Bridlewood Estate Winery, Paso Robles, CA

BRIDLEWOOD ESTATE WINERY

Paso Robles, California

the town of Monterey in northern Central Coast AVA

Santa Barbara in November is a place of magic; where long beaches kiss the ocean under blankets of undulating sheep's-wool-fog and dew hangs heavy on every early morning branch. This was where I took my wife, pre-kids, for a little getaway that included just the right balance of mimosas for breakfast, Chardonnay for lunch and Syrah for dinner. In that stillness before Californians start their hustle and bustle I would sit on the balcony and be lulled by the murmur of pulsing surf only a few hundred feet away.

That siren's-call has been luring people to the shores of Central Coast AVA (which stretches from Santa Cruz just north of Monterey all the way to Santa Barbara in the south) for centuries. The Spanish missionaries in the 1700's, the Gold Rush in the 1800's and these days it must be called the "Grape Rush" with so many new faces in the wine industry here!

In few parts of California is this more apparent than Paso Robles AVA; having grown from about 5 wineries in 1980 to 20 in the early 1990's to over 200 in 2014. And 2014 was a big year for these wineries: having gone through the (slightly) controversial subdividing into 11 sub-AVAs. This was a move that at once gave credence to the thought that Paso Robles carries an incredibly diverse array of soil compositions, slope/aspects, rainfall and flora. Hard to believe that this could be realized in only three decades when Burgundy took centuries to come to the same conclusions about their region. Burgundy: that archetype of classification for wine-regions, is only 3 times larger then Paso Robles AVA and yet has 9 times as many sub-regions (known as AOC in France). Yet remember; we know that wine has been produced in Burgundy for about 2000 years and in Paso Robles for maybe 200. 

Well done Paso Robles! Though many of the successful winemakers here have found more victories with Rhone varietals than Burgundy, in this instance Cabernet Sauvignon has found a home. While the Napa fans will (most likely) say that this is too light for their tastes it reminds me of cool, or classic as the Bordelais would say, vintage Bordeaux. And indeed, swirling this in my glass as I write, the term "Cru Bourgeois" springs to mind the moment I smell and sip. 

People are what make the story...this is San Francisco in November

I wish that this could have been an article to enlighten about the team hard at work at Bridlewood but, alas, I cannot. For all of my research I couldn't find any real information about who the winemaker is, who the vineyard manager is or what was the inspiration behind creating this visually stunning winery. A shame Gallo Family Vineyards; we consumers are looking for more than just a good bottle of wine for a decent price! This is the "Golden Age" of wine and there are more choices for us than ever before.

We're looking to be inspired!

Inspiration comes, in most instances, from people. Tell us the who! Share with us about the hard-working people who are crafting your products. They deserve to have their stories told and we yearn to hear them. For surely the people who crafted this wine, with it's dimensions, it's finesse and generous palate - surely those people have a story to share.

2012 Cabernet Sauvignon

88+ points, Very Good Value

$19 CAD in BC

$10-$14 USD in USA

... this wine shows impressive skill for it's modest price; generously layered aromas carry rich tones of red and dark berries, warm scrub-brush and impressive dark floral notes such as irises and peonies with a hint of tomato leaf... the palate is ultra-crisp and clean! Certainly not what one would expect from such an incredibly hot growing zone, this wine is full of life and fresh fresh fresh! Perky full- acid carry flavors of young raspberry and cherry and fine/chewy tannin. The only thing missing for the Bordeaux-lovers in the audience would be that graphite-minerality but I imagine these are still young vines and are more then capable of giving more to the wine in successive vintages. FOOD PAIRING would be simple for me: play the wine off local cuisine! I love Mexican food in places like San Luis Obispo or Pismo Beach or Santa Ynez... and I'm told by friends that even Mexicans consider it some of the most authentic Mexican food around. I'm partial to a great Carne Asada myself; the heavy char flavors, the smokiness, the grilled jalapeno sets everything perfectly and the bright berry tones in the wine will give this terrific balance. If this isn't close-by, try venison! Wild game always works well with wine that conveys flavors like blueberry and dark cherry which this wine has.

the coastline by Paso Robles AVA

Many thanks to Gallo for the generous sample bottles: I hope that I get to share your story of Who as well as What. As always you can find more recipes, free wine reviews and my notes on premium distillates and cigars on:

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Trump Winery 2014 release, Charlottesville, Virginia

http://trumpwinery.com/

Eric Trump in the vineyards

Imagine my surprise when Donald Trump's son sends me a half case of wine. No - not the start of a joke, a true story...

On the other side of the continent there's a 30-something fellow by the name of Eric and he's the new owner of Trump winery in Charlottesville, Virginia (formerly Kluge winery estates). He also happens to be Donald Trump's son and a force to be reckoned with in the real estate market and now the wine industry as recognized by his "Rising Star" award at the Wine Enthusiast 2013 Wine Star Awards ( http://www.wineenthusiast.com/ )

Eric has a talent for sniffing out great deals; he's grown the Trump interest in  golf resorts from 3 to 11 total properties in a decade and is actively working on more deals. It looks like that talent covers finding undervalued wineries as well since the company took over the winery for a fraction of its true value. When socialite Patricia Kluge put the mansion, for instance, on the market in 2009 is was for the jaw-dropping price of $100 million dollars.

The Trumps picked it up for about $6.5 million.

Gives the word "trump" a heck of a lot of context, doesn't it?

But does all of this money acumen translate at all to wine? You know me; I eschew corporate greatness when it comes to wine as I feel, in almost all circumstances, it is the diametric opposite to greatness in the grape. Grapes/wine crave a personal touch. Vines are like any living thing and crave light, food and love... a daunting list for most Big Business.

exemplary Trump sparkling blanc-de-blanc

And yet now I sit and eat my humble pie for Eric Trump is presiding over billions of dollars of real estate and still manages to provide exactly what his vines require. Take special note of the team he has assembled: Katell Griaud who oversees the still wine program with an impressive two, yes two, master's degrees in winemaking from prestigious Universite de Bordeaux and Jonathan Wheeler who has been with the estate since 2006 and oversees the stunning sparkling selection. Jonathan has honed his skills throughout Marlborough, Monterey, Sonoma and the Finger Lakes but it is his complete empathy with this site that is perhaps his greatest strength.

But enough about the Trumps, what about the wines? Truly the sparkling wine was the star for me, and I'm no easy sell. These are not only brilliantly crafted but also incredibly (for the vine age) articulate expressions of their terroir. I am well impressed and the highest praise I can give is that I understand, now, how it is that they beat the formidable Gloria Ferrer in two American blind tastings last year and why Wine Enthusiast bestowed upon them the highest rating ever given to a Virginia still or sparkling wine.

Please enjoy the reviews and check the sparkling wine section for my "How-To" recipe on creating a Provençal meal that is simply sinful with the Blanc-de-Blanc or the sparkling rosé!

2013 Rosé

90 points, Excellent Value

blend of 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc

vine age: 8 years

production: 605 cases

... keen mineral precision, well-concentrated savory berry and wild scrub-brush tones; this wine is exemplary in its execution. Enough acid to make the lips pucker a smidge with enough ripeness to the fruit to allow the senses to perceive residual sugar, of which there is none. Truly  crafted for the heat of summer, this wine is both refreshing and substantial. I cracked it open on a muggy, steamy July evening towards the end of dinner and needed nothing more than good company as the pairing. If I had to pair it with food I would choose Parmegiano-Reggiano risotto with seared venison flank steak and sweet pea emulsion... a novel pairing for rosé to be certain, yet the acid in the wine will love the creamy texture rice, the bright red berry tones is perfect for venison and the peas will bring out the light notes of herb/undergrowth that the young vines are struggling to express.

2013 Sauvignon Blanc

89 points, Very Good Value

vine age: 7 years

production: 950 cases

... a lean wine, this drinks more like Sancerre then New Zealand: all minerality with hints of lemon zest and the background of little summer flowers. Vine age certainly comes into play here, with the secondary and tertiary aromas/flavors being very juvenile at present but speaking with the promise for greatness. This is a natural for anyone who loves fresh fish: pike or pickerel from the Prairies, shark from either coast, halibut for those with a budget or cod for those without... the fresher the better and just a dab of butter to season. Be wary though: this wine needs to be served chilled; anything above 16C/60F and the acids will present themselves as being unbalanced.

2013 Chardonnay

89+ points, Very Good Value

vine age: 8 years

production: 2350 cases

... reminding me of Petite Chablis, this is New World crafts(wo)manship to be certain. Brilliantly articulate, it expresses clean minerality, warm straw, ripe lemon zest and subtle savory herb nuances on the nose. On the palate the lean yet balanced acid offers that same expressions and is lacking only in vine age to further the concentration. Absolutely perfect for grilled/roast chicken this made me think of a Provençal dish I made just the other day: Meaux mustard, roasted garlic and fresh dill grilled chicken. Grilled baguette. Salad of bitter greens, grilled sweet peppers, steamed green beans, olives, capers and tomato. It was a simple meal but the intensity of the flavors was washed clean, and complimented, by the utter freshness and piercing minerality of this lovely Chardonnay

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HOW TO BRING PROVENÇE TO YOUR TABLE:

As much as Provençe is a place, to me it is even more importantly a state of mind: fresh, local, seasonal. Lucky for me, living in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, I have a growing season that almost stretches year round. Here I was in June with a bounty of fresh veggies and as I had a mate in France I decided to bring some of that ideology to my own picnic table.

Local lettuces, ripe tomatoes, fresh sweet peppers and peppery little radishes... the only thing not local here was the olives. This salad is Niçoise-styled, meaning that to a traditionalist it may not fit all the criteria but contains many of the key ingredients. What I like to do is treat each of those ingredients separately to enhance their natural flavors:

...steam the new potatoes, toss with great olive oil

...grill the sweet peppers, just salt and pepper

...marinate the tomatoes in vinegar and fresh herbs for 10 minutes

...steam the green beans and drizzle with balsamic reduction

But one of the true keys is in that Lyonnaise marinade that is brilliant with poultry but also works a charm on pan-seared oysters: roasted garlic, Meaux mustard, olive oil, cracked pepper and fresh herbs *(can be dill, parsley, rosemary, thyme). I let the chicken marinate like that for the entire afternoon then grill it until the skin is "cracklin' crisp" and the internal temperature is 180F which took me about 15-20 minutes for bone-in thighs on my 400F gas barbeque.

Grilled chicken, fresh baguette, Niçoise salad and a couple of bottles of beautiful wine. What else could one want? But yes - I did have the company of my beautiful family as well, and so, I had it all.

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2009 Sparkling Rosé

90+ points, Excellent Value

blend: 92% Chardonnay, 8% Pinot Noir

vine age: 8 years

production: 2000 cases

... 100% estate fruit and it shows; this is an incredibly concentrated and nuanced wine for such a young vineyard. The aromas are rich with tones of red currant, cranberry, raspberry and that ever-present Trump Winery tight/lean/focused minerality. Mouth-watering vivid currant acid is enriched by a creamy, persistent mousse and the synergy of fruit just ripe enough to give the impression of sweetness. Delightfully dry though, this is the perfect foil for prawns, king crab, grilled scallops and most anything from the sea. Consider this your new sushi wine!

2008 Sparkling Blanc-de-Blanc

91+ points, Excellent Value

vine age: 7 years

production: 8,000 cases

... Delighted by this consummately professional methode Traditionale sparkling Chardonnay: classic creamy fine mousse, concentrated mineral aromas blending in harmony with straw/nougat/almond and Anjou pear tones. The brisk palate captures concise minerality again yet carries a richness from ripe fruit that brings dry acid to brilliant balance. A gem; exceptional value! I served this with the 2013 Chardonnay for our Provençal themed meal and it truly over-delivered on quality!

2012 Meritage

88 points

vine age: 8 years

blend: 45% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot

production: 2,758 cases

*DECANT 1 HOUR FOR BEST RESULTS

... heavily spiced red fruit tones leap from the glass in this ultra-traditional Bordeaux styled blend; cinnamon stewed plums, red currant jelly, raspberry tart... simply massive aromas with a sugary background that is not altogether unpleasant. The medium+ red currant acid presents itself as well integrated and the medium+ fine tannin give credible weight to the wine. To me, the fruit is a tad too ripe and overpowers the gentle secondary aromas/flavors that are emerging: wild herbs, sous-bois or undergrowth are hidden behind those bold fruit tones and more than a hint of alcohol though it is a (relatively) modest 13.8%. Enjoy now, and slightly chilled (not over 18C/70F), as this young wine will not develop appreciably in bottle. For the Bordeaux enthusiasts in the audience this is, to me, more like Haut-Medoc without the pencil shavings/graphite mineral edge. A fine effort from a young vineyard.

Many thanks to Hopcott’s meats where I purchased the excellent locally sourced chicken ( http://www.hopcottmeats.ca/)  and to Kerry Woolard at Trump Winery  ( http://trumpwinery.com/) 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

Seven Terraces wines, Christchurch, NZ

http://www.rossendale.co.nz/

 

It is the oldest city in New Zealand, this port to the Antarctic called Christchurch.

With a population of about 350,000 it's also the second largest in the country and the largest city on the Southern Island. It sits on the Pacific Ocean, at the edge of the known world, and is teeming with life... dairy farms, sheep ranchers, deer farms, barley, wheat, clover. And now grapes. Some of the most beautiful and kinetic vineyards in the world are on this strip of land that before the 1840's was a native kings retreat (true story).

Not so dis-similar to my new home of Vancouver, BC, the area around Christchurch revels in a moderate, oceanic climate: cool summers (the hottest ever was about 41c/107F) and mild winters with only the occasional dusting of snow. Sometimes not even that much! Hardly a climate that should give any winemaker concern for the health and safety of his vineyards, right?

Well, except for the Nor'Wester you mean: that gale-force wind that tears off the water, ripping through anything in it's path. The people here have immured themselves to it for the most part. And the homes, the businesses, are solid enough to escape injury. But what of young grape vines just beginning their struggle through the soil? What of tender buds in the most fragile part of their cycle of life? 100 mile per hour winds can devastate a new vineyard. And that's without the added pressure of the earthquakes.

You remember the earthquakes, don't you? The entire world remembers that black part of 2011 when the streets of Christchurch trembled and 185 souls perished. What most of us don't remember, what we never knew, is that the region actually suffered over 4,400 earthquakes above a magnitude 3.0, from September 2010 to September 2012. When one considered the havoc wreaked upon life, upon home, upon livelihood, then it seems a whimsical notion to consider the stress it must have caused these vines.

But we must also remember that the vines are life. They are business, passion and legacy to countless families here - the way that hundreds and thousands of New Zealanders are bringing home the bacon... I don't imagine that chief Te Potiki Tautahi could have imagined the change that would come to his summer home with the turning of only two centuries; after all, the indigenous people had been living and fighting for this land for almost three millennium.

But then again, perhaps the chief did see what would come. Perhaps he saw the coming wineries and smiled. "These people," he thought, "these people know how to fight for the land too." So in my imagination he saw winemaker John Belsham walk the seven terraces of his vineyard that overlooks the Awatere Valley, he sensed Johns passion and conviction that this was one of the premier wine-growing regions of the world. He saw this and was pleased that people would come and care for this place as much as he had.

But all the caring in the world doesn't matter very much to you or I if the quality isn't there! The proof of it? Well, the proof is in the glass my friends...

2013 Sauvignon Blanc

90+ points

*AERATION OR 1 HOUR DECANT PREFERRED*

Bright, refreshing... "Tastes like more" as a colleague/mentor of mine says. My favorite aspect to this wine isn't the flavors themselves, rich as they are: lively yellow grapefruit and aromatic Meyer lemon tones balanced by wild floral aromatics, long grass, pure minerality. I love the flavors but they are typical NZ/Christchurch - what isn't typical for this price-point is the purity of those flavors. This is an exceptional wine for the price and represents great value for those who love NZ wine.

FOOD PAIRING: Though realistically this pairs with white fish and lean seafood admirably, the grassy tones made me want to try fresh, local pork as an option. With it's relatively low price, I felt comfortable serving it with comfort food: locally-raised pork sautéed with apples & sweet onions, homemade sweet & sour sauce, roasted squash from our garden

2012 Pinot Noir

91 points

*AERATION OR 1 HOUR DECANT PREFERRED*

For Pinot-lovers, this is a dream: plump red berry aromas are moderated by savory leather tones, wood notes and a musky/earthy backbone. Burgundian-styled bright red currant/young raspberry acid sings with mineral precision, depth and concentration. Delightful on its own, brilliant with a mid-afternoon snack of fresh bread and pate. Too high-brow? This is perfect for your next pot-roast... the bright young acid in the wine will cosy to any of your richer, meaty dishes.

Some of you may be raising an eyebrow, or two or three, at my suggestion to aerate or decant a Sauv-Blanc. Well "to each their own" as we've heard many times before. I loved this wine, loved the flavors, the acid, the balance... I just felt that it was actually a more harmonious wine after the bottle had been open an hour or more and as such would use an aerator next time round. The Pinot Noir as well is just a tad young in it's life and will sit comfortably in your cellar or wine-cooler, or just as easily open with just a hint of aeration or decanting.

Never forget that there are no more had and fast rules in the world of wine! Red wine with fish? Absolutely: Pinot Noir loves salmon and tuna. White wine with red meat? Have you had Chateau Mussar? One of the most highly skilled and talented sommeliers I know always says of that wine "Just treat it like a big red, and you'll be fine." Decant a white? Did you know that there's a trend in Paris, has been for awhile now in certain circles, to decant Champagne... very expensive Champagne. The sommeliers there say that too many bubbles interfere with tasting the true flavor of the wine.

And world-class wines coming from the ends-of-the-earth for a damned reasonable price.

Amen to that.

Many thanks to Empson Canada, representatives in Canada for "Seven Terraces": produced by Rossendale wines, for the sample bottles. http://www.empsoncanada.com/

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

on Twitter @AStudentofWine

on Facebook @www.facebook.com/TheChefandTheGrape

Maison Louis Latour, Montagny 1er cru 2009

www.louislatour.com

There’s a minute group of businesses who belong to a special club; an “uber” tier to the concept of family-run companies called the Henokiens. The membership is limited to companies that are leaders in their respective fields, remain family owned, have a history of 200 years’ experience and still bares the name of the founder… you won’t be surprised now to learn that the membership is currently stuck at 30 companies. In the entire world.

So my last trip down to Las Vegas I was recommended this little gem by my good friends at the Double Helix in the Venetian ( www.doublehelixwine.com ). These are my same highly proficient colleagues who introduced me to the Chateau LaFleur St Jean which is right across a country road from Petrus and yet sells for less then $100 USD a bottle… with 3-4 years of cellar age on it~!! So anyways, when these people make a suggestion I perk both my ears and prepare to learn.

the Latour wine-making facility

And opening this bottle was certainly a learning experience. This has balance, structure, precision… in short it has all of the qualities that one could ever hope for from Burgundy and it has them in ample quantity. Best part? It only runs about $50-60 USD so about half the price of what I would pay in British Columbia (the second highest liquor tax in the world).

I knew enough from my FWS (French Wine Scholar) program to know when I smelled, swirled and tasted the wine that it was something special, but it was when I read about the company that I discovered just how unique this really is. Since 1797 the family has been refining their skills as negocients or wine-brokers… but to call them brokers is really a failure in translation as there is so much more then that. This is a family that for 10 generations, from father to son, has bequeathed a legacy of winemaking that has little comparison. For how does one compare any modern winery against this kind of collective wisdom? Centuries of studying their soil, the aspect, the slope, the way the wind flows in Autumn… a thousand minute details collected, organized and put to good use. Who can really hope to equal the Burgundians when it comes to knowing one’s land?

And here is the family, still working the land and honoring tradition whilst being leaders in innovation. Of particular note is their intricate wine-making facility in which all handling of the juice from the grapes is done through gravity to eliminate unnecessary oxidization.

I could go on, but the best proof of a wineries work is still to be found – in the glass~!

2009 Montagny 1er cru “La Grande Roche”

Cote Chalonaise, Cote D’Or, Burgundy

91+ points

soil: limestone, chalk, clay

*NOTE: DO NOT SERVE TOO CHILLED! UNDER 15c/68F WILL INHIBIT AROMAS/FLAVOURS

• This wine sings with precision from the initial aromas to the end of the palate: a textured bouquet of clean hay/almonds/crushed seashell minerality is brilliantly balanced by crisp/lean acids driven by that self-same seashell mineral focus. The structure is impeccable and the length a generous 20-30 seconds… a natural pairing for seafood, but especially richer Oyster Affairs such as the classic Oysters Rockefeller 

As a New World consumer, it’s difficult sometimes to truly understand the Old World systems: premier cru, grande cru, premier classe, vielle vignes, appellation… how do any of these words have bearing on California, Washington or Ontario? Well as a much wiser man explained to me, if wine were art then the French vineyards are Degas, Cezanne or Matisse. The vineyards, and the people who have helped shaped them into what they are, have defined a style of wine-making that all must learn if they are to ever develop their own art. Burgundy and the Cote Chalonnaise are not the be-all/end-all of what Chardonnay is~!

But. But it’s families such as the Latours who inspired people like the Wente clan of California; without whom there would be little in the way of Chardonnay in the New World, and even less quality. It isn’t obligatory to honor these pantheons for their own sake, but respecting centuries of dedication seems the least we New World consumers can do. And so I raise the last of my glass to the great artists of Burgundy and invite you, when you want to taste Old School precision to do the same.

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

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