A March of French grapes to dinner

Vineyard PHOTO: FILE/POSTMEDIA NEWS

With just about a month to go before grapevines in temperate climates begin an annual cycle by entering bud break, the 1st of March signals those first thoughts of renewal. I for one wait with anticipation to see how a new growing season will treat unique plantings. Like Rosewood’s Sémillon on the Beamsville Bench or Margan’s in Australia’s Hunter Valley. Like Tempranillo in California or Bonarda in Argentina. Like Palmer Vineyard’s Albariño on the North Fork of Long Island or Cabernet Franc in Prince Edward County.

Related – More Current Release Wines

But let’s face it. Once in a while credit needs to be given where credit is due. Five French grapes have dominated the landscape. This great group of world traveler grape varietals is known as Vitis Vinifera, the common European grape, cultivated worldwide to produce wine everywhere. Deserved or not and disagree if you must but Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah continue to rule the world.

These most famous of the familiar entrenched their pedigreed roots in France. Their success is that of Burgundy, of Bordeaux and the south of France. My anti-‘somewhereness‘ post if you will. This is to remind us of how we came this far, why we are all here, incessantly tasting, discussing and forever posturing about all things wine. Here lies a disparate group, all fashioned from erudite French grapes and produced in five different countries. Fine wines to work with dinner. All are available to seek out right now.

From left to right: Tarima Monastrell 2010; Vintage Ink Mark of Passion Merlot/Cabernet 2010; Te Awa Chardonnay 2010; Devils’ Corner Pinot Noir 2011; and Château La Vieille Cure 2009

The grapes: Monastrell, a.k.a. Mourvèdre

The history: From Bodegas Volver in the Alicante zone of southeastern Spain, fermented and aged sur lie in stainless steel

The lowdown: Surprisingly full-bodied and rich for the price. Laugh while you can but why wouldn’t you buy this?

The food match: Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Fresh Figs

Tarima Monastrell 2010 (310151, $12.95) of intense purple like Bindweed’s eye or an Alicante barrel cactus flower. Not to mention the crazy label’s Passion Flower. Spring fragrance, modern in milk chocolate and berries in vanilla simple syrup. Citrus note adds breadth and food pairing asperity. Alluring and seductive, a vixen of modern Spanish wine fashion. 87 @CSWS_Inc

The grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon

The history: Virtual winery owned by Canadian giant Vincor

The lowdown: Aussie winemaker Keith Bown blends selected grapes from several Niagara Peninsula vineyards

The food match: Brisket Burnt Ends, smoked barley risotto

Brisket Burnt Ends, smoked barley risotto (Photo: Jill Chen/freestylefarm.ca)

Vintage Ink Mark of Passion Merlot/Cabernet 2010 (250209, $17.95) exudes NP passion with an exhibitionist’s amp stamp display. Clearly defined vinifera fruit, fine cedary lines. Alcohol is noticeable and is tempered by pencil lead, Zaida’s pipe tobacco and brier fruit that curls around the heat, landing on the button. 88

The grape: Chardonnay

The history: Single estate vineyard in the Gimblett Gravels wine growing region in Hawkes Bay, North Island, New Zealand

The lowdown: One of my most favourite wine discoveries is an off the charts, zinging value white from the South Pacific

The food match: Grilled Herb & Citrus Marinated Chicken Breasts

Te Awa Chardonnay 2010 (301135, $18.95) gives off a good dose of char but in a Penderish way with knowledge that it will dissipate, integrate and elevate this stony ‘River of God’ into a fine, swirling eddy of hard bop goodness. Gorgeous green enamel Ngaruroro meandering to gold. Oleic, alluvial consistency, with a sense of creamed corn, barren straw and built of a gravel verve, taking risks like a Sonny Rollins riff. 91 @TeAwaWinery

The grape: Pinot Noir

The history: Second label of Tasmania’s Tamar Ridge from the Brown Brother’s in Victoria, Australia. The Devil’s Corner is a calm section beyond a treacherous stretch of the Tamar River

The lowdown: Three words for you. Fruit, freshness, drinkability.

The food match: Confit of Duck, roasted potato, sautéed corn, pea shoots, cherry compote

Devils’ Corner Pinot Noir 2011 (317966, $20.95, SAQ, 10947741, $24.80) is radiant in scenic, ruby tone full of red spice opposite a cloying tang. Bobbing red apples caught in a juicy hurricane of vibrant acidity. “Pistol shots ring out in the barroom night.” Builds off the sound and the fury and lasts. For hair-trigger gratification and will do up to three years time. 89 @BrownBrothers

The Splurge

The grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon

The history: From Fronsac, in the Libourne area of the Right Bank of the Dordogne. Owned by an American team, The Old Parsonage Inc

The lowdown: Winemaking consultant Christan Veyrey (an associate to Michel Rolland) produces wines intended to peak between four and six years after bottling

The food match: Grilled NY Striploin, potato puree, asparagus, peppercorn butter

Château La Vieille Cure 2009 (191452, $36.85) has got the near-Brett funk I come to expect from a serious bottle of French red wine. Tobacco, swelling blackberries obfuscating with Châteauneuf-du-Pape- like heft and charm. Has got a leaden, lustrous chemical element, licorice and smoked meat. This is so good and not out of whack with Futures ($34) and current US ($34) pricing. To cure what ails you. 91 @EuropvinWines

Good to go!

Real wines, whisky and Boys’ Night Out

Feb15

(Photo: Kevin Hewitt/kevinhewitt.ca and Jill Chen/freestylefarm.ca)

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This has been a most excellent week for tasting real wines and high-spirited whisky.

Real wine is made in the vineyard. That refrain plays truer than ever in 2013. Robert Parker and Antonio Galloni have left the Wine Advocate. The pendulum is swinging in the right direction, back to balanced wines that work for food. The winemaker to follow today is a farmer at heart, a commissioner of the soil and a student of geology. Their wines speak of geography defined, connect to specific plots and preach on behalf of precise parcels. They do not winnow away the chaff, nor do they manipulate by adding and subtracting that which is unnatural. They may ferment and blend as a scientist might experiment but when all is said and done, they are the land’s faithful and loyal messenger.

Whisky is another matter altogether. Can any other distilled spirit rise so guilelessly at the hands of the master blender? Manipulation and pedagogue are essential and necessary to the production of great malts. Like wine, Whisky certainly talks terroir but not without tough love intervention. On Wednesday night I hosted a boys’ night out at Barque Smokehouse, poured three Single Malt Scotch Whiskies and one of a Canadian Single Barrel. The next afternoon I tasted the most unique and delicious red to date in 2013, thanks to the generosity of Gerardo Diaz. That was followed up with a cross-section of the Tawse Winery portfolio, poured by the one and only Daniel Beiles. As we head into the Family Day Weekend, here are seven wine and whisky tasting notes.

Girolamo Russo San Lorenzo 2008 from agronomist and oenologist Giuseppe Russo lives a Sicilian dream. Composed of Etna’s indigenous Nerello Mascalese with a small percentage of Nerello Cappuccio, this red is a veritable lava flow of molten magma, volcanic igneous solder and opulent Scoria. Pure, unchained fruit, no disguise, striking. 94

Tawse Gamay Noir 2011 (322545, $18.95) indicates Cru vineyard quality in its mineral character, fresh plum fruit and serious structure. Modern Burgundy meets unlikely Niagara. Akin to Moulin à Vent if you will, though this Paul Pender inaugural bottling is all Niagara Peninsula. Coming to VINTAGES March 2, 2013. 88 @Tawse_Winery

Tawse Chardonnay Quarry Road 2010 (111989, $34.95) continues to belay the warmth of the vintage, having emerged from a green apple shell and into a citrus revolution. Minor oak dawn is gone but not the thrill. Vinemount Ridge appellation limestone living large here with a colour to lead the imagination free to see the patina of its future. From minimum barrel char to maximum VR, as in very racy. So good, so right. You never come back from Quarry Road. 92 @Paul_Pender

Boys’ Night Out

Barque Smokehouse

Smoked Maple Glazed Peameal and Slaw Sliders

Duck Tacos with Pickled Radish, Carrots and A-Hoy-Sin Sauce

The Benriach Matured in Sherry Wood 12 Years Old Single Malt (303123, $66.95) from the Gaelic meaning “speckled or gray mountain” hails from Speyside. The Ben-ree-uck is aged in Spanish Oloroso and Pedro Jimenez casks resulting in a rich, caramel colour. Fig, date and Tawny Port like aromas. Sweet anise and faint chocolate. From a house once in disrepute, this SMS is now in full re-peat. 90 @TheBenRiach

Wemyss Malts Caol Ila Islay 1996 Single Malt (273896, $122.95) went to cask in 1996 and was bottled as a 15 year-old in 2011. Incredibly troggish Islay, of sea salts, aesculapian iodine and mephitic peat. Monstrous in odor yet subtle in colour and nectarous in flavour. An exercise in triumvirate Scotch mastery. Wild thing, “you make my heart sing.” 94 @WemyssMalts

Smoked Dry Rub Chicken Wings

Smoked Competition Chicken Thighs

Polenta and Parmigiano-Reggiano Fries

Barque Chicken Wings
(Photo: Kevin Hewitt/kevinhewitt.ca and Jill Chen/freestylefarm.ca)

Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky (205906, $84.95) from the Sazerac Spirit Company in Louisiana is Canadian Whisky bottled in Kentucky. You might think this butterscotch and woodpile in a bottle would suffer from identity crisis but it is actually quite-well adjusted. Smooth and creamy going in, harsh and demanding going down. A rye-raging SB, wholly unique and unlike any other, including its brothers and sisters of the same barrel. 88 @sazeracrye

The Macallan Fine Oak 15 Years Old (620229, $134.95) is a twist on a very familiar favourite friend. From three barrels, American Bourbon, American Sherry and Spanish Sherry Cask. Creamy malted milk, musky barley and turbinado sugar with the faintest whiff of smoke on a Speyside peat frame. Dried orange peel and chocolate, lithe and airy, delicate but sure. Class in a bottle. 92 @The_Macallan

Barque Sampler Platter
(Photo: Kevin Hewitt/kevinhewitt.ca and Jill Chen/freestylefarm.ca)

Smoked Brisket

Barque Rack O’bama aka an Alabama Style Rib aka Make Sticky Ribs

Roasted Vegetables

Chocolate Cheesecake

Good to go!

Super Bowl wine prediction: Red 49ers over black Ravens

Jan31

San Francisco 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick (7) celebrates with Leonard Davis and Daniel Kilgore (67) after the NFL football NFC Championship game against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013, in Atlanta.
PHOTO: AP PHOTO/DAVE MARTIN

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Three more sleeps before the much anticipated “Harbowl,” a brother versus brother, mano a mano American football war set to play out in New Orleans at Sunday’s Super Bowl XLVII. Forget about the risqué ads, the hype and the hoopla. Break it down to Raven black against 49er red. A wine analogy emerges.

Wine grapes are considered as either white or red. Though many dark-skinned varietals pitch purple, black and blue hues, by definition they are all reds. But we’re talking about football here and the foods that accompany America’s most amplified sports spectacle. Nachos, chicken wings, chili, pizza, hamburgers, and ribs. The purples and the blues don’t cut it. It’s got to be red and black.

My Super Bowl recommendations do not discriminate against any wines of colour but in this case the earth, spice and verve of the reds are a better match to traditional big game fare. They will ultimately triumph over their black opponents. Sorry John and your Baltimore Ravenation, younger brother Jim and his talented San Francisco Red and Gold have got your number. Here are five black and red wines to drink on Super Bowl Sunday.

The Raven

The grapes: Carmenère and Cabernet Sauvignon

The history: Organic and Biodynamic Chilean outfit in the Colchagua Valley

The lowdown: Central Valley grapes, aged for 6 months, 50% in french oak

The food match: Nachos, jack and cheddar cheese, jalapeno, guajillo salsa

Emiliana Novas Gran Reserva Carmenère/Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (66746, $14.95, NLC, 12168, $16.98) serves up Bordeaux-like tobacco, tar and smoke with roasted espresso-bean modernity. Carmenère as a taut, tight and tough duppy conquerer but softened by Cabernet Sauvignon’s rub-a-dub style. Hits you like a bombastic, Cossellian linebacker then offers a helping hand to get you back on your feet. “Yes, me friend.” 88 @VinosEmiliana

The Reds

The grapes: Sangiovese, Colorino and Canaiolo

The history: From Castellina in Chianti, between Colle Val d’Elsa and Monteriggioni

The lowdown: Exemplary CC, friendly and inviting in every way

The food match: Smoked BBQ Chicken Wings

Tenuta Di Capraia Chianti Classico 2010 (135277, $19.95) puts its best cocoa and red berry fruit foot forward, stepping tenaciously yet gracefully out of its dusty, tufaceous sands. Hints at game, like roasted goat or local, medieval buzzard and is also a touch funky without going off. It’s the red, clay earth soil talking. Classic example. 90 @ProfileWineGrp

The grapes: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinto Cão

The history: From Portugal’s Sobredos out of the Douro, based in Alijo. Francisco Montenegro of Quinta Nova is the winemaker

The lowdown: Terroir-driven red from the sub-sect Tua Valley, spends 12 months in new and used oak barrels

The food match: Individual Smoked Beef Sheppard’s Pies

Aneto Red 2009 (314930, $19.95) reminds me of the deepest, earthbound southern French reds, like Minervois or La Clape. Stygian and shadowy, the Aneto’s rusticity is borne of xistous terra, baking spice and dried fruit. Puts on her make up for prevailing balance in a show of hydrated, in vogue, darling pretty maturity. She can “heal my aching heart and soul.” 91 @liffordwine

The grape: Pinot Noir

The history: From Marimar Torres, named after her father, Don Miguel

The lowdown: Rare alcohol/fruit/acidity balance for California Pinot Noir. European temperament, California style

The food match: Mini Hamburger Appetizers

Marimar Estate La Masía Pinot Noir 2007 (303974, $34.95, B.C. 711333, $37.99) is downright verdant what with its dry cherry and wilting rose nose and spicy, splintering palate. A smoldering whiff penetrates the maroon fruit, bricking with gold. This is 49’er country, led by a balanced attack and a leader capable of peeling off a Kaepernickian 50-yard run. Victorious Pinot. 90 @MarimarTorres

The grape: Pinot Noir

The history: Beamsville Bench winery and meadery specializes in Pinot, Chardonnay, Riesling and excellent Semillon. Mead wines are out of this world

The lowdown: Rosewood is old-school; the Niagara equivalent to the Italian Azienda Agricola or the German Erzeugerabfüllung.

The food match: Goat Cheese Arancini

Rosewood Estates Natural Fermentation Reserve Pinot Noir 2009 (318345, $39.95) is ageing gracefully with nary a bitter edge. Cranberry, pomegranate, cherry, plum and vanilla all combine to gather and linger in freshness. My earlier review. “clocks in at 13.2% abv from 20 Mile Bench, Wismer-Ball’s Falls fruit that is whole cluster pressed under gentle, low pressure. So what? It means low phenolic (bitterness) extraction where seeds and skins are shunned and it’s all about “extracting the good stuff.” Fermented from the grape’s own yeasts, this Pinot has perfectly evolved to this point in time. Mushroom, earth and sweet red fruit will see the ’09 through another five years of joy.” 91 @Rosewoodwine

Good to go!

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday wines

Jan29

PHOTO: VOLFF/FOTOLIA.COM

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A day or two of anomalous warm temperatures aside, the dead of winter engulfs and conjoins 35 million Canadians in communal countenance. A weekend invite or beckoning may extract and cull us out of our homes to tempt fate for a visit, to dinner, or to the bar. Many will fill their time by travelling to hockey tournament towns. It’s those mid-week winter nights at this time of year where social activity dwindles, grinds to the proverbial halt and hibernation takes over.

Thankfully there is no shortage of food and wine events to help whiten the winter blues. Niagara’s 18th annual Ice Wine Festival just called it a wrap. Ottawa’s Winterlude is set to begin this weekend in the nation’s capital, as is the Brrrr! Winter Music Festival in Toronto, complete with the promise of Smoked Tacos. The Vancouver International Wine Festival begins next month. You can check out Ontario’s food and wine culinary calendar at Ontario Culinary Festivals and Events. Both Toronto (Winterliscious) and Vancouver (Dine Out Vancouver) have their own culinary event schedules and prix fixe dinner possibilities.

But it’s the middle of the week and you’re at home. You’re tired and not feeling particularly social. You want a glass of wine but you don’t want to open anything expensive. Some may call them daily drinkers, others refer to them as cellar defenders. Here are three more than affordable current release wines, a sparkler, a white and a red for those Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday winter nights.

The Sparkling

The grape: Riesling

The history: From Germany’s Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, inexpensive Riesling specialist Ernst Loosen

The lowdown: Loosen has always placed an emphasis on terroir over technology. This sparkler echoes the unbeatable value of the still, “Dr. L.” Riesling

The food match: Smoked Salmon Potato Blini, creme fraiche, caviar

Loosen Bros. Dr. L. Sparkling Riesling (296095, $13.95, B.C. 158501, $17.99) flaunts a Canada Dry attitude void of an alchemic or synthetic overtone that plagues so many a cheap sparkler. Citrus, notably lime, meets honey in atmosphere and replays in appetency. Not necessarily exciting but flattering and offers so much more than the average $15-20 fizz. 88 @drloosenwines

The White

The grapes: Colombard, Sauvignon Blanc and Gros Manseng

The history: From Côtes de Gascogne in southwest France

The lowdown: Ninety per cent of the estate’s production is white wine, out of the Bas Armagnac appellation

The food match: Poached Shrimp Salad, avocado, grapefruit, golden beet, mache, cilantro, tarragon oil

Domaine De Ménard Cuvee Marine 2011 (310201, $14.95) is a lean, mean, light, dry, aromatic, expressive and inexpensive fighting machine. Tarragon, pear, gros sel and orange blossom offer a glimpse into Gascony’s douceur de vie. Brebis buoyed by limestone and clay but also honeyed by a touch of Gros Manseng, this balanced Colombard and friends is a terrific Sauvignon Blanc substitute. Ménard has earned its stripes as an example to abide by. 89

The Red

The grapes: Grenache, Carignan and Mourvedre

The history: A negociant project out of the Costières de Nîmes from Michel Gassier of Château de Nages and oenologist Phillipe Cambie

The lowdown: I tasted through the portfolio in February 2012, minus this best G (70%), C (20%) and M (10%) value

The food match: Smoked Beef Tacos

Les Halos De Jupiter 2010 (309153, $14.95) is massively structured and modern for the appellation, packing a punch of black fruit into this stratospheric, southern French earth meets gas monster red. Bright, tight celestial hugging, Jupiter meets the moon conjunction junction. A Grenache-based beauty to allow you to “finally get the chance to dance along the light of day.” Get aboard this train. Very serious and straightforward juice for $15. 89 @MichelGassier @philippecambie

Good to go!

Video and selling wine online

Jan11

PHOTO: STRIXCODE/FOTOLIA.COM

as seen on canada.com

When Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan announced on New Year’s Eve the government plans to open 10 wine/liquor stores in select supermarkets, the Twitter chiming and column-riling was heard loud and clear. My take was a relatively benign one, having visited many a supermarket and trailer hitch “LCBO” in the smallest of Ontario’s northern hamlets. Nothing to see here folks, move along.

The proposal is misleading and really has little to do with Tim Hudak’s variety store beer and wine plan. The NP’s Chris Selley was clear in noting that LCBO, small town “Agency” stores have been employing private citizens in the business of peddling alcohol for decades. If Mindemoya, Ontario adds a few mass market wines and VINTAGES Essentials to its roped-off cubby within the local Foodland, how does that change anything?

The announcement that the VINTAGES cache of wine will soon be available for purchase online, now that would be something. Even I would have to be a fool today to argue against private wine stores, an issue the Wine Council of Ontario has addressed with mywineshop.ca. That movement continues to generate interest and support and needs to be taken to the next level. But what about wine online? The VINTAGES model has seen very little to modest success. There have been some very good wines available (though few and far between) but other than a few thousand (maybe) wine geeks, who even knows how and when they are released? This gorgeous Spanish red from Priorat is available right now through the VINTAGES Online website’s January 10th, 2013 release.

: Cesca Vicent Lo Piot 2006; Nigl Grüner Veltliner Gärtling 2011; Bodegas Briego Reserva 2004

Cesca Vicent Lo Piot 2006 (243493, $29) is sweet, sweet Garnacha. Hugely concentrated but hangs on to a thread of mineral decency and resists going over the top. That rocky earth will extend its life by two to three years but the quarry of recklessness means drink up. Modernity thy name is Priorat. 91

Many have argued against slaughtering trees and think the VINTAGES Classics Catalogue should become an exclusive, online only direct sale. I would agree but this too misses the big point. If nothing else, why shouldn’t Ontario consumers be able to buy all available VINTAGES wines online? Simply set a realistic minimum order and charge for delivery. Social responsibility being compromised I imagine would be the argument put forth by the Hudsucker Proxy. All those under age teenagers signing for UPS delivered $75 Napa Cabernets would surely lead to anarchy.

A good number of Ontario wine agents and some specialist online e-tailers sell by the case, which they have to, but that niche is directed at wines not available for purchase at the LCBO. Dial-A-Bottle outfits can deliver single bottles but the strict rules and delivery charges make it cost prohibitive. Bordeaux Futures must be purchased in minimum sets of three. It’s time to change the playing field. Consumers want to shop online. We’re not talking about a non-starter here. VINTAGES, I have an idea for you. Put up some video to increase interest in the wines you sell. I recently filmed such a video:

Here are my tasting notes on the two wines:

Nigl Grüner Veltliner Gärtling 2011 ($22.54) is a strange animal to many, mistakenly considered a Riesling follower but, “something inside reveals you’re magical.” This one goes Niederösterreich green apple and even more parochial with Kremstal’s, micro-climate mineral and floral salinity. Built of solid weight and body but Grüner’s subtlety is certainly the fulcrum of its appeal. Please don’t let it be misunderstood. On the card at Barque. 88

Bodegas Briego Reserva 2004 ($32.95) the gregarious Ribera Del Duero trips the purple light fantastic. Rigorous, vibrant fruit for a Tempranillo caged four years in barrel and a further four in bottle. Currently dances in a cool, complex, mineral-rich, vanilla and plum wheelhouse of optimum fruit excellence. Modern for Ribera and very young at heart. 90

Good to go!

The year of drinking better wine

Jan3

PHOTO: ONDREICKA/FOTOLIA.COM

as seen on canada.com

“I don’t mind the red wine or the pick-up line as long as it’s cheap.”

Only two days into the New Year and already the familiar refrain replays. So much talking up the wrong vine. That heinous recurrent smoke and mirror theme blurring the path to righteous wine.

VINTAGES January 5th, 2013 Release

In December caution gyrates in tossed abandon, swirling figure eights in the wind. Industry folk bear witness to a wild meritage month of over-spending and reckless wine activity. Then New Year’s is followed by a hangover that causes a confused, annual parade of resolutions. So many swear away indulgence and when it comes to wine, personal restocking gets stymied by rigid, penny-wise action. Know this ‘smart buys’ buyers and beware. You should never drink bad wine. Life really is too short.

Try drinking outside the box. Look to varietals and regions never before considered. Return to old favourites dissed for years. Broaden your wine mind. Take chances. Live a little. Your goal for 2013 must be to drink better wine. Here are five current releases under $20 to re-shuffle and reconsider in the New Year.

The grapes: Chardonnay and Viognier

The history: A South African twist on traditional Burgundy made unusual with the 5+% addition of a Northern Rhône white grape

The lowdown: Remarkably rich and robust for the price and at 14% abv it defies logic. And seriously, what’s in a name anyway?

The food match: Chinese-Style Steamed Tilapia

Bellingham Chardonnay With A Splash Of Viognier 2010 (295345, $13.95) is a chewy white, at first like bubble gum, with juicy fruit flavours that don’t quit. Melds butter into batter, slowly caramelizes and pops out toasty, seeking roast turkey. No Tom foolery here, this plugged in Wellington bruiser, Skinny Legs and All, sports a Jet Airstream design equipped with a battery that lasts and lasts. 87

The grapes: Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon

The history: Stainless Steel fermented juice grown out of La Viña Cooperative in Valencia, at a range of altitudes from 300 to nearly 900 meters above sea level

The lowdown: 10% Cab elevates the Molet to mini, Super-Tempranillo status

The food match: Potato, Bacon and Gruyère Soup

El Molet Tinto 2009 (305904, $14.95) goes optimum in freshness, ripeness and balance. A full complement of fruit; purple to red to black to blue. Vibrant, piquant, chalky and contused. Presses all the right Tempranillo buttons. 89

The grape: Pinot Grigio

The history: Euro trash wine often so hard to distinguish one from another

The lowdown: Hillebrand’s winemaker Craig MacDonald has come out and rolled a natural

The food match: BBQ Shrimp Grits, preserved lemon rouille

Trius Pinot Grigio 2011 (316414, $15.95) burnishes patina copper and works an unprecedented, osphretic angle for the Niagara Peninsula. Diced pear, lemon pepper, herbs and honey roll prodigally from the glass, pausing to allow for analysis and lingering longer than would be thought. Wholly unique and satisfying. Out of the shell Ontario white. 88

The grape: St. Laurent

The history: Varietal from Alsace, having made a stop in Germany before settling comfortably in Austria

The lowdown: Like Pinot Noir, this varietal sheens best by the light of day

The food match: Loaded Sweet Potatoes, roasted garlic

Rabl St-Laurent 2009 (301960, $15.95) is flat-out delicious, peppy, peppery and buoyed by bright flavours . The kind of wine that makes you wonder if it’s red or white, makes you “not sure if you’re a boy or a girl.” A rebel, pretty in a volcanic way, in full make-up, fresh yet firm. “Hot tramp, I love you so!” 88

The grapes: Sangiovese, Sagrantino and Merlot

The history: Sagrantino of Montefalco produces Umbria’s most iconic red. When blended (typically with Sangiovese), the result is the Rosso di Montefalco

The lowdown: Though Sangiovese leads with 70% in the blend, the Sagrantino’s blackberry and deep earth character cannot be held down

The food match: Smoked Paprika Braised Beef

Arnaldo Caprai Rosso Montefalco 2009 (303065, $19.95) simply has the ‘it’ factor. I’d walk over the hills and far away for this super-Umbrian. A high-flying Zeppelin of pencil lead and animale perfume balanced by ultra-ripe red berries, verging to rapturous black. “Hey lady you got the love I need.” 90

Good to go!

The Wine Diaries: A generous year

Dec21

PHOTO: STILLKOST/FOTOLIA.COM

as seen on canada.com

When it comes to wine, the year 2012 was extremely kind and in so many ways. There are some who cringe at the term “generous” when employed in a tasting note to describe a particular wine. To me, there may not be a better word to wax dreamily and demurely about the year that was. The grapes were in fact generous in 2012, bursting better than ever with ripe, rich fruit, their ferment having flowed and poured freely at the hands of so many great people. Wine helped to fill the voids and soothed in times of stress, as if there were not a care in the world.

Wine events continued to proliferate. VINTAGES ramped up tasting opportunities, the importers shared lavishly and with munificent grace. There were mass assemblies of producers who came to share their wares from California, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Argentina, Italy, Austria, the list goes on. A Halpern portfolio tasting was stellar and Stem Wine Group’s gala brought me to my knees. A relentless trafficking of the grape persists, especially by the likes of Profile Wine Group’s Mark Coster who’s omnipotence seemed to find him pouring everywhere. Dinners with fellow geeks threw complementarity caution to the wind while the affair with my wine card at Barque Smokehouse continued its wanderlust.

Tasting through local portfolios and young juice in barrel with winemakers and vineyard representatives really highlighted the year. Norm Hardie and Dan Sullivan showed me what Prince Edward County is and will surely be. Paul Pender twice ran me through his promising casks at Tawse. Vintners in Long Island opened my eyes to the future of its two forks. I am looking forward to tasting around the world in 2013.

Never before have I been privy to a sound as buzzing as our local wine scene. Social media exploded in 2012, especially on the topic of Ontario wine. The elevated level of discourse and discussion became palpable and necessary. The Wine Council of Ontario opened MyWineShop, an initiative aimed at transforming the landscape of wine sold in Ontario. The current harvest looks to be of the ‘best ever” variety. VQA Ontario wrote “conditions were close to perfect going into harvest,” then followed up with “harvest reports on grape quality were excellent for all regions.”

I liken 2012 to 1998. This vintage will see Ontario to wines of stunning fruit quality, acidity, balance and finesse to match what we continue to experience from the exceptional ’98’s, including reds. The 1998 Henry of Pelham Cabernet/Merlot I tasted last winter can testify to this. “You’ve come a long way baby,” I will say to our local, vinous heroes. Ignore the naysayers and keep on the path of the Rockafellar Skank. Just as in 1998, the “funk soul brother” is on your side.

Of the most profound pleasure and fortuitous circumstance is the opportunity I am given to imbibe and to share of other’s treasures.

These are the best wines I tasted in 2012:

The Wine Diaries: 2012

Château Pichon Baron Longueville, Paulliac 1988 (March)This PBL is throwing rocks tonight. I am dazzled by its youth. Purity, clarity, vitality. Embodies Cclaret’s dictionary entry. Opened in the heart of its window. While ’89 and ’90 continue to hog that era’s spotlight, here lies reason number one to endorse ’88. The turkey of the triple flight. 95

Corimbo 1 2009 (April) is sweet thistle pie. A cracker jack Tempranillo and nothing but Tempranillo. Candy coated with red licorice and an inexplicable apple flower sensation as if molecular gastronomy of the Ferran Adrià or Heston Blumenthal kind. Exotic and spicy, seeing through me, it “knows my name but calls me ginger.” 95

Tawse Chardonnay David’s 2011 (March) coruscates like the glare of a Koon sculpture, lambient and luminous. Searing tang of citrus and green apple. A crime to show so well, Zen in its persistence and long finish. This vintage and this vineyard may unseat Robyn. 93-95 (barrel sample)

Valdicava Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva Madonna Del Piano 2006 (October) is sacred Sangiovese, an inviolable reliquary of immaculacy deep beneath Montalcino’s altar. A vamp of essential Tuscan fruit. If you were to stand on a hill in Montalcino in winter time and listen carefully, you would hear a low sipping sound. That is the sound of the entire town drinking of the Madonna Del Piano. 97

Château Fonroque St. Emilion Grand Cru 2000 (September) unseats Talbot as the non pareil Bordeaux coalescence of value and longevity from that vintage. Resolute to immaculate balance, black fruit steadfast against crumbling tannins and yet I can see this pushing on for 10 or more. “You like drinking ghosts,” says JM. Yes I do, yes I do. 93

Mas Doix Salanques 2006 (April) is a revelation. A Pegau-esque perfume aux gasseuse leans Rhône but an amazing (65%) Garnacha sweetness veers Priorat. Iodine (Syrah and Carignan) of black slate soil, tar, smoked meat and bacon. A Parker and Galloni thesaurus of descriptors must be bequeathed on this candied (Merlot) wine loaded with acidity in magnums. CVR** WOTN. 93

Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf du Pape 1998 (April) would be my wine of choice walking a boulder strewn vineyard on a misty morning in the Southern Rhône. Expressions are hurled around the table, “candified Pinot nose” and “tutti frutti.” For Beaucastel? I can’t believe the tripartite fruit freshness, ambient funk immersion and pencil lead sharpness. This ’98 is ”light as a feather, heavy as lead.” The Beaucastel will brighten up your tomorrow. WOTN 96

Château Léoville-Las Cases Saint Julien 1996 (March)Utopian, foxy, rubicund health. Voluptuous tomato, classy and luxurious on every level. Unabashed, showing off unblemished, curvy fruit. Pellucid, transparent, honest. A player, even if the highest caste keeps the dark LLC down. The sixth major. 94

Domaine Henri Perrot-Minot Morey-St.-Denis En La Rue De Vergy 1996 (March) The dark knight of the three red Burgundies. Smells like merde at first, a pumpkin left to compost long after the hallow night is done. A few swirls and the funk blows away, leaving behind a smashing MSD. Oracular utterances are in the air now. ”Lazer beam of acidity” says AM, “Pinot on a frozen rope” says I. 93

Castellare Di Castellina I Sodi di San Niccolo 1997 (May) of Colli Della Toscana Centrale IGT origins and the fountain of youth. How can it be so fresh? 85% Sangioveto and 15% Malvasia. The Sangiovese clone, also known as Sangiovese Piccolo is here a sweet and beautiful elixir. Polished deep purple Amethyst dipped in smokey, black raspberry water. No hard lines, void of animale and free from Tuscan iron. “No matter what we get out of this, i know, i know we’ll never forget.” Better with the cheese course to come. 93

Good to go!

A Grey Cup wine and a brand new Shiraz

Nov26

<em>The Grey Cup is hoisted by the Toronto Argonauts after they defeated the Calgary Stampeders in the 100th CFL Grey Cup championship football game in Toronto, Ontario, November 25, 2012 (photo by Mark Blinch, Reuters).</em>

The Grey Cup is hoisted by the Toronto Argonauts after they defeated the Calgary Stampeders in the 100th CFL Grey Cup championship football game in Toronto, Ontario, November 25, 2012 (photo by Mark Blinch, Reuters).

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Congratulations to the Toronto Argonauts who as a group rode a perfectly obvious wave of team unity and hard work to victory in the 100th Grey Cup.

The 2012 edition of the double blue found their 15 minutes, future immortality and their place in the sun. So will a South African Shiraz, aptly named Place In The Sun. But first, a note on last night’s toast to an Argo win with a favourite Pinot Noir.

greycup A Grey Cup wine and a brand new Shiraz

The grape: Pinot Noir

The history: Blends grapes from every block of Maysara’s vineyard. According to ancient Persian legend, King Jamsheed was able to observe his entire realm by peering into his full wine goblet

The lowdown: Just announced, the ’09 Cuvée is #14 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list for 2012

The food match: Gnocchi, bell pepper tomato, garlic, padano parmesan, olive oil

Maysara Jamsheed Pinot Noir 2008 (127035, $21.90, was $33.95) works the McMinnville terroir with ruby-red clarity. Ripe cranberry, red pepper and pomegranate, bright and pungent as Muhamarra. Persian persistence, exotica-scented and in full control over its domain. On the card at Barque. 90

The grape: Shiraz

The history: Cape vineyards from the Zonnebloem stable

The lowdown: Under current consideration for best under $15 South African red at the LCBO

The food match: Seared Flank Steak, caramelized onion and garlic

Place In The Sun Shiraz 2010 (28088, $12.95) glows remarkably red. Sun-kissed streaks of red raspberry, sweet pepper and a subtle whiff of smoke. “Cause there’s a place in the sun where there’s hope for ev’ryone.” A definitive collection of grapes from premier vineyards, leaving little wonder this is great value for South African Shiraz. 88

Good to go!

Four fall back wines for Daylight Savings

Nov2

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The wine glasses will have retired when the clocks fall back to standard time at 2:00 o’clock in the morning on Sunday, November 4th. An hour no longer needed and cast off, a casualty of war. He may not have invented it, but we have Benjamin Franklin to thank for being the first to indicate the need for the phenomenon. In the United States, a federal law standardized the yearly start and end of daylight saving time in 1918, for the states that chose to observe it. It was mandatory during WWII and today most states continue to observe the so-called, energy-saving measure. Canadians abide, Quel shoc!, save for Saskatchewan which is on DST year round. What’s that all about?

The M.C. Escher tessellating question is this. Is DST an energy conservation proposition or a Saturday night wine suck? It’s both, actually. Like the Escher model, fine wine is a linear, interwoven tapestry without any gaps or overlaps. The fact that DST is part of a never-ending loop likens it to Groundhog Day and the redundant nature of the ritual zaps life, if only for one night, as if there were no tomorrow.

My advice is to make sure your fridge and racks are stocked with whites and reds possessive of good legs that fall back in the glass. Wines of character and depth to carry you through to Sunday’s raffish onset of darkness. On the bright side, that lost hour does mean that when Sunday morning comes you won’t be confronted by first light purdah masked of a folderol, cimmerian shade. Here are four wines to aid in the transition back to standard time.

The grape: Pinot Grigio

The history: 100% PG from the Friuli Isonzo DOC region (in northeastern Italy near the Slovenian border) produced by the cooperative, Cantina Produttori Cormòns

The lowdown: Tightly wound clusters cause varietal deformity due to the pressure they exert on each other. Intense PG at a great price

The food match: Barque Rub Roast Chicken Wings and Thighs

Cormòns Pinot Grigio 2010 (734038, $14.95) is slick stuff, like vitreous and porous silica gel without the talc. Acacia blossom perfume and agave scherzo symphony in a glass. High praise indeed for lowly PG but go Friuli my friend and note the difference. The conically tapered glass bottle adds to the magic and the profile. By way of Mr. C. for my card at Barque. 88

The grape: Chardonnay

The history: Burgundy’s great varietal goes haywire along Niagara on the Lake’s old Stone Road

The lowdown: This racy white has just enough brake to watch its speed

The food match: Homemade Tagliatelle, brown butter, parmesan and sage

G. Marquis The Silver Line Chardonnay 2011 (258681, $16.95) streaks across and plays a lick on atomic 16 rails at breakneck speed, all the while jonesing for of a slice of custard pie. “It’s sweet and nice” with lead, nuts and spice. The G. might stand for grateful or great, as in value. 88

The grapes: Grenache, Syrah & Mourvèdre

The history: Gigondas sits one step down from Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the southern Rhône pecking order

The lowdown: Not nearly as serious as the likes of Brusset, Perrin or Montmirail but look at the price

The food match: Boneless Roast Quail, king oyster mushrooms, fresh thyme

Domaine Santa Duc Les Garancières Gigondas 2009 (234989, $17.90, was $27.95) is Grenache-centric so soft, modern and approachable is its MO. The S and M adds just enough volcanic disturbance, smoke and herbal spew to keep it real. Notes of arpeggios and glissades. At the reduced fare its reductive attributes smooth and flesh out hither and yon at the same time. Simmering raspberries with the intention of becoming jam is a delight to sniff and dip a spoon into. 89

The grape: Malbec

The history: From the emerging Uco Valley in Mendoza where the varietal seems to turn from red to black

The lowdown: Showing very well for an under $20 Malbec with five years of age under its bottle buckle

The food match: Grilled Barese Sausages, tomato jam, smokey bbq sauce

Trapiche Fincas Las Palmas Malbec 2007 (186668 $17.95) with its vanillin, razor-sharp contour of energy is rich and powerful for the price. The style is big, blowsy and not without a smokey, blackberry charm. A slight electric loss and corresponding increased valence shows that the clock is ticking fast, but for now the pleasure is all ours. 89

Good to go!

A global Bordeaux six-pack over/under $20

Oct26

Bordeaux bottles are pictured in a shop in Saint Emilion outside of Bordeaux (photograph by Pascal Le Segretain, Getty Images).

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Bordeaux defines wine. To paraphrase the man with the million-dollar palate, “the first duty of wine is to be a Claret, the second is to be a Burgundy.” Bordeaux is the most recognizable ferment on the planet and has become a place of reference for the word château. It’s omnipresence is without parallel in the wine diaspora.

There was a time when a Bordeaux varietal emigration was considered to be a tautological impossibility. The wine world as we know it began to change 40 years ago when inward grapes began to emerge without, having gone mobile, global, in through the out door. In the New World, Bordeaux varietals have been subject to a pop revolution, having been joined by synthesizers, stomping rhythms and heavy, staggered riffs.

Over the past 40 years the grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Carmenère, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc have migrated to all reaches of the earth. Claret, especially, is everywhere.

Here are six Bordeaux-inspired wines to look for this coming weekend.

The grape: Sauvignon Blanc

The history: Though its greatest French success is in the Loire, SB is a workhorse for the dry whites of Bordeaux

The lowdown: Injuries have reduced the Masters champ to a shell of his former golfing self but if his name can pump out under $15 gems like this, success will continue to follow the great lefty

The food match: Crab and Shrimp Cakes, citrus aioli

Mike Weir Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (686972, $14.95) swings from the left side like its brethren on that side of the Gironde. A game built on concentrated gooseberry juice, tangy green fruit and a streak of chippy acidity. Sneaky long and straight down the fairway. 88

The Grapes: Merlot and Cabernet Franc

The history: From the Cotes (Saint Genes) de Castillon on the Right Bank of Bordeaux

The lowdown: Price has remained fixed, despite the hype of the vintage

The food match: Olivada Crostini, fior di latte, roasted peppers

Château De L’Estang 2009 (191551, $18.85) ventures into more expensive Libournais territory with a level of sophistication rarely seen under $20. Crisp, tart berries, licorice without sweetness, pencil and charred meat go to good lengths. Hard to find better value in Bordeaux. 88

The Grapes: Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon

The history: From the Médoc on the Left Bank of the Gironde River

The lowdown: Merlot less often dominates the Left Bank blends. This wine will open a window into the second wines of the top château where Merlot percentages often increase

The food match: Corn Meal Tartlettes, fig, caramelized onion, benedictin

Château Lestruelle 2009 (295840, $18.95) may show the slightest level of reduction but it’s a beautiful wine. Tar, pencil, tobacco, earth and smoke rally in balance. Ready for the pop and pour anytime. 90

The grape: Merlot

The history: Right Bank Bordeaux principle most famous in Pomerol and St. Emilion

The lowdown: Winemaker Derek Barnett looks to Bordeaux ahead of California for inspiration

The food match: BBQ Beef Brisket Skewers, honey, garlic, bourbon glaze

Lailey Merlot 2010 (591396, $25.00) is focused and linear, with fruit, acid and tannin set up like dominos. Blackberries come off a touch jammy and the concentration of the vintage shows in colour too. Green and varnish notes are largely diminished in 2010. I’m clapping loudly because Lailey, “you’ve got me on my knees.” 89

The grape: Cabernet Sauvignon

The history: The immortal Claret, cornerstone for all Left Bank Bordeaux reds

The lowdown: One of the top Okanagan Cabs at this price point from a vineyard that gets it

The food match: Delmonico Sirloin Skewers, Cabernet reduction glaze

Township 7 Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (303735, $26.95) is no Hotel California milkshake, nor Bordeaux neither, but there is big earth and “colitas rising up through the air.” The style is actually more Italianate, “there’s talk on the street, it sounds so familiar.” More akin to IGT Cabernet with sanguine and iron notes. Eagle-eyed with a vision for excellence and Johnny-come-lately tannins. Please welcome this new kid in town. 90

The grape: Carmenère

The history: Reserved in Bordeaux for blending, it has found a single varietal home in Chile

The lowdown: This Peumo Carm is the best in its class (under $50) and even above that mark in most cases

The food match: Crispy Parmesan Cups, flank steak, basil, cilantro

Concha Y Toro Terrunyo Block 27 Vineyard Selection Carmenère 2009 (562892, $29.95) is fit for a king, regal, rich and refined. The crown jewel of CYT’s line as far as I am concerned, I would choose this bottling over the (Cabernet dominated) Don Melchor any day of the week. Smokey, high on warm graphite with a conscious, languorous progression to excellence. 91

Good to go!