Posts Tagged ‘Organic’
Impeccable
Vouvray 2013, Brut, Domaine Vincent Carême ($26.05, 11633591)
100% Chenin Blanc from organically farmed vines. Manually harvested. Alcoholic fermentation took place in temperature-controlled fibre vats and was stopped when 28 g/l of sugar remained; in-bottle fermentation of that residual sugar created the effervescence. Reducing sugar: 4.7 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Dusty minerals, pear, a little peach and an earthy, maybe even cheesy note. Fine effervescence. In the mouth, it’s dry, round, quite complex and delightfully fresh. The fruit – here tending to apple and lemon – and minerals intertwine with a thread of bitterness and are lit up by crisp-verging-on-trenchant acidity. Long, clean finish. Impeccable. (Buy again? Definitely.)
MWG July 15th tasting: flight 5 of 8
Three takes on Pinot Noir
Alsace 2014, Pinot Noir, Vignoble d’E, Domaine Ostertag* (ca. $32, private import, 12 bottles/case)
A preview bottle of a wine that will be available this fall. Part of Ostertag’s Vins de Fruit line, this 100% Pinot Noir is made from grapes from two-decade-old organically and biodynamically farmed vines rooted in gravelly clay near the village of Epfig. Manually harvested. Destemmed. Macerated at 26°C for around 10 days. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and daily pumpovers but without chaptalization. Matured in stainless steel tanks until the end of the spring following the harvest. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Complex, savoury nose: red berries, bitter almond, fresh and dried herbs, prosciutto. Light- to medium-bodied, fluid and silky. The lean fruit is shaded by dark minerals and structured by bright acidity and supple tannins that turn a little gritty on the sustained finish. Definitely not a Burgundy but definitely a Pinot Noir, and a tasty and pure one at that. An intriguing pairing with a salad of raw rhubarb, fresh raspberries and greens. (Buy again? Yes, though not without wishing it were a few bucks cheaper.)
*I’ve not linked to Ostertag’s website as my Internet security software indicates it has been hacked and launches an Exploit Kit Redirect 5 Web attack. If your device is protected and you’re feeling adventurous, you can visit the site here.
Casablanca 2015, Pinot Noir, Refugio, Montsecano y Copains ($26.05, 12184839)
The estate is a joint venture involving three Chileans and 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. Reducing sugar: 1.4 g/l. 14% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
An initially reductive nose soon gives way to spice, red currant and strawberry-rhubarb.In the mouth, the wine is denser and more fruit-forward than its flightmates though still fluid and supple. Bright acidity and light if rustic tannins add welcome texture. Long, earthy finish. At this stage, benefits from a hour or two’s carafing. (Buy again? Sure.)
Bourgogne 2013, Bedeau, Domaine de Chassorney/Frederic Cossard ($58.42, private import, 6 bottles/case)
100% Pinot Noir from organically farmed vines. The manually harvested whole clusters are sorted and placed in tronconic wood vats, with carbon dioxide being added along the way to prevent oxidation. Once filled, the vats are loosely covered with plastic and left for 40 day’s maceration and fermentation with occasional pumpovers and/or punchdowns (by foot). The grapes are manually shovelled into to a pneumatic press and the press and free-run juice are pumped into a large vat for malolactic fermentation, then racked into oak barrels (30% new) for 12 to 15 months’ maturation. The finished wine is racked into a vat, allowed to rest one month and bottled by gravity. Unfiltered and unfined. Sulphur is used in the vineyard but not in the winery (Cossard even cleans his barrels with ozone), except for a tiny amount of sulphur dioxide added at bottling. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Strawberry, gunflint, background green herbs and leather, then classic Burgundy notes of red berries, spice and cedar. Medium-bodied, svelte and silky. Airframe tannins and bright-but-sleek acidity structure the remarkably pure fruit, while a mineral vein runs well into the long, clean finish. A savoury red Burg with great energy. (Buy again? If feeling flush, yes.)
MWG July 15th tasting: flight 4 of 8
Fluid and energetic, juicy and tart
Quebec 2015, Pinot Noir, Les Pervenches
100% Pinot Noir from biodynamically farmed, estate-grown wines. The grapes were destemmed, crushed, macerated several days and fermented with indigenous yeasts. The wine was transferred to plastic vats for eight or nine months’ maturation, then siphoned into bottles without filtering, fining or adding sulphur. Ours was one of only 12 bottles made. The rest of the wine was used in the estate’s ultra-chuggable Zweigelt-Pinot Noir blend. 11.5% ABV.
Complex if not effusively Pinot Noirish nose: “cinq épices” (quoting another taster), lees, “raspberry vinegar,” thread of green, “dried mushroom,” cedar. Fluid and energetic, a light-bodied mouthful of ethereal raspberry and rhubarb fruit, delicate but raspy tannins, electric acidity and a mineral backbone that last well into the nicely sustained finish. Pure, refreshing and tonic. Once again, Les Prevenches proves that authentic and delicious vinifera wines can be made in Quebec. (Buy again? If only…)
Cheverny 2015, Domaine du Moulin/Hervé Villemade ($26.46, private import, 12 bottles/case)
Pinot Noir (60%) and Gamay (40%) from organically farmed vines averaging between eight and 37 years old and rooted in sandy clay with flint. Manually harvested. Macerated on the skins for 15 days. Whole-cluster fermentation is with indigenous yeasts and no chaptalization. Matured in wood vats. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Cherry and raspberry upfront, ink and slate in the background with cedar and spice overtones. In the mouth, it’s on the lighter side of medium-bodied. Juicy and tart, it flows like a stream over smooth stones. A faint astringency textures the clean finish. Another dangerously drinkable wine and a delight with Boucherie Lawrence’s headcheese terrine. (Buy again? Oh, yes.)
MWG July 15th tasting: flight 3 of 8
Loire et blanc
Cheverny 2014, La Bodice, Domaine du Moulin/Hervé Villemade ($35.34, private import, 6 bottles/case)
Sauvignon Blanc (70%) and Chardonnay (30%) from organically farmed, 34-year-old vines. Manually harvested. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and no chaptalization. Matured on the lees in 550- and 228-litre barrels. Unfiltered. Minimal sulphur. Residual sugar: < 2 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Rice Krispies, pear, under-ripe lemon, hints of white cardamom, arak, powdered ginger and oxidation and, eventually, white pepper and kalonji. Medium-bodied and round, dry and satin-textured. Great balance between the sleek acidity and the dense fruit and minerals. Clean, precise and long, a pleasure to drink. (Buy again? Yes, despite wishing it were under $30.)
Touraine 2014, La Tesnière, Puzelat-Bonhomme ($33.33, private import, 6 bottles/case)
Among Thierry Puzelat’s négociant wines was a line made with a friend and former apprentice at Clos du Tue-Bœuf, Pierre Olivier Bonhomme. As Pierre Olivier has bought all of Thierry’s shares in the business, future vintages will be labelled with only Bonhomme’s name. This Touraine is made from purchased, organically farmed Menu Pineau (aka Arbois, 75%) and Chenin Blanc (25%) grown in flinty clay over hard limestone near the hamlet of La Tesnière. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in 228- and 500-litre vats. Matured 12 months in barrel. Sulphur use is kept to a minimum. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Powdered ginger again, “packing tape,” apple, pear and a whiff of something funky/cidery likened by some to “citronella” and “turpentine.” Great presence in the mouth: round, minerally and smoothly acidic from the attack through the long finish, with its lingering notes of honey, white spice and a faintly medicinal/floral aroma reminiscent of crushed marigold. A bite of smoked salmon on rye brings out the fruit, which tends to apple and lemon. Complex and engaging. If only it cost a few dollars less. (Buy again? Yes.)
MWG July 15th tasting: flight 2 of 8
A dangerously drinkable Sauvignon Blanc
In mid-July the Mo’ Wine Group again welcomed the irrepressible Steve Beauséjour to lead a tasting of recent and impending arrivals – mostly private imports – from Rézin, often in combination with food pairings as brilliant as they were surprising. We started with a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire.
Vin de France 2015, P’tit blanc du Tue Bœuf, Clos du Tue Bœuf ($24.00, private import, 12 bottles/case)
Clos du Tue Bœuf is owned and operated by the Puzelat brothers, with Thierry in charge of production. Besides making Touraine and Cheverny AOC wines from their own grapes, they produce a set of négociant wines, labelled Vin de France, using grapes purchased from growers who share Thierry’s philosophy. The P’tit Blanc is 100% Sauvignon Blanc from organically farmed vines between four and 20 years old in vineyards in the Cher valley. The grapes are pressed and the must is chilled and allowed to clarify by settling. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Matured four to six months in stainless steel tanks. Very lightly filtered. A tiny amount of sulphur is added at bottling. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Striking nose of grapefruit and cheesy feet segueing to chalk, faint apricot, melon and pink peppercorn. The expected Sauvignon Blanc aromas of boxwood and cat pee are absent at first but dominant about an hour after the wine is opened. One of the most saline wines I’ve tasted, especially on the attack. Very dry, extracted and unctuous, with glowing acidity, melon and apple flavours and good length. “Gras yet refreshing,” remarked one taster. “Dangerously drinkable,” declared another. An astoundingly synergistic match for an umami-rich quartet of seaweeds drizzled with ponzu-soy sauce dressing. (Buy again? Def.)
The wine is expected to arrive – and show up on Rézin’s website – in late August or September.
MWG July 15th tasting: flight 1 of 8
Blaufränkisch times two and a half…
…or maybe times two and three-quarters, since Zweigelt is a cross of Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent.
Burgenland 2013, Pitti, Weingut Pittnauer ($18.55, 12411000)
A 50-50 blend of Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt from biodynamically farmed vines. Manually harvested. Destemmed. Macerated on the skins for two to three weeks. Pressed pneumatically. Fermented (with indigenous yeasts) and matured (for about six months) in temperature-controlled stainless steel. Lightly filtered before bottling. Screwcap. Reducing sugar: 6.4 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Appealing nose of red and black berries and turned earth. In the piehole, it’s juicy, brightly acidic and, due to that, fundamentally dry. Floral aromatics and crunchy minerals colour the mid-palate while light raspy tannins mark the finish. A bit rustic and all the better for it. Totally poundbackable and a delight with grilled sausages, all for well under $20 – what’s not to like? (Buy again? Yep.)
Burgenland 2013, Blaufränkisch, Weinbau Uwe Schiefer ($24.75, 12806571)
100% Blaufränkisch. Schiefer, whose last name fortuitously means schist in German, is a former sommelier who decided to get his hands dirty. Located in southern Burgenland, his estate is organic but converting to biodynamism. The winemaking is minimalist: “All the wines ferment spontaneously and mature in differently sized casks on the yeast. No modern technology, no barrique.” Reducing sugar: 1.8 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Tocade.
Spice, leafmould and slate, gaining red meat and menthol notes. Medium-bodied and silky textured. Blackberry juicey – both very fruity and very dry, with streaming acidity, sleek tannins and a dark mineral underlay. Good length. Less complex and deep than Schiefer’s high-end cuvées (which cost twice as much) but still lovely. (Buy again? Yes.)
Burgenland 2012, Blaufränkisch, Reserve, Weingut Moric ($51.00, 12282527)
100% Blaufränkisch from century-old vines in the Neckenmarkt and Lutzmannsburg vineyards. Owner Roland Velich farms without herbicides, pesticides, fungicides or chemical fertilizers but doesn’t claim the organic label. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Matured in old barrels. Sulphur use is kept to a minimum. Unfined, like all Moric wines. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Evolving nose: rose, spice, slate and, eventually, leather and faint juniper berries. Beautiful if young, an extracted yet balanced mix of ripe fruit and slate, cranberry-like tartness and finely detailed tannins. “Bitterness adds the balancing touch” (quoting another taster) to the long, long finish. Great clarity and precision. Multidimensional but still a little monolithic (give it a few more years in the cellar or a few hours in a carafe), pricey but not overpriced. Having been burned so many times, I now buy backup bottles for tastings and return the backup if the first bottle isn’t defective. I’d planned to do that with this but couldn’t bring myself to part with the second bottle. (Buy again? Done!)
MWG April 14th tasting: flight 5 of 6
Elian Da Ros times two
Côtes du Marmandais 2014, Le Vin est une Fête, Elian Da Ros ($21.00, 11793211)
A blend of organically and biodynamically farmed Abouriou (40%), Cabernet Franc (40%) and Merlot (20%). Manually harvested. The Merlot and Cabernet were destemmed, macerated for ten to 15 days and gently pressed. The Abouriou clusters were kept whole and vinified using semi-carbonic maceration. All fermentations are with indigenous yeasts. The wine was matured 10 months in old barrels and one month in concrete tanks. Unfined and lightly filtered before bottling in late November 2015. Sulphur is added only on bottling. 12.5% ABV. Closed with a synthetic cork. Reducing sugar: under 1.2 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Some reductive aromas on opening but nothing double-carafing doesn’t take care of. One hour after opening: plum, slate, spice, iron and cherry yogurt. In the mouth, it’s medium-bodied and round, fruity but dry, with freshening acidity, lightly raspy tannins and good energy. Tasty and throwbackable, the kind of wine that almost drinks itself. Hard to imagine a more grill-friendly red. Serve lightly chilled. (Buy again? Yes.)
Côtes du Marmandais 2012, Chante Coucou, Elian Da Ros ($31.25, 12723142)
A blend of Merlot (50%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), Malbec (20%) and Syrah (10%) from organically and biodynamically farmed vines mostly in their third decade (the Merlot vines are a bit younger). Manually harvested. The Merlot and Cabernet are destemmed, the Malbec and Syrah aren’t. The varieties are vinified separately. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and gentle punch-downs of the cap. Total maceration time: two to three weeks. Matured 24 months in barrels. Blending occurred nine months before bottling, which took place on August 25, 2015. Unfiltered and unfined. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Our first two bottles were corked (all three came from the same case), so popped and poured unfortunately. On the nose, the fruit (red currant, blackberry, cherry) takes a back seat to “citronnelle,” “green,” vanilla and slate. Rich and finely structured in the mouth, the acidity sleek, the tannins still a little tight. Fruitier and more rustic than your average Bordeaux but very much in that mould. Finishes long and clean on a wood and mineral note. Continued evolving in the glass, indicating some aging potential: cellar three to five years or carafe an hour or two before serving. (Buy again? Maybe.)
MWG April 14th tasting: flight 4 of 6
Saumur blanc times two
Saumur 2013, Clos de Guichaux, Domaine Guiberteau ($29.65, 11461099)
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 by a thin layer of topsoil. About 1.5 hectares of the 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. All farming is organic. The grapes were manually harvested and whole-cluster pressed. Fermentation was with indigenous yeasts and no chaptalization. Maturation lasted ten months and took place in second- to fourth-fill 600-litre oak barrels. The wine was lightly filtered before bottling. Reducing sugar: < 1.2 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: LVAB.
Classic nose of honey, quince, linden, wax and quartz. Extracted and mouth-filling yet finely balanced. Bone-dry yet far from arid. Animated by streaming acidity and set against a backdrop of minerals, the rich fruit fairly glows. The wine’s tension and energy are spellbinding. One of the best Chenins in its price range. (Buy again? You bet!)
Saumur 2013, Collection Rézin, Château Yvonne ($29.75, 10689665)
100% Chenin Blanc from organically farmed vines between 12 and 80 years old. Manually harvested. Fermented with indigenous yeasts, matured in oak barrels (80% new) for 12 months and in tanks for six moths. Unfiltered and unfined. Reducing sugar: 2.5 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Outgoing, complex, savoury nose marked by yellow fruit (apple, citrus, stone, tropical), chalky minerals and a hint of resin. In the mouth, it’s rich, dry, acidic and balanced yet with a wild edge and a touch of oxidation. Young but already showing some depth and considerable breadth and length. More rustic and less finessed than the Clos de Guichaux (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but, if anything, with even greater presence. (Buy again? Yes.)
MWG April 14th tasting: flight 3 of 6
Different drummers
Saint-Chinian 2014, Antonyme, Domaine Canet-Valette ($17.80, 11013317)
A 50-50 blend of Mourvèdre and Cinsault from organically farmed vines. Manually harvested. The grapes are destemmed and fermented in tanks for 15 days. The wine is then transferred to other tanks for four months’ maturation. Sees only stainless steel until bottling. Reducing sugar: 2.5 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Le Maître de Chai.
Slightly candied red and black fruit with faint smoke and animale notes. Medium-bodied. Smooth, dense, fruity and dry but also listless and lacking relief, especially next to the À ma guise. I recall an earlier vintage (the 2006?) being more Beaujolais-like. Admittedly, the context didn’t do the wine any favours and I expect it will show better with food, ideally something red meaty and grilled (I’ll be hanging on to my backup bottle to see). (Buy again? Maybe.)
Vin de France 2014, À ma guise, Domaine Les Terres Promises ($25.87, private import, 6 bottles/case)
The 13-hectare estate, which includes a parcel in the Bandol AOC, is owned and operated by former Parisian political operative and author Jean-Christophe Comor and located in the Var department in the foothills of the Massif de la Saint-Baume near the village of La Roquebrussanne. The farming is organic, the wine-making is non-interventionist and the chai is open to the air. This primeur-style wine is a blend of around a dozen varieties including Carignan, Grenache, Cinsault, Clairette and Carignan Blanc. Unfiltered. No or very little added sulphur. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Le Vin dans les Voiles.
Complex, “natural” nose. Fleet yet mouth-filling. Chewy, juicy red fruit with exuberant acidity, supple tannins, a healthy dose of minerals, a squirt of vine sap and a dusting of earth. Smackingly tart finish. So very drinkable. A joy. (Buy again? Done!)
I first encountered the À ma guise at Satay Bros., where it was being poured by the glass. I liked it enough to have a couple of refills and, a few days later, to trek through the rain on foot and public transit to the middle of nowhere, aka the SAQ’s Futailles Street warehouse, to pick up a case so I could serve it at the tasting. The tasting’s bottle was cloudier than I remembered, a bit funky and not quite as stellar as the Satay Bros. bottle (which may have been open and poured from for a while), though it was still good enough for me to have no trouble selling the remainder of the case. Opened day or two later, a third bottle was verging on vinegar. Such are the vagaries of natural wines. Yet when the wine is on, such are the rewards that we put up with the disappointments.
MWG March 31st tasting: flight 5 of 6
Brett happens 