SAQ–LCBO rematch III
Have notes from the November MWG tasting, two tastings with François Barmès and the Salon des vins d’importation privée to transcribe and post but won’t get around to them until my head clears from this nasty cold. In the meantime, another issue of LCBO’s Vintages magazine, this one covering the November 27th release, has shown up in the mailbox. Of the 160-odd wines in the release, 27 are also listed by the SAQ.
SAQ / LCBO
$14.65 / $13.95 Lillet blanc
$14.95 / $13.95 Beaujolais Nouveau 2010 Mommessin
$16.95 / $17.95 Bodega François Lurton Reserva Malbec 2008 Mendoza
$19.55 / $17.95 Robertson Winery Wolfkloof Shiraz 2007
$23.70 / $24.95 B Crux 2006 Bodegas y Vinedos O. Fournier Valle de Uco
$24.05 / $21.95 Clos de los Siete 2008 Mendoza
$24.30 / $25.95 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2006 Tomassi (375 ml)
$24.85 / $25.00 Palazzo Della Torre 2007 Allegrini IGT Veronese
$25.35 / $25.95 Il Grigio da San Felice 2006 Chianti Classico Riserva
$26.15 / $28.95 Tenuta di Capraia 2006 Chianti Classico Riserva
$27.35 / $21.95 Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese 2003 von Kesselstatt Qmp
$27.95 / $24.95 Coldstream Hills Chardonnay 2008 Yarra Valley
$30.50 / $34.95 Heitz Cellar Chardonnay 2008 Napa Valley
$34.75 / $31.95 Tenuta Sette Ponti Crognolo 2007 IGT Toscana
$41.25 / $43.95 Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino 2004
$44.50 / $49.95 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2006 Tomassi (750 ml)
$48.00 / $29.95 Sandeman Vau Vintage Port 2000
$49.75 / $37.95 Le Vieux Pin Époque Merlot 2006 Okanagan Valley
$52.25 / $49.95 Catena Alta Malbec 2007 Mendoza
$65.75 / $71.95 Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut Champagne
$75.75 / $76.95 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe 2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape
$77.25 / $73.95 Ribera del Duero 2006 Bodegas et Vinedos Alion
$82.75 / $84.95 Warre’s Vintage Port 2007
$96.00 / $69.95 Delaforce Vintage Port 1994
$133.95 / $139.95 Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Napa
$197.50 / $214.95 The Balvenie Portwood 21 Years Old Speyside Single Malt
$271.25 / $269.95 Krug Grande Cuvée Brut Champagne
Score: SAQ 14, LCBO 13. However, when it comes to the average difference, the LCBO is the clear winner. That’s thanks largely to the Delaforce and Sandeman ports, which are shockingly cheaper in Ontario. Both ports have been marked down in Quebec, though nowhere near as drastically, so I’m not sure what’s going on.
Note, too, that the release includes a product inexplicably absent from SAQ shelves: St-Germain Délice de Sureau, an artisanal elderflower liqueur ($49.95, 180695).
SAQ–LCBO rematch II
Showdown time again. The latest issue (November 13th release) of the LCBO’s Vintages magazine has arrived. And with the holidays looming, it’s a biggie.
SAQ / LCBO
$15.65 / $16.95 Kenwood Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Sonoma
$15.95 / $13.95 Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 2009 Casablanca Valley
$18.35 / $19.95 Kenwood Zinfandel 2007 Sonoma County
$18.55 / $15.95 Terra d’Aligi Tatone Monepulciano d’Abruzzo 2006
$19.25 / $19.95 Santa Rita Medalla Real Cabernet Savuignon 2007 Maipo Valley
$19.80 / $21.95 Campillo Reserva Rioja 2004
$19.90 / $18.95 Tabali Reserva Especial Chardonnay 2008 Limari Valley
$21.85 / $19.95 Oyster Bay Pinot Noir 2009, Marlborough
$23.85 / $23.95 Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Shiraz 2008, Barossa
$24.45 / $23.95 Lodola Nuova Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Ruffino 2007
$25.15 / $27.95 Tinto Pesquera Ribera del Duero 2007
$27.15 / $29.95 Travaglini Nebbiolo Gattinara 2004
$27.70 / $27.95 Guigal Gigondas 2006
$29.75 / $28.95 Le Volte Ornellaia 2008 IGT Toscana
$30.75 / $33.95 Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay 2007
$35.25 / $34.95 Bodegas Callia Grand Callia 2006 San Juan
$39.50 / $44.95 Domaine la Roquète, Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2007
$41.50 / $43.95 Antinori Badia a Passignano Chianti Classico Riserva 2006
$44.50 / $49.95 Torbreck The Steading 2006 Barossa Valley
$50.50 / $49.95 Montes Purple Angel 2007 Colchagua Valley
$56.50 / $54.95 Duckhorn Merlot 2007 Napa
$72.25 / $69.95 Inniskillin Riesling Icewine Niagara 2007 (375 ml)
The SAQ comes out on top again, albeit barely, with cheaper prices on 12 of the 22 overlapping wines. And, let it be noted, a couple of those wins are squeakers.
Be there or be square
The 2010 edition of Raspipav‘s Salon des vins d’importation privée, the city’s most enjoyable wine show, is taking place this Sunday and Monday, November 14 and 15, at the Marché Bonsecours in Old Montreal. The doors are open to the general public from noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday. $15 gets you admission, a tasting glass and a few coupons you use to pay for the wines you taste. Additional coupons are available for purchase, though in practice few booths charge for tastes if they see that you’re serious about wine appreciation.
More than 500 wines, none of them available at the SAQ, will be poured. A pride of visiting winemakers will also be on hand to present their products and answer questions.
Several agencies have events with winemakers planned in the days before and after the salon. For example, on Sunday evening, La QV will be holding what looks like a fun and affordable cocktail dînatoire with Spanish and French winemakers in their new space on Beaubien. Rézin is organizing several events, including a dinner on Thursday featuring some of the delightful wines of Gaillac’s Domaine de la Causse Marines at Les Trois Petits Bouchons. And oenopole is hosting François Barmès of the biodynamic Alsatian estate Barmès-Buecher for a “six à sec” at Le Comptoir Charcuteries et Vins on Monday and a $90 (taxes included) four-course, six-wine meal at Au Cinquième Péché on Tuesday.
A bouquet of affordable red Bordeaux (right-bank edition)
Yet more notes – the last – from the under-$30 Bordeaux event. Arranged in order of increasing price. It wasn’t always clear whether the quoted private import prices were for restaurants or individuals, so check with the agency concerned before submitting your order.
Côtes de Castillon 2006, Cuvée Prestige, Château Vieux Monpezat ($16.90, 10844813)
Cassis, cigar box, hint of vanilla: classic. Smooth but grippy, with clean fruit, good balance and a long finish. Great QPR.
Puisseguin Saint-Émilion 2007, Château des Laurets ($18.25, 371401)
Merlot with about 20% Cabernet Franc. Estate acquired by Château Clarke owner Benjamin de Rothschild in 2003 and advised by Michel Rolland (microbullage !). Red fruit, spice and oak on the nose. Supple entry, pure fruit, subtle oak. Lingering mild astringency. Could use more focus and depth.
Premières Côtes de Blaye 2004, Château La Raz Caman ($18.60, 888578)
Around 2/3 Merlot and 1/4 Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance made up by Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Classic red Bordeaux nose: spicy plum, oak, tobacco. Clean and fruity attack. Supple tannins and bright acid structure the mid-palate. Shortish finish. Correct.
Lalande de Pomerol 2004, Château La Croix des Moines ($24.25, 973057)
Merlot with about 10% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Spent 14 months in barrels, 25% new. Sweet and sour cassis with toast and menthol notes. Plump fruit and tight tannins. Good length. Seems closed but promising.
Côtes de Francs 2005, Château Le Puy ($24.45, 709469)
Merlot with a little Cabernet Sauvignon and maybe a dash of Carmenère. Biodynamic and, going by the clarity, unfiltered and unfined. Engaging nose despite the hint of barnyard: cassis, herbs, candied plum, red meat. Smooth, medium bodied, lacy tannins. Savoury herbs and sweet fruit, turning a little tart on the long finish. Distinctive, authentic and delicious: a real winner.
Lalande de Pomerol 2007, Le Pavillon de Saint-Jacques ($27.39, 6 bottles/case, Plan Vin)
80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Fresh and appealing nose: cassis, raspberries, green leaves and flowers. Round and smooth on the surface but with underlying tannins. Sweet berry fruit. Good length. Another winner.
Canon-Fronsac 2006, Candelaire, Château Lamarche-Canon ($32.75, 00912204)
90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Spent 16 months in oak barrels, 35% new. Toasty plum, black raspberry and spice. Rich and pure with tight, dense tannins and an oaky overlay. Long and well proportioned if a little monolithic for now: could use a couple of years in the cellar.
A bouquet of affordable red Bordeaux (left-bank edition)
More notes from the under-$30 Bordeaux event. Arranged in order of increasing price. It wasn’t always clear whether the quoted private import prices were for restaurants or individuals, so check with the agency concerned before submitting your order.
Côtes de Bourg 2007, Château Bujan ($18.60, 862086)
75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc. Attractive nose of sweet cassis and graphite with floral and oak notes. Supple entry, pure fruit, subtle oak, raspy tannins, bright acid and a little astringency on the finish. Seems lighter than the 2005 and 2006 but no less appealing.
Bordeaux 2007, Marquis de Bordeaux ($20.85, 6 bottles/case, Raisonnance Inc.)
65% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. Fresh nose of plum and cassis. Smooth and fluid attack. Good fruit and acid on the mid-palate though a bit oaky. Tannic finish. Not bad.
Bordeaux Supérieur 2005, Pavillon Rouge ($20.85, 6 bottles/case, Raisonnance Inc.)
Definitely not Château Margaux’s similarly named second wine. Blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Candied cassis and raspberry with tobacco scents. Pure and straightforward, more about fruit than structure. Herbs and tobacco scent the long finish. This would make a good bistro wine. A winner.
Bordeaux Supérieur 2007, Hyppos, Château Majoureau ($22.60, 6 bottles/case, Plan Vin)
About 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. Spent 12 months in French and American oak barrels, a fraction of which were new. Red fruit and spice with oak hints. Smooth and silky, with pure, sweet fruit. Supple tannins, lingering finish. Vin plaisir. If I ran a restaurant, this would be on its wine list.
Graves 2001, Château d’Ardennes ($23.90, 869933)
Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with a little Cabernet Franc and less Petit Verdot. Cassis and raspberry with floral and subtle oak notes. Fresh and smooth, more medium- than full-bodied. Round on the mid-palate, showing pure fruit and a minerally undertow. Fine tannins and a credible finish. Elegant and enjoyable.
Pessac-Léognan 2005, Château de Cruzeau ($24.95, 113381)
Slightly more than half Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot and a homoeopathic shot of Cabernet Franc making up the balance. Spent 12 months in barrels, about a third of which were new. Fresh, cedary nose dominated by cassis. Smooth and elegant albeit a little austere. Velvety tannins wrapped around a core of sweet fruit. Ashy minerals on the finish. Good but a little anonymous, like one of those B-movie heroes whose looks you can admire but whose name you can’t remember.
Pessac-Léognan 2005, Château de Rochemorin ($27.95, 743005)
About 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. Spent 12 months in barrels, about a third of which were new. Dark fruit and oak with hints of cedar and wet earth. Tight and very dry. Muted fruit, unmuted oak. Long astringent finish. The potential’s there but this needs time.
Côtes de Bourg 2006, Château Falfas ($28.58, 6 bottles/case, Raissonance Inc.)
Biodynamically farmed Merlot (55%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%), Cabernet Franc (10%) and Malbec (5%). Spicy red fruit with a hint of oak. Supple and smooth, lively acid, sweet fruit, silky tannins and a caressing finish. Overall impression of freshness and elegance. A winner.
Saint-Estèphe 2007, Château La Croix ($29.30, 00048561)
About half Cabernet Sauvignon and a third Merlot, the balance made up by Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Textbook nose: cassis, cedar, tobacco, graphite, hint of oak. Plush fruit structured by fine, tight tannins and not masked by oak. Long finish. A decent $30 Médoc that will be even better in a year or three.
Pessac-Léognan 2006, L’Abeille de Fieuzal, Château de Fieuzal ($36.25, 10924338)
About 2/3 Merlot and 1/3 Cabernet Sauvignon with a little Cabernet Franc. Beautiful nose: cassis, red plums, spice, tobacco, gravel, vanilla. Equally beautiful on the palate. Rich, ripe fruit and subtle oak structured by firm acid and tannins. Long but also broad and even deep. I’m not usually a fan of second wines but this is a winner.
A bouquet of affordable white Bordeaux
Quick takes on seven whites tasted at the recent (mostly) under-$30 Bordeaux event. As a group, less numerous and less interesting (i.e. more commercial) than the reds I tasted, notes on which will follow.
Bordeaux 2008, Sauvignon, Château Reynon ($22.85, 11170486)
Pungent nose dominated by Sauvignon Blanc (Sémillon forms only 15% of the blend): boxwood, grapefruit zest, quartz. Smooth entry, fruity mid-palate, zesty finish. Not deep but fresh and racy. Your classic white Bordeaux.
Entre-Deux-Mers 2009, Château Bonnet ($16.70, 83709)
50% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Sémillon, 10% Muscadelle. Clean Sauvignon Blanc nose. Fruity but dry. Good acid. Fast-fade finish. Not particularly polished.
Pessac-Léognan 2007, Château Cruzeau ($23.50, 225201)
100% Sauvignon Blanc. Spent ten months in 35% new oak barrels. White grapefruit, minerals and ash. Fresh and balanced, chalky more than fruity, good length. Tasty.
Pessac-Léognan 2007. Château de Rochemorin ($24.95, 743013)
100% Sauvignon Blanc. Spent ten months in 35% new oak barrels. Elegant nose: lime and limestone. Minerally attack, fruity mid-palate, sourish finish. Clean and pure. Appetizing.
Premières Côtes de Blaye 2008, Château Bertinerie ($15.30, 00707190)
100% Sauvignon Blanc. White citrus, gooseberry. Lighter than others. Good acid and length. Sourish finish. Simple, restrained but with a certain elegance.
Premières Côtes de Blaye 2007, Château Haut Bertinerie ($24.95, 11095130)
100% Sauvignon Blanc. Spent several months in new oak barrels. A tracery of minerals butressed by fruit. Oak is very sotto voce. Good acid and length. Clean, balanced, elegant.
Sauternes 2006, Château Partarrieu ($43.50, Francs-Vins)
Crème brûlée and orange water nose. Smooth, creamy attack. Fluid, not overly sweet. Complex set of flavours ranging from subtle apricot to pronounced botrytis. Light but persistent finish. Very pleasant.
How natural can wine be?
Kermit Lynch reminisces and riffs in a touching tribute to Marcel Lapierre: Remembering Marcel.
Believe it or not, just like Lucien Peyraud [of Bandol’s Domaine Tempier], Marcel breathed his final breath and moved on outa here on the final day of the harvest. What can you say about that? Is it coincidence or something in the soul of a wine man? Both were giants in the backlash against technological, characterless wines. Our pleasure, those of us who enjoy wine, is deepened thanks to them.
Cold in them thar hills?
Albertans leery of Quebec booze monopoly.
Quebec’s liquor board has new deal to purchase and distribute Bordeaux wine in Alberta, a move that isn’t going down well among Alberta’s private alcohol distributors. They’re upset the SAQ is able to do business out west while Quebec’s government-regulated wine and spirits market is closed to outsiders.
October 21st MWG tasting: report
Notes from one of the most enjoyable Mo’ Wine Group tastings in recent memory. All wines except two are available at the SAQ; the exceptions are private imports that can be ordered from the linked-to agents. Prices are in Canadian dollars and include sales taxes.
FLIGHT 1: FOUR $25 CHARDONNAYS
Chablis 2009, Terroirs de Chablis, Patrick Piuze ($24.65, 11180334)
Made on a négociant basis using native yeasts by 30-something Patrick Piuze, who hails from St-Lambert. Textbook Chablis nose: gunflint, oats, hints of butter and lemon zest. Mild on entry but fast gaining intensity. Pure and minerally, crystalline even. Long, biting finish. Mouth-watering: as fine a Chablis as you’ll find at the price. (Buy again? Impérativement.)
Montello e Colli Asolani 2007, Chardonnay, Villa di Maser ($24.95, 6 bottles/case, Sublime Vins & Spiritueux)
Gold-hued, in contrast to the silver of the other wines in the flight. Smelling a little candied and oxidized: browning yellow apple with pineapple hints. Rounder and denser than the other wines, though nicely balanced. Mild flavoured: straw and minerals more than fruit. Vaporous finish. Seemed to retreat into its shell with exposure to air. Different from – less angular and stony than – the bottle tasted two days earlier, but equally intriguing. (Buy again? Sure, another bottle or two.)
Rully 2008, Les Saint-Jacques, A. & P. de Villaine ($26.60, 10339041)
Introverted, elusive nose: chalk, white flowers and a hint of lanolin. Rich and flavourful (green apple and minerals) with an acidic undertow. Limestoney finish. Impeccable though a little more personality wouldn’t be unwelcome. (Buy again? Maybe but not while the Terroirs de Chablis and Les Clous are available.)
Bourgogne 2008, Les Clous, A. & P. de Villaine ($24.35, 00872168)
Lemon zest and chalk. Medium-bodied, the components better integrated than the Rully’s. Flavours more minerally than fruity, the long, bitter-edged finish more felt than tasted. A lovely, appetizing wine that several of us preferred to the Rully. (Buy again? Sure.)
FLIGHT 2: TWO GAUBY WHITES
VDP des Côtes Catalanes 2004, Le Soula (Gérard Gauby et associés) ($50.75, 10933365)
35% Grenache Blanc and Gris, 35% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Marsanne, Roussane, Macabeu and Chenin, all organically farmed. Native yeasts. Bronze cast to the eye. Wonderfully complex nose: caramelized pear, rocks, herbs, dried pineapple, ash, nutmeg. Smooth, rich and round but with an acid undercurrent. Considerable depth and great length. Probably at its peak or maybe even just past it. The MWG member who took the tail-end of the bottle home with him reports that the wine was still singing 24 hours later. Only a few bottles left in the system. (Buy again? If the budget allows.)
VDP des Côtes Catalanes 2007, Vieilles vignes, Domaine Gauby ($49.50, 11225184)
40% Macabeu, 30% Grenache Blanc, 15% Chardonnay, 10% Grenache Gris and 5% Carignan Blanc. Native yeasts. Lighter and more golden. Complex but hard-to-pin-down nose that evolved all evening: mineral oil, garrigue, ash, resin, white fruit, acacia blossom, maybe even some caramel… Rich, almost viscous texture kept from heaviness by an acidic backbone and austere minerality. Broad, deep and layered, turning quartzy on the persistent finish. A superb bottle that, with Rouge Gorge’s Macabéo, shares the honour of being the best Languedoc-Roussillon white I’ve tasted. (Buy again? Will make the budget allow.)
FLIGHT 3: THREE MONDEUSES AND A CLUNKER RINGER
Vin de Savoie 2007, Mondeuse Arbin, Domaine Louis Magnin ($24.20, 10783272)
Black cherry, stones, hint of barnyard. Clean, lean and polished. Sour cherry fruit with a sweet core, fine tannins, bright acidity and a long finish. Wonderfully pure and fresh, as befits its alpine origins. (Buy again? Definitely.)
Vin de Savoie 2007, Mondeuse, Domaine des Rocailles ($14.95, 11194357)
Ash, cherry jam, humus and a whiff of caramel. Light-bodied. Flavours as minerally as fruity. Light, raspy tannins, tickly acid. Bit of astringency on the finish. Could use more oomph but still a good buy at $15, more interesting than many Beaujolais costing several dollars more. (Buy again? Sure.)
Vin de Savoie 2007, Mondeuse, Le Pied de la Barme, Domaine Saint-Germain ($21.85, 10884735)
Fruity, sappy nose with spice and floral notes, not unlike a Beaujolais but with a blood note. A fluid, tasty mouthful of cherry fruit and minerals. A tad funkier than the Magnin. Lively acidity, fine tannins and a long finish. Savoury and elegant. (Buy again? Sure.)
Valle d’Aosta 2007, Mille Pendii, Chambave, Podere Castorani ($25.25, 10780418)
100% Petit Rouge, a variety that Hugh Johnson claims “tastes suspiciously like Mondeuse.” Spice, raspberry and oak with hints of plastic and old sweat. Over-concentrated and tarted up with oak (caramel, vanilla, chocolate). Velvety instead of silky, leaden instead of sprightly, gummy instead of pure. Finish lasts long, far too long. What by any rights should be a light-bodied easy drinker is here a juiced-up wannabe super wine. All flash and no substance. (Buy again? Ha!)
FLIGHT 4: AN ELEGANT SYRAH WITH A QUEBEC CONNECTION
Coteaux du Languedoc 2006, Cuvée Prestige 5 921 km, Terrenum ($38.00, 6 bottles/case, Réserve et Sélection)
100% Syrah from low-yielding old vines in Montpeyroux. Spent nine months in new French oak barrels. Total production: 960 bottles. Made on a négociant basis by Montrealer Simon Thibaudeau. Beautiful, complex bouquet: leather, black and red berries, animale and garrigue, gaining a mineral earthiness and hints of iodine and blood with exposure to air. Smooth and plush on the palate but with a solid tannic frame. More medium- than full-bodied. Fluid, fresh and finely flavoured. The oak is an element, not overpowering; indeed, all the elements are in balance. Long finish. Delicious if a little introverted for now, not peaking for another three or four years and probably able to age another five or maybe even ten years beyond that. (Buy again? Yes.)
FLIGHT 5: THREE TELEGRAPHIC REDS
Gigondas 2007, Les Racines, Domaine Les Pallières ($35.25, 11288409)
80% Grenache Noir, 15% co-planted Syrah and Cinsault, 5% Clairette. Spent ten months in vats, 7-9 months in foudres. Since 1998, the domaine has been owned by Berkeley-based wine merchant Kermit Lynch and the Bruniers, who also own Vieux Télégraphe and who look after the wine-making here. Cookie dough, plum and spice; gains marzipan notes as it breathes. Mouth-filling sweet and savoury fruit. Silky texture despite a tannic underpinning. A bit hot (15.4% ABV) on the long finish, which, as one taster pointed out, has something Banyuls or Maury about it. The MWG member who took the tail-end home with him reports that the wine had fallen apart the next day. (Buy again? Probably not.)
Gigondas 2007, Terrasse du Diable, Domaine Les Pallières ($35.00, 00725937)
90% Grenache Noir, 5% Mourvèdre and 5% Clairette. Spent ten months in vats, 12 months in foudres. Complex and evolving nose: tarry plums, garrigue, baked earth and wood. Supple, smooth and fruity on entry but giving way to a rich mid-palate marked by coursing acid and firm tannins that last through the long, kirsch- and herb-scented finish. Big but balanced. (Buy again? Sure, though 15.2% ABV does give one pause.)
Châteauneuf du Pape 2007, La Crau, Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe ($75.25, 11268897)
65% Grenache Noir, 15% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah, 5% Clairette and others. Spent ten months in vats, 12 months in foudres. Beautiful nose: heady, brooding with scents of terra cotta, kirsch, crushed rocks, dark fruit, black olives, sweet spice. An elegant mouthful of similar flavours, rich and full-bodied yet not heavy, structured by ripe, round tannins, balanced by acidity. Sweet and savoury intertwine on the seemingly endless finish. Surprisingly accessible for so young a Vieux Télégraphe but also capable of aging for at least a couple of decades. (Buy again? Santa, be good to me!)
Chablis 2009, Terroirs de Chablis, Patrick Piuze ($24.65, 11180334)
Textbook Chablis nose: gunflint, oats, hints of butter and lemon zest. Mild on entry but fast gaining intensity. Pure and minerally, even crystalline. Long, biting finish. Mouth-watering: as good a Chablis as you can get at the price. (Buy again? Mais oui.)
Montello e Colli Asolani 2007, Chardonnay, Villa di Maser ($24.95, Sublime Vins & Spiritueux)
Gold-hued, in contrast to the silver of the other wines in the flight. Smelling a little candied and oxidized: browning yellow apple with pineapple hints. Rounder and denser than the other wines, though nicely balanced. Mild flavoured: straw and minerals more than fruit. Vaporous finish. Seemed to retreat into its shell with exposure to air. Different from – less angular and stony than – the bottle tasted two days’ earlier, but equally intriguing. (Buy again? Yeah, another bottle.)
Rully 2008, Les St-Jacques, A. & P. de Villaine ($26.60, 10339041)
Introverted, elusive: chalk, white flowers and a hint of lanolin. Rich and flavourful (green apple and minerals) with an acidic undertow. Limestoney finish. Impeccable though a little more personality wouldn’t be unwelcome. (Buy again? Not while the Terroirs de Chablis and Les Clous are available.)
Bourgogne 2008, Les Clous, A. & P. de Villaine ($24.35, 00872168)
Lemon zest and chalk. Medium-bodied, the components better integrated than the Rully’s. Flavours more minerally than fruity, the long, bitter-edged finish more felt than tasted. A lovely, appetizing wine that several of us preferred to the Rully. (Buy again? Sure.)
VDP des Côtes Catalanes 2004, Le Soula (Gérard Gauby et associés) ($50.75, 10933365)
Bronze cast to the eye. Extremely complex nose: caramelized pear, rocks, herbs, dried pineapple, ash, nutmeg. Smooth, rich and round but with an acid undercurrent. Considerable depth and great length. Probably at its peak or maybe even just past it. The MWG member who took the tail-end of the bottle home with him reports that the wine was still singing 24 hours later. (Buy again? If the budget allows.)
VDP des Côtes Catalanes 2007, Vieilles vignes, Domaine Gauby ($49.50, 11225184)
Lighter and more golden. Complex but hard-to-pin-down nose that evolved all evening: mineral oil, garrigue, ash, resin, white fruit, acacia blossom, maybe even some caramel… Rich texture kept fresh by animating acidity. Great breadth and depth. Layers of flavour. Long, increasingly quartzy finish. A superb bottle that shares with the Rouge Gorge Macabéo the honour of being the best Midi whites I’ve tasted. (Buy again? Will make the budget allow.)
Vin de Savoie 2007, Mondeuse Arbin, Domaine Louis Magnin ($24.20, 10783272)
Black cherry, stones, hint of barnyard. Clean, lean and polished. Black cherry with a sweet core, fine tannins, bright acidity and long finish. Wonderfully pure and fresh, as befits its alpine origins. (Buy again? Definitely.)
Vin de Savoie 2007, Mondeuse, Domaine des Rocailles ($14.95, 11194357)
Ash, cherry jam, humus and a whiff of caramel. Light-bodied. Flavours as minerally as fruity. Light but raspy tannins, tickly acid. Bit of astringency on the finish. Could use more oomph but still a good buy at $15, more interesting than many Beaujolais costing several dollars more. (Buy again? Sure.)
Vin de Savoie 2007, Mondeuse, Le Pied de la Barme, Domaine Saint-Germain ($21.85, 10884735)
Fruity, sappy nose with spice and floral notes, not unlike a Beaujolais but with a blood note. A fluid, tasty mouthful of cherry fruit and minerals. A little funkier than the Magnin. Animating acidity, fine tannins and a long finish. Savoury and elegant. (Buy again? Sure.)
Valle d’Aoste 2007, Mille Pendii, Chambave, Podere Castorani ($25.25, 10780418)
Spice, raspberry and oak with hints of plastic and old sweat. Over-concentrated and heavily tarted up with oak (caramel, vanilla, chocolate). Velvety instead of silky, leaden instead of lively, gummy instead of pure. Finish lasts long, far too long. What by any rights should be a light-bodied easy drinker is here juiced up into a wannabe super wine. All flash and no substance. (Buy again? Ha!)
Coteaux du Languedoc 2006, Cuvée Prestige 5 921 km, Terrenum ($38.00, Réserve et Sélecton)
100% Syrah from low-yielding old vines in Montpeyroux. Spends nine months in new French oak barrels. Made on a négociant basis by Montrealer Simon Thibaudeau. Beautiful, complex nose: leather, black and red berries, animale and garrigue. Gains a mineral earthiness and hints of iodine and blood as it breathes. Smooth and plush on the palate but with a solid tannic frame, more medium- than full-bodied. Fluid, fresh and finely flavoured. The oak is an element, not overpowering; indeed, all the elements are in balance. Long finish. Delicious if a little introverted now, not peaking for another three or four years and probably able to age another five or maybe even ten years beyond that. (Buy again? Yes.)
Gigondas 2007, Les Racines, Domaine Les Pallières ($35.25, 11288409)
80% Grenache Noir, 15% co-planted Syrah and Cinsault, 5% Clairette. Spends ten months in vats, 7–9 months in foudres. Cookie dough, plum and spice; gains marzipan notes as it breathes. Mouth-filling sweet and savoury fruit. Silky texture despite a tannic underpinning. A bit hot (15.4% ABV) on a long finish that, as one taster pointed out, has something of a Banyuls or Maury about it. The MWG member who took the tail-end home with him reports that the wine had fallen apart the next day. (Buy again? Probably not.)
Gigondas 2007, Terrasse du Diable, Domaine Les Pallières ($35.00, 00725937)
90% Grenache Noir, 5% Mourvèdre and 5% Clairette. Spends ten months in vats, 12 months in foudres. Complex and evolving nose: tarry plums, garrigue, baked earth and wood. Supple, smooth and fruity on entry but giving way to a rich mid-palate marked by coursing acid and firm tannins that last through the long, kirsch- and herb-scented finish. Big but balanced. (Buy again? Sure, though 15.2% ABV does give one pause.)
Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2007, La Crau, Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe ($75.25, 11268897)
65% Grenache Noir, 15% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah, 5% Clairette and others. Spends ten months in vats, 12 months in foudres. Beautiful nose: heady, brooding with scents of terra cotta, kirsch, crushed rocks, dark fruit, black olives, sweet spice. An elegant mouthful of similar flavours, rich and full-bodied yet not heavy, structured by ripe, round tannins, balanced by acidity. Sweet and savoury intertwine on the seemingly endless finish. Surprisingly accessible for so young a Vieux Télégraphe but also capable of aging for at least a couple of decades. (Buy again? Santa, be good to me!)
SAQ–LCBO rematch
Another fortnight, another issue of Vintages (October 30th release). This time the overlap with the SAQ involves 16 wines.
SAQ / LCBO
$12.40 / $12.95 – Ormarine Carte Noire Picpoul de Pinet 2009
$13.30 / $12.95 – Illuminati Riparosso Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2008
$17.50 / $14.95 – Vinum Cabernet Sauvignon Stellenbosch 2006
$17.75 / $17.95 – Cave de Tain Crozes-Hermitage 2007
$19.60 / $18.95 – La Montesa Rioja Palacio/Remondo 2007
$19.95 / $19.95 – Croft Pink Port
$23.80 / $24.95 – Condado de Haza Ribera del Duero 2007
$28.00 / $28.95 – Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut
$37.00 / $41.95 – Pesquera Riserva Ribera del Duero 2006
$40.50 / $39.95 – Elijah Craig 12-Year Old Kentucky Bourbon
$41.50 / $44.95 – Ridge Lytton Springs 2007
$43.00 / $45.00 – Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin Okanagan Valley 2006
$45.25 / $43.95 – Ruffino Ducale Oro Chianti Classico Riserva 2005
$45.25 / $48.95 – Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Pinot Noir 2008
$53.00 / $54.95 – Cervaro della Sala 2008
$59.00 / $59.95 – Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia 2008
Final score: SAQ 10, LCBO 5. Same as last time.
Brett happens 