Gracefully Aging Gruner: 2006 Hopler

I only recently (past 3 years) set aside a few whites for aging, so these are just starting to come out of my cellar. Some Chablis, white Rioja, German Rieslings, and tonight's Grüner Veltliner - no rhyme or reason, just wherever my (infinite) curiousity took me.

So, does aging improve your Gruner? Too early to tell - the 2006 Höpler Grüner Veltliner welcomed with a nose of freshly cut apples, a hint of white flowers, some minerality and creamy custard later but pretty simple overall. An initial impression of softness on the palate is misleading, hiding its firm acidic structure and mouthfull of juicy apples - ripe and crisp, with a notable minerality. That acid and minerality points to continued improvements with cellar time, but it is too early to see this improvement.
plastic cork. 11.5% alcohol
Score: 16/20
Price: C$22 (Opimian)

Mini Vertical #12: 1996 and 1999 Chateau Dauzan La Vergne

My father-in-law has been a member of the Opimian Society for many years, Canada's largest, and longest-running, wine club. Chateau Pique Segue, a Bergerac estate, has been a long-time supplier to the Opimian, and recently offered some older vintages of its Dauzan La Vergne label to the society - and some of these found their way into my cellar when my in-laws sold their house :)

Visually older, with more brick colouring at the edges, the 1996 Chateau Dauzan la Vergne (Cotes de Bergerac) showed musty, cooked fruit (cherries), and green vegetal notes at first, later some almonds, cheese rind, then some black ash and mushrooms. Thin, light on the palate, green and tart, nutty, with a shorter finish than the 1999 below. Fairly complex, with a late flowering complexity on the nose...intriguing, but a touch rough, edgy, unbalanced. But this Bordeaux lookalike was drinking surprisingly well after three hours in the decanter.
Score: 16.5/20

The 1999 Chateau Dauzan la Vergne (Bergerac) was a deeper cherry red in the glass. Simpler, with a nose of musty undergrowth, some spice and old leather, but flatter than the 1996. A palate of peppery wet stones, both smoother and harsher at the same time, but becoming velvety over the evening. A riper, softer and more modest finish.
Score: 16/20

Both were quite oaky, heavy, and I have to admit that I am surprised how much time these old wines from "lesser" appellations needed to open up. I am not sure how much these cost, but I am guessing these present good values vs. true Bordeaux. And I wonder why these are from two different appellations?

(NOTE: Some healthy competition has been injected into the Canadian wine market with the recent creation of the Hemispheres Wine Guild, which I will address in a future post).

2002 Chateau de Chambrun

The Lalande-de-Pomerol appellation is overshadowed by its more famous neighbour, Pomerol. Even Wikipedia has an empty page for the appellation, meriting a simple footnote in the Pomerol entry: "The next-door and slightly larger "satellite" appellation of Lalande-de-Pomerol produces similar but simpler wines, which are less long lived and more affordable."

While this may be true, the wines of Chateau de Chambrun are considered to be amongst the stars of this appellation, and are neither simple nor "affordable"...

Welcoming green tannins and cedary tobacco notes on the nose of the 2002 Château de Chambrun (Lalande-de-Pomerol), later releasing rose petal and bing cherry notes, some fresh earthy/flinty aromas, basil and vegetal notes as well. Nicely textured on the palate, but the firm tannins, fresh acidity and light fruit don't fully come together - a touch austere, maybe how Bordeaux used to be (or a reflection of the '02 vintage)...
cork. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 17/20
Price: ~C$77 (Opimian)

PS - first tasted here in the early days of Joe's Wine.

Three Views of Spain and One Paella

Spanish wine is most commonly associated with red wines made from Tempranillo, but Spain produces a myriad of wines from quirky grapes and unheralded appellations. Similar to my Lasagna/Italian wine taste test, tonight I sought to pair a few Spanish reds with "Paella with Pine Nut Meatballs, Sausage and Potatoes" (p. 346) to see which worked best.

Carrying the flag for Rioja was the 2001 Finca Allende Vina Olvido. Similar to my reviews of last January - tarry prunes and leather on the nose, with crisp cherry fruit and silky tannins - this seemed to be the crowd favourite pairing for this meaty paella, but less interesting than the other two wines. 
cork, 12.5% alcohol, Score: 17/20

The smallish Spanish D.O. of Montsant was represented by the 2001 Capçanes Costers del Gravet. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Carignan, sporting a complex nose of smokey blackberry and violet, cooked fruit and a heavy dose of oak. Dry and velvety textured on the palate with a very long finish - seems like it could age, but fine now with a lengthy decant. Probably better with a steak than tonight's paella. (2000 vintage reviewed here)
cork, 14% alcohol, Score: 17.5/20

Bierzo is located in northern Spain and is home to a rare grape, Mencia, the grape used in tonight's 2006 Pétalos by Descendientes de J. Palacios. A vivid nose of damp, black earth and vegetal notes...cherries, cappuccino, liquorice, black pepper and meaty aromas as well...very complex, coughing up new secrets with every swirl of the glass. Beautiful texture and mouthfeel, velvety tannins and crisp acidity, an extraordinary wine at this price point (but not as well paired with this paella). (2005 vintage reviewed here)
cork, 12.5% alcohol, Score: 18/20

Now some of you may recall a rather a rather salty paella in January, but my skills have much improved - the real star tonight was my paella! The first time my cullinary cooking skills have overshadowed my wine selections...

Mini Vertical #8: Steltzner Claret

Steltzner's Claret is, in my opinion, one of Napa's great values. In a region where the entry price for decent cab is usually over 50 bucks, Steltzner continues to surprise with such a well made wine at this price point. Unfortunately the Opimian catalogue did not offer the Claret this year, but I had two vintages from previous offerings for a blinded "Mini Vertical" to pair with pepper steak:

The 2004 Steltzner Claret (Napa) was minty violets and ripe blackberries on the nose, with some liquorice, pepper, vanilla and green vegetal notes as well. Beautifully textured with decent acidity, velvety tannins, and a nice long finish, but showing the heat of the alcohol. The more ageworthy of the two, it should keep for a few more years but fine today.
cork. 14.5% alcohol
Score: 16.5/20
Price: C$28 (Opimian)

The 2005 Steltzner Claret (Napa) was meaty and leathery on the nose, dark violets, liquorice, with fruit that smelled a touch older than the '04. Soft, silky tannins and nice dark fruit - simpler than the 2004, with a shorter finish. Drink now, short decant ok.
cork. 14.2% alcohol
Score: 16/20
Price: C$29 (Opimian)

Note that Steltzner fashions this wine using grapes (Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot) from other suppliers and not estate-grown grapes. With high prices for Napa Valley Cabernet, I wonder how long the Steltzner folks will be able to keep a lid on the price?

Joe Cooks! Spanish Wine and Paella

Over the objections of my wife I got a Paella pan and a Spanish cookbook for Christmas. Trying it out for the first time, I went for a (nearly) classically styled Valencian Paella. To pair with this creation I pushed for a white but my wife was kind enough to let me use her kitchen, so I relented and poured some Riojas for dinner.

The 2000 Sierra Cantabria Coleccion Privada was a spectacular Rioja, and one of the best wines I tasted over the holidays. Ruby red with a tinge of brick in the glass, it regaled us with a gorgeous, perfumey nose - violet, rose and lavender, cooked berries, leather and musk, cloves, allspice, tobacco, smokey figs - an olfactory delight. The palate? Harmonious - dry velvety tannins and crisp acidity combine with crisp cherry fruit and a nice, soft texture and a long finish to deliver near perfection. In its prime, but this could be cellared for a few more years. A terrific value - yes, even at this price.
cork. 14% alcohol
Score: 18.5/20
Price: C$45 (SAQ)

On another night the 2001 Finca Allende "Vina Olvido" (Rioja) could have been a star, but that's show biz. Cherry red in the glass, it presented an attractive but uncomplex nose of smoke, milk chocolate, and prunes. But don't let that discourage you, as it tasted great. Juicy, spicy and elegant with nice, crisp acidity and modest fruit. Aging very well (I have had a few bottles over the years), but now is the time to enjoy this bottle.
cork. 12.5% alcohol
Score: 17/20
Price: C$36 (Opimian)

And the paella? Well, let's just say that Joe needs to cook more and drink less - I used a store-bought chicken stock that was WAY too salty. The crowd reached for their water more than they reached for the wine...(a first in my house)

Reserva Wine Club - A New Wine Club for Canada

Today Canada's major loyalty program, Aeroplan, announced a new wine club called the Reserva Wine Club. Exclusive to Aeroplan members, those who join will have "access" (i.e. you are "allowed" to purchase) to a specially selected mixed case of six bottles every two months. These wines will be chosen by an expert tasting panel and will not be available in Canadian stores otherwise. Members will also receive Tidings Magazine, get a joining bonus, and earn miles on their purchases.

At first glance I thought Opimian, The Wine Society of Canada (Canada's only wine club) might be dismayed at this turn of events. But the inclusion of Tidings Magazine and the logistics for picking up the wine reek of Opimian involvement...?

Regardless, the question comes to mind: Why join the Reserva Wine Club when you can join Opimian? The Opimian Select program offers mixed cases pre-selected for you, and you can order from their regular catalogue as well (I will discuss Opimian in greater detail at a future date, but this write-up may help). It would seem that the key differences are that the annual membership fee for Reserva is slightly lower and you collect Aeroplan miles on your purchases. Beyond that, it is impossible to say who has the better wines - both seem to have equally obscure providers.

So the wine club concept is coming to Canada in a splashier way vs. the rather low-key promotion of the Opimian Society. I have to think the growing interest in wine and the Aeroplan demographic will make Reserva a hit, but I am not sure how a mixed case of cheap wine sits with this blogger. From my perspective, if you are looking to randomly try pre-selected wines in this price range, this could be a way to get you out of your zone - and collect Aeroplan miles to boot. But for me, I don't need the help with the miles or getting out of my zone so I think I'll pass (for now...).

PS - for my friends outside of Canada a wine club not a novel concept, but because of various regulations up here (and a rather small domestic industry) the wine club concept remains an oddity. I'm hoping we see more of it.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas, and Joe was pouring Pinot Noir

Christmas Eve is my big holiday. So what does one pour to match beet soup, salmon, perogies and cabbage? Umm, Pinot Noir, of course...? While not wanting to spoil a big meal with a blinded tasting, I did pour three very different Pinots to compare and contrast:

The was no doubt as to which wine was the crowd favourite. The 2004 Cristom Pinot Noir "Marjorie Vineyard" from Oregon's Willamette Valley. A deep cherry red, it exploded with truffle and lush black earth, followed by flowers, candied rasberry fruit, ferns, allspice and tobacco. On the palate it was beautifully balanced, with velvety tannins, very good acidity. Juicy, but not jammy, wow. I see why Oregon gets a lot of attention from some Burgundy fanatics. "Probably the best Pinot I ever had" is a quote from my father in law, who has a had a "few" good wines in his life. At this price it had to be good.
cork. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 18/20
Price: US$60 (Burgundy Wine Co.)

The 2003 Höpler Pinot Noir was a bit of an experiment - Austrian Pinot? Sure, I'll take a few of those. A pleasant surprise. Light cherry red in the glass with an attractive nose of raspberry and oak, supported by white pepper, smoke, floral, musk, vanilla and mushroom. Fresh berry juice with nice acidity, great balance, and a long finish. A great pairing for the meal.
cork. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 17/20
Price: C$31 (Opimian)

I reallly liked the '03 Cambria I had this summer so I bought two bottles of the 2005 Cambria Pinot Noir "Julia's Vineyard". From California's Santa Maria Valley, this deep cherry red wine was jammy, candied fruit on the nose, with attractive cocoa, oak and smokey notes. Despite the nose this was not a fruit bomb - crisp berry fruit, nicely balanced, but a short finish. A great wine in a tough crowd.
cork. 13.7% alcohol
Score: 16.5/20
Price: C$31 (SAQ)

Quote of the night: while pondering the Cristom, my father-in-law was warned that he should drink his Cristom or there might not be any left for him. The response: "Once you've drunk it you can't smell it." 'Nuff said.

No Burgundies tonight - those come out tomorrow.

2005 Hopler Gruner Veltliner

While Austrian Grüner Veltliner is not exactly a curiousity, I still find it is rather uncommon in North America despite the positive media coverage. The local liquor monopoly usually has some selections, but I bought the Hopler through the Opimian Society (a wine buying club) a few years ago and it has now become a "staple" in my cellar.

The 2005 Höpler Grüner Veltliner is a fine example of this grape. A lovely, fresh nose with floral and green apple scents, some banana. On the palate it was light and dry, with fresh citrus flavours. Very well balanced, this wine is a perfect aperitif or a great match for shellfish. Highly recommended.
Score 16.5/20
Price C$21 (Opimian)

2002 Chateau de Chambrun

The 2002 vintage was not considered to be a great one for Bordeaux. However, Chateau de Chambrun is known to be a good maker so I bought a case of 6 bottles a few years ago upon release.

The 2002 Chateau de Chambrun is made by J-P Janouiex, who owns some other Bordeaux estates of note (check out Chateau Croix-Mouton for value). Blackberry, mint, oak, earth, pepper on the nose - overall a beauty. Medium bodied with fresh acidity, SERIOUS tannins, and a loooong velvety finish, this wine is somewhat unbalanced now. It should settle down with some bottle age, but I am not entirely sure of that. A perfect pairing for tonight's roast beef on a wintery night.
Score 16.5/20 (WS88)
Price: Expensive (Opimian)

Note: this wine was scored almost six hours after decanting, and still showing some power in the glass. Awesome.

Opimian Tasting: Chile vs. California

The Opimian Society hosted a tasting and dinner. This blinded tasting was meant to highlight the value of Chilean Reservas and Gran Reservas versus more expensive Napa wines. There were four Chilean wines and one Napa wine:

1998 Laura Hartwig Cabernet Sauvignon ($18)
2001 Cornellana Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot Grand Reserva ($27)
2000 Cornellana Merlot Reserva ($16)
1999 Cornellana Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Reserva (est. $30)
1999 Steltzner Claret (Napa) ($35)

I generally agree that Chilean wines can compete with pricier American wines, and my cellar is very underweight California and overweight South America for that reason. However, I don't think the choice of wines this evening succeeded in highlighting Chilean value.

From my perspective, the Steltzer was the only notable wine. A beautiful nose of vanilla/caramel, with hints of blackberries and blueberries. On the palate the wine was medium to full-bodied, with nice, silky tannins and tasting of black cherries. Ready to drink now, but could improve slightly. This is a regular Opimian offering, and I just ordered the recent vintage at an attractive price of C$28-ish.

Looking at the Chileans, only the 2001 Cornellana Cab/Merlot came even close to the Steltzner, and coincidentally had a price tag close to the Steltzner. This was a well balanced wine, but uncomplex with a medium body and short finish. My next favourite was the Laura Hartwig, which I guess could be the value winner - decent nose, slightly rustic, medium to light bodied and "drinkable". That being said, I am certain I have had similar priced California wines that were equal to this one. Of the other two wines, the Merlot was quaffable while the 1999 Cornellana was well beyond its prime (perhaps a storage issue?).

Overall, the entry-level Steltzner was an impressive wine. This is not a winery that gets a lot of attention from the critics, so I am glad that Opimian highlighted them for me. I will try to visit this winery when I visit Napa.