Polaner Selections at Gotham Hall

I'm right back in New York, this time for Polaner Selections grand tasting event for the trade at the cavernous Gotham Hall. Like Bowler the day before, this is a portfolio that offers an ample selection for savvy retailers and restaurants. There is too many wines to taste so this requires a brief study of what to look at.

Inside of Gotham Hall. A former bank building.

Polaner has developed a fine selection of Champagnes like Pierre Moncuit, Agrapart & Fils and Gatinois. Of particular interest was a rarely seen dry red wine from Gatinois. Similar to the better known Bouzy rouge, they offer an Ay rouge. This is an elegant, non-sparkling red made from Champagne's red grape, pinot noir harvested in their home village of Ay. It is a style similar to fine Burgundy. I last has this type of wine while dining at a restaurant in Reims, the center of the Champagne trade, a few years ago. 

Louis Cheval-Gatinois and wife of Champagne Gatinois. Louis is holding his bottle of Ay Rouge.

A new item and a stunning value was the Domaine de Pajot Cotes de Gascogne. A delicious, crisp white wine that would sell in most wine shops for $8 to $9. Another new label of interest was from Zuazo Gaston a producer from Rioja Alavesa. Alavesa are actually located outside of the Region of Rioja, just across some hills in Basque country. They have a distinct underlying tang of mineral with the bright, cherry, red berry fruit of the tempranillo grape. At a likely price of $8 to $9, it is another exceptional value.

As pinot grigio has become so popular these days, most are truly forgettable. Not so with Polaner's Muri-Gries from the Alto Adige region of Italy. This has consistently been one of the finest. Their reds made from lagrein are also quite good. Lagrein offers deep red fruits with a backbone of mineral and a fresh finish.

Caterina and Giuseppe Mazzocolin of Fattoria di Felsina in Tuscany. A superior source of Chianti farmed organically and made traditionally.

One of the last items I tasted was also one of the more memorable. Young Julien Masquin was offering his first vintage since taking over his family's vineyard. He make a wonderful Cotes de Rhone and Chateauneuf du Pape in the southern Rhone valley. His style is a welcome shade of elegance from the often brooding wines of that region.

Julien Masquin of Domaine Julien Masquin. He seems to have the admiration of his mother after I complimented his wines.

David Bowler at the Altman Building

Always one to look forward to, importer/distributor David Bowler's portfolio has a lot to offer. At the top of the leader board are the wines from my favorite importer, Joe Dressner. Most of his producers are in attendance and this gives me a chance to become reaccquainted with some that I have met before in France. I wish I had some kind of command of French as many of hiss vignerons have limited English and I have many questions.

David Bowler with Arianna Occipinti from Sicilia.

While tasting the wines of Marc Ollivier of Domaine de la Pepiere in the Nantes region of the Atlantic coast section of the Loire river, I told him that his Clos Briord Muscadet, a bright, tangy mineral/citrus driven white has been one of my personal favorites over the last few years. He liked that news. Marc also introduced a new sparkling wine made from the local grape, melon de bourgogne. It was just a bit sweet, the opposite of his bone dry Muscadet's, and should make a fine appertif.

Marc Ollivier of Domaine de la Pepiere. Making some of the tastiest everyday wines.

A newcomer to the portfolio was the young exuberance of Patrick Piuze of Chablis. Chablis is the oft misunderstood white wine region in the northernmost area of Burgundy, not the jug wine from California. Chablis makes lean, dry, unwooded wines from chardonnay. Every sip offers tangy lemon and nervy mineral flavors. Piuze's were exceptional, focused and well priced.

Jean-Paul Brun and his collection of exceptional cru Beaujolais.

Another nice addition were the wines from top importer Robert Kacher who has been bouncing around from various distributors. Let's hope he finds a home with Bowler. Karcher's wine are primarily from France and largely offer some spectacular values like Domaine Tariquet's perky Cotes de Gascogne, ugni blanc/colombard blend.

Damien Coquelet, the new face in Beaujolais

Coquelet's stylish label from the village of Chiroubles.

Herve Villemade is the type of classic, small family run winery in France worth a mention. Outside of some clever retailers and restaurants, his wines from the village of Cheverny in the Loire valley are virtually unknown. These are not collector wines, but are cherished for being so fitting for everyday life and the dinner table.

Herve Villemade

Villemade's Cheverny blanc label.

Jenny at The Smith - 2011

The Jenny & Francois Selections tasting, again held at the Manhattan restaurant The Smith, is the bi-annual event that I always look forward to. It is likely the most unique tasting event of the season. Not just because the portfolio is completely made up of natural winemaking techniques and organic vineyards, but the people attending this event are different than others.

The downstairs room at The Smith.

At  the tastings for premium distributors, there are the usual suspects of select liquor stores owners and Manhattan wine shops and restauranteurs. But somehow, many from those tastings are missing at Jenny's. It is a decidedly younger crowd that seem to be enamored with these natural wines like no other demographic. I have been attending the Jenny & Francois tastings since their beginning. I used to wear my usual wine tasting attire of casual dress shoes, jeans, dress shirt and sport coat. Not anymore. I am more casual here to fit in. I could likely be wearing a coonskin cap, snowshoes and have a husky under my arm and not even be noticed here.

Olivier Cousin of Cousin-Leduc. He makes a damn tasty Anjou cabernet franc. He also uses a horse to plow in the vineyards. Genius!

So why are the wine people at this tasting so different and younger. I'm not sure, but I believe that the largely Gen X/Y group are more open minded about wine and less attracted to the trophy wines. Sure enough, these wines are not easy to sell - unless you are truly enthused and dedicated. You can't just sit these out on the floor for sale. They really need to be explained before even sampled. To be hand sold. But these avant garde wine merchants and hip wine bars are really excited to offer something wholesome, unique and delicious. And I am completely with them or maybe they are completely with me.

Alain Rochard of Loup Blanc in Minervois.

The delicious Loup Blanc La Mere Grand (grandmother) Minervois aptly named for having come from old vines, mostly grenache.

Making natural wines isn't easy and the vigerons that Jenny and Francois find and represent are farmers with limited resources and land. Some wines are hit and miss, but most work and offer a fresh look on a new style of wine that is actually the old style of wine before a laboratory of additives and refinements became standard.

Domaine Sablonettes is always one of my favorites and this Le Bon Petit Diable cabernet franc is a new offering and another fav.

The problem with these winemakers is that their production is so small, I'm afraid there will not be enough to go around. Shhhh!     

Jenny on the right with Rita, the rep of the wines in NJ and PA.

C. Flemming Einfahrt, the world's foremost authority on accordion repair, dining at The Smith. How cool.