Jean Foillard Beaujolais, Morgon "Cote du Py"

Beaujolais; you may think you know gamay noir, but until you've tried the masterpieces of Jean Foillard, you really don't know what the varietal is capable of. Greatness.

Jean Foillard (courtesy of WineTerroirs.com)

   Jean Foillard bought his vineyard in the appellation Morgon in the Cote du Py of Beaojolais in the early 1980s... the vineyard was in complete disarray and needed years of dedicated work before winemaking could even enter Jean's mind. Now visitors (like the fastidious Bertrand @ http://www.wineterroirs.com/) can stay in one of several private rooms in the chateau and enjoy the tasting room downstairs without fear of how to get back to the hotel after a bit too much joie-du-vie!

   Early in Jean's career, he was introduced to Jules Chavet and became an un-official member of "La Bande à Marcel" (http://www.vin-bio-naturel.fr/morgon-cote-du-py-2009-domaine-jean-foillard-vin-rouge-beaujolais,fr,4,BJCP07.cfm). Chavet's mantra or philosophy was (a radical view for the time) that winemaking should be a natural process; he felt that great winemaking started in the vineyard with vigerous canopy management, absolutely no use of chemicals on the vines, low or no use of sulphur, etc etc. To Jean this all made sense and what's more; it makes sense in the glass.

   If the appellation of Morgon in the Cote du Py region  is known for one thing, it would have to be the soil. Crumbling granite and ancient schist are trademarks of the regions soil, even sandstone makes an appearance to enhance vines with a perfumed edge. The Gamay Noir for which the region is most famous is made what it is because of the soil it grows on (much like all great wines)... but this wine is dulled with the use of chemicals, it is masked with "designer yeasts" and it is ultimately foiled by filtration. To people like Jules Chavet and Jean Foillard it was simple logic: they as winemakers needed to do everything they could to allow maximum expression of Morgon in the bottle (or glass).

   And so Jean does the work necessary in the vineyard to allow the fullest expression of the varietal and the terroir of his wines. This even extends to working with the barriques or foudres (3000L cask) himself; not that far out of his comfort zone as his father was a well-known cooper in the region. Every part of the winemaking process is integral to creating a final piece worthy of his efforts, much like every part of a puzzle is necessary to create a complete picture.

2009 Morgon "Cote du Py" by Jean Foillard

$40 CAD    ***** BUY THIS IF YOU CAN *****

varietal:      100% Gamay Noir

age of vines: up to 100 years old!

cultivation:   manual, completely organic and partially bio-dynamic (not-certified)

vinification:  traditional carbonic maceration

aging:    12 months in neutral foudres (some up to 40 years old)

awards:   93 points, Stephen Tanzer

• visual:   clear; medium ruby core with light cherry rim and no bricking; faint sediment
• nose:   clean; fully intense and youthful bouquet of red cherries, young raspberries, light red currant, ripe strawberries, rose blossoms in Spring, red candies, fresh blueberries, light spice afternotes
• palate:   clean; dry, moderate (well integrated red currant and cranberry) acids, moderate-to light (soft, silky) tannins, light body, light alcohol (13.5%), moderate+ intense and youthful flavors that mimick well the nose; heavy emphasis on candied red berry notes typical for a Beaujolais but with a distinct minerally-earthy backbone. Excellent balance and structure, long length
• conclusion:   whilst this wine is drinking well now, because of the careful viticulture and age of vines this will age well for another decade. Drink 2011-2020; aging will develop earthy notes and the bright candied berries will soften
• FOOD PAIRINGS:   with the wine so young; the vibrant acidity and the bright red berries, duck is a natural! Consider bergamot smoked duck breast on celeriac and green apple rosti with steamed gai-lan (or swiss chard) with confit of sweet onion

   Jean Foillard once explained how the huge foudres he uses are brought into his ancient and modest winecellar: they are taken apart and re-assembled in the cellar plank by plank. It is a meticulous job he stipulated, stressing the importance of every piece being brought back into alignment. It was also worthy of note that the work needed to be finished within 24 hours or the pieces would have shifted slightly, almost imperceptibly, and would never re-assemble properly.

   It struck me as I read those words (thank you again Bertrand) that this was the same manner that Jean (and Jules Chavet and Marcel LaPierre and others) approached their work with the vineyard: everything has it's own place. It isn't the winemaker's job to impose his or her own sense of order to the vineyard, it is the winemaker's job to discover the vineyard's own sense of order.

   My sense of order is, these days, imposed by a much greater force then my own.

As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

CINCIN !!!     SLAINTE !!!     CHEERS !!!

Rosemount Estate Balmoral Syrah

In the 1860's a young man from Germany came to the unknown; he came to Australia. Landing in the new seaport of Sydney (which had functioned as a port for the Aboriginal people for 30,000 years) Carl Brecht was determined to set his own future, and followed a little known road to the outer edges of the Hunter Valley. There, at the junction of the Wybong Creek and the Goulburn River he planted his vineyard and settled the savage land.

    Fast-forward 100 years and another entrepreneur comes along in the Australian world of wine. In 1968, a visionary by the name of Bob Oatley purchased the long-standing vineyard of Rosemount Estate (www.RosemountEstate.com.au). Rosemount had enjoyed a lengthy position as one of the fine wine producers of Australia, but Bob wanted to take it further: he wanted to be the best. A worthy dream, but necessitating a rather huge amount of work, n'est-pas? Bob was up to the task of fulfilling his vision.

   In 1975 Rosemount released their first wines; a 1974 Hunter Valley Semillion and Hermitage. They garnered a total 69 awards throughout Australia. Enough to qualify as being the best? In 1982 they took their 1980 Chardonnay and became the first Australians to ever with double-gold at the International Wine and Spirit Competition. Enough yet to feel like the best? In 1999, Rosemount became the first non-American winery to ever win winery of the year at the prestigious San Francisco International Wine Competition.

   One would think that perhaps Bob would rest on his laurels.

   One would be wrong.

   In 2004 the 2002 Diamond Merlot wins the Merlot Trophy at the International Wine and Spirit Competition; one of the most highly recognized trophies for a varietal.

   Bob Oatley has taken one property in 1966 and turned it into several properties ranging the width and breadth of the winemaking spectrum in both South Australia and New South Wales. One of the jewels in this crown would be the Balmoral Syrah produced in the McLaren Vale. Anyone who wants information on the discovery and formation of this part of South Australia, approximately 45 minutes drive north of Adelaide should read some of my earlier articles ( http://astudentofwine.blogspot.com/2011/02/penfolds-koonunga-hill-shiraz-cabernet.html ).

   The winery in the McLaren in situated on three distinct areas that yield fruit of sufficient quality - the sandy loam soils near Blewitt Springs; the darker soils in McLaren Flat itself; and the red soils with underlying limestone found in the Seaview area (my thanks to www.TheWineDoctor.com ). The vines are generally between 50 and 100 years old, although sources say that there are still some patches over 100. By comparison, most vines in British Columbia are between 10 and 20 years old... the older the vines - the less they produce, but, the more concentrated the flavors. Most wineries will tear out vines before they reach 100 years old as they simply don't produce enough juice to be fiscal responsible. Bravo to the Bob Oatleys and (chief winemaker) Matt Kochs of the world~!

2002 Rosemount Estate "Balmoral" Syrah

$75 CAD  ***** BUY THIS IF YOU CAN *****

http://tagliquorstores.com/fox-reach/

14.5% ABV

vineyard:    50 to 100 year old vines (small percentage over 100 years)

maturation:   24 months, American oak

• visual:   clear; fully intense violet-crimson core with slightest brick rim
• nose:   clean; moderate+ to fully intense and developed bouquet of drying red berries (red and black cherries, red and black raspberries, blackberries), rich white and slightly floral pink peppercorn, soft background of drying summer flowers, light savory herbaceousness, finish reminiscent of decadently rich dark cocoa
• palate:   clean; dry, moderate+ (lively and brilliantly integrated red raspberry) acids, moderate (velvet soft and slightly chalky) tannins, moderate body, moderate alcohol, moderate+ intense and developed flavors that mimick the nose perfectly; the red berries burst on the palate with dark cocoa and peppercorn dominating the mid-palate and a ridiculously long finish of the American oak light vanilla notes and soft florals. EXCELLENT balance, structure and long long long length
• conclusion:   if you have cellared this properly, it is still drinking stupendously and will continue to do so for several years; enjoy this special wine present to 2015/17
• FOOD PAIRINGS:   I may be a heathen for this, but the depth of this wine's expression of terroir and varietal made me think to South Australian cuisine and culture, and I came up with braised lamb shank on caramelized shallot yam pave with olive oil fried arugula... the reasons for this are long and varied, but based upon drawing similarities from the food to the wine and vice-versa

   As this was my first foray into Rosemount wines, I was duly impressed. I have nothing else to say other then that I can't wait  to try more from the whole winemaking team.

As always, I look forward to your questions and comments.

CINCIN~!!!     SLAINTE~!!!     CHEERS~!!!

Hainle Vineyards Estate Winery (reds), Peachland Appellation

   So now I'll talk a little about the Hainle Vineyards red wines; not all of them of course, as Walter has an impressive array of wines (in all colors), but the ones I got a chance to try. Mrs AStudentofWine and I ended up spending most of an afternoon back at Hainle (www.Hainle.com) and had a great conversation with Walter.

2009 Z3

12.5% ABV

$24.90    *** Very Good Value ***

varietals:   Zweigelt, Baco Noir, Pinot Noir

• visual:   clear; deep purple/ruby core with the slightest cherry rim
• nose:   clean; moderate+ intense and youthful aromas; dark perfumed floral notes (irises and roses), cherry blossoms, red currants, stewed plums, red and black raspberries
• palate:   fully intense (red currant) acids, moderate+ (silky) tannins, moderate+ youthful flavors mimicking the nose with pronounced cocoa finish. Very good balance and structure, medium+ length
• conclusion:   quite young: cellar this for best results - drink 2015-2020++
• PAIRINGS:   while I wanted to play this wine off of it's merits from the Pinot Noir, Walter was quick to mention that this had received a silver medal at an Oyster Festival... Zweigelt and oysters? Apparently it's a natural~!

   What is Zweigelt you ask? A natural question as it has only very, very recently come into existance and more recently into the public's eye. This is a cross between Blaufrankish and St Laurent developed in 1922 to bud later then the latter and ripen earlier then the former... with generous yields and a natural resistance to cold - this varietal is quickly catching on in cooler climates like Canada. In Austria it started gaining popularity with Professor Lenz Moser who made large plantings of it, and now Zweigelt is the most planted red-varietal in that country.

   Zweigelt produces wines ranging from easy-drinking blends to single-vineyard that are capable of aging and great development. Austria, of course, has some very old vines already (over 60 years) and some of these wines are being hailed for their depth, nuanced finesse and longevity. In general, Zweigelt has deep pigment, bright acidity and full tannins.

2006 Zweigelt

13% ABV

$40   *** Very Good Value ***

• visual:   clear; moderate garnet core with cherry rim
• nose:   clean; fully intense and developing; port-like characteristics of dried berries, figs, aged honey and a distinct savory herb finish
• palate:   clean; fully intense (cranberry) acids, moderate (slightly grippy) tannins, moderately intense and developing flavors that mimick the nose. Very good balance, EXCELLENT structure, long length
• conclusion:   just starting to drink well now; drinks 2013-2020+
• PAIRINGS:   the savory qualities lend themselves naturally to venison, consider a flank steak which sears quickly and thus retains it's moisture and finish with a beurre blanc

2003 Zweigelt reserve

12.6% ABV

$140    **** EXCELLENT VALUE ****

varietals:   60% Zweigelt, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon

• visual:   clear; light garnet core with medium orange/brick rim
• nose:   moderate+ intense and developing aromas with port-like and madiera-like qualities (the same dried berries, figs, honey and slight savory herbs) but this also a rich baked-earth and dark cocoa finish
• palate:   clean; fully intense (well-integrated cranberry) acids, moderate (soft, chewy) tannins, moderate+ intense and youthful flavors mimicking the nose with incredibly rich dark cocoa notes. Excellent balance and structure, long+ length
• conclusion: this wine is still just a babe; drinks best 2018-2030 and beyond
• PAIRINGS:   with the finesse on this rich wine I would want to serve it with a beef carpaccio; the richness of beef is a natural for port/madiera flavors and I would want it raw for emphasis. Perhaps I would serve it with grilled bread as well, as the grill flavors will play off the berry notes through contrast

2003 Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon
13.5% ABV
$60    **** Very Good to EXCELLENT Value ****

varietals:   55% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc
winner~!!! 3 years in a row: People's Choice Award, Kelowna

• visual:   clear; moderate+ garnet core with rich orange/brick rim
• nose:   clean; fully intense and developing bouquetof buttery red raspberries, black raspberries, light cassis, rich savory spices such as clove and allspice
• palate:   clean; moderate+ (well integrated cranberry and red raspberry) acids, moderate (soft chewy) tannins, moderate+ intense and developing flavors that mimick the nose. Very good balance, excellent structure, long length
• conclusion:   drinking well soon~! drinks 2015-2025+
• PAIRINGS:   stunning steak wine ~ with the acids as high as they are I would want a steak with some fat like a ribeye, perhaps with a roast garlic jam to accompany

   On a personal note, I bought a bottle of this wine myself - to keep downstairs for a few years because I honestly don't think that I would be able to buy a wine of this quality - for this price - when  it has matured properly.

2003 Syrah (unfiltered)
12.7% ABV
$60   **** Very Good to EXCELLENT Value ****

• visual:   clear with slight sediment; deep garnet core with moderate cherry-brick rim
• nose:   clean; moderate+ to fully intense and developing aromas with rich port qualities and a truffled mushroom earthiness, baked Saskatoon pie
• palate:   clean; fully intense (red currant) acids, moderate (soft chewy) tannins, moderate+ intense and developing flavors that mimick the nose with long worn leather nuances and berry compote. Very good to excellent balance, excellent structure and long length
• conclusion:   drinking well now; will develop to 2017/18, drink 2011-2023+
• PAIRINGS:   even though the acids were high, this is a refined enough wine that I thought of pairing it with a beef tenderloin with wild thyme and pink peppercorn compound butter... try searing the tenderloin in duck fat if you can find it at your local butcher's

2007 reserve Pinot Noir
12.8% ABV
$80    ***** BUY THIS WHEN AND IF YOU CAN *****

maturation:   40 months in 4th generation French oak (from Opus1)

• visual:   clear; moderate ruby core with cherry (and the slightest brick) rim
• nose:   clean; fully intense and developing aromas of rich earthy terroir, nuanced fungal notes (wild mushrooms and white truffle), pink peppercorns, light red berries, distinct herbaceous undertones
• palate:   clean; moderate+ (superbly integrated cranberry) acids, moderate+ (soft, silty) tannins, moderate+ intense and developing flavors that mimick the nose with nuances of smoked meat, real beef jerky, stewed black raspberries and black cherries. Excellent balance and structure with long, long length on the palate
• conclusion:   can be enjoyed now to 2030, will continue to develop in the bottle until 2020
• PAIRINGS:   what goes better with a Burgundian style Pinot Noir then Boeuf Bourguignon???

   It should be noted that even though this Pinot Noir was in oak for 40 months (an unheard-of long length of time), Walter took it to a competition within a month of bottling it... his wine was up against 450 other Pinots from around the world; some of the finest winemakers in the world competing. Guess who got first place? That's right... the German winemaker from Peachland appellation~!

   Walter has told me that he will only sell a few cases a year for the next few years, as he doesn't think it's really ready to enjoy.... rated 99 points, but not quite good enough for Walter because it needs "just a bit more time". So if you want to try it, you'll have to go up to the winery and ask him nicely. Very very nicely.

   Later that afternoon, as a special treat, Walter opened a back-vintage of Icewine. Walter of course knew that my wife was pregnant and not drinking (we had spent two afternoons together by this point), but he insisted on pouring a small glass and handing it to her, saying "for a thousand years women in Germany have been drinking Riesling when they are with child... "

She couldn't refuse, and about five minutes later I heard a little giggle from my wife "Clare likes it~!"

Apparently the littlest sommelier (Clare) has something of a fondness for Hainle Icewine (along with the population of China, where celebrities will appear in his tv ads for free).

1984 Riesling Icewine

12.9% ABV

$900     this wine is an experience

• 
  visual:   clear; deep umber-amber caramel core moving to watery rim
• nose:   clean; fully intense (and still developing) bouquet of Solera system, dried raisins, butterscotch, salt water toffee, toasted almonds and a light brine-mineral undertone
• palate:   clean; fully intense (apricot) acids, fully intense and still developing flavors that mimic well the nose with the additions of apricot compote, tangerine zest, grapefruit marmalade and quince. Stunning balance and structure, ridiculously long length
• conclusion:   should you be lucky enough to have a bottle of this, it can be enjoyed now but will continue to develop in bottle for decades. Drink 2010-2050 (and possibly longer)
• PAIRINGS:   Icewine is difficult for some people to pair food with... keep it simple to let the wine showcase: consider a Perigordine (http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-french-perigordine-walnut-cake) which is like a walnut-angel food cake... garnish with a slightly tart raspberry coulis

   Quite the list of wines to go through, and I really do feel fortunate to have had so much of Walter's time and patience. I had no idea, before a few months ago, that anyone in British Columbia (or even Canada) was making wines on this level. Now that I know - I'm filled with a confidence that just about anything is possible in our industry.

   No one would have believed, even 10 years ago, that a winemaker from BC would make Pinot Noir that could beat the Burgundians at their own game. Well, the times have changed~!

As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

CINCIN~!!!     SLAINTE~!!!     CHEERS~!!!