JERMANN PINOT GRIGIO

“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.” …. William A. Foster

Soft, watery, flat, without character, thin.

Zingy, zippy, mouthwatering, with typicity.

That is the obverse and the reverse of the wine coin.  Winemakers, we know, make wine.  And like coins, countless denominations are made across the globe.  But whereas governments can just continue minting non-precious metal coins (what choice do you have?), wineries are often pressured into responding to demands.  Varietals that have captivated the palate of the international marketplace are nudged into quenching the world’s thirst. But varietals are precious. There are no shortcuts to climate, soil composition, yields per acre/hectare.  Wineries not profitable in such a competitive marketplace don’t long remain in business. And the lure of profit is strong.  Sometimes, compromises in quality get made. And winemakers are given suggestions regarding the “facts of life.”  And those “facts” sometimes translate into overproduction.

If you’re of the age to remember the Merlot of California in the 80s and 90’s you’re of age also to remember Sideways (the movie released in October 2004) and what happened to the sale of Merlot afterwards.  It hasn’t happened yet with Pinot Grigio, but it looks to be in the beginning stage.  Too much Pinot Grigio I’ve tasted recently has been of the first type: soft, watery, flat, without character, thin.

I first wrote about Jermann (on my Facebook page) in July of 2018 when I paired it with a luncheon menu of Haddock steaks prepared with a lemon-caper sauce.  Tasting it again a month later, I was still impressed.  Hired to pour this (and other wines) at an event last week, I tasted it again.  Three times at bat. Three home runs. And my opinion was not unshared. The retailer’s stock of this wine was sold out an hour before the 4-hour event ended. That’s a considerable endorsement given the wine’s ARP of $23, higher than most PGs, but also an endorsement of the American consumer’s palate when many PGs are available and priced at under $15.  Let’s consider why that may be:

The winery’s estate vineyards are in Friuli Venezia Giulia in Italy’s north-easternmost region. This is the fifth smallest region in Italy, but despite its size, the region spans a wide variety of climates and landscapes.  From the mild-oceanic in the south to the Alpine-continental in the north.  The hilly area, just south of the mountains and along the central section enjoys a more temperate climate. However, even within this smaller area, there is considerable diversity of terrain.  Walled by the Alps on the north, the region is exposed to air masses from the east and west and from the southerly “Sirocco” blowing in from the Adriatic Sea and capable of bringing heavy rains.  The Jermann winery is tucked into the hills of Friuli Venezia Giulia below the Dolomites with two vineyards: (1) The Rutters Estate in the hilly Collio sub-region where vines are cooled by the Bora wind off the Adriatic Sea promoting grapes with perfume and zesty acidity due to diurnal temperature drops. Soil here is predominantly marlstone and sandstone belonging to the Flysch formation from the Eocene era that gave rise to a rocky substrate and later formed the characteristic “ponca” (marine fossils from the sea bottom brought to the surface by the same tectonic movement that created the Alps).  It is chalky and mineral rich.   (2) the Villanova Estate in the Isonzo sub-region where vines are grown in a permeable gravel, clay and sand soil and where the temperature is moderated by proximity to the sea and the lower Alps.  Clay in the soil here promotes body.

Too much body and the wine becomes too fleshy and flat – no zest!   Not enough body and the wine cracks from its own astringency; is thin and bony.       

Grapes are picked at dawn to preserve freshness and are partially vinified on the skins, then aged in stainless to maintain freshness and aromatics.  In the glass, it shows deep lemon-green.  Most people enjoy aromas of white peach, but (for me) it was lemon first, then fresh cut apple before the peach.  All of this carried onto the palate.  As the wine is allowed to warm, you’ll enjoy a faint suggestion of pineapple.  A curious vegetative note announces too, which I likened to lemongrass and enjoyed.

Of course, all impressions are personal and correct for those experiencing them.  I have to mention, a common one is pear. Others get green apple and a note of tangerine. One mentioned hazelnut; another banana.  But the most common is pear. Any impression is valid for the person experiencing it and if enough people experience the same impression, it’s sufficiently valid for me to mention it too.  But, personally, it’s the finish of this wine that is the “closer”.   Whatever impressions you’ll experience, this wine has concentration and a depth of flavor that is missing in many of the varietal’s companions today.  It offers a racy acidity balanced by fruit that carries throughout the tasting and into a finish I think long for a white wine.

I wrote previously about another Pinot Grigio that I found to offer excellent value in comparison to others within its price category and being priced lower than Jermann.  But if you’re willing to step up some in complexity, I think you’ll find the step up in price worth it.  Sometimes you get even more that what you pay for.

Maybe it’s because this area in Italy (like Alsace in France and other areas worldwide) is multi-cultural; the Friuli Venezia Giulia region being influenced by its history of Austrian, German and Slovenian winemakers.  How people impact the vines (tending & managing) is part of terroir also, as much as where the vines are grown (that part of terroir most people have come to accept).  In a pour into your glass of Jermann’s Pinot Grigio what you will recognize is its uniqueness – a character harder to describe than to appreciate.  One sip and you’ll recognize quality.

Cin-Cin!

………….. Jim

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TECH SPECS & ETC.

Jermann:                                             https://www.jermann.it/

Distributed by:                                    Lux

                                                            https://www.luxwines.com/collection/jermann

Varietal:                                               Pinot Grigio, 100%

TA:                                                      5.6 g/L

Ph:                                                       3.20

RS:                                                       4.0g/L

ALC:                                                    12.5%

Rating: 

James Suckling:                                   91

Robert Parker’s W.A.                           90

Wine Spectator:                                    90

GERARD BERTRAND “THOMAS JEFFERSON” CREMANT DE LIMOUX BRUT ROSE

“Too much of anything is bad. But too much Champagne is just right.” … F. Scott Fitzgerald

I enjoy Champagne. You might say I LOVE it.  But Champagne, by definition, is only made from the grapes of that region within France.  It excludes Crémant (also French).  It excludes Metodo Classico. It does not allow Cava.  Nor is Sparkling Wine allowed membership.  It is - that of Champagne which I crave - expensive and, so for me, not presently allowed as an everyday enjoyment. But to do without “tasting the stars” is inconceivable. 

Then again, some of the best French food is of the bistro sort.  And some of the most enjoyable French wines are those of the Loire.  “Relaxability”.  Casual but elevated.  And so comes Gerard Bertrand of the Languedoc-Roussillon in the south of France.  Blending Chardonnay (70%), Chenin Blanc (15%) and Pinot Noir (15%), with the first and last grapes mentioned being those used in Champagne and with the wine being twice fermented in the bottle (as in Champagne) but with an ARP of only $20, there are differences and differences both to be appreciated.

I’ve enjoyed other of Gerard Bertrand’s still wines before.  So did Thomas Jefferson who stocked his cellar with sparkling wines (Crémant) from the area (Limoux) in Southwest France.  In fact, Limoux was the first area in France to work with sparkling wine.  And it was Don Perignon who learned from the monks there at St Hilaire Abbey about making such wine.  It is that area in Southwest France, where the technique of making sparkling wines was first perfected.   

Of course, the climate is different in Southwest France than that of Champagne in Northeast France.  But Bertrand’s vineyards are maintained in the highest elevations of the area with cool nights assuring the cleansing acidity in the grapes that is so necessary for making quality bubbly.

All the tech aside however, always it comes to what is inside the bottle and I can tell you this.  My son and his significant other joined me for dinner.  I put together a simple meal plan, casual – but elevated. It began with an appetizer of slices of organic tomato, buffalo mozzarella, fresh leaves of basil and a reduction of balsamic di Modena.  Altogether, there were to be five courses and five wines.  I expected to put aside several bottles for enjoyment later. I was wrong.  The Gerard Bertrand “Thomas Jefferson” Crémant De Limoux Brut Rose remained on the table in a chiller and was quickly emptied.  That’s a strong endorsement – not just my opinion.

Casual, but elevated. And so quickly emptied.

 

Apparently, by unanimous agreement.

Salmon-pink in the glass, it produces fine bubbles and a delicate mousse. Its texture is rich and surprisingly creamy.  Aromas of red fruit (strawberry and raspberry) seduce. On the palate raspberry carries over from the nose. The strawberry is elevated with notes of cream.  Toasted bread from lees aging adds complexity.  But for people put off by Champagne with pronounced notes of yeast (brioche etc.), this is not that. Casual, but elevated, the wine’s components work in synergy and balance; each element contributing unobtrusively toward a whole that is pleasing.  Citrus is joined with floral notes.  Fruit is evident and creamy, but the wine has spot-on acidity rendering a crisp finish that lasts. 

Against the creamy soft Buffalo Mozzarella, the wine matched in texture while also serving to cleanse the palate of that richness.  Dinner aside, it’s great to enjoy by itself.  Chocolate dipped raspberries would be fun. Brie cheese a natural. Ham croquettes, prosciutto, smoked salmon, sushi, mushrooms stuffed with crab, devilled eggs finished off with caviar, pates, tapenade, salad Nicoise. The acidity of a Rose Crémant makes it naturally food friendly. Gerard Bertrand makes it affordable.    

Sante!

................. Jim

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NOTE: The monks of St. Hilaire discovered the first “wine with bubbles” in 1531. The vineyards used in making Gerard Bertrand’s Thomas Jefferson Rose are on the foothills of the Pyrenees where the grapes benefit from cool conditions.  Wine is blended together and then transferred to barrel for 8 months.  Imported by Wine West, LLC (Sausalito, CA).  ALC:12.5%

CROATIAN WINE: POSIP

“Wine; a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy!” … Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin: A Founding Father of the U.S., inventor of the lightening rod, swim fins, bifocals, the glass harmonica and many other things was also a prolific writer. He co-owned a newspaper and had been a member of the “Committee of Five” that drafted the Declaration of Independence.  He authored, under a pseudonym, “Poor Richard’s Almanack” in 1739 and the book sold 10,000 copies yearly through 1758.  Napoleon thought so well of it that he translated it into Italian.  Later, it was translated into French and then Slovene, making it truly an international best seller. Mostly, the book consisted of sage advice, jokes, puzzles, household hints and even hoaxes.  It was entertainment mixed with common sense.    

I like to think wise Ben had common sense in mind when he wrote that statement regarding wine being constant proof of God’s love.  Was it not so, how then to explain why so many varietals were created?  My latest experience in this regard was with POSIP, a grape indigenous to Croatia and used in making white wine.  In body, it reminds me of a Marsanne-Roussanne blend, but its aromas and tastes are different.   

Medium lemon-green in the glass, its aromas are mild with an impression of undiscerned acidity – lemon?  This is softened with additional, but faint notes of lychee and tropical fruit. Together, these work to peak your curiosity unless you’re committed to drinking only international varietals and being content with eating the same thing for dinner every night.  The palate offers lemon, but more as lemon-cream.   There’s a note of hay and a hint of almond.  Allow a sip to warm in the mouth and grapefruit develops.  Others get green apple.  A see-saw of contrasts keep the experience entertaining.

The most recognized area for growing this grape in Croatia is in the Dalmatian region, on the Southern island of Korcula. Croatia is east and just across the Adriatic Sea from Italy and its history of viniculture goes back more than 2,500 years.  But suffering the destruction of war, many vineyards were destroyed. And under communism, wine making became state run and yield (not quality) was the yardstick. Then too, almost all the wine was consumed locally.  Today, tourists are amazed at the quality of wine being made in their family’s home land.  Adapting European Union standards, modernizing equipment, free to run and profit from family ownership, Croatia is making world class wine though still not recognized as it should.  Consider that in the 4^th edition of The Oxford Companion to Wine, Posip is given all the attention of one sentence.

There are currently over 300 geographically defined wine regions, and a strict classification system to ensure quality and origin in Croatia.  But Croatia ranks 30^th in wine production by country and much of Croatia’s product is still consumed locally.  And like other Eastern European countries, its language can be challenging for people unaccustomed to seeing a row of consonants strung together along with the use of umlauts and other special characters.

Still, you may be more familiar with some wine from Croatia than what you realize.  Zinfandel, that grape so enjoyed from California that we assumed came from Italy as Primitivo because the Italian Immigrants brought it to that coast in the 1880s – guess what?  Later testing (1994-1998) conducted by Dr. Carol Meredith (a professor in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California, Davis) identified it as Crljenak Kastelanski (I left off a special character above the “a” in the second word). The grape is also known in Croatia as Tribidrag, I’ll assume because it’s easier to for rubes like me pronounce.

Back in 1959, Mike (Miljenko) Grgich now of Grgich Hills Estates in Rutherford California (who produced the award-winning wine Chateau Montelena Chardonnay) for the Judgement of Paris in 1976 thought that Zinfandel and Plavac Mali of Croatia were identical.  He was from Croatia and remembered working with those vines. In 1990, he returned to Croatia, looked again at the vines and reassured himself that “Zinfandel” was not the American grape of barbecue fame, but a treasure from Croatia.  Of course, no one believed him.  In 1994 he returned, bringing whole clusters, leaves and canes to compare.  In 1998, he and Dr. Meredith got together; Dr. Meredith went to Croatia herself and returned with cuttings of 150 plants.  It was discovered that Zinfandel and Plavac Mali were not the same plant.  But Mike was close.  Plavac Mali was an offspring of Tribidrag and “Dobricic”).  A connection was established, but until 1998 when near the port town of Split on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, nine Tribidrag vines were found which DNA testing determined to be a 100% genetic match to Zinfandel. 

As it turns out, Zinfandel was not Plavac Mali but it was indigenous to Croatia and itself a child of Tribidrag.  Subsequent historical research has shown that Croatian Zinfandel, a.k.a. Tribidrag was planted as far back as the 15th century.  What the Italians call Primitivo is also Zinfandel, having originated from the Croatian Tribidrag and imported to Italy some 200-300 years ago. 

We began with Posip and that developed into Plavac Mali.  Croatia produces some international varietals, but the most fun can be had with indigenous grapes of which they have many.  For Posip, consider PZ  Posip Cara. Mike Grgich has opened his own winery in Croatia (making both Posip and Plavac Mali). Consider his offerings.  Korta Katarina winery, Intrada Krajancic Winery, Sain-Marelic Winery (lots of special characters missing in my spelling) and Kunjas Winery all make delicious Posip.

Plavac Mali (like Zinfandel) is a red wine as is Dobricic (a parent of Plavac Mali).  None of these wines will be alien in character.  In fact, as with Tribidrag (a.k.a. Zinfandel), you’re likely already familiar with the variety. And as with any wine, you may favor one producer over another. No, your largest challenge may be in tracking down an outlet for these wines.  Ethnic stores or on-line are likely the best route.   But for me, the route less travelled has made all the difference.

Wise man, that Ben who seemed to appreciate the gift of different grapes.  Be like Ben!

Zivjeli!

……………… Jim

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winemizer.net does not accept any advertisements, nor is it affiliated with any winery, vineyard, importer or distributor.  You may be assured that any opinions are not economically biased (though they may not be appropriate to your individual and unique palate).