Tag Archives: White Wine

Euro wine Rihanna need remember by name

Rihanna. Photo Credit: Zimbio

http://blogs.canada.com/2012/06/20/euro-wine-rihanna-need-remember-by-name/?postpost=v2#content

For the girl who can’t remember what her name is, oh na, na, it’s time to move on from brawling exes and clubbing boyfriends. RiRi, the world is your vinoyster.  Time to focus mononymous one. I’m serious. You are growing up so fast. Time to start shedding those disparaging nicknames like the sevenhead songstress. Fine wine will help you mature as a person and an artist. I’m talking to you too, Drake.

I’m not suggesting investing time and research into Bordeaux Futures (Château Latour, not) or Burgundy of a DRC level. Champagne may be what all the other Limo-riding rappers are putting back (note Cristal), but Old World, European, crustaceaous-friendly white wine is what you need. I know you both put back plenty of raw bar material. An indisputable case purchase in Greco di Tufo from Campania in Southwestern Italy is the ticket. A terrific match.

Terredora Loggia Della Serra Greco Di Tufo 2010 (983197, $17.95) gives up lime cordial and amaroidal, Angostura suspended in Campari on the rocks, jet setting in Terre Cinque as much as in Campania. Firm body, bronzed, dewy complexion and scented, pigment-shy berries.  Absolute IVR* from the June 23rd, VINTAGES release.  89

2010 Terredora di Paolo Greco di Tufo Loggia della Serra 750ml

IVR* – Vintage Direct Intrigue-to-Value Ratio

Good to go!

Essential wine for Father’s Day

Father’s Day Wine. Photo Credit: ehow.com

What to get dad this year for Father’s Day. Perhaps not the gifting conundrum that is Mother’s Day but no walk in the park either. The obvious gadgets present themselves; Iphone, Ipad, Kindle, Nook or Golf Course GPS, because no real man wants one for the car.

Forget the camera, video recorder and BBQ. Those things just tell dad he has to work harder. Give him something he can use. Better yet, choose something you can share with him.

VINTAGES Essentials are the Fine Wine and Spirits Division’s collection of always available products. Imagine it’s Sunday afternoon. You are a mere hours away from Father’s Day dinner. You have been tasked with bringing the wine. You need to pick promising bottles to match hors d’oeuvres, appetizer, main course, dessert and one special bottle for Dad to take home to his cellar. In between Soccer finals and gymnastics pick-up there is only time to stop in at the nearest LCBO. The VINTAGES kiosk at the store’s rear only carries certain release products and is sold out of everything you came looking for. That is where Essentials answers the bell. These products can be counted on to be found in most (decent-sized) Ontario stores.

I tasted through 90 VINTAGES Essentials two weeks ago. Here are six to bring to dad; five to share with him and one as a special parting gift for his singular day.

Thirty Bench Riseling 2010 (24133, $18.95) with it’s Huet of the Loire, Chenin Blanc-like citrus, pear and honey blast begs for some BBQ starters. Like good wurst and spicy mustard. Like Chinese BBQ glazed ribs. Incredibly youthful, living in a wild west end of the Beamsville Bench. “Greasy hair easy smile..this is the seventh heaven street to me.” A benchmark Riesling to put Niagara on the popular map.  90

Louis Jadot Chardonnay Bourgogne 2010 (933077, $18.95, LTO until June 24, 2012 at $16.95) keeps on caramelizing but less so in ’10. The oak barrel toast level quotient is down close to 200 for those of you counting at home. This allows a searing acidity to zap the mellow white cherry, rose and raspberry fruit into life.  Best Jadot White Burgundy normale in quite a spell. Would serve well alongside soft taco or slider appetizers. Of fish, pork or chicken. Some cracklings would be nice.  88

Esporao Reserva Red 2009 (606590, $25.95) made from parochial Aragonés, the Tempranillo of Portugal. This particular vintage brings Spanish Montsant to mind, especially the wines of Celler Capçanes. A thread of ripe cherries, cocoa dust, milk chocolate and spice link it to a style also not unlike Napa. Stillwater runs deep for this deeply-hued, Portuguese raven and methinks it almost famous.  Rubbed ribs and chicken await.  88

Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (255513, $34.95, LTO until June 24, 2012 at $29.95) signals reform and a serious return to form. Dictionary Napa entry, a reigned and refined milkshake of California berries and dark chocolate. Solid mineral bones full of might, fight and planar, ferric-iron leucos-phosphite. This is the tetrameric rub that notches new found response and respect for the can be found everywhere, once Philistine Mondavi.  Top cut, seared on high heat and rare of course. 89

Cave Spring Indian Summer Select Late Harvest Riesling 2010 (415901, $24.95) wins the race to accompany dessert for its Spätlese sensibility melded to a Niagara Crèvecoeur smoke and mildness mentality. The Peninsula’s typical lime, slate and chalk it shares with Germany’s Mosel are front and centre, cojoined by Icewine’s candied, orange marmalade. At half the tag, the Late Harvest is the leading Essentials sticky deal.  88

Tignanello 2008 (986786, $99.95) gets the nod for dad’s big gift because the singing Tig is flat out esculent. A smoked, Blueberry Margarita, Porcini Risotto with Tartufo di San Giovanni d’Asso and long espresso all rolled into one Super Tuscan. The Cabernet components don’t just get lucky, but are hugely supportive of the vernacular Sangiovese. The Tig might march you up a Florentine hill and get you singing “if you got a truffle dog, you can go truffling.”  90

Good to go!

The Wine Diaries. VINTAGES June 9, 2012: Whites and Rosés

Coyote’s Run. Photo Credit: Michael Pinkus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Niagara wines top this list. Coyote’s Run Black Paw Vineyard is a legend in the making. Hinterbrook blows me away with a world-class Rosé.

Nino Franco Faive Brut Sparkling Rosé 2010 (31567, $19.95) the eruptive El Nino of Strawberry fizz is creamy and yet light on its feet. Elevates pink Venetian bubbles to a higher caste and hovers with good length. Wedding ready.  87

Codorníu Pinot Noir Brut Rosé Cava NV (665372, $17.95), always easy on the eyes and nose, boasts red skin apple effervescence and tastes like apple cake in liquid form. But, if you are the largest Champagne-substitute producer on the planet, why does the price have to rise by $3?  Anyone, VINTAGES, Bueller?  86

Coyote’s Run Black Paw Vineyard Chardonnay 2010 (49775, $21.95) whiffs a sliver of Niagara Gold, paw paw and petrol. Take this man-eating elixir to bed and the possibility exists for some arm chewing as a means for escape in the morning. This formidable, complex and consistent vineyard is developing as a legend in Niagara terroir. Nothing beats its CVR** potential at this price.  90

 

Grgich Hills Chardonnay 2009 (346304, $51.95) tests my vertigo. High anxiety, explosive acidity initially causes fear but a rhubarb tropical balance helps to subdue the tension. Ballsy Chardonnay.  89

Grgich Hills Fumé Blanc Dry Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (346296, $29.95) sees the tree for the forest and stands tall like a redwood. Dry humoured and almost Dry Creek-like of a no oak order. LOL at the double designation. Make up your mind Mike, “is he gonna shit, or is he gonna kill us?” Spicoli SB.  89

McManis Chardonnay 2010 (265983, $19.95) the utilitarian one of Wonder white toast and sweet, yellow viscous juice. Sorry, drink.  85

Simi Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2009 (200881, $31.95) suggests socialist stock, RRV buttered popcorn, nuts and bolts. Solid and direct Melon Blanc leading Waylon Smithers to love the A+ score from Mr. Burns. “How old is this guy?” he wants to know. Glad he didn’t offer to take off his belt. “With pleasure sir.”  87

Cono Sur Limited Edition 20 Barrels Chardonnay 2008 (127498, $24.95) simply personifies and aromatically packages cooler Chile in a baked golden delicious, apple pie. From the mineral and red clay soils of El Centinela. A Christian Seventh-day Adventist magazine? No, a Casablanca wine estate.  87

Concha Y Toro Trio Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (678656, $13.95) of purling, floral apricot blossom fragrance whorls pralined pecan. A three-valley SB offering good value if not obvious in identity.  85

Caliterra Tributo Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (283648, $14.95) whiffs calden and peas in a musky b-flat tone beneath the algarobilla. Candied gooseberry, juicy fruit with a touch of bitter carob.   84

Hunter’s Jane Hunter Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (280271, $19.95) of imperceptible tint tropically buffs cerate guava and mangosteen. The duck, duck bypassing of the Chileans lands goose on this SB. The Kiwi is a charmer, a real cake-eater.  88

Paul Cluver Chardonnay 2010 (277939, $21.95) is hardcore, a tough mudder full of yeasty, cranky green eggs and bam. Wild Emeril South African juice for boot camp.  86

Château Moncontour Vouvray Demi-Sec 2010 (16709, $17.95) is an off-bottle. Atomic 16 off the charts.  NR

Domaine Pierre De La Grange Vielle Vignes Muscadet Sèvre et Maine 2010 (274654, $24.95) of coarse, saline grain and winter melon climbing and trailing from lamellar phyllite. Good metamorphic weight and distance. Would be top IVR* in its class at $12.95.  87

Lingenfelder Bird Riesling 2010 (568634, $13.95) has lost its chops over the years. The entry level QbA Bergweiler outdoes the Bird on all levels. Better yet, go any Riesling from Niagara over the Ling at this price and order it with the Lingonberry pancake.  83

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

 

Hartley Ostini Hitching Post Pinks Dry Rosé 2011 (277970, $19.95) of rare Valdiguie, a.k.a. Napa Gamay and 1/4 Pinot shows shipshape extraction and variant bitterness. Lacks dimension and ultimately stands like a crane on one leg.   85

Carte Noire Rosé 2011 (319384, $14.95) casts a rainbow, tawny-pink shadow in chromatic film noir fashion. Smells like a pink pleasure palace, cotton candy factory and a mix of rocks and pink lavender. Definitely puts the horse before the cart.  87

La Cadierenne Cuvée Grande Tradition Bandol Rosé 2011 (119453, $17.95) chases a fading blossom on a bitter almond tree. At 14% abv it’s unbraided and a bit anti-Provence in style.  84

Famille Perrin Tavel Rosé 2011 (680801, $19.95) shines as the evening sun, sitting like phosphorous on the wine’s flesh. Serious for Rosé, the olive-skin Mediterranean edges are echoed in a savoury accent, of garrigue and pressed oil.   88


Cabriz Rosé 2011 (30445, $11.95) blends twiggy Alfrochiero with zaftig Touriga for an E-man plea of “light colour but electric pink!” A-1 IVR* value from Portugal’s Dão Sul. Definitely the way to go in cheap Rosé.  86

IVR* – Vintage Direct Intrigue-to-Value Ratio

CVR* – Vintage Direct Curiosity-to-Value Ratio

Good to go!

VINTAGES June 9, 2012 Release: Six from Chile

Chilean Vineyard. Photo Credit: Thad Roan – Bridgepix

Of the 15 whites and reds I tasted from this VINTAGES amassed Chilean lot, six stood out above the pack. Look for Syrah and Cabernet Franc grown at high altitudes on the slopes and valleys of Chile’s mountainous North to be future stars.

http://blogs.canada.com/2012/06/07/vintages-june-9-2012-release-six-from-chile/

Emiliana Signos De Origen La Vinilla Chardonnay/Viognier/Marsanne/Roussane 2010 (0063909, $19.95) exhibits its organic status in millón vanillin yellow crystal scents. Add to that an orange tang and the Vinilla works the Rhône room both North and South, finishing Viognier with an “ice, ice, baby” refrain. Bring on the suckling porcine cena.  88

Maycas Del Limarí Reserva Especial Chardonnay 2010 (0162040, $19.95) offers up sweet, saponaceous fumes from high octane green mountain orchards. Descends momentarily but ascends again for the peak where fried melon rind dips into red pepper piri-piri sauce. Unusual yet striking.  87

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Altaïr Sideral 2007 (0660837, $26.95) waxes Italian through gamey notes, despite its varietal French pedigree. Reticent Cabernet whiffs subtle poached pear in fermented grape juice. Builds mineral pistol momentum then turns vicious on the animale note. The Sideral is always entertaining and can claim “I did it my way.” The great Chilean Bordeaux blend swindle.  88

Concha Y Toro Terrunyo Vineyard Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (0562918, $29.95) may be full in body and bleeding heart extraction yet acts backwardly mobile. It’s terraced Cabernet continence shakes contrary to its bodacious and bootyliscious appearance. Stand five years then pour it with a charred bovine’s blue, beating heart.  89

Maycas Del Limarí Reserva Especial Syrah 2008 (0269423, $19.95) clicks on all cylinders. High altitude vineyards with cool, Andes breezes produce high octane, voluminous Syrah. Bacon fat and smoked meat lead to shrewd tannins possessive of a sudden glare, like its attention has filed down to a single, sharp point.  88

Potro De Piedra Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc 2008 (0273995, $24.95) the beguiler intrigues as a stone cold groove with wild herbs, flowers and underbrush that perfume the glass. A residual piedra sagrada hard edge mars the finish but this is otherwise a stroke of brilliance. Wait three years and call it a day.  89

Good to go!

Four alternative whites from the Vintages June 9th release

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!

Re-wined up. May openings and online releases

http://blogs.canada.com/2012/06/01/re-wined-up-may-openings-and-online-releases/

One Pinot, two Shiraz, three Tintos and 27 obscure grapes.

Belle Glos Pinot Noir Clark & Telephone Vineyard 2005 (652883, $39.95) has softened since the last visit on Mother’s Day 2009. Speculation upon release of Chuck Wagner’s Single Vineyard Pinot fetish was “just a bet on a race between the lights.” Mom (and dad) agreed back then there was too much mined, dark anise and vanila fruit, too much ore. The C & T abused the mouth, took no prisoners. Today the plum candy remains and despite a band-aid note, a silky texture lights the Paschal flame. The univocal Glos has transfigurated out of the “darkness and into the day.”  91

St. Hallett Blackwell Shiraz 2009 (535104, $29.95) from the March 17th, 2012 VINTAGES release as I previously penned, “bests Barossa at this price point and on a limb for that matter, anywhere in the land of Oz.” From lands Ebenezer, Seppeltsfield and Greenock, receives extended elevage (20 months) in American Oak and shows off like a multi-coloured bruise. Blackwell’s got Squib Cakes, stands as a raw, intense tower of black fruit power. Has the chop and staining Syrah concentrate to oak land a knockout punch to the teeth, mouth and gums. The flagship $50+ equivalent to most South Australian Shiraz, this one is positioned middle of the pack for St. Hallett and is therefore impressive CVR** value for its full-on Barossa style.  91

St. Hallett Blackwell Shiraz 2009, Barossa, South Australia Bottle

Howard Park Leston Shiraz 2005 (923565, $29.95) may come from vines beholden to the deep pockets of its founders but this is not exactly Napa dotcom milliionare playtime. “Members of the Australia wine trade aren’t precious about their wine. But they do love it.” This Leston (from a bonza vintage) spouts a fountain sluice of youthful Margaret River mint and tisserand scented red fruit. Muted middle earth note swings hypoteneuse through hoops and microeconomically bests McLarenVale and Barossa.  90

 

Quinta Do Crasto Old Vines Reserva 2004 (990572, $34.95) released through VINTAGES back in 2007 was juiced from upwards of 30 varietals from then 60-year old vines growing in schist soils. Firm framework, toast smokey, persistent cream and chocolate. Cherry-centered dark chocolate too. The newfangled Douro.  90

Notes on the May releases of 14 VINTAGES online wines.

Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Hunter Semillon 2004 (093495, $49) of apricot, peach, citrus and chevre verging on Cendrillon is just that; funky and stinky. Love the petrol age though.  86

Davis Bynum Bynum Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007 (0201580, $34.95) emits sweet beet and licorice hokum from the dehydrator. A xerophytic aroma keeps it grounded in its Russian River Valley home.  87

Château Latour à Pomerol (0133876, $89) may be a bit corky but I can still see the leaves for the forest. Hints at so much lithe, like leafy tobacco, damp earth, landes shavings and pickled berries. A cushioned launch TGV’s on espresso and toughens late with a firm grip. Give it 10 to 15.  93

Château Le Croix De Gay 2008 (136879, $39) whorls along crude, jangling lines like a Heavy D remake of Ms. Jean Knight’s big tune. La Croix has front and back stuffing in ’08 sandwiched around an 80’s, less than flattering and infundibular midriff.   88

Château Haut-Bergey 2008 (136648, $45) while uncombed and unbraided, is mouth filling and ultimately shows a bit of balance.  87

Tablas Creek Esprit De Beaucastel (735654, $45) may cause addiction due to sweet, sweet candy and mama’s marmalade. Consistent with my April 24th note: “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

Casanova Di Neri Pietradonice 2007 (0103085, $79.00) from a master Brunello producer is a dark, dank, hefty and concentrated grunge effort. A brandied effect brings Vintage Port to mind. A meal not to leave hungry, from the mouths of decadence. Perhaps today Cornell and Vedder sip this seemingly evolved and enticing Super Tuscan.  92

De Bortoli Rococo Blanc de Blancs (0238014, $25) flashes some of the largest bubbles and that is not necessarily a good thing. Baroque, not so much. Late, yes. The chalk and talc do match a Roccoco-like creamy, pastel style but the wine is simple, not ornate.  May only “say its name in an empty room.”  86

Cooper Mountain Reserve Chardonnay 2009 (0232827, $22.95) gives orange peel, green apple and foil. Atomic number 16, Chardonnay pearls duettia and a Chablis (Fourchaume) fromage permeate this no toast radio Oregonian. A bit soft, but clean and certainly not oaked to a fault.  88

Château Chasse-Spleen 2008 (0134452, $44) has nearly peaked. The wine past its prime shines LED light. LED wines are so last year. The weald has wielded and waned, the caper and tobacco berries melded into molasses.  87

Château La Couspade 2008 (0229245, $72) of aromal Cassis, Panatela and CDP-like Kirsch is big on extraction for ’08.  Earth, wine and fire of a shining star. Just like meat in a stew. It’s got sustenance.  90

Château La Gaffelière 2008 (0136127, $84) my stars will be beautiful. Colour and potency but currently closed for business. Hidden purple perfume of Aubrietia, Lilac and Lavendar.  90

Château Malescot St-Exupéry 2008 (0137109, $64) never lets me down. “I feel my temperature rising” when a Malescot is on the table. Seamless wine showing a modified ’08 evolution. Noble as Bordeaux comes at this price. Terrific balance of forest, florals and ebon. The Malescot is always on the bus.  92

Fuligni Ginestreto Rosso di Montalcino 2009 (0245241, $24) is light, delicate and redolent Sangiovese. Impractically colourless to look at, the palate does the talking. Could drink this every day.  89

Good to go!

Burgundy crush course: Get your learn on

Crush Wine Bar

by featured writer Jascha Baraness

Dinner at Crush Wine Bar

455 King Street West,  Toronto, (416) 977-1234

Executive Chef: Trista Sheen

http://blogs.canada.com/2012/05/30/burgundy-crush-course-get-your-learn-on/

It had been many months since my last ‘producer specific’ wine dinner, so I took it upon myself to organize a sequel. Focused around the wines of the two great Chablis producers Francois Raveneau and Vincent Dauvissat; we called it the Ravissat dinner. 

There was a second theme for the evening too, much less specific however, Red Burgundy.

We started the evening with one of the world’s most misunderstood wines, a Chateau Chalon’s Vin Jaune, which paired perfectly with a decadent charcuterie board.

Dinner itself was of a slightly modified menu prepared for a Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin by Chef Sheen. Given our white and red themes for the evening, chef’s creations were extremely appropriate.

The Chablis:

2009 Domaine Adhémar et Francis Boudin Chablis 1er Cru L’Homme Mort

2006 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume

2008 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru La Forest  (flawed)

2004 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons

2003 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux  (corked)

2004 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux

2005 Simonnet-Febvre Chablis Grand Cru Les  Preuses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was nice to have such a range of different styles from the same region.  Equally impressive were the Ravissat wines (at least those that were sound).  They’re made to such a high standard that tasted blind, their 1er cru wines could easily be mistaken for Grand cru.  With tremendous fruit density, complexity and incredibly low yields usually reserved for the Grand cru vineyards, these wines showed poise and finesse that other producers just can’t match.

In my humble opinion, best in show was the 2004 Butteaux from Raveneau which made me want to kick everyone out of the restaurant so that I could be alone with the wine.  Breathtaking.

The reds followed:

2006 Domaine de Montille Beaune 1er Cru Les Perrières

2004 Domaine de Courcel Pommard 1er Cru Grand Clos des Épenots

2004 Bouchard Père et Fils Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot

2002 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod / Barthod-Noëllat Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras

2002 Louis Latour Corton-Grancey

1996 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts Vieilles (corked)

1999 Domaine Humbert Frères Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Craipillot 

All wines showed exceptionally well.  The Clavelier being the most anticipated and the biggest letdown (corked).  Once again, in my humble opinion the best red in show was the Barthod, Les Cras (which was my red contribution to the evening – and a little redemption since my Dauvissat had been flawed).

We finished the evening with a lovely sweet one.

1994 Dr. Fischer Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Beerenauslese (Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer)

The wine wasn’t quite showing the vibrancy that we had expected, but then again it may have been palate fatigue.

All in all, a lovely dinner with great friends and a great lesson in the importance of buying producer specific wines in Chablis and Burgundy.

Tasting through Portugal and the VINTAGES May 26th Release

Portuguese Corks

Three thematic release posts done, canada.com1, canada.com2, canada.com3, 16 more tasting notes to go. Shout out to Anne Yarymowich and Annick Le Goaix for some splendid Portuguese gastronomy last week at the AGO’s Wines of Portugal tasting. Read it at canada.com.

Anne Yarymovich. Credit: Dany Le Goaix

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quinta do Infantado Red 2009 (95158, $21.95) was the best Portuguese wine I tasted. João Roseira uses no yeasts, no additives, just grapes fermenting and developing by themselves. This is wine truly made in the vineyard. Balance in every facet. Smokey, meaty and fat for a three Tinto Douro, the Infantado offers up the greatest of simple pleasures.  89

Wines of Portugal Tasting. Credit: Dany Le Goaix

Lingenfelder Freinsheimer Musikantelbuckel Riesling Kabinett 2010 (87593, $17.95) wins the award for longest label. Ciders with pretty, apple effervescence and Vidal-esque hairspray viscosity but ultimately buckles under its own weight. Sad to see it leaving sa-soon.  85

Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (229856, $99.95) would have been a beastly treat if it were not corked.  NR

Ridge Monte Bello 2009 (711085, $145.95) is a wow wine. Deep, deep purple. Thick, oily extract of red bark and sugary berries baked in a pie. Offers crazy love and goes the full monte. “I can hear her heartbeat for a thousand miles.” Strikes fear and loathing in Wineontarians in need of a price kvetch. Get over it. Good wine is expensive. Ciao Bello!  93

Rubicon Estate Cask Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (29553, $74,95) dry rubs its sweetheart of the rodeo nose with brown sugar, thyme, sage, molido, ancho and fleur de sel. There are more ingredients but if we revealed them we’d have to kill you. Country Rock Cabernet. You don’t miss your water when killing this. This Cask cries out for flesh.  90

Chateau Smith Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (280107, $24.95) the creamy vanilla shaken, not stirred Cab. Good structure and backbone if not a whole lotta linear, skyscraping action.  87

Urraca Cabernet Sauvignion 2008 (271080, $19.95) of Agrelo identifies with Provence. Mired in the weeds of dill, borage and thistle. Further herbal notes of tarragon along with olives and tobacco. So much savoury.  85

Barossa Valley Estate Ebenezer Shiraz 2006 (971705, $39.95) is bold, beefy and blasted from blown speakers. The new pornography in Aussie Shiraz, impressive for its place and will show some balance 10 years on. Certainly no Scrooge and generous with matters of fruit and heart. “A lot of oyster but no pearls.” Will get you through a long December.  92

Tait The Ball Buster Red 2009 (269472, $24.95) is a bitch. Tart and flavoured by sun-kissed berries, jawbreaker and gobstopper. Dense and concentrated, “stone cold sober as a matter of fact.”  88

Astrolabe Voyage Pinot Noir 2009 (179200, $24.95) trips the tongue, grips the mouth and sends them spiralling into space. Expressive of vanilla and baking spices. Big tannins for Marlborough Pinot. Needs a little spirit of the west and to “go home for a rest.”  86

Sequillo Cellars Red 2009 (277996, $29.95) ankles along a rocky Swartland road. Hard lines make this ambitious South African seem Mourvedre dominated.  86

Momessin Les Griottes Morgon 2010 (276402, $17.95) casts a lovely opaque, red lollipop hue. Bitter tar, griottes and sherry join red apple in this darling Gamay. “Let there be sunlight, let there be rain,” drink this Beaujolais off and on again.  87

Chateau Pipeau 2008 (138131, $29.00) always offers great Bordeaux value but this bottle is flawed. Smells like merde.  NR

Di Majo Norante Ramitello 2009 (973214, $15.95) steps right up to the IVR* plate and antes up mezzogiorno shun with liturgical love. Sun melted licorice and grilling scents meet juicy acidity, finesse and restrained power. Molto bene.  89

Coto De Imaz Gran Reserva 2001 (976811, $29.95) is highly concentrated for Rioja, especially at 11 years old. Tempting leafy aromas as of tobacco and tumbling like a Billy Tallent riff.  Or is that just my Imaz-ination, “running away with me.”  88

Delas Frères Saint Esprit Côtes Du Rhône Rosé 2011 (224964, $12.95) offers up strawberry, rhubarb and cream with a savoury accent. Subtle pale, pink, see-through hue and warming humidity. Great value here. Rosie you’re all right. “Looks like it’s me and you again tonight.”  88

Good to go!

IVR* – Vintage Direct Intrigue-To-Value Ratio

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

Wines over Two-Fours on Victoria’s Weekend

poundandgrain.com

 

May 16, 2012

 

The birthday of Queen Victoria, a.k.a. Widow of Windsor, The Grandmother of Europe and Drina, leads an annual Canadian pilgrimage to purchase flats of beer by the two-four. Truth be told, the Queen held an enthusiasm for wine from Hochheim (Rhinegau, Germany) and Hungary’s Emperor Franz Josef had a tradition of sending her Tokaji Aszú , as a gift, every year on her birthday, one bottle for every month she had lived. She also reportedly had previously used Marijuana, Opium, Coca (raw cocaine) and chloroform. Wow!

Victoria Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

So why don’t we go wine over beer for the long weekend? Well, partly because our friends at the Ontario Craft Brewers are doing such a bang up job. Also because a Canadian boy’s future begins on Monday, (Tuesday on a long weekend) and his weekend starts on Friday. Still, my job is to steer you down the road of vinous possibility. I would stop short of recommending Drina’s namesake cocktail, the Queen Victoria’s Tipple, a simple mix of  ½ a tumbler of red wine plus an amount of Scotch “…stopping a good deal short of the top of the tumbler.” Hang on to your chalance, beat off the beer dictators with a cudgel and proclaim, “I have no attitude without a glass of wine.”

 

Michel Delhommeau Cuvée Harmonie Muscadet De Sèvre-Et-Maine 2010 (164624, $12.95) scatters nether and beyond the stereotypical need for oysters pairing. Light as the sky, “a free man in Paris…unfettered and alive.” Like I said before, it offers up more complexity, flesh and sea bone than its brethren. Courts shrimp, sparks smoked chicken and even ventures into baby back rib territory. On the card at Barque.  88

MICHEL DELHOMMEAU CUVÉE HARMONIE  MUSCADET DE SÈVRE-ET-MAINE 2010

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Los Haroldos Reserva De Familia Malbec 2008 (269068, $14.95) heralds BBQ season officially open. This despite its closed aromatics and taste obscura. Biddable aspersions make good the silver-tongued, concrete poem. Silence will lead to golden connections with grilled meats.  At Barque.  87

LOS HAROLDOS  RESERVA DE FAMILIA MALBEC 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good to go!

VINTAGES May 12, 2012 – Wines for Mother’s Day

May 9, 2012

http://blogs.canada.com/2012/05/09/vintages-may-12-2012-wines-for-mothers-day/

 

Chardonnay. So often velocitized by toasted oak that a rise against it became known as the ABC movement. Trust me, Chardonnay is back and like City TV (thank you JB), it’s everywhere. The C-magnet. The new Sauvignon Blanc. My top two recommendations to drink with mom this Sunday adhere to the new credo. The new C.

The Vintages May 12th release springs west to champion the obvious, a collection of celebrity aces in the hole. California. “I don’t know this sea of neon.” Look close and there suns some legends of the fall. The Sunshine State had been, until recent times, on a serious, red-hot roll. Today’s refrain “California rest in peace, simultaneous release” may word petty tom foolery but balance be thy name where are you? Sweet Cabs and Zins, you’re jammin’ me, can’t you see? “Take back your ups and downs of your life in raisin-land.” That said, I did taste some exceptional reds at April’s California Wine Fair (Signorello Padrone, Duckhorn Merlot, Flowers Pinot Noir, Heitz Trailside Cabernet Sauvignon, Justin Isoceles, Lauren Glen Cabernet Sauvignon). My favourite Californian here is white, graces the catalogue’s cover and fittingly bears a legendary name from a vineyard paying homage to one of the earliest examples of American fiction.

 

Talbott Logan Estate Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Chardonnay 2009 (716290, $26.95) alights on the lighter side of Chardonnay’s street. A morning’s faint buttered toast and a banana cream shake. An understatement of CVR** importance. Near decapitation by an abrupt craning of the fruit remains the only deterrant. Still, Washington Irving would dudely abide.  90

Talbott Sleepy Hollow Chardonnay 2009

 

 

 

 

 

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

Errazuriz Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2010

 

 

 

 

 

Other wines tasted:

Yalumba Museum Reserve Muscat (963488, 375 mL, $24.95) the fortified Aussie sticky is liquid toffee in a glass. Apricots dominate the caramelized and poached stone fruit ideology.  “It’s a floor polish. It’s a dessert topping.” A shimmering, Saturday night should end well at this lively museum.  89

Domaine Chenevières Chablis 2010 (277913, $19.95) winds Fourme d‘Ambert and the odd combo tang of apple pizza. Ripe mastica in need of root vegetables, or salsify pasta.  86

Domaine Jean-Pierre Sève Terrior Pouilly-Fuissé 2009 (681056, $23.95) the freshmaker emphasizes land-driven Chardonnay fruit over oak and local Solutré minerality, all wrapped up in Pouilly’s fatness. Lemon yellow, mint julep with a touch of relegated green vegetal calme.  87

Geil Bechtheimer Rosengarten Riesling Kabinett 2011 (994764, $14.95) offers a sneak peak at the hyped ’11 German vintage. Sweeter rank than expected with red apple skin rubbed by citrus acidity. For garden sipping amidst the roses.  86

Hidden Bench Terrior Caché Meritage 2008 (505610, $35.20) displays that distinct Silurian charcoal and calciferous bedded limestone of the Beamsville terrior.  Right bank Merlot driven brawn and unusual yet effective Szechuan black bean and hoisin. Give this Niagara red a JJ from Good Times, kid do-lo-mite!  88

Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Red Label Zinfandel 2009 (708289, $19.95) gobs sticky, blanched blackberry and petrol-scented Italianate metal. Foot stuck squarely on the pedal.  84

Gallo Family Frei Ranch Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (555607, $38.95) sports Coonawarra-like menthol and eucalyptus, along with vanilla bean and a sweet mulberry chalkiness. Pointed, poised, surprisingly resourceful and long.  89

Shafer One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (45476, $84.95) should borrow a page from the book of Nash, move on from the point and take on a GM position. Lush fruit on the wane, grip on the ball loosening. Can still pass with the best but no longer a scorer.  88-90

Majella The Musician Cabernet/Shiraz 2010 (142018, $19.95) the good egg is fine tuned and a classic example of the Coonawarra locale. “I can’t pretend there’s any meaning here or in the things I’m saying” but I can say this CS will cris-cross the tongue like a Nicky Hopkins finger roll.  88

Les Ormes De Pez 2008 (133819, $43.00) is tough as nails. Attacks the mouth and vacuums out all moisture. St-Estephe in a seersucker suit. Formidable tannins but perhaps not as ripe as will be needed when integration happens.  87-88

Bellaria Assunto Brunello di Montalcino 2006 (206854, $36.95) the cheep and cheerful Sangiovese Grosso is light and lithe for the appellation. Opaque purple but don’t be fooled by body or colour. Underlying firm and unforgiving backbone lurks in its shadows. Big potential.  88-90

Chapillon Cuvée Rémy 2007 (271114, $18.95) gets the nod for red IVR* wine of the release. A rare feat at this price out of Spain’s Priorat. Hue of bunsen burner blue. Sanguine Kirsch aroma mitigated by citrus. Teeth teeter on a tethered, tannic rope. Mullioned window to a fabled, Iberian land of vinous greatness.  89

Château La Tour De L’évêque Rosé 2010 (319392, $18.95) initiates a Strawberry response, of course. Subtle, faint pink tinge yet viscous, I could drink this by the bucketful. At once cloudy and then see through. “You thought that I would need a crystal ball to see right through the haze.” Could spot this one from a mile away.  88

Mas Des Bressades Cuvée Tradition Rosé 2011 (950576, $13.95) remains the best deal in southern French pink juice. Lacks the feminine complexity of the La Tour but succeeds as a rosé cocktail all on its own. Melons and berries on the sweet finish.  86

 

 

IVR* – Vintage Direct Intrigue-To-Value Ratio

CVR** – Vintage Direct Intrigue-To-Value Ratio

 

 

Good to go!