2010 Otero Ramos Chardonnay

On to Argentina! This bottle of unexpected Chardonnay was brought to me by colleague and co-worker Jony Sandbom, owner and Alaskan representative of Alaska Team Imports- one of Alaska's few if not only wine importers. Jony is one of the pickiest palates I know (yes, at this point in the game, people are no longer people but defined as palates... ) yet one I respect very much. If J-Man gives me a wine and says he's into it (especially Chardonnay) then I know, chances are, I'm going to enjoy the ride. Bulls-eye.

 Otero Ramos is a producer from the Lujan de Cuyo region of Argentina. This is one of the first delineated regions for making wine in Argentina (before the news was out and EVERYONE started to buy up wine and plant grapes). <See also producers Weinert and Carmelo Patti> 

 First thing I smelled from this wine was minerals and fresh yeast. I could smell the nose before the glass was even near my face. This was SO Burgundy... but no, it's Argentina- get with it, Kirsten. Nice surprise. Returning to the glass, the yeasty notes meshed with aromas of used, dusty oak barrels and rich butter- again, Burgundy! These smells were so well integrated into the wine I was truly amazed. I have this preconceived notion that no one really knows how to make a great Chardonnay except the French, but this bottle is changing my mind. I also picked up this creamy, egg-like aroma that reminded me of creme brulee which made me wonder if they fined with egg whites. Some producers will introduce egg whites to a wine while in tank to remove solids from the solution (dead yeast cells, etc.). 

 The palate is ripe Granny Smith apple with a tinge of green (or maybe lime?) Dry, chalky stone is also on the palate and despite the aromas of rich butter and cream it is really quite light and crisp with super bright fruit. It shows medium weight where the acid and richness kind of play back and forth, allowing one to show off and then the other to take over. The oak and malo-lactic butter is there but does not cover up the fruit and acid of Chardonnay. It really smooths the edges of the wine but you can still make out the original shape. The acid leaves you salivating for another sip- which I gladly obliged, and leaves this buscuit-y, yeasty note in the back of your throat. This is a Chardonnay I would recommend to California and Burgundy drinkers- I really think it will fit the bill. Thanks Jony, this was an awesome treat!

2009 Cave de Vins de Sancerre L’Etincelle Pouilly Fume

I’m a sucker for the Loire and its minerally white wines so when I saw a Pouilly Fume on the shelf for under $20 I nabbed it.

 Sancerre is located in the far east of the Loire River Valley in France. They specialize in Sauvignon Blanc and the region Pouilly Fume produces a moderately oaked version. I’m picky about oak on any wine- especially whites- and when it comes to Sauv Blanc… it can go the wrong way dangerously quick. As funny as this sounds, my reasoning is in defense of Sauv B’s awesome acid and when a producer oaks the wine it softens the acidity. What I appreciate about France is they can oak their whites without completely eradicating the characteristics of the original grape (check out Burgundian Chardonnays). Pouilly Fume is a great example of this.

 The nose is flinty and smokey- not firewood smoke but almost ashy (think cap gun smoke). The flint characteristic generally shows up in wines when the grapes are grown in limestone soils of which east Loire has plenty. There’s a ton of wet stone and citrus here. I pick up lemon, fresh grapefruit and a touch of butter from what I’ m guessing is partial malo-lactic fermentation. I think if the producer allowed ML to complete its cycle the wine would show quite a bit more butter. The amount I pick up is well integrated, creating a lemon cream  pie filling effect. There is a light yeasty note on the back hand along with honey and white flowers.

 The palate does not disappoint! This is crisp and spicy as hell but it changes throughout the tasting. The mid-palate shows the butter, cream and doughy notes I found on the nose but just as you notice them that killer Sauv B acid punches through, taking no prisoners. The pepper and spice on this wine is pretty surprising- I’ll chalk that up to varietal as well as oak. All throughout this tasting there is wet stone protruding through each flavor.

 I came back to this bottle 2 days later and it had not mellowed at all. As it warms up, the flavors of fresh and ripe grapefruit really show and the body of the wine gains a bit of weight. There is a little touch of old world funk that is more apparent now- I think it is more of the yeast from earlier and it stands out due to the length of time the bottle was open. The fruit is really rich after getting more air and is now on the tropical side. It brings to mind honeyed or candied fruits like papaya and mango. This wine was great and I would definitely buy it again.

I drank this with a creamy smoked salmon chowder with potatoes, corn and truffle oil. The wine cut through the creamy density of the chowder and the citrus of the wine teamed up with the lemon zest I added to the soup.