Posts Tagged ‘Sparklers’
MWG February 21st tasting (1/8): Tissot’s Indigène
A wide-ranging tasting that featured a mix of SAQ wines and private imports, all of them recent arrivals. We started and ended in the Jura.
Crémant du Jura, Indigène, Domaine André et Mireille Tissot ($27.04, Les vins Alain Bélanger, 12 b/c)
A traditional method sparkler. Biodynamically farmed Chardonnay (55%), Pinot Noir (35%), Poulsard (5%) and Trousseau (5%) from vines averaging 25 years old. Manually harvested, pneumatically pressed. Slow fermentation in stainless steel vats at 16 to 18ºC with indigenous yeasts. The prise de mousse (second fermentation) is achieved using yeasts taken from the estate’s fermenting vin de paille. Matured on the lees in bottles for 13 months before disgorging. No dosage or added sulphur dioxide. If memory serves, the alcohol level was 12.5%.
Apple turnover with cream, lemon zest and chalk. Fine, persistent effervescence. Rich and dry, the flavours tending to pear and yellow apple, crunchy minerals and a honey note. Fresh, pure and bracing, with huge acidity and a yeasty finish. A great sparkler that wakes up your mouth. (Buy again? Definitely.)
MWG January 10th tasting (1/7): Fleith’s Crémant d’Alsace
The MWG recently spent an enjoyable evening with La QV’s Cyril Kérébel tasting through an impressive and wide-ranging selection of the agency’s new arrivals, all of them private imports. We wet our whistles and whet our palates with an Alsatian sparkler.
Crémant d’Alsace, Domaine Fleith ($30.75, 6 bottles/case, La QV)
A blend of biodynamically farmed Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois (65%), Riesling (20%) and Pinot Noir (15%). The producer’s website appears to indicate that the grapes are botrytized, though I can’t say I detected any botrytis aromas or flavours.
Pale yellow with electrum glints and a fine bead. Yellow apple, yeast, lemon, chalk and a white floral note. Bright in the mouth, dry, complex and pure. Soft, caressing effervescence. Long, lemon-pithy finish. Delicious and refreshing: light enough to serve as an aperitif, substantial enough to accompany the first course if it’s something like coquilles Saint-Jacques. (Buy again? Gladly.)
MWG December 14th tasting (1/4): Two Proseccos and a ringer
The Mo’ Wine Group celebrated its seventh anniversary on December 14. As usual, the tasting featured sparklers, Champagnes, some potentially sublime still wines and an odd bottle or two. We began with two Proseeccos and a mystery wine contributed by one of the group’s original members.
Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore 2011, Extra Dry, Bandarossa, Bortolomiol ($19.50, 10654956)
100% Glera (aka Prosecco). Pressed off the skins, fermented with selected yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. Sparkled using the Charmat process, which lasts close to a month. Matured one to three months. 18.0 g/l residual sugar. 6.0 g/l total acidity. 11.5% ABV.
Sliver to the other wines’ yellow-gold. Perfumy nose: bath powder, lemon and a candied note one taster dubbed “Hubba Bubba.” The foam lasted several minutes around the edge of the glass – the first time I’ve encountered that – though in the mouth the effervescence was fine and soft. Drier and more acidic than expected (a good thing) but also shallow. (Buy again? No, not when the far more enjoyable 2011 Bisol can be had for less.)
Vidalsecco 2010, Ontario, Huff Estates ($19.95, purchased at the winery)
100% Vidal Blanc. Sparkled using the Charmat process. Matured in stainless steel vats. 12 g/l residual sugar. 11.5% ABV. 400 cases made. Crown-capped.
Noticeably different nose: lemon and chalk but also mastic, star fruit, chewing gum (“Juicy Fruit” said another taster, continuing the Wrigley theme) and a hint of foxiness. A little like sipping ginger ale, though dry and fine-textured with an appealing tang and a long, clean finish. (Buy again? Sure.)
Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore 2010, Extra Dry, Le Rive di Ogliano, Masottina ($23.15, 11791750)
100% Glera. Fermented with selected yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. Sparkled using the Charmat process. 13.0–15.0 g/l residual sugar. 5.2–6.2 g/l total acidity. 11.5% ABV.
Perfumy again, though not to the Bortolomiol’s boudoiry excess, with a honeyed edge and a hint of lemon zest. Soft, almost caressing effervescence. Very dry. A certain complexity of flavours, including a floral note on the finish. Tasty. (Buy again? Yes.)
MWG November 22nd tasting (1/5): Two French sparklers
A tasting of 15 wines, including five from the November 22nd Cellier release and one importation valise. We began with two French sparklers.
Champagne grand cru, Réserve, H. Billiot ($49.75, 11818220)
75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay from up to 18 grand cru vineyards in Ambonnay. Usually a blend of three vintages. Fermented in stainless steel tanks. Does not undergo malolactic fermentation. Unfiltered. 13% ABV.
Browning apple and bread crust. Softly effervescent. Dry but rich, with a ripe-sweet fruit core (yellow apple and dried apricot) and plenty of acidity. A suggestion of brown sugar joins the minerals on the finish. Not bad though more complexity, tension and, well, dazzle would be welcome. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Vouvray mousseux 2010, Brut, Domaine Vincent Carême ($21.70, 11633591)
100% Chenin Blanc. The estate has been farming organically since 2002 and either has recently received organic certification or is about to. Made using the traditional method, with only yeast added for the second fermentation. Zero dosage. 13% ABV.
Complex and appealing nose: sour apple, lees, yeast, barley sugar, a hint of kerosene. Fine, sharp effervescence. The abundant acidity is checked by the faint residual sugar. Not a lot of flavour depth but a crystal-like structural depth. A minerally, faintly bitter streak that one taster described as burnt match lingers through the finish. Earlier bottles of this have shown better; the current shipment is just off the boat and may need a few weeks to settle down. (Buy again? Sure.)
MWG November 9th tasting: report (3/5)
Crémant de Loire 2004, Extra Brut, Quadrille, Langlois-Chateau ($28.40, 11791670)
A quadrille is an 18th-century dance involving four couples. Here it refers to the four grape varieties used – Chenin Blanc (50%), Chardonnay (30%), Cabernet Franc (15%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%) – and the four Saumur vineyards where the grapes are grown. Manually harvested. Pneumatically pressed. Each vineyard’s produce is vinified separately in temperature-controlled vats and subsequently blended. Made using the traditional method. Matured on the lees for four years. The champagne house Bollinger has owned Langlois-Chateau (spelled sans circumflex, TYVM) since 1973. 12.5% ABV.
Initially odd nose – wet dog and honeysuckle – segues into more appealing sour apple and yeast. Clean and bright on the palate. Straightfowardly fruity but very dry. Fine effervesence and crisp acidity lighten the fairly rich texture. Lingering minerals. Well fashioned, even elegant, if a little short on personality. (Buy again? Maybe, though equally interesting and more characterful sparklers can be found for less.)
Champagne grand cru, Blanc de Blancs, Réserve Brut, De Sousa ($69.25, 11797369)
100% Chardonnay from the Avise, Cramant, Le Mesnil sur Oger, Chouilly and Oger grand cru vineyards. A blend of two or three vintages with a minimum of 25% barrel-aged vin de réserve. Made entirely from tête de cuvée juice (the first out of the press). Vinified in temperature-controlled metal vats. Unchaptalized. 12.5% ABV.
Barley sugar, browning apple, hints of buttered toast. Quite rich and full, with faint oxidized fruit and honey notes. The round bubbles provide lift and ripe acidity keeps things taut. Underpinning crystals and chalk add complexity. Long, tasty finish. (Buy again? Maybe, though equally interesting Champagnes can be found for less.)
oenopole trade tasting (1/4): Jacques Lassaigne
In the run-up to the Salon des vins d’importation privée, oenopole held a couple of trade tastings led by their visiting winemakers and was kind enough to offer non-trade me a seat. Unfortunately, Arianna Occhipinti and Elena Pantaleoni (La Stoppa) were detained by hurricane Sandy, though they did make it to town in time for the various other activities.
The tasting began with three champagnes from the house of Jacques Lassaigne and presented by Jacques’s son and the current winemaker, Emmanuel. Planted to Chardonnay and a little Pinot Noir, the approximately five-hectare estate is located in Montgeux, a chalky hill in the southernmost part of the appellation. A small quantity of grapes is also purchased. All the grapes are organically farmed and the wine-making is as natural as possible. Disgorgement is performed monthly, surely one of the reasons why all the wines taste fresh.
Champagne, Brut, Blanc de blancs, Les vignes de Montguex, Jacques Lassaigne ($55.00, oenopole)
Always a blend of wines from two successive vintages and several parcels. The vintages here were 2008 (27%) and 2009 (73%). 15% is matured in cask. Emmanuel Lassaigne describes it as an aperitif wine, a role it performs supremely well, though it also makes a killer accompaniment for sushi.
Electrum to the eye. Pleasing nose of lemon, green melon, minerals, yeast and a lactic note. Super fine, tingly effervescence. Quite dry. Light lemon over a chalky substrate. Lingering savoury note. Clean, bright, refreshing.
Champagne 2005, Jacques Lassaigne ($105.00, oenopole)
No barrel or dosage. No sugar added during disgorging.
More golden. Richer, sweeter, winier nose redolent of yellow apple. Soft effervescence with bigger bubbles. Mouth-filling but not heavy. Comes across as less acidic and mineral-driven than the Vignes de Montguex, though that’s due to the richness of the fruit, not to any lack of minerals and acidity. Excellent balance and complexity of flavour. Broad, deep and long. Beautiful now but also capable of improving with time in the cellar. My favourite of the three.
Champagne, Extra Brut, Blanc de blancs, La Colline inspirée, Jacques Lassaigne (price to be announced but probably over $100, oenopole)
A blend of 2007 and 2008. Vinified and aged on the lees in used white Burgundy barrels. In the past this has been bottled only in magnums, though this year oenopole will have some standard 750 ml bottles.
Bronzer. Complex bouquet: golden apple, citrus, chalk, toast, brioche, a faint floral note and a hint of souring milk. The softest and fleshiest of the three. Some sweetness on the attack but dry on the finish. Oxidizing sour apples, candied citrus zest and lingering crystals. Long, round and layered. Less structured than the Millésime 2005, but no less appealing: a deluxe vin plaisir.
MWG July 13th tasting: report (2/5)
Rosé 2009, Method Traditional, VQA Prince Edward County, Hinterland Wine Co. ($37)
75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay. Aged two-plus years on the lees. Disgorged and dosed in batches as stocks run low. 12% ABV.
Medium salmon pink with a faint bronze cast. Fine, lazy bead. Muted nose: bathpowder and a hint of nectarine and yeast. Dry and minerally. Good balance between extract and acidity. Only lightly fruity until the finish, when raspberry swells. As the wine breathes and warms, it turns sweeter and less integrated and gains a faint metallic edge. (Buy again? Maybe, though a QPR winner it’s not.)
3630 Bubble 2008, VQA Prince Edward County, Barnyard Wine Co. ($39)
A tiny winery. The wines are made at Hinterland’s facilities. The 3630 refers to the number of vines per acre. For the 2008 vintage, the estate’s entire crop was used for this bubbly, a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. 11.6% ABV.
Red berries, nectarine and a whiff of brett. Sourish and odd at first but coming around. Quite dry and never very fruity. Racy acidity it has in spades and lots of minerals on the finish. (Buy again? Maybe if it weren’t so expensive.)
Dea’s Cuvée 2008, Méthode cuvée close, VQA Ontario, Casa-Dea Estates Winery ($16)
A blend of Chard and Pinot Noir, with at least some of the fruit coming from elsewhere in the province. Made by the less labour-intensive cuvée close method (aka Charmat process). 12.5% ABV.
Yeasty, sour apple and silage with a metallic edge. Facile, fruity and sweet. Compared with the other wines in the flight, it tasted artificial and cheap. (Buy again? Nope.)
Cuvée Peter F. Huff 2008, VQA Prince Edward County, Huff Estates ($45)
A blend of Chardonnay (65%) and Pinot Noir (35%), the winery’s “all-county Blanc de noirs” claim notwithstanding. Traditional method vinification. Spent 30 months on its lees. 600 cases made. 12% ABV.
Delicate on the nose and palate. Rich effervescence. Light lemon and red berries. Quite dry and long with a toasty/yeasty note surfacing on the finish. Very elegant and the standout in this flight. (Buy again? Maybe, though excellent Champagnes can be had for less.)
Les Étoiles 2008, VQA Prince Edward County, Hinterland Wine Co. ($39)
A 50-50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir made using the traditional method. Aged on the lees for more than two years. The name likely refers to Dom Perignon’s apocryphal cry when he had his first sip of sparkling Champagne: “Venez vite, je bois des étoiles !” (Come quick, I am drinking stars!). If so, the winery is throwing down the gauntlet 12% ABV.
Electrum with a fine but plentiful bead. Toast and lemon on the nose. Minerals, lees and faint yellow stone fruit on the palate. A little funky and disjointed on both, improving only slightly as it breathed. Good balance between stuffing and acidity. Showing some depth, breadth and length. Still, it was hard to shake the feeling that the wine was “unsettled,” as one taster put it. An off bottle? Unfortunate because you could see the Champagne-like potential. (Buy again? To give it another chance, yes.)
MWG July 13th tasting: report (1/5)
The Mo’ Wine Group met on Friday the 13th to taste its way through an assortment of wines from Ontario’s up-and-comingest wine region, Prince Edward County, located on a peninsula jutting into Lake Ontario, about five hours by car from Montreal. Parallels having been drawn between the county’s cool climate and limestone soils and those of Champagne, we were especially interested in checking out the sparkling wines. Many thanks to members M and L for selecting and transporting the bottles.
Ancestral 2011, VQA Prince Edward County, Hinterland Wine Co. ($23)
A wine inspired by the sparkling Gamays (sometimes with a little Poulsard thown in) from Bugey Cerdon in France’s Savoie region. The name refers to the rarely used (outside of Savoie and Gaillac) méthode ancestrale of sparkling wine production, whereby the wine is bottled before fermentation is complete. Fermentation is then allowed to continue in the bottle and the carbon dioxide that is a byproduct creates the effervescence. (Like those of far too many Ontario wineries, Hinterland’s website is stingy with production details. One sentence found there – “Using the Ancestral method, the bubbles of this wine was [sic] achieved by capturing the carbon dioxide produced during the primary fermentation” – and the lack of a deposit in the bottle suggest that they may also be using some form of the transfer method.) In any case, this is 100% Gamay Noir and 8% ABV.
Pale strawberry pink with cotton candy glints. Foam disappears quickly; occasional small bubbles remain. Come-hither nose of yeast, strawberry and rose. Light on the palate with a fine effervescence. Fruity and off-dry, though the sweetness is tarted by bright acidity. Turns drier on the finish as minerals and a hint of earthiness emerge. Not quite up to Bugey Cerdon standards – this is simpler, more superficial, a bit more soda poppy – but not terribly far off and certainly enjoyable in its own right. Serve chilled as an outdoor sipper, an aperitif, with not very sweet stawberry- or rhubarb-based desserts or, possibly, as an accompaniment to Indian food (Bugey Cerdon works, so why not this?). (Buy again? Yes, a bottle or two for an all-Canadian dinner or picnic.)
MWG April Jura tastings: report (1/6)
Though sparkling wines have been made in the Jura for decades, the Crémant du Jura AOC was created only in 1995. Styles range from bone dry to off-dry and from fresh to quite oxidized. Some pink crémant is made. The permitted grape varieties are Chardonnay, Savagnin, Poulsard, Trousseau and Pinot Noir. White crémant is at least half Chardonnay, rosé crémant at least half Pinot Noir or Poulsard. To my mind, these are among the best – and best value – sparklers outside Champagne.
Crémant du Jura 2008, Brut, Rolet Père et Fils ($21.45, 10653380)
Haven’t found any technical information on the 2008. The 2007 was a blend (Chardonnay, with Savagnin and Poulsard making up about 45%) that spent 32 months sur lattes (bottled and stacked with thin strips of wood – think laths – laid between the bottles to stabilize the stacks and minimize damage in the event a bottle explodes).
Flowers, quartz dust, lemon. Very fine bead. Bright fruit (green apple, pear) balances the high acid. Soft effervescence. Long leesy/sourish finish. Pure and refreshing. Great as an aperitif or for sipping on the deck. (Buy again? Sure.)
Crémant du Jura, Jean Bourdy ($27.00, La QV)
The estate has been organic “since the start” (quoting Jean-François Bourdy), which in this case means since the 15th century, biodynamic since 2006. 100% Chardonnay.
The very model of a crémant du Jura. Floral, lemony nose with a hint of toast and nuts. Light, fine bead. Dry. Fruit and brioche shot through with minerals and racy acidity. Clean, softly effervescent finish. Lovely on its own but perhaps even better with food. (Buy again? Yep.)
Crémant du Jura, BBF, André et Mireille Tissot ($33.54, Les Vins Alain Bélanger)
The BBF stands for blanc de blancs élevé en fût. Three-quarters of this 100% biodynamic Chardonnay crémant spends a year in barrels. After blending, it is aged another 52 months sur lattes before disgorgement. Extra brut, with no dosage.
A shade or two darker than the other wines: yellow, verging on gold, with fine, long-lasting bubbles. Complex nose with hints of puff pastry, vanilla cream, dried banana and caramel. Winey texture. Fruit (browning apple), straw and mineral flavours are lifted by bright acidity and tingling effervescence. Very dry, despite the richness. The long, bitter-edged finish has a lingering floral note. The wine’s size and savour make it better suited as an accompaniment to food than as an aperitif. Considering that many champagnes would pale in comparison, it delivers great QPR. (Buy again? As soon as I can lay my hands on some, which will probably be in December, when the next shipment arrives.)
A bouquet of bubblies from La QV
Notes from an informal tasting of some of the sparklers represented by La QV. The champagnes are sold at the SAQ; the others can be ordered through the agency.
Bubulle 2009, Méthode traditionnelle, Les Pervenches ($30.00, 12 bottles per case)
2/3 Chardonnay, 1/3 Seyval. Made from biodyanmically farmed grapes grown near Farnham in the Eastern Townships. Produced using the champagne method and with zero dosage. The owners have been making a few cases of sparkling wine for several years now (the 2008 was 100% Chardonnay) but this is the first vintage sold to the public. Only a half dozen or so cases have been released due to a purely aesthetic problem with the other bottles, namely the lees sticking to the side of the bottle instead of sliding into the neck for removal during disgorging. Encouraged by our and others’ assurances that such a superficial blemish wouldn’t prevent us from buying bottles, the winemaker said he may decide to offer the lees-streaked bottles for sale in the new year.
Crystal-clear with a slight green cast and a very fine bead. Appealing nose of brioche and lemon with subtle mineral and floral notes. Soft bubbles. Fruity but bone dry. Bright, clean and long with a gooseberry note (the Seyval?) coming out on the finish. Like the estate’s still Chardonnays, a delicious wine that can easily stand comparison with similarly priced wines from around the world. 12% abv.
Foule Bulles, Clos Saragnat ($15, 12 bottles per case)
This sparkling cider is made from fruit farmed organically near Frelighsburg. Several varieties of apple are pressed to make the base cider but fresh plum juice is used for the dosage. Rusty pink to the eye (due partly to the apple varieties and partly to intentional oxidation of the raw fruit). Nose of sweet apple and, yep, yellow plum. Fruity but with an appealing sourness. Fine bubbles. Long drying finish. 9% abv. As they say around here, original.
Vin mousseux de qualité 2004, Domaine de la Chappe ($22, 6 bottles per case)
Based in the Tonnerre AOC, located northeast of Chablis, Domaine de la Chappe has been organic-converting-to-biodynamic since the early naughts. Chardonnay (80%) and Pinot Noir (20%). Colour bordering on pale pink. Intriguing nose with hints of red berries and roasted coffee. Fine bubbles, soft effervescence. Flavourful with a woody edge. Good finish, with sourish fruit giving way to faint walnut flavours. Unusual and enjoyable.
Cava 2009, Brut nature, Cellers de Can Suriol del Castell de Grabuac ($20.75, 12 bottles per case)
Organically farmed Macabeu (30%), Xarel.lo (30%) and Parellada (30%). Lemon zest and quartz. Fine bead. Fruity and floral on the attack yet very dry. Tastes “white.” Lingering bread flavours. Clean, elegant and refreshing. 11.5% abv.
Champagne, Grand cru, Blanc de Noirs, E. Barnaut ($46.25, 11152958)
100% sustainably farmed Pinot Noir. Brioche, white fruit, lemon, oxidized apple. Less dry than the preceding. Denser, too, but lifted by the bubbles and acid. Long. Not incredibly complex or deep but tasty and good QPR. 12.0% abv.
Champagne 1996, Brut, Fleury ($97.50, 11544062)
Biodynamically farmed Pinot Noir (80%) and Chardonnay (20%). Aged under cork – not the usual crown cap – before disgorgement to allow micro-oxygenation and encourage the development of a finer effervescence. Yellow-gold to the eye. Powerful, complex nose: oxidized apple, lemon, honey and more. Rich and deep on the palate, with layers of flavour. Astoundingly fruity and winey and far from bone dry yet in no way heavy thanks to the soft effervescence and coursing acidity. Long. Assertive yet seductive, a complete wine. 12.5% abv.
Brett happens 