Posts Tagged ‘Private imports’
Le printemps dézippé
RASPIPAV, the more exciting of Quebec’s two wine agency associations, is holding a spring edition of its private import expo, this Monday, April 28, at the Marché Bonsecours. Dubbed Le printemps dézippé (unzipped spring), the expo is reserved for restaurateurs between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. (free admission though preregistration and presentation of a business card at the door are required) and open to the general public from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. ($20 admission, which gets you a glass and ten tickets exchangeable for pours). A number of the most interesting local agencies will be present, offering tastes of their wares. The expo has a great track record, so this is virtually guaranteed to be fun.
MWG March 20th tasting (7/7): Singular Zins
Vin de France (2011), Z, Domaine de L’Arjolle ($19.95, LCBO 346072; available in Quebec as a $26 private import from L’Orée du bois)
100% Zinfandel from a one-hectare parcel of 16-year-old vines, the only Zinfandel planting in France. Manually harvested. Cold-soaked on the skins to extract phenolic compounds. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled (25°C) wooden vats. The resulting wine is matured in first- and second-fill barrels (two-thirds American oak, one-third French oak) for 12 months. Zinfandel not being a permitted variety in the Languedoc, the wine can be labelled only as a vin de France with no mention of vintage or grape. 14% ABV.
Savoury nose of tarry plum and blackberry (but no jam or prune), spice, pipe tobacco and cured pork. Full-bodied and full of ripe fruit that’s balanced by smooth acidity and round tannins and nuanced by mineral, cocoa and smoke flavours, which isn’t to say the wine couldn’t be deeper, longer or more complex. Still, this is far from a bomb – not quite as dry or rustic as a Primitivo but closer in style and food-friendliness to those southern Italians than to some of the sweet, overripe, overconcentrated and searingly alcoholic Zins coming out of the Golden State these days. Decent overall, especially at the LCBO price. (Buy again? If in Ontario and in the mood for a civilized Zin, sure.)
Zinfandel 2008, Fiddletown AVA, Old Vine, Eschen-Rinaldi Vineyard, Easton ($36.50, 12131340)
100% Zinfandel from one of the oldest, if not the oldest, currently producing vineyard in California, some of whose vines date back to the original 1865 planting. Dry-farmed without the use of synthetic chemicals. Matured in French oak. 4,800 bottles made. 14.5% ABV.
Blueberry, boysenberry, dried herbs, granite dust, peppery spice, discreet oak. More medium- than full-bodied. Savoury and dry. The fruit is earthy, freshened by bright acidity and deepened by subtle wood and a mineral substrate with a ferrous vein. The stealth tannins come out on the long, heady but not hot finish. Compared with the interchangeable fruit- and oak-heavy Zins that rule the market, this is terroir-driven, admirably restrained, somewhat old-fashioned and definitely contemplation-worthy, the kind of wine that could bring Zinfandel lovers turned skeptics back into the fold. (Buy again? Done!)
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 (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.)
MWG January 16th tasting (7/8): Bella Stella
Rosso di Montalcino 2009, Stella di Campalto ($51.75, La QV, 6 bottles/case)
The 13.5-hectare Podere S. Giuseppe estate with its 5.5 hectares of vineyards has been certified organic since 1996 and using biodynamic methods since 2002. It makes only two wines (this Rosso and a pricey Brunello), a grappa and olive oil. The grapes for this 100% Sangiovese Grosso were manually harvested, destemmed, transferred into old wooden vats (the winery uses a gravity system) and fermented with indigenous yeasts. The resulting wine was matured 21 months in 225- and 900-litre barrels and nine months in the bottle. Small amounts of sulphur may have been added throughout the wine-making process. 14% ABV.
Wafting Sangiovese nose: terracotta, dried herbs (including tobacco), cherry, a hint of anisette. Medium-bodied and satiny. The fruit is sweet, the acidity bright, the tannins fine and supple. An faint iron note emerges on the long, savory finish. Lean bordering on austere but admirably pure, and the alcohol in no way stands out. While a couple of tasters dismissed it as “crantini,” the only thing holding me back is the price. (Buy again? Thinking about it.)
MWG January 16th tasting (6/8): Beau, bon, pas cher
IGP de l’Aude 2011, Kézako?, Domaine Mâmârutá ($23.50, La QV, 6 bottles/case)
Run by 30-something Marc Castan, the 13-hectare estate, which is located in La Palme near the Mediterranean coast, is converting to organic and leans biodynamic. This cuvée is almost entirely Carignan with a dollop of Syrah. Manually harvested, fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered, unfined. Minimal added sulphur. 13.5% ABV. The name means “what’s this?” in Occitain.
Plum, spice and evanescent barnyard. Pure, fluid and refreshing. Rich but not heavy, in no small part due to the vibrant acidity. Supple tannins and good length. The quaffability quotient is almost as high as for Castan’s Coupe Soif tasted in October. (Buy again? Definitely.)
Minervois 2011, Viti vini bibi, Benjamin Taillandier ($25.00, La QV, 6 bottles/case)
Thirty-something Taillandier founded his eponymous estate in 2007. This blend is made from organically farmed Grenache (60%) Cinsault (20%) and Carignan (20%). Manually harvested, indigenous yeasts, unfiltered, unfined, with a minimal amount of sulphur added only at bottling. Vegan-compatible. 14% ABV.
Plum, spice, shoe leather, a whiff of animale. Full-bodied and smooth, with soft, juicy fruit, lowish acidity, a tannic substructure and a long slatey finish. Very popular with some around the table though I found it a bit overshadowed by the Kézako’s vibrancy. (Buy again? Sure.)
Brett happens 