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On faulted wines

Everybody working in a certain level of restaurant has experienced the frustration that accompanies a guest sending back a pricey bottle of wine, insisting that it's faulted in some way. This is unfortunate for restaurant owners and sommeliers as well, who simply have to deal with losing money on a bottle that they're unable to sell, and the loss has to simply be absorbed by the restaurant's budget.

On the other hand, sometimes guests send back wines that are not only perfectly fine, but are showing very well- such as this smashing Brunello, a wonderful example of its ilk- insisting that something isn't correct. Perhaps the wine just isn't what they are expecting, or what they're accustomed to. It's also all too common that the tertiary aromas and nuances of aged wine are mistaken for faults by inexperienced drinkers. In this case, the result is the same; the sommelier is left with a bottle of wine that they're unable to sell.

Of course, since in this case the staff may as well enjoy it, this isn't always the worst case.

[ricedot]

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oenophiliachronicles:

Awesome!

ricedot says:

07.24.2011 Château des Charmes Vineyard, Niagara on the Lake

Vineyard tour on our way out of Canada

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Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

I've been unfortunately too busy to enjoy wine on my own time, and tasting opportunities have been few and far between. The casual summertime tasting I've been doing is mostly of things not really worth sharing, either; I've been sticking to easy, refreshing white wines and beer. The other day, though, presented me with a rare and incredibly exciting tasting opportunity:

While these were both consumed far too young, they were both incredibly interesting.

The Grands Echezeaux was light, sleek and vine grained; on the nose it displayed just a touch of raspberry, sour cherry and cranberry fruit, supported by deep underlying notes of mineral, sweet tobacco, bay leaf, and a fine minerality. On the palate, concentration is immediately evident. Fine grained tannins and sharp, focused acidity support sour cherry and earthy, compost-like flavours, with earthy, mineral character beneath. Oak is present and not quite integrated in this wine's youth, but still manages to be balanced. Impressive length to the finish, as well. It can be difficult to make wines that are as light in body and taut as this one is, but still manage to come across as concentrated complete, and that is the most impressive thing about this wine.

The Echezeaux, while still being quite closed, showed almost no fruit on the nose, perhaps just a suggestion of ripe cranberry, and crab apple. An opulent exoticism dominates here, with a complex bouquet of nutmeg, cardamom, vanilla, toasted nuts and rose petals being displayed. On the palate this is the larger of the two wines, but still not immensely full bodied. Fruit is not quite in full showing, with tart cranberry and raspberry notes playing off of flavours of oak, cardamom, grilled nuts and baking spices. Still tight as a drum, but concentration is again here, contrasting to the wine's lightness. Tannins are present but well integrated, and the finish is very long. This has a long way to go, as well.

These two wines both came across as examples of elegant and understated winemaking. Despite their youth, and although 2007 is generally not considered the finest vintage for red Burgundies, I once read somewhere that the wines of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti act as the yardstick for vintages in Burgundy, expressing both the character of the vintage and the potential for fine winemaking that it has, and after having tasted these two, I understand that statement much better.

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High End Chardonnay

Rather muted nose, displaying wet wood, vanilla, almonds, marzipan, binned apple, and well, just plain old oak. Not terribly expressive, and unfortunately on the palate this is the same. Very one dimensional, showing apple and pear, but largely dominated by oak. Big, rather blowsy and not very interesting; lacking poise, elegance or subtlety. Certainly not my style, and doesn't seem to have much going for it. It's as if it were quite over the hill, but at this age, definitely should not be.

Made much in the style of the previous wine, but all the same, I found this much more enjoyable. Big, expressive nose showing ripe stone fruit, honey, vanilla, pears, butter and unabashed oakiness. On the palate this is full bodied and despite all of its ripeness and 14.5 percent alcohol, manages to be well balanced. Unctuous, creamy texture and lots of ripe peach character, with underlying honey notes and again, oak that it wears quite proudly. Impressive length. This is not a style of Chardonnay that I typically care for, but I can't help but confess that this is a great execution of it, and I enjoy this much more than I have similarly styled wines from other producers.

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"Just another day at the office"

Double magnum, in case the blurry photo doesn't make it obvious. This was, despite hours of decanting, quite tight and not terribly expressive; pure cherry on the nose, supported by spicy oak and notes of fennel and leather. On the palate this was impressively balanced, with nice acidity and silky, well integrated tannins. Unfortunately, just too young. One definitely gets a sense of concentration and of potential behind the ripe sweet cherry fruit. Certainly one to revisit.

I was offered a taste of this (Magnum, if it's not apparent) by a very generous guest, and the opportunity to taste a wine almost twice your age is really something to wrap your head around. The wine had faded to garnet, quite pale and not at all deeply coloured. But the nose was absolutely unbelievable; this showed dried rose petal, sauerkraut, white pepper, gravel, moss, forest floor, mushrooms, and even a surprisingly fresh field strawberries. On the palate, this was medium bodied, and extremely complex, with red berries, beets, chalk-like minerality, mushrooms and moss particularly notable, as well as a spicy and peppery finish. Most impressive however was the texture of the wine; every single element of it was just so well integrated. The acid was perfectly balanced, mouthwatering and lively; the tannins were a perfect counterpoint, velvety and refined. These elements supported the fruit and "stuffing" of the wine so well, and made it really cry out for food. Very impressive length of finish. Ultimately, remarkably vigorous for its age. It's amazing how a wine can manage to be this complex and elegant, and demonstrate such a level of concentration, and yet come across as relatively light, and easy on the palate, rather than dominating it and demanding attention.

I originally intended to just write my notes and thoughts about this wine but it really got me thinking. The last wine that made me feel like this was a 1986 Lafite Rothschild. I really feel that what it has most in common with this wine is that it really made me think: Upon tasting it, of course I thought it was good, but the real appeal was so subtle. After having tasted that wine, I found myself constantly thinking back to it, trying to recall the fleeting nuances and details, and searching for the right words to describe the whole thing. That cerebral, compelling part of the wine experience is what gives me the greatest enjoyment, and this is the perfect wine for it. Wines like this are the reason I'm as into wine as I am, and I'm extremely grateful to have been able to taste this.

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Gaja and Grappa

The first bottling of Gaja's that I've been fortunate enough to try. Slight brick tint betrays the presence of Nebbiolo in the blend. On the nose, after sitting in a decanter for several hours, this is quite dense, showing red and black cherries, potpourri, dried herbs, moss, spicy oak and charcoal. This is quite burly on the palate as well, with ripe red fruit upfront above a deep underlying tarriness. Fairly oaky. Tannins are not as upfront as expected, but still quite assertive, presenting themselves as a grittiness that carries right to the end of the slightly astringent finish. Very interesting, somewhat hot though. Needs to be revisited in four more years, and accompanied by a nice ribeye.

I'm not much of a Grappa drinker but this spoke to the wine lover in me. This is sweet smelling and highly aromatic, smelling exactly like what one would expect from a distillation of Moscato. Floral and fruity, with marked "grapiness". Slightly sweet on the palate. This is quite interesting and I could see myself enjoying one of these as an after dinner drink.

This on the other hand was much more scotch-like, showing notes of vanilla, yellow raisins, sweet pear and honey on the nose. On the palate it's quite astringent, and "tastes" tannic. Honey and vanilla notes abound, with a bitter but long finish.

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Warm weather whites

Now that the weather is finally getting a bit warmer, at least when it's not raining:

Bright and fresh nose of lemon, lime, and ripe pear. Fresh and lively on the palate, with piercing, mouthwatering acidity, supported by just a bit of effervescence and steely minerality. Refreshing and classic- I'll be buying this by the case for summer.

Somewhat austere nose of white grapefruit, sour apple and white flowers, with hints of champagne toastiness and brioche. On the nose this is more or less dry, and not terribly fruity, showing minerality, lemon rind, white grapefruit and some yeast autolysis notes. Not very serious, but decent quality and perfect as an outdoor beverage.

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Castello di Ama Chianto Classico 2006

Bright, focused and exuberant nose of sweet cherries, herbs and that characteristic Sangiovese "dustiness". On the palate, this is elegant and lithely balanced, maintaining a perfect line between acidity and ripeness. Cherries, dark chocolate and medicinal, herbal notes are in effect here. Tannins are silky and well integrated. Classy and restrained, very enjoyable. A great example of what modern Chianti should aspire to be.

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After Work Wines

100% Fiano with some barrique aging from modernist Sicilian producer Planeta. Showing typical Fiano notes of pine needle, juniper and stone fruit, along with oak derived vanilla and yogurt. On the palate this is rich and ripe, with rich pear and peach notes supported by toffee oakiness. Rich and impressively creamy. Long finish and well balanced, although almost too oaky.

Single vineyard Taurasi from Terredora. Sweet and still very primary nose of pepper, red and dark fruits, baking spices, pepper, cinnamon, sweet tobacco and roses, with an underlying mineral character. Very complex. On the palate this is very alive, still really showing its youth; exuberant dark and red fruits dominate, with spicy and mineral notes, and savoury bay leaf character. Immensely structured, with huge tannins. Long finish and profound concentration. This is extremely good, but needs a long time before it will be showing at its best.

Single vineyard Barolo from Ceretto. Modern, ripe and somewhat oaky style, with the nose displaying ripe plum, rose petal, pavement-minerality, red fruit, smoke, toffee peat and compost notes. Very polished and truly coming together on the palate; ripe, balanced and velvety. Tannins are round and sweet, and this displays an excellent level of concentration, with a long finish.

Barolo from Massara vineyard. Extremely shy on the nose, showing almost no fruit; instead, extremely mineral, with dried rose petals and smoke. On the palate this is another story; ripe red fruits abound, with notes of charcoal, smoke and an undeniable minerality, especially in the finish. Rich, round and smooth tannins, with unbelievable ripeness, and absolutely profound balance. Perfectly elegant, highly complex, and a very long finish. This was absolutely excellent, by far the wine of the night for me. Will not be forgotten any time soon.

Bright and fragrant nose of red fruit, raspberry pop tarts and pink lemonade; not showing its age at all. Responsible use of oak. On the palate this is medium bodied, with a slightly gritty texture, and an elegant, lively structure. Nice acid balance, and alcohol isn't a problem. Well made and fun to drink.

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from veteran Tom Eddy. Starting to become tertiary on the nose, displaying dark chocolate and espresso, dried black currant, rosemary, bay leaf and moss. This is still holding up very well, with the palate coming across youthful for its age and not at all tired; the fruit is primarily red, still slightly sweet and still fresh. Acid helps ensure that this comes across as elegantly structured, with the tannins nicely integrated, and a great, lively balance. Good length, classy and well made.

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Truly unfortunate news. It now looks like there's no turning back from spoiling and polluting some of the most important vineyard land in Europe. It's hard to estimate the impact that this will have on viticulture in the valley, but there's certainly no way that the shadow cast by a 1.7 km long bridge, its infrastructure, and the pollution of the building process will be beneficial.

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Paolo Scavino Dolcetto D'Alba

Bright violet colour. Nose showing blueberry syrup, sour cherry, violets and unfortunately, some heat. On the palate this is medium bodied, with sour cherry and underripe plum notes, marked tartness and rather sinewy, gritty tannins. Average length. A decent little sipping wine, although I think this will work better with a bit of a chill.

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Tasting notes

Clean, minerally and acid driven. Stylistically, very much like a traditional Loire valley Sauvignon Blanc, except with different aromatics. Lots of citrus and mineral notes, except with underlying pear and stone fruit. Food friendly and very drinkable. Crisp texture.

Main bottling from the recently sold vineyard. Notes of red fruit, with espresso, vanilla and herbaceous, dried rosemary character. Oak use is notable. On the palate this is lively and surprisingly youthful for a wine of its age, with tertiary components only beginning to appear. High alcohol is a bit of a problem, especially on the finish. Not really my style.

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Somewhereness

Despite how vague the term can be, and despite the way that it can be interpreted in so many different ways, many a wine nerd has waxed poetic about the term "Terroir". The abridged definition for word for which there is no proper English equivalent, is the simple idea that wine is an expression of the environment it comes from, the idea that two wines from grapes originating from different plots of land but with every other factor the same will produce two different wines.

Naturally, the subjectivity of the term has sparked debate among wine enthusiasts, critics, makers and the like since the earliest days. Something that I've always found so interesting, even since my earliest days of enjoying wine, is how established this idea is in the old world- How experienced tasters can tell you the difference between different communes in a region, or even something as specific as the difference between wines from different vineyards within the same commune, some located not even kilometre from each other. The collective experience of the wine community has definitely validated the concept, as tasting notes dating back to B.C. years were already rating and describing wines from different vineyards and regions. Today, it takes no more effort than picking up a book by Clive Coates and reading his absurdly detailed notes on individual vineyards in Burgundy to get an understanding of the concept. Coates and many others, among which I would include myself, believe that wine isn't about making something as full bodied and ripe and oaky as possible. Anyone from any region in the world with enough sunlight can do this, and the result is pretty much always the same. Rather, the best qualities of a wine are ones that are exclusive to it, the unique characteristics that can only come from "terroir" itself. Winemaker's goals should be to produce wines that are true to themselves and the region that they come from, only intervening when necessary.

That being said, as well established as Terroir is in the old world, we are still figuring it out in the new world, where winemaking is a relatively new phenomenon. Growing conditions and microclimates are still being explored all over the world, and this extends to Ontario, where winemaking is especially new.

Enter "Somewhereness", a union of small production, quality minded winemakers in Ontario. This group of six wineries have dedicated themselves to small-scale, non-interventionist winemaking that aims to embody the terroirs of the region. I was pleased to attend the trade portion of the annual somewhereness event, in which each of the wineries was present, and pouring wines from their latest vintages in Ontario.

The overall atmosphere was positive and excited, with Ontario winemakers generally seeming to be quite pleased with the most recent couple of vintages. After 2007, which was largely considered to be the best vintage on record in the province, winemakers were faced with a challenging year in 2008, with cool, wet weather and worst of all, a rainy harvest season. On the other hand, 2009 and 2010 were both warmer and drier than usual, but with cool nights, and most importantly, with rains at ideal times. Particularly, early speculation suggests that the quality of the 2010 vintage may actually surpass 2007 as the most successful year on record in Ontario, in both the Niagara region and Prince Edward County. The wines that I was able to sample suggested great things to come.

The first table I visited was Norman Hardie's. His wines have been some of my favourite in Ontario since I discovered them, and besides that, Norm is a really interesting guy with an unbelievable level of winemaking experience, and he always has some wisdom to share. He was pouring some of his 2008's and 2009s, and even a wine from 2010. His wines are make in a nuanced, old world style, but have a certain modern elegance to them. Interestingly, several of his wines were made with a blend of fruit from Niagara vineyards as well as his Prince Edward County vineyards, a combination that he feels is much more impressive than either on their own. I really enjoyed every single wine I tasted at his table; the Melon de Bourgogne and Riesling were lively, fresh and minerally, displaying excellent balance and complexity. His Chardonnays were extremely good; in particular the 2008 Cuvee "L" Chardonnay, which was a concentrated, Meursault-like Chardonnay that is definitely among the best ones I have ever had from Ontario. His reds were very good as well, with the Cabernet Franc being a solid take on Chinon, and the 2009 Pinot Noirs (one from Prince Edward County fruit, and one from Niagara fruit) both being exceptional.

Hidden Bench is another longtime favourite Niagara winery of mine, known for single vineyard Riesling, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. All of their wines are made with fruit from vineyards owned solely by them; they don't do any negociant-style bottlings. Their wines were showing very well, especially given that they were all from 2008. Of particular note is their "terroir cache" red Meritage blend, which I found to be a complex and interesting take on a Meritage, which typically does not do so well in cooler climates. Even though this was again from the cool 2008 vintage, I felt that it was very well executed.

I feel like in the last year or so I've been seeing 13th Street wines suddenly appear out of nowhere supported by a lot of positive press, but this was the first opportunity I had to try any of their wines and they did not dissapoint. Most memorable was the "Essence" Sauvignon Blanc, a late-harvest dry Sauvignon Blanc that is definitely the most powerful one I've ever had from the region. Explosive zesty Sauvignon fruit, supported by green notes and underlying minerality, and as I discovered recently, 14% alcohol- although it was so well integrated and balanced, I would never have guessed. Their Gamay Noir was also very good, and I'm quite pleased to see Ontario producers with their own unique take on the grape.

Lastly, I also tasted some wines from Tawse, another strong Niagara producer. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what happened to the pictures I took. Their single vineyard Rieslings and Gewurztraminer stuck out as being the most memorable to me, with the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir also being very good.

Overall, the quality of wines was very high. While some were forgettable, there were certainly some that provided the elusive terroir appeal. The challenge, of course, is accepting that like many other marginal wine regions in the world, winemaking in Ontario is extremely vintage dependent. In good years, I believe that the wines will shine; however, winemakers and wine drinkers alike need to understand and accept that making wine in a climate like this is not the same as making wine in so many other regions in which a warm, dry climate is taken for granted. Unfortunately, some years are going to be a challenge. However, it's beginning to look more and more like the potential for quality wines is there.

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From a tasting session with some friends...

Brunello di Montalcino from old school producer Pinino. Subtle and much less "international" than I expected, with a somewhat subdued nose of cherries, pomegranates, charcoal and a hint of dried herbs. On the palate this was medium bodied, with round and well integrated tannins and a long finish. Palate echoes the nose, with sour cherry fruit and earthy, herbaceous nuances. Classy and understated. I appreciate the traditional approach to Brunello, and the wine's structural soundness, even if it is a little bit one-dimensional.

Village Meursault from Remoissenet Pere et Fils, classic negociant whose quality has reportedly been increasing since their acquisition by the house of Jadot, Toronto's own Halpern Enterprises, and a pair of private investors from New York. This is labeled "Cuvee Maurice Chevalier", although I was unable to determine if this had any relevance. This is a classic Meursault. Ripe golden colour and that classic nose of butter, ripe pear, golden delicious apples, stone fruit, brioche, a savoury note of garlic, all supported by underlying stoniness. Somewhat oaky, but the ripeness and intensity keeps oak from dominating. Rich and creamy on the palate, and complex to the last second of the finish. Very concentrated, and for all of its power and opulence, remains balanced. Long finish. Impressive; a real solid example. Could pass for a premier cru.

And lastly, a Volnay from Domaine Debray, a producer with which I had no real familiarity prior to this. Nonetheless, a fairly well made Volnay, displaying a pretty nose of violets, dried rose petals and sour cherries. On the palate this is light bodied and delicate, with fine grained tannins and a silky texture. Acid is a bit high, and the finish seems slightly hollow, but nonetheless, fairly enjoyable.

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I really think that Greece is a country to watch over the next few years for wine production. There's a wealth of small producers making some truly interesting wine from indigenous grape varietals. I've got an invitation to a Greek wine event in Toronto in May, so watch for more thoughts and hopefully some in-depth tasting notes then.

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Deep, inky purple. Ripe and rich, with a nose of ripe and slightly jammy blackberry and cassis, chocolate, baking spices, vanilla, pepper, vanilla and violets. On the palate this is rich and round, full bodied and slightly hot, with a velvety and fleshy texture. Impressive complexity. Very new world in style, with a bit of old world sensibility for good measure. Unfortunately finish seemed a bit hollow. Verging on being a bit over the top; good if not totally my style.