The major theme of tomorrow’s Vintages release is wines from south of France (the Midi and Provence), with a minor in the wines of Sicily.
The Midi and Provence produce some of the least known, best valued wines around, from a huge variety of different grapes. Shiraz (syrah), mourvedre, carignan, grenache, cinsaut, cabernet sauvignon and merlot are the most common red wine grapes, although this varies according to the region. White wine grapes are more standard – essentially chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and viognier predominate. And, although this release does not reflect it, rosés are very popular, particularly in southern Provence.
Sicilian wines have been increasing in both popularity and quality over the past few years. They are typically made from local grape varieties, mostly Nero d’Avola (which is supposedly related to syrah), but more and more traditional grapes (cabernet sauvignon, syrah and merlot) are creeping in.
Both the south of France and Sicily have long, hot growing seasons, and generally produce big, full-bodied wines with lots of rich, lush dark fruit, and assertive flavours.
WHITE WINES
There was a time when the gold standard for sauvignon blancs came from New Zealand’s Cloudy Bay winery. The Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2007 is still a very, good wine but, at $33.95, it is no longer great value. Cloudy Bay has vastly increased its production, causing some diminution in quality, but the bigger problem is that its price point has continued to increase while other producers have caught up in quality at more reasonable prices. All that being said, Cloudy Bay is still one of the best and most reliable sauvignon blancs in the world. Expect a medium weight wine, with a long finish, and flavours of gooseberry, lime, grapefruit pear, pineapple, kiwi and mineral The acid and sugar levels are well balanced.
For a more reasonably priced sauvignon blanc, try the Composite Sauvignon Blanc 2007, also from New Zealand, at $19.95. This is a very pleasant wine, a little lighter than the Cloudy Bay, dominated by grapefruit and gooseberry, with a touch of mineral. A very pleasant wine, which can either be consumed on its own, or as a complement for white fish, salads or mild cheese.
For chardonnay lovers, the Casa Lapastolle Chardonnay 2007 ($15.95) from Chile is a good buy. The primary flavours are pear and red apple, with some vanilla and lemon, with a mineral and oak dominated finish. Would go well with pan-fried white fish or shellfish in broth. Beware: the first bottle I tried was so over-oaked as to be almost undrinkable.
RED WINES
I started this column by saying that some of the best values in red wines come from Provence and the Midi, so it may come as a bit of surprise when I say that my top recommendation comes from Tuscany. You are just not going to beat the Rocca Delle Macie Chianti Riserva 2005 for value at $15.00. This is a well known and well respected chianti house, at a much reduced price, and it’s a lovely wine. Expect layers of black fruit (cherry and plum), leather, spice, coffee and licorice. Will go well with red meats, pizza or pasta dishes, and has the acid to stand up to tomato based foods. Buy this wine. I did. Two cases worth.
I liked the Chateau de Fontenelles Cuvée Notre Dame 2006 ($16.95) almost as much, but it’s a different style of wine and almost $2 more. Still, this Corbière from the Midi is a very enjoyable wine. It’s packed with rich, soft fruit, with raspberry, plum and pomegranate, with coffee and herbal notes, and a long finish. Pair with grilled red meat.
AC Faugeres is just a little north of AC Corbières, and the Abbaye de Sylva Plana La Closeraie 2005 ($19.95) is quite similar to the Fontenelles. This wine is a little leaner and more elegant than its southern neighbour, but still sports assertive red fruit (raspberry and cherry), vanilla, smoked meat, and a slightly mineral, herbal finish. Very nice, especially with grilled red meat or strong cheese.
Also from AC Faugeres, try the Domaine la Borie Fouisseau Salmandre 2006 ($16.95). This is also a well balanced, elegant wine, with plenty of lean rhubarb, raspberry, and cherry flavours. It has a slightly floral nose, and some white flowers on the palate finish. Also a very pleasant wine.
The Cazes l’Excellence de Triniac 2005 ($16.95) comes from the Roussillon region of France, between Corbières and Spain. It is a slightly softer style of wine from its northerly neighbours in that there is more raspberry, vanilla and cassis, and a little mocha. Would work equally well with roast pork or roast beef.
I confess to a prejudice in favour of Bandol wines, but I think that the La Bastide Blanche Bandol 2006 ($25.95) justifies that prejudice. This wine is composed primarily of mourvedre, and is most definitely not ready to drink, at least for the next two or three years. Mourvedre is characterized by leather and rich, dark fruit, and this is a huge wine which will show very well if given time Expect dark plum and blackberry flavours, and lots of leather on a wine which will show best if combined with lean red meat. A hint: most grape varietals release their aromas when swirled. Swirling mourvedre, however, only serves to break up the aromas, instead of enhancing them.
From Sicily, it’s easy to recommend the Ajello Majus Nero D’Avola 2006 ($16.95), a very nice offering, which is considerably leaner than most syrahs, and has plenty of well balanced acid. There are flavours of sour plum, bitter chocolate and raspberry, and a long finish.
The upper end of the red spectrum
The St. Francis Merlot 2005 from California, isn’t that expensive at $32.95, but it has been garnering all kinds of accolades. It will fool you, because it has enough character and structure to taste like a cabernet sauvignon – the antithesis of merlot as portrayed in the movie Sideways. A great balance of dark plum, cherry, cassis and soft tannins, combined with a long finish.
There are two wonderful, and expensive iconic offerings, from Antinori (one of Italy’s best known producers), neither of which should be opened for at least five years.
- I’ve been less than impressed by some of the Tiganello’s recently, but the Antinori Tiganello 2005 ($99.95) redeems the label’s reputation. This is a big rich wine with complex layers of smoke, dark plum, bright cherry, tobacco and spice. It is delicious now, but will be even better in a few years. Even in a few years, decant for at least an hour and serve with rare beef or lamb. Also comes in a 375 ml. size ($59.95) and a magnum ($244.95).
- The Antinori Solaia 2005 ($234.95) has been a critical favourite for years. This is an extremely complex wine, with blueberry, plum, cassis, black cherry, spice and cedar, that will not likely be ready for 10 years. It is perfectly balanced and has a finish that won’t quit, and will certainly outlast the New York steak you serve it with.
Returning to the Rhone, the Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2006 ($89.95) is likely the best known, and most appreciated, wine from the Chateauneuf-du-Pape region. This is a huge wine, with lush flavours of cassis and blackberry, with mushroom, tobacco, vanilla, and cooked meat. It will be terrific in about 5 years.
Finally, the Catena Alto Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 from Argentina looks like a bargain, as compared to the last three, at $55.95. Expect a wide variety of well coordinated flavours – fig, raspberry, blackberry, mocha, cherries and coffee. If you’re buying one wine to put away for a while, this should be it.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Vintages Release - February 14, 2009
Tomorrow’s Vintages release features the wines of South Africa. The country is a large wine producer/exporter, and, although it produces most, if not all of the major varietals, it is best known for its reds, particularly shiraz, cabernet sauvignon (including many cabernet blends), and pinotage.
Although pinotage is not unique to South Africa, it was developed, and is most widely used, there. It is a cross between a cross between Pinot noir and Cinsaut, and is a relatively easy to grow varietal, which usually produces a soft, rich, fruit forward wine, but which sometimes carries an aroma and taste of acetone.
South African wines, in general, are often earthy (sometimes overly so for my taste) and characterized by rich, lush fruit, which can sometimes be somewhat jammy. However, the country also produces some very good wines, usually at quite reasonable prices.
WHITE WINES
For chardonnay lovers, the Les Mornas Reserve Chardonnay 2007 from Argentina is a great buy at $11.95. This is a well balanced medium bodied wine, with red apple, vanilla, and peach with a little banana and lots of oak. There’s good mouthfeel and a medium long finish. It’s good on its own or with cheese. Vintages also suggests accompanying it with chicken in cream sauce or pan seared scallops. Strongly recommended at this price.
At $13.95, the Chateau de Quincay Sauvignon Selection Tradition 2007 from the Loire, is very worthwhile also. It’s a fairly light offering and, I don’t know whether it’s coincidence in light of the name, but I got aromas of quince as well as citrus on the nose. On the palate, there’s lots of soft tropical fruit, grapefruit, some goosberry, and a bit of pineapple. Very refreshing on its own, or with whitefish, shellfish or poultry. This is more my taste than the Beck (below), although they are both good wines (especially for the price).
The Graham Beck Sauvignon Blanc 2008 from South Africa is also a pretty good buy at $13.95. This is a very rich, grassy sauvignon, and may lack a little in the way of acid, but it makes up for it with a complex variety of fruit flavours, dominated by gooseberry and kiwi, but with some banana, a bit of mineral, and some lime on the finish. A very pleasant wine on its own, or with salads, whitefish or shellfish.
RED WINES
The Pio Cesare Barbera D’Alba 2006 ($21.95) from Piedmont was one of the more pleasant surprises of the release. It definitely needs to be decanted for about half an hour before serving, but, while most Barberas tend to be on the lighter side, this is a rich, structured wine, with a lovely nose of dark plum and chocolate and a palate to match. There are soft tanins, some oak, and a long, satisfying finish. Serve on its own, or with pork or a lean cut of beef. Buy this wine.
The Chateau Vessiere Costieres de Nimes 2006 ($15.95) from the Rhone is a very pleasant offering. It is well balanced with some lavender and violets on the nose, and blackberry, dark plum, smoke and herb de provence on the palate. It’s a relatively light bodied wine (which makes it good on its own or served with poultry) but sports a long finish.
Perhaps it’s my evolving (aging) palate, but I’ve been finding that I’m less and less attracted to many shiraz’s because they seem to be all plummy fruit and no structure. Not so with the Teusner The Riedke Ebeneezer Road Shiraz 2006 from Australia. At $23.95, it’s a little more than I like to pay for a shiraz, but this is a good one. There’s lots of fruit but it’s not so lush as to taste plummy. There’s lots of dark fruit (black current and plum), cedar, blueberry, and some smoke. This is what I think a shiraz should taste like. Decant for 30 minutes, and serve with beef or spareribs.
If my respect for shiraz has been waning, my love for Australian cabernet sauvignons has been growing. The Kilikanoon Blocks Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 comes from one of Australia’s best producers. While it’s a little pricey at $34.95, and I think that their basic cabernet (which sells for about $20) is almost as good, this is a lovely wine.
If you are looking for a South African red, there are two decent choices:
- you get the full shiraz experience from the Stark-Condé Syrah 2005 ($19.95). This wine is unfiltered and unfined, which means that the particularate is still in the bottle, adding to the flavour. The is a good wine, with dark plum and cassis, with some eucalyptus. It’s an medium bodied wine, with a a bit of dirt on the nose, amd a long finish. It will drink well on its own, or go with most meats (turkey and pork, as well as beef).
- the Graham Beck The Ridge Syrah 2003 ($25.95) comes from one of Southh Africa’s best known (and best) producers. This is a more complex wine, with flavours of plum, mocha and blackcurrent, well balanced and well structured. A very classy, elegsant wine.
HIGHER PRICE REDS
If you’re feeling a little flush this week, and don’t mind waiting a bit before you uncork a bottle, look at the following:
- The Ca’Marcanda Promis 2006 ($49.95) from Tuscany is wonderful. This is the wine I would (and did) buy to put away for a year. This is a full-bodied, well structured offering from one of the world’s most celebrated wine makers. Expect blackberry, fig, cassis, leather and sun dried tomato on a big, structured wine, that will be delicious with beef, cassoulet, lamb or any other strong tasting dish. You can’t go wrong buying this wine.
- I personally don’t believe that Opus 1 ($359.95) from California is worth the money, but there is no question that it is one of the world’s great wines. Expect dark chocolate matched with bright raspberry, cherry, mineral, leather, spice and tobacco. This is a wonderfully complex, exquisitely structured wine that is an experience all its own. I’d rather have seven bottles of the Promis (which would cost less) but, if money is no object, this is the wine for you.
- I’m not sure that I should put the Le Clos Jordanne La Petite Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006 ($40.00) in this category, but it does need some time. I’m picky about pinot noir, and am rarely attracted by New World pinot’s in favour of Burgundian ones. But I had a bottle of Le Clos Jordanne (from Niagara) two year ago, and loved it, and I think it’s still really good. Please note that there are three pinots from this producer in this release, and another in the stores, so be careful which one you buy. No one will mistake this for a burgundian pinot, but it’s still very good, with cherry, rasbberry, cinnamon and mineral, and you would have to pay at least 150% of this price to get a similar quality from Burgundy. Serve with lean cuts of beef .
A WORD ABOUT CHAMPAGNE
Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and so I’m surprised that there aren’t any really good bubblies in this release. Perhaps it’s because there have been a bunch of good champagnes in some of the recent sales, some of which are still around. Look for:
- the Jacquart Brut, which is on sale for about $35 (down from $50). Expect a lovely champagne, with a bit of creamy green apple, brioche and toast.
- if you can’t find the Jacquart, look for the Drappier and/or the Charles Hiesdieck, both of which are under $50.
There’s nothing like champagne for a celebratory wine, or to go with dishes like lobster.
Although pinotage is not unique to South Africa, it was developed, and is most widely used, there. It is a cross between a cross between Pinot noir and Cinsaut, and is a relatively easy to grow varietal, which usually produces a soft, rich, fruit forward wine, but which sometimes carries an aroma and taste of acetone.
South African wines, in general, are often earthy (sometimes overly so for my taste) and characterized by rich, lush fruit, which can sometimes be somewhat jammy. However, the country also produces some very good wines, usually at quite reasonable prices.
WHITE WINES
For chardonnay lovers, the Les Mornas Reserve Chardonnay 2007 from Argentina is a great buy at $11.95. This is a well balanced medium bodied wine, with red apple, vanilla, and peach with a little banana and lots of oak. There’s good mouthfeel and a medium long finish. It’s good on its own or with cheese. Vintages also suggests accompanying it with chicken in cream sauce or pan seared scallops. Strongly recommended at this price.
At $13.95, the Chateau de Quincay Sauvignon Selection Tradition 2007 from the Loire, is very worthwhile also. It’s a fairly light offering and, I don’t know whether it’s coincidence in light of the name, but I got aromas of quince as well as citrus on the nose. On the palate, there’s lots of soft tropical fruit, grapefruit, some goosberry, and a bit of pineapple. Very refreshing on its own, or with whitefish, shellfish or poultry. This is more my taste than the Beck (below), although they are both good wines (especially for the price).
The Graham Beck Sauvignon Blanc 2008 from South Africa is also a pretty good buy at $13.95. This is a very rich, grassy sauvignon, and may lack a little in the way of acid, but it makes up for it with a complex variety of fruit flavours, dominated by gooseberry and kiwi, but with some banana, a bit of mineral, and some lime on the finish. A very pleasant wine on its own, or with salads, whitefish or shellfish.
RED WINES
The Pio Cesare Barbera D’Alba 2006 ($21.95) from Piedmont was one of the more pleasant surprises of the release. It definitely needs to be decanted for about half an hour before serving, but, while most Barberas tend to be on the lighter side, this is a rich, structured wine, with a lovely nose of dark plum and chocolate and a palate to match. There are soft tanins, some oak, and a long, satisfying finish. Serve on its own, or with pork or a lean cut of beef. Buy this wine.
The Chateau Vessiere Costieres de Nimes 2006 ($15.95) from the Rhone is a very pleasant offering. It is well balanced with some lavender and violets on the nose, and blackberry, dark plum, smoke and herb de provence on the palate. It’s a relatively light bodied wine (which makes it good on its own or served with poultry) but sports a long finish.
Perhaps it’s my evolving (aging) palate, but I’ve been finding that I’m less and less attracted to many shiraz’s because they seem to be all plummy fruit and no structure. Not so with the Teusner The Riedke Ebeneezer Road Shiraz 2006 from Australia. At $23.95, it’s a little more than I like to pay for a shiraz, but this is a good one. There’s lots of fruit but it’s not so lush as to taste plummy. There’s lots of dark fruit (black current and plum), cedar, blueberry, and some smoke. This is what I think a shiraz should taste like. Decant for 30 minutes, and serve with beef or spareribs.
If my respect for shiraz has been waning, my love for Australian cabernet sauvignons has been growing. The Kilikanoon Blocks Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 comes from one of Australia’s best producers. While it’s a little pricey at $34.95, and I think that their basic cabernet (which sells for about $20) is almost as good, this is a lovely wine.
If you are looking for a South African red, there are two decent choices:
- you get the full shiraz experience from the Stark-Condé Syrah 2005 ($19.95). This wine is unfiltered and unfined, which means that the particularate is still in the bottle, adding to the flavour. The is a good wine, with dark plum and cassis, with some eucalyptus. It’s an medium bodied wine, with a a bit of dirt on the nose, amd a long finish. It will drink well on its own, or go with most meats (turkey and pork, as well as beef).
- the Graham Beck The Ridge Syrah 2003 ($25.95) comes from one of Southh Africa’s best known (and best) producers. This is a more complex wine, with flavours of plum, mocha and blackcurrent, well balanced and well structured. A very classy, elegsant wine.
HIGHER PRICE REDS
If you’re feeling a little flush this week, and don’t mind waiting a bit before you uncork a bottle, look at the following:
- The Ca’Marcanda Promis 2006 ($49.95) from Tuscany is wonderful. This is the wine I would (and did) buy to put away for a year. This is a full-bodied, well structured offering from one of the world’s most celebrated wine makers. Expect blackberry, fig, cassis, leather and sun dried tomato on a big, structured wine, that will be delicious with beef, cassoulet, lamb or any other strong tasting dish. You can’t go wrong buying this wine.
- I personally don’t believe that Opus 1 ($359.95) from California is worth the money, but there is no question that it is one of the world’s great wines. Expect dark chocolate matched with bright raspberry, cherry, mineral, leather, spice and tobacco. This is a wonderfully complex, exquisitely structured wine that is an experience all its own. I’d rather have seven bottles of the Promis (which would cost less) but, if money is no object, this is the wine for you.
- I’m not sure that I should put the Le Clos Jordanne La Petite Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006 ($40.00) in this category, but it does need some time. I’m picky about pinot noir, and am rarely attracted by New World pinot’s in favour of Burgundian ones. But I had a bottle of Le Clos Jordanne (from Niagara) two year ago, and loved it, and I think it’s still really good. Please note that there are three pinots from this producer in this release, and another in the stores, so be careful which one you buy. No one will mistake this for a burgundian pinot, but it’s still very good, with cherry, rasbberry, cinnamon and mineral, and you would have to pay at least 150% of this price to get a similar quality from Burgundy. Serve with lean cuts of beef .
A WORD ABOUT CHAMPAGNE
Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and so I’m surprised that there aren’t any really good bubblies in this release. Perhaps it’s because there have been a bunch of good champagnes in some of the recent sales, some of which are still around. Look for:
- the Jacquart Brut, which is on sale for about $35 (down from $50). Expect a lovely champagne, with a bit of creamy green apple, brioche and toast.
- if you can’t find the Jacquart, look for the Drappier and/or the Charles Hiesdieck, both of which are under $50.
There’s nothing like champagne for a celebratory wine, or to go with dishes like lobster.
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