Vintages Release - October 1, 2010

I know I said I wouldn’t be reviewing full releases any more, but I’m entitled to make exceptions, and the October 1 release warrants some extra consideration. The theme of the release is “Syrah and Shiraz around the World”, which is a little disingenuous considering that it’s the same varietal, simply called syrah in France, and shiraz in the new world. There are certainly differences, however, from region to region, as to taste and treatment of syrah’s/shiraz’s, and I have a few thoughts as to what you should get from both, but I’ve by and large ignored the theme in this missive.

The fact is I went overboard in spending on this release and when my wife finds out (which she will when she reads this) I’m going to be raked over the coals. She usually forgives me though, because she does get to share in the fruits of my vinous excesses.

With Thanksgiving coming up next weekend, and the fall release of a whole bunch of good reds and dessert wines, this was a release to let go of the purse strings a little.

Where to start?

DESSERT WINES (both of these wines are highly recommended)

There are two good choices in this release, and I bought them both:

Sauterne in Bordeaux may be the most famous dessert wine region in the world (although to be fair Niagara ice wines are right up there) but there is nothing quite like a chilled sauterne, either with foie gras, or with nuts, fruit and or a tangy sweet dessert. The Chateau Doisy–Vendrines 2007, is, in my mind, a bargain at $29.00 (for the 375 ml. bottle). You get a mélange of sweet fruit notes (primarily apricot) with nectarine, peach, orange peel, almond and honey, balanced nicely by the acid so you get a sweet sensation without the sugary taste. You can pay well into the hundreds of dollars for a good sauterne, but, if you like this style of wine, you won’t be disappointed in this one, especially at this price.

There are many good things coming out of Hungary, but the first of them that comes to mind for me is Tokay, the iconoclastic Hungarian dessert wine. Tokays (more properly tokaji’s) are ranked on a scale of up to 5 puttonoys with five being the best (although I admit I’ve never seen a one or a two). I always wait for the fives though, because the price differential between a four and a five isn’t much, but the quality difference can be immense. I love the Royal Tokaji 5 Pottonoys Takaji Aszu because I’ve never even had a mediocre offering from this house, and the 2006 version is no exception, and represents great value at $19.95 (for a 250 ml. bottle). I got honey, apricot, ripe peach and marmalade, on this rich, mouth filling, well balanced wine. The finish goes on forever.

RED WINES (all of these wines are highly recommended, but are on the pricey side)

I didn’t buy all of these (I promise, Lee) but I did buy a lot of them, and would have bought them all were it not for the thought of the cost (and I don’t primarily mean the money).

One that I did buy was the Ornellaia 2008 ($184.95) from Tuscany. This winery produces a number of reds including the Le Volte dell´Ornellaia (which is usually available in Vintages and sells for $29.95) and the Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia (which Vintages carries when it’s released. The 2008 version sold for $59.95, and I bought a lot of it. The Ornellaia (which is in this release) is this house’s premier wine, and I know it’s expensive, but it’s just too good for me to resist. This is a Bordeaux blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, and it’s is just exquisite, with an Christmas cake and cedar nose, and notes of tobacco, tar, olive, chocolate, plum, smoke and vanilla. Properly stored, this wine will get better and better for ten years (at least) and will be the perfect wine for an intimate celebration for two any time after 2015. Drink without food (after aeration) if you like, but a complement of a hard cheese or a cut of lean beef would be ideal. Although I’m not into this, I’d be willing to bet it will double in value in ten years (or maybe a lot less) too.

I also bought some of the Caparzo Brunello do Montalcino 2005 ($39.95) from Tuscany. This is a great price for a good brunello, and this is a very good brunello. Expect kirsch, tobacco, black cherry, spice, licorice, vanilla, sweet oak, leather, violets and cocoa on this medium bodied, well integrated wine. There are very soft tannins and a long finish. Just a lovely wine to pair with a veal chop. Drink any time you like, but aerate for at least 30 minutes – preferably 60 – first.

Without going into whatever else I bought (plausible deniability is worth something) try any of the following and you are not likely to go wrong:

- the Stag’s Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ($49.95) from California. This is one of Napa’s most reliable wineries in this price range, and this offering delivers the full California cab experience. Expect a smooth, and very drinkable wine with rich plum, sweet blackberry, cedar, vanilla and earthy flavours. Good on its own, or with virtually any beef dish. Also works with chocolate.

- There are some good choices from the Rhone (and from Bordeaux, even though they are not syrahs), but the syrah I would recommend is the Domaine de Bonserine la Sarrasine Côte-Rôtie 2008 ($49.95). This is a big, dense, chewy wine, packed with cherry, cedar, vanilla, spice, smoke and raspberry. The finish goes on and on, but it will need two or three years in the bottle or at least an hour’s aeration, preferably more. This is a food wine. Don’t drink on its own, but serve with hard cheese, beef or even lamb.

- My shiraz recommendation is very much the opposite of the Bonserine, and, not surprisingly, comes from the other side of the world. The Barossa Valley Estate Ebenezer Shiraz 2006 ($39.95) from Australia is an old favourite. I’ve visited this winery and have always loved their wines. You’ll find intense but lively blackberry, sweet oak, soft tannins and licorice on this ready to drink, well-structured offering. Many Aussie shiraz’s are too jammy for me. Not this one.

I could go on. There are a lot of good, higher priced reds in this release, but the ones noted above are my favourites. Get any of them, and you’ll be pleased you did.

TURKEY WINES

There are a lot of choices for wines to go with turkey. The food pairing guides always suggest that you try to pair with the strongest tasting food you’re serving, which is often not the turkey, but could be the cranberry sauce, the gravy or even a spicy stuffing.

I have three suggestions for varietals. Go with the one that you like best.

Especially if you like white meat, a buttery chardonnay is a good choice. Chardonnay is generally the most flavourful white varietal, and will not be overpowered by the fatty turkey juice. Some possible choices from this release:

- the Kendall Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay 2009 ($19.95) from California. Buttery, but not too buttery, with green apple, tropical fruit and just a touch of vanilla and olive. A nice, complex chardonnay, with a long finish, at a quite decent price. Not at all oaky for those who have strong feelings one way or the other about oak.

- the Yalumba FDW [7c] Chardonnay 2008 ($23.95) from Australia. This is a cooler weather chardonnay with hazelnut, green apple, peach, citrus, mineral and smoke dominating. This is a big wine (for a white) well rounded and mouth filling. If the full bodied California chardonnay is your taste, this probably won’t be, but if you like muted oak and Burgundian elegance, this will likely please.

If you like to pile on the cranberry sauce, you might want to pair your turkey with a pinot noir. My preference, in general is for Burgundian pinot over new world ones because I think that the French versions have more structure and elegance, but there is something to be said for having a more fruit forward style with turkey, especially since new world pinots (especially California ones) sport slightly riper fruit than traditional French pinots. Your choice really.

- from California, the Clos Du Bois Pinot Noir 2008 ($18.95) is a good example of a warm weather pinot, with ripe cherry and notes of beetroot, blueberry and smoke. Well structured, with a long finish.

If your preference is for a somewhat more austere, less fruit driven pinot, try any of the three I mentioned in my last two newsletters. Or you could try something a little different:

- Oregon pinots tend to be less fruit forward than California comparators (might have something to do with the cooler climate) but are often lighter and spicier with more pepper. The Elk Cove Vineyards Pinot Noir 2008 ($36.95) has the spice, together with some nice beetroot, and cherry and raspberry notes.

- If you happen to be down in Niagara, you could stop in at Lowrey Vineyards Five Rows Winery. This is a relatively new Ontario winery, although not new to the grape growing business, and it has hit upon the interesting idea of numbering all of its bottles, and asking customers to register the bottles and leave tasting notes on their web site. I recently tried one of their 2008 pinot noirs, and liked it quite a lot. You can see my tasting note here http://www.fiverows.com/provenance/, about half way down the page, together with the reaction from other customers. The pinot costs $50.00. You can only get it at the winery.

If you like dark meat, or like gravy with your turkey, try a shiraz. You still get all the fruit, and more, of a pinot, but the wine is generally a little bigger, and complements the richer flavours of the food, while maintaining and enhancing the fruit complement of the cranberry.

- I’d suggest the Thorn-Clarke Terra Barossa Shiraz 2009 ($16.95) as being really good value, in a non-jammy shiraz. It was released a few weeks ago, but there is still a lot in the stores. This is a well structured wine with dark plum, a little eucalyptus, spice, cherry, olive and a touch of kirsch. It’s good on its own, and will stand up to beef.

If none of the “turkey” options presented here work for you, and you want to move upscale, the Barossa Valley Estate Ebenezer Shiraz 2006 (reviewed above) would not be a bad choice either.