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!

The Wine Diaries: Hockey and tasting notes

Feb20

PHOTO: KYBELE/FOTOLIA.COM

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I’ve been for a walk. On a winter’s day.

Just in case you were not privy to the wisdom, I’m here to put you in the know. Some phenomenal wine is made here in Ontario. A rather large and excited group at #ONWineChat talks about this very fact every Wednesday night. You can chime in or just eavesdrop. We also have some dedicated, propitious traffickers of the red, white and sparkling stuff, including Wines in Niagara, the Wine Council of Ontario, the Ontario Wine Society, Spotlight Toronto and Wine Align Cru.

If you are looking for an event that brings Ontario’s greatest wines, wineries and winemakers together, don’t miss CUVÉE WEEKEND 2013, taking place March 1 to March 3, 2013 in Niagara Falls and throughout the Niagara region.

Attending a wine festival is one way to spend three days away from the dolor and calamity of the city. Another way is to head north and leave the noisome and constant freezing/unfreezing behind. The freedom to seek peace and quiet is in itself a gift of something very special. It’s called time. Time to spend with family. Time to transcribe thoughts and notes, to watch a movie. Time to enjoy a glass of wine.

Three wines, hockey stick and puck

The kids clamber down through parapets of snow to the natural boathouse rink, a glassine envelope, like a reef’s teeming tide pool left behind by retreating waters. Inside is a sheltered 12′ x 40′ basin frozen in time with the lake laid out beyond the gate as far as the eye can see. Others bring the wine. Here are three calming selections to enjoy on such a winter’s day.

From left to right: Trius Pinot Grigio 2011, Kunde Zinfandel 2007, Tawse Estate Chardonnay 2010

Trius Pinot Grigio 2011 (316414, $15.95) continues to throw smoke and amaze with its hue, this time reminiscent of crocus sativus linnaeus meets malachite green with an added fogging of rime. Herbal and balmy sweet, like pistachio halvah. Consistent with my previous note. “Out of the shell Ontario white.” 88 @TriusWines

Kunde Zinfandel 2007 (965921, $16.95) remains faithful in quiescence while we await the next incredibly valued vintage. The ’07’s bramble and brier are now more subtle, the sanguine notes now stanched. A Zinfandel in its later years, comfortable, content, grandfatherly. Enter retirement zin-city. 89 @KundeEstate @imbibersreport

Tawse Estate Chardonnay 2010 ($37.95) like its half-sister Quarry Road, stands firm and smacks stubbornly up to the heat of the vintage. Opaque green of agate stone. Combines the apples and citrus from Quarry with Robyn’s musk and pear, but also the searing, mineral tang of Hillside. The assemblage is the most fleshy and forthcoming Chardonnay of the lot. Promises the best of all Tawse’s worlds, without stealing the spotlight from its single vineyard sistren. 90 @Tawse_Winery @Paul_Pender

Boathouse wines

Winter tasting notes:

Boutari Grande Reserve 2007 (140111, $16.95) from the family @boutari is rusty and evinced of a slight, smokey corrosion though not yet nearly ancient, especially by Macedonian standards. Tough red, granting notes of smoked gyros, Kalamata olive and acetic, Bebecou apricot. Unique and worth a try. 88 @KolonakiGroup

Fielding Estate Cabernet/Syrah 2010 (258657, $24.95) from @RichieWine is a veritable smoked porcine charcuterie board sprinkled with potpourri. Black currant and fig, expertly extracted fruit in a ripe and round package. 88 @FieldingWinery

Creekside Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (662247, $34.95) from @CreeksideWine offers up 31 months of sweet oak scents and flavours yet resists over-mochafication. Rarely does a Niagara Cab bask in such a rich and full-bodied bath like this robin red, Queenston Road Vineyard beauty. Currants, citrus and herbs make appearances. 89

Mocali Vigna Raunate Brunello Di Montalcino 2007 (162552, $46.95) is a pin-up babe indicative of the vintage, of crimson visage, flaunting a tanned and curvy figure. Brunello as a sexy twitter pic. Red cherry, smoky tobacco, mouth-puckering dried fruit. Spicy, sassy, ready to party. 90 @liffordwine

Altesino Brunello Di Montalcino 2007 (994095, $57.95) is not, contrary to the LCBO information page, a VQA wine. Offers instant permeate gratification with a stunning translucence studded by a faint, rustic and sweet cherry resonance. Fine, downy texture and corporeal substance for near wild heaven indulgence, followed by R.E.M. sleep. “My heart thrown open wide.” 91 @rogcowines

Château de Pez 2009 (202697, $58.95) is no kidding Johnny, this pirate in Saint-Estèphe clothing. Firm, cedar, mocha saveur and shakin’ all over. “Sends quivers down my backbone” and while it may be unapproachable today, this will aim to please when it settles down in ten years time. 90

And the fort still stands.

Winter Fort

Good to go!

Your man wants these wines for Valentine’s

Feb13

Valentine’s Day wines PHOTO: ANNA/FOTOLIA.COM

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Cupid’s got a dilemma. He knows his arrow will pierce the man in the relationship’s heart, hypnotize him to hunt and gather the finest chocolate and sweet-smelling roses that money can buy. But what about the other, more feminine half? They just might not feel the same V-Day pressure. Besides, beyond the cliché, what exactly or specifically is the appropriate gift for Valentine’s Day?

Even divas fuss over the pink holiday. Nicki Minaj has told us that Cupid’s Got a Gun. Carrie Underwood’s version is a shotgun. Yikes. If you ask me, all I really want this Thursday, like any other day of the year, is a decent bottle of wine. Is that not what every man wants? Matches the profile of the ones I hang out with. Your man probably likes Italian wine. Maybe he imagines himself Romeo to your Juliet?

While it would certainly put a smile on my face, I’m not holding my breath for a ripe, rare and bleeding Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (24190, $74.95, 91), though I wouldn’t kick one out of bed for cacophonous quacking. Nor would I run away from a classic, opaque and rustic cherry Altesino Brunello Di Montalcino 2007 (994095, $57.95, 91). Here are six current and affordable releases sure to please the love of your life.

The grapes: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot

The history: Classic varietals and small lots from winemaker Emma Garner on the Beamsville Bench

The lowdown: TB’s Rieslings have long been blowing my mind but this Bordeaux-styled blend trips new light

The food match: Dry-Rubbed Grilled Chicken Breast Tacos, aged whited cheddar, tomato

Thirty Bench Red 2010 (320986, $24.00) shows off the ripeness of the vintage at an indubitably balanced 13.6% ABV. Exhibits red licorice, funk of the earth and currants in a demi-glace kind of way. Beamsville sand and gravel meet savoury herbs, lashed together by dusty tannin. Quite serious, more IGT than Bordeaux or Loire. 88 @ThirtyBench

The grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot

The history: Left Bank, Haut-Médoc Cabernet Sauvignon dominated Bordeaux blend

The lowdown: So unclassified you’ve likely never heard of it but so what?

The food match: Grilled Beef and Veal Baseballs, roasted garlic, parsley, artichoke aioli

Château Fort-Lignac 2009 (307264, $17.95) gives plum pudding heaped with baking spice and even a note of fine cigar. Judicious wood adds espresso, chew and chalk to this unassuming red. Lots of Bordeaux for $18. 89

The grape: Syrah

The history: Delas Frères is one of the smaller Rhone négociants but their recent run is nothing less than remarkable

The lowdown: Crozes-Hermitage at this price is so often thin and metallic but this ultra-modern ’10 is a hit

The food match: Lamb- and Rose-Stuffed Quails

Delas Frères Les Launes Crozes-Hermitage 2010 (701359, $20.95, B.C., 174664, $24.99, 2009) like hipster coffee dislikes authority and marches to the beat of a different drummer. Understated Syrah black pitch and no smoked meat or confit here. Instead there is purple, floral heliotrope gorgeousness and plum fruit. Big mineral component too. This one’s for the masculine gifter and the feminine giftee. 90 @HHDImports_Wine

The grape: Sangiovese (Prugnolo Gentile)

The history: From Montepulciano in Tuscany’s south

The lowdown: Bar none the best and most consistent value in Vino Nobile

The food match: Roast Beef Tenderloin, fried Tuscan potatoes

Poliziano Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano 2009 (988055, $25.95, SAQ, 11194832, $26.20) is blessed with such a lush texture and post-modern attraction that a couple of sips could lead to some serious heavy petting. Retains just enough Italianate, gamey, iron mineral qualities to keep it real but this is berry, chocolate, acqua vitae equipped to reach many, many folk. Best VNM for the buck, year in and year out. 90 @Noble_Estates

The grape: Nebbiolo

The history: From Diano d’Alba and Rodello in Piedmont’s Lower Langhe, characterized by vines and cereals

The lowdown: From third generation proprietor Mario Giribaldi, farmer at heart, lover of all things Langhe

The food match: Frico (cheese crisp) with Potato, Onion and Sausage Filling

Giribaldi Barbaresco 2006 (101147, $31.95) the dichotomous Nebbiolo of live rust looks old, as though it has lived hard when it’s actually quite young at heart. Classic Barbaresco bouquet of rose, tar, peeled orange and pepper berries. Banging acidity, coffee vapor and a powder finger of tannin. Don’t worry, there’s no real fear that this one “would fade away so young.” 91

The grapes: Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malvasia Nero

The history: Dates back to 1972, from Gaiole in Chianti, in the province of Siena

The lowdown: Self-described as “a place of cultic importance in the wine world.” Works for me

The food match: Bucatini with Pancetta, Tomato and Onion

Castello Di Ama Chianti Classico Riserva 2008 (39768, $34.95, SAQ, 11315403, $33.75) is always top quality CCR. So sweet and savoury at the same time, licorice whipped, tightly wound, with a foot marching to the future, yet still traditional. A righteous, sinless song of Sangiovese fruit, with a backing band of varietals, written for everyone. Proof that while some in Chianti have forgotten their past, many have not. “Somebody said it’s different now, look, it’s just the same.” 91 @CastellodiAma

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

as seen on canada.com

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!

A wine list of twenty-somethings

Jan21

PHOTO: LAURENT FIEVET/AFP/GETTYIMAGES

as seen on canada.com

They are white-collar students of a history and culture bound by their sectarian world. They are modern, hip, expatriate citizens of their diaspora. They toil in brick lofts, go to lunch, work out and dine. Here in Canada they can play hockey without a puck. They are the twenty-somethings, bottles of wine voiced of a specific roundelay. They dwell in an important niche, to serve the upwardly mobile, the progressive, the blue.

In need a good bottle of wine to bring to dinner? From Quebec to Alberta, from Ontario to British Columbia, here is a list of twenty-somethings certain to act as a gambit for your most discriminating host.

The grape: Garnacha

The history: The Cooperative of Borja was founded in 1958 but winemaking here dates back to 1203 with the monks at the Monastery of Veruela

The lowdown: The Spanish (Zaragoza) equivalent to Piedmont’s Produttori del Barbaresco. Grapes come from 620 member growers covering 2,500 hectares

The food match: Chicken, Pork and Pistachio Terrine

Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha 2010 (273748, $19.95, B.C. $27.99, SAQ $22.15) has more wood, char and toast than a forest fire but the wild boar and ciervo roasting on that fire is intoxicating. Black licorice and Herbero cause insentience in the mouth, not so typical for juicy Spanish Garnacha. Mineral-driven and dark, Parkerish even. 89 @AuthenticWine

The grape: Cabernet Sauvignon

The history: From a Chilean Sparkling wine outfit dating back to 1879

The lowdown: A big oak red out of the Maipo Valley

The food match: Spaghetti with Beef and Veal Meatballs, preserved roma tomato sauce

Valdivieso Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (312769, $19.95, $27.96 Alta.) engages straight out with a purple allure and a waft of lit cedar. Violaceous perfume, herbal without being balmy, dusted by spicy wood while shying away from mocha and chocolate. Excellent redolent berry persistence, pretty yet strong. 89 @ValdiviesoChile

The grapes: Carinena, Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah

The history: Ultra-modern Priorat, from the team of vine grower Juan José (Jou) Escoda and winemaker Toni Coca

The lowdown: 21st century blending of indigenous and international varietals grown out of stony soils, poor in organic material and helped little by rainfall

The food match: Braised Chicken Thighs, caramelized onion, plum tomato, brisket-sherry gravy

Planets De Prior Pons 2008 (314559, $22.95) carries a dolor quarry of licorella, the black slate and quartz of Priorat so present in avant-garde yet rustic wines like the Pons. Most ruby-red, embattled by Spanish garriga, a kiss of the salty sea and mountain air. Peppery, red licorice balanced on an eave of canted length. 91 @clickvinus

The grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc

The history: From Fattoria Vitticio (Greve in Chianti), owned and managed by Alessandro Landini

The lowdown: Joint venture with the Cancellieri-Scaramuzzi family in Bolgheri”s Castagneto Carducci

The food match: Prosciutto and Bresaola, beemster, crostini

I Greppi Greppicante Bolgheri 2009 (170381, $23.95, SAQ $23.60) spoons out Bolgheri typicality with dry espresso bean sharpness, Tuscan coast silicon and a bit of funk. All this and a very respectable 13% abv. The minerals never cease their whorl and I wonder how this can possibly linger for months on LCBO shelves. So very Italian this Greppicante. “I have your blood inside my heart.” 90

The grape: Pinot Noir

The history: From British Columbia’s Similkameen Valley, a unique appellation proximate to but not to be confused as being a part of the Okanagan Valley

The lowdown: This terrific ’08 will be followed up by the Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence in British Columbia Wines 2009 winner

The food match: Homemade Ricotta, toasted bread, extra virgin olive oil

Eau Vivre Pinot Noir 2008 (308353, $24.95, $19.00 B.C.) is blessed with a lightness of being, a Ruby Port, redden voile sheen and a firm anatomy. Cranberry and pomegranate meet a Marlborough, cloisonné, mineral veneer. This is a Pinot lover’s Pinot, specific, cerebral, incomplete in its forgiveness. 88 @EauVivre

Good to go!

Curl up with a good red

Jan18

PHOTO: STEVE CUKROV/FOTOLIA.COM

as seen on canada.com

Canadians were warned that we would see some “harsh bites” this winter and while the attack has thus far been quite benign, there are signs that the worst is yet to come. The predictions were kind to Western Canada but not so for the east. The Atlantic provinces have already been subject to some harsh conditions and Ontario, well, no big deal thus far.

Earlier this week my lighthearted attempt to cheer up a few million cold and flu stricken Canadians certainly struck a chord. Thank you all for sharing. For those of you that prefer red wine to cozy up to on these bone-chilling nights, this one’s for you.

Here are six warm-bodied reds to look for this coming weekend.

Six warm-bodied red wines

The grape: Dolcetto

The history: The Gamay of Italy, from Piedmont in the Northwest

The lowdown: Boasso turns out a Dolcetto serious to its appellation not unlike how great examples from Morgon or Côte De Puy are to Beaujolais

The food match: Mexican beef brisket and winter squash chili

Boasso Meriame Dolcetto D’Alba 2011 (303461, $15.95) also reminds me of young Tempranillo from Montsant. This one acts like jam-dusty confiture, not sweet but fruit forward. Not typically plum and sour cherry searing and even a touch funky. Like Cru Beaujolais there is further extraction and earth-resonant, secondary characteristics. 88

The grape: Malbec

The history: Cahors in the south of France makes the most pitchy Malbec on the planet

The lowdown: New world Malbec from an old world setting

The food match: Roast Sirloin Tip Roast Sliders, ciabatta roll, horseradish mustard

Clos Troteligotte Kor Malbec (299982, $16.95) is indeed a troglodyte, at least in colour and its’ caveman, musty odour, in an alpha male kind of way. Smoking cedar boughs, mint splinters, sweet, CDP Kirsch and blackberry smells lead to a very ripe, then dusty and chalky totality. Good bones, fine lines, great label. 89

The grape: Shiraz

The history: From the winery of founders Allan Jackson and Don Triggs, who established the winery in 1993

The lowdown: Winemaker Marco Piccoli embraces the generous ’10 vintage to craft a serious Shiraz

The food match: Smoked Lamb Sausages, roast garlic smashed potatoes

Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Grand Reserve Shiraz 2010 (317941, $19.95) impresses in pitch, kick and fleetness of foot. A middle of a moonless night depth allows for a keen sense of smell, of charred and roasted meat. Plays as much by Aussie rules as by a Canadian 110 yard thing and is very much Shiraz, as opposed to Syrah. Runs deep routes into red zones down under. 89

The grape: Cabernet Sauvignon

The history: From the “House of Momi,” legend Momi dea Bionda and the three Italians, including winemaker Dario de Conti, who is also in-house chef

The lowdown: Who isn’t weary of inexpensive Napa Cabernet? This one avoids cliché; the winemaking is honest, unencumbered and not masked by heavy oak

The food match: Grilled Beef Tenderloin Medallions, caramelized onion, brussels sprouts leaves

Ca’Momi Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (315002, $22.95) over does nothing, accomplishes everything. Napa berries lean blue out of a dry and dusty entry. The film is vanilla, not chocolate, the middle earth a bit rusty and rustic. At 13.9% abv the heat is so acceptable, the edges rounded and soft. The length lingers on. Perhaps you’re on one of those no-Cab diets? If you have balance in your life, why wouldn’t you buy this? 90

The grape: Tempranillo

The history: A re-release of a wine I referred to last April as “Titanic Rioja”

The lowdown: A blend of 80% Tempranillo, 16% Grenache, 2% Mazuelo and 2% Graciano. Aged in American oak for 36 months. 13.5% abv.

The food match: Chicken Hashweh with Vegetable Stuffing

Bodegas Franco-Españolas Rioja Bordón Gran Reserva 2004 (114454, $22.95) is still classic Rioja. Smouldering cherry smoke now, deft wood touch. handled with care. Old school but user-friendly. My previous note: “Whiffs salve-scented snuff, “gets you hooked and trifles with your mind.” The spicy cereza blossoms and heads straight south to the heart, followed by a sexy, brown sugar, saxy, Bobby Keyes note. “I’m no schoolboy but I know what I like.” I wouldn’t hesitate to visit this every couple of years up to the age of 15.” $22.75 at the SAQ. 90

The Splurge

The grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot

The history: Marc Pages and son control this estate that dates back to the 16th Century

The lowdown: This is as good a “tier-two” level Left Banker as you are likely to find to peek into the mysterious world of top-vintage, look 10 years into the future Bordeaux

The food match: Butternut Squash Agnolotti w/ Brown Butter, Sage & Pecorino

Château La Tour De By 2009 (189233, $28.85) is firm, taut and gripped by grainy, chalky tannin. Quite pitchy and stormy for Médoc. Not offering much at this stage but it is structured from top to bottom and shows tons of potential. Awaiting the emergence of the fruit will require patience, but I think it’s there. 90

Good to go!

Iconic wines, affordable prices

Jan7

PHOTO: MINERVA STUDIO/FOTOLIA.COM

as seen on canada.com

Famous wines fill cellars everywhere, made by houses of pedigree and produced from the most recognizable grapes. There is Piedmont’s Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay out of Burgundy and Champagne, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Napa Valley and Bordeaux. Unless you began collecting some 25 years ago, chances are your stock piles are low when it comes to varietal inamorata. While there exists a minority that sees the trophies as simulacrum, the majority continue to run down dreams. Icons for less than $50? No more. A once unthinkable, magical $100 mark is a fiscal cliff in the rear-view mirror. The question begs. Has the peak been reached?

A McCannian “collision of curse and whisper” finds the state of the union bound by a new world order where social media driven wine purchasing decisions fluctuate with every fleeting tweet. Expansion and saturation are in. First Growth and Grand Cru need’ms are waning in popularity, having priced themselves beyond the reach of mere mortal geeks. Andrew Jefford certainly disagrees, noting, “…it’s no surprise that wine has become just another vacuous totem of wealth.” But the Decanter scribe is not writing about a state of Ontario affairs. There are substitutes around every turn and where there is effort, there is a wine-altering way. Diamonds can be unearthed out of the proverbial rough, certainly not at will, but with patience and poise. Champion producers lay in wait within the lesser, unheralded corners of the world’s most famous wine appellations. They can also be found in nooks not yet trusted. More often than not they are the by-products of familial labours of love, small parcel productions, fruits of wine vernacular passed down through the generations.

Here are four unreal wines from iconic grapes, ready for the taking and affordable to all.

The grape: Cabernet Sauvignon

The history: Bordeaux’s Left Bank star finds richesse and success in South Australia

The lowdown: Located in the sub-region of Marananga in Barossa Valley and farmed by 6th Generation family member, Damien Tscharke. Shiraz may have put Barossa on the map but my red Oz consciousness leans Cabernet Sauvignon

The food match: Braised and Pulled Beef Inside Round, barossa brie, toasted ciabatta

Tscharke Barossa Gold Marananga Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (289884, $15.95) is really good stuff. Tight attack, bold and tannic, brimming with figgy black fruit, dark chocolate, spirit cake and white pepper. The oldest Barossa Neoproterozoic Schist and Siltstone rocks impart piercing minerality as if the Marananga were blasted out of a cannon. Tests any Napa Cab under $50. 89 @tscharkewines

The grape: Chardonnay

The history: Family domain in the Mâconnais, lead by Jean-Paul Paquet, along with wife Monique and son Yannick

The lowdown: Old vines (parcels of 50+ years) and barrel ageing combine for layered results

The food match: Sage Roast Chicken, schmaltz confit yukon gold potatoes, parsley

Domaine De Fussiacus Vieilles Vignes Pouilly-Fuissé 2010 (276444, $23.95) gratifies in an instant and holds on seemingly forever with remarkable depth of fruit. The tang and tin-effect of Bresse Bleu is merely a hint, smothered over by almond and vanilla extract, green olive pit and the taste of creamy, balmy, citrons doux, bergamot marmalade. A fatty, poularde glycerin texture really ties the dude, er wine, together. Plenitude for a song. “Sometimes, there’s a man,” I’m talking about Jean Paquet here, and I can just imagine him thinking, “we can be heroes,” working a land that finds him surrounded by stupid expensive Chardonnay. 90

The grape: Nebbiolo

The history: Makes for Italy’s most regal wines, Barolo and Barbaresco

The lowdown: The Marziano Abbonna stable trots out this entry-level Barolo with expert success vintage after vintage

The food match: Murray Farm Heritage Roast Turkey, roasted chestnut stuffing, cranberry-lemon sauce

La Pieve Barolo 2008 (213132, $28.95) does what few other sub-$30 Baroli can do; offer a taste of the real thing. Though initially a touch reductive, it hits a chord of correct notes, including chestnut tisane, tar and rose petals. Firm Nebbiolo, frank and aggressively forward, wanting to share more drupe but it’s not quite there. Time will help flesh out the hidden stone fruit and sweet red pepper flavours. 89 @CAbbona

The Splurge

The grape: Aglianico

The history: From Campania, Taurasi is believed to be derived from the pre-Roman (probably Etruscan) taur[o] meaning mountain.

The lowdown: Taurasi must be aged for at least three years before it is released, with at least one year in wood. No one can dissertate more eloquently or knowledgeably on the subject better than Feudi’s Export Manager Maurizio de Rosa

The food match: Braised Beef Short Ribs, caramelized onion, carrot, aglianico jus

Feudi di San Gregorio Taurasi 2007 (956011, $39.95) is lush and gorgeous. The most immediately gratifying young Aglianico yet such an infant. Earthbound red berries, perfectly ripe plums, biting tannin and off the charts acidity. Epochal verve of Middle Pleistocene volcanic rocks. Southern Italian equivalent to Southern Rhône reds, offering tremendous value under $50 where Bordeaux and Tuscany pedantically fall short. Should join the ranks of recent great vintages, ’01 and ’04. 93 @FeudiDSGregorio

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!

The best wine releases of 2012

Dec18

PHOTO: STEFANO TIRABOSCHI/FOTOLIA.COM

Wine is best celebrated with family and friends and the holidays present so many opportunities to share a glass. Pulling corks (or twisting caps) substantiates purchasing choices made in previous years. Last year I noted on, “a quick reflect back on a year of plasmic vials once voluminous, now in condign as a commitment to memory. ”

The current season’s pours have the palaver or promise and the eviglio of accumulation to thank for the opportunity. The VINTAGES releases of 2012 perpetuate this promulgated philosophy. The year’s buys have migrated to the cellar, to wait there in abstemious behaviour of maturation. They too will one day climb the steps to a welcoming table, set with family and friends.

Here are my favourite under and over $30 wines of 2012.

Under $30 VINTAGES released wines

Under $30 VINTAGES Releases

1. The grapes: Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah

Where: Côtes du Rhône, France

Domaine Les Grands Bois Cuveé Maximilien Cairanne 2010 (286336, $21.95) is extraordinary for the appellation. Pitch purple, world-class milk and dark chocolate swirl, creamy silk. The stuff of recent phenomenon, where rocks, dreams and raspberries are crushed and scattered like cake bits over the loam. 91

2. The grapes: Garnacha, Carinena and Syrah

Where: Montsant, Spain

Celler Besllum Besllum 2008 (283515, $15.95) of Cubist Picassan, “cut up, Maria,” heavenly body struts its stuff as an enchantress with an alluring Spanish, violaceous visage. A black cherry, carboniferous quartzite Popsicle for Mr. Jones. “We all want something beautiful.” 90

3. The grape: Petite Sirah

Where: Alexander Valley, California

Trentadue La Storia Petite Sirah 2010 (291047, $23.95) is massively concentrated out of the Alexander Valley in Sonoma County, as if it were packed with five centuries of the Italian American experience. Manages 14.9% alcohol with George Bailey-esque, heady grace. Tasted blind I commented, “if this is under $30 it’s an outrageous deal.” “Well whaddya know about that!!!. “ 92

4. The grape: Riesling

Where: Clare Valley, Australia

Pewsey Vale Riesling 2011 (686600, $19.95) shimmers an iridescent emerald-green on gold patina. Cracks like a whip straight in your face with lemon, lime and slate than lowers a sledgehammer of petrified wood. Snake-like Sasak fruit tang and acidity “goes dancin’ in,” “builds that power” and lingers long after its skin has been shed. 91

5. The Grape: Sangiovese

Where: Tuscany, Italy

Dei Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano 2008 (285510, $28.95) is a wow wine. Viscous, sweet nectar, full on concentrated berries and polished rocks au jus. An opus dei call to vinous holiness and sanctity. Rapturous feeling of punch drunk love falls over me after sipping this noble Sangiovese (Prugnolo Gentile). 92

6. The grape: Chenin Blanc

Where: Loire Valley, France

Marc Brédif Vouvray 2010 (685362, $19.95) perches high atop a parched, molecular hilltop. Bread starter nip promises stuffed pastry filled with friable, early harvest apples. Wonderful, classic and dehumidified Vouvray. 91

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

Where: Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

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

8. The Grape: Cabernet Franc

Where: Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

Hinterbrook Rosé 2011 (275818, $16.00) is simply brilliant. Top Ontario Rosé to date. Goes well beyond descriptors like “playful” and “quaffable.” A four-day Cabernet Franc cold soak was the ticket to serious pink success, the choice of grape an engineering master stroke. Hinterbrook’s dark side of the moon. Moody, ambient, rich in tone, lyric and extended play. Rosé needs some mystery and here it is. ”There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact it’s all dark.” 91

9. The Grape: Riesling

Where: Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany

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

10. The Grape: Chardonnay

Where: Casablanca Valley, Chile

Errazuriz Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2010 (738393, $17.95) will be your best IVR* bet for Chardonnay day on May 26. Wild yeasts make cause for a weird resemblance, reminiscent of February’s Furmint. Delicate, expressive and unusual, the mint flint, brioche and smoked pineapple effect leads to thoughts of Blancs de Blancs. A little malo just might turn this into good bubbly! 89

Over $30 VINTAGES released wines

Over $30 VINTAGES Releases

1. The grapes: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault

Where: Southern Rhône, France

Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2010 (700922, $53.95, SAQ 10817461, $50.50) will dare you to claim any better value from the storied appellation. “Da price boss, da price!” Like I’ve landed on Fantasy Island where Châteauneuf is flowing and it’s always affordable! Kirsch galore, a Rhône cat, sensuous and gorgeous. Goldfinger garrigue, with herbs and acidity so alive and purring. Approachable now, the heavenly structure will see the Donjon through 2025. 94

2. The grape: Cabernet Sauvignon

Where: Napa Valley, California

Dunn Vineyards Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (193763, $99.95) is a flat out brilliant composition by the voice of one who once “traded love for glory.” This Cab reverts back to its singer-songwriter, Napa Valley pioneering form. The ’08 is a crooning balladeer intent to hold out its best in a graceful lucubration of layered, dark fruit, restrained restlessness and a vision of long life. Put the Dunn away and look to be rewarded 15+ years on with as good a California Cabernet as you will ever taste. 96

3. The Grape: Syrah

Where: Northern Rhône, France

Delas Frères Francois De Tournon Saint-Joseph 2009 (17525, $33.00) is both militaristic and the stuff of gushing Renaissance literature. Serious Syrah and foxy, Faerie Queene. Cardinal colour, striking and dreamy. Augustinian diplomat meets allegorical fantasy. Crushed berries, truffles caked by earth, sol de la foret. Built of elegance and power, “such endlesse richesse, and so sumptuous shew.” 92

4. The Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot

Where: Napa Valley, California

Dominus 2008 (212381, $145.95) solicits riposte for parry, to buy or not to buy. The omnipotently voluptuous one resides in a tramontane locale, beyond reach and also the pale. A shocking parade of profound, hyper-purple personality. Even if it suffers “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune“, a lucky man this Dominus, “all dressed in satin,” “nor woman neither.” Colour field shockingly crimson and amarinthine, textured with rich and layered brush stroke, as if Red on Maroon. A Lama, “the flowing robes, the grace, bald…striking.” To me this ’08 leans more Ornellaia than Pétrus. 97

5. The grapes: Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Carignan

Ridge Lytton Springs 2009 (982413, $46.95) will live in infamy like the ’92 and ’99. Immediate waft of freshly shucked vanilla bean. Ambrosial, earthy, briary fruit. Precise distillation inclusive of 23% Petite Sirah results in an impossibly lambent cordial. Not to mention you gotta love that Draper perfume. Open the magazine in 10-15 years time for the best read. 93

6. The grape: Nebbiolo

Where: Piedmont, Italy

Gemma Giblin Riserva Barolo 2005 (185025, $36.95) has begun to brick at the edges. Mouth rosewatering acidity binged by sour cherry and shellac. Wisp of Monte Cristo and withered rose only Barolo can smell of. This Gemma is beautiful like a turning season, like something you know won’t last. For now and no more than two to three more years. 92

7. The grapes: Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah and Counoise

Where: Southern Rhône, France

Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2010 (711317, $89.95) enters no confected, over-extracted or OTT danger zones. The most floral Beaucastel, a doffing of Stoechas Avignon and the omnipresent Rhône garrigue. Persimmon and lavender share time imparting the wine with fumes from les galets roulés of the argilo-calcaireous vineyard beds. Basic hedonism here from such an extraordinary, complex and balanced blend. 95

8. The grapes: Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon

Where: Bordeaux, France

Château Carbonnieux Blanc 2008 (581033, $59.00) is possessive of febrile gooseberry imagination. Blows sweet peach and apricot in and out of the glass in alberge de tours waves. “Hungry like the wolf” and his lycopersicon esculentum. A white PL for the ages. 92

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

Where: Tuscany, Italy

Ornellaia 2009 (722470, $189.95) is more approachable than the unparalleled 1998. A silky smooth and velvety texture puts super-ripe fruit at the forefront. While that ’98 rocked my world, this vintage offers immediate gratification, less dominating hard lines and edges. The balance is impeccable but the acidity is tempered, like the finest chocolate. The window is open now, though it may soon close, to drink beautifully for the next five years. 94

10. The Grapes: Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara e Altri Vitigni

Where: Veneto, Italy

Remo Farina Le Pezze Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico 2008 (171587, $33.95) underwhelms as a no kicker. Needs no Euro hype nor boozy heft to make itself understood. Modish mocha java speaks fluent huttish, communicating by lingua franca vernacular to the initiated. “Goopta mo bossa!“ 92

Good to go!