Joe's Wine

1990 Montus Cuvee Prestige (Magnum)

2009-07-02T04:23:00.004-04:00

About two years ago the SAQ received a special order of older vintage, large format bottles from Montus and Bouscasse. Old Madiran from M. Alain Brumont? Surely there would be a lineup for such a treasure! I dutifully made my way to the store well before opening time, but I soon realized that I was the only person there with similar intentions...surely there are Madiran fans out there, somewhere?

After this stunning 1990 Chateau Montus Cuvee Prestige (Madiran) Magnum, I don't care if nobody digs this stuff the way I do - more for me at better prices. New leather, oak embers, black earth, roses and crisp, spicy cherries - my guests were content simply basking in this bouquet. A deep sea of velvety tannins on the palate, omnipresent but well integrated, the most incredible interplay of ample tannins and fresh acidity I have ever tasted. Add to this earthy dark berries, impressive minerality and substantial length - my in-laws were VERY impressed.
cork. 12.5% alcohol
Score: 18/20
Price: ~C$217 (SAQ)

1998 Loacker Corte Pavone

2009-06-29T21:30:00.002-04:00

Well, Barry has finally taken me to task for my increasingly lame attempts at back-posting old notes - after all, is a new post dated four weeks ago "new"? No shortage of wine notes over here, but Barry is right - this back-posting nonsense must end. I declare June 2009 "The Lost Month" - that's it, no back posts...

So tonight we are opening a Brunello, which always feels like cause for celebration. Maybe it is the cost of these wines, or perhaps it is the age (I always let these sit for a while), but I open these so rarely that I find the simple act of saying "Brunello tonight" is celebratory. Tonight's 1998 Loacker Corte Pavone was a gift from the wife (so I'd better say something nice...) - classic leather and black cherries with hints of tobacco and flinty cloves - kinda what you'd expect from sangiovese grosso. On the palate it was a touch rustic, making me think of how wine used to be made...a firm acid structure and deceptively firm silky tannins, it was hot and a bit awkward at first, smoothing out a touch over the evening (but not enough)
cork. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 17/20

ahhh, it feels great to be up to date - thank you for liberating me Barry! And with a mountain of material I don't need to drink anything for weeks...

Cheers!

No Wine Allowed?

2009-05-28T22:15:00.001-04:00

Saw this at a park in Montreal - am I reading this right? And why pick on wine - haven't they heard the news about resveratrol?

2006 Henry of Pelham Reserve Riesling

2009-05-24T23:27:00.001-04:00

Well, you wouldn't know it by the weather, but Spring is rapidly fading into Summer and the white wines are flying out of my cellar. Not true, actually - tonight's wine never made it into the JoeCave...

My simple view of Canadian (Niagara) wine is that Germanic/Alsatian/Burgundian varietals work, Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah do not. It is not a well informed view, as I rarely partake in the hometown hooch, but every additional tasting of Niagara's wares seems to further entrench this view.

With that in mind I was positively predisposed to the 2006 Henry of Pelham Reserve Riesling (Short Hills Bench) that arrived as a gift from our good friends, Peter and Tara. Stoney minerality, bitter lime rinds, and white flowers on the nose, accented by damp hay and some green melon...very nicely done! Simple, fresh, citrussy, minerally, a Riesling to make a Canuck proud.
screw top. 12% alcohol
Score: 16.5/20
Cost: gift

2008 Cono Sur Vision Viognier

2009-05-20T23:26:00.001-04:00

After such a nice experience with Cono Sur's "Visión" Pinot Noir I have been looking for an excuse to try the rest of the Visión lineup. That excuse came while on a shopping run for whites, and it had been a while since I have opened a Viognier....

The 2008 Cono Sur Visión Viognier was like spring cleaning, all floral and soapy, clearing out the red wine cobwebs gathered over a long Montreal winter. Peachy notes and some wet stones as well, a prelude to a flavourful white wine...bitter and tangy with nice minerality and a soft, luxurious mouthfeel...one of the nicest new world Viogniers I have ever tasted (and the bottle disappeared very quickly!).
screw top. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 16.5/20
Price: C$18.65 (SAQ)

XO in Hôtel Le St-James

2009-05-16T21:25:00.000-04:00

The Hôtel Le St-James is a famous Montreal landmark, a boutique hotel in Montreal's increasingly trendy old port, and tonight's business dinner gave me a chance to try their rather posh restaurant, XO.

Our first wine was the 2005 Lucien Muzard et Fils Santenay Gravières. I had tasted the 2004 version recently and speculated that the 2005 would be bigger, fleshier...nope. Fresh strawberries, old leather, slate and hints of cola, but a bit too smokey (too much oak) on the nose. Crisp, fresh berries and stark minerality - tight and less fleshy than most 2005s. Angular at first, but softening nicely over the evening...my style of Burgundy. Score: 16.5/20

Our next wine was a Zickefoose Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma. This special order, recommended by the sommelier, is not on the current wine list so the vintage details (2004 or 2005) are lost forever. Nice green pepper and vegetal notes, some minty cocoa and blackberries as well. Fleshy blackberry on the palate, it was fresh and lively yet silky smooth and incredibly well balanced at the same time. A modest finish, drink now. Score: 17/20

I was not picking wines tonight, just nudging my buddy Lloyd along, but the wines and the pairings were spectacular. I didn't take any notes on the food, but the food was of very high quality and the service and ambience at XO were excellent.

Cheers!

Uber IGTs: A Tour of Italy's Most Expensive "Table Wine"

2009-05-13T18:49:00.005-04:00

Eden's night of Tuscan wines was a prelude to a show-stopping, Uber-Tuscan night of over-the-top wines: Masseto, Sassicaia, Ornellaia....

Yes, our first IGT (Italian "table wines") night delivered an impressive slate of wines (even if the best wines were not IGT...) but what I really liked about this evening was the narrow score distribution - I think the group would agree that this may have been the narrowest distribution of scores in one of our grand tastings, which led to lots of debate and no consistency in the rank orders. But out of this disorder I managed to glean the following notes:

Well, it wasn't even close - with four first place and two second place rankings Cosme's 2001 Ornellaia (65% Cab Sauv, 30% Merlot, Cab Franc) was the clear winner. But wait, it's not an IGT? No one complained, as this 'Bolgheri DOC Superiore' wowed with an beautiful and exquisitely complex nose - clearly Bordeaux-like, with spicy oak and dark fruit, layers and layers of aromas...violets and roses, sour cherries and white pepper, leather and cloves with some underlying green pepper and vegetal notes. Soft and silky on the palate, very easy to enjoy today but I felt it was touch flabbier and unstructured vs. the others, and that became more evident as the evening progressed. Score: 18/20

Cosme took the silver as well, bringing a 1999 Sassicaia (85% Cab Sauv, Cab Franc) that ranked close behind the Ornellaia, but got there very differently. Another Bolgheri (didn't somebody tell him it was IGT night?), I did NOT like the way this one started out from the decanter - a heavy dose of sulphury oak at first sniff, it took a while to blow off and reveal some sour cherries, old leather, later some green pepper and notes of cheese rind. Powerfully built, pounding the palate with dense tannins and a finish that lasted all night. All power and no finesse today, but this is still in its youth and I predict great things when this bottle finally sorts itself out. Score: 18.5/20

We had a tie for third place, so I will start with what was probably the greatest value of the night. Cam's 2000 Ghiaie della Furba (Sangiovese, Merlot, Syrah), at C$41, was half the price of the next cheapest wine, yet was probably the softest, silkiest, and best balanced of the night, a combination of great winemaking and optimal bottle age coming together perfectly. Less complex than the others, and all ready peaking, but at this price? Score: 18.5/20 (one of my Top Cellar Picks)

Pramod's 2000 Flaccianello was deceptively good, and I wonder if another few hours in the decanter would have put it in first place instead of third. Classic Sangiovese tobacco notes mingled with sour cherries and spearmint, liquorice and black pepper, some vegetal notes. Tangy and spicy with an incredibly long finish, I am so glad I have a cellar full of this stuff. Score: 18/20

Lloyd brought a legendeary wine from a less than than legendary vintage, the 2002 Masseto. Fashioned from 100% Merlot, it delivered a nose of violets, ripe strawberry compote, and some smokey vanilla. Crisp and full-bodied, but not overbearing, with velvety tannins and a flavourful, long finish. I expected from one of the worlds most expensive merlot bottlings to be kinder, gentler...but the score kept creeping up over the evening. Score: 18/20

My 2000 Serpico, made from the Aglianico grape, was easy to spot - clearly not Cabernet or Sangiovese, but my "nekulturny" friends did not like this so you can take my notes with a grain of salt. To be fair the nose was simple - flinty prunes and some floral notes - but luxurious, tangy tannins and a very long finish made this a joy for me. Maybe I won't share my Aglianico any more...Score 18/20

Many thanks to Pramod and Sofia, perfectly setting up these wines with a spread fit for kings (including a rather tasty, but ominously named fatty meat called "lardo"), and to the gang for really digging deep into the cellar for a creative flight of wine.

Cheers!

Obscure Wine Regions: Assisi

2009-05-09T22:05:00.004-04:00

The appellation of Assisi is obscure - no entry in the Oxford Companion to Wine, a mere village name in another book, even my Vino Italiano book simply mentions DOC rules - Sangiovese 50-70%, Merlot 10-30%, other varietals up to 40% max. But it resides in the Umbrian wine region, so the grape varietals and winemaking styles are familiar...

Tonight's 2006 Sportoletti Assisi Rosso was undeniably Tuscan-sangiovese in style, perhaps from a hot vintage. Very tobacco and dark blackberry on the nose, a bit hot and jammy, some cedar, liquorice, hints of violet and vanilla. Very dry, smooth and well balanced on the palate - delicious, but less structured (low acid, lots of fruit) than I hope for in a sangiovese.
cork. 14.5% alcohol
Score: 16/20
Price: C$21.40 (SAQ)

2005 1er Cru Burgundies from Domaine Rebourgeon-Mure

2009-05-06T21:37:00.001-04:00

The 2005 vintage for red Burgundy has been widely praised in the wine media, a rare vintage which seemed to get the nod from both the traditionalists and the modernists. I have also enjoyed a number of these wines, but with many of these beauties long gone I was not expecting an email from my friend, Mark, offering me a chance to partake in a special '05 Burgundy order.

Not a house that I had heard of before, but the importer taunted us with some glowing reviews (but of course!) of these two bottles:

The 2005 Rebourgeon-Mure Volnay 1er Cru "Santenots" sported a dry, dusty nose of succulent raspberries and black earth. Soft and silky on the palate, a bit earthier than the Beaune below - tart, light, with crisp fruit and a pleasing, lingering minerality.
cork. 13% alcohol
Score: 16.5/20
Price: C$58 (private import)

The 2005 Rebourgeon-Mure Beaune 1er Cru "Les Vignes Franches" was all cola, meat and truffles, some wet stones and hints of old shoe leather...very intriguing. Soft and silky, tangy and flavourful on the palate, very well balanced with juicy berries. Darker, softer, than the Volnay, very pleasing.
cork. 13% alcohol
Score: 16.5/20
Price: C$49.15 (private import)

These were no-fault wines - it would be really easy to serve these and win kudos - but perhaps lacking the depth and complexity of the greats. Stylistically I preferred the more tightly wound Volnay, but the fleshier Beaune was equally pleasing - that was simply a style preference.

Conclusion? Even some of the '05 holdbacks are worthy additions to the cellar - buy em when you see em

Super Tuscans in the Garden of Eden

2009-05-03T22:01:00.007-04:00

My buddy Eden loves to make a big to do of my visits to Toronto, this time inviting a bunch of friends over for steaks and a tasting hosted by yours truly. Personally, I love to mess with the gang and put together an eclectic flight of wines, but tonight I decided to see what 20-50 bucks could get you in Tuscany, and (blinded) I was curious if we could identify any "hidden gems".

I was curious to see how the 2005 Nipozzana Reserva (Chianti Ruffina) would show in this flight, being the lowest priced of the bunch. A bit jammy on the nose, with tobacco, and slatey black cherry, a minerally finish but a touch fruity vs. prior vintages - a great value (C$22), but it didn't blow the competition away. Score: 17/20

There was no doubt in my mind that the 2006 Lucente (IGT) stood out from the pack - notes of mint, ginger ale, anise and flint...incredibly smooth and polished on the palate, with fresh cherries and a deceptively long finish (C$40). Score: 18/20

The 2004 Terrabianca Piano del Cipresso (IGT) pruney, cheddar cheesey, meaty sausage, rather rustic - flavourful, modest finish, woodsy tannins - opened nicely (C$31). Score: 17/20

The 2002 Piastraia was a gorgeous wine...wet stones and black cherries, leather and tobacco, a most gorgeous mouthfeel, with fine, silky tannins...balanced, with a pleasing, lingering finish (C$40). Score: 17.5/20

The 2005 Sassoalloro continued the '05 jamminess seen above - ripe and jammy on the nose, notes of flowers, anise...a silky, but modest finish, very well balanced (C$35). Score: 16.5/20

But it wasn't all Italian, as Mike brought a treasure from his own cellar, a well-aged 1996 Caymus. A beautiful nose of figs and black earth, piney and cedary leather, sulphur, showing hints of violets, plums and blackberries as it opened up. Pruney, light and peppery, tangy and lighter-bodied. Stylistically my ideal claret, and it has aged very well, but just a touch awkward despite substantial time in the decanter - excellent, but just shy of outstanding.
Score: 17.5/20

Overall, buyers should note that two 2005 Tuscans that have been favourites of mine produced modest disappointments, and will certainly guide my future Tuscan wine buying...

Thanks to Eden and his wife for the terrific spread to complement this tasting - the steaks and all the fixin's were delicious. I look forward to another meeting of my Toronto tasting group!

Obscure Wine Regions: Vinsobres

2009-04-30T23:21:00.003-04:00

You know it is an "Obscure Wine Region" when information is sparse. Looking for details on the appellation of Vinsobres in the Côtes du Rhône I checked my trusty "The Oxford Companion to Wine" and found one short paragraph, while my other wine book simply mentions it in a list of Côtes du Rhône Cru villages. Not surprising, as the village of Vinsobres was first rewarded appellation status in 2005 and annual production is a small 26,000 hectolitres. Vinsobres is like most of the villages in the Côtes du Rhône, with the wines (only reds from this appellation) made from Grenache (min. 50%) and Syrah and/or Mourvedre 25%, with other varieties (mainly Carignan and Cinsault) allowed up to 25% maximum.

This village is amongst the most northerly villages in the Côtes du Rhône, and this seems to come through in tonight's wine, the 2005 Jerome Quiot Vinsobres rouge. Fashioned from Grenache and Shiraz, it was a stark, brooding wine - lighter-bodied but with dark, meaty/leathery notes, I was thinking southwest France - maybe a good dose of Carignan (I did not read up on Vinsobres before I drank the wine) - but it also reminded me of some Northern Rhône offerings. A pleasing finish, nice balance, no jam here. Very enjoyable but not as complex as the Rhône wines from top appellations. No surprise I liked this so, as the Quiot family also owns the Vieux Lazaret that I have been raving about (1,2,3). No scoring, just drinking tonight, but probably 16.5-17 points here.
cork. 14% alcohol
Price: C$20 (SAQ)

La Colombe: Sauternes and Foie Gras

2009-04-26T20:56:00.007-04:00

My last trip to La Colombe was stunning - fantastic food and a trio of stunning wines. But for tonight's meal my good friend Andreas put a bit more thought into the wine pairings, reviewing the menu before we went and bringing wines he thought would work well.

Like Sauternes and Foie Gras? Apparently a miracle pairing, but I rarely take part in either - I HAVE been missing out! The 2001 Château Bastor-Lamontagne was a very nice Sauternes - peaches and cream, tangy grapefruit, and a hint of sweet spice on the nose. Soft with tangy peaches on the palate, minerally and green - a magical pairing with a "foie gras poêlé" Score: 17/20

For my next course I ordered the snails in a mild blue cheese sauce, which I paired with a Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc - the dish and the wine were independently delicious, but these did not work together very well (any thoughts on what to pair with this one?).

My contribution for the evening was a 2002 Yalumba "Hand Picked" Shiraz+Viognier, which I attempted to pair with a large duck breast with a berry sauce on top. With a nose of plummy lavender, vanilla, peppery blackberries, smokey leather and slate it seemed a good match, and it was, but it was not as balanced as I had hoped - a touch more awkward on the palate than I recall from one year ago..., Score: 17.5/20

Andreas contributed a main course wine as well, the 2003 Morgante Don Antonio Nero d'Avola, which was a logical choice for the gamey comfort food featured at La Colombe. Notes of basil, tobacco and cedary plums on the nose, and plum, plum, plummy on the palate. Light and grainy in texture, but a touch hot and slightly unbalanced. You are unlikely to find a finer, more elegant, example of Nero ... another great match, for venison. Score: 17/20

With dessert wine for an appetizer, what do we do for dessert? Icewine! A hometown wine that I picked up last summer, the 2004 Taillefer Lafon Icewine delivered earthy, appley "Werther's" candy on the nose and spicy, tangy caramel apples on the palate. Very flavourful, some cripsness but bit cloying, Score: 16.5/20

I highly recommend, once again, a visit to La Colombe - a top notch BYO Restaurant in Montreal. And if you haven't tried Sauternes and Foie Gras, you just don't know what you are missing...

Obscure Wine Regions: Empordà

2009-04-20T19:13:00.008-04:00

Wine drinkers probably think of a dozen or so wine regions constantly, and are conversant with many dozens more, but there are so many "obscure" little corners of this planet covered with vines, just waiting for me to explore... Of course, "obscure" depends on where you live - I've never seen a wine from Swan Valley but Ed has had a few of those, and Barry would have no trouble finding a wine from Nahe - so you will have to accept that these are "obscure" from an "East Coast of North America" perspective....

Tonight's obscure wine hails from Spain's D.O. Empordà (Costa Brava). This wine region, bordering on the south of France, comprises just 2,000 hectares (a fraction of the approx. 1.2 million hectares under vine in Spain) with ~80% of those plantings being grenache or carignan (garnacha/garnatxa or cariñena). Given that limited production, it is not surprising to see so little wine from this appellation in foreign shops (Quebec's SAQ liquor monopoly stocks just one).

You could easily imagine the south of France in the nose of the 2007 Espelt Saulo (Emporda) - it started with jammy, dark fruit, later adding some funky sausage, cheese, and tobacco. The palate felt hotter than the 13.5% on the label, but it was light and airy, not dense, with a modest finish. A touch awkward...rustic, edgy...but quite enjoyable at this price point.
cork. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 16.5/20
Cost: C$14.85 (SAQ)

2003 Grand Veneur and Grand Veneur

2009-04-17T08:52:00.000-04:00

One of my favourite blind tastings is to compare a winery's regular bottling to their top cuvée, so tonight I uncorked two '03 Châteauneuf-du-Papes from Domaine Grand Veneur.

The 2003 Domaine Grand Veneur "Les Origines" was rather typical CDP on the nose - violet, pepper and blackberries, some eucalyptus and leathery cooked fruit as well. But it was the palate that showed its heftier price - more depth, complexity and a lengthier finish than the regular bottling below, with crisp earthy cherries and a silky, luxurious, mouthfeel. A touch hot, but nicely done.
cork. 14.5% alcohol
Score: 17.5/20
Price: C$57 (SAQ)

The regular 2003 Domaine Grand Veneur was no slouch, even a touch more complex on the nose - the same violet, pepper and blackberries, but with prunes, wet stones, black liquorice and cloves. Clunkier on the palate - jammy, velvety, and thinner - both in the glass and on the palate. Not as polished as its pricier sibling, but the difference was oh, so small...(and with $20+ separating these two, this remains one of my Top Cellar Picks)
cork. 14.5% alcohol
Score: 16.5/20
Price: C$35 (SAQ)

A Birthday Chianti: 2007 Gabbiano

2009-04-14T22:24:00.007-04:00

For my 40th birthday my four year-old went shopping with my wife and insisted on picking up a bottle of wine "for daddy". Now I suppose I should be a bit concerned that wine was the only gift on her mind when she thought of me, but let's be honest - it was the gift that I wanted (she usually gets me a shirt).

You will, of course, note that the 2007 Gabbiano Chianti had a "pretty horsey" on the label - no Wine Spectator or Parker driving her purchase! Strong herbal and tobacco notes, musky and medicinal aromas, and a lingering nose of wet pottery. Stark, lighter bodied, with tart cherry fruit, this was a crisp and very minerally Chianti that was meant for food. An intriguing, lingering finish, more rustic than polished (and I mean that in a good way).
cork. 13% alcohol
Score: 16.5/20
Price: C$14.65 (SAQ)

No Joke: 2007 Dan Akroyd Cabernet Merlot

2009-04-08T22:45:00.003-04:00

Expectations play a big part in our enjoyment of wine. Presented with a Canadian red wine, produced by a comedian famous for his roles in such classics as Ghostbusters and Trading Places, well...let's just say the expectations were very low...

It was hard not to be impressed by the 2007 Dan Aykroyd Cabernet Merlot (Niagara), especially considering the price point. Green pepper and smokey blackberries on the nose, a light, crisp (good acidity), and earthy palate...no depth, but definitely not jammy, no rough edges...reminded me of a well-made entry-level Bordeaux. I'm thinking "steak-frites" would pair beautifully. Did I say this was less than $15? I will be buying again.
cork. 13% alcohol
Score: 16/20
Price: C$14.85 (SAQ)

Hats off to a good Kingston boy, putting his name on a nice bottle of wine!

2004 L. Muzard et Fils Santenay Gravieres

2009-04-05T22:41:00.004-04:00

So, a Christmas gift finally made it out of the cellar...all barnyardy and truffley, the 2004 Lucien Muzard et Fils Santenay Gravières kept it simple, some raspberry and flint. Quite tangy and minerally, a bit edgy at first but soft and nutty as the evening developed. Not as complicated or finessed as a top Burgundy, but worked wonderfully with a duck comfit.
cork. 13% alcohol
Score: 16.5/20

Chinon at the Liverpool House

2009-04-02T10:38:00.009-04:00

Chris, one of my wine buddies, practically lives at Montreal's Liverpool House, a bustling bistro/pub/oyster bar on rue Notre-Dame. I see the attraction now - a deliciously eclectic menu, peppered with deviant takes on classic bistro fare, and set in an unpretentious and welcoming pub-styled atmosphere that makes you want to stick around for another drink after dinner...(and we did)

The 2005 Château de Coulaine "Les Picasses" (Chinon) had a tremendous nose of spicy black earth and green pepper, later some blackberry fruit...floral and flinty, some vanilla. A velvety earthy texture, soft and grainy, but perhaps a touch riper, soft and not as crisp as I expect in a Chinon. Very tasty, with some length that hints at cellaring. I think this could be a good transition wine for those who like New World Cab Franc and are looking to try an Old World rendition.
cork. organic. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 17/20

The fun didn't stop with the Chinon, as we switched to the 2005 Georges Descombes Brouilly for after dinner sipping...terrific Bojo, but after my haunting Morgon experience recently I just sip, and enjoy...

2005 Marcel Lapierre Morgon

2009-03-30T21:18:00.004-04:00

I don't do Beaujolais justice, so to make amends I will stick with the Bojo theme tonight, dragging this little treasure out of the cellar and surprising my good friend Cosme with this impressive example.

Floral notes and wet stones greet you at first sniff of the 2005 M. Lapierre Morgon and dominate throughout the evening, but this chameleon keeps changing its colours - grape jelly? was that custard? black earth, old leather...a hint of ginger? crushed cherries...fabulous. Velvety and nutty on the palate, angular at first but better with every minute in the decanter and glass. Fresh and beautifully textured on the palate, it started very angular and took a long time to show its true colours (I never thought I'd drink a Beajolais that had been in a decanter for 3+ hours and it was still getting better). Too bad my last bottle was corked the last time I tried it, I wish I had another to stash away for a few more years...
cork. 13% alcohol
Score: 18/20
Price: C$37 (BC Liquors)

More from the Wine Library: Beaujolais and Jurancon

2009-03-26T23:26:00.006-04:00

I picked up more than a Wine by Joe Pinot during my stop at New Jersey's Wine Library, experimenting once again and foisting upon some friends a wine they wouldn't usually think to buy. Tonight's victims, our New Jersey hosts...and the wine, a Beaujolais...

The 2005 Michel Tete Julienas Domaine du Clos du Fief Cuvee Prestige was a terrific
example of how Beaujolais can be so much more than a picnic lunch wine. Fresh hazelnuts over strawberries and cherry candy, some damp earth, flinty and violet notes as well. A palate of soft, silky, tannins frame earthy, dry strawberries...a nice long finish, this wine may benefit from some cellaring, but absolutely gorgeous today. (Lyle raves here)
cork. 13% alcohol
Score: 17.5/20
Price: US$22.99 (Wine Library)

Seat me at one of the world's finest restaurants and show me the dessert menu and I will politely pass, opting for the wine menu instead. Unfortunately most dessert wines are dearly priced, but I have found some nice values in the South West France appellation of Jurançon. The 2004 Domaine Bellegarde Jurançon Cuvee Thibault was a perfect end to our meal...simple notes of toasty creme caramel, perfume and green melon introduce a palate that is both "soft" and "tight" at the same time - all marmaladey, minerally and delicious. A tremendous value...
cork. 500ml. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 16/20

Mini Vertical #10: 2001 and 2002 Kanonkop

2009-03-23T20:47:00.001-04:00

The last two wines that were opened to dull the senses and help me forget the Big 4-0 were a pair of Kanonkop Pinotages, one of South Africa's premier bottlings of Pinotage. Now in many (most?) wine circles the words "Premier" and "Pinotage" rarely come together, but I can't say I have tasted enough of this grape (a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault) to condemn it to mediocrity - what I can say is that in the hands of this estate you get a fine product (one of my Top Cellar Picks):

The 2001 Kanonkop Pinotage was much more subtle than its younger brother below - some earthy and flinty notes at first decant, it took a while to open up ... later adding some pretty notes of coffee grounds and violets, but relatively uncomplicated. Silky smooth and very elegant on the palate, crisper and earthier than the 2002 below, I would be surprised if this were simply due to another year in the bottle - clearly these were quite different vintages.
cork. 14.5% alcohol
Score: 17.5/20
Price: C$38.95 (LCBO)

The 2002 Kanonkop Pinotage was just so much...MORE - riper, heavier, with a nose of meaty cooked fruit, spicy (cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves) black earth, vanilla, violet and some tobacco. Hot and quite heavy on the palate, a nice velvety finish but lacking the acidity that held the 2001 together a bit better. An intriguing take on this grape that could challenge some of the best from the south of France, but perhaps bit TOO much...
cork. 14.5% alcohol
Score: 17/20
Price: gift

Many thanks to Chris, my good friend and the member of my wine group who first put me on to this wine a few years back.

More Celebratory Wine: 1999 Pian Delle Vigne

2009-03-20T00:43:00.002-04:00

My good friend Cosme decided stop by the day after my birthday to celebrate, and for this occasion I reached into the cellar for Brunello - I don't know why, but it felt like the right thing to do tonight.

The 1999 Pian delle Vigne (Brunello di Montalcino) was quite successful in our monster Brunello tasting nearly three years ago. Tomatoes and grainy black earth start the nose, aromas of nutmeg and cloves, roses, almonds, wet coffee grounds, and bing cherry (less leather and tobacco than I expected...). Long, velvety tannins, pruney fruit, tongue-twisting acid and a minerality that was not far off from the Mercurey below. Lengthy and well-balanced, but not a brawny "in your face" Super Tuscan.
cork. 14% alcohol
Score: 18/20

Sorry to disappoint you Barry, but I simply enjoyed this half-bottle of 2005 Chateau de Chamirey Mercurey with few notes. Personally, I love how Mercureys tend to be stern and foreboding, and this was a a classic - surprisingly tart and minerally, it was a bit unfriendly at first and took some time to open up (as Mercureys seem wont to do...) ... but drinking very well later.

Wines Good Enough for a 40-Year Old

2009-03-17T00:45:00.001-04:00

Ok, so I left that post about turning forty on a bit long - so long that Barry is now accusing of milking this event. But what has really taken me so long is writing up so many notes on the various wines I drank to celebrate - thank God the festivities occur only once per decade...

For my birthday my wife secretly invited a group of friends out for dinner at Yoyo, and she even raided my cellar for an old Bordeaux (doesn't she know she's not allowed down there?). I cannot blame her, as she was only following the instructions of my good friend and occasional guest blogger Lloyd...

Actually, my 1994 Chateau Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) was already standing up in anticipation of this personal milestone, and did not disappoint. A big nose of mushrooms, green pepper and black earth ("Smells like the earth it was grown in", said my wife), minty and hints of creme brulee, later some fresh flowers (violet) and slate. Tremendous length and silky tannins, but with that crisp fruit and wonderfully fresh acid that modern Bordeaux seems to lack...some nuttiness and green olives at the end. Drinking very well after 3 hours in the glass, this could easily age for a few more years. Simply classic...
cork. 12.5% alcohol
Score: 18.5/20

Ashkan has been on a streak lately, and his 2001 Condado de Haza Reserva Seleccion Roble Frances (Ribera del Duero) only added to his impressive wine CV. A delicious nose of cheese rind and blackberries, flint and flowers ... a palate of crisp, velvety tannins and a tremendously long finish ... a touch edgy, I wonder if some time in the cellar will sort this out?
cork. 14% alcohol
Score: 17.5+/20

Lloyd's 2001 Terra d'hom (Priorat) was pretty much what I expected from this region - gobs of ripe, dried raisiny fruit, black currants, and woodsy, smokey vanilla...surprisingly lighter bodied and better structured than the nose suggested - delicious velvety fruit, a great wine from a region I rarely have the opportunity to taste...
cork. 14.5% alcohol
Score: 17.5/20

The 2001 Elderton Command (Barossa) was the reason I ordered the lamb shank for a main course, and after 3 hours in the decanter it was ... mmm ... A brilliant nose of menthol and eucalyptus, cherry pits and wet stones, some classic violet notes ... ginger, flint, and smokey black cherry. Soft and silky on the palate, much more developed since my last taste...so smooth, so elegant, a very long finish of cherry fruit and unsweetened cocoa, but perhaps a bit more tired than I expected (1,2)...
cork. 15% alcohol
Score: 18/20

Thanks to my wife and friends - great food, great wine, great company ... no better way to spend my birthday... (unless it was the Brunello and Burgundy I had the next day)

On Turning 40

2009-03-14T23:06:00.001-04:00

I turned 40 this week.

I never thought about this impending milestone much, figuring it was just another birthday. But as the hours ticked down I got into a panic of sorts ... a few good bottles of wine shared with many friends over a few days were just the thing to ease my anxieties.

Well, "The Big 4-oh" has come and gone, and the dead soldiers include a 1994 Pontet Canet, a 2001 Command, a 1999 Pian delle Vigne, two nifty Spanish wines and the Kanonkops ('01/'02, see above).

More soon...

Wine by Joe, Reviewed by Joe

2009-03-11T00:21:00.006-04:00

Seriously, Wine by Joe? How could I NOT buy this wine. Kinda cool that I bought this wine at the Wine Library in New Jersey - you know, THE Wine Library (Hint: Gary Vaynerchuk, Wine Library TV) - ok, who cares, Gary didn't make me eat dirt, but it was a cool store.

Pinot is a grape that just doesn't seem to lend itself to gimmicky marketing, so I approached the 2007 Wine by Joe Pinot Noir with caution. Reminiscent of Beaujolais at first - a pretty, delicate nose of flint and some smokey, cedary raspberry. Started a bit flat and unbalanced on the palate, but over time opened and sorted itself out, revealing tart, grainy, rasberries and some (substantial) velvety tannins. Quite enjoyable, and a tremendous value - Go, Joe, Go!
Score: 16/20
Price: ~US$8.99 (Wine Library)