Archive for the ‘Tasting notes’ Category
Branco impressionante
Dão Reserva 2011, Quinta da Pellada/Álvaro de Castro ($21.25, 11895364)
Encruzado (60%), Cercial (35%) and Bical (5%). Fermented in small batches for two months, followed by maturation, with stirring of the lees, and bottling. More specific technical info is hard to come by, but I suspect this sees no wood. 13% ABV. SAQ.com says its closure is a screwcap but, of course, it’s a cork (I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a Portuguese wine closed with anything but).
Understated and elegant, becoming more expressive as it warms: grape, cut apple, distant mangosteen, a whiff of limestone and camphor. On the palate, it’s dry and faintly waxy, savoury yet fresh: lemon juice and a veritable matrix of minerals with great acidic backbone. There’s a bitter, almost astringent undertow from the attack through the long finish. With the exception of wines from the north of the country, Portuguese whites are often soft. This is anything but. Its tension, minerality and texture are remarkable, akin to those found in some of the better whites from Italy and southern France. For best results, drink it at several degrees warmer than fridge temperature and consider carafing it an hour or two in advance. While it made an acceptable match for Ottolenghi and Tamimi’s excellent roasted chicken with lemon and Jerusalem artichokes, I suspect it will really shine alongside simply prepared seafood.
Verging on Vinho Verde
Vinho regional Minho 2011, Alvarinho, Quinta de Gomariz ($20.20, 11895225)
Despite being a young estate (2005 was its first vintage), Quinta de Gomariz has come to be regarded as one of the region’s top producers. This cuvée is 100% Alvarinho from 11-year-old vines. Manually harvested. Fermented (with indigenous yeasts) and matured in stainless steel for seven to ten days and two months respectively. Not allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation. Fined and filtered before bottling. 12.5% ABV.
White grapefruit and nectarine dusted with chalk and white pepper. In the mouth, there’s a faint spritzy tingle and a hint of sweetness on the attack that’s quickly soured by acidity. The effect is fresh and lightly fruity, like biting into a chilled green grape. A rainwatery mid-palate leads to a citrusy finish with more white pepper and lingering green apple. Simple but pure and lovely. This went well enough with grilled squid but is really waiting for snow crab season, the crustacean either served plain or dressed in a light herb vinaigrette. Can also see it working with simple Cantonese seafood dishes like fish steamed with ginger and green onions or shimp and scallop kow (stir-fried with bamboo shoots, black mushrooms and snow peas).
MWG February 21st tasting (8/8): A vibrant macvin
Macvin du Jura, Domaine de Montbourgeau ($31.25, 11785624)
A vin de liqueur made from Chardonnay and a little Poulsard. The grapes are pneumatically pressed. The resulting must is prevented from fermenting by adding Marc du Jura (pomace brandy), the final ratio being about 1/3 marc to 2/3 must. The Macvin is then matured three years in oak barrels and 230-litre pièces. 17% ABV.
Irrepressibly frangrant nose of caraway, honey, wax, candied orange peel, multigrain bread, rye berries, hazelnuts. Dense, smooth and sweet but not heavy or cloying thanks to the lively acidity and exuberant fruit. Long and pure. The very model of a macvin. (Buy again? Absolutely, especially since Macvins show up at the SAQ only once in a blue moon.)
The estate recommends serving it chilled (around 9-10ºC/50ºF) as an aperitif, alongside a first course of melon or cake au jambon (savoury ham cake) or with dessert (caramel ice cream or a chocolate pear tart). I’ve also enjoyed white Macvins with not overly sweet nut-based desserts. Some Jurassiens take it after dinner mixed with marc (usually one part Macvin to two parts marc).
MWG February 21st tasting (7/8): Douro two by two
Douro 2010, Quinto do Crasto ($18.10, 10486921)
Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional from vines around 20 years of age. Sorted, destemmed, crushed and transferred to temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks where they fermented for 7 days. Five percent of the resulting wine was matured 12 months in French oak barrels. 13.5% ABV.
Ashy plum, spice, tar, alcohol. Black cherry, plum, chocolate. Smooth, balanced and lightly structured. The fruit is clean and ripe, the sweetness held in check by acidity and dark minerals. The finish is long and savoury. Not deep but accessible and enjoyable. (Buy again? Sure.)
Douro 2010, Pó de Poeira ($25.50, 11895410)
An estate founded in 2001 by Jose Moreira, chief oenologist at Quinta de la Rosa. This cuvée is a 50-50 blend of old- and young-vine Touriga Nacional (50%), Sousão (30%) and Touriga Franca (20%) that is matured 12 months in neutral oak barrels. 14% ABV.
Minty, wood, floral, spice and, unfortunately, the faintest hint of TCA. Despite the taint, you could tell this was a fluid, elegantly structured wine with velvety tannins. I sometimes find red Douros a little stolid but this didn’t seem that way at all. (Buy again? More than happy to give it another chance. Would also like to try the Alvarinho-based white.)
Douro 2009, Quinta de la Rosa ($19.70, 928473)
A blend of traditional Port varieties, mainly Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz from dry-farmed 20- to 30-year-old vines. Fermented in small stainless steel vats. Matured 12 months in French and Portuguese oak casks. Minimally filtered before bottling. 14% ABV.
Decomposing tree with fungus ears, mowed field, plum, spice. Round, smooth and balanced, the dark fruit firmed by springy tannins, lifted by acidity and sweetened by a kiss of oak. Long, minerally finish. (Buy again? Yes.)
Douro 2009, Reserva, Quinta do Crasto ($37.00, 904383)
A blend of several unspecified varieties from terrace-grown, 70-year-old vines. Manually harvested. Sorted, destemmed, lightly crushed and transferred to temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for fermentation. Matured 16 months in 225-litre barrels (85% French and 15% American oak). 14.5% ABV.
Purple plum, spice, dill and sawed wood. Big and structured in the mouth. Intensely flavoured, though you have to peel away the layers of oak, ash and dark minerals to get to the fruit. Solid tannins. Surprisingly acidic, though there’s plenty of balancing extract. A dashing, age-worthy wine that needs a few years to find its inner peace and harmony. (Buy again? Yes.)
MWG Feburary 21st tasting (6/8): Four middleweight reds
Vin de Savoie 2011, Mondeuse, La Sauvage, Domaine Pascal & Annick Quenard ($21.80, 10884671)
100% Mondeuse Noire. Manually harvested. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in carbon-fiber vats for one to two weeks. Matured on the lees one year in a mix of French oak barrels and stainless-steel and carbon-fiber vats. Lightly filtered. 12% ABV.
Choco-cherry segueing to pomegranate and sandalwood, then to dried raspberry. Light- to medium-bodied. The clean fruit and dark minerals are framed by light tannins and tart aciditiy. As fresh and pure as a draught of mountain air. (Buy again? Yes.)
Bourgueil 2010, Domaine de la Chevalerie ($28.10, 11895268)
100% organically farmed Cabernet Franc. Manually harvested. Fully destemmed. Gravity fed into vats. Fermented with native yeasts. Minimal sulphur regime. Matured in two- to five-vintage demi-muids and other large containers. Bottled unfiltered. 12.5% ABV.
Lovely, layered nose of slate, undergrowth, cherry orchard, old wood and green pepper. Fluid with an airframe structure, good acidity and silky fruit over a minerally substrate. Long. A beautifully balanced Cab Franc that’s enjoyable now but also capable of aging at least five years. (Buy again? Yes.)
Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato 2011, Cascina ’Tavijn ($24.70, oenopole, NLA)
A small estate located near Asti in Piedmont. 100% organically farmed Ruchè. Hand harvested. Vinified with indigenous yeasts and minimal intervention. Matured in Slavonian oak barrels. 14% ABV.
Fragrant: rose petal, slate and black raspberry. Pure, with an intense core of spicy fruit and minerals, pulsing acidity and soft tannins that give it a velvety texture. Long, herby finish. Going by the 2009, this will be even better in a year or two. (Buy again? Yes.)
Lacrima di Morro d’Alba 2011, Marzaiola, Monte Schiavo ($18.05, 11451894)
100% Lacrima. Manually harvested. Fermented and matured in stainless steel vats. 12.5% ABV.
Plum, rose and maybe some violet, along with darker mineral notes and a whiff of sourdough. Fruity and smooth in the mouth. Round tannins and not a lot of acidity. In fact, it’s borderline flabby and saved mainly by a vein of slate that adds some structure and depth. Drying finish. Not quite up to the 2009. (Buy again? Maybe.)
MWG February 21st tasting (5/8): One of a kind
Rosso del Contadino 9, Azienda agricola Frank Cornelissen ($30.66, Glou, 12 bottles/case)
A blend of Etna-grown grapes, red and white, from the 2011 vintage: Nerello Mascalese (70%); Allicante, Minella Nera, Uva Francese and Nerello Capuccio (25%) and Inzolia (5%). The vines average 55 years old. Farming and production methods are rigorously natural. 15% ABV.
Complex nose: hibiscus, spice (especially clove), lava dust, eventually rose and “fried salmon skin.” Tangy pomegranate in the mouth, the fruit borne by light, firm tannins and lit from within by glowing acidity. Rocky minerals and a cedary/resinous note scent the drying, faintly alcoholic finish. Double-carafed about an hour before serving, this kept improving in the glass. Bolder than the Contadino 8. Would love to taste them side by side. (Buy again? Yes.)
MWG February 21st tasting (4/8): Two out-there Chenins
Saumur 2011, Château Yvonne ($24.55, 10689665)
100% organically farmed Chenin Blanc. Fermented with native yeasts, matured in oak barrels, unfiltered and unfined. 13.5% ABV.
Complex if somewhat inscrutable nose: quince, spice, minerals, chalk… Rich and slightly oxidized with honey overtones. The winey texture is lightened by underlying acidity, which also balances out the welcome hint of residual sugar. The kaleidoscopic array of flavours includes spiced pear, passion fruit and pineapple. Long, burned mineral finish. Approachable now though no harm will come from a couple more years in the cellar. (Buy again? Of course.)
VDP de l’Aveyron 2011, La Selve, Nicolas Carmarans ($32, Glou, NLA)
The former owner of a Paris wine bar, Nicolas Carmarans followed his roots back to the Aveyron region, on the Lot River in the Massif central, upstream from Cahors, to make wine in 2007. A natural approach is favoured. This 100% Chenin Blanc from 30-year-old vines is fermented (with native yeasts) in vats and matured in casks. Undergoes malolactic fermentation. If sulphur is added, it is in miniscule amounts and only at bottling. 12% ABV.
“Sharp, pear, steel,” said one taster of the intriguing nose, which also has a sour edge. “Whisky barrel,” said another of the palate, though if so it took a back seat to the oxidized – some said “rotting” – apple. There’s lots of rocky minerals and coursing acidity too. Long, dry finish. Serious and, yes, a little weird. I, of course, loved it. Was shocked to see it clocked it at 12%; I’d been expecting 14% or 15%, not because it was hot or alcoholic but because of the impression of power it gave. It all adds up to an authentically rustic Chenin unlike any other I’ve encountered. (Buy again? Oh, yes.)
MWG February 21st tasting (3/8): Two Mediterranean whites
Bandol 2011, Domaine La Suffrene ($22.85, 11903491)
The estate was created in 1996. This is the first of its wines to be offered at the SAQ. A 50–50 blend of Clairette and Ugni Blanc from vines averaging 35 to 40 years old. Manually harvested. To increase flavour extraction, the crushed grapes are kept on their skins for 12 hours at 8ºC before pressing (aka maceration pelliculaire). After clarification by settling, the juice is fermented in stainless steel vats for around 15 days at around 19ºC, then racked into other vats for fining and maturation. Filtered before bottling. 13% ABV.
Smells like Provence: preserved lemon, acacia blossom, herbs, pear and mineral. Dry in the mouth with a winey verging on unctuous texture, though the acidity and restraint prevent any heaviness. Flavours tend to garrigue and a faint, pithy bitterness. What fruit there is fades on finish leaving ashy minerals. Not a throat-grabber by any means but classic and elegant. Am anxious to try the estate’s red and pink wines. (Buy again? Sure.)
Corse Figari 2011, Clos Canarelli ($39.25, 11794660)
100% biodynamically farmed Vermintinu (aka Vermintino) from vines planted in 1997. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Allowed to undergo partial malolactic fermentation. Aged mostly in large foudres as well as some old neutral barrels. Lightly filtered before bottling. 13.5% ABV. As far as I can tell, the estate doesn’t have a website; for background, see The Vine Route profile.
Outgoing nose of dried herbs, white fruit, a sprinkling of anise seed, a hint of dried banana and some charry ash. Not fruity but weighty on the palate. Not bone dry either, though the residual sugar is counterbalanced by acidity and a fine bitterness. Long, vaporous finish with lemon and mineral notes. Impressive, imposing, a white to contend with, the very definition of a food wine: Grill a sea bass and, just before it’s finished cooking, toss some dried thyme sprigs soaked in Pernod onto the coals under the fish. Serve with a squirt of lemon and a drizzle of fragrant olive oil. You’re welcome. (Buy again? Yes, with sea bass in hand.)
MWG February 21st tasting (2/8): Two Corteses
Gavi 2011, Granée, Beni di Batasiolo ($16.65, 10388109)
100% Cortese grown in the southern Piedmont commune of Gavi, making it a Gavi di Gavi. Pressed, clarified by settling, then fermented at low temperature. 12.5% ABV.
Shy but attractive nose of minerals and lemon with a floral note. Light but with a round, even winey texture. Quite dry. The green pear and lemon fruit is subdued and dusted with chalk. Brisk acidity and a clean, faintly bitter finish round out the picture. Fresh and graceful if a little anonymous. Still, you won’t find a more elegant white at the price. (Buy again? Sure.)
Vino da tavola 2011, Bellotti Bianco, Cascina degli Ulivi ($20.00, Vini-Vins, NLA)
100% biodynamically farmed Cortese grown in the Tassarolo commune neighbouring Gavi. Manually harvested. Fermented and matured in vats and barrels made from either acacia or oak (the estate’s website contradicts itself). No added sulphur. Lightly filtered prior to bottling in September of the year following harvest. 12.5% ABV.
No one would accuse this Cortese of being anonymous. Complex nose: pears poached in white wine with cinnamon and served on a bed of fresh-cut hay. Richer and more rustic than the Gavi yet still fleet. Dry yet fundamentally fruity with only a hint of oxidation. There’s tingly acidity and a whack of minerals, including a salt crystal or two, especially on the long finish. The label proclaims simplicemente vino and there is indeed an appealing straightforwardness and directness about this wine. (Buy again? Yes.)
Brett happens 
MWG March 8th tasting (1/5): Four Campanian whites
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While this was technically a Cellier tasting, only two bottles from the March 7th release made it into the wine-up: Mastroberardino’s Falanghina and Umani Ronchi’s Verdicchio.
All four wines in the first flight were made similarly: fermented (for a couple of weeks) and matured (for a few months) in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. If the estate favours organic farming, uses native yeasts and avoids manipulation, fining, filtering and sulphur dioxide in the winery, they certainly don’t trumpet it.
Greco di Tufo 2011, Mastroberardino ($22.10, 00411751)
100% Greco di Tufo from c. 15-year-old vines. 12.5% ABV.
Muted nose of lemon-lime and chalk. Smooth and rainwatery on the palate, with stealth acidity and a bitter undercurrent. Wax and pear flavours linger though the tingly finish. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio 2011, Mastroberardino ($19.20, 00972877)
100% Coda di Volpe from c. 20-year-old wines. 12.5% ABV.
Straw, pear, hot stones and something floral. Slightly denser than the Greco, drier, more savoury. High in acidity and lean on fruit. Lemon-pithy, minerally finish. (Buy again? Maybe.)
IGT Irpinia 2011, Morabianca, Falanghina, Mastroberardino ($19.75, 11873026)
100% Falanghina from c. six-year-old vines. 13.5% ABV.
Fragrant nose: mostly lemon blossom with some faint candied pineapple and a whiff of what one taster pegged as “freezer ice.” Probably the driest of the four. Underripe stone fruit sprinkled with lemon juice and set on sea shells. Bitter, puckery finish. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Fiano di Avellino 2011, Mastroberardino ($22.10, 00972851)
100% Fiano di Avellino from c. 15-year-old vines. 12.5% ABV.
Lime leaf, green pear, sweet pumpkin, bath salts, hazelnut skins. Somewhat less acidic and bitter than the others but also more saline. Pear and a little honey. Sustained finish. Balanced and refreshing. (Buy again? Definite maybe.)
As a concept, this flight had enormous appeal: four mono-varietals from four different Campanian grape varieties from the same vintage and made in the same way (cleanly in stainless steel, with no interfering oak) by the same producer. In practice, the flight was a study in shadings more than colours. On the plus side, all the wines were technically flawless and quite drinkable. And yet a little more personality wouldn’t have been out of place. It’s not as if they have to be low on character: Feudi di San Gregorio’s Fianos, for example, have character in spades and Mastroberadino’s high-end bottlings may well too. But we don’t have access to those, do we? As it is, these impeccably made but somewhat nondescript whites will work as an aperitif or an accompaniment to simply prepared seafood.
Speaking of Feudi di San Gregorio, has the SAQ dropped their products from its catalogue? If so, it’s a shame. The monopoly’s current Campania selection is small and dominated by one producer (Mastroberardino) and by affordable but relatively insipid bottlings, especially on the white side. With more than 100 indigenous grape varieties and a couple of thousand producers, the region is a potential source of a wealth of authentic wines. Yet we’re limited to a handful of mostly innocuous reds and whites from an even smaller handful of producers. Why?
Written by carswell
March 15, 2013 at 11:04
Posted in Commentary, Tasting notes
Tagged with Campania, Cellier, Mo' Wine Group, Under 13 percent