2008 Clos de Gat Har'el Merlot

Such a terrific nose on this 2008 Clos de Gat Har'el Merlot - sweet cocoa, ripe black cherries, cooked meat, black pepper, and a hint of green pepper... later pencil shavings and damp earth. Crisp cherries and crushed velvet tannins envelop the palate and linger for an impressive finish. Incredibly balanced, flavourful, and complex - a little more acidity would have held it together perfectly, but still the nicest Merlot I've had in ages. Bravo!
Cork. 14.5% alcohol
Score: 17/20
Price: C$29 (LCBO)

Friday Night with Eden

Getting together with my buddy Eden is always great fun - Eden is a recovering Shiraz-oholic and a blank canvas upon which I can impose my views of the wine world. And he has a particular interest in 'a great value'.

Given his propensity for Shiraz and love of a great value I have over the years tried to guide him towards the South of France, like tonight's 2007 Hecht & Bannier Saint-Chinian (Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvedre). A delightfully wild -dare I say rustic - nose of leather and smoke, meaty black cherries, almonds and some vanilla notes add to the pleasure. A crisp, intriguing, medium bodied wine, pairing nicely with some grilled steaks. Score: 17/20, Price: C$22.95 (LCBO)

Spain is replete with value, but my taste buds were thinking "quality" so I also picked up a bottle of the 2005 Torres "Mas La Plana" Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine enjoyed many times in the past. Another hit tonight - a beautiful grenadine nose, with cedar and lots of violet. Elegant, sophisticated on the palate, incredibly smooth, silky tannins and a long, crisp, sour cherry finish. Wow. Score: 18/20, Price: C$44.95 (LCBO)

To round out this quirky flight I picked up a higher-end Argentinian wine, as Eden is well versed in the great values coming out of Argentina. The 2002 Alpha Crux from Mendoza's O. Fournier is an intriguing blend of Tempranillo, Malbec and Merlot. A powerfully meaty, gamey, nose - you could smell the tannins - allowing only glimpses of the delicate fruit underneath. Perhaps awkward is a better word, with dense grainy tannins tannins biting into the palate...such an incredibly long finish, and after a few hours still hinting at the greatness inside. I nabbed a few bottles to stick in the cellar, it will be very interesting to revisit this one in a few years. Score: 17.5++/20, Price: C$39.95 (LCBO)

Wow, what a night! I guess I need to open some Sassicaia to top that...(stay tuned)

NV Tissot Indigene Cremant de Jura

I have a lot of respect for the Tissot house in Jura (1,2), so it was a no brainer to pick up this sparkling offering for a test run. The N.V. Domaine Tissot Crémant du Jura "Indigène" was a sparkling amber hue - caramel and tart apples on the nose, yeasty as well - like an apple beer with a hint of baking spices.

Tangy grapefruit and a touch metallic on the palate, not as soft or as balanced as a good Champagne, but I loved the wild flavours...I am curious if some bottle age will soften the rough edges? I'd better find another bottle.
cork. 12.5% alcohol
Score: 16/20
Price: C$23 (LCBO)

Do Whites Age? Lopez de Heredia and Chateau Musar

Ok, so my last post on aging dry white wines was pretty lame - after all those whites barely four and five years old. Big deal? Fine, here's some really old s%$t - a 21 year old Rioja, and a "youthful" 9 year old from Lebanon...

The 1989 Lopez de Heredia Rioja (white) Dark, dark amber amber in the glass...dusty, minerally, on the nose...papaya, dried apricots and fresh lemons in support. Youthful, with crisp citrus and creamy almond - surely the vintage on the label is a typo? Terrific structure, elegant and complex with a terrific finish. Vintages has a few more bottles on line (and for $4 less than I paid) - buy some.
cork. 12% alcohol
Score: 18/20
Price: C$59 (LCBO)

The 2001 Chateau Musar (white) was more yellow gold, visually not showing its age despite nine years in the bottle. But it was more oxidized on the nose, with almonds and melted caramel, buttery. Softer, creamier on the palate with luxurious, spicy (nutmeg) finish - terrific, if only slightly less structured than the Lopez de Heredia above.
cork. 12% alcohol
Score: 17.5/20
Price: C$35 (LCBO)

Wow, what an education - astonishingly good, well-aged, dry whites from Spain and Lebanon - and surprisingly affordable! I'm going to clear some place in the cellar..

(PS - I have to thank Neil for plugging the Lopez de Heredia - if it weren't for him I would never have responded to this recent Vintages offering...cheers, Neil)

2002 Elderton The Ashmead Cabernet

I show a lot of love here for Elderton, so it was a bit of a no-brainer for me to pick up this 2002 Elderton "The Ashmead" Cabernet Sauvignon. Very Barossa - vanilla, cloves and tobacco on the nose, lots of fresh, ripe blackberries, violet and flint, spicy oak and green pepper. Incredibly soft and smooth on the palate, it started simple but filled out over the evening, offering spicy fruit and silky tannins. A beautiful, long finish, rather fresh for the age, but left me wanting something more...
Score: 17/20
Price: C$69 (SAQ)

Exploring the Reds of St-Chinian

St-Chinian is the 4th largest Languedoc appellation, with 3300 hectares under vine. The reds, approximately 90% of production, are fashioned from the grapes Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Cinsault and Lledoner Pelut grown in hillside vineyards trapped between the Mediterranean and the mountains. While the climate and grapes point towards big, heavy wines, tonight's offerings were surprisingly light - only one had 14% alcohol.

My brother-in-law picked up this 2007 Le Secret des Capitelles in Ontario, a blend of Grenache and Shiraz. A terrific nose of peppery cooked meat, leather and blackberries, violets and sour cherry, some wildflowers, rubber and ink - very complex for a wine at this price. Hot and peppery with a lengthy finish, it softened up as it aired out, but it was not as balanced as the Hecht et Bannier below. But what a great price! I may have to cross the border to get a few more bottles.
cork. 14% alcohol
Score: 16.5/20
Cost: C$14.95 (LCBO)

The 2006 Les Fiefs d' Aupenac sported a "Decanter" sticker on the bottle, which was good enough to entice me into an experiment. This wine was a "St-Chinian-Roquebrun", from the village of Roquebrun in the St-Chinian region. Mostly (60%) Syrah, with some Grenache and Mourvedre, it was less complex than the others. Deeper, darker, with peppery meat and leathery notes, some blackberries, creme brulee and violets to follow. Softer, hotter (cherry liqueur came to mind), with a good, fruity finish.
cork. 13% alcohol
Score: 16/20
Price: C$19.95 (SAQ)

I loved this 2006 Hecht et Bannier, a négociant-éleveur specializing in the Langueoc-Rousillon offerings. The nose starts off slowly - nice, but subtle. A little air and it opens beautifully, showing minerally black earth, peppered meat, vanilla and grenadine. Probably the smoothest and best balanced, with a soft velvety touch, yet tight and minerally at the same time. A plum and blackberry finish that felt lower alcohol than the others. Did I say very very very well balanced? Drink now.
cork. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 17/20
Price: C$24 (SAQ)

It was a perfect blind tonight, as all were random selections and never tasted before this evening. Be forewarned, as my preference for the H&B not shared by the others who preferred the fruitier Aupenac.

Key take away? A fairly random sample of St-Chinian shows wines that recognize the big fruit available, but the winemakers have deftly crafted this fruit into more balanced wines than I have seen in other Languedoc appellations - give these a try!

Two takes on a 2000 Barbaresco

So Guest Blogger sends me a message: "did we buy the '00 Moccagatta together? had a btl last night. outstanding."

Well, Lloyd was correct - we did order the 2000 Moccagatta Barbaresco Bric Balin together, a Vintages special release in 2005. How did these bottles fare in our respective cellars? Here are two sets of notes:

"Drank with my wife 01-10, really shone. Nose is a light bouquet of roses, violets and tar with some Indian spice. On the palate, medium weight, exceedingly smooth with more tar, coffee and cinnamon, extracted fruit with cherry dominant and a subtle, well-integrated acidity. Fine, drying tannins left me begging for a prime rib. Very long - at least 30 seconds - on the finish. Could've been mistaken for an old burgundy. Wow. 18+ on the Joe scale." - Lloyd

Joe's bottle, Joe's nose, came to similar conclusions - a nose of violets and black cherries, creamy latte...green and earthy, with an inky/rubbery undertone. Really impeccable balance, silky smooth with woodsy tannins, tasty bitters and a nice long finish. Just kept opening up over the evening, lovely. Score: 18/20
Cost: C$54.95 (Vintages)

2008 Martin Codax Salterio Albarino

Albariño is Spain's big secret, for now. The signature grape of Galicia's Rías Baixas wine region, I never think to buy these - but I have never been disappointed. The pretty label grabbed me this time - wow, what a nice surprise!

The 2008 Martín Códax Salterio Albariño (Rias Baixas) tempts with notes of papaya, buttery croissant, apples and flowers. Soft and appley on the palate with a distinct minerality, not crisp but the minerals hold it together quite well. A delcious sipping wine yet flavourful enough to stand up to turkey kebabs...lots of fun!
plastic cork. 12.5% alcohol
Score: 16.5/20
Price: C$16.95 (LCBO)

2004 Marchesi Pancrazi Casaglia Rosso Toscano IGT Colorino

Who drinks Colorino? A 100% Colorino? What the heck is Colorino? All very good questions, and the reason I bought this 2004 Marchesi Pancrazi Casaglia Rosso Toscano Colorino IGT ...

Colorino is a minor Italian grape variety, mostly known for the secondary role this grape plays in Chianti (mainly to add colour) - the Tuscan equivalent to Bordeaux's Petit Verdot?

Aptly named, as the Marchesi Pancrazi Casaglia was a very dark, inky purple in the glass. Very earthy, with notes of plums, sweet vanilla, nutmeg, and brie cheese on the nose. A silky smooth texture, very dry and lingering...tannic, but not heavy, with a deceptively long finish...surprisingly light given the inky darkness and big nose. Terribly unique, very interesting... (and we all had blue teeth).
cork. 14% alcohol
Score: 17/20
Price: C$39 (LCBO)

2008 Gemtree Bloodstone Shiraz Viognier

It is rare that my buddy Eden sends me a frantic wine email screaming "you've got to try this!", so I couldn't ignore his plea...

The first thing that leaps out at you is just how very, very smooth this 2008 Gemtree Vineyards "Bloodstone" Shiraz Viognier is. Big, classic, violet and blackberry on the nose, notes of allspice, butterscotch, and freshly cut wood as well. Smooth, soft, and beautifully textured, with silky tannins and a light, fresh finish (only a touch hot). Perhaps I simply have an affinity to the McLaren Vale? I thought it was just d'Arenberg...
Screwcap. 14.5% alcohol
Score: 16.5/20
Price: C$17.95 (LCBO)

Great catch Eden! This wine just made it into my house wine rotation.

Another Christmas Party Wine Mystery

For our Christmas Party each year (1,2) I decant and serve four red wines blind, asking my guests to use their intuitions and "guess" which wine is which, typically by providing clues about the grape or region. An incredibly simple concept, but extraordinarily difficult (and humbling) in reality - even for the experts. But what a marvelous way to get people thinking about, and talking about, wine!

This year's selections:

2007 Falesco Vitiano (Umbria, Italy)
2007 Wolf Blass Cabernet Sauvignon Yellow Label (South Australia)
2006 Montecillo Crianza (Rioja, Spain)
2007 Alamos Malbec Seleccion Especial (Mendoza, Argentina)

The rationale for tonight's picks? Excellent price to quality for their respective styles, based on personal experience, and sufficiently different grapes and winemaking styles to make the guessing a bit easier....

Unfortunately, nobody correctly identified all four wines - in fact only two guests picked two of four correctly. I blame the Vitiano mainly - 1/3 each of Merlot, Cabernet and Sangiovese it came across more modern and approachable for an "Old World" wine and displayed no definitive "Italian-ness". Adding to our intrepid wine detectives' misery, the Wolf Blass was very reserved and came across as a reserved, "Old World", wine.

Yes, the wines were not easy to triangulate, but at least the wines were pretty darn good overall - no duds tonight, as in previous years. (It shouldn't be much of a surprise, I suppose, as most of these wines frequently appear on "best value" lists)

It was interesting to note that all of the wines were 13.5% alcohol - not low, but certainly NOT the elevated alcohol we see with too many entry level wines these days. Less surprising for the Rioja, perhaps, but an Argentine Malbec? Wonderful to see.

There was some debate as to whether the Falesco was better than the Montecillo., but in the end both of those decanters drained equally quickly. (the true test)

All in all a great evening, and nobody had a bad glass of wine - that's the "Joe Guarantee®"

2001 Di Majo Norante Don Luigi

Another sad goodbye to a last bottle....

The 2001 Di Majo Norante "Don Luigi" (90% Montepulciano, Aglianico) was prunes, with tarry, minty notes...made me think Piemontese...some liquorice and flint. A velvety carpet of tannins carries dense, plummy fruit...minerally, a touch edgy at first, but softens up nicely. Very big and flavourful with a long, pleasing finish. A Top 50 Cellar Pick.
cork. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 17.5/20
Price: C$34.95 (LCBO)

2007 Poggio al Tufo Alicante

Always on the hunt for something quirky, I found this Alicante, from Tuscany, made by Tommasi - a producer best known for its Amarone and Valpolicella.

I had it in my mind that Alicante produced light, delicate reds, but there was nothing light or delicate about the 2007 Poggio al Tufo Alicante (Maremma Toscana). A heavy dose of spicy new oak, leather, and plums greet the nose...minerally and flinty, almost ashen, later revealing some roses and hints of vanilla. Very minerally on the palate, with spicy new oak and delicious dark cherry fruit, a long finish of soft silky tannins. A bit edgy, almost rustic, but seriously good stuff - an incredible case for more Alicante.
Cork. 13% alcohol
Score: 16.5/20
Price: C$18.95 (LCBO)

2003 Chateau D'Armailhac

This was another treasure from my 2003 Bordeaux futures order. For a wine of this pedigree, a Fifth Growth from the Rothschild empire, I would normally have waited a few more years, but this particular bottle had a cork pressing against the foil so I was worried about leaving this one for a long period of time. Besides, most of my 2003 tastings have indicated this is a vintage that is now hitting its stride.

The 2003 Chateau D'Armailhac (Pauillac) showed its pedigree with a gorgeous nose - spicy, damp black earth and green ferns, liquorice, hazelnuts and wet coffee grounds, blackberries and very, very violet...subtle, but incredibly complex. Light, fresh, and a touch bitter on the palate with suprisingly green tannins for this vintage. A nice long finish envelops the tongue in a velvety carpet of cherry tannins and nice, subtle fruit. A touch unbalanced at first taste, but opening nicely over evening - should age well, I'll try again in 2-3 years.
cork. 13% alcohol
Score: 18/20
Price: C$54 (LCBO)

2003 in Bordeaux: du Tertre and Lagrange

My last post featured wines from the uncelebrated, but uncontroversial, 1999 vintage. Tonight we go to the left bank to taste some wines from the more controversial 2003 vintage. According to Stephen Brook's excellent "The Complete Bordeaux", 2003 was "...a year of extremes." Extreme heat led to early veraison, early picking, and yields were low. Generally speaking, the red wines of this vintage are supposed to tend towards more fruit, higher alcohol and lower in acidity, leading to significantly divergent takes on the vintage by different critics. From my tastings of '03, this vintage was not dramatically fruity, but I do find the acidity low and the aging potential seems more limited vs. other vintages. On the plus side, the '03s tend to be approachable in their youth - drink these while your 2000s are sleeping away in the cellar.

The 2003 Chateau Lagrange (St-Julien) showed substantially more dark berry fruit (very, very black curranty) on the nose, slate and nuts in support. Smooth, elegant, with soft, ample, tannins and a nice long finish, but a touch of that summer heat coming through.
cork. 13% alcohol
Score: 17/20
Price: C$55 (LCBO)

For the 2003 Chateau du Tertre (Margaux) a nose of dark, burnt wood, wet stones, pepper and fresh vanilla beans introduced a palate of crisp cherry fruit and bitter green (in a good way) held firm by stoney minerality - better structured, with a lengthy finish, this Margaux needs some cellar time to come together and will probably be the better of the two.
cork. 13% alcohol
Score: 17/20
Price: C$49 (LCBO)

1999 in Bordeaux: a Pessac Leognan and a St-Emilion

When I first started collecting the wines of Bordeaux I lived for the vintage reports. The problem is that vintage reports are an overall, or "average", view of mother nature's gifts over a broad geography. When you use these reports for a large region like Bordeaux, you are bound to pick up few clunkers in a great vintage and a few gems in an "off" vintage - vintage reports are pretty good guide, but you can never be to sure.

For example, tonight's two wines were excellent, despite coming from a difficult 1999 vintage that was not notable for late season rains and rot that apparently plagued many producers.

Tasted here before (1,2), the 1999 Chateau Carbonnieux (Pessac Leognan) served up musty, woodsy, black cherries, later rewarding us with some basil, thyme and pencil shavings. Blinded I was thinking it was the St-Emilion - soft and velvety smooth...its elegance nearly masking an enduring finish of wet, black earth. Deliciously Bordeaux.
cork. 12.5% alcohol
Score: 17.5/20
Price: C$65 (SAQ)

On my right was another repeat, the 1999 Moulin St-Georges (St-Emilion). A glassful of toasty new oak, old leather and black cherries to sniff, a chameleon as it shifted and changed over the evening. Spicy, crisp blackberries on the palate over substantial tannins, which presented this offering as a touch more awkward. Greater presence and complexity, but a touch rougher around the edges - in a very good way.
cork. 13% alcohol
Score: 17/20
Price: C$65 (LCBO)

2003 Vray Croix de Gay

It is a rare evening when I pull two 18+ point wines from my cellar (also enjoyed this evening), but with two members of my wine group coming by for a drink I had to dig deep, and Pomerol is deep ($$$, that is). The pricing for Pomerol offerings is such that I have very few, so I was actually surprised to find this resting at the bottom of one of my Bordeaux bins.

The 2003 Chateau Vray Croix de Gay demonstrated exactly why Pomerols are so pricey, and further added to a suspicion that merlot is my new love...An absolutely gorgeous nose, brimming with rose petals and sandalwood, wild stawberries and damp forest, dark cocoa powder and leather, nuts (almonds) and plums...I could open another bottle just to smell this again. Fresh and well balanced on the palate, with a long, silky finish. A joy to drink, and a greater joy knowing I have two more bottles in my cellar.
cork. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 18/20
Price: C$85 (LCBO futures)

2006 Dan Aykroyd Cabernet Shiraz

Anybody can crack one good joke, so it stands to reason that a comedian could accidentally make one good wine. Following a recent success with a Dan Aykroyd Cabernet Merlot I decided to try his Cabernet Shiraz to see if Dan got lucky, or if he is really on to something.

The 2006 Dan Aykroyd Cabernet Shiraz was deeper purple and fruitier than the cab/merlot, but with nice vegetal notes, some blackberries, flint and a hint of cocoa...leathery notes appearing later in the evening. Equally pleasing on the palate - smooth and well balanced, perhaps lacking the length and structure of the greats, but this was a 15$ wine! I probably liked the cabernet/merolot better, but this wine is another winner. Nicely done Dan, and very impressive at this price point.
cork. 13% alcohol
Score: 16/20
Price: C$ (LCBO)

Footnote:
Pondering Dan's wines, I wondered - is Dan deliberately trying to avoid the New World fruit bomb (neither of his wines were jammy fruit bombs or high in alcohol), or has the Canadian climate and a young vineyard prevented him from going that route? Only time will tell, but I hope that Dan keeps this more reserved style of winemaking in the years to come.

Super Tuscans in the Garden of Eden

My buddy Eden loves to make a big to do of my visits to Toronto, this time inviting a bunch of friends over for steaks and a tasting hosted by yours truly. Personally, I love to mess with the gang and put together an eclectic flight of wines, but tonight I decided to see what 20-50 bucks could get you in Tuscany, and (blinded) I was curious if we could identify any "hidden gems".

I was curious to see how the 2005 Nipozzana Reserva (Chianti Ruffina) would show in this flight, being the lowest priced of the bunch. A bit jammy on the nose, with tobacco, and slatey black cherry, a minerally finish but a touch fruity vs. prior vintages - a great value (C$22), but it didn't blow the competition away. Score: 17/20

There was no doubt in my mind that the 2006 Lucente (IGT) stood out from the pack - notes of mint, ginger ale, anise and flint...incredibly smooth and polished on the palate, with fresh cherries and a deceptively long finish (C$40). Score: 18/20

The 2004 Terrabianca Piano del Cipresso (IGT) pruney, cheddar cheesey, meaty sausage, rather rustic - flavourful, modest finish, woodsy tannins - opened nicely (C$31). Score: 17/20

The 2002 Piastraia was a gorgeous wine...wet stones and black cherries, leather and tobacco, a most gorgeous mouthfeel, with fine, silky tannins...balanced, with a pleasing, lingering finish (C$40). Score: 17.5/20

The 2005 Sassoalloro continued the '05 jamminess seen above - ripe and jammy on the nose, notes of flowers, anise...a silky, but modest finish, very well balanced (C$35). Score: 16.5/20

But it wasn't all Italian, as Mike brought a treasure from his own cellar, a well-aged 1996 Caymus. A beautiful nose of figs and black earth, piney and cedary leather, sulphur, showing hints of violets, plums and blackberries as it opened up. Pruney, light and peppery, tangy and lighter-bodied. Stylistically my ideal claret, and it has aged very well, but just a touch awkward despite substantial time in the decanter - excellent, but just shy of outstanding.
Score: 17.5/20

Overall, buyers should note that two 2005 Tuscans that have been favourites of mine produced modest disappointments, and will certainly guide my future Tuscan wine buying...

Thanks to Eden and his wife for the terrific spread to complement this tasting - the steaks and all the fixin's were delicious. I look forward to another meeting of my Toronto tasting group!

Mini Vertical #10: 2001 and 2002 Kanonkop

The last two wines that were opened to dull the senses and help me forget the Big 4-0 were a pair of Kanonkop Pinotages, one of South Africa's premier bottlings of Pinotage. Now in many (most?) wine circles the words "Premier" and "Pinotage" rarely come together, but I can't say I have tasted enough of this grape (a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault) to condemn it to mediocrity - what I can say is that in the hands of this estate you get a fine product (one of my Top Cellar Picks):

The 2001 Kanonkop Pinotage was much more subtle than its younger brother below - some earthy and flinty notes at first decant, it took a while to open up ... later adding some pretty notes of coffee grounds and violets, but relatively uncomplicated. Silky smooth and very elegant on the palate, crisper and earthier than the 2002 below, I would be surprised if this were simply due to another year in the bottle - clearly these were quite different vintages.
cork. 14.5% alcohol
Score: 17.5/20
Price: C$38.95 (LCBO)

The 2002 Kanonkop Pinotage was just so much...MORE - riper, heavier, with a nose of meaty cooked fruit, spicy (cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves) black earth, vanilla, violet and some tobacco. Hot and quite heavy on the palate, a nice velvety finish but lacking the acidity that held the 2001 together a bit better. An intriguing take on this grape that could challenge some of the best from the south of France, but perhaps bit TOO much...
cork. 14.5% alcohol
Score: 17/20
Price: gift

Many thanks to Chris, my good friend and the member of my wine group who first put me on to this wine a few years back.