Swirls - Grand Red Wine Blind Tasting

$35. 18 wines. Thursday night. How can you not say yes!


A couple of weeks ago I attended Swirl Wine Store's first Grand red wine blind tasting. It was a great event in store put on by Jeff and Michelle at the Yaletown location. Swirl Wines is a BC VQA store and one of my favorite wine stores in the city. All wines sold there are 100% BC grown and they have a great selection so you don't have to drive to the Okanagan.

Upon arriving I was given a scoring sheet with 18 slots so I already knew I'm getting my $35 worth. All that we were told was that the wines were red blends, tasted blind, were decanted a couple of hours before and ranged in price from $33 up to $144. I had a great tasting at a fun table and enjoyed their little tasting twist. Instead of tasting 18 wines, we were poured wines #1 & #9 again as wines #17 & #18. It was a re-introduction to compare your notes and see if you scored them the same. I won't go through all the wines and just hit my top 5.


Wines in the order I scored them:



#5 - Tinhorn Creek - 2 Bench Red - 2011 - $33.03
              - 39% Cab Franc, 35% Merlot, 24% Cab Sauv, 2% Petit Verdot

A bit light and distinct  with blackcurrant, some vanilla plum, and pencil shavings. Has a bit of tobacco and smokey mocha on the palate. Spent 18 months in a mix of new and old oak, great value and the cheapest of the tasting.





#4 -Road 13 - 5th Element 2011
              - 57% Merlot, 21%Cab Franc, 10% Syrah, 7% Cab Sauv, 2%Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec

Aromas of toasted almonds, blackberry, with some floral notes.. The palate brings some cedar, and chocolate dark berries with smooth balanced tannins. Spent 16 months in french oak




#3 -Blackwood Lane - Reference - 2008- $143.48
              - Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot

Rich and complex with with a long finish and many years left in it. On the nose there was blackcurrant, juicy dark berries, vanilla and hint of cigar ash. The palate has flavours black cherry, coffee mocha, and sweet vanilla with an afterthought of cedar, spice and everything nice. Aged in french oak and takes a methodical 5 years from harvest to release






#2 -Cassini Cellars - Godfather - 2011- $65.21
              - Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc, Syrah

Nice well balanced and will be long lived. With intense aromas of ripe cherry, black currant, and some dark chocolate latte. Nice long finish with tasty nuances climbing from it's depths. Spent 24 months in new french oak barrels giving nice caramel and toasty cedar notes.





#1 -Persus - Invictus - 2013 - $49.46
              - 42% Cab Franc, 38% Merlot, 13% Cab Sauv, 7% Malbec

Great complexity on my highest scored wine of the night and the only one with Cab Franc as the dominate grape. It had intense aromas of black cherry chocolates, mushrooms and a bit of minerality with some pencil shavings. On the palate it is well balanced and velvety smooth; with flavours of chocolate licorice, ripe cherry, and toasted cedar. Aged in french oak 31% of it new.




So if you need an excuse for a nice bottle of wine any of these should satisfy your palate.


Other Wines tasted that night:

Osooyos Larose - Grand Vin - 2012
Serendipity - Serenata - 2010
Sandhill - Sandhill One - 2012
Bonamici - Belviaggio - 2012
Painted Rock - Red Icon - 2013
Lariana - Twelve - 2012
Church & State - Quintessential - 2011
Hillside - Mosaic - 2009
Poplar Grove - Legacy - 2011
Laughing Stock - Portfolio - 2013
Mission Hill - Quatrain - 2011

Marsanne

Wine of the Week

Marsanne is a white grape variety originally found in the northern Rhone in France where it is usually blended with Rousanne. Marsanne usually produces full bodied wines with a richness to them that allows them to age well. They tend to have flavours of pears, apples, some nuttiness, and nice honeyed notes that develop with age.


If you go looking for Marsanne the best will be found in Ermitage or Hermitage France, but we're talking $60-500. Most will be found in blends with Rousanne and Voigner. I found a nice one single variety from Australia at the BCL and I believe Road 13 in the Okanagan have one as well. They are hard to find as single variety wines, so if you find one it might mean a delicious surprise. They pair well with lot's of food and can be a nice change from the usual whites.



TAHBILK - Marsanne -  Central Victoria Australia - 2011            - BC Liquor = $18.49


This was a great surprise; a delicious wine with a lot going on. On the nose there's coconut husk, an almost ripe peach, some faint floral notes and a shy wet stone lingering in the depths. The palate is dominated by lemon rinds, honeycomb, honeysuckle and that wet pet rock you named "Honey". This wine is dry and the 2011 starting to show a little age with crisp acidity and good length on the finish.

Katherine's Birthday Tasting - Tempranillo

Tempting Tempranillo's!

For her birthday Katherine wanted to have a Tempranillo tasting. It's a red grape from Spain that is food friendly and quite versatile. There's a little bit grown in the Okanagan so I had to add a couple into the flight of Spanish wines.

We had 11 people come out and a nice flight of 12 wines that included 2 Rose's. Ten of the wines were from Spain and the last two from BC. It was a great flight except for the Nexus One from Ribera del Deuro which was corked. Corked means it has been tainted by a bacteria called TCA (Trichloroanisole), found inside the cork and affects about 7% of all corks. It makes the wine taste like cork, damp cardboard, or flooded basement. It is not harmful do drink, but most people can't get past the smell and off taste. This was the first time I have had a corked wine in a tasting I hosted, and I decided to serve it as it was a good side lesson for the group.


All the wines below are made with Tempranillo, and the pairs are in the order we tasted them.

ROSE:

1. Monterio - Rosado - 2014 - Spain - $13.99 - Everything Wine

There are lots of Rose wine made in Spain from Tempranillo. This one is a generic blend but tasty and good value. Bright notes of strawberries and cream with a bit of fresh cherry. It is dry, easy drinking, refreshing, and is best served cold.





2. Marques de Caceres - Rioja Rose - 2014 - Rioja, Spain - $14.99 - BC Liquor

This rose from Rioja is fuller bodied then wine #1 and has a bit richer mouth feel. It had a bit of tartness due to the strawberry rhubarb notes, and a hint of baked grapefruit as an after note.With the extra body in this wine it makes it food friendly and should also be served slightly chilled.







VALUE PICKS:

3. Castilla - Altacena Tempranillo - 2013 - Castilla, Spain - $12.99 - BC Liquor

This Tempranillo from central Spain is a great value find and makes for a good weekday red. It has 5% Syrah and 5% Garnacha to give it more depth. It has nice notes of dark berries, some smoke and an intriguing rocky floralness to it. It sees some French and American oak and 3 months before bottling they add some declassified Rioja to the blend.





4. Anciano - Valdepenas Gran Reserva 2007 - Aged 7 years - Valdepenas, Spain $11.49 - BC Liquor

Another superb value with this one that's under $12 and is aged 7 years before release! This wine definitely gives you the aromas and tastes of an aged wine. It has mature dark cherry, with cedar, cigar box, vanilla, and some sweet spice. They also make a 10 year aged version for $14.99 if you want to see what an even older wine tastes like.



RIOJA:

In Rioja there are aging laws for their wines. There are four different categories: Joven,  which means young or no ageing. Crianza which needs min 12 months in cask and 24 months total aging before release. Then there is Reserva which needs min 12 months in cask, and 36 months total aging before release. Last there is Gran Reserva which needs 24 months in cask, and 60 months total aging before release.

5. Campo Viejo - Tempranillo  Rioja - 2014 - Rioja DOC, Spain - $14.79 - BC Liquor

Entry level Rioja that is 100% Tempranillo and saw 4 months in American oak. On the nose there's nice ripe strawberries, vanilla and hints of clove. On the palate there is red fruits, toasted coconut and a nice finish of vanilla bean.



6. Marques de Riscal - Rioja Reserva - 2011 - Rioja DOC, Spain - $29.49 - BC Liquor

This Reserva  has 7% Graciano and 3% Mazuelo to add color and crispness. On the nose it gives you concentrated strawberry rhubarb pie, with hints of dark cherry, licorice, some vanilla, pepper spice, and a nuance of balsamic finding it's way into the depths of your palate. This was one of my favorites on the night due to the complexities and long finish.





TORO:

Toro lies on the Duero river in western Spain just east of the Portugal border. They grow a clone of Tempranillo there which has thicker skins called, Tinto de Toro. The wines tend to be fuller bodied than Rioja, big full reds that tend to be high in alcohol.


7. Albanico - Eternum Viti - 2011 - Toro DO, Spain - $21.99 - BC Liquor

This Toro had black and blueberries, some leather, tobacco, and hints of graphite. It was aged in 70% French oak and 30% American oak. It has rich dark colour and could probably benefit from a few more years of aging.




8. Terra D'uro - Finca La Rana - 2011 - Toro DO, Spain - $21.99 - BC Liquor

For a Toro this wine was on the lighter side giving it a nice balanced medium body with a fresh crisp acidity. There was notes of dusty black cherry, with a savory earthiness to it. Nice subtleties of toasted cashew and a bit of spicy salami in there as well. Nice nuances in this newer style of Toro.







RIBERA DEL DUERO:

Ribera del Duero lies on the Duero river between Toro and Rioja on the highest part of the Spanish Meseta. It is surrounded by a ring of mountains which cuts it off from any coastal influence, and the high altitude helps mitigate the high temperatures.  The clone of Tempranillo they grow here is called Tinto Fino which also has thicker skins than the Rioja clone. These wines tend to be darker in colour with big more powerful astringent tannins than Rioja wines.


9. Frontaura - Nexus One - 2012 - Ribera del Duero DO, Spain - $21.99 BC Liquor

This is the wine that was corked and smelled of damp cardboard, with a cork and vinyl aftertaste. It was a good example of a corked wine, but I was disappointed not to get to taste it. If we did there would of been black fruits, chocolate covered cherries, some floral notes and hints of licorice. Big, potent, and age worthy.



10. Torres - Celeste Crianza -  2012 - Ribera del Duero DO, Spain - $23.49 - BC Liquor

This is a great Ribera that comes from vineyards 850m in elevation that provide cool nights to retain the wines acidity. On the nose you get black cherry, wild blueberries, tobacco,  some savory spice, with a hint of smokiness. Well balanced with velvety tannins and a nice long finish of dark fruits and dried herbs.





OKANAGAN:

There are a few wineries growing and experimenting with Tempranillo in the Okanagan and the two I had picked out fared well against it's Spanish cousins. Moon Cursor always tends to be a favorite wine of the night but this time the Stag's Hollow shined brighter in the blind tasting. The Inniskillin and Pentage wineries in the Okanagan also make nice Tempranillo's and are worth exploring if you enjoy a nice tempting Temp.


11. Stag's Hollow - Tempranillo - 2012 - Okanagan Falls, BC - $30.99 - Swirl Wine

This beautiful Tempranillo has 10% Merlot in it and saw 100% American oak with 50% of them new oak for 15 months.  It has aromas of blackcurrant, ripe plums and raspberries, some coffee with a bit of smokey cigar box. Nice complexities and great balanced mouth feel that tends to linger.






12. Moon Cursor - Tempranillo - 2012 - Osoyoos, BC - #31.99 - Swirl Wine

This 100% Tempranillo from Moon Cursor saw some new French and American oak is drinking well now. There was not the concentration that the Stag's Hollow had, but the nuances for restraint yet still complex. On the nose there's cherries, violets, and tobacco. On the palate the is red fruit, pepper, and a hint of savory mushroom.








Hope you enjoyed reading, and let me know what you think if you get to try any of these wines we tasted.

Birthday Tasting 2016

BC takes on the World!

This year for my 2nd annual Birthday Tasting I decided to pair BC wines with some classic Old World wines. We were going to be 10 people so that called for 10 bottles tasted blind as we always do. Half of the group were first time tasters, so I tried to get a good range to lure them over to the wine side. There was no clear winner on the night as everyone had different favorites, but everyone learned a little something about wine.

All wines were either purchased at BC Liquor stores or the VQA Swirl Wine Store in Yaletown.

Riesling:

Wine #1 - Schloss Reinhartshausen, Riesling 2013, Rheingau Germany
$17.99

When you think old world Riesling you think German. They are known to make some of the best Rieslings in every range of sweetness from dry to dessert wines. This one I would call off-dry with just enough sweetness to add balance to it's high acidity. Some Rieslings get a distinct aroma of petrol (Germany) or rubber garden hose (Australia).

This wine had nice notes of lemon zest, fresh green apple, pear, a hint of the classic petrol and nice minerality to it that gives you the sense of place.

Wine #2 - Decora, Culmina Estate Winery, 2014 Okanagan BC
$20-22.00

This is a 100% Riesling from the Culmina Estate near the town of Oliver. BC Rieslings are either dry or off-dry and never reach the sweetness levels of their German counterparts.

 This wine was dry with stone fruits like nectarine, with some gentle grapefruity citrus and spring floral notes with underlying minerality. It took awhile to open up and show properly. More subtle and refined/muted flavours then wine #1

Gamay Noir:

Wine #3 - Jean-Ernest Decombes - Morgon 2011, Beaujolais France.

$19.49

Morgon is one of the 10 villages with Beaujolais Cru status. Beaujolais is always made from the Gamay grape and it is the grapes traditional home; which lies just south of Burgundy in France. Regular Beaujolais is made for early drinking and is light and fresh. the Cru's are the most complex, some see a little oak with the best being able to age.

On the nose it had fresh strawberries with cream, with a hint of cherry pie, and drying flowers. On the palate some fruit, a bit of earth, seems to be starting to fade a little dull on the finish.

Wine #4 - Gamay - Joie Farms 2013, Naramata BC

$21-24.00

Joie Farms on the Naramata bench makes a nice range of white and red wines. Their 100% Gamay is made in a Cru Beaujolais style making it richer and giving it a fuller body. It saw 10 months in large oak casks on their lees adding to it's complexities. Gamay tends do well in our cool climate and this example really shows what a BC Gamay can do.

This wine had dark cherry, some white pepper and earthiness, fuller bodied and meatier than your usual Gamay. On the palate it was riper bramble fruits with a hint of earthy spice with a nice finish.

Sangiovese:

Wine #5 - Okanagan Valley BC
$26-30.00

Sangiovese grapes are rarely found outside Italy and it can make a large range of styles. Sandhill made the first Sangiovese VQA wine in Canada to prove you could make nice wines outside Italy. Sandhill has some great wines in their Small Lot's series, and if you are in Kelowna I would check out their beautiful tasting room.

This little gem saw french oak and was made in a very classic style. It has lovely notes of smoked salami, toasty cedar, cherries, with some dried herbs, and a hint of licorice. Very well balanced and delicious. I would also recommend their other Italian beauty the Barbera.

Wine #6 - Chianti Classico - Ruffino Riserva Ducale 2012, Chianti Italy 

$27.00

Chianti is one of the most popular Italian wine and if it says Classico you know it comes from the central traditional region. They are dominated by Sangiovese with up to 20% other grapes allowed. Riserva on Italian wines means it will have higher alcohol and a longer ageing period.

Ruffino is one of the larger produces in the Chianti region making various price ponts. This wine is always a reliable go to for a nice Italian dinner party. It has notes of dusty cherry, some spice, a bit of leather and toasted cedar with ripe plum on the palate.

Syrah:

Wine #7 - Syrah - C.C. Jentsch Cellars 2013, Okanagan Valley BC

$30.00

Syrah's traditional home is the Rhone Valley in France, but has also become a star in Australia where they call it Shiraz.  C.C Jentsch is located on the Golden Mile in Oliver, BC and they make some great award winning wines including this Syrah which received the Platinum Award at the National Wine Awards of Canada.

A great BC Syrah that's drinking well right now and will for a few years. It spent 6 months in mostly American oak and gives great notes of blackberries, blueberries, smokey toasted wood, with some sweet spice and maybe a hint of fresh berry pie in there to.

Wine #8 - Crozes-Hermitage - Heritages, Ogier 2012, Northern Rhone France

$22.00

Crozes-Hermitage is the largest appellation in the northern Rhone, and probably the only one available to my pocketbook. Syrah is the only red grape permitted by law, but winemakers can add up to 15% white grapes (Marsanne & Roussanne).

This entry level bottle for Crozes-Hermitage but showed really well as distinct old world. It had nice notes of raspberries and blackcurrant, some leather and a bit of spice with a subtle earthiness to it.

Bordeaux Blends:

Wine #9 - Reserve Serenata - Serendipity Winery 2010, Okanagan Valley BC

$40.00

Bordeaux blends are wines made in the style of the famous and expensive Chateaus in Bordeaux, France. The grapes allowed in Bordeaux are Merlot, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. Only wines from Bordeaux can use that term by law. That's why most wineries give their Bordeaux blends proprietary names.**

Serendipity is a wonderful small winery on the Naramata Bench in the Okanagan. This blend is Merlot, Cab Sauv, and Cab Franc and has aromas of  ripe dark fruits, hint of raisin, tobacco with some smokiness. On the palate you get blueberry and a hint of mocha with soft tannins long finish. 

Wine #10 - Château Segue Longue Monnier Médoc Cru Bourgeois 2010, Bordeaux France
$28.00

This come from the Left Bank Medoc region of Bordeaux. Left Bank refers to what side of the Gironde Estuary the vineyards fall on. Left Bank tend to be Cabernet Sauvignon based, while Right Bank tends to be Merlot based; this is mainly because of the different soil types on either side.

This organic 2010 Bordeaux gives you an entry level Left Bank dominated by Cab Sauv from a great vinatge. It had notes of black currants, cherry, raspberry, some caramel and oak notes like cedar and tobacco with a medium length. Many Bordeaux's can age for decades, but this one won't last and should probably be drank soon. 

** - Or you can pay to use the term Meritage which has similar but not as strict standards to Bordeaux. This is mostly a North American thing with only about 350-400 participating wineries.





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Champagne's Spanish Cousin

If you didn't know Champagne has a Spanish cousin named Cava. She's made the same way, can still be sexy, but doesn't have as expensive tastes. The Cava DO covers several different geographical regions throughout Spain and is made from the local varieties Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Parellada for the whites; with Garnacha and Monestrell making up the Roses. Recently they have allowed Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to be used as well giving more depth to the profiles of these wines.


The first wine I tried at my first wine class was a $120 Champagne, and I finally got bubbly. It was a great little surprise gently exploding in my mouth....savour the moment, not in the budget. That's where Cava comes in. You rarely see a wine over $50 and in our market most are under $25. These are made in the traditional method where it goes through 2nd fermentation in the bottle, and then spends time ageing on it's lees (dead yeast cells). This will give the wines the bready, biscuit and yeast notes that come from a nice Champagne. Most Cava won't age like Champagne but at $20 a bottle your ageing better be in the vicinity of later this week.



Since it is the holiday season if you need to grab a quick bubbly, and you don't want to break the bank you may find a nice Cava to entertain with. Great for Mimosas too on Christmas morning! If you like your sparkling wines with a that bready yeasty note look for Traditional Method or Method Classique on the bottle. That describes the 2nd fermentation in the bottle. If you like a fruity bubbly without the biscuits try a Prosecco or a sweet Asti. Only drink red and looking for adventure track down a Lambrusco, Italy's frothy red bubbly. Hvae a great holiday season and enjoy your bubbles morning and night!

Pelican Bay Wine Tasting

Last week I went to a wine tasting at the Dockside Restaurant on Granville Island. This is a twice a year event put on by the Coal Harbour Liquor Store. There was around 18 tables featuring passionate and knowledgeable wine merchants, winery reps, and a winemaker or two as well. Each table was pouring anywhere from 2-8 wines including reds, whites, bubbly and some delicious sweet wines as well. You can easily go through 60+ wines depending on your pace, amount of spitting and seasoning of your liver.

These are always great events if you don't mind getting tipsy on a weekday. I try to get there right at 5pm as they open to get through some tables before it gets crowded. This allows me to geek out and talk a little deeper about the wines. I am not good company at these events as I usually geek out more than my group of friends and tend to get separated as I zone out in the world of wine. There are always great appy's going around from the Dockside restaurant, and some lovely meat and cheese trays. These are both essential to the evening if you plan on making it around the entire room before 8pm. :) 

Here are some of the notable wines from the tasting:

Elephant Island Orchard Wines - BC
                       Crab Apple sweet wine 2014 - $16.99
                        - Delicious but not too tart; flavours of candied apples dance in your mouth or on top of                              ice cream.


       

       Stellaport - Solera aged Port-style wine - $24.99
                          - Made from cherries with tasty notes  butterscotch, chocolate, and a load of                                           juicy cherries. By using a Solera system this port style wine would be a                                                   combination of all the vintages from 2001-2011. A real delicious surprise that                                           would be great over the holidays.






Riverlore Wines - Marlborough New Zealand
                      Pinot Noir - 2014 - $18.99
                                     - Great price point Pinot with cranberry, raspberry, and some smokey oak. This is a                                               second tier wine of the below Wairau River. Really good value in their Pinot Noir,                                                 Pinot Gris, and Sauv Blanc











Wairau RiverWines - Marlborough New Zealand
                     Pinot Gris - 2014 - $20
                                     - Putting Pinot Gris on the map for NZ; done in an Alsace style with backed pears and                                            apples with some vanilla creaminess from some lees aging. Great attention to detail.





 Hainle Vineyards Estates Winery - BC
                     Grand Reserve - 2013 - $21.90
                                     - One of my favourite wineries in the Okanagan with the winemaker usually in                                                          attendance. This is a blend of Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot, and Zweigelt. Has notes                                          of raspberry, a bit of bramble berry, and a nice earthiness to it.







Thornhaven Estates - BC
                      Brooklyns Blend - 2014 - $17
                                       - A surprising good blend of Sauv Blanc and Chardonnay with some nice notes of                                                  grapefruit, green apple and lime.












Volver - Single Vineyard - La Mancha Spain
                        Tempranillo - 2011
                                       - 100%Tempranillo with nice cherry, red berry notes, as well as hints of mint and dried                                             herbs. Well balanced with a nice juicy finish.






Les Septentrionales - Northern Rhone France
                       Cornas AOC- 2007 - $90
                                      - 100% Syrah with delicious smokey black fruit with a lovely bold earthiness to it, and a                                          finish that lingers for a long time. I definitely went back to this table a couple                                          of  times.






Emmolo - Napa Valley California
                      Sauvignon Blanc - 2013 - $30
                                     - Reminiscent of a Sancerre from France light with nice citrus and pear notes with a nice                                               minerality and crisp acidity. A big contrast from your usual Napa whites like their signature                                           Chardonnays

Beaujolais Nouveau

It is that time of year again, and I am not talking about all the ski hills opening early. There is another reason to get out of bed tomorrow; tonight at midnight Beaujolais Nouveau will be released to wine consumers around the world!

Beaujolais is a French wine made with 100% Gamay Noir. Gamay is a light wine with light tannin's and a fresh fruity palate giving flavours of cherry and strawberry. Beaujolais Nouveau is made for immediate consumption, only fermented for a few weeks after harvest then quickly released. Almost 50% of the harvest will get released this way giving the winery a nice quick source of income.

Beaujolais Nouveau, is fermented using carbonic maceration. The grapes are not crushed but rather left in their bunches. The tanks are filled with carbon dioxide, and since there is no oxygen the grapes are forced to convert the glucose into alcohol. The grapes will then burst, causing the juice to separate from their skins and yeast will finish the fermentation. There will be vintage variations year to year and these can be a good indicator of the quality of the harvest.

Carbonic maceration will make fresh wines with light tannin, a soft mouth feel, and lots of fruit like cherry, banana, grape, and bubblegum. Beaujolais Nouveau will not get better with age and are sometimes served slightly chilled. These can be a great wine to pair with your Thanksgiving dinner or Sunday brunch. So every third Thursday of November go seek out a Beaujolais Nouveau and pretend you're a wine geek for a day. Enjoy a cheap light wine, but don't wait too long because they will probably be gone within a couple of weeks.