Posts Tagged ‘food pairings’
Muscadet and mussels
Muscadet Sèvre et Maine 2014, Château du Coing de Saint-Fiacre ($16.60, 11154259)
100% Melon de Bourgogne from 65-year-old vines rooted mainly in decomposed gneiss. After alcoholic fermentation, the wine is overwintered on its lees until bottling in March. Sees only stainless steel. Reducing sugar: 2.1 g/l. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: StarVin.
Classic Muscadet nose of citrus, pear, chalk, stone and a floral (jasmine?) note. In the mouth, it’s clean and fruity with crisp acidity. A light mineral underlay lasts through the tangy, briny finish. There are deeper Muscadets around but not at this price. A drinker, not a keeper. (Buy again? Sure.)
Mussels with white wine and aromatics made an ideal match.
Two southern French reds with altitude
Marcillac 2014, Mansois, Lionel Osmin ($16.50, 11154558)
Located upriver from Cahors in the foothills of the Massif central, the Marcillac vineyards are, at 350–500 metres (1,100–1,600 feet) above sea level, some of the highest in southwest France. This 100% Mansois (aka Fer Servadou) is made from purchased grapes that are manually harvested, usually late in the season. Maceration and alcoholic fermentation take place in temperature-controlled (23°C) tanks and last 12 to 18 days. Matured in tanks for 10 months. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Le Marchand de Vin.
Red berries, wet clay and vine stems with floral and iron overtones. Medium-bodied and very dry, though fresher than is often the case with Fer wines due in no small part to the bright fruit and fluent acidity. A beety streak adds an earthy, minerally edge while suppler-than-expected tannins keep things firm. The finish is a bit austere, as is typical with this grape. Appealingly rustic and very approachable. The price is more than fair. Try this lightly chilled with a simple stew of beef or lamb, root vegetables, celery and bay. (Buy again? Def.)
Languedoc 2013, Terrasses du Larzac, Les Carlines, Mas Haut-Buis ($18.85, 10507278)
Ranging in altitude from around 100 metres (400 feet) to 400 metres (1,300 feet), the Terrasses du Larzac vineyards are some of the highest in the Languedoc. Syrah (35%), Carignan (35%) and Grenache (30%) from organically farmed vines. Manually harvested. Fully destemmed. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in cement tronconic vats. Matured 14 months in cement vats. Unfiltered and unfined. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Le Marchand de Vin.
Fragrant nose: black raspberry, plum, burned minerals, animale, leather, meat and a dash of green. Medium-bodied and smooth textured. There’s a good balance between the ripe fruit, bright acidity and light but firm tannins, though it’s a little lacking in the depth department. Decent peppery finish. Seems less accomplished than an earlier vintage I recall (the 2010?); whether that’s a function of our bottle, the challenging 2013 vintage or the wine’s current phase is hard to say. In any case, not bad and probably better with food. (Buy again? Maybe.)
MWG February 26th tasting: flight 4 of 7
Traditional vs. ancestral
3B, Blanc de Blancs, Método tradicional, Filipa Pato ($23.99, private import, 6 bottles/case)
A blend of Bical, Cercial (aka Cerceal but not Madeira’s Sercial) and Maria Gomes (aka Fernão Pires) from organically farmed vines grown in the Bairrada region. Manually harvested. Gently pressed in a vacuum frame. The must is clarified by settling, then fermented with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled (sub 16°C) stainless steel vats. Sparkled using the traditional method. Residual sugar: 2 g/l. 11.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Importations du Moine.
Appealing nose of quartz dust, citrus, sweet apple and distant brioche. The fine bead animates the round texture. Not particularly deep but a fresh, clean, fundamentally dry mouthful of apple, faint stone fruit, minerals and lemon peel. The aromatic finish brings a lingering saline note. Very drinkable. (Buy again? Yes.)
Vin de France 2014, Giac’ Bulles, Vignerons Giachino ($29.22, private import, 6 bottles/case)
100% organically farmed Jacquère. The manually harvested grapes are gently pressed in a pneumatic press. The must is chilled to 5°C and clarified by settling for eight to 10 days, then racked into tanks for fermentation with indigenous yeasts at 15°C. Sparkled using the ancestral method. Residual sugar: c. 30-35 g/l. 8% ABV. Quebec agent: Importations du Moine.
Unusual, initially disconcerting nose: faint jalapeño, ash and “turnip cakes at dim sum,” eventually turning more minerally and fruity (pear? white peach?). Softly effervescent. Lightly chalky and fruity on the palate – one taster described it as “weird apple juice” – and on the sweeter side of off dry, though not cloying due in no small part to the sprightly acidity that lends a sour edge to the long, complex and, yes, drier finish. Doubtful at first, I quite liked this by the end of my glass. Would make a good summer sipper but could also accompany a not-too-sweet fruit-based dessert (peach and wild strawberry verrine with lemon balm cream and shortbread crumble, for example). (Buy again? Yes.)
MWG February 11th tasting: flight 1 of 6
Two dry Loire whites
The teaser sent to MWG members prior to the tasting described this flight as “Two dry, bright still whites from the same broad region. No other connections.”
Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine 2011, Clisson, Ollivier Père et Fils ($21.15, 12259992)
A small restocking of a wine I enjoyed back in October 2014. Clisson is one of the crus communaux (village crus) now recognized in Muscadet (2011 was the first vintage where the commune name could be mentioned on the label). The producer is also known as Ollivier Frères and has no connection with Marc Ollivier of Domaine de la Pépière. 100% Melon de Bougogne from vines between 30 and 75 years old. Matured on the lees for 24 months in stainless steel tanks. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: A.O.C. & Cie.
Chalk and granite, sea breeze, white fruit and, eventually, a whiff of “barley sugar” (quoting another taster). A fundamentally dry, richly textured mouthful of minerals and citrus Nik-L-Nips. Bitter saline minerals and a faint, not unappealing soap aroma mark the long, unctuous finish. Quite substantial for a Muscadet but saved from heaviness by a sustained stream of acidity, this would be dandy with sauced seafood dishes like coquilles St-Jacques as well as rich cheeses. (Buy again? Yes.)
Cheverny 2014, Pure, Domaine des Huards ($20.10, 00961607)
A blend of Sauvignon Blanc (85%) and Chardonnay (15%) from biodynamically farmed vines. The grapes are manually harvested and gently pressed. The must is clarified by settling. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts takes place in temperature-controlled (18-20°C) stainless steel tanks. The wine is then racked into stainless steel tanks for maturation on its fine lees. Reducing sugar: 3.5 g/l. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV (redesigned website!).
Nose dominated by unmistakable jalapeño. Get past it and you discover floral, ash and faint stone fruit aromas. The pepper (sans heat, of course) pops up on the palate along with saline minerals and just enough residual sugar to take the edge off the sharp acidity. Long, tangy finish. The wine’s “juicy freshness” is delightful. Though the jalapeño faded as the wine breathed, earlier bottles of this have been totally chile-free, so let’s assume ours was oddly off. (Buy again? Another bottle to check out what’s up, for sure.)
MWG January 14th tasting: flight 2 of 7
Black is back
Achaïa 2014, Kalavryta, Tetramythos ($16.85, 11885457)
The estate is located in Achaea, on the Gulf of Corinth in the northern Peloponnese. This wine is made using the free-run juice from organically farmed Black of Kalavryta (Μαύρο Καλαβρυτινό) grapes, an indigenous variety once widely grown in the area but now nearly extinct (Tetramythos is reportedly the only remaining producer). Alcoholic fermentation (with indigenous yeasts) and nine months’ maturation are in stainless steel vats. Unusually for a red wine, malolactic fermentation is prevented. Use of sulphur dioxide is kept to a bare minimum. The wine is unfined but coarsely filtered before bottling. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Popped and poured. Subdued nose of sour cherry, black olives, dark spice and an old leather jacket splotched with dried earth. In the mouth, it’s light- to medium-bodied and bone dry. Here the clean fruit tends more to red plum and is infused with slate and iron. Acidity is present but not biting. A fine tannic astringency dries and textures the finish with its black pepper and red meat (iron again) notes. Half the bottle was transferred into an actual half-bottle, recorked and stuck in the fridge. Drunk two days later, the wine showed a tad sweeter, rounder and, if anything, tastier. In other words, a few hours’ carafing might not be a bad idea. A decent match for chicken braised with white wine, rosemary and garlic; the winery’s suggested pairing of fish baked in tomato sauce intrigues. (Buy again? For sure.)
True to type and under $20
Madiran 2011, Odé d’Aydie, Château Aydie/Vignobles Laplace ($17.95, 10675298)
100% Tannat. Manually harvested. The various plots are vinified separately. A pre-fermentation cold soak (10 to 12°C) in wooden tanks lasts three to five days. Maceration and alcoholic fermentation at 25°C with repeated pump-overs last 30 days. Maturated 12 to 15 months in oak tuns and wooden tanks. Reducing sugar: 2.7 g/l. 14.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Le Maître de Chai.
Appealing nose: blackberry, drying leaves, fresh mushrooms, cedary wood and a hint of vanilla. Dry and, despite the high alcohol, medium-bodied. A mouthful of tannins, saved from overwhelmingness by their sleek ripeness, the cloaking fruit and a ripple of creamy oak. Lingering mineral and wood flavours colour the fairly sustained finish. Approachable now but probably better in a year or two. Needs food (duck confit, cassoulet, grilled duck breast – you get the idea). Great to find such typicité – true-to-typeness, authenticity – for under $20; for an affordable introduction to Madiran wines, you’d be hard pressed to find better at the SAQ. (Buy again? Sure.)
Quality price Orthogneiss
Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine 2013, Expression d’Orthogneiss, Domaine de l’Écu ($22.70, 10919141)
100% Melon de Bourgogne (aka Muscadet) from biodynamically farmed, half-century-old vines grown in a three-hectare vineyard with a thin, gravelly top soil and an orthogneiss subsoil. Manually harvested. The whole clusters are pneumatically pressed and the juice unclarified. Fermented with indigenous yeasts at 15–17ºC (59–63ºF). Matured on the lees for 18 months. The winery uses gravity, not pumps, to move the must and wine. Reducing sugar: 1.2 g/l. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: Raisonnance.
Subdued nose of stones and apple with whiffs of honey and dried lemon peel. Slightly viscous texture. The subtle fruit – again apple and lemon – is wrapped in minerals, overtoned with honey. Acidity is brisk but unassertive, the finish long and aromatic with long-held notes of paraffin, seawater, bitter herbs and durian. Bone dry yet rich enough that you don’t really notice. Impeccable and age-worthy (up to 10 years from the vintage). Ridiculously high QPR (Muscadet may be France’s most unappreciated white wine). Though Muscadet is the raw oyster wine par excellence, this has the wherewithal to accompany more elaborate, richly sauced dishes. (Buy again? Definitely.)
Two sweet meads
Hydromel, Cuvée de la Diable, Ferme Apicole Desrochers ($19.95/375 ml, 10291008)
An off-dry mead made near Mont-Laurier in the Upper Laurentians from a selection of organic honey (spring, fall and buckwheat) and aged in oak casks for three years. The raw honey is mixed with water. The resulting honey water is decanted to eliminate impurities and transferred into stainless steel tanks for fermentation at ambient temperature for three to six weeks. Fermentation is stopped naturally by the alcohol and winter cold. The mead is then matured on the lees for six to 12 months before being transferred to oak casks for two and a half to five years’ aging. Selected casks are blended and bottled. Residual sugar: 80 g /l. 14% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV. The product is named after the nearby Diable River, la [rivière du] Diable in French (if it were named after the devil, it would be Cuvée du diable).
Complex nose of flowers, caramelized white fruit, honey, dusty beeswax, a touch of vanilla and more than a hint of cheese. Smooth, even buttery texture. Not particularly sweet. Possessed of a certain heft but far from heavy, thanks in no small part to the sustained acidity. Long finish with citrus and nougat notes. (Buy again? Sure.)
Hydromel, Or d’âge, Ferme Apicole Desrochers ($76.75, 12644145)
To make this sweet honey wine, the best barrels of the Cuvée de la Diable are given extended aging (between eight and 18 years) under a flor-like veil in oak casks that are not topped up. Unfiltered and unfined. Reducing sugar: > 60 g/l. 14% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV.
Astoundingly complex nose of dried honey, spice (especially cinnamon), dried flowers, aged pine, faint nuts and more. In the mouth, it’s semi-sweet, spicy and ultra-refined, infinitely more layered than the Cuvée de la Diable, with great balance between extract and acidity. The complex flavours are dominated by caramel and dried pear. An intriguing bitter thread emerges on the mid-palate and wends its way through the long, dry finish. Unique, disorienting, fascinating and ultimately convincing. Excellent with blue cheese. (Buy again? Definitely.)
As usual at MWG tastings, the wines were served double-blind and it was interesting to see people’s reactions to this flight unlike any other. Within seconds of taking their first sniff of the Cuvée de la Diable, two of the more critical tasters declared it to be a mead and did so with a frown on their faces. Their initial reaction on tasting the wine was hardly more positive. Other tasters were less vocal, uncertain what to make of it. The grumbling died down as more time was spent with the mead and turned positive, even enthusiastic, as people moved on to the Or d’âge and tasted both meads with cheese. In the end, the consensus was that, while both were impressive, the Or d’âge was exceptional, a world-class if unusual product and the solution to the sticky problem of what made-in-Quebec gift to take when visiting out-of-province wine lovers.
MWG November 12th tasting: flight 6 of 6
Blancs de Provence
IGP Méditerranée 2013, Viognier Sainte-Fleur, Triennes ($22.30, 12625681)
Triennes in the project of two well-known Burgundians (Jacques Seysses of Domaine Dujac and Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanée Conti) and a Paris-based friend. The estate is located in the Var, east of Aix-en-Provence, was founded in 1997 and began converting to organic farming in 2008 (the 2011 vintage of the Sainte-Fleur was the estate’s first certified organic wine). This 100% Viognier is fermented in temperature-controlled tanks and matured in tanks. Reducing sugar: 1.8 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Séguin & Robillard.
Quartz dust and faint peach filigreed with honeysuckle, smoked salt and garrigue. Bordering on unctuous in the mouth, where it proves more of a fruit cocktail, albeit a dry and alcoholic one that’s freshened by smooth acidity and backdropped by sun-baked stones. A faint bitterness threads through the long finish. Not bad for an inexpensive Viognier – no one’s going to mistake it for a Condrieu – and pleasant enough to drink but not really memorable and not the bargain that the red is. Might well show better at the dining table than it does at the tasting table. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Bandol 2014, Domaine du Gros’Noré ($30.75, 12206989)
Despite what you’ll read on SAQ.com and on the Quebec agent’s website, this is a 70-30 blend of Ugni Blanc (aka Trebbiano) and Clairette from sustainably farmed vines averaging 30 years old. The must is macerated on the skins for 24 hours, then fermented at low temperatures with indigenous yeasts. Sees only stainless steel until bottling. Unfiltered and unfined. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Shy nose of quartz, wet ash, earth and white flowers. The rich texture is balanced by a steady stream of underlying acidity. Somewhat neutral in flavour yet somehow savoury and mouth-filling. Stones and lemon pith haunt the long finish. While this will never be an exuberant wine, it is a baby at this point and, as a second bottle showed, it doesn’t stop evolving for hours after opening. Definitely a food wine: I thought sea bass with pesto might make a good match but that second bottle was transporting with the winemaker’s recommended pairing of grilled mussels with rosemary, my recipe for which you’ll find after the jump. (Buy again? Done!)
MWG October 8th tasting: flight 2 of 7
Trocken und korken
Rheinhessen 2014, Riesling, Trocken, Weingut Keller ($27.45, 10558446)
100% Riesling. Manually harvested. The must gets around 20 hours of skin contact. Cool-temperature fermentation with indigenous yeasts takes place in stainless steel tanks and lasts two months. Matured on the lees with no stirring in stainless steel tanks for four months. Reducing sugar: 4.1 g/l. 11.5% ABV (12% per SAQ.com). Quebec agent: Valmonti.
Developing, minerally nose that turns a little perfumy, is shaded by lemon-lime-grapefruit and “vanilla ice cream” aromas and eventually gains green melon notes. Faintly spritzy in the mouth. Full of ripe fruit and minerals. Bright – not sharp – with acidity, showing some depth (age will bring more) and possessed of an appealing sour edge. Dry but not austerely so. Finishes long and clean. While this didn’t appear to push the assembled tasters’ buttons, I liked its focus and balance. Would make an excellent pairing for trout and other freshwater fish (all the better if there’s some bacon present) or a simple roast chicken, not to mention herb-inflected southeast Asian cuisine. (Buy again? A bottle to take to Nhu Y, for sure, and maybe a couple more for the cellar.)
Nahe 2014, Riesling, Trocken, Vulkangestein, Weingut Schäfer-Fröhlich ($29.50, 12721454)
12% ABV. Quebec agent: Avant-Garde.
Corked. Which was a shame because you could tell this is, if anything, even finer than the Keller.
MWG October 8th tasting: flight 1 of 7
Brett happens 