Posts Tagged ‘Mo’ Wine Group’
MWG November 13th tasting: Blanc de Francs
Vin de France 2012, K. Blanc, Ferme de Mont-Benault ($32.32, private import, 6 bottles/case)
Named after the Mont-Benault lieu-dit in Faye d’Anjou, the 6-hectare estate, 4 hectares of which are in production, was created in 2009 and is owned and operated by Stéphane Rocher. Rocher is a neighbour of Richard Leroy, the winegrower featured in the celebrated graphic novel Les ignorants. Organic farming (AB certification), manual harvesting, light racking, fermentation with indigenous yeasts, conservation of the fermentation gases, no fining and minimal sulphuring (only at bottling) are the guiding principles. Most of the wines are designated vin de France, meaning the labels can state neither the vintage nor constituent grape varieties. This 2012 is a still blanc de noirs made from Cabernet Franc with a dollop (10%) of lees-stirred Chenin Blanc. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV/Insolite.
Complex, one-of-a-kind nose of minerals, wax and faint pickle juice. Equally inscrutable and intriguing in the mouth, with a certain heft and roundness, fruit tending to pear, underpinning acidity, a vein of flinty chalk and a touch of bitterness on the long finish. Can easily see this working with walleye or other freshwater fish. (Buy again? Yes, especially if in the mood for something different.)
(Flight: 4/9)
MWG November 13th tasting: Natural born Alsatians
Alsace Pinot Blanc 2013, Les Pierres Chaudes, Domaine Julien Meyer ($27.43, private import, 12 bottles/case)
100% organically and biodynamically farmed Pinot Blanc. (This is not the blend of the 2012 and 2013 vintages labelled 12.13 but the all-2013 bottling.) Manually harvested. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Underwent partial malolactic fermentation. Lightly filtered (fine earth) before bottling. Unfined. No added anything, including sulphur. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV/Insolite.
A Pinot Blanc not in the vin plaisir mould, as hinted at by the savoury nose of mushroom and daffodil. The acidic attack notwithstanding, the wine feels hefty and “rainwatery soft,” to quote one of the tasters. Full of ripe fruit (pear and apple mainly), bitter almond and chalk flavours. Broad, smooth finish. (Buy again? Sure, though not without wishing it were a few bucks cheaper.)
Alsace Riesling 1998, Grand cru Moenchberg, Domaine Moritz ($33.35, private import, 6 bottles/case)
100% Riesling from two Moenchberg parcels – one planted in 1985, the other in 1960 – totalling 14.6 ares (0.36 acres). Farming is, for all intents and purposes, organic but not certified as such. Manually harvested, gently pressed, fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in large old oak barrels. Bottled in the fall of 1999. In a typical year, about 1,000 bottles of this wine are made. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV/Insolite.
Fourteen years old and probably at peak. A noseful of tertiary aromas including petrol, tarragon, caramel and peppermint. Smooth and dry in the mouth with just enough acidity and lots of ripe, soft fruit. Quartz and caramel thread through the very long finish. A good, not great vintage but a lovely, complex wine and an excellent price for a one-and-a-half-decade-old grand cru. (Buy again? Yes, for drinking in the short term.)
(Flight: 3/9)
MWG November 13th tasting: White gold
Vouvray sec 2004, Domaine Lemaire-Fournier ($26.45, private import, 6 bottles/case)
100% Chenin Blanc. The now-defunct 30-hectare estate was located in Vernou-sur-Brenne, close to Vouvray. In 2004, the estate was in its third year of conversion to organic farming. The wines were made with native yeasts and abjuring enzymes, chaptalization, deacidification, fining, added nutrients, tartric stabilization and sulphur. The estate’s remaining stocks of wine are being liquidated, which explains the reasonable price. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV/Insolite.
A whiff of nail polish remover quickly blows off, leaving an evolved, complex nose of honeysuckle, camomile, banana peel, chalk, pear, dried mushroom, caramel and, eventually, buckwheat honey. On first sip you wonder whether it isn’t heading into off-dry territory but, no, the wine is dry albeit rich. The vibrant acidity is smoothed and rounded by the extract. The layers of fruit are set against a backdrop of crunchy minerals and joined by salted caramel on the long finish. Impressed just about everyone around the table. Amazing QPR. (Buy again? Obviously.)
Cour-Cheverny 2007, François 1er, Vieilles Vignes, Domaine des Huards ($32.00, private import, 6 bottles/case)
This is the big brother of Huard’s “Romo” Cour-Cheverny that the MWG tasted in June. 100% Romorantin from organically and biodynamically farmed vines averaging 75 years old. Manually harvested. Two-thirds of the grapes are immediately pressed, one-third are macerated on the skins for 15 hours before pressing. Fermented with indigenous yeasts at between 18 and 20°C. Matured on the lees for five months. Cold-stabilized before bottling in the September following the harvest. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV/Insolite.
Intriguing nose of Jerusalem artichoke, wax, white flowers, limestone, dried lemon peel, faint honey. Round yet lively in the mouth. The fruit is understated but lacy-textured and multifaceted, buoyed and freshened by Romorantin’s nervous acidity and infused with chalky minerals that last well into the impressively long finish. A delectable, elegant, complete wine deserving of a fine seafood dish (think langoustines). (Buy again? Oh, yes.)
(Flight: 2/9)
MWG November 13th tasting: Sparkle plenty
La QV’s head honcho Cyril Kérébel recently led the Mo’ Wine Group in a tasting of natural wines from La QV’s and Insolite’s portfolios. We kicked things off with a tasty sparkler.
Saumur 2004, Méthode Traditionnelle Brut Non-dosé, Château La Tour Grise ($25.29, private import, 12 bottles/case)
100% Chenin Blanc from organically and biodynamically farmed vines averaging a quarter of a century old. Manually harvested. After sorting, the grapes are destemmed and pressed, with the must racked directly into the fermentation vessel. Primary fermentation, with indigenous yeasts, is stopped before all the sugar has been converted to alcohol. The wine is bottled and allowed to referment, producing the carbon dioxide that sparkles the wine. After extended ageing on the lees while stacked on lattes, the bottles are riddled, disgored and topped up but not dosed (a dosed cuvée is also made) and sealed with a cork and cage. Throughout the wine-making process, nothing is added to the wine except a small squirt of sulphur dioxide at bottling. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV/Insolite.
Browning apple, pear blossom, chalk, yeast and hints of citrus and anise. Dry and medium-bodied with a fine effervescence. The nuanced set of flavours is centred on understated fruit and an array of minerals. A leesy, saline undercurrent adds savour while a faint pithy bitterness shades the long finish. Remarkably fresh for a decade-old wine because the bottles are disgorged and topped up just before they’re shipped. A delicious, aged, natural sparkler for $25 and change. What’s not to like? (Buy again? Yes indeed.)
(Flight: 1/9)
MWG October 2nd tasting: Rioja faceoff
Both wines were carafed and poured back into the bottles about four hours before we got around to them.
Rioja Gran Reserva 2005, Marqués de Murrieta ($39.00, 12259554)
Tempranillo (84%), Garnacha Tintorera (13%) and Mazuelo (aka Carignan, 3%). The grapes are destemmed, crushed and fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for ten days with daily pump-overs and punch-downs. Matured 25 months in American oak barrels and 36 months in bottle before release. 14% ABV. Quebec agent: Bergeron-les-vins.
Mocha with cherry, blackberry, dried fruit and sweet spice relegated to the background. Full-bodied, dense and velvety. Dark-fruited with a mineral streak. The tannins are plump, the acidity bright if cloaked, the oak pervasive but not cloying. Chocolaty finish. Lacks focus and dimension, especially depth, next to the Prado Enea. Popular with several of the tasters, some of whom bought bottles. Reasonably priced. (Buy again? Not my style but if it’s yours, go for it!)
Rioja Gran Reserva 2005, Prado Enea, Bodegas Muga ($50.25, 11169670)
Tempranillo (80%), Mazuelo (10%), Graciano (5%) and Garnacha (5%) from vines averaging 35 years old. Manually harvested. Fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and without temperature control. Matured nine months in new oak barrels and 27 months in “semi-new” American oak barrels and at least 36 months in bottle. 14% ABV. Quebec agent: Vins Balthazard.
A far more intriguing nose: the expected red and black fruit are joined by prominent graphite and animale aromas while spice, floral and smoky vanilla notes add complexity. Rich, concentrated and mouth-filling but not heavy. Acidity gives the ripe-sweet fruit an inner glow. The firm but unaggressive tannins are beginning to resolve. Vigorous chewing reveals real depth of flavour and structure. Oak, spice and leather colour the long, elegant finish. A sumptuous wine that’s just beginning to transition from the primary stage. (Buy again? To revisit in 15 or 20 years.)
“After these wines, you need to floss,” quipped one taster. Not that that stopped him from polishing off both glasses.
(Flight: 6/6)
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)
MWG October 2nd tasting: Garnacha v. Grenache
Rioja 2010, Propiedad, Bodega Palacios Remondo ($36.00, 10256131)
100% Garnacha (aka Grenache) from 40- to 90-year-old vines. In previous vintages, the wine has been a blend; the 2010 is the first all-Grenache bottling. The grapes were manually harvested, sorted in the vineyard and again at the cellar and fully destemmed. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts and maceration with regular punch-downs took place in 5,000-litre oak vats and lasted nearly a month. Matured 14 months in French oak barrels, 50% new and 50% second-fill. Unfiltered and unfined. 14.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Les vins Horizon.
New Worldish nose: up-front plum and cherry, spicy notes (black pepper especially) and background vanilla. In the mouth, it’s a middleweight. Bright acidity and smooth tannins supplely structure the ripe-sweet fruit, while a slatey underlay adds depth. The oak-accented finish is heady, even a little flaring. Enjoyable in an uncomplicated – “one-dimensional” quoth one taster – fruit-forward way. Before the bottles were unveiled, another taster (tasting double-blind) who spends a lot of time in San Francisco declared this a Californian. And even I (tasting blind) was convinced it was the Bonny Doon. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Grenache 2012, Central Coast, Clos de Gilroy, Bonny Doon Vineyard ($28.30, 12268557)
Mostly biodynamically farmed Grenache (84%, from the Alta Loma vineyard in Greenfield) with a little Syrah (11.5%, from the Alamo Creek Vineyard near Santa Maria) and Mouvèdre (4.5%, from very old vines in Oakley). Manually harvested and sorted. Mostly destemmed. The varieties were vinified separately. A cold soak of several days was followed by lengthy fermentation (with indigenous yeasts) and maceration in open vats with regular punch-downs. Matured in stainless steel tanks, then blended and bottled. Screwcapped. 14.4% ABV. Quebec agent: Trialto.
Fresh nose of crushed raspberry, white pepper and pastry cream over a subterranean bass line. Tighter and more structured than the Rioja, though also a middleweight. The satiny fruit is lifted by high acidity, framed by sleek tannins and grounded by dark minerals. Finishes cleanly on a heady, herb-scented note. An appealing mix of suave and gruff. Unfortunately, like so many California wines in Quebec, the QPR seems a little off. (Buy again? At $28.30, maybe. If it were $5 cheaper, sure.)
(Flight: 4/6)
MWG October 2nd tasting: Cabernet Francness
Guiberteau makes three red Saumurs, all from Cabernet Franc. For each, the organically farmed grapes are picked by hand, sorted and fully destemmed. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts and maceration take place in concrete vats and last ten to 60 days depending on the vintage and cuvée. Nothing is added during the winemaking process except a minimal amount of sulphur dioxide at bottling.
Saumur 2013, Domaine Guiberteau ($25.15, 10516465)
100% Cabernet Franc from organically farmed vines planted in 1955 and 1957. About three-quarters of the fruit typically comes from Les Arboises and the remainder from Les Motelles. Maturation is in neutral (third- and fourth-fill) barrels for nine to 18 months depending on the vintage. About 10,000 bottles made. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Les vins Alain Bélanger.
A little sweaty and farty at first but then a classic Cabernet Franc nose of red berries, spice (“cardamom” per one taster), dried wood and green pepper. Medium-bodied and dry, young and bright. The fruit is pure, the acidity sweet, the tannins slender and just firm enough. The long finish is marked by mineral and forest floor aromas and hint of black licorice. Refreshing and so easy to drink. The winemaker says this will age five to ten years from vintage, but I’d find its youthful freshness hard to resist. (Buy again? For sure.)
Saumur 2011, Les Motelles, Domaine Guiberteau ($44.00, 12114822)
Planted in 1955, Les Motelles in a 1.4-hectare lieu-dit located in Montreuil-Bellay. The soil is gravelly clay. Guiberteau keeps the yields at an astoundingly low 25 hl/ha. Matured in second-, third- and fourth-fill barrels for at least 18 months. In most years, about 4,000 bottles are made. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Les vins Alain Bélanger.
Ash, red and black currants, dried leaf and slate. Lush and velvety on the surface. Despite the underlying acidity, the wine comes across as a bit lumbering alongside the other two wines in the flight, lacking the domaine’s fleetness and the Arboises’s refinement. The ripe fruit holds no hint of greenness while the tannins are round and plush. The wood is detectable only on the long finish and will be fully integrated in a year or two. The winemaker says this will age more than ten years. (Buy again? A fine wine but I’d pony up the extra $8 and buy the Arboises.)
Saumur 2011, Les Arboises, Domaine Guiberteau ($52.00, 12114857)
Les Arboises is a 1.65-hectare lieu-dit with chalky-clayey soil in Brézé. The vines were planted in 1957. Matured in a mix of new and first- and second-fill barrels. In most years, about 4,000 bottles are made. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Les vins Alain Bélanger.
Beautiful, complex bouquet with all of the above and more, including spice chest and faint toast. Structured and taut, with a velvety texture. The ripe fruit is in perfect balance with the fine, lightly astringent tannins and sleek acidity. A floral note (violet?) chimes in on the long finish. So pure, so fresh, so profound. A gorgeous wine with a decade or two of life ahead of it. If a Pauillac mated with a Vosne-Romanée, their offspring might be something like this. (Buy again? A case if I could afford one.)
(Flight: 3/6)
MWG October 2nd tasting: Chenintensity
Writing up my tasting note on Domaine Guiberteau’s delicious 2013 Saumur Blanc (the domaine bottling) back in September, I noticed that six of the estate’s seven wines were currently available in Quebec. Whence the idea for this and the following flight.
Mentored by Clos Rougeard’s Nady Foucault, 40-something Romain Guiberteau has been making wines from his family’s vines since the late 1990s. The 12-hectare estate, 9.4 hectares of which are planted to vines, comprises parcels in Montreuil-Bellay, Saint-Just-sur-Dive and, above all, Brézé, a legendary climat for white varieties. The vines, about evenly split between Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, range in age from four to 80 years, with most toward the upper end of the range. Guilberteau has been farming organically since 2000 and received AB certification in 2007. The wines are well regarded – Guiberteau is widely viewed as a rising star of Saumur – and are found on the lists of many of France’s top restaurants.
Saumur 2013, Domaine Guiberteau ($23.45, 12370658)
100% Chenin Blanc from organically farmed, five- to 60-year-old vines grown in the estate’s three main vineyards. Manually harvested. Whole-cluster pressed. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in concrete tanks. Spent several months on the lees with no stirring. No additives other than sulphur dioxide. Lightly filtered before bottling. 11.5% or 12% ABV, depending on whom you believe. Quebec agent: Les vins Alain Bélanger.
Complex nose of white flowers, chalk and quartz, mowed meadow, lemon. One taster claimed to detect “wet tweed.” Clean, focused and bracing in the mouth, not extracted or weighty. Acidity is high but not sharp, instead conferring freshness and, in combination with the citrusy fruit and chalky minerals, tension. Long tart finish. An elegant, food-friendly wine. (Buy again? Def.)
Saumur 2012, Clos de Guichaux, Domaine Guiberteau ($30.00, 11461099)
Located in Bizay, near Brézé, the Clos de Guichaux is a monopole, meaning Guiberteau owns the entire vineyard and makes all the wine that comes from it. The chalky clay subsoil is covered only by a thin (30 cm) layer of topsoil. At present, about 1.5 hectares of a total 3 hectares has been planted, entirely to Chenin Blanc from massale cuttings taken from the estate’s best old vines in Brézé. As the cuttings were planted in 2003 and 2004, this is a young vines cuvée. The grapes were manually harvested and whole-cluster pressed. Fermentation was with indigenous yeasts and no chaptilization. Maturation lasted ten months and took place in second- to fourth-fill 600-litre oak barrels. The wine was lightly filtered before bottling. 13.5% ABV. Québec agent: Les vins Alain Bélanger.
People got caught up in exclaiming over “Bazooka gum wrapper” aromas but there was lots going on besides: quince, wool, dried honey, a veritable mine of minerals. In the mouth, it’s richer, minerallier and tighter than the domaine bottling. There’s so much stuffing you almost don’t notice the massive acidity. The fruit tends less to citrus, more to peach and apricot, and is buttressed by an intense minerality. A bitter honey note colours the long finish. A bit monolithic but, then again, this is nowhere near peak. (Buy again? Yes.)
Saumur 2011, Brézé, Domaine Guiberteau ($51.25, 12114831)
Sourced from two small parcels of half-century-old, low-yielding vines in the Brézé vineyard. Manually harvested, whole-cluster pressed, transferred into second- and third-fill 228-litre oak casks for fermentation and maceration on the fine lees for up to 24 months. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Les vins Alain Bélanger.
A strong bacon aroma dominated the yellow fruit (stone and tropical), caramel, honey, chalky earth and oak (as distinct from vanillin, mocha and smoke). On the palate, suave and… bacony! Elegantly structured: the humming acidity, pure fruit, crunchy minerals and elegant wood are exquisitely balanced. That fruit? Yellow apple-ish and less extracted and driving than in the Guichaux but also deeper, more layered. The oak is discreet and integrating nicely. All the elements intertwine persistently on the long finish. Just beautiful though still a youngster. (Buy again? Yes, to cellar for five to ten years.)
Oddly, neither the Bazooka gum in the Guichaux nor the bacon in the Brézé were noticeable when the wines were opened and carafed, about an hour before they were tasted. The Brézé’s bacon began dissipating after 30 minutes in the glass and had disappeared entirely an hour or so later.
(Flight: 2/6)
MWG October 2nd tasting: Moschofilero, still and sparkling
The tasting began with a challenge. As usual, the wines were served double-blind, with the bottles hidden in bags and no information on their provenance provided. For the first flight, the tasters were told only that the two wines had all kinds of connections. Could they deduce what the connections were?
Mantinia 2013, Moschofilero, Domaine Tselepos ($19.00, 11097485)
100% Moschofilero. The grapes are macerated eight hours at 10°C, then pneumatically pressed. Fermentation with selected yeasts and in stainless steel vats is at 12°C and lasts 20 days with regular stirring. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Aromatic nose: citrus and chalk along with white spice and orange blossom aromas that seem to place it midway between a Muscat and a Gewürztraminer. In the mouth, it’s clean and dry with a faint spritzy tingle. The forward fruit (grapefruit and peach) is held in check by bright acidity and threads of pith-like bitterness and saline minerality. A floral note perfumes the finish. More vivacious than deep (not that there’s anything wrong with that), this QPR winner makes a fine aperitif and is also a natural with Ottolenghi-esque vegetable salads and simple seafood dishes flavoured with aromatics like basil and fresh ginger. (Buy again? Yes.)
Arkadia NV, Amalia Brut, Méthode traditionnelle, Domaine Tselepos ($25.35, 11901103)
The world’s first naturally sparkling Moschofilero. The grapes are picked when their sugar is low and acidity high. Made using the traditional method. First fermentation is in stainless steel tanks and lasts 12 months. The wine is then bottled with several grams of rock sugar and closed with a crown cap. The sugar ferments, producing the carbon dioxide gas that gives the wine its sparkle. At the end of this second fermentation, the bottles are hand-riddled, disgorged and closed with cork stoppers. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Discreet nose: subtle fruit, faint minerals (“dried plaster” noted one taster) and hints of mead and yeasty ginger beer. Clean and dry with a fine bead. The fruit is greener and leaner than the still wine’s, tending more to lemon. The minerality is more pronounced and the acidity zingier. The grape’s intrinsic floral and spice aromas emerge mainly on the finish and even then are subdued. Comparisons with its sibling aside, this crisp and refreshing wine is a pleasure to drink. Can hold its own against any similarly priced sparkler on the market. (Buy again? Yes.)
A few tasters guessed that the wines were made by the same producer – no surprise there. One or two hesitatingly ventured that they might be made from the same grapes. A request to identify the country and region of origin elicited numerous replies, Alsace being the most common, but no one guessed Greece. Even after the bottles were unveiled, the connections between the wines qua wine were not particularly obvious, were ones you had to look for to draw. Still, just about everyone around the table enjoyed both wines, said they were surprising and considered them good buys.
(Flight: 1/6)
Brett happens 