) Since this is a red wine tasting, a white wine would be nice to have as an aperitif. This is not a requirement, but is a pleasant way to start the event. Select a simple, affordable white wine such as a Sparkling Wine, Pinot Grigio, or a Sauvignon Blanc. Choose any white wine you wish that fits in your budget. This is a great social starter and can cleanse the palate in preparation for the Rhône Style tasting. Rhône Style wines for the tasting See the list of wines on pages 12-16. Taste the wines blind and in random order do not arrange the wines by region, cost or how you expect them to taste. Toss a die, draw cards or draw slips of paper to determine the tasting order. Pages 3 7 could be copied as a handout for the attendees to read during the judging process. For the tasting you will select 6 wines from the list of 15 wines on pages 16-17. Choose the following wines o The white Rhône o One wine from California, Australia and Spain o Two wines from France (One each from the Northern and Southern Rhône) If you cannot order from wine.com and are unable to obtain a wine from each region, please call Rege to sort things out. Purchase the vintages listed, if possible. They are the most recent available as of this time. The number of bottles of each wine that you will need depends on the number of participants at the tasting and how carefully the wines are poured. There are 25.6 ounces of wine in a 750 ml bottle. If you pour 1-1½ ounces of wine per person, you can get approximately 16-20 pours per bottle. Note: Arrangements have been made with wine.com to furnish the listed wines. See the ordering instructions beginning on page 16. Availability of wines cannot be guaranteed beyond May 30 th. Order NOW! For optimal flavor and aroma, serve the red wines at about 65 F (cellar temperature). Blind Tasting Preparation Do not reveal the wines, their prices, or the Winemaker s notes to the participants before the tasting. Supplies Needed Paper bags long enough to cover the bottles Page 8 of 11
Tape Marking pen Corkscrew Extra blank corks (opt.) Instructions 1. The wines should be tasted in random order. Do not arrange wines by region or cost mix them up! We want to give all the wines a fair chance in the ratings. 2. Remove the capsules from the bottles completely. 3. Number the bags, keeping track of which wine is in each bag number. 4. One to two hours before the tasting, open the wines to allow them to breathe. Hide the corks or screw caps. 5. Place each bottle in the proper numbered paper bag to correspond with your list and tape the bag shut near the top so the wine cannot be identified. Conducting the Blind Tasting Supplies Needed Prepared wines for the blind tasting One wine glass per person or the tasting can be done in flights of either two or three AWS Scoring Sheets (download from the AWS website*) Pens/pencils Presentation information and materials and your own research. Reporting instructions and summary form (download from the AWS website*) Instructions: 1. Review the tasting instructions, background material and reporting information before the tasting. Pages 3-7 could be copied for use or reference by the participants during the judging process. 2. It is important that each participant use an AWS scoring sheet to write down descriptors and scores. Encourage everyone to score the wines. Only full and half points should be used when scoring the wines. Remind the participants to assume a wine is worth 20 points and deduct for the characteristics that do not meet the judging attribute descriptions on the back of the scoring sheet. 3. If someone is an AWS Graduate Wine Judge, he/she needs to mark GWJ in the upper right hand corner of the scoring sheet. It is important for proper analysis that judge status is identified. 4. Prior to the formal tasting, or during the social period, educate the participants with the background information provided or your own research on Pinot Noir wines. 5. Ask the volunteers to pour the first wine (Bag #1). Allow a few minutes for everyone to taste, score and write comments before proceeding to the next wine. Then, pour the next wine (Bag #2) and allow time for evaluation. Continue until all 6 wines have been poured and sampled. 6. We highly recommend that the tasting be conducted with no discussion so each participant can form his/her own opinions. Once all the wines are tasted and scored, you can reveal the wines and encourage discussion about them. Introduce the Winemakers notes (pages 12-16) as aids to discussion. Page 9 of 11
7. When the tasting is finished, collect all the scoring sheets. Follow the instructions provided for reporting the results (see below). If desired, tasting forms can be returned to the attendees after the results have been tabulated. 8. The reporting form should be completed on a computer using Excel and e-mailed to Pam Davey within 2 weeks of the tasting. All results must be received by October 15. 9. Please contact Rege Duralia if you have any questions about the wines or conducting the tasting. Have a great tasting and enjoy the wines! How to Report Your Results The person who completes the reporting form needs to have a computer with Microsoft Excel and internet access. Go to the AWS Website Education & Training National Tasting Project to download the 2013 Reporting Form. Each attendee uses the AWS 20-point scoring sheet to record their scores. The scoring sheet can be downloaded from the AWS website. A sample Reporting Form is included with this package. The actual Reporting Form must be downloaded from the AWS Website. Only full and half points should be used when scoring the wines. At the end of the tasting, collect the attendees forms and record the results on the reporting sheets. Please report the results to us within 2 weeks of your tasting. We must receive all data by October 15 in order to include it in the final report. Please record the scores for each taster on the reporting form do not send totals or table summaries. We do not need the participants names, just the scores. If tasters do not want to have their scores recorded, please do include them in the number of all attendees.. Use Microsoft Excel to fill out the summary form. Use only the 2013 Reporting form that you download from the AWS website (www.americanwinesociety.org). Please do not make your own form or use ones from previous NTPs. If you have any questions, contact Pam Davey by email (pamdavey@aol.com) or phone (216-337-2323). Completing the Form Using Microsoft Excel, fill out the Chapter and Wine Information sections page on Page 1. In the Wines section, enter the wine number or select it from the dropdown box. The vintage and wine name will be automatically filled in. Change the vintage, if necessary and enter the cost for each wine. In the Results section, mark Y(es) or N(o) to designate whether the taster is an AWS Graduate Wine Judge. Then, record the scores for each wine. Please remember to include scores for all tasters, rather than summary information. Note that you MUST enter a Y or N or the average scores will not be correct. The sheet is protected so you cannot accidently put information into the header cells.the next page of this package shows an example of how to summarize the results. Submitting the Results When you have completed filling in the worksheet, please go to the AWS website and record your results there. We will be providing you with a link to the NTP reporting area and more directions Page 10 of 11
soon. If you have problems submitting the data on the website, please email your spreadsheet to pamdavey@aol.com. Please put your results on the website (or email them to Pam) within 2 weeks of your tasting. We would also like to receive any comments you have on the tasting, plus good quality pictures of your event. Please submit comments and pictures to Pam so we can include them in the final report. Thank you for your participation. Enjoy the tasting and call or e-mail Pam Davey if you are having any problems completing the form or submitting your results. Page 11 of 11