Winecurrent newsletter April 15 2006 release
Vic is still away in Spain, but returns to Winecurrent tasting duty next month. In the meantime, Rod is holding the fort.
This release starts with a California section that features Zinfandels and other varieties. Do you ever wonder why Zinfandel isn't more popular? It's usually in the fruit-forward, high-alcohol style of Australian Shiraz, but while Shiraz swept the world, red Zinfandel accounts for a tiny percentage of California wine sales. After tasting some of the Zinfandels in this release, I'm more puzzled than before.
Geyser Peak "Block Collection" Sandy Lane Vineyard Zinfandel 2002
Contra Costa County $24.95 (678805)
Big, sweet and high in alcohol. This is the epitome of New World Extreme within the bounds of drinkability. Look for loads of sweet dark fruit...no, on second thoughts, there's no need to look for it; it hits you in the face. The sweet berries and black currants cut a saccharine path across your palate, and I have to say there are days I would love this and days I'd think it was over the top. It needs some rich, sweet food, like game with a berry sauce, to rein it in. (RP)
Kenwood Zinfandel 2003
Sonoma County $21.95 (983577)
A well-made Zin that hits the mid-range of the available styles. The fruit is ripe and pure with that characteristic sweet core. It's well balanced and smooth textured, and ready for drinking now with spicy red meat dishes. (RP)
Murphy-Goode "Liar's Dice" Zinfandel 2003
Sonoma County $28.95 (747824)
I like this wine for its complexity, and I think it's worth the few extra dollars. It's big, bold, and fruity-in the best tradition of Zinfandel-but it's well structured, has a good tangy texture, and the tannins are attractively ripe and gripping. It's also dry, which is a plus, and although the 14.5% alcohol is high by most standards, it's low on the Zinfandel scale. This is a style that's friendlier than most others to food, and I'd recommend pairing it with a steak, grilled medium-rare. (RP)
Rosenblum "Annette's Reserve" Zinfandel 2003
Redwood Valley $44.95 (686204)
A really elegant Zinfandel, with big, luscious fruit that's all blackberry and blackcurrant with notes of blueberry and raspberry, toasty oak, vanilla and chocolate. There's a luxurious decadents to the layers of flavour, and it's enhanced by the silky texture and supple tannins. It's drinking beautifully now and can be cellared another few years. (RP)
Ravenswood is a key California producer with a forte in Zinfandel. The wines here come from a variety of appellations and show the variety of styles the variety is capable of.
Ravenswood "Old Hill" Zinfandel 2003
Sonoma Valley $74.95 (684571)
A complex, well-made Zinfandel that shows nicely-modulated dark berry fruit with attractive notes of spice, smoke, coffee and mint. The texture is still a bit awkward, and the tannins are firm and gripping. This really needs another couple of years cellaring before drinking.
Ravenswood Old Vine Zinfandel 2003
Lodi $23.95 (942599)
A big sweet Zin with complex aromas and flavours like black berries and plums, dried fruit, coffee and mint. The texture is smooth across the palate and the tannins are firm and have some grip. You might decant this one if you're planning on drinking it soon. Then pair it up with grilled game. (RP)
Ravenswood Old Vine Zinfandel 2002
Mendocino County $24.95 (684563)
Elegant and restrained and verging toward a Bordeaux-style, this delivers dark berry and cherry fruit with notes of spice and coffee. The texture is smooth and round, the balance is fine, the tannins are ripe and fine-grained, and the finish is long and complex. All in all, this is a delicious Zinfandel that will enhance your enjoyment of many flavourful red meat dishes. (RP)
Ravenswood "Teldeschi" Zinfandel 2002
Dry Creek Valley $44.95 (684589)
A big, brazen Zin with lovely complexity and depth of flavours. It's all rich, dark fruit and berries with some dried fruit notes along with coffee and spice. The tannins are ripe and big, and I suggest holding this two or three years. If you must drink it now, decant it. Then pair it with a big, red meat dish. (RP)
Rodney Strong Alden Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
Alexander Valley $39.95 (599795)
An impressive wine for your cellar. The tannins are dominant right now, but underneath there's a well-balanced Cab waiting to emerge. The dark fruit flavours (plum, cherries, berries) are complex and intense, and three or four years should see a nice integration. (RP)
J.P. Vinhos Moscatel de Setúbal
DOC Moscatel de Setúbal $11.95 (996181)
A well-priced dessert wine in the Madeira-Port zones that's well worth trying. It has lovely aromatics and very attractive flavours. Above all, there's excellent balance between fruit and sweetness, so that you're not facing a cloyingly-sweet mouthful. (RP)
Malivoire "Ladybug" Rosé 2004
VQA Niagara Peninsula $15.00 (559088)
Somehow, Malivoire has persuaded Vintages to price its wines at even dollars, rather than in the beloved dollars-and-95-cents formula. For an even $15 you get a nifty dry rosé that delivers lovely strawberry and other red berry flavours. It's dry and crisp and always popular for good reason. (RP)
Malivoire Gamay 2004
VQA Niagara Peninsula $16.00 (591313)
Made in an early-drinking style, this attractive Gamay offers aromas and bright flavours of red fruit (cherry dominant) with a slight peppery note. It's medium bodied and nicely balanced and makes a good partner to roast pork. (RP)
Houghton Cabernet-Shiraz-Merlot 2004
Western Australia $17.95 (675397)
This is a very good price for a wine that has loads of character. It delivers complex red and black fruit (cherry, berries, plum) along with some spicy notes and a hint of toasty oak. It's well balanced, with good firm, ripe tannins, and you can happily pair this with well-herbed red meat dishes. (RP)
Kilikanoon "Killerman's Run" Shiraz 2002
South Australia $18.95 (925453)
A Shiraz that's ready to drink now and will be a delicious partner for grilled lamb during the summer. It provides wads of sweet black fruit and black pepper, a plump texture that's smooth and mouth-filling, and ripe, easily-managed tannins. (RP)
Mitchell "Sevenhill Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Clare Valley $22.95 (673129)
A medium-weight Cabernet with good structure-a good food wine that's a change from heavy-hitting fruit-bombs. Dark fruit, berries and spice dominate the aromas and flavours, and the tannins are attractively ripe and firm. (RP)
Wolf Blass "Gold Label" Shiraz-Viognier 2004
Adelaide Hills $29.95 (606801)
A stylish Shiraz, with a touch of Viognier à la Northern Rhône. The aromas are almost perfumed, like a warm breeze through wild herbs and lavender at dusk. The fruit (black cherries and berries) and distinct peppery notes come through in the flavours. It's nicely paced throughout, with firm tannins, and fair calls out for grilled lamb. (RP)
Middelvlei Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
WO Devon Valley, Stellenbosch $18.95 (663211)
A fruit-driven Cab that's full of flavour from front to back. Look for sweet black fruit (plum, cherry) and berries with notes of spice and smoke, medium weight, and a good finish. The alcohol (14%) is nicely in check, and this pairs well with a grilled pepper steak. (RP)
Rupert & Rothschild Classique 2003
WO Western Cape $18.95 (717991)
A Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon blend that delivers a full-of-flavour mouthful of sweet dark fruit and berries, accented with coffee, mocha and pepper. Dry, medium-full bodied, with sweet, firm tannins, it's a stylish wine that punches above its price. Pair it with grilled or roasted venison. (RP)
Domaine du Ruault Saumur Champigny 2003
AOC Saumur Champigny $12.95 (672618)
A well-pitched Cabernet Franc with lots of complexity. From the hot 2003 vintage, it delivered quite intense fruit (cherry, red plum) with some earthy and spicy notes. This is very good value and worth buying a few bottles of for drinking with grilled red meats. (RP)
Château Saint Germain 2003
AOC Coteaux du Languedoc $15.95 (718924)
An organic blend of Syrah and Grenache, this is medium to full bodied and delivers sweet red and dark fruit flavours with earthy notes and a dash of herbs and spices. With attractive texture and a good finish, this is very good value, and makes a good partner to grilled meats and hamburgers. (RP)
Cave de Rasteau "Tradition" Rasteau 2003
AOC Côtes du Rhône-Villages $15.95 (998716)
The sweltering 2003 vintage was a real challenge to winemakers in many parts of Europe, and none more so than in southern France. The concentrated dark fruit here reflects the vintage, but the structure and balance shows good decisions in vineyard and winery. This is a good price for a wine that will make excellent drinking with grilled foods during the summer. (RP)
Château Bellevue La Forêt 2003
AOC Fronton $11.95 (198085)
A rich, intense red that noses up to the border of jamminess but goes no further. It's all black fruit and perceptibly fruit-driven, but it lacks the over sweetness of many fruit-forward wines. Complex and well balanced, it's a steal at this price, and reminder that France delivers value for money over and over. Pair it with any richly-flavoured red meat dish or a dish with red wine-based sauce. (RP)
Domaine du Crampilh Vignes Vieilles 2000
AOC Madiran $17.95 (673194)
Made from 100% Tannat, this is a full-bodied wine with big dark fruit flavours. Already more than five years old, it's still hugely tannic and needs another five years before the fruit will show its stuff effectively. It's a good price for cellaring and for trying a good example of Madiran. (RP)
Terra d'Aligi "Tatone" Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2002
DOC Montepulciano d'Abruzzo $15.95 (994616)
This has really lovely flavours, full of rich, textured dark fruit with herbal and spicy notes. Medium bodied with light tannins, it's ready for drinking now with osso bucco or cellaring another two or three years. (RP)
Velenosi "Il Brecciarolo" Rosso Piceno Superiore 2002
DOC Rosso Piceno Superiore $15.95 (737560)
This good-value, mid-weight red delivers solid red fruit flavours (cherry predominant) with notes of spice and coffee. It's dry with an attractive edgy texture, and pairs well with a grilled veal chop. (RP)
Ramos-Pinto "Duas Quintas" Tinto 2002
DOC Douro $15.95 (359893)
A blend of Touriga Francesa, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Nacional, this offers good red fruit flavours and a soft texture. Medium bodied and dry, it has firm, quite gripping tannins. Serve it with roast pork and root vegetables. (RP)
Finca Luzon Tinto 2004
DO Jumilla $10.95 (672915)
This is a great buy, which adds a half star to its score. A blend of Mourvèdre and Syrah, it offers concentrated and complex flavours dark berries accented with coffee, chocolate and dried fruit. Dry, medium bodied and with firm tannic grip, it's a natural for all kinds of red meat dishes, from hamburger to grilled venison. Buy lots of this. If Vic had been tasting, instead of swanning around Spain, this would almost certainly have got a "two-glasses" icon. (RP)
"Mad Dogs & Englishmen" "Posh" Monastrell-Cabernet Sauvignon-Tempranillo 2002
DO Jumilla $17.95 (673616)
The grapes for this wine obviously went out in the midday sun, too. It delivers robust, ripe, dark fruit flavours with a good range of secondary notes. It has a fruity, juicy texture, very good balance, and pretty firm tannins, and it's just the thing the next time you throw red meat onto the barbecue. For what it's worth, I've always thought that definition of "posh" (on the label) is nonsense. Fortunately, the wine is great. (RP)
Watch for these wines in future Vintages releases
Frog's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Napa Valley $58.95
A Napa Cab that delivers intense sweet fruit flavours of crushed berries and dark cherry with notes of coffee and spice. The balance is very good and the texture is soft and quite elegant. Firm but manageable tannins make this good drinking now and over the next five years. (RP)
Five Rivers Pinot Noir 2004
Santa Barbara $19.95
A well-priced Pinot Noir that offers bright cherry flavours with a core of sweet cherry fruit. It's nicely nuanced with spicy notes, has a tangy texture, is medium bodied, and finishes well. (RP)
Dornier Merlot 2003
WO Stellenbosch, South Africa $18.95 (694224)
Dornier produces high quality wines across the board, and this latest entry into Ontario fits seamlessly into the portfolio. It delivers intriguing aromas of dark fruit, spice, smoke and mint. The flavours are a replay, with concentrated and complex fruit. The balance has a food-friendly tilt, the texture is full, round and generous, and the tannins are ripe and slightly dusty with a good but manageable grip. Decant this for drinking now, or tuck it away for up to eight years. Then enjoy it with grilled lamb or game. (RP)
Dry Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Dry Creek Valley $21.95/750ml or $12.95/375ml
A medium-full-bodied and well-structured Cab that wears the fine 2002 vintage very well. Look for quite concentrated and focused flavours of dark fruit and berries with a range of notes in the coffee-mocha and spicy zones. There's a lot going on here, with well-integrated layers of flavours, smooth texture, and very good balance. Pair it with a steak, grilled medium-rare. (RP)
Robert Hall Winery Syrah 2003
Paso Robles $28.95
Robert Hall was a builder specializing in shopping malls until he retired to fulfill his dream of opening his own winery. That was 11 years ago, and now he produces 40-50,000 cases of wine a year, most in the Rhône style. This Syrah is an example of his fine portfolio. It delivers big sweet fruit, dark cherry to the fore, with tarry and peppery notes, and a long sweet fruit finish. With a soft texture and excellent balance, it's quite stylish and partners well with well-herbed grilled or roast lamb. (RP)
Robert Hall Rhone de Robles 2003
Central Coast $28.95
A blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Counoise, this New World Rhône-style red has a really attractive texture and fruit. The 2003 vintage in Paso Robles was outstanding and here it's produced concentrated fruit (black cherry dominant), with a sweet core and notes of spice and black pepper. The flavours flow consistently across the palate, the balance is fine and the finish is lengthy and complex. All in all, an impressive wine that goes well with a rack of lamb. (RP)
Bonterra Syrah 2003
Mendocino County $19.95
A syrah made in a complex and almost meaty style, with rich red and dark fruit (cherry dominant) and notes of spice and cherry. It's very dry (astringent) with an attractive texture, with soft, ripe tannins. Quite delicious and a good buy. Serve it with lamb chops, grilled medium-rare. (RP)
Lafond Pinot Noir 2004
Santa Rita Hills $24.95
A very classy Pinot Noir that's good value at this price. You get vibrant flavours of sweet and sour cherry with mulberry tones, and attractive spicy and herbal cherry notes on the long finish. Dry and medium bodied, it's nicely pitched with spicy warmth, and will pair well with lamb chops, grilled medium-rare. (RP)
Duckhorn Merlot 2003
Napa Valley $69.95
From a prestigious producer, this Merlot delivers concentrated flavours of sweet, ripe plum with an array of spicy, black pepper notes. It's medium-full bodied with a smooth texture and quite firm tannins, with good structure and length. Overall, a substantial and stylish offering that you can drink now and over the next eight years. (RP)
These are new wines, or new vintages of existing wines, on the LCBO General List.
Peter Lehmann Shiraz-Grenache 2004
South Australia $14.95 (610725)
Australia's Lehmann does it again, with a quite elegant blend that delivers focused fruit flavours (cherry, sweet plum) with notes of spice and pepper. It's medium-plus in weight, has soft tannins, and pairs perfectly with lamb, grilled medium-rare. (RP)
Tarapaca Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Maipo Valley $9.55 (249599)
Look for concentrated dark fruit flavours (plum, cherry, blackberries) in this bargain-priced Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon. It's quite complex with medium-full body, and finishes well. Drink it now (with grilled red meat), but you can cellar it three or four years. (RP)
Baron Phlippe de Rothschild "Escudo Rojo" 2002
Maipo Valley $16.95 (613224)
Escudo Rojo is Spanish for "Red Shield," which is the meaning of Rothschild. This wine has been floating around for a while, and I'm really glad it's landed on the General List. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chile's signature variety, Carmenère, it's a big, dark, teeth-staining saturated red with loads of complexity and ripe dark fruit flavours. It's eell balanced, has medium tannins, and it's great with rich red meat dishes. (RP)
Strewn Barrel-Aged Chardonnay 2004
VQA Niagara Peninsula $11.95 (522730)
A good price for a well-paced Niagara Chardonnay with flavours of ripe peach and tropical fruit with toasty oak accents. It's well balanced and goes well with roast or grilled herbed chicken. (RP)
These are new releases from Ontario wineries. They are generally available only from the winery, where you can shop in person, by phone, or on-line. Some are available from wine-delivery companies. For information, use the winery links at www.winecurrent.com.
Mountain Road Riesling Dry 2002
VQA Niagara Peninsula $13.95 (240068)
Very dry, in fact, and good value. Look for quite delicate fruit that spans the range from peach to citrus, all lifted by brisk acidity. Light-to-medium in weight, with light diesel and honeyed notes, it's clean and crisp and an excellent match for freshly-shucked oysters or grilled seafood. (RP)
Mountain Road Unoaked Chardonnay 2002
VQA Niagara Peninsula $14.95 (200062)
From Mountain Road's Hillside Drive Vineyard, planted in 1996, this has all the hallmarks of Chardonnay Musqué: perceptibly off-dry with distinct spiciness. But, says owner/winemaker Steve Kocsis, it's straight Chardonnay and the flavours and texture are peculiar to the vineyard. So it's a quite atypical (and delicious) unoaked Chard, with flavours like peach, apricot pit, while peach and melon, all with that spiciness. It's a great buy at this price, and an excellent partner for spicy Asian dishes. (RP)
Mountain Road Barrel-Fermented Reserve Chardonnay 2002
VQA Niagara Peninsula $25.95 (200963)
Owner/winemaker Steve Kocsis crops the grapes for this Reserve-level Chardonnay down to 1.5-2 tonnes/acre and gives it two or three years in French oak. The result of this care and time shows in the bottle. You get lovely sweet fruit (peach, pear, hints of tropical), smooth texture, fine balance, and oak that contributes to the texture rather than the flavour. This will easily cellar another three-four years, but you can drink it now with a rich poultry dish. (RP)
Mountain Road Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
VQA Niagara Peninsula $21.95 (131366)
The aromas are quite restrained, and you have to search for the underlying notes of dark fruit and spice. But this really comes alive on the palate, with densely-flavoured plum, black cherry and berry flavours lifted by smoky and spicy accents. It's big bodied and intense and a reminder of how good a vintage 2001 was in some parts of Niagara Peninsula. Pair this with smoked sausage for a taste treat. (RP)
We use the following symbols when rating wines:
| Wines achieving nirvana |
| | Wines of excellence |
 | Wines well worth trying |
 | Wines below average, but drinkable |
 | Wines better avoided, unless desperate |
 | Represents a half star |
 | We both agree —a brilliant wine! |
| Drink now and over the next 2 years |
| Drink now and over the next 5 years |
| Place in cellar |
Cheers!
Rod and Vic (in absentia, in Iberia)