Tag Archives: White Wine

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!

 

 

Triassic Tasting at Pangaea

Pangaea Upstairs Dining Room

Pangaea Upstairs Dining Room

 April 24, 2012

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

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

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

 

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

Nine Wine Night

Nine Wine Night

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

Intermezzo, grapefruit and tarragon flavoured ice

 

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

  1. Fontanabianca Barbaresco Sori Burdin 2004 the blessed and confounded queen Nebbiolo is the totipotent master of the moment. Italianate yet without animale, rosy cheeked and impossibly elegant, it still manages to anesthetize the mouth. So pretty it hurts. Along with the Sori Paitin, easily the best value in Barbaresco. On this night my allegiance is to the queen.  92
  2. Renatto Ratti Barolo Marcenasco 2004 of the famiglie Pola e Ferro is polar as compared to the non of the Burdin. AM and D nose “car exhaust.” I am tricked by its charm and think New World Syrah, but am reminded that the colour lacks gloom. Hugely muscular, girded by plastron and decades ahead of itself. “Leave it open all night and it’ll be amazing” says Dr. C.  91
  3. D’arenberg Ironstone Pressings 2001 holds the title of GSM pop star of the Mclaren Vale. Eponymous iron filings and pressed fruit roll up. A mixed bag of Grenache, Syrah and Mataro, the IP’s warm, berry and balsamwood address is veiled by a touch of oxidation. “Stinky feet” corrects AM. Good integration of fruit, acidity and tannin present proper balance.  90
  4. Mas Doix Salanques 2006 is a revelation. A Pegau-esque perfume aux gasseuse leans Rhône but an amazing (65%) Garnacha sweetness veers Priorat. Iodine (Syrah and Carignan) of black slate soil, tar, smoked meat and bacon. A Parker and Galloni thesaurus of descriptors must be bequeathed on this candied (Merlot) wine loaded with acidity in magnums.  CVR** WOTN.  93

 

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

  1. Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf du Pape 1998 would be my wine of choice walking a boulder strewn vineyard on a misty morning in the Southern Rhône. Expressions are hurled around the table, “candified Pinot nose” and “tutti frutti.” For Beaucastel? I can’t believe the tripartite fruit freshness, ambient funk immersion and pencil lead sharpness. This ’98 is “light as a feather, heavy as lead.” The Beaucastel will brighten up your tomorrow. WOTN  96
  2. Tablas Creek Espit de Beaucastel 2008 the worthy adversary is just a dude from California. A honey pot of stewed prunes and “Seville oranges” notes the quote machine. A sinkhole of 38% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache, 26% Syrah and 6% Cunoise, the Esprit does admirable expatriate yeoman’s work and I wouldn’t even think of marking it zero.  88
Tasting Table

Tasting Table

 

IVR* – Vintage Direct Intrigue-to-Value Ratio

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

 

 

Good to go!

Eight Under $28 From The April 28th VINTAGES Release

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 24, 2012

VINTAGES

http://blogs.canada.com/2012/04/24/eight-under-28-from-the-april-28th-vintages-release/

 

Vinea Garganega 2010 (230656, $13.95) sugars great Veronese IVR* promise out of the Veneto. Hyperglycemic green-eyed lady bass line and Hammond organ finger roll plum and honey-dew in a state of barm loaf. Glycerin of Amaretto and snappy Salak. Sour apple martini with candy swizzle stick, “soothing every wave that comes.”  88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Canonica a Cerreto Chianti Classico Reserva 2007 (275867, $17.00) was surely not decanted from a straw flask into this sleek and marketable bottle. A precocious and gregarious ruffle of polish and cask modernity speak of the Cerreto’s new worldliness. Splashes of Cabernet and Merlot lean IGT and yet just enough Chianti brightness remains to keep it honest.  Scales (“never heard of him“) on the label are indicative of this balanced effort. Easy money.  88

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hogue Genesis Syrah 2009 (687822, $19.95) is a steadfast and decent wine so my exegesis begins at its central core. Black colour of a world still unformed. Heady like a stand of old growth forest; black oak, ash and walnut. B’reishit Washington Syrah where the bifurcation of quality and cost collide. Big wall of Syrah sound, perfect for headphones playing “no need to hide. Keep it dark.”  88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vincent Girardin Vieilles Vignes Mâcon–Fuissé 2009 (264515, $19.95) the vibrant fresh maker, with crisp, apple taut fragrance and void of oak annoyance. Just a touch of baby fat and some mineral too. Well-balanced for under $20. Girardin’s (940825, $39) Santenay on this release is not to be missed.  88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arnoux & Fils Vacqueyras 2009 (264663, $19.95) is as modern as it gets for the appellation, right down to “The Vac” label. Sweet Kirsch, lifted raspberry jam, soft, fleshy and forward. Has just enough funk to keep it real. Will have broad appeal and represents excellent Dogg value, if you like the plush style. Betcha Snoop drinks it.   89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leasingham Winemakers Selection Bin 61 Shiraz 2008 (448241, $24.95) the Kitty of Clare Valley is back in town. A loyal and trusted friend, reminiscent of the ’99. Burns no rubber and “goes runnin’ nightly, lightly through the jungle.” Less power, more strength. Less jam, more brakes. This Highway 61 should not be accused of having put its “bleachers out in the sun.”  90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saltram of Mamre Brook Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (48579, $24.95) may inexplicably enjoy cult status but for the money no other Barossa Cabernet can demand such respect. I would pay $25 for this over almost any $50+ peer within the appellation. Opulent, ruddy, bursting, pickled berries.  88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isole E Olena Chainti Classico 2008 (704346, $26.95) the beguiler welcomes with cinnamon, cherry spice and award winning roses. Poised, confident, simply phenomenal CC issue. Delicious now and will be perfect in five.  Better than when tasted in November 2011.  91

TN from Nov. 29, 2011,“…a mouthful of black fruit, bourbon cask aromas, dark and stormy. The barque of a ship’s ocean misted, wooden planks and of a smoked beef rib. Hard lines but hard to resist. Bloody good CC but certainly not traditional.  89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Wines Tasted

Two Rivers of Marlborough Convergence Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (277707, $29.95) carries heavy alcohol bandwidth, tomato leaf pesto and band-aid across a frame of sweet lime concentrate. Hot for SB, over processed and heavy with silicone and collagen. Their will be superficial fans.  86

Chavet & Fils La Dame De Jacques Coeur Menetou-Salon Blanc 2010 (525048, $19.95) offers a rare VINTAGES sighting and would excite were it more Loire and less Marlborough. Salmagundi of pâté, gooseberry and kiwi, swathed by an alkaline grapefruit finish.  85

Torres Viña Esmerelda 2010 (113696, $13.95) zests halitious of ReaLemon and petroleum wax. Can’t help but hear the “smell of wine and cheap perfume” lyric played by a wedding band while the cast of Jersey Shore watch their drapery clad mothers put back the Esmeralda. Like Torrontoes with bad make-up. Won’t be tagging along on this Moscatel journey.  80

Colchester Ridge Crew Meritage 2007 (280990, $19.95) noses Ontario from the get go with burning campfire then wafts exotic towards Masala spice, brown derby dressing and horseradish root. Flavour of earth demi-glace, composted apple and black licorice.  84

Frei Brothers Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (38075, $23.95) the “melody softly soaring through my atmosphere” is cute, sweet, lyrical and precocious. Gallo incarnate in the AlexanderValley. A death Cab for some but what’s not to like?  87

Stag’s Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (996405, $49.95) the model of consistency vintage to vintage and head to foot. Runs black cherry in its veins with nary a cut, scrape or bruise. Napa varietal profiling in its poised, beating heart.  89

Andrew Rich Cuvée B Pinot Noir 2008 (127043, $29.95) carries currant, candied pomegranate and the rocky crush of clove studded juniper berry. Well made, on the elegant side of Pinot life, even Burgundian if that can even be articulated.  88

Mendel Malbec 2009 (108225, $24.95) typifies Mendoza replete with old vines fruit adding canorous body. Infundibular midriff slows the smouldering, swelling berry pleasure. Crucial minerals carry red grape fluid away from the viscera and out of the body.  87

Susana Balbo Signature Malbec 2009 (79798, $21.95) at the outset teases TCA, then VA. Paulliac nez of tabac et peau d‘animaux. That and a whack of new French Oak where vanilla, chocolate and coffee lambaste and pummel the senses.  NR

Majella Shiraz 2008 (269308, $29.95) is a vitrified, mined vine of depth and power but short on finesse. Heavy extract with a touch of soap and mired in the details of oak. “The wheels are spinning but the car, neutral.”  86

Esprit de Pavie 2008 (244020, $32.95) shows good spirit as it amalgamates 2nd wine fruit from iconic Pavie, Monbousquet, Clos L’eglise and St. Columbe. Spiced coffee cake and soft yet pretty purple fruit. Obdurate push back indicates three years of cellaring will help. Would have been a CVR** steal at $20-25.  89

Brancaia Tre 2009 (164715, $22.95) the SGM speaks of identity theft and lack of spirit. Once upon a Tuscan, now a global commodity playing on MOR radio stations. This bottling recently rushed to great success but there is now “a question of your honesty, yeah your honesty.” Sure it’s delicious but what’s with “all this machinery making modern music?”  Pair not with pasta asciuta normale.  87

StefanoAccordini Acinatico Ripasso Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2009 (85159, $19.95) is pitchy for a valpo with splendiferous up front fruit. Cimmerian red plum joined by buff vanillan cocoa and velveteen in the mouth. So far so good but ultimately flaccid and void of oomph.  86

Allende 2006 (954560, $24.95) in extant cantillates oak, oak, oak. What happened to my Rioja? Tempered Tempranillo so no fear that it may seize. Pendulous and potent, well-mannered, ready to please. Go Condado de Haza over this for sure.  87

Perrin Réserve Rosé 2011 (719062, $15.95) is warm and balanced, all strawberry, all the time. Nutty for its ilk.  86

 

 

IVR* – Vintage Direct Intrigue-to-Value Ratio

CVR* – Vintage Direct Curiosity-to-Value Ratio

 

 

Good to go!

 

Wild Leek Week

Zatar Flank Steak, Wild Leek Pesto, Chard, Yu Choy, Asparagus, Artichoke and Ramps

Zatar Flank Steak, Wild Leek Pesto, Chard, Yu Choy, Asparagus, Artichoke and Ramps

Rampcake

April 20, 2012

http://blogs.canada.com/2012/04/21/wild-leek-week/

 

Leek week. All leeks, all the time. Every dish gets ramped up by the foot soldier, pugilist and grognard of the onion family. “As long as I was in for good, I might as well go the whole hog.” The Mickey Finn allium, orchestrating as purgative, nicitating and aiding the digestive tract. Light yet electric flavour that builds like a fist over a pond. “Gotta strange magic.” A Riesling and a Sauvignon Blanc to match.

Tawse Sketches of Niagara Riesling 2010, Niagara Escarpment & Twenty Valley (89029, $17.95) mans fine architectural lines akin the house that Maury built. A nectarine and guava smoothie, creamy, satisfying. a handsomely hatched thirst quencher. The restaurant version “Echoes” is on the card at Barque.  87

Pascal Jolivet Sauvignon Blanc, Attitude 2010 ($20.95) may not be labeled as Sancerre but that it is. Speaks its mind from the get go, slinging zinging youthful lemon and lime flavours across the tongue like a summer slip and slide. Straightforward Loire SB, unabashed, direct, food-friendly. Premium list at Barque.  88

Ramped Brisket Tacos and Sliders

Ramped Brisket Tacos and Sliders

Roast Chicken, Beans and Wild Leeks

Golden Beets, Avocado, Pomegranate and Ramp Oil

 

 

Good to go!

Spring Scion Search Leads To Wild Leeks

Field of Dreams/Michael Godel

Field of Dreams/Michael Godel

 April 18, 2012

http://blogs.canada.com/2012/04/18/spring-scion-search-leads-to-wild-leeks/

 

The subdivisions and four-lane roads loom close by but down here on the forest floor you would never know it.  Protected land descendant and magical, handed down from generation to generation through noble and notable families. My search is for the scions of spring, young shoots rising up from the loam. The tender green army of accretion ramps through the humus. Hunching in the mulch, great care is taken to remove one Allium tricoccum here, one wild leek there. Feeling through the marl, separating bulb from root without disturbing the subterranean system. This is how I spend my morning.

Harvested Ramps

Harvested Ramps

In the afternoon claustrophobia while tasting through 30 producer’s wines at Austria Uncorked. The Trump Hotel’s 8th Floor zimmer is too small for this event. There must be 200 geeks standing shoulder to shoulder, grappling for space. Must make quick haste of the room. Here then three Austrian standouts to pour alongside the cooked wild onions.

Kurt Angerer Grüner Veltliner Spies 2010 ($22.95) deserves props on a day when Austria’s alpha white plays second fiddle to the more invigorating Rieslings. A Grüner of mellow, yellow body, mind and soul.  Stone fruit, electrical banana and wouldn’t it be refreshing to see this varietal “bound to be the very next craze.” Saffron, green wine speaking terriorilly of gravel, granite and loess.  88

Heinrich Blaufrankisch Leithaberg 2009 ($36.95) out of Burgenland is a spirited and sugilite-hued in the vein of top cru Gamay. Versatile and lithe, able to withstand peppery, cooked greens and the would be food kill of the bulbous lily. Lavender imbued, Blau acts as a verdant harbinger for dinner. Signature red of Austria possessive of an art film quality that speaks a languid foreign language.  90

Bründlmayer, Steinmassel Riesling 2006 (0120600, $29) from Kamptal is a racy, stone cold, sobering Riesling just beginning to lay off the gas. The petrol notes mixed with a leesy, citrus pang show off the peripatetic nature of the varietal.  The zen of the intelligent Bründlmayer machine.  91

Wild leeks as vegetable, condiment and relish. Here, last night’s preparations.

Cleaning the Ramps

Cleaning the Ramps

T-Bone Steak, Brisket Burgers and Fried Leeks

Cannelini Beans, Zatar and Wild Leeks

Cannelini Beans, Zatar and Wild Leeks

 

Tomorrow, Ramp Omelette and Wild Leek Pizza.

 

 

Good to go!

April Wine: Top VINTAGES Values to Buy Right Now

April 12, 2012

How many times have you found yourself standing in the LCBO dumbfounded and lost in ambient wine distraction? Do you feel knocked upside the Medulla Oblongata by a monopoly’s shelves bedecked by every race, creed and colour of wine known to Ontario kind? Don’t get caught on The Bad Side of The Moon. Have no fear. Head straight to the VINTAGES section and choose one of these great IVR* and CVR** top picks.

http://blogs.canada.com/2012/04/12/april-wine-top-vintages-values-to-buy-right-now/

 
REDS
 
Current In VINTAGES Stores
Pietro Marini Malbec 2008 (268045, $13.95) Argentina
Petra Zingari Toscana Igt 2008 (244228, $13.95) Italy
Michele Chiarlo ‘Le Orme’ Barbera D’asti Superiore 2009 (265413, $14.95) Italy
Bodega del Abad Dom Bueno Crianza 2001 (244699, $14.95) Spain
Taurino Riserva Salice Salentino 2008 (177527, $14.95) Italy
Domaine De La Janasse Côtes Du Rhône 2009 (705228, $15.95) France
 
VINTAGES April 14th Release
Jorio Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 2009 (134577, $13.95) Italy
Fabre Montmayou Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (261891, $14.95) Argentina
 
VINTAGES April 28th Release
Sister’s Run Epiphany Shiraz 2008 (269464, $15.95) Australia
Cannonica e Ceretto Chianti Classico Riserva 2007 (275867, $17.00) Italy
 
 
ROSÉ
 
Current In VINTAGES Stores
Tawse Sketches of Ontario Rosé 2011 (172643, $15.95) Ontario
 
 
SPARKLING
 
Current in VINTAGES STORES
Louis Bouillot Perle D’ivoire Brut Blancs De Blancs (48801, $18.95) France
 
 
WHITES
 
Current In VINTAGES Stores
Fielding Estate Chardonnay Unoaked 2008 (164491, $13.95) Ontario
Featherstone Black Sheep Riesling 2011 (080234, $16.95) Ontario
Studert-Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 2007 (114777, $17.95) Germany
Marimar Estate La Masía Don Miguel Vineyard Chardonnay 2007 (270090, $19.95) California
 
VINTAGES April 14th Release
Michael Delhommeau Cuvee Harmonie Muscadet De Sevre-et-Maine 2010 (164624, $12.95) France
L’Uvaggio Di Giacomo Vermentino 2009 (279281, $15.95) California
Tyrell’s Brookdale Semillon 2011 (269316, $19.95) Australia
 
VINTAGES April 28th Release
Vincent Girardin Vieilles Vignes Mâcon-Fuissé 2009 (264515, $19.95) France
 

IVR* – Vintage Direct Intrigue-to-Value Ratio

CVR* – Vintage Direct Curiosity-to-Value Ratio

 

 

Live Wine Chat on canada.com

April 12, 2012

Join in Today at 2:00 pm ET as I chat online about wine. I will be joined by Ruth Dunley (PostMedia), Rod Phillips (Ottawa Citizen), James Nevison (HALFAGLASS) and Gurvinder Bhatia (Vinomania)

http://www.canada.com/news/Live+Chat+wine+experts/6427822/story.html

We will be discussing wine media. Do you read wine reviews or make purchases based on what wine critics write … should you? 

 

 

 

Good to go!

KP Duty – Kosher For Passover Wines

April 4, 2012

http://blogs.canada.com/2012/04/04/kp-duty-kosher-for-passover-wines/

 

Lent? Forget about it. 12-day cleanses? Whatever. Try cooking with and having to eat nothing but Matzo, eggs and oil for eight days. To a Jew, Matzo is irresistible, consumed with über, hoover fervor and it leads to an awful syndrome. Matzo Belly.

(1998) Dry Bones cartoon: Passover, Pessach, Pesah, Holiday, Shuldig, Yom Kippur, over eating, over weight, dieting

Once a year due diligence calls so the apron goes on. Passover cooking is a science and an art unto itself. It is my form of penitence, tortuous, a culinary desert, horrific like a Fear Factor episode. Charred eggs, Haroseth, Chopped Liver, Kugel, Farfel Stuffing and desserts made with Cake Meal and Matzo Meal. My worst nightmare!

Recommending wines that are Kosher for Passover used to be similarly daunting but the field has certainly improved. Here five choices to get you through four cups, four questions, gamey gefilte and that wafer thin bread that tastes like forty year-old crackers. Be sure to click on the LCBO inventory links because the wines are only available in limited quantities and in specific stores.

 

ADAR DE ELVIWINES CAVA BRUT KP  (56737, $15.95) and its touch of residual sweetness will aid in the transition from a no beer, no scotch cocktail hour through to the traditional boiled potatoes and salt water. Why not go sparkling for Pesach?

HAFNER GRÜNER VELTLINER KP 2009 (157511, $12.95) is a newbie as far as Kosher for Passover is concerned. Touch of honey and upper level acidity is the key to this food and wallet-friendly Austrian white.

FIVE STONES SAUVIGNON BLANC KPM 2010 (218065, $23.95) may also be Mevushal but this Aussie SB is dry and worth the extra bucks. Beckett’s Flat is the producer of this aromatic beauty.

ELLA VALLEY VINEYARDS EVER RED KP 2007 (687897, $23.95) delivers the goods when the brisket comes to the Seder table. Ella Valley is Israel’s most consistent Kosher producer at a level most can afford. Their straight Merlot is their best but costs $10 more than this Bordeaux Blend.

GALIL MOUNTAIN YIRON KP 2006 (95075, $33.95) is the clear winner in VINTAGES Kosher choices for 2012. Tannins resolved, fruit still shining like the Galilee sun, Cabernet and Merlot lifted by the addition of Syrah.

 

 

 

Good to Go!

Of Budgets, Bohemian Rhapsody, Intrigue and Curiosity

Saturday March 31, 2012

 

Search the newswires, blogosphere and the world of internet forums and you will sense, as my friend DL would say, a “guttural sadness” and general discontent. Talking here about comments voiced both in response to the Federal Budget and the latest VINTAGES release. The question as to which laid or hatched the bigger egg with Easter around the corner is oft debated and apparently, debatable. Even more current is the news video of a wasted Karaoke specialist in the back of an Alberta Police cruiser belting out Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. That this and talking dogs on YouTube draw the most interest really tells us that wine and politics remain parochial pursuits. I am actually drawn to the occasion by the March 31st group of wines. Nothing spectacular but several snookered in the curiosity and intrigue sectors.

 

Domaine De La Janasse Côtes Du Rhône 2009 (705228, $15.95) from a house approbate whose Châteauneuf-du-Papes are exchanged for proverbial left nads. Good vintage ad infinitum bleeds currant clabber through this replica CdP in as many ways as can be defined. Matthew Jukes calls it “an essential member of your everyday drinking armoury.” WS (89), Beppi (88), CT’s (88). Berry good IVR* stuff  88

Janasse CdR 2009

 

Studert-Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 2007 (114777, $17.95) brings it in every way. Spätlese at $18 from a producer paid fealty going back a millennium. Are you kidding me? Just enough late harvest age in its hose to petrol up the tank for a joyride in the here and now. Stimmel (91+) notes “sweet (but balanced)…hedonistic wine for patio sipping.” VanSickle writes “balance of racy mineral-toned acidity.” The Wine Ponce says it best, “…aroma seduces with wildflower honey poured over a wet stone.” At this price six go in the cellar, one IVR* for every year through 2017.  89

Studert Prum WS Spatlese 2007

 

Terre Nere Brunello di Montalcino 2006(208462, $35.95) gathers CVR** speed with every passing consideration.

Terre Nere Brunello di Montalcino 2006       

“Amply positive” notes from Franco at Vinowire

http://vinowire.com/2011/02/22/francos-top-picks-brunello-2006/

 

Richard Jennings on Wine (88+)

http://www.rjonwine.com/italian-wine/brunello-di-montalcino/

 

Monica Larner at WE (88)

http://buyingguide.winemag.com/catalog/terre-nere-2006-sangiovese-grosso-brunello-di-montalcino

 

Whine Dharma (96). “Peyton Manning of Brunellos, simply one of the best, most gifted, fiery, tenacious. Manning doesn’t play football, he is football.”

http://winedharma.com/en/dharmag/january-2012/brunello-di-montalcino-2006-draft-great quarterback-and-lot-asian-dishes-everyt

 

Todd B. Alexander’s Italian Wine report (86) from the guy who rates nothing over 90 and scores 85 for Siro Pacenti! “This is a brunello that will clearly shine with the right substantial fare or from a 5 year stint in the cellar.”

http://italianwinereport.com/brunello-di-montalcino-2006-top-notch-but-not-historical/

 

Bruce Sanderson (92) of WS, “complex and flavorful.”

http://www.scribd.com/doc/53472505/Insider-2011-04-20

 

 

Other Wines Of Note:

 

Corte Rive Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (089318, $39.95) RP (93+)

Delaforce Corte Vintage Port 1997 (199695, $38.95) WS (95)

 

IVR* – Vintage Direct Intrigue-to-Value Ratio

CVR* – Vintage Direct Curiosity-to-Value Ratio

 

 

 

 

Good to go!

Ontario Wines Won’t Break The Federal Budget

March 29, 2012

 

http://blogs.canada.com/2012/03/29/ontario-wines-wont-break-the-federal-budget/?postpost=v2#content

 

The first true Harper majority government budget will be unveiled this afternoon while VINTAGES product consultants stock their shelves with the March 31st release. The budget will push Old Age Security benefits back to 67. That’s the bad news. The good news is the VINTAGES debut for three stellar backyard bottles. The Tawse Rosé (Echoes incarnate) and the Fielding Chardonnay are on the list at Barque. All three take leave of Canadian politics, tax season and choose to sing of a soothing Spring and Easter otherness.

 

Tawse Sketches of Niagara Rosé 2011 (172643, $15.95) lightens the load laid thick by the 2010 vintage characteristic of the family rutaceae and citrus paradisi. Leans and Dreams Côte d‘Azur where strawberry and candy wiz together ripe and bright.  Warm weather friend crafted by a non compromising cropper.  87 

Featherstone Black Sheep Riesling 2011 (080234, $16.95) elevates above the rim to heights scented by citrus and sea salt to dunk over gleaming minerality. All-star game style on the ball, friable, alley-oop. I’ll repeat the refrain. Less zone coverage and grow more Riesling Ontario!  88

Fielding Estate Chardonnay Unoaked 2008 (164491, $13.95) continues to exude freshness three plus years on.  Prevailing squeaky clean and cheap so ”my money flows like wine.” Still whistling Dixie and eating chicken, like Mitt Romney on the Western Swing. More Mutsu than Meyer, more alfalfa than clover.  A golden, herbal remedy.  87

 

 

 

Good to go!

Tawse For Thought, A Niagara Summer in March

March 22, 2012

 

http://blogs.canada.com/2012/03/27/tawse-for-thought-a-niagara-summer-in-march/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A freakish heat wave smothers Ontario with record temperatures and that does not sit well with Paul Pender. Budding vines followed by frost could spell disaster. “I’ll be looking for a new job” says Pender. Let’s hope not. His first four vintages at Tawse Winery are the stuff of local hero. The wines yet to be bottled from 2010 and 2011 will introduce Mr. Pender to the world.

Paul Pender is a pragmatist. He’s also the most passionate winemaker this side of the 49th. This deadly combination is the proviso towards ensconcing Tawse as the preeminent winery in Ontario. That and the meticulous farming of optimum ripened grapes coddled from top vineyard sites. The land, the fruit and the barrels. Mr. Pender’s Burgundy, Northern Rhône and Bordeaux Right Bank rolled into one dramatic package. He considers himself a farmer above all else and Tawse is on the road to achieving full organic and biodynamic status. Others may fill out forms that declare their outfits “sustainable” but very few practice what they preach.

I spend 90 minutes in the Tawse caves with Moray’s man, tasting through the 2010 and 2011 casks. I emerge energized, head buzzing,  like walking out of a Yorkdale movie theatre as a child in 1980 having just watched Raiders of the Lost Ark. To a batch, the reds show concentration, deep colour, balance and structure. Not a weak or merely acceptable one in the lot. No “iffs” here. Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah for the long haul. White grapes are mined with Burgundy in mind. When I look into the eyes of the Chardonnays, the cut, clarity and brilliance shine of Dresden green. Single Vineyard wines, each its own unique organism, testaments to power and finesse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chardonnay David’s 2011 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

Chardonnay Quarry Road 2011 resides on the mineral, slate and lime side of the tracks. The calcareous quality imparted by its eponymous SV terrior makes it the antithesis of David. Creamy, 24-karat fruit.  91-93

Chardonnay Robyn’s Block 2011 will put another gold record on the wall. Combines the best of both David’s and Quarry’s world.  Smacking sapor of melons and pears. Seriously folks, life’s been good to Robyn.  92-94

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cabernet Franc Van Bers 2010 will show that 2010 is the new 1998 for Ontario reds. “Our climate is always workable for early ripening Cab Franc” says Pender, “and when the vintage is right, it’s ideal.” Layers of rich fruit here packed like sardines within a protective bubble of tannin. Should go to 2020 and beyond.  91-93

Merlot David’s 2011 fresh to barrel noses reductive and requires ferocious swirling to aerate and be counted. The wine rebounds so Bob’s your peduncle for this round mound of Merlot. For regular days when you’ve “got some money and a case of wine.” Will drink well in the boat’s cuddy and with grilled ground chuck up on deck.  87-89

Merlot David’s 2010 suffers no stenosis and instead flows as a sanguine and savoury riverine expression. Olives and the smokey whiff of yeasty bread on the grill. Not surprising considering the quality of Pender’s lees so often collected and added back to the next generation’s barrels.  89-91

Syrah Redstone 2011 airs reductive fallacy ad absurdum and so beats it out as a funky drummer.  It takes a major swirl to disambiguate the fetor from the fruit but patience is virtuous. A walled Syrah for sure, and mysterious. Opaque, pepper studded trove of treasure peeks out.  88-90

Syrah Redstone 2010 lays bare visually that rarely, if ever, have I seen this kind of colour intensity from Ontario Syrah.  Pulp and skin impart an easily identifiable dark sheen of complexion. A mess of lush fruit, meed of the maker.  Drink this and “the flutes of the chi will sound again, my friend.” Dangerous. May someday have to be weaned off this one.  91-93

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good to go!