In sticking with the theme from the last post we have a red and  white wine to look at. Unlike last week’s wines, which were both Argentine Malbecs, these couldn’t be more different. One winery is French and has been in operation since the 1700s and the other opened it’s doors in the relatively recent year of 1978 in Missouri. One wine is just a toddler and the other is a teenager.

2016 Pirtle Vignoles

Score: 6/10

Opening it’s doors in 1978 Pirtle is a relative new comer to the wine world. Built in a Lutheran Church in Weston Missouri it sits at almost 800 feet above sea level and is often subject to Missouri’s temperamental weather. Because of this most of the wines here, and all through the Midwest, aren’t made from the traditional Cabernet or Chardonnay grapes, instead you’ll see Nortons and Traminettes which are better suited to the environment. Pirtle is a good example of your typical Missouri Winery.

How is a Missouri White Wine? A simple and enjoyable experience, a drinker not a thinker. The nose offers a bushel of green apple with a hint of stone after rainfall. The palette is crisp with no surprises, more green apple with some spice on the finish. You definitely have some acidity. While we drank it during the Winter months this is really a summer wine, best enjoyed properly chilled.

I would not bother aging this wine, it’s good to drink now and unlikely to get better. Pirtle says it’s philosophy is that of quality and this wine has it for it’s price range. If you’re looking for something that’s not a Pinot Grigio for a decent price or want to change up your wine drinking experience I’d say pick this up.

Winery: Pirtle

Vintage: 2016

Region: Weston, Missouri

Alcohol: 13.5%

Style: Semi-Dry

Color: Light Straw

Nose: Fresh Green Apple, Wet Stone

Palette:  Tart Green Apple

Finish: Light Spice

Acidity: High

Aging: None

Price Point: $12-17

2005 Chateau Clos l’Eglise Cotes de Castillon

Score: 9/10

Chateau Clos l’Eglise has been nestled in the Pomerol AOC since the 18th century. The 15 acres of sandy right bank Bordeaux produces a beautiful mix of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The winery is small production, producing less than 3,000 cases a year, and puts it’s focus on quality. This wine isn’t particularly hard to get in the states, though you’ll have better luck in specialty wine shops to find it.

2005 was considered one of the best years of Bordeaux and this is a fantastic example of it and at an affordable price to boot. This wine is complex right off the nose, offering strawberry, leather, and a slight earthiness. Once the wine hits the palette you get more strawberry and ever present leather along with dark berries and other dark fruit. There is a definite but pleasant spice at the finish.

This wine is drinking beautifully now but I would definitely cellar it for at least 5 more years. If you’re looking for something to enjoy with a romantic dinner this is a must. At some online shops this is selling at $31, which is a hell of a bargain since it taste like a wine twice it’s price. If you see it, buy it, you’ll love it.

 

Winery: Chateau Clos l’Eglise

Vintage: 2005

Region: Pomerol, France

Months in Barrel: 16

Alcohol: 14%

Style: Dry

Color: Deep Purple

Nose: Strawberry, leather

Palette: Tart strawberry, dark fruit, leather

Finish: Vanilla, white pepper

Tannin: Medium

Aging: Keep in the cellar for 5-10 years

Price Point: $30-45

Conclusions: These wines serve much different purposes. One is light and fun summer drinker and the other is a serious dinner wine, both doing their jobs well. While comparing these wines directly wouldn’t be fair it is a good way to demonstrate the differences between white and red wines. What we see with Pirtle’s offering is all the stereotypes associated with white wines: it’s light, slightly sweet, floral, acidic, and won’t age terribly well. On the other hand the Clos l’Eglise is heavy, dry, dark fruit, tannic, and could probably outlive the winemaker responsible for its birth and still be wonderful. In the end I prefer the offering from Bordeaux most of the time, but I’ll take a bottle of Missouri’s when the mercury is above 80 and I’m just looking for something to drink with friends who could care less about the lineage of what’s in their glass.