Tomorrow’s Vintages release covers food and wine pairings for Easter, together with a section on “new” Ontario VQA wines.
This release reminds me that there are some virtues to having been around, as I have, since approximately the later Middle Ages. If nothing else, you develop lots of experience and material to build on. More to the point at the moment, I can reach back to my Easter column for last year for the section on food pairings (although I will try to improve on it), and even draw on a previous review for one of the wine choices available this month.
Wine pairings
Bear in mind that the wine should be paired with the strongest tasting food on the plate – which is not always the meat. Still, I hope that these few ideas will help:
Turkey (white meat) – look for a lighter, more fruit forward wine. Chardonnay or Riesling would be a good choice as a white. A gamay, American pinot noir, a barbera, or even a rosé, would work as a red.
Turkey (dark meat or with gravy) – Many of the same wines (not the rosé) would work, but something with a little more weight and acid (especially to counterbalance the additional fat in dark meat) would be my choice. Try a Burgundian style pinot noir.
Ham – Once again, there is a fair amount of fat in the meat, so a wine with a good bit of acid will balance it best. You can still have a white if it’s a rich chardonnay or older riesling, but I’d look for a red. Anything from a light pinot noir to a Rhone-style shiraz, depending on your taste, would work. A barolo would be delightful.
Lamb – The strong flavour of lamb will overpower most wines, so you need a big red - a new world shiraz, a cabernet sauvignon, or an amarone would be best. A malbec would work too
Roast pork – If it’s with apple sauce, go with a riesling or a gewürztraminer - by way of whites - or a pinot (new or old world) or a gamay - by way of reds. If with gravy, I’d be less likely to serve the whites, but the same reds would match.
Chocolate – The ultimate Easter food. Chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, works so well with big red wines. Try the same wines that you would have with lamb, or go in a completely different direction with a sauterne, an ice wine, a late harvest or a California black muscat.
WHITE WINES
As I write this, we’ve had a week of wonderful weather, leading me to put more stress on the whites. I can only hope that the forecast, which is a little grim, doesn’t totally spoil the climate (awful pun) for some very nice, and well-priced, wines.
Whoever designed the screw cap (and perhaps the name) for the Henri Bourgeois Petit Bourgeois Sauvignon Blanc 2008 ($14.95) ought to be shot. It’s not that I object to screw caps (I absolutely don’t) but this one is confoundedly difficult to get off. Get by that point, however, and this wine, from the Loire, is well worth the effort and the money. It’s a lean sauvignon, with well integrated flavours of lemon, apple and pear, and a long, racy finish. I can see it with turkey (white meat) or pork, but soft cheese would be a good choice too.
The Peter Lehman Semillon 2008 from the Barossa Valley in Australia is also $14.95, and also a good buy. This is also a very lean wine, and very tart, with notes of golden delicious apple, orange, apricot and especially grapefruit. There is a lot of fruit here, but lots of acid as well, so that it will stand up to turkey, and would be great with shellfish in broth or a light cream sauce. It might even work with ham, although my preference would be for something a little richer.
The Cave Springs Estate Bottled Gewurztraminer 2008 ($15.95) from Niagara is slightly off-dry, which, to my mind, means that it needs food. This is a well made wine with quince, lime and some lychee flavours, and with only a whiff of the varietal’s signature white flowers. As with most geturtz’s, the ideal match is spicy food (Thai or Chinese), and spicy cheese, but, in this Easter season, turkey or pork would substitute quite well. Make sure that it is well chilled (but not cold) when served.
Chardonnay lovers should really take to the Hope Estate Chardonnay 2008 ($16.95) from the Hunter Valley, Australia. Vanilla is the name of the game here, and there’s lots of it, with sweet peach and nectarine notes. If you like your chardonnays rich, this wine is definitely for you. Match with turkey, ham or pork.
The Le Clos Jordanne Claystone Terrace Chardonnay 2007 from Niagara is a lovely wine, with great structure, peach, vanilla, hazelnut, green apple and butterscotch. It’s also got lots of oak, so much so that I’d recommend putting it away for a year, or preferably two. It will go with turkey, pork or ham, but, if you must serve it this year, let it open for at least an hour.
ROSÉS
The Mas des Bressades Cuveé Tradition Rosé 2009 from the Rhone, is back at the same price as last year ($13.95). This dry, tasty wine, at a very reasonable price, is a great, hot weather sipper. Expect rich strawberry, raspberry and cherry flavours, together with a bit of spice, and a well balanced wine that is a refreshing, palate pleaser. It would go well with turkey (white meat, especially with cranberry) or pork, or very well on its own.
RED WINES
Here’s what I said about the Rocca Delle Macie Chianti Riserva 2005 in February, 2009. “…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 (this wine) 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 bought another case today. Enough said?
I’ve spoken before about my liking for Argentina’s Alta Vista winery, and I’m not going to change my mind now. The Alta Vista Premium Malbec 2007 ($13.95) is worth more than they’re charging for it. There’s lots of concentrated fruit here (plum and raspberry predominating) with notes of coffee, pencil box and mineral, and a long finish. Unlike most value priced malbecs, this wine isn’t just a fruit bomb. It has structure and elegance. It will go with beef (no kidding, it’s from Argentina) or lamb. Or try it with chocolate.
We don’t get many Bandol wines here, so it’s a treat when one shows up. The Chateau des Baumelles Bandol 2006 ($24.95) is well worth the price if you like mourvedre done well – lots of leather, lots of structure, black cherry, spice and strawberry. A finish that doesn’t quit. A good choice with either lamb or chocolate, but let it breathe for at least an hour. One tip – most wines tend to open and release aroma when swirled. Mourvedre based wines, for some reason, don’t. You’re better off not swirling.
There are some producers that I can count on year after year to produce well made, good value wines. The Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ($24.95) from California comes from one of those houses. This is a well rounded, classic California cabernet, with soft tannins, and a complex mélange of well integrated flavours - vanilla, cedar, mocha, cassis, leather and blueberry. It has good mouth feel and a long finish, and will nicely complement beef or cheese. I also seem to recall that this wine has come down in price.
At $28.95, the Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva 2006 isn’t hugely expensive, but it’s probably the best wine of this release. I’ve been to this winery, and it’s a gorgeous spot as well as a quality producer. This wine represents sangiovese at some of its best, with well structured flavours of tobacco, black cherry, spice and tons of tannin. Don’t think about drinking it any time soon though. It needs at least two years in the bottle, but you won’t regret the wait. This is an excellent price for a wine of this quality. Serve and enjoy, in its time, with beef, or any Italian dish. I know I will.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Vintages Release - March 6, 2010
The theme of tomorrow’s Vintages release is the wines of Chile, from which country, coincidentally, I have just returned. Fortunately for me, however, I left before the earthquake hit. Unfortunately, thousands of other people were not as lucky as I, and were caught in the quake zone at the wrong time. I know that many (most or all) of you donated to assist the victims of the Haiti disaster, but, I would encourage you to give to Chile as well.
Wine is big business in Chile. The country has a particularly long growing season, hot weather, ocean breezes, and rich, mountainous soil. These factors combine to produce a climate – indeed many micro-climates – which are extremely conducive to grape growing. Wine production is one of Chile’s largest industries, and the country is now very much in the forefront of wine exporting nations.
The major red wine grapes are cabernet sauvignon and carmenere, although pinot noir and merlot are also widely grown. Chilean red wines are often quite well priced, and ready to drink quite soon after bottling (as a result of the long, hot growing season). Further, because the weather is so consistent from year to year, the wines are very reliable in quality. In the fifteen year vintage period between 1993 and 2007 (inclusive) Chilean reds only once received a score of less than 8 (it was a seven) out of 10.
The major white wine grapes are chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, Once again, these wines are usually well priced and well made.
There was a time, not all that many years ago, when I was no fan of Chilean wines, particularly the reds, in that I thought them over-oaked and lacking in finesse. I have since changed my mind. Or rather, I think the wines have changed. The combination of older vines and better winemakers has resulted in an industry which produces some very good, and extraordinarily drinkable wines, especially from a value perspective. The lower priced tier of Chilean wines are, for the most part, extremely well priced and well made in comparison to most other countries, and if they lack somewhat in sophistication, it is only because it is unreasonable to expect too much from a wine in the $10 to $15 price range.
That is not to say that all Chilean reds are unsophisticated. On the contrary, while we are more used to seeing the bottom end of the Chilean production in Ontario – because they are so well priced – there are some very good Chilean reds at higher points on the price spectrum. (They aren’t in this release though).
WHITE WINES
With the onset of better weather, or at least the signs of better weather, it behoves us to consider a few more white wines.
The Errazuriz Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2008 ($14.95) from Chile will not be everybody’s cup of tea. It is a big, grassy sauvignon with lots of gooseberry, pea pod and citrus, with a long finish, that will go better with food. It’s not at all a delicate, drink-by-itself, summer sipper. But it is a nice wine, at a good price, and will work well as an accompaniment to anything from potato chips to cheese.
I really liked the Lacheteau Les Loges Vouvray 2008 ($14.95) from the Loire. This is a very pleasant, light, wine with white flowers, tropical fruit, lemon drop and apricot. It’s slightly off dry, with a long, soft finish, that drinks very well on its own, or would work well with a salad or soft cheese. Highly recommended.
The Chanson Pere & Fils Vire-Clesse 2007 ($19.95) from Burgundy is a lovely, clean tasting chardonnay that resembles a chablis. The nose and the palate both show apple and pear. This is an unobtrusive, but tasty, wine, which you can easily enjoy on its own, or with white fish or salad, and which will complement most things short of red meat. Vintages suggests pairing with chicken and I agree, although I think that it might be a bit light for barbecued prawns.
I’ve been a fan of Sileni wines for years, and the Sileni Cellar Selection Chardonnay 2008 ($15.95) from New Zealand continues the tradition. This is a bit leaner than a typical California chardonnay, but with vanilla, red grapefruit, and stone fruit flavours. It will drink well on its own, but has enough acid to balance chicken fingers or pastry appetizers.
If you have a bit more to spend, the Mulderbosch Chardonnay 2006 ($21.95) from South Africa is a light, complex buttery blend of tangerine, hazelnut, apple, peach, melon and fig. This is a lovely wine on its own, but will be even better with whitefish or shellfish in a clear broth.
Finally, the Andre Blanck et Ses Fils Clos Schwendi Pinot Gris 2008 ($19.95) from Alsace is just about everything a good pinot gris should be. This is a medium dry wine but so well balanced that it shows as much drier than it is, with notes of pear, melon and baked apple. Try on its own, or with pork chops.
RED WINE
I’m always on the lookout for a good pinot noir at a decent price (i.e. less than $20), and more often than not I’m disappointed. I wasn’t disappointed with the Montes Alpha Pinot Noir 2007 ($19.95) which had a little beetroot, and raspberry and black cherry, with a long finish. It isn’t a typical burgundy offering, as opposed to a New World pinot, but it is good. Try it with planked salmon or pork chops and you won’t be disappointed either.
The Redondo Reserva ACR 2007 ($17.95) from Portugal is a very well integrated blend of flavours with blackberry and vanilla predominating. This wine has a long finish, with some stewed plum and blueberries on the mid-palate and into the finish. A good match for any grilled red meat.
It didn’t come from Chile, but one of the most interesting wines I found in South America was a grape varietal called bonarda. Apparently this grape has been around in Argentina for a long time, until being virtually supplanted by malbec, but is now being revived. Try the Santa Julia Reserva Bonarda 2008 ($13.95) and I promise you won’t be disappointed. This is a big wine, with leather, blackberry and raspberry, and Vintages suggests pairing with pizza or burgers. While it isn’t the most complex wine in the world, I think they underestimate it. I think zinfandel lovers will, in particular, like this wine, but I’d recommend it for everyone, especially with spareribs or grilled steak. My advice – for $13.95, try this wine.
Also from Argentina, the Chakana Yaguarete Collection Malbec 2009 ($12.95) is good value for a fruit forward, great value wine. There’s no complexity, but lots of black fruit and vanilla, with good mouth feel and a long finish. It’s a burger wine, but a good burger wine.
The Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ($19.95) from California is an invariably reliable cabernet with great balance, and blackberry, cherry, smoke and mocha flavours. This is well structured wine from a great value producer. This is not a great cabernet, but it is certainly a good one and it will do until something a whole lot better (and more expensive) comes along. Serve with red meat or hard cheese.
You won’t go wrong with the Montes Alpha Carmenere 2007 ($19.95) from Chile. Although this wine has suffered from some upward price creep, it’s still excellent value. Expect some pencil box, lavender, smoke and plum on the nose and palate, with concentrated black fruit, spice, blueberry and lots of structure, and an endless finish. Hard cheese and red meat will work well with this wine.
From Australia, the Lindemans Reserve Merlot 2007 ($14.95) is a soft, easy drinking wine, with notes of oak, dark plum, mint, vanilla and cherry. This is a well balanced wine at a reasonable price and it will work well on its own, or with grilled meat.
Lastly, from Bordeaux, there’s the Chateau Lilian Ladouys 2003 ($32.95). This wine is approachable now (with some aeration), but will be even better in a year or two. Expect an elegant but powerful wine with cassis, black plum and spice that will take forever to finish. Serve with rare cuts of roast beef or steak.
Wine is big business in Chile. The country has a particularly long growing season, hot weather, ocean breezes, and rich, mountainous soil. These factors combine to produce a climate – indeed many micro-climates – which are extremely conducive to grape growing. Wine production is one of Chile’s largest industries, and the country is now very much in the forefront of wine exporting nations.
The major red wine grapes are cabernet sauvignon and carmenere, although pinot noir and merlot are also widely grown. Chilean red wines are often quite well priced, and ready to drink quite soon after bottling (as a result of the long, hot growing season). Further, because the weather is so consistent from year to year, the wines are very reliable in quality. In the fifteen year vintage period between 1993 and 2007 (inclusive) Chilean reds only once received a score of less than 8 (it was a seven) out of 10.
The major white wine grapes are chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, Once again, these wines are usually well priced and well made.
There was a time, not all that many years ago, when I was no fan of Chilean wines, particularly the reds, in that I thought them over-oaked and lacking in finesse. I have since changed my mind. Or rather, I think the wines have changed. The combination of older vines and better winemakers has resulted in an industry which produces some very good, and extraordinarily drinkable wines, especially from a value perspective. The lower priced tier of Chilean wines are, for the most part, extremely well priced and well made in comparison to most other countries, and if they lack somewhat in sophistication, it is only because it is unreasonable to expect too much from a wine in the $10 to $15 price range.
That is not to say that all Chilean reds are unsophisticated. On the contrary, while we are more used to seeing the bottom end of the Chilean production in Ontario – because they are so well priced – there are some very good Chilean reds at higher points on the price spectrum. (They aren’t in this release though).
WHITE WINES
With the onset of better weather, or at least the signs of better weather, it behoves us to consider a few more white wines.
The Errazuriz Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2008 ($14.95) from Chile will not be everybody’s cup of tea. It is a big, grassy sauvignon with lots of gooseberry, pea pod and citrus, with a long finish, that will go better with food. It’s not at all a delicate, drink-by-itself, summer sipper. But it is a nice wine, at a good price, and will work well as an accompaniment to anything from potato chips to cheese.
I really liked the Lacheteau Les Loges Vouvray 2008 ($14.95) from the Loire. This is a very pleasant, light, wine with white flowers, tropical fruit, lemon drop and apricot. It’s slightly off dry, with a long, soft finish, that drinks very well on its own, or would work well with a salad or soft cheese. Highly recommended.
The Chanson Pere & Fils Vire-Clesse 2007 ($19.95) from Burgundy is a lovely, clean tasting chardonnay that resembles a chablis. The nose and the palate both show apple and pear. This is an unobtrusive, but tasty, wine, which you can easily enjoy on its own, or with white fish or salad, and which will complement most things short of red meat. Vintages suggests pairing with chicken and I agree, although I think that it might be a bit light for barbecued prawns.
I’ve been a fan of Sileni wines for years, and the Sileni Cellar Selection Chardonnay 2008 ($15.95) from New Zealand continues the tradition. This is a bit leaner than a typical California chardonnay, but with vanilla, red grapefruit, and stone fruit flavours. It will drink well on its own, but has enough acid to balance chicken fingers or pastry appetizers.
If you have a bit more to spend, the Mulderbosch Chardonnay 2006 ($21.95) from South Africa is a light, complex buttery blend of tangerine, hazelnut, apple, peach, melon and fig. This is a lovely wine on its own, but will be even better with whitefish or shellfish in a clear broth.
Finally, the Andre Blanck et Ses Fils Clos Schwendi Pinot Gris 2008 ($19.95) from Alsace is just about everything a good pinot gris should be. This is a medium dry wine but so well balanced that it shows as much drier than it is, with notes of pear, melon and baked apple. Try on its own, or with pork chops.
RED WINE
I’m always on the lookout for a good pinot noir at a decent price (i.e. less than $20), and more often than not I’m disappointed. I wasn’t disappointed with the Montes Alpha Pinot Noir 2007 ($19.95) which had a little beetroot, and raspberry and black cherry, with a long finish. It isn’t a typical burgundy offering, as opposed to a New World pinot, but it is good. Try it with planked salmon or pork chops and you won’t be disappointed either.
The Redondo Reserva ACR 2007 ($17.95) from Portugal is a very well integrated blend of flavours with blackberry and vanilla predominating. This wine has a long finish, with some stewed plum and blueberries on the mid-palate and into the finish. A good match for any grilled red meat.
It didn’t come from Chile, but one of the most interesting wines I found in South America was a grape varietal called bonarda. Apparently this grape has been around in Argentina for a long time, until being virtually supplanted by malbec, but is now being revived. Try the Santa Julia Reserva Bonarda 2008 ($13.95) and I promise you won’t be disappointed. This is a big wine, with leather, blackberry and raspberry, and Vintages suggests pairing with pizza or burgers. While it isn’t the most complex wine in the world, I think they underestimate it. I think zinfandel lovers will, in particular, like this wine, but I’d recommend it for everyone, especially with spareribs or grilled steak. My advice – for $13.95, try this wine.
Also from Argentina, the Chakana Yaguarete Collection Malbec 2009 ($12.95) is good value for a fruit forward, great value wine. There’s no complexity, but lots of black fruit and vanilla, with good mouth feel and a long finish. It’s a burger wine, but a good burger wine.
The Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ($19.95) from California is an invariably reliable cabernet with great balance, and blackberry, cherry, smoke and mocha flavours. This is well structured wine from a great value producer. This is not a great cabernet, but it is certainly a good one and it will do until something a whole lot better (and more expensive) comes along. Serve with red meat or hard cheese.
You won’t go wrong with the Montes Alpha Carmenere 2007 ($19.95) from Chile. Although this wine has suffered from some upward price creep, it’s still excellent value. Expect some pencil box, lavender, smoke and plum on the nose and palate, with concentrated black fruit, spice, blueberry and lots of structure, and an endless finish. Hard cheese and red meat will work well with this wine.
From Australia, the Lindemans Reserve Merlot 2007 ($14.95) is a soft, easy drinking wine, with notes of oak, dark plum, mint, vanilla and cherry. This is a well balanced wine at a reasonable price and it will work well on its own, or with grilled meat.
Lastly, from Bordeaux, there’s the Chateau Lilian Ladouys 2003 ($32.95). This wine is approachable now (with some aeration), but will be even better in a year or two. Expect an elegant but powerful wine with cassis, black plum and spice that will take forever to finish. Serve with rare cuts of roast beef or steak.
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