Posts Tagged ‘QPR winner’
MWG November 11th tasting: Gamay or not Gamay
St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil 2013, L’Hurluberlu, Sébastien David ($24.00, private import, 12 bottles/case)
100% organically and biodynamically farmed Cabernet Franc. Manually harvested, fermented with indigenous yeasts. Vinified Beaujolais style – using carbonic maceration – and given a very short maturation in tanks, with bottling occurring early in the new year following harvest. Unfiltered. No added sulphur. 11% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV/Insolite.
Ferny, slatey, plummy, red-berried nose that eventually gave up some whiffs of jalapeño. Pure, clean fruit, bright but not harsh acidity and soft tannins that turn a little raspy on the tangy finish. “Surprising depth for such a light wine,” noted one taster. “Like health juice,” said another. Served lightly chilled or even cooler, this is irresistibly drinkable. (Buy again? A bit pricey for such an easy-drinker but yes, in multiples.)
Côtes du Forez 2013, La Volcanique, Cave Verdier-Logel ($21.06, private import, 12 bottles/case)
Based in Marcilly-le-Châtel, the certified organic 17-hectare estate grows Gamay and a little Pinot Gris and Viognier. This cuvée is 100% Gamay from old vines rooted in basalt soil. Manually harvested. Macerated 15 days at around 19°C. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Lightly filtered (earth filters) before bottling. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV/Insolite.
Lovely nose: cedar, plum, dark minerals and papier d’arménie. Supple, dry and medium-bodied. The combination of rocky minerals, lean fruit, trenchant acidity, light but sinewy tannins and earthy finish give the wine a rustic appeal that its Beaujo counterparts lack. Seems to cry out for some charcuterie (the winemaker also suggests pot au feu and rabbit stew). Understandably a hit with many around the table. (Buy again? For sure.)
The estate first impinged on my consciousness at the Salon des vins d’importation privée, where I tasted the Vin de France 2012, Les FMR, Gamay, Cave Verdier-Logel ($19.00, La QV/Insolte, 12 bottles/case). This one-off 100% Gamay cuvée was made from sustainably farmed Côteaux Lyonnais grapes that neighbouring winegrowers donated to the estate to replace the crop it lost to hail (in French, FMR sounds like éphémère, ephemeral). Though I didn’t taste the wines side by side, this struck me as a slightly lighter version of the Volcanique and, at under $20, definitely worth buying.
Chiroubles 2013, Damien Coquelet ($32.25, private import, 6 bottles/case)
Now in his mid-20s, Coquelet is the stepson of renowned natural Beaujolais producer Georges Descombes. He began working in the family’s vineyards and cellars when he was five and has been making his own wines since 2007. Besides this cuvée, he produces an old-vine Chiroubles, a Morgon, a Beaujolais-Villages and the wildly popular, semi-nouveau Fou du Beaujo. This 100% Gamay is made from organically farmed, manually harvested grapes. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Depending on the vintage, no or minimal sulphur is used. Coquelet typically bottles his cru wines a year before his stepfather, which makes them fruitier and juicier. 11.5% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV/Insolite.
Classic Chiroubles: perfumy, supple, silky and bright but, like the other 2013 Beaujolais I’ve tried, a little on the light side – or so it seemed coming on the heels of the other two wines in this flight. That said, the mix of tart red berries, vine sap, graphite, black pepper and hints of flowers and animale is magnetic. (Buy again? Sure.)
(Flight: 7/9)
MWG November 13th tasting: Beautiful, punches above its weight
Macon–Lugny 2011, Les Crays vers Vaux, Vieilles vignes, Domaine Rijckaert ($34.67, private import, 6 bottles/case)
The estate avoids the use of herbicides and insecticides and limits its use of synthetic chemicals to treatments against mildew and odium. 100% Chardonnay. Manually harvested. Fermented in oak barrels with indigenous yeasts. Matured ten months on the lees with occasional stirring in a mix of oak barrels: 5% new, 10% first- to fourth-fill and 85% fifth- or sixth-fill. No additions, subtractions or untoward manipulation (micro-oxygenation, chilling, heating, etc.) during vinification. Lightly sulphured at bottling. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV/Insolite.
Closed but nuanced and appealing nose of yellow apple, citron, chalk and flint with hints of oatmeal, wood and ash. Medium- to full-bodied and satin-textured. Dry. The oak is discreet, the fruit faintly tropical, the minerals stony. The sustained acidity is softened and rounded by the wine’s considerable extract. A salted butter note colours the long, delicious finish. Lots of class. A beautiful white Burgundy that punches above its weight. (Buy again? Def.)
(Flight: 5/9)
MWG November 13th tasting: Natural born Alsatians
Alsace Pinot Blanc 2013, Les Pierres Chaudes, Domaine Julien Meyer ($27.43, private import, 12 bottles/case)
100% organically and biodynamically farmed Pinot Blanc. (This is not the blend of the 2012 and 2013 vintages labelled 12.13 but the all-2013 bottling.) Manually harvested. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Underwent partial malolactic fermentation. Lightly filtered (fine earth) before bottling. Unfined. No added anything, including sulphur. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV/Insolite.
A Pinot Blanc not in the vin plaisir mould, as hinted at by the savoury nose of mushroom and daffodil. The acidic attack notwithstanding, the wine feels hefty and “rainwatery soft,” to quote one of the tasters. Full of ripe fruit (pear and apple mainly), bitter almond and chalk flavours. Broad, smooth finish. (Buy again? Sure, though not without wishing it were a few bucks cheaper.)
Alsace Riesling 1998, Grand cru Moenchberg, Domaine Moritz ($33.35, private import, 6 bottles/case)
100% Riesling from two Moenchberg parcels – one planted in 1985, the other in 1960 – totalling 14.6 ares (0.36 acres). Farming is, for all intents and purposes, organic but not certified as such. Manually harvested, gently pressed, fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in large old oak barrels. Bottled in the fall of 1999. In a typical year, about 1,000 bottles of this wine are made. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV/Insolite.
Fourteen years old and probably at peak. A noseful of tertiary aromas including petrol, tarragon, caramel and peppermint. Smooth and dry in the mouth with just enough acidity and lots of ripe, soft fruit. Quartz and caramel thread through the very long finish. A good, not great vintage but a lovely, complex wine and an excellent price for a one-and-a-half-decade-old grand cru. (Buy again? Yes, for drinking in the short term.)
(Flight: 3/9)
MWG November 13th tasting: White gold
Vouvray sec 2004, Domaine Lemaire-Fournier ($26.45, private import, 6 bottles/case)
100% Chenin Blanc. The now-defunct 30-hectare estate was located in Vernou-sur-Brenne, close to Vouvray. In 2004, the estate was in its third year of conversion to organic farming. The wines were made with native yeasts and abjuring enzymes, chaptalization, deacidification, fining, added nutrients, tartric stabilization and sulphur. The estate’s remaining stocks of wine are being liquidated, which explains the reasonable price. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV/Insolite.
A whiff of nail polish remover quickly blows off, leaving an evolved, complex nose of honeysuckle, camomile, banana peel, chalk, pear, dried mushroom, caramel and, eventually, buckwheat honey. On first sip you wonder whether it isn’t heading into off-dry territory but, no, the wine is dry albeit rich. The vibrant acidity is smoothed and rounded by the extract. The layers of fruit are set against a backdrop of crunchy minerals and joined by salted caramel on the long finish. Impressed just about everyone around the table. Amazing QPR. (Buy again? Obviously.)
Cour-Cheverny 2007, François 1er, Vieilles Vignes, Domaine des Huards ($32.00, private import, 6 bottles/case)
This is the big brother of Huard’s “Romo” Cour-Cheverny that the MWG tasted in June. 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. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV/Insolite.
Intriguing nose of Jerusalem artichoke, wax, white flowers, limestone, dried lemon peel, faint honey. Round yet lively in the mouth. The fruit is understated but lacy-textured and multifaceted, buoyed and freshened by Romorantin’s nervous acidity and infused with chalky minerals that last well into the impressively long finish. A delectable, elegant, complete wine deserving of a fine seafood dish (think langoustines). (Buy again? Oh, yes.)
(Flight: 2/9)
A near perfect everyday red
IGP Peloponnese 2012, Agiorgitiko, Domaine Tetramythos ($16.15, 12178957)
100% organically farmed Agiorgitiko. The grapes are fully destemmed, then macerated and fermented with indigenous yeasts for 15 days in stainless steel tanks. Matured five months in 5,000-litre barrels. Unfiltered and unfined. 14% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Fresh nose of plum and blackberry with hints of black pepper, clove, old wood and earth. In the mouth, it’s a silky textured middleweight. The supple fruit shows a natural sweetness but zingy acidity and raspy tannins soon kick in while darker flavours and a thread of bitter astringency emerge and last well into the savoury, dry finish. Natural – not industrial – tasting, in contrast to so many inexpensive wines. Not profound but good, clean fun and undoubtedly one of the better reds at the price point. Its food-pairing talent is obvious. Went well with a simple stew of beef, tomatoes and black olives and beat a twice-the-price Chianti Classico as a match for Venetian-style calf’s liver. Would also have worked with just about any Greek dish involving meat (moussaka, souvlaki, braised lamb), not to mention similar fare from all around the Mediterranean. In other words, a near perfect everyday red. Why, then, is it available in so few outlets? (Buy again? Yes.)
Cookin’ Chenin
A couple of years ago, I asked an SAQ wine advisor to recommend the cheapest drinkable white wine for cooking. This was her suggestion and it’s been a staple in my fridge ever since. If I’m not mistaken, the 2014 is just off the boat.
Robertson (Western Cape) 2014, Chenin Blanc, Robertson Winery ($10.55, 10754228)
100% Chenin Blanc from over 30 irrigated vineyards. After (mechanical?) harvesting, the grapes were gently pressed using a pneumatic bag press. Fermentation in temperature-controlled (13°C) stainless steel tanks lasted 18 days. Probably filtered and fined though I’ve not been able to confirm that. Screwcapped. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Univins.
Low-key nose of green grapes, peach, citrus, chalk, honeycomb. Medium-bodied. Clean attack. The slightly waxy texture speaks of a certain level of extract, though this isn’t an exuberantly fruity wine. There’s tangy acidity, a mineral-hinting-at-bitter note and a touch of residual sugar to round the edges. Little depth or length but it’s fresh, affable and easy to drink: think New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc on Valium. A wine almost no one could object to, which is both its strong point and its weak point. (Buy again? As a cooking wine I might sip while working in the kitchen, yes. As a white to pour at a low-budget reception, sure. As something to serve to wine-geek friends, probably not.)
MWG September 11th tasting: Barolo di culto
Barolo 2010, Paiagallo, Giovanni Canonica ($71.00, private import, NLA*)
100% organically farmed Nebbiolo from a 1.5-hectare plot in the Paiagallo vineyard, located on the hillside above the town of Barolo. Other producers use grapes from the vineyard in their blends but Canonica is the only one who makes them into a single-vineyard bottling. The grapes are manually harvested, destemmed, macerated and fermented (with indigenous yeasts and without temperature control) for 30 to 40 days in fibreglass tanks, then pressed in a vertical hand press. The resulting wine is transferred into large Slavonian oak botti for maturation. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. No sulphur is added during the winemaking and a tiny amount at bottling. 14.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Glou.
Restrained yet complex nose: red berries, gingerbread and granite dust with some rose and tar in the background. Medium-bodied but mouth-filling. Impressively pure fruit (cherry), bright acidity, firm but fine tannins. Long, intense finish with not a hint of heat. Young and primary but already dimensional and clearly full of potential. This beautiful, earthy yet suave wine has become a cult object among NYC and Boston geeks and it’s easy to see why. For a Barolo of such quality, the price is more than reasonable. (Buy again? A case if I could.)
*In Quebec, there’s a waiting list to get on the allocation list.
(Flight: 9/9)
Chenin again
While SAQ.com says this will be available shortly, it’s already on the shelves of several Montreal stores.
Saumur 2013, Domaine Guiberteau ($23.45, 12370658)
100% Chenin Blanc from organically farmed, five- to 60-year-old vines grown in the estate’s three main vineyards. Manually harvested. Whole-cluster pressed. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in concrete tanks. No additives other than sulphur dioxide. Lightly filtered before bottling. 11.5% or 12% ABV, depending on whom you believe. Quebec agent: Les vins Alain Bélanger.
Whiffs of lemon, white minerals, ham brine, flowery meadow. Buoyant texture: light but very present. Sweet and sour fruit, zingy acidity, strong mineral undertow, the faintest hint of honey in the background and an ample, sustained finish. Clean and tonic if a bit wound-up and austere in the manner of a Savennières, not that there’s anything wrong with that. A fine, food-friendly wine with a few years’ cellaring potential. (Buy again? For sure.)
Gravesville
Yet another wine that the Mo’ Wine Group used to order cases of when it was a private import has shown up at the SAQ. How cool would it be if the same producer’s fresh and delicious Sauternes, Château Roûmieu-Lacoste, joined it on the monopoly’s shelves?
Graves 2012, Château Graville Lacoste ($21.35, 12211358)
Sémillon (75%), Sauvignon Blanc (20%) and Muscadelle (5%) from vines between 45 and 50 years old. The vineyard’s microclimate is cooler than most in the area. The Sémillion is picked by hand, the Sauvignon Blanc by machine. The varieties are vinified separately and blended just before bottling. The wine sees only stainless steel. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts is at 18°C and lasts ten to 15 days. During maturation, the lees are stirred every three days until January. Racked and fined but not filtered. Bottled in the first half of the year following the vintage. About 85,000 bottles are produced. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Intriguing if discreet nose: melon, citrus zest, crushed limestone, whiffs of grass, flowers (honeysuckle?) and eventually white peach. Round and smooth on the attack, more so than in earlier vintages. Waxy textured. Not what you’d call fruit-forward but rich in extract. At the same time, there’s an ethereal quality to the fruit. Stealth acidity adds a sour edge and nips any incipient honey flavours in the bud. The Sauvignon, which in other vintages seemed to dominate the wine in its youth, is here apparent mostly on the long, dry and tart, chalk- and gooseberry-inflected finish. While the 2005 aged beautifully for the better part of a decade, this strikes me as a wine to drink in the next three or four years. In any case, you won’t find a better white Bordeaux for the price. And like the wine, the label is a model of elegance. (Buy again? Yes.)
Part of the September 4th Cellier release, the wine has already sold out at several Montreal area stores.
Sincere Sancerre
Sancerre 2013, Terroirs, Domaine Sylvain Bailly ($23.35, 10861808)
100% Sauvignon Blanc from vines 20-plus years old grown in various parcels. Manually harvested. The must produced by slow and gentle pneumatic pressing was chilled and clarified by settling. Alcoholic fermentation used indigenous yeasts, took place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and lasted 15 to 30 days. The wine was matured on its lees in stainless steel tanks, then racked, cold-stabilized and lightly filtered. Bottled in the spring of 2014. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Les vins Dupré.
Textbook Sancerre nose: gooseberry, grass, chalk and flint, hints of kaffir lime leaf. Rounder and less sharp than expected, fruity but very dry. Green grapes, salt and minerals dance across the palate, then segue into a smooth finish marked by crescendoing chalk and tart acidity. Earlier vintages have had more dazzle but this is, as always, well made and very fairly priced. Good with the season’s first Trésor du large oysters on the half shell and with shrimp marinated and grilled with butter, lemon, garlic and tarragon. Certifiably great with Crottin de Chavignol. (Buy again? Sure.)
Brett happens 