The vast majority of all wines made, purchased and consumed in this country are the product of six grape varieties, which can seem a little like the industry is a big paint-by-numbers canvas with just six colors. I’m not going to say it’s boring, but it can seem a little limiting at times.
So let us remind ourselves that nature (and man) in its infinite variety has bestowed us with nearly 5000 varieties – of one species. It has, as well, given certain winemakers sufficient curiosity to venture beyond the usual suspects. Sometimes it’s a question of resurrecting an old vineyard that produces extraordinary fruit from an all but forgotten variety.
Or it starts with a form of mildly obsessive curiosity that grows in the minds of winemakers until they have no choice but to plant a trial row or two, and before too long, they’re bottling their latest obsession. Thank Bacchus for the oddballs that keep this business of loving wine fun.
In this installment, three French grapes, two of which are making a quiet impact here.
Grenache Blanc
Have you noticed? America’s love for Viognier has waned to such an extent that it seems like the whole phase was a fever dream, a passionate affair that long ago lost its spark. There’s plenty out there still if you want it, but the rush by wineries to jam some Viognier vines into the ground has cooled considerably. Roussanne has done what it could to fill the gap, but the quality isn’t there yet, as producers still seem to be stuck on the back end of the learning curve – that or they’re not entirely certain what it’s supposed to taste like.
So as domestic producers ease away from Viognier, and as they try to get their heads around Roussanne, another Rhône variety has quietly assumed an emerging role. This is almost certainly the result of Paso Robles winery Tablas Creek’s important efforts at propagating all of the Chateauneuf-du-Pape grape varieties, all from the parent winery, Chateau de Beaucastel. The new plantings of Grenache Blanc have finally reached an age where they contribute to serious wine, and several domestic producers are bottling it.
Grenache Blanc is lighter and less exotic than Viognier or Roussanne, and has quite a bit more acidity than either, making it brighter, more immediate, and with a freshness comparable to Sauvignon Blanc. Among the best: Bonny Doon makes a fine one, as does Tablas Creek, whose wines are fresh as a bowl of freshly sliced peaches. And just last week the San Francisco International Wine Competition awarded its prize for top white to a 2005 Grenache Blanc from Fess Parker’s second label, Epiphany, a marvel of lively fruit with plenty of body.
Counoise
Another of the Rhône/Languedoc varieties that finds its way into a number of blends inspired by, or in some cases made in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It has some interesting similarities to Grenache but tends to be much higher in acid, all the while seeming to lack in the red fruit perfume common to many of the aromatic reds from the southern Rhône. Counoise does provide some body, plenty of acidity, and a nice peppery quality to Rhône blends, but is relatively simple and usually needs to be blended.
When Jim Holmes put in his Ciel du Cheval vineyard on Red Mountain in Washington, he planted a few rows of Counoise to have on hand for just this purpose. Part of the pepperiness of Counoise stems from the difficulty most have in getting it to full ripeness, but that never seems to be a problem on torrid Red Mountain. In fact Washington Rhône specialist Doug McCrea was so impressed with the fruit he decided to bottle one on its own. It’s a rarity, but McCrea’s Counoise is a standout as a standalone wine, with peppery red fruit and a beautiful lively tone borne of impressive acidity that gives the wine structure and lift. It’s not exactly complex, but has just the right light touch to be ideal for the summer barbecue.
Poulsard
In Arbois, a relatively unknown sub-region within a relatively unknown region, the Jura, in eastern France, there is a peculiar grape that’s grown almost nowhere else, making it very hard to find except with any luck at your local wine shop. Poulsard is possibly the lightest red wine you can find that’s not a rosé, and like Beaujolais, it’s a gem, a marvel of charm, ideal for a little chill. So take a night off from your traditional tannic monster and try something light that you’ve probably never tried before.
The most common Arbois in the market currently comes from Jacques Puffeney, known as the ‘Pope of Arbois,’ and his 2003 Poulsard is bright, fresh and peppery, a pale luminous red with a fragrance like wild raspberries. Its mildly flinty texture is quite a bit more substantial than more jammy young wines from Beaujolais, but it does have its share of forward, red fruit flavors, with a pretty aftertaste of dried licorice. For best results, chill it as you would Beaujolais.