Vancouver Playhouse warm-up from the Christopher Stewart Agency

I love a good plate of sushi, and living in Vancouver I can find it more often then not. What, might you ask, is the best accompaniment for sushi? Is it sake? A smokey pouilly-fuisse for the rockfish, a lean Cote d'Or for the tuna? No my friends, the best thing with great sushi is great company.

How lucky was I last Friday then, when two colleagues from the Christopher Stewart Agency (http://www.christopherstewartwineandspirits.com/ ) invited me out for lunch to discuss the upcoming 2013 Vancouver International Wine Festival  (http://www.playhousewinefest.com/).

This year marks a prestigious year for my career; not only am I attending with a much-coveted trade pass, but also being invited as a member of media and as a buyer! A colleague has only just recently asked that I help oversee the formation of his new import agency, a task that fills me with as much trepidation as it does enthusiasm.

Why the two mixed emotions? Because I see what my learned colleagues are doing at other agencies, and am quite honestly impressed. My friends from Christopher Stewart came to the informal luncheon armed with four bottle of great wine and an entire sheaf of substantial support information. We chatted over chirashi-don over the importance of strategic media releases and before I knew it I was was home with my new treasures. And treasures they are, rest assured.

To start with, a lighter white wine; filled with nuances of the rocky soil and clean air that was it's home. I can almost taste the brine!

2011 Astrolabe Sauvignon-Blanc

Marlborough, New Zealand

$24 CAD (BC) listed in the www.BCLDB.com

91+ points

http://www.astrolabewines.co.nz/

locale:   Awatere Valley, Wairau Valley, and Kekerengu Coast, Marlborough, NZ

soil:    Free-draining stony, silty loam, with some vineyards having  clay or limestone content

• visual:   clear; pale straw core with silver highlights
• nose:   clean; fully intense youthful aromas of warm hay, brine sea-air, rich tropical fruit such as pineapple/melon
• palate:   clean; dry, fully intense green apple acid, light+ body, light+ ABV (13.5%), medium intensity youthful flavor mimicking the nose with green apple and tart citrus notes dominating the front palate and briney/mineral tones the end. Excellent balance and structure with medium+ length
• conclusion:   drink now~! This wine will not develop appreciably with age and is a brilliant example of varietal and area typicity
• FOOD PAIRINGS:   the long, lean acids in this wine ache for rich, fatty seafood... consider butter poached prawns with orange marmalade glaze. I would want to serve this wine at the beginning of a meal to open the palate, and prawns would be a natural marriage. Stay clear of spicy food however, as they will enhance the already ample alcohol

And so after what is widely regarded as one of the top Sauvignon-Blanc in the world, my friends treated me to an entry-level, easy-sipping Chardonnay from the Winemen of Gotham ( http://winemenofgotham.com.au/gotham ). Started by two friends with a long and varied history in many facets of the wine industry, these intrepid voyagers dared to "charge-the-rapids" of business, and open a winery only a few years before what we now see as one of the greatest financial collapses of modern times.

And they succeeded.

But why? What could possibly lead these two Aussies to succeed at a time when many others had failed? And believe me, though it's true that we as a culture have experienced more growth in the wine industry then possibly any other time in history... there are still many businesses that have failed. But Bruce Clugston and Fiona White have followed in the mighty footsteps of Henry Ford by providing the best quality product  possible and at the best price possible. In fact, many people in the industry would say that the prices are virtually impossible given the quality.

A few days ago, I would have been one of those people, and let me show you why:

2011 Wine men of Gotham Chardonnay

South Australia, Australia

$14 CAD (BC) listed in the www.BCLDB.com

88+ points

locale(s):   Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and The Riverlands

vine-age:   10-20 years average

• visual:   clear; pale lemon core with light watery rim, gold highlights
• nose:    clean; moderate+ intense and youthful aromas of young tropical fruit, lemon zest
• palate:   clean; dry, moderate+ lemon/yellow grapefruit acid, light+ body, moderate+ ABV (12%), moderately intense and youthful flavors that play heavily on citrus tones. Well balanced and good structure, medium length
• conclusion:   drink now, drink often in Summer
• FOOD PAIRINGS:   I make a sandwich, the recipe I stole and modified from a colleague: grilled chicken baguette with melted brie and fresh  berries ... use whatever is fresh and seasonal - I've made this with blackberries, raspberries, or arugula instead of berries. Brilliantly Summer~!!!

And so after the pangs of hunger had faded, my two colleagues and I got down to the meat-and-bones of talking about the upcoming Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival. I love talking about this event, because it usually means that the event has arrived! And with the Christopher Stewart Agency hosting more visiting winemakers then any other company in attendance, I really wanted their take on this year's event. One of the visitors that they were most excited to be bringing in was Canepa Vineyards from Chile ( http://www.canepawines.cl/?legal_age_agree ).

 Self-billed as "Italian Soul. Chilean Soil." they really should add "French vines!". As some of you may know, Chile actually has some of the oldest, and truest, French vines on the planet. Because of that dreaded louse phylloxera, most of France's vines are actually on grafted root-stock from American vines. Chile never had an issue with that most devastating of pests and so was left with the original root-stock that many wineries had purchased from France at the end of the 1800's. What does this mean to the wine-geeks? Only that some of Chile's wines can be considered to be more French than France (from a certain point-of-view). And what does it mean for the average consumer? Stupendous quality, especially as is seen with many of the overtly French varietals (think Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc).

But for the purpose of this article, it's the Carignan that I'll speak of; a fleshy-red wine, this varietal has commonly been used for blending. Originally from Spain, it's found most often these days in ambiguous wines from Southern France and California, but rises to prominence in my wife's decidedly favorite red wine region: Chateauneuf-du-Pape. I have also been lucky enough to sample some brilliant examples from Chile and know quite well that many winemakers there are nurturing their ancient vines (70,80 years ++).

Canepa vineyards is one such winery.

2009 Canepa "Genovino" Carignan

D.O. Cauquenes - Maule Valley, Chile

$30 CAD (BC) spec

90+ points

vine-age:   60 years+
irrigation:   dry-farmed
cultivation:   manual
maturation:   French and American oak for 12 months

• visual:    clear; fully intense garnet core with slightest cherry rim
• nose:    clean; fully intense and youthful red cherries, bright raspberries, violets, savory cocoa, meaty-background
• palate:   clean; dry,  full red raspberry/currant acid, full grippy/chalky tannin, moderate+ body, moderate+ ABV (14.5%), moderately intense and youthful flavors with emphasis on bright red berries on the front of the palate, followed by deep, savory earth tones. Excellent balance and very good structure with medium+ length
• conclusion:   the wine taught me a lesson: Never, ever, let the first taste of a wine be your last impression! This wine took days to evolve and that was after aeration and decanting. My thoughts? Drinking best 2015-2020, this is as deep and sonorous as any Cab-Sauv blend and will reward further cellaring
• FOOD PAIRINGS:  a full, rich red wine with lively acid - a natural for your beef dishes this has the acidity as a cheeky pairing for Beouf Bourguignon with caramelized pearl onions, grilled local mushrooms and steamed spaghetti squash. Let the enhanced sweetness from the onions draw out more of the sweet berry flavors whilst the dark grill tones play counter-tone and the squash acts as a palate cleanser. With an intense wine like this, something to cleanse the palate always allowed the imbiber to enjoy the wine more fully.

And then we came to the end of the "sneak-peek"; a charming Tempranillo from the area of Castilla y Leon in Spain. This wouldn't be my first taste of a rich red from this region, nor will it be my last. I've found over the past several years that the winemakers here are, by-and-large, producing very good to stunning value for the money in any price category that I've purchased in. 

There are now 9 D.O.'s in this, the largest autonomous region not only of Spain, but all the EU. I have been fortunate enough to taste reds, whites and roses from this region and am constantly caught by surprise at the bold, fresh fruit. Why so? Because this is one of the most extreme continental climates in all of Europe. Blazing heat in the summer and sub-zero temperatures in the winter, this region receives little in the way of precipitation, and were it not for the moderating effects of the river Duero would be a dustbowl. But the river flows, and the mountain ranges surround and protect the high plain from Maritime influences, and so... and so we have this almost barren landscape where all life needs struggle to survive.

The struggle creates more then just survival for the grapevine, it creates an environment that they can thrive in. For it is here the vine digs deeply, and in doing so, starts to tell a poignant story of it's surroundings - it's landscape. Just try one of these little treasures if you disbelieve...

2009 "Tridente" Tempranillo

Bodegas Trito, SL from Zamora province

the Gil Family Estates

$27 CAD(BC)  listed in the www.BCLDB.com

90 points

varietal:   100% Tempranillo aka Tinto Fino aka Tinta del Pais

vineyards:   30 small plots

vine-age:   up to 100 years

harvesting:   manual

maturation:   15 months in French oak

• visual:    clear; fully intense garnet core with slightest cherry/brick rim
• nose:   clean; fully intense and youthful fresh red berry aromas, layer upon layer with developing dark berry notes, savory worn leather background, complex, with a hint of winter spice
• palate:   clean; dry, moderate red currant and blackberry acid, moderate+ chalky tannin, moderate+ body, moderate+ ABV (15%), moderate+ intense and youthful flavors developing into something of true substance: the berry notes are warming into a blueberry/blackberry compote, stewed plums, hint of graphite like minerality. Very good balance and structure with long developing length
• conclusion:   Already a treat, this will be a joy to open for years. Watch (or taste) it develop from 2013-2020. It has the persistence, concentration and acidity to withstand another 1/2 decade of cellaring
• FOOD PAIRINGS:   heathen that I am, I just want to light another cigar to match this robust wine! My choice would be a Romeo & Julieta from Cuba - something just as full of dimension and richness. If I had to choose food, then I would keep it simple: venison carpaccio with wild-berry compote on toasted dark rye and quark cheese (can substitute chevre, creme fraiche, or boursin)... the gamey venison always cosys up to Spanish reds, wild-berries will love the fresh and dark berry tones just as the dark rye will emphasize through contrast and the little dash of soft cheese will help soften the acid enough to wash your way through a bottle far too quickly :)

Every year the Playhouse Wine Festival chooses a varietal and a region as the theme, or focus. As for myself, I always find my own theme - my own focus. It's part of the joy for me; this joy at discovery and learning in one of the greatest classrooms in the world. Last year I was fortunate enough to learn the true art of cellaring great value wines, and being rewarding with an end-result worth many many times the original cost. I tasted $10 bottles of wine from the 80's and 90's worth, to my mind, several hundreds of dollars today.

What lesson do I think I'll learn at the end of this month?

Already I've learnt so much: a wine is a living, breathing entity. It takes shapes as it grows, as it develops in it's glass cocoon. Some of the families whose work I sample have been laboring for centuries so that I could enjoy this. Perhaps, just perhaps, they are deserving of more of my time before I decide that the moth will never become a butterfly. Both of these red wines, by-the-way, were sampled over a 5-day process. The evolution(s) were brilliant.

And humbling.

As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

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

Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival 2012

In February of this year, I was fortunate enough to be invited to the Media Preview of the 2012 Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival (http://www.playhousewinefest.com/).

   It was truly an honor to be sitting beside some of the most influential and learned people in the wine industry in Canada including: Sid Cross, DJ Kearney, Mark Shipway, Harry Hertscheg, John Schreiner and about 100 other sommeliers, writers and educators. In short, I was a tad nervous about being such a small fish in a big pool.

   I, of course, had no need to be nervous. BC's wine community is as generous as it is powerful... several hours were spent sniffing, swirling, sipping and spitting, and at the end of it we all felt as if we had come away a little the wiser. My readers must forgive me that I didn't write about this before the Wine Fest, but as many of you know I'm the proud Papa of an 8-month old oenophile. She's the apple of my eye and doesn't she just know it (especially at 3 am when she has nightmares and needs Daddy to sing to her).

   As always, I digress. Let me tell you about the wines~!

MontGras

2009 Amaral Sauvignon Blanc

$17      89 points

http://www.montgras.cl/english/montgras.htm 

• from 14 year old vines in the Central Valley DOC, this wine was 100% stainless-steel aged and fermented
• nose: 
  

    moderately intense, youthful, floral notes and young stonefruit
• palate:   crisp acids with grassy, floral notes - not grassy like NZ gooseberry but more like actually grass/new hay. Very well balanced especially for the price

Vina Santa Carolina

2010 Reserva Sauvignon Blanc

$13     89 points

http://www.santacarolina.cl/eng/index.php

• awarded a silver medal at the Concours de Bruxelles, this wine is stunning value for the money
• nose:   clean, fresh and youthful, a rich and layered floral aromas with exotic fruit such as pineapple
• palate:   clean, crisp and vibrant, minerality sings in the undercurrants of this easy drinking wine which has lovely balance

Undurraga

2008 Terroir Hunter-Leyda Sauvignon Blanc

$23     92 points

http://www.undurraga.cl/Sitio/index_en.html

• grown on alluvial soil with a loamy topsoil, this wine was fermented 100% in stainless steel allowing for maximum expression of terroir (hence the name one imagines)
• nose:   clean and fresh, the youthful exuberance of floral notes is only matched by the elegant and determined mineral backbone
• palate:   clean, crisp and vibrant, the palate on this wine mimicks the nose brilliantly with rich and well developed balance, structure and length

Cono Sur

2009 Ocio Pinot Noir

$65     94 Points

http://www.conosur.com/en/

• what a joy and pleasure to drink quality wine made in an environmentally respectful manner; Cono Sur has achieved the highest ratings for lowering carbon emmisions and organic practices in the vineyard
• carbonic maceration and 14 months of aging in new French oak are two worthy items to note in this world-class Pinot Noir
• nose:   fully intense and developing Chilean bouquet of dark berry and floral notes, old worn leather, roast beef and warm earth terroir
• palate:   a young wine just catching it's stride; moderate+ (red currant) acids, moderate+ (slightly grippy and yet velvet smooth) tannins. Stunning structure, balance and length

Emiliana Vineyards

2007 Coyam (Bordeaux blend)

$30 http://www.bcliquorstores.com/     93 points

http://www.emiliana.cl/

• once again, a stunning example of organic practices in the vineyards translating to transparent wine showcasing it's origins, this is also 100% bio-dynamic
• Wine Access this year gave this wine 93 points as well, and well deserved I say (I ended up sipping this for 3 days at the Festival)
• maturation: 13 months in 80% French and 20% American barrels
• nose:   clean, rich and fully intense with tons of Bordeaux style qualities such as sinful dark floral notes washing over tons of dark berries and a rich dark cocoa undercurrant
• palate:   clean; moderate (raspberry/cassis) acids, moderate+(chalky fine) tannins and a moderate+intense and still developing flavors that are truly in-line with the bouquet. Brilliant structure, balance and length... a steal at $30

Vina Maipo

2008 Gran Devocion Carmenere Syrah

$19     90 Points

http://www.vinamaipo.com/en

• a gold medal winning wine, Carmenere of course is one of the signature grapes of Chile... not identified in Chile until 1994, the viticulturists thought it to be another varietal and now every winemaker worth their weight in salt is putting their best foot forward when it comes to this grape
• cultivated on steep slopes of poor, gravelly soil, this wine was aged 14 months in French and American barrels
• nose: a rich and nuanced balancing act of deep red berries, green bell peppers, dark cocoa and old leather
• palate: as all great wines should be; the palate mimicks the nose with moderate+(raspberry)acids, moderate+(silty) tannins and a rich mineral background. Very good balance, excellent structure and very good length

Carmen

2009 Gran Reserva Carmenere

$22    91 points

http://www.carmen.com/en_index.php

• even though Carmen wines is the oldest recognized winery in all of Chile (having been started in 1850), and one of the largest, Carmen is still working diligently at minimizing it's environmental impact through a diversity of initiatives... perhaps I should have written "because they are the oldest"?
• from the Apalta Valley in the Colchagua, these vines grow on deep red granitic clay soil at high altitude and south facing exposure
• maturation: 10 months in 100% French oak barrels
• nose:   clean and fully expressive of an intense minerality, dark cocoa, almost a molasses-like earthiness, sweet green bell peppers
• palate:   truly in-line with the nose; fully intense (red currant) acids, fully intense (silty) tannins, a fully intense and youthful palate needed 4 or 5 more years to fully come into it's own; rich red berry notes dominate at present. Excellent structure, balance and length

Vina Montes
2010 Limited Selection Cabernet Sauvignon-Carmenere

$18.50   90 points

http://www.monteswines.com/

• a recent addition to the Chilean winemaking scene (compared to Carmen winery), this estate is a winemakers dream... when they opened in 1988 there were only 14 Chilean wineries exporting. After their first vintage Vina Montes could be said to have single-handed changed the mass mis-conception of Chilean wines: they became internationally renown for Quality.
• in less then 25 year the winery has grown in production from 7,000 cases to almost 600,000 cases. The winery now states that they will categorically not grow anymore so that they can continue to grow quality over quantity
• maturation:   70% of the wine was aged for 6 months in 100% American oak
• nose:   fully intense and youthful aromas of rich red berries, fine cigar smoke, sweet green bell peppers
• palate:   fully intense and youthful, fully intense (red currant and cranberry) acids, fully intense (silty) tannins, the palate very similar to the nose with very good to excellent balance and structure, medium+ length

 Santa Rita

2008 Medalla Real Cabernet Sauvignon

$20    89 Points

http://www.santarita.com/international/

• this wine comes from approximately 20 miles south of Santiago in the foothills of the Maipo region. The soil is a stony/alluvial mix with a temperature differential of about 20C between day and night in the summer (which is perfect to maintain acidity in the grape)
• maturation:   two rackings and then 14 months in a combination of first, second and third generation oak barrels
• nose:   clean; fully intense youthful aromas of red raspberries, currants, young plums, some beefy notes and an elegant light floral finish
• palate:   clean; fully intense (young blackberry) acids, fully intense (silty and grippy) tannins, fully intense and youthful flavors mimicking the nose. Very good balance, structure and length... hold until 2015 at the earliest

 Cousino-Macul
2008 Antiguas Reservas

$22    90 points

http://www.cousinomacul.com/en/

• oh the humor of it all... I'm re-reading my notes from the Playhouse media preview and laughing because I wrote that this wine has "great aging potential". I had no idea. A few weeks later at the Playhouse tasting room, the broker for Cousino-Macul asked if I wanted to try something extra-ordinary... it had a huge brick rim in the glass, soft velvety notes of old cigar boxes, dried blueberries and saskatoons and dried dark florals. It was the 1995 release of this very wine, aging like Bordeaux
• which makes me laugh again because the founder of Cousino-Macul actually went to Bordeaux (pre-phyloxera) to obtain vine-cuttings to start his vineyard. So really, this Cab Sauv is more Bordeaux (in a way) then Bordeaux is!
• maturation:   12 months in multiple generation oak barrels after fining and filtration
• nose:   fully intense; youthful lush red berries, gravelly mineral notes and a light spice finish
• palate:   fully intense (red currant) acids, fully intense (grippy) tannins, fully intense and youthful flavors mimicking the nose... much more dimension after 8-10 years. Excellent balance, very good structure, long length

Concha y Toro
Marques de Casa Concha 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
$20     91 points

http://www.conchaytoro.com/web/

• Concha y Toro is another bastion of the Chilean winemaking industry. In continual operation since the 1880's, this is also a winery at the forefront of environmental responsibility. Aggressive intiatives include strategic water management among others.
• this is also a winery that in it's origins recruited leading winemakers and viticulturists from Bordeaux to oversee the transition from New World winery to Old World finesse... that investment has been paying dividends for decades now and shows no signs of stopping
• maturation:   18 months in French oak barrels
• nose:   clean; fully intense and developing with rich red raspberries, currants and plums, light herbaceous notes and a stony terroir  minerality
• palate:   fully intense (blackberry)acids, fully intense (silty) tannins, fully intense and youthful flavors mimicking the nose with particular emphasis on ripening red berries and old leather in the background. Excellent balance and structure, long- length... can drink now but best 2014-2018

and last, but certainly not least...

Vina Chocalan

2009 Gran Reserva Blend

$27    93 points     buy this now~!

http://www.chocalanwines.com/

• a vivid blend of 33% Cab Sauv, 29% Syrah, 15% Malbec, 10% Cab Franc, 9% Carmanere, 4% Petit Verdot... this is Bordeaux style blending at it's finest for under $30. I can honestly say that I have never had a more puissant, more stylish, more elegant Bordeaux blend for the money. Ever.
• maturation:   100% in French oak for 16 months
• nose:   fully intense and developing layered violets on stony earth, pencil lead in the background and and elegant warmth leading it all'
• palate:   fully intense (blackberry and raspberry) acids, fully intense (grippy) tannins, fully intense, youthful and developing palate with layers upon layers of the aromas translated to the tongue. Brilliantly executed balance, structure and length; this wine will sing from 2016-2021 and beyond

the Maipo Valley from Santa Rita winery

And so as I stated in the beginning, I was more then a little nervous sitting with my betters at "the grown-ups" table as it were. I had no need to be... everyone was so intensely scrutinizing the brilliantly executed wines that there was no attention left for me (thank the maker). It was educational, it was exhilarating and it was an experience.

   Thank you Wines Of Chile and the Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival: you have illuminated us, and we the hungry masses are grateful~!

As always, I welcome your questions and comments.

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