Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Question: What are the differences between Ridge Zinfandel wines from Geyserville & Lytton Springs?

Answer: Timely question for your scribe who visited Ridge Vineyards at Lytton Springs just north of Healdsburg California again last month. There are probably more similarities than differences. Both are 100+ year old vineyards providing field blends for some super classic Zins. IMHO some of the main differences would include these notes:

GEYSERVILLE: Tasted Ridge 2020 (55th consecutive vintage) of Zin, Carignane, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, and Mataro interplanted field blend of 69/20/8/2/1 fermented together at 14.1 abv. The vines are 130+ years old planted on the valley floor with usually more Carignane and less Petite Sirah than Lytton Springs having rich ripe power with amazing perfumes plus elegance. Becomes more Bordeaux-like as it ages. Fond memories of that brilliant fine claret-like 1973!

LYTTON SPRINGS: Tasted Ridge 2019 (first one was 1972) of Zin, Petite Sirah, Carignane, and Mataro interplanted field blend 73/16/9/2 at 14.6 abv with some tartaric acid added. These vines are at higher elevation around 250 feet but younger at “only” 115-120 years and usually provides more Petite Sirah and less Carignane in the blend than Geyserville. Found it similar big dark tannic but with those typical earthy notes. Tends to be juicy and more forwardly approachable though their 2016 shows a powerful texture as well. Both vineyards result in fruit that delivers great distinctive wines. Fun to check them both out and find your own signature similarities & differences both young and with cellaring.

On Sunday July 17, 2022 Vancouver Branch of The International Wine & Food Society by members Larry & Karen kindly hosted our City Rooftop BBQ. Spectacular 360 degree views of our beautiful city from the double penthouse venue were marveled at together with a wonderful camaraderie among the IWFS members attending. There was a featured 5 litre bottle of 1982 Chateau Clarke of the Baron Edmund de Rothschild from Listrac plus some other interesting mystery wines to study. The BBQ summer event was catered by Chef Don Guthro and his aspiring young enthusiastic team from D.I.C.E.D Culinary School which stands for Diverse Innovation in Culinary Educational Development. It is an innovative inspirational idea that needs to spread further around the world for “Self Funded Social Purpose Hospitality Business”. Admire the motivation shown for a good cause in their statement: “Proceeds from all of our business activity goes towards our sponsored culinary training programs at D.I.C.E.D Culinary School. We are a self driven Social Purpose Business that focuses on giving individuals a skill so they can help themselves to become part of their community.” Check out their dicedculinary.com website for more details.

The food was your rather usual BBQ fare with charcuterie platters plus some lovely fresh produce including sweet Sungold cherry tomatoes. Beef burgers were perfectly grilled with various cheeses or other toppings offered. Your scribe preferred their tasty vegan burger of chickpea with cabbage alternative. Don prepared his own special secret recipe mayo that really made all the grilled items sing! Too many varied wine choices tasted to list them here but some of my highlights:

CHATEAU MARTINOLLES CREMANT DE LIMOUX ROSE BRUT: Surprisingly excellent value Vin Mousseux blend of Chardonnay, Chenin, and Pinot Noir from the St. Hilaire village hills.

L’ALTRO LANGHE CHARDONNAY 2020 PIO CESARE: Fresh dry 100% varietal best with food.

KEN FORRESTER OLDVINE RESERVE CHENIN BLANC 2019 STELLENBOSCH: Just off a Decanter Best In Show Award for their 2021 vintage this 2019 is drinking fantastic right now from this top producer but no rush either. Highly recommended Chenin!

CHATEAU DE FRANCE GRAND BORDEAUX BLANC 2015 PESSAC-LEOGNAN: Round ready full blend of 46% Sauvignon Blanc, 44% Semillon & 10 Sauvignon Gris.

CHATEAU REYNON SAUVIGNON BLANC 2017 BORDEAUX: Lovely dry structured citrus grapefruit acidity of intense lees fruit from this Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux property purchase by Dubourdieu family in 1958 plus amazing vineyard work since 1976 by legendary Denis Dubourdieu. Always an amazing pure example of Sauvignon worth searching out.

BC REDS: Lots of these older top Bordeaux blends included:

OSOYOOS LAROSE 2008 LE GRAND VIN: Merlot 60% harder CS 25%

TINHORN CREEK MERLOT 2008 OLDFIELD RESERVE: Rich 15 abv

LAUGHING STOCK PORTFOLIO 2003: Only 8 Tons of grapes for 500 cases first vintage crushed at Poplar Grove with 64/33/3 Merlot, CS, CF Rather nice and ready now but simpler finish. Guessed blind a 2006 top BC red blend.

CHATEAU ROZIER 2005 ST. EMILION: Usually a good value choice. This earthy Merlot blend is more mature than most classic 2005 Bordeaux.

CHATEAU CARBONNIEUX 2005 GRAVES: More depth but spicy fruit is lighter in style as well so start drinking it now.

CHATEAU CAMBON LA PELOUSE 2010 HAUT-MEDOC: Always have liked this property a neighbour to Margaux with my 2000 drinking beautifully now and 2005 starting to come around. This 2010 of 50/47/3 M, CS, PV is remarkable and maybe my wine of the night. Buckets of ripe full fruit with some of that 2010 excellent structure. Approachable but no rush. Outstanding value find by members Sharon & Ray.

BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2010 CANALICCHIO DI SOPRA: Great vintage in Brunello too. Power with full plummy Sangiovese juice. Excellent drinking now as an expensive treat from member Dr, Bob.

CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2007 LE VIEUX DONJON: On a lovely drinking exotic plateau presently from kind members Kim & Alvin. Blend is all aged in large vats with 75% Grenache showing well with the contributing depth of Syrah & Mouvedre and reminding me of their gorgeous 1998.

SHANNON PINOT NOIR 2009 ROCKVIEW RIDGE ELGIN: Near the vineyards in Hemel-en-Aarde of outstanding Hamilton Russell in South Africa this is a good effort but a bit too ripe sweet cinnamon and less delicate refined than HR. Maybe better early on.

GRECHETTO PASSITO 2015 MONTECORNEO 570 GENUS: From Umbria Italy with an amber look of sweet figs & honey from Nellie & Vincent on visiting there. They are developing for the winery a special label for this wine with her spectacular art piece.

GRAY MONK KERNER LATE HARVEST 2006: Delicious citrus flavours to go with the finished wine’s 32.5 g/l residual sugar provided by Maggie & Larry. Thanks.

Question: How is the 2022 vintage year developing in Europe?

Answer: Your question on Europe covers too many wine regions to cover them all specifically here. Also it is still too early to know definitively what shape most vineyards will be in come harvest time. What we do know presently is that many parts of Europe – especially Bordeaux, Portugal, Spain, England, and Italy – are seeing major continuing heatwaves with some 40+ Celsius temperatures expected to peak this weekend. Lots of forest fires (Euronews reports over 1700 hectares of pine trees already burnt near Bordeaux) with smoke issues being monitored. Conditions are being compared to the historic 2003 (and 2019) hot weather years. Recommend you continue to keep a close eye over the next couple of months on these important developing matters that undoubtedly are going to affect many European vineyards in a major way. Expecting there are going to be some really unique wines produced in Europe from the 2022 vintage!

On June 28, 2022 your scribe orchestrated a vertical tasting of Chateau Beychevelle 4th Growth St. Julien featuring some 7 key vintages between 1966 to 1988 including a blind mystery wine. This was a dinner event for the Vancouver Group of Eight held at Tutto Restaurant with well prepared beef short rib agnolotti & lamb rack pairing well with the two flights of our aged decanted Bordeaux wines.

Chateau Beychevelle has a long history with negociant Guestier purchasing it in 1825 followed in 1970 by bankers Achille-Fould family and later several partners including Suntory (owners of nearby Chateau
Lagrange). It has a beautiful chateau and gardens with vineyards on the Gironde next to Ducru-Beaucaillou but extending historically as well allowing some in Cussac in the Haut-Medoc (also home of Chateau Beaumont). In Harry Waugh’s Wine Diary Volume Six by Christie Wine Publications (1975) on Pages 43-47 they profile this property and note: “In 1866 Beychevelle was awarded a gold medal by the Agricultural Society of the Gironde for the improvement of viticulture, including among other things, initiating the use of iron wires between stakes in the vineyard in place of the wooden slats which had always been used hitherto.” Waugh also noted that “the Beychevelle vineyards during the 1950s may well have been too large a proportion of young vines (from replanting) and too large a percentage of merlot.” However he states that “tasting notes of 9 vintages between 1960 -1970 demonstrate, I hope, how greatly the quality of the wine made at Beychevelle has been improving over the past years.” Your scribe has followed Beychevelle quite closely since the sixties including opportunities to dine and stay at the property on several occasions. This all resulted in my becoming a collector of their wines and enjoying them for pure elegant fruit despite their higher yields and softer high merlot mix. The overall results here were rather mixed opinions with some pleased at how well the wines had held up while your scribe was rather a tougher critic expecting a great 1966 but disappointed by this bottle though impressed by the always excellent 1986 & surprising 1985:

1988 BEYCHEVELLE: OK. Lighter. Ready. The remaining fruit doesn’t seem to be ripe enough with those greener notes showing. Drink up.

1986 BEYCHEVELLE: Darker. Lots of fruit left in this well stored bottle. Always shows solid fullness with classy styling. Really sings with the pasta course. One of the very best examples from older vintages of the capability of this St. Julien. Worth searching out.

1985 BEYCHEVELLE: Lots of poor ratings but was the delightful surprise of the night. This bottle is excellent. Does exhibit supple charm and finesse and is delicious elegant drinking now.

1985 GRUAUD-LAROSE: Mystery wine possibly best of the night. Less charm than Beychevelle but very 1985 vintage styled with more body and substance. Better balance and structure on this St. Julien Second Growth comes through gloriously.

1978 BEYCHEVELLE: Showed quite well young as savoury and sweet fruit from this miracle year. Doesn’t have those attributes now as drying out but serviceable with the lamb course.

1975 BEYCHEVELLE: Early on was rather good but wasn’t as concentrated and tannic as many 1975s. Bottles have been variable but some were quite good but this one is definitely drier.

1970 BEYCHEVELLE: Round, attractive and spicy for the first 20 years but risky now at 50+ years. Bottle variable. Waugh’s early comment: “This has the beautiful dark colour, so typical of its year, with a delightful fragrant bouquet, it is round and well made and although supple and well forward, still has plenty of tannin. Will make a fine bottle.”

1966 BEYCHEVELLE: Old fav of mine and usually is still outstanding. Enjoyed so many classic textbook St. Julien examples of this over the years. Always reminded me of Michael Broadbent’s ” long-distance runner” description of the 1966 vintage with the acidity balance but with lots of pure fruit. Waugh’s comment at 7 years of age: “Very dark colour, a lovely full, rich bouquet with a fine big, rich flavour. Still seems very immature. Try again in about 5 years’ time for it would be a shame to waste a wine of such style and class.” Unfortunately may have waited too long but this bottle is flawed as “musty” so doesn’t allow this wonderful quality to show. Disappointment.

Question: What is the present situation for northern Italy vineyards?

Answer: Very topical because of extreme weather conditions of extreme heat and lack of rainfall drought presently in northern wine regions. Italy has just declared a state of emergency in 5 key wine regions: Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, Lombardy, Piedmont, and Veneto. Will be important to monitor the ongoing effect on the vineyards in those areas. Could be an unusual vintage 2022 for sure!