Savory advice from a Burgundian wine celler

SANTENAY, France - Pierre Maufoux well remembers the good years since he joined the family wine business in 1953.

"I was born in a vat," he says with an impish smile and a theatrical wave of the hand. "You have to start very young tasting wine."

Wink, wink.

Pierre probably had little choice. The Prosper Maufoux negociant firm was established in this small village in the Cote de Beaune in 1860. The cellars beneath the family home are a trove of excellent vintages and interesting bits of Burgundian wine history.

"Prosper was my grandfather`s Christian name," explains Pierre. "It`s a very old name. You don`t see it anymore. My grandfather ran the wine business and my father followed on. And then, of course, I followed on as well.

"This is very important, you see. To know these wines the way a wine merchant must know them, you must taste with someone who knows. Someone who will tell you, `This is the taste of Meursault.` After a while, you know the taste of Meursault.

"Someone who has the experience and knowledge to say, `This taste is the taste of terroir.` Then you know terroir. This is very important."

Examples of terroir and wonderful older vintages are forthcoming, of course.

The 1997 Batard-Montrachet, when tasted in the cellars of Prosper Maufoux, is delightfully smoky. Later, over dinner, Pierre produces a 1985 Batard-Montrachet from the family cellar. That same smoky nuance is apparent in this beautifully preserved example of aged white Burgundy.

"Here," Pierre says as he hands up two glasses of wine. "Tell me the difference in these two wines."

One is loaded with an aroma of vanilla spice, in the other the vanilla spice is absent. Each is a 1998 Chassagne-Montrachet, but one is from the premier cru vineyard "Chenevottes." One obviously has been aged in a different species of oak, or new barrels.

"No," intones Pierre. "Same barrels, identical. This is the difference of terroir."

Afterward, there is a demonstration of the aging potential of a good vintage of red Burgundy. The first is a bottle of 1976 Charmes-Chambertin, a wine that is in remarkably good condition at the age of 24 years.

Following the kudos for a wine well made, another dusty bottle is decanted. It appears more youthful in color and the aromatics are sinful.

"This," says Pierre, "is another Charmes-Chambertin - from the last great vintage before the war."

I sense he doesn`t mean Vietnam. So I take a stab.

"No, not 1938," he says with emphasis. "That was a dreadful vintage. This is the glorious 1937."

Glorious indeed. Your 1990 Williams Selyem should be in such good shape.

"In fairness, this bottle has had all the advantages," says Pierre. "It was placed in the family cellar the day after bottling and hasn`t been moved until this day."

Tasting is everything in Burgundy, where the wine trade is dominated by negociant firms that purchase as little as a barrel at a time from the many small producers of the region.

"We are very traditional Burgundy wine merchants," says Pierre. "Considering the prices of Burgundy, relatively speaking, we like to taste before we buy."

Truer words were never spoken.

WINE FINDS

The most outstanding wines are rated Exceptional. Wines that earn high marks for complexity, balance and flavor are rated Very Good. Wines that represent excellent quality for the price are rated Good Value.

EXCEPTIONAL:

Merryvale 1998 Silhouette Chardonnay, Napa Valley ($55), just goes to show that generalizations are not always appropriate in wine. The 1998 vintage produced a number of exceptional white wines, particularly from grapes that do better in cooler years. That runs contrary to the conventional wisdom, as does the mantra that California chardonnays are laden with too much oak.

Many - perhaps even most - are saturated with oak, but there are a handful of wines produced from the best chardonnay fruit that can take the new oak and still make a balanced wine loaded with yummy fruit flavors. You got it, the Merryvale Silhouette is one of them. This is among the best California chards from this vintage.

Dry Creek Vineyard 1999 Fume Blanc DCV3, Dry Creek Valley ($18), makes me want to cry over what has happened to the production of sauvignon blanc in California. For one thing, sauvignon blanc vineyards are becoming scarce. Those ripped out during the phylloxera crisis often were not replanted with sauvignon blanc vines. But the real crime is the deliberate camouflage of true sauvignon blanc character. The herbal, mineral and citrus nuances that are evident in a wonderful Sancerre-style sauvignon blanc have been preserved in this wine made from the oldest sauvignon blanc block of vines on the Dry Creek Vineyard estate. Savor it.

VERY GOOD:

Geyser Peak 1998 Merlot, Sonoma County ($17), is a bowl of cherries, in the good sense. The cherry aromas are pure, with excellent persistence. This is a nicely balanced, well-made merlot that has enough luscious fruit and weight on the palate to satisfy discriminating red-wine lovers.

Chimney Rock 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Stag`s Leap District ($79.99), demonstrates how far this winery has come since its lackluster early years. The 1997 Reserve cab is drinking beautifully now, owing perhaps to the typically soft, ripe tannin structure of the Stag`s Leap District red wines. The aromas of cedar and earth give it the feel and smell of a fine, aged Bordeaux.

GOOD VALUE:

Georges Duboeuf 1999 Moulin-A-Vent, Beaujolais, France ($13.99), is one of the better Beaujolais from a stellar vintage, making it a veritable steal at the price. Robust for a Beaujolais, this vintage of Moulin a Vent would benefit from additional cellaring.

Georges Duboeuf 1999 Morgon, Beaujolais, France ($12.99), hits you with a stunning bouquet of violets. That means it smells of flowers, which is a good characteristic and one of the most appealing attributes of a good Morgon. Excellent depth of flavor, spiciness and body.

Georges Duboeuf 1998 Grande Cuvee Brouilly, Beaujolais, France ($11.99), has an additional year in the bottle and shows it with a velvety texture and smooth, lingering finish.

Sokol Blosser 1999 Evolution, Oregon ($11.99), won`t make anyone forget their favorite white Burgundy, but that`s not the idea anyway. This is a blend of nine different white grapes, including riesling, gewurztraminer and chardonnay. It`s fresh, crisp, slightly sweet and a perfect accompaniment to many things on the coming Thanksgiving table.

SPIRIT OF THE WEEK

Hendrick`s Gin ($27.99) is distilled in the Scottish Highlands, which no doubt explains its eclectic personality. It is billed as "a most peculiar gin" and it is that, but only in a way that should stir up a clamor for the product. To the typical flavor profile of juniper berry and citrus, the Hendrick`s gin has added the element of coriander and cucumber to the brew. This is a beautifully balanced, flavorful gin with a twist. But hardly a lemon twist.

SERVING SUGGESTION

The glory of dry rose wine is readily evident on a hot summer day or when served as an aperitif with an array of appetizers that run the gamut of flavors. The dry rose is nothing if not flexible with food. The problem is most wine drinkers shy away from the pink stuff. So the perfect solution is to leave guests no choice. Serve the dry rose and nothing else with those little knoshes - and watch the reaction. When compelled to drink a nice rose, people discover they actually like it. Sonoma County`s Iron Horse vineyards produces two such wines in the $15 range, a Rosato made from sangiovese and a Vin Gris from pinot noir.

Visit Robert Whitley online at www.whitleyonwine.com or send e-mail to him at whitonwine(at)aol.com.

(c) Copley News Service

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Author: Robert Whitley