Tag Archives: BC wine

Bottle Maturation

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Sipping on a bottle of properly matured, well cared-for wine is like running into the awkward guy from algebra ten years later at your high school reunion.

He’s turned out to be – hopefully – fleshier and more toned in physique than his younger, gangly self, with a smoother timbre replacing the squawky, pitched stutter of yore. And perhaps his then-clashing talents of number-crunching and collecting 70′s vinyl have evolved into a profitable online music entrepreneurship.

Everything about him is still there, just now in far better shape. It just took several years for that potential to develop into something more.

I’ve got both an Old World and a New World example that I’m excited to share with you:

Château Faizeau Sélection Vielles Vignes AOC Montagne St-Émilion 2006

This wine was released in BC in the fall of 2009. The Montagne Saint-Émilion area is just northeast of the principal Saint-Émilion appellation, and like its namesake, showcases Merlot-based wines, which in this case come from some older vines that have been green-harvested to concentrate flavour development in select bunches that have been left on the vine. From one French website, it appears that “flying winemaker” Michel Rolland seems to have consulted on the wine. The site also notes that the vineyard is made of 12 hectares of clay-limestone and sandy soil, and 50% of the wine was aged in barrel for 18 – 24 months.

Opened on April 16, 2011, thanks to my generous friend (and graphic designer extraordinaire) Lydia. Within an opaque core of blood red lies a soft and seductive nose of black cherry, plums, blackberries, baking spices, cocoa and licorice. The rich, velvety palate is gently concentrated with red and black berry flavours, a hint of herbaceousness, and secondary notes of cinnamon, chocolate, licorice and earth, finishing with refreshing acidity that suggests further aging up to another 5 to 6 years would be fine. Lydia, Natasha and I ate this with Mediterranean cheese and spinach pies, which tasted great – I would also recommend trying this with a piece of good dark chocolate or a meat dish with mole sauce to really play up the voluptuousness of this wine.

Poplar Grove Cabernet Franc Okanagan Valley VQA 2005

Sean and I had the fortune to visit with Poplar Grove’s winemaker, Ian Sutherland, two years ago on a holiday in Naramata. There, we got to barrel sample some varietal components of his Bordeaux blend, Legacy, including some Cabernet Franc, and I’m fairly certain it was at that moment that I became a believer in Cabernet Franc’s potential to claim the title of Best Okanagan Black Grape. The barrel samples were intense, concentrated and left us with black teeth for the day – Sean was especially hooked and bought a bottle of the 2005, and we’ve been interested in Cab Francs across BC since.

I visited the winery again this past weekend on the way home from a short road trip through Penticton, and Julie, the lovely lady managing the tasting room that day, mentioned that Poplar Grove uses the help of Bordelais consultant Alain Sutre. Apparently, Sutre’s advice vis à vis Poplar Grove’s Cab Franc is that extra hangtime is allowed for the fruit such that it’s picked within the precise and short timeframe wherein sugar ripening slows down but the rate of phenolic ripeness speeds up, letting the grapes build up extra flavour complexity without the excess of natural sugars.

This funny, adorable border collie belonging to a neighbour of the winery had me working hard for my wine! I must have thrown that grapevine stick 50 times.

Opened on May 7, 2011. Deep purple-black in the glass with some garnet hues along the rim, this wine displays a heady aroma of ripe plums, prunes, blackberry, currants, tobacco, cedar and spice. In the mouth, fine sweet oak tannins combine deliciously with a medium-plus body of ripe cherry, currant, plum, leather, spice, chocolate and licorice flavours and a medium-plus finish. A rewarding wine right now but could certainly hold up for another couple years if not longer.

This still had all the concentrated black fruit flavours and tannin of the original barrel sample, except worn and woven into a much smoother cloth. We sipped happily on this without food, however I would have loved to try this with some grilled rosemary lamb chops or rib eye seared perfectly medium rare. Finishing: 18 months in French oak barrels plus an additional 12 months of bottle maturation prior to release. $35 at the winery (fairly positive it’s now sold out)

Quick Sips

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EastDell Estates Black Cab Ontario VQA 2009

Opened on December 29, 2010. A blend of Baco Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. I haven’t had too many good examples of Baco Noir, and this wine basically confirmed that I will probably never be a fan of the grape, which is a hybrid variety.

Most wines you see on store shelves, particularly European wines that only allow specific grapes, are made of vitis vinifera varieties only – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are popular examples.

Today Baco Noir and other hybrid wine grapes (those bred between vitis vinifera and other species; Vidal and Maréchal Foch among the most widely known) are generally grown in North America, where their hardiness copes well with the extreme northern climates and potential vineyard diseases, and local regulations allow for wine to be produced commercially out of these grapes.

It is said that non-vitis vinifera grapes tend to produce wines of a “foxy” aroma and palate, which can be a unique characteristic. Unfortunately, the trait doesn’t appeal to me at all, and is exactly what I detected out of this bottle of EastDell Black Cab.

However, this wine is also quite typical for the varietals and region, with its cool climate greenness on the nose and palate, and so for the sake of education is probably worth a try.

Unavailable in British Columbia, as far as I know, but if you have a friend returning from Ontario, get them to bring a bottle home for you.

Deep ruby purple in the glass, this wine exudes youthful black fruits, berries, currants and red fruits on the nose which is veiled by a slightly musky or skunky tone. The palate is dry, with ample acidity, low tannins and a fairly light body that carries youthful, green flavours of sour cherry, unripe berries, herbs, asparagus and hints of metal and oak that finish short. Drink now and forever hold your peace. $13 in Ontario.

Dirty Laundry “Naughty” Chardonnay BC VQA 2007

I got this a couple of summers ago while driving through Summerland. I recommend visiting the winery if you get a chance, it’s one of the more idyllic cottagey shops in the area and has a nice tasting bar. The people working there are really nice and also have good knowledge of the winery’s history as well as that of the locale.

Rich citrus, ripe apple verging on stone fruit aromas with hints of biscuit combine in the mouth to form a juicy, ripe palate with a clean finish. Easy drinking, approachable Chardonnay with just the slightest touch of oak aging. $25

HenkellSeed

This elegant sparkling cocktail was concocted by me, but derives its crazy moniker from the brain of Sean Minogue.

I served this and the Naughty Chardonnay at a holiday dinner with the family, and was pleasantly surprised at how quaffable the former was as an apéritif.

The recipe is simple, and serves up to 8 per 750 ml bottle (by the way, Henkell Rosé is around $15):

  • In chilled champagne flutes, add half a handful of pomegranate seeds and a slice of ruby grapefruit, lemon or lime. (The lemon lookalike slices you see pictured are actually slices of sweet lime, which I found at Thrifty Foods one day, and yes, walk and talk like a duck, but smell and taste floral and soapy.)
  • (You may choose to add a squirt of simple syrup at this time, but I like my drinks dry.)
  • Top up with chilled Henkell Rosé or any other pink bubbly and serve. You could also use a combination of rosé wine followed by sparkling water but that’s up to you.

Reminiscing

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Now that fall is officially here – I know this, because I’ve been digging out my woollies and have also started wearing socks again – I thought it as good a time as any to share some of the photos from my summer wine memories, so we can all look back fondly and think, “ahhhh…. Those were the good days.”

Here are the crème de la crème of my Summer 2010 – Okanagan snapshots:

The lovely, expansive grounds at Cedarcreek's beautiful winery on Lakeshore Drive, Kelowna. Check out the spectacular waterfront wedding altar (open for bookings)! (Not that I'm hinting at anything...)

The sublime entree in a meal of epic proportions at Mission Hill Winery, enjoyed September 7th, 2010, complete with wine pairings (SLC Merlot; Compendium). Sezmu (Kelowna-bred, BC red wine-fed) beef tenderloin expertly topped with a dark chocolate melting wafer *drool*, accompanied by earthy Chanterelle sprinkles, tender cannelloni (whether lamb or veal; I can't remember), roasted beets and a herby schmear of sauce. Chocotenderloinissimo.

Pinot Noir grapes growing on Mission Hill's Lakeshore vineyard on the east side of Lake Okanagan. It's true what they say - wine grapes are so much more flavourful and delicious than table grapes! (Don't worry; there'll still be wine for all - I didn't eat THAT many!)

While in Kelowna, I stayed at this very nice hotel called The Cove Lakeside Resort. My suite was larger than my Vancouver apartment, and everything was so comfortable! Pure bliss.

Cheers!