Warm as Ice

We get together with the WRXers regularly, sharing fine dinners and good wines.  More often than not, they put on the food, and SWMBO and I put up the bottles.  It’s the natural thing to do.  It’s not a matter of building up credits, or paying back, but the WRXers have had a special little sweetie in store, which was a gift from a kindred snow sports spirit.  They’ve had it for a number of years, waiting for the right occasion, and they deemed it right at a dinner with the Westies up the road.  They felt it was a good time to share something to cement the friendships forged. 

 

The wine in question for such a heartfelt and warming time was a 2004 Henry of Pelham Niagra Peninsula Cabernet Franc Ice Wine.  Such things are rather rare in this country, and even though they are the national vinous treasure of Canada, they are relatively rare (and expensive) there too.  And even more so, an ice wine from red grapes.  Bottled in a 200 ml bottle, which was frosted, so it looked cold, even when not.

Our first thoughts were that it was savoury and developed, maybe just a tad too much.  Brown fruits and spices with earth and meat, rather than bright red fruit.  Very sweet and racy, racy acidity to match the lusciousness.  Hardly any tannin grip to speak of, but the red wine skins and presence certainly showing.  Then as the wine warmed up from its icy cold presentation, it begun to show caramel and toffee, not too dissimilar to burnished and bottle-aged botrytised white wines.  The colour, which we thought was more red than white initially, could be interpreted as a white!  This turned out to be a most thought-provoking wine!  Thanks WRXers for making ice so warm.   

Hidden Personality

It can take a while for one’s true personality to emerge.  As the exuberance of youth slowly quietens, the heart and core emerge to take control and define the character.  So it is with many wines.  With a visit by the I-Spy Man, SWMBO and I found something of interest from the cellar.

We’d held onto the 2007 Escarpment ‘Kupe’ Martinborough Pinot Noir for some time.  When it was first released, it was a strong wine, with an impenetrable black-red colour, and powerful and concentrated aromas and flavours.  It had bold dark red and black fruits and layers of earth and dried herb interest in support.  The structure was massive, with fulsome tannins, almost blocky, but balanced by the fruit richness.  This was classic low yield, high skin to juice in the berry ratio wine.  And it had all the signs of aging very well.

Here, the extraction from the skins dominated the wine.  The question was: did the fruit ripen to a sufficient level?  Were the stalks and stems lignified?  Some doubts may have lurked, and now with some time in bottle, that can be answered, as the raw and bold primary fruitiness has begun to give way to developing secondary expression.  With the savoury undergrowth and mushroom interest, as well as the black fruits, an edge of herbaceous has begun to show.  It adds to the interest, and whether it detracts is to some degree subjective. 

 

Maybe the fruit didn’t quite get to the desired level of ripeness.  This may have been a function of young vines, this being the fifth crop.  That herbaceous line was hidden by the power and extract of the black fruit, and it has taken until now to be manifest.  Holistically, this was still a very good wine, with real personality and different facets.  It made a great match with the strong and meaty meal.  And it is part of the growth of this label.

Dog Tired

The Shady Dogs planned a big night, and it was wine after wine being pulled out of their cellar.  Even though SWMBO and I had been up for many, many hours, one just couldn’t get tired with all the vinous treasures being brought out.  As the night wore on, there’s the bracket of red burgundies that brightened everbody’s faces.  I can’t remember every single bottle, but here’ a good try.

 

To set the scene, a 2008 Thierry Violot-Guillemard Pommard 1er ‘Epenots’.  Though the appellation had size and structure on its side, it was the cooler vintage that won through.  The Burgundians talk about wines from a cool, higher acid year as being more transparent for the exppression of terroir.  Cooler, greener fruit and no great structure, as well as a sinewy feel isn’t Pommard to me.  Having said that, it was still a tasty Pinot Noir, on the simpler side. 

Then onto something serious.  The 2005 Mongeard Mugneret Cos de Vougeot Grand Cru.  Quite bid and tough, with a ‘look at me’ attitude.  Savoury secondary earthy aromas and flavours, black rather than brown fruits.  Big structure and density.  No prettiness here, but a statement of year, and grand cru size.  I’d have like a little more sense of aromatics, florals and ethereals to show the Pinot Noir conduit, but again vintage, but also terroir came through.

Armand Rousseau is everyone’s favourite burgundy producer.  I’ve drunk and tasted the full range of wines for nearly two decades, but nowadays, I don’t earn enough to do so with any regularity.  When in the company of Chambertin, Clos de Beze and Clos St Jacques, it was easy to put poor old accessible and charming 2009 Rousseau Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru into the second tier of grand cru.  But here, on its own, quite sublime, with fragrance and elegance, beauty and suppleness.  But lo and behold, it had an iron core of structure and grip.  This was more than pretty.  It was pretty serious, and classical, perfect Pinot Noir and the charming side of Gevrey, if there ever is one.

Big name time: Domaine Romanee-Conti.  The bottles are big in physical dimension.  The font size is bold and statement making.  Even in a less than outstanding year, DRC commands attention.  And so did the 2007 Domaine Romanee-Conti Echezeaux Grand Cru.  Even at this level, the lesser of the DRC range is still head and shoulders-worthy above almost everything else.  This has moved into the secondary and tertiary complexity stages.  But still wonderfully structured and mouthfilling.  Great vitality, though now becoming a bit funky and somewht less than pristine.  A tactless person might hint at brettanomyces.  A sophisticated person might talk about complex corruption.  I’m certainly not that clever.  In any case, we all tipped our hats and gave silent thanks to the Shady Dogs’ generosity.

Then the one wine to rule them all on this night, a 2009 Comte de Vogue Bonnes Mares Grand Cru.  Opulence and succulence, with great clarity of fruit and the wonderful expression of blood, visceral bits and hints of fur from the northern Cote de Nuits as in Gevrey and Morey.  There’s no focussed beauty and perfumes of Chambolle in this, as Bonnes Mares is removed from the feminine site, and more into the animal and manly side.  Great structure married to richness, so that this is quite complete.  Like the Rousseau before it, there’s no over-richness of the 2009 vintage here.  Only masters can manage to prevail over vintage.  de Vogue is one of those masters.

Racing Through a Range of Whites

It was a bit like speed dating.  Here we were with the Shady Dog folk and they had so much wine to open and try.  If you stepped back, you may have missed a treasure.  Only if you are there will you have the chance of meeting the one that is special!  A progression of white wines, mainly racy and Chardonnayish came up in turn.  I’ve listed them in an order as they didn’t necessarily appear, just so I could organise it all in my mind.

 

First was the 2009 Huet Vouvray ‘Le Haut-Lieu’ Demi-Sec.  Usually one of my favourites from this venerable producer.  I love the crystal clear white florals and the touch of honeysuckle.  Searing acidity has never been a problem, as balance has been the feature.  This bottle a little sacky and showing some sulphides.  Others saw it as complexity!  Then onto a 2009 Ch. Monbousquet Bordeaux Blanc, serious Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris blend, barrel-fermented, lees work etc.  Very tight initially, but finally releasing it’s fine line of green stonefruits and herbs, with fine and refined oaking.  Some firmness of texture at the core, and great linearity, but just a bit too tight to really enjoy. 

Then onto the Chablis bracket.  For starters, the 2005 Pinson Chablis Grand Cru ‘Le Clos’.  First impressions were that it was too old, with secondary savoury nutty/flinty/mineral/earth amalgam.  Not pretty and getting a bit stinky and decrepit.  But underneath it all, it had classical Chablis acid structure and drive.  Easy to move on, but for those who looked at it again, later, it cleared and cleaned up, the aromas becoming a little more defined, and a degree of freshness reappearing.  It welcome pleasure was the 2010 Dauvissat Chablis Grand Cru ‘Les Preuses’.  More what you’d expect, with everything in place.  Lovely white stonefruits, subtle flint and minerally acidity.  A little soft even, all nicely tucked in.  Everything perfect, and if you were critical, maybe a tad unexciting.  The idealist would say it was just right.  I vacillated between the two. 

Finishing with the bigger Chardonnays.  The 2011 Benjamin Leroux Meursault 1er ‘Le Porusot’ from one of Burgundy’s young stars.  Contemporary stuff with gunflint galore.  Or is this minerality as some would purport?  I say it’s input.  This is tight and firm and full of promise, but doesn’t speak fullness, roundness and creaminess that Meursault has to me over my time of learning.  The Leroux signature is strong here.  But I liked it.  Finally a wine from an old friend, a 2009 Millton ‘Clos de Ste Anne’ ‘Naboth’s Vineyard’ Gisborne Chardonnay.  Fully developed and layers of complex stonefruits, nuts and oak with earth and minerals.  Not knowing what the ‘Naboth’ terroir was, I’d have an idea after this.  In vinous terms, at full maturity, with layers of savoury and secondary flavours, just starting to dry a little.  But a structured mouthful that deserves contemplation and food.

  

Mosel Riesling Moments

We love drinking wine Rieslings from the Mosel.  The wines are the epitome of delicacy, freshness, precision and richness, all bound and balanced together.  I get asked if there’s any one wine style I love more than others.  My answer is “none”, as I try to appreciate them all.  But if there is a wine style that gives me moments, it is Mosel Riesling.  SWMBO has no problem admitting these are the wines she loves.  I go with the flow.  The Shady Dogs put on a BBQ which began with a succession of Mosel Rieslings.  We had more than one moment tasting through the interesting array.

 

First up was one of the best of the night, a 2009 J. J. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese.  Notorious for their funky sulphide reduction in youth, these invariably develop gloriously.  This wine in transition, with some mineral, earth flint and stink.  But already the fruit richness and sugar richness coming to the fore.  Great body, and intensity, without being overbearing. 

Moving onto the 2005 Bischoflisches Eitelsbacher Marienholz Riesling Kabinett, disappointing, maybe because it came after the J. J. Prum, which was a Spatlese too.  But this one more muddied and matty in exoression.  Softer and less sweet, and certainly not the cut.  Did this have cork issues, as there was a little mustiness, which we attributed to bottle development, at first?

The 2005 von Kesselstatt Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spatlese compensated, back to the expected clarity, focus and subtle richness.  More honied with hints of toast.  But still citrus, florals and limes.  I love von Kesselstatt for how that make it all so correct and e;legantlt down the middle of the path.  Maybe not the brilliance of say J. J. Prum, but classic stuff.

 

Just Playing

It’s easy to think that Germany is all about Riesling.  But the new wave folk are doing new things and seeking all manner of wider expressions.  Drier styles and other varieties, often from Burgundy are seen as ideal to try out.  The F-Man is a fan of these, and he’s always trying these out on us whenever we get together.  A delicious meal at the favourite eatery was accompanied by two interesting wines he brought along.  I’m sure the F-Man is playing with us, showing something unusual.  But also the wine producers here are playing too, to please themselves and their friends.

The first was the 2013 Ansgar Clusserath ‘Steinreich’Riesling Trocken.  This is an up-and-coming producer with good holdings in Trittenheim, making over the years a smart portfolio of classical Rieslings up and down the pradikat system.  They’ve made inroads into the drier style, made with a bit of input from wild yeast, lees and texture, but they remarkable retain a sense of both the old with the new.  This has a lively vibrancy and freshness with richness.  Delicious stuff.

Next was the 2013 Wittmann Rheinhessen Chardonnay Trocken ‘S’, grown on limestone-influenced soils.  This is one of Germany’s big name contemporary producers with Riesling, but as is always the case, everything they do is interesting and good.  This is no exception with a ripe and savoury citrus fruit character.  Nothing like white burgundy in reality, but it is different to any Riesling you’ll come across.  Good acid and an intrigue that keeps you coming back for more.

Drouhin Delicacy

I was brought up to appreciate burgundy wine based on the fine expressions of Joseph Drouhin since the 1970s.  The company has only been focussed on the wines of Burgundy and haven’t dabbled in other regions.  I’d call Beaujolais part of Burgundy, and their venture in Oregon is based on Pinot Noir, so you could extend their reach to include these quite comfortably.  They’ve stood the test of time and challengers who have made bigger, stronger, oakier wines that make more of a statement, but the beauty and the delicacy of the Drouhin wines – both red and white has remained true.  They always express the appellation and terroir of site.  And I love them for their stylishness.

The 2012 whites from Burgundy will be rare and should be of very high quality.  An extreme growing season meant low yields and concentration.  The Drouhin wines have this concentration, but keep their elegance and finesse.  The 2012 Joseph Drouhin Meursault has a sweetness, roundness and creaminess, with ripe citrus fruits, butter, toast and a hint of flint.  The 2012 Joseph Drouhin Puligny-Montrachet has intensity, white florals and stonefruits, a noticeable struck-match complexity and linearity.  Both have a touch of malo, in the former adding richness, in the ltter adding flavour nuance.  It’s most likely the winemaking was identical, so what you see is indeed terroir, and the classical expression of appellation character.  And they sit above their station as village or commune wines.  These were treats and bargains.