THE TASTERS’ CHOICE : Chablis, Beaujolais and Their California Counterparts--Along With French ZIP-Code Wines--Test 16 Professional Palates at The Times’ 12th Annual Judging

All the world loves Beaujolais. The only red wine to be served cool, its countless variations of mellow, fruity flavor are welcome at any time of day, whatever the occasion, from the romantically intimate to the merriest of feasts.

On the other side of the spectrum stands Chablis, the most famous white wine in the world, with the most imitated, faked and misunderstood title in the lexicon of wine. Properly speaking, Chablis is the wine of Chardonnay grapes grown on the chalky hills in and around the French village of Chablis, a separate area of Burgundy, 110 miles southeast of Paris. Yet the name has been appropriated by wine makers in every one of the world’s wine-producing lands to describe any dry (or even sweet-edged) white (or pink) wine.

Sipped and savored from simple French bistros to elegant California restaurants, Chablis and Beaujolais are wines of greater complexity than many people realize. Their selection is not--or should not be--merely a choice of “red” or “white,” as was proven at the 12th Annual Los Angeles Times Wine Tasting. In two days of silent tasting, a panel of 16 experts examined the properties of 92 wines--broken down into five categories--that included, for a change of pace, some vin ordinaires from both France and California. Forming the bulk, and properly so, were the best of the French wines and their California counterparts.

The Whites

For all its fame, Chablis is a sleepy little village on the banks of the Serein, a river so small that it is sometimes barely a trickle. It flows into the Yonne, which flows into the Seine, a route that allowed the golden, often green-hued wine to reach the French court in centuries past. Today’s vines were brought to the region in the 12th Century by Cistercian monks from abbeys near Beaune, thus the moniker Beaunois, which is used by natives instead of today’s more broadly known title, Chardonnay. By law, it is the only grape permitted under French appellation controlee regulations. In short, all French Chablis is pure Chardonnay wine.

In the whole region of the vine--a mere 3,750 acres--there is a fairly broad spectrum of quality production. At the top are the seven Grand Crus: Blanchots, Les Clos, Grenouilles, Vaudesir, Les Preuses, Bourgros and Valmur. All come from a total of 247 acres, far less than the individual acreage of many boutique wineries in California. Next come those Chablis designated as Premier Cru, about 30 in all from a total of 1,750 acres, generally marketed with the word Chablis followed by the vineyard name--such as Chablis-Monte de Tonnerre. Wines merely designated Chablis come from anywhere in the appellation and usually are the wines of growers who own small vine plots.

In the 13th Century, a Cistercian monk described the wine of Chablis as being “the color of spring water in sunlight . . . sometimes golden, which has aroma and body, an exquisite savor and fills the heart with joyous assurance.” Despite such praise and centuries of international fame, Chablis faces a difficult terrain and inclement weather (the freeze of last February killed hundreds of acres of vines, reducing the potential harvest of this year by 85%). Each decade, this makes fewer growers willing to continue production. Almost every year, thin layers of topsoil clay, above the famed Kimeridgean chalky foundation, must be lugged back up the hills in baskets.

The taste of true French Chablis is most often described by words of peculiar application: steely, “gun-flinty.” Translate it more simply as hard, clean, totally dry, without a trace of sweetness, crisp with fruit acidity, perhaps suggesting green hay in aroma or bouquet.

For our tasting exercise on Chablis, we deemed it proper to establish the true taste of the original by scheduling a selection of Grand Cru, Premier Cru and regional French Chablis with a selection of crisply styled California white wines, which, like French Chablis, are made of 100% Chardonnay grapes. That does not “compare apples with oranges” but only contrasts the difference in earthly origins and vineyard terrain. California does not have soil comparable to the Kimeridgean clay of Chablis, which--dating to the geological endowments of the Mesozoic era--abounds in the minute remains of marine organisms of that calcareous substance we know as chalk.

In the great pyramid of American wine sales, peaked by the premium varietal wines--so named because they take their titles from the grape varieties from which they are made--the foundation blocks remain in generic categories, such as Burgundy and Chablis. California Chablis is just such a generic wine, an anathema to the French who feel that this wholly geographic appellation is exclusively theirs, as is Champagne. But the U.S. Treasury Department’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which is in charge of wine labels in the United States, has declared all such wine terms as Burgundy, Chablis and Champagne generic and permissible, with descriptions for qualification spelled out in loose, round terms.

California Chablis seldom has Chardonnay grapes in the blending composition; it is more often Chenin blanc, French colombard, the neutral Burger, Pinot blanc or even Thompson seedless. In better editions, there may be some Chardonnay or Chardonnay-press wine. That doesn’t mean that California Chablis is not delectable; semantically, it is not true to the original. It is a broad imitation, immensely popular because of its own developed, less strident dryness.

To determine how they would compare with our own California Chablis, we also included in our tasting the so-called ZIP-code wines--French white table wines with an appellation of origin that can be anywhere in France, possibly only a ZIP-code address. These wines are often brought to market in slope-shouldered “Burgundy bottles.” Visually, the inference is Chablis from Burgundy--a dry, white wine. Even a highly objective tasting gives the California generics a wide margin of superiority.

Years ago, England’s reigning wine authority, Hugh Johnson, spoke of California’s indigenous heritage of generic wines as being in such abundant flow, almost as if from “artesian wells.” No such kindness can be applied to the current deluge of cheap wines from France, which, though inexpensive, are often plain awful. Of the 14 ZIP-code wines tasted by our panel of experts, the top five rated scores from 13.6 (“commercial quality”) to 12.6 (“commercial with noticeable defect”) on the Davis 20-point scale. The tasters’ comments were even more definitive: “soapy . . . acidic . . . banana oil . . . cut-grass . . . tobacco . . . aldehydes . . . acetate . . . iodine . . . medicinal.” In defense of these wines, one can say only that they’re popular on the East Coast, which has always tended to favor wines from France over those from California. “We like that best to which we are accustomed.” Amen.

Beaujolais Not the oldest of traditional vinifera, Gamay is believed to have arrived in Burgundy at the time of the first crusades, having been brought back from the Holy Land by returning Knights Templar. This new species provided abundant yielding in the monkish vineyards of the Cote d’Or. While delighting the Cistercians, who supported their monasteries with sales of the wine, the heavy clusters produced a wine of less finesse than the shy-bearing Pinot noir. In 1395, Philip the Bold issued what is perhaps the first viticultural edict in history for the “horrible harshness” of the wine, calling it “ tres mauvais et tres desloyaux “ (“very bad and very disloyal”). Thus banished from the heartland of Burgundy, it was replanted south of Macon in the region called Beaujolais. In that 45-mile stretch of granitic hills and gentle valleys, the Gamay noir au jus blanc (the black Gamay with white juice) thrived to make a wine that was anything but “harsh,” even when it was young.

It is this very freshness and fruitiness that remains its charm, sometimes suggesting raspberries or peaches, its bouquet reminiscent of rose petals. Today, 50% of its production is exported, with importers placing orders early to have the new wine, which is officially released on Nov. 15, ready to pour as a primeur everywhere from Paris to Singapore, from Lyon to Cape Town, from the Beaujolais villages to New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and even Yosemite. Every wine fancier wants to know: “How is the Beaujolais Nouveau this year?”

In the last quarter-century, the race to get the Beaujolais Nouveau from the cellars to the waiting bars in Paris and Lyon has become one of the most publicized events in France. It was born out of the delights of barrel-tapped wines of Beaujolais in the taverns of Lyon. As the saying went, “Three rivers flow into Lyon--the Rhone, the Saone and the Beaujolais!” Parisian bistros were not to be outdone, so a truck race was established to see which town would get the first wine. It wasn’t long before London and New York became equally promoted destinations. Today, Los Angeles and San Francisco have Beaujolais Nouveau festivals, and there’s even one at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite.

But the wine that spills forth from the barrel spigots in the bistros of Lyon and Paris is not the same wine that travels across the ocean. Though the appellation d’origine may be the same, the difference is in the delivery container. The shipment of bottles across the seas, not casks or barrels, means that the wine, as Alexis Lichine has accurately said, “must be racked and re-racked both to remove the sediment that would normally have time to settle out naturally and to prevent a malolactic fermentation. In the process of this premature preparation, the very heart of the wine is poured away.”

There is no reason to despair, however. Young Beaujolais still has engaging charms, uniquely its own, still a fresh berryness of taste, from big, luscious ripeness of the windmill wine--Moulin-a-Vent--to the macho hardness of Morgon, or the delicacy of Fleurie with its fruitiness.

In Beaujolais, there are nine separate crus , or regions of production: Moulin-a-Vent, Julienas, Morgon, Chenas, Fleurie, Saint-Amour, Cote de Brouilly, Brouilly and Chiroublies--listed in the order of the most full-bodied to the lightest. These wines are always proudly labeled with this commune designation. Wines labeled Beaujolais-Villages come from 36 smaller areas, of equally splendid production, such as St. Lager, where the Pasquier-Desvignes family has been making the Beaujolais called Marquisat since 1420. Wine simply labeled Beaujolais is blended from wines drawn from anywhere within the subregion.

Naturally, with a wine type of such popularity, California growers were quick to plant the Gamay after the repeal of Prohibition. Somehow, the wine never seemed to have that same refreshing zing. Then it was discovered that the California Gamay vines were not the same as those growing in Beaujolais. UC Davis viticulturists found the vine to be a clone of Pinot noir. So today, California growers who have Gamay Beaujolais vines may call the wine Pinot Noir if they wish. Another vine, growing in the Napa Valley, was thought to be the true vine, and it was dubbed Napa Gamay and is, indeed, the closest clone to the Gamay noir au jus blanc of Beaujolais found so far.

For our tasting of Beaujolais, we decided to make a selection of the most popular French Beaujolais, with some of the leading California wines from the French vinifera. To get the palates set in the right direction, 10 fine examples of French Beaujolais led off the blind tasting. We followed this survey of Beaujolais wines with a tasting of ZIP-code red table wines of France, and generic California burgundies, rivals for acceptance as everyday table wines. The French reds were better than the white ZIP-code wines, but in the final scoring in that category, it was a California Burgundy, from Buena Vista, that was deemed the tasters’ choice.

Following are the top-scoring wines of our 1985 judging.

CHABLIS Price/Rating CHABLIS VALMUR 1983 $15/17.4

Albert Pic & Fils, imported by Kobrand Corp. Wonderful wine, with haunting floral depths in its bouquet. BEAULIEU VINEYARD 1983 NAPA VALLEY

PINOT CHARDONNAY $10.50/17.3

Produced and bottled by Beaulieu Vineyards, Rutherford, Calif. Very pleasant wine with toasty floral aspect and clean, appetizing aromas. BOUCHARD PERE & FILS

1981 CHABLIS $6.50/16.9

Imported by International Vintage Wines (Heublein) Golden wine, with Chardonnay breed apparent; long and crisply clean. RODNEY STRONG 1982 SONOMA

CHARDONNAY, CHALK HILL $10.15/16.9

Grown, produced and bottled by Rodney Strong Vineyards, Windsor, Calif. Elegant wine, with slight oak hints in bouquet, Chardonnay finesse. KENDALL-JACKSON 1983

CALIFORNIA CHARDONNAY $9.95/16.8

Produced and bottled by Kendall-Jackson, Lakeport, Calif. Stylish wine with French floral hints. KENDALL-JACKSON 1983 CHARDONNAY-PROPRIETOR’S

RESERVE $14/16.3

Produced and bottled by Kendall-Jackson, Lakeport, Calif. Good balance of wood and fruit, with a buttery rather than crisp taste.

CALIFORNIA CHABLIS Price/Rating BEAULIEU VINEYARD 1983 NAPA VALLEY CHABLIS $4.75/15.9

Produced and bottled by Beaulieu Vineyard, Rutherford, Calif. Splendid bouquet with intriguing suggestion of Chardonnay. INGLENOOK ESTATE 1983 NAPA VALLEY PRIVATE

STOCK CHABLIS $3.50/15.2

Produced and bottled by Inglenook, Napa Valley, Rutherford, Calif. Fine balance of grape and wood, lemony savors; dry, clean, crisp. WENTE BROS. 1983 CALIFORNIA

CHABLIS $3.61/15.0

Produced and bottled by Wente Bros., Livermore, Calif. Light, refreshing, with a good clean bouquet; dry finish. PARDUCCI 1983 MENDOCINO

CHABLIS $4.19/14.8

Produced and bottled by Parducci Winery, Ukiah, Calif. Rich wine with appetizing hints of oak in the bouquet.

E & J GALLO CHABLIS BLANC OF CALIFORNIA $2.09/14.7

Vinted, cellared and bottled at Modesto, Calif. Silvery pale wine, clean and refreshing in taste; dry, tart, light in body. GIUMARRA 1984 CALIFORNIA

CHABLIS $3/14.7

Produced and bottled by Giumarra Winery, Edison, Calif. Pale, straw-yellow wine, good vinous bouquet; good body, clean. FRENCH BEAUJOLAIS, CALIFORNIA NAPA GAMAY AND GAMAY

BEAUJOLAIS Price/Rating BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES 1983 $4.95/16.8

Georges du Boeuf, imported by Southern Wines & Spirits Charming wine with fresh, fruity zing and classical character.

MARQUISAT 1984 BEAUJOLAIS- VILLAGES $6/16.8

Pasquier-Desvignes, St. Lager, imported by Somerset Importers Ever-dependable, mellow and friendly wine; rose-petal fragrance.

CHARLES F. SHAW 1983 NAPA VALLEY GAMAY $4.50/16.4

Produced and bottled by Charles F. Shaw, St. Helena, Calif. Wholly delightful, with an intriguing appleness in bouquet and taste.

J. LOHR 1984 MONTEREY GAMAY $3.75/15.5

Produced and bottled by J. Lohr, Monterey County, San Jose Purple-edged, beautiful wine of deep ruby hue; a true varietal breed. BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES 1984

CHANTENAS $4.99/15.5

Patriarche Pere & Fils, imported by Finest Wines Fruity, flowery wine of good Beaujolais character; light and charming. CHATEAU DU CHAPITRE 1983

BROUILLY $6.95/15.4

Imported by Channel Street Imports, San Francisco Outstanding wine with intriguing berryness and splendid balance. BUENA VISTA 1984 SONOMA VALLEY

GAMAY BEAUJOLAIS $5.95/15.2

Carneros Estate, grown and bottled by Buena Vista Winery, Carneros, Calif. Brilliant, jewel-hued wine of fine fruitiness and engaging complexity.

FRENCH ZIP-CODE WHITES Price/Rating RENE JUNOT--A. C. BORDEAUX R. JUNOT & FILS $2.85/13.6

Imported by 21 Brands Crisp, dry, soapy nose, faint varietal suggestion; barely acceptable wine. LE PAPILLON DE LA REINE--

BLANC DE BLANCS $2.99/13.4

Imported by Bacardi Imports Very thin, commercial wine with low-profile bouquet. C & B FRENCH RABBIT--BLANC

DE BLANCS $3.49/13.1

Imported by Wine Warehouse Clean white table wine, with hint of lettuce in its bouquet.

VALBON NV $2.99/12.7

Produced and bottled by Bouchard Pere & Fils, imported by Heublein Good clean wine, but extremely acidic and thin. CHANTEFLEUR--BLANC DE

BLANCS $3.09/12.7

Imported by Parliament Import Co. Flowery bouquet offset by acetone smells; crisply dry. PERE PATRIARCHE--BLANC DE

BLANCS $2.99/12.6

Imported by Finest Wines Barely acceptable; faint hints of fruit, bitter aftertaste.

FRENCH ZIP-CODE REDS AND CALIFORNIA BURGUNDIES Price/Rating BUENA VISTA NV BURGUNDY- SONOMA COUNTY $3.99/14.3

Produced and bottled by Buena Vista Vineyards, Carneros, Calif.

C & B FRENCH RABBIT NV $3.49/14.1

Imported by Crosse & Blackwell, San Francisco

RENE JUNOT NV--BORDEAUX $2.85/13.9

Imported by 21 Brands GIUMARRA 1983 CALIFORNIA

BURGUNDY $2.99/13.8

Produced and bottled by Giumarra Winery, Edison, Calif.

GALLO HEARTY BURGUNDY $2.09/13.4

Vinted, cellared and bottled by E & J Gallo, Modesto, Calif. MAITRE RODET--ANTONIN

RODET ROUGE NV $3.60/13.4

Imported by Channel Street Imports, San Francisco PRODUCED BY GRICEL CRISTINA SANABRIA AND JAMES WILLETT

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