"The 3 wines on tap"This month’s Wine Club we took a look the three lesser grapes of the five that make up a classic red Bordeaux blend. The five grapes used in a Bordeaux blend are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.
Here is the LCBO information on all three -
Here is the LCBO information on all three -
2004 Trius Cabernet FrancStock Number – 587964
Volume - 750mL
Price: $ 14.95 (+ $.20 deposit)
12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Volume - 750mL
Price: $ 14.95 (+ $.20 deposit)
12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
This is a VQA wine
Made in: Ontario, Canada
By: Andres Wines Ltd
Tasting Note - Medium-deep red brick colour; aromas of cedar, white pepper and red cherries; dry, with fine textured tannins, medium body and flavours of raspberry, smoked meat and cloves; medium finish.
Serving Suggestion - Beef stew or pasta in a meat sauce
2004 Chateau Haut-Monplaisar “Prestige” (Malbec)Stock Number – 936534
Volume - 750mL
Price: $ 17.95 (+ $.20 deposit)
Sugar Content : XD
Volume - 750mL
Price: $ 17.95 (+ $.20 deposit)
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: South West, France
By: Chateau Du Cedre
Release Date: Nov 8, 2008
Tasting Note - Well-incorporated oak gives smoky edge to sweet fruit. Lush, soft; more accessible than many. Sumptuous, multi-layered. Drink 2007/8. , Score - 3 Stars (out of 5). (www.decanter.com, 2007)
2005 Pirramimma Petit VerdotStock Number – 986752
Volume - 750mL
Price: $ 23.95 (+ $.20 deposit)
Wine, Red Wine,
Volume - 750mL
Price: $ 23.95 (+ $.20 deposit)
Wine, Red Wine,
14.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: South Australia, Australia
By: Malesco Wine Broker
Release Date: Nov 8, 2008
Description - Over a century ago, winery founder and McLaren Vale pioneer Alexander Campbell Johnson chose the name 'pirramimma', an aboriginal word meaning 'the moon and the stars'. Today chief winemaker Geoff Johnson shares his grandfather's pioneering spirit, having planted the first Petit Verdot vines in Australia over twenty years ago. This rare single-varietal offering of the lesser-known Bordeaux grape is considered among the world's best
I have never tried a wine made only with Petit Verdot, so I was looking forward to this opportunity. Pouring out all three wines, the Cabernet Franc was the most unique of the three as it was a thin red-brown in colour sort of like the thinness you get with Pinot Noir. The Malbec and the Petit Verdot were both dark and opaque, though the Malbec was more purple-red vs. the ruby red of the Petit Verdot. I’m guessing that the Malbec, due to the purple in the colour, had some Merlot blended in.
The aroma from the Cabernet Franc was a mix of Black Currant and Cedar, I didn’t get the white pepper or red cherries that the LCBO had in their description. The Malbec has a classic earthy aroma to it that I find common in French Wines as well as some green pepper and oak. The Petit Verdot had a huge nose of smoke, cedar, vanilla and chocolate.
The structure on all three wines was very different. The Cab. Franc was high in acidity with weak soft tannins making the wine light, easy drinking and approachable. The Malbec’s acidity seemed lacking but big tannins and good body made this wine seem much bigger than the Cab. Franc. Lastly, the Petit Verdot was a big huge wine with fresh acidity and good tannin and body and was probably the most balanced of the three.
A Wine Club member brought in a selection of soft cheeses; a spiced goat’s cheese, a cranberry goat’s cheese and a fig goat’s cheese as well as a brie. With the cheeses the Cabernet Franc was the crowd favourite, follow by the Petit Verdot and the Malbec came in dead last. I like Malbec though with the spiced cheese but would agree with the rest on the order. I will also note that the sweetness of the cranberry and the fig goat cheese didn’t make it a good match for any of the wines.
I’m a little surprised that for me a VQA Cabernet Franc was my first choice of the three and that the Australian Petit Verdot was second and the French Malbec was dead last as usually Canada and Australia are my two least favourite wine regions and France is one of favourite areas but that is the nice thing about trying new wines and keeping an open mind is that you can be pleasantly surprised at times!
Cheers
Mark
I have never tried a wine made only with Petit Verdot, so I was looking forward to this opportunity. Pouring out all three wines, the Cabernet Franc was the most unique of the three as it was a thin red-brown in colour sort of like the thinness you get with Pinot Noir. The Malbec and the Petit Verdot were both dark and opaque, though the Malbec was more purple-red vs. the ruby red of the Petit Verdot. I’m guessing that the Malbec, due to the purple in the colour, had some Merlot blended in.
The aroma from the Cabernet Franc was a mix of Black Currant and Cedar, I didn’t get the white pepper or red cherries that the LCBO had in their description. The Malbec has a classic earthy aroma to it that I find common in French Wines as well as some green pepper and oak. The Petit Verdot had a huge nose of smoke, cedar, vanilla and chocolate.
The structure on all three wines was very different. The Cab. Franc was high in acidity with weak soft tannins making the wine light, easy drinking and approachable. The Malbec’s acidity seemed lacking but big tannins and good body made this wine seem much bigger than the Cab. Franc. Lastly, the Petit Verdot was a big huge wine with fresh acidity and good tannin and body and was probably the most balanced of the three.
A Wine Club member brought in a selection of soft cheeses; a spiced goat’s cheese, a cranberry goat’s cheese and a fig goat’s cheese as well as a brie. With the cheeses the Cabernet Franc was the crowd favourite, follow by the Petit Verdot and the Malbec came in dead last. I like Malbec though with the spiced cheese but would agree with the rest on the order. I will also note that the sweetness of the cranberry and the fig goat cheese didn’t make it a good match for any of the wines.
I’m a little surprised that for me a VQA Cabernet Franc was my first choice of the three and that the Australian Petit Verdot was second and the French Malbec was dead last as usually Canada and Australia are my two least favourite wine regions and France is one of favourite areas but that is the nice thing about trying new wines and keeping an open mind is that you can be pleasantly surprised at times!
Cheers
Mark
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