Jackson Jambalaya

by Tasho Katsaboulas, owner of Kat's Wine Cellar.

Many Americans allow the world of wine to intimidate them into not exploring and enjoying wine to its fullest. This occurs because they lack a basic knowledge of benchmark wines which provide a footing for navigating the world of wines. Benchmark wines are classic examples of the most expressive grape types grown in regions that have historically produced the most consistent and best expressions of the given grape type. Trying a couple of benchmarks for each type of grape variety leads the consumer past the characteristics of the grapes to an all important understanding of winemaking styles and expressions of climate, which are essential to the full enjoyment of wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon is rich in berry flavor, with a distinct herbaceousness characterized by the flavor of tea or herbs. Some of Cabernet’s grape-influenced flavors include blackberry, cedar, tobacco, green pepper, and olive. Cabernet pairs best with herb seasoned beef and lamb. Two contrasting benchmark examples of Cabernet are the wines of the gravely Haut-Medoc district of the Left Bank in Bordeaux (2003 Prieure-Lichine Margaux) and Cabernet from California’s Napa Valley (2003 Whitehall Lane). When trying these benchmark wines against each other, notice the differences in power and concentration of fruit in the wines and how this power of fruit relates to the detectability of subtle nuances. You are likely to smell and taste tobacco, leather, vanilla, chocolate, and earth, as well as coffee, cedar, and plum. A well made Cabernet will be rich and fruity, but most of all, complex. Complexity is not a thing you taste, but an experience you have. A wine that is complex draws you in, offering something new with each sip - a high compliment indeed.

Merlot offers softer tannins, making it more approachable in its youth than Cabernet Sauvignon. Merlot’s grape-influenced flavors include fudge, caramel, plums, espresso, and baked cherries, while the barrel usually imparts vanilla, nuts, and spice. Merlot is a great wine with red meats. It has the weight and fruit to match wine-braised stews and roasts and the structure and polish to pair with rare-grilled prime cuts. Two contrasting benchmark examples of Merlot are the wines of the clay-enriched St. Emilion and Pomerol districts of Bordeaux’s Right Bank (1998 Sanctus St.-Emilion) and the top merlots of Washington State (2004 L’Ecole Columbia Valley).

Syrah is a wine with a mouth feel that can be described as syrupy, voluptuous, flamboyant, silky, as well as seductive. Syrah is the perfect accompaniment to peppered steak, as well as lamb, duck, and venison. Syrah’s flavors include black raspberry, bitter chocolate, mocha, violet, spice, blackberry liqueur, smoked meats, ground pepper, and bacon fat. Two contrasting benchmark examples of Syrah include the majestic wines from Cote Rotie in France’s northern Rhone Valley (2001 Guigal Cote Rotie) and Shiraz, as it is referred to in Australia, from the Barossa Valley (2003 Elderton Barossa). Our experiment of trying contrasting benchmarks will really yield insight to the significant impact that location and style play in determining the expression seen from this grape variety. Pay attention to how the Barossa’s warmer climate yields a fruitier syrah wine, while the cooler climate of Cote Rotie results in a wine with more spicy peppery aromas and gamey flavors.

Pinot Noir is best described as fragrant, expressive, supple, silky, velvety and elegant. Pinot is lighter in body, with fewer tannins than most reds due to its thin skin, which makes it fickle to grow. Pinot Noir pairs with chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, pork, veal, pheasant, duck, goose, and full-flavored cheeses. It is truly a wine that works well with a diverse array of foods. Cherries, violets, raspberry, herbs, mushrooms, game, mocha chocolate, and bacon nuances are commonly used in describing Pinot Noir. Although red Burgundy of the Cote d’ Or in France is Pinot Noir, it is often very different from California and other new world Pinot Noir. When everything comes together here, Pinot Noir can convey a charm expressing the most subtle nuances of the terrain, with a unique complexity marked by layers of flavors and changing aromas while in the glass. Try an Oregon Pinot Noir (2003 Four Graces Willamette) against a red Burgundy (1999 Leroy Bourgogne Rouge). This will give you a feel for what is meant by old world versus new world. Have a friend pour the wines for you so as to conceal their identities; then, smell and taste the wines. There is a good chance that the one with the aromas that remind you of a vineyard is the old world Burgundy; the one with aromas that you would associate with the winemaking process will be the new world Oregon Pinot. This exercise of “blind tasting” wines against one another can be performed using all of the foregoing benchmark examples. The process will magnify the subtle differences in style and regional expression which make these wines unique, despite being composed of the juice of the same grape variety.

Regional grape varieties such as Zinfandel (2003 Karly Warrior Fires), the unsubtle quintessential American wine; my favorite, Nebbiolo (2004 Grasso Nebbiolo d' Alba), the grape of Barolo and Barbaresco, referred to as "the wine of kings and the king of wines"; Sangiovese (2004 Caparzo Toscana), the grape of Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino; and Tempranillo (2004 Mano a Mano La Mancha), a grape made famous in Rioja, round out the list of benchmark red wines that everyone interested in wine must try to have experienced the greatest red wines of the world. After experiencing these classic regional expressions and winemaking styles, one will have a better understanding beyond the grape, which leads to further exploration and the fullest enjoyment of wine.

- Tasho Katsaboulas, Kats' Wine Cellar. Mr. Katsaboulas is the owner of Kat's Wine Cellar on 921 E. Fortification Street in Jackson, MS. For more information or answers to questions about wine, call 601-354-9181 or email him at katswine@gmail.com.