Posts Tagged ‘screwcap’
Salon VIP 2014: Root day at Rézin (6/7)
Yarra Valley 2013, Pépé le Pinot, Jamsheed Wines ($39.30, private import, 6 bottles/case)
The winery has two lines: the eponymous premium line and the more affordable Harem Series. Price notwithstanding, this is part of the latter. 100% organically farmed Pinot Noir sourced, in 2013, from the Penbro Vineyard in the Yea Valley district. 45% of the grapes were macerated and fermented (with indigenous yeasts) as whole clusters, the rest as whole berries. Given three days’ cold soak and minimal punching down. Spent 30 days on the skins and eight months on the lees in old French oak barrels. Unfiltered and unfined. Screwcapped. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Wafting, warm-climate nose, the red cherry and berries lifted by spice, grounded by earth and darkened by gamy notes. In the mouth, it’s a supple, savoury middleweight. The fruit is ripe but not heavy, thanks in large part to the refreshing acidity. Background minerals and old wood provide some flavour depth while airframe tannins bestow a modicum of grip, most apparent on the finish. Lightly chilled, this would go well with grilled tuna or cedar-planked salmon. (Buy again? Irrespective of price, yes. But 40 bucks is awfully steep for an easy-drinking Pinot.)
Salon VIP 2014: Root day at Rézin (1/7)
We wended our way to the Groupe Rézin stand, where Steve Beauséjour was, as ever, an enthusiastic host. Despite its being a root day – not a fruit day – on the biodynamic calendar, the wines were showing well, he said. And indeed they were.
Grüner Veltliner 2012, Rosensteig, Kremstal, Weingut Geyerhof ($28.85, private import, 12 bottles/case)
Currently comprising 19 hectares of vines, 70% of them Grüner Veltliner, the estate has been in the Maier family’s hands since the 16th century and certified organic since 1988. This 100% Grüner Veltliner comes from vineyards in Hollenberg, located on the south side of the Danube, east of Krems. The grapes are manually harvested in early October and whole-cluster pressed. After clarification by settling, the must is fermented with indigenous yeasts, matured on the lees for several months and filtered and bottled in mid-March. Sees only stainless steel until bottling. 12.5% ABV. Screwcapped. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Textbook GV nose: lime, green melon, white minerals, whiffs of grass, mint and white pepper. Nimble, fleet and fluid in the mouth yet also very present. Clean and tangy fruit, crystalline minerals and crisp acidity dance across the palate and fade into a saline, peppery finish. So easy to down. A summer sipper par excellence, this would also go famously with salads, vegetable dishes and mildly spiced, not-sweet, white-proteined Asian food. (Buy again? A bit pricey for an everyday wine – a recurring theme at this show – but yes.)
MWG October 2nd tasting: Garnacha v. Grenache
Rioja 2010, Propiedad, Bodega Palacios Remondo ($36.00, 10256131)
100% Garnacha (aka Grenache) from 40- to 90-year-old vines. In previous vintages, the wine has been a blend; the 2010 is the first all-Grenache bottling. The grapes were manually harvested, sorted in the vineyard and again at the cellar and fully destemmed. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts and maceration with regular punch-downs took place in 5,000-litre oak vats and lasted nearly a month. Matured 14 months in French oak barrels, 50% new and 50% second-fill. Unfiltered and unfined. 14.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Les vins Horizon.
New Worldish nose: up-front plum and cherry, spicy notes (black pepper especially) and background vanilla. In the mouth, it’s a middleweight. Bright acidity and smooth tannins supplely structure the ripe-sweet fruit, while a slatey underlay adds depth. The oak-accented finish is heady, even a little flaring. Enjoyable in an uncomplicated – “one-dimensional” quoth one taster – fruit-forward way. Before the bottles were unveiled, another taster (tasting double-blind) who spends a lot of time in San Francisco declared this a Californian. And even I (tasting blind) was convinced it was the Bonny Doon. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Grenache 2012, Central Coast, Clos de Gilroy, Bonny Doon Vineyard ($28.30, 12268557)
Mostly biodynamically farmed Grenache (84%, from the Alta Loma vineyard in Greenfield) with a little Syrah (11.5%, from the Alamo Creek Vineyard near Santa Maria) and Mouvèdre (4.5%, from very old vines in Oakley). Manually harvested and sorted. Mostly destemmed. The varieties were vinified separately. A cold soak of several days was followed by lengthy fermentation (with indigenous yeasts) and maceration in open vats with regular punch-downs. Matured in stainless steel tanks, then blended and bottled. Screwcapped. 14.4% ABV. Quebec agent: Trialto.
Fresh nose of crushed raspberry, white pepper and pastry cream over a subterranean bass line. Tighter and more structured than the Rioja, though also a middleweight. The satiny fruit is lifted by high acidity, framed by sleek tannins and grounded by dark minerals. Finishes cleanly on a heady, herb-scented note. An appealing mix of suave and gruff. Unfortunately, like so many California wines in Quebec, the QPR seems a little off. (Buy again? At $28.30, maybe. If it were $5 cheaper, sure.)
(Flight: 4/6)
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 July 17th tasting: Pinot Gris shoot-out
Except for a pink singleton in the middle, the rest of the tasting was a series of two-bottle flights in which a New World wine was pitched against a similar and similarly priced Old World wine. First up were a couple of affordable Pinot Grises.
Pinot Gris 2012, Willamette Valley, Elk Cove Vineyards ($26.10, 11640011)
100% Pinot Gris from vines three to 27 years old grown in various northern Willamette Valley vineyards. Manually harvested, whole-cluster pressed. Fermented at low temperatures in stainless steel tanks. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Vintrinsec.
Appealing nose of pear, chalk and wax. Fruity but not to excess, with bright acidity and a hint of residual sugar. A saline undercurrent threads into the long, dry finish. Pure and vibrant – an easy-drinker with no complexes. (Buy again? Sure.)
Alsace Pinot Gris 2012, Les Princes Abbés, Domaines Schlumberger ($22.85, 00913897)
100% Pinot Gris from estate grown grapes, mostly from the Schimberg lieu-dit. The grapes are manually harvested and pneumatically pressed. The must is clarified by settling, then fermented in large temperature-controlled barrels for one to four months. Maturation on the fine lees lasts six to eight months. 13.45% ABV. Quebec agent: Les Vins La Rochelle.
A more savoury nose: less fruity, more minerally, with hints of herbs and smoke. Smoother and drier on the palate, the texture slightly more viscous, the acid less bright. The wine’s weight notwithstanding, there’s not a lot of depth here. Clean, rainwatery finish. Not bad but, compared with the Elk Cove (not to mention Scheuller’s electrifying Pinot Grises), a bit of a wallflower. (Buy again? Maybe.)
MWG July 17th tasting: Lip-stingers?
A word of Occitan/French origin, piquepoul is usually translated as “lip-stinger.” The grape variety is reportedly so named due to its high acidity.
Languedoc 2013, Picpoul de Pinet, Château Saint-Martin de la Garrigue ($19.15, 11460045)
100% Piquepoul Blanc from vines averaging 25 years old. The grapes are picked late in the season, pressed, macerated ten hours on the skins, then cold settled and racked into the fermentation vessels. The slow, temperature-controlled fermentation is followed by four-months’ maturation on the fine lees in stainless steel tanks. 14.5% ABV according to SAQ.com, 15% (!) according to the label. Quebec agent: Bergeron-les-vins.
Lemon, quartz and chalk, hints of honey and paraffin. Very dry but fruity, with lots of extract. Electric acidity keeps things fresh. An herbal/floral note – think lemon verbena – perfumes the mid-palate while minerals come to the fore on the bitter-tinged, lightly saline finish. Surprisingly cool, with no alcohol apparent on the nose or palate. Puts the lie to the old saw that Picpoul is the Muscadet of the Midi. Would make a fine pairing for grilled fish and shellfish but is also substantial enough to accompany a local specialty, encornets à la sétoise (aïoli not optional). (Buy again? For sure.)
Languedoc 2013, Picpoul de Pinet, Ormarine, Maison JeanJean ($13.50, 266064)
100% Piquepoul Blanc. The grapes are pressed and macerated on the skins, then allowed to cold-settle. Enzymes are added for enhanced aromatics. Low-temperature fermentation involves selected yeasts. Screwcapped. 12.5% ABV. Maison JeanJean’s website is broken so I can’t verify, but this appears to be made by the Cave de l’Ormarine and to be very similar if not identical to their “Carte noire” bottling. Quebec agent: Sélect Vins.
Lime zest, pear and passion fruit. In the mouth, a light spritzy prickle, straightforward fruit and some creaminess. Crisp if not as vibrantly acidic or minerally as the St-Martin. Short finish and a faint buttery aftertaste. A perfectly correct, simple wine that wowed no one around the table, though a few did say they’d buy it as a cooking wine they could also drink in a pinch. (Buy again? Unlikely, especially as my go-to cooking wine runs about $3 cheaper.)
MWG June 12th tasting: Hi yo, Silvaner!
Rheinhessen 2012, Grüner Sylvaner, Trocken, Battenfeld-Spanier ($26.60, private import, 6 bottles/case)
The 28-hectare estate is located in Hohen-Sülzen near Worms and has been organic since 1993, began working biodynamically in 2005 and is now a member of La Renaissance des appellations. This 100% Grüner Sylvaner (aka Silvaner and Sylvaner) is fermented with indigenous yeasts and sees only stainless steel until bottling. Screwcapped. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV/Insolite.
Flinty minerals, lime zest, apple, grass, hints of smoke and ash. Clean and dry (especially on the finish), tense with acidity. The fruit is shot through with minerals and gains an appealing sour note and hazelnut-skin bitterness. Long. In contrast to some Sylvaners, there’s nothing rustic about this wonderfully tonic wine. (Buy again? Yes.)
MWG March 20th tasting (2/7): Flat whites?
Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2012, Panizzi ($20.90, 12102821)
100% Vernaccia. Sees only stainless steel until bottling. Gently crushed, no maceration. Fermented in temperature-controlled (18°C) tanks. Transferred to other tanks for five months’ maturation. 13% ABV.
Straw, chalk and quartz, eventually offering up faint stone fruit and lemon. Clean and intense. Starts dry but sweetens as it goes along. Possessed of a certain richness – largely extract – that’s balanced by acidity. Long, minerally finish with a telltale bitter almond note. A second bottle showed better at table. The best Vernaccia sold at the SAQ in a coon’s age, though less accomplished than the private import Barzaghi tasted last year. (Buy again? Sure.)
Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore 2010, Il Coroncino, Fattoria Coroncino ($23.55, 11952138)
100% Verdicchio from vines in the Coroncino and Cerrete vineyards. Farming is organic, though uncertified, and no fertilizers are used. Manually harvested, gently pressed. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled (20°C) stainless steel tanks. Whether the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation is left to nature. Matured in stainless steel tanks. Minimal sulphur is added at bottling. 13.5% ABV.
Oxidized butter, flowers, yellow apple, dried lemon, ash. Rich, smooth, concentrated but not heavy. Fruit is present but Heisenbergian: when you look for it, it evanesces. Layered, with substrata of tangy acid and dusty chalk. Long, bitter-edged, moreish. A bottle consumed a couple of weeks after the tasting proved even more compelling and made a surprisingly good match for asparagus gratinéed with Parmesan cheese and topped with a fried egg. (Buy again? Yes.)
IGT Civitella d’Agliano 2012, Poggio della Costa, Sergio Mottura ($21.75, 10782309)
100% Grechetto from organically farmed vines grown in the Poggio della Costa vineyard. Soft-pressed, cold-settled, fermented in temperature-controlled (18-20°C) tanks for 15 to 25 days. Matured on the lees in tanks for five or six months. Sees only stainless steel until bottling. Screwcapped. 13.5% ABV.
Inexpressive nose of lemon and quartz dust. Bland and inexpressive in the mouth. Clean, medium-bodied, with lowish acidity, a saline finish and no personality. I quite enjoyed Mottura’s Orvietto last year but this was simply forgettable. Closed and in need of time? Let’s hope that’s the explanation. (Buy again? Only to give it a second chance.)
I had high hopes for this flight: three monovarietals from three iconic Italian white grapes made by three highly regarded producers. But all three wines fell flat at the tasting, generating little interest, with no one inquiring about availability. Did the cavas neutralize our palates? Were the planets improperly aligned? Are these wines that, like many central Italian reds, need food to show their mettle? That the two revisited after the tasting were capable of providing pleasure (especially the Coroncino) has me leaning toward the food hypothesis. Then again, I thought both made a fine aperitif on their own before I sat down to eat.
Somewhereness 2013: Southbrook Vineyards
Located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the peninsula’s sunniest and warmest micro-climate (whence, one assumes, the rare focus on Cabernet Sauvignon), Southbrook Vineyards purchased its first 75 acres of land in 2005 and added another 75 in 2008. The estate has been certified organic and biodynamic since 2008 and uses only indigenous yeasts. The sleek, LEED Gold-certified winery building was designed by Jack Diamond, architect of Montreal’s new symphony hall.
Chardonnay 2012, Triomphe, Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA, Southbrook Vineyards ($24.95, Trialto, 12 bottles/case)
100% Chardonnay. The pressed juice of the grapes from the Reimer and Gemmrich vineyard was allowed to cool-settle for 12 hours, then racked into stainless steel tanks for spontaneous fermentation and ageing on the lees. Meanwhile, Southbrook Estate grapes were whole-cluster pressed, cool-settled and racked into French oak barrels for spontaneous fermentation and ageing on the lees. Selected barrels were blended with the stainless steel lot, filtered (but not fined) and bottled. Screwcapped. Vegan-compatible. 12.5% ABV.
Lemon, peach, oak spice. A creamy-textured middleweight in the mouth. The bright fruit (apple and stone) is noticeably sweet, a bit more than necessary to take the edge off the lilting acidity. Solid finish whose freshness is tempered by faint caramel. (Buy again? At the Ontario price of $21.95, maybe.)
Winemaker’s White 2011, Whimsy, Niagara Peninsula VQA, Southbrook Vineyards ($34.95, Trialto, 12 bottles/case)
A blend of Chardonnay (58%), Sémillon (27%) and Muscat (15%). Harvested on the same day, the three varieties were combined and pressed. The must was racked into old oak barrels for spontaneous fermentation and maturation. Bottled filtered but unfined. Screwcapped. Vegan-compatible. 13% ABV.
Fragrant nose: preserved lemon, tropical fruit and, a bit incongruously, wool. Fruity (not to excess) and off-dry, the sugar effectively counterbalanced by underlying acidity. The long, browning apple finish gains some citrus pith and a hint of wax. Well made but not really my style. Plus there’s the issue of price: hard to swallow when $35 gets you, say, Huet’s beautiful 2011 Clos du Bourg and a loony in change. (Buy again? Probably not.)
Cabernet Franc 2010, Triomphe, Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA, Southbrook Vineyards ($24.95, Trialto, 12 bottles/case)
Cabernet Franc (85%) and Merlot (15%). Manually harvested. Destemmed then 50% crushed. Spontaneous fermentation in oak vat with a total maceration time of four weeks, followed by pressing, settling and 12 months in barrels. Selected barrels were blended, filtered (but not fined) and bottled. Vegan-compatible. 13% ABV.
Red and black berries, spice and a green tobacco note. Medium-bodied. The sleek fruit is energized by bright acidity, darkened by graphite and ruffled by fine tannins that give this fundamentally supple wine welcome grain and a velvety astringency. Clean finish with lingering spice. (Buy again? Sure.)
Winemaker’s Red 2007, Whimsy, Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA, Southbrook Vineyards ($34.95, Trialto, 12 bottles/case)
No tech info found. Going by other vintages, this is probably a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.
Evolved, complex, tertiary nose: cassis and black raspberry, underbrush, tobacco and graphite. Medium-bodied, smoothly textured and resolved though not over the hill, with enough acidity to keep the fruit bright and frisky. Round tannins linger into the finish, whose lightly candied fruit intertwines with more savoury flavours. Well made if a little anonymous. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Triomphe, Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA, Southbrook Vineyards ($24.95, Trialto, 12 bottles/case)
No tech info found. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Vegan-compatible, which probably means it’s unfined. 14.1% ABV.
Candied cassis, sawed wood and spice. Medium-bodied. Ripe and fruity. Tart acidity and gritty tannins provide textural/structural interest. Faint tobacco and vanilla scent the long finish. Straightforward, versatile and fun. (Buy again? Sure.)
Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Whimsy, Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA, Southbrook Vineyards ($34.95, Trialto, 12 bottles/case)
100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Manually harvested. Destemmed, 50% crushed, fermented with indigenous yeasts in an oak vat (four weeks’ total maceration time), then pressed, settled and racked into mainly French oak barrels (71% new). After 13 months, the barrels were selected, blended, lightly filtered (but not fined) and bottled. Vegan-compatible. 13.3% ABV.
Appealing set of aromas and flavours: dark fruit, spice, crushed stone, tobacco leaf, discreet oak. Medium-bodied. Polished and evolved, with smooth tannins and acidity. Less fruit-driven and more savoury than the Triomphe, with an added layer of minerals and depth. Long, astringent, earth- and herb-inflected finish. The most Bordeaux-like Ontario wine I’ve tasted. (Buy again? Yes.)
Somewhereness 2013: Flat Rock Cellars
Founded in 1999 and located at the top of Twenty Mile Bench, Flat Rock Cellars owns 80 acres of vines. The three core grape varieties are Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The winery is built on several levels to allow gravity flow. Intervention in the wine-making is largely avoided and indigenous yeasts are used for some wines.
Sparkling Brut Reserve 2007, Twenty Mile Bench VQA, Flat Rock Cellars ($35.00, available only at the winery)
Two-thirds Pinot Noir and one-third Chardonnay. Whole-cluster pressed, cold settled, fermented in stainless steel tanks. Racked into neutral barrels for six month’s maturation, then blended, filtered and bottled, with secondary fermentation taking place in the bottle. Aged on the lees for three years, then disgored and dosed. Crown-capped. 12% ABV.
Citrus, apple, brioche and chalk. Lightly fruity upfront, turning bone dry as it goes along. Laden with minerals and brilliant acidity. Long, toasty, leesy finish. Good complexity and balance. Lovely. (Buy again? Yes.)
Riesling 2011, Nadja’s Vineyard, Twenty Mile Bench VQA, Flat Rock Cellars ($25.00, Langevins, 12 bottles/case)
100% Riesling from a 2.5-acre vineyard atop a bed of limestone. Manually harvested, whole-cluster pressed, cold-settled and then racked off the lees for fermentation. Fermented at cold temperatures with selected yeasts. 13.5 g/l residual sugar. 11.5% ABV.
The nose – peach and white flowers – doesn’t quite prepare you for the lemonade-ish palate with its tension between tart and sweet against a backdrop of flint and white fruit. Long, juicy finish with lingering sour green apple and lime. Intensely refreshing. (Buy again? At the winery’s $20.15, definitely.)
Chardonnay 2009, Twenty Mile Bench VQA, Flat Rock Cellars ($20.20, 11889474)
A blend of two Chardonnay clones from four different sites and soil types. Manually harvested. Some of the grapes were destemmed, others were kept as whole bunches. After pressing and settling, the must was transferred by gravity feed into barrels (60%) and stainless steel tanks (40%) where it was underwent primary fermentation (with selected yeasts) and full malolactic fermentation with regular lees-stirring. After blending, the wine was bottled unfined. Screwcapped. 12.8% ABV.
Oak, lemon, chalk. A bit leesy and lactic with a sour edge. Smooth texture, the charged acidity notwithstanding. Lemon and sour apple with some honey creeping in the decent finish. Tasty. (Buy again? Sure, especially at the LCBO’s $16.95.)
Chardonnay 2011, The Rusty Shed, Twenty Mile Bench VQA, Flat Rock Cellars ($25.00, Langevins, 12 bottles/case)
A challenging vintage meant the fruit was left on the vine until early October. Manually picked, gently pressed, transferred to barrels for fermentation followed by ten months maturation in French oak barrels (a mix of new and old). Screwcapped. 13% ABV.
Oats, lemon, white fruit, lanolin and a hint of sweet oak. Weightier than the 2009, though by no means heavy. Dry and minerally with grippy acidity and faint overtones of stone fruit, butter and caramel. Clean – the oak is an accent – and long. Polished and appealing. (Buy again? Yes.)
Pinot Noir 2011, Twenty Mile Bench VQA, Flat Rock Cellars ($29.20, Langevins, 12 bottles/case)
The so-called estate bottling. 100% Pinot Noir from seven parcels. Manually picked, pressed, then soaked on the skins with manual punch-downs several times a day to extract color and tannin. Barrel-fermented, mostly with indigenous yeats. Matured in a mix of old and new French oak barrels. Screwcapped. 12.5% ABV.
Pretty nose of cedar, spice and red berries. Ripe fruit, light oak and a slight earthiness. Good acidity and structure. Clean finish with a faint tannic rasp. (Buy again? At the Ontario price of $20, sure.)
Pinot Noir 2011, Gravity, Twenty Mile Bench VQA, Flat Rock Cellars ($34.50, Langevins, 12 bottles/case)
A blend of barrels selected for their deeper, less forward fruit. Aged longer than the estate Pinot Noir; otherwise, the wine-making is identical. Unfined. Screwcapped. 12.5% ABV.
Less primary and more integrated than the regular Pinot. Pure fruit, good acidity, fine tannins, dark minerals and a little more savour and heft. Light oak on the lingering finish. (Buy again? Yes, especially at the winery’s $30.15.)
Brett happens 