Posts Tagged ‘QPR winner’
Douro barganha
Douro 2013, Flor de Crasto, Quinta do Crasto ($14.90, 10838579)
Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo, 35%), Touriga Franca (aka Touriga Francesa, 35%) and Touriga Nacional (30%) from vines between eight and 12 years old. The varieties were vinified separately. The manually harvested grapes were destemmed and crushed, then transferred to temperature-controlled stainless steel vats for alcoholic fermentation, which lasted seven days. Matured in stainless steel vats. Reducing sugar: 2.3 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Enotria International.
Spicy nose of plum and blackberry with considerable cigar box, some moist earth, black pepper and distant peony. Richer and more viscous than expected. Dry and savoury but full of ripe, dense fruit. Structured by cloaked yet firm tannins and sufficient acidity, textured by a pervasive velvet astringency. The finish is decent if somewhat short though a ghostly aftertaste and feel linger long. On the one hand, it’s not a wine of great complexity or depth; on the other hand, it tastes like it should come from the next higher price bracket. For $15, you could do worse. (Buy again? Sure.)
Get ’em while you’re hot
Will be posting notes on the COS wines soon. In the meantime, a heads-up on a couple of newly arrived, perfect summer wines that also happen to be in short supply. Interested? Act fast.
Niederösterreich 2014, Grüner Veltliner, Am Berg, Weingut Bernhard Ott ($20.85, 12646520)
(Not currently listed on SAQ.com. Reportedly part of an experiment involving a few wines stocked in fairly large quantities exclusively at the Atwater SAQ Sélection store, where you’ll find it in front of the organic wine section.) Am Berg translates as hillside. Ott’s wines are usually organic and biodynamic but this, a cuvée made from grapes grown in the estate’s and nearby vineyards, may be neither. In any case it’s 100% Grüner Veltliner from vines averaging 25 years old. Manually harvested and whole-cluster pressed. Fermented (with selected yeasts) and matured, on its lees, in stainless steel tanks. Screwcapped. Residual sugar (according to the estate): 1.6 g/l. 11.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Avant-Garde.
Textbook nose: lime, green apple, lemon grass, chalk and white pepper. In the piehole, it’s fresh and fruity from the get-go. Clean and bracing with acidity so crisp it feels almost like spritz. Minerals galore, especially on the tangy finish, whose overtones of salt marsh grass linger long. A beguiling GV at a great price. Fine on its own as an aperitif, very enjoyable with a salad of cucumbers, red onion, fresh dill, lemon juice and crème fraîche. (Buy again? Absolutely.)
Valpolicella 2013, Borgomarcellise, Marion ($20.00, 12328311)
Corvina (60%) and Rondinella (40%) according to the SAQ (while Corvina-dominated, earlier vintages have involved four or five varieties, so you might want to take this info with a grain of salt). Reportedly from young vines. The only winemaking info I’ve been able to find is that this is the estate’s only wine that doesn’t incorporate raisinated grapes. Reducing sugar: 4.8 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: L’Enoteca di Moreno De Marchi.
Pale ruby in the glass. Wafting nose of fresh cherry, red Twizzlers, dried earth, dried herbs and sandalwood. Light and bright on the palate, an alluring combination of gossamer fruit, juicy acidity and slender tannins. The sweet-tart cherry dries as it moves through the mouth, while minerals and a faint astringency inflect the lip-smacking finish. Serve lightly chilled. (Buy again? Yes.)
Three in one
Maxime and Sophie Barmès of Domaine Barmès Buecher and Giusto Occhipinti from Azienda Agricola COS were in Montreal last April and our friends at oneopole generously hosted a dozen Mo’ Wine Group members at a tasting at their world headquarters. oenopole brought the wine and the three visitors and we brought the food.
After his father François died in a cycling accident in the fall of 2011, twenty-something Maxime returned from school to oversee, assisted by his mother Geneviève, the winemaking for the just-completed harvest. He has stayed on as winemaker while Sophie, who obtained a management degree in 2010, looks after the business side of things.
Farming and winemaking follow the practices established by Francois soon after he took over the estate: manually working the vines and soil; abjuring herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and synthetic fertilizers; using only plant-based treatments; strictly sorting the grapes on the vine and at the cellar; pressing gently; adding nothing and taking nothing away. The results are there for the tasting.
We began with an easy-drinking blend made exclusively for the Quebec market.
Alsace 2011, Trilogie, Domaine Barmès Buecher ($19.95, 12254420)
A blend of organically and biodynamically farmed Pinot Blanc (40%), Riesling (40%) and Pinot Gris (20%). Manually harvested. Whole-cluster pressed. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Matured 12 months on the fine lees in stainless steel tanks. Unfiltered and unfined. Sulphur is added – and then minimally – only at bottling. Reducing sugar: 6.9 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Quiet nose of chalk, white peach and pineapple with coriander and fennel seed hints. In the mouth, the wine is bright and clean, as aromatic as it is flavourful. A touch of residual sugar rounds and adds sheen. The remarkably pure fruit is infused with white minerals, while an intriguing acid bite appears on the mid-palate and a faint bitterness marks the long finish. Uncomplicated (which is not to say shallow), fresh and appetizing, this has QPR winner written all over it. Perfect for sipping on its own or serving with seafood in Asian-style preparations. (Buy again? Imperatively. Here’s hoping there’s a second shipment.)
MWG April 14th tasting: flight 1 of 6.
Pink bliss
Two rosés that the Mo’ Wine Group used to buy as private imports are hitting the SAQ’s shelves for the first time this spring. This is the first; the second, the Alzipratu rosé, should be released soon.
Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence 2014, Les Béatines, Domaine Les Béates ($20.45, 11232261)
The estate’s name translates as “the blissfully happy.” This is made from organically farmed Grenache Noir (75%) and Syrah (25%). The grapes are manually harvested and immediately destemmed and pressed. The must is fermented with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled (17°C) tanks. Matured on the fine lees in stainless steel tanks for four months. Sulphur use is kept to a minimum. Reducing sugar: 1.4 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV.
Pale gauzy pink. Soft, wafting nose: minerals and red berries with a whiff of garrigue. In the mouth, dry as a bone, a quartzy mineral complex infused with delicate fruit. Ethereal on the attack, it gains some glyceriney weight as it moves across the palate. Sleek acidity keeps things fresh and an appetizing saline thread runs through the clean finish. (Buy again? Yes.)
At one end of the rosé spectrum are exuberantly fruity, dark pink wines that feel and taste like reds without the structure. At the other end are rosés that seem more like minerally whites with a dash of red fruit. This falls squarely in the latter camp: light enough to serve as a nuanced aperitif; substantial enough to accompany Provençal dishes like salade nicoise and pissaladière.
Native Sardinians
Isola dei Nuraghi 2013, Thesys, Pala ($20.40, 12476671)
A blend of 80% Bovale Sardo (which may or may not be related to Spain’s Bobal or Graciano) from 70-year-old vines and 20% Syrah from 30-year-old vines. Manually harvested. After pressing, the juice is macerated on the skins with added yeasts for 10 days. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation then ensue. Matured in new oak (Allier) barrels for three months. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Élixirs vins et spiritueux.
Meaty nose: dark red fruit, bacon, ground beef and oak. In the piehole, it’s full-bodied, rich, chewy and, notwithstanding the very ripe fruit, quite dry. The high extract, round tannins and juicy acidity make for a mouthful but a balanced and savoury one with a certain complexity. Some ash and oak surface on the sustained finish. (Buy again? Along with some beef or lamb for the grill, sure.)
Monica di Sardegna 2011, I Fiori, Pala ($15.45, 11766714)
100% Monica from vines planted 25 to 30 years ago. The grapes are pressed. The juice is macerated on the skins and with the addition of selected yeasts for five days, after which fermentation takes place, all in temperature-controlled (22-24°C) stainless steel tanks. Light clarification and transfer to underground cement tanks for six months’ maturation follow. 14% ABV. Quebec agent: Élixirs vins et spiritueux.
Unexpectedly complex nose: candied red currants, ash, Keds, roast lamb juice, menthol and turned earth. Velvety, smooth, ripe-sweet yet savoury. Fresh and supple despite the rustic tannins and slatey underlay. The clean finish brings a faint alcoholic flare. A fine candidate for an everyday red. Sure to be compatible with Mediterranean stews and braised dishes and probably more than OK with pizza. (Buy again? Sure.)
MWG March 12th tasting: flight 4 of 7.
Lucid and solar
In the late 1970s, his youthful obsession with race car driving behind him, Marco De Bartoli returned to the family estate and set out to save Marsala wine from the quantity-over-quality mindset that had tarnished if not destroyed its once sterling reputation. To say he succeeded would be an understatement, as his terroir-driven, Grillo-only Marsalas are widely viewed as exceptional and peerless. In the mid-1980s, De Bartoli expanded his operations to the island of Pantelleria, renowned for its sweet Muscats. In the mid-1990s, his sons came on board, leading to the production of dry reds and whites made from local grape varieties. While the farming has always been organic, it is only now being certified as such.
We tasted two of the dry whites. A third, the 2013 Zibibbo (Muscat of Alexandria) “Pietranera,” didn’t make it out of the SAQ warehouse in time. The Marsalas we hope to taste before long, the good news being that at least one of them will soon be available at the SAQ Signature stores.
IGT Terre Siciliane 2013, Vignaverde, Marco De Bartoli ($29.35, private import, 12 bottles/case)
This is the first vintage of the wine. The grapes were picked earlier than is the case for the fruit used to make the estate’s Marsalas and oak-aged Grillo (late August as opposed to early September), the idea being to produce a fresher wine. 100% Grillo from organically farmed 18-year-old vines grown in the Samperi vineyard. Manually harvested. Gently pressed. The must is chilled and clarified by settling for 48 hours. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled 50-hectolitre stainless steel tanks. Matured on the lees for six months also in stainless steel tanks. 11.5% ABV. 15,000 bottles made. Quebec agent: oneopole.
Minerals, preserved lemon peel and a hint of mango, gaining sweat and quartz notes as it breathes. Medium-bodied but possessing a certain weight and roundness. The ripe-sweet fruit is dusted with minerals and checked by sourish acidity. A saline thread runs through the long finish. So smooth and solar you could be forgiven for not immediately noticing its complexity and depth. (Buy again? Gladly.)
IGT Terre Siciliane 2013, Lucido, Marco De Bartoli ($21.85, private import, 12 bottles/case)
100% Catarratto Lucido from organically farmed 11-year-old vines. Manually harvested. Gently pressed. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Matured on the lees for seven months also in stainless steel tanks. 11.5% ABV. 10,000 bottles made. Quebec agent: oneopole.
Shy rainwatery nose with peach and floral overtones. Drier, fleeter and even more savoury than the Vignaverde, packed with rocky minerals. Acidity is sustained but not souring, while the finish is clean and appetizing. Opening, deepening, drinkable and delicious. Great QPR. (Buy again? Done!)
MWG March 12th tasting: flight 2 of 7.
Nuragus 101
Nuragus di Cagliari 2013, I Fiori, Pala ($16.70, 12391942)
100% Nuragus from 45-year-old vines growing in southern Sardinia, near Cagliari. The grapes are pressed immediately upon arriving at the winery. The resulting must is allowed to clarify by settling. Fermented in temperature-controlled (15°C) stainless steel tanks with selected yeasts, then clarified (filtered?). Matured in stainless steel vats for a few months before bottling. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Élixirs vins et spiritueux.
White flowers, white fruit and hints of hay and lemon peel. Ripe and densish on the palate. A touch of residual sugar rounds the attack but the yellow apple turns appealingly sour on the bitter-edged, acid-nippy finish. Not complex or deep but unusual, flavourful and delivering good QPR. Uses? Sip while making dinner or, as the winery suggests, serve with non-oily white fish and seafood simply prepared in the Mediterranean style. (Buy again? Sure.)
MWG March 12th tasting: flight 1 of 7.
Salt and pepper
The last time I saw one of Weingut Jurtschitsch’s bottles on an SAQ shelf was in 2002. In the intervening years, a new generation has taken over the winemaking, the estate has been certified organic and the Little J line of affordable Grüner Veltliner and Zweigelt has been introduced. Technical info on this is hard to find; the wine’s not mentioned on the producer’s website and no details are provided on the Quebec agent’s. Is it made from estate-grown grapes? Is it fermented with native yeasts? Is it filtered or fined? Your guess is as good as mine.
Kamptal 2013, Grüner Veltliner, Little J, Weingut Jurtschitsch ($17.75, 12486562)
100% organically farmed Grüner Veltliner. Manually harvested. Destemmed. Gently pressed. Fermented and matured in stainless steel tanks. Screwcapped. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Textbook nose of lime and white grapefruit, crushed seashells, white pepper. In the mouth, it’s clean, fruity and not bone dry. A faint spritz and souring acidity enliven. Abundant minerals deepen. The running thread of salinity is most obvious on the attack and finish. White pepper lingers after the fruit has disappeared. Fresher and finer than many similarly priced GVs, this seems tailor made for sipping as an aperitif and accompanying raw seafood (shellfish, sushi, tartare), Vietnamese fare, maybe even salads. Would so hit the spot on a sweltering July evening. (Buy again? Several bottles with an eye to July.)
Released a couple of weeks ago, this has already disappeared from several SAQ stores, so don’t dawdle if you’re interested. An extra inducement for acting fast is the Generous Wines campaign: for every bottle of white wine purchased at the SAQ (in stores and online) today and tomorrow, the monopoly will donate $1 to Food Banks of Quebec.
Upfront Fronton
Fronton 2012, Classic, Château Bouissel ($17.65, 10675888)
Négrette (50%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%) and Côt (aka Malbec, 20%). Macerated (13 days), fermented and matured in temperature-controlled tanks. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Le Maître de Chai.
Reductive aromas quickly blow off leaving an appealing, multifaceted nose of crushed blackberry (fruit and leaves), flowers (honeysuckle and dried violet), shoe leather, red bell pepper and a gamy note. Medium-bodied verging on lean. The juicy, spicy fruit is ripe-sweet and acid-bright on entry but turns drier and gains a bitter edge as it flows across the palate and heads into a fair finish, where soft if rustic tannins make their lightly astringent presence felt and a faint tingly/burning/numbing sensation, like a blend of menthol and Szechuan peppercorns, lingers long. Far from deep but really quite companionable. Food – well, at least my food (duck confit and a warm lentil salad) – brings out the fruit and obliterates the nuances. But that’s OK: it’s still an enjoyable quaffer. A vin nature version of this would be amazing. (Buy again? Sure.)
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.
Brett happens 