¿Creador de armonias?
Ribera del Duero 2012, Sélection Chartier ($19.95, 12246622)
Made by Bodegas Arrocal to the specifications of the self-styled créateur d’harmonies. 100% Tinta del Païs (aka Tempranillo) from 50- to 70-year-old vines. After strict sorting, the grapes are destemmed and cold-soaked. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts takes place in stainless steel vats. The wine is transferred to 75% French and 25% American oak casks (first, second and third fill in equal proportion) for ten months’ maturation. 14.5% ABV.
(The bottle my glass came from had been open for about four hours.) Fragrant nose of dark fruit, burned earth, tobacco leaf and spice, especially black pepper. In the mouth, it’s a middleweight. Fluid and fruity up front, turning more structured (lively acidity, lithe tannins), darker (shades of minerals, smoke) and drier on its way to a lightly astringent, heady – not hot – finish. Not notably deep or long but clean, tonic and, of course, food friendly. Light years away from the dense, chewy, often heavily oaked reds most wine lovers associate with the appellation, not that I’m complaining. (Buy again? Sure.)
On the bottle’s front label and on his website, Chartier recommends various food pairings for the wine, including some surprising ones like grilled porgy, dark chocolate (80% cocoa or higher) and strawberries. While none of those seems obvious to me, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt; the one time I asked him to recommend a wine pairing for a tricky dish (chicken roasted with Seville oranges and cumin), he came through with flying colours. Still, I’m pretty sure that, while waiting for strawberry season to roll around, you could get away serving this with charcoal-grilled veal or baby lamb chops.
Hip hops
Three India pale ales (IPAs) from one of Quebec’s most interesting mircobreweries.
IPA Anglaise, Brasserie Dunham ($3.99, 341 ml/12 oz.)
5.0% ABV.
Hazy tawny bronze with a frothy, off-white head, a mix of small and medium bubbles that are slow to disappear. The malty, hoppy nose shows some fruity esters. In the mouth, it’s very dry and so mildly effervescent it may surprise you. Smooth and malty on entry with dried apricot and citrus peel overtones that transition to faint butterscotch. Endless, intensely – though not harshly – hoppy finish. (Buy again? Sure.)
Imperial India, Brasserie Dunham ($3.99, 341 ml/12 oz.)
An imperial IPA. Dry-hopped with Amarillo (USA) and Nelson Sauvin (New Zealand). 8.6% ABV.
Hazy deep amber. A mostly fine-bubbled head slowly shrinks to a thin, persistent cap, leaving quite a bit of lace on the wall of the glass. Markedly estery nose of spice (cardamom), citrus (dried orange peel) and resin (spruce). A sip and it’s softly effervescent. Dry, rich and malty on the attack. Hints of papaya fruit leather and sweet spice fade as an intense, hoppy bitterness crescendos and lingers through the long, citrus-oiled finish. Not for the faint-hearted. (Buy again? When in the mood for an ale to contend with, yes.)
Black IPA, Brasserie Dunham ($3.99, 341 ml/12 oz.)
Centennial and Chinook hops, Harris Otter and crystal malts. 5.7% ABV.
Fine cappuccino-foam head and a stoutish nose of toasted grain, chocolate-covered raisins and espresso beans. Gently effervescent once again. Mildly flavoured and malty-sweet up front though the hops soon kick in, intensifying after you swallow, the bitterness lingering for minutes and eventually joined by a faint burnt Earl Gray tea note. Despite the dark colour − near black with a ruddy cast − more an IPA than a stout. Personality disorder aside, it’s a certifiably great sipper. (Buy again? Absolutely.)
I’ve long thought of myself as a hop lover but I’m not sure what to make of the recent trend at local microbreweries to produce super hoppy beers. While they definitely have character, they frequently taste unbalanced, out of whack, hops-dominated, bitter to a fault. Fortunately, that’s not the case here: all three IPAs have lots of malty sweetness and richness to counter the remarkably heavy hopping. That said, I still have a minor issue with them. Tastings aside, I usually don’t drink unless I’m eating and these beers’ full-bore bitterness is not food-friendly. What, other than a hunk of cheese, goes with them? Certainly not dishes that make you thirsty, for these are beers for sipping more than guzzling. Certainly not Indian or Mexican or other spicy food because the beers’ many positive qualities don’t include refreshment. Or maybe my palate’s not macho enough…
MWG February 13th tasting (5/5): Vins de beauté
Patrimonio 2009, Clos Signadore ($46.00, 11908129)
100% Nielluccio from 50-year-old vines in a four-hectare plot called Morta Plana (the estate officially began converting to organic farming in 2010 and was certified in 2013). Manually harvested. Macerated and fermetened with inidigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks for 45 to 60 days. Matured in neutral demi-muids for 24 months. Sulphur is added only at bottling. 13.5% ABV.
Effusive bouquet of sweet spice, wood and graphite against a backdrop of red fruit. In the mouth, it’s medium-bodied, fluid and impeccably balanced. Limber tannins provide a supple structure. Spice colours the rich fruit, which persists well into the long finish. Sleek, even a little glossy and definitely the least unconventional of the trio but undeniably a pleasure to drink. (Buy again? Sure.)
Patrimonio 2010, Carco, Antoine Arena ($40.50, 12039560)
Arena doesn’t appear to have a website; see here for a short profile. 100% biodynamically farmed Nielluccio from the Carco vineyard. Macerated and fermented with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled (27-30C) tanks for six to nine weeks with regular punch-downs. Long maturation (up to two years for some cuvées). Minimally sulphured. Unfiltered and unfined. 14% ABV.
Closed but evolving nose: plum, earth, spice, eventually cocoa husks and a faint musky/animale note. Closed but promissing on the palate. A dry, savoury, smooth-textured middleweight. The fruit is ripe, dense and a bit cooked, though more roasted than stewed. Brisk acidity adds welcome tension and brightness; fine albeit pervasive tannins add structure; dark minerals add depth. The finish is long and velvety. Alive, even a little wild yet somehow quite elegant. (Buy again? Yes.)
Vin de table (2011), CN, Domaine Comte Abbatucci ($62.00, 11930140)
The second vintage of this wine, which doesn’t meet the appellation’s grape variety requirements and so is classified a vin de table and not entitled to mention the vintage or the grape variety on the label (Abbatucci prints the vintage on the cork). 100% biodyanmically farmed Carcajolo Nero (aka Carcajolu-Neru) from vines average six years old. Hand-picked, crushed by foot. Maceration and fermentation with indigenous yeasts last 15 days. About one-third of the wine is then matured in neutral 600-litre demi-muids and the rest in stainless steel tanks for eight to ten months. Unfiltered and unfined. 13% ABV.
Pale, clear red, approaching the kind of rubis you sometimes see in Jura wines. Appealing nose of red currant, leather, cedar, maquis and a possibly reductive note that one taster described as “balloon animals.” Medium-bodied, silky textured. The fruit is juicy, like fresh squeezed mulberry, overtoned with sandalwood, buoyed by soft acidity. The supple tannins turn astringent on the long, chocolate-noted finish. Complex if not particularly deep but unique and fascinating all the same. (Buy again? Would love to.)
MWG February 13th tasting (4/5): Baby Barbaresco
An impromptu addition to the lineup. Having had such a positive encounter with the wine at Orange Rouge, I brought a show-and-tell bottle to the tasting room to let the others know of its arrival. “How much extra would it cost to pop the cork tonight?” came the question. “Two dollars each,” was the answer, which elicited a collective “Go for it.” And we did, right then and there.
Langhe Nebbiolo 2012, Produttori del Barbaresco ($24.40, 11383617)
100% Nebbiolo from young vines, all of which are located within the Barbaresco DOC. Fermented with selected “Barolo” yeasts at 28ºC in stainless steel tanks. Macerated on the skins for 24 days. Matured six months in very large oak barrels. No fining, light filtering, minimal sulphur dioxide. 13.5% ABV.
Fragrant nose of cherry, sandalwood, tar and a floral note. A silky middleweight with sleek acidity and edgy tannins that add a light astringency to the long, clean finish. Wood and minerals darken the bright fruit, creating a kind of chiaroscuro effect in the mouth. Remarkable purity, energy and balance. Very similar to the Orange Rouge bottles but coming across as more structured and austere, probably due to the lack of food to soften its tannins and acidity and probably meaning that the wine will benefit from a year or two in the cellar or an hour or two in a carafe. Despite the SAQ’s recent 60¢ price hike, this remains one of the great red wine bargains at the monopoly. (Buy again? By the truckload.)
MWG February 13th tasting (3/5): Three Dolcettos and an impostor
Barbera d’Alba 2008, Bric du Luv, Ca’Viola ($37.75, 11863080)
100% Barbera from vines averaging 65 years old and grown in the Bric du Luv vineyard (the SAQ says 5% of the wine is Nebbiolo but Barbera is the sole variety mentioned on the producer’s spec sheet). Macerated and fermented with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled tanks for 25 days. Matured 16 months in oak barriques and tonneaux (since 2011, 80% of the wine has been matured in large casks and the remainder in second-fill tonneaux to reduce interference from the oak and allow a better expression of terroir). Unfiltered. Around 6,600 bottles made. 14.5% ABV.
Candied plum and black currant, tarry slate and a haze of vanilla. Dense and weighty with a velvety texture, very ripe, very clean fruit, smooth acidity, polished tannins, an inky streak and a long, oak-sweetened finish. Impressive in its concentrated way but not very soulful or refreshing. More is less. (Buy again? Unlikely.)
Dolcetto d’Alba 2012, Augenta, Pelissero ($21.75, 10856793)
100% Dolcetto from 35-year-old vines in the Augenta vineyard. The grapes are macerated and fermented ten to 12 days in temperature-controlled casks with cold-decantation into stainless steel vats. Maturation in 50-hectolitre oak barrels lasts six to seven months. 13.5% ABV.
Brett, then cherry and plum, earth and old wood. In the mouth it’s a very dry middleweight showing dark fruit, sleek acidity and supple tannins. The bitter-edged finish is spoiled by an intrusion of oak, not heavy like the Ca’Viola’s but unintegrated, artificial and out of place for such an otherwise straightforward wine. Could use more depth and personality. (Buy again? Meh.)
Dolcetto d’Alba 2012, Fratelli Alessandria ($20.30, 11580186)
100% Dolcetto from vines averaging 18 years old and grown in various vineyards in the Verduno commune. Manually harvested. Fermented in temperature-controlled (26-28°C) stainless steel tanks for six to eight days. Matured six to eight months in stainless steel and cement tanks and another two months in bottle. Around 8,000 bottles made. 13% ABV.
Graphite dust, red berries, black tea and a floral note. Medium-bodied. Very dry yet intensely fruity. Carried along on a smooth-flowing, slate-bottomed stream of acidity with airframe tannins lightly rasping the finish and a taste of anise lingering long after you swallow. A classic Dolcetto d’Alba and the best vintage of this wine I’ve tasted. (Buy again? Yes.)
Dolcetto di Dogliani 2011, Briccolero, Quinto Chionetti ($22.15, 12131112)
100% Dolcetto from the Dogliani DOCG. Manually harvested. Temperature-controlled (28-30°C) fermentation on the skins with indigenous yeasts and daily pump-overs lasts 14 days. The wine is racked into new tanks for malolactic fermentation and 11 months’ maturation. Sees only stainless steel until bottling. Cold stabilized but unfiltered. Around 38,000 bottles made. 14% ABV.
Fresh, fragrant nose of dark berries, earth and hints of kirsch, flowers, horse sweat, spice. Mouth-filling but fleet. The fruit is up-front, pure and very intense at its core. Rustic tannins add textural interest, while acidity sharpens the long finish. Young, vigorous, even a little feisty, and lots of fun to drink. (Buy again? Done!)
The Barbera was supposed to be Ca’Viola’s 2010 Dolcetto d’Alba “Barturot” ($24.95, 11838431), but I distractedly grabbed the Bric du Luv, which has an identical capsule and a very similar label and was in the cubbyhole under the display bottle of the Barturot. Only when the bottle was unbagged at the end of the flight was the mistake revealed, though it was clear from the first sniff and taste that the Bric du Luv was a different animal from the three other wines.
Saved by the food
With a few blessed exceptions, South American wines aren’t my cup of tea. But hope springs eternal and every now and then I buy a few bottles for a tasting or my table as a kind of reality check. Which is how I ended up with this new arrival, a popular Argentinean Malbec. One of my issues with these wines is their lack of versatility: what can you serve them with besides a grilled hunk of red meat? Unwilling to dig the barbie out of the snow and brave minus 10 degree temperatures and stuck foraging at the local green grocer, I came up with a stir-fry of beef tenderloin and chorizo that actually did the wine a favour and was fast and tasty enough to make again. You’ll find the recipe after the jump. But first, the vino.
Malbec 2010, Terroir, Valle de Uco, Altos Las Hormigas ($21.25, 12068379)
100% Malbec from several vineyards. Manually harvested. The different lots of grapes are vinified separately. After gentle pressing, the grapes are cold macerated for five days at 10ºC in stainless steel tanks. Alcoholic fermentation (with indigenous yeasts) at 28-30ºC lasts for 12 days with three pump-overs a day and three rack-and-returns. About two-thirds of the wine is matured in French oak barrels. 14.5% ABV.
Strawberry, black raspberry, chocolate, dried herbs, earth and red meat, faint cinnamon and bacon. A sip and the wine shows super ripe and juicy but doesn’t tip over into fruit bomb territory. Why? Well, the initial lollipop fades fast, giving way to earthier, more savoury flavours. Plus it’s not monolithic: the sugar’s held in check, there’s some souring acidity and the tannins, round at first, gain some astringency and grit as the wine wends its way through the mouth. Unfortunately, though the fruit per se isn’t devoid of appeal, the oak starts drawing attention to itself, a sad reality that persists through the flaring, chocolate-kirschy finish. Many, maybe even most, will love this but I found it cloying and inebriating, far from undrinkable but not delivering much pleasure. Something’s not right when you have to rely on the food – and not light food at that – to refresh your palate and rescue the wine. (Buy again? Unlikely.)
Victorious
Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico 2010, Azienda Agricola COS ($36.25, 11577391)
A blend of biodynamically and organically farmed Nero d’Avola (60%) and Frappato (40%) from quarter-century vines. Fermentation is with indigenous yeasts and takes place in glass-lined concrete tanks. The varieties are fermented separately: the Nero at 30 to 33ºC, the Frappato at 28ºC. Maturation, which lasts 18 to 24 months, is in oak barrels for the Nero and concrete tanks for the Frappato. Unfiltered and minimally sulphured. 13% ABV.
Dusty cherry and elderberry, sun-baked earth, hints of leather, old wood, tobacco, flowers and licorice. Medium-bodied yet intensely present. The fruit, sweet and silky up front, fades and dries into the mid-palate as tertiary, mineral and earth flavours unspool. The acidity may be low-key but it’s sufficient to keep the wine fresh and buoyant, while the structurally light tannins add a firm astringency. The finish – long, drying and savoury – has an appetizing sour edge. Like all COS wines, this is a model of elegance and balance. The price may be creeping into treat territory but you won’t find a finer, more engaging Cerasuolo di Vittoria. A brilliant pairing for lasagne made from scratch but versatile enough to serve with a wide range of white meats, well-done red meats and deep-flavoured vegetarian dishes. (Buy again? Yes.)
Boffo Plumbago
IGT Sicilia 2011, Plumbago, Planeta ($22.20, 11724776)
100% Nero d’Avola from vineyards in the Sambuca di Sicilia commune in west-central Sicily. The grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed and transferred to stainless steel vats for 14 days’ fermentation at 25°C with regular pump-overs. The wine is then racked into stainless steel tanks for malolactic fermentation before being moved into third- and fourth-fill oak barrels for eight months’ maturation. 13.5% ABV.
Appealing nose of plum, blackberry, dried cherry, hints of herbs and chocolate cake. Medium-bodied and silky textured. Fruit-forward – ripe and juicy, with blackberry cordial at its core – but not a bomb. Soft tannins, glowing acidity and a nicely sustained, slate-darkened finish round out the picture. Nits to pick? It could be a little drier and is more about surface than depth. Then again, it’s so fresh and clean and easy to drink you really can’t complain. An affable wine at an attractive price. Throw in a pretty label and you’ve got a crowd-pleaser. (Buy again? Sure.)
PS Limited quantities and selling out fast.
Sultry Nebbiolo
Langhe Nebbiolo 2011, Prinsìot, Fratelli Alessandria ($28.45, 12131104)
100% Nebbiolo from ten-year-old vines grown in the Verduno commune. The temperature-controlled (27-28°C) fermentation is with indigenous yeasts and lasts six to nine days. The wine then spends 12 months in large French and Slavonian oak botti, two to three months in oak casks and two months in the bottle. 14.5% ABV.
The 14.5% nearly scared me off but I’m glad it didn’t. Heady nose – if the alcohol stands out anywhere it’s here – of cherry, plum and spice with some distant notes of rose, tar and wood. A sip shows the wine to be a middleweight. There may be more concentration and richness than usual but it’s not at the expense of focus or freshness. The fruit is intense and sweet, even a little cordial-like. Bright acidity cuts the glycerinish texture. Finely astringent tannins add welcome grit and dryness. A faint earthiness colours the finish, which, somewhat surprisingly, stays cool though to the end. Better balanced than I expected it would be. Though not a shrinking violet, it remains true to type: this isn’t a Barolo wannabe. (Buy again? If in the mood for a sultry Nebbiolo to accompany a deep-flavoured dish like osso buco with porcini, yes.)
Soave sia il vino
Yet another wine that the MWG bought multiple cases of when it was a private import has shown up at the SAQ.
Soave Colli Scaligeri 2011, Castelcerino, Cantina Filippi ($18.85, 12129119)
A subzone of the Soave DOC, the Colli Scaligeri (Scaligeri hills) is considered something of a grand cru, though oddly enough, it is located just outside the Soave Classico zone. The organically farmed grapes for this 100% Garganega come from vines averaging 45 years old. Manually harvested. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Does not undergo malolactic fermentation. Matured on the fine lees for about six months, with occasional stirring, and an additional year in the bottle. Lightly filtered. Sees only stainless steel until bottling. 12.5% ABV.
Wafting nose of pear, camomile, white spice, limestone and powdered honey. Lush texture. Dry yet so extract-rich you don’t really notice. The fruit is present but subdued: Asian pear on a bed of hay and straw. A saline undercurrent adds a savoury tang. The cuvée’s signature minerals are there but rounder, less crystalline, more chalk than the quartz of earlier vintages. The acidity is rounder too, surely a function of the hot summer. A bitter note – grapefruit pith and almond skin – emerges on the long finish. A richer, weightier, slightly less mineral- and acid-driven example of this wine but one that delivers enormous pleasure. Astounding QPR. (Buy again? Oh, yes.)
(The post’s title is a play on the title of a sublime trio from Mozart’s Così fan tutte, which I mention only because it gives me an excuse to link to this video of a masterful performance.)
Brett happens 