Oops…
Turns out that 2007 Dagueneau Silex I reported on last week was in fact the 2006. The label, which I saw, said 2007 but the cork, which I didn’t see, said 2006. The cork was right. See the now-updated original post for a link to a discussion with all the gory details.
Chez La QV
Newly ensconced in an office cum salon de dégustation on Beaubien just east of St-Laurent, La QV hosted a tasting last week at which it and three other up-and-coming agencies presented a number of their wines, all available on a private-import basis. I’ve linked to the websites of the agencies that have them; for the other agencies’ contact info, see the Raspipav site. The prices are for individuals (restaurants pay slightly less) and include sales taxes.
Mâcon-Villages 2007, Domaine Rijckaert ($23.50, 12 bottles/case)
100% Chardonnay. Chalk and quartz, oats and a lactic note. Rich and smooth with a long, acid-tingly finish. Not particularly deep but flavourful and pure. Good QPR.
Côtes du Rhône 2009, Le Petit Piolas, Domaine la Fourmente ($17.50, 12 bottles/case)
75% Grenache, 25% Syrah, organically farmed. Winey/grapey nose: red fruit with hints of garrigue and milk chocolate. Medium-bodied, supple. Pure fruit and spice flavours, soft tannins. A CDR in the Beaujolais mould. Great everyday wine; if I owned a restaurant, this would be on its wine list.
Côteaux d’Aix en Provence 2006, Les Béatines, Domaine des Béates ($21, 12 bottles/case)
Grenache Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan, organically farmed. Lovely nose redolent of plum, spice and kirsch, gaining inky, mineral and tea notes with time in the glass. Suave and savoury, a core of sweet fruit wrapped in fine tannins. Shows some heat on the finish (14%).
Coteaux du Languedoc 2008, La Vista, Domaine Ribiera ($26.50, 6 bottles/case)
2/3 Grenache, 1/3 Carignan, organically farmed, indigenous yeasts. Dark fruit with notes of leather, violet and animale. Medium-bodied. Pure fuit. Round tannins. Long, bitter-edged finish. A bit austere but very appealing. The Carignan seems dominant, the wine coming across a little like a lighter version of Rouge Gorge’s eponymous cuvée. My red of the evening.
MON CAVISTE, CÖTÉ VIGNES
VDP des Côteaux de Peyrac 2008, Tersande blanc, Domaine des Homs ($20.98, 12 bottles/case)
100% Chardonnay, organically farmed. Quartz and spice with hints of lemon and dried herbs. Unctuous but kept from heaviness by strong acid. Clean. Flavour tending toward preserved lemon but avoiding tropical fruit. Long, dry finish.
VDP des Côteaux de Payrac 2008, Tersande rosé, Domaine des Homs ($20.53, 12 bottles/case)
A saignée method rosé made from organically farmed Grenache. Appealing nose of spice and strawberry. Fruitiness kept in check by acid and dryness. Minerally finish. Goes down easily. Lovely in its simple, unpretentious way.
Bourgogne 2007, Domaine Paul Pernot (around $30, 6 bottles/case)
100% Pinot Noir. Sees only old wood. Light, pinoty nose: red berries with forest floor and spice notes and the faintest hint of brown sugar. Light and fluid on the palate. Structured not much more than a Morgon or Moulin-à-Vent. Bright acid and fair length. Very dry. Not a lot there but what there is is very nice indeed.
Côtes du Marmandais 2006, Terra, Clos Cavenac ($23.33, 12 bottles/case)
30% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot, 13% Malbec, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Fer Servadou and 7% Abouriou, biodynamically farmed. Complex nose with a leafy freshness: pure fruit, leather, freshly turned sod, hints of tar, cedar and animal. Medium-bodied. Round, smooth attack. Fruity mid-palate with mineral/earth undertones and mild tannins. Long, astringent finish. Bordeauxish but not a carbon copy. Enjoyable.
Mon Caviste also poured Clos Cavenac‘s 2007 Arradim ($22.58, 12 bottles/case), a blend of 70% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot and 10% Malbec. After considerable discussion, we decided the bottle was ever so slightly corked. Unfortunate because you could tell that the wine, with its soft tannins, velvety texture and pure fruit, had the makings of a easy-drinking winner.
Costières de Nîmes 2007, Cuvée Perrières, Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss ($28.29, 12 bottles/case)
Carignan (c. 40%), Grenache, Syrah and Mouvèdre, biodynamically farmed. Fresh, perfumy nose of plum, spice and fresh herbs. Sleek and elegant, structured as much by acid as by tannins. Kaleidoscopic flavour profile, with the Carignan’s earthiness and dry tannins coming out on the austere finish. A winner.
SUBLIME VINS & SPIRITUEUX
Touraine rosé 2009, Chant du Bois, Alain et Philippe Sallé ($19.95, 6 or 12 bottles/case)
100% Grolleau, farmed without chemicals or fertilizers. Natural yeasts. Peach, minerals and spice. Dry, minerally attack. Bright acid and light cherry fruit. Licorice-scented finish. Gains earthy notes with aeration. Tasty.
Touraine 2008, Sauvignon, Alain et Philippe Sallé ($20.50, 6 or 12 bottles/case)
100% Sauvignon Blanc, farmed without chemicals or fertilizers. Natural yeasts. Lime, gooseberry and minerals. Light, minerally with a fruity undercurrent and a rainwatery finish. Good though I prefer my SBs sharper and more focused.
Montello e Colli Asolani 2007, Chardonnay, Villa di Maser ($24.95, 6 bottles/case)
100% Chardonnay, farmed “eco-compatibly.” Lemon with a smoky/woody note. Light yet powerful, dry yet showing a sweet fruitiness. Flavours hard to pin down. Fruit fast-fades on the finish while bitterness lingers. Unusual, intriguing and quite different from a bottle tasted a couple of days later (tasting note to come).
Burgenland 2007, Impérial Weiss, Schloss Halbturn ($46.25, 6 bottles/case)
55% Sauvignon Blanc, 45% cask-aged Chardonnay. Green apple, boxwood, oats and a woody/oaky note. Rich and deep with acidity keeping it all fluid and balanced. Chalk and grapefruit pith linger though the long finish. Impressive, elegant and, yes, even a little imperious. My white of the evening.
LES SÉLECTIONS SOLY-LEBLANC
Côtes de Castillon rosé 2009, Château de Chainchon ($17.50, 12 bottles/case)
100% Cabernet Franc. Outgoing nose of strawberry and straw with earthy notes. Very dry and savoury. Fruity attack but mostly about minerals and tannins. Streaky acid. 13.5% alcohol and you can feel it. Unusual and interesting. More a food wine than a summer sipper.
Beaujolais-Villages 2009, Domaine de Sermezy ($19, 12 bottles/case)
Sappy raspberry and cherry, a bit simple. Supple, fruity and pure enough but not showing much depth, follow-through or personality. Vin de soif.
Saint-Joseph 2006, Jean-Luc Chaléat, Cave Saint-Désirat ($32.20, 6 bottles/case)
100% Syrah, made in lined concrete vats. Classic Syrah nose: black raspberry, smoke, tar, violets and animale with a bit of barnyard too. Pure fruit, fine tannins, good balance, silky texture, fair length. Not exactly thrilling but honest and certainly drinkable.
Saint-Joseph 2007, Septentrio, Cave Saint-Désirat ($37.45, 6 bottles/case)
100% Syrah given time in new oak casks. Classic Syrah nose again but more international, with chocolate, vanilla and smoke aromas added to the mix. Denser, more structured and more polished than the JLC, but with the oak now dominating. Good acid yet is there sufficient fruit to outlast the oak and tannins? Would be interesting to revisit in a year or two.
My life as a high-roller
Updated October 24, 2010. See note below.
Tastes of two wines served double-blind at SAQ outlets. The first bottle had been open for about 18 hours, the second for about five. I didn’t take notes, so this is from memory.
Wine 1 was unmistakably Sauvignon Blanc, the nose all gooseberries, grapefruit and grass on wet stones. But from where? There was a roundness and weight that seemed New Worldish, yet it wasn’t caricatured like New Zealand SBs so often are: no one would accuse this of tasting like Fresca. On the other hand, the creamy texture, hints of oak, mineral- and acid-dominating fruit didn’t exactly scream, oh, Sancerre. Still, the wine had presence: a lithe muscularity, great follow-through and, despite the flashiness, undeniable class. It drew me back, made me want to spend more time with it. Waiting for the bottle to be unveiled, I studied the store’s Loire section, looking for candidates. Not many. It couldn’t be that $20 Chard-heavy Cheverny, could it? That would qualify as the bargain of the century. Had I looked instead in the locked display case, I might have guessed right: Blanc Fumé de Pouilly 2007 2006*, Silex, Didier Dagueneau ($95.00, 1151947). Dagueneau’s next-to-last vintage before his untimely death in an ultralight plane accident. It would be interesting to track the wine’s evolution over the next decade or so, but his wines have become cult objects and have prices to match (though the tax-inclusive C$95 is a relative bargain; there are lots of stores in the States where it’s running over US$100 before taxes).
Wine 2 was more red than purple but far from light. A gorgeous nose: red berries and forest floor, a touch of sweet oak and a spice chest that put me in mind of a Quintarelli Valpolicella. A sip ruled out the Italian connection. Likely Pinot Noir. Possibly French. Yet, again, so rich and dense – the texture more velvet than silk, the fruit so ripe, the tannins so cushioned – you had to wonder whether it wasn’t some damn-the-expense New World bottling. Nope: Bonnes-Mares grand cru 2006, Fougeray de Beauclair ($165.25, 10926608). Impressive and even accessible now (if the store hadn’t been about to close, I’d have spent another five minutes with my nose stuck in the glass) but still a baby.
*UPDATE: As at least one SAQ wine advisor has discovered, the labels on some of the bottles of the Silex currently sold at the SAQ give the vintage as 2007 but all the corks have 2006 printed on them (as the bottles don’t have capsules, it’s easy to check). In this case, the cork trumps the label: the estate has confirmed that the SAQ’s current “2007s” are in fact mislabelled 2006s. See this discussion on La Paulée En Ligne for details. As of Sunday, October 24, the SAQ’s website still listed the wine as the 2007.
Double double
I’ve always had a soft spot for traditionally styled Cahors. There’s something about the dark, wild flavours, innate terseness and mix of rough and smooth that speaks to me. It also helps that they’re natural partners for some of my favourite eats: the traditional dishes of southwest France. And it’s with food that I tend to open them; like equally terse, traditionally styled Chianti Classicos, they show better at table than at tastings.
Cahors 2005, Clos de Gamot ($22.05, 00913418)
100% old-vine Malbec. Blackberry, raspberry, wet earth, minerals, fresh leaves or herbs on the nose, flavours more black cherryish. Medium-bodied and fluid. Round on the attack. Acid and tannins kick in on mid-palate. Tannic astringency dominates the finish. At this stage, an odd combination of suave and rustic. Will probably smooth out with a year or two more in the bottle.
Cahors 2004, Clos Triguedina ($22.65, 00746412)
About 3/4 Malbec with a little Merlot and less Tannat. Nose similar to the Gamot’s, though a bit plummier. Smoother and silkier until the tannins coat your teeth with a velvet astringency. If you can get past that, there’s sweet fruit at the core. The finish is more felt than tasted, though hints of port, leather and tobacco linger. A more structured but only slightly deeper wine. For depth and every other dimension, seek out the estate’s splendid Prince Probus bottling.
Let what you’re serving determine whether to open them now or wait a couple more years: now with duck confit, cassoulet and similar dishes that stand up to the tannins and embrace the young fruit; later with grilled or roasted beef or duck, braised hare and other stews.
●
The Mo’ Wine Group’s and my first encounter with Michel Gendrier’s Le Pressoir was in February, when it was part of a red Cheverny flight. I’d chosen the wine for the tasting because I’d recognized Gendrier’s name: he’s the owner of biodynamically farmed Domaine des Huards, two of whose whites – the Sauvignon-dominated Cheverny blanc and, especially, the 100% Romorantin Cour-Cheverny – have long been among my automatic buys (until the SAQ inexplicably stopped carrying the Cour-Cheverny, that is).
The 2006 Le Pressoir, an 80–20 blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay, was an instant hit with the group, which immediately began scouring the city and, eventually, the province in search of the dwindling number of bottles. One MWG member served it to a friend who has a small négociant operation; the friend spent the next day tracking down a couple of cases to pour at his upcoming wedding. The 2008 showed up on the SAQ’s shelves last summer, but a few weeks ago, another member found a small stash of the 2006 in Sherbrooke, one bottle of which he was kind enough to offer me (I long ago exhausted my store). And last weekend, yet another friend popped the cork on the 2008 to go with Thanksgiving turkey.
Cheverny 2006, Le Pressoir, Michel Gendrier ($20.65, NLA)
Funky nose becoming red-berried with spicy notes as it breathed. Surprisingly fruity on the palate but in no way heavy. Medium-bodied. Structured as much by acidity as tannins. There’s a ripe sweetness to the fruit and no hint of greenness, though a stemmy/sappy streak, along with the acid, keeps the wine refreshing. Long beet- and mineral-tinged finish. Perfect in its unpretentious way.
Cheverny 2008, Le Pressoir, Michel Gendrier ($18.50, 11154021)
Pure red berries and cherries, along with some stems and leaves, a whiff of incense but no barnyard. Fresh, clean and supple, a little lighter than the 2006 but no less fruity. Bright acid, fine and silky tannins. Not particularly structured or deep. Fair length. An appealing, food-friendly bottle and a great buy at its new price. That said, while it may gain weight and depth over the next year or two, I’m not convinced it will ever prove as alluring as the 2006.
Marcel Lapierre n’est plus
Marcel Lapierre, a leading figure in the natural wine movement, passed away on Sunday.
In September, his 2009 Morgon generated the kind of local buzz usually reserved for pricey cult wines; the SAQ sold its entire shipment of 1,800 bottles in less than a day. Pouring and discussing his 2008s at the natural Beaujolais event last spring, he was affable, down-to-earth, knowledgeable, articulate and seemingly indefatigable. And his wines, even the humble vin de France, were pure and beautiful. RIP.
Natural winemaking pioneer and Beaujolais producer, Marcel Lapierre passes away (Cork’d)
I love Marcel Lapierre (Facebook)
Three TéléRézin videos made during Lapierre’s recent visit to Montreal:
SAQ 10, LCBO 5
A year and a half ago, in response to unsubstantiated claims on Chowhound, I spent a lunch hour comparing the prices of identical wines at the LCBO and the SAQ. The results were strongly in the SAQ’s favour.
The latest issue of the LCBO’s Vintages magazine arrived today, showcasing the 126 wines in the October 16th release. Sixteen of the wines are also sold in Quebec. Here’s a comparison of the prices:
SAQ / LCBO
$14.30 / $14.95 – Capitel Nicalò 2008, Valpolicella Classico Superiore (SAQ marked down from $16.30)
$16.95 / $16.95 – Château d’Argadens 2006, Bordeaux Supérieur
$17.85 / $16.95 – VMR 2008, The Black Chook
$19.90 / $17.95 – Carmenère 2008, Arboleda
$22.05 / $17.95 – Nine Lives Shiraz 2007, Cat Amongst the Pigeons
$21.35 / $18.95 – Pierre Sparr Brut Réserve, Crémant d’Alsace
$20.95 / $18.95 – Viognier 2007, Bonterra
$18.05 / $19.95 – Seigneurs d’Aiguilhe 2006, Côtes de Castillon
$19.25 / $19.95 – Louis Bouillot Pèrle Rare Brut 2006, Crémant de Bourgogne
$23.50 / $24.95 – Château de Cruzeau (blanc) 2007, Pessac-Léognan
$23.50 / $29.95 – Côtes Rocheuses 2005, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
$23.90 / $24.95 – Meritage 2007, Coyote’s Run Estate Winery
$30.25 / $33.95 – Salmos 2007, Torres
$37.00 / $39.95 – Do Ut Des 2007, Fattoria Carpineta Fontalpino
$43.50 / $44.95 – The Tryconnell Single Malt Irish Whiskey
$47.75 / $54.95 – Guidalberto 2008, Tenuta San Guido
Disclaimer: It’s only a snapshot, albeit a current and impartial one.
Once again, the SAQ comes out on top, though the LCBO does appear to mark up low-end bottles less.
Several more of the wines in the release are available in Quebec but in different vintages, while others have been in the recent past and probably will be again in the not so distant future. That said, it’s interesting that the overlap is so small, that the two monopolies are more complementary than competitive. Great for those of us who live near Quebec’s western border.
oenopole at the SAQ
Quick takes on eight bottles brought in by oenopole and available at the SAQ. Prices – several of which were recently cut due to exchange rate fluctuations – are in Canadian dollars and include 13% sales tax.
Mantinia 2009, Moschofilero, Domaine Tselepos ($19.55 [was $19.95], 11097485)
Flowers, minerals and white grapefruit. Bright and clean. More about the front of the mouth than the finish (something I’d say about all three of the Greek whites). Slight carbon dioxide prickle. Dry, bitter-tinged finish. Very enjoyable.
Vin de pays de Markopoulo 2009, Savatiano, Domaine Papagiannakos ($15.85, 11097451)
Lemon, soap and minerals. Subtler than expected in the mouth. Peach/pear notes, bright but not glaring acidity, a rounding hint of residual sugar and, again, a bitter-tinged finish. Great QPR.
Vin de pays des Cyclades 2009, Atlantis, Domaine Argyros ($15.95 [was $16.75], 11097477)
Minerals above all with whiffs of sour butter, dried herbs, preserved lemon, charcoal/smoke. Quartzy and a bit zesty. Clean, acidic and savoury but not a lot of fruit. Excellent aperitif or as an accompaniment to raw shellfish, grilled fish, pikilia platter, etc. This has proved to be a big hit at the SAQ; a third shipment will be arriving this fall.
Bourgogne Vézelay 2008, La Châtelaine, Domaine la Cadette ($19.75, 11094621)
True to form and more affordable than ever. Nose of lemon, chalk and sour milk with hints of green hay. A pure, clean and bright mouthful of oats and minerals with flavours building to a caramel-scented finish. Very long. If there’s a better Chardonnay at the price, I’m not aware of it. The 2009 should be showing up soon.
Crémant d’Alsace 2007, Brut, Domaine Barmès Bucher ($21.55 [was $22.35], 10985851)
Yeasty, floral nose. Fruity (oxidizing yellow apples?) on the palate with fine teasing bubbles. Initial hint of residual sugar gives way to a dryish, bitterish finish.
Alsace 2007, Riesling Herrenweg, Domaine Barmès Bucher ($29.70, 11153117)
If one can talk about QPR in a $30 wine, this Herrenweg has it. Serious and structured, long and wonderfully pure. Bursting with stone, lemon and petrol. Very dry. Zesty acidity and a hint of spritz. Classic and complete. Almost sold out.
Côtes du Rhône 2007, Lieu-dit Clavin, Domaine de la Vieille Julienne ($25.70, 10919133)
The best vintage of this wine I’ve drunk. Still in the massive, even monolithic, fruit-dominated style (at least in its youth) but in no way galumphing. Heady bouquet of spicy plum and choco-cherry with notes of sawdust, sweat, red meat, ink earth. Tannins tight but fine. Long. Almost sold out, though a small new shipment will reportedly arrive soon along with the 2008.
Rasteau 2006, Domaine Gourt de Mautens (now $62.25 [was $70.50], 11217774)
Dark plum and spice over earth and wood. 15.5% but elegant: smooth, rich and long albeit not particularly deep (depth may come with time). Fruit-forward but savoury too. A Châteauneuf in everything but name.
Gold in them thar hills?
Quebec’s population is one of the fastest aging in the world. As people grow older, they tend to drink less. It follows that liquor sales in the province are likely to decline in the coming years. Yet the SAQ has committed to maintaining the dividend its pays to the Quebec government. Caught on the horns of this demographic dilemma, SAQ management has decided to look afield. Yesterday the SAQ, the Fonds de solidarité FTQ and Fondaction CSN announced they will be forming a limited partnership to sell various services to liquor retailers outside the province. The services will include selecting and buying products, quality control (including laboratory analysis), distribution, marketing, merchandising and sales network management, and it looks like they’ve already found a taker.
Quebec Liquor Board Is Stepping Out (Financial Post)
Quebec government news release (in French)
Mark your calendar
The dates for this year’s private import wine expo, the Salon des vins d’importation privée, have been announced: November 14 and 15 in Montreal and November 17 in Quebec City. Details to be posted on www.raspipav.com.
September 30th MWG tasting: report
Most of the wines in this tasting came from the September 30th Cellier release, though not the first flight (the release was whiteless) and not the Pauillac. Prices are in Canadian dollars and include 13% sales tax.
FLIGHT 1
Grüner Veltliner 2009, Kamptal, Domæne Gobelsburg ($15.30, 10790317)
Chalk, sand and white grapefruit peel with whiffs of white pepper. Clean and bright. Zesty, even tingly attack. Good balance between acidity and substance. Fast-fade finish. (Buy again? Yes.)
Grüner Veltliner 2009, Terrassen, Federspiel, Domäne Wachau ($19.50, 10769420)
Lemon peel (a bit candied), wet quartz and a not unpleasant hint of soap or vinyl. Richer than the Gobelsburg and, initially, a bit flatter. Gained dimension as it breathed. Long, with an acid bite on the finish. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Grüner Veltliner 2009, Kamptaler Terrassen, Bründlmayer ($21.25, 10707069)
Still rounder and smoother. The acidity is there but more like a slow-moving underground river than a gurgling surface stream. Rainwatery at first but becoming white-fruity and layered over the course of an hour. Long. (Buy again? Sure.)
Grüner Veltliner 1999, Schenkenbichl, Jurtschitsch ($38 in 2002)
Richer looking: golden (in contrast to the other wines’ silver) and oilier. Complex nose dominated by honey, quince, mineral and subtle white pepper aromas. Off-dry and unctuous but enlivened by acidity. Initially shallow-seeming – I wondered whether it wasn’t a little over the hill – but gaining presence, amplitude and depth through the end of the tasting (nearly three hours). Very long. While Jancis Robinson notes that, with time in the bottle, GV “can start to taste positively Burgundian,” in this case I’d say the French analogue is more a late-harvest Pinot Gris or a sec-tendre Chenin Blanc. Not everyone was a fan but I found it gorgeous. (Buy again? Wish I could.)
FLIGHT 2
Morgon 2009, La Voûte Saint-Vincent, Louis-Claude Desvignes ($19.45, 11299415)
Red berries, vine sap, spice and hints of alcohol and, quoting another taster, “night soil.” Noticeable tannins, bright acid, lots of stuffing, somewhat muted fruit. A little introverted and disjointed though improving with time in the glass. (Buy again? Maybe a bottle or two to revisit in a couple of years.)
Moulin-à-Vent 2009, Domaine des Vignes du Tremblay, Paul Janin et Fils ($19.90, 11305141)
Red berries and vine sap, a little footy. Smoother, rounder, suaver than the Morgon but with a similar concentration and richness. Inky finish. Shut down as it breathed. (Buy again? Sure – a bottle or two to revisit in a couple of years.)
Chénas 2009, Vieilles vignes, Hubert Lapierre ($19.90, 11299239)
Appealing nose of red fruit, graphite and dried wood. Rich and balanced, structured with fruit-cloaked tannins. Kirschy finish. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Côte-de-Brouilly 2009, Cuvée Les Griottes, Château Thivin ($21, 11305088)
The least expressive nose of the bunch: cherry, spice and funk. Rich and fruity on the palate. Silkier, brighter and somehow purer than the others but also less tannic and deep. Good length. Probably not an ager. (Buy again? Sure.)
FLIGHT 3
Buzet 2006, La Tuque de Gueyze, Les Vignerons de Buzet ($16.80, 11305563)
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Dusty cassis, green pepper and a whiff of alcohol. Cedary and plummy on the palate, fluid and balanced but lacking depth – a bit one-dimensional in fact. Still, not bad for a sub-$17 Bordeaux clone. (Buy again? Probably not, when $3-5 more can get you a genuinely appealing Bordeaux blend.)
Don Reca 2007, Valle del Cachapoal, Viña La Rosa ($21.75, 11305619)
Merlot (52%), Cabernet Sauvignon (25%), Syrah (18%) and Carmenère (5%). Screaming green pepper along with green tobacco, earth and ink. Big, tannic, coarse. Green pepper and cassis flavours dominate with rubber droning in the background. Sawdusty finish. Unevolving even after vigorous aeration. How could anyone (looking at you, Wine Advocate) award this clunker 90+ points? (Buy again? Nope.)
Lagone 2007, IGT Toscana, Aia Vecchia ($20.45, 11305635)
Merlot (60%), Cabernet Sauvignon (35%) and Cabernet Franc (5%). Cassis syrup and sandalwood. Suaver than the Don Reca though initially quite tannic and a little disjointed. Smoothed out with exposure to air, showing good balance and length. Well made and true to type but also anonymous, with little sense of place. (Buy again? If looking for a $20 internationalized Bordeaux blend, maybe.)
Finca Libertad 2006, Mendoza, Bodega Benegas ($24.95, 11305934)
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Spent 18 months in new French oak casks. Smokey, peppery, meaty nose: grilled sausage, pimentón, raw beef with hints of cassis and mint. Mouth-filling but not heavy, fruit-forward but not fatiguing. Tannins and oak kept in check. Velvety texture. Long, fragrant finish. Cries out for a charcoal-grilled steak. (Buy again? If charcoal-grilling steaks, maybe.)
FLIGHT 4
Capaia 2007, Philadelphia (Western Cape), Capaia Estate ($33.25, 11307825)
Cabernet Sauvignon (37%), Merlot (26%), Petit Verdot (18%) and Cabernet Franc (19%). Spent 15 months in new French oak barriques. Leather, cassis, ink and menthol. A wine of considerable heft, though nimble and fluid. Structuring tannins and acid are clad in fleshy fruit. Long savoury finish. (Buy again? Maybe, if in the mood for a New World Bordeaux blend.)
Sophia 2007, Gimblett Gravels Vineyard, Hawkes Bay, Craggy Range Winery ($58, 11305491)
Merlot (81%), Cabernet Franc (10%), Cabernet Sauvignon (7%) and Malbec (2%). Spent 18 months in 50% new French oak casks. Pomegranate juice, vanilla and chocolate with hints of humus and ground coffee. The proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove: a mass of tannins wrapped in a mass of pure fruit. Big but poised and finely balanced. Plush, layered and long. Needs at least a couple more years in the bottle. Internationally styled but with undeniable class: would make a excellent ringer in a flight of new wave St-Émilions and Pomerols. (Buy again? Probably not, but then I’m not a Merlot fan.)
Don Melchor 1995, Valle del Maipo, Concha y Toro ($87.95, 10755941)
100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 12 months in French oak casks. To the eye, nose and palate, obviously an aged wine. Pale rimmed, muted red-brown. Tertiary aromas and flavours: leather, sweat, dried wood, aged tobacco, old tomato plants, compost, earth (you have to dig to find the core of sweet fruit). Tannins fully resolved, the tightly wound velvet of youth now an unfurling skein of silk. Our bottle was uncorked two hours before the flight and decanted just before serving. As the wine only improved in the glass, decanting earlier might have been advisable. Interesting and impressive in its way, but not a wine that knocked anyone’s socks off. Probably done a disservice by being served after so many vibrant young wines and just before a fine old Bordeaux. Alone in the spotlight, it would likely show better. (Buy again? Not at that price.)
Pauillac 1994, Château Pontet-Canet ($33 in 1996)
Cabernet Sauvignon (63%), Merlot (32%) and Cabernet Franc (5%). Some fading at the rim but very little bricking. Complex only-in-Médoc bouquet that doesn’t need to yell to get your attention: cigar box, graphite, cassis, plum, tar, smoke, a hint of caramel. Austere but graceful and lithe, the tannins mostly resolved. In contrast to the preceding wines, the fruit is lean, dry, less dominating, more a unifying element in a spectrum of savoury flavours. The fruit fades on the long finish as cedar and minerals intertwine over a faint tannic astringency. Not particularly deep yet a wine that doesn’t reveal itself fully with the first sip or even – to judge by how it evolved in the few minutes after opening – the first glass. This is in a good place now and probably won’t get better; drink up in the next two or three years. (Buy again? Sure would if I didn’t already have a few bottles stashed away.)
Brett happens 