Archive for the ‘Tasting notes’ Category
MWG February 13th tasting (4/5): Baby Barbaresco
An impromptu addition to the lineup. Having had such a positive encounter with the wine at Orange Rouge, I brought a show-and-tell bottle to the tasting room to let the others know of its arrival. “How much extra would it cost to pop the cork tonight?” came the question. “Two dollars each,” was the answer, which elicited a collective “Go for it.” And we did, right then and there.
Langhe Nebbiolo 2012, Produttori del Barbaresco ($24.40, 11383617)
100% Nebbiolo from young vines, all of which are located within the Barbaresco DOC. Fermented with selected “Barolo” yeasts at 28ºC in stainless steel tanks. Macerated on the skins for 24 days. Matured six months in very large oak barrels. No fining, light filtering, minimal sulphur dioxide. 13.5% ABV.
Fragrant nose of cherry, sandalwood, tar and a floral note. A silky middleweight with sleek acidity and edgy tannins that add a light astringency to the long, clean finish. Wood and minerals darken the bright fruit, creating a kind of chiaroscuro effect in the mouth. Remarkable purity, energy and balance. Very similar to the Orange Rouge bottles but coming across as more structured and austere, probably due to the lack of food to soften its tannins and acidity and probably meaning that the wine will benefit from a year or two in the cellar or an hour or two in a carafe. Despite the SAQ’s recent 60¢ price hike, this remains one of the great red wine bargains at the monopoly. (Buy again? By the truckload.)
MWG February 13th tasting (3/5): Three Dolcettos and an impostor
Barbera d’Alba 2008, Bric du Luv, Ca’Viola ($37.75, 11863080)
100% Barbera from vines averaging 65 years old and grown in the Bric du Luv vineyard (the SAQ says 5% of the wine is Nebbiolo but Barbera is the sole variety mentioned on the producer’s spec sheet). Macerated and fermented with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled tanks for 25 days. Matured 16 months in oak barriques and tonneaux (since 2011, 80% of the wine has been matured in large casks and the remainder in second-fill tonneaux to reduce interference from the oak and allow a better expression of terroir). Unfiltered. Around 6,600 bottles made. 14.5% ABV.
Candied plum and black currant, tarry slate and a haze of vanilla. Dense and weighty with a velvety texture, very ripe, very clean fruit, smooth acidity, polished tannins, an inky streak and a long, oak-sweetened finish. Impressive in its concentrated way but not very soulful or refreshing. More is less. (Buy again? Unlikely.)
Dolcetto d’Alba 2012, Augenta, Pelissero ($21.75, 10856793)
100% Dolcetto from 35-year-old vines in the Augenta vineyard. The grapes are macerated and fermented ten to 12 days in temperature-controlled casks with cold-decantation into stainless steel vats. Maturation in 50-hectolitre oak barrels lasts six to seven months. 13.5% ABV.
Brett, then cherry and plum, earth and old wood. In the mouth it’s a very dry middleweight showing dark fruit, sleek acidity and supple tannins. The bitter-edged finish is spoiled by an intrusion of oak, not heavy like the Ca’Viola’s but unintegrated, artificial and out of place for such an otherwise straightforward wine. Could use more depth and personality. (Buy again? Meh.)
Dolcetto d’Alba 2012, Fratelli Alessandria ($20.30, 11580186)
100% Dolcetto from vines averaging 18 years old and grown in various vineyards in the Verduno commune. Manually harvested. Fermented in temperature-controlled (26-28°C) stainless steel tanks for six to eight days. Matured six to eight months in stainless steel and cement tanks and another two months in bottle. Around 8,000 bottles made. 13% ABV.
Graphite dust, red berries, black tea and a floral note. Medium-bodied. Very dry yet intensely fruity. Carried along on a smooth-flowing, slate-bottomed stream of acidity with airframe tannins lightly rasping the finish and a taste of anise lingering long after you swallow. A classic Dolcetto d’Alba and the best vintage of this wine I’ve tasted. (Buy again? Yes.)
Dolcetto di Dogliani 2011, Briccolero, Quinto Chionetti ($22.15, 12131112)
100% Dolcetto from the Dogliani DOCG. Manually harvested. Temperature-controlled (28-30°C) fermentation on the skins with indigenous yeasts and daily pump-overs lasts 14 days. The wine is racked into new tanks for malolactic fermentation and 11 months’ maturation. Sees only stainless steel until bottling. Cold stabilized but unfiltered. Around 38,000 bottles made. 14% ABV.
Fresh, fragrant nose of dark berries, earth and hints of kirsch, flowers, horse sweat, spice. Mouth-filling but fleet. The fruit is up-front, pure and very intense at its core. Rustic tannins add textural interest, while acidity sharpens the long finish. Young, vigorous, even a little feisty, and lots of fun to drink. (Buy again? Done!)
The Barbera was supposed to be Ca’Viola’s 2010 Dolcetto d’Alba “Barturot” ($24.95, 11838431), but I distractedly grabbed the Bric du Luv, which has an identical capsule and a very similar label and was in the cubbyhole under the display bottle of the Barturot. Only when the bottle was unbagged at the end of the flight was the mistake revealed, though it was clear from the first sniff and taste that the Bric du Luv was a different animal from the three other wines.
Saved by the food
With a few blessed exceptions, South American wines aren’t my cup of tea. But hope springs eternal and every now and then I buy a few bottles for a tasting or my table as a kind of reality check. Which is how I ended up with this new arrival, a popular Argentinean Malbec. One of my issues with these wines is their lack of versatility: what can you serve them with besides a grilled hunk of red meat? Unwilling to dig the barbie out of the snow and brave minus 10 degree temperatures and stuck foraging at the local green grocer, I came up with a stir-fry of beef tenderloin and chorizo that actually did the wine a favour and was fast and tasty enough to make again. You’ll find the recipe after the jump. But first, the vino.
Malbec 2010, Terroir, Valle de Uco, Altos Las Hormigas ($21.25, 12068379)
100% Malbec from several vineyards. Manually harvested. The different lots of grapes are vinified separately. After gentle pressing, the grapes are cold macerated for five days at 10ºC in stainless steel tanks. Alcoholic fermentation (with indigenous yeasts) at 28-30ºC lasts for 12 days with three pump-overs a day and three rack-and-returns. About two-thirds of the wine is matured in French oak barrels. 14.5% ABV.
Strawberry, black raspberry, chocolate, dried herbs, earth and red meat, faint cinnamon and bacon. A sip and the wine shows super ripe and juicy but doesn’t tip over into fruit bomb territory. Why? Well, the initial lollipop fades fast, giving way to earthier, more savoury flavours. Plus it’s not monolithic: the sugar’s held in check, there’s some souring acidity and the tannins, round at first, gain some astringency and grit as the wine wends its way through the mouth. Unfortunately, though the fruit per se isn’t devoid of appeal, the oak starts drawing attention to itself, a sad reality that persists through the flaring, chocolate-kirschy finish. Many, maybe even most, will love this but I found it cloying and inebriating, far from undrinkable but not delivering much pleasure. Something’s not right when you have to rely on the food – and not light food at that – to refresh your palate and rescue the wine. (Buy again? Unlikely.)
Victorious
Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico 2010, Azienda Agricola COS ($36.25, 11577391)
A blend of biodynamically and organically farmed Nero d’Avola (60%) and Frappato (40%) from quarter-century vines. Fermentation is with indigenous yeasts and takes place in glass-lined concrete tanks. The varieties are fermented separately: the Nero at 30 to 33ºC, the Frappato at 28ºC. Maturation, which lasts 18 to 24 months, is in oak barrels for the Nero and concrete tanks for the Frappato. Unfiltered and minimally sulphured. 13% ABV.
Dusty cherry and elderberry, sun-baked earth, hints of leather, old wood, tobacco, flowers and licorice. Medium-bodied yet intensely present. The fruit, sweet and silky up front, fades and dries into the mid-palate as tertiary, mineral and earth flavours unspool. The acidity may be low-key but it’s sufficient to keep the wine fresh and buoyant, while the structurally light tannins add a firm astringency. The finish – long, drying and savoury – has an appetizing sour edge. Like all COS wines, this is a model of elegance and balance. The price may be creeping into treat territory but you won’t find a finer, more engaging Cerasuolo di Vittoria. A brilliant pairing for lasagne made from scratch but versatile enough to serve with a wide range of white meats, well-done red meats and deep-flavoured vegetarian dishes. (Buy again? Yes.)
Boffo Plumbago
IGT Sicilia 2011, Plumbago, Planeta ($22.20, 11724776)
100% Nero d’Avola from vineyards in the Sambuca di Sicilia commune in west-central Sicily. The grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed and transferred to stainless steel vats for 14 days’ fermentation at 25°C with regular pump-overs. The wine is then racked into stainless steel tanks for malolactic fermentation before being moved into third- and fourth-fill oak barrels for eight months’ maturation. 13.5% ABV.
Appealing nose of plum, blackberry, dried cherry, hints of herbs and chocolate cake. Medium-bodied and silky textured. Fruit-forward – ripe and juicy, with blackberry cordial at its core – but not a bomb. Soft tannins, glowing acidity and a nicely sustained, slate-darkened finish round out the picture. Nits to pick? It could be a little drier and is more about surface than depth. Then again, it’s so fresh and clean and easy to drink you really can’t complain. An affable wine at an attractive price. Throw in a pretty label and you’ve got a crowd-pleaser. (Buy again? Sure.)
PS Limited quantities and selling out fast.
Sultry Nebbiolo
Langhe Nebbiolo 2011, Prinsìot, Fratelli Alessandria ($28.45, 12131104)
100% Nebbiolo from ten-year-old vines grown in the Verduno commune. The temperature-controlled (27-28°C) fermentation is with indigenous yeasts and lasts six to nine days. The wine then spends 12 months in large French and Slavonian oak botti, two to three months in oak casks and two months in the bottle. 14.5% ABV.
The 14.5% nearly scared me off but I’m glad it didn’t. Heady nose – if the alcohol stands out anywhere it’s here – of cherry, plum and spice with some distant notes of rose, tar and wood. A sip shows the wine to be a middleweight. There may be more concentration and richness than usual but it’s not at the expense of focus or freshness. The fruit is intense and sweet, even a little cordial-like. Bright acidity cuts the glycerinish texture. Finely astringent tannins add welcome grit and dryness. A faint earthiness colours the finish, which, somewhat surprisingly, stays cool though to the end. Better balanced than I expected it would be. Though not a shrinking violet, it remains true to type: this isn’t a Barolo wannabe. (Buy again? If in the mood for a sultry Nebbiolo to accompany a deep-flavoured dish like osso buco with porcini, yes.)
Soave sia il vino
Yet another wine that the MWG bought multiple cases of when it was a private import has shown up at the SAQ.
Soave Colli Scaligeri 2011, Castelcerino, Cantina Filippi ($18.85, 12129119)
A subzone of the Soave DOC, the Colli Scaligeri (Scaligeri hills) is considered something of a grand cru, though oddly enough, it is located just outside the Soave Classico zone. The organically farmed grapes for this 100% Garganega come from vines averaging 45 years old. Manually harvested. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Does not undergo malolactic fermentation. Matured on the fine lees for about six months, with occasional stirring, and an additional year in the bottle. Lightly filtered. Sees only stainless steel until bottling. 12.5% ABV.
Wafting nose of pear, camomile, white spice, limestone and powdered honey. Lush texture. Dry yet so extract-rich you don’t really notice. The fruit is present but subdued: Asian pear on a bed of hay and straw. A saline undercurrent adds a savoury tang. The cuvée’s signature minerals are there but rounder, less crystalline, more chalk than the quartz of earlier vintages. The acidity is rounder too, surely a function of the hot summer. A bitter note – grapefruit pith and almond skin – emerges on the long finish. A richer, weightier, slightly less mineral- and acid-driven example of this wine but one that delivers enormous pleasure. Astounding QPR. (Buy again? Oh, yes.)
(The post’s title is a play on the title of a sublime trio from Mozart’s Così fan tutte, which I mention only because it gives me an excuse to link to this video of a masterful performance.)
Not your (Chilean) grandfather’s Carménère
IGT Veneto 2010, Carménère, Più, Inama ($20.95, 11389074)
Carménère (70%) and Merlot (30%) from vines between ten and 42 years of age. Manually harvested and fully destemmed. Fermented close to two weeks, then racked into new tanks for malolactic fermentation, all in stainless steel tanks. Matured in second-fill 225-litre French oak barrels for 12 months, then racked, filtered and bottled. Unfined. 14% ABV.
Black raspberry, plum, graphite and a whiff of vanilla and menthol, evolving toward gingerbread and tomato. Medium-bodied. Dry. Starts out all sweet fruit and spice but, from the mid-palate on, the dominating factor is a surging current of, well, what? At first I pegged it as bitterness – bitterness approaching the level of an amaro digestif like Fernet-Branca – but as the wine breathed I began leaning toward astringency. Let’s compromise on bitter astringency and note that it lingers long after the rest of finish has disappeared. Structure-wise the wine is supple, with enough acidity and some light, raspy tannins that seem distinct from the astringency. Unusual (though the tail end of the bottle seemed less unconventional the next day) and certainly one of the more interesting Carménères I’ve encountered, light years ahead of most of its Chilean counterparts. That said, this won’t be to everybody’s taste. Also, it’s not a wine to sip on its own. The winemaker’s suggestion of grilled pork as a pairing seems spot on. Or how about bollito misto? (Buy again? Maybe.)
MWG February 13th tasting (2/5): Hushed awe
Domaine Comte Abbatucci’s three flagship wines are grouped under the Cuvée Collection banner. All are blends of little known and, in some cases, nearly extinct Corsican grape varieties with less uncommon varieties like Vermetinu. Each is named after one of the family’s ancestors. The estate has also begun making two mid-range monovarietal wines, one white and one red, both from obscure varieties. As none of the wines qualify for AOC status, all bear the vin de table designation, meaning neither the vintage nor the constituent grape varieties can be mentioned on the label (Abbatucci stamps the vintage on the cork, which is how we knew our bottles were 2011s).
Vin de table (2011), BR, Domaine Comte Abbatucci ($51.00, 11930123)
100% biodynamically and organically farmed Barbarossa, a red-skinned grape variety here given the blanc de noirs treatment. The first vines were planted in the 1960s. The grapes are manually harvested and pressed immediately after picking. Fermented (with indigenous yeasts) and matured in stainless steel tanks. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. 2,000 bottles made. 13% ABV.
Initially reticent but eventually deep. Minerally and floral with hint of lemoncello and a faint herby overtone, like maquis or hops. Round yet very fresh in the mouth, the fruit structured by a crystalline minerality and enlightened by acidity. A faint, pleasing bitterness threads through the long finish. Breathtakingly pure and pristine, not to mention unique. (Buy again? Gladly.)
Vin de table (2011), Il Cavalière Diplomate de l’Empire, Domaine Comte Abbatucci ($64.00, 11930191)
A blend of biodynamically and organically farmed Vermentinu (c. 40%) with lesser amounts of Rossola Bianca (aka Ugni Blanc aka Trebbiano), Biancu Gentile, Genovèse and possibly Brustiano (aka Vermentino?!) from vines averaging 50 years of age. Manually harvested. Slow fermentation with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks. The fermented must is transferred to 600-litre used oak barrels for 12 months’ maturation. Unfiltered and unfined. 13% ABV. 1,500 bottles made. Named after Don Jacques Pascal Abbatucci (1765-1851), a childhood friend of Napoleon who served as an Imperial diplomat in Naples and fought at Waterloo.
Complex, nuanced nose of lemon, baked apple, maquis, fennel and wax, among other things. Slightly less dry than the BR. Dense and full, verging on lush but in no way flabby. On the contrary, there’s an enthralling tension and impeccable balance. Minerally and savoury with sweeter hints of stone fruit and a bitter undertow. Long, multifaceted, complete. The kind of wine that sticks in your memory for days. Arguably deserving of a place alongside France’s best whites. As a food pairing, the estate suggests simply prepared lobster seasoned only with a drizzle of fine olive oil. (Buy again? If the budget permits, yes, because, believe it or not, the wine’s if anything underpriced.)
The sketchiness of my notes is due partly to the wines’ being hard to describe; it’s a challenge to pin down what makes them so special. Also, the hushed awe that fell over the table when the first sniffs and sips were taken was soon broken by a distracting burst of comment and discussion, all of it positive. Several tasters expressed astonishment that wines of such quality and refinement could come from Corsica. Even the group’s resident white wine skeptic acknowledged their appeal and took second pours. Tellingly, both bottles were drained on the spot.
Given the tiny quantities produced, it’s surprising that the wines are even available in Quebec, let alone at the SAQ. They arrived at the Signature stores last fall and, though I wanted to include them in a tasting, the opportunity didn’t present itself and I’d assumed they were all gone. Fast-forward to early February, when Kermit Lynch’s monthly mailer showed up in my inbox with four 2012 Abbatuccis on page one. What struck me was the price: the three Collection wines were going for US$98 a bottle. Wondering whether I’d misremembered the SAQ price, I went to SAQ.com, which now lists products no longer in stock. Not only were the prices for the 2011s up to 40% cheaper in Quebec, there were still bottles of the BR, the CN (more on which anon) and one of the Collection whites available for purchase.
MWG February 13th tasting (1/5): Dry Riesling shoot-out
The idea for a flight comparing dry Rieslings from Germany and Australia came from a couple of recent Gazette articles (here and here) by wine critic Bill Zacharkiw, who says he plans to devote a good number of column inches in 2014 to promoting this underappreciated grape variety. All four wines were highly recommended, and rightly so (though in our case the Leitz was done no favours by being served last).
Riesling 2009, Eden Valley, B3 Wines ($24.55, 11034935)
B3 is shorthand for the three brothers Basedow who own and run the estate. This 100% Riesling sees only stainless steel. Screwcapped. 12.5% ABV.
Textbook nose of lime, green apple, white flowers, chalk, slate and petrol. Smooth and muted at first but gaining complexity. Quite dry and very present. The clean, bright fruit glows against a slatey backdrop while the acidity and minerals are intense enough to produce a faint burning sensation on the finish. The sulphurous note would have dissipated if I’d carafed the wine a half hour. (Buy again? Sure.)
Riesling 2012, QbA Rheinhessen, Trocken, Weingut Keller ($25.30, 10558446)
100% Riesling. Fermented at low temperatures and with indigenous yeasts. 12% ABV.
Lime, green pear and flowers on the nose – the fruit lightly candied, even a bit caricatural – along with an unexpected grassy note. Lighter and more rainwatery on the palate than the others and a little less dry, the better to balance the sharp acidity. The fruit takes a backseat to the crystalline minerality. A jalapeño note adds intrigue to the finish. And it’s all lifted by a faint carbon dioxide tingle. Focused, balanced and, as Zacharkiw says, fun. (Buy again? Yes, despite the high price for an entry-level wine.)
Riesling 2012 Springvale, Clare Valley, Grosset Wines ($38.25, 11625081)
100% organically farmed Riesling. Manually harvested. Sees no oak. Screwcapped. 12.5% ABV.
Deep if restrained nose: dried lime, yellow apple, chalk and meadow. The richest, weightiest and steeliest of the four. Bone dry too. The fruit is tightly wound around a talc-like mineral core. The acidity gives great cut. A saline note adds tang to the impressively sustained finish. There’s at least a decade’s worth of ageing potential here. Would make an interesting ringer in a flight of Alsatian grand cru Rieslings. (Buy again? Indeed.)
Riesling 2012, QbA Rüdesheimer, Leitz Weingut ($20.25, 11688402)
100% Riesling. Fermented with selected yeasts and matured in stainless steel tanks. Screwcapped. 12% ABV.
Sweet and sour lemon/lime, green apple and a hint of spicy peach. Relatively simple but appealingly fresh. Full of acidity but not sharp. The fruit is light and pure, the minerals tend to chalk, the finish is clean and long. In the vin plaisir category. (Buy again? Sure.)
Other than the wines themselves and seeing that Australia could easily hold its own, what was most striking about this flight was the lack of excitement it generated around the table. The tasters – who as a group are receptive to white wines and new experiences – were generally unenthusiastic. It’s not that they disliked the wines or couldn’t recognize their high quality. It’s that the wines didn’t push their buttons. Why that’s the case isn’t obvious to me, a Riesling lover from birth, but it would be interesting to know the answer.
Brett happens 