L’Amateur, David Léclapart, Blanc de Blancs, Pas Dosé, Premier Cru, Trépail, Marne, Champagne AC, France, 12.5% abv

Posted on December 15, 2016 by winellama

Late blooming Pinot Meunier is the most frequently planted grape in the Marne, so the fact that David Léclapart has got Chardonnay growing in the frost prone village of Trépail is very interesting.img_8001

That he is a fervent devotee of biodynamism in this region that is so prone to wet and cold weather makes it even more so.

This wine, L’Amateur is made with native yeasts in enameled-steel tanks instead of the usual stainless steel, he uses the bare minimum of sulphites and after dosage, the last step before final corking, he doesn’t add any liqueur de dosage to the wine.  This pas dosé style literally means there is pretty close to no sugar in the wine.  So, at less than 3 grams of sugar per litre, it’s sharp, perky, and electric!

Pale gold with all-over, delicate bubble, the nose is dry with Gala apple, tart lemon and French bread aromas.

The palate is super dry with racy acidity.  Tart lemon and yellow grapefruit with yeast dominate with an expressive layering of quince, ginger and hazelnut.

This Champagne is all edges, nervy and punk rock cool – WSET Very Good plus.

Posted in Champagne, Chardonnay, France, OTHER, WHITE | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

GSM, Lafage, Tessellae, Old Vines, Côtes du Roussillon AC, France, 15% abv, 2013, C$23

Posted on December 9, 2016 by winellama

There are so few really delicious wines available at the BCLB, that finding this one makes it a treasure at the end of that rainbow.  And I’m always hunting for these – GSMs are my desert island wines.  img_7974

On the eyes, it’s a translucent ruby with lovely, even-spaced legs.

On the nose, it’s showing heavenly black fruit – blackberry and currant – garrigue and leather with rock dust minerals.

The palate is dry with perfect tannins and flavours of black currant, cherry and black pepper with dried rosemary and clove, licorice fern, saddle and a long finish with deep minerality.  The alcohol is a shocking 15% abv, but there is no heat whatsoever.

Absolutely classic Grenache (40), Syrah (40) Mourvèdre (20) and WSET Very good plus with depth and flavour to the max, augmented by perfect balance.

This wine offers outrageous value for money.   As Wine Advocate (#215) wrote, ‘It’s hard to believe you can get this quality for the price, but the consumer is the big winner here.  Enjoy this rock star effort over the next 4-5 years.”

Cover me, I’m going in for more.

Posted in France, Grenache / Garnacha, Mouvedre, Monastrell, RED, Shiraz / Syrah | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Barolo, Riserva, Bel Colle Montvigliero, Barolo DOCG, Italia, 2004, 14% abv

Posted on December 6, 2016 by winellama

We opened this wine at 12 years old on November 2016, at the end of its recommended drinking window (2010-2016).

Although initially worried we’d missed the boat, we were relieved to find an elegantly developed drink.img_8016

Winner of a bronze world wine award from Decanter in 2011, this Barolo is a translucent garnet with wide and even legs.  The aromas are heavenly – all dried roses, cherries and dusty violets.

The palate is dry with good acidity and the most perfect of subtly strained tannins. Flavours include more dried flowers and cherry with a scraping of tar, some intense minerality and a long finish.

Harmonious and stunning, this wine is super slender and gorgeous.  Drink now if you’ve got any.

WSET Very Good plus

Posted in Barolo, Italy, Nebbiolo, OTHER, RED, red wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Chardonnay, Clos de Ste. Anne, Naboth’s Vineyard, Millton Vineyards, Gisborne, New Zealand, 2013, 13.5% abv, NZ$70

Posted on December 3, 2016 by winellama

From a biodynamic, dry-farmed, single vineyard of 25 year old vines, this is a tremendously delicious Chardonnay fermented with native yeasts.  img_8014

On the eyes, it’s a pretty lemon with a nose of pomelo, quince, ginger and crushed rock dust.

The palate is dry with juicy acidity and flavours of candied ginger with ripe Maui pineapple, light toffee and bakery rolls.

If this wine were a song, it would be called ‘Yellow‘.

We decanted it prior to serving with lobster, mango and avocado salad.  This was the undoing of the evening – the best pairing ever.  Really.

We had envisioned some tropical notes possibly complimenting the mango and the creaminess of the avocado and lobster being enhanced by the breadth of the Chardonnay – but we couldn’t have predicted the perfection of the pairing in our wildest dreams.

A WSET Very Good plus wine – clean, gorgeous and pristine – from one of the Family of Twelve in New Zealand.

 

 

Posted in Chardonnay, New Zealand, WHITE | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Champagne, Perrier-Jouët, Brut, Belle Epoque, Epernay, Champagne AC, France, 2006, 12.5% abv.

Posted on November 29, 2016 by winellama

Over two centuries, Perrier-Jouët has only had seven cellar masters.  It was also the first House to create a dry Champagne in 1856.  Then there are its famous art-nouveau bottles – and this one has been hand-painted.  Since 1902 when Emile Gallé designed the trademark anemones to be engraved on the prestigious cuvées, the House has remained loyal to this heritage.img_8005

Beauty, history and innovation – these define the Champagnes of this House which is the third most prestigious brand in the world (and owned by Pernod-Ricard).

This gift (opened for my 50th birthday, yay me) is a vintage bubble, meaning all the grapes used are from the same year.  This is unusual for Champagne which can blend as many as 90 different parcels from different years into one bottle, depending on the size of the House and the strength of its pull for grapes.  This enables larger Houses in particular to ensure their wines have consistent taste and aroma markers year after year.  So, for a cellar master to call for a vintage to be made, he or she must be very confident that the harvest is spectacular enough for a single vintage to be used.

On the eyes, this Champagne is pale lemon with all over, tiny but persistent and delicate beading.  Its aromas are extremely delicate and lightly floral – with crisp green apple, white peach, lemon and shaved hazelnut with fresh French bread.

The palate is dry with high acidity, light body and a delicate alcohol level of only 12.5%.  Its flavours are subtle with light lemon rind, yellow grapefruit, and almond with white flowers on the back palate.

WSET Outstanding – stylish, elegant and classic.  All House, all the time.  Thanks, Chef Francine of Table 1006.

Posted in Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Sparkling Wine, WHITE | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Anaperenna, Ben Glaetzer, Barossa Valley, Australia, 2006, 15% abv.

Posted on November 22, 2016 by winellama

Australian winemaker Ben Glaetzer, descendant of German immigrants to the Barossa and Clare Valleys, has had a long list of wine awards come his way including  New World Winemaker of the Year (2006), 12 awards at MUNDUSVini 2007, being chosen as Robert Parker’sana Wine Personality of the Year (2005) and maker of Decanter’s Best Australian 2008 Red Blend, just to name a few.

Originally named Godolphin for the inaugural 2004 and 2005 vintages, the wine was renamed Anaperenna from 2006 for trademark issues.

The fruit for this wine is all dry grown – 75% from 85 year old Shiraz vines and 25% from 60 year old Cabernet Sauvignon vines.   On the eyes, it’s a deep garnet with long legs.

The nose is classic – all ripe blackberry, cassis and field berry with mint and dried herb, white pepper, leather saddle and crushed rock.

The palate is dry with medium plus acidity and strained, subtle tannins.  Flavours show rich and bright blackberry and field berry, eucalyptus, smoke and leather glove perched atop a sumptuous finish.  Surprisingly, despite very high alcohol, it’s not hot at all but shows good balance and integration.

Unfiltered and made with minimal sulfites, this is a WSET Very Good plus wine  offered up by a kind and generous friend and opened at 10 years for a milestone birthday!

Picture credit – Mike Woods Photography

Posted in Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon / Blends, OTHER, RED, Shiraz / Syrah | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Les Bancèls, Domaine de Cébène, Faugères, France, 2013, 14% abv, C$29

Posted on November 16, 2016 by winellama

What a lovely wine.  Grown on classic slate terraces peppered with decades old organic  vines at 320 m in southern France, this is a GSM you really must try.

The Grenache and Syrah are grown on north and east facing slopes, while the Mourvèdre vines face south to soak up the warmth.  They’ve been growing grapes and making wine in Faugères since Roman times, but this Domaine was established not so long ago by Brigitte Chevalier who moved there from Bordeaux.  Her vineyards are certified organic and she harvests everything carefully by hand.  The AOC is located to the west of Montpellier and north of Perpignan, inland from the Mediterranean.img_7984

On the eyes, it’s a medium plus ruby and the nose shows intensely fragrant raspberry with violets and crunchy, dried herb, mint, clove and a deep, schist-like minerality.

The palate is dry with juicy acidity and an elegant body with solid tannins.  Flavours show raspberry and tayberry with purple violets and garrigue – heavy on the rosemary and thyme – major sandalwood, and light dutch licorice.  The stoney minerality adds elegance.

WSET Very Good – great balance and very fresh, not to mention a smoking deal for the quality of the wine.  My one complaint is the weird cork with plastic conglomerate.  We enjoyed it with risotto.  Highly recommended.

Posted in France, Grenache / Garnacha, Mouvedre, Monastrell, OTHER, RED, Shiraz / Syrah | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hypothesis, Culmina Family Estate Winery, Okanagan Valley VQA, BC, 13.5% abv, 2011

Posted on November 11, 2016 by winellama

Culmina Winery owner, Don Triggs is no stranger to the really big wine industry business.  No, really.  I’m serious; as one half of the former Jackson-Triggs group (yes, that Jackson-Triggs), with his business partner, Don Triggs built and sold Vincor.

What is Vincor?  In 2000, it was selling one of every 4.5 bottles of wine in Canada – including not only Canadian labels Iniskillin, See Ya Later Ranch, Sumac Ridge and Jackson-Triggs, but also huge international brands such as Kim Crawford, Hogue Cellars, Toasted Head and Kumala.

Eventually it became the 4th largest wine company in North America and at its height, it was the 7th largest in the world.  That was before the hostile takeover by global behemoth Constellation – which owns about one of every three major wine, beer and spirits labels sold on the planet.

So, all that to say there is a lot of money behind Culmina.  And that’s good for them and their French winemakers, because we all know one needs a large fortune to make a smaller one in the wine industry.

This is the flagship red from Triggs’ latest venture.  On the eyes, it’s a medium ruby red with aromas of raspberry, blackberry and ripe cherry, with green tobacco and baking spice.img_7836

The palate is dry with lightly grippy tannins and slightly hot alcohol which unwound as the wine opened up.  Flavours show blackberry and cassis with glove leather and nutmeg.

This is a WSET Good plus wine produced with estate grown Cabernet Franc (40), Merlot (36), and Cabernet Sauvignon (24).

 

 

Posted in British Columbia, Cabernet Franc, cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon / Blends, Merlot, OTHER, RED | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bordeaux, Château Kirwan, Grand Cru Classé, Margaux, France, 2009, 13.5% abv. C$100

Posted on November 9, 2016 by winellama

kirwanJust yesterday (November 7, 2016), Jean-Henri Schÿler, owner of this Bordeaux third-growth, Château Kirwan, and négociant Maison Schröder & Schÿler passed away at age 85.

The Kirwan name actually has Irish roots (from the Gaelic meaning black).  In the mid 1700s, an Englishman bought the Château and his daughter married Mark Kirwan of Galway.  Although he was beheaded during the French Revolution, the name stayed with the estate.

Jean-Henri’s father bought the Château in 1925 and as a result, Jean-Henri had been involved with it since he turned 22. He married Christine Krug (yes, that Krug) and their 2 daughters still work at the Château, while their son is the current CEO of Maison Schröder & Schÿler (founded in 1739 the company shipped spices, sugar cane, olive oil and wine from Bordeaux to the Baltics.  Ships brought back oak for making barrels).

We purchased this bottle at the BC Bordeaux release in 2010 and opened it last week to celebrate a milestone birthday.

On the eyes,  it is a beautiful medium plus shade of ruby going garnet, while the nose shows blackberry and blackcurrant layered over light tar and leather, with baking spice and leather glove.

The palate is dry with mouthwatering acidity and gorgeously evolved and strained tannins – just enough grip for the beef we paired it with.  Flavours show deeply ripe blackberry and blueberry with pencil shaving, leather glove, oak and an elegant minerality.

WSET Very Good, complex and layered and could last 8-10 years more (until 2026), although we celebrated with it at 7 years old.

 

Posted in Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon / Blends, France, Merlot, OTHER, RED | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Petite Syrah, Babylon, Tenbrink Vineyard, Scholium Project, California Red Wine, California, 15.7% abv, 2005

Posted on November 6, 2016 by winellama

img_7970What do wine geeks love to do?  Out geek each other by bringing obscure wines to taste when they visit.  This particular one was hand delivered to Canada by a wine friend whom I met when taking the Court of Master Sommelier (level I) exam.

Like many a wine enthusiast, he has a demanding full time job but volunteers weekends at a local winery.  Eager to share their work with me, he spirited this across the border recently and we enjoyed it with lamb and potatoes roasted with fresh rosemary.

This winery based at the south end of Napa Valley is a project that prides itself on producing wine from often ignored grapes.  This is a Petite Syrah wine showing a very deep shade of ruby with no signs of age despite being 11 years old.

The nose is full of boysenberry and garrigue with tar with ever-so-slightly hot alcohol.  The palate is dry with pleasant acidity and solid body, strained tannins that adored our lamb, and flavours showing more field berry alongside Dutch licorice, dried herb and black pepper with tar.  

WSET Very Good and despite its age, it’s still young and assertive and could easily be laid down for 5 more years.  Hard to find for sure, but worth it if you are anywhere in the Bay Area.  

Posted in California, OTHER, Petite Sirah, RED | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments