Vintages Release - September 4, 2010

Hello All

Labour Day weekend already. This summer seems to have just flown by. Ah well, we should still have some pleasant weather ahead of us before winter sets in and turns us all into ice hermits.

The major theme of tomorrow’s release is the wines of the southern Rhone, one of my all time favourite wine producing regions. It includes the justly famed Chateauneuf-du-pape appellation, as well as some lesser known, but still important, AOC’s (wine control regions) like Gigondas and Vacqueyras, as well as Cote du Rhone Village, and Cote du Rhone. The classification system is a bit complicated, but there is a hierarchy as follows:

1. Cru’s (named appellation which do not use the name “Cotes du Rhone”) such as Chateauneuf-du-pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras and a number of others (most of which are in the Northern Rhone);

2. Cotes du Rhone Village (with the name of the village (such Cairanne) included – there are eighteen of these;

3. Cotes du Rhone Village (without a village name) – there are 95 communes that fall under this sobriquet; and, finally,

4. Cotes du Rhone – the generic name for almost anything which is produced in the region, but does not qualify for any of the above categories.

Don’t let the hierarchy dominate your thinking though. Although simple Cotes du Rhone are at the bottom end of the scale, and are usually priced lower, there are some very good wines in this classification. After all, they have been making wine in the Rhone valley for more than two thousand years, and have learned a thing or two in that time.

The major red grapes are Grenache Noir, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignane, Counoise and Mourvèdre, which produce rich, chewy, complex wines, which do not generally require much aging. The region also produces some very good rosés, and a goodly number of lesser known whites.

The wines featured in this release come from the 2007 vintage which, together with 2005, earned a perfect 10 from most experts.

In this column, as a further move toward the new format, I will be spending most of my time, with respect to red wines, comparing some the release offerings to the Guigal Cotes du Rhone (in this case the ’06) which is a Vintages essential, and one of my benchmarks. I will have a comment on a few other wines but wanted to concentrate on the Southern Rhone for comparison purposes. Thus:

RHONE REDS

The E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone ($16.95) is a Vintages essential and can be found in general list. I tend to use it as a benchmark because it is available all the time, and because I think it delivers good value for the money. This is a very nice wine, with stewed plum and violets showing on the nose. Those same flavours, together with some spice, black current and vanilla replicate on the palate. There is a long, slightly finish, with a touch of glycerin. This is a very reliable wine and will go well with virtually any red meat dish (particularly a spicy stew or ragout), or with a hard cheese.

It makes sense, therefore, only to recommend other Rhone wines from this release which surpass the Guigal in quality or value (hopefully both). To that end, I tried the Perrin & Fils Blanche Cotes du Rhone Villages Cairanne 2007 ($17.95); the Chateau Saint Maurice Les Gres Cotes du Rhone Villages Laudun 2007; and the Vigerons de Gigondas La Font Des Grieres Gigondas 2007. I have also tried the Delas Domaines des Grands Chemin Croze-Hermitage 2007, from the northern Rhone, and the Domaine de Vieux Lazaret Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

Here are my thoughts:

- the Chateau Saint Maurice Les Gres Cotes du Rhone Villages Laudun 2007 ($14.95) represents good value as compared to the Guigal. It’s a couple of bucks cheaper, but quite supple with rich blackberry, black cherry, anise, pepper and cedar flavours. The finish goes on and on. Serve with red meat, preferably spicy red meat.

- the Vigerons de Gigondas La Font Des Grieres Gigondas 2007, at $21.95, will set you back $5 more than the Guigal, but it is a better wine. Expect rich layers of well integrated, candied black fruit, leather, vanilla and smoke on the palate, with raspberry, plum and smoke on the nose. Once again, any red meat dish would work.

- It isn’t fair to compare the Delas Domaines des Grands Chemin Croze-Hermitage 2007 ($27.95) to the Guigal. It’s not that they come from different parts of the region (even though they do) but because the Delas simply represents too big a step up. This is a mouth filling, elegant wine with cassis, sweet oak, soft tannins, smoke and a hint of gorse. The difference comes down to the fact that you get what you pay for.

- The same is true of the Domaine du Vieux Lazaret Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2007 ($32.95). This is an extremely good price for a chateauneuf, but, if it’s twice the cost of the Guigal, it’s twice the wine. Expect a chewy, full-bodied offering, with leather, vanilla, earth, black cherry, raspberry, pencil box and spice, and a long finish. The wine is well integrated now, but will improve over the next few years.

OTHER REDS

I simply never expected to see a good amarone (one of my favourite wines) for $32.95 ever again, but the Antiche Terre Venete Amarone Della Valpolicella 2007 pulls off both the price and the taste. This producer is new to me, but it delivers a classic, long-on-taste amarone with raisin, violets, blackberry and a hint of cocoa. This is a big wine, and needs strong tasting food to measure up. I’d pair it with lamb or hard cheese, but a spicy beef stew would work too. Buy this wine. Drink now (with at least an hour in the decanter) or put it down for up to five years, maybe longer.

The Zenato Cormi 2006 ($17.95) comes from one of my favourite Italian producers. This is a brooding, concentrated wine – a mixture of corvine and merlot – and the two grapes complement each other well. The corvina imparts deep concentration of brooding black fruit and raisin, with earthy notes, while the merlot softens the wine and adds a bit of needed sweetness to balance the wine. I really enjoy this offering. Try it with grilled sausages.

WHITE WINES

By way of sauvignon blancs, there are two good choices, depending on your preferred style:

- The Sileni Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2009 ($15.95) from New Zealand is a classic, dry New Zealand sauve. There not so much of the gooseberry as there is tangy lemon lime flavours, with pear, and ripe grapefruit notes. A very refreshing, mouth pleasing wine, that will complement a salad or grilled calamari.

- The William Fevre Sauvignon Blanc Saint-Bris is back in the 2008 version ($16.95). This wine is unusual in that Burgundy is chardonnay country but this is a very lean sauve, with notes of red apple, citrus and mineral, with a mouth drying finish. If you like your whites very dry, this is for you.

There are also some good choices for chardonnay drinkers:

- From B.C., the Sumac Ridge Black Sage Vineyard Chardonnay 2007 ($14.95) was a very pleasant surprise both as to price and taste. I’m not normally a big chardonnay fan (except as it comes to Chablis) but I liked this wine a lot. I think it’s just at its peak, with well integrated, buttery tropical fruit, vanilla, lots of butterscotch, and a hint of honey and cinnamon. Very tasty, and not oaky. Highly recommended.

- From California, the Rodney Strong Chardonnay 2008 ($18.95) is also very good. This is a bigger, richer wine than the Sumac, with more sweet creamy oak, as well as pineapple, lime. hazelnut and caramel. A good wine to drink on its own, or a great complement to chicken or pork.