Archive for the ‘Tasting notes’ Category
MWG April 18th tasting (8/9): Corsican hat trick
Vin de Corse–Figari 2010, Clos Canarelli ($36.75, 11794521)
A blend of biodynamically farmed Niellucciu (80%), Syrah (15%) and Sciaccarellu (5%) from 13-year-old vines. Manually harvested. Fully destemmed. Fermented (with indigenous yeasts) and matured in large foudres for 14 to 18 months with daily punch-downs during fermentation. Unfiltered and unfined. 13.5% ABV.
Brooding nose of maquis, ink, red and black fruit, black tea and bitter chocolate. Dense but not heavy, redolent of dark plum and spice, with bedrock minerals and a gamey note. Firm round tannins, fluent acidity and a long, savoury finish round out the ideally proportioned package. Impressive if a little monolithic at this stage in its development. Stick it in a cellar for five or ten years or carafe several hours if serving now. (Buy again? Definitely.)
Patrimonio 2010, Domaine d’E Croce, Yves Leccia ($30.00, 10783213)
Nielluciu (90%) and Grenache (10%) from 20- to 40-year-old vines in the E Croce lieu-dit. Manually harvested, sorted by clusters, destemmed and crushed. Fermented in stainless steel tanks at 25 to 30ºC with daily pump-overs. After 12 to 15 days, the grapes are pressed and the free run and press juices are blended. Matured at least 12 months in stainless steel tanks. Lightly filtered before bottling. 13.5% ABV.
A less intense and opaque red-purple than the other two wines in the flight. Appealing if odd nose of red and black berries, fresh raw kidney and hints of sandalwood and licorice. Medium-bodied with a fluid texture. The ripe fruit is structured by fine tannins and smooth acidity and has some earthy/minerally depth. Clean finish. Fully accessible now, this suave wine is reputed to improve with up to a decade or two of age; given its purity and balance, that claim doesn’t seem outlandish. (Buy again? Yes.)
Vin de Corse–Calvi 2010, Ribbe Rosse, Clos Culombu ($38.00, 11910376)
A 50-50 blend of Sciaccarellu and Niellucciu. Long (40 days) fermenation and maceration in 500-litre oak barrels. 14.5% ABV.
Complex and beguiling. A fine savoury mouthful of pure, sweet-cored red fruit with overtones of maquis, dried earth and spice. Bright acidity adds freshness, puckery tannins push the silky texture toward satin and the long finish brings a charry note. The alcohol is not apparent. Surprisingly accessible though clearly cellar-worthy. (Buy again? Yes.)
MWG April 18th tasting (7/9): Sangiovese shoot-out
IGT Toscana 2010, It’s a game!, Bibi Graetz ($31.50, 11906140)
Formerly a Sangiovese-dominated blend known as Grilli del Testamatta (Testamatta being one of superstar Graetz’s flagship bottlings), this is now a 100% Sangiovese from 25-year-old vines planted in the hills of Fiesole. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks and lasted about ten days. The wine was matured in French oak barriques (35% new) for 18 months. 14% ABV.
Initial nose of banana bread gives way to red berries, ink and dried dill. Despite the alcoholic strength, comes across as medium-bodied with intense, clear fruit upfront. Bright acidity and round tannins provide some textural interest. Long with a light, drying astringency. Impressive in its fruit-driven way but short on depth and ultimately a meh. (Buy again? Not when you can get excellent Chiantis for less.)
Vino da Tavola 2011, Rosso, Le Coste ($33.00, oenopole, 6 bottles/case)
A blend of Greghetto Rosso (a local Sangiovese clone) with 5% Colorino, Cannaiolo, Ciliegiolo and Vaiano l’altro from organically farmed vines averaging 40 years old and planted in various parcels in Gradoli. Manually harvested. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Matured 12 months in 18-hl Slavonian oak botti and a few used barriques. Unfiltered, unfined and unsulphured. 13.5% ABV.
Forewarned that the wine was in a reductive phase, we double-carafe it well in advance. Yet two hours later, the nose is still dominated by struck matchstick and burned popcorn aromas. Push through them and you’ll find an array of red fruit (cassis, black cherry, plum) and a little kirsch. In the mouth, the wine is medium-bodied and satiny. The fruit is ripe, juicy and tart, structured by light if taut and drying tannins and shot through with minerals. A leesy note emerges on the long finish. Give this savoury, food-friendly wine a few months to deal with the reduction and it should be its usual loveable self. (Buy again? Yes.)
We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming…
…to bring you the following public service announcement.
This arrived at the SAQ during the week of April 15th. There’s still quite a bit around but, barring a restocking, several outlets have already sold out.
Langhe 2011, Nebbiolo, Produttori del Barbaresco ($22.55, 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. 14.5% ABV according to the label; 13.5% ABV according to the SAQ (I suspect the label is closer to the truth).
The expected ripe fruit is there but less upfront than usual, on equal footing with a set of savoury aromas that include spice box, autumn leaves, brick dust, dried herbs, slate and earth. In December, the cooperative’s managing director Aldo Vacca described the 2011 vintage as “extremely ripe,” and that’s immediately apparent in the wine’s texture: while as medium-bodied and silky as ever, it also has a liqueur-like feel that finds an echo in the intense core of sour cherry fruit. Yet the wine is very dry, with racy acidity and fine if astringent tannins. A mineral vein runs throughout and is joined by an old wood note on the long finish. More potent and less charming than the 2010 but every bit as balanced and satisfying. Tasted the next day, the tail end of the bottle was more integrated and quite Barbaresco-like in its power if not depth. Will probably be even better in six months or a year and probably has the potential to keep for a few years beyond that. Serve at cool room temperature and carafe if drinking now. (Buy again? Of course.)
MWG April 18th tasting (6/9): Dínamo gallega
Ribeira Sacra 2008, Lalama, Dominio do Bibei ($27.20, 11661390)
Mencia (90%), Garnacha (7%) and Mouratón (3%) from 15- to 100-year-old vines grown in slate, clay and granite soils. Manually harvested. Segregated by variety. The grapes are chilled, sorted and destemmed. Fermented in foudres except for 15%, which is fermented in large open barrels. Given two to three weeks maceration, then pressed. Matured 20 months on the lees in a mix of foudres and barrels, a small portion of which are new. 12.5% ABV.
Outgoing nose evocative of black raspberry, black cherry, slate and some sweet spice. Medium-bodied yet mouth-filling. The intense juicy fruit is amped up by zingy acidity and tethered by dark minerals and deep tannins, creating the kind of tension that’s usually associated with whites. Long earthy finish. A dynamo of a wine that’s only beginning to show its mettle and so benefits from carafing. People who claim that Galicia is Spain’s most exciting wine region are probably thinking of bottles like this. (Buy again? Absolutely.)
MWG April 18th tasting (5/9): Cheverny rouge
Cheverny 2011, Le Pressoir, Michel Gendrier ($19.85, 11154021)
A blend of biodynamically farmed Pinot Noir (80%) and Gamay (20%). The grapes are transferred to the vats without pumping. Alcoholic fermentation – with native yeasts – takes place at temperatures up to 30ºC and lasts about a week. The wine is then gently pressed, racked, allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation, oxygenated and racked again in December with bottling taking place in April or May. The only non-grape product added is small amounts of sulphur dioxide. 12.5% ABV.
Perfumy nose. Flavours tending to red cherry, earth, minerals and a touch of stemmy greenness. Barely medium-bodied. The fruit is clean and tart, the tannins slender, the finish tangy. Pleasant enough but a little short on depth and breadth, especially compared with the memorable 2006. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Cheverny 2010, Domaine Maison Père & Fils ($17.50, 11463801)
Pinot Noir (60%), Gamay (30%) and Malbec/Côt (10%). The grapes are sorted and destemmed. Fermented with native yeasts at 25-28ºC. Matured in tanks for 10 months. 12% ABV.
Odd but not unappealing nose of black currant, guava, baking spice and a little blood. Smooth and light, with silky tannins. The fruit tastes riper and sweeter than the Pressoir’s. Simple and well made but not a wine for thinking about. (Buy again? Maybe.)
MWG April 18th tasting (4/9): Mann to Mann
Alsace 2011, Schlossberg Grand cru, Riesling, Domaine Albert Mann ($48.00, 11967751)
100% Riesling from biodyanmically farmed 40-year-old vines. Manually harvested. Slow pressed (pneumatic or horizontal press). Fermentation and maturation take several months, during which time the wine is in contact with its lees. Sulphur in small amounts is the only non-grape product added. 13.5% ABV.
Closed but promising nose: lemon-lime, coriander seed, minerals, a flowery meadow. Smooth and round, with noticeable residual sugar on the attack, though the wine dries as it goes along. The fruit is rich, layered and impressively dense, the acidity gleaming. Chewing reveals an underlying tautness and granitic minerality that lasts through the long finish. It may be a baby but it’s already a thoroughbred, as a decade in the cellar will surely make clear. (Buy again? Yes.)
Alsace 2011, Riesling, Cuvée Albert, Domaine Albert Mann ($27.30, 11449786)
100% Riesling from biodynamically farmed 20-year-old vines in the Rosenberg (Wettolsheim) et Altenbourg (Kientzheim) vineyards. Slow pressed. Fermented in stainless steel and on the lees for several months. Screwcap. 13% ABV.
Reductive nose (probably due to the wine not being carafed but simply opened and poured). After it blows off, a classic Riesling nose dominated by lemon-lime and kerosene. Light and smooth in the mouth. Slightly less sweet and considerably less dense, complex and dimensional than the Schlossberg. Clean citrus and mineral flavours, ripe acidity, impeccable balance and good length add up to a wine that’s easy to drink now but has the potential to age and improve for another four or five years. My only hesitation is the price, which seems high when, if you’re lucky, you can get a private import Schueller Riesling for $4 less. (Buy again? Maybe.)
MWG April 18th tasting (3/9): Vermentinu times two
Corse Calvi 2011, Clos Culombu ($23.10, 11902114)
The estate is in the process of converting to organic agriculture. 100% Vermentinu (aka Vermentino). Destemmed, crushed and cold-soaked on the skins for several hours, then pressed. Stirred after fermentation. Matured on the fine lees for five months. Lightly fined before bottling. 12.5% ABV. Part of the April 18th Cellier New Arrivals release.
Fragrant: peaches in syrup, quartz, white flowers. Dense and waxy in the mouth, peachy and soft-seeming at first, then turning lemony and harder. Long, mineral-tinged finish with a trenchant, almost fiery streak. Enjoyable but coming across as unpolished, even coarse next to the Faustine. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Ajaccio 2011, Faustine, Domaine Comte Abbatucci ($31.50, 11927792)
The Faustine cuvées are named after the winemaker’s daughter. This white is 100% biodynamically farmed Vermentinu from low-yielding, 40-year-old vines. Manually harvested. Following a brief cold soak, slow-fermented at 18ºC. Reportedly not allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation. Sees only stainless steel. 13% ABV.
Complex nose: “charcoal” in the words of one taster, minerals, lemon, wax, hints of clover blossom, orange peel and maquis. Rich but not heavy, mouth-filling yet elegant. Fine layers of fruit are wrapped around a solid mineral core aglow with acidity. Finishes on a saline note. Savoury, balanced and nuanced, a beautiful wine. What’s more, it’s $5 or $6 less expensive than the private import 2010 was. (Buy again? Absolutely.)
Food pairings? Corsican cheeses (Yannick is the best source in Montreal) and, of course, seafood in simple Mediterranean preparations, like the recipe for striped bass flambéed with thyme and Pernod that you’ll find after the jump.
We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming…
…to bring you the following public service announcement.
The Cour-Cheverny appellation, a small enclave in the heart of the Cheverny zone, was created in 1993 to protect the once common but then-endangered Romorantin grape variety, a relative of Chardonnay thought to have arrived in the Loire valley in the 16th century. All Cour-Cheverny wine is white and contains only Romorantin. While most is made dry, a few semi-sweet, late-harvest and even botrytized versions can be found. The SAQ used to carry Domaine des Huards‘s reliable entry-level Cour-Cheverny but dropped it from the catalogue several years ago. Since then, as far as I know, the monopoly has been a CC-free zone, forcing Romorantin lovers to turn to agencies like Glou and Vini-vins. Until last week, that is, when this showed up on SAQ shelves.
Cour-Cheverny 2011, Vieilles vignes, Benoit Daridan ($23.25, 11953325)
100% Romorantin from 50-year-old vines. Directly pressed. Clarification by settling. Cold-temperautre fermentation in vats with stirring every 15 days. Matured in tanks (80%) and barrels (20%). Filtered before bottling.13.5% ABV.
Not what you’d call a fruity nose. There’s some lemon, a hint of dried hay, a whiff of kerosene, and chalk, lots of chalk. Intense on the attack. Dry, extracted (the texture is slightly viscous, like some Vermintinos) with coursing acidity and a piquant, almost fiery sour streak. Flavours? Lemon, including pith; a dab of butter; minerals galore, especially on the finish. Lingers long – is that a spiced apple aftertaste? – but seems to hollow out a little as it goes along. With a bit more follow-through, this would be a wow; as it stands, it’s a perfectly enjoyable Cour-Cheverny. The winemaker recommends serving it with spicy fare, which I just don’t see, but I can confirm that it makes a dandy aperitif and goes well with crustaceans and cheese, especially goat cheese. Quantities are limited and it’s selling out fast. (Buy again? Yes.)
MWG April 18th tasting (2/9): Vernacchia pure and simple
Vernacchia di San Gimignano 2011, Solo, Mattia Barzaghi ($25.53, Agence PF, 6 bottles/case)
100% organically farmed Vernacchia. Manually harvested. Gently pressed then fermented in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts at 16-18ºC. Matured on the lees for five months with frequent stirring. 12.5% ABV. This is Barzaghi’s entry-level Vernacchia. Following a divorce, he has “reset” his branding (whence the reZet on the labels, the Z a vestige of the former line), renamed the cuvées and changed the label illustration to a photograph of him playing chess in the snow with his dog.
Subdued nose: wax, straw and a suggestion of flowers and nuts. Minerally and bright with an appealing leesy quality. High acidity but no shrillness due to the compensating extract. Long finish with a hint of salinity and a telltale bitter note. Clean and fresh: not the old-style Vernacchia some of us are on a quest for but lovely in its own right and light years better than the insipid-by-comparison Rocca delle Macìe. (Buy again? Yes.)
MWG April 18th tasting (1/9): Two Galician whites
Valdeorras 2011, Gaba do Xil, Godello, Telmo Rodriguez ($17.25, 11896113)
100% Godello. A blend of estate-grown and purchased grapes grown on steep-sloped, terraced vineyards. Manually harvested. Fermented with selected yeasts in stainless steel tanks. Matured on the lees. 13.5% ABV. Part of the April 18th Cellier New Arrivals release.
Lemon, minerals and a whiff of dried herbs. The soft, even fleshy attack with hints of pear segues into a citric mid-palate with a strong acidic backbone and a savory streak that persists through the long, quartzy finish. Dry, clean and fresh. Would make a good apéritif or a pairing for shellfish grilled or a la plancha. (Buy again? Sure.)
Ribeiro 2011, Viña Mein ($21.20, 11903686)
About 70% Treixadura with other local varieties (Godello, Loureiro, Albariño, Torrontés*, Lado, etc.) making up the balance. Fermented in stainless steel and aged on the lees. 12.5% ABV.
White fruit, grapefruit and quartz. Richer and denser, to the point that it seems less crisp than the Gaba do Xil, though I suspect the acidity levels are actually about the same. The flavours echo the nose with some lemon thrown in. Gains an attractive sour and bitter edge on the finish. Simply prepared fish and shellfish seem indicated here. (Buy again? Sure.)
*The native Galician grape, which “produces wines of little body and good acidity, with considerable personality and an intense bouquet [and] can be found throughout Galicia and in Córdoba” (winesofspain.com). Argentina’s Torrontés is a different grape altogether, now thought essentially to be a cross between the Muscat of Alexandria and Mission varieties.
Brett happens 