Wine people talk incessantly about the style of wine. Some wines are big, others elegant; some are cellar worthy, while others are said to be consumer-friendly and ready-to-drink. Then there are those pesky tasting descriptors used by retailers, writers and producers, namely the “Old World” and the “New World”, but what do they really mean?
Often the distinction is one of mentality and/or attitude, yet from a practical or tasting point of view the translation can be more structural. If it’s a bit too simplistic to say, New World wines are richer, riper and normally more alcoholic on the palate, it is no less true — and equally simplistic — to claim that Old World/European wines tend to be leaner in structure, bear more acid, have firmer tannins and, in most cases, are often crafted to accompany food.
As any seasoned taster will tell you, a little of both is true. And in the world of modern wine, the lines are as fuzzy as ever.
This autumn you may want to explore the “New World versus Old World” conundrum in the comfort of your home as it pertains to key grape varieties grown in France, which is the heart of “the Old World versus the rest of the globe.”
It is not really a tasting challenge but rather a discovery of what each style has to offer. All you require now is a bit of curiosity, an open mind, and perhaps the notion that what’s old is new again. So let’s get started…
Sauvignon Blanc tasted outside of France is often described as being Sancerre or Pouilly Fume-like. The problem is many consumers are unaware that the fresh, mineral, crisp flavours of Sancerre, Pouilly Fume and Touraine are linked to sauvignon blanc because French appellation law emphasizes the place name and not grape variety. In the New World, the best examples mimic the Loire-style offering smoky, mineral, pear and green apple flavours, leaner structure and higher acidity from places like Casablanca, Leyda and Limari in Chile, Marlborough in New Zealand and the Constantia/Coastal Region of South Africa.
Food brings the New and Old World examples closer together. Clams, green lip mussels, goat’s cheese, pasta and chicken salads rule the New World, while chèvre, any fish in sorrel sauce, onion tarts and mussels would be the French equivalent.
My Old World pick is the impressive Pascal Jolivet 2005 Sancerre ($37) from the Loire Valley with its leesy, gooseberry, mineral flavours and super crisp finish. Contrast that with Vina Litoral Ventolera ($20) from Leyda, Chile with its nettle, bell pepper, pepper, gooseberry and grapefruit rind, butter and honey tones.
Chardonnay is wonderful vehicle for grape detective work. The latest New World chardonnay is garnering renewed respect for its crisp, fresh styling. Worldwide, the best chardonnays have been pushed to the coolest and most marginal (in terms of weather) vineyard sites where acidity and fruit are intensified.
California’s Sonoma Coast, Monterey and Santa Barbara lead the rush, with plenty of help from cool parts of New Zealand and Australia. French chardonnay, led by White Burgundy Chablis, Macon, and Côte Chalonnaise, is joining the trend with a cleaner if not necessarily fruitier style. Less overt oak and more of those creamy bread dough textures add complexity in the mouth. Lobster, tuna, oysters and Caesar salad are more New World dishes suited to chardonnay, while the French prefer theirs with wild salmon, turbot, sole, oysters, white bean puree and onion tarts.
From France any 2005 Burgundy will do, but start with the William Fèvre Petit Chablis 2005 ($26) from Chablis. Compare the chalky, mineral, green apple skin and citrus rind flavours with a slightly more generous California chardonnay, such as the Rodney Strong Chardonnay Chalk Hill 2005 ($30) from Sonoma County, boasting a slightly nutty, oily palate with baked pear, citrus and green melon flavours.
Cabernet Sauvignon garnered its fame in the Bordeaux region of France, primarily in and around the Médoc where it reigns supreme. Top cabernet comes with abundant but firm tannins, concentration and flavour complexity, and the ability to age a decade. Winemakers strive to achieve blackberry, cassis, black cherry and jam fruit flavours with black pepper and earthy, spice characters.
The lighter and more modern style of cab, such as those from Chile, Argentina and Australia, place more of an emphasis on fruit flavours and softer tannins. This makes them more drinkable at a young age. The French serve it with entrecote a la Bordelaise sauce, woodcock in red wine sauce or even pigeon with vegetables, while in the New World it is a T-bone or rib-eye steak, lamb, or venison with a blueberry sauce.
Your French Old World pick should be Bordeaux. In the moderate range is the Château Pey la Tour Reserve du Chateau 2003 ($27) with its slightly tannic, coffee, cassis, peppery, cherry flavours. The polar opposite New World style could be the vanilla, cassis, black berry flavours of Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 ($30) from the central coast of California.
Pinot noir — does anyone do it better than the French and more specifically the vignerons of Burgundy? When Burgundy gets it right, their pinot can be mind altering. The challenge for consumers is a blizzard of producers that share a variety of appellations such as Central Otago in New Zealand or the Russian River or Santa Barbara County in California. Throw in Oregon, Tasmania and Yarra Valley in Australia and Leyda and Casablanca in Chile, as well as British Columbia and Ontario, and you get the picture, the game is on. In France, the food can range from rabbit, maigret de canard, pheasant and coq au vin; closer to home, pinot with quail, duck, turkey, sausages and wild mushrooms can be mighty tasty.
Your final taste-off could involve the Old World Burgundy Bouchard Aîné & Fils Volnay Les Grands Poisots Cuvée Signature 2005 ($43) versus the peppery, black cherry, raspberry and licorice flavours of New Zealand’s Oyster Bay Pinot Noir 2005 ($25) from Marlborough, with its dry, plummy fruit and earthy mushroom notes.
As the French would say, vive la difference!
Anthony Gismondi
is a globetrotting wine writer who makes his home in West Vancouver, British
Columbia. For more of his thoughts on wine log onto
www.gismondionwine.com
