Another Friday Night with Lloyd

My buddy Lloyd and I have shared so many good bottles together, he has such a good cellar, and we have bought so many wines together, that when we get together I really have to rack my brain to come up with something (a) good and (b) something he has not already had. Perhaps Catena's top Malbec bottling?

The 2006 Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino left me a little flat at first - some cooked meat on the nose, then ripe, dark blackberries, sweet cocoa, black earth and liquorice - simple at first, but opening nicely as the evening progressed (I am afraid we "sipped" rather hastily...). A very long finish - well over a minute of soft crushed velvet and rich cocoa - rich, complex and beautifully textured - clearly needed more time to show its stuff
Cork. 14.5% alcohol
Score: 17.5+/20
Price: C$ 85 (SAQ)

Lloyd had no similar difficulty in impressing me, fielding a half-bottle of exquisite Bolgheri (details to follow). Smokey crisp cherries, lead pencil, rose and sandalwood, old oak and tobacco...very impressive nose. So crisp, with silky tannins and surprising length - made me think of really good Chianti bottlings. Gorgeous!
Cork. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 18/20

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)

Salon des Vins

Despite my reservations I actually enjoyed myself at this year's Salon des Vins. Kinda odd, as it was exactly what I expected - crowded, overwhelming, and too much "so what, I can get that anywhere" - maybe my expectations were set to such a level that I was bound to have fun...

Yes, it was crowded on a Friday night, but I didn't really have any trouble tasting the wines I wanted to taste (and talking with the Industry folk can be hit and miss anyway). Yes it was overwhelming, but by keeping focused I manged to explore some new stuff...

The highlight of the night was a tasting with Jorge of Catena wines. Readers know I love Catena, from the great price:quality Alamos line, the great value Catena line to the uber-awesome Catena Alta series - Catena's wines consistently meet or exceed the quality of competing wines at similar or even higher prices. There is something to be said for consistency and an addiction to quality!

Jorge first poured for me a cross section of his Malbecs - the Alamos Seleccion, the Catena Malbec, the Catena Alta Malbec, and his latest offering - Catena's ultra high end "Malbec Argentino". The Seleccion is no slouch (see here), the Malbec a house favourite, and the Alta - stupendous! You really need to taste a Catena Alta Malbec to realize that the true potential for serious Argentinian wine based on this grape that is far beyond the fruity $10 offerings most consumers associate with Argentina. And if that wasn't enough, we tried the Catena Alta Cabernet and the Nicolas Catena Zapata. That Nicolas Catena is seriously good stuff, amongst the best "Meritage" wines I have EVER tasted. Note that Jorge will return to Montreal this fall for a tasting at Westmount's Wellhouse (more on Wellhouse in a future post).

We also had a really great time at the Bonny Doon booth. I have always liked Bonny Doon's more rebellious take on California wine - yes, he has playful marketing like so many other wineries, but he also has serious old world tendency in his wines - lower alcohol, more modest fruit, fresh and reserved wines. First we tried an odd Nebbiolo offering, crafted from grapes that were half raisinified (a la Ripassa/Amarone) - an odd nose and just to raisiny for me. The Birchino Malvasia was a delicious find - very floral, flat and flavourful, perhaps an American take on VdP Cotes de Gascogne. But the star was the Le Pousseur - the best Shiraz I have had at this price point (~23$), it will be released at the SAQ in early May - watch for this!

Another great find was the Constantia Glen "Saddle", a Cab Sauv/Cab Franc/Merlot blend - the only wine that made it home with me tonight.

A couple of oddities - a Rosso Gaglioppo, for example - and a serious disappointment at the Marc Anthony booth where I paid serious $$$ for a pour from a cooked bottle of the Falesco Montiano - when I complained he said it just needed to breathe. I'll remember that as I go to stock my cellar next time...

My main regret was not having more time to scope out some quirkier wines, but I think I'd need a few hours on my own to really poke around the show and taste quirkier things (I tend to drive people - i.e. my wife - crazy with my "intensity" at these events).

That's all to report, two more years to go....

Two Takes on Cahors

For my 41st birthday I thought I'd break out of a rut and try something quite random - two random bottles of Cahors, that is. Not entirely random, as these bottles offered two entirely different takes on Cahors and held the promise of something very different from Argentine Malbec.

The 2006 Chateau de Gaudou sported a traditional label and a Decanter silver medal, so I had no idea what to expect. Very austere, Bordeaux-like, so green and earthy with gobs of leather and spicy new oak, late hints of vanilla. Crisp, fresh, and lengthy - far to light and elegant to be a Malbec!
cork. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 17/20
Price: C$23.25 (SAQ)

The 2007 Un Jour sur Terre intrigued me, as the back label spoke to this wine's aging in clay, not oak. That's right, malbec with NO oak. What that gives you is a big nose of ripe blueberries, (much fruitier than the Gaudou above) with intriguing notes of wet stones, mint and oregano, liquorice, and hint of vanilla. Much crisper and lighter than the fruity nose suggested, feeling hotter and just slightly less balanced on the palate. So very different from every Malbec you've ever tasted...
Cork. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 16.5/20
Price: C$25.50 (SAQ)

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®"

2005 Tabernero Gran Tinto Reserve

My bro-in-law has a philosophy that if there is a wine on the shelf at the SAQ that doesn't make sense, it is probably good. Case in point - who in Montreal goes trolling around the Peruvian wine section looking for $15 Malbec/Merlot? After all, the SAQ is one of the world's largest wine buyers - it must have been good to make it onto their shelf, especially since the product profile is not an obvious sell, right?

The logic seems to fly tonight, as the 2005 Tabernero Gran Tinto Reserve (50:50 Malbec Merlot) was a pretty darn good wine, especially at this price. It started with a powerfully funky, nose - we couldn't agree on barnyardy or sour milk, but that odour blew off before we were finished the debate, and the wine opened up to reveal dark berries, black pepper, old oak and hints of vanilla. Dry, with dense berry fruit and a decent finish, it was maybe lacking acidity and almost a bit too spicy. More Malbec than Merlot, a tasty wine for my first ever Peruvian.
cork. 13% alcohol
Score: 15.5/20
Price: C$14.60 (SAQ)

Two Takes on Mendoza: Norton Privada and Clos de los Siete

Digging though my cellar I noticed two takes on Medoza's 2005 vintage from two of the better winemakers - one, a modern-styled Malbec, the other a more traditional blended wine.

The 2005 Clos de Los Siete shows trademark Michel Rolland (a part owner in this project) - dark cocoa and black cherries on the nose, a strong dose of violet, some blueberry, black pepper, and flint. Soft and voluptuous on the palate, with dense velvety tannins and nice spicy, long finish. A nice wine, but a style I have moved away from over the years.
cork. 15% alcohol
Score: 17/20
Price: C$24 (SAQ)

I have to admit I was more excited about the 2005 Norton Privada, a blend of Cabernet, Malbec, and Merlot (typically the three grapes are nearly equal in the blend), simply because I knew what I was going to get with the Clos de Los Siete but with this I had no idea (it has been years since I had a Privada). Impressive, and quite different on the nose, with pipe tobacco, vanilla and white pepper, fresh blackberries, almondy and a hint of perfume. Spicy and crisp on the palate with terrific balance, a tremendous wine at this price point and certainly good for a few more years in the cellar.
cork. 14.5% alcohol
Score: 17.5/20
Price: C$23.30 (SAQ)

La Colombe: Great Food & Friends, Pair With Awesome Wine

I joined two buddies, Ash and Lloyd, for an evening of great food and wine at La Colombe. It was my first ever visit to La Colombe, one of Montreal's great "bring your own wine" restos. Lloyd's favourite, I would have to agree that it is amongst Montreal's best, but as great as the food was (my veal shank was stupendous), an amazing flight of wines were the stars this evening...

Lloyd's contribution was a 1995 Grand-Puy-Lacoste (Pauillac). Leafy green notes gave way to unsweetened cocoa, leather, grenadine, smokey black pepper, truffles and pencil shavings - gorgeous! Ever so elegant on the palate, with bright cherry fruit, silky tannins, fresh acidity and a long finish, it was drinking very well this evening but could go MANY more years. A strong case for investing in a wine cellar.
cork, 13% alcohol, Score: 18.5/20

My wine friends rarely taste high-end Malbec so I thought I'd surprise them with my last bottle of 2000 Catena Alta Malbec Angelica Vineyard (Mendoza). A complex and ever-changing nose...beef au jus with a fruit sauce on top...dark cherries, charcoal, flint, undergrowth, cocoa powder and coffee grounds. A palate of crisp, dark cherry fruit and velvety tannins satisfied with a very long finish...even better than last year.
cork, 14% alcohol, Score: 18/20

Ashkan's 1999 Cantina di Montalcino Brunello di Montalcino looked rather suspicious to Lloyd and I, as neither of us had heard of this estate. The mystery continued as this shy bottle took time to open up, later revealing notes of cloves, tobacco, smokey liquorice, and compote. Terrific mouthfeel, all liquorice and velvety tannins dancing across the palate, it may also have been the nicest wine with the food (the decanter emptied first, I believe). IIt might age, but it was drinking So well today.
cork, 13% alcohol, Score: 18/20

Wow, three 18+ wines, doesn't get much better than that...and the food was REALLY, REALLY good.

2003 Moulin Lagrezette (round 2)

It is always fun to re-taste a wine after a period of time to see how cellar age and fading memory combine for a new experience. Nearly 14 months ago I tasted the 2003 Moulin Lagrezette, and it appears time has been good to this rather inexpensive wine from Cahors (the second wine of Chateau Lagrezette). Rather simple and austere at first, this brooding wine took a little time to open up - leading with meaty and cheesy aromas, later revealing smoke, mint, dark berry fruit and some "green" notes I missed last year. Crisp, spicy, with dry tannins and a good bitter persistency, more complex this time around. Definitely not a $16 Argentinean Malbec. A pleasant surprise - who'd a thunk a cheapo Cahors would benefit from a bit of time in the JoeCave? I recommend a short decant (~30 min.) for this.
cork. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 15.5/20
Price: C$16.60 (SAQ)

For more details on the Cahors appellation visit my piece on the Wines of Southwest France.

Yoyo, a Resto, it's BYO

Our tasting group now has a new annual event, the Christmas BYO dinner. Last year it was Bistro l'Entrepont and the year before it was Les Infidèles, so when La Colombe (wisely) rejected us, Yoyo happily took us in. The only theme this year was NOT EXTREME - bring anything you want, but not the stupid-priced stuff we had last year.

Yoyo was an incredible BYO so I will start with the food. Serving up a diverse menu of French comfort food, the menu had unusual creations and well-loved classics, with the most diverse set of appys and entrees I have yet seen at a Montreal BYO. Slightly larger than the city's other BYOs, it was probably a bit less romantic, but more appropriate for our large-ish group. The only criticisms I can think of are that it was a bit out of the way and the freakish heating system rapidly alternated between Havana and Baffin Island, but that's nitpicking.

I took advantage of the unusual menu to try some things you don't get every day - a blood sausage appetizer and a "sweetbread" stuffed with sweet goat cheese for the main course. Both were impeccably prepared, and tasty enough to convert the vast majority of you who just vomited under their computer desks.

Of course there was wine involved. Enjoyed, but not intensely scrutinized, here are some notes:

2001 Chateau Lagrezette Cuvee Dame Honneur: My contribution had beautiful violet aromas were framed by leather. tobacco, earthy wet stones, pencil shaving, minerals and and copious dark fruit - very intriguing, and the favourite of a few diners. A bruiser on the palate, with tough tannins and a bit hot, but with nice leathery fruit. A wine to sip and ponder, it only started to open up late in the eveing. Needs time. cork, 15% alcohol

2002 d'Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz: Pramod's Dead Arm showed big jammy cherries and fresh wild berries, later some mint, pepper and flinty notes, it continued to evolve right up to the last drop. Despite its youth it tasted more delicate, yet powerful at the same time. Very tannic, but with juicy fresh fruit and good acidity. It softened over the evening, but I just don't think this is ready yet. Sock it away. cork. 14.5% alcohol

2003 d'Arenberg Ironstone Pressings: I generally think of d'Arenberg as more old world style than other Aussie makers, but it is really specific bottlings that seem that way - the Ironstone Pressings is one of them. Cam's wine was Rhone-like: meaty, earthy and cedary up front, with some vegetal, black cherry, and a touch minty. Velvety tannins, I found it more interesting than The Dead Arm, but perhaps a big more rough around the edges on the palate. Fine now, but should improve over time. Probably the wallflower of the evening - nobody's favourite, but enjoyable for all. cork. 15% alcohol

2000 Marchesi di Gresy Martinenga Barbaresco: A beautiful nose of berries, licorice and undergrowth, and even more amazing on the palate - crisp strawberry fruit, silky tannins and very nice length - this was the most elegant and drinkable of the evening, and probably tied with the Burgundy below for the crowd favourite. cork. 13.5% alcohol

2004 Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras: Peanuts? Yes, peanuts on the nose - almost peanut butter - never had that before. Also, truffles, tea and cocoa, pepper, cedar, rose, and minerals. Smooth and elegant, light to medium bodied, with dusty tannin and a short finish, but very well balanced and drinking well today. Overall it started odd, but flowered throughout the evening (and everyone noticed). Drinking well now. cork. 13% alcohol

This was a very diverse set of wines and all were excellent. Hard to call a favourite, but I think the Burgundy and the Barbaresco both crowd favourites (interesting that these were the subtle, lowest alcohol, wines). I liked the Burgundy with my blood sausage, while the Barbaresco (my favourite of the evening) paired best with my sweetbread.

When in Montreal you definitely need to check out Yoyo with a Gresy Barbaresco - highly recommended.

Wasn't That a Party

It's holiday time so I have been busy away from the blog, but with last night's party out of the way I can catch up on the pile of tasting notes exceeded only by the pile of snow in my driveway.

For the past few years my wife and I have hosted an open house for close friends and neighbours. But rather than simply put a bottle of wine on a table, every year I conduct a mini-tasting. Too chaotic (kids are invited) for anything formal, I simply serve a variety of wines and blind the guests.

Tonight, the wines were "Santa", "Mrs. Claus", "Rudolph" and "Frosty":

Armed with the following riddles our guests were invited to guess which was which, if they so chose:

A - "Viva Italia!" Oops, I mean "Viva Argentina!"
B - Chianti, but not Classico
C - Shiraz, or Syrah?
D - Who added that dash of white to my Aussie red?

This rather simple exercise integrated well into this social event. Some guests tried to solve the riddles, some simply asked me lots of questions, others secretly pondered the wines and listened to the others, and some simply chugged whatever was closest to them. But as evidenced by the army dead soldiers on my dining room table, the forty-five adults in attendance were "enthusiastic".

The winner? Well, that wasn't really a question, as all of these were terrific wines, but Rudolph was hero tonight and I had to work hard to keep that decanter full. Rudolph was the 2005 d'Arenberg "The Laughing Magpie" (1,2). No surprise - in my experience the big fruit of the Aussie wines always seem to win in such a chaotic setting, and this wine had enough complexity to keep the interest of our more experienced guests. A good party choice (but not cheap), but very sludgey wine so decant carefully.

The 2004 Masi Corbec comes from their Tupungato estate in Argentina. Made from Corvina (the grapes used in Amarone) and Malbec, and in the appassimento method used for Amarone, I thought this would be the one to confuse even the best tasters - and it did. A big bruiser, it shows similarities to real Amarone, at a price ($27) much closer to a simple Valpolicella. It probably needs some time.

The 2004 Nipozzano Riserva Chianti Rufina (90% Sangiovese, plus Malvasia nera, Colorino, others) is a JoeFave (1,2), but in this setting this flavourful but very dry wine just didn't work. The same went for another JoeFave, the 2003 Guigal Crozes-Hermitage (1,2) - the Syrah of the group. Crisp and elegant, but with all of the sights, sounds and flavours thrown at our guests it was ignored by all, except my bro-in-law Cam who happily gulped it up.

Some may have noticed other wines. A late arrival was Cosme, the man who started me on this vinous journey. Together we and the remaining seven guests raided the JoeCave for some Montepulciano, the 2001 Don Luigi by Di Majo Norante to be exact, a wine made from 90% Montepulciano and 10% Tintilia. A wine enjoyed in the past, I put it away for a few years after my last bottle. Awkward when first poured (it was still at cellar temp), it opened up to a terrific and complex (leafy tobacco and dark berries, spicy) nose. Flavourful, with crisp acidity and big tannins and nice cherry fruit, I can't believe this is six years old. This wine screamed for a helping of homemade meat lasagna.

Cheers!

New York, New York (1)

I have been away for a few days on a family trip to NYC - Rockefeller Plaza, the Rockettes, Statue of Liberty, etc. While not a wine trip, I had a few neat experiences.

The first was Landmarc in Tribeca. When faced with the impossible task of finding a restaurant that was "kid friendly" AND had a good wine list, Rob's girlfriend Ellyn delivered. The kids loved "the fancy restaurant" and daddy loved the wine list - hey, I wasn't driving anywhere!

We started with the 2004 Catena Alta Malbec (my receipt says it was the '03, but I am pretty sure it was the 2004). My intent was simple - Rob and Ellyn had never enjoyed a malbec before, so this was my weapon to change their mind. A terrific wine, with great poise and elegance, velvety tannins good acidity and present, but not omnipresent, fruit. Drinking well now, this could also do with a few years in the cellar. Price: $ 69 (menu).

But we did not avoid the fruit bombs. Next up was the 2002 Clarendon Hills Grenache. Big, fresh, ripe cherry fruit, I was shocked at how fruit forward this was - as Rob said "now I know what they mean when they say 'fruit bomb'". Balanced, with velvety tannins and modest acidity, it was a terrific drinking wine, but not a great match for food.

Now these are wines that can be found on many a wine list, so what is so great about Landmarc? What they do right is a "reasonable" markup. That Catena is $50 in the store - a markup of less than 50%! They also had decanters, and used them. So, kid friendly, great food and reasonable wine markups? Outstanding - highly recommended. Thank goodness Rob finally got the good sense to find a woman who knows these things!

Next up: table wine at a pizza joint...

2000 Catena Alta Malbec Angelica Vineyard

My good friend Cosme came over last night to open a bottle of 'something' before he went out with his wife. It was he who nurtured my budding interest in wine, and the two of us who instigated what has become our formidable 'Vinuous 11' tasting group, which in turn was the catalyst for this blog. I should also note that he was the supplier of two of the highest scored wines ever scored on this site. So, for this visit I needed something impressive, but I also wanted to showcase something he would never buy - expensive Argentine Malbec.

Tonight's wine came from Bodega Catena Zapata, which is one of the best quality winemakers in Argentina (highlighted previously in a Great Values piece). Their entry level wines are the Alamos line, the mid range is the Catena line, while the Catena Alta wines are their premium selections - I have tasted a number of their varietal wines, red and white, from all of these labels, and they are always a great experience.

For my good friend I served a premium Catena selection, the 2000 Catena Alta Malbec Angelica Vineyard, a wine that has been sitting in my cellar for a few years waiting for a perfect evening. Dense, dark purple in colour, with just a hint of ruby at the edges, it looked impressive just sitting there in the decanter. An attractve nose of dark chocolate and mint, blackberries and leather, it was beautiful, but not spectacular. But the eye and the nose lied! On the palate this was not an overpowering fruit bomb - it was very elegant, with the copious tannins very well integrated, sliding silkily across the palate, accented by smokey blackberry fruit. This is a wine that would be easy to serve, with great balance and flavours likely to please many a wine lover. Decent length, this may improve, but it is definitely drinking very nicely today. A perfect wine match for a steak, a hearty winter roast, or to be enjoyed on its own.
14% alcohol
Score: 17.5/20
Price: C$49 (SAQ)

decanted ~2 hours before serving

Gaucho Grill

Having guests for dinner is a fantastic way to get through a couple of bottles of wine. And instead of serving two of the same bottle, I usually try to compare and contrast wines. For tonight's "Gaucho Grill" - a smorgassboard of meat (beef, chicken and sausage), marinated in an Argentine chimichuri sauce and barbequed to perfection (in my opinion...) - I thought a Malbec would be best. But lacking a second bottle, I dove into my California collection for a backup:

2004 Clos de Los Siete
2004 Steltzner Claret

Clos de los Siete is a new Argentine operation established by seven French investors, with Michel Rolland the winemaker. The 2004 Clos de Los Siete has captured a number of positive reviews, but the overwhelming message was "wait!". I ignored the warning, and gave this wine a 2-hour decant instead. Deep, dense purple in colour, this Malbec blend had a lovely nose of almonds, blackberry, blueberry, pepper, tea, cinnamon, and leathery oak. It was a full-bodied wine, with big, fat tannins, nice fruit, and a long finish. I was shocked at the high alcohol - it was not dominant on the nose or the palate. Very complex and enjoyable and a good match for the grilled meats, but it needs time in the cellar. (I hope I can find some more...)
15% alcohol
Score: 17.5/20
Price: C$24 (SAQ)

The 2004 Steltzner Claret was one of my favourite finds of last year's Napa trip, and is one of my Top 50 Cellar Picks - an excellent New World Claret at an affordable price, in a region that is not known for 'values'. Cheerful, cherry-red in hue, the nose covered a range of pleasing aromas - cedar, pepper, coffee, strawberry, mushroom, mint and vegetal aromas. A dry, tannic mouthfeel, it softened up over the evening, delivering strawberry-flavoured coffee. An excellent match for the steak, but perhaps a bit overpowering for the grilled chicken and sausage.
14.5% alcohol
Score: 16/20
Price: C$28 (Opimian)

With five adult wine lovers and two bottles of wine I was seriously unprepared for the evening, as we polished those off in no time. To maintain my "Good Host" status, after-dinner I uncorked a 2004 Ravenswood Vintners' Blend Zinfandel. It has been a few years since I have had this wine and quite some time since I enjoyed a Zin, so I had low expectations - I was very wrong. A lovely example of Zinfandel at an affordable price, with an uncharacteristicly low alcohol level - only 13.5%. Flavourful and balanced, it was not your typical overdone California Zin - at this price it should be everyone's go-to inexpensive Zin. No score - I was not really in a proper state of mind to score this one...

Cheers!

2002 Castel Montplaisir

A tip of the hat to Marcus for locating this inexpensive wine from Cahors.

The 2002 Castel Montplaisir by Alain-Dominique Perrin (Chateau Lagrezette) comes from the French A.O.C. of Cahors, a region dominated by the Malbec (or Auxerrois) grape - a grape that has made its fame in Argentina. It was a deep cherry red, almost purple in colour. The nose was leather and prunes at first, later showing coffee, berries (blackberry/cherry), mint, pepper, and a delightful gamey smell. On the palate it was leathery cherries in a balanced package with a rustic edge. Slightly tart, likely due to the weak 2002 vintage, with a short finish that says "Drink Now!".
alcohol 13%
Score: 15/20
Price: C$13.30 (SAQ)

2003 Moulin Lagrezette

Finding inexpensive wines is real work. If someone were paying me to write (please send all job offers to the email address below, bottom right, right below my profile) I might go blow a hundred bucks in the $10 aisle to find something I like, but this is a self-financed hobby and I HATE opening a bad bottle of wine, no matter how inexpensive.

Unfortunately, it's Wednesday and I will go bankrupt if I make ever day an OTBN night, so cheaper is better. One can obviously find those rare under $20 gems (see Debs for one example) by surfing the web, reading the journals or asking the shopkeep, but I have one strategy that seems to work reasonably well - when you find a wine you like, figure out if they have a lower-end 'entry-level' wine. And that is how I ended up with tonight's wine.

The 2003 Moulin Lagrezette is the entry level wine (or so it would appear, as they offer a wide range of wines) of this Chateau, and I bought it because I love the Chateau Lagrezette. Dark fruit, leather, cloves, and vanilla on the nose - attractive. More new world than old world, it had good balance, nice fruit and was very quaffable, but only mildly interesting. Probably a good party wine, and reasonably priced. Drink now.

Score: 14.5/20
Cost: C$17
Alcohol: 13.5%
Malbec, with some Merlot

PS - a blind tasting vs. the Grand Vin is in the works

Malbec Showdown - Lagrezette vs. Poesia

With my brother-in-law coming over for dinner, I knew we would open two bottles of wine, so I thought a "New World vs. Old World" thing was in order. Malbec was the subject of this age-old dispute, and was paired with a wintery beef stew.

To compare old world vs. new world Malbec, I grabbed the following from my cellar:

2001 Chateau Lagrezette (Cahors)
2004 Clos des Andes (Mendoza)

The Lagrezette was the elder, with the extra bottle age a distinct edge. While mainly Malbec, this wine also has some Merlot (and Tannat in some vintages). Despite its age, it was a deep purple colour in the glass. On the nose the wine had an awesome creme caramel nose, with blueberries, leather, and some meaty and vegetal scents. Pleasing and complex. On the palate this wine was blackberries and leather with dry, velvety tannins. Extremely well balanced, this wine wine had nice length - ready now, but should also keep for a few more years. Overall, a gem of a wine, in its prime.
Score 17.5/20
Cost: C$24 (SAQ)

The Clos des Andes is a product of Bodegas Poesia. While I have had many Argentinian Malbecs in the past, tonight was my first experience with this estate. The label claims 100% Malbec, but some internet searches say otherwise, so we can say it (like the Lagrezette) is predominantly Malbec. The nose was floral (violet), followed by coffee and chocolate - very peppery as well. On the palate, this youngster was still awkward, showing rich chocolately fruity and powerful, harsh, tannins. While the tannins should settle down over time (they definitely softened over the evening), it was definitely a more "New World" style of wine - great winemaking, but bigger fruit. A nice wine, I will wait a few years before opening my other bottles.
Score 17/20
Cost: C$27 (LCBO)

Overall, a very nice evening of Malbec, with two quality products. Age and elegance won out, with all three tasters giving the nod to the "Old World" selection.

"Muy Macho", A South American Tasting

We decided to host a guys only tasting, but most of the "men" were unable to get the free pass. How appropriate, then, that the wines were "macho" wines from South America. We had an interesting selection of wines - no single varietal wines and three different countries were represented. However, the real surprise of the evening was not that Cam finally won a tasting, but HOW he won, with a shocking, unheralded, unranked, and unknown wine of dubious origin.

First: 2001 Pisano Arretxea
The Arretxea was ranked first by all three of us. Note that this wine was decanted up to 2 hours before we started tasting. Anyway, the score differential between the three wines was large, and this was a clear winner. This blend of Cab. Sauv., Merlot, and Tannat showed a very nice bouquet, with strong scents of chocolate, tobacco, leather - "beautiful and interesting". However, this wine was anything but a wallflower - a full-bodied red with firm tannins, I described it as "Powerful, hearty, interesting." A great wine that will get better. I bought up every last bottle in town.

Second: 1999 Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta
I was so sure that the winner was my Clos Apalta. This celebrated, consistently highly ranked, expensive Chilean red, a blend of Carmenère (35%), Merlot (30%), Cab. Sauv. (22%) and Malbec (13%), should have been a winner. On the nose, it was more subtle than the first place wine, with very interesting smells. The taste was very nice, full-bodied and balanced, but to quote "Robust, flavorful, rough around the edges." This had a very long finish, and I suspect that this wine is set to improve over time. Note that after we had scored, the Clos Apalta continued to improve and the gap with the first wine became smaller and smaller. (RP-91, WS-92)

Third: 2002 Norton Privada
Always a favorite everyday wine of mine, this wine scored well with WS as well (91). A great value, but not in the league of the wines above. I described it as very drinkable, but not terribly interesting. Don't let these comments fool you - this wine was half price the mystery wine and less than a third of the price of the Clos Apalta. I still recommend it.

Cam's first victory proves that no one should let me help them choose a wine for a comeptitive tasting.