Ten best buys from the October 15th LCBO sale

File photograph, National Post

VINTAGES markdowns begin today on more than 240 wines in selected stores across Ontario. This type of warehouse clearance is nothing new for the fine wine and premium spirits division of the LCBO, but when such a vast quantity of product gets tagged with red stickers, even the biggest monopoly cynics are caught smiling and spied shopping.

The sale is a collective blowout of six to 12-month old release items. Much of what is available may be judged as “machine age wine,” to paraphrase William Thorsell, the Zen-like master of demeanor and one day to be “czar of public space in Toronto.” A vast majority of product sold by the Hudsucker Proxy is the vinous equivalent to “post Bauhaus, architecture of the box.” Still, for all the rotten tomatoes and urban sub-division, ascetic industrialist plonk there are diamonds to be mined in the proverbial wine rough.

It is important to note that sale item inventory is limited. It would be prudent to check online and better yet, call ahead before driving across town to grab a few sale bottles. Many of the wines have been marked down a second time, making them some of the better deals going. Then there are the trophy wines like the Krug ’95 D’Ambonnay which has dropped in price by $1000. Now only $3500 a bottle!

Keep in mind that my tasting notes and scores were cogitated in line with original VINTAGES prices.

Here are my top 10 picks from today’s sale

Cordella Rosso Di Montalcino 2009 (251462, was, $19.95, now $12.90) puts forth a flavour profile making it a dead ringer for a young Brunello. The initial noisome squall gives way to iron scents and the taste of spicy plums. Very approachable, fresh and vibrant. Great food wine for the here and now. 90 (October 2011)

Township 7 Syrah 2007 (263665, was $25.95, now $19.90) limns in glass as a cool, penetrating Pic Island or Canto XVII colour. Peppery spice and unfettered eucalyptus separate the 7′s actions from California’s rangers, remaining unique unto itself. BC tree fruit exuding from every sip save for a mutinous, shy, hollow and peripatetic middle moment. More time should smooth and flesh that fruit. 89 (April 2012)

Domaine Drouhin Arthur Chardonnay 2008 (959619, was $27.95, now $19.90) concedes eminence grise; reserved mineral nose, subtle oak, soft, balanced and smooth. Nothing exciting but well made and so easy to drink. Was hoping for a niche superstar but no foul. 87 (October 2011)

Maison Roche De Bellene Vieilles Vignes Meursault 2009 (241091, was $48.95, now $29.90) amalgamates citrus spice, baked brie and potpourri where subtlety is thy name. No mischief from Little Nicky here as Potel’s potential is glimpsed with this groovy white Burgundy. 89 (February 2012)

Domaine De La Bonserine Côte-Rôtie La Sarrasine 2008 (606442, was $49.95, now $29.90) enters my heart on immediate terms of endearment. Superb funk de vache without bretting out. Gunpowder, wet limestone, leather, char and chalk define the wine. 90 (October 2011)

Riglos Gran Corte 2007 (243501, was $37.95, now $29.90) radiates a phenomenal azure/purple colour. A body builder of fermented pleasure, sculpted, ripped, pulsating. Baked pastry, caramelized onion and reduced aged balsamic wax olfactory. What a tart! Delicious stuff to drink now. 91 (October 2011)

Freestone Chardonnay 2008 (249425, was $69.95, now $44.90) trickles melting ice cubes past the gullet, washing it down with searing salty, citrus and cobblestone coolant. A firm Chardonnay, cocksure and concise. I would not turn away a glass of this coolish-climate bonbon. 90 (October 2011)

Take a flyer on

Santa Duc Gigondas Les Garancières 2009 (234989, was $27.95, now $17.90)

Domaine Moillard Beaune Epenottes 1er Cru 2009 (241109, was $31.95, now $19.90)

Ravenswood Single Vineyard Belloni Zinfandel 2008 (672741,was $44.95, now $27.90)

Good to go!

Great whites, fall colours

Oct11

The Road. Photo courtesy Kiowaman

as seen on canada.com

We are distinctly Canadian. In summer we paddle, navigating canoes through marshes, bogs and streams, traversing lakes and meandering down rivers. In the fall we are more likely to pack up the car and drive the road to northern climes, marveling at the changing season, elucidated by fall’s bright oranges, yellows and reds.

Our taste and choice in wine follows suit. When the heat is on we look to sharp, vigorous and thirst quenching white wines. Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino, Garganega, Riesling and Chenin Blanc. Jumping forward a month or two there will be the need for full-bodied whites; Chardonnay, Semillon, Viognier, Marsanne and Rousanne. In the autumn interim we bridge the gap with Unoaked Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Grenache Blanc.

Here are six great whites for fall and for the early stages of the coming winter cold.

The grape: Chardonnay

The history: Take away the oak influence and Chardonnay goes crisp and clean

The lowdown: Winemaker Richie Roberts is without peer for this method, at this price

The food match: Perfumed Chicken Broth , chinese dumplings

Fielding Unoaked Chardonnay 2011 (164491, $13.95) continues to will clear water talent for value. A revivalist po’ boy made of ascetic industrialism; efficient, reasonable and utilitarian. Drinks well down on the corner, with enhanced juicy fruit. All orchard fruit, all the time. Very satisfying for the coin. “Bring a nickel, tap your feet.” 87

The grape: Pinot Gris

The history: A widely planted and signature grape for B.C. due to its ability to ripen in all three of the major regions: Island, Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys.

The lowdown: This Okanagan version may be sweeter and softer than others but winemaker George Heiss Jr. has struck gold with his 2011

The food match: Warm Pulled Soft Chicken Tacos, romaine, candied bacon, caesar dressing

Gray Monk Pinot Gris 2011 (118638, $19.95, B.C. 118638, $16.99) is a purling wind of crisp, sprite Mutsu apple, honey, molasses and castile. Certainly not the pepper and spice of its Alsatian brethren but manages to lift Okanagan prurience into B.C. repartee. 88

The grape: Sauvignon Blanc

The history: The ode to Bordeaux and the Loire is fading. Kiwi SB rocketed to stardom, went through a recession and has emerged a major player

The lowdown: Marlborough at its finest

The food match: Caprese Corn Meal Galette Tart, tomato, fior di latte and basil

Wither Hills Single Vineyard Rarangi Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (288134, $21.95) coagulates sea air above Cloudy Bay, arsenopyrite and carapace to imbue the Rarangi SV with density and intensity. A white grapefruit, lime and sugar syrup sangria void of gooseberry and asparagus. A breath of Marlborough fresh air. 90

The grape: Riesling

The history: Germany’s trademark grape

The lowdown: Spätlese means “late harvest” and as a Prädikatswein it carries with it Germany’s highest quality designation

The food match: Lemon Curd Short-breads

Prinz Von Hessen Johannisberger Klaus Riesling Spätlese 2002 (295659, $21.95) of graceful, gold regal colour is a dessert wine now, for all intents and purposes. The citrus tang of acidity persists and melds into what is now a scintillating, cider apple stage. A big thanks for aging this one for us, it’s now ready to go. 90

Fall Colours. Photo courtesy Kiowaman

The Splurges

The grape: Sauvignon Blanc

The history: From its true home in the Loire where the ancient refuse of the varietal is traced in the soil

The lowdown: Jolivet is king and this bottling is one of his finest made to date

The food match: Smoked shrimp, chive crème fraîche, garlic chips

Pascal Jolivet Les Caillotes Sancerre 2010 (287086, $31.95) starts out with subtle herbs and spice. Drifts to flint, pericarp and chalk then builds and lifts to edgy crystalline and jeweled gem. Accomplishes all its aromas and tastes with refinement. Flies away with the barrel on the longest flight imaginable for a Sauvignon Blanc. 91

The grapes: Marsanne, Viognier, Bourboulenc and Clairette

The history: Southern Rhône white blend from a house that makes some of the greatest white wine on the planet

The lowdown: Beaucastel’s “second” wine is at it’s very best in 2011.

The food match: Fresh Ravioli, sage butter, extra-virgin olive oil, reggiano parmesan

Château Beaucastel Coudoulet De Beaucastel Blanc 2011 (48892, $33.95, SAQ 449983, $30.25) may just be the lowly, new ‘second’ home of the pope (papal coach house if you will) but ahhhh…white Rhône blossoms, so many varietals, so little opportunity to taste them. This is faintly nutty like Oloroso, fragrant, and annotated for interpolations. “Smells divine,” “gorgeous colour” and “tastes great.” 90

Good to go!

Two dinners, 16 diners, 18 wines

Sep17

The Gilead Café and Bistro’s Jamie Kennedy and Ken Steele (photograph courtesy of Jo Dickins)

as seen on canada.com

This memory goes back a bit in time. Here are two wine and food out-of-body experiences. Vine and dine encounters of the fortunate kind. The Gilead Café and Bistro’s Jamie Kennedy and Ken Steele worked an enticing concomitant seven-course tasting menu alongside 11 superstars, including a First Growth and two legends of Napa vinolore. Less than a week earlier Chef C and Sous E prepared the simplest, most extraordinary dishes to reign in seven stellar and all together unique bottles.

The Gilead Café and Bistro (photograph courtesy of Jo Dickins)

Le Mesnil Blancs de Blancs Brut Champagne (88) Sweet citrus nose, delicate and fine mousse, tart apples on a finessed palate. A NV to sip with food, though we downed the splash pour before any arrived.

WHITEFISH ROE & ORGANIC EGG TORTE, chervil, crisp toast

Flight One

Creekside Estates Viognier Reserve Queenston Road 2009 (89) Citrus slides straight from the bubbly into this limited production (80 cases) St. David’s Bench beauty. Pale yellow as if Clare Valley Riesling. The scent of Sevilla orange blossom. Organza of downy acidity. A unique local savoir-faire. Thin and tin, as in contrary viscosity and subtle minerality. Like petals falling from the flower almost before the touch of the hand.

Norman Hardie Pinot Noir Cuvee ‘L’ 2007 (86) The candied Sonoma nose and beguiling scents of spice islands made lift for heights great. A Prince Edward County celebrity so imagine the long faces when the fruit was absent at the first sip. Time is a recently opened wine’s friend so waited we did but never the twain did meet. More cogitation, then a vacuum of acidity in a flat finish. If closed down, reprieve on a round globe awaits. If lost, a flat Pinot pre-Columbus earth.

GRILLED ASPARAGUS, yam, white mushroom sauce

Flight Two

The general origins of these three wines were blindly determined but each not in the speculated glass. How is it that eight wine geeks can have their seasoning shattered by a single flight? “All the things I thought I’d figured out, I have to learn again.” The heart of the matter.

Oyosoos Larose Le Grand Vin 2003 (91) One of three in a variable flight to confound. Black cherry in clusters, a power forward fruit first step then backed by biting tannins and striking acidity. Could have sworn it was the Napa. Held its own against two serious contenders. Eye opening as to the power of BC.

Von Strasser Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain 2000 (90) The cigar box and mineral tone threw me in front of the train with the surety I was nosing a Cos ringer. Smoky, distinct graphite and fruit half hidden suggested a 2000 Left Bank not nearly in its prime. Wrong!

Château Pontet Canet, 5th Growth, Paulliac 2000 (93) Was the best wine of the three, even when I thought it was the Larose! Poise, balance, length, insert fourth cliché here. Still youthful, a beautiful teenager before the awkward years. Will be seamless at 20.

LAMB, new potatoes, herb paste

J.K. BEEF SHORT RIB, marrow sauce

Flight Three

Château Haut-Brion, 1st Growth, Péssac-Leognan 1990 (98) Are there words to describe a wine so sublime? The essence of fresh picked berries from the edge of a forest so silent. The embodiment of still life beauty, as a bowl of plums and cherries just picked from the tree. The vehemence of the Haut-Brion in prime will remain entrenched as memorabilia for as long as I can produce cognitive thought. Why do I wax sentimental? “How can love survive in such a graceless age?” I thank CL for the opportunity and no man who partook should forget.

Dominus 1990 (93) Incredulous thought. Could it be? Is that dank and dour odour the beast within? Patience, patience. Now five minutes in and the wet duff smell vanishes. The wafting emergence of a cracking covey of nose candy. Heavy sigh of relief. Without warning the fruit eddies out and it’s gone. What the Sam Hill is going on here? Then 15 minutes later it oscillates again, scrambles from the depths and treads water effortlessly for the duration. Exhausting. Thanks M for providing the skiff.

CHEESE, pied de vent, sieur de duplessis, goat taurine, cow’s creamery cheddar

One More Red

Opus One 1989 (95) Unbelievable. A lesson in Napa iconoclasm. What every great 22-year old New World wine should strive to become. In harmony with every part of itself; fruit, tannin, acidity. Beauty within and without. Dark, sultry, full of all things berry and oak. The full gamut of red and black fruit, vanilla, mocha and chocolate. Like walking into your childhood and being handed the keys to Charlie’s factory. Another M gem.

APRICOT BEIGNETS, dulce de leche ice cream

Inniskilin Riesling Icewine 1998

Hugel Riesling SGN 2000

CROSTINI, goat cheese, honeycomb, fleur de sel, olive oil

Charles Baker (Stratus) Picone Vineyard Riesling 2008 (89) “Whoo-ahhh” Mojito, green apple skin scent of a Riesling. Seductive to sip, a bodacious body of influence, then back-end bite. A wolf pack in sheep’s clothing.

FRESH TAGLIATELLE, morels

Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières 2008 (92) Restrained but tropical nose. So far from show time. In rehearsal the acidity is followed by fruit. By late decade opening night will display impeccable balance.

Closson Chase Iconoclast Chardonnay 2005 (90) Antithesis of the Leflaive; fruit first, acidity last. Bananas and I’m curious as George to behold PEC fruit yielding such a determined, complex specimen? Fortuitous choice to open now as I fear oxidization is around the bend. Still in a state of aggrandizement. Plaudits for Paskus.

Foxen Sea Smoke Vineyard Pinot Noir 2005 (93) Classic Santa Rita Hills candied red apple, sugaring pomegranate and fresh ground spices. A Michelin three-star complex dish with layers of fruit, spice and finished with a rosy-red rhubarb sauce. Full of life. Finishes long and true. Terrific example.

BRISKET AND FLAT IRON SLIDERS, american cheese, wonder buns, side of grilled raddicchio and belgian endive

Château Cos d’Estournel, 2nd Growth, St Estèphe 2003 (92-94) You could set your alarm clock, for tomorrow morning or after a cryogenic freeze, by the Cos ’03. A reasonable practicum suggests opening it, have a night’s rest, to wake six hours later and be told its story. Smokey, gripped by graphite and tannin, impossibly structured out of the 2003 heat. Showing no signs of age and despite warnings to drink up, the ’03 Cos will deliver for years to come.

Ca’ Bianca Barolo 1997 (91) Not the rose petals and violets of your zio‘s Barolo but bigger than your head cheese. Funky resin, more than raisins yes, raisins with a college education. A Pudd’Nhead Wilson moniker getting figgy with it. Barbaric and fantastic.

CHEESES, monforte dairy

Gaja Sito Moresco 2008 (89) A tale of two Cabs (Sauv and Franc) was my first thought but cut the Dickens out of my finger if that impression was way off the mark. The Langhe blend is Nebbiolo/Cab Sauv/Merlot and only Gaja would have first dared to trod such territory. Smooth, easy to consume and could have suffered as an admonished follower to the line-up previous. Stands tall, welcoming the tang of the formaggi.

MACERATED ONTARIO STRAWBERRIES, vanilla ice cream

Good to go!

Free grapes of colour

Sep6

Fotolia

as seen on canada.com

A free grape of colour is a varietal of vitis vinifera of full or partial European descent not enslaved by the McGuinty government.

The days of discrimination against grapes across the nation may soon be coming to an end, or not. Private members Bill 117 begins in the Legislative Assemble of Ontario today, brought forth by Rob E. Milligan, MPP (Northumberland–Quinte West). The bill will carry first reading to amend the Liquor Control Act, namely to the agreement on internal trade.

Thanks to the efforts of B.C. MP Dan Albas the ball is quickly rolling down hills. Private member’s bills rarely achieve the status of law but the federal Bill C-311 passed. Nova Scotia recently voted to allow direct shipping of BC and Ont wine, making it the third such province to do so. So Dalton, what do you say?

Here is the act’s catch amendment:
“The Government of Ontario shall encourage the governments that are parties to the Agreement on Internal Trade to implement or amend measures in each of their jurisdictions, if necessary, to allow for the free movement of wine within Canada in accordance with the requirements set out in that Agreement.”

Possibility is still the operative word here, as opposed to probability. Even if the bill passes, the limit of ‘personal exemption’ to receive a shipment of wine from B.C. would still remain in the hands of the LCBO. The LCBO has already chimed in, saying it will limit amounts and only allow wine to be moved inter-provincially “in person.” But let me ask this. Despite the LCBO’s island in a sea of opinions ways, how could the powers that be refuse to follow suit were the Ontario Legislature to put through this Bill? Simple, because they can. There are $4.7 billion reasons to back up that position.

Nevertheless, a start is a start and the rest may well be, history.

Good to go!

Chill red wines for another hot weekend

Jul19

Freefly, fotolia.com

As seen on canada.com

Extolling the virtues of whites and rosés is easy in times like these. Tipping my hat to reds when the thermometric accumulation pops over the 30 mark may lead to more than one virtual hairy eyeball. Try this one on for size. Take that bottle of red with your name on it and lay it down in the icebox for twenty minutes. Pop and pour. The result? A cool, refreshing summer drink. Go ahead, try it.

The late, great Steve Irwin said “I think my path would have always gone back to or delivered me to wildlife. I think wildlife is just like a magnet, and it’s something that I can’t help.” For me, it’s food and wine. There is never a feeling of time wasted, no pangs of guilt or regret.

Zinfandel and other big wines pushing the 15% envelope do not take well to a cold treatment. Nor do the finest big B’s; Bordeaux, Burgundy, Barolo, Barbaresco and Brunello. Their subtleties can be masked by low temperature. Right now “it’s hotter than the outback after the apocalypse.” That’s a quote. Uttered in conversation yesterday. Australian reds are the apex predators of wine, Crocodiles, full of lash and whack. Quotidian examples from paradoxically branded “cool-climate” Victoria take the reptilian itch down a notch, perfect for a short chill in the throes of this sweltering, Ontario summer. Give these four red wines the air-conditioning treatment. You won’t regret it.

The grape: Shiraz

The history: Signature varietal of Australia, producing more than 400,000 tonnes annually

The lowdown: Victoria’s climate is suitable for a low and slow growing season

The food match: Grilled Half Chickens with an Apricot, Ancho-Chile BBQ glaze

Camelback Shiraz 2008 (665125, $27.95) out of the Sunbury sub-section of Victoria trades sun stroke for an even tan. Expatriate Lorenzo Galli brought Tuscany to Victoria and here the fennel, almond biscotti and ripe fig dominate this medium-bodied, princely Shiraz. Too many OZ reds load up on straw that break the camel’s back. The Camelback far I enters the eye of a needle. A berry good Galli walking gracefully across the sand. Chill and grill. 90

The grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot

The history: Derivative if not exactly typical Right Bank, Bordeaux blend

The lowdown: The Okanagan Valley in British Columbia is an excellent Meritage site. Osoyoos Larose is a world-renowned, red blend

The food match: Grilled Lamb Chops marinated with Rosemary, Garlic and Olive Oil

Lulu Island Meritage (277566, $23.95) just sounds like an Aussie moniker when in fact it hails from the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. Maybe the most lustrous B.C. red I have ever laid eyes on. Hard not to forbear a crush on its purple profile, hued like a $100, Single-Vineyard Argentinean Malbec. A bit reductive due to its infantile youth but this is appurtenant to the samphire, currants and peppery Merlot scents. Less weight buoys the palate. Bites back in the end. Follows varietal rules of proportion vis-a-vis the dry martini. Massive CVR** complexity from this massif assemblage. 91

The grapes: Carignan/Mourvèdre/Syrah

The history: Traditional CMS combination from the Midi

The lowdown: Carignan-lead reds are often a fortress of austerity. This is a welcome exception

The food match: Crispy Duck Legs, finished on the grill with a Tamarind glaze

Le Cirque Carignan/Mourvèdre/Syrah 2010 (277079, $14.95) is a big, chic IVR* wine for $15. Foxy, Wisterian colour and salinity of a quayside negotiation. Dancing circus act craze of TGV vitesse yet structured and organized of a Poussinian order. “Like the days of stopping at the Savoy.” 88

The Splurge

The grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon

The history: Memories of Bordeaux long gone, now essential Napa Valley

The lowdown: From a small husband and wife run winery in Calistoga

The food match: Grilled Za’atar-rubbed Boneless Rib-Eye Steak

Summers Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (279380, $29.95) inculcates the success of Napa Valley Cabernet at a fraction of what most others cost. Silky texture, rapt tint and deep-seated, earthbound aromas. Fresh picked blackberries and crushed pine cones underfoot in an evergreen forest. A warm weather song, “taste the summer on your peppery skin.” No bruised fruit bomb so be not afraid to add a few minutes of December gelidity. 89

IVR* – Vintage Direct Intrigue-to-value ratio

CVR** – Vintage Direct Curiosity-to-value ratio

Good to go!

Lovin’ the whites of summer

Jul4

Andreas Haertle, Fotolia.com

canada.com

A blessed country this Canada we live in. We weather storms and survive difficulties as well as any nation. We are not too big to fail. We’re lucky and fortunate too. The eastern United States remains mired in a catastrophe of heat and power outages while we enjoy an unprecedented stretch of warm temperatures, cooling breezes and blue skies. We will see a blip in the weather for the next day or two, but by the end of the week the temperature and clear skies are slated to return and stay with us for an extended period of time. White wine sales are soaring, quality bottles evaporating and as we speak, a new wave of releases hits the shelves. Winemakers from Ontario and British Columbia continue to pump up the volume and their efforts demand attention. This (so far) phenomenal growing season of 2012 can only add to the growing legacies. There is no time like the present to opine on what to look for now in anticipation of another glorious weekend ahead.

The grape: Semillon

The history: Understudy or partner to Sauvignon Blanc in Bordeaux whites

The lowdown: Single varietal versions from Australia, especially the Hunter Valley have been impressive. This is a rare B.C. bottling of alchemic elegance

The food match: Grilled Wild B.C. Salmon under a Pommery mustard sauce

Mt. Boucherie Estate Collection Semillon 2008 (279364, $19.95, $14.99 B.C.) is exactly what the doctor ordered for those who can no longer tolerate red wine. Full-bodied Chardonnay need not be the only alternative. Porcine, butcher shop and fresh-churned butter aromas, beeswax and simmering vegetable stock too. Stand alone Semillon will rise up to fish, especially Sockeye, chicken and the other white meat. Deli-meats, especially Pingue Prosciutto would soak it up. Elongated and wraparound finish. 90

The grape: Chardonnay

The history: From Burgundy, one of the six great original wines of the world

The lowdown: Winemaker Dan Sullivan’s light touch ensures this Prince Edward County Chard is made in the vineyard

The food match: Grilled Shrimp with Citrus and Smoked Paprika

Rosehall Run Cuvée County Chardonnay 2009 (132928, $21.95) is “almost everything I need” from a P.E.C. white. Tart, mineral-driven with wood smoke and an expected but not over the top-level of brimstone. Sullivan’s street is paved with gold, and no one ever grows old. 89

The grape: Riesling

The history: Germany and Austria define mineral and petrol driven examples are built to last for a decade or more

The Lowdown: Hidden Bench is proving that the Beamsville Bench will lead the way for this versatile varietal

The food match: Pan-Roasted Whitefish and Pickerel with Lemon and Fresh Herbs

Hidden Bench Estate Riesling 2010 (183491, $24.20) strikes a phenomenal balance between obvious juicy fruit opposite hidden petrol and loess. The stone struck against rock under the sun’s glare is minor in key, as is the pulverulence. This Locust Lane Vineyard Riesling entrenches winemaker Beyers in maestro’s clothing as she takes the reigns from J. M. Bouchard. 89

The Splurge

The grape: Sauvignon Blanc

The history: Most famous as Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé in the Loire and as the signature wine of New Zealand

The lowdown: If I were to fork out 50 bills for SB, this Russian River Valley beauty would be the one. Made with 33% Savagnin Musque, A Bordeaux-clone of Sauvignon Blanc.

The food match: Duck Tacos with Spicy Hoisin and Pickled Carrot

Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (283705, $47.95) spreads like gooseberry and guava butter on fresh summer corn. Unctuous, precise, fearlessly focused and endowed with a gamut of tropical flavours. Despite all that praise it plays a bit hard to get and is a bit of a tough nut to crack. Two years wait wouldn’t hurt. 91

Good to go!

Trending Ontario and B.C wines for Canada Day

Jun29

Here is a simple proposition. Choose Canadian when wine shopping or cellar digging for this, our 145th Birthday weekend. With no disrespect intended to the developing and burgeoning wine community of Nova Scotia and the most excellent Cideries of Quebec, today and over the following three days is the time to think Ontario and British Columbia.

http://o.canada.com/tag/june-23-2012-release/

What’s in a name? So many expressions define our national day of unity. Today we simply say Canada Day but let us not forget Le jour de la confédération, Dominion Day and La fête du Canada. The country united may see its wine regions separated by thousands of Kilometres but thanks to Bill C-311, they are now inching closer than ever. Let’s see wines from both provinces sharing the same table this weekend. “A bottle of red, a bottle of white, ” perhaps a bottle of rosé for Canada Day.

The grape: Pinot Gris

The history: Originally from Burgundy, a mutation of Pinot Noir, most at home in France and as Pinot Grigio in Italy

The lowdown: Winemaker Dan Sullivan is hitting it out of the park with all things Pinot in Prince Edward County

The food match: Pulled Pork Sandwiches with pickled ginger, pear and cilantro mayo

Rosehall Run Pinot Gris Cuvée County 2010 ($22) is off the off-dry chart where gun-metal pear and pomello peel away layers of mineral velocity. Sanctified, paint stripping stuff, rated PG. On my card at Barque. 89

The grape: Cabernet Sauvignon

The history: Bordeaux superstar

The lowdown: You’d be surprised how it can work for dessert wine and for blush rosé

The food match: Burgers with bacon, cheddar and aioli

Peninsula Ridge Beal Vineyards Cabernet Rosé 2011 (177840, $11.95) reeks of an underrated animal manure yet its savoury, red pepper jelly and wild leek pickle express its baa-benefits. The backbone is good, the cheese of a craftsman’s coagulation. Nice IVR*. 87

The grape: Gamay

The history: Hails from Beaujolais

The lowdown: Not just for Nouveau anymore. Serious renditions come from Morgon, Côte Du Puy and now Niagara

The food match: Beef Ribs and BBQ Sauce

Fielding Estate Gamay 2011 ($18.15) comes from concentrate and yet avoids Niagara iodine-ness. Impossibly see through Ori-Gamay, leaden but not weighty. Plum, cherry, spiceless and subtle regatta. Malleable and walking on the moon. “I may as well play. Keep it up.” A Barque Red. 87

Ontario

Angel’s Gate Pinot Gris 2010 (285783, $18.95) is perfectly typical of Beamsville Bench PG, if just shy of wielding Fielding Estate’s prowess. A mulch and multitude of pear and spice reports end of term good marks with room for improvement. Certainly a student of the niche. 86

Featherstone Gewürztraminer 2011 (64592, $19.95) from up on the Twenty Mile Bench exhibits positive Escarpment energy and vibration. Not quite the Iration of winemaker David Johnson’s Rieslings but the white rose, lychee and longan scents are intoxicants in their own right. A lack of back limits one visit per. 87

Flat Rock Unplugged Chardonnay 2011 (68015, $16.95) mocks me for imagining an apple orchard of acoustic salinity and neo-nutrient nirvana. Smells like Twenty Bench spirit. “And I forget just why I taste. oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile.” 88

Southbrook Triomphe Chardonnay 2010 (117572, $21.95) is Niagara-on-the-Lake organic and biodynamic issue. Wow. Blanched, voluminous and deliberate. Big smoke filbert in a Muscatel or white raisin, resinous Port bowl. 86

Ravine Vineyard Meritage 2010 (285627, $24.95) on the St. David’s Bench shows impressive concentration for the locale. The colour of a face gone savagely red. A near-volatile Niagara acidity blows up on the long bench then rides the wind through the creeks and out along the river. Big oak treatment in balance with the cherries, gravel and further stone fruit in crenellated cohorts on the valley floor. Look for 2010 reds, again and again. 88

Wildass Red 2008 (86363, $19.95) intimates that Stratus struggles in the marketing department but notch one more for the red guys in Ontario, “in a functional way.” Trouble come running with meaty, cured artisan charcuterie. Well done. Could eat it with a spoon. 87

British Columbia

Quail’s Gate Rosé 2011 (275842, $17.95) may be an Okanagan Texas-Leaguer but it’s just a routine pop fly IMHO. Yes Tony, the rhubarb note is prominent but there’s no complimentary strawberry. Elk droppings maybe. Blooper, bleeder, dying quail. 84

Mission Hill Reserve Chardonnay (V) 2010 (545004, $19.95) the Essential rises to the plateau of bigger, bulkier Okanagan whites. Hasidic diamond merchant of Jake and Elwood acidity. Good overall impression, if the style confronts you. 88

Mission Hill Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (V) 2009 (553321, $22.95) combines citrus and cassis bore of an Okanagan Red Ash. Aussie Coonawarra mint and eucalyptus subdue some overoaking but the structure is solid and the crowd-pleasing quotient high. 87

IVR* – Vintage Direct Intrigue-to-Value Ratio

CVR** – Vintage Direct Curiosity-to-Value Ratio

Good to go!

Four alternative whites from the Vintages June 9th release

Jun6

White Grapes. Photo Credit: Steve Borichevsky

http://blogs.canada.com/2012/06/06/four-alternative-whites-from-the-vintages-june-9th-release/

A world awaits outside the white wine box of Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. There are aromatics unsniffed, flavors not yet tasted, varietals unexplored. Coming this weekend to a stadium of hate, (sorry, wrong genre), to an LCBO Vintages location near you are whites to usher in a summer of sipping, savouring and sweating.

Sandhill Small Lots Viognier 2010 (0126862, $24.95) is culpable in complexities. Nails Northern Rhône in British Columbia by way of Great Bear shacked up with the Sonoran. Raises arid Arizona desert and tropical tree fruit scents. Mesquite mingling with Pecan. Makes you want to sit down with a mess of crustaceans. Would drink well with just about anything. “When we didn’t have Crawdads we ate sand.” 90

D’arenberg The Hermit Crab Viognier/Marsanne 2010 (0662775, $17.95) the Aussie ranger works because its two Northern and Southern Rhône grapes interchange within each other’s shells. The seamless integration emanates calcified, cool, concise pear and spice. I have always liked this modest, McLarenVale molter. 89

Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 2009 (0197186, $21.95) races out of the nuss pit with peerless Bergweiler CVR** Spätlese speed. The late harvest drupe is so focused you would never know how sweet the middle ground really is. Never struggling against circumstance, it slides effortlessly into Spätlese orbit. Searching and finding the German Riesling dream. Sonnenuhr vineyard is here and “the time is right, for racing in the street.” 91

Abanico Tempestad Godello 2010 (0276071, $17.95) magnetizes the sandstone, schist, ordovicic and siluric slate of Valdeorras with the equatorial side of Chardonnay, of melon and pineapple. Equivalent to good Burgundy? Not so much. The fruit acid continuum does persist though and a tempest of Spanish flavour abounds. Will the Godello prosper? “Let your indulgence set me free.” 88

IVR* – Vintage Direct Intrigue-to-Value Ratio

CVR** – Vintage Direct Curiosity-to-Value Ratio

Good to go!

June the month for Euro 2012 and wine law reform

May31

Thomas Mulcair and Bill C-311

http://blogs.canada.com/2012/05/31/june-the-month-for-euro-2012-and-wine-law-reform/

June is shaping up to be a great month for Football fans and wine lovers across the nation. With one week to go before the opening matches for the Euro 2012 comes news of a new Canadian wine law. By the time Poland and Greece kick off the Euro next Friday, the tabled bill brought forth by Conservative MP Dan Albas may soon be back in the Senate. This after NDP MP’s wasted precious time by debating the bill ad nauseum on Tuesday night, filibustering its fast track to the Senate. One has to wonder what role Mr. Mulcair played in his party’s stall tactics.

Albus is the British Columbia MP for Okanagan-Coquihalla. His tweets and website are relentless in the pursuit of this proposed legislation. The purpose of Bill C-311 is to allow Canadian wineries to ship their wines across provinces in opposition to the archaic 1928 Prohibition-era law. After some scrambling, Albus was rescued by Liberal MP Scott Brison, who offered some of his own parliamentary time to slot in Bill C-311 next week. The Bill has another chance to pass on June 6. Mark Hicken, who runs the website freethewine.ca, notes that Provincial monopolies need not fear a loss or revenue “as over 90% of wine is consumed within hours of purchase and direct-to-consumer shipments from wineries only make up a small segment of the marketplace.”

While the possibilities of Bill C-311 are exciting, this is just the first step. The law would only apply to shipping from wineries within the country. The law will not effect transfers between monopolies or imports from the United States. Inter-provincial shipping limits will also need to be decided upon.

The question here is Ontario is how will this affect our wine purchasing? David Lawrason wrote back in February that “in Ontario, the limit of this “personal exemption” is still in the hands of the LCBO, and we all wait with bated breath to hear how much wine Father McGuinty and his flock think should be allowed to import before we might be considered ‘traffickers’. But hey, even a single case minimum would be a help.”

The following BC beauty is being released today in VINTAGES. Here’s to hoping more big reds and aromatic whites out of BC (and Nova Scotia for that matter) will soon be available to Winetarians.

Black Widow Single Vineyard Hourglass 2008 (0258822, $54.00), velveteen in texture, owns an Oyosoos Larose-like liqueur. Gemmish cut and clarity, if not a touch syrupy, but five years should stretch out the thick lines. This is big for Merlot, possessive of a Joan Holloway hourglass figure, disingenuous and exploitive of its sultry French oak flavours. Watch out it don’t black widow you after the first glass. 90

Good to go!

Triassic Tasting at Pangaea

Apr27

Pangaea Upstairs Dining Room

April 24, 2012

http://blogs.canada.com/2012/04/27/triassic-tasting-at-pangaea/

Pangaea Restaurant, 1221 Bay Street, (416) 920-2323

Chef du Cuisine: Derek Bendig, Sommelier and Manager: Benjamin Hardy

The group of seven. Sorry. Not THE Group of Seven. This group of seven. Our new format is really taking shape. We no longer each bring wine from cellar to share. Now one leader, one cellar, nine wines. Plenty to share with Mr.’s Hardy, Bendig and crew. Seamless sally forth through five courses. Godspeed to Pangaea for an all out effort in syncopated rhythm. This tasting the high water mark (of the new era) to date, with no disrespect to what came before, but the senescence has reached the early stages of maturity. Laud and applaud to AZ for coordinating food and wine synergy. A coup de foudre from the get go.

Nine Wine Night

Amuse Bouche, radish ‘ravioli’ stuffed with chèvre, tomato, basil

Chef’s Creek (Fanny’s Bay, Vancouver Island) Oysters, on the half shell, horseradish, lemon, shallot mignonette

Peninsula Ridge Fumé Blanc 2008 wants to be 1er Cru Chablis in my universe but sweats heat and spice, “green cardamom pod and roasted salsify,” adds AM. Nutty lemon custard and did someone say Boxwood? Not quite Sauvignon Blanc but PR brings out enough mineral to do this style proud up on the Bench. 88
Domaine De Congy Cuvée Les Galfins Pouilly Fumé 2009 tasted blind is undoubtedly old world but the lack of grass and oak leads me to Muscadet. Wrong! Oh the marl and fossilized oysters of it all! More Sauvignon Blanc to confront my tasting demons. Solid, if not as cursive as the PR. 87

Ahi Tuna Tataki, seared tuna, blood orange and fennel salad, avocado pureé

See Ya Later Ranch Brut NV strikes a match from the outset and never wavers. The other MG senses After Eights but for me that possibility is smothered by a leesy, cheesy lard maigre et fromage. Gismondi calls this BC bubbly “a Champagne ringer.” Not so much. Flat finish so s’ya later, “s’alright ma’, i’m only sighing.” Just tasting. 85

Intermezzo, grapefruit and tarragon flavoured ice

Quebec Duck Breast, pan-roasted, seasonal vegetables, potato rösti, game jus

Fontanabianca Barbaresco Sori Burdin 2004 the blessed and confounded queen Nebbiolo is the totipotent master of the moment. Italianate yet without animale, rosy cheeked and impossibly elegant, it still manages to anesthetize the mouth. So pretty it hurts. Along with the Sori Paitin, easily the best value in Barbaresco. On this night my allegiance is to the queen. 92
Renatto Ratti Barolo Marcenasco 2004 of the famiglie Pola e Ferro is polar as compared to the non of the Burdin. AM and D nose “car exhaust.” I am tricked by its charm and think New World Syrah, but am reminded that the colour lacks gloom. Hugely muscular, girded by plastron and decades ahead of itself. “Leave it open all night and it’ll be amazing” says Dr. C. 91
D’arenberg Ironstone Pressings 2001 holds the title of GSM pop star of the Mclaren Vale. Eponymous iron filings and pressed fruit roll up. A mixed bag of Grenache, Syrah and Mataro, the IP’s warm, berry and balsamwood address is veiled by a touch of oxidation. “Stinky feet” corrects AM. Good integration of fruit, acidity and tannin present proper balance. 90
Mas Doix Salanques 2006 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

House Made Cheeses, goat camembert, blue haze, cloth bound cheddar, truffle tomme

Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf du Pape 1998 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
Tablas Creek Espit de Beaucastel 2008 the worthy adversary is just a dude from California. A honey pot of stewed prunes and “Seville oranges” notes the quote machine. A sinkhole of 38% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache, 26% Syrah and 6% Cunoise, the Esprit does admirable expatriate yeoman’s work and I wouldn’t even think of marking it zero. 88

Tasting Table

IVR* – Vintage Direct Intrigue-to-Value Ratio

CVR** – Vintage Direct Curiosity-to-Value Ratio

Good to go!