Posts Tagged ‘Mo’ Wine Group’
Two black and white blends from Legouge-Copin
Champagne, Brut, Réserve, Legouge-Copin ($59.00, private import, 6 bottles/case)
Chardonnay (usually from more than one vintage) and Pinot Noir (usually from more than one vintage). 12% ABV. Quebec agent: Mon Caviste.
Pale gold with sunshine yellow glints, little foam and a fine bead. Faintly oxidized nose of lanolin, oatmeal, lemon, chalk and bread. In the mouth, it’s rich yet dry, with tiny bubbles, racy acidity and good minerality. Finishes clean and long. In short, a fleet and appetizing wine. The bottle opened on New Year’s eve was even more singular and impressive and made a fine accompaniment to New Brunswick sturgeon caviar and crème fraîche-smeared blinis. (Buy again? Definitely.)
Champagne 2006, Brut, Blancs et Noirs, Legouge-Copin ($61.00, private import, 6 bottles/case)
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: Mon Caviste.
Pale straw with light gold glints. Lots of foam. The umami-rich nose brings candied apple, nougat and brioche to mind. Rich, round, smooth, fluid and elegant on the palate, notable for its lifting effervescence, soft-glow acidity and “seaweed” overtone. The long finish brings a faint bitter note. The bottle opened on New Year’s eve seemed classic if a little more conventional than the Brut Réserve. (Buy again? Yes, though the Brut Réserve is more my style.)
MWG November 10, 2016, tasting: flight 3 of 9
Sparkling PN rosés from Alsace and Champagne
Crémant d’Alsace, Brut, Rosé, Domaine Pfister ($39.00, private import, 6 bottles/case)
100% Pinot Noir. No technical information is to be found about this traditional method sparkler, which is absent from the producer’s website and little mentioned on the Web. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Mon Caviste.
Pale coppery pink with a very fine bead. Leesy nose of red berries, faint orange peel and “a hint of sweet prosciutto” (per another taster). In the mouth, it’s very dry and glowingly acidic. The subtle fruit allows the mineral underlay to come clearly through. The bitter-edged finish is nicely sustained. Serious without being severe and standing up to comparison with its more prestigious flightmate. Probably excellent with food. (Buy again? Yes.)
Champagne, Brut, Rosé, Prestige, Pierson-Cuvelier ($53.00, private import, 6 bottles/case)
100% Pinot Noir. The colour for this traditional method sparkler comes from maceration on the skins; no other technical information is to be found. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: Mon Caviste.
Two shades darker than the Pfister with bigger bubbles and lots of foam. Outgoing nose of brioche and raspberry. Rounder, fruitier (red berries, pomegranate) and less dry than the crémant with zingy acidity and a pronounced mineral component. Enjoyable enough but a little overshadowed by the other sparkling rosés in the tasting. (Buy again? Maybe.)
MWG November 10, 2016, tasting: flight 2 of 9
Austro-Hungarian
Somló 2015, Somlowhite, Meinklang ($24.55, private import, 12 bottles/case)
A blend of Hárslevelü (50%), Juhfark (20%), Olaszrizling (20%) and Furmint (10%) from organically and biodynamically farmed vines grown at the base of the Somló (pronounced shom-low) volcano in southwest Hungary, not far from the Austrian border. The region’s basalt is weathered and topped with loess and light sand deposits, producing a fertile soil. The winemaking – which takes place at the estate’s Burgenland winery on the Austrian side of the border – is non-interventionist, with no additions except, possibly, a tiny squirt of sulphur at bottling. Screwcapped. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV.
Complex nose: chalky minerals, white peach, lemon/lime zest, quince, gooseberry, straw. A sip reveals a wine with a slightly oily texture, spiced quince, apple and pear flavours, a soft buzz of acidity, threads of minerals and herbs and a white peppery sensation of spicy heat. It’s quite dry, especially on the long finish with its intriguing sour/bitter edge. The bottle opened at home seemed a tad less fiery – though no less enjoyable – than the sample tasted at the Salon des vins d’importation privée. Great with cabbage rolls made from fermented cabbage and Hungarian sausage. (Buy again? Gladly.)
Meinklang makes affordably priced natural wines that are always stable, always clean and always loveable. The estate is one of the most ecological and sustainable in the world. Its packaging is fun. Why, then, are this and the other wines in the line (Grüner Veltliner, Blaufränkisch, Blauburgunder, Zweigelt, Saint Laurent, etc.) not available at the SAQ?
By the way, also poured at the Salon VIP were two Meinklang wines aged in 900-litre concrete eggs: Konkret white (Traminer, I think) and red (Sankt Laurent). Amazing, especially the red. The good news is that La QV say they’re going to start bringing in some of the higher-end Meinklang bottlings, including the Konkret cuvées, some of the stunning monovarietal Hungarian whites and oddities like the Graupert (“unkempt”) Pinot Gris and Zweigelt, which are made from grapes from unpruned, untrained vines.
Red and white (OK, maroon and gold) Heredias
Rioja 2004, Reserva, Viña Tondonia, R. Lopez de Heredia ($49.25, 116679010)
Estate-grown Tempranillo (75%), Garnacha (15%) and Graciano (5%) and Mazuelo (aka Carignan, 5%). Manually harvested. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Matured in estate-made American oak barrels for six years, with twice yearly racking. Fined with egg whites. Bottled unfiltered. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Straightforward but beautiful nose of plum, cut wood, spice, papier d’Arménie, raspberry cordial, blackberry tea, hay and a touch of vanilla. Medium-bodied, savoury and ready to go. The combination of velvety fruit, dark minerals, wood, smooth acidity and supple if lightly raspy tannins is engaging though more structure, complexity and depth wouldn’t be unwelcome, especially at the price point. The slow-fade finish brings balsam and leather to mind. Maybe it’s passing through a phase but this seems less special, more earthbound than in earlier vintages. (Buy again? Hmm.)
Rioja 2006, Crianza, Viña Gravonia, R. Lopez de Heredia ($30.50, 11667927)
100% Viura (aka Macabeo) from old vines. Manually harvested, gently destemmed and immediately crushed. The must is transferred into 60-hectolitre oak vats, where it ferments spontaneously. Matured in 225-litre American oak barrels for four years, with racking twice a year. Unfiltered but fined with egg whites before bottling. Reducing sugar: 2.4 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
The layered, faintly oxidized but still fresh nose generated a wide range of descriptors from the assembled tasters: honey, oak, “a coniferous thing,” “raw almond,” “green almond,” vanilla, “basement concrete,” “vegetal but not, like a tree,” “elm,” ground cherry, “almost Muscat,” white spice and more. Hefty but not heavy in the mouth. The fruit – mainly preserved lemon and stone fruit – is wrapped in a gauze of oak, enlivened by soft acidity and tethered to a chalky saline substrate. Toffee and nougat notes overtone the long finish. Perhaps a shade less complex than earlier vintages but still unique and delicious. The price is astounding for a 10-year-old wine of this quality. (Buy again? Absolutely.)
MWG October 27, 2016, tasting: flight 7 of 7
Very Volpaia
Chianti Classico 2013, Volpaia ($26.65, 10858262)
Sangiovese (90%) and Merlot (10%) from organically farmed vines. Manually harvested. Destemmed and lightly crushed. Alcoholic fermentation with indigenous yeasts and twice-daily punch-downs in temperature controlled (80-86F) tanks lasted 14 days. The wine was then left to macerate on the skins for seven more days. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was transferred to Slavonian oak botti for 14 months’ maturation. Lightly filtered. Reducing sugar: 1.6 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Textbook Chianti nose of cherry, dried leaves, tobacco and terracotta. Medium-bodied and silky textured. Lean fruit, bright acidity, Burgundian tannins, a mineral substrate and a drying, bitter-edged finish give it an appealing austerity. Balanced and approachable. (Buy again? Sure.)
Chianti Classico 2013, Riserva, Castello di Volpaia ($36.75, 00730416)
100% Sangiovese from organically farmed vines grown in five vineyards. The grapes from each parcel are vinified separately and the best barrels are blended to make this bottling. Manually harvested. Destemmed and lightly crushed. Alcoholic fermentation with indigenous yeasts and twice-daily punch-downs in temperature controlled (80-86F) tanks lasted 14 days. The wine was then left to macerate on the skins for seven more days. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was matured for two years, 80% in used Slavonian oak botti and French oak casks and 20% in new French oak cask, then blended and lightly filtered. Reducing sugar: 2.0 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Closed at first but eventually gorgeous: cherry, leather, sandalwood, “terracotta tiles” (per another taster). Lusher than the Volpaia though still medium-bodied. Ripe but not heavy fruit, animating acidity, wonderful minerals and real depth. Quite tannic yet balanced. The oak is discreet (more so than in some earlier vintages, if memory serves), not that I’m complaining. Very long mineral-, leather- and tobacco-scented finish. Pure and structured, rich yet austere in that way that few non-Chianti reds can be. Even better in five to 10 years. (Buy again? Oh, yes.)
MWG October 27, 2016, tasting: flight 6 of 7
Morgon, Morgon, not Morgon
Morgon 2014, Côte de Py, Jean Foillard ($41.09, private import, 12 b/c)
100% Gamay from organically farmed vines between ten and 90 years old and grown in manganese-rich schist and granite. Manually harvested. Whole-cluster fermentation lasts three to four weeks. Matured six to nine moths in used oak barrels. No additives of any kind during the wine-making. Unfiltered and unfined. A minimal amount of sulphur dioxide may be added at bottling. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Aromatic, very Gamay nose: slate, “dried leaves” (per another taster), floral notes and a whiff of earthy funkiness along with the expected red berries. Medium-bodied and satin-textured. A touch of sweet red chile savouries the lush fruit. The frame of light tannins, the illuminating acidity and a vein of dark minerals run from start through the nicely sustained finish. Accessible if somewhat monolithic at this stage, it showed best at the end of the tasting, four hours after it was opened and double-decanted. A couple of years or more in the cellar will do a world of good. (Buy again? Done!)
Morgon 2014, Cuvée Corcelette, Jean Foillard ($38.75, 12201643)
100% Gamay from organically farmed vines averaging 80 years old and grown in sandstone soil. Manually harvested. Whole-cluster fermentation lasts three to four weeks. Matured six to nine moths in used oak barrels and a single 30-hl foudre. No additives of any kind during the wine-making. Unfiltered and unfined. A minimal amount of sulphur dioxide may be added at bottling. Reducing sugar: less than 1.2 g/l. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Nose of red berries, faint spice, horse/leather: similar to the Côte de Py though a shade less complex, outgoing and airy. So fresh, pure, savoury and delicious. Ripe fruit, good structure and length, with the minerals most prominent on the finish. Perhaps a little less dense, more rustic and more open than its sibling though also sure to benefit from being left unopened for a year or three. Is there a better Beaujolais at the SAQ? (Buy again? Yes.)
After we’d finished with the Foillards, one of tasters generously offered to open a new arrival he had purchased on his way to the tasting room. I wondered whether its coming after two top Morgons might show it to disadvantage but I needn’t have worried.
Vin de France 2015, Le P’tit Poquelin, Maison B. Perraud ($22.70, 12517998)
100% Gamay from biodynamically farmed 40-year-old vines. Manually harvested. The whole clusters undergo carbonic maceration for 12 days. No additives, including sulphur. Unfiltered and unfined. Reducing sugar: 1.3 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Raisonnance.
Appealing nose: floral, slate, berries, sap. A bit of spritz on the palate (carafe the wine for hour an hour if that sort of thing bothers you). On the lighter side of medium-bodied. The sweet fruit has a sour edge and is lightly structured by fine, supple tannins and glowing acidity. Sappy, lip-smacking finish. An easy-drinker with real presence. What it lacks in dimensionality and class compared with the Foillards, it makes up for in immediate appeal. The most successful of the three vintages of this wine that I’ve tasted. (Buy again? Yes.)
MWG October 27, 2016, tasting: flight 5 of 7
Vini per salumi
Grignolino d’Asti 2014, Grignè, Montalbera ($19.35, 13014372)
100% Grignolino from five- to 25-year-old vines. Manually harvested. Fermented in stainless steel tanks for 15 days, with the seeds removed after four to six days. Undergoes malolactic fermentation. Racked into stainless steel tanks for four months’ maturation. Lightly filtered. Reducing sugar: 7.0 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Valmonti.
Cedar, “old lady’s rose perfume” (in the words of another taster), tea leaves, sour cherry. Becomes perfumier as it breathes and eventually takes on a honey note. Light- to medium-bodied. The bright acidity and higher-than-usual residual sugar confer a sweet-and-sour edge, “like rose kombucha.” Tannins are slim and only a little raspy. Dark minerals and a sappy green streak tether the floral component. A faint bitterness lingers through the finish. Quite different (more Ruchè- or Larcrima di Morro-like) from other Grignolinos I’ve tried – this one, for example. (Buy again? Probably not, though I’ll gladly check out the 2015 if it’s drier.)
Dogliani 2014, San Luigi, Chionetti ($21.80, 12466001)
See here for background on the producer. 100% Dolcetto from vines averaging around 25 years old and grown in the San Luigi vineyard. Manually harvested. The soft-pressed grapes were macerated and fermented in temperature-controlled (max 29–30°C) tanks with indigenous yeasts and daily pump-overs for seven days. The wine was racked into new tanks for malolactic fermentation and 11 months’ maturation. Saw only stainless steel until bottling. Cold stabilized but unfiltered. Reducing sugar: 1.9 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Mulberry, morello cherry, animale and sandalwood. A silky middleweight. Fruity but dry and nicely tart. Slightly rustic tannins give it a light, pervasive astringency, the rumbling of minerals a modicum of depth. Finishes faster than I’d like though a bitter almond note lingers. Pure, tasty and easy to down. (Buy again? Yep.)
MWG October 27, 2016, tasting: flight 4 of 7
On Borde
After studying oenology and working at estates in various regions of France, Julien Mareschal founded Domaine de la Borde in Pupillin in the Jura in 2003. The estate currently has 5 ha of vines, 3.5 ha of which are white grape varieties. The vines – the typical mix of Chardonnay, Savagnin, Poulsard, Pinot Noir and Trouseau – average around 30 years of age. Though synthetic chemicals and herbicides have been avoided from the start, the estate officially switched to organic farming only in 2012, when it also began following certain biodynamic procedures.
Arbois Pupillin 2014, Terre du Lilas, Domaine de la Borde ($40.25, 12886494)
100% Chardonnay from a steeply sloped (20°), southwest-facing vineyard of argillo-calcareous topsoil over deep grey marl. Altitude: 450 m. Manually harvested. Eighty percent destemmed. The pressed juice is chilled to 6 to 8°C, then clarified by settling for 12 to 24 hours. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in 500-litre neutral oak barrels. Undergoes malolactic fermentation. Matured on the lees for 20 months. Reducing sugar: 2.4 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Intriguing nose of toffee, shrimp shells and apricot yogurt. Medium-bodied, hazy and round, with no sharp edges. Apple, lemon, oatmeal and mineral flavours intertwine. Acidity buoys. Finishes long and on a dried seaweed note. Approachable and likeable. (Buy again? Yes.)
Arbois Pupillin 2014, Naturé, Foudre à Canon, Domaine de la Borde ($40.25, 12886566)
100% Naturé (aka Savagnin from a very steeply sloped (30°) vineyard of grey and blue marl covered by paper shale. Altitude: 400 m. Manually harvested. Eighty percent destemmed. The pressed juice is chilled to 6 to 8°C, then clarified by settling for 12 to 24 hours. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in 600- and 1,200-litre foudres. Undergoes malolactic fermentation. Matured on the lees for 20 months. Reducing sugar: <1.2 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Initial surprising aromas (smoke, “sour cabbage,” “paprika”) segue into less unexpected limestone, pear and dried lemon zest as the wine breathes. Bracing and a little austere on the palate. White and citrus fruit and a mother lode of minerals are thrown into relief by streaming acidity and a striking absence of sugar. White spice and brine haunt the long finish. The purity and delineation are breathtaking. Even better three or four hours after opening. (Buy again? Done!)
Arbois Pupillin 2014, Côte de Caillot, Domaine de la Borde ($40.25, 12886427)
100% Chardonnay from a very steeply sloped (30°), south-facing vineyard of pebbly argillo-calcareous topsoil over limestone. Altitude: 550 m. Manually harvested. Eighty percent destemmed. The pressed juice is chilled to 6 to 8°C, then clarified by settling for 12 to 24 hours. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in second- to fifth-fill 500-litre oak barrels. Undergoes malolactic fermentation. Matured on the lees for 20 months. Reducing sugar: 1.3 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Complex nose of “butter,” “smoke,” tropical fruit, sweat, “hay” and a hint of honey. Richer and a bit sweeter seeming than the Lilas. Except for the addition of yellow apple, the flavours echo the nose. Soft-glow acidity provides enough freshness, the aforementioned flavours and a chalky/flinty substrate produce a layered effect. Long, honey-cream finish. (Buy again? Sure though not in preference to the Terre du Lilas.)
A flight that generated a lot of discussion. Most around the table were seduced by the Chardonnays, found the Naturé too austere. When cleaning up after everyone had left, I discovered tail ends of the bottles in the fridge and revisited them. The Chards were still beguiling but seemed a little soft and shapeless and dominated by caramel/toffee/honey. The Naturé, on the other hand, was singing, glorying in its vibrancy, intensity and awesome minerality. I bought a bottle the next day.
MWG October 27, 2016, tasting: flight 3 of 7
Mottura mouth
Civitella d’Agliano 2015, Poggio della Costa, Sergio Mottura ($23.50, 10782309)
100% Grechetto from organically farmed 30-year-old vines grown in the Poggio della Costa vineyard. Manually harvested, soft-pressed, cold-settled, fermented with selected yeasts in temperature-controlled (18-20°C) tanks for 20 days. Matured on the lees in tanks for six months. Sees only stainless steel until bottling. Filtered. Screwcapped. Reducing sugar: 1.3 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Valmonti.
Subtle, wafting nose of minerals (quartz), preserved lemon, straw with some flowers in it, “fennel bulb” (per another taster) and a saline note. Lemony and “chalky” in the mouth, the zingy acidity balanced by the not inconsiderable extract. A faint bitterness marks the long, clean, minerally finish. Simpler than the Orvieto but ultimately more appealing. (Buy again? Yes.)
Orvieto 2015, Tragugnano, Sergio Mottura ($22.40, 11660830)
A blend of organically farmed, well, what? The winemaker says Procanico (aka Trebbiano, 45%), Verdello (25%), Grechetto (20%) and Rupeccio (10%, so obscure it’s not mentioned in Wine Grapes). SAQ.com, the Quebec agent and some online merchants say Grechetto (50%), Procanico (40%) and Sauvignon Blanc (10 %). Whichever variety they are, the grapes come from the estate’s oldest vineyard (35 years old) and are manually harvested, vinified separately and blended and filtered just before bottling. Fermented with selected yeasts and matured on the lees until the spring in stainless steel vats. Reducing sugar: 1.2 g/l. 14% ABV. Quebec agent: Valmonti.
Reductive, “skunky” aromas dissipate leaving fruit (“dried mango”) and floral aromas. Very dry and quite extracted. Rounder and a bit blander than the Poggio della Costa, showing a little less personality, though far from a wallflower. Citrus and minerals run into the long finish, where they’re joined by a hint of Sauvignon Blancy grassiness and that telltale bitterness. (Buy again? Sure.)
MWG October 27, 2016, tasting: flight 2 of 7
Start off?
Montlouis sur Loire, Brut Nature, François Chidaine ($29.35, 11537049)
100% Chenin Blanc from biodynamically farmed vines between 20 and 50 years old. Manually harvested in several passes. The grapes are pneumatically pressed. Alcoholic fermentation with indigenous yeasts takes place in 600-litre demi-muids and can last up to six months. Malolactic fermentation is usually avoided. Sparkled using the traditional method. Undosed. The bottles spend 12 months on lattes. Reducing sugar: 8.2 g/l. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: Le Maître de Chai.
The cork emerges easily and without the expected pop. No foam and only a little fizz are to be seen in the glasses. The nose is complex with notes of sweat, wax, distant fields, citrus and oxidized pear. A sip shows the wine to be barely effervescent and what bubbles there are tiny and tickling. The low level of fizz combines with the extract, smooth acidity and touch of residual sugar to convey an impression of roundness. Quince and pear flavours tinged by browning dominate the palate, while the mineral substrate and a hint of white spice come to the fore on the long finish. Probably a defective bottle but still engaging and delicious. (Buy again? Yes, to see if ours was off or to re-experience it if it wasn’t.)
MWG October 27, 2016, tasting: flight 1 of 7
Brett happens 