Michael Pinkus Wine Review - On the Road with the Grape Guy

Report from - An Afternoon with Marcelo Papa (Concha y Toro) ... October 24, 2011

05 Jan 2012

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I seem to be playing catch-up in the early part of the year ... Yes it’s January 2012 and I’m writing some of my late-year On the Road articles – as you can see I’m a little behind, but better late than never as I like to say. With that said there are some days you remember better than others and some you get very excited to share with others. This was one of those days. A group of press folks were getting a chance to meet and taste wines with Marcelo Papa, he is the winemaker behind the “super premium” Marques de Casa Concha label from Concha y Toro. Marcelo has been heading the Marques label since 1999 and has really raised the bar for these wines and their notoriety … it is truly one of the most consistently good wine values coming out of Chile at the under $20 price point. Marcelo has quite the resume including 2 winemaker of the year honors from his fellow countrymen (2004 – Chilean Wine Guide; 2008 – Chilean Food and Wine Writers).

Marques Wines …
I’ll start by (re-)introducing you to the Marques de Casa Concha wines – if you have never bought or tried these wines you truly are missing out on some of the best values from Chile:

2008 Syrah ($19.95) – very raspberry throughout with a good tannin backbone and a sour cherry finish. (*** ½+)

2009 Merlot ($19.95) – aged 60% in French and 40% in American oak for 18 months … this wine delivers the juicy, minty, blackberry you expect from Chilean Merlot with a smooth mouth-entry and delicious easy to drink palate. (****+)

2009 Carmenere ($19.95) – the Carmenere has 15% Cabernet Sauvignon added for structure as well as aged 90% in French and 10% in American oaks. A pretty nose of raspberry, floral, mint, and vanilla spice, all lead to a good mouthfeel and some blackberry, mocha, vanilla flavours on the palate … fresh and delicious. (****+)

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon ($19.95) – it says Sauvignon on the label, and 94% of it is – the other 6% combine Carmenere, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot into this juicy package. The nose gives it all up: chocolate, strawberry, raspberry, cherry, cassis, blackberry … and it all follows on the palate – a real pleaser of a wine that’s always available as a Vintages Essential (Ontario). (****)

2010 Pinot Noir ($19.95) – the newest entry into the Marques line is made from relatively young vines, planted in 2006, and has 25% new French oak involved in its 14 month ageing process. This is a welcome addition to the line as it seems to bridge the gap between the California juicy and the Burgundian earthy-minerality of Pinot. Juicy cranberry, cherry and strawberry combine with some coffee notes to give this one some focus on both aroma and flavours along with excellent length on the finish. (****+)

A New Line of Wine …
It sure was nice to get re-acquainted with the Marques wines, but the real news isn’t what lies in Concha y Toro’s past – but instead what is in their future. In 2005 Marcelo took on a new line of wines called Vina Maycas del Limari, these are wines that start their lives as grapes grown in the Limari Valley in the north of Chile, 450km from the Maipo Valley. Limari is considered a cool climate region within this hot country with foggy mornings and lots of calcium in the sub-soils, this helps to give the wines a different character than those grown to the south. The vineyards are 18-20km from the coast and, unlike their hotter more southerly vineyards, these grapes see January temps (Chile’s hottest month) of 25C – 12C, maximum to minimum. According to Marcelo: “the big problem in Chile is too much sun (heat), it’s good for sweet fruit but not good for acidity.” The Limari Valley help reduce direct sunlight on the grapes with its foggy mornings, a fog that doesn’t relent its cover till between 1-3 in the afternoon. It was after all this preamble that Marcelo presented these wines (thankfully they are soon to be in the Ontario market).

Maycas del Limari wines …
To call these wines excellent or outstanding just doesn't seem quite appropriate enough to let you know how good these wines really are. I gave each and every one of these wines (Chardonnay, Cabernet, Syrah), four-and-a-half stars which says a lot about - I also look forward to trying them again for Vintages tastings as they can only get better with more time in bottle. There are three reasons I am looking forward to seeing these wines in the market: First, I can’t wait till they hit LCBO shelves so that I can snap up a few bottles, and put them in my cellar to share with friends. Second, at under $20 they might just be the best quality for value wines you’ll see out of Chile all year. And three, these just might be the best under-$20 Chilean wines I’ve tried, period.

2009 Chardonnay, Reserva Especial ($19.95 – previously released) – a fresh, clean Chardonnay that delivers on all levels. Lovely fresh white fruit of peach, pear and apple, there’s also quite a bit of minerality that keeps this wine lively on the palate … great finish with palate cleansing acidity. For a guy who doesn't impress easily with Chardonnay I can tell you I was ... very. (**** ½)

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserva Especial ($19.95 - Feb 4, 2012 Vintages release) – the vineyard for this Cabernet is 45km from the coast, so the afternoon starts a little earlier (as the fog dissipates) which the Cab requires. The fruit jumps out of the glass: blackberry, cassis, cherry and blueberry – the palate is lively with fruit and an acidic backbone that keeps things from getting jammy … the fruit coats the palate but that acidity keeps it from sticking there. Rich, supple and tasty. 11% Syrah is also added to the wine. (**** ½)

2009 Syrah, Reserva Especial ($19.95 - June 9, 2012 Vintages release) – dark fruit and chocolate without being cloying and sticky, this wine has a freshness about it that is not often seen in hot climate shiraz/syrah. It’s juicy and jammy with tons of flavour in the mouth and those flavours seem to hang on forever, but there’s also a great seam of acidity that washes through the mouth keeping the finish clean and the palate ready for more - it would take more than a bottle to tire the palate out, but the brain might get a little fuzzy (14.5% alc). This is one fantastic and delicious wine. (**** ½)

All these wines have wonderful cellaring potential of up to a decade – but they taste so good now it might be hard to keep your hands off them till then.

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Report from - Port & Douro Wine Tasting ... October 18, 2011

05 Jan 2012

Details: Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy

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As a fan of Port wines I always have trouble understanding when people tell me they don’t like the stuff … what’s not to like: plum, cherry, chocolate all wrapped up with sweetness and alcohol; where’s the problem? But there are still those who won’t give Port a fair shake. The Douro is not just about Port though – there are also some pretty amazing table wines, both in value and in taste that come from the region - and I was noticing a trend to throw as many grapes into the blend as possible, with great results. But before I wax poetic about the benefits of Port and try to convince you why you should be giving this wine a(nother) shot, let’s take a peak at some of the interesting during-dinner wines that were on offer today, before moving on to what to drink after dinner.

Table Wines ...
Adriane Ramos Pinto 2004 Duas Quintas Especial ($72) – a field blend of some 40+ varieties, but they all seem to get along quite well in the bottle … in fact better than just quite well. (****+)

Quinta do Vallado 2009 Reserve Field Blend ($55) – this one is lovely with great flavours and aromas worth putting your palate around. (****+)

Jorge Manuel Nobre Moreira 2008 Poeira ($50) – another field blend made up from some 23+ grapes, even the winemaker lost count, with some vines being 80+ years old … nice fruit yet with earthy notes keeping it grounded, quite elegant. (****+)

Veedha 2008 Veedha DOC ($12.95) – amazingly good value with lovely red fruit: cherry, raspberry with a slight spice and good smoothness across the palate. (****+)

Other wines – minimal notes with rating …
Lavradores de Feitoria 2010 White – quite fresh. (****)
Lavradores de Feitoria 2007 Meruge – elegant. (****+)

Ports …
As for Ports, there are so many styles and enough producers to make one’s head spin – and that’ll happen if you drink enough of the stuff, at 18-20% alcohol these wines turn heads, in more ways than one. Here I’ll pick my favourite from a number of producers/houses I tried with a little explanation as to why:

Ferreira … Dona Antonia Reserve Port ($18.95) – this is a 6 year old bottling made in a Ruby-style, but with cherry fruit in the forefront and orange peel backing it up it comes off as a cross between a ruby and a tawny which leans more tawny, especially on the finish. (****)

Taylor Fladgate … the one thing I can say about Taylor is they are definitely consistent up and down their line, from the Late Bottled Vintage at $17.95 to the Vargellas Vinha Velha single vineyard ($275) they really put delicious and style into each and every bottle. I love the 40 year old tawny (****+) but at $224 I find it a little out of my price range for any bottle, no matter how good it is … the Vintage (2009) marks the first time they have made 4 vintage Ports in a decade (2000 / 2003 / 2007) … but for my money the Late Bottled Vintage 2005 ($17.95) is an absolute steal, very fruit driven with great acidity and the right amount of sweetness. (**** ½)

Sandeman … odd to see a Vintage Port under $20 but the 2000 VAU Vintage ($19.95) is a light refreshing take on the usual heavy vintage port and it drinks well right now. (****)

Hutcheson … 1999 Colheita ($29.95) – creamy smooth vanilla, toffee and dried cherries. (****+)

Calem … 10 Year Old Port ($19.95) – smooth with toffee dominated by spice. (****)

Quinta do Noval … 2005 Late Bottled Vintage (~$25) – a real beauty here, showing that 2005 was a great year for the Late Bottled Vintage stuff: peppery, spicy, blackberry and cassis with a sprinkling of cocoa; long spicy finish ends this one with class and elegance. Set for release in Ontario March 2012; my recommendation is to buy a few. (**** ½)

Quinta do Infantado … I’ve been a fan of this Port house since first we met a few years back. I have both their Ruby and Tawny in my cellar. Hopefully we’ll also see the 2007 Late Bottled Vintage ($N/A) on these shores sometime soon, as it was also well worth putting in the cellar for a spell. (****+)

Dow’s … 2005 Late Bottled Vintage ($16.05) – another fine example of the ’05 LBV’s being worth the price. (****+)

Warre’s … you’ve probably seen OPTIMA in its distinctive clear 500ml bottle, so far we’ve just been privy to the 10 year old version, but now here comes the 20 ($39.95). The 10 doles out sweet cherry and toffee; the 20 dishes up the cherry and toffee and adds a real nice orange peel sensation along with biting acidity and spice; good complexity here. (****+)

Graham’s … another house that shows a great deal of consistency in the bottle; here the choice was easier to make for a favourite though. Standing heads and tails above the rest of the line was the 20 Year Old Tawny ($36.95) – cherry, anise, orange zest and dried peel, toffee and some almond brittle all add to the intensity and enjoyment of this deliciously inviting sweetie. (**** ½)