Men of Terroir

Demystifying Terroir and Sharing the Stories Behind the Grape

Apply here payday loans 100% secure

Category Archives: Wine Nights

Always time for Gruner!

What’s the best way to learn all about a grape?  Why not invite your friends over and tell them each to bring one wine of that varietal.  I have been hearing about Gruner’s popularity these days and felt it was high time that I tried them for myself.  The premise was simple: 4 friends, 4 Gruners, dissect.

 

The first wine that came out of the woodworks was the 2010 Laurenz V Friendly Gruner Veltliner.  This is the perfect starting point for a Gruner rookie!  Light gold in colour with a rich fruit nose reminiscent of a ripe Riesling.  The wine opened up in the glass and mandarin became the dominant flavour on the nose.  The wine had strong acidity, a round mouth feel, ripe lemon and lime flavours, with a stony, mineral, light spice finish.  The wine tasted like an alcohol soaked mandarin.  While it was originally not served cold enough, the wine did open up to show the most fruit forward expression of Gruner on the night.

 

The second wine was the only entry of the night not from Austria, this being the 2010 Forrest Doctors Gruner Veltliner.  This offering from New Zealand was a pale lemon colour with a lime sorbet nose with a quick whiff of petrol that quickly dissipated.  On the pallet this wine was far more mineral, had the highest acidity of the bunch with sharp citrus flavours and a white pepper finish.  The memory of this wine lasted a bit longer than the first and the sharp citrus flavours were balanced with a noticeable sweetness; this wine had the highest residual sugar of the group (8.7g/l).  Cool to see this grape from another region that is just started to explore with Gruner.

 

The third wine was the 2010 Domaene Gobelsburg Gruner Veltliner.  Rich gold in the glass with a noticeable peach and ripe apple nose, this wine was the most textured, think oily mouth, of the group with orange and peach flavours topped off with the familiar white pepper.  There was a light floral component to this wine.  This was the only wine of the bunch that I had tasted before and I felt that while it had the simplest fruit profile, there was a richness to it that makes it a beautiful wine.

 

Lastly, we dove into the 2007 Loimer Gruner Veltliner.  This wine was the most expensive of the group and definitely delivered on it’s expectations.  It was light gold in colour with an intense caramelized green apple nose underlain with rubber.  There was some residual sugar, but it was beautifully balanced with high acidity and a peach, mango sorbet pallet.  The finish had pepper that was white-borderline-black pepper – grey pepper as I have dubbed it!  The depth of flavour was the defining factor for this wine.  The best comment was that this wine knows exactly what it is and gives us exactly that.

 

After our mouths were tingling from all the whites, we do what every Austrian apparently does, turn straight to the only Austrian red we can easily find in this market, Zweigelt.  The 2009 Domaene Gobelsburg Zweigelt was a medium ruby colour and showing a meaty, coffee, wet lanolin nose with a hit of black pepper.  The pallet showed marginal tannins on a medium body, light red fruit, and a sharp finish.  I felt like I was drinking bitter coffee out of a tin cup.  We decided we would enjoy this wine with a cigar and let the sun set behind the swirls of our smoke.

 

Our goal of finding a way to define Gruner Veltliner as a grape was enjoyable.  Gruner did prove itself worthy to be drunk at my table!  The richness, ripe flavours, a shake of white pepper, and high but balanced acidity defines this grape for me.  I can see why so many people feel like this is the perfect wine to pair with spicy Asian cuisine or sushi.  It would be an excellent compliment to a white fish or light pork dish as well.  Next time you are in the mood for a Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc with a twist, I urge you to turn towards Gruner!

Spanish Wine Night

To honor the recent Euro 2012 Champions successful title defense, MOT was happy to host a wine night devoted to Spain. The line-up for this match boasted some real heavyweight favorites as well as some interesting newcomers. Overall, another memorable evening shared with good company enjoying fine wines and great food, what more could you ask for?

  We started off with an organic cava from producer Pares Balta. Fresh, clean entry with a soft, creamy mousse, it quenched our thirst nicely with decent acidity and dry finish of green fruits. Consisting of Parellada, Macabeo, and Xarel.lo grapes, this cava was an interesting experience for us. At approximately $20, this sparkler gets a value for money nod and did we mention its organic too?

   Next up was 2009 Telmo Rodriguez’s Basa Blanco, a white blend of Verdelho, Viura, and Sauvignon Blanc. A pleasant wine for just under $20 that would do well on any BC patio this summer. Good balance of floral and fruit all around and a very smooth finish. We have been interested in trying this wine for some time as it is often sold out on the store shelves, lucky for us we have connections!

 

 

  The 2009 Martin Codax Burgans Albarino was yet another of those “We’ve sold out of it” Spanish whites that have taunted us month in and month out. At around $25 it doesn’t scream value as much to some, but it is a great example of Spanish Albarino in the BC market. Its melon and green fruit nose combined nicely with its minerality and acidity to create a wonderful wine that would pair well with most seafood. If you haven’t tried an Albarino yet, keep an eye out for this one.

 From several colleagues came high recommendations to try our next featured wine from Descendientes de J. Palacios. 2008 “Petalos” is made with the obscure Mencia grape from the Bierzo region of Northern Spain and it got a few double-takes! “Holy Hubba-Bubba” summed up the bubble gum nose noted by one MOT member, while others spoke of its silty, ripe berry and violet characteristics. Definitely one of the more interesting bottles cracked this evening and a great learning experience. Apparently the 2009 is blockbuster, so grab it if you can, it’s worth the $30ish price tag.

 

 

Eternum Viti sounds more like a Biology class test answer than a Spanish red wine, however it is one to consider when you’re considering a Tempranillo. The grapes are sourced from 30-40 year old vines from the Toro region of Spain and its produced by Bodegas Abanico. The 2008 vintage provides medium bodied, earthy black fruit on the palate with vanilla and toasty oak wafting from the glass. This young wine could benefit from some meats or cheese as we found and at the mid $20 price point, you could buy one for now and keep the other for a few years.

 

Hailing from the secret cache of one MOT fan came an elegant beauty by Francesca Vincent Robert called Abat Domenech from 2004. This 93+ Parker rated gem stunned us with its delicate, perfumed nose and silky, well-integrated tannins. The interesting blend of Garnacha and Cabernet dazzled us, its power and finesse combined in harmony to create a seamless wine. It was one of those wines that make you feel like if it was the only wine served, that would be just fine. We didn’t ask how much this one cost, but for this top-end Priorat it would be a surprise to see a price tag north of $50.

 

The 2003 Termes “Numanthia” is a colossal wine in every sense. Massive fruit extraction was the first clue as the near inky-black cork bottom revealed itself to our thirsty eyes. Having left the decanter elsewhere, we popped the cork about 1.5 hours before diving in to find pungeant aromas of very ripe, black fruit, vanilla and sun-baked earthiness bouncing back at us. This is the little brother to “Termanthia”, a wine profiled in our 95+point blog, and it is a steal at around $80 for a very classy Tempranillo that you will not forget about. A super-lengthy finish caps off a top-shelf experience that begs for another sip, hooked yet?

 

For our final wine, Lustau East India Solera Sherry took the stage and won the crowd with its captivating aromas of nuts, tobacco and spice. On the palate, this Oloroso style enters smooth with definite sweetness, rich nutty complexity and a peppery finish. It paired beautifully with the sun-dried figs and walnuts that managed to get past the hands of the Numanthia drinkers. At $20, this beauty should be a no-brainer when considering an alternative to late bottle vintage (or LBV) port. Satisfaction guaranteed if you’ve got the late night sweet cravings!

MOT’s Mandatory Magnum Monday

Men of Terroir quite literally had their hands full with the latest outing dubbed “Mandatory Magnum Monday”. Kindly hosted by a fan of MOT’s, this event featured 3 entries for enthusiasts to behold in the quest to “go big or go home”.

The evening kicked off in grand style featuring the classic Brut Souverain from legendary French Champagne producer Henriot. Founded in 1808 by Apolline Henriot, the House of Henriot has remarkably been passed from generation to generation, making it one of the last independant and family-owned Champagne Houses. The Brut Souverain is comprised of up to 20 percent of the house’s reserve wine each year, with more than 25 cru’s being selected from. A beautiful example of what excellent champagne should be, with the heritage to back it up.

 

From the personal cellar of an MOT founder came one of the big players on the circuit of BC wines, the 2008 Painted Rock Icon. A blend of 30% Merlot, 25% Malbec, 25% Cab Franc, and 20% Petite Verdot, it had a rich, complex nose of dark cherry, chocolate, vanilla, and plum. The palate seemed tight as grippy tannins held firm through to the finish, a bit of an unexpected change from the voluptuous layers on the nose. Overall, one of BC’s better red wines, and quickly becoming noticed in the wine world. This 60 acre property sits on eastern-facing bench above Skaha Lake in Penticton, revealing great potential terroir.

 

The expectations were high for our next magnum, and it did keep us waiting as one MOT member seemed handcuffed while trying to release The Prisoner from Orin Swift Cellars. This 2010 offering was primarily zinfandel with some additions of cab, syrah, petite sirah, charbono, and grenache to make it an unusual blend! The unmistakeable fruity zinfandel qualities shone through on the nose accompanied by sweet vanilla oak spice, while on the palate it seemed basically straight-forward as zinfandel dominant wines can sometimes be. It would have shown better accompanied by some barbecued meats, a sunny patio, and a game of twister perhaps!

 

Mandatory Magnum Monday ended well with happy event-goers fulfilled and ready for the next MOT event to be announced. Stay tuned for more snapshots of MOT’s next epic outing…

Australian Wine Night – February 2012

The local oenphiles once again gathered for a MOT tasting extravaganza. This time the theme was Australia and there were a few surprises. The idea was to showcase Australia’s major regions with their stock varietal.

2010 Mitchell Watervale Riesling CA$28- Clare Valley

This wine shows all that you would expectfrom a young Clare Valley riesling. A hint of green in the glass, straw, grass, and flowers emanate from the glass in the very aromatic wine. Green apples and citrus standout on the palate. A big dose of acidity ke
eps this one dancing. Quality.

 

                                    2008 Vasse Felix Chardonnay CA$33 - Margaret River
A classy, extremely well balanced chardonnay. Creamy oak defines the nose. The palate however delivers balanced acidity with grassy tones and stone fruits. The finish is long and complex. A standout for me. Amazing balance and complexity.

 


Josef Chromy Pinot Noir  CA$29 - Tasmania
Another aromatic wine. Sweet cherry and hints of violet show in a very typical Tasmanian pinot. Plenty of flavour. This simple wine was very popular with some of the tasters. Exactly what you expect.

 

2008 Chapel Hill Bush Vines Grenache CA$33 -Mclaren Vale
A huge wine. The grenache is unmistakable. Sweet fruits initially swamp the palate before a savoury spice and white pepper finish with a real mouthful. An hour after opening, it softened up beautifully and a complex array of liquorice and herbs were noticeable.The wine of the night for many tasters.

 

2006 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz CA$40 – Barossa Valley/ Mclaren Vale.
Very Penfolds. This classic wine showed all the traits of an original Penfolds shiraz. Vanilla oak, and hints of asian spice on the nose. Concentrated black fruits and spice made this a delight. This wine definitely needs the decanter for a couple of hours. A few more years in the cellar will see it improve even further. A real go to of mine.

2006 Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon CA$27- Coonawarra
This one is all Coonawarra. Dark purple in the glass with savoury notes on the nose. Earthy/violet tones fill the glass. Rich dark fruits and cassis display all that you would expect and more. This is value of the highest order. Needs a decanter.

 

Italian Wine Night – January 2012

Each month Men of Terroir hosts a wine night for local oenophiles.  The theme changes each time, but January 2012 was Italy.  The majority of participants are beginners, people interested in learning about the differences between grapes.  We tried to select either specific grapes (ex. Primitivo) or classic styles (ex. Chianti).  With this idea in mind, wines such as Super Tuscans were avoided.  This month we bought 9 wines, 3 whites and 6 reds.  Being Italy we had bruschetta, bocconcini/ tomato/basil, and pizza for grazing!  Below are the reviews of the wines tasted.  All prices Canadian.

Araldica 2010 Piemonte Cortese ($17) - lemon in colour, quiet citrus nose, healthy acidity with low alcohol (11.5%), no flavours jumping out but well balanced.  Goes perfectly with tomato, basil, bocconcini appetizer!

 

Sacchetto 2010 Pinot Grigio ($18) - intense gold colour with a lively aromatic nose, elegant body with medium + sharp acidity, lemon, vegetal, citrus fruit characteristics.  Typical classic Italian Pinot Grigio style.

 

Marotti Campi Luzano 2009 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi ($20) – very light in colour, mouth filling, light creaminess on a medium body filled with ripe stone fruit and a nutty, woody finish.  Unique taste for a white, but one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

 

Terrale 2009 Nero D’Avolo ($11) - pale ruby red in colour, cherry on nose, sharp on palate with more cherry and little spice on palate, simple.  We threw this cheap wine in to try to confuse people, but no one thought much of this wine!

 

The Wine News 2008 Langhe Dolcetto ($17) - ruby red with a hint of garnet on the rim, deep warm nose full of rich red fruit and black olives, juicy fruit on the palate with a bit of spice and med + acidity, light tannins.  This was a big winner on the night for an everyday pizza wine.

 

A-Mano 2008 Primitivo ($21) - ruby red, gamey on the nose with spice and orange peel, dark rich fruit on a medium + body with healthy acidity, light spice and a salty undertone.  This wine was chosen to represent the Italian version of a Zinfandel and I found it quite pleasant.

 

Tommasi 2009 Ripasso ($30) - medium intensity on the nose, juicier on the palate with rich cherry, but under ripe green tannins and flavours show through, not the richer ripasso style I am used to.  Not sure if it was high expectations, but his wine under performed at this tasting and didn’t show typical Ripasso characteristics.

 

Fontodi 2007 Chianti Classico ($34) - deep, rich red in colour, beautiful rich cherry nose with a raisin note, softer powdery tannins with medium + acidity, great rich red cherry fruit with light spice.  This wine was the show stopper!  A great representation of Chianti from a great year this wine is the perfect spaghetti bolognese wine.

 

Rocche Costamagna 2005 Barolo ($68) - the colour shows signs of age with a tawny, garnet rim, this wine opened up beautifully on the nose with 2 hours of decanting to a show intense rich, dark fruit notes with spice and orange rinds, huge flavour on the mouth with medium + chewy tannins.  This was more elegant than other barolos I have tasted, but very pleasing.

 

Another successful wine night has led us to wondering what country to explore next month!  Any suggestions?