Return of the world’s most drinkable Xinomavro
(We’ll ignore the wag who says “Well, duh, it’s the world’s only drinkable Xinomavro.”)
Naoussa 2010, Jeunes Vignes de Xinomavro, Domaine Thymiopoulos ($17.05, 11607617)
100% organically farmed Xinomavro from five- to ten-year-old vines. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Bottled unfiltered. 13.5% ABV.
Cherry pie and Swiss chard tart on a slate countertop: that’s the nose. In the mouth, the wine is medium-bodied and supple. The fruit (pomegranate and cherry) is sweet and pure, juicy but not heavy, both brightened and soured by acidity. The tannins are light but pervasive and of the teeth-coating kind. Turns drier, earthier, more savoury and minerally as it heads into the finish.
A joy to drink, a vin plaisir, a quaffer, ideally suited for sweet-spiced Greek fare like tonight’s vegetarian pastitsio (with lentils replacing the traditional ground meat).
There seems to be more around than there was of the 2009. Still, some outlets have nearly sold out and the track record suggests the rest will soon.
Salon des vins d’importation privée: 2012 edition
The dates have been announced for this year’s private import wine expo, the Salon des vins d’importation privée. This is always the best wine show of the year – less crowded and unwieldy than the Grande dégustation de Montréal, filled with more interesting wines, populated by friendlier winemakers and agents, attracting a higher proportion of wine geeks and a lower proportion of tipplers.
The Montreal dates are Saturday, November 3, from noon to 8 p.m., and Sunday, November 4, from noon to 7 p.m. The venue is the Marché Bonsecours.
The Quebec City date is Tuesday, November 6, from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., and the place is the Espaces Dalhousie.
Admission is $15. Coupons exchangeable for tastes can also be purchased, though not every booth requires them.
For more information, see the RASPIPAV site: raspipav.com
Frappato solo
Sicilia IGT 2011, Frappato, Azienda Agricola COS ($24.70, 11695004)
Biodynamically farmed Frappato from vines averaging 12 years old. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled, glass-lined concrete tanks. Aged 12 months before bottling. Unfiltered. 12.5% ABV.
Strawberry and raspberry hard candies dusted with black pepper. Gains pomegranate and slate notes as it breathes, then segues into umami territory (hints of roast beef, hoisin sauce). Medium- tending to light-bodied, supple and silky. The clear-toned fruit is tanged by acidity, tethered by earth and minerals. The airframe tannins become more apparent as the wine opens. The fruity core lingers through the finish.
If COS’s Cerasuolo brings Burgundy to mind, this is more like a Morgon or Moulin-à-Vent. That southernmost Sicily is the source of such delicate and caressing wines almost beggars belief.
Like so many wines with a natural bent, it is best carafed an hour or so ahead of time. Serve lightly chilled with simply prepared white meats, fowl (next week’s Thanksgiving turkey, maybe?) or even tuna or salmon. Am also more convinced than ever that it would make an excellent pairing for that guinea hen braised with green figs.
Lapierre’s 2011 Morgon (SAQ bottling)
This has just hit the shelves and will probably fly off them. It made a fine pairing for a bavette aux échalotes (recipe after the jump).
Morgon 2011, Marcel Lapierre ($27.95, 11305344)
100% organically farmed Gamay. In contrast to the standard “Nature” bottling, which comes in through the private import channel, this SAQ bottling is lightly filtered and sulphured to enhance its stability (and, unfortunately, strip it of some charm). 12.5% ABV.
A little reductive at first. Red berries, sweet spice, a floral note (rose? peony?) and, with coaxing, earth and minerals. Light, bright and supple on the palate. The beguiling sweet-and-sour fruit is darkened by some vine sap and a dissipating lactic note. Lacy albeit tight tannins swell then fade on the tangy, slatey finish. Elegance and purity it has in spades but not, for now, a lot of depth. Of course, this isn’t the Nature. And the wine is just off the boat. And the estate is very consistent. And 2011 is an outstanding vintage in Beaujolais. And the wine did gain weight as it breathed.
Is it worth $28? The answer’s not as obvious as it was for the 2009 and 2010 but I’m inclined to give Lapierre the benefit of the doubt, especially this weekend when the price is $25.15.
If you’re one of the lucky few who can score some of the Nature bottles, don’t buy this in preference. If not and you decide to give it a shot, carafe it an hour or two beforehand or cellar it for at least a few months and up to five years.
Bandol bargain
Last Tuesday at SAT Foodlab, homage was paid to Richard Olney in the most fitting way: convivially with dishes from his cookbooks and excellent Provençal wines. Olney had a special relationship with Domaine Tempier – his Lulu’s Provençal Table documents the Bandol estate’s history and the cooking of its proprietor, who was also Olney’s friend and neighbour – so, naturally, two Tempier wines were being poured on Tuesday: the legendary rosé and the red Classique. (The 2011 rosé lived up to its reputation as one of the world’s best pink wines: both ethereal and present, with depth and substance, balancing acidity, layers of peach, garrigue and minerals and a bitter flourish on the long, rainwater finish.) Also poured, were two red Bandols from Gros’Noré, including the following, newly available at the SAQ.
Bandol 2003, Domaine du Gros’Noré ($36.75, 11553938)
The Pascal family long sold its grapes to other Bandol estates, most notably Pibarnon, but began making its own wine in 1997. Mourvèdre (80%), Grenache (15%) and Cinsault (5%) from sustainably farmed 20-year-old vines. Macerated 15 days and fermented with indigenous yeasts. Spent 18 months in oak barrels. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. 14.5% ABV.
Dark, nearly from rim to rim. Deep, sweet and earthy/trufflely nose that had people oohing at first sniff. Velvety, big-boned, savoury. Ripe plum and blackberry are the dominant flavours, along with licorice, pepper, forest floor as much as garrigue, a hint of leather and a lingering smoky note. Powerful and generous. Fruit-driven but not a bomb.
Red Bandol often doesn’t peak for a decade or two but this is in a good place now. The round tannins are softer than you might expect, possibly an artifact of the 2003 vintage. Mourvèdre thrives on heat, which may explain why, in contrast to most other European wines from that infernally hot year, this is harmonious, with nothing out of whack.
It was interesting to compare the wine with Tempier’s beautiful 2010 “Cuvée classique,” a leaner, sleeker, tighter Bandol with a more Médoc-like structure. By its side, the Gros’Noré seemed warmer, more rustic and artless, a friendly sheepdog to the Tempier’s aloof greyhound. It would be a great bottle to open for drinkers who think they like only New World wines. And it made a fine pairing for Foodlab’s garlicky roasted stuffed lamb shoulder served with mashed potatoes and celery root.
Most of the bottles of Gros’Noré currently available at the SAQ are the 2007 ($33.75, 10884583). Only a few cases of the 2003 are to be found and, if my experience is anything to go by, you’ll have to ask the clerk to fetch you bottles from the back. With this weekend’s 10% discount, the price drops to $33.07, a bargain for a mature Bandol from a top producer.
Clos Ouvert and Hôtel Herman
As the tasting of Péron wines at Hôtel Herman wound down, business at the restaurant began picking up and, like several other tasters, I decided to stick around and have a bite, a decision made easier by the convivial setup, small plate approach and appealing by-the-glass selection of wines. That other friends and acquaintances – a MWG member, an SAQ wine advisor, a reporter from La Presse, staff from nearby restaurants, a cohort from Rézin – began trickling in only sealed the deal.
Installed on the other side of the room, the Rézin gang appeared to be focused on a half dozen bottles they had brought with them and a 20-something guy wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the word Morgon. Glasses were being poured for some of the staff and several patrons. Eventually, Rézin rep Steve came to our end of the bar and explained that the t-shirt wearer was a visiting winemaker who was friends with Mathieu Lapierre and we shouldn’t miss his formidable old-vine cuvée – old here meaning from stock first planted 350 years ago – made from a forgotten grape variety.
Glass in hand, I introduced myself to the winemaker. His name? Louis-Antoine Luyt. He reached for the bottle of the formidable wine and poured me a taste, explaining that it was made from Païs grapes. That brought to mind another wine made from an obscure grape, the 100% Fer Servadou Marcillac “Lo Sang del Païs.” While Luyt’s Païs smelled and tasted nothing like a Gamay (or a Marcillac, for that matter), the similarities with a Beaujolais cru were obvious. “This is the first I’ve ever heard of a Païs grape in the Beaujolais,” I mentioned. “What’s the back story?”
“Beaujolais?! My wines are from Chile. Pais was brought to the Americas by Spaniards in the 16th century and planted to make sacramental wine. It’s probably the same as California’s Mission grape.”
“But, but the Morgon t-shirt, Mathieu Lapierre…”
“Well, I’m from France, I love Beaujolais and I went to school with Mathieu. When I decided to make my own wine, I set out looking for a challenge and ended up in Chile.”
He went on to explain that he and partners eventually found a vineyard to lease in the Maule valley. Located about 35 km from the coast at an altitude of between 300 and 700 m, the vineyard was already planted to several varieties, all ungrafted. The parcels are dry farmed and manually worked in compliance with organic principles. The wine-making is natural, the sulphur regime minimal. The domaine is called Clos Ouvert, a name nearly as sweet as Domaine du Possible‘s.
I wasn’t taking notes but, assuming I’m remembering this correctly, Luyt offered tastes of two vintages of the Pais de Quenehuao (the 2010 for sure and maybe the 2011). Both were riper than a Bojo and had a completely different flavour profile, yet the weight, acidity, structure and sappiness were very Bojo-like, due surely in part to a similar wine-making approach that includes carbonic maceration. Also poured were samples of: the 2010 Cinsault “Quella”, which can stand comparison with Languedoc Cinsaults; the 2010 Primavera, an easy-drinking, Carignan-dominated blend; and the 2011 Carménère “Cauquenes”, the first and only wine made from that grape that I’d ask for a second glass of. There may also have been a Cabernet Franc. None of the wines were fruit bombs. All were balanced, more savoury than sweet and possessed of a minerally streak that was unlike any I’ve encountered in Andean wines and that had me thinking terroir, especially since the wines weren’t slavish imitations of their French homologues. Most of all, they were food-friendly and drinkable – what the French call digeste.
“Don’t take this wrong,” I said, “but I’m not normally a fan of Chilean wines. They often taste like tomato – the plant, not the fruit – and seem devoid of finesse. So, I mean it as a compliment when I say I’d never guess these wines were from Chile.”
“I don’t like a lot of Chilean wines either. That was a big part of the challenge I mentioned earlier.”
Rézin is bringing in the wines, which will begin arriving in November when the 2010 Pais hits our shores. All will be available only in cases of 12 bottles and through the private import channel. Prices have yet to be determined but should run under $25 a bottle for individuals and even less for restaurants. I look forward to spending some quality time with them and you should too.
My mini review of Hôtel Herman is after the jump.
COS I love you
Looking through the bottles I had on hand for a wine to go with Saturday’s seasonal dinner, a guinea fowl braised with green figs (recipe after the jump), I ended up with this. While it made a wholly satisfactory pairing, I couldn’t stop thinking that the same estate’s soon-to-arrive just released 2011 Frappato ($24.70, 11695004) would be even better.
Cerasuolo di Vittoria 2009, Classico, Azienda Agricola COS ($29.35, 11577391)
Biodynamically farmed Nero d’Avola (60%) and Frappato (40%) from 18-year-old vines. Temperature-controlled fermentation with indigenous yeasts in concrete vats. Aged in barrels for 18 to 24 months. Bottled unfiltered. 13% ABV.
Ferociously reductive on opening. Righted itself after being vigorously carafed and left to stand for 45 minutes (the last 20 or so in the fridge). Fragrant nose of tart red fruit (cranberry, pomegranate, red currant, cherry) against a backdrop of slate and dried wood. Medium weight with a bordering-on-velvety texture. The lithe fruit (pomegranate again) sweetens on the mid-palate and sours on the finish. Darker, more minerally, even earthy layers emerge as the wine progresses through the mouth. The supple tannins structure the whole and linger astringently. An elegant, complete wine that delivers the same kind of satisfaction as good Burgundies costing half again as much.
Glou and the wines of Jean-Yves Péron at Hôtel Herman
Since 2004, Jean-Yves Péron has been making wines using fruit from very old vines (some of them pre-phylloxera) on two hectares of terraced, high-altitude vineyards in Chevaline, near Albertville. After studying oenology in Bordeaux, he trained with natural winemakers Thierry Allemand and Jean-Louis Grippat in the Rhône valley and Bruno Schueller in Alsace. Organic farming, indigenous yeasts, non-interventionist wine-making, avoidance of filtering and fining and use of little or no sulphur make these natural wines of the first rank.
Montreal-based agency Glou, which represents the estate in Quebec, recently held a tasting of Péron wines at Hôtel Herman. The prices are high but these are rare wines (the Quebec allocation of the Grande journée is 18 bottles) on a different and arguably higher plane than their compatriots. All left me feeling that I’d like to spend more than a few minutes with them.
Vin de table français 2010, Cotillon des dames, Jean-Yves Péron ($42.50, 12 btls/case)
100% Jacquère aged sous voile, i.e. under a protective layer of veil-like yeast, similar to the Jura’s vin jaune, whence the name (“women’s petticoat”). 11.5% ABV.
Cloudy, pale bronze-orange. Oxidized apple and peach, minerals, straw, faint spice. A bit tight in the mouth. Acidic, not remarkably deep but offering an appealing range of cidery flavours and a hint of salted butter. Long tangy finish. Would probably have benefited from more “airtime.”
Vin de France 2010, Les Barrieux, Jean-Yves Péron ($56.25, 6 btls/case)
Jacquère and Roussanne left to macerate on the skins, like a red wine. Matured in third-vintage barrels. 12.5% ABV.
Hazy, pale bronze. Intriguing if hard to deconstruct nose: sandstone, straw and faint pear/peach? Softer and broader on the palate than the Cotillon. The fruit is understated, yet the wine has real presence. Good balance and a long, minerally finish.
Savoie 2010, La grande journée, Jean-Yves Péron ($74.50, 6 btls/case)
100% Altesse. 13% ABV.
Medium light bronze. Less hazy than the first two wines. A nose to get lost in: pear, oxidized apple, a floral note. Bone dry and quite extracted, yet fluid and fleet. All minerals and spice with the fruit definitely in the background. Strong acidic backbone. Long. Evolving. Multidimensional. A standout.
Savoie 2010, Vers la maison rouge, Jean-Yves Péron ($28.45, 12 btls/case)
100% Mondeuse Noire. Made from grapes from less easily ripened plots. Undergoes carbonic maceration for a few days before being transferred to old barrels. 11% ABV.
Very pale, oxidized ruby; could pass for one of the Jura’s corail reds. Wafting nose of spice, light red fruit, wood, lees and eventually a hint of red meat. Almost white-like in weight and taste, with only a suggestion of red fruit and then only on the lightly peppery finish. Minerally, acidic, barely tannic. A fascinating and aptly named, red-heading wine.
VDP d’Allobrogie 2009, Champ Levat, Jean-Yves Péron ($36.35, 12 btls/case)
100% Mondeuse Noire. Carbonic maceration and fermentation each last about one week, barrel aging about one year. 11% ABV.
Fairly clear medium burgundy. Nose of dusty plum skin, spice, wood, red fruit and violet. On the lighter side of medium-bodied. Astringent yet fluid. A tightly wound ball of fine tannins and bright acid. Lingers long. Refreshing and, I suspect, versatile at table.
Savoie 2009, Côte Pelée, Jean-Yves Péron (NLA)
100% Mondeuse Noire from ancient vines. One week’s carbonic maceration followed by ten days’ to three weeks’ fermentation, depending on the vintage, and one year’s barrel aging. 12.5% ABV.
Clear, medium burgundy. Rich and young-smelling: plum, stone, wood, kirsch. Richer, smoother and more extracted than the Champ Levat. Good balance: lots of tannins and acidity though they’re cushioned by the fruit. Lingering minerally finish. Delicious.
Savoie 2010, Côte Pelée, Jean-Yves Péron ($46.90, 12 btls/case)
100% Mondeuse Noire as immediately above. 12.5% ABV.
Tighter and more primary than the 2009 but every bit as pure. The tannins may be a shade lighter but the fruit and acid are just as vibrant. Stony finish. A beauty.
Cellier’s lone Vetliner
Kamptal 2011, Grüner Veltliner, Heiligenstein, Trocken, Hirsch ($23.45, 11695055)
100% biodynamically farmed Grüner Veltliner. Fermented and matured in stainless steel. 12.5% ABV. Screwcapped.
Nuanced nose of lime leaf, white pepper, quartz and honey. Medium bodied with a slightly viscous texture. Dry but rounded by a little residual sugar, which in turn is checked by a faint carbon dioxide tingle and undertowing bitterness. The green-pearish, citrusy fruit is carried on a silvery stream of acidity before fading to stones and lime pith on the long finish. Less steely than expected (perhaps due to the hot vintage): an elegant, soft-spoken wine that, while enjoyable now, will surely improve with a few years in the bottle. A satisfactory pairing for boudin blanc, it would also be a natural with schnitzel. Cellier claims it’s oyster-friendly and, for once, I can see why.
Don’t judge a wine by its label
VDP des Collines Rhodaniennes 2010, Syrah, La Dernière Vigne, Pierre Gaillard ($21.25, 10678325)
100% Syrah from 35-year-old vines. Partially stemmed, then crushed. High-temperature fermentation with pumping over thrice daily. Matured 12 months in 20% new French oak barrels with racking every three months. 12.5% ABV.
Nose dominated by black pepper with blueberry and game in the background. Gains earth, cherry, coffee, slate and an herb-like freshness as it breathes. Medium-bodied, silky textured and well balanced. The pure fruit is shaped by supple tannins, firmed by a faint tartness. Clean finish. Setting aside the label (in competition for the world’s tackiest), if there’s a more amiable Syrah at this price point these days, I’ve not encountered it. As a simple, straightforward quaffer, this will do quite nicely.
Brett happens 