Subterraneum Bourgogne Blues (Rouges) An additional treat for the tasting was that one of our esteemed Brethren, Brother Alexander, had secured a rare “public” entrance to the private dining table at Subterraneum a wine storage cellar in the heart of Oakland’s transforming West Oakland community. Long a West Coast cultural center, West Oakland’s with its 7th Street as a must stop for those wishing to hear the West Coast blues, and to taste the fine victuals at Esther’s Orbit Room the evidence at Subterraneum http://www.subterraneum.com/ is that the old chops are being replicated in a new twist. Subterraneum is situated on the other the northern end of West Oakland, nestled off of arterial West Grand Avenue at 2240 Filbert Street. Belying its allusion to the often carved and earth regulated caves buried under chateaux, one actually climbs industrial steps to the heights of an old warehouse building to enter “under the earth” so nondescript an entry that one is left to conclude that it must be part of the ice cream delivery system that emanates from the shared parking lot behind the security gate. Nonetheless, once inside there’s no question that you’ve arrived at an art and wine lover’s private play pen. Doors to the left hide rows of temperature controlled private storage causing all in our group to ponder what treasures may be “buried” in this Shangri-La. Art and photos abound and, turning right, one is pulled inexorably past the freight elevator (no you don’t have to lug your cases up three flights) and into the large, brightly tiled lounge, dining, board room cum kitchen. Overstuffed chairs surround a perfect tasting table, the kitchen poised to deliver the goodies to munch after the tasting and the hovering “Joe” manager on duty that day, ensuring our every need and appreciating a taste of the best the Bourgogne—and thus pinot noir—has to offer. Yes, those of you familiar with our web site know that my Brothers call me the Francophile of the group belying my birthright in Napa. But, that is another story; this is about the grape. And, I am proud to report that my Brothers overwhelmingly shared my enthusiasm and passion for all that is French in the making of this elegant and sophisticated offering from Dionysus. Seeking to understand something more of the classification system and the role of terroire we took four wines on the recommendation of Oakland’s Montclair Village wine shop’s Brian. As our guide he had set out to provide four wines that typified the range of the Cote D’Or region of Burgundy golden sides in English and its communes and vineyards. The Cote D’Or refers to that area of France’s Bourgogne that stretches roughly between Dijon in the north and to below Beaune in the south. The best of these vineyards crawl up the hillsides and out of the Soane River’s alluvial plane, hence the name “Cote” or “sides.” But, I linger on wonderful thoughts of lazy fall days, watching the golden harvest, where whole villages pour out to ensure that the precious fruit is delivered at just the right moment to the wine maker’s art. Marsannay, 2001 First out of the chute for our tasting was a communal (village) wine that is to say it is a wine that meets the quality standards to be bottled by the commune name, rather than just as Bourgogne or table wine vin de table. Thus it is a cut above the minimum standard to be considered Bourgogne. Our communal wine was from Marsannay, a 2001 from the renowned wine negociant Louis Latour. At $17 it was varietally honest and well priced although lovers of pinot noir would probably want to gravitate to some higher value wines lower in the price range. Nonetheless, the wine offered a relatively complex nose: tomato, beef, lavender and banana overtones. The mouth was classic: strawberries, bananas with a touch of tomato and pepper. A very nice offering from a village just south of Dijon and north of the main portion of the Cote D’Or and it’s northern Cote du Nuits. Monthelie, La Meix Bataille 1999 Second, we enjoyed a 1999 Monthelie, La Meix Bataille, 1er Cru. The premier cru vineyards are ranked as being better than the main communal vineyards. Nonetheless, the quality of the grapes and the wine must meet premier cru standards the earth is not enough, it must be sufficiently suffused with the viniculturalist’s and winemaker’s art as well. It was clear from the offering that this was more than a cut above communal offering from Marsannay, although it shared with the Marsannay (a more northern wine) a light quality more typical of the southern area of the Cote d’Or know as the Cote du Beaune from which the Monthelie came. The wine was really exquisite with a clear garnet color and strong “legs” running down the wine glass walls. In the nose was a bounty of aromas: anise, strawberry, beef, mushrooms and cherry among the most prominent. In the mouth, an excellent and pleasant front of the tongue with all of the aromas finding a mirror in the taste along with some basil and a few other goodies. Everybody agreed that at $25 this was a very good value. Nuits St. George 1999 Third up was a 1999 Nuits St. George premier cru vineyard: Clos de l’Arlot. Typifying the deeper and stronger northern Cotes du Nuits-half of Burgundy’s Cote d’Or, this puppy was very vigorous and rambunctious. The nose was resplendent with all of the high tone fruits one could wish for, such as strawberries, orange blossom, apricot, tea rose, and kiwi, as well as deeper tones like lavender, olive and beef. In the mouth this was bursting with flavors and reflected the bountiful nose. More impressive than all the bountiful flavors and bouquet was the excellent and outstanding balance in the wine among the fruit, tannins and acid. The extraordinary finish was of grand cru quality leading the group to agree that this wine was a “high five” perhaps the best value in the group at $40. Domaine Vaonick’s, Corton-Renardes 1999 Finally, the big bopper: Domaine Vaonick’s 1999 Corton-Renardes. Coaxed out of the grand cru vineyard that hugs the hill near Aloxe-Corton, this beauty was splendid. And for those use to paying sky-high prices for “special” bottlings, at $70 this was a steal. Where to begin. First, of all, despite its Cote du Beaune home remember lighter than the wines of the Cote du Nuits this wine was hefty and elegant at the same time. In appearance it was inky, barely translucent with strong, clinging legs that dared one to do more than just stare at the glass and the strength of the wine. The complexity of the nose was magnificent. Like the Clos de l’Arlot the wine spanned high and low tones in the nose. But this fruit tended to be a bit darker: yes there were cherries and strawberries, but they were riper and darker. Violets, lilac and orange blossoms joined the bouquet, along with tarragon and tomatoes. At the lower end were steak, tobacco and leather, mushrooms and truffles and a hint of black pepper. The mouth did not disappoint. All was there and plenty of it. With an exquisite finish and elegant balance, I ranked the wine 19 on a scale of 20 a rank I rarely release. On the more common 100 point scale, that would equal a 95, and every bit of it earned. Now, and finally, the most interesting thing to me about the tasting was that we included some other wines to test these against. The first was a fair but somewhat tired 1995 Givrey, Les Petits Pretans from my cellar. Still good enough for dining, it could not hold up to the strong lot from 1999. Next though were two domestics: The 1999 Testarosa Gary’s Vinyard and the 1996 Rex Hill Dundee Hills two very strong offerings with great varietal character and marvelous construction. Nonetheless, and here’s the really remarkable thing to me the Francophile, my brothers almost universally agreed and they definitely aren’t with me on the “French thing” usually that pound for pound, dollar for dollar the Nuits St Georges and the Corton-Renardes were well ahead of their domestic counterparts. So the next time you think that you just don’t like the way the French make wine, take a second look and you might find something that you’ll recall for years when you think of times you’ve enjoyed drinking with friends and family in the circle of friendship that wine can especially enhance. 2001 Marsannay Louis LaTour $17 Subterraneum
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