Long time followers of this Blog will know your scribe’s admiration of Chateau Haut-Brion (and La Mission Haut-Brion) and my respect for the current administration under Prince Robert of Luxembourg the President of Domaine Clarence Dillon and winemaker Jean-Philippe Delmas. My following of their outstanding wines goes back to the brilliant Jean-Bernard Delmas and previously under the Woltner family from 1919 to 1983. Some cherished old treasured bottles of red like the unbelievable historic 1949 La Mission and those unbelievable 100 point twin successes in 1989. However, yours truly has been a big time fan as well of their white wines. Started way back comparing the differences between elegant Haut-Brion Blanc with richer Laville Haut-Brion (changed the name in 2009 to La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc) – especially their old vintages of Creme de Tete and always amazed at their complexity with age. Two old incomparable magnums of Haut-Brion Blanc demonstrated just how outstanding these whites could develop with some age. First on January 28, 1984 at IWFS Marin County Haskell Norman served at his First Growth 1949 Bordeaux dinner a ravishing H-B white Mag at 35 years of age with an impressive bouquet and smooth almost “Y” Ygrec sweet taste. Second at Marvin Overton’s Haut-Brion vertical on April 18, 1986 the 47 H-B white Mag direct from the Chateau at 39 years was a pure creamy lanolin rich beauty. Older vintages also most interesting though 1916 was a bit sherry-like, but honey 1919, intense 1928, and thick 1937. A white wine to the cellar for sure.

More recently released starting with the 2009 vintage is La Clarte De Haut-Brion (formerly called Les Plantiers du Haut-Brion) which is a terroir combined of the Estates of Haut-Brion & La Mission Haut-Brion. Technically a second label it performs as a first because of the care and high quality smart decisions that go into superbly putting it together to show so well as its own distinct wine. On July 25, 2022 at Chef’s Choice Chinese dinner (previously referenced) was served double blind in 3 flights of 2 wines each the 2014, 2015 & 2016 with the identical vintage of another fine white from Pessac-Leognan of Chateau de Fieuzal. Enjoyed all 6 whites but La Clarte is so impressive indeed like a First Growth. Note the amazing stats that follow:

2014: Similar dates to Haut-Brion for harvest (September 3-12) and bottling (June 10, 2015) but Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend and new oak are quite different. La Clarte has lovely fruity citrus 66% SB (H-B is only 32%) & 34% Sem (H-B is 68%) and less new barrels 39% (H-B 54%). De Fieuzal 60SB & 40 Sem with no malolactic to retain the acidity freshness.

2015: Harvest earlier August 28-September 8 and bottling July 4, 2016. Bouquet and taste show the exact opposite combo to 2014 in a richer riper style. Only 27% SB (H-B 69%) & 73% Sem (H-B 31%). More new oak at 55% than H-B at 50%. Interesting. De Fieuzal 55% SB/45% Sem from smaller berries and richer concentration than their 2014.

2016: Harvesting September 1-13 and bottling June 19, 2017. Again much more Sem than H-B and more new oak. 76% Sem is highest ever (H-B only 29.5%) & even less 24% SB (H-B high 70.5 % to emphasize freshness) with 60% new oak (H-B 48%). Very different wines. De Fieuzal 60 SB & 40 Sem quite floral with better acidity.

Be aware of these undiscovered excellent whites and check out the cellar potential of especially La Clarte 2015 & 2016 (plus current vintages) with high Semillon in these overall blends.

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Question: Which wine region do you expect to benefit most this year from climate change?

Answer: Quite a few in cooler areas where the previous challenge always has been having enough sun & heat to ripen the grapes. The first one that comes to mind is southern England. Britain has been setting records in 2022 with exceptionally hot and dry weather conditions. Obviously the grapes at harvest time should have exceptional sugar levels with much less or no chaptalization necessary. Still early days but likely to be an even better year than the excellent 2018 vintage.

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Like many regions the wonderful innovative Vancouver dining scene has been struggling through a couple of years of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, rising property prices resulting in increased taxes or higher rental fees, and difficult operating staff shortages. However, all this hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm for presenting top quality by both old-timers still surviving and brave new-comers to the restaurant scene. An inspiring boost was given to the whole hospitality industry by the announcement on July 14, 2022 at a reception held at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts that Michelin Guide Vancouver (following Toronto announced earlier) will be revealed for the first time this Fall. Exciting news indeed.

Your scribe has been busy these last few months in discussions on Slack with other judges for the upcoming 2022 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards (now over 30+ annual editions). Different criteria than Michelin is emphasized for these choices in assisting the diner consumer to find current spots to dine which rate highly on a price quality matrix.

There are so many worthy restaurants that deserve your consideration.

The 2022 Canada’s Best 100 Restaurants is just out with two Vancouver places making their Top Three ranking of #1 “local Nordic” PUBLISHED ON MAIN (Chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson), and #3 “Quebecois” ST. LAWRENCE (Chef J-C Poirer).

Visits by your scribe over the last month discovered some really amazing dishes at these recommended restaurants that are worth seeking out:

–AUTOSTRADA: 3 unique neighbourhood haunts with the newest one Vancouver House with air conditioning for Summer heat comfort. Remarkable Chef Lucais Syme (with Dustin Dockendorf co-owner & Wine Director) continues to focus on fresh, local, and delicious with an Italian Osteria leaning. All Pasta (and freshly baked bread) are outstanding like Chittara Anatra e Acciuga (duck & anchovy ragu) including most recently AGNOLOTTI WITH FRESH MORELS.

–BLUE WATER: Long time favourite under Chef Frank Pabst. Lesser known seafood “Unsung Heroes” Festival. Try this dish: SAUTEED DIVER SCALLOPS, slow roasted cauliflower, golden raisins “aigre-doux”; fresh herb salad; sauce Grenobloise with capers and hazelnuts.

–BOULEVARD: In demand training place for top apprentices led by Chef Roger Ma (and legendary leader Chef Alex Chen), Pastry Chef Kenta Takahashi and JP Potters Executive GM (and Wine Director) prepare so many outstanding courses on a tasting menu if requested including fresh seafood and quail but revelation last month of superb GRILLED OCTOPUS WITH EGGPLANT. Divine.

–CACTUS CLUB: Chef Rob Feenie is gone, now setting up his own 2.0 new location. Anticipation for opening. Cactus is in the good hands of new Executive Chef of Culinary Development Greg McCallum (ex L’ABATTOIR & LE CROCODILE) and team. Like the textures of exciting grilled avocado kale salad with crispy chickpeas. Must try: BC HALIBUT lightly poached with lemon & olive oil, fennel, peas, tomato, and lobster tarragon butter sauce.

–CHEF’S CHOICE CHINESE CUISINE: Optimistically opened in February 2021 turned into a raving success but still unsung. Cantonese influenced but “gourmet” in everything cooked and served. Peking Duck, Roast suckling pig and Dungeness crab are all great but KING CRAB LEGS & KNUCKLES with garlic is unbelievable!

–CIOPPINO’S: Italian food & wine Master Pino Posteraro works magic with his amazingly inspired dishes and most extensive wine list (now posted at 100+ pages on-line). So many jewels but your scribe always starts with that unique burrata temptation with smoky eggplant & delicate tempura battered artichoke. What a melding of sensual textures and flavours. Congrats.

–NIGHTINGALE: Sister of celebrated Hawksworth Restaurant (just starting line-caught Wild Chinook Salmon delivered daily from Tofino’s Nuu-chah-nulth Fishers, part of Five Nations Fishery) making its mark as an informal delight of diverse dishes in sharing plates for the table. Excellent wine service with knowledgeable Chris Rielly Hawksworth Restaurant Group Wine Director of enthusiastic Sommelier team. Tasty grilled vegetable offerings from Broccolini to Brussels sprouts but all fired pizzas are real value (sold commercially frozen at Bel Cafe and other outlets for take-out) MARGARITA PIZZA WITH CRISPY CRUST.

Please post to let us know how the restaurants are doing in your city and some dishes you recommend!

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Question: Why is there not more emphasis on regenerative vineyards?

Answer: Good point. I believe there is starting to be a better focus on regenerative farming in the vineyards. For a while the buzz words have included mainly biodynamic, organic and sustainable. However, regeneration should become a hotter item during this decade with continuing climate change. You are hearing more about the increased use of leaf canopy, cover crops, rotation of different plants, and even unplanted fallow ground to rest and rejuvenate the soil. The need for “healthy” soils with better water retention are becoming important factors for producing the best quality grapes. Jancis Robinson just posted an interesting article about farming systems on her website dated July 12, 2022. Looks like we will be hearing a lot more about regenerative farming in the near future.

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An educational full week of wine updates in Sonoma last month brought lots of interesting experiences. Your scribe & wife Joan together with long time IWFS Marin County member Michael Menke enjoyed some insightful winery visits with excellent food – especially dinner twice at John Ash. It turned out to be a combination of both the new and the old. Among my new ones were great value for quality WALTER HANSEL family Chardonnay & Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley, CARLISLE in Windsor for old-vine Zin & red Rhone varieties (check out their extensive drinkability chart on-line), and SOJOURN CELLARS (Winemaker Erich Bradley) tasting salon right in the town of Sonoma. Re-visits included classy WILLIAMS SEYLEM modernized from the early days of Burt & Ed’s first pinot noir in 1981 but still no sign just 7227 (Westside Road), SONOMA-CUTRER extensive tasting with Winemaking Director Mick Schroeter celebrating 40 years from 1981 remembering Brice Jones & Bill Bonetti, and HANZELL VINEYARDS still isolated on the Mayacamas mountain range overlooking SW Sonoma Valley & San Pablo Bay.

This last mentioned HANZELL brought back for me a load of fond nostalgic memories from the seventies onward. Founded in 1953 by wife HANa & Ambassador James D ZELLeerbach and owned by the de Brye family since 1975. First vintage was 1957 under iconic winemaker Brad Webb (also a Founder of Freemark Abbey in 1967) and followed in 1973 by Bob Sessions who championed 28 straight vintages till 2001. Your scribe was so impressed when first meeting Brad in the seventies and his most thoughtful work with chardonnay. In the early days he was trying to replicate Burgundy using various techniques and small French oak casks. Only Martin Ray & Stony Hill were at this level way back then followed by Chalone. Subsequent visits to the winery in the late seventies with Bob Sessions confirmed this with a really superb 1978 chardonnay & surprisingly complex aging pinot noirs from 1970, 1971, and 1972. Decades later issues with TCA from 2001 complicated matters and a long renewal was required but found the newer wines were less elegant and a bit strong and alcoholic for my palate. Now on this long overdue winery return visit I was surprised plus re-energized by what I discovered. Still a long difficult road up to the winery but definitely worth the detour. Almost the same route as it was 50+ years ago isolated but now a perfect conversion to biodynamics certified in 2021 that works with no neighbours interfering. Shown around by Andrew checking out the clones and the vineyards. Like how the 46 acres planted (4 back to 1953) out of the 200 acre Estate are laid out as separate vineyard blocks some on Raynor-Montara soil (Day is 4 1/2 acres all Chardonnay first planted 1972-1998) and others on Red Hills Volcanic (De Brye hill warmer than both cooler Sessions pinot & Ramos chardonnay blocks). Lots of valuable time spent with conscientious winemaker Jason Jardine (since 2014) who is on the right track and impressed with what he is accomplishing at Hanzell. He has a good focus on the soils and the importance of composts and “fungal profile”. Tried several wines that showed excellent potential:

–HANZELL CHARDONNAY SEBELLA Winemaker’s Selection 2020 $58: Second label started in 2009 primarily from the Zellerbach Vineyard is fermented in Stainless Steel and aged in neutral French oak for earlier fresh bright accessibility.

–HANZELL CHARDONNAY Sonoma Valley 2019 $78: Best Chardonnay grapes picked end of August/early September from vines averaging 42 year from 32 acres planted 1953-2008 at higher elevation 415-810 feet using clones 92% Hanzell Heritage & 8% Experimental on Rootstocks 94% St. George & 6% Experimental. Shows well and ageable with subtle styling and finishing lift from good acidity at only 13.9 abv fermented in 73% Stainless Steel & 27% New Barrels aged 14 months in both SS & French oak (11 coopers featuring Francois Freres).

–HANZELL PINOT NOIR Sonoma Valley 2019 $98: From 12 acres planted 1953-1999 averaging 26 years vine age fermented 31% whole cluster and aged 10 months in 28% new French oak. Interesting Experimental work on both clones (54%) & rootstock (64%) with remaining 46% Hanzell Heritage & 36% St. George. Recently pinot noir fruit is ripening earlier but they do try to wait for more maturity of the wood & most importantly the increasing use of stems which Jason feels integrates the tannins better. Lovely style with lower alcohol plus excellent juicy mineral earthy fruit statement. Admire the gentler tannins structure but still needs more time to round out and develop.

–HANZELL FARM THE SESSIONS SELECTION PINOT NOIR 2020: Unique 100% Whole Cluster Sessions Block aged 10 months in 1/3 French oak with only 150 cases produced.

–HANZELL PINOT NOIR AMBASSADOR’S 1953 VINEYARD 2020 $130: Historic Block in tribute to the Ambassador planted in 1953 with the Mt. Eden Clone on St. George rootstock. Wonderful depth and will age forever.

Recommend you check out some of these exciting quality new Hanzell Vineyards Chardonnay & Pinot Noirs!

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