Thanksgiving is a perfect time to pull out some of those wines you've been dying to try, or try those wines that are new to you. This past Thanksgiving I popped the cork on 4 wines, 2 older wines from Ontario and two more recent vintages from "away". The two Ontario wines will be written up elsewhere (Lailey 2008 Zweigelt & Stoney Ridge 2005 Cranberry), but the wines from other places I'll tell you about now. We started the night with a bottle of Belle Glos 2010 Meiomi (which is a Pinot Noir). Now there are those who find the Meiomi wine to be a little on the jammy and full side, especially for a Pinot Noir - "it's wine, but it isn't Pinot" ... and while I see their point it is one of my guilty pleasure wines, it's just one of those reds that puts a smile on your face with it (too?) fresh fruitedness and the 2010 delivered exactly what I was expecting: rich black cherry, hints of white pepper and light touches of other spices. Is it classic Pinot Noir? Not by a long shot, but it is tasty, and has the ability to turn non-Pinot drinkers around, in that they don't hate all Pinots. The dinner wine was not classic Thanksgiving fare either, and definitely not an apparent match for turkey, but it was another delicious wine: Duorum 2010 from the Douro Valley in Portugal. I visited this winery a couple of years ago and was impressed with the terrain and what they were trying to accomplish at this new winery in a very old region. But I found the alcohol a little high and the wines slightly out of balance, they were good but just needed tweaking so they did not taste so ... Australian (for lack of a better comparison). Well it seems in the interim Duorum has found that precious balance. This is a beauty and at only 13.5% if has struck the right balance of fruit and finesse: raspberry, black cherry, great acidity (for balance) and a long finish. Twas a good Thanksgiving for wine - and I look forward to the American version where I can do it all again, with different wines of course.
Showing posts with label Portugal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Portugal. Show all posts
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Friday, July 26, 2013
4 Wines - 1 Friends - 1 Big Headache (California / Rhone / British Columbia / Portugal)
Tonight we had some friends come over whom we see at least once a year, but thankfully speak to more often ... turns out it was the first time they have visited in the summer so we finally got a chance to sit out on the deck with them. One of our friends just got her Canadian citizenship so we decided to kick things off with a little Canadian bubbly; but instead of hitting up Ontario for a bottle we picked something from the west coast, British Columbia: Steller's Jay 2007 Brut from Sumac Ridge ... to tell you it was a great starter is an understatement, it was delightful, delicious and a real winner, I think the whole bottle was gone in 3 minutes (poured out) and most, if not all of the glasses were consumed within 15 ... a real tribute to a wine when it's polished off that quickly. We moved on to try a bottle of one of Ontario's soon to be wineries, Brickyard, and their 2012 Riesling - I will not be reviewing that here but it will appear on my website before too long.
Dinner was steak so red wine seemed in order. One of our friends is a Pinot Noir fan, so he had a glass of Cattail 2010 Pinot Noir, another wine that will be reviewed on the website in short order. He also mentioned that he was a fan of Zinfandel, one of my faovurites too ... but more on that in a minute. The rest of us shared a bottle of Perrin & Fils 2008 Rasteau L'Andeol from the Rhone ... this was a lovely steak pairing wine that had plenty of raspberry and peppery goodness, old enough be smoothing out in all the right places, yet still has enough umph to pair with the smoky, char-grilled steak. With that bottle down the hatch, and our Pinot-friend finished his glass out from the cellar came a bottle of Ravenswood 2004 Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel, a bottle that is courtesy of my wife and her American roots. At nine years of age this was a beauty of a Zin that has kept its plum and spice nature while developing other real robust flavours that made it more than a pleasure to drink - at 14.5% it is no shrinking violet of a wine ... it too was consumed with gusto.
Finally, our friends are big Port fans, and so it was decided a bottle must be cracked open so that we could have a glass ... there was some hemming and hawing over a Late Bottled Vintage, but when I said it was a 2000 Late Bottled Vintage suddenly it became a curiosity: Sandeman 2000 LBV - dark chocolate dominated with hints of cherry, spice and a beautiful baked raisin finish. One glass turned into two, turned into three and then suddenly the bottle was gone. And we realized that our Pinot-Zin lover had been secreting glasses while we were all engaged in conversation ... we were not aware of this fact till the next morning when our slow moving, hung over friend, heard every pin drop as if it were an a hammer on an anvil. A good night was had by all - it's just the morning that wasn't as good for one.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
4 Bottles from 3 Countries (Ontario / New Zealand / Portugal)
An interesting night of wine. Started with one of my last two bottles of Stoney Ridge's inaugural Sparkling wine from 2005 ... sadly it was corked, you could smell it right off the bat, thankfully the taste was intact for the first few sips so we could see where it would have been - it was still fresh and lively with acidity, sadly the flavour was consumed with cork notes within minutes.
Next up was a bottle of Angels Gate 2005 Old Vines Chardonnay - the tasting of this wine is documented here - so there is little more to say about it. Next up was a bottle of Marisco 2010 Marlborough Pinot Noir, which I tried last on November 14 - little has changed with this wine, it is still delicious and I expect it to get more so in the next few years, if I can just leave some bottles alone and stop showing them off. The real surprise of the night was a bottle of Ferreira 1999 Late Bottled Vintage Port. Now I know people say that LBV Port does not age nor does it change and needs to be drunk within a few years of purchase, but I disagree ... I think this bottle is still as delicious as the day I bought it, maybe even more so, it is smooth and delicious with chocolate and cherry's galore along with great spice and herbs on the finish. A surprise and a real treat.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Quinta da Boavista 2000 Palha-Canas (Portugal)
Here's a wine that was just plain mean ... old and mean. An 11-year-old Portuguese wine that started off like it was going to be a pleasant surprise, a nose that was still plummy and slightly chocolatey with hints of dried leaves ... but in the mouth the taste did not live up to the nose: it became slightly thin and lean, alcohol dominated the flavours, on the finish it was dried and woodsy with a touch of something vinegary. Such promise ... such disappointment. Is the wine mean for not being good or was I mean to keep it this long and let it die?
Friday, October 21, 2011
Sogevinus 2008 Veedha Douro Red (Portugal)
So far I have talked many people into buying this wine by just word of mouth alone, so now it is time to tell it to the rest of the world - I drank a bottle myself to much fanfare in my mouth. I first tried this wine a week or so ago at the wines of Douro tasting, a tasting that encompassed mostly Ports but with a few interesting table wines along the way. I tried this one and loved it, especially when I heard the price was a mere $12.95 - which I soon found out was on the high end of the Portugal wine pricing on the LCBO's General List ... but I found it to be more than worth it. The nose is blackberry and raspberry with some vanilla, plum and black cherry notes also to be found throughout the evening. The nose doesn't lie, as the palate is also filled with all that nice fruit flavour; it's fresh and smooth with just enough tannins to keep things interesting, there's also a lovely bit of spice on the tongue to be found on the finish. Within an hour in the glass this wine was smooth and easy drinking pulling out dark fruits, namely plum and black cherry, with hints of cocoa that make it even more enjoyable in the second hour than the first (which was tasty to begin with). Sure it ticks the high end of Portuguese wines, but I still find this to be one of the best values on the Portugal wine shelves at this moment.
Monday, April 11, 2011
V Leite de Faria 2004 Tinto Gloria Reserva (Portugal)
This Portuguese red blend took a little time to come around but once it did it was a pleasure to sip on. A blend of Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca that exhibits nice red and black fruit on the nose with decent spice, cedar and pencil shavings. The palate delivers more spice than fruit but still with enough tannin bite, black cherry and plum notes to keep it all very interesting.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Sandeman 2000 Late Bottled Vintage Port (Portugal)
It's not often that I don't have a wine with dinner, but tonight was one of those rare occasions ... instead I looked forward to dessert because I had located a bottle of 2000 Late Bottled Vintage Port in my cellar (actually I have three of them). Most LBVs have one of those quick twist caps on them, you Port drinkers know what I'm talking about, a plastic cap you can twist to open and attached to the underneath is half of inch (or so) of cork. This particular bottle did not have this featured cork, instead it was a real honest to goodness cork (and a long one at that) ... not that this made any difference to the wine, just thought I would mention it. As for the Port, the aromas were hard to pick out, but there was definitely a touch of black cherry. On the palate there was the typical chocolate, black cherry, blackberry and spice; there was also a long cocoa finish ... but one thing I was not ready for was the big shot of acidity, it seemed that on every second sip there was overwhelming acid bite - product of an aged LBV or of the vintage? Maybe a second bottle will need to be opened sooner rather then later. And over the next few weeks as I make my way through the bottle (you don't finish a bottle of Port in one sitting) I'll get to see if that mellows or if the fruit comes more to the fore. Interesting experiment to say the least.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Coyote's Run 2009 Five Mile White (Ontario) and Something for Dessert (Portugal)
I reviewed this wine in the middle of November in the form of an audio Weekly Wine Note (http://ontariowinereview.libsyn.com/coyote-s-run-2009-five-mile-white-13-95) ... Tonight it was used for both cooking and drinking ... the onions found a new level of sweetness when the wine was used to saute them, then it found another life in the glass, next to the onions and a homemade burger patty. Doesn't sound like a classic combination, but it was very good. To finish off the evening I poured myself a sniff of a Ruby port I have had open on the "sideboard" for the last few months ... Feist Ruby was still lovely with bright red cherries and hints of spice. Don't let people rush a well-made bottle of port ... these "drink now" styles can last a few months resting comfortably "on the bar".
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Wallace, again and a Ventozelo Reserva Port (Australia / Portugal)
After a date with the Vineyard Vixens on Saturday afternoon in Ottawa (I hosted a Schott Zwiesel glassware tasting for them), it was time to relax in the hotel before dinner. I opened a bottle of Ben Glaetzer's 2008 Wallace, which I have previously mentioned on this blog - great wine with gobs of fruit and plenty of sweetening alcohol, not for the faint of heart. Later took a cold stroll to dinner to a place called the Grand, which served Italian cuisine, quite well might I add. The party I was with enjoyed the wood-oven fired thin-crust pizzas while I wrapped my palate around a piece of very passable lasagna (made fresh by "mamma" twice a week). They had a beer on tap I had never heard of called a "Kronnenberg Blanc" (from France) - I have had Kronnenberg before but never the Blanc- which was a light summer type white beer (almost see through) with citrusy flavours. Finally, back to the hotel for a nightcap and the hockey game, Leafs / Habs is always entertaining, especially when my Habs win 2-0. Not sure how many folks sit and watch a hockey game with a glass of Port, but it isn't a bad combination. Opened a bottle of Quinta de Ventozelo Porto Reserva, this was a little disappointing as it lacked the viscosity expected from Port, it was light and thin in the mouth, though the nose had everything a Port drinker looks for: cherries, chocolate, plum, touch of spice - but the palate did not deliver ... too bad, at least the Habs won (first time they have shut the Leafs out in Montreal still 1977).
Monday, November 8, 2010
Feist Ruby Porto (Portugal)
Straight forward Ruby Port hits the spot ... with a cinnamon raisin bread pudding on the table a Port seemed like the way to go as the drink to pair with it. Big on cherry and a touch of chocolate, this was a beautiful rich Port with delicious flavours; the way a Ruby should be.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
6 Wines this evening: Ontario, Argentina, France and Portugal
Had a few friends over for dinner to see if we make good hosts in the new place ... the new house is two-thirds ready, just the upstairs needs some work - we also wanted to test out the new BBQ. We started with a bottle of Applewood Mac Meade, a perennial double gold winner at the All Canadian Wine Championships ... the bad news is that I think I have held this bottle a little too long, the usual fizzy nature of the wine had gone flat, but it is still a very tasty beverage. Next, a bottle of 2009 Nyarai Cellars Sauvignon Blanc - this is the flagship wine of a virtual winery in the Niagara region of Ontario. The nose is wonderful - I have had this wine a few times in the past few months and with each passing month the smell gets better. The palate is a little short when first opened, but I know from experience this wine needs time to really explode on the palate - funny to say about a white, but you should open this wine a day before you need it, stick it in the fridge and let it breathe the chilly air. Next up a Malivoire 2007 Moira Vineyard Chardonnay, a delicious drink now Chard with plenty of wood - I can't see this one getting much better than it is drinking right now - and right now it drinks beautifully. For dinner I poured a Trivento 2007 Golden Reserve Malbec: lots of juicy fruit and some great tannins, plummy, cherry and chocolate all meld together in this one. Finally, a bottle of Sauvion 2008 Les Bousquets, a medium dry Chenin Blanc from the Loire that has great balance and acidity - hard to tell this one was sweet in any way. As a nightcap before sending people into the rainy night I opened a Vinzelo Ruby Port, you can't go wrong with Port ...
Monday, June 28, 2010
J.P. Vinhos 2001 Tinto da Anfora (Portugal)
Sorry for being out of touch for awhile, for all those who have emailed let me answer your questions thusly: yes I have been drinking and tasting but I have been away from an internet connection, so it makes it hard to make public notes on the wines. Now, no more excuses, on to this wine. This is a blend of four indigenous Portuguese grapes and one international (Cabernet Sauvignon) ... as for why this was tonight's wine - the red end of the capsule caught my eye (I know real scientific reasoning here). From first sip to last swallow there was always sediment in my glass - in fact the inside of the bottle was covered in it, I could have made a sand castle with what was in the bottom of my glass. The nose was a bit pruny with hints of stewed prunes and chocolate (I know it sounds odd but some how it worked). Palate was a touch on the sweet dried black fruit and spice side, this wasn't fresh fruit - it was dried and chewy. This wine has held up pretty well although I'm glad I didn't wait any longer to drink it.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Delaforce 2004 Late Bottled Vintage Port (Portugal)
After dinner tonight I felt like a glass of Port. I had nothing open so I looked through the Port shelf in my wine cellar. Seems I have a few bottles of this LBV, which I don't remember buying, but I must have liked it to buy so many ... that means it was time to open it and try it, see what all the fuss in my head, at the time of purchase, was about. I'm here to tell you, I was not wrong to buy a bunch of this. The first thing I got was the smooth black cherry and chocolate notes in this Port, there was also a beautiful, well-integrated spice on both the nose and palate - delicious. With each subsequent sip I became more and more enthralled with this wine to the point where I could not praise it enough: sweet and delicious, fruity and chocolaty with just enough spice to keep it interesting. I also found this Port paired exceptionally well with the Brix dark chocolate, though it was just as tasty all by its lonesome. Something tells me it goes well with anything, even popcorn - and yes I did give that a go too - what is life without experimentation.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Cline Cellars 2004 Red Truck / Quinta do Infantado Ruby Port
Cline Cellars 2004 Red Truck ...
Quinta do Infantado Ruby Port ...
I started the night with a nice aged red and ended the night with a red that could age. Simple dinners almost always scream for interesting wines, and go with the most interesting of stuff. Tonight I pulled the cork (a real cork) on a bottle of Cline Cellars 2004 Red Truck, a blend of Syrah, Petite Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Mourvedre from California. When I lay this sucker down it was just a test to see what would happen to this juicy red fruited wine; and I would have to say my experiment paid off. The wine had become all smoky and spicy with black fruit, plum and anise notes on the sniffer. The palate also showed a bit of complexity, though the fruit took awhile to express itself, and even then it was faint. The flavours were mostly spice, pepper, pencil shavings and a peek-a-boo of red fruit; there were also still quite a bit of tannins here - but probably mostly from the wood. I thought it had aged to a very nice drinking level, but I wouldn't leave it much longer if you have any; looking at my cellar I have one left and that will be drunk soon. As for the dinner I mentioned: Montreal Smoked Meat sandwich with all the deli fixin's - bbq chips and cole slaw.
Quinta do Infantado Ruby Port ...
Later in the evening I decided a little dark chocolate was called for (85% Ecuadorian dark) and what goes better with that then a nice Port. I have been a fan of this Ruby since it entered the market in March of 2008, so much so I ended up buying 7 bottles of it (it sold out fairly quickly but it has never come back, too bad for you, not so bad for me - I still have quite a few bottles). This is a beauty of a Ruby Port with spiced-cherry, plum and chocolate notes of its own (but it paired with the 85% cacao). There is also quite a bite from the tannins and acidity, but considering you don't drink a bottle of Port in one sitting this will smooth over the next week and become luscious and silky through the mouth. Looking forward to experimenting with it over the coming weeks.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Vinhos Sogrape 2003 Callabriga (Portugal)
Damn near a tragedy in the wine department tonight. I pulled a bottle of 2003 Chateau de Montgueret "Le Petit Saint Louis" out of the cellar this evening ... no particular reason it was just the first bottle that caught my eye. Popping the cork I could already smell something and not sure I was liking what I was smelling. I poured the wine into a glass and gave a whiff, a faint hint of cork, while the taste was muted and almost mildewy-like ... yup a corked bottle. Usually when I have a night like this I end up pulling about 2 or 3 other bottles out of the cellar that have other faults (too old, too sharp, too something), but not tonight. I next yanked this Callabriga out of the cellar, a blend of Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca from Portugal; funny coincidence, it was a bottle I had been wondering about 2 days ago but had not gone in search of it because of other wines I was planning on trying. So it turned out to be my lucky night ... out with the French and in with the Portuguese. This was a beautiful wine with lots of aromas and flavours: plum (the most dominant) with vanilla, cherry, blackberry and some chocolate notes. The wine was smooth and easy with very ripe juicy fruit and a little fine sediment on the bottom of the bottle and in my glass ... here's one I wish I had 3 more of; though if I had I probably would not be typing out this review tonight.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Alianca 2006 Particular (Portugal)
When people ask me about "up and coming" wine regions I usually mention two places: Spain and Portugal. These regions are not exactly the new kids on the block, but the wines they make are consistently good, and represent good value. Now most people would argue that Argentina is the next up'n'comer, but reality is that Argentina is the here and now, which means some other country has to step into that rising star role; that's why I predict Portugal is poised to jump into that spot. So it came as no surprise when I opened this bargain of a bottle ($13.95) as to how good it was. Sweet black fruit, licorice, ripe cherry and plum grip the nose and lured me in. The palate, with its ripe red fruit sweetness, black licorice and vanilla oak on the finish was very appealing. Very appealing, very fresh and very good, that's the formula for up 'n' comer status.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Warre’s 1982 Late Bottled Vintage Port (Portugal)
Tonight, it was the 2nd Annual Pine Island Wine Tasting (Pine Island is located on Lake Nipissing, south of North Bay … in what should be South Bay I am told). Invited by my cousins, I lead the 15 friends gathered in a tasting of wines from California (in honour of it being July 4 – and, for added authenticity, we have three Americans in attendance). The wines numbered 8, and they were: a Chardonnay (Wente Morning Fog), Merlot (Sterling), Pinot Noir (Robert Mondavi), Cabernet Sauvignon (Liberty School), a Syrah (Cline) and a Shiraz (R.H. Philips) - a majority spotted the difference - and two Zinfandels (organic vs. regular - the organic [Bonterra] won over everyone’s taste-buds). And despite tasting, and polishing off, the 8 bottles of wine from the honoured country, the real winner of the night was not from our neighbours to the south, it was from Portugal.
Upon his arrival, a gentleman by the name of Roger handed me a bag and said, “this is for opening tonight.” As I peeked into the bag I saw a block of Stilton cheese and his proclaimed ‘last bottle’ of Warre’s 1982 Late Bottled Vintage Port (bottled in 1986). “Damn right it’s to be opened”, I thought to myself. After dinner I was given the honour. I unwrapped two capsules from the neck (one block, one blue) to discover a fuzzy mold laden cork underneath. The corkscrew sunk in effortlessly. When it was finally removed (without any kind of pop at all, more like a whimper) I noticed the cork was soft but mainly intact (a bit had crumbled away near the bottom); the wine had seeped up to the top on two sides - aiding the molding and softening of the seal. When poured the wine was almost the colour of a 10-year-old tawny (maybe a little more on the red side than brown) and had much the same smells: cherries, orange peel and candied almonds. I got sediment in the first glass I poured and there was plenty at the bottom of the bottle, which required careful pouring - especially near the end. The palate was marvelous, dried-candied cherries, hint of orange, and dark cocoa with nutty nuances; the acidity and tannins said another 10 years of age would have been no problem … and yet it had a smoothness and richness through the mouth that was indescribable to someone who was not at the tasting (or to someone who has not tasted something similar). Interest in trying this piece of history was high, especially amongst the men (some things never change: men and port after a get together, all we needed were cigars in the study). My thanks to Roger for this 27-year-old taste treat. Next year’s Pine Island tasting is Italy, and I’m already looking forward to what Roger will pull out of his cellar.
Upon his arrival, a gentleman by the name of Roger handed me a bag and said, “this is for opening tonight.” As I peeked into the bag I saw a block of Stilton cheese and his proclaimed ‘last bottle’ of Warre’s 1982 Late Bottled Vintage Port (bottled in 1986). “Damn right it’s to be opened”, I thought to myself. After dinner I was given the honour. I unwrapped two capsules from the neck (one block, one blue) to discover a fuzzy mold laden cork underneath. The corkscrew sunk in effortlessly. When it was finally removed (without any kind of pop at all, more like a whimper) I noticed the cork was soft but mainly intact (a bit had crumbled away near the bottom); the wine had seeped up to the top on two sides - aiding the molding and softening of the seal. When poured the wine was almost the colour of a 10-year-old tawny (maybe a little more on the red side than brown) and had much the same smells: cherries, orange peel and candied almonds. I got sediment in the first glass I poured and there was plenty at the bottom of the bottle, which required careful pouring - especially near the end. The palate was marvelous, dried-candied cherries, hint of orange, and dark cocoa with nutty nuances; the acidity and tannins said another 10 years of age would have been no problem … and yet it had a smoothness and richness through the mouth that was indescribable to someone who was not at the tasting (or to someone who has not tasted something similar). Interest in trying this piece of history was high, especially amongst the men (some things never change: men and port after a get together, all we needed were cigars in the study). My thanks to Roger for this 27-year-old taste treat. Next year’s Pine Island tasting is Italy, and I’m already looking forward to what Roger will pull out of his cellar.
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