Archive for the ‘Tasting notes’ Category
MWG March 20th tasting (7/7): Singular Zins
Vin de France (2011), Z, Domaine de L’Arjolle ($19.95, LCBO 346072; available in Quebec as a $26 private import from L’Orée du bois)
100% Zinfandel from a one-hectare parcel of 16-year-old vines, the only Zinfandel planting in France. Manually harvested. Cold-soaked on the skins to extract phenolic compounds. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled (25°C) wooden vats. The resulting wine is matured in first- and second-fill barrels (two-thirds American oak, one-third French oak) for 12 months. Zinfandel not being a permitted variety in the Languedoc, the wine can be labelled only as a vin de France with no mention of vintage or grape. 14% ABV.
Savoury nose of tarry plum and blackberry (but no jam or prune), spice, pipe tobacco and cured pork. Full-bodied and full of ripe fruit that’s balanced by smooth acidity and round tannins and nuanced by mineral, cocoa and smoke flavours, which isn’t to say the wine couldn’t be deeper, longer or more complex. Still, this is far from a bomb – not quite as dry or rustic as a Primitivo but closer in style and food-friendliness to those southern Italians than to some of the sweet, overripe, overconcentrated and searingly alcoholic Zins coming out of the Golden State these days. Decent overall, especially at the LCBO price. (Buy again? If in Ontario and in the mood for a civilized Zin, sure.)
Zinfandel 2008, Fiddletown AVA, Old Vine, Eschen-Rinaldi Vineyard, Easton ($36.50, 12131340)
100% Zinfandel from one of the oldest, if not the oldest, currently producing vineyard in California, some of whose vines date back to the original 1865 planting. Dry-farmed without the use of synthetic chemicals. Matured in French oak. 4,800 bottles made. 14.5% ABV.
Blueberry, boysenberry, dried herbs, granite dust, peppery spice, discreet oak. More medium- than full-bodied. Savoury and dry. The fruit is earthy, freshened by bright acidity and deepened by subtle wood and a mineral substrate with a ferrous vein. The stealth tannins come out on the long, heady but not hot finish. Compared with the interchangeable fruit- and oak-heavy Zins that rule the market, this is terroir-driven, admirably restrained, somewhat old-fashioned and definitely contemplation-worthy, the kind of wine that could bring Zinfandel lovers turned skeptics back into the fold. (Buy again? Done!)
MWG March 20th tasting (6/7): A couple of classic Chiantis
Chianti Classico 2011, San Fabiano Calcinaia ($21.95, 10843327)
A blend of Sangiovese (85%), Colorino, Canaiolo and Malvasia Nera; the estate is reportedly converting to organic production. Controlled-temperature fermentation and maceration on the skins for ten to 15 days followed by gentle pressing. Matured in second- and third-fill casks for 12 to 18 months. The lots are vinified separately and blended just before bottling. 14.5% ABV.
Architypical Chianti nose: cherry, terracotta, cedar, leather. Medium-bodied, structured and long. The combination of restrained fruit, drying tannins, tart acidity and heady finish produces an austerity that the almost-integrated oak sweetens only a little and that fairly demands the wine be drunk with food. Excellent QPR. (Buy again? Yes.)
Chianti Classico 2011, Isole e Olena ($29.95, 00515296)
A blend of Sangiovese (80%), Canaiolo (15%) and Syrah (5%). Fermented on the skins in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for 15 days, with daily rack-and-returns and pump-overs. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was racked into barrels (5% new) and 4,000-litre botti and matured for about one year. 14% ABV.
Brambly cherry, cedar, peppery spice, dried earth, faint tobacco leaf. The juicy fruit is grounded in dark minerals, pointed by acidity and structured by soft tannins that turn dustily astringent on the long, tart, fragrant finish. Balanced and classy if lush, weighty and warm for an Isole e Olena. (Buy again? Yes.)
MWG March 20th tasting (5/7): Die, preconceptions, die!
Lison Pramaggiore 2011, Refosco, Impronta del Fondatore, Santa Margherita ($19.05, 12208538)
100% Refosco. Macerated and fermented on the skins in stainless steel tanks for ten days at 28°C with regular pump-overs for about ten days. After malolactic fermentation, part of the wine is racked into French oak barriques, while the rest is matured in stainless steel. The two batches are blended just before bottling. 14% ABV.
Sweaty candied plum, slate, spice and hints of flowers (peony?), animale and sawed wood. Medium- to full-bodied. Dry but fruity with a sappy greenish overtone. The soft, lightly raspy tannins and relatively low acidity give the wine a velour-like texture that lasts well into the faintly bitter finish. Not bad but one-dimensional and a bit heavy. (Buy again? Nah.)
IGP Letrini 2009, Domaine Mercouri ($22.00, 11885537)
Located on the western coast of the Peloponnese peninsula near the village of Korakochori, the estate is the second oldest modern-day producer in Greece (after Boutari). This is a blend of sustainably farmed Refosco (80%) and Mavrodaphne (20%); the Refosco vines were first brought to the estate from Friuli in the 19th century. Fermented with neutral yeasts in stainless steel vats. Undergoes malolactic fermentation. Matured 10 to 12 months in French oak barrels, 40% new. 13.5% ABV.
Red and black fruit, cedar, graphite, tire. Silkier, brighter and fleeter than the Lison Pramaggiore. The fruit is ripe but restrained, structured by dark minerals and fine tannins and sweetened by a whisper of oak. The sustained finish has an appetizing bitter note. Fundamentally, a savoury wine though not at the expense of freshness. Elegant and digeste, far more so than its flightmate. Even better than the enjoyable 2008. (Buy again? Done!)
Before the bottles were unveiled, I pegged the chewy, unrefreshing wine as the Greek and the elegant, food-friendly wine as the Italian. Shows what I know. Preconceptions die hard.
MWG March 20th tasting (4/7): Go-to Venetos
IGT Veneto 2008, Campo Massimo, Albino Piona ($19.05, 12132035)
100% Corvina from 10- to 15-year-old vines. Manually harvested. Destemmed and pressed. Fermented and macerated in temperature-controlled tanks with pumping over and rack-and-returns. Aged ten months in stainelss steel tanks. 13% ABV.
Intriguing aromatic nose: floral, strawberry jam, leather, earth, lipstick. Fresh and lively in the mouth with the weight and structure of a Beaujolais cru. Tart berries and cherry sing while bell pepper and chervil hit a savoury note. Fair length. Very throwbackable, especially when lightly chilled. How do you say vin plaisir in Italian? (Buy again? Yes.)
Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso 2012, Morandina, Prà ($21.65, 12131964)
A blend of organically farmed Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Oselata. Destemmed, pressed and transferred to tall vats for 15 days’ fermentation and maceration with rack-and-returns. Transferred to 20-hectolitre oak barrels for malolactic fermentation. The resulting wine in then macerated on the skins of grapes used to make Amarone for five days at 25 to 30°C, during which time a second fermentation takes place (this step is what makes it a ripasso). Lastly, the wine is transferred to large barrels and a few French oak casks for a further 18 months’ maturation. 13.5% ABV.
Morello cherry, blackberry, bell pepper, fresh herbs and spice, in particular white pepper and licorice. Medium-bodied, tart and juicy, balanced. The fruit is clean, the tannins supple, the acidity fresh. Dark minerals and a bitter thread add depth. Exits as suavely as it enters. Not a vin de contemplation but perfect in its way. Great QPR. (Buy again? Yes.)
MWG March 20th tasting (3/7): Simoneized
Trying to get a definitive answer as to which grape varieties in which proportions are used to make Château Simone’s wines is an exercise in frustration. Why this should be the case for such a renowned estate is anybody’s guess.
VDP des Bouches-du-Rhône 2011, Les Grands Carmes de Simone, Château Simone ($43.50, 11822430)
A blend of Clairette, Ugni Blanc and Viognier (80%, 10% and 10% respectively according to some) from vines averaging more than 30 years old. Manually harvested. Lightly crushed, partially destemmed, pressed in a vertical hydraulic press. Matured on the lees in small oak foudres. Clarified by settling and racking. 13.5% ABV.
Fresh and charming nose marked by candied lemon, peach, pineapple, floral and mineral scents. A rich yet fleet middleweight in the mouth. Fruity but dry, with acidity providing energy, minerals depth and a faint bitter undertow intrigue – all buoyantly sustained from entry to finish. Remarkable purity and balance for what is pitched as an easy-going early drinker. (Buy again? Yes but…*)
Palette 2010, Château Simone ($57.00, 11556266)
Clairette (80% by most accounts) with small amounts of Grenache Blanc and a dash of Ugni Blanc and/or Bourboulenc and/or Muscat Blanc from vines averaging more than 50 years old. Manually harvested. Lightly crushed, partially destemmed, pressed in a vertical hydraulic press, with the press cake broken up manually. Lightly clarified by settling. Fermented 15 to 20 days in small wooden vats at 20°C with indigenous yeasts. Does not undergo malolactic fermentation. Matured 18 months in 50- to 60-hectolitre oak foudres, six of which are on the lees (no stirring), and another year in casks. 13.5% ABV.
More serious and somewhat closed nose of fired minerals, flowers and dusty lemon with a whiff of pine resin. Light on entry but gaining dimension, including weight, as it progresses through the mouth. At all times complex, layered and evolving. The kaleidoscopic if subtle flavours include white peach, quince, linden and fennel. Deceptively smooth on the surface, it’s actually quite structured, even tense, underpinned by acidity and buttressed by minerals. The texture turns waxy on the long, vaporous, honey- and nut-inflected finish. Such finesse, depth and balance point to a certain ageing potential, though it’s plenty delicious now. (Buy again? Yes.)
*Delicious as the Grands Carmes was, most around the table felt that if you are going to push the boat out, you should push it all the way out and plunk down another $14 for the magnificent Palette.
MWG March 20th tasting (2/7): Flat whites?
Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2012, Panizzi ($20.90, 12102821)
100% Vernaccia. Sees only stainless steel until bottling. Gently crushed, no maceration. Fermented in temperature-controlled (18°C) tanks. Transferred to other tanks for five months’ maturation. 13% ABV.
Straw, chalk and quartz, eventually offering up faint stone fruit and lemon. Clean and intense. Starts dry but sweetens as it goes along. Possessed of a certain richness – largely extract – that’s balanced by acidity. Long, minerally finish with a telltale bitter almond note. A second bottle showed better at table. The best Vernaccia sold at the SAQ in a coon’s age, though less accomplished than the private import Barzaghi tasted last year. (Buy again? Sure.)
Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore 2010, Il Coroncino, Fattoria Coroncino ($23.55, 11952138)
100% Verdicchio from vines in the Coroncino and Cerrete vineyards. Farming is organic, though uncertified, and no fertilizers are used. Manually harvested, gently pressed. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled (20°C) stainless steel tanks. Whether the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation is left to nature. Matured in stainless steel tanks. Minimal sulphur is added at bottling. 13.5% ABV.
Oxidized butter, flowers, yellow apple, dried lemon, ash. Rich, smooth, concentrated but not heavy. Fruit is present but Heisenbergian: when you look for it, it evanesces. Layered, with substrata of tangy acid and dusty chalk. Long, bitter-edged, moreish. A bottle consumed a couple of weeks after the tasting proved even more compelling and made a surprisingly good match for asparagus gratinéed with Parmesan cheese and topped with a fried egg. (Buy again? Yes.)
IGT Civitella d’Agliano 2012, Poggio della Costa, Sergio Mottura ($21.75, 10782309)
100% Grechetto from organically farmed vines grown in the Poggio della Costa vineyard. Soft-pressed, cold-settled, fermented in temperature-controlled (18-20°C) tanks for 15 to 25 days. Matured on the lees in tanks for five or six months. Sees only stainless steel until bottling. Screwcapped. 13.5% ABV.
Inexpressive nose of lemon and quartz dust. Bland and inexpressive in the mouth. Clean, medium-bodied, with lowish acidity, a saline finish and no personality. I quite enjoyed Mottura’s Orvietto last year but this was simply forgettable. Closed and in need of time? Let’s hope that’s the explanation. (Buy again? Only to give it a second chance.)
I had high hopes for this flight: three monovarietals from three iconic Italian white grapes made by three highly regarded producers. But all three wines fell flat at the tasting, generating little interest, with no one inquiring about availability. Did the cavas neutralize our palates? Were the planets improperly aligned? Are these wines that, like many central Italian reds, need food to show their mettle? That the two revisited after the tasting were capable of providing pleasure (especially the Coroncino) has me leaning toward the food hypothesis. Then again, I thought both made a fine aperitif on their own before I sat down to eat.
MWG March 20th tasting (1/7): Soulless sparklers?
Eric Asimov neatly summarizes the issues many MWG members have with cava: “I have never been the biggest fan of cava. While repeatedly I have seen it cited as an excellent value, the rock-bottom prices never justified the absence of pleasure I experienced. Served chilled, I thought, it was merely cold and bubbly, with little zest or energy. It seemed to lack the sparkling joy of prosecco, or the intrigue of the various crémants.”
To put our preconceptions to the test, we popped the corks on two highly rated and relatively pricey Spanish sparklers.
Conca del Riu Anoia 2009, De la Finca, Raventos I Blanc ($31.50, 12178834)
Organically farmed Xarel⋅lo (45%), Macabeu (30%) and Parelleda (25%) from vines grown in nine parcels planted between 1970 and 1987. After gentle pressing, the varieties are fermented separately in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, then blended and transferred to bottles for second fermentation and a minimum of three years’ maturation. 12% ABV.
A fine bead but not much foam. Bready, yeasty, lemony, chalky nose. Clean with a tight effervescence. More minerally than fruity (quince?). Long, bitter-tinged (almond skins?), tensely acidic and very dry. Not much depth, though chewing reveals more. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Penedès 2007, Imperial Gran Reserva, Gramona ($32.70, 11800222)
Xarel⋅lo (50%), Macabeu (40%) and Chardonnay (10%) from 25- to 30-year-old vines. Aged on the lees for four to five years. 12% ABV.
Sweeter-smelling than the Finca: lemon, flowers and a note of shower curtain. Softer effervescence. Suaver but also grapier, rounder, less dry and less pristine. Again more minerally than fruity. Decent breadth and length but plumbing no depths. (Buy again? Meh.)
Both wines are scored highly by local and international critics. Both are impeccably made. Neither is unpleasant to drink. So why did they generate no excitement and little enthusiasm around the table? “Lack of soul?” hazarded one taster. “Not a lot of personality there,” noted another. The general conclusion was that the 20% to 30% price premium over more enjoyable sparklers from the Jura, Loire, Alsace, Burgundy and Limoux made purchasing them hard to justify.
¿Creador de armonias?
Ribera del Duero 2012, Sélection Chartier ($19.95, 12246622)
Made by Bodegas Arrocal to the specifications of the self-styled créateur d’harmonies. 100% Tinta del Païs (aka Tempranillo) from 50- to 70-year-old vines. After strict sorting, the grapes are destemmed and cold-soaked. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts takes place in stainless steel vats. The wine is transferred to 75% French and 25% American oak casks (first, second and third fill in equal proportion) for ten months’ maturation. 14.5% ABV.
(The bottle my glass came from had been open for about four hours.) Fragrant nose of dark fruit, burned earth, tobacco leaf and spice, especially black pepper. In the mouth, it’s a middleweight. Fluid and fruity up front, turning more structured (lively acidity, lithe tannins), darker (shades of minerals, smoke) and drier on its way to a lightly astringent, heady – not hot – finish. Not notably deep or long but clean, tonic and, of course, food friendly. Light years away from the dense, chewy, often heavily oaked reds most wine lovers associate with the appellation, not that I’m complaining. (Buy again? Sure.)
On the bottle’s front label and on his website, Chartier recommends various food pairings for the wine, including some surprising ones like grilled porgy, dark chocolate (80% cocoa or higher) and strawberries. While none of those seems obvious to me, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt; the one time I asked him to recommend a wine pairing for a tricky dish (chicken roasted with Seville oranges and cumin), he came through with flying colours. Still, I’m pretty sure that, while waiting for strawberry season to roll around, you could get away serving this with charcoal-grilled veal or baby lamb chops.
Hip hops
Three India pale ales (IPAs) from one of Quebec’s most interesting mircobreweries.
IPA Anglaise, Brasserie Dunham ($3.99, 341 ml/12 oz.)
5.0% ABV.
Hazy tawny bronze with a frothy, off-white head, a mix of small and medium bubbles that are slow to disappear. The malty, hoppy nose shows some fruity esters. In the mouth, it’s very dry and so mildly effervescent it may surprise you. Smooth and malty on entry with dried apricot and citrus peel overtones that transition to faint butterscotch. Endless, intensely – though not harshly – hoppy finish. (Buy again? Sure.)
Imperial India, Brasserie Dunham ($3.99, 341 ml/12 oz.)
An imperial IPA. Dry-hopped with Amarillo (USA) and Nelson Sauvin (New Zealand). 8.6% ABV.
Hazy deep amber. A mostly fine-bubbled head slowly shrinks to a thin, persistent cap, leaving quite a bit of lace on the wall of the glass. Markedly estery nose of spice (cardamom), citrus (dried orange peel) and resin (spruce). A sip and it’s softly effervescent. Dry, rich and malty on the attack. Hints of papaya fruit leather and sweet spice fade as an intense, hoppy bitterness crescendos and lingers through the long, citrus-oiled finish. Not for the faint-hearted. (Buy again? When in the mood for an ale to contend with, yes.)
Black IPA, Brasserie Dunham ($3.99, 341 ml/12 oz.)
Centennial and Chinook hops, Harris Otter and crystal malts. 5.7% ABV.
Fine cappuccino-foam head and a stoutish nose of toasted grain, chocolate-covered raisins and espresso beans. Gently effervescent once again. Mildly flavoured and malty-sweet up front though the hops soon kick in, intensifying after you swallow, the bitterness lingering for minutes and eventually joined by a faint burnt Earl Gray tea note. Despite the dark colour − near black with a ruddy cast − more an IPA than a stout. Personality disorder aside, it’s a certifiably great sipper. (Buy again? Absolutely.)
I’ve long thought of myself as a hop lover but I’m not sure what to make of the recent trend at local microbreweries to produce super hoppy beers. While they definitely have character, they frequently taste unbalanced, out of whack, hops-dominated, bitter to a fault. Fortunately, that’s not the case here: all three IPAs have lots of malty sweetness and richness to counter the remarkably heavy hopping. That said, I still have a minor issue with them. Tastings aside, I usually don’t drink unless I’m eating and these beers’ full-bore bitterness is not food-friendly. What, other than a hunk of cheese, goes with them? Certainly not dishes that make you thirsty, for these are beers for sipping more than guzzling. Certainly not Indian or Mexican or other spicy food because the beers’ many positive qualities don’t include refreshment. Or maybe my palate’s not macho enough…
MWG February 13th tasting (5/5): Vins de beauté
Patrimonio 2009, Clos Signadore ($46.00, 11908129)
100% Nielluccio from 50-year-old vines in a four-hectare plot called Morta Plana (the estate officially began converting to organic farming in 2010 and was certified in 2013). Manually harvested. Macerated and fermetened with inidigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks for 45 to 60 days. Matured in neutral demi-muids for 24 months. Sulphur is added only at bottling. 13.5% ABV.
Effusive bouquet of sweet spice, wood and graphite against a backdrop of red fruit. In the mouth, it’s medium-bodied, fluid and impeccably balanced. Limber tannins provide a supple structure. Spice colours the rich fruit, which persists well into the long finish. Sleek, even a little glossy and definitely the least unconventional of the trio but undeniably a pleasure to drink. (Buy again? Sure.)
Patrimonio 2010, Carco, Antoine Arena ($40.50, 12039560)
Arena doesn’t appear to have a website; see here for a short profile. 100% biodynamically farmed Nielluccio from the Carco vineyard. Macerated and fermented with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled (27-30C) tanks for six to nine weeks with regular punch-downs. Long maturation (up to two years for some cuvées). Minimally sulphured. Unfiltered and unfined. 14% ABV.
Closed but evolving nose: plum, earth, spice, eventually cocoa husks and a faint musky/animale note. Closed but promissing on the palate. A dry, savoury, smooth-textured middleweight. The fruit is ripe, dense and a bit cooked, though more roasted than stewed. Brisk acidity adds welcome tension and brightness; fine albeit pervasive tannins add structure; dark minerals add depth. The finish is long and velvety. Alive, even a little wild yet somehow quite elegant. (Buy again? Yes.)
Vin de table (2011), CN, Domaine Comte Abbatucci ($62.00, 11930140)
The second vintage of this wine, which doesn’t meet the appellation’s grape variety requirements and so is classified a vin de table and not entitled to mention the vintage or the grape variety on the label (Abbatucci prints the vintage on the cork). 100% biodyanmically farmed Carcajolo Nero (aka Carcajolu-Neru) from vines average six years old. Hand-picked, crushed by foot. Maceration and fermentation with indigenous yeasts last 15 days. About one-third of the wine is then matured in neutral 600-litre demi-muids and the rest in stainless steel tanks for eight to ten months. Unfiltered and unfined. 13% ABV.
Pale, clear red, approaching the kind of rubis you sometimes see in Jura wines. Appealing nose of red currant, leather, cedar, maquis and a possibly reductive note that one taster described as “balloon animals.” Medium-bodied, silky textured. The fruit is juicy, like fresh squeezed mulberry, overtoned with sandalwood, buoyed by soft acidity. The supple tannins turn astringent on the long, chocolate-noted finish. Complex if not particularly deep but unique and fascinating all the same. (Buy again? Would love to.)
Brett happens 