2008 Herdade do Peso Alentejo "Colheita"

Colheita, when referring to port, indicates a port from a single vintage, but it is not a "Vintage Port". So what does this mean when referring to a dry red Portuguese wine? Well, I had to find out...

Actually "colheita" simply means "harvest", so this added word has no official meaning, but in this case it refers to Sogrape's "premium quality" wine from the Herdade do Peso line "produced only in exceptional years" in the Alentejo region of Portugal.

The 2008 Herdade do Peso "Colheita" certainly reflects its hot, southern climate - rich and meaty with smokey tobacco and dark berry notes. Smooth, rich and easy drinking, incredibly balanced and surprisingly interesting at this price point. A wine to be enjoyed today, but still drinking nicely after three hours in the decanter.
Score: 16.5/20
Price: C$21.15 (SAQ)

Riesling two ways

New world and old world, Rieslings a world apart...

On my left the 2008 Trimbach Alsace Riesling was softer, more subtle - honey and hints of petrol on the nose. Soft, but not too soft, very flavorful. Score: 17/20

The 2007 Grosset Polish Hill Reisling was a treasure from my cellar, a recommendation from my good friend Ed. Powerful classic notes of petrol and citrus. Incredibly crisp and tightly wound, a minerally grapefruit finish that only softened slightly over the evening. Score: 17.5/20

Terrific wines, the Trimbach more versatile, but the Grosset a better wine and should be terrific with white fish or shellfish.

A picture worth a thousand wine words

It's hard not to post when the wines are this good (and I needed an excuse to try my iPhone Blogger app), another outstanding flight supplied by the group for a night at La Colombe.

Standout of the night was Lloyd's 90 Sociando Mallet, a reminder why patience is a virtue when it comes to cellaring. My 89 Lopez de Heredia white Rioja was certainly the most intriguing and polarizing, with only a few of us appreciating its charms (note - do not serve this at 4 Celsius, it needs to be warmer, say 10-12C). So many other great wines...That Corton one of my all time faves, but needs some cellar time...Lloyd's Calera drinking beautifully and one of the most compelling wines of the night, disproving my views about the ageworthiness of California Pinot Noir...poor Chris brought a lovely Barbaresco that we opened after we were all ... lacking in palate? Peter's S. African Pinot Noir the first I've tasted from this country - very nice, but what is that gamey smell in virtually all SAfr reds? Not a bad smell, but very distinctive. Peter also supplied an 01 Ghiaie delle Furba, another fave you will find elsewhere on this site. Cam's Ribera del Duero a spectacular wine, and big enough for the heavy food on offer. Pramod's 01 Command unsurprisingly spectacular, and still has many good years ahead. Finally, my 06 Nicholas Catena Zapata silky, smooth, but perhaps a little too polished?