Posts Tagged ‘Organic’
Beau Bandol
Bandol 2011, La Bastide Blanche ($29.25, 10887451)
About three-quarters Mourvèdre and one-quarter Grenache with micro-dollops of Cinsault and Syrah from organically farmed vines averaging 30 years of age; the estate was certified Ecocert in 2012 and is gradually adopting biodynamic practices. Temperature-controlled maceration and fermentation with indigenous yeasts, with daily punch-downs and pump-overs, lasts about three weeks. After devatting, the wine is matured in oak foudres and demi-muids for 18 to 24 months. About 55,000 bottles were made. 14.7% ABV. Quebec agent: Trialto.
Dark fruit (blackberry, plum), leather, hints of truffle, licorice and Mediterranean scrub. Full-bodied but fluid. Very dry. The clean, ripe fruit is a big part of the attraction on opening but less vibrant and beginning to oxidize when the tail end is revisited a day later. The firm but lithe tannins and brightening acidity are well integrated. A dark, minerally undercurrent adds mystery. The finish is long and, on the second day, marked by an alcoholic flare. In earlier vintages this has always been an authentic, accessible, drinkable and fairly priced Bandol and the 2011 is no exception. A fine candidate for short- to medium-term cellaring, though nobody will complain if you open a bottle now to drink with grilled meat. (Buy again? Yes.)
Party wine
Côtes du Marmandais 2013, Le vin est une fête, Elian Da Ros ($20.65, 11793211)
A blend of organically 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 12 months in old barrels. Unfined and lightly filtered before bottling in December 2014. Sulphur is added only on bottling. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Attractive nose with a pronounced lactic note: cassis, blackberry and a whiff of wildberry yogurt along with faint pencil shaving and red meat notes. Medium-bodied, supple and silky. Fruity yet dry. The fruit is ripe but tart, the tannins raspy but light. There’s plenty of follow-through, with black pepper and slate colouring the long finish. Maybe a little less acidic – and thus a shade less fresh and lively – than the excellent 2012 but still a joy to drink, especially lightly chilled. If Bordeaux made a Beaujolais cru, it might well taste like this. Food pairings for this food-friendly wine? Roast fowl, rabbit stew, grilled pork, portobello burgers, bavette aux échalottes and more. (Buy again? Yep.)
This showed up a couple of weeks ago and stocks are already dwindling. If you’re interested, act fast.
We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming…
…to bring you the following public service announcement.
Normally I’d wait until all the notes from the MWG’s February tasting were up before posting this one. Why the rush? Because Domaine des Huard’s owner-winemaker, Michel Gendrier, is in town and will be pouring this and other wines at the excellent Le Comptoir charcuteries et vins tomorrow evening (Monday, March 9). And if that weren’t inducement enough, he’ll be joined by fellow Loire winemakers Étienne Courtois and Nicolas Grosbois. For details about this Romo love-in, see here.
Cour-Cheverny 2008, François 1er, Vieilles Vignes, Domaine des Huards ($24.45, 12476452)
Huard’s top-of-the-line dry Cour-Cheverny. 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. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV.
Honey, straw, chalk, dried lemon, browning apple, faint white spices and an even fainter whiff of kerosene. Medium-bodied but with a dense, bordering-on-unctuous texture. Ripe-sweet on entry, the fruit is nicely soured by a surging undercurrent of acidity before slow-fading into the long finish, revealing the mineral substrate and leaving behind a very dry, light astringency and a hint of nuttiness and coriander seed. A lovely, layered, elegant wine deserving of a dry goat cheese or a fine piece of fish (you’ll find a couple of recipe ideas after the jump). Available as a private import, the 2007 was a Loire lover’s must-buy at $32. At under $25, this 2008 is a certifiable bargain. (Buy again? Absolutely.)
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)
New wave vin jaune?
While many delicious wines were poured at last Sunday’s Small Secrets x Bar Barbara pop-up, this stood out in more ways than one.
Arbois 2007, Vin Jaune, Domaine André et Mireille Tissot ($77.25/620 ml, 10322581)
100% organically and biodynamically farmed Savagnin from several parcels. (This is the generic bottling. Now in charge of the estate, André and Mireille’s son, Stéphane, has also been making vineyard-designated vins jaunes since 1993 and recently introduced a Château Chalon.) The grapes are manually harvested, pneumatically pressed and fermented in tanks with indigenous yeasts. The resulting wine is transferred to 228-litre barrels for maturation. Contrary to conventional practice, the barrels are not topped up (the wine lost to evaporation is not replaced). A yeast veil soon forms on the surface, protecting and flavouring the wine. After six years, the wine is racked, lightly filtered and bottled in clavelins, squat 620-ml bottles (620 ml said to be the amount left from a litre of wine). No sulphur is added. 15% ABV. Quebec agent: Les vins Alain Bélanger.
Gorgeous outgoing nose. Lightly oxidized yellow plum and apple with hints of limestone, nuts and curry powder. Bone dry yet there’s a sweet fruitiness unlike anything I’ve encountered in a vin jaune and a freshness whose only parallel (in my experience) is found in Gahier’s 2005. Buoyant acidity enlightens the rich bordering on dense texture, while the fruit is faceted by mineral and butterscotch undertones and white and yellow spice overtones that perfume the long, long finish. Wonderfully pure and clean. Is Tissot pointing the way to a more immediately accessible, fruit-driven vin jaune? In any case, even in its infancy, this is delicious on its own and synergistic with aged Comté and walnuts. It also worked well with shards of old Gouda. (Buy again? Oh, yes. In fact, it’s the kind of wine that, if I had the money, I’d buy a dozen bottles of and open one every two or three years to track its evolution over its sure to be decades-long life.)
The Riesling chronicles: Théo v. Muenchberg
Alsace Riesling 2011, Cuvée Théo, Domaine Weinbach ($40.00, 10272552)
100% organically and biodynamically farmed Riesling grown in the Clos des Capucins vineyard. The grapes are manually harvested, gently pressed and fermented and matured in old oak vats with indigenous yeasts. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Séguin & Robillard.
Textbook nose dominated by lemon-lime and green apple with notes of petrol and crushed rock. Powerful yet fresh in the mouth. Dry, as the hint of residual sugar is obliterated by surging acidity. Deep, long and so minerally. Classic but not peaking for another few years. (Buy again? Yes.)
Alsace Riesling 2012, Grand cru Muenchberg, Domaine Ostertag ($57.50, 00739821)
100% organically and biodynamically farmed Riesling from 30- to 60-year-old vines growing in Ostertag’s 1.6 hecatres in the 17-hectare grand cru Muenchberg vineyard. The manually harvested whole clusters are pressed in a pneumatic press. The long fermentation with indigenous yeasts and maturation on the lees take place in stainless steel tanks, the entire process lasting just under 12 months. Underwent malolactic fermentation. 6 g/l residual sugar, 14% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Shockingly fragrant and floral at first, evocative of the boudoir, but eventually yielding more typical citrus and mineral notes along with a hint of peach/mango. Far more typical on the palate. The fruit is pure and ripe and the texture is remarkable – smoother and silkier than the Weinbach, the acidity as trenchant but better integrated. Indeed, the wine is breathtakingly well balanced, while the multi-dimensionality holds your attention to the very end of the long finish. Even in its youth, a gorgeous wine. That said, the price is shock-inducing: the 2010 went for $49. (Buy again? If feeling flush, yes. Otherwise wait until there’s a 10% off promo.)
Slow mo’ Somló
Located on the east shore of the Neusiedler See in eastern Austria (Burgenland), not far from the Hungarian border, the 55-hectare Meinklang estate is run by Werner and Angela Michlits. (The estate’s name is the German noun Einklang – unison, harmony – prefixed with the first letter of the owners’ family name.) The estate also has a vineyard in Somló on the Hungarian side of the border (you can see pictures of the area, the vineyard and the owner-manager in this short video in German and English with Hungarian subtitles).
The Michlits could be poster kids for the slow food/wine movement. Not only is the estate organic and biodynamic, it is largely self-sufficient, growing the grain for its beer, bread and animal feed, the hops for its beer, the apples and other fruit for its ciders and juices, the beef for weed control, fertilizer, sausages and horns so important in biodynamic farming, and so on. The wine- and beer-making is non-interventionist and uses indigenous yeasts.
Meinklang’s wines have been favourites of the Mo’ Wine Group since our first encounters with them. In fact, Meinklang is among the small group of producers whose wines we buy automatically, even without tasting them first. That was the case last fall with the new-to-us entry-level Somló white. And, true to form, it didn’t disappoint.
Somló 2013, Meinklang ($24.65, private import, 12 bottles/case)
A blend of organically and biodynamically farmed Hárslevelü (50%), Juhfark (20%), Olaszrizling (25%) and Furmint (5%) grown at the base of the Somlo volcano in southwest Hungary, not far from the Austrian border. The region’s balsat is weathered and topped with loess and light sand deposits, producing a fertile soil. Screwcapped. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV.
Peach, pineapple, grass and straw, basalt dust and hints of honey and white flowers. Intense even a little fiery in the mouth. The unctuous texture is shredded to ribbons by razor-sharp acidity. The ripe stone fruit barely holds it own against the crushing minerality. The peppery (white and paprika), savoury (sour and bitter) finish goes on and on. Such presence and character! Lovely as an aperitif but has the wherewithal to stand up to Hungary’s robust cuisine. Why is this not on the SAQ’s shelves? (Buy again? Moot – the 2013 is NLA – but multiples of the 2014 for sure.)
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 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)
Brett happens 