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Champagne Brut Rose, Kirkland Signature MA, Janisson et Fils, Verzenay, France, 12% abv, NV, US$25

Posted on June 27, 2013 by winellama

Take a wild guess. Go ahead. How much wine do you think Costco sells at their 433 stores in the US and Puerto Rico each year, in addition to 165 more locations around the world?

Costco sells some interesting stuff – Krug, Cristal, Dom Perignon and even classed-growth Bordeaux. Just about anything is available at 10-15% less than at other stores. They even have their own line of Marque d’Acheteur wines using the Kirkland brand.

I know – it’s hard to imagine serving wine with that distinctive Kirkland look at an elegant party. I mean, seriously. This is where I go for reams of toilet paper. Bargain basement bagel deals. Omega 3 fish oil pills. And you think I’m going to buy my champagne there?

Get over yourself.

Next time you cross over the border (or not, depending on where you’re reading this from), stop worrying what the Joneses will think and snap up this deal of a champagne that earned 90 points in Decanter recently.

This is a traditional method champagne from Verzenay – 65% Pinot Noir, 25% Pinot Meunier and 10% Chardonnay – from the vineyards of Janisson et Fils in the Montagne de Reims. Thirteen percent of their vineyards are classified as Premier Cru and Grand Cru.

The wine is clear and bright, medium salmon verging on tangerine with persistent, small bubbles. The nose is clean with light and delicate aromas of field berry, strawberry, raspberry and yeast.

The palate is dry with high, juicy acidity, a creamy mousse and medium minus alcohol. The body is surprisingly medium and the flavour profile medium plus consists of strawberries, ripe raspberries, plenty of pink grapefruit, field berries, toast and biscuit on the yeast. The finish is medium plus.

This is WSET ‘very good’ champagne – full of aromatic and flavourful complexity, toasty character, minerality, good acidity and a lengthy finish.

Annette Alvarez Peters, Costco’s assistant general merchandise manager for wine, spirits and beer was vilified last year for saying wine is ‘simply a product, no different from toilet paper’ (Decanter, July 2013, page 33). Not exactly the kind of romancing wine geeks are accustomed to, for sure. That said, she then turned around and sold $1.4B of wine and spirits in 2012.
Astonishing.
So is the wine.

Posted in Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, ROSE | 2 Comments

Whitehall Lane Winery, Merlot, Napa Valley, California, 14.2% abv

Posted on June 25, 2013 by winellama

I had the opportunity to visit Whitehall Lane Winery and Vineyards in March when we were in Napa. Located in St. Helena, they produce about 45,000 cases per year made by their winemaker ‘Dean’ who has actually spent wine time here in British Columbia – specifically Vancouver Island and Saltspring Island.

While there, we enjoyed a memorable tour including long and detailed discussions about trellising systems and vines. Filled my inner wine geek boots, they did. I also came away with a few of their very cool glass ‘vino seals’ that I’ve used several times since, especially on my white wines. Note -get these when/if you visit them.

I purchased a couple of bottles and was tres pleased to be able to crack the 2010 Merlot this rain drenched (shocker, not) summer Vancouver evening to go with our bbq steak.

This wine is clear and bright, deep ruby and has solid legs noted. On the nose, it’s clean and developing with a medium plus intensity of blueberries, boysenberries, a touch of black pepper spice and ripe Damson plums.

The palate is dry with medium plus acidity, seriously silky smooth tannins with just the right amount of grip – ever so gentle, yet present – high alcohol and a voluptuous and full body. The flavours are medium plus and consist of more blue and black fruit – blueberries, boysenberries, and blackberries, purple plums, field berries, black spice, a little oak and topped with a touch of fig. The finish is long.

This is WSET ‘very good’ wine; the alcohol is a undoubtedly high and takes a while to blow off, but the fruit and acidity are solid and the length outstanding alongside the seriously gorgeous tannins. A juicy and full Merlot that would have Miles turning over in his proverbial grave. Well, you get the point.

And just in case you don’t, click on this refresher – I’m not drinking any #@!& Merlot!

Posted in California, Merlot, RED | 2 Comments

Saint Chinian AC, Hecht Bannier, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, 2010, 14% abv, $35 (down to $20)

Posted on June 19, 2013 by winellama

It’s a beautiful day in the neighbourhood, a beautiful day for a neighbour…Raquel from the BCLB is my neighbour. Let me just say how thankful I am that Raquel is my neighbour. She had the presence of mind (mostly because she knows I’m an easy mark) to let me know there was a manager’s sale on last weekend at the store located literally downstairs from our condo.

Knowing nothing about this wine, I had a feeling I’d be very pleased with it as everything Raquel suggests is pretty much ‘wonderful’. It’s a GSM blend from Languedoc-Roussillon and these full bodied, fully flavoured wines are amongst my favoured treasures.

What a treasure this wine is. I’m already thinking “Why didn’t I buy more!?” A blend of the dominant Syrah with Mourvèdre and Grenache blended in on top, it hails from Saint Chinian, located between Minervois and Faugeres (all north of Limoux) and located close to the Mediterranean. The summer of this vintage was, from all accounts, terribly unusual. The winter was cold and even snowy, followed by a very wet spring. However, the summer was exceptionally dry and warm; there was no rainfall at all between May – September. Yet harvest was successful and the wine produced, absolutely outstanding. There must be something in that ‘struggling vines produce the finest wines’ argument.

This wine is clear and bright with even legs and a deep, rich ruby. On the nose, it’s clean and developing with pronounced aromas of raspberries, red plums, liquorice, cigar box, tea leaves, a resinous character and herbs. Amazing.

The palate is dry with a juicy medium + acidity and the wine has velvety tannins with just the right amount of grip. Alcohol is relatively high at 14% but not readily obvious and the body is medium plus. The flavours on this wine are bountiful – cassis, smoke, violets, raspberries and damson plums, crushed rosemary and sage, some juniper and rocks. The finish is very long.

This wine is solid. Outstanding. Stunning. Drink now and often – may certainly be aged for 5-7 years if not more. If you can find it, buy it. It should be at your local BC Liquor Store, so run. Gorgeous fruit, length, body, tannin and acidity, all rolled into a beautifully balanced, integrated and structured package.

If I can get there first, I’m buying them out.

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

Capella, Clos du Soleil, White Wine/Vin Blanc, Keremeos, BC, Canada, 2010, 12.6% abv

Posted on June 17, 2013 by winellama

Clos du Soleil is a Similkameen Valley winery nestled into the base of the sun warmed cliffs in Keremeos, BC. A biodynamic winery, they’re owned by several friends and investors who work together to bring their wines to BC. When we were there, Michael Clark, newly in charge of vineyard and winery operations was there doing tastings.

There were only 535 cases of the Capella produced in 2010. This is a 90% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Semillon blend named for a star, the brightest one in the constellation Auriga, and the third brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere after Arcturus and Vega. I think I mentioned they follow the biodynamic philosophy, yup!

When at Vancouver restaurant PiDGin on Friday evening, I enjoyed Clos du Soleil’s Pinot Blanc with oyster shots (you need to try these) and their take on chicken wings. It made me want to open this wine as soon as possible.

This wine is clear and bright and a deep lemon with light legs. On the nose, it’s youthful and has soft lemon citrus, honey, canned peaches and fresh Okanagan nectarines with a whiff of freshly cut grass. The palate is dry with medium plus acidity and medium minus alcohol. With medium body, the wine has medium plus flavours of more stone fruit including peaches, nectarines and ripe pears, soft lemon creme, long green grass and more honeyed notes including honeysuckle. The finish is medium plus.

This wine is WSET ‘very good’ – well balanced, fruity and refreshing, the wine has complex flavours and finishes well.

For too many trips to the Okanagan, we would rush through the Similkameen and never made the time to stop and taste any of the wines produced there. Make the Similkameen a stop on your travels through to Osoyoos or Naramata Bench next time you go to the Okanagan. Clos du Soleil is well worth a stop and taste.

Posted in BC, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, WHITE | Leave a comment

Chardonnay, Jordan, Russian River Valley, California, 2010, 13.5% abv

Posted on June 13, 2013 by winellama

Chardonnay is one of the most widely planted white varietals in the world, second only to Airen (Spain). This is a particularly elegant and crisp version from Jordan’s Russian River Valley vineyard.

The Russian River Valley, located in Sonoma County, is renowned for its cooler weather which ensures the grapes do not over ripen and retain their high acidity. These characteristics are evident in this vintage of the Jordan chardonnay.

The wine is clear and bright, deep lemon and has light and even legs noted.

On the nose, it’s youthful, full of medium (+) steely minerality, Granny Smith apple, Bergamot lime, lemon rind, guava and a little passion fruit.

On the palate, the wine is dry with juicy and refreshing medium (+) acidity and medium (+) alcohol. The body is medium and the medium (+) taste profile includes pink grapefruit, more lime and lemon, green apple, more tropical fruit (green pineapple and green mango) and a hint of vanilla pod from the light oak. The finish is a lovely medium (+) and exudes a stony minerality.

Elegant, bright, slender and classy – a WSET ‘very good’ wine from a favoured winery located near Healdsburg in Sonoma. The complexity of fruit is nicely balanced with the alcohol and deft oak treatment. Drink now or may age for 3-5.

Posted in California, Chardonnay, WHITE | Leave a comment

Wine Bloggers of North America Conference, Penticton, BC 2013

Posted on June 9, 2013 by winellama

Yesterday I was a speed tasting virgin. Now that I actually understand this speed tasting thing, I’m slightly better prepared. For starters, I intend to spit! Somehow this isn’t coming out the exact way I’d meant it to. Perhaps I should just type at this point… Enjoy the wine, spit if you must (and I must)… Ten wines, 5 minutes each – here we go!

Black Sage Vineyard, Merlot 2010
@blacksagewine
Produced in and about Osoyoos and actually grown in an extension of the Sonora Desert, the Merlot is from 20 year old vines (they were one of the first plantings in the Okanagan Valley). It’s got beautiful blueberry and red fruit featuring some raspberry and strawberry. There’s significant spice, cedar, herbs and even sage on this wine – Okanagan terroir! Retails for $21.99 and has sold out at the VQAs but is available at the winery. Aged for 2 years prior to release so it’s ready to drink now. Good tannins and fruit mean this can be enjoyed for 3-5 years to come.

Upper Bench, Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
A brilliant purple, light body for a cab sav, but fruity and acid with smooth tannins. Only 141 cases produced of this lovely wine. They have the Curds + Corks Club which one can join – and the recommended cheese for this wine is the King Cole, a take on Stilton. This wine is available for $35 and produced from 15 year old wines.

Perseus, Tempus Syrah 2010
@perseuswine
Available for $28.99 this wine has sage leaping out on the nose. Fruity and lightly spicy, this Syrah is blended with 3.5% splash of Viognier. The fruit comes from Oliver and the wine is produced at Perseus, just up the road from Penticton. Cherries, a touch of tobacco and blueberries are most apparent with the Tempus – as well as that sage.

D’Angelo Estate Winery, Sette Coppa Riserva Unfiltered 2007
Located on the Naramata Bench, this is a family owned winery 12 years old making only 1,500 cases of wine per year with estate grown grapes, mostly Bordeaux varietals. This wine is a blend of five varietals and the joke with the Sette Coppa is that if you can find the other two, you win the prize. Aged for 24 months in French, Hungarian and American oak, the wine is very balanced, a little light in body, but food friendly. I can see enjoying this with bbq at the family-owned bed and breakfast co-located with the winery itself.

Mt Boucherie, Zinfandel 2009
There’s some residual sugar on this wine produced on BC’s largest privately owned grape-growing lands (300 acres). Spicy with red fruit, this is very drinkable and happily, not one of those jammy versions one often associates with the varietal. It does have high abv at 14.8%, but definitely is one to be enjoyed with bbq’ed steak or say, a lamb biryani.

Summerhill Pyramid Winery, Cabernet Franc 2006
Made at BC’s first organic and Canada’s largest organic winery, this is a single vineyard Cab Franc with that telltale graphite scent and tons of Okanagan plum to boot. Able to last for another 15 years at least with the strong tannins, fruit and acidity, but drinkable now. Perhaps the best Cab Franc in the bunch today – unique. It’s available at the winery for $29.95 and there’s a newer version from 2009 as well.

Hillside Winery and Bistro, Cabernet Franc 2009
They’ve been growing on the Naramata Bench since 1984, and this wine has fruit from Stoneboat as well as from their own acreage. Red fruit, plum, plum and more plum. This is a more restrained Cab Franc than the Summerhill Pyramid version (more structured). They are just very different. Less graphite and more black tea, lavender and flowers on this version. There are only 700 cases of this produced.

McWatters Collection, Meritage 2009
@mcwatterswine
With 44% Cab Sav, 32% Merlot, the balance is Cab Franc. More Cab Franc – what are these Okanagan growers on about!? Well, it seems to be working. The vines are 17 years old and the wine retails for $30 (annual production of only 500 cases). The wine has great acidity and fruit and would be very food friendly. Their feeling is that wine=food, so they are careful to make the wine appropriate for all food options.

***Laughing Stock Vineyards, Portfolio 2010
This is a Bordeaux blend with 5 varietals from their gravity fed winery that the owners/winemakers put together specifically when they retired from the investment management business. Great wine. Period. Even Jancis Robinson agreed recently when she did a tasting of Canadian wines and named this one a favourite top 3 for Canadian reds. (Glad to see I’m not delusional – if JR enjoyed it, then I must know basically what I’m talking about). There are 2000 cases of this wine produced each year – unfined, unfiltered, ‘the real deal’. Get one before they go. Run, now. Don’t stop or pass ‘go’ – @LFNGWine

Bench 1775, Cabernet Merlot 2011
One of 3 wineries in Canada with private beach access! This wine has blueberries and plums and a slight vanilla tone. Nicely balanced and only 12.2% abv which makes it easy to drink lots of. Drink now, not intended for ageing. Enjoy with pizza or light Italian-style cuisine, $22.90 at VQA stores or the winery.

Posted in BC, Industry Tasting | Leave a comment

Jolie Saison Gamay, 2012, 12.5% abv

Posted on June 8, 2013 by winellama

Available by September 17 only at Seasons 52 restaurants in the US, but here for an in-advance-tasting opportunity at the Wine Bloggers’ Conference 2013 in Penticton, BC, this wine is clear and bright, purple and has legs noted.

On the nose, it’s clean with medium + intense aromas of violets, black cherries and red plums. On the palate, it’s dry with medium + acidity, grainy but elegant tannins and low alcohol. The body is satisfyingly medium and the flavours are medium + intense and consist of black and red plum, cassis, cherries jubilee, milk chocolate, light leather and blackberry vine. The finish is medium plus.

This wine is WSET ‘very good’ – great fruit complexity and acid balance with silky length and the right amount of tannin. Yes, definitely New World influenced, but in a positive way and not obviously so. There are 2000 cases, 1500 for the restaurants and produced from two Beaujolais crus direct to Seasons 52.

Posted in France, Gamay, RED | 1 Comment

Rose, Chinon AC, Serge et Bruno Sourdais, Loire, France 2012, 12.5% abv

Posted on June 5, 2013 by winellama

WSET Fortifieds exam is done, check. Sparklings too, check. Had some beer, check. Now it’s onto the…. rosé? Yup, you read it right – the rosé.

This wine is clear and bright and well, it’s gosh darned beautiful. Yes, beautiful. It’s so pretty it makes you want to smile. It’s pink – as in candy floss pink, bubblegum and watermelon. But don’t be mislead – there’s no sweetness here.

On the nose it’s all rose petals, blossoms, strawberries and the slightest hit of jalapeño pepper. Youthful and light. The palate is dry with medium plus acidity, low alcohol, medium minus alcohol, no perceptible tannins and medium minus body. The medium plus flavours include more red and jalapeño peppers, cherries, strawberries and blossoms with a refreshing minerality.

Love it – a fine example, Direct Wines. Thank you for bringing a refreshing and lovely example of the Loire to our market.

Posted in Cabernet Franc, France, ROSE | 2 Comments

Bosc Dla Rei, Beni di Batasiolo, Moscato D’Asti DOCG, Serralunga D’Alba, Italia, 5.5% abv, 2011

Posted on June 2, 2013 by winellama

Okay – this is going to be a lightning round tasting note in anticipation of a possible WSET Sparklings exam question on Asti. Homework!

Asti is a sparkling or often Frizzante / Spumante style of wine made in Italy’s NW Piedmont region and centred around Alba and Asti. There are two DOCGs, DOCG Asti and DOCG Moscato D’Asti. Traditionally these wines have a poor quality image and are almost known as ‘a poor man’s (or woman’s, depending on one’s point of view) version of Champagne.

There are two distinct types of Asti produced although they are often confused and lumped together. Both are made from 100% Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains or Moscato Bianco. The grape is sometimes referred to in the region as Moscato di Canelli.

The region has a continental climate and is sub-Alpine with calcareous soils, much beloved by the Muscat grape. Yields are maxed at 10 tonnes per hectare and 18 houses are in control of approximately 80% of the business. Many small growers end up selling to the large production houses – not unlike in Champagne. There are literally ‘oceans’ (as per Tom Stevenson) of Asti produced (about 75million bottles per year) compared with only about 3million bottles of Moscato D’Asti per year.

These wines tend to have a musky orange scent and flavour to them in addition to apricots, peaches, ripe melon, some light lemony citrus, rose petals and orange blossoms. They are best served with sweet desserts and fruit salad is a perfect accompaniment.

Produced in the Asti method, a variation on the Tank method, the partially fermented musts are held at 0c until they are needed (not too long or Moscato D’Astis in particular will end up smelling of geraniums because of the geraniol) and then fermented in a pressurized tank until they reach 6% abv and 5 atmospheres of pressure. They are then filtered and chilled to retain the residual sugar and bottled.

Asti is allowed to have a maximum atmospheric pressure of 3.5-4, be 7.5-9% abv, will have a mushroom shaped cork, be drier and made with less ripe grapes. It will have a lower quality rating. Moscato D’Asti, on the other hand is allowed to have a maximum of 1 atmosphere of pressure, be about 5% abv, will have a cork inserted into the bottle neck and be made of higher quality grapes and be of better overall quality.

Asti is extremely popular these days and enjoying a huge resurgence in market share and popularity especially amongst a young demographic of club going, rap loving drinkers. This has been led in large by singers including Drake and Nikki Minaj. Cheap, available, sweet and fruity, they are very drinkable and easy to market to these new and impressionable drinkers.

This wine is clear and bright, medium lemon with tiny, lazy bubbles noted.
On the nose it’s clean with intense aromas of grapes, musk, roses, honey, apricots, oranges and blossoms. It’s a youthful wine.
On the palate, the wine is sweet with medium acidity, has a delicately frizzante mousse, the alcohol is low and body is full. The flavours include lemon rind, apricot, peach, grape, rose and orange blossoms and honey. The finish is medium plus.

This wine is very good and a typical example of a Moscato D’Asti. It’s quite sweet but not cloying. While the acidity is not especially high, the flavours and aromas are full and complex.

Posted in Italy, Moscato D'Asti, Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains / Moscato Bianco/..., Sparkling Wine, WHITE | 2 Comments

Placet Valtomelloso, Palacios Remondo Bodega, Rioja DOC, Spain, 2008, 13.5%

Posted on May 29, 2013 by winellama

I bought this wine forever ago at Legacy – probably when I was studying Spanish wines for WSET Level 3 exams. Good thing I passed as I obviously forgot to drink the wine!

Fast forward to today and some barbecued chicken and we have finally opened it. This wine is made from the Viura grape (aka Macabeu / Macabeo), often the varietal that forms the backbone of Spanish Cava primarily because of its acidity and neutrality.

Bodegas Palacios Remondo is based in Alfaro in the Rioja Baja. This old family firm has been revitalized by the arrival of winemaker Alvaro Palacios from Priorat. The wines are made from their own vineyards, a rarity in the Rioja region. Palacios is deeply committed to organic viticulture and natural winemaking practices, such as use of organic fertilizers in the stone-covered, clay soils.

This wine is clear and bright, deep lemon with light legs.
It is clean and developing on the nose with medium intense aromas of lemon citrus, orange blossom, green and yellow apples and some tropical fruit such as pineapple.

On the palate, it’s dry with medium + acidity and medium + alcohol. The body is medium and the flavours medium plus intensity consisting of an oddly almondy, yeasty character with slight bitterness. I was able to find out that the Placet spends 11 months on its lees and in oak fermenting barrels, so this makes sense. There is also lemon citrus, a buttery cream and some bitter nuts with a medium finish.

It’s a very good quality white Spanish wine – lively acidity with interesting complexity and lees time showing through. A longer finish would earn it a higher rating.

I have two wine exams next week – one in Sparklings and one in Fortifieds. What am I doing drinking a weirdo cork dorky white wine from Spain? Good question. Good thing it tasted interesting and was unique. I’d better get back to studying.

Posted in Spain, Viura / White Rioja | Leave a comment