Vouette et Sorbée, Cuvée Fidèle, Extra Brut, Champagne, France, NV, C$90.00

Posted on August 23, 2014 by winellama

I have slaved, seriously slaved for several years.IMG_3905.JPG

So, after finding out I passed my final set of WSET Diploma exams, I wanted something worthy for the celebration. Into the fridge popped this bottle.

Named after two vineyards, the Fidèle, Extra Brut was a great choice.

A blanc de noir (Pinot Noir) grown in kimmeridgian soils in the tiny Aube town of Buxières-sur-Arce, southeast of Paris, this wine is produced by Hélène and Bertrand Gautherot on Demeter-certified, biodynamically farmed land. This bottle was disgorged Dec. 23, 2012 and opened August 22, 2014.

This is an exceedingly elegant champagne with a beautiful rich onion skin colour and creamy, long lasting mousse.

It has a heaviness to it – the wine looks heavy and it has a certain veritas – a weight. High acidity, effervescence, and scrumptious, intense aromas and flavours of bakery fresh brioche, quince, pear, baked yellow grapefruit and crushed rocks pervade.

The finish is long and delicious, complex and lingering. WSET ‘Outstanding‘.

Was it worth all those weekends spent cooped up? The Sunday afternoon study groups? The Monday evening tasting groups? The endless mock exams and tasting notes?

Well, we’re off to a good start. There will be more to come. A good first choice for celebrating.

 

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Sommavite, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Italia, 2008, 14% abv, US$19.99 @ Trader Joe’s

Posted on August 22, 2014 by winellama

abcI will admit to having experienced a small amount of panic when I opened this because of some extra alcoholic vapours and concerns about faults.  But those literally blew over and off and although the cork was grainy and falling apart, the wine emerged unscathed once we allowed it to unwind, relax and slip on some comfy shoes.

After it opened up, they were more than just comfy shoes – more like svelte Italian loafers.

This is a Trader Joe’s wine available at a most reasonable price.  Now, being Canadian and used to paying ridiculously high prices for the wines I covet, I was immediately suspicious.  Seriously – a 2008 Brunello di Montalcino for US$19.99?  Who would ever think that is possible – or that it would taste any good.  Because I am so used to paying exorbitant rates for quality wine, I am usually immediately suspicious of any wine priced south of C$20.

However, if you check out this page (by Eric Anthony Wickersham), you’ll see that this is actually suspected of being the 2008 Brunello di Montalcino produced by Solaria which was awarded 92 points by James Suckling.   Anthony Galloni also reviewed it at an 88.   That certainly helped me put my tasting note into better perspective considering my crazy Canadian expectation of price being somewhat equivalent to quality.

Medium garnet with legs, this wine has a slender medium body complementing its medium/plus  intense aromas and flavours of earthy red cherry, raspberry, pomegranate and minerals.  Dry with feathery, fine grained tannins, the wine is rounded out with some tar, soy sauce, dried herbs and shoestring black licorice.

You cannot lose on this Trader Joe’s deal.  Buy it now and buy lots of it.  Balanced, drinkable tannins and developing aromas and layers of flavours.
We enjoyed this at my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary alongside roasted chicken and Tuscan style sausages, fresh noodle and pasta salads and lots of great company.

WSET ‘Very Good’ wine.

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Domaine Huet, Le Haut Lieu, Molleux, Vouvray AC, Loire, France, 2008, 12.5% abv

Posted on August 21, 2014 by winellama

During our June 2012 visit to France, we visited Domaine Huet and enjoyed a tasting and tour with Johan. Before leaving for a scrumptious lunch of local Loire specialities engineered by Chef ChristoIMG_3891.JPGphe and his wife Natalie at a nearby restaurant, we purchased two bottles.

One was the 2003 L’Echansonne (click here for tasting notes) which we shared with the memory of Canada’s soldiers at Juno Beach in Normandy and this, the 2008 Haut Lieu Molleux.

This wine was chosen, unbeknownst to Domaine Huet, and served to HM Queen Elizabeth II at the June 2014 70th Celebrations of DDay in France. We figured that alone would make it an eligible candidate for one of the toasts at my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary celebrations.

Almost unbelievably, in 2008 these grapes endured 160 mm of rain in just 2 hours. Johan showed us pictures of rivers running down the streets and the vineyards looking like rice paddies.IMG_3901.JPG

There was so much rain, there were mudslides from the top of the hill in Vouvray down through the vineyards on the slopes. As a result, the wine was much sharper than the 2007 and this accounts for the Granny Smith and yellow apples present in the aromas and flavours.

When we tasted it…it was more than just a candidate. It was a lock.

Medium gold with slow legs and developing, this wine has pronounced aromas and flavours of ripe green and yellow apples, spiced Anjou pear, honey, cinnamon stick, nutmeg and a savoury, damp hay. The hay strikes so intensely it’s practically barnyard IMG_3902.JPGwith wet wool, beeswax and vine. There is a high note of minerality – mica schist.

Medium dry with high but not piercing acidity, the wine has elegant medium body and a long finish. Almost a pity to have opened it at only 6 years old as it will last a long time.

Classic botrytis affected Chenin Blanc – WSET “Outstanding’ wine. Refreshing and lingering, not sticky. Balanced and beautiful – and even better when combined with the Gran Padano and Cambazolo cheeses we selected.IMG_3903.JPG

Worthy of a Queen and two deserving parents celebrating a lifetime together.

 

 

 

 

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Caymus, Zinfandel, Napa Valley, California, 2011, 15.2% abv, C$46.00

Posted on August 14, 2014 by winellama

Ownedcay for 40 years in Rutherford, California by the Wagner family, the Caymus wines are some of the most dependable and tasty produced in Napa Valley.

Over the course of time, they’ve diversified with several product lines and quality levels.  The Caymus wines comprise their top tier – followed by Mer Soleil, Connundrum, Belle Glos and Emmolo.

This Caymus Zinfandel didn’t disappoint.

The wine is deep ruby with significantly inky legs and has medium plus, rich aromas and flavours of tobacco leaf, berry, spice box, vanilla and licorice fern.  It’s dry on the palate with a satisfying medium plus body and acidity with medium ripe slightly grippy tannins.

Although it has an astounding 15.2% abv putting it soundly into the high alcohol -heck, almost fortified- level, it is very integrated and dare I say, surprisingly unnoticeable.

WSET ‘Very Good’; drinking well now or may be held for 2-3 years more.

Posted in California, RED, Red, Zinfandel | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Chateau Pradeaux, Bandol AOP, Provence, France 2007, 14.5% abv, US$45.95

Posted on August 14, 2014 by winellama

Mention Provence and most people conjure up images of the sparkling azure waters of the Mediterranean, olive trees and pink wines.  In this case, the pictures are accurate – except for the wine.  This nectar is the famous red Provencal wine from the tiny region of Bandol that rims those blue waters and is made from the difficult-to-grow Mourvedre grape.

Also known as Mataro or Monastrell, depending on where you’re growing and drinpradking it, Mourvedre is difficult to ripen completely because it requires a long and arid growing season.  In addition, the evenings must be cool so the grapes aren’t overly sweet and the wines alcoholic.  There are not too many places where it does well – which is why it is so suited to Bandol and the Southern Rhone Valley, as well as Paso Robles, California, Australia and its native land, Spain.

Chateau Pradeaux is renowned as one of the stalwart producers of the region along with a few others (like Domaine Tempier).  Established in 1752 by the Portalis family, Ch. Pradeaux sticks by time proven methods which include pressing with stems on (to increase tannins in an already tannic wine), ageing for 4 years in old oak foudres and including up to 95% Mourvedre in its wines.  Others take the easier route to sales by destemming to produce less tannic wines that drink earlier and lower the amount of Mourvedre to the minimum required (50%).

This wine is medium ruby with legs and has medium plus intense aromas of berry, garrigue, black olive and an earthy licorice.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium ripe, dusty tannins with light grip.  Its medium plus flavours have medium body and mimic the nose with ripe field berry, olive, rosemary, thyme, earth and licorice fern. It’s got high alcohol, but it’s completely integrated and not boozy in the slightest.

Medium plus length, this WSET ‘Very Good’ wine is drinking perfectly right now; do not hold any longer.

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Chateau de Tracy, Pouilly-Fumé AOP, Loire, France, 2011, 13% abv, C$51

Posted on August 11, 2014 by winellama

Pouilly-Fumé AOP is in the eastern Loire Valley, just across the Loire River and to the east of Sancerre.

This region is known now for its white Sauvignon Blanc wines that have characteristically pungent aromas and flavours of gooseberry and flint, but originally the most widely-used grape used to be Chasselas.tracy

The current owners are Comte Henri D’Assay and his two sisters, descendants of Scotsmen (the Stutt family – which became ‘d’Estutt over time) who came to the region in the mid 1500s to fight for King Charles VII in the Hundred Years War.  One of the Stutts married the Lady of Tracy in the late 1500s and the rest is viticultural history.

These Sauvignon Blanc grapes are grown in a combination of Kimmeridgian chalk and Portlandian clay and the pale lemon wine is youthful and dry with medium body, medium acidity and aromas and flavours of freshly mown hay, green alfalfa, asparagus, spiced pear, gooseberry and pansies, yes pansies.

There’s a clean minerality that pervades along with that characteristic smoky gunflint ending with a medium length finish.

WSET Good plus.  Enjoy with salads, cold salmon, asparagus and summer.

 

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Rose, Bodegas Muga, Rioja DOCa, Spain, 2013, 12.5% abv, C$18

Posted on August 11, 2014 by winellama

Summer is meant for rose wine – or is it the other way around?  I often wonder whrosey rose is not called ‘pink’ wine in English – we have white and red, so why not pink?

This pink wine is fresh, juicy and suits summer just fine.  It’s from the Rioja Alta in northern Spain and gets its pretty medium shade of salmon from macerating on the skins of 60% Garnacha, 30% Viura and 10% Tempranillo grapes for 12 hours.

It has undergone a 25 day fermentation and spent 2 months in huge 1000 litre size barrels before being bottled and shipped around the world.

This is a youthful wine with medium intense aromas of strawberries, field berries, rhubarb and some orange zest.  There’s a hint of white pepper as well.  The palate is dry and has medium plus refreshing acidity, medium body and medium plus  intense strawberry,  field berry and pomegranate juice flavours along with a little pink grapefruit, more white pepper and some herbs.

Solid pink wine – drink now and often – WSET Very Good.
You cannot go wrong with this stalwart.  Enjoy.

 

Posted in Grenache / Garnacha, ROSE, Spain, Tempranillo, Viura / White Rioja | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Church & State, Viognier, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, 2012, 13.2% abv

Posted on August 8, 2014 by winellama

Viognier – Fifty years ago, there were only 14 ha of this white grape planted in Condrieu AC and at tiny Chaphoto (3)teau Grillet in the Northern Rhone’s Cote Rotie.  However, now it’s literally planted everywhere in the world.

It’s either a half sibling or a grandparent to Syrah and it’s related to Freisia, which means it’s also a cousin of some sort to Nebbiolo.

Most is planted in France (4300 ha), but there is actually 93 ha in Virginia where it’s the state grape (really!) and there is actually quite a bit grown in British Columbia.

This example is 100% Viognier that was grown in gravelly loam and aged in 33% new oak barrels (French oak and acacia) for 6 months.  There were 475 cases produced.

Pale lemon with legs, the nose has medium intensity and shows lemon, grapefruit and apricot with honey, hazelnut and pronounced oak.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, alcohol, body and flavours which echo the palate with lemon, apricot and honey, cooked grapefruit, nuts and oaky toast.  The finish is (surprise) medium.

Pronounced oak detracted from the fresh fruit and citrus.  A WSET ‘Good’ wine that is youthful and drinking now; do not hold.

 

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Les Solitaires, Chateau la Begude, Gigondas AC, Gabriel Meffre Negociant-Eleveur, France, 2010, 14.5% abv

Posted on August 8, 2014 by winellama

Gigondas is well-known as the litphoto (2)tle sibling to Chateauneuf-de-Pape and hails from France’s Southern Rhone Valley.

An Appellation Controlee since 1971, most wines made here are red and may be no more than 80% Grenache. Some roses are made, but no white wines are produced.

And here’s a fun fact – ‘Gigondas’ has evolved from Jocunditas which was its original name when the region was under Roman rule and viticulture began.

Made from a Grenache-based blend, this wine is a medium ruby colour with light legs and a clean and youthful nose.  It has medium plus aromas of raspberry, black cherry, red plum, pomegranate and garrigue.

The palate is dry with a medium body, medium plus acidity, high alcohol and medium tannins with a small amount of grip.  The medium intense flavours include more of the same deep red fruit along with Damson plums and a herbal finish.  The finish is medium.

This WSET ‘good’ wine that was spirited to me from England by Stuart  is elegant, slender and drinking perfectly now.

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Tahbilk, Museum Release, Marsanne, Nagambie Lakes, Central Victoria, Australia, 2007, 12% abv, C$21

Posted on August 7, 2014 by winellama

This is a fabuphoto (1)lous find that will not break your bank but tastes great.  It’s made from Marsanne grapes that are sometimes called ‘Ermitage’ because they originated in France’s Rhone Valley and were used in white Hermitage wines.  These days, Marsanne is grown mostly in southern France as well as the US (California and Washington states) and, as in this case, Australia.

Marsanne was first grown in Australia back in 1860 and the Nagambie Lakes region was one of the first places vineyards with Marsanne grapes were established.

This wine is a medium lemon colour with legs and the nose is clear with medium plus aromas of pronounced beeswax, honey, hay, wet wool and wet rocks.  In fact, it’s downright Chenin-like.

The palate is dry with medium body, average acidity, lower alcohol and medium plus flavours that include honey, beeswax, quince, ripe Meyer lemon and more wet rocks.  It has a great finish.

Acidity is often an issue for Marsanne-based wines, but even though this is only medium, it doesn’t flatten out but rather it lingers.  This is well made, balanced and relatively complex for such a reasonably priced wine.

Hold for 3-5 years to extract further honeyed notes.   WSET Very Good.

 

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