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August 27, 2010 • 9:47 am 0

Sept 4th Vintages Preview – Nostradamus predicts: Astonishingly good 2007s from the Southern Rhône!!

John Szabo, MS

It’s hard to describe the sensation of traveling south from Lyons down through the Rhône Valley, whether you’re on the water or the autoroute that shadows the mighty river. In the span of a few short hours one descends from the edge of the Massif Central, like the relentless and maddening Mistral wind itself, out of the north’s tightly chiseled granite gorge, to emerge on the heaving plains of the south where scattered tracks of polished stones reveal the secret of the River’s earlier meanderings. The northern Rhône and the southern Rhône are linked only in name, connected by the thread of the River as isolated continents are linked by undersea cables. The two regions are as different as apples and oranges, or more appropriately, syrah and grenache.

In the northern Rhône, one looks up, up to the steep, craggy slopes that rise abruptly from the river’s edge, leaving only a thin sliver of land between slope and water where man has erected villages and highways. The vines of Côte Rôtie and the hill of Hermitage cling desperately to the rocky outcrops and look set to tumble down into the river at the very next souffle of the wind. The wines of the northern Rhône reflect this more severe landscape; they’re tighter and more austere, bound in on themselves as the inhabitants of the north are bound by the River and the hills.

But the south has a palpably different feel, one that overcomes you, tenderly though unmistakably, as you cross the threshold out of the narrow part of the valley into the open and undulating expanse of the south, spread out before you like a giant tablecloth at a picnic. The harsher northern climate gives way to gentle breezes, generous warmth and the ever present scent of garrigue, a heady mixture of wild scrubby herbs: rosemary, thyme, and lavender among others. The proper French of the Lyonnais slowly shifts into the oozing patois of Provence, marked by a friendly twang and words that lazily roll into one another as effortlessly as a bottle of pastis runs dry during a late afternoon round of boules. Even the quality of light seems to change, as though the sun itself feels less inclined to work hard to define the spectrum of colours and allows one shade to bleed into another in a dazzling range of soft pastels that has attracted artists for centuries.

Unsurprisingly, the wines of the southern Rhône, too, are a reflection of their landscape. Grenache is the dominant grape of over a dozen possible varieties, most often blended with meaty mourvèdre and peppery syrah. Grown in the broad plains, on gravelly mounds and gentle slopes grenache & co. deliver wines with soft edges and generous character, filling your mouth with a liberal dollop of sundrenched fruit and the perfume of the garrigue. They’re as easy-going and good-natured as the people of the southern Rhône, and as fun as a band of troubadours at a medieval party. This is, after all, a land saturated in poetry and philosophy, the land of Michel de Nostredame, nicknamed Nostradamus, whose very name, Latin for “we give what is ours”, reflects the generous spirit of the south.

And speaking of, had Nostradamus focused his eerily accurate foretelling of the future on grape growing, he would surely have presaged the confluence of factors that has made 2007 one of the most memorable vintages since he was born in 1503. Record sunshine hours (in a region that’s hardly ever short), low rainfall (but just enough) and heat without excess (consistently warm, but rarely above the temperature at which vines and workers decide to pack it in and take a siesta, delaying ripeness and road works) combined to give wines of extraordinary ripeness, intensity and depth. Even at the basic Côte du Rhône level, these wines are very good. In fact, when I was putting together the top ten smart buys it was looking like an all-Rhône show, so I opted to pull them out and create a top ten 2007 southern Rhône list, and save some space to highlight some other smart buys from the release.


Les Hauts Du Castellas Vacqueyras 2007Only a handful of the Rhône releases were substandard in my view; the rest are definitely worth a look. I’d like to point out the excellent 2007 PEYRE BLANCHE CAIRANNE CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES $17.95 from the ever-reliable Perrin family of Beaucastel fame, as well as this release’s benchmark wine (the LCBO got it right here), 2007 LES HAUTS DU CASTELLAS VACQUEYRAS $18.95. It’s solid and concentrated and certainly age-worthy.

For Sheer value it’s tough to beat the both 2007 CHÂTEAU SAINT MAURICE LES GRÈS LAUDUN CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES $14.95 and the 2007 RÉSERVE DES ARMOIRIES CÔTES DU RHÔNE $12.95. Both are great representations of the southern Rhône at very fair prices. All in all, this was a very good feature release.


Valentín Bianchi Famiglia Malbec 2007If you still have some disposable income after you’ve pillaged the Rhône Valley Greco-Roman style, there are a few other releases worth pointing out. Unstoppable Argentine malbec, Canada’s latest love affair, has a great representative coming out on September 4th in the 2007 VALENTÍN BIANCHI FAMIGLIA MALBEC $14.95 . I enjoyed this wine, as it was neither cynically commercial with gobs of oak and jam, nor a $10 wine masquerading as a $15 wine. It’s just pure, honest, elegant wine that’s delicious and delightful to drink. If you do like it big, then step up to the 2008 THORN-CLARKE TERRA BAROSSA SHIRAZ South Australia $15.95, a full on Barossa shiraz experience that’s equal to many at twice the price.


Huff Estates South Bay Chardonnay 2007Eastern Europe provides a couple of fine values, namely the 2008 BÉRES HÁRSLEVELU LATE HARVEST TOKAJI 88 $12.95 *** from the world’s first region to produce botrytis affected wine, and the exotic, at least in name, 2009 FIREBIRD LEGEND PINOT GRIGIO Vulcaneshti 87 $9.95 ***. It has a kitschy label and looks very cheap, and it is, but it tastes good for under a tenner. For more special occasions try the superb 2007 HUFF ESTATES SOUTH BAY CHARDONNAYVQA Prince Edward County $29.95, rapidly becoming one of the country’s best chardonnays in my view from French winemaker Frédéric Picard (we don’t hold it against him). And for lovers of Barolo like me you’ll want to grab a bottle or three of the 2005 MARZIANO ABBONA TERLO RAVERA BAROLO DOCG $36.95. Those in the know know that most good Barolo starts around $50, so to find a cru (single vineyard) wine for under $40 is a treat (thanks to Greece and the collapsing Euro). Both the 2005 vintage and the Ravera cru, located in the commune of Verduno, lend themselves to a more elegant, refined style of nebbiolo that’s just about ready to enjoy or hold mid-term.

And finally, of the mini-theme this week, Beautiful British Columbia, my top pick is the seductive2007 CEDARCREEK ESTATE CABERNET/MERLOT VQA Okanagan Valley $23.95 .

Cedarcreek Estate Cabernet/Merlot 2007

Click on the following to see my:

Top Ten Smart Buys
Top Ten 2007 Southern Rhône Wines
All Reviews

Cheers,


John Szabo, MS

Filed under: Wine , , , , , , ,

August 26, 2010 • 8:39 am 0

10th Annual Wine Access Canadian Wine Awards & John Szabo’s Personal Best

John Szabo, MS

It’s horribly cliché, but it’s true, so what can I say? The 10th Annual Canadian Wine Awards organized by Wine Access Magazine in beautiful Penticton in the Okanagan Valley was the finest showing of Canadian wines yet, at least out of the 5 years that I have been a judge. And I’m willing to venture that the first five years weren’t as strong in terms of the overall quality of wines presented. Everyone knows which way Canadian wines have been heading in the last decade: more, better, best. “A great and satisfying tasting”, said arch veteran Tony Aspler.  “I was more impressed than ever this year by the high level of quality”, had to say Véronique Rivest, one of the country’s top sommeliers, and “just an awesome week of tasting!!!” according to Alberta-based sommelier and wine buyer Brad Royale, all judges at this year’s awards. New Brunswicker Craig Pinhey was so enthused that he could hardly wait for next summer’s competition: “I think we need a winter wine competition. Shall we meet in Winnipeg? Quebec City?”.

Our own David Lawrason, judge at nine out of the ten awards, had a more philosophical take-away from the experience: “We may all have different notions about wine, and competitions, but there is something about blind tasting together that speaks to the purpose of our vocation. We have all invested so much time caring about quality and taste both on behalf of consumers and winemakers, and it’s very gratifying to share that with you all.” It’s certainly not war, or high school, or even a three-week canoe trip, but it is a real bonding experience, with but one singular purpose: to find and award the producers of Canada’s best wines (with multiple interpretations) with some deserved recognition. We obviously enjoy, but it’s for done for you the consumer, to settle the turbid waters of the vastly populated wine store shelves, as well as for all of this country’s dedicated producers, to offer a non-binding, suggestive direction of what’s working best from an assembly of people who spend their lives immersed in the subject. The ultimate goal? To further the Canadian wine industry and make wine drinking a little more pleasurable for all. Ok. And sell a few magazines, too.

But I’ll spare you the tiresome details about the grueling tastings of 100s of wines over the course of a week, the long nights of great camaraderie with colleagues from across the country, the welcoming and generous Okanagan hosts, the outstanding locally-sourced, low pomp, high flavour dinners, and cut to the chase.

This year there were about as many entries as in previous editions, yet there are more wineries, and wines, being produced in Canada than ever before. My interpretation, born out by the results, is that wineries were more selective in their entries, submitting mostly the best stuff. It was harder than ever in the preliminary rounds to sort out the wines that should move forward to the finals from the rest. The obviously low-quality wines are easy to dismiss, but this time the majority required serious sensorial scrutinizing to separate the good from the best. And that’s a very good thing.

So what’s happening in Canada? Several things came into sharp focus for me during the week in Penticton. For one, the grape varieties that perform most consistently, and that yield the best quality wines in the right areas, became more evident. The results, or at least my interpretation, show clearly what’s working and where. Chardonnay and Riesling have become the most exciting categories to judge. From the ponderous, overly oaky and clumsy chardonnays of the bad old days to now, there were too many outstanding wines to count (well, somebody did). Lees oak, no oak, more class, elegance, finesse, minerality. Exciting stuff. And Riesling, a long time top performer, firmly entrenched itself as one of Canada’s best, particularly from Ontario. And thankfully, people are finally starting to drink it. There are certainly great examples of sauvignon blanc, viognier, pinot blanc, pinot gris, gewürztraminer and others, but the consistency across the range is not as deep.

Sparkling wines: yes we can. Aromatic white blends is another clear winning category. In my view it’s the most sensible approach to making consistently tasty, charming mostly unoaked whites in our always unpredictable climate. Bets can be hedged against any single variety, allowing maximum flexibility to take the season’s best components and craft good wine. More of this please.

For reds, pinot noir has finally taken its rightful place. For years we’ve predicted, half wishfully, that it will be one of the country’s more successful wines. It’s a tricky variety as pinotphiles know, but it’s purpose-made to grow in cooler climates – it’s a short cycle grape that ripens early – it should work here. And now that more than a handful of producers have learned to coax the best out of it in both the vineyard and the winery, there is critical mass of really good examples.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, on the other hand, were perhaps too enthusiastically planted in the early days. They simply don’t work everywhere; few and far between are the places warm enough, with sufficient frost-free days to ripen them up to the point where they become interesting on their own. Oak flavour, green tannin and alcohol alone cannot carry these monovarietal wines. This is not to take away from the top examples that are made in Canada, but they are the exceptions that prove the rule. As with whites, the smart thing to do is blend, as was shown in the reds blends category, where there were many excellent wines made from a vast array of sometimes traditional, sometimes whimsical assortments of grapes. And here there is room to grow and experiment with many fringe varieties like malbec, petit verdot, tannat and others.

Syrah/shiraz has proven now for several years that it can make top class wines, both in the peppery northern Rhône style and in the riper new world style. It has produced past red wine of the year champions. Though it must be said, BC has the strong advantage here over the rest of the country due to the warmer, drier climate of the southern Okanagan. As for cabernet franc, touted to be the best of the traditional Bordeaux grapes, I found disappointing. And red hybrids. What to do with hybrids. I may be shot for saying this, but let’s rip them out. Even the best examples (of which there are barely a handful) are merely good, never great. To paraphrase Michelangelo, the failure in life is not to have aimed high and missed it, but rather to aim low and achieve it.

For more on the 2010 Canadian Wine Awards, check out the #CWA10 hashtag on Twitter, and read the real-time reactions of judges flight by flight.

My personal, unofficial, top picks:

Sparkling

NV Hillebrand Trius Brut, Niagara Peninsula

No real surprise here when the bottles were unveiled after the competition, this has consistently been one of my top picks for bubbly in Canada. Classy, complex, elegant and half the price of champers.

L’Acadie Vineyards 2007 Prestige Brut, Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia

Definitely a surprise. I know that Nova Scotia has the potential to make killer sparkling, and I’ve even tasted a few superb wines, but acadie bubbly? You bet. Crisp, clean, minerally and lively.

Fruit Wine

Rodrigues Winery N/V Raspberry

Raspeberries seem to lend themselves well to making fruit wines. They are among the most pure and easily identifiable, a good thing (points off if you can’t tell what fruit it’s made from when tasting blind…) This was an intense, concentrated essence of raspberry, sweet but balanced. Check it out with chocolate.

Mead

Rosewood 2009 Mead Blanc, Niagara Escarpment, Niagara Peninsula

Yes, that’s correct: mead. An alcoholic beverage made from honey. The judges requested to move the tasting into a medieval banquet hall, don Viking helmets and swap crystal for pewter, but the Penticton Lakeside Resort couldn’t accommodate so we settled for a more wine-like environment. It didn’t prevent me, however, from enjoying the super-intense honey, beeswax, pollen and propolis flavours. I actually saw open wounds heal and bacteria scatter as this was consumed. Weird I know, but if you haven’t tried it yet, you must. Totally compelling stuff. Rosewood’s Mon Cherie mead mixed with a little cherry juice is also worth checking out.

Riesling

Tawse 2009 Riesling, Niagara Peninsula

Tawse is getting riesling right on. Super tight, minerally, austere, barely off dry but balanced by electrifying acidity. The way we like it

Creekside Estate 2008 Butler’s Grant Vineyard Riesling, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara

Wooly, honeyed and lemony in a German spätlese trocken style (dry late harvest). Great intensity.

Vineland Estates 2008 St. Urban Riesling, Niagara Escarpment, Niagara

Another Ontario classic, from some of the oldest riesling vines in the province. Steely, minerally, delicately honeyed, with deceptive weight and power – you need to pay attention to this and give it time in the glass (or bottle).

Thirty Bench 2009 Winemakers Riesling, Beamsville Bench, Niagara

Another fine edition from Thirty Bench. The 09 is all citrus blossom and lemon-lime flavours, sprinkled with crushed limestone. Riveting acid, saliva and appetite inducing.

Aromatic White Blends

Road 13 Vineyards 2009 Viognier-Riesling-Sauvignon Blanc, B.C.

A fullish, succulent, peach-flavored blend dominated by the viognier component. Highly satisfying.

Flatrock Cellars 2009 Twisted, Niagara Peninsula

Different from the rest of the wines in the category, this is less effusively aromatic but has great texture and minerality, and long finish.

Syrah/Shiraz

Jackson-Triggs Okanagan 2007 SunRock Vineyard Shiraz, Okanagan Valley.

Again no surprise here; a perennial favorite of mine and most of the other judges. Peppery, cassis and smoke flavours, compelling intensity, great length. What’s the secret? I guess it’s a sunny vineyard and the grapes get ripe.

Jackson-Triggs Okanagan 2006 Grand Reserve Shiraz, Okanagan Valley.

Whoa! This smells quite simply like great wine. Mature, floral, violet, tar, red and blackberry fruit; well structured with plenty of life ahead. Top shelf.

Mission Hill 2007 Select Lot Collection Syrah, Okanagan Valley

A more elegant, peppery-floral style of syrah, the way we like it, with no shortage of sweet ripe cassis flavours and warm, satisfying palate.

Cabernet Franc

Cerelia 2008 Cabernet Franc, Cawston, Similkameen Valley B.C.

A surprise newcomer from the lesser-known Similkameen Valley (though the fruit for this wine comes from the South Okanagan), Cerelia is off to a great start. This has all of the hoped-for leafy, tobacco, wood spice and wild violet aromas and flavours that make cab franc such a fine variety.

White Single Varieties

Vineland Estates 2008 Chenin Blanc, Niagara Peninsula

One of the best of the ‘other’ varieties, Vineland’s Chenin is wonderfully wooly, honeyed, mineral and just barely off dry in a classic style.

Red Single Varieties

Twisted Tree Vineyards & Winery 2007 Tannat, Osoyoos, B.C.

There isn’t much of it in Canada, but if tannat can be this good then we should plant more (in the right places). Smoky, meaty, savoury in an old world style, yet not too rustic. Lovely stuff.

Red Blends

Cassini Cellars 2007 Maximus, Okanagan Valley B.C.

Beautiful, slightly rustic, floral and dried-herb-scented blend of cabernet, merlot and malbec. Firm, finessed, balanced and elegant.

Road 13 2008 Rockpile, Okanagan Valley, B.C.

A blend of just about everything  (8 grapes) led by syrah (not sure which genius assembled it but it works). It’s more modern in style, with notable wood influence but well within the limits of respectability, and smooth tannins. I could drink this all night. Well, I have. Just to prove the point.

Mission Hill 2007 Compendium, Okanagan Valley B.C.

Aerial infrared imagery, subsoil moisture probes, pressure bombs…. Mission Hill is on a mission, and will stop at nothing to make the best wine possible from their 900 acres of vineyards scattered throughout the Okanagan from Kelowna to Osoyoos. Compendium is a classy blend of cab sauv and franc, merlot and petit verdot full of ripe fruit, oak and spice all judiciously measured.

Chardonnay (Oaked)

Tawse 2008 Robyn’s Block Chardonnay, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara

A fabulous 08 Niagara chardonnay here, bright, fresh, restrained, mineral, with well-measured wood influence. Hate to draw vulgar comparisons, but this is like top notch Burgundy.

Henry of Pelham 2007 Speck Family Reserve Chardonnay, Niagara Peninsula

Absolutely top-notch effort from the Speck brothers, the exception to the rule that 2007 Ontario whites won’t age. This is a hefty, intensely flavoured wine with beguiling complexity and impressive finish.

Rosehall Run 2008 Cuvée County Chardonnay, Prince Edward County, Ontario

The County proves its suitability for first class chardonnay with this effort from Dan Sullivan of Rosehall Run. It’s more Chablis-like is style and I wondered if it should be in the oaked chardonnay category, then I stopped fussing over details and just enjoyed the lively green fruit, superb balance, wood integration and limestone minerality.

Pinot Noir

Howling Bluff 2008 Summa Quies Vineyard Pinot Noir, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley B.C.

Howling Bluff is a boutique producer on the celebrated Naramata Bench, obviously doing a superb job based on the class of this pinot, one of the best I’ve tasted in Canada.

Tawse 2008 Lauritzen Vineyard Pinot Noir, Niagara Peninsula

The first pinot released from Tawse from the Lauritzen vineyard, this could easily be the top wine of the vintage from Ontario. Silky, elegant, smooth, fruity and spicy, this has everything one could hope for in a pinot, and should satisfy both old world and new world palates.

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August 13, 2010 • 6:58 am 0

August 21st Vintages Preview – ‘Signature Wines’ & Germany – by John Szabo

John Szabo, MS

As this week’s Vintages Release preview hits the web, a crew of judges will be en route to Penticton in BC’s Okanagan Valley for the Wine Access Canadian Wine Awards. We won’t be admiring the splendid sunsets as the last rays slip off the Naramata Bench, nor whiling away the afternoons sailing on Lake Okanagan, oh no. Over the course of 5 days we’ll be bunkered in a convention centre tasting our way through 1000+ wines grown exclusively in this country. It’s hard to believe that this year marks the 10th edition of what has become Canada’s most respected and trusted measure of 100% locally grown wines. All of the results will be on newsstands by late fall, just in time to help with holiday party wines and gift-giving decisions for the growing number of you tuned into how solid our industry is. I’m certainly eagerly anticipating the tasting, and uncovering this year’s best wines. It gets better every year.

Of course, you may question that it’s Canadians judging Canadian wines, and presume that a national prejudice favourably colours the results. It’s true. Canadians like their own wines better than anyone else, though that could be said of any winemaking nation. But what, you ask, does the rest of the world think of Canadian wines? Apparently quite a lot. This past week over the Decanter newswire it was announced that an astonishing three out of four Canadian wines entered into the Decanter World Wine Awards finished with a medal. That’s an impressive rate of success. Since the wines in Decanter’s awards are judged by an international panel, not just Canadians, we can infer that knowledgeable folks from around the world also find these wines worthy of serious consideration. Compare this striking result to what other areas achieved, like, say, poor old Bordeaux, which barely managed a 25% success rate, one out of four wines, in the medal hunt.

Although it’s hardly surprising to anyone that has been following the Canadian wine industry, it seems that the quality of Canadian wines have finally debunked the myth that everything here is frozen and aged in igloos. I’m not bringing this up to pull on that tired old psychological thread that ties Canadian self-respect to outside validation (an observable fact, by the way, in virtually every wine growing region in the world – no one is cursed with such self confidence that a little praise and interest from a foreigner doesn’t warm the heart). It’s only to say that A) Canadian winemakers are serious; B) Canadian winemakers are taken seriously, and C) let’s get on with it.

Graf Von Schönborn Silvaner Kabinett Trocken 2008
The mini spotlight this week is on a middling collection of German wines, of which the 2008 GRAF von SCHÖNBORN SILVANER KABINETT TROCKEN QmP $18.95 is easily the class of the lot. This Silvaner from the Franken region, the grape’s spiritual homeland, does come in that awkwardly-shaped bocksbeutel bottle allegedly modeled after a goat’s scrotum, but the wine inside is delicious, tinged with a late-harvest botrytis-like quality and evident minerality. For German classicists, my pick of the rieslings is the 2008 ALLENDORF TERROIR RIESLING KABINETT QmP $16.95 , a fine, delicate example from the Rheingau.

The principal feature in the August 21st release is on the theme of ‘signature wines’, which I take to mean wines that are nicely representative of their respective regions. But since expression of place is the sine qua non of any wine that I would consider seriously, anything else being nothing more than fermented grape juice to be drunk and not contemplated, let’s move straight on to the smart buys. These are, by my own definition, all signature wines.

Charles Heidsieck Réserve Champagne Brut
The top pick this week also goes to the wine with the highest price tag on my list: NV CHARLES HEIDSIECK RÉSERVE BRUT CHAMPAGNE AC $54.95 . This should be proof positive that there’s value up and down the price scale. After all, some things aren’t expensive, they just cost a lot. This champagne far outclasses so many others in the same price category, offering a splendidly complex, mature profile based on a high percentage of reserve wines. It’s more of a food champagne rather than an aperitif style, though I’d be caught drinking it anytime.


Local talent is well represented by the 2008 FLAT ROCK CELLARS THE RUSTY SHED CHARDONNAY VQA $24.95 . The 2008 is an excellent follow up to the superb 2007, which leads me to believe that the vines that surround the rusty shed in Flatrock’s vineyard on the Niagara Escarpment in Jordan just might be pretty special.

Flat Rock Cellars The Rusty Shed Chardonnay 2008

There is an unusually rich collection of fine value, rustic European reds on the smart buys shopping list this week, perfect for those end of summer BBQs and backyard get-togethers. Back again is the excellent 2007 ÈTIM SELECCIÓN $15.00 from Spain’s northeast near Barcelona, made from a robust blend of Grenache, carignan and syrah. Also from Spain, the 2008 JUAN GIL HONORO VERA MONASTRELL $11.95 is chalk full of character and savage flavour, if not elegance, making it a classic for braises, stews and roast meats.

France puts in a good show with four good value reds, including a fine southern Rhône from the ever-reliable Perrin brothers (of Château Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape): 2007 PERRIN & FILS L’ANDÉOL RASTEAU $19.95, and a classy Bordeaux: 2006 CHÂTEAU ROQUETAILLADE VIEILLES VIGNES LA GRANGE AC Graves $21.95.

Click on the following to see my:

Top Ten Smart Buys
Wines from Germany at a Glance
All Reviews

Cheers,


John Szabo, MS

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July 30, 2010 • 9:27 am 0

Vintages Preview Aug 7th Release – Great value wines from south & central Italy – by John Szabo

John Szabo, MS

I think it’s fair to say I have a reasonable familiarity with central and southern Italian wines. As wine director for Terroni restaurants in Toronto, it’s my mission to leave no stones unturned when it comes to Italian wines, especially wines from the south, in order to fill the wine list with the best and best value wines available. And I couldn’t be luckier. Southern Italy is one of the most fertile hunting grounds for wines of real character and sense of place, as well as international appeal, at very reasonable prices. It seems I discover something new and interesting almost daily, as apparently there’s a never-ending list of regions, grapes and producers to explore.

Understanding Italy is one of the most daunting tasks faced by students in sommelier courses, up there with Germany and Burgundy in terms of sheer size, scope and complexity. But it’s precisely this diversity that makes the country so fascinating. On two visits to Italy within the last year I came across historic regions being reinvented by new and ambitious producers, and new regions getting established by multi-generational winegrowing families. The list of grapes seems endless, and so many growers are thankfully keen to revive antique grapes on the verge of extinction. Just last month an agent came by to see me and poured six excellent wines made from six ancient, indigenous grapes from Friuli that I had never heard of before. That’s as exciting for me it as would be for a classical musician to come across some unpublished Mozart composition in a dusty Salzburg attic: a window on the past, something beautiful for the future, and more pleasure for humankind.

Enotria VineyardsDubbed Enotria, land of vines, by the ancient Greeks when they landed in what is now southern Italy nearly 3,000 years ago, the landscape must have already been rich with grapevines. It’s speculated that the Greeks also imported a few of their own: it’s too tempting for ampelographers and linguists alike to not consider some Greek connection to grapes that are now considered indigenous like aglianico, a corruption of ‘elleniko’ (or ‘Hellenic, Greek for ‘Greek’), negroamaro (a corruption of nero-mavro, ‘black-black’, nero being the Italian word for black and mavro being the Greek equivalent), or more obviously, greco or grecanico. Whatever the case, there are plenty of fascinating, high quality varieties with singular flavour profiles.

The combination of well-adapted grapes, envious climate, and importantly, large estates with economies of scale (compared to the often tiny, fractured land ownership of regions like Piedmont, Friuli or the Veneto) spells out great potential value in the world of wine. So prepare yourself for an intriguing Italian wine Odyssey.


Apollonio Copertino Rosso 2004A nice starting point without frightening anyone with exceedingly strange flavours is the 2004 APOLLONIO COPERTINO ROSSO $16.95, a negroamaro-malvasia blend from southern Puglia that’s crafted in an approachable, modern style with plenty of concentration and polish, while still retaining some regional character. The next step would be to a slightly more traditional expression from the same region, like the 2007 RIVERA SALICE SALENTINO $13.95. It’s the same blend more or less, and from a similar terroir, but more traditional and rustic in style yet full of flavour.


Giusti Piergiovanni Lacrima Di Morro D'alba 2008When you’ve become acclimatized to the hot winds and sunny skies of the mezzogiorno (it always seems like the sun is right over your head as at midday, like the Midi of France), then you’ll be ready to explore some more unusual and idiosyncratic wines. The 2008 GIUSTI PIERGIOVANNI LACRIMA DI MORRO D’ALBA$17.95 is made from the rare Lacrima di Morro d’Alba grape grown around the town of Morro d’Alba in Le Marche on the Adriatic coast, which has nothing to do with Alba in Piedmont. Lacrima means tears, and the grape is so-called as the skins have a tendency to burst when fully ripe, causing little drops of juice to run out that resemble tears. Lacrima is a highly aromatic grape, with beguiling floral aromas that will keep you swirling and sniffing all night. And if firm acid and tannins don’t phase you, and you don’t mind a little salty minerality in your glass, then you’ll want to check out the 2007 BISCEGLIA TERRE DI VULCANO AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE $14.95 and the 2008 MURGO ETNA ROSSO $13.95 both hailing from the slopes of volcanoes (Vulture in Basilicata and Etna in Sicily respectively).

Despite the impression that all of southern Italy is hot and relentlessly sunny, there are nonetheless a few pockets and several grapes that are capable of producing fresh, crisp, seafood friendly whites, some of real class and character. My two top value picks in this release are the 2008 MARCHETTI VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI CLASSICO 12.95 and the 2009 PALA CRABILIS I FIORI VERMENTINO DI SARDEGNA $13.95.


Tandem Peloton 2007Beyond Central and Southern Italy, I’d like to point out the welcome addition of Tandem wines to the Vintages Portfolio, represented in Ontario by Kylix Wines. This is my first experience with Tandem, and I was seriously impressed with the releases from this Sonoma Coast-based winery. Indeed, all three were all in my top ten smart buys this week: 2007 TANDEM SANGIACOMO CHARDONNAY $24.95, 2007 TANDEM PELOTON $19.95 and 2007 TANDEM AUCTION BLOCK PINOT NOIR $29.95. Reasonably priced and full of class, character and pleasure, these wines shouldn’t be missed by fans of more elegant styles of wine from the sunshine state.


Finally, anyone who enjoys the flavours of mature wine should try the 2002 LEGENDS ESTATES RESERVE CABERNET/MERLOT VQA Niagara Peninsula $17.95. I’ve tried this wine many times over the past half decade or so and I’d say that it’s drinking beautifully now and certainly not past the best before date.

Click on the following to see my:

Top Ten Smart Buys
Wines from Central & Southern Italy at a Glance
All Reviews

Cheers,


John Szabo, MS

Filed under: Wine , , , , , ,

July 16, 2010 • 9:20 am 1

Vintages Preview July 24th Release – Southern France and Aussie Whites – by John Szabo

John Szabo, MS

I spent the summer of 1998 in the Languedoc working in the kitchen of a Michelin-starred restaurant in the small village of Florensac, somewhere between Montpellier and Béziers. The sea was a manageable bike ride away through the wild herb-scented Mediterranean breeze. The nearby Etang de Thau provided and endless array of seafood and shellfish delivered daily to the restaurant, and fresh lamb came from the high mountain pastures of the Pyrenees no more than an hour’s drive away in a Citröen 4L. Days started at 8 or 9am and finished around midnight six days a week, unless there was a catering event on Sunday. It was hard work and I was paid next to nothing, but I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.

Restaurant2:30-4:30 was a sacred time, when everyone in the house, front or back, would pause for lunch. There were always at least 4-5 open bottles of local wine on the table to taste, brought over by the sommelier Laurence. And so I began a serious exploration of the wines of the Languedoc-Roussillon, then as now the largest officially designated wine-growing region in the world. It was also at about this time that the Languedoc started to gain a lot of international recognition for the quality and value of its wines, shedding the image of a vast, poor quality bulk wine region as it had been considered for at least the last century. Suddenly there were small, artisanal producers popping up in the most promising sub-regions and micro terroirs from the Pyrenees to the borders of the southern Rhône appellation making great wine from the local grapes and a few imports.
Languedoc Wine I spent my rare days off that summer driving around in a borrowed car and visiting many of these up and coming producers, guided by Laurence’s recommendation and my own research. I discovered a wealth of dedicated winemakers eager to explore and express the maximum potential of Grenache, syrah, mourvèdre and old vines carignan, mostly in blends, as well as more rare but fascinating whites from grapes like maccabeu, bourboulenc and clairette and the more familiar marsanne and roussanne. I was thrilled at the discovery of characterful and flavourful wines at more than reasonable prices, made by passionate young individuals. The new generation of quality-oriented producers were quickly joined by big name and big money outsiders eager to get a piece of this terroir while it was still relatively unknown and the prices attractive. Regions like Minervois, Corbières, St Chinian, Faugères and the Côteaux du Languedoc were virtually unknown outside of France, and probably to most Parisians as well. It was this experience in fact that led me to leave the kitchen and get into the wine business, at first working with Vinifera, an importer of French wines. My motivation was at first selfish – I simply wanted to be able to drink these wines back home in Toronto.

In the intervening years, the Languedoc enjoyed a mini boom time in Ontario thanks in part to the LCBO’s buyer for the Classics Catalogue, Lloyd Evans, who had a soft spot for the wines. But the market never really took off has it did in, say, Québec, where not surprisingly all of the top wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon were, and still are, highly sought after and coveted by collectors and sommeliers alike. In some cases the prices have exceeded the value category to rival top crus from the Rhône Valley, but in general I still look to the Languedoc-Roussillon for excellent pleasure-price ratio.


Domaine Les Yeuses Les Épices Syrah 2007There are some fine examples in the July 24th release at Vintages. My top smart buy this week is the 2007 DOMAINE LES YEUSES LES ÉPICES SYRAH $12.95.  Here’s a pure syrah from the south with as much character and typicity as many northern Rhône versions at twice the price. Number two on my top ten list is the 2009 CHÂTEAU SAINT-ROCH VIEILLES VIGNES GRENACHE BLANC/MARSANNE $13.95, a highly flavourful and typically sweet herb-scented old vines white blend. Both of these are wines to buy by the case for everyday enjoyment and entertaining out back.


Domaine J. Laurens Le Moulin Blanquette De Limoux BrutI also recommend two other southern French wines in the smart buys category: 2006 CHÂTEAU DE PENA $13.95, a black fruit and savoury herb scented red from the wild hills of the Roussillon, and a bubbly, DOMAINE J. LAURENS LE MOULIN BLANQUETTE DE LIMOUX BRUT $16.95 from what is claimed to be the oldest sparkling wine region in the world in the upper, cooler reaches of the Languedoc near the town of Limoux. Sparkling wine is said to have been purposely-made (i.e. they wanted the bubbles), in the region of Limoux since the early 16th century, nearly two centuries before the monk Dom Pérignon was still grappling with the problem of out how to keep the bubbles out of champagne, or at least keep the bottles from exploding. This example has the typical appley character of the dominant mauzac grape, alongside a marked yeasty-biscuity note from its traditional method production.

The Languedoc-Roussilon is not free of radical opinions nor styles. This is after all, the base of the ultra-radical guerilla wine faction called CRAV, the Comité Regional d’Action Viticole. CRAV has claimed responsibility for a number of acts of vandalism or wine terrorism if you prefer, such as emptying out 100’s of thousands of liters of wine in the middle of the night at producers who source wine outside of the region or outside of France, and other similar acts, in a not so muffled cry to the government to intervene and support local industry.

This release too, has its radical element. Surely most controversial wine in my view is the 2007 DOMAINE DES AIRES HAUTES MINERVOIS LA LIVINIÈRE $19.95. This will undoubtedly be a polarizing wine, with many swooning over its full-bodied ripeness and others, probably far fewer, wondering what just hit them over the head. You’ll see in the Vintages catalogue that Robert Parker rates this wine a 90-91, while I was considerably less enthusiastic at just 86. I found the fruit fully baked and raisined and the alcohol, at an exaggerated 15.5% (on the label), well, exaggerated. No balance, no finesse, no poetry, just sheer mass. Any long time First-in-Line or WineAlign readers will likely have already figured out which wines ‘align’ with my tastes so this won’t be surprising. I know Minervois is a hot region. I lived next door to it and traveled through it during the hot summer of 1998. I’ve visited Domaine des Aires Hautes and tasted 16-17+% alcohol barrel samples and found them excessive then too. I know that properly managed vineyards can produce fully ripe fruit at less vertiginous alcohol levels, as plenty of other producers in the area manage to do, so I’m left wondering why it’s necessary. I suppose it’s because lots of people including well-known and respected critics like the style. I can’t help thinking that if I wanted to drink amarone or fortified wine, then I would probably buy amarone or fortified wine. In any case, I encourage you to pick up a bottle and see for yourself – it will at least be warming on a cold winter’s night.

Henschke Tilly's Vineyard 2008

As for the other feature of the July 24th release, Aussie whites, there is a collection of solid if not extraordinary wines, led by my top pick, the 2008 HENSCHKE TILLY’S VINEYARD $19.95 .

Click on the following to see my:

Top Ten Smart Buys
Top Wines from Southern France at a Glance
Top Aussie Whites at a Glance
All Reviews

Cheers,


John Szabo, MS

Filed under: Wine , , , , , , ,

July 8, 2010 • 10:00 am 0

Some Thoughts from Château Margaux Managing Director Paul Pontalier – by John Szabo

Some Thoughts from Château Margaux Managing Director Paul Pontalier

Paul Pontalier

Paul Pontalier

Paul Pontallier, Directeur Général of Château Margaux, along with Aurélien Valance senior VP Commercial Directeur and Georges Haushalter, Directeur Général of the Compagnie Médocaine des Grands Crus, represented in Ontario by Lifford Wine Agency, were in town in May for a presentation and tasting of Château Margaux. The wines, of course, were exceptional, but the conversation was even more interesting (well, at least as interesting). Following are some excerpts, taken on the fly with my poor shorthand typing skills, so my apologies in advance for any misrepresentation of words spoken.

On the Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux:

The quantity has been decreasing steadily over the last decade, and total production is now down to about 800-900 in 2009 (micro quantities relative to most Bordeaux cru classé production). The reason for the decrease is purely qualitative, as the selection is stricter and stricter. The 2008 Pavillon Blanc, for example represents only 40% of the total crop of white grapes, and the 2009 just 32%. But the severe approach is paying off, at least in terms of quality if not financially, Pontallier believes. “The 2009 is possibly the best vintage of Pavillon Blanc ever, but it’s also frustrating to sell off the remaining wine that doesn’t make the selection at regular Bordeaux blanc prices.” This is especially true since Pavillon Blanc “requires 10 times more effort to achieve this quality than it does to make the red. It requires an almost berry-by-berry selection. Every single step is more complicated”, says Pontallier.

Confusion over the naming of Pavillon Blanc:

To anyone unfamiliar with Château Margaux but at least somewhat familiar with the usual wine-naming strategy in Bordeaux, “Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux” sounds like the second tier white of the property, as the Pavillon Rouge is the second red wine, or “deuxième vin”. But Pavillon Blanc was created in 1920, at a time when there really weren’t any second wines and no one had envisioned any problem of confusion. The wine was in fact called “Château Margaux Vin Blanc” in the 19th century. But today there are legal issues to consider before attempting to change the name back and eliminate confusion. Margaux is a château as well as an appellation, and the AOC is exclusively for red wine, so a “margaux Blanc” is currently impossible.

The plot where white grapes are grown has belonged to the château for centuries, and was at one point planted with red varieties and included in the Margaux Grand Vin blend. The particular parcel is frost-prone, and as a result was not initially replanted after the phylloxera crisis. It was therefore excluded from the Margaux appellation when it was officially demarcated in 1955. Since it could not be used for Château Margaux, the parcel was planted to semillon and sauvignon in 1973-1974 and another part in 1979-80. In the intervening years, half of the parcel was subsequently incorporated within the Margaux appellation, and Pontallier is considering the possibility of replanting one hectare with red varieties on an experimental basis. With modern viticultural techniques and more advanced frost protection mothods, he believes the parcel could produce excellent wine. After all, it was part of the blend in the 19th century.

Details on the Pavillon Blanc:

Pavillon Blanc has evolved into a 100% sauvignon blanc-based wine. Historically this has not been the case, though it was not a conscious decision to exclude Semillon. Pontallier prefers the results of sauvignon exclusively, even though in blind tastings he regularly mistakes his own wine for a classic sauvignon-semillon blend. Grapes are harvested quite late to lose the vegetal character. The 2008 doesn’t have the depth and complexity of 2006 and 2009 for example, but has great freshness and crispness. Across all of the wines, there is a distinct oyster shell-like minerality, alongside ripe citrus, pear, and mild stone fruit. The mains markets for Pavillon Blanc: #1 Japan, #2 Russia. It sells for about $400 retail.

On the 2009 Vintage for Red Bordeaux:

“Undoubtedly the best young reds in the Médoc ever tasted”, enthuses Pontallier, though he can’t necessarily compare it to the wines of a different generation. “The backbone, the genetics are the same, but our grandfathers looked different, wore different clothes. We have progressed tremendously in the last 20 years”. The dry weather arrived at precisely the right moment, around the 10-12th of July, when the growth of the vines needs to slow down. The near-total drought continued through to harvest and prevented growing cycles from starting again, yet there was just enough rain to prevent water stress.

“2009 combines qualities that I have never scene: power and concentration. Our 09 is the most powerful wine we have ever made, including the legendary 1961 and 1947. It’s comparable to 2005 in that sense, but the 2005 has a very different tannic structure. You can feel the tannins. In 2009, the tannins seem to have lost their astringency. There is so much concentration in the wine, but the tannins are barely noticeable. That makes it unique. 1990 was much less concentrated. Honestly, there has not been a single vintage since the 1930s in which I have found these qualities. Does that make it better? I don’t know. At this level it doesn’t really matter.”

On Oak Usage an the Fashion for Ever-more:

“200% new oak is insane. If your wine has no virtue, than you have to build it. You have to add something that the wine doesn’t have. We have to protect, preserve or enhance what we have been given. We should not manipulate but we have. We must be careful.”

On the Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux: not a second wine either

“Consider that Margaux is made from the best possible elements from the property. Everything is kept separately. We try to achieve the most perfect wine possible for each vintage. Then we are left with the rest. In the old days, it all went into Pavillon. But for the last decade we have had a 3rd wine. When we make Pavillon Rouge, we want to make a very good wine. In 2009, 23% of the crop ended up in the 3rd wine, even though we could have made it all into very good Pavillon. We no longer like to call it the second wine, since it is really a selection as well.”

On Alcohol levels:

There is growing concern, or at least discussion in the trade regarding upwardly spiraling alcohol levels in Bordeaux, so we question Pontallier. The reality points to Margaux’s search for elegance and finesse over sheer alcoholic power. “Alcohol Levels? In 2009, Margaux is 13.2%, Pavillon Rouge is  13.5%, and our 3rd wine is 14%. We are not looking for overipeness or alcohol in our Grand Vin. Our clay soil yields wines with higher alcohol, these are usually the parcels that end up in the 3rd wine or possibly Pavillon. But our top gravelly soils yield grapes with 1-2% lower alcohol, and they are usually the best.”

The Problem with Bordeaux en Primeur:

Each year around the end of March, buyers and critics from all over the world descend on Bordeaux to taste their way through the previous year’s wines. Reviews will be published and buying strategies determined. The system is far from ideal, however, according to Pontallier. “The blends are made in January and are done by February, so that the wines can be tasted in March. Parcels are not usually tasted blind. When we have doubts, we’ll taste blind, we do both, but we find it doesn’t help really. The problem is that late March or early April is too soon to taste the wines, to properly evaluate them. Especially in great vintages, the wines take time to open. Late April early or May would be better. But we would not necessarily change the timing of the blend”.

On the differences between North American critics’ and European critics’ scores:

2009 was rather unique in that the main critics on both sides of the Atlantic were unanimous in their praise of the vintage in general and seemed to agree on the top wines. This is in contrast to some previous vintages in which the wines were more polarizing, most famously perhaps the on-line spat between British writer Jancis Robinson and American Robert Parker over one particular St. Emilion. Parker praised its power and concentration while Robinson decried it’s new world-like ripeness and alcohol and exaggerated use of oak. Pontallier: “I welcome the differences in scoring, when people disagree it’s a great thing. I would be very disturbed should all the critics agree. That would mean that all the great wines are so simple that everyone can agree.”

Château Margaux

On The Evolution of Château Margaux:

“Wines have gained in purity from where they were before. Since 1995, all the vintages have been good. There has not been a single bad wine since 1994. Bordeaux wines have gained in concentration and are much softer. We make wines now that are not only easier to drink when young, but will also age even better because of the concentration and greater abundance of tannins, though ripe tannins.”

On the Changing Marketplace:

One of the biggest changes that Pontallier has noted has been the increasing connection with the market, with the consumers of his wines. “25 years ago we were disconnected from the market. Today we want to know who drinks, for what reason, and at what price it’s sold. We need that information. If someone is willing to pay that much for our wine, it has to be perfect. We will do everything it takes to make perfect wines. In 1982, only 2/3 of our crop when into the first wine. People thought we were crazy. In 2009, only ¼ of the harvest went to the first wine.”

On Bordeaux Pricing:

There is a tendency in the trade and amongst consumers to accuse the top Bordelais château of excessive greed in their pricing strategies. The reality, however, is far more complicated then simple price hikes at the cellar door to take advantage of a market desperate for top name Bordeaux. Bordeaux pricing is certainly the most convoluted and complicated in the world of wine, stemming from the unique distribution system set up by the Place de Bordeaux. “La Place” is a virtual marketplace established by dozens of merchants who have been trading the top château wines for a couple of centuries in some instances.

Historically, château owners occupied themselves with making fine wine and left the selling and distribution responsibilities to independent négociants. These negociants make arrangements with château to purchase a certain number of cases (or barrels in the past, before the days of mise en bouteille au château), which they will then turn around and offer to their clients around the world. Buyers/importers in national and foreign markets take their position on each wine, and in turn offer it to their customers (distributors, retail shops, restaurants, etc.) In some cases, a wine may pass through at least 4 hands from château to drinker before it is finally consumed: Château-negociant-importer-distributor-retail shop/restaurant-end consumer. Add to this the additional complication that the wine is sold as a “future” i.e. you put your money down up to 2 years before you’ll actually receive possession of the wine, and there is multiple opportunity for speculation and price “corrections” along the way. What an end consumer will in fact pay for a bottle is not always directly related to the price at which a château releases a wine to the world. Says Pontallier: “With certain vintages, if we decide to set prices below the market, then we know that down the supply chain the price will be increased to meet demand.  It’s a free market, not in our hands, and often not in our pockets. The market will always correct the pricing miscalculations of the chateau.”

It’s regretful:

Who can afford premier grand cru classé Bordeaux these days? There’s none in my cellar. Even Pontallier understands the unfortunate reality, given their spectacular prices, that most of the top Bordeaux wines end up in the hand of collectors, speculators, businessmen with more money than sense or taste, or are just traded like pork bellies or crude oil or any other commodity. Rarely do they end up in the glasses of people who passionately love great wine. “We regret that our wines are out of the hands of the people who really appreciate them. We have mixed feelings. We are extremely happy to set those high prices. Higher profits allow us to work in the way that before we could only dream of, and the wines are better as a result. But on the other hand, most of those who have an appreciation and a culture of wine can’t afford to buy them.” Too bad indeed.

Cheers,


John Szabo, MS

George Restaurant, Toronto, May 2010

Filed under: Featured Articles , , , ,

July 2, 2010 • 10:56 am 2

Austria’s Best Whites – The Latest Report From Central Europe – by John Szabo

John Szabo, MS

The Austrians know how to put on a good show. The biannual VieVinum event took place this year from May 28-31 in the majestic court palace rooms of the Wiener Hofburg in downtown Vienna. Over 850 international journalists, importers, agents and sommeliers were invited to Vienna to taste as assess the recent vintages and get an up-to-date picture on the Austrian wine scene. In total, over 14,000 wine enthusiasts from all over Austria took the opportunity to taste the new vintages from Austrian wine producers during the three-day event.

From nearly zero in the mid-eighties, Austrian vintners have enjoyed a near-constant increase in exports over the last 25 years. Exceeding all expectations, even in the last troublesome couple of years exports of bottled wine (87% of total exports) have continued to grow, particularly in value, up 4.4% from last year. Germany is still the most import market by a large margin at nearly 60% of all exports.

Sadly, Canada does not even figure in the top ten list of export destination countries, a pity given the extraordinary quality of the recent releases. One can’t even blame the LCBO for lack of availability, as a quick scan of available Austrian wines reveals an impressive collection of some of the most sought after names currently on sale in Ontario. I can only surmise that it is simply lack of awareness about the beauty of these extremely versatile and food-friendly wines that relegates them to the dark corners of the Vintages Shop Online program and the occasional dialed in agent who’s ahead of the learning curve. Why aren’t Canadians buying more Austrian Wines?

Grüner Veltliner GrapesAustrian wine production is dominated by white wine, with white grape varieties representing over 68% of total vineyard plantings (latest stats from 2007). Of these Grüner Veltliner (or “grooner, or ‘gru-vee”) is easily the flagship grape, accounting for nearly 1/3 of all grapes planted. (Riesling, though represented on only 3.6% of vineyard acreage, qualifies for me as Austria’s second most important white grape in sheer qualitative terms.) Grüner is an amazingly flexible grape that comes in a range of styles from light, bright and peppery to rich, lush and full bodied. Most are aged without recourse to oak, allowing purity of fruit and mineral flavours to shine through. I’ve done considerable experimentation matching grüner with food, and I find it to be one of the most friendly and flexible wines out there. From classic European-style fish and seafood preparations to sushi and sashimi, Thai, Chinese dim-sum and lightly spiced Indian curries, grüner seems to handle it all with aplomb. Just ask Vikram Vij of the celebrated Indian restaurant Vij’s in Vancouver (a certified sommelier). “We prefer fresh, crisp whites without too much oak”. Enter grüner (and a fine collection of German white, too). My experience consulting on the list for the Aman Patel of the Indian Rice Factory in Toronto led to much the same conclusions.

To find the top kit, look to the trio of appellations bordering the Danube to the west of Vienna, north of the River: Wachau, Kremstal and Kamptal. With variations in elevation, aspect and most importantly soil type, the grüners from these areas can be astonishingly mineral-flavoured or succulently juicy with lively citrus and stone fruit (green peach, apricot). The signature of the grape, however, is a totally unique herbal-spicy-vegetal nuance that many liken to white pepper, though I’m most often reminded of turnip, parsnip or even fresh lentil flavours as well as sweet green herbs like tarragon or basil. Whatever the case, these are some of the most original wines in the world.

Terraced Vineyards WachauThe historic vineyards of Austria share a philosophical link with Burgundy and Germany, in that over the course of centuries, specific vineyards with marked individual character have been identified, named, vinified and bottled separately in order to highlight the terroir. It’s not surprising given that Cistercian and Benedictine monasteries have been established in the Danube River Valley for nearly a thousand years. Monks, with their envious spare time, affinity for contemplation and singular purpose of exalting God through their work, were well positioned to dissect the land and champion each vineyard’s individual character. And grüner veltliner, like pinot noir and riesling, is a perfect vector for articulating the land. Some of these monasteries have been making wine continuously for centuries, such as the Stift Göttweig (11thC) and Schloss Gobelsburg (12thC).

The result for modern drinkers is a sometimes-bewildering array of names on labels that takes more than a bit of knowledge to untangle, but it’s well worth the effort. For more information on Austrian wines, visit www.winesfromaustria.com. It is an excellent, well organized resource. In the meantime, here is a brief lexicon of Austrian wine terms to aid in deciphering the labels of the recommended wines below:

Trocken: dry

Trockenbeerenauslese: “dried out selected grapes”, ie. Botrytis affected, resulting, confusingly, in very sweet wine.

Ried: “single Vineyard”. The name following the term ried refers to the name of the vineyard, as in “Ried Lamm”, where Lamm is the name of the site in which the grapes are grown.

Steinfeder, federspiel, smaragd: three terms exclusive to the Wachau region, referring to increasing levels of ripeness. Steinfeder describes the lightest style, usually with about 11.5% alcohol, moving up the scale to smaragd, the most full bodied wines often tipping in at over 14% alcohol, with corresponding intensity of flavour, body, etc.

Terrassen: “terraces”. The steepest parts of the Danube Valley have been carved into terraces in order to make winegrowing possible. Terraces help to reduce erosion and make vineyard management a little easier.

Berg: “hill”. Often used in conjunction with a vineyard name, as in Käferberg or Loibner Berg. These steep sites offer excellent drainage and sun exposure, yielding excellent quality wines. In order to be labeled as bergwein, the site must have a slope of at least 26º (subject to verification).

Weingut: winery; the producer’s name

Recommended Wines from LCBO, Vintages and Vintages Shop Online:

Grooner Grüner Veltliner 2009GROONER GRUNER VELTLINER 2009 $12.95

LAURENZ UND SOPHIE SINGING GRÜNER VELTLINER 2008 $14.95

DOMÄNE WACHAU TERRACES GRÜNER VELTLINER 2008 $15.95

SALOMON UNDHOF SALOMON GROOVEY GRÜNER VELTLINER 2009 $12.95

WEINGUT RABL G. GRÜNER VELTLINER 2006 $26.20

RABL KÄFERBERG GRÜNER VELTLINER 2006 $29.00

LOIMER GRÜNER VELTLINER 2007 $16.95

LOIMER LANGENLOIS TERRASSEN GRÜNER VELTLINER 2007 $35.00

LOIMER LANGENLOIS TERRASSEN TROCKEN RIESLING 2007 $35.00

NIKOLAIHOF IM WEINGEBIRGE GRÜNER VELTLINER TROCKEN 2006 $65.00

F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Loibner Klostersatz 2007F.X. PICHLER GRÜNER VELTLINER FEDERSPIEL LOIBNER KLOSTERSATZ 2007$35.00

F.X. PICHLER GRÜNER VELTLINER SMARAGD LOIBNER BERG 2007 $59.00

F.X. PICHLER GRÜNER VELTLINER SMARAGD URGESTEIN TERRASSEN 2007$45.00

HUBER GRÜNER VELTLINER BERG 2007 $39.00

KRACHER GRAND CUVÉE TROCKENBEERENAUSLESE NO. 6 NOUVELLE VAGUE 2001 $79.00

RUDI PICHLER KOLLMÜTZ SMARAGD GRÜNER VELTLINER 2007 $54.00

RUDI PICHLER SMARAGD TERRASSEN GRÜNER VELTLINER 2007 $39.00

RUDI PICHLER STEINRIEGL SMARAGD RIESLING 2007 $66.00

Salomon Undhof Pfaffenberg Riesling 2007SALOMON UNDHOF PFAFFENBERG RIESLING 2007 $24.00

SALOMON-UNDHOF WIEDEN TRADITION GRÜNER VELTLINER 2007$23.00

SCHLOSS GOBELSBURG KAMMERNER LAMM GRÜNER VELTLINER 2007$45.00

SCHLOSS GOBELSBURG KAMMERNER RENNER GRÜNER VELTLINER 2007 $29.00

WEINGUT BRÜNDLMAYER STEINMASSEL RIESLING 2006 $29.00

WEINGUT NIGL PRIVAT GRÜNER VELTLINER 2007 $49.00

Cheers,


John Szabo, MS

Filed under: Featured Articles, Wine , , , ,

June 23, 2010 • 2:17 pm 0

Hot Value Summer Wines – by John Szabo

John Szabo, MS

Hot Value wines to cool the summer heat, take on the BBQ and dance the night away on the dock.

In June I spent a week at the University of Calgary along with a group of top tasters from across the country tasting through over 1100 wines. The purpose? To find Canada’s top wines under $25 dollars. The competition is called the International Value Wine Awards and is run by Wine Access magazine. Considering that probably over 95% of wines sold in this province are under $25, it seemed a sensible and useful exercise. All of the wines were tasted blind, with only the variety or blend revealed to judges, important of course to contextualize each wine. The results are always fascinating when prejudice against region, producer and price are removed. What is most striking is how little difference in score there is between a $12 wine and one that costs $20 when all you have to go by is what’s in the glass. So forget the label and jump into any of the wines listed below for top value for your money in a range of styles from across the planet. These wines are not official winners, but 20 of my personal picks from the 100s of wines tasted. Official results will be revealed in the fall issue of Wine Access magazine.

We’ve created a convenient list of all of these wines for you.   To find these wines at YOUR local LCBO store just click here .

Sparkling

HUNGARIA GRAND CUVEE BRUT, Hungary $11.95

This shocking Magyar value tastes like old school champers. If they could only play footie as well.

CODORNÍU SELECCIÓN RAVENTÓS BRUT CAVA Spain  $14.95

There’s more than enough yeasty-toasty character and creamy elegance here to satisfy fans of serious bubbly.

White

CONO SUR RIESLING 2009 Chile $9.95

Damned Chileans do it again: top juice, bottom price. Classy and elegant, and organically grown to boot.

SIBLING RIVALRY WHITE VQA 2009 Ontario $13.95

C’mon Speck brothers! Get along! This is good juice. Guzzle a bottle each and work it out.

BIG HOUSE WHITE 2009 California  $9.95

Big ass aroma and flavour from malvasia, viognier and muscat, propped up by chard and chenin.

FLAT ROCK CELLARS CHARDONNAY 2008 Ontario $16.95

Super-classy and elegant local chard. You’d never believe it was made by a guy named “Big Ed”.

MUROS ANTIGOS ESCOLHA VINHO VERDE 2009 Portugal  $11.95

Dangerously drinkable, lively and fresh, like a slap in the face that you asked for.

SILENI CELLAR SELECTION SAUVIGNON BLANC 2009 New Zealand $15.95

Classic citrus and wet stone flavours delivered by laser sharp acidity; drinks like a $20+ dollar SB.

YALUMBA VIOGNIER 2008 Australia $22.95

Full on viognier character, gutsy, fat and full – it’s a peach festival in your mouth

Red

07 Boutari NAOUSSA Greece  $11.95

Warning: not for fruit cakes. This all is dusty tea leaf, iron, wet earth; firm and rustic. Love it, with protein in your mouth.

EVANS & TATE SHIRAZ 2007 Australia $19.95

Smoky and peppery in the old world style from cooler western OZ.

TRAPICHE RESERVE MALBEC 2008 Argentina $11.95

Another hot value from Canada’s newest best friend, Argentina. This is authentic and well balanced without the ponderous alcohol and wooden furniture factory flavours of the cheap bad examples.

RODNEY STRONG CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2006 United States  $19.95

Rodney delivers a big mouthful of black fruit and spicy oak in an almost Spanish style cab.

CASA TAMAYA RESERVE SYRAH 2009 Chile  $13.95

Super exotic, wild flowers, dusty, earthy, spicy – this syrah from the Limarí has more than you can ask for at this price.

FUNKY LLAMA SHIRAZ 2009 Argentina  $9.90

Believe me, nobody was more shocked when the label was revealed on this baby. I’m opposed to fuzzy animal wines, but the bloody Funky Llama lives up to its name. Neither woody nor jammy, hard nor overly rustic; just succulent, floral, black peppery shiraz. Gulp gulp. NB – the Funky Llama merlot and pinot got lost in the mountains.

ST. HALLETT FAITH SHIRAZ 2007 Australia  $19.95

Never thought I’d say it, but this has sexy American oak flavour in spades in a fullish and succulent mouthful.

GRAHAM BECK GAMEKEEPER’S RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2008 South Africa  $18.95

Halfway between old world and new world style, Beck’s cabernet is full of intense, savoury herbs and charred fruit, like a vuvuzela in your mouth.

CHÂTEAU DE SÉRAME RÉSERVE DU CHÂTEAU MINERVOIS 2006 $22.95

Instant vacation in a glass: this smells and tastes like the south of France (a very good thing).

Sweet

NUTTY SOLERA OLOROSO Spain $12.95

You can’t possibly stuff any more flavour into a $13 wine. Forget your grandmother’s sideboard and get into this epic quality/pleasure/intensity/price ratio.

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June 21, 2010 • 7:54 am 0

Worldwide synchronized tasting: South of France – by John Szabo

John Szabo, MS

Sud de France, the umbrella brand for wine and food products from Languedoc-Roussillon celebrates its 4th anniversary today with a worldwide synchronized tasting of wines from the region. 90 bloggers in 24 countries were each sent the same 5 wines to review and comment (though only 4 wines made it to this reviewer). Each of the reviewers was asked to post his/her notes at the same time, 11am in my case. There was no pressure from the organization to post anything but honest opinion. Reviewers were asked to “focus your comments on the overall community of Sud de France wines”, since this is not supposed to be promotion for individual brands.

Sud de France WinesIt’s an interesting concept and positive use of technology to bring together a myriad of voices from across the planet for a single tasting, and thus in one initiative compare the impressions of opinion leaders in two dozen markets. I can only imagine what a logistical challenge it must have been to coordinate it all. What might have been even more interesting would have been to incorporate a live video element to the synchronized tasting, to have critics discuss and describe their views in an open forum to which anyone could tune in, but don’t ask me how to do that. Perhaps a panel of selected critics together at Sud de France headquarters tasting and discussing, with the possibility of video phone-in comments from other participating critics and spectators. As it stands, it’s still entertaining for readers to surf the world and compare views of identical wines across a broad spectrum of tasters.

For all the views visit:

http://suddefrance-export.net/sync-tasting/blog/commentaires/

I spent the summer of 1998 in the Languedoc working in the kitchen of the now-defunct Michelin-starred restaurant Chez Léonce in Florensac, a small town located between Montpellier and Béziers in the heart of wine country. Though I was not a sommelier at the time, I spent most of my days off touring wine regions and tasting local wines, with a great deal of guidance from Chez Léonce’s passionate sommelier. It was a great time of discovery, just when the region was experience a serious renaissance. There were dozens of producers emerging on to the scene making some pretty fine wine at interesting prices. The early part of this decade then saw a commercial boom for the Languedoc-Roussillon in Ontario, with many of the top names finding their way to the LCBO’s shelves (Ontario’s government-run alcohol distribution monopoly). The excitement has since waned and the selection somewhat dwindled, but I still consider the Languedoc-Roussillon as a source of characterful and flavourful wines at reasonable prices.

Tasted Wines

Unfortunately, the selection offered here failed to excite. But I can appreciate the difficulty of selecting specific wines to use in generic promotional campaigns. So while the reviews and scores here are not glowing, don’t take this as representative of the region. I know there are better wines out there.

Sieur d’Arques, AOC/AOP Crémant de Limoux, Grande Cuvée 1531

Considered one of the oldest sparkling wines in the world, Crémant de Limoux is made using the traditional method in the cooler upper Valley around the town of Limoux in the northern Languedoc. Sieur d’Arques is one of the leading cooperatives in the region. This is made from Chardonnay and the local Mauzac variety. The wine is light and crisp, quite dry, with simple flavours ranging from green apple to citrus. Of modest depth and complexity overall, this is for basic patio sipping without too much reflexion or contemplation. 85 pts

Cigalus, VDP/IGP Pays d’OC, cuvée 2008, Gérard Bertrand

Chardonnay, viognier and sauvignon blanc are cultivated using biodynamic principals by leading southern French vigneron/négociant Gérard Bertrand, and aged in small oak for 6-8 months. The nose is rather simple but very pretty, led by the peach and apricot notes of viognier and the grassy-citrus side of sauvignon blanc. Wood is well integrated. The palate is mid-weight, balanced, with decent acid and generous alcohol, leading into a short finish. Correct, but at $25 euros retail (from one internet retailer), a little overpriced for the depth and complexity offered. 87 pts

Fruité Catalan, AOC/AOP Côtes du Roussillon

The south of France, particularly Provence, is well known for rosé production; the Roussillon less so, but no less capable with its similar Mediterranean climate and well-adapted grapes. But this example is made in a clearly commercial mold, with plenty of up front candyfloss, banana and strawberry. On the palate it’s simple and straightforward with a pinch of residual sugar and a bitter finish. All in all, this is basic, commercial wine, and it’s probably commercially successful, but it represents everything that I hate about rosé. It seems a purely market-driven afterthought of more serious red wine making. I’d love to see some characterful, dry, food versatile rosés hit our market as opposed to tarted-up commercial plonk. 82 pts

Mas de Madame, AOC/AOP Muscat de Frontignan, cuvée

The vins doux naturels of the Languedoc-Roussillon are among the world’s undervalued wines, over-delivering pleasure for a very reasonable price. The nose is absolutely classic, effusively perfumed Muscat, full of orange blossom, fresh grapes, rose water and honey, while the palate is sweet but not excessively cloying, with a lingering, Turkish Delight-flavoured finish. VDNs are hardly popular wines these days, but they deserve to be better known for the sheer pleasure they deliver. Try as an afternoon aperitif, or with savoury, intensely flavoured pakoras, lightly-curried chicken salad, blue cheese or not-too-sweet apricot or peach tart.  88 pts

Note to Ontario residents: click here to find the top-rated Languedoc-Roussillon wines at your local LCBO store.

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June 18, 2010 • 10:36 am 0

June 26th Vintages Preview – Competing with nature on the intensity scale – by John Szabo

John Szabo, MS

The June 26th release at Vintages is an eclectic mix of grapes, regions and wine styles from all over the world, as reflected by my top ten smart buys. I’ve highlighted wines from 7 different countries and 10 different grapes or blends of grapes to showcase the diversity of the offering, loosely based on the theme of “outdoor entertaining”.

In my view, the finest wines are best served indoors. When the BBQ or campfire is lit, the smell of smoke or roasting meat tends to overwhelm all else. Even without fires burning, wet grass or damp earth or pine trees or any of the other wonderful smells of the outdoors distract the senses and leave little chance for the appreciation of subtle or nuanced wines. And gentle breezes will steal away with that delicately vinous perfume and leave you wondering why you’re not enjoying that expensive wine as much as you’d hoped you would. But that’s just fine. Eating and drinking outdoors is not about fine crystal and raised pinkies, it’s a much more primordial and visceral pleasure, one that links us back to the rituals of sustenance developed at the dawn of mankind (which of course coincides with the discovery that fermented grapes juice tastes pretty good and makes you happy).

2009 MIGUEL TORRES VIÑA ESMERALDASo leave the top kit in the cellar for a few more months, and enjoy some of these rustic wines, as intensely flavoured and aromatic as your natural surroundings. Aromatic whites perform especially well outside, such as the marvelously perfumed 2008 PUKLUS TOKAJI YELLOW MUSCAT (88pts, $14.95) from Hungary, or the always reliable and fine value 2009 MIGUEL TORRES VIÑA ESMERALDA (87pts, $12.95). The latter is a blend of aromatic varieties that beguiles the senses with a blast of floral and grapey aromas and flavours; both can challenge the great outdoors for your nose’s attention.


2008 VIÑA GARCÉS SILVA AMAYNA SAUVIGNON BLANCFans of more substantial whites will appreciate the 2008 VIÑA GARCÉS SILVA AMAYNA SAUVIGNON BLANC (89pts, $17.95). The controversial 15+% alcohol in this Chilean wine raised some discussion among the wine scribes in the tasting lab, and while I think it’s certainly exaggerated, I couldn’t deny the incredible concentration of flavour and balancing acidity that make this worth a look. Just wait until the sun goes down before cracking it.

Niagara’s Flatrock Cellars delivers a fine quaffing rosé in the 2009 FLAT ROCK CELLARS PINOT NOIR ROSÉ (88pts, $14.95), delivering all of the expected red berry flavours in a dry style.


Two solid value, sub-$14 French wines in the release seem tailor made for backyard BBQs: 2008 DOMAINE DE PIERREDON CÔTES-DU-RHÔNE-VILLAGES-SIGNARGUES (88pts, $13.95), and 2007 CLOS LA COUTALE CAHORS (88pts, $13.95). Both are fully representative of their respective regions and grapes, offering the flavour density and firmness required to dance alongside grilled meat.


Château Du Pavillon Haut Gros Bonnet 2006Lovers of classic Bordeaux should take note of the excellent value 2006 CHÂTEAU DU PAVILLON HAUT-GROS-BONNET (89pts, $15.95). This is a wine from the small AOC of Canon-Fronsac on Bordeaux’s right bank, where some of the region’s best values often fly below the radar. At under $16, this drinks like Bordeaux at twice that price or more from one of the better-known appellations.

Zinfandel lovers may like to take a detour to taste the 2007 BOVIN VRANEC (88pts, $13.95). Macedonia is off the beaten fine wine track to be sure, but I was drawn to the super ripe, even slightly raisined fruit and spicy wood flavours that drove the complexity and intensity measurements into the smart buy category.


And topping the smart buy list this week are two 90 point wines from two of Italy’s most classic regions: Tuscany and Piedmont. The 2007 TENUTA BIBBIANO CHIANTI CLASSICO (90pts, $18.95) is not one of the new wave blockbuster styles of Chianti that taste like they could be from California or Australia or anywhere in between, but rather offers an elegant and complex earth-spicy-dusty cherry style that made the region famous in the first place. And the 2006 MARCHESI DI BAROLO BARBARESCO (90pts, $24.95) is a very well-priced entry level Barbaresco with easily-recognizable nebbiolo flavour and character.


1998 MONTIVERDI VIGNETO CIPRESSONE CHIANTI CLASSICOAlso worth a mention is a wine that would have been included in the top ten if the theme hadn’t been outdoor entertaining: 1998 MONTIVERDI VIGNETO CIPRESSONE CHIANTI CLASSICO (90pts, $24.95). Montiverdi is an estate that has the luxury of being able to hold back wines until the winemaker deems them ready to enjoy, a costly policy that has accountants at corporate-run wineries wringing their hands in despair of imminent ruin. To come across a fine quality, 12-year old wine that has been properly cellared for you at the estate and released at peak maturity for under $25 is a rarity indeed. If you enjoy the aromas and flavours of mature wine, don’t miss this one.

Just a reminder to join us at our first WineAlign event, an exclusive evening sampling premium Wolf Blass wines with winemaker Chris Hatcher.  It’s being held at Canoe in Toronto on June 23rd and there are only a few tickets still available. For more details and to purchase tickets click here .

Click on the following to see my:

Top Ten Smart Buys
All Reviews

Cheers,


John Szabo, MS

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