May Wine Club - Chardonnay

This past Monday Wine Club got together to try two higher end Chardonnays.  We were supposed to meet on Thursday May 17th to do this but 4 of the 11 members couldn’t make it so we moved it to Monday instead.  The sad thing is due to last minute emergencies, 4 people didn’t make this meeting so I probably should have just left it on the Thursday instead.

Here is the LCBO information on both of the wines -

NEWTON UNFILTERED CHARDONNAY 2007

VINTAGES 1537
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 64.95
Made in: California, USA
By: Newton Vineyard
Release Date: May 28, 2011
Wine, White Wine
15.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Varietal: Chardonnay
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

Tasting Note - A rich, unctuous, buttery style. Full-bodied, with spicy fig, melon, smoky oak and honeydew melon flavors that gain depth, body and complexity, ending with a roasted marshmallow aftertaste. Still a bit coarse in texture, but all the right ingredients are in the right places. Drink now through 2016. Score - 91. (James Laube, winespectator.com, Nov. 30, 2010)

MAISON ROCHE DE BELLENE VIEILLES VIGNES MEURSAULT 2009

VINTAGES 241091
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 48.95
Made in: Burgundy, France
By: Maison Roche De Bellene
Release Date: Feb 4, 2012
Wine, White Wine
12.7% Alcohol/Vol.
Varietal: Chardonnay
Sweetness Descriptor: D - Dry

Tasting Note - Meursault produces some of the most luxuriant of Burgundy's white wines, and this is certainly no exception. Aromas of toffee and nuts are wonderfully interlaced with fresh and lively fruit tones. The nose also includes a delicate perfumed note that adds intrigue and complexity. Dry, balanced and quite complex on the palate with good fruit, and a long finish. This is an elegant and finessed wine that will reward 4+ years in the cellar, or can be enjoyed tonight with trout in a white-wine sauce. (VINTAGES panel, Jan. 2011)

I was surprised as both wines were the exact same shade of straw yellow as I poured them out as I was expecting the French one to be a slightly lighter shade.  The nose on both wines though were very different with the Newton being the stronger intensity of the two with vanilla, apple and nutmeg notes vs. the melon, lime and rose notes for the Meursault.  Tasting the two wines, the Newton was the oakier of the two and was a nice mix of tropical fruit, melon and butterscotch with some smokiness to it.  The Meursault was lighter tasting with green apple, lime and some nuttiness to it.  The structure on both wines was lovely, the Meursault was more crisp and refreshing but the Newton had a wonderfully long and lingering finish to it.

Adam, a Wine Club member, brought in a corn, potato and bacon chowder to go with the wines.  Both wines went well with the food for different reasons.  The Newton worked as complimentary pairing with this rich and heavy soup whereas the Meursault was a contrasting pairing as its crispness helped offset the richness of the soup.  I liked the Newton more with the soup but like the Meursault more on its own.

Wine Club members all seemed to like both wines but were split just about down the middle on which one they liked better.

I liked both of these wines and very much enjoyed trying them but will say neither was amazing enough for me to rush out and pick up more of either.  I will add that I did like the fact that both wines were subtly oaked as over-oaked Chardonnay is usually my biggest compliant. 

Cheers!

Mark

April Wine Club - Cabernet Sauvignon + Wine Auction

This past Thursday, Wine Club got together to look at three different Cabernet Sauvignon.

Here is the LCBO information on the wines -

MOUNTADAM THE RED CABERNET SAUVIGNON/MERLOT/CABERNET FRANC 2007

VINTAGES 931105
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 30.95
Wine, Red Wine
13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: South Australia, Australia
By: Mountadam Vineyard
Release Date: Feb 18, 2012

Tasting Note - Healthy colour leads into a very elegant and fine wine, with vibrant blackcurrant, cassis and cherry fruit running through the long finish; it is amazing how easily the wine has absorbed two years in new French oak barriques, and how polished the tannins are. Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Cabernet Franc. Score - 96. (James Halliday, winecompanion.com.au, Aug. 3, 2010)

CHATEAU CHEVALIER CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2006

VINTAGES 256776
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 34.95
Wine, Red Wine
14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: California, USA
By: Spring Mountain Vineyard
Release Date: Feb 18, 2012

Tasting Note -  The Spring Mountain District is quite remote and relatively small, and the unique microclimate it enjoys has earned the region a global reputation for the flavour intensity and balance of its wines. This example delivers complex aromas of black plum, cedar, leather, cassis and blackberries. The palate it dry and full bodied with impressive flavour replays, round and soft tannins, fantastic structure and balance and a full-flavoured finish. Enjoy with grilled lamb in a warm blackberry sauce. (VINTAGES panel, May 2011)

VILAFONTÉ SERIES M (Bonus Bottle)

VINTAGES 7757
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 34.55
Wine, Red Wine
14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: Region Not Specified, South Africa
By: Vilafonte
Release Date: N/A

The Mountadam was recommended by my local LCBO Vintages consultant as it was Australian and had a high Cabernet Franc percentage which is something you don’t see that often.  It has been awhile since I had done a wine from “down under” so I figured we’d give it a try.  I picked up the Chateau Chevalier from California as a comparison bottle as it was around the same price point.  As a bonus I also decided to add the Vilafonté Series M as it too was in the same price range and I really enjoyed it ( http://zippysauce.blogspot.ca/2012/03/saturday-night-two-cases-later-part-2.html ) and wanted Wine Club to try it.

I will just be reviewing the Mountadam and the Chateau Chevalier as I have reviewed the Vilafonté Series M in the link above.  I will add that the Vilafonté Series M was my favourite out of the three wines but the Mountadam wasn’t that far behind.

The nose on the Mountadam was very French, with strong aromas of lead pencil shavings, green pepper and Blackberry.  The nose on the Chateau Chevalier was milder with cedar, cranberry and raspberry notes.  Tasting the Mountadam it was a nice mix of raspberry and herbs with a nice balance of acidity and tannin; though it was more acidic than tannic but not by much.  The Chateau Chevalier had cherry as the dominate flavour but it had a bit of ‘green’ taste to it as if the grapes were under ripe.  The Chateau Chevalier’s structure wasn’t bad but the acidity and tannin were much less than the other two giving this wine a small mouth-feel.  Chateau Chevalier with its greenness and small mouth-feel could best be described as Cab-lite like a light beer is to regular beer; the flavours are all there but it just seems watered down.

Monica, a Wine Club member, brought in a selection of cheese and crackers to pair with the wines.  The cheeses were very good especially the Brie, which I normally not a huge fan of, but this one was lovely.

The Chateau Chevalier is a “won’t buy again”, the Mountadam is a bottle that I would recommend grabbing a bottle of as it is a very solid wine for its $31 price point.  

The other thing that we did after Wine Club on Thursday was have a Wine Auction.  One of the managers I worked with came to me on Wednesday and said his son won 80 bottles of wine at a charity event.  He said his son doesn’t drink wine and he doesn’t either for medical reasons and had no idea what to do with 80 bottles.  The manager mentioned that the raffle ticket said the 80 bottles were worth $2000 and asked me if this sounded right.  I told him not knowing what the wine were I couldn’t say if they were worth $2000 or not and then said you can bet that they would be worth $800 as it is fairly hard to find wines at less than $10 per bottle  He then asked if I wanted all 80 bottles for $800. 

I at first said no as I wasn’t sure what the wines were or how old they were and I have more than enough wine at home to get through but a few hours later changed my mind.  I hit up Wine Club members and asked if they would be interested in 8 bottles of wine for $80 and in less than 20 minutes had 9 people interested.  I told the manager I’d take it and he checked with his son and his son was more than happy to turn the wine into $800 cash.  The manager brought all the wine in the next day which happed to be the same day as our Wine Club meeting.

I looked through the cases and the second bottle I pulled out was an Italian 2008 Tignanello which is $100 at the LCBO.  I started to doubt my wisdom about split these wines ten ways!  There were lots of French, Italian and Spanish wines in the first couple of cases but after that I would say at least half the wines were domestics and I didn’t find anything else on the same level as the Tignanello.  I put all the wines out on the counter so they were displayed.

We drew cards during Wine Club to determine who picked in what order and I got 4th pick.  The Tignanello went first, there were two Amarone that went 2nd and 3rd.  I grab a Brunello di  Montalcino as my choice.  After the first ten picks we reversed the order so the person who picked 10th, got the 11th pick as well and the person who picked 1st got the 20th pick.  This meant I had the 16th pick and grabbed a Chianti Classico as my pick. 

In the later rounds I got a bottle of ice wine from a winery I’d never heard of, a Speck family reserve Chardonnay from Henry of Pelham, a French red that was a GSM blend, and two VQA wines that I gave to two girls in the office.  When I did some quick LCBO searches I total up the six bottles I kept to $143… not bad for $80.  The rest of wine club members were between $140 and $240 and were happy with what they got as well. 

The auction itself was a hoot as when you were on the clock people were pushing you to make a quick pick so it got your blood pumping and we were laughing and having a good time with it.  I would do this again in a heartbeat but I don’t expect to come across this type of opportunity again anytime soon.

Cheers!

Mark

March Wine Club – Alsace

This past Thursday, Wine Club looked at 3 different wines from the region of Alsace in France.  The last time we looked at Alsace was June 2008 so we were more than due to take another peak at this wonderful wine region.

Here is the LCBO Information on the wines -

TURCKHEIM HENGST GEWURZTRAMINER 2007

VINTAGES 259705
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 24.95
Wine, White Wine
13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : M
Made in: Alsace, France
By: Ernest Preiss
Release Date: Mar 3, 2012

Tasting Note - Gewurztraminer is grown around the world, but the most famous expressions of this exotically spicy grape are found in Alsace. This example offers a great flourish of peach, pear, citrus, spice, rose-petal and lychee aromas. The palate is moderately sweet and deliciously lives up to the promise of the nose. Very appealing, and simply lovely. (VINTAGES panel, April 2011)

KUEHN FLORIMONT RIESLING 2009

VINTAGES 260257
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 22.95
Wine, White Wine
12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : MD
Made in: Alsace, France
By: Vins D'Alsace Kuehn S.A.
Release Date: Mar 3, 2012

Tasting Note - Perfumed aromas of exotic spice introduce a persistent off-dry stream of ripe fruit flavour moderated by a wonderful sweet and tang aftertaste. This is medium bodied with a generous mouth feel. Sweet pear, apple and spice mingle with lemony citrus on the palate while the mid-length finish layers on yellow plum and a refreshing dollop of key lime showcasing that magical yin and yang that pairs so well with spicy Asian dishes like pad Thai. Score - 3 1/2 Stars (out of 5). (Vic Harradine, winecurrent.com, June 25, 2011)LCBO Information – Pierre Sparr Pinot Gris Réserve 2005

JOSEPH CATTIN HATSCHBOURG PINOT GRIS 2009

VINTAGES 260240
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 19.95
Wine, White Wine
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : M
Made in: Alsace, France
By: Cattin Freres
Release Date: Mar 3, 2012

Tasting Note - Richly textured wine, full of ripe and spicy fruit, the acidity just a hint behind the dried honey and watermelon flavors. It is full-bodied, ripe, packed with intense fruit flavors. A wine for aging over 3-4 years. Score - 93. (Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast, Dec. 2011)

Pouring out the wines, I was amazed to see the different hues to the wines.  The Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer were a golden yellow (the Gewürztraminer was slightly darker than the Pinot Gris) in colour whereas the Riesling was more a pale yellow with some greenish tint to it.  The nose on all 3 wines were very different from each other – The Pinot Gris had a moderate nose of rhubarb, pear and nutmeg, the Riesling had a weak nose with aromas of lime, petrol and green apple and the Gewürztraminer had a powerful nose with lovely aromas of roses, lychee and orange zest.  Tasting the wines was fun as they were all very different from each other too.  The Riesling had lively acidity and had a racy green apple flavour to it.  The Pinot Gris had interesting flavours of honey and peach but the acidity wasn’t that high which made the wine seem almost cloying.  The Gewürztraminer had powerful flavours of kiwi and white grapefruit and that usual bitterness in the mid-palate that I have come to expect from Gewürztraminer.

Tracy, a Wine Club member, did Buttered Chicken and served it with fresh sliced baguette.  I really like the Buttered Chicken and asked her for the recipe and she laughed and showed me the President’s Choice jar it came from.  I thought this was cool as that makes it super easy to make… just go buy a jar of it!  The Riesling was the clear winner with the food and it made an amazing pairing.

I loved the Riesling but wasn’t blow away by the other two wine, though the nose on the Gewürztraminer was awesome. 

Next month we’ll be looking at a Cab-blend from Australia and Cabernet Sauvignon from California.

Cheers!

Mark

February Wine Club - Brunello di Montalcino

Things have been a little slow on the blog recently.  Mick and Amy have been away so there hasn’t been the usual Saturday night dinners to review.  I have also been down with a head cold / sinus thing that has had me leaning more towards whine than wine.

On the upside I did have a Wine Club meeting where we looked at two Italian reds both of which were Brunello di Montalcino.

Here is the LCBO Information -

FATTOI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2006

VINTAGES 33498
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 34.95
Wine, Red Wine
14.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Tuscany, Italy
By: Fattoi Ofelio & Figli
Release Date: Jan 7, 2012

Tasting Note - There's plenty of power here, with dark fruit flavors reminiscent of black currant and blackberry. Fruity in style, yet with firm, uplifting tannins. Features a long finish of sweet fruit. Best from 2012 through 2025. Score - 92. (Bruce Sanderson, winespectator.com, July 31, 2011)

SAN GIORGIO UGOLFORTE BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2005

VINTAGES 212431
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 48.95
Wine, Red Wine
14.1% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Tuscany, Italy
By: Tenuta San Giorgio
Release Date: Jun 11, 2011

Tasting Note - The 2005 Brunello di Montalcino Ugolforte blossoms from the glass with an expressive bouquet of freshly cut roses, sweet French oak, spices and raspberries. There is a lovely up-front raciness and freshness to the fruit. The wine loses a bit of persistence on the finish, but it is nevertheless beautifully balanced, harmonious and appealing. The Ugolforte is delicious today but also seems to have enough freshness to support cellaring; still it would be a shame to miss it at this stage. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2022. Score - 91. (Antonio Galloni, erobertparker.com, April 2010)

My sinuses were still acting up so I’m not going to do a review of either wine as it wouldn’t be fair to do it.  I did find that both wines leaned towards a earthier/herb like flavour with some light fruit in the background which was interesting as I was expecting more fruit up front.  Not that this was a bad thing, as both wines were very tasty.

I will also add that both wines were very much enjoyed by Wine Club and was surprised at how many members were asking if the LCBO still had stock as both wines are well outside our usual $15-20 price point.  Dorie, a Wine Club member, was nice enough to make a roasted red pepper soup and sliced and toasted baguettes topped with prosciutto, basil and Bocconcini cheese both of which were really good pairings with the wine.

Mick and Amy will be away for next Saturday but will be back after that so I should have some new wine after the following Saturday.

Cheers!

Mark

January Wine Club – Champagne

This month for Wine Club we tasted two French Champagnes. 

Here is the LCBO information for both -

LOUIS ROEDERER BRUT PREMIER CHAMPAGNE

VINTAGES 268771

750 mL bottle

Price: $ 67.95

Wine, Champagne

12.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Sugar Content : XD

Made in: Champagne, France

By: Champagne Louis Roederer

Release Date: Aug 20, 2011

Description - As Decanter magazine's Steven Spurrier puts it: 'it cannot be bettered.' It makes an excellent aperitif or a delicious companion to a light entree.

Tasting Note - A delicate Champagne, with spring blossom, smoke, yellow apple and anise flavors set on a fine-grained texture. The moderate finish is fresh and juicy, with the smoky note lingering. Better than previously reviewed. Drink now through 2019. Score - 90. (Alison Napjus, winespectator.com, June 15, 2011)

TAITTINGER BRUT RÉSERVE CHAMPAGNE

VINTAGES 814723

750 mL bottle

Price: $ 53.95

Wine, Champagne

12.0% Alcohol/Vol.

Sugar Content : XD

Made in: Champagne, France

By: Champagne Taittinger

Release Date: Oct 29, 2011

Tasting Note - A mature, dusty-minerally expression of champagne, with notable autolysis character of yeast and brioche, with bruised apple and dried citrus zest aromas. The palate is fullish and well balanced, though again dominated by mature flavours and mineral expression. A champagne for the table. Score - 90. (John Szabo, M.S., winealign.com, August 2010)

I won’t be going into much detail for either as I have already reviewed both here on the blog -

http://zippysauce.blogspot.com/2011/12/saturday-night-champagne-and-sheian.html

http://zippysauce.blogspot.com/2011/06/saturday-night-sparkling-night-with-in.html

Both wines were enjoyed by Wine Club members but the Roederer was the clear favourite. Julie was nice enough to provide the food for this meeting adn bought in Bruschetta and a Smoked Salmon ring. Both were served with a selection of crackers and made a good pairing for both of the Champagnes.

It was nice to kick off this new session of Wine Club with a Champagne toast and I’m already looking forward to next month.

Cheers!

Mark

December Wine Club – Bonus Tasting

After our regular six month long session of Wine Club we change up the format and do a bonus tasting.  In the first six months, I buy a case each month and we split the case eleven ways and do a tasting with the 12th bottle and normally have another bottle of something else as a comparison bottle.  For the bonus tasting there is no take home bottle so it is just two bottles for the tasting and that’s it; this usually allows us to pick up a couple of wines at a much higher price point than usual.

Here is the LCBO information on both of the wines we had for the bonus tasting –

BERINGER PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2005

VINTAGES 149955
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 99.95
Wine, Red Wine
14.6% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: California, USA
By: Treasury Wine Estates
Release Date: Jun 11, 2011

Description - This vintage is being offered at a special one-time reduced price. Robert Parker awarded it 92 points and Stephen Tanzer rated it 94.

Tasting Note - Offers richness, concentration and depth while remaining elegant and supple, focusing on the ripe, spicy currant, mineral, herb and sage notes. Ends with a measure of finesse and polish, with the right mix of tannins. Drink now through 2016. Score - 93. (James Laube, Wine Spectator, Oct. 15, 2008)

YALUMBA THE SIGNATURE CABERNET SAUVIGNON/SHIRAZ 2006

VINTAGES 528356
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 51.95
Wine, Red Wine
14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: South Australia, Australia
By: Negociants International
Release Date: Sep 3, 2011

Tasting Note - The 2006 The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz is composed of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon and 31% Shiraz. Deep garnet-purple in color, it offers intense notes of blackberry preserves, warm cherries, black currant cordial plus an earthy / gamey undercurrent and nuances of marmite toast. The tight-knit medium to full-bodied palate is firmly structured with a high level of grainy tannins, high acid and just enough savory flesh giving a long finish. Approachable now, it should be best 2012 to 2018. Score - 91. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW, erobertparker.com, Dec. 2010)

The two wines were both excellent but in different ways.  The nose on the Beringer’s was more aromatic of the two with cassis, raspberry, green pepper and leather whereas the Yalumba it was black pepper, strawberry and mint.  Tasting the two wines, the Beringer’s had flavours of cherry, mint, coffee and a leathery flavour to it.  The Yalumba was all fruit with blueberry, blackberry and raspberry notes.  The structure on both was good but the Beringer’s was more tannic than the Yalumba and the Yalumba acidity was more pronounced than the Beringer’s. 

I brought in bars of Lindt 70% dark chocolate and a LaRocca Hazelnut Bomb Chocolate cake to go with the wines.  The general consensus was the Beringer’s was the favourite with the dark chocolate and the Yalumba was the better wine with the Cake.  Overall the Yalumba was the bigger hit as most people liked both wines equally but once the price points were taken into account (the Yalumba at just over half the price of the Beringer’s) was the winner.

We will be looking at more wines again for Wine Club in January when we start the next session and I’m already looking forward to it.

Note - the Blog is probably going to be quiet until the New Year as the next couple of weekends we all have different Christmas obligations to attend so we won’t be together again until New Year’s Eve.  So I will take this time to wish my 3 or 4 loyal readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Cheers!

Mark

November Wine Club – Carménère

This month Wine Club got together for our final regular meeting of this session and will wrap up this final session next month with a ‘bonus’ tasting. This month we looked at two Carménère’s from Chile. The San Pedro 1865 was the take home bottle and the Calina was the comparison bottle.

"Crappy pictures like this is why Amy is the official Zippy Sauce Photographer and not me!"

Here is LCBO Information for both of them -


SAN PEDRO 1865 SINGLE VINEYARD CARMENÈRE 2008

VINTAGES 249201
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 19.95
Wine, Red Wine
14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Maule Valley, Chile
By: Vina Tarapaca Ex Zavala
Release Date: Sep 17, 2011

Tasting Note - Complex and very flavourful Carménère with aromas of coconut oil, cassis, plum, underbrush, cloves and pipe tobacco. Dry, plush and fruity with velvety tannins. Very good aroma replays, with nice acidity wrapped around the fruit to make it beautifully lively. A refined, fruity/savoury wine with a very long finish. Enjoy with hearty ratatouille, rabbit stew, grilled eggplant or bison steaks. (VINTAGES panel, July 2011)

CALINA RESERVA CARMENÈRE 2009

VINTAGES 951079
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 15.95
Wine, Red Wine
13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Central Valley, Chile
By: Jackson Wine Estates International
Release Date: Aug 20, 2011

Tasting Note - The 2009 Vina Calina Carmenere Reserva is a blend of 80 percent Carmenere, 12 percent Merlot, 5 percent Syrah, and 3 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. After a short maceration, the juice was fermented and transferred to an equal percentage of French and American oak barrels, of which only 15 percent were new. This winemaking technique avoided extracting carmenere's natural herbaceousness and overwhelming the fruit flavors with new oak accents. Black fruit and mild smoky aromas greet the nose, and black plum and blackberry flavors are carried on a velvety body that finishes in a pleasing, balanced finish. (John Foy, nj.com, Sept. 8, 2010)

The first time Wine Club look at Carménère was way back in the first session so it has been a number of years since we had it. Physically there was quite a difference between the two wines as the Calina was in a normal bottle whereas the 1865 came in a very heavy glass bottle like you would find more often in higher end wines. The 1865 bottle was also nicely wrapped in custom 1865 tissue paper. The heavy bottle and tissue paper isn’t something I’d expect from a $20 bottle of wine and it made a nice impression on everyone.

The aromas for both wines were easy to find but quite different from each other. The Calina had aromas of cocoa, raspberry and plum and the 1865’s aromas were black currant, strawberry, licorice and pine needle. Tasting the Calina you find a blueberry and tobacco flavours with high amounts of acidity. The 1865 had much more fruit flavours to it with currant, strawberry and lime notes. The 1865 had less acidity and more tanning to it and combined with the big fruit gave this wine a much bigger mouth-feel and better balance to it than the Calina. I liked both wines but thought the 1865 was easily the better wine of the two and more than justified extra $4 of sticker price.

Sean, one of our Wine Club members, was nice enough to bring in some food for us to have with the wine. He did Nan bread with olive oil, garlic, stir-fried mixed sweet peppers, onions and chicken and then topped with melted cheese. The food with excellent and went very well with both wines.

Eight of the ten Wine Club members preferred the 1865, one was torn equally between both of them and one liked the Calina better.

This session was a very good one and I’m already looking forward to the bonus tasting next month.

Cheers!

Mark

October Wine Club - Gewürztraminer

For our October Wine Club meeting we looked at Gewürztraminer from Alsace. The take home bottle was a 2008 Willy Gisselbrecht Gewürztraminer and it was done in an off-dry style. The comparison bottle was a René Muré and it was done in a dry style.

Here is the LCBO information for both wines -


WILLY GISSELBRECHT TRADITION GEWURZTRAMINER 2008

VINTAGES 928390
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 18.95
Wine, White Wine
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : MD
Made in: Alsace, France
By: Willy Gisselbrecht & Fils
Release Date: Jul 23, 2011

Tasting Note - Pleasant notes of peach, ginger and lychee greet the nose here. A touch off-dry, well balanced and lovely with citrus, peach and spice tones in the mouth. Ideal for spicy Indian curry dishes featuring chicken or lamb. (VINTAGES panel, Sept. 2010)

RENÉ MURÉ SIGNATURE GEWURZTRAMINER 2009

VINTAGES 61218
750 mL gift
Price: $ 17.95
Wine, White Wine
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: Alsace, France
By: A. & O. Mure
Release Date: Aug 20, 2011

Description - The Muré family have been growing grapes in Alsace since 1648. Their wines always express the classic characteristics of each grape variety they use. This Gewurztraminer is sourced from 29-year-old vines and displays aromas of intense lychee and rose petals. It's dry, full bodied and spicy. It will delight as an aperitif or pair it with exotic foods like lamb curry.

Gewürztraminer is a variety of grape that I’m not a huge fan of as the wonderful lychee and floral nose always reminds me of dessert wines and then when you taste a dry wine with a slight bitterness to it, I find that is a shock as it wasn’t what I was expecting. That said we have never done Gewürztraminer on its own for Wine Club so I felt it was time.

The Willy Gisselbrecht Gewürztraminer I had tried before a few weeks ago at the dinner Kim hosted - http://zippysauce.blogspot.com/2011/10/saturday-night-chez-kimmie.html so I won’t bother reviewing it again here in much detail and will focus on the René Muré instead.

The nose on the René Muré was stronger than the Willy Gisselbrecht and had nice aromas of lime, lychee, rose and Mandarin orange. Tasting this wine you’ll notice a dry wine with grapefruit and spice flavours. I like the nose more on this wine but thought the flavours on the Willy Gisselbrecht were nicer.

Tracey, a Wine Club member, bought in spicy hummus, spicy Guacamole dip and tortillas to go with the wines. Both wines were a good pairing for the wines but I enjoyed the Willy Gisselbrecht more.

While I’m not a huge fan of Gewürztraminer, I did enjoy both of these ones and I will be forever grateful to the grape for being one of the only wines that pairs with Avocado.

Thanks to Tracey for the yummy food and I’m already looking forward to next month’s meeting.

Cheers!

Mark

September Wine Club – Primitivo

This month Wine Club got together and tried a Primitivo from Italy and a Zinfandel from California. Primitivo and Zinfandel are genetically the same grape. I have tried a number of Zinfandels but have never tried Primitivo before so I was curious to see how Italy would craft the wine compared to its California cousin.

Here is the LCBO Information –

CIGNOMORO PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA 2007

VINTAGES 211078
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 19.95
Wine, Red Wine
15.2% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Puglia, Italy
By: Cignomoro
Release Date: May 14, 2011

Tasting Note - A very intriguing and complex nose offering aromas of spiced plum, vanilla, new leather and smoked meat. Dry with a sweet fruit core, fine tannins, good weight and a generous mouthfeel, this is a powerhouse of a wine. Full bodied with a medium-long finish. Enjoy with grilled bison steaks, or lamb chops. (VINTAGES panel, March 2011)
 NAPA CELLARS ZINFANDEL 2008

VINTAGES 126607
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 24.95
Wine, Red Wine
14.9% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: California, USA
By: Sutter Home Winery
Release Date: May 14, 2011

Description - An unbeatable value from Napa Valley, this intensely fruity Zinfandel is sourced mainly from the warmer sub-appellations of Calistoga, St. Helena and Pope Valley. Notes of blackberry, pepper, smoke and spice on the nose. The palate proffers delicious fruit and spice supported by gentle tannins. The finish is long and luxurious. This Zinfandel-lover's dream makes an ideal companion for barbecued baby back ribs, or pulled-pork sandwiches with a robust sauce.

The Primitivo was the take home bottle for Wine Club whereas the Zinfandel was the comparison bottle. The nose on the Zinfandel was typical California Zinfandel with big aromas of Strawberry/Blackberry/Raspberry with a touch of eucalyptus in the background. The Primitivo had more of an earthy aroma to it with loam, all spice and plum being the main aromas. Tasting the Zinfandel you initially got sour cherry as the flavour but it finished with more of strawberry flavour to it. The Primitivo flavours were a combination of plum and nutmeg.

Erik, a Wine Club member, bought in Chili, three strong cheeses and fresh baguettes to go with the wines. All of the foods were an excellent pairing with the wines. I liked the Zinfandel more than the Primitivo on its own; the big fruit flavours made it a very easy to drink wine. With the food I really liked the Primitivo as the Zinfandel got a touch lost aginist the food whereas the fruit in the Primitivo came more to the forefront and made it an amazing pairing.

Both wines were enjoyed by Wine Club and opinions on which was better were split right down the middle. I liked that while both wines were very different in style and taste and yet both wines were very good in their own unique ways.

Cheers!

Mark

July Wine Club – Sparkling Wines

This past Thursday, Wine Club got together to try two sparkling wines, here is the LCBO information on both -

SEGURA VIUDAS BRUT RESERVA CAVA SPARKLING


LCBO 216960
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 14.55
Wine, Sparkling Wine, White
11.8% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : 1
Made in: Region Not Specified, Spain
By: Heredad Segura Viudas

DUFOULEUR PÈRE & FILS BRUT CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE 2007


VINTAGES 207993
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 17.95
Wine, Sparkling Wine, Other Sparkling Wine
12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: Burgundy, France
By: Dufouleur Pere Et Fils
Release Date: Apr 16, 2011

Description - All grapes grown in Burgundy are allowed in Crémant de Bourgogne, which is made using the traditional method and must be aged for at least nine months. This version comprises Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Aligoté. Vintage-dated Crémant de Bourgogne is relatively rare in our market. This one features lovely bread dough, citrus and apple aromas. Dry and fresh, with the breadiness balanced impeccably by the citrus. Quite flavourful, this is a great, well-priced, affordable indulgence for everyday enjoyment.

The Cava was the take home bottle and the Crémant de Bourgogne was the comparison bottle. I was excited about trying these two sparkling wines as I have been addicted to the Louis Roederer Champagne recently.

The nose on the Cava was of moderate intensity with lime, yeast, pear and faint floral notes in the background. Lemon and grapefruit flavors were the dominate flavors to the wine. The structure was good with lively acidity bringing the wine to life. Without food this was my favourite of the two but with food the Crémant was better.

The nose on the Crémant was weaker in intensity than the Cava with lemon and grass notes as the two main aromas. The main flavours were gooseberry and lime. This wine was much more fruit forward than the Cava. The structure on the Crémant was good with fresh acidity and fruit.

Kathy, one of our Wine Club members, did chicken skewers to go with the wines which made a good pairing for both of them though the Crémant was better with food than the Cava.

I liked both wines but wasn’t in love with either. They were fun to try but I don’t see myself rushing out to buy more of either.

Cheers!

Mark

June Wine Club – Rioja

This month’s Wine Club meeting we took a look at two Riojas. I really the value of Rioja as I find you get a very big wine for a very reasonable price. The take home bottle, 2004 Lar de Paula Reserva, was rated a 90 by erobertparker.com so I was looking forward to trying it. The Muga Reserva was picked up as a comparison bottle.

"This is why Amy takes the pictures for this blog and not me"

Here the LCBO Information on the wines –

LAR DE PAULA RESERVA 2004

VINTAGES 208207
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 21.95
Wine, Red Wine
14.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: Region Not Specified, Spain
By: Heredad De Baroja
Release Date: May 14, 2011

Tasting Note - The purple-colored 2004 Lar de Paula Reserva is 100% Tempranillo with a classic bouquet of cedar, mineral, earth notes, black cherry, and blackberry. Medium-bodied, it is dense and layered on the palate. Black fruit and spice notes are buttressed by moderate ripe tannin leading to a pure, fruit-filled finish. Give it 3-4 years to fully blossom and drink it from 2012 to 2024. Score - 90. (Jay Miller, erobertparker.com, June 2009)

MUGA RESERVA (V)

VINTAGES 177345
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 23.95
Wine, Red Wine
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Rioja, Spain
By: Bodegas Muga S.A.
Release Date: N/A

I was amazed at the strength of the nose on both wines as just pouring them out the room was filled with their aromas. The nose on the Lar de Paula had big aromas of blueberry, blackberry and spice. The nose on the Muga was a nice mix of leather, sour cherry and some mushroom lurking in the background. Tasting the Lar de Paula you’ll find a raspberry flavour dominating this wine. The structure on the Lar de Paula was good with lively acidity, tons of tannin. I actually think this wine could use a couple of years down to soften the tannin. The Muga’s main flavour was sour cherry. The Muga was a much softer styled wine as the tannin level was much lower than the Lar de Paula and the acidity was a touch more muted as well. I slightly preferred the Muga over the Lar de Paula without food.

Monica, (one of our Wine Club members) was nice enough to do up a big pot of chili to go with the wines. The chili was very good and the Lar de Paula quickly became the crowd favourite as the chili neutralized the high tannin and the wine became very polished and smooth. The Muga with the food couldn’t stand up to the bold flavours of the chili and seemed lost at times.

Both wine were enjoyed by everyone and even though the Lar de Paula was the favourite, I don’t think anyone would have been too disappointed to take home a bottle of the Muga either.

It was a fun session and I’d like to thank Monica for the chili as it really did pair well with the wines.

Cheers!

Mark

May Wine Club – Rosé

This month’s Wine Club meeting kicked off the latest six month session of Wine Club. I was pleased that everyone re-upped from the last session, so hopefully that means everyone is enjoying it as much as I am. When I started this Wine Club a few years back, I was committed to trying as many different regions, grapes and styles of wines as I could. That commitment to diversity has paid large dividends as I have found many a grape/region that were wonderful that I wouldn’t have on my own. The wines that we were tasting today was a Rosé from Italy as the take home bottle and a Rosé from French as a comparison bottle.

Here is the LCBO information on the wines –


ZENATO BARDOLINO CHIARETTO 2010


VINTAGES 45203
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 11.95
Wine, Rosé Wine
12.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: Veneto, Italy
By: Azienda Vinicola Zenato
Release Date: May 14, 2011

Tasting Note - This delightful candy-apple-coloured wine is made from the same grape varieties as Valpolicella - Corvina, Molinara, and Rondinella. Lively aromas of cherry, strawberry and blood orange greet the nose, along with a nice minerality and a lifted floral note. Dry, medium bodied with plenty of zippy acidity, it offers tart and tangy fruit to start, but sweeter notes emerge mid-palate and throughout the medium-long, crisp finish. Enjoy with crab cakes, or portobello mushroom sandwiches with provolone cheese. (VINTAGES panel, March 2011)


CHÂTEAU D'AQUÉRIA TAVEL ROSÉ 2010


VINTAGES 319368
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 18.95
Wine, Rosé Wine
12.9% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Rhône, France
By: Jean Olivier, Prod.
Release Date: May 14, 2011

Tasting Note - Tavel, an AC located across the Rhône River from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, uniquely makes rosé wines its exclusive focus. This version offers up fresh strawberry, sweet cherry, rosehips, and spring flowers in abundance. Dry, light bodied, fresh and tangy on the palate with waves of vivacious acidity. The lingering finish sports a strawberry-rhubarb character embroidered by herbal and floral notes. Enjoy with salmon-and-cream-cheese appetizers, or turkey breast with paprika. (VINTAGES panel, March 2011)

I have been reluctant to try Rosé in the past as whenever I see it I think of White Zinfandel (or fun wine as I joking call it) from California.

I brought in a selection of Cheese and Crackers and some roasted Red Pepper dip to accompany the two wines.

Nosing the two wines, I was surprise to find the Zenato (the less expensive to the two) had the better nose. The nose on the Zenato had powerful aromas of grapefruit and strawberry whereas the Tavel had strawberry and gooseberry aromas though they were much softer on the nose and harder to find. Tasting the wines, the Zenato had flavours of lime and strawberry but the alcohol of the wine made it seem a touch hot. The Tavel on the tasting really shined with it apricot and herb flavours and its structure was much more balanced than the ‘hot’ Zenato. The fact that Tavel balanced the 14% alcohol better than the Zenato did with 12% alcohol probably accounts for why it is $7 more. I liked the Zenato quite a bit with the herbed Goat’s cheese, but it got a touch funky when paired with the aged cheddar. The Tavel worked very nicely with all the cheeses and both wines were good with the roasted red pepper dip.

I liked both of the wines, though I will give a definite edge to the French Rosé and could see myself happily killing a bottle or two on a warm summer’s day on the patio. On the other hand I wasn’t blown away by either and don’t see myself rushing out to buy tons more.

It was fun trying something completely new and I’m already looking forward to next month where we will be taking a look at two Spanish Riojas.

Cheers!

Mark

March Wine Club – Chianti

This month for Wine Club we looked at two Chiantis which hail from the Tuscan region of Italy. I really do not know much about Italian wine so this month was a treat for me to learn a little more about this ancient bastion of wine making. I didn’t know that Chianti is mainly made from the Sangiovese grape and was traditionally made in rounded bottles with a straw weave covering. The two Chiantis we looked at were a 2007 Cigliano Chianti Classico (which was the take home bottle for Wine Club members) and a 2007 Rocca Delle Macìe Chianti Classico as the comparison bottle.

"Greetings Clarice"

Here is the LCBO Information on the wines -


CIGLIANO CHIANTI CLASSICO 2007

VINTAGES 189803
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 18.95
Wine, Red Wine
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Tuscany, Italy
By: Villa Del Cigliano
Release Date: Jan 8, 2011

Tasting Note - The Chianti Classico '07 is very natural in its expression and precision of flavour. It's classy, land-focused and shows the winery is on its way. Score - 2 Glasses (out of 3). (Gambero Rosso Italian Wines, 2010)

ROCCA DELLE MACÌE CHIANTI CLASSICO (V)

VINTAGES 741769
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 18.95
Wine, Red Wine
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Tuscany, Italy
By: Rocca Delle Macie S.P.A.
Release Date: May 15, 2010

Description - Italo Zingarelli, the late film producer and founder of Rocca delle Macìe, passed on his love for winemaking to members of his family. They are masters of Chianti. This delicious, medium-bodied, and well-structured wine exhibits complex aromas of plum, sweet tobacco, mushroom and a touch of oak. Uncompromising quality and value. Pairs beautifully with antipasti, bistecca or veal scallopini.

What was interesting about the two wines was the number of things they had in common – both are Chianti, both are $19, both have 13% alcohol and both were from 2007. Pouring out the wines another commonality showed up as they were identical in colour (a soft red-brown) and in colour depth both were thin like you usually see with a Pinot Noir.

Nosing the wines I found green pepper aromas in both. The Cigliano also had aromas of licorice, chocolate and some dark berry. The Rocca on the other hand had aromas of leather and cherry. Tasting the wine I found the structure similar for both; good lively acidity with weak/soft tannin. The Cigliano had a raspberry and menthol flavour to it whereas the Rocca had a solid cherry like flavour to it. Neither of these wines really lit me up on their own but with the food they were both very good.

Speaking of food, Kim (of our Wine Club members) was nice enough to provide homemade cheese ravioli to go with the wine. These were awesome and as I mentioned above work very well with the wines.

It was fun to try a couple of new wines and I could see myself picking up another bottle or two of Chianti depending on what food I was making.

Next month we are doing a blind tasting of 3 red wines which should be fun.

Cheers!

Mark

February Wine Club – New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

This month at Wine Club we took a look at two New Zealand Blancs; a 2009 3 Stones and a 2009 Cloudy Bay.

"$30 vs. $13, who will win?"

Here is the LCBO information on both wines –


3 STONES SAUVIGNON BLANC 2009


VINTAGES 207159
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 12.95
Wine, White Wine
12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: New Zealand, New Zealand
By: Ager Sectus Company Limited
Release Date: Jan 8, 2011

Tasting Note - Light and fragrant, with pretty melon, green herb and lime flavors that keep singing through the finish. Drink now. Score - 89. (Harvey Steiman, www.winespectator.com, March 31, 2010)


CLOUDY BAY SAUVIGNON BLANC 2009


VINTAGES 304469
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 29.95
Wine, White Wine
13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: New Zealand, New Zealand
By: Cloudy Bay Vineyards
Release Date: May 19, 2010

Tasting Note - Forget all about typecasting Marlborough sauvignon blanc; this wine, like Greywacke, has outstanding structure, balance, line and length; the variety is almost irrelevant, for this is terroir speaking through the long-practised mouthpiece of the Cloudy Bay winemaking team. Score - 95. (James Halliday, www.winecompanion.com.au, Feb. 14, 2010)

The 3 Stones was the take home bottle for Wine Club members and the Cloudy Bay was purchased as a comparison bottle. I was a touch nervous about this meeting for a couple of reasons; Cloudy Bay has been, in my opinion, the Sauvignon Blanc that all New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs are compared to as it has been consistently review in a positive light for years. So taking a $13 unknown wine up against a $30 benchmark of New Zealand excellence was a little daunting. Especially if it failed as it was the take home bottle (i.e. Wine Club members would be stuck with it). I also had a Wine Club member who would list Cloudy Bay among her favourite wines of all time.

I remember pouring out the 3 Stones and saying to myself ‘smells like a Sauvignon Blanc at least’. Oddly enough the nose on the 3 Stones was more aromatic then the Cloudy Bay. The nose on the 3 Stones and the Cloudy Bay both had gooseberry and cut grass but the 3 Stones also had a yeasty aroma and some pear whereas the Cloudy Bay had a lime aroma to it.

Tasting the 3 Stones, flavours of lime, lemon, and herbs were noticeable. The Cloudy Bay’s flavors were lime and grapefruit. The Cloudy Bay was also smoother tasting and had a longer finish then the 3 Stones. The 3 Stones had more sharpness and bite to it, though this surprisingly wasn’t a bad thing as I actually found it gave this wine more character.

Monica brought in cheeses, Beachroad Kielbasa, roasted red pepper dip and crackers to go with the wine. The cheeses and roasted red pepper dip were stunning with the wine, the Kielbasa was OK with the wine.

Asking for feedback on the wine, a number of Wine Club members were very happy that the 3 Stones was the take home wine, including my Cloudy Bay fan. I found myself enjoying them both equally but if I was to pick between 2 bottles of 3 Stones vs. 1 bottle of Cloudy Bay, I would take the 3 Stones hands down.

The 3 Stones at $13 a bottle is a very good value and I would highly recommend grabbing some before the LCBO runs out of stock.

Cheers!

Mark

January Wine Club – Portuguese Reds

This month for Wine Club we examined two red wines from the Alentejo region of Portugal. The 2007 Esporão Reserva was recommended to me by my local vintages rep. and it was the take home bottle for Wine Club this month. I needed a comparison bottle; usually I like something from the same area or the same grape. As the Esporão is a blend, I decided to go with another red from the same area. The only other Portuguese red from the Alentejo region my local LCBO had in stock was a bright pink labeled bottle called “Sexy”. I had my doubts about “Sexy” but since it was just the comparison bottle I thought ‘What the heck, let’s give “Sexy” a try!’

Here is the LCBO Information -

ESPORÃO RESERVA RED (V)

Vintages # 606590
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 25.95
Wine, Red Wine
14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Alentejo, Portugal
By: Fingara
Release Date: May 15, 2010


Description - Made from a blend of Aragónes (aka Tempranillo), Cabernet Sauvignon and the local Trincadeira grape, this wine is a very modern take on Portugal. Dark, dense and very fruity, it has pronounced flavours and aromas of mixed berries, new leather, coconut and spice. Boisterous and approachable, it has a New World-meets-Old World style and makes a great companion to barbecued or grilled Angus beef steaks or gourmet sausages.

FITA PRETA SEXY TINTO 2008

Vintages # 144485
Volume - 750mL
Price: $ 18.95
Wine, Red Wine
14.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: Alentejo, Portugal
By: Fita Preta Vinhos Lda.
Release Date: Dec 11, 2010

Tasting Note - Deep ruby in the glass with a provocative bouquet of sweet red fruits, intense blackberry, and a hint of black licorice. Dry, medium bodied and made in an appealing, fruit-forward style that does not sacrifice the overall balance. Smooth, seductive finish. Perfect for a quiet evening with friends over a roast leg of lamb or some roast beef. (VINTAGES panel, April 2010)

The Esporão had an interesting nose of Blackberry, Licorice, Black Currant and Cedar. Tasting the wine I found it to be a touch tannic but with rich flavours of dark cherry, mint and leather. I liked this wine but felt it needed a couple of years down to soften the tannin. One of our Wine Club member’s brought in spicy sausage in tomato sauce with various types of breads to go with it. The Esporão with the sausage was very good as the food neutralized the tannin and this wine just came to life.

The “Sexy” had a big easy to find nose that was dominated with Blueberry and Spice with some oak in the back ground. Tasting the wine I was pleasantly surprised; very soft and approachable wine with soft tannin though lacking a bit in acidity. The main flavour to the wine was strawberry. With the food this wine got lost at times but was a decent pairing never the less. This wine is more of a drink now and doubt aging it would add much to it.

Wine Club was split on preference between the two wines, though most people preferred the Sexy on its own and the Esporão with the food. I like to thank Dorie for bringing in the food as it was very good and made a great pairing with the wines.

I will be putting my bottle of Esporão down for a few years and am very much looking forward to trying it again in the future. As for Sexy, there is a part of me that is tempted to pick up another bottle or two as it was quite good for the price and with its bright pink bottle and the name, it might make an interesting Valentine’s Day gift.

Next month we will be looking at two very different Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand.

Cheers!

Mark

Wine Club November – Niagara Rieslings

This past Thursday’s Wine Club was a bit of treat for me as I wasn’t the one picking up the wines.  Adam and Erik were in charge of selecting the wines and Kathy was responsible for picking up the food.

"3 Niagara region Rieslings"

The 3 Niagara region Rieslings that they selected were as follows –

2009 Cave Springs “Dolomite” Riesling, $16.95, available only at Cave Springs (i.e. no LCBO listing)

2009 Fielding “Lot 17” Riesling, $25.95, available only at Fielding

2009 Tawse Riesling, $19.95, available only at Tawse

All of the Rieslings were off-dry in sweetness and all were screw top bottles. For most White wines I’m more of a fan of screw top enclosures rather than cork; easier to open and you won’t be aging most whites so the cork is of no benefit.

The Cave Springs Riesling had a big aroma of red apple with a hint of lime in the background. The flavour of green apples ran the length of this wine. The wine also had a long lingering finish to it which was really impressive. There was good acidity and it was the least sweet of the three Rieslings we tried. This was also my favourite of three wines without food.
The Fielding Riesling had an interesting nose of pear and smoke. I was surprised to find that peach was the dominate flavour to this wine, as that is not a flavour I usually associate with Riesling. It seemed the sweetest of the three but I found it had the least amount of acidity of the 3 wines so that might have made it seem sweeter than it really was. This was my least favourite on its own and with the food. I will note though that a number of Wine Club members picked this one as their hands down favourite.

The last one was the Tawse Riesling; this was the take home bottle for Wine Club members. The nose on the Tawse was half green apple and half lime; a very German nose to it. The flavours on this one matched the nose perfectly as it was green apple and lime. The acidity and sweetness was dead in the middle between the two other wines. This was my second choice before the food and became my favourite with the food.

Speaking of food, Kathy bought in an interest collection of goodies to sample with the wines. We had cheese and crackers, spicy pepperoni sticks and roasted red pepper hummus with baby pitas. It was quite a range of different tastes and I thought at least one would throw the wines for a loop but all of the food was at least a good pairing if not a great pairing. I was especially surprised at how good the spicy pepperoni sticks were with the Rieslings.

I am usually very harsh on VQA wines as I find they are over-exposed and over priced at the LCBO. I was a nice treat to try three VQA wines that I liked and in some cases like the Tawse, liked a lot.

We aren’t holding a Wine Club in December as that month tends to be stupid busy so our next one won’t be until January.

Cheers!

Mark

October Wine Club - Merlot

At this month’s Wine Club we took a look at three different Merlots. Here are the LCBO details -

CHÂTEAU PIPEAU 2006

VINTAGES 564179
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 29.00
Wine, Red Wine
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Bordeaux, France
By: Mestreguilhem, Prop.-Récolt.
Release Date: May 15, 2010

Tasting Note - Shows black licorice, black pepper and berries on the nose. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and ripe, chewy tannins, but in balance. This has very stylish flavors. Should be nice to drink soon. Always excellent value. Best after 2012. Score - 90. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, March 31, 2009)


CHÂTEAU LANBERSAC 2005


VINTAGES 177006
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 19.95
Wine, Red Wine
13.4% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Bordeaux, France
By: Françoise and Philippe Lannoye
Release Date: Jun 26, 2010

Tasting Note - Puisseguin Saint-Émilion, one of the tiny satellites to the northeast of Saint-Émilion, is hilly terrain, with the highest elevation in the region. As in the larger appellation, Merlot is the principal grape used here due to the clay and limestone soil. This well-made red from the outstanding 2005 vintage is medium bodied and nicely balanced; notes of smoke and tar accent a solid core of berry fruit. It's a bargain at this price. (VINTAGES panel, Dec. 2009)


JACKSON-TRIGGS PROPRIETORS' GRAND RESERVE MERLOT 2007

VINTAGES 563197
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 19.95
Wine, Red Wine
14.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
This is a VQA wine
Made in: Ontario, Canada
By: Vincor International Inc.
Release Date: May 15, 2010

Tasting Note - Deep ruby coloured, impressively scented Merlot from the excellent 2007 vintage. Aromas of sour cherry, vanilla, raspberry, coffee bean are all on display here. Dry with a nice core of fruit surrounded by moderate tannins and pleasing acidity. Medium-full bodied with a lingering, refined finish. Age it 2-3 years, or try it tongiht with a grilled porterhouse steak or calf's liver with bacon and onions. (VINTAGES panel, March 2010)

I was looking forward to trying the ‘take home’ wine which was the Chateau Pipeau, a French Merlot rated a 90 by the Wine Spectator. I picked the Chateau Lanbersac as the comparison bottle as it was from the same region as the Chateau Pipeau. The Jackson-Triggs Merlot was something recommended by my LCBO rep. I’m not usually a huge fan of VQA red wine as I find it usually tends to be under ripe/green as the climate doesn’t usually have enough length to ripen most red grapes. It was $20 and split 11 ways, I thought why not give it a go.

The first wine I tried was the Jackson-Triggs and I really liked it. The tannin in it was very soft and approachable, there was good fruit on the tongue, not much acidity and gentle finish. It wasn’t very complex but it was very easy drinking.

The second wine I tried was the Chateau Pipeau and oh my was it dry, bone dry, with harsh tannin and not much fruit though the acidity was crisp. I was a touch disappointed with it at this point but figured it might improve with the food.

The last wine was the Chateau Lanbersac, it was right in between the two others; tannic but less so than the Chateau Pipeau, some fruit and acidity.

So far my favourite was the Jackson-Triggs, score one for the VQA, then the Chateau Lanbersac and then in dead last the Chateau Pipeau.

Sean, one of the Wine Club members, made beef sliders in mini-pitas which were very good. Trying all the wines again with the food, my order changed, the Chateau Lanbersac took first as the food soften the tannins and brought out more fruit in the wine. The Jackson-Triggs was OK with the food but at times got lost against the flavours. The Chateau Pipeau remained in last place but was better with the food then on its own.

I wondered if maybe the food pairing wasn’t quite right with the Chateau Pipeau and opened another bottle of it on Friday when I made Lemon Cream Pasta with Prosciutto. It was much better with the pasta but still seemed a bit young and I will be laying down my last two bottles of it for a few years at least.

So to sum up - If you are looking for a nice easy drinking Merlot, I’d recommend the Jackson-Triggs. If you are looking for a food friendly Merlot, then I would recommend Chateau Lanbersac. If you are looking for a Merlot for your wine cellar that will pay dividends down the road, I would go with the Chateau Pipeau as this wine has the structure to last and will be quite nice once it ages which will cause the tannin in it to soften.

Cheers!

Mark

Wine Club - Chardonnay

This past Thursday Wine Club met and tasted two value priced Chardonnays.

"Value priced Chardonnays"

LCBO Information- NAVARRO CORREAS COLECCIÓN PRIVADA CHARDONNAY 2009
　
Stock Number – 64477
Volume - 750mL
Price: $ 13.95
Made in: Argentina, Argentina
By: Diageo Canada Inc
Release Date: May 15, 2010

Description - Collección Privada is Navarro Correas' premier tier. The wines are designed to exhibit a classic style, and the bottle labels feature original artwork by celebrated Argentine painters. This Chardonnay is fresh and juicy, offering apple, pear, fig, and a touch of spicy oak. Delicious with grilled chicken, barbecued shrimp or artichoke salad.

LCBO Information - CATHEDRAL CELLAR CHARDONNAY 2008
　
Stock Number – 328559
Volume - 750mL
Price: $ 14.95
Wine, White Wine
14.7% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: South Africa, South Africa
By: KWV Wines
Release Date: Apr 17, 2010

Tasting Note - The top-tier KWV range [Cathedral Cellar] honours the aptly named cellar that was built in 1930 and restored to splendour in 2005. With soaring stained-glass windows, granite and wood inlaid floor, and imposing rows of hand-carved wooden vats, it is a fitting spiritual home for these impressive and stylish wines ... Full, rich & ripe 2008, perhaps shade less elegant than 2007 but still very fine. Dense apricot, peach complement fat texture and toasty oak ([barrel] fermentation, 60% new; small tank-fermentation portion). Score - 4 Stars (out of 5). (John Platter South African Wines, 2010)
　
The Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay was the take home bottle and the Navarro was a single bottle that I purchased as a comparison bottle for the tasting.

The nose on the Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay was moderate with a lemon aroma dominating the wine with a bit of toasted almond in the background.

The nose on the Navarro was fainter than the Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay but not by much. The main aroma from the wine was lime with a some vanilla in the background.

Tasting the two wines the differences were quite apparent; the Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay was much more approachable with a nice lemon and vanilla flavour. The Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay was nicely balanced with fresh acidity and moderate fruit, it also had a soft lingering finish that I liked. The Navarro had a green apple/citrus flavour but the acidity was very tart. There was a bitterness to the finish that I wasn’t keen on.

One of Wine Club members bought in Chicken Salad and served it with fresh baguettes. Trying wines with the food both got better. For the Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay the fruit was more noticeable and for the Navarro the food helped neutralize the acidity and softened the bitterness on the finish.

Most Wine Club members preferred the Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay over the Navarro and were happy that it was the ‘take home’ bottle. There were however two Wine Club members that like the Navarro better.

I won’t say either of these wines were the best Chardonnay I have ever had but at $14 and $15 price points they certainly were good value for money. The extra dollar for the Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay is more than justified as I certainly found it the better of the two wines.

Cheers!

Mark