8 from 36 Canadian wines

2017 Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, Henry of Pelham

Yesterday I was at a small tasting of Canadian wines in London. The event brought back memories as restaurateur and writer, Stephen Barrett was at the tasting. Stephen and I had been on a memorable Canadian press trip way back in 1996 – July I think it was, although it might have been June. We made our separate ways to Vancouver, met up there and then caught a small plane up to the Okanagan Valley. Once we climbed out of the vicinity of Vancouver we flew over completely barren land with no apparent sign of life or habitation – a wilderness. It wasn't until we approached the Okanagan Lake and Valley – some 220 miles to the east – that we saw renewed signs of civilisation.

After spending a few days in Okanagan, we headed back to Vancouver to catch a plane across Canada to Toronto. Here we visited the sole eponymously named winery on Pelee Island and a number around Niagara.  All in all it was a fascinating visit when the Canadian wine industry in its modern form was still in its relative infancy.

My choice:   
From the tasting I have picked out eight wines that most impressed me. Overall I thought that the whites – Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling – were stronger than the reds. Among the whites I found the Rieslings to be far and away the best, most interesting and complex wines. My guess is that these Rieslings will age attractively.

Rieslings
Starting with the 2017 Riesling, Niagara Peninsula from Henry of Pelham, which was one of the wineries that we visited back in 1996. This 2017 has attractive peachy aromas, crisp crystalline palate with good length that includes a touch of salinity at the end.  Trade price: £9.04 and distributed by Wine Rascals.

2016 Limestone Vineyard South Riesling, Redstone Winery, Niagara 

Redstone Winery is seeking distribution in the UK. Their 2016 Riesling certainly deserves distribution with its peachy, lemon and lime flavours, attractive texture and good length and power. Ex-cellar price: $9.00 CAD.

2016 Picone Vineyard Riesling, Charles Baker, Niagara 

The 2016 Picone has expressive, seductive floral and lime aromas, texture and good length with a touch of sweetness in the finish. Potential to age. Trade price £20.80, distributed by Bibendum.

2016 Sauvignon Blanc, Haywire Waters & Banks,
Okanagan Crush Pad Winery 

Christine Coletta, one of the people involved in the Okanagan Crush Pad Winery, organised our itinerary in British Columbia back in 1996. Their Sauvignon Blanc has grassy aromas and is richly textured, complex and with good length. Trade price £16, distributed by Graft.

Ice Cuvée Classic, Peller Estates, Niagara

This sparkling wine from the Peller Estates has an interesting twist as its dosage is ice wine, which is very much a Canadian speciality. The addition of the ice wine naturally gives this sparkling wine both some sweetness and a round texture with a touch of honey. A crowd pleaser, though I suspect that to my taste I would enjoy the first glass but quite probably find that subsequent glasses cloying.  Trade price: £21.56, distributed by Enotria.

2018 Baco Noir, Niagara, Henry of Pelham

It is always interesting to taste a grape variety that you encounter only rarely. In this instance, Baco Noir, a hybrid that is popular in the US North East and Canada but rarely encountered in France nowadays. Dark, densely coloured the 2018 has mouth-filling, slightly rustic fruit with leafy aromas and good freshness in the finish. Probably best drunk young to enjoy its dark fruit, Trade price: £9.04, distributed by Wine Rascals.

2015 Syrah, Painted Rock, Okanagan  

This powerful dark and dense Syrah from the Painted Rock winery in the Okanagan Valley was for me the best of the Canadian reds that have distribution in the UK. It has concentrated and powerful black fruits and length. Still youthful it would benefit from more time in bottle.

There were several unexciting Pinot Noirs included in the tasting that I didn't think offered value for money, especially as they would hit the shelves at well in excess of £30 and, of course, even more on a restaurant wine list.

2016 Cabernet Franc, Mission Hill Family Estate, Okanagan

There were several Cabernet Francs included in this tasting, this example from Mission Hill, a long-established – 1966 – Okanagan winery was easily the most convincing with textured black fruits along with delicacy, structure and good length. I would keep this a little while longer in bottle to soften further. I found most of the other Cabernet Francs in this tasting had their fruit crushed by harsh tannins.  Surprisingly for a long-established and well reputed wine estate Mission Hill is looking for a UK importer. The cellar price of this wine – $45 CAD – may provide a clue.

Ice Wines
There were also a number of ice wines to taste. I opted to taste four – all made using different grape varieties. It was a timely reminder that the concentrated acidity in these wines makes them these cloying than similarly rich sweet wines. I enjoyed all four that I tasted – Vidal  (Henry of Pelham) trade price £11.43 (200 mls),Wine Rascals. Cabernet Franc (Inniskillin) £50.70 trade (375 mls) Liberty. 2017 Riesling (Peller Estates) trade £33.96 (375 ml) Enotria. Finally the most interesting, complex and unlike the other three from the Okanagan Valley: a 2016 Roussanne (Rebel Pi) trade £55 (375 ml).

Wineries with distribution showing their wines: 
Bachelder, Henry of Pelham, Inniskillin, Le Vieux Pin, Norman Hardie, Okanagan Crush Pad, Painted Rock, Pelee Island Winery, Peller Estates, Quails’ Gate Winery, Stratus, and Westcott Vineyards.

2011 Finca Antigua Crianza, La Mancha

 

 2011 Finca Antigua Crianza,  La Mancha  

Although 2011 this Crianza from La Mancha is still youthful. A blend of 50% Tempranillo, 20% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Syrah, this is quite typical of a certain style of Spanish red with good concentration and some sweet American oak notes, although it is aged in old barrels – a mix of French and American. A good red for the winter. 

Another good value red from The Wine Society. 

Neighbourhood Christmas soirée de la modération

2015 Goutte de Rosé, Chinon, Domaine de la Noblaie

Last Sunday we had a pre-Christmas celebration meal with some of our neighbours. Opting out of fizz, we chose to kick off with Jérôme Billard's excellent 2015 Goutte de Rosé (100% Cabernet Franc) – a fine combination of fruit texture and freshness. One important reason that Jérôme's Rosé is so good is that he sets aside specific sectors of vines for his rosé – young vines and vines on lower slopes where the fruit often will not be quite ripe enough to make good red Chinon.

12 YO Amontillado, Sainsbury's Taste the Difference  

From Emilio Lustau

(above and below)

With mushroom soup, made from a variety of different mushrooms and vaguely following an Elizabeth David recipe which uses bread as a thickener, we served some 12 YO Amontillado Taste the Difference from Emilio Lustau. 

2010 Cuvée Prestige, Bourgueil, Lamé Delisle Boucard  

(above and below)

Main course was slow roasted leg of lamb – sourced from the excellent Billings in Sydenham's High Street. Using a herb, mustard, anchovy, garlic crust with a dash soy sauce the lamb was roasted for a little over three hours. The meat remained succulent and wonderfully tendered.

2010 Cuvée Prestige Bourgueil from Lamé Delisle Boucard has proved to be fatally delicious – so delicious that supplies are fast running out. 2010 is a fine red vintage Loire Cabernet Franc and this was a fine match with the gently roasted lamb. Will be sending Lamé an SOS for more supplies!

We followed that with the impressively softly structured 2013 Syrah made by John Hancock of Trinity Hill in Hawkes Bay, North Island, New Zealand. More evidence that Syrah is well adapted to Hawkes Bay. This was one of a selection of New Zealand wines from The Wine Society.   

John Hancock, Trinity Hill

2012 Majorum, Pouilly-Fumé, Michel Redde et Fils

With a small selection of UK cheeses we offer a choice of continuing with the Trinity Hill Syrah or changing colour and opting for the 2012 Majorum, Pouilly-Fumé from Michel Redde et Fils. One of our guests, who was dubious about white wine with cheese, was converting on trying this well balanced and mineral 2012 Majorum with some raw milk Caerphilly and Montgomery Cheddar.    

 
1967 Château Fayau, Cadillac  

With CRM's fine bread pudding we thought it was time and appropriate to try this 1967 Château Fayau AC Cadillac – a sweet wine appellation on the north bank of the Garonne across from Barsac-Sauternes. We must have bought this some time in the late 1970s or early 1980s – probably in London though it might have been in France. Mid to deep gold colour, this has delicate, attractive sweetness with some evolution but showing no oxidation. It does, however, lack the complexity one would expect from a good Barsac or Sauternes from this vintage.   

Jean-Luc Colombo: three new wines

2013 Picpoul de Pinet Les Girelles £9.99

 

Details of UK stockists for the Picpoul

Recently I was sent three new wines from Jean-Luc Colombo. Although he is based in Cornas these come from further south. There is a red and white Côtes du Rhône sourced from the southern Rhône and a Picpoul de Pinet. 

2013 Picpoul de Pinet Les Girelles

This is quite rich and weighty for a Picpoul with light acidity with some floral notes. It was good with Scottish haddock plainly baked with a little milk and butter.

 2013 Les Abeilles, Côtes du Rhône

 

Details of UK stockists 

2013 Les Abeilles, Côtes du Rhône Blanc £9.99

This is a blend of 80% Clairette and 20% Roussanne sourced from vineyards in the communes of Cairanne, Rasteau and Vacqueyras. The 2013 is attractively floral and quite richly textured.    

2012 Les Abeilles, Côtes du Rhône  

Details of UK stockists 

2013 Les Abeilles, Côtes du Rhône Rouge £9.99

This is a blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre sourced from vineyards in the communes of Cairanne, Rasteau and Vacqueyras. Rich, easy drinking, richly textured, damson and other black fruits.

Four recent reds: three Loire + one from Lebanon

Benoît and Matthieu Fleuriet@2012 London International Wine Trade Fair 

Some brief notes on four recent reds: three from the Loire and one from the Bekka Valley in the Lebanon. 

2008 Sancerre Rouge, Domaine Bernard Fleuriet

Silky, sweet red fruits with quite marked acidity – a hallmark of the 2008s. Attractive finesse from a 'classic' Loire vintage naturally without the opulence of 2005 or 2009.

2011 Pied de la Butte, Bourgueil, Domaine de la Butte. Jacky Blot 

2011 Le Pied de la Butte, Bourgueil, Domaine de la Butte, Jacky Blot 

Le Pied de la Butte (8€ from the domaine) is always Jacky Blot's easy drinking cuvée of Bourgueil and always bottled first and ready to drink some six months or so after the harvest. It will usually keep a while but it is better to enjoy the youthful fruit – red fruits in 2011 – and, if wanting wines capable of aging well, to wait for the more structured and concentrated cuvées like Les Perrières and Mi-Pente. This 2011 is delicious drinking (12.5% alc) and should be served cool.

2005 Comte de Bellefonds, Anjou-Villages, Château de la Genaiserie (above and below)

2005 Comte de Bellefonds, Anjou-Villages, Château de la Genaiserie  

When I tasted the 2005 Comte de Bellefonds at Château de la Genaiserie a few weeks ago I was impressed by its opulence and soft structure. Drinking it last night with a pot roasted chicken I was less struck – another example of what stands out in a tasting can sometimes be less enjoyable when drunk. The fruit is certainly opulent – prunes and figs – but the wine (14% alc) is rather heavy and lacks freshness in the finish. It does, however, remain good value at 9€ a bottle from the château.  

 2010 Reserve du Couvent, Château Ksara, Lebanon

2010 Reserve du Couvent, Château Ksara, Lebanon 13% alc

From one of the Lebanon's longest established producers, this is made from 40% Syrah and 30% of both Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon this is attractively soft and easy drinking with spicy fruit and good freshness in the finish.   

   

RSJ Restaurant shaken but still holding up!

RSJ Restaurant

Last night we had dinner with Jean-Pierre and Florence Chevallier (Château de Villeneuve) at the RSJ Restaurant in London's Waterloo. JP and Florence are over for their UK importer's Thorman Hunt tasting which is on today.

One hesitates to take non-Loire wines to the RSJ Restaurant. Out of some 200-250 references on the wine list, there are just nine outside the Loire Valley – three Champagnes, three Beaujolais, a Bordeaux red and two from New Zealand – a Sauvignon Blanc and a Riesling.

However, I thought it would be interesting, even though it might shake the restaurant to its core, to share some different bottles with the Chevalliers, so I took along:

1979 Riesling Clos Ste Hune. Trimbach 

The Riesling was decanted soon after I arrived and briefly served blind. Jean-Pierre immediately thought it was either an old Chenin or a Riesling – remarking that as wines from these two varieties quite often show considerable similarities with some age. Although not kept in the best conditions since we bought it sometime in the early 1980s at Trimbach in Ribeauville,  the 1979 showed well with dry honey on the nose, a steely edged richness that developed in the glass and clean blade-like Riesling acidity.

2000 Syrah, Montes Alpha

The 2000 Montes Alpha Syrah was also decanted and like the Riesling showed well and developed in glass. Mid-weight and attractively spicy with a smokiness and although different from a northern Rhône had a restrained finesse – certainly not in your face New World Shiraz. JP remarked that it went particulalry well with his duck breast.

We finished with a glass or so of the 2007 Les Rouannières from Château Pierre-Bise – zippy citrus fruits with lovely freshness, balance and precision.

Jean-Pierre Chevallier will be back at the RSJ with Yannick Amirault when they will be starring in a double bill – a tasting and dinner on Tuesday 13th April. 

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Decalaration: Jim is a consultant to the RSJ Restaurant.

Fake Pinot: Sieur d'Arques – could you make it up?

Truly murky!

'permet à Sieur d’Arques d’assurer la traçabilité du grain de raisin – Merlot –> à la bouteille –> Pinot Noir'

Anyone visiting the Aimery Sieur d'Arques website can see the proud commitments made there – 'nos engagements':

'Assurer la Qualité Totale de son activité


Sieur d’Arques a depuis toujours cultivé le souci de la qualité. Dés 1997 la cave a été impliquée dans une démarche de certification et de sécurité alimentaire. En effet à partir de cette date Sieur d’Arques a commencé la mise en place de l’HACCP sur ses lignes de production, et a été certifiée ISO 9002 en 1999. Suite à l’évolution du référentiel, Sieur d’Arques a fait progresser son système qualité et répond désormais au travers de ses certifications à la norme ISO 9001 :2000 (depuis 1999 – renouvelé en 2008), la norme ISO 22000 :2005 (depuis 2006 – renouvelé en 2008) et le référentiel IFS version 5 niveau supérieur (depuis 2004 – renouvelé en 2008).

Une évaluation constante de ses vins


Dégustation des vins avant leur libération par des œnologues aguerris, dégustations comparatives réalisées par des structures compétentes de la filière, dégustations lors de salons nationaux et internationaux,… Sieur d’Arques dispose ici d’un processus efficace de dégustation de ses vins. Ce processus incontournable évalue la qualité globale des vins pour anticiper la satisfaction du consommateur.

La garantie d’une traçabilité maîtrisée


L’ensemble des enregistrements tout au long du process de fabrication des vins tranquilles et effervescents permet à Sieur d’Arques d’assurer la traçabilité du grain de raisin à la bouteille. Ce système de traçabilité est complémenté d’un dispositif éprouvé de gestion de crise qui permet de répondre avec une grande réactivité tout au long de la chaîne de fabrication et de distribution.

In the light of the Pinot scandal these ringing declarations are more than a little hollow – sadly or hilariously so depending on your point of view. Bearing in mind the volume of fake Pinot Noir that was sold through Sieur d'Arques to the Americans it is impossible now to read this paragraph with a straight face:

'Ensuring traceability control


The tracking process throughout the production of still and sparkling wines allows Sieur d’Arques to ensure traceability from the grape to the bottle. This traceability system is completed with a proven crisis management system which makes it easier to be pro-active throughout the entire production and distribution chains.'




*

I am aware that there is technically a difference between the company that owns the website – Aimery Sieur d'Arques – and the company – Les Caves du Sieur d'Arques SARL SICA Cooperative – that sold the 'Pinot Noir', was condemned and fined by the court in Carcassonne. There is third Sieur d'Arques company – Les Vignerons du Sieur d'Arques Société Coopérative Agricole – which makes sparkling wine. However, their Aimery website generally uses Sieur d'Arques without qualification, Pierre Mirc is in charge of all three (his title varies) and Alain Gayda is the chief editor (redacteur en chef) of the Aimery website. Thus the distinction is surely technical. 

As well as assuring the 'traceability' of Merlot and Syrah into Pinot Noir, one can well imagine the renowned 'proven crisis management system' swinging into action when the news came through that the fraud squad had busted Claude Courset at Ducasse. A scene rich in comic potential:

"Holy shit!" "That stupid motherf*ck**!" What the f**k are we going to do?" "I'm an oenologist – I know nothing." " "We know nuffink!" "It wasn't us – it was 'im, officer!". "When the police ask –  just act stoopid!"