Just Grapes

Au Bon Climat Mt. Carmel Vineyard Chardonnay 2001

2009-07-14T21:57:00.000-07:00

I picked this up about a year or so ago from Marquis on sale. You don't often run into California chard with this much age on it in BC, and certainly not at the price I paid. Further, Au Bon Climat is one of the best producers in the Santa Barbara region - all in all hard to pass up. That said, I was somewhat disappointed with this otherwise tasty wine.

The wine poured a dark golden yellow, like gold foil. It was also starting to brown at the edges - a sign of age. Nevertheless, the nose was big and full not suggesting tiredness: pineapple, vanilla marshmallow, kiwi, and creme brulée. The palate had awesome fullness and vitality, especially for 8 years on the bottle. I got plenty of creme brulée and banana cream pie. Although the flavours were rich and full, I found this wine a bit hot and thus imbalanced with respect to alcohol. And, even with the new world creamy goodness, this was not showing the kind of complexity I would expect for great chards after 8 yeras in the bottle.

Very Good+
~$30 on sale at Marquis

Gonzalez Byass 'Matusalem' Oloroso Sherry VORS (30 years)

2009-07-13T23:08:00.001-07:00

I've written positively about Byass' VORS sherries before, but this Oloroso goes far beyond anything else I've tasted from Byass. Pouring a sticky thick brown like caramelized sugar, this 20.5% ABV concoction had an astounding level of depth and complexity. On the nose I got nuts, sage, brown sugar, marjoram, date, and figs (both dried and fresh). The palate was huge, sweet, balanced, and very intense: wood, smoke, figs, peat, cigar, and sage notes made this almost a cross between sherry and scotch and unlike any wine I've had before. In fact, when you pair this with fried tapas, chorizo, dates, and hard spanish cheeses you will realize this is perhaps one of the finest Olorosos, indeed sherries, you could have.

Excellent+
$35 for 375ml at BCLDB

Palacio de Fefinanes Albarino 2007

2009-07-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

I've tried a few albarinos before, often appreciating their easy drinking but not so much their lack of complexity. I think I just never got into the good stuff. This particular albarino comes to Vancouver from one of its most respected producers in Spain, thanks to Marquis Wine Cellars' John Clerides, who never fails to find some of the most unique and good value wines all across the world.

The nose on this had lemon, lime, and grapefruit not unlike a riesling. The palate was very impressive, with stone, apple, and lime predominating. The mid-palate held a full body and clean acidity. Somewhat like a cross between pinot blanc and riesling, I loved the cleanliness, the full body, and the superb food friendliness. Its very slightly off-dry character made it perfect for pairing with chorizo. I could imagine this wine perfectly paired with a chorizo mussel dish. Great stuff and the best Albarino I've yet had.

Very Good+ to Excellent and Highly Recommended
$30 at Marquis

Grosset Semillion / Sauvignon Blanc 2006

2009-07-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

Grosset is so consistent in creating fresh, lively, and complete wines that they have become my favourite producer of white wine from Australia, from their rieslings to this excellent Bordeaux style white blend.

The perfumed nose on this blend was floral and filled with rich dense notes of nectarine and pear. The palate had lime and pear up front, a crisp and clean mid-palate and notes of nectarine and sour apricot on the finish. This was thicker than expected, which I suspect was brought to the wine by the Semillion. And, while this is certainly a cut wine, it is also expansive: a wonderful blend of acidity and fat that still dials back its opulence compare to, say, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Very Good+
$30 at Marquis

CARM Grande Escolha 2003

2009-07-09T01:45:00.000-07:00

Portuguese wine always goes unnoticed, and for no good reason at all. I've mentioned this before, but Douro dry reds can really be quite stunning and it's a shame not too many people indulge in their power and finesse. This wine came from the hot 2003 vintage which produced many overly alcholic wines across Europe, but in Portugal both the ports and the dry reds of Douro faired very well indeed.

The nose on this gem was all balance straight on the attack: I got wood, cassis, and blackberry jam on top of nice grip and excellent concentration. While this is a full mouth-coating wine, it is also not over-extracted nor does it have pronounced glycerin. Indeed, there is even a slight salty side to this eminently drinkable wine. Pair it with a great goat or sheep's milk cheese from Portugal or Spain and you will realize the unique approach that Portuguese wine brings to the fore.

Excellent
$40 at BCLDB (Purchased for $28 on sale)

Green Flash West Coast IPA

2009-07-06T21:02:00.001-07:00

Green Flash is an extremely solid San Diego based brewer that has recently entered the BC market with some of their well crafted year round offerings. However, given the dearth of quality beer in Vancouver Green Flash always seems to disappear quickly from the city's best beer stores. Lucky for me, I got one of four six packs of the West Coast IPA from Brewery Creek a few weeks ago.

This is a very west coast IPA in style: extremely dry with pretty much no residual sweetness or maltiness. The nose had pine, grapefruit and a nice floral element. The pine continued heavily on the palate, with the addition of crisp bitter citrus rind. Without much malt to balance out the hops, this is for hop-heads who love a dry-hopped style. Nonetheless, Green Flash does not go over the top like some brewers that tend to create hop extract rather than beer. And, the beautiful clean and crisp finish makes this ideal for the summer.

Very Good+ to Excellent
$17 / 6-pack at Brewery Creek

Domaine Grand Nicolet Vielles Vignes Rasteau 2006

2009-07-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

Cote du Rhone can really kill it, or it can be decidedly boring pepper stew. Rateau, however, a single village within the Cote du Rhone offers better quality wines, and when you can get them from a good vintage, a good producer, and at a price such as this wine they really shine through as some of the best value reds in the world.

The nose on this old vines grenache based cuvée has dusty, chocolate-infused blueberry driving the wine over a tiny edge of manure, which dissipated with air. The palate has superb fruit up front with tons of blueberry and strawberry. The mid-palate has a considerable tannic grip, but the finish is soft and smooth. The wine also maintains considerable freshness from the acidity. Heat and chalk fill out the mouth of this big-boned incredibly food friendly wine. An awesome value for the price.

Very Good+
$20 at Marquis

Sinnean Old Vine Zinfandel 2006

2009-07-02T14:57:00.000-07:00

I doubt anyone associates Oregon state with the renowned all-American California variety zinfandel, but here we have one of Oregon's most noteworthy producers making one as their "flagship wine". As much as Sinnean is known for their Pinot Noir, they claim that it is this old vine zin, made from a 100 year old vineyard, that is their best wine. And, despite the latitude there are no signs of underripeness and no chaptalization.

The nose on this Columbia Valley zin was boozy and had blueberry, chocolate and candied cherry. The palate was extremely full and very extracted: sweet blueberry juice, cherry, strawberry jam, and chocolate undertones. This is extremely smooth and tasty, although somewhat simple.

However, the story does not end there. While I took the above tasting note while drinking from a Riedel glass, I decided to experiment and test out how that note compared to a simultaneous note taken while drinking from my new Eisch glasses. For those not in the know, Eisch has created glasses with a special coating that supposedly decants the wine instantly upon pouring it into the glass. Well, we shall see.

In the Eisch glass the nose was far more restrained and dusty, while also being far less fruity. On the palate the wine was much smoother, less boozy, and had intricate notes of herbs and underbrush. And, while noticeably less massive, it had impressive complexity and layering far superior than in the Riedel glass. So, it seems as though this limited test shows that Eisch can make a considerable difference to a wine's aromatics and flavour profile. Is it better? Not necessarily - but it certainly is different.

The wine itself? Although perhaps a little pricey, it is quite impressive and certainly worth a try.

Very Good+
$55 at Everything Wine

Arrocal Seleccion 2004

2009-06-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

With its minimalist design, the Arrocal is another excellent value red from Spain's Ribera del Duero. If you like big robust reds at affordable prices look no further. It strikes me that Spanish wine tends to fly a little under the radar here in BC, and perhaps in North America generally. I'm not quite sure why as most of Spain is offering not only better value than France and California but also many extremely 'terroir' driven wines.

This particular Tempranillo had a nose of baked raspberry, strawberry pie, graphite and dust. The palate was big on baked fruit, but had wonderful undertones of herbs and dried out underbrush. This is a large red with edge and fruit without sweetness that will kill most BBQ's and braised meats.

Very Good+ and Highly Recommended
$24 at BCLDB

NB: I've started a new 'category' for this blog for 'Highly Recommended Values', which are all wines that both far exceed their price point and offer something particularly unique to the drinker.

North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

2009-06-27T21:20:00.000-07:00

Stout - isn't it summer? You wouldn't know that given the last week of weather here in Vancouver. Hence, I pulled out and revisited an old favourite from California brewer North Coast (maker of other tasty beers such as Brother Thelonious).

Pouring with an awesome thick head, the nose on this was classic toasty caramel and heavy roast coffee. The palate expands on this and is very deep and intense: fresh coffee grounds, ash and cigar punctuate the viscous texture. Each flavour also manages to keep in balance with the others and the alcohol (at 9% abv) is not overly noticeable - a feature that will smooth even more with the proper aging. In the end, this is a very well made Russian Imperial Stout and a perfect standby for cold summer evenings.

Very Good+
$4/333ml at Brewery Creek, Viti, Liberty

Petaluma Shiraz 2006

2009-06-24T21:25:00.001-07:00

I have generally enjoyed the wines from Petaluma, being particularly impressed by their Coonawara red blend. This shiraz is certainly not your typical Aussie fruit bomb. The nose on this shiraz from the Adelaide Hills had cassis, chocolate and eucalyptus, almost like some California Cabernets. The palate picked up many notes from the nose, including eucalyptus and chocolate, adding a secondary line of woodyness.

This was well rounded and extremely smooth drinking with very fine, almost undetectable tannins. With moderate sweetness and a good flavour package this wine is very solid, and while its not going to send you into the stratosphere, it will be a great sipper and pleasant with many types of food: everything a simple and tasty wine needs.

Very Good
$35 at BCLDB

Gonzalez Byass 'Apostoles' Palo Cortado (30 years)

2009-06-21T22:02:00.000-07:00

And now for something completely different, or at least moderately so. I don't get the occasion to write about Sherry too often, mostly because there is a dearth of selection in the BC market. However, a few impressive high end aged sherries have recently started to trickle through the morass of government controlled liquor distribution, occasioning an opportunity I hope to continue to take advantage of in the future.

Palo Cortado is a rare type of sherry that sits between Amontillado and Oloroso in sweetness level, making it off-dry, but still moderately sweet. This particular Palo Cortado had brown sugar, caramel and baking spice on the classic oxydized nose. The palate was full and complete with apple, fig and caramel. Big up front, this also had great layering and is a wonderful pairing with rich cheeses. However, it doesn't match Fino or Manzanilla in their beautiful ability to pair with cured meats and tapas. Nonetheless, this was much more complex and certainly would gain depth and balance with more age. 20% ABV.

Very Good (I suspect higher with more bottle age)
$35/375ml at BCLDB or Kits Wine Cellar

Caracole Troublette

2009-06-20T21:49:00.000-07:00

Summer often demands wheat beer, but wheat beer in Canada can also often be disappointing or overly simple. I got this Belgian wheat ale on recommendation, and while not spectacular, it steps up to the plate as a good summer standard.

With a mellow and simple nose and palate this Belgian white ale had pineapple, orange, fennel, and soda pop. Light and smooth, this goes down easy at 5.5% abv. Maybe lacking a little depth and freshness (not sure how old this bottle is), I still recommend it for a basic summer beer that far surpasses the likes of BC brewed wheat ales.

Very Good
$4.50/333ml at Brewery Creek

Thelema Sauvignon Blanc 2007

2009-06-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

Sauvignon Blanc at reasonable price points tends to fit into a few well delineated pockets: the acid driven steely basic mineral concoction from France, the super rich, fruit and alcoholic versions from California and the Zesty citrus and grass firebrands from New Zealand. This particular Sauv Blanc, however, comes to us not from one of these three classic regions, but from the oft-neglected South Africa.

Thelema is a highly regarded producer down there, and luckily we get a few of their offerings on the other side of the world in BC. This Sauvignon Blanc really shone past its price point with quince, baking spices and pine on the nose. Defying typicity for an under $30 wine, the palate was massively flavourful and much more complex than expected: zesty lemon, quince, spice, and cloves. Full in the mouth, but fresh and zippy on the finish, this should be a destination summer white.

Very Good+ and Highly Recommended
$25 at BCLDB or Marquis

Valsacro Dioro Seleccion Rioja 2001

2009-06-14T21:20:00.000-07:00

Beer tends to predominate in my drinking patterns during hot weather, of which Vancouver has had plenty in the past few weeks. With a brief chilly evening, however, I took the opportunity to open a nice modern styled Rioja from a great vintage.

At 14% ABV this had a slightly hot but very complex nose with char, cocao, roasted nuts, cassis, black cherry and sage. I love when the aromas of a wine are as deep and layered as in this wonderful tempranillo - it provides the mind with limitless whimsy and makes drinking an end in itself rather than a means to one.

The palate was woody and had excellent tertiary flavours of chalk, stone and tar. Even with a little heat, the richness of the caramel and vanilla elements was greatly tempered by the much more dominant minerality. In the end, this is an herbal, stone-like savory wine that is far drier than the fruity nose suggests. While finishing with a little heat, I also appreciated the great balance of fruit, wood, dust and stone.

Excellent
$? (I believe in the $50-$70 range) at BCLDB

Brooklyn Brewing Local 1

2009-06-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn is one of those breweries that has helped spread the word about micro brewed beer. They have pretty good market penetration with their basic beers, which are all above average for the style. However, it is their specialty beers that really show their prowess.

The Local 1 is made in a Belgian Strong Blond Ale style and pours with a huge head. Proper carbonation can be hard to come by, but this is balanced just right and the bubbles add freshness to a pretty high alcohol brew. The nose has lots of Belgian Trippel notes - fruity esters, some rootbeer and cream. The palate has plenty of baking spice, licorice and candy floss. This is smooth and robust summer drinking, even at around 9% alcohol.

Very Good+
$15 / 750ml at Brewery Creek

Dogfish Head India Brown Ale

2009-06-10T19:20:00.000-07:00

Dogfish Head are surprisingly consistent in quality across their huge selection of microbrewed beer. The India Brown Ale is somewhat of a hybrid between a creamy English style ale and a malty strong ale. Brewed with brown sugar, this has a significant texture that is smooth and viscous.

On the palate, the caramel and brown sugar flavours from the malts develop into a smoky and slightly bitter herbal finish. This is quite a robust beer at 7.2% ABV, but is balanced enough to go with many foods. I could see this with a pot pie or some sort of stew. And, a few days after drinking this I find myself repeatedly craving more. Always a good sign.

Very Good+
$5/375ml at Brewery Creek

Dogfish Head Red & White

2009-06-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

This was an old bottle I had been storing for about a year: spoils from the Seattle International Beer Festival. Without comparison to a non-aged version it is hard to say what the effect was, but I can attest that this was very balanced for such high alcohol, which I find a common occurrence when you age such beers for about a year.

The spicy nose gave way to malted spice, bread, cake, orange peel, caramel sauce and maybe correander on the palate. Complex and well balanced, this went down super easily on a hot summer day. This was perhaps due to the distinct juicyness which suggested freshly pressed cherries and strawberries - a factor likely the result of the added pinot noir juice. The finish is refined and malty without being too sweet. Excellent stuff. 10% ABV.

Very Good+
Around $15-20 USD I think.

Dierberg Pinot Noir 2005

2009-06-08T00:40:00.000-07:00

Wanting a little nostalgic reflection on California I pulled out this Santa Maria Valley pinot from Dierberg, who I visited back in March. The 2005 vintage is showing well right now.

The nose had mostly strawberry and licorice, with noticeable alcohol hinting at a slight imbalance. The palate, however, was well structured with its leafy edge to the dominant cherry and strawberry fruit alongside a hint of cola. This was rich, bold, and had a smooth finish with an elegant structure. In the end, though, this is overpriced in the Canadian market.

Very Good+
$70 at Steamworks Liquor Store

Domaine Weinbach Gewurztaminer Cuvée Théo 2006

2009-06-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

I am no connoisseur of Gewurztaminer, only having been mildly unimpressed by several inexpensive offerings in the past. This wine changed my perceptions of what G-wine can achieve. With this bottle Weinbach suggests to me the underappreciated beauty of Alsatian wine.

Pouring a rich apple yellow in the glass, this smelled like burnt hay, caramel, and grapefruit. The palate was very deep and full and was somewhat like biting into a candy-apple laced with grapefruit jam and drizzled with caramel. The beautiful off-dryness balances the sweetness and acidity to crisply suggest freshness while not sacrificing the intensity of the rich fruit flavours. In the end this is a flexed wine, with a muscled finish. Highly recommended.

Excellent
$65 ($45 on sale) at BCLDB

Deschuttes Mirror Mirror 2009

2009-06-01T22:00:00.001-07:00

Here we have a highly anticipated beer from Deschuttes (of Bend, Oregon) in the same series as The Abyss, an extremely well respected barrel aged Imperial Stout. This, on the other hand, is a barrel aged barley wine - a suped up version of the Mirror Pond ale.

There is almost a Belgian element to the nose with solid fruit esters, candy and cherry. Upon first tasting this I realized that Deschuttes' recommendation to age the beer for at least one year was warranted - while carbonated it was clear the yeast had yet to fully activate. But, unlike the Angel's Share, I have no doubt that this will have perfect carbonation in a year.

The palate here is really fantastic with raisins, caramel, wood, white chocolate and some grain flavours. This is very smooth and balanced and has a wonderful creamy texture. Even with all its flavour, this does not go over the top nor is it boozy. This puts it well ahead of the Angel's Share, and I think it will end up being a better beer.

Excellent to Excellent+ (esp. with age)
$12/22oz

Lost Abbey Angel's Share 2008 (Brandy Barrel)

2009-05-31T20:38:00.000-07:00

Angel's share is somewhat of a specimen. Only available via mailing lists until this year, and now only in limited quantities at a few lucky beer stores. There is also a bit of a tumultuous story with the 2008, with reports of early bottling and unactivated yeast creating low carbonation levels. I was lucky enough to get 3 bottles of this stuff, one of which was put to the test through a preliminary assessment. The next two will be consumed at yearly intervals.

I can certainly attest that the carbonation tales are true: the yeast has either not had enough time to fully activate or there was some problem in bottling these. Nonetheless, this is still a good beer. The nose offers vanilla, chocolate, figs, raisins and a healthy dose of brandy.

The palate has loads of stewed fig, chocolate, port-like dark fruits, and a heavy brandy flavour. The alcohol is extremely noticeable at 13% abv - but as with many high gravity beers this should mellow with time. A challenging beer to consider this early, but thus far I have had better beer for a lot less money. Then again, if you drank a great Hermitage too young you might have a similar notion. Time shall tell.

Very Good+ to Excellent
$34 at Ledger's Liquors

Russian River Beatification Batch 3

2009-05-27T22:26:00.000-07:00

Another experimental beer from California - this time a cross between a lambic and a wild ale. This is one sour puppy with an apple heavy nose and a palate with pineapple, a touch of vanilla, lime and lemon. This is woody and very clean and has great layering - but man does it make you pucker. For me that's fantastic, others may be put off by the sourness, even though it is by no means out of balance. Another extremely drinkable beer with a reasonable ABV (around 6%), this is creamy with some obvious lactic notes. Love it.

Excellent
$23/750ml at City Beer

Lost Abbey Saint's Devotion

2009-05-26T22:41:00.000-07:00

I spent the last few days in California with a good friend of mine formerly of Vancouver and now of Chicago. Fortunately, he is also a beer afficionado so it was time to open some goodies I had been saving. Lost Abbey's Saint's Devotion is a wild version of their standard Devotion ale, spontaneously fermented with Brettanomyces yeast. The only way to detect the difference is the brown vs. green label: clearly a sign of the 'leetness' of this beer. I was lucky enough to pick up this rare beer at the Lost Abbey night at Toronado during SF beer week.

A yeast-tactic nose that smells like baking bread already promised some rambunctiously funky times ahead. The palate was certainly wild with lots of funky bread, must and apple notes. The bitter finish was slightly out of balance and less smooth than some of the other wild ale offerings we sampled during the week; however, this is an eminently drinkable beer with a clean and sharp palate. Air certainly helps to mellow this beer and warmth brings out the full complexity of flavour and balances the 'wildness' with the rest of the beer. 6.25% ABV.

Very Good+
$20 at Toronado

Pride Mountain Petite Sirah 2000

2009-05-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a while since my last post - life has been incredibly busy, including a move back to Canada and the start of my bar admissions course. And what do I elect to do with my first quiet moment? Think about this great bottle of California grape extract. Petite sirah is almost quintessentially Californian - the politically incorrect sibling of Zinfandel. This was one of the last bottles I had in California before returning back to Vancouver.

Deep purple in the glass - like a crimson sunset. The nose is very grapey and jammy with plenty of blackberry, plum, kreosite and chocolate. With all that intensity the alcohol is prominant on the nose, and this wine has serious legs in the glass.

The palate is impressively structured given its sheer mass: not too jammy, but replete with fruit and massive tannins that are on the verge of overwhelming. While drinking just about right now, I could not imagine what this was like upon release. The extraction and concentration are so intense in this wine that the flavour almost becomes a texture. An absolute goliath of a wine.

Very Good+
$52 at Benchmark Wines