|
Offbeat Grape: Poulsard
Courtesy of
30 Second Wine Advisor
By
Robin GarrEvery year around this time I'm usually making
plans to visit New York City for the annual meeting of the Wine
Century Club, a casual, lovable organization for wine enthusiasts
who have tasted wines made from at least 100 different grape
varieties ... and love to talk about it.
Alas, I won't be able to make it this year, thanks to a calendar
conflict with the giant Vinitaly wine expo in Verona. But I'll be
there in spirit, and if you're going to be in the Big Apple on St.
Patrick's Day weekend, you can be there in person. For information,
visit the Wine Century Club Website,
http://www.winecentury.com/
Meanwhile, in celebration of the Century Club concept, let's
devote this week's columns to further exploration of a few rare and
little-known wine grapes.
Today we'll take a taste of Poulsard, a red grape from the Jura
region of Eastern France, a hilly strip that lies up against the
Swiss border east of Burgundy. Jura is probably best known (if at
all) for the white Savagnin grape used in the region's trademark Vin
Jaune, an oxidized, Sherry-like golden wine traditionally sold in a
squat, old-fashioned bottle.
In comparison, the Jura red grapes Trousseau and Poulsard make
relatively "normal" wines, both still reds and, often blended with
Gamay, the sparkling Bugey-Cerdon that I featured in the Nov. 17,
2006 Wine Advisor.
Poulsard, which the natives sometimes confusingly call "Ploussard,"
is a large, thin-skinned and rather lightly colored grape. This
combination lends itself to long fermenting on the skins, a process
that can yield the odd but intriguing combination of light body and
flavors that are intriguingly both delicate and intense at the same
time.
On occasion, as with most small-production, artisanal, rustic
country wines, things can go terribly wrong. One specific Poulsard -
not from today's producer - prompted one of the most outrageous wine
reports I've ever read on our wine forums. Warning: It's hilarious,
but R-rated bawdy. If you're curious and not easily offended, it's
in our WineLovers Discussion Group
archives.
Rest assured, today's Poulsard is nothing like that. Made by
Jacques Puffeney in the village of Arbois, a longtime wine and
cheese maker who purportedly has earned the affectionate moniker,
"the Pope of Arbois,"
it's lean, tart and delicately complex in a style that reminds me a
bit of a Loire Valley red. Unfiltered and unfined, it's fresh and
clean. My notes are below. |
|
|
JACQUES PUFFENEY 2003 ARBOIS POULSARD "M" ($22.99)
Clear cherry red, not too dark; bright crimson glints against
the light. Fresh and delicate aromas of spicy red fruit, subtle
herbs and fragrant white pepper mix in a subtle blend. Light-bodied
but intense, tart cherries and white pepper meet crisp acidity and
smooth but perceptible tannins on the palate. U.S. importer:
Rosenthal Wine Merchant, NYC. (March 3, 2007)
FOOD MATCH: Its light, acidic style, not unlike a Loire
red, suggests pairing with poultry, pork or cheese. It was fine with
pollo all'Abruzzese, a Central Italian chicken fricasee somewhat
akin to a cacciatore without the bright-red "gravy."
VALUE: It's an interesting wine, worth the investment to
add an obscure grape to your life list or Century Club
qualification, but frankly a bit spendy at this price.
WHEN TO DRINK: Its delicate freshness suggests a wine to
drink up in the shorter term, although I wouldn't hesitate to keep
it for a year or two.
PRONUNCIATION:
Arbois = "Ahr-bwah"
Poulsard = "Pool-zahr"
WEB LINK: The U.S. importer's Website offers this detailed
if somewhat outdated fact sheet about Jacques Puffeney and his
wines:
http://www.madrose.com/puffeneyprint.html
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE: Only a few vendors for
Puffeney Arbois Poulsard show up on
Wine- Searcher.com. I got mine from Chambers Street Wines in
NYC, which will ship in the U.S. where the law allows:
http://www.chambersstwines.com/ |
|
