Desert Hills Unoaked Chardonnay

Hot, hot, hot.

Finally Summer is here with a vengeance and the temperature has gone from 12C to 30C in 2 days. Feels good.

But what to serve Mrs Astudentofwine in such heat for dinner? Why a little sweet Thai chili marinated pork loin, stir-fry vegetables with ginger & cilantro, and a fine bottle of Desert Hills Unoaked Chardonnay.

I must admit that Chardonnay hasn't always been my favorite varietal, but recently I seem to be growing into it. Producers like http://www.deserthills.ca/ are certainly part of that influence with their round flavors, well balanced acids, and versatile pairing with a host of Summer foods.

2008 Unoaked Chardonnay

**bronze medal - Grand Harvest International**

14%, $17 **very good value**

• pale gold straw color
• moderate+ intense nose of chrysanthemums, orchard fruit, lilies, honey, dandelions
• moderate++ crisp, slightly biting acids, moderate intense flavors same as the nose, with more emphasis on the orchard fruit and very distant floral flavors - finish is lime zest (from the terroir I believe)
• an invigorating wine that opens the palate and loves Summer food: grilled pork with mushrooms, chicken scallopini with lemon chevre sauce, poached prawns with a sambal orange dipping sauce... the list goes on and on

The Errazuriz (wines) Strike Back!

I've preached about the wonders of Errazuriz before; honestly one of - if not the best value Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc I've ever bought was from them, and it was only $14 CAN. So my younger brother and his long-time sweetheart came into town for dinner with Mrs Astudentofwine and I, and imagine my surprise when we walked into our local BCLCB specialty store & saw an entire shelf of Errazuriz wines! http://www.errazuriz.com/

First on our plate (literally) was the Sauvignon Blanc with boursin cheese, rice crackers (for me the celiac) and a vegetarian antipasto.

2009 Sauvignon Blanc, 13.5%, 91 Points by Wine & Spirits Magazine
$14 CAN **excellent value**

• vibrant lemony gold color, moderate++ intense bouquet of exotic fruits, wild flowers & mild citrus notes
• moderate+ acids, phenomenal balance for such a modestly priced wine! palate matches the nose exactly
• serve as I did with your first course: the acids are enough to wake the palate, yet not so much as to make difficult to sip on it's own. I also paired with main course of Meaux mustard, maple and garlic grilled pork tenderloin & it was divine

Then we moved onto the Max Reserva Syrah. Little did I know that Errazuriz has gone green by decreasing the weight of their wine bottles by 14%! Every little step we all make is making a positive step - right?

Anyways - the Syrah is hand picked, and aged for 12 months in new French oak. It also won the Grand Médaille d’Or at the SAQ in April 2010. The world is starting to talk about this family that is celebrating 140 years of continuous wine making in Chile.

2007 Max Reserva Syrah, 14.5% $20 **excellent value**

D.O. Valle de Aconcagua

• deep violet and bruised plum color
• bouquet of hot alcohol, violets, leathery oak, blood, gamey meat, chalky soil
• moderate++ acids, full tannins, fully intense palate that matches the nose brilliantly
• This was a fantastic wine that will only get better! Buy it now - buy a case, then pull out a new bottle every 3 months to watch it develop. Great structure already, and a fully satisfying balance, there are enough tannins and acids to see this drinking well for another 3 to 5 years easily (IMHO)

happy Gruner!

A very good day to all, and happy Gruner!

Gruner is a very neat varietal... not the least reason being that it tastes very minerally (my own word). You all know that I've been grappling with the ability to "taste minerality" or more appropriately "describe a taste in wines as being mineral". So where better to go, than one of the epitomes of minerality.

A luscious grape, primarily from Austria & Czech (where it is 11% of all grapes grown for wine-making it the second highest)... apparently it has beaten world class Chardonnays in blind tastings! Very cool indeed, especially when one considers that it is almost unknown & rarely planted. Check out wikopedia - it tells a bit more.

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WINE A

clear visual, moderately intense of pale lemon

clean nose, moderate- intensity of dust, chalk, mild summer flowers (think dandelions), green grapes

00 dryness, full- acid, 0 tannin, moderate+ intensity in the flavors; chalk, gravel, granite, really under ripe stone-fruit (peaches, nectarines), honey, even a touch of petrol (or am I just over-tired?)

moderate body

moderate alcohol (11.5% but it tastes like 12+%)

full length of palate going 10 seconds and longer
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So what a beautiful wine! I would serve it with mildly roasted chicken or pork (no heavy grilling), sauteed prawns & scallops, soft cheeses like boursin... it was truly a pleasure to drink it, and I feel like I spent $30 wisely.

Thank you again Marquis Wine Cellar!
Cin-cin & slainte!!

Gewurz-to-you-too

Did you know that Gewurztraminer actually used to be an Italian varietal??? Who'ld a thunk it?

These days Gewurz is grown most notably in Germany, Alsace (France), California, New York State and BC to name just a few locales... I love Alsatian Gewurz, and Russian River Valley (California), but one of my favorite places for value for money is BC. Herein lies my dissection of a value-priced BC wine.

WINE A

clear visual, light intensity; pale straw

clean nose, moderate+ intensity; roses, lush stonefruit, honey, light grassy nose, a bit of kerosine

01 sweetness, mod++acid, 0 tannin; flavors of honeysuckle, peaches & apricots, rose water, minerality such as granite, a touch of green apple

body is moderate++

alcohol is moderate+ (13%)

length on the palate is moderate to full (7 to 10 seconds)

Backyards Vineyards, 2008 Gewurztraminer (Okanagan Valley, BC) $15

Some really lovely bouquet, but the flavor is somewhat over-the-top with the acids right now. Drinks better 20 minutes out of the fridge, as thats when the aromas really start going. I actually had this with a Quebecois style pea soup, which while not traditional, brought out lovely characteristics in both - probably because of the ham. A roast ham would work with this, as well as lighter spiced roasted chicken or pork... try maple & bacon wrapped pork loin!

Cin-cin! Slainte!