Posts Tagged ‘Under 13 percent’
Sancerrenity
Sancerre 2011, Les Grands Groux, Domaine Fouassier ($25.25, 12259423)
100% Sauvignon Blanc from a 5.5-hectares of organically and biodyanmically farmed vines between 15 and 40 years old. The groux in the name is a local term for shallow chalky limestone soil with few rocks. Manually harvested. Destemmed. Pressed pneumatically. The must is gravity fed to stainless steel tanks for chilling and settling. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Malolactic fermentation takes place during the winter. All work in the cellar is done according to the lunar calendar. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV.
Wafting nose: gunflint and chalk, pomelo and pear, green-turning-yellow grass, honey. Smooth on first sip with a slightly viscous texture. Echoing the nose, the fruit has a pearish laidbackness in combo with citrusy acid and a pith-like bitterness that lingers into the minerally finish. When the fruit fades, you’re surprised at how dry the wine actually is. Less exuberant and dazzling than some but so satisfying to drink on its own or with simply prepared seafood, including salads, or goat cheese. A recent limited release that, unsurprisingly, has nearly sold out. (Buy again? Yes.)
MWG November 24th tasting: Perfectly Pinot
Côtes-de-Nuits Villages 2012, Viola odorata, Domaine Henri Naudin-Ferrand ($76.75, private import, 6 bottles/case)
Each of the estate’s unsulphured cuvées is named after a different wildflower found growing in the vineyards. The grapes for this 100% Pinot Noir come from sustainably farmed 70- to 85-year-old vines grown in three parcels. Manually harvested. The whole clusters are vatted under carbon dioxide for two weeks’ maceration and fermentation (with indigenous yeasts and occasional punch-downs), followed by a quick, gentle pressing, The must is transferred by gravity into large barrels for 48 hours’ settling and then into French oak barrels (80% new) for malolactic fermentation and maturation (18 months in all). Bottled unfiltered and unfined using gravity and compressed air (no pumping). No added sulphur. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
The kind of fragrant nose that makes Pinot Noir lovers swoon: red berries, forest floor, ferns, cola, beet, turned earth, slate, ash and a hint of iodide. A sip shows the wine to be a medium-bodied, silky textured, expansive mouthful of ripe fruit with firm yet lacy tannins and glowing acidity, all grounded in earth and minerals and slow-fading in a long, woody (not oaky) finish. Am not sure how it pulls off the trick of being both rustic and elegant but it does. Carafe an hour or longer if serving now or cellar for another five or ten years. (Buy again? If you can afford it, go for it!)
Vosne-Romanée 2011, Les Jachées, Domaine Bizot ($179.00, 11381953)
The 3.5-hectare estate produces a total 900 cases of wines a year. 100% Pinot Noir from sustainably farmed 80-plus-year-old vines grown in the Les Jachées vineyard. Manually harvested. The whole clusters are vatted, fermented with indigenous yeasts for 14 to 20 days and gently pressed. The must is transferred to new oak barrels for 15 to 20 months’ maturation. Unpumped, unracked, unfiltered and unfined, with not added sulphur. Manually bottled, barrel by barrel (the label specifies which barrel the wine came from). 11.5% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
More assertive but equally textbook nose redolent of spice, cherry, wood, cedar, turned earth, beet: ça pinote, as they say around here. Richer, rounder and deeper, too. Structured though not at the expense of fluidity. Silky fruit unfurls over fine velvety tannins and sleek acidity. Layers of minerals and wood hint at unplumbable depths. Gains a liqueurish note on the seemingly endless finish. Dry but so ripe and pure you don’t notice. In a word, spellbinding. Remarkably accessible for such a primary wine, which isn’t to say it shouldn’t be cellared for a decade. (Buy again? If you can afford it, go for it!)
An interesting flight for several reasons. First, it was arguably the most memorable of the tasting. Also, both wines come from the Côtes-de-Nuits and are made with grapes from old vines. Both estates have similar farming and winemaking practices. And lastly, Claire Naudin and Jean-Yves Bizot were once an item and remain good friends.
(Flight: 3/5)
MWG November 24th tasting: Inspired start
Theo Diamantis recently joined the group to lead a tasting of wines from the oenopole portfolio. Our agency tastings usually feature private imports. This time, however, with an eye to the holidays, we focused mainly on bottles sold at the two SAQ Signature stores. The tasting began with a fine sparkler.
Champagne, Blanc de blancs, Extra-Brut, La Colline Inspirée, Jacques Lassaigne ($106, 12061353)
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 the wines always taste fresh. This cuvée, currently a blend of the 2009 and 2010 vintages, is vinified and aged on the lees in used white Burgundy barrels. The 100% Chardonnay grapes come from vines more than 40 years old. Fermentation is with indigenous yeasts. Riddling is mechanical, disgorging manual. Sulphur is added only at harvest to prevent oxidation; even the liqueur d’expédition (the wine used to top up the disgorged bottles) is sulphur-free. The liqueur also contains little or no added sugar. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. Available only in magnums until a couple of years ago. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
A nose you want to linger with: apple and pear, chalk, yeast, a floral note and hints of vanilla, yogurt and oxidation (nuts and honey). Rich and round in the mouth, with a creamy texture, fine, caressing bubbles and tons of minerals and acidity. The mature fruit initially gives the impression of sweetness but the wine is actually very dry (around 4 g/l residual sugar). There’s good depth and impressive breadth and length. Fleshier than the other Lassaigne wines I’ve tasted but, like them, a model of purity and elegance. (Buy again? Budget permitting, yes.)
(Flight: 1/5)
Gossamer yet tonic
Moselle Luxembourgeoise 2012, Premier Grand Cru, Côtes de Grevenmacher, Riesling, Caves Bernard-Massard ($20.50, 10790229)
100% Riesling from estate and/or purchased grapes grown on the west bank of the Moselle, where the river forms the border between Luxembourg and Germany. Manually harvested. Pressed with a pneumatic press. Temperature-controlled fermentation in 60-hl stainless steel tanks. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: Univins.
Smells like Riesling: green apple, lemon, minerals vacillating between chalk and quartz. No petrol though. Light- to medium-bodied. Fruity but, in contradiction to the demi-sec designation on the SAQ’s shelf label, dry, with just enough residual sugar to tone down the high-pitched acidity. The background minerals outlast the fruit on the clean finish. A gossamer wine with little depth and a fleeting presence – like those stars you can see only when looking at them indirectly – yet somehow tonic. Closer in spirit to an Alsatian than to a German MSR, though with a foot in each camp and more insubstantial than either. I like but wish there were a little more to it. (Buy again? Maybe.)
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: Blanc de Francs
Vin de France 2012, K. Blanc, Ferme de Mont-Benault ($32.32, private import, 6 bottles/case)
Named after the Mont-Benault lieu-dit in Faye d’Anjou, the 6-hectare estate, 4 hectares of which are in production, was created in 2009 and is owned and operated by Stéphane Rocher. Rocher is a neighbour of Richard Leroy, the winegrower featured in the celebrated graphic novel Les ignorants. Organic farming (AB certification), manual harvesting, light racking, fermentation with indigenous yeasts, conservation of the fermentation gases, no fining and minimal sulphuring (only at bottling) are the guiding principles. Most of the wines are designated vin de France, meaning the labels can state neither the vintage nor constituent grape varieties. This 2012 is a still blanc de noirs made from Cabernet Franc with a dollop (10%) of lees-stirred Chenin Blanc. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV/Insolite.
Complex, one-of-a-kind nose of minerals, wax and faint pickle juice. Equally inscrutable and intriguing in the mouth, with a certain heft and roundness, fruit tending to pear, underpinning acidity, a vein of flinty chalk and a touch of bitterness on the long finish. Can easily see this working with walleye or other freshwater fish. (Buy again? Yes, especially if in the mood for something different.)
(Flight: 4/9)
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)
MWG November 13th tasting: Sparkle plenty
La QV’s head honcho Cyril Kérébel recently led the Mo’ Wine Group in a tasting of natural wines from La QV’s and Insolite’s portfolios. We kicked things off with a tasty sparkler.
Saumur 2004, Méthode Traditionnelle Brut Non-dosé, Château La Tour Grise ($25.29, private import, 12 bottles/case)
100% Chenin Blanc from organically and biodynamically farmed vines averaging a quarter of a century old. Manually harvested. After sorting, the grapes are destemmed and pressed, with the must racked directly into the fermentation vessel. Primary fermentation, with indigenous yeasts, is stopped before all the sugar has been converted to alcohol. The wine is bottled and allowed to referment, producing the carbon dioxide that sparkles the wine. After extended ageing on the lees while stacked on lattes, the bottles are riddled, disgored and topped up but not dosed (a dosed cuvée is also made) and sealed with a cork and cage. Throughout the wine-making process, nothing is added to the wine except a small squirt of sulphur dioxide at bottling. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV/Insolite.
Browning apple, pear blossom, chalk, yeast and hints of citrus and anise. Dry and medium-bodied with a fine effervescence. The nuanced set of flavours is centred on understated fruit and an array of minerals. A leesy, saline undercurrent adds savour while a faint pithy bitterness shades the long finish. Remarkably fresh for a decade-old wine because the bottles are disgorged and topped up just before they’re shipped. A delicious, aged, natural sparkler for $25 and change. What’s not to like? (Buy again? Yes indeed.)
(Flight: 1/9)
Salon VIP 2014: Root day at Rézin (3/7)
Anjou Blanc 2012, Domaine Thibaud Boudignon ($40.50, private import, 6 bottles/case)
Hailing from Bordeaux, young (30-something?) Thibaud Boudignon is head of operations at Château Soucherie. On the side, he makes wine under his own name from two hectares of vineyards in Anjou and Savennières. This 100% organically farmed Chenin Blanc comes from vines averaging a third of a century old and grown in shallow soils on grey schist, ryholite and sand. The grapes are manually harvested and gently pressed. The must is fermented with indigenous yeasts in French and Austrian oak barrels of various volumes. Does not undergo malolactic fermentation. Matured eight to 12 months in one and two-year-old Burgundian 225-litre barrels and new 500-litre barrels. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Dry. Intense, breath-holdingly balanced. The ripe-sweet fruit – pear and lemon – is somehow both dense and ethereal. Floral, honey and quinine overtones abound but the oak calls no attention to itself. The acidity is racy, the minerality dazzling. The saline finish goes on and on. There are wines whose focus and energy are such they seem powered from within. This is one of them. The last word I wrote (and a word I rarely use): incredible. (Buy again? Absolutely.)
Brett happens 