Ron Barcelo "Imperial" Dominican rum

http://www.ronbarceloimperial.com/english.html

When I read that the BTI (Beverage Tasting Institute) of Chicago has rated a rum 97 points not once, but twice, then I take notice. You see, 97 points is the highest score they have ever given a rum.

So I do some digging, find out that they guys at Ron Barcelo have accumulated a succession of medals that would make any distiller dizzy with pride: 10 gold medals, a double-gold medal in Miami where it was also voted "Best in Class". The list goes on... pretty good legacy for the company that Julian Barceló started in 1929 when he emigrated to the Dominican Republic from Spain.

The company grew out of a vision of quality, quality, quality. So much so that even the locals ditched their hither-to favorite libations in deference to the Barcelo brand. Time passed and the natural progression of a company with strong vision and the support of the community: Barcelo rum became the most popular brand in the country! Impressive! But there's always room to grow, right?

In 1980, Miguel Barcelo (?grandson to Julian?) created the new icon: "Imperial" label. A testament to the family/company values, only the best would do and the company invested heavily in their infrastructure: from the sugarcane plantations to the molasses refinery to the labs to the aging cellar. Quality because more then a catch-phrase for the Ron Barcelo company (Barcelo Export Import S.R.L.), it became the Prime Directive.

The led to great accomplishments: the company earning the first ISO 9001:2000 Certification in the Dominican Republic spirit industry and the second in all of the Caribbean, international expansion to 10 countries in the 1990s,  the company winning a team of highly skilled, highly motivated Spanish rum professionals and by 2010 a distribution plan the extends to over 50 countries world-wide.

The massively accelerated growth can be directly linked to that 97-points I started talking about: it's the octane in the Barcelo fuel. But obviously grandson Miguel would never have been able to push such dramatic expansion without the leg-work of grandfather Julian. When a company starts with such a determined vision or goal then anything is possible.

My one challenge with the Barcelo company propaganda is that they state the "Imperial" is made in "limited quantities to maintain its mystique... its uniqueness". The Barcelo company is immense, employing many thousands of people, and exporting its own ocean of distillate to over 50 countries. To a country-lad such as myself, this doesn't seem much like "limited production". That being said, the spirit is quite good, so let's move straight to the tasting-notes:

"Imperial"

no age given: research shows from 6 to 10 years, but flexible depending on the year

91 points

$42+ CAD (Quebec)

$35+ US (Washington)

• TO THE EYE: a pretty rum, it shows so well in the glass with it's dark coppery hued amber tones
• ON THE NOSE: it displays rich, unique salt-water toffee, young pineapple and mild Szechuan pepper aromas
• ON THE PALATE: is where the score starts to dip for me: clean flavors of dark toffee, coffee and warm wood-tones are reminiscent of great Bourbon (positive) but some of the spirit in the blend is a tad juvenile/rough and clumsy and burns (negative). The structure is quite good, but not all of the flavors truly seem to marry together and this particular vintage seems to have some bits and pieces sticking out on their own. Well made but perhaps benefiting from further maturation.
• How to serve it? Too good as a blender with cola or fruit-punch, too much ice will also dampen the more subtle aromas and leave it somewhat mono-dimensional. I found that room temperature, with a splash of water allowed it to open more in the nose and left the palate in better balance.

So a good little sipping rum, from a company with a strong history of over-delivering. Just the type of company I like to support! This rum is a great gift for you celiacs out there who find yourselves missing a splash of Bourbon or Kentucky whiskey... similar flavors and will do in a pinch on your veranda one lazy afternoon. 

As always, I look forward to your thoughts, comments and questions. Here, or:

on Twitter @AStudentofWine

on Facebook @www.facebook.com/TheChefandTheGrape

El Dorado rum, Guyana

www.TheElDoradoRum.com 

Rum used to be the providence of sailors, buccaneers and ne'er-do-wells... in the 1700's rum-drinkers were the fringe of society and were marked as such.

How much has really changed in 300 years? Well in some parts of the world, it would seem very little!

Imagine that, like me, you live in North America... in the northern part of North America. Little enough rum drinking here and, what there is, seems focused around mixing mediocre distillate with cola beverages and copious amounts of ice. The more adventurous may put a lime wedge in as well, probably to the derision of their cohorts.

I always cosied up to the idea of rum, buccaneers and sunny-climates, but never found a tribe of like-minded people who shared my passion until my wife decided that we needed a vacation, and Cuba was the place to go. The first thing we were told on the bus from the airport to the resort was that "Vitamin R" would cure all of our woes and the only thing better then rum was more rum.

I was in Heaven!

And I returned from that adventure a changed man; devoted to all things excellent in rum (much to the chagrin of my wife and my wallet). It took years, and over a hundred different bottles of the sugar-based spirit, but I began to develop not only an appreciation - but my own sense of palate. And this education took many forms: from the professional-level tastings at New Product Salons, to the very very informal sessions held on my front-porch late in the Summer evenings, where invitations were based on people's preference in cigars...

But both types of teaching had a distinct influence on me, and, I'm more fluent in the language of rum because of them. Do you prefer light, golden or dark rum? Aged? If so - how long? Cuban? Dominican? But to me just as important as deciphering what one likes, is learning the why behind it.

I've discovered that I usually prefer a dark rum with a hint of elegance to the structure, which often comes as a result of long aging (12 years or longer). I enjoy the notes of orange, exotic fruit, wild floral tones that only come from certain regions and certain styles. I learned this over the course of a few years and know that it will take decades to truly come to any deep level of understanding of the process. What then can I say about a region that has invested centuries in it's understanding of rum, and of it's own capacity to produce World-Class spirit?

When Christopher Columbus came to the Americas in the late 1400's, he came here with some very serious financial backing. The fiscal powers-that-be weren't just funding Old Chris for the sake of a Grande Olde Adventure... no, no. These people were in business, and their business was about taking a dollar and turning into two. Sugar was becoming a very lucrative commodity in Europe and was expected to keep doing so. If Columbus was sailing along the equator, he was bound to find land suitable to the production of sugar.

They didn't know the half of it!

Sugarcane made its way from the Canary Islands to Guyana in the 1600's, and soon the British and the Dutch were working their new-fangled distillation miracles with the sugar water. Well, by the 1700's there were over 300 sugar plantations in Guyana, each and every one of them with it's own distillery. And what came out of this new addition to the landscape? Not only did the distilled spirit start developing such rich characteristics and stable quality that the British Navy began a ration of rum, daily, to each and every sailor (starting a hundred years of drunken sailing... "No, No Admiral," they declared, "we have no idea how we crashed the ship!") but something else just as marvelous happened.

300 distilleries started developing their own sense of style! Some lighter, some darker, some aged longer, some bursting with freshness but all of them creating their own sense of self, their own identity. Flash forward a few hundred years and the Demerara Distillers Limited (parent company to El Dorado rum) decide to capitalize on this unique history. They develop a new brand of premium and ultra-premium rum starting the world's first 15-year aged rum.

Two things to remember about aged rums: 1) the age indicated is the youngest aged rum in the blend and 2) aging of spirits in the Tropics happens twice as quickly as in Northerly climates (ie: Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France)... meaning that a 15-year rum has many of the same characteristics as a 30-year cognac (in terms of its aged character). Significant facts my friends!

But wait a second! Isn't rum just for the ne'er-do-wells? The ruffians and vagabonds? Well the good people at Demerara Distillers had faith that the rum-connoisseurs of the world were just waiting for something new, something a bit more polished and a bit more... grown-up. Turns out - they were right! Now El Dorado has one of the most distinguished line-ups of aged rum anywhere. And arguably the largest warehouse of aged rums as well.

Let me show you one such example:

El Dorado 12-year special reserve

$35 CAD (www.BCLDB.com) 

91+ points 

• visual:   clear; medium+ golden amber core
• nose:   clean; medium+ intense orange/tangerine citrus tones infused with soft notes of exotic wild-flowers, caramel, aged honey and some exotic fruit such as mango/ripe strawberry-papaya
• palate:   clean; medium+ body, medium+ alcohol (40% ABV), medium+ intense flavors that match the nose quite well; there is a burst of bright orange citrus tones that is followed quickly by notes of exotic flowers and fruit... some dried apricot characteristics as well lend considerable complexity to a low/mid-priced spirit. Very good to excellent balance, great structure and length
• conclusion:   a stunning value for the money, I can see why the BC liquor board customer ratings are presently at 4.7 out of 5... simply one of the best rums for the price on the market. Period.

So now we know the what: That Demerara Distillers wanted to create a world-class line-up of rums and they succeeded. Brilliant! We're all applauding the result, but how did they make it happen? I could say that it was a result of generation upon generation of blood, sweat and tears and I wouldn't be lying. But? But there's more to it then that.

Passion, talent, dedication.

George Robinson

It was the Passion of people like George Robinson, Master Distiller and brilliant cricket player who was the guiding vision behind El Dorado's climb to heights unparalleled in the world of rum distillation. George is sadly no longer with us, but he had a deep faith that "If you build it, they will come" which proved to be more then true... El Dorado is now a global label and has truly set the standard for ultra-premium aged rums.

Talent took the form of  Amar Seweda, Master Blender who has the arduous task of combining the multitude of flavors into one coherent form... currently El Dorado has an arsenal of 8 different stills to create 8 completely unique styles, or marques, of rum. From this plethora it is Amar's job to create one unified vision for each of the separate age categories and colors and maintain its consistency year after year. This is a true master-craftsman's task and is exemplified in the 21 year rum which has been categorized by the Chicago Beverage Institute as being “A monumental aged rum that is one of the world’s greatest rum drinking experiences!”

I'm looking forward to my next taste of its little brother, the 15-year, which should be right about now :)

El Dorado 15-year 

$50++ CAD (in BC, only select private stores)

93+ points

•  visual:   clear; medium+ aged honey/golden amber core with copper highlights
• nose:   clean; medium+ intense aromas much like the 12-year but with more finesse... the exotic floral tones are abundant/layered/textured, the exotic fruit bouquet is opulent and has more guava tones as well as papaya and there is a savory sweetness to it - like candied yams
• palate:   clean; medium body, medium- alcohol (40%, enjoyable straight at room temperature), medium+ intense flavors brilliantly inline with the aromas; crisp exotic fruit drive a palate awash in floral tones, and with the salty-sweetness of salt-water-toffee... brilliantly clean finish and persistent. Excellent balance and structure, long length
• conclusion:   Stunning. I'm forced to ration myself with this bottle as the last bottle of this I had emptied itself in one evening with only a few friends and some great conversation

So I've explained how and why this company delivers exceptional quality and exceptional value, but I didn't tell you about their secret weapon! World-class staff are an integral part of the puzzle, but great craftsmen (or women) need world-class tools to work with...

"Say hello to my little friend..."

This is one of the oldest functioning stills in the world! Originally designed in 1832 by an intrepid Irishman by the name of Aeneas Coffey. The still, then, is know by the eponymous name The Wooden Coffey Still. This is the last one of it's kind still in operation, and is much the same as it would have been when first put into production around 1880... it's a kind of magic, when you think of it, that we are tasting from this piece of history much the same style of rum as people were over 200 years ago. Simply amazing.

Demerara Distillers (and El Dorado) have a combined total of 8 unique stills, all producing their own style (marques) of rum. This is the secret weapon; some old, some new, pot-bellied stills to produce ripe, round flavors and column stills to preserve freshness and some of the oldest stills in the world preserving a tradition that in this part of the world goes back centuries.

Blending the old and the new isn't a goal, it's a journey. I have the highest admiration for companies, like El Dorado, who are on this journey with such high intentions. In a time when "following suit" seems to be a requisite skill for growth, here is a company who bucked the social norms and created their own path. I only hope that when it's my turn to take a stand, I do so with as much finesse... and I hope there's a bottle of El Dorado waiting for me at the end!

As always, I look forward to your thoughts, comments and questions. Here, or:

on Twitter @AStudentofWine

on Facebook @www.facebook.com/TheChefandTheGrape

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

---------------------------------------------------------------------

16th January, 2014

*addition

Today I found tucked away in a corner a wee dram of rum that I'ld saved for a rainy day. As it happens, the sun was shining and the birds were singing. But I figured to myself that somewhere it must be raining, and so I ended up with a few ounces of the ever-delightful El Dorado 5-year for my troubles.

In most portfolios, the 5-year would not only be an entry-level product in terms of price, but also in quality. Not so with this distillery! Though there is certainly less concentration, less layering and nuances of flavors and aromas, this is a spirit that drinks on it's own with ease and mixes like a dream... there's a reason I had to hide the bottle from myself, remember?

But enough talk! There's only one place to find empirical evidence: In The Glass.

5-year

Under $30 CAD in BC

89/90 points

TO THE EYE:   pale amber/honey core with light gold highlights

ON THE NOSE:   rich yet not overly complex aromas of honeyed apricots, vanilla, warm flowers

ON THE PALATE:   smooth, with just a hint of alcohol burn at the mid and end-palate (at room temperature). Flavors are much like the nose with some exotic honeyed fruit tones, mild vanilla and floral. Well balanced and enjoyable on it's own

How to drink it?   as in all things, this is personal taste. I don't personally mix rum with cola, but if I did - then this would be my stand-by. Inexpensive enough that I wouldn't care who mixed what with it and smooth enough that I could serve it to my father with a straight face.

Another feather in the cap for El Dorado and another reminder to myself why I keep a bottle of this in the house at all times... I may save the 15-year for my best friends, but I know for a fact that I've made more then a few friends pouring this at a party.

SLAINTE~!!!

After-Dark Whiskey, Gluten-Free

http://www.distillerspride.com/

A few weeks ago, a friend and colleague who manages one of the best private liquor stores in the Lower Mainland of BC sent me a quick email. It read:

"Kristof, I have a sample of whiskey for you."

I responded to Crystal (the person in question) "Crystal, many thanks, but I'm allergic to whiskey (being a celiac). That's besides the fact that I live a 90-minute drive from your store."

This was followed by a subsequent email of

"It's gluten-free."

...
...
...

"I'm on my way."

Ok - I must admit to be more then a little dubious. In my heyday - long before I knew that drinking it was creating an allergic reaction, I was a loyal whisk(e)y drinker. Scotch, Irish-Whiskey, Bourbon... ah the joys of pot-distilled grain alcohol~! I had my preferences; from Tullamore Dew with my pint of Harp, to an Oban or Glenmorangie to pair with a cigar, to Booker's "Old Rare" just for sippin'

So, then, gluten-free?? I couldn't imagine how it could be done, much less done well - but I was keen to try. I almost stayed within the speed-limits as I chased this idea up to Edgemont Village and the oh-so-special den of iniquity there-in. I wandered into the store ( http://edgemontliquor.com/ ) and was confronted by walls of world-class wines and spirits reaching to the heavens (or at least 12'...) "Help.." I pleaded

Thank goodness Crystal has procured not only great products, but great people to share their knowledge as well. A kind man pulled out the last few drops from the sample bottle, poured it into a proper spirit glass (many thanks - it does make a difference), and left me in peace to analyze....

I was flummoxed! My poor palate, which hadn't had a sip of whiskey in about 5 years, was now being inundated with nuanced flavors and aromas unlike any other. It was soft on the nose, needing some coaxing, but opened on the palate... well... you can read the review later!

So I called the importer that very day, told him that I had to write about this, and arranged to receive a sample bottle (a perk of the trade). And then - then I went to work!

On ice, straight up, chilled bottle, room temp, with water, with soda, etc etc etc. Oh it's a hard life being a writer! But it occurred to me, doing all of my little experiments, that for all that I knew many flavors of whiskey - I don't actually know much about whiskey itself. And so I did some research:

I knew the basics: that in Western Europe it's considered to have been created by the Celts long before the first recorded distillations in the 14th century.... no, by that time the water of life as it was known had been around for centuries. But what of it? And what's really changed since then?

Well several components are known to truly create flavor in Whisk(e)y: the still, the water, the malt and the maturation. Let's examine them more closely.

THE STILL
I know a fellow, great guy, who is madly passionate about single-malts. He and I have bantered over the years and I'm proud to be able to call him a friend. For his day-job he's currently head barman at a prosperous piece of plank on Granville Street, slinging pints to some of the cities finest. By night he's building his own cider-house and is set to change the world of cider/cyder one apple at a time :)

Well he and I have talked about stills and he helped me to understand that column-stills deliver fast results and continuous production. The downside? Lack of flavor... purists (pardon the play on words) much prefer the older style of pot-still which has been used for centuries. These stills leave a little bit of flavor behind; a little impurity. This is what most whiskey lovers would say produces the best quality, the best flavored spirits.

THE WATER
Most world-class businesses understand that it takes great components to create a terrific end product. In Scotland, distilleries guard fiercely the wells, springs, creeks and glens from whence their magical water flows. There's even a vodka company that brags about melting icebergs for their spirit! This is a common theme in the finest producers of beverages.

THE MALT
Just as every distillery has it's own vista, so too it looks onto a different land. It's from this land that distilleries find their grain to toast and the where-withal to toast it. For example, Highland distilleries still burn peat to toast the malt. The result? Very smokey malt, hence smokey flavors in the distillate.

THE MATURATION
And then there's the last piece of the puzzle. A spirit, you see, doesn't evolve (arguably) as it ages in bottle. Most experts agree whole-heartedly that spirits only develop as they age in cask. The biggest revolution in the world of Whisk(e)y may be in this last crucial step!

In days of yore, maturation was only in French or American oak barrels (to the best of my knowledge). These days? Sherry casks, wine casks, port casks, rum casks... you name it and there's probably a distiller somewhere who it toying with how to extract flavors from another type of barrel. All of these previous residents (of the barrel) have left behind something of themselves - and they add that bit of themselves to the Whisk(e)y.

I for one was especially fond of the Glenmorangie when they developed their Sherry cask finish; slightly floral, almondy, toasty notes added great dimension to one of my all-time favorite spirits.

And so that brings us to the fellow in question, the star of today's article: After Dark gluten-free whisky from Radico Khaitan Ltd of Rampur, India ( http://www.radicokhaitan.com/after_dark_premium.html ). Their importer into Canada is Distiller's Pride ( http://www.distillerspride.com/ ) and you can read more about their products on the website.

After Dark
$40 (BC)
91+ points
Silver Medal at the Monde Selection Quality Award 2011

*adding a few drops of water opens the palate and aromas immensely, and was done for the purpose of the following notes

• visual:   clear; medium golden-amber core, copper highlights
• nose:   clean; medium+ spicy chili, honey, ripe stonefruit, white flowers, musky background, cedar tones
• palate:   clean; fully intense flavors that are perfectly in-sync with the aromas; a heady concentration of honeyed floral tones, soft stonefruit glazed with Thai chili honey and a truly rich woodsy/musky backdrop. Excellently crafted, this is superb at room temperature!
• conclusion:   a world-class spirit; to me, one of the great markers of any spirit is: Can I enjoy it straight, and at room temperature. This spirit can do both. I found that a few drops of water really does open the nose and palate immensely, and would recommend this to anyone purchasing a bottle.
• pairing:   tonight I'm going with the Don Lino cigar of Dominican Republic... rich mocha-tones will enjoy and balance the spice in the Whisky!

And so, a delightful end to many trials and experiments with several guest judges in my home... all agreed that the spirit was immaculately crafted - more Speyside in it's approach then Highland, it must be judged on it's own merits. I am glad to be shown that the world is changing, and a door that was once closed to me - and to millions of others - is now re-opened. But one last word~!

This is not just a Whisky for celiacs! When I think of the blended Scotch that we here in BC can purchase for the low $40's, I am reminded that the market is rather sparse. The quality of most is decent, if not great, and the flavors are good, if not fully developed... those are the Scotches we drink with an ice-cube, and on a Tuesday night, not a Friday with a good friend.

Do yourself a favor. Give this a try and if you really, sincerely, believe your blended Scotch of similar price is better - I'll buy the rest of the bottle from you and drink it myself. You doubt my word??? The proof - my friend - is in the glass!

As always, I welcome your thoughts and comments here or on Twitter @AStudentOfWine

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

Ca' la Bionda Amarone della Valpolicella

http://www.calabionda.it/

One of the greatest perks of entering the wine industry has been that now I get to spoil my wife in yet another way; I now can spoil her with wine! My wife is traditional in some aspects; she loves a rich and robust Gewurztraminer or Auslese Riesling (as many women do), but, she also loves a velvety Amarone.

I've never written about this relatively recent gem from the Valpolicella  sub-region of Veneto, Italy, but it is certainly worthy of note. How many times have some of the finest products ended up as the result of some mishap or an experiment gone awry? Well, lucky for us, Amarone is one such story.

In this area just West and North of Verona, where the cool breezes flow down from Monte Baldo and the moderating influences of Lake Garda can be felt, this is where the magic began. And as I said, it began quite by mistake. The area has been known to produce a slightly sweet red wine for centuries upon centuries. The wine in question? Recioto.

Recioto has been recognized by Italians since the time of the Romans... the great scholar and philosoph Pliny the Elder even wrote about it! And it has been made in much the same manner for as long as people can remember. And in Italy, people have long memories.

The grapes in the Veneto region are not known for their depth or concentration. It is these cooling breezes from the mountains which, whilst preserving the grapes natural acidity can inhibit the grapes maturity. Grapes need heat in the day, and cool evenings, to really reach their peak. In Verona that just doesn't always happen. And so the locals began to dry the grapes to intensify the flavors before pressing (known as Appassimento).

Of course, drying (or dessicating) the grapes creates it's own challenges which include a number of not-so-favorable molds which can be incurred. Consider "Noble Rot" without the Noble. But - but the winemakers knew that they had hit upon a solid principle for dramatically increasing the flavor in their wines, and the public agreed.

Flash-forward to the 1930's and whilst a winemaker is fermenting his grapes he unwittingly leaves a cask of wine tucked in a corner. He stumbles upon it many months later and low and behold, his Recioto has fermented to dryness! No longer a sweeter style red, the new wine is slightly bitter (or Amaro in Italian) and develops characteristics of dark cocoa, coffee, savory black cherry) and layered in a structure that can age gracefully for a decade or longer. That winemaker released the first Amarone in 1936, but it took until 1953 to be formally recognized and it wasn't until 2009 that it was officially given DOCg status (* a symbol of top-level quality in Italy).

And through this struggle, Amarone has grown into over 25% of the total production of all wine in the Valpolicella region. And as for today's wine; the Ca' la Bionda???

Family run, family first. The Castellani family has been working this land since 1902 and has been instilling environmentally respectful initiatives since day one. Of course, 100 years ago it wasn't called environmentalism - it was just gold old fashioned horse-sense. One of the best examples of this is their use of the landscape in their production line. By placing some of the production downhill from the rest, they can use gravity-feeds to transport the wine. By eliminating mechanical feeds, they help preserve the integrity and quality of the product whilst preserving the integrity of the planet! Nicely done!

The Castellanis have also stopped the use of all herbicides, fungicides and weedkillers for decades. Perhaps the most costly though of all their initiatives? In 1990 the family re-built all of the terraces on their 30 acre vineyard site. I know a winemaker who use heavy tractors to "even-out" an entire slope, thus making it easier for his machinery to get in and eliminate or alleviate the need for manual labor. The result was that only a few years later a heavy rain came and washed half of his vineyard onto the highway. He lost millions and the landscape was scarred. Here we see the Castellanis working with ancient techniques to ensure a solid foundation (pardon the pun) for the future.

The results of this work are most keenly felt however, in the glass:

2007 Ca' la Bionda Amarone della Valpolicella
$50 CAD, 92+ Points
http://www.calabionda.it/

varietals:   70% Corvina, 20% Corvinone, 10% Rondinella

vine age:   15-30 years

yield:   maximum 8 tons per HA

altitude:   200 metres, south-facing

soil type:   rich limestone; calcareous marine-sediment

• visual:   clear; medium+ intense garnet core with substantial cherry rim/some bricking
• nose:   clean; medium+ intense and still youthful aromas; cherries and cherry-blossoms abound, some dark stewed fruit, a hint of dark cocoa
• palate:   clean; dry, full raspberry acids, medium+ chalky/grippy tannin, medium body, medium+ ABV (15.5%), medium+ intense and youthful flavors that mimick the nose perfectly: stunningly rich cherry levels followed by a long line of precise minerality, fresh young flavors in harmony with a subtle earthiness. Very sound structure and great balance, medium+ to long length
• conclusion:   a wine thoroughly enjoyable in it's youth, this will richly reward the patient cellar! Enjoy 2013-2025
• FOOD PAIRINGS:   the bright acid calls for fat and the rich tannin calls for protein. Consider venison Stroganoff with wild mushrooms on Manitoba wild rice latke. Raspberry toned acid will always cosy to wild meat, and the cream in a Stroganoff will offset perfectly. The wild mushrooms enhance the slight earthy edge to the wine as does the wild rice, just in another way. I would make this  Stroganoff quite thick as well, so that it sat on the latke in a visually appealing manner.

It would have been easy, I think, for that winemaker in the 1930's to say that he had made a mistake. I find myself thinking that I've done so quite often. But what's important (to me right in this instant) is that he didn't. That fellow didn't judge himself, or critique harshly. No, no, in fact he gave himself, and the situation, the benefit of the doubt. He gave life a moment to show a possibility other then what he had anticipated. And what did life do?

Life gave him Amarone.

A good return on his investment. Just as the Castellanis are cashing in on the investment of time, energy, and devotion from four generations of their family toiling on their land. These vines aren't worked by family... they are tended. And why such ardor?  Because this family knows, as does any educated palate who samples their work, that this vineyard will continue to produce world-class wine for generations to come. Ask Jancis Robinson - she gave the 2005 vintage 18/20 which is higher then she rates many wines much more expensive then this!

As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

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

2007 Piesporter "goldtropfchen" Riesling spatlese weingut St URBANS-HOF

Riesling; the longest-lived wine on the planet. Period. There is a barrel of Riesling in a German museum, which is still drinkable and tasted every 5 years by a panel of experts, from the mid-1600's.

   That's right, the wine is almost 400 years old.

   I thought an exclamation point at the end of that last statement would be overkill, but I'm sure you felt the implied emphasis! Riesling is a kind of "magical" varietal and no one is (arguably) better at working with this ancestral vine then the Germans. Baden, the Mosel, Pfalz or the Rheingau ; all of these areas and more, every part of Germany lends something different to it's wine. Some give a clean-slate minerality, others- ripeness of fruit, whilst some offer a baked-honey-utterly-lavish finish to the late-harvest wines that most of the world only dreams of.

   Yes, in Germany the mighty Riesling  becomes more then the sum of it's parts.

   And in Germany, depending on when in the picking season the grape is harvested, the sums of those parts will be given a different name. I suppose I should start by offering that these ingenious folks even have different names for varying levels of quality. Not given arbitrarily, all wines are given rigorous tasting and testing before judgement:

1. Deutcher Tafelwein : basic table wine
2. Deutcher Landwein :  a little better quality, from one of the specific 19 regions
3. Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA):  here's where we start to find some good quality; region specific to only 13 areas... these wines start to speak about where they come from
4. Prädikatswein :  the best quality; this is a new title replacing a much longer one that was easily confused with the third level (especially for non-German speakers)... although these can be dry, they almost always have a lip-smacking, dentist-(un)approved residual sugar. These wines tell a story, and tell it well.

St Urbans-Hof slopes

   So alot of information to digest, but this article is going to focus on one  Prädikatswein in particular: the St Urbans-Hof Riesling Spatlese... always a thing of beauty, this particular vintage (2007) is a true gem. I truly am thankful to the friend and colleague who turned me on to this small band of artisans. 

   Of course, this isn't the first article I've written about the family run winery from the Mosel region ( http://astudentofwine.blogspot.ca/2011/03/riesling-st-urbans-hof-mosel-germany.html ) and I imagine that it won't be my last. These wines are filled with depth, concentration, balance and offer good to excellent value at any price-point.

   You doubt my words? Fine with me, for the proof (as always) is in the glass my friends.

2007 piesporter, goldtropfchen, Riesling-spatlese weingut 

St Urbans-Hof (winery), Leinwen, Mosel, Germany

$55 regular, on-sale at some speciality stores in BC for $39

93 Points
http://www.urbans-hof.de/

wine merchant in BC/Alberta: www.renwine.com
 

let me diverge from my normal style of article and talk about the label for a second, and the litany of words/names that appear.  

piesporter :   name for the (small) wine-growing region around the village of Piesport on the north bank of the Mosel river. Approximately 69 HA
goldtropfchen :   a term used to signify a this regions' top-level wine meaning "little drop of gold" 
Riesling-spatlese :   these Rieslings almost always carry a richer currant of ripe fruit flavors; I often find stonefruit dominant in tasting notes, and because of a generally higher level of residual sugar often have a fuller body and higher alcohol 
weingut :  meaning an estate which is growing grapes for wine, as opposed to purchasing their grapes, purchasing their juice, or growing their grapes for someone else's wine
Leinwen : is the name of the small town and Mosel as stated earlier is the region

• visual:   clear; ultra pale straw core with gold and silver highlights
• nose:   clean; fully intense and developing aromas of warm hay, honey, ripe stonefruit and stewed apricots, a super-intense line of crisp/vibrant minerality is piercing and yet balances thr ripe fruit perfectly
• palate:   clean; off-dry (64.7 grams sugar/L), full (yellow grapefruit) acids, moderate- body, moderate- alcohol (9% ABV), fully intense and developing flavors that mimick the nose with that strong current of minerality running rampant throughout... a strong spicy finish reminiscent of great Gewurztraminer. Excellent balance, very good structure and long length
• conclusion:   already drinking well, this wine has the acidity and sugar levels to ensure a long life in the cellar, but will not develop appreciably. Drink 2012-2025
• FOOD PAIRINGS:   use the sugars to best effect! Consider grilled lobster with fresh Thai basil coconut sauce on roasted peanut rice noodles and steamed gai-lan ... lobster loves Riesling  and a slightly spicy sauce will play well off the residual sugar in the wine. The mineral tones will embrace the earthy flavors from roasted nuts and the fresh vegetable will act as a little palate cleanser.

looking DOWN the slopes at St Urbans-Hof

    So many names, so many descriptive words. The Germans seem determined to make something as simple as fermented grape-juice as complex as they can. But what are we talking about? What is wine?

   Wine is more then just the grapes, more then just the fermentation process, or the maturation. Wine is more even then the people that perform all these tasks and more. Wine is a sometimes magical process that allows the grapes to tell the story of the land and the people that they come from.

   Perhaps a simple concept, but not an easy task. St Urbans-Hof has managed to do just that; with the German concepts of name, name, naming I can start to understand that story a little better from the moment I pick up the bottle. I know where this wine is from, and a bit about the people who made it. They're proud of what they've done, to put their name on the label so prominently.

   And so they should be

Nik Weis, current winemaker/proprietor

As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

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

Cazadores Anejo tequila

What do I know about tequila? I'm northern Albertan born, from a family of Irish farmers which is about as far removed from the state of Jalisco, Mexico and the art of growing agave as can be imagined.

   Or is it???

   Agave growing really is an art; just ask the jimador who spend up to 12 years raising the plants to produce only the sweetest nectar. These men and women will put the sweat of their brows (literally) into their craft day in and day out... watching, waiting and tending their flocks with care. And the artisans in this region have been honing their craft not for years, or decades, but for centuries leaning on a millennium.

   Yes indeed, when the Spaniards came across in the 1500's they found the locals already celebrating a history of at least 300 years of distillation with the agave plant. "Yikes" thought the Spaniards, "how can we make any money off of that?" and so they promptly outlawed the practice. Well, the years went by and the Spaniards began to see their stocks of Spanish brandy dwindling and then the local fire-water looked pretty good! Much as you can imagine, Spaniards then allowed the local distilling (which never really stopped) and took a vested interest in it. This led to better technical work, and even to the process of aging the distillate (modest as it may have been).

   It makes sense then, that the Mexican government would stand behind their cultural history and put forward laws in conjunction with the Consejo Regulador de Tequila.  These laws have been enacted to protect the Appellation of Tequila; the very spirit of the drink and the manner in which it is perceived world-wide. Those of you reading this with a basic wine-knowledge will recognize that these artisans are following in the footsteps of craftspeople from all corners of the globe, whether they be cheese-makers in England or wineries in New Zealand. "There can be no tequila without agave!" said one of the early pioneers in the industry.

   And so we get to the part in the story about Cazadores  distillery. Well these guys know what they're on about, and that's for sure. Ok, maybe some would call them a little nuts when they play Mozart to the tequila as it ferments. Err... play music to the drink? Heck yea, and they're not even the first to do it! I've known winemakers who play symphonies to their wine as they mature (a nod to Emiliana in Chile http://www.emiliana.cl/ )

   Cazadores ( www.cazadores.com ) takes every step in production seriously whether it be the raising of the agave, the grinding of the plants to facilitate production of the spirit, or the maturation process. The company has decided upon American white oak for a sweeter style of matured tequila, and though the lightly charred barrels are good for 7 years or longer, Cazadores use them for only 4 to ensure a consistent level of flavor in each batch.

   So what is the end result of all this doting? Don't take my word for the finesse of this premium tequila at a seriously competitive price, the proof (as always) is in the glass my friends.

Cazadores tequila Anejo
$45.99, 92+ Points
www.BCLiquorStores.com

spirit:   100% blue agave  tequila
region:   highlands of Los Altos in Jalisco, Mexico
distillation type:   stainless steel pot still
distillation times:  twice distilled
maturation type:   small American white oak barrels
ABV:   40%

• visual:   immediate appeal and easy to see the American oak at play, this has light amber-pale straw coloring
• nose:   light caramel and vanilla tones, soft floral aromas... reminiscent of Caribbean styled rum (due in part to the maturation process)
• palate:   medium+ concentration of flavors very similar to the nose with more emphasis on ripe stonefruit and exotics (kumquat/pineapple), some florals and a strong carry-through of that vanilla tone. Alcohol is present but approachable, structure is good but the persistence is mediocre (the only short-fall)... 
• conclusion:   a great way to get introduced to upper-tier tequila, this has structure, balance and finesse and the only thing limiting it from being a 95+ point spirit is the lack of persistence on the palate. Excellent value for $45!

    And so an end to my first tasting notes on tequila... it's funny how we can all end up with prejudices and writers are certainly no exception! A few years ago I never would have thought that I would be putting great tequilas into the same category as fine cognac or extra-aged rums but I was wrong. The premium and ultra-premium tequilas that I have tasted recently are smooth, supple, full of deep, rich and nuanced flavors. They are every bit as "sophisticated" as their counterparts from any part of the globe. France included.

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

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

Chateau Rollan de By, Medoc, Cru Bourgeois

Politics exist everywhere.

There are school ground politics, workplace politics and even sexual politics... it seems as though we human beings just can't get enough of confusing and clouding our lives. Wine should be exempt, right?

Perhaps should be free, but unfortunately it is not. Yes, even the world of wine there are politics aplenty, but that hasn't seemed to slow down the owner and visionary behind Chateau Rollan de By in Medoc, Bordeaux (http://www.rollandeby.com/ ).

The Chateau was taken over by Jean Guyon in 1989 with only 2 hectares. Since then, Jean has developed a cracker-jack team and ruthlessly pursued finesse in the vineyard, cellar and bottle. All of this whilst dealing with years of evolution (or de-evolution depending on one's point-of-view) of the Cru Bourgeois system.

Many websites and papers have dealt with the issue in far greater detail and depth then I care to repeat, so let me be brief: today if a winery in Bordeaux would like to be classified as Cru Bourgeois they must submit their wine to a blind tasting panel for judgement. Should the wine present itself with the appropriate level of quality, and the winery itself meets certain criteria, then the winery can label that vintage only as Cru Bourgeois... no longer reserving that title for the vineyard itself as is the case with the classified growths of Bordeaux.

It sounds like a simple, reasonable and eminently logical system. And it is! The trouble for winemakers (and wine-drinkers) is that it took Bordeaux a grand total of 78 years to develop this system and there were more then a few hiccups along the way. I'm not going to point fingers or name names, but there were legislators who made decisions whilst pocketing funds as the owners or part-owners of vineyards as well.

So here we all are, 20-something odd years after Jean took the reins at Rollan de By and it has swelled from 2 acres to a whopping total of 85 hectares under production at his 5 wineries. But size isn't everything... errr.... anyways, all any enthusiastic oenophile has to do is investigate the Grand Jury Europeen (follow this for a sample of their work http://www.paolomonti.it/pdf/gjeautriche0606.pdf  ) to see that Rollan de By is scoring high! How high you might ask? In the 2010 Wine Spectator it was listed as one of the top 100 wines alongside and higher then many wines costing double or triple the price.

The proof?

As always, in the glass my friends;

2008 Chateau Rollan de By, Cru Bourgeois,

Appellation Medoc Controlee, Bordeaux

$42 USD   http://www.doublehelixwine.com/

93 points

soil:  clay-limestone

vinification:   stainless steel, temperature controlled

maturation:   new and used French oak

awards:    also awarded gold at the Concours General Agricole de Paris 2010

• visual:    fully intense/deep garnet core with no obvious bricking, no sediment
• nose:     moderate+ intense and developing bouquet of red berries such as raspberry, strawberry, ripe blueberries, rich dark floral notes, warm earthy undertone, background light graphite, menthol/eucalyptus qualities
• palate:   dry, moderate+ raspberry acids, moderate+ smooth/chewy tannin, moderate body, moderate+ abv (13%), moderate+ to fully intense and developing flavors that mimick well the nose; good emphasis from the Cabernet Sauvignon with a deliberate structure and overall impressive presence. Excellent balance and long length
• conclusion:   still a babe, this wine will develop for years... enjoy 2015-2020+
• FOOD PAIRINGS: I am a simple man, and have simple tastes; a wine likes this calls out for me to invite over a great friend and smoke a couple of brilliant cigars on the front stoop. If I really felt the need for food with this? Try a T-bone steak! A masculine wine this is (though still elegant like me) so enjoy it with some beef on the bone... richer flavors that way, trust me. Keep it simple.

So whilst the weather in Medoc in 2008 wasn't exactly perfect (chaotic would be the word some would use), a sage colleague of mine told me recently: "Anyone can make great wine in a great year. Great winemakers always make good wine. Always"

Jean Guyon, his superbly credentialed consultant Alain Reynaud and the entire team at Rollan de By should be patting themselves on the backs... 2008 was a great year for them and that says it all.

As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

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

Chateau D'Arche, Haut-Medoc, Bordeaux Superieur

Alot of names for a little bottle of wine, and I can easily remember the days when this would have been daunting. Let me try and help you understand the label of this lovely (and relatively inexpensive) little way to enter the fiscally intimidating region of Bordeaux.

Chateau D'Arche in Ludon, Medoc

   Firstly, Chateau D'Arche is a very well established chateau; it was classified as a "Cru Bourgeois" in 1932 (explanation to follow) and for almost 20 years has been owned and managed by the owners of the prestigious Chateau Palmer (http://www.mahler-besse.com/). Chateau Palmer, a Grand Cru Classe, is exorbitantly expensive. To wit: a 1945 Chateau Palmer will auction for over $15,000 USD and it's only a 91-point wine.

 I cannot afford Chateau Palmer. But that being said, I am more then willing to enjoy the work of Mähler-Besse (the owners) and their winemaker at a fraction of the cost.

 Now as to the Cru Bourgeois: back in 1855 Emperor Napoleon mandated a classification of the chateau of Bordeaux for the Paris Exposition. The chateau were classified mostly according to the price of the wines and were not intended (we are taught) to be a judgement on quality. This list was divided into Premier Cru (First Class), Deuxiemes Cru (Second Class) and so on through Fifth Class.

   Well very little has changed since that time with the exception that the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture created a "Cru Bourgeois" in 1932. This list included 444 wineries that were thought to be of "high quality" and was divided into several tiers as well. This multi-tier system has since been annulled (as of 2008) and there is only one tier: Cru Bourgeois. This is supposed to indicate a high quality wine that was not on the official classification of 1855. Enough history?

   Time for some geography~! What is the Haut-Medoc?? Please refer to my article http://astudentofwine.blogspot.com/2011/01/chateau-la-gorce-medoc-bordeaux-france.html . Suffice it to say that the Medoc region is Left Bank Bordeaux (which in general means the wine will have a significant proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon) and the Haut-Medoc has the highest ratio of Grand Cru chateau.

1999 Chateau D'Arche, Haut-Medoc

Cru Bourgeois Superieur 

$45 BCLDB   **** EXCELLENT VALUE ****

commune:   Ludon-Medoc

blend:         45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 15% Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Carmenere

age of vines: minimum 35 years

soil type:    rich gravel

cultivation: completely manual without the use of any chemicals

vinification: traditional saignee method with 21 day maceration

aging:         12 months in 35% new French barriques

awards:      15.5/20 Vinum Wine Magazine

                   2 stars Le Guide Hachette des Vins

• visual:   clear; medium garnet core with light cherry-brick rim and slight sediment
• nose:   clean; fully intense and developed bouquet of red and black berries; cherries, black raspberries, blackberries, crisp red currant and cassis, intoxicating summer floral notes of roses, green peppers from the Carmenere and rich savory woodsy and earthy background
• palate: clean; dry, moderate+ (still crisp red currant) acids, moderate (well integrated and chalky) tannins, medium body, moderate+ alcohol (12.5%), moderate intensity and developed flavors similar to the nose with emphasis on the red berry flavors with a strong woodsy/oaky/earthy presence mid-palate. Good balance, very good structure, good length
• conclusion:   drinking well now, I have heard people say that this vintage will cellar to 2020... perhaps, but there will be no further development of flavors and one is in danger of losing the last of these zippy acids
• FOOD PAIRINGS:   as with any great Cab-Sauv blend, my natural inclination is to steak. As this is French, why not a classic Steak Frites with peppercorn demi-cream or even with Steak Tartare and roast elephant garlic jam as an appetizer?

   Chateau D'Arche is not a Grand Cru wine, but it most certainly is Grand Cru skill utilized to it's fullest. The reward is in the glass!

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

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