BURGUNDY VIA OREGON

Burgundy via Oregon... or might we say Burgundy in Oregon? Either way, this month the French #winophiles are exploring the houses of Burgundy, France, that also have wineries in N. America. Get the intro here from host LM Archer, and then join in the conversation on Saturday, 19 Dec at 8 AM PST on Twitter under #winophiles. And, read more about what everyone else has to say here:

• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm tells of “Countries United Through Food and Wine” https://adayinthelifeonthefarm.blogspot.com/
• Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares “Galette au Chou + 2017 Résonance Pinot Noir” http://culinary-adventures-with-cam.blogspot.com/
• Terri at Our Good Life tells tells us about “Resonance Pinot Noir and Roasted Pork Loin” https://www.terristeffes.com
• Lynn from Savor the Harvest shares “Oregon Pinot Noir With a Burgundian Heart – Domaine Drouhin Laurène” https://savortheharvest.com/
• Jennifer at Vino Travels cooks up “BBQ Brisket with Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir” www.vinotravelsitaly.com
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass shares “Oregon PN for a PNW holiday meal: A Résonance” https://www.myfullwineglass.com/
• Robin from Crushed Grape Chronicles has a discovery: “Découverte! Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Dundee Hills and Mediterranean Salmon” #Winophiles https://www.crushedgrapechronicles.com/
• David from Cooking Chat “Braised Moroccan Chicken Thighs with Oregon Pinot #Winophiles https://cookingchatfood.com/
• Jane from Always Ravenous has an “Oregon Pinot Noir Paired with Braised Chicken Thighs, Blackberries, and Fennel Purée” https://alwaysravenous.com/
• Melanie from Wining With Mel tells us “New World meets Old World: Oregon’s Résonance pinot noir paired with beef bourguignon” https://www.winingwithmel.com
• Liz from What’s In That Bottle shares a “Taste of the 45th Parallel” https://whatsinthatbottle.com/
• Jeff from Food Wine Click! tells us about “Louis Jadot on Both Sides of the Pond” https://foodwineclick.com/
• Payal from Keep the Peas shares “Burgundy via Oregon” https://keepthepeas.blogspot.com/
• Nicole at SommsTable has a “Burgundy vs Oregon Showdown with Drouhin Wines” SommsTable.com
• Jill at L’Occasion covers “Bourgogne’s Western Vineyards: Crafting Pinot Noir in Oregon” https://jillbarth.wordpress.com/
• Gwen from Wine Predator shares “From France’s Bourgogne to Oregon’s Willamette Valley: Domaine Drouhin does Pinot Noir” #Winophiles https://winepredator.com/
• Michelle from Rockin Red Blog takes on “Best Of Both Worlds: Burgundy Producers Craft High-Quality Wine in Willamette Valley” https://rockinredblog.com/
• Cindy from Grape Experiences offers “Résonance Wines Express a Burgundian Vibe in the Willamette Valley” http://www.grape-experiences.com/
• L.M. Archer shares life “À Table with Domaine Drouhin Oregon and Résonance Wines” https://lmarcher.com

THE WINES

I received a Résonance Découverte Vineyard wine sample for this review. Résonance is the Oregon, US based venture of the famed Maison Louis Jadot, a Burgundy maison - house - founded by Louis Henry Denis Jadot in 1859 in Beaune, France. Located in the (somewhat) Burgundy of N. America, Résonance wines and Louis Jadot have a fascinating story starting from 1859, when Maison Louis Jadot and the state of Oregon were both founded, on two vastly different continents. From the winery regarding the eponymous single-vineyard Résonance:

"It was a crisp spring day in April 2013 when Thibault Gagey and Jacques Lardière set out to survey a well-established vineyard named Résonance. Jacques had just retired after leading winemaking at Maison Louis Jadot for 42 years, and Thibault, whose family has operated Maison Louis Jadot since 1962, was ready to enter the business with a bold new project. They immediately felt a deep connection with the place, and after tasting through dozens of wines made with the vineyard’s fruit, Jacques sat back and said, “Perfect.” Pierre-Henry Gagey, the President of Maison Louis Jadot and Thibault’s father, agreed. They decided to keep the vineyard’s title, and they also named their new winery—Maison Louis Jadot’s first outside of Burgundy—in its honor. With the same meaning in English and French, Résonance evokes many great things to come. They added the tiny but all-important accent mark to represent this small but special connection between Oregon and France."

Given the intertwined past and present of Maison Louis Jadot and the families that have made it a label synonymous with Burgundy wine accessible to those looking for high quality wine across two continents, it seemed fitting that, for an (maybe) apples to apples comparison, I also open a bottle of a Louis Jadot Bourgogne. Read on to find out what I found out about both the wines.

2017 DÉCOUVERTE VINEYARD, DUNDEE HILLS AVA, RÉSONANCE

100% Pinot Noir

13.5% ABV | Sample (SRP $65)

Colour: 

Medium ruby

Nose: 

Ripe red fruit, flinty notes. A whiff of baking spices and black pepper.

Palate: 

Similar to nose: ripe red fruit, black pepper, baking spices, and a refreshing minerality. Juicy acidity, plush tannins, a medium body, with a lengthy finish. The wine opened up as it sat in the glass but overall it could use a rest in the bottle. I think it would be great in ~3 years.

2018 LOUIS JADOT PINOT NOIR BOURGOGNE

100% Pinot Noir

13% ABV | SRP $20

Colour: 

Medium ruby

Nose: 

Red fruits, black cherries, leather, forest floor, dried roses, white pepper, slight hint of capsicum

Palate: 

This is a very elegant savoury wine with surprising complexity given its young age. Plums, raspberries, cherries, and fresh red fruit flavors on the palate with earthy red flowers, leather, mushroom, mineral notes, and a faint meaty/barnyard sort of note. Balanced acidity, prominent but welcome tannins in a medium bodied wine with a medium finish. This wine is delicious now, especially as it sits in the glass, but would also be terrific in 2-3 years.

THE WINE + FOOD

The wines were different but similar, harking back to their different but similar terrior. Expectedly, the Louis Jadot Bourgogne, despite being a regional classification, was a serious and restrained wine. In comparison, also as expected, the OR wine was a more open, fruit-driven, plush, but also elegant wine. Both wines opened up beautifully with time.

We paired both wines with charcuterie, two washed rind cheeses, and homemade whole wheat bread. The charcuterie and cheeses were a superb match with the wines. The bread: an emphatic no. It has honey in it and that coupled with the sweetness of the whole wheat made a distracting flavour that did not clash but did nothing great to either wine. Because of Covid I was trying to "make do" rather than go out just for bread but next time I'll have biscuits if getting a baguette is not an option! Also, next time I'd pair the Bourgogne with herbed roasted chicken or quail and cherry compote, and the Résonance Découverte with garam masala lamb chops and pickled quince.

A 'SEEYANEVER2020' TOAST WITH ITALIAN BUBBLY

Photo: Payal Vora

In December the Italian Food Wine Travel folks are exploring the sparkling wines of Italy in An Exploration of Italian Sparkling Wines for the Holidays hosted by Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Cam. Read her invitation post to find out more. Fraciacorta, Prosecco, Lambrusco, they're all going to be there! So see what everyone's poured and paired below, and join us on Twitter under #ItalianFWT at 8 AM PST on 5 December to tell us your thoughts!

• Terri of Our Good Life says Beviamo alla nostra! Prosecco Superiore and Happy Christmas!
• Marcia of Joy of Wine is Celebrating the Season with Sparkling Freisa.
• Cindy of Grape Experiences writes about Pure Trentodoc – Sparkling Wines from the Mountains.
• Jill of L'Ocassion encourages us to Be in Italy for the Holidays with This Bubbly Wine Lineup.
• Gwendolyn of Wine Predator pushes Beyond Prosecco? Try These Sustainable Sparkling Wines from Italy's Erbaluce, Franciacorta, Lambrusco, Pignoletto.
• Lynn of Savor the Harvest gives us Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco to Make Your Holiday Sparkle - La Tordera Rive Di Guia.
• Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm says Cheers to 2021...2020 Don't Let The Door Hit You On The Way Out.
• Susannah of Avvinare pours Versatile Lambrusco for the Holidays.
• Deanna of Asian Test Kitchen serves Val D'Oca Prosecco Paired with Party Starters.
• Payal of Keep the Peas offers A ‘SeeYaNever2020’ Toast with Italian Bubbly.
• Linda of My Full Wine Glass says Hello Again, Lambrusco - Everyone Deserves a Second Chance.
• Jane of Always Ravenous pairs a Frizzante with Holiday Sweet Treats.
• Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles pours Prosecco - Joyful Bubbles to “Wring” Out 2020.
• Jen of Vino Travels is ready to Sparkle up the Holidays with Prosecco Superiore.
• Martin of ENOFYLZ Wine Blog offers A Taste of 21st Century Lambrusco; Paltrinieri Lambrusco di Sorbara Radice.
• Nicole of Somm's Table shares The Wide World of Italian Bubblies.
• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla is Celebrating with Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Amidst the Pandemic.

Susannah Gold of Avvinare, who is a Vinitaly International Italian Wine Ambassador, generously provided two Prosecco samples for review.

PROSECCO

Photo: Payal Vora

Prosecco is a wine dear to me... it brings back memories of family summer holidays in Europe, of parties at university where Prosecco was often the affordable sparkling wine of choice, of summer in Treviso a few years ago. Little else is more perfect for a sweltering Italian summer than cold Prosecco and good company. A few years ago I had grant money I needed to finish up before I moved on to my next project and an architect friend in Munich happened to be free that summer so we drove over and explored every corner of Treviso. We stayed in agriturismos everywhere and every afternoon just when we got back to relax before dinner the staff would greet guests with a complimentary bottle of Prosecco... per room. Between Rolle, Conegliano, Asolo, Cison di Valmarino, and every other village in Treviso, we had a glorious summer full of photography, buildings, art, fashion, food, espresso, and all manner of Prosecco.

Prosecco is arguably the most well-known Italian sparkling wine in the US although it ought to be more popular - it is light, bright, crisp, great with food, and a perfect porch sipper. Made in the Veneto region in NE Italy primarily from the native grape Glera (85% min. in a blend), although only the sparkling type is most known in the US, there are three types of Prosecco: tranquillo (still), frizzante (lightly sparkling), and spumante (sparkling). The Treviso province in Veneto has the perfect climate and soil types for the higher-acid Glera grapes which are well-suited for dry sparkling wines. The best Prosecco comes from the steep hillsides but even the wine from the plains is perfect for casual drinking. As such, Prosecco is classified as Denominazione d’Origine Controllata (DOC) and Denominazione d’Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG). Prosecco DOC is a broader, less stringent category and the DOCG is stricter and the wines are from specific areas of Veneto, and supposedly better quality.

https://www.winemag.com/2020/03/10/best-prosecco-guide/

Read more about all things Prosecco and the region's recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (since 2019) here.

VAL D'OCA + THE WINE

The Val d’Oca co-operative founded in 1952 is one of the oldest producers of Prosecco. Their sparkling wines are made from Glera grapes cultivated and vinified in the hillsides of Valdobbiadene. Val d’Oca produces Prosecco Superiore DOCG from the hills of Valdobbiadene and Prosecco DOC from the greater Treviso province. The winery has always had a forward looking approach and their recent efforts include a sustainability budget that follows the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Clusters of Glera grapes (Payal Vora)

Val d'Oca Prosecco

11% ABV | SRP $13

85% Glera, 15% Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay

Colour: 

Lemon, fine bubbles

Nose: 

Citrus, ripe peach, green apple, white flowers

Palate: 

Similar to nose: A bright citrusy opening leads into juicy peach, apricot, and green apple with fragrant white flowers bordered by a slight mineral edge. A very crisp balanced wine with juicy acidity, medium body, medium+ finish. This Prosecco would be terrific on its own as an aperitif, paired with a slew of foods, or in a cocktail. Best now or within 2 years but not meant for prolonged cellaring.

THE FOOD

Most meals at our house are lively affairs but in 2020 I think we've been celebrating even more than usual as a way of encouraging the year to just end already! I suspect that we'll continue this throughout December so we can charge on with real life where exciting things happen and where we freely hug and mingle with humans in all corners of the world and where if we get sick we have treatment options. I.e. real life in our real world with boundaries beyond home. And so, on this evening dinner was a bottle of Val d'Oca Prosecco paired with the first course, entrée, and main, and for dessert we had a silky cognac flip with a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg.

Photo: Payal Vora

FIRST: We eased into our evening with parmesan-black pepper biscotti and a pour of the Val d'Oca Prosecco. We usually have this biscotti with champagne and it's a superb pairing, so it was a bit of an obvious choice for Prosecco. The biscotti was delicious and so was the Prosecco, but together they were anything but. Something about the combination of the biscotti and Prosecco resulted in a most unappetising metallic taste. A combination to be repeated NEVER AGAIN.

ENTRÉE: We got past that pairing fiasco and moved on to the thing we were eagerly awaiting: East Coast oysters. Briny, meaty, and perfect for any dry sparkling wine, especially this Val d'Oca Prosecco. We had Cotuit, Blue Point, and Wellfleet oysters with a squeeze of lemon. They were all terrific with the Prosecco but the Blue Points, the briniest of the lot, were exceptional with the fine bubbles and citrusy mineral notes in the wine.

Photo: Payal Vora

MAIN: We had chimichurri-topped halibut on dressing with bread, celery, etc. and sage-laced roasted butternut squash with cranberries. I usually pair wine to the flavours of the dish rather than a single meat or vegetable and the rounded acidity (red wine vinegar FTW!), hint of herbaceousness, and the savouriness of garlic in the chimichurri were such a lovely complement to the bright notes of the Prosecco. The mild sweetness of the butternut squash and the tart-sweet cranberries we equally delicious with the wine.

Overall it was a splendid meal and I would absolutely recommend pairing Val d'Oca Prosecco with any course, not just the beginning of your meal. It offers such an excellent QPR that I would extend this pairing to a large dinner party, not just intimate gatherings. You can count on the Val d'Oca Prosecco being offered at our first garden party of 2021 when we reacquaint with real life! I'll take the liberty of speaking for all of us and say: We Cannot Wait!