Question: Would you please advise me on some good references for learning more about Terroir?
Answer: Yes “terroir” is a hot topic becoming more and more commonly used in wine descriptions. This word includes a rather long list of contributing factors all rather complex. One of the important ones is soil and the geology of the place where the vines are planted. A new exciting website is roadsideterroir.com by geologist Brenna Quigley with three interesting free podcasts already posted and more on the way. Good site to follow. For more detailed scientific research check out these three books:
1) Wine and Place: A Terroir Reader by Tim Patterson & James Buechenstein
2) Vineyards, Rocks, & Soils: The Wine Lover’s Guide to Geology by Alex Maltman
3) Terroir: The Role of Geology, Climate and Culture in the Making of French Wines by James E. Wilson
BCLiquorStores.com released on September 26, 2020 their futures selection from the 2017 Bordeaux vintage for purchase in specialty stores across the Province. This astute buying program is the result of outstanding conscientious attention by Barb Philip MW the Category Manager responsible for European wines (with the help of Bordeaux insider Bill Blatch) over many past vintages in selecting a range of the best wines at different price points for the Bordeaux consumers in British Columbia. This year’s release of 2017 follows on from the popular more classic consistent balanced wines of 2016 from last year. 2017 is less consistent overall with a reduced crop from those late April frosts limiting the availability of some better wines – though less affected in the more northern Medoc like Pauillac AC and surrounding appellations. Also there are three more vintages since 2017 to consider in your future purchasing decisions all being affected by climate change. Nonetheless there has been a good buzz for this release and several readers raised questions about the quality & style of 2017 Bordeaux for the weekly posting on Wednesday Ask Sid feature.
Pleased to report that your scribe attended on September 16 a limited media tasting conducted by Barb Philip MW with insightful discussions in pristine working conditions at the BCLDB Tasting Lab. Tasted 14 of the diverse 181 wines on offer ranging from the classy pure Chateau Haut-Brion from Pessac-Leognan ($1200) to the more rustic but full of fresh fruit Chateau Reynon from Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux ($35). Don’t forget either the value fresh dry vibrant whites like Clos des Lunes Lune d’Argent ($35) and an excellent year for Sauternes like Chateau Doisy-Vedrines (375 ml. $50). Impressed in my tastings by a couple of things. Firstly the wide selection of consumer values in the $35 to $55 range. Tasted many at this event and subsequently which confirmed to me there is real top drinkable quality being produced now right across the many appellations of Bordeaux. They deliver a fresh fruity definition of a riper more friendly cabernet sauvignon or merlot presence in the blend often with the contribution of interesting cab franc as well. Everyone but especially younger demographics need to check these 2017 Bordeaux wines out and expect you will have a surprising most favourable opinion of them. For example both at $55 is an exciting firm bodied Chateau Lilian Ladouys from the improving St. Estephe AC (50 merlot, 43 cab sauv and intense 7 petit verdot spending 15 months in French oak with 40% new) and Chateau du Glana with lovely attractive textbook St. Julien fruit. That brings me to my second big impression of how well this vintage is showing the terroir of the place the wine comes from. That is most admirable and believe it is at least partially due to less overly ripe grapes and lighter extraction methods during fermentation in 2017. Certainly continuing climate change is affecting vintages 2018, 2019, 2020 and beyond with warmer conditions resulting in more ripeness. It may be in this coming decade we will be pointing out enthusiastically while tasting less ripe older vintages the subtle herbaceous notes like in 2017 that this is a true sign of old style really top quality now much more difficult to achieve!
Question: Is the Malbec grape allowed in wine from the Loire Valley of France?
Answer: Yes but limited. The popular red grape in the Loire is cabernet franc used famously in Bourgueil & Chinon among other regions. Malbec is an important grape in Argentina plus in Bordeaux, Cahors and south-west France – often called Auxerrois. Malbec is a permitted grape for inclusion in the Loire Valley wines of Touraine roses & reds – where it goes under the original name of Cot.
So much safer to organize smaller groups for wine dinners now rather than the previously more common “banquet style” events. Our Group of 8 worked out perfectly in 2 smaller groups of 4 each with only one person on each side of two large square tables at Blue Water Cafe in Vancouver on September 22, 2020. More difficult to do this for an IWFS Branch meeting but suggest you try it out in some modified way with no reception but for immediate sit down at your place. This occasion was to study, compare, and enjoy some key 9 vintages of Château Montrose from St. Estephe ranging from 2003 back to 1970. Once again this property showed the impressive big dense concentrated terroir of their site plus an amazing ability to age and develop complexity over time. The dinner commenced with 2008 Pol Roger Brut both an outstanding house and vintage that is delightfully approachable now but also displaying such a fine future with perfect balance.
The nine vintages of Château Montrose were served in three flights from youngest to oldest with accompanying food courses served each time after an appropriate 10 minutes first for studied wine reflection. A few brief impressions by your scribe:
2003 CHATEAU MONTROSE: Highly touted because the clay soils of St. Estephe retained their moisture better during that infamous Summer heat year. Deep dark colour with atypical ripe opulent almost jammy cassis mocha notes with lower acidity. Intense long and enticing but softer textures and tannins than normal from this property. Likeable & already approachable.
2000 CHATEAU MONTROSE: Dense darkest fruits but just starting to open up. Firmer more structured with buckets of classic fruit and polished tannins. So powerful yet balanced. Wonderful now but could use more cellaring to become one of their best vintages of all time. What a future!
1996 CHATEAU MONTROSE: Palest of first flight with a browning rim. Open evolving herbal red fruits. Not a big rich tannic St. Estephe but leaner more ready to pair with food presently. Very good but in very tough company here in this first flight against those super stars 2003 & 2000.
1990 CHATEAU MONTROSE: Fun to compare again this celebrated 1990 with the twin 1989. Your scribe always prefers the 1990 and here it is darker deeper and so very impressive. Maybe not 100 points but most worthy of very high recognition indeed. Extra mid-palate intensity and pure sweetness here! Seems to be meshing together better with more complexity ever time tasted as the years go by. Winner.
1989 CHATEAU MONTROSE: Good depth but a slightly more paling edge. Bouquet has floral herbal notes with almost a touch of eucalyptus – where did that come from? Can start to enjoy this now but no rush. Would drink it before your treasured 1990. Excellent but over-shadowed again this time next to that magnificent 1990.
1985: CHATEAU MONTROSE: Much lighter and easier drinking here. Produced during the less dense more merlot period by Montrose from 1976 to 1985 inclusive. However still shows some of that typical 1985 vintage charm which is so likeable. Simpler herbal softer styling but enjoyable nonetheless. Surprised with the duck course
1982 CHATEAU MONTROSE: Dark looking with a good clean bottle on the nose presented here. This Montrose always showed well early on but still is on a beautiful plateau today. Nice freshness here and underrated. Enjoy.
1975 CHATEAU MONTROSE: Have tried more of this vintage of Montrose than any other. Tends to be bottle variable but recently have enjoyed some stellar very St. Estephe examples. Always like the very high cabernet sauvignon (70%+) this year provides but strong old style austere tannins can be forceful. This bottle is quite brown and disappoints as slightly musty. Wine has lots of structure if stored well preserving the drying out fruit.
1970 CHATEAU MONTROSE: Blend of 65/25/10 cab sauv/merlot/cab franc at 50 years old. Looks dark and much more youthful. So much fruit left and showing the class of a second growth here. Tried many bottles of this over the decades and find it so consistent. One of the treasures from 1970 and a true classic.
Reinforces my long held opinion on the deserved second growth status of this property. Some of the best preserved older wines from Bordeaux IMHO have been Chateau Montrose with very fond personal memories recalled among others of that superb pair of 1953 & 1952, 1945, 1928, and 1870. A good cellar investment in great vintages for sure.
Question: I am a American who has been invited by some Aussie friends to attend an Australian wine tasting and want to fit in with them using some appropriate slang words. Any ideas?
Answer: That’s an unusual one. Words about wine can be pretty similar the world over. However off the top of my head a few I would throw in for fun at an appropriate moment would include these:
FAIR DINKUM – for some good real wine that seems genuine and true to the growing region.
RIPPER – the best wine of the evening!
AS at the end of a word for added emphasis – eg.Lovely AS or Sweet AS etc.
A SPLASH OF FRUIT – for a wine that is showing a lot of big fruit
CLEAN SKINS – with reference to buying a terrific value wine (often described just by variety & region) because it has no producer listed on the label – a really popular deal in Melbourne.
GOOD ONYA MATE – For someone who makes a great point about a wine at your tasting.Should be an interesting experience.
Get back to us with some more words you discovered.
