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…