Right-Banks of the world: comparing St Emilion

When I started the #WineTastingCircle of Vancouver, it was with the aim of furthering my wine-education. I wanted the opportunity to taste wines with my colleagues in a private setting of cooperation and discovery... it was my Dad, really, who set me on this path when he told me "Don't save your special bottles of wine for special occasions, use them to create special occasions"

And so in the Summer of 2013 I held my first #WineTastingCircle with a total of 4 attendees. We compared the superlative vintage of 2000 Bordeaux with six different regions represented, with the goal of understanding not only how the vintage affected the areas, but the blends as well, and how well those iconic wines were aging. But in the back of my mind I always knew I wanted to take that concept one step further.

Right-Banks of the World: comparing St Emilion vs other regions making similar styled-blends. A bold idea I was told by colleagues, especially as we would be tasting the wines blind, but an educated palate would be able to decipher California from Bordeaux, Washington from Chile... right?

Well, that what I set out to learn and to make it a proper comparative I needed to make a level playing field.

CRITERIA

Varietals: Merlot, Merlot with Cab Franc, perhaps a hint of Cab-Sauv

Price-point: (BC dollars) $40-$80

Vintage: variable... as its not all from the same area - vintage isn't really a factor

Attendees: 10 sommeliers, wine-judges, journalists, importers and merchants. Total experience about a century in the industry and another century as non-professional wine lovers (wine-geeks in training?)

And of course I had my venue, the inimitable Uva Winebar wine cellar/private room ( http://www.uvawinebar.ca/ ). I must make mention of their genuine hospitality and professionalism, and my personal gratitude for their continued patronage of our quarterly event. Small wonder that the hospitality industry in Vancouver drops in at Uva on a regular basis... industry folks always know the best spots :)

And so you may be forgiven for thinking that at this point I had it all figured out: all the technical minutia of time and place, the wines, the people. What more could there be? My friends, what we really had to overcome - when we got to the room and started pouring the wines wrapped in paper, no hint of what lay beneath... what we had to challenge in those 4 minutes we were given per wine to dissect: to analyze with our eyes, our noses, our taste, was: our own prejudice.

For who could be more prejudiced about wine then wine-lovers, professionals or neophytes? We read the trade-papers, we listen to the experts, the winemakers, the critics. We are the ones who scan for changes in weather patterns. Why? So we better know whether to invest in the vintage or not: is this going to be the big one ? The stellar year that lurks in grand cellars for decades to come and savvy people buy now for a pittance and open decades from now to rounds of applause? Who could have more preconceptions about wine then the very people who are supposed to be immune?

But it's the nature of life: we get a little education and then we get an opinion, and Heaven help us when we get one of those! It was my very first wine-guru, the gifted DJ Kearney who taught that, whilst she was studying for the Master of Wine program (of which we have 3 in Canada) she was, after all, still just learning. A pantheon in the wine-industry who this Spring is a judge at the Argentina Wine Awards told us that she was basically the same as we students of the ISG Level 1. She was learning, growing, developing and hungry for more.

always respected Chateau Pipeau, St Emilion

I knew that I needed to bring that energy to the #WineTastingCircle and, in fact, my colleagues all brought the same fire in their bellies. We had veterans of 25+ years experience and novices only 2 or 3 years into the hallowed halls of professional wine critiquing. It was as wide an array as could be imagined for one table but we were all pulled by the same force which was: To Learn. We fulfilled that role judiciously.

St Emilion is considered by some to be the "heart" of the Right Bank of Bordeaux and has been producing wine for centuries. Soft, plush, fruit-driven Merlot; some with dynamic structure and concentration to last decades and be worthy of their stratospheric price-tags, some juicy little gems intended for fast consumption on lazy afternoons and chic Saturday night parties. Would we be able to tell which two of the ten wines assembled were from reputable, Grande Cru Classe chateau?

THE LIST

2005 Chateau Pipeau, St Emilion Grand Cru Classe  http://www.chateau-pipeau.fr/html/pipeau.html

2005 Jean-Faure, St Emilion Grand Cru Controlee   http://www.jeanfaure.com/

2003 Duckhorn, Napa Valley, California      http://www.duckhorn.com/

2003 Stags Leap, Napa Valley, California    http://www.cask23.com/

2008 Domaine de Chaberton "AC 50", BC, Canada     http://www.domainedechaberton.com/

2007 Painted Rock, Skaha Lake, Okanagan Valley DVA, BC   http://www.paintedrock.ca/

2011 Painted Rock, Skaha Lake, Okanagan Valley DVA, BC

2010 Tinhorn Creek "Oldfield Series", BC, Canada      http://www.tinhorn.com/

2011 Ghost Pines, 62% Sonoma County / 38% Napa Valley    http://www.ghostpines.com/

there was a 10th wine, sadly corked...

LESSON #1   Could we tell the Bordeaux?

utterly brilliant Jean-Faure, St Emilion, 92 points

No. Out of all of the professionals, and all the skilled palates, differing experiences, etc etc not one person could tell which wine came from Bordeaux. But beyond that, some wines were so similar that they could have passed for "twins" or two bottles from the same vintage and same winery thrown into the mix as a test.

2005 Jean-Faure, Grand Cru Classe St Emilion VS 2011 Tinhorn Creek reserve Merlot, Okanagan Valley DVA, BC

In the glass we could see that the Jean-Faure was older, but in all other respects these wines were identical. One member of the panel pointed out the similarities and so we all tried them side-by-side (myself I was inclined to disprove him) and damned it all but he was right! 10 people, 10 votes that the "little" winery from BC had produced a Merlot of such character, such concentration, such finesse that no one could tell it from the Bordeaux. But I knew the difference:

2005 Jean-Faure at auction in California approximately $40+ making it about $100+ in BC. 2010 Tinhorn "Oldfield Series" about $30 at the winery: one-third the price. That was the difference.

an elegant wine; complex, seductive

LESSON#2   Would the California wines be our top-scoring wines?

No. Easy to believe that New World palates would crave that "classic" (to some) California over-ripe fruit, but Parker-esque devotees we were not. Top-score went to a winery that is relatively unknown even in BC - but I need to qualify that. The highest scoring wine of the night was from Domaine de Chaberton which is in our farming belt in the Lower Mainland: Langley. Better known for their excellent value-for-money white wines, the reds from this winery have for the most part fallen off the radar of industry-insiders. I was fortunate enough to be gifted a bottle of this "AC50" which is made by the owner, about 125 cases per year. It is an Ode to everything that is brilliant in St Emilion style blending and reminded  me of Chateau La Gaffelierre, 1er Grand Cru Classe the very first time I tried it. Should you not be familiar with Gaffelierre, it is enough to understand that they have  incredible legacy in France and are owned by nobility.

Asides from the many differences such as vineyard age, pedigree, etc which are all just back-story, the big difference to me is that Chaberton AC50 runs about $50-$60 in BC whilst Gaffelierre runs over $150 if memory serves... once again, triple the price.

LESSON#3   Would the iconic wineries produce the highest scoring wines?

Once again, no. Whilst it's true that some of the more prestigious wineries crafted product that was impressive to all: deep, rich, concentrated wines with superb balance, structure and length on the palate it was in fact a bevvy of new producers who took or tied for first, second and third place.

I have long been a proponent of the notion that when one practices something for a considerable length of time, one gains skills. It's just a fact. The equation has always been explained to me as the "10,000 hour rule": anyone who practices a skill, any skill, for 10,000 hours will become a master at it... baseball, physics, agriculture. All skills follow the "10,000 hour" rule. And we as consumers believe that intrinsically! We cling to businesses with longevity because, instinctively, we believe that their quality of product or service must be superior. In the world of wine, that has long been a Belief.

But we must also be cognizant of the fact that we have entered a New Age of Wine. The entire industry has been turned upside-down in less then 20 years and virtually every rule that was etched in stone has been (successfully) broken. Wine is being produced in regions that no one thought possible, at altitudes considered unproductive, with varietals that had "no place being grown there". Really, when we consider the wine industry as a whole, who would have ever given credence before 1976 to the idea that the French would consider a Napa Valley Chardonnay more classical, more elegant, more "French" then France?

Clare gorging herself at Painted Rock

But that is the lay of the land today. Today it isn't just Bordeaux creating great Bordeaux, and we as educated consumers should be willing ( with due diligence) to open our eyes, our tastebuds and our wallets to the potential of these new ventures. St Emilion has a very special place in my heart and I will always cherish the producers there who have branded quality on their viticulture for centuries. But if there was one message that was hammered home to me time and time again in this tasting it was something my two-year old daughter taught me when last we visited Painted Rock vineyards on the bluffs above Lake Skaha.

It was a beautiful early Fall day; we got to the winery and Clare ran straight for the vineyard. She clambered over rocks and tramped through the rows until she found what she considered to be the perfect spot and then stopped to apply herself to the task of eating as many grapes as possible. It was brilliant! I see now, many months later, that she didn't stop to ask herself where the grapes were from: she tasted, she loved, she continued. We all of us have fallen prey to attractive packaging and weighty lineages, but just like my child (and a blind tasting) showed me:

It's what's inside that counts!

THE SCORES

*scores are my own and not representative of each individual member of the #WineTastingCircle, but do reflect the consensus 

unanimously voted the top wine of the evening

1st place

2008 Domaine de Chaberton "AC50"     93 points

...on the nose offers rich aromas of sous-bois or wild under-growth, tobacco leaf, fresh red currants/raspberries. The palate is awash in well-integrated fine tannin and lean/well-focused medium+ acid... still young in it's life, this wine has years for development and a decade plus in the cellar. Big concentration on the palate with the same musky/sandalwood edge and a kaleidoscope of fresh red berry/sour cherry flavors colored ever so slightly by a hint of young blackberry/huckleberry. Merits serious decanting or two runs through the aerator.

2nd place (TIE)

2007 Painted Rock Merlot                         92+ points

...Big, bold, beautiful! Fully intense aromas pouring from the glass: rich red and dark berries, a whole bouquet of flowers and gentle teasings of black peppercorn at the end... ultra-fresh palate with crisp, clean acid, silky-smooth tannin integrated thoroughly and an overall impression of seamlessness. Drinking brilliantly now, it will continue to evolve for years and will cellar for a decade with ease. Of note: most people at the table thought this to be top-tier California...

2003 Stags Leap Merlot                               92+ points

...beautifully intense and textured nose of warm winter spices, candied almonds, hints of pink peppercorn and dark flowers. Medium+ crisp acids with tons of life left and a generous fruit driven palate with complimentary tones of pencil shavings, sous-bois forest floor and wild herbs. Very well balanced, with good concentration, this Merlot will last for several years still but not develop further.

3rd place (TIE)

2005 Jean-Faure                                            92 points

...a classic: complex marriage between honeyed almond aromas and a bouquet of perfumed red and dark flowers mixing with fresh berries in the garden. Crisp, fresh, tastes like it's a new wine! I was so certain that this was only a few years old, I'm certain that there are years of development and a solid decade plus of cellaring for this exquisite wine. Fine, well-integrated tannin, medium+ concentration of bruised plum/red and black raspberry flavors but not quite as developed as the sublime aromas.

2010 Tinhorn Creek Merlot                      92 points

...so pretty! To my mind, this was what most people think of when they think "Merlot". Bright red berry aromas mixing with soft floral tones, a hint of warm earth and the lightest fresh herb tint. Ultra-crisp red berry acid, incredibly well-integrated tannin structure, the palate is a mirror of the nose (always an indication of quality to me). Great balance, structure and concentration. Beautiful for drinking now and can be held in the cellar for several years.

the slopes above Lake Skaha: brilliant Bordeaux from BC

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

on Twitter @AStudentofWine

on Facebook @www.facebook.com/TheChefandTheGrape

Desert Hills Estate Winery, BC VQA Okanagan Valley

 www.DesertHills.ca

brothers Randy and Jessie

 It’s the Holiday Season so I’m a sucker for a “feel-good” kind of story. Like 3 brothers who move in the mid ’80s to British Columbia from India and start working the new family farm…

Not a big stretch, right? They had a farm back home, Dad gets a little property in the Okanagan just outside of Oliver, and now they’re growing fruit. But the 3 brothers look around – undoubtedly noticing the large sign as one enters town that proclaims Oliver as “The Wine Capital of Canada”. True? Not for me to say, but there are a lot of wineries there… so the brothers go to Dad and say “Dad, let’s grow grapes. We can sell them for more then apples or peaches!”

Dad thinks about this, decides to go out on a limb and trust his boys. Much expense later, the family is producing wine grapes and selling them to local wineries and making more money. Good right? But not good enough for the Toor brothers who now go back to Dear Old Dad and say “Hey Dad, the grapes are really good. I mean really good… let’s start making our own wine.”

Dad goes back out on the limb, the family goes into the wine-making business now. And guess what?

Oh damned. You weren’t supposed to actually guess it… yes! The wine was also good. I mean really good. Good enough that they have won the prestigious Lieutenant Governor’s Award for excellence in winemaking (TWICE) and the winner of Canada’s Best Red.

And they planted the first Syrah in the South Okanagan.

This means that they’ve got some major determination, but also the foresight to look ahead of the curve and anticipate what might be lying there. That’s a good story in my books, and more then a little inspiring. But the best part to selfish-me is that these wines are widely available and at very reasonable prices. And my proof? Right there in the glass my friends:

2012 Chardonnay (unoaked)

solid 90 points

320 cases produced

*BEST WITH ONE/TWO RUN(S) THROUGH THE AERATOR

• a bouquet that’s generous in floral and mineral tones, this wine is expressive of whence it comes from. The crisp, clean palate is rich in the same minerality and accentuated by flavors of wild summer flowers, white tea and young stonefruit (such as apricots and peaches) with a healthy dose of warm Golden Delicious apples thrown in for good measure. Well balanced, with good structure and decent length on the palate – this wine does as well on it’s own as it would with food. And what food?? As this is much more French in it’s approach then Californian, I would opt for a French classic like poulet aux quarantes l’ail (chicken roast with 40 garlic) or perhaps butter poached scallops with asparagus and hollandaise… there are enough acids to handle more robustly fatty meals 

2011 Viognier, Sira’s vineyard

89+/90 points

1000 cases produced

*BEST WITH ONE/TWO RUN(S) THROUGH THE AERATOR

• once again, very French in it’s approach, this is an understated version of Viognierwith tight acid and a bouquet quite eloquently speaking about apricot compote, white tea and crushed-slate minerals. The balance is good, and the structure is even better with the length on the palate being considerable at 15-20 seconds before fading. I would have gladly scored this 91+ points if the bouquet was as expressive as the palate, which is as delicious as it is professional… a perfect pairing with WestCoast cuisine, this is brilliant with brown-sugar barbequed salmon, buttered fiddleheads and steamed new potatoes. And a word of caution; ensure you serve this wine under 15c/59F – too warm and the acids become unbalanced and bitter

2012 Gewurztraminer

91+ points

575 cases produced

*DECANTING/AERATION UNNECESSARY

• an icon from the Desert Hills line-up, this varietal shines on their terroir. Bold aromas of lychee, pink and white grapefruit, exotic flowers and guava erupt from the glass with a keenly edged full acid on the palate to keep it in focus. Generous mid-palate flavors that mimic the bouquet brilliantly, good balance and structure with a medium length palate that is fun on it’s own but can pair with some serious food. This is for your gourmet Thai/Vietnamese cuisine and will make you look like a superstar when paired with the flavors of Thai basil, ginger, galangal and curry~! Once again though, a caveat: don’t serve over 15c/59F or the acids will appear unbalanced

2012 Gamay (Noir)

91+ points

*DECANTING/AERATION UNNECESSARY

• if Gewurztraminer would be their flagship white varietal, then Gamay Noir would most certainly be (in my humble opinion) Desert Hills flagship red. Made famous, or infamous, by the Beaujolais Nouveau craze of the late 80′s/early 90′s (and modern day Japan) – Gamay Noir is capable of greatness when produced on the appropriate soil and crafted by artisans. This is certainly on the same level as many top-producers in Fleurie or Moulin-a-Vent~! A wildly expressive nose with aromas of worn leather, warm earth, pencil shavings, lightly candied blackberries and black currants, and a last hint of savory herbs… the palate follows suit with moderate acid, fine silty tannin and a generous expression that has balance, structure and medium+ length.
• Food pairing?? Try this with your simple food to allow the wine to shine: artisanal Tuesday-night pizza with spicy Capicolla, local chevre (goat’s cheese), sun-dried tomato, artichoke hearts and a drizzle of white truffle oil

2009 Cabernet Franc

Eagle’s Nest Vineyard

88 points

302 cases produced

*DECANTING/AERATION UNNECESSARY

• soft aromas of green pepper, warm earth and graphite-like pencil shavings greet the consumer while the palate delivers a modicum of tight red current acid overlayed by grippy young tannin. Whilst the balance is quite good, the structure is fair at best and the length on the palate is short to medium. This is an excellent candidate for Summer sangria and Winter mulled wine and, should you have some in your cellar, is best consumed sooner rather then later.

2008 “Mirage”

Cab-Sauv driven Bordeaux-styled blend (Left Bank)

91 points

980 cases produced

• yes, Bordeaux styling can be found in the most northerly of wine-growing regions. It can even be eloquent, as exemplified by the “Mirage”; sonorous aromas of warm earth, old leather, graphite minerality, blackberry/blueberry/currant jam, wild herbs growing on the hillside all marry together quite seamlessly. The palate is driven by the bright red berry tones turning darker with the five years of aging, and held together by the clean and lean mineral edge. Very good balance and excellent structure, this palate holds well at medium+ or over 20 seconds developing on the tastebuds. Excellent now, hold in your cellar for several years
• A wine of this structure merits food with equal thoughtfulness and consideration. Perhaps sous-vide beef tenderloin stuffed with Fraser Valley roast chestnuts and Qualicum blue cheese with a fresh rosemary jus, parsnip pave, candied eggplant crisps and charred radicchio salad…  intense flavors all, and all will draw strong notes from the wine

relaxing at the end of a hard day

Three brothers who turn a modest family business into a family legacy in the space of a generation. A good story, but then there’s the icing on the cake… it turns out that the brothers have taken some of the profits from the winery and built a sports arena in their hometown in India. Not content with merely flashing money around to look good, or assuage their egos, these fine men make a point of returning home every year to catch-up with family and friends, and ensure the arena is being run properly.

Because they care, these Toor brothers. They care about their family, they care about quality, and they care about their community: the New World and the Old, merging into something better then either was on it’s own. And that’s a good story, a really good story and more then reason enough for me to seek out their wines on a habitual basis: the Gewurztraminer a perennial treat for my beautiful wife.

Ask yourself, what do you respect about the last winery you supported with your consumer dollars?

Many thanks to Renaissance Wine Merchants, representatives of Desert Hills, for the sample bottles.  www.renaissancewine.ca

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

on Twitter @AStudentofWine

on Facebook @www.facebook.com/TheChefandTheGrape

Veranda Beach Cellars, Washington State

http://www.verandabeach.com/

Jim Hammond, developer and principal behind the concept of Veranda Beach, Oroville, Washington, remembers growing up on the great plains of Saskatchewan. Specifically, he reminisces on those eternal Summer evenings where lazy melded with moonlight and decks became festooned with hammocks, sleeping bags and air-mattresses in an attempt to beat the heat. Childhood talks, carried by breezes, spoke of new bicycles, where the fishing would be good, and who was a better swimmer.

I remember those nights too.

Growing up in Edmonton, Alberta, I had a great-uncle who had a farm in the (then) small community of Fort Saskatchewan. My parents would drive us out in the heat of the day and we kids would pick strawberries and Saskatoons for dessert, eating as much as we put in our buckets. Then we'ld slump on the wrap-around deck with gallons of lemonade whilst the fruits of our labor (literally) were turned into pies, tarts, or simply covered in cream in deep bowls to be devoured.

That was a good time to be a kid; riding my bike along the highway in the morning (I was only 6 or 7) on Brave Adventures... coming home only to eat, and then back out again to Forage in the Wilderness. We were scamps, we were feckless, we were a force without reckoning.

And now, many years later, I watch my two-year old growing up in land where she will perhaps never know such wild abandon, such freedom to discover. And I thought of this even more as I tasted the wines from Jim Hammond's development.

Styled as a throwback to the 50's and showcasing over a mile of private beach on what must be the warmest lake in Canada, Veranda Beach is a beacon to that lifestyle. Today though, let me tell you more about the wines then about the resort... For as much as the place itself deserves to be advocated, the wines are articulate and well-crafted, meriting a champion. (insert Kristof as said Champion)

I first came across the wines of Veranda Beach on a decidedly far too warm private coach ride from Lake Chelan, Washington to Penticton, British Columbia and the 2013 Wine Bloggers Conference. It was June and the bus had failing air conditioning and yet on-board came our brave adventures from the resort with beach balls, bottles of chilled wine, and unfailing joie-du-vie. They laughed as they poured and we wine-writers responded with good manners and more then a cursory interest in the wine.

How could we not? Crisp, clean, great concentration and yet refreshingly easy to enjoy on their own - but I digress. For to tell the story of the wines of Veranda Beach, one first needs to tell the story of Katy Perry.

???

Yes, friends, Katy Perry. Just not that Katy Perry. The one I speak of is a tenured winemaking professional, with a pedigree that would do any cellar proud:

This uber-professional has not only a degree in viticulture from famed UC Davis, but also in eonology. This means the lady has smarts - real smarts. But there are many types of smart, right? Katy knows this as well, so she went to Australia and worked with the former winemaker from Penfold's before going to world-class Yalumba on a stint. But even Aus wasn't big enough to hold Katy and so she flew back to America to work with the pantheon known as Stag's Leap, and then a foray into boutique production in Carneros AVA.

But we all know that there's no place like home, and home beckoned to Katy one fateful day when she was asked to speak at an event in Lake Chelan, Washington. She fell in love with the area, and then that minxy mistress Fate dropped in and Katy was being asked to take on the role of winemaker at Woodville for Chateau St Michelle. This is a dream-job for many, and so on forged our brave Katy, working alongside Eric Olsen and Ernst Loosen to create the first iconic vintages of "Eroica".

Now Katy and her husband have their own vineyard and winery in Lake Chelan; Tildio Winery (  http://www.tildio.com/ ) and Katy is firmly in-place driving the wines of Veranda Beach to greater heights with the able assistance of vineyard manager Finis Hale.

We all know that winemakers agree; 80% of the work done with wine is done in the vineyard, so Finis has a lot on his plate if he's going to keep the vineyard matching the pace of Katy - right? One small (potential) hitch: the vineyard is in the development. Yup - that's right, your cottage at Veranda Beach may in fact be one of those that's surrounded by Sangiovese or Cabernet Franc. A nice way to wake up, if you ask me, but I could see challenges getting the picking equipment between the parked station-wagons (lol).

Actually, vehicles aren't allowed at the cottages, which means the kids can run as free as they want to - which brings me back to how I started this article: I started tasting these wines and remembering what it was like to be filled with the freedom that (seemingly) only children possess. I wanted to ensure that my daughter had that as she grows up.

Perhaps, just like smarts, there are many types of freedom. What is Freedom if it isn't a young Paleontology assistant becoming winemaker in her own winery and at the same time in another World-Class resort just down the road? What is Freedom if it isn't a boy from Saskatchewan growing up to build a resort where kids can run free and parents can relax on wrap-around decks whilst sipping sinfully seductive Riesling?

And speaking of Riesling, I almost forgot to review the wines@! Here you go my friends...


2012 Regatta Rose

90+ points

50 cases produced
Double-Gold; www.SeattleWineAwards.com

• visual:   clear; medium solid raspberry/cherry core with watery rim and silver highlights
• nose:   clean; medium+ intense and youthful aromas bursting with fresh red berries; strawberries, cherries, red raspberries and currants abound followed by a savory/muskiness and a clean, precise line of minerality
• palate:    clean; medium+ red raspberry acid, light+ body, medium+ alcohol (13.1% ABV), medium intense and youthful flavors perfectly inline with the bouquet; a stunningly bright/fresh mineral note washes through with a kaleidoscope of red berries, a light savory tinge completes.Very good to excellent balance, very good to excellent structure, medium- concentration.
• conclusion:   drink now, drink slightly chilled, drink often. This wine will not develop with time but will last in the cellar for a few years with ease; enjoy 2013-2016
• FOOD PAIRING:   so crisp, so clean, I really want to serve this to start a meal and open the palate~! Consider prosciutto wrapped spot prawns, mesquite grilled, with Okanagan peach-heirloom tomato-basil salsa... the salt of the prosciutto will love the berry tones in the wine, and the sweet/salty prawn will do the same... the basil enhances the natural herbaceous qualities and brings them forward to balance 

So you remember that perfectly pretty girl in school/work? The one that you soooo wanted to dislike; she was curvy, she was athletic, she wore clothes that made her look like a rock-star. You were so sure that she was a ditz, and how you would savor trumping her in brains! Ah.... then you found out that she was a straight A student as well, and... she was really nice. Crap.

You found yourself liking her, despite your best intentions. In fact, she may have become your best friend (or your wife - lol).

This next wine is alot like that for me; from the first whiff of the ripe, stonefruit-and-honey laden aromas I thought "Oh - another pretty girl who can't chew gum and walk at the same time." Oh how I was wrong! Layered with goodness and dimension, this is a wine that expresses not only varietal correctness, but is an excellent candidate to showcase what the South Okanagan is capable of for World-Class whites. This makes me hungry to try a late-harvest from the vineyard... and seems a natural for Spatlese or Auslese style. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sp%C3%A4tlese )

2012 Lakehouse (Riesling)

91 points

102 cases produced
whole-cluster pressed
100% stainless steel
Double-Gold; www.SeattleWineAwards.com

• visual:   clear; pale straw core with watery rim, silvery/golden highlights
• nose:   clean; medium+ intense and youthful bouquet; intoxicating (forgive the pun) layers of honeyed raisins, warm apricot compote, little white Summer flowers dripping with pollen... so sweet it smells like there must be Muscat in the glass
• palate:   clean; off-dry, medium- white grape acid, medium- body, medium- alcohol (12.4% ABV), medium+ intense and youthful flavors perfectly inline with the aromas; lusciously ripe stonefruit is cut by an almost Burgundian (read: Masterful) wet-slate minerality, floral notes are diverse like warm-climate Viognier and the finish is crisp, semi-sweet. Excellent balance, excellent structure, medium+ length
• conclusion:   I would love to watch this wine develop it's aged characteristics, but is sheer pleasure to drink now! Enjoy 2013-2020 and possibly beyond
• FOOD PAIRING:   I want to drink this whilst on a boat - a yacht... I want a loaf of fresh French bread, baguette, even a green-olive ficelle, with soft brie, smoked chicken (or turkey, or duck) thinly sliced, some pickled purple onions and a dab of Rainier-cherry relish.... don't be deceived~! This wine has dimension and depth to handle complicated dishes (Thai, Filipino and Vietnamese foods will adore this wine) but I will savor it's nuances with simple foods, as rich with flavor as it is.

And then we came to the end of the tasting... an innocuous bottle named "Collage". Immediately, crafts-classes from Grade 1 came springing to mind in a most unfashionable-manner. I thought that perhaps this was the end of my lucky-streak of finding rare wine-gems... little did I know~!

I love Washington-State Sangiovese. And when I say love, I mean love in the purest sense! This isn't an infatuation, this isn't puppy-love where I try a bottle and say "oh this is looovely" and then never write about it again. No my friend, Washington-State Sangiovese is worthy of time, of consideration, and most of all; worthy of your money. This is the second time in a month that I've tried it and been stunned. 

2010 "Collage"

70% Barbera, 20% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Franc

92 points

250 cases produced
Silver; www.SeattleWineAwards.com

• visual:   clear; full garnet core with slightest cherry rim, no bricking
• nose:   clean; fully intense youthful bouquet of buttery/creamy wood tones, ripe red fruit at the height of Summer, nuanced sous-bois (forest growth) and woody/musky sandalwood, slight eucalyptus/menthol finish
• palate:   clean; dry, full red raspberry/currant acid, medium+ fine tannin, medium- body, medium alcohol (13.8% ABV), medium+ youthful expressions that match the aromas brilliantly! Crisp/tight red berry/fruit tones cavort with a herbaceous undergrowth, whilst a musky backdrop reveals itself. This wine has layers upon layers. Very good balance, stunning structure and medium+ to long length.
• conclusion:   almost a tragedy to drink now - if you must, then decant a minimum 1 hour or double-aerate. Enjoy 2015-2020
• FOOD PAIRING:   this is a wine suited for a prince. Live like a prince for one meal! Chorizo and roasted walnut stuffed partridge breast, cranberry Manitoba wild rice, chevre-stuffed fresh figs torched with "Fireweed" honey, cranberry and fresh thyme essence... yes, perhaps a little overboard, but, don't you deserve it?? This wine needs a little fat to balance those overactive acids and the chorizo will provide just that - but the wild red berry tones will cosy to wild meats and partridge is gamey without being "too" gamey. Cranberry tones enhance the bright red berry tones already there and the fig is a dark fruit which balances. Chevre balances with fat, but a savory fat, and the wild thyme enhances the slight herbaceous tones. Delightful~!

And that, as they say, is that. There are plans to develop the property, and expand the vineyard. But plans are just that: plans. They sometimes go astray and oft lead us to places we never expected. I sincerely hope that your plans, well-laid or not, lead you to Oroville, Washington soon so you can tell me your thoughts on these brilliant wines. The proof is in the glass!

As always, I look forward to your comments, here or on Twitter @AstudentofWine

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

Summerhill winery, Kelowna, BC

You ever have one of those perfect days? The sun is shining, the birds are singing and the world is your oyster...

the view from Summerhill vineyard

   I was having one of those days just a few weeks back; I was driving back from the awe-inspiring Wine Summit at the Post Hotel in Lake Louise, Alberta ( http://astudentofwine.blogspot.ca/2012/07/post-hotel-wine-summit-2012.html ) and the roads were absolutely clear. I had left first thing in the morning and was set to arrive at Kelowna's Summerhill Winery ( www.summerhill.bc.ca/ ) for lunch and a short interview with the winemaker Eric. If you're not familiar with this organic winery, you should take note: they are now the first certified bio-dynamic winery in British Columbia!

   So anyways, little did I know that I was going to meet a kindred spirit in Eric, enjoy a dozen wine samples with lunch and miss my evening class of the French Wine Scholar program in Vancouver. Ok, perhaps the extra wine made my afternoon snoozier then expected, and perhaps missing my class made my program more challenging then it already was, but I wouldn't have changed a thing.

   Eric is a very calm fellow; quite analytical in nature (seemingly) and genuinely approachable with a superbly dry sense of humor. Regardless that it was a summer day with the bottling line cranking out a new vintage full-throttle. Regardless that icewines were still fermenting and the executives clamouring for Eric to work some magic and get them into the bottle line. And regardless that this is Canada's most visited winery, which was filled to the brim with eager guests, Eric still took the time to welcome me into the inner sanctum of Summerhill's wine cellar gracefully. Of course, he may just have wanted to escape the early June 30+C heat as much as I did!

   We chatted for a bit as he led me through the cavern, about the growing conditions at the end of 2011. Everyone I've spoken to has talked about the challenges that Fall with inclement weather; too much moisture after near-drought and then low temperatures resulting in a shut-down of the vines. Summerhill was no exception to these conditions but, as a wise person I know one said:

   "Anyone can make great wine in a great year... you have to be an idiot some years not to make great wine. But the true professionals can make very good wine every year."

   Eric adapted to the challenging conditions in, I imagine, his calm and un-ruffled manner and he made icewine. Syrah icewine, Cab franc icewine, you name it - it became icewine (40 acres worth). We tasted some of those, and all were still actively fermenting.

2011 Riesling icewine
 92+ points

• vibrant  golden straw core
• bright citrus notes, bright summer floral, yellow grapefruit zest
• stunning balance this is zip, zip, zippy! Ultra refreshing this is my kind of icewine with full acidity, candied lemon zest notes running rampant, great balance, structure  with a strong start and finish. Very good concentration

2011 Viognier  icewine
 91 points

• murky in the glass (still fermenting)
• on the nose medium concentration of rich floral and stonefruit... layer upon layer with minerality underneath
• full acids, medium+ concentration focusing on nectarines and kumquats. A little lean right now but expect it to fill out as it matures

 2011 Zweigelt  icewine
 91+ points

• also murky in the glass, rich ruby-purple tones
• slightly sea-salt and traditional red berry aromas with a hint of warm earth
• full acids balance the sugar high, bright fresh berries full of life, very inviting... it's not terribly complicated but triumphs in it's simplicity (as opposed to being monotonous). Good concentration, balance, structure

We then had a good chat about cultured yeasts vs wild yeasts and what they bring to the party. Eric loves that every yeast will develop it's own priorities in flavenoids in the wine... simply put, every yeast enhances different aspects. I had assumed that perhaps because Summerhill embraces organic and bio-dynamic principles, that they would be using wild yeasts, but Eric cautions about the volatility of doing this... he knows what he wants to develop from his vineyards and to achieve these goals is using over 25 cultured yeasts judicially.


2011 Merlot icewine
 90+ points

• murky umber-ruby core
• medium+ sugary fresh berry notes with light red floral
• full acidity with those zip-zip-zippy acids balancing the fresh red berry flavors... excellent balance and concentration but a very linear flavor at present

2011 Syrah   icewine

 90+ points

• same umber-ruby core
• classic aromas of stewed and fresh plums, a touch of cocoa powder and blueberry
• medium+ acids that are well balanced, inviting with a slightly spicy finish and a developed Irish shortbread characteristic

 And finally I came down off of the sugar-rush in time to taste some wine that was being bottled as we spoke. We spoke about how Eric perceives his Cab Franc needing American oak instead of French, and how he prefers not to fine his wines with eggwhite or gelatin (making it vegan-friendly).

2009 Cab Franc
 91+ points

• almost 2 years in American appellation oak, 10% new. Coopered in BC
• racked but not fined
• medium+ to fully intense aromas; fresh red berries, rich savory earthiness, a little Kelowna sous-bois, touch of menthol-eucalyptus
• medium+ red and black currant acids, medium+ chalky tannins, medium body, medium+ concentration of flavors red and black raspberries, old leather, a hint of red meat/roast beef. Excellent balance, structure, length

 We moved just a few feet further and Eric poured something bright and vibrantly purple into my glass... I being who I am, drank without asking any questions. "Wow" I say, "this is bright, and fresh, and lovely. What is it?"

  "Cab Sauv" responds Eric, completely stunning me. This wine drank like a young Gamay Noir; super lively and understated tannins. How could this be? It was because we were tasting it before the barrel aging and what a treat it was. I failed to take proper notes on that wine, but it did lead us into an engaging conversation about flavor profiles in different varietals. Eric commented several times on how the preference in tastes is different in every region of the world, and winemakers need the business-sense to pay attention to that as they develop what has come in from the vineyard. "Who's showing up to the party" is the way he likes to put it.

   Eric and I moved our party out onto Summerhill's large deck at the restaurant overlooking the lake. There we started a leisurely lunch accompanied by a bevvy of still and sparkling wines. A word to the wise, make the time to stop here for a bite to eat! Knowledgeable, friendly staff, organic and responsibly-harvested foods prepared with definite skill and, compared to Vancouver, incredibly reasonable prices.

2008 Zweigelt
 $35, 91+ points

•  282 cases produced
• traditional slightly herbaceous, fresh fruit with leathery undertones (French oak, nothing newer then 3 years old)
• crisp yet approachable acidity that melds seamlessly with medium- chewy tannins... flavors very similar to the nose with the minerality that I love this varietal for. Excellent balance, structure and long length. Worth every penny

    I must give a nod to the chef because now when I listen to the recording from the early part of the meal, there are extended bouts of silence; punctuated only by the occasional sigh of contentment and clinking of silverware. Eric and I moved into a round of sparkling rosé, organic Pinot Noir and I found myself quite taken with the rosé; full of life it had deep savory tones and a richness far too often missing in North American versions.

   This lead us into yet another topic of conversation: oxidization in wines. I put forward the notion that the wine textbooks pre-1960 didn't talk about oxidization as much as they do now, and they certainly didn't talk about it with the same sense of wariness. Oxidization, to my knowledge, was once looked at as a winemakers tool that could be used to great effect and it seems to me as if the mainstream industry is losing that in an effort for "purity". Eric enlightened me as to how many judges in recent competitions are reporting more reductive qualities from Stelvin enclosure or screw-top then from cork... that the "perfect" enclosure is creating it's own host of issues in modern wines. Perhaps wine, as a living entity, needs oxygen... perhaps in some instances oxidization is a necessary and useful tool. There are alot of people in the wine industry who are actively exploring this concept.

   Speaking of exploring, Eric then chose a world-class sparkling Chardonnay for us to delve into as we ate:

2005 Cipes Gabriel sparkling Chardonnay 
(blanc-de-blancs)

$65, 94 points
*winner* Best International bottled-fermented Sparkling Wine, IWSC - London, England December 2009

• dry; bright, crisp, fresh carrying strong minerality throughout the palate
• tiny pearl-like bubbles; effervescent, rich/creamy mousse
• vibrant lemon-lime zest acidity, long notes of ripe apricots and almost-ripe pineapple
• stunning concentration and balanced my salmon entree perfectly, very long length on the palate and the structure is impeccable... truly Champagne quality for half the price

   I was stunned at the quality. I had tasted the Gabriel before at industry events, and always been impressed, but sitting in the sun with a bit of properly prepared food in front of me brought this wine into a new light. A true heavyweight contender in the international arena, it was sheer pleasure each and every drop.

   So then it begged the question: "What do you drink when you're not drinking your own wine Eric?"

   The answer was brilliantly simple: "Everything". Eric believes strongly (as the best businesspeople do) that he needs to know what his competition is up to and, without seeming trite, he says he "just loves wine".

   Bravo. So do we!

   And these days it seems like, more then just about anything else, what I'm loving about great wines whether they be a great $15 bottle or a great $150 bottle is the story they tell. Great wines have an immense capacity to open the senses to another place; they speak of the warmth of the sun, the way the slope rolls to the riverbank, the way someone hand-selected each cluster of grapes. Great wines speak of terroir; that inexplicable mix of land, grape and spirit (pun intended).

   Eric and I spoke of that at length, reminiscing over wineries and vintages we both knew where the winemaker and vineyard met in a moment of co-operation and told the story of where they were from. Pierre Henry-Gaget, the winemaker for Maison Louis Jadot, once told me that "Great wines are trying to tell a story. It is our job to listen."

   It occurred to me then, sitting with Eric von Krosigk, that I was with someone who truly understood that. And I also knew that I had figured this out several hours earlier at the beginning of the interview when I tried Eric's first wines and heard him talk about them. Here is a winery that understands, or perhaps they would say that they are starting to understand, their terroir. This is evidenced as much by the impeccable balance of their $20 white wines as by the rich layers in their $35 reds... there is as much local story to the award-winning sparkling wines (worth several times their cost) as there is to the dazzling array of icewines.

   Summerhill organic winery, the first certified bio-dynamic winery in BC, has a story and it's a good one. It's filled with hardwork and dedication to something bigger then themselves. Perhaps when you taste the wine, all you will taste is wine, but I can honestly say that it is some of the best wine of it's kind that I've had.

   The proof? In the vineyard, in the restaurant, in the staff and most definitely... in the glass my friends.

(left to right: Gabe Cipes, Ezra Cipes, Ari Cipes, Eric von Krosigk, Stephen Cipes)

As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

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