Author Archive

Question: What are the 2 grape varieties most planted in South Africa?

Answer: Both white. Chenin Blanc (Steen) as expected is the successful number 1. Surprisingly number 2 remains Colombard (or as called locally Colombar). This latter one is used as a varietal but also in dry & sweet blends (usually without wood) and for brandy production. Close battle for #3 led by Cabernet Sauvignon.

Educational to study the pros and cons of the last 20 vintages of Bordeaux. Lots of positive enthusiasm for the current releases that have been more affected by global climate change. Also much dedicated support for that outstanding trio of 2010 precision, more open riper voluptuous 2009 and concentrated 2005. Remember the late Paul Pontellier at Chateau Margaux on July 8, 2015 starting our visit with those 3 vintages he called “the three best vintages of 100 years” – with his fav “the freshness finer dense terroir driven 2010 (90% cabernet sauvignon)”. Paul called the 2005 “perfect with an intense high level of concentration with firm obvious tannins but still too young at 10”. The 2005 vintage now is 15+ and not only the First Growths show that deep ripe fruit from the dry conditions yet still remain somewhat closed up and tannic. All these memories came back to me last week at a 2005 horizontal tasting-dinner held at Tutto for the Commanderie de Bordeaux Vancouver. We tasted 9 properties but
generally the wines, while deeply impressive, were not yet singing or showing quite enough charm. These well stored bottles were still rather tight closed-up waiting to explode in all their glory with more aging. Perhaps it could be a slight bias of your scribe for a more mature claret style. You certainly can enjoy them now. However, please have patience with 2005 IMHO.

The 9 wines were served in 3 flights with some brief impressions:

1. 2005 CLOS FOURTET: Very dark deep 85% merlot right to the rim. Rich round intense big blueberry chocolate espresso fruit. Impressive.
2. 2005 CANON LA GAFFELIERE: Also deep and dark. More exotic enticing nose but modern extracted oak styling with some spicy white pepper notes.
3. 2005 MAGDELAINE: Deep slightly less extract. More typically balanced St. Emilion of 95% merlot + 5% cab franc with acid austerity slowly developing coming out of its shell showing elegance and lift. Recently 1998 was more together with better complexity. Good first flight!
4. 2005 LA GARDE: Pessac-Leognan from Dourthe. Lighter earthy greener herbal tones are good value against tougher company.
5. 2005 LES CARMES HAUT BRION: Local connection of 6th generation family of Penelope Roche of the Okanagan winery. Better fruit but harder drier with some elegance. Will improve with time. These two wines of the flight became more drinkable when with the beef tenderloin served.
6. 2005 GISCOURS: Beginning flight of 4 impressive Left Bank – 2 Margaux & 2 St.Julien. Bit atypical in style as harder and leaner but still a value. Blend of 62CS/32M/6CF&PV. A Margaux AC that is almost St. Julien-like. Should develop further.
7. 2005 D’ISSAN: Lots of floral, flowers, and fragrant perfumes here. Quality Margaux styling with balanced acidity. Real finesse! Wonderful surprise of the night.
8. 2005 LEOVILLE POYFERRE: Dark with lots of reluctant St. Julien style. Slowly opening in the glass. Biggest almost opulent fruit but backward. Potential there. No rush. Age it more.
9. 2005 LAGRANGE: Solid St. Julien favourite with more accessible textbook styling. Intense sweet pure fruit is lovely. Coming around with almost porcini mushroom notes of flavour. Attractive.

Question: What is passerillage?

Answer: A French word used to describe the drying process of grapes before making wine – similar in meaning to the Italian “appassimento” in Valpolicella for Amarone. Passerillage usually in the south of France exposes the grapes to air drying under the sun after harvest to increase their sugar concentration. The word is becoming more popular now in the central California region as Randall Grahm (Bonny Doon Vineyard) teamed with Gallo Wine Company is producing a Cinsault with 2-3 weeks of “passerillage” for their project The Language of Yes.

There are lots of classic matchings of wine and cheese. Your top 5 might include some of mine:

1. Sauternes with Roquefort
2. Port with Stilton
3. Chianti Classico with Pecorino Toscano
4. Gewurztraminer (off-dry) with Munster
5. Almost any wine with my fav Parmigiano-Reggiano but prefer Champagne, Pinot Grigio, or a richer white Rhone blend.

Often in the old days the cheese course was served at the end of the meal paired with the oldest red wines. Not ideal. Influenced May de Lencquesaing ex-Pichon Lalande to serve her youngest Pauillac with the cheeses. However, usually white white works better with cheese than red. The acidity and sometimes sweetness of white seems preferable with many cheeses over the drier tannins of red wine.

Last week at Cactus Club Cafe Coal Harbour in Vancouver your scribe orchestrated (for only the 3rd time) the most magical wine and cheese pairing he has ever experienced. Both items are the finest made from the Jura. The cheese was Comte de Montagne Fromageries Vagne, Jura, 24 months affinage. The wine was 1972 Vin Jaune (“yellow wine”) D’Arbois from Henri Maire La Plus Grande Reserve Mondiale from the Chateau Montfort caves Arbois, Jura, France. It was 12.4 abv in the traditional 62 cl bottle (called a Clavelin) having thrown at nearly 50 years a lot of sediment. Opened ahead, decanted, mineral water washed and returned to the bottle by talented respected sommelier Sebastien Le Goff it showed to perfection. Made from 100% Savagnin grapes in barrels not topped up for 6 years allowing a yeast layer to form called “le voile” (the veil) like the flor of Sherry. Colour was
not brown but clear and not too oxidized (with no maderization) but a perfectly aged remarkable bottle indeed. My friend Wink Lorch in her masterclass book Jura Wine accurately captured the highlights of our bottle: “From Arbois especially, the wines will be nutty – walnuts in particular, sometimes fresh walnuts (also known as green or wet walnuts), even hazelnuts. Also a French (rather than Indian) curry powder mix of turmeric, coriander, cumin, and cardamom, sometimes with ginger and fenugreek.” This Vin Jaune (also would match well with buttery escargots) was very dry (all grape sugar had fermented out) with some candied lemon notes plus all that high acidity. Yet was so complex and really singing brilliantly with an astounding roundness of texture when tasted together with the neighbouring aged nutty Comte. Combined for a rich palate but almost an ethereal sensation too. Much better enjoyed together than by themselves. Hard to explain in words but believe me this is a truly outstanding wine & cheese matching! Try it.

Question: What is an unctuous wine?

Answer: Not that commonly used in wine terms but is appropriate to describe the texture of some smooth rich thick wines – often sweeter ones. The Concise Oxford Dictionary describes unctuous as “having a greasy or soapy feel; oily” and that is sort of the mouth feel you should experience in order to use that word appropriately for wine tasting.