Tastings

Taste BC 2010 Recap

January 22, 2010 By Shea 2 Comments

tastebc2010 I recently attended Taste BC, a wine tasting event put on by Liberty Wine Merchants as a benefit for the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. The event featured a host of BC wine makers, breweries and food purveyors as well as live music. It was quite an excellent opportunity to taste a wide range of BC wines and meet and chat with the winemakers. Such tastings are always a bit of a whirlwind for me since I tend to work fairly professionally and mechanically through the tastings to find the best wines. This year I decided to bring my video camera and shoot short interviews with some of the winemakers about certain wines that I thought stood out. This year’s video includes interviews with Tantalus and Le Vieux Pin. I wanted to include Meyer Family Vineyards, because I think they are making some pretty darn good wines, but unfortunately the audio was simply too quiet, given the poor acoustics of the room. Otherwise, the event was very enjoyable and I recommend that anyone interested in BC wine attend next year.

As for my picks of the show, here’s what I thought were the best wines of the night:

Ex Nihilo Vineyards Riesling 2007 – Very Good $25
Le Vieux Pin Pinot Noir “Belle” 2006 – Very Good+ $45
Le Vieux Pin Sigma Blanc white blend NV – Very Good $?
Meyer Family Vineyards Chardonnay 2008 – Very Good+ $35
Meyer Family Vineyards McLean Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir 2008 – Very Good $40
Meyer Family Vineyards Central Okanagan Vineyard Pinot Noir 2008 - Very Good+ $40
Tantalus Vineyards Riesling 2008 – Very Good+ $23
Tantalus Vineyards Rosé 2009 – Very Good+ $22
Tantalus Vineyards Pinot Noir 2007 – Very Good $?
Vista D’Oro 2007 – Very Good $49
Wild Goose Vineyards Stoney Slope Riesling 2008 – Very Good $23

Filed Under: BC Wine, Canadian Wine, Tastings

Winery Profile: Vega-Sicilia

November 7, 2009 By Shea 10 Comments

vega-sicilia-logo Vega-Sicilia is Spain’s icon winery, and is situated in Ribera del Duero. It’s vaunted history began in 1864, and has since seen four different owners. The current owner, Pablo Alvarez, is constantly escorted by bodyguards since the winery’s icon status makes it a target for Basque separatist groups. That’s not the sort of fact you hear about a winery very often.

Alvarez sums up his philosophy: “Quality is what we strive for, in every wine we have developed, or will develop in the future. We do believe in quality above all, above trends, above uniformity. We believe in the personality of different wines made all over the world; if the personality disappears, the wine world will disappear as well.” Part of this philosophy includes an obsessive attention to the life of the vineyards, which are essentially organic, although Alvarez has no interest in getting certification.

One of the craziest practices involves re-planting the vineyard once the vines hit around 60 years of age, letting the land lie fallow for five years, replanting, and then waiting 9-11 years before making any wine from those vines. Alvarez explains that this process is important because after a certain age vines lose their talents. He compares them to humans and says “would your 100 year old grandmother have the same capabilities as when she was 40?”

Furthermore, there are 19 different soil types on the Vega-Sicilia lands, on which four varieties are planted: tempranillo (being the most dominant), malbec, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon. There are 2200 vines planted per hectare, which is very very low. Interestingly, though, Vega-Sicilia does not push for extremely low yields because that can over-concentrate the flavours and cause the resulting wine to lose complexity. Also interestingly, the vineyards see 100 days below 0 degree celsius, which is a surprising amount of winter time stress for the vines.

Vega-Sicilia owns four properties: the eponymous and famous Vega-Sicilia, the second, more modern styled Ribera del Deuro project Alion, the new Toro project Pintia, and the Hungarian Tokaji winery Oremus. They put the same effort and standard of care into each of these wineries. I tasted through wines from all of these estates in a decadant flight, hosted by Anthony Gismondi here in Vancouver.

pintia Pintia 2005: I tasted the 2003 vintage of this wine with Sean a few weeks ago, which was a stunning bottle. The 2005 is just as good, although it was showing its extreme youth at the tasting. The vines for Pintia are now 25-40 years old and the wine pours very dark and extracted looking. This sees 100% new oak treatment and is made from 100% tempranillo. The nose was a bit closed, another sign of its youth, but shows chocolate, blue and black fruit and heavy extract. The palate was still very tannic, but, like the 2003, had some herbal punch up front with thyme and sage notes, and a bunch of earth on the back end. This is a superb wine, with good blueberry, black cherry and blackberry fruit and a massive structure. It needs tons of age. Excellent. $70 at BCLDB and Everything Wine.

alion Alion 2004: I have previously tasted the 2002 Alion, which was nothing at all like this superb vintage. Alvarez says this is “made in a style with less shouty oak” than the Pintia, and it shows. A more supple and elegant wine, the nose on this was smoother and softer than the Pintia, with blue and red fruit, and some pepper and spice. I found the nose still closed, but promising a lot. The palate was very elegant and refined, with far less power than the pintia, while still being a big wine with a boat-load of flavour. There is a lot less fruit here, though, with plenty of herbs, smoke, cigar, and leather. This has great length and structure. I think the 2004 is a must buy wine for the cellar for anyone at all into Spanish wine. Excellent to Excellent+. $85 at Everything Wine and BCLDB.

Vega-Sicilia Valbuena 2003: The first of the grand daddy, and insanely expensive, wines from the eponymous estate, the Valbuena, according to Alvarez, is emphatically NOT a second wine. I can certainly attest to that claim after giving this incredibly unique wine a healthy sniff and sip. This wine is made with 90% tempranillo, about 9% merlot, and a smidgen of malbec. Released after 5 years of bottle age, as Gismondi mentioned, the tannins in this wine are surprisingly supple for the level of flavour, which shows the uniqueness of tempranillo versus cabernet sauvignon. The colour is a rich dark and slightly browning red. The nose was insane: raisins, chocolate, smoke, red-cherry, sweet plum and fig and an incredible dose of layers of flowers. This was insanely expressive at the tasting. The palate was also brilliant, although it had very high acid. I found dry earth, sour cherry, crushed blackberry, underbrush, roots and licorice. This is very very long and smooth and has a freshness uncommon for a wine so big. This is made in a completely different style from both Pintia and Alion, and is certainly showing the old-school traditionalist love. Alvarez considers this a 20 year wine, and with the acidity levels I noticed, I can believe this claim. Excellent to Excellent+. $250 at Everything Wine and BCLDB.

unico-1998 Unico 1998: Unico is probably the most legendary wine of Spain. I have been wanting to taste this icon ever since I got into wine, and never thought I’d ever have the chance. Unlike a California icon wine, this wine has over one hundred years of tradition behind it, and while techniques have modernized, the style has stayed very traditional, which is part of what gives this wine its uniqueness. Alvarez uses some crazy techniques to make this wine, transfering it from new oak and back to old oak over and over again over a period of two years. Pouring a dark red, this was still youthful looking, even though it had 11 years of bottle age. The nose had lots of earth and herbs, some cherry fruit, but was also very meaty and leathery. This was almost like drinking a saddle: leather, rich earth, with dense plum and fig notes, the fruit is secondary to the leather and meat. The tannins are still firm, but the acidity is less volatile than the Valbeuna, perhaps due to the extra bottle age. While this was a singular wine, I don’t think it was showing perfectly well at the tasting, and perhaps needed more bottle age. So, while I was happy to taste it, I can’t say, based on what I tasted, that this is worth the money. That said, this is certainly a wine that will change dramatically with time, and I think its icon status is well deserved given its sheer uniqueness, its impressive structure, and its clear adherence to tradition. Excellent. $380 at Everything Wine and BCLDB.

I also had the chance to taste three wines from Vega-Sicilia’s Tokaji estate Oremus, which was a pretty fun experience for this Tokaji newby.

Tokaji Oremus Dry Furmint “Mandolas” 2005: Made dry with the furmint grape, this was oaked heavily in Hungarian oak, as is the tradition. There was perhaps a bit too much oak overwhelming the fruit, but this wine was also fresh and acidic and had a nice finish. The nose had nuts, some rubber/sulpher reduction, orchard fruits such as peach, and vanilla. The palate was quite robust, with nuts, peach, cream, but a dry finish of candied apricot. Sort of like a combination of riesling and chardonnay, this was pretty fun, and I think a lot of people would enjoy it. If they toned down the oak, this could be killer. Very Good+. $30 at Everything Wine and BCLDB.

oremus Tokaji Oremus late Harvest 2004: The basic dessert wine, this was lighter and more acidic than I was expecting, but I enjoyed that aspect of it tremendously. With a nose of fig, grapefruit, and citrus candy, I loved the freshness here. The palate, again, had lovely acidity and lightness with apricot, fig and tons of dried fruit leather notes. This is not as layered as a Sauternes (although also made via Botrytis), but you can actually drink a lot more of this because of its lower sugar and high acidity levels. I think this would be a great wine for those who find dessert wines to be too syrupy and viscous. You can actually finish a bottle of this without a sugar headache. Very Good+ to Excellent. $34/375ml at Everything Wine.

Tokaji Oremus 5 Puttonyos 2000: This is a famous Tokaji dessert wine, and it certainly was rich, dense and flavourful. It still had a lot of rubber on the nose, though, which Gismondi called “shower curtain” and “beach ball”. The palate was all apricot and papaya in a thick viscous dried fruit cocktail. I thought this was very good, but also overpriced for the quality. Very Good+. $97/500ml at Everything Wine.

What did I learn from this tasting? Vega-Sicilia rocks, and traditional Rioja lovers will find a lot to love in their two top wines, which represent a traditional style for Ribera del Duero – one that is getting displaced by ‘Parkerized’ fruit and oak monsters. For those looking for a more modern approach, Pintia will deliver with massive fruit and earthy herbs, while Alion provides a beautifully elegant wine bridging the gap between tradition and modernity. I highly recommend both. All of the red wines were singular, expressive, and utterly unique, and a sign of the kind of wine making and care that I wish we would see more often at the lower end of the scale. That said, if you have the cash, and you appreciate the various styles on offer, then these are wines worth pursuing.

Filed Under: Spanish Wine, Tastings

Winery Profile: Andrew Will

October 29, 2009 By Shea 11 Comments

Yesterday I attended a tasting with Chris Camarda of Andrew Will Cellars, one of Washington’s top estates. Chris started making wines in a tiny rented space in Seattle before expanding and moving to Vashon Island. In fact, Andrew Will was the first wine producer in Washington state to make single-vineyard varietal wines. Over time Chris has changed his philosophy and now all the wines are blended in a Bordeaux style and are meant to express the uniqueness of the particular site from which they come. All are made with the same methods and the same care.

Chris was quite an engaging fellow with tons of knowledge and experience, and a lot of frank outspoken opinions. I appreciated his candor and directness and I think that comes across in the wines that he makes, which all have a distinct personality and a particular approach.

I started with the 2006 Two Blondes, a blend of 43% Cabernet Franc, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot. This was the most expressive of the bunch right now, and had an incredible Cab Franc character to it that you rarely find in new world wines. The nose was brambly, foresty and had chocolate, mint and dark fruits. With air, some of the funk blew off and the wine exposed itself as incredibly juicy. The palate was great: blue fruits, chocolate, and funky earth. As with nearly all of the wines I tasted this had impressive length and a broad structure, with tons of aging potential. Made from the coolest vineyard sites from the youngest vines (I believe around 7-8 years), this is also the most Bordeaux like of all Andrew Will’s offerings. Excellent. $70 at Marquis.

Up next was the 2006 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard red blend, made from 40% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Franc, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Petit Verdot. Ciel du Cheval is the hottest site of all the wines, and this is immediately noticeable in the sweetness of the wine. I do not want this to appear as a derisive comment, however, as the wine is impeccably balanced. The nose had sweeter red fruits, chocolate, and sandalwood. The palate was definitely sweeter than the Two Blondes, but was incredibly flavourful with red and blue fruits, chocolate, and a touch of wood. This is more typical in flavour for Washington Bordeaux blends, but it also has amazing structure and fantastic mid-palate density and length. If you like a bigger and sweeter style, this wine is for you. Excellent. $80 at Marquis and BCLDB.

The 2007 Champoux Vineyard stood out as one of the most complex Cabernet Franc based wines I’ve tasted from the United States, with only Lang and Reed and Reverie from California being comparable in quality. This was a blend of 52% Cabernet Franc, 21% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Petit Verdot, and was still a bit closed despite showing incredible concentration. The nose had dusty cedar wood, some cab franc forest funk, but was still closed. The palate was very big and had a massive style up front, although it was softer on the finish. Right now the wine drops off quickly on the back end, but I think it simply needs integration to express itself fully. Like many a mountain-fruit based wine, the density can be unnerving and awkward in youth, but usually expands into incredible flavour layering and persistence. The palate had chocolate and blue fruits with tight tannins. I still thought this had great potential. Excellent. $80 at Marquis or BCLDB.

The 2003 Sheridan Vineyard is somewhat of a library wine given that Chris is no longer making this. While the Sheridan Vineyard used to supply Andrew Will with fruit, Chris eventually bought land that became the source of the Two Blonds red blend, and thus gave up the Sheridan Vineyard contract. I did think this was the weakest wine of the bunch, which is not to say it wasn’t very tasty. The nose was nutty and had dusty cocoa, dark red fruits, and a bit of bubble gum. The palate had spice, cocoa, nuts, cranberry and raspberry. This was a bit sweet for my tastes and had a lot less refinenment than the other wines. A blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. Very Good+. $65 at Marquis (on sale from $80).

sorella The last wine I tasted is Andrew Will’s flagship, ‘reserve’ style wine - the 2006 Sorella “Horse Heaven Hill” – made from the Champoux Vineyards. Chris selects the best barrels for this wine, and unlike the Champoux Vinyeard blend, makes this as a predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon based wine, with 71% Cab Sauv, 17% Merlot, 8% Cab Franc and 4% Petit Verdot comprising the blend. This was very very tight at the tasting and needed either a lot more decanting or a lot more time in the bottle. That said, it was an awesome wine, with blue fruits, black cherry, earth and some clay on the very dense nose. The palate was tight but showed superb concentration and structure: blue and black fruit, hefty tannins, and a bit of confection. The finish is short right now, but this will change. If you pick up a bottle of this, it needs at least 5-6 years in the cellar before you can think of opening it. If you have patience, though, this will probably be the most structured and nuanced of the bunch. Excellent. $90 at Marquis.

I was incredibly impressed by the offerings from Andrew Will and they have established a firm place on my radar as one of the best Bordeaux-blend producers in the US right now. Given the insane prices for Napa wines of a similar calibre, I don’t know why more people aren’t buying these wines. Simply put, they are superb, balanced, and thoughtful expressions of great Washington fruit put together by a very talented wine maker. All for 1/2 the price of comparable Napa wines. What more could you ask for?

Filed Under: Tastings, Washington Wine

The Loire in Vancouver

October 21, 2009 By Shea 2 Comments

The YVR wine group I’m involved in just hosted its second members’ tasting focusing on the wines of the Loire. This was an awesome event – there are so many unique and fascinating wines being made in the Loire for ridiculously great prices. And, given the extremely cool climate, acidity reigns supreme in the Garden of France.

The tasting began with a structured look at several wines from across the Loire led by Matt Sherlock of Kitsilano Wine Cellars (who sell several very intriguing Loire wines). Matt did a great job extolling the virtues of hand picked wines with real ‘personality’ that you can buy for $20 from lesser known appellations versus machine harvested cuvées from famous regions for twice the price. That said, I do also think that sometimes consumers prefer the mainstream not only because it is easier to understand, but because sometimes the traditional flavours that wine geeks can find boring are more appealing to the average palate than the crazy and wacky. Luckily I enjoy being estranged from what I drink and wines that challenge my palate and my expecations. The Loire is, really, a wine geek’s paradise.

I can’t go through all the wines I tasted, but I can point out some of my favourites. I really enjoyed a Cour-Cheverney from Domaine Huard that Jon Ellison of Marquis gave to me with pride. Romorantin is a crazy grape but also amazingly palatable with a richness similar to chardonnay, but with extremely tight acidity.

We also had a Nicolas Joly (the 2005 Clos de la Bergerie), who tends to be one of the most divisive winemakers in the Loire, using not only biodynamic methods, but totally crazy techniques. Definitely oxydized and with rotted grape armoas, nonetheless it was an intriguing wine that challenged the palate like few others. It was so crazy that Matt actually compared it to a Manzanilla Sherry past its prime:

Other standouts for me were Graham’s entry of an excellent apricot/peach driven and very dry chenin blanc from Chinon from Domaine de la Noblaie, a Quarts de Chaume from Baumard (crazy richness but beautiful and driven acidity – one of the most balanced dessert wines I’ve had and again, along with a great Coteaux du Layon, proving to me that sweet Loire wines are some of the best stickys in the world), and a pretty great tasting Sancerre from Crochet with crazy persistence and length.

In the end, I learned, even more than I already knew, that the Loire is one of France’s great underappreciated regions with so many styles of acid driven, fresh, dry and sweet wines of all stripes and gradations that every wine lover owes it to him or herself to explore this region more carefully.

I recommend checking out Marquis Wine Cellars’ awesome Loire selection (ask for Jon), Kitsilano Wine Cellars, and Liberty Wine Merchants for the most interesting offerings. Oh, and forget the BCLDB, they can’t handle the Loire.

Filed Under: French Wine, Tastings

Marquis Wine Cellars’ New Product Salon

October 16, 2009 By Shea Leave a Comment

marquis tasting A seasonal event for Marquis, I always appreciate the opportunity to taste a couple dozen wines for free. Why more stores don’t do this is beyond me. Generally Marquis sets up these tastings in the back of its store, with one table for whites and one for reds. The staff are always around to chat about the wines. This particular tasting took place on a very sunny day and I think a lot of passers by dropped in for a taste – some of which I am sure were there just for a quick quaff without caring too much about what it was.

My favourite individual grabbed a glass of wine, proceeded to down it without taking a breath, and walked away in the middle of Cole’s, one of Marquis’ staff, explanation of the wine and the region. Now that’s passion.

Of course there were also many appreciators amongst the crowd, and it always impresses me how convivial wine lovers are and how much they want to create bonds and share with each other. We need more of this type of wine culture in Vancouver.

Here are my notes on the wines I tasted:

Whites

Pierre Huet NV Cidre Pays d’Auge, Normandy, France: Smoky, woody apple at 3% ABV. This is awesome stuff and a great price at $13. Very Good.

Bellingham 2006 Sauvignon Blanc/Chardonnay, Western Cape, South Africa: a nose of fat orchard fruit. The palate was bright and sharp while also having lots of fat chard-like fruit. There are also notes of minerals, slate and lemon. An interesting wine. Very Good. $16.

Domaine Pellé 2007 Menetout-Salon Blanc “Les Bornés”, Loire Valley, France: pear, lime and light minerals on the nose, this resembles Sancerre, perhaps because it is grown so close by. The palate had lots of apple, sharp acidity, lemon/lime citrus, and some slate on the finish. This, in my opinion, needs food to cut the acidity. But, it is certainly a tasty wine. Very Good to Very Good+. $28

Westrey 2008 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon: Oregon’s other ‘pinot’. The nose was ripe and creamy and dominated by pear. The palate again had pear and added apple and some stone. This is bright and clean and keeps the fatness and richness in check. Perhaps a bit pricey, though. Very Good. $28.

J. Christopher 2007 Riesling, Willamette Valley, Oregon: Riesling from Oregon? That doesn’t suck? Yep. This is a lot like Grosset rieslings from the Clare Valley in Australia. A nose of petrol, sweet apple, and candied citrus rind. The palate is quite large – a citrus cocktail – very similar to the explosive Grosset rieslings but perhaps a bit more reserved. While I enjoyed this, you can get the Watervale riesling from Grosset right now for $30, and it is a far superior wine. Very Good to Very Good+. $32.

Cantele 2008 Fiano, Salento, Italy: I really enjoy reds from Salento, but this was the first white I had from the region. The nose again had orchard fruit (a common theme), and the palate was appley, and stoney. A nice balance and persistence in the mouth. Very Good. $25.

Misiones de Rengo 2007 Cuvée Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley, Chile: A toasty caramel nose, but not super massive. The wood comes through more than the fruit, but there is some grapeyness to the wine. The palate has decent acidity and some apple flavours, but this is still, for me, driven too much by wood. However, it is not a hugely oaked butter bomb, and is a really good value chard for the price. It’s just not my style. Very Good. $20.

Joie Farm 2007 Reserve Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia: I got in trouble for dissing this wine in front of someone who was enjoying it . I love the diversity of palates and think everyone should like what they like, but that doesn’t stop me from expressing my opinion (obliviously). Tact – you think I’d have learned that by now being in law. Anyhow, the nose on this had big orchard fruit and caramel. This is your butter bomb chard and is completely devoid of noticeable chardonnay fruit. Coconut oil, suntan lotion texture, some nuttyness. Yek. And so overpriced. But I know some will like this anyway. Good. $34.

Chateau de la Negly 2007 La Brise Marine Blanc, Coteau du Languedoc, France: Made in a a region known for reds, this was a pretty weird white wine. The nose had cheddar chese, yes, distinctly so, and I was not the only candidate claiming this, and rich citrus fruit. The nose was very chedder driven, which was pretty strange. I also got citrus and some stone on the finish. [Forgot to rate this]. $27.

Domaine Cailbourdin 2006 Pouilly-Fumé “Triptyque”, Loire Valley, France: Jon Ellison, Marquis’ Loire buyer, really does a fantastic job bringing in unique and great value wines from the region. This is one of those wines, even given its higher price point. Made in a Dagueneau-like style, this had a huge nose of cat’s pee, citrus, flowers and clay. The palate was very floral, had a hint of caramel, white pepper, clay, and a nice long finish. This has great aromatics, weight, and texture and far exceeds most wines from Pouilly-Fumé. Very Good+. $49.

Domaine Pierre Chauvin 2007 Coteaux du Layon, Loire Valley, France: This was my favourite wine of the whites, and it was off-dry – not a common occurrence for someone who loves dry and acidic whites. This, however, had acidity – plenty of it. That’s really why I love the wines of the Loire, they all understand the importance of acid. The nose had apple, pear, grapefruit, and quince. The palate was very balanced and also had grapefruit, quince and a bit of grass. This is a superb value. Very Good+ and Highly Recommended Value. $27.

Reds

Sur de los Andes 2007 Bonarda, Mendoza, Argentina: Bonarda? Wha? After some research we found that it’s not exactly clear what Bonarda is in Argentina. Originating in France under the name Corbeau, it is also known in Italy as Dolce Nero (“Sweet Black”). Well, this wasn’t sweet at all: a nose of salami, game, and some cedar. The palate was very gamey and woody, with blackberry and brett-like manure. This is not my style, but it is a decent wine that tastes fairly old world. Good+. $17.

Gladium 2006 Tempranillo Crianza, La Mancha, Spain: a nose of mint, plum, and black fruit with a hint of cedar. The palate is quite woody – in an ‘it gave me splinters’ kind of way. Some dark fruits on the palate again. Simple. Good+. $16.

Chateau de Campuget 2006 “1753″ Costieres de Nimes, France: A nose of spice, pepper and blackberry. The palate again had blackberry and pepper with high extract and tannins. Very Good. $22.

Joie Farm 2007 PTG, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia: Better than the chard. But still, this smelled like poop and nuts. Not the greatest pairing. The palate was a lot better, though, with pepper, cherry, manure, and some earth. This lacked balance and is so overpriced it’s not funny. Good+. $35.

Tardieu-laurent 2007 Les Grands Augustins, Pays d’Oc, France: I was honestly hoping for a lot more from this wine as I love Tardieu-Laurents Chateauneufs and other higher end Rhone bottlings. This, however, was just basic southern rhone blended table wine. The palate had pepper and some blackberry. Again the palate is driven by pepper, which is classic for the southern rhone, blackberry, and game. Tastes a little oaky too. Good+ to Very Good. $22.

Domaine Parent 2006 Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Burgundy, France: A cherry and strawberry nose. This was acidic and bright on the palate with some earth. Very simple and a bit overly-sour. This didn’t work for me. Good+. $27.

Misiones de Rengo 2006 Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon, Rapel Valley, Chile: This is a standard, but good, Chilean cab. It’s not exciting, but it’s solid. The palate had the classic Chilean funk, and some cedar, almost like cedar soup to me (common amongst low-end Chilean cabs). The palate had eucalyptus, cedar, black fruits and chocolate. For me, Cabernet Sauvignon is the kind of grape that really only tastes right when meticulous effort is put into growing and vinifying it. I rarely think lower-end cabs are that great or worth the money. Instead, for easy drinking but fruity reds I prefer cool climate Australian Shiraz, Argentinian Malbec and reds from southern France, particularly Cotes du Rhone villages or the Languedoc. Very Good. $20.

DuNah Vineyards 2003 Tre Cuvée, Mendocino, California: A strange trio of grapes, including sangiovese, this still just tastes like a random red blend from California. A nose of coffee, dusty black fruit, chocolate and mint. The palate had cedar, oak, dill, chocolate, and black fruits. Tasty but too expensive for what you get. Very Good to Very Good+. $50.

In the end, a nice collection of wines, with the whites winning out over the reds for me, confirming my suspicions that it is much easier to get high quality whites for under $30 than high quality reds, keeping in mind our gross 117% duty markup. If it weren’t for the highest wine taxes in North America, we would have no trouble getting great reds and great whites under $20. As it is, we must seek out the gems and suffer many a bad bottle. All the more reason why tastings like this are great.

Filed Under: Tastings

From Chocolate to Wine: A British Columbia Adventure

October 4, 2009 By Shea 1 Comment

I was enticed into writing this article after a passionate twitter discussion about pairing wine and chocolate. In my experiences I have found chocolate and wine pairing to be an extremely tricky affair and I tend not to agree with a lot of the ‘classic’ pairings, such as port and chocolate (in which I find the chocolate overwhelms the port). My discussions led me to a visit with Pamela Clarke of Vancouver’s Xoxolat where, in anticipation of an event Xoxolat is planning, she graciously donated a few chocolates to the cause of finding a good wine and chocolate pairing. The samples included some chocolates topped with dried fruit and nuts, a rock salt and peppercorn chocolate bar, a cherry and chili chocolate bar and a wildcard lavender chocolate bar, all of which Xoxolat makes in house.

After my meeting with Pamela I walked down to Liberty Wine Merchants on Granville Island and picked up four wines, all from BC:

1. Venturi Schulze Brut Naturel 2006

2. Mount Boucherie Summit Reserve Pinot Noir 2007

3. Elephant Island Orchard Wines Framboise (fortified) 2008

4. Venturi Schulze Brandenburg No. 3 2007

My general philosophy has been that it is nearly impossible to pair dry reds with chocolate, and that many sweet wines are killed by the intensity of heavy dark chocolate. Thus, my philosophy in this pairing was to consider how the secondary flavours infused in the chocolate would pair with the wines and build off of these flavours as a base.

I started by pairing specific chocolates with specific wines and then experimented from there – but the wildcard lavender chocolate proved the hardest to get right. Otherwise, the results were pretty interesting and this experiment was a good lesson in how hard chocolate is to pair, but also how innovative combinations often serve to bring out the best in both a wine and a food better than many of the ‘classics’. Accordingly I rated both the wines themselves and the pairing. On to the tasting!

1. Venturi Schulze Brut Naturel w/ Chocolate Topped with Dried Cranberry

This sparkling wine had a nose with yeasty bread notes and apple. The palate had nectarine, apple, apricot, clay, earth, and lemon. Overall I was reasonably impressed with this BC Brut and its acidic lift. I did find, however, that the alcohol was a bit out of balance.
Very Good
$25 / 375ml at Liberty

Enter the chocolate: the acidity in the dried cranberry complimented the acidity in the sparkling wine and actually balanced out the alcohol. The wine enhanced the brightness of the fruit and brought out its contrast with the rich chocolate very well. In the end, this was a very surprising pairing that to me worked extremely well.
Pairing Rating: Very Good+ to Excellent

2. Mount Boucherie Summit Reserve Pinot Noir 2007 w/ Himalayan Rock Salt and 3 Peppercorn Chocolate

A nose of big burnt fruit, rich cherry, pepper and strawberry. The palate is surprisingly respectable – lots of light red cherry, a bit of cola, and a light dust of baking spices with a hint of pepper. There is more complexity here than I was expecting and I was hoping that the spice in the wine would marry with the peppercorns in the chocolate.
Very Good
$24 at Liberty

Pairing this with the chocolate proved my fears to be valid. The sweetness in the chocolate (which was not severe at 71% cocao) overwhelmed the fruit and soured the wine. The pepper did not compliment the finish at all, which is too bad because the chocolate really is outstanding. Nonetheless, this isn’t an undrinkable pairing, it just does not enhance either partner.
Pairing Rating: Fair

3. Elephant Island Orchard Wines Framboise (Fortified) 2008 w/ Dark Chocolate Topped with Cacao Nibs

Strictly speaking this is not ‘wine’ per se, but liqueur – aka raspberry syrup. Don’t get me wrong, this is very tasty alcoholic syrup, but it doesn’t have the complexity of a real wine. But, this is perhaps the secret to its versatility with pairing.
Good+
$25/375ml at Liberty

Speaking of versatility, who doesn’t love raspberry and chocolate? This is a classic pairing and works with all of the chocolates on offer except for the lavender, which clashes brutally. Best with a simple bitter chocolate, many people will nonetheless enjoy this with many dark chocolate offerings and this would make a great treat at a dinner party either in a glass, or poured over a dessert.
Pairing Rating: Very Good

4. Venturi Schulze Brandenburg No. 3 2007 w/ Chocolate infused with Cherries and Chilies

Perhaps the most interesting wine of the experiment, this was made with Sylvaner grapes and has a surprising nose of pear, prune, dried asian plum and flowers. The palate is also unique and is distinctly pulling out the strange dried asian fruit characteristics with a good dose of pear. This is fairly syrupy and sweet on its own and not really worth the price. However, the pairing is where this wine came alive.
Good
$40/375ml at Liberty

I paired this unique dessert wine with the cherry and chili chocolate and the result was beautiful. The heat of the chilies punched through the sugar and tempered the syrupy quality of the wine, making it livlier, fresher and far more balanced. The chocolate also became even more interesting with the wine bringing out the cherry considerably and mellowing the spice in the mouth. This was not only the best pairing, but the most unique and it demonstrated how sometimes very specific unique flavours are what create that harmonic marriage of food and booze.
Pairing Rating: Excellent

In the end, pairing wine and chocolate proved to be extremely difficult but also very fun. The most surprising pairing was the Brut and the cranberry chocolate, and the most unique without doubt was the Sylvaner with the chili chocolate. I suppose wine and food pairing is somewhat like an human relationship: despite apparrent compatability, it is often the strange and quirky qualities that bring people together in the most passionate and inspired ways. And, if wine is meant to enhance our appreciation of life, perhaps pairing should share a similar philosophy and expose us to the truly unique and wonderful.

Full Disclosure: I received the chocolates as a sample from Xoxolat.
I purchased the wine on my own dime.

Filed Under: BC Wine, Canadian Wine, Features, Tastings

2006 Bordeaux Lunch and Tasting

September 2, 2009 By Shea Leave a Comment

Marquis wine cellars here in Vancouver occassionally hosts wine lunches with winemakers or regional themes, with this summer’s big tatsing being the 2006 Bordeaux release here in BC. Now, for any American readers out there this may seem out of date, but unfortunately our BC distribution system means that we tend to see wines anywhere up to 1 year after the US market. My only hope is that they aren’t languishing in some warehouse somewhere in the mean time.

In any case, the lunch at the Wedgewood Hotel featured three courses paired with seven wines and with another five wines from other vintages to taste after the meal – i.e. a lot of wine. As a brief note, the food was mediocre, but the 2006′s were a pleasure to taste, if not decidedly almost all too young to drink now. Interestingly, most of the 2006′s had a very similar flavour profile. What distinguished them was structure, integration, acidity and fruit density. All the wines are available at Marquis Wine Cellars.

2006 Bordeauxs

2006 Chateau Cantermerle, Haut Médoc

A nose of blackberry, graphite, lead and raspberry and a palate drinking well right now with wood/cedar, bright raspberry and cassis, chocolate and mint.

Very Good+
$60

2006 Chateau Gloria, St. Julien

This nose was more closed than the Cantermerle, but offered suggestions of black fruits. The palate again was more backwards and tight than the previous wine and had a fair degree of acidity. I got cedar, chocolate and casis with potential for solid aging on the mid-palate.

Very Good+
$70

2006 Chateau Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux

This is where the wines started to show their youth and tightness a bit too much. The nose here had blackberry, mint and stone and the palate was quite modern and smooth with cassis, caramel, and mocha. This is a sweeter and richer style of Bordeaux and will please those looking for a more modern styled wine. Perhaps a bit too rich/sweet for my tastes.

Very Good
$149

2006 Chateau Grand-Pur-Lacost, Pauillac

The coffee-like nose led into a nice up front blackberry taste and fairly bright acidity on the palate. Along with the coffee, this also tasted a bit like wood along with the dark fruits. Drinking fairly well right now, but I would not pay this for a wine to drink it so young. In need of age.

Very Good+ to Excellent
$120

2006 Chateau Cos d’Estournel, St. Estephe

The big-boy of the tasting, and the biggest wine too. There was incredible density and structure in this wine and, while way too tight right now, in my mind this will be the best of them all with age. The nose was a bit funky and again had black fruits predominating. A classic palate of cedar and cassis, there was tons of mid-palate fruit which is a good sign of the wine’s aging potential.

Excellent
$275

2006 Chateau Coutet, Barsac

Barsac is part of the Sauternes region and thus this was a dessert wine. The nose here had lots of candied grapefruit and some pear and apple. The palate continued those flavours along with tons of candied orange and lemon. In the end, this is tarter and lighter than your standard Sauternes. While very tasty, I didn’t find this as complex as other Sauternes I’ve had and the 2006 vintage doesn’t seem to taste nearly as good in Sauternes as 05.

Very Good+
$50 / 375ml

2006 Chateau Suduiraut, Sauternes

One of my favourites from the 2005 vintage, the 2006 was sweeter and balanced a little less well. Nonetheless, it was still very tasty with pear, nectarine and peach flavours predominating. I also love this wine’s thick but silky texture, which is not too sticky or cloying while also being quite huge and expressive. This will definitely get better with some age.

Excellent
$65 / 375ml

Other Vintages

2004 Chateau Belle-Vue, Haut Médoc

Dropping down a level with this wine, I was not all that impressed. A nose of graphite and blackberry, and again on the palate with some cedar. The acid on this wine tasted out of balance tome and the tannins were somewhat too forceful.

Good+
$40

2005 Chateau Les Gravieres, St. Emillon

Getting better was this wine with its blackberry and caramel nose. More interesting was the palate of forest floor, blackberry and wood. I enjoyed the firm mid-palate acidity and solid ageable structure. Not the best ’05 though.

Very Good to Very Good+
$70

2005 Clos du Marquis, St. Julien

Clos du Marquis is always one of my ‘good buy’ wines of Bordeaux. The second wine of famed Leoville Las Cases, the Clos is made in a very different style – more modern and fruit driven and immediately expressive. Nonetheless, this also has incredible aging potential and will probably be drinking great in another 10 to 15 years. The nose on this had cured meat and lots of density to the fruit. The slight graphite edge got overwhelmed on the palte with its heavy dose of blackberry and raspberry fruit along with a little pepper. This wine has wonderful balance and structure and amazing integration.

Very Good+ to Excellent
$110

2001 Chateau Canon la Gaffeliere, St. Emillon

This may have been the wine of the night for me and it shows how much Bordeaux needs to age. I’m sure many of the wines tasted earlier would defeat this in a blind if they had as much age, this was just showing beautifully at the tasting. The nose was smooth and expressive and the palate impressed with its game, blackberry, cedar, eucalyptus, coffee and overall superb expression.

Excellent
$121

2005 Chateau Rieussec, Sauternes

One of the big-boy Sauternes of the 2005 vintage, this was huge: pear, nectarine and lemon curd on the nose. The palate was all creme brulée, with hints of lemon curd, meringue, and jasmine tea. As with all the 05 sauternes I’ve had this had fantastic acidic lift to prevent palate fatigue. Acid in my mind is what makes dessert wine work, and this got the balance right.

Excellent to Excellent+
$85 / 375ml

My conclusions after this brief excursion into 2006 Bordeaux is that the wines are very good, are not as approachable as the 2005′s right now, but will also be ready to consume at their full potential earlier. This is a good bargain vintage and if you choose the right wines I have no doubt you will be rewarded in 10 years time.

Filed Under: Bordeaux Tastings, Tastings

Five Jolly Pumpkins

April 24, 2009 By Shea Leave a Comment

Jolly Pumpkin is one of my favourite US brewers. They make nothing but sour ales, but are deft at showing the incredibly wide variety of styles that sour ales can produce. Almost everything Jolly Pumpkin does is both barrel aged and bottle conditioned, meaning most everything will improve with age. I collected these five brews over a few weeks and drank them over another few weeks. Here are the results of my tasting.

Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noire Dark Farmhouse Ale

Very Belgian yeasty on the nose with banana, malts and caramel, this is distinctly in a dark farmhouse style, almost like a Belgian brown ale. Very sour on the palate, this has moderate bitterness and a nice mouthfeel. The smoky finish is pleasant. Overall a solid beer.

Very Good to Very Good+

$12/22oz at The Jugshop

Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca

I think wheat ales and sour flavours go absolutely fantastic together, and this is no exception. Very wit-like on the nose with spice, pepper and yeast, this is light on the palate and extremely refreshing. Correander, orange and lemon give this a tart and yet alive feeling on the palate. Smooth and balanced, this is a superb sour wit.

Excellent

$12/22oz at The Jugshop

Jolly Pumpkin Fuego del Otono

A fall/winter seasonal beer this is brewed with chestnuts and spices. The nose is very much like an amber ale and is quite subtle. I didn’t get any spices until the palate, which was mostly fruity with some twigs and dried indian spices like mustard seed and correander. The beer was on the bitter side, but still quite drinkable. In the end, though, this just is not as good as most of Jolly P’s offerings.

Very Good

$15/22oz at City Beer

Jolly Pumpkin La Roja

A perennial favourite of mine, La Roja is a flemish style red ale, but aged in oak. This is spicier and more hopppy than most Flemish ales, and distinctly on the woody over the fruity side of things. The nose is very rich, and the beer itself has great structure. As I mentioned, this is not at all sweet tasting and offers currants, lime and lemon zest with some secondary spice notes. This is a very tasty beer and pairs very well with chiles and Mexican food generally.

Very Good+ to Excellent

$10/22oz at City Beer

Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura Dark Dawn Stout

One does not usually see a sour stout, so I was pretty excited to try this extremely dense brew. The first sip of this is very exciting – incredibly robust, deep and flavourful and yet unique. The sourness adds a simply wonderful edge to the otherwise dark roasty flavours of chocolate and coffee. The sourness cuts the heavyness that can weigh down many stouts, and the much higher than average carbonation adds a great mouthfeel to this superbly crafted stout. A beer for the jaded palate.

Excellent

$15 at The Jugshop

Filed Under: American Beer, Tastings

An Unholy Trinity: Three High Octane Avery Beers

April 16, 2009 By Shea Leave a Comment

California is a world of variety and experimentation. Whether you are talking about education, politics, or alcohol, you can be assured that something radical is happening here. This is both inspiring and risky, but is perhaps the great charm of this land. One can risk it all, put oneself completely out there – that opportunity in itself is uncommonly rare. Failure is likely most of the time, but when you’ve excessively devoted yourself to something and it works, well there’s nothing quite like it.

Avery, even though from Colorado and not California, fits in that realm of excess. These three beers all go way out there to try and offer something utterly unique. Each works in its own way and to varying degrees, but one has to admire the sheer conviction evident in each one of these brews. And, if I can be blasphemous, sometimes it is at the utter ends of excess that one finds the perfect balance, moderation, and ultimately, expression that makes it all worth while.

Avery The Beast Grand Cru, Batch 4, 2008

In one word: Massive. 16.3% abv. This is malty, thick, syrupy with deep flavours of caramel, brown sugar, cigar, tobacco and popcorn. Incredibly deep and full, this is surprisingly well balanced. A remarkable beer in its own right, and certainly unique.

Very Good+
$11/12oz at City Beer

Avery Samael Oak Aged Ale Batch 3, April 2007

This smells like heavily buttered popcorn, likely due to the heavy oak aging. This is a mind boggler – unique, woody, buttery as hell, but tasty despite its incredibly intense oakyness. For some reason the intense oak works a lot better than with wine. Drinkable, despite its very high alcohol at 15%, this will get bourbon lovers into beer. You can’t call this ‘nuanced’, but you can certainly call it ball busting, and utterly singular. I commend Avery for their daring-do.

Very Good+ to Excellent
$9/12oz at Liquid Bottleworks

Avery Mephistopheles Stout Batch #3 November 2007

Another crazy big beer at 16% ABV. That said, don’t discount this as overly alcoholic. Rather, this has the proper amount of age to smooth that out to perfect levels. The nose here is like a vanilla caramel sunday. Chocolate and vanilla are quite evident on the palate, but surprisingly there is an edge of minerals and metal, which is quite unique and does not clash with the sweeter flavours. Caramel arises again on the finish. This is very very tasty, but I wouldn’t call it utterly complex. That said, there is layering of flavour that exposes itself as the beer warms up, and this is certainly one of the best Imperial Stouts I’ve had. This is the best of the three devlish beers sampled here, and that is no small feat.

Excellent
$9/12oz at Liquid Bottleworks

Filed Under: American Beer, Excellent, Tastings, Very Good

Rhone Rangers: Grand Tasting

April 12, 2009 By Shea 4 Comments

I’ve been meaning to write up this event for several weeks now, but have always been put off by the sheer number of notes I took, and by how many tasty wines I enjoyed. The Rhone Rangers is held in the same space as the ZAP tasting at Fort Mason; however, it does not enjoy the same number of visitors and the hall felt positively empty in comparison to ZAP. That is unfortunate since there are some pretty interesting Rhone-style wines coming from California. However, there were notable absences from some pretty major players like Beckman and Ojai. I’m not sure why they weren’t there, but it would have been nice to see some more of the standard bearers at the tasting. That said, I did get a chance to meet and talk with Bob Lidquist of Qupe and Randal Graham of Bonny Doon.

Due to the sheer volume of notes I have, I will keep most of them brief unless I think the wine or winery deserves a little more of a writeup.

Randal Graham of Bonny Doon

Starting with Bonny Doon, which does warrant a bit more attention since Mr. Graham was the original “Rhone Ranger” and has been touting Rhone varietal wines for quite some time. Never one to go the standard or easy route, Graham is producing some fascinating stuff, and all of it biodynamically farmed. Here’s what I had:

2007 White Blend “Le Cigare Blanc”: Floral, honeyed, ripe and round. Very Good. $22.

2005 Red Blend “Le CIgare Volant”: Peppery, meaty on the nose with plum and chocolate. The palate was veyr dry and tannic, with pepper and mineral. Very different from the 2004, and Randal explained to me this was more of a Grenache based wine than that vintage. Needs time in the bottle. Very Good+. $32.

2008 Rose “Vin Gris de Cigare”: Candied fruit, cherry, not that interesting. Good+. $15. not yet released.

2006 Syrah “Le Pousseus”: Rich fruit, dark and brambly. Briar patch. Very dry and peppery, and still quite tannic. Very Good. $20.

Delille Cellars (Doyenne)

I was very happy that one of my favourite Washington producers showed up: Delille. Delille makes Rhone style wines under their sister label “Doyenne”. I think WA is one of the best places for syrah in the New World.

2007 Roussane: Round apple and orchard fruits. Not overly oaky, A good tasting white for fish or rich chicken dishes. Very Good. $34.

2006 Red Blend “Metier”: GSM – Chateaneuf style. Has a very rich nose of red and black berry with some caramel. The palate is much richer than any CdP wine I’ve had, but still balanced and properly acidic. Very Good to Very Good+. $35.

2006 Syrah “Signature”: Rich, ripe, dark up front fruit with a mineral core. Maybe the best Syrah of the show. Excellent to Excellent+. $50.

Qupe

Bob Lidquist’s Head on the left, surrounded by adoring fans at the crowded table

Very popular, especially amongst the trade crowd. And, for good reason. Qupe is one of the leading CA producers of Rhone style wines, with a wine maker who knows how to do it right. You will not find a single oaky, high Ph, flabby wine amongst the bunch. Not to mention they have a huge range and have built this from good relationships with growers and not the desire to flood the market with false choice. NB: they just opened a tasting room in Los Olivos.

2008 Verdad Grenache Rose Edna Valley: Very Good. $15.

2007 Marsanne Santa Ynez Valley: Tart orchard fruit, and sharp on the mid-palate. Very Good. $20.

2006 Roussanne, Bien Nacido Hillside Estate: Richer and rounder than the Marsanne. Creamy and very fruity. Very Good. $40.

2007 Syrah Central Coast: dry cut mineral syrah. Basic, but good and exceptional value. Very Good to Very Good+. $17.

2007 Grenache Purisima Mountain Vineyard: light in colour, but full in body with minerals, pepper and raspberry. Classic Grenache – the most Rhone like I tasted at the show. Very Good+. $35.

2006 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard: Ripe, minerally, serious pepper on the mid-palate. Very Good to Very Good+. $30.

2006 Syrah Alisos Vineyard: Very chewy, dark and rich. Wood and mineral predominate. Very Long finish. Very Good+ to Excellent. $35.

2006 Syrah Nielson Vineyard: sweeter style. Dark fruits. Very Good+. $35.

2006 Syrah Stolpman Vineyard: dusty dark fruit. Bigger and more forward than the other vineyards. Very Good+. $35.

2005 Syrah Bien Nacido Hillside Estate: Really mouthfilling, with massive power but surprising elegance. Ripe fruit with tremendous character. Excellent. $45.

2005 Syrah Bien Nacido X Block: Super dense and rich. Oaked more than the others. Needs age, but layered character of multiple types of plum and black berries. Chocolate. Has a beautiful background of earth and mineral. Incredible length. Excellent to Excellent+. $100.

Tablas Creek

Another classic producer, and another making a huge range of high quality wines. However, less impressive than Qupe for my money.

2007 White Blend “Cotes de Tablas Blanc”: apple juice. Medium acid. Good+ $25.

2007 White Blend “Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc: sweet and round, full and layered. A great food wine. Very Good to Very Good+ (the bottle I had on its own was better). $40.

2005 Roussanne: burnt caramel, orchard fruit, soft texture. Very Good to Very Good+. $27.

2008 Rose: Good+ to Very Good. $27.

2006 Red Blend “Cotes de Tablas”: Very Good. $25.

2006 Mourvedre: Good+ to Very Good. $35.

2006 Syrah: Very Good. $35.

2006 Red Blend Esprit de Beaucastel: their top dry red. Good, but not great, esp. for the price. Very Good+. $45.

2006 Dessert Wine “Vin de Paille”: why california producers think they can charge this much for mediocre dessert wines is beyond me. Good+ to Very Good. $65.

The Remainder

Hagafen Cellars 2005 Syrah Prix Vineyards Reserve Napa-Sonoma: Very full and rich with classic california notes of rich dark fruits, caramel and chocolate. Really develops with air. Needs a good decant. Very Good+ to Excellent. $65.

Katin 2007 Syrah Glenrose Vineyard Paso Robles: lots of fruit and character. Reserved in style. Very Good+ to Excellent. $45.

Joseph Phelps Le Mistral Red Blend: Wanted to try this for some time – good but disappointing for the price. Very Good. $45.

Michael-David Vineyards Earthquake Syrah 2005: not super expressive on the nose. Masssive fruit and wood palate, but good if you like that creamy sweet style with backbone. Very Good. $28.

Ridge 2005 Syrah Lytton West: Very french in style. Dry with a touch of Viognier that makes the nose quite expressive. Long minerally finish. Loved this. Very Good+ to Excellent. $36.

Ridge 2002 Syrah Lytton Estate II: No notes, but rated Very Good. $36.

Ridge 2004 Petite Sirah Dynamite Hill: I’d been wanting to try a pure Ridge PS for some time, so this was a special treat. (not sure how this is a Rhone Variety though). Vegetal and savory. Very dry and tannic. Not what I expected. Almost like a bordeaux style PS. Earthy and old-worldy. Very Good+. $?.

Rosenblum Cellars 2006 Syrah Riminger Vineyard Yolo County: These guys made some really good value syrah. California forward style, lots of fruit, but also good grip and tannin. If you like big chewy and intense wines with great extraction but not to the point of no return, this and the next wine are a good bet. Very Good to Very Good+. $25.

Rosenblum Cellars 2006 Syrah England Shaw Vineyard Solano County: Very Good+ to Excellent. $35.

Saddleback Cellars 2006 Syrah Carneros: Minty and chocolatey on the nose – very Napa. Syrah, merlot and biognier blend. Smooth for a syrah (from the merlot), but lots of fruit. Not out of this world, but very solid and stood out from many other Syrahs at the show. Very Good+. $45.

Snoqualmie 2006 Syrah Columbia Valley: Hands down winner for best value of the show, and from Washington to boot. A dark fruit personality, and tremendous character and grip for such a cheap wine. This is real wine for $10. Very Good to Very Good+. $10.

Snoqualmie 2005 Syrah Reserve: Who else makes such a high quality reserve for $20? Restrained and powerful. Dark fruits with pulling grip. Great layering on the mid-palate. Very Good+. $20.

That was probably about half of the wines I tasted, but I only wrote up the big boys and the wines that I thought stood out from the crowd. Overall, quite an enjoyable event, especially since it is so rare to taste so many Rhone style California wines side by side. My final assessment is that there is tremendous potential for syrah in California, and while some are already top flight, others need to work on their product to reach the quality of syrah grown in France. But, there are so many good value and tremendously enjoyable syrahs amongst this bunch that I feel this is a great place for the industry to be growing.

That said, the Grenache wines were mostly disappointing (save for Qupe’s great example), mainly because they were too forward or overly peppery, and way too extracted. Grenache to me is the Rhone’s equivalent of Pinot Noir – it can pair beautifully with foods, and it is actually a fairly refined red in the Rhone. On the other hand, if you go to Priorat in Spain old vine Grenache is producing some of the most outstandingly complex and singular ball-busting wines in the old world. Sure, some have become over-extracted there too, but the best producers are making a bold style Grenache that works. But that’s the beauty of this variety. The young vines can make a wonderful table wine while the old vines can punch out something with as much complexity as a great Syrah. California has a long way to go to reach that level of purity and power.

Additionally, I have yet to be impressed by a California Marsanne or Roussane. They tend to be too sweet and round and not acidic enough. When the acidity is brought up in these grapes they tend to taste like apple juice. I am not sure what people are doing wrong here, or if it is simply climate, but the white varieties have a very long way to go. That said, I am not super impressed with a lot of Rhone whites either, but there are some great ones (Chapoutier’s Hermitage Blanc’s) that show what these varieties are capable of. And the Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc is by far the best of that style I’ve tasted from California, with a lot more complexity and layering than normal. Hopefully we will see some improvement over the years. Thus, syrah remains king of the hill, for now.