Posts Tagged ‘QPR winner’
Bargain Jurançon
Jurançon Sec 2014, Domaine Laguilhon ($16.95, 13028651)
The estate is reportedly owned by viticulturalist Henri Estreboou Suberbie but, though the wine isn’t listed on its website, the producer is the Cave de Gan, a cooperative which M. Estreboou Suberie appears to chair. In any case, this is a 50-50 blend of Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng from sustainably farmed vines in Monein. Manually harvested. Fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Matured on its lees for six months. Stoppered with a cork (not syncork as SAQ.com has it). Reducing sugar: 3.2 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Les vins Dupré.
Subtle nose of yellow apple and pear, frangipane, faint chalk and honey. Medium-bodied and round, with a satiny verging on waxy texture. Well chilled, grapefruit seems the dominant fruit; warmer, pear with almond overtones comes to the fore. Dry, especially on the finish, though there’s also a thread of sweetness that’s countered by the streaming acidity, crystalline minerals and lingering touch of pith-like bitterness. Fairly long. Not exactly deep but surprisingly nuanced, complex and pure for a $17 wine. Excellent as an aperitif. Not bad with roasted cod loin under a fines herbes, lemon zest and panko crust. I can also see it working with pan-seared scallops in a delicate sauce. (Buy again? Yes.)
All pastels
Gaillac 2015, Les Greilles, Causse Marines ($23.85, 860387)
A blend of Len de l’El (60%), Mauzac (20%), Ondenc (15%) and Muscadelle (5%) from organically and biodynamically farmed vines averaging 45 years old. Manually harvested. Gently pressed. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled tanks. Occasionally filtered and/or fined on an as-needed basis. Minimum added sulphur. Reducing sugar: 4.8 g/l. 14% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Wafting nose: apple-pear sauce, chamomile, limestone, a whiff of alcohol. Round, not bone dry yet not at all heavy – due in no small part to the surprising current of acidity – with a texture between waxy and satiny. The soft, ripe-sweet fruit slow-fades leaving a mid-palate more felt than tasted and a finish with intertwining threads of bitterness, chalk and herbs and spice that, however faintly, bring a high-class white vermouth to mind. The alcohol is detectable but ghostly. A wine with no sharp edges: all pastels and just lovely. (Buy again? Yes.)
Roberto’s Alagna
Passerina del Frusinate 2014, Alagna, Marcella Giuliani (c. $25.00, private import, 12 bottles/case)
100% Passerina from sustainably farmed vines in a two-hectare vineyard located near Anagni (whose ancient name, mentioned in Dante’s Purgatorio, was Alagna), about 60 km due east of Rome. Manually harvested. The grapes are chilled to 5-6°C and macerated on the skins for seven to eight hours. Alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel tanks is at a cool 12-13°C and can last up to a month. (The idea behind the extended maceration and slow fermentation is to draw flavour and aroma compounds from what can be a fairly neutral grape.) Does not undergo malolactic fermentation. Matured in the bottle before release. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Mon Caviste, Côté Vignes.
Light gold with a bronzish core and yellow glints. A nose initially somewhat closed but opening as the wine breathes: “pumpkin,” “apples” and a “herby note” (quoting other tasters), a hint of lemon too, then freshly mown flowery meadow, then spicy honey and beeswax. In the mouth, it’s extracted and fruity, though dry. A soft spritzy tingle lasts maybe five minutes after opening. The unctuous texture is enlivened by soft, sustained acidity. Minerals abound, especially on the crescendoing, bitter-edged finish. Evolves wonderfully in the glass, gaining straw and anise notes. Long, savoury, unique, delicious. A winner. (Buy again? If there’s any left, yes.)
One of the standouts at the MWG’s Mon Caviste tasting in May was a Cesanese from the same producer. Agent Roberto De Lisi was so sure we’d enjoy the estate’s white, he comped this bottle with our subsequent order. He was right.
Bottiglia di Custoza
Bianco di Custoza 2015, Albino Piona ($19.50, 12469383)
A blend of Garganega (30%), Tocai (aka Sauvignonasse and Sauvignon Vert, 25%), Trebbiano (25%) and Cortese (20%). The varieties are vinified separately. Destemmed, chilled, given a short maceration on the skins, then gently pressed. The must is allowed to clarify by settling, then fermented in temperature-controlled tanks. Maturation on the lees also takes place in tanks. Syncorked. Reducing sugar: 4.2 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Les vins Dupré.
Given the varieties involved, surprisingly aromatic: white grapes, lemon, yellow apple, a suggestion of peach, lots of chalk dust and a whiff of clean sweat. Smooth and elegant in the mouth. Round and fruity but dry, with soft-glow acidity. Minerals run throughout and swell on the finish, where they are joined by a saline note and a faint Szechuan peppery numbingness. Nothing complex but a pleasure to drink and the kind of white that only Italy can make. Fine as an aperitif and the best wine yet with a tricky pairing: blanched, chopped rapini sautéed in olive oil with garlic, anchovy and chile, with small scallops added for just a few seconds at the end. (Buy again? Yep.)
The heavy bottle, which weighs about twice as much as a lightweight glass bottle, is an unecological and, for case lifters, unergonomic anachronism that should be ditched. It doesn’t lend the product prestige; on the contrary, it subtracts from it.
And, yes, the post’s title is a pun.
Terroir or not terroir?
Cheverny 2014, Envol, Domaine des Huards ($19.95, 12748278)
A blend of Gamay (50%), Pinot Noir (42%) and Cabernet Franc (8%) from biodynamically farmed vines. Manually harvested. The fruit is placed directly into tanks for alcoholic fermentation with indigenous yeasts. Halfway through fermentation, the grapes are pressed. Undergoes full malolactic fermentation. Matured several months in tanks. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV.
Reductive at first, then sweet red berries with hints of sandalwood and slate. Supple, pure and nicely tart. The ripe red fruit sits on slate and is appealingly streaked with green. The slender tannins become a little more prominent on the lip-smacking finish. A refreshing easy-drinker best served cool, this could well be my go-to red this summer. (Buy again? Done!)
Cheverny 2014, Le Pressoir, Domaine Des Huards ($24.00, 11154021)
An 80-20 blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay from biodynamically farmed vines. The grapes are transferred to the vats without pumping. Alcoholic fermentation – with native yeasts – takes place at temperatures up to 30ºC and lasts about a week. The wine is then gently pressed, racked, allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation, oxygenated and racked again with bottling taking place in April or May. The only non-grape product added is small amounts of sulphur dioxide. Reducing sugar: 2.0 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV.
“Salty-savoury” nose of red fruit, mincemeat and some flinty minerals. Light and juicy in the mouth. Supply structured with tart acidity and fine tannins. Finishes with a cranberry-mineral tang. Probably the best Pressoir since the legendary 2006, though it still doesn’t have the full-on Pinot character that made the earlier wine such a delight. (Buy again? Yes.)
Beamsville Bench 2013, Pinot Noir, Hidden Bench ($35.50, 12582984)
This is the Estate bottling. 100% Pinot Noir from three parcels. Manually harvested. Cold-soaked for five days. Fermented with indigenous yeasts with manual punch-downs three to four times a day. The fermented, free-run juice was gravity fed directly into barrels and the skins were pressed in a basket press. Maturation in French oak barrels lasted around 16 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. Reducing sugar: 1.9 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Le Maître de Chai.
Your typical Pinot mix of red berries, cola and red beet along with oak, sweet spice and a faint chemical note that one taster likened to epoxy. Richer than the Pressoir. Tighter too, with firm tannins and sustained acidity. The fruit is forward though not to excess. Oak flavours dominate – some might say spoil – the finish for now but the wine is young. Pitched between Burgundy and New World, this is suave if a little pricey (too bad it’s not under $30). If you wanted to pick nits, you might note that, however well made, it seems a bit anonymous, doesn’t display terroir in the way that many red Burgundies or even the two Huards do. Then again, that may be why the estate’s flagship line is dubbed the Terroir Series. (Buy again? A bottle to cellar for a year or two to see if the wine digests the oak.)
MWG March 31st tasting: flight 4 of 6
Odds and ends
The tasting technically ended with the preceding flight. But, as noted earlier, Steve is irrepressible. So when the Chocalán prompted someone to inquire about the reds from a Chilean producer in Rézin’s portfolio, Steve excused himself and reappeared a few minutes later with a bottle of one of those reds as well as a couple of newly arrived private imports.
Named after one of Montreal’s more dynamic young chefs, the Valle del Maule 2013, Cuvée Charles-Antoine, Louis-Antoine Luyt ($73.15/1500 ml, private import, 6 bottles/case) is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (55%) and Carignan (45%) from 70-year-old vines growing in the commune of Cauquenes. The grape varieties were vinified separately and matured five months in stainless steel tanks. 15% ABV. The complex nose of cassis, plum and savoury herbs comes with a musky/horsey note. In the mouth, the wine is rich and glyceriny yet fluid, heady but not hot. Finely structured by firm but far from rigid tannins and bright acidity, the ripe-sweet fruit is overtoned with red pepper and spice while the finish is long, clean and minerally. (Buy again? Sure.)
The Bordeaux 2014, Château de Bellevue ($28.72, private import, 6 bottles/case) is 100% Sauvignon Gris from a 1.5 ha plot of organically farmed vines averaging 35 years old and grown in the Lussac Saint-Émilion appellation. The manually harvested grapes were directly pressed. The must was fermented with indigenous yeasts and occasionally stirred during maturation on the lees. The unfiltered wine was bottled in early March 2015. 13% ABV. Classy nose of ripe white fruit with honey and anise notes. Lively and refreshing in the mouth, the fruit remarkably clean and pure. Minerals and citrus mark the long finish. A delight. (Buy again? Yes.)
And lastly, a red from the maker of the Montlouis we enjoyed earlier in the tasting: Chinon 2014, Le Dolmen, Jaulin Plaisantin ($21.30, private import, 12 bottles/case). The fruit for this 100% Cabernet Franc comes from organically farmed vines. Manually harvested. Gently pressed, macerated, fermented (with indigenous yeasts) and matured on the fine lees for six months in concrete tanks. The only additive is a tiny squirt of sulphur (20 mg/l) at bottling. 12.5% ABV. Lovely nose of red and black berries, spice, earth and a faint herbaceousness. A sip tells you this is Chinon done in a highly drinkable style: forward fruit, bright acidity, lightly astringent tannins and a clean, minerally finish. Seems a bit hollow on the mid-palate though both Steve and I think that’s a passing phase. Lightly chilled, this will be a great summer sipper. (Buy again? A refreshing, organic, private import Chinon for a shade over $21? Yes!)
Rézin is the Quebec agent for all three wines.
MWG March 12th tasting: flight 7 of 7
Cambon bonbon
Beaujolais 2014, Château Cambon ($45.00/1500 ml, private import)
100% Gamay from organically farmed old vines in a vineyard located between Morgon and Brouilly. The grapes are manually harvested and the various parcels are vinified separately. Carbonic maceration takes place in enamel-lined tanks. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and with or without pump-overs, as decided by the winemaker. The wine is transferred to very old foudres for maturation on its lees. After settling, the cloudy part of the wine is lightly filtered. Unfined and bottled with little or no added sulphur. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Red currant, strawberry, and vine sap against a mineral backdrop. Classic if hefty for a simple Beaujolais. Deliciously ripe and juicy fruit upfront and a little earth in back. Silky texture and light but solid structure (fresh acidity, supple tannins) with just enough bite. The tangy finish leaves you thirsty for another sip. Compared with other Lapierre wines, Cambon can sometimes seem earthbound; this eminently drinkable 2014 is excellent, however, and – appellation oblige – delivers great QPR. (Buy again? Yes.)
Standard 750 ml bottles the wine can be found at the SAQ: $21.65, 12454991. Magnums are also slated to go on sale at the monopoly in September at $49.50 a shot (blame the lousy exchange rate).
MWG March 12th tasting: flight 5 of 7
Un bien andalou
The idea for the second flight and, indeed, the tasting was sparked by an unsuccessful food paring at a sommeliers’ showdown at Manitoba, where the second course was a sauté of duck hearts in a sauce flavoured with maple syrup. Not having tasted the dish beforehand and thinking of its mineral and nutty notes, Steve had chosen Lustau’s Mazanilla “Papirusa” to accompany it. Unfortunately, the sauce’s inherent sweetness clashed with the wine’s dryness (for those at our table, Theo “oenopole” Diamantis’s pairing of La Stoppa’s 2013 “Trebbiolo,” whose residual sugar levels I’d previously found disconcerting, worked far better). Post-meal, Steve said he’d be curious to try the Papirusa and some of its stablemates with more appropriate, iodine-rich and salty fare. Always happy to lend a hand, I suggested the MWG’s underground lair as a venue and plans were hatched.
The iodine-rich and salty fare included three sheep milk cheeses, Serrano ham, dried sausage, olives, almonds and raw shellfish (British Columbia and New Brunswick oysters and Maine scallops) from the consistently impressive Bleu Marin, currently a wholesaler but reportedly soon to open a storefront in Montreal.
Manzanilla, Papirusa, Bodegas Lustau ($12.40/375 ml, 11767565)
100% Palomino. Matured in American oak casks in the traditional criaderas and solera system. Reducing sugar: < 1.2 g/l. 15% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Complex, lightly oxidized nose of brown sugar, nuts, raw whole grains and faint dried flowers. Dry, intense, light and long in the mouth. Alive with fresh acidity. Iodine notes appear on the mid-palate, fruit (dried apple?) and nuts (almonds?) on the finish. A briny tang runs throughout. The QPR is off the charts. Perfect with green olives, delicious with the New Brunswick oyster and good with the cheeses. (Buy again? Def.)
Manzanilla Pasada de Sanlúcar, Almacenista, Manuel Cuevas Jurado, Bodegas Lustau ($33.00/500 ml, 11767565)
100% Palomino. The solera consists of 80 butts plus the supporting criaderas, which are matured in Manuel Cuevas Jurado’s bodegas in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. 17% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Intriguing nose of “grilled peanuts” (per one taster), distant straw, dried corn, dulse and dried orange peel. Richer and more intense than the Papirusa. Lean and well-delineated. The salinity is very present here. Fresh despite the nutty oxidative notes. Ends elegantly with a long, tangy, minerally finish. Perhaps the most versatile with food. Played interestingly off the the BC oyster’s cucumber flavours. (Buy again? Yes.)
Fino del Puerto, Almacenista, José Luis Gonzáles Obregón, Bodegas Lustau ($21.80/500 ml, 12340150)
100% Palomino. Matured in American oak casks in the traditional solera system in El Puerto de Santa María. 17% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
White fruit and a hint of citrus along with white spices, chamomile, crushed oyster shells and a sour edge. Light and delicate in the mouth, dry but not drying. Brightly acidic yet softer, more glowing than the Manzanillas. Delicious minerality and a long tangy finish. The best of the bunch with the jamón. (Buy again? Yes.)
Palo Cortado de Jerez, Almacenista, Vides, Bodegas Lustau ($35.25/500 ml, 12365761)
100% Palomino. Matured in American oak casks in the traditional solera system. 19% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Darker, deeper nose: dried stone fruit, citrus peel, coffee overtones and hints of walnut and butterscotch. Rich, round and dry on the palate but also sweet-seeming. Caramel, sweet spice and nuts dominate though there’s plenty of briny salt and tang if you look for it. Some orange peel creeps in on the long, long finish. A beautiful wine. Excellent with the raw scallop dusted with Madagascar pepper, loveliest of all with the cheeses and the only one of the quartet that worked with the dried sausage. (Buy again? Oh, yes.)
MWG March 12th tasting: flight 2 of 7
Brett happens 
The horse he rode in on
with 11 comments
Emilia Rosso 2014, Trebbiolo, La Stoppa ($23.10, 11896501)
A blend of Barbera (60%) and Bonarda (40%) from organically farmed three- to 20-year-old vines. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Matured five months in stainless steel. Unfiltered and unfined. A small squirt of sulphur dioxide is added at bottling. Reducing sugar: 1.5 g/l. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Some barnyardy funk on opening but also mulberry, raspberry candies, old wood, earth and hints of game and papier d’Arménie. As is sometimes the case with this cuvée, there’s a bit of spritz that mostly dissipates, especially if the wine is carafed. That aside, it’s medium-bodied and very dry, full of tangy fruit, tart acidity and medium tannins with a nice rasp and an appealing astringency that lingers through the minerally finish. Virtually begs for casual fare – think pizza, sausages, grilled pork – and can handle tomato with aplomb. Just don’t serve it too warm. A return to form after the verging on off-dry 2013, this has some of the rustic appeal of the much missed Gutturnio, which cuvée it replaces. (Buy again? In multiples.)
Preparing this note for posting has my mouth watering, so much did I enjoy the wine. Several friends have also expressed delight with the 2014 (“back to being eminently quaffable” to quote one of them). All of which gives the lie to another local blogger’s claim that (translating here and below) “No one could like this. Undrinkable!”, something said blogger knows is untrue as he goes on to cherry-pick Cellartracker comments in support of his position while ignoring the majority of favourable reviews appearing alongside them. (Not that I place stock in scores, but the Cellartracker average is 89 points for the 2013 and 2014 and 87 points for the 2012. Wine Spectator reportedly rated it 89 points. Hardly undrinkable.)
Maybe the wine’s not to the blogger’s taste. Fine: de gustibus non disputandum est. Maybe he doesn’t “get” natural wines. Maybe he is unaware that wines from this area and nearby parts of Piedmont sometimes have – and are prized for – the funky, fizzy qualities he objects to. Maybe his particular bottle was actually defective, a possibility that doesn’t appear to have occurred to him. Or maybe his declaring not just his bottle but every bottle to be a “foul horse,” his suggesting that the winemaker, agent and SAQ were asleep at the switch, his screaming in all caps that the wine should “be withdrawn at once” point to another agenda.
Notwithstanding such irresponsible reporting, the 2014 Trebbiolo has been selling well and is already in low supply at or long gone from stores like the Laurier and Beaubien Sélections, whose customers tend to be more clued-in than others. If you look, you’ll find bottles here and there on the island in addition to the 60 or so on SAQ.com. And if it’s the kind of wine that pushes your buttons, look you should.
Written by carswell
October 7, 2016 at 15:17
Posted in Commentary, Tasting notes
Tagged with Affordable, Emilia-Romagna, food pairings, Natural wine, Organic, QPR winner, Red wine