Archive for the ‘Tasting notes’ Category
MWG March 16th tasting: report (1/4)
Sketchy notes on the first of four flights. All wines except the Falanghina are from the March 15th Cellier release.
Falanghina 2009, Taburno, Fattoria La Rivolta ($19.95, 11451851)
100% organically farmed Falanghina. Fermented at low temperatures, aged in stainless steel. Mercurial nose: chalk, lemon, minerals, flowers, then white coral, then nougat and shower curtain, then lard and banana. Light and rainwatery on entry but building as it goes along. Bright acid. Dry but full of sweet fruit. A little citrus pith on the chalky finish. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Soave Classico 2010, Prà ($19.50, 11587134)
100% Garganega. Fermented at low temperatures, aged in stainless steel. Yellow fruit with chalk, grapefruit and lime notes. Very present: weightier and fruitier than the flight’s other wines. Fruit tends toward citrus. High acidity rounded by the fruit and a little residual sugar. Bitter finish with a hint of nuttiness. A Soave very much in the mould of Pieropan’s or Imana’s basic bottlings. (Buy again? Sure.)
Roero Arneis 2010, Mauro Sebaste ($18.55, 11579986)
100% Arneis. Fermented in stainless steel, aged three to four months in the bottle. Flowery bath powder, then sweet lime, then white peach and crushed leaves; that said, it’s not what you’d call exuberantly aromatic. Dry, smooth and suave on the palate. Initial white fruit turns more acidic and bitter toward finish. Improved as it breathed, gaining crystalline mineral notes. Would make a good aperitif or accompaniment to delicate pasta and fish dishes. (Buy again? Yes.)
Manzoni Bianco 2010, Fontanasanta, Vigneti delle Dolomiti, Foradori ($28.90, 11580004)
100% Manzoni Bianco, a cross of Riesling and Pinot Bianco. Aged 12 months in acacia casks. Sweaty funk on the nose and palate. Medium-bodied. Fruity but dry, with strongish acid and a bitter-edged finish. Fair length. Given the winemaker and the wine’s enthusiastic reception by critics, I was expecting more. Perhaps our bottle was slightly off? (Buy again? Only to give it a second chance.)
Get ’em while the getting’s good
New vintages of two wines that knocked the MWG’s collective socks off last year have shown up on the SAQ’s shelves.
The 2008 Etna “Rosso di Verzella” from Azienda Vinicola Benanti ($22.00, 11348459) is far from what most people would consider a typical Sicilian red: the texture and weight are too Burgundian, the fruit isn’t overripe or jammy. While perhaps a tad less beguiling than last year’s 2006 (or maybe it’s the 2008’s relative youth), the same description applies: “A blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio given about ten months in small casks. Wafting nose of dried black cherry, baked earth, rosemary. Round, smooth and savoury. Medium-bodied. Lively acid gives freshness. Round tannins provide structure. Soft, long finish. A charmer.”
On the other hand, the 2009 Montsant “Dido” from Venus la Universal ($24.10, 11376994) seemed less approachable and more serious than the 2008. Sleek, dark, brooding and barely budging in the hour or so it was open, this is a wine that will benefit from a few years in a cellar or, failing that (and to go by the 2008), several hours – even 24 – in a carafe.
Both wines are widely available, though few outlets received more than a case or two. In other words, get ’em while the getting’s good.
MWG March 2nd tasting: report (4/4)
Valpolicella Superiore Classico 2002, Giuseppe Quintarelli ($81.00, 10811253)
A blend of old-vine Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara with smaller percentages of Negara, Cabernet, Nebbiolo, Croatina and Sangiovese. Five or six months after initial fermentation, the wine is refermented, using the ripasso method, in most years with the lees from the estate’s Amarone (but not in 2002, when no Amarone was made). It is then aged for six years in Slavonian oak.
A heady, gorgeous bouquet: ripe red and black fruit, sandalwood, spice and so much more. Opulent and velvety yet supple and fluid. Wave after wave of flavour. Soft and caressing on the surface but with cushy tannins and power in reserve. Infinite finish. Magnificent. (Buy again? Yes. Gulp.)
Amarone della Valpolicella 2006, Marion ($87.50, 10665057)
Corvinone (45%), Covina Gentile (25%), Rondinella (20%) and Croatina and other varieties (10%). The grapes are semi-dried for three months before pressing. Aged about three years in Slavonian oak barrels.
An Initially odd nose (pickled fruit, plastic) blows off, leaving a complex bouquet of plum, red berries, chocolate and graphite. Rich, heady and layered in the mouth. Sweet fruit, slate. Alcoholic but not hot – warming, rather. Mouth-coatingly astringent but somehow not tannic. Endless, coffeed finish. So engaging that time seems suspended as you smell and taste it. (Buy again? If I can scrape up the cash, yes.)
Valpolicella Superiore 2007, Marion ($38.00, 10710268)
Corvina Grossa (60%), Rondinella (20%), Corvina Gentile (10%) and Teroldego and other varieties (10%). Soime of the grapes are semi-dried for about 40 days before pressing, while others are late-harvested and then pressed. The wines are aged separately in small oak barrels for about 30 months before blending and bottling.
Subtle, complex, profound: modelling clay, red and black berries, spice, crushed leaves. Soft and supple on the palate, the texture velvety, the flavours complex and lingering. Long. Very fine. (Buy again? Yes.)
All the wines in this flight were superb. Usually, as an evening progresses, tongues loosen and the noise level rises. But in this instance, after the three wines were poured and people began swirling, sniffing and sipping, an awed hush – broken only by the occasional soft moan of pleasure – fell over the room.
Despite the wonders of the Marions, the Quintarelli stood out for everybody. It is easily one of the best if not the best of their VSCs that I’ve tasted – surprising since 2002 is widely considered a rotten vintage due to heavy rain. Could it have something to do with the fact the estate made no Amarone in 2002, in theory freeing up the superior grapes for the lesser wines? Hard to know, as there are almost no reviews or discussion of the wine on the Web (though SAQ haters take note: it’s listed at Columbus Circle Wines for US$85+ vs. C$81 here, and the NY price doesn’t include sales tax).
MWG March 2nd tasting: report (3/4)
Colli Berici 2008, Montebelvedere, Dal Maso ($19.95, 11581007)
100% Cabernet Sauvignon from 12-year-old vines. Fermented in stainless steel, aged 12 months in second-vintage Allier oak barriques and botti. Identifiably Cabernet nose of cassis, mint/celery and cedar wood. Medium-bodied and balanced, with a core of sweet fruit and no greenness. Not very tannic. Fair length. A bit simple and anonymous but definitely drinkable. (Buy again? If in the market for a $20 Cab, sure.)
IGT Toscana 2008, Cabernet Sauvignon, San Fabiano Calcinaia ($25.95, 11546914)
90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot. Spent 15 months in first and second-vintage barriques. Umami nose: tamari, cordovan leather, shaved wood. Medium to full-bodied. Quite tannic. Dark and inky palate not showing much fruit. Plum, cocoa and iodine-scented finish. Needs another year or two in the bottle. (Buy again? If in the market for a $25 Cab, sure.)
IGT Umbria 2005, Rosso Outsider, Arnaldo Caprai ($30.25, 11580821)
A 50-50 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged 18 months in French oak barrels. Brooding nose of plum and clean sweat, developing cedar and graphite notes. Somewhat closed (or maybe just austere by nature) but also tasting far more Italian than the other two bottles. Chewy but not heavy fruit, rustic but ripe tannins. Long, dark finish. Straightforward, close to the earth, appealing. (Buy again? Yes.)
No need to hot-foot it to the Big Apple…
…for your obscure Italian varietal hit, Herr Doktor. Not when oenopole’s around, though you may have to wait till summer for the next shipment.
Verduno Pelaverga 2009, Fratelli Alessandria ($24.30, oenopole)
100% Pelaverga. Clear light red. Nose of dusty strawberry candies, light spice (black pepper, cumin), terra cotta, dried wood and a floral note (violets?). A savoury and very dry welterweight. Not particularly fruity, more acidic than tannic. Substrate of dried earth and mineral flavours. Hint of chocolate on the slightly raspy, sour strawberry finish. 13.5% ABV. Lovers of light, tart, savoury Italian reds tailor-made for salume shouldn’t hesitate.
MWG March 2nd tasting: report (2/4)
Venezia Giulia IGT 2008, Red Angel on the Moonlight, Jermann ($27.35, 11035786)
Pinot Noir and possibly a dollop of Merlot. Aged a year in French oak barrels and tuns. Deep burgundy to the eye. Mint, light red berries and a hint of oak on the nose. Medium to full-bodied, dry and silky. Ripe fruit shares spotlight with slatey minerals and oak. Bitterish finish. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Pinot Noir 2009, Unfiltered, VQA Prince Edward County, Hardie Wines ($35.00, LCBO 125310)
Update (12-03-22): This wine (and two others from Hardie’s stable) has just been added to the SAQ catalogue ($38.50, 11638499).
Clear, pale ruby, almost corail. Sour cherry, beet, earth, a little spice. Light, acidic, refreshing despite some woody overtones. Sweetens as it breathes, showing more structure (minerals and fine tannins). Decent finish. (Buy again? Hard to justify from a QPR standpoint but if the price ever drops to $25, sure.)
Breganze 2009, Pinot Nero, Maculan ($18.80, 11580987)
Again, deep burgundy. Cherry – a bit candied – and a hint of smoky tar. Smooth and velvety, the juicy fruit given shape by supple tannins and soft acidity. Not particularly deep, long or Burgundian but at $19, who’s complaining? (Buy again? Sure.)
MWG March 2nd tasting: report (1/4)
While the March 1st release was one of the weakest in Cellier‘s history, it wasn’t totally devoid of interest, as these three wines show.
Thomas Bachelder, the winemaker who got Le Clos Jordanne rolling, has struck out on his own. His latest project is to make Chardonnays and, eventually, Pinot Noirs in the three regions he’s worked in – Burgundy, Oregon and Ontario – all using the same recipe. What better way to illustrate regional differences? For the 2009 Chardonnays, the recipe involved, to the extent possible, organically farmed grapes, native yeasts and 16 months’ aging in mostly neutral barrels. (Much of my information comes from newspaper articles and other blogs, as Bachelder’s website is lacking in technical details.)
Chardonnay 2009, Bourgogne, Bachelder Bourgogne ($34.00, 11584620)
Grapes sourced from vineyards in Puligny, Beaune and Saint-Aubin and vinified at Alex Gambal’s facilities. Classic Burgundian nose of chalk, minerals, lemon and oats. Dense and winey texture (millésime oblige) but with enough acidity to keep the wine taut and bright. The dry fruit (mostly citrus and stone) is shot through with minerals, and a faint lactic note fades in and out. The finish is long. The wine seems to retreat as it breathes, probably a sign that it needs another year or two in the bottle. (Buy again? Yes, but…)
Chardonnay 2009, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Bachelder Niagara ($33.75, 11584857)
Grapes from the Beamsville Bench, vinified at Southbrook. Lemon and tropical fruit. Rounder in the mouth – the fruit riper, the acid lower – than the other two wines. A hint of residual sugar adds to the New World feel. Minerals, such as they are, and a little spice emerge on the sustained finish. Friendly and likeable if, to my palate, less attention-worthy. Ready to go. (Buy again? Yes, but…)
Chardonnay 2009, Willamette Valley, Bachelder Oregon ($34.00, 11584814)
Vinified at Lemelson Vineyards. Closed nose: hints of coral and coconut. A mass of minerals surrounding a core of dense fruit (yellow and green apple above all). Lively acid. Quartzy finish with a whey – eventually butter – note. Perhaps the least immediately appealing of the three but also in ways the most intriguing. (Buy again? Yes, but…)
The wines were served blind. That several tasters unhesitatingly pegged the first as Burgundian attests to its typicity. All three had their partisans among the tasters, with fans of New World wines tending to coalesce around the Niagara even before it was unveiled.
Why the “yes, but…” then? In a word, price. For $35, a single loonie more, you can buy a bottle of Pattes Loup’s 2009 Chablis 1er cru Beauregard, a classier and far more enthralling Chardonnay. And tellingly, even without that benchmark in mind, when the tasters were asked what they’d be willing to pay for their favourite of the Bachelder Chards, most said $25.
Vin de terroirs
As explained by the young and personable Mathieu Deiss, who was in town last week for the Renaissance des appellations event, the Marcel Deiss estate has two basic lines of wine: variety-driven and terroir-driven.
Vineyards where, in the winemaker’s opinion, the expression of terroir is muted are planted with single or segregated grape varieties, and the wines are made and labelled as varietals: Riesling, Muscat, etc. With the exception of a handful of high-end bottlings (the so-called vins de temps, which are vendange tardive and sélection de grains nobles wines considered particularly expressive of the character of their vintage), these are marketed as vins de fruits.
Vineyards where terroir trumps variety are planted with mixed varieties, all of which are harvested, pressed and fermented together (Mathieu says co-planted, biodynamically farmed grapes “learn” to ripen at the same time). These vins de terroirs are the estate’s flagship wines. Although such field blends were once the norm in Alsace, it wasn’t until 2005 that Deiss convinced the INAO authorities to allow estates to label wines from grand cru vineyards with only the vineyard name and sans the grape variety.
Alsace 2009, Marcel Deiss ($22.60, 10516490)
The estate’s entry-level vin de terroirs is a field blend of biodynamically farmed Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer. Gold with a pale green cast. Attractive if hard-to-pin-down nose: dried lemon peel, quartz, grapefruit, sweeter fruit in the background, a hint of pine needles and alcohol. Soft and round on entry – yellow-fruity and verging on off-dry – followed by a faint, spritzy tingle. Dries as it goes along, the fruit becoming more citric, the flavours more savoury. Bit of heat and bitterness on the longish finish. Lingering straw and brown sugar notes.
We’re so accustomed to associating fine Alsatian whites with varietal characteristics that drinking such an unmistakably Alsatian yet varietally elusive wine is disconcerting. Nonetheless, this bottle delivers pleasure by the glassful and convinces me that tasting through a range of Deiss’s vineyard-specific vins de terroirs would be a fascinating exercise.
MWG February 9th tasting: report (4/4)
Domaine Lemaire Fournier was a 30-hectare estate located in Vernou sur Brenne, close to Vouvray. In 2003, the estate was in its second year of conversion to organic farming. The wines were made with native yeasts and abjuring enzymes, chaptalization, deacidification, fining, added nutrients, tartric stabilization and sulphur. The estate’s remaining stocks of wine are being liquidated, which explains the reasonable prices.
We tasted the three wines on their own and then with four cheeses.
Vouvray 2003, Tartemains, Domaine Lemaire Fournier ($27.15, La QV)
Honey nose, brown sugar palate. Notes of beeswax, yellow apple, golden raisins. Medium-bodied, medium sweet. Soft texture despite the underpinning acidity. Lengthy finish with a hint of bitterness. Delicious, especially with the Tome de Savoie. (Buy again? Yes.)
Vouvray 2004, Demi-sec, Domaine Lemaire Fournier ($21.30, La QV)
Complex nose: apple, honey, herbs, fall leaves. Light, cidery and dryish on the palate, the residual sugar just taking the edge off the acid. Lingering cedary finish. Tasty and refreshing, the kind of versatile wine you could serve as an aperitif, with fish or pork dishes or with cheese (soft bloomy rinds, aged Gouda, mild blues). (Buy again? Sure.)
Vouvray 2003, Réveilleries, Domaine Lemaire Fournier ($27.15, La QV)
Oxidized and spritzy. Browned apple and a cheesy, volatile note. Odd, sour/bitter finish. An off bottle, as confirmed by a taster familiar with the wine, though not undrinkable. Strangely, it achieved a kind of synergy with the Bleu bénédictin. (Buy again? As a believer in second chances, yes.)
Brett happens 
The Schwartza as miracle fruit
with 3 comments
The Schwartza is the flagship pizza of Jane, a down-home Italian resto/upscale pizzaria on Notre Dame a few blocks west of Guy. Topped with mustard sauce, smoked meat, dill pickle slices and a surfeit of cheese, the pie manages to be true to both its Montreal Italian and Montreal Jewish heritages. It shouldn’t work but somehow it does (this from someone who wouldn’t go out of his way for a smoked meat sandwich and who has never recovered from a traumatic childhood experience with deli-style pickles). That said, I suspect that, for me at least, once is enough, especially when the resto’s other pizza toppings beckon. Also, at $24 it’s pricey. Then again, the two of us couldn’t quite polish it off.
What wine goes with a Schwartza? Glancing through the list, we spotted a 2009 Langhe Nebbiolo that turned out to be from Produttori del Barbaresco ($50 at the restaurant, $22.85 at the SAQ – 11383617 – though good luck finding any at the monopoly at this late date). Without much forethought, we ordered it, and a good thing we did. Delicious and food friendly, albeit a little tight, it paired well enough with our starters of meatballs and panzanella. But with the pizza, it bloomed: the cheese softened the tannins, while the mustard and pickles sweetened the fruit – a transformation so radical, it was like we’d chewed a miracle berry before sipping the wine. And what about that fruit? Black cherry, the go-to flavour for smoked meat. A match as definitive as it was fortuitous.
The restaurant itself is a pleasant space: a storefront in an old building with high ceilings, wood floors and tables and a warm glow. The menu and wine list are chalked on blackboards. The list is about 40 wines long, and many are available by the glass. Incredibly, only the appellation/grape variety and price are listed; the producer’s name is nowhere in sight. What’s more, when I asked our waiter who made the Langhe we had our eye on, he had no idea. What a joke!
The food was decent and sometimes a little more. The meatballs were close to perfect: tender, moist, cohesive, mild yet savoury, and unfortunately oversalted. The tomato sauce was a delicious foil. If you set aside any notions of the classic dish, the panzanella was tasty enough – arugula, tomato, bell pepper and red onion, dressed with a mild vinaigrette and generously sprinkled with parmesan – but it lost points for the prefab croutons and drizzle of sweet balsamic vinegar. Dinner for the two of us, including wine, two espressos, taxes and tip was $140.
Written by carswell
March 21, 2012 at 11:50
Posted in Commentary, Reviews, Tasting notes
Tagged with food pairings, Piedmont, Restaurants