Archive for the ‘Tasting notes’ Category
We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming…
…to bring you the following public service announcement.
The dry Tokajis available at the SAQ come in two styles: fresh and bright if somewhat internationalized (see Château Pajzos) or substantial and savoury, wines to contend with (see Oremus). This new arrival falls squarely in the second group. At things stand now, there’s not much in the system; if you’re interested, don’t dawdle.
Tokaj-Hegyalja 2008, Furmint, Löcse, Béres Vineyards and Winery ($23.05, 11607490)
100% Furmint from 30-year-old vines in the Löcse vineyard. Fermented using native yeasts. Aged eight months in 30% new Hungarian oak casks. Did not undergo malolactic fermentation. Filtered before bottling.
Pale gold with a faint green cast. Subtle, complex, elusive nose: peach, ash, fern fronds, quartz. Plump and sweet-seeming at first though actually quite acidic and dry. Fruit fades to a honeyed, minerally finish with an intriguing sourness, a faint but persistent bitter almond note and a WTF?! warming/burning sensation like you get after eating a fiery goulash or chewing a peppercorn. Unique, formidable and pretty fantastic.
Paired nicely with a chicken roasted with cumin and Seville oranges. Can also see it working with pork, veal and white fish.
MWG February 9th tasting: report (3/4)
Petite Sirah 2008, Russian River Valley, Foppiano Vineyards ($24.00, 00611780)
100% Petite Sirah (aka Durif). Aged in oak barrels, 30% new. Dark, spicy plum nose. A velvety mass of inky, tarry fruit in the mouth. Some astringency and heat (15.2% ABV) on the chocolate and oak-inflected finish. Became a bit characatured – one-noteish, fruit-bombish, more harshly tannic – as it breathed. (Buy again? Unlikely.)
Petite Sirah 2008, Napa Valley, Girard Winery ($34.00, 11604061)
89% old-vine Petite Sirah, 8% Zinfandel, 2% Mourvèdre and 1% Grenache. Fresh and lilting nose of raspberry and spice with a hint of chocolate. Upfront fruit saved from facileness by darker undertones, chewy tannins and structuring oak. Long but could use more zing on the finish. (Buy again? If I were a bigger fan of New World wines, probably.)
Petite Sirah 2007, Napa Valley, Stags’ Leap Winery ($56.00, 00349910)
More than three-quarters Petite Sirah blended with homeopathic amounts of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Pelousin and Viognier. Aged 18 months in American oak barrels. Evolving nose: chocolate napoleons then hazelnut then plum and cordovan leather. Less dense and fruit-driven than the Girard and Foppiano. Powerful – structure and tannins galore – yet civilized, even elegant. Long, herby/woody finish with lingering slate notes. Needs a decade or maybe two. (Buy again? Yes.)
Petite Sirah 2009, Green Truck, Mendocino County, Red Truck Wines ($16.35, 10985966)
Made from organically farmed grapes (79% Petite Sirah, 21% Merlot) though fermented with commercial yeasts. Sees only stainless steel up to bottling. Wood, plum, ink. Surprisingly rich and velvety, the sweet fruit underpinned by tannins and brightened by acidity. Pure, uncomplicated, easy-drinking and relatively low alcohol (13.5%). A great barbecue wine. (Buy again? Sure.)
True to their New World selves, all the Petite Sirahs were built around a core of sweet fruit. The big disappointment for me was the Foppiano. I’d picked it over other candidates at the price point because a decade or two ago, back when I used to buy the occasional bottle for personal consumption, it was made in a lighter, Pinot Noirish style.
MWG February 9th tasting: report (2/4)
Burgenland 2008, Blaufränkisch, Szapary, Uwe Schiefer ($47.00, 11515966)
Schiefer, whose last name fortuitously means schist in German, is a former sommelier who decided to get his hands dirty. Located in south Burgenland, a cool-climate region on the Hungarian border, his up-and-coming estate is currently organic but converting to biodynamism. His approach to winemaking is minimalist; “less is more” he says. The grapes for this 100% Blaufränkisch cuvée are grown on a steep schist slope.
Restrained but complex nose of blackberries, herbs, spice (anise seed?) and slate. Burgundian – or maybe Barbarescan – mouth feel. Deeply flavoured (cherry, blackberry, black pepper, minerals) and broad but also supple and fluid. Tingly acid, fine, velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. My wine of the night. The winemaker says it’s best at four to six years but capable of aging up to ten years. (Buy again? The price gives pause but, bucks permitting, yes.)
Frankovka modrá 2009, Južnoslovenská, Výber z hrozna / Suché, Mavín (c. $15, importation valise)
The name translates as Blaufränkisch 2009, Southern Slovakia, Selected grapes / Dry, Mavín.
Recognizably Blaufränkisch but quite different from the other two wines. Nose of berries, puff pastry and a hint of band-aid with dried blood. Red fruity in the mouth with spice and earthy/slatey notes, light tannins and an astringent finish. A bit simple, short and rustic – as the “importer” rightly pointed out, it tasted less expensive than the other two wines – but enjoyable all the same. (Buy again? At $15 or under, sure.)
Burgenland 2009, Blaufränkisch, Heinrich ($21.05, 10768478)
100% Blaufränkisch from 10 to 25-year-old vines. Fermented in stainless steel tanks, finished in oak vats and used casks. Vino-Lok closure. Straightforward and appealing. Spice, blackberries, baked earth and dried wood on the nose. Red fruit on the palate. Fluid, light and tight with an appealing astringency and lots of acid. Long, dryish, minerally finish. Delicious. (Buy again? Absolutely.)
MWG February 9th tasting: report (1/4)
Demands on my time mean the notes for the Mo’ Wine Group’s latest tasting will be served, like the wines, in four flights.
Sancerre 2010, Les Chailloux, Domaine Fouassier ($28.15, La QV)
100% biodynamically farmed Sauvignon Blanc from 20-year-old vines; fermented with native yeasts. Chalk and bath powder, then boxwood and jalapeño, then a hint of peanut. Light, fluid and quite dry. More minerally than fruity, and what fruit there is is of a crystalline purity. Longish finish and a lingering impression of freshness. (Buy again? Yep.)
Sancerre 2010, Terroirs, Sylvain Bailly ($22.10, 10861808)
100% Sauvignon Blanc. Textbook nose: grass, cat pee, white fruit, gunflint. Taut and vibrant, with a smooth surface, acid undertow, minerals and green fruit. Long, bright finish. A classic Sancerre and great QPR. (Buy again? Def.)
Sancerre 2010, Domaine Vacheron ($30.25, 10523892)
100% biodynamically farmed Sauvignon Blanc. Closed nose hinting at seashells, hay, green pear. The driest of the four wines. Green fruit, grapefruit and minerals, bracing acidity. Long albeit muted/soft finish. Elegant. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Sancerre 2009, Cuvée Edmond, Domaine la Moussière ($56.50, 10269273)
100% biodynamically farmed Sauvignon Blanc from 40 to 70-year-old vines. Fermented in oak casks (60% new). Pale gold (quite the contrast to the other wines’ silvery-green). Complex nose of ripe yellow fruit, kiwi, camphor, custard, lemon verbena. Round and weighty in the mouth, showing a bit of residual sugar. Just enough acid to save the wine from heaviness. Long, honeyed finish. Imposing and impressive if atypically rich for a Sancerre or even a Cuvée Edmond. (Buy again? Probably not.)
Cassoulet wines
It’s a bold claim but one I’m prepared to make: the best wines for cassoulet – and duck confit, for that matter – are traditionally styled reds from southwest France. The wines’ austere fruit doesn’t overwhelm the dish’s mellow flavours while their solid tannins and fine-edged acidity cut its inherent richness. For its part, cassoulet seems to soften the wines’ astringency and bring out their fruity sweetness. Add to that the compatibility of flavours – not surprising since the dish and the wines grew up speaking the same language – and you have a potential marriage made in heaven.
To test the claim, an authentic and rather glorious cassoulet de Toulouse (pork, duck confit, the eponymous sausage and beans purchased last summer in Tarbes) was recently paired with four such reds:
- Irouleguy 2009, Etxegaraya, Domaine Etxegaraya ($24.00, La QV), a blend of 60% old-vine Tannat and 40% Cabernet Franc, a dry, quite structured, medium-bodied wine whose red and black fruit was shot through with a leafy/stemmy greenness and buttressed by fine but astringent tannins.
- Irouleguy 2009, Cuvée Lehengoa, Domaine Etxegaraya ($25.60, La QV), which, despite being a blend of 80% Tannat (from 100 to 150-year-old vines) and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, was rounder, softer, fruitier and a touch sweeter than the Etxegaraya – to the point that I mistakenly informed the group that it was a blend of Tannat and Merlot.
- Cahors 2008, La Fage, Cosse Maisonneuve ($23.45, 10783491), 100% Malbec that spends 14 months in second vintage barrels. Somewhat young and tight but full of savoury red fruit, ripe tannins and bright acid.
- Cahors 2006, Les Laquets, Cosse Maisonneuve ($35.75, 10328587), 100% Malbec from 40-year-old and older vines, aged for 18–22 months in new and second vintage barrels. A deeper and more complete wine, finely structured and long, with layers of flavour (black cherry, licorice, balsam, iron), a velvety texture and that “fluid savour” that is the hallmark of the best Cahors.
In the event, all the wines worked well and, on its own, any one of them would have made a satisfactory match. That said, the consensus around the table was nearly universal: from a pairing standpoint, the best of the bunch was the Etxegaraya, whose austerity, astringency and flavours – especially that herbaceousness – meshed beautifully with the dish.
Earlier tests support this finding, with standouts being a Madiran from Château Aydie, an organic Irouleguy from Domaine Illaria, the Fronton cuvée Don Quichotte from Domaine Le Roc and a Canon-Fronsac from Château Grand-Renouil. Further testing is planned, though likely not for another year.
There is no white Madiran…
…because white wines from the AOC are called Pacherenc du Vic-Bihl. What’s more, if they don’t have sec appended to the AOC name, they are moelleux or liquoreux.
Pacherenc du Vic-Bihl 2009, Château Aydie ($18.70/500 ml, 00857193)
100% Petit Manseng. The partially dehydrated grapes were manually harvested in December. Spent 12 months in oak and acacia barrels.
If apricot were a citrus fruit, it would taste like this: honeyed apricot on the attack, quickly followed by burnt sugar flavours and a lemon-like acidity. Yellow apples and minerals on the finish. Rich texture. Not sugary: sweeter than off-dry – though not by much – and seemingly less sweet as it progresses through the mouth, an impression strengthened by the high acid and the sour-bitter/medicinal note that creeps in on the finish. The estate’s suggested food pairings are right on target: smoked fish, fish in sauce, blue cheeses, foie gras or minimally sweetened fruit-based desserts.
The world’s most drinkable Xinomavro
Thirty-something Macedonian winemaker Apostolo Thymiopoulos is a rising star in Greece. Wines like this young vine cuvée – unique, full of character, food-friendly and so pound-backable – make it clear why.
Naoussa 2009, Jeunes vignes de Xinomavro, Domaine Thymiopoulos ($17.90, 11607617)
100% organically farmed Xinomavro from five to ten-year-old vines. Fermented with ambient yeasts. Bottled unfiltered (not that you’d guess from its crystalline clarity). Gem-like in the glass: limpid pale maroon with ruby glints. Beguiling nose of candied cherry, sun-baked stone and earth, garrigue-ish scents of dried oregano. Sits lightly on the palate. Sweet fruit intertwines with savoury herbs and spice (unmistakable cinnamon), is buoyed by bright acid and carried along by astringent tannins that run from start to finish. Fair length. A real treat.
The 100-odd cases of the current allocation went on sale at the SAQ earlier this week, and the bottles are flying off the shelves. If you want some, run – don’t walk – to an outlet near you.
MWG January 12th tasting: report
In reaction to the excesses of the holiday season, the Mo’ Wine Group’s January tasting traditionally focuses on affordable wines. This year was no exception. All bottles but one were purchased at the SAQ, and most are still available.
THE WHITES
Vinho Verde 2009, Loureiro, Quinta do Ameal ($18.30, 11459992)
100% organically farmed Loureiro. Floral and grapey in a Muscat kind of way; chalky, too. Light and fruity in the mouth, the slight residual sugar balanced by high acidity. Faint tingle, though whether from carbon dioxide or acid I can’t say. Minerally finish. (Buy again? Probably not, when the more compelling Deu La Deu is available at about the same price.)
Rueda 2009, Nosis, Buil&Giné ($18.95, 10860928)
100% Verdejo. Muted nose of dried lemon peel, wax and gooseberry. Fairly dense and oily though with enough acid to keep it from feeling heavy. Lemony, quartzy flavours and some residual sugar up front, dries and turns minerally as it progresses through the mouth. Lingers long. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Bourgogne Vézelay 2010, La Châtelaine, Domaine la Cadette ($22.05, 11094621)
100% organically farmed Chardonnay. 80% spends time in vats, 20% in barrels. Lemon, green apple and ashes on the nose. Green apple and oats on the palate. Bright acid. Seems disjointed and turns unpleasantly sour and lactic on the mid-palate. In view of the wine’s previous vintages and the embrace of the 2010 by the city’s more clued-in restaurateurs and wine advisors (it was reportedly the third biggest seller during the holidays at the Jean Talon Market SAQ), ours was probably an off bottle. (Buy again? To see what gives, yes.)
Alto Adige 2010, Kerner, Abbazia di Novacella ($22.95, 11451974)
100% Kerner. Fermented using natural yeasts. Sees only stainless steel. Floral, green grape, spice, quartz dust. Weighty in the mouth. Initial residual sugar. Fruity attack fades by mid-palate. High acid. A bit short and alcoholic (13.9% ABV). (Buy again? Maybe.)
Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh sec 2008, Château Montus ($23.55, 11017625)
100% Petit Courbu from 15-year-old vines. Honeyed pear. Dense, rich, quite dry. Strong acid. Lemon zest on very long finish. Tasty. (Buy again? Yes.)
Saumur 2010, Château Yvonne ($25.55, 10689665)
100% organically farmed Chenin Blanc. Fermented with native yeasts, matured in new barrels, unfiltered and unfined. Quince, quinine, chestnut honey. Medium-bodied and very acidic. Complex but giving the impression that there’s more in store. Long mineral-packed finish. Not as memorably out-there as some earlier vintages but still a fine bottle of Chenin. (Buy again? Yes.)
THE REDS
Burgenland Qualitätswein 2009, Zweigelt, Zantho ($15.90, 10790384)
100% Blauer Zweigelt. Fermented in stainless steel tanks; matured 95% in stainless steel tanks, 5% in used barriques. Farty, candied red fruit, graphite, dried herbs. Rustic, a bit jammy and one-noteish, despite some coffee and slate undertones. Drinkable but not delivering much excitement. (Buy again? Probably not.)
IGP Pays de l’Hérault 2010, Exorde, Clos Mathélisse ($21.30, La QV)
100% organically farmed Cinsault. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Bottled unfiltered and unfined with very little added sulphur. Nearly the entire (very small) production is exported to Switzerland and Canada. A first bottle seemed out of character: Red fruit, herbal, hint of rubber. Light rustic tannins. Bright acid but moody, a bit red-vermouthy, not recognizably the same wine as from earlier bottles. A second bottle showed much better: a gush of bright fruit and raspy tannins, with earthy herbal overtones and a pomegranate-like tang – the proverbial “wine that puts a smile on your face.” Surprisingly, three or four hours after being uncorked, the tail-end of the first bottle had righted itself and was drinking beautifully. Such are the vagaries of natural wines… (Buy again? For sure.)
Menetou-Salon 2010, Domaine Philippe Gilbert ($26.50, 11154988)
100% biodynamically farmed Pinot Noir from 20-year-old vines. Natural winemaking. Bottled unfiltered with minimal sulphur. Exuberant red berries: ça pinote. Light but richening as it breathes. Ripe fruit, bright acid, fine, supple tannins. Good balance and length. A rectilinear but very pure expression of the grape variety. (Buy again? Yes.)
Toro 2009, Crianza, Bodega Viña Bajoz ($13.35, 10856195)
100% Tinta de Toro (aka Tempranillo). Crianzas must be aged for 24 months, with no less than 6 months barrel-aging. Plum, stinky feet, spice, a whiff of alcohol. Rich, ripe, fluid. Raspberry, cocoa, a hint of “high” meat. Some structure. A little alcohol and tannic astringency on the dried herby finish. Good, especially at the price, though not a wine for contemplation. (Buy again? Sure.)
Nemea 2008, Agiorgitiko, Driopi, Domaine Tselepos ($19.75, 10701311)
100% Agiorgitiko from 40-year-old vines. Manually harvested. Fermented in stainless steel vats with selected yeasts. Matured in 40% new oak barrels. Menthol, plum, tobacco. Fresh and juicy in the mouth, with leather and spice deepening the sweet fruit flavours. Good acid, plump tannins and a slatey finish. The ripe, round fruit speaks of a southern wine. (Buy again? Yes, especially when it’s grilling season again.)
Douro 2008, Quinta de la Rosa ($20.30, 00928473)
Traditional port varieties, mainly Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Roriz from 20- to 30-year-old vines. Manually harvested. Fermented in small stainless steel vats, then matured in French oak casks for 12 months before being minimally filtered and bottled. Volatile, spicy nose. Rich, vaporous, alcoholic (14.2% ABV). A mass of spicy/herby fruit. Good acid and plump tannins. Long, flowing finish. Intense but also a little plodding. (Buy again? Not sure.)
IGT Maremma Toscana 2009, Sinarra, La Fattoria di Magliano ($21.65, 11191447)
95% Sangiovese, 5% Petit Verdot. Manually harvested. Sees no oak. Bottled unfiltered. Typical Tuscan nose: leather, dust, dried cherry. Rich yet supple and fluid. The drying tannins are also true to the Tuscan type. Balanced, structured, long. Modern but quite enjoyable. (Buy again? Yes.)
Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence 2009, Château Revelette ($18.45, 10259737)
Organically farmed Syrah (55%), Cabernet Sauvignon (34%) and Grenache (11%) from 25-year-old vines. The constituent grape varieties are vinified separately. A fraction of the Grenache and Cabernet are aged in fifth-year barrels. Leather upfront. Spice, black fruit in background. Rich, dense and strucutred but not heavy. Lots of acid. Tarry tannins. Long, savoury, posh. (Buy again? Definitely.)
Fronton 2008, Cuvée Don Quichotte, Domaine Le Roc ($18.80, 10675327)
Négrette (60%) and Syrah (40%). Varieties are vinified separately. The grapes are crushed, as the winemakers feel this enhances the bouquet and softens the tannins. Matured in vats and barrels. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. Wild red and black fruit with floral and animale notes. Dense fruit but fluid and bright. Supple tannins. Hints of licorice and dark chocolate on the longish finish. Perhaps showing less personality than in earlier vintages but still delivering good QPR. (Buy again? Yes.)
Montsant 2007, Vall del Calas, Celler de Capçanes ($22.75, 10858297)
65% Merlot, 30% Garnacha, 5% Tempranillo. All three varieties are vinified separately. Fermented with native yeasts. Spends 13 months with new, one- and two-year French oak barrels. Bottled unfined and lightly filtered. Blackberry and black cherry, pepper and gravel. A silky texture and open structure. Rich, ripe fruit along with some wood and chocolate. Fairly long, inky/minerally finish. Seemed quite young. (Buy again? Maybe.)
A sweet suite of Burgs from oenopole
oenopole‘s Theo Diamantis recently led a tasting of the agency’s new arrivals from Burgundy – mostly from Domaine Naudin-Ferrand – plus a red ringer from Alsace. All the wines are made from organically farmed grapes; the Naudin-Ferrands with the nature moniker have next to no added sulphur. They proved to be Burgundies of remarkable finesse, the best 2009s from the region that I’ve tasted and the kinds of wine that really float my boat.
The first four wines are available at the SAQ. The others are private imports and can be ordered by the case from oenopole.
FIVE WHITES
Bourgogne Aligoté 2009, Domaine Naudin-Ferrand ($17.25, 11589703)
Light lemon, wax, chalk and eventually fennel. Relatively soft for an Aligoté but by no means acid-deficient. Builds to a mouth-watering, crystalline finish. Pure and tonic if a little less characterful than the Chardonnays.
Bourgogne 2010, Soeur Cadette, Domaine de la Cadette ($18.65, 11460660)
Minerals, green grape, a hint of lime. Zingy acid balanced by ripe fruit. Long minerally finish that turns a bit buttery as the wine warms. “Simple but not facile,” someone commented. Clean and delicious, I’d add.
Bourgogne-Véselay 2010, La Châtelaine, Domaine de la Cadette ($22.10, 11094621)
Lemon-lime with hints of toast, tropical fruit and eventually orange. Rich on entry, sweet-fruity on the mid-palate, puckery on the finish. Bright, bracing and clean as a whistle: quite the contrast to the bottle opened at the January MWG tasting.
Chablis 1er cru Beauregard 2009, Domaine Pattes Loup ($35.00, 11349072)
Classy nose: lemon, puff pastry, gun flint. Plush texture. Layers of flavour though more about minerals than fruit. Excellent balance and length. Lots of bang for the buck. Probably not a long keeper.
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune 2009, Nature, Domaine Naudin-Ferrand ($36,25, 12 btls/case)
Astounding nose: pineapple, brioche dough and, unbelievably, menthol. Buttery and hazelnutty attack, turning minerally and lemon curdy. Pulsing with fruit and acidity. Long, herb-tinged finish. Special.
SIX REDS
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits 2009, Nature, Domaine Naudin-Ferrand ($39.75, 12 btls/case)
Initial cherry and spice with hints of hay, gaining mineral, beet and red meat notes. Ça pinote. Delicate. Fruit starts sweet, turns sourer. Light, firm tannins and some oak emerge on the finish. Give it a few years and it’ll be a sleek and silky beaut.
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune 2009, Domaine Naudin-Ferrand ($25.35, 12 btls/case)
Forest floor, mushroom, red berries, less exuberantly Pinot Noir than its nature siblings. Fine and delicate but showing lots of structure. Woody undertones and tight (but ripe) tannins. Needs a couple of years to knit together.
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune 2009, Nature, Domaine Naudin-Ferrand ($37.75, 12 btls/case)
Lovely. Red berries, leaf mould, hints of beet and cola: once again, ça pinote. Supple and fluid. Pure, ripe fruit, fine tannins, a sheen of acidity. Long. Complete and surprisingly approachable.
Alsace Pinot Noir 2009, LN012, Domaine Gérard Schueller ($48.00, 6 btls/case)
Only 680 bottles made. Aromatic, complex, funky nose: dark berries, spice, game, straw, cola, “dill pickle chips,” dried pine needles and more. Medium-bodied. Dry. Spicy red fruit mixed with, beets, game, leather, dried wood. Complex and layered. Long “savoury, salty, tamari” finish. Lots of umami going on but not everybody’s cup of tea (though those of us who liked it, loved it).
Aloxe-Corton 2009, Domaine Naudin-Ferrand ($50.25, 6 btls/case, NLA)
Strawberry pastry, turned earth, forest floor and a hint of oak. Rich but supple. Oak and tannins need time to integrate. Long. Pure, elegant and delicious. A favourite of just about everyone around the table.
Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Damodes 2009, Domaine Naudin-Ferrand ($99.50, 6 blts/case)
Class in a glass. Closed but glorious nose: mineral and berries, fields and forests. Primary but elegant. Layered deep cherry fruit. Very structured and tight yet so fine and balanced. Long, long finish. Full of potential: not peaking for another ten or 20 years.
Todos sobre mi bobal
The vineyards of southeast Spain are rife with Bobal – in 2004, 89,000 ha (220,000 acres) were under cultivation, mainly in Valencia, Alicante and Utiel-Requena – though most of the harvest is made into bulk wine (industrially produced, shipped in tankers, sold anonymously in jugs and boxes). Rightly convinced that the grape deserves a less lowly fate, some winemakers have begun producing blended and mono-varietal red and rosé Bobal cuvées. This one is from Castilla-La Mancha, whose weather locals describe as nine months of winter and three months of hell and where Bobal’s tolerance of climatic extremes and tendency to produce relatively high acid, low alcohol wines are a boon.
Vino de la tierra de Castilla 2010, Bobal, Pedro Calabuig/Bodegas de Levante ($16.20, La QV)
Organically farmed old-vine Bobal. Dusty red berries, hints of spice, pepper and fresh mint. More silky than velvety, more acidic than tannic. Bright sweet fruit upfront, turning darker and drier as it passes through the mouth. Tart, slatey finish. As wapiti says, “simple and beautiful.” I’d also add that it’s refreshing, food-friendly and delivers great QPR, the very model of an easy-drinking weeknight red. 13% ABV. All that and a cool label, too.
Speaking of food, if you’ve ever scratched your head at red wine as a suggested pairing for seafood paella, grab a bottle of this: the tart fruit, low tannins and reasonable alcohol level make it a near perfect match.
Plug bobal into the saq.com search engine and you’ll get two wines back: a Bobal/Shiraz (!) blend and a rosé. Am also pretty sure I’ve seen Mustiguillo’s Mestizaje (60% Bobal) on the monopoly’s shelves. Have yet to try any of them but now I’m curious.
Brett happens 