Anciano Tempranillo, Valdepenas, Spain

http://www.ancianowine.com/

courtesy Spaincentre.org

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

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

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

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

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

farm in Valdepenas

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

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

Anciano Gran Reserva 2005

aged 7 years

88 points

*NO NEED TO DECANT/AERATE

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

Anciano Gran Reserva 2002

aged 10 years

89+ points

*PREVIOUS VINTAGES SCORED 90 POINTS BY ROBERT PARKER

*NO NEED TO DECANT/AERATE

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

IMPORTER IN CANADA: www.DiamondEstates.ca 

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

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

The #WineTastingCircle of Vancouver: BC Syrah compared

A friend and winemaker called me a few weeks ago and asked if I would try his unreleased 2011 Syrah (from BC) and let him know my thoughts.

I have to say, it's a good job that affords one phone calls like that on a regular basis! So of course I generously offered that my taste-buds were up to the task but then the winemaker zealously offered the 2010 Syrah as well; so that I could make an informed conclusion as to the wines' development.

My day was getting better and better, for that was when I remembered that one of his neighbors had also sent me his 2010 and 2011 Syrah. Four bottles is too much for even I to drink on my own, and so I began to drum-up a list of potential reprobates who would come and swill with me in some shady den of iniquity.

Then genius hit: I had always wanted to sit and compare these BC Syrah/Shiraz versus their counterparts from around the world. Well, "if you build it - they will come", and so I got on the phone right then and there and started beating the bushes for support for my little tasting.

First a trickle, then a torrent, of Syrah and Shiraz from every corner of the importer world came washing over my desk like a peppery-Tsunami. By the time I got in my car and drove to UVA winebar (www.uvawinebar.ca/) we had accumulated 16 wines. One writer looked at the assembled throng (? flock? gaggle? herd?) of bottles and simply stated "You got a little carried away." I smiled nervously, wrapped them all in paper bags until even I forgot which was which, and we got down to the business we had gathered for: ascertaining what level of Syrah BC was producing when compared side-by-side, blind, versus some of the most experienced producers in the world.

THE CRITERIA

• single varietal Syrah
• most recent vintage (85% of wines were 2009,2010 or 2011)
• priced between $30 and $50 CAD (in the BC market)

THE PARTICIPANTS

1. Painted Rock 2010, 2011 (BC) www.paintedrock.ca
2. Black Hills 2010, 2011     (BC)    www.blackhillswinery.com
3. Desert Hills 2008               (BC)   www.deserthills.ca
4. Le Vieux Pin 2011             (BC) www.levieuxpin.ca
5. Cedar Creek 2005              (BC)  www.cedarcreek.bc.ca
6. Mission Hill SLC 2007     (BC)  www.missionhillwinery.com
7. Cannonbah   2007                      (AUS)  canonbah.com.au
8. Glaetzer "Bishop" 2012               (AUS)  www.glaetzer.com
9. Tyrrell "Hunter Valley" 2010   (AUS) www.tyrrells.com.au
10. Thorn-Clarke "Shotfire" 2010 (AUS) www.thornclarkewines.com.au
11. Perez Cruz  "Maipo" 2006              (CHILE)  perezcruz.com
12. Tanagra " Casablanca" 2006         (CHILE)  www.villard.cl
13. Corralillo "San Antonio" 2010    (CHILE) matetic.com
14. Altico  "Jumilla" 2011  (SPAIN)  www.carchelo.com

We swirled, we sipped, we spit, we debated. All of these wines, some with more then one vintage - blind - in an hour. And through it all we all learnt a great deal. It was quite a surprise when the unveiling occurred! Indeed, the entire process was a learning one for us all, in the words of one attendee "I'm surprised. I'm surprised not just at the generosity of fruit in all of the wines, but that even I - who have lived in BC for years, cannot tell which are the BC wines."

Here are the top three wines, in order. Scores are approximations and an average.

1. Canonbah drought reserve, 92/93 points

From the Western Plains of Australia, picked at a yield of 1 ton per HA and only in years of drought, this wine sings of refined elegance and decidedly masculine in it's approach. Imagine a Syrah that drinks much the same way that James Bond looks when played by Daniel Craig; muscular yet refined, intense yet sophisticated. This was a wine that categorically impressed everyone on the panel. Only one person guessed where it was from and for the rest of us, we were so delighted by it's concentration, clean mineral-tones, heavily spiced-musky aromas and pungent earthiness that I don't think we cared. This is truly World-Class and well worth the $50 (SPEC) in BC.

2. Glaetzer's "Bishop", 92 points

Precision shone through every sip, every tendril of aroma that slipped up from the bottle. So bright, so refreshing was this wine that more then one person commented (when tasted blind) that it must surely be a New World wine, and obviously cool-climate. We unanimously voted this wine second place, and by a narrow margin. Capable of many years of aging, there is also a great deal of development left. I would personally love to taste a bottle with 10 years on it and see how the fresh notes integrate with dark berries, leather and spice.

3. Le Vieux Pin, 91+/92 points

If the Canonbah was the epitome of masculine elegance, then Le Vieux Pin is the essence of feminine. A hedonistic plethora of floral, musky, ripe red berry tones not only danced from the glass when poured, but continued to evolve for the entire time we had the bottle open. Stunningly fresh yet balanced acids, fine and well integrated tannin,  full concentration of flavors that evolved as well. Utterly delightful and well-worth cellaring.

Honorable mention must be made to the exquisite 2005 Cedar Creek Syrah which was, upon release years ago, rated the best wine in Canada. Now with several years in a well-attended cellar it has evolved into a graceful example of how the varietal can age; with warm raisin aromas and sweet buttery tones, the acids still fresh and integrated, the tannin utterly refined. A graceful palate, everyone was captivated and would have ranked as our number 4 choice for the evening.

And perhaps this was what I had been looking for; a sign of validation that though BC is a small wine region (Algeria produces more wine then BC), we are producing quality. Some of the results were truly brow-raising, and many of the tasters walked away with a greater appreciation for the dynamic work happening "Down Under". Truly, Australia Syrah/Shiraz is not the same heavily-oaked, jammy-berry-laden, high-alcohol beverage that it once may have been... but by the same token, as the wine-industry has evolved over the past decade, BC wines have evolved no less.

And as we dragged our weary-palates towards the door, scores had become less important then process. More important still was the feeling that we perhaps understood a little better the direction our home-grown winemakers were going. Sticking to their instincts, following their own sense of what their land wants to express, I cannot help but believe that when our vines have a few more years on them - I will be reading Australian and Chilean writers talking about how well their Syrah is comparing to BC.

Many thanks not only to the wineries, but to the agents who graciously donated their time and sample bottles:

www.renaissancewine.ca : Desert Hills, Thorn-Clarke

www.freehousewine.com : Glaetzer, Black Hills

www.empsoncanada.com : Canonbah

www.markanthonywinemerchants.com : Mission Hills, Tyrrell

www.christopherstewart.com : Le Vieux Pin

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

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

COS di Vittoria, organic/bio-dynamic wines, Sicily

www.CosVittoria.it

The first time I tasted the COS Vittoria wines, it was at a very large, very loud, very crowded industry-event. Hundreds upon hundreds of purchasers, sommeliers, writers, winemakers, merchants, etc were (by their nature) hawking their wares, politely (or not) refusing a sample they knew to be dross, smiling at everyone always, always. And in the midst of this cacophony I stumbled, quite literally, into the table of WineQuest Wine and Spirit Brokers inc.

I always try to go to these events with something of an agenda - mostly to keep myself from falling prey to every bottle that catches my fancy and every merchant who hires a beautiful young woman, mermaid-like, serenading sommeliers and writers to certain doom on the rocky shoals of inadequate production values. The WineQuest table had no such Siren, only two gentlemen enjoying a dram of their own wares and seeming quite pleased with the results. Now this peaked my interest... I simply had to taste the wine that the merchants couldn't help but take the odd sip of.

The wine was the COS Vittoria frapatto and I was flummoxed. True enough, Italy has over 2000 cultivated varietals of grapes and I do not profess to be  a Master of Italian wine. However, I had never even heard of this varietal and was intrigued on yet another level. Let's be honest here, how exciting is it to try yet another Chardonnay or Merlot?

Frapatto I discovered is indigenous to a small area of Sicily and has a lengthy history on the island, having been written about since the 1700's (many thanks to the iconic Jancis Robinson and staff at www.JancisRobinson.com for confirming much of my independent research). Usually blended, this grape is capable of conveying minerality with the style and elegance one would expect from Burgundy, and with some similar qualities of red berry and warm spice notes that I enjoy in craftsmen-level products.

I tasted the wine, was thoroughly impressed, and needed to move on through the throng. I gave Peter Jones of WineQuest my business card and waded through the masses to my next salubrious sampling... less then a week later, I came home from a long day to find two bottles of COS Vittoria on my veranda and their adjoining spec-sheets in my email. What I discovered in that evening's research was that my taste-buds had steered me in the direction of true artisans in Sicily~!

Giusto hard at work

 COS Vittoria has been producing a level of wine far ahead of the curve since it's inception in 1980. That was the year that a triad of wine-geeks decided that whilst pursuing their education in such lofty pursuits as Architecture and Medicine, they would spend the summer reviving an old uncle's vineyard. We all know that students, by-and-large, have no money and none knew that better then friends Giambattista Cilia, Giusto Occhipinti and Cirino Strano as they did everything by hand for the meager production of 1456 bottles of Frapatto. It's important to keep in mind that, at the time, there was only one vigneron on the island who was producing frapatto as a single varietal and, in total, there was less then 1000 acres dedicated to it's production worldwide. To the unbeliever, this was a varietal on the brink of extinction; relegated to being turned to must to enhance the flavors of it's more prestigious cousins in southern France (Burgundy) and northern Italy.

But Sicilians support their own, and when the triad of brave/foolish entrepreneurs went in search of sales for their hand-crafted wine, they found merchants and restaurateurs willing to give it a try (and glad that they did). The quality spoke for itself, and soon several other producers in the region started making single varietal frapatto and bottling it. In less then a decade the trio had reached a level of success that allowed expansion of the facility as well as the importing of more expensive tools such as French oak barriques. These costly developments did not have their desired effect~!

vineyards at COS Vittoria

For when the trio (soon to evolve into a duo as Strano turned his attention solely to medicine) began to open bottles of new vintages matured in the French barriques, they found that much of the clean mineral tones and warm earth notes had been replaced or covered over by buttery, leathery oak. This was not the wine that they had fallen in love with!! Giambattista and Giusto had to find a way of maturing the wine in a manner that allowed for evolution yet masked none of the characteristics that made it so unique. At first they used older barriques and larger barrels with more neutral Slavonian oak.

It was also at this time that the winemakers understood the need for the winery and the vineyard to take a holistic/natural approach to the craft. Bio-dynamics principles were applied, the use of chemicals prohibited, and the utilization of the 400 litre ancient amphorae was introduced. Here was a maturation vessel that allow for the correct amount of contact with oxygen and yet imparted no flavors that would dilute the utterly captivating qualities of the calcareous/umber sandy soils.

These endeavors, and many more, led to COS Cerasuolo di Vittoria being award the prestigious DOCg status, the first and only wine of Sicily to do so. And is this the only proof that this labor-of-love was worthy of such extreme efforts? Not at all. Not only are there over 40 new producers of the blend of Frapatto and Nero D'Avola (Cersasuolo) in 30 years, and not only have Italian and international wine press raved about the wines, but there was the proof in my glass which spoke volumes!

2010 COS frapatto

90+ points 

*benefits from 1 hour decant or 1-2 runs through the aerator

• visual:   clear; pale ruby core to bright cherry rim, no signs of aging
• nose:   clean; fully intense and youthful aromas – much like Morgon/Fleurie – bright tones of fresh/slightly candied berries, sophisticated line of keen minerality throughout the palate, Old World funk/barnyard
• palate:   clean; dry, medium+ to full young raspberry acid, medium tannin, medium- body, medium- alcohol, medium+ intense and very youthful flavors; the minerality that lurked beneath the surface of the bouquet jumps to the surface in the palate! Very good balance, excellent structure, medium+ length
• conclusions:   the organic viticulture has allowed for a transparency in the soil or, as the French would call it, climat. This type of viticulture I find also always allows for long life-spans. Enjoy 2013-2020
• FOOD PAIRING:   as it reminded me so much of northern Beaujolais, I would use it as such. Serve slightly chilled (14/15C) and with cold smoked duck breast on wild greens, pickled Bing cherries, Boursin cheese on warm dark rye

 I adore that both of these wines are genuine, and genuinely stylized. By that I mean that the winemaker has his own sense of style and composition, and whilst following his own sensibilities has crafted wines that are still classically Italian and utterly Sicilian. Yes, I said the frapatto has Beaujolais-like qualities to the palate, but the aromas are pure Vittoria and take one instantly to an Old World way of life.

2010 Cerasuola

91+ points 

60% Nero D’Avola and 40% Frapatto

age of vines: average 28 years

*benefits from 1 hour decant or 1-2 runs through the aerator

• visual:   clear;   pale ruby core to light cherry rim, slightest signs of aging
• nose:   clean; medium+ intense and developing aromas of warm blackberry/raspberry compote with fresh garden herbs, more of the Old World funk/barnyard (in the best of all possible ways),
• palate:   clean, dry, medium+ raspberry acids, medium+ chewy tannin, medium+ body, medium- alcohol (13% ABV), medium+ developing flavors that are much in-line with the aromas; a beautiful array of warming red and dark berries, fresh garden herbs, clean earth tones. Minerality is carried by the Frapatto, but not as pronounced as when it is single-varietal. Very good to excellent balance and structure with medium+ length on the palate
• conclusion:   this wine as well has a prodigious life ahead of it. It will cellar easily for another 5 years or longer, but should most likely be consumed before 2018
• FOOD PAIRING:   if the Frapatto on it’s own is like northern Beaujolais, then blended with Nero D’Avola it becomes more like Burgundy… I would enjoy it as such: served slightly chilled with a wild mushroom risotto or even the classic beef bourguignon although the acids are not truly high enough to prepare bourguignon a la method classique (which is very high in fat)

I had my first taste of COS di Vittoria because I was intrigued by wine-merchants who needed no gimmicks, no flamboyancy, no carnival-like show to sell their wines. These gentlemen believed in their product, and that was enough for them... I had my last taste of their wine and wondered how it was that I had never heard of it before.

Organics, bio-dynamics, ancestral-farming, sustainable-viticulture... all of these terms mean more then the sum of their parts: it is a journey, not a destination. It is my distinct privilege to have been here to witness this young winery, in this ancient place, which is reviving the most ancestral of wine-making practices to  build a brighter future. With a glass of wine, and a hefty portion of Belief I have been encouraged to see that to some winemakers, personal satisfaction means more then any score in a magazine. In the 1990's, when only a handful of wine-critics seemed to control what wines sold and which did not, these newcomers decided that the trend of oak, oak and yet more oak was - to them - an injustice to their wine. They risked offending the gods of oenology and did what they felt was right, what was best for their wines.

I hope that I have the good fortune to taste many more wines made with such fortitude.

As always, I welcome your comments either here or on Twitter @AStudentofWine

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

El Dorado rum, Guyana

www.TheElDoradoRum.com 

Rum used to be the providence of sailors, buccaneers and ne'er-do-wells... in the 1700's rum-drinkers were the fringe of society and were marked as such.

How much has really changed in 300 years? Well in some parts of the world, it would seem very little!

Imagine that, like me, you live in North America... in the northern part of North America. Little enough rum drinking here and, what there is, seems focused around mixing mediocre distillate with cola beverages and copious amounts of ice. The more adventurous may put a lime wedge in as well, probably to the derision of their cohorts.

I always cosied up to the idea of rum, buccaneers and sunny-climates, but never found a tribe of like-minded people who shared my passion until my wife decided that we needed a vacation, and Cuba was the place to go. The first thing we were told on the bus from the airport to the resort was that "Vitamin R" would cure all of our woes and the only thing better then rum was more rum.

I was in Heaven!

And I returned from that adventure a changed man; devoted to all things excellent in rum (much to the chagrin of my wife and my wallet). It took years, and over a hundred different bottles of the sugar-based spirit, but I began to develop not only an appreciation - but my own sense of palate. And this education took many forms: from the professional-level tastings at New Product Salons, to the very very informal sessions held on my front-porch late in the Summer evenings, where invitations were based on people's preference in cigars...

But both types of teaching had a distinct influence on me, and, I'm more fluent in the language of rum because of them. Do you prefer light, golden or dark rum? Aged? If so - how long? Cuban? Dominican? But to me just as important as deciphering what one likes, is learning the why behind it.

I've discovered that I usually prefer a dark rum with a hint of elegance to the structure, which often comes as a result of long aging (12 years or longer). I enjoy the notes of orange, exotic fruit, wild floral tones that only come from certain regions and certain styles. I learned this over the course of a few years and know that it will take decades to truly come to any deep level of understanding of the process. What then can I say about a region that has invested centuries in it's understanding of rum, and of it's own capacity to produce World-Class spirit?

When Christopher Columbus came to the Americas in the late 1400's, he came here with some very serious financial backing. The fiscal powers-that-be weren't just funding Old Chris for the sake of a Grande Olde Adventure... no, no. These people were in business, and their business was about taking a dollar and turning into two. Sugar was becoming a very lucrative commodity in Europe and was expected to keep doing so. If Columbus was sailing along the equator, he was bound to find land suitable to the production of sugar.

They didn't know the half of it!

Sugarcane made its way from the Canary Islands to Guyana in the 1600's, and soon the British and the Dutch were working their new-fangled distillation miracles with the sugar water. Well, by the 1700's there were over 300 sugar plantations in Guyana, each and every one of them with it's own distillery. And what came out of this new addition to the landscape? Not only did the distilled spirit start developing such rich characteristics and stable quality that the British Navy began a ration of rum, daily, to each and every sailor (starting a hundred years of drunken sailing... "No, No Admiral," they declared, "we have no idea how we crashed the ship!") but something else just as marvelous happened.

300 distilleries started developing their own sense of style! Some lighter, some darker, some aged longer, some bursting with freshness but all of them creating their own sense of self, their own identity. Flash forward a few hundred years and the Demerara Distillers Limited (parent company to El Dorado rum) decide to capitalize on this unique history. They develop a new brand of premium and ultra-premium rum starting the world's first 15-year aged rum.

Two things to remember about aged rums: 1) the age indicated is the youngest aged rum in the blend and 2) aging of spirits in the Tropics happens twice as quickly as in Northerly climates (ie: Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France)... meaning that a 15-year rum has many of the same characteristics as a 30-year cognac (in terms of its aged character). Significant facts my friends!

But wait a second! Isn't rum just for the ne'er-do-wells? The ruffians and vagabonds? Well the good people at Demerara Distillers had faith that the rum-connoisseurs of the world were just waiting for something new, something a bit more polished and a bit more... grown-up. Turns out - they were right! Now El Dorado has one of the most distinguished line-ups of aged rum anywhere. And arguably the largest warehouse of aged rums as well.

Let me show you one such example:

El Dorado 12-year special reserve

$35 CAD (www.BCLDB.com) 

91+ points 

• visual:   clear; medium+ golden amber core
• nose:   clean; medium+ intense orange/tangerine citrus tones infused with soft notes of exotic wild-flowers, caramel, aged honey and some exotic fruit such as mango/ripe strawberry-papaya
• palate:   clean; medium+ body, medium+ alcohol (40% ABV), medium+ intense flavors that match the nose quite well; there is a burst of bright orange citrus tones that is followed quickly by notes of exotic flowers and fruit... some dried apricot characteristics as well lend considerable complexity to a low/mid-priced spirit. Very good to excellent balance, great structure and length
• conclusion:   a stunning value for the money, I can see why the BC liquor board customer ratings are presently at 4.7 out of 5... simply one of the best rums for the price on the market. Period.

So now we know the what: That Demerara Distillers wanted to create a world-class line-up of rums and they succeeded. Brilliant! We're all applauding the result, but how did they make it happen? I could say that it was a result of generation upon generation of blood, sweat and tears and I wouldn't be lying. But? But there's more to it then that.

Passion, talent, dedication.

George Robinson

It was the Passion of people like George Robinson, Master Distiller and brilliant cricket player who was the guiding vision behind El Dorado's climb to heights unparalleled in the world of rum distillation. George is sadly no longer with us, but he had a deep faith that "If you build it, they will come" which proved to be more then true... El Dorado is now a global label and has truly set the standard for ultra-premium aged rums.

Talent took the form of  Amar Seweda, Master Blender who has the arduous task of combining the multitude of flavors into one coherent form... currently El Dorado has an arsenal of 8 different stills to create 8 completely unique styles, or marques, of rum. From this plethora it is Amar's job to create one unified vision for each of the separate age categories and colors and maintain its consistency year after year. This is a true master-craftsman's task and is exemplified in the 21 year rum which has been categorized by the Chicago Beverage Institute as being “A monumental aged rum that is one of the world’s greatest rum drinking experiences!”

I'm looking forward to my next taste of its little brother, the 15-year, which should be right about now :)

El Dorado 15-year 

$50++ CAD (in BC, only select private stores)

93+ points

•  visual:   clear; medium+ aged honey/golden amber core with copper highlights
• nose:   clean; medium+ intense aromas much like the 12-year but with more finesse... the exotic floral tones are abundant/layered/textured, the exotic fruit bouquet is opulent and has more guava tones as well as papaya and there is a savory sweetness to it - like candied yams
• palate:   clean; medium body, medium- alcohol (40%, enjoyable straight at room temperature), medium+ intense flavors brilliantly inline with the aromas; crisp exotic fruit drive a palate awash in floral tones, and with the salty-sweetness of salt-water-toffee... brilliantly clean finish and persistent. Excellent balance and structure, long length
• conclusion:   Stunning. I'm forced to ration myself with this bottle as the last bottle of this I had emptied itself in one evening with only a few friends and some great conversation

So I've explained how and why this company delivers exceptional quality and exceptional value, but I didn't tell you about their secret weapon! World-class staff are an integral part of the puzzle, but great craftsmen (or women) need world-class tools to work with...

"Say hello to my little friend..."

This is one of the oldest functioning stills in the world! Originally designed in 1832 by an intrepid Irishman by the name of Aeneas Coffey. The still, then, is know by the eponymous name The Wooden Coffey Still. This is the last one of it's kind still in operation, and is much the same as it would have been when first put into production around 1880... it's a kind of magic, when you think of it, that we are tasting from this piece of history much the same style of rum as people were over 200 years ago. Simply amazing.

Demerara Distillers (and El Dorado) have a combined total of 8 unique stills, all producing their own style (marques) of rum. This is the secret weapon; some old, some new, pot-bellied stills to produce ripe, round flavors and column stills to preserve freshness and some of the oldest stills in the world preserving a tradition that in this part of the world goes back centuries.

Blending the old and the new isn't a goal, it's a journey. I have the highest admiration for companies, like El Dorado, who are on this journey with such high intentions. In a time when "following suit" seems to be a requisite skill for growth, here is a company who bucked the social norms and created their own path. I only hope that when it's my turn to take a stand, I do so with as much finesse... and I hope there's a bottle of El Dorado waiting for me at the end!

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

on Twitter @AStudentofWine

on Facebook @www.facebook.com/TheChefandTheGrape

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

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16th January, 2014

*addition

Today I found tucked away in a corner a wee dram of rum that I'ld saved for a rainy day. As it happens, the sun was shining and the birds were singing. But I figured to myself that somewhere it must be raining, and so I ended up with a few ounces of the ever-delightful El Dorado 5-year for my troubles.

In most portfolios, the 5-year would not only be an entry-level product in terms of price, but also in quality. Not so with this distillery! Though there is certainly less concentration, less layering and nuances of flavors and aromas, this is a spirit that drinks on it's own with ease and mixes like a dream... there's a reason I had to hide the bottle from myself, remember?

But enough talk! There's only one place to find empirical evidence: In The Glass.

5-year

Under $30 CAD in BC

89/90 points

TO THE EYE:   pale amber/honey core with light gold highlights

ON THE NOSE:   rich yet not overly complex aromas of honeyed apricots, vanilla, warm flowers

ON THE PALATE:   smooth, with just a hint of alcohol burn at the mid and end-palate (at room temperature). Flavors are much like the nose with some exotic honeyed fruit tones, mild vanilla and floral. Well balanced and enjoyable on it's own

How to drink it?   as in all things, this is personal taste. I don't personally mix rum with cola, but if I did - then this would be my stand-by. Inexpensive enough that I wouldn't care who mixed what with it and smooth enough that I could serve it to my father with a straight face.

Another feather in the cap for El Dorado and another reminder to myself why I keep a bottle of this in the house at all times... I may save the 15-year for my best friends, but I know for a fact that I've made more then a few friends pouring this at a party.

SLAINTE~!!!