Posts Tagged ‘Catalonia’
New year, new sparklers
In reaction to the excesses of the holiday season, the Mo’ Wine Group’s January tasting traditionally focuses on affordable wines and 2016 was no exception. All the bottles were purchased at the SAQ and most if not all are still available, though not always in large quantities.
Cava, Brut, La Vida al Camp ($19.50, 12693895)
A blend of purchased Macabeo (45%), Xarel·lo (45%) and Parellada (10%) grapes from organically farmed vines grown by a select group of farmers. Made using the traditional method. Second fermentation, which produces the bubbles, takes place in the bottles, which are aged at least 15 months before disgorging. Reducing sugar: 4.8 g/l. 11.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Le Marchand des Vins.
Subdued but appealing nose of sandstone, white lemon and, as one taster perceptively noted, “almond.” Fine effervescence but little foam. On the palate, it’s clean, fresh and quite dry. The light citrus and mineral flavours are joined by faint saline and grapefruit pith notes on the medium-long finish. Elegant and, unlike many inexpensive bubblies, not devoid of character. If there’s a better cava at the SAQ at this price point, I’ve yet to encounter it. (Buy again? Yes.)
Crémant de Bordeaux, Brut, Paulian, Lateyron ($21.95, 12723003)
Sémillon (60%) and Cabernet Franc (40%) from vineyards in the northern and eastern Entre-Deux-Mers region. Made using the traditional method. The bottles are aged at least 24 months before disgorement. Reducing sugar: 12 g/l. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: Marchand des Amériques.
Somewhat more fragrant than its Spanish flightmate; the faintly floral aromas have an intriguing sour edge. Softly effervescent with fine bubbles that lighten the slightly waxy texture. Richer and rounder than the cava – probably due to the grape varieties involved, the extract levels and higher residual sugar – but still dry and fresh. The fruit tends to quince and maybe peach and lingers through the slow-fade finish. Not everyone around the table was convinced by this (“tastes like cream soda,” harrumphed one taster) but I and several others liked it. (Buy again? Sure.)
MWG January 14th tasting: flight 1 of 7
MWG October 2nd tasting: Comparable Catalonians
Priorat 2010, Salmos, Miguel Torres ($31.25, 10857690)
A blend of Cariñena (aka Carignan, 50%), Garnacha (aka Grenache, 30%) and Syrah (20%). The grapes are macerated for 25 days and fermented for seven to ten days in stainless steel vats at 28ºC. Matured 12 to 14 months in first- and second-fill French oak barrels. 14.5% ABV per the label. Quebec agent: Amphora vins & spiritueux.
Brooding nose. Spice, plum, hints of dried earth and old wood. A medium-bodied if heady easy-drinker. The ripe-bordering-on-juicy fruit (fig and black plum with cherry overtones) is underpinned by firm, sweet tannins and slate. Acidity is of the soft-glow variety. Impeccable balance and good length, with unobtrusive oak adding smoke and spice, including a hint of licorice. Proves that good Priorats don’t have to be tannic monsters or fruit bombs. (Buy again? Sure.)
Montsant 2010, Pinyolet Selección, Compañía de Vinos del Atlántico ($27.95, 12299011)
A pinyolet is a limestone pebble, many of which are found in the vineyard. This 80-20 blend was made with grapes from organically farmed Garnacha and Cariñena vines, 28 to 64 years old and 86 years old respectively. Matured eight months in two-year-old 225-litre French oak barrels. 14.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Vintrinsec.
Crushed raspberry and black currant with some intriguing turned earth and leafmould notes. Smooth and suave in the mouth. Fullish-bodied. The ripe fruit is plump but not jammy or overly sweet, while firm tannins and sleek acidity provide structure and smoky minerals a degree of depth. Surprisingly fresh, despite hints of chocolate and alcohol on the finish. Drink now or in the next three or four years. (Buy again? Sure.)
(Flight: 5/6)
Dido’s ferment
Montsant 2011, Dido, Venus la Universal ($26.85, 11376994)
Organically farmed Grenache (75%), Syrah (15%), Cabernet Sauvignon (5%) and Merlot (5%). Medium-long maceration of the whole grapes. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts. Around 60% of the wine is matured in barrels of various sizes for 16 months, around 40% in concrete tanks and a fraction in clay amphorae. Minimal amounts of sulphur are the only additive. 14.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Importation Épicurienne R.A. Fortin.
Engulfing nose of blackberry and black raspberry, sandalwood spice, turned earth, cigar box, and graphite with a fresh tarragon-like overtone. In the mouth, it’s rich yet elegantly fluid, fruity yet dry, clean and pure at its core. Acidity enlivens while tight, velvety tannins provide backbone and lend an astringency to the long, savoury finish. Cellar for two to five years or carafe an hour before serving, preferably with grilled red meat, braised oxtail or beef stew with red wine and prunes (recipe follows). (Buy again? Def.)
And, yes, the title’s a pun: Dido’s Lament.
MWG March 20th tasting (1/7): Soulless sparklers?
Eric Asimov neatly summarizes the issues many MWG members have with cava: “I have never been the biggest fan of cava. While repeatedly I have seen it cited as an excellent value, the rock-bottom prices never justified the absence of pleasure I experienced. Served chilled, I thought, it was merely cold and bubbly, with little zest or energy. It seemed to lack the sparkling joy of prosecco, or the intrigue of the various crémants.”
To put our preconceptions to the test, we popped the corks on two highly rated and relatively pricey Spanish sparklers.
Conca del Riu Anoia 2009, De la Finca, Raventos I Blanc ($31.50, 12178834)
Organically farmed Xarel⋅lo (45%), Macabeu (30%) and Parelleda (25%) from vines grown in nine parcels planted between 1970 and 1987. After gentle pressing, the varieties are fermented separately in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, then blended and transferred to bottles for second fermentation and a minimum of three years’ maturation. 12% ABV.
A fine bead but not much foam. Bready, yeasty, lemony, chalky nose. Clean with a tight effervescence. More minerally than fruity (quince?). Long, bitter-tinged (almond skins?), tensely acidic and very dry. Not much depth, though chewing reveals more. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Penedès 2007, Imperial Gran Reserva, Gramona ($32.70, 11800222)
Xarel⋅lo (50%), Macabeu (40%) and Chardonnay (10%) from 25- to 30-year-old vines. Aged on the lees for four to five years. 12% ABV.
Sweeter-smelling than the Finca: lemon, flowers and a note of shower curtain. Softer effervescence. Suaver but also grapier, rounder, less dry and less pristine. Again more minerally than fruity. Decent breadth and length but plumbing no depths. (Buy again? Meh.)
Both wines are scored highly by local and international critics. Both are impeccably made. Neither is unpleasant to drink. So why did they generate no excitement and little enthusiasm around the table? “Lack of soul?” hazarded one taster. “Not a lot of personality there,” noted another. The general conclusion was that the 20% to 30% price premium over more enjoyable sparklers from the Jura, Loire, Alsace, Burgundy and Limoux made purchasing them hard to justify.
MWG October 17th tasting (4/5): Poor man’s Priorat?
Montsant 2011, Cellers Can Blau ($22.95, 11034644)
A new project started by the owners of Bodegas Juan Gil. Carignan (40%), Syrah (40%) and Grenache (20%) from vines averaging 40 years old. Manually harvested. Matured 12 months in French oak barrels, 30% new. 14.5% ABV according to the SAQ; 15.5% ABV according to the label. This flight’s Cellier New Arrivals wine.
Oak, spice, vanilla, slate and eventually toast. Grew in interest as it breathed. Rich and chocolatey on the palate. Fruit (black and blue) marks the attack, minerals the mid-palate and spice the finish. Hides the alcohol well but the combination of soft structure, low acidity and ultraripe fruit makes for a wine that’s more flaccid and lethargic than ideal. (Buy again? Meh.)
Montsant 2010, Vespres, Celler Dosterras ($23.90, 11667361)
A blend of Grenache (80%) and Samso (aka Carignan) from 20- to 50-year-old vines that are farmed organically, though the estate doesn’t appear to be certified. Manually harvested. Macerated and fermented in stainless steel tanks, then transferred to oak barrels for malolactic maceration. Matured 11 months in 300-litre French oak barrels. No clarification or stabilization until bottling, when it is very lightly filtered. Bottle-aged at least three months before release. 14% ABV.
Appealing nose: leather, old wood, dried earth, slate, blackberry and raspberry. A tasty if concentrated mouthful of spicy red and black fruit with redwood and spice, structuring tannins and enlivening acidity. Very dry for such a juicy wine. Long. The best of the three. (Buy again? Quite possibly.)
Montsant 2011, Jaspi Negre, Coca i Fitó ($18.50, 11387351)
Jaspi is the label for the estate’s entry-level Montsants. The red is made from Grenache (45%), Carignan (25%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) and Syrah (15%) from organically farmed 15- to 90-year old vines. Manually harvested. Matured three to four months in French and American oak barrels. 14.5% ABV.
Candied cherry, marshmallow, hints of cinnamon and licorice. In the mouth, it proves relatively simple, dry but intensely fruity. Saved from bombdom by a sour/bitter current, dark mineral substrate and sufficient if subdued structure. The fair finish brings some roasted coffee and chocolate but not the expected alcoholic flare. Would probably show better at the dining – not the tasting – table. (Buy again? Maybe.)
MWG October 3rd tasting (3/7): Three eccentric whites
Vin de Sologne 2011, Quartz, Domaine Claude Courtois ($34.50, La QV, 6 bottles/case)
For background on the estate and winemaker, see my note for the 2009 Quartz. Sauvignon Blanc from organically farmed (though uncertified as such) vines, some of which are ungrafted. Manually harvested, destemmed and gently pressed. Fermented (with indigenous yeasts) and matured in oak barrels for 12 to 24 months. 11.8% ABV.
Courtois’s wines can vary significantly from vintage to vintage, and this is one of the most radical Quartzes yet. The resinous note that sometimes marks the wine’s bouquet here dominates, putting one in mind more of turpentine than pine needles, though not to the exclusion of apple, pear, distant greenery and quartz dust. In the mouth, the wine is intense but not fruity, packed with minerals and rife with acid yet somehow smooth and fluid. The finish is clean and long. A wine that makes you sit up and take notice. Weird? Yes. But also loveable in its oddball way. Would like to see how this evolves. (Buy again? The contrarian in me says yes.)
Penedès 2012, Capficat, Xarel·lo, Celler Credo ($45.75, La QV, 6 bottles/case)
100% organically and biodynamically farmed Xarel·lo, a grape variety normally used to make cava, from an eight-hectare vineyard planted in 1940. Manually harvested. Fermented (with indigenous yeasts) and matured for one month in oak barrels. Unfiltered, unfined and with no added sulphur. 660 bottles made. 13% ABV. In Catalan, a cap ficat is “a branch that’s burled – without being cut from the stump it grows from – and gives life to a new vine.”
Astounding nose: animale, chalk and rotting peach against a backdrop of honey and brown sugar with a grinding of white pepper. Lighter than expected in the mouth: fresh and minerally, layered and long, with sweet but unheavy fruit and an underlying sourness. Long. Pricey but fascinating. (Buy again? The curiosity lover in me says yes.)
Colli Tortonesi bianco 2010, Montesoro, Valli Unite ($27.75, La QV, 6 bottles/case)
A blend of Timorasso, Favorita and Chasselas (though one site claims it’s 100% Timorasso). Manually harvested. Fermented with selected yeasts. Matured on the fine lees for one year. Sees only stainless steel. A minimal amount (3 g/hl) of sulphur dioxide is used and only post-fermentation. 3,000 bottles made. 14% ABV.
The nose’s crushed seashells are joined by faintly oxidized and candied yellow fruit, hints of meadow and an anise note. Rich and layered in the mouth, evocative of browning sour apple. Not thirst-quenching but with sufficient acidity, not to mention crunchy minerals, and a long, bitter-edged finish. (Buy again? The gastronome in me says yes.)
MWG March 21st tasting (6/6): Four “cuvées for cellaring”
Well, that’s what Cellier called them.
Pessac-Léognan 2009, Château Larrivet Haut-Brion ($50, 11378341)
The estate is distant from and unrelated to Château Haut-Brion. Michel Rolland has been hired as a consultant. This 2009 is reportedly 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot from vines averaging 25 to 30 years old. Manually harvested and sorted. Fermented on a parcel by parcel basis in temperature-controlled (30ºC) stainless steel tanks, with daily pump-overs and rack-and-returning. Macerated from three to five weeks. Transferred to French oak barrels (50% new, 50% second vintage) for malolactic fermentation and maturation, which lasts a total of 18 months. Fined with egg whites and lightly filtered before bottling. 13% ABV.
Textbook Médoc nose: cedar, graphite, plum, cassis. Rich and suave in the mouth. Upfront fruit and dark minerals smooth the underlying tannins. The sweet-ripe finish has a lingering astringency. On the one hand, a balanced, well-made wine with some apparent depth, though pretty primary for now. On the other hand, it’s modern and a bit cookie-cutter. Wine of the flight for most people around the table. (Buy again? If in the market for a $50 Bordeaux, maybe.)
Priorat 2007, Costers Vi de Guarda, Genium Celler ($45, 11896527)
A blend of 50% Carignan, 30% Grenache, 10% Merlot and 10% Syrah from nearly 100-year-old vines. A 48-hour cold soak is followed by 30-day fermentation (at 29 to 30ºC) and maceration in small stainless steel tanks. Subsequently transferred to new French oak casks for 14 months for malolactic fermentation and maturation. Bottled unfiltered. 15.5% ABV.
Complex, savoury, evolving nose: rubber, celery salt, dried salted plums, sawed wood and slate, then soy sauce and smoke, then candied red berries, cedar and Asian spice. Intense, dry and heady. Lots of character. Dense, even chewy fruit, 2×4 tannins and souring acidity. There’s breadth and length galore but not much depth, at least for now. Blackberry tea finish. Hidden by the extract, thick layer of oak and heavy structure, the alcohol is felt more than tasted. A monolithic mouthful, not for the faint of heart. (Buy again? Not my style.)
Ribera del Duero 2006, Finca Villacreces ($37, 11807547)
A blend of 95% Tinto Fino (aka Tempranillo) and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. After alcoholic fermentation, maceration and clarification, transferred to French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and 16 months’ maturation. 14.5% ABV.
Cinders, plum, faint sawed wood. Sweet attack, darker finish. Ripe fruit, ash and slate flavours. Big but balanced, with bright acidity and fine firm tannins. Needs time to digest the oak and, one hopes, gain complexity. (Buy again? Unlikely.)
Pauillac grand cru classé 2009, Château Haut-Bages Libéral ($64.75, 11395909)
A cinquième cru classé, actually. A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot from vines averaging 35 years of age. Manually harvested. Each parcel is fermented and macerated for 18 to 24 days in concrete or stainless steel vats. Matured for 16 months in French oak barrels, 40% new. 13% ABV.
Initially closed and stinky but developing cassis, cedar and sawed wood aromas with an unexpected floral note. Fluid and relatively supple, the structure cushioned by ripe fruit. Good acidity and integrated oak. Tannins linger through the menthol-scented finish. Primary but accessible. While it could be passing through a phase, surprisingly unnuanced, unlayered and undeep for a $65 bottle. (Buy again? Unlikely.)
While this was the most popular flight of the evening, it prompted comments along the lines of “I liked the wines but can’t see myself buying any of them” and “Not that I never drop $50 or $60 on a bottle, but these didn’t deliver the bang required for those kind of bucks.” Looking back at all six flights, others wondered whether such an uninspiring lineup didn’t imply that the Cellier concept had indeed run out of steam. In any case, RIP.
Get ’em while the getting’s good
New vintages of two wines that knocked the MWG’s collective socks off last year have shown up on the SAQ’s shelves.
The 2008 Etna “Rosso di Verzella” from Azienda Vinicola Benanti ($22.00, 11348459) is far from what most people would consider a typical Sicilian red: the texture and weight are too Burgundian, the fruit isn’t overripe or jammy. While perhaps a tad less beguiling than last year’s 2006 (or maybe it’s the 2008’s relative youth), the same description applies: “A blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio given about ten months in small casks. Wafting nose of dried black cherry, baked earth, rosemary. Round, smooth and savoury. Medium-bodied. Lively acid gives freshness. Round tannins provide structure. Soft, long finish. A charmer.”
On the other hand, the 2009 Montsant “Dido” from Venus la Universal ($24.10, 11376994) seemed less approachable and more serious than the 2008. Sleek, dark, brooding and barely budging in the hour or so it was open, this is a wine that will benefit from a few years in a cellar or, failing that (and to go by the 2008), several hours – even 24 – in a carafe.
Both wines are widely available, though few outlets received more than a case or two. In other words, get ’em while the getting’s good.
MWG January 12th tasting: report
In reaction to the excesses of the holiday season, the Mo’ Wine Group’s January tasting traditionally focuses on affordable wines. This year was no exception. All bottles but one were purchased at the SAQ, and most are still available.
THE WHITES
Vinho Verde 2009, Loureiro, Quinta do Ameal ($18.30, 11459992)
100% organically farmed Loureiro. Floral and grapey in a Muscat kind of way; chalky, too. Light and fruity in the mouth, the slight residual sugar balanced by high acidity. Faint tingle, though whether from carbon dioxide or acid I can’t say. Minerally finish. (Buy again? Probably not, when the more compelling Deu La Deu is available at about the same price.)
Rueda 2009, Nosis, Buil&Giné ($18.95, 10860928)
100% Verdejo. Muted nose of dried lemon peel, wax and gooseberry. Fairly dense and oily though with enough acid to keep it from feeling heavy. Lemony, quartzy flavours and some residual sugar up front, dries and turns minerally as it progresses through the mouth. Lingers long. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Bourgogne Vézelay 2010, La Châtelaine, Domaine la Cadette ($22.05, 11094621)
100% organically farmed Chardonnay. 80% spends time in vats, 20% in barrels. Lemon, green apple and ashes on the nose. Green apple and oats on the palate. Bright acid. Seems disjointed and turns unpleasantly sour and lactic on the mid-palate. In view of the wine’s previous vintages and the embrace of the 2010 by the city’s more clued-in restaurateurs and wine advisors (it was reportedly the third biggest seller during the holidays at the Jean Talon Market SAQ), ours was probably an off bottle. (Buy again? To see what gives, yes.)
Alto Adige 2010, Kerner, Abbazia di Novacella ($22.95, 11451974)
100% Kerner. Fermented using natural yeasts. Sees only stainless steel. Floral, green grape, spice, quartz dust. Weighty in the mouth. Initial residual sugar. Fruity attack fades by mid-palate. High acid. A bit short and alcoholic (13.9% ABV). (Buy again? Maybe.)
Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh sec 2008, Château Montus ($23.55, 11017625)
100% Petit Courbu from 15-year-old vines. Honeyed pear. Dense, rich, quite dry. Strong acid. Lemon zest on very long finish. Tasty. (Buy again? Yes.)
Saumur 2010, Château Yvonne ($25.55, 10689665)
100% organically farmed Chenin Blanc. Fermented with native yeasts, matured in new barrels, unfiltered and unfined. Quince, quinine, chestnut honey. Medium-bodied and very acidic. Complex but giving the impression that there’s more in store. Long mineral-packed finish. Not as memorably out-there as some earlier vintages but still a fine bottle of Chenin. (Buy again? Yes.)
THE REDS
Burgenland Qualitätswein 2009, Zweigelt, Zantho ($15.90, 10790384)
100% Blauer Zweigelt. Fermented in stainless steel tanks; matured 95% in stainless steel tanks, 5% in used barriques. Farty, candied red fruit, graphite, dried herbs. Rustic, a bit jammy and one-noteish, despite some coffee and slate undertones. Drinkable but not delivering much excitement. (Buy again? Probably not.)
IGP Pays de l’Hérault 2010, Exorde, Clos Mathélisse ($21.30, La QV)
100% organically farmed Cinsault. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Bottled unfiltered and unfined with very little added sulphur. Nearly the entire (very small) production is exported to Switzerland and Canada. A first bottle seemed out of character: Red fruit, herbal, hint of rubber. Light rustic tannins. Bright acid but moody, a bit red-vermouthy, not recognizably the same wine as from earlier bottles. A second bottle showed much better: a gush of bright fruit and raspy tannins, with earthy herbal overtones and a pomegranate-like tang – the proverbial “wine that puts a smile on your face.” Surprisingly, three or four hours after being uncorked, the tail-end of the first bottle had righted itself and was drinking beautifully. Such are the vagaries of natural wines… (Buy again? For sure.)
Menetou-Salon 2010, Domaine Philippe Gilbert ($26.50, 11154988)
100% biodynamically farmed Pinot Noir from 20-year-old vines. Natural winemaking. Bottled unfiltered with minimal sulphur. Exuberant red berries: ça pinote. Light but richening as it breathes. Ripe fruit, bright acid, fine, supple tannins. Good balance and length. A rectilinear but very pure expression of the grape variety. (Buy again? Yes.)
Toro 2009, Crianza, Bodega Viña Bajoz ($13.35, 10856195)
100% Tinta de Toro (aka Tempranillo). Crianzas must be aged for 24 months, with no less than 6 months barrel-aging. Plum, stinky feet, spice, a whiff of alcohol. Rich, ripe, fluid. Raspberry, cocoa, a hint of “high” meat. Some structure. A little alcohol and tannic astringency on the dried herby finish. Good, especially at the price, though not a wine for contemplation. (Buy again? Sure.)
Nemea 2008, Agiorgitiko, Driopi, Domaine Tselepos ($19.75, 10701311)
100% Agiorgitiko from 40-year-old vines. Manually harvested. Fermented in stainless steel vats with selected yeasts. Matured in 40% new oak barrels. Menthol, plum, tobacco. Fresh and juicy in the mouth, with leather and spice deepening the sweet fruit flavours. Good acid, plump tannins and a slatey finish. The ripe, round fruit speaks of a southern wine. (Buy again? Yes, especially when it’s grilling season again.)
Douro 2008, Quinta de la Rosa ($20.30, 00928473)
Traditional port varieties, mainly Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Roriz from 20- to 30-year-old vines. Manually harvested. Fermented in small stainless steel vats, then matured in French oak casks for 12 months before being minimally filtered and bottled. Volatile, spicy nose. Rich, vaporous, alcoholic (14.2% ABV). A mass of spicy/herby fruit. Good acid and plump tannins. Long, flowing finish. Intense but also a little plodding. (Buy again? Not sure.)
IGT Maremma Toscana 2009, Sinarra, La Fattoria di Magliano ($21.65, 11191447)
95% Sangiovese, 5% Petit Verdot. Manually harvested. Sees no oak. Bottled unfiltered. Typical Tuscan nose: leather, dust, dried cherry. Rich yet supple and fluid. The drying tannins are also true to the Tuscan type. Balanced, structured, long. Modern but quite enjoyable. (Buy again? Yes.)
Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence 2009, Château Revelette ($18.45, 10259737)
Organically farmed Syrah (55%), Cabernet Sauvignon (34%) and Grenache (11%) from 25-year-old vines. The constituent grape varieties are vinified separately. A fraction of the Grenache and Cabernet are aged in fifth-year barrels. Leather upfront. Spice, black fruit in background. Rich, dense and strucutred but not heavy. Lots of acid. Tarry tannins. Long, savoury, posh. (Buy again? Definitely.)
Fronton 2008, Cuvée Don Quichotte, Domaine Le Roc ($18.80, 10675327)
Négrette (60%) and Syrah (40%). Varieties are vinified separately. The grapes are crushed, as the winemakers feel this enhances the bouquet and softens the tannins. Matured in vats and barrels. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. Wild red and black fruit with floral and animale notes. Dense fruit but fluid and bright. Supple tannins. Hints of licorice and dark chocolate on the longish finish. Perhaps showing less personality than in earlier vintages but still delivering good QPR. (Buy again? Yes.)
Montsant 2007, Vall del Calas, Celler de Capçanes ($22.75, 10858297)
65% Merlot, 30% Garnacha, 5% Tempranillo. All three varieties are vinified separately. Fermented with native yeasts. Spends 13 months with new, one- and two-year French oak barrels. Bottled unfined and lightly filtered. Blackberry and black cherry, pepper and gravel. A silky texture and open structure. Rich, ripe fruit along with some wood and chocolate. Fairly long, inky/minerally finish. Seemed quite young. (Buy again? Maybe.)
A bouquet of bubblies from La QV
Notes from an informal tasting of some of the sparklers represented by La QV. The champagnes are sold at the SAQ; the others can be ordered through the agency.
Bubulle 2009, Méthode traditionnelle, Les Pervenches ($30.00, 12 bottles per case)
2/3 Chardonnay, 1/3 Seyval. Made from biodyanmically farmed grapes grown near Farnham in the Eastern Townships. Produced using the champagne method and with zero dosage. The owners have been making a few cases of sparkling wine for several years now (the 2008 was 100% Chardonnay) but this is the first vintage sold to the public. Only a half dozen or so cases have been released due to a purely aesthetic problem with the other bottles, namely the lees sticking to the side of the bottle instead of sliding into the neck for removal during disgorging. Encouraged by our and others’ assurances that such a superficial blemish wouldn’t prevent us from buying bottles, the winemaker said he may decide to offer the lees-streaked bottles for sale in the new year.
Crystal-clear with a slight green cast and a very fine bead. Appealing nose of brioche and lemon with subtle mineral and floral notes. Soft bubbles. Fruity but bone dry. Bright, clean and long with a gooseberry note (the Seyval?) coming out on the finish. Like the estate’s still Chardonnays, a delicious wine that can easily stand comparison with similarly priced wines from around the world. 12% abv.
Foule Bulles, Clos Saragnat ($15, 12 bottles per case)
This sparkling cider is made from fruit farmed organically near Frelighsburg. Several varieties of apple are pressed to make the base cider but fresh plum juice is used for the dosage. Rusty pink to the eye (due partly to the apple varieties and partly to intentional oxidation of the raw fruit). Nose of sweet apple and, yep, yellow plum. Fruity but with an appealing sourness. Fine bubbles. Long drying finish. 9% abv. As they say around here, original.
Vin mousseux de qualité 2004, Domaine de la Chappe ($22, 6 bottles per case)
Based in the Tonnerre AOC, located northeast of Chablis, Domaine de la Chappe has been organic-converting-to-biodynamic since the early naughts. Chardonnay (80%) and Pinot Noir (20%). Colour bordering on pale pink. Intriguing nose with hints of red berries and roasted coffee. Fine bubbles, soft effervescence. Flavourful with a woody edge. Good finish, with sourish fruit giving way to faint walnut flavours. Unusual and enjoyable.
Cava 2009, Brut nature, Cellers de Can Suriol del Castell de Grabuac ($20.75, 12 bottles per case)
Organically farmed Macabeu (30%), Xarel.lo (30%) and Parellada (30%). Lemon zest and quartz. Fine bead. Fruity and floral on the attack yet very dry. Tastes “white.” Lingering bread flavours. Clean, elegant and refreshing. 11.5% abv.
Champagne, Grand cru, Blanc de Noirs, E. Barnaut ($46.25, 11152958)
100% sustainably farmed Pinot Noir. Brioche, white fruit, lemon, oxidized apple. Less dry than the preceding. Denser, too, but lifted by the bubbles and acid. Long. Not incredibly complex or deep but tasty and good QPR. 12.0% abv.
Champagne 1996, Brut, Fleury ($97.50, 11544062)
Biodynamically farmed Pinot Noir (80%) and Chardonnay (20%). Aged under cork – not the usual crown cap – before disgorgement to allow micro-oxygenation and encourage the development of a finer effervescence. Yellow-gold to the eye. Powerful, complex nose: oxidized apple, lemon, honey and more. Rich and deep on the palate, with layers of flavour. Astoundingly fruity and winey and far from bone dry yet in no way heavy thanks to the soft effervescence and coursing acidity. Long. Assertive yet seductive, a complete wine. 12.5% abv.
Brett happens 