1999 Yalumba "The Menzies"

This wine has a bit of a checkered past here. I bought it because of my success with other Yalumba offerings and some great reviews, but "The Menzies" has not performed particularly well in two of our formal tastings (1,2). On account of this mediocre performance my last bottle was consigned to the back of the cellar, waiting for an opportune time. The opportune time turned out to be a quiet Friday night.

So it was with modest expectations that I opened 1999 Yalumba "The Menzies" (Coonawarra) tonight. What a surprise! The nose was very nice, a classic nose of 'aged cabernet', with lots of bold, terrific scents - violet, strawberry, blackberry, mint, oak, pepper, cocoa, and pencil shavings. I am sure the last time I tasted this wine the dominant theme was prunes. Anyway, the taste did not disappoint either. Medium- to full-bodied, very well structured, well balanced: "Hearty, fruity, yet elegant, nice!" I would say Bordeaux-like with nice length, and may have some potential for improvement?
14% alcohol
Score: 17+/20
Cost C$44

The last time I tasted this wine it was pruney, fruity, and unstructured. So, how do I explain the transformation? Possibilities:

1. Previous bottles were not stored properly?


2. It needed more bottle time?

The first seems more likely.

Breaking the Shiraz Habit

Every few months I get together with a old friend in Toronto, and the first order of business is a visit to the wine store. I tend to select an unusual menu of wines, in an attempt to break his Aussie Shiraz habit. It's not a bad habit, per se, more of a rut. He drinks so many wonderful Shirazes, but he is missing other wonderful grapes and regions. Fortunately, he's ok with my experiment, and I have not been totally unsuccessful - he now likes a good Argentinian Malbec for a change!

Tonight's experiment featured two oddities (Italian wines are not odd, but these choices were not mainstream Italian):

2000 Allegrini "La Grola", C$30
2004 Elio Altare Barbera D'Alba, C$27

I have had the "La Grola" on a few occasions, and I always found it to be a wonderful wine for the price. I scored it a little lower on the nose - while pleasant, there were very few scents and those present were fleeting - blueberries and vanilla were all I caught this evening. However, the taste was excellent - full bodied with very nice fruit and structure, soft tannins with a hearty feel and a nice long finish. This wine should continue to improve, but is easy drinking now. Score: 16/20.

The Barbera was a more unusual selection, as I have not had many in my life and I have never tasted any of Altare's wines (famous for his Barolos). Dark purple with a fantastic wild and gamey nose, this wine was bursting with interesting aromas: Violet, citrus, raspberries, earth/undergrowth, leather, smoke - fabulous! On the palate the wine started out very acidic, powerfully tannic and a little off balance - a disappointment vs. the nose. A funny thing happened over the evening, and as this wine got more air it developed wonderfully - I am not sure my score captures how nicely this wine became with more air time. Definitely needs some more time in the cellar, and should improve. Score: 16/20.

Both wines were an excellent match for Domino's pizza.

To be fair, we decanted the La Grola and drank the Barbera out of the bottle - a little unfair to the young Piemonte upstart.

2002 Fonterutoli Chianti Classico

This is one of my favourite Chiantis, and a regular in my cellar. After many (MANY) failed adventures into inexpensive Chianti, I think I have found a winery with a consistent, reasonably priced, Chianti.

The 2002 Fonterutoli Chianti Classico was very aromatic, lovely, rustic, smokey. Scents of dark cherries, blackberries, backed up by wild earth and leather smells, liquorice and cloves, and almonds!? In summary, spicy with lots of interesting smells and very nice fruit.

The taste was equal to the smell - medium bodied with good fruit, firm tannins and fresh acidity, this Chianti had good balance, a tad rustic in a nice Chianti Classico sort of way. Well made, with great length, this wine will probably get better and soften with age, but is ready now after a good decant. Great with food, seek this out.
Score: 16.5/20
Cost: C$25

PS-while 2002 was a bad vintage for the region, Fonterutoli did not release its high-end "Castello" wine, so the estate's best grapes went into the pedestrian Chianti Classico. I have had the 2001 (a better vintage), and the 2002 is equal to that fine wine.

2004 The Olive Grove Chardonnay

I usually choose the wine for dinner. On occasion I even make suggestions to the chef about what food will pair with the wine I would like to drink that evening. However, this wine was selected by my wife from the 'approved wine' section of the cellar - specially marked wines to make sure that first growth doesn't end up in a steak marinade. So tonight's wine, D'Arenberg's 2004 "The Olive Grove" Chardonnay, was her choice to match a mediterranean style shrimp dish (tomatoes, feta).

This wine found its way into my cellar because of D'Arenberg's reliability - I have never had a bad D'Arenberg wine, so why not the chardonnay? This wine surprised me at first, as it was quite different from other Aussie chardonnays - slightly lighter in colour, more subtle. On the nose it was also delicate, with citrus scents and hints of apricot, wild clover, hay, oak, and a strong aroma of buttered toast. Very nice, not overpowering, dare I say very French?

On the palate it did not have the buttery taste of so many new world chardonnays. Light bodied with a soft texture and mild acidity, I described it as refreshing and minerally, Chablis-like, but a little softer on the palate on account of the alcohol. Overall, a nice wine that went well with this seafood and tomato dish.
Score: 15.5/20
Cost: C$16

2000 Masi Costasera Amarone

Well, well, well, it has been a long time since I had an Amarone! The 2000 Masi Costasera Amarone Classico is not considered to be one of the top flight Amarones, but it is widely available and I have had pretty good experiences in the past. On the nose, nice scents of chocolate, coffee, mushroom, black cherries, but the high alcohol level was very apparent - I could swear it smelled like a fine single malt scotch! On the palate it was medium-bodied with nice balance. It had a short finish, and is definitely for drinking now. I have rarely had the finer Amarones, but I think this is a reasonable facsimile at half the price. Don't plan on driving - with this 15% alcohol you will quickly have trouble touching your nose. This wine was nicely paired with a lightly marinated grilled lamb.
15% alcohol
Cost: ~C$35

I find all of the Masi wines are generally nice values at the low end of the price range - good to know while perusing the wine list at an Italian resto. Even the Tupungato (Argentina meets Verona in a Malbec Ripassa) is nice wine for the price.

Note: Allegrini's Pallazo della Torre and La Grola are made in the Ripassa method, similar to an Amarone, and they are better wines in my opinion.

2001 Clerico Trevigne Barbera d'Alba

I kinda have a system right now - Steak (Bordeaux, Tempranillo), Lamb (Shiraz), Pasta/Italian food (red sauce-Tuscany and other Italy, white sauce-Italian chardonnay), pork (Bordeaux, pinot noir, Alsace white), chicken (pinot noir, Beaujolais 1er cru, chardonnay), salmon (chardonnay, rose, pinot noir), whitefish/shellfish (pinot gris, sauvignon blanc), sushi (sake, beer, Alsace white), Indian food (beer), and various other pairing philosophy. This is based on experience, rather than some bookish study. I find this system works pretty well for me, so I don't mess with it too much. But what the heck do I serve with a Barbera? Hmmm

The 2001 Clerico Barbera d'Alba "Trevigne" is a wonderful drinking wine. The nose was subtle, but with lots of interesting aromas - raspberries, blueberries, floral (violet/rose), and some spicy pepper and licorice scents. Lovely fruit, but the high alcohol level was noticeable. On the palate, this wine was very nice - medium-bodied with supple tannins, fresh acidity and very nice balance. This went down really well both with, and after, dinner. Fruity, with a nice tannic bite, and very nice length implying a few more years in the cellar. Tonight I had the wine with a BBQ pork tenderloin. It paired very well with this, but I think the great strenght of this wine is that it would pair very well with a wide variety of dishes - there are not many wines that I would describe that way. Overall, nice quality, ready to drink (will keep for some time, but I don't will get any better), and a great price for the quality.
14.5% alcohol
Score: 16/20
Cost: C$23.95 (LCBO)

2000 Ghiaie Della Furba

Capezzana's Ghiaie della Furba is a blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah from Tuscany. A previous vintage of this wine came in third at one of our tastings, but I was so enamoured with this wine I ran out and bought as much of the 2000 as I could find when it was released locally. Tonight was my first opportunity to taste the 2000...

The wine had a beautiful, rustic, Bordeaux-like nose. Smokey up front, followed by sumptious scents of violet and blackberry, and earthy scents of pine, undergrowth, mushrooms, green pepper, and leather. Upon more reflection, the fruitier presence gave it an almost "Californian" nose - very earthy, fruity, very nice. On the palate this wine was "Extremely well balanced, elegant, with a slight Italian edge". Very full bodied with smooth tannins, this was a fine wine. While this wine had copious tannins and high alcohol, neither threw this wine off balance, and the length was deceptively long.

Overall, a fabulous wine that paired very well with food (BBQ steak in this instance). My only disappointment was not with the quality, but just how ready this wine is today - I stocked up on this wine, expecting it to take a few years to be ready. This wine is ready now - I will have to drink fast! Cost C$41. WS 94
Score: 17.5/20

It would be interesting to throw this wine into a Bordeaux vs. California tasting - I wonder where the the tasters would think it came from?

2000 Palazzo della Torre

Ok, so the White went down a little TOO easy...

Which forced me to open up this Red for the nightcap. Normally I'm cheap with the nightcap, but this 2000 Allegrini "Palazzo della Torre" has been calling my name for weeks. This Veronese wine is made in the Ripassa method (using dried grapes, like Amarone) and uses traditional Veronese grapes (Corvina, Rondinella, some Sangiovese).

The nose was very nice, fruity and sweet, with prunes and strawberry/cherry aromas, mint, truffles, and leather. Pencil shavings? The alcohol was also quite notiecable on the nose, despite the label that claimed only 13.5% alcohol.

On the palate, this was a very animally, spicy wine. Full bodied with fresh acidity and supple tannins, this wine was very well balanced.

Despite the heavy fruit on the nose and the supple tannins, this was not a "wimpy" wine - this wine had very good length. Overall, a very interesting wine with power and finesse. "A cure for the common Cab" (or Sangiovese)

I think this wine would be an excellent match for lamb, steak, osso buco or even a meat lasagne.
13.5% alcohol
Score: 16.5/20
Cost: C$25

2004 Hugel Gewurtztraminer

Ok, so the blog is a little short on whites - working on it...

Anyway, tonight I had the 2004 Hugel Gewurtztraminer. Most of my favourite whites are from Alsace, and this Gewurz is an old standby. And what wine could better match a juicy German sausage right off the BBQ?

This wine has nice, classic Gewurtz aromas - white flowers, peaches, some apricot. Good acidity, a well balanced quaffer, just off dry but not annoyingly so. While it is lacking some of the complexity I have experienced with more expensive Gewurtz, it is a really a nice drinking white wine for C$20 (SAQ).

I would recommend this as your go-to inexpensive Gewurtz, for pairing with spicy sausage or Asian cuisine (especially Sushi).

Ribs!

Some of my wife's friends came over for dinner, and we had two nice wines with ribs tonight:

2001 Sierra Cantabria Cuvee Especial (Rioja)
2003 Casa Lapostolle Merlot Cuvée Alexandre (Chile)

This was a huge departure for me, as I usually go straight to the Pinot to match the Black Bean Ribs. I actually opened the Merlot first, under duress, as I as late getting home and everyone was thirsty! Rapid decant, and drank it at cellar temp rather than chambre...

WOW - the Casa Lapostolle is big, powerful, fruity, long finish, spectacular. Sorry I don't have more detail - allergies were acting up and I lost my notes...

As for the Sierra Cantabria, also a wonderful wine. Whereas the Casa Lapostolle was not yet ready, the Sierra Cantabria was full bodied with a nice nose - ready for drinking.

1999 Hacienda Monasterio

The 1999 Hacienda Monasterio is from Ribera del Duero in Spain, and is made from tempranillo (70%), cabernet sauvignon (15%) and merlot (15%). The nose was beautiful and aromatic, with an overwhelming scent of vanilla. The bouquet also included scents of rose, black cherry, heavy oak, pine, pepper, smoke, maybe even some caramel. "Smells like dessert", to quote my notes. The taste matched this terrific nose. This well-balanced, full-bodied red had was amazing - powerful and elegant, soft and tannic, all at the same time. The soft glycerin/fruity taste finished off with a "walloping tannic follow through, firm acidity, Bordeaux-like". A very long finish. Very nice indeed. This wine should continue to improve, a theory I can test on the 3 other bottles in my cellar. I think it is important to note that this wine paired very well with our meal, accentuating rather than overpowering the dinner. Note this wine was the winner of our first Spanish tasting (see July 2004 post), and was a top wine at our Champions tasting in November 2004.
Score: 18/20

Had this with BBQ'd lamb chops (breaking my lamb/shiraz rule...). This would pair well with many different types of food, but especially the BBQ.

2001 Poggio Bronzone

Belguardo's 2001 Poggio Bronzone comes from the Morellino di Scansano region of Tuscany. Belguardo is owned by Marchesi Mazzei, the owner of Castello di Fonterutoli in Chianti, which happens to be one of my favourite Chianti producers. Anyway, this wine had a very nice nose, with scents of blackberry, cherry, flowers (violet and rose), leather, with some hints of musroom, pepper and tea. "Lovely, but not intense, great fruit with other nice aromas." On the palate I thought I had some truffle aromas as well? Anway, this was a very nice tasting wine, medium-bodied with firm tannins. Mmmm! It was neat to taste this just three days after my Vigna del Sorbo (see Aug. 20/06 post) - this packed as great a punch, but brought everything into balance. Nice, long finish, close to 20 seconds. A terrific wine that should still improve, an absolute steal at C$23.
Score: 17/20

I enjoyed this wine with a pasta dish containing mild Italian sausage and a light tomato sauce

2000 Vigna del Sorbo

Fontodi's 2000 Chianti Classico "Vigna del Sorbo" had a very nice and aromatic nose which I described as "rustic Italian, with some edge". Nice scents of blackcurrant, undergrowth, leather, cloves, pine, hay, pencil shavings and maybe some pear? "Lots of wonderful aromas, very sangiovese, very Italian". Promising! Unfortunately, the harsh acidity and rough tannins made this a very unbalanced wine. I wrote "Dilute and slightly astringent, not what I expected. Very sangiovese, but I have had better at a bunch of price levels." It settled down with some air, but was still quite unbalanced. It had decent length, and may get better with more time in my cellar. Overall, not a bad Chianti, but definitely not up to the lofty price tag - C$48.
Score: 15.5/20

I will say that it was an excellent foil for my famous 'pesto lasagna'.

2003 Sandhill Barbera "Small Lots"

A Canadian Barbera? Cats and Dogs living together? Yes, a rather unique idea (I am not aware of any other Canadian Barbera pioneers), but it works. I have spoken highly of Sandhill in other posts, and this further reflects on the quality of winemaking at this house.

The 2003 Sandhill Barbera is very interesting on the nose - spicy - my wife accurately described it as 'incense', with white cherries and some interesting forest notes. It was very "hot", with the high (14.5%) alcohol overpowering some of the other scents. On the palate it tasted wonderfully Italian, dry, oaky, with that taste of the wild. It was a light to medium bodied wine with a short finish, for drinking now.

Overall, it was a well balanced and very interesting wine, with the only defect the strong alcohol notes that overpowered some of the other (beautiful) scents and flavours. It was very much like the Italian Barberas that I have tasted, and competitive (C$27) with Barberas in that price range.

Readers should note that this was only the fourth vintage of Sandhill's Barbera - I am impressed with the quality of wines produced by this house with such young vineyards - their wines should continue to improve in coming years.

I would give this wine some air before drinking. It would pair well with a meat lasagne or thin crust pesto pizza.

2004 Campobarro Tempranillo

The 2004 Campobarro Tempranillo (Who?) is from the Ribera del Guadiana (Where?) region of Spain. Cost? C$9.15 Those who know me must certainly think I've gone crazy!

This was not a random act of penny-pinching. The Gazette guy gave it 'four stars', so I thought "What the heck? I can always cook with it". Not bad - nice gamey scents on the nose, good balance, nice fruit. No length, but hey - this is Vin de Table! It will probably sell out at that price, given the local media star's rating, but an excellent idea for a 'big event' wine. You know, where Uncle Bill from Moose Jaw will probably mix vodka into it anyway, and you still want to enjoy something reasonable.