On a rainy Sunday May 26, 2024 The Chefs’ Table Society of BC (CTS) with Pacific Prawn Fishermen’s Association (PPFA) held the popular Spot Prawn Festival at Fishermen’s Wharf on False Creek in Vancouver. This event started in 2006 and has turned into a popular culinary family outing.The price for this tasty seafood continues to rise – like most groceries today – but that doesn’t hinder the enthusiastic response.
Access to the docks is free with educational cooking demos, or a $10+ ounce bowl of hot Spot Prawn Bisque (veggies & 1/4 whipping cream) by Organic Ocean, or a $79+ tasting menu of 6 delicious Chef prepared dishes.
A total of 12 talented chefs prepared dishes (6 at the 11:30 am setting and another 6 at the 1:30 pm start). Exciting action. More detailed write-ups of past successful events on this Blog last year here and also in 2022 here.
The photos capture some of the delightful experiences shared by many attending. Well organized.
Answer: A Split is a smaller 1/4 size of a regular 750 ml bottle of Sparkling wine. This 187+ ml size seems to be named after the Italian word for small. Also see the use of the word Piccolo as well. Less frequently seen these days. Remember the old days when we often bought and enjoyed individual splits (with cork closures) from Pol Roger Champagne. Fun.
As followers of this Blog know your scribe is an enthusiastic follower of Burgundy including the iconic Clos de Tart. Founded back in 1141 this respected domaine has had nearly 900 years of history to get things right. More recently the family Marey-Monge 1791-1932 followed by family Mommessin 1932-2018 made some glorious vintages but lacked consistency. In April 2018 the Pinault family under Artemis Domaines acquired this large distinct Grand Cru terroir monopole site in Morey-Saint-Denis of 7.53 hectares. Several previous references by me including an extensive vertical posted here on December 12, 2016. Still a big fan of the lighter mature delicate 1985, outstanding complex brilliant 1990 and patience for excellence balanced 2005 (tasted again last week and still needs more cellaring to reach ultimate heights).
Pleased to report on an extended update visit there last week with Director Alessandro Noli to check out the major renovations to the tasting room, vat room, and vineyards with already these innovative quality improvements showing in the wines. Too many to list all of them here but some 7 major changes include these:
1. Vat room now has a variety of sizes from largest 40 HL down to 20 first used in 2019 to accommodate precisely all the different distinct plots in the vineyard.
2. Change the philosophy of the wine making using less extraction that had produced sometimes a more rustic too much tannin with a shorter dry finish style. New vertical press. The “DNA of the Clos de Tart vineyard has a powerful terroir so doesn’t need a lot of extraction.” Alessandro only keeping the cap wet and humid and not over extracting while key focus is on bringing out elegance and finesse as key elements in the finished wines.
3. Less new oak from the 100% used previously. Started to lower in 2015 at 80% but now down to about 60% in the Grand Vin & 45% in the second La Forge again for their elegance goal. May eventually go to 40/20. Using three main coopers of Taransaud, Francois Freres, and Saint Martin but prefers and is expanding the latter one.
4. Experimenting with the help of the University of Bordeaux in determining the right amount of whole clusters to use. Many samples sent at different times both before and after malolactic fermentation over the last four years to find the ideal impact. Impressive research ongoing over the varying climatic conditions each year. “Too much stems inclusion can mask the wonderful distinctive terroir of Clos de Tart”. Decision made to include about 52% for 2022 (and 20-25% for La Forge)
5. Excellent key grape selection for very best Grand Vin as they now are producing a Village AC third wine from very young vines (3-6 years) from all the plots as well as second wine La Forge.
6. Late blending of plots for Grand Vin then allowing the the blend some time to cohese together in barrel before bottling. Less new oak therefore want patience with longer vat time.
7. Yields are lower with 2023 at 35 hl/ha & 2022 at 28 hl/ha.
The proof was in the tasting of 2022 Village, La Forge, and Clos de Tart.
VILLAGE AC 2022 early harvest start August 26 using 2018 replanting and zero new oak bottled a month ago shows fresh red fruit aromatics.
LA FORGE 2022 has 23 year old vines (1984 planting) with better clonal selection with 20-25% whole clusters shows fresh elegance.
CLOS DE TART 2022 deep dark but bright clean aromas. Impressive smooth refined tannins with superb balance so elegant. “Ready to bottle”. Sure shows how less can result in more for the wine! Congrats.
Question: Liked your helpful 2024 frost update on May 1 but didn’t Chablis also suffer vine damage from cold weather in early May 2004?
Answer: Yes very astute follow-up by you on our Ask Sid Wednesday feature. When I posted on May 1, Chablis had been suffering cold temperatures but had avoided serious frost damage. However, the next 24 hours brought historic late major hail storms that severely impacted the region. Check out the report of May 6, 2004 in Wine Spectator here. Another unlucky shorter 2024 crop is in the works for these increasingly popular most unique wines. Make sure you buy some remaining 2020 vintage and avoid even likely further price increases on subsequent years.
The new Gambero Rosso Italian Wine Guide 2024 is out listing 2647 producers and 25231 wines. Also, they awarded 498 wines their highest rating of “Tre Biccieri”, 56 “Tre Bicchieri Verdi” and 12 Special Awards. Accordingly, they are now on the annual road show around the world promoting this Guide and we were excited to receive them in Vancouver on May 3, 2024 for the Grand Tasting and MasterClass. Kudos to them and especially to Alex Martyniak, Director of Trade and Business Development, The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada – West for all his dedicated work in making Vancouver an important Tour stop. Previously the seminars have been less extensive but this time they pulled out all the stops and conducted an impressive wine tasting of all 12 Special Awards. Congrats and well done!
1. SPARKLER OF THE YEAR:
Franciacorta Millesimo Nature 2016 Enrico Gatti
Dry fresh elegant flowers with acidity balance from a better vintage.
2. WINERY OF THE YEAR:
Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Cl. Sup. V. V. Historical 2018 Umani Rochi
Wonderful variety old vines in full rich bodied style from this top consistent
Viticoltori in Marche E Abruzzo.
3. WHITE WINE OF THE YEAR:
Collio Chardonnay Ris. 2018 Primosic
Stylish lovely true variety is complex from great white wine-producing area in Collio by newer Primosic winery. Excellent.
4. COOPERATIVE WINERY OF THE YEAR:
A. A. Gewurztraminer Nussbaumer 2021 Cantina Tramin
Open spicy lychee well-defined aromas grown on south facing silty soils.
Smart farming methods resulting in solid red with typical light bitterness.
8. UP-AND-COMING WINERY:
Carmignano Arrendevoke Ris. 2020 Tenuta Ceri
North of Florence in the Montalbano hills by new Ceri producer shows lovely cherry fruit from 90% Sangiovese & 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.
9. SOLIDARITY:
Rosso Piceno Sup. Roggio del Filare 2020 Velenosi
Montepulciano 70% & Sangiovese 30% from Marche has 18 months in barrique with 14.5 abv showing tobacco notes.
10. RED WINE OF THE YEAR:
Barolo Vigna Rionda Ester Canale Rosso 2019 Giovanni Rosso
Single Vineyard old vines Nebbiolo on red clay facing south east exposure from the celebrated 2019 new vintage.
Gambero Rosso tasters “Don’t look for concentration but finesse, elegance, and balance. This young Barolo is a wine of pure elegance that will develop for 20+ years.”
11. LADY GROWER OF THE YEAR:
Amarone della Valpolicella Val**zzane 2016 Camerani- Corte Sant’Alda
Clean smooth spicy mocha jam balanced not heavy at 15.5 abv with 4 years in oak barrels from grapes Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella 40/40/20 blend grown at 350 meters.
12. MEDITATION WINE OF THE YEAR:
Marsala VR 3911 Vergine Ris. 2011 Florio
100% Grillo from very sandy loam soil has ten years in single oak barrel fortified shows dry sherry-like malty salty unique nose and “crunchy marine notes”. Excellent aperitif or interesting pairing with blue cheese. Rediscover it.
