Posts Tagged ‘Mo’ Wine Group’
MWG February 13th tasting (3/5): Three Dolcettos and an impostor
Barbera d’Alba 2008, Bric du Luv, Ca’Viola ($37.75, 11863080)
100% Barbera from vines averaging 65 years old and grown in the Bric du Luv vineyard (the SAQ says 5% of the wine is Nebbiolo but Barbera is the sole variety mentioned on the producer’s spec sheet). Macerated and fermented with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled tanks for 25 days. Matured 16 months in oak barriques and tonneaux (since 2011, 80% of the wine has been matured in large casks and the remainder in second-fill tonneaux to reduce interference from the oak and allow a better expression of terroir). Unfiltered. Around 6,600 bottles made. 14.5% ABV.
Candied plum and black currant, tarry slate and a haze of vanilla. Dense and weighty with a velvety texture, very ripe, very clean fruit, smooth acidity, polished tannins, an inky streak and a long, oak-sweetened finish. Impressive in its concentrated way but not very soulful or refreshing. More is less. (Buy again? Unlikely.)
Dolcetto d’Alba 2012, Augenta, Pelissero ($21.75, 10856793)
100% Dolcetto from 35-year-old vines in the Augenta vineyard. The grapes are macerated and fermented ten to 12 days in temperature-controlled casks with cold-decantation into stainless steel vats. Maturation in 50-hectolitre oak barrels lasts six to seven months. 13.5% ABV.
Brett, then cherry and plum, earth and old wood. In the mouth it’s a very dry middleweight showing dark fruit, sleek acidity and supple tannins. The bitter-edged finish is spoiled by an intrusion of oak, not heavy like the Ca’Viola’s but unintegrated, artificial and out of place for such an otherwise straightforward wine. Could use more depth and personality. (Buy again? Meh.)
Dolcetto d’Alba 2012, Fratelli Alessandria ($20.30, 11580186)
100% Dolcetto from vines averaging 18 years old and grown in various vineyards in the Verduno commune. Manually harvested. Fermented in temperature-controlled (26-28°C) stainless steel tanks for six to eight days. Matured six to eight months in stainless steel and cement tanks and another two months in bottle. Around 8,000 bottles made. 13% ABV.
Graphite dust, red berries, black tea and a floral note. Medium-bodied. Very dry yet intensely fruity. Carried along on a smooth-flowing, slate-bottomed stream of acidity with airframe tannins lightly rasping the finish and a taste of anise lingering long after you swallow. A classic Dolcetto d’Alba and the best vintage of this wine I’ve tasted. (Buy again? Yes.)
Dolcetto di Dogliani 2011, Briccolero, Quinto Chionetti ($22.15, 12131112)
100% Dolcetto from the Dogliani DOCG. Manually harvested. Temperature-controlled (28-30°C) fermentation on the skins with indigenous yeasts and daily pump-overs lasts 14 days. The wine is racked into new tanks for malolactic fermentation and 11 months’ maturation. Sees only stainless steel until bottling. Cold stabilized but unfiltered. Around 38,000 bottles made. 14% ABV.
Fresh, fragrant nose of dark berries, earth and hints of kirsch, flowers, horse sweat, spice. Mouth-filling but fleet. The fruit is up-front, pure and very intense at its core. Rustic tannins add textural interest, while acidity sharpens the long finish. Young, vigorous, even a little feisty, and lots of fun to drink. (Buy again? Done!)
The Barbera was supposed to be Ca’Viola’s 2010 Dolcetto d’Alba “Barturot” ($24.95, 11838431), but I distractedly grabbed the Bric du Luv, which has an identical capsule and a very similar label and was in the cubbyhole under the display bottle of the Barturot. Only when the bottle was unbagged at the end of the flight was the mistake revealed, though it was clear from the first sniff and taste that the Bric du Luv was a different animal from the three other wines.
MWG February 13th tasting (2/5): Hushed awe
Domaine Comte Abbatucci’s three flagship wines are grouped under the Cuvée Collection banner. All are blends of little known and, in some cases, nearly extinct Corsican grape varieties with less uncommon varieties like Vermetinu. Each is named after one of the family’s ancestors. The estate has also begun making two mid-range monovarietal wines, one white and one red, both from obscure varieties. As none of the wines qualify for AOC status, all bear the vin de table designation, meaning neither the vintage nor the constituent grape varieties can be mentioned on the label (Abbatucci stamps the vintage on the cork, which is how we knew our bottles were 2011s).
Vin de table (2011), BR, Domaine Comte Abbatucci ($51.00, 11930123)
100% biodynamically and organically farmed Barbarossa, a red-skinned grape variety here given the blanc de noirs treatment. The first vines were planted in the 1960s. The grapes are manually harvested and pressed immediately after picking. Fermented (with indigenous yeasts) and matured in stainless steel tanks. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. 2,000 bottles made. 13% ABV.
Initially reticent but eventually deep. Minerally and floral with hint of lemoncello and a faint herby overtone, like maquis or hops. Round yet very fresh in the mouth, the fruit structured by a crystalline minerality and enlightened by acidity. A faint, pleasing bitterness threads through the long finish. Breathtakingly pure and pristine, not to mention unique. (Buy again? Gladly.)
Vin de table (2011), Il Cavalière Diplomate de l’Empire, Domaine Comte Abbatucci ($64.00, 11930191)
A blend of biodynamically and organically farmed Vermentinu (c. 40%) with lesser amounts of Rossola Bianca (aka Ugni Blanc aka Trebbiano), Biancu Gentile, Genovèse and possibly Brustiano (aka Vermentino?!) from vines averaging 50 years of age. Manually harvested. Slow fermentation with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks. The fermented must is transferred to 600-litre used oak barrels for 12 months’ maturation. Unfiltered and unfined. 13% ABV. 1,500 bottles made. Named after Don Jacques Pascal Abbatucci (1765-1851), a childhood friend of Napoleon who served as an Imperial diplomat in Naples and fought at Waterloo.
Complex, nuanced nose of lemon, baked apple, maquis, fennel and wax, among other things. Slightly less dry than the BR. Dense and full, verging on lush but in no way flabby. On the contrary, there’s an enthralling tension and impeccable balance. Minerally and savoury with sweeter hints of stone fruit and a bitter undertow. Long, multifaceted, complete. The kind of wine that sticks in your memory for days. Arguably deserving of a place alongside France’s best whites. As a food pairing, the estate suggests simply prepared lobster seasoned only with a drizzle of fine olive oil. (Buy again? If the budget permits, yes, because, believe it or not, the wine’s if anything underpriced.)
The sketchiness of my notes is due partly to the wines’ being hard to describe; it’s a challenge to pin down what makes them so special. Also, the hushed awe that fell over the table when the first sniffs and sips were taken was soon broken by a distracting burst of comment and discussion, all of it positive. Several tasters expressed astonishment that wines of such quality and refinement could come from Corsica. Even the group’s resident white wine skeptic acknowledged their appeal and took second pours. Tellingly, both bottles were drained on the spot.
Given the tiny quantities produced, it’s surprising that the wines are even available in Quebec, let alone at the SAQ. They arrived at the Signature stores last fall and, though I wanted to include them in a tasting, the opportunity didn’t present itself and I’d assumed they were all gone. Fast-forward to early February, when Kermit Lynch’s monthly mailer showed up in my inbox with four 2012 Abbatuccis on page one. What struck me was the price: the three Collection wines were going for US$98 a bottle. Wondering whether I’d misremembered the SAQ price, I went to SAQ.com, which now lists products no longer in stock. Not only were the prices for the 2011s up to 40% cheaper in Quebec, there were still bottles of the BR, the CN (more on which anon) and one of the Collection whites available for purchase.
MWG February 13th tasting (1/5): Dry Riesling shoot-out
The idea for a flight comparing dry Rieslings from Germany and Australia came from a couple of recent Gazette articles (here and here) by wine critic Bill Zacharkiw, who says he plans to devote a good number of column inches in 2014 to promoting this underappreciated grape variety. All four wines were highly recommended, and rightly so (though in our case the Leitz was done no favours by being served last).
Riesling 2009, Eden Valley, B3 Wines ($24.55, 11034935)
B3 is shorthand for the three brothers Basedow who own and run the estate. This 100% Riesling sees only stainless steel. Screwcapped. 12.5% ABV.
Textbook nose of lime, green apple, white flowers, chalk, slate and petrol. Smooth and muted at first but gaining complexity. Quite dry and very present. The clean, bright fruit glows against a slatey backdrop while the acidity and minerals are intense enough to produce a faint burning sensation on the finish. The sulphurous note would have dissipated if I’d carafed the wine a half hour. (Buy again? Sure.)
Riesling 2012, QbA Rheinhessen, Trocken, Weingut Keller ($25.30, 10558446)
100% Riesling. Fermented at low temperatures and with indigenous yeasts. 12% ABV.
Lime, green pear and flowers on the nose – the fruit lightly candied, even a bit caricatural – along with an unexpected grassy note. Lighter and more rainwatery on the palate than the others and a little less dry, the better to balance the sharp acidity. The fruit takes a backseat to the crystalline minerality. A jalapeño note adds intrigue to the finish. And it’s all lifted by a faint carbon dioxide tingle. Focused, balanced and, as Zacharkiw says, fun. (Buy again? Yes, despite the high price for an entry-level wine.)
Riesling 2012 Springvale, Clare Valley, Grosset Wines ($38.25, 11625081)
100% organically farmed Riesling. Manually harvested. Sees no oak. Screwcapped. 12.5% ABV.
Deep if restrained nose: dried lime, yellow apple, chalk and meadow. The richest, weightiest and steeliest of the four. Bone dry too. The fruit is tightly wound around a talc-like mineral core. The acidity gives great cut. A saline note adds tang to the impressively sustained finish. There’s at least a decade’s worth of ageing potential here. Would make an interesting ringer in a flight of Alsatian grand cru Rieslings. (Buy again? Indeed.)
Riesling 2012, QbA Rüdesheimer, Leitz Weingut ($20.25, 11688402)
100% Riesling. Fermented with selected yeasts and matured in stainless steel tanks. Screwcapped. 12% ABV.
Sweet and sour lemon/lime, green apple and a hint of spicy peach. Relatively simple but appealingly fresh. Full of acidity but not sharp. The fruit is light and pure, the minerals tend to chalk, the finish is clean and long. In the vin plaisir category. (Buy again? Sure.)
Other than the wines themselves and seeing that Australia could easily hold its own, what was most striking about this flight was the lack of excitement it generated around the table. The tasters – who as a group are receptive to white wines and new experiences – were generally unenthusiastic. It’s not that they disliked the wines or couldn’t recognize their high quality. It’s that the wines didn’t push their buttons. Why that’s the case isn’t obvious to me, a Riesling lover from birth, but it would be interesting to know the answer.
An evening with Olivier Guyot (6/6)
Morey Saint-Denis grand cru 2008, Clos Saint-Denis, Domaine Olivier Guyot ($193.00, oenopole, 3 bottles/case)
100% Pinot Noir. 12.5% ABV.
Classy, layered and just beginning to open up – that’s true for the nose as well as the palate. Only a series of reconciled contradictions can hint at the wine’s allure: mouth-filling yet middleweight; intense yet fleet; structured yet supple; complex yet pure; refined yet down-to-earth (no need to give itself airs). With fruit, acidity and tannins in perfect balance, its elegance seems natural, unforced, while its depths seem unplumbable. The ever-evolving aromas and flavours – sweet berries, forest floor, sandalwood, earthy minerals, burning leaves, notes of beet, sarsaparilla, game and spice – hold you in thrall from first sniff through the very long finish. So proportionate and nuanced, so precise and complete. A thoroughbred. (Buy again? If price were no object, yes.)
An evening with Olivier Guyot (5/6)
Gevrey-Chambertin 2010, En Champs, Domaine Olivier Guyot ($66.50, oenopole, 6 bottles/case)
100% Pinot Noir from 60-year-old vines. 12.5% ABV.
Intense nose. Berries and black cherry, slightly candied, with hints of leather, wood and ink and a faint medicinal note. In the mouth, the rich, even weighty fruit is joined by mineral, oak and Asian spice flavours. Beautifully structured though still fluid: the tannins are firm but not astringent, the acidity present but not sharp. The sensation of fullness lasts well into the long finish. Young, true to the appellation (more country gent than city slicker) and full of potential. (Buy again? Sure.)
Gevrey-Chambertin 2007, Les Champs, Domaine Olivier Guyot ($66.50, oenopole, 6 bottles/case)
100% Pinot Noir from 60-year-old vines. 12.5% ABV. And, no, that’s not a typo; the cuvée recently changed names.
Defective bottle. The wine was heavily oxidized.
An evening with Olivier Guyot (4/6)
Chambolle-Musigny 2010, Vieilles vignes, Domaine Olivier Guyot ($92.75, oenopole, 3 bottles/case)
100% Pinot Noir. 12.5% ABV.
Textbook – if primary – nose: red berries, kirsch, faint notes of forest floor, violet, mushroom. Medium-bodied. Smooth and silky, rich and layered. Fruit, tannins and acidity are finely balanced, a balance that lasts through the lengthy finish. Even at this point, the oak is subtle and well integrated. A charmer. (Buy again? If I could scrape up the bucks, sure, though I’d probably be tempted to push the boat right out and fork over another $30 for the Fuées instead.)
Chambolle-Musigny 1er cru 2010, Les Fuées, Domaine Olivier Guyot ($125.00, oenopole, 3 bottles/case)
100% Pinot Noir. 12.5% ABV. Our bottle had been open for several hours.
Complex, earthy, engaging nose of Marmite, slate and mushroom against a backdrop of strawberry, black raspberry, violet and black tea, along with a faint oxidized note. Intense and fresh in the mouth. Supple yet structured. Possessed of every dimension, including the ability to suspend time. Great purity and balance and the most beguiling satiny texture. Beautiful. (Buy again? Would that I could.)
An evening with Olivier Guyot (3/6)
The Favières vineyard is located toward the bottom of the Marsannay hillside. The Guyot vines were planted in the 1980s. The estate makes another red Marsannay (dubbed La Montagne) from 90-year-old vines located at the top of the slope.
Marsannay 2010, Les Favières, Domaine Olivier Guyot ($35.75, 11906035)
100% Pinot Noir. 12% ABV. SAQ.com shows small quantities of this as being available. At the date of this posting, those bottles are all 2009s. The 2010s are in the SAQ’s warehouse and will be released in the coming weeks.
Primary: grapey nose only hinting at berries, spice, kirsch and oak. Supple, with airframe tannins and sleek acidity – silk to the 2009’s velours. The clean, ripe fruit is joined by some darker humus and mineral notes that linger into the sustained finish. Seems full of potential but a little out of sorts for now; will probably hit its stride in six months or a year. (Buy again? Yes.)
Marsannay 2009, Les Favières, Domaine Olivier Guyot ($35.75, 11906035)
100% Pinot Noir. 13% ABV. A few bottles remain in the system (showing as the 2010 on SAQ.com.
Darker and more reticent, the berries tending to black, the forest floor mixed with savoury herbs and charred oak. On the palate, the fruit is very ripe – not jammy but a little candied. Plush tannins and relatively low acidity give the wine a chewy texture. Broader than the other two but also not as deep. Some smoke appears on the finish. On its own, an amiable wine though more earthbound, less vital than its older and younger siblings. (Buy again? Not in preference to the 2010.)
Marsannay 2008, Les Favières, Domaine Olivier Guyot ($36.25 as a private import in 2012, NLA)
100% Pinot Noir. 12.5% ABV.
Beginning to express itself: red berries, leafmould, spice, kirsch and a touch of cola and vanilla oak. In a phrase, ça pinote. Still tight – maybe firm is a better word – but full, round and well balanced. The ripe fruit is structured by sinewy tannins and shot through with sliver threads of acidity. Sustained finish. The most complete of the three, though that may be partly a function of age. (Buy again? Moot but yes.)
This vertical showed the accuracy of Olivier’s vintage judgements: the unappreciated 2008 turning out classic, structured, long-lived wines; the overhyped 2009 giving birth to fruit-forward wines often short on finesse and best drunk in their youth; and 2010 a winegrower’s vintage capable of producing elegant, balanced expressions of terroir. He suggests drinking the Favières fairly young with grilled beef tenderloin.
An evening with Olivier Guyot (2/6)
Bourgogne rouge 2011, Domaine Olivier Guyot ($34.50, oenopole, 6 bottles/case)
100% Pinot Noir from “vines planted by my father and grandfather.” Like all of Olivier’s wines, spends 14 months in large fûts. Not cask aged, however. 12% ABV.
Fragrant nose: red berries, leafmould, hints of spice and old wood. Medium- bordering on light-bodied. Fluid and elegantly fruity but so dry. Animating acidity and fine, tight tannins add texture and some astringency. A faint bitterness – not like that found in Italian wines though – emerges on the finish. Straightforward, fresh and very easy to drink. (Buy again? A bottle or two to enjoy while waiting for the similarly priced 2010 Favières to show up at the monopoly.)
An evening with Olivier Guyot (1/6)
In town in late January on his way to the Gaspé peninsula for a week of snowmobiling, Côtes-de-Nuits winemaker Olivier Guyot made time for a tasting – his second – with the Mo’ Wine Group. Many thanks to oenopole for making this happen.
Initially mentored by the late Denis Mortet, Guyot farms organically and biodynamically but hasn’t bothered with certifications, preferring to call his approach traditional. The vineyards are worked with a horse. The grapes are harvested manually, rigorously sorted and, for the reds, partially destemmed. All wines are made using the same non-interventionist approach: fermentation with indigenous yeasts in open wood vats; gravity flow into untoasted oak barrels, a portion of which are new for the higher-end cuvées; and maturation ranging from 11 to 18 months depending on the cuvée and the vintage. In stark contrast to many Burgundy estates, racking is avoided and chaptalization is kept to a minimum. Sulphur is used sparingly. Ditto filtering and fining, if at all.
Having now tasted through two sets of bottles from a range of vintages, I think it must be the house style to make wines that are accessible at most or all stages of their development. If there’s a downside to the wines, it’s that the prices are a little higher than ideal; then again, that’s true for most Burgundies. Also, the wines are popular with restaurateurs – quite possibly due to the accessibility factor as well as their inherent quality – so they tend to sell out fast. Indeed, of the wines we tasted, only the Marsannay blanc and 2010 Chambolle-Musigny “Vieilles Vignes” remain available for purchase, though the 2010 Marsannay “Les Favières” is slated to show up at the SAQ in a few weeks.
When asked about recent vintages, Guyot (whose contrarian take on 2008 and 2009 has proved spot on) said 2010 produced classic if not marathon wines, 2011 was uneven but, when good, very good and 2012 was exceptional, though yields were low, allocations will be tiny and prices will be high. His advice: either start saving now or stock up on more affordable earlier vintages.
Aligoté 2011, Domaine Olivier Guyot ($24.50, oenopole, 12 bottles/case)
100% Aligoté from 70-year-old vines. 12% ABV.
Clean nose: minerals, apple, fresh straw, dusty lemon. Light but fruity and quite complex for an Aligoté. The piquant acidity comes out on the long, minerally finish. A fresh and refreshing Aligoté that ranks with the best. Drink young. (Buy again? Done!)
Marsannay blanc 2010, Domaine Olivier Guyot ($46.25, oenopole, 6 bottles/case)
100% Chardonnay from 70-year-old vines. Aged in a mix of new and used barrels. Olivier says this ages well, gaining an oily texture and nutty overtones with the years. 12% ABV.
Light tropical fruit (mango?), chalk, dried lemon peel and a lingering note of freshly mown field. Light to medium-bodied yet possessed of a real presence and a certain richness. The fruit is fully ripe but the wine borders on bone dry. Great minerality and good acidity. Pure and savoury, with a hint of spice on the finish. Delicious. Classic. (Buy again? If only it were a little less expensive… but a bottle or two quand même).
MWG January 16th tasting (8/8): Pheasants under glass
Kartli 2011, Tavkveri, Pheasant’s Tears ($28.50, La QV, 6 bottles/case)
100% organically farmed Tavkveri, which Cyril described as being a Georgian analogue to Gamay. 12.5% ABV.
Sweet-smelling nose, the red fruit sprinkled with maple sugar and joined by notes of spice, ink and wood. Smooth and supple in the mouth, with just enough tannin to lend the wine a velours-like texture. The red cherry-like fruit has a definite tang. Fun. (Buy again? Making a point of it.)
Kakheti 2011, Saperavi, Pheasant’s Tears ($29.75, La QV, 6 bottles/case)
100% organically farmed Saperavi, another red-fleshed grape. 12.5% ABV.
Surprising nose of oysters, slate, spice and a whiff of barnyard. Approachable if tense tannins and sustained acidity give this middleweight good structure. The silky fruit takes on an earthy edge that lingers through the long finish. There’s not a lot of depth here but a really interesting surface. Seems a shade lighter than the 2010 tasted last spring. (Buy again? Yes.)
Brett happens 