Archive for the ‘Tasting notes’ Category
Gauby’s 2010 Les Calcinaires rouge
Côtes du Roussillon Villages 2010, Les Calcinaires, Domaine Gauby ($24.50, 11222186)
Organically farmed, 10- to 20-year old Syrah (50%), Mourvèdre (25%), Grenache Noir (15%) and Carignan (10%). Destemmed. Macerated two to four weeks. Traditional, non-interventionist fermentation using ambient yeasts. Aged ten months in vats (80%) and barrels (20%). Bottled unfiltered and unfined. Relatively small production of 5,000 bottles. 12.5% ABV (!) according to SAQ.com (don’t have the bottle to check what the label says).
Smelling primary at this stage: plum, spice, leather, slate. Smooth with velvety tannins. Quite extracted yet fluid. Lush fruit (black cherry) and some bittersweet chocolate, sleek acidity and a long drying finish. Not particularly deep but pure, savoury and delicious. A food-friendly wine that paired well with several nuevo latino dishes at the outstanding, newly BYOB Raza.
Barn owl and salmon
Looking for a wine to pour with Indian-style salmon brochettes (recipe follows), I popped the cork on this. It worked.
Coteaux du Loir 2010, L’Effraie, Domaine Bellivière ($27.45, 11495467)
Effraie is French for barn owl. 100% biodynamically farmed Chenin Blanc from vines under 50 years old. Fermented with native yeasts and aged 12 months in second-, third- and fourth-use barrels. Depending on the year, the wine can range from dry to demi-sec. 12.5% ABV according to the label (13.5% according to SAQ.com, though that may refer to an earlier vintage).
Complex, if subtle, and constantly evolving nose: yellow apple, melon rind, summer savoury, chalk, preserved lemon and honeycomb. Off-dry (sec-tendre according to the winemaker), the sugar softening the acidity and augmenting the somewhat viscous texture. Mild white and yellow fruit dissolves dryly into minerals, ash and a light citric tang. A faint aftertaste – more a fresh, mint-like sensation – haunts the mouth for minutes after a sip. A natural with white fish or scallops in lemon cream (the estate suggests tartare preparations), this also goes well with not-too-spicy Asian fare like the dish you’ll find after the jump.
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This summer’s La Niña
Minervois 2010, La Nine, Domaine Jean Baptiste Sénat ($20.90, 11659960)
Organically farmed Grenache (40%), Carignan (30%), Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Syrah (10%each) from vines 60, 100, 25, 50 and 10 years old respectively. Partially detstemmed, then vatted and fermented for 12 days using native yeasts. Aged ten months in old oak barrels and stainless steel vats. Unfiltered, unfined and minimally sulphured. 14% ABV.
Heady nose of roasted plums, sun-baked stones, garrigue and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied and quite dry. Velvet-textured yet fluid with supple tannins and astoundingly pure, ripe fruit. Turns savoury on the finish, leaving a peristant tingle (whether from tannins, acidity or alcohol I can’t tell) and faint aftertaste of raspberry liqueur. Some of Sénat’s other wines, notably Le Bois des Merveilles, are overambitious – too big, heavy and unrefreshing – but this vibrant quaffer is a charmer and a close to perfect pairing for herb-rubbed and grilled beef, lamb or pork.
Gauby’s 2010 Les Calcinaires blanc
VDP des Côtes Catalanes 2010, Les Calcinaires, Domaine Gauby ($25.15, 11463060)
The estate is certified organic. 50% Muscat from 15 to 50-year-old vines, 30% Chardonnay from 20-year-old vines and 20% Macabeu from 30 to 50-year-old vines. Fermented with native yeasts. Aged eight months on the lees. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. 13% ABV.
Sour apple, limestone, pine resin. Rainwater entry quickly expands to apple, pithy lemon and a soft grapiness (the Muscat speaking?) given focus by the acidity. As the fruit fades, the minerals surge and are joined by a sour-bitter note that lingers through the finish and sets you up for another sip. Less complex and profound than the Vieilles Vignes but a delight to drink. Made an excellent pairing for the Catalonian recipe you’ll find after the jump.
Raisins gaulois
This was released today and has already disappeared from several Montreal outlets. No mises de côté allowed, so if you want some, drop by your favourite outlet on your way to work tomorrow morning. You have been warned.
Vin de France 2011, Raisins Gaulois, Domaine Marcel Lapierre ($17.65, 11459976)
In vintages before 2009, a Vin de pays de Gaules but now a generic Vin de France following a decision by Beaujolais authorities to eliminate the former designation. Nevertheless, most of the grapes used for this wine come from the Morgon AOC. 100% organically farmed young-vine Gamay. Semi-carbonic maceration (with no added sulphur) lasting around five days. Fermented with native yeasts. Aged two months in vats. Bottled unfiltered but with a squirt of sulphur dioxide. 12% ABV. The wine is also packaged in 5L and 10L bag-in-boxes, not that we ever see them here in Quebec. Conventional wisdom is to serve this lightly chilled but I found it more faceted and nuanced at room temperature (about 23ºC/74ºF this evening).
Exuberant, gumdroppy nose of red berries and peony with a ferrous note. Light, fleet and fresh in the mouth, the fruit sweet and juicy, the tannins soft and supple. High-toned rose flashes on the back of the palate before giving way to a tangy, mineral-edged finish. Pure and delightful, a celebration not so much of terroir as of Gamay. Way too easy to down, the very definition of a vin de soif.
Rosso di terrazza
IGT Toscana 2010, Casamatta, Bibi Graetz ($15.45, 11372441)
The name means “crazy house.” 100% young-vine Sangiovese. Fermented in stainless steel, aged in barrels after malolactic fermentation. Screwcapped. 12.5% ABV.
Sour cherry, raspberry, leaf mould, a floral note and a hint of kirschy marzipan. Underpinned by light tannins and buoyed by acidity, the sweet and tart fruit leads to a softly astringent, bitter-edged finish. This welterweight may be simple and commercial but, lightly chilled on a hot summer evening, it’s also quite enjoyable in its juicy kind of way. Serve with grilled Italian sausages, braised beef or just about anything in tomato sauce.
MWG June 21st tasting: report (4/4)
Coteaux du Languedoc 2007, Prieuré Saint-Jean de Bébian ($38.00, 11661074)
Syrah (45%), Grenache (30%), Mourvèdre (25%) from 30-year-old vines except the Grenache, which was planted in 1925. Each grape variety is vinified and aged separately. Six to nine weeks’ maceration in concrete and old stone vats with little pumping over. The Syrah is transferred to barrels for malolactic fermentation. Aged in second, third and fourth vintage barrels and demi-muids for nine to 18 months according to the variety, then in stainless steel vats. Unfiltered. 14.5% ABV.
Dark fruit, Asian spice, earth, “pine coney.” Full-bodied. Weighty without being heavy. Heady, packed with ripe fruit, suave tannins and just enough acidity. Long leathery/charry finish. Intense but fine. Needs time. (Buy again? Tempted but will likely wait for the reportedly fleeter 2008.)
Coteaux du Languedoc 2009, L’Orée, Clos des Nines ($24.25, 11661091)
A ten-year-old estate. The name refers to the owner’s three daughters (nines in Langue d’oc). Grenache (50%), Syrah (25%), Cinsault (25%). Fermented and aged in vats. 14.5% ABV.
Winey, sawed wood, eventually resin. Mouth-filling but not galumphing. The ripe fruit, soft tannins and pulpy texture are kept sprightly by the fresh flavours and acidity. The fruit slow-fades to spice and earthy minerals on the finish. The supplest, least serious wine in the flight, this has backyard BBQ written all over it. (Buy again? If looking for a Languedoc vin plaisir, sure.)
Coteaux du Languedoc 2009, Grès de Montpellier, Château Saint-Martin de la Garrigue ($23.95, 10268828)
Old-vine Mourvèdre (52%), Syrah (27%) and Grenache Noir (21%). Whole-grape maceration. The Mourvèdre and Grenache are destemmed. Batches are selected and blended as soon as fermentation is completed. Aged in second or third vintage demi-muids for 16 months. Repeated racking but no fining or filtration. 13.5% ABV.
On the nose as well as in the mouth, leather, coffee, toasted nut, game and other tertiary-like aromas and flavours dominate, pushing the fruit (prune and fig) into the background. Little sweetness and rigid tannins make for a relatively austere experience. Not as dense as the Bébian or Jullien but just about as long. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Coteaux du Languedoc 2008, Terrasses du Larzac, Mas Jullien ($37.25, 10874861)
Organically farmed Syrah, Carignan, Mourvèdre and, depending on who you believe, Grenache. Vinified by parcel and aged for around 18 months in demi–muids. 13.5% ABV.
Reticent yet beautiful: dark fruit with cassis notes and hints of dried herbs, cocoa and spice, including a whiff of licorice. Closer to medium than full-bodied, to silky than velvety. The rich fruit is shaped by soft acidity and round tannins. Long, full finish. Vigorous aeration reveals hidden layers and depth: this wine, an epitome of the Languedoc, needs another three or four years to come into its own and will drink beautifully for several years beyond that. (Buy again? Yep.)
MWG June 21st tasting: report (3/4)
Zweigelt 2010, Burgenland, Meinklang ($24.50, La QV)
100% biodynamically farmed Zweigelt. 13% ABV. The winemaker recommends serving this lightly chilled (17ºC/63ºF).
Raspberry and turned earth. Suave with smooth tannins, some muted oak and a Burgundian weight (very similar to the Givry in fact). Round but with good acid; sweet-tasting (ripe fruit) but dry; initially spicy but gaining earthiness as it breathes. Long, clean finish, a common thread in all the Meinklang wines. The best Zweigelt I’ve ever tasted. (Buy again? For sure.)
Fleurie 2010, Les Moriers, Domaine Chignard ($23.50, 11305686)
100% Gamay. Whole cluster fermentation (in stainless steel and cement vats) with vatting for six to eight days before pressing. Aged in neutral foudres for 13 months. For some markets, the wine is bottled unfiltered and unfined with no added sulphur, though the SAQ may require otherwise (as they do with Lapierre’s Morgon). 12.5% ABV.
Raspberry, slate and a whiff of kirsch. Sappy, smooth and dry on the palate, a mouthful of tangy, ripe strawberry. Lighter and less structured than expected – the vines are 40 years old, after all, and the vineyard overlooks Moulin-à-Vent – but wonderfully pure and fresh. (Buy again? When in the mood for a vin plaisir, yes.)
Chinon 2009, Domaine Bernard Baudry ($20.20, 10257571)
100% Cabernet Franc from 30- to 35-year-old vines grown without herbicides or synthetic chemicals. Slow fermentation in cement vats. Aged 12 months in neutral oak vats and barrels. 12.5% ABV.
As usual, a reductive nose that slowly gained red plum, animale and a hint of tobacco leaf. Supple, dark and ripe, with fine tannins, a gravelly substrate and no herbaceousness. Balanced in its brooding manner. (Buy again? Maybe, though the superior Grézeaux bottling is only a few dollars more.)
Givry premier cru 2010, Clos Salomon, Domaine du Clos Salomon (Gardin-Perrotto) ($31.75, 00918086)
100% Pinot Noir from the 40-year-old vines of the fabled 7-ha Côte Chalonnaise vineyard (a monopole because the estate owns the entire clos). Farmed without herbicides or insecticides. Vatted at low temperatures for five days, then fermented with wild yeasts in open vats. Aged 12 months in 25% new French oak barrels. Unracked, unfiltered and unfined. 13% ABV.
Red berries, forest floor, background oak. Medium-bodied and relatively supple with bright, almost biting acidity and sleek tannins. The fruit is ripe and, for now, primary though embellished with a floral overtone. Long. A tasty wine that will only be better in a few years. Excellent QPR. (Buy again? Sure.)
MWG June 21st tasting: report (2/4)
Located on the east shore of the Neusiedler See in eastern Austria (Burgenland), not far from the Hungarian border, the 55-hectare Meinklang estate is run by Werner and Angela Michlits. (The estate’s name is the German word Einklang – unison, harmony – prefixed with the first letter of the owners’ family name.) Not only is the operation organic and biodynamic, it is largely self-sufficient, growing its own grain for its beer and bread, hops for its beer, apples and other fruit for its ciders and juices, beef for weed control, fertilizer, sausages and the horns so important in biodynamic farming, and so on. This is another estate where the wines – all of which are vegan-compatible – are made in the vineyard, not the cellar.
Having tasted several Meinklang wines in earlier vintages, I was sure their purity and personality, their droiture and drinkability would be right up the MWG’s alley. However, I wasn’t expecting the unprecedented reaction that the four wines in the tasting elicited from the members in attendance – discussion during and after the event, tweets and a small flurry of emails and phone calls raving about them. If nothing else, it confirmed my impression that these are exceptionally enjoyable wines very much geared to the natural wine lover’s palate.
Grüner Veltliner 2011, Burgenland, Meinklang ($21.00, 12 bottles/case, La QV)
100% Grüner Veltliner. 11.5% ABV. Screwcapped. The 2010 vintage is currently available at the LCBO for $15.95.
Green pear and apple, grass, white pepper and eventually rosemary. Soft and minerally with underlying lime and acidity galore. Pure fruit. Clean and long. (Buy again? Definitely.)
Hárslevelü 2010, H9, Meinklang ($33.00, 6 bottles/case, La QV, available in September)
100% Hárslevelü from the estate’s Hungarian vineyards. 12.5% ABV if I recall correctly.
Fresh nose with hints of peach, honey and hay. Yellow apple on the palate. The rich texture and touch of residual sugar are cut by brightening acidity. Dancing mineral finish. Less tense and Riesling-like than the 2009 but every bit as delicious. (Buy again? Definitely.)
Grauburgunder 2010, Trocken, “Graupert”, Burgenland, Meinklang ($42.00, 6 bottles/case, La QV, available in September)
100% Grauburgunder (aka Pinot Gris) from vines that, as an experiment, have been left unpruned for several years (in the local dialect, graupert means wild and unkempt), drastically reducing yields. 13% ABV.
Intriguing and complex nose whose aromas included lychee, sweat and “dill pickle chips.” Rich and honeyed but also very dry and bracingly acidic. Turns savoury on the finish. Impressive breadth and depth, not to mention great length. After finishing the tail end he took home with him, one member (a Burgundy native at that) reported, “I’m sold!” (Buy again? Yes.)
MWG June 21st tasting: report (1/4)
IGT Terre di Chieti 2010, Pecorino “Unico”, Tenute Ulisse ($18.80, 11660418)
100% Pecorino from 5- to 10-year old vines. Chilled, destemmed and softly crushed before ferminting and three-months aging in stainless steel. 13% ABV. Vino-lok closure.
Apple and lemon on the nose. Medium-bodied but full of extract. Kept bright by acidity. Savoury lemon intertwines with chalk and quartz. Good, clean finish with a faint bitter note (hazelnut skin?). Fine as a apertif or with simply prepared seafood. (Buy again? Sure.)
Verdicchio di Matelica 2010, Bisci ($20.20, 11660979)
100% Verdicchio. Lightly crushed then pressed to separate the must from the skins. Fermented at a cool 20ºC or less. Aged seven months before bottling. 13% ABV.
Floral bouquet with chalk, grapefruit, melon and eventually jalapeno notes. Rounder and weightier than the Pecorino but also blander (perhaps due to its being served too chilled; the estate recommends 14ºC or higher), which isn’t to say lacking dimension. Clean and bracing with lifting acidity. At this point, not as exciting as the 2009. (Buy again? Yes, especially to lay down for a year or two.)
Rias Baixas 2010, Albariño, Fillaboa ($22.05, 11668129)
100% Albariño from one of the appellation’s top producers. Sees extended lees contact. 13% ABV.
Odd nose that had us wondering whether the bottle wasn’t slightly off: curdled cream against a background of lemon, flowers and coral. Lighter and simpler than its reputation suggests it should be: a savoury, minerally, lemony mouthful with crisp acidity and a saline, slightly alcoholic finish. Not bad but I couldn’t buck the impression that something was missing, that the parts weren’t coalescing into a whole. (Buy again? Maybe to give it another chance.)
Bierzo 2010, Godello, Dominio de Tares ($26.25, 11631852)
100% Godello from 20-year-old vines. Fermented 20 days at 19ºC. No malolactic fermentation. Aged three months in new French oak barrels with daily battonage. Cassein-fined before bottling. 13% ABV.
Complex and evolving nose of yellow fruit, spice and a hint of oak. Ripe-fruity and rich in extract, so conveying an impression of sweetness, yet briskly acidic and actually quite dry. Subtle peach and vanilla give way to a long, spicy finish. Intriguing. (Buy again? Yes!)
Brett happens 