Pinot Gris, Switchback Vineyard, Haywire, Okanagan Valley VQA, BC, Canada, 2013, 13% abv, C$25

Posted on August 20, 2016 by winellama

As the bottle mentions, this delicious tipple was created by Michael Bartier, Matt Dumayne and consultant winemaker Alberto Antonini at the Okanagan Crush Pad and has been “..fermented using wild yeast and raised in concrete.”

Okay, so let’s talk about that.  What’s so special about concrete?  Many vintners like to use them because the thick walls make it easier to keep the temperature stable and in addition, the shape of the egg encourages a more consistent and fuller mouth feel.

IMG_7219This wine is proof of that.  Medium lemon in colour with aromas of pears and ripe Meyer lemons, it shows pink grapefruit pith and dried herb.

On the palate, the wine is dry with juicy acidity and great body.  It bears a strong resemblance to sherry and Chenin Blanc with its layered flavours of citrus fruit, lanolin, honey and dried sage.image

WSET Very Good plus – complex, precise, clean and beautifully balanced.

 

Posted in British Columbia, OTHER, Pinot Gris, WHITE | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rosé, Lumineaux, Hawks Butte Vineyard, Bink Winery, Yorkville Highlands, Mendocino County, Anderson Valley, California, 2014, 14% abv.

Posted on August 13, 2016 by winellama

imageWinemaker Deb Schatzlein has made some gorgeous treasures with Anderson Valley fruit and custom crushes at neighbour Balo.

At their tasting room located in The Madrones (yes, you need to stay there or at The Brambles where we did), we tasted her Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah.image

But it was this Merlot-based rosé that I ended up leaving with.

Produced with Demeter certified, biodynamic fruit from Boonville’s Filigreen Farm (located just down the road to the south of Philo), this wine is gorgeous shade of pink salmon with aromas of sweet rhubarb and strawberry with light dried herb and rose petal.

The dry palate features great acidity and flavours of more rhubarb with jalapeño pepper, strawberry and rose.  No tannins or bitterness affect the finish although the alcohol is a little elevated.  No matter – Philo is up in those hills, high above Napa and Sonoma.  It all fits.

WSET Good plus, refreshing and delicious.

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Cabernet Sauvignon, Jordan, Alexander Valley, Sonoma, California, 2008, 13.5% abv.

Posted on August 11, 2016 by winellama

Sometimes the Winellama writes about wine and sometimes she writes about an experience. This time, she’s writing about an experience topped by equally outstanding wine.

imageWe pulled up for the trade tasting at Jordan in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley and thoroughly enjoyed our time with Sally who knowledgeably led us through the crush pad, fermentation and barrel rooms and into the library for a tasting of the 2008 and 2012 Cabernet Sauvignons.

Artfully paired with quince paste, heritage pork belly and figs, honey and three cheeses – one a black truffle triple creme Brie from Marin – crostinis, Jordan’s 2015 estate grown olive oil and chive – the wines shone.image

Jordan specializes in Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon and I ended up leaving with a 2003 Cab (stay tuned for that post). It was tight choice though between that and the 2008 which came from a tough vintage. There was so much frost that year they almost lost the crop – and then through the extremely hot summer, the grapes were quite stressed.

imageSlender and restrained, but with excellent structure and depth, the 2008 showed aromas of Byng cherry and pomegranate with flavours of blackberry and cassis with light clove, cinnamon, kid leather and grippy tannins.

I actually tasted this in 2013, so it’s interesting to see how it has evolved, but also retained its carpentry over the past 3 years.image

Following the tasting we met up with the indomitable Lisa Mattson and enjoyed a walk through the garden – replete with melons, berries, figs, apples, pears, herbs and tomatoes. The drought has made everything in the region tinder dry and Jordan’s property is no exception. But they have their own onsite reclamation pools and farm sustainably and responsibly.

Another home run – the wine, the atmosphere, the people – Jordan has outdone itself again.  image

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon / Blends, California, OTHER, RED | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Viognier, Tahbilk, Nagambie Lakes, Central Victoria, Australia, 2014, 13.8% abv.

Posted on August 10, 2016 by winellama

IMG_7213This wine is produced at Tahbilk where 5 generations of the Purbrick family have been involved in winemaking since the current owner’s great grandfather purchased the vines in 1925.  Viognier was planted here in the 1990s.

Medium lemon in colour, on the nose it’s a hugely fragrant bouquet of peach and apricot with white blossoms.

The palate is dry with good acidity.  Flavours include more ripe stone fruit with clove spice and white flowers.

The solid finish offered helps make this WSET Very Good.  Refreshing and delicious, drink now and don’t age this lovely, fruit forward, clean wine.

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Rosé, Faustine, Domaine Abbatucci, Corsica, 2014, 13% abv, C$45++

Posted on August 4, 2016 by winellama

IMG_7258This rosé is made from Sciaccarellu (local dialect for Sciacarello) grapes grown on 18ha of 20 year old vines at Jean-Charles Abbatucci’s Demeter-certified biodynamic vineyards in Corsica.

Abbatucci is a direct descendant and namesake of General Jean-Charles Abbatucci from Ajaccio who was a hero of the French Revolution and comrade of another famous Corsican, Napoléon Bonaparte.

In true biodynamic fashion, Abbatucci is reputed to live and breathe the smallest details of vine cultivation and wine production – including grass cover between his rows of vines peppered with roaming sheep.  His vines are also grown from cuttings gathered from local elderly farmers to ensure they don’t die out.  He’s also been reported to play songs for his vines and then the same songs again as the wines ferment and age!

Well, it has worked.  A delicate shade of pink salmon, this wine offers clean aromas of rose hip, sweet red pepper, herbs and crushed rocks

The palate is dry with juicy acidity and similar flavours of rose petal, sweet pepper, garrigue and stony minerality.

Refreshing, clean flavours, balanced, no bitterness, and absolutely precise.  In a word, beautiful.  WSET Very Good and highly recommended.

Posted in Corsica, RED, ROSE, Sciacarello | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Malbec, Old Vine, Llama, Belasco de Bacqudano, Alto Agrelo Valley, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina, 13.8% abv, 2012, C$18++

Posted on July 23, 2016 by winellama

Honestly, I was going to keep on walking straight through to Spain or France.   Do you really think I’m about to fall victim to buying a critter wine called ‘Llama’?  And I admit it – I never buy Malbec.

My other half made me do it.  Actually, he may have bought it for me.

On the eyes, it’s medium ruby with aromas of blackberry, cassis and black plum, a little leather and heavy on the alcohol.

IMG_7430The palate is dry with good acidity and lighter than expected body.  Flavours show more black fruit, tarred road and earthy herbs.

Well, the Llama is admittedly awfully cute.  The wine is heavily manipulated and only WSET Good (minus) with slightly hot alcohol and imbalanced body and nose.

Posted in Argentina, Malbec, RED | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Les Cornuds, Famille Perrin, Vinsobres AC, France, 2011, 14.5% abv. C$20++

Posted on July 22, 2016 by winellama

Here’s a classic 50-50 Syrah and Grenache blend from Vinsobres which is located in the northern part of France’s Southern Rhône Valley.

Vinsobres became its own AC in 2006; before that it was part of the Côtes du Rhône Villages. Wines from Vinsobres must be at least 50% Syrah and the remainder at least 25% Grenache or Mourvèdre .

On the eyes, the wine is a deep ruby with delicious aromas of ripe purple plum, even prune, cassis and licorice fern.Image-1

The palate is dry with medium acidity and soft tannins.  Flavours show dried cherry with raspberry, soft leather and nutmeg alongside Dutch licorice and lightly dried leaves.

The nose and finish are muted but this is a solid WSET Good plus wine and good value for money.

 

 

Posted in France, Grenache / Garnacha, RED, Shiraz / Syrah | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Brut Vintage, Gold Label, Lanson, Champagne AC, France, 1999, US$75.00

Posted on July 21, 2016 by winellama

IMG_7191I was awarded this bottle, oh yes I was… along with an engraved decanter for having the highest overall score in 2014 for WSET graduates in BC.  As someone who doesn’t even work in the industry (alas, the blog doesn’t count), I am still pretty happy about that award.

It did take a while though until there was a notable enough occasion to pop it!  What – I’m going to drink it by myself?  There’s no fun in that…

I was worried it was past its drinking window of about 15 years, but we were in luck.

This is a bottle of vintage champagne which alone makes it special.  Champagne houses usually produce vintage champagnes only about 3 times a decade; most champagne produced is NV or non-vintage.  In NV champagnes, there can be as many as 90 different wines from different years blended together to produce a sparkling wine of consistent flavour, quality and style year after year.

But in vintage years, all the wine used to create the champagne must be harvested during, and produced in, that particular year.  So, the vintage has to be extra special.  Champagne is usually the ultimate expression of a blended wine; to produce one that has only one vintage of grapes in it is challenging and rare.

To add to this, Lanson doesn’t allow their champagnes to go through what is called malolactic fermentation (when malic acids convert to lactic acids and give the wine a more mellow, rounder mouth feel).  When this is not allowed to happen, and as long as the fruit is of highest quality, the acidity will combine to sustain the champagne for a long ageing window.

Also, Lanson ages their champagnes for 5 years before release (whereas the law is 3). Thus, at 17 years of age, for this champagne to have retained its freshness is really quite incredible and a testament to the house’s decision to make a vintage champagne.

This bubble, made of roughly 50/50 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, is pale gold with a long-lasting, delicately beaded mousse.  Aromas include ripe yellow apples, freshly baked bread and light honey.

The palate is dry with medium plus acidity and flavours of more ripe yellow and red apple, and toasted French bread dipped in soft lemon curd.

Subtle and mature, delicate and layered, this is WSET Very Good plus.  Drink and enjoy now if you have any.

 

Posted in Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Pinot Noir | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Le Barrettage, La Sirena Winery, Calistoga, Napa Valley, California, 2009, 14.6% abv, US$52

Posted on July 15, 2016 by winellama

This is Heidi Peterson Barrett’s wine – yes, she of Screaming Eagle fame.  Recipient of two IMG_7259100 point wine scores from Robert Parker (if that kind of stuff is important to you), she has created many well-regarded wines since she graduated from UC Davis in 1980.

The La Sirena is made in the northern Rhône style with Syrah from two vineyards in Calistoga and St. Helena.

On the eyes, it’s a deep ruby and even at 7 years old, there is no garnet showing.  Sediment shows in the bottle, so leave the last centimetre or you’ll be crunching on tasty bits.  The nose is heavily perfumed with aromas of purple plum, field berry and deep garrigue.

The palate is dry with high acidity, silky tannins and a graceful body.  Flavours show deeply ripened plum and pomegranate, with black pepper, dried sage, tarragon and savoury meat.

WSET Very Good Plus and delicious.  Complex and layered, it has an extended finish and despite its alcohol approaching 15%, is an absolutely elegant drink.

Posted in California, OTHER, RED, Shiraz / Syrah | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Château Chasse-Spleen, Moulis-en-Médoc AC, France, 2009, 14% abv, C$50

Posted on July 8, 2016 by winellama

Wine Spectator gave this a 90 points when it came to the market.  I bought it along IMG_7147with several others at the BC Bordeaux release in 2010.

Tucked away for a little ageing and forgotten in a box, when we moved recently I found it while unpacking and worried I may have missed its drinking window.

Crisis averted!  No drinking windows were smashed during the enjoyment of this bottle (with prime rib done on the rotisserie).

Hailing from Moulis-en-Médoc on the left bank, it’s a classic Bordeaux blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and the remainder a dash of Petit Verdot.

On the eyes, it’s a deep garnet with equally deep legs.  The nose is beautifully expressive with deep black fruit, spice, light licorice and serious violets.  The little purple flowers permeate this wine thanks to the Petit Verdot.

The palate is dry with medium acidity and flavours of cassis and blackberry, plum and blueberry.  A little green and black pepper with more violets rounds it out.  This wine is beautifully constructed; its tannins are round and mellow and loved the prime rib.

WSET Very Good plus and in its prime.  I couldn’t find evidence of any more bottles being available on the BC Liquor Board website, but it you have a bottle of this, wait no longer and drink it now.

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon / Blends, France, Merlot, OTHER, Petit Verdot, RED | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment