Hello to all my wine friends,
Looking at this new release, there are two main features; Wines from Spain and Portugal and Kings of California "Icons & Cult Classics". Yes, go ahead and cash in your RRSP's...well, no I wouldn't recommend that. There are some stellar premium wines from California in this release and some wines way over priced, like the Opus One, 2007 at $339.95 or $179.95 for a half bottle...any takers? Well, it’s not a Château Haut-Brion after all. There is one thing to remember about Spanish and Portuguese wines in general, they are made to be enjoyed with food. I have three of these wines on my shopping list, all between $17.00 and $20.00.
Quatrain; as some of you may know (full disclosure here), I once worked for the Artisan Wine Shop in Victoria, owned by the agent for Mission Hill winery in the Okanagan Valley BC. A great release this week is Mission Hill Quatrain 2006 (218636) at $44.95. Quatrain is part of the Legacy Series of wines from Mission Hill, first blended in 2005. As my friends from the Artisan Wine Shop can attest, I am a big fan of this wine and sold it easily to customers looking for a special occasion wine. I believed that most people would not be disappointed with this purchase. When I returned to Ottawa in May of this year, I had brought 3 bottles of this wine and vintage with me. I drank the last one a month ago; here is the review I wrote for WineAlign. "Quatrain is a poem or Stanza that is always composed of four lines. This wine is similarly composed of four grape varieties: Syrah 41%, Merlot 32%, Cabernet Franc 14% and Cabernet Sauvignon at 13%. Aged in French oak barrels for 15 months with 45% new oak. Blackberries, black cherry, exotic spices, espresso and dried herbs on the nose. Full body, great structure, fresh acidity, dusty tannins with cherry and coffee mocha finish. Very sophisticated wine here could be lay down for another 2-4 years but why wait? Delicious right now. Tasted February 2011.” In my view, the 2006 vintage of this wine was an improvement over the 2005 as the Syrah grape became a bigger component of this blend. As an added note, I have always enjoyed Mission Hill SLC Syrah, ripe black fruit from South Okanagan and French oak always made for a very elegant and sophisticated and peppery wine. An increase of percentage of Syrah in Quatrain made it more aromatic and complex. My cellar holds a bottle of Quatrain, 2007 waiting to be tasted. As noted above, this release is the 2006 vintage which was actually released in BC a year and half ago.
Studert-Prüm; I have been a fan of Riesling for a long time but when I began to study my sommelier courses, most students were not big fans of it. Studert-Prüm Riesling Kabinett 2009 from Mosel Germany (970129) at $18.95, hard to pronounce but easy to enjoy. During the entire seven courses, students will taste hundreds of wines and about thirty to forty different Riesling. By the time you graduate, I swear it is almost like it's a sommelier goal to go out there and promote Riesling. It’s one of those rare white grapes that have an ability to evolve with age and where it’s grown makes a difference. The classic Rieslings come from first (best) Germany than Austria and France. Style varies from dry to sweet, generous acidity, tree fruit, citrus fruit and some minerality, low alcohol around 6-7% for Kabinett to around 12-13% for table wine. Studert-Prüm is a great producer and this wine will age well. Buy three bottles, drink one now, second in about one year from now and the other in about two year from now and see how its evolve. Drink as an aperitif, with Indian or Thai food (the sugar from the wine will balance out the spices from the dish) and on the patio this summer with a Chicken salad. Strongly recommended.
My Splurge; here is my theory on California premium wines. Cabernet Sauvignon is the king, high demand equal high prices. Merlot on the other hand not as popular, it was over planted and over produced in the 80’s and the movie Sideways did not help. But Merlot produced in low yields, in ideal temperatures (hot and dry during the day and cool at night), with quality oak barrels and in the hands of talented winemakers, will produce a full body wine with great aromatics and structure. After looking at reviews of premium California wines in this release, a clear winner to me was Beringer Bancroft Ranch Single Vineyard Merlot 2005 from Napa Valley California (340497) at $69.95. It is easy to go to a restaurant and spend $50.00 to $100.00 on a bottle of wine. My solution, make dinner at home, steak on the BBQ, have a great wine like this Merlot, which would cost $140.00 and up in a restaurant depending on their mark up.
My top three wines from this release:
1-Mission Hill Quatrain 2006 from BC (218636) at $44.95
2-Altair Sideral 2005 from Chile (660837) at $24.95
3-Beringer Bancroft Ranch Single Vineyard Merlot 2005 from California (340497) at $69.95
My top three wines for there value:
1-Studert-Prüm Riesling Kabinett 2009 from Germany (970129) at $18.95
2-Finca Sobrena Crianza 2007 from Spain (040360) at $17.95
3-Quinta Nova Pomares 2008 from Portugal (214007) at $16.95
These wines did not make my shopping list but are worth considering:
Red Wines;
1-Dominus 2007 from California (212381) at $119.95
2-Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red 2006 from California (967992) at $119.95
3-Ojai Bien Nacido Vineyard Syrah 2005 from California at $47.95 (Need about 5 years in the cellar)
4-Grant Burge Barossa Vines Shiraz 2009 from Australia (738567) at $17.95
5-Terre Nere Brunello Di Montalcino 2005 from Italy (208462) at $34.95
White Wines;
1-Hamilton Russell Chardonnay 2009 from South Africa (931006) at $29.95
2-Domaine de Riaux Pouilly-Fume 2009 from France (200063) at $22.95
The New Release of April 2, 2011 will be broadcast from Vancouver where I will be attending the Vancouver International Wine Festival. You will be able to read all about it on my blog. My blog? Yes, over the last month, my team and I have been putting it together. Some work still to be done, but here is the link. Feedback on this newsletter has been great and constructive. All feedback is good and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the Blog.
Cheers,
Paul, YWG.
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