Answer: It is a native grape variety throughout Portugal especially successful in the southeastern Alentejo region with Indicacao Geografica Alentejano. Versatile one used for quite exotic white wines from early picked fresh and lively to riper later harvest in a rich rounder style. A really excellent blend your scribe has enjoyed is by winemaker Antonio Macanita using 12 months in French oak for Arrepiado Collection Reserva 2016 (13 abv) of 70% of Antao Vaz plus 15% each of Chardonnay & Riesling. A lovely fresh, rich, creamy wine with a touch of spice. Check out underrated Antoa Vaz!
Canada’s wine profile is finally reaching world credibility. Although Icewine (first produced in 1973 by Hainle in BC and later in Ontario) has been successful for a while it is really only in the last couple of decades that high-quality table wines have blossomed. Even so the pinot noir variety was one of the slowest to show developing progress. Looking back at the results of the Canadian Wine Awards confirms this observation:
2005 (5th Annual CWA): 43 entries of Pinot Noir 16 Medals but no Gold. Two Silvers 2003 Coyote’s Run Estate Reserve ($36 Ont.) & 2003 Mount Boucherie Summit Reserve ($16.90 BC).
2006: 44 entries of Pinot Noir with 1 Gold to 2004 Coyote’s Run Black Paw Vineyard ($36) but 7 Silver all from BC led by CedarCreek & Quails’ Gate with 2 each and Mission Hill.
2007: 41 entries with 16 medals, no Golds but 9 Silver 7 BC led by highest scoring CedarCreek Platinum Reserve Block Four ($55) – still producing great wine from this block today – and 2 2005s Niagara Peninsula by Flat Rock Cellars Gravity & Hidden Bench Estate Beamsville Bench. Your scribe, a long time judge for CWA noted “Pinot Noir is indeed the heartbreak grape for both producers and judges. Maybe they are just too young and closed up at the time of year we taste, but Canada needs to keep on with this variety; with older vines, we will see some big, heralded winners.” DJ Kearney observed: “We are still trying to set our pinot noir rudder. There are charming wines and there are clearly over-oaked wines.”
2008: 54 entries, 20 medals,16 from BC led by 3 Golds of Mount Boucherie, Quails’ Gate, & Church & State.
2009: 62 entries with 29 medals and finally starting to show more style and class.
2010: 62 entries 44 medals with 4 Gold & 15 Silver (17/19 from BC).
2011: 82 entries 32 medals with 2008 Howling Bluff Pinot Noir Naramata declared Red Wine of the Year!
As a long time follower of Averill Creek in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island it was with anticipation on March 11, 2022 to taste again their remarkable 2009 Reserve from 100% Estate grown pinot noir fruit. A south facing slope of Mount Prevost was planted with 4 different clones of pinot noir from 2002. Big admirer of owner Andy Johnston’s dedication and drive with low yield cropping special terroir to produce eventually Canada’s best pinot noir. Admired his earlier submissions to CWA without even receiving a medal. Even though they were rather light bodied they showed potential for purity, balance, and elegance and your scribe encouraged Andy by advising they were on the right track and to persevere with this difficult variety. They did and later were awarded CWA Gold for this 2009 Reserve. For more details on an interesting well written up Averill Creek vertical 2005-2012 check out the #24 one on bcpinotnoir.com. They also have been helped considerably recently for complexity and structure by experience, older vines, and fortunate climate change. In fact their 2018 Barrel 24 (15 year old vines) was made available only to CRU Society members at $120.20/bottle and is already sold out. What a statement of support that makes!
Lots of other top Pinot Noir producers in Canada are presently worth investigating. Be sure to check out among many possible choices the fantastic consistency and finesse of Meyer Family Vineyards, Martin’s Lane, 1 Mill Road, Tawse, and Le Clos Jordanne. Prince Edward County in Ontario is attracting deserved attention led by Closson Chase and Rosehall Run.
As for the 2009 Reserve of Averill Creek it was delicious. Younger vines with 15 months French oak now integrated into a very smooth mature soft savoury spicy cherries and tobacco. Wonderful still fresh pairing for tomato lasagna with homemade pork sausages. Back label notes “Enjoy now or cellar for up to 10 years.” On a lovely plateau now but they underestimated the staying power. No rush. Well done indeed for a first Reserve. Future for Averill Creek is bright indeed. Congrats.
Question: Update please on the latest wine “appellations” in BC?
Answer: Yes, British Columbia is developing a respected origin system to help identify where the grapes are grown and the wine is produced. There are nine general geographic zones (GI) in the province but now 6 important specific geographic indications (sub-GI). Admirably, wherever possible they are using natural features to define and fix the boundaries of each sub-GI including for the latest one just announced of Golden Mile Slopes. It joins Golden Mile Bench, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Falls, Skaha Bench, and Cowichan Valley. Lots more possible sub-GI presently under consideration including: Lake Country, Kelowna (both East Kelowna Slopes & South Kelowna Slopes), and Summerland (Lakeshore, Valley, and Benches). Stay tuned!
With current classified Bordeaux continuing to skyrocket in price it is smart to check out other less publicized value properties producing high quality wine. Excellent Cru Bourgeois Chateau Meyney in St. Estephe really hits the mark! Neighbour Chateau Phelan Segur also is highly qualified and most worthy. Meyney has a long history of grape growing but instrumental to wine development was the acquisition by the Cordier family (Gruaud Larose & Talbot) in 1917 and currently by CA Grands Crus (Grand Puy Ducasse & Rayne Vigneau) since 2004. Your scribe is a long time collector of St. Julien’s by GL & T and was fortunate to buy many of their wines during the eighties. So many star vintages in that decade with 1982s written up here on January 3, 2022 and a GL profile here on November 2, 2015. Wine shops usually also carried the other Cordier sister wine Chateau Meyney at much lower prices so bought those too.
Over the years felt tasting Meyney that they showed earlier on as simpler, more austere & rustic but with some age as they matured learned to appreciate them more. They have structure from iron rich “blue” clay (similar to Petrus in Pomerol) and develop with cellaring lovely smoothness, depth, and licorice notes. A single 51 hectare parcel divided into 62 different plots is unique with high Petit Verdot contribution in the Cab Sauv/Merlot blend. St Estephe is being helped by climate change with those clay soils preserving much needed moisture for the vines over the hot Summers – as seen during the blistering heat of 2003. All recent warmer vintages from 2014 to 2020 inclusive have been so successful with even Jancis Robinson awarding the 2016 a score of 18/20. Since 2013 Consultant Hubert de Bouard of Chateau Angelus deserves some kudos for all his contributions to stellar winemaking. In her recent Inside Bordeaux wine book Jane Anson sings the praises of Chateau Meyney and suggests it is worthy today of a 5th Growth classification.
Last night was a surprising treat of how well the 1986 (dark powerful & earthy but only 12.6 abv) paired with a delicious Risotto of Porcini Mushrooms. Last year stuffed chicken thighs also matched the flavours of 1986. What sublime matches. Earlier the mature 1982 (low 12 abv) still has juicy cherries with complex subtle savoury spices drinking beautifully. Buy some bottles of the recent vintages from the last decade and look forward down the road to an amazing treat at real value.
Question: Which wine region has the oldest Mourvedre vines?
Answer: Might have expected the Rhone Valley in France but it is the Barossa Valley in Australia. Plantings of “selection massale” Old Garden by Friedrich Koch in 1853 for Hewitson are reputed to be the oldest surviving Mourvedre vines. These late ripening deep rooted vines in sand over limestone have adapted so well to the hot dry terroir existing there. Hard to believe they will be 170 years old next year in 2023 and are still producing those special grapes for wine.
