Posts Tagged ‘Affordable’
Pithon alert!
Pardon the interruption but there’s not a lot of this left in the system and it’s something fans of the style shouldn’t miss.
IGP Côtes Catalanes 2014, Mon P’tit Pithon, Domaine Olivier Pithon ($20.10, 12574811)
Grenache (50%), Syrah (25%) and Mourvèdre (25%) from organically and biodynamically farmed young vines. The whole clusters are fermented with indigenous yeasts. Matured in oak foudres and stainless steel tanks. Lightly filtered and sulphured at bottling. Reducing sugar: 2.4 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Ward & associés.
Lilting nose of red berries with hints of graphite, fresh herbs, Asian spice, animale. In the mouth, it’s a fluid and supple welterweight: dry, savoury and clean. The fruit is carried on a stream of acidity and ruffled by lacy tannins. Finishes on a lightly astringent peppery note. Ultra-drinkable, as befits a self-styled vin de soif. Too structured and sun-drenched to be dubbed a Roussillon Beaujo and yet, and yet… Drink lightly chilled. Killer with grilled sausages. (Buy again? Done!)
White and red tears
The July MWG tasting (yes, I’m way, way behind in posting notes, including some from as far back as April) was built around a conceit: six two-wine flights, each consisting of a white and a red from the same producer. As the wines were served double-blind, it gave the tasters a unique set of data on which to base their deductions and wild-ass guesses.
Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio 2014, Bianco, Mastroberardino ($21.00, 972877)
100% Coda di Volpe from sustainably farmed vines averaging 15 years old and growing on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. Manually harvested. Low-temperature (15-16°C) alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel tanks typically lasts 15 days. Not allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation. Matured three months in stainless steel tanks and a minimum of one month in the bottle. Reducing sugar: 2.1 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Vinitor Vins & Spiritueux.
Discreet nose of ash, white fruit, citrus, chalky minerals and a whiff of pilsner hops. Smooth and fruity on entry, drier on the mid-palate and gaining a bitter edge on exit. There’s a lightly honeyed quality to the fruit, a dusting of minerals, an underlying stream of acidity and some herb flower overtones on the longish finish. Enjoyable if a little tame. (Buy again? Sure.)
Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio 2013, Rosso, Mastroberardino ($23.55, 972869)
100% Piedirosso from sustainably farmed vines averaging 15 years old and growing on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. Manually harvested. Following a cold-soak maceration, fermentation with racking and pump-overs takes place in temperature-controlled (23°C) stainless steel tanks and typically lasts 10 days. Undergoes malolactic fermentation. Matured six months in stainless steel tanks and a minimum of one month in the bottle. Reducing sugar: 2.8 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Vinitor Vins & Spiritueux.
Initially odd cheese rind gives way to sour cherry and plum, a hint of spice and some smokey minerals. In the mouth, it’s medium-bodied and very dry. The ripe fruit is textured by light, raspy tannins and soft-glow acidity. What minerals there are are dark and in the background. The pleasantly bitter finish is not particularly sustained, though a lactic note lingers. If, on the one hand it’s kind of earthbound, on the other hand it’s got a kind of earthy appeal. (Buy again? Sure, especially to try with the winery’s suggested pairing of grilled swordfish.)
MWG July 16th tasting: flight 1 of 6.
Transformer
Langhe Nebbiolo 2013, Produttori del Barbaresco ($24.35, 11383617)
100% Nebbiolo from young vines, all of which are located within the Barbaresco DOC. Fermented with selected “Barolo” yeasts at 28ºC in stainless steel tanks. Macerated on the skins for 24 days. Matured six months in very large oak barrels. No fining, light filtering, minimal sulphur dioxide. Reducing sugar: 1.6 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Typical cherry, sandalwood and turned earth aromas and a faint dried rose petal note. A supple middleweight remarkable for its silky texture, smooth acidity, fine tannins and overall balance. The clean and very dry fruit is infused with a light astringency and deepened by a mineral underlay. A woody – not oaky – taste colours the long finish. Vintage in, vintage out, this is one of the most consistently delicious, fairly priced wines made. (Buy again? By the case.)
Another Schwartza as miracle fruit-like moment here. Spurred by a rave about the pairing from occasional commenter thomasein, I served this with pepper steak made according to a New York Times recipe, whose stroke of genius is that it calls for a mix of black and Szechuan peppercorns. I don’t know whether it was the magical numbingness of the Chinese spice, the bland richness of the fillet steak (beef is a classic Nebbiolo pairing) or the soothing softness of the cream – though based on the Schwartza experience, I suspect it’s the cream – but the dish tamed the wine’s astringency, debauched its droiture and projected its fruit in Technicolor. Brilliant.
A fascinating Soave
Soave Classico 2012, La Froscà, Gini ($26.80, 12132107)
Organically farmed Garganega from 57-year-old vines. The manually harvested grapes are soft-pressed and the must is cold-macerated on the skins. Temperature-controlled alcoholic fermentation is in a mix of stainless steel and neutral French oak casks. Does not undergo malolactic fermentation. Matured on the lees for at least eight months, partly in stainless steel tanks, partly in 228-litre “seasoned” oak barrels. Sulphur is added only at bottling. Reducing sugar: 3.4 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Bambara Selection.
Beautiful, fragrant nose: pear and a little peach, loads of chalky minerals, hints of spring honey, white flowers and almonds. In the mouth, the wine is as much about minerals as fruit – in fact, there’s a real tension between them. Intertwining threads of honey and bitterness add intrigue, while a fine acidity animates a density that might otherwise border on lethargic. The long kaleidoscopic finish is marked by saline notes and a faint Szechuan pepper-like numbingness. Fascinating. The most savoury Soave I’ve ever tasted. Unless you’re a wine geek, probably best thought of as a food wine (recipe after the jump), which role it will play stupendously. (Buy again? Absolutely.)
Coteaux du langoureux
Despite what SAQ.com and the Quebec agent indicate, the Coteaux du Languedoc AOC no longer exists, having been replaced in 2007 by the Languedoc AOC (to smooth the transition, wines were allowed to be labelled Coteaux du Languedoc until May 3, 2012).
Languedoc 2013, Château de Cazeneuve ($23.55, 11853439)
Roussanne (40%), Viognier (35%), Grenache Blanc (15%), Muscat (5%) and Rolle (aka Vermentino, 5%) from organically farmed vines averaging 15 years old. Each variety is vinified separately. The fruit is manually harvested, then sorted, destemmed and pressed. Low-temperature fermentation with indigenous yeasts takes place in gravity-fed cement tanks. After blending, the wine is matured on the lees for 10 months, half in oak barrels (15% new) and half in stainless steel tanks. 14.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Vins Balthazard.
Soft, sunny, languorously fragrant nose: yellow fruit, honey, honeysuckle, white spice, background minerals. Round and smooth in the mouth, lush but not heavy, due to the restrained fruit (definite pear) and sustained acidity. More minerally than expected, especially on the long bitter-edged, alcoholic – but not hot – finish. Seems sec-tendre (off-off-dry) on entry but is actually very dry. The next day, the tail end of the bottle showed some nectarine and had gained a waxy texture. Made an excellent pairing for cedar-planked salmon topped with a glaze of whole-grain mustard, chopped fresh rosemary, lemon zest, olive oil, honey and red chile. (Buy again? Yes.)
COS and effect
The second half of the April 14th tasting was led by Giusto Occhipinti, one of the two partners of Azienda Agricola COS. Giusto’s last name contributed the O in the estate’s acronym (current partner Giambattista Cilia contributed the C, while the S comes from former partner Cirino Strano). Though the wines made by Giusto’s niece Arianna Occhipinti arguably have a higher profile these days, it was COS, founded in 1980, that showed the way, that spearheaded the revolution in winemaking in the region. (Back in 2010, when she she led a MWG tasting, Arianna herself said it was Giusto who initiated her into winemaking.)
The estate is located in Acate-Chiaramonte, outside of Vittoria in Ragusa province in southeast Sicily. Originally owing only three hectares, COS acquired the nearby Villa Fontane estate and its nine hectares of vines – which they have since expanded to 17 hectares – in 1991. In 2005, they purchased a neighbouring estate with an additional 20 hectares of vines and an 18th-century wine cellar. They renovated the wine cellar and built new winemaking facilities, with 150 in-ground amphorae, which they inaugurated in 2007.
Early experiments with then-modish international varieties led them to focus – though not exclusively – on local varieties, especially the Nero d’Avola and Frappato for their flagship Cerasuolos. The partners also adopted biodynamic practices in the early 1990s, as they consider them the best option for expressing the region’s terroirs. Clay amphorae were first introduced in the fall of 2000. Cellar practices are non-interventionist: ambient yeasts; no additives except for a small squirt of sulphur dioxide at bottling; no fining or filtering. The unusual shape of the squat bottles is inspired by an ancient flask unearthed during excavations on the property.
Our tasting began with the estate’s three entry-level wines.
IGP Terre Siciliane 2013, Il Frappato, Azienda Agricola COS ($28.20, 12461488)
100% Frappato from organically farmed vines around a dozen years old. Macerated and fermented on the skins with indigenous yeasts for 10 days. Matured 12 months in glass-lined concrete tanks. Reducing sugar: 2.3 g/l. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Fresh nose of crushed raspberry, light spice and pumice. It’s a supple wine, on the lighter side of medium-bodied, with pure sweet fruit, sustained acidity and lacy tannins. As the fruit dries and fades, background minerals come to the fore on the long, bitter-edged finish. Very elegant and drinkable. Food friendly, too (think pasta, rabbit stew or grilled tuna). (Buy again? Yes.)
IGP Terre Siciliane 2013, Nero di Lupo, Azienda Agricola COS ($29.30, 12538561)
100% Nero d’Avola from organically farmed vines around a dozen years old. Macerated and fermented on the skins with indigenous yeasts for 10 days. Matured 18 to 24 months months in terracotta amphorae and glass-lined concrete tanks. Reducing sugar: 2.3 g/l. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Reductive at first, then yielding a fresh nose of red fruit, slate and sandalwood. Medium-bodied. Supple but more structured and dimensional than the Frappato. A fundamentally dry and savoury wine, remarkable for its dark, tart fruit, mineral underlay, overall balance and lightly spicy finish. Delicious. About as far as you can get from the run-of-the-mill Nero d’Avola. I’ll drink to that. (Buy again? Yes.)
IGT Sicilia 2010, Maldafrica, Azienda Agricola COS ($31.00, 12465155)
When I asked about the origin of the name, Giusto explained that, in Italian, maldafrica is, among other things, a kind of homesickness for an exotic place. In this case, the non-Sicilian varieties were planted by a régisseur who hailed from Bordeaux. This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (45%), Merlot (45%) and Frappato (10%) from organically farmed vines around 20 years old. Fermented on the skins with indigenous yeasts in terracotta amphorae. Matured in Slavonian oak barrels and in the bottle. Reducing sugar: 1.8 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Cassis, slate, hints of tobacco, red meat, leather and spice. Medium- to full-bodied and, like every other COS wine, balanced, civilized and supple. The ripe, solar, savoury fruit is intense yet lithe, the acidity smooth, the tannins round. Work your way through the layers of flavour and you’ll find a substrate of minerals. Tobacco and cedar scent the long finish. True to both its Bordeaux and Sicilian roots, this elegant wine is the “kind of pure and racy warm-climate red that should have New World winemakers seriously questioning their modus operandi (looking at you, Napa),” to quote my note on the 2009. Unfortunately, there is very little left in Quebec. (Buy again? If the opportunity presents itself, absolutely.)
MWG April 14th tasting: flight 4 of 6.
Going live
Vin de France 2014, Y’a bon the canon, Anne et Jean-François Ganevat ($28.35, 12624152)
Organically farmed Gamay (reportedly from Château de Grand Pré in the Beaujolais) blended with smaller amounts of old indigenous varieties from Ganevat’s vineyards in the Jura (Petit Béclan, Gros Béclan, Geusche, Argant, Peurion, Portugais Bleu, Isabelle, Enfariné and maybe others). Manually harvested. Nautral vinification. Unfiltered. Unfined. No added sulphur. Reducing sugar: 2.8 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Rich, glowing red, deeper than expected. Fragrant nose of red berries – especially cranberry – and pine forest floor, eventually developing pepper, slate and beef larb aromatics. In the piehole, it’s supple, light- to medium-bodied and a little spritzy, a tart and juicy mouthful with great fruit-acid balance. Relegated to the background, the slim tannins are most obvious as a lingering, faintly bitter astringency. The long, lip-smacking finish leaves a cedary aftertaste. So fresh, so alive, so food-friendly (grilled pork with fresh herbs or roast chicken with same would be killer). Drink lightly chilled. In an ideal world, this would be $5 cheaper but, then again, it’s a compulsively drinkable natural wine from a cult producer and the exchange rate is punishing these days. (Buy again? Imperatively.)
SAQ.com shows this as unavailable but I bought mine at one of the larger Sélection stores yesterday afternoon (the clerk went to the back room and pulled the bottle out of a case still on the delivery pallet). Note that there’s not a lot around and it’s certain to disappear fast.
Two other noteworthy wines are also going live this week. First, one of the MWG’s favourite private imports is premiering at the SAQ: Côtes du Roussillon 2013, C’est pas la mer à boire, Domaine du Possible ($32.25, 12623088), which, like the Ganevat, is showing as unavailable on SAQ.com but which I purchased yesterday (see here for some background on the winemaker and my tasting note from last November). Second, a restocking of the irresistible Alsace 2011, Trilogie, Domaine Barmès Buecher ($19.95, 12254420).
Rosé de Romanin
Les Baux-de-Provence 2013, Château Romanin ($28.50, 11542041)
Biodynamically and organically farmed Grenache (47%), Syrah (29%), Counoise (18%) and Mourvèdre (6%) from vines between 18 and 57 years old. Manually harvested. The whole clusters are slowly pressed. The must is chilled to 10°C and allowed to clarify by settling before being racked into temperature-controlled (18-20°C) stainless steel tanks for alcoholic fermentation. Malolactic fermentation is blocked. Matured six months on the lees with regular stirring. Reducing sugar: 1.4 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Divin Paradis.
Farty at first but after 10 minutes or so an appealing, nuanced mix of red berries and peach, stones and herbes de Provence. The first sip reveals an elegant and balanced wine. The fruit is light but clear and sustained, backed by minerals, shifting from sweet-seeming to savoury as it moves through the mouth, textured by fine acidity and just a hint of tannins and, as the wine approaches room temperature, a touch of alcoholic heat. A thread of bitterness winds through the finish, while the unmistakable fragrance of strawberry lingers long after. A beautiful bottle and an excellent pairing for cedar-planked salmon topped before grilling with a paste made from orange and lemon zest, fresh Provençal herbs, olive oil and a smidgen of garlic. (Buy again? Imperatively.)
One of the best of this year’s crop of rosés at the SAQ, a wine that perfectly demonstrates that rosés have a raison d’être, that they are indeed a category unto themselves, one deserving of equal status with whites and reds. Carafe a half hour before serving. The long cork may indicate that its makers think it’s ageable; I wouldn’t hesitate to cellar it a year or two.
There’s quite a bit of this around (at least on Montreal island), so rumours of the good rosé season’s demise are slightly exaggerated. Other recommended rosés still widely available – possibly because many shoppers can’t bring themselves to spend upwards of $25 on a bottle of pink wine – include: Bandol 2013, Domaine de Souviou ($25.10, 12200798), Sierra Foothills 2013, Vin gris d’Amador, Terre Rouge ($25.40, 11629710), Patrimonio 2013, Domaine d’E Croce, Yves Leccia ($26.20, 11900821) and Corse Figari 2014, Clos Canarelli ($34.00, 11917666).
Get ’em while you’re hot
Will be posting notes on the COS wines soon. In the meantime, a heads-up on a couple of newly arrived, perfect summer wines that also happen to be in short supply. Interested? Act fast.
Niederösterreich 2014, Grüner Veltliner, Am Berg, Weingut Bernhard Ott ($20.85, 12646520)
(Not currently listed on SAQ.com. Reportedly part of an experiment involving a few wines stocked in fairly large quantities exclusively at the Atwater SAQ Sélection store, where you’ll find it in front of the organic wine section.) Am Berg translates as hillside. Ott’s wines are usually organic and biodynamic but this, a cuvée made from grapes grown in the estate’s and nearby vineyards, may be neither. In any case it’s 100% Grüner Veltliner from vines averaging 25 years old. Manually harvested and whole-cluster pressed. Fermented (with selected yeasts) and matured, on its lees, in stainless steel tanks. Screwcapped. Residual sugar (according to the estate): 1.6 g/l. 11.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Avant-Garde.
Textbook nose: lime, green apple, lemon grass, chalk and white pepper. In the piehole, it’s fresh and fruity from the get-go. Clean and bracing with acidity so crisp it feels almost like spritz. Minerals galore, especially on the tangy finish, whose overtones of salt marsh grass linger long. A beguiling GV at a great price. Fine on its own as an aperitif, very enjoyable with a salad of cucumbers, red onion, fresh dill, lemon juice and crème fraîche. (Buy again? Absolutely.)
Valpolicella 2013, Borgomarcellise, Marion ($20.00, 12328311)
Corvina (60%) and Rondinella (40%) according to the SAQ (while Corvina-dominated, earlier vintages have involved four or five varieties, so you might want to take this info with a grain of salt). Reportedly from young vines. The only winemaking info I’ve been able to find is that this is the estate’s only wine that doesn’t incorporate raisinated grapes. Reducing sugar: 4.8 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: L’Enoteca di Moreno De Marchi.
Pale ruby in the glass. Wafting nose of fresh cherry, red Twizzlers, dried earth, dried herbs and sandalwood. Light and bright on the palate, an alluring combination of gossamer fruit, juicy acidity and slender tannins. The sweet-tart cherry dries as it moves through the mouth, while minerals and a faint astringency inflect the lip-smacking finish. Serve lightly chilled. (Buy again? Yes.)
A quaffability quotient about as high as it gets
Morgon 2013, Jean Foillard ($27.40, 11964788)
This is the so-called Classique bottling, though the word appears nowhere on the label. 100% organically farmed Gamay. The manually harvested whole clusters undergo carbonic maceration at 4 to 7°C and fermentation with no added sulphur or yeasts for three to four weeks. The wine is matured in tanks for four to five months. Filtering? None or very light. Bottled with a tiny shot of sulphur dioxide for stability’s sake. Reducing sugar: 2.2 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Delightfully fragrant nose: strawberry, cranberry, leafmould, spice, slate. Smooth and supple in the mouth. Medium weight, medium intensity. The sweet, silky-textured fruit with its floral overtones couldn’t be more pristine. Smooth acidity and featherweight tannins tannins lightly structure. The long finish ends on a faint astringent note. Such perfect balance. Not as deep or rich as some Morgons, including Foillard’s own Côte du Py, but the quaffability quotient is about as high as it gets. (Buy again? Yes!)
Brett happens 