Douro modesta
Douro 2013, Dourosa, Quinta de la Rosa ($18.25, 12640232)
One third each Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo) and Touriga Franca (aka Touriga Francesca) from 20- to 30-year-old vines. Fermented in stainless steel vats at low temperatures. Matured 12 months in large French and Portuguese oak barrels. Minimally filtered. Reducing sugar: 3.0 g/l. 13.5% ABV. SAQ.com says screwcapped (which would be a first for a Portuguese wine in my experience) but my bottle was closed with a cork. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Plum, dark spice, cedar and a little vanilla. Soft and round, both descriptors applying to the fruit, acidity and tannins as well as the overall wine. Medium to full-bodied. Appealing if subdued fruit — as much about minerals and old wood flavour. The flavours are typical of Douro reds but the wine lacks some of the depth, structure and acidic éclat that I recall from earlier vintages and that make its bigger siblings shine. Decent, cocoa-toned finish. Innocuous until you start thinking about it, then coming across as a little flaccid, perhaps the result of the reportedly rainy harvest. A short passage in the fridge, chilling it down to around 16ºC (61ºF), helps. (Buy again? Not when the more interesting estate wine from the excellent 2011 vintage can be had for a mere $3 more.)
Flat earth
Vinho Regional Alentejano 2011, Terra Plana, Monte da Cal ($16.55, 11469795)
A blend of Trincadeira (aka Tinta Amarela, 40%), Alfrocheiro (30%), Aragonêz (aka Tempranillo, 20%) and Alicante Bouschet (10%). The grapes are crushed and destemmed, then fermented with selected yeasts in small, temperature-controlled (24-26ºC) stainless steel vats. Matured six months in French oak barrels. Reducing sugar: 4.9 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Société de Vins Fins.
Savoury nose of pencil shavings, old leather and turned earth with distant dried herbs. What there isn’t much of is fruit (blackberry? black plum?). The warm room-temperature bottle was popped and poured and the first sip did not impress. Middleweight. Clean. More savoury and minerally than fruity, with keen acidity, fine tannins and no great depth. The finish is lightly astringent and very dry. After 20 minutes in a carafe and nearly as long in the fridge, the wine showed better: fruitier, suppler, rounder and more integrated, with an appealing set of flavours on entry. Still, the fruit quickly fades and there’s not much else to hold the attention. A decent enough barbecue or pizza wine that ought to be a few dollars cheaper. (Buy again? Maybe.)
A fascinating Soave
Soave Classico 2012, La Froscà, Gini ($26.80, 12132107)
Organically farmed Garganega from 57-year-old vines. The manually harvested grapes are soft-pressed and the must is cold-macerated on the skins. Temperature-controlled alcoholic fermentation is in a mix of stainless steel and neutral French oak casks. Does not undergo malolactic fermentation. Matured on the lees for at least eight months, partly in stainless steel tanks, partly in 228-litre “seasoned” oak barrels. Sulphur is added only at bottling. Reducing sugar: 3.4 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Bambara Selection.
Beautiful, fragrant nose: pear and a little peach, loads of chalky minerals, hints of spring honey, white flowers and almonds. In the mouth, the wine is as much about minerals as fruit – in fact, there’s a real tension between them. Intertwining threads of honey and bitterness add intrigue, while a fine acidity animates a density that might otherwise border on lethargic. The long kaleidoscopic finish is marked by saline notes and a faint Szechuan pepper-like numbingness. Fascinating. The most savoury Soave I’ve ever tasted. Unless you’re a wine geek, probably best thought of as a food wine (recipe after the jump), which role it will play stupendously. (Buy again? Absolutely.)
Coteaux du langoureux
Despite what SAQ.com and the Quebec agent indicate, the Coteaux du Languedoc AOC no longer exists, having been replaced in 2007 by the Languedoc AOC (to smooth the transition, wines were allowed to be labelled Coteaux du Languedoc until May 3, 2012).
Languedoc 2013, Château de Cazeneuve ($23.55, 11853439)
Roussanne (40%), Viognier (35%), Grenache Blanc (15%), Muscat (5%) and Rolle (aka Vermentino, 5%) from organically farmed vines averaging 15 years old. Each variety is vinified separately. The fruit is manually harvested, then sorted, destemmed and pressed. Low-temperature fermentation with indigenous yeasts takes place in gravity-fed cement tanks. After blending, the wine is matured on the lees for 10 months, half in oak barrels (15% new) and half in stainless steel tanks. 14.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Vins Balthazard.
Soft, sunny, languorously fragrant nose: yellow fruit, honey, honeysuckle, white spice, background minerals. Round and smooth in the mouth, lush but not heavy, due to the restrained fruit (definite pear) and sustained acidity. More minerally than expected, especially on the long bitter-edged, alcoholic – but not hot – finish. Seems sec-tendre (off-off-dry) on entry but is actually very dry. The next day, the tail end of the bottle showed some nectarine and had gained a waxy texture. Made an excellent pairing for cedar-planked salmon topped with a glaze of whole-grain mustard, chopped fresh rosemary, lemon zest, olive oil, honey and red chile. (Buy again? Yes.)
Orange juice
Last up were COS’s two orange wines.
IGP Terre Siciliane 2012, Ramì, Azienda Agricola COS ($30.00, 12461525)
Inzolia (50%) and Grecanico (aka Garganega, 50%) from biodynamically and organically vines averaging ten years old. The grapes are manually harvested, destemmed, soft-crushed and macerated on the skins and pips for ten days. Temperature-controlled fermentation (with indigenous yeasts) and maturation take place in concrete tanks. The wine is filtered before bottling with a 2-micron filter. No sulphur is used during the wine-making but a small squirt of sulphur dioxide is added at bottling. Reducing sugar: 1.5 g/l. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Delicious nose of straw and beeswax with hints of dried apricot, sun-baked stone and spice. Smooth and full in the mouth. The muted fruit is perfumed by dried orange, blanched almond and faint powdered ginger overtones. Bright acidity and supple tannins add tension and firmness. Long, balanced and remarkably fresh. While this may not be a radical example of the category – Orange Wine 101? – on its own terms it is wholly satisfying. It may also be the most versatile cheese wine in existence. (Buy again? Definitely.)
IGP Terre Siciliane 2012, Pithos, Bianco, Azienda Agricola COS ($42.00, 12316352)
Grecianico from biodynamically and organically farmed vines averaging a bit less than 15 years old. Manually harvested. The whole-clusters are fermented (with indigenous yeasts) and matured seven months in 400-litre terracotta amphorae, which are buried up to their necks to impede oxidation. Further maturation takes place in the bottle. Unfiltered. Minimally sulphured. Reducing sugar: 1.5 g/l. 10.5% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
By both the winemaker’s and agent’s admission, high in volatile acidity, not that you can see it. Complex nose of straw, banana peel, white spice, almond, dried yellow fruit, crushed rocks. So suave in the mouth. Smooth textured, fluid and fresh. The fruit is understated – though you definitely taste the skins along with grapes – and lightly tinted by salted caramel. Faint tannins add structure and an intriguing astringency, particularly on the finish. Not a shouter but no less wonderful for it. (Buy again? Yes.)
Carafe these several hours in advance and don’t make the mistake of drinking them too cold; remember, they’re as akin to red wines as to whites. I usually find 14-16°C (around 60°F) about right.
MWG April 14th tasting: flight 6 of 6.
Vittoria! Vittoria!
In Italian, cerasuolo means cherry-red. The word also appears in the names of two appellations. Cerasuolo d’Abrruzo is a Multepulciano-based rosé from central Italy. Cerasuolo di Vittoria is a red wine made in southeast Sicily, specifically in the province of Ragusa and parts of Caltanissetta and Catania.
Though Cerasuolo di Vittoria has been made since the 17th century, it wasn’t granted DOC status until 1974. Since 2004, it has been Sicily’s only DOCG. By law, Cerasuolo di Vittoria must be a blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato, with the former constituting between 50 and 70%. Within the DOCG is a large zone, centred around Vittoria and including the original DOC, whose wines are entitled to the Classico designation provided they have been matured 18 months or longer.
Viewing Cerasuolo di Vittoria as the wine with the deepest roots in the region and the most expressive of the regions’ terroir, COS has made it the estate’s flagship.
Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico 2011, Azienda Agricola COS ($34.75, 12484997)
Nero d’Avola (60%) and Frappato (40%) from organically farmed vines. Fermented in stainless steel tanks on the skins and with indigenous yeasts. Matured 15 months in 20 and 40-hectolire oak foudres and several months in bottle. Unfiltered. Reducing sugar: 2.7 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Cherry with a hint of pastry and overtones of balsam and spice. Medium-bodied. Fresh and fruity from start to finish, laced with bright acidity, graced by silky tannins. A mineral backdrop and touch of earthiness add welcome dimension. The long finish is appetizingly tart. Not what you’d call complex but so approachable and drinkable. (Buy again? Yes, though not without wishing it were a little less pricey.)
Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico 2011, Delle Fontane, Azienda Agricola COS ($79.00, private import, 6 bottles/case)
Nero d’Avola (60%) and Frappato (40%) from organically farmed vines around 20 years old grown in the Delle Fontane vineyard. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in glazed cement tanks. Matured 15 months in 20- and 40-hectolire oak foudres for the Nero d’Avola and in glazed concrete tanks for the Frappato. After blending, the wine is matured several additional months in the bottle. Unfiltered. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
A nose to get lost in: cherry again, a whack of limestone and overtones of earth, dark minerals, marzipan, flowers (rose?) and dried herbs (bay?). A sip reveals a gorgeous surface and considerable depth, a wine denser but somehow not heavier than the estate Classico. The fruit is sweet yet the wine is dry. The layers of flavour – more like veils, actually – include minerals, tar, licorice and mushroom. Fine tannins and sleek acidity are in perfect balance. The structure, texture, complexity and weight are very Burgundian, in fact, though the aromas and flavours are anything but. The finish goes on and on. Gorgeous. I could drink this forever. (Buy again? If you can spare the pennies, sure.)
And, yep, the post’s title is another opera reference, this time to the second act of Tosca.
MWG April 14th tasting: flight 5 of 6.
COS and effect
The second half of the April 14th tasting was led by Giusto Occhipinti, one of the two partners of Azienda Agricola COS. Giusto’s last name contributed the O in the estate’s acronym (current partner Giambattista Cilia contributed the C, while the S comes from former partner Cirino Strano). Though the wines made by Giusto’s niece Arianna Occhipinti arguably have a higher profile these days, it was COS, founded in 1980, that showed the way, that spearheaded the revolution in winemaking in the region. (Back in 2010, when she she led a MWG tasting, Arianna herself said it was Giusto who initiated her into winemaking.)
The estate is located in Acate-Chiaramonte, outside of Vittoria in Ragusa province in southeast Sicily. Originally owing only three hectares, COS acquired the nearby Villa Fontane estate and its nine hectares of vines – which they have since expanded to 17 hectares – in 1991. In 2005, they purchased a neighbouring estate with an additional 20 hectares of vines and an 18th-century wine cellar. They renovated the wine cellar and built new winemaking facilities, with 150 in-ground amphorae, which they inaugurated in 2007.
Early experiments with then-modish international varieties led them to focus – though not exclusively – on local varieties, especially the Nero d’Avola and Frappato for their flagship Cerasuolos. The partners also adopted biodynamic practices in the early 1990s, as they consider them the best option for expressing the region’s terroirs. Clay amphorae were first introduced in the fall of 2000. Cellar practices are non-interventionist: ambient yeasts; no additives except for a small squirt of sulphur dioxide at bottling; no fining or filtering. The unusual shape of the squat bottles is inspired by an ancient flask unearthed during excavations on the property.
Our tasting began with the estate’s three entry-level wines.
IGP Terre Siciliane 2013, Il Frappato, Azienda Agricola COS ($28.20, 12461488)
100% Frappato from organically farmed vines around a dozen years old. Macerated and fermented on the skins with indigenous yeasts for 10 days. Matured 12 months in glass-lined concrete tanks. Reducing sugar: 2.3 g/l. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Fresh nose of crushed raspberry, light spice and pumice. It’s a supple wine, on the lighter side of medium-bodied, with pure sweet fruit, sustained acidity and lacy tannins. As the fruit dries and fades, background minerals come to the fore on the long, bitter-edged finish. Very elegant and drinkable. Food friendly, too (think pasta, rabbit stew or grilled tuna). (Buy again? Yes.)
IGP Terre Siciliane 2013, Nero di Lupo, Azienda Agricola COS ($29.30, 12538561)
100% Nero d’Avola from organically farmed vines around a dozen years old. Macerated and fermented on the skins with indigenous yeasts for 10 days. Matured 18 to 24 months months in terracotta amphorae and glass-lined concrete tanks. Reducing sugar: 2.3 g/l. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Reductive at first, then yielding a fresh nose of red fruit, slate and sandalwood. Medium-bodied. Supple but more structured and dimensional than the Frappato. A fundamentally dry and savoury wine, remarkable for its dark, tart fruit, mineral underlay, overall balance and lightly spicy finish. Delicious. About as far as you can get from the run-of-the-mill Nero d’Avola. I’ll drink to that. (Buy again? Yes.)
IGT Sicilia 2010, Maldafrica, Azienda Agricola COS ($31.00, 12465155)
When I asked about the origin of the name, Giusto explained that, in Italian, maldafrica is, among other things, a kind of homesickness for an exotic place. In this case, the non-Sicilian varieties were planted by a régisseur who hailed from Bordeaux. This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (45%), Merlot (45%) and Frappato (10%) from organically farmed vines around 20 years old. Fermented on the skins with indigenous yeasts in terracotta amphorae. Matured in Slavonian oak barrels and in the bottle. Reducing sugar: 1.8 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Cassis, slate, hints of tobacco, red meat, leather and spice. Medium- to full-bodied and, like every other COS wine, balanced, civilized and supple. The ripe, solar, savoury fruit is intense yet lithe, the acidity smooth, the tannins round. Work your way through the layers of flavour and you’ll find a substrate of minerals. Tobacco and cedar scent the long finish. True to both its Bordeaux and Sicilian roots, this elegant wine is the “kind of pure and racy warm-climate red that should have New World winemakers seriously questioning their modus operandi (looking at you, Napa),” to quote my note on the 2009. Unfortunately, there is very little left in Quebec. (Buy again? If the opportunity presents itself, absolutely.)
MWG April 14th tasting: flight 4 of 6.
Going live
Vin de France 2014, Y’a bon the canon, Anne et Jean-François Ganevat ($28.35, 12624152)
Organically farmed Gamay (reportedly from Château de Grand Pré in the Beaujolais) blended with smaller amounts of old indigenous varieties from Ganevat’s vineyards in the Jura (Petit Béclan, Gros Béclan, Geusche, Argant, Peurion, Portugais Bleu, Isabelle, Enfariné and maybe others). Manually harvested. Nautral vinification. Unfiltered. Unfined. No added sulphur. Reducing sugar: 2.8 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Rich, glowing red, deeper than expected. Fragrant nose of red berries – especially cranberry – and pine forest floor, eventually developing pepper, slate and beef larb aromatics. In the piehole, it’s supple, light- to medium-bodied and a little spritzy, a tart and juicy mouthful with great fruit-acid balance. Relegated to the background, the slim tannins are most obvious as a lingering, faintly bitter astringency. The long, lip-smacking finish leaves a cedary aftertaste. So fresh, so alive, so food-friendly (grilled pork with fresh herbs or roast chicken with same would be killer). Drink lightly chilled. In an ideal world, this would be $5 cheaper but, then again, it’s a compulsively drinkable natural wine from a cult producer and the exchange rate is punishing these days. (Buy again? Imperatively.)
SAQ.com shows this as unavailable but I bought mine at one of the larger Sélection stores yesterday afternoon (the clerk went to the back room and pulled the bottle out of a case still on the delivery pallet). Note that there’s not a lot around and it’s certain to disappear fast.
Two other noteworthy wines are also going live this week. First, one of the MWG’s favourite private imports is premiering at the SAQ: Côtes du Roussillon 2013, C’est pas la mer à boire, Domaine du Possible ($32.25, 12623088), which, like the Ganevat, is showing as unavailable on SAQ.com but which I purchased yesterday (see here for some background on the winemaker and my tasting note from last November). Second, a restocking of the irresistible Alsace 2011, Trilogie, Domaine Barmès Buecher ($19.95, 12254420).
Rosé de Romanin
Les Baux-de-Provence 2013, Château Romanin ($28.50, 11542041)
Biodynamically and organically farmed Grenache (47%), Syrah (29%), Counoise (18%) and Mourvèdre (6%) from vines between 18 and 57 years old. Manually harvested. The whole clusters are slowly pressed. The must is chilled to 10°C and allowed to clarify by settling before being racked into temperature-controlled (18-20°C) stainless steel tanks for alcoholic fermentation. Malolactic fermentation is blocked. Matured six months on the lees with regular stirring. Reducing sugar: 1.4 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Divin Paradis.
Farty at first but after 10 minutes or so an appealing, nuanced mix of red berries and peach, stones and herbes de Provence. The first sip reveals an elegant and balanced wine. The fruit is light but clear and sustained, backed by minerals, shifting from sweet-seeming to savoury as it moves through the mouth, textured by fine acidity and just a hint of tannins and, as the wine approaches room temperature, a touch of alcoholic heat. A thread of bitterness winds through the finish, while the unmistakable fragrance of strawberry lingers long after. A beautiful bottle and an excellent pairing for cedar-planked salmon topped before grilling with a paste made from orange and lemon zest, fresh Provençal herbs, olive oil and a smidgen of garlic. (Buy again? Imperatively.)
One of the best of this year’s crop of rosés at the SAQ, a wine that perfectly demonstrates that rosés have a raison d’être, that they are indeed a category unto themselves, one deserving of equal status with whites and reds. Carafe a half hour before serving. The long cork may indicate that its makers think it’s ageable; I wouldn’t hesitate to cellar it a year or two.
There’s quite a bit of this around (at least on Montreal island), so rumours of the good rosé season’s demise are slightly exaggerated. Other recommended rosés still widely available – possibly because many shoppers can’t bring themselves to spend upwards of $25 on a bottle of pink wine – include: Bandol 2013, Domaine de Souviou ($25.10, 12200798), Sierra Foothills 2013, Vin gris d’Amador, Terre Rouge ($25.40, 11629710), Patrimonio 2013, Domaine d’E Croce, Yves Leccia ($26.20, 11900821) and Corse Figari 2014, Clos Canarelli ($34.00, 11917666).
Get ’em while you’re hot
Will be posting notes on the COS wines soon. In the meantime, a heads-up on a couple of newly arrived, perfect summer wines that also happen to be in short supply. Interested? Act fast.
Niederösterreich 2014, Grüner Veltliner, Am Berg, Weingut Bernhard Ott ($20.85, 12646520)
(Not currently listed on SAQ.com. Reportedly part of an experiment involving a few wines stocked in fairly large quantities exclusively at the Atwater SAQ Sélection store, where you’ll find it in front of the organic wine section.) Am Berg translates as hillside. Ott’s wines are usually organic and biodynamic but this, a cuvée made from grapes grown in the estate’s and nearby vineyards, may be neither. In any case it’s 100% Grüner Veltliner from vines averaging 25 years old. Manually harvested and whole-cluster pressed. Fermented (with selected yeasts) and matured, on its lees, in stainless steel tanks. Screwcapped. Residual sugar (according to the estate): 1.6 g/l. 11.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Avant-Garde.
Textbook nose: lime, green apple, lemon grass, chalk and white pepper. In the piehole, it’s fresh and fruity from the get-go. Clean and bracing with acidity so crisp it feels almost like spritz. Minerals galore, especially on the tangy finish, whose overtones of salt marsh grass linger long. A beguiling GV at a great price. Fine on its own as an aperitif, very enjoyable with a salad of cucumbers, red onion, fresh dill, lemon juice and crème fraîche. (Buy again? Absolutely.)
Valpolicella 2013, Borgomarcellise, Marion ($20.00, 12328311)
Corvina (60%) and Rondinella (40%) according to the SAQ (while Corvina-dominated, earlier vintages have involved four or five varieties, so you might want to take this info with a grain of salt). Reportedly from young vines. The only winemaking info I’ve been able to find is that this is the estate’s only wine that doesn’t incorporate raisinated grapes. Reducing sugar: 4.8 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: L’Enoteca di Moreno De Marchi.
Pale ruby in the glass. Wafting nose of fresh cherry, red Twizzlers, dried earth, dried herbs and sandalwood. Light and bright on the palate, an alluring combination of gossamer fruit, juicy acidity and slender tannins. The sweet-tart cherry dries as it moves through the mouth, while minerals and a faint astringency inflect the lip-smacking finish. Serve lightly chilled. (Buy again? Yes.)
Brett happens 