Providing a Unique & Affordable Selection of High Quality Red Wines and White Wines for Your Enjoyment. Also featured: Rosé, Port, Icewine, Champagne and Sparkling Wine for Special Occasions. Cheers!
To celebrate our 6th Wedding Anniversary, I decided to open this lovely white wine from Alsace. The Gewürztraminer grape is not everyone's cup of tea and can take some time getting used to, but I know that my wife and I enjoy it, when made well, such as this one.
This wine was purchased from the December 7 Vintages release and could have been cellared a couple of years, but is definitely enjoyable now. I've enjoyed many wines from Joseph Cattin over the years, and enjoyed this one as well. If you're feeling adventurous and want to try this grape, it is available at the LCBO.
JOSEPH CATTIN GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2011 - AC Alsace, France (#224626) (M) - $17.95
Tasting Note:
Yummy lychee, meyer lemon and rose petal aromas from the cork. Classic, elegant Gewürztraminer aromas led by lychee fruit from the glass. Full-bodied, creamy mouthfeel, and round with more lychee, orange, lavender, rose and hints of ginger on the palate. Bracing acids and not as sweet as one might expect. Long, smooth, and almost bitter finish. Recommended buy. Paired really well with red pepper flake shrimps as the wine really tamed the fiery shrimp, while the pairing was less than ideal with lamb chops. Score: 90 pts
The next LCBO Vintages wine release will be in stores on
On the premium wine side, there is a Champagne from Sourdet-Diot that is off-dry and made with 80% Pinot Meunier and 20% Chardonnay, while the Vincent Girardin is an oaked Chardonnay from 50 year-old vines.
From Midi (aka Languedoc), where great values can often be found, there is a 60/40 Syrah/Grenache blend from Domaine Lambrusques. There's also a classic Muscat wine from Terres Blanches for only $13.95 that wasn't part of the France feature but has wonderful aromas and is made in a dry style (i.e. not sweet).
Not surprisingly, three of the five Ontario award-winning wines featured in this release made my cut. First is the Huff Estates sparkling wine that is 100% Prince Edward County Chardonnay. From Niagara is the lightly-oaked Malivoire Gamay. And last, but definitely not least, is the exceptional Konzelmann Vidal Icewine that I tasted recently at the Niagara Icewine Festival.
From the rest of the release, the Spanish Monasterio is a blend of 60% Garnacha (Grenache), 30% Tempranillo and 10% Cariñena (Carignan). Zinfandel lovers may want to check out the Primitivo - the Italian take on the same grape; careful though, as it's not sweet as the versions you may have tried from California. And finally, the Hess Collection is a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Malbec, 9% Syrah, 7% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot - all of which come from 19 blocks from their highest altitude estate vineyard on Mount Vedeer.
Enjoy my wine recommendations for this week! Let me know if you try any of these. Cheers!
Red Wine:
MONASTERIO DE LAS VIÑAS GRAN RESERVA 2005 - DO Cariñena, Spain (#082024) (XD) - $16.95
A I had the pleasure of attending the Domaine de l'Arjolle tasting hosted by their Ontario wine agent H.H.D. Imports. The tasting was held at the Summerhill LCBO, inside the Premium Tasting Room beside the Vintages section.
This Languedoc winery was formed in 1973 by brothers Prosper and Louis-Marie Teisserenc. That same year they planted their first vines - Cabernet Sauvignon - the fruits of which are now found in their very nice 2011 Cabernet (wine review below and my favourite wine of the session). During that same period, they also planted Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc.
In the mid-80's, soon after their brother-in-law Charles Duby and nephew Guilhem de Fozières joined the winery, Domaine de l'Arjolle subscribed to the Terra Vitis Charta for sustainable viticulture. Prosper's son Roland joined the team in 1986. In 2002, Proper's other son, Roch, and Louis-Marie's son, François, joined the family winery, making the total number of men running the show equal 7.
Prosper has since retired, reducing the number to 6. However, Geoffroy de La Besnardière, who was leading our tasting on this day, is excited to bring that number back to 7, as he will officially become an associate at Domaine de l'Arjolle later this year.
As part of d'Arjolle's commitment to sustainable agriculture via the Terra Vitis charter, they produce their own compost using goat manure, while also using earthworms (instead of machinery) to improve and aerate the soil. They are also currently undergoing certification for biodiversity.
It's interesting to note that this winery, unlike others in Languedoc (and perhaps the world?) produce an equal amount of red and white table wines. Also, l'Arjolle is the only winery in all of France to make a Zinfandel. It is nothing like what you may have tasted from California, but is very good. I very much prefer this style of Zinfandel over the sweetish versions from Cali. They also make a Carménère which, even though it's considered to be one of the original 6 grapes from Bordeaux, is now not commonly found throughout France, let alone in Languedoc.
The two wines listed below with the 6-digit LCBO product number can be purchased at the LCBO - click the link to view inventory in your area. Joining the 2011 Cabernet as my two favourite wines of the tasting was the 2013 Equilibré Viognier-Sauvignon - I can only hope the LCBO brings both of these to their stores so you can taste these wonderful wines for yourself. And if they don't bring them in, you can order them privately, along with the other wines not found at the LCBO through the agent H.H.D. Imports Inc.
Tasting Notes: L'ARJOLLE SAUVIGNON BLANC-VIOGNIER 2012 - Côtes de Thongue, Midi, France (#348904) (XD) - $11.95
60/40 blend led by Sauvignon Blanc. Medium-high intensity aromas with the Viognier dominant consisting of herbal, anise, fennel, minerals, and some lime from the Sauvignon Blanc. Palate expresses more of the Sauvignon Blanc with notes of gooseberry, kiwi, herbal, lees and hints of spice. It's medium-bodied with fresh acidity and a medium-long finish. Round mouthfeel and easy drinking. Would pair well with seafood. Part of the LCBO General List and widely available. Pretty good for $11.95. Score: 88 pts
DOMAINE DE L'ARJOLLE EQUILIBRÉ VIOGNIER-SAUVIGNON 2013 - Côtes de Thongue, Midi, France (XD) - $15.95
Blend of 60% Viognier, 35% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Sauvignon Gris. Fresh gooseberry, kiwi and cat pee aromas of medium intensity, along with hints of herbal and lees. Medium-full bodied with very nice aroma replays. Shows good complexity and is very balanced, with mouth-watering acidity and a long, slightly creamy finish. Enjoy over the next 2 years. Score: 89+/90 pts
L'ARJOLLE MERLOT-CABERNET 2013 - Côtes de Thongue, Midi, France (#) (XD) - $11.95
Bottled only 3 weeks ago, this 60/40 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon has a nose of very fresh herbal and eucalyptus aromas. It is light-to-medium bodied with oak, fresh red currant, cassis, and hints of dried fruit on the palate. Easy drinking with ripe tannins and a lingering finish. Evident alcohol, but not intrusive. Chill slightly. Score: 86 pts
DOMAINE DE L'ARJOLLE CABERNET-MERLOT 2012 - Côtes de Thongue, Midi, France (#) (XD) - $15.95
Blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. Medium intensity aromas of oak, crushed red fruit and hints of cassis. Medium+ bodied with ripe tannins that are a bit chalky. Clean flavours of red currants, vanilla and hints of mocha. Balanced acids and a medium-length finish. Score: 87 pts
Z DE L'ARJOLLE ZINFANDEL 2011 - Vin de France, Midi (#346072) (XD) - $19.95
Was released in Vintages January 4th and is still currently in stock at the LCBO. Contains 10% Cab Sauv. Medium intensity aromas of barnyard, oak, plum and dark fruits. Medium-bodied with big, chalky tannins. Aromas replay in the mouth and are joined by herbal and cassis notes. Good acids and a long finish with some heat. Big wine that will age 4-5 years. Score: 88 pts
K DE L'ARJOLLE CARMÉNÈRE 2010 - Vin de France, Midi (#) (XD) - $19.95
Medium intensity aromas of fresh herbal and vegetal notes typical of Carménère, plus some undertones of oak. Medium-bodied with an initial burst of spice that gives way to aroma replays and hints of mocha. Taut, firm tannins with mouth-watering acidity and long finish that shows some heat. Score: 87 pts
DOMAINE DE L'ARJOLLE CABERNET 2011 - Côtes de Thongue, Midi, France (#) (XD) - $21.95
70/30 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Medium-high intensity aromas consisting of oak, dark currant, cassis and black cherry. Full-bodied with a smooth and lush mouthfeel. Black cherry, oak spice, milk chocolate and hints of vanillan on the palate. Nicely balanced with fresh acids. Has good structure for ageing and a long, smooth oak and spice tinged finish. Enjoyable now, but will reward 3-5 years ageing. Score: 90 pts
This is the final wine in my German wine tasting series (links to all previous wines are provided at the bottom of this post).
There isn't much I can say to tie this white wine from Germany to today's Superbowl. However, it is low in alcohol with only 8.5% abv, so this could be suitable for serving early in the day or at very long gatherings. Also, the naturally high acidity in (German) Rieslings makes it favourable for pairing with all sorts of snacks and meals. Tonight, it was enjoyed with homemade chicken enchiladas.
This white wine was released in Vintages last June and was the only German wine featured in the entire release. It is still quite readily available at the LCBO, especially if you live in Oakville.
DR. PAULY-BERGWEILER BERNKASTELER ALTE BADSTUBE AM DOCTORBERG RIESLING SPÄTLESE 2011 - Prädikatswein, Mosel, Germany (#140764) (MS) - $24.95
Tasting Note:
Screw cap. Elegant aromas of mineral, rose petals, beeswax and hint of petrol. Full-bodied, round and full-flavoured in the mouth with apricot, peach, mango, orange zest flavours, and a slight spritz. Medium-sweet with lively, mouth-watering acidity. Notes of wet rocks and hints of honey on a lingering finish. Yum! It helped tone down the heat and paired well with the chicken enchiladas. Score: 90 pts
Continuing with my German wines tasting, the next wine on the list is this Pinot Noir. This grape is the most widely planted red grape in Germany, and the third most widely planted overall - behind Riesling and not far behind Rivaner.
I opened this red wine and paired it with oven-roasted chicken. This wine was part of the last year's October 12 Vintages release and is still available at the LCBO.
Tasting Note:
Screw cap. Low to medium nose that features smoke, pepper, earth, and mushroom aromas. Light-bodied with delicate, yet firm tannins. It's dry with pepper, tomato leaf, herbal, earth and hints of mushroom and strawberry on the palate. Tannins a bit chalky at mid-palate and some heat on the medium-long finish. Chill slightly. Paired well with oven-roasted chicken that was seasoned in Mrs. Dash Chili Seasoning. Score: 87 pts
The next Vintages release will be on LCBO shelves across Ontario on . This edition focuses on food-friendly wines from Australia. The small secondary features are on new noteworthy wines & wineries, and wines for .
We'll begin with the Australian section, which highlights 15 wines for pairing with beef burgers, rack of lamb, duck, roasted chicken and blue crabs. Personally, I am not so rigid with food pairings because if I was, I wouldn't be able to drink wines of certain styles as much as I would like to. However, one important facet of food and wine pairings is the amount of tannins in the wine.
The bigger Australian Shirazes such as the Jip Jip Rocks and the two wines from Dandelion will pair exquisitely with meatier dishes like beef and lamb because of the greater amount of tannins. Year after after, the Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz has shown to be very good quality, and is now probably my "house" Shiraz. The two Shirazes from Dandelion Vineyards are both from the 2011 vintage, but from different areas within South Australia. The Lionheart is from the Barossa Valley and is unfined and unfiltered; it comes in half bottle size. Meanwhile, the Lioness is from McLaren Vale. Both are extra dry. Get both and taste the difference!
There are lesser tannins in the Chapel Hill Grenache and the Schild Old Bush Vine GMS (approx. 45% Grenache, 28% Mourvedre and 27% Shiraz), making them ideal for lighter meats such as poultry. You can also pair Chardonnays with poultry, such as the oaked version from Mountadam Vineyards. Of course, there are no tannins in white wine, but the full-bodied and flavourful Chardonnay grape lends itself well to poultry dishes.
Most interesting of all the Australian wines in this release is a cellar aged Semillon from McWilliam's that is suitable for pairing with shellfish or vegetarian dishes. The magazine suggests serving this white wine with blue crabs in black peppercorns - the recipe looks delicious!
From the secondary feature highlighting new wineries and new wines, two wines made my list of wine picks. First is a light-to-medium bodied Mencía from Spain. The second wine is the Kew Vineyards Soldier's Grant. It's an intriguing Ontario Bordeaux-blend red (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc) for under $20 from a winery that only opened it's doors last fall.
For Valentine's Day, there are six wines featured in the magazine. From this portion of the release, the Henry of Pelham Cabernet (Franc) Icewine and Flat Rock's Nadja's Riesling made my list.
From the rest of the release, the Cave de Roquebrun returns with the 2011 vintage and is a blend of 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache, and 20% Mourvèdre. I still have the 2010 version of this red wine in my cellar, so it would be interesting to compare the two in a vertical tasting. Also from France is the Château Tour Calon from the fabulous 2009 Bordeaux vintage and is a blend of 88% Merlot, 7% Cab Sauv, 5% Cab Franc. And finally, Glen Carlou provides us with an almost unheard of blend consisting of Petit Verdot and Tannat, which looks like it may have been specially crafted for the LCBO.
Enjoy my wine recommendations for this week! Cheers!
Red Wine:
CAVE DE ROQUEBRUN LA GRANGE DES COMBES SAINT-CHINIAN-ROQUEBRUN 2011 - AC, Midi, France (#155804) (XD) - $15.95
JIP JIP ROCKS SHIRAZ 2011 - Padthaway, South Australia (#673897) (XD) - $16.95
What an amazing two days! Last weekend, we enjoyed many Icewines and tasty culinary creations at 9 different wineries throughout Niagara-on-the-Lake and Twenty Valley. The full photo gallery is available at the bottom of this post.
Our group of 11 began at Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery, where we were greeted by Chris, whom I first met back in Fall of 2012 at Niagara College Teaching Winery. While waiting for the rest of the group to arrive, we tasted a few wines in Sue-Ann's kitchen. Sue-Ann tends to make wines in a crowd-pleasing style, and her 2012 Rosé (87 pts) fits that bill nicely. It's a blend of 92% Loved by Lu Riesling and 8% Unoaked Cab Franc and is fresh and crisp with grapefruit, peach, and lime aromas, with nice replays on the palate; it's medium-bodied with a long, tart finish.
Once everyone arrived, we walked into Sue-Ann's formal dining room where we chose our chocolate bark and hand-picked our toppings, and then paired it with our choice of the 2007 Riesling Icewine or the 2011 Sparkling & SASSY Riesling (89 pts, reviewed here). On my chocolate bark, I opted for the nuts, dried citrus and dried berries and paired it with the sparkling wine. The pairing was fantastic - the right amount of sweetness from both the wine and the chocolate bark was in sync and perfectly complemented each other. There was also a smoked salt bark which I completely forgot about, but at least one person in our group tried it and said it was delicious! Ironically, this first stop ended up being my favourite stop of the weekend and is definitely a MUST stop if you're heading out on the final weekend of the Icewine Festival.
The second stop was in Niagara-on-the-Lake at Pillitteri Estates Winery, where they had brought in Canadian Beavertails topped with lemon, cinnamon and brown sugar and paired it with their delicious 2007 Chardonnay Icewine (89 pts, reviewed here). Once the again the pairing was quite well done, and if you've never had a Beavertail, this was a great opportunity to try it! Icewine made out of Chardonnay is also not very common, so it is not surprising to see the largest Estate Icewine producer in the world make it - and it was a treat to taste on this day. We then headed inside to warm up a bit and found my wife talking to Beth, who convinced us that maybe we should head further inside do some more tastings. I'm glad we went inside the private tasting room to taste three more Icewines made out of grapes you normally you don't see - 2008 Gewürztraminer Icewine (89 pts), 2008 Merlot Icewine (88 pts), and 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine (89 pts, reviewed here) - it was quite the experience!
Our 3rd stop of the day was Inniskillin Wines for some house made lobster chili paired with their 2012 Riesling Icewine. It all sounded good on paper, but this was probably my least favourite stop of the entire weekend. I suppose the lobster was in the chili broth - because I didn't get any chunks of lobster - but I didn't get much broth either. It was very dry and mostly beans, fennel seeds and celery. I'm not sure anyone in our group enjoyed it either. The Icewine was good, but needs time for the acidity to settle down.
The final stop on Saturday was The Ice House Winery for a savoury pairing of their Northern Ice Vidal Icewine paired with chicken tikka masala. Since we also did a tour of the facilities with co-owner Karen King, wife of winemaker Jamie MacFarlane, we savoured the chicken tikka masala with an Icewine Slushie. Both items were very good on their own, and the Icewine Slushie is something I'm looking forward to making at home. We also played winemaker for a bit by mixing some Vidal Icewine with some clean, dry and refreshing Chardonnay. The results were interesting - as adding even just a little bit of Icewine to the Chardonnay completely changed the flavours of the Chardonnay.
On , after a brief stop at Chocolate F/X for a complimentary tour of the facility and a light breakfast that consisted of chocolate covered berries, cheesecake flavoured chocolates, and mint chocolate, we headed over to Cattail Creek Estate Winery for a scrumptious cup of caramelized onion cream soup that was paired with their newly release 2012 Small Lot Series Riesling Icewine (89+ pts). The beverage for designated driver's was called Gesundheit! and made out of Vidal grape juice. Both were delicious and paired very well with the soup. I also felt this was a great example of how the Icewine Festival can be a family event as my 5 and a half month old daughter really enjoyed the soup and Vidal grape juice. And because we now have the recipe, we'll be making this soup at home!
From here, we moved on to Strewn Winery to taste a 14-year-old Vidal Icewine from 1999 (89 pts, reviewed here) that was paired with Caramel Heavenlies. This cookie/square was topped with sliced almonds, oats, coconut, caramel, and honey and perfectly complemented the caramel and honey notes from the Icewine. I recall uttering the words "heavenly" in my head during this pairing. On sale for $20 (200mL) at the winery, this Icewine offers really good value.
Our third stop of the day was a short drive away to Konzelmann Estate Winery for what was described as "PEI lobster, fresh cream, and white wine enhanced with a delicate touch of Herbs de Provence, finished with a backerhaus crostini and crème fraîche". In fact, it was a lobster bisque - and a delicious one at that! Rich, creamy, and savoury, it paired beautifully with their 2010 Vidal Icewine (91 pts, reviewed here). While there, I also tasted a few other wines, including their 2011 Estate Gewürztraminer (88 pts, reviewed here) which is readily available at the LCBO.
The fourth stop was most memorable for all the wrong reasons. We entered Hernder Estate Wines to find that we were the only guests in the entire place - which sometimes isn't a bad thing! But then, as I reached into the breast pocket of my coat to pull out my notebook, I was (perhaps jokingly?) questioned with a "What are you pulling out? What's inside your jacket?". I think the employee behind the counter was seriously afraid for his life. LOL. Combine that with their 2010 Vidal Icewine that was paired with a cupcake topped with teeth-chattering sweet icing, and the whole experience was just plain awkward.
And finally, the fifth and final stop of our indulgent, Icewine-filled weekend was at Magnotta Winery. Here, we were promised fluffy pancakes, but instead got fluffy waffles. No complaints from my end. The waffles were topped with a berry reduction and served with their 2008 Vidal Icewine (91 pts, reviewed here) and 2007 Cab Franc Icewine in sparkling wine flutes. It was all delicious and worked well together, which capped our weekend very satisfyingly. However, I would say their choice of wine glasses for these two Icewines did not do the wines justice.
Maybe it's me, but one observation that struck me during this visit to Niagara is that there seems to be a growing trend towards dry Rieslings in Niagara. Many of these wines never see the light of day at the LCBO. It was an enjoyable eye-opener for me and will be an interesting story to watch over the next couple of years.
All in all, we had a great time at this year's Icewine Festival. I hope you enjoyed my review. It runs one more weekend (January 25-26) and I hope this will help you plan your Discovery Pass Experience to Niagara. If you're interested in joining me on a future visit to the region, let me know and I'll be sure to keep you posted.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Tasting Note:
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