Archive for May, 2018

Here are a few notes on some of the wines for Vintages release on May 26th. The theme of this release is Let’s Meet The Makers, but unfortunately, many of these were not available to taste. Thus, I just bundled them all together for you. Enjoy!

421032 CHARLES MIGNON PREMIUM RÉSERVE BRUT CHAMPAGNE $49.95
This bargain basement bubby is showing plenty of lime, lemon grass, tangerine and dried red fruit aromas, with good foam and apple and citrus flavours all melded with bright acidity. Find this wine

993113 TAITTINGER PRESTIGE BRUT ROSÉ CHAMPAGNE $79.95
Plenty of earthy and mineral aromas, along with nice whiffs of fresh cut flowers, rose petals, red berry and strawberry. Nice crisp mid-palate, red currant and strawberry hints make an appearance. Find this wine

096016 EMMOLO SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015 Napa Valley $24.95
Enticing aromas of Asian pear, lemon balm, mineral, candied lime and a weird note of poo! A sweet palate featuring dried ginger, kiwi and dried herbs. For a Sauvignon Blanc, there is not enough acidity for my taste. Find this wine

221887 ROBERT MONDAVI FUMÉ BLANC 2015 50th Anniversary, Napa Valley $22.95
I usually enjoy this wine as it is consistently well made, and sold (at least in Ontario) at a fair price. This vintage is no exception. It has bright lively aromas of almond, pear, melon, apricot, vanilla and honeydew melon. There’s a creamy texture on the palate, nice ripeness with a kick of butterscotch on the close. Find this wine

268391 HENRY OF PELHAM ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2015 Short Hills Bench, Niagara Escarpment $24.95
A pretty perfumed wine, showing notes of strawberry, caramel, clove and bay leaf. Its palate has decent structure, lots of red currant, rhubarb and strawberry. There are unresolved tannins that need to settle. Medium-bodied and fruity. Find this wine

469189 WESTCOTT TEMPERANCE RED 2016 Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula $19.95
This Passe-Tout-Grains, blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay has an captivating nose of wet earth, barnyard, plum, pepper, black raspberry and beet. The palate is elegant; it has plenty of red fruit and plum flavours, nice chocolate undertones and it finishes well. Find this wine

462820 BOOTLEG RED 2013 Napa County, California $49.95
A blend of 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Petite Sirah, 21% Zinfandel, 12% Merlot, and the rest Malbec and Petit Verdot, which creates a wine I should enjoy. I do! It is earthy, full of mineral, thyme, Chinese mushrooms and black licorice. The fruit appears in the form of blackberry, black raspberry and blueberry. It is disjointed at the present, but has fabulous structure and potential. Tons of sediment already! Find this wine

096024 EMMOLO MERLOT 2015 Napa Valley, California $69.95
Loads of sweet dark fruit, plum, dark cherry bouquet, backed up by layers of sawdust, cedar, nutshell and vanilla. Very ripe on the palate, creamy, but at the same time tight and solid and there is a perception of over ripeness on the finish. Find this wine

459933 ROBERT MONDAVI MAESTRO 2014 Napa Valley, California $59.95
This wine, a Meritage blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc and 2% each of Merlot and Petit Verdot starts out with aromas of forest floor, cave air, moss, tobacco leaf, bitter chocolate and dried fruit. The palate has a lovely roundness, nice elements of spice, cherry liqueur and chalky tannin. Find this wine

159970 CLOUDLINE PINOT NOIR 2015 Willamette Valley, Oregon $26.95
Under the reigns of Domaine Drouhin, this pleasant Pinot offers up notes of cherry, cough syrup, plum red licorice and anise. It carries a nice silky texture on the mostly red fruit palate, it’s clean well balanced and has lovely fruit laden finish. Find this wine

460964 KLOOF STREET 2016 Swartland, South Africa $19.95
I must confess that my usual take on wines from South Africa is never that positive. Happy though to say that a bottle of two of this vibrant wine, loaded with notes of blueberry, sweet spice mocha and rhubarb will be coming home with me. Beautifully balanced, lots of red fruit, milk chocolate, silky tannin and bright acidity. Find this wine

672931 ALLEGRINI PALAZZO DELLA TORRE 2014 Veronese, Italy $24.95
Pure blackcurrant essence, backed up with a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg. A bit of a fruit bomb on the palate that features blackcurrant plum and vanilla bean, but the acids do their job to balance. Find this wine

552901 LORCA MONASTRELL 2009 Bullas $15.95
Some funky notes of dank earthy sewer, potato peeling, dried shitake and plum/prune. I find black cherry and blueberry on the somewhat spicy palate. A hint of cedar and chocolate on the finish makes this a fun great wine to pour, especially at this price. Albeit low on the acidity level, it provides enjoyment. Find this wine

Cheers
CZ

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Periodically, we receive samples of some of their client’s wares from the public relations and brand marketing agency, Donna White Communications. The wines are always good, and come from diverse growing regions from around the world. The latest offerings are from a Spanish producer that I was vaguely aware of previously, but have never actually tried. These two selections also gave us the opportunity to taste some things from an appellation we have had very little exposure to, Bierzo, located in the province of Castilla y Leon. I’ve not posted any notes from this region until now, but Canadian Zinfan has once or twice, the most recent being back in 2015.

Bodegas Godelia is apparently a relatively new operation, owned by one Vicente Garcia Vazquez. There are 35 hectares of estate vineyards, and another 15 hectares farmed under contract, some as old as 100 years. According to Europvin, their importer, “All picking is by hand, loaded into small plastic crates and then chilled 24-48 hours at -5°C in a reefer container. This causes them to split and begin maceration on the skins.

The white grapes are gently pressed while still semi-frozen, and then settled off the gross lees. Fermentation in stainless steel. The Blanco remains in tank on the fine lees (with lees stirring) for 5 months before bottling. The Tinto spends 12 months in 400 and 500 litre oak casks (90% French, 10% American, 1/3 new oak.”

2015 Bodegas Godelia Blanco Bierzo, 80% Godello, 20% Doña Blanca, 13.5% alc., $17 SRP: Clean, medium color, with a little lemony citrus on the nose at first; no lightweight by any means, this shows good depth and intensity on the palate, with mineral driven lemon-lime-citrus flavors. Medium-full bodied and somewhat thick in texture, with zippy acids and good length, this is really to our liking; it’s a seafood friendly kind o’ white, and a excellent choice as the weather warms going into the summer. Sourced from 10-40 year old Godello vines and very old vine (60-80 years) Doña Blanca. Find this wine

2012 Bodegas Godelia Bierzo, 100% Mencia, 14.5% alc., $19 SRP: Good dark color here, with an earthy, slightly herbaceous nose. Rich and intense on the palate, where flavors echo and expand on the aromatic promises, with a lot of dark berry at the core. The earth and herb (no, not THAT kind of herb!) set the tone to the wine’s character, and a subtle note of iodine emerges on the finish, somewhat reminiscent of a northern Rhône Syrah. Full bodied, with a good tannin/acid backbone and good length on the finish, with the stuffing to benefit from 3-5 years in the cellar, if not more. Find this wine

Both of these wines evoke a strong “sense of place.” When Kim says she likes to taste dirt in her wine, these are the kinds that she’s talking about, and I mean that in the kindest possible way. The winemaking is thoroughly modern, but these are anything but “international styled wines,” which is why we like them so well. I ran across a lone bottle of the red a few days ago at an area retailer, and didn’t hesitate to grab it and bring it home. I’ll do the same with any others that I may happen to run run across in coming weeks and months, and, when you think about it, isn’t that the best possible recommendation I can give?

Reporting from Day-twah,

Bastardo

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The release for May 12 features wines from the vast and diverse region of Bordeaux, but sadly only two of the wines were available to taste. One was very good one indeed, but whilst the other was tasty, it lacked the complexity of the first. Both are eight years of age, but the quality is clearly very different. Here are notes on them and a few others too. If spring is finally here to stay, enjoy it.

282475 DOMAINE DE VIAUD 2010 Lalande-de-Pomerol $32.95
Heady aromas of iron, lead pencil, black raspberry, cream soda and blueberry. Flavour laden palate delivers dried currants, pepper, plum, Asian spice and raspberry. There are silky tannins, but they do not impede. There’s plenty of lovely dark fruit on the finish with chocolate and clean acidity. It’s drinking nicely right now. Find this wine

445510 CHÂTEAU FLEUR HAUT GAUSSENS 2010 Bordeaux Supérieur $18.95
Blackcurrant, cedar and red fruit with a touch of tar and leather, a light to medium palate, with pleasant blueberry fruit; it’s tasty, but it falls short on the finish. Find this wine

ONTARIO

493973 THIRTY BENCH WINEMAKER’S BLEND DOUBLE NOIR Niagara Peninsula 2016 $18.95
This blend of Gamay and Pinot, similar to the highly quaffable Passe-tout-grains of Burgundy, exudes notes of perfume, sweet spice and ripe raspberry, which focuses more on the Gamay than the Pinot. It’s nicely balanced, there is a little tannin, but acids are crisp and clean. Good choice for a simple burger or even smoked ribs. Find this wine

USA

498766 LAKE SONOMA ZINFANDEL 2014 Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County $26.95
A solidly constructed and well-priced Zin that carries both fruit and earthy notes. It starts with blackberry, black cherry, dried blueberry, black raspberry and Cassis. Soon notes of clay, caramel, balsa and mocha appear. The palate is ripe and juicy, but not over the top. It has a blackberry toffee texture, acids are spot on and the finish is long. Find this wine

936039 SILVER OAK CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013 Napa Valley $204.95
Gone are the days when Silver Oak had more wood than old Sherwood Forest. This rendition is choco-block full of dark super ripe fruit enhanced by mint, eucalyptus, couverture and cocoa. The structure is dense; it brings on layers of cherry cola, Ribena, After Eight mints, black currant and plum. The tannins are ripe, but not austere; its finish is super long with traces of coconut, dried fruit and black toffee. Find this wine

237776 KINGS RIDGE PINOT NOIR 2015 Willamette Valley $27.95
Flint, blackberry, wet soil, milk chocolate, strawberry, dried mushroom and cinnamon are to be found in this tasty little gem. Good fruit on the palate, strawberry jello sweetness, some black tea, dried red fruit and dusty tannins. Find this wine

486936 CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE MERLOT 2015 Columbia Valley $21.95
Pleasing mix of black raspberry, blueberry jam, sweet spices, mocha and dried herb. It has an unassuming palate, nothing special, but well balanced, nice fleshy fruit on the finish along with a hit of cocoa and dusty tannin. Find this wine

ITALY

378257 BANFI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2012 Tuscany $56.95
Maraschino and red cherry, balsa and perfume on the nose, some defined fruit on the palate, a touch of caramel, but a surprisingly short finish. Find this wine

338939 TOMMASI GRATICCIO APPASSIONATO 2015 $15.95
This blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Merlot is a peach! It teases with lovely whiffs of red fruit, red licorice, anise, lavender and Bouquet Garni. There’s mostly red fruit on the palate, where it carries a slight sweetness, but is balanced by fine acidity and there’s decent length to the finish. One to stock up on for the barbecue season. Find this wine

SPAIN

370023 LICENCIADO RESERVA 2012 Rioja $24.95
Enticing forest floor and pine needle aromas meld with mocha, cedar, cherry brandy and plum. Soft palate, nice red currant flavours, some thyme and bay leaf, gentle tannins and well balanced. Find this wine

166579 MONASTERIO DE LAS VIÑAS RESERVA GARNACHA/TEMPRANILLO/CARIÑENA 2012 $14.95
A Vintages staple showing notes of tar, black licorice, dark fruit, forest floor and mushroom. Lovely roundness on the palate, some tannin, but nothing to spoil the fun. Just a little chalky on the finish, but a bargain basement wine that rarely disappoints. Find this wine

89284 RIDGE VINEYARDS ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2014 $94.95
Those lovely people at the board sent this wine, but it was not on the last release or this. Could be a “Flagship” product, but who cares, yours truly got to taste it and this is what I thought! The Draper perfume emits layers of pure dark fruit, dried mint, chalk, slate and mineral. Cherry liqueur, Asian spice and blueberry preserve make an appearance on the well-structured and nicely composed palate. Tannins are far from integrated and if one acquires a bottle or two, lay it down for at least five years. Find this wine

Cheers
CZ

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It’s been a while since we last tried anything from Cornerstone Cellars. I had to look back over the last two and a half years of our reports to find our last encounter with this excellent Napa Valley producer. We hadn’t heard anything from them until just a few months ago, when we got an inquiry as to whether we’d like to try some of their new releases, and, of course, we’ve never been known to turn down offers like this.

The four wines came in packages of two, a few weeks apart. We gave them plenty of time to rest, and tasted them in the order that they arrived. (Click on images to enlarge.)

2014 Cornerstone Cellars Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Benchlands, 14.9 % Alc., $65.00: Deep and dark in color, and all lush fruit and chocolate on the nose. Creamy in texture at first, but some serious structure makes itself known in short order. Very intense and primary, and very much in the house style that we remember from previous encounters with Cornerstone Cabs, with black currant, cassis and chocolate. Ideally, I’d like to try this again in about 10 years. Still, it finally does start to open after about three hours, so give this some time in a decanter if you have to open one now. Find this wine

2014 Cornerstone Cellars Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga, 14.5% Alc., $75.00: Deep and dark in color, fairly faint on the nose and not quite as backward as the Benchlands. Deep, dark black currant and berry flavors, with a chocolatey note similar to the Benchlands, and some earth underneath it all. Full bodied, and not quite as big as the wine above, but well-structured for aging and evolving over the next ten years and beyond. It also opens with some extended air, so you know the drill if you want to open one now; decant, decant, decant. Find this wine

I like both of these wines, the Benchlands perhaps the better of the two; despite my reservations about opening either of them anytime soon, they do work well enough with some grilled, medium rare steak. They need lots of time to tone down those tannins and acids, but both have to goods to go the distance.

We opened the second two a few weeks later, starting with the Sauvignon.

2016 Cornerstone Cellars Napa Sauvignon Blanc, 14.1% Alc., $30.00: Clean medium straw, morphing into pale gold; the intense aromatics tell you right away that this ain’t no Kiwi Sauvignon, and the flavors confirm that impression. It might actually compare more favorably to a Didier Dagueneau Pouilly Fume from the good ol’ days than a grapefruit-gooseberry number from New Zealand, but it’s really most reminiscent of previous Cornerstone models that we’ve enjoyed and some of those nice old Mondavi Fume Blancs. This one is more in the green melon, apple and grape spectrum, with the barest hint of oak influence from some neutral barrels and even some mineral lurking here and there. Medium-full bodied, with good acids and length; the fruit has excellent intensity, and it’s not fruit bomb ripe. A very good seafood white, and maybe even better with grilled smoked chicken. Find this wine

2014 Cornerstone Cellars Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain, 14.6% Alc., $100.00: Deep, dark color, with a pretty perfume of ripe (but not too ripe) black currant and blackberry, graced with well-integrated sweet oak. The flavors largely echo the aromatics, with a good dose of earth and significant structure; some subtle toast, smoke and cocoa emerge as it opens. It would have been interesting and instructive to try this with the other two cabs, but we had already tried those when we received this, but my gut feeling is that this would be my favorite of the three. It’s a fine match for some thin-sliced medium rare flank steak on a bed of power greens with sliced beets and fried goat cheese, but it’s best to put this down for several years to mellow those tannins. Find this wine

These four are very much in the same “house style” that we remember from our previous experiences, which is a very good thing. They’re not inexpensive, especially the reds, but they’re very well-made and offer lots of pleasurable drinking, both now and/or several years down the road.

Reporting from Day-twah,
Bastardo

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