There always is a lot of amazing wine tasting opportunities at any #VIWF Vancouver International Wine Festival VanWineFest.ca. Outstanding food is highlighted as well linked here on my March 3 posting. The 46th edition was focused on the West Coast of North America with 70 wineries (out of a total of 120 from 15 countries) from British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and especially prominent California. Wonderful insightful learning at many wine seminars including four your scribe attended:
THE GLOBAL CRU moderated by wine educator & writer Paul Wagner (paulwagnerwine.com) and James Nevison wine writer The Province newspaper & @hadaglass guided you through a tasting of some “Cru” vineyards of superior quality to discover what makes their terroir and wines so special. Well chosen diverse selection of 10 wines from 10 different regions commented on by Vine Stars for each was most insightful. Fascinating to see how Chardonnay acts so differently when grown for Champagne bubbles, on Okanagan slopes, and at high altitude Uco Valley. Familiar grapes from top vineyards of Sangiovese, Zinfandel (blended with Carignan, Petite Sirah & Mataro) and Cabernet Sauvignon were shown but also indigenous less known varieties of floral Turbiana in Lagana, earthy Posip from the island of Korcula, juicy red cherry jam of Teran from Istria both Croatia and complex Aglianico from star Taurasi in Campania Italy. The Cru has gone global.
WINEMAKING ON THE EDGE moderated by Elaine Chukan Brown started with a bright fresh Albarino grown in Paragon Vineyard only 5 miles from the Pacific Ocean and ended with 3 top reds of Folktale 2019 GSM (blend of 48%Grenache/39Syrah/13Mourvedre – though 2020 & 2021 are all G &S), Booker Fracture 100% Syrah so intensely spicy yet soft and round, and 2021 Soul of a Lion Cab blend (82CS/12CF/6PV) ripe and youthful 22 months in 100% new French oak. Elaine stated that the Adelaida district in Paso Robles has the highest elevation of 2200 feet and is “unique to have limestone soils that high up”. The main focus was in the middle tasting cleverly showing the differences in six California Pinot Noirs from Santa Maria Valley cranberries, cooler Mendocino using Clone 777 & Swan to advantage, and two each from foggy late morning Monterey and diurnal shifts of Sonoma Coast cherries from elegant Hartford Court 2022 Lands Edge Vineyards to concentrated big 15.4 abv Orin Swift 2019 l’usine Annapolis Ridge Vineyards. Truly producing some diverse wines.
WEST COAST WINE ALLSTARS was superbly led by Evan Goldstein MS, President and Chief Education Officer, Full Circle Wine Solutions and Neal McLennan, Food & Wine Editor of Vancouver Magazine. They stated that an AllStar requires three key elements of (a) precision & balance, (b) does the wine speak of what it says it is? and (c) express a genuine sense of place – from general to specific is better: from California, North Coast, Napa Valley, Oakville, Vineyard or Block. There was a Sparkling 2014 Gloria Ferrer Royal Cuvee Sonoma County of 67 PN & 23 C 8 years on lees with lively acidity, an intense Sauvignon with Semillon 2021 Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc Oakville, a balanced elegant Chardonnay 2022 Lingua Franca AVNI Wilamette Valley, a big Pinot Noir 2018 Napa Valley from Black Stallion spent 15 months in 97% new French oak, and six Cabernet: two from Paso Robles of Justin 2019 Isosceles blend 79CS/11CF/10M 21 months in 100% new French oak at 16 abv & McPrice Myers 2022 100% sweeter Cab Sauv, two Napa Valley of Orin Swift 2020 big 15.5 abv Papillon & textbook 2021 S by Signorello, a beautifully textured one from AVA Santa Cruz Mountains by Ridge 2021 Montebello with 16 % Merlot, and one from Washington State Red Mountain of 2021 A56 from Aquilini unracked blended with 4% Cab Franc & 2% Petit Verdot. These bold examples from the USA West Coast of Washington, Oregon, and California showed that there are many wine stars to be discovered.
NAPA VALLEY CABERNET RETROSPECTIVE was masterly led by Global Wine Educator Elaine Chukan Brown who just released “The Wines of California” book through Academie du Vin Library. Her 480 page tome details the regions which as shown on the attached map now number 154. Twelve Napa Cabs were presented with two each from six wineries. Smartly organized and educational to show a current younger vintage (three from 2021 and three 2019) compared to an older more developed one (four from 2013 and one each from 2014 & 2012). A few brief comments on the amazing quality wines:
FREEMARK ABBEY: Rutherford winery founded in 1967 by “Chuck” Carpy and partners your scribe sought out and enjoyed their single vineyards of Bosche (glorious 1990) and Sycamore. This is a blend of several top vineyards with both full bodied plush 2019 & more angular 2013 both 14.5 abv using all five Bordeaux grape varieties but a majority of Cab Sauv (90% in 2019 & 75% 2013) with that red “Rutherford Dust” earthy cocoa powder on display – as it is in Beaulieu.
BLACK STALLION ESTATE WINERY: This Oak Knoll winery named in honour of the historic Silverado Equestrian Center showed Limited Releases made from exceptional small lot vineyard parcels in more intense younger 2019 & lighter more mature 2013 in Magnum.
BEAULIEU VINEYARDS GEORGES DE LATOUR PRIVATE RESERVE: Fond memories of attending in San Francisco the historic 1999 vertical from 1938 to 1998 (but included 1936) made by Andre Tchelistcheff (until retirement in 1973 followed by Joel Aiken) where 1970 & 1968 were legendary. Now a plumper richer style but still traditional winemaking that gives a complex cocoa cool graphite elegance in both the 2019 (14.7) and the overlooked 2014 (coming after the successful years of 13 & 12). Margo Van Staaveren (remember her from Chateau St. Jean) stated that the “14 was not a big crop but elegant and more approachable than the tighter 2013 is presently”.
SIGNORELLO ESTATE PADRONE: Lots of cheers of support and congratulation for local boy proprietor Ray Signorello for bouncing back building a new state of the art winery after the disastrous 2017 wildfires. Only 1277 cases of 2021 grown on two extremely rocky hillside parts of the Estate planted in 1990 with very low yields of only 1.3 Tons/acre. Both 2021 & 2013 unlined and unfiltered are so concentrated and well structured. Outstanding.
ROBERT MONDAVI WINERY TO KALON VINEYARD THE RESERVE: Rocky well drained low fertility soils on prime Oakville bench that results in classy extra stylish nuances. The 2021 94CS/3CF3PV 14.5 spent 20 months in 100% new French oak in a powerful statement compared to softer easier drinking of 2019. 2012 was the second vintage that followed the cooler 2011 and 2010 with 90CS/7CF/3PV at 15 abv. Winemaker Kurtis Ogasawara summed it up best as “six sets of excellent cabernets each having their own character’.
ORIN SWIFT CELLARS: Showed 2021 & 2013 MERCURY HEAD from their best barrels both at 15.5. Elaine stated that can’t rely on the alcohol number for what the wine will be. “Can be overripe at 14 and beautifully balanced at 15. Can’t go strictly by the abv which are all in the 14-15+ range now compared to 13 abv 25 years ago”. This is a stronger wine but with some softness in the middle.
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