Archive for the ‘Tasting notes’ Category
MWG March 21st tasting (5/6): Quartetto Sangiovese
Sangiovese di Romagna Superiore Riserva 2008, Il Moro, Tenuta Villa Trentola ($26.75, 11735766)
100% Sangiovese. Manually harvested and sorted. Crushed and destemmed, then fermented and macerated in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for two weeks. Matured in oak barrels for 12 months. 14.5% ABV.
Classic Sagiovese nose of black cherry, tobacco. terracotta and cedar. The impressively pure, ripe fruit is firmed by sturdy tannins and keen acidity. Background minerals linger through the finish. The oak and alcohol are discreet. The best QPR of the bunch. (Buy again? Sure.)
Sangiovese di Romagna Superiore Riserva 2008, Pruno, Drei Donà (Tenuta La Palazza) ($39, 11295473)
100% Sangiovese from the estate’s best vineyards. Manually harvested and sorted. Fermented in stainless steel tanks at 28–30ºC for 12 to 18 days with pumping over several times a day. After malolactic fermentation, transferred to French oak barrels for 15 to 18 months. Bottled unfiltered. 14.5% ABV.
Black cherry, cedar shakes, slate and a whiff of new sneakers. Sweet, velvety fruit, integrated tannins, bright acidity and an oak-sweetened if bitter-edged finish. Not particularly complex or deep but tasty and suave. (Buy again? Maybe, though the QPR seems low, at least at this stage in its development.)
Sangiovese di Romagna 2008, Il Prugnolo, Tenuta Villa Trentola ($19.20, 11875890)
100% Sangiovese. Manually harvested, crushed, destemmed. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks with twice daily pump-overs lasts at least two weeks. Matured in stainless steel tanks. 14.5% ABV.
Powdered slate, wet ashtray, meat, plastic and a combination of cocoa, cream and coffee that one taster pegged as “tiramisu.” As ashy as fruity on the palate (odd since it isn’t barrel-aged). On the lighter side of medium-bodied. Without compensating fruit, the grape variety’s natural acidity and tannins leave an impression of sourness and astringency and the wine’s alcohol one of heat. (Buy again? No.)
Chianti Classico Riserva 2009, Tenuta di Nozzole ($24.55, 11881878)
The estate is part of the Folonari stable. 100% Sanvgiovese. Fermented in stainless steel tanks at 28ºC. Macerated for 12 days. After malolactic fermentation, transferred to large Slavonian oak barrels for 12 months’ maturation. 14.5% ABV.
Floral and sweet on the nose. Oaky in the mouth, the wood for now dominating the rich fruit. Moderate tannins and acidity and decent length. Needs more time? (Buy again? Unlikely.)
We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming…
…to bring you the following public service announcement.
Snow crab season officially opened in the Gaspé last week and the crustacean is now on sale at Montreal fishmongers, usually as cooked sections but sometimes whole and live. Though I got my sections yesterday at Nouveau Falero on Parc, the freshest, tastiest and least water-logged are usually found at the Délices de la Mer stall at Jean Talon Market. The sweet, delicate flesh is best savoured as is, unspoiled by so much as a drop of lemon juice or a dip in melted butter. For the quickest, easiest access to the meat, set aside the lobster crackers and pick up a pair of sturdy kitchen shears. The perfect accompaniment? Glass after glass of a less than bone-dry white. For example…
Vinho Verde 2011, Loureiro, Quinta de Gomariz ($15.30, 11895233)
100% Loureiro from 11-year-old vines. Manually harvested. Fermented five to seven days with native yeasts. Not allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation. Matured off the lees for two months. Sees only stainless steel. Filtered before bottling. 11.5% ABV.
Fresh and appealing nose of white grapefruit, lime, white sand, faint flowers and powdered honeycomb. Soft-textured and ever so slightly sprtizy. A flash of ripe grape and citrus on the attack quickly turns dry and gains some bitter pith that crescendos through the mouth. Crunchy minerals and tangy acid outlast the fruit on the long, rainwatery finish. The sour, bitter, quartzy aftertaste forces you back for another sip to get that momentary flash of sweet fruit, starting the cycle anew. Long but not broad or deep. A fresh, pure, thirst-slaking delight.
While this would make an excellent aperitif or summer sipper, it proved very good with the snow crab, whose sweet flesh surprisingly brought out the wine’s sweetness and increased its weight. That said, Gomariz’s more powerful Alvarinho would probably make an even better match. And, of course, as Hugh Johnson says, “crab and Riesling are part of the Creator’s plan.”
MWG March 21st tasting (4/6): Bubbly, dry and red
IGT Emilia 2011, Lambrusco, Monte delle Vigne ($16.50, 11873190)
100% Lambrusco Maestri from 20-year-old vines. Manually harvested and sorted. Fermented at less than 25ºC. Macerated on the skins a total of 25 days. Carbonated using the Charmat method. 11.5% ABV.
Black cherry, plum blossom and bitter almond nose (kind of Valpolicella-like, actually) along with raw red meat, slate and a dash of vinyl. Dry. Soft effervescence. The sweet-ripe fruit dries on the mid-palate, where it’s joined by sketchy tannins. Acidity runs throughout. A faint astringency and bitterness colour the finish. Opinions were divided over this but I liked it and look forward to trying it with salume; the producer specifically recommends pig’s trotters stuffed with minced pork and spices (be still, my beating heart). (Buy again? Sure.)
MWG March 21st tasting (3/6): Rhône-ish
Viognier 2010, Santa Ynez Valley, Zaca Mesa Winery ($20.20, 11882547)
100% Viognier. Began fermenting in stainless steel vats. Halfway through it was transferred to neutral French oak barrels for maturation. Not allowed to undergo malolatic fermentaion. 13.5% ABV.
Faint tropical fruit, peach/nectarine, honeysuckle, dried earth and straw. Dense and mouthfilling but with surprisingly high acidity for a Viognier. As minerally as it is fruity. Long though a little alcoholic on the finish. Unobjectionable but also unmemorable. (Buy again? Probably not.)
VDP du Gard 2010, Terre d’Argence, Domaine Mourgues du Grès ($20.25, 11874264)
Viognier and some Roussanne according to the producer. Roussanne (40%), Grenache Blanc (40%) and Viognier (20%) according to the Quebec agent. Equal parts Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc according to SAQ.com. Matured in stainless steel tanks for six months (seven months according to the agent). An unspecified fraction is vinified and matured in oak barrels, at least according to the producer. 14.5% ABV.
Minerally, faintly floral, white grapefruit, a bit burned. Rich texture but ashy, acidic and acrid. Produced grimaces all around the table. Oddly, 24 hours later, the tail end was transformed: less heavy, better balanced, nearly ashless, the muted, peach-evoking fruit displayed against a minerally backdrop, with no off flavours – not great but quite drinkable, which no one said about it the night before. (Buy again? Only because I believe in giving second chances.)
That the Zaca Mesa was unexciting wasn’t a surprise; inexpensive Viogniers almost always are. The Mourgues du Grès was another story. The Costières de Nîmes estate’s reds have long been QPR favourites of mine and many other drinkers and the other whites of theirs I’ve tasted have always been enjoyable (I liked their private import white box wine enough at a restaurant to try to convince others to go in on a case with me). But at the tasting, the Terre d’Argence was virtually undrinkable – in sharp contrast to the generally positive reviews it received from local columnists – though it did improve greatly with extended exposure to air. Again, like the Nicolas Potel in the preceding flight, ours may have been an off bottle or may have been suffering from travel shock or from being opened just before being served. But if so, how odd that the Potel and the Mourges are represented by the same agency (and one of our favourites, at that). And how unfortunate that advance carafing should be required, as most consumers just pop and pour.
MWG March 21st tasting (2/6): Contrasting Chards
Chardonnay 2011, Metallico Unoaked, Monterey, Morgan Winery ($27.10, 11896471)
A blend of Chardonnay from cool-climate vineyards in the Arroyo Seco, Santa Lucia Highlands and Monterey AVAs. Whole-cluster pressed. Cold-tank fermented. No malolactic fermentation. Matured five months in stainless steel tanks. Screwcapped (though SAQ.com says cork). 14.1% ABV.
White lemon, minerals, faint stone fruit. Citric, chalky and green apply in the mouth. Crisp acidity and a certain presence but not much follow-through. Plus somehow it simply doesn’t cohere. (Buy again? Meh, especially when you can get a great unoaky Chard for $9 less.)
Bourgogne 2010, Chardonnay Vieilles Vignes, Nicolas Potel ($21.15, 11890926)
A négociant wine made 100% Chardonnay from 50- to 65-year-old vines in 12 parcels in the villages of Meursault and Puligny Montrachet. Manually harvested. Pressed, cold-settled for 24 hours. The resulting juice is transferred to oak barrels (30% new, 40% second vintage, 20% third vintage) and stainless steel tanks (10%) for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. Matured ten months on the lees. 12% ABV.
Nose of slightly overripe tropical fruit and maple sugar evolving into lemon and pine needles. The combination of the rich, almost fat texture, residual sugar and mild flavours prompted the descriptor “rice syrup” from one taster. Smooth acidity and decent length but ultimately flat, unrefreshing, verging on cloying. Blind, I mistook it for the Californian… (Buy again? Only for research purposes.)
A disappointing flight. As an admirer of Nicolas Potel, I had high hopes for the Burgundy, especially as it has garnered positive reviews from local bloggers and from critics as reliable as Jancis Robinson. Maybe ours was an off bottle. Or maybe it needed to breathe more (I would have been interested in tasting both wines the day after but didn’t manage to snag the tail ends).
MWG March 21st tasting (1/6): Two aromatic whites
To mark the passing of Cellier as we know it, the tasting included only bottles from the Spring 2013 issue of the magazine, nearly all of them from the March 21st release. The still reds were double-carafed an hour or two before we got around to them. Time constraints meant the whites were poured within minutes of opening, which may explain some of the oddness we encountered.
Grüner Veltliner 2011, Wagram, Weinberghof Karl Fritsch ($16.75, 11885203)
The 20-hectare, biodynamic estate is located in the Wagram region, about 60 km west of Vienna. This 100% Grüner Veltliner is fermented and matured in stainless steel tanks. Screwcapped. 12.0% ABV.
Lime zest, chalk, quartz and the faintest hint of white pepper. Denser than expected on the palate. Ripe. Dry but not arid. Tingly acidity. The minerally substrate lasts through the long, citric finish. A bit simple but good clean fun. (Buy again? Yep.)
Colli Bolognesi Classico 2011, Pignoletto, Fattorie Vallona ($20.55, 11876041)
The Pignoletto grape variety is indigenous to Emilia-Romagna and common in the hills around Bologna. It may be related to Grechetto. Technical information on this wine is virtually non-existent. One or two websites claim earlier vintages contained 10% Riesling. In any case, my guess is that this is made entirely in neutral containers, possibly stainless steel. 13.5% ABV.
Candied lemon, rocks, faint dried herbs. Slightly spritzy, slightly off-dry, slightly weighty. White fruit, minerals, a hint of almond skin and a whack of acidity. The long finish is spoiled by an acrid note. (Buy again? Only to give it another chance.)
MWG March 8th tasting (5/5): Jove’s blood
Located a few kilometres east-northeast of Siena, Fattoria di Fèlsina straddles the border between the Chanti Colli Senesi and southern Chianti Classico appellations. The estate is experimenting with biodyanism but has not sought certification. Castello di Fonterutoli, which is part of the Mazzei group, is located entirely in the southern Chianti Classico appellation, a few kilometres more distant from Siena and in a north-northwesterly direction. Besides their proximity, the estates share other similarities: both are around 600 ha in size, have around 100 ha given over to grape cultivation, also produce olive oil and are widely viewed as being among Chianti’s elite producers.
IGT Toscana 2007, Fontalloro, Fattoria di Fèlsina ($55.75, 11269419)
100% Sangiovese from the Fontalloro or Poggio al Sole vineyard in Chianti Classico (rocky limestone and clay with some shale) and the Casalino and Arcidossino vineyards in Chianti Colli Senesi (sandy, loamy and silty). The manually harvested grapes are rigorously sorted, destemmed and pressed. Fermentation is temperature controlled (c. 29ºC) and followed by 16 to 20 days’ maceration, with daily punch-downs and pump-overs. Malolactic fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats. The wine is matured 18 to 22 months in new and second-vintage oak barrels, then blended and bottled. Bottle-aged eight to 12 months before release. 14.5% ABV.
Cherry, terracotta, sun-baked earth, graphite, sawed wood, tobacco, sandalwood, cedar. Rich, complex, elegant. Intense and substantial yet so balanced, the high alcohol not at all apparent. Perfectly structured. Savoury. The finish is long and deep. A flawless wine. Delicious now and for years to come. (Buy again? If you can scrape together the bucks, yes.)
Chianti Classico 2008, Castello Fonterutoli, Marchesi Mazzei ($46.75, 11494481)
The estate’s flagship wine, introduced in the 1995 vintage. Technically a riserva, though there’s noting on the label to that effect. Sangiovese (85%) with 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot sourced from 50 different parcels. The hand-picked grapes are fermented at c. 29ºC, then macerated for 5 to 18 days. Matured 16 months in French oak barrels, 60% new. Bottle-aged 18 months before release. 14% ABV.
Similar to the Fontalloro but more leathery and plummier, more Chianti-like. Gained dried herb and wood notes as it breathed. Rich and smooth, the fruit both elegant and earthy. Layered and beautifully delineated, not too mention well proportioned. Long, woody (not oaky) finish. Impressive. (Buy again? Yes.)
Chianti Classico Riserva 2007, Rancia, Fattoria di Fèlsina ($38.25, 10268529)
100% Sangiovese from the 6.25 ha Rancia vineyard located entirely in the Chianti Classico DOC. The manually harvested grapes are rigorously sorted, destemmed and pressed. Fermentation is temperature controlled (c. 29ºC) and followed by 16 to 20 days maceration, with daily punch-downs and pump-overs. Malolactic fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats. The wine is matured 16 to 18 months in new and second-vintage oak barrels, then blended and bottled. Bottle-aged six to eight months before release. 13.5% ABV.
Cherry, plum, slate/graphite dust, Asian spice, blond tobacco. Smooth, suave and impeccably balanced. Shot through with tannins and acidity, a lode of savoury fruit and minerals runs from the attack through the long finish. Remarkably pure. (Buy again? Unhesitatingly.)
Chianti Classico 2010, Fonterutoli, Marchesi Mazzei ($25.70, 00856484)
Nine-tenths Sangiovese with Malvasia Nera, Colorino and Merlot making up the balance. The fruit is sourced from five estate-owned vineyards. The hand-picked grapes are fermented at c. 29ºC, then macerated for 16 to 18 days. Matured 12 months in French oak barrels, 40% new. 12.5% ABV.
Surprisingly profound nose dominated by leather, minerals and black cherry. Smooth, dapper and pure in the mouth. Sweet fruity for a Chianti, though not in a New World way, thanks largely to the bright acidity, sharp-edged tannins and lingering bitter minerals. Solid. (Buy again? Yes.)
Tuscan Sangioveses often come across as austere and unsmiling at tastings; conventional wisdom is that they need food to show their mettle. But these four wines had the entire table mmming from the get-go. Yes, with their French oak and Merlot and up-front fruit, they’re modern. Yet they also succeed in being true to their roots, in being about much more than just fruit, in maintaining a sense of proportion and a sense of place.
Another interesting thing about the flight was how clearly the wines’ prices – around $25, $35, $45 and $55 – reflected their absolute quality, with each $10 seeming to bring an extra layer of depth or an added dimension.
MWG March 8th tasting (4/5): I due Barbareschi
Barbaresco 2007, Muncagota, Produttori del Barbaresco ($47.50, 11863223)
The 3.9 ha Muncagota (formerly Moccagatta) vineyard lies east of – and thus further from the river and the valley floor than – the Asili and Pajè vineyards and it faces southeast, toward the cooler morning sun. 100% Nebbiolo. Fermented on the skins at 30ºC for 28 days. Matured 36 months in large oak barrels and six months in the bottle. 14.5% ABV.
Outgoing, complex nose: candied red berries, camphor, truffle, turned earth and more. In the mouth, rich bordering on lush with a creamy texture. Initially cloaked by firm, ripe fruit, the solid tannins turn a little rustic on the sustained finish. A mouthfilling wine of considerable purity and depth. Surprisingly accessible today but not peaking for another five to ten years. (Buy again? A single-vineyard Barbaresco of this quality for less than $50? Unmissable!)
Barbaresco 2008, Produttori del Barbaresco ($35.75, 10858182)
100% Nebbiolo from various Barbaresco vineyards. Fermented on the skins at 30º for 24 days, with pumping over two or three times a day. Aged 24 months in large oak barrels. 14.5% ABV.
Less exuberant nose: strawberry, spice and slate, eventually gaining rose and tar notes. Fresh and pure in the mouth, with fine tannins, lots of acidity and a whiff of kirsch on the long finish. Balanced overall and, to its credit, a little less full-throttle than the 2007. In other words, classic. Closed enough that I initially thought it was the Muncagota, though as the wines breathed and opened up, it became clear this was the more generic bottling. (Buy again? With pleasure.)
For detailed information on the Produttori and their various wines, including notes on most of the other 2007 single-vineyard bottlings, see the Tasting with Aldo Vacca report.
MWG March 8th tasting (3/5): Two Greeks, a Turk and a Galician walk into a wine bar…
IGP Letrini 2008, Domaine Mercouri ($19.75, 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% ABV.
Spicy wild berries, dried wood, herbs. Medium-bodied, like all the wines in this flight. Very dry. Juicy but not cloyingly so. Acid bright with tight tannins and a bitter-edged finish. A suave wine that is more upfront than deep but definitely easy-drinking and food friendly. Plus it hits that “in the mood for a winey red” spot. (Buy again? Yes.)
Öküzgözü 2010, Terra, Kayra ($15.30, 11885625)
100% Öküzgözü (“ox eye”). Grown in the province of Elazığ, in east central Anatolia. This bottling is part of the producer’s Terra line, which focuses on wines made from indigenous varieties. 13.5% ABV.
Pleasant if simple nose of slate and candied cassis. Soft textured. Full of plum and fruit cake flavours and powdery tannins, with lots of acidity and a credible finish. Not a wow for anyone around the table but unusual and kind of fun. (Buy again? On a whim, sure, especially if planning to eat lahmacun.)
Valdeorras 2010, Gaba Do Xil, Telmo Rodriguez ($17.25, 11861771)
100% Mencia, a mix of purchased grapes and the estate’s own; unlike most Mencia we see these days, this isn’t from Bierzo but nearby Galicia. Manually harvested. Native yeasts. 13 % ABV.
Candied cherry, swimming pool and graphite. Smooth and silky on the palate. More acidic than tannic. Umami-ish set of flavours dominated by dried plum and soy sauce, including the salt. Long astringent and drying finish. Seemed short on fruit. Suffering from travel shock? (Buy again? Maybe.)
Achaïa 2011, Kalavryta, Domaine Tetramythos ($15.45, 11885457)
The estate is located in Achaea, on the Gulf of Corinth in the northern Peloponnese. Farming is certified organic with an eye on biodynamic. This wine is made using the free-run must from Black of Kalavryta (Μαύρο Καλαβρυτινό) grapes, an indigenous variety once widely grown in the area but now nearly extinct. Tetramythos has 1.4 hectares of the vines and is the sole remaining producer. Alcoholic fermentation (with native yeasts) and nine months’ maturation are in stainless steel vats. Malolactic fermentation is prevented. Use of sulphur dioxide is kept to a bare and tiny minimum. The wine is unfined but coarsely filtered before bottling. Average annual production is 9,000 bottles. Recommended pairings feature tomato in one form or another: baked tuna in tomato sauce (tuna used to be common in the gulf); baked stuffed tomatoes; or rabbit or cock, browned and braised in red wine with tomato paste being added toward the end and finished by adding parboiled hylopites (square egg noodles) to the sauce and cooking them until done. 13.5% ABV.
Odd-bordering-on-unappetizing nose of ketchup, old leather, black pepper and animale. Smooth and juicy in the mouth, however, with supple tannins, bright acidity, clear flavours and a sustained finish. The MWG member who took the tail end of the bottle home with him reports that the next day the “offensive funkiness” had gone and the wine was “very tasty.” The Quebec agent reports the same thing: the wine is currently in a “weird reductive phase” and needs to be carafed the better part of a day to rectify itself. Will do. (Buy again? Yes.)
MWG March 8th tasting (2/5): Two super-ripe Verdicchios
Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore 2009, Podium, Gioacchino Garofoli ($22.45, 00711820)
100% Verdicchio from slightly overripe grapes. Gently pressed, clarified by cold settling, fermented at low temperatures. Matured 15 months in stainless steel tanks. 13% ABV.
Dried lemon, quartz, old straw and wood. Mouth-filling: extracted and intense. Some yellow fruit and dried herbs but more stones and tingly acidity. The finish is heady, saline and bitter. Less polished than the Casal but not without a certain rustic appeal. (Buy again? Sure.)
Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore 2009, Vecchie Vigne, Casal di Serra, Umani Ronchi ($26.40, 11490341)
100% Verdicchio from vines planted in the early 1970s. The grapes are allowed to overripen slightly. Fermented in concrete tanks with native yeasts and matured on the lees. 14% ABV.
Straw, lemon, yellow stone fruit, almond, alcohol. Rich on the palate, stony and dry, with sotto voce fruit and high acidity. Long. Ends on a faintly bitter note. Overall, similar to the Podium but toned down a notch and all the better for it. (Buy again? Yes.)
Brett happens 