Friday, March 27, 2009

Vintages Release - March 28, 2009

Tomorrow’s Vintages release will feature “Tempting Tempranillo” as well as a few of the wines of Burgundy.

Tempranillo is an early ripening varietal which comes almost exclusively from Spain and Portugal. Despite its countries of origin, it does not do well in hot, dry climates, but, because of its thick skin, it needs plenty of sunshine. Accordingly, it does best at high altitudes, as in the Ribera del Duero.

Somewhat like merlot, tempranillo is often high in tannin, but soft on the palate. It is often used as a blending grape, often with grenache, carignan or cabernet sauvignon. It is also one of the main varietals for use in port. It usually lacks the distinct, edgy flavours of cabernet sauvignon in favour of juicy berry, earthy and leathery notes, but is usually ready to drink shortly after bottling, although good examples can last for 10 or more years.

As for the other feature, red burgundies, of course, are generally made exclusively from pinot noir, although the gamay grape is used in southern Burgundy. Pinot noir is a very finicky varietal, requiring just the right amounts of water and sunshine, at just the right time. It is thin skinned, and can be a very difficult grape to grow, but can repay the effort and risk with superb wines. White burgundies are usually made with chardonnay, although, unlike most of the world, burgundian chardonnays are usually unoaked. As a result, burgundian whites are often crisper, with more honey or mineral notes, and less buttery, and with less vanilla, than chardonnays from the new world.

WHITE WINES

It’s unusual to find a white Burgundy (unless it’s a Chablis) for less than $50, so, at $24.95, the Chartron & Trebuchet Saint-Romain Blanc 2006 is an anomaly, but a very pleasant one. Unlike most white burgundies, it is lightly oaked, so that it delivers a complex nose of vanilla, lemon, apple and honey, with all that, plus pear, pineapple and mineral on the palate. This is a very good, crisp white wine that will go well on its own, or with shellfish, or, better yet, lobster and butter sauce. Don’t serve too cold, or you’ll miss some of the complexities.

Traditional chardonnay lovers won’t be disappointed by the Millton Riverpoint Vineyard Chardonnay 2007 ($19.95) from New Zealand. This is a richer, somewhat more oaked wine than the Saint-Romain, with vanilla, honeyed pear, apricot and baked apple flavours predominating. It’s nicely balanced, with very nice mouth feel and a long finish, although it lacks the oak, vanilla and butterscotch of other, richer offerings. It will go well with most lighter foods, possibly a green or chicken salad, or white fish.

My only complaint about the Kim Crawford SP Spit Fire Sauvignon Blanc 2006 ($24.95) from New Zealand is the price. This is a very nice, very crisp wine, with notes of pineapple, peach, and gooseberry, with hints of mineral, herb and honey. It has lots of acid, great mouth feel and a long, long finish. What’s wrong? Absolutely nothing, but the standard Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc, which sells for $19.95, is almost as good.

If you’re looking for a value white, look no further than the Cathedral Cellar Sauvignon Blanc 2008 from South Africa. At $11.95 you would be very hard pressed to find anything comparable. This is a very refreshing, slightly herbaceous wine, with grapefruit, gooseberry, peach, pineapple, apple and lots of acid that will taste even better in hot weather, and complement either salad or seafood. Very good value.


RED WINES

There are several good tempranillos in this release but in my mind the prices are generally higher than they should be. My favourite in terms of the price/quality continuum was the Ontanon Reserva 2001 ($24.95) from Rioja. It is almost entirely made of tempranillo, although there is a dash of graciano – a lesser known Spanish varietal. Expect a rich, well balanced wine dominated by ripe strawberry and black plum, with elements of leather, and a long finish which develops a very pleasant minerality, and good mouthfeel, at the very end. It is drinking well on its own but would go very nicely with a not overly lean cut of beef.

If you are looking for a more upscale tempranillo, try the Finca Allende Allende 2005 ($34.95) or the Pintia 2005 ($64.95). The Finca is a big wine, dominated by earthy blackberry flavours, with herbal notes and lots of minerality. It can be consumed now, but will last for at least three years. The Pintia, on the other hand, should be kept for at least three years. When you do open it, expect a huge, complex wine, with masses of lush black cherry and black current, with tobacco, spice, vanilla, pencil shavings and grilled bread. It should be paired with assertive foods – lamb, strong cheeses, or strongly spiced meats.

My favourite wine from this release, however, (keeping in mind price as well as taste) was an Australian cabernet sauvignon – the Saltram of Barossa Mamre Brook Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 ($21.95). This is a big, concentrated wine, dominated by extract of blackberry and plum, with big tannins and a long finish. It is drinking well now, but needs at least an hour of decanting before drinking, and would be better with food – hard cheese or grilled red meat for preference. There is not a lot of it around, so if you want it, go early.

Sticking with Australia for the moment, the Piping Shrike Shiraz 2006 ($18.95) is also well worth a look. Many shirazs lately, especially at the lower end of the price scale, are so fruit forward as to be jammy. Not so with this one, which has plenty of structure. It is a big wine, with plum and blackberry, with a long finish. A classic shiraz.

The Sportoletti Assisi Rosso 2006 ($21.95) from Umbria, Italy, is a very pleasant wine, dominated by fruit forward, strawberry, raspberry and cherry flavours, with a soft, earthy character, and notes of anise. Will go well with burgers or steak.

Two more value choices:

- the Wolftrap 2007 ($13.95) from South Africa is a good wine for the price. There’s masses of black cherry overlaid by leather, with some plum and herb de Provence. A very good pizza/burger wine at a very good price.

- the Cellier des Dauphins Reserve Saint-Maurice 2007 ($14.95) from the Rhone is pretty fruit forward, with lots of raspberry pre-dominating. This is a very light red that would go extraordinarily well with salad with raspberry vinaigrette dressing, or poultry.

If the stock market, or some other source of revenue, has been kind to you lately, there are three choices that you might want to consider:

- the Cuvee du Vatican Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2006 ($37.95) is a very reliable wine from one of the best known wineries in this well known region. Expect a chewy, complex wine with cassis, fig, dark chocolate, cherry, raspberry and leather that is drinking well now (with at least an hour’s decanting) but will improve for at least a year or two. Serve with red meat or hard cheese.

- the Marcarini Barolo Le Serra 2004 ($64.95) from Piedmont shows great promise but will improve for at least five years. Expect a medium bodied wine with extract of cherry, spice and violets, and refined tannins that provide great mouth feel and a long finish. Serve with lean red meat.

- for what it’s worth, I bought the Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto 2006 ($64.95) from Tuscany. This wine is incredibly well balanced, with complex flavours of concentrated, earthy black fruit, smoke, leather, licorice blueberry and tar, and a finish that won’t quit. I’m looking forward to opening it in about 5 years, and serving it with something opulent like a good paté and an equally good cheese.

DESSERT WINES

There are two good choices for dessert wines, neither of them overly expensive. The Fragas Moscatel from Portugal is only $14.95. It’s fairly sweet, with rich orange, peach and caramel flavours, and some raisiny notes on the finish. Serve chilled with chocolate and/or dried fruit.

The A. Puklus Pinceszet Tokaji Aszu 3 Puttonyos 2003 ($23.95 for a 500 ml. bottle) is a more sophisticated, drier wine, with flavours of peach, pear apricot, apples and roasted nuts. It’s quite concentrated, with lots of acid to balance the sweet fruit, and a long finish. It would work well with cheesecake or a mousse.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Vintages Release - March 14, 2009

Tomorrow’s release features white wines from Ontario, and I’m kind of hoping that the choice means that the LCBO knows something that the rest of us don’t about our upcoming weather. I must confess that I’m more than a little tired of winter, and looking forward to warmer (white wine) weather.

As many of you will have noticed, Ontario doesn’t have the longest growing season in the world, which often means that it is difficult to grow many varieties of red wine grapes consistently and well. However, our growing season does lend itself well to growing whites, particularly Rieslings, which thrive in cooler weather.

As a general overview to this release, and although there are some pleasant wines, and some decent values, there is no reason for anyone to rush to the liquor store. To that end, I will be throwing in a few non-release wines that I think are worthy of note.

WHITE WINES

I think that one of the best valued Ontario whites is the Henry of Pelham Riesling Reserve VQA ($14.95). This is a general list product, and is consistently good. Expect a dry, refreshing wine, with red grapefruit, green apple and lime, and a very slight hint of the diesel which is characteristic of the varietal. It goes well on its own, with shellfish, or with dishes with cream sauce. It also works well with spicy Thai food.

Staying with Ontario for a moment, the Daniel Lenko Unoaked Chardonnay 2006 ($19.95) is one of the better Ontario whites in this release. Lenko has been gaining a reputation for quality whites, and, despite a few false starts, has generally produced superior offerings. This is a rich chardonnay, despite the lack of oak, with refreshing green apple and sour pineapple, with lime, vanilla and honey notes. There is plenty of acid to complement white fish or a cream sauce, but is eminently quaffable on its own.

The Lenko may be unoaked, but the Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay 2006 ($13.95) from South Africa is most definitely not. This is a soft, smooth chardonnay, very rich, with tropical fruit (especially pineapple) and vanilla/butterscotch predominating. If you like oak, this is definitely the wine for you, especially at this price. Some people may find it a bit over-oaked on its own, but food (cheese or chicken) will help smooth out the long finish, and de-emphasize the wood.

Also from South Africa, the Lords Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2007 ($16.95) is a very pleasant, medium bodied offering, with a mélange of fruit flavours including grapefruit, melon, peach, lemon, honey and mineral notes. There are some white flowers and melon notes on the nose on this surprisingly rich tasting, well balanced wine.

For a chardonnay with a little more zip, try the Blason de Bourgogne Chardonnay Macon-Villages 2007 ($16.95) from Burgundy. This is also unoaked, but with lots of rich fruit flavours – apple, citrus and peach – balanced by a good bit of acid, and some mineral. A very nice wine, and my personal favourite of the whites I tasted from release. Great on its own, or with white fish or shell fish.

Muscadet is not a very fashionable varietal, but it is usually refreshing and easy to drink. The Michel, David Clos de Ferre Mauscadet Sevre et Maine 2007 ($14.95) is no exception at a good price. There is rich citrus fruit, with lots of grapefruit and mineral, which will complement oysters or grilled fish, but with lots of fruit and acid on the finish. I would not suggest drinking it on its own – too much acid – but it will work well with food.

SPARKLING WINE

Many people have never tasted a moscato d’asti, and indeed they are not for everyone’s palate. Moscato’s are sweet, sparkling wines, mainly used as aperitif’s and palate refreshers between courses. The Saracco Moscato d’Asti 2008 ($19.95) is a good example of the type, with lots of lichée fruit, some apricot, and orange blossom. It’s very low in alcohol (5%) and very light. It would go nicely with fruit or a light, sweet dessert after lunch.

RED WINE

I think the best value in a red wine in this release is the Paolo Conterno Bricco Sant-Ambrogio Barbera d’Alba 2007 ($18.95) from Piedmont. This is a fruit forward, tasty wine, with raspberry, cherry and cranberry, finishing with a hint of licorice. This wine comes from one of Italy’s premier Barolo makers, and the sweet fruit and acid would, as Vintages suggests, nicely complement spicy sausages or veal.

The Bodegas Ateca Atteca Old Vines 2006 ($22.95) from Spain is a unique wine, that is well worth trying. It’s a big wine that needs food, and it has an unusual taste of smoked meat, blueberries and lush, red fruit with spicy notes. This is a very tasty, very ready wine, which would be perfect with a grilled steak or roast beef.

If you get a straight cabernet franc in Ontario, you often get a wine that tastes so overwhelmingly of strawberry, that there’s no room for anything else. But the Laurent Mabileau St-Nicholas-de-Bourgueil 2006 ($15.95) from the Loire is a more complex wine, with cherry, raspberry, cassis, oak and tobacco. It’s quite light and fruit forward (resembling a Beaujolais – not an extreme compliment as far as I’m concerned) but would go well on its own or as a complement to poultry.

From Australia, there are three good choices, all quite different:

- the Waterwheel Memsie 2007 ($13.95) is not the Waterwheel product in the release, but rather a different wine (also available at Vintages). It’s a combination of shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, malbec and petit verdot. It is not a complex wine, but there’s lots of lush fruit, mostly raspberry and cassis, which went really well with pork chops, and, I think, would go well with poultry. Very pleasant for the price.

- the Wakefield Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ($15.95) from South Australia is a good, typical Australian cabernet sauvignon. Expect an eminently drinkable wine with cassis, mint, redcurrant and blackberry. A good price for a cabernet that will go well with beef of virtually any description.

- the Leasingham Bin 61 Shiraz 2005 ($25.95) is a very good shiraz, and, despite the price, good value for an upper class shiraz. Expect lush black fruit - cassis, black cherry and blackberry – with understated tannins and a long, slightly leathery finish. Very ready and delicious, especially when paired with beef.