Posts Tagged ‘Mo’ Wine Group’
MWG February 19th tasting: Mostly Macabeu
IGP Côtes Catalanes 2013, Blanc, Clos du Rouge Gorge ($45.00, private import, NLA)
All or mostly Macabeu (some claim it also contains a dollop of Carignan Blanc) from vines around 80 years old that had been abandoned and were about to be torn out when winemaker Cyril Fahl acquired the vineyard and revivied it using biodynamic methods. Manually harvested. Non-interventionist winemaking with spontaneous fermentation. Matured nine months in neutral 500-litre barrels. Minimally sulphured at bottling, with some carbon dioxide added by way of compensation. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
When young, the wine needs to be carafed hours before serving (one MWG member reports carafing it 24 hours before paring it “memorably” with oysters). After nearly two hours in the carafe, ours had an initially odd nose of “canned tuna” (quoting one of the tasters) that soon evolved into acacia blossom, pear and pineapple water, “pine nuts,” crushed stone and so much more. Complex and layered in the mouth. The ethereal fruit tends to pear, apple, faint citrus. Minerals abound. Acidity shimmers. Saline and bitter notes colour the long finish. A unique, spellbindingly protean wine, more elegant and profound than the Cours Toujours and slower to give up its many secrets. While the paradigm is different from, say, a Meursault’s, this is one of France’s great whites and, as such, it’s a QPR winner at under $50. (Buy again? In future vintages, as many as I can afford and lay my hands on.)
Côtes du Roussillon 2012, Cours Toujours, Domaine du Possible ($32.00, private import, NLA)
The estate farms organically. This is mostly Macabeu with a little Grenache Gris. Manually harvested. Non-interventionist wine-making with spontaneous fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Matured 12 months in used barrels. Bottled unfiltered, unfined and with very little or no added sulphur. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Initially reticent but evolving nose: dried pineapple, yellow apple, quartz dust, background straw and honeycomb. More fruit-forward than the Clos du Rouge Gorge. A little wilder and more rustic too. Ripe-sweet on the attack; full of crunchy minerals on the mid-palate; turning drier, sourish and saline on the long finish. A here-now joy to drink. (Buy again? For sure.)
(Flight: 2/5)
MWG February 19th tasting: Kung Fu fighting
One evening late last spring, friends and I were downtown and in the mood for good East Asian fare but not for waiting in line. We decided they would drop by Kazu for takeout while I’d hit an SAQ Express for wine. Predictably, the selection of compatible bottles at the store was pitiful. After much dithering, I ended up with a 2012 Kung Fu Girl Riesling and a crémant de Bourgogne. It was our first experience with the KFG and we were not impressed. In fact, I’ve never heard the end of it.
Yet KFG regularly gets rave reviews from local and international critics: “Mid-priced marvel … great job” (Bill Zacharkiw in The Gazette); “91 points … Top 100 Wines … Best Value” (Wine Spectator); “clean, fresh, incredibly pure … rock star effort … 90 points” (Wine Advocate); “flat out delicious … 91 points … Best Buy” (Wine Enthusiast); “shows Riesling’s fun and funky side … 16.75/20 points” (Decanter); etc. Such praise seemed hard to reconcile with our impressions of the 2012.
Obviously a double-blind test was in order. And that was the idea behind this flight.
Okanagan Valley 2012, Riesling, Tantalus ($29.80, 12456726)
100% Riesling from five- to 35-year-old vines grown in several parcels. Fermented in small lots over two months, more or less. Blended and bottled in the spring following harvest. Screwcapped. 15 g/l residual sugar, 10.5 g/l total acidity, 2.85 pH, 12.8% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Fetching nose of creamy lemon-lime, quartz and flint. Smooth, fluid even rainwatery at first though turning richer as it breathed. Sweet-tart and fruity (“green apple Jolly Rancher” noted one taster) with lots of chalk and a long finish with some petrolly retro-nasal action. The sweetest (bordering on off-sweet) and most overtly Riesling of the three. The weightiest too, though not at the expense of liveliness. The exuberant fruit lasts through the finish while the acidity just zings. Minerals are there if you look for them. Initially winsome but coming across as a little slutty by the end. Several around the table said they’d buy it if, like the other wines in the flight, it were priced in the $20-$22 range. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Nahe 2013, Fröhlich Trocken, Weingut Schäfer-Fröhlich ($21.25, 11897159)
In my flu-induced fog, I assumed this, like Schäfer-Fröhlich’s other wines at the SAQ, was a Riesling but it’s actually 100% Rivaner (aka Müller-Thurgau), not that the variety is mentioned anywhere on the bottle or the winery’s website. My bad. The grapes come from several parcels and the wine is made entirely in stainless steel tanks. 7.3 g/l residual sugar, 11% ABV. Quebec agent: Avant-Garde.
A nose more Sauvignon Blanc than Riesling: cat pee with the lime and apple relegated to the background. Definite sulphur aromas too that more or less blew off. In the mouth, it’s light-bodied and as minerally as fruity. While there’s not a lot of depth, a spritzy tingle lends height. The residual sugar is effectively neutralized by the brisk acidity. My initial reaction was meh but the wine grew on me until I quite liked it by the end. Would make a credible aperitif or summer evening deck wine and might accompany Thai food quite well. (Buy again? Sure.)
Washington State 2013, Riesling, Kung Fu Girl, Charles Smith Wines ($20.05, 11629787)
100% Riesling from vines planted in 1998 and now in the new Ancient Lakes AVA bordering the Columbia River. Given a long, cool fermentation. Sees only stainless steel until bottling. Screwcapped. 13 g/l residual sugar, 7.9 g/l total acidity, 3.21 pH, 12% ABV. MSRP: US$12 but can easily be found for $1 or $2 less in the States. Quebec agent: AOC & cie.
Floral, boudoiry nose with pineapple and stone fruit in the background. Off-dry and fruit-forward on the attack but drying and hollowing out as it moves through the mouth. Short on acidity, depth and follow-through. Along with crushed rock, there’s an odd, vaguely chemical edge to the finish – one taster likened it to McDonald’s apple juice. Not awful but nothing to get excited about, especially when you can buy a superior German Riesling for less. Tellingly, this was the only bottle with a glass’s worth of wine remaining in it at the end of the tasting and nobody wanted to take it home. Why do critics constantly rate it so highly? (Buy again? Only if in dire need of a Riesling and nothing better is available.)
(Flight: 1/5)
MWG January 8th tasting: A marriage made in heaven
The tasting ended with a dessert wine, a Tokaji Aszú from Béres, the producer of the dry whites that so impressed us in the third flight.
As the aszú designation indicates, some of the grapes had been shrivelled and concentrated by Botrytis cinerea (aka noble rot). Assuming the Béres is made according to standard practice, the botrytized grapes are destemmed, stored for about a week and “then kneaded to a pulp which is added to a base Tokaji wine, or to must, by the puttony (a hod of twenty to twenty-five kilos). The eventual sweetness depends on the number of puttonyos added to the 136-140-litre barrels (called gönchi) of one-year-old base wine – usually 3, 4 and 5 puttonyos; 6 is exceptional,” quoting Hugh Johnson’s Wine Companion.
Tokaji Aszú 2007, 5 puttonyos, Béres ($53.45/500 ml, 12387791)
A blend of Hárslevelü and Furmint from vines between six and 32 years old. Manually harvested. Fermented with selected yeasts in Hungarian oak barrels for four weeks. Did not undergo malolactic fermentation. Matured off the lees in 220-litre Hungarian oak barrels for 24 months. Lightly filtered, then bottled and aged another 12 months before release. 9.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Valmonti.
Rich nose of apricot, honeycomb, orange marmalade and acacia blossom. On the texture spectrum, somewhere between satin and cream. It’s also very sweet. In fact, were it not for the racy acidity, the wine would be unctuous and cloying. Layered and complex but also clean and pure. Yellow apple and pear compote, peach and toffee are the dominant flavours; minerals are there if you dig for them. The finish lasts for minutes. Delicious now but still a baby (the producer claims this can age up to 50 years). (Buy again? Gladly.)
Like many Tokaji Aszús, this would make an exquisite pairing for foie gras. At the tasting, it was served with the clementine and almond syrup cake (sans chocolate icing) from Ottolenghi and Tamimi’s excellent Jerusalem cookbook. While I’d figured the pairing would work, it proved to do far more than that: not only did the wine and the cake make each other taste better, the effect was quite different depending on which you tasted first.
(Flight: 8/8)
MWG January 8th tasting: A pair of Dão reds
Dão 2011, Reserva, Quinta da Pellada/Àlvaro Castro ($28.25, 11902106)
A blend of Alfrocheiro (65%) and Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz (35%) from vines between 25 and 65 years old. Manually harvested. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and minimal intervention in large concrete and Ganimede stainless steel tanks. Matured in fifth-fill, 400-litre French oak barrels. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Mainly plum with hints of licorice, slate and white pepper and a surprising whiff of spruce beer. Fruit-dense yet remarkably fresh in the mouth. Subliminally structured. Smoky minerals add ballast and linger well into the long finish. Such a beautifully balanced, pure and drinkable wine. Hugely enjoyable if primary now; potentially sublime after another four or five years in the bottle. (Buy again? Imperatively.)
Dão 2011, Duque de Viseu, Quinta dos Carvalhais ($14.95, 00546309)
Quinta dos Carvalhais is the Dão arm of Portugese giant Sogrape. Contrary to what SAQ.com claims, this is a blend of Alfrocheiro (28%), Touriga Nacional (28%), Jaen (20%) and Tinta Roriz (18%). The grape varieties are vinified separately. The grapes are destemmed and gently crushed, then gravity-transferred to temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for six days’ fermentation and maceration. The free-run juice is transferred to stainless steel tanks, the skins to a pneumatic press, with the press juice being added to the free-run juice for malolactic fermentation. After blending, a fraction of the wine is matured for 12 months in used French oak barrels while the remainder ages in stainless steel tanks “regularly undergoing clarification” (whatever that means) and micro-oxygenation. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Charton Hobbs.
Dark fruit, savoury spices and notes of latex glove and rose. Smooth and supple with good acidity and yielding tannins. The ripe-sweet fruit is darkened by earthy minerals. There’s pleasing surface aplenty but little depth. Spices faintly overtone the clean if somewhat abrupt finish. Not memorable but not bad for a $15 industrially produced wine. (Buy again? If more interesting options aren’t available, sure.)
(Flight: 7/8)
MWG January 8th tasting: A pair of organic red blends from the Languedoc
Faugères 2012, L’Impertinent, Château des Estanilles ($18.05, 10272755)
Organically farmed Syrah (30%), Grenache (20%), Mourvèdre (20%), Carignan (15%) and Cinsault (15%). Manually harvested. Destemmed and crushed. The varieties are vinified separately, with fermentation and maceratation adapted to each variety. Matured in stainless steel tanks (90%) and oak barrels (10%) for around one year. 14% ABV. Quebec agent: AOC & cie.
Red fruit (especially elderberry), spice (especially black pepper), cedar, a hint of burnt rubber. In the mouth, it’s a rich, round and smooth middleweight. The crunchy fruit tends to cassis and is nicely textured by tannins and acidity while light oak and a streak of minerality add nuance. Finishes on a savoury, herb and leather note. Good, clean fun. (Buy again? Yep.)
Languedoc 2012, Montpeyroux, Domaine d’Aupilhac ($22.95, 856070)
A blend of Mourvèdre (30%), Syrah (25%), Carignan (30%), Grenache (10%) and Cinsault (5%) from organically and biodynamically farmed vines averaging 35 years old. Destemmed and crushed. The varieties are vinified separately. Fermentation (with indigenous yeasts) and maceration with daily punch-downs last about three weeks and take place in open, temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. Matured in small foudres and used barrels until the summer following the harvest, then blended and returned to the foudres and barrels for further maturation. In all, the wine is barrel-aged for about 20 months. Unfiltered. 14% ABV. Quebec agent: Bergeron-les-vins.
Initial whiff of reduction dissipates, leaving plum, dried cherry, slate dust, paprika and some charred notes. As round and smooth as the Estanilles but also, for now at least, a little less deep. In compensation, the fruit is remarkably pure, underpinned by sleek acidity and solid if cushy tannins and faintly overtoned with garrigue that lingers through the long, dark-minerally finish. I suspect this is passing through a closed phase and will deepen with a year or two in the bottle. If drinking now, carafe a couple of hours before serving. (Buy again? Yep.)
While the Impertinent is light and bright enough to drink on its own, the Montpeyroux is more of a food wine.
(Flight: 6/8)
MWG January 8th tasting: A pair of Cab-based blends from Provence
IGP Principauté d’Orange 2012, Daumen ($17.90, 12244547)
For background on the estate, see here. This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (35%), Grenache (30%), Merlot (15%), Syrah (15%) and Carignan, Cinsault and Mourvèdre (5%) from organically and biodynamically farmed vines in Daumen’s own vineyards in the Méreuilles and Clavin lieux-dits. The Syrah vines are 20 years old, the others 40 to 60 years old. Manually harvested. Destemmed. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled vats. Matured about 12 months, half in lined concrete vats and half in 50-hectolitre oak foudres. Bottled unfiltered, unfined and with only a little added sulphur. 14% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Expressive nose: red and black fruit and jam, incense, spice chest and hints of green pepper and violet. Full-bodied but fresh and fluid. The ripe fruit and dark minerals are structured by glowing acidity and firm, round tannins that come to the fore on the long, warm, black pepper-scented finish. Pure, balanced, even elegant. Outstanding QPR. (Buy again? Done!)
VDP du Var 2010, Les Auréliens, Domaine de Triennes ($20.60, 00892521)
Founded in 1989, the estate is a joint project of Jacques Seysses (Domaine Dujac), Aubert de Villaine (Domaine de la Romanée-Conti) and a Paris-based friend. Les Auréliens red is a 50-50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah from organically farmed vines. Vinified on a lot-by-lot basis. Fermentation and maceration last 12 to 25 days for most lots and up to 35 days for exceptional lots, with the Cab receiving daily pump-overs and the Syrah getting daily punch-downs. Matured 12 months in used oak barrels sourced from Domaine Dujac. Lightly fined but unfiltered. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Séguin & Robillard.
Plum, raspberry and cassis with whiffs of herbes de Provence, leather and aged red meat. An appealingly round middleweight in the mouth, less dense and structured than the Daumen but far from flaccid. The tannins are supple, the acidity lambent. Transitions from ripe-sweet and fruity to dry and savoury on the long finish. Very enjoyable. (Buy again? Yes.)
(Flight: 5/8)
MWG January 8th tasting: A pair of Chilean Pinot Noirs with a French connection
Casablanca 2012, Pinot Noir, Refugio, Montsecano y Copains ($25.05, 12184839)
The estate is a joint project involving three Chileans and Alsatian André Ostertag. Two wines, both 100% Pinot Noir from organically and biodyanmically farmed vines, are made. This is the second wine. Manually harvested. Macerated and fermented with indigenous yeasts for 12 to 18 days. One-quarter is matured in 16-hectolitre concrete eggs for 12 to 18 months, three-quarters in stainless steel tanks. Unfiltered and unfined. A tiny amount of volcanic sulphur is added at bottling. Screwcapped. 14% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
After the faint screwcap reducto-fartiness blows off, a nose more mulberry than red berry with whiffs of undergrowth, minerals and spice (had I been drinking double-blind, I would have guessed it was a young-vine, cool-climate Syrah). Supple and juicy, full of sun-drenched fruit, grounded in minerals, structured by light tannins and bright acidity, faintly streaked with a stemmy greenness. Kirsch and a hint of smoke scent the credible finish. Far from profound but certainly drinkable. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Valle del Aconcagua 2012, Pinot Noir, Subsollum, Clos des Fous ($24.05, 12304335)
“Clos des Fous is about four friends who decided to grow vine in gloomy, cold and unpredictable places in the southern regions of Chile.” The estate’s first commercial vintage was 2010; the 2012 is the first vintage of the Subsollum. The grapes for this 100% Pinot Noir come from organically and semi-biodynamically farmed young vines in Malleco and coastal Aconcagua. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in lined concrete vats. A small proportion is matured in barrels. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Réserve & Sélection.
Not what you’d call a Burgundian nose: red berries and plum intermixed with “cinnamon candy,” “Worcestershire sauce,” “green ketchup” and “a leather jacket with mothballs” (to quote four tasters). A medium-bodied mouthful of solarized but not very sweet fruit, raspy tannins and trickling acidity, all shadowed by earthy mineral and spice flavours/aromas and a faint underlying bitterness. Long. On the plus side, the wine’s got character in spades. Unfortunately, it’s also somewhat coarse and unfocused. Maybe it needed more time in the bottle or carafe or maybe it’s the young vines. In any case, it leaves me curious about future vintages. (Buy again? In years to come, quite possibly.)
Both wines were a hit with the New World aficionados, a bit less so with the Old World fans. But even the latter had to admit they had a certain appeal and were true to their origin, not slavish imitations of Pinots made elsewhere, including Burgundy. In an article on Chilean wines published last fall, the Gazette’s Bill Zacharkiw advanced that “once they [Chilean winemakers] stop trying to please export markets and simply make the wine that is the best expression of what they have, those markets will come to them.” Wines like these and Clos Ouvert’s various offerings are a definite step in that direction.
(Flight: 4/8)
MWG January 8th tasting: A pair of dry Tokajs
Manufacturer of a vitamin supplement popular in Hungary, the Béres family acquired a 45-hectare estate near the village of Erdőbénye, in the heart of the Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region, in 2002.
Tokaji 2009, Naparany Cuvée, Béres ($20.60, 12178922)
A 50-50 blend of Furmint and Hárslevelü from nearly decade old vines. Naparany (“sungold”) refers to the latter’s colour. Manually harvested. Alcoholic fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast takes place in stainless steel tanks lasts three weeks. Prevented from undergoing malolactic fermentation. Matured on the lees three months in third- and fourth-fill Hungarian oak casks. Filtered before bottling. Aged six months in bottle before release. 6.3 g/l acidity, 2.3 g/l residual sugar, 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Valmonti.
Intriguing nose of peach, dried leaves, parsnip, hints of orange peel and caramel. Dry, medium-bodied and intense yet buoyant and fluent, the ripe fruit carried on a gurgling stream of acidity. Turns a little fiery – not hot – on a long finish that’s full of salty butterscotch notes. Exotic, saucy and impressive. The winemaker suggests smoked goose breast with kidney beans, cream of spinach soup with dry ham, and potato, egg and smoked pork hash with garlic sour cream as pairings. (Buy again? For sure.)
Tokaj-Hegyalja 2009, Löcse Furmint, Béres ($23.90, 11766335)
The estate’s flagship wine. 100% Furmint from 30-year-old vines growing in the Löcse vineyard. Alcoholic fermentation with indigenous yeasts in Hungarian oak casks lasts one month. Prevented from undergoing malolactic fermentation. Maturation on the lees in 30% new Hungarian oak barrels lasts eight months. Filtered before bottling. Aged three months in bottle before release. 6.1 g/l acidity, 1.7 g/l residual sugar, 14.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Valmonti.
Complex, umami-rich nose of quince, mushroom, faint nuts, hints of dried herbs. Rich, broad, deep and super long. Powerful and weighty yet balanced, even elegant. Bone-dry fruit, a mother lode of minerals and incandescent acidity dominate the mid-palate and last well into the super-long finish, where they’re joined by subtle oak and that palate-slapping fieriness. Wow-worthy and even better than the impressive 2008. As pairings the winemaker suggests “woodcutter’s roast” (sliced pork loin braised with onion, mushroom, bacon and, optionally, tomatoes and green pepper, and served with fried potato bread) or potato soup with smoked sausage, paprika and sour cream but I couldn’t stop thinking of chicken or tripe paprikash. (Buy again? Absolutely.)
For many of the assembled tasters, this was the flight of the night. The QPR for both wines is off the charts.
(Flight: 3/8)
MWG January 8th tasting: A pair of organic Soaves
Soave Classico 2013, Inama ($20.65, 00908004)
100% Garganega from organically farmed 30-year-old vines. The grapes are manually havested, destemmed, crushed, macerated on the skins for four to 12 hours, then pressed. The must is chilled and allowed to settle for 12 to 14 hours followed by alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. The fermented wine is racked into vats for eight months’ maturation. Sees only stainless steel until bottling. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Bergeron-les-vins.
Lovely, delicate, nuanced nose of lemon, white peach and just mowed flowery fields. Subtle and nuanced in the mouth too, fine-grained and dry. The pure fruit is infused with a rainwater minerality and soft-glow acidity. A faint carbon dioxide tingle only adds to the impression of freshness, while hints of almond and honey colour the bitter-threaded finish. (Buy again? Gladly.)
Soave Colli Scaligeri 2013, Castelcerino, Cantina Filippi ($20.10, 12129119)
100% Garganega from organically farmed vines most of which average 45 years old. Manually harvested. After pressing, the must is gravity-fed into stainless steel tanks. Temperature control is used sparingly if at all. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Does not undergo malolactic fermentation. Matured on the fine lees for about six months, with occasional stirring, and an additional year in the bottle. Minimally sulphured before bottling. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Lemony and a bit Sauvignon Blanc-like with pear, limestone and faint floral notes. Clean and business-like on the palate, a delicate complex of minerals, white fruit and citrus that fade into a telltale bitter-almond finish. There’s acid aplenty but, oddly, the wine stays earthbound (“ça manque d’éclat,” in the words of one taster), which is surprising given its excellence in earlier vintages and the reception the 2013 has been getting from local restaurateurs and sommeliers. Perhaps ours was a slightly off bottle? (Buy again? At least another bottle for research purposes.)
(Flight: 2/8)
MWG January 8th tasting: A pair of Sud-ouest whites
As custom has it, the Mo’ Wine Group’s first tasting after the holidays focuses on inexpensive and affordable wines. This year we began with a couple of dry whites from southwest France.
IGP des Côtes de Gascogne 2012, Les Tours, Domaine La Hitaire ($10.20, 00567891)
About two-thirds Ugni Blanc and one-third Colombard with a dollop of Gros Manseng from half-century-old vines. Cold-macerated on the skins for six to eight hours. Low-temperature fermentation. The finished wine is stored in tanks at near-freezing temperatures and bottled year-round on an as-needed basis. Sees only stainless steel. Vegetarian-compatible. Screwcapped. 10.5% per the label, 11.5% per the SAQ. Quebec agent: Mosaïque.
Opens with a whiff of screwcap funk evocative of mesclun past its best before date. As that blows off, canned peach and rock aromas emerge and are eventually joined by Sauvignon Blanc-ish grass and gooseberry notes. In the mouth, the wine’s a middleweight but lacks substance (“a bit watery” one of the tasters noted). That said, it’s fresh and clean despite the hint of residual sugar, which effectively counterbalances the crisp acidity, adds some heft and tames the citrus-pithiness. Suffered from the comparison with a significantly more expensive wine; would probably have fared better on its own. (Buy again? Sure though not in preference to the similarly priced Robertson Chenin Blanc.)
Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh 2010, Les Jardins de Bouscassé, Alain Brumont ($17.10, 11179392)
A blend of Petit Courbu and a little Petit Manseng from vines planted in various parcels and averaging 15 years old. After pressing, the must is fermented in tanks at between 16 and 18°C. Maturation on the lees with regular stirring lasts 10 to 12 months. 14.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Mark Anthony Brands.
Perfumy, floral (orange blossom?) nose with faint fresh herb and brown sugar overtones. Smooth and fruity in the piehole. Fatter, deeper, broader and more layered than the Les Tours. Frisky acidity enlivens the satin-textured yellow fruit and minerals. Finishes clean, dry and on a faint aniseed note. Hides its alcohol well. (Buy again? Sure though I’d be tempted to chip in another $6 and buy the more accomplished Montus Parcherenc instead.)
(Flight: 1/8)
Brett happens 