So-so Syrah
IGP Pays d’Hérault 2011, Syrah, Domaine de Petit Roubié ($15.70, 11703502)
100% organically farmed Syrah. Destemmed. Temperature-controlled fermentation with selected yeasts. Macerated 30 days. Screwcapped. 12.5% ABV.
The red fruit, turned earth, bacon and animale you expect from warm-climate Syrah are there, along with a little barnyard and, surprisingly for a 12.5% wine, alcohol. Medium-bodied. The ripe fruit is joined by spice on the attack and darker, slatey flavours on the mid-palate. Said fruit and its sweetness soon fade leaving an astringency and bitterness that border on the unpleasant. Food – in my case a lamb leg steak – brought out the wine’s best side. And it was a little less uncharming the next day. Yet the half bottle’s worth of wine that was combined with chopped shallots, boiled down to a few spoonfuls and mounted with butter to make a sauce for crisp-skinned salmon gave the sauce such an astringently desiccating bite that I had to add sugar – a first. The bottom line: appealing on paper (varietally correct, organic, civilized alcohol level, under $16) but with a very low pleasure quotient. Dommage. (Buy again? Probably not.)
New arrivals from Glou (5/5)
Located near Templeton in the Paso Robles AVA, AmByth Estate acquired its land in 2001 and planted its first vines in 2004. With daytime temperatures reaching 100ºF (38ºC) or higher in the summer, the owners wisely decided to focus on southern European grape varieties. As hot as it gets at midday, cool Pacific winds bring the night temperatures down to around 50ºF (10ºC), helping to preserve the grapes’ acid balance and prevent overripeness. The estate is certified organic and biodynamic and its 20 acres (8 ha) of vineyards and olive groves are dry-farmed. Winemaking uses natural yeasts and no added anything, except sulphur (no sulphur in the 2012s). The wines are bottled unfiltered and unfined. The estate has begun experimenting with amphoras. Total annual wine production is around 1,000 cases.
Red Table Wine 2011, Paso Robles, AmByth Estate ($34.55, Glou, 6 bottles/case)
Having only small quantities of fruit in frosty springed 2011, the estate decided to concoct a one-off table wine from lots that didn’t make it into the regular cuvées. A crazy blend of Grenache (20%), Mourvèdre (19%), Sangiovese (19%), Tempranillo (18%), Grenache Blanc (10%), Counoise (7%), Syrah (5%) and Marsanne (2%), all from estate vineyards. 14 ppm sulphur was added. 138 cases were made; as of this posting, Glou has only one left. 13.3% ABV.
Savoury nose of red and black fruit (a bit Chambord-like), hay stubble, ink. Medium-bodied with good acidity, slender yet pleasantly raspy tannins and clean fruit, neither candied nor heavy. Tastes of the earth. Very drinkable. (Buy again? Yes but…)
Adamo 2009, Paso Robles, AmByth Estate ($47.00, Glou, 6 bottles/case)
Grenache (59%) Mourvèdre (17%), Syrah (13%) and Counoise (11%). Lightly stomped with the stems. Part of the GSM was fermented in a new French oak barrel, part in a neutral barrel; all was given two weeks’ maceration. The remaining GSM and the Cournoise were open-top fermented with regular punch-downs. 90 cases made. 13% ABV.
Red and black berries, lightly candied, along with some dusty garrigue notes. Soft-textured, pure and, for a Southern Californian, restrained, an impression only heightened by the bright acidity and sinewy tannins. Long, lightly astringent finish. Not a lot of depth but a really enjoyable surface. Ready to go. (Buy again? Yes but…)
With their lean fruit, strong acidity, reasonable alcohol levels, overall poise and great savour, these are some of the freshest, food-friendliest, most non-palate-clobbering (digeste, as the French succinctly say) Rhône-style wines from the New World I’ve tasted. Why the “yes buts” then? In a word, QPR, which is low relative to the wines’ Old World counterparts. But that’s true for many Californians these days, let alone micro-production natural wines from artisanal producers. Relative to other Golden State wines, they’re not overpriced (e.g. $47 Adamo vs. $49 Cigare Volant).
New arrivals from Glou (4/5)
Founded in 2008, Domaine des Trois Petiotes farms organically and, since the fall of 2012, biodynamically. The name refers to the owners’ three daughters but also to the three one-hectare parcels – respectively planted with Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Franc – that comprise the estate’s holdings. Production is entirely red, though plans are afoot to make whites from a plot of soon-to-be-planted Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon, Muscadelle and Colombard vines.
Côtes de Bourg 2010, Domaine des Trois Petiotes ($32.20, Glou, 6 bottles/case)
Malbec (45%), Merlot (30%) and Cabernet Franc (25%) from vines averaging 35 to 40 years old. The grapes are manually harvested, mechanically destemmed and lightly crushed. Alcoholic fermentation in fiber vats lasts two to four weeks and uses indigenous yeasts and no temperature control with one pump-over or punch-down a day. The grapes are subsequently pressed with a manual vertical press. Matured 12 months (on average) in a mix of one- to three-year-old barrels with one or two rackings and occasional stirring. The wine is unfiltered and unfined. Sulphur dioxide is used but sparingly. 13.6% ABV.
Like sticking your nose in a berry farmer’s dirty laundry bin: earth, compost/barnyard, sweat, cassis. Medium-bodied with a velevty texture, ripe fruit, raspy tannins and enough acidity. The strong finish and a lingering astringency of the tooth-coating kind. Seemed a little rustic or maybe reductive. Worth revisiting in six months or a year. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Côtes de Bourg 2009, En attendant Suzie, Domaine des Trois Petiotes ($40.75, Glou, 6 bottles/case)
A blend of Malbec (70%) and Merlot (30%). Vinification is as for the basic wine, except the destemming is manual and the wine is fermented and matured in barrels for 24 months. 13.3% ABV.
Clean nose of slightly jammy red fruit and spice. A silky-textured mouthful of ripe cassis and kirsch that’s finely structured and showing some depth. The wine’s tannins come to the fore on the finish, giving it a velvet astringency. Definitely a Bordeaux, not a Cahors. Enjoyable now but with the balance and structure to age and improve. If I owned a restaurant, this would be on the wine list. (Buy again? Yes.)
New arrivals from Glou (3/5)
These two wines actually came fourth in the tasting but the notes on the third-flight wines have yet to be written up. Guttarolo is based in Gioia del Colle in Bari province in Puglia, the heel of the Italian boot.
IGT Puglia 2009, Lamie delle vigne, Cristiano Guttarolo ($28.10, Glou, 6 bottles/case)
100% Primitivo from 30-year-old vines. Fermented 18 days on the skins. Matured 24 months. Sees only stainless steel until bottling. Native yeasts, no added sulphur, unfiltered, unfined. 14% ABV.
Simple but attractive and unexpectedly fresh nose: ripe fruit, candied cassis, slate. Medium-bodied (for a Primitivo?!), clean and bright with vibrant acidity and tight, airframe tannins. The sourish/puckery fruit has darker notes including a slatey undercurrent. Long. Unlike – and far more appealng than – other Primitivos I’ve encountered. Very much along the lines of the wines from new generation Sicilian producers like Occhipinti, Calabretta and Cornelissen. (Buy again? Definitely.)
IGT Puglia 2010, Amphora, Cristiano Guttarolo ($36.96, Glou, 6 bottles/case)
100% Primitivo from 30-year-old vines. Fermented with native yeasts. Fermentation and maceration on the skins last six months and take place in terracotta amphorae. The wine is then transferred to stainless steel tanks for an addition eight months’ maturation. No added sulphur. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. 13.5% ABV.
More complex and savoury than the Lamie. Slightly jammy fruit, slate and, yes, a hint of terracotta. Medium-bodied. Fresh – again the zingy acidity. The texture is softer and a little weightier, the tannins rounder and more velvety. Possessed of a hard-to-describe directness. Very appealing though the Lamie is the QPR winner. (Buy again? Yes.)
New pages
Since a number of readers don’t actually visit this site but receive post-only updates by email or RSS feed, here’s a heads-up about two new additions to the Pages section at the top of the right-hand column.
First, a master list of Quebec wine agencies, with links to each agency’s website and/or AQAVBS or RASPIPAV profile. Keeping track of agencies is, to paraphrase Bob Thompson, like trying to take a census in a rabbit warren, so this is a work in progress. As time permits, links are also being added to agencies’ blogs and Facebook and Twitter pages.
Second, in response to popular demand, a Contact page for people who want to send me a private message.
New arrivals from Glou (2/5)
MunJebel Rosso 8, Azienda agricola Frank Cornelissen ($51.59, Glou, 6 bottles/case)
Nerello Mascalese from various vineyards and mostly (84%) from the 2011 vintage. The remaining 16% is 2010 that’s passed over the pulp before pressing. All grapes are destemmed. A starter cuvée is made from grapes picked a week earlier than the rest. Fermentation, with natural yeasts, is in 1,000-litre plastic vats. The post-fermentation wine is clarified by settling, then matured on its fine lees. Unfiltered and unfined. No added anything, including sulphur dioxide. 15% ABV.
Engaging “natural” nose: red plum and cherries, volcano dust, animale and unspecified funk. Intense and complex in the mouth. The pure fruit is ripe and dry, present but not oppressive, shaped by high acidity and fine tight tannins, humming with overtones of dried herbs and maquis and undertones of dark minerals. Long, savoury, astringent finish. No heat, though the alcohol may explain the glyceriny, liqueur-like texture. A wonderful, fluent, elemental wine. (Buy again? Pricey but, yes, especially since it’s $15 less than the 7.)
Pink wave
Four rosés that have hit the SAQ’s shelves just in time for our spate of summery weather. All but the Bonny Doon are from the May 2nd Cellier New Arrivals release.
Patrimonio 2011, Osé, Domaine d’E Croce, Yves Leccia ($22.95, 11900821)
100% Nielluccio. A saignée method rosé. The juice is “bled” from the red wine vat after 12 hours’ maceration, cold-settled for 24 hours, then fined. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks at 18ºC and lasts 15 to 20 days. The wine is not allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation. Matured six months in stainless steel tanks. Lightly filtered before bottling. 13.5% ABV.
Bold medium pink. Wafting nose of red berries, nectarine, minerals and above all maquis. Silky bordering on dense. Bright but not sweet fruit, some mineral depth and a lingering savoury finish with a saline note. My pour came from a bottle that had been open about 24 hours, yet the wine was still fresh and vibrant (it reportedly had a carbon dioxide tingle on opening but not when I got around to tasting it). To my palate, the winner of the four. Though it screams vin de terrasse, it also has the wherewithal to accompany tapas and grilled chicken. (Buy again? Yes.)
Vin Gris de Cigare 2012, Central Coast, Bonny Doon Vineyard ($22.75, 10262979)
Grenache (62%), Mourvèdre (17%), Roussanne (9%), Grenache Blanc (6%) and Cinsault (6%). 12.5% ABV according to the winemaker, 13.5% according to SAQ.com. Screwcapped.
A true gris: as pale grey/tan as it is pink. On both the nose and the palate, lots of minerals and garrigue but not much fruit. As close to bone dry as a rosé gets. Good weight and length. Truer to its Rhône/Provence model than some earlier vintages. If nit-picking, you could say it’s a little short on charm. Still, it’s likely the best pink wine in the SAQ’s regular catalogue. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Vin Gris d’Amador 2011, Sierra Foothills, Terre Rouge ($22.95, 11629710)
Mourvèdre (61%), Grenache (35%) and Syrah (4%). The name notwithstanding, this is a saignée method rosé made from juice “bled” from the red wine vats early in the maceration stage. Vinification is in used French oak barrels. 13.5% ABV.
Dark salmon pink. The most fragrant of the four: red berries, spice, dried herbs. Winey and mouth-filling but avoiding heaviness due to the acidity and held-in-check fruit. Long, savoury, even a little heady. This was the favourite of the wine advisor pouring the sample, who also speculated that, were it served in an opaque glass, most tasters would guess it was a red wine. More a food wine than a sipper. I’d pair it with something like grilled pork chops. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Marsannay rosé 2011, Domaine Bruno Clair ($23.30, 10916485)
100% Pinot Noir. One-third of the grapes are pressed on arrival at the winery; the remainder are whole cluster-macerated for up to 72 hours before being pressed. The musts are then blended and transferred to stainless steel tanks for 20 to 30 days’ fermentation at 18 to 20ºC. Matured 12 months in stainless steel tanks. 12.5% ABV.
While earlier vintages of this have often been exquisite, the 2011 is anything but. It’s like the life has been sucked out of it. The fruit – strawberry, I’d guess – is dessicated and oxidized. With nothing to counterbalance it, the acid makes the wine taste sharp. And then there’s the faint acrid note on the finish. Could be an off bottle but, if so, it’s reportedly not the only one. (Buy again? Nope.)
New arrivals from Glou (1/5)
The good guys at Glou recently held a trade tasting of some of their new arrivals.
Champagne, Brut Nature, Christophe Mignon ($55.00, Glou, 6 bottles/case)
The century-old estate has 6.5 hectares of vines (90% Pinot Meunier, 5% Pinot Noir and 5% Chardonnay) in some 30 parcels located between Le Breuil and Festigny. Viticulture is “alternative,” by which is meant semi-organic and biodynamic but with recourse to synthetic products in extreme circumstances. This blanc de noirs is 100% Pinot Meunier from 35-year-old vines. Vinified on a parcel-by-parcel basis: fermented in stainless steel and enameled steel tanks and matured on the lees for five months. Blended, bottled and aged for around 24 months before disgorging on a date determined by the lunar calendar. No dosage (also made in Extra Brut and Brut versions with 3 and 6 g cane sugar per litre respectively). Minimal sulphur dioxide. Unfiltered. 12.5% ABV.
Abundant foamy mousse. Nose dominated by leesy lemon and white fruit. Light and fruity in the mouth with a soft, super-fine effervescence and crystalline minerality. Dry, acid bright, long. A pure and refreshing winner. (Buy again? Done!)
Puligny-Montrachet 2011, Julien Altaber / Sextant (c. $65.00, Glou, NLA)
Based in Saint-Aubin, Altaber, who works for Dominique Derain, has run a négociant business on the side since 2007. He makes red and white Burgundies with grapes purchased from growers he trusts. The wines are fermented with indigenous yeasts and no chemical additives other than sulphur dioxide, which, if used at all, is done so only during racking, never at bottling. This grapes for this 100% Chardonnay come from 40-year-old vines located on a slope above the 1er crus. Only one cask was made, which is why Glou received only 60 or so bottles. 13% ABV.
Classic if closed nose: faint lemon, chalk and quartz, hints of oats and oxidized butter. Medium-bodied and dry, with clean, clear fruit, tons of minerals, tense acidity and a long buttery finish. So coherent, so beautifully balanced. An elegant wine that, while tight and taut at this stage, is full of potential. (Buy again? Def.)
MWG April 18th tasting (9/9): Black Sea White Muscat
White Muscat 2008, Massandra ($18.40, 11800548)
Located near Yalta in the Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula, the Massandra winery was founded in 1894 to supply the summer palace of Nicholas II, Russia’s last tsar. This fortified wine is made from Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains and matured in oak barrels for two years. 16% ABV.
Gold tending to amber. Wafting nose of candied white fruit, golden raisins and orange peel. Sweet but not saccharine, rich but not heavy, in no small part due to the vibrant acidity. The faintly oxidized, nose-echoing flavours also include peach, dried fig and spice, a pith-like bitter note and an earthy mineral streak. Lingers long. A pleasure to drink – not quite a vin de contemplation, but definitely getting there. Outstanding QPR, though I can’t say that without also noting that the 2009 vintage is available at the LCBO for $15.95. (Buy again? Absolutely.)
MWG April 18th tasting (8/9): Corsican hat trick
Vin de Corse–Figari 2010, Clos Canarelli ($36.75, 11794521)
A blend of biodynamically farmed Niellucciu (80%), Syrah (15%) and Sciaccarellu (5%) from 13-year-old vines. Manually harvested. Fully destemmed. Fermented (with indigenous yeasts) and matured in large foudres for 14 to 18 months with daily punch-downs during fermentation. Unfiltered and unfined. 13.5% ABV.
Brooding nose of maquis, ink, red and black fruit, black tea and bitter chocolate. Dense but not heavy, redolent of dark plum and spice, with bedrock minerals and a gamey note. Firm round tannins, fluent acidity and a long, savoury finish round out the ideally proportioned package. Impressive if a little monolithic at this stage in its development. Stick it in a cellar for five or ten years or carafe several hours if serving now. (Buy again? Definitely.)
Patrimonio 2010, Domaine d’E Croce, Yves Leccia ($30.00, 10783213)
Nielluciu (90%) and Grenache (10%) from 20- to 40-year-old vines in the E Croce lieu-dit. Manually harvested, sorted by clusters, destemmed and crushed. Fermented in stainless steel tanks at 25 to 30ºC with daily pump-overs. After 12 to 15 days, the grapes are pressed and the free run and press juices are blended. Matured at least 12 months in stainless steel tanks. Lightly filtered before bottling. 13.5% ABV.
A less intense and opaque red-purple than the other two wines in the flight. Appealing if odd nose of red and black berries, fresh raw kidney and hints of sandalwood and licorice. Medium-bodied with a fluid texture. The ripe fruit is structured by fine tannins and smooth acidity and has some earthy/minerally depth. Clean finish. Fully accessible now, this suave wine is reputed to improve with up to a decade or two of age; given its purity and balance, that claim doesn’t seem outlandish. (Buy again? Yes.)
Vin de Corse–Calvi 2010, Ribbe Rosse, Clos Culombu ($38.00, 11910376)
A 50-50 blend of Sciaccarellu and Niellucciu. Long (40 days) fermenation and maceration in 500-litre oak barrels. 14.5% ABV.
Complex and beguiling. A fine savoury mouthful of pure, sweet-cored red fruit with overtones of maquis, dried earth and spice. Bright acidity adds freshness, puckery tannins push the silky texture toward satin and the long finish brings a charry note. The alcohol is not apparent. Surprisingly accessible though clearly cellar-worthy. (Buy again? Yes.)
Brett happens 