MWG July 13th tasting: report (1/5)
The Mo’ Wine Group met on Friday the 13th to taste its way through an assortment of wines from Ontario’s up-and-comingest wine region, Prince Edward County, located on a peninsula jutting into Lake Ontario, about five hours by car from Montreal. Parallels having been drawn between the county’s cool climate and limestone soils and those of Champagne, we were especially interested in checking out the sparkling wines. Many thanks to members M and L for selecting and transporting the bottles.
Ancestral 2011, VQA Prince Edward County, Hinterland Wine Co. ($23)
A wine inspired by the sparkling Gamays (sometimes with a little Poulsard thown in) from Bugey Cerdon in France’s Savoie region. The name refers to the rarely used (outside of Savoie and Gaillac) méthode ancestrale of sparkling wine production, whereby the wine is bottled before fermentation is complete. Fermentation is then allowed to continue in the bottle and the carbon dioxide that is a byproduct creates the effervescence. (Like those of far too many Ontario wineries, Hinterland’s website is stingy with production details. One sentence found there – “Using the Ancestral method, the bubbles of this wine was [sic] achieved by capturing the carbon dioxide produced during the primary fermentation” – and the lack of a deposit in the bottle suggest that they may also be using some form of the transfer method.) In any case, this is 100% Gamay Noir and 8% ABV.
Pale strawberry pink with cotton candy glints. Foam disappears quickly; occasional small bubbles remain. Come-hither nose of yeast, strawberry and rose. Light on the palate with a fine effervescence. Fruity and off-dry, though the sweetness is tarted by bright acidity. Turns drier on the finish as minerals and a hint of earthiness emerge. Not quite up to Bugey Cerdon standards – this is simpler, more superficial, a bit more soda poppy – but not terribly far off and certainly enjoyable in its own right. Serve chilled as an outdoor sipper, an aperitif, with not very sweet stawberry- or rhubarb-based desserts or, possibly, as an accompaniment to Indian food (Bugey Cerdon works, so why not this?). (Buy again? Yes, a bottle or two for an all-Canadian dinner or picnic.)
Gauby’s 2008 Vieilles Vignes blanc
Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes 2008, Vieilles Vignes, Domaine Gauby ($44.50, 11225184)
A blend of organically farmed, low-yield Macabeu (40%), Grenache Blanc (30%), Chardonnay (15%), Grenache Gris (10%) and Carignan Blanc (5%) from 50- to 100-year-old vines, except the Chardonnay, which is from 30-year-old vines. Direct pressed, low-temperature settling. Fermented with no additions, including of yeast. Aged seven to eight months on the fine lees, 65% in barrels and 35% in vats. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. 12.5% ABV (according to the label; SAQ.com says 13.5%, though that may be for a different vintage).
Served at the October 2010 MWG tasting, the 2007 had everybody swooning. Served at the October 2011 MWG tasting, the 2008 (no published notes, alas) seemed less swoon-worthy. Yet a bottle of the 2008 opened at Raza two or three weeks ago held the three of us in thrall from the first sip. What a difference nine months makes? Proof that there are no great wines, only great bottles? Or that context is everything? Your guess is as good as mine.
Anyway, the nose of the June bottle was an appealing mix of under-ripe pineapple, Meyer lemon and rainwater. On the palate, a nuanced and layered mouthful of crystalline minerals, delicate fruit (pear, quince) and soft but penetrating acidity. Beautifully balanced, with everything in place, and possessed of a long, elegant finish.
That it was able to serve as a deluxe aperitif and accompany dishes as varied and challenging as scallop ceviche with hibiscus gélée, a citrusy salad with slices of rare, chile-accented duck breast, and an empanada filled with pulled pork, apple compote and foie gras shows just how versatile a wine it is.
Wines like this and Rouge Gorge’s all-Macabeu cuvée argue strongly that the Côtes catalanes region is the source of some of France’s finest whites these days. As such, the Vieilles Vignes is hardly overpriced. Unfortunately, ours was one of the last bottles available in the centre city, though there’s still some to be found in far-flung outlets. Worth seeking out.
Just drink it!
Bourgogne 2010, Sœur Cadette, Domaine de la Cadette ($18.05, 11460660)
100% organically farmed Chardonnay from both the Saint-Père–sous-Vézelay estate and nearby grape-growers. Slow pressed, fermented with indigenous yeasts, allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation and aged five months (according to Kermit Lynch) or 12 months (according to oenopole), all in stainless steel vats. Lightly filtered before bottling. 12.5% ABV.
Lemon, minerals, oats and whey on the nose. In the mouth, zingy lemon over a peach nectar substrate, the ripe fruitiness rounding the sharp acidity. There’s a vaporous lift, felt but not really tasted, like you get from citrus peel oil or turpentine (but in a good way!). Long, sour-chalky finish. A lip-smacking wine, straight and to the point and guaranteed to perk you up on a sweltering day. Understandably popular with sommeliers and restaurateurs (for their personal consumption as well as their wine lists), this is selling out fast.
Gauby’s 2010 Les Calcinaires rouge
Côtes du Roussillon Villages 2010, Les Calcinaires, Domaine Gauby ($24.50, 11222186)
Organically farmed, 10- to 20-year old Syrah (50%), Mourvèdre (25%), Grenache Noir (15%) and Carignan (10%). Destemmed. Macerated two to four weeks. Traditional, non-interventionist fermentation using ambient yeasts. Aged ten months in vats (80%) and barrels (20%). Bottled unfiltered and unfined. Relatively small production of 5,000 bottles. 12.5% ABV (!) according to SAQ.com (don’t have the bottle to check what the label says).
Smelling primary at this stage: plum, spice, leather, slate. Smooth with velvety tannins. Quite extracted yet fluid. Lush fruit (black cherry) and some bittersweet chocolate, sleek acidity and a long drying finish. Not particularly deep but pure, savoury and delicious. A food-friendly wine that paired well with several nuevo latino dishes at the outstanding, newly BYOB Raza.
Barn owl and salmon
Looking for a wine to pour with Indian-style salmon brochettes (recipe follows), I popped the cork on this. It worked.
Coteaux du Loir 2010, L’Effraie, Domaine Bellivière ($27.45, 11495467)
Effraie is French for barn owl. 100% biodynamically farmed Chenin Blanc from vines under 50 years old. Fermented with native yeasts and aged 12 months in second-, third- and fourth-use barrels. Depending on the year, the wine can range from dry to demi-sec. 12.5% ABV according to the label (13.5% according to SAQ.com, though that may refer to an earlier vintage).
Complex, if subtle, and constantly evolving nose: yellow apple, melon rind, summer savoury, chalk, preserved lemon and honeycomb. Off-dry (sec-tendre according to the winemaker), the sugar softening the acidity and augmenting the somewhat viscous texture. Mild white and yellow fruit dissolves dryly into minerals, ash and a light citric tang. A faint aftertaste – more a fresh, mint-like sensation – haunts the mouth for minutes after a sip. A natural with white fish or scallops in lemon cream (the estate suggests tartare preparations), this also goes well with not-too-spicy Asian fare like the dish you’ll find after the jump.
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This summer’s La Niña
Minervois 2010, La Nine, Domaine Jean Baptiste Sénat ($20.90, 11659960)
Organically farmed Grenache (40%), Carignan (30%), Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Syrah (10%each) from vines 60, 100, 25, 50 and 10 years old respectively. Partially detstemmed, then vatted and fermented for 12 days using native yeasts. Aged ten months in old oak barrels and stainless steel vats. Unfiltered, unfined and minimally sulphured. 14% ABV.
Heady nose of roasted plums, sun-baked stones, garrigue and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied and quite dry. Velvet-textured yet fluid with supple tannins and astoundingly pure, ripe fruit. Turns savoury on the finish, leaving a peristant tingle (whether from tannins, acidity or alcohol I can’t tell) and faint aftertaste of raspberry liqueur. Some of Sénat’s other wines, notably Le Bois des Merveilles, are overambitious – too big, heavy and unrefreshing – but this vibrant quaffer is a charmer and a close to perfect pairing for herb-rubbed and grilled beef, lamb or pork.
Gauby’s 2010 Les Calcinaires blanc
VDP des Côtes Catalanes 2010, Les Calcinaires, Domaine Gauby ($25.15, 11463060)
The estate is certified organic. 50% Muscat from 15 to 50-year-old vines, 30% Chardonnay from 20-year-old vines and 20% Macabeu from 30 to 50-year-old vines. Fermented with native yeasts. Aged eight months on the lees. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. 13% ABV.
Sour apple, limestone, pine resin. Rainwater entry quickly expands to apple, pithy lemon and a soft grapiness (the Muscat speaking?) given focus by the acidity. As the fruit fades, the minerals surge and are joined by a sour-bitter note that lingers through the finish and sets you up for another sip. Less complex and profound than the Vieilles Vignes but a delight to drink. Made an excellent pairing for the Catalonian recipe you’ll find after the jump.
Raisins gaulois
This was released today and has already disappeared from several Montreal outlets. No mises de côté allowed, so if you want some, drop by your favourite outlet on your way to work tomorrow morning. You have been warned.
Vin de France 2011, Raisins Gaulois, Domaine Marcel Lapierre ($17.65, 11459976)
In vintages before 2009, a Vin de pays de Gaules but now a generic Vin de France following a decision by Beaujolais authorities to eliminate the former designation. Nevertheless, most of the grapes used for this wine come from the Morgon AOC. 100% organically farmed young-vine Gamay. Semi-carbonic maceration (with no added sulphur) lasting around five days. Fermented with native yeasts. Aged two months in vats. Bottled unfiltered but with a squirt of sulphur dioxide. 12% ABV. The wine is also packaged in 5L and 10L bag-in-boxes, not that we ever see them here in Quebec. Conventional wisdom is to serve this lightly chilled but I found it more faceted and nuanced at room temperature (about 23ºC/74ºF this evening).
Exuberant, gumdroppy nose of red berries and peony with a ferrous note. Light, fleet and fresh in the mouth, the fruit sweet and juicy, the tannins soft and supple. High-toned rose flashes on the back of the palate before giving way to a tangy, mineral-edged finish. Pure and delightful, a celebration not so much of terroir as of Gamay. Way too easy to down, the very definition of a vin de soif.
Rosso di terrazza
IGT Toscana 2010, Casamatta, Bibi Graetz ($15.45, 11372441)
The name means “crazy house.” 100% young-vine Sangiovese. Fermented in stainless steel, aged in barrels after malolactic fermentation. Screwcapped. 12.5% ABV.
Sour cherry, raspberry, leaf mould, a floral note and a hint of kirschy marzipan. Underpinned by light tannins and buoyed by acidity, the sweet and tart fruit leads to a softly astringent, bitter-edged finish. This welterweight may be simple and commercial but, lightly chilled on a hot summer evening, it’s also quite enjoyable in its juicy kind of way. Serve with grilled Italian sausages, braised beef or just about anything in tomato sauce.
MWG June 21st tasting: report (4/4)
Coteaux du Languedoc 2007, Prieuré Saint-Jean de Bébian ($38.00, 11661074)
Syrah (45%), Grenache (30%), Mourvèdre (25%) from 30-year-old vines except the Grenache, which was planted in 1925. Each grape variety is vinified and aged separately. Six to nine weeks’ maceration in concrete and old stone vats with little pumping over. The Syrah is transferred to barrels for malolactic fermentation. Aged in second, third and fourth vintage barrels and demi-muids for nine to 18 months according to the variety, then in stainless steel vats. Unfiltered. 14.5% ABV.
Dark fruit, Asian spice, earth, “pine coney.” Full-bodied. Weighty without being heavy. Heady, packed with ripe fruit, suave tannins and just enough acidity. Long leathery/charry finish. Intense but fine. Needs time. (Buy again? Tempted but will likely wait for the reportedly fleeter 2008.)
Coteaux du Languedoc 2009, L’Orée, Clos des Nines ($24.25, 11661091)
A ten-year-old estate. The name refers to the owner’s three daughters (nines in Langue d’oc). Grenache (50%), Syrah (25%), Cinsault (25%). Fermented and aged in vats. 14.5% ABV.
Winey, sawed wood, eventually resin. Mouth-filling but not galumphing. The ripe fruit, soft tannins and pulpy texture are kept sprightly by the fresh flavours and acidity. The fruit slow-fades to spice and earthy minerals on the finish. The supplest, least serious wine in the flight, this has backyard BBQ written all over it. (Buy again? If looking for a Languedoc vin plaisir, sure.)
Coteaux du Languedoc 2009, Grès de Montpellier, Château Saint-Martin de la Garrigue ($23.95, 10268828)
Old-vine Mourvèdre (52%), Syrah (27%) and Grenache Noir (21%). Whole-grape maceration. The Mourvèdre and Grenache are destemmed. Batches are selected and blended as soon as fermentation is completed. Aged in second or third vintage demi-muids for 16 months. Repeated racking but no fining or filtration. 13.5% ABV.
On the nose as well as in the mouth, leather, coffee, toasted nut, game and other tertiary-like aromas and flavours dominate, pushing the fruit (prune and fig) into the background. Little sweetness and rigid tannins make for a relatively austere experience. Not as dense as the Bébian or Jullien but just about as long. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Coteaux du Languedoc 2008, Terrasses du Larzac, Mas Jullien ($37.25, 10874861)
Organically farmed Syrah, Carignan, Mourvèdre and, depending on who you believe, Grenache. Vinified by parcel and aged for around 18 months in demi–muids. 13.5% ABV.
Reticent yet beautiful: dark fruit with cassis notes and hints of dried herbs, cocoa and spice, including a whiff of licorice. Closer to medium than full-bodied, to silky than velvety. The rich fruit is shaped by soft acidity and round tannins. Long, full finish. Vigorous aeration reveals hidden layers and depth: this wine, an epitome of the Languedoc, needs another three or four years to come into its own and will drink beautifully for several years beyond that. (Buy again? Yep.)
Brett happens 