It’s Wine Week!

The upcoming week promises to be an extravaganza of wonderful wines, and I couldn’t be happier to be almost over my two-week-long cold! A stubbornly stuffy nose has made everything taste like, well, nothing for the past week, but it finally started to clear up today, just in time for some exciting upcoming events!

         

Wednesday: BC Wine Appreciation Society Road 13 Tasting

The owners of Road 13 and their new winemaker will be coming to Vancouver on Wednesday to guide a tasting of twelve different wines from five different vintages (2005-2009) for the BC Wine Appreciation Society. The line-up includes a half-dozen library wines including Meritage blends Fifth Element Red and the no-longer produced Fifth Element White. I’m also looking forward to trying a couple of “Black Arts” wines – the reserve tier from when Road 13 was Golden Mile Vineyards: the 2005 Pinot Noir and 2006 Sauvignon Blanc should be quite interesting. There will be two vintages of the Road 13’s well-respected – and sadly no longer produced – Cabernet Sauvignon (2006 & 2007) plus current releases of Merlot and Pinot Noir. The new Rockpile red blend will also be available, and it appears that we’ll be tasting the about-to-be-released 2009 vintage. I’ve enjoyed a few bottles of the 2008 Rockpile this past year, and I expect an equally creative and delicious blend for 2009. A couple of Jackpot (Reserve) whites round out the tasting menu: the 2008 Chardonnay and the 2009 Riesling. The Chardonnay received a Gold Medal at the Canadian Wine Awards, and the Riesling is receiving some very positive reviews as well. I was fortunate enough to obtain a bottle of each of these small lots wines but have yet to open them, so I’m very much looking forward to tasting them for myself. As a bonus, attendees will also be enjoying some delicious appetizers to go with the wines, courtesy of the chef at the Listel Hotel, where BCWAS holds their monthly events.

Friday: Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival Tasting

This is the third year I have attended the Festival Tasting Room at the Playhouse Wine Festival and I’m practically giddy with anticipation. I consider myself extremely lucky to live in Vancouver where one of the premier wine festivals in North America takes place every year! The entire festival plays out over a week of events ranging from small intimate winemaker’s dinner to the massive Festival Tasting Room that takes place over three nights at the end of the week. This year 176 wineries will be in attendance, pouring 760 different wines! Every year there is a regional focus and a varietal focus, with this year’s foci being Spain and Fortified Wines; yikes! Those who love Port, Sherry, Madeira and the like will be in fortified heaven: just remember to spit now and then!

Having seen the program/schedule online I plan on heading to the on-site BC Liquor Store first thing and picking up a few special bottles (there is an on-site bottle check). Most of the wines being poured are also available for purchase, and many local wineries release their new vintages at the Playhouse Wine Festival. A few local priorities on my radar include Cassini Cellars Nobilus Merlot 2008, Hester Creek The Judge 2007, Jackson-Triggs Sunrock Shiraz 2008, Meyer Vineyards McLean Creek Road Pinot Noir 2008, Nk’Mip Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay 2009 and Meritage 2008, Painted Rock Merlot 2008 and Red Icon 2008, and Sandhill Small Lots Viognier 2010, among others! Fortunately the on-site store will deliver one’s purchases to the nearest BC Liquor Store, or my arms might tear off on the way home judging by that preliminary shopping list!

Saturday: BC Food & Wine Lunch

One of many events taking place during the Playhouse Wine Festival is this “Grazing Lunch” taking place at O’Doul’s Restaurant & Bar (back to the Listel hotel!). The two hour event features eighteen BC wineries, each serving two wines, plus a plethora of delicious foods too numerous to list! Although all of the wineries present are also in the Festival Tasting Room, some of the wines being poured are not available during the evening tasting sessions. Unique wines I look forward to trying with lunch include Herder’s 2008 Meritage – considered one of the best value Meritage blends in BC, Mission Hill’s 2006 Select Lot Collection Merlot – nicely aged by now no doubt, and Painted Rock’s new 2008 Syrah – likely a worthy follow-up to the fantastic 2007 inaugural vintage. There are still tickets available for this event as of this writing, one of the few still open, and it is sure to provide for a more relaxed atmosphere to explore the incredible wines of British Columbia; just make sure you aren’t too hung-over from the night before!

March Wine Club with a Brandy Twist

Our wine club this month included a guest couple, bringing the total up to eight attendees, and I finally had the perfect excuse to serve my magnum of Gray Monk 2007 Odyssey Brut! I was on appetizer duty this month, and with so many potential options before me I sought some outside suggestions: an e-mail to Gray Monk produced a reply from none other than winemaker Roger Wong! Roger had the excellent idea to pair this Lt. Governor’s Award-winning sparkling wine with a hot artichoke and spinach dip. With no time to lose I set about mixing up a luxurious melange of cream cheese, Parmesan, Romano, garlic, and a touch of lemon juice. Chopped artichoke hearts and spinach were folded in and the dip baked for 30 minutes as we admired the giant bottle. The pairing was superb: the creamy texture and citrus notes of the Brut perfectly complemented similar flavours in the dip. Baked pitas and tortilla chips were useful for scooping, and some goat cheese-stuffed cherry tomatoes provided an extra touch of colour and tartness.

There isn’t much 2007 left on the market at this point, as the 2008 Brut is now available, but it too comes in Magnums for the amazing price of only $45. Nothing quite beats a magnum (except maybe a double-magnum) for dinner-party flair, and Gray Monk’s economical and high-quality take on it now has a permanent place in my heart!

Our entree of the evening came in the form of a duo of pot pies, in turkey and mushroom varieties. On my plate a crispy golden crust cradled a medley of vegetables and juicy mushroom chunks that exuded rich savoury aromas; my mouth is watering just thinking about it!   Nk’Mip’s most recently released reserve Pinot Noir – the 2008 Qwam Qwmt version – was the wine pairing, fresh off it’s Gold Medal performance at the Canadian Wine Awards. (Nk’Mip entered both their 2007 and 2008 Qwam Qwmt Pinots into the 2010 CWAs, and won Golds for both!) Nk’Mip’s vintage report for the 2008 season details myriad challenges to viticulture that year, including hailstorms, windstorms, record rainfall, and heavy frost; this Pinot Noir was clearly a labour of love! The perfumed nose had aromas of currants, cola, and earthy/leathery characteristics. There was a relatively thin mouthfeel and flavours of plum and red fruit; overall a very good complement for the pot pies.

With additional guests having joined us a second dinner wine was also “necessary”, and a bottle of Road 13 2008 Rockpile was very welcome. Rockpile is Road 13’s new Syrah-based blend, and in my experience it is a very welcome addition to the red-blend scene, being suitable for almost any occasion. We smelled raspberry and cedar, and tasted figs alongside well-balanced tannins and acidity. I would be pretty happy to drink Rockpile any day of the week, but I wish that $25 sticker price was a bit lower. If Road 13 intends this 4,500-case wine to be an everyday hero they need to get closer to $20, where some other great BC red blends and Cab-Merlots are hanging out.

For dessert we cheated a bit on the wine theme with Poire William from Okanagan Spirits; and at 40% alcohol it really was only a bit! Made from extra ripe Bartlett pears, Poire William Eau de Vie is one of several fruit brandies produced by this homegrown craft distillery, a rare gem we are lucky to have here in BC! The brandy went well with the superb apple cake that was deservedly raved about: so fresh and moist, drizzled with homemade caramel sauce and grated fresh apple shavings. I am not ashamed to say I went back for a generous second portion!

At the end of the night we continued a tradition pertaining to magnum bottles: everyone signed the bottle to remember the occasion. Earlier in the day we had all attended a shooting range in Port Coquitlam – a new experience for most of us – hence the text on the bottle, “A mag for the day of shooting mags.” It was totally unintentional to drink a magnum on the same day many of us handled a magnum, but quite poetic in the end!

Le Vieux Pin & LaStella Release New Wines

On Thursday evening Enotecca Wineries and Resorts hosted a Vancouver tasting of new releases from their South Okanagan wineries, and I was fortunate enough to attend and sample some excellent new wines. Although the new releases were primarily white and Rosé wines, some very lovely new reds and library samples were also available from Oliver-based Le Vieux Pin and Osoyoos-based LaStella.

We began by learning about LaStella’s new 2010 wines: Leggiero – an unoaked Chardonnay, Vivace – a Pinot Grigio, and LaStellina – a Merlot-based Rosé. All three wines will retail for about $25, and have been produced in relatively small lots – as are all of Enotecca’s wines. I tried both the 2009 Leggiero and LaStellina last year and enjoyed them, especially the Rosé; pure Merlot Rosé is fairly rare in these parts. The new releases of both wines continue the tradition of excellence: the Chardonnay has complex and intriguing tropical aromas and flavours; it is a really charming wine that we went back to at the end of the night to refresh our palates. The Pinot Grigio – with more acidity – had pleasant notes of pineapple and would make an excellent patio sipper, should summer ever arrive. The LaStellina Rosé is a bright red colour with significant residual sugar – be sure to serve well chilled – but a refreshing tart finish. Also available to sample was the delicious 2010 Moscato, a sweet effervescent aperitif-style wine (“inspired by the infamous Moscato d’Asti”). Not yet bottled, the Moscato will be available in 500ml bottles for $20, an increase in size from last year when it came in 375ml half-bottles.

On the Le Vieux Pin side of things, several wines were available to sample, including some 2008 reds. I can do little better than John Schreiner in his January review of the new reds, in which he covered the Pinot Noir, Merlot, and new Syrah. The “Adieu” Pinot Noir is the last Pinot from Le Vieux Pin, as they switch over production to Rhone varietals like Syrah. General Manager Rasoul Salehi explained that Le Vieux Pin aims to produce wines exclusively from Southern Okanagan grapes, and acquiring Pinot Noir from the northern end of the valley simply does not fit with that terroir-specific strategy. It is a bittersweet departure as Adieu is a wonderful wine with crisp, tart red fruit. Fortunately as one good thing comes to an end another is just beginning with the first vintage of Syrah about to be released. Le Vieux Pin’s mix of Black Sage and Golden Mile fruit provides for a ripe, meaty Syrah, but with a very smooth texture suitable for immediate consumption. At $45 it has a lot of competition from wineries like Burrowing Owl, Jackson-Triggs, and See Ya Later, all of which produce highly regarded Syrahs for $35 or less; so I’m looking forward to seeing how this new venture will play out over time.

In the same Rhone vein as Le Vieux Pin’s new Syrah comes an excellent Viognier-Roussanne with an interesting story: in addition to stainless steel and traditional oak barrels, a small amount was aged in acacia wood! The wine is aromatic with even stronger tropical flavours on the palate; but the soft, smooth texture and full mouthfeel is my favourite quality. Rasoul suggests serving this wine with sushi that includes fruits like mango or passionfruit, plus a fatty component to complement the wine’s weight – ripe avocado would certainly work well for vegetarians.

Other new releases from Le Vieux Pin include their 2010 Sauvignon Blanc and 2010 Pinot Noir Rosé. The Sauvignon Blanc – just bottled on Monday – is a powerhouse of aromas; one needn’t even lift the glass to smell notes of gooseberry and grapefruit wafting upwards from the table. If you like crisp, dry, aromatic Sauvignon Blanc this is definitely a bottle to get your hands on; it went well with some tangy goat cheese that was on hand for the tasting. The Rosé complements LaStella’s Merlot-based version, with the more common use of Pinot Noir: why not try them both to compare varietals! It is drier and paler than LaStellina, and has that well-known wet-pavement Pinot character. It would be quite suitable with food, and has pleasant aromas of strawberry and rhubarb.

To conclude the evening we were provided the chance to sample some library vintages from both wineries, including Pinot Noir and Merlot from 2005 and 2006. Le Vieux Pin’s 2005 “Bella” Pinot Noir has matured quite well and still had great red fruit and acidity, along with a surprisingly meaty texture. The “Apogee” (Reserve) Merlot from the same year is also – not surprisingly – aging very well, with a soft velvety texture as the tannins have mellowed, and bright acidity. LaStella’s Reserve Merlot “Maestoso” from 2006 had more tannins, but less acidity than the Apogee; it was quite illuminating to try both vintages and wineries alongside one another. The Maestoso was our favourite, with amazing dark fruit flavours and a rich finish; it was indeed “totally sensual” as John Schreiner describes it. In fact the 2007 Maestoso received 95 points and is still available in stores – with a $90 price tag it moves slowly but surely. I doubt you’ll get your hands on one of the 22 Magnums produced however, they are certainly long gone!

February Acquisitions

I picked some special wines for the cellar in February, and a few words about these gems are worth mentioning. I’m particularly pleased with the three Fairview Cellars bottles I got from Taylorwood. This year was the first time I have spotted Bill Eggert’s rare and popular wines in a VQA store – for winery pricing – so I was very excited to add a bottle of the excellent 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon to my collection. I also have the 2006 vintage, and the 2008 has been released, but may not show up in stores for a while (only 300 cases were produced). Bill’s Cabernet is his focus, and his blends incorporate it extensively, including the Two Hoots, an ageable wine which Anthony Gismondi suggests could teach other wineries a thing or two. The other red blend – Madcap Red – is Merlot-dominant, and bottled under screwcap to suggest intended near-term enjoyment.

Speaking of Merlot I was able to acquire a couple of prize single-varietal Merlots from 2006, one of which was only just released! The Jackson-Triggs Sunrock Merlot was awarded a gold medal at the 2010 Canadian Wine Awards but only just started showing up in stores. Jackson-Triggs seems to like bottle-aging their Sunrock wines for a long time: I’m still waiting for the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, as even small BC Liquor Stores are still stocking the 2005. I can only assume they release these wines very slowly, as the Sunrock series is not produced in large volumes whatsoever, yet remains on store shelves far longer than the many accolades these wines receive should suggest.

I also added to my collection a slick-looking bottle from Ex Nihilo, on the advice of Georgia Straight columnist Jurgen Gothe. Jurgen’s description of the Okanagan Falls grapes yielding a “state-of-the-art” wine is compelling, as is the first vintage in 2005 having received the People’s Choice Award at the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival. I picked up the Ex Nihilo from Taylorwood, although I know Firefly Cambie has some of the 2005 in stock if you’re interested in trying the earlier vintage as well.

    

During my visit to Taylorwood for Fairview Cellars wines I also spotted the new release of Clos du Soleil’s icon red “Signature”. Clos du Soleil is a new winery in the Similkameen Valley, with a small but growing portfolio of fine wines. As John Schreiner writes, their 2007 red Meritage – called simply “Red” – was judged the best icon wine during a special tasting at the SIP VQA store in Richmond last fall. I was able to obtain a bottle of the 2007 Red – renamed Signature for 2008 – but the now Merlot-dominant blend is produced in even more limited quantities this year: only 275 cases of the 2008, down from 450 in 2007. The wine is described as having firm, ripe tannins suggestive of a long life: stick around and see how it tastes when I open it in a few years.

BC Wine Appreciation Society–CedarCreek Tasting

After finally getting around to joining the BC Wine Appreciation Society I attended my first event Tuesday night – an exciting tasting of CedarCreek wines guided by proprietor Gordon Fitzpatrick. The event was sold out, with significantly more members and guests in attendance than usual, which speaks to CedarCreek’s reputation and desirability. We were certainly not disappointed: as we sat down we found poured in front of us nine excellent wines, including six from the Platinum series of CedarCreek’s best wines.

We began with a tasting of Ehrenfelser from the BCWAS cellar, a well-preserved (thanks to a Stelvin closure) sample from the excellent 2008 vintage. Having enjoyed several bottles of the 2009 last summer it seemed to me that the 2008 was a bit more acidic than my recollection of the 2009, but still in possession of those floral fruity aromatics and fresh flavour Ehrenfelser is so well known for. CedarCreek is an Ehrenfelser champ, and many fans are no doubt eager to get their hands on the 2010 vintage when it is released in April; it will likely sell out fairly quickly, just as previous vintages have done.

The only other whites being sampled that evening comprised  CedarCreek’s 2008 Chardonnays: the regular Estate Chardonnay was available to compare with the Platinum version. Both versions were good, and the Estate Chardonnay at $18 represents an excellent bargain in particular. I myself preferred the Platinum version for its amazingly creamy mouth-feel and richness. Having just purchased a bottle for near-term aging based on positive reviews I am eager to acquire a second bottle to open even sooner so as to share that wonderful texture with my wife, who couldn’t attend the tasting.

Following the Chardonnay there was a sample of the Platinum Pinot Noir, awarded Best of Category at the 2010 All Canadian Wine Championships: it was pleasantly juicy with enjoyable strawberry notes. It would have been interesting to compare Pinot Noirs as we did with the Chardonnay, but it was soon on to Merlot where such a comparison was once again available. The 2007 Platinum Merlot picked up a Gold Medal at the Canadian Wine Awards, following in the large footsteps of its Lt. Governor’s Award-winning older sibling from 2006. When comparing the Estate version with the Platinum what was immediately apparent was the difference in residual sugar: the Platinum wine has significantly less sugar and was definitely my favourite of the two. My preference notwithstanding, the Estate Merlot is certainly a quality wine, and the majority at my table felt that two bottles of $20 Estate Merlot would be slightly preferred over one bottle of Platinum.

Three big red wines remained in front of us – all Platinum-series – consisting of the 2007 Syrah, 2007 Meritage, and the 2008 Malbec. The Meritage is unlikely to show up in many stores just yet, as the 2006 is still being sold, but the Syrah has been out since 2009, and the Malbec was recently released. The peppery Syrah was actually smoother than CedarCreek’s tasting notes suggest in describing “firm tannins”. I have a bottle myself, and will give it a couple of years to “integrate” before trying it again, although it was quite satisfactory to my tastes in the present. The Meritage was thoroughly enjoyed by the crowd, and I would have to agree: it was well-rounded and nicely blended, with pleasant ripe fruit. Interestingly the blend contains 18% Malbec and only 5% Cabernet Franc, proportions you would typically expect to be reversed, but it works just fine in this case.

The final wine of the evening was one I had been waiting for since arriving – the Platinum Malbec. In 2007 CedarCreek released their first Platinum Malbec, only 84 cases of a complex wine John Schreiner called “a tour de force” worthy of 95 points! Fortunately production was nearly tripled for the 2008 vintage, plus a price reduction of $10 was quite welcome. I have purchased a bottle of each vintage, and have now also sampled both as well, with much enjoyment. Although the tasting notes mention violets and lavender on the nose, in this particular instance I kept smelling mint chocolate. I didn’t want to finish the little bit left in my glass, so that I could keep inhaling its wonderful aromas! Considering how little single varietal Malbec is to be found in BC this is a wine to cherish.

New Sandhill Small Lots Wines

Last month while perusing the Sandhill Wines website I noticed some additions to their online store: new vintages have been released of some (very) Small Lot wines I had acquired in the past. Without any fanfare or notice Sandhill have made available the new vintages of their Small Lots Chardonnay (2009), Malbec (2008), and Merlot (2008)! All three of these wines – like most of the Small Lots portfolio – have been generously feted in the past, and with the number of barrels produced in the single digits there is not much time to waste in acquiring some. I would recommend a visit to Sandhill’s recently nicely renewed website if you’re interested: unlike many wineries Sandhill is willing to ship in multiples of 6 bottles or even fewer, if like me you don’t have room for a full case from every one of BC’s many excellent wineries!

Small Lots Chardonnay (2009): This the second vintage of winemaker Howard Soon’s foray into single block Chardonnay. He managed to increase production to 190 cases this year from 132 in last year’s initial vintage. That first release from the 2008 vintage received very respectable reviews, being described as a “tour de force” by John Schreiner. The 2008 was also awarded Best of Category at the Okanagan Spring Wine Festival. Needless to say I didn’t waste any time adding this wine to my online shopping cart – I hope for similarly good things from this vintage.

Small Lots Malbec (2008): Sandhill has produced Small Lots Malbec for at least several years, and this new release is the second vintage I have acquired. The 2007 release received a silver medal at the Canadian Wine Awards, and the same at the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival (a competition now referred to as the BC Wine Awards). Anthony Gismondi has been reviewing this Malbec over many years, and last year’s vintage received his highest score yet and mention of the good potential for this varietal at Sandhill. Let’s hope the 2008 vintage builds on Sandhill’s growing expertise. The winery describes production in terms of barrels this year – 8 of them to be exact – which equates to approximately 200 cases, a very small lot wine once again.

Small Lots Merlot (2008): Like the Chardonnay this Merlot is also a new experiment with single block production. Howard produced only 119 cases last year in the first release, and managed to pick up a prestigious Lt. Governor’s Award for the effort, not to mention a gold medal at the Canadian Wine Awards! For 2008 a few more cases were added to the production quantity, rounding it out at eight barrels according to Sandhill. The new vintage definitely has some big shoes to fill, but if even some of the praise and compliments from last year are repeated this will be a very wise addition to my collection indeed.

As you can see from the photo above I also picked up some of Sandhill’s other wines to round out a case, all of which I am pleased to drink relatively soon – unlike the Small Lots wines which are destined for a bit of cellar time. That is not to say that Sandhill’s “regular” wines would suffer in the cellar, just that I was running dangerously low on some staples like Pinot Gris, Syrah, and Cab-Merlot! I am certain that these wines will all be enjoyed relatively soon. Sandhill’s reputation for quality, and my past experience with their solid portfolio gave me the confidence to pick what I needed for near-term consumption without concern.

February Wine Club – Romance Edition

Without any of us agreeing on anything in advance, this month’s Wine Club attendees put together a charming romantic meal for the night before St. Valentine’s Day. We began with a deliciously rich cheese fondue – the first time I had ever actually had fondue in fact! We quickly learned how challenging fondue can be to maintain – not too hot and not too cool! Alongside bread and crisp Granny Smith apple slices we poured St. Hubertus 2008 Chasselas. Seeing as how St. Hubertus suggests their Chasselas as the perfect accompaniment for fondue it seemed like an obvious choice: the citrus notes and acidity were a good match for the tart Swiss cheese. The nose reminded some of us of linen/cotton; the wine was light and crisp to keep our palates fresh between bites of creamy, oh-so-delicious cheese.

Our hosts graciously provided for a main course in two versions to accommodate vegetarians and carnivores alike: a meaty Bolognese sauce, or the animal-friendly alternative made with soy-based ‘’’Ground Round”. I was happy to spoon the Ground Round over top of fresh noodles as I pondered my glass of Seven Stones 2006 Standing Rock Meritage. I have a bottle of this in my own cellar – purchased after enjoying it at a Penticton restaurant in 2009; only later did I learn it was awarded Gold medals at both the All-Canadian Wine Championships and the Canadian Wine Awards. The wine itself was quite good, with aromas and flavours of leather and tobacco, plums and currants; however it came across a bit too acidic paired with the hearty and heavenly Bolognese. We agreed it wasn’t as good a match as we’d hoped, but on it’s own the wine was excellent; I’ll have to try a different pairing when I open my own bottle – live and learn!

Naturally, dessert was chocolate – could there be any alternative?! I’ve had a couple bottles of Sumac Ridge 2005 Pipe awaiting a special pairing and this was the perfect opportunity to open one up and share with good friends. Pipe is Sumac Ridge’s version of Port, and is basically a fortified Meritage: 33% each of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. I get some every year in confidence, it’s definitely one of BC’s top fortified wines, and always goes well with chocolate. To match such a special wine I had a chocolate treat a century in the making: a limited supply of Nacional chocolate I had acquired from Montreal. The rarest chocolate available, this once “extinct” cacao bean has recently been re-discovered, and is available in very limited quantities: the two bars and small boxes of chocolate-covered beans I picked up from the Post Office on Friday were numbered limited editions, yikes! Needless to say I didn’t use Nacional chocolate for the vegan mousse I made – for that I “settled” on half-a-kilogram of Callebaut – but everyone got three squares of pure Nacional, and a couple of the roasted, chocolate-covered beans. The tawny nose and warm cherry, caramel, and date flavours of the Pipe were exquisite alongside the mellow, fruity flavours of Nacional, and the rich and creamy dark chocolate mousse – a unique and decadent dessert experience!