tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50465397367155417822024-03-08T09:34:20.995-08:00VineuxA wine student in the Niagara College Wine and Viticulture Program.Geoffrey Mosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10269831118496065075noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5046539736715541782.post-19412878356768214842012-08-19T16:25:00.003-07:002012-08-19T16:25:51.654-07:00Braving the Mistral WindsThe Northern Rhone often manages to steal
the limelight from its counterpart to the South.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, indeed, with prestigious appellations like Hermitage
and Cote Rotie, this isn’t much of a surprise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other than Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the appellations of the Southern
Rhone are often forgotten or forgettable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But who can afford to drink Hermitage and Cote Rotie every day?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Actually, I don’t know when I can
afford to drink Hermitage and Cote Rotie, period.) That is where the Southern
Rhone shines (it is also the hotter of the two), in producing affordable red
wines that offer terrific value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is highlighted in the latest Vintages release through the LCBO,
which features the Rhone Valley (both its high-end and low-end).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One such latter wine is the 2010 Cuvée
Les Trois Soeurs by Domaine Les Grands Bois (Cotes du Rhone AOC).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">The Cotes du Rhone AOC is the lowliest AOC
designation in the Rhone, and can apply to wines from both the North and
South.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the vast majority
come from the South.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like many Cotes
du Rhone AOC wines, the Cuvé Les Trois Soeurs is predominantly Grenache based:
60% Grenache, 15% syrah, and 20% carignan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The latter, carignan, is often considered the ‘workhorse’
grape of the Southern Rhone, rarely producing wines of outstanding quality on
its own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">The Cuvée Les Trois is sourced from mature
vines, ranging in age from 30-60 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The fruit is hand harvested, and is sorted in the vineyard before it
comes to the winery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
fermentation lasted ten days at controlled temperatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">This purple coloured wine is full-bodied,
with subtle, but firm, tannins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The weight of the wine is balanced by lively acidity, which gives the
wine an overwhelming freshness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The aromas and flavours are typical of the Southern Rhone: liquorice,
first and foremost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there are
gobs of fresh blackberry and red currant, alongside pencil lead and herbs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, a lot of complexity – and even
elegance – for the modest price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Overall, a great introduction to the Southern Rhone for those who have
not yet braved the <i>mistral </i></span><span lang="EN-GB">winds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Available at the LCBO through Vintages for
$16.95. </span></div>
Geoffrey Mosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10269831118496065075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5046539736715541782.post-25620567915309691582012-08-16T17:05:00.002-07:002012-08-16T17:05:38.981-07:00Joseph Cattin's Crémant d'Alsace
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Crémant d’Alsace Brut NV, Joseph Cattin
($16.95)</b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Produced from Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris,
Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Chardonnay in the traditional method. Aged for at least 12 months on the
lees; no disgorgement date listed.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Lemon-green, with a fine, persistent bead.
A toasty nose indicative of having been aged on its lees, accompanied by
candied orange peel and lemon. The
mousse almost floats on the palate, with smooth, gentle bubbles that pleasantly
envelop the mouth.
Dry, with plentiful acidity.
Gulpable. A well-made
traditional method sparkler; a real winner at this price.</span></span></div>
Geoffrey Mosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10269831118496065075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5046539736715541782.post-6622970026801737792012-08-06T17:33:00.002-07:002012-08-06T17:34:50.299-07:00The LG Wine Awards (Part II)<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Why
do we care about wine competitions?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We care because it takes some of the risk out of purchasing a bottle or
two of wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather than having to
roll the dice ourselves, we leave the dirty work of sifting through the drabble
to the ‘experts’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we hope that
what settles in the pan is a good – maybe even exceptional – bottle of
wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, we care about the
winners.<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>So,
how do wine competitions decide which wine is a gold medal winner?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To begin with, it depends on which
wineries took the initiative to submit their wines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A wine competition doesn’t go out in search of the best
wines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, it selects the best
of what is submitted. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>In
the case of the 2012 Lieutenant Governor Wine Awards (LGWA, for short), 73
Ontario wineries submitted a total of 258 bottles of wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This meant the group of judges had to –
in just one day– taste 258 wines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The wines were split by variety or wine style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, Riesling was tasted with Riesling; sparkling wine was
tasted with sparkling wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
wines were on an even playing field.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB">The
judges (or adjudicators, as they were referred to as by the Lieutenant
Governor’s office) were split into three panels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This meant that each judge would <i>only </i></span><span lang="EN-GB">have to taste 100 or so wines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The panels would come to a consensus on their favourites from each
category, selecting the wines that would make it to round two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some flights saw no wines move on,
others saw two or three.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>By
the end of Day 1, 58 wines had been deemed worthy of going forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Day 2, the judges had to select from
those wines a maximum of 12 that would be given the Lieutenant Governor’s Award
for Excellence in Ontario Wines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The 11 wines they ended up selecting can now be found on the Lieutenant
Governor’s website at <a href="http://www.lt.gov.on.ca/en/wine_awards/LGAEOW_2012.pdf">http://www.lt.gov.on.ca/en/wine_awards/LGAEOW_2012.pdf</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>And,
indeed, the judges did select some truly exceptional wines.</span></div>
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<br /></div>Geoffrey Mosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10269831118496065075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5046539736715541782.post-18783280743068570282012-07-07T06:03:00.004-07:002012-07-07T06:03:37.289-07:00The LG Wine Awards (Part I)<!--StartFragment-->
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">From July 3-5, I had the opportunity to
volunteer at the ‘Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in Ontario Wines’
(thankfully abbreviated on Twitter as the #LGWineAwards). This was my first experience behind-the-scenes
at a wine competition. And what an
experience it was. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">A total of 268 wines were entered, from
which the judges (ahem, adjudicators) ultimately selected only 11 winners. I was glad to not be a judge. The level of quality, on the whole, of
these Ontario wines was quite high.
There easily could have been upwards of twenty winners. Unfortunately,
according to the parameters of the competition, a maximum of 12 winners could
be chosen. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Each category of wines had their
standouts. But, in my view, the
categories that were most consistent were no surprise: Riesling, Chardonnay,
Cabernet Franc, Icewine, and Sparkling.
These are some of the grape varieties (and wine styles) that have proven
to be most successful in Ontario. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The list of winners will be announced in
the coming weeks, all of which are exceptional. (There will be no leaks from me!) I am proud to know that these wines will be representing the
Ontario wine industry.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In Part II, I hope to provide an in-depth
view of what happens behind-the-scenes at a wine competition.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Geoffrey Mosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10269831118496065075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5046539736715541782.post-57706396285813805552012-03-02T10:03:00.003-08:002012-03-02T10:04:07.011-08:00An Evening of 'Natural' Wines at the SAT Food Lab<div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I had the opportunity to visit SAT’s Food Lab last night. This fun Montreal restaurant-meets-cafeteria is run by two former Laloux chefs: Seth Gabrielse and Michelle Marek. The menu changes weekly(-ish), with this week’s menu happening to be a </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">vigneron </span></i></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">theme. However, it wasn’t for the food that I made my way downtown during a bizarre March blizzard. (Fine, blizzard by Niagara standards.) Rather, the wine list (crafted by La QV and Oenopole wine agencies) emphasized only ‘natural’ wines. These are the type of wines that you rarely get a chance to purchase at your friendly government monopoly liquor stores. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I won’t dive into the intense, and almost downright nasty, on-going debate on natural wines. All I will say is that these wines were made from grapes grown according to organic and biodynamic viticultural standards, with the resulting wines having little to no chemical additions. That means, by and large, these wines are a product of wild (or natural) fermentations, then bottled without fining or filtering and little (or no) sulphur addition. The goal is to craft a wine that is a true expression of </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">terroir</span></i></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">. (Whether natural wines are a true or ‘better’ expression of </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">terroir </span></i></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">is another story.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">These are the five wines I tried:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">(1)</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">‘Epaulé Jété Blanc’ 2010, Domaine Catherine and Pierre Breton, Vouvray<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">100% Chenin blanc (I believe). Organic, biodynamic viticulture; hand-harvested; wild fermentation; non-filtered; little to no sulphur addition. A simple, clean, crisp wine with minerality, green apple, and peach. A non-descript wine that, if tasted blind, could have been any number of varieties. This is very much a food wine. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">(2)</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">‘Les Amandiers’ 2009, Chateau La Tour Grise, Vin de France<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">100% Chenin blanc. Organic, biodynamic viticulture; wild fermentation. This is not AoC accredited. The first thing that immediately jumps out at you is the colour: its deep, golden-brown. And the first taste confirms that, yes, this is oxidized. Nevertheless, it is an interesting wine, as it turned out to be one of our favourites of the evening. The wine has bright acidity, with nutty minerality and apple. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Nothing that I could find on the producer’s website indicates that this wine was purposefully oxidized. This leads me to think it’s just one of the potential consequences (benefits?) of low (or no) sulphur additions. It’s interesting now, but I don’t know if that’ll be the case in a year.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">(3)</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Pinot Noir 2009, Domaine Meinklang, Burgenland<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This producer does not have a website. The nose provides an initial whiff of smokey bacon. I found the smokiness to dissipate over time, and was replaced with cherry and blackberry fruit. Overall, a decent wine. My comment at the time was, “This tastes like a Pinot that costs $18.” (I was a little off; La QV lists it at $25.) For me, though, there was something missing – as is so often the case with Pinot at this price range.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">(4)</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Epaulé Jeté Rouge 2010, Domaine Catherine and Pierre Breton, Chinon<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">100% Cabernet Franc. This is a textbook Chinon: herbaceous with cherry, raspberry fruit. I picked up a slight minerality on the palate and, interestingly, a little tar on the nose. Perhaps it would have been better appreciated when paired with food. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">(5)</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Method Traditionelle Rosé 1999, Chateau La Tour Grise, Saumur<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Blend unknown; I assume some combination of Cabernet Franc and Chenin blanc. I cannot believe that this from the 1999 vintage. The colour (albeit the lightning wasn’t ideal) shows no indications of aging, and the wine is incredibly clean and fresh. Bright acidity, fresh strawberries, and beautiful creamy texture. This was completely unlike the 2009 ‘Les Amandiers’ we tried from the same producer. Overall, by far, my favourite wine of the evening.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And what did I learn? A natural wine does not </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">ipso facto </span></i></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">make a good wine; but natural wines </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">can </span></i></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">be great wines. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><br />
</div>Geoffrey Mosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10269831118496065075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5046539736715541782.post-40979438691424905962011-11-27T17:35:00.001-08:002011-11-27T17:36:17.514-08:00Tasting Session #3<div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><b>Tasting Session #3<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">For our recent third tasting session, we made the leap from whites to reds. The theme for the session was affordable Italian reds. The two winners of the evening, in my opinion, were: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">(1) Folonari Valpolicella Ripasso Classico ($14.95)</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> Easily recognizable as a Ripasso: rich, extracted dark fruit flavours (black cherry), with a smooth, silky texture. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">(2) Matervitae Negroamaro ($9.85) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> Both the nose and palate were dominated by barnyard characteristics. A simple, but enjoyable wine.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Negroamaro is a variety that I had not been exposed to before this tasting. It is found primarily in southern Italy, where it is grown in both the Salento and Puglia regions (it is the dominant grape variety in the latter region). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Oz Clarke describes it as a “rather odd-tasting grape” with farmyard and medicinal flavours. It is often blended with Malvasia Nera to produce a higher quality wine.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Negroamaro is certainly a grape variety that I look forward to trying again in the near future. The LCBO carries approximately twenty Negroamaro wines, all of which are under twenty dollars. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Geoffrey Mosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10269831118496065075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5046539736715541782.post-13905068223098658672011-11-02T19:30:00.000-07:002011-11-02T19:30:57.223-07:00Tasting Session #1<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The first tasting for our as-of-yet untitled tasting group occurred this evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The theme was Sauvignon Blanc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the docket were three wines that we hoped would give a good introduction into this distinctive variety:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">(1) Le Courlis 2009, Sauvignon Touraine, Clos du Porteau ($14.95) [Loire Valley, France]</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>An understated nose of cut grass that led to mineral and tropical fruit notes on the palate. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">(2) Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Marlborough, Mount Riley ($15.95) [New Zealand]</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A wine that exemplified the variety New Zealand has made famous: cut grass, peach on the nose that carried over to lychee and herbaceous notes on the palate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">(3) Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Sonoma, Et Cetera ($14.95) [California]</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A wine completely out of balance by its high alcohol content (14.2%): what little fruit the wine offered was completely dominated by the alcohol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Of the three, the crowd favourite was split between the wines (1) and (2).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wine (1), perhaps, lacked the varietal characteristics that are often most associated with Sauvignon Blanc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other than the faint aroma of cut grass on the nose, it lacked any herbaceous qualities. The tropical notes, however, were an interesting surprise for a wine from the cooler Loire Valley region.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was, in my opinion, the most elegant of the evening with well-balanced acidity and alcohol.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The Mount Riley Sauvignon Blanc substituted the minerality of Le Courlis for more pronounced herbaceous qualities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was an equally impressive wine, but one with a noticeable alcohol presence at 13.5%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based on my tasting experience, it was a wine very typical of many New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs at this price range. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The third wine was selected to give an example of a Sauvignon Blanc from a warm climate region.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its high alcohol content, however, completely dominated the wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The alcohol heat was evident on the nose, with only a modest amount of fruit coming through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The herbaceous flavour of the wine came through on the tip of the palate, but was soon easily dominated by the alcohol on the back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall, it was the group’s least favourite wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was telling that, with the bottles of the first two wines empty, this third bottle was still over half full.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><!--EndFragment-->Geoffrey Mosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10269831118496065075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5046539736715541782.post-35787836941269453652011-10-29T20:01:00.000-07:002011-10-29T20:01:59.203-07:00Oak ChipsThere is nothing glamorous about using oak chips. Indeed, most producers do not go out of their way to advertise their use. But the use of oak chips is somewhat entrenched within the wine industry. The cost of oak barrels, at times, can necessitate the use of oak chips. For instance, an average French (quercus robur) oak barrel costs approximately one-thousand dollars; an American (quercus alba) oak barrel, five-hundred dollars. For entry level wines (e.g. wines under $15), the use of oak barrels is cost prohibitive. Oak chips are used, instead. <br />
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I don't have any real problem with this - I expect that any oaked wine under approximately $15 will have used oak chips. That being said, I do expect more from a more expensive wine. Recently, I saw a $20 Californian wine at the LCBO that advertised on its label that it had used oak chips. That seems, to me, like poor bang for my buck. I did not pick it up. On the other hand, I did purchase a bottle of the Dona Paula 2009 Estate Malbec at $17.95/bottle. This less expensive wine had undergone barrel maturation in first, second, and third-use French barrels (33% for each) for eight months. (I should note, however, that this was not mentioned on the bottle itself. I, rather, gathered this information from the incredibly detailed tasting notes on its website.) <br />
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While the use of oak barrels vis-à-vis oak chips does not necessarily result in a superior wine, it does at least provide the appearance of being a superior wine. And in an industry in which marketing plays a pivotal role in sales, I can think of no reason why one would advertise the use of oak chips - though, I do admire the transparency of doing so. <br />
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The Dona Paula Malbec had the classic profile of an Argentinean malbec: big cherry fruit with vanilla notes. It could have been better or worse than the Californian bottle. But I did feel like I was getting more bang for my buck. And, at the end of the day, that can mean a lot to any consumer.Geoffrey Mosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10269831118496065075noreply@blogger.com0