15
Dec
2015
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Category: Uncorked Tonight
(August 26, 2015) ... After a tasting of 7 older Ontario Pinots we turned our attention to some other wines - and Pinot played a role in the first non-Ontario bottle opened: Faiveley 2010 Mercurey ... To be honest, and I know this is a bit of a pun but I am literally crazy 'bout a Mercurey, one of my favourite regions within Burgundy, so my bias shows through here: I simply loved this wine: fresh, fruity and lively, a true joy and pleasure to drink, vibrant like it was just made yesterday and that's saying something for a 5 year old bottle to taste that way ... I think the others enjoyed it as well, but I enjoyed it way too much to care (sorry).
My next bottle was one my guest had brought me years ago, I thought now might be a good time to share it: Painted Rock 2007 Syrah from British Columbia ... a little funky but fun to drink with leathery, smoky and cassis notes.
We ended the evening off by once again heading to France, this time we traveled south into the Rhone Valley: Olivier Ravoire 2011 Cairianne with its concentrated dark fruit, silky smoothness with great acidity and tannin for balance - another fabulous bottle.
15
Dec
2015
- Details
-
Category: Uncorked Tonight
(August 18, 2015) ... I have a friend to whom I have said to many times, "when you travel, make sure you like that wine you buy double as much as something you would have at home" - simply put, when you visit a winery you get lulled and wooed by your surroundings and wines always taste better when you're away - I speak from experience here ... and I had that experience again in New York State at a winery called Lamoreaux Landing with their bottle of 2009 Brut - I really liked it at the winery (and at an event the previous night) ... So here I was at home opening a bottle to taste; had I been wooed, or was I right?
This is a five years on lees, traditional method bubble made up of 57% Chardonnay and 43 % Pinot Noir ... The first think I noticed was the lightness of the colour, hard to believe 5 years had passed for this one. Nose was fresh and lively with lemon, green apple, and fresh bread; palate was lemon pith, yeasty, bread crust, with a green apple finish, nice acidity, long finish and a lovely tartness. So glad this one turned out like this away from the winery - as I bought 6 bottles while there - so had I not liked it double I would have been stuck with some rather dicey bubbles, as it turned out I am thrilled by the way this wine tasted here at home and at the winery.
