Fortified Wine
SARAH
TAYLOR
with
MAXWELL
LEER
PHOTO: BARTHOLOMEW COOKE
When it comes to grouping wine into flights—wines consumed in a particular order—Maxwell Leer, the former wine director of the Bazaar by José Andrés, is like an explorer eager to take an expeditionary force on a journey of discovery. Here, he has assembled a flight of five fortified wines.
These days, fortified wines are afflicted with the stigma of being stodgy, overly sweet tipples. Leer’s selections, however, are definitively on the dry side, highly complex and certainly worthy of a fresh look, as the flight progresses from bright and refreshing to deeper and more cerebral. He begins with three picks that could be described as vins de soif—everyday sippers perfect for quenching the thirst.
Each is eminently drinkable (chilled, please) and accompanies food beautifully. His fourth and fifth choices are quite a bit more intense and best suited for the end of a meal, when diners are more prone to reverie and relaxation. Leer’s tasting notes for each come with a catchphrase based on the old-world tradition of the nome di fantasia (fantasy name), which evokes the human experience of a wine and unquestionably takes us somewhere. This is a flight, after all.
1. FAMILLE L. DUPONT POMMEAU DE NORMANDIE, Victot-Pontfol, France: GRAPE: Mostly bittersweet apples, the majority of which are Binet Rouge, must fortified with apple brandy (Calvados) FLAVOR: Clean Viking apple, quiet sweetness, husk cherry, almond CATCHPHRASE: Down the hatch.
2. BODEGAS GRANT FINO SHERRY LA GARROCHA, El Puerto Santa María, Spain: GRAPE: Palomino Fino (Listán Blanco) FLAVOR: Sweet yeast, then acid, barley fruit, calm tannin, walnut CATCHPHRASE: Dancing with horses.
3. BODEGAS HIDALGO AMONTILLADO SHERRY NAPOLEON, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain: GRAPE: Palomino Fino FLAVOR: Valencia orange, bacon, bitter maple-syrup tannin CATCHPHRASE: Breakfast.
4. JOSTO PUDDU 1980 VERNACCIA DI ORISTANO, S. Viro Milis, Italy: GRAPE: Vernaccia di Oristano FLAVOR: Deglet Noor date, Meyer lemon, salted caramel...endless CATCHPHRASE: Aurora borealis.
5. MAURO VERGANO AMERICANO, Piemonte, Italy: GRAPE: Grignolino d'Asti FLAVOR: Light molasses, cacao, maraschino cherry, grapefruit rind, firm CATCHPHRASE: Der schlaftrunk ("sleep drink" in German).
Categories: By the Glass / Cocktails / Entertaining / Food + Wine
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
Verify your Comment
Previewing your Comment
This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.
As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.
Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.
wonderful! down the hatch, maxwell - a palate to be trusted. congratulations.
Posted by: saul | 02/05/2012 at 01:14 PM
down the hatch, Maxwell Leer. a palate to be trusted, congratulations!
Posted by: saul | 02/05/2012 at 01:47 PM
This is excellent. I especially love the "Catchphrases." For someone with far less wine knowledge that Mr. Leer, they are the exact touch I need to understand how to relate to each wine. I would love to see Mr. Leer's pairing suggestions!
Posted by: Shannon | 02/06/2012 at 06:13 PM
i have a question for you.
is this wine bad for health. if it is then why are people wants to drink it.
Posted by: saudi airlines | 02/11/2012 at 12:49 AM
Vernaccia makes a great light wine. But where is vermouth on this list? It's a fortified wine, and Noilly Prat on the rocks with a twist has gotten me through a lot of parties without a hangover.
Posted by: Mattie | 03/11/2012 at 08:49 AM