Highlights and Values; Lawrason’s Take on Vintages Jan 19 Release

Highlights & Values from Spain, B.C. and Around the World, plus Postcards from New Zealand

David Lawrason

The January 19 release is a large and rambling affair with over 100 wines, and the vast majority are priced under $25 to reflect the post-holiday impecuniary blues. I must say that there were more disappointing wines than normal, with several scoring below 85 points. But there were also many worth your attention, which is why we spend hours in the VINTAGES lab tasting them all.

Spain’s Priorat and Montsant

The many faces of Spanish wine are featured in this release, in a selection that manages to cover most of the country, albeit with only one or two selections each. WineAlign colleague John Szabo has penned a comprehensive look at the various wines and the fortunes of Spanish wine in Ontario, so I won’t repeat, except to highlight very good buys from two of my favourite DOCs – Priorat and Montsant. These appellations neighbour each other in the harsh, arid mountains of southern Catalonia not far from the Mediterranean.

Whereas many Spanish reds are softer, there is a nerve and minerality to the wines of this region that is invigorating, which will appeal to those who like pinot noir and some of Tuscany’s reds. Priorat in particular emerged in the 90s as a super-premium niche region, followed soon after by less expensive Montsant that sits in less steep terrain nearby. Both use the same blend of Mediterranean grapes like carignan and grenache along with syrah, cabernet and merlot. Planets De Prior Pons 2008 from Priorat at only $22.95 is a fine example of the value that can now be attained in post-recession pricing of Priorat. And the 2010 Baronia CIMS Del Montsant is simply a steal at only $15.95.

B.C.’s Range

Unlike four other provinces, Ontario has still not “approved” the direct purchase and importation of B.C. wines via the internet for your personal use here in Ontario, despite the federal government legalizing the practice last June through Bill C-311. Many Ontarians are doing it anyway, as the government’s position is unenforceable. If you are squeamish about doing it however, or you just want to buy a bottle or three, instead of ordering by the case, then VINTAGES offers a small but quite good selection on this release. It’s a microcosm of what the Okanagan Valley is doing in terms of styles – aromatics in the north, chardonnay and pinot noir in the centre, and big reds in the south, including the iconic plush reds of Burrowing Owl, the winery that first drew attention to just how big and rich B.C. southern reds could be. I draw your attention to two wines that define the polar extremes of Okanagan winemaking.

Gray Monk 2011 Gewürztraminer ($19.95) is a super bright, fresh and fruity example of a lovely patio/picnic style of gewürz – indeed Gray Monk (sitting right on the 50th degree of latitude) is a veteran, reliable producer of good value, pristine aromatic whites. Consider this one for spring/summer drinking.  From the opposite end of the valley, almost within view of the 49th parallel and the US border, comes a big red from almost desert vineyards that leads the way in a growing field of multi-grape blends based on merlot and cabernet. Mission Hill 2008 Quatrain ($41.95) deftly adds about 30% syrah to the mix, and ferments them in small French oak to create a wine of considerable depth, complexity and elegance.

Three White Highlights

The roussanne grape, which is indigenous to the Rhone Valley in France, is in global expansion mode, especially in New World as winemakers in warm climates grow to appreciate its natural acidity and tropical yet understated fruit. McNab Ridge 2009 Shadow Brook Farms Roussanne ($18.95) from Mendocino California is a fine example. The Parducci family is a pioneer in this neck of the woods, and this off-shoot winery by Chris Parducci is focused on less well known grape varieties.

Roche De Bellene 2010 Vieilles Vignes Bourgogne Chardonnay from Burgundy’s Nicolas Potel is not all that unusual, but it is made in a bright, pure style that defines the grape and region very well for $19.95.  A dandy, affordable and quite classy chardonnay.

And Château De Montmollin 2011 Chasselas from Auvernier-Neuchâtel in Switzerland is also very well made. Chasselas can be soft, flabby and boring, but this fine effort brightens the quiet fruit and presents flavours that remind me just a bit of sake. It’s all very subtle, very nicely balanced and easy to drink.  Very much worth exploring at $18.95.

Four Red Values

For several years now I have watched Chile struggle with pinot noir. There is a juicy exuberance in Chilean reds that somehow does not wear well in pinot, which should be very layered, restrained and elegant. Terra Noble 2010 Reserva Pinot Noir from the Casablanca Valley is still exuberant, with raspberry and evergreen scents, but somehow manages better balance and more length than most, and at a very good price of $14.95. A fine little chillable summer patio pinot.

From Australia, Heartland 2009 Shiraz has shockingly intense, perfumed and pure aromas of cassis, a signature I have come to expect in reds from the Langhorne Creek region of South Australia that borders the Murray River delta. Langhorne is home base for Heartland, a collaboration among several partners but Ben Glaetzer is the magician behind this wine. And Ben Glaetzer is the nephew of John Glaetzer, who put Wolf Blass on the map with some remarkable Langhorne reds back in the day. In any event, this is a real mouthful for $19.95, richly fruited and wonderfully vibrant.

South African pinotage, a hybrid grape bred on the Cape, has over the decades, become something of a plaything for winemakers. There is a shrill and unusual native character in pinotage that many seem to want to avoid, and the latest trick is to infuse highly roasted coffee bean flavours, as in Café Culture. The Grinder 2011 Pinotage is in that camp, but less coffeed than I expected given the blatant coffee references in the packaging. I think one reason that the pinotage fruit manages to stay so vital in this example is its origin in Swartland, a warmer area of old vines. Anyway, at $13.95 you can afford to try this out for yourself.

And for something really off the beaten track, don’t miss a great little winter red from Lebanon. Château Ksara 2009 Réserve Du Couvent is a blend of syrah, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon aged six months in oak. Ksara a historic 19th Century producer in the high altitude Bekaa Valley has modernized its production, but this wine maintains a very smooth, warm and leathery ambiance that is pleasantly older school. The main point is that offers a lot of character for $14.95.

Postcards from New Zealand & A Tasting of Villa Maria

I am writing this report from a small, comfortable motor lodge in the farming town of Cromwell in the heart of Central Otago on New Zealand’s South Island. I am in the country for a three week tour of eight regions, that also includes three conferences, centred by Pinot Noir NZ 2013 in Wellington January 28 – 31. I am visiting three to four wineries per day, which doesn’t leave a lot of time for writing. But you can follow some observations on Twitter @DavidLawrason, and I am also sending updates via WineAlign’s Facebook page. You can check out the first in the series on Waiheke Island’s Man O’ War winery at Postcards from New Zealand. 

Villa Maria Winemaker – Alastair Maling
Auckland Winery

On my second day in the country I sat down to a terrific tasting with Villa Maria winemaker Alastair Maling, a Master of Wine and chair of Pinot 2013 conference. It was held at Villa Maria’s impressive new winery/restaurant/vineyard improbably located and almost hidden within a dormant volcano crater in an industrial area near Auckland airport. The quality across the range of wines rather took me by surprise. I was well aware of the Private Bin general listings in Ontario – Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Noir 2011 and Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2012. But as the tasting moved along I was struck by the consistent purity and accuracy and inviting drinkability of all the wines, regardless of variety and price point. Suddenly all the medals won by Villa Maria over the years made sense, and it proved that you can do things well on a large scale if quality control is truly the focus of the exercise.

In the very near future all my reviews from this tasting will be posted on WineAlign. It was assembled to reflect wine now available, or soon to be available in Canada, so if you want to search for a particular wine, or scan the entire range simply search by Villa Maria.

So that’s it for this time. I will be writing my next report from New Zealand as well. Meanwhile check out all my January 19 reviews below.

David Lawrason,
VP of Wine

From the January 19, 2013 Vintages release:

David’s Featured Wines
All Reviews

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Filed under: News, Wine, British Columbia, David Lawrason, New Zealand, Spain, Vintages, Wine

Spain’s Alvaro Palacios Wows WineAligners, plus Bierzo’s Secrets to Success

By David Lawrason and John Szabo, MS

Spain’s Alvaro Palacios Wows WineAligners  - by David Lawrason

On Monday evening star Spanish winemaker Alvaro Palacios sat down with forty WineAlign subscribers to taste through recent vintages of wines from three regions – Rioja, Priorat and Bierzo. The shocking summer weather made it feel like he had brought Spain right into the Spoke Club on King St West’s restaurant row in downtown Toronto. The tasting was sponsored by importer Woodman Wines & Spirits and offered exclusively to WineAlign members, selling out in less than six hours.

Alvaro Palacios

The wines were a hit, but Palacios himself stole the show, conducting a tasting that not only charmed and informed, but displayed a captivating passion and reverence for his country and his craft. Anyone who might have wondered, ‘why on earth do people get so fussed about wine?’ would have finally understood.

Many other winemakers express the same connection to country and the land, but Palacios’ is somewhat unique in that his passion for Spain and the potential of its wine regions has been transformed into a kind of activism by having made wine in France (notably at Château Petrus) and having travelled the world. And he has learned to speak up and let his sincerity, humour and intelligence do the convincing. Not to mention the sophistication of his wines. They do indeed capture a new taste of Spain.

As moderator of the tasting I began to get a bit concerned when Palacios delved back into Spanish wine history to explain the relevance of what he is doing now, but it was indeed essential to understand that Spain’s vinous history runs as deep as any place in Europe, and that through the troubled 20^th Century its wine industry suffered a post-Civil War industrialization. The guiding economic principles of quantity and uniformity became the foundation of its regulation (Denominacion d’Origen or DO) system, which created only very broad regional appellations and promoted the idea that quality stemmed from wine age (i.e. Reserva and Gran Reserva), rather than specific location.

“France is still making the world’s greatest wines because France has understood the importance of specific vineyard sites, or crus, for decades, even centuries”, Palacios explained. “Spain has many sites that have this potential but it may take decades to fully develop them. But I am impatient so I have searched for existing old vineyards so I don’t have to wait as long”.

The vineyards of L'Ermita estate

He has done so in three regions, and created three tiers of wine within each region. This formed the structure of the WineAlign tasting. The first tier were regional wines; the second tier village wines, the third tier single vineyard wines. As one tasted from broad to specific – and from less expensive to more expensive – the transition to greater depth, complexity and individuality was obvious. And the words reserva or gran reserva are nowhere to be seen on his labels or heard in his dialogue.

Individual reviews and ratings for the wines below can be found on WineAlign. These newer vintages are not yet in Vintages or the Classics Catalogue, but they can be ordered directly from Woodman Wines & Spirits at 416-767-9008. (Private orders require a deposit and must be purchased by the case.)

The Rioja range from the Palacios Remondo winery located in Rioja Baja began with an elegant, bright white wine from the Viura grape called Placet ($32). The first red, 2009 Montessa ($21), was a garnacha-dominated blend from younger vines. The second Rioja red was 2008 Propiedad ($39) was also a garnacha-based blend, this time from very old, estate vines. In both cases the vineyards are organically tended, and the wine is aged in French oak barrels.

The second group of wines were from Priorat, an arid, luminous region with impossibly steep vineyards located south of Barcelona and about 20kms inland. As a young man of 25, Alvaro was one of the pioneers of the region’s renaissance when he arrived in 1989. The first two wines were regional wines, with 2010 Camins del Priorat ($26) coming from younger vines, and 2010 Les Terrasses ($45) being from 75 year or older sites. The 2008 Gratallops ($68) is a single vineyard site with old garnacha and carignan vines plus a bit of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah. The 2009 Finca Dofi ($90), from a vineyard Palacios purchased in 1990, is again based on garnacha, but this time without carignan and including a higher proportion of cabernet and syrah.

Palacios explained that there is currently no maximum or minimum amount of cabernet or syrah stipulated in DO regulation for Priorat, and he projected that use of these French varieties will gradually decrease in the region in favour of native garnacha, carignan and cinsault.

The third series of wines were from Bierzo in northwestern) Spain, where Alvaro has teamed up with nephew Ricardo Perez to form a company called Descendientes de J. Palacios that makes red wines from the indigenous, dark skinned mencia grape. The 2010 Pétalos del Bierzo ($26) is from younger, lower altitude sites around the region.  The 2008 Villa de Corullón ($49) is created from several old vine sites near the hillside village of Corullón, while the 2009 Las Lamas ($119) is from a spectacular, old vine site high in the hills.

El Bierzo – The Secrets of Success  - By John Szabo MS

From near total obscurity just a couple of decades ago to one of the Spain’s hottest regions, Bierzo’s rise can be chalked up to a series of unrelated events and lucky circumstances.

Vocation

Bierzo has been producing wine since Roman times, but until recently the majority was consumed locally or shipped across into neighboring Galicia, where the severe maritime climate makes red production challenging. With guaranteed markets, there was little motivation for quality. “My father wouldn’t even drink his own wine it was so bad”, muses Alejandro Luna-Beberide of Bodegas Luna-Beberide, referring to the coop-based production from the 70s and early 80s. But the market was changing rapidly, and fortunately, a shift to quality was possible.

The region is shaped like a bowl, surrounded by protective mountains. The air is perfumed by fragrant honeysuckle, lavender, rockrose and oregano, and apple, cherry, chestnut and pear orchards share land with hectare after hectare of gnarly old vines that look more like a vast collection of bonsai trees than modern vineyards. In the west, radically steep hills of nearly pure slate, coloured blood red by iron, stretch up to over 900m.

The climate of Bierzo is ideally suave, midway between the maritime conditions of Galicia and the hot, dry conditions on the plains of Castile: winter temperatures hover around a manageable 4ºC, while summer highs average a moderate 24ºC. Rainfall provides adequate but not excessive water. Vines seem to like it here so much they refuse to die.

Lucky Arrival

Ricardo Perez

To realize potential takes a visionary, and in the case of Bierzo it was a couple of outsiders: Alvaro Palacios (Rioja, Priorat) and his nephew Ricardo Pérez. It happened that Ricardo, under the wing of his famous uncle, was on his way back from a wedding in Galicia when he stopped into Bierzo on a whim. The wine, then virtually unknown outside of this small corner of Spain astonished him.

In 1999 the pair established Descendientes de J. Palacios in Bierzo, an homage to Alvaro’s father José. They had a strong feeling that these hills along the mystical pilgrimage route to Santiago de Campostella could yield something extraordinary. “The presence of monastic orders brings grape growing to a spiritual level”, says Palacios. “The wines become impregnated with the mystery of the region.”

Beyond mysticism, Palacios and Pérez had recognized in Bierzo the rare confluence of factors that lead to great wine: suitable climate, proven history, great terroir, a unique local variety, mencía, and tons of old vineyards, not to mention obscurity and therefore reasonable prices.

Laws of Circumstance

Old vines are key to Bierzo. Many regions in the world boast parcels of old vines, but in Bierzo one can scarcely find a single young vine. Of 7000 ha of vineyards, around 90% are old (60+years), traditionally bush trained vines – it’s like a Jurassic park. The reason is another one of those unplanned circumstances: incredibly fragmented land ownership.

The Spanish region of Bierzo

Thanks to an extension of Napoleonic code, each individual parcel, not the estate as a whole, was equally divided among all heirs. The result is thousands of parcels, some barely a couple of rows of vines, beyond even Burgundy’s fragmentation. J. Palacios contracts grapes from some 30 hectares, divided into 200 micro-parcels farmed by over 60 growers, for example, while Bodegas Peique contracts 20 ha in 100 parcels and Bodegas Pittacum 40 ha from 200 parcels.

This fragmentation makes acquiring large contiguous parcels near impossible; growers here are too attached to their postage stamp-sized parcels of land to sell. This in turn has discouraged the big players from moving in, who might otherwise have replanted large tracks to make mechanization possible. As it stands, Bierzo’s tiny plots are farmed mostly by hand, and the old vines, which yield better wine, have been left largely untouched.

Temporal Coincidence

One big name can draw attention, but to really gain traction takes critical mass. One thing Palacios and Pérez may not have seen was the coincidental coming-of-age in the late 1990s of a new generation of twenty-something local winemakers who would join the quality revolution: Jorge Peique, Amancio Fernandez (Dominio de Tares), Alejandro Luna-Beberide, Raúl Pérez (Castro Ventoso), Isidro Fernández Bello (Casar de Burbia) and Alfredo Marqués (Pittacum) to name a few. Young, trained and ambitious, this group took the reins from the previous generation and helped put Bierzo on the map.

Results: The Wine

Bierzo is almost exclusively red made from mencía (there are scattered plantings of white godello and other local grapes). Mencía is described by winemakers as amable, literally ‘lovable’ and makes some of Spain’s most elegant reds. It reaches full maturity at moderate alcohol levels, while the tannins are soft and plush. The wines grown on the steep, high elevation slate-covered hillsides near the village of Corullón are leaner, supremely elegant, more mouth-watering and decidedly more mineral and floral; those from the lower, clay-rich gentle slopes between Villafranca, Valtuille and Cacabelos have a broader, softer profile with a voluptuous, velvety texture, deep dark fruit and soothing power.

Palacios and Pérez follow a Burgundian model with their range: Pétalos is the equivalent of a regional wine, blended from grapes purchased throughout the region and intended to be an introduction to Bierzo. Villa de Corullón is the village wine, blended from vineyards within Corullón in the steep western part of the appellation. And finally, at the top of the quality pyramid are the single vineyards within the village: Moncerbal, La Faraona, and the powerful, south facing Las Llamas, the broadest and most generously proportioned of the three.

In less than a decade, the wines of Bierzo have earned a place on top tables around the world. “When Alvaro arrived I knew the whole world would soon recognize Bierzo” recalls Jorge Peique of Bodegas Peique. And so it has.

Filed under: Events, News, Wine, Alvaro Palacios, Bierzo, David Lawrason, John Szabo, Ricardo Pérez, Spain

Lawrason’s Take on Vintages March 17 Release: A Spanish Dalliance, Sparkling Fizzle and Sizzle, Classic Maipo Cab, Value White Burgundy, More Under $20 Whites, and LCBO Goes Italian

David Lawrason

The Spanish Flavour Fiesta Feature

One of the great joys of touring Spain’s wine regions is eating Spain’s food – much of it very natural, boldly flavoured and simply prepared. I had several wonderful and not always elaborate meals when I visited Rueda,Toro and Bierzo last autumn, and on previous trips to other regions as well. And I regularly receive a very fine, very expensively produced, free Spanish gastronomic magazine called Gourmetour. So Vintages latest magazine feature called “Flavour Fiesta: Spanish Wines & Their Perfect Pairings” seems very appropriate, at least thematically and in terms of its timeliness. The world is awakening to Spain.

But something bugs me about this particular exercise by Vintages. The article on food pairings is expanding Vintages boundaries beyond wine, where it lacks authority. I know, it’s done in Food and Drink magazine too – with the rationale that writing about food and wine is promoting the culture of responsible consumption of alcohol. But Food and Drink at least bylines its article. Who exactly has decided that viura and mushrooms are perfect pairings? (Although in the case of the very woody, earthy viura offered it’s probably true). It’s time that Vintages magazine – as it wanders farther away from home and from promotion into education, and even peers into the chasm of journalism – started using bylines, or telling us their sources. Or at least whether there is a Test Kitchen somewhere in the bowels of the HQ?

But back to Spain, with continuing grumpiness. I am also not all that pleased with the selection of Spanish wines in this release. It does cover off the regions and grape varieties that make Spain so interesting, but the selection is shallow – one or two brands per place. And within that general cap of $20, they have not really come up a very interesting selection of what Spain can really do. The exceptions are one wine that beautifully captures the Spain of yore, and one that nods neatly to modern times. Baron de Ley 2001 Gran Reserva from Rioja is a magnificently scented, very refined and elegant wine that is a steal at $29.95. On the other hand Olivares Altos de la Hoya 2009 Monastrellfrom Jumilla is a juicy example of the new exuberance and value ($13.95) to be found in the sunny south. I was not able to taste three or four of others, especially from Bierzo but I will do so once they are released.

Sparklers: Sizzle and Fizzle

Sparkling wine is featured on this release as well and, as with the Spanish selection, this group is rather skimpy in terms of the number of brands offered. No Spanish cava, no Italian prosecco, and only a single, not very dramatic Champagne which is also incongruous in the sense that all the others are under $30. But I am tired of nit picking so I want to point you to a great little buy in pink or rosé sparkling wine. One of my little annoyances with most pink sparkling wine is that I find the aromatics too mild – just little teases of raspberry here or strawberry there. Even with top rosé Champagne I often find myself wanting more aroma and flavour. Well along comes a dandy little number from Burgundy that delivers that extra bit of fruit. Lefèvre Rémondet Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé is an absolute steal at $15.95, with just a bit more pinot noir cran-raspberry than you normally get in the genre, and certainly more than in the very overly subtle almost dull Mumm Napa Rosé that is twice the price.

The other sparkler that caught my eye is from British Columbia See Ya Later Ranch Brut ($20.95) from the Okanagan Valley. It’s not fancy but it is solid and has a certain riveting, stony appeal that reminds me of the winery’s steep mountainside location overlooking the town of Okanagan Falls. The winery was formerly known as Hawthorne Mountain Ranch, one of several properties purchased by Vincor Canada, which changed its name to the more whimsical See Ya Later. This was the gist of a departure note apparently left by the founder’s new bride after a few weeks in the pioneer paradise of B.C.’s interior.

Is Maipo the Bordeaux of the New World?

Two weeks ago at the Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival, where Chile was the theme country, I had the chance to taste several iconic Maipo Valley cabernets within the space of a couple of days, including multiple vintages of Santa Rita Casa Real, Vinedo Chadwick, De Martino Reserva de Familia and Concha Y Toro Don Melchor. And I had a revelation of sorts, one that escaped me even when I was last in Maipo about two years ago, and at least twice before that. The revelation is not that this region makes very good cabernets. Instead, it was the revelation that its cabernets are classic cabernets in every sense, and very much in the vein of the Medoc in Bordeaux, if with more weight. The Maipo cabs have very similar flavour profile – blackcurrant/cassis, graphite (lead pencil) and savoury herbaceous elements. They have the same sense of structural firmness, and above all, the ability to age long and very gracefully. Bottles from the nineties are holding very well at these top levels. Even the relatively diminutive, estate-grown Perez Cruz 2010 Cabernet that sells for $13.95 as a Vintages Essential has held well over six years, as have back vintages of the Cousiño Macul Antiguas Reserva Cabernet($15.45) that I tasted about three years ago.

The reason is of course based in climate and soils. One tends to forget that Chile is somewhat maritime, with that big body of cold Pacific Ocean not far away, and in terms of soil there is all kinds of rock and gravel strewn about, either in the foothills or along the meandering course of the Maipo River as it cuts through the flatter Central Valley floor. Concha y Toro 2007 Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon from the Maipo Valley sub-appellation of Puente Alto (650 M above sea level) is your best chance to test drive the theory if you have not seriously investigated Maipo cabernets until now. It’s not cheap at $79.95 but it is very well structured and surprisingly nuanced once you make your way deep into its heart. This is the 20th vintage of Don Melchor, one of the first “icon” wines of Chile.

Great Value White Burgundy

Value and Burgundy rarely appear in the same sentence. But on this release there are two very solid, well priced chardonnays from Burgundy regions other than the Cote d’Or – don’t miss them!Domaine Rodet Château de Mercey 2009 Mercurey ($22.95) is from a small village in the Chalonnaise that has surprised me before with the quality of its white wines. This has the flavour profile of a Meursault albeit without the same girth – which is just fine for lighter meal situations. It is from a 48 hectare estate and now also the site of a new Rodet tasting centre. The other winner is from Chablis, the un-oaked Domaine Christophe Camu 2009 Chablis, for a great price of $18.95. Again, there is great balance and fruit without tipping into heaviness and over-ripeness in this warm year. This is a small sixth generation enterprise with eight hectares spread over several appellations. The winery website mentions several awards in the last year, and I am not surprised. Ontario winemakers who make un-oaked chardonnay should go to school on this one.

More Bargain Whites Under $20

With spring roaring back into our lives this week it’s an appropriate time to consider enjoying pristine, bright white wines – and I don’t know about you, but I am finding the global quality of white wines is improving dramatically. Varietal character is more often spot on, the wines are usually pure and the textural weight and balance has really come into line. And all the while prices are holding fast. You can experience all this with three text book examples in Saturday’s release. Alkoomi 2009 Riesling from Western Australia’s cool Frankland River is serious and excellent quality at $16.95. Bründlmayer 2010 Kamptaler Terrassen Grüner Veltliner from Austria ($19.95) is a bit youthfully reserved but very tidy and one to consider for short term cellaring. And for the third pick we go back to Spain and the quite exciting, very well made Vega Murillo 2010 Verdejo that offers sauvignon-like flavours with a richer texture, all for $15.95.

“My Italy” in Ontario

Well none of us actually own Italy of course, and I am not sure that owning Italy would be a financially sound investment these days, but that doesn’t stop the promoters at the LCBO from trying to entitle our fantasies of eating and drinking our way through Italy. There is an Italian promotion called My Italy under way in LCBO stores this month (wrapping up March 31) that for once has some teeth to it in terms of some new wines recently and permanently added to the general list, as well as joint Vintages/LCBO public event coming up Wednesday, March 21st that will give the public an opportunity to taste them. The $70 event, which will be held at Andrew Richards Design studio in downtown Toronto (see the LCBO Website for ticket info) also features a personal appearance and book giveaway by celebrity chef David Rocco. It sounds like it could be a nifty evening out, but whether or not you go, do try some of the new Italian offerings. I really like very fruit focused Allegrini Corte Giara Ripasso Valpolicella at only $16.95, plus the fine little every day sipper from Abruzzo called Illuminati Riparosso Montepulciano.

 

Not exactly co-incident with the My Italy promotion comes the release of a new four-hour, three-part LCBO produced video series called Discover Italy, that is ostensibly a staff product knowledge tool. It took a crew 31 days and over 6000 kms of travel within Italy to shoot this opus – and although it is richly produced and of network quality – the educational material therein seems to me to be rather basic and soft and nothing one couldn’t get elsewhere. Hosted by the LCBO’s Michael Fagan it is available for viewing on DVD or as a podcast on the LCBO website under Learn. It was presented to the media this week at a tasting event hosted by “trade partner” Grande Marchi: Istituto del Vino Italiano de Qualita, an organisation of traditional big name wineries which helped fund the series. The tasting was poorly executed (and thus did not show the range of marquee wines to their best advantage) but then I have come to expect a certain amount of dysfunction at Italian tastings. It seems to be part of Italy’s charm, and perhaps part of the reason it would not be a good thing to actually own the place.

As I sign off, a reminder that we would be delighted to spend time meeting and getting to know our WineAlign readers at the Toronto Wine & Cheese Show this weekend at the International Centre in Mississauga. It’s a great place to give us your feedback on what and how we are doing. And to enjoy some wine together at the same time. Maybe you would like to feed me endless malbecs until I finally understand the difference between malbec and syrah. (See the latest episode of “So You Think You Know Wine” and you’ll see what I mean.)

Cheers!

David Lawrason,
VP of Wine at WineAlign

Check out reviews on over 100 wines from the March 17th release here.

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Filed under: News, Wine, David Lawrason, Lawrasons Take, LCBO, Spain, Vintages

John Szabo’s Vintages Preview for March 17th 2012: Spanish Styles; Fine Value from the Rhône and South Africa; Top Ten Smart Buys

John Szabo, MS

The week’s report focuses on Spain, the main wine theme of the March 17th Vintages release, highlights two pairs of fine value wines from the Rhône and South Africa, and delivers the Top Ten Smart Buys.

España- Buy on the Label

Spain continues to be an enigmatic country for wine lovers, a developing nation with wild variations in style even within the same appellations. The fifteen selections included in the March 17th release offer a view on the good and the bad, the old and the new.

On the one hand there are the traditional styles, at the other extreme, plenty of polished, modern renditions. This is not news, of course, to anyone who has been following Spain – the rumblings of political and stylistic revolution began not long after the death of Generalisimo Franco in the mid-seventies – and are part of a necessary and inevitable evolution. This generational conflict is playing out across the country in all of the traditional appellations, as Spain remains in search of a 21st century identity. So how is one to know which style to expect – traditional or modern – without having tasted the wine (or consulting WineAlign)?

The answer, though it may be heretical for a wine critic to say, is to go on the label. Hey, you have to start somewhere. It’s not a perfect solution, of course, but Spain’s distinctive labels remain surprisingly faithful to the wine style therein.  Consider these two very good reds:2004 Vega Sauco Adoremus Tinta de Toro DO Toro $19.95 and 2001 Baron de Ley Gran Reserva DOCa Rioja $29.95. Both are top notch in my books, though the Adoremus Toro, as evinced by the modernist label, has an appealing international leaning. I describe it as a: “Super value with wide appeal, if not distinctive regional style.” The Baron de Ley Rioja with the classicists’ label (some of their wines still come clad in wire mesh, an old measure to protect against fraud) on the other hand, is described thus: “Old school to say the least… but lots else going on as well…. A fine pick for traditionalists.” The latter is immediately identifiable, recognizable, unmistakable – a welcome sniff on a sommelier’s blind tasting test, while the former, although very good, would be less easy to identify as Spanish. With nothing else to go on, start with the style of the label as a guide to wine style.

Another fine old style white Rioja is the 2009 Señorio de P. Peciña Chobeo de Peciña DOCa Rioja $17.95. It’s still a bit gangly and awkward for the moment, but cocoon it in the cellar for a half-decade or longer and you’ll be shocked by the butterfly that emerges. Such wines, with vivid acid and marked oak character take time to integrate, but develop into wonderfully complex, earthy, mushroom, saltwater taffy and dried fruit flavoured treats, with a lightness and ethereal quality that would be hard to believe if you’ve never experienced it. Naturally, if you prefer fresh, fruity wines, this is not for you, either now or later.

A Spanish Love Affair with Wood

Excellent traditional style wines aside, the reason why Spanish wine has lost territory in today’s international markets is, in my view, because of the country’s torrid, centuries-old love affair with wood. Though the above-mentioned Chobeo de Peciña is oaky to be sure, it’s balanced, with sufficient stuffing to see it through. Other arch-traditionalists Rioja estates like Lopéz de Heredia or La Rioja Alta also make wines that are markedly oaky in youth, yet have an amazing capacity to be transformed into wondrous wines over time. In fact, both of these estates wait years, sometimes decades before releasing their wines, well beyond the minimum cellaring time required by law – one of the advantages of many traditional Spanish wines for those without the space, or patience, to age the wines themselves. And check out those marvelous labels straight out of the 19thC.

But oak alone does not make age worthy wines. It requires depth and concentration born in the vineyard and a deft, minimal-interventionist hand in the cellar. Spain’s enthusiastic use of American oak dates literally to the Conquista and the access to vast virgin tracks of American white oak stands that the new territories afforded. Yet today, so many of these unbalanced and oaky wines seem desperately anachronistic, relics of the past, as though they were clad in a conquistador’s suit of heavy armor:  the heavy metal protection as useful today as the dripping caramel, butterscotch and treacly oak flavours are fashionable (while the fruit suffers the same fate as the Incas and the Aztecs). For an example of this style of Spanish wine, taste the 2001 Señorio del Águila Gran Reserva DO Cariñena $19.95. It’s not mature, just old and dried out, the vestiges of excessive oak remaining like the ghostly burnt out hull of an ancient Spanish Galleon run aground in the storm.

There are a handful of Spanish regions that have never known the ghosts of the past, principally because they weren’t on the map a couple of decades ago. Relatively new DOs like Bierzo and Rías Baixas, stepped from oblivion straight into the current era of modern wine. An excellent example of the former, and in fact my top value choice this week is the 2001 Bodega del Abad Dom Bueno Crianza DO Bierzo $14.95. I could scarcely believe the range of flavours and depth in this wine, what must be the very first release from this bodega whose doors didn’t open until 2003. If you enjoy the umami-driven flavours of perfectly mature wine, do not miss this extraordinary value.

A Pair from The Rhône

Outside of Spain but not too far away, I’d draw your attention to another pair of fine value 2009 southern Rhône reds, delivering on the promise of this excellent vintage: 2009 Jean-Marie Arnoux Vieux Clocher Vacqueyras AC $21.95 and 2009 Foncalieu la Réserve du Crouzau St. Gervais Côtes du Rhône-Villages AC $14.95.  The Vacqueyras is a typical blend dominated by Grenache, from some of the oldest vines on the Arnoux property. It’s marked by minerality and scorched earth, with intriguing cherry blossom and orange peel aromas. The CDR-Villages is dense and ripe and characterful, delivering all that one could hope for at this price.
 

A Pair from South Africa

And finally, worthy of mention are two excellent wines from South Africa: 2009 Spice Route Shiraz WO Swartland $24.95 and NV Graham Beck Brut Sparkling Wine WO Western Cape, South Africa, Méthode Cap Classique $18.95. Spice Route is a label produced by the irrepressible Charles Back, creator of the highly successful Goats do Roam range, who visited Toronto for the first time in January of this year. Made from dry-farmed vines in Swartland, this is a thick, dense, intense shiraz with generous black pepper and ripe black fruit flavours.

Graham Beck is a leader of Method Cap Classique (traditional method) sparkling wines. Fruit is grown in the Breed River Valley in Robertson, quite far inland from the Cape. The climate here is warm and dry, in fact quite the opposite of what one would intuitively seek out for quality sparkling wine, but the secret is the fossil-rich limestone soils that are imminently well suited to chardonnay and pinot noir. Proper farming delivers ripe but mineral and acid-rich grapes to the cellar, where they are transformed into full flavoured, toasty bubbly after 24 months on the lees. The Brut NV is superb value at $18.95.

From the March 17, 2012 Vintages release:

Top Ten Smart Buys
Spain Picks
All Reviews

Cheers,

John Szabo, Master Sommelier

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Filed under: Wine, John Szabo, LCBO, Rhône, South Africa, Spain, Top Ten Smart Buys, Vintages, Vintages Preview

An Exclusive Event with Spain’s Most Exciting Winemaker – Alvaro Palacios

Alvaro Palacios

“Alvaro Palacios is making some of Spain’s most exciting wine.” – David Lawrason

WineAlign (in partnership with Woodman Wine & Spirits Inc.) is delighted to offer its members an exclusive tutored tasting and reception with Alvaro Palacios, an icon in the world of wine.  Alvaro’s legend has been built on the stunning wines he has crafted from the farthest reaches of Spain, from Priorat to Rioja and now Bierzo.

After studying enology in Bordeaux, and training under Jean-Pierre Moueix at the renowned Chateau Petrus, Alvaro returned to Spain and helped revolutionize Spanish wine.  He credits his experience in Bordeaux for much of his winemaking philosophy.  It showed him the “importance of great wines” and provided him with a key reference point for his own endeavours.  His wines have won him cult status and are highly respected by the wine press.  The Wine Spectator has called Alvaro “Spain’s Most Exciting Winemaker”, in 2003 Wine & Spirits Magazine named him their “Winemaker-of-the-Year” Decanter has called him “Spain’s most talked about winemaker”.

The vineyards of L'Ermita estate

The sit down tutored tasting co-hosted by David Lawrason will include wines from each of Alvaro’s three properties:

• The iconic Alvaro Palacios winery in Priorat.
• His historic family estate, Palacios Remondo, in Rioja.
• Descendientes de J. Palacios in Bierzo

  

Alvaro Palacios

“I am hugely impressed by the wines of Alvaro Palacios. They have a certain sensitivity that embraces modern styling while preserving the flavours from traditional grape varieties in regions like Rioja, Priorat and most recently Bierzo.  My visit to the latter region last fall to taste the top crus of Descendentes de Jose Palacios was a one of those great moments of revelation. I am looking forward immensely to hosting Alvaro and sharing his entire range with friends of WineAlign.” – David Lawrason

Purchase tickets here.

Note that this is an exclusive event for WineAlign members.

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Event Details

Date:  Monday March 19, 2012

Location:
The Spoke Club
600 King Street West, 4th Floor
Toronto, Canada
M5V 1M3
T. 416.368.8448

Format:  Seated tutored tasting followed by a reception with hors d’oeuvres.

Time: 
Tasting 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Reception: 7:30pm – 8:00pm

Ticket Price: $65

Attendance: 40 people maximum

Purchase tickets here.

Wines for tasting (10 wines from three properties):

Alvaro Palacios, Priorat	Vintage	Price	Accolades
Camins del Priorat	2010	$26.00	NYR
Les Terrasses ‘Velles Vinyes’	2010	$45.00	NYR
Vi de la Vila’ Gratallops	2008	$66.00	RP: 93
Finca Dofí	2009	$90.00	RP: (94-97)
Descendientes de J. Palacios, Bierzo
Petalos del Bierzo	2010	$26.00	NYR
Villa de Corullón	2008	$49.00	RP: 91
Las Lamas	2009	$116.00	RP: 93
Palacios Remondo, Rioja
Plácet	2009	$32.00	NYR
La Montesa	2009	$21.00	NYR
Propiedad	2008	$39.00	RP: 90

 

This event is a joint production between Woodman Wine & Spirits Inc. and WineAlign.

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Filed under: Events, News, Wine, Alvaro Palacios, David Lawrason, Spain

The Successful Collector – By Julian Hitner ~ Priorato – the best Garnacha in Spain ~ Saturday, February 4th, 2012

Julian Hitner

Home to some of the best wineries in Spain:

Listing Spanish winegrowing regions by fame, few would deny that Rioja, continuing to reinvent itself, retains top spot. Next on the list? Probably Ribera del Duero, home to two of the most prestigious wineries in the country, Vega Sicilia and Pingus. In both cases, the star grape is Tempranillo, the most famous, noblest red grape of Spain.

Ermita

And then, there’s Priorat. Granted DOCa status in 2003, Priorat, or ‘Priorato’ as it is correctly spelled, arguably ranks third, some would even say second, on any list of Spanish winegrowing regions by fame. Located around 150 kilometres from Barcelona in the sun-scorched Mediterranean region of Catalonia (correctly spelled ‘Catalunya’), the speciality of Priorato is powerful, no-holds-barred Garnacha.

Priorat Slopes

Like most other up-and-coming, or rediscovered, winegrowing regions, though vines have been planted in Priorato for well over eight hundred years, it is only relatively recently that great wine began to be made here. This occurred about twenty years ago, when René Barbier convinced a group of fellow winemakers in 1989 to produce five different ‘Clos,’ sourcing their grapes from only the finest, in some cases abandoned, sites surrounding the village of Gratallops, making their wine on the same premises in the village. The results were wines of unbelievable concentration, personality, and quality; and it was not before long that each winemaker set off on his own to start up his own individual bodega. The rest, as we say, is history.

Now for the specifics. Virtually surrounded by the Montsant DO, there are nowadays almost 1,800 hectares under vine (a far cry from its pre-phylloxera hectarage of 5,000), with approximately 70 bodegas in operation. The finest vines are planted are terraces between altitudes of roughly 100 to 800 metres—a key feature in producing the finest grapes possible. By sheer numbers, Cariñena (Carignan) still outnumbers Garnacha by far, though the best bottlings almost always feature the latter. These are usually planted on cooler, later ripening sites.

llicorella

Of soil deposits, one of the most distinctive features of Priorat soils is the inclusion of a dark stripes of brown slate intermixed with quartzite, which glitters black and gold in the sun; in Catalan, this is called llicorella. As one would expect in such a hot, sunny climate, rainfall is minimal, but because Priorato’s soils are unusually cool and damp, vine roots usually dig deeper to absorb water and nutrients—another key component in the crafting of more complex, high quality wine.

Alvaro Palacios’ L’Ermita

For collectors, then, Priorato is nowadays home to some of the greatest wineries in Spain. The most costly is Alvaro Palacios’ L’Ermita, a single-vineyard wine of the same name, made predominantly from Garnacha (usually 80%) with a dollop of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cariñena, crafted from vines ranging from 60 to 100 years of age; it was first released in 1993.

Clos Mogador Priorat

Other gems? Think Mas Doix, Mas Martinent, Clos Mogador, Clos Erasmus, Cal Grau, and Cims de Porrera. Just so you know, not all of these are crafted primarily from Garnacha; many will be made from (very) old-vine Cariñena, and are not to be missed on any account.

So how should such wines taste? While I have encountered a few wines here and there that have tasted like richer versions of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the best examples from Priorato ought to have this intense figgy, ripe black fruit aromas and flavours about them, boasting slightly ‘roasted’ or ‘tarry’ Provençal notes, which continue on the palate and finish. Accompanying scents and flavours will invariably include leather, ‘thick’ black raspberries, kirsch, and spice—among other things. Moreover, the best wines, robust and textured to a point beyond flattery, will almost always possess extremely high levels of alcohol, reaching as high as 16.5% on occasion. Such blockbusters have the potential of keeping for several decades, sometimes more. Such are the hallmarks of great Priorato.

Click here for a few gems from the 4 February 2012 Vintages Release along with several others

Filed under: Wine, Garnacha, Julian Hitner, Spain, Tempranillo, The Successful Collector

Lawrason’s Take on Vintages October 29th Release: Sonoma’s Patchwork, Spain’s No Bull Toro and Torres, Coudelet de Beaucastel, Bargains Under $20, Ottawa Calling

David Lawrason

Vintages’ treasure laden autumn releases continue on Oct 29th with California’s Sonoma County in the spotlight.  Due to family and travel commitments I was not able to taste all the wines on Vintages tasting dates, but colleagues John Szabo and Sara d’Amato have filled in admirably, and I hope to taste more of the selections after they hit the shelves. Yes I do buy wines to taste as well.

Sonoma’s Patchwork

At first I found the selection of Sonoma wines oddly tilted to big cabs and zins, whereas I have come to think of Sonoma as more of a pinot noir and chardonnay enclave. But this view misses the key point about Sonoma, and its point of comparison to next door Napa. (Sonoma is always compared to Napa – no getting around it).  Sonoma is diverse above all – with at least six distinct sub-regions. Those farther inland – Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley and to some extent Sonoma Valley – are bastions for big reds, while those closer to the Pacific Ocean – Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley and Carneros – are better for pinot noir and chardonnay. Within a small selection Vintages magazine has made this point well.

The other important point of comparison with Napa is price. The selection is not cheap, but If any of these big reds had a Napa label the price would be at least double. I draw your attention in particular to KENWOOD JACK LONDON VINEYARD 2007 CABERNET SAUVIGNON at $34.95, a sturdy yet fine cabernet that could age a decade or more, grown on Sonoma Mountain where iconic American novelist Jack London penned his greatest works.  FREESTONE 2008 CHARDONNAY is certainly among Sonoma’s most expensive wines at $69.95, but this offering from the new coastal vineyards of Napa-based Joseph Phelps is one of the best chardonnays I have tasted this year. And in Napa it would be over $100 for this quality.

Spain’s Toro and Torres, No Bull Here

Having spent last week in Spain’s northwest Castilla Y Leon region, I can provide better background on the Toro wine featured on the 29th.  Toro is one of several increasingly important appellations (or DOs, denominacion d;origen) in this massive Castilla region. It is led by well established Ribera del Duero whose top properties like Pesquera, Emilio Moro and Aalto are achieving big prices with lush, often elegant, modern reds. But my trip focused on  Rueda, Toro, Cigales and Bierzo – appellations that are bursting from obscurity onto the international stage. A decade ago each of these appellations had only a dozen or so bodegas and co-operatives, but now each have over 50. Most are sourcing their wines from old bush vines planted 50 to 100 years ago to supply local co-op and family production, a motherlode that has attracted a new generation of internationally trained or travelled Spanish and French winemakers. The result is generally a very high level of wine quality, at relatively low prices.  I was continually shocked at the value I encountered.

Westward down the Duoro River, only 100 kms from the Portuguese border and port country – lies Toro.  The ancient capital is dramatically perched on a red clay cliff that overlooks the river and vineyards. This is a hot region producing big reds that routinely break the 15% alcohol mark. And they can be very tannic as the skins of the Tinto do Toro grape (a clone of tempranillo) thicken up to shield the heat. Toro has historically been known as the most “rustic” red of Spain, which is a bit unfair given the fine work now being done by the new generation. I love the beautifully ripe blackberry, floral scents of many Toro wines, and many were packed with so much old vine concentration that the alcohol was held in abeyance. SABOR REAL VIÑAS CENTENNARIAS 2007 TEMPRANILLO, is very good example at a very good price ($15.00), but I look forward to the day when more Toro wines from producers like Numanthia, San Roman, Farina, Bendito and Rejadorada come through Vintages.

Over on the east coast of Spain, high in the Penedes hills overlooking the Mediterranean, Miguel Torres (one of Spain’s most well known modern producers) is making Spain’s best pinot noir. High altitude vineyards are very important and a point of pride in Spain where grapes mature more slowly and evenly, spared some of the sun and heat so common here.  MIGUEL TORRES 2008 MAS BORRAS PINOT NOIR ($29.95) is a single vineyard pinot showing excellent complexity and poise, and although not every vintage is this good, the 2008 (from a cooler season) belongs among the best pinots now being made internationally.

Cuddly Coudelet de Beaucastel

A glass of 2010 Coudelet Blanc was first thrust in my hand at a reception prior to a winemaker’s dinner hosted by Thomas Perrin of Chateau de Beaucastel.  ‘Wow, great start, what is it?” I asked the young woman in the black cocktail dress who was passing the tray. And she pronounced Coudelet without missing a beat. The dinner was held at the new Earl’s restaurant at University and King in downtown Toronto; a massive, boisterous, casual but classy Bay St eatery that must have its high rent neighbours wondering why they ever built their temple cellars. One doesn’t expect a top notch wine program from a chain, but the very successful Vancouver-born Earl’s pays extraordinary attention to wine, offering good quality selections that are well priced with many served by the glass.  A place to drink wine, not worship it.

Earl’s is a great fit for the wines of the southern Rhone Valley’s Perrin family, owners of the legendary Chateau de Beaucastel in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. There is a polished, comfy, even cuddly ambiance to the large Perrin range that includes most of the villages in the southern Rhone. Many are currently in Vintages (and easily searchable on WineAlign) with Coudelet Blanc and Rouge being released October 29th.  Coudelet is a vineyard adjacent to the famed Chateau de Beaucastel, but lying just on the other side of the freeway and outside the Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation boundary in the Cotes du Rhone AOC.  For about one-third the price of Beaucastel, CHÂTEAU BEAUCASTEL 2009 COUDOULET DE BEAUCASTEL ($29.95) delivers far more than one-third the quality, having only slightly less depth.  CHÂTEAU DE BEAUCASTEL 2010 COUDOULET DE BEAUCASTEL BLANC($33.95) is a bit more expensive than the red because production is far smaller. But as mentioned before is a very good wine – bright, complex, refreshing yet sturdy. Serve it is a classy opener for a holiday gathering.

Bargains Under $20

And now some quick hits on three wines that score in the 89+ range for under $20. The kind of wine you just want to rush home and open on a Friday night after a long week.

Tawse Winery of Niagara continues to go from strength to strength, taking Winery of the Year honours at the Wine Access Canadian Wine Awards for the second consecutive year. The bright, impeccably balanced TAWSE SKETCHES OF NIAGARA 2010 RIESLING  ($17.95) is a great example of the level of surehandedness at this modern, organic/biodynamically farmed Beamsville property.

I was also very impressed by MAS DES BRESSADES 2009 CUVÉE TRADITION BLANCfrom the Costières de Nîmes appellation in the southern Rhone Valley.  The rather non-descript label offers no hint of the exotic, spicy, semi-tropical white inside. I was immediately thinking of Asian cuisine. The price is a mere $14.95!

And I was charmed by SALCHETO 2008 ROSSO DI MONTEPULCIANO at only $17.95. Modern winemaking is filtering down to Tuscany’s lower price tiers, and this Rosso offers a lot of the complexity if not the structure or depth of big brother Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

     

Ottawa Calling

I am off to Ottawa to spend a few wine soaked days in Canada’s capital. From November 9th to 13th it will be Ontario’s wine capital, as the rejuvenated and expanded Ottawa Wine and Food Festival launches in the spectacular new Ottawa Convention Centre on the banks of the Rideau Canal.  New owner Joan Culliton is out to create the Ontario version of the Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival (an ambition unfulfilled in Toronto) with over 40 events spread across five days.

I will be at the WineAlign booth for the duration, so please drop by. I will also be leading three Ontario wine tasting/seminars – Chardonnay on Friday Nov 11th, Pinot Noir on Saturday and Cabernet Franc on Sunday.  And on the evening on Thursday Nov 10th I will join Anthony Gismondi of Wine Access to present the winners of the Canadian Wine Awards, followed by a unique Meet Your Winemaker Match program that will give individuals one on one face time with gold medal winning winemakers.  Go to www.ottawawineandfoodshow.com for schedules and ticket sales.

Then on November 14th I will be on hand for the Ottawa Gold Medal Plates chef completion, one of nine city qualifying rounds for the Canadian Culinary Championships – all raising funds for Canada’s Olympic athletes. See all the details at www.goldmedalplates.com.

Meanwhile, view all my reviews for the October 29th release here, and I’ll be back again for Vintages November 12th release.

Cheers and enjoy, David

- David Lawrason, VP of Wine at WineAlign

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Filed under: News, Wine, Coudelet, David Lawrason, Gold Medal Plates, Lawrasons Take, LCBO, Ottawa Wine and Food Festival, Sonoma, Spain, Vintages

John Szabo’s Vintages Preview for March 19th, 2011 – California & the Iberian Peninsula

Californian hurricane rips through France & Italy, smiling barrel salesmen in the Iberian Peninsula & smart buys

In this article: a Californian hurricane rips through France and Italy, leaving many unopened and unsold bottles in its wake; south of the Pyrenees it’s hit and miss in the Iberian peninsula, though barrel salesmen are smiling. Also at a glance: Top Ten Smart Buys, Top Californian, wines not to miss at the annual California Wine Fair and Top Iberian Wines.

California Devastates the Establishment

A recent press release announced the big news that US wines have overtaken those of both France and Italy to become the number one category in LCBO-Vintages. In the past year, net sales of US wines, which means of course Californian wines, were up 21.5% to almost $71m, which equals just over 1/5 of Vintages total turnover. The American juggernaut has edged out long-time leaders France, with 19.6% market share, and Italy at 18.8%.

“There has been an unprecedented demand for California wines in VINTAGES,” says Tom Wilson, Vice President, VINTAGES, which accounts for over 96% of US wines sales. “California wines offer superb quality and value at all price points and more and more customers are buying premium and super-premium wines, priced from $35 to $150 a bottle.”

Value at $150 you say? Certainly at the super-premium end of the scale we can talk quality, but value remains a more contentious issue in my view, up and down the scale. Not that I don’t understand relative value. It doesn’t take long to realize that everything in the world is relative, including value. Value doesn’t mean inexpensive. Value exists at all price levels. Krug Grande Cuvée ($254.15) is far better value than Krug Clos d’Ambonnay Blanc de Noirs 1995 ($4529.00), just as Château Margaux 2006 ($799.00) is better value than 2006 Pétrus ($2000.00).

But this relative argument only holds true if you define value purely in terms of elemental wine quality, that is, the pleasure derived exclusively from the liquid, stripped of the warm fuzzy cognitive pleasure you get from drinking something that no one else can find or afford. Knowing that this is almost never the case, that most of the wine drinking public (and some pro wine reviewers, too) get at least some percentage of pleasure from the label or scarcity or back story or some other positive association with the country/region/grape/producer/etc. beyond the liquid, Mr. Wilson’s comment makes more sense. If exclusivity rocks your world, Pétrus or Clos d’Ambonnay is the way to go. I believe that the perceived value in California wine is, in some cases, tied to some image of the Sunshine State and not the juice in the bottle.

You see, Ontarian’s are generally giddy at the thought of California. First it was the reliably warm and sunny weather, then it was gold, and then it was the weather again that attracted people. The western world’s entertainment capital, Hollywood is here, and it’s full of famous and glamorous people. You can find beaches, deserts, forests, grassy plains, valleys and snowy mountains, and go surfing, snorkeling, camping, skiing and snowboarding pretty much all in the same day. The eat-local craze started there in the 1970s, as did flower power. Its citizens are confident (or scared) enough to vote a super action hero into their highest office. And if that’s not enough to alight those butterflies in your stomach, there’s even a life-sized Mickey Mouse at Disneyland. Who doesn’t want the California lifestyle?

Rick Slomka (left), Canadian Director for California Wines, one step ahead as usual, nailed it: “California vintners have always prided themselves on staying true to their west coast roots by creating world-class wines that add enjoyment to life. It’s thrilling to see how VINTAGES customers have embraced that one-of-a kind California lifestyle and brought it into their homes.”

To be sure, there’s no guilty pleasure in enjoying a bottle for reasons beyond the wine. Indeed, we all do it and it’s part of the human condition. It almost can’t be otherwise, unless you live in a bubble and have a benevolent friend or neighbor who’s willing to buy all of your wines and serve them to you in a paper bag so that all you can hope to enjoy is the liquid.

But if it’s really the liquid you’re interested in more than the lifestyle, here’s my position on the March 19th Vintages release and the wines to avoid and those that excite beyond a warm remebrance of Mickey Mouse:

Wines of genuine excitement:

2007 DOMINUS Napa Valley $119.95

2005 OJAI BIEN NACIDO SYRAH Santa Barbara $47.95

2005 BERINGER BANCROFT RANCH SINGLE VINEYARD MERLOT Howell Mountain, Napa Valley $69.95

Wines of questionable value:

2008 CAYMUS SPECIAL SELECTION CABERNET SAUVIGNON Napa Valley $119.95

2007 OPUS ONE Napa Valley $339.95

2006 PAUL HOBBS CABERNET SAUVIGNON Napa Valley $79.95

Full list of Top Californian wines in the release here.

If you’re heading to the annual California Wine Fair on Monday April 4th at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, or Wednesday April 6 at The Westin Ottawa ($70 for 400+ wines; click here for tickets), here’s a sneak preview of the wines that should be on your list to taste:

• 2007 Vineyard 7 & 8 Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 93  NA

• 2006 Peju Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 92  $65.00

• 2005 Kenwood Vineyards Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County 92  $78.95

• 2005 Heitz Wine Cellars Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 92  $220.00

• 2006 St. Michelle Wine Estates Villa Mount Eden Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 92 NA

• 2002 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 91  $33.95

• 2006 Oakville Ranch Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 91  $45.00

• 2007 E&J Gallo Frei Ranch Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County 90  $34.95

• 2007 Brandlin Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder Napa Valley 90  $85.95

• 2007 Chimmey Rock Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 90 NA

And if you care what the rest of Ontario is drinking in the California category, here are the stats. Not surprisingly, Cabernet Sauvignon is the top seller, +27% this year, followed by Chardonnay (+33% – ABC movement? Yah right), and Zinfandel (+40%).

Top performing brands in sales growth in the VINTAGES Essentials Program over the last year (clearly not related to WineAlign’s influence) were: Riverstone Chardonnay from J. Lohr, +88% ($18.95, 2009 vintage not rated by WineAlign), Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon from J. Lohr, +29% ($21.95, 87 points Steve Thurlow), Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from Beringer, +15% and Toasted Head Chardonnay from R.H. Phillips, at +8% (2009 not rated).Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon remains a consistent top seller ($18.95, 2008 vintage 86 points John Szabo).

Happy Barrel Salesman in the Iberian Peninsula

The other theme to the March 19th Vintages release is the Iberian Peninsula, namely Spain and Portugal. Long time readers know that I’m a fan of Iberian wines, though I can’t help pointing out that both of these countries are in many respects lagging behind the rest of Europe, and many parts of the new world, in terms of their winemaking maturity. In the initial stages of establishing a modern wine industry (forget the 3000 years of ancient wine history), there’s a tendency to be overly enthusiastic in order to capture that craved international attention. Many feel that have to scream the loudest to be heard.

In wine terms, screaming means more: more ripeness, more wood, more extract, more alcohol. Australia and California, for example, have largely been there and done that, but have since matured to the point where they are confident in their terroir, their grapes and their abilities to let the wines speak in a more ‘indoor’ voice. Having checked out for most of the 20th century for political reasons, Spain and Portugal have much catching up to do, and are still working out what they can do best and what the world wants – it’s a painful process.

When they get it right, however, the Iberian Peninsula is a source of extreme value. This release highlights both sides, the confident and the insecure. Several of the wines were hard, hot, harsh, and overly woody and raisined – I half wish I were a barrel salesman working the Iberian territory as I suspect I’d be doing pretty well. Others wines were balanced and integrated, quietly self-assured. If you prefer the latter, try this pair of fine values from the same corner of the peninsula: 2009 VARANDA DO CONDE ALVARINHO/TRAJADURA VINHO VERDE DOC, Sub-Região Monção e Melgaço $13.95 and 2009 PEIQUE TINTO MENCÍA DOCBierzo $13.95. Click here for the full list of recommended wines from Spain and Portugal.

From the March 19th Vintages release:

Top Ten Smart Buys

Top Sunshine State Wines

Top Iberian Wines

All Reviews

Cheers,

John Szabo, Master Sommelier

Filed under: Featured Articles, Wine, California, Iberian, John Szabo, Portugal, Spain, Vintages, Vintages Preview

John Szabo’s Vintages Preview for November 13th (Part II): The Iberian Peninsula Takes on Tuscany: A Value Battle

John Szabo, MS

Compare these two wines, preferably blind: 2005 JULIÁN CHIVITE GRAN FEUDO VIÑAS VIEJAS RESERVA $19.95 and 2007 LUCE DELLA VITE LUCE $99.95. The former, an elegant wine, not a blockbuster, but complex, spicy and juicy; the latter, impressively big and woody, even jammy, in an international style that even experienced tasters would have trouble placing in Tuscany. Both rate 90 points in my view, but for different reasons. These wines are worlds apart, though it’s not that far from Northeastern Spain to Tuscany. One’s $20, the other $100. Which delivers more pleasure-per-penny? When the label is obscured, all bets are off.

I spent some time living and studying in both Tuscany and southern Spain in the mid-nineties, during one of those formative periods of your life where everything seems to matter more, to have more impact. I’m sure I’ll still be able to vividly recall the midnight tapas bar adventures around the Plaza Nueva in Granada, up the Paseo de Los Tristes, with the spot-lighted Alhambra Palace watching over us from the hill above between the ducks into tiny doorways leading into even tinier bars; the glasses of fino and who knows-what-other reds and whites poured by the draught from cask or tap with a mini bocadillo sandwich of succulent jamón Ibérico de bellota; I’ll remember walking one steamy summer afternoon, leaving Siena in the pouring rain, wandering 42 kms across country on rural routes through the Tuscan countryside past olive groves, cypress trees, vineyards and fortified hilltop towns before finally reaching the towers of San Gimignano and that first glass of cool, crisp vernaccia di San Gimignano; I’m sure I’ll still remember those moments long after I’ve forgotten the names of my grandchildren, should I be so lucky.

So, I have a soft spot for both Italy and Spain, it’s true. Who wouldn’t. I’m always delighted to taste wines from that part of the world. But heart rendering nostalgia aside, when the critic’s cap goes on and I’m looking for value, my Tuscan friends are abandoned to their luxury hilltop villas and renaissance art galleries. The Iberian Peninsula, Spain and Portugal, is where I’m holidaying on the cheap and loving it. Tuscany isn’t Italy, and there’s plenty of extreme value to be found all over the Italian Peninsula to be sure, but it’s not generally in Tuscany where one goes treasure hunting. There’s too much money, foreign and Italian. It’s where everyone from the Swiss to the Germans, English, Americans and anybody else who’s made a fortune in some other business goes to buy land to live their own Under The Tuscan Sun dreams, and wine is invariably part of that dream. Land is expensive, wines are highly sought after, and prices are inflated.

Most parts of Spain (with a couple of notable exceptions) are far less well known. Foreigners who fall in love with Spain and buy property there tend to be life-loving bohemians, not industrialists, sort of modern-day members of the red brigade fighting for freedom, in this case not from fascism but from the tyranny of pretentiousness, since the Spanish are anything but pretentious. It also helps that the Spanish economy makes even the Greeks feel not so bad about their troubles, that there’s huge over-production, and that their shoes are not as highly coveted as designer Italians, and hence the country maintains a lower profile. Not even World Cup victory has changed that. Spain, and Portugal, are chalk-a-block with value.

As if to inadvertently highlight this little useful bit of insider’s knowledge, the LCBO has put out a fine range of expensive, in some case very good, but generally poor value Tuscan wines in the November 13th release, alongside a clutch of outstanding wines from Spain (and one from Portugal). I know it’s an unfair comparison, but all’s fair in love, war and wine, especially when it’s my dollar on the line.

I found the 2008 LAS ROCAS GARNACHA $14.95 and the 2007 RAIMAT ABADIA CRIANZA $14.95 to be outstanding values for under $15, though there’s nothing to compare them to because nothing’s under $15 from the Tuscan release. The closest, decent value is the 2008 DOGA DELLE CLAVULE MORELLINO DI SCANSANO $16.95, made by the elegant Elisabetta Gnudi, also owner of Caparzo in Montalcino and Borgo Scopeto in Chianti Classico.

I did enjoy the 2006 ANTINORI BADIA A PASSIGNANO CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA $43.95, a solid, neither traditional nor modern Chianti, though pound for pound it can’t touch the 2007 QUINTA DE VENTOZELO TOURIGA NACIONAL $18.95, a very rich yet fine example of the Douro’s marquee red grape.

At the higher end, the 2005 MIGUEL TORRES MAS LA PLANA CABERNET SAUVIGNON $44.95, is as reliable as ever, delivering an intriguing style somewhere between Bordeaux, Napa and Provence, which is, well, just about where Spain sits geographically, philosophically and climatically. Also 92 points, but somewhat lesser value, compare the 2007 ANTINORI SOLAIA $249.95. Your call.

Click on the following to see my:

Smart Buys From the Iberian Peninsula
Top Tuscans
Top Eight Smart Buys
All Reviews

Cheers,

John Szabo, Master Sommelier

Filed under: Featured Articles, Wine, John Szabo, Portugal, Spain, Tuscany, Vintages, Vintages Preview

Apr 3rd Vintages Release – Getting to Know Spain is not Easy – by David Lawrason

David Lawrason

Having a hard time grasping Spanish wine?  Me too.  I have travelled there five times in my career. I love eating and drinking in Spain.  I love the gentle, conservative nature of Spaniards.  But I can’t come to grips with what defines Spanish wine.  That’s because it is so varied in its make-up, as shown by Vintages Spanish feature on the April 3rd release.   The unfortunate result of this is that many of us just let Spain slide off and we look elsewhere. Too much effort is required, which is a shame because so much interesting new wine is emerging, like a white Godello from Bierzo, a new one on me.

It was once easier to define Spanish wine because historically Spanish culture preferred mature, table-ready long oak aged reds.  Twenty years ago there were more barrels in Rioja than any region in the world.  But modern, New world influences are hard at work, bringing brighter focus to the myriad indigenous grapes and terroirs.  And so it is high time to drill down and begin talking about Spanish regions, not just Spain.  We are never required to consider France as a whole, only its regions, and Spain is just as varied, if not more so.

Vintages release presents a great opportunity to roll up your glasses and  begin learning. The selection is broad and the prices are reasonable – perhaps too reasonable  as Vintages strives to hit its post-recesionnary  ‘comfort zone’ between $15 and  $20. Frankly, many of the wines are average-good; just managing to show their origin, but not with much confidence or pride.  There are some good Rioja’s and as often happens, the vibrant, nimble and complex reds of Priorat and Montsant seem to soar above the pack. These dominate Dave’s Faves this time, if two selections can be called dominant.  But I am also a big fan of the CVNE Monopole White from Spain.  Bordeaux – not far to the north – weighs in with a terrific white and red one-two punch, and never to be forgotten – Australia is making some great cabernets as well.

Click here to see ranked lists and reviews of over 100 wines in this release.

Filed under: Wine, "Top Picks", "Top Values", David Lawrason, LCBO, Spain, Vintages