Tomorrow’s Vintages release features the wines of Chile, together with some of the whites from southern Burgundy.
There was a time, not that many years ago, when I was frankly dismissive of Chilean wines. At the time, I found the reds, in particular, overly earthy and tannic, without any of the sophistication or nuances exhibited by wines from many other parts of the world. No more. Chilean winemaking has come a long way in the past while, and the country now produces some extremely good wines which can compete virtually anywhere in terms of quality, while often still yielding very good value.
Chilean geography in the wine regions, in many ways, resembles California, in that the grapes are grown is a relatively narrow strip between the ocean and the mountains. The differences in terroir (aside from soil issues) are primarily that Chile is somewhat hotter, with a longer growing season, than California, and that the Chilean vineyards are often at higher altitudes than their California counterparts. Accordingly, the grapes are often treated to very high temperatures, with lots of sunshine, during the day, and with comparatively cooler nights.
Although the country produces most major grape varietals, chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and carmenere are the most prominent. The first two, of course, are well known. Chilean chardonnays tend to be rich, replete with tropical fruit, and with less vanilla and oak, and somewhat less buttery, than many other new world chardonnays. Cabernet Sauvignons from Chile (and bordeaux blends) are usually rich and concentrated, and (like Californian cabs) approachable earlier, with softer tannins, than old world cabernets. They often have flavours of mint, black current, olives and smoke.
Although carmenere has become the signature grape of Chile, it originated in Bordeaux. It produces rich, but not long lived, wines, characterized by a deep red colour, spice and red fruit, with notes of smoke, earth, chocolate, tobacco and leather.
Chilean wines are often best consumed with food rather than on their own. Best recent years in Chile: 2001 and 2003, although the climate and most vintages are remarkably similar and consistent (at a high level).
The white wines of southern Burgundy are almost exclusively chardonnays. The wines are richer, with softer fruit, than the more minerally offerings from Burgundy’s other famous white wine region (Chablis), and (unlike most wines from Chablis) are often stored in oak for various periods of time. They are finesse wines, with a variety of flavours (everything from tropical fruit, stone fruit, apple, citrus, mineral, nuts, herbs, and wood). The area produces some of (if not the most) expensive white wines in the world.
Best recent years for white burgundies: 1995-7, 1999, 2002, 2005 and 2006.
* * *
As with the last release, there are some very good values available tomorrow, together with a few, not overly expensive, exceptional offerings.
ROSÉS
Hot weather (finally) is rosé weather, and the Bieler Pere et Fils Sabine Rosé 2008 ($12.95) is well priced and comes from the home of rosés (Provence). It’s very dry (a must for me) with a deceptively light colour, but assertive strawberry, cherry, and raspberry fruit, and a longish, slightly herbal finish. It drinks well on its own, but would be a great complement for chicken or for a green salad (especially one with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing). If you like rosés, this wine will be for you. Closed with a screw cap. Just note that, at 13.5% alcohol, this wine may sneak up on you a bit, because it goes down so very easily.
WHITE WINES
I noted in my introduction that southern Burgundy produces some of the most expensive white wines in the world, so I’m not going to make apologies for recommending the Nicolas Potel Montagny 1er Cru 2007 from Burgundy even at $24.95. This is despite the fact that I rarely find it either necessary or desirable to review white wines over $20 because there are so many good ones (even in this release) south of that figure. But this price is still pretty reasonable for a white burgundy, and there is so much going on with this wine, that you shouldn’t miss it. There’s ripe pear and honey on the nose, and pear, apple, honey, buttered toast, oak, vanilla, pineapple, hazelnut and spice on the palate, with a long, lemony finish. A really good wine by itself, or with any seafood dish, chicken or pork.
Break the rule once, might as well break it twice. The Montes Alpha Chardonnay 2007 from Chile is also over $20 at $22.95, but it’s also worth the small difference. This is also a rich, buttery wine, with grapefruit, peach, pear and spice with a long, yummy finish and great mouth feel. It’s concentrated enough to stand up to almost any food short of red meat. I like the idea of it with pasta or shellfish in a cream sauce.
Sticking with chardonnay, but dropping to the other end of the price spectrum, the Leyda Reserva Chardonnay 2008, from Chile is extremely good value at $13.95. It’s a concentrated mélange of flavours including honey, apple, pear, tangerine, peach and grapefruit, with vanilla and oak. A lovely hot weather sipper alone, or try it with pork chops and apple sauce.
One more chardonnay – I can’t help it, there’s a lot of good chardonnay in this release. This one is the Domaine Francis Fichet et Fils Macon-Villages 2007 ($16.95) from Burgundy. This is a bit of an unconventional wine for a chardonnaty, with aromas of baked apple, and with green apple, citrus, and young pear on the palate. It’s not as rich as the previous three wines, but has a fresh and refreshing clean taste, with some sour grapefruit and apple on the finish. Good on its own, or with either white fish or a soft cheese (eg. brie or camembert, for preference).
The Mas des Bressades Cuveé Tradition Blanc 2008 ($13.95) from the Rhone isn’t a chardonnay, but it is as rich as most chards. It has a bouquet of white flowers and pineapple, and a rich tropical fruit and peach flavour. Another pleasant, hot weather sipper that will complement poultry or a Caesar salad.
I’ve been writing this column for almost four years now, and, despite a visit to Austria, I have only once before recommended a gruner veltliner, and that was only a month ago. No one, therefore, is more surprised than I when I come up with another one out of this release. But the Salomon Undhof Sal’mon Groovey Gruner Veltiner 2008 ($12.95) is not only well priced, but tastes very good as well. There is a bit of the characteristic white pepper, which is not overwhelming, together with medium ripe pear, and an exquisite balance ending in a soft, mouth pleasing finish. This is a dry wine which would go really well with white fish or spicy oriental food.
RED WINE
If you’re looking for a Chilean cabernet sauvignon, go for the Tabali Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 ($14.95). This is not the most complex wine you’ll ever taste, but it’s good value for the money, with smoky oak, blackberry and ripe black cherry. A burger wine, but a good burger wine. It would also be good with ribs or a not overly lean piece of grilled beef. Don’t decant for more than about 30 minutes before serving.
You also get good value from the Terra Andina Carmenere 2008 ($11.95), from Chile, provided that you like cedar flavours. There’s a lot more to the wine than that – with ripe blackberry, dark plum, mint and cloves – but the cedar is pretty prominent. A really good, fruit driven, deal to go with a casual barbecue. Screwcap.
The Montgras Reserva Carmenere 2008 is also from Chile and not much more expensive at $12.95. This is a less “in your face” wine than the Terra Andina. The fruit is very much in evidence, but there is more sophistication, with the ripe black cherry and raspberry opening giving some way to vanilla, mocha and oak on the mid palate and finish. A very good wine for the money.
Switching both continents and wine styles, the Chateau de L’Engarran Gres de Montpellier 2006 ($18.95) from the Languedoc will appeal to lovers of Rhone and Rhone-like wines. Expect a fruit forward blend of raspberry, herb de provence, mocha, gorse and spicy notes, with a long finish, that will go well with virtually any red meat coming off your barbecue. A nice compromise between a traditional Rhone style wine, with the complexities you would expect, and new world style abundant fruit.
I just finished drinking my 2000 Chateau Haut-Canteloup, so the Chateau Haut-Canteloup 2003 vintage, from Bordeaux, has arrived just in time. At $17.95, this wine is well priced, although, because the weather in 2003 was so hot, we can’t expect this version to last all that long. Expect an eminently approachable wine, with lots of ripe black fruit, smoke and some earthy notes. This is a good price for a consistently good, albeit unrated, left-bank wine. It will work well with red meat (of virtually any description)
Finally, at least for the value end of the spectrum, the Elderton E Series Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, from Australia, will appeal to anyone who likes a rich, fruit forward wine, especially at the $14.95 price point. Expect a peppery, rich (maybe jammy) wine with blackberry, cherry and pencil-box notes, and a medium-long finish. Serve with hard cheese or red meat.
The upper end of the red spectrum
The release contains at least four wines that are very much worth buying if you can bear to wait a bit before opening them. If you don’t want to wait the two or three years that all of these wines need, I’d suggest decanting for a least four hours before consumption.
- The Chateau La Serre 2005 ($58.00) from Bordeaux is an offering from a good producer in a great year. Expect a classic, powerful, left bank bordeaux, with vanilla, chocolate and cassis, and some earthy notes preceding a long finish. This is a big wine and will need roast or grilled red meat, or strong cheese, as an accompaniment, but, when you open it, you’ll be glad you bought it.
- The Casa Vinicola Cortese Barolo 2004 from Piedmont is only $31.95, and well worth the money, and the wait. This is a very good example of why some people call barolo the King of Wines, with loads of plum, rose petals, cassis, mushroom, cherry, leather and earthy notes. This is a medium bodied wine, with great potential but, for the moment, lots of tannins. It will go beautifully with a rare piece of lean beef.
- I have long been a fan of Barossa Valley Estates, an Australian winery that produces some of the country’s best cabernet sauvignon and shiraz. This release contains two of their offerings, the BVE Ebenezer Shriraz 2004 and the BVE Ebenezer Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (both $39.95). The Ebenezer is the second wine from this producer, but it is extremely well made. Expect the cabernet to have a nose of dark fruit, with rich cassis and mocha/chocolate on the palate. The shiraz has coffee, raspberry and sandalwood on the nose, and complex, long lasting black cherry, tobacco, spice, coffee and smoke on the palate.
There was a time, not that many years ago, when I was frankly dismissive of Chilean wines. At the time, I found the reds, in particular, overly earthy and tannic, without any of the sophistication or nuances exhibited by wines from many other parts of the world. No more. Chilean winemaking has come a long way in the past while, and the country now produces some extremely good wines which can compete virtually anywhere in terms of quality, while often still yielding very good value.
Chilean geography in the wine regions, in many ways, resembles California, in that the grapes are grown is a relatively narrow strip between the ocean and the mountains. The differences in terroir (aside from soil issues) are primarily that Chile is somewhat hotter, with a longer growing season, than California, and that the Chilean vineyards are often at higher altitudes than their California counterparts. Accordingly, the grapes are often treated to very high temperatures, with lots of sunshine, during the day, and with comparatively cooler nights.
Although the country produces most major grape varietals, chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and carmenere are the most prominent. The first two, of course, are well known. Chilean chardonnays tend to be rich, replete with tropical fruit, and with less vanilla and oak, and somewhat less buttery, than many other new world chardonnays. Cabernet Sauvignons from Chile (and bordeaux blends) are usually rich and concentrated, and (like Californian cabs) approachable earlier, with softer tannins, than old world cabernets. They often have flavours of mint, black current, olives and smoke.
Although carmenere has become the signature grape of Chile, it originated in Bordeaux. It produces rich, but not long lived, wines, characterized by a deep red colour, spice and red fruit, with notes of smoke, earth, chocolate, tobacco and leather.
Chilean wines are often best consumed with food rather than on their own. Best recent years in Chile: 2001 and 2003, although the climate and most vintages are remarkably similar and consistent (at a high level).
The white wines of southern Burgundy are almost exclusively chardonnays. The wines are richer, with softer fruit, than the more minerally offerings from Burgundy’s other famous white wine region (Chablis), and (unlike most wines from Chablis) are often stored in oak for various periods of time. They are finesse wines, with a variety of flavours (everything from tropical fruit, stone fruit, apple, citrus, mineral, nuts, herbs, and wood). The area produces some of (if not the most) expensive white wines in the world.
Best recent years for white burgundies: 1995-7, 1999, 2002, 2005 and 2006.
* * *
As with the last release, there are some very good values available tomorrow, together with a few, not overly expensive, exceptional offerings.
ROSÉS
Hot weather (finally) is rosé weather, and the Bieler Pere et Fils Sabine Rosé 2008 ($12.95) is well priced and comes from the home of rosés (Provence). It’s very dry (a must for me) with a deceptively light colour, but assertive strawberry, cherry, and raspberry fruit, and a longish, slightly herbal finish. It drinks well on its own, but would be a great complement for chicken or for a green salad (especially one with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing). If you like rosés, this wine will be for you. Closed with a screw cap. Just note that, at 13.5% alcohol, this wine may sneak up on you a bit, because it goes down so very easily.
WHITE WINES
I noted in my introduction that southern Burgundy produces some of the most expensive white wines in the world, so I’m not going to make apologies for recommending the Nicolas Potel Montagny 1er Cru 2007 from Burgundy even at $24.95. This is despite the fact that I rarely find it either necessary or desirable to review white wines over $20 because there are so many good ones (even in this release) south of that figure. But this price is still pretty reasonable for a white burgundy, and there is so much going on with this wine, that you shouldn’t miss it. There’s ripe pear and honey on the nose, and pear, apple, honey, buttered toast, oak, vanilla, pineapple, hazelnut and spice on the palate, with a long, lemony finish. A really good wine by itself, or with any seafood dish, chicken or pork.
Break the rule once, might as well break it twice. The Montes Alpha Chardonnay 2007 from Chile is also over $20 at $22.95, but it’s also worth the small difference. This is also a rich, buttery wine, with grapefruit, peach, pear and spice with a long, yummy finish and great mouth feel. It’s concentrated enough to stand up to almost any food short of red meat. I like the idea of it with pasta or shellfish in a cream sauce.
Sticking with chardonnay, but dropping to the other end of the price spectrum, the Leyda Reserva Chardonnay 2008, from Chile is extremely good value at $13.95. It’s a concentrated mélange of flavours including honey, apple, pear, tangerine, peach and grapefruit, with vanilla and oak. A lovely hot weather sipper alone, or try it with pork chops and apple sauce.
One more chardonnay – I can’t help it, there’s a lot of good chardonnay in this release. This one is the Domaine Francis Fichet et Fils Macon-Villages 2007 ($16.95) from Burgundy. This is a bit of an unconventional wine for a chardonnaty, with aromas of baked apple, and with green apple, citrus, and young pear on the palate. It’s not as rich as the previous three wines, but has a fresh and refreshing clean taste, with some sour grapefruit and apple on the finish. Good on its own, or with either white fish or a soft cheese (eg. brie or camembert, for preference).
The Mas des Bressades Cuveé Tradition Blanc 2008 ($13.95) from the Rhone isn’t a chardonnay, but it is as rich as most chards. It has a bouquet of white flowers and pineapple, and a rich tropical fruit and peach flavour. Another pleasant, hot weather sipper that will complement poultry or a Caesar salad.
I’ve been writing this column for almost four years now, and, despite a visit to Austria, I have only once before recommended a gruner veltliner, and that was only a month ago. No one, therefore, is more surprised than I when I come up with another one out of this release. But the Salomon Undhof Sal’mon Groovey Gruner Veltiner 2008 ($12.95) is not only well priced, but tastes very good as well. There is a bit of the characteristic white pepper, which is not overwhelming, together with medium ripe pear, and an exquisite balance ending in a soft, mouth pleasing finish. This is a dry wine which would go really well with white fish or spicy oriental food.
RED WINE
If you’re looking for a Chilean cabernet sauvignon, go for the Tabali Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 ($14.95). This is not the most complex wine you’ll ever taste, but it’s good value for the money, with smoky oak, blackberry and ripe black cherry. A burger wine, but a good burger wine. It would also be good with ribs or a not overly lean piece of grilled beef. Don’t decant for more than about 30 minutes before serving.
You also get good value from the Terra Andina Carmenere 2008 ($11.95), from Chile, provided that you like cedar flavours. There’s a lot more to the wine than that – with ripe blackberry, dark plum, mint and cloves – but the cedar is pretty prominent. A really good, fruit driven, deal to go with a casual barbecue. Screwcap.
The Montgras Reserva Carmenere 2008 is also from Chile and not much more expensive at $12.95. This is a less “in your face” wine than the Terra Andina. The fruit is very much in evidence, but there is more sophistication, with the ripe black cherry and raspberry opening giving some way to vanilla, mocha and oak on the mid palate and finish. A very good wine for the money.
Switching both continents and wine styles, the Chateau de L’Engarran Gres de Montpellier 2006 ($18.95) from the Languedoc will appeal to lovers of Rhone and Rhone-like wines. Expect a fruit forward blend of raspberry, herb de provence, mocha, gorse and spicy notes, with a long finish, that will go well with virtually any red meat coming off your barbecue. A nice compromise between a traditional Rhone style wine, with the complexities you would expect, and new world style abundant fruit.
I just finished drinking my 2000 Chateau Haut-Canteloup, so the Chateau Haut-Canteloup 2003 vintage, from Bordeaux, has arrived just in time. At $17.95, this wine is well priced, although, because the weather in 2003 was so hot, we can’t expect this version to last all that long. Expect an eminently approachable wine, with lots of ripe black fruit, smoke and some earthy notes. This is a good price for a consistently good, albeit unrated, left-bank wine. It will work well with red meat (of virtually any description)
Finally, at least for the value end of the spectrum, the Elderton E Series Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, from Australia, will appeal to anyone who likes a rich, fruit forward wine, especially at the $14.95 price point. Expect a peppery, rich (maybe jammy) wine with blackberry, cherry and pencil-box notes, and a medium-long finish. Serve with hard cheese or red meat.
The upper end of the red spectrum
The release contains at least four wines that are very much worth buying if you can bear to wait a bit before opening them. If you don’t want to wait the two or three years that all of these wines need, I’d suggest decanting for a least four hours before consumption.
- The Chateau La Serre 2005 ($58.00) from Bordeaux is an offering from a good producer in a great year. Expect a classic, powerful, left bank bordeaux, with vanilla, chocolate and cassis, and some earthy notes preceding a long finish. This is a big wine and will need roast or grilled red meat, or strong cheese, as an accompaniment, but, when you open it, you’ll be glad you bought it.
- The Casa Vinicola Cortese Barolo 2004 from Piedmont is only $31.95, and well worth the money, and the wait. This is a very good example of why some people call barolo the King of Wines, with loads of plum, rose petals, cassis, mushroom, cherry, leather and earthy notes. This is a medium bodied wine, with great potential but, for the moment, lots of tannins. It will go beautifully with a rare piece of lean beef.
- I have long been a fan of Barossa Valley Estates, an Australian winery that produces some of the country’s best cabernet sauvignon and shiraz. This release contains two of their offerings, the BVE Ebenezer Shriraz 2004 and the BVE Ebenezer Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (both $39.95). The Ebenezer is the second wine from this producer, but it is extremely well made. Expect the cabernet to have a nose of dark fruit, with rich cassis and mocha/chocolate on the palate. The shiraz has coffee, raspberry and sandalwood on the nose, and complex, long lasting black cherry, tobacco, spice, coffee and smoke on the palate.
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