When you think of sweet or dessert wine and Canada the mind immediately goes to Icewine, maybe a late harvest, but I doubt many of us said "port-style wines". But they are being made and some with tender loving care, like this one. Today it's the Noble Ridge 2017 The Crown
According to my rough count, this is video 950 and so it is time to celebrate this milestone with a little bubbly. Today, it's the Chateau des Charmes 2017 Sparkling Rose, a sparkling wine with a surprise under the caged-cork.
Years of painstaking DNA testing and replanting brings us a bottle of unique and delicious wine from
Fattoria Fibbiano 2017 Sanforte, Costa Toscana
You want to get to know the Tannat grape?
Start with a bottle of Chateau Montus - the OG of Tannat :
Chateau Montus 2017 Madiran
The Written Part ...
An 80% Tannat with 20% Cabernet Sauvignon – taking up a 35 hectares of the 37 hectare Montus vineyard. Vine age is about 27 years. Fermentation and maceration follow what happens at Boucassé (see above). Here 50% of the wine sees new oak for 12 months. Then 24 months in 80 hectoliter foudre (large barrels). 36 months of aging the wine rests in bottle 2 years before release.
The note … Weighty wine with lots
of smoky, gritty tannin grip. Floral with good acidity; the fruit either
lingers or has decided to hide within the oak – each sip holds a
different outcome. It'll take time to emerge, but this oak will always
be there. It's an intense wine where food needs to be involved. (****)
Time to taste Tannat from the Madiran region of France -
known for grippy tannins and big fruit these wines age a long time :
Chateau Boucasse 2017 Grand Vin
Chateau Boucassé 2017 Grand Vin de Madiran
60% Tannat with 20% each Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon ... These grapes take up 45 hectares of the 85-hectare vineyard Boucassé. The soils are "red and yellow clays on limestone" and the vine age ranges from 25 to 100 years. Slow fermentation happens between 8 to 10 days and a long maceration between 30 and 45 days (depending on the vintage) . It spends its first year in barrels, of which 20% to 30% are new, then 24 months in large wood casks. And after the 36 months is over, the wine spends another 2 years in bottle before release.
The note … Stunning nose that lures you into the glass. The fruit is smoky and has notes of blackberry, cassis and floral. Very approachable with a long finish. It's a lovely sipping wine. (**** ½)
For a part of the country known for wines made from the Tannat grape,
how does Madiran do with white wines? Let me tell you
Chateau Boucasse 2017 Les Jardins Philosophiques
... The Written Notes ...
A white blend made from the indigenous Petit Courbu and Petit Manseng from Boucassé’s 85-hectare vineyard. The vines are 45 years of age and these grapes take up nine hectares of the vineyard, at no more than 110 m above sea level. It is fermented in stainless steel and then aged in same for 12 months, but on fine lees.
The note … Grapefruit peel and pith that plays off of an oxidized sensation on the tongue. Great acidity back stops the wine giving it an exceptional length on the finish. A beauty of a sipper.
The new generation is female. Watch the video to find out what I'm talking about :
Clotilde Legrand 2017 Les Terrages
Riserva wines have a reputation of being over-oaked
and needing a long time to come around to be drinkable;
time to change your mind
Tenuta di Saragano 2017 Montefalco Rosso Riserva
- WRITE UP -
There's some real complexity here that is not all wood derived - the spice and fruit play nicely on the long finish and there is age-ability of 5-10 years.
This wine might be sold out, but it does deserve to be looked at,
especially because it was in such limited release;
and quite possibly the best wine to come out of this winery in a long time :
Hinterbrook 2017 Cabernet Franc (Limited Release)
This isn't the usual blank label, on-descript wine from Hinterbrook - this one has Cabernet Franc scrawled across the front, in what looks like the handwriting of someone using a fountain pen and being chased by a bear. This is from their reserve series, but it does not proclaim it's reserve status anywhere on the bottle – it’s just the price that that tells us the winery believes this is something special. 100% French oak, 75% new, bottled unfiltered and resting in oak for a whopping 34 months. There's lots of hidden dark fruit that weaves its way between tobacco, cigar box, cinnamon and there’s even a lovely layer of spiced raspberry on the finish. Not much of this wine was made: 966 bottles, and each is numbered; get it while it's around. (****+)
Another Barolo that rocked my world and this will do the same for yours
Gianni Gagliardo 2017 Barolo, Mosconi
>>> Written Review <<<
A mere 1100 bottles output from this southern exposed, warmer area ... This is a fruit forward number and while the nose leans on the dark side of the fruit spectrum along with mint and balsamic aromas; the palate shows off that dark fruit with a lovely freshness to it, and while there is a pleasant herbal character, it is suppressed by that dark fruit explosion. (****+)
Iconic wines need little to no introduction, but tasting them is a totally different stor
Banfi 2017 Brunello di Montalcino, Poggio alle Mura
>>> WRITTEN REVIEW <<<
The dark fruit is the first thing to show up (and stick around), it's rich and concentrated with a cherry, kirsch and smoky note on the finish. Meanwhile the acidity is a late arrival to the party (third / fourth sip), but once it shows it really makes its presence felt. (****)
Kicking off the 2022 series with a fun video for a wine from Rockway, you'll see what I mean
Rockway 2017 Cabernet Franc, Small Lot
($27.00 - available at the winery and online)
The Written Review ...
A very palate friendly Cabernet Franc endeavour that opens up nicely and delivers from the nose to the palate: aromas of raspberry, cherry, mocha and tobacco with a subtle woodiness ... On the palate there's a plethora of fun including black cherry, tobacco leaf, mocha, and white pepper with a good tannin structure on the finish. It's pretty much a ready to drink wine, but still has the potential for another 3-plus years of cellaring. Price: $27.00 - Rating: ****
