Andre Compeyre
Oct/04/2007
By Dan Dunn
Your sauce-soaked scribe has been gallivanting about New York City for the past week or so, on assignment for a high profile men’s magazine. Essentially, I’m here to hang out with a gorgeous winemaking adult film superstar and get paid gobs of dough to chronicle the experience. It’s the sort of gig that makes all the time and money spent in pursuit of that journalism degree seem worth it. Also had the opportunity to catch up with The Imbiber’s Official Sommelier, the dashing French vino virtuoso Andre Compeyre. Andre’s turning the corkscrew at the cozy Park Avenue eatery Les Halles these days, and has fallen in love with a couple of American-made reds.
The 2004 Provenance Cabernet Sauvignon ($45) is produced in Rutherford, California, by esteemed winemaker Tom Rinaldi, formerly of Duckhorn Vineyards. “The first nose is complex with aromas of mocha, soy and black olive, also with a touch of cedar and hints of mushroom and mint,” remarks Andre, adding “It evolves to notes of dark chocolate, black cherry, pumpkin pie, spice and black pepper.” Of course, smelling wine is only a small part of the experience — the real joy is in the tasting. The ‘04 Provenance has rich texture, with a cocoa powder quality to it that is a classic and distinctive character of Rutherford dust. As for when to drink it, the house philosophy is to craft these age-worthy wines to be approachable upon release to the public.
The Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard is located in the historic Blue Ridge Mountains in Charlottesville, Virginia, very close to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello estate. Kluge’s 2002 New World Red ($58) is a Bordeaux-style blend that offers fruity characters of black currant and black cherry, with earthy aromas like mushroom and notes of mocha and coffee. “This wine achieves a perfect balance between new world and old world,” notes Andre. “It’s seductive and harmonious, yet rich with velvety tannins, making the wine ready to drink with Black Angus steak frites, steak tartare or a Coq au vin.”
(To see this column as it appeared in Metro click here)
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