Archive for the ‘$30-$40’ Category
Spotlight on Spain: Alejandro Fernandez Condado de Haza 2005
Posted by Shea in $30-$40, Spain, Spanish Wine, Tempranillo, Very Good on March 7th, 2010
My next spotlight looks at a land with many histories, many traditions, many personalities and a flare for the confluence of modernity and tradition. It is also a land I will be visiting in about a month: Spain. I hope that this spotlight will serve to explore both the famous and not-so-famous regions of Spain, hopefully highlighting some of its lesser known D.O.’s and culminating in an in-the-flesh experience when I head there in person.
For me, Spain offers so much for the wine lover that one could spend a lifetime exploring the grapes and styles of Spain’s amazingly diverse wines. Spain also offers some of the best values in the wine world today. Forget Argentina and Chile – Spain is where you can get wines with flare, personality, depth, profundity, and litheness all for an excellent price.
The grapes for today’s wine were grown in Spain’s Ribera del Duero – the river valley that becomes the Douro in Portugal (the famous land of port). Ribera del Duero never used to be known for quality wine. Amazingly, in the last 20 years the region has completely reinvented itself, led by the venerable Vega Sicilia (see my profile of this famous estate), who set out to prove the region could make wines comparable to the best in France. While Vega Sicilia’s initial plan was to plant the French variety Cabernet Sauvignon, they discovered that it was in fact the indigenous variety Tempranillo that produced the greatest quality wines. Aging the wines for a long time in oak led to Vega Sicilia’s very distinct style.
However, other than Vega Sicilia, Ribera del Duero did not get much of any recognition until the producer of today’s wine sprung onto the scene: Alejandro Fernandez. Fernandez’s Tinto Pesquera was the first winery to make high quality Ribera del Duero wines that were not aged for a long time before release and which were a fraction of the cost of Vega Sicilia’s masterpieces. I think it is fair to say that Fernandez revolutionized the image of Ribera del Duero by focusing on quality. Even as the reputation of the region rose and fell (of course corresponding with grape prices), Fernandez never compromised on quality. This is a lesson for all B.C. wine makers who try to make wine for a certain palate at a certain price – throughout all the fluctuations and fortunes of Ribera del Duero, it was Fernandez’s focus on quality both in the vineyard and in wine making practices that allowed him to survive for so long. And now? Well Fernandez is one of the most respected names in Spain.
Today’s wine is from Fernandez’ “second” project Condado de Haza – with the quotation marks indicating that this winery is not producing wines of lesser quality than Pesquera – instead just a different style.
But before the wine, a little bit about the region. Ribera del Duero is actually a high elevation region, and as such, producers can have difficulty ripening grapes. This is somewhat contrary to Spain’s image as a warm climate region with easy ripening, and it might be hard to believe given the intense fruit of most Ribera del Duero wines. This intensity arises from two things. First, the climate is such that while days can reach temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius, it also has very cool nights that shut down the grapes’ metabolism. This 
allows the grapes to gain in fruit during the day, but also ensures that the vines and leaves don’t suck up all the nutrients at night, meaning all the soil’s minerals go directly into the grapes. Second, the high altitude deprives the vines of oxygen and increases the thickness of the grape skins, with a concomitant increase in tannin and intensity.
Moving to the wine, this had a bold nose, lots of rich cherry, strawberry and blackberry. There is a charred meat component along with smoke and earth. I thought this was extremely expressive and also very interesting. For a wine of this price, the aromatics are outstanding. The palate showed a lot of youth, and I would like to see this wine with more bottle age. That said, I got tons of fruit, but also huge tannins – earth, char, dust and oak round out this extremely complex wine. Personality? Check. Approachability and ageability? Yes. Affordable? Absolutely. One of the best basic Crianzas in Spain. This is exactly why Spain is such a formidable presence in the world of wine. If only more North Americans would embrace the wines and increase the selection available – it is but a fraction of what is being produced today.
Very Good+ to Excellent
$35 at BCLDB or Kitsilano Wine Cellars
2010 Olympics BC Winery Profile: Road 13
Posted by Shea in $30-$40, BC Wine, Canadian Wine, Good, Price, Spotlights, Vancouver 2010 Olympics - BC Wines, Very Good on February 24th, 2010
Here we have the third BC winery profile on the day of Canada’s domination of Russia in Men’s Hockey. Perhaps unfortunately there is no Russian wine to compete against – but Canada still has a ways to go in the wine world before it can compete with the world’s best.
Road 13 used to be known as Golden Mile, but have since rebranded. Their labels are certainly a lot snazzier than before, but the question remains how their wine has weathered the change. As with many Okanagan vineyards, Road 13’s owners Pam and Mick Luckhurst started the winery fairly recently (in 2003) and did so simply as a change of pace and a new challenge.
The winery is located six kilometres south of Oliver, BC and has three vineyards (Castle, Home, Rock Pile), with a total of about 34 acres. The production is pretty big for a BC winery, sitting at 15,000 cases, divided into three tiers ranging from “honest John” blends to the mid-range “Road 13” label and finally to the premium “Jackpot” wines.
Winemaker Michael Bartier explains the winery’s philosophy: “We’re on a mission. It starts with our terroir, focusing on the land, the site and the soil profile. Our viticulture practices then guide the wines to express their natural growth and characters.” Many wineries say this, but few can deliver. Further, “terroir” might be the most overused word in the marketing of wine – sort of like the greenwashing of wine. The real question is, what is the winemaker’s philosophy of terroir. It’s one thing to say that “we want to express terroir” – it’s another to have a sense of art and philosophy about how to do so. Now, I’m not saying Road 13’s winemaker doesn’t have these ideas at all, I just would like a little more details on what they are.
In fact, Michael does reveal a bit of his philosophy and passion when he waxes about the future of BC wine:
Okanagan Valley winemakers have historically made wines that emulate those from Australia, California or Europe. I think we have gained enough confidence over the last decade to start creating wines that are expressions of the Okanagan Valley. To me this means wines with the aromas of the Okanagan … flavours such as tree fruits, peaches, cherries and sage.
While I don’t know if I can call those aromas specifically Okanagan, I do believe that BC does have the potential for a distinct aromatic profile (beyond that of under-ripe Cabernet Sauvignon) – and I appreciate Michael’s push for a unique Okanagan sense of aroma.
Now, let’s not forget that owner Mick Luckhurst spends plenty of time in the vineyard hand-pruning and tending to the vines. I appreciate an owner who takes a direct interest in his or her vines – and not just the end product. As I’ve been ranting on about again and again, wine is an organic process encapsulated in a bottle of liquid. If you neglect that process then you lose the soul of the final product.
Winemaker Michael Bartier affirms this approach when he says “We all firmly believe that the effort that takes place in the vineyard is reflected in the final wines. As a result, we place paramount importance on quality viticulture practices.” Yes, and yes. This is the right attitude, and it likely explains why Road 13, while still having some growing pains, is, in my opinion, absolutely moving in the right direction.
I also like that Bartier is experimenting with oak in the winemaking process. He is not content simply to rest on the laurels of a particular cooper, or simply by relying on 100% new French Oak (which is oh so common in the prestige cuvees). Rather, Bartier maintains a robust program of experimentation, trying Hungarian oak for example, or various coopers and toast levels with different varieties.
Let’s talk a little about climate and soils here. As I’ve mentioned before, the microclimate of the southern Okanagan is quite arid, but also sports a very short growing season, with serious heat spikes in the summer and potential frost in the fall. However, the southern Okanagan is warm enough to grow some of the varieties that would not be as successful in the north. The three vineyard terroirs vary somewhat, with the Home vineyard having humus on top of rock, the Castle vineyard having hard rock interspersed with fine clay, and the Rock Pile vineyard having gravel and rock topped with 12 inches of humus.
The Jackpot wines, which I will be reviewing below, are from all estate fruit blended from the various vineyard sites. Let’s taste some wine.
2007 Jackpot Chardonnay
The nose on this was pretty classic for chard, with apple, quince, pear, butter, toast and some mineral elements. The complexity here was definitely beyond many BC chardonnays. The palate provided tropical notes with a standard butter/caramel quality. The acidity is solid, and is definitely not flabby in the way we wine geeks love to hate. But, this is also basic new world style chardonnay – nothing more, nothing less. It’s well made and totally drinkable, but if you hate that classic new world style you will not like this wine.
But, what I can say is that after tasting a bunch of California chards priced at $30-$40 in this market, that this wine stands up to many of them. No, it will not be comparable to those great wines that you’ve sourced out for these prices, but it is comparable to its average competition from the new world (which I would add I think is generally overpriced). With a little more work and experience, though, this could become as good as the Meyer chardonnay.
Very Good
$35
2006 Fifth Element
This is a classic Bordeaux blend with the basic five varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. The colour on the wine was a moderate brick red. The nose revealed greenness immediately, but that is to be expected for most Bordeaux blends in BC. I also got coffee and chocolate, but I found the phenollics fairly forced, with definite green bell pepper underlying everything. I don’t know why so many people go for wines made from these grapes in BC – you aren’t going to get anything spectacular and are just feeding money to silly projects!
The palate presented more green bell pepper, jalapeno, and coffee. While this is somewhat underripe, Road 13 is not trying to shy away from this the way I thought Hester Creek was. This wine is more honest than what a lot of producers are doing, and, I think this is very drinkable despite the fact I don’t think these varieties should be grown in BC. What do I like about the wine? Well, the acidity is pretty forward and the palate is clean. There is a short finish right now, but also reasonable balance. This is not my kind of wine, but I can see how some would appreciate this and I do think it is pretty approachable for an Oakanagan Bordeaux Blend – I just wish people clued in to the fact that it’s really hard for wine makers to do the right thing here. Nonetheless Road 13 seems to be doing what they can with these tough varieties.
Good+
$36
2007 Jackpot Pinot Noir
Here we have a big new world style Pinot Noir, which is very similar to the Golden Mile Pinot that I had and enjoyed many years ago (the first BC wine that I liked). There is tons of bright dark red cherry, spice, and chocolate here. I almost find a strawberry-rhubarb jam-like quality to the wine. Simple but modern, bright, and easy drinking. I do think this is expensive for the quality, but it is better than many many BC pinots. Its biggest problem is that it is somewhat innocuous – and it doesn’t rise to the level of the Meyer pinots.
Good+ to Very Good
$35
2007 Jackpot Syrah
Well I recently learned that syrah plantings are growing faster than any other variety in the Okanagan, and if the quality of this wine is any indication then I can understand why. The nose here is very meaty, gamey, funky, and coffee laden. The palate a mélange of sweet red fruit, some herbs, earth, coffee and chocolate with a game based backbone. This is extremely solid Syrah with a nice acidic lift from mid-palate to finish. The clean bright fruit with subtle oak provides a very presentable wine. The big caveat here, though, is that at about $5 more you can get an absolutely outstanding world class syrah from central California or a lesser-known French appellation in the Languedoc or Rhone. And, those wines will give you a sense of terroir, whereas this wine is really just about providing easy to appreciate and simple fruit flavours with no real depth.
However, in time, I think that this syrah could prove to be something of note. Right now, if you like gamey Syrah then you will probably enjoy this – but it will also not blow you away, especially for the price, the perennial problem of BC wines. I think the fruit is there to make this quite a good syrah so long as Road 13 is willing to be bold and take a risk.
Very Good
$35
*Full disclosure: I received these wines as samples.
2010 Olympics BC Winery Profile: Meyer Family Vineyards
Posted by Shea in $30-$40, $40-$60, BC Wine, Canadian Wine, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Spotlights, Vancouver 2010 Olympics - BC Wines, Very Good on February 19th, 2010
Olympic fever has taken hold of Vancouver as the passion for team Canada erupts throughout the city. Unfortunately, all of the official venues are serving only wines from Vincor or beers from Molson. What happened to supporting all of our local producers? The Olympics for me is a time to celebrate what is great about B.C. and the challenges and accomplishments of B.C.’s own wine growers.
As my profile of Hester Creek demonstrated, there are, unfortunately, not so great wines being made in the province. However, the point of this series was to seek out those wineries that are doing things right in B.C. and to highlight those who have been willing to take the more challenging direction of making complex and palate-challenging wines. I think Meyer Family Vineyards is a winery that, while young, is starting to seek out its own path unique from the crowds.
Jak Meyer started the winery very recently in 2006. The original idea was to buy a vineyard and outsource the production; however, this goal, which began with a successful (albeit small) vintage of Chardonnay, proved to be too small an operation to be a viable business (at only 600 cases). Thus, over the next several years, and by taking advantage of some good deals resulting from the recession, Meyer expanded the winery by adding 19 acres (14 planted) to the original 3 acres of Chardonnay vines.
The focus at Meyer has always been on Burgundy style Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with a new Gewurztraminer coming out onto the market soon. However, while Meyer says Burgundy style he does not mean simply emulating Burgundy. The goal here is, most importantly, to produce wines of place – wines that taste like B.C. and the vineyards from which they come.
While right now I think the vineyards are probably too young to show true and complex terroir, I do think that these wines are moving along the right path. I was surprised and impressed by the minerality of the Chardonnay and the earthy tones in the two Pinot Noirs I tasted, the style of each differing considerably from the other. In the future, Meyer plans to bottle more single vineyard Chardonnay offerings in order to expand the fruits of this philosophy.
In the vineyard, the idea is to keep things as “organic” as possible, as winemaker Chris Carson explains:
“In the vineyard we are very hands on. All pruning, canopy management, crop thinning etc. is done by hand. Organic principles are employed, such as making our own compost which is put back into the vineyards. All the stems and pressing are put into the compost along with manure, hay and other organic materials. We do not use herbicides for weed control. Rather, weeds are controlled with a combination of plowing, mulches and the use of weed eaters.”
In the winery, the process is all about trying to show typicity of place rather than uniformity of style. As Chris explains,
“basically the growing season and the wine dictate the outcome, not the winemaker. My job is to maintain the expressiveness and the fruit quality from each individual site through to bottling. No additives are used such as enzymes for clarifying juice or colour, no yeast food or nutrients, no tannins, etc. The only additive that may be used is a small acid addition in warmer seasons.”
I don’t love acidulation, but I think that overall Meyer is making the right sort of choices in the vineyard and the winery and it is nice to see a B.C. winery taking the process as seriously as the final product. Wine should not be made just for the end-point of satisfaction. Doing so belies the importance of the organic process and development of the vines – what makes them what they are and adds the ‘poetry’ to the bottle. That said, specific practices in themselves are not enough – great wine always has that X factor that cannot be explained. But, surely it comes from the confluence of each particular detail of the process coming together to produce an expression that each detail could never do in itself.
Let’s take a look at the wines.
Both of the Pinot Noirs are whole cluster fermented (at least this season – the percentage of whole cluster varies depending on vintage) and left to cold soak. The wines are barrel aged “sur lees” and then fined, but not filtered.
First off we have the Meyer Family “Central Okanagan Vineyard” Pinot Noir 2008, which is made with fruit sourced from friends of Meyer’s who own a vineyard in the Central Okanagan area near Kelowna. The soil at this site is silt loam overlaying gravelly loam. The colour here was very dark red for pinot noir, and the wine had a nose of stem, tobacco leaf, and cherry. Overall I found the wine quite earthy but also with a good dose of fruit that is right now hidden under the tannins somewhat on the palate. Nonetheless, I really like the nose on this.
Moving on to the sip we find a medium body and an absolute ton of tannin. This is obviously still very young with its grippy texture and overt stem and earth character. Underlying that, though, is cherry and bright red berry fruit. Good but not overly intense acidity. This has great stuffing and can (and should) age. While the tannins are aggressive and maybe just a touch green, I like how this was made and think the wine has some good aging potential. I cannot recommend this to drink right now without some serious food pairing to mellow the tannins – but don’t let that put you off the wine, this is pinot noir moving in the right direction. While not as good as the Vieux Pin pinot I had, it’s a solid wine with potential.
Personally I found some nice stewed meat mellowed the tannins and helped bring the wine forward into fruitier territory in this extremely youthful stage of its life.
Very Good
$40
The second Pinot Noir is the Meyer Family “McLean Creek Road Vineyard” Pinot Noir 2008. The terroir here is quite different and the vineyards are on the alluvial and glacial formed terraces near Okanagan Falls. A blend of three blocks on the property, each site has distinctly different sun exposure and thus each site brings a unique characteristic to the blend. The dark red, brownish colour on this belies the feminine and light touch of the wine. The nose is brighter than the Central Okanagan bottling, with additional notes of stone, chocolate and spice. On the palate, this is a lighter style, with brighter fruit and a cleaner palate than the Central Okanagan – with chocolate and spice and subtle under the radar red fruits. These two pinots encapsulate the phrase ”to each their own.”
I enjoyed both, but I think I preferred the very light, almost gamay-like body of the McLean Creek. If you want a denser riper style, this will not be your thing. And, keep in mind these two pinots are fairly expensive for the quality. However, there are good reasons for higher prices for BC wines (See my article), even though this does not mitigate the impact of better quality competition from abroad.
So, while there is definitely room for improvement and these are simpler pinots for the price, I think these are honest wines pushing to achieve something realistically BC. I appreciate that and look forward to the future of pinot at Meyer.
Very Good
$40
The last wine, the Meyer Family Tribute Series “Steve Yzerman” Old Main Road Vineyard, Naramata Chardonnay 2008, is the piece de la resistance here. Stepping from tradition, I saved this for last because I think it is the star of the three wines I tasted from Meyer’s portfolio.
The Chardonnay is hand harvested and whole cluster fermented, and left “sur lees” for about 11 to 12 months. During this time natural malo-lactic fermentation occurs, and is either complete or partial depending on the natural process of the yeast.
The colour is medium yellow and the nose is all bright clean citrus, pineapple, banana, pear, and kiwi. This is really good stuff and sports a tart and clean palate with properly presented oak influence. Again, the palate brings pineapple and a little creme brulee. Nonetheless this is quite long and clean. Here we have a very well balanced chardonnay that is made for food, does not kick the oak bucket, and has great texture and alacrity – in other words, this is my kind of chardonnay.
In my final analysis, this is outstanding and so far the best chard I’ve had from BC. I would love to try Meyer’s higher end micro-cuvee chard because this is simply excellent stuff. And, as ironic as this is, my highest praise for a BC wine is that I would buy this without hesitation at its very reasonable price point.
Very Good+ to Excellent
$35
Note: Meyer Family wines are currently being poured by the glass at Salt Tasting Room and Market Restaurant.
*Full disclosure: I received these wines as samples.
Winery Profile: Le Clos Jordanne
Posted by Shea in $30-$40, $40-$60, $60+, Canadian Wine, Chardonnay, Excellent, Pinot Noir, Tastings, Very Good on January 28th, 2010
My relationship to Canadian wine is both similar and dissimilar to most Canadians. It is similar because I have great pride for my country, as many Canadians do. It is dissimilar because for me pride translates into expectations. I would like my country to be famous for more than just ice hockey and doughnuts, and I demand excellence from Canada because I know we can live up to that standard. When we don’t, I feel disappointed but I never give up my search for the exceptional. While sitting at a table surrounded by other Vancouver bloggers and social media types and five glasses of wine I discovered excellence in Canadian wine, for the first time. Le Clos Jordanne has, for me, broken the threshold of quality that I have been searching for in Canadian wine for years. And, I am proud that we finally managed to do it. That Le Clos Jordanne is from Ontario does not bug me as a recently minted BC resident. I think our regionalism detracts from our nation, and I think that we should all be proud of what Canadians are doing no matter where they are from.
Le Clos Jordanne is a joint venture between Vincor and Domaine Boisset from Burgundy. The idea was to start a winery completely from scratch to capture the ‘terroir’ of a particular area of the Niagara Pininsula in Ontario around the village of Jordan. The Niagara Escarpment, on which the Niagara wine region of Ontario is located, has a limestone base deposited by the Glacier that carved out the Escarpment so many years ago. The Escarpment, combined with the cooling influence of Lake Ontario, provides the region with enough warm air to allow wine grapes to ripen properly, even given the extreme climate and, accordingly, frost and short growing season concerns.
Viticulture Manager Thomas Bachelder explained that the aim to produce wines with a sense of place was a decision to take the lessons of Burgundy seriously and to treat the terroir with respect rather than simply copying certain methods. Whereas California became giddy with malo-lactic fermentation and heavy French oak treatment despite the fact that their terroir was nothing like Mersault, Le Clos Jordanne aims to produce wines whose oak and fermentation process compliment the climate, soil, and growing conditions of the grapes. I think they have learned these lessons well (likely because Thomas spent time learning to make wine in Burgundy), and I am hugely impressed with the various wines’ ability to remain distinct from each other, despite very similar treatment in the cellar.
Recently in Montreal a group of wine experts set up a remake of the famous judgment of Paris tasting of 1976 that saw California wines beat French wines in a blind tasting. The idea was to pit France vs. America again, although this time with different wines. However, unbenknownst to the experts, a Le Clos Jordanne Claystone Chardonnay was snuck into the lineup and, amazingly, won top honours in the Chardonnay category. And, just so you have a sense which producers the wine was competing against, consider the likes of Jean-Claude Boisset, Joseph Drouhin, Mer Soleil, Sonoma-Cutrer, and Chateau Montelena, amongst others. These are serious competitors who are well respected and garner high scores from all sorts of media. As much as such tastings must be taken with a grain of salt, I think that this achievement is significant.
So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at the wines. In a non-traditional move we were encouraged to begin with the Pinot Noirs before moving on to the Chardonnays. The first wine was the basic ‘village wine’ Village Reserve Pinot Noir 2006, which retails here in BC for $30. This was very forward and fruity, with a nose of spice, and medium bodied cherry. While simple, the palate is also really enjoyable with its dense but grippy medium body, hint of caramel and spice, and fantastic density and delineation. Very Good+.
I next moved on to one of the single vineyard offerings, the Claystone Pinot Noir 2006, retailing at $45. This was a big step up in terms of structure from the basic village wine. It had a softer, stonier nose, with a decidedly twiggy element. The palate was again soft, but also fruit driven and very elegant. Its grippy dry texture is austere but also draws into a lengthy and wonderful mineral finish. Very Good+ to Excellent.
The last red, the Grand Clos Pinot Noir 2006, was a selection of the best parts of the vineyards, and is a big very complex wine that is still very young. The nose had fantastic layering even as it was difficult to derive all the aromas just yet. Its red berry fruit was, as Thomas said, distinct from many New World Pinot Noirs, which often tend towards darker, richer fruits. The palate had a touch of grapefruit, some eucalyptus, and a spicy mid-palate. The great mid-palate structure will allow this to sit a while and develop more significant separation of all the complex layers. This is very likeable, but also reserved. Excelent. $70.
And, now on to the whites, beginning with the Claystone Chardonnay 2006 (the winner of the Montreal tasting). These chardonnays are unlike anything else being done with the grape in Canada that I’ve tasted so far, and are certainly vastly superior to most every BC chardonnay I’ve tasted. In fact, these are almost dead ringers for very tasty Burgundy wines, even while still having a sense of place. Is it distinctly Ontarian? Well, that will probably take some time to tell, but this is a great start. The nose is rich and has pineapple, banana and licorice. But this is not a flabby or buttery chardonnay. No, this has great acidity, is very clean and highlights its citrus flavours while offering hints of opulence with its banana and caramel. The long, minerally finish brings the palate back down to earth and keeps the opulence in check. A very good chard. Very Good+.
The last wine, a Grand Clos Chardonnay 2006, was my wine of the tasting. It is still reserved and I can understand why some would prefer the Claystone right now, but for me this kind of chardonnay is what you would see in a young Premier or Grand Cru chablis – tightness, almost reticence, but with the promise of greatness. The palate doesn’t give a lot up yet, but is dense and very complex. The texture is rich and wonderful – very rounded and even more opulent than the Claystone – but the structure is outstanding. This is real chardonnay, built for food, and could one day rival an excellent wine from Burgundy. Excellent.
In conclusion, these are the first wines from Canada that I’ve given an excellent rating to, and they well deserved it. For me, they broke the quality threshold that I’ve been longing for all these years. My only hope is that as many of you as possible can get the chance to taste these. Right now they are in very limited supply (I believe some are at 39th and Cambie), but if you want to taste great Canadian wine, these are absolutely worth seeking out. Colour me extremely impressed.
A Weekend Treat: Flying Horse Napa Valley Petite Sirah 2006
Posted by Shea in $30-$40, Californian Wine, Excellent, Highly Recommended Values, Petite Sirah on January 9th, 2010
I have one more post to go in the Southern Italy series, but I wanted to write up this little treat I have been sipping on for a few hours now. I feel compelled to do so because this is not only a great value wine, but it represents the difference between thought, care, and passion on one side, and mass market, simplification, and dumbing down on the other.
Petite Sirah is a tough grape to make really well. It’s hard to ripen at high altitudes, but it can get flabby and weak in endless heat. Add to that the tendency of producers these days to add a tremendous amount of oak treatment to their wines, ripen the grapes to obscene levels, and generally burn or manipulate all of the original and beautiful rustic character of Petite Sirah out of it, and you have a grape with great potential but little realization. This bottle of wine shows the possibilities of the variety in California. It could be the next zinfandel.
Petite Sirah, when done right, actually does not have high alcohol, massive fruit forwardness or even simple approachability. Rather, Petite Sirah is rustic just like, say, aglianico is rustic or tempranillo from warmer regions in Spain. Petite Sirah is a very small grape with a high skin to flesh ratio, and therefore a tremendous potential for tannin and extract. But it’s unique because all that great flavour and ageability comes, in California mind you, with the simple pleasure of a wine under 14% ABV. I can’t push this variety enough, as long as you taste the right example.
So, it seems that John Clerides over at Marquis has found THE textbook example of petite sirah. I say this as a PS lover who has had many many expressions of the grape when I lived down in California. The Flying Horse is special. With classic blackberry and plum on the nose, this is a classic kind of wine that doesn’t need manipulation. It is pure in itself. The palate brings tons of berry fruit flesh, and is really alive. You can taste the life in the wine. There is proper acidity here, along with a great mouthfeel. I think this also has a ton of structure that gives this wine the potential to age into something that would equal a $100 bottle of wine. It’s also great because it can clearly pair with food that is made in a more french style rather than the pure fat bbq stuff that most petite sirah needs. The restrained oak does not cover over a fundamental rusticity that keeps the wine real and true to the grape. This is getting more and more uncommon these days. Absolutely wicked. Textbook petite sirah.
NB: The last wine I wrote up this well sold out the day after my review, so please save some for me, I need more of this.
Excellent and Highly Recommended Value
$36 at Marquis
Spotlight on Southern Italy: Feudi di San Gregorio Aglianico del Vulture DOC 2005
Posted by Shea in $30-$40, Aglianico, Italian Wine, Southern Italy, Spotlights, Very Good on January 8th, 2010
The Campania region of Southern Italy finds its centre in the city of Napoli (Naples), a strange chaotic place if I’ve ever seen one. The wine growing regions here sprinkle themselves around the region, with the most famous being the three DOCGs inland from Naples around the city of Avellino. Campania, like the rest of Southern Italy, has a hot climate comparatively to many European wine regions save a few in Spain and Greece. Campania has also had a long history of producing low-quality wines.
The one exception to this trend was the producer Mastroberardino, whose 1999 Taurasi Aglianico Riserva I’ve written up before and included in my top wines of 2009. It was largely Mastroberardino, too, that prompted the considerable increase in quality in Campania, and in particular, within the DOCG Taurasi. There are, I believe, 3 DOCG regions and about 19 DOCs. However, the DOCs only comprise 7% of the region’s wine production, clearly indicating that there is a lot of room for improvement in quality. That said, there are real signs of potential here, particularly with some of the ‘cult’ blends such as Montevetrano, which blends merlot and aglianico.
Most of Campania’s red wines (which comprise 64% of the total wine production) are made from two grapes: piedirosso and aglianico, with aglianico being the most important. Quality aglianico has, within the last decade, spread beyond the confines of Taurasi, where it first became famous via the wines of Mastroberardino. Aglianico is thought to have been brought by the Greeks to Italy.
However, this particular aglianico is not grown in Campania, but in the neighboring region of Basilicata. The Vulture DOC (one of only two DOCs within Basilicata) has volcanic soils, similar to Taurasi, but is also quite mountainous and thus produces very tannic aglianico, compared to the fruity versions of southern Campania or the dense and less tannic versions of Taurasi itself. Winemakers in this region have recently increased their use of French oak, which I suppose would help add to the structure of this grape. I would fear, however, that too much oak would make the wine almost unbearably tannic. The particular version I tasted, however, was not over the top.
The wine itself, from producer Feudi di San Gregorio (one of the biggest of Campania), was extremely structured. Made from 100% aglianico, this had a yummy nose of cherry, strawberry and earth. The huge palate was quite tannic, with bright acid, tons of black pepper, cedar, black cherry, and a dark brooding fruit character that makes this wine quite deep and thoughtful. While the acidity is quite high, and the mid-palate is perhaps a bit too bitter right now, if you pair this with the right foods (say a spicy sausage pizza or pasta) the harsh characteristics will mellow out. Or, you could simply lay this down for a few more years – it could take it easily. A woody wine, but a tasty one. Not in the same league as the Mastroberardino Taurasi Riservas, but also a good $50 less.
Very Good to Very Good+
$35 at Kitsilano Wine Cellar
Aglianico is a grape with many variations, the ability to express terroir, and tremendous future potential. It’s one of my personal favorites from Southern Italy, and it is the perfect wine to let age for a while and pull out of the cellar in some years to surprise your fellow wine geeks. Wines made from this grape have stuffing.
Domaine Gauby Cotes de Roussillon Villages Vieilles Vignes 2004
It seems that this Christmas week is a Languedoc week. Technically the Cotes du Roussillon is distinct from the Languedoc, although traditionally grouped in together with it. This grouping reflects that despite the distinct AOCs there is actually quite similar ‘terroir’, or soil and climate conditions, in the two regions, with schist predominating, with bits of gneiss, granite and limestone. However, Roussillon is further south than the Languedoc (or more specifically, the Corbieres sub-region), and borders with Spain right on the Mediterranean.
Domaine Gauby is a 32 hectare biodynamic domaine, and is brought into BC by Farmstead Wines. Yields are low, and harvesting is done by hand at this estate. And, as with all biodynamic estates, this has natural (wild) yeasts and minimum sulpher dioxide. Apparently, Domaine Gauby has eased back on the level of extract in the last few years and aimed at producing more balanced wines. I think they’ve achieved that goal.
This wine, a field blend of many red grape varieties, is very expressive and clear, with a nose of baked earth, tons of bright and pretty red berry fruit, violets, and a hard stony edge. Really, this is an impressive nose, especially at this price point. The palate is also very soft, with tons of bright red fruit and acid – raspberry and strawberry come to mind. Additionally, this is incredibly mineral and stone driven while being exceptionally expressive, soft and pure. With impeccable structure, this is a very impressive wine and an amazing value for the quality. A terroir driven red if I’ve ever tasted one, but with a modern edge. The Languedoc is showing well this Christmas season!
Excellent
$35 at Kitsilano Wine Cellars
La Spinetta Ca’ Di Pian Barbera D’Asti 2006
Posted by Shea in $30-$40, Barbera, Italian Wine, Very Good on December 21st, 2009
Piedmont lovers tend to be fanatical about that region’s most renowned grape, nebbiolo – and for good reason. Nebbiolo produces some of the world’s greatest “monster” wines that still retain freshness and beauty after 20 years. However, for me, the great underbelly of Piedmont is not nebbiolo, but barbera. Barbera can make simple quaffable wine, certainly. And, most people’s experience with it is likely of this variety. However, barbera can also make profoundly complex and yet fruity wines that have an ability to pair with food that, in my opinion, far surpasses nebbiolo.
Don’t let my rant suggest that barbera can make wine as timeless and profound as nebbiolo. However, it can make wine that is truly outstanding and often overlooked. Perhaps this is because barbera is Piedmont’s most widely planted grape, and tends to sit as simple dinner wine on every table in the region. Further, barbera rarely receives the level of treatment that nebbiolo gets, and so the meticulous time and effort that can make barbera great often doesn’t take place. Luckily there are a few producers who take barbera seriously, La Spinetta being one of them, and it is these producers that show the stupendous quality of wine that the simple barbera grape can produce.
Another important point to consider is the difference between the two main regions for barbera, Asti and Alba. Asti tends to have younger vines than Alba and therefore the wines produced here are often simpler and juicier. If you want the truth depth of barbera, you have to go to Alba. That said, this is a fantastic barbera d’asti with a nose of wood spice, orange peel, blackberry and a hint of licorice. The palate is fruity and bright with excellent tannin structure along with cherry, blackberry, and oak spice. Underlying this are soft earthy tones that round this out as a sumptuous dinner wine that provides a level of quality far beyond your basic barbera. Grab yourself a bottle and see what barbera can do.
Very Good+
$40 at BCLDB
Domaine Mercouri 2004
Posted by Shea in $30-$40, Greek Wine, Mavrodafni, Refosco, Very Good on November 15th, 2009
It’s somewhat ironic that given the birthplace of winemaking and bacchanalias is the tiny peninsula in the Mediterranean known as Greece, wines from Greece are completely off the radar of all but the geekiest of wine drinkers. The casual drinkers I’ve talked to don’t even know that Greece makes wine – and that’s a shame given the modernization of Greek wine and the incredible bottles of juice coming from that storied land.
Luckily for us, wine making has improved somewhat from the days of Homer, and with modern wine making techniques comes much greater degrees of pleasure. However, there is an ‘honesty’ to these wines that somehow eschews any sense of overmanipulation, and even, in some ways, modernity. I suppose the Greeks are marching to their own drum right now, and the only shame is that more people aren’t discovering these wines.
My low quality photo of this bottle shows the low-lighting circumstances under which I consumed it, but don’t let the fuzzy picture of the decidedly kitchy bottle sway your opinion: this is very high quality wine. Clearly made in a Bordeaux-like style, the blend is comprised of the unique grapes Refosco, transplanted to Greece from Italy in the 19th century, and Mavrodafni, an indigenous grape. The winery itself is located in the western Peloponessos near the village of Korakohori. A wealthy cotton merchant from Alexandria, Egypt, Theodore Mercouri, founded the estate in 1860. Theodore’s son built the first modern winery on the estate in the 1930’s, but it fell dormant in the 50’s. In the late 80’s the family revived the estate, and now it’s making some pretty amazing and modern wines. I also found it interesting that apparently this estate started by producing fairly high alcohol wines, but over time decided to go for a rounder, softer style. As a result, this red wine, the estate’s flagship, clocks in at a reasonable 13% abv, and in my opinion is all the better for it.
How does it taste? In a word, mellow. In a Lou Reed kind of way. The nose had soft red and black fruits and very nice expressive fruit. Underlying that I got chocolate and earth. The palate really impressed me. Soft and plush, but also reminiscent of autumn leaves, while still providing full and round red and black berry fruit. Matt’s suggestion that this was similar to a Bordeaux I think is quite accurate, although I would add that its softness makes it more accessible and easy drinking, while its autumnal qualities give it enough depth for repose. Really you owe it to yourself, and to the founders of the western wine making tradition, to grab a bottle of this unique and eminently drinkable wine.
Very Good+ to Excellent
$37 at Kitsilano Wine Cellars
Ott ‘Der Ott’ 2005 Gruner Veltliner
Posted by Shea in $30-$40, Austrian Wine, Gruner Veltliner, Very Good on November 13th, 2009
Isn’t Gruner a wonderful thing? So versatile, deep, and, importantly, acidic. And all for a fraction of the price of better known wines. Why would you ever pay $35 for a mediocre New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc when the same price can get you an exciting and challenging Gruner from Austria? I suppose that is a lesson in marketing.
This wonderful wine from Ott was exactly what my mushroom pancetta pasta ordered – a big full nose of mushrooms, apple, and a hint of honey. The palate had great acidity and lift, and a good dose of complexity with earth, nuts, mushrooms, apple, minerals, pepper and a drop of honey on top of it all. This is an impeccably balanced wine with a long and smooth finish, and a good dose of richness that prevents the acidity from going over the top. A superb Gruner, and a great pairing wine.
Very Good+
$32 at Marquis
