When “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” was released in 2004, we almost skipped it. Jim Carrey? We immediately pictured the star’s over-the-top, cartoonish persona and had a hard time believing he could credibly play a dramatic role. But he surprised us — pleasantly.
Some winemakers are even more typecast than Hollywood actors. Say “Georges Duboeuf,” and it’s hard to think of anything other than Beaujolais, even though the leading exporter of French wines makes an array of whites and reds.
At a recent preview of the Georges Duboeuf 2007 vintage wines, to be released in September, we dived into the reds almost instinctively. But when we went back to taste the whites a couple of hours later, we were surprised at how impressed we were — and said as much to the “king of Beaujolais” himself and his son, Franck, who oversees operations for Les Vins Georges Duboeuf.
“I don’t know why people are often so surprised to find how much they enjoy our whites,” Franck Duboeuf said good-naturedly. “Our family has been in the (Pouilly-Fuisse) region for more than four centuries.”
It shows. Although the 2007 Pouilly-Fuisse was still very young, it already exhibited great promise of rounding out into a beautifully elegant wine, much as the 2005 and 2006 Georges Duboeuf Pouilly-Fuisse ($24) have done. Those crisp, full-bodied, fruity yet well-balanced wines with notes of almond and vanilla were Karen’s food-friendly find of the week. We plan to keep a bottle or two on hand all spring and summer to pair with chicken, fish, pork, veal and turkey.
Here are some other discoveries that play against type for each winemaker:
Beringer Vineyards: This Napa Valley winemaker is much better known for its cabernet and chardonnay table wines, so we were surprised to be charmed by its 2004 Beringer Nightingale Botrytised Napa Valley Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc dessert wine ($40 for 375 ml). Its lighter-bodied (as opposed to syrupy) weight and honeyed apricot flavors lend themselves beautifully to either a cheese course or pate.
Blackstone Winery: We both like its ubiquitous merlot, but even more so its 2005 Blackstone California Zinfandel ($12), which is full-bodied with cooked-plum fruitiness and notes of white pepper. It’s a good choice with barbecued ribs or lamb, as is the next wine.
Cline Cellars: It is best known for its zinfandel, but don’t overlook the winery’s 2006 Cline Syrah ($12) from Sonoma County, a rich expression of the syrah grape with its red-berry fruitiness and hints of spice.
Iron Horse Vineyards: Iron Horse makes our favorite domestic sparkling wines, but its full-bodied chardonnays have their own appeal. You’ll find rounded flavors of pear and a hint of grapefruit curd in the 2006 Iron Horse UnOaked Chardonnay ($26). The French-oaked 2006 Iron Horse Estate Chardonnay ($28) features exuberant coconut on its long finish. The latter employs water-bent (as opposed to the usual fire-bent) barrels, which winemaker Joy Sterling characterizes as “more flattering to our fruit.”
Kendall-Jackson Winery: K-J is almost synonymous with chardonnay, but it has a terrific syrah in the full-bodied 2005 Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve California Syrah ($12), which is ripe with blackberry fruitiness and notes of black pepper.
Penfolds: Penfolds may make the single best shiraz on the planet, but it would be a shame to miss sampling its racy, bone-dry and mineral-laden 2007 Penfolds Bin 51 Riesling ($20), especially with oysters.
If you still have your doubts, give a few of these a try anyway. You might turn up some delicious surprises.
Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page are award-winning authors of “What to Drink With What You Eat.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
