Posts Tagged ‘Piedmont’
Motley cru
Langhe Rosso 2013, G.D. Vajra ($21.95, 12464953)
Barbera (40%), Dolcetto (25%), Nebbiolo (25%) and Freisa (10%) per the SAQ, though chances are good it also contains small amounts of Albarossa and Pinot Nero. The grapes come from young vines and are manually harvested. Fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats with pump-overs and punch-downs. Matured around 15 months, mostly in stainless steel tanks as well as neutral barrels. Reducing sugar: 3.2 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Importations Syl-Vins.
Pleasant nose: cherry, mulberry, blackberry, sandalwood, dried leaves, slate, a hint of leather. Medium-bodied, clean and charming. The silky fruit is carried by smooth acidity that turns a little edgy as the wine moves through the mouth, while light raspy tannins gain a faint bitter astringency. Dry, especially on the long, aromatic finish, one of whose components reminds me of fresh apple seeds (yes, I eat apple cores) along with spice and herbal overtones. This may not knock many socks off but it’s well made, imbued with a sense of place and really quite enjoyable. It’s also food-friendly: easy-going enough to pair with pizza or pasta, elegant enough to accompany ossobucco or rabbit stew. (Buy again? Sure.)
Sausage love, 2016 edition
Forget those overpriced Valentine meals prepared by bored chefs and served by jaded waiters in stuffy restaurants. On February 14, sausage lovers, wine lovers and just plain lovers will be heading to Nouveau Palais for a hit of Pork Futures goodness (Italian sausage and slaw sandwiches with french fries and “La Bomba” hot sauce on the side) and glass after drinkable glass of Dolcetto from four outstanding producers (San Fereolo, Chionetti, Alessandria and Principiano), all poured by oenopole.
The Sixth Annual Valentine’s Sausage Party
“Because nothing says love like sausage”
Sunday, February 14, 2016
17:30 to 23:30 (or until they run out)
Nouveau Palais
281 Bernard St. West, Montreal
#iheartdolcetto
Two Pinot Noirs and an interloper
The teaser sent to MWG members prior to the tasting described this flight as “Two light-bodied reds. Same country, same grape variety. No other connections.” The third bottle was a last-minute addition, a new arrival (or maybe a restocking) generously donated by one of the group’s members.
Savoie 2014, Pinot Noir, Cuvée Gastronomie, Jean Perrier et Fils ($17.25, 00856997)
100% Pinot Noir. The grapes are manually harvested and pneumatically pressed. After clarification, thee must is transferred to temperature controlled (20°C) stainless steel tanks for three weeks’ alcoholic fermentation, followed by malolactic fermentation. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: LVAB.
Red berries and stems, slate, spice, earth and a hint of blood. One taster detected “endives.” Light-bodied and quite dry, with clean, bright fruit. Lightly astringent more than tannic. What minerals there are come out on the fair finish. A simple, supple, alpine wine that doesn’t scream Pinot Noir but is fresh and tasty enough. Not a keeper and should be drunk lightly chilled. Would have been a good candidate for the Without All flight. (Buy again? Sure.)
Alsace 2012, Rouge, Domaine Marcel Deiss ($26.35, 12185410)
100% Pinot Noir according to SAQ.com and the domaine’s Quebec agency; others claim it is a Pinot Noir-dominated field blend. Whatever the variety, the grapes come from biodynamically farmed vines. Manually harvested. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and regular punch-downs. Matured 12 months. Sees only stainless steel until bottling. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: A.O.C. & Cie.
Now we’re talking. As the French say, ça pinote! Blossoming nose of “cooked strawberries,” earth, leafmould and mushroom. Medium-bodied. Richer than the Perrier. In fact, denser and deeper than most Alsatian Pinot Noirs of my acquaintance. The fruit is juicy, the acidity smooth, the tannins supple. An earthy bass line rumbles nicely along though there aren’t the kind of high notes and overtones you can get with red Burgundies or Schueller’s sui generis Alsace PNs. Still, I’d gladly buy more of this suavely rustic wine. Carafe an hour or two and serve lightly chilled for best results. (Buy again? Yep.)
Langhe Nebbiolo 2009, Aurelio Settimo ($25.60, 12796616)
100% Nebbiolo from young vines growing in the Barolo appellation. Manually harvested. Fermentation on the skins with frequent punch-downs and pump-overs took place in concrete tanks at around 28°C (not temperature controlled) and lasted eight to ten days. Matured 48 months in concrete tanks. 14% ABV. Quebec agent: Vitis.
A wild mouse of a nose: “molasses banana cake,” kirsch, cut stems, rum-raisin, marzipan, “plasticine.” In the pie-hole, it’s medium-bodied, quite intense and a little alcoholic, a savoury mix of fruit, spice and minerals with lots of tertiary flavours, including an “aftertaste of black tea.” The acidity’s a bit edgy, the airframe tannins are mostly resolved and the finish, with its odd note somewhere between metallic and acrid, is longer than you want it to be. We’ve enjoyed wines from this estate in the past; this one not so much. An off bottle? (Buy again? Based on this bottle, unlikely.)
MWG January 14th tasting: flight 5 of 7
Noble Nebbiolo
Langhe Nebbiolo 2014, Produttori del Barbaresco ($25.20, 11383617)
Rain and frequently cool temperatures made 2014 a difficult vintage in much of Europe, including Piedmont. Fortunately, the Barbaresco region was drier than nearby areas (receiving only half the rainfall of the Barolo appellation) and enjoyed good ripening conditions in the late summer and early fall. This 100% Nebbiolo is made from young vines, all of which are located within the Barbaresco DOC. Fermented with selected “Barolo” yeasts at 28ºC in stainless steel tanks. Macerated on the skins for 24 days. Matured six months in very large oak barrels. No fining, light filtering, minimal sulphur dioxide. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Young but already beautiful nose: cherry fruit and wood, hints of sweet spice, tar, rose and forest floor. More voluptuous than the 2013 though still medium-bodied. The sweet, ripe fruit is tinged with dark, tarry flavours while wiry tannins and trenchant acidity provide a structure finer and more serious than in most $25 wines. Bitter chocolate and burnt licorice thread through the long, astringent (but not too) finish. Always good, this food-friendly wine excels in 2014 and is worth buying in quantity, as it will only improve with a couple of years’ aging. (Buy again? Automatically.)
Previously on Brett happens:
– Transformer (the 2013 + recipe)
– Baby Barbaresco (the 2012)
– Striking gold at Orange Rouge (the 2012)
– Charcuteries + uve italiane (the 2011)
– We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming (the 2011)
– Tasting with Aldo Vacca
– Nebbiolo and quail (the 2010 + recipe)
– The Schwartza as miracle fruit (the 2009)
The mayor of Dogliani
Trim, dapper and personable, Piedmont winemaker Nicola Chionetti was in town a few weeks ago. His youthful appearance notwithstanding, Nicola served a five-year term as mayor of Dogliani, a Langhe village whose surrounding vineyards are generally considered a top source for Dolcetto wine. In fact, Dogliani was the first of the only two Dolcetto appellations to have been granted the exalted DOCG status and the appellation’s identification with the grape is so complete that its denominated wines may be identified simply as Dogliani instead of Dolcetto di Dogliani.
One of the two or three leading Dogliani estates, Chionetti was founded in 1912 by Nicola’s great grandfather, Giuseppe. The name of Quinto, Nicola’s grandfather, continues to feature on the estate’s labels: Azienda Agricola Chionetti Quinto e Figlio. While farming techniques have always been sustainable, the estate is officially converting to organic practice. Its 16 hectares of vineyards produce around 85,000 bottles of wine in a normal year. Only three wines are widely marketed: the Dogliani DOCGs San Luigi and Briccolero and a Langhe Nebbiolo.
The winemaking for the two Dolcettos is nearly identical: manual harvesting, destemming, soft pressing, fermentation and maceration on the skins and with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks (29-30°C), maturation for around 11 months in stainless steel tanks, cold-stabilization and no filtering. The differences are the vineyards’ soils (clayey in San Luigi, more calcareous in Briccolero), the vines’ average ages (25 years old versus 45), yields (6,000 kg/ha versus 5,000), the typical length of maceration (10 days versus 14) and the usual alcohol level (13% versus 14). In a good vintage, the San Luigi can age up to 15 years, the Briccolero 20-25.
Among the activities slated during Nicola’s visit was a commented tasting and feast of a lunch at Hostaria for a large table of sommeliers, restaurateurs and wine writers, among whose company I was flattered to be included. Many thanks to oenopole for the opportunity to spend time with an artisan whose wines I have always enjoyed.
All told, we tasted six wines, two of which are currently available at the SAQ. You’ll find my notes after the jump.
Transformer
Langhe Nebbiolo 2013, Produttori del Barbaresco ($24.35, 11383617)
100% Nebbiolo from young vines, all of which are located within the Barbaresco DOC. Fermented with selected “Barolo” yeasts at 28ºC in stainless steel tanks. Macerated on the skins for 24 days. Matured six months in very large oak barrels. No fining, light filtering, minimal sulphur dioxide. Reducing sugar: 1.6 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Typical cherry, sandalwood and turned earth aromas and a faint dried rose petal note. A supple middleweight remarkable for its silky texture, smooth acidity, fine tannins and overall balance. The clean and very dry fruit is infused with a light astringency and deepened by a mineral underlay. A woody – not oaky – taste colours the long finish. Vintage in, vintage out, this is one of the most consistently delicious, fairly priced wines made. (Buy again? By the case.)
Another Schwartza as miracle fruit-like moment here. Spurred by a rave about the pairing from occasional commenter thomasein, I served this with pepper steak made according to a New York Times recipe, whose stroke of genius is that it calls for a mix of black and Szechuan peppercorns. I don’t know whether it was the magical numbingness of the Chinese spice, the bland richness of the fillet steak (beef is a classic Nebbiolo pairing) or the soothing softness of the cream – though based on the Schwartza experience, I suspect it’s the cream – but the dish tamed the wine’s astringency, debauched its droiture and projected its fruit in Technicolor. Brilliant.
The SAQ does natural wines – part 2
The Barbera d’Asti 2008, Terra del Noce, Trinchero ($24.50, 12517710) has considerable initial appeal, provided you’re not bothered by the whiff of volatile acidity. The vibrant attack, pure fruit, upfront cherry and slate flavours, bright acidity and light rustic tannins are typical of the grape and appellation. Too bad, then, that the wine falls short on the finish. Buy again? Twenty-five bucks for a dead-ender? Probably not.
Having enjoyed other wines from the winemaker in his Domaine la Fourmente guise, we had high hopes for the Côtes du Rhône Villages Visan 2012, Native, Rémi Pouizin ($19.90, 12517832). How disappointing then to report it has as many cons as pros. Burned rubber and barnyard cancel out the otherwise attractive nose of raspberry jam, black tea leaves and black pepper. And though I don’t quite agree with one taster’s dismissal (“blackberry yogurt with tannins”), the lean, way peppery fruit is dominated by a parching dryness and tannic astringency while a metallic edge and flaring alcohol do no favours to the finish. Improves – turns sweeter and fruitier – after a couple of hours but not enough to dispel the impression that this is a textbook example of why I sometimes find Grenache hard to love. Buy again? Probably not.
A cipher when opened, especially on the nose, the Corbières 2012, L’Enclos, Domaine des Deux Ânes ($24.70, 12518000) doesn’t really come around until an hour later, at which point it shows itself to be the richest and roundest wine of the six, an agreeably earthy mouthful of red and black fruit, dried herbs and spice with a mineral underlay. The plush tannins and soft acidity have just enough presence while the finish provides a warm-and-fuzzy send-off. Not a throat-grabber by any means but easy to drink. Buy again? Sure, though not without wishing the price was closer to $20.
SAQ natural wines tasting: post 2 of 3.
Textbook trio
Natural wine nuts Primavin hosted Piedmontese winemaker Alessandro Barosi of Cascina Corte at a series of events in Montreal this weekend. A friend and I caught up with him on Saturday evening at the always enjoyable if often noisy Le Comptoir charcuteries et vins.
The estate sits in the San Luigi hills near the village of Dogliani, a stone’s throw from the Barolo and Barbaresco appellations. The farming is rigorously organic and loosely biodynamic. Yields are kept low and all harvesting is manual. Alessandro is a firm believer that good wines are made in the vineyard, not in the cellar, so the winemaking is non-interventionist. Only indigenous yeasts and manual pump-overs are used. Extraneous flavours like new oak are avoided and the wines are bottled unfiltered and unfined. All three wines we tasted shared an authenticity, directness and purity that gave them no small appeal.
Dogliani 2013, Cascina Corte ($24.39, private import, 12 bottles/case)
100% Dolcetto from 60-year old vines. Spends 10 months in stainless steel. Quebec agent: Primavin.
Redolent of red berries and cherries, supple and juicy with smooth tannins and acidity, a dark mineral substrate and a lingering bitter almond finish. Not as rustic or in-your-face as some but undeniably a pleasure to drink. (Buy again? Sure.)
Langhe Barbera 2012, Cascina Corte ($29.34, private import, 12 bottles/case)
100% Barbera from 10-year-old vines. Matured six months in large neutral oak barrels. Quebec agent: Primavin.
Berries again but darker ones along with some slate and hints of licorice and spice. Medium-bodied and juicy, the wine is lit up by brilliant acidity. Tannins are sotto voce, not that the wine needs more of them: the excitement here is the fruit that rings clear as a bell. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. Our favourite of the three, a real coup de cœur for both of us. (Buy again? Oh, yes.)
Langhe Nebbiolo 2011, Cascina Corte ($35.32, private import, 6 bottles/case)
100% Nebbiolo from 10-year-old vines. Matured 24 months in large neutral oak barrels and two years in the bottle. Quebec agent: Primavin.
Closed and ungiving at first but soon opening up Classic Nebbiolo nose of cherry, turned earth, violet, dried rose petal, the faintest hint of tar. Medium-bodied and far more structured than the other two – taut with airframe tannins, tense with acidity. Once again the fruit is naturally sweet and remarkably bright and clear. Finishes clean and long. A delight. (Buy again? Yes.)
Brett happens 