Big Bold Reds
18/05/13 18:44 Filed in: Posts by Philth
Hello,
Today, since barbecue season is starting soon, three big bold reds to go with beef…
First off, please read this to learn how to grill a steak like a boss…
http://imgur.com/gallery/cPTAVE8
Now that you know how to properly cook meat, let's get on with the wines!
The first one is a Bordeaux in the Graves appellation from the Château de Chantegrive (where yours truly works), vintage 2009 and is a special cuvée called Henri Lévêque, in memory of the deceased founder of the vineyard. It's made from the best and oldest vines, we do the malo-lactic fermentations in oak barrels, the élevage is of 16 months in new barrels and it's not filtered nor fined… The nose is smoky and lactic with notes of blueberry and chocolate. The mouth is round and full-bodied with silky-smooth tannins and a long finish on fruit and torrefaction. It is a perfect choice for a slab of beef grilled on vine stalks, but maybe a bit difficult to find (unless you ask nicely) and not cheap (around 20€ ) .
The next one is, again, a Bordeaux, but this time in the St-Émilion Grand Cru appellation, 2009 vintage from Château Faugères. They produce this wine with great care, from filling the vats using gravity to the gentle use of thermoregulation throughout the vinification process and a 14 month élevage in oak barrels. Although the building in itself is fugly, the wine is spectacular with a nose of espresso, chocolate and black cherry. The mouth is smooth, elegant and with a fantastic finish and it just becomes obvious that their consulting winemaker is Michel Rolland… Again a great choice for steak, but a tad expensive (38€ ) …
Let's leave expensive Bordeaux for our last one to travel to Spain in a little known appellation that I love, Bierzo. Located in northwest Spain, it's the bastion of the varietal mencia, an underestimated grape in my opinion… Anyway, the wine that is of interest to us today is from producers Dominio de Tares, vintage 2009 and is 100% mencia. The nose is spicy and powerful, with notes of violet and red fruit. The mouth is fruit-forward, bold and very fresh with a nice mineral finish. For around 10€ I think this is going to be my go to wine for the barbecue season!
I'm off to put a porterhouse on the grill…
Today, since barbecue season is starting soon, three big bold reds to go with beef…
First off, please read this to learn how to grill a steak like a boss…
http://imgur.com/gallery/cPTAVE8
Now that you know how to properly cook meat, let's get on with the wines!
I'm off to put a porterhouse on the grill…
Comments
When You Say Buds...
11/05/13 17:11 Filed in: Posts by Sammy
Dear readers,
Spring finally shows it's living mantle. Yes, the one that buds! And when you say buds, you say Burgundy. Some of the wines of this region are simply unmissable to celebrate the funky spring ware fashion. And I, your humble servant, propose something as funky as lime-green capri pants.
So, today, we'll have a bicycle ride in Villeray (sorry for the Montreal references), a half-nap half-binge drinking episode in the Mount-Royal park and a beautiful sunset on the roof of an industrial building that you accessed completely illegally. But for this incredible plan to succeed, you'll need two very precise things. 1. A date as adventurous as she's sexy. 2. A bottle or two of Nicolas Potel's white Burgundy, a real gem of finesse that seduced me with it's almost sensual texture...
This wine, produced from old vines and on the 2010 vintage, has a delicate and charming nose. Almonds, vanilla, white flowers et warm pear comes out of our glass. The oak is nicely integrated with the fruit. The palate is full, ample, so much so that the acidity seems like an afterthought. A little minerality and an impressive length for the finale. It would be so easy to abuse the stuff!
Definitely more as an apéritif than as a meal wine, it could nevertheless go very well with dishes as delicate as itself. Think plain crab for example, or maybe a white fish with lemon butter, it should be delicious!
Here are the websites for the producer and the importer in Quebec:
http://www.nicolas-potel.fr
http://www.rezin.com
So, the last question that needs an answer is the following: would it be deplorable to quaff this wine, straight from the bottle, in a backstreet while french-kissing your new girlfriend? I let you answer that!
Have a great week!
Spring finally shows it's living mantle. Yes, the one that buds! And when you say buds, you say Burgundy. Some of the wines of this region are simply unmissable to celebrate the funky spring ware fashion. And I, your humble servant, propose something as funky as lime-green capri pants.
So, today, we'll have a bicycle ride in Villeray (sorry for the Montreal references), a half-nap half-binge drinking episode in the Mount-Royal park and a beautiful sunset on the roof of an industrial building that you accessed completely illegally. But for this incredible plan to succeed, you'll need two very precise things. 1. A date as adventurous as she's sexy. 2. A bottle or two of Nicolas Potel's white Burgundy, a real gem of finesse that seduced me with it's almost sensual texture...
This wine, produced from old vines and on the 2010 vintage, has a delicate and charming nose. Almonds, vanilla, white flowers et warm pear comes out of our glass. The oak is nicely integrated with the fruit. The palate is full, ample, so much so that the acidity seems like an afterthought. A little minerality and an impressive length for the finale. It would be so easy to abuse the stuff!
Definitely more as an apéritif than as a meal wine, it could nevertheless go very well with dishes as delicate as itself. Think plain crab for example, or maybe a white fish with lemon butter, it should be delicious!
Here are the websites for the producer and the importer in Quebec:
http://www.nicolas-potel.fr
http://www.rezin.com
So, the last question that needs an answer is the following: would it be deplorable to quaff this wine, straight from the bottle, in a backstreet while french-kissing your new girlfriend? I let you answer that!
Have a great week!
Meritage
27/04/13 16:44 Filed in: Posts by Philth
Hi guys,
Today something a little different! A Bordeaux blend, but from California, the 2009 Central Coast Meritage from Hahn Winery…
First off, let me explain what is a Meritage… It's a wine, red or white, made from Bordeaux varietals (so cab sauvignon, cab franc, merlot, petit verdot and malbec for the reds and sauvignon blanc, semillion and muscadelle for whites), in the Bordeaux style and that is reviewed by the Meritage Alliance, a California-based association of wine producers, to ensure quality. At first the Meritage appellation was limited to the USA, but, now, you can find them in other countries like Canada, Australia, Mexico, Argentina and there's even one in… France (I'll try to find that, it's a producer from Limoux)!
Alright, let's get back to our wine then… Deep purple in colour, this looks like a serious wine but is a bit closed on the tasting glass, so, off to the decanter we go for about an hour… The second time is better, much better, with a nose of blackcurrant, tobacco, smoke and cedar underlined by a little violet (sign of a very ripe petit verdot, an amazing varietal when done right). The palate is round and smooth, nicely structured and balanced with a nice smoky cherry finish.
I'd be curious to try this wine in a blind tasting. Yes, it's a Bordeaux blend, but the use of very ripe malbec and petit verdot is not something you see often in Bordeaux, even in the best vintages, so, I can't say it's in the style of Bordeaux… What I'm trying to say is that it really felt american by it's boldness and power but was nicely balanced by the elegance of the varietals and the touch of the winemaker, hence the blind tasting… Anyway, it should go great with your summer barbecues!
Have a nice week!
Today something a little different! A Bordeaux blend, but from California, the 2009 Central Coast Meritage from Hahn Winery…
First off, let me explain what is a Meritage… It's a wine, red or white, made from Bordeaux varietals (so cab sauvignon, cab franc, merlot, petit verdot and malbec for the reds and sauvignon blanc, semillion and muscadelle for whites), in the Bordeaux style and that is reviewed by the Meritage Alliance, a California-based association of wine producers, to ensure quality. At first the Meritage appellation was limited to the USA, but, now, you can find them in other countries like Canada, Australia, Mexico, Argentina and there's even one in… France (I'll try to find that, it's a producer from Limoux)!
Alright, let's get back to our wine then… Deep purple in colour, this looks like a serious wine but is a bit closed on the tasting glass, so, off to the decanter we go for about an hour… The second time is better, much better, with a nose of blackcurrant, tobacco, smoke and cedar underlined by a little violet (sign of a very ripe petit verdot, an amazing varietal when done right). The palate is round and smooth, nicely structured and balanced with a nice smoky cherry finish.
I'd be curious to try this wine in a blind tasting. Yes, it's a Bordeaux blend, but the use of very ripe malbec and petit verdot is not something you see often in Bordeaux, even in the best vintages, so, I can't say it's in the style of Bordeaux… What I'm trying to say is that it really felt american by it's boldness and power but was nicely balanced by the elegance of the varietals and the touch of the winemaker, hence the blind tasting… Anyway, it should go great with your summer barbecues!
Have a nice week!
And the Winner Is...
13/04/13 18:34 Filed in: Posts by Philth
Hello readers,
As you may know, last week was primeurs week in Bordeaux and I went to a lot of tastings (I did Soutard, Pavie-Macquin, La Fleur de Boüard, Cercle Rive Droite, Dégustation Graves à La Bourse and the Pomerol Co-op) and I feel I am able to give you pointers for your 2012 Bordeaux buys, so we'll go through each appellations together… But before all that, let's just say that the right bank wins this year, especially the Pomerols… Let's see why…
The Graves and Pessac-Léognan appellations:
Located on the left bank, south of Bordeaux, let's just say that this is not a great year for these appellations… The whites have an hyper-acidic finish (my teeth still hurt from the tasting, but they are whiter… ) and the reds have a nice tannic structure but lack depth and roundness. There are a few exceptions such as Château de Chantegrive, Chevalier and Malartic-Lagravière. Note that these are unfinished wines, so let's wait and see…
The Médoc appellations:
Located on the left bank, north of Bordeaux, this area is the one that I least tasted, but from comments heard and the few tasted, it's really heterogeneous. There are a few that come on top though such as Malescot Saint-Exupéry (Margaux), with a nice balance and beautiful tannins, Château Gloria (St-Julien), with loads of fruit and a pleasant sweetness, but, on the whole the wines of the Médoc are a bit on the green side this year, choose carefully.
Saint-Émilion:
Now we are getting somewhere. Located on the northern right bank, the wines this year are nervous, but fuller and more structured than last year, with ripe merlot and a nice wood integration. Special mentions goes to Fleur Cardinale, Clos la Madeleine, Troplong Mondot (delicious) and La Couspaude. I also tasted some exceptional wines in the St-Émilion appellation, especially the Thienpont collection with Pavie-Macquin and Larcis-Ducasse.
Pomerol and Lalande de Pomerol:
This is it… This is fucking beautiful wine. Not one tasted was not good. There's fruit, tannins, texture and length. If you have to invest in primeur wines this year, go with Pomerols, you won't be disappointed. Feytit Clinet, Rouget and La Fleur de Plince (good luck finding that though) really stand out for the Pomerols and Grand Ormeau and Tournefeuille in Lalande are also amazing.
Other wines that are worth mentioning are, in the Côtes-De-Francs appellation Château Puygueraud and La Prade (again from Nicolas Thienpont) and a Côtes-De-Bordeaux Cadillac, Château Carignan.
I didn't have the chance to taste the Sauternes this year, but from what I've seen of the weather during harvest and the comments I've heard, it's a catastrophe… Note that Yquem did not produce their first wine this year.
Anyway, that's it for me this week, remember that I'm talking about unfinished wines and that we'll have to taste them again in 18 months or so to judge them better...
Have a nice week!
As you may know, last week was primeurs week in Bordeaux and I went to a lot of tastings (I did Soutard, Pavie-Macquin, La Fleur de Boüard, Cercle Rive Droite, Dégustation Graves à La Bourse and the Pomerol Co-op) and I feel I am able to give you pointers for your 2012 Bordeaux buys, so we'll go through each appellations together… But before all that, let's just say that the right bank wins this year, especially the Pomerols… Let's see why…
The Graves and Pessac-Léognan appellations:
The Médoc appellations:
Located on the left bank, north of Bordeaux, this area is the one that I least tasted, but from comments heard and the few tasted, it's really heterogeneous. There are a few that come on top though such as Malescot Saint-Exupéry (Margaux), with a nice balance and beautiful tannins, Château Gloria (St-Julien), with loads of fruit and a pleasant sweetness, but, on the whole the wines of the Médoc are a bit on the green side this year, choose carefully.
Saint-Émilion:
Now we are getting somewhere. Located on the northern right bank, the wines this year are nervous, but fuller and more structured than last year, with ripe merlot and a nice wood integration. Special mentions goes to Fleur Cardinale, Clos la Madeleine, Troplong Mondot (delicious) and La Couspaude. I also tasted some exceptional wines in the St-Émilion appellation, especially the Thienpont collection with Pavie-Macquin and Larcis-Ducasse.
Pomerol and Lalande de Pomerol:
This is it… This is fucking beautiful wine. Not one tasted was not good. There's fruit, tannins, texture and length. If you have to invest in primeur wines this year, go with Pomerols, you won't be disappointed. Feytit Clinet, Rouget and La Fleur de Plince (good luck finding that though) really stand out for the Pomerols and Grand Ormeau and Tournefeuille in Lalande are also amazing.
Other wines that are worth mentioning are, in the Côtes-De-Francs appellation Château Puygueraud and La Prade (again from Nicolas Thienpont) and a Côtes-De-Bordeaux Cadillac, Château Carignan.
I didn't have the chance to taste the Sauternes this year, but from what I've seen of the weather during harvest and the comments I've heard, it's a catastrophe… Note that Yquem did not produce their first wine this year.
Anyway, that's it for me this week, remember that I'm talking about unfinished wines and that we'll have to taste them again in 18 months or so to judge them better...
Have a nice week!
Cheap Thrills
06/04/13 17:54 Filed in: Posts by Philth
Hi guys,
After being completely broke at the end of March, I decided to do a compilation of four great wines for under 10€… There are two Côtes-Du-Rhône and two Bordeaux. Let's start with the Bordeaux!
First we have the Domaine de Clotte, vintage 2010 in the St-Émilion appellation. The nose is very unappealing on this one… It's smells of green bell peppers and wet dog… But after a while it gets better and we have aromas of blackcurrant and mulberry coming up, with still an underlying greenness to it that, fortunately, disappears over time. The palate is very round, full-bodied and fruit-foward… For an 8€ St-Émilion it's quite pleasing, but, then again, the whole vintage is amazing and if you make bad wines in 2010, don't quit your day job…
The following Bordeaux is a Haut-Médoc, 2010 vintage again from Château Barreyres. It's a "Cru Bourgeois". The nose is very pleasant, with aromas of blackcurrant, sweet almonds (!) and an underlying minerality that reminds me of graphite, but not quite. The mouth is a bit thin after the promises of the nose, but still very charming and, again, for about 7,50€ it does not get much better!
Now, for the Côtes-du-Rhônes, both are from Chapoutier and both are around 7€… The first one is the Cuvée Belleruche 2010, a magnificent blend of syrah and grenache. The nose is of ripe mulberry, violet and a bit of black olives. The mouth is powerful yet elegant and has a long finish on the fruit… It's still a bit young but, with a Montreal steak spices rubbed flank steak grilled on vines stalks, it's to die for…
The last wine of the day is, since spring is coming, a rosé… But not "just" a rosé… It's a Tavel, vintage 2011. Tavel is an appellation by itself and the wines produced must contain a majority of grenache and cinsault, with syrah and mourvèdre permitted. Yes, it is quite more structured than most other rosés. The nose is almost like one of a red wine, but fruitier and fresher, with aromas of raspberries and strawberries coming on top. The mouth is round, fruit-forward and a bit heavy for my taste in rosé but with grilled pork meat and by-products it was delicious!
Have a great weekend, next week we start the primeurs posts!
Ta!
After being completely broke at the end of March, I decided to do a compilation of four great wines for under 10€… There are two Côtes-Du-Rhône and two Bordeaux. Let's start with the Bordeaux!
Have a great weekend, next week we start the primeurs posts!
Ta!
Start Your BBQs!
03/04/13 15:42 Filed in: Posts by Sammy
Dear readers,
Today, I'll be writing about a relatively unknown but very interesting varietal; tannat. Grown to produce full-bodied wines, this emblematic varietal of the Madiran appellation found a second life in the new world (like Philth did with the old world). More specifically in Uruguay, where it has been given the status of superstar (not what happened to Philth in France), since it is the most planted black varietal. The wines produced there are usually very nice (and cheap). Let's discover this noble varietal with two very different wines.
The first one on our list is from Uruguay. It's the Poseda Del Virrey 2008 from producers Irurtia. This wine from Carmello valley is ridiculously cheap at the S.A.Q. for 12,30$.
The colour is a very deep purple. The nose is all a about spices (cumin?). We also get a lot of black fruit (blackcurrant), a little torrefaction and vanilla from the "élevage". Very nice! After about an hour in a decanter the tannins are a bit rounder, but, let's not fool ourselves, we are talking about a strong, bold wine. We find a nicely balanced acidity and a wedge of interesting bitterness. The palate is slightly more austere than the nose. I'd suggest eating red meat with it. But, frankly, it's going to be difficult to find a better wine for such a low price.
The second one on our list is a classic that I rediscovered. The Torus, by producer Alain Brumont, in the Madiran appellation, of course.
We all have "that" friend who's very nice and, although really charming, she only drinks alcoholic fruit juices like Pink Gallo, chemical coolers and other disgusting things that make wine lovers bleed through their eyes. You know, that girl who always loses control at the end of the night. Yeah, you know her! Everyone knows her…
Anyway, last time, she listened to me and stole this bottle of Madiran in her father's cellar. It must have been forgotten there for the last few years because we have a 2004 vintage that seemed to have aged perfectly. Wines made from tannat are usually little time machines for the future. This less than 20$ wine is no exception. There is still some black fruits (blackcurrant again) blended with aromas of leather and dead leaves (signs of evolution) and the melted tannins just enchanted me. Here's a proof that other wines than the grands crus can age very well!
Brace yourselves, spring is coming! So crank up your BBQs and discover the fascinating varietal that is tannat.
Have a good week
Today, I'll be writing about a relatively unknown but very interesting varietal; tannat. Grown to produce full-bodied wines, this emblematic varietal of the Madiran appellation found a second life in the new world (like Philth did with the old world). More specifically in Uruguay, where it has been given the status of superstar (not what happened to Philth in France), since it is the most planted black varietal. The wines produced there are usually very nice (and cheap). Let's discover this noble varietal with two very different wines.
The colour is a very deep purple. The nose is all a about spices (cumin?). We also get a lot of black fruit (blackcurrant), a little torrefaction and vanilla from the "élevage". Very nice! After about an hour in a decanter the tannins are a bit rounder, but, let's not fool ourselves, we are talking about a strong, bold wine. We find a nicely balanced acidity and a wedge of interesting bitterness. The palate is slightly more austere than the nose. I'd suggest eating red meat with it. But, frankly, it's going to be difficult to find a better wine for such a low price.
The second one on our list is a classic that I rediscovered. The Torus, by producer Alain Brumont, in the Madiran appellation, of course.
We all have "that" friend who's very nice and, although really charming, she only drinks alcoholic fruit juices like Pink Gallo, chemical coolers and other disgusting things that make wine lovers bleed through their eyes. You know, that girl who always loses control at the end of the night. Yeah, you know her! Everyone knows her…
Anyway, last time, she listened to me and stole this bottle of Madiran in her father's cellar. It must have been forgotten there for the last few years because we have a 2004 vintage that seemed to have aged perfectly. Wines made from tannat are usually little time machines for the future. This less than 20$ wine is no exception. There is still some black fruits (blackcurrant again) blended with aromas of leather and dead leaves (signs of evolution) and the melted tannins just enchanted me. Here's a proof that other wines than the grands crus can age very well!
Brace yourselves, spring is coming! So crank up your BBQs and discover the fascinating varietal that is tannat.
Have a good week
I'm Back...
23/03/13 17:25 Filed in: Posts by Philth
Hi guys,
First off, let me say I'm sorry for taking so long to post something, but when I came back from Berlin I was exhausted, then it was my birthday (which did not help my overall energy level) and then I had some friends visiting… But, now, I'm back with a shitload of wines to write about!
The one people seem very intrigued about is the 1979 Banyuls Grand Cru Ancestral Dry from the Cellier des Templiers, so I'll start with this one…
Before we go to the tasting notes, what is Banyuls? Simple, Banyuls is a lot like Port. You harvest the grapes, start the alcoholic fermentation and before all the sugar is transformed to alcohol, you stop the fermentation by adding neutral grape spirit and you age it in oak barrels or, in some cases, glass jars… Oh, and did I say it's usually red, and made from a majority of grenache noir? White and rosé Banyuls do exist, but red is the easiest to find...
I can hear your question… But, if there's some sugar left, why does the bottle you drank has the "dry" mention? Frankly, I don't really know… It seems dry Banyuls is very rare and, from my experience, it's more of an off-dry than a real dry, meaning there is some (albeit a tiny wee bit) sugar left in the wine.
Now, for the tasting notes… The nose is of tobacco, leather and raisins and there's also some notes of nuts, slightly oxidized, but that's normal. After a few minutes of swirling, I can find some notes of red berries and plums… 34 years later and there's still fruit! Amazing! The mouth is round and the tannins that remain (again, 34 years later there's tannins!) are almost completely melted. The only thing that bothers me, at first, is the drying finish, but with the second glass, it's forgotten and I can get lost in a wine that's older than me… And, that's what these wines are for, don't try to pair them to food, just enjoy them as they are and indulge in every single moment!
More Banyuls (from Chapoutier) in the coming days, until then, take care and have a great weekend!
Ta!
First off, let me say I'm sorry for taking so long to post something, but when I came back from Berlin I was exhausted, then it was my birthday (which did not help my overall energy level) and then I had some friends visiting… But, now, I'm back with a shitload of wines to write about!
The one people seem very intrigued about is the 1979 Banyuls Grand Cru Ancestral Dry from the Cellier des Templiers, so I'll start with this one…
Before we go to the tasting notes, what is Banyuls? Simple, Banyuls is a lot like Port. You harvest the grapes, start the alcoholic fermentation and before all the sugar is transformed to alcohol, you stop the fermentation by adding neutral grape spirit and you age it in oak barrels or, in some cases, glass jars… Oh, and did I say it's usually red, and made from a majority of grenache noir? White and rosé Banyuls do exist, but red is the easiest to find...
Now, for the tasting notes… The nose is of tobacco, leather and raisins and there's also some notes of nuts, slightly oxidized, but that's normal. After a few minutes of swirling, I can find some notes of red berries and plums… 34 years later and there's still fruit! Amazing! The mouth is round and the tannins that remain (again, 34 years later there's tannins!) are almost completely melted. The only thing that bothers me, at first, is the drying finish, but with the second glass, it's forgotten and I can get lost in a wine that's older than me… And, that's what these wines are for, don't try to pair them to food, just enjoy them as they are and indulge in every single moment!
More Banyuls (from Chapoutier) in the coming days, until then, take care and have a great weekend!
Ta!