2005 Chateau Tour des Termes

On the nose are smokey ripe blackberries and violets, flint, cedar and a hint of anise. Ample fruit, but the fruit doesn't dominate the palate, as the young, grainy tannins and nice minerality keep everything in balance and hold it together. Decent length, and still firm after a few hours in the decanter - good for a few more years in the cellar, but probably not dramatically longer. A gift from my buddy Guy, perfect with a grilled flank steak.
AOC Saint-Estèphe, 60% Merlot/40% Cab Sauv

Cork. 13.5% alcohol.
Score: 17/20
Price: gift

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)

Chinese Wine?

Western wine markets see little Chinese wine, so little that many of us could be forgiven for thinking there was no such thing. But OF COURSE there is such a thing, and it took my brother in law's keen eye in the SAQ to pick up this offering (note: SAQ has 3 Chinese wines listed on their website).

Grape wine has been produced in China for millenia, although it seems to have gone in and out of fashion. Today there are over 800 wineries and the industry is experiencing double digit growth in production. China is now the world's sixth largest producer of grape wine (1), and according to a recent report (The Future of Wine, by UK wine merchants Berry Brothers and Rudd) could produce wine to 'rival the best of Bordeaux'. (2)

The Bordeaux reference fits nicely, as my introduction to Chinese wine begins with Cabernet Sauvignon. Holy Green Pepper, Batman! The 2006 Dragon's Hollow Cabernet Sauvignon was so green peppery that it took a little while for some other notes to reveal themselves - some Cocoa and cheese rind, green wood, and dark fruit in the background - but not a great nose. The odd nose did not carry to the palate - very smooth, but also very vegetal and tart. I think my bro-in-law summed it up: "Tastes ok, but smells bad".
cork. 12.5% alcohol
Score: 13/20
Price: C$14.75 (SAQ)

My take - young vines, probably picked early, which is unsurprising in an industry experiencing such growth (i.e. lots of new plantings) - I have noticed this with young vineyards in Canada and the U.S.

Looking for Piemontese Terroir

Enough talk (1,2) about Barolo and Barbaresco, it is time to tell you how the tasting went.

So, was our group of five tasters, blinded, able to correctly divine the thread of terroir in this small selection of top Piemontese offerings? Well, no. In fact none of our group paired the two Barolos and two Barbarescos together, although two of us put the 1998 and 2000s together. (does vintage trump terroir in Piemonte?)

But there was no disappointment tonight, as we collectively enjoyed some tremendous wines:

On our left was the 2000 Sandrone Barolo Cannubi Boschis. A nose of sour cherries, vanilla and some metallic notes, the fruit turning darker as the wine opened up...but always delicate and light, somewhat reserved vs. other Sandrone Barolos I have tasted. Dry, sour cherries mingled with fine tannins on the palate - delicate and very well balanced, yet with tremendous length and presence. Such elegance could only be the product of Luciano Sandrone.
14.5% alcohol, Score: 18/20

The 1998 Marchesi di Barolo Sarmassa was a revelation. Enjoyed previously, but I didn't expect it to show so well amongst such illustrious peers. A nose of vanilla and black cherries, roses, a dash of black pepper and metallic notes (characteristic of both barolos tonight). Silky smooth with substantial tannins and a beautiful, never-ending finish. Bravo! (I thought it was a Barbaresco)
14.5% alcohol, Score: 18.5/20

Another terrific effort tonight was the 1998 Prunotto Barbaresco Bric Turot. Very flinty on the nose, with vanilla and cinnamon, some tar and black pepper ... late appearing notes of almonds and cooked cherries signalled an older wine. Very dry, with soft velvety tannins and a slight metallic aftertaste. A beautiful long finish, simply gorgeous, and very Barbaresco.
13.5% alcohol, Score: 18/20

The 2000 Moccagatta Barbaresco Bric Balin was the odd wine of the evening, and the only one everyone was completely wrong on. A stark nose - tarry, very tarry in fact, with noticeable oakiness, black earth, tobacco and cheese rind. While the first three wines were tremendously polished, the Moccagatta was tart, tannic and harsh, kinda "in your face". Crisp, with a very, very, long finish - it certainly has the acid and the tannins for aging - I think I will open my other bottle in another 10 years.
14% alcohol, Score: 17.5/20 So we didn't find terroir tonight, as the relative harshness of the Moccagatta screamed "young Barolo" and left everyone looking elsewhere for Barbaresco. Tonight I paired the 1998s and the 2000s together, which made me think that our research would have been better served by removing a variable and pouring wines from the same vintage...

Finally, I should mention the 2001 Pio Cesare Barbera "Fides" that served as our "starter wine" tonight, beautiful, as always (1,2).

Fast Facts: Barolo and Barbaresco

Source: Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Roero

Despite the near legendary status of these Piemontese wine regions, it is actually very difficult to find good stats in books or on the web. Just as these monstrous wines are slow to reveal their secrets, so too is the producer consortium, it appears, which seems ok with an Italian-language only website...

Hopefully these quick facts will save you some searching:

Barolo
(awarded DOC in 1966, promoted to DOCG in 1980)
Langhe hills southwest of Alba
Eleven communes: Barolo, La Morra, Monforte d'Alba, Serralunga d’Alba, Castiglio Falletto, Novello, Grinzane Cavour, Verduno, Diano d’Alba, Cherasco, Roddi
Varieties: 100% Nebbiolo
Vineyard Area: 1714 ha / 4286 acres
Production: 10 million bottles
Aging: Three years minimum (at least two years in oak), five years for Riservas

Barbaresco
(awarded DOC in 1966, promoted to DOCG in 1980)
Rolling hills east and northeast of Alba
Three communes: Barbaresco, Neive, Treiso
Varieties: 100% Nebbiolo
Vineyard Area: 680 ha / 1680 acres
Production: approx. 2.5 million bottles
Aging: Two years minimum (at least one year in oak), four years for Riservas

Soils in the Barolo/Barbaresco region are predominantly limestone-rich marls. Note that there are over 800 producers in the two regions, with an average vineyard size of just 5 acres, and average annual production of just 10,000 bottles!

Sources: Oxford Companion to Wine, Vino Italiano, Wikipedia and other

(PS - consider this post a work in progress - please feel free to share any sites/books that could fill in some additional details)

Danger, Wine Tasting

My daughter had a warning for my guests last night. No need to worry, no one was Tazer-ed who didn't deserve it.

Barolo and Barbaresco, What's the Difference?

Source: Wikipedia

Are Barolos and Barbarescos perceptibly different? Shouldn't the same grape (Nebbiolo), grown in appellations less than 20km apart, produce nearly indistinguishable wines? This Friday I once again seek to answer the question I posed more than two years ago - is there a defining difference between these wine regions?

Most books and web sites describe the wines made from the earlier-ripening (typically) Barbarescos as softer, elegant, more approachable. I like Bastianich/Lynch's comment in Vino Italiano, The Regional Wines of Italy:

Traditionally, Barbaresco was thought of as finer and more feminine than Barolo, the "queen" to Barolo's "king."

Most other writers feature a similar line of broad characterization - Barolos are heavier, more tannic, and require more cellar time to soften up, while Barbarescos are more approachable, perfumey, refined.

Of course, these comments are generalizations - with a plethora of producers working miniscule plots (not to mention different techniques in the winery) is it truly possible to define "Barolo-ish"? And will our small sample of '98 and '00 bottlings from Barolo and Barbaresco (four bottles) give us enough information to find that "sameness"? (Or will we simply drink a lot of wine)

I will let you know after Friday....

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)

Do White Wines Age? An '05 and '06 from Rioja

Do dry white wines "age"? The answer is yes, of course - any wine book will tell you that certain whites can improve with some quality time in the cellar.

But who actually gets to taste aged dry whites? Recall your last trip to your favourite resto - how long was the 'vintage white' section? Probably didn't have one. Did the sommelier recommend a five or ten year old white "from their cellar"? Probably not. And chances are that your buddy with that 4000 bottle cellar only has a few sweet German wines in his/her "white" section (if there any white wines at all).

So this mythical wine - the Well-Aged Dry White - became a bit of a quest for me a few years back. Realizing that the wine shops and restaurants would not satisfy this curious corner of my wine mind, I made a concerted effort to squirrel away some whites - Aussie, German and Alsatian Rieslings, some Chablis, some Champagne, and tonight's two bottles of Spanish Viura...

The 2005 Palacios Remondo Placet started all funky, seemingly tired and past its peak, but wow - did this ever open up - dried apricots, dark caramel, butter cream, canned pears and guava, some almonds and floral/soapy notes. The first sip mirrored the first nose - tired, past its prime - but as it opened some tangy citrus and minerality showed up, revealing tremendous finish and persistency for old wine ... wow, she's still got it! Even more impressive, it tasted better on day 2 and day 3.
cork. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 18/20

The 2006 Palacios Remondo Placet barely showed any sign of age - crisp and fresh from the get go, adding funky papaya, soapy floral, citrus peel and quince. Notably minerally on the palate, with tasty bitters, difficult to find a more delicious, smooth, and complex white - with enough acidity and minerality to indicate that it is nowhere near its peak.
cork. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 18/20

There is no doubt that a few years in the JoeCave did not harm these wines, with the '05 gaining nuance and '06 seemingly newborn. And Palcios Remondo has made a tremendous case for Rioja whites from the Viura grape.

But four or five years is not "age" - for that you have to wait for my notes on a 20 year old white Rioja...

(both were impeccably paired with a homemade seafood paella)

Happy Father's Day

A Father's Day gift from my kids, and proof that wine is still top of mind around here...

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....

Montreal's Salon des Vins

The Salon des Vins, Montreal's biennial wine extravaganza, runs this week from Thursday, March 25th to Sunday March 28th. Two years ago I was nearly giddy with excitement, but this time around I'm rather "uninspired", as the thought of muscling my way through vast crowds in desperate search of some undiscovered gem seems tedious, the prices can be steep for rather modest pours, and forget about having time to talk to the producers - they're too darn busy.

But I cannot ignore it completely - the list of producers is not so bad, and you can buy stuff at the show that is simply not available in local stores. Two years ago I went for three of the four days, but this time 'round I'll simply stop by on a Friday and hope it is not too frustrating...

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)

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)