Thursday, December 15, 2022

Dan Berger: Chablis

A friend and winemaker once convinced me that certain kinds of wines taste better with certain kinds of music, and that the wrong pairing makes for dis-chord.

I thought of that years ago when I attended a small dinner for lovers of Chablis. I refer to that utterly sublime white wine from the French district called Chablis (shah-BLEE) and thus the word should be capitalized.

Chablis is a place name in France, and this country agrees that the name can only appear on products so long called Chablis here that they are grandfathered in. Chablis, one of the world's least understood fine white wines, is a delicate all-chardonnay wine that's radically different from most California-ized chardonnays.

Chablis, in its finest incarnation, is a wine for introspection, for large stemware and dim lights. It is rarely served cold. Cool, however, it elevates delicate foods to heights they would never reach on their own.

It's for quiet voices and subtle flavors.

By contrast, most California chardonnays have the dynamism of a John Philip Sousa march. Chablis calls for Debussy and Satie. Or to see it another way, most California chardonnay is Jackson Pollock. Most Chablis is a Monet haystack.

During a meal a decade ago with Jean-Francois Bordet, a Chablis winemaker and then-president of the Chablis Wine Board, we tasted six premier cru and grand cru wines that were variations on the same theme: almost no oak aging.

That, more than any other particular trait, is the hallmark of the district, along with minerality, regionality and reserve.

I recently tasted two crisp examples of 2021 Chablis. Both were elegant and superb, but neither was likely to excite those who love the buttery-ness of "rich" California chardonnays.

Fortunately for those of us who prefer Chopin to Elton John, Chablis remains a treat in the alternative motif. However, one sad fact remains: way out here on the West Coast, it's extremely difficult to obtain any decent Chablis.

 

The best of them go to those who adore these wines in Europe. What little quality Chablis of an exceptional nature that does get to this country, most of it stays on the East Coast. Including the wines of Bordet.

Forty years ago, it was difficult to control the temperature of fermentation, so there was a lot of year-to-year variation. Today more modern equipment now populates the winemaking areas of many high-caliber Chablis wineries, so even in poor years, good wines can be made.

Which allows for more evidence of top-rate Chablis' terroir personalities.

Chablis also has weathered several stylistic storms over the decades, including one in the mid-1980s when there arose a wave of interest by some wineries to age some of these wines in oak barrels. Malheursement!

That unfortunate decade of "oaky Chablis" saddened purists and robbed the many wines of some of their exciting minerality, replacing that trait with a sort of lugubriousness that simply did not represent Chablis. Many 1980s versions of Chablis were more like rap versions of Schumann lieder!

Bordet admitted that the oaky period was sort of squirrely for the district of Chablis, which began to lose some of its supporters who wanted the lean, delicate, crisp, tart Chablis of old.

Is Chablis for most Americans? Heavens, no! It's an acquired taste that calls for a quiet appreciation of understatement, white tablecloths, crystal and precision.

More to say about this exciting topic!

No wine of the week

To find out more about Sonoma County resident Dan Berger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CREATORS.COM

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Some people bear bigger crosses than others. I pray for you.


Recent Comments

Search Jackson Jambalaya

Subscribe to JJ's Youtube channel

Archives

Trollfest '09

Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.

Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.


Note: Security provided by INS.

Trollfest '07

Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

Note: Security provided by INS
.