The theme of tomorrow’s release is the red wines of New Zealand.
New Zealand, of course, is deservedly famous for its white wines (particularly sauvignon blanc), and sheep. But that’s another story. The country’s red wines are less well known since the New Zealand climate is generally much cooler (and therefore less conducive to the growth of most red wine grapes) than that of neighbouring Australia. Nonetheless, New Zealand produces a full range of red wines, especially syrah and, more recently, pinot noir.
I must confess that I remain a little sceptical of New Zealand reds. There is nothing wrong with them but, with inevitable, and sometimes extremely tasty, exceptions, I found that many syrah’s had a flavour of green pepper (indicative, at least to me, of grapes that were not sufficiently ripe). Many pinot noirs tasted too much of sour cherry and little else, likely because the vines are still far too young.
I should immediately attempt to qualify this large generalization. New Zealand does produce good red wines. It’s just that you can get as good or better elsewhere, especially when price is figured into the equation.. Still, if you know where to look, there are very good reds in New Zealand. One region in particular which impressed me was the Gimblett Gravels region near Hawkes Bay on the north island. The terroir in this particular region is really expressive, imparting a pleasant, gravelly character to the wines.
It is difficult to do a vintage chart on New Zealand reds because there are a number of different regions, each with its own, quite distinct, micro climate. However 2008, 2004 and 2002 are generally acknowledged to have been good years in most of the red wine producing regions.
WHITE WINES
There are quite a few good whites in this release.
If it’s sauvignon blanc, you’re after, try the Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2008 ($14.95) from New Zealand. Expect red apple, white grapefruit, gooseberry and peach, with just a hint of sweetness on the finish. A refreshing wine, with lots of well integrated acid, and a good buy at the price. Good with a garden salad, or whitefish
The Pierre-Luc Bouchard Muscadet Sevre et Maine 2007 ($16.95) from the Loire, is also very refreshing with a nice, long finish. It’s a bit lighter than the Spy Valley, with apple, grapefruit, mineral, herbs and a honeyed finish (without being sweet). Vintages would suggest pairing with mussels or clams, and I agree, although it’s good on its own.
It feels very odd to be recommending a gewürztraminer from Italy when there’s one from Alsace (and from a good Alsatian producer at that) available, but that’s what I’m going to do. The Cantina Tramin Gewürztraminer 2007 ($19.95) is one of the most interesting gwertz’s I’ve ever had, and I think it’s quite a treat even though it’s quite different. Expect the characteristic white flowers (both on the nose and on the palate) but there’s some lovely candied apricot and rich citrus as well, with a finish that won’t quit. Traditionally, gwertz’s are paired with Thai or spicy Chinese food, and this one would work nicely with either, but this is a big, rich wine – it will dominate mild flavoured dishes.
So, if you want a more traditional, lighter gwertz, there certainly nothing wrong with the Pierre Sparr Reserve Gewürztraminer 2007 ($18.95), from Alsace. Expect white flowers, orange blossom and mineral, on a medium bodied, refreshing wine that won’t disappoint, but won’t blow you away either.
I’m not forgetting chardonnay. Depending on your pocket book, there are three good choices:
- The Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay 2007 ($17.95) from Chile has a finish as long as its name, and a lot going for it. Expect red apple, pear, vanilla, creamy oak, quince and hazelnut flavours on a rich, full bodied wine that will complement most any dish short of red meat.
- For a couple of dollars more – shades of spaghetti westerns – you can have the Evans & Tate Chardonnay 2006 ($19.95) from Western Australia. This is also a full bodied, oaked chardonnay with well balanced acid, and aromas and flavours of peach, melon and nectarine, and creamy vanilla. Elegant and mouth filling, with a long, satisfying finish.
- I’m not sure I’d pay the extra money, but there are people who swear by California chardonnay, and it’s hard to disagree that wines like the Arrowood Chardonnay 2005 ($34.95) from Sonoma have a little extra. This is a beautifully balanced, rich melange of flavours – lemon curd, apple, peach, apple, vanilla, soft oak, and honey - with the right amount of acid to keep it from being cloying. A very nice wine that would work well with a chicken dish, even chicken in a cream sauce.
SPARKLING WINES
For a celebration wine, or to complement lobster, you could do a lot worse than Niagara’s own Henry of Pelham Cuvee Catherine Brut ($29.95). This isn’t Krug or Salon, but it will compare favourably with higher price sparklings (including a good many champagnes). Expect a creamy, mouth pleasing wine, with lots of brioche, some green apple, pear, grapefruit, and lime. Drink on its own, or with virtually anything that you’d pair with a white wine.
RED WINES
Before getting into this release, I’d like to recommend a general list wine, the Negroamaro Salento MezzoMondo 2007, from Apulia in Italy. At $8.95, this wine is a bargain. It’s an IGT, composed mostly of sangiovese, and full of rich cocoa and dark, juicy plum. This is an amazing wine for the price, and I’ve run through cases of it. It will complement burgers, pasta sauce, pizza, beef…you name it. Buy this wine.
At the beginning of this missive, I mentioned the Gimblett Gravels region of New Zealand. The C.J. Pask Gimblett Road Cabernet/Merlot/Malbec 2006 ($19.95) comes from that region, and is well worth trying. This Bordeaux like blend is a rich, medium bodied ready melange of black plum, cassis, smoked meat and leather, that will work well with a grilled steak or roast beef. It would help to decant for a half hour or so, but it will open in the glass if you don’t have time.
If you’d prefer the real thing to a faux Bordeaux, this release is for you. It features a number of offerings from the extraordinary 2005 vintage, which is just starting to come into its own Any of them would satisfy, but the best of them is the Chateau Grand Mayne 2005 ($79.00) which is drinking well now (with a couple of hours aeration) but will last nicely for a special occasion any time within the next five or more years. Expect a rich, complex wine, with aromas of earth and cedar, and a wonderful palate of cassis, vanilla, earth, plum, blueberry. This is a big, chewy wine that will go well with red meat, especially if it isn’t too lean.
But 2005 wasn’t the only good year in Bordeaux. The Chateau Verdignan 1999 didn’t come from a celebrated vintage, but it has had had 10 years to mature and it’s quite ready now. Best of all, it goes for $29.99. It’s a very nice, traditional Bordeaux, with a nose of earth, leather and black cherry, and all of that plus vanilla, cassis and smoke on the palate. Your next good steak or lamb dish will taste much better with this wine with this wine in your glass.
Moving further down the price spectrum, the Fengrove Shiraz 2007 ($16.95) from Australia, is a good buy. This is dark, full-bodied wine, a bit jammy, with aromas of mint, black cherry and tobacco, on the nose, and rich, dark berry flavours on the palate. Very ready to drink, perhaps with spareribs.
Also in the budget range, the William Cole Columbine Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 ($15.95) from Chile is also good value. It has flavours of black current, chocolate, spice, raspberry, coffee and black pepper, with lots of structure and soft tannins. A good house wine which will drink well on its own, or complement a burger or a steak.
The Gnarly Head Merlot 2005 ($17.95) from California is a rich, slightly metallic and very juicy, blend of blueberry, cassis, mint, licorice, chocolate and leather. This is a opulent wine at a budget price, with soft tannins and a long, juicy, but not jammy, finish. I liked it a lot, and you don’t often find good California reds at this price. It would work well with hard cheeses, beef or ribs.
There have been a lot of good, budget priced wines in this release, but, if there are extra coins in your jeans, you could go for the Domaine Grand Veneur Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2006 ($47.95). This, like most wines from this region, is a rich, ready, chewy offering with a multitude of flavours – cassis, black cherry, cloves, cedar, tobacco and vanilla. It will keep for at least five years, but you can drink it tomorrow.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
Vintages Release - May 2, 2009
This Saturday’s release features two of the most prestigious, and prolific, wine regions in the world – Tuscany and California. If you can’t find something you like in at least one of those two regions, well…maybe you don’t like wine at all.
The major grape in Tuscany is sangiovese, although most other well known varietals - notably cabernet sauvignon, merlot and shiraz – are used extensively. The production of most wines in Tuscany (as with all of Italy) is controlled by a series of DOC(G)’s (Denominazione di Origine Controllata (e Garantita), most of which have rigid standards as to the proportion of grape varietals used in the wine, the production methods to be employed, and the amount of time that the wine may be aged (in oak). It is not uncommon for the DOC’s to forbid artificial watering, even under drought conditions. These standards do operate as a strict method of quality control.
Notwithstanding the strictness of these rules, Tuscan producers succeed in turning out some the best known and best wines in the world. However, many Italian producers chafed at the application of the DOC rules, and, in 1992, created a new designation, the IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica), for which there are very few rules. Tuscan wines in this category are often referred to as “Super Tuscans”, and some of the province’s best known labels fall into this designation. However, there are few guarantees of quality which accompany the IGT designation, since it is a catch-all for virtually all Italian wines that are not made according to DOC rules, and, as such, it includes most table wines as well as some of the world’s most famous labels.
Best years in Tuscany recently: 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2006
California, of course, produces wines from almost all of the major varietals, and boasts a variety of climates and terrains extremely conducive to grape growth and wine production in general. Although California cabernet sauvignons and chardonnay are probably their most famous (and expensive) wines, the state also produces lovely pinot noirs, merlots, and zinfandels, just to mention a few.
It is no coincidence, in light of the climactic conditions, that some of the world’s most recognizable labels come from California.
Best years in California recently: 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2004
As to this release, and although you can find some good, reasonably priced, choices, many of the better offerings fall into higher price categories.
ROSÉS
One wine that won’t set you on your economic uppers is the Vina Aljibes Syrah Rosé 2008 ($13.95) from Spain. I’m not normally a rosé fan because they’re often too sweet, but this one is very dry, although there is a hint of sweetness (balanced by acid) on the long finish. From the deep colour, you might think this to be a fairly heavy wine, but it isn’t. It’s light and refreshing, with a faintly raspberry nose, and strawberry, pear, cherry and raspberry, with just a touch of butterscotch, on the palate. A very nice, hot weather sipper, that will go with almost any kind of salad, white fish, or on its own.
SPARKLING WINES
I have never tried the Déhu Pere et Fils Grande Reserve But Champagne ($59.95), but I bought a bottle for my wife, who’s away and is as discriminating a champagne drinker as there is. I bought it because this is a very unusual champagne in that it is produced with 100% pinot meuniere, a grape which usually appears in small quantities, if at all, in other champagnes. This is because it is generally considered to be bigger and less delicate than the other two champagne grapes, chardonnay and pinot noir. However, I recently opened a bottle of 100% pinot meuniere (the first I’ve ever had) from Australia, and it was delicious, with lots of rich brioche flavour and toast. That experience, together with some very favourable reviews elsewhere, convinced me not only to buy the bottle, but to recommend it here. Aside from the toasty notes, expect green apple, and enough acid to complement seafood (even grilled, in a cream sauce, or in butter).
WHITE WINE
The value white in this release is the Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc 2008 ($18.95) from South Africa. Expect a refreshing but slightly herbaceous wine, with lime, green apple, and herbal notes that is one of the few to go with asparagus, as well as grilled whitefish, or chicken.
California specializes in chardonnay, and does it well. My only complaint is that it’s pricey, but you won’t go wrong with any of:
- the Acacia Chardonnay 2007 ($36.95). This is a classic, cool weather chardonnay with nicely melded flavours of Bosc pear, lime, apple, hazelnut, vanilla and butterscotch. It has a long, slightly tangerine finish and will go well with shellfish.
- the La Crema Chardonnay 2007 ($29.95) is an old favourite. Expect a clean, mouth pleasing taste of honeyed citrus and vanilla, with notes of white flowers and oak, and a touch of mineral on the long, satisfying finish. Good on its own, or with white fish or chicken.
- The Scott Family Estate Dijon Clone Chardonnay 2006 ($24.95). I assume that the inclusion of “Dijon” in the name is to evoke thoughts of Burgundian chardonnays, and this wine does have something in common with its French counterparts. It has some caramel, but it is de-emphasized in favour of apple, ripe red grapefruit, oak, spice and smoke. A complex, refreshing wine.
Of course, if California doesn’t appeal to you, there’s always the real thing from Burgundy. The Domaine Delorme et fils Vieilles Vignes Pouilly-Fuisse 2006 is a mouthful to say, and not easy on the wallet ($32.95), but it’s the real deal. Expect lots of honey, vanilla and oak, with layers of green apple, melon and peach. It would go well with chicken or even pork
RED WINE
It’s a bit hard to choose between a series of good Tuscans, even bearing in mind that none of the big names from the region – eg. Sassicaia, Tiganello, Ornellaia, and Solaia – are present in this release. Nonetheless, I can certainly recommend the following:
- the Casa Emma Chianti Classico 2006 ($19.95) is back. This reliable wine is a very good example of a good chianti classico. It has a kind of cherry cola flavour, with herbal notes and licorice. This is a concentrated wine for a chianti with good mouthfeel and a long, almost effervescent finish. As with most Italian wines, it has enough acid to complement the acid in cooked tomato, as in pasta sauce.
- at $15.95, the Fattoria Poggio Alloro Chianti 2007 is remarkably similar to the Casa Emma (but $4 cheaper). The cola like flavour is even more pronounced, but the wine is dominated by sour cherry which gives way, just before the finish, to a surprisingly (and pleasant) sweet core. This is a food wine, which may be a little too over-powering on the palate by itself, but will smooth out very well with tomato based pasta or strong cheese.
- The Barone Ricasoli Rocca Guicciarda Chianti Classico Riserva 2005 is a step up in price ($24.95) and quality from the previous two wines. It is softer and smoother, with leather, smoke and earth overlaying the sour cherry and licorice. The tannins are quite pronounced which means that the wine could use another year or so in the bottle or, at least, a couple of hours of decanting, before serving. This is also a food wine.
- Some of the best wines from Tuscany are from Brunello di Montalcino, and the Leornardo da Vinci Brunello di Montalcino 2004 fits the quality mold. The price, at $59.95 isn’t even that bad considering what you can pay for a top brunello. This is a smooth, balanced, well structured wine with multiple layers of flavour- smoke and leather, black cherry, cassis, mocha, raspberry and violets. a lovely wine, made to be consumed fairly soon (after decanting for an hour), preferably with a lean cut of beef.
- I have not had the Fattoria Le Pupille Saffredi 2004 ($114.95) but this wine has been so highly touted and rated that I could not ignore it. Unlike the other wines listed here, this is mostly made with cabernet sauvignon, with assists from merlot and alicante. The reviews uniformly suggest that this is a big, voluptuous wine, rich and almost chewy, with masses of cassis, black plum, vanilla, smoke, herbs and cedar. The downside – aside from the price – is that it is no where near ready and needs at least another three, and more likely five, years of aging. Buy it, put it away, forget about it, and you’ll have a wonderful surprise when you find it again in a few years.
California also produces some lovely reds, not least of which is the Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ($89.95). The Caymus is an iconic wine, deservedly so in that it is terrific year after year. This is a huge wine, redolent with dark, rich fruit, and soft but gripping tannins. I could go on. This is a great wine, but I think that you’re paying too much for the name. So, instead, I’d propose either of:
- the Dominus Estate Napanook 2005 ($53.95). I tried this wine, virtually side by side with the Caymus, only a few weeks ago, and I thought that the Dominus was far better value. This is also a big wine with complex flavours of cassis, tobacco, leather, cherry, earth, plum and a little pencil box. It has great mouth feel, a long finish, and it’s relatively ready now (with aeration). Serve with red meat, and plenty of it.
- the Duckhorn Merlot 2006 ($63.95) is also a beautiful wine, and is also ready. Forget everything you thought you got out of Sideways, this merlot is big, soft and juicy, with dark plum, raspberry, black cherry, earth and leather. This is a luxurious wine that will wrap itself around your palate and not let go. Once again, red meat is indicated as a complement.
Of course there are wines from regions other than Tuscany and California, although space and time do not permit me to deal with too many of them today.
However, I really enjoyed the new offering from one of my favourite wineries, the Zenato Cormi Merlot Corvina 2006 ($19.95). I like Veneto’s Zenato winery because I think that it consistently delivers high quality wines at reasonable prices, and this wine is no exception. It is a 50-50 mixture of Merlot and Corvina, and the end result is a big wine, very raisiny as a result of the corvina, but the merlot softens it and imparts flavours of bitter chocolate, black cherry, coffee and raspberry. I served this wine following a very good brunello, costing more than twice as much, and it didn’t suffer by comparison.
The Reilly’s Dry Land Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 is a bit pricey (at $31.95) for an Australian cabernet, but if you want a big wine that doesn’t cost $60, this is it. Expect black plum and cassis, with smoke, coffee and cedar, and a long finish. I won’t go so far as to say that this is a special wine for a special occasion, but it will do until one comes along. Decant for at least an hour, and serve with red meat.
The major grape in Tuscany is sangiovese, although most other well known varietals - notably cabernet sauvignon, merlot and shiraz – are used extensively. The production of most wines in Tuscany (as with all of Italy) is controlled by a series of DOC(G)’s (Denominazione di Origine Controllata (e Garantita), most of which have rigid standards as to the proportion of grape varietals used in the wine, the production methods to be employed, and the amount of time that the wine may be aged (in oak). It is not uncommon for the DOC’s to forbid artificial watering, even under drought conditions. These standards do operate as a strict method of quality control.
Notwithstanding the strictness of these rules, Tuscan producers succeed in turning out some the best known and best wines in the world. However, many Italian producers chafed at the application of the DOC rules, and, in 1992, created a new designation, the IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica), for which there are very few rules. Tuscan wines in this category are often referred to as “Super Tuscans”, and some of the province’s best known labels fall into this designation. However, there are few guarantees of quality which accompany the IGT designation, since it is a catch-all for virtually all Italian wines that are not made according to DOC rules, and, as such, it includes most table wines as well as some of the world’s most famous labels.
Best years in Tuscany recently: 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2006
California, of course, produces wines from almost all of the major varietals, and boasts a variety of climates and terrains extremely conducive to grape growth and wine production in general. Although California cabernet sauvignons and chardonnay are probably their most famous (and expensive) wines, the state also produces lovely pinot noirs, merlots, and zinfandels, just to mention a few.
It is no coincidence, in light of the climactic conditions, that some of the world’s most recognizable labels come from California.
Best years in California recently: 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2004
As to this release, and although you can find some good, reasonably priced, choices, many of the better offerings fall into higher price categories.
ROSÉS
One wine that won’t set you on your economic uppers is the Vina Aljibes Syrah Rosé 2008 ($13.95) from Spain. I’m not normally a rosé fan because they’re often too sweet, but this one is very dry, although there is a hint of sweetness (balanced by acid) on the long finish. From the deep colour, you might think this to be a fairly heavy wine, but it isn’t. It’s light and refreshing, with a faintly raspberry nose, and strawberry, pear, cherry and raspberry, with just a touch of butterscotch, on the palate. A very nice, hot weather sipper, that will go with almost any kind of salad, white fish, or on its own.
SPARKLING WINES
I have never tried the Déhu Pere et Fils Grande Reserve But Champagne ($59.95), but I bought a bottle for my wife, who’s away and is as discriminating a champagne drinker as there is. I bought it because this is a very unusual champagne in that it is produced with 100% pinot meuniere, a grape which usually appears in small quantities, if at all, in other champagnes. This is because it is generally considered to be bigger and less delicate than the other two champagne grapes, chardonnay and pinot noir. However, I recently opened a bottle of 100% pinot meuniere (the first I’ve ever had) from Australia, and it was delicious, with lots of rich brioche flavour and toast. That experience, together with some very favourable reviews elsewhere, convinced me not only to buy the bottle, but to recommend it here. Aside from the toasty notes, expect green apple, and enough acid to complement seafood (even grilled, in a cream sauce, or in butter).
WHITE WINE
The value white in this release is the Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc 2008 ($18.95) from South Africa. Expect a refreshing but slightly herbaceous wine, with lime, green apple, and herbal notes that is one of the few to go with asparagus, as well as grilled whitefish, or chicken.
California specializes in chardonnay, and does it well. My only complaint is that it’s pricey, but you won’t go wrong with any of:
- the Acacia Chardonnay 2007 ($36.95). This is a classic, cool weather chardonnay with nicely melded flavours of Bosc pear, lime, apple, hazelnut, vanilla and butterscotch. It has a long, slightly tangerine finish and will go well with shellfish.
- the La Crema Chardonnay 2007 ($29.95) is an old favourite. Expect a clean, mouth pleasing taste of honeyed citrus and vanilla, with notes of white flowers and oak, and a touch of mineral on the long, satisfying finish. Good on its own, or with white fish or chicken.
- The Scott Family Estate Dijon Clone Chardonnay 2006 ($24.95). I assume that the inclusion of “Dijon” in the name is to evoke thoughts of Burgundian chardonnays, and this wine does have something in common with its French counterparts. It has some caramel, but it is de-emphasized in favour of apple, ripe red grapefruit, oak, spice and smoke. A complex, refreshing wine.
Of course, if California doesn’t appeal to you, there’s always the real thing from Burgundy. The Domaine Delorme et fils Vieilles Vignes Pouilly-Fuisse 2006 is a mouthful to say, and not easy on the wallet ($32.95), but it’s the real deal. Expect lots of honey, vanilla and oak, with layers of green apple, melon and peach. It would go well with chicken or even pork
RED WINE
It’s a bit hard to choose between a series of good Tuscans, even bearing in mind that none of the big names from the region – eg. Sassicaia, Tiganello, Ornellaia, and Solaia – are present in this release. Nonetheless, I can certainly recommend the following:
- the Casa Emma Chianti Classico 2006 ($19.95) is back. This reliable wine is a very good example of a good chianti classico. It has a kind of cherry cola flavour, with herbal notes and licorice. This is a concentrated wine for a chianti with good mouthfeel and a long, almost effervescent finish. As with most Italian wines, it has enough acid to complement the acid in cooked tomato, as in pasta sauce.
- at $15.95, the Fattoria Poggio Alloro Chianti 2007 is remarkably similar to the Casa Emma (but $4 cheaper). The cola like flavour is even more pronounced, but the wine is dominated by sour cherry which gives way, just before the finish, to a surprisingly (and pleasant) sweet core. This is a food wine, which may be a little too over-powering on the palate by itself, but will smooth out very well with tomato based pasta or strong cheese.
- The Barone Ricasoli Rocca Guicciarda Chianti Classico Riserva 2005 is a step up in price ($24.95) and quality from the previous two wines. It is softer and smoother, with leather, smoke and earth overlaying the sour cherry and licorice. The tannins are quite pronounced which means that the wine could use another year or so in the bottle or, at least, a couple of hours of decanting, before serving. This is also a food wine.
- Some of the best wines from Tuscany are from Brunello di Montalcino, and the Leornardo da Vinci Brunello di Montalcino 2004 fits the quality mold. The price, at $59.95 isn’t even that bad considering what you can pay for a top brunello. This is a smooth, balanced, well structured wine with multiple layers of flavour- smoke and leather, black cherry, cassis, mocha, raspberry and violets. a lovely wine, made to be consumed fairly soon (after decanting for an hour), preferably with a lean cut of beef.
- I have not had the Fattoria Le Pupille Saffredi 2004 ($114.95) but this wine has been so highly touted and rated that I could not ignore it. Unlike the other wines listed here, this is mostly made with cabernet sauvignon, with assists from merlot and alicante. The reviews uniformly suggest that this is a big, voluptuous wine, rich and almost chewy, with masses of cassis, black plum, vanilla, smoke, herbs and cedar. The downside – aside from the price – is that it is no where near ready and needs at least another three, and more likely five, years of aging. Buy it, put it away, forget about it, and you’ll have a wonderful surprise when you find it again in a few years.
California also produces some lovely reds, not least of which is the Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ($89.95). The Caymus is an iconic wine, deservedly so in that it is terrific year after year. This is a huge wine, redolent with dark, rich fruit, and soft but gripping tannins. I could go on. This is a great wine, but I think that you’re paying too much for the name. So, instead, I’d propose either of:
- the Dominus Estate Napanook 2005 ($53.95). I tried this wine, virtually side by side with the Caymus, only a few weeks ago, and I thought that the Dominus was far better value. This is also a big wine with complex flavours of cassis, tobacco, leather, cherry, earth, plum and a little pencil box. It has great mouth feel, a long finish, and it’s relatively ready now (with aeration). Serve with red meat, and plenty of it.
- the Duckhorn Merlot 2006 ($63.95) is also a beautiful wine, and is also ready. Forget everything you thought you got out of Sideways, this merlot is big, soft and juicy, with dark plum, raspberry, black cherry, earth and leather. This is a luxurious wine that will wrap itself around your palate and not let go. Once again, red meat is indicated as a complement.
Of course there are wines from regions other than Tuscany and California, although space and time do not permit me to deal with too many of them today.
However, I really enjoyed the new offering from one of my favourite wineries, the Zenato Cormi Merlot Corvina 2006 ($19.95). I like Veneto’s Zenato winery because I think that it consistently delivers high quality wines at reasonable prices, and this wine is no exception. It is a 50-50 mixture of Merlot and Corvina, and the end result is a big wine, very raisiny as a result of the corvina, but the merlot softens it and imparts flavours of bitter chocolate, black cherry, coffee and raspberry. I served this wine following a very good brunello, costing more than twice as much, and it didn’t suffer by comparison.
The Reilly’s Dry Land Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 is a bit pricey (at $31.95) for an Australian cabernet, but if you want a big wine that doesn’t cost $60, this is it. Expect black plum and cassis, with smoke, coffee and cedar, and a long finish. I won’t go so far as to say that this is a special wine for a special occasion, but it will do until one comes along. Decant for at least an hour, and serve with red meat.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Vintages Release - April 11, 2009
Happy Easter!
The Vintages release this Saturday has a feature on organic wines, as well as food and wine pairing for traditional Easter foods.
Organic Wines
For some reason, there used to be a widely held, if misconceived, view that organic wines were in some way inferior to wines made from grapes which had been treated with pesticides, fertilizers and God knows what else. If that was ever true, it is certainly not true today as some of the world’s best known and most successful wineries describe themselves as “organic.” At least one that I know of was experimenting with a return to the use of horse-drawn equipment in vineyards, as being preferable to mechanical vehicles that might produce unwanted vibration.
It is, however, less clear that organic wine is necessarily better than “non-organic.” For one thing, there is no generally accepted definition of the term “organic,” and many of the different organizations which certify wineries as organic have different, although often exacting, standards. Although there is general agreement that the reduction or elimination of chemical pesticides and fertilizers is a good thing, there can be sharp disagreement as to what constitutes a chemical, as opposed to a natural, substance. And, although almost all winemakers agree that the fewer chemicals the better, not all would agree that the elimination of chemical pesticides is preferable to losing a large proportion of the crop or, worse still, the vines, to insects or disease.
Finally, there is the question of sulphur as an additive. Some definitions of the term organic would not permit the use of sulphur, but, in powdered form or as sulphur dioxide, it is added to almost every wine at the end of the fermentation process in order to kill extraneous yeasts and bacteria. Because organic wines are more likely to contain bacteria, they are often subjected to higher concentrations of sulphur dioxide than are non-organic wines.
I must confess that I have never really paid much attention to whether a winery is organic in my choice of wines. While, as a matter of principle, the reduction or elimination of chemicals from my food sounds like a good idea, most winemakers that I have met, whether designated organic or not, are truly concerned to put as good a product as possible in the bottle. Their reputations depend upon it, and they know that the overuse of additives of any kind places those reputations in jeopardy.
Matching Food and Wine for Easter
Switching topics to Easter food pairings, I have some minimal suggestions. 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.
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.
WHITE WINES
The best white wine buy in this release, in my mind is the Gracia de Chile Reserva Chardonnay 2007 ($14.95) from Chile. Served chilled but not cold, this wine has good complexity with notes of pineapple, pear, fig, almond, grapefruit and gooseberry. It is quite dry and refreshing, with enough acid to go nicely with turkey, or even ham.
For a more traditional chardonnay, try the Leaping Lizard Chardonnay 2007 ($17.95) from California. This is a somewhat more buttery wine, with some caramel and vanilla to balance the Granny Smith apple and lime flavours. Drink on its own, or with turkey, but ham isn’t out of the question.
The Hugel Gentil 2006 ($15.95) is a blend of Alsatian grapes, and the winery has left us to guess which ones. I’m inclined to think that I taste pinot gris and Riesling, but there may be others (sylvaner and gewurtz) as well. The end result, however, is a rich, pleasant, slightly off-dry, wine with honey, stone fruit (especially peach), tropical fruit (pineapple and lichee), a touch of mineral, and a long, satisfying finish. A good match for turkey or ham.
For some reason, the Frogpond Farm Organic Riesling 2006 ($11.95) comes in a 500 ml. bottle instead of the standard 750 ml, but that certainly shouldn’t deter you. This is an interesting Riesling which starts off with tart lime, mineral and green apple; evolves into a richer tropical fruit blend, with some oak, in the middle; and then to almost a steely quality on the finish. I’d match with whitefish or shellfish in a rich broth or even a cream sauce, but ham would be good too.
RED WINES
The first thing you should know about this release is that there is no reason to rush off to the liquor store. If your wine cellar is running short, there are a few worthwhile offerings, but there’s nothing that you need to lose sleep over missing.
The Chateau Saint-Roch Chimeres 2006 ($19.95), from France’s Midi, is a very new world style wine. It’s relative light, soft and pleasant, with bright red fruit, white pepper, plum, and leather. It would go well with turkey, or even ham, but it won’t rock your world.
The La Vigna Vecchia Barbera d’Asti 2005 ($15.95) from Piedmont is also fairly soft, but medium bodied, with soft tannins, cocoa and cooked plum. It took a while to open, but was worth the wait. For the price, this is a good wine. Match with beef, lamb or dark chocolate. One drawback – the plastic cork.
The Castellani Vignetti di Campomaggio Rosso 2003 ($22.95) from Tuscany is also a very pleasant wine, medium bodied with soft tannins, cassis, and cooked meat. There’s a juicy, mouth filling, long finish, that will go well with beef or lamb.
The Clos Saint Jean Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2006 ($49.95) is well priced for a wine from this well-known region. It’s a big, chewy wine with flavours of black cherry, smoked meat, green pepper, tobacco and leather, with a long, glycerol finish. Can be drunk now, but will keep for at least five years.
The Evans & Tate Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 ($19.95) from Western Australia is a reliable cabernet with good complexity, and flavours of cassis, vanilla, leather, followed by a long, mouth filling finish. This is one of those Australian reds that I buy often, and, while they’re perfectly drinkable now, are even better if I forget about them for six months to a year. Will go well with beef.
I think that the Kaiken Malbec 2007 ($14.95) from Argentina could be the sleeper of this release. Unusually for a Malbec (which are normally approachable upon release), it’s far too young to be opened yet, but this is a big, brooding wine, with masses of tannin, dark cocoa, fig, cassis and blueberry. It has not come together yet, but when it does, in a year or so, this could be a real blockbuster.
DESSERT WINES
At $19.95 for a 375 ml. bottle, the Konzelmann Special Select Late Harvest Vidal 2006, from Niagara, would be a very good wrap up for Easter dinner. Expect a well balanced wine, with enough acid to keep the sweetness in check, and with flavours of honey, baked apple, pear, lime, apricot, pineapple and kiwi. There’s a long, mouth filling finish. Yes, it will go with chocolate. Or cheese.
Also at $19.95, the Pellegrino Pantelleria Passito Liquoroso 2007 from Sicily can be used as a dessert wine, but would also go with an appetizer, something like foie gras or even steamed mussels. Expect a bouquet of white flowers on the nose (sorry, but pun intended) together with flavours of ripe stone fruit – peach and apricot – with just a hint of minerality to balance the sweetness.
CHAMPAGNE
I didn’t mention champagne at the beginning of this column, but there are those (especially), including my spouse, who will credibly insist that there is virtually no dish that cannot be improved by a champagne complement. If that’s your feeling, the Jacquart Extra Brut Champagne ($49.95) will work for you. This is an extra dry champagne, with green apple, lemon/lime, pear, and brioche notes, that will indeed go with almost anything (or by itself). Try it with seafood (of virtually any description), turkey or ham.
ROSÉS
Regular readers of my little missives will know that rosés are not generally my favourite wines, and that I dislike plastic corks (I’d far rather have a screwcap). The Clos du Bois Rosé 2008 ($14.95), from California, is (obviously) a rosé, and has a plastic closer. Nonetheless, it is a pleasant, very light, wine, with enough acid to balance the ripe strawberry and cherry flavours. This is not a complex wine but it would do well by itself on a hot day, or with turkey. Vintages recommends it with salmon, and that might work also, but I think it’s a little on the light side for such a strong tasting fish.
The Vintages release this Saturday has a feature on organic wines, as well as food and wine pairing for traditional Easter foods.
Organic Wines
For some reason, there used to be a widely held, if misconceived, view that organic wines were in some way inferior to wines made from grapes which had been treated with pesticides, fertilizers and God knows what else. If that was ever true, it is certainly not true today as some of the world’s best known and most successful wineries describe themselves as “organic.” At least one that I know of was experimenting with a return to the use of horse-drawn equipment in vineyards, as being preferable to mechanical vehicles that might produce unwanted vibration.
It is, however, less clear that organic wine is necessarily better than “non-organic.” For one thing, there is no generally accepted definition of the term “organic,” and many of the different organizations which certify wineries as organic have different, although often exacting, standards. Although there is general agreement that the reduction or elimination of chemical pesticides and fertilizers is a good thing, there can be sharp disagreement as to what constitutes a chemical, as opposed to a natural, substance. And, although almost all winemakers agree that the fewer chemicals the better, not all would agree that the elimination of chemical pesticides is preferable to losing a large proportion of the crop or, worse still, the vines, to insects or disease.
Finally, there is the question of sulphur as an additive. Some definitions of the term organic would not permit the use of sulphur, but, in powdered form or as sulphur dioxide, it is added to almost every wine at the end of the fermentation process in order to kill extraneous yeasts and bacteria. Because organic wines are more likely to contain bacteria, they are often subjected to higher concentrations of sulphur dioxide than are non-organic wines.
I must confess that I have never really paid much attention to whether a winery is organic in my choice of wines. While, as a matter of principle, the reduction or elimination of chemicals from my food sounds like a good idea, most winemakers that I have met, whether designated organic or not, are truly concerned to put as good a product as possible in the bottle. Their reputations depend upon it, and they know that the overuse of additives of any kind places those reputations in jeopardy.
Matching Food and Wine for Easter
Switching topics to Easter food pairings, I have some minimal suggestions. 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.
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.
WHITE WINES
The best white wine buy in this release, in my mind is the Gracia de Chile Reserva Chardonnay 2007 ($14.95) from Chile. Served chilled but not cold, this wine has good complexity with notes of pineapple, pear, fig, almond, grapefruit and gooseberry. It is quite dry and refreshing, with enough acid to go nicely with turkey, or even ham.
For a more traditional chardonnay, try the Leaping Lizard Chardonnay 2007 ($17.95) from California. This is a somewhat more buttery wine, with some caramel and vanilla to balance the Granny Smith apple and lime flavours. Drink on its own, or with turkey, but ham isn’t out of the question.
The Hugel Gentil 2006 ($15.95) is a blend of Alsatian grapes, and the winery has left us to guess which ones. I’m inclined to think that I taste pinot gris and Riesling, but there may be others (sylvaner and gewurtz) as well. The end result, however, is a rich, pleasant, slightly off-dry, wine with honey, stone fruit (especially peach), tropical fruit (pineapple and lichee), a touch of mineral, and a long, satisfying finish. A good match for turkey or ham.
For some reason, the Frogpond Farm Organic Riesling 2006 ($11.95) comes in a 500 ml. bottle instead of the standard 750 ml, but that certainly shouldn’t deter you. This is an interesting Riesling which starts off with tart lime, mineral and green apple; evolves into a richer tropical fruit blend, with some oak, in the middle; and then to almost a steely quality on the finish. I’d match with whitefish or shellfish in a rich broth or even a cream sauce, but ham would be good too.
RED WINES
The first thing you should know about this release is that there is no reason to rush off to the liquor store. If your wine cellar is running short, there are a few worthwhile offerings, but there’s nothing that you need to lose sleep over missing.
The Chateau Saint-Roch Chimeres 2006 ($19.95), from France’s Midi, is a very new world style wine. It’s relative light, soft and pleasant, with bright red fruit, white pepper, plum, and leather. It would go well with turkey, or even ham, but it won’t rock your world.
The La Vigna Vecchia Barbera d’Asti 2005 ($15.95) from Piedmont is also fairly soft, but medium bodied, with soft tannins, cocoa and cooked plum. It took a while to open, but was worth the wait. For the price, this is a good wine. Match with beef, lamb or dark chocolate. One drawback – the plastic cork.
The Castellani Vignetti di Campomaggio Rosso 2003 ($22.95) from Tuscany is also a very pleasant wine, medium bodied with soft tannins, cassis, and cooked meat. There’s a juicy, mouth filling, long finish, that will go well with beef or lamb.
The Clos Saint Jean Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2006 ($49.95) is well priced for a wine from this well-known region. It’s a big, chewy wine with flavours of black cherry, smoked meat, green pepper, tobacco and leather, with a long, glycerol finish. Can be drunk now, but will keep for at least five years.
The Evans & Tate Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 ($19.95) from Western Australia is a reliable cabernet with good complexity, and flavours of cassis, vanilla, leather, followed by a long, mouth filling finish. This is one of those Australian reds that I buy often, and, while they’re perfectly drinkable now, are even better if I forget about them for six months to a year. Will go well with beef.
I think that the Kaiken Malbec 2007 ($14.95) from Argentina could be the sleeper of this release. Unusually for a Malbec (which are normally approachable upon release), it’s far too young to be opened yet, but this is a big, brooding wine, with masses of tannin, dark cocoa, fig, cassis and blueberry. It has not come together yet, but when it does, in a year or so, this could be a real blockbuster.
DESSERT WINES
At $19.95 for a 375 ml. bottle, the Konzelmann Special Select Late Harvest Vidal 2006, from Niagara, would be a very good wrap up for Easter dinner. Expect a well balanced wine, with enough acid to keep the sweetness in check, and with flavours of honey, baked apple, pear, lime, apricot, pineapple and kiwi. There’s a long, mouth filling finish. Yes, it will go with chocolate. Or cheese.
Also at $19.95, the Pellegrino Pantelleria Passito Liquoroso 2007 from Sicily can be used as a dessert wine, but would also go with an appetizer, something like foie gras or even steamed mussels. Expect a bouquet of white flowers on the nose (sorry, but pun intended) together with flavours of ripe stone fruit – peach and apricot – with just a hint of minerality to balance the sweetness.
CHAMPAGNE
I didn’t mention champagne at the beginning of this column, but there are those (especially), including my spouse, who will credibly insist that there is virtually no dish that cannot be improved by a champagne complement. If that’s your feeling, the Jacquart Extra Brut Champagne ($49.95) will work for you. This is an extra dry champagne, with green apple, lemon/lime, pear, and brioche notes, that will indeed go with almost anything (or by itself). Try it with seafood (of virtually any description), turkey or ham.
ROSÉS
Regular readers of my little missives will know that rosés are not generally my favourite wines, and that I dislike plastic corks (I’d far rather have a screwcap). The Clos du Bois Rosé 2008 ($14.95), from California, is (obviously) a rosé, and has a plastic closer. Nonetheless, it is a pleasant, very light, wine, with enough acid to balance the ripe strawberry and cherry flavours. This is not a complex wine but it would do well by itself on a hot day, or with turkey. Vintages recommends it with salmon, and that might work also, but I think it’s a little on the light side for such a strong tasting fish.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Vintages Release - March 28, 2009
Tomorrow’s Vintages release will feature “Tempting Tempranillo” as well as a few of the wines of Burgundy.
Tempranillo is an early ripening varietal which comes almost exclusively from Spain and Portugal. Despite its countries of origin, it does not do well in hot, dry climates, but, because of its thick skin, it needs plenty of sunshine. Accordingly, it does best at high altitudes, as in the Ribera del Duero.
Somewhat like merlot, tempranillo is often high in tannin, but soft on the palate. It is often used as a blending grape, often with grenache, carignan or cabernet sauvignon. It is also one of the main varietals for use in port. It usually lacks the distinct, edgy flavours of cabernet sauvignon in favour of juicy berry, earthy and leathery notes, but is usually ready to drink shortly after bottling, although good examples can last for 10 or more years.
As for the other feature, red burgundies, of course, are generally made exclusively from pinot noir, although the gamay grape is used in southern Burgundy. Pinot noir is a very finicky varietal, requiring just the right amounts of water and sunshine, at just the right time. It is thin skinned, and can be a very difficult grape to grow, but can repay the effort and risk with superb wines. White burgundies are usually made with chardonnay, although, unlike most of the world, burgundian chardonnays are usually unoaked. As a result, burgundian whites are often crisper, with more honey or mineral notes, and less buttery, and with less vanilla, than chardonnays from the new world.
WHITE WINES
It’s unusual to find a white Burgundy (unless it’s a Chablis) for less than $50, so, at $24.95, the Chartron & Trebuchet Saint-Romain Blanc 2006 is an anomaly, but a very pleasant one. Unlike most white burgundies, it is lightly oaked, so that it delivers a complex nose of vanilla, lemon, apple and honey, with all that, plus pear, pineapple and mineral on the palate. This is a very good, crisp white wine that will go well on its own, or with shellfish, or, better yet, lobster and butter sauce. Don’t serve too cold, or you’ll miss some of the complexities.
Traditional chardonnay lovers won’t be disappointed by the Millton Riverpoint Vineyard Chardonnay 2007 ($19.95) from New Zealand. This is a richer, somewhat more oaked wine than the Saint-Romain, with vanilla, honeyed pear, apricot and baked apple flavours predominating. It’s nicely balanced, with very nice mouth feel and a long finish, although it lacks the oak, vanilla and butterscotch of other, richer offerings. It will go well with most lighter foods, possibly a green or chicken salad, or white fish.
My only complaint about the Kim Crawford SP Spit Fire Sauvignon Blanc 2006 ($24.95) from New Zealand is the price. This is a very nice, very crisp wine, with notes of pineapple, peach, and gooseberry, with hints of mineral, herb and honey. It has lots of acid, great mouth feel and a long, long finish. What’s wrong? Absolutely nothing, but the standard Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc, which sells for $19.95, is almost as good.
If you’re looking for a value white, look no further than the Cathedral Cellar Sauvignon Blanc 2008 from South Africa. At $11.95 you would be very hard pressed to find anything comparable. This is a very refreshing, slightly herbaceous wine, with grapefruit, gooseberry, peach, pineapple, apple and lots of acid that will taste even better in hot weather, and complement either salad or seafood. Very good value.
RED WINES
There are several good tempranillos in this release but in my mind the prices are generally higher than they should be. My favourite in terms of the price/quality continuum was the Ontanon Reserva 2001 ($24.95) from Rioja. It is almost entirely made of tempranillo, although there is a dash of graciano – a lesser known Spanish varietal. Expect a rich, well balanced wine dominated by ripe strawberry and black plum, with elements of leather, and a long finish which develops a very pleasant minerality, and good mouthfeel, at the very end. It is drinking well on its own but would go very nicely with a not overly lean cut of beef.
If you are looking for a more upscale tempranillo, try the Finca Allende Allende 2005 ($34.95) or the Pintia 2005 ($64.95). The Finca is a big wine, dominated by earthy blackberry flavours, with herbal notes and lots of minerality. It can be consumed now, but will last for at least three years. The Pintia, on the other hand, should be kept for at least three years. When you do open it, expect a huge, complex wine, with masses of lush black cherry and black current, with tobacco, spice, vanilla, pencil shavings and grilled bread. It should be paired with assertive foods – lamb, strong cheeses, or strongly spiced meats.
My favourite wine from this release, however, (keeping in mind price as well as taste) was an Australian cabernet sauvignon – the Saltram of Barossa Mamre Brook Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 ($21.95). This is a big, concentrated wine, dominated by extract of blackberry and plum, with big tannins and a long finish. It is drinking well now, but needs at least an hour of decanting before drinking, and would be better with food – hard cheese or grilled red meat for preference. There is not a lot of it around, so if you want it, go early.
Sticking with Australia for the moment, the Piping Shrike Shiraz 2006 ($18.95) is also well worth a look. Many shirazs lately, especially at the lower end of the price scale, are so fruit forward as to be jammy. Not so with this one, which has plenty of structure. It is a big wine, with plum and blackberry, with a long finish. A classic shiraz.
The Sportoletti Assisi Rosso 2006 ($21.95) from Umbria, Italy, is a very pleasant wine, dominated by fruit forward, strawberry, raspberry and cherry flavours, with a soft, earthy character, and notes of anise. Will go well with burgers or steak.
Two more value choices:
- the Wolftrap 2007 ($13.95) from South Africa is a good wine for the price. There’s masses of black cherry overlaid by leather, with some plum and herb de Provence. A very good pizza/burger wine at a very good price.
- the Cellier des Dauphins Reserve Saint-Maurice 2007 ($14.95) from the Rhone is pretty fruit forward, with lots of raspberry pre-dominating. This is a very light red that would go extraordinarily well with salad with raspberry vinaigrette dressing, or poultry.
If the stock market, or some other source of revenue, has been kind to you lately, there are three choices that you might want to consider:
- the Cuvee du Vatican Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2006 ($37.95) is a very reliable wine from one of the best known wineries in this well known region. Expect a chewy, complex wine with cassis, fig, dark chocolate, cherry, raspberry and leather that is drinking well now (with at least an hour’s decanting) but will improve for at least a year or two. Serve with red meat or hard cheese.
- the Marcarini Barolo Le Serra 2004 ($64.95) from Piedmont shows great promise but will improve for at least five years. Expect a medium bodied wine with extract of cherry, spice and violets, and refined tannins that provide great mouth feel and a long finish. Serve with lean red meat.
- for what it’s worth, I bought the Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto 2006 ($64.95) from Tuscany. This wine is incredibly well balanced, with complex flavours of concentrated, earthy black fruit, smoke, leather, licorice blueberry and tar, and a finish that won’t quit. I’m looking forward to opening it in about 5 years, and serving it with something opulent like a good paté and an equally good cheese.
DESSERT WINES
There are two good choices for dessert wines, neither of them overly expensive. The Fragas Moscatel from Portugal is only $14.95. It’s fairly sweet, with rich orange, peach and caramel flavours, and some raisiny notes on the finish. Serve chilled with chocolate and/or dried fruit.
The A. Puklus Pinceszet Tokaji Aszu 3 Puttonyos 2003 ($23.95 for a 500 ml. bottle) is a more sophisticated, drier wine, with flavours of peach, pear apricot, apples and roasted nuts. It’s quite concentrated, with lots of acid to balance the sweet fruit, and a long finish. It would work well with cheesecake or a mousse.
Tempranillo is an early ripening varietal which comes almost exclusively from Spain and Portugal. Despite its countries of origin, it does not do well in hot, dry climates, but, because of its thick skin, it needs plenty of sunshine. Accordingly, it does best at high altitudes, as in the Ribera del Duero.
Somewhat like merlot, tempranillo is often high in tannin, but soft on the palate. It is often used as a blending grape, often with grenache, carignan or cabernet sauvignon. It is also one of the main varietals for use in port. It usually lacks the distinct, edgy flavours of cabernet sauvignon in favour of juicy berry, earthy and leathery notes, but is usually ready to drink shortly after bottling, although good examples can last for 10 or more years.
As for the other feature, red burgundies, of course, are generally made exclusively from pinot noir, although the gamay grape is used in southern Burgundy. Pinot noir is a very finicky varietal, requiring just the right amounts of water and sunshine, at just the right time. It is thin skinned, and can be a very difficult grape to grow, but can repay the effort and risk with superb wines. White burgundies are usually made with chardonnay, although, unlike most of the world, burgundian chardonnays are usually unoaked. As a result, burgundian whites are often crisper, with more honey or mineral notes, and less buttery, and with less vanilla, than chardonnays from the new world.
WHITE WINES
It’s unusual to find a white Burgundy (unless it’s a Chablis) for less than $50, so, at $24.95, the Chartron & Trebuchet Saint-Romain Blanc 2006 is an anomaly, but a very pleasant one. Unlike most white burgundies, it is lightly oaked, so that it delivers a complex nose of vanilla, lemon, apple and honey, with all that, plus pear, pineapple and mineral on the palate. This is a very good, crisp white wine that will go well on its own, or with shellfish, or, better yet, lobster and butter sauce. Don’t serve too cold, or you’ll miss some of the complexities.
Traditional chardonnay lovers won’t be disappointed by the Millton Riverpoint Vineyard Chardonnay 2007 ($19.95) from New Zealand. This is a richer, somewhat more oaked wine than the Saint-Romain, with vanilla, honeyed pear, apricot and baked apple flavours predominating. It’s nicely balanced, with very nice mouth feel and a long finish, although it lacks the oak, vanilla and butterscotch of other, richer offerings. It will go well with most lighter foods, possibly a green or chicken salad, or white fish.
My only complaint about the Kim Crawford SP Spit Fire Sauvignon Blanc 2006 ($24.95) from New Zealand is the price. This is a very nice, very crisp wine, with notes of pineapple, peach, and gooseberry, with hints of mineral, herb and honey. It has lots of acid, great mouth feel and a long, long finish. What’s wrong? Absolutely nothing, but the standard Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc, which sells for $19.95, is almost as good.
If you’re looking for a value white, look no further than the Cathedral Cellar Sauvignon Blanc 2008 from South Africa. At $11.95 you would be very hard pressed to find anything comparable. This is a very refreshing, slightly herbaceous wine, with grapefruit, gooseberry, peach, pineapple, apple and lots of acid that will taste even better in hot weather, and complement either salad or seafood. Very good value.
RED WINES
There are several good tempranillos in this release but in my mind the prices are generally higher than they should be. My favourite in terms of the price/quality continuum was the Ontanon Reserva 2001 ($24.95) from Rioja. It is almost entirely made of tempranillo, although there is a dash of graciano – a lesser known Spanish varietal. Expect a rich, well balanced wine dominated by ripe strawberry and black plum, with elements of leather, and a long finish which develops a very pleasant minerality, and good mouthfeel, at the very end. It is drinking well on its own but would go very nicely with a not overly lean cut of beef.
If you are looking for a more upscale tempranillo, try the Finca Allende Allende 2005 ($34.95) or the Pintia 2005 ($64.95). The Finca is a big wine, dominated by earthy blackberry flavours, with herbal notes and lots of minerality. It can be consumed now, but will last for at least three years. The Pintia, on the other hand, should be kept for at least three years. When you do open it, expect a huge, complex wine, with masses of lush black cherry and black current, with tobacco, spice, vanilla, pencil shavings and grilled bread. It should be paired with assertive foods – lamb, strong cheeses, or strongly spiced meats.
My favourite wine from this release, however, (keeping in mind price as well as taste) was an Australian cabernet sauvignon – the Saltram of Barossa Mamre Brook Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 ($21.95). This is a big, concentrated wine, dominated by extract of blackberry and plum, with big tannins and a long finish. It is drinking well now, but needs at least an hour of decanting before drinking, and would be better with food – hard cheese or grilled red meat for preference. There is not a lot of it around, so if you want it, go early.
Sticking with Australia for the moment, the Piping Shrike Shiraz 2006 ($18.95) is also well worth a look. Many shirazs lately, especially at the lower end of the price scale, are so fruit forward as to be jammy. Not so with this one, which has plenty of structure. It is a big wine, with plum and blackberry, with a long finish. A classic shiraz.
The Sportoletti Assisi Rosso 2006 ($21.95) from Umbria, Italy, is a very pleasant wine, dominated by fruit forward, strawberry, raspberry and cherry flavours, with a soft, earthy character, and notes of anise. Will go well with burgers or steak.
Two more value choices:
- the Wolftrap 2007 ($13.95) from South Africa is a good wine for the price. There’s masses of black cherry overlaid by leather, with some plum and herb de Provence. A very good pizza/burger wine at a very good price.
- the Cellier des Dauphins Reserve Saint-Maurice 2007 ($14.95) from the Rhone is pretty fruit forward, with lots of raspberry pre-dominating. This is a very light red that would go extraordinarily well with salad with raspberry vinaigrette dressing, or poultry.
If the stock market, or some other source of revenue, has been kind to you lately, there are three choices that you might want to consider:
- the Cuvee du Vatican Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2006 ($37.95) is a very reliable wine from one of the best known wineries in this well known region. Expect a chewy, complex wine with cassis, fig, dark chocolate, cherry, raspberry and leather that is drinking well now (with at least an hour’s decanting) but will improve for at least a year or two. Serve with red meat or hard cheese.
- the Marcarini Barolo Le Serra 2004 ($64.95) from Piedmont shows great promise but will improve for at least five years. Expect a medium bodied wine with extract of cherry, spice and violets, and refined tannins that provide great mouth feel and a long finish. Serve with lean red meat.
- for what it’s worth, I bought the Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto 2006 ($64.95) from Tuscany. This wine is incredibly well balanced, with complex flavours of concentrated, earthy black fruit, smoke, leather, licorice blueberry and tar, and a finish that won’t quit. I’m looking forward to opening it in about 5 years, and serving it with something opulent like a good paté and an equally good cheese.
DESSERT WINES
There are two good choices for dessert wines, neither of them overly expensive. The Fragas Moscatel from Portugal is only $14.95. It’s fairly sweet, with rich orange, peach and caramel flavours, and some raisiny notes on the finish. Serve chilled with chocolate and/or dried fruit.
The A. Puklus Pinceszet Tokaji Aszu 3 Puttonyos 2003 ($23.95 for a 500 ml. bottle) is a more sophisticated, drier wine, with flavours of peach, pear apricot, apples and roasted nuts. It’s quite concentrated, with lots of acid to balance the sweet fruit, and a long finish. It would work well with cheesecake or a mousse.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Vintages Release - March 14, 2009
Tomorrow’s release features white wines from Ontario, and I’m kind of hoping that the choice means that the LCBO knows something that the rest of us don’t about our upcoming weather. I must confess that I’m more than a little tired of winter, and looking forward to warmer (white wine) weather.
As many of you will have noticed, Ontario doesn’t have the longest growing season in the world, which often means that it is difficult to grow many varieties of red wine grapes consistently and well. However, our growing season does lend itself well to growing whites, particularly Rieslings, which thrive in cooler weather.
As a general overview to this release, and although there are some pleasant wines, and some decent values, there is no reason for anyone to rush to the liquor store. To that end, I will be throwing in a few non-release wines that I think are worthy of note.
WHITE WINES
I think that one of the best valued Ontario whites is the Henry of Pelham Riesling Reserve VQA ($14.95). This is a general list product, and is consistently good. Expect a dry, refreshing wine, with red grapefruit, green apple and lime, and a very slight hint of the diesel which is characteristic of the varietal. It goes well on its own, with shellfish, or with dishes with cream sauce. It also works well with spicy Thai food.
Staying with Ontario for a moment, the Daniel Lenko Unoaked Chardonnay 2006 ($19.95) is one of the better Ontario whites in this release. Lenko has been gaining a reputation for quality whites, and, despite a few false starts, has generally produced superior offerings. This is a rich chardonnay, despite the lack of oak, with refreshing green apple and sour pineapple, with lime, vanilla and honey notes. There is plenty of acid to complement white fish or a cream sauce, but is eminently quaffable on its own.
The Lenko may be unoaked, but the Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay 2006 ($13.95) from South Africa is most definitely not. This is a soft, smooth chardonnay, very rich, with tropical fruit (especially pineapple) and vanilla/butterscotch predominating. If you like oak, this is definitely the wine for you, especially at this price. Some people may find it a bit over-oaked on its own, but food (cheese or chicken) will help smooth out the long finish, and de-emphasize the wood.
Also from South Africa, the Lords Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2007 ($16.95) is a very pleasant, medium bodied offering, with a mélange of fruit flavours including grapefruit, melon, peach, lemon, honey and mineral notes. There are some white flowers and melon notes on the nose on this surprisingly rich tasting, well balanced wine.
For a chardonnay with a little more zip, try the Blason de Bourgogne Chardonnay Macon-Villages 2007 ($16.95) from Burgundy. This is also unoaked, but with lots of rich fruit flavours – apple, citrus and peach – balanced by a good bit of acid, and some mineral. A very nice wine, and my personal favourite of the whites I tasted from release. Great on its own, or with white fish or shell fish.
Muscadet is not a very fashionable varietal, but it is usually refreshing and easy to drink. The Michel, David Clos de Ferre Mauscadet Sevre et Maine 2007 ($14.95) is no exception at a good price. There is rich citrus fruit, with lots of grapefruit and mineral, which will complement oysters or grilled fish, but with lots of fruit and acid on the finish. I would not suggest drinking it on its own – too much acid – but it will work well with food.
SPARKLING WINE
Many people have never tasted a moscato d’asti, and indeed they are not for everyone’s palate. Moscato’s are sweet, sparkling wines, mainly used as aperitif’s and palate refreshers between courses. The Saracco Moscato d’Asti 2008 ($19.95) is a good example of the type, with lots of lichée fruit, some apricot, and orange blossom. It’s very low in alcohol (5%) and very light. It would go nicely with fruit or a light, sweet dessert after lunch.
RED WINE
I think the best value in a red wine in this release is the Paolo Conterno Bricco Sant-Ambrogio Barbera d’Alba 2007 ($18.95) from Piedmont. This is a fruit forward, tasty wine, with raspberry, cherry and cranberry, finishing with a hint of licorice. This wine comes from one of Italy’s premier Barolo makers, and the sweet fruit and acid would, as Vintages suggests, nicely complement spicy sausages or veal.
The Bodegas Ateca Atteca Old Vines 2006 ($22.95) from Spain is a unique wine, that is well worth trying. It’s a big wine that needs food, and it has an unusual taste of smoked meat, blueberries and lush, red fruit with spicy notes. This is a very tasty, very ready wine, which would be perfect with a grilled steak or roast beef.
If you get a straight cabernet franc in Ontario, you often get a wine that tastes so overwhelmingly of strawberry, that there’s no room for anything else. But the Laurent Mabileau St-Nicholas-de-Bourgueil 2006 ($15.95) from the Loire is a more complex wine, with cherry, raspberry, cassis, oak and tobacco. It’s quite light and fruit forward (resembling a Beaujolais – not an extreme compliment as far as I’m concerned) but would go well on its own or as a complement to poultry.
From Australia, there are three good choices, all quite different:
- the Waterwheel Memsie 2007 ($13.95) is not the Waterwheel product in the release, but rather a different wine (also available at Vintages). It’s a combination of shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, malbec and petit verdot. It is not a complex wine, but there’s lots of lush fruit, mostly raspberry and cassis, which went really well with pork chops, and, I think, would go well with poultry. Very pleasant for the price.
- the Wakefield Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ($15.95) from South Australia is a good, typical Australian cabernet sauvignon. Expect an eminently drinkable wine with cassis, mint, redcurrant and blackberry. A good price for a cabernet that will go well with beef of virtually any description.
- the Leasingham Bin 61 Shiraz 2005 ($25.95) is a very good shiraz, and, despite the price, good value for an upper class shiraz. Expect lush black fruit - cassis, black cherry and blackberry – with understated tannins and a long, slightly leathery finish. Very ready and delicious, especially when paired with beef.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Vintages Release - February 28, 2009
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.
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 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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