the simply sensational Summerhill sparkling blanc-de-noirs

http://www.summerhill.bc.ca/

Champagne: beverage of the ultra-elite, the glittering nectar that deities of real estate and rap music use to wash away their troubles. Most highly regarded region for the production of said effervescent treat.

For now.

Winemakers the world over are starting to challenge the “Goliath of Bubbly”: Spain has their dry Cava, Italy the floralMuscato and stonefruit Prosecco and, more recently, the New World has also joined the fray. Meet Eric von Krosigk,über winemaker atSummerhill Pyramid Winery. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Eric for years and call him friend, having sat on panel-discussions with him as well as sharing meals and family time together. Knowing Eric has developed my appreciation for the intricate art that is winemaking and the arduous labor that is vineyard management.

Eric von Krosigk, winemaker

It is these two skills, along with a myriad of other tools that a winemaker gathers over years upon decades of dedication, which can result in true understanding of the land. And it is only through this fundamental empathy with their soil, their vines, that winemakers can ever hope to craft truly expressive wines; wines that speak emphatically and passionately about where they come from.

Or, so I’ve been told by those who know far more then I do.

And so when Ezra Cipes, CEO of Summerhill(http://www.summerhill.bc.ca/Story/Biographies/Ezra-Cipes) , sent me a few of the new releases from the winery, it was with no small amount of zeal that I started digging into the box. Like my 3-year old at Christmas: paper flew, cardboard tore, and the treasure that had been locked within was soon perched on the kitchen counter gleaming in the summer sunlight.

And, of course, it was the sparkling wine that first caught my eye… This is the sparkling producer that has my attention these days; their recent accomplishments nothing short of tremendous:

…“Sparkling Wine of the Year” 2014 All Canadian Wine Championships

…Gold Medal, Top 10 Sparkling Wines of competition - 2013 Effervescents du Monde

…Gold Medal – 2012 World Wine Awards, Chicago, Illinois

…“Best International Bottle Fermented Sparkling Wine” – IWSC, London, England, December 2009

Serious wine-making. And yet not so serious that these fine folks can’t crack a smile more often then not; their love for the land directing the course of business. This is the heartbeat of bio-dynamic viticulture in the Okanagan and, as such, the Cipes family treat their terroir like the living, breathing organism it truly is… fields are doted over, natural ecosystems restored, and bio-diversity has been recovered. To some people this is the most progressive style of farming or viticulture that we know of. Others, myself included, refer to this instead as ancestral farming for, coming from a lineage of Irish farmers, this is in fact what my grandparents taught me in their garden and through the stalls of our local Farmer’s Market many decades ago.

Call it what you want “the proof is in the pudding” and from the moment I opened this bottle of Blanc de Noirs I knew I was in for a treat:

2008 Summerhill Blanc de Noirs

100% organic Pinot Noir, hand-made

92 points, EXCELLENT VALUE

$35 approx.

**DO NOT SERVE TOO COLD! NOT UNDER 12C/55F FOR BEST RESULTS

… almond/Macadamia nut dusty mineral driven aromas make the mouth water and are followed quickly by notes of baked Golden Delicious apples, ripe Anjou pear and alluring cherry blossoms in springtime. The mousse is world-class; fine pearled bubbles carrying flavors that mimic the fruit of the bouquet brilliantly yet driving home that utterly Burgundian sense of precise minerality. Exemplary balance, this is a wine that shines with craftsmanship… truly a food wine, it will find it home as easily with the Boursin and fresh basil thin-crust pizza I made my girls for lunch as it did with the recipe that follows – but was an utter delight to savor on its own, needing nothing more then a great vista as company. Excellent structure and long length on the palate, this threat to French Greatness will age gracefully for years and, based on previous wines from this producer, with stunning results. Enjoy 2014-2020+

My daughter, age 2, with Ezra’s daughter at the winery. #Inspiration

This wine inspired me.

I followed in the footsteps of yesteryear, and went grocery shopping just for dinner that night: no massive Costco shop, no bulk section, no “buy 5 and get the 6th free”. I went looking for what was best right then, for dinner that night. Lucky for me, I have champions of  #Fresh #Local #Seasonal at my butcher http://www.hopcottmeats.ca/

Double-smoked Swiss Farmer’s sausage roast local chicken,

wild rice and quinoa pilaf, BC chèvre finished leeks,

fireweed honey and seasalt glazed carrots

THE CHICKEN

this may be the easiest chicken recipe, ever:

2 pieces double-smoked Swiss Farmer sausage, thinly sliced

1.5 lbs chicken thighs (bone-in always has more flavor) or about 6-7 pieces

1 Tbsp dry Italian herbs

1. saute the sausage in a pan on the stove; medium heat only as you want to draw out the fat or render

2. pat the chicken dry with paper towel, dust with dry herbs

3. saute on medium skin side down until the skin turns golden brown

4. turn over in the pan and place in the oven, 300F for 12 minutes+ or internal temp read 165F

THE LEEKS

rich creamy goodness, this is almost a condiment for the protein!

2 leeks, julienne (about 3 full cups)

2 cups milk

1/2 cup chevre (goat’s cheese; can sub Boursin as well)

1 Tbsp butter

*sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. wilt the leeks in the butter on medium or medium low heat; the key is to cook them gently and not brown them

2. when the leeks start to soften, add the milk and continue to cook on medium until the milk is almost evaporated (takes about 30-40 minutes)

3. add the goat’s cheese, stir to smoothness, season to taste

Simple food really, but rich concentrated flavors: the cheese balances the poultry, the clean carrot balances the richness of the smoked sausage and all the meal needed was the crisp, vibrant sparkling wine to pull everything into focus. This meal was a breeze as well, taking only about 10 minutes to prep and 45 minutes to cook: total time from start to finish was just under an hour.

Eating well, and drinking well, doesn’t have to be complicated but it does take effort. In this Golden Age of wine, when there are more choices then ever before, it’s difficult even for people who work in the wine industry to keep on top of it all. My suggestion, humbly, is not to choose wines at all:

Choose wineries you respect.

Choose winemakers you admire.

I don’t love everything that my local butcher does; sometimes I think they over-season the marinated chicken or make the Thai chili jerky too spicy… but I respect them and I know that by supporting them with my purchasing power I am enabling a company people I admire. And I’m doing something good because of how they work with the land, the environment, their community. And I love the food!

Why would choosing wine be any different?

Many thanks to Hopcott’s meats where I purchased the fresh sausage and locally sourced chicken (http://www.hopcottmeats.ca/) and to Ezra Cipes at Summerhill Pyramid Winery  (http://www.summerhill.bc.ca/) for the generous sample bottles.

As always you can find more recipes, free wine reviews and my notes

on premium distillates and cigars:

on Twitter @AStudentofWine

on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/TheChefandTheGrape

Vista D'Oro "D'Oro" with roast pineapple

http://www.vistadoro.com/

Everyone deserves a little something sweet…

As a chef with a conscience, I endeavor to cook as seasonally as possible: a lot of rutabaga and parsnip in the winter – a lot of strawberries and fresh tomatoes in the summer. That being said, every once in a while, we all deserve something special~!

And so when I found out that we had family coming to dinner a few days ago, off I went to the local stores to see what was bright, fresh and exciting. Huge pineapple on sale? Brilliant! I knew right away that a curry-fest was in order and, because I hail from Irish lineage, I also knew that I could get away with deviating from the normal “butter chicken”.

Well the meal was a success (*curry recipe to follow in another article) but dessert was the thing that really stopped conversation and got the table down to some serious eating! And looking at the photo now, I can remember how it even tasted better than it looks. Seriously.

But you know me, I simply can’t conceive of creating a beautiful meal without a beautiful beverage to compliment. And instinctively I wanted something sublime to finish the meal: a dessert wine that was going to have as much impact on the palate as this dessert has on the eyes. There was one wine that sprang to mind immediately: the Vista D’oro (eponymous) “D’oro”: a fortified walnut wine from Patrick and Lee Murphy.

Patrick amongst the vines

When I was out to visit Patrick last summer we had the better part of a lazy afternoon to walk the fields, chew the fat, and reminisce. We’ve known each other for several years and so it is with a certain pride that I listened as he explained the growth in sales... Patrick and Lee are bastions of quality in a wine-region (Langley) that even within BC is “snubbed” a little. Outside of BC? Outside of Canada? Unknown and certainly unrecognized.

But the first time I tried the wines of Vista D’Oro I knew that there was something special here: contemporary Pinot Noir, lush dessert wine, and now even branching into Sherry! It was the “D’Oro” though that I remembered for years after that first tasting. I remembered because it was the first time my wife went to a tasting with me and told me *(husbands: you know what I mean) that “we were buying it”.

It was a bit over $50 at the time. More money than I think my wife had ever spent on a half-bottle of wine. We kept that bottle far longer than I wanted to; always putting it back on the shelf for “a special occasion”. And there I was just a few months ago, walking with Patrick as he told me that all of his customers were doing exactly the same thing: saving the bottles rather than drinking them. This meant slow sales and the Murphys needed a solution.

Solution? Drop the price: from $50+ to under $40; and listed in the BC government stores as well, which meant that anyone anywhere in BC could find it or get it. And whilst $35 still isn’t an inexpensive treat after dinner, it is reasonable enough that clients started drinking the wine rather than just shelve it for when the relatives come calling. More people drinking the wine meant more people wanted to drink the wine! Result? Vista D’Oro is finally starting to bask in the glow of well-earned admiration from paying customers.

Still not convinced? When you stop by for a visit, make sure you ask about Patrick’s tomatoes (there is a waiting list of A-list Vancouver chefs) or the stunning preserves which you can enjoy on the deck of the tasting room.

THE WINE

Vista D’Oro “D’Oro”

91+ points, Excellent Value

Marechal Foch, Merlot and Cabernet Franc infused with estate walnuts, fortified with 100% pure, gluten-free, BC grape spirit

. In the glass this appears to be another quality example of fortified wine from Portugal. Then I remind myself that it is, in fact, from Langley, BC. The aromas offer stewed plum, cherry compote, dried savory herbs and warm/dusty earth… the only give-away is the trademark Vista D’Oro musky perfume in the background; like walking through an Arabic coffee shop and smelling the hookah-spice from the night before. The sweet palate is classic port-styled as well, with many of the aromas being mimicked perfectly (always a sign of professional quality) as well as a distinct note of fresh currant bread and finishing with a dab of spicy pepper. Absolutely excellent balance, structure and concentration; I enjoy the fact that, though a dessert wine, this is medium bodied and doesn’t weigh too heavily on the palate. Tastes like more!

THE FOOD

Grilling pineapple is nothing new, but the addition of a hint of vinegar brings the entire dish into balance. I love sweets, but sweet upon sweet just dulls the taste buds. Try this new approach, this healthy approach, and discover a quick and (relatively) easy dessert that wows!

RECIPE (4 portions)

1 medium to large pineapple, skin-off

2 fl oz apple cider vinegar

4 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp  rough chopped almonds or pecans (optional)

2 cups   Greek yoghurt

1 cup     fresh berry sauce

2 Tbsp   toasted coconut

STEPS

. cut large circle slabs out of the pineapple, about 1” thick

. remove the inner core; I use a shot-glass with a cloth over-top and it works perfectly

. warm the vinegar and brown sugar together just until the sugar dissolves

. put the pineapple slabs on a baking sheet, brush the tops with the sugar solution until all four pieces are thoroughly coated *(optional: top with rough chopped nuts)

. turn the oven broiler to high. Broil minimum 5 minutes or until the sugar is brown and caramelized

. being very careful because nothing burns worse than caramelized sugar: remove the pineapple from the oven and plate

. fill centre core with Greek yoghurt. Top with berry sauce and toasted coconut

Bon Appetit~!

So enjoy your meal with great wine and family or friends. Treat yourself, spoil someone else, and above all: savour the moment~! Many thanks to Patrick and Lee Murphy at Vista D’Oro for being so generous with their time. http://www.vistadoro.com/

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

on Twitter @AStudentofWine

on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/TheChefandTheGrape

Valentine's Special

As I am a trained chef, I get a lot of people asking me for suggestions for what to serve their significant other on Valentine's Day.

Oh it's a dangerous thing to give advice~! And with this in particular, so much depends on personal taste and so I often say "Make them something you know they love." I mean, what's the point of grilling steak for a vegetarian??

With that out of the way, I love oysters. Absolutely love them. And what could me more classically Valentines then a little oyster-aphrodisiac appetizer? I've got a few easy ways to prepare them and some brilliant wines to pair that won't break the bank.

THE FOOD

Oysters Rockefeller

An utter classic, this recipe has been around for almost two centuries, and this is my adaptation of it. Not brave enough for raw oysters? Give this a try... I've even given this to "non-oyster" eaters who declared "Hey - this is actually pretty good!"

6 oysters on the half-shell, shells cleaned

1 cup    36% cream

1/2 cup sparkling wine

            cornstarch to thicken

1 Tbsp butter

1 cup blanched spinach

1/2 cup home-made bacon bits, cut large

6 large slices of medium-firm white cheese like: Jarlsberg/Gruyere/Fontina

1. bring the cream just under a boil in a saute pan. Add the wine, whisk thoroughly, and as it returns to a low-boil add the butter and whisk again.
2. add the oysters and poach 2 minutes, turning them as necessary to ensure even cooking
3. place the spinach on the bottom of the oyster shells to provide a stable base and put the oysters on top of the spinach 
4. thicken the poaching liquid with cornstarch and spoon a small amount of the sauce over
5. place some bacon over the oysters, top with the cheese and place under the broiler in your oven under the cheese starts to brown (gratinée in French)

 WINE OF CHOICE:

Jaume Sera Cristalino Brut, $12.91 http://www.bcliquorstores.com/

Bold. Fresh citrus notes in this wine will cut through the dishes richness and bring it into focus. A keen mineral edge to the wine will harmonize perfectly with the mineral-tang of fresh oysters.

89 points

"Au Naturel"

Those who truly love oysters though, will adore fresh fresh oysters with nothing more then a bed of coarse sea-salt, a great glass of wine, and pleasant company. I know that restaurants are full of fresh oysters with "Mignonette" sauces, lemon, cocktail sauce, fresh horseradish, pickled daikon and the like. Infidels! Oyster connoisseurs around the world enjoy the fresh ocean-brine quality of great oysters and most of the above simply overpower these more subtle flavors. 

Of course, it's not for me to tell you that you can't or even shouldn't enjoy oysters with a condiment, but if you spend $2 per oyster for something that is only a mouthful, why wouldn't you want to savor the flavor??

WINE OF CHOICE: 

Jaume Sera Cristalino Rose, approximately $15 **specialty wine/liquor stores**

First-place finisher at the Whistler Cornucopia wine-festival, this was my choice for Top Sparkling Wine (under $50) for 2013. Worth the work to find, it's bright red berry tones of cranberry/raspberry/young strawberry will delight! Very approachable acids mean that it works well with slightly leaner seafood/fish dishes.

91+points

The Option

And if oysters just aren't your thing, and cooking is the last priority for Valentine's, then consider a plate of fresh fruit: your local grocer is bound to have some special goodies this week so (as I do) pile a plate with grapes, cut melon, ripe pear and garnish with a few long-stem strawberries (yes a real thing), maybe some blackberries or raspberries, a wedge or two of starfruit or mango and a little chocolate dipping sauce on the side.

WINE OF CHOICE: 

Riondo Prosecco, $14.93 http://www.bcliquorstores.com/

A decidedly feminine wine, small wonder this is the #1 sparkling wine of Italy! Ripe flavors of melon, tangerines and lemons are cut by mild yet zesty acids and an ultra-creamy mousse. Truly addictive you may want to purchase an extra bottle for mimosas the next morning and this will surely make your list of what to keep on-hand for romantic evenings or Monday nights watching "Castle"

90 points

So enjoy your Valentine's Day in your way, with some good food, great wine and even better company. Treat yourself, spoil someone else, and above all: savor the moment~!

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

on Twitter @AStudentofWine

on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/TheChefandTheGrape

Anciano Tempranillo, Valdepenas, Spain

http://www.ancianowine.com/

courtesy Spaincentre.org

Valdepenas, Spain; known to locals as the Val-de-penas or "The Valley of Rocks". The imagery isn't particularly hospitable. But then, this region has never been gentle... to people or to vines.

Surrounded by the better known, and much larger, region of Castilla-la-Mancha which was made famous by Don Quixote amongst others, I can almost imagine the Don... riding through these sun-baked valleys on his quest. Being a learned man, he would have known that this region had roots. These people had history; with some castles dating back to the 6th, 7th, 8th century BC. Yes, a castle, someone's home at one point - and it's 3000 years old (or thereabouts).

But these castles housed more then just people. For people in this region drink wine; always have and always will. They drink wine with lunch, with dinner, before dinner, after dinner, before bed and perhaps for a midnight snack. Not to say that they're drunks! But different cultures have different habits and to some people, the thought of lunch without wine is just silly. Just silly.

Archaeological sites have revealed wine production here, also dating back to a thousand years before Jesus was born. A drop in the bucket (or barrel, pardon-the-pun) when one compares it to wine-making in the areas surrounding the Black Sea (which have been dated to seven thousand years ago and older). However, when I look at wine-making in the New World - in BC let's say, and one hundred years ago there were only the roughest sort of vines, the barest-type of production, and three hundred years ago Europeans were being sighted for the first time ever sailing their galleons up the coast. Well, then 3000 years of viticulture takes on a degree of intensity!

And today in Valdepenas, the fierce sun blazes on soil, vine and man as it has for millennia. And the people struggle under the sun, working the limestone-rich subsoil, and harvesting Tempranillo. This varietal has plantings not only throughout Spain, but Portugal as well and is responsible for adding depth and dimension to some of the greatest red wines of the region. Even the New World is getting in on the action with wineries in California, South America and even one or two in BC taking a chance.

farm in Valdepenas

These two wines from Bodegas Navalon are absolutely entry-level priced examples of what Tempranillo is capable of, and yet deliver something more then entry-level quality. Remembering that BC has the second-highest liquor tax in the world (thank-you Sweden for being more expensive), these two wines come in at $12.99 and $15.99 respectively. In the UK you can pick them up at just about any major grocery store/wine outlet for about £8.99 or even less. For me, when I purchase a wine in that price-range, I'm just hoping that it's balanced and not much else. But in Spain, because these wines state that they are Gran Reserva, then they must be aged a minimum of 5 years: 2 in cask, 3 in bottle.

This is the difference. This is what pushes the quality of these wines from average to lovely, from "nice" to "Oh my!". Discover for yourself why sommeliers the world over are enjoying Spanish wines more then ever before...

Anciano Gran Reserva 2005

aged 7 years

88 points

*NO NEED TO DECANT/AERATE

• visual:   clear;   deep garnet core to slight cherry rim/some signs of age/oxidization
• nose:   clean; medium+ intense and developing aromas that show both the brightness and freshness of youth through cherry blossoms and fresh red berries (raspberries/strawberries/blueberries) but also the more developed nuances of worn leather, drying dark berries... complimented by a generous array of graphite tones and wild savory herbs
• palate:   clean; dry, medium+ cranberry acid, medium+ chalky tannin, medium- body, medium alcohol (13% ABV), medium intense flavors that do a solid job of keeping up with the aromas; the wine shows more age on the palate then the nose as the flavors are more of the dried blueberry/Saskatoon nature, layered with that graphite edge and rounded out with the scrub-brush/herbs. Good balance and structure, short length
• conclusion:   whilst it will last for a few more years, this wine is at it's peak and should be enjoyed now. It should be noted that for those not used to "funky" Old World aromas, a quick run through the aerator or a 15 minute decant (just leave the bottle open) will do much to dispel what may be not-to-everyone's-liking
• FOOD PAIRING:   "when in Rome..." and so I paired this cheerful red with grilled chorizo and caramelized sweet onions, capsicum bell peppers and fresh basil; grainy Dijon dipping sauce. The wine loved the bit of fat, hint of spice, and bold fresh garden flavors!

Anciano Gran Reserva 2002

aged 10 years

89+ points

*PREVIOUS VINTAGES SCORED 90 POINTS BY ROBERT PARKER

*NO NEED TO DECANT/AERATE

• visual:   clear; full garnet core to slight cherry rim/only light signs of aging
• nose:   clean; medium+ developing aromas of cherry blossoms and dark rose, warm cherry compote, fresh thyme from the garden, graphite edges and a slight peppery finish
• palate:   clean; dry, medium+ tart raspberry acid, medium chewy/meaty tannin, medium- body, medium alcohol (13% ABV), medium+ intense and developing flavors that mimic well the aromas; generous darker fruit tones give way to a well-placed minerality that cleanses the palate. The end is dark roses drying in my kitchen where I hang the Summer herbs. Good balance and very good structure with medium- length
• conclusion:   also at it's peak, this wine will last for several years but is best consumed within the next 18-24 months
• FOOD PAIRING:   a lighter though robust wine, this needed nothing other then the fireplace, a Sunday evening, and a good movie :) ... if I had paired food, it would have been something like grilled lamb burger with peppercorn-cherry relish, smoked garlic aioli for the frites
  

IMPORTER IN CANADA: www.DiamondEstates.ca 

 As always, I welcome your comments and questions - here, or on Twitter @AStudentofWine

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

Novas wines by Emiliana organic vineyards

Recently, I've been focused on the concept of terroir, and it's preservation. So much so, that I sent an idea for a lecture about this critical theme to the North American Wine Blogger's Conference. They have taken my idea, melded it with another theme, and will be re-packaging it into a 2.5 hour panel-lead discussion on Saturday 08th June. I'm pretty giddy about that!

But why? What's all the commotion about you say?

There is an evolution happening not only in the wine industry in general, but in our province of British Columbia in specific. Many readers know that in 1986 there were only 33 wineries in BC, and by 2011 that number had grown to over 240. We are growing faster then even the greatest wine gurus of Canada can reasonably keep up with.

But it's not just growth in numbers of wineries, or volume of production, that is so exciting to me and many others. It's the proliferation of truly world-class wines that are coming from our extreme wine region. We here at the most northerly edge of the wine-world are releasing sparkling wines rated as some of the finest anywhere. We produce truly unique and high-caliber Pinot Noir, ultra crisp, clean Chardonnay, bone-dry and fully intense Riesling... I even know a winemaker who produces small quantities of a brilliant Tempranillo. 

But will we always?

vineyard at Emiliana

As much as there is fantastic development in organics and bio-dynamics, and BC is one of the regions that is leading the foray,  there is another side to the industry. New winery owners are still being told, by some people, that it's ok when building a new winery - to bulldoze the land and then plant what is needed or wanted. There is still a proportion of the industry that doesn't believe that a natural ecosystem, well-preserved, is absolutely necessary to create a full and complete expression of terroir. 

It is that expression that creates uniquely beautiful wines. I also believe, as do many others, that it allows for greater life-span in the wines as well.

Emiliana organic vineyards (www.Emiliana.cl) is a brilliant example of these principles at work. I remember vividly the Vancouver Wine Festival of 2012, and be able to sit (in awe) and listen to the fantastically passionate Alvaro Espinoza (consulting winemaker). This man bristled with dynamic energy as he spoke of the investment of time, energy and passion into the land and the people who were producing Emiliana wines. 

There are so many things to list that Emiliana is doing well, that I would be remiss to even start the process - for you and I would be here for a long, long time. Better for you to read the company website and absorb from them directly the whats and hows of what this premium winery has done and continues to do. But let me tell you about the wines if you haven't tried them.

2010 Novas Chardonnay-Marsanne

DO Valle de Casablanca

$13.99 www.bcldb.com

89 points

www.PMACanada.com importers

vine age: 20 years
altitude: 370 m
vineyard yield: 6 tons/HA
maturation:  30% aged 4 months in new French oak
production: 9,350 cases

• visual:   clear; pale gold core with light watery rim, silver highlights
• nose:   clean; medium+ intense and youthful aromas; ripe pineapple, exotic floral notes, slate-like minerality, peppery finish
• palate:   clean; dry, medium+ green apple/lemon acids, medium body, medium+ ABV (14%), medium+ intense and youthful flavors that mimick the nose with a keen line of mineral throughout, starts with the lush fruit/floral and finishes with a clean light citrus tone. Very good balance and structure, medium length
• conclusion:   brilliant wine for the money. Drink now, drink often! Will not develop appreciable but can be held until 2018 or potentially longer
• FOOD PAIRING:   crisp lemon acids with love a fat roast chicken or duck! Consider poulet au quarantes l'ail (the chicken of 40 garlic) where you put generous wedges of garlic in little cuts in a whole chicken and slow-roast...divine!!

2010 Novas Cabernet-Sauvignon Carmenere
DO Valle de Colchagua
$17.99 www.bcldb.com
90 Points

vine age:   20 years
altitude:   245 m
soil composition:   colluvial; stoney with clay-loam
yield:   8 tons/HA
maturation:   12 months, 40% new French oak, 30% American, 30% stainless steel
production:   13,250 cases

• visual:   clear; deep garnet core with slightest cherry rim
• nose:   clean; fully intense and youthful aromas; pungent savory herbs; tomato leaf/bay leaf, ripe dark  plums, strawberries, bell peppers, rich dark chocolate
• palate:   clean; dry, medium raspberry acids, medium+to full chalky/chewy tannin, medium+ body, medium to medium- ABV(14%), medium+ to full intense and youthful flavors expressing deep earthy tones, savory dark chocolate, bright red berries, hints of tobacco and leather. Excellent balance and structure, medium+ length
• conclusion: whilst this is already drinking quite well, this will reward patient cellaring. Enjoy 2013-2020
• FOOD PAIRINGS:   dimension, elegance, this wine over-delivers and pairs handsomely with prime rib, but also consider seared venison flat-iron steak with maple glaze, steamed spaghetti squash and rainbow chard, "raz-el-hanout" spiced quinoa... very specifically the maple and the Arabic spices both play well off the wines dark cocoa notes and the nuttiness of quinoa will enhance the tobacco/leather tones

Though for this article I'm writing about the Novas line, I must mention the great jewel of Emiliana which is the Coyam Bordeaux-style blend. I will never grow tired of that wine! Truly elegant in it's production, it follows the principles of a left-bank Bordeaux-blend with it's high proportion of Cabernet-Sauvignon whilst creating a flavor-profile that is entirely it's own. It is unabashedly Chilean with it's richness of bouquet; the depth of the savory earth-tones, the dark floral aromas... I have never scored it less then 92 points and was un-surprised to discover that it had earned the prestigious title of "Best Wine of Chile" in 2003.

Alvaro Espinoza

This is what happens when a winery treats their land as it deserves. This is the direct result of a terrific investment of both finances and energy into allowing a natural landscape to evolve into a thriving vineyard. These ideals don't just exist on paper for wine-lovers: these ideals exist in the bottle, and the glass. Alvaro Espinoza understands and shares these ideals. He has brought the story of his land, his valleys and his people to my very distant part of the world and I will always be grateful to him for that. I look to this winery as one of the best examples of how our industry can be leaders in organics, in bio-dynamics and carbon-neutral business and can do so with heart, and spirit while building a truly prosperous business.

Well done Emiliana! I would have loved your wines enough for what was in the bottle - the back story is icing on the cake. Now I get to drink great wine and support a worthwhile company at the same time. Where are you investing your consumer dollars???

As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

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

Tinhorn Creek Cabernet Franc, Okanagan Valley DVA, BC

So before I start to talk about Tinorn Creek winery again (www.Tinhorn.com), I think it's important to talk about Cabernet Franc; the much planted varietal that plays such a pivotal role in so many great red wine blends.

Cabernet Franc (courtesy Wikipedia)

   Cabernet Franc is very closely related to Cabernet Sauvignon: in fact, Cab Franc is one of the parents. So what does this mean for flavor, color, aromas? Well of course there are going to be similarities; both are red wine varietals, both are deep in color though Cab Franc will be lighter in pigment (a trick to use in a blind tasting), both have the obvious red berry flavors though Cab Sauv will tend towards blackberry and plum and Cab Franc will tend towards (depending on where it's grown) raspberry and red currant and then for the aromas there are distinctive differences. Cab Franc has a unique vegetal quality which is accentuated by over-cropping and/or underexposure and will be perceived quite often as bell peppers and/or a "stemminess".

   Now overcropping is something that any viticulturist can avoid if s/he wants to and is motivated towards. That being said, sometimes there are fiscal reasons for over-cropping and sometimes even viticulturists just don't care about quality - they care for quantity. Underexposure is a different matter altogether.

   A winemaker can be motivated to the creation of quality wine, and yet the weather can choose not to co-operate (much like this Summer of 2011 in British Columbia).... by mid-August many winemakers and their vineyard managers are talking about being weeks behind schedule due to excessive cloud cover and mild temperatures. What to do? Well unfortunately, all the skill in the world can't fix something that goes awry in the vineyard.

   Which brings us to one of the primary reasons why Cab Franc was planted and continues to be planted in the first place: it buds and ripens an easy week earlier then it's child Cab Sauv. One week may not seem like much difference, but in regions where late rains or hail are a reality, that week may make the difference between a successful harvest and a failure.

   And where do we find great plantings of Cab Franc? Almost anywhere winemakers plant Cab Sauv and worry about not reaching phenolic ripeness; the Libournais region of Bordeaux (my much loved AOCs of St Emilion and Pomerol) and the Loire Valley of France, the north-east corner of Italy, parts of California and along the northern border of the United States, British Columbia, the Niagara Peninsula and Prince Edward County regions of Canada and throughout the New World.

   So here in beautiful BC we are blessed with almost everything a winemaker could want, with the exception of a lengthy enough summer (in most places) for a winemaker to be able to "properly" cultivate Cab Sauv. What's a winemaker to do? Plant Cab Franc. This is done as insurance for the "Bordeaux-style" blendings for which we have garnered some recognition and, now, as a stand-alone single varietal- sometimes as a late-harvest wine and even as a rosé.

   Tinhorn Creek is rather renown in British Columbia (and in Canada) for the quality of it's Cab Franc. To be completely honest though, the acknowledgements come not only for the quality - but for the absolutely reasonable price that they sell it for. Almost anyone these days can make a decent wine, given the right growing conditions... but it is a dying breed the winemaker who consistently sells a good product for a reasonable price.

2009 Tinhorn Creek Cabernet Franc

$19.99 at the winery   *** Very Good Value ***

~~ For The Cellar ~~

14.8% ABV

viticulture:   100% from their Diamondback Vineyard on the Black Sage Bench

maturation:   12 months in American oak barrels

awards:        

2007 Cabernet Franc

SILVER Pacific Rim International Wine Competition, 2010
SILVER Taster’s Guild International Wine Judging, 2010
BRONZE Intervin International Wine Competition, 2009
BRONZE World Value Wine Competition, BTI, 2009

• visual:   clear; moderate bruised plum core with substantial cherry rim (slight amount of brick)
• nose:   clean; moderate+ intense youthful aromas of red currants, early raspberries, savory herbs, green bell pepper, sweet wood notes
•  palate:   clean; dry, moderate (well-integrated red currant) acids, moderate+ (slightly green and grippy) tannins, moderate- body, moderate+ intense youthful flavors mimicking the nose with pronounced savory vegetal notes, a long dry finish of red berries, dried mushrooms and sweet wood. Very good balance and structure, long length
• conclusion:   whilst this is already a good wine, it still needs some time to develop in bottle and become a great wine. Best (Fall) 2012-2016
• FOOD PAIRINGS:   I would work off the lighter body and almost delicate structure and use it much like a Burgundian Pinot Noir, pairing it with a traditional Bourguignon with wild BC mushrooms and local vension... I think the slightly vegetal quality will play well off of venison's gamey-ness, the wild mushrooms pull fungal qualities from the wine and the hint of cream and demi-glace balance the wine's moderate acids

Tinhorn's Diamondback vineyard

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

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