January 17, 2012

From Cloudy to Grey: It’s clear skies for NZ winemaker Kevin Judd

Posted by JJ Buckley Fine Wines under Chuck's Down Under, New Zealand, On Location | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |
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From Cloudy to Grey: It’s clear skies for NZ winemaker Kevin Judd

Post by Chuck Hayward | January 17th, 2012

JJ Buckley is proud to be the first retailer in America to sell the wines from Kevin Judd, the founding winemaker from Cloudy Bay. Named after a local soil type, Greywacke (pronounced gray-wack-y) represents Kevin’s effort to get back to the hands on, intuitive and personal approach to winemaking that had become difficult to pursue as the success of Cloudy Bay grew exponentially. Founded just three years ago, the wines have already received significant international acclaim for being some of the top produced in New Zealand.

In spite of the heaping critical praise and excellent ratings, Kevin was unable to secure an American importer…until now! Connecting with Old

Kevin Judd (c) with his dog and cellar assistant

Kevin Judd (c) with his dog Dixie and cellar assistant Fin

Bridge Cellars (known for their high-end Australian portfolio, including such wineries as d’Arenberg and John Duval Wines), Greywacke has become the first New Zealand wine in their portfolio. Thanks to our relationship with Kevin and Old Bridge, JJ Buckley has been selected to introduce his wines to the American market.

Greywacke’s portfolio resembles the wines he made at Cloudy Bay and, indeed, Kevin is working with particular blocks from the growers he came to prefer in his former job. The wines are made at Dog Point Vineyard, owned by best mates and Cloudy Bay alums, James Healy and Ivan Sutherland. During the time when he could not find an American importer, word about the quality of Kevin’s new venture washed ashore here in America, and a rare opportunity to taste a few sips of his sauvignon blanc a few years ago left me wanting more. Accordingly, I took the opportunity on a recent visit to NZ to catch up with Kevin and taste through his portfolio. It was clear to me that he has raised his game and is now well on the way to establishing one of Marlborough’s top wineries. (more…)

 

December 8, 2011

A Champagne in Any Other Glass…

Posted by JJ Buckley Fine Wines under Champagne | Tags: , , |
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A Champagne in Any Other Glass…

Post by Chuck Hayward | December 7th, 2011

JJ Buckley’s 2011 Champagne Report is out! The new edition expands on last year’s report with new articles, more wine reviews and overviews of additional domaines.

 To download a pdf file click here. The post below is an article from the report about a controversial new trend in drinking champagne.

Champagne has long been on the receiving end of rules—ones about how it is made, how it is labeled, and how it should be drunk. Over the years, we have come to accept those regulations and perhaps even find it comforting that they don’t fluctuate often. But today, champagne is witnessing revisions to concepts that were before considered sacrosanct, and they have nothing to do with grapes or labels. The change has to do with glass vessels.

Chuck pondering glassware, champagne in hand

If there is one rule that has been generally accepted across the board, it is that sparkling wine is best served in a flute, preferably scored at the base to promote effervescence then rinsed with water and dried with a towel. Along that same line of thinking is that the coupe, also referred to as the Marie Antoinette glass, fails to preserve bubbles since the broader surface allows what is in the glass to go flat more quickly. Recently, though, many in the industry are rethinking this.

Most significantly, a slow movement is afoot to replace the traditional flute with a classic wine glass. A number of winemakers and writers claim that in order to maximize the wine’s flavors and enhance aromas, pouring champagne in a burgundy styled glass is preferable to a flute. At the least, they claim, a wider and broader shape to the bowl of the flute is the minimum recommendation.

(more…)

 

December 1, 2011

Trial by Jury: Aged ‘Value’ Bordeaux

Posted by JJ Buckley Fine Wines under Bordeaux, Out and About | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |
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Trial by Jury: Aged ‘Value’ Bordeaux

Post by Chuck Hayward | December 1st, 2011

To drink, one must pull corks

Over the course of the past few months, evidence has been put forth that Bordeaux, as Rodney Dangerfield might say, “ain’t got no respect”. It’s an observation that Matt Kramer made in a recent Wine Spectator piece as well as by Eric Asimov in the The New York Times. These articles attempt to discern the “whys” of it all. For instance, why is it that Bordeaux doesn’t get much love these days? But we aren’t asking that question at JJ Buckley, as our third annual tribute to Bordeaux sold out in record time, once again.

Each year, our tasting highlights one of Bordeaux’s frequently forgotten attributes—they are wines of incredible value. And this year, we decided to investigate another important quality of Bordeaux—the capacity of Bordeaux’s flavors and aromas to be transformed with time in the cellar. Spanning vintages from 1998-2003, with prices ranging from $25-$45 per bottle, this tasting was a great opportunity to examine the evidence firsthand.

The verdict? (more…)

 

November 16, 2011

2009—A Very Good Year for Burgundy and Vincent Girardin

Posted by JJ Buckley Fine Wines under 2009 Burgundy, Burgundy | Tags: , , |
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2009—A Very Good Year for Burgundy and Vincent Girardin

Post by Chuck Hayward | November 16th, 2011

A line up of 2009 barrel samples from Girardin

Highly acclaimed, the 2009 burgundies are slowly arriving on our shores and it’s shaping up to be an excellent vintage. Perhaps you’ve read the press, and while the descriptions are pretty accurate, nothing beats actually trying the wines whether here or in France. Fortunately, I have been able to do both!

In assessing any vintage, I like to use two different methods to discern its quality. One is to visit as many growers and domaines as possible, though the drawback is that one winery may be located in Gevrey Chambertin, another in Meursault. So not only is a lot of traveling involved but it can be difficult to gather an overall perspective of a vintage by looking at just a few places. Therefore, I make sure to also include visits to good negociants who make wines from vineyards up and down the Cote d’Or, thereby providing the perfect opportunity to gain a broad look at a vintage.

Where many firms have long and rich histories going back centuries, a number of new operations have cropped up in the region over the past few decades. Some are outsiders who immigrated to Burgundy from other countries, such as Alex Gambal who came from the United States. (more…)

 

October 27, 2011

Where to Wine & Dine: The New York Edition

Posted by JJ Buckley Fine Wines under JJ Buckley Eats | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |
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Where to Wine & Dine: The New York Edition

Post by Chuck Hayward | October 27th, 2011

So you’re in New York, it’s 5pm and the convention just wrapped up. Or you just caught the Mets day game or matinee performance on Broadway and you have time to kill before the flight home tomorrow morning. What lies ahead is what every foodie and wine lover dreams of: one night to fully explore the food and wine culture of New York. What do you do? I addressed this ‘dilemma’ recently when I found myself with a co-worker on his first visit to New York. With a warning to “Hold on!” we embarked on a trip around lower Manhattan to prove what makes NYC such a mecca.

In a situation like this, one must employ a strategy. First, for a good cross-section of what the city can offer, avoid a big dinner and plan on multiple small bites or appetizers. This will allow you to visit more places and get a broader view of what’s out there. Also try to stay in one section of town, cutting down on travel time.

Ahhh, delicious seafood!

(more…)

 

October 7, 2011

Finigan’s Wake: What Robert Finigan Meant to the Wine World

Posted by JJ Buckley Fine Wines under JJ Buckley Meets | Tags: , , , |
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Finigan’s Wake: What Robert Finigan Meant to the Wine World

Post by Chuck Hayward | October 7th, 2011

While I never imagined using this blog to write an obituary, Robert Finigan was one of those people who made a powerful impact on me as my passion for wine grew and my career took off. Therefore, it seems appropriate to remember him here.

Robert Finigan's Private Guide to Wines

Finigan’s success began on a trip to Bordeaux where he declared the 1969 vintage to be subpar, an opinion that proved spot on. At a time when wine appreciation in America was starting to gain momentum, wine writing was limited to books and a few columnists in the Los Angeles Times. In 1972, he was the first to publish a wine journal—his influential newsletter, Robert Finigan’s Private Guide to Wines—years before Parker began the Wine Advocate in 1978 and well before the rise of the internet. Finigan set the standard for periodicals that came afterwards, including Charlie Olken’s Connoisseur’s Guide to California Wines (1974) and Nick Ponomareff’s California Grapevine (1973).

In tasting the 1982 Bordeaux from barrel, Finigan found the wines to be too rich and lacking the classic style of the region. Robert Parker, however, lavished praise on the wines, which later became immensely successful. Thus, the Wine Advocate began its ascendency, some would say at the expense of Finnegan’s newsletter, which ceased publication in 1990. (more…)

 

September 29, 2011

Tastes Like Home: Experimenting With Waipara Riesling

Posted by JJ Buckley Fine Wines under Chuck's Down Under, New Zealand | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Tastes Like Home: Experimenting with Waipara Riesling

Post by Chuck Hayward | September 28th, 2011

Terroir is a hot topic, no doubt. The idea that winemakers are required to transmit the specific qualities of a plot of land to a finished wine is gaining traction, and for many critics, it is considered bad form for the vigneron to leave an imprint that reflects personal style. That camp believes the winemaker’s role is to act as minimally as possible and take a hands-off approach in order to highlight a wine’s terroir.

However, I think it’s impossible to separate the impact of man from winemaking. We as humans are the ones who recognize superior vs. inferior terroir. Growers decide what grapes to plant and how to grow them. Winemakers make endless judgments about when to pick grapes, what yeast to use, how long to age, and so on. The actual decision to practice minimalist winemaking is probably the most important choice that can be made.

Wine writer Dan Berger inspects a bottle of his favorite varietal

Cut to an interesting tasting recently sponsored by New Zealand Winegrowers, responsible for educating consumers and the trade about kiwi wines. In 2010, twelve New Zealand winemakers agreed to create wine from the same batch of fruit— riesling from the Waipara growing region just outside of Christchurch—and were given four tons of uncrushed fruit from Mud House vineyards. They each produced 250 cases of wine at their own facilities, scattered throughout six of the country’s growing regions. (more…)

 

September 22, 2011

Not Just for Cork Dorks: The Penfolds Recorking Clinic

Posted by JJ Buckley Fine Wines under Australia, Chuck's Down Under, On Location | Tags: , , , , |
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Not Just for Cork Dorks: The Penfolds Recorking Clinic

Post by Chuck Hayward | September 22nd, 2011

Australia’s Penfolds is known worldwide for their wines, especially the iconic shiraz-based Grange. Yet it is their unique service, the Penfolds Recorking Clinic, which sets the standard for what chief winemaker Peter Gago calls “service after the sale.” Given the prices of many wines these days, it is seems almost criminal that other wineries do not follow the lead of Penfolds in this regard.

Matt Lane, Penfolds Ambassador, attacks the cork on an old bottle

Developed by the winery some twenty years ago, the Penfolds Recorking Clinic was, until recently, only conducted in Australia. Administered annually in Sydney and Melbourne along with a rotating schedule between Adelaide and Brisbane, the Recorking Clinic now travels to other markets in Europe and America. This week, Penfolds is visiting Washington DC and New Orleans to provide a service that is performed by no other winery and, amazingly in this day and age, free of charge.

Witnessing a Recorking Clinic, especially in Australia, can be quite emotional. Given the reverence for Penfolds there, many families have tucked away a stash of old wines somewhere in their homes. As consumers bring their wines before the winemakers, the tension and nervousness on their faces are palpable. It’s as if they are bringing loved ones to a doctor’s office, anxiously awaiting the diagnosis. (more…)

 

September 13, 2011

Where to Wine & Dine: Paris

Posted by JJ Buckley Fine Wines under JJ Buckley Eats | Tags: , , , , |
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Where to Wine & Dine: Paris

Post by Chuck Hayward | September 13th, 2011

While it may not be filled with glamor and celebrities as some people imagine, the wine industry is great for finding the best recommendations on all things gustatory: must-eat restaurants, the perfect espresso or that funky wine bar. Tips from winemakers or sales representatives make it seem as if I have my very own concierge when traveling.

Instead of keeping those recommendations to myself, I find it best to share. So when asked for suggestions in Paris, Sydney or Barcelona, I would have to sort through assorted matchbooks and business cards to compile a list. Over and over. Therefore, I decided it was time to come up with a permanent list that I could keep on hand and share with everyone who asks, as well as our blog readers. Bon voyage!

 The Wine Bars of Paris

Empty glasses and plates at Le Baron Rouge

Empty glasses and plates at Le Baron Rouge

Along with bistros, baguettes, the Seine and the Eiffel Tower, Paris also brings wine to mind.  While thoughts of old Bordeaux or Champagne in ice buckets occupy your thoughts on the flight over, the reality can fall short. Wine lists in many cafes only offer an appellation and a price without mention of a vintage or even a producer. Instead of the classics, today one comes face to face with the city’s recent fascination with obscure reds and sparkling wines from the Loire. Not that it’s a bad thing! (more…)

 

August 24, 2011

Separation of Pinots: New Zealand & More Mt. Difficulty

Posted by JJ Buckley Fine Wines under Chuck's Down Under, JJ Buckley Meets, New Zealand | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Separation of Pinots: New Zealand & More Mt. Difficulty

Post by Chuck Hayward | August 25th, 2011

Back when New Zealand pinot noir first entered the US market, our collective knowledge of these wines was infinitesimal. The country’s first serious attempts at producing pinot noir production had begun only a decade earlier, so the 1995/96 vintages that made the initial splash had few reference points. At that time, no one could say how Marlborough differed from Martinborough. Rather, the question was how the pinots of New Zealand compared to those from Burgundy, California and Oregon.

As the pinot noir industry matured, it became easier to understand the unique attributes and qualities among New Zealand’s growing regions, which was important so that customers could purchase the style of wine they prefer. Almost right away, however, it became apparent that not all wines from Central Otago were the same and that Marlborough pinots from the valley floor were markedly different compared to those from the southern hills. The quest to learn about a New Zealand wine appellation’s subregionality became important rather quickly.

In Central Otago, where subregional differences first became apparent to me, there are 6-7 loosely defined districts whose pinot noirs offer their own unique interpretations of the grape. Martinborough, Marlborough and Waipara also see differing pinot styles depending on their site, while Hawkes Bay Bordeaux-style red blends show incredible diversity that can be attributed to subregional differences.

Mt. Difficulty Single Site Pinots from 2009

(more…)

 

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