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2008 Wine Festival
Updated June 12, 2008
Pennsylvania Wine Week 2008 has come and gone, the hangovers have receded, and now we look up and think…um, what DO we think?
In some ways it was better than previous years, in some ways not as good. As in the past, there were numerous public tasting events at various restaurants, in addition to invitation-only private affairs. Highlighting the week once again were the three Wine Festivals. This year, the returning Pittsburgh and Philadelphia festivals were joined for the first time by Hershey. (Harrisburg is no more.) The three differed only in locale and atmosphere, and perhaps attendance; the wines offered at each were nearly identical.
The wine festival itself was touted as the biggest ever. The printed program had 150 pages of wine listings, 30 more than last year, although the overall quality of wines was similar. I noticed that several returning wineries didn't bring their flagship wines as they did last year, but I didn't attempt an across-the-board comparison. The entertainment was nice with various musicians stationed around the tasting areas. The food was again very good for "finger food," and nicely presented given the amount that had to be served. They still haven't figured out how to make the experience of standing, drinking, eating, and carrying brochures manageable. Unlike last year, they did not distribute bags to help carry things until the end of the evening on your way out. I actually preferred the bags this year -- reusable grocery bags -- to last year's higher-quality-but-less-functional slim canvas tote bags, but why not give them out on the way in so you can use them to help carry the program and other materials picked up along the way?
The following are my biggest wine tasting surprises from the Pittsburgh Wine Festival, in no particular order:
Remoissenet – All I can say here is WOW! Found this table early, and even if it had been the only one there I would have gone home satisfied. Three whites, all 2005, and all were terrific. Their Bienvenues Batard Montrachet 2005 (PLCB #21214, $246.99) was just outstanding. Of course at that price, it had better be. More surprising however was the Puligny Montrachet 2005. The representative doing the pouring indicated that it was an SLO item listing for $89.99, and for me this was every bit as enjoyable as the Bienvenues at less than half the price. They also were pouring Mersault Cuvee Maurice Chevalier 2005, another SLO item for $79.99, which – gasp – wasn’t quite as good. The LCB web site does not currently list either of these SLO wines, so if you want either one keep checking.
Chateau Mouton Rothschild – I don’t think any one table was pouring wines with a wider spectrum of price points. The Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2004 is not available in PA but sells for about $200 elsewhere, while the Baron de Rothschild Mouton Cadet is widely available for $9.99 (PLCB #5742). Their Chateau d’Armailhac 2005 (PLCB #19013, $59.99) was my favorite, helped no doubt by the fact that 2005 was a better year than 2004 across the board. The Mouton Rothschild actually tasted a bit watery (did I not empty my glass completely while rinsing?) and is clearly not yet ready for consumption.
“First Growth” – Right next door was one table ("THE" table?) where they were pouring Chateau Haut Brion 2004 (not available in PA), Chateau Margaux 2004 (sold out in PA), Trimbach Riesling Frederic Emile 2002 (PLCB #21236, $49.99), and Trimbach Gewurztraminer Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre 2000 (PLCB #21409, $32.49). The people working at this table were nice enough, but insisted that you drink a white before one of the premiere reds. Well OK, except that logistically it was a pain. There was a line about 10 people deep to get to the table, and then once you got there you had to drink something maybe you didn’t want, stand there and taste it, spit, rinse your glass, and only THEN were you rewarded with a minute amount of what you came for. In hindsight, they weren’t stupid. The Trimbach Riesling was fabulous, while the Haut Brion and Margaux were both underwhelming. As with the Chateau Mouton Rothschild, they were pouring the 2004 vintage which won’t go down as a great year, and these reds were clearly immature, tasting more like dry earth than anything squeezed from a grape. But chances are they will fare much better in 10 or 20 years.
Joseph Phelps – What, no Insignia?
Beringer – I stuck with their reds. They were pouring Alluvium Red 2004 (PLCB #11250, $31.99) and their Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (SLO Item # 64855). The Private Reserve was very good, but seems to be perennially overpriced (~$120), while the Alluvium is a nice alternative at a much more reasonable price point.
Chateau de Beaucastel – I finally found this table five minutes after they had poured their last drop of 2005 Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and had to settle for their Perrin Vacqueyras. Sort of like losing a game show and settling for the parting gift.
Scott Harvey Wines – These SLO wines are offered by Dreadnought Imports of Pittsburgh, featuring catchy names and neon colored labels on dark bottles. I tried One Last Kiss (PLCB #50290, $13.99), a blend of Chardonnay, French Colombard, and Symphony, which was smooth and semi-dry, just in time for summer enjoyment. I also liked the Scott Harvey Barbera (PLCB #51024, $15.99) from Amador County, California, which had a lot of fruit and some nice acidity on the finish.
Ramey – Discovering this winery was a nice surprise at last year’s festival, and so I returned to their table this year with high hopes. Unfortunately they were not pouring their Jericho Canyon Cabernet like last year, and I settled for the Claret 2005 (PLCB #54773, $36.59) which is SLO only. It was nice enough, but still I left disappointed.
Testarossa – I’m not one to gamble $40-$60 on something I’ve never tasted and know little about, so it was great to finally have an opportunity to try some Pinot Noir from this winery. The two they were pouring did not disappoint, full of fruit balanced with nice acidity. Immediately after the wine festival neither was available, but now they both are. They are
Central Coast Palazzio 2006
(PLCB #13237, $36.99) and
Santa Lucia Highlands Sleepy Hollow Vineyard 2006 (PLCB #13305, $58.99). Not cheap, but very enjoyable.
Veuve Clicquot – OK no surprise here, I could drink this all day, or night. The standard Yellow Label Brut (PLCB #6924, $46.99) is so consistently good; it’s just unfortunate that the price keeps rising. The fact that it’s available in states like Illinois for a breathtaking $10 less than in PA once again underscores the drawbacks of buying wine here (Johnstown flood tax, no competition, etc.). The Demi-Sec (PLCB #29637, $44.99) is only slightly sweeter, and $2 less (woo hoo!). Also being poured was Krug Grande Cuvee (PLCB #29464, $159.99). It’s aged in oak which is unusual for Champagne, and provided an interesting contrast to the other Champagnes at the table. Alas, they weren’t pouring La Grande Dame like last year. C’est dommage!
Top rated wines (currently available)
| Wine | Average Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Cims de Porrera Solanes 2003 |  (1 rating)
| 21.99 |
| Vall Llach Embruix Priorat 2004 |  (3 ratings)
| 19.99 |
| Parson's Flat Shiraz Cabernet 2004 | (5 ratings)
| 19.99 |