The time has finally come for this taster to right/write a great wrong. For some years now, I have referred to myself as a “bubblehead,” a term used to describe someone who so enjoys sparkling wines, they could literally drink them on a daily basis. I have also been, and continue to be a staunch supporter of the burgeoning Michigan wine industry, and yet, in all that time, only once have I reviewed anything from one of the finest sparkling wine producers in the U.S., the Leelanau Peninsula’s own L. Mawby Winery. (Click images to enlarge.)

The irony in all of this is that I’ve talked with Larry Mawby more than a few times over the last several years. He’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in the wine industry. I’ve also enjoyed many of his wines, from both the L. Mawby and M. Lawrence labels. Still, I’ve only written about one of them, a delightful thing which goes by the name of “Detroit.” This protracted oversight ends now.

Mawby planted his first vines in 1973, before establishing vineyards at the current Elm Valley location in 1976. Today, the property is planted with about 20 acres of Pinot Noir, Vignoles, Pinot Gris, Regent, Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Significant amounts of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are also purchased from other growers on the Leelanau Peninsula for the original L.Mawby line, which is made using the traditional Methode Champenoise. Larry himself has been making these since 1984.
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A few months ago, we received two late model reds from the fine folks at Tablas Creek Vineyards for review purposes, one each of the entry level and flagship bottlings. As is often the case here at Gang Central, we took our time getting to them, letting them rest for several weeks in the cellar from heck. Finally, I decided that we needed some good Red Wings & Red Rhône Ranger mojo, so we opened them both and enjoyed a few glasses of each with a good old hockey game; well, I did, anyway, Kim had other things to do, but she likes these wines every bit as much as I do. (Click image to enlarge.)

As previously reported, Tablas Creek’s Patelin de Tablas range of wines is comprised of grapes sourced mainly from the estate’s neighbors; Patelin is roughly translated from the French slang for “country neighborhood.” As you can see from the list below, some of the grapes are from Tablas clones, which is always a good thing in capable growers’ hands.
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In October of 2013, I blogged about our current house Chardonnay, the 2011 Domaine de Roally Mâcon Vire-Clesse. I’m happy to report that it is still drinking beautifully and can still be found in the Detroit area; I’m even happier to report that over the last nine months, we’ve found another Chardonnay from the Mâcon that is almost as good, and costs $7 less. We first tried it last summer, at one of our favorite eateries, Café Muse, in Royal Oak. I liked it so well, that, A. I had it there with dinner on my birthday, which is telling, given their excellent wine list, and, B. I bought a case in November to have around to augment our stash of the Domaine de Roally. (Click image to enlarge.)

Christian Collovray and Jean-Luc Terrier have been friends since childhood and shared the same passion for wines. Their friendship was further strengthened when they married sisters Brigitte and Florence, whose father was a winemaker. In 1986, they established the Domaine des Deux Roches, based in the village of Davayé in the Mâconnais; Christian takes care of the vines while Jean-Luc manages the cellar and the commercial end of the business, and Brigitte and Florence both hold administrative positions. Christian’s son Julien Collovray joined the business in 2008. The Collovray & Terrier label was established in the early ‘90s, and now focuses specifically on bottlings from Pouilly-Fuissé, Saint-Véran and Macon-Villages, the latter being the one that has caught our attention as of late. The vines that produce the Chardonnay that goes into the Mâcon-Villages ‘Tradition’ are planted in the clay and limestone soils of Charnay, Davayé, and Pierreclos.
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As a wine producing region, France’s Loire Valley flies under the radar of a lot of North American wine drinkers. I’m willing to bet that most would not recognize the names of any of the Loire appellations, with the possible exception of Sancerre, and many wouldn’t not know that region is located in the far eastern end of the 170 mile long river valley. While probably best known for the Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc produced there, there’s a good deal of red wine coming out of the area as well. We’ve been drinking a lot of Loire Cabernet Franc lately, one coming from Bourgueil and the other from Chinon. Both wines offer exceptional value, and are deserving of greater recognition. (Click image to enlarge.)

I first heard about the wines of Bourgueil, approved as an AOC in 1937, about 6 or 7 years ago; the buzz at that time was that these well-priced reds were all the rage in Paris bistros. We tried a few at that time, but never really found one that caught our fancy until we happened upon this little gem at Ferndale’s Western Market, from a cooperative that was founded in 1931.
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We got together not too long ago with our partner in crime, Alan Kerr aka Canadian Zinfan, to indulge in our favorite collective activity, that being eating and drinking great food and wine. We invaded Chez Kerr with four bottles sent to us for review from our friends at Cornerstone Cellars; we opened the two Cabs on the first night of our visit, and the Sauvignon and Bordeaux Blend on the second. We were joined by our old MoCool buddy Howie Hart and his friend Mary Jo Giambelluca on night one. Alan created a terrific dinner around a leg of lamb, which paired beautifully with the two Cabs. (Click images to enlarge.)

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Despite the fact that we both love fine wines of almost every kind, Kim and I have something of a disconnect when it comes to bubbly. I love them, while she can take them or leave them. Because of this, when a cork is pulled from a sparkler on any given occasion, she may have a glass, or opt for a still wine instead, so that the bubble-heads have more to enjoy. I mention this only because such was decidedly not the case with one of the two wines in this report.

I’m of the opinion that sparkling wine is not just for celebrations, but rather, they fit almost any occasion, much like most fine wines. I enjoy them at least twice a week, often more, and until very recently, my go to every day sparkler has been the Mionetto Prosecco, which I’ve been buying at our local Costco since 2009, for $9.99. It has remained remarkably consistent since then, and while I still enjoy it, I’ve found two selections from the Trentino producer Rotari that I like even more, and both are every bit as well-priced. (Click image to enlarge.)

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Following up on the 6 wines I reported on earlier this week, here’s the Rhône-down on the rest of what we’ve been enjoying lately, starting with our house red. (Click images to enlarge.)

2012 Domaine Sainte Anne Rouge Côtes du Rhône, 14.5% alc., $12.99: We’ve been fans of this producer for some time now; we went through quite a bit of the 2011 version of this wine over a two-year period, and we loved every bottle, but it finally dried up and we couldn’t find any more. This vintage showed up during the past summer, and in the short time since I first tried it in August, it has really come around nicely. At that time, it was a bit tight and quite earthy, but in just five months, the earthiness has softened some, and that violet character that I love so much has really come to the fore, along with a lovely core of dark plum and berry fruit and a subtle herbaceous note. Full bodied, well-structured and very nicely balanced, this is delightful now, and it should continue to age and develop gracefully over the next five years or more. This is my favorite everyday red, period. Frankly, I’d rather drink this than many more expensive selections. It has everything I could want from a good red wine. Find this wine

Imported by A.H.D. Vintners, Warren, MI

2012 Domaine La Garrigue Côtes du Rhône Cuvée Romaine, 14.5% alc., $13.97: Past vintages of this wine have been well-received here at Gang Central, so it’s always fun to see what new versions have to offer. This one shows clean, dark color, with rich, earthy black fruit on the nose that echoes and expands nicely on the palate. Big and burly, but by no means rough, it’s rich and delicious, with the earth and fruit playing terrific counterpoint to each other. Structured to age and improve for several years, but it’s so good already, from the moment the cork is pulled, and it just gets better and better as it opens over 4 hours or so. Take the journey yourself or give it an hour in a decanter; either way, I’m betting you’ll like this, as it’s one of the best Côtes-du-Rhônes I’ve had in the last year or more. Find this wine

Imported by European Cellars, Charlotte, NC
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We’re always on the lookout for red Rhônes we haven’t tried before, and our explorations often take us back to Ferndale’s Western Market, where our buddy Jarred Gild has a knack for coming up with out-of-the-way selections that, more often than not, are most enjoyable with not only Red Wings hockey, but with good food as well. (Food and wine, what a concept!) And so it was that we found the six wines noted here in the last month or so; all are good, with some being clearly better than others.

Domaine Saint Amant, located in the Beaumes de Venise AOC, is comprised of 32 acres of small plots of steep slopes, facing South-East, at an altitude of 1640 feet. Owned by the Jacques Wallut family, the domaine produces nearly 50,000 bottles a year. We tried the Grangeneuve bottling first, and when we liked that, went back to see what else Jarred had for us. Apparently, he had rescued the four Saint Amant wines from languishing in a local distributor’s warehouse. I was particularly intrigued by the fact that all four are somewhat older vintages than you’ll find on most area retail shelves.

2005 Domaine Saint Amant Beaumes-de-Venise Grangeneuve, 13.5% alc., $15.99: deep and dark in color; rich, earthy and intense, with lots of black plum, berry and currant, all shaded with a good dose of mineral. Mouth coating and still quite tannic, almost burry, this really wants a good hour in a decanter before serving. Once it opens up, it delivers more than enough fruit to pair well with a variety of grilled red meats, and there’s no reason to think that it won’t age effortlessly for 5-8 years and beyond. Kim commented that “it’s a little poopier than the Saint Jaume,” noted below. This is our clear favorite of the four Saint Amants we tried, and we went back and bought the last four bottles in the store. A blend of Syrah, Grenache and Viogner. Find this wine
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The wines of Spain take centre stage for the January 24th release. Spanish wines are usually fairly priced in the LCBO and many of these wines offer the consumer great wines at reasonable prices. Lots to buy so please read on……

Wines of Spain

392522 FINCA LOS ALIJARES GRACIANO 2009 Vino de la Tierra de Castilla $17.95
Very concentrated, laden with dark fruit, sweet rhubarb, caramel and nutmeg; plenty of blackcurrant flavours, with a touch of cherry, mineral, aggressive tannins and a touch of heat. Give it time. Find this wine

393140 DOMINIO DOSTARES ESTAY PRIETO PICUDO 2011 Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León $15.95
Dark fruit, Fry’s chocolate cream bar, a touch of mocha and mint; juicy plum flavours, earthy, great acidity and gentle tannins. Find this wine

391896 VINESSENS SEIN 2011 Alicante $17.95
Sweet blackberry and currant, dark chocolate, thyme and Herbes de Provence; sweet chewy fruit, pings of anise and cardamom, good acidity and a decent finish. Find this wine

$17.95 SUEÑO TEMPRANILLO 2011 DO Ribera del Júcar $18.95
A lovely combination of blackberry, cherry and plum, mostly fruit focused nose, but the touch of lavender is pleasing; luscious chewy palate, good structure, some spice and mocha cream on the finish. Find this wine

392993 MACHO MAN MONASTRELL 2012 Jumilla $18.95
Chunky and clumsy, jammy black fruit, sweet oak and sandalwood; low acidity, sweet chewy texture, little hint of spice and an overly sweet finish. Find this wine

398685 BURÓ DE PEÑALOSA CRIANZA 2009 Ribera del Duero $23.95
A forceful mix of French and American oak, plenty of dark fruit, blueberry, tar, fresh flowers and coal dust; nicely balanced palate, some anise and bay leaf and a touch of heat on the finish, but overall a very good wine. Find this wine

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It’s January, things are a little less hectic, the holiday haste is done and life is supposedly back to some sense of normality. Cellars tend to get depleted over the jovial season and if that is the case, one can stock up with a few of the wines from Vintages “Smart Buys” release.

WINES OF THE MONTH

256693 CONCHA Y TORO SERIE RIBERAS GRAN RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 Marchigue, Central Valley, Chile $17.95
Blasts out aromas of Cassis, Ribena, polished wood, Asian spice, anise and bay leaf; strange soapy/cardamom taste, dark fruit does come through, with good structure and gentle tannins. Find this wine

657411 VIÑA REAL PLATA CRIANZA 2010 Rioja, Spain $18.95
Lots of mocha, dried flowers, black raspberry, bitter chocolate, black tea, and forest floor, but a musty note interrupts. Good chewy dark fruit, but the musty note hits on the finish. A bad bottle perhaps. Find this wine

SMART BUYS LISTINGS

234518 LAMADRID SINGLE VINEYARD RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 Agrelo, Mendoza, Argentina $15.95
Very tight; some sweet spice, red fruit and raspberry start to show, light palate, with some currant flavours and low tannins. Just a simple wine. Find this wine

123489 CHÂTEAU HAUCHAT 2011 AC Fronsac, Bordeaux, France $15.95
Mushroom and a little earthy beet, with plenty of ripe dark plum fruit; low acid palate, where blackcurrant shines, with some grip and spice on finish. Find this wine

395053 12 E MEZZO PRIMITIVO DEL SALENTO 2012 Puglia, Italy $13.95
Juicy dark fruit, cough candy medicinal notes, black sweet licorice, dusty, pleasing sweet berry flavours; good acidity, a little cloying on finish. Find this wine

124883 CLOS DU BOIS MERLOT 2012 North Coast, California $16.95
Dark with some mineral notes, black cherry, chocolate shavings; palate shows black raspberry and dark fruit. Simple structure, gentle tannins. Find this wine

171025 PUIG-PARAHY CUVÉE GEORGES 2011 Côtes du Roussillon, Midi, France $16.95
Maltesers, creamy coffee crisp bar, Asian spice, tar and black fruit. The disappointing palate shows light in comparison to its nose; dark fruit is there, but pales and the finish is rather light. Find this wine

395236 LAFAGE CÔTÉ SUD 2012 Côtes Catalanes, Roussillon, France $14.95
60% Syrah and 40% Grenache, showing lovely floral aromas; layers of dark fruit and tar, blackberry and currant flavours are ripe and chewy, with a silky texture sweet spice on the finish. Find this wine

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