09
Feb
2015
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Category: Uncorked Tonight
(December 7, 2014) ... Every year around this time I invite a few friends over for a holiday get-together, the wife stresses over the meal, while I put some thought into how deep into the cellar I am prepared to venture.
Tonight eight wines saw the air, and the bottom of wine glasses, seven were planned while the eighth ended up being the backup for a sweetie that tipped the needle of sweet over to the 'too sweet' range. We started with my last bottle of Southbrook 2001 Pinot Noir from Ontario. This wine dates back to Southbrook in Richmond Hill and continues to be an oddity in Southbrook's lineup even to this day. With 13 years under its belt it was considered better than expected but still not good. It was thin, lacked fruit, and showed an earthiness, ye it was drinkable and someone even came up with the descriptor of "day old fire", but aside from its interesting smokiness this one was a dud.
Next up, another Pinot, this time from Chile, a 6 year old bottle of Cono Sur 2008 Pinot Noir - 20 Barrels ... I had recently spoken to the winemaker at a Cono Sur dinner and he advised me that this wine was drinking very well at this time. There were mixed reviews of this one: no one could deny the minty, earthy, black raspberry, and blueberry that was all over this wine, but are those typical of Pinot Noir? Which was the question that seemed to spark the debate ... That said I think the best description for this one would have to be the "Merlot of Pinot".
Cracking the cap on a bottle of ten year old Torbreck 2004 Woodcutter's Shiraz proved to be a real coup as this beauty showed off raspberry, vanilla, cherry jam, mocha, and smoke ... A true delight for both the nose and palate. Then came a bottle I picked up several years ago on a trip to Piedmont, Italy (home of Barolo): Gianni Gagliardo 2004 Barolo - Serre - lots of woody character, smoky, and herbal on the nose; palate kicked things off by showing off the great acidity, but then added baked cherry, raspberry, and lovely spice into the mix. The finish was an impressive array of herbal-tinged fruit. There was still plenty of time left to enjoy this bottle, if I had wanted to leave it alone in the cellar, but I have to say I was very happy to open it when I did.
Staying with the Italian theme I opened a bottle of Ornellaia 2006 Le Volte. This 8 year old second wine from the house of Ornellaia proved it too had the goods: blackberry, cassis, and spice, all showed on the palate and the nose. Drinking beautifully right now but still with plenty of pepper and power, if the need to leave it right where it is in your cellar seems the right thing to do. Speaking of power, the table was wowed by a bottle of Ridge 2005 Monte Bello. For those who think this a Zinfandel dominated blend (as many around the table did), think again. In 2005 the make up was 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. A whole host of aromas and flavours flooded out, including, but not limited to: mocha, vanilla, and black cherry - the wine was well-balanced with great forceful tannins. I had read the wine still had plenty of time but I wanted to have it in its prime rather than cresting the hill. Seemed to be a hit with the prime rib we had for dinner, and then on its own afterward.
The last two bottles were of the dessert variety. I thought it'd be fun to crack a bottle of the best use for Baco Noir I had ever tasted, Lakewood 2005 Port, made from 100% Baco Noir right down to the way they fortify it with (Baco spirits). But alas it proved to be exceedingly sweet and hard to wrap ones tongue around ... The acidity I had once tasted in this wine that made it so good had long given up ... So I felt I owed those in attendance a dessert wine and a bottle of real Port, and so I went for the recent Late Bottled Vintage offering from the legendary house of Taylor Fladgate (which so happens to be the 2009). This wine is still very much available and very much worth putting your hands on, it is just so full of finesse along with loads of black cherry and chocolate with a lovely seam of acidity that balances the wine so brilliantly, it is no wonder this is considered a vintage year in Port, as it made for great LBV.
(December 9, 2014) ... Any excuse for a bottle of bubbly works for me and tonight I opened a bottle of sparkling wine from Spain (known as Cava): Freixenet Elyssia Cava ... And in my opinion one of the better Cavas to enter the Ontario market in quite some time. Aromas of fresh bread with hints of citrus zest and pith. The palate continues with the citrus theme, tasting of both pith and pulp, which gives a sort of sour bitterness to the tongue, but then comes the acidity and fresh bread, and that's the wow-factor here ... It's really playful and a great aperitif; with a little time in glass (and I do mean little time cause it went fairly quickly) the wine developed a welcome bit of Mac/bruised apple ... At under $20 a bottle this was a great find and one worth having on hand for any occasion ... For us that occasion was Tuesday.
