Posts Tagged ‘Inexpensive’
The mayor of Dogliani
Trim, dapper and personable, Piedmont winemaker Nicola Chionetti was in town a few weeks ago. His youthful appearance notwithstanding, Nicola served a five-year term as mayor of Dogliani, a Langhe village whose surrounding vineyards are generally considered a top source for Dolcetto wine. In fact, Dogliani was the first of the only two Dolcetto appellations to have been granted the exalted DOCG status and the appellation’s identification with the grape is so complete that its denominated wines may be identified simply as Dogliani instead of Dolcetto di Dogliani.
One of the two or three leading Dogliani estates, Chionetti was founded in 1912 by Nicola’s great grandfather, Giuseppe. The name of Quinto, Nicola’s grandfather, continues to feature on the estate’s labels: Azienda Agricola Chionetti Quinto e Figlio. While farming techniques have always been sustainable, the estate is officially converting to organic practice. Its 16 hectares of vineyards produce around 85,000 bottles of wine in a normal year. Only three wines are widely marketed: the Dogliani DOCGs San Luigi and Briccolero and a Langhe Nebbiolo.
The winemaking for the two Dolcettos is nearly identical: manual harvesting, destemming, soft pressing, fermentation and maceration on the skins and with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks (29-30°C), maturation for around 11 months in stainless steel tanks, cold-stabilization and no filtering. The differences are the vineyards’ soils (clayey in San Luigi, more calcareous in Briccolero), the vines’ average ages (25 years old versus 45), yields (6,000 kg/ha versus 5,000), the typical length of maceration (10 days versus 14) and the usual alcohol level (13% versus 14). In a good vintage, the San Luigi can age up to 15 years, the Briccolero 20-25.
Among the activities slated during Nicola’s visit was a commented tasting and feast of a lunch at Hostaria for a large table of sommeliers, restaurateurs and wine writers, among whose company I was flattered to be included. Many thanks to oenopole for the opportunity to spend time with an artisan whose wines I have always enjoyed.
All told, we tasted six wines, two of which are currently available at the SAQ. You’ll find my notes after the jump.
Cistus regnat
Douro 2013, Cistus, Quinta do Vale da Perdiz ($12.80, 10841161)
Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo, 75%), Touriga Francesa (15%), Tinta Barroca (5%) and Touriga Nacional (5%). Fermented in stainless steel vats at controlled temperature. Twenty percent is matured in second- and third-fill barrels. Reducing sugar: 3.4 g/l. 14.5% ABV. Quebec agent: LBV International.
Typical but unexpectedly fresh nose of plum, wet slate, turned earth, black pepper and a hint of black cherry yogurt. In the mouth, it’s unexpectedly fluid, more of a middleweight than a heavyweight. The fruit, vivid and layered upfront, soon recedes, leaving a hollowing-out mouthful of inky minerals, old wood and faint alcohol fumes that gains a bitter cocoa note on the quick-fading finish. On the plus side, the tannins are supple, the acidity bright, the wine has a sense of place and it tastes like it came from a winery, not a factory. Not a coup de cœur, then, but if there’s a better red at this price point, I’d like to know about it. (Buy again? When the budget is tight, sure.)
Petit Noir, petit prix
Bekaa Valley 2009, Petit Noir, Cave Kouroum ($13.55, 11097549)
Founded in 1998, the winery is based in the village of Kefraya in the Bekaa Valley. The 180 hectares of vineyards are on the eastern slope of Mount Barouk at an elevation of 900 m. This is a blend of Cinsault (50%), Carignan (25%), Grenache (15%) and Syrah (10%) from sustainably farmed vines. The grapes are manually harvested and sorted. Traditional vinification with both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation taking place. Matured six months in French oak fûts. Reducing sugar: 1.8 g/l. 14.5% ABV. Quebec agent: ABVS.
Pencil shavings, red berry jam, dried herbs, hints of sweet spice and a whiff of alcohol. Smooth, clean and medium-bodied. A really promising attack fades disappointingly fast and there’s not much else to take its place. A bit hot at room temperature, better after a couple of hours in the carafe and 30 minutes in the fridge: rounder, fuller and fruitier with good acidity and a fair finish, though you’ll have to look elsewhere for depth. With its savoury Rhône-ish flavour profile and Bordeaux-ish structure and weight, it’s stylistically between a Côtes-du-Rhône and a cru bourgeois. Memorable above all for being one of the better reds in its price bracket, not that there’s anything wrong with that. (Buy again? Sure.)
Douro barganha
Douro 2013, Flor de Crasto, Quinta do Crasto ($14.90, 10838579)
Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo, 35%), Touriga Franca (aka Touriga Francesa, 35%) and Touriga Nacional (30%) from vines between eight and 12 years old. The varieties were vinified separately. The manually harvested grapes were destemmed and crushed, then transferred to temperature-controlled stainless steel vats for alcoholic fermentation, which lasted seven days. Matured in stainless steel vats. Reducing sugar: 2.3 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Enotria International.
Spicy nose of plum and blackberry with considerable cigar box, some moist earth, black pepper and distant peony. Richer and more viscous than expected. Dry and savoury but full of ripe, dense fruit. Structured by cloaked yet firm tannins and sufficient acidity, textured by a pervasive velvet astringency. The finish is decent if somewhat short though a ghostly aftertaste and feel linger long. On the one hand, it’s not a wine of great complexity or depth; on the other hand, it tastes like it should come from the next higher price bracket. For $15, you could do worse. (Buy again? Sure.)
Douro modesta
Douro 2013, Dourosa, Quinta de la Rosa ($18.25, 12640232)
One third each Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo) and Touriga Franca (aka Touriga Francesca) from 20- to 30-year-old vines. Fermented in stainless steel vats at low temperatures. Matured 12 months in large French and Portuguese oak barrels. Minimally filtered. Reducing sugar: 3.0 g/l. 13.5% ABV. SAQ.com says screwcapped (which would be a first for a Portuguese wine in my experience) but my bottle was closed with a cork. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Plum, dark spice, cedar and a little vanilla. Soft and round, both descriptors applying to the fruit, acidity and tannins as well as the overall wine. Medium to full-bodied. Appealing if subdued fruit — as much about minerals and old wood flavour. The flavours are typical of Douro reds but the wine lacks some of the depth, structure and acidic éclat that I recall from earlier vintages and that make its bigger siblings shine. Decent, cocoa-toned finish. Innocuous until you start thinking about it, then coming across as a little flaccid, perhaps the result of the reportedly rainy harvest. A short passage in the fridge, chilling it down to around 16ºC (61ºF), helps. (Buy again? Not when the more interesting estate wine from the excellent 2011 vintage can be had for a mere $3 more.)
Flat earth
Vinho Regional Alentejano 2011, Terra Plana, Monte da Cal ($16.55, 11469795)
A blend of Trincadeira (aka Tinta Amarela, 40%), Alfrocheiro (30%), Aragonêz (aka Tempranillo, 20%) and Alicante Bouschet (10%). The grapes are crushed and destemmed, then fermented with selected yeasts in small, temperature-controlled (24-26ºC) stainless steel vats. Matured six months in French oak barrels. Reducing sugar: 4.9 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Société de Vins Fins.
Savoury nose of pencil shavings, old leather and turned earth with distant dried herbs. What there isn’t much of is fruit (blackberry? black plum?). The warm room-temperature bottle was popped and poured and the first sip did not impress. Middleweight. Clean. More savoury and minerally than fruity, with keen acidity, fine tannins and no great depth. The finish is lightly astringent and very dry. After 20 minutes in a carafe and nearly as long in the fridge, the wine showed better: fruitier, suppler, rounder and more integrated, with an appealing set of flavours on entry. Still, the fruit quickly fades and there’s not much else to hold the attention. A decent enough barbecue or pizza wine that ought to be a few dollars cheaper. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Three in one
Maxime and Sophie Barmès of Domaine Barmès Buecher and Giusto Occhipinti from Azienda Agricola COS were in Montreal last April and our friends at oneopole generously hosted a dozen Mo’ Wine Group members at a tasting at their world headquarters. oenopole brought the wine and the three visitors and we brought the food.
After his father François died in a cycling accident in the fall of 2011, twenty-something Maxime returned from school to oversee, assisted by his mother Geneviève, the winemaking for the just-completed harvest. He has stayed on as winemaker while Sophie, who obtained a management degree in 2010, looks after the business side of things.
Farming and winemaking follow the practices established by Francois soon after he took over the estate: manually working the vines and soil; abjuring herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and synthetic fertilizers; using only plant-based treatments; strictly sorting the grapes on the vine and at the cellar; pressing gently; adding nothing and taking nothing away. The results are there for the tasting.
We began with an easy-drinking blend made exclusively for the Quebec market.
Alsace 2011, Trilogie, Domaine Barmès Buecher ($19.95, 12254420)
A blend of organically and biodynamically farmed Pinot Blanc (40%), Riesling (40%) and Pinot Gris (20%). Manually harvested. Whole-cluster pressed. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Matured 12 months on the fine lees in stainless steel tanks. Unfiltered and unfined. Sulphur is added – and then minimally – only at bottling. Reducing sugar: 6.9 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Quiet nose of chalk, white peach and pineapple with coriander and fennel seed hints. In the mouth, the wine is bright and clean, as aromatic as it is flavourful. A touch of residual sugar rounds and adds sheen. The remarkably pure fruit is infused with white minerals, while an intriguing acid bite appears on the mid-palate and a faint bitterness marks the long finish. Uncomplicated (which is not to say shallow), fresh and appetizing, this has QPR winner written all over it. Perfect for sipping on its own or serving with seafood in Asian-style preparations. (Buy again? Imperatively. Here’s hoping there’s a second shipment.)
MWG April 14th tasting: flight 1 of 6.
The SAQ does natural wines – part 2
The Barbera d’Asti 2008, Terra del Noce, Trinchero ($24.50, 12517710) has considerable initial appeal, provided you’re not bothered by the whiff of volatile acidity. The vibrant attack, pure fruit, upfront cherry and slate flavours, bright acidity and light rustic tannins are typical of the grape and appellation. Too bad, then, that the wine falls short on the finish. Buy again? Twenty-five bucks for a dead-ender? Probably not.
Having enjoyed other wines from the winemaker in his Domaine la Fourmente guise, we had high hopes for the Côtes du Rhône Villages Visan 2012, Native, Rémi Pouizin ($19.90, 12517832). How disappointing then to report it has as many cons as pros. Burned rubber and barnyard cancel out the otherwise attractive nose of raspberry jam, black tea leaves and black pepper. And though I don’t quite agree with one taster’s dismissal (“blackberry yogurt with tannins”), the lean, way peppery fruit is dominated by a parching dryness and tannic astringency while a metallic edge and flaring alcohol do no favours to the finish. Improves – turns sweeter and fruitier – after a couple of hours but not enough to dispel the impression that this is a textbook example of why I sometimes find Grenache hard to love. Buy again? Probably not.
A cipher when opened, especially on the nose, the Corbières 2012, L’Enclos, Domaine des Deux Ânes ($24.70, 12518000) doesn’t really come around until an hour later, at which point it shows itself to be the richest and roundest wine of the six, an agreeably earthy mouthful of red and black fruit, dried herbs and spice with a mineral underlay. The plush tannins and soft acidity have just enough presence while the finish provides a warm-and-fuzzy send-off. Not a throat-grabber by any means but easy to drink. Buy again? Sure, though not without wishing the price was closer to $20.
SAQ natural wines tasting: post 2 of 3.
Native Sardinians
Isola dei Nuraghi 2013, Thesys, Pala ($20.40, 12476671)
A blend of 80% Bovale Sardo (which may or may not be related to Spain’s Bobal or Graciano) from 70-year-old vines and 20% Syrah from 30-year-old vines. Manually harvested. After pressing, the juice is macerated on the skins with added yeasts for 10 days. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation then ensue. Matured in new oak (Allier) barrels for three months. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Élixirs vins et spiritueux.
Meaty nose: dark red fruit, bacon, ground beef and oak. In the piehole, it’s full-bodied, rich, chewy and, notwithstanding the very ripe fruit, quite dry. The high extract, round tannins and juicy acidity make for a mouthful but a balanced and savoury one with a certain complexity. Some ash and oak surface on the sustained finish. (Buy again? Along with some beef or lamb for the grill, sure.)
Monica di Sardegna 2011, I Fiori, Pala ($15.45, 11766714)
100% Monica from vines planted 25 to 30 years ago. The grapes are pressed. The juice is macerated on the skins and with the addition of selected yeasts for five days, after which fermentation takes place, all in temperature-controlled (22-24°C) stainless steel tanks. Light clarification and transfer to underground cement tanks for six months’ maturation follow. 14% ABV. Quebec agent: Élixirs vins et spiritueux.
Unexpectedly complex nose: candied red currants, ash, Keds, roast lamb juice, menthol and turned earth. Velvety, smooth, ripe-sweet yet savoury. Fresh and supple despite the rustic tannins and slatey underlay. The clean finish brings a faint alcoholic flare. A fine candidate for an everyday red. Sure to be compatible with Mediterranean stews and braised dishes and probably more than OK with pizza. (Buy again? Sure.)
MWG March 12th tasting: flight 4 of 7.
Nuragus 101
Nuragus di Cagliari 2013, I Fiori, Pala ($16.70, 12391942)
100% Nuragus from 45-year-old vines growing in southern Sardinia, near Cagliari. The grapes are pressed immediately upon arriving at the winery. The resulting must is allowed to clarify by settling. Fermented in temperature-controlled (15°C) stainless steel tanks with selected yeasts, then clarified (filtered?). Matured in stainless steel vats for a few months before bottling. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Élixirs vins et spiritueux.
White flowers, white fruit and hints of hay and lemon peel. Ripe and densish on the palate. A touch of residual sugar rounds the attack but the yellow apple turns appealingly sour on the bitter-edged, acid-nippy finish. Not complex or deep but unusual, flavourful and delivering good QPR. Uses? Sip while making dinner or, as the winery suggests, serve with non-oily white fish and seafood simply prepared in the Mediterranean style. (Buy again? Sure.)
MWG March 12th tasting: flight 1 of 7.
Brett happens 